"Trust me, I know how that is." Even before bulking up, Mali had a long history of dealing with the very creative names people could come up with when trying to be cute or even malicious towards others. Traumatic childhood bullying aside, she didn't really have experience with nicknames meant to abbreviate. One of the benefits of having a four letter, two syllable name. There really wasn't an effective way to go shorter without making it confusing. Ma sounded like she's somebody's mother. Li just comes off as Lee, a guy's name and the Chinese version of Jose. Mal could maybe work if it didn't literally mean bad and wrong.

"I'm going to a high-class party tonight with my date. It'll be my first time meeting a lot of people, and I want to look as good as possible. Really wow everyone there, if possible." Mali said as she sat in the other chair, the Ghost of Dentist's Past creeping into her psyche from the childhood trauma corner of her mind as she settled in.

She still wasn't sure what Zoie's real goal was for this party, but regardless, she wanted to leave a good impression on everyone there. Unbidden, her imagination drew up images of her flawlessly socializing with the other party-goers, her beauty dazzling a cute trophy wife, which draws jealous glares from Zoie. Around midnight after a few drinks she gets pulled aside to the balcony by the prostitute and after a brief, terse argument allegedly about Juno, they lock together in a passionate kiss, her lips tasting of lipstick and wine as her tongue-

Wait, what was she talking about again? Oh yeah, skin care or something.

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"Once your out i'll buy you a few rounds." Riley said with a light smile as she leaned forward looking down at the notes that she had written down. Felix's address, the multisided object that was sent to him, and hold onto it for the time being, Riley ran a hand through her hair letting out a slight sigh as she looked over towards Roy seeing him glancing towards her. She made a note to tell him to go over back to Boston Heights to grab the thing Felix wanted her to grab. "Alright sounds good, take it easy and i'll talk to you later." Riley said as she then heard the other end of the phone hang up.

Riley then set the phone back down onto it's receiver before leaning back, she sighed looking down at her phone no messages from anyone as far as she could see. Setting it down into her pocket as well as the notes she had written, Riley got up and started to make her way over towards the conference room. Riley eyed the woman once more before knocking on the door three times, before leaning herself up against the wall.

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Cecily stayed quiet for a few moments, nodding as an indication that she was thinking over everything Natasha had said. She had paranoid tendencies that only had been reaffirmed over the past few weeks. In combination with her pessimistic outlook on the world, she hadn't stopped to consider the fact that maybe it all was just her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Proserpine had shot at her in Wallace's office, Natasha was right. It could have been anyone that was in that day. Another forensic tech, a janitor, a cop coming to drop off evidence, even Wallace himself - it didn't have anything to do with her.

She then considered what had happened at Queensguard. It was easy to forget that Natasha really didn't know what had happened there. Cecily bit on her lip, reviewing what had happened. Once they had gotten the evidence from the autopsy, she had gone with Caesar to Queensguard in order to try to find more evidence. After they entered the facility, the security force had attempted to gun them down, only for a secret underground bunker to save them. Taking a deep breath, she realized that if she hadn't gone with Caesar, she wouldn't have been shot at.

But that wasn't Caesar's fault. It was her choice to go investigate Queensguard with him. She started pacing back and forth again, uncertain as to whether her life was in mortal peril or if the danger was all in her head. As for what she knew about Caesar...She didn't know much. She knew that Roy trusted him and told her to stick with him, that he'd keep her safe. He ran a security company and had a shady past. But she trusted Caesar because Roy trusted him and because he had saved her life.

"After we found what evidence we could from Alicia's autopsy, Caesar and I went to Queensguard to investigate," Cecily finally said. "When we were there and I had begun collecting water samples, there was a large hole cut in a grate. In the interest of getting more evidence, we went inside...Security spotted us and started firing. It's how I got shot. I...I was probably going to die, but we found a way out through the sewers. That's how it happened."

She let out a deep breath, feeling like a teenager confessing what happened after prom to a parent. "As for Caesar...My partner told me to stay by him. I don't know a lot about him. I'm sorry he interrogated you like that...I didn't know he did that. And...maybe he has researched me. I don't know." It was obvious that Cecily was torn and confused - if the danger wasn't real, then she should go with Natasha. Call up her parents and ask them kindly to help them get a flight out of Mexico. But if it wasn't all in her head, then going back to Justice wasn't the safest place for her.

The roller derby from the night before flashed into her mind. She had gone there with Caesar. He had kept her safe. But was she truly on the Big Bad's radar? Or was it her pessimistic, paranoid nature?

"I don't know what I should do."

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Iris' eyes widened with realization and then a bit of embarrassment. She psychoanalyzed people for a living and had slipped into that routine slightly. If Risa wasn't a translator specifically from the United Nations, she would have had Jaina sedated. There wasn't a guarantee that they'd be able to get another Russian translator in on such short notice or that Risa would even want to return once Jaina woke up - hopefully, with less flimsy restraints this time.

"₁Desolée," Iris replied meekly.

Jaina hesitated for a moment, looking at Risa warily. Why didn't she want to play the game with her? Did she not know how to play - was that it? She supposed it could be embarrassing for an assassin to not know the knife throwing game, but Jaina wouldn't have held it against her. She would have been thrilled to teach her - though, Jaina was nearly always happy. It was a fundamental part of her psychosis. Jaina tilted her head, looking over Risa, until it dawned upon her.

Duh. She didn't have a knife! Those lousy guards must have confiscated it from her! "₂Kak tol'ko my poluchim nozh, my budem igrat', khorosho?" Jaina then said eagerly. They could just go on a Target run and get a bunch of cutlery! Jaina couldn't help but wonder how the game would play with steak knives....or spoons! Maybe they could use bullets and practice their gun skills? There were so many ideas flooding through her head that she almost didn't listen to Risa.

