Lotef

"Stop fidgeting." Lotef snapped.

"Sorry Mistress."

"Also quit apologizing!"

"Sorry Mistress."

Lotef sighed, this was not working the way she had expected. Ever since she got the genie returned to her she had planned some kind of way to welcome back the genie. She thought braiding her hair would be a good way to show her she was missed.

It did not work as planned... The stupid genie continued to fidget like a rabbit. Lotef was afraid she would have jumped away every time she grasped another handful of hair to braid.

Collar didn't even appear to soothe her, she treated him like he was explosive, letting him sit on her lap—after multiple strings of orders she did at least. She didn't pet him, or even run her hand across him. All in all, Collar was doing well, the little minx didn't care whether it was a genie or a person he got along with everyone.

"You can pet him you know."

"If that is your wish-"

"It isn't. It's only if you want to. But I'm certain Collar will appreciate the attention..."

She held a single hand up before placing it back at her side. Lotef sighed, she'd only end up petting Collar when she was ordered. "Midnight, do you dislike animals?" Lotef asked, binding another braid. A back crown would probably look good on her, not that people would notice with the helmet she had to wear.

"No. I don't dislike them, mistress. I'm just afraid... to harm them."

"You don't have to worry about harming Collar, he's a tough little snot."

She nodded meekly, her hand struggling to touch Collar's head. Only to stop again, Lotef tried to stifle her sigh but failed utterly.

"Mistress, shouldn't I get breakfast ready for you?"

"You don't need to worry about that, I got breakfast covered."

["Haven't you harmed this girl enough?"] Not Philistine sat on Lotef's chair her feet on the table, luckily she didn't have any physical presence. 

"M-mistress, that is not necessary! I can do better please don't replace me!"

"Relax Midnight," Convictions, she was shaking like she had been left out in the cold. "I'm not replacing you." And to her surprise, replacing Midnight did not cross her mind. "I just figured I should make something for you for once."

"Mistress that's ridicul-, Ow!"

"Sorry, a tricky knot." Lotef lied.

["That's uncalled for."] Not Philistine said, crossing her arms and leaning the chair back so far that it threatened to fall. The chair still stood unmoved, Not Philistine just had a way of altering a thing she messed with to keep the illusion looking tidy. When she was finished interacting with something it would go back to normal. Why was she so protective of this genie?

"Just sit back and relax, and that is an order."

Whatever argument died on Midnight's lips, she sat awkwardly as Lotef finished braiding the genie. In the end, Lotef allowed her to make breakfast for her. Not only was she tired of eating slop, but it did appear to calm Midnight down.

When Lotef tried to offer her something other than the jinn-feed, nothing with meat obviously that was never a meal fit for jinn. The genie nearly lost it right there, crying, weeping, and panicking. 

...

"Mornin'" Gentry Rutabaga said, her hands behind her back, tilting forward, today she wore a veil with a painted smile.

Lotef painted her own smile, only realizing it was hidden behind a rebreather. Using her eyes she produced the largest grin she could, she had gotten good at smiling through her eyes, even faking said smile.

"I didn't see you last night, we missed you."

"I was handed authority to Midnight last night, I figured it would be better to help her adjust again."

"Oh, Lolo." She said, throwing her arms around Lotef's shoulder, "You don't want to spend all your free time with jinn." She pulled her head closer to whisper, "People will begin talking, you don't want any nasty rumors about you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Lotef said, gently pulling Gentry Rutabaga's arm off her. "What are you doing here?"

She pulled back, looking hurt, "I'm beginning to think you don't want me around."

"No, it's just this kind of announcement wouldn't be anything you'd care about."

"Pfft, I always care about my partisan." She waved her hand dismissively like she was banishing smoke. /The partisan you're trying to saddle me with./

"Oh right, his lott was responsible for this capture."

"No need to play dumb, isn't that why you're here?" She said pressing herself closer to Lotef with a teasing cadence.

"I'm here to do my job." Lotef bit the words tightly. "Not gape at men."

"Breaking the usual routine are we?"

Lotef took a deep breath, she just needed to pay the gentry no mind, there was something else to focus on. Something far more important.

Twenty-three were brought into Overseer Agatha's custody, Lotef helped in categorizing each and readying them for judgment. Of the twenty-two who followed the apostate, twelve had been added to the already sizable gathering of chanters they possessed. Five found themselves forgiven, though that forgiveness came with caveats. The O etched on their faces was one of them. It served as a constant reminder telling the wider world of their crimes.

["It is good inkwork."] Not Philistine commented a finger on her chin as she appraised the gothel's workmanship. To the point of appearing next to one of them running a finger across the inkwork. 

The five of them guided by Mother Ruby and a cadre of lottmen guards. She spoke with them, what could she possibly have to talk with apostates about?

"Any idea what they are saying?" Lotef asked when Not Philistine appeared again. After noticing Rutabaga talking with someone else. The Gentry had bored of her and made her way to another group.

["How would I know?"] Not Philistine said, her arms crossed.

