Aspasia - Africa (Part VI) - 6/7/2009
What if she had been able in time and with magics - to use this to drain from us, into it or into herself?
My love, know you are right. This could never go into her hands. And now it never will.
Again, she provokes the sensation of pain by laying hand on the burns over her heart. Pain which affirms that she is in the realm of the physical.
I live.
Wonder.
Confusion.
*You hoped otherwise. How disappointing.*
*Who will you murder next? Will we murder next?*
Inali’s cheeks are stained with the faint traces of blood tears. Her summer gaze narrows, filling with blue fire. She doesn't raise her voice, the anger threaded through her tone is clear. She speaks to Zagreus in Greek.
"You told her to do this. You told her to do this, no matter what the cost, and don't think it didn't cost her dearly. Do you have any idea what impact killing Dallas and my Sister are going to have on her?" She snarls, a more feral response than Inali has ever displayed, as if Charlotte is hovering at the surface. "Pull yourself together. What is done is done, by your direction."
Aspasia wipes at her bloody eyes and heaves for air like a mortal, though she needs it not - air to cleanse the invisible dust from her throat.
Crossing the sands, Inali goes over to her sire, touching her lightly, but the Amazon jerks away at first in surprise, stopping her retreat only when the Cherokee opens the floodgates of blood sympathy. Aspasia can feel Inali’s anger and exhaustion acutely, as her daughter asks Zagreus, "Who is "him" and what does he have to do with the Galla?"
The Amazon looks up turmoil visible only in that instant before she locks it away, focusing on the surroundings and the other three present. Inali’s matching gaze is there and breaks off again.
"The Galla are a joke...Inanna used the stories to scare you into certain actions. The Galla are long dead, long gone, an old way of Vampirism that is now nothingness...no potential...no existence. Flavianna Galla is a Kindred, if you'd been paying attention. And old Kindred...an augur.” Zagreus sniffles, "They weren't supposed to take those forms...the auguries...my own powers used to make this YOUR chance and not his...how did it change? Why did it change? It wasn't supposed to be like this. He can't do this. Who did this?" His blubbering resumes for a bit before continuing.
While Zagreus babbles, Aspasia's eyes narrow, when he mentions using his own powers - presumedly affecting her vision. She starts to move, but is stopped by a sharp pain, reminding the Amazon about the depths of her current injuries. She answers his question, but only in her thoughts. It changed because the Moirae spun it so.
Instead, she says, "If I need augur, Apollo's own will suit far better." She tilts her head from one side to the other, then slowly rolls along the line of her collarbones, as if checking for pain and injury.
If Pythia can be persuaded to provide council.
"This is bad...before I could help you. It would have been so easy....now? Now we have to rely just on you and yours to all make the right choices."
By right, you mean - the choices you want. You came here to witness steps in the greater Danse, but someone neglected to tell you that I and mine will move to music that we create, not that which is dictated to us.
Jack lets go of Zagreus. "Ain't nothing we ain't used to, mon ami." He looks over at Aspasia, the shadow of his hat shading the expression in his eyes.
The woman stares down at her hands, flexing the fingers and drawing them closed into fists, as if making sure each joint works. Then, she starts to move her arms with caution, testing muscles for strain while expends a portion of precious vitae to heal some of the knife and lightening inflicted harm.
Zagreus starts to wander over to the far side of the hill, picking up his lacrima as he goes. He mutters to himself about needing to think. Needing to find a place to hide and think.
Yes. He should hide before I determine his best purpose in being here is to be food. Honor debts placed aside.
Head turning to follow his retreat, Aspasia calls after the man. "The boon given I will honor, I asked your help in destroying the knife and it is gone. I did not ask you to avoid tricking me. It is unfortunate that you chose to play me false in that. Caution Zagreus, chose your time of redemption wisely."
Jack watches him go, and then starts to cough. He hacks for a moment, and then the coughs start to shudder through his entire body. He falls to one knee as he hacks -- he doesn't need the air, but he still doesn't seem to be able to control the coughing fit.
Aspasia stops in her self-assessment, twisting about on the sand, to look at him, her eyes widening with concern. Inali leans down and kisses Aspasia on the forehead, then goes to Jack's side.
A minute passes, then another, and finally the fit passes. As he lowers his body to the ground, Inali catches his shoulders and slides under his upper body, providing her lap as support. She brushes his hair back from his face, concern written all over her face. He shivers.
Gobs of blood are splattered over his hand, his mouth, the ground.
