//------------------------------// // Recovery, Planning, and Questions // Story: Consequences // by shallow15 //------------------------------// Two days passed before Cantata deemed Sonata well enough to become active. During that time, the nurse had opened her home to the three sirens, providing crash space for them in her living room. By the beginning of the third day, things were starting to get back to normal. “Get out of the bathroom, Sonata!” Aria pounded on the door again. “You've been in there for an hour and a half!” “I haven't had a bath in two days!” Sonata's voice came from behind the door. “Get lost!” Adagio rolled her eyes and went back to scribbling in the notebook on her lap. Now that Sonata was more or less recovered, it was time to move on. She tilted her head back. “Aria!” “I'm gonna kick this fucking door down, Sonata, I swear to Aris!” “Aria!” Adagio called again. “I'M BUSY!” “Go soak your head!” came Sonata's voice. “I WILL WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE GODDAMN BATHROOM!” “ARIA! LEAVE HER ALONE AND GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!” Adagio screamed. Aria snorted and stalked back to the living room. “Thank you, Dagi!” came Sonata's voice. “If you aren't out of there in fifteen minutes, I'll help her break the door down and throw your naked blue ass out on the balcony!” “Okay, okay... jeez.” Sonata's voice faded and the sound of splashing was heard. Adaigio rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. “What?” Aria snapped, flopping down in the love seat next to the sofa. Adagio looked up from the notebook. “What's our cash situation?” Aria pulled out her phone and brought up a banking app. After logging in, she looked up. “Not good.” “Do we have enough to get out of town without using our song?” Aria shook her head. “We couldn't even afford a bus to the next state over.” Adagio sighed. “I guess we should count ourselves lucky they haven't frozen our assets yet.” “They never will. I made sure of that after Vanhoover.” Adagio leaned her head back. “We need to do something.” “We need to sing. We sing, rob the nurse blind, swipe her car and get the hell out.” Adagio's head came back up with frown. “We're not going to do that.” “Why not?” Aria matched Adagio's frown. “It's what we do.” “Not this time.” Adagio closed the notebook. “Why the hell not?” “She saved Sonata. That;s worth something.” “It's not worth shit if she sells us out,” Aria snapped. “She's not going to sell us out.” “You don't know that.” Aria leaned forward. “Okay, let's say she doesn't intend to sell us out. You know how Tempest works. If she gets ahold of her, she'll talk.” “I don't think so,” said Adagio thoughtfully. “She likes to help. She's stronger than she looks.” Adagio put the notebook aside and looked her fellow siren in the eye. “And nothing happens to her until I say so, understand?” The two faced each other down for a few seconds, before Aria rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just don't come crying to me when we're getting tubes shoved up our asses in some lab.” “As long as we understand each other.” “Understand what?” Sonata appeared from the hallway, wrapped in a towel. Adagio looked up. “Don't worry about it. But now that you're up and moving, we need to get ready to leave.” Sonata's face fell. “Why? It's nice here.” “It's also cramped as hell,” Aria muttered as she disappeared into the bathroom. “GOD DAMN IT, SONATA! YOU USED ALL THE HOT WATER!” The other two sirens smirked at each other. Adagio opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the apartment door opened. They turned to look as Cantata came in. The nurse did not look happy, and she pinned Adagio with a glare. “Kitchen. Now,” she said. She dropped her bag on the table next to the door and stalked through the door leading to the kitchen. Adagio and Sonata looked at each other. Adagio stood up. “Get dressed. I'll see what's up.” As she turned toward the kitchen door, she grabbed Sonata's arm. “And get packed,” she whispered. “We might need to make a fast exit. Tell Aria.” Sonata nodded and headed back toward the bathroom. Adagio took a deep breath and watlked into the kitchen. Cantata was sitting at the table. She looked up at the siren leader, her expression unreadable. “Who is Tempest Shadow?”