Assuming About The Opposition

Assuming About The Opposition
Date of Scene:	25 October 2013
Location:	Traverse Town
Synopsis:	As Rosemarie wanders to the outskirts of the city, she's beset by Faruja and Queegmaa, who accuse her of having heretical ties with Blivon, who is wanted by Glabados, aside from performing some witch-craft of her own brand. As she gets into position to be arrested, Queegmaa catches a look on her face suggesting realities about her subordinates that he would've otherwise known nothing about, and he rants about Rosie's sub-par assistants; all assumptions, of course!
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Rosemarie, Queegmaa

---

Faruja Senra has posed:
It wasn't hard to find Rosemarie, as open as she was in her advertisements. Templar Faruja Senra, fresh off of his horrid illness, is looking distinctly unhappy. Not due to his assignment; though now distrustful of his superiors, he can't fault bringing in a known associate of a horrible Heretic, nevermind one who was accused of so many things.

No, Faruja's problem is one of his partners: Queegma, a Kappa that has never fully sat well with him, now assiging what is by all rights a matter for the Office of Holy Inquisition, of which the rat is representing. The holy knight turns to the human of the party; a young looking man in the garb of a Church squire, dark skinned and having a distinctly Caribbean accent. The young man looks nervous, fingering the hilt of his sword.

"Deep breaths, Squire Sebastian. The Lord shall see us through." Comforts the Burmecian, the young man giving several quick nods. The trio are searching the ouskirts of Traverse Town, in hopefully what can be considered lands not wholly claimed by the Town itself. While the Holy Office hardly cares for petty things like mortal laws at times, it at least tries to not get the rest of the organization in hot water. Faruja keeps a sharp nose and set of ears out, even as Sebastian keeps his far better vision turned to the horizon.

"Ser Queegma. Have thee any additional information about Lady Rosemarie, or the Heretic she is rumored to safekeep?" Questions the rat idly, at least until they spot their prey!

Queegmaa has posed:
Rosemarie's shop was open to all, unless the door was otherwise locked, during business hours, would be the general assumption held by the populace. However.... a person couldn't just go into her store with the hope of laying siege to her abode without consequences, given the security system Traverse Town had in place, which is why a spy had been needed to monitor, and track some of Rosie's movements. If they could calculate at least a single pattern in the routine that encompassed her life, there was a chance she could be subdued, and then.... well, on this day, to show the 'good faith' of the empire, who was trying to butter-up the self-images of Glabados, Que was sent to help find Rosie.

Besides the fact that he was experienced in dealing with the woman personally, which gave him the knowledge it took to help bring her down, he had the drive, as well, for she'd swallowed him whole and digested a good portion of his body-- revenge was something Faruja himself had indulged in, ergo, with a much weaker moral compass than the Nezumi, it was far from Queegmaa to be above a little payback, but in -this- case, it was under the pretext of 'divine retribution', as ordained by the church! If Faru had any misgivings about working with the kappa, he'd have to keep his lips sealed tight, because in a sense, the water-devil was temporarily given a charge, a mission that was on the same importance of a holy knight.... to bring to justice a foul corrupter who'd wronged countless innocents, by way of sponsoring Blivon's rehab clinic, where the derelict shaman had unquestionably indoctrinated several upstanding folk who wouldn't've been blinded by his hellish preachings!

No.... Rosemarie didn't actually fork over much money, but she did help with the starting costs, and since Blivon had recently gone on a 'retreat' to purify his spirit, by engaging in a self-imposed exile, that, in the church's mind, looked suspiciously coincidental, since Faruja had just been deflected only a month ago after offering the heretic a chance to surrender himself. Que, peering over at the demi-human, scoffed, "I given ya'all plen'y of info that'll take us tuh her. Yuh'll see rayle soon.... She dun got nowhere ta hide! But you 'n yer inquiseadors will hafta beat it outta her, I 'spect, 'fore ya find out where she's hidin' that scoundrel....." No, Queegmaa doesn't know a thing about Blivon, but he's trying to rally all Faruja's power by bolstering the significance of the piety in their mission at hand!