Half-crawling, Half-crouching, Aspasia moves slowly towards Jack - sniffing at the air, scanning the horizon, staring at Zagreus’ retreating form as she searches for the cause of Sanctified’s malaise.
Her daughter is the one recognizes the scent. "Asileehu," Inali breathes, tightening her arms around him as if her cold flesh could give him warmth. "You smell of death, love."
Her daughter’s murmur is what causes the Amazon to focus her more limited sense of smell on Jack as well. The odor is like an assault to Aspasia.
The consumption. The cancer. Jack's cancer has come back.
Mortal weakness? Mortal Death?
…or more Immortal Pain, to pair with his crippled leg?
It's another horror, another payment extracted by the Fates and again - they choose not to hurt Aspasia directly, but through those she cares for.
He starts to chuckle, but that sets off another coughing fit, and more blood splatters over her lap. "Good... good thing I'm already dead then, non?" Jack mutters.
Inali laughs in reply, though there is no joy in it. Merely an acknowledgment of his sense of humor twisted with sadness. She brushes his hair back, ignoring the blood, and kissing his forehead. "Good thing it won't kill you again, yes, dear one."
Aspasia joins the two, stopping before the odd Pieta, looking helpless and conflicted.
"Jack. What do you need?"
Tell me how to fix you.
Looking up at Aspasia, the steel in the Amazon's daughter is crystal clear. "There's nothing either of us can do."
Jack shakes his head and starts to lick the blood back off of his hand."Nothing, petite. Just... wasn't expecting it. Been a while since I've had to deal with the consumption, non? Just need to...." His eyes glaze over for a moment as he concentrates on focusing his vitae, spreading it through his body, its deathly energy infusing into his entire frame. "Something that little piece of merde did took something from me. I feel weaker than I have in years...."
Worry.
"It's not just you, Jack. I feel it too."
Alarm.
Athena - how much did you take?
And the Amazon realizes that what she was ignoring while checking for serious harm to herself. She feels weaker as well. There is subtle lack of flexibility - as if she had stopped sparring or training for a long period of time. And her timing feels off…
There is more wrong. She can feel it, but this is neither the time nor place to inventory specifics
Aspasia glances at Inali's face over Jack's shoulder and her expression turns pained.
"Athena be my witness. I did not know. I did not." She addresses them both.
"I would not have asked you to come." She stretches a hand out for an instant, then starts to pull it back, but Inali stops her, grasping with her own.
Aspasia repeats, "I did not know."
"Don't." Inali's voice is firm. "Don't go feeling guilty on us. We wanted to be here. I would willingly die for you, don't you understand that? This? This is nothing we can't deal with. I promise."
Aspasia nods once, even if agreement is not expressed on her face or in her eyes.
As Inali talks, Jack moves to sit up. He starts to speak, then quickly grabs Aspasia’s neck and brings her face close to his. He kisses her firmly on the lips.
"Just shut up, petite," he growls, as he slowly brings himself to his feet.
What?
Stunned for an instant, Aspasia sits back on her heels, so Jack has room to maneuver. Then she hastily wipes her hands over her mouth.
No!
Stupid! Stupid Fool!
Panic wars with a hint of desire as her gaze lingers on his face, and the faint marks of blood on his lips, from the spate of coughing and from where he just licked at the back of his hand. She can smell the lingering scent of his vitae, teasing at her beast.
Aspasia presses the fingers of each hand against her thighs as she waits despairingly for the madness of frenzy to wash over her.
And by some deity’s intervention, it does not.
A near costly mistake has been narrowly avoided.
He forgot. And I was too slow.
*He was not thinking about danger then, Amazon. Something else. Clearly.
Perhaps you were as well?*
Inali lets loose a genuine laugh, "Looks like it was effective, Asileehu. Well played." She grins at Jack. Then her eyes turn dark. "I have half a mind to track his cavalier, overly dramatic posterior and pry more information about Flavianna Galla out of him. And how these supposed 'stories' were able to kill my Sidney and make us think they had killed my Mother."
Jack finally scrambles to his feet. "We ain't dead, and we got rid of the knife. We don't get many victories nowadays, so just appreciate it for what it is, n'est-ce pas?"
Aspasia takes Jack's words, remembering that they have indeed accomplished the grand purpose at hand. She lifts her gaze to Inali. "He is right. This is done. One thing right."
Not what must be done. But a step towards it.
Pleasure.
She must have been affected as well. If it struck all the blood, then it was a blow to her. We have hampered her.
She will realize, no doubt sooner rather than later what has transpired.
