An Evening Out

[Requiem of Insanity]

“Whatever my Lord’s daughter wants,” Cassandra bowed to her in exaggeration as they both headed back to the tomb. She felt her ire rise to have wasted an evening, and her eyes scanned the local people as they pondered who was walking with Kyla. Annoyed her disguise was such an useless effort she lowered the hood to her shoulders, letting the cloak drape around her. Again people began to cast suspicions, hushed whispers as they tread, and Kyla looked to Cassandra seeing her Hazel eyes alight with fire and hate.

“They don’t know any better,” She tried to explain, but it was meaningless. Cassandra merely lifted her head up in a haughty way. “I know what its like!” Kyla at last blurted as Cassandra took a few steps ahead of her. The words hit the Gisela Reaper and she softly turned her head in a challenging way. Kyla took a few quick steps to catch up. “I know what this is like for you, all the hushed whispers, the sounds and the impending danger around every corner.”

“I’m sure you are,” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Stop trying to connect with me, Kyla, I don’t think your boyfriend Jensen would like that.” Kyla grabbed her hand, and with wide eyes Cassandra turned to her. They looked to each other as Kyla’s face was contorted in confusion, not really sure why she herself was looking to the Gisela Reaper and trying so hard. Cassandra Remi’s eyes showed a glimmer of the darkness she held within her, a soft primal call of evil escaping into the air between them.

Yet Cassandra was startled to find a small flicker of that darkness manifest within Kyla’s own sapphire eyes. Like a caged beast, trying to be freed but held in check by the convictions of the girl before her. The genocide she attempted to create fed that inner beast, and it ate away at her slowly, and softly. It responded to the primal summons, begging Kyla to let it loose. But with a simple snort of frustration Kyla stuffed the darkness within her back to where it came from, and walked away.

“Forget it,” She murmured. “I’m sorry you feel the need to be alone.” Cassandra lashed one hand out and grabbed Kyla’s wrist, holding it as she stepped forwards and walked, releasing Kyla’s wrist so they could walk side by side.

“I have said this once before, Kyla, and I will say it again. I am not going to regale the world with my sob story. Quite frankly everyone in Althanas has one, and I will not be one to shout it to the rooftops. The choices I made, the events that I partook in to mold who I am was my own choice.” Kyla gave her a sideways glance, but Cassandra just looked forwards.

“You, you killed all those Mystics,” Cassandra said in a soft tone to her, as if she wasn’t accusing Kyla of the action. “I can understand how that must task your soul, but I assure, Kyla. You are no monster.” She looked behind her to see the mob, looking at one young boy of the age eighteen lifting his hand up and pointing it to them. She shook her head. “The only monster in Sei’s army is me. I do not do what he wants me to do because I am wishing to further his own goals, but because I am enjoying the opportunity to kill these people.”

They approached the edge of Sei’s tomb, and Cassandra looked to Kyla one last time. “I’m rambling. I probably don’t even make sense to you. Go, run along little sheep. Go and play with your friends. Live your life and be happy. Do yourself a favor,” Cassandra walked away into the shadows of the tomb, letting the darkness surround her as a dark chuckle emanated from the abyss. The way Cassandra walked was one who was long damned and didn’t mind the price. She felt at home and her saunter echoed that as the shadows gently obscured her view from Kyla’s eyes.

“Do yourself a favor and stay away from the darkness, and stay away from monsters like me…” Cassandra’s voice lingered in the air long after she left.

[Amber Eyes]

Cassandra's statement finally brought the idea home to Kyla. Yes, they were both murderers. Yes, they both had sins to account for. And yes, they both had quite a few enemies out there. The difference between Kyla Orlouge and Cassandra was simple, and it was all that mattered. Cassandra enjoyed what she did. She had not one ounce of sympathy for those she killed. Each death Kyla was responsible for was another piece of her heart ripped to shreds. Cassandra had no feelings toward her victims. Kyla Orlouge loved and could tell you the name of every last family she had taken life from. One hundred eighty-four lives, forever connected with hers. One hundred eighty-four lives each stopping where her unborn child's started. Kyla Orlouge would carry those children deep in her soul until the day she died. Kyla joined Anita in Anita's room, ignoring Anita's gaze as she climbed onto the girl's spare bed.

"So," Anita said softly. "What did you learn about Cassandra Remi?"

