Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 7, 2009 21:34:28 GMT -5
And four more chapters. So... Peaches gets to meet someone from her past, and is horrified. The next chapter EVERYONE MEETS, then we have Conway falling out, and then Peaches again who finds out some horrible horrible news.
I'd say stop reading this crap but I know there are people reading. *facepalm* Editing this took forever.
"Family Ties" is the beginning of the next batch.
Peaches had been minding her own business as she sat and sewed one of her latest hand puppets. Recently Xander had been so kind as to break into the trunk and root around in it. Unlike his mother, he didn't have the soft touch his mother had at his age. Actually he was more like her brother and Eldy.
She sighed. Despite his colors being mixed up, he looked a lot like her brother. If he kept that long man whenever he got his human form then... she shook her head. This was complicated.
She cursed when she stabbed herself in the finger with the needle. Sucking the wound she looked around for her thimble. It was a pain to use, but if she was going to space out like she just did she might as well protect her finger from further damage.
Her head snapped around, however, when she heard something fall. Eyebrow raised she slowly stood up, inspecting the room. Truth be told she was paranoid at times, which was generally why she blocked off the door when she was in her room. That way no one else could get from that door at the very least. The windows were locked most of the time, so she had no worry of that. However, a sound like that was abnormal for her neatly organized room.
The sound happened again. Peaches swiveled around to look at her bed. "Xander, are you under there?"
She slowly moved towards the bed, grabbing her fan off the dresser as she passed by. If she had been in her cat form, all her hair would have been standing on end. Slowly she lifted up the sheets that covered gap between the bed and the floor.
Her heart skipped a beat when a hand shot out, grabbing her. She didn't even have time to scream when she collided with the floor.
***
She woke up, her head pounding. What the hell had happened? She shifted so she could proper herself up on her elbows. She was on top of her bed, bandages around her head. Someone was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking away from her.
Long white hair. Braided. Bright red coat.
Her eyes widened. Oh no. No no no.
"It's good to see you awake, Little Kitty."
Peaches made a sound she had never made before. It was a panicked whimper as she tried to edge away from the monster at the edge of the bed. She must have been hallucinating. There was no way he could be in the courts, there was no possible way in hell or high waters that he would be here.
He turned around. There was no mistaking his face and the unusual marks under his eyes. The Tulgey Demon from so many years ago had reappeared in front of her. A smirk painted on his pretty face. His human from wasn't frightening, but what he really was....
Peaches grabbed for her fan, only to find nothing on her belt. It had been kicked across the room.
He leaned forward crawling towards her on the bed. Peaches made another distressed noise as he came closer to her. Suddenly he pinned her against the headboard by her shoulders. The smile was still gracing his face. "Don't scream," he said as he took one hand away from her shoulder to caress her face. "It'll only make things worse."
Peaches swallowed. She couldn't remember everything clearly from that time. Her brother had been murdered, torn to shreads, blood was everywhere. The man had made a threat not to go into the Wood again. She never had. "W-why are you here?"
His expression shifted for only a moment. He let her go completely, pulling back. He sat there on his legs in an awkward manner. "I wanted to tell you something important about your darling brother."
"Why would a murderer like you come out of your precious strong hold to speak to a dirty Torquehelm like me?"
He clapped his hands together, his expression more cheerful than it had been. "My goodness, you remembered your place! I'm quite surprised. But... I suppose you are one of the better Outsiders. From what I hear you have quite a few good uses." He smirked.
Peaches didn't want to think what this man's concept of good uses were. They probably involved her spying or... something much worse. How did he know this anyway? She had been careful to keep information about herself and her family away from the information dealers and informants on the street. Apparently she hadn't done enough bribing.
"Yes, but. Dirty Torquehelm or not I don't like someone playing with my kills. Tracking you down was terribly difficult, Little Kitty, and getting here was doubly so. Someone dug your darling brother up from the border of the Wood and the dreary place you used to call home." He said as his smirk faded.
Peaches jumped forward suddenly, knocking him flat on his back. She held him down on the bed, using all the wait she could manage. He didn't seem to budge as she stayed perched on top of him. "You lying bastard! I just visited his grave and everything was fine!"
"Not the last time I watched from the trees. Two months ago they were digging him up, along with several other graves that bordered my home."
"Why would you come all the way from the Wood to tell me that? Why are you here?" She was yelling, completely unaware of anything else but the monster in front of her.
"I said I don't like it when people play with my kills. Not to mention even I think violating a grave is a matter than the family should attend to." He said flatly. "Murderer or not, even I have morals however skewed they are."
"Liar! Why are you really here?" She could feel her face turning red. Tears were threatening to seep out any moment.
"Perhaps you were an excuse for me to leave the Wood."
If she were capable of using her pain ability on him, she would have. Instead she slapped him clear across the face. He merely winced as she jumped of the bed, running to here fan.
The man sat up, swinging his legs over the bed, watching Peaches prepare of herself for a fight. He smiled again, this one was slightly different than the previous one. "An Outsider should know that I have no intention of fighting outside my element. I'll be on my way, Your Excellency, if you would allow it."
Peaches stared at him, eyes wide. She drooped as she continued to watch his features and reactions. He must not have been joking. Peaches swallowed the lump in her throat as she moved towards the door, moving the obstacle that had been keeping the door closed. She unlocked it as well, opening it for the Tulgey to pass through.
As he passed by, the smirk still on is face she held out her hand. He stopped, looking at her with that picture perfect expression.
"What's the name of the monster who murdered my brother in cold blood?"
"His name is Cornell Nobel."
She took her hand away, watching the man leave.
She slammed her back against the wall. She could feel the tears streaming down her face as she sank to the floor.
Why?
