Back in the Habit

[Requiem of Insanity]

The moonlight glowed brightly in the empty road, dust settling as a small wake of tiny rocks and dirt kicked up into the refreshing night air. Two lone figures walked, one a blond woman with her eyes held upwards towards the moon, as if expecting something from the sentinel of the night. The other was a man who's body merely followed like a shambling zombie, the head tilted down and in shame as if something was stolen and there was no chance to ever get it back.

Along the dirt road was a few plains of hills and grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. The Islands of Black Archipelago were a wondrous sight to see. The clear ocean waters crashed gently against the obsidian black rocks, and a few bushes of Black Roses bloomed in the darkness. The woman stopped to pick at one smelling the intoxicating pollen before tossing it behind her.

"Ah, Black Moon..." her breath heaved out in a longing sigh as she turned to her companion. "The merchant Island of the Black Archipelago. It has been years since I was here." she recalled a fond memory with a childish grin before her hips swayed forward. "Come Kane, you must have been here once or twice. It is a very notable chain of Islands." She jumped up upon a set of rocks, beaming her exuberance to the moon. "It is here that famous swordsmanship competitions take place, and the greatest of all warships known to man was created. Do you know the ship I refer to?" Her eyes glossed over her companion that traveled with her and she cocked her head to the side awaiting a response.

"The Machiavelli," He said audibly in a defeated tone. He took in a breath of air and let it out slowly before he looked to her. "If I am correct in my studies, Mistress Cassandra." The woman jumped off the rock and approached Kane with her hand raised, her eyes bright with fire and anger. He recoiled in fear lifting up his arms to defend the inevitable hit coming from her.

"I told you at least a dozen times, puppet!" She taunted as her words seethed through her clenched teeth. "Do not ever call me Mistress again!" Her hand grabbed Kane's left wrist and she twisted the whole forearm bringing Kane down to one knee as he began to whimper in pain. She held him locked and watched as his eyes began to water, and she instinctively reached for her throwing dagger to stab right into his left eye, just shallow enough to knock the eyeball out of the socket, but not do any more damage.

A cold chill wind washed over Cassandra as the waves would slam into the rocks at the beach. Her body shivered in delight as she could feel a darkness begin to stir inside. Her knees wobbled at the excitement, and she increased the pressure on Kane's arm. A primeval chuckle escaped into her left ear and she fluttered and nearly melted when she heard that loving laugh. Her weapon arm lifted slowly as Cassandra sized up Kane for her attack. Just when her muscles tensed, ready to launch like a coiled snake, a cold firm hand moved across the small of her back to her shoulder. It squeezed gently and she dropped the weapon.

What took you so long to come out and play? Cassandra cooed to her dark companion, her deepest desires. The manifestation of her twisted nature took form before her eyes, and she could feel his cool presence near her. She closed her eyes as she felt a strange stirring deeper than she felt before, and when she opened her eyes to the moon. Her head cocked to one side as she felt her dark companion calling out. She smiled innocently as she picked up her knife, putting it back in the sheath on her hip.

Of course I will, Cassandra's teeth widened into a vile grin. I shall happily play with you... She turned and made way for the nearest town on the Isle. "Come Kane!" Cassandra said excitedly, her heart beginning to race with anticipation. "The hunt begins now!"

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra felt the cool wind pick up around her as she entered the village of the prime docking port on the isle of Black Moon. The shipyard was always in constant activity, never sleeping nor resting to keep the steady flow of supplies, trade, commerce, and other things moving about so the Archipelago could survive. While the port was home to the betterment of the isles, it was home to a few scum bags.

The worst part was Cassandra felt out for something, anything for her dark ambitions to spark off of. Her chest lifted in a large sigh before she grabbed Kane by the arm and tossed him before her. "Go get us a bed and have a light dinner prepared for me." Her orders were responded with a curt nod and Kane ran off into the shadows of the buildings. She watched her puppet trot away and she pursed her lips in disappointment. "Ugh, is there nothing worth while in this place? No crime lords or some dark sinister man or woman abusing power? Is this port really that dry?"

A cold hand embraced Cassandra, and she let her anger wash away as fast as it came. Whenever her agitation set in her dark lover would always lend his firm calculating grip to her so she could calm down and think straight. She looked around the port as she entered the large shipyard. Boats of every size littered the sea as a few sailors emptied the vessels hull. She turned a corner over to the eastern most part of the docks where the cruise liners usually docked, for it was less occupied and hardly anyone walked the wooden planks. Her keen senses couldn't detect anybody of any value for her sinister attentions. She sighed in defeat as she sat leaning against a pole that a small boat was tied to. A dark chuckle entered her ears and she perked her head up like a cat interested in a shiny new toy.

Off in the distance, two docks away was a group of men surrounding a woman. She walked amongst the ruffians with a carefree, almost bored attitude as her hips swayed left and right. A long sword was hung in front of her, making her strides limited. Around her neck was a tight collar with spikes and her red hair was up in a pony tail. She had a sleeveless leather tunic that kept her breasts inside with enough cleavage to make a man's blood boil in excitement. Her mini skirt barely covered her assets as she walked. She was a beauty, and her twisted instincts permeated from her like smoke from a raging inferno. Cassandra licked her lips at the sight of the woman, screams of agony filling her mind exciting her.

Cassandra's luck seemed to turn for the better as another group walked towards her new found friend, in the middle of the men was an elder gentleman with a cane and monocle. His suit was fine tailored and fitted him very well as his gray beard stretched to his upper chest. Cassandra moved closer to the two parties, staying deep within the shadows. Her eyes followed the leaders of both groups. Her Dark Companion gave her a reassuring hand, firmly gripping her shoulder. He was as interested in this as she was.

"You filthy gutter trash need to leave these docks at once." The older man ordered, slamming his cane on the wooden docks. "The reputation of these lands are to be kept up in high regard, and your rag tag band of rats are unwelcome. Consider this a warning from the Black Rose's generous Dom." The woman in the group yawned loudly, stretching her arms out and resting both hands lazily on the hilt of her weapon. She smacked her lips as if she had just woken up and smiled to the man.

"These meetings are always too formal. I say if you already know the ending of the story than why bother reading it?" Her blade rose out of its sheath, a dazzling black and silver metal work as thick as sliced meat and cut diagonally down at the tip. It was meant for brutal un-graceful cuts much like a butchers knife. Cassandra nearly fell back in pleasure to see such a wondrous item. "So let me go ahead and get this party started shall I?" She charged forward, much faster than Cassandra's eyes could keep up with, and two guards laid upon the docks with their arms missing as they howled in agony. The two groups collided shortly after, the rumble going down in spectacular fashion.

Cassandra watched as the woman danced around, her blade blocking blow after blow as she expertly parried each attack with her weapon. Her eyes were two small slits of displeasure and hate, and Cassandra could relate to those eyes. She was disappointed in the turn of events and it was evident in her demeanor. The woman exploded outwards, her blade singing a bloody song as crimson liquid danced to the music upwards into the air in a dazzling shower of gory glory. After a few moments the combat was over, and the woman and a few of her men stood victorious, some drinking from the wounds of the dead. She barked orders to the survivors and pointed her blade out and around. They all moved with military precision at her orders as she called them out. Cassandra's dark desires grew elated as the woman sheathed her sword. A darkness brooded above her like a giant bird of prey as her keen eyes scanned the horizon.

Cassandra could feel her Dark Companion call out in challenge to the beast as the two primeval powers longed to claw at each other. The woman looked towards the hiding spot of Cassandra and she couldn't help but reveal herself off to her new playmate. She moved forward into the light, her hair flowing to her right as the wind picked up. Her smile reflected off the moon as she clapped very lightly to her new playmate for her show. The woman lifted her thumb to her nose wiping it, grinning in reply as she bowed lowly.

