I do feel sorry for the east coast
Feb. 23rd, 2026 11:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessThat storm is a monster. I hope all my friends there are okay.
I could use some help from everyone. I'm working on something new. God know where it is going. I am curious as how it hits as an opener (not really looking for a critique per se but if you see anything stupid, confusing etc let me know. On the other hand if something is really working, I'd love to know that too) Anyhow here it is. I'd love to hear a few opinions thanks.
Asha swept her hair back as she squatted over the body that had been hauled from the river. Liliana still wasn’t used to the elegant twists her partner had recently adopted. She missed the wild spray of curls that made Asha seem even taller than she actually was.
“Just like the other ones,” Asha said, gesturing for Liliana to hunker down next to her in the muck. A uniformed officer moved to the side to allow her better access. Liliana considered calling forth her small vein of magic to literally throw some light onto the site but it would only be a stop gap until the coroner arrived with big spotlights. Technology was once again edging magic out.
Liliana bent down, studying the nude body of a woman, bloated from the water. Several fingers and soft bits of her face had been nibbled off by the fish. The smell worked into her sinuses causing her stomach to roil. Asha had been a detective for years. Liliana had only been at it for the six months since she had moved from the west coast of Arezzo to the capitol city situated solidly just below the Moonlight mountains. The moon played peek-a-boo with their craggy peaks.
Their victim’s mottled skin would have been bled white when she found her way into the water. Liliana knew what they’d find once the doctor poked into the giant slice in the woman’s abdomen. Her visible intestines moved and both Liliana and Asha jumped back. Asha nearly landed on her butt in the river mud. Liliana caught her arm, steadying her. A fish flapped its way into view through the gnawed-on organs.
“Damn.” Asha shook her head, her lips thinned and rigid in disgust.
“This is the first time one’s been in the river, right?”
“Yes. I think those damn journalists scared the killer. They suggested we had enough evidence to catch this guy. A river sweeps away a lot of evidence.”
“They also suggested we’re too dumb to put this evidence together.”
Asha made a derisive noise. “I noticed but my thought about why the river this time holds.”
“No one is going to recognize that face now.” Liliana gestured to the ruined, fish-gnawed face.
“They don’t need to.” Asha pointed to the floral tattoo running from hip to knee. “I recognize her. She performed at the Midnight Garden under the name of Phoenix Wings. They’ll know her real name there. Damn, I enjoyed Phoenix’s fire dance.”
“Did she have a client list too?” As far as Liliana and Asha had been able to uncover, their victims were either the homeless population or registered prostitutes.
“I’m happily married but I will say the temptation to add my name to Phoenix’s list was high.” Asha flashed one of her easy smiles.
Liliana couldn’t picture her partner cheating on her wife. “Her dance was that good?”
“You have no idea. Ah, there you are doc.” Asha waved to the police coroner. Doctor Laselli nodded back as she directed two of her aids down with a stretcher to gather up what was left of Phoenix Wings. “Watch out for fish. One popped out and gave us a start.”
Laselli laughed. “Sorry I missed that, Chase. How did you manage to get her up and out of the river without the press catching wind yet?”
“Chief Acquanti promised to hang any officer by their lips off Sweetheart Bridge if they breathed a word of it. It’s only a matter of time before the fisherman who found her sells his story so you might want to put a wiggle in it, doc. And I don’t want to see another headline reading Detective Chase is chasing her tail while the Capitol Cannibal laughs.”
“You and Ferro know you can’t rush the science.” Laselli glanced Liliana’s way. “Too bad you can’t put a perimeter of police dogs to ward off wall-flies who want to write bad headlines.”
“Don’t tempt me. I’m lucky we have them,” Asha gestured to the uniformed men. “They’ll do their best. Ferro and I need to go to the Midnight Garden and round up someone who can officially identify Phoenix.”
Laselli nodded, already most of her attention on the victim. Liliana followed Asha back to their car. The police force had adopted the newfangled vehicles only a few years ago. Back home before coming to Ancono, Liliana hadn’t earned the rank to be considered to drive their one car. Ancono’s force, being larger to suit a capitol city, meant there were more cars. Liliana still hadn’t been taught to drive but that changed next week. In the meantime, she had to sit patiently while Asha drove like she had a thousand crystal wine glasses untethered in the backseat.
“Have you ever been to the Midnight Garden?” Asha asked.
Liliana shook her head. “I’m still trying to settle in. There hasn’t been time for much fun and burlesque isn’t exactly family friendly.”
“Depends on your family,” Asha snorted. “Not every show is lewd or nude. They had full on symphonies here last year after someone tried to shut them down as not being of worth.”