Xiven walked down the street, her weapon was tied to her back under the protection of various blankets. She didn't get too many looks for her rank and region in her personal opinion, but she wasn't taking much notice to it. She readjusted the bag that repeatedly slid down her shoulder as she walked.
***
Someone was watching her, but she didn't notice. Conway was standing in the shadows of an alleyway, inspecting the people in the street. He needed money to buy some food. He hadn't been able to find any suitable work for a while... and he didn't want to do anymore killing. Not yet. Not until he had no options left.
His eyes caught the sight of a pretty Torquehelm woman. She didn't have any bindings, but that funny gold strip along her spine might explain it. He couldn't see her rank from this far away, but obviously she was rich with the way she looked. Mostly rich people were easy to take money from. They wouldn't notice at first when they were bumped into.
He slipped out of the alleyway, keeping his distance as he watched her wade through the crowd. His eyes wouldn't leave his target for anything as he moved closer to her. He had to get in front of her somehow, otherwise she would probably get suspicious. For a moment he paused in the street, why were people keep their distance?
That thought went out of his mind as he enacted his plan.
***
It was a wonderful day outside as Theofilus walked down the street, ignoring some of the glancing from his good side. It was funny how things worked like that. Why couldn't people gawk at him from his other side.
Theofilus sighed as he walked down the street, readjusting his scarf. He didn't appreciate the wind ruffling the feathers. He had so much to do today, too. He continued to worry as he hurried down the street.
***
Peaches hummed to herself as she cradled the flowers in her arms. She was plotting something nice for a change. One of her jobs had gone amazingly well and she was left with a bit of "spending" money that didn't dip into her salary or savings. So she had bought a rather expensive bouquet for her and Xiven. Of course, Xiven might not get a chance to see the flowers fresh.
She had no expectations of running into her daughter in the Capital. She normally didn't stray far from the Highlands or the Court of Hearts. Not since she was younger. And yet there she was in the distance. At least, there weren't that many fluffy purple and black cats that she knew of to begin with.
Peaches really hoped it wasn't her daughter.
***
Conway had managed to loop in front of her. He walked through the sea of people, and "accidentally" ran into the woman. Of course, the plan avoided falling flat on his ass, but he found himself on the ground, looking up at the woman. She was apparently built a little more solid than he anticipated. Looking up at her he grinned.
She raised an eyebrow, looking down at the man. "Are you all right?" She asked as she stooped down to help the man up. It wasn't everyday that someone ran right into her like that. She paused, however, when she noticed him slipping something in his pocket.
She looked at her purse. It was...open?
"You little!" Xiven said as she grabbed at his cravat, pulling him off the ground by it.
Conway choked and sputtered. He now saw the reason why people were avoiding her plane as day. The red as bright as freshly spilled blood was on her chest in the shape of a "Q" and a heart. He could understand completely why would avoid her. He choked as she put him on his feet, still holding on to him.
Xiven's ears were pinned to her skull. She didn't want to go through his pockets, he might have something unwanted in there, but she wanted to get her wallet back. As she reached into her purse with her free hand she searched for her wallet. It definitely wasn't there. Damn it.
"Empty your pockets!"
Conway shook his head in protest.
"I hate to poke my nose into such matters, but you're making quite a scene in the middle of the street, Ma'am," said a voice of a manly persuasion.
Xiven's ears perked. She had heard the voice before. It was aged a bit, though, it was still quite gentle for a man. She looked around briefly before spotting the owner of the voice. A sparrow.
A Lakeland sparrow. The Queen of Diamonds.
"Your Majesty Theofilus!" Xiven said as she let go of Conway completely. "I didn't mean to get in your way. I apologize but this young man stole my wallet."
Conway swore mentally. Another Queen. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. The Queen of Diamonds, it wasn't something he wanted to deal with. He could run, but they had already had a good look at him. He turned his head slowly to see who had prevented his humiliation and possible beating by a raging Queen of Hearts. What man was brave enough to stand up to someone like this?
"Mr. Birdy?"
It took the sparrow a minute or two to recognize the person in front of him. His eyes widened briefly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his beak so he could see the boy properly. Theofilus was surprised to see the bright eyed boy in front of him. "Conway?"
"You know him?" Xiven asked. She hadn't heard Conway's voice. Only Theofilus had. Her ears swiveled around as she continued to watch the pair. What was going on here? She honestly hated being left out of the loop!
"Yes, yes. I apologize for him. Unfortunately he can't speak for himself." Theofilus moved forward, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. The boy shifted slightly at the touch, but stayed where he was. "Conway, did you take her wallet?"
Conway looked from Xiven to Theofilus. He made a small whimpering sound that Theofilus could hear before nodding. He pulled the small bag out of his pocket holding it out for Xiven to take.
The woman narrowed her eyes at the young man. He was probably older than her, but then again... she always came off as the older sort. Reaching out she took her wallet back, looking at the Queen. "Maybe you should keep him on a shorter leash?"
"No need to be snarky Xiven!" said a cheerful voice.
The feline's ears were pinned back on her skull yet again. From nowhere a purple haired woman appeared with flowers in her arms. "Hello, mother," Xiven said quietly.
"Hello, Xiven. Throwing around your title perusal? Oh! Oh my! You must be the Famous Theofilus, and who is your friend?" Peaches said jumping right into the conversation, flowers still cradled in her arms. "I'm Peaches, by the way."
Theofilus was taken aback, to say the least. Gave he a cordial smile. "His name is Conway."
"Conway," Peaches repeated, "That's a wonderful name!" She would have clapped her hands together if they weren't filled with flowers. "How about we all go and sit down and have a bit of tea!"
"I'm sure His Majesty and Mr. Conway have better things to do."
"Tea would be lovely," Theofilus said cheerfully. Unfortunately for Xiven and Conway, Theofilus could never turn away tea.
