Scene #9153: Tanya The Evil

Owner	Pose
Angela	Sometimes Trideag jobs are not very glamorous. Sometimes there needs to be patrols to make the neighborhood feel safe and instill the sense that the Trideag Association is here to stay, to ensure nobody out to have it for them is sneaking in, and sometimes it's just important to keep an eye out for trouble. Typically, the former Cinq Association members and the former Rook office members have been engaged in this sort of work, being amongst the higher grade local Fixers from the City. According to Lilian, nobody should be working on their lonesome right now and so joining Madeleine on this adventure is Dart, one of Ceri's old friends from the Cinq Association. She wears a Three Musketeers style feathered cap and has a rapier at her side but is otherwise in a Trideag uniform. The hat doesn't match yet. She's looking for a new one still. "Is this not wonderful, my friend?!" Dart asks exuberantly. "Two birds of a feather, chums in a bucket, compadres on a shared quest! To patrol the ten blocks out from the Association Headquarters in search of scallywags and ne'erdowells! We may yet catch those Stray Dogs that have been sniping us with lesser groups from afar...! The cowards! I would take them all on if they only showed themselves! Hya!!" She mimes stabbing forward with a rapier though she doesn't draw it. "You are rising quickly through the Grades, soon you will stand amongst us and few will challenge you carelessly. But you must never grow careless yourself! The City is paved with the bones of the overconfident...!" Dart steps forward a bit out of position to gesticulate grandly which is when Tanya, rushing out behind her, attempts to tackle Madeleine into a wall, growling all the while. Her eyes are darting about and she's more haggard than last time--though uninjured. "Youuuuuu...." Tanya rumbles. "I've been looking for you...!" Dart spins around and cries out, "Villain...! Striking when we were engaged in joyous repartee...!" Dart draws her rapier but is hesitant to approach. No doubt due to Tanya's proximity to Madeleine.
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine doesn't mind patrol duty very much, though she'd never admit it aloud - that's a good way to get everyone asking you to pick up their shift because they'd rather be doing anything else. But it's stable work, and it gets Madeleine out of the offices, so she doesn't object when her turn for it comes around. Even when that turn has to be spent with Dart of all people. "Two birds of a feather, chums in a bucket, compadres on a shared quest! To patrol the ten blocks out from the Association Headquarters in search of scallywags and ne'erdowells!" Oh, brother. Madeleine does her best to stay ahead of the Cinq fixer, so her 'compadre' doesn't see the faces she makes in reaction to her assigned partner's vim. This, of course, only earns effusive commentary on her 'intrepid spirit' et cetera, et cetera. If she had to be honest with herself she'd admit she doesn't really mind it that much, and is just putting on a show to keep up a self-image. But the great thing about self honesty is it's entirely optional as far as Madeleine is concerned. When a dark shape darts from an alley and leaps for Madeleine she thinks to herself, in the split second before her reflexes kick in, 'finally, something else to focus on...' But then she's pinned against the wall, and her pursuer is proving far stronger than anticipated, not to mention that her pursuer is proving to be Tanya. Oh dear. "I've been looking for you...!" "Ah, my adoring public," Madeleine quips. "Forgot to ask for an autograph last time, did you?" She's smirking way too much for someone pinned against a brick wall. Maybe some of Dart's spirit is rubbing off, despite Maddie's best efforts.
Angela	''Ah, my adoring public. Forgot to ask for an autograph last time, did you?'' "Bien joue! This scoundrel may break your bones, Madeleine, but she'll never break your spirit! Salud!" Dart points her rapier towards Tanya. "If it is a fight you want, then I will be happy to entertain you if you let mon amie go. I shall happily go a few rounds and carve our sigil into your hide!" Tanya scowls. "...Not here for a fight..." Though it doesn't seem to occur to her to let go of Madeleine, though. "Not yet anyway... They said you were fighting Lambent Dragon... She took out half my crew... Where is she?? How did she get that kind of power??" Dart edges a little closer while Tanya is focused on Madeleine, a conflicted expression on her face. Striking from behind...cowardly... But if she must...!
Madeleine Cadrasteia	"Bien joue! This scoundrel may break your bones, Madeleine, but she'll never break your spirit! Salud!" "Er, I'd rather she not break either... though you're right," Madeleine says, peeking over Tanya's shoulder at Dart, "One of those mends easier than the other. But, I think we should hear her out first..." "They said you were fighting Lambent Dragon... She took out half my crew... Where is she?? How did she get that kind of power??" "'They' said that, huh? Just who is this mysterious 'they'?" Madeleine is clearly stalling for time. Thankfully she doesn't need very much of that to come up with something. "You're after her, huh? So this is about the harbor incident... Must've hit you real bad, that you'd go to your enemies about this. How many siblings you lose? And what's it worth to you to get some answers?" Madeleine runs through the Trideag Precepts in her head, or at least what she can remember of them. Number ten was something about not giving your word frivolously, right? She probably shouldn't seal any deals here, but it's at least worth knowing what Tanya's willing to put on the table to get her revenge... Meanwhile in the physical world she tries to stay relaxed, both so being pinned against the wall is a little more comfortable and so Dart doesn't jump in with an attack while there's still more to be learned...
