Monday Morning, Wolfram and Hart

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

If one were to peak in the windows, one would see the ever-immaculate Lilah Morgan dressed in a gorgeous Hugo Boss Suit, Manolo Blahnik sling-back heels, a welder's mask, and holding a lit blow-torch.

She is advancing on what looks like a radio with malicious intent.

Comments

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara does peek in the windows, and winces. This looks like a bad time, but Lilah's voicemail did say any time... She knocks.

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Lilah turns around as if there is nothing out of the ordinary and turns off the torch when she notices the blonde at the window. She opens the door.

"Yes? May I help you?

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Um... I'm Tara Maclay? I gave you a call, and you said I could come by." She looks nervously at the torch in Lilah's hand. "Except, if I'm interrupting I could go and get some tea, and come back later."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Lilah places the torch on the table. "Don't worry about that. It's just a...workplace issue I'm in the middle of dealing with. Now is fine. Won't you follow me into my office so we can discuss things in private?"

She led the way down a windowless corridor and into a small, if nicely decorated, windowless office.

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara follows Lilah, and looks around the office. "This is nice." She searches for the right word. "Inclusive. Of, um, some of the town's non-human residents. Which is really thoughtful of you."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Lilah smirks as she takes her seat behind the desk and crosses her legs, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk for Tara as she sits.

"We here at Wolfram and Hart make it a practice not to discriminate against any segment of the population, including the 'alternatively alive.' In order to properly accomodate them, certain sacrifices must be made as far as office decor goes."

She folded her hands in front of her on the desk. "Now, how may I help you this morning?"

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara sits, crossing her ankles. "I, um, wanted some advice. Or, well, to know if something was legal or not." She bites her lip. "A while back a friend did spell on me against my will and without my permission, which made me lose some of my memories. And I know there's probably not a law specifically about spells, but I thought there might be something about hypnosis or something... I know what she did was wrong, I just... I want to know if it was illegal, too." She stares at her lap the whole time, clenching her hands together tightly.

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"Spells, huh?" Lilah frowns in thought (now that she no longer has to worry about things like aging and lines, frowning is perfectly permissible). "Any particular spell?"

Before Tara answers, Lilah walks over and pulls a thick book off the shelf, opens it, and begins skimming the contents.

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Lethe's Bramble," Tara replies, surprised that Lilah would know any spells at all.

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Lilah immediately flips to the index and runs her finger down the right margin. "Ah, there it is...not for beginners...complete forgetfulness..."

She looks up. "Did you do anything that might be considered illegal while under its effects?"

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara shakes her head. "Not that I know of. Except I don't know how many times it was used. My... friend... she said that it was just the once - or, well, twice - but I don't know if I can believe her. I could have done anything, or she could have, and I wouldn't know."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"Did you ever have sex under its effects when you might not have otherwise wanted to?"

She thinks for a minute, then says, "Miss Maclay, the truth is that the law does not consider mindspells illegal at this time, so it's kind of a charcoal gray area. However, if you have done something you might not have otherwise done were you in your right mind, you may have a defense of coercion available to protect you from the legal repercussions of whatever you've done."

She ponders for another minute, then makes some notes on a pad, putting a Post-it note in the margin of the book. "You may be also able to file charges against that person for false imprisonment, assault, or whatever else they've done to violate your body while you were incapacitated."

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"I did. Have sex." Tara looks up a Lilah for a moment, and then away. "Um, we'd had an argument, and she made me forget about it, and we had sex the next day. If I'd known about the argument I probably wouldn't have, but if I'd known about the spell I definitely wouldn't have."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

*Lilah's phone rings*

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"Damn it." Lilah turns off the blow torch, again, and answers the phone. "Wolfram and Hart, Lilah Morgan speaking."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"How's my favorite lawyer in all the world?" Angelus asked. He sounded like he was sitting somewhere, possibly smoking a cigarette.

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"Better, now," Lilah said, sitting down in one of the chairs, kicking off her shoes, and propping her feet on the desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"The burning thing in the sky that makes a personal visit more annoying than it has to be," Angelus said. "Also there's some loop-keeping we need to be doing on both our ends."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"There's a sewer entryway in the basement, if you want to reduce yourself to trudging through it. Loop-keeping? How so?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"I know but - sewers. Why do that to yourself if you don't have to?" There was a pause, as if he was momentarily distracted by flicking ashes somewhere. "Loop one: I have reason to suspect some poor, misguided person in this town might take it upon themselves to lay hands on an Orb of Thessulah. Naturally this makes me worried for their health and well being. I'm sure you know how possession of those orbs does tend to make the one holding it end up very firmly dead."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

'I can't even imagine. And the smell, well, be glad you don't have to breathe. I know I am."

She settled herself deeper into the chair. The leather creaked.

"Yes, I am aware how dangerous an object that Orb has become." She paused in thought. "Do you have a name for me, or information on how it's coming into town?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Nothing yet," Angelus said. "Only that someone at school namely my stupid demon boyfriend started doing some research. And call me Mr. Paranoid but I'm thinking if one person notices research on something that can give a soul then others might start putting two and two together and equalling Angel."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"No, I think you're right to be concerned," Lilah said, immediately coming to attention. "Once one person finds out about that potentiality, others will as well. They always do. And god knows we don't want laughing boy back on the scene if for no other reason than he looks stupid in leather pants."

"Any chance you can remove the book from the library? And confront your stupid demon boyfriend about the research? Make sure you burn any notes--not to mention the book. I'll put a call in to _the_old_firm. Something tells me they'll be the first ones to be able to get their hands on it."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Done and done. I don't want to give away personal details. Suffice it to say there was spanking involved. It'll be irony if The Old Firm gets one, though," Angelus said. "They've got a line on taking care of me. Though couldn't hurt for me to remind them that I'm their good customer, not soul boy."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"I'm going to wonder what you need me for if you keep being so self-sufficient," she purred. "Spankings? Any chance you'll let someone else wield the paddle sometime? I didn't know you had a deal with The Old Firm, but I'll be sure to remind them of that when I call. And I doubt they want your...better half...walking around any more than you do."

"Is there more? If you can find out where or when the Orb is coming into town, I'll do what I can to stop it. I mentioned it to the police, but as usual, they're less than useless."

"And as long as we're keeping people in the loop...I've been invited by a hopelessly gullible young woman to dine with the rest of the Sunnydalians in town. Will you be there?"