***
Xiven ended up sitting next to her and Conway. Theofilus was directly across from her, which was awkward on some level. He was The Queen of Diamonds who may or may not have had some relations with her Papa. Her mother was sitting next to him chattering away like she did sometimes. Flowers were sitting in the center of the table as a place holder, but she could see through them easily.
She glanced over at Conway, fiddling with her necklace absently. "So, you're as bored as me?"
Conway had been staring down at his tea. It wasn't fun being with a group of people and he was never fond of tea to begin with. He put his finger in it and stirred. Maybe he would put some sugar in it? It would still taste pretty badly.
He looked up when she whispered at him. He nodded. He made a drinking motion and then shook his head.
"Heh," Xiven said looking down at his drink. It hadn't been touched, apparently. "Not to fond of Tea? Maybe we should get you something sweet instead?" She smiled at the thought. He didn't seem the type for sweet girly drinks, but she'd been surprised before. The two older adults weren't really noticing the conversation that was going on without them.
She waved over one of the waitresses, who was a bit frazzled by the amount of high ranking people in one place. She nearly dropped her pad when Xiven gave her the order. Part of Xiven was terribly amused, the other part of her wanted to run off like she did when she was a child. She wondered what Mr. Todd would think of her now...? Oh, no she didn't want to think about that.
Unfortunately Xiven didn't have a writing pad, so she generally had to guess what he was trying to say. Maybe she should have picked up sign language all those years ago.
Conway was amused at playing charades with Xiven. She wasn't that bad of a person when she wasn't angry. She was actually pretty amusing. Conway gave her a curious look when a drink was put out in front of him.
"It's not alcohol, I promise."
Conway took a sip of the drink. He raised an eyebrow as he set the drink down. It tasted pretty good. Strawberries and quite a bit of sugar. A smile twitched in the corner of his mouth.
"You like it?" Xiven asked.
Conway nodded.
"You two are getting along rather well," Theofilus said quietly.
Xiven and Conway both looked over at the other side of the table with a smile. Obviously they were both pretty embarrassed by being caught.
"It's only natural," said Peaches with a wave of her hand. "It's not like we have anything interesting to say since we're old."
"That's true," Theo said with a mock sigh, "All we talk about is grandchildren, horrible court scandals and how cute our kids would look hanging of certain people's shoulders."
"You're not all that boring," Xiven said in a small voice.
"Pswh," Peaches replied before taking a long swig of her tea. "Anyway, you can Conway make an adorable couple."
Conway proceeded to choke on his drink while Xiven glared at her mother. Theofilus was quietly chuckling to himself while Peaches retorted to her daughter's glare by sticking out her tongue.
"Don't you dare start, Mom."
"Can you blame me? He's adorable. You could totally think of him as a girl if that would make the man thing a little less irritating."
"Mooom," Xiven said in a very child like fashion. Sometimes in her youth she had claimed to be adopted, but it was unfortunately obvious that she was related to her mother. Now, she very much wanted to deny her connection with her.
"I'm joking," Peaches said with a snort as she waved over the waitress for another cup of tea.
"Joke somewhere else, you're embarrassing."
"And leave you alone with that stunning young gentlemen? I think not."
He didn't like to stop by his Uncle's place. However, his Uncle had told him to return once he had finished visiting June. Being the good obedient boy that he was, he agreed to return.
Conway found himself sitting in the tiny kitchen in dead silence. His Uncle was stirring a cup of his dreadful tea. "You shouldn't see her again, Conway."
"Why not?"
His Uncle made an annoyed sound as he stirred his tea more vigorously. "I don't want her to get any ideas. You're bad luck. Nothing more than bad luck."
Conway narrowed his eyes. Had his Uncle simply been kind to him so he could take advantage of this moment? A favor for a favor? Something in Conway welled up. Anger. Hurt. Pride. It didn't matter what it was, but his Uncle was wrong to do this to him.
"I'm going to see her again, and there's nothing you can do about it."
The words came out of Conway's mouth without his realization. He honestly didn't expect himself to say something so harsh. He never had a good relationship with his Uncle. His Aunt would have supported him, but ever since she passed away things weren't the same. His Uncle had always given him looks—glares—and had dropped comments about how inept he was. Conway admitted that nine times out of ten he was an utter idiot, but even he had his redeeming moments.
And now his Uncle was treating him like he had all those years ago. Conway still remembered the words that ran through his head that moment his Uncle had found him and June. 'It's all your fault.'
The man's claws dug into the table as he suddenly slammed his hands down on the wood. He stood up to his full height, fur standing on end as he looked down at Conway. "How dare you disrespect me."
Conway looked him in the eye. That burning hatred was in his Uncle's eyes. The same one he had that night. Conway stood up, slowly, keeping his eyes on his Uncle. "Why shouldn't I when you're trying to take my family away. I'm not going to take everything lying down."
His actions were unexpected. Conway found himself bleeding across the face. He reached up, touching the cut that had appeared on his face. The swipe that his uncle had made probably wasn't intended to hurt him.
At least, that's what he hoped deep down inside. The boy started edging away from the older man.
The cut really was a lot deeper than he thought it would be. The blood was gushing out as he stumbled over a chair. His Uncle had a look on his face, one he had never seen before. Hatred had gone to something beyond rage. Conway opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, he could only taste the blood that was dripping down his face.
"It's all you fault! It's all your fault you little bastard!" He hissed moving forward suddenly.
Conway tripped, falling to the floor. Eyes wide as he slid across it trying to get away from his Uncle. The man didn't move to grab him, he simply stood above Conway. "You should have never been born!"
It was a swift kick to Conway's side. He curled into a ball from the pain, clutching his side. Why was this happening?