"You can get over there, just go and listen in on them."

["It doesn't work that way, you stupid girl."]

"Ok, then how does it work?"

["Nu-uh."] Not Philistine said wagging her finger and shaking her head. ["If you wish to know..."] She said with a draw, standing to her feet and pacing, appearing right behind Mother Ruby with one step. ["...You must say the words."]

Lotef turned away only to find Not Philistine standing where her vision had ended. ["You can not look away from this forever."]

Lotef knew Overseer Agatha had arrived long before seeing her, the crowd quieting was more than enough indication. "We are here to welcome those who have been judged to their new life." Overseer Agatha began. "And to congratulate the bravery of Lioness Bridget and her lott. Not only had they apprehended twenty-three odiumites, one of which included an apostate." She said and on cue, Enjinseer Eija pulled the genie who had once been their leader. Unlike the others, he was not judged, apostates were beyond any verdict other than guilty.

Koket sulked, was he really that upset he wasn't praised along the other lottmen? Some people really did just want to climb higher positions, didn't they? "As thanks we will place twenty-two tokens in the lottery for these men, along with another ten for apprehending one so close to the Philistine." Koket scoffed, Lotef couldn't blame him for that. 

The apostate was barely a threat if Koket's report was accurate, not only that but there was nothing special about the apostate. Even Midnight appeared to possess more combat prowess chiseled, than he could manage with the phantasm he had enslaved. The poor loa had still yet to emerge from its slumber.

Calling him an apostate felt a bit... forced? In Lotef's mind, apostates were more like they had been presented in plays. Monsters grabbed in cloaks and bones, wearing masks shaped like the loa they had enslaved. 

G190 looked the part, with his tattoos and sinister scowl, and attitude. He honestly looked like he believed he was still in control of everything, even while chained. 

Overseer Agatha finished awarding the lott their due before turning her attention to the five jinn. The crowd themselves grew in number, Lotef could feel the anticipation, who didn't love a genie being introduced? She still recalled the fond memories of nailing a larva with a tomato that got a laugh from both Hector and Mother-, The then proceeded to dismiss the thought, she did not need that baggage, not now.

["She can no longer hurt you, you made certain of that."]

"Shut up." Lotef hissed, her hand a hair's breadth away from her lantern, she wouldn't do it again. No that would have been a lie, she had no doubt she would feed that creature once again, but she refused to eagerly jump down that chasm.

"Whoever you were, whatever you did before getting here is in the past, it can not be forgiven nor forgotten, but it is behind you. The names you arrived with are no more, this is the gift I grant you, the smarter of you will take it eagerly. But I am not naive enough to think it will be so. Because of that, you will introduce yourself as who you were when you arrived here." 

Overseer Agatha paced in front of each one, each looking afraid or scared senseless. Each knew what was coming next, they would introduce themselves and the community would let them know how the actions that got them in this position, would not be tolerated. Each response based on the crimes that got them here. Each person here preyed on the people they had lived with and grew up among, but not a one of the five had taken a loa as their own. That alone would save them the brunt G190 would be saddled with.

All looked afraid save G190, who took in the crowd like he was a star jester from a famous troupe. He took in the disgust as if it was nourishment. Smiling and raising his bound limbs as high as he could in an attempt to wave.   

Halfjinn rushed to place containers of expired fruits and other accepted refuse, people eagerly crowding around the barrels and buckets. Gentry held switches, she noticed Gentry Rutabaga laughing with a few others of her kin, running her thumb up her switch. 

With a nod from Overseer Agatha a enchanter—She was glad it was not Eluketh—grabbed one of the odiumites and dragged her to the center of the crowd. She began screaming and pleading, her feet kicking against the floor as she attempted to escape.

"You are found guilty of being an ally of the matron's lost son. Of betraying your kin and kith, you-"

"Ha!" G190 interrupted with a scornful laugh, "Your little gathering is charming, really it is. But you are wasting your time woman. Even now you show your hand, your refusal to kill me, or my flock lays your fear bear. Posture and raise yourself all you want, when my master returns to reclaim me. To award me for my service I might keep you as a pet, one to heed my beck and- "

He himself was interrupted by a kick to the face, followed by another, Lotef didn't even notice Luminous Usha making her way towards the larva until it happened. "What the-," Another kick followed, stopping whatever he was going to say, she was making a pathway of bruises starting at his cheek, to his shoulder, with the current kick landing on his stomach.

His flock as he had called them, had backed up after the first three kicks, their minders allowing them each placing an arm on shoulder or issuing an order through the lanterns they wielded.

"Get back you craz-," This time she kicked him directly in the throat, forcing a string of coughing. She didn't wait for him to finish before kicking at his side, the genie curled up, closed up in a vain attempt to protect himself. Luminous Usha just stomped at him, making certain to hit any place he could not cover. Every stomp forced him to wriggle and shuffle giving her a new spot to strike.

