A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity] Slow game, dont close :)

[Karameida]

The Beginnings​

The gods looked unto the world and watched as chaos ripped the lands apart; watched as man tore their own world asunder with wars. Observed as they savagely ripped each other to pieces over hatred, greed, lust; the lust for sex, riches, and above all power.

Certainly a world not worth saving nor even trying to help and some of the gods agreed to let them bring about their own demise. Yet some spoke out against the action, saying it was too harsh for there was good in that twisted world and it should be given a chance to flourish. They argued over what should be done for some time before a decision was made to create two beings, twins, who would be charged with keeping the balance, so to speak and with that decision and a snap of a finger the deal was done.

Off somewhere in the night sky a giant blue star pulsed like a small heart-beat and a distant voice reached across the expanse of space "You two will bring prosperity and light to the chaos stricken world." the voice was soft and gentle almost echoing in nature. At the words the blue star pulsed again slightly stronger this time, growing brighter. "Breathe..." the voice urged on and the pulsing came quicker, more insistent, an almost inaudible "thump,thump,thumping" of a heart reverberating around the pulsing, a stronger glow emanated from within the star and the thumping grew louder, becoming the echo of two thumping hearts, and the star seemed to almost shake and break apart.

It was beginning to die and collapse in on itself, dust particles circled around the dying star and with one final pulse it collapsed and exploded, the explosion spreading out like a wave crashing over land, and just like water it pulled back into the source and disappeared into a giant burst of darkness, the darkness darker than even the black emptiness of space.

The shadows dissipated and where the star once was there was now two women identical in every possible way except for the gems that adorned their foreheads. They seemed almost in a sort of slumber curled next to each other forming an odd sort of circular shape resembling the yin and yang symbol.

The women opened their eyes and blinked slowly, moving they reached out and grabbed each others hands "Now go and restore the world to it's true beauty." the voice said fading away and with that they were sent hurling to their destination. All the while they never let go of each others hands, as if that alone was what was keeping them from being destroyed out in space.

The twins had landed on the planet in an explosion and had set about doing the work they had been created to do; or so they thought. As they traveled their personalities began to form and they began to question their original assumptions about their work as well as their own existence. As they traveled they gained friends that began to teach them about the world and through that they truly learned what their mission was. And from that point on they had done right by their duty bringing great joy and honor to the gods who had molded them from the dying star.

However, tragedy befell them one day. A power hungry lord sought to use the twins immeasurable power to help himself and had kidnapped the light; Hikaru. That was when they learned that they not only balanced the world around them but they balanced each other as well. Without the one to balance the other they both fell into a trance like state. Tsukiko, the darkness was as a demon destroying any that fell into her path. Hikaru, the light on the other hand sought to purge the world of all impurities and since the world and all the creatures that inhabit the world are never truly pure she destroyed just as much as her dark counter-part.

The world and it's people became fearful of such beings and sought a way to put an end to their reign. It was then that they were sealed away. The people still feared the power of the twins and so it was added that neither twin could exist in the world without a contractor to control them. However, the ones who sealed the twins and in essence cursed them to that existence knew that the lure of such power would bring a great many evil hearts intent on owning the twins, so they hid the location as well as the ritual that would unseal them. Millennium passed and the Twins fell into the oldest of myths, nearly forgotten by the passage of time.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A new fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu::Harmon Fortescu::Archibald Morinth::Occultists​

Date: July 23, 1854. Location: Undisclosed, somewhere on the outskirts of London

It was a fine day in London, England; the streets were rife with activity. Men bowed, women curtsied in greeting to each other; some went so simple as to give their greeter a lift of the hat. Lords and viscounts walked cheerfully, going about their business as usual. Some fathers taught their offspring the finer arts: Shooting, swordsmanship and horse riding for the sons, often sewing and other ladylike activities for the daughters. Some daring young lasses even went so far as to exhibit their handcrafted masteries for others to gaze upon, for it was not uncommon to have a proper lady humbly display her skill with the thread and needle. For the upper class, it certainly seemed like everything was the way it should be.

However, an unseen turmoil lurked beneath the seemingly tranquil atmosphere, privy only to those that were allowed and chosen to partake in it. A shadowy group that few heard of and even less knew of its name, its sole goal to overthrow the crown and take it for themselves. One might think that the King and Queen of England would have enough manpower to quash any threat that might seek to destabilize their reign, but their elusive leader was virtually untouchable, for he was a Duke, the highest order of the non-royal noble class and second in power only to the Royal Family themselves. The Duke, Lord Archibald Mornith of Whitechapel, was a powerful man indeed; like any other noble, his income of land-renting and investment in the trades of fur, tea, silk and precious minerals allowed him access to unseemly amounts of money. And with it, he was pursuing another method to overtake the crown's enormous army: It was something of a fable, thought long lost to the relics of time itself. A group of men ranking among Earls sat before the Duke, their shifty gazes clearly wary of their leader's wrath. All were seated at a round table; twelve of the thirteen chairs were filled and placed around the furniture's circumference. At the 'head' sat a man in a chair covered in regal furs, his clothing of impeccable quality and his face showing an extreme displeasure at the state of affairs; for long moments, his wandered to the twelve other finely-dressed men in this room, as if examining them for dishonesty. He then finally spoke, the irritation clear as ever in his voice, "For nearly a year....A year has almost passed and yet you imbeciles find nothing! Assassins, ransoms, kidnappings...All these plans and yet we are no closer to achieving our goal!" "My Lord, please be merciful; this book you speak of...It will take time to find. No one even knows where it was last seen...We have small groups searching possible areas where it could be found...." "Tell me, Lord Benedict...Have you forgotten what the King is trying to do? He's trying to let the trash in...Saying 'We owe them the chance to progress'. That we should try to be more 'inclusive'. Would you honestly let your sons and daughters mingle with the uncouth and uneducated?!" the Duke then asked pointedly.

