Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[CalamityJade]

"Yeah...we'll see." He ponders for a moment. "Don't tell him I'm coming back. If he's willing to fire you...well, he might just try to run if he thinks I'm going to be there."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried nods. "Or worse. I won't."

[yamikuronue]

The drive back is mostly uneventful, save for Siegfried's passing on of the advice not to tell Lance; on the way out, however, Siegfried has a few quiet words with people, and he spends much of the afternoon in the study on the phone with various donors. The news is good: due to overcrowding, they'd be happy to expedite Obsidian's paperwork and send him home the next day, complete with an ankle tracker and a weekly meeting with a parole officer.

That night, as Echo is getting to sleep, he hears wolves howling in the distance.

The next morning, Siegfried is noticeably tired as he goes over checklists he's dug out from the study; breakfast is oatmeal again, and he barely looks up to greet Echo as he mumbles to himself about draperies and linens.

[accalia]

"good morning, busy day today then?"

Echo eats quietly while watching Siegfried carefully.

[yamikuronue]

"Yes, I'm trying to figure out which of the guest rooms to open," he muses, poring over his lists. "I think Lance would kill me if I opened the Master Suite, but the other rooms are in worse condition, and mold got to some of the draperies that matched the comforters... I can't put him in the Servants Wing with you and I, that would be disgraceful..."

[accalia]

"Hmm... they moved fast with the paperwork then. This one is licensed to drive, would it help if this one was there for the pickup to give you more time to prepare, or would that cause more trouble that it solves?"

[yamikuronue]

"If you could, I'd appreciate it. Someone should be here in case the Young Master needs something, and Rosanna will have her hands full no matter where I put him. Perhaps the blue suite?"

[accalia]

"This one will drive. When should this one be there?"

[yamikuronue]

"One pm, I think." He smiles, truly grateful for the help. "Thank you."

[accalia]

Echo nods solemnly.

"Would the jeep be sufficient? this one would feel better driving that than the porsche."

[yamikuronue]

"Oh, of course, yes. Whatever is comfortable." He smiles, ruefully. "In truth, probably best not to mention I drove the Porsche before..."

[accalia]

Echo blinks, thinks for a moment and then with an exaggerated wink and a tone of genuine puzzlement....

"We have a porsche?"

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried laughs. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

[accalia]

Echo spends a few hours puttering around the house before taking the jeep and leaves to pick up Obsidian.

He arrives at the prison at 12:50 and walks up to the door marked "outprocessing"

[CalamityJade]

The processing was rather dull actually. Obsidian was in slacks and a button-down shirt as he was getting his effects from a guard. Seems like he didn't have many things that he came here with. There was only one small altercation, as he gets the last of his items in a duffle-bag. "...were's the lighter?" The guard makes a face. "What light-" "Don't give me that shit. There was a silver lighter with all my stuff. And since I know I haven't been out since I got here, then it's missing, right?" There was a sort of intense weight to the glare he was giving the guard which is only returned for a split second. "Fine, fine. I'll check the bin again."

The guard is gone for another five minutes before returning with a plastic back holding a metallic lighter with some rather nice symbols carved into the front. "Thanks." He grabs it and stuffs it  into the bag. "We done?" "Yeah, yeah. Just keep yourself out of trouble."