The crowd who had cheered the first kicks slowly began to die down. Now they all watched fretful mutters and whispered silently. The mirth beaten out as firmly as the life was being beaten out of G190.

Lotef looked to Overseer Agatha, who stood and watched, as nonplused as she had been when she looked over the horizon. Each other Enjinseer stood, she noticed multiple reactions in their eyes, disgust, mirth, and even boredom. But the one emotion she did not find, was shock, is this something regular?

A beaten was something that could be expected but that was saved for necromancers. Even then it was doled out to those with reputations like the Ender of Hope, Carrion Queen, Grimblossom. This man didn't even have enough favor from the Philistine to make a single cadaver move.  

["What are you waiting for fool? She's going to kill him, stop him!"]

Blood splattered on the floor, the larva's face bloated and bruised, what small muttering among the surrounding lott, a presence since the crowd had formed was now dead silent. The silence only made Luminous Usha's work much more unsettling, the hammering at his flesh now sounding wetter, it made her stomach curl.

"Stop! Please!" Came from the larva who was propped up for introduction, "You're going to kill him!" She had managed to escape the enchanter's grasp, who was probably as shocked as the rest of the crowd. She crawled to assist the man, only to fall to the floor. Her lantern holder had lashed her after coming to his senses no doubt. She coiled over wrenching in pain, though using that word seemed off when she was juxtaposed with the larva she once called master, Luminous Usha had not stopped kicking at him.

A few more kicks were delivered these kicks lighter, was she continuing only to show the female larva how futile it was to cry out? When she finished, she stepped away to give the larva some space, or more likely to reveal her completed work.

Lotef forced herself not to look away, looking more like a pile of meat, his body was covered in lacerations and bruises. She could barely tell if he was even breathing, he barely moved.

"I hope this will serve as an apt lesson." Luminous Usha said, addressing everyone, "Look out there." She said pointing to the crowd, "Look at their faces, and yet have you noticed how no one even raised a finger to help you?" 

Of course, they wouldn't, who would go out of their way for a murderer, not just a murderer, but one who tortured their victims and proudly flaunted their crimes like it was a craft they had honed? "You're not people, you've never been, those bodies you've claimed are loans, nothing more."

The Larvae looked among one another, confused and afraid they clung closer together. Had they really been bandits who had harried an entire town a few days ago? /What's more surprising was the lottman was able to handle them./

The lantern at Lotef's side vibrated, Midnight she nearly forgot about her genie, and she stood behind Lotef. The girl could barely handle when an enchanter walked by, not only that, but this might have been—from her perspective—the first amends she had ever been to.

How was she going to handle that mess? She forced herself to glance towards the genie, bracing herself for the mess behind her.

Instead to her surprise, the aborted genie had a smile on her face. She enjoyed that carnage? Why? It made no sense.  Before she could even comprehend how to broach the topic Luminous Usha continued. 

"Overseer I am sorry for the rude interruption, they were warned to watch their etiquette. Would you like me to impart this lesson to the others?"

Agatha waited for a moment longer than Lotef felt comfortable, "No, I trust the others will behave themselves." She said looking to the other five, "Am I correct?"

"Yes!" One said, the others following each rushing to get it clear as if the last to make the declaration was certain to suffer what G190 went through.

"Introduce yourself." Overseer Agatha said.

"I am-" Three said in unison, Looking at one another before one of them relented and one rose to her knees. It was the one who was chosen for introduction, the enchanter grabbed her again, this time she walked in tow with her captor and positioned her at the center again. "I- I am, I went by-, I was-, I was Roslyn Keely... I beg forgiveness and offer myself for penance." She said, on the verge of tears.

The crowd responded weakly their fervor for such sport all but snuffed out by the scene. The rest was rote and uncomfortable. G190 was kept on the floor the whole time, Jamie and his genie Mercy standing next to him. What little Lotef noticed was the genie using some power to keep his health from deteriorating as the amend went on.

...

Buckets remained half full, insects buzzing and wriggling in the unused refuse, usually, they would have been emptied but Luminous Usha's action had killed the crowd's appetite. Even the gentry, always excited at giving the odiumites their due. Found themselves lacking, the most adamant gentry switched; the ones whose wrongs had been fresh also joined in. She noticed Gentry Lemon and Gentry Orange joining in, both reluctant, with Gentry Plum outright refusing, throwing her switch on the floor and crossing her arms.

People cleared out quickly when the amends was over, leaving the leafseers to clean up the refuse. Well, the chanters and halfjinn that they had authority over. Midnight stood apathetically, Lotef learned many jinn did that as a way to hide their emotions. 

"Did you enjoy the amend?" Lotef asked, deciding to just pull that coal.

The genie froze up, looking towards Lotef as she just realized where she was, she stood trying to find an answer Lotef wanted to hear. She had a habit of doing that, unfortunately. "Yes Mistress, it was enjoyable."

Lotef's lantern remained stable, confirming she was not lying, which frightened her even more. It also brought up countless questions. All of which had to be pushed away when she noticed the larva—she could not see him as a genie—on the floor. Mother Ruby knelt above him, tending to him and his wounds. 