Rosemarie has posed:
Rosemarie, like any entrepreneur, has plenty of responsibilities to ensure that her day to day business goes smoothly. She has a shop to manage and spends most of her time there, but there's always other things that need to be done. Many of these are handled by by Rosemarie's "employees" Dameon and Annalee, but there are some matters which Rosemarie feels she must handle personally.

Which is what brings Rosemarie to the outskirts of town today, unaware of what trap waits for her there. Of course, Rosemarie is alone--someone has to watch the shop, and she's more than capable of taking care of herself, presumedly. Today, she's dressed in traveling clothes instead of her usual formal wear. She has on a frilled blouse and a pair of traveling pants, with her hair done in a much simpler style than usual.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"'Tis hardly my place, as an Executor of the Divine Inquisition and Shield of the Faith to question, or inquire into the methods used by Inquisitors to seek the truth." Is Faruja's simple retort, leaning heavily on Church doctrine here. Hardly something someone can fault. Sebastian crosses his chest as Faruja speaks, clearly hero-worshipping the shorter member of the Church.

The Dark Elf in question would be difficult to miss, given she's not particularly hiding. An ear perks, Sebastian taps the rat on his shoulder, and points.

"To business, Sers."

As is often the case with the Inquisition, the intrusion upon Rosemarie isn't subtle. A sneak attack would be cowardly. "Lady Rosemarie of Traverse Town, I presume?" Comes Faruja's strong, clear, and commanding voice. It's barely a question.

"By order of High Inquisitor Gustave, you are wanted for questioning in the matter of harboring Heretic Blivon, and accusations of Witchcraft, abhorrant in the sight of the Lord. What say ye, M'Lady? Come with us quietly, if you please." Despite the charges, the rat is at least polite about it. It's always good to ride in on your high chocobo when arresting a (presumed!) heathen. There's no weapons drawn yet, but both knight and would-be knight look ready to use them. Sebastian especially seems jumpy.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa scowls, when Faruja begins to list the charges-- he's not exactly a subordinate of the Nezumi, even if he is 'along for the ride', but as a member of Vector's militia, or at least their favorite mercenary guild(he often left people to wonder with whom he was affiliated, to protect Vector's interests), he wasn't required to keep his mouth totally clamped down. Some professionalism was mandatory, since he couldn't stand there and compromise the integrity of the Inquisition by making bold claims as to their mysterious methods, but he could say a few things about Rosie herself, "Accusations 'a witch-craft?.... What're yuh talkin' about?! She went 'n gobbled me up, b'fore I managed ta git from her gullet." he barks.

"We gots da proof back at Vector's labs, where some'a her savilia's been stuck in a tube.... Ya think her slime get on me cuz we been fonrycrating?" Malapropisms notwithstanding, his introduction of a potentially vulgar topic might cause the demi-rodent to wince, but maybe Faruja had a stomach for such kind of talk, if he's been weaned off of his haughtiness, after his vast experience spent in the World of Ruin. The marine menace points a finger accusingly at Rosemarie, "She dun ate meh, 'n she dun used her derk magic ta do't!"

Snarling at the drow who was less lavishly-decorated than usual, Que began to finger his tanto lightly, but since he didn't yet have leave to officially draw his blade, seeing that Faru was giving her a chance to willingly comply with their orders, that was the extent of his intimidating behavior, in a physical sense!

Rosemarie has posed:
Rosemarie recognizes that voice and, appropriately, keeps a positive expression and pleasant tone when she starts speaking with Faruja. "Ser Senra," Rosemarie says, "it's a pleasure to hear from you again, though I reckon that the circumstances could certainly be better." Rosemarie's expression slowly curls into a frown. "I was unaware that the noble Church of Glabados acted outside of the local authorities without at least consulting with them. Surely something more peaceable could be arranged with a the city guard to extradite Blivon. Had I known, I would have been glad to negotiate myself." Rosemarie crosses her arms.