Kyla thought to herself for a moment before she spoke. "Sei never wanted me to learn about Cassandra, this was all about me." Kyla replied softly, turning her face towards the pillow.

Anita came over to the bed where Kyla lay and gently moved her hand up and down the younger girl's back.

Meanwhile, in Cassandra's room, the gisela reaper would find a simple summer dress laying on her bed. Kyla would never know Cassandra's reaction, but it did not matter. The present itself marked the good in Kyla's soul, and the reason she would never be like Cassandra Remi.

Kyla left Anit's room a bit later in the evening, after the girl's discussed a bit more of the evening. Kyla left out all the important details, boring Anita with tale after tale of beautiful dresses instead. When she finally entered her own room she noticed a small bin of ice cream laying in the center of the bed. Kyla smiled to herself as she picked up the note. "Thanks for the evening." Kyla smiled to herself as she lay back on the bed.

Maybe they weren't so different after all.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The moon shown through a small crack in the ceiling, the area surrounded by the fog of shadows save the luminescent glow. A body shifted slowly back and forth, eyes darting around as they tried to adjust in the darkness. As soon as cognitive thought broke through and the eyes adjusted a howl pierced into their skull accompanied by a cruel chuckle.

Sweat beaded down the body and with a cold wind it realized it was naked upon some sort of stone slab. Angrily they tried to rise, but found hands and feet bound by chains. Anger was replaced by fear and confusion, and softly the click clack sound of heels walking upon pure stone echoed in the room.

“You are probably wondering why you are here,” A voice spoke with such seductive intent that it made the blood rush in the body. Eyes turned to look upon the form in the shadows of a sultry, curvy woman who giggled like a school girl as the moon continued to look down upon the body in a more chastising way. The chuckles and the howling never faltered for a minute, and slowly an idea took shape.

“You’re the Gisela Reaper!” The woman laughed now, a dark and sinister laugh. “Oh shit, I’m in Cassandra Remi’s lair! But, but, I don’t fit your bill. I’ve done no wrong!” Cassandra stepped forward, her black hair draping each shoulder as she lifted up a small fillet knife upwards and smiled licking the edge with deadly intent. Her eyes scanned the body like it was a choice meat, favoring what piece needed to be cut first.

“Hah, hardly you fool!” Cassandra said as she approached the upper arm. “I’ve watched you and so did my darling, dutiful love. He told me you’ve been following myself and Kyla Orlouge for quite a while.” The body shivered and she lowered the knife to the arm and gently stroke the upper bicep, lopping off skin and a scream erupted into the air. Cassandra laughed as the wails of terror echoed in the chamber. “At first I thought you were nothing more than another nobody who thought by killing me they could go down in history. But then I thought more about it, realized who you really were…”

She looked down upon the blood and with a gentle caress of her finger she lifted up a thick blue liquid. “A Mystic.” She giggled tasting the blood, her eyes fluttered. The body groaned as it rolled the head side to side in fear as it began to mumble. Cassandra merely retreated to the shadows and returned with a potato peeler.

“You are supposed to hunt the monsters,” The voice feebly said, but Cassandra ignored them as she took her arm and held the wounded shoulder down as she softly began to peel off tiny layers of skin. With each centimeter of movement a scream cried into the night and Cassandra drank in the terror. Her eyes looked like she was being pleasured as she pulled back. “You, should be doing,” The voice panted weakly. “Doing this…to…Kyla…” A flicker of anger appeared within the eyes at the mention of Kyla, but Cassandra merely shrugged her shoulders.

“A fluke accident is of no appetite to me. However, you on the other hand,” Cassandra tapped the potato peeler before lowering it to the nose. Softly she let the smell of the Mystic’s blood enter into the olfactory, and the Mystic groaned. “You just so happen to be a very unknown killer yourself. Though you were about to kill Kyla for the loss of your powers and your child.” The Mystic snarled as it began to fight the bonds, but one sharp shove of the potato peeler into the nose and a wailing pitch of agony broke the resolve as it whimpered and cringed. The blue blood gushed out like a faucet all over the body and Cassandra laughed at the sight.

“You find what I am doing to you is so wrong, yet you would have no qualms to set me loose upon that girl. How utterly indecisive of you.” Cassandra giggled again as she left the potato peeler in the nose, retreating into the shadows before returning with a vial. “Blood Sire is one of the deadliest poisons known to mankind. It creates hallucinations that make you think you have tiny bugs crawling inside your veins, and the need to cut them out becomes so strong that it replaces all rational thought. It also increases the nerves awareness to pain, heightening it to an unprecedented level that is more akin to super humans.”