"Mama wants you to help Ruby-kith." Melody said fluttering away before Lotef could get out a single word. Taking a moment to center herself she made her way toward Mother Ruby who still didn't take her attention from her charge.

 Mother Ruby still knelt next to the beaten man. "Your friend did a number on him." Mother Ruby said, that sternness in her voice once again.

How she managed to find Lotef as the blame for this was never addressed, it was just apparent somehow. "Midnight is trained in medicine, maybe she-"

"That won't be necessary." Mother Ruby said, "He's already stabilized, just help me get him to his cell."

She checked if he was stable? /Calm yourself./ It's not like gothels couldn't learn some medicine... At least Lotef hoped that was right. "Midnight, help him up."

"Yes, mistress." She said, kneeling down and helping him to his feet, even then she got a look from Mother Ruby.

...

He hissed as Lotef brushed the bruised spots on his body, she still felt awkward using the bottle of salve. It felt unsettlingly close to... stepping on a chaplain's toes.

["You skirt the line on so many curious subjects. Just restore him and get it over with."]

That was another thing, as much as Mother Ruby claimed to care for them, why didn't she allow him to just regenerate himself? She spared a glance at one of the locked-up jinn. The one who had pleaded Luminous Usha for mercy, when she was teaching the necromancer his... proper place. Roslyn was it? Well, it was she wouldn't have that name anymore.

When was Mother Ruby getting back? "I won't harm you for speaking out, feel free to speak your mind." Still nothing but a glare.

Lotef just sighed and went back to dressing the necromancer's wounds. "How can you stomach being that woman's tool?" Once-Roslyn mustered enough courage to shout when Lotef turned her back. Now she was a tool? Lotef could have pointed out the irony of that statement, but she was not one to salt wounds. "What? Need permission from your master to respond."

Awfully close to adding a little seasoning, Lotef was ready to snap back. She was glad she had the presence of mind to keep herself from acting on that impulse. Glad she took a moment to evaluate the situation. Otherwise, she wouldn't have noticed the larva wasn't yelling at her. No, she was unloading her ire on Midnight. "I can see it in you, all that power and you just waste it to be a hound for that runt!"

"You're allowed to respond," Lotef said, keeping the primary of her attention on the necromancer. She would have spoken out in defense of her majin, but showing that type of attitude would send the wrong idea to the larvae. Not after the brutal kicking Luminous Usha wanted to leave cemented in their minds.

"There is no need to respond mistress." Midnight said, without the usual unsteady words and frightened cadence. "Why waste breath on a lowly corpse hoarder." She said flashing the genie a smile Lotef could only describe as contempt.

Midnight was capable of contempt? It was like learning your cat could fly. "You hear that? Looks like I'm your only talking companion." She said, brushing absentmindedly at another wound, getting another wince out of him.

"You're hurting him!" The genie hissed after hearing more whining from their fallen leader. Obviously, there was something going on between them, might be good to propose they become each other's wayfinder, that is if the necromancer's wayfinder wasn't already picked out for him.

"I'm one of the few people pulling him out of the grave." Lotef snapped, "I can get the person who did harm him if you really want to yell at her that badly." Funnily enough, she got deftly silent after that. It was another three minutes of blissful silence before she got the nerve to speak again. "He's not dead is he?"

"You hear him breathing don't you?" Oh yeah, Lotef had no doubt she was going to be his wayfinder.

The door creaked open, and Mother Ruby made her way inside. "Hey, sorry it took me longer than I thought." She said, weighted lantern in hand. Behind her a familiar face, or at least half a familiar face. Luminous Jamie's majin made her way into the room as graceful as she always was.

"You wouldn't mind would you?" Would she mind using not just someone else's majin, but a superior's majin? Without his direct permission no less! Yeah, that sounded like barking for just a little too much trouble. She might as well have been going around using his name while she was at it. It was akin to going into a person's house and taking their pet without their permission. They were held fondly by their enjinseer, well by most enjinseers at least. Using a claimed one as flagrantly was just asking for months of unneeded political strife.

"I don't think that would be a good idea..."

"You can't cajole well? Don't worry Mercy's a sweetheart I've seen her make even subpar leafseers look halfway competent."

Couldn't cajole? Of course, she could cajole a genie, what kind of stupid question was that? Lotef kept from saying the first thing that came to mind or the second thing, settling on the fourth, fearing thinking any longer would make her appear dim.

"I am perfectly capable of Mercy. I just feel it's not the right course long term. Maybe you could get Luminous Jamie to come and-, "

"He's busy, he said it was fine." He said it was fine, did he? What did he say was fine? Healing the genie? Or taking his majin? As if reading her mind Mercy nodded, if Mother Ruby noticed she didn't say a word.

Lotef took her lantern and focused on it, reaching out and claiming the authority of Mercy for her own. A weighted lamp did not cede authority easily. Lotef merely didn't need to worry about such security due to her rank as an enjinseer.