“Really? I didn’t think anyone minded.”
“A bunch from the Isle of Etta. Different religion, different culture, doesn’t seem to realize that we don’t denigrate healthy sexual interests here. At least, now the Garden is healthy. It wasn’t always.”
“Oh?”
“You know how it is. For every legal brothel or burlesque where the sex workers control their lives with whatever split they pay the brothel’s owner for protection, there is one illegal one where it’s straight up sexual slavery usually catering to some pretty sick desires.”
“With a lot of money behind it to keep them safe from prosecution,” Liliana filled in the rest of Asha’s thought.
“Exactly. My entire time in uniform, they tried to shut down The Bridle as it was called then but Matej Nass, who ran it, was buddies with all the richest of people. Never thought I’d see an end to him until Easy took power.”
“Easy?”
“Ezio, who took over and transformed the Bridle to the Rose Garden brothel and bought up a run down theater and turned it into the Midnight Garden. I’ll let you meet him first before I give you any more info. I’m curious what you’ll make of him,” Asha side eyed her.
“Is he dangerous?”
“Oh probably. I’m not even sure he’s still sane but he treats his employees like family from all I’ve heard. He did do jail time a year ago, beat a patron half to death but only after the guy killed one of the working girls in her bedroom.”
“Was Easy in for long given those circumstances.”
“Just a few months. Probably more than he deserved according to the press.” Asha shrugged, rounding a corner. They chugged toward the entertainment district.
Liliana practiced stepping on her imaginary gas pedal as she studied her partner. “Did he kill Matej?”
“No one is even sure Matej is dead and if he is, there is an air of it was a community service sort of crime.”
“Harsh but I know what you mean.” Liliana squinted. There was more of a crowd than she was expecting as Asha drove into the cul-de-sac of theaters and bars. Most of it was clustered around a four story building brightly lit. “Is that normal? The crowd I mean.”
“Not usually this bad.”
Asha slowed because the crowd didn’t want to part for their vehicle. A few eyed it as if they had never seen one. Asha let out a groan and Liliana echoed it. Back home, they didn’t have many of the Gathering of the Requiem cultists. Ancono had a fair few and all of them apparently had chosen to stand in the streets harassing people trying to get into the burlesque. Two uniformed officers were there holding them back away from the door, though the crowd didn’t seem to be charging it. They sang a hymn Lilian had not heard before. Finally, enough of them moved for Asha to park near the curb and exit.
An older woman in the Requiem’s murky yellow signature robes stepped forward, closer to blocking the path than before. She frowned at them, an expectant look on her face.
“I don’t know why they use pine needles to dye their robes. It’s not a good color for large swaths,” Liliana muttered under her breath.
Asha arched her eyebrows. “How do you know it’s pine? Did you think about throwing it all in and joining up?” She teased.
“Joining a group that thinks the Goddess is a demon and women should submit to a man’s rule? Might as well toss me in the river too.” Liliana shuddered. “I like playing with dyes.”
“You surely can’t be in charge,” the woman said, looking around them to their marked police car.
“If you’re looking for a man to pop out of there, you’ll be disappointed.” Asha drew herself up to her full six feet of height. Lilian had always considered herself tall until she was paired with Asha.
“A woman should know her place. Our brains are not meant for puzzle solving,” she replied. “But if this is who they chose to send to help us, God Willing.”
“No one sent us,” Liliana said. “We’re not here for you.” She raked her gaze over the crowd, hoping that statement proved to be true.
“But Hasti, surely someone is coming to help,” a woman from the crowd said.
“You’re Hasti?” Asha asked as it slowly sunk in for Liliana that there wasn’t a man among the protestors.
“I am. I thought the officer I spoke to said we would have help. This disgusting place must be shut down.”
“I’m pretty sure those two are the help.” Asha pointed to the uniformed officers. “There is no legal reason to shut down the Midnight Garden. It’s run in accordance with the law.”
“Then the law must be change,” Hasti argued.
“Not our job,” Asha said as a bright light flared in the front bay window of the Midnight Garden and music started, loud enough to catch the attention of the crowd but not loud enough that the officers would have to tell them to turn it down.
The Gatherers gasped. The light clearly shown on three people in the briefest of panties, decorative stockings, heels, and corseted tops. Liliana was certain even she couldn’t compete with the two women when it came to filling out the tops and she had always been heavier breasted than she wanted. It had made the field training at the academy occasionally painful. Her attention, however, was on the man in the middle. He was dressed identical to them but wore a wig in brilliant purple to match his panties which were eye opening on their own. They danced to the music, their movement languid and designed to entice.
