Topic: Damsel in Distress

Faerie · Date: 2013-06-19 20:22 EST

Encouraged by the turn-around in Kasimira's mood, though not her physical health, Ishmerai thought it was time for a short visit to Faerie to report to Lady Nerissa. He proposed it to Mira over breakfast, "I thought I might go and report to your grandmother tomorrow."

Kasimira's appetite still wasn't what it had been or should be. Her hand stilled in playing with her eggs, "Why can you not just send a missive?" She tried to sound casual. She tried to sound like she didn't care. The idea that Ishmerai was going away, however, made her feel like the tentative grasp she had on reality could quickly fall to pieces again.

"No. It would contain too much sensitive information," he explained in a measured tone, watching her carefully for any signs of cracks. "There are some things we need to discuss, anyways."

"Oh. Of course." She was so distracted by this idea and the mad thoughts it started in her brain, she did not even ask what "other things" he had to discuss with her grandmother.

"I thought perhaps that you could stay with your brother," he attempted to interrupt her thoughts and regain her attention.

She blinked, "What?"

"With your brother, Brian' I thought maybe you could stay with him while I was gone."

"Oh," she frowned a little. "I guess that could work." She knew it was meant to keep her out of trouble, that it could be a good thing. "I could do that, I suppose." Yet, she had no intention of doing so. She couldn't be in that house with the twins running around without being painfully reminded of who was not with them"her own children.

He eyed her suspiciously, "Maybe we could go over there today to make the arrangements."

She pressed her lips together. She knew if she allowed Brian and Ishmerai to talk, that they would keep her under lock and key while he was gone. That was decidedly against the plan forming in her head. The idea of Ishmerai going away certainly made her nervous, but it also gave her the opportunity for freedom: freedom to indulge in whatever melancholy or destructive behavior she wished without feeling guilty about it. "No, I wanted to go and look at some potential houses today. I will go over to the compound tomorrow after you leave.?

He agreed reluctantly. Ishmerai couldn't disagree without calling her an outright liar, which he knew she was. Still, he had every intention of sending a note to Lord Ravenlock all the same, asking him to keep an eye on his sister if possible. He hoped that the man who had known what trouble his sister was as a younger lady would understand that she was just as much trouble, if not more so, today.

Faerie · Date: 2013-06-19 20:22 EST

Kasimira saw Ishmerai off with many promises on his side that he would be back as soon as possible, several on her side that she would go to Brian at once, and one half pleading half threatening reminder from him, "Just....don't do anything stupid. Please?"

She pretended to act offended when she knew his request came out of loving concern, and she parted with a kiss to his cheek and a final reassurance that she would attempt not to get into any unnecessary trouble. Once he was gone, though, she went traipsing off into the city like a kid set free from her babysitter. It wasn't that she felt confined with Ishmerai present, and she also didn't have to censor herself in front of him by any means. But the city wasn't quite the same when she wasn't on her own. She wasn't quite the same when she wasn't on her own. As self-destructive as she had become over the last year, she was continually kept in check by Ishmerai. Now, even though she had shown remarkable improvement over the last few weeks, she could indulge in much darker thoughts than she felt free to before.

She did not seek out Brian and Jenai at the compound, did not lock herself away in her hotel room. Instead, she abandoned herself to her memories, allowing herself to luxuriate in the pain and happiness they inspired. She visited many of the places that she had introduced Ishmerai to, but the time she spent there was quite different now. Kasimira sat by the docks for hours, watching different sailors come and go as she reflected on a ruined relationship that had long since lost its sting. Then she was at the Forsaken Blade's forsaken clubhouse. She wasn't even sure how long she spent sitting on the grass, staring at an abandoned teacup she had found as merry parties, mad escapades, and the truest friendships filled her mind. Her remaining hours were given to the spot of her old house. She picked haphazardly through what rubble was left before just sitting there, wearied by grief and overcome with memories.

