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Incoming call from Asha?

@joshua

There'd been a lot going on in the aftermath. And the foremath for that matter. Premath? There really wasn't a word for this, at least not one he knew. At any rate, her had to stare at the name for a little bit before he could connect the name. Which was ridiculous; it was a memorable name. A memorable woman. But there'd been a lot going on.

Ms. Rao?

This would either be a productive conversation or else a deeply incendiary one. There wasn't much middle ground he'd found with her.

First, a soft exhale preceded by a sniffle. And then,

Hey. I, uh. Saw you on TV. Joshua.

Not much hint which direction this would go. Some; she wasn't yelling. It did sound like some strong emotion was behind her intent. Though perhaps she was just having early allergies.

The impulsive response was some sardonic assurance that probably a lot of people had seen him, spurred by their last unfortunate encounter in the tea gardens. But that had hit personally and this seemed more a professional issue. He wouldn't let himself be rude out of hand.

It's not as exciting as some people think.

Being on TV. He didn't really have anything to say, just waiting to hear what she did. So half-assed humor.

Some messy huff, a bit of humor before she turned to this.

I... met that guy. Or. One of them. Rhett Tracey?

Oh. Was this...? He shouldn't speculate. Had the source right here.

I see. He was a good man.

A little risky if she'd called to belatedly defame him, but he believed it strongly enough to both stand by it and doubt her experience had been incredibly negative.

Yeah. I, uh. I have this... really bad fear. Of loud noises and stuff. I- it's. Complicated. But he helped me out, taught me how to fire a gun. To protect myself. And he was so understanding, and- was always hoping I'd get to run into him again someday.

Ah. Tiffer deflated somewhat. This wasn't going to be a fight right away. The potential for it to devolve remained strong, however, given how everything else about that conference had been more or less a refined version of the views that had always seemed to put them at odds.

I'm sorry you're feeling his loss. But I'm glad you were able to know him. He was... exemplary.

Exemplary. She hummed a little, then landed on a thought.

You... you kind of talk like vampires do. Big fancy words and shit.

This was not an insult. There was wan humor in her tone. She was trying to find comfort in this man, offer her own. Knowing that he knew about Abraham and wasn't going after him.

Her endgame with him was still obscured, but.

She still wanted to help.

And yet, maybe frustratingly, she had a way of lowering his guard. She had from the first time, her silent queries while he failed to paint her. Thinking about it a moment, Tiffer decided it was something to do with... Openness wasn't quite right, nor sincerity. But he believed he saw a tendency to speak her mind, which led to conflict when it came up hard against what she heard.

But also lent an alluring genuineness to her observations that could draw him in. He suspected it could draw a lot of people in. Grudging charisma that put something like an apologetic smile on his face.

Sorry, it's... I think I have it in my head I sound more professional that way.

He sounded sadder for the apology, and also a little more human. She wished there was some possibility of her giving him a hug. But she was still keeping her promise to Abraham.

Just bending it a little, after watching him on her screen. Actually, he was still there on her screen, frozen.

A soft click of her tongue.

I get it. Never know when you're talking to a civilian, or a... well. An art model.

It was tempting to say this was the entire reason for the call. Tempting to leave it at that. A single good conversation.

But there was more. There was more.

I... uh, I wanted to thank you, also. The man you talked to that night- Abraham? He- he told me what went down. And. I'm thankful that you didn't... arrest him.

Hmm, this tracked. Asha'd shown herself to be quite the shifter advocate. One herself? Maybe. No evidence that wasn't explained away by her rapid healing psychic claim.

It's not necessary. I don't tend to arrest people without cause. And being a shifter is no cause.

This wasn't news. On some level it was frustrating to have to repeat it so constantly. But he couldn't really blame people for not being convinced until it was demonstrated.

So he tried to soften it with further humor.

Well I guess he did technically confess to assault. Oops.

Today it felt like they were tiptoeing on the same wavelength with each other. Slowly working around the layers of guard they had built up between them, trying for common ground.

She huffed. Laughed a little.

That- yeah. If. If he had killed it, the fox. And, obviously. All on camera. Would it have... been forgiven?

She just... wanted to know, before she continued on. The answer to that hypothetical.

That... Hmm. There was no easy answer. Certainly every cop on the scene, himself included, would have felt some deep level of gratitude. But it would have been a much messier situation.

It's... not impossible. He wouldn't have been able to walk away from the scene, that's for certain. Deeper questioning, maybe a technical arrest. Honestly this gets deep enough into circumstantials I don't like to speculate. But, if my understanding now of the situation held, I don't... think the city would press charges. Self defense, since coming upon that scene it would be reasonable—legally speaking—to assume the killer would turn on him once done with its current victim.