The lantern once again went heavy in her hands, Mercy's presence becoming much firmer than she was moments ago. "Mercy I want you to check his wounds." She said, through her will, she loosened the bindings keeping Mercy from reaching her powers.

"Of course." Mercy said, kneeling to press her hands against the necromancer's torso. An emerald energy tickled across his wounded chest, before settling in place, Lotef watched the genie at work.

"He will live, it will only take time unless mistress would wish for me to heal him."

"Heal." Lotef said, cajoling finer details through the lantern. It was a way of conveying how much energy a genie was allowed to use. Each enjinseer said they pictured it differently. For Lotef she pictured a punching bag, two light jabs were all she offered, both favoring the left side of the bag.

To her surprise Mercy didn't even appear unphased, most majin's had usually needed to adjust to a new master's cajoling. For a majin this could become problematic. So used to handling and complementing and shaping themselves into a single master. "Yes, mistress." Mercy seemed to lack that problem altogether.

Once again she placed her hands on him, battered bruises shrinking, cuts knitting together, his breathing becoming more regular.

"Mistress, may I heal his long-term injury?"

"Long term?"

"Yes. His liver is heavily damaged." She said placing her hand against what Lotef assumed was his liver. "From my previous glance, I would say it probably stems from a lifetime of heavy drinking. It's way beyond the point any genie would allow it to get."

"What does that mean?" Mother Ruby asked, Lotef didn't buy Mother Ruby not knowing for a second.

"It means he lacks the capability to regenerate himself, for all important purposes he may as well be a larva." Lotef said, she nodded and gave the punching bag a good roundhouse kick.

Mercy gasped as if she was the one being kicked, energy building beneath the surface of her skin, before seeping out and gathering into something usable. Pressing her hand on the spot where his liver would be she began the process of healing him.

"You heard that didn't you?" Mother Ruby asked, the five kept in the cell still too frightened to say anything. "Your leader wasn't a necromancer, he was barely an apostate. From what we can tell he was a drunk, the only thing he was able to accomplish was getting seventeen people to throw their lives away. The last five were lucky enough, and I would stress the use of lucky. At least they are able to live some semblance of a normal life as branded. You do not owe this man your loyalty."

Mercy finished, pulling her hands from his chest and rising to her feet. "Your wish has been granted, mistress."

He began crying his weeping echoing and reverberating through the inner chamber. "Now. now." Mother Ruby said, sitting next to him and rubbing her hand against his chest tentatively. "You're safe, no one can hurt you anymore."

"Kill me... Please! Let me die!" He pleaded through clenched teeth, "He's right! He's right! Oh Matron He's right." Against every instinct Lotef pulled resolve from her genie, she embraced the newfound confidence like a blanket.

"It's ok, It's ok. It doesn't matter what he says right now."

Lotef recoiled at He, most would assume she was just talking about the Philistine. But Lotef had a feeling that he, the necromancer was referring to, was someone far more prescient.

She had to stop herself from pulling from Midnight once more, she couldn't fall into that habit again. She looked over to Midnight who stood in a convincing approximation of what could be considered a stoic visage.

She couldn't help but beam the genie a smile, pride nesting itself firmly in her chest. She should have shown better self-control, usually, Midnight would be suffering a panic attack when she pulled even a little of her near-empty resolve.

Not this time, was she getting better at this, or had Midnight gotten stronger? Abortion, she would probably kill herself if this could be laid at Eluketh's feet. She looked at Mercy on the other side of her and then it hit her. /Matron's Mercy, I pulled from the wrong genie!/ Not only that but the timing she pulled. Mercy was an observant genie, Lotef had no doubt she'd known what would have been pulled, but if she knew why it was pulled Lotef would be finished!

Lotef no longer followed the conversation between Mother Ruby and the necromancer. She had to figure out a way to nip this now before it got out of control. She followed Mercy's gaze and noticed what she was looking at. One of the Larva sat nursing his leg. Even without Mercy's gifts to peer injuries and ailments, Lotef could tell he needed a bit of a healing hand.

Lotef centered herself, striving to show no outlying emotions, this needed to go right. Lotef pulled resolve from Mercy. Taking a deep breath she turned towards Mother Ruby, "Mother Ruby," It was good to refer to her more deferential, try and make things run as smoothly as possible. "It wouldn't be a problem if I healed a few of our other larvae?"

"I don't think that would be out of sorts." Mother Ruby said, brushing her finger on her chin, before turning back to attend to the necromancer.

"Mercy," Lotef said, Mercy made her way into the cell and Lotef closed it behind her. "Have a look." Lotef said, picturing jabbing the punching bag, a jab was all that was needed.

Mercy held her hand out, a light pulse of energy running throughout the larva's injured leg. He tensed up before relaxing again, it was like watching Mercy tending to an injured animal. "It shouldn't take much."

"Heal." Lotef said, paying the bag a single haymaker. Mercy centered herself like she was on the verge of falling over. She didn't physically feel any impact but the burst of energy handed must have been more than expected.