Lord Benedict seemed to recoil at this, to which another said in defense, "My Lord...Even if we do find the book, legends say that there is only one location where we can perform the ritual. Lord Benedict is correct in that this will take time to accomplish". "And how many times do I have to repeat this...The legends also tell that the book holds the location! Once we find the book, everything else will fall into place perfectly. I am sure of it! And the longer we spend gaining no progress, the more the King can allow these unwashed braggarts to call themselves 'Lords' and 'Ladies'. It's a right disgrace to society is what it is. And where in the devil is Lord Fortescu?!" Before the tirade could continue, a knock was heard on the door; all attention shifted to the sudden disturbance as Duke Morinth stated, "Enter". A tall man sporting a pair of muttonchops in a fine suit and top hat came through, carrying a tied up scroll of parchment; it was a message. The man gave a lift of his hat and walked forth; the Duke glared pointedly and asked, "What is the meaning of this disturbance, Lord Bennet?" as he snatched the scroll from the gentleman's hands, to which the messenger replied politely, "It's from Lord Fortescu, Your Grace...One of his runners brought it to me just now". The Duke opened the scroll, his eyes scanning the parchment; slowly his expression shifted from annoyance to surprise to utter shock. "Your Grace...." "My Lord, is everything alright" "What's happening?" several of the Lords asked, to be silenced when Archibald rolled up the parchment and orderd, "Bring Lord Fortescu here....Immediately".

A few hours later....

"I see.....And how long ago did you find this?" Archibald asked a black-haired man in a fine suit with a well-polished wooden cane; the man's green eyes peered at the Duke in contemplation before he replied, "I found it this morning; I must admit I had no idea it would THERE of all places". The Duke turned a large, very ancient-looking book over in his hands with a large grin on his face, "Well, one must give credit for cleverness; where else to hide something like this other than right beneath our noses. And to hide the book itself in its own lost chamber, ensuring maximum chance it would never be discovered". Even if it wasn't intended for a town to be built right above where they needed to be, the Duke still congratulated them on their shrewd insight into those that heard of the legend. "Seems I was right in selecting you, Fortescu; as a descendant of those that sealed the Twins of Light and Darkness, along with the rest of the Lords here, only you thirteen would have the potential to discover the Tomb's whereabouts. And now that we have it...We can proceed".

The Duke cracked open the book, coughing slightly at the dust that arose from having the pages moved in so long before flipping through it; a few moments would pass by before Archibald uttered, his index finger resting intently on one of the pages, "Ah....Here it is. Just as I thought...The Sealing Ritual here all laid for us to decipher". He then looked up and said in a commanding tone "All except Lord Fortescu.....Leave, for there is something we must discuss". The twelve other Earls took their leave indeed, leaving Lord Fortescu, the Duke's right hand Lord Bennet, and the Duke himself. "Harmon...Does your son Mortimer know of this?" he asked the good Earl, to which he replied after a shake of the head "No...And I would be pleased if it were to stay that way". "Of course, old friend; do not concern yourself, for when we succeed your son will share in the coming prosperity. He will make a fine Lord himself one day". Harmon merely nodded in reply; he often wondered if he was doing this for himself or his son. While it was true he resented that the lower classes were essentially disrupting the natural order of things, some of the girls who approached Mortimer - and himself given that his beloved Judith had died shortly after giving birth to their son - who were below them in terms of wealth and status seemed more attractive in nearly every aspect overall now that they could afford nicer things. "Well then...Harmon, you may leave now if you wish; Lord Bennet and myself must discuss what the next course of action will be" Archibald then stated; Lord Fortescu simply bowed and made an exit out of the meeting chambers.

Date: July 27, 1854. Location: Fortescu House, London, England

A knock sounded at the door of House Fortescu; one of the maids - a petite brown-haired, blue-eyed woman of barely five and a half feet height - came to the door only to see none other than Duke Archibald awaiting at the threshold, a cloth-wrapped package being carried under his left arm. "Ah! Lord Morinth! Fine day to you, m'Lord!" the maid spilled out; the Duke gave a lift of his cap and a bow and replied, "Fine day to you, madam. I was wondering if your Lord Fortescu was available". The maid nodded and after another curtsy and greeting him inside, scurried off to notify her master. Not long after, Harmon came walking down the steps dressed in his usual attire. "Lord Morinth...Always pleased to make your acquiantance". "To you as well, Lord Fortescu; 'tis is a splendid day is it not? Though I must ask...Where is your boy?" Harmon lowered his gaze and replied, "He's out...canoodling with that Willownest girl. For reasons you know, I despise him being around her". "Ah, yes, the Willownest family...One of the newer 'additions' to the upper echelons of society. I can understand your disapproval...But worry not, for soon she will be back in her rightful place".

At this Harmon was puzzled; the Duke noticed this and chuckled, "Forgive me, Lord Fortescu...I mean to say that soon everything will be as it should. Shall we...go downstairs for a moment?" Harmon nodded in reply and after going down to the home's wine cellar, moved a wooden barrel out of the way to reveal quite the ornate stone piece: A circle of pure swirled onyx and diamond. Harmon placed his hand upon, causing it to depress into the wall and after a slight shuttering, the floor behind them began to part, revealing a stone stairway. The two Lords then descended the rather dimly lit path, Harmon carrying an oil lamp that he kept hidden behind another barrel of wine to light the way. They would eventually reach a large cavern, upon entering torches surrounding the room sprang to life, casting their glow upon a large circular piece of stone in the center and another standing across from it; the second slab seemed to resemble the stone Harmon had pushed to access the stairwell to get here.