"As for the accusations of witchcraft," Rosemarie looks pointedly at Queegmaa. "I suspect they did not include a defense for his vandalism of my store or assault on my person without warrant," Rosemarie says. She looks back at Faruja.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Indeed, 'tis always unfortunate, that one must come beneath the Church's eye in ire!" Responds the rat, deferring to doctrine rather than pleasantries. The last thing he needs is to be less than professional with someone watching! This, of course, becomes all the more difficult when there's a weapon being brandished already! The Templar's jaw tightens. One might notice a bit of shaking in the rat's tail, barely contained wrath at such a horrible breach of protocol!

Sebastian isn't quite so composed. "M'Lord, why is this heath..." "SEBASTIAN!"

Th Squire shuts up, backing off. Faruja clears his voice. "Truth or nay, M'Lady, to thy words, nevertheless; my orders are absolute. Mind ye, 'tis merely questioning. /Certainly/ such a fine, upstanding woman as thyself would be willing to answer what questions the Inquisition has, hmm? The innocent have no reason to fear."

At Rose's accusation, however, the rat's head turns. Wince. Images flow through his head. Faruja actually looks green, his flow interrupted. A horrible gagging sound briefly exits his muzzle, before he's forced to turn and try to not vomit! Some things the mind isn't capable of handling.

"No. Unfortunately, any such matters are indeed not within my jurisdiction. Now, please, M'Lady. Come with us peaceably. There is no need for any 'assaults' as ye say, if you merely comply." Seems the rat's trying to be diplomatic with a woman who, if it weren't for the dark magic, he'd quite like!

Queegmaa has posed:
Que doesn't know much about Blivon, or the heresy in which he was supposedly involved, but the chances were, it was probably something that resonated closely with the same kind of validity that was being used to justify the infringements on Rosie's person.... but then, Faruja probably already knows that Glabados is so muddy that Rosemarie's attempt to distance herself from Blivon so that she could be alleviated from the 'charges' wouldn't've made any difference, in the long run. People in high positions wanted the dark elf in their custody, and weren't content to respect the jurisdiction of other authorities, if they had the means of forcibly wresting the drow from Traverse Town, if it was necessary.

In earnest, Que didn't care if they found Blivon five seconds later, and then executed him on the spot, but 'guilt by association' was definitely customary in the policies of the Church of Ivalice, and if need be, the imp would remind Faruja not to waver in his duties to try and collect Rosemarie at all costs-- surely, the truth could be sorted out after the dust cleared, but the rat was not authorized to contradict the orders of his superiors!.... So, hopefully, Que wouldn't have to bring this to his attention. Other than that, when Rosie gave her rebuttal, Queegmaa cackled, "HA! Da necromancer thinks dat she ken twis' her story 'er own way tuh maintain sum leg'macy to her coun'er-claims 'n pin dis on me, 'n slidder troo dis like da snek tha'char!"

He stretches an arm out, deciding that Rosie wasn't going to come quickly, and taking some initiative, initializing an operation mimicking spell-craft to endow him and his ally with some empowerment. "My ink-shooter bus'd and ya got all mad cuz when I tried ta pay ya back, ya din agree tuh my price, ya greedy infidel.... 'Fore I cud even discuss da matter, you fixed on swall'un me.... so dun gimme dat cr*p 'bout me vandlizin' yer store, cuz it was an accyiden', 'n ya didn't even gimme no chance ta repay ya proper.... you impatient idoaleeter!" The kappa shakes his head, "Agin' receiving dar justice, I reckon.... if ya'were so confident you weren't guil'y.... yuh'd come along all quiet-lik' and face da jury ta be proved in'cent!"

Rosemarie has posed:
Rosemarie frowns, tapping a long, clawed finger against her cheek. It is, of course, gloved, but even then there's a sinister sinister quality to the length of Rosemarie's nails. She looks at Sebastian, at Faruja, then at Queegmaa. The end of her glance is noticeably disdainful.

"With respect, Ser Senra," Rosemarie says. "I would feel much more at ease about a peaceful bout of questioning if your association would put away his sword." Rosemarie smiles disarmingly at Sebastian.

"And if a certain vandal would stop preparing spells before he even knows whether or not I am going to surrender peaceably." Rosemarie takes a half step back, assuming a position more adequate for defending herself--but just that, self-defense rather than aggression. She won't take the first blow, even if blows seem increasingly likely.

