[locked to Salazar and Kilroy... and Thorn if he wants]

[gremlinctrouble]

The past few nights within the Trüble Estate had been anything but cheerful. Death loomed over the rooftop and breathed down Anna's neck like a furnace beckoning to the cold. The stormy clouds beating down over Paris made the night air chilled and heartless. Every breath was like swallowing an ice cube and getting it lodged in your throat. Even the

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[8th_castellan]

*Salazar quietly entered the mansion, taking a moment to sadly scan the state of decay, chill and neglect the building seemed to have fallen under in these past few days. What would happen to this place after Anna was-...?

Forcing such details from his thoughts right now, he instead tightened his grip on the shining blade in his hand, the red gem in the pommel of said sword glinting in the failing light.

Before he had departed from his previous, extended visit last time, she had tearfully instructed him as to where he would find her when this day came. He knew he would have to hurry. Anna was waiting.

Steeling himself for the task that was now, after so much dread, at hand, Salazar made his way to the Truble mansion's basement....*

[gremlinctrouble]

Tattered strips of cloth lined the floor, looking more from struggle than from plain decoration. Bits of sheer fabric and lace and hues of emerald and black. Spots of red dotted the stone floor, leading off into the shadowing corners no light dared to roam. The room itself is hollow feeling and dark, shadows toying with your glances as they silently crawl along the walls. The air stunk of magic and evil, all of it wafting from Anna. Too quiet for just a woman in the basement.

Quiet enough to hear a heartbeat...

[8th_castellan]

*Decending the stairs, Salazar's eyes immediately began glowing a faint reddish-orange from the depth of his pupils, indicating that he was now adapting his eyesight to the dark. The effect made his eyes somewhat resemble two smoudlering cigarette lights in the deepening gloom. Scanning the room before him now, he couldn't help but be reminded of some of his own dungeons back in his castle. How could this been the place Anna would have wanted her final graces carried out? She deserved better. But then again, the only other place he could think of was her bedroom, and he really didn't think he could have beared that...

Then, from one darker end of the basement, he detected the slight sound of movement, the rattle of chains. Turning his illuminated gaze in that direction, Ramon's eyes fell upon the bound form of Annaliese...*

[jackandkill]

"She's ready when you want to, uh... Just... Listen, I'm not really... I can't watch this," a voice, male, called from the dark corner of the basement. His figure leered out from the shadows, black mist flooding off of his skin as he walked forward into was very little light the basement held. Disheveled and tired, Kilroy Hastings joined the couple on the base floor, bare feet touching torn cloth and drops of blood. His blood.

A gash lay across his arm, bandaged by a torn sleeve of his linen dress shirt. Night glowing blue eyes peered over to Anna, saddening at the sight.

[name_of_thorn]

((I do wish you'd let me in on your plots love, just a little... I do try to keep up, but I'm not very good on the net.))

*Thorn paces the kitchen, limping. He is off the crutches while in the house, but not yet completely healed. He knows things are very wrong. He knows the house is dark and nearly everything in it is dead. He knows the library is in order.
He doesn't know what to do.
Following the snese of Anna's magic, but unclear on what is going on, THorn descends to the basement, taking the steps very carefully one at a time. The last time he was down here was to bring Jaqi food. He cannot imagine why Anna would want to be down here at all, but she explores far darker things than he would ever care to. He hesitates in the doorway, watching the scene and leaning against the wall biting his lip.*

[8th_castellan]

*Salazar's dimly-glowing eyes flicked over to the man that just emerged from the shadows. When he saw the way he cradled his bleeding arm, the wound hastily dressed in pieces of his own torn shirt, it was only then he also noted the blood spattered along the stone floors. He scanned the red stains and the tattered cloth, his eyes briefly resting on the bound form of Anna before looking back to the man that had addressed him.*

Did she-...Did she do that?

And...I understand if you do not wish to witness this. But p-please rest assured that I will make this as quick as p-possible.

*He couldn't help but curse his worsening nervous stutter. Please, please, let him be strong for this last service to Anna! He could not allow himself to fail.