Of course, such mental abandon landed her in the West End as evening came on. She knew it was reckless, but walking around RhyDin had given her a taste of her old over-confidence again. Magic" Monsters" Muggers" Who cared! She could take them all. Even the West End, with its fluctuating magic, caused her no concern. Kasimira had become more than proficient in the art of glamour in years past, able to maintain it even in pockets of anti-magic. There was nothing to cause her to be concerned or show any caution whatsoever.

So it was that when she encountered an older woman being hustled and possibly mugged by some punk on a smaller side street, she decided to do something about it. Her actions weren't necessarily born of compassion and the goodness of her heart; she had become much too ambivalent and apathetic over the years for heroism. Rather, there was a part of her that still enjoyed knocking others down a peg or two and then possibly rubbing it in their faces for good measure. As she moved towards the pair down the street, she shouted out at the guy, "Hey fart sniffer, leave the old lady alone."

Naturally, her childish taunt grabbed the man's attention long enough for granny to get away. Unfortunately, a return in Kasimira's cocky attitude did not coincide with a return of her street-smarts. It had been literal ages since she knew the ins and outs of the dangerous streets of the West End, ages since she had lived in a city. Therefore, she walked right pass the mouth of an alley without ever looking into it on her approach to the thug who waited for her with a grin on his face, seeing an extra large payday in the silver that hung from her hair and ears.

"Who do you think you are, hassling old ladies like that?" She continued to mouth off.

"Much rather hassle you," he said with a lecherous grin that turned dangerous just before he sent a mean right hook at her face. The blow rocked her back on her heels, but even her wasted body could not overcome years of training and instincts. She ducked below his second, more uncontrolled, swing and jabbed at his mid-section. But while her instincts were not overcome, her body was certainly weak. There was little power behind her blow and the man seemed more annoyed than anything by the attack.

Before she could straighten or even get her footing again, he simultaneously brought his joined fists down on the back of her neck and kneed her in the stomach. She felt the meeting of her jaw with the ground rattle her skull. Even then, she believed she could take him"if her vision would stop blurring and her head stop spinning enough for her to get on her feet"until the other two pairs of feet joined the original one. Of course his friends that had been taking a break in the alleyway from hassling people had come to see what all the commotion was about.

The next few minutes were a blur. Hands tore at the silver in her hair, on her ears, around her wrists as others sought to restrain her. This was absolutely necessary as she was a flurry of fists, lashing out at whomever she could whenever she had the chance. No one came to her aid, despite the amount of noise she was making"with every colorful word she had ever heard in Faerie spit out like an angry, hissing cat"mixed with their own grunts and cries of outrage whenever she landed a blow. While the majority of her magic was inaccessible, she could still use her glamour even in the wobbly West End. Her nails she had turned to claws, and she tore mercilessly at her attackers.

Kasimira gained solid footing again only to face their retaliation for her sharpened attacks: they were pulling out pocket knives and brass knuckles. She spit a mouthful of bloody saliva at their feet, "Let's go." It was all bravado: her heart was racing dangerously fast at this level of exertion she was unused to, her vision kept swimming and blurring, and she could barely keep a hold on her magic every time a wave of West End's null-magic washed over her. Still, she believed in the power of intimidation; spikes appeared for her to hold in each hand, glamoured blood dripping from the ends.

The resulting mess was predictable. Shallow cuts ran up her arms and across her torso. Black and purple blossomed across her face. Rough twists to both wrists caused her to drop those magicked spikes, which disappeared before they could ever hit the ground. Finally, rough hands got a hold of her once more, holding her immobile against the wall. They were not without their wounds"the youngest of them was even bleeding heavily from his thigh where she had stabbed him"but she was no longer a match for three against one, even when the three were common, untrained street thugs.

The two lackeys held her down, a much easier task now that the majority of the fight had gone out of her. Their leader, pathetic with the ten bleeding lines from razor-sharp nails going down his face, stood before her, grinning in his triumph. "Lady, I'm gonna beat your face to sucha pulp that the Watch won't even be able to tell who are what you are, you hear me" No one messes with this Triad!" He was furious, but she was hardly listening. Her vision was even harder to focus now since they had smashed the back of her head against the wall. She thought in a somewhat abstract manner that the orbit of her face might be broken from an earlier strike. Then she reflected that maybe she should have gone and stayed with Brian like she was supposed to. Ishmerai was not going to be happy with her. A smile finally crossed her lips; she couldn't believe this thug even knew the word "triad."