"₃Da, ya znayu yeye. Na samom dele ona byla ochen' khorosha v zhivopisi - vdokhnovlena," Jaina answered. She laid flat on her back, stretching out her legs one at a time. Her messy blonde curls were splayed out behind her, almost making a small golden circle.

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The nonverbal response was enough for him for the meantime. Even if he had to hear about it later on, because quite frankly, she was the ex-wife. It did very little to his sense of well being if she disapproved of something. He did still trust her judgement, even if he sometimes questioned her motives. It was why he wanted her in charge of the Justice branch of his company. The fact that she was knowledgeable in his field, as well as business and law didn't hurt, either. Nor the fact that she was a fair hand with sharp things. Ok, Maria was a respectably awesome person. She just pissed Caesar off a lot.

Caesar turned his heels and proceeded a short way down the hallway. He stopped at a set of solid double-doors and pushed his way inside. He stopped for a moment, feeling on the wall for the light switch. When illumination both direct and indirect made the room more visible, he winced slightly. This was supposed to be his home office, but it was different. Things were out of place. Some of the furniture was new. His brother... updated. Even his computer was new. If so much as one file was out of place, he was going to give the man an earful.

Luckily, his files seemed to be where he left them, if using more up-to-date software. And the same basic commands worked, so that was good. Caesar's knowledge of computers was rudimentary as compared to his daughter and niece. His expertise lay with security tech and equipment, not so much computer systems and programming. He logged into his company's intranet and accessed his account, quickly pulling up his contract history on a search for a specific file tagged with specific keywords. A brief glimpse confirmed that he indeed located the file in question. He printed it out and tucked it into a manila file folder, secured it with a black wire clip, and locked his office door on the way out.

Caesar did intend to apologize. He was at fault. At the very least, he came on with too much, too fast, and at the wrong time. Perhaps the contents of the folder would even things up somewhat, but first, he had to locate the woman. The first, most obvious spot would be the main courtyard in out front. He strode quickly in hopes of catching her before a cab would have had time to arrive. It was unlikely that one would have made it out there in this short a time, but still worth the extra spring in his step. As he moved, he thumbed on his satphone and sent a message to his niece:



Knowing her, she'd probably have a drink or five, too.

As it turned out, Natasha wasn't out there. Nor did she appear to be in the inner courtyard, nor the chapel area. (They were on the way). Thinking about it, he could have facepalmed. She would have to grab her stuff first. A determined sigh escaped his lips as he turned back around and located the stairs leading to the guest rooms. Caesar tried as best he could to soften his features, but that was a herculean, pissing-against-a-tide feat to accomplish. He may as well have been asked to win a chainsaw fight using only the power of positive thought. Or having positive thought, period.

He knocked on the door to Cecily and Natasha's room, and waited for response with the file held out in front of him.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in La Hacienda...

Thalia had made it a point to stop back in the kitchen before the main meal was properly served. Tamales. Dear sweet Madre de Dios, she could really go for her family's tamales right then hey had two kinds, pork and goat. She loaded up a platter with both kinds plus additional puerco asado, grabbed a thermos of spiced chocolate and a handful of tortillas, and began to book it back up to her room. The Gonzalez-who-was-not-Gonzalez started back out of the kitchen when she realized with muted horror that she had to set down little Liam to load up on her meal. Now it became a question of priority: Supper or Baby. Sighing, she stuffed as much as she could in a basket, hung it in the crook of her arm, and picked up her baby cousin gently. She couldn't get hammered while looking after Liam, and she had to take him with. It wasn't like she could just, you know, eat him or anything. Before leaving, she looked to another of her extended family and called, "Tell Maria I've got Liam up in my room, okay?" loudly enough for many people to hear. It would get around. That's how it worked in this family.

Along the way, she got a message on her satphone, prompting an interesting bit of gymnastics to get out her device and view said message. Giving it some contemplation (not a hell of a lot), she decided that it was about damned time he got off of work. She could understand why, and was willing to help whenever and however she could, but it did seem a little uncomfortable to look into the history of one of his guests, like he didn't do his homework first.

By the time she got to her room, she could see Caesar approach the door near hers, file in hand. He was trying to look less angry. He sucked at that. It was within her best interests not to tell him this, but he did really suck at that.

Meanwhile, even elsewhere...

A member of La Familia near the front gate nodded and ran off, into the courtyard near the chapel to locate Benicio. He was a very present figure, handling various aspects of the viewing like a venue director, except he actually gave a rat's ass about the people around him. Upon getting word that a messenger was at the front gate, he went to meet the man. Benicio thanked him quietly but warmly, appropriate as they were dealing with the deceased. He then introduced himself and politely requested the envelope.

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Priya didn't know how she felt about having this random girl following them around, even if she knew those involved. It seemed too convenient for her now, even more so if they were to have her along. What better way to cover up your tracks than to be a part of the investigation itself? Still, Priya needed to see that video and she needed Roy's help in doing so and if he wanted her along, she wasn't in a position to say no.

Friends close, enemies closer?

She shrugged, but nodded her approval, "I don't have much choice, but I don't think we should bring her along. If you want to, then go ahead. Let's get to this soon. I'm anxious to see what's on it." Because apart from reading about the case, that's all she was aware of it. She was freshly knew to Justice so this case wasn't on her radar until she set foot and recieved it. A fresh pair of eyes should help though, as far as she was concerned.

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Diamond District: Dr. Johnson listened intently to what Mali had to say as she flipped down the scope on her visor and started to take a closer look at her skin. After a few minutes she flipped it back out of the way and nodded. "We will go with a Hydra Facial then. Multi steps. It's a non-invasive chemical peel that draws out any impurities in the skin without having to squeeze. A hydradermabrasion and delivery of Antioxidants, Hyaluronic Acids, and peptides to round it out.