The Duke then unwrapped his package to reveal the strange book; opening it again, Archibald looked around the room and as he did so, he found his grin growing wider and wider. "Amazing...It's all here. We have almost everything we need. I can't believe it's so simple; one would think that they would cast better protection on something like this" Archibald commented excitedly; prior research into this matter had shown that they needed several items to complete the ritual. And now that the Tomb had been found...All that was needed was to simply perform the ritual itself. But they still needed one more piece, one the Duke knew would be incredibly difficult to obtain. Clearing his throat, Archibald then turned to Harmon, "Now, old friend, you know how this works...But there is something I forgot to mention because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable". "What is it?" "Well, as you know...The Unsealing Ritual requires that one descendant carry an item that bears the name of the predecessor that sealed them away, to be used for the essence of them that will break the magic holding the Twins. It also requires that each person give a drop of their blood for the physical energy, to allow the Twins to manifest themselves". "Yes, I'm aware of that...Is there a problem?" "Unfortunately...Yes. Based on Lord Bennet's translations of the writing and the knowledge he possesses, it requires the descendant to bring a flesh sacrifice" Lord Fortescu could feel the color drain from his face and felt like he was going to faint; the poor Lord then stammered, "Y..you mean my son...."."No, I don't know for certain; the text is degraded, but based on what we could piece together...The flesh sacrifice must come from the descendant and it must possess an innocence not yet corrupted; I could only assume it meant one of your offspring". "No, I refuse to sacrifice Mortimer!" Archibald patted his friend on the back, stating "Come now; I just told you I don't know for certain. For all we know, it could mean we just a poor unwitting sap who has nothing left to give. There are plenty of those around here".

Harmon still seemed quite shaken; while it was true that the Duke didn't specifically state that his son was required for the ritual, the thought of doing that to his own flesh and blood made his stomach riot in protest. "My sincerest apologies, friend; I did not mean to cause you such distress" Archibald stated sincerely; Harmon just shook his head and replied, "It's nothing...Is there anything I can do? Just to absolutely eliminate the possibility of my son being sacrificed?" "Of course; we still need to get your cell prepared to perform the ritual. You'll be the only Lord there, as you know; the other Viscounts and Barons will be the other donors for the ritual itself. We'll find something, don't you worry".

 

[Karameida]

RE: A new fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

They had been sealed within their current prison for an indeterminate number of eons. Being in a place that hovered in a realm that was only barely linked to the realm of the living made it hard; or rather impossible to determine anything close to the the actual number of years. At times it seemed that very little time had passed and others felt like they had spent nigh an eternity in the damned place. Both would be incredibly surprised at the turn their world had taken. Gone was the time that they had become accustomed, gone were the landmarks that they had come to know so well, gone were the people who had so callously sealed them. The secret occult had vanished on the breath of the wind, taking with them their knowledge of the location as well as the unsealing ritual.

Tsukiko wouldn't have ever admitted it but, she was terrified she and Hikaru would forever be imprisoned in this world of shadows. A place where neither true light nor true darkness existed. A land that was barren of features and life, it held neither comforting warmth nor any cooling breezes. It was a place that existed on the outskirts of life and death a place that offered none of life's joys nor deaths sweet releases. It was truly a waking nightmare for immortals such as them. And Tsukiko would have enjoyed nothing more than to destroy the ones who'd placed them there. She wondered what Hikaru would have thought if she'd known the many way's she'd envisioned her much desired revenge. Should she ever get the chance, she would certainly not hesitate to destroy any of their ancestors though she knew Hikaru would probably not approve. They would be free of their ancestors stain, since it was not them that had betrayed the Twins. It was not enough....Tsukiko would forever feel the dark desire to annihilate their line from the face of existence.

Tsukiko was of the darkness, an embodiment of chaos and destruction. She was a warrior and her personality definitely mirrored that. She was gruff, brusque, impatient, cynical and easy to anger. The only thing that kept her from becoming evil and destroying all of existence was her Twin, Hikaru. The twins had been sent to the world long ago by their gods and goddesses to help restore balance to the world and give it a fighting chance. Hikaru and Tsukiko were balancers in all things, they balanced good and evil, chaos and order, the elements that tore at and rebuilt the world, Hate and love and even themselves. One could not exist without the other and the world had found out the hard way what would happen should they be separated.

When someone had kidnapped the gentle Hikaru and separated them, they had unwittingly sealed their own fates. Without one another to balance out their extreme nature's they had both wrought extreme destruction. It was why they both found themselves in their current incarcerated state. People had begun to fear the Twins and had thought to imprison them. But you can't exactly seal away two children of the gods permanently. So it had been stipulated that once unsealed and in possession of a contractor the Twins could once again walk the world.

Tsukiko wondered once more what kind of a world they would find themselves in if and when they were finally unsealed. How much could the world have changed? How much had it changed? Tsukiko, in a vain attempt to alleviate the ennui which had settled upon her had gone to the trouble of trying to picture what kind of world they would eventually be unsealed into. Who would their contractor be? "I wonder if I shall be obliged to kill him...." she said to no one in particular. Tsukiko hated the idea of being entrapped here any longer but then again...there were certain things she couldn't tolerate or refused to put up with in a contractor. Belatedly it occurred to her that she might not be able to kill him; just how much power would their contractor have over them? "Hikaru...." Tsukiko said unsure of how she wanted to phrase her question. "Do you-- Do you think our contractor will have complete control over us?" she couldn't keep the troubled concern from seeping into her voice. The idea of someone completely controlling either of them troubled her deeply.