Even more infuriated by her sudden smile and her complete lack of groveling and pleading, the leader of the thugs pulled his arm back to begin to her punishment once more. It would have gone badly for Kasimira if her savior hadn't seen fit to arrive when she was needed most.

Issy · Date: 2013-06-19 22:27 EST

The thug to the left suddenly crumpled with a groan and rolled away, nearly out of sight. "What the hell?" Their fearless leader turned to see what had happened to one third of his brute squad only to feel the cold slide of a blade come up against his throat, effectively coming between him and Kasimira. The flat of the blade would have shown in the moonlight, were it not for the clouds above and the darkness of the alley. The voice, however, was as sleek as the blade's edge which threatened to empty the thug's life right here in the filthy back streets of the West End. "I'd let her go if I were you..." Ever the opportunist, even if her fuzzy state of mind, Kasimira sent her now-free left hand flying at the nameless lackey to the right. She caught him the eye, prompting him to completely let go of her as he grasped at his injured face. "Damn, not again!" The leader, caring only for his own skin, was suddenly very still. "See...look. No problem." He tried to gesture towards where Kasimira now stood—or somewhat slumped—free, "She's all yours." Even as he said that, though, his hand was inching towards his pocket to grab at whatever he had concealed there. "Wise move..." The Judge was pressed up against his back; she could feel the slight movement of his shoulder. As quickly as you please, she removed the blade from his skin and instead, elbowed his back with her other arm. The action presumably caught him off-balance, for as he finally managed to grip the contents of his pocket, he was spun around and rested up against the back alley wall. How fortunate. He blinked just in time to see a fist coming at him as Isuelt's right hook connected with his jaw, rendering him useless for the time being. Her dark eyes then turned to look over her shoulder at the girl. "You okay?" Kasimira just stared as her final attacked was dispatched with so quickly and efficiently. As she pushed off the wall, she swayed on her feet, disoriented. Her savior was familiar, and her heart felt light at just seeing her. "You," she pointed to the Judge, "were late, Issy." She addressed her so familiarly, one too many hits to the head apparently sending her back in time to when such a meeting in such a place would have been commonplace. Kasimira fell to her knees then, "Good thing I took care of the rest for you." She gestured vaguely towards where the other two had been standing, not noticing that they were gone. Obvious surprise in her expression, Isuelt lifted an eyebrow at Kasimira. True, it wasn't unheard of that citizens knew her when she didn't know them. But...there was something in the familiarity of the tone of this young woman. Almost like she was gesturing for an inside joke. As she sheathed her blade, she looked around briefly. She then walked over to Kasimira and held her hand to help the woman up, "Good thing, indeed. Thanks." A smile on her lips as she figured she'd play into the joke...whatever it was. She grasped Issy's hand tightly, but the face that looked up at the Judge as she rose slowly was not that of Kasimira. The latest bit of anti-magic to ripple through the West End had obliterated the little hold she had over her glamour, leaving a friendly face in place of the sometimes reserved stranger. As the waves of magic dissipated, it was as if the smoke had cleared the room. Isuelt stood, holding the hand of one who was indeed familiar. Almost as familiar as looking at her own reflection in a mirror. She blinked, those lashes striving to bring the truth into focus. Her mouth open and hung slightly slack-jawed as she gazed at this change in the woman before her. There was really nothing that crossed her lips that could be considered speech. It was really more of a loosely linked string of sounds. "Why are you.." she began to ask as she gained her footing, her free hand moving to wipe at her bloodied face when she paused. Her face. Her real face. No disguise to hide safely behind from the world she was afraid to face head on. Kasimira was suddenly in the here and now. She met Issy's eyes, ashamed. A million words rocketed through her head, different things to say like, "So hey...how's it going?" They were thought of and dismissed. Kasimira opted instead to reassure the woman before her, one of her dearest friends in that other life that was still apparently hers, that she was not losing