“See!” Hasti jabbed a finger at the window. The dancers were facing away, the lacy string of their thongs in danger of disappearing into the cleavage of their round buttocks. He had a crescent moon birthmark on his butt. “Pure filth. How can we keep the children safe from this?”
“They shouldn’t be in the theater district at this time of night,” Asha replied.
“In the day they ask what goes on in here. That answer is not enough.”
“Ma’am, tell your kids whatever you want. The dance halls are legally allowed to advertise like this unless they’re nude. They’re clothed. The music is fine. Even if I wanted to do something, I couldn’t.”
Hasti sputtered at her and the crowd made a louder gasp as the women flattened their chests against the glass and gyrated their hips. The man followed suit, his thong inadequate to stop the sway of everything stuffed into it. A few patrons took that opportunity to slip past the crowd and disappeared inside.
“In fact, you need to be ten feet from the doorway and you cannot touch the patrons. Make sure they obey the rules,” Asha called to the uniformed officers.
“You’re going to protect these purveyors of filth?” Hasti’s face turned blotchy red.
“I’m upholding the law.” Asha stepped up to the glass and fished her badge out of her pocket. She pressed to the window in front of the male dancer’s face. “We need to talk.”
“At least they’re taking one of them,” another lady in the crowd said thankfully.
Liliana highly doubted that and followed her partner inside. Asha turned to her.
“Ready to meet Easy?”
“I doubt he could be worse than that crew.”
“Hold that thought.” Asha grinned.
The male dancer sashayed toward them. Even without his platform heels, he’d had been taller than Asha. He parted his violet-painted lips in a broad welcoming smile.
“Detective Chase, love the new hair. Have you brought me fresh talent? You would look lovely in feathers, sweetie.” He took long appraisal of her. Liliana flushed in spite of herself.
“Behave yourself, Easy, or I’ll throw you to the Gathering,” Asha said.
He shuddered, his bangles jingling. “Thank you, no. I’d rather be rolled in honey and tossed to the bears. I’d have a fighting chance. So, are you looking to introduce the newbie to the delights of my establishment? I can comp you tickets and go back to overstimulating those Cloudberries with all the delights of me.” Easy ran his fingers alongside the lacy edges of his thong.
“That’s not a nice thing to call them,” Liliana said, though she agreed. They were insane. “This isn’t a social call.”
His shoulders slumped and he gestured for them to follow. “I was afraid of that,” he said, turning on his heels. “Come along.”
He led them to the elevator that went up to the third floor. The carpet ate all sounds of footfalls, lush and thick, as they trooped after him down the hallway. His office’s anteroom was brightly lit and a young man from the northern country of Varga judging by how pale he was sat behind a reception desk. He barely seemed to have eyebrows they were so white. He gazed at Easy with obvious adoration that faded quickly seeing Asha and Liliana.
“Boss?”
“It’s nothing. No worries,” Easy replied.
Liliana hadn’t given much thought to the flipped work schedule his employees must have. Her own schedule was less a schedule than it was a chaotic whirlwind of fire most days, like today.
Easy flipped on the light switch and the bulb burst. He swore. “Aarre, call maintenance. My lights blew. I supposed we can talk here.”
“Or I could do this.” The skin of Liliana’s arms glowed and a ball of light formed in her cupped hands. It floated to above his desk, bathing the room in bluish light.
Easy’s lips parted in joy. “Oh, sweetie, ditch Chase and come work for me. Light magic is rare. I could help you earn a fortune.”
“Stop calling me, sweetie. All magic is rare,” Liliana scoffed. “And how much is a fortune?”
He danced his eyebrows, which had been painted green like leaves with a garden of tiny purple flowers painted painstakingly above them. “More than the Ancono police force could dream of paying you and where are my manners and Detective Chase’s.” He extended his hand to her and for a fleeting second Liliana indulged in jealousy over his shade of polish. “I’m Ezio Zucca, proprietor of the Midnight Garden.”
Liliana squeezed his hand, startled and he cocked his head at her, curiously. “Zucca?”
“Not a common name I know. Old Arezzo for sweets.”
“Yes, I know. Sorry, I’m from Seaglass on the west coast. There is a prominent family there by that name.”
“Ah, I was born there but sadly was taken away.”
Asha shot Liliana a look. “She’s Detective Ferro and this isn’t a social call I’m afraid, Easy. I need you to come to the morgue tomorrow at nine.”
Easy’s expression flipped from flirtatious to serious so quickly Liliana wasn’t sure which had been the mask and which the real him.
“Why would I want to do that?”