Cassandra turned away and began her walk towards the hotel as her mind began to formulate the blue prints of the docks to her memory. Her mind wandered over each detail, where every box, crate, boat, sentry and shadow was cast on the open shipyard. As she walked her smile grew wider and wider as the nagging thought refused to go away.

You always pick the fun ones, don't you my love? Her Dark Companion moved beside her, his loving hands wrapping around her neck in affection as she moved onwards. She giggled childishly as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. Each loving word about the demise of the woman's death and the glorious screams she would emit.

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra's feet echoed in the still of the night as she casually paced back and forth. Her heart raced with elation and excitement as she couldn't believe her luck in finding such a promising new play mate. Her dark hobby had always resulted in useful and promising prospects, but other than her father and Huang Lo, a mercenary captain from a small town, none of them had the physical domination to really challenge her.

This was a new level of enjoyment, for she couldn't just sneak up and hope her sleeper hold would work on her prey. This woman from the docks was a cold killer and a talented warrior to boot. It was sad that her code of chivalry and warriors pride were all tainted by her twisted impulses and it made the mouth of Cassandra wet in anticipation of the coming hunt.

She turned a corner and went down the main path towards the lit up area of the sea port. Sailors who just came to shore and beggars lined the streets in packs. A few bars remained opened, loud shouts of joy and cries of anguish as sailors gambled and arm wrestled. The smell of alcohol wafted into the nostrils and Cassandra wrinkled her nose in disgust. She lifted a single hand to her nose to try and filter the foul odor as she hastened her steps to the hostel.

The building itself wasn't some run down port of call hole in the wall. The central tiled floor was ornately displayed with the mosaic of a single tainted moon rising high over the earth, and a few stars were littered around the pictured tile to create a truly marvelous art piece. Cassandra turned towards the seating area and waited a moment before her Dark Companion began to chuckle. Cassandra's right hand rose out above her shoulder and she felt a small set of keys fall into them.

"We are room twelve on the third floor." Kane said solemnly, his face looking to his feet. Cassandra yawned leaning back on the balls of her feet, her shoulders resting upon Kane's chest. She purred with delight as she played with the keys, flipping them one at a time as she rubbed her head all over his shoulders and looked deep into her broken puppet's eyes.

"Good work," She whispered lovingly, lifting a single slender arm up and massaging the chin of her puppet. Kane shivered on the spot, involuntarily twitching as he whimpered to be free from her touch, but embracing it at the same time. The conflict began anew and Cassandra watched the war within Kane's soul through the window of his eyes. She licked her lips and giggled softly as a few tears began to rim his eyes. "Oh Kane, you silly creature."

Kane's knees buckled and he took a few steps backwards to be free from the tainted aura of his mistress. He brought his hands up to his head and took in large heaps of air to ease his mind. Cassandra twirled on one foot and sat upon the purple velvet chair resting one leg over the other, her fingers running along the arm rest in a seductive manner as she continued to purr.

"I have a favor to ask of you, my deluded minion." Cassandra said soothingly, her voice twirling in a fine honeyed tone. Kane stiffened his back and looked right at Cassandra as he cracked his fingers in excitement. There was only one thing that made Kane happy anymore that Cassandra could tell and that was snooping on a target prey. She figured this made the man happy for two simple reasons: He could be free from his mistress' controlling presence, and it was the only tie to the world that Kane had before he became Cassandra's broken puppet.

"What do you have in mind for me?" He asked, his tongue licking the bottom of his lips in hunger. Cassandra's mouth opened in a toothy grin and she curled one finger in a motion for Kane to approach her. The man did so as he took two steps quickly over, bowing low before her. Cassandra let the air tense up and it was just when Kane's knuckles turned white in anticipation did her words come out.

"There was a woman from the docks earlier, the eastern ports. I have felt a darkness inside her that intrigues me. You'll know her by the company she keeps and the care free attitude she emits. Please, for me," Her body adjusted in the chair as she brought her hands together in a humble pleading way. "Could you perhaps...spy on her and tell me her weakness, her fears, her dark desires?" Kane lifted his eyes to match Cassandra's and she saw the fire and passion of a man with a purpose in them. Her Dark Companion placed a firm grip on her shoulder, and she let her lips crack in a sly grin.

"For you, the world..." He said stoically as he rose and left her presence. Cassandra huffed at the comment, her angst rising inside herself. She watched as Kane left and her Dark Companion began to rub her shoulders to ease her of her sudden tension.

You idiot, Kane. She thought sinisterly. Her eyes narrowed as her brow wrinkled in annoyance. I thought you would know the world is not enough...

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra lifted her feet up as her body bounced onto the down goose feathered bed. The blankets ruffled as she gripped them in her fingers, squeezing tightly too feel the fabric against her skin. Her eyes fluttered in ecstasy while her hand moved softly down the front of her shirt, tenderly popping one button at a time as the soft cloth of her shirt fell off her slender shoulders.

"Ah, to relax and be done with the day..." Her ears perked as the familiar dark chuckle of her lover echoed in the room. Her eyes closed as she opened her thoughts to her dark desires, and she could feel him sitting next to her, tenderly running his cold hand across the tip of her mind. After a few moments of this gentle bliss her body recoiled in pain, a burning sensation in her mind.

Cassandra got up from the bed, her shirt falling completely off her body to expose her naked flesh. Her arms instinctively covered her breasts as she looked around the room for whatever could have startled her dark lover. "What is it my love?" She waited a few moments for his response, but his tainted aura was vanishing much quicker than Cassandra wished it to. "Don't go, my darling, please!" She begged as he grabbed a towel on the table wrapping her chest in the wool like threads.

No matter how much she cried her Dark Companion refused to resurface, and Cassandra grew annoyed. He was getting moodier and moodier as of late, and this wasn't the first time he got cranky and left without so much a whisper as to why. Like a one sided relationship Cassandra felt victimized by her lover, and she wondered what she was doing wrong to deserve his ire. Her chest heaved up in a long sigh as she sat upon the chair, huffing as one hand landed under her chin, her lips pursing out in a childish pout.

"You never want to play anymore, you know that?" Cassandra whined. "Ever since my father died you have been getting more and more reclusive from me. You know I need you, my love." She paused in her words as she looked down at the table. A vase with roses was the only decoration on the table, followed by a note from Kane. Cassandra took the note and read it. Her hazel eyes moved right to left over the poor penmanship on the paper. It seemed to be a sonnet of some kind, a twisted morbid poem announcing Kane's fascination with his twisted mistress.

She raised a single hand and swept it across the table, slamming the glass vase upwards into the air where it shattered against the hostel wall. She stood from the seat and pushed the table away to the side as her feet carried her towards the bathroom. Her hands fumbled on the door knob and her rage began to boil as her teeth seethed in frustration. After a moment of aggression she managed to rip the door open, the knob bouncing off the wall as she entered. She turned immediately in the darkness facing the mirror above the wash basin and looked long into her own cold hazel eyes.

"You asshole." She murmured to her reflection. "You fucking dickhead," her hands gripped the masonry of the washing sink, her knuckles turning white as her grip increased. "You miserable cur!" She shouted as she used all her might attempting to tear the sink from the floor. She pulled with all her strength, but despite the righteous anger inside her heart the sink didn't budge nor give. "You are tearing my dark lover away, Kane!" Cassandra cried.

Her arms sagged as her back stiffened when a cold, gentle yet firm, touch rested along her shoulders. She shivered on the spot, her mind racing with thoughts as she felt the darkness within her tremble in the glory of her Dark Companion. "You returned to me!" her breath was heavy as her eyes watered looking into the mirror to see her deepest desire manifest at her side, holding her the way she longed for. "I see it now...I understand my love..." Her lips quivered as she felt his fingers dance along her neck up her cheek resting just above her chin.