Without permission she yanked the Mystics mouth open and poured the vial down their throat. “I won’t hunt down Kyla Orlouge for one simple reason. Her regret isn’t ready for me yet, and may never be ready. She’s resolved to make the best out of her choices and I cannot harm her and make her regret for me, but you on the other hand…” Cassandra watched as the Mystic’s eyes glowed red before they began to scream far louder. “You will regret not getting to kill her and failing.” She watched as the body began to wretch and turn violently. The veins in the Mystic’s body began to bulge to the top of the skin and Cassandra let out a sigh of disappointment. Though the victim was screaming loudly only their veins were popping. That wasn’t how it worked. Another failed batch.

Without speaking anymore to the Mystic she turned her back and retreated deeper down the halls, letting his screams erupt until a loud wet noise echoed in the hall, the signal that all the veins in the victim’s body exploded. She sighed knowing she had yet a new batch she needed to brew. Pity.

She waltzed down the caves for twenty minutes, feeling her body take in the cold as her Dark Companion whispered sweet nothings in her ear. She whim fully walked, like a schoolgirl being held by her lover as she giggled. When she approached her door she opened it and walked in, a small tin of ice cream on the front table as Aerith was eating from another tin.

Aerith was her adopted daughter of sin, a pure bred serial killer who was enthralled and indebted to Cassandra. She loved her like a daughter would love their mother, and Cassandra nurtured the girls need for family. She was pleased to see her home and she quickly stripped to get dressed into her night outfit when she saw something on her bed.

“Somebody left it for you,” Aerith said confusedly. “I didn’t see any poisons-” Cassandra lifted her hand to silence her. The white summer dress she saw at the shop was now before her, the little violet flower wrapped around the corner. She softly thumbed the fabric, feeling the weight of childhood memories rush over her and she quickly took it off the hanger and dressed herself.

“I must be off for a moment,” Cassandra said grabbing her ice cream and quickly scribbling the note. “I will return shortly. Oh, I had a bit too much fun tonight and we have a body that got messy, have the tin can robot clean it up. Seth can help if he’s being particularly grouchy when he returns from Revan.” Aerith nodded as she watched her mother leave.

~*~*~

Cassandra watched in the shadows as Kyla went into her room, a content smile on her face as she watched the Mystic confusedly look upon the dessert and then shrug eating some. She looked down upon her dress, enjoying the feel of it as she turned again and walked back down the halls. As she stepped forwards another body stepped in her way. She sighed irritably as Jensen Ambrose gave her a vile grin.

“Monsters don’t belong here,” Jensen thumbed for the serial killer to take a hike.

“Very well,” Cassandra admitted defeat and stepped away humming to herself leaving Jensen completely confused. “You are correct, there are no monsters that live in this area,” She smiled one last time looking to Kyla’s door.

[Duffy]

An Evening Out - Judgement

My humble apologies for the delay ladies, but here, at last, is the condensed rubric you requested with a few progression notes to sweeten the deal. If you have any questions concerning the scores below, please direct them either to myself via PM, or to Silence Sei in the appropriate manner.

Story (16/30)

Setting - 5

Pacing - 5

Continuity - 6

Character (16/30)

Dialogue - 6

Action - 5

Persona - 5

Writing (19/30)

Technique - 6

Mechanics - 6

Clarity - 7

Solid foundations and considerable progress from both of you - this thread was an enjoyable and well-written story but lacked the furthering and emotive portrayal of character you might find in advanced technique. Dialogue and Setting are both solid, but the former could be bolstered with more development and characterisation (draw the reader into persona with expression/soliloquy) and the latter was nothing more than solid and concrete (but perfectly clear) description.

I'm starting to feel your characters, feel their workings and their mindsets, but we need to feel the surroundings to, they're mutually beneficial when brought to life.

Wild Card - 7

Kyla's blossoming storyline and Remi's delicious devilry really worked here, the play-off brought you just deserts and I look forward to both working with and reading more from the both of you.

Total = 58/100

Rewards:

Amber Eyes receives 1257 experience points and 225 gold.

Cassandra receives 1692 experience points and 225 gold.

[Silence Sei]

exp-gp added