Angela	''But, I think we shoudl hear her out first...'' "Beware of the entreaties of villains, they may take advantage of your good nature!" Dart says, completely heedless of the irony of saying this to Madeleine. Tanya rolls her eyes. "The eyewitnesses!" The frustration threatens to build to enough of a crescendo that she might just assault Madeleine further in defiance of her own goals today. She's not in a chill state of mind here! And she raises a fist when Madeleine taunts her about what she lost. "Oi! You want to learn more or you want to harm her?" Dart interjects. "You may yet have one or the other, but not both! Choose wisely!" Tanya takes a breath and lets it out slowly. The anger subsides, except in her eyes. "Wouldn't you want us to be going after ''her'' instead of all of you? Right now you're nice and close. Whereas we haven't seen her again since. Not like you pricks could handle her either after all..."
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine's face shows a note of 'oh, not again' as Tanya raises a fist. "Woah, hold on! I'm just trying to get a sense of the bigger picture here. Our people haven't exactly been in touch with yours." "Wouldn't you want us to be going after ''her'' instead of all of you?" "Do I want to be pinned to this wall right now? Not really. But would you be able to do more to her than just a few ineffectual swings that get her to raise her guard more? I doubt it, with the state you and yours are in. One thing we both know about Lambent Dragon, she works on a bigger scale than a pair of fists can keep up with." "Not like you pricks could handle her either after all..." "Hey, the Thirteenth is the reason you've even got an organization left at all. You think Lambent Dragon can only do that sky laser thing twice in a row? You'd be surprised what us offworld types are capable of. Now, as for what we're doing about her..." A light, almost comical shrug. "It's not my place to say, not under present circumstances. Wheels are in motion, sure, but where they're going isn't free information. Now, I'm no negotiator, but seeing as you blew your first impressions with our Star of the City... it won't be cheap. You folks ever taken a name off your books before?"
Angela	"Yeah? How long till she turns that laser on you? Or on the people you actually give a shit about? Eventually the Wings will come up with a countermeasure. It won't stay that easy." She clearly doesn't like it, but the truth is they can't afford to pick a fight with Trideag right now. She's not even supposed to be here. "Merde, you've ot cajones..." Dart murmurs at Madeleine though fortunately Tanya has completely turned her attention off of Dart. Tanya shoves Madeleine back against the wall once, and then with a grunt lets go of her. "...Yeah we've taken people off before. Doesn't happen often. Like I said last time, proper repentence. And I'm sure clearing Lambent Dragon out of both our hair is sure a sign of that. Not up to ''me'' to clear that,though, and right now--" She cuts herself off before she can spill more. "But I'll bring it up at the next meeting. Damn it... Damn it...!" Tanya punches a small hole into the wall next to Madeleine's head and then pulls her scuffed fist back out. "You wanna know the going rate for cutting names out? That's the going rate. Taking her down. If you think we'll cut your names out just for ''info'' forget it. You're not in there for ''information''."
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine goes 'oof' as she's shoved into the wall, but catches herself on steady-enough feet when Tanya finally lets her go. She barely suppresses a wince as Tanya's fist crunches into the wall next to her head, but holds on to her composure. "You know, you've reminded me of a story. It's not one you've heard, because it's from my world, but... there was this guy, name of Crassus. He ran the most peculiar little fire department. When someplace caught fire he'd show up with his crew, and offer to buy the place from its owner on the cheap. If they sold, he'd put out the fire. If they didn't, he'd let it burn, then buy the rubble for pennies. My point is..." Madeleine leans in just a little too close for comfort, a smile spreading on her face. "You're asking a lot for someone whose house is on fire." She settles back against the wall as comfortably as she can, folding her arms. Her spiked bracers glitter under the streetlamps. "But hey, now you've got a fun little story to tell your bosses at that next meeting you talked about. Free of charge."
Angela	"Yeah yeah..." Tanya says, annoyed. "Our back is against the wall so we should ~compromise~. Nah, we should bend over backwards. That's what you want right? For us to recognize you as the big dogs who will save us from that laser bitch in the sky. Well we got a ''code''. We got ''beliefs''. And if you think it's gonna be so easy that we roll over the moment we're in a tough spot? For a little bit of ''information''? That we haven't even confirmed yet? I don't know how you do things where you're from, but we don't give up on what we're about just because it got hard, or because we got knocked for a loop. You wanted to know the kind of price we go for, that's the kind of price. You want to try and get it cheaper, then you're talking to the wrong Big Sister." She shoves both her hands into her jacket pockets and turns to walk away, intentionally bumping into Dart on the way. "But yeah. I'll tell them the story. But I wouldn't expect 'em to feel any differently." At the very least, she didn't think they would. But this is unusual times... Dart's gaze follows after Tanya and she says, "Mon amie, the bravery, the steely resolve!" She wraps an arm around Madeleine's shoulder. "I must tell my siblings from the Cinq about this tale, you'll never have to patrol alone again... They'll want to come along just to see what happens! Ha ha!!" Dart gives Madeleine a comradely smack on the back before pointing her sword outward. "There is yet more street to cover! Shall we tally forth??"