Another kick came. The assault continued. This man wasn't his Uncle anymore. He was merely another monster trying to kill him.
"Stop!" Conway shrieked as he choked from the pain.
But it wasn't his voice. The cat standing above him stopped in mid motion. A look of horror on his face. "No!" he exclaimed as he backed up.
Conway remained on the floor, struggling to breath. In defense he shifted to the one person that his Uncle would listen to. The one person that his Uncle had loved more than life itself. His wife, and Conway's Aunt, Kleio.
Conway had seen her human form once or twice when he was younger, but he could remember her clear as day. She was a wonderful woman with bright blue eyes and long flowing hair that was a golden blond color. All her features had been soft. The one thing Conway had always remembered was her amazing smile.
But he could hardly imitate it at a time like this. He was still bleeding, and his bruised ribs protested. His whole body felt like it was on fire. It couldn't get much worse than this.
Except the look on his Uncle's face. Conway choked down all the pain as he slowly made his way to a standing position. With his Aunt's appearance he stumbled towards the doorway, grabbing on to it to prevent himself from falling.
The last thing he heard was his Uncle crying.
***
Kindness was a strange thing. It didn't easy the pain Conway was feeling, but whoever the person was they tended to his wounds without question. They tended to him, they treated him kindly and they let him leave without incident.
The kindness didn't follow him. He traced the scar on his face, hoping that June would never ask him where he got it from.
He hoped against all hope that his Uncle would forgive him. At the very least, he hoped Kleio would.
Running Out of Time
+Sweet Little Girl, Broken
"Death. That's all that's in this terrible dreary place."
"I think you're just being melodramatic," Peaches said as she rolled onto her back. Her brother was being a snot again. He had been ranting about how Mother didn't know what she was doing half the time because of her self induced high. Peaches admitted that their mother checked out just as often as their father, but at least she could hold a job.
"The curse that everyone speaks of, that hangs over our sweet little down is all in our heads. There isn't a curse, there isn't a nightmare waiting for us in our sweet little land." He said holding up a paw like a preacher. He smiled at his sister, "But then again, your binding is something you should keep."
"Is that so? The voices in my head might disagree. What if I demanded freedom? Could I lose my white wings and gain golden ones instead?"
"I think you could if you believed your own words."
"Words are merely words. Actions are what count. I could take my straight jacket off right now."
"You could. But where's the fun in that." He said with a jingle of his bindings.
"Any other plots you have in mind?" Peaches said with a yawn as she looked up at him. He proceeded to straddle her in an awkard manner, laying on top of her for no particular reason other than he was cold. She shifted so she could breath properly, but beyond that she was comfortable.
"We've established that we'll join the Court of Hearts. I'll play the music, you'll do the dance."
"This is assuming I have two legs to dance upon and two arms to flail about."
"Don't plan to foil me. If you decide to put your heart into it you'll make it just fine."
"Easier said than done."
"Such is life, Dear Sister. Such is life. It's easier to speak with a stranger about the future than it is to speak to a close friend. But we need Strangers before we can have friends. It's ironic isn't it?"
"As long as I have you, Dear Brother, I won't need either."
"Here's hoping that we'll always have each other, then." He said before licking her cheek.
***
"This has got to be a mistake," Peaches said as distress welled up in her voice. There were signs that ground in which her brother's grave was freshly broken. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her ears. She looked around at the other graves, moving closer to the edge of the Wood.
Five or six others had been touched, apparently. She looked over at the undertaker's house. How could he allow something like this to happen? She rushed over to the small house, knocking on the door frantically.
She could see through the window that he was indeed in there, with someone else. A Corvistowneian. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the man get up from the chair. A stag with strange bindings that were connected to his antlers opened the door. He was different from the other person that she had met before.
Peaches didn't pause for introductions, "Someone has be digging around in the graves."
The man blinked. "What?"
"Don't stand there like an idiot," said the Corvie, getting up from his seat inside the small little house. His look was ill tempered, but that seemed to be plastered onto his face no matter what, judging from the Undertaker's reaction. On closer inspection the man who had looked like a mere wolf had hooves. Perhaps the pair were related? "Let her in."
The undertaker stood the the side, motioning for Peaches to enter.
She gave him a glare. "I can open the door for myself. You first."
The man frowned but listened to her. Once she was sure that he couldn't slip behind her she remained standing in the small little house. The Corvie had returned to sittind down, a frown on his face. The stag had walked over to the tea kettle that had started to whistle. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Someone dug up my brother's grave!" Peaches shrieked. The Stag jumped, the Corvie remained in his place.
"That's what I've been trying to tell the idiot, but he doesn't believe me," said the Corvie. "I come all the way to this dreadful place to visit my Mum's grave and I come to find that someone broke the ground. She's been dead for years, so why the hell would anyone need to break ground near my Mum's grave?"
"I'm here all the time, both your claims are ridiculous."
"How long are you sober," both Peaches and the Corvistowneian said in unison.
The Undertaker's ears flattened against his skull. "If you can prove that someone's dug up the grave's then I'll belive you and file a complaint with the police."
"Where's a shovel?" Peaches asked, hands on her hips, a glare on her face.
The stag looked at her with an eyebrow raised high. "You're joking right?"
"No. Where's a shovel?"
***
"You've got some balls," said the Corvistowneian as he shoveled dirt away with her. "I've never met a Torque like you."
"One of a kind. Straight jacket proves it."
He snorted.
The shovels hit something solid. They both tossed them out of the sixfoot hole. Frantically Peaches dusted away the coat of dirt that was still on to of the casket. Motioning to the Corvie, they shifted sides so they could open the wooden box.
It was a struggle, but after five minutes they managed to break the box open.
Peaches screamed.
The undertaker stood above the pair of them in shock.
