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Rhiannon Lee ([info]rhiannon_lee) wrote in [info]free_form,
@ 2007-11-13 22:13:00


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The Lowest Blow
Three days went by, to the best of Rhiannon’s knowledge. The warehouse was pitch black at night, allowing her to see no farther than her hands, if she put her face up to them. But in the morning, light poured through cracks around the boarded windows, and as the sun shifted across in the sky, that light crawled the length of the room. All the way to the bodies in the corner.

She was grateful it wasn’t the dead of summer. Even so, flies found a way inside. They buzzed near her ears and landed on the lacerations on her arms and legs. It seemed pointless to keep shaking them off, but Rhiannon couldn’t stand the sensation of their tiny legs and wings.

She was cold half the day. She was hungry and thirsty all of it. The Slayer wished for a lot of things. At the top of her list were shackle keys, water, plumbing, deep sleep, and to rewind time and send that text to Whistler.

Deanna came around often. Each time they traded taunts. At first it culminated in physical violence, but the last time, there was only the one thing, the worst thing. A bite. It was inevitable that she’d do it and bleed the Slayer half-dry. It was just as likely that Rhiannon, in her limited range of movement ,would fight it so hard she hurt herself in the process. The metal brackets around her wrists and ankles rubbed her skin away. She suspected that one of her thumbs was broken from trying to slip the metal over her hand.

Rhiannon took what pride she could out of getting a small shot off at the vampire. She had managed to pry a piece of floorboard up and she stuck it into Deanna after her fangs made contact. It didn’t hit the heart. She didn’t actually know what it hit. Probably the shoulder. All she knew was that she woke up later, presumably after passing out, and Deanna had gone.

Now there were footsteps again, two pairs of feet in high heels.

Rhiannon pulled herself up. “How’s the splinter?”


[Thread: Open to Deanna and Celine]


(Post a new comment)


[info]agelessdeanna
2007-11-13 19:18 (link)
"Worth it."

Deanna led the walk, Celine close behind. She was dressed far more conservatively tonight. The redhead took great care in her appearance, but tonight she was much more subdued; heels (always), jeans and a thick turtleneck. The range of motion on her right side was still affected. Rhiannon's defensive tactic landed closer than she'd ever know. The wood penetrated her upper breastplate, just down and left of her shoulder. If it weren't for the Slayer's blood coursing through her veins, it would take even longer to heal.

She stopped ten feet in front of Rhiannon, and unfolded a metal chair she carried with her. She turned it around so that the back faced forward, sat and folded her arms on top of the frame.

"It almost makes me sad to see you like this, Rhiannon. Almost."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]birthright_npc
2007-11-13 19:42 (link)
Victoria was stylish. Celine was fashionable. There was a difference. The elder of Deanna's two fanged creations went for more colourful outfits, too, although her co-ordination of the same was as perfect as any professional model's.

Victoria was also yet to be seen. If their new captive had been given to suspicions about the vampiress having set her up, then the utter lack of Fang Noir's owner putting in an appearance should have at least led to doubts about that.

No, instead there was Celine. Cruel, mocking, heartless Celine, who seemed to take great joy in quietly alluding to even greater torments in store, while her maker set about with physically enacting them.

It was Celine, too, who had made sure to capture the moment of that bite in photographs. Deanna's triumph immortalised in film. 'Beauty personified', she had called it.

Her and Deanna's more lustful activities had definitely been given an upsurge, that evening. Slayer essence really was an aphrodisiac, it seemed.

And seeing Deanna bite such a creature was quite the one for Celine, too.

"And it makes me happy," she spoke in that typical French accent Rhiannon had come to know so well. A more obvious one than Deanna's. Celine was many things, but one could not accuse the brunette of having forgotten her mortal heritage. "I brought you some water, mon ami... If you behave, we might allow you to have some."

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-13 19:53 (link)
“Screw you,” Rhiannon muttered. It wasn‘t wise to turn away an offer of water, but even with her mouth like sandpaper and survival on the line, she couldn‘t bring herself to beg like a dog. And now here they‘d come, back for more taunting. She doubted the arrogance would be so thick without chains to keep her at a distance. “You wanna keep me around... you’ll give it to me anyway.”

