=::= Fiona's PoV =::=
I didn't have any hard feelings about being all but kicked out of Bke's home. To be honest her mother was incredibly understanding and patient, as evidenced by the fact that she didn't just toss me out the door the moment she saw me. Odds are I wouldn't have been anywhere near as calm if someone turned up at my pce immediately after trying to murder one of my loved ones.
That's not to say I wasn't disappointed. I really wanted to hear Mrs. Palmer's version of the story, to see if it lined up with what me and the other magical girls had been told. We'd heard all about Jacob Weimann and his plot to destroy the world. We'd also been taught about his son Heribert, and how he vowed to continue that work. Same with Herb's daughter Judith, and the rest of that family.
Except that st part obviously wasn't true. From what I'd seen today I was confident that Bke had nothing to do with the Weimann / Williams family, and odds were her sister Amelia was equally innocent. Just the fact that Bke could use the pink ring made it clear she wasn't part of any evil plots, nor had she ever used dark Outsider magic.
And while I didn't really get a chance to speak with Lindsay Palmer, everything I saw of her today convinced me she was nothing like I'd been led to believe. I'd have been ready to question just about everything I'd been taught about that family in fact, except Bke all but confirmed few things about her grandmother.
All that remained on my mind as I rode away from their home. It didn't take long to reach the nearby town where I was staying, and I ended up grabbing a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants along the main road. After that I returned to my hotel room, where I decided to get cleaned up then try to rex and unwind after the day's events.
I was just emerging from a good hot shower when the telephone next to the bed began to ring, despite the fact that I'd never shared my room number or the hotel's phone number with anyone. On the other hand I couldn't say I was surprised to have somebody calling me. In truth the only surprising thing was that it took them so long.
"Fiona here," I answered, as I sat down on the bed with a towel wrapped around my body and another bundled up over my hair.
"Violet," a familiar androgynous voice responded. They sounded a little impatient as they immediately asked, "Do you have the pink ring?"
As usual they skipped any pleasantries and got straight to the point. They also insisted on addressing me by that silly code-name, regardless of whether my ring was active or not.
I rolled my eyes and responded with a question of my own, "Shouldn't you already know the answer to that? I thought you were supposed to be some kind of seer, among other things. That's how you knew where to send me, you knew where the ring was going to turn up."
Apparently they weren't in the mood for games today. Their tone sounded a little more urgent as they insisted, "Please just answer the question Violet. Were you able to recover the pink ring?"
"Nope. I didn't get it," I shook my head.
"It wasn't there?" they asked with some confusion in their voice. That shifted to a faintly accusing tone as they added, "Or you couldn't find it?"
Luckily they couldn't see the face I was making at them over the phone. Or then again maybe they could? If they really did have the sight then who knows what they could see.
Either way I kept my voice calm and casual as I replied, "Yeah it was there. At least you got that part right. Most of the other information you provided was wrong though. It wasn't in the Williams family clutches after all."
"That's impossible," the enby stated. "They've held onto it ever since they murdered Rosa. They wouldn't give it up without a fight, not after what Judith and her father did to get their hands on it."
I replied, "Well you're right about that part. Apparently Judith's been sending some of her 'hired help' to try and recover it."
"That led to an attack st night," I continued, as my voice got a lot more serious. "The outcome of which saw one of Judith's thugs dead and another one facing a long recovery in hospital. Two more of her men showed up today as well, they were looking for the ring just like me. Because as I said, it's no longer in Judith Williams' possession."
"Then where is it?" they asked impatiently.
I almost wished I could see the look on their face as I announced, "The pink ring has chosen a new bearer Cel, and I met her today. The new Rosa and I did some ah, sparing, then we had a little chat. Don't worry, I didn't tell her much. I figured you and the others would want to know about her first."
The other end of the line went silent for the next several seconds, which pretty much confirmed my suspicions.
"I guess you didn't see that coming, did you?" I asked them.
They responded tersely, "The Williams family are well-versed in dark magicks, Violet. They've been careful to keep their homes and properties warded, to keep out any prying eyes. Now tell me, who is the new bearer of the pink ring?"
"Some kid," I replied with a shrug. "She's only eighteen. Name's Bke Palmer. Oh and she's trans, like the original Rosa. Bke found the ring on Friday, and from what she said it sounds like it chose her immediately."
I added with a grimace, "It definitely likes her. She had no trouble calling up and using her halberd when we were sparing."
After another long pause the androgynous voice asked, "What is Bke Palmer's retionship to the Williams family? How did she 'find' a magic ring that the descendants of Jacob Weimann have held close for the st four and a half decades?"
"You're really not selling the whole 'mystical seer' vibe right now, you know that Cel?" I asked with a bit of snark in my voice.
That got a bit of a rise out of them, but they sounded like they were trying to keep their emotions in check as they demanded, "Just answer the question please Violet."
"Fine," I smiled. "So Bke's mother is Lindsay Palmer, née Williams. Lindsay turned her back on the family and cut all contact with Judith twenty years ago. According to Bke, the other Williams sister Leslie is also pushing back against the family business. She hasn't been disowned yet, and she wasn't around today so I can't vouch for her either way. But Bke is definitely the new Rosa, the ring's chosen her so we're not getting it back unless we bring her along too."
I continued, "I met Lindsay Palmer briefly today, and her younger daughter Amelia was there too. None of those people are involved in Jacob or Heribert or Judith's pns. Bke and Amelia didn't even know about their family history until after the ring turned up. They've never met their grandmother or their aunt, didn't even know they existed until today."
There was another long pause at the other end of the line. I waited a half minute or so before asking, "So am I done here? Can I head back home now?"
"Not yet," Cel stated. "The future is unclear, but I still see darkness on the horizon before us. Remain where you are for now, I will contact you with further instructions once the situation becomes clear to me."
"Do you want me to start training the new Rosa then?" I asked. "She's figured a few things out on her own already, but there's a whole heap of information she's going to need. Especially if this 'darkness' stuff you keep talking about comes to pass."
They sounded wary as they responded, "Not yet. Whether she calls herself Palmer or Williams she is still part of the Weimann legacy. Before she can be trusted I must first determine where her loyalties lie."
I rolled my eyes again, "I'm pretty sure her loyalties are with her girlfriend and her boyfriend, along with her mom and her sister."
"Be that as it may Violet I must insist that you do not speak with Bke Palmer again," they stated. "Not until I say otherwise."
I made another face, and possibly a rude gesture or two at the telephone. But I kept all that out of my voice as I sighed, "Fine. I'll try and find something else to do while I'm sitting around waiting for you to -"
The line went dead before I'd even finished talking. That wasn't unusual either, they had about as much time for farewells as they did greetings. It was still annoying though.
"Yeah screw you too," I muttered to myself as I hung up the phone.
Then I sighed as I slumped back on the bed and sighed, "I wonder if there's any sightseeing to be done around here? Seeing as it looks like I'm stuck here for the foreseeable future."
PurpleCatGirl