The body was gone.
I'd say stop reading this crap but I know there are people reading. *facepalm* Editing this took forever.
"Family Ties" is the beginning of the next batch.
Pain And Suffering
+Someone from the past
+Someone from the past
Peaches had been minding her own business as she sat and sewed one of her latest hand puppets. Recently Xander had been so kind as to break into the trunk and root around in it. Unlike his mother, he didn't have the soft touch his mother had at his age. Actually he was more like her brother and Eldy.
She sighed. Despite his colors being mixed up, he looked a lot like her brother. If he kept that long man whenever he got his human form then... she shook her head. This was complicated.
She cursed when she stabbed herself in the finger with the needle. Sucking the wound she looked around for her thimble. It was a pain to use, but if she was going to space out like she just did she might as well protect her finger from further damage.
Her head snapped around, however, when she heard something fall. Eyebrow raised she slowly stood up, inspecting the room. Truth be told she was paranoid at times, which was generally why she blocked off the door when she was in her room. That way no one else could get from that door at the very least. The windows were locked most of the time, so she had no worry of that. However, a sound like that was abnormal for her neatly organized room.
The sound happened again. Peaches swiveled around to look at her bed. "Xander, are you under there?"
She slowly moved towards the bed, grabbing her fan off the dresser as she passed by. If she had been in her cat form, all her hair would have been standing on end. Slowly she lifted up the sheets that covered gap between the bed and the floor.
Her heart skipped a beat when a hand shot out, grabbing her. She didn't even have time to scream when she collided with the floor.
***
She woke up, her head pounding. What the hell had happened? She shifted so she could proper herself up on her elbows. She was on top of her bed, bandages around her head. Someone was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking away from her.
Long white hair. Braided. Bright red coat.
Her eyes widened. Oh no. No no no.
"It's good to see you awake, Little Kitty."
Peaches made a sound she had never made before. It was a panicked whimper as she tried to edge away from the monster at the edge of the bed. She must have been hallucinating. There was no way he could be in the courts, there was no possible way in hell or high waters that he would be here.
He turned around. There was no mistaking his face and the unusual marks under his eyes. The Tulgey Demon from so many years ago had reappeared in front of her. A smirk painted on his pretty face. His human from wasn't frightening, but what he really was....
Peaches grabbed for her fan, only to find nothing on her belt. It had been kicked across the room.
He leaned forward crawling towards her on the bed. Peaches made another distressed noise as he came closer to her. Suddenly he pinned her against the headboard by her shoulders. The smile was still gracing his face. "Don't scream," he said as he took one hand away from her shoulder to caress her face. "It'll only make things worse."
Peaches swallowed. She couldn't remember everything clearly from that time. Her brother had been murdered, torn to shreads, blood was everywhere. The man had made a threat not to go into the Wood again. She never had. "W-why are you here?"
His expression shifted for only a moment. He let her go completely, pulling back. He sat there on his legs in an awkward manner. "I wanted to tell you something important about your darling brother."
"Why would a murderer like you come out of your precious strong hold to speak to a dirty Torquehelm like me?"
He clapped his hands together, his expression more cheerful than it had been. "My goodness, you remembered your place! I'm quite surprised. But... I suppose you are one of the better Outsiders. From what I hear you have quite a few good uses." He smirked.
Peaches didn't want to think what this man's concept of good uses were. They probably involved her spying or... something much worse. How did he know this anyway? She had been careful to keep information about herself and her family away from the information dealers and informants on the street. Apparently she hadn't done enough bribing.
"Yes, but. Dirty Torquehelm or not I don't like someone playing with my kills. Tracking you down was terribly difficult, Little Kitty, and getting here was doubly so. Someone dug your darling brother up from the border of the Wood and the dreary place you used to call home." He said as his smirk faded.
Peaches jumped forward suddenly, knocking him flat on his back. She held him down on the bed, using all the wait she could manage. He didn't seem to budge as she stayed perched on top of him. "You lying bastard! I just visited his grave and everything was fine!"
"Not the last time I watched from the trees. Two months ago they were digging him up, along with several other graves that bordered my home."
"Why would you come all the way from the Wood to tell me that? Why are you here?" She was yelling, completely unaware of anything else but the monster in front of her.
"I said I don't like it when people play with my kills. Not to mention even I think violating a grave is a matter than the family should attend to." He said flatly. "Murderer or not, even I have morals however skewed they are."
"Liar! Why are you really here?" She could feel her face turning red. Tears were threatening to seep out any moment.
"Perhaps you were an excuse for me to leave the Wood."
If she were capable of using her pain ability on him, she would have. Instead she slapped him clear across the face. He merely winced as she jumped of the bed, running to here fan.
The man sat up, swinging his legs over the bed, watching Peaches prepare of herself for a fight. He smiled again, this one was slightly different than the previous one. "An Outsider should know that I have no intention of fighting outside my element. I'll be on my way, Your Excellency, if you would allow it."
Peaches stared at him, eyes wide. She drooped as she continued to watch his features and reactions. He must not have been joking. Peaches swallowed the lump in her throat as she moved towards the door, moving the obstacle that had been keeping the door closed. She unlocked it as well, opening it for the Tulgey to pass through.
As he passed by, the smirk still on is face she held out her hand. He stopped, looking at her with that picture perfect expression.
"What's the name of the monster who murdered my brother in cold blood?"
"His name is Cornell Nobel."
She took her hand away, watching the man leave.
She slammed her back against the wall. She could feel the tears streaming down her face as she sank to the floor.
Why?
What are we?
+Crossed Paths
+Crossed Paths
Xiven walked down the street, her weapon was tied to her back under the protection of various blankets. She didn't get too many looks for her rank and region in her personal opinion, but she wasn't taking much notice to it. She readjusted the bag that repeatedly slid down her shoulder as she walked.
