Chapter 11: The Shadow in Our Caves

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday listens to Lena, and shivers a little when she brushes her hand against her own. She hadn't known it was possible to be that cold. In fact, she hadn't believed that there was anything other than humans.

"You're not human?" She asks, feeling ignorant. "But how...is that possible?" But her skin was so cold...quite suddenly Tuesday stood and went to the bathroom, producing a thermometer, and presenting it to Lena.

She could see that Lena had a difficult time telling her story, she shakes her head a little, still holding the thermometer out to her. "I'm so sorry all those things happened to you." She said. "But you made the choices you had to make, it doesn't make you a bad person."

...Does it?

[Lena Eva Aysel]

Lena tilted her head curiously.

"How did you not know? Well, I suppose it's possible. Most species blend in like I do. If you must..."

She takes the thermometer. She sticks it in her mouth, carefully placing the metal tab under her tongue. Instantly, the red in the tube begins to drop drastically.

After a moment it pauses just around the lowest degrees, between ten and five.

[Mollie Marionette]

Mollie led her to the storage room, and looked around at the papers shuffled her and there. It's a large room, with a desk, and a few chairs, and shelving lined the walls. There were broken toys and incompetent prototypes sitting on the shelves, and the only place completely devoid of loose, sloppily strewn paper was the black piano in the corner.

She rubbed the back of her neck, a little embarrased. "...We have some organizational issues." She says, lifting a pile of papers from a chair and placing it on the desk, a few of them slipped and fell to the floor, unnoticed by Mollie. She offers the seat to Mistress, before taking her place behind the piano.

There were sheets of music on the stand, but Mollie hardly glanced at them, instead casting her gaze down at the keys. Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord, as she played a piece she'd learned by heart and perfected a few years ago. She wasn't exacly sure who composed it, but she liked it. It was a happy piece, with more light notes than dark notes, and she smiled while she played it.

When she finished, she looked over at Mistress, and leaned back in her seat a little, with a shrug. "I'm not sure who the composer is, and its a rather old piece, but I enjoy playing it."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday doesn't bother trying to cover her shock, watching the mercury in the thermometer head south. She takes it from Eva, and shakes it, but the stubborn red line doesn't move.

"It must be broken." She reasons, putting it under her own tongue. The red line races back up the tube to around 98 degrees, the normal temperature for a human being to be at.

She takes it out of her mouth, and looks between the thermometer and Eva in disbelief. "How'd you do that?" She asks, as if Eva was playing some elaborate prank on her.

[Lilith "Mistress" Antekkereh]

Mistress ran her eyes over the clatter. It didn't bother her, as she knew she would be lazy too. If she didn't have servants, everything except her library would go unclean and unorganized.

"Thank you." She stated with a nod, sitting in the seat and crossing her ankles.

She closed her chocolate eyes, letting the notes flow through her ears as Mollie played. Her thoughts went back to the air of this song. She had been in the front row, of course.

It had been a bomb, as the composer had such a ridiculous name. No one had showed up aside from a few true music lovers who wished to judge it aside from the name. They were pleased.

She opens her eyes, giving Mollie a look of disbelief. If she had not seen the frail woman sitting there, she would've thought the original composer himself was there. There was still talent in this world.

"That was... surperb. The composer was Ronald Mcdonald Ignacious. Many thought it was a fake and ridiculous name. The piece itself is called Rumproast the 45th, an equally ridiculous name in the eyes of most people. However, those that looked past the name found something of true beauty."

She speaks as if she was an expert... which, in a way, she was.

[Lena Eva Aysel]

Lena stood silently, walking to the wall. She pressed her hand to the smooth paint. Fingers spread evenly apart, ice begun to sprout from her hand as if it were the soil for a vine plant.

"The same way I'm doing this. I am not pulling your leg, Tuesday. I'm sorry I had to be the one to inform you of the other species in this world."

She takes her hand from the wall. The ice was a thin coat and would melt quickly without her coldness to keep it thriving. "Don't worry, humans have always and will always be the most populous race."

[Mollie Marionette]

Mollie smiled. "Thank you." She say, with a slight nod.

She listened to Mistress talk about Ronald Mcdonald Ignacious, she certainly did seem knowledgable. "Rumproast the 45th?" She questioned. "I'll be sure to remember the name for future reference." Though she hardly thought she'd be able to forget it.