Placing her hands on his legs the larva sharply sucked in air through his teeth before sitting straight up. "You should be able to walk now." Mercy said, patting his knee gently.

"T-thank you..." He said, looking at his leg and giving it a kick. He looked to Mercy for permission to rise.

Mercy shook her head, "Her." She said, pointing towards Lotef.

He looked at her pleadingly, Lotef nodded, not wanting to speak out loud and interrupt whatever Mother Ruby was talking about.

"Rise G190, I'm going to need you to behave and be a proper example for them." Mother Ruby turned to the cell containing the larva. "You owe them that much at least."

"Yes ma'am." G190 said with a nod. He slowly made his way into his cell and slumped over to a corner.

"Would you mind looking over and healing the others Luminous Lotef?" Lotef couldn't ask for a more perfect opening!

"No, not at all!" Lotef said, pulling more resolve from Mercy. It was funny, she was working so hard to keep Mercy from figuring out. But why? What would the genie do? If she made such a claim she'd probably be lashed for even daring to make the accusation.

Lotef had Mercy checkup each of the other Larvae, their wounds were minor and didn't really warrant healing. One had loosened a tooth, an outcome of the fight that had apprehended her. But Lotef didn't give Mercy permission to heal. Which was for the best with how frantically Mercy's hands were shaking from exhaustion.

...

"A fine crop if I do say so myself." A woman said with a pleased smile, as Lotef and Mother Ruby made their way out of the holding cell. She stood a tall figure, garbed in an more ornate version of what Mother Ruby wore. Lotef felt like a child looking at her, even with the resolve she plucked from Mercy.

"Revered Mother Rosalisa, it's a pleasure." Mother Ruby said, as pleasantly as she did for everyone. "Coming to see the new larvae?"

"Of course. I also seemed to have been rewarded with a meeting of Overseer Agatha's new project."

"Revered Mother." Lotef said, she noticed Midnight at the corner of her eye had been panting, keeling over, and crying. Even Mercy was out of it, dry washing her hands, like crazy.

"A little far away from Jamie aren't we G350?"

"M-master said I should lend my assistance to Mistress Lotef."

"That boy needs to learn a majin isn't a toy to loan to others. It just confuses them, wouldn't you agree?" She said looking Lotef in the eye.

"I don't know, I think Mercy is working wonderfully."

"Was that before or after you slurped up most of her composure?" Even with the newfound confidence, Lotef could barely keep from choking on her tongue. "No not composure, maybe resolve? No need to worry, you're not in trouble, I doubt Overseer Agatha would bring someone so flagrant with her lantern, right?"

Lotef nodded.

"Good. Good. I'll make certain to make time for you later, right now I must attend to the needs of my new children."

Lotef made her way out in a daze, what just happened? How did she know? Did Mercy have a tell she wasn't aware of? Or maybe it was her? A failing on her behalf? Even now she was fighting the urge to strip Mercy of whatever resolve she was able to hold onto.

"Mistress." Mercy said, Lotef felt ice in her veins. "About what happened back there." She could lash her right here and right now. Take the fallout from Luminous Jamie and never be around this creature again. Midnight was looking right at Mercy, what was going through her mind right now? How would she act if she was to learn about Not Philistine?

"Yes, G350." Lotef said barely able to keep her voice steady, she was getting so cold. Her thumb was running across her fingers. When did she begin doing that? Was she running on resolve fumes already? At least she remember to use her number, maybe it would be enough to put her off whatever she had planned. 

"I want to thank you for your kindness. Even when looking at the injured pushed you too pull from me. I'm sorry that my bad example humiliated you in any way in front of the revered mother."

"N-No problem..." Lotef said, that's all she wanted? Then... It worked, oh Conviction it worked! She managed to convince the genie it all revolved around looking at the injured jinn and not her.

"You speak out of turn sister!" Midnight said with more venom than Lotef believed the genie knew about, let alone possessed.

"My apologies," She said, her tone amused. Thankfully when she turned to Lotef she took a tone more befitting a genie. "I apologize for my audacity mistress, I spoke out of turn."

"Just make certain it doesn't happen again."

"Of course mistress. Permission to speak my mind?" Lotef nodded, "You have done well in training this genie."

"Thank you." Lotef said.

Lotef made her way out of the basement at a steady pace, for some reason she kept expecting Midnight and Mercy to talk with one another. The two of them were far too behaved for that. Even the most ornery of jinn would keep their best behavior here. At both the left and right of her were jinn, almost all of which larvae currently undergoing their training.

She stopped the moment a figure brushed the corner of her vision. "Mercy, does your master have need of you anytime soon?"

"No? Mistress. I am certain he will be preoccupied for a while."

"Good. Midnight, take Mercy with you to my weald, I want you to tidy the place up and show her how to make that omelet you made today."

"But Mistress as your Majin I should-" She stopped the moment Lotef gazed at her,  "I'm sorry mistress. Please forgive me."