her mind. She also knew that Issy deserved the truth from her anyways. "I promise you, you're not dreaming. It's me." Her voice was weary, perhaps more so after just getting beat down by three little punks that she should have been able to take even on a bad day. Isuelt looked as if she might be sick. Then it looked as if she would pass out. Still, another emotion registered on her features. This one took her breath away. Indeed, she'd not taken a breath since she helped the young woman to her feet. Even in the dim light of their present locale, Isuelt could see that Jewell was standing before her, trying to reassure her that she wasn't dreaming, she wasn't seeing things. But then...how" When" Why' There were a million questions all fighting to leave her lips. So much so, that none of them escaped. Instead, Isuelt just pulled Jewell to her and enclosed her in a hug so tight that she may have to be reminded that her dearest blue-haired friend needed oxygen to breathe. She hesitated a moment when Issy wrapped her arms around her, but only a moment. There was that voice in her head that had to remind her that this was real, this was her friend in front of her, and that not everyone meant her harm; in RhyDin, there were people she could trust. Her arms went quickly from hesitant to wrapped around Issy just as tightly. Okay, so it hurt a little, but she was more than willing to endure the pain at the moment! She only loosened her grip when she felt herself needing to gasp a little for air. She inhaled through her nose, thereby realizing that Jewell needed air as well. With a sniff, she pulled back, though she kept her strong fingers on Jewell's shoulders. It was as if she were afraid that at any moment, the image would disappear. Isuelt's dark eyes shimmered in tears as she looked at her friend so long lost. Her lips curled against her words as she strove to speak without bursting into tears, "Oh my goddess...." Before she could help herself, she again grabbed Jewell into a tight hug. The warrior's muscles nearly quivering as she was overcome with joy, relief and disbelief. Kasimira actually burst out with breathy laughter the second time the Judge grabbed her, overcome by her own emotions. The relief she felt'despite the degree of physical pain she was in"was immense. Issy was happy to see her. She didn't seem angry. "I wanted to tell you," she babbled a little. "I just...I didn't know how. And I was afraid." The Scathachian cupped Jewell's long-lost face in her hands as she simply stared in wonder. "I...I thought you were dead. I...I returned to the city and they...they said..." Her dark eyes were shining with tears. There was no anger here, just elation. "Jewell...I can't believe you're here!" Instead of pressing another hug to the Empress's poor frame, she eased on her grip and ran her fingers along her cheeks. These tears were much more welcome than the ones she had shed at Jewell's grave marker. "The heavens be praised for this." Sniff. She couldn't help it. Seeing the emotion in her friend's face, a woman she considered to be stronger than every other person she knew, completely crumbled whatever self control she still had. Her tears streamed down her face, wetting Isuelt's hand at her touch. "I was as good as dead. They burned my house, they took the children...It felt like I was dead. Like I wasn't me anymore." "Oh, honey..." She gently cradled her friend with an arm, "I know. I saw. Are the kids..." She couldn't even finish the thought. She had seen the markers for each of them along side Jewell's memorial. Isuelt had thought it was such an unholy waste, and little could be done to make her think otherwise. She sniffed once more, getting herself under control. "Who did this" Who is responsible for taking you from us?" After all, she had never gotten an answer for that; and the warrior in her was now curling her toes with the promise of vengeance. She wiped at her eyes, not unwilling to show such weakness in front of Issy of all people but trying to gain some measure of control over herself in order to speak. "They're alive...sort of. In Faerie. My family there is very powerful, and someone thought they could use the children to manipulate me, use me for their own ends." She couldn't help the somewhat cruel smile that rose to her lips then, "And it worked until I killed her. But then I still couldn't get them back. I tried everything," she had to take a deep breath, could feel the panic rising inside. "I came back here, without them...I had to leave them there." Isuelt was not a mother, nor would she ever be one. But she could still see the pain and panic in Jewell's eyes