“It’s Phoenix,” Asha said.
His lip wibbled for a second before he steeled himself. “No, Phoenix is at the Rose. She didn’t have a show today so I’m sure she’s there.”
“Easy…”
“No!” he snapped. “No. Aarre, call over to the Rose. Get Phoenix on the line.”
Asha reached across the desk, holding her hand out palm up to him. “Easy, I know Phoenix’s leg tattoo. You know I do.”
He shook his head. “No! No, not Phoenix. She is beautiful, inside, and out. You know her, Asha. She works with the children we rescue from being trafficked. She is one of the good ones.”
“I know that. And I can’t officially make the identification. I need your help.”
His chest heaved and tears left black streaks down his face. He swiped angrily at them, leaving swirls of color on his greyed cheeks. With a cry he swept a decanter off his desk and threw it against the far wall. The glass shattered filling the room with the sharp tang of whiskey. He raked in several ragged breaths before saying, “Aarre, I’ll need a broom and dustpan.”
“Yes, sir.”
“May I have a moment?” He asked them. “I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll see you there and we’re sorry, Easy.”
“And I can guess, you can’t tell me anything about what happened.”
“You know the rules. We’ll let ourselves out.”
Liliana exited the door and Asha followed on her heels. The Gathering of the Requiem was still hard at it when they walked down the stairs. Asha waited until they were underway before saying anything.
“What do you know about the Zuccas? That made you blink.”
“Back in Seaglass they are a well known crime family. There’s something else, something I’m forgetting that happened a while backs, decades now, but it’s in the back of my head knocking like it’s important.”
“Do you think they’re branching here? It doesn’t seem like something Easy would do, especially not at the expense of one of his people.”
“Even if she betrayed him?” Off Asha’s expression, Liliana shrugged. “Even if it was him invited them in, these killings aren’t their style. They’re the type to make their enemies disappear for good. Bodies mean investigations.”
“I take your point. It’s already late. There isn’t much we can do until tomorrow. Try to grab a few hours sleep once you make it home.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She doubted her best would be good enough.
Also this is about 3K
Today as I was sitting having my breakfast tea, Rocket who is bored and bad, turns to me, eyes full on black, nothing but pupils and evil and sprints at me. Halfway across the room he leaps into the air, arms out superman style and buried himself in my gut. LOVE ME!!!! Cats.
I had some weird ass dreams. I can't remember 95% of it but I remember 'waking up' feeling knots in my hair. As I start finger combing my hair to get the knots out only to find something hard in the knot. A tiny jaw, rodent I think. Every knot had a jaw or small skull embedded in. How the hell do you interpret THAT?
It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 15 was number 1 the week you were born Share your birth week too. I've done this before but this time I struggled to find it by week for various years but I did find this link to that info and you can find it here. if you want to play along. We'd love to see it.
I did something I don't normally do. I shared the live versions because OMG the 1960s
here's the whole prompt list
30 days of music
1 a song from your childhood
2 best song from High School Years
3 a song that tells a story
4 a song you like that is covered by another artist
5 A Song by someone Who has Passed away
6 A song you like from a movie soundtrack
7 a song you like with no words
8 a song from your first concert
9 a song you could exercise to
10 a song you know all the words to
11 a song with a long title
12 A song from the 90s
13 has a really good music video
14 you enjoy that’s in a different language
15 was number 1 the week you were born
16 a song that calms you down
17 A song that got you into this artist
18 a song that makes you smile
19 A Song from the 00s
20 A song from the year you were born
21 An 80s song
22 a song that describes you
23 A song that reminds you of your favorite season
24 A song with a one word title
25 A song from your pre teen years
26 A song from your favorite band
27 A song you discovered from a tv show
28 A song that makes you feel empowered
29 a song with food or drink in the title
30 A song in a different language
And this had to delay in posting because something was very obviously trying to get in my back door/closet in the kitchen and Rocket and I both went running for it. Hopefully we scared the critter away.
I could use some help from everyone. I'm working on something new. God know where it is going. I am curious as how it hits as an opener (not really looking for a critique per se but if you see anything stupid, confusing etc let me know. On the other hand if something is really working, I'd love to know that too) Anyhow here it is. I'd love to hear a few opinions thanks.
Asha swept her hair back as she squatted over the body that had been hauled from the river. Liliana still wasn’t used to the elegant twists her partner had recently adopted. She missed the wild spray of curls that made Asha seem even taller than she actually was.