Cassandra took deep breaths and her heaving chest slowly receded as she regained her composure. She repeated this several times until she was able to sooth her nerves. "I understand now, my love." Cassandra's tone deepened with determination as she opened her eyes. "I haven't been doing my own dirty work. I keep letting that idiot Kane do it all." Her lover embraced her tightly, and she swooned at his affection.

It was so obvious to her now, and it took her awhile to completely comprehend her actions as of late. Kane had been looking for targets. Kane had been studying her next playmates. Kane was stealing her dark desire away from her. Her mind raced with hate towards Kane, but also towards herself. She had been getting lax in her duties, and her lover didn't want a lazy soul mate.

With that revelation Cassandra felt a primal power in her yawn, a beast streaching its claws as if it had awoken from a deep sleep. With that feeling her mouth escaped with a purr as she looked deep inside herself with steely determination.

"It's time to take this hunt for myself." Her lips parted in a vile grin as she went back into her room, looking for her sneaking suit.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The wind blew gently across Cassandra's skin, small bumps raising underneath the burlap, her entire being shivering in delight. Her mind raced with thoughts as she tried to figure where she would start her hunt and silently a chorus of curses escaped her lips under the slip.

It had been quite awhile since the last time Cassandra had hunted prey on her own without Kane. A cold gentle hand ran against her shoulders before resting into a firm grip on the back of her neck. She let her eyes flutter at the touch of her dark lover and she was able to relax her mind, able to focus now that she calmed herself.

Her lips parted into a toothy grin as she came up with a plan. Her legs moved swiftly as she ran towards the salty taste of the air near the docks. Her hands moved gently along the bumpy walls of the town port, jumping behind barrels as a drunkard would move near. She kept her heart at a constant boom-boom pace to let her senses grow wider out of the normal realm. Her eyes sharpened as she felt the beat of her heart ringing in her ears, followed by the soft twisted chuckle of her deep deranged desire.

She moved past a few sentries, noticing the lack of care they had in their bored expression, and gently walked outwards on the docks. The wet wood seeped through her sneak suit and she felt her choler rise. She hated being wet.

Cassandra's body moved silently through the night and she judged by the moon and horizon that she had only a small window of time left before dawn. Her eyes scanned the docks and saw no nearby sailors or guards so she removed her slip around her mouth, taking in a deep breath of the ocean air. She repeated the process for a moment as her feet began to move towards the dock shipping lanes.

When Cassandra turned the corner her dark companion extended a hand out grabbing her shoulder. Her feet stopped moving and she jumped into the shadows to her right. She caught her breath and silently crept amongst the boxes she hid behind, and peeked around the corner.

Kane was in the middle of three men, the woman from earlier int he night laughing at him, her left hand on the hilt of her blade. Kane was bloodied and his eyes were puffy and black. He doubled over in pain and Cassandra took note that a few of the men were wiping their hands upon his wounds, bringing the crimson liquid to their lips and lovingly slurping it.

"My, my..." Cassandra cooed as her mind processed what she was seeing. She crouched low and continued enjoying the scene before her like an aristocrat in a sky box at the theater, her eyes growing in awe at what she was seeing.

"Who sent you, maggot?" The woman said tiredly, her mouth widening in a yawn. "A name, a clue, whatever you wanna say. I'll figure it out one way or another. The question is how much of my time will you waste in me figuring it out?" Kane's body shivered as he dropped to one knee in exhaustion. Kane's lips parted in a wry smile, coughing up blood. "You are a piece of work, a nutcase." The woman continued. "Only difference in this is that you are a worthless git. At least the other headcases put up a fight." Kane lifted a single hand to wipe the blood from his face as he looked down upon it.

"You think you scare me?" Kane responded, his voice distant and distorted. "No, this isn't pain. This is comparable to a child playing with a new toy. You could achieve nothing that my mistress hasn't already stripped from my soul." The woman looked to Kane with a curious eye, sizing up his words in her mind, before she took on a perverted grin of amusement. Her blade lifted into the air with a dazzling flash and she brought it down just inches before Kane's face. Cassandra's eyes widened in alarm, her heart raced.

To her pride Cassandra's broken puppet didn't even flinch.

"You really are a broken soul aren't you?" The woman's tone was more hungry for knowledge. "Who is she, your mistress?" Kane began to crack under the stress as his mouth bubbled, chuckling to himself. The leader of the group's eyebrow rose as the blade lowered in her hand.

"She's the Fallien Desert Viper, the Black Archipelago Assassin, the Mistress of Murder, the Princess of Pleasureable Pain, the Corone Butcher, the Scara Brae Midnight Monster," Kane continued listing all the names Cassandra had been called in her travels, and she felt a spark twinge her heart. She was curious to know what human emotion she was feeling, for she wasn't used to being a normal human.

"You got a big mouth, and a small brain." The woman lifted her blade to her shoulder, a grin on her face. She turned to the dock and lifted her arms outwards towards the heavens. "OKAY THEN MONSTER!" Cassandra's ears perked upwards as she leaned forward. "I KNOW YOU ARE HERE! IF YOU DON'T MIND ME BEING CLICH'E, I CAN FEEL YOUR TWISTED DARKNESS NEAR ME." Cassandra laughed merrily to herself as she watched her Dark Companion move away towards the woman in a sprint. "I DON'T FEAR THE DARK, SO WHY DON'T YOU COME BACK TONIGHT, AND WE'LL MEET FACE TO FACE? WHAT DO YOU SAY?"

The woman looked around as did her cohorts, and it was only a matter of moments before she got her answer. The entire sea port was washed over with a howling wind, the sheer cold bringing the guards and sailors to their knees. The cohorts of the woman all covered themselves in fear as the wind howled deep into their ears. Riding the wind was a primal laughter, a twisted dark chuckle of amusement and madness. The woman with her sword dropped her grin and looked all around to find the source of this twisted dark energy. Unable to locate it the leader of the group bowed to the taunts of Cassandra's Dark Lover.

"See you then..." Cassandra whispered playfully as she turned back towards the hostel.

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra moved between the stalls hastily, shoving the populace of Black Moon out of her way as she grabbed up multiple herbs and roots from the local bazaar, her coins leaving her purse like water from a faucet. She cared not for the cost of the ingredients she grabbed, for what she was gathering was of a far greater importance than mere money.

Stopping a moment she reached her hand into her satchel and pulled out the red leather bound book and untied the facet holding the wisdom within the pages so her eyes may gaze upon them again. She flipped hurriedly through the book, her mind cursing her lazy nature as of late. She really was out of practice and she had scant time to waste at the moment. She had a gut feeling, and that feeling wouldn't go away. rather than fight it she trusted her gut and moved swifter, her nimble fingers dancing across the edge of the pages as she slammed a solitary finger upon the paper and shouted in triumph.

Trailing the page with her finger she murmured the words written before her as she looked into her satchel to make sure each item she uttered was in her possession. After a feeling of satisfaction she slammed the book shut, tying it up and stuffing it into her bag. "One last thing, need the sap from a thicker root...Mostly found according to the book in the choicest restaurants."

Her Darker half looked ominously over her shoulder, laughing in glee when he realized what his better half was up to. He took delight in what he was witnessing and praised Cassandra with whispers of sweet nothings. She smiled to herself, knowing she couldn't publically enjoy his gentle touch to keep suspicions low. With determination she thumbed the book in her satchel before taking off.

The book belonged originally to an Apothecary named Catrina Ferman, a twisted lost soul who delighted in trips to the deepest depths inside her own mind with a dark passenger of her own. She had recorded her research on poisons, potions, and all kinds of wondrous torturing devices into her book, her greatest triumph a potion called Blood Sire. Cassandra had taken the book for herself, her elation in the arts of death grew when she looked upon the pages and she felt a primal howl of excitement from her own dark desires.

Cassandra let the memory the day she claimed the book for herself wash in her mind over and over, increasing her happiness and putting her in a far more pleasant mood than she was normally. She wanted this level of cheeriness before she entered the Restaurant on the edge of town. Luckily for her, Black Moon was just like Black Sun Island and was home to many four and five star restaurants. So locating the final herb she needed would be simple.