and it was enough to empathize with. "Maybe we can figure it out?" She had no knowledge of magic and even less so of faeries, but she was determined to lend whatever she could to her old friend. Without question. "I don't know the good it will or won't do, but my blades are yours. For whatever and whomever you may need them." Mira initiated the hug this time, drawing strength from her friend. "I missed you so much. I was alone, and I'm just not strong enough to do this anymore. They took my magic...they took everything. And I didn't know what to do anymore." Isuelt's words were validation that she made the right choice in coming to RhyDin; she didn't have to do this on her own anymore. Isuelt was looking over Jewell's shoulder as she was hugged. Hearing that her friend's magic was gone, she blinked and simply swallowed. But, after all, not everything was solved by magic. Right' She sighed and comforted the Empress. "Not alone. Never again." She smiled and looked to Jewell with raised brows, "Got it?" Kasimira nodded, feeling like a little girl being comforted by her older sister. It wasn't a bad feeling. Then her eyes widened suddenly, "Wait...you, the temple. Are you all right?" She felt ashamed once again at being so absorbed in her own problems. "Mother of Nature...I know I must be behind with what?s been going on." She shook her espresso-hued head, "We're okay. We're all okay." She nodded then and took a deep breath. "Isn't anything the Daughters of Scathach haven't come up against before. The Temple of Bhaal is just rearing its head, that's all. And here...we've got allies. Just like you do." Her lips slowly curled into a confident smile. "It will be okay. It will." "Of course it will!" And Kasimira laughed again. "Because now you have me," she tossed her silver-hued hair over her shoulder. "So what could go wrong?" It was easy to laugh though, because she knew she hardly looked fearsome all bruised and cut-up as she was, and she had just admitted how weak she was too. "Oh...I think might have gotten some blood on you." She pointed to her shoulder. "Sorry." That's what friends were for though, right" Chuckling, the priestess looked down and then back up again. "Wouldn't be the first time I had to wipe up someone's blood." She stilled after a moment, "You sure you're okay?" She raised her arm, eyeing it up in the dim light; she didn't even want to know how bad her face looked. "Oh...yeah, this is nothing." She gave a shrug. "It was worth if it I get to be rescued by such a hot babe." She had to keep the comments light-hearted because she was still feeling emotional. One comment or gesture from Issy, and she'd probably be in tears again. She nearly snorted, "Well, I live for rescuing the damsel in distress. Imagine my surprise when I found you. Someone who's, in my book, beaten Death himself." Isuelt took a long moment to simply gaze at her long-lost friend, and finally she pressed a kiss to her head, "I love you, honey. I'm just so glad you're here." She was ready to make some off-colored comment, but her eyes quickly filled with tears again. She couldn't even say anything at first; she just reached out and squeezed Issy's hand a little. "Love you too, Is." Somehow she was sure that the RUDE boys would know about this. "Is there anywhere around here to get coffee or do you have more attractive damsels to rescue?" "Never one more beautiful than you, darlin'." She gestured towards the southern bend, "The Boar's Nest is this way, about three blocks. They stay open late. It's quiet and the coffee's always hot." It felt as if she could breathe again. Just knowing that Jewell was here, before her, made everything seem just a bit more manageable. "Wonderful. Sitting down might be a good idea before I have to get you to carry me home," she smirked. "We'd be plastered all over the papers tomorrow." She laughed. She laughed like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. And Isuelt's bright smile wasn't pained, or put on, but absolutely genuine. "C'mon, dollface. Let's get some ice on that mug of yours to go with that coffee." "I thought I could wait for it to bruise up all nice then make my hair purple to match. It'd be the latest in RhyDin fashion." She'd walk alongside Issy, as if little time had passed since they had done so last. It always felt that way for Kasimira, like they could just pick up where they left off. Under the watchful eye of the moon, the two strolled southward through the streets of the WestEnd. Catching up was something that seemed like it could wait. For now, just being side by side seemed enough. More than enough actually. It seemed like a miracle.