“Just like the other ones,” Asha said, gesturing for Liliana to hunker down next to her in the muck. A uniformed officer moved to the side to allow her better access. Liliana considered calling forth her small vein of magic to literally throw some light onto the site but it would only be a stop gap until the coroner arrived with big spotlights. Technology was once again edging magic out.
Liliana bent down, studying the nude body of a woman, bloated from the water. Several fingers and soft bits of her face had been nibbled off by the fish. The smell worked into her sinuses causing her stomach to roil. Asha had been a detective for years. Liliana had only been at it for the six months since she had moved from the west coast of Arezzo to the capitol city situated solidly just below the Moonlight mountains. The moon played peek-a-boo with their craggy peaks.
Their victim’s mottled skin would have been bled white when she found her way into the water. Liliana knew what they’d find once the doctor poked into the giant slice in the woman’s abdomen. Her visible intestines moved and both Liliana and Asha jumped back. Asha nearly landed on her butt in the river mud. Liliana caught her arm, steadying her. A fish flapped its way into view through the gnawed-on organs.
“Damn.” Asha shook her head, her lips thinned and rigid in disgust.
“This is the first time one’s been in the river, right?”
“Yes. I think those damn journalists scared the killer. They suggested we had enough evidence to catch this guy. A river sweeps away a lot of evidence.”
“They also suggested we’re too dumb to put this evidence together.”
Asha made a derisive noise. “I noticed but my thought about why the river this time holds.”
“No one is going to recognize that face now.” Liliana gestured to the ruined, fish-gnawed face.
“They don’t need to.” Asha pointed to the floral tattoo running from hip to knee. “I recognize her. She performed at the Midnight Garden under the name of Phoenix Wings. They’ll know her real name there. Damn, I enjoyed Phoenix’s fire dance.”
“Did she have a client list too?” As far as Liliana and Asha had been able to uncover, their victims were either the homeless population or registered prostitutes.
“I’m happily married but I will say the temptation to add my name to Phoenix’s list was high.” Asha flashed one of her easy smiles.
Liliana couldn’t picture her partner cheating on her wife. “Her dance was that good?”
“You have no idea. Ah, there you are doc.” Asha waved to the police coroner. Doctor Laselli nodded back as she directed two of her aids down with a stretcher to gather up what was left of Phoenix Wings. “Watch out for fish. One popped out and gave us a start.”
Laselli laughed. “Sorry I missed that, Chase. How did you manage to get her up and out of the river without the press catching wind yet?”
“Chief Acquanti promised to hang any officer by their lips off Sweetheart Bridge if they breathed a word of it. It’s only a matter of time before the fisherman who found her sells his story so you might want to put a wiggle in it, doc. And I don’t want to see another headline reading Detective Chase is chasing her tail while the Capitol Cannibal laughs.”
“You and Ferro know you can’t rush the science.” Laselli glanced Liliana’s way. “Too bad you can’t put a perimeter of police dogs to ward off wall-flies who want to write bad headlines.”
“Don’t tempt me. I’m lucky we have them,” Asha gestured to the uniformed men. “They’ll do their best. Ferro and I need to go to the Midnight Garden and round up someone who can officially identify Phoenix.”
Laselli nodded, already most of her attention on the victim. Liliana followed Asha back to their car. The police force had adopted the newfangled vehicles only a few years ago. Back home before coming to Ancono, Liliana hadn’t earned the rank to be considered to drive their one car. Ancono’s force, being larger to suit a capitol city, meant there were more cars. Liliana still hadn’t been taught to drive but that changed next week. In the meantime, she had to sit patiently while Asha drove like she had a thousand crystal wine glasses untethered in the backseat.
“Have you ever been to the Midnight Garden?” Asha asked.
Liliana shook her head. “I’m still trying to settle in. There hasn’t been time for much fun and burlesque isn’t exactly family friendly.”
“Depends on your family,” Asha snorted. “Not every show is lewd or nude. They had full on symphonies here last year after someone tried to shut them down as not being of worth.”
“Really? I didn’t think anyone minded.”
“A bunch from the Isle of Etta. Different religion, different culture, doesn’t seem to realize that we don’t denigrate healthy sexual interests here. At least, now the Garden is healthy. It wasn’t always.”
“Oh?”
“You know how it is. For every legal brothel or burlesque where the sex workers control their lives with whatever split they pay the brothel’s owner for protection, there is one illegal one where it’s straight up sexual slavery usually catering to some pretty sick desires.”
“With a lot of money behind it to keep them safe from prosecution,” Liliana filled in the rest of Asha’s thought.
“Exactly. My entire time in uniform, they tried to shut down The Bridle as it was called then but Matej Nass, who ran it, was buddies with all the richest of people. Never thought I’d see an end to him until Easy took power.”