Salazar was so concentrated on Anna and the task at hand, that he also failed to notice that there was now someone else lingering at the entrance to the basement...*

[jackandkill]

Kilroy nodded softly, looking back at Anna in her weakened state. The chains that bound her were meant to not only hold back strength, but magic as well. He'd nearly had his head hacked off while Anna thrashed and flailed while he placed her in those. That'd better damn well hold up. Kil's eyebrows knitted back together with worry. Eyes dropped to his palm, fingers curling open to gaze at a single silvery thread...

[name_of_thorn]

*Seeing Anna bound, Thorn moves forward, horrorstruck.* "What are ye doing?!? Get away from her!!" *He limps hurriedly to defend his employer, noting mentally that if the other two try to stop him, at least one of them is in his size range.*

((Disregard me if I muck things up, but I truly am in the dark, plot-wise.))

[8th_castellan]

*Salazar couldn't help but blink in bewidlerment when the cloaked man suddenly hobbled between him and Anna. Who was-...?

Oh. The one called Thorn. He had seen him once or twice shuffling about the mansion on the castellan's various visits. And Anna had mentioned him on a few occasions as well.

However, he couldn't think of anything to say in regards to this interuption. "Excuse me, but you need to move aside so I can kill your employer and my lover?" Salazar had a feeling that wouldn't go over so well.

Helplessly, he looked to the other man that accompanied him. Perhaps he could explain this to Thorn? Or at least get him out of the way?*

[name_of_thorn]

((Because getting the other fellow to move him is safer than midget-wrestling. };-D Thorn is, unfortunately, rather clueless as to what's going on because his player is.))

[8th_castellan]

(("BASTIDGE, I BI'CHUR ANKLEZ!!!"

Naw, s'cool. :P Unless someone has already given you the downlow of what's going on, I'm thinking we can just get Kilroy up there to kinda hold Thorn at bay or escort him out or whatever you think Thorn would prefer in this predicament, really. And "this predicament" meaning, in a nutshell, Salazar's mercy-killing Anna.))

[name_of_thorn]

((Oh, he can kick him aside or hold him. He's a small man. But I think it would be nice to have him witness this, and Anna's player doesn't mind. He's been left in the dark so much up until now, it seems only fair. Permission is given to abuse Thorn, really. Doesn't happen much. He can take it.))

[jackandkill]

((Sorry... and... OMG. Midget-wrestling...))

Kil watched as Anna's librarian scuttled between Ramon and the woman bound in her chains. A stifled cough sounded, the thread bobing in his grip. Rubbing the back of his neck once more, Kil stepped forward, keen on keeping eyes on Anna, who could lash out even though restrained. It may no do much, but pulling a being into the path of the chains was enough to kill a mortal man.

"Um, Thorn? Is it? Uh... Son, this... This can't be helped. Your em.. employer... She's... She needs to die, frankly. There's no real way around this. Possessed by a spirit... She'll be consumed in whole if this doesn't take place. It's literally...eating her up..."

[name_of_thorn]

*Thorn stands defiantly between Anna and the unfamiliar man, frowning fiercely and pulling a pistol crossbow, taking aim at his chest. The sight would be more impressive if he was more than five feet tall and not dressed in rags, still favouring his injured leg. The hood falls low above his intense, grey-green eyes, adding menace to his expression.* "Ye can't just kill 'er. There has to be another way... She's a necromancer, she's probably dealt with this kind o' thing before..."

((I am terrible. It just struck me they're both a bit small, and I'm not quite sure who'd win...))

[jackandkill]

"No, Thorn. Try having a monster so evil it leaves nothing but death in passing. Anna's miserable. She walks through her garden and all the plants die in her wake. This isn't some simple mishap or.. o-or some small evil. This, in her world, is THE evil. This spirit, when placed in human form, will destroy planets..."

Wincing, Kilroy looks to his injured arm then over to Anna, her fingers still red with fresh blood. She'd clawed from into his arm. Into his power. Into the god. A droplet or two of fresh crimson still dripped off of his elbow, joining the others on the floor.

((Like aplayground fight I suppose... Only, y'know... bloody.))

[name_of_thorn]

*The crossbow's aim does not falter, but he turns slightly to watch Anna, his gaze almost pleading as he searches the woman's face for a sign of the employer he knows. His focus is not wholly on her, however, as he keeps the man in his peripheral vision, wary.* "And who are ye, to know all this?" *He addresses the man, though his gaze remains on Anna.*