Tsukiko wasn't a scholar, she was a warrior but she was no fool by far. She knew what it would mean if someone was able to exert that much power over them. It could and very much would be disastrous.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A new fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru Kimiko​

Hikaru felt the emptiness of the realm they were trapped in keenly. At first the lighter of the two twins was hopeful. Years began to pass, but she was sure someone would break their prison and free them. Alas, years turned into centuries, and soon Hikaru lost all track of time, fore she had nothing to measure it by. No growing things, trees, flowers, grass even, not even the days light or nights darkness. The world the twins were trapped in was dull and grey, somewhere between life and death. Hope began to dwindle, and soon she was fearful of ever being released.

Though her sister never said it, nor let her thoughts on the matter flow freely to her twin, Hikaru could sense the need for revenge churning in her. Many centuries had passed, and Tsukiko was not the forgiving kind. Not in the least. Hikaru herself was satisfied in the knowledge that the ones who had locked them in this prison of nothingness had long since turned to dust and vanished from the face of the earth. They would answer now to whatever god they served. She held no blame for the ancestors that came after, fore in her eyes their hands were clean of this wrongdoing.

Hikaru was the embodiment of light. She was all things pure. Patient, gentle, forgiving, and open. The opposite of her beloved twin Tsukiko. She needed to be, she was a healer. They had been made to balance the world. The were each one half of the other, so that together they made a whole, meant to spread the same balancing effect to the world they were sent to save. Should they ever be separated, the opposite held true. They hadn't been aware of that fact. Not until Hikaru was kidnapped by a greedy Lord, wanting to bend the twins to his will. Tsukiko wreaked havoc on the world bringing death and destruction, and Hikaru was driven to purge, kill evil with illness and disease, never before had she experienced such dark feelings, and never again did she want to. She had experienced a darker side to herself, brought out by the absence of her dark twin.

Catching the thoughts of Tsukiko, Hikaru's own thoughts lingered on the world. She wondered if had gone stagnant in their absence, or if it had continued to grow and flourish. What would it be like? They had been sent to right it, balance it and make it whole. Had they succeeded in their short time there? Or would they find corruption and chaos once more when the time came and they were released? “Yes Tsukiko?” Hikaru asked, as her twin broke through her thoughts. “I don't think so. I don't think any one person, mortal or immortal, could handle so much power.”

Though her answer sounded it, she wasn't being cocky, simply honest and thoughtful. The two of them were essentially the children of gods, to command them would take enormous efforts, they to, would need to be the children of gods, or the gods themselves.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A new fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu::Harmon Fortescu::Archibald Morinth::Occultists​

It took poor Harmon a few moments before he finally calmed down; looking back into Archibald's eyes, he then said "Forgive my outburst, Your Grace; I just......". However, the Duke's hand came to rest upon the Lord's shoulder, "Fret not, Lord Fortescu; were any of my sons or daughters mentioned like that, I would be in the very same state you're in. Rest assured; Mortimer is completely off the table". Lord Fortescu nodded weakly and replied, "Thank you, Lord Morinth. He then stood up straighter than before and tugged at the edges of his coat to straighten it, "This ritual...When will it happen?" This made the Duke pause; there was still some things that needed to be done. Not to mention the other 'complications' of the ritual itself.

"I cannot honestly say; we can't have there be more than one Lord come to your house. Can't have the ruffians asking too many questions, after all". Of course, with the way society was, it was unlikely that anyone would mind if all thirteen Lords came to the Fortescu household. But with what they were planning, it paid to be prudent. "There's also the matter of trying to make sure that when the seal is broken, the Twins will have someone to bond to. That of course is your part; we'll then need to find someone talented enough in black magic to sever the bond and bend them to our whim". "Black magic? My Lord, something like that will draw too much attention, even for those of our status. Witchcraft and the dark arts are strictly forbidden". "Do not worry, Lord Fortescu; you know of my skill in acquiring 'less-desirable' goods. The only trouble will be locating such an individual, and believe me, I do not wish this were a part of the ritual, but what we've translated so far makes it appear to have to be that". Lord Fortescu only smiled, "It seems bringing in Lord Bennet was a wise move indeed; his knowledge seems absolutely limitless". "That's what happens when your father is a talented linguist and studier of languages, both dead and thriving".

With that, the good Duke dusted off his top hat and placed it back onto his head, "Well, I must be off; expect that the ritual will happen in less than three days. I will send a letter soon enough, but for now...." He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small piece of parchment, "These are your instructions for when it does happen". The two then ascended the stairs and after closing the concealed path behind them, Lord Fortescu bade the Duke farewell; the latter was soon met by a familiar face. "I take it Lord Fortescu was none too happy by the arrangement..." It was Lord Bennet, the Duke's right hand man in this whole escapade. "I would be very shocked if he was; regardless, he believes his son Mortimer is now off the table. But that boy is crucial to the success of this endeavor. Have some of the Snatchers grab him; anyone who flirts with the lower class is undeserving of their title anyway". "As you wish, Your Grace". And with that, the two gave their goodbyes and parted ways to prepare for the coming time.

*Later that evening*

Mortimer Fortescu was on his way back home after escorting Amelia Willownest home from a ball. Pulling out his pocket watch, a beautiful gold piece gifted to him by his father, he glanced at it and saw that it wasn't working. He put his ear to its back; the traditional lowkey whir could not be heard. "Blast it...Confounded device is always jamming" the young boy muttered; he would have to fix it when he returned home. Little did he realize he would never get the chance.