Her feet stopped before the front door and Cassandra grinned at the joy. She took a few deep breaths, her chest heaving up and down as she let her heart cool down from all the excitement of what she was planning leave her body. With her confidence set she walked into the marble and shale building, her eyes enjoying the darker atmosphere of the interior.

"Welcome to Sea Cavern, how many in your party?" An attractive man no more than sixteen spoke with a genuine interest, his eyes looking right into Cassandra's own cold hazel orbs.

"None, I have just a request to maybe purchase one of your Radansath Spider roots." Cassandra smiled to the boy and lowered her head a little in an inviting manner, her finger lifting to her lips as she nibbled upon the end of her finger.

"Ermm, um..." The boy looked at her sexual display like one would watch an accident. Knowing better than sit and stare, but unable to look away. "I uh..." Cassandra giggled like a child as she brought her other hand up to the ends of her blond hair, curling her index finger within the strands, her eyes flashing in lust. "Look, lady, I would totally do this for you, but unfortunately I can't. The cooks would get fired for selling their goods."

"But, maybe...just maybe you could bend the rules for little ol me? I promise to make it worth your while..." Her voice trailed off as she breathed lowly, her hand from her hair running down the side of her body resting seductively on her hip.

"Oh my god I should die for this, but I can't. I'm sorry, it's my first day." Cassandra's eyes narrowed into two slits of hate, her mouth twisting in a growl as she stamped her foot turning around. Her Dark Companion grabbed her by the shoulder, his firm grip stopping her from leaving. She opened her ears to listen to her lover, but instead her the boy talking to a bus-girl.

"...I mean really, I would have nailed her all night long and make her scream til the cows come home, but I can't risk this job. My parent's are pissed as is and I can't blow this." The girl flashed a smile and patted him on the shoulder.

"Well, at least your off now. Enjoy your day, I get to close...yippee..." She faked her enthusiasm as she went into the back room. The boy walked with her and Cassandra realized what her lover was saying. She left the building and walked around the side. Her eyes widened in joy, her lips parting into a genuine smile. The back alley was covered with empty crates, boxes, garbage, barrels and other disgusting things. She moved behind a large six foot crate, lifting her sneaking slip from her satchel and wrapping it around her mouth. Her left hand gripped all her hair in one bundle and she tied it into a tight ponytail lifting a small blade from her kit. She waited behind the box patiently and her heart raced when she heard the door open.

"Night Crissy, see you tomorrow!" It was the voice of the boy and his steps echoed in the silence. As he passed the box Cassandra had a clear view to the boys back and it was a matter of moments before she upon him, her right around his throat, her left hand holding the dagger to his cheek.

"Your work clothes, where are they?" The boy tossed his burlap bag before him. Cassandra smiled as she whispered low and sweet into his ear. "Thanks cutie, now that I won't get blood on those we can test to see if your screams will make the cows come home." Her blade pentrated his cheek, and she pulled outwards ripping into his flesh before it escaped out the front of his mouth. The boy screamed in agony, his cries filling the air for a brief moment, then he gurgled his cries, this mouth filling with blood. Cassandra released the teenager, laughing wildly as she kicked him to the dirt.

"You really should watch what you say," Cassandra drove the knife deep into his back ripping into his lungs over and over. "You," blood flew upwards and splattered the ground. "Never," More crimson droplets flew behind her. "Know," up and down, up and down the blade cleaved into his flesh. "Who...Is...Listening!" She grunted as she ripped the blade upwards into the air flicking the blood into the sun.

The boy's eyes were wide in shock, his tongue hanging out the giant cut in his cheek. His entire body was hunched in the fetal position, and he never even put up a fight. She grabbed his legs and dragged his carcass behind the empty crates placing his body inside and then sliding another in its place to keep the body hidden.

"Well, that was fun..." Cassandra muttered grabbing the work clothes and changing while leaving the body to rot.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The inside of the restaurant was busier than a beehive as waiters, bussers, and chefs moved about. Cassandra felt very free in the baggy clothing she wore, doing her best to keep her profile low from suspicious eyes. Her dark companion kept one gentle hand on her shoulder, following her and giving her support in this part of her plan.

Passing a few set up counters and cooks, Cassandra found the closet with all the food that the eatery carried inside. Cassandra moved towards the closet with determination as her feet moved silently, her eyes darting side to side for any signs of some unwanted attentions. Just as she was about to place her fingers on the cool metal door handle a voice rang out.

“Excuse me, but you are not allowed inside that room. That’s for the executive chef only. If you need supplies you need to clear it with her.” A cook called out pointing a filet knife at Cassandra as he spoke. Cassandra cursed to herself her rotten luck as she turned looking for the head chef of the kitchen.

Despite her more morbid hobbies Cassandra had a knack for cooking as well. While not the greatest chef in the world she figured she was handy when it came to making meals. It was one of the only human things that intrigued her, but as always it was for far more twisted reasons than just curiosity. She loved how delicate one had to be when cutting with a knife. How precise everything had to be, and that one wrong move could ruin an entire meal. Just like her twisted desires she had to cook meticulously. It was also how she learned more of her advanced cutting techniques.

“Where is the big wig anyway?” Cassandra called back to the man who caught her. “I got a very rare order for Fillet Mignon with Spider Root sauce.” The chef shrugged as he continued his cutting, looking down the line at the other cooks.

“What station you working right now?” He asked narrowing his eyes upon Cassandra in suspicion. “We got a full crew right now and I have never seen you before.” Cassandra’s heart began to beat faster, but her nerves remained calm as this wasn’t the first verbal jousting contest she had the irritation of being in.

“Tonight I’m on meats. I was hired a week ago and I traveled all the way from Emprea.” Cassandra lied as she moved forwards to the man and his station. “I’m guessing you were the one I was supposed to study under.” The man looked at her with more suspicious eyes as he dropped his knife, picking up a white towel and wiping his hands with it.

“Emprea huh? I’m looking at the orders and I don’t see any order for the Spider Root sauce, and why would you be grabbing it anyway if your on meats?” He asked glaring into her Hazel eyes. Cassandra felt the grip tighten on her shoulder and she let out a shallow breath as she met his gaze back.

“Because in my old kitchen we didn’t start the delicate meats until the sauce was started. It invigorates the taste buds if the spider root is hot when served.” The chef nodded in agreement, but still didn’t drop his stare. His eyes were emerald green and he pierced deeper into Cassandra’s mind it seemed as he pointed to her bag.

“Did you bring your utensils?” Cassandra smirked as she reached into her bag. Just as she was about to bring out the Filet knife she felt her Dark Lover increase his grip upon her shoulder, a hiss entering her ear as she opened her eyes wide in shock. She took a careful look into her bag and realized the knife she was about to bring out was covered in blood. She noticed that her dagger she used earlier to kill the boy was leaking from the excess amount of blood she had forgotten to clean off.

“You look like you saw a ghost. Come on, you mean to tell me you forgot the most important things to a chef?” Cassandra looked back to him and smiled lowly, lifting the blade up and wiping it against the side of her bag, the blood wiping off, but still a slight stain covered it. As she lifted it up for him to see her fingers covered the spots racked with blood. The man eyed the blade from afar, and smiled to her.

“I take it now this little test is over with?” The man nodded walking towards Cassandra, his hand reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a tiny dagger and his teeth were showing brightly. Cassandra’s eyes opened in alarm, her mouth slowly gaping open.

“Ya, you failed the test. There was one detail I knew you forgot.” He said sternly. “I’m the Executive Chef if this establishment. But then again, if you weren’t lying you would know that.” He said full of venom, his voice kept low so only she would hear it. “You got a lot of nerve coming in thinking to steal my spider root from me. That’s expensive stuff and you wouldn’t be the first to try and take it from my storage room. Which restaurant sent you? Was it The Pravada, The Eclipse, The Hunter’s Catch?” Cassandra looked into his eyes as her Dark Companion giggled with delight.

