*If you can't look in a mirror and laugh at yourself, cut off the light*
(A special nod to BR for his help with all kinds of trivia and input in this chapter; a big thanks to Frontma for the editing )
(Yes, this tale is supposed to be somewhat humorous and outrageous too. While not always comedic I'd like to think it is mostly a good-natured romp.)
(I make a pledge: If I can't slaughter every genre before the end of Book One, point it out and I give you homage when I catch that lucky bitch in Book Two)
[Only Yesterday]
"There must be a reason you are here," Gabrielle Black questioned Rio. Rio spun around, expecting the classic chic vs. slasher boogeyman stance where 'she' was right behind her. Gabrielle was, in fact, four meters away, halfway in the doorway.
"Whoa, bi -- give me a damn heart attack, why don't you?" Rio gulped. Gabrielle gave no response. "Fine, Zane -- wait! Is this room safe?"
"If you are asking if it is bugged or being monitored, then the answer is 'no'," Gabrielle stated. Rio was starting -- yes, just starting -- to get wigged out by the Head of Security's icy calm.
"Fine, you freaky, scary-ass -- if I call you a bitch will you hurt me?" Rio smirked.
"You have fifteen seconds before I decide whether or not to damage you in a permanent fashion, Ms. Talon," Gabrielle warned Rio.
"Permanently damage somebody? What kind of egocentric wacko-douche says -- Zane sent me to tell you that 'There is no Cordelia Dresden'," Rio blurted out, hating to lose the suspense but deciding that losing a finger would be worse. Gabrielle didn't move.
"Well?" Rio asked nervously.
"I will put your arm behind your back in what appears to be a painful manner; I will walk you over to the Vice-Chancellor's office; my hold on you will be relinquished; we will wait for Ms. Revel to send us into Dr. Scarlett's office. You will admit to breaking into my house; I will inform her that you have agreed upon a punishment; she will agree, and we will leave; and then I will escort you back to your class," Gabrielle stated. Rio was nodding, not in understanding but in suicidal thoughts.
The next thing Rio knew, Gabrielle stealth pounced on her while remaining in plain sight. She twisted Rio's arm behind her back and turned her toward the door. Being the veteran of dozens of police chokeholds, beat downs, and other blatant abuses of authority, Rio was equally surprised how painless the hold was.
"What do I tell Zane?" Rio asked.
"Zane's not expecting an answer," Gabrielle related.
"How the fuck do you know that?" Rio sneered.
"The same way I know Zane told you in a public place with multiple conversations in all directions," Gabrielle informed Rio. "It is what I would have done. Likewise, I know he chose you, that you've done horrible things that you have only told him about – because you would die for him and he would die for you. Of greater relevance, you would keep your mouth shut."
"Tell me something," Rio popped the question as they reached the door to the outside, "if you had a chance to seduce Zane and not get caught, would you?" Gabrielle ushered Rio outside, locked her door while keeping Rio constrained, then started across campus. She gave no answer. Rio kept her smarmy mouth in check for an incredible thirty seconds.
"So, Basalt Buns," Rio snickered, "don't your nipples get rubbed raw by that skin-tight clothing?" Gabrielle could have been deaf for all she reacted, but several of the young women soaking up the mid-Autumn sun and gentle breeze gulped and gasped.
"So, with all those does bending over and flashing their panties, do you ever get wet? And if so, where does all that cunt juice go?" Rio taunted...still nothing. Several girls sitting on the ground tucked their skirts in tighter.
"If I give you a trainer vibrator, would you promise to use it to deal with some of this pent-up aggression that makes you both homicidal yet dangerously alluring?" Rio tried next. At this point, some of the other girls surreptitiously raised their phones to capture what they thought might be Rio's last moments.
"For the love of God, Tar Baby, say something," Rio laughed.
"You think you speak to illicit a response when, in fact, you do so as a tool to sound people out," Gabrielle said with that same seemingly emotionless voice. "You look for signs of courage, moral sensitivity, and temper control while broadcasting your fearlessness and experience in suffering pain."
"Fuck-nuts," Rio tried to grin over her shoulder at Gabrielle, "when you open up, you are a chatty little songbird. I think you and I are going to get along much better than I did with Gorman."
"That is because Coach Gorman makes decisions based upon morality and responsibility while I base my actions on expediency," Gabrielle said.
"Does this mean I get to see you naked now?" Rio smiled cheerfully. Gabrielle didn't respond. "How about I show you mine and you show me yours?" she tried again, but Black was Teflon. "Okay, what would you do if I offered you a lesbian six-way? Don't worry; me and four friends could 'overpower' you and take you back to the Love Shack. What do you say?"
"We are here," Gabrielle responded, but really was indicating their arrival at the Administration Building. Rio decided to be quiet. Teasing Black among the girls was okay, but doing the same in front of Gabrielle's peers seemed unfair to Rio...but she didn't know why.
"Ms. Revel, I need one minute of Dr. Scarlett's time, please," Gabrielle requested in the same dead voice.
"What is the nature of this matter, Ms. Black," Ms. Revel requested in a polite tone that made Rio want to slap that 'oh so civilized' mask off her face. Revel treated Rio and Zane like crap -- okay, more her than Zane, but hell, the woman had a vagina and that made her Zane's bitch, Rio believed, even if he refused to believe it. Scratch that, even girls with dicks weren't immune.
Revel made a quick call and then Gabrielle and Rio crossed the threshold into Victoria Scarlett's office.
"Hello," Victoria looked up at the two. "How can I help?"
"Undo that top button," Rio whispered, but was clearly understood. "I, ah -- I broke into Ms. Black's house. I was a bad girl," Rio added in a louder voice.
"I apprehended Ms. Talon; we discussed the matter and agreed upon the proper punishment," Black lied in a manner Rio prayed she could emulate one day...as well as pierce. "Ms. Talon has agreed to forgo a student appeal so she can put this matter behind us."
"Understood," Victoria nodded. "Oh, Rio, do you agree to this?"
Rio thought all of this was going a long fucking way to create a cover story on the off chance that Cordelia or some other dork in the Time Lord Mafia – Rio made a mental note to "Gibbs" slap Zane upside the back of his head for giving those geeks what she thought was a cool name – looked over some security feeds; then she noticed the two cameras covering the room.
Now Zane was going to get a nut-kick for being such a smart-ass, and the worst kind of smart-ass ... the ones who were right.