"Go." Lotef said and was relieved the moment the two of them made their way to her home. Lotef slowly turned her gaze toward the one sitting in the cell. Her eyes downcast, arms crossed against herself, Shoulders slacked. Crestfallen. There was no other word for her current state. 

Nakya sat wearing the dress wear of all larvae, simple cut and marked with designs that ran across the uniform. Her once long hair now cut short, her face blotchy from crying no doubt. It was obvious she only had stopped because she had worn herself out from crying.

["What's the matter?"] Not Philistine said, standing next to Lotef. What kind of question was that? She knew perfectly well what was wrong. Lotef kept her gaze on the woman who was once one of her subordinates. She had noticed her disappearance and had planned to ask when she got a chance. But she never would have guessed...

"You knew her?" Lotef nearly squeaked the moment someone spoke behind her. A gentry standing behind her, she had a weary look. She held a tray of cakes and water, they smelled wonderful certainly a condolence. The last meal offered before moving to a diet of jinn feed.

Her blossom on the back left of her head. Her veil looked ornate, complete with a link of chains on the edges. Gentry worked among the gothels most working as assistants to the green-robed women. 

"Yes. We weren't close, she just performed tasks for me at times. Do you know what happened?" 

"She was found guilty of fa'murder."

Lotef felt a chill, fa'murder? It was a crime unforgivable, the punishment standing in front of her. "I-I could never see Nakya doing such-, committing such a crime." She would barely take a pen laying around, considering it stealing from someone else.

The gentry shook her head, "You coils," Not Philistine fumed at the word, "Are always erratic. The meekest one-day lashing without a reason. She said it was a mistake, an accident. So we had Mother judge her, and this is the result. So much for accidents." She said somewhat snidely.

"Yeah." Lotef said, putting her hand on the glass, she was far too aware of 'accidents.' She didn't worry about Nakya-, no, G505 noticing her. The window like all jinn cells was one way. The genie could not tell who she was, she probably didn't even have the experience to know when someone was standing outside her window. Jinn learned to tell that after a while, especially when you stood over them.

"You go by Lotef Jyoto now, right? Do you think Agatha has your best interest at heart??"

Lotef fought to keep her breathing from breaking, keeping her hand flat on the glass. She pulled confidence from Midnight, only to find nothing. The genie was too far out of reach, she could see the gentry's reflection looking at her waist. Lotef wiped the side of her waist in an attempt to cover from reaching for her lantern. She was relatively certain the gentry noticed as well. 

"Is that a regular occurrence?" Prudence, Justice, Humility, why couldn't anything go her way!?

"I think that's a little too personal a question, Gentry." Lotef said etiquette did have its limits after all.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Gentry Komari." She said, that name was familiar. Then it hit her like a truck.

"It's a pleasure Gentry Komari." Lotef said, making certain not to make any sudden movements.

"Turn around child, I'm tired of speaking to your back."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you pull from your jinn often? That's a nasty habit." 

"More than I'd like." Lotef said, pressing her hands together, "I'm trying to break it."

"You'll manage, breaking is a thing you guiles are good at." Again, Not Philistine growled, something feral. 

"I'll never come to understand that kind of cruelty." She said shaking her head, "You kick your own and refuse to even feel the least bit ashamed." She shrugged, "Habit's die hard, but that's something I believe your kin dept at. Killing that is." It unnerved her how that didn't appear to irritate Not Philistine like the last two comments.

"Come with me."

"Gentry?"

"I have an appointment, and I don't want to disturb a gothel."

"B-but-"

"Rebreather on." She commanded, pulling her own veil back, revealing the tulip blossom that acted as lips for the gentry. Lotef relented and put on her rebreather, slowly she made her way past the door. 

Na-, G505 rose to her feet the moment she noticed people walked in. It seemed more out of obligation than anything else. It was when she saw Lotef did recollection flow into her eyes. "N-No! No! Please! Please don't look at me! Don't-"

"Calm yourself G505." Gentry Komari said, her tone softer than Lotef expected. "She isn't anyone you know, those are just-"

"Memories... From someone I never met."

"That's right, good girl. Are you thirsty?"

She nodded.

"Get her water." Gentry Komari snapped and Lotef jump, rushing to the tray she poured a glass and made her way to Gentry Komari. She snatched it from Lotef and handed it to G505. "There you go, just focus on keeping yourself hydrated."

Lotef was at a loss for words, she couldn't understand it, most gentry had a hard time even being around jinn. Gentry Komari seemed to prefer them. "If you have time to gape you have time to get her a cake!"

Once again Lotef rushed like a halfjinn, taking a napkin and seizing a bun. They really were just out of the oven. Lotef felt the heat through the napkin, maybe she could convince Gentry Komari to let her have just one.

"Here I made these myself, there you go, chew slowly. That's right."

Lotef acted as a halfjinn for the next half hour, standing silently as if she didn't even exist when she wasn't sent to rush and take from that aborted table. 