Messy. As much as the more primal part of him wished that was how things had shaken out, Tiffer's rational brain was glad it wasn't.

She listened. Found solace in this. It was comforting, to know she had guessed right. For all the two of them could tell, anyway.

And it meant that if she ever could present Tiffer with this murder fox's body, then, it-

It could be argued that it was self defense. And why wouldn't it be.

That makes sense. I... he's just. He's a really good man, you know. My best friend, my- just- when he said he was going to stick around to talk to you guys I was just- I was scared? I didn't expect him to... tell you what he was. Even though it made sense why. I know you and I have butted heads in the past about that kind of thing, and I-

She ran her hand through her hair.

I guess I'm just. I'm sorry I misunderstood you. About all of this.

Very... very sorry. That she still had to hold up a wall of lies despite it.

Hey wait...

For the first time he registered that Asha being aware of Abraham was news. Barlet—whose name he'd finally seen in print when reviewing information about the case, to his mild horror—was such a standout piece of the entire Rhett situation in his mind that him being brought up in a conversation about having seen the broadcast, about mourning the dead Texan, made too much sense. He'd just cruised past it.

Christ, and he was a twenty year detective.

It was noteworthy that they knew each other, best friends as she said. But it didn't spark any particular suspicion. Her place was in Hawknell; he'd visited. Abraham too resided there. Worked there. Her restaurant was there. She was a fierce proponent for shifter rights. Her best friend was a shifter.

Nothing about this revelation stuck out, seemed out of place. If anything it seemed to fill in some gaps. Lad out clearly why she would take such vitriolic offense to any perception of the police coming down on shifters. She, a woman of color. Yeah...

There was a pause on his end, a lingering silence as he processed and connected and came to his conclusions.

I really can't blame you.

A heavy sigh for a heavy topic. One perpetually on his mind but which he rarely sought to discuss. Parallels he'd found inescapable.

There's a lot of room for abuse. Precedent for it that isn't... as historical as some like to pretend. You're not wrong to be cautious.

He was clenching his jaw and willfully relaxed it.

I will not let it be that way. Not in my county.

He understood.

And for right now, for this different shade of an old lie, it was enough that he chose to understand her. It was enough, Asha. Maybe someone else would out her, someone with some manner of vendetta against her, someone she pissed off... but they'd get there if and when they got there.

She might have broken down freshly, but held firm.

We're so, so lucky to have you protecting- all of us. Ridgefielders.

So, then...

I... I guess I did want to pass something along to you. Not to chase down, but maybe just to keep on file in case anything happens. There's, uh. There's this vampire that I wanted to warn you about.

How funny, from a third person omniscient perspective, that the cell phones connecting them probably let neither fully comprehend the gravity of their impact on the other. Certainly Tiffer didn't begin to guess at the degree of strife and anguish which had recurred, perhaps been required, to lead Asha to this point. And he wasn't much forthcoming with the strength of his own feelings, going so far as to pull the phone away from his face so the deep, steadying breaths he suddenly needed wouldn't be too obvious.

It didn't change the situation. Rhett was still dead, he was overwhelmed, a little understaffed, and had an inevitable abundance of hard days and impossible decisions before him. But. She believed him. She saw what he was striving for. She wasn't the first by any stretch; Adeline had long been in his corner and Dakila practically shared his position, if in an even more complicated fashion. And Rhett had believed. Plenty of others in the task force.

But this was different. Asha had so vehemently expressed how he was wrong, shortsighted, fucking this up. Again, for reasons he couldn't much criticize. But that she'd turned about, that they'd found an understanding... It was a little thing in the grand scheme, maybe, but it was a morale boost when he needed it most. Some indication that he wasn't wasting his time.

Validation, he supposed. All he knew solidly was it pricked at his eyes enough that he had to pause and go over her follow-up a couple times in his head before he really registered it.

A vampire. Hmm.

All right. What can you tell me?

Acknowledging the prior statement was too much of a risk to his tear ducts.

Soft silence met her on the phone line. She heard that it was still open though, that he was there. And in reality it wasn't that long. It just felt like it had been, the funny way time could dilate in heavy moments.

She swayed on the line, and then got the response. Felt a little unfair to dump this on his plate, but.

Well. So... There's this vampire, named Yuna? She, uh... she has this ability to harm people. Like their insides. She actually hurt me for no reason with that ability — I'm not sure why, I think just to be shitty. I've learned she also has some kind of... sick vendetta against shifters especially. And. She's planning on making Reignhart a place for her and other vampires like her too.

Thank you, Katya, for your experience with Yuna.

Yes, right. Good. Moving on.