She propped her back against the wall. It scratched right through her shirt. “Do me a favor... kill the cliches. I can’t afford to vomit.”

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[info]agelessdeanna
2007-11-13 20:04 (link)
Deanna held out her hand, waited for Celine to place the cold bottle in her hand. Three thoughts ran through her head: pour it out in front of the Slayer, drink it.

She chose option 'c'. She twisted the cap as tight as she could, laid it horizontally on the dusty floor, and rolled it towards the brunette.

After all, Rhiannon was right. Deanna had every intention of keeping her captive alive for as long as possible. And it would be a small victory if Rhiannon drank in front of the duo. A subtle recognition that she needed their mercies, and though no words would be spoken, in a sense the Slayer would be thanking them for keeping her alive.

If she drank.

Deanna removed a crumpled pack of cigarettes from her jeans pocket and lit one, slowly sucking in the nicotine. "It's amazing." A wreath of smoke pushed through her lips towards the captive. "In all my years, I've never encountered anyone quite like you, Rhiannon. You've got such... fire."

Inhale... exhale.

"Do you know how many Slayers I've killed in my undead lifetime? Care to guess? The number'd suprise you.

"But you, you're the biggest prize. Top five memory to be sure. Alongside turning Celine and Vicky."

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[info]birthright_npc
2007-11-13 20:26 (link)
Celine slowly blinked her attention from Slayer to partner, at the mention of her rival's name. Not that Victoria viewed herself as such. Celine was just being very territorial and possessive. Not at sharing sexual partners, but the thought of someone else literally taking her position and being seen as an... Equal.

Thankfully, this new gift had assisted in placing herself under the redhead's personal limelight.

"We tore apart some infants, today... Quite literally. They were made to scream your name... 'Rhiannon Lee'... They were told whoever cried it loudest would be the last."

A pause.

"The resulting symphony was worthy of opera."

It was one thing to taunt. Quite another to be visceral while doing so and Celine produced a small audio recorder, not too unlike the one Victoria had used in the interview. From it were produced the cries of children in obvious agony; Rhiannon's full name reaching fever pitch, as something terrible came closer and closer to fruition. Each hoping to stave it off, for as long as possible.

"If Deanna sees fit to turn you," Celine announced, leaning in as the haunting voices were cut off with the click of a button, "we should like to use you as furniture... For the first five years of your existence, at least. You'll not only do it, but be eternally grateful for the experience. At least, when you're not serving us in... Other capacities..."

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-13 21:08 (link)
In three days, Rhiannon had been subjected to more than one kind of torture. It wasn’t simple, like some brute holding a blowtorch or shards of glass. It was the bitterness of being attacked and unable to defend herself to her full capability, the indignity of having to relieve herself a few feet from where she slept, and the hopeless feeling that came from staring at bodies in a corner. Bodies that existed because she had struck up a rivalry with a sadistic bitch, failed to stake her in time, and was now locked in a warehouse with her and her eager-to-please childe.

The worst personal injuries weren’t physical, but mental. Now she could add kids screaming her name to the laundry list of over-the-top gestures done by Celine in order to impress her mistress. Competition didn’t even exist between Slayer and younger Vampire, but the French woman joined in the fun for the sake of it. It had led Rhiannon to tell the manicured diva to enjoy it while she got the chance; she’d never see a fight with a Slayer if she wasn’t riding on the coattails of her sire.

Every visit brought this verbal onslaught. Rhiannon preferred the sound of the buzzing flies. At least they didn’t make her want to pull a Van Gogh. There was so much to ignore or respond to, to block out or not, in between physical attacks and the flash of that camera. She thought maybe they ought to make a photo album of it, call it ‘the time Deanna had to tie Rhiannon up to get a swing in’.

Tonight Rhiannon wanted to cover her ears but didn’t. When she found her way out of those locks, she’d put the sound of those kids on instant replay in her head, an ‘opera’ theme song to the serious death she was going to deal them both.

When the tape shut off, she rocked her head back and said to Celine, “That’s gotta be your idea. ‘s not Deanna’s style. You know what ? I think... even if you spend alllll your time thinking up stunts like that... at the end of the day... she still prefers Vicky. You’re not the masterpiece. You‘re... the cheap watercolor in a motel room. Sameness...”