Faruja Senra has posed:
As if keeping a squire under control isn't enough, he has to deal with an annoying git of a tagalong. He shakes his head towards Rosemarie. "Protocol, Lady Rosemarie. So long as there is no violence, it shan't be used upon thee. A Squire of the Holy Church is not so foolish."

Then Que's going off on the elf. While he can appreciate a good rant, it's really getting annoying. Not enough religious pandering. Disgraceful, really.

Even the rat looks close to drawing his weapon, knowing breaking down negotiations when he sees them. "Ignore him. Or curse him if you like. The point being, you are wanted by the Inquisition, and they are highly impatient. Make thy decision. Shall ye resist? Or come quietly?"

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa scowled a little as Faruja casually disqualified his rants as unimportant, to the effect that Rosie was being welcomed to either ignore him or demean him in whatever fashion she desired, even so, he couldn't countermand Faru's words, only bring them into doubt if he believed they could use refinement. At the moment, the kappa thirsted to see the drow suffer, but he knew that if a fight broke out when it wasn't necessary, he might be held accountable for 'excessive force', and potentially ruining what would otherwise be a pacificatory arrest, so he had to bite his tongue and bear the words.... but he didn't have to like it!

Then again, if combat did ensue... there was a chance /he/ could get hurt, and being the cur that he was, avoiding the sullying of his own hands, even if it meant not seeing his enemy suffer, was a better alternative. "Well.... Ya gotta understand dat I don trust this witch.... so I was 'specting some kinda stunt." He nods to her, and lowers his hand, though.... the empowering spell is still in effect, "All she does is whine, ya see.... She calls me da impatient one, 'n she goes accusin' poor ol' Que of preparing spells that're perfectly peaceable in nature. You an't suf'rin any from my 'chantyament.... all I did was tuh give m'self a boost, see? You some kinda mind reader? I din' even draw m' weapon like Sebiaschyun dere!" Though he was gently strumming it with his fingers, which could've been construed as a mild form of intimidation.

Rosemarie has posed:
Rosemarie keeps her composure for the time being. "Ah, protocol. Of course. Traditions must be upheld, especially in an institution as old as the noble Church of Glabados." Rosemarie says this carefully so as to avoid making it making sarcastic in any way.

She is still less than pleased with Queegmaa. She may be plotting something nefarious when she has the opportunity, but for now, she keeps quiet. "I will go peaceably, provided I am treated with proper dignity, though I have one request before we depart."

"I do ask that you allow me to send a message to my charges, so that I might allow them to make arrangements for how to operate the store in my absence. I would dread if Annalee or Dameon were left wandering where their dear caretaker had disappeared to. I, of course, understand if you would like to proofread the message so as to prevent me from possibly sending a message to the accused heretic, Blivon."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja actually smiles at Que's words, just slightly, the corners of his muzzle turning up. "Paranoia. Excellent. A tip on these assignments, should ye find thyself at the behest of the Holy Office; trust no one, lest they are a fellow agent of the Inquisition. But let us naught botch this, merely for vengeance, hmm?" A very polite way to tell the upset kappa to take a chill pill.

Back to Rose. His eye narrows slightly, suspiciously searching the woman's voice for sarcasm. He quickly gives up. She's either honest, or /good/.

A hand waves away the sword of Sebastian's, and instead he's going for manacles. Seems the pair of Templar and Squire are convinced this may have gone /right/ for once. Some part of Faruja's brain is still waiting for this to all go wrong, however.

The ratling clears his throat, hiding a chuckle of amusement. He's almost convinced Rose has more guile than she's letting on now. "Ahem, yes, but I am afraid 'tis impossible. Proofread or nay, hardly am I a master of...oh, what do the humans call it? Cryptography? Hidden messages galore, mayhaps. Enough to locate us, and have thee stolen away from the Holy Office! Blatant paranoia, or nay, but the mere chance dissallows such."