***
Someone was watching her, but she didn't notice. Conway was standing in the shadows of an alleyway, inspecting the people in the street. He needed money to buy some food. He hadn't been able to find any suitable work for a while... and he didn't want to do anymore killing. Not yet. Not until he had no options left.
His eyes caught the sight of a pretty Torquehelm woman. She didn't have any bindings, but that funny gold strip along her spine might explain it. He couldn't see her rank from this far away, but obviously she was rich with the way she looked. Mostly rich people were easy to take money from. They wouldn't notice at first when they were bumped into.
He slipped out of the alleyway, keeping his distance as he watched her wade through the crowd. His eyes wouldn't leave his target for anything as he moved closer to her. He had to get in front of her somehow, otherwise she would probably get suspicious. For a moment he paused in the street, why were people keep their distance?
That thought went out of his mind as he enacted his plan.
***
It was a wonderful day outside as Theofilus walked down the street, ignoring some of the glancing from his good side. It was funny how things worked like that. Why couldn't people gawk at him from his other side.
Theofilus sighed as he walked down the street, readjusting his scarf. He didn't appreciate the wind ruffling the feathers. He had so much to do today, too. He continued to worry as he hurried down the street.
***
Peaches hummed to herself as she cradled the flowers in her arms. She was plotting something nice for a change. One of her jobs had gone amazingly well and she was left with a bit of "spending" money that didn't dip into her salary or savings. So she had bought a rather expensive bouquet for her and Xiven. Of course, Xiven might not get a chance to see the flowers fresh.
She had no expectations of running into her daughter in the Capital. She normally didn't stray far from the Highlands or the Court of Hearts. Not since she was younger. And yet there she was in the distance. At least, there weren't that many fluffy purple and black cats that she knew of to begin with.
Peaches really hoped it wasn't her daughter.
***
Conway had managed to loop in front of her. He walked through the sea of people, and "accidentally" ran into the woman. Of course, the plan avoided falling flat on his ass, but he found himself on the ground, looking up at the woman. She was apparently built a little more solid than he anticipated. Looking up at her he grinned.
She raised an eyebrow, looking down at the man. "Are you all right?" She asked as she stooped down to help the man up. It wasn't everyday that someone ran right into her like that. She paused, however, when she noticed him slipping something in his pocket.
She looked at her purse. It was...open?
"You little!" Xiven said as she grabbed at his cravat, pulling him off the ground by it.
Conway choked and sputtered. He now saw the reason why people were avoiding her plane as day. The red as bright as freshly spilled blood was on her chest in the shape of a "Q" and a heart. He could understand completely why would avoid her. He choked as she put him on his feet, still holding on to him.
Xiven's ears were pinned to her skull. She didn't want to go through his pockets, he might have something unwanted in there, but she wanted to get her wallet back. As she reached into her purse with her free hand she searched for her wallet. It definitely wasn't there. Damn it.
"Empty your pockets!"
Conway shook his head in protest.
"I hate to poke my nose into such matters, but you're making quite a scene in the middle of the street, Ma'am," said a voice of a manly persuasion.
Xiven's ears perked. She had heard the voice before. It was aged a bit, though, it was still quite gentle for a man. She looked around briefly before spotting the owner of the voice. A sparrow.
A Lakeland sparrow. The Queen of Diamonds.
"Your Majesty Theofilus!" Xiven said as she let go of Conway completely. "I didn't mean to get in your way. I apologize but this young man stole my wallet."
Conway swore mentally. Another Queen. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. The Queen of Diamonds, it wasn't something he wanted to deal with. He could run, but they had already had a good look at him. He turned his head slowly to see who had prevented his humiliation and possible beating by a raging Queen of Hearts. What man was brave enough to stand up to someone like this?
"Mr. Birdy?"
It took the sparrow a minute or two to recognize the person in front of him. His eyes widened briefly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his beak so he could see the boy properly. Theofilus was surprised to see the bright eyed boy in front of him. "Conway?"
"You know him?" Xiven asked. She hadn't heard Conway's voice. Only Theofilus had. Her ears swiveled around as she continued to watch the pair. What was going on here? She honestly hated being left out of the loop!
"Yes, yes. I apologize for him. Unfortunately he can't speak for himself." Theofilus moved forward, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. The boy shifted slightly at the touch, but stayed where he was. "Conway, did you take her wallet?"
Conway looked from Xiven to Theofilus. He made a small whimpering sound that Theofilus could hear before nodding. He pulled the small bag out of his pocket holding it out for Xiven to take.
The woman narrowed her eyes at the young man. He was probably older than her, but then again... she always came off as the older sort. Reaching out she took her wallet back, looking at the Queen. "Maybe you should keep him on a shorter leash?"
"No need to be snarky Xiven!" said a cheerful voice.
The feline's ears were pinned back on her skull yet again. From nowhere a purple haired woman appeared with flowers in her arms. "Hello, mother," Xiven said quietly.
"Hello, Xiven. Throwing around your title perusal? Oh! Oh my! You must be the Famous Theofilus, and who is your friend?" Peaches said jumping right into the conversation, flowers still cradled in her arms. "I'm Peaches, by the way."
Theofilus was taken aback, to say the least. Gave he a cordial smile. "His name is Conway."
"Conway," Peaches repeated, "That's a wonderful name!" She would have clapped her hands together if they weren't filled with flowers. "How about we all go and sit down and have a bit of tea!"
"I'm sure His Majesty and Mr. Conway have better things to do."
"Tea would be lovely," Theofilus said cheerfully. Unfortunately for Xiven and Conway, Theofilus could never turn away tea.