“Easy?”
“Ezio, who took over and transformed the Bridle to the Rose Garden brothel and bought up a run down theater and turned it into the Midnight Garden. I’ll let you meet him first before I give you any more info. I’m curious what you’ll make of him,” Asha side eyed her.
“Is he dangerous?”
“Oh probably. I’m not even sure he’s still sane but he treats his employees like family from all I’ve heard. He did do jail time a year ago, beat a patron half to death but only after the guy killed one of the working girls in her bedroom.”
“Was Easy in for long given those circumstances.”
“Just a few months. Probably more than he deserved according to the press.” Asha shrugged, rounding a corner. They chugged toward the entertainment district.
Liliana practiced stepping on her imaginary gas pedal as she studied her partner. “Did he kill Matej?”
“No one is even sure Matej is dead and if he is, there is an air of it was a community service sort of crime.”
“Harsh but I know what you mean.” Liliana squinted. There was more of a crowd than she was expecting as Asha drove into the cul-de-sac of theaters and bars. Most of it was clustered around a four story building brightly lit. “Is that normal? The crowd I mean.”
“Not usually this bad.”
Asha slowed because the crowd didn’t want to part for their vehicle. A few eyed it as if they had never seen one. Asha let out a groan and Liliana echoed it. Back home, they didn’t have many of the Gathering of the Requiem cultists. Ancono had a fair few and all of them apparently had chosen to stand in the streets harassing people trying to get into the burlesque. Two uniformed officers were there holding them back away from the door, though the crowd didn’t seem to be charging it. They sang a hymn Lilian had not heard before. Finally, enough of them moved for Asha to park near the curb and exit.
An older woman in the Requiem’s murky yellow signature robes stepped forward, closer to blocking the path than before. She frowned at them, an expectant look on her face.
“I don’t know why they use pine needles to dye their robes. It’s not a good color for large swaths,” Liliana muttered under her breath.
Asha arched her eyebrows. “How do you know it’s pine? Did you think about throwing it all in and joining up?” She teased.
“Joining a group that thinks the Goddess is a demon and women should submit to a man’s rule? Might as well toss me in the river too.” Liliana shuddered. “I like playing with dyes.”
“You surely can’t be in charge,” the woman said, looking around them to their marked police car.
“If you’re looking for a man to pop out of there, you’ll be disappointed.” Asha drew herself up to her full six feet of height. Lilian had always considered herself tall until she was paired with Asha.
“A woman should know her place. Our brains are not meant for puzzle solving,” she replied. “But if this is who they chose to send to help us, God Willing.”
“No one sent us,” Liliana said. “We’re not here for you.” She raked her gaze over the crowd, hoping that statement proved to be true.
“But Hasti, surely someone is coming to help,” a woman from the crowd said.
“You’re Hasti?” Asha asked as it slowly sunk in for Liliana that there wasn’t a man among the protestors.
“I am. I thought the officer I spoke to said we would have help. This disgusting place must be shut down.”
“I’m pretty sure those two are the help.” Asha pointed to the uniformed officers. “There is no legal reason to shut down the Midnight Garden. It’s run in accordance with the law.”
“Then the law must be change,” Hasti argued.
“Not our job,” Asha said as a bright light flared in the front bay window of the Midnight Garden and music started, loud enough to catch the attention of the crowd but not loud enough that the officers would have to tell them to turn it down.
The Gatherers gasped. The light clearly shown on three people in the briefest of panties, decorative stockings, heels, and corseted tops. Liliana was certain even she couldn’t compete with the two women when it came to filling out the tops and she had always been heavier breasted than she wanted. It had made the field training at the academy occasionally painful. Her attention, however, was on the man in the middle. He was dressed identical to them but wore a wig in brilliant purple to match his panties which were eye opening on their own. They danced to the music, their movement languid and designed to entice.
“See!” Hasti jabbed a finger at the window. The dancers were facing away, the lacy string of their thongs in danger of disappearing into the cleavage of their round buttocks. He had a crescent moon birthmark on his butt. “Pure filth. How can we keep the children safe from this?”
“They shouldn’t be in the theater district at this time of night,” Asha replied.
“In the day they ask what goes on in here. That answer is not enough.”
“Ma’am, tell your kids whatever you want. The dance halls are legally allowed to advertise like this unless they’re nude. They’re clothed. The music is fine. Even if I wanted to do something, I couldn’t.”
Hasti sputtered at her and the crowd made a louder gasp as the women flattened their chests against the glass and gyrated their hips. The man followed suit, his thong inadequate to stop the sway of everything stuffed into it. A few patrons took that opportunity to slip past the crowd and disappeared inside.