Gingerly, Aspasia starts to rise from the sand. "It would not do to have Zagreus so near me now. My anger is weakly chained and he is ....worthy of its attention."
"Fair enough." Inali agrees, her own wrath bubbling below the surface. "Charlotte and I --"
The Cherokee cuts herself off abruptly, knitting her brows in concentration. She hugs her knees to her chest. When she speaks again, there is a hint of panic in her quiet contralto. "Charlotte. I can't hear Charlotte. Jack, why can't I hear Charlotte?"
He shrugs. "Seems to be related, non?"
She nods slowly. "Seems to be, yes. I could hear her right up until - and now I can't."
Uncurling herself, Inali stands up, unfastening one of the two canteens at her hip. Opening it, she checks its contents and unwraps the kerchief from around her neck. Pouring the clear water over the cloth, she hands it to him and produces another square of material that gets the same water treatment before she passes it to Aspasia. Then she busies herself with yet another dampened cloth to try and clean the blood from her own skin.
"Now," she says with a lightness she doesn't genuinely feel, "which one of you is going to write a note to the teacher excusing my absence from the Academy for world altering events?"
Jack grumbles as he tries to wipe himself off. "Not it," he mutters.
"Is your teacher a Gangrel?" Aspasia asks casually while wiping at her face and neck.
"Last I checked, Culpeper is not only a Gangrel, but related to this mess of a family tree we have going." She smiles as she gives her skin a last once over with the cloth. "Unfortunately, I don't think that gives me any perks when it comes to being absent during a lockdown."
Culpepper. Yes. He can be trusted with the truth.
"I think I might be able to placate them with a bribe. When we return to the states." Aspasia continues to clean off, and by virtue of knots and luck, is able to create a makeshift halter from the remains of her ripped top.
"I will need to feed soon. That means we need to make our way back to civilization."
And as that sinks in, Aspasia realizes she is hungry, yes - but the thought of Kindred vitae which had so been teasing at her control for the past half year was not dominant in her thoughts. The desire was dormant there.
It could only mean her blood was thinner, by the will of the Goddess. This was curse and blessing both - a loss of power, but now? Now she had more time to plan and act. She would not have to sleep before her labor was done.
Not that she had expected to live, to need the sleep of torpor. But, Aspasia had no illusion that this was gift from the gods.
The Moirae simply were not done twisting her thread to their pleasure.
~ Fini Scene ~
My love, know you are right. This could never go into her hands. And now it never will.
Again, she provokes the sensation of pain by laying hand on the burns over her heart. Pain which affirms that she is in the realm of the physical.
I live.
Wonder.
Confusion.
*You hoped otherwise. How disappointing.*
*Who will you murder next? Will we murder next?*
Inali’s cheeks are stained with the faint traces of blood tears. Her summer gaze narrows, filling with blue fire. She doesn't raise her voice, the anger threaded through her tone is clear. She speaks to Zagreus in Greek.
"You told her to do this. You told her to do this, no matter what the cost, and don't think it didn't cost her dearly. Do you have any idea what impact killing Dallas and my Sister are going to have on her?" She snarls, a more feral response than Inali has ever displayed, as if Charlotte is hovering at the surface. "Pull yourself together. What is done is done, by your direction."
Aspasia wipes at her bloody eyes and heaves for air like a mortal, though she needs it not - air to cleanse the invisible dust from her throat.
Crossing the sands, Inali goes over to her sire, touching her lightly, but the Amazon jerks away at first in surprise, stopping her retreat only when the Cherokee opens the floodgates of blood sympathy. Aspasia can feel Inali’s anger and exhaustion acutely, as her daughter asks Zagreus, "Who is "him" and what does he have to do with the Galla?"
The Amazon looks up turmoil visible only in that instant before she locks it away, focusing on the surroundings and the other three present. Inali’s matching gaze is there and breaks off again.
"The Galla are a joke...Inanna used the stories to scare you into certain actions. The Galla are long dead, long gone, an old way of Vampirism that is now nothingness...no potential...no existence. Flavianna Galla is a Kindred, if you'd been paying attention. And old Kindred...an augur.” Zagreus sniffles, "They weren't supposed to take those forms...the auguries...my own powers used to make this YOUR chance and not his...how did it change? Why did it change? It wasn't supposed to be like this. He can't do this. Who did this?" His blubbering resumes for a bit before continuing.
While Zagreus babbles, Aspasia's eyes narrow, when he mentions using his own powers - presumedly affecting her vision. She starts to move, but is stopped by a sharp pain, reminding the Amazon about the depths of her current injuries. She answers his question, but only in her thoughts. It changed because the Moirae spun it so.