"Are you ready for your session?"

"If it pleases you."

Gentry Komari placed her hand on the genie's chest, her hand passing through G505's chest before both closing their eyes and syncing their breathing.

["She's a Wishpainter."] Not Philistine said, voicing Lotef's disbelief. 

"Yes, I'm aware." Lotef said, keeping her gaze on the two, at the moment Gentry Komari peered through G505's mind. What could she be searching for?  Wishpainters were used to help train jinn at times but most saw that as a waste of their talents.

Lotef remembered where she was and rushed to poke her head outside the room. Blissfully no one was in the hall. She had to be more careful when she responded to Not Philistine, she would not know how she would be able to explain to an inquisitive gothel, or worse warden. The few attached with the Mane Blossoms were known to hang out and get a look at the new larvae emerging.

["We can kill her right now. She's on to us!"]

"No." Lotef whispered, more mumbled, keeping her back facing the window.

["She is a Wishpainter! On a whim, she could uproot everything! Then you would be the one with the cell and number."]

Lotef stopped herself from shaking her head, was she mad? She had to be if she thought Lotef would ever commit such an action. "I would never be able to get away with that." Lotef whispered.

Not Philistine stopped her pacing, opening her mouth before closing it again. ["You make a fair point."] She stroked her chin, pacing in a circle. It took everything to keep herself focused on Gentry Komari and the woman once known as Nakya.

...

Lotef removed the rebreather the moment the cell door closed, so much of any hope of taking an hour or two for herself. "You did adequate, it's a good thing the facilitators didn't name you gothel. It's not your calling."

Lotef forced a smile, "Thank you Gentry Komari."

"Best keep your rebreather on if that's the best fake smile you can muster." She said, producing a sweet silky aroma. 

"Yes, Gentry." No, she had spent two hours on her beck and call, she had to know and she would know! "Gentry, you were so kind to that genie?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"N-no! At least I don't think it is? I mean, I want to know why do you... Care so much."

"You coils," Again Not Philistine hissed, "Always so keen to harm something, aren't you? When you were barred from harming us, you went to yourselves."

"That's not fair gentry."

"Is it not?"

"I mean for the one thing the jinn aren't people, they are nothing more than husks." Why did she have to explain this? You'd think a gentry, wishpainter no less, would have at least known that much.

"Yes... I am aware." The irritation sounded like nails on a chalkboard, "Have you ever wondered what fills that husk?"

Lotef opened her mouth only to stop, had she ever wondered? She couldn't help but sneak a glance at Not Philistine, who luckily sat on the bed within one of the cells. Too Gentry Komari it would look like she was just looking at the genie inside. "The riven?"

"The riven." She said, mocking Lotef's voice, "Is that all you can muster guile?" Lotef felt herself in sync with Not Philistine's irritation. She at the word no doubt, Lotef was more irate with the gentry's imitation. "Is that all you know about them, human?"

"I tend to not look into them." And why would she? Never ask the question you didn't want answers for, and she was certainly getting those answers would probably not soothe her at all.

"Typical. Striving in your ignorance. Let me ask you, where does a riven come from? What was it before we pulled them inside the body of one we judge guilty? How does it feel about this arrangement?"

"Gentry they hunt your kin, they tempt my kin to join them in their hunt."

"I guess you've looked into it more than nothing then? Guiles hunt and kill easily enough without any prodding from the riven. No, you were forced to stop your cruelty and reached for another creature to kick."

"Gentry Komari that isn't fair."

"Isn't it? I've traveled the minds of many jinn, they are confused and lost, with nothing more than the memories of the people you coils wish to punish. Like any creature with little, they cling tightly to what they can and embrace it."

Lotef found her throat hitching up, she was waiting for Not Philistine to ridicule her or anything really. Instead, the creature looked beguilingly at Gentry Komari, usually, Lotef would be over her heels for that response. But not now, what did it mean if that gave her pause?

Taking Lotef's abject horror for guilt, Gentry Komari sweetened, the aroma getting to the level of tooth-rotting. "Nothing to say guile?"

Lotef had to say something, she felt her throat would slit open if she kept silent. "We're not bad..." Came out weakly, barely loud enough to be audible.

Gentry Komari soured, "What was her name?"

Lotef swallowed her heart and turned to meet the gentry in the eye, did she know? Could wishpainters hear them? Had she just been playing with her? Was this the end? It could all be avoided if she just got rid of her... It could be an accident no one was here... A genie could slip free, it was possible, it had happened from time to time. If only she had a knife with her she could-

"Honeysuckle. Her name was Honeysuckle." Lotef seriously doubted she went by Honeysuckle or any flower at all. "She was meant to live every moment to the fullest and go out in a glorious end, but your 'friend' cut that short. You were so concerned with how she got here, were you ever planning to ask the name of the person she killed." 

Lotef opened her mouth to respond but all she could get out were tears. 

"So miss 'not bad' Did you ever really care?" 

Lotef's response was the choice she always made, she ran.