As he put the watch back into his pocket, he found himself being assaulted; he struggled as he felt arms grip him and begin to drag him into a side alley. Sadly, there really was no one around to witness it and as much as Mortimer struggled, he was being overpowered. It was only after he threw an elbow into his attacker's gut that he felt the hold release, only to feel a powerful fist connect with his own stomach. Mortimer doubled over in pain, a hand coming to rest over his abdomen as he curled over. He would not be spared yet; another pair of arms wrapped around his neck, slowly choking off his air supply. Mortimer's hands clawed at the limbs; the efforts grew weaker and weaker until they ceased completely, his body falling limply in the assailant's grasp. "Boy's a fighter, I'll give him that" one of them said in a grunt-like tone, to which another replied sharply, "Shut it, you; let's get this meat back so we can get paid". A third one threw the unconscious boy over his shoulder, and the trio carried Mortimer soundlessly into the night.

*Two days later*

Everything seemed to be going according to schedule; the various bits and pieces of the ritual were in place, and one after another, the various members of Lord Fortescu's cell were invited into the home. Their arrivals were timely and spaced out so as not to arouse suspicion, even if it was unlikely anyone would find such a large gathering odd. Lord Fortescu read over the instructions to make sure everything was right; when his 'son' Mortimer returned home, he was deeply perturbed that he was getting close to that Willownest girl. Of course, the lad would hear nothing of it and proceeded to storm out of the house. Well, at least he wouldn't be in the way.

He then pulled out the letter that Duke Archibald Morinth had sent; it contained a detailed list of instructions on how to perform the ritual. Since the Duke ironically WASN'T a descendant of the original thirteen to have performed the sealing ritual, he left it up to Harmon to complete the job. If everything went according to plan, their little scheme of overthrowing the crown would indeed come to fruition. Some local boys carried in a large crate of wine, apparently a gift; truthfully, it was a cover for the flesh sacrifice and the boys were in fact employed by the Duke to deliver it as such. It was obviously a boy, dressed in rags yet seemed to be relatively healthy, and on top of it, his face was covered by a burlap sack. When he attempted to lift it to see who it was exactly, one of the other Lords who had come up for a moment said not to, telling him that the Duke did not want a vagrant's eyes to behold the utter power that he was going to be used for.

Harmon, before all this, dismissed his maids for the day, allowing them to operate in relative solitude. A good thing too, for soon it was time to begin; taking a deep breath, he took out a fine velvet sack and unfurled it to reveal a golden six-pointed star. This was a keepsake that was passed down from father to son, a hand-me-down that Harmon never knew what it was until the Duke revealed to him. "Well....I suppose it's time" he muttered; he then stood from his seat and straightened his jacket before making his way down to the strange cavern beneath his own home. He still wondered how it got there and why it had not been revealed to him before; the fact that there was a switch to lead to it was also strange, but Harmon realized that it was not important and that now they could truly begin. Soon, he and Mortimer would have everything, even more than they had now; he could give his son an even more secure future and help him find a well-to-do woman like his mother.

Upon arriving, eight members in crimson robes with the hoods over their heads stood around the circular stone tablet, the ragged-looking boy laying on its carved surface. "My Lord..." the eight men said simultaneously; Harmon looked to each of them in turn and replied, "Gentlemen....Thank you for coming. Today marks the start of a new era. For too long have we allowed these charlatans to say that we must give the undeserving a fair shake; why, we ask? And the crown replies, "Because it is our duty". Balderdash, I say!" This was met with murmurs of approval, only for Harmon to continue, "Indeed; when this ritual is complete, we will overthrow the crown and establish a truly polite society! One where only those in their proper class will mingle! You will never have to worry about your fair offspring having to mingle with the plain! Never have to worry about the parasites trying to marry their way into nobility to take what you have rightfully earned!" The previous murmurs became a loud roar, each of the cell members cheering in overwhelming acceptance.

At this, the boy on the table groaned; Lord Fortescu walked over and bowed over, whispering, "And as for you...You'll be the catalyst that ushers in this new era. Be proud to die here, boy....By your blood, you'll exonerate all like you and place them where they belong". The boy seemed to perk up and start trying to thrash; however, within moments, Fortescu secured his limbs with iron shackles and an iron collar over his neck. "There....The flesh sacrifice is ready" Harmon stated, something that distressed the bound lad greatly as he thrashed and writhed to free himself of his restraints. "Sire...Seven flowers have been floriographed as per the ritual requirements. Two baby's breath, one amaranth, two coreopsis, one daisy and one elderflower and the heart of a pure woman taken without malice for the Order Avatar" one of the occultists to the left of Harmon then said; another piped up to his right, "Same over here, m'lord: One sword of pure iron and thirteen bones of a wicked man" Fortescu nodded and said, "Very good...Gentlemen, take your stations". Each of the hooded members spaced themselves evenly around the two displays, four to each while Harmon remained just behind the lad's head. Reaching into his pocket, he then procured the golden star and after cutting the boy's shirt, placed the item on his bare chest, directly over his heart.

In a flash, each of the eight occultists and Harmon drew a silver knife and held it to their exposed palm; Harmon then cleared his throat and began the chant, his voice booming across the empty chamber:

Egressus gemini fatis! Quaesumus!

Videte vocationem meam perdere, et inimici nostri, Avatar tenebrarum, Chaos et contritio!

Audite vocem meam, et sanes perditis Avatar Lucis rerum ordine!

Imperioque deorum aethere mundi dimittere te!

Liber a vinculis aeternis tua!

Tredecim proditoris sanguine signati estis!

Octo sanguine iusti, tu autem alienus eris!