Then, “Not like me apparently... You’d have to pry my dead mouth open to turn me and still I’d wouldn’t touch you. Not even..,” she couldn’t stop a laugh, “not even in a TV show.”

She swallowed and picked up the water bottle. The condensation felt unbelievable on her hands. A shaky hand unscrewed the cap so the Slayer could drink. The water was as cold as it looked. It almost hurt going down her throat.

“I kinda... think that whole dead-Slayer bragging’s a load of shit. Usually is. And even if you did do it, it’s not many. Or somebody besides me would know your name... Somebody besides me would care.”

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[info]agelessdeanna
2007-11-13 21:22 (link)
"I don't brag for the same reason you don't," the redhead shot back. "We're good at what we do, and don't give a flying fuck about the kudos. Staying anonymous keeps us around to fight another night."

The Slayer was right. Killing the children and having them 'sing' for their lives wasn't her style. And it bothered her that Rhiannon understood her more than her first-born.

Another drag on the cigarette. Deanna wouldn't admit it in mixed company, but reasons like that bore a modicum of respect for the Slayer. They both wore targets on their foreheads, and were drawn into the never-ending death-dance that their lives were born (or died) into. There was only one way out.

"You didn't pour out the bottle. Celine wanted to pretend that it'd been poisoned. Get you to beg for the antidote.

Not my style."

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[info]birthright_npc
2007-11-13 21:41 (link)
"Nor was contaminating it with laxative, although I'd rather like to see you shit your guts out for the both of us, now."

Celine's wish was shot out with measured venom. Rhiannon had just taken a dig at the Vicky issue and she did not take kindly to it. Her first instinct was to strike the girl around the face, but reflexed fingers with talon-like implication.

The Slayer had succeeded in wiping the self-assured smile from her face, if nothing more.

Turning on heel, Celine unravelled a small package in cloth, metal instruments glinting, even in the poor light. Not just knives, but an assortment of other tools, none of them pleasant.

Perhaps just for show, perhaps not. Celine had a nasty habit of at least seeming like she wanted to use the really painful stuff, even if it had been privately forbidden.

"Your defiance will count for little, Rhiannon," she spoke, examining the the array now spread out upon nearby table. "Your bones shall turn to dust, long before Deanna and I... We were perfecting our trade in slaughter before your grandparents were even born and Deanna is correct; she has killed a number of your kind. Whatever gave reason to think you would be the exception? Whatever gave you reason to think she would leave survivors to speak of her?"

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-13 22:01 (link)
“Because I’ve been doing this dance with her for years and here I am. Not dead.” Rhiannon fairly spat the words, her mouth at least invigorated by the quenching of her thirst, even if her stomach cramped painfully at its cold contents. “Want to make a wager, Celine?”

In the back of her head, an alarm bell started to sound, but in reckless style she ignored it and kept talking. It wouldn’t be enough to drive a divisive wedge between them, but she was more than happy to dig for the hell of it, even if it amounted to nothing. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to be.

“You’re a sycophant. I’m not. What do you think gets Deanna more hot? Let’s put you and me on a scale. I’m willing to bet... that having me here alive, in chains, is worth more to her than you. Forget Victoria... Even I’m bigger than you! If Deanna ripping my throat out was the fucking cherry on your sundae, she still wouldn’t do it. She hates me more than she loves you. She likes it.”

Rhiannon shifted away from the wall. “In fact, I bet that if I did get turned, me and my defiance would take your place. You’d be my furniture.”

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[info]agelessdeanna
2007-11-13 22:08 (link)
"You're a challenge, Slayer," the redhead growled. "Celine is my first born. Even if I did turn you," Deanna flicked the last embers of her cigarette at the brunette, "she's always going to be my number one."

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[info]birthright_npc
2007-11-13 22:28 (link)
Celine bristled, though it was subtle. She more glared and gloated, than anything else. With the reaction from Deanna, she even found her cockily victorious smirk again.

"I call it 'loyalty', little Slayer... You can think as you please - we're the ones with freedom, you're not. We are vampires, darling... The monsters from your dreams. We don't do 'fair'."

Rejoining her maker, Celine smiled more kindly, sitting down upon Deanna's lap, arm bent around the other woman's neck.