It will smooth out the skin, tighten it up, corrects things like sun damage and such from make up and just over all living in the butt crack of humanity that is Justice. Not to mention there is no irritation and no downtime. Which is what is most important for you today since you need to be ready for this evening. Don't want anything causing redness or burning on you to deal with tonight. That would just make things counter productive," she said as she hopped down and went to the racks of various chemicals and supplies. Gathering what she needed she slipped on a new pair of gloves and got back in her seat. "Now, just relax, sleep, talk if you want, and let me handle things."

Police Department: Station 54: "I don't like the idea of taking a civilian anywhere but I have had her under my protection and watch for a while now and I can't exactly just write down directions. So she has to come or we have to wait until things are safe... Which would probably mean we would be dead because safety doesn't exist in Justice," Roy said before getting up as Riley came over and knocked on the door.

Walking over he opened it and let her in. "Hey, were you able to figure out anything from the babbling that was going on with that guy on the phone?" he asked as he looked at Riley before facepalming. "Sorry, this is my partner Detective Khurana. And actually hold that thought," he said glancing around the precinct. Might not even be safe for Riley to say what she heard on the phone. "Come on. let's all three of us get out of here, grab some food and talk," he said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.

La Hacienda: "Partner? Since when do forensic techs have partners? Sorry, just not something I have heard of," Natasha said. "Long standing partner you can trust or...?" she tossed out there as she grabbed her suitcase off the bed. "Shit, trust your gut and if you can't do that trust people who save your ass without endangering it," she added before going towards the door. Natasha froze slightly as someone knocked at the door, maybe it was someone telling her that her cab was there. Swinging it open her eyes narrowed as she spotted Caesar. "Oh I don't have time for this," she said as she stood there tapping her toe. "Mind moving, I have places to go."

The messenger at the gate waited until Father Gonzalez arrived. Having him sign a few things and show him his ID. "Sorry, got really damn specific instructions on delivering this," he said before he finally handed over the package and left. It was a medium sized padded manilla envelope that when felt on would feel mostly empty accept for a small hard stop in the bottom corner. There as no return address but the hand writing was familiar. It was his deceased nieces. (Pm before day 5 to find out just what is in the package)

Justice Asylum: "Ножи, множественное число. Среди прочего. И тот звонок, который вы хотели сделать, конечно. Хорошо. Почему русский? Почему вы не хотите, чтобы врач знал, насколько вы занимательны? Я имею в виду серьезно. Теперь, держись, собираешься всплывать, что на месте. Когда мы бежим, мне нужно, чтобы вы могли работать," Risa rambled off as she slowly got closer and closer to Jaina. Approaching her like someone would to deal with a lion, all she needed was a chair in front of her. resting her hands on the girl she got ready to pop that joint back into place. She didn't bother asking the doctor to help, figuring Jaina might just try to kill the doctor again.

"Dit la fille peint de belles images. Que voulez-vous savoir d'autre?" Risa asked as she waited for Jaina to let her own it was alright to fix the leg. She wasn't about to just yank it into place without some sign.

Mali knew it was most likely just for the purpose of shortening down "hydradermabrasion" down to something that could be remembered by normal people, but naming any sort of beauty treatment after a greek monster of any sort intentionally or no was not a way to make it sound appealing. Sure there were worse options to pick from (say, the Medusa Treatment: "beauty so stunning he'll be frozen in awe"), but a multi-headed lizard that was constantly being beheaded was not some sort of ideal to strive for, unless a detail that was never carried over into English tellings was how baby-smooth the beast's hide was as Iolaus burned its bleeding neck stumps with a torch.

"So had any luck with your love life," asked Mali when she was given the invitation to speak. She was seventy percent sure that the reason she'd asked was because she hadn't entirely left the daydream head space that she'd inhabited half a minute ago, but no matter the reason for it, she regretted the words as soon as they'd left her mouth. She didn't know this woman, and yet the second thing she asked her about was potentially deeply personal information. What kind of ice-breaker topic was that? There were a million other, less awkward things to speak about that wouldn't completely kill the intended mood of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Of course, she'd probably heard maybe ten of them a thousand times. "What's the job like?" "Do you also get work done here?" "What's your work-out routine?" Assuming she was even asked questions all that often. Mali had the gut feeling that the people usually in the chair preferred to talk at length about themselves and their own personal troubles and grievances. That was how these things were supposed to go, right?

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Riley waited for a little bit longer until the door was finally opened, Riley took a step inside of the conference room she was about to request going back to Boston Heights as Roy asked what she had found out from Felix. She was just about to answer before looking over at Pyira, Riley decided to not say anything just yet on what she had found out. Pyira was a stranger to her after all, and Riley was running out of people to trust in he city. "Nice to meet you Riley Ridgeway." She said as she extended her hand over towards Pyira giving her a friendly smile.

Riley looked over at those who were in the precinct and then nodded slightly, she didn't trust the other officers in the building either and simply nodded. "If you are willing to pay i'm down for some food right now." Riley said giving Roy a friendly smile as she took a step to the side so that Roy would lead the way out of the precinct and to his car. Riley would occasionally look over towards Pyira she still didn't know much about the woman who was now Roy's partner.

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"Forensic techs normally don't - it's a little weird, I know. A friend of mine is a cop - and while I'm not officially his partner, he refers to me as such," Cecily explained. She was feeling frazzled, meaning that she wasn't intentionally leaving out explanations. She instead was forgetting that other people didn't know everything she did. It was a classic case of it made sense to me when it really only made sense to that particular person. But as to whether or not she could trust Roy? He had hid is involvement with Juno from her, but he came clean about it. And he understood all of her comic book references - while that wasn't a qualification for trusting him, it certainly made Cecily like him as a friend. "Yeah, I can trust him."