A firm shake of the head. Nope, not chancing it. With a motion of his hand, he continues. "However, hardly am I so heartless. One of my own shall inform thy servants, and should ye be found innocent, standard compensation shall be given for any lost time, or business. Now hold still, no sudden movements, hmm? Squire Sebastion, if you would?" Faruja walks forward, even as Sebastion gets ready to tie up Rose's limbs; arms behind the back first, if she doesn't resist.

Queegmaa has posed:
Grinning at Faruja, Queegmaa remarks, confidently, with condescension, "What?.... Why deny her da chance tuh notify her underlins dat she gon be put 'way fer sum time? Ledder write 'er letter, and den we can give it to Bishop Emerald.... she's a smarty if dere eva was one. She ken decide if it's tain'ed with hidden messjes er not." He cackles, knowing full well that the bishop would use any snag possible to exploit in order to further incriminate Rosie, not that the dark elf knows anything about that particular zealot..... though, Que is nescient to the fact that Faru probably distrusts Emerald, and will prefer to decline Rosemarie's request even at Que's behest, for -her own- sake, because many in the church would seize an opportunity to darken her name moreso than it already would've been, without a letter written from her very hand.

There was rationale behind enabling 'the right to remain silent', in the case where one wasn't made to confess-- that would come in due time, anyhow, on account of the Inquisitors being as ambitious in their line of work as they were. Enthusiasm was a must for folks like Ophelia Lovett, but the drow might've been lucky enough to get someone beneath her, instead of the head honcho herself. When they get out a pair of shackles, Que coughs a little bit, "I hope dem's magic-neuterealizin' dingies.... She got some bad tricks up 'er sleeves! But dun worry, if they ain't.... I got a lil trinket dat'll do da job good." Suddenly, the studiously vengeful kappa drew out a strange looking contraption that appeared to be something of a muzzle with an opening in front, to allow air, but with bars, as though a modified gas-mask that could've come from something out of a book about Hannibal Lecter.

If Rosie doesn't cooperate with the initial preliminaries, Que is sure that after apprehension, it'll become a mandatory part of the prisoner-transport inhibitors, and he's hoping that just flashing this creepy thing before her will spook her enough to incite aggression on her part so that everything will go awry, giving an excuse to employ it, since the Nezumi templar might not be obligated to use it if she cooperates fully. One can always hope!

Rosemarie has posed:
Rosemarie is nothing if not patient. She has quite some time to spend waiting for the right opportunity to act. This is not that time, and thus Rose keeps quiet and offers her hands for the cuffs. She looks a the muzzle disdainfully, but refrains from comment.

"I don't think that will be necessary. Have I been anything but compliant, Ser Senra?" Rosemarie smiles at the inquisitor. "I look forward to sorting out this business in short order, so that my innocence can be proven, and I can return to my work. I hope that you get to the bottom of this mess swiftly. It's dreadful to think some criminal in the eyes of the Church could still be at large somewhere." Rosemarie's acting is practiced to the point of perfection. She certainly sounds like she means it. She could probably be covering for Blivon and still make it convincing that she was nothing but innocent.

"It's unfortunate that I can't send my letter, but I suppose they'll have to manage. Annalee is a smart girl, I'm certain she'll figure something out."

And it was this statement that was undoubtedly the least honest one of the evening. Even Rosemarie had trouble making that one believable.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja nods just slightly to Rosemarie. "Most assuredly so, and mayhaps it speaks well of thee. Continue, and truly, the truth of this matter shall be reached in due time." Agrees the rat, encouraging her to be peaceful.

Then, he turns to Que. "Yet...i must agree, that all precautions must be made. If 'tis to bind her magic..." Motioning to the dark elf, the rat lets Que get to it.

"Well, one cannot take chances." He may not like the way it would fit, but she /is/ a suspected heretic sympathizer. Sebastion begins to bind her ankles, as well. Faruja whistles, and wings flap. The massive form of the wyvern Arista lands, roaring as she peers at Rosemarie and Queegma with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Only eat her if she becomes...fatally resistant, Arista. And leave the kappa alone." Arista huffs, kneeling on her haunches.