***
Xiven ended up sitting next to her and Conway. Theofilus was directly across from her, which was awkward on some level. He was The Queen of Diamonds who may or may not have had some relations with her Papa. Her mother was sitting next to him chattering away like she did sometimes. Flowers were sitting in the center of the table as a place holder, but she could see through them easily.
She glanced over at Conway, fiddling with her necklace absently. "So, you're as bored as me?"
Conway had been staring down at his tea. It wasn't fun being with a group of people and he was never fond of tea to begin with. He put his finger in it and stirred. Maybe he would put some sugar in it? It would still taste pretty badly.
He looked up when she whispered at him. He nodded. He made a drinking motion and then shook his head.
"Heh," Xiven said looking down at his drink. It hadn't been touched, apparently. "Not to fond of Tea? Maybe we should get you something sweet instead?" She smiled at the thought. He didn't seem the type for sweet girly drinks, but she'd been surprised before. The two older adults weren't really noticing the conversation that was going on without them.
She waved over one of the waitresses, who was a bit frazzled by the amount of high ranking people in one place. She nearly dropped her pad when Xiven gave her the order. Part of Xiven was terribly amused, the other part of her wanted to run off like she did when she was a child. She wondered what Mr. Todd would think of her now...? Oh, no she didn't want to think about that.
Unfortunately Xiven didn't have a writing pad, so she generally had to guess what he was trying to say. Maybe she should have picked up sign language all those years ago.
Conway was amused at playing charades with Xiven. She wasn't that bad of a person when she wasn't angry. She was actually pretty amusing. Conway gave her a curious look when a drink was put out in front of him.
"It's not alcohol, I promise."
Conway took a sip of the drink. He raised an eyebrow as he set the drink down. It tasted pretty good. Strawberries and quite a bit of sugar. A smile twitched in the corner of his mouth.
"You like it?" Xiven asked.
Conway nodded.
"You two are getting along rather well," Theofilus said quietly.
Xiven and Conway both looked over at the other side of the table with a smile. Obviously they were both pretty embarrassed by being caught.
"It's only natural," said Peaches with a wave of her hand. "It's not like we have anything interesting to say since we're old."
"That's true," Theo said with a mock sigh, "All we talk about is grandchildren, horrible court scandals and how cute our kids would look hanging of certain people's shoulders."
"You're not all that boring," Xiven said in a small voice.
"Pswh," Peaches replied before taking a long swig of her tea. "Anyway, you can Conway make an adorable couple."
Conway proceeded to choke on his drink while Xiven glared at her mother. Theofilus was quietly chuckling to himself while Peaches retorted to her daughter's glare by sticking out her tongue.
"Don't you dare start, Mom."
"Can you blame me? He's adorable. You could totally think of him as a girl if that would make the man thing a little less irritating."
"Mooom," Xiven said in a very child like fashion. Sometimes in her youth she had claimed to be adopted, but it was unfortunately obvious that she was related to her mother. Now, she very much wanted to deny her connection with her.
"I'm joking," Peaches said with a snort as she waved over the waitress for another cup of tea.
"Joke somewhere else, you're embarrassing."
"And leave you alone with that stunning young gentlemen? I think not."
He Should Bow His Head in Shame
+Pain never ends for a boy
+Pain never ends for a boy
He didn't like to stop by his Uncle's place. However, his Uncle had told him to return once he had finished visiting June. Being the good obedient boy that he was, he agreed to return.
Conway found himself sitting in the tiny kitchen in dead silence. His Uncle was stirring a cup of his dreadful tea. "You shouldn't see her again, Conway."
"Why not?"
His Uncle made an annoyed sound as he stirred his tea more vigorously. "I don't want her to get any ideas. You're bad luck. Nothing more than bad luck."
Conway narrowed his eyes. Had his Uncle simply been kind to him so he could take advantage of this moment? A favor for a favor? Something in Conway welled up. Anger. Hurt. Pride. It didn't matter what it was, but his Uncle was wrong to do this to him.
"I'm going to see her again, and there's nothing you can do about it."
The words came out of Conway's mouth without his realization. He honestly didn't expect himself to say something so harsh. He never had a good relationship with his Uncle. His Aunt would have supported him, but ever since she passed away things weren't the same. His Uncle had always given him looks—glares—and had dropped comments about how inept he was. Conway admitted that nine times out of ten he was an utter idiot, but even he had his redeeming moments.
And now his Uncle was treating him like he had all those years ago. Conway still remembered the words that ran through his head that moment his Uncle had found him and June. 'It's all your fault.'
The man's claws dug into the table as he suddenly slammed his hands down on the wood. He stood up to his full height, fur standing on end as he looked down at Conway. "How dare you disrespect me."
Conway looked him in the eye. That burning hatred was in his Uncle's eyes. The same one he had that night. Conway stood up, slowly, keeping his eyes on his Uncle. "Why shouldn't I when you're trying to take my family away. I'm not going to take everything lying down."
His actions were unexpected. Conway found himself bleeding across the face. He reached up, touching the cut that had appeared on his face. The swipe that his uncle had made probably wasn't intended to hurt him.
At least, that's what he hoped deep down inside. The boy started edging away from the older man.
The cut really was a lot deeper than he thought it would be. The blood was gushing out as he stumbled over a chair. His Uncle had a look on his face, one he had never seen before. Hatred had gone to something beyond rage. Conway opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, he could only taste the blood that was dripping down his face.
"It's all you fault! It's all your fault you little bastard!" He hissed moving forward suddenly.
Conway tripped, falling to the floor. Eyes wide as he slid across it trying to get away from his Uncle. The man didn't move to grab him, he simply stood above Conway. "You should have never been born!"
It was a swift kick to Conway's side. He curled into a ball from the pain, clutching his side. Why was this happening?