A little awkward for you to laugh, isn’t it? Cassandra thought in irritation. But as she watched him approach she noticed something that she nearly missed if not for her Lover. You always did have a sharp eye, my love. Cassandra smiled as she looked at the man, now a few feet from her.

“You got one chance to leave,” He said sternly. “Or else I’ll kill you now.” Cassandra looked to him and began to laugh softly before a vile smile covered her lips.

“You idiot.” She cooed in delight. “You don’t have what it takes to kill me.” The chef gave her a dirty look before he lifted the dagger higher. “Stop it, really. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“How do you plan to do that?” His mouth opened in curiosity as he eyed her suspiciously making Cassandra laugh a little louder.

“Your hand is shaking you fool!” She pointed to the quivering body part on the chef. He yelped in surprise, willing his nerves to steady. But instead the nerves only went hay wire, his hand shaking uncontrollably. “Besides,” Cassandra’s tone was seductive and low as she spoke, her fingers sliding down the blade to reveal the blood on her blade. “I already have what it takes to kill as you can see…need more proof, why don’t you look in my satchel of toys.” The chef took a moment to regain his composure, his brow sweating with anticipation as he took a peak. There in the bag he was able to see the bloodied dagger she used earlier. He recoiled at once, his back stiff with fear.

“What, what is going on?” Cassandra watched as he squirmed, delighted that the fool wasn’t screaming for help. He feared the power exuding from her and because of it she didn’t have a headache on her hand at the moment.

“Simple, open the door, grab me one spider root, and I’ll leave you be. That’s all. I don’t work for some rival establishment, I just have a high taste in quality items. So, be a good boy and get it for me.” The Executive chef obeyed her, his hands fumbling for the key and tripping as he tried to swing it open. He went into the abyss of the darkness returning with one milk white root in his hand. He tossed it into the bag with the dagger and Cassandra smiled turning to leave. Before she left she asked one burning question. “How did you know?” She tilted her head to look at the chef and he remained quiet. “How did you know I was faking it?”

“It was really easy, actually.” He said carefully as he looked at her with careful glances. “It’s because you are wearing a waiters uniform, not a cooks.” Cassandra looked at her clothes and her mind cursed every word she could recall as she realized how stupid she was.

“Sometimes I swear I just leave my mind at home…” She whispered in irritation as she walked towards the door, the other chefs looking at the two with odd glances. She stopped looking at the filet knife on the table that belonged to the executive chef. “Nice…don’t mind if I do…” She scooped up the blade and tossed it into her bag walking out the door, laughing to herself as she watched each confused pair of eyes watch her leave.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The sun was fast setting as Cassandra wailed about in her room, beakers and vials all sitting in the tub of iced water. She had asked for specific temperatures of glasses and buckets of ice to be brought from the kitchen, and paid a hefty price for such labors, but it was all worth it to her. This was a perfect chance to test her skills in chemistry with a specialized poison called Twilight. She kept referencing the book of Catrina Ferman and making sure each and every detail was followed exactly as she worked. One mistake and the poison was ruined.

The Spider Root was drained of it's few precious drops and mixed with a cup of boiling water, the blood of a human, and the additions of various herbs she had gathered from the bazaar. She took a whiff of the concoction and her body wretched back in disgust, her eyes darting to the book. She sighed in relief. It was supposed to reek according to the notes. She read ahead a few steps and looked to the sun that was emitting an orange glow now. A sign that the sunset was getting closer and her time was running out.

The next step she had to consider was the ever present threat that her batch would spoil before she could send it off to the right connections. Given the books conditions, which Cassandra realized were impossible for her to recreate in a hostel, gave her two hours tops before the poison would be unusable. Being extra cautious Cassandra gave herself only and hour tops before the brew spoiled.

With a careful hand she lifted the boiling hot cup up and gently lowered it into the iced water. Should she drop the cup in too fast the glass would break or crack from the temperature difference. Should she go too slow and the poison wouldn't chill in time. Her hands shook and she began to curse her human emotions, wishing to cast them aside. But try as she might she knew she was nervous and because of it her hands trembled in anticipation.

Her mind raced with devilish thoughts, tragic outcomes, and worst case scenarios and she couldn't stop from trembling. Her heart raced as she held the cup watching the liquid jump and down dangerously close to the verge of spilling outwards. Her eyes slanted narrowly as she willed her body to stop this foolishness. The Twilight jumped in her hands and her arms reached out to grab it, cursing to herself as she held the poison carefully.

Just in time she felt a cold, firm hand grab her shoulders and she felt herself melt at the touch. The hand moved up and began groping her mind, her eyes closing in elation at the chilling, seductive touch of her dark lover. Her hands slowly stopped trembling as she relaxed in her lovers grip, and her Dark Companion whispered sweet nothings to her as she smiled opening her eyes.

The cup was submerged all the way to the tip, a green color starting to form in the mixture. My love, I shouldn't move. Cassandra thought sweetly. Could you check the recipe for me? She felt the grip leave her mind, but remain firmly on her shoulder. After a moment a twisted laughter filled her ear and she smiled. She got up looking at her mix.

"Okay, time to change and get this out. We take center stage in one hour!" Cassandra said triumphantly looking at Twilight. The green was a deadly dark aura surrounding the blue interior and she cooed with delight at the triumph she had created.

Wasting little time she changed her clothes into her sneaking suit and walked out into the hallway, her satchel full of all her belongings as she left the room for the final time.

Her mouth slid into a sly smile as she saw the sun set, an omen of the few hours before she met with her playmate.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The sun faded into the mountains far off the Black Archipelago as the townspeople began to turn in for the night. Sailors still moved in and out of taverns, singing and enjoying their shore leave in drunken abandonment as they walked the streets. Bazaars were closing their tiny shops, placing covers and locking up their goods, packing up and calling it a day to go home to their families or join the sailors in the pursuit of happiness at the bottom of a bottle.

It was easy for Cassandra to slip in and out of the people, walking like any normal person would. She kept her mask off to keep doubters away as she made her way towards the shipyards. The distinct tang of the salty sea air slapped her mouth and she knew she was close. With a heavy breath she slipped between two buildings, lifting her mask up over her nose as she slid silently to the eastern docks. She waited a few moments, her body urging her to move swifter as she figured she had already wasted fifteen minutes of her time to get to the docks. With only an hour to deliver her poison she had to make every second count.

Her lips parted into a grin as she saw a few sailors get detained by the dock patrols and she took her chance darting in the fast coming darkness behind a few crates and moving silently down as far as she could go before she dropped down into a crouch, her ears perking up. The creaking of wood caught her attention and she watched the two sailors walk by, their feet pounding the wooden docks as they made their way down the bridge to the shipyard.

With cat like grace Cassandra stalked the two making sure to time her steps with theirs and staying back five steps. When they rounded a corner Cassandra went the opposite way. Her eyes closed and she began to concentrate on the mental blue prints she made of this place from the first time she came. After a moment she continued down the path and turned by a group of emptied barrels and saw the meeting place between the woman and the Black Rose mafia. Off in the edge of the shipyard was an average sized ship, usually a good size for a large family yacht or business liner, and one of the men from the confrontation the night before was standing in the shadows, his eyes scanning the area.

Cassandra moved as close as she could, bringing one of the smaller barrels with her as she did. It dragged against the wood leaving deep gashes on the weathered oak but not much noise emitted from the act. As soon as Cassandra felt suffienctly close by she looked to see the sentry still alone with his eyes scanning a different area. With a deep breath she tilted the barrael over watching it roll down the docks before splashing into the ocean on the other side.