Instead, she says, "If I need augur, Apollo's own will suit far better." She tilts her head from one side to the other, then slowly rolls along the line of her collarbones, as if checking for pain and injury.
If Pythia can be persuaded to provide council.
"This is bad...before I could help you. It would have been so easy....now? Now we have to rely just on you and yours to all make the right choices."
By right, you mean - the choices you want. You came here to witness steps in the greater Danse, but someone neglected to tell you that I and mine will move to music that we create, not that which is dictated to us.
Jack lets go of Zagreus. "Ain't nothing we ain't used to, mon ami." He looks over at Aspasia, the shadow of his hat shading the expression in his eyes.
The woman stares down at her hands, flexing the fingers and drawing them closed into fists, as if making sure each joint works. Then, she starts to move her arms with caution, testing muscles for strain while expends a portion of precious vitae to heal some of the knife and lightening inflicted harm.
Zagreus starts to wander over to the far side of the hill, picking up his lacrima as he goes. He mutters to himself about needing to think. Needing to find a place to hide and think.
Yes. He should hide before I determine his best purpose in being here is to be food. Honor debts placed aside.
Head turning to follow his retreat, Aspasia calls after the man. "The boon given I will honor, I asked your help in destroying the knife and it is gone. I did not ask you to avoid tricking me. It is unfortunate that you chose to play me false in that. Caution Zagreus, chose your time of redemption wisely."
Jack watches him go, and then starts to cough. He hacks for a moment, and then the coughs start to shudder through his entire body. He falls to one knee as he hacks -- he doesn't need the air, but he still doesn't seem to be able to control the coughing fit.
Aspasia stops in her self-assessment, twisting about on the sand, to look at him, her eyes widening with concern. Inali leans down and kisses Aspasia on the forehead, then goes to Jack's side.
A minute passes, then another, and finally the fit passes. As he lowers his body to the ground, Inali catches his shoulders and slides under his upper body, providing her lap as support. She brushes his hair back from his face, concern written all over her face. He shivers.
Gobs of blood are splattered over his hand, his mouth, the ground.
Half-crawling, Half-crouching, Aspasia moves slowly towards Jack - sniffing at the air, scanning the horizon, staring at Zagreus’ retreating form as she searches for the cause of Sanctified’s malaise.
Her daughter is the one recognizes the scent. "Asileehu," Inali breathes, tightening her arms around him as if her cold flesh could give him warmth. "You smell of death, love."
Her daughter’s murmur is what causes the Amazon to focus her more limited sense of smell on Jack as well. The odor is like an assault to Aspasia.
The consumption. The cancer. Jack's cancer has come back.
Mortal weakness? Mortal Death?
…or more Immortal Pain, to pair with his crippled leg?
It's another horror, another payment extracted by the Fates and again - they choose not to hurt Aspasia directly, but through those she cares for.
He starts to chuckle, but that sets off another coughing fit, and more blood splatters over her lap. "Good... good thing I'm already dead then, non?" Jack mutters.
Inali laughs in reply, though there is no joy in it. Merely an acknowledgment of his sense of humor twisted with sadness. She brushes his hair back, ignoring the blood, and kissing his forehead. "Good thing it won't kill you again, yes, dear one."
Aspasia joins the two, stopping before the odd Pieta, looking helpless and conflicted.
"Jack. What do you need?"
Tell me how to fix you.
Looking up at Aspasia, the steel in the Amazon's daughter is crystal clear. "There's nothing either of us can do."
Jack shakes his head and starts to lick the blood back off of his hand."Nothing, petite. Just... wasn't expecting it. Been a while since I've had to deal with the consumption, non? Just need to...." His eyes glaze over for a moment as he concentrates on focusing his vitae, spreading it through his body, its deathly energy infusing into his entire frame. "Something that little piece of merde did took something from me. I feel weaker than I have in years...."
Worry.
"It's not just you, Jack. I feel it too."
Alarm.
Athena - how much did you take?
And the Amazon realizes that what she was ignoring while checking for serious harm to herself. She feels weaker as well. There is subtle lack of flexibility - as if she had stopped sparring or training for a long period of time. And her timing feels off…
There is more wrong. She can feel it, but this is neither the time nor place to inventory specifics
Aspasia glances at Inali's face over Jack's shoulder and her expression turns pained.
"Athena be my witness. I did not know. I did not." She addresses them both.
"I would not have asked you to come." She stretches a hand out for an instant, then starts to pull it back, but Inali stops her, grasping with her own.