Once the chant was finished, each of the occultists cut their palm, spilling their blood - which carried within it the blood of the ancestors that had originally sealed the Twins away - over their respective displays. Harmon then cut his own palm and placed the incision directly onto the star itself, letting his blood spill onto the star which glowed brightly and brilliantly. A sizzling could be heard as the heat burned a mark into both the father's palm and the boy's chest; the poor lad could only scream in agonizing pain, the muffled sound due to the gag that was placed over his mouth beneath the mask. The stone tablet and the swirled onyx and diamond portal glowed as well, the latter beginning to spin rapidly and cast a magnificent display of light around the entire cavern. "Yes...YES! It's working! They're coming, gentlemen! A new day is upon us! Be free, Twins of Fate!"

 

[Karameida]

RE: A new fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

Tsukiko listened to her twin and accepted her twins conclusions. She was right, there was no reason for her to doubt her twin's words. She herself had thought much the same thing; still it was comforting hearing her twin reciprocate her thoughts. Knowing Hikaru was so sure of it let her relax once more. She knew they needed a contractor to move about but she wondered; if there were multiple people present, would they get to choose their contractor? That question branched off into multiple other avenues until it was a complex system and she just gave up. Sighing she once more looked upon the world in which they were trapped and felt old angers flare up within her. She resented that they were being punished thus for the fears of mortals. Vengeance, she hungered for it as a man in hell thirsted for water. It marred her already dark soul making her even more bitter.

The barest of whispers threaded it's way into their solitary world momentarily distracting her from her thoughts. She stilled and strained her ear to see if she could hear it again. Was she going mad? Had all the years spent in this hell finally compromised her mind? Again the smallest of sounds breathed through their barren surroundings. "Hikaru....did you--" she started to say but stopped hesitating. A small wind stirred the particles of dirt that drifted in the usually still and stagnant air. "Hikaru...." she said an ounce of eagerness twining with her voice. A draft of wind and a sudden burst of chanting voices sliced through the area. She was certain now, it was finally happening. "Freedom...." she whispered excitement welling up inside her breast. A niggling of doubt eased it's way inside the excitement. Everything that was about to happen was in unknown territory to her. Her enemies, her allies, the culture, the people, the style, the language and above all....the contractor. Something told her, she'd know what to do but it did not completely quell the sudden burst of doubt. Too many unknowns was most often a very bad thing.

Another gush of wind sliced through their prison and there came a point where true light beat back their shadowed world. She felt herself being pulled towards the light and the closer she got the louder the voices became. The light intensified and she had to close her eyes. Having been inside the shadowed prison so long the light actually hurt her eyes. From one moment to the next she felt herself being thrown from their prison. She felt something cold and hard beneath her feet and cool air drift across her skin. It took her a moment to realize the implications of those two things, when it hit her she quickly opened her eyes and blinked several times in rapid succession trying to dispel the fuzzy blur from her vision. A moment or two ticked by before things came into focus, she turned her head slightly taking in the scene before her. She looked at the figure sprawled out and chained and felt a small tug within her.

Turning her head she saw her twin; really saw her twin. A smile lit her face for the first time in the gods above knew how long. Close on the heels of that discovery also came the discovery that they had re-entered the world in much the same way that they had the first time. Stark naked.

Tsukiko moved to stand a little in front of her twin, she herself didn't mind that she was naked but she wasn't sure how her Twin would feel about it this time around. She gazed at the figures scowling slightly, she didn't like the looks of this. It looked to much like a sacrifice. Her gaze once again fell on the victim and she again felt the unfamiliar tug within her. She was no expert on the balance within a person but she was sure as hell familiar with the darkness and each of the standing figures had that commodity in droves. The only one who couldn't have been mistaken for a demon in a humans guise was the one who was to be sacrificed. Go figure.

She moved forward quickly and watched satisfied as they moved out of her way. She looked down at the bag that was covering the mans head. With a quick movement she removed the sack and stared down into the males eye's. Off somewhere she heard a shocked gasp. Turning her head to her twins she rose her brow speculatively and smiled when her Twin nodded her head in agreement. Without a moments hesitation she lowered her head and kissed the male. She slightly took his bottom lip between her teeth and bit down. His blood welled up around her teeth and slowly dripped into her mouth. She sucked softly on the wound until a small amount of his blood coated her tongue. Raising her head, she turned on her heal and walked back over to her twin Hikaru.

With a little more gentleness she tilted her twins head slightly and kissed her softly. She let her twin taste the blood in her mouth and once an even amount had been transferred between them she broke the kiss. A mountain of information cascaded through her mind. She blinked as she was barraged with vast amounts of information and memories. A moment of silence descended upon everything as neither twin moved. They waited until all the information had been sorted into the proper place in their minds before Tsukiko once more turned to face the crowd. "It is done. The contract has been made." she said staring at them as a whole. Her gaze narrowed in on one member in particular; a memory of their contractors rose to her mind "Your own son....for power..." she said darkly. Without another word she walked over to the man on the table whose name had been Mortimer and retrieved the star that had been on his chest.

In the next moment she jabbed the star into harmons heart and ripped it up into his throat as easily as if she'd been cutting chicken. "Imprisonment has made me rusty...." she said flexing her fingers. "How do you feel, Hikaru?" she asked looking at her twin.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru could feel her twins anger flare up once more as she contemplated their contractor her bitter thoughts, as they often did, turning to the ones who had imprisoned them. Her anger was like a living thing craving blood and vengeance. It was enough to make Hikaru shiver along with the knowledge that should they ever escape, the ancestors waiting on the other side for them stood no chance against Tsukiko. The only hope they had was Hikaru, if she could calm her sister. Should they deserve her help.