Like clock work the figure lifted his hood, running outwards towards the sound and Cassandra took the opportunity sprinting as she did so, lifting her shall up to cover her hair. She darted up the boarding plank, her feet bouncing on the flexible wooden frame and she rolled off to the left leaning her back against the railing. She waited to catch her breath, not bothering to peak and see if she was caught. At this point it would have done no good anyway.

When her breath caught up she looked to the sun. The last vestiges of the light was nearly gone and she cursed coming to the conclusion that at the least thirty minutes had passed. She crawled on her hands and feet until she reached the inside the boat where she stood back to her full height. She looked around and saw nobody standing by. By the look of the boat it was large enough for four shipmates, the captain, and then one or two rooms for storage. One of those room held Kane she concluded.

With a careful watch of her surroundings she walked past three doors to a set of stairs that led to a lower deck. She carefully looked down to see three locked doors. One of them was Kane, the other was storage, the final was one of the shipmates rooms. One wrong twist of a knob and this journey was finished. She approached each door in turn listening for any sounds. The first door was silent, the second had rustling of somebody moving around and the final was silent save for a soft breathing.

She cursed her luck. Two options were available. Kane was either the man breathing in the room, or it was a thug sleeping. Considering her options she figured the best case scenario was the man was asleep and she could softly close the door. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a hairpin. Holding her breath she tested the door fidning the knob twisting gently in her hand. She removed her hand, turning to the other door.

It would have made no sense to leave Kane unlocked in a room and she tried the other door. It was locked. She played around with the hairpin and heard the click of satisfaction, her dark companion whispering into her ear. She opened the door and her eyes gazed upon Kane. Well, what was left of the man.

"You look like hell," Cassandra said disgusted. "Honestly, it is what you get for being captured you idiot." Kane's head lifted from his chest, a gag in his mouth. His feet began to rustle around trying to move. His shirt was ripped apart and blood leaked from a series of lacerations and deep cuts. Cassandra looked at the sloppiness they left, ruining the scars she left behind on Kane. She gripped his face in her hand, resting her hand on his jaw as she looked him in the eyes. She removed the gag and spoke in a darkened sinister tone. "Answer me truthfully puppet,"

"I didn't scream, I didn't give them what they wanted." He muttered loudly. Cassandra grabbed his hair and pulled it back, looking at the cuts on Kane's neck and cursing.

"Shut up and answer my questions, Kane." She released his head. "What did they do to you?" Kane's eyes looked to Cassandra's and she saw in them a look of bitter fear. Resentment and agony looked right into her soul and she smiled looking at the handiwork of her own demented hands.

"Nothing I haven't experienced before. They just cut me and licked the blood like savages. Yet no matter how much they cut I didn't scream. Their commander ordered them not to kill me. Not until tonight." Cassandra sighed in relief.

"Good, then I can go ahead and give this to you." Cassandra picked up the vial of Twilight and ripped Kane's mouth open with her fingers, dropping every last drop into his mouth. Kane began to gurgle and Cassandra slapped him hard, holding his face tilting it back. "Swallow it all Kane!"

Kane gulped it down and looked to her, his eyes brimming with tears. "What, what did you give me?" He asked. "Is this some potion?"

"No you idiot, it's a poison. I had to make sure you weren't going to die before I gave it to you." Kane's eyes exploded out in shock and rage, before he wretched over in pain, coughing up blood.

"Why?" He said weakly. "Had I not been loyal?" He looked up to her with bloodshot eyes. She smiled in excitement, watching the poison go to work. She wasn't late after all.

Not even bothering to answer Kane, Cassandra turned on her heel and walked out of the room, shutting the door on her partner with a devilish grin on her face.

[Requiem of Insanity]

At long last the night had fully arrived and Cassandra sat upon the highest crate looking at the moon with lustful, wanting eyes. She dangled her feet back and forth like a small child as she waited whimsically for the woman to appear in on the docks before her tiny boat. Until then Cassandra just let the moon call t her as her Dark Companion soothed her with sweet words of nothings.

At the peak of the moons accent to the heavens a lone figure stepped out into the eastern docks, the casual demeanor in the way they walked could be none other than the woman that Cassandra sought for. With a deft leap she landed on her feet, lowering her mash to under her chin as she walked forward to the top of the bridge connecting to the edge of the eastern docks. The wood creaked with her steps, but Cassandra couldn't care less about being caught at this moment.

The wind blew at them both, small bumps rising on Cassandra's skin as she stopped at the tip of the bridge.

"So, you came." Her playmate shouted to her. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lilith Cadaver." She bowed low as she introduced herself looking up with a toothy sly grin. "And you might be?"

"Cassandra Remi," She replied with earnest joviality. "I am pleased to meet you. I am amazed at your skill with that sword. Such lethal cuts." Lilith patted her blade on the hilt, resting her arms upon it.

"I call it Butcher's Bill. It has cut many a body part." Cassandra laughed with joy, hearing her toy's dark intent behind the honeyed words. No doubt Lilith wanted to add Cassandra's limbs to the Butchers Bill's tally.

"Well, I guess this is the part where I tell you that I plan to kill you and you to my collection of prized kills. But sadly I must inform you I don't keep score of what I do. Could you imagine lugging around all that? No you couldn't is my guess. I just kill and move on. After a while you will be forgotten. Just like everyone else." Lilith broke into a chuckle as she looked to Cassandra. Her eyes were scarlet red and shone marvelously into the night sky.

"Just so you know, I got your idiot Kane locked up. Any wrong moves and my men will kill him. So with that said-" Cassandra lifted a single hand, her mirth unable to be contained as she laughed. Lilith lowered her gaze keeping a scrupulous eye on her foe.

"Please, stop. Kane means nothing to me. In fact I broke in earlier today and gave him poison." Lilith's eyes widened in confusion as she nervously glanced back to the boat. "I had to be quick, but...oh well I hate suspense so let's just get it all out at once." Cassandra pointed to the boat and began her tail.

"You see, I first began to notice the day we first met that your men had an interesting quality. A quality that few people share nowadays. The art of licking and drinking the blood of your foes is a little ancient for a group of thugs. I noticed your men did it again with my puppet, Kane, and I started thinking to myself. Why would your group drink blood, unless it was a vital part of your lives.

'Naturally, I figured it was silly to think this at first, but then again you made it very clear that you would only come out to play at night. Why not call me out then and there? I was confused as all hell, that was until, I noticed that sun rose not more than thirty minutes after you challenged me. Now, let's recap shall we? You drink the blood of your foes, and you only play at night. You getting this? Because I hate repeating myself." Cassandra's lips parted into a rueful smile as she looked at the terror in Lilith's eyes. Taking a moment to enjoy the look she continued on lifting the book of Catrina Ferman up into her hand.

"I happen to own a very useful book for my hobby. This book contains many pages of unique poisons, potions, and methods of torture. I happened to have been reading the night before I arrived at Black Moon and I came across a poison referred to as Twilight. Now for the fun part, if you can keep up that is." Lilith's eyes looked at Cassandra, her hand resting upon her blade, but her curiosity was clearly evident as she twitched her neck, motioning for Cassandra to continue.

"You truly are a professional, thank you." Cassandra bowed. "Twilight is a unique poison that must be formulated under very careful conditions and any error will ruin the whole batch. However, when its done you can't introduce it into a food or liquid or you just ruined the poison. Instead you need to have a host drink the liquid, or in my case, shove it down the throat of the host."

"Is there a point where I should give a shit about this?" Lilith interrupted lifting her blade up into the air. Cassandra gave her a dirty look, continuing her speech as if nothing happened.

"When the poison is introduced into the blood stream, it spreads quickly and the host becomes infected with the blood. With the infected bloodstream that person actually creates a specialized immunity to Vampire bites. And should the blood of the victim be sucked by a vampire, their blood stream will get a lethal toxin that targets their very unique cellular structure. It creates duplicates of the cells and modifies the genetic code, creating new cells. These cells are exactly identical to the original cells they bred from, but there is a very deadly difference."