As Natasha grabbed her suitcase from the bed, Cecily knew that she had to make a choice soon - stay with Caesar or leave with Natasha. Natasha had saved her life and came with her, selflessly, to Mexico. Caesar made sure that she got out of Queensguard's complex alive. Natasha had pointed out that she could still climb out of this rabbit hole - while Caesar was dragging her farther into it. Both of them had a certain amount of self-interest, yet they also each tried to keep her safe. She felt entirely indecisive about what she should do. There was an argument for each side that she found compelling.

In short, she was indecisive. She considered pulling out a coin and flipping it to make a decision, but her life could be impacted by the choice she was going to make. She shouldn't be so careless about this decision. Biting on her lip, she considered who in her life she could truly trust: herself. Old friends. Riley. Roy. She didn't know Natasha and Caesar very long, but...

"I'll come with you," Cecily finally decided. In that split second, she had detached herself from the situation at play, thinking about all of this like it was a comic book. Would she want the interesting side character (herself) to go with the strong female protagonist or the slightly cliché male anti-hero that would startle even the Ghost Rider? She'd want the female character. She'd want Jessica Jones or Scarlet Witch or Rogue.

Just as she felt some of the tension and uncertainty melt away, she turned her head as she heard a knock on the door, seeing Caesar standing there with a file of some sort. She assumed that it had to do with Alicia - maybe the autopsy report or something similar to that.

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Jaina giggled slightly, beaming as Risa mentioned how entertaining she was. While Risa was approaching her with caution, Jaina was almost entirely relaxed. Her limbs were loose, rather than tensed. But that didn't mean she wasn't ready to spring into motion if she decided to, but it'd be on a whim. Almost everything with Jaina was on a whim. See a necklace she liked? She'd grab it. Life was her playground and the only rule was that she needed to have fun.

"₁Pochemu ne russkiy?" Jaina asked, confusion clear in her voice. "₂Zachem mne govorit' po-angliyski, kogda ona mozhet izuchat' russkiy yazyk, yazyk trapetsii?" Jaina tilted her head, sizing up Risa once more. If she had dated a Bazhooli, then she should understand. Had the Circus really sent her? Her eyes lit up brightly as another thought occurred to her. The Circus had sent her an assassin to play with, knowing that she'd be bored. How kind of them! How brilliant! What fun she'd have! "₃Yeshche kak statuya," Jaina promised.

Iris wasn't surprised that Jaina adored Cynthia's pictures - though she had a feeling Jaina was referring to the blood and not the paints. But if the translator had her talking, she couldn't dwell too much on that. Iris couldn't understand what Jaina was saying, but from her file, she had an inkling as to why Jaina had elected to speak in Russian. It was the language of the place she felt was her true home. "₄Oui, la fille qui peint des belles images...Elle vient d'être kidnappée. Est-ce qu'elle sache où Cynthia est?"

Jaina's ears perked up as she heard Cynthia. Risa had already asked her a little about her. The doctor, for some reason, wanted to find her friend. Jaina doubted it was to congratulate her on her latest artistic masterpiece. She didn't know what language Iris was speaking - and Risa at some points - but she didn't care too much. It provided her with a decent background to let her whims come to her and fill her with musings. She was starting to feel a little restless - and bored of this room. She wanted to have fun with the assassin - and maybe finish up her latest artistic response to Cynthia with the doctor's head.

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The nature of Caesar's patience was such that, despite the abundance of disrespect being flung in his direction in his own house, he did not delve into his baser nature and do horrendous things with sharp, painful objects. Not to say that the thought didn't flash through his mind, but it was just for the briefest of moments. For another, also briefest of moments, Caesar contemplated whether it was a healthy practice for his thought process to instinctively go there first; mutilation and death. The proper application of violence had served him well over the course of his respectable lifetime. Too well, in fact. But it had also cost him many things. One of which was his ability to interact properly in most social settings that did not require the capacity to intimidate. And his reputation? His family was one thing. They all grew up hearing stories about him, his brother, and other notable members of La Familia. But people like Cecily? Natasha (if she was on the level)? Maybe it was best that people like him were a product of a bygone era.

"I have insulted you, and shamed the memory of my beloved daughter on the night of her viewing. I apologize." His voice was gravelly, low in tone as usual, but there was a distinct sadness to it. "This file contains my personal history up until seven months ago, when I first came to Justice. It is everything publicly accessible, and a few things that take some effort. No contract information. Nothing that compromises my family. Some of it had been redacted by the American and Mexican governments. But it's me with a little more detail than I know about you, now. You and Cecily look it over. Maybe it will help you understand why I do what I do."

"Again, I apologize. The hospitality of my house is yours if you want it." Caesar looked past Natasha to his other houseguest, "The offer I made in your office still stands, Cecily. Think about it." Caesar lowered his head, nodding slowly, and went to return to the viewing below.

Meanwhile, at the main gate...

Benicio thanked the messenger as he left. There was an amount of curiosity that bit into him concerning the nature of the envelope and what it might contain, but the odd way in which it came to him prompted a bit of discretion. Instead of opening immediately and sating his growing inquisitiveness, he tucked it into his jacket and left the area, bound for less open environs within. He too had private rooms in La Hacienda, and intended to utilize them for that reason - privacy.

Meanwhile, even elsewhere...

There was a genocide of many tamales and accompanying sides in an otherwise quiet room. The scent of cumin and cilantro hung heavy in the air as the rampant murder of perfectly peaceful local cuisine met its dramatic, gnawing end. For Thalia, it was mealtime. For tamales, it was the apocalypse.

