That Could Have Gone Better (Leon/GM)

[Allison Kazim]

The laugh was unexpected, but she felt the lesson learned.

"I'll pass."

[Lucifer]

"Well, it looks like you learned the hardest lesson to learn in gambling. Don't bet something you aren't willing to lose."

[Allison Kazim]

Ali remains silent!

[Zack Asiv]

They would come across Winters and Violet exiting where they had left Ali in the first place. Winters is planting his face in his left palm upon sight of who Ali is with while Violet folds her arms.

"Well... I see you have a way of getting into trouble, unmatched by your peers."

Before looking at the man and bowing her head some.

"What has she done?"

[Lucifer]

Greg tilted his head at the face palm.

"Oh, you guys are the super secret Cabal guys. It's cool, she is with me. She lost a bet. Debating what I want to do about the branding situation. Any thoughts?"

[Allison Kazim]

Somehow, Ali is able to express embarrassment, frustration, and, the moment Number Eight opened his mouth, murderous rage all in one expression. Which immediately turned to pure horror as the branding was brought up again. She'd hoped to find some way to finagle her way out with some sort of clever turn of phrase or loophole with her words, but so far she'd barely been able to string the thoughts together.

"As he said," she murmured, resisting the urge to reach out and smack some sense in the man. But the comment from Violet waas another slap to her own pride instead. At this point she just wanted to melt through the ground and disappear. She clearened her throat.

"It seems I will be here for the next twenty four hours. Without the branding."

[Zack Asiv]

"Ja, a few."

Locke would start while removing his hand from his face.

"Is it a general slave brand, or a permanent ownership brand? Slave brand I see the Frau unpleasantly accepting it in ze lower back. General ownership possibly upper left chest, over ze heart and just under ze collar bone."

Violet would shoot Winters a look and he would shrug.

"Or a Cabal unit branding since she belongs to us."

Violet turns to Greg now.

"Is there a way you would allow us to purchase her from you?"

It didn't take a genius for them to figure out she bet her freedom for the next 24 hours. Winters was also looking at the black wooden sword Greg had.

[Lucifer]

He laughed.

"Hear that Kitten? Looks like I am not the only one who feels entitled to own you."

His hand whipped back to give her a firm slap on the ass.

"I might be open to selling her, marked or unmarked. But she isnt cheap. Make me an offer."

[Allison Kazim]

Ali's jaw dropped slightly at the suggestions from Winters, forcing her mouth shut before she continued to look like a fool. She'd said she'd dreaded knowing what Cabal would do after this was done; she hadn't considered what might happen during. Her teeth ground until they ached, fists forming as Greg slapped her. She sidestepped as her flesh stung, surprised he hadn't hit her elsewhere, but starting a fight now would probably land her in a worse situation with witnesses around.

"So it seems." The reply came out stiff through still gritted teeth. Wonderful. Now she was being sold off as an object. Just like the slaves at the market. She doubted a willful trainee who got into more trouble than her peers would be worth much; she glanced at Violet to see what the woman's response would be now that the bargaining table was open.

[Zack Asiv]

Winters would nod as he held out a hand.

"Do you trade in secrets?"

Winters would offer starting off.

"I do have a secret vorth selling about, Zekunft."

[Lucifer]

"Hmmmmmm. Slave, scratch my chin while I ponder this."

He barked at Ali.

"I suppose it depends on the secret, but I'm willing to make a deal. If I find the secret valuable enough you may keep her, if I don't, you may take her after I take it out on her hide. Deal?"

[Allison Kazim]

Ali would much rather punch him in the face, but the guy had already called her out a couple of times, and if the others were actually bartering for her, she'd have to play by the rules. All the effort she took pride in getting to Cabal in the first place, and within months of being a trainee, had already been reduced to less than what she'd started as.

Inhaling a deep breath, the mage balked at the order. Did she really have to take this?

[Zack Asiv]

Winters would shrug.

"Seems fair, ja."

He would look and wait for Ali to scratch the man's chin, while Violet would sock him in the shoulder.

"Ja, ja, ja. Vell, some of Zekunft's nobility apparently knew and allowed Ze experiment known as Project Judgement to try and assassinate the royal family. Going so far as to use zeir own Royal Guards as instigators to draw Project Judgement to ze event."

[Lucifer]

"Excellent."

He'd say when Winter's agreed, frowning as Ali failed to follow his orders.

"Zllb hrl wmnj mjd fpgjnjv gnil pw nj oepg zblir, sewlg oepg icnj mjd hnvrhlj ewlg oepg fejli. Amo oep cje je seazegh pjhnb oep cje oepg wbmsl."

He began to quietly chant, the paint on his body glowing faintly before markings glowed on her own skin in the same place. As his words silence the glow vanished from each of them, but a burning sensation would envelop Ali, feeling her skin tighten over her body as if it was two sizes too small.

"That is interesting but incomplete. Which nobility made the move? Or lack thereof I suppose."

[Allison Kazim]

What. Ali blinked, for a moment forgetting the terms of her bet and the situation entirely as Winters revealed the nobility may have been at work in trying to assassinate their own ruler within other means.

The chanting was unfamiliar to her as Greg continued, looking in time to see the glow on his skin before it appeared on her own. The discomfort was immediately noticeable, the strange sensation making her want to squirm and scratch and her skin to get some relief. Given where it came from, she scowled but reached up with one fingre to scratch Number Eight's chin.

For now, she stays silent, listening to the conversation.