Aspasia repeats, "I did not know."
"Don't." Inali's voice is firm. "Don't go feeling guilty on us. We wanted to be here. I would willingly die for you, don't you understand that? This? This is nothing we can't deal with. I promise."
Aspasia nods once, even if agreement is not expressed on her face or in her eyes.
As Inali talks, Jack moves to sit up. He starts to speak, then quickly grabs Aspasia’s neck and brings her face close to his. He kisses her firmly on the lips.
"Just shut up, petite," he growls, as he slowly brings himself to his feet.
What?
Stunned for an instant, Aspasia sits back on her heels, so Jack has room to maneuver. Then she hastily wipes her hands over her mouth.
No!
Stupid! Stupid Fool!
Panic wars with a hint of desire as her gaze lingers on his face, and the faint marks of blood on his lips, from the spate of coughing and from where he just licked at the back of his hand. She can smell the lingering scent of his vitae, teasing at her beast.
Aspasia presses the fingers of each hand against her thighs as she waits despairingly for the madness of frenzy to wash over her.
And by some deity’s intervention, it does not.
A near costly mistake has been narrowly avoided.
He forgot. And I was too slow.
*He was not thinking about danger then, Amazon. Something else. Clearly.
Perhaps you were as well?*
Inali lets loose a genuine laugh, "Looks like it was effective, Asileehu. Well played." She grins at Jack. Then her eyes turn dark. "I have half a mind to track his cavalier, overly dramatic posterior and pry more information about Flavianna Galla out of him. And how these supposed 'stories' were able to kill my Sidney and make us think they had killed my Mother."
Jack finally scrambles to his feet. "We ain't dead, and we got rid of the knife. We don't get many victories nowadays, so just appreciate it for what it is, n'est-ce pas?"
Aspasia takes Jack's words, remembering that they have indeed accomplished the grand purpose at hand. She lifts her gaze to Inali. "He is right. This is done. One thing right."
Not what must be done. But a step towards it.
Pleasure.
She must have been affected as well. If it struck all the blood, then it was a blow to her. We have hampered her.
She will realize, no doubt sooner rather than later what has transpired.
Gingerly, Aspasia starts to rise from the sand. "It would not do to have Zagreus so near me now. My anger is weakly chained and he is ....worthy of its attention."
"Fair enough." Inali agrees, her own wrath bubbling below the surface. "Charlotte and I --"
The Cherokee cuts herself off abruptly, knitting her brows in concentration. She hugs her knees to her chest. When she speaks again, there is a hint of panic in her quiet contralto. "Charlotte. I can't hear Charlotte. Jack, why can't I hear Charlotte?"
He shrugs. "Seems to be related, non?"
She nods slowly. "Seems to be, yes. I could hear her right up until - and now I can't."
Uncurling herself, Inali stands up, unfastening one of the two canteens at her hip. Opening it, she checks its contents and unwraps the kerchief from around her neck. Pouring the clear water over the cloth, she hands it to him and produces another square of material that gets the same water treatment before she passes it to Aspasia. Then she busies herself with yet another dampened cloth to try and clean the blood from her own skin.
"Now," she says with a lightness she doesn't genuinely feel, "which one of you is going to write a note to the teacher excusing my absence from the Academy for world altering events?"
Jack grumbles as he tries to wipe himself off. "Not it," he mutters.
"Is your teacher a Gangrel?" Aspasia asks casually while wiping at her face and neck.
"Last I checked, Culpeper is not only a Gangrel, but related to this mess of a family tree we have going." She smiles as she gives her skin a last once over with the cloth. "Unfortunately, I don't think that gives me any perks when it comes to being absent during a lockdown."
Culpepper. Yes. He can be trusted with the truth.
"I think I might be able to placate them with a bribe. When we return to the states." Aspasia continues to clean off, and by virtue of knots and luck, is able to create a makeshift halter from the remains of her ripped top.
"I will need to feed soon. That means we need to make our way back to civilization."
And as that sinks in, Aspasia realizes she is hungry, yes - but the thought of Kindred vitae which had so been teasing at her control for the past half year was not dominant in her thoughts. The desire was dormant there.
It could only mean her blood was thinner, by the will of the Goddess. This was curse and blessing both - a loss of power, but now? Now she had more time to plan and act. She would not have to sleep before her labor was done.
Not that she had expected to live, to need the sleep of torpor. But, Aspasia had no illusion that this was gift from the gods.
The Moirae simply were not done twisting her thread to their pleasure.
~ Fini Scene ~