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Priya followed her partner out to the girl. She took the girl's hand and shook it firmly. "Detective Priya Khurana." That was all she would give the girl, until she proved otherwise. As far as she was concerned, the girl should go back home and do whatever it is she needed to do and let the detectives get on with their case. But, Roy wanted her along and she couldn't say no.

Well, she could, but she needed to watch this DVD and she had a feeling Roy wouldn't do so without Riley.

"Not gonna say no to free food. Where at?" She hoped it would be somewhere decent and not some typical greasy food diner, but she shouldn't expect much on a detective's salary. She waited for them to get ready before she followed. The sooner they ate, the sooner she could get back on this. She had a feeling this DVD would be a big part of the mystery and she wanted to see it. Desperately.

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Diamond District: Dr. Johnson got to work on Mali's facial as she sat there on her stool. She would have to get up from time to time to retrieve something from here or get something from there. All the while exchanging small talk. "I did, a long time ago. Back when I still lived in Australia. Since coming to Justice though, no such luck," she admitted as she sat back in her seat and pulled her gloves off. The sound of latex snapping slightly as each one popped off the tip of her fingers.

"Would think coming out to California would mean more people with open minds. Found that were just as closed minded here and everywhere else on the planet," she added as the gloves were unceremoniously tossed into the waste bin. "Okay, just relax a bit. The mask has to set for about twenty minutes. You can see talk and such, just try not to do facial expressions like you would imagine Wayne would do if he struck gold," she added with a slight smirk. "Going to grab some water, want a bottle?"

Police Department: Station 54: Roy looked at the two women and grumble under his breath. "Just because I suggested food doesn't mean I should be footing the bill..." he snarked as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Fine, I'll pay but I want answers to what that deranged person said on the phone like I asked for," he said to Riley as he walked passed her and grabbed his jacket. He had asked what she had found out on the phone and not been answered. Considering he had taken time to protect her, teach her how to use a gun, and out of the sight of her fanning public he figured he had at least earned an answer to a simple question.

"Come on, lets get out of here before the Captain takes notice my ass is still here," he added as he pulled his gun and badge from the drawer of his desk. Shutting it he locked it up tight and looked over towards Priya. "Don't forget the files and stuff," he said in passing as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Lets go." Heading down the stairs he went for the front door. He never liked being in the office itself, preferring being out on the streets. He knew out there that there was a bullet with his name on it, in the station however he never knew exactly which gun held it. Best to get moving and quick. Food, safe house, that was the plan but things hardly ever went as planned in Justice.

La Hacienda: Natasha glanced over at Cecily as she said she would come with her and nodded. She was glad she had decided to leave. it would mean she could keep a better eye on the wound on the womans shoulder. Granted she didn't want her to have to fly twice in one day. Maybe they could take a car, rent one, drive to the border. Have a stop and enjoy some of Mexico without the Poster Man for "Meth Not Even Once" poking into her life.

Looking back at Caesar as he handed out the file Natasha couldn't stop herself from going... "Seriously?" Yeah, she could tell he was trying to make up for poking his nose into her business but that wasn't the way to go about it in her mind. "You don't get it do you? You are having the fucking option of what you hand over, what you don't. Oh and that you are even choosing to turn shit over. I didn't have a goddamned choice. You went poking around without so much as a hey, you are coming into my home so I want to make sure you are safe to be around my family - mind if I run a check? courtesy notification. So... why don't you take that file of yours, take a step back out of my way and go fuck your own face? How's that sound because me and my patient are leaving. Tell Maria if she needs anything for Liam, she has my number," Natasha spouted off towards Caesar without batting an eyelash.

It was no wonder in her file that most of the reviews she had from other doctors included notes about her being abrasive, overly opinionated, neigh on fearless. Seemed it didn't matter if she was hanging down the shaft of a silver mine, dealing with thug in the Er with a gun to her patient, or staring down the former Federale while weak as hell thanks to recovering from Cancer - Dr. Natasha Brinne of Chicago Illinois didn't back down for shit. Turning she looked back at Cecily and gave the woman a firm nod of her head. "Taxi will be at the front gate in ten, meet you down there if you need a moment," she said before she started to move. Her eyes met with Caesars for a moment. The ice in her eyes was like fire as she brushed passed him, ignoring the file and making her way downstairs.

Seemed Caesar wasn't the only one being ignored, Liam was as well and he obviously decided to get some payback on his Cousin. As she kept devouring food without giving him a second glance his face distorted. It was as if he had become possessed by Santa Muerte or something far worse. A demon perhaps. One might want to call Benicio because it looked as if an exorcism was needed immediately. Poor little Liams face was turning red, squishing up like a dumpling that had been overstuffed. His whole body seemed to tremble as snot and tears dripped from his eyes and nose. It was as if he was trying to make a sound but nothing would come out. It was suck, everything was stuck... something was stuck. A cork was holding back something from the depths of hell and threatening to spill out into the world as they knew it.

Then there was a sound, as if they had just powered up the Death Star and were about to take out Alderan. A low grumble and Liams little lips finally parted, he screamed and then the earthquake hit his whole body. The epicenter was within his little diaper which had no chance against the blowing out of the dam. Like a tube erupting while draining the septic tank of an RV, so did Liams little tush. It blew against the back of the diaper. The cotton and fibers were not made to absorb something so chunky so quickly. It hit the diaper and went straight up. Up along his back, through his clothing, and out at the neckline against the back of his skull before spraying out and around like a Cobra possessed water hose... Only brown... and chunky... and runny... and... Oh god the smell....

Liam felt better. He smiled at his Cousin, giggling as it kept coming. No one was going to touch the chocolate fountain after this... And Thalias tamales? Best to get a new plate after all that. It was all over her, and anyone within ten feet...