"She saved me from mediocrity... We were bound at the heart, from the very first day. We had merely to realise it."

The resulting kiss was oddly chaste and tender. Romantic, even, if such a thing could ever be said for the vampiric Celine. Whether or not it repelled the captive in their midst, she cared not.

"She found me... I was destitute." The memory brought with it a slight purr, fleeting, yet meaningful. "I gave her my soul. Do you have any idea, Rhiannon, how rare it is for a human to find such a thing? To not only be given salvation, but be granted true power through it? To find your love, remain by her side and live as gods, forever more?"

She had been matching the redhead's gaze throughout. Only now did Celine turn, her own eyes looking the girl over.

"Non," she spoke with accent. "Mortal partners are fleeting... Your happiness never found... And there shall be no rescue for you. Even for Deanna, you are but a toy. Once you are gone, there shall always be another. Your final purpose shall be to function as a token of my appreciation for her, alone. Powerless, to the last."

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-14 06:30 (link)
Rhiannon snorted, and it was apparent that she had disdain for what they said. She licked her lips and rested her head against the wall, watching them with eyes that had seen their fair share of vampires proclaiming love and waxing poetic about a shared eternity. She’d seen plenty renege on immortal promises, too. When it came down to it, they’d trade partnership for survival. There was little self-sacrifice in love without soul, an inevitable result when humans became cursed with fangs.

“Yeah. Your love is so powerful, you’re never satisfied with just one. I bet you tell yourselves you’re above the idea of monogamy.”

The chain dragged the floor when she pulled her knees in. “As for me, I guess we’ll see, won’t we.”

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[info]agelessdeanna
2007-11-14 07:15 (link)
"Monogamy is a concept," Deanna retorted. "A survival instinct instilled back when demons ruled over humanity. Huddle together, propegate the species, and keep us fed."

Whether it was the demon speaking through fangs or the redhead's belief shaped through two hundred years of living in the shadows was unknown. And ultimately, not a concern to her.

She stood and stretched, careful not to extend her arm too far lest the vampire pull on the recent wound. "What do you believe, hmmm? Your life parallels ours. You're always on the hunt, keeping your back against the wall. Can't exactly open yourself up to the idea of thinking of the future, because the next set of teeth you see could be the last."

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-14 09:16 (link)
She was the last person in the world to go on tirades about love. Her track record for relationship survival wasn’t great. But while she didn’t often speak of it in public, her entire life warped to make room for it and protect it, whenever it happened. The Slayer’s heart didn’t open up often, but it also didn’t give itself in increments. It was a quality of her that Deanna would never know about. The vampire’s only experience with Rhiannon’s idea of love was an alt-verse version that didn’t match up to reality.

“Love isn’t a concept. It’s not a choice, and when you’re actually in it, monogamy’s not a choice either.”

In her opinion, the two demons in front of her were nothing but a mock-up of the real deal. Rhiannon saw the intimate way they touched each other, the exaggerated tenderness, but all it stank of was sex.

“You’re right. I don’t sit around imagining my future or setting up house or making babies. I could, but I don’t. That’s my choice. But it doesn’t make whoring myself around the automatic alternative.”

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[info]agelessdeanna
2007-11-14 12:07 (link)
"If I didn't know better, I'd say we were just insulted dear," the redhead quipped to her childe. "And sweetheart," Deanna's attention returned to the chained brunette, "don't throw words around until you've lived them."

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[info]birthright_npc
2007-11-14 16:07 (link)
"Our bond surpasses mere promises," Celine interjected. "What care have we for candle-lit suppers, perfume and flowers? Non... We have the freedom you never shall."

Removing a pair of pliars for visual appraisal, the vampires at least had the advantage of not needing to breathe. Their heightened sense of smell would have been utterly overpowered by the rotting cadavers.

"Blood is all which matters."

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-14 17:48 (link)
An eye roll was given. If she hadn’t believed in hell on earth before, Rhiannon did now. “Are you gonna use those?” she asked, tipping her head to the pliers. “If you are, then get on with it. It beats listening to dime-store novel vampire bullshit.”

She closed her eyes and listened for the sound of high heels.

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[info]rhiannon_lee
2007-11-14 17:49 (link)
*END THREAD*

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