He listened, frowning with mild perplexity as she went on. He did know vampires could have some broad, psychic-like range of abilities beyond what they all seemed to share. Which was actually strikingly inconvenient for formulating strategies against them. He also knew they tended to favor the blood of psychics. Like Asha claimed to be. Perhaps this one, this Yuna wasn't hungry.

I can put some feelers out, see if I can't locate her.

Reignhart. There were personal reasons he'd prefer to keep that town safe from aggressive vampires.

Would you like to press charges? Did she attempt to feed from you?

Not necessarily related questions, but he would need a much clearer picture of what had occurred if this was going to be officially pursued.

Locating. She scratched the back of her head. Asha did not want harm to come to Tiffer — didn't want to send him into this Margaux-reloaded's den of troglodytes.

No... she didn't try to. Maybe she wasn't hungry or something. I don't really remember what we were talking about — we were drinking. Or. I guess, I was drinking, and she... wasn't?

But, uh. Is it possible to file charges anonymously?

Absolutely genuine question.

His own reasoning, yeah. Tiffer nodded to himself. As good an explanation as any. Perhaps frequency of need varied. Joaquin hadn't needed to feed as regularly by the time he'd come back to work as he had in the early days of his protective custody.

Asha not having clear memories of the encounter didn't bode particularly well, and he frowned for having to deliver bad news in his answer.

There are some allowances for anonymity in cases of sexual assault, but no adjustments to the law yet for supernatural circumstances. It would have to go into the record.

Ah...

Okay. Then, I guess- I can't really prove what she did. So probably no point in my case, but... you think it'd ever be a thing? Treating... feeding against consent like, uh. Sexual assault?

Well...

Involuntary feedings are already illegal. People aren't allowed to bite people. Vampires are just...

Chewing on this a moment, he frowned and shook his head.

Problematically talented at erasing reliable testimony.

It was troubling, an issue that had only partially been overcome with simple equipment. But it couldn't bring back things already erased. Not for the first time, he pushed the thought aside as something he could too easily spiral into and get lost within.

But it's possible, whenever laws do get passed, that they'll specifically penalize supernatural activity, yeah. Probable, even.

Which... he had mixed feelings on.

Oh. She hadn't known that.

She thought about the vampire that had hurt her sister. Before Beauregard had found her, called her in.

Stay on track.

Supernatural activity? Like. All of them?

She reached for her tin of catnip, feeling like she needed a relaxant for this conversation.

Hmm. This was a discussion he'd had with Dakila. Dark possibilities. Eventualities.

That's not what I meant, but...

It was a lot less clear cut how open he should be here. It was one thing discussing it with his shifter detective as he tried to understand that perspective. If the laws came and proved... If it was Jim Crow all over again, Dakila would have the same struggle with what to do about it. Except worse.

Was there equal merit in discussing the worst case with Asha? It wasn't much of a step from there to just broadcasting it. Which he supposed he'd halfway done.

I don't know what's coming.

That was important to be clear about.

But I doubt the first round of laws will be... ideal. Fear on a societal level doesn't often lead to good decisions.

Oh. Yeah. She definitely needed to get high, like, now. Thank fuck catnip was so reliably immediate.

A soft inhale on the line. She felt vulnerable and she wasn't even being completely honest.

That- that can't happen.

Asha opened the tin, sprinkled some into her palm, and popped it into her mouth. It dazed her out, gentle, like a hug. First wave, everything tense became pillow soft. She blinked, remembering she was on the phone. It had only been three seconds, but it felt already like longer had passed.

You'll protect us. From that. That's... all.

Supernatural healer Asha and helpful shifter Abraham.

Can't happen. He understood the sentiment. If it came to pass it would be... very bad. Something he wished he had more faith would be apparent to the political elite.

Really though this was just one more weight in a chain of apprehension strung around his neck, albeit a heavier one than most. Usually he managed to suitably ignore it. When it came up, though...

Asha's conclusion had his head bowing as his lips stretched in a weary smile. The flipside to having faith put in him was the pressure that came with it. He didn't like making assurances, promises he couldn't be positive to keep. Left thumb moving to the base of the same hand's ring finger, he felt along the unadorned flesh.

Didn't like doing it, but he was demonstrably willing to.

Yes I will.

Good. I-

She started to say, and then caught herself and fell into something of a scoffing laugh at herself.

I'm grateful for you.

She'd almost said she loved him. The way someone would say it to their father.

Any sort of laughter served to ease the tension of the subject. Well, maybe not any, but Asha's worked well. And the accompanying words gave him a spasm of the same feelings that had risen up several moments earlier.

There were lots of valid reasons people wouldn't overtly appreciate his role or his person. It was very nice when someone did.

I'm glad to hear it.

He just wasn't excellent at expressing that.