“In fact, you need to be ten feet from the doorway and you cannot touch the patrons. Make sure they obey the rules,” Asha called to the uniformed officers.
“You’re going to protect these purveyors of filth?” Hasti’s face turned blotchy red.
“I’m upholding the law.” Asha stepped up to the glass and fished her badge out of her pocket. She pressed to the window in front of the male dancer’s face. “We need to talk.”
“At least they’re taking one of them,” another lady in the crowd said thankfully.
Liliana highly doubted that and followed her partner inside. Asha turned to her.
“Ready to meet Easy?”
“I doubt he could be worse than that crew.”
“Hold that thought.” Asha grinned.
The male dancer sashayed toward them. Even without his platform heels, he’d had been taller than Asha. He parted his violet-painted lips in a broad welcoming smile.
“Detective Chase, love the new hair. Have you brought me fresh talent? You would look lovely in feathers, sweetie.” He took long appraisal of her. Liliana flushed in spite of herself.
“Behave yourself, Easy, or I’ll throw you to the Gathering,” Asha said.
He shuddered, his bangles jingling. “Thank you, no. I’d rather be rolled in honey and tossed to the bears. I’d have a fighting chance. So, are you looking to introduce the newbie to the delights of my establishment? I can comp you tickets and go back to overstimulating those Cloudberries with all the delights of me.” Easy ran his fingers alongside the lacy edges of his thong.
“That’s not a nice thing to call them,” Liliana said, though she agreed. They were insane. “This isn’t a social call.”
His shoulders slumped and he gestured for them to follow. “I was afraid of that,” he said, turning on his heels. “Come along.”
He led them to the elevator that went up to the third floor. The carpet ate all sounds of footfalls, lush and thick, as they trooped after him down the hallway. His office’s anteroom was brightly lit and a young man from the northern country of Varga judging by how pale he was sat behind a reception desk. He barely seemed to have eyebrows they were so white. He gazed at Easy with obvious adoration that faded quickly seeing Asha and Liliana.
“Boss?”
“It’s nothing. No worries,” Easy replied.
Liliana hadn’t given much thought to the flipped work schedule his employees must have. Her own schedule was less a schedule than it was a chaotic whirlwind of fire most days, like today.
Easy flipped on the light switch and the bulb burst. He swore. “Aarre, call maintenance. My lights blew. I supposed we can talk here.”
“Or I could do this.” The skin of Liliana’s arms glowed and a ball of light formed in her cupped hands. It floated to above his desk, bathing the room in bluish light.
Easy’s lips parted in joy. “Oh, sweetie, ditch Chase and come work for me. Light magic is rare. I could help you earn a fortune.”
“Stop calling me, sweetie. All magic is rare,” Liliana scoffed. “And how much is a fortune?”
He danced his eyebrows, which had been painted green like leaves with a garden of tiny purple flowers painted painstakingly above them. “More than the Ancono police force could dream of paying you and where are my manners and Detective Chase’s.” He extended his hand to her and for a fleeting second Liliana indulged in jealousy over his shade of polish. “I’m Ezio Zucca, proprietor of the Midnight Garden.”
Liliana squeezed his hand, startled and he cocked his head at her, curiously. “Zucca?”
“Not a common name I know. Old Arezzo for sweets.”
“Yes, I know. Sorry, I’m from Seaglass on the west coast. There is a prominent family there by that name.”
“Ah, I was born there but sadly was taken away.”
Asha shot Liliana a look. “She’s Detective Ferro and this isn’t a social call I’m afraid, Easy. I need you to come to the morgue tomorrow at nine.”
Easy’s expression flipped from flirtatious to serious so quickly Liliana wasn’t sure which had been the mask and which the real him.
“Why would I want to do that?”
“It’s Phoenix,” Asha said.
His lip wibbled for a second before he steeled himself. “No, Phoenix is at the Rose. She didn’t have a show today so I’m sure she’s there.”
“Easy…”
“No!” he snapped. “No. Aarre, call over to the Rose. Get Phoenix on the line.”
Asha reached across the desk, holding her hand out palm up to him. “Easy, I know Phoenix’s leg tattoo. You know I do.”
He shook his head. “No! No, not Phoenix. She is beautiful, inside, and out. You know her, Asha. She works with the children we rescue from being trafficked. She is one of the good ones.”
“I know that. And I can’t officially make the identification. I need your help.”