A large howl of anguish and agony filled the air, followed by three other howls of pain and torment causing Lilith to look to her boat. Upon the deck were her loyal bodyguards, all writhing in pain in the moonlight. "YOU BITCH! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Lilith howled in rage as her warriors died before her very eyes.

"The difference in the two cells is that one cell structure is harmed by sunlight, the other is harmed by Moonlight...In the Twilight hours is the only safe time to walk the earth. Thus, Twilight." Cassandra's voice teetered on the edge of seductive vindication as she looked to her success, her Dark Companion howling to the night with sadistic glee. Lilith turned to Cassandra with wrathful eyes, her blade held loose in her hand. She recklessly charged up the bridge with her blade behind her trailing on the ground. Cassandra watched her come at her and waited with bated breath until the last moment, ducking low and slamming a dagger into Lilith's upper thigh.

The Butcher's Bill slammed into the wood, a mere hair's length from taking off the skin of Cassandra's back, digging deep into the soggy, weathered oak. With the dagger in her leg Cassandra rolled to her left, Lilith trying to hoist the large blade out of the wood with one hand, the other hand trying to remove the dagger. Cassandra moved swiftly behind her prey, leaping like a jungle cat onto her back wrapping her arms around the neck and face of her target.

Lilith howled into the night with rage, but her cries were muffled with Cassandra's arm. Letting go of the Butcher's Bill, Lilith reached for Cassandra head, trying to lift her over her shoulders. When that wouldn't work she saw a large crate at the opposite end. She hobbled on one foot, her speed still fast despite her wound, and turned to slam Cassandra against the wooden frame. Cassandra's feet rotated out and she caught the balls of her feet flat on the crate. She let the body push her knees in and then she used all her might to push off the crate. The body lurched forward, Lilith's mouth screaming in pain as her muscles ripped where the dagger was, her head slamming into to the wet shipyard dock. Cassandra changed her position to a seated one, tightening her grip around the neck with her new leverage.

Within moments Lilith stopped flailing around, her body motionless. Cassandra looked to the moon, her breath heavy as she did so. "Gods I miss doing that."

[Requiem of Insanity]

"You're probably wondering why you are here." A sinister voice taunted from the darkness, a soft chuckle whispering into the ear of the woman on the table. Her eyes fluttered open, her mouth opening in a large O shape as her head rolled from side to side.

"Who said that?" She called out into the night. "Don't think I can't see you over there!" The woman's red eyes locked onto a corner in the darkly lit room, soft echoes of footsteps walking forward upon the wooden floor creating a distinct tap tap sound with each step. The woman locked her eyes onto the cold, harsh hazel orbs of the woman before her. A scowl crossed her features as she snarled in rage. "Cassandra Remi." She gathered spit into her gullet before letting it rip out into the darkened room. The wad of mucus hit Cassandra's chest, causing the woman to smile in glee as if amused at the turn of events.

"Was there ever any doubt, Lilith?" Cassandra asked lightly, her tone full of succulent honey as each syllable dripped with mirth. She produced a long Titanium blade, a fillet knife, from the back of her suit showing her dazziling smile as she approached her new playmate.

"What do you intend to do with me, you bitch?" Lilith's scorn made her eyebrows lower above her eyelids, her mouth fixed into a grimace of anger.

"Ugh," Cassandra sat upon a chair next to Lilith, sighing loudly as she looked to her prey with disgust as if something soured her fun. "Do you know what? This night is special."Cassandra's gaze lifted to the ceiling as her eyes closed lightly. "Tonight was a mark of many different wondrous things." Lilith's mouth snarled back as she retorted full of spite and venom.

"Whoop dee fucking doo!" Lilith's eyes kept upon Cassandra's as she tested her arms and legs. The sound of multiple chains rattled loudly and Cassandra opened her eyes looking down upon the woman with a large grin of triumph.

"I took the liberty of placing extra chains on you tonight. I hope you understand that given your nature as a vampire I had to make sure you were adequately restrained for the festivities." The vampire Lilith roared in challenge, her arms pushing upwards agaisnt her bonds as she gritted her teeth trying to be free. Cassandra's eyes lit up with excitment as she cooed like a newborn baby, delight covering every feature of her face.

About a minute later Lilith gave up realizing she wasn't going anywhere. Her eyes darted to her captor, with a little less aggression and a tad more fear. "Why are you doing this to me?" Lilith asked. "What made you think I deserved this? You killed my finest men, you made a mockery of me and most of all you look like you had no care for me from the start!"

"Well," Cassandra lifted a single finger tapping it upon her lips. "In the end I guess I never really cared at all. In the end this was never about you so much as it was about me." Lilith's eyes widened at the news, which caused Cassandra to tilt her head back laughing.

"What the fuck?" Lilith's body recoiled against the chains that bound her as she tried to get free. "You are killing people for no reason at all?" Cassandra's laugh died out after a few more breaths as she stood up walking over to the corner of the room, her hand reaching for a few utensils of her craft. She returned holding a potato peeler, a butcher's knife and a second fillet knife.

"Oh I have a reason. It's twisted and contorted to bend to my own desires, but in the end I do have a reason." Cassandra assured her as she began to sharpen her blades above Lilith's stomach. Metal clashed against metal in a symphony of madness and Lilith's body trembled in anticipation of the oncoming pain. "Like I said earlier: Tonight was a celebration of many things. You were the first victim I actually stalked on my own without Kane since I killed my father. Tonight was the first breakthrough in using a successful poison. Tonight was never about the hunt for somebody worthy, or somebody strong or twisted. No, tonight was about getting back into the habit. I have grown stale and my muscles haven't felt this invigorated in a long while."

She lowered her fillet knife to the stomach, her tongue licking her lips as she took a shallow breath cutting the tip of her navel. She rotated the blade expertly, stopping with each convulsion before cutting into the flesh again making a near perfect circle. Blood dripped down the sides of Lilith's hip and onto the wooden floor, making the dripping sound like rain on a window. Lilith's mouth opened in agony, but she didn't scream. Cassandra's eyes narrowed as she lifted the skin up to the Lilith's face.

"No, tonight was sadly not about the deeds you have done, or even about really making you cry out in atonement for all that you regret. A bonus if you did however!" She smiled tossing the skin onto the face of Lilith. She shook her head wildly, her face a crimson mask of red gore. "I couldn't care less about who you are, or what atrocities you have committed. Tonight is just for me," Cassandra felt a dark primal laughter fill the room, causing Lilith to tremble in fear as a solitary tear fell down the side of her face. "Oh, and of course it's also for my Dark Companion. My demented, darling, lover." Cassandra's hands lifted another near perfect circle of skin she grabbed from Lilith's upper thigh.

Grabbing her potato peeler she slowly began to work shaving away the edges of her nose, and after she broke past the first line of skin her ears began to hear the soft rumble of terror inside her playmate. As she lifted back the potato peeler she lifted up her butcher's knife. She aimed it expertly and cut off Lilith's right ear. Her mouth let out a cry of shock and pain, but she still didn't scream. Her mind began to get irritated, but she calmed her nerves on her own accord.

Suddenly she realized what he had to do, going into the darkness again and grabbing a few articles of cloth, and two small pins. She placed the clothing just behind her victim's head propping it up. The pins she placed on her eyelids, forcing them to remain open as she moved over to her chest. With a savage, yet seductive look she lifted the fillet knife again and began to carve the inside of her thighs. Lilith's mouth quivered open, grunts of agitation and rage escaping her lips.

Than, with one last seductive look to Lilith she began to work on what she really intended to. With a careful, precise hand she lifted up on the outer lip of her vaginal opening and slowly began to cut at it. As she continued to cut deeper and deeper, tossing the dead skin aside she grabbed her potato peeler and got back to work, shaving her vagina right before Lilith's eyes.