Que's other suggestion meets a scandalized gaze from the rat-knight. "And waste a /Bishop/'s time with such trivial matters? I should not think to perform such a breach of protocol! We shall do this by the book; the usual round of couriers." He does frown, however. What if Rose /is/ innocent?

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa was patient, when the conditions were optimal, on the other hand, he was always being stepped-on by Rakassa, which had helped him build a tolerance for stress, to the extent that he, in his own way, presumably had as much patience as Rosie, or that of an oyster itself! But just like any other creature with feelings, as soon as he had an opportunity to do some venting with minimal liability attached, he was nothing if not explosive in his outbursts, which was why he'd chosen to pick on Rosemarie when the odds were stacked in the kappa's favor, what-with Faruja and Sebastian on his side, not counting the fact that now the dark elf's arms were bound behind her, beyond her legs being shackled together. /THIS/ was the ideal chance for him to let out some of that bottled up rage, and to succumb to the pomposity that normally lay dormant so as not to contest his master's own egocentrism, "HAAHAHAHA!!!!! Annalee? The mute?! Dat's rich if I eva heard it. YA DINK YA KEN PULL THAT TRIPE ON ME, YA STUPID WENCH!!!!"

He bellows fearlessly, now with the object of his resentment in an utter state of helplessness, or close to it. But as if to amplify his advantages, the maritime fiend shuffled around behind Rosemarie, outfitting the gag-device around her head to prevent her from being able to 'Kirby' him again, which he remembered with quiet disgust, since the last time he was inhaled, one of his legs was digested in her belly. After the the mouthpiece is on Rosie, she can still speak, doubtlessly, but she won't be able to bite anyone, and like Hannibal, even with her arms and feet incapacitated, she was still ridiculously dangerous, which was why Que took great delight in the fact that Faruja allowed him to muzzle the woman. "Dat f*cking tart of yer's is da stupidest piece of sh*t I ever dar saw!"

He laughs again, defiantly, arrogantly. The truth is, he never met Annalee personally, but as an gatherer of intelligence, he'd been able to collect one or two tidbits about the girl in regards to her absolute silence, which he then paired up with a total presumption: that Rosie was trying to pull a fast one on him! No.... She couldn't have any way of knowing that Queegmaa was an expert at detecting, and telling lies, because she most certainly knew little of his training back in Zozo, courtesy of Rakassa's generous funding. This might've left Rosie wondering a number of things-- was Queegmaa so informed that he had been watching Rosie's every move up until the point that he caught her, with Faruja's help? Was he simply bluffing? Was he a mind-reader? Was he just that extremely intuitive that he could extrapolate truths from small morsels of data that he could've scavenged sporadically? Was he a chess-master who'd such brilliance that he'd truly outflanked the drow in spite of her astute resourcefulness? Or maybe.... he just has such a low opinion of everybody, that even if Annalee was only remotely indolent, that his 'interpretation' of her was not a charitable one.

Snarling at Faruja, Queegmaa, in his moment of triumph, remarked, "Why don'tcha let da bish'p decide if she dun fix ta think that Rosie's mail is a waste'a time er not, ya presumptuous possum!" To a water-dweller like Que, all those rodents looked alike, so mistaking him for one furry mammal didn't matter.... they were all interchangeable! That must've spoken volumes for how little respect he actually had for Faruja's kind.... but then, the Nezumi could probably already discern that Que housed nothing but contempt for others..... But, the root of all his hatred originated from the fact that he actually disliked himself, thus, by contrast, it was easy to see his worst traits reflected in others!

Rosemarie has posed:
Rosemarie remains quiet and controlled, though the expression of her eyes does indicate a bit of surprise--or at least disgust--at Queegmaa's assessment of Annalee. She listens to Queegmaa rant about Annalee's stupidity, listening carefully to see if any other mentions are made. When they are not, Rosemarie huffs slightly under her mask, but otherwise remains docile.

The trip back will be equally uneventful, with Rosemarie playing the role of the defeated prisoner, compliant but defiant. After all, she seems convinced of her own innocence and certain that the Glabadosian will find her so, in due time.

And Rosemarie has nothing if not time.