The Devil On Your Shoulder

Participants:

nalani_icon.gif paul_icon.gif

Scene Title The Devil On Your Shoulder
Synopsis and the angel in your head, both whispering sweet nothings..
Date February 6, 2009

Nalani Condominium


Nalani had canceled the dinner. part of it plain to see, that the curfew was messing with the social elite's social schedules. Everything across the board was canceled or delayed. It was getting to be a pain in the ass now really. The other was that she was running a perpetual migraine from actively forcing herself to not use her ability. She could turn it on and off. Just she tended to not to. So it was she canceled on the lovely lawyer and friend of hers, citing feeling ill, combined with curfews. Buried in her office here at home, looking over the mock up for the next month with a strappy eye cooling mask sitting on her head like a pair of pushed up sun glasses.

Paul of course, with the chaos of the riots and everything else, did not get the message. He arrives at her door step, with a little package and rings the bell at the pre-appointed time.

So it is that he's lead into the sitting room of the well decorated and vast condo of on of the magazine industry's movers and shakers to wait. It's two minutes later when an obviously not dressed for a dinner function Nalani emerges from a hallway and into the setting room. The gel mask dangling from her hand. "Paul? Did you not get the message?" She'd even left it herself, and not Stephanie her assistant. "Event was canceled, curfew"

Paul rises and looks suitably embarrassed, he is dressed to the nines of course, prepped for this dinner party you wanted him to escort you too. "I am sorry, no I didn't get the message." He shakes his head and smiles weakly, "I guess I should have assumed, what with all the chaos out there."

There's a wave of her hand, brushing off the apology. 'Nothing is happening, other than lost money in businesses. I have storerooms being used as impromptu sleeping area's just to get the bloody magazine out this month. Everything shuts down at 6, not in my business. Things still need to be done. I'ms orry you came all the way over here Paul. My head is killing me, I wouldn't be up for it anyways." a gesture to the cooling eye pack. Jeans expensive yet casual looking sweater, hair mussed, she's not going out anytime soon. "The curfew will be hitting soon, I can have Consuela set the guest room up for you"

Paul nods, and the lights dim a little, much easier on a migraine, "I've spent more nights on my office couch the last few weeks then I have in years myself. Is it just the stress that is causing your head?"

'Little of this, little of that" The dimming of the light, even though there's controls to do that, is noticed by the Arabic woman and she motions for Paul to follow her. Away from the formal sitting room to the back area's of the condo. To the room with all the comfortable cushy couches, large screen TV, the entertainment room and obviously more personal area. There's an office off of it but she doesn't bother to close the door. 'Rami has some things here, I can dig them up, more comfortable clothing. For when he stays over so rarely, but just in case" She gestures for him to take a seat, her doing the same. "Stress, of many kinds"

Paul settles into the seat, the lights in this room are just as dim, just the right tint to help with the head ache, even the TV screens don't give off as much light as normal. "Do you want to talk about it? Or is it private?" He puts the little package down to the side of the chair.

"Do you have the papers I asked you to draw up, keep at the side and ready?" Defending herself and her company against anyone who might come at her with civilian suits. Coercion and the like.

Paul nods, "everything has been prepared, they are ready whenever you want to review them, though I did not bring them with me.

"I'll schedule a day to come in, review them. It's the test that has me such. That and having to not use my ability. Suppress it" The little gel pack is tossed onto a side table with a wrinkle of her nose. "Stress from the curfew and getting the magazine out. All the events in the city, it's enough to make me wish to flee to the Hamptons despite my brothers assurances that it's safe to remain"
Paul says, "Why are you suppressing it?"

'My brother asked me to" simple enough. "It seems, I popped up on radar, somewhere. Someone noticed. He warned me to be careful. He knew.. I could do something, but not what. An elephant in the room" Nalani murmurs, a glance of irritation to the television screen and some news report about the weeks events.

Paul says, "Do you have people you trust? People you can count on, ones that are always with you? Like Stephanie?"

"I do…." Nalani answers, opening her eyes and looking over at the Lawyer. "stepahnie, likely I suppose I could, she's been with me the longest. Rami, my brother" there's a few others. Her housekeeper for one. "Why?"

Paul says, "Use it one them, not for major things, just for minor things, use it where you feel safe, you won't have to suppress the need as much then, by finding a safe outlet"

"Paul, I am not going to use it on my Brother" there's disgust in the very thought and Nalani slants her eyes to the side, regarding him.