(Pm for package content details)

Justice Asylum: Risa chuckled a bit as she rested her hands on Jania. "₁Потому как," she said before giving a quick pull and twist to put the girls joint back in place. "₂Врачи заполняют свои головы всеми типами забавных вещей, не давая им ничего сделать. Как Трапеция, или лезвия, или что-нибудь еще. Они просто недостаточно умны," Risa said as she leaned back and sat down next to Jania.

The heard the doctor but she was keeping her attention on Jania, she figured the girl was more dangerous than the doctor could ever be. Risas cool eyes darted over to Iris though and she nodded a bit to let her know she heard her. Granted that nod could mean that she thought Jania knew where the girl was. So it could be misinterpreted. "₃Итак, вы знаете, где девушка? Мы могли бы получить ее и нарисовать много красивых фотографий," Risa asked Jania with smile coming to her lips and her eyebrows shooting up as if she really liked the idea.

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Riley gave Pyira a friendly smile when she shook her hand. "Nice to meet you detective." Riley said, as her attention went back towards Roy, she was going to fill him in once they were in the car. "I'll pay actually, the least I can do wherever you guys want to go." Riley said with a slight shrug she was craving for anything really at this point. Riley walked through the precinct until they were outside again, and found Roy's car. "Also what I learned from Felix, I do think he was on a lot of pain meds. But we do need to stop by his place, he did say there was something important it's at Boston Heights."

Riley said as she then stopped in front of Roy's car. "I do think that someone is after him, I mean after I left the hospital last night after his injury, you were there when you found me after all." Riley said as she leaned up against his car, eyeing Pyira she still wasn't sure if she could trust the other woman or not with what she just said. "I just didn't want to say anything in there, I'm not sure about the rest of your coworkers in there."

Crisis averted, she didn't react in any way to the probing question that would illicit an extended period of awkward silence. Still, she decided she would prefer to keep her mouth shut to Shela's reply rather than actually say something else that would make the rest of her stay with this particular beautician awkward. Unfortunately, this meant that she would largely have to keep herself entertained in her own head for the meantime.

"You shouldn't be cracking jokes if you don't want me to break this mask," Mali teasingly derided Shela. "I would really appreciate a bottle of water, thanks." And Mali was left alone again. This was unexpected, and made her regret making Helga wait when she would have had some time to organize her thoughts now. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 and all.

Letting her mind wander, she came across something she didn't really expect to think about: whether or not she'd watch the new Star Wars movie coming out in the winter. She'd seen the last one when that came out, but mostly because it felt like such a big event that it'd be a huge waste to not go. She had liked it well enough at the time, but the new Star Wars smell had worn off, and she wasn't so sure she really wanted to go see another one. Maybe Relic would be interested in going, and that could be a solid reason to go. Get the kid out away from a computer or device for awhile. Did he even like Star Wars? Now that she thought about it, he might be more of a Star Trek guy.

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Although her parents had never divorced, Cecily felt like the child of a spiritual divorce between Natasha and Caesar. Both of them had been doing their best to look out for her, within their own areas of expertise. She had made her decision though, leaving her to feel incredibly awkward and a little bit guilty as Natasha and Caesar's fight raged on. She understood Natasha's disgust with how Caesar decided to apologize - but she also sympathized a bit with Caesar. He was trying to make things right...he was just doing so in an awful way.

"Will do," Cecily replied once Natasha barged out. She didn't even know if she needed a moment and her mind was becoming indecisive all over again. She had made her choice - and yet, she was already wondering if she should have done something differently. She glanced down at her luggage, as if she would somehow find the answers in there, before she looked back up at Caesar. Biting her lip, Cecily looked around the room. Finding something to write with, she jotted down a simple note labeled with his name and set it aside. It read:

Caesar - for what it's worth, I think you're a good man. We all make mistakes. Just gotta learn from them, right? -C

Her conscience partially cleared, Cecily ensured she had the remainder of her things before heading down to meet Natasha and the taxi.

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Jaina let out a mixture between a giggle and a scream as Risa popped the joint back into place. Her eyes were filled with life as she flexed her feet, enjoying the full range of motion that had been restored to them. She slid out into a split, clasping her feet with her hands. It was always good to stretch before the performance and after the warm up, after all~! She giggled a bit, winking at Risa as if the assassin had said something incredibly funny.

"₁Vrachi ne smeshnyye. V ikh golovakh net nichego smeshnogo. Vot pochemu oni tak starayutsya ukrast' vashe schast'ye - tak chto u nikh mogut byt' nekotoryye," Jaina explained. She bounced lightly in her split before pausing as she faced Risa. A certain strangeness went over her and something flickered in her eyes. The roar of the crowd, the lights, the chill of the night air, grasping, panicking, falling, screaming... Her eyes flickered towards Iris and then she put a smile on her face.

"I know where she is," Jaina boldly claimed. "I wrote it down and put it inside her head. You'll have to crack it open - crack, crack, crack - like an egg to get it out! Do you think doctors are better scrambled or sunny side up?" Jaina taunted.

Iris shook her head, letting out a sigh. This seemed to have been a mistake. It was impossible for her to get a read on her patient. And while Jaina had told the translator that she knew where Cynthia was - from Iris' perspective - Jaina hadn't revealed that information. Instead, it was more violently cheerful conversation. Looking towards Risa, Iris quickly continued in French. "₂Qu'est-ce que vous avez parlé de quand elle commence à parler en anglais?"

"Jaina, Cynthia could be in danger. You understand danger, right? She could," Iris hesitated, remembering a factoid from Jaina's file. She didn't understand death. "get very hurt and not be able to draw or paint or play anymore. If you could tell the translator or me where she is, we can make sure that doesn't happen."