It was then that Lilith's mouth opened, a heart stopping wail of terror and agony crying out into the night. Cassandra's lips parted into a wild grin, her Dark Desires laughing into Lilith's ear the entire time causing her to scream louder and louder.

What a beautiful sound...

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra whimsically walked around the cabins of the boat, her mind at ease and her attentions focused on the sweet nothings whispered by her twisted lover. She cooed at his words, wrapping her arms around her chest as if holding him. Further down into the boat she went until she stopped at the door where Kane was held. With a sad heavy sigh she opened the door.

Upon the floor laying in the fetal position was Kane, his body bruised, battered and broken with blood pooling all around him. He had many make shift bandages tied around himself as he trembeled from the loos of life fluid. Cassandra looked at her puppet with admiration. Twilight hosts only had a twenty percent chance to live. Being tattered and torn to the brink of death couldn't have made those odds any better.

"You are quite the stubborn ass, aren't you, Kane?" Cassandra said soothingly leaning against the door. Kane's body took a moment as it recoiled in fear, before a few shakey limbs began to stir. His head turned to face Cassandra and a mixture of fear and hope filled his soul.

"I would be hardly of any use to you dead." Kane replied weakly.

"True, I remember telling you that a long time ago. It's good you listened well. Can you walk on your own?" she asked with no general tone of concern. She simply was assessing how much a pain in the ass her broken puppet was going to be. If he would be to much a burden for her she would just snip his strings and leave him for the wolves without much care.

Kane took a hesitant moment to gather his strength. His bloodied arms shook violently as he tried to use his own weight to lift himself, but after reaching a fraction of the way up he collapsed. "My spirit is willing, but my body is frail." The look in Kane's eyes said it all. He knew he was as good as dead if his mistress wouldn't help him. Cassandra regarded the situation and sighed with annoyance as she walked over and helped her partner up to his feet.

"You are a real hassle, you know that?" Her voice was thick with venom as she glared daggers into the back of Kane's head. His body gave one involuntary spasm, his hand reaching out to grab hold of Cassandra. Then, with quick reflexes he began to walk. It wasn't very fast, but it was on his own. "Come, Kane, we have places to go and people to kill." Kane nodded weakly as he marched behind her, his limping causing pain with each step. He ignored the pain, however, using all his will power to keep from fading to unconsciousness.

"They spoke of their employer, a woman by the name of Rhianna Griffon. A crime boss of some renown off the borders of Carthage and Emprea who hired these thugs of vampire mercenaries to send a message to the dom of Black Rose." Cassandra's face turned to a scowl of irritation as she heard the news.

"How utterly useless," She spat scornfully. "I hate being used as a pawn. Even if it was unwillingly." Cassandra stopped looking down at the blade of Lilith, the Butcher's Bill. She eyed the blade carefully and decided with a shrug to grab the blade hoisting it over her shoulder.

"Do you plan to take up the sword now?" Kane asked in admiration.

"No I don't. But it is heavy and sharp. Maybe I can use it as a new toy for my next playmate." She replied shifting her weight around. "Okay Kane, we make sail for Carthage and march to the border lines. I am very interested in this Rhianna character and I suspect I'll need your help on this one." Her feet marched out into the cold of the morning air, the sun barely getting ready to creep over the edge of the distant mountains.

"What of the leader? Did you kill her?" Kane asked as he looked to Cassandra with a worried glance. Cassandra turned on her heels to look directly at Kane, her annoyance at Kane's questions and sudden character a clear indication of the cause of her anger. Kane lowered his head and eyes to the ground and she could see the conflict within his soul begin all over again. Hmm, it seems he can grow more confident when I am not around...better not leave him unattended for long. She thought.

"I left the window open, and she's going to get a front row seat to her last Sunrise. Hopefully she'll enjoy the serenity of the moment. That is, if she can do so without screaming in agony and torment." Cassandra finsihed with a sly, vile grin on her face.

The last two days had been great practice for Cassandra, but now that she had gotten back into the swing of it, she planned to go back to her old ways. Lilith and her men were unlucky pawns, but as it was in chess, the pawns never mattered. It was the one controlling the pieces. Rhianna Griffon seemed to have promise as a potential playmate, and when she thought about going after her she could hear the trace whispers of sadistic glee from her Dark Companion.

Her eyes looked at the rising sunlight and she smiled. What a nice day.

[Lord Anglekos]

Back in the Habit
You requested a speedy judgment, and I came a calling. I shall do the full rubric, but with very limited commentary; I got the feeling you did this more for the character development than your actual writing. Still, if there is anything you have a problem with or you would like to discuss with me, direct me a private message or AIM at blackdecadence19.
This was an interesting read. I haven't read or role played a sadistic character in a long time, so this was a refreshing throwback to the good old days as my rapist/cannibal. I would like to note that you played your character extremely well, and applaud at the fact of you explaining and gathering the materials to make the Twilight poison. This felt more like the part of a larger story than just an Althanas thread.
But anyways, onto the judging.

STORY

Continuity: 5
You did not give me much info as to why she was where she was, and having to look back through previous threads and your character profile in order to figure things out was irritating. However, you got better as the story progressed, leaving me with a clear indication as to your character's next intentions and whereabouts. Remember, as in the words of Lust from Full Metal Alchemist: Where have I come from? Where will I go? And why am I here?

Setting: 7
I liked your interactions with the objects in each post, but I felt you could have done more description with it for a clearer mental picture. Nonetheless, good job.

Pacing: 7
This was good as well, although at some points this fell, especially during the chef scene. It felt very forced, and really unnecessary to the story. But otherwise it was, like the setting, well done.

CHARACTER

Dialogue: 7.5
I got a good feeling for your characters through their dialogue, and you did a good job of showing me just how psychotic Lilith and Cassandra were in the beginning through it. This sort of fell off near the last few posts, and at a couple points I felt their dialogue awkward, but it was mostly entertaining to read. I especially liked Cass's thought when Kane left; "You idiot, Kane...I thought you would know the world is not enough." The way she thought this showed just how deep her psychosis went.

Action: 4.5
This was, unfortunately, hurt by your Continuity and thus Clarity was also affected. As I didn't understand just what was going at first, it was hard to keep up with their actions. Once I read through your profile, things made perfect and clear sense, but beforehand it was extremely difficult.

Persona: 9
Your best category. Even before reading up on Cassandra I knew just what kind of woman she was just from her writing, and the way you played your NPC's was both entertaining and mesmerizing. There were a couple points where you could have done better, but since I would have to go through and literally nitpick those spots I think this score is well earned.

WRITING STYLE

Mechanics: 4.5
You misspelled a few things and/or used the wrong spelling, such as "peak" instead of "peek" or "your" instead of "you're", noticeably more as the thread drew to a close. At the very end it was better, but posts 6-10 had some obvious grammatical errors.

Technique: 6.5
You gave me a good idea as to the story and characters through this, but there were spots where how you wrote things felt halting and stumbling. Christoph wrote it best himself in his Judging Rubric for the ToC: "You are comfortable with your style, and know well enough to give it a more oomph where you deem it necessary. However, some of your literary devices either do not come across the way you intended to or completely backfire. Some passages of your writing could do better with more, while others seem a bit excessive. The flow of your writing, though clear and usually fluid, can at times feel tedious."

Clarity: 4
I think we've already gone over this enough. Overall it was fine, but the lack of information in the beginning was disconcerting.

WILDCARD: 8
It was an enjoyable thread to read despite the problems here and there, and while you have spots you can improve in it seems you are comfortable with how you write; I appreciate that in a writer, and even more, a fellow role-player. Bravo.

Final Score: 63/100
Requiem of Insanity gets 700 EXP and 0 GP, as requested. She also gets the dehlar blade Butcher's Bill and is free to do with it as she does fit.

[Taskmienster]

Exp added!

Requiem is level 2!