BARLOWE, Ebony

Justice above all. ( ava : 麻瓜佐 )

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- wouldn't be foolish enough to let that loose. At least I hope so.

"... You still haven't answered my concerns. If you were to partake in my investigations, I need you to stop your incessant ramblings. Or I'll report your participation as illegal."

@thornedbullets

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

By all means. ( @thornedbullets )

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- Nothing is positive when it comes to Rosethorn.

But she does have a point. It probably took a lot to clear her of every charges, no matter how many strings she could pull. Wasting all of that for revenge to me seemed trivial... and if my read on her is correct, she +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets - trying to concentrate? All of our time so far has proven to be otherwise."

Also...

"Are you REALLY just in it for revenge, regardless? If you are, surely you're also thinking about revenge towards me?"

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets It can't be denied that she would be beneficial... but I also dread the thought of her bothering me in the future. Her incessant ramblings and her nonsensical muses of love, they irk me.

"There's more to it than that. Can you guarantee that you'll shut your flaps when I'm +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets - people down too?"

I grunted. Deep down, she felt that resentment? Maybe it's a lingering loyalty to her past life, even when she declared she left it.

"What can you offer me in my investigation, anyway? You're just going to get in the way."

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets ... So that's her intention. To slide herself into this investigation, because something has clearly piqued her interest. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lent a hand in the first place.

"You wouldn't have your own syndicate be the only one that fell, so you wanted to drag those +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- can ask for. I don't have anything I can offer to you from my position."

@thornedbullets

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- work with me, at least not until now.

"... That'll do for now."

I decided. I'll let the future me deal with the consequences.

"But what would you want anyway? You've been absolved of your crimes already, and you have all the money and connections to get everything you +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets - aware that I'm dealing with someone as crafty as her.

"What if this Black Fang figure is not what you made up to be? What's preventing you from spilling all of this information to them, putting me in a jeopardized spot?"

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets I rolled my eyes and sighed. Of course. Of course she would want something out of this, of course she wouldn't make this easy for me.

"I can't even verify what you said so far to be true or not, and you're already demanding something from me?"

I voiced a valid concern, +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

"A crafty weasel that you are, I assume that you'd have something else in mind for me to start investigating on these Clockmakers?"

@thornedbullets

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- deeper into my investigation.

"... So trying to approach the Black Fang wouldn't be wise, is what you're getting at."

I decided to swallow my pride for now. I know when I'm out of my depth, and I know when to seek help. Even when it comes from my greatest adversary. +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets - I'm about to face would be less eccentric, though.

"From what you have said, you've faced her before. This must mean that you know some way to reach... or rather provoke her?"

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

@thornedbullets The Black Fang... it sounds mythical, the way she described it. Like a ghost that threatens those who invade its grave.

"... Not unlike the Red Countess, I presume?"

Then again, I have seen one such enforcer... she's sitting before me. I would like to believe the one +

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- large elephant to address.

"If so... how dangerous is she?"

@thornedbullets

[BARLOWE, Ebony @nightjudicator]

- operate mostly in the dark, though... that's troubling. This won't be as smooth as last time - and I wouldn't call last time 'smooth'.

"... This enforcer you speak of, is she the only one that works out in the open?"

I ignored her plea for a drink. Not when there's a +