"Translator?" Jaina asked, giggling. She winked at Risa and shook her head, sending her curls flying about in every direction until she stopped. "Her name is Risa! Shadow of the Night!" Jaina practically cheered. For the moment, her language choice was relatively settled on English. Though Jaina herself wasn't even quite sure why she had switched - she just had.

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Caesar considered giving the doctor the finger. And by that, he meant nailing her with a tranq pistol and posing her in a chair so he could charge people a dollar to sit and take their picture with her. It almost gave him something to smile about. Unfortunately, the actions that she had taken seemed a lot like the same bluster he might use to get out of a compromising position, were he about to get caught doing something he shouldn't. Maybe she was truly offended. Maybe said offense was enough to override certain innate curiosities concerning the enigmatic nature of her host. And maybe this whole thing was a ploy. Caesar promised to cease investigating for the day, and he intended to. But his suspicions were raised yet again.

As Natasha brushed past him, he met her gaze evenly. He declined to make comment, as anything he really wanted to say at that moment would likely be met with more venom and vinegar, now in the more open areas where the disturbance would filter down to where the family was viewing Alicia. And besides, she was leaving. The problem was, so was Cecily. He permitted himself a simple piece of advice to the departing Dr. Brinne hat he hoped she would take to heart, "Watch out for El Sasquatcho! He's a hugger."

He had another piece of advice for Cecily, now that he heard that she was leaving as well, "Be very careful where you place your trust. Let me know when you're back safe." He could have given her a hug just then, but that wasn't very Caesar. Instead, he left the file on a nightstand near the door should Cecily want to take a look at it, and prepared to rejoin the viewing.

From the next room, there came a shout. The usual alarm sounded in Caesar's mind as he slipped unerringly into his more protective, slightly more murderous persona. Drawing his .45, he moved with solid grace that belied his advancing years, hugging the wall until he came to the door to Thalia's room. He reached one hand over, gingerly closing it around the doorknob. Giving it the slightest of turns, he was able to tell that it had not been locked. With practiced motion, he threw the door open and clasped both hands around his pistol, flinging himself into the doorway in hopes of getting the element of surprise upon anyone or anything that might be harming his family. His hair, long and unbridled, flowed behind his every movement as a superhero's cape might, coming to rest behind his broad frame covered by a black leather biker vest. He was truly a man that was not to be trifled with.

Yet, instead of moving upon a grand threat, he let the gun fall to his side. Slowly, he tucked it back away and leaned upon the doorframe, supporting himself as he grabbed his sides and began to laugh. Honest, true laughter. Thalia was standing a couple of feet from little Liam, frozen in place with a look of shock, alarm, and utter disgust rolled into one horrifying moment. He shook his head, took a step back, and spoke aloud, "It's a good thing your father is a priest, niña." She didn't know it, but once upon a time, she was the little one in this particular scenario. He remembered it well. "I'll have some cleaning stuff and air freshener sent up. Just hang on."

Thalia gave a wordless exclamation, refusing to so much as move a muscle. She wasn't sure what to do, but she didn't want to make it any worse and moving, in her opinion, might make it worse. Caesar backed away slowly and began down the stairs. Along the way, he crossed paths with his brother Benicio, coming up the stairs with a large envelope. "Angel está en una situación. El pañal de Liam explotó y ella está atrapada. Le estoy ayudando."₁

The younger Gonzalez brother responded in English, "Okay. I've got her for now." then hurried the rest of the way up the stairs. His motive was rather ulterior, but he assumed that the package was really meant for her, judging by its contents. She and Benicio together, by the clues left for him, but not for Caesar. At least not yet.

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Priya let the girl speak, but inside her mind she was working out the details of the girl's psyche. She didn't trust her as far as she could throw her (and Priya was stronger than she looked). She wasn't intent on disclosing what she was investigating, even if the girl was a person of interest. Until she proved otherwise, Riley was on the suspect list. Hell, she was at the top!

Priya nodded at Roy and gathered her evidence from her desk before returning to the others. It seemed Riley wasn't intent on sharing her conversation with Priya present. Fair enough. The two seemed to have a mutual understanding of one another. Priya opened Roy's car door and sat in the back, allowing Riley the front seat. It was better that way, anyway. Not only could she stuff the evidence from prying eyes, but she could keep an eye on the girl.

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Okay, we have reached a part in the Rp where things are slowing down and we just need to cover some ground in a few areas. Time to pull out the cases and get this done. Remember - person with the highest counter begins the case. PM each member of the case and me so rolls can be done if needed. Go back and forth as you can to cover the time/goal. Get them posted before your counter runs out. Questions, hit me up.

Case Name: Girls Day
Goal: Finish Up At The Spa
Location: Roberts Diamond Spa
Counter: 7 Days
Group: Mali, Zoie


Case Name: Trust Issues
Goal: Get To The Safe House
Location: Station 54 -> Safe House
Counter: 7 Days
Group: Riley, Roy, Priya


Case Name: Is Someone Gonna Get Bazhooli'ed?
Goal: No Spoilers
Location: Justice Asylum
Counter: 7 Days
Group: Jaina, Risa, Iris


La Hacienda: Natasha stood out front near the gate. She wasn't about to stay right by the front door. Pulling out her phone she looked down at it and hit a few keys. Grumbling to herself a bit before looking up at the sky in near defeat. "Shit," she muttered before looking back down at her phone. Hitting a contact in her phone she made a call and placed the phone to her ear. "Hey hun.... No, not exactly.... Yeah... Soon, probably be 24 to 48 hours.... Complications.... I'll explain when it's safe... It's not that.... Yeah.... I will, I promise.... You too... Bye." she said, having her side of the conversation before hanging up the phone and glancing over towards Cecily. "Gonna have to take a road trip."