His chest heaved and tears left black streaks down his face. He swiped angrily at them, leaving swirls of color on his greyed cheeks. With a cry he swept a decanter off his desk and threw it against the far wall. The glass shattered filling the room with the sharp tang of whiskey. He raked in several ragged breaths before saying, “Aarre, I’ll need a broom and dustpan.”
“Yes, sir.”
“May I have a moment?” He asked them. “I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll see you there and we’re sorry, Easy.”
“And I can guess, you can’t tell me anything about what happened.”
“You know the rules. We’ll let ourselves out.”
Liliana exited the door and Asha followed on her heels. The Gathering of the Requiem was still hard at it when they walked down the stairs. Asha waited until they were underway before saying anything.
“What do you know about the Zuccas? That made you blink.”
“Back in Seaglass they are a well known crime family. There’s something else, something I’m forgetting that happened a while backs, decades now, but it’s in the back of my head knocking like it’s important.”
“Do you think they’re branching here? It doesn’t seem like something Easy would do, especially not at the expense of one of his people.”
“Even if she betrayed him?” Off Asha’s expression, Liliana shrugged. “Even if it was him invited them in, these killings aren’t their style. They’re the type to make their enemies disappear for good. Bodies mean investigations.”
“I take your point. It’s already late. There isn’t much we can do until tomorrow. Try to grab a few hours sleep once you make it home.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She doubted her best would be good enough.
Also this is about 3K
Today as I was sitting having my breakfast tea, Rocket who is bored and bad, turns to me, eyes full on black, nothing but pupils and evil and sprints at me. Halfway across the room he leaps into the air, arms out superman style and buried himself in my gut. LOVE ME!!!! Cats.
I had some weird ass dreams. I can't remember 95% of it but I remember 'waking up' feeling knots in my hair. As I start finger combing my hair to get the knots out only to find something hard in the knot. A tiny jaw, rodent I think. Every knot had a jaw or small skull embedded in. How the hell do you interpret THAT?
It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 15 was number 1 the week you were born Share your birth week too. I've done this before but this time I struggled to find it by week for various years but I did find this link to that info and you can find it here. if you want to play along. We'd love to see it.
I did something I don't normally do. I shared the live versions because OMG the 1960s
here's the whole prompt list
30 days of music
1 a song from your childhood
2 best song from High School Years
3 a song that tells a story
4 a song you like that is covered by another artist
5 A Song by someone Who has Passed away
6 A song you like from a movie soundtrack
7 a song you like with no words
8 a song from your first concert
9 a song you could exercise to
10 a song you know all the words to
11 a song with a long title
12 A song from the 90s
13 has a really good music video
14 you enjoy that’s in a different language
15 was number 1 the week you were born
16 a song that calms you down
17 A song that got you into this artist
18 a song that makes you smile
19 A Song from the 00s
20 A song from the year you were born
21 An 80s song
22 a song that describes you
23 A song that reminds you of your favorite season
24 A song with a one word title
25 A song from your pre teen years
26 A song from your favorite band
27 A song you discovered from a tv show
28 A song that makes you feel empowered
29 a song with food or drink in the title
30 A song in a different language
And this had to delay in posting because something was very obviously trying to get in my back door/closet in the kitchen and Rocket and I both went running for it. Hopefully we scared the critter away.
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Thoughts
Date: 2026-02-24 06:56 am (UTC)*laugh* But the magic is already available, doesn't need electrical cords or a generator or a battery. It may have its own supply limits, but it is almost always more versatile than technology and often faster. This could be a very interesting thing to explore.
>>A fish flapped its way into view through the gnawed-on organs.<<
O_O
>> There hasn’t been time for much fun and burlesque isn’t exactly family friendly.” <<
Believe it or not, those exist. I saw one as a tween. Very good dancing, very hot even keeping their clothes on. Good burlesque is more implication than exposure anyhow.
>>Easy’s lips parted in joy. “Oh, sweetie, ditch Chase and come work for me. Light magic is rare. I could help you earn a fortune.”<<
Huh, interesting statistics. Handlights are often among the easiest magic. It makes me wonder about the spread in this setting.
>> Also this is about 3K <<
Go you! I'd call it a good solid start.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2026-02-24 05:43 pm (UTC)A mild spoiler but since you picked up on it, in this case it really is more (in spite of what Lili thinks) magic is dying away for reasons (who knows. I don't, at least not yet, might be it was an exhausted resource) and tech is coming into play after a long delay. So that's why Easy is so excited that Lili can glow. It's become rare.
We may have teen rated burlesque here for all I know but not when I was in that age group (That I'm aware of). After I wrote this Easy informed me that he DOES in fact have matinees for teens. Cool that you got to go see one.