Another kick came. The assault continued. This man wasn't his Uncle anymore. He was merely another monster trying to kill him.
"Stop!" Conway shrieked as he choked from the pain.
But it wasn't his voice. The cat standing above him stopped in mid motion. A look of horror on his face. "No!" he exclaimed as he backed up.
Conway remained on the floor, struggling to breath. In defense he shifted to the one person that his Uncle would listen to. The one person that his Uncle had loved more than life itself. His wife, and Conway's Aunt, Kleio.
Conway had seen her human form once or twice when he was younger, but he could remember her clear as day. She was a wonderful woman with bright blue eyes and long flowing hair that was a golden blond color. All her features had been soft. The one thing Conway had always remembered was her amazing smile.
But he could hardly imitate it at a time like this. He was still bleeding, and his bruised ribs protested. His whole body felt like it was on fire. It couldn't get much worse than this.
Except the look on his Uncle's face. Conway choked down all the pain as he slowly made his way to a standing position. With his Aunt's appearance he stumbled towards the doorway, grabbing on to it to prevent himself from falling.
The last thing he heard was his Uncle crying.
***
Kindness was a strange thing. It didn't easy the pain Conway was feeling, but whoever the person was they tended to his wounds without question. They tended to him, they treated him kindly and they let him leave without incident.
The kindness didn't follow him. He traced the scar on his face, hoping that June would never ask him where he got it from.
He hoped against all hope that his Uncle would forgive him. At the very least, he hoped Kleio would.
Running Out of Time
+Sweet Little Girl, Broken
"Death. That's all that's in this terrible dreary place."
"I think you're just being melodramatic," Peaches said as she rolled onto her back. Her brother was being a snot again. He had been ranting about how Mother didn't know what she was doing half the time because of her self induced high. Peaches admitted that their mother checked out just as often as their father, but at least she could hold a job.
"The curse that everyone speaks of, that hangs over our sweet little down is all in our heads. There isn't a curse, there isn't a nightmare waiting for us in our sweet little land." He said holding up a paw like a preacher. He smiled at his sister, "But then again, your binding is something you should keep."
"Is that so? The voices in my head might disagree. What if I demanded freedom? Could I lose my white wings and gain golden ones instead?"
"I think you could if you believed your own words."
"Words are merely words. Actions are what count. I could take my straight jacket off right now."
"You could. But where's the fun in that." He said with a jingle of his bindings.
"Any other plots you have in mind?" Peaches said with a yawn as she looked up at him. He proceeded to straddle her in an awkard manner, laying on top of her for no particular reason other than he was cold. She shifted so she could breath properly, but beyond that she was comfortable.
"We've established that we'll join the Court of Hearts. I'll play the music, you'll do the dance."
"This is assuming I have two legs to dance upon and two arms to flail about."
"Don't plan to foil me. If you decide to put your heart into it you'll make it just fine."
"Easier said than done."
"Such is life, Dear Sister. Such is life. It's easier to speak with a stranger about the future than it is to speak to a close friend. But we need Strangers before we can have friends. It's ironic isn't it?"
"As long as I have you, Dear Brother, I won't need either."
"Here's hoping that we'll always have each other, then." He said before licking her cheek.
***
"This has got to be a mistake," Peaches said as distress welled up in her voice. There were signs that ground in which her brother's grave was freshly broken. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her ears. She looked around at the other graves, moving closer to the edge of the Wood.
Five or six others had been touched, apparently. She looked over at the undertaker's house. How could he allow something like this to happen? She rushed over to the small house, knocking on the door frantically.
She could see through the window that he was indeed in there, with someone else. A Corvistowneian. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the man get up from the chair. A stag with strange bindings that were connected to his antlers opened the door. He was different from the other person that she had met before.
Peaches didn't pause for introductions, "Someone has be digging around in the graves."
The man blinked. "What?"
"Don't stand there like an idiot," said the Corvie, getting up from his seat inside the small little house. His look was ill tempered, but that seemed to be plastered onto his face no matter what, judging from the Undertaker's reaction. On closer inspection the man who had looked like a mere wolf had hooves. Perhaps the pair were related? "Let her in."
The undertaker stood the the side, motioning for Peaches to enter.
She gave him a glare. "I can open the door for myself. You first."
The man frowned but listened to her. Once she was sure that he couldn't slip behind her she remained standing in the small little house. The Corvie had returned to sittind down, a frown on his face. The stag had walked over to the tea kettle that had started to whistle. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Someone dug up my brother's grave!" Peaches shrieked. The Stag jumped, the Corvie remained in his place.
"That's what I've been trying to tell the idiot, but he doesn't believe me," said the Corvie. "I come all the way to this dreadful place to visit my Mum's grave and I come to find that someone broke the ground. She's been dead for years, so why the hell would anyone need to break ground near my Mum's grave?"
"I'm here all the time, both your claims are ridiculous."
"How long are you sober," both Peaches and the Corvistowneian said in unison.
The Undertaker's ears flattened against his skull. "If you can prove that someone's dug up the grave's then I'll belive you and file a complaint with the police."
"Where's a shovel?" Peaches asked, hands on her hips, a glare on her face.
The stag looked at her with an eyebrow raised high. "You're joking right?"
"No. Where's a shovel?"
***
"You've got some balls," said the Corvistowneian as he shoveled dirt away with her. "I've never met a Torque like you."
"One of a kind. Straight jacket proves it."
He snorted.
The shovels hit something solid. They both tossed them out of the sixfoot hole. Frantically Peaches dusted away the coat of dirt that was still on to of the casket. Motioning to the Corvie, they shifted sides so they could open the wooden box.
It was a struggle, but after five minutes they managed to break the box open.
Peaches screamed.
The undertaker stood above the pair of them in shock.
The body was gone.