In the house, little Liam felt a lot better after his butt evacuation. He was giggling and clapping as if this was the best day ever! After getting that much out of him, of course it was. Granted now that he was put down, mess everywhere, and Thalia was too scared to move, he was painting the prettiest of pictures - apparently this was his brown period....

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Despite the fact that she was leaving his home, Cecily held no ill will towards Caesar. In fact, she considered him to be a friend. But she couldn't deny that Natasha was right - that most of her involvement and the supposed danger was circumstantial. Additionally, her argument that she'd rather read a comic about a two badass women (well, Natasha was badass. Cecily wasn't certain if she herself qualified) than one about a federale and a forensic technician. Both of them were interesting - but it was 2017. It was about time for some female protagonists.

She made a note to let Caesar know when she got back into the United States, as well as likely switching out her phone for a new one. While Natasha may have lessened her paranoia some, it hadn't completely vanished. "Road trips are fun," Cecily said, trying to keep the mood light. "I could also call and see if my parents have any connections down here, if we need them..."

Yeah, that would've been a great conversation. Hi Mom, hi Dad! Still disappointed in me for making life a little harder to high powered criminal defense attorneys like yourself? Great! I need a car and a hotel in Mexico, no questions asked. She hoped that Natasha wouldn't take her up on her offer. She only spoke with her parents on holidays, much preferring the company of her maternal grandmother. Grandma Kingston wasn't a greedy shark, after all.

Cecily froze for a moment. The word shark had somehow brought something to her mind. Hadn't there been another death where the corpse had been found under water? Lorna and Alicia weren't the only ones. The cause of death was different, as the victim had been burned, but it was discovered in a marsh. From what she recalled, the body had been transferred to MS. Her eyes were wide and her heart sped up a little more, as she realized she was onto something.

"Probably the wrong place and time, but I've just realized something," Cecily said quickly. "Alicia and Lorna were found underwater - but there was another victim I remember hearing about, Kelley Breeden. She was found in a marsh. If we could get lung fluids and run a test for comparison...Maybe we'll be one step closer to finding out who our mystery culprit is."

"And I could be wrong, but I think the body was transferred and released to Machete Security Services. There has to be a connection there."

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Caesar didn't feel right in letting Cecily walk out of the door with Natasha. There was something there that was gnawing at him, but he just couldn't place it. He wasn't going to force her to stay, though. That would make him a different kind of asshole than he actually was. He wished that he could keep tabs on her somehow or give some form of aid. But the decision was set and done. If Cecily did not want the protection and hospitality of La Familia, he wasn't going to hold it against her.

At the present, he had a delicate and impressionable (ha) niece who was trapped in her room, covered in something that looked like tar fused with nuclear waste produced by his baby grandson's colon. From the smell, it was probably easier to set the room on fire and start over from scratch. But that was probably not the most practical approach, with many visitors present. Caesar was going to have to go down into the storage basement or cellar and haul up some of the more industrial goodies to handle this little dilemma. He could go and tell Maria about this; she was always better with kids than he, but with the events of the evening Caesar thought it best to let himself, Benicio, and Thalia handle the problem.

A few moments later, Caesar found himself walking down a short flight of stairs into the underground areas of the complex. In contrast to other basements or underground areas, this one was well lit and organized, as if constantly expecting company. Or an apocalypse. There were others down there as well, hauling up casks of wine or trying to find a quieter corner to discuss things between them, cry, or other business related to the upkeep of the houses and grounds. He walked past stockpiles of foodstuffs, tools, weapons, sundries, etc. until coming to the object of his mission: Cleaning Supplies. Number one on the list was a wet/dry shop vac. Taking no chances with this.

So, shop vac, wet wipes, bucket, maximum strength cleaning products with and without bleach, bleach, various cloth and paper products designed to be both strong and absorbent, and an extra wastebasket that might double as a burn bucket later. And diapers. He was so laden with items that, upon clunkily climbing the stairs and re=emerging in the main area, a trio of abuelas who had just emerged from the kitchen scurried around him for the purposes of relieving him of part of his burden and follow him wherever he was headed, all the while making conversation about how kids these days don't know what it means to get down on their hands and knees and scrub a floor like back in the good old days.

Meanwhile, back upstairs...

Benicio stepped into the open doorway, eyes widening at the sight within. "Jesucristo..." he murmured, looking in awe at the splatfest within. Realizing that he had just taken the Lord's name in vain, and him being a priest, that was rather toward the bad side. "Lo siento, Dios." he quickly followed up, continuing to his daughter with, "This looks like an 'Ay Carajo' moment, little Angel. You good?"

With mastery of motionless facial muscles rivaling the greatest ventriloquists of yesteryear on up to "America's Got Talent", Thalia squeaked out, "No... no Dad. Not really. Towel please?"

"Yeah, M'hija. Give me a second." Benicio walked into the bathroom and returned with a fluffy, beige towel that he was absolutely certain he would never allow his family to use ever, ever again, and began to pat his daughter's face more or less clean. Ish. Enough to allow her more comfortable gifts of speech. Glancing over to Liam, he laughed a little, noting how utterly blissful the tiny Gonzalez seemed to be at his recent accomplishment. "Ok, Caesar will be back in a couple minutes. Before he does..." He paused for a moment to close the door, "I got a package in just now. Alicia sent me a flash drive with the picture of an angel's wing on it. I think she meant for just us to see it. When we're done cleaning up, we need to take a look a this, okay?"

Taking the towel away from her father, Thalia began cleaning herself as best she could for the moment, flatly intoning, "Sure. But first we're getting this done A-fucking-SAP."

Benicio nodded vigorously. "Yes. Definitely."