"Do you play?"

[Calithin Crest]

Someone from our mail room brings me my usual stack of reports and letters, and amidst these documents I also find an invitation to attend a banquet for the Blessed. I'm surprised to see that it's being held at my father's mansion in Helsinki... Since he just... Don't come across as that great of a party planner, but then I suppose it's as good a place as any.

I make sure to mark the date down in my day planner before getting back to my usual business. I attend a few afternoon meetings and then decide to head home early.

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei waved to Danny and nodded, smiling. He crouched on the ground and laid the suitcase down. He flipped it open to show it was lined with rand bills. He showed it to Danny then closed it and slid it over to him, standing up straight and brushing off his pants and blazer.

"Lets get that shit loaded, eh?" He says as he walks towards the trucks.

"So how are things in afghanistan?"

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday reached out and touched the ice that was melting from her wall, she drew back her fingers after feeling how cold it was. She searches for a word, but whatever she wants to say fumbles on her lips.

She watched her carpet dampen as the ice melted and ran down the wall. "Have you always been able to do that?"

[Lilith "Mistress" Antekkereh]

Mistress nodded in response to Mollie's question, smiling softly. "A bit, I'm not an expert or anything, but..." She stands up slowly.

She walks over to the piano, sitting on the bench with Mollie. Her fine fingers position over the keys. She waits a moment before beginning to play.

Her fingers move elegantly over the keys, tapping each note she wished to. A lovely melody filled the room, one that would soothe the most tension filled air. Each note flowed together, rang with each other, danced on the air...

After about three minutes, she finished the pieces with a serene expression. "That... was by Joe Hisaishi. It's not too old of a piece, but old enough. It was actually composed for a rather fine movie, a piece for the two lead characters."

[Lena Eva Aysel]

"Yes. All ice maidens can. I used to be able to heal, too, but..."

Lena glanced at the floor for a moment before looking back at Tuesday. "I think I lost the power the first time I spilled the blood of another."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

"Ah."

Tuesday wasn't sure how much more information she could take. She'd made a few shocking revelations today, Lena was not only a killer, and worked for the Invisible Hand, but she was also not human, turns out, quite a few people aren't. She shakes her head, and wonders if she's gonna wake up later and this is all going to have been a dream. Just to be sure, she pinches herself. ...Nope, she's definitely awake.

"Is there anything else you need to get off your chest?" She asked, reaching forward and touching Lena's shoulder in what was supposed to be a consoling manner.

[Anya Louteius]

Jul 23, 2008 0:30:57 GMT -5 Tristan Tuzanic said:

"I don't look like a fan? Then darlin' what do your fans look like?" Tristan asks with an innocent smirk. He holds out his arms and shrugs his arms in question. "I'm not one of your fans, but I am a fan of music." He states, as not to confuse or scare her.

"I used to be a muscician myself, but never famous or anything."

Anya walked back over to the couch and before she st down she heard him speak and she smiled toward him. She walked back to him and looked him over and then circled him. She narrowed her eyes and looked up at him.

She smirked a little. "I see. My fans usually look more gothic than you. So......You were a musician? What did you do? Where you a singer? Or an orchestra player? I used to play in a orchestra....when I was younger. I grew tired of it very quickly. It just wasn't my thing." She laughed a little embarrassed. "Forgive me. I ramble sometimes. Its a terrible habit." She blushed and looked down. He was really attractive up close. 'Ugh....oh no....not these thoughts again.' She thought to herself as she gave herself a mental slap in the face.

[Kizu Sensou & Hex]

Jul 23, 2008 15:44:35 GMT -5 Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev said:

"My brother said there was at least 200 people there last year." I reply to Kizu. She seems a little anxious about the event, so I take it that she really doesn't like social things.

My mind wanders to something else...

"Hey, is Hex ALWAYS with you?"

Kizu cocks her head to the side and looks at Hilja puzzled. Its as if she has asked some absurd question however she knows to other people it probably seems alittle odd.

"Yes everywhere. Usually when we are outside of the compound we are connected by a harness. I know that sounds odd. You see he is my bodyguard. He was created by genetech as one of their soldiers but he did not turn out like the rest as you can tell by his appearance so he was given to me as a companion of sorts for protection. He has grown on me over the years. I do care for him alot."

Kizu reaches up and musses his hair. Hex shakes his head and looks away wrinkling his nose.