Paul says, "Then who are you going to use it on? Because if you don't use it on anyone, the headaches will get worse. It doesn't have to be your brother, but maybe someone else you can trust?"

'I can learn to not use it unless needed Paul. Who's to say it's from this specifically? Maybe it is the stress of the magazine, and the curfews and all the events and not just this" Her hand moves this way and that to punctuate each point. "Do you ever not use your ability to manipulate the light?

Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the gifts I have been given. If my ability can do good in this world, who am I to hold that back. Is it wrong for a man who is a Olympic swimmer to win glory for his country? Is it wrong for a beautiful woman to use her talents raise money for charity? Is it wrong for an adept politician to use how mind to find ways to make peoples lives better?"

"So i use it when needed Paul. But that doens't mean I need to use it all the time. It's like breathing, like.. smoking, how hard is it to kick a smoking habit? Very! But if I keep using it Paul, then there will be issues, I will be turned in if it's used on the wrong person, I suspect that I almost was. My brother works for the government. By all rights he should turn me in. But he hasn't, nor has he demanded that I register"

Paul frowns a little, "There are other options, and test can be gotten around, if you wish to try. Tell me what are your plans if you do get caught?"

"you have part of the plans. My brother. Obviously, something is up with him, if he's managed to not have anything come down upon my head. I hadn't quite thought it through. I'm more concerned for my company than for myself." Nalani points out. "Logic and the news dictates that so long as I don't get arrested, that I won't be tested"

Paul says, "You could put someone else in charge, retire or even demote yourself in the company."

'Retire?"" Nalani scoffs at that thought.

Paul nods, "Your company would be safe, if you were in a more advisory role.

"They could still argue, and win, that by being in that role I could still use my ability to determine the outcome and be running it by proxy Paul" Nalani points out.

Paul says, "Yes but you would be less likely to be picked up or the case to begin if you were in the role. Besides if the person running the company were to testify that you weren't that would help, no?"

'I Don't trust anyone else to run my baby Paul. I built her from the ground up and made her what she is now. This isn't some quick solution. This will take time, to find the right person to take my position if I go down that road. I still regardless, need to cut back on how often and how I use it"

Paul nods, "So make someone you can trust, you have the ability to remove any doubts on trust from the person you choose."

"Tell me, Paul. What would you do, if you had my ability and not the thing you do with light?" Nalani's question is a curious one, letting the words slip from her mouth as she watches him, pulling a lug up and clasping her hands around her knee.

Paul hmmms and leans back. "I don't know…I think god gave me my ability, because it was the part he wanted me to play, and yours for the same reason. You were meant to have it, and use it. I might abuse it, more then I was meant to, while you are the perfect vessel for it. I would try to use it to make the world a better place, to relieve the chaos, the hunger, and the pain of the people in this world.

'It takes away a persons free will though Paul" Nalani points out. "Ic an make them do something they wouldn't otherwise do"

Paul says, "So can every beautiful woman, and ever preacher worth his salt, every bully, and every great general. What exactly is the limit of free will? A childs free will is to play all day, but parents and teachers force them to study against their own free will. A mans free will is to spread his seed, but a wife, and his love for her, forces him to remain faithful? Is that wrong? Evil?"

And she's violated it how many times? "What's the difference now, between when I didn't know I could do it, and knowing I can do it?" her other hand reaches up to rub at her temples, regarding Paul carefully.

Paul says, "Nothing. Nothing has changed about it, it wasn't wrong then, it isn't wrong now. It is a natural gift, like your smile, or your beautiful eyes, no one complains when you use those, do they?"

"be easier if I didn't have to worry. I'ms till trying to figure out how Rami knew, how I got found out" Nalani inhales sharply, then lets the breath out slowly. "I'll go tell Consuela to set you up with a room, unless you intend to brave the barricades back to your place Paul. I have the mock up to look at and approve so far"

Paul smiles, "I will get out of your hair. But remember, if you need anything, I'll be just down the hall. I am always willing to talk. Even if it means you need to try out that power of yours on me, I don't mind, if it will help you feel better.

'Paul, I know how to use it. It's how to not use it, that I don't" She points out. She stands up though, heading for the door towards her office. "Consuela will see to your needs. Have a good evening"

Paul nods, and rises, he leaves the package behind, and allows himself to be shown to a room.


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February 6th: Rats Saw God
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February 6th: Some Problems With No Problems
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