As Tsukiko's thoughts broke off in distraction, so did Hikaru's, her actions were a mirror of her sisters, her body stilled, head cocked to the side as her ear strained to pick up the slight whisperings that had threaded their way through the twins' prison. Her eyes widened in shock. It was the first sound she had heard in so very long, outside of the conversations with Tsukiko. Hope swelled in her again. Were they finally going to be released from this hell? “Yes I heard it!” Hikaru couldn't help the giddy excitement that flooded her voice. A wind began to stir and Hikaru's hope blossomed into certainty. What else could this possibly mean?

“Yes Tsukiko...Freedom!” She couldn't hide the deep longing in her tone. Soon she would walk in sunlight again, feel grass under her feet, she would be surrounded by living things. Not dead air and dust. She knew that she should be more focused on what would be on the other side of the doorway. Be more prepared for what they might find. But she had been isolated so long..away from anything fresh and alive.

Soon the voices burst from whispers to chanting, brought with another bout of wind. Hikaru could sense her twins doubt amidst her excitement and she reached out to take her hand. “All will be well once we are free.” Her voice was low and soothing, though it was drowned out by the voices carried to them on the wind she knew her sister would hear it in her thoughts as well. She was certain they could handle whatever was on the other side of the portal.

The dim light that had broken through to them began to grow in intensity, as did the voices. Soon it had driven away the last of the shadows, its brilliant and blinding rays stretching into the deepest corners of the shadowed realm. Hikaru's answering smile was dazzling as she closed her eyes, chin tilted up and her arms held up to embrace the long absent warmth of the light. She felt herself pulled from the prison, and all too soon the light faded, though it did not dampen her spirits. Because she felt something else familiar under her feet, the cold hard stone of a floor.

Slowly her eyes opened, her face turned first to her twin, her smile widening. She too, quickly came to the same realization as her twin. Both of them were unclothed. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but it was the only sign of her discomfort. Thankfully Tsukiko stepped in front of her. Shielding her, at least partially, from the stares of them men who surrounded them. From behind Tsukiko she studied the room. The darkness from the men flooding her senses. These were not pure beings. And a frown tugged down the corner of her lips. Deepening as her gaze fell on a young man chained to a table. She could feel the innocence in him, feel his soul calling out for help.

Hikaru released her sisters hand as she moved forward. Her eyes travelled around the room, taking in each mans face. There was not a drop of innocence to be found in any of them, and it saddened her. They had all given themselves over to darkness. Finally her gaze landed once more upon her twin as she pulled the sack covering the man's face and glanced back at her. A brow arched and a question was mirrored in her eyes. Solemnly Hikaru nodded, giving her consent. He would be their contractor. The only man in the room worthy of the charge.

She watched curiously as Tsukiko lowered her head, kissing the boy on the table. She knew her twin must be guided by some instinct. Before entering this chamber neither one of them had known what would be required. Soon Tsukiko was back in front of her, tilting her head back, a soft kiss planted on Hikaru's lips, followed by the coppery tang of blood. Immediately it made perfect sense to her. Bonds of blood were the strongest bonds one could forge.

With the young mans blood came his memories and information. Hikaru's eyes rounded in amazement. Things had changed so much. His memories showed a world very different from the one they had left behind. Though the darkness in its people remained the same. As Tsukiko turned to face the crowd Hikaru's gaze swept the room once more. A rare fury swept over her as she met the eyes of one of the men. Harmon Fortescu, she identified him from an image in her mind.

Tsukiko's words echoed Hikaru's own feelings. For once the twin of light felt not pity for the fate of the man. She would not lift a finger, nor utter a word to spare so low a creature. Nor any of the men in this room. They had sealed their fates. Even so, she could not help but turn her head as Tsukiko drove through his heart, pulling it up through his chest and throat.

“I feel...sluggish.” Hikaru spoke for the first time. Her body felt slow to respond to her, her legs like jelly. So long had they been unused.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu::Harmon Fortescu::Occultists​

As the Twins emerged from the portal, everyone was in awe; this was it. Everything they worked for, all the shady underhanded dealings to get to this point would validate all their work. And even better...They were stark naked and made no attempt to cover themselves; though one of them seemed to move to block her sister from the men's view. Needless to say, the sight of two rather attractive females in such a state made the Occultists very glad they were wearing loose robes. "Simply amazing...." Harmon stated as the Twin of Chaos looked around the room, while it seemed the Twin of Order was transfixed in her gaze on the young man bound to the table.

Harmon moved as the first Twin approached the stone tablet, now standing over the flesh sacrifice. However, the surprise would be immense as the hood was lifted from the young man's head; his eyes widened in absolute shock as he gasped out in shock, soon feeling a wave of sickness wash over him. "M...Mortimer...?" he whimpered out, now feeling a growing rage stir within him. That bastard! He promised that his son would not be harmed! Before he could chew out the fellow Occultists, thinking that they knew it was his son, the Twin of Chaos turned and faced him, uttering those horrible words that accused him so dearly.

"N...No.....I didn't...." Harmon tried to defend himself, but found that star jabbed into his chest, puncturing his chest-plate and ripping his in two. The pain was so horrible, Harmon could only gurgle and grunt as the red liquid of life seeped from the corners of his mouth. He then felt the star tear his ribcage in two as Tsukiko gashed his throat; hands came up to clasp at the heavily bleeding wound, only for him to fall over and convulse on the ground, gasping for air before his own blood filled his lungs and choked him to death.

Mortimer, meanwhile, had felt the pain from the searing heat subside; though the occasional draft that lisped over the impromptu brand caused a fresh surge of agony to rock his body. He then felt a pair of lips seize his own, teeth biting into the lower one and causing a hurt groan to utter from this throat; a small trail of red leaked down his chin and stained the rag gag a little. "Father...Why....What did I do wrong? Why would you sacrifice me?" Mortimer thought to himself, his currently weary state not letting him here his own father's voice or the fact that Harmon had no clue it was Mortimer under the mask. Streams leaked from the corners of the boy's eyes, his chest heaving spasmodically as sobs muffled from the gag in his mouth left his throat.

The other Occultists, being inexperienced with these types of matters, were in shock and somewhat panicked by what they saw; the Twins weren't supposed to kill any of them! What the hell was going on? Then they remembered the boy, and that they were supposed to offer his mortality and use him as a vessel to contain the Twins. Of course, they didn't know that their plan was bunked already now that Harmon was dead, but they went ahead anyway; one of the robed figured grabbed the iron sword and went over to the still chained boy.

"A sacrifice for the Twins of Fate! By the blood of an innocent man and through an act of violence, you shall be bound to us and serve as you were destined to be!" the clearly young male shouted; within moments, he plunged the sword deep into Mortimer's chest and dragged it downward, effectively gutting him like a fresh caught fish. Mortimer screamed in pain, the intensity of his expression evident even through the rag in his mouth, which was now a sopping crimson as he began to feel what Tsukiko had done to Harmon. The young man stepped back as did the other robed occultists, their eyes on the Twins to see if their attempt to complete the ritual would be successful.

 

[Karameida]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

Tsukiko watched as one of the evil men sliced open their contractor. Every pair of eye's turned to them and rage ignited within her gaze. How dare they? How DARE they! She had already known she would kill them all for being the descendants to the traitorous bastards who'd sealed them. Now she would make them suffer, she would cut them to little pieces slowly. Outwardly there was barely a change in her temperament but on the inside she was a brewing storm only held in check by Hikaru's closeness. "Kazahana...." Tsukiko called out, her voice deadly calm with a dangerous edge to her words. Flames burst into life around her one by one, and with each searing flame a serrated ringed blade formed. The blades spun around creating a slight "whirring" noise, the light from the flames glinting off the spinning discs. Turning to her twin she looked at her and frowned a little "I'm sorry you'll have to see this and I'm even sorrier that you must been in the middle of it all...but he needs help now and I can't kill them quick enough." she said truly sorry for having to make her Twin endure the scene.

Turning back to the robed men she stared at each in turn "Lets see who dies first, shall we?" she said with a wicked and cruel smile. Standing before them was not the the controlled warrior and beloved Twin of Hikaru. The one who stood before them now was the being of darkness and destruction, not even Hikaru could sway her from what she was about to do. Without a word or a motion the blades shot off around the room, each one aiming for a different Occultist. The blades bit into the flesh while the flames burned the wounds closed. Several screams went up around the room while the blades found flesh once more. Over and over again Tsukiko's "Kazahana" cut into their bodies deep enough to cause agony to the pampered nobility but not nearly deep enough to kill. There was no blood splattered on the walls nor was there time for it to drip from the wounds before being cauterized by the intense heat.

Several minutes ticked by and the pitch of the screams increased. Without warning Tsukiko's eyes fluttered and a lightheaded feeling swept over her causing her to stumble back against a wall. With her concentration broken the blades disappeared. Swearing softly she steadied herself and glared angrily, she really was rusty. Her time spent imprisoned had weakened her considerably, she should have held off on calling on her Kazahana but she was angry and when she was angry she didn't exactly adhere to the most logical advice; even if it was advice she had given herself. With a muttered oath she moved forward and grabbed one of the men snapping his neck as easily as if she were breaking a dried up twig. The occultist dropped to the ground with a soft "thud". Tsukiko looked at the other men in disgust and contempt, they weren't even trying to attack her. It was really too easy and it made Tsukiko even angrier.

"Your ancestors might have been traitorous bastards, but at least they were no cowards. You shame your predecessors, they who were already drowning in shame." she said darkly. With surprising quickness and flexibility she brought her leg up and kicked another member in the temple, breaking part of his skull. Without pausing she went around the room snapping necks and dealing death blows wherever she struck. The bodies dropped rapidly and in quick succession, they died so quickly that their screams died just as quickly on their lips. When she got to the last remaining occultist she placed her hands on the sides of his face and forced him to his knees. "Say hello to your ancestors for me." she said with a too sweet smile. She leaned over slightly, bringing her face in closer to his. " If you have children, then pray that they don't learn about their heritage as they grow. I won't kill a child but if they learn of what their blood lines mean; I will have no problems killing them when they get older. Ignorance is bliss." she whispered to him before snapping his neck in a complete 180.

She straightened up and let go of the dead mans head letting it drop unceremoniously to the ground. She didn't immediately turn around to face her twin but continued to stare at a wall. "Not even out ten minutes and already I have a body count." she thought shaking her head slightly. It was inevitable that sooner or later the bodies would start piling up around her but she had rather hoped that it would have been later rather than sooner.

With a mental shrug she turned and walked slowly to her Twin. "So will our little Mortimer come away unscathed?" she asked switching her gaze to their contractor. Blinking she reached over and removed the gag from his mouth. "As soon as the lovely Lady Hikaru has finished we are leaving." she said resting her hip against the alter and crossing her arms under her breasts. Blinking she looked down at herself and then back at Hikaru "And maybe find some clothes...." she added as an afterthought.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru ignored the occultists that ringed the chamber, for she could feel the pain and suffering of the man on the table. And she ached to go to him, to heal him. But she knew she must be patient and wait, though after