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Post by demikara on Oct 29, 2019 12:31:39 GMT -6
"She's a member of our family. And it feels like we're being punished by losing her." By not having her there once a week working with Ahmad to cook as Aerilyn tried to steal the occasional taste. By her not being there at all, to spend time with. "This isn't right. This entire situation. And maybe she deserves jail, but. but not all this." That was the point she kept coming back to, that weighed on her heavily. Certainly she deserved some kind of punishment. There was no doubt as the that. But this was not right.
And there would be no drumming up public sympathy, not given the charges at hand.
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Post by Ylanne on Oct 29, 2019 12:52:10 GMT -6
"And it's not fair that I have to... Get up there, and." Ahmad gestured helplessly. He shook his head and lowered it again. His tone changed when he spoke next. "Thanks for telling us about the changes with the indictment, Mr. Frazier. It's good to know. It's just. It's a relief in one way but just... It's disappointing in another." He and Aerilyn both knew well how loathe he was to testify. To reveal what part he'd taken in the whole affair with Shaw, and to so publicly disown the Director, repaying her in the worst possible way for all she'd done for him.
"I understand, Mr. Fazari," said Frazier, nodding. "I've worked in the justice system for most of my career now, an entire half century, and I'm not always convinced that what we do is as just as we want it to be. Every case I've ever worked on had its complications. The human factor." The devastation of losing a child. The unspeakable violation of rape. The wounds that could never heal. The looks frightened mothers gave him, abusers exposed, children already transforming into monsters. Their eyes were mirrors. "I'm glad you have each other, and I'm glad Arianne has you both."
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Post by demikara on Oct 31, 2019 9:22:20 GMT -6
Aerilyn squeezed her husbands' hand. "I not sure what else to say." The aeromancer admitted. "It all been hell, and having to testify against her has been...terrible for Ahmad. For us." For everyone involved, really. She closed her eyes and shrugged. "Thank you for coming to see us Mr. Frazier. And thank you for helping Arianne how you've been able to." It seemed like she was just thanking him nonstop. Finding someone else in their corner was a breath of fresh air. Everyone was keeping everything close to the chest when it came to the trial, or they were virulently against the director.
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Post by Ylanne on Oct 31, 2019 10:32:49 GMT -6
"That's quite all right," said Frazier. "There really isn't much we can say anymore." He stood and removed his coat from where it had been draped over his arm, putting it back on and smoothing the wrinkles and folds, though he still held his hat in his hand. "And don't thank me yet. There's still about two dozen ways or more things can keep going south, and we haven't seen it all yet," he added, entirely humorless. "Hang in there," he said. Ahmad was pretty sure he heard an unspoken kids at the end of that sentence. Frazier was so much older than them both. "And thank you for the tea." He moved to the door, setting his hat back on his head, where it only mostly covered his thick shock of white hair.
Ahmad watched as the old man went, and once the door was shut behind him, slouched back on the couch, not looking at Aerilyn. "Well. Now I'm even more afraid of whatever's going to happen next month. I'd say how else can things go wrong? But I don't really want the answer." He picked up his phone, flipping through several notifications from a few different games. "I was going to go back upstairs but..." He shrugged lethargically. "You want to order in some food?"
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Post by demikara on Oct 31, 2019 13:51:16 GMT -6
Aerilyn smiled weakly. "Yeah. Let's order in. I don't think either of us is up to trying to cook." And it would be an attempt on her part, no matter how hard she tried to get it right. Cooking was complicated and right now, she didn't want to deal with it. she wanted to spend time cuddly her husband until they both felt a little better. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "It'll come out okay. Whatever happens next month. And Arianne said it was okay." That was a cold comfort, but it was the only comfort they had.
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Post by Ylanne on Oct 31, 2019 14:26:40 GMT -6
By Ahmad's count, of the past twenty Saturdays to work with, they'd ordered in for nine of them, and he'd cooked something for the other eleven. This one would bring the totals closer to even. Eleven Saturdays cooking and ten Saturdays ordering delivery or takeout now. Technically, one of those days, they'd actually gone and sat down at the place, but after the looks they'd gotten - Ahmad unsure whether it was directed at him, or directed at Aerilyn, and as she was a longtime Gambit's bouncer, they never really knew how to tell - they'd decided it wasn't worth it. No mental energy left. He scrolled listlessly with the fingers of one hand, and wrapped his other arm around Aerilyn's head, inhaling the scent of her. He closed his eyes. He rested his head against hers too. "Maybe we should just go back to bed." But they wouldn't. They'd move through this Saturday like they had the last twenty, and then in four more, the next stage of this nightmare would unfold. Just in time for summer, only this time, there were no beach vacations or tropical daydreams to look forward to. Not even the old-timey ice cream trucks rolling down the hill with that same damn jingle playing on endless loop. They'd have the heat and the drudgery, and Ahmad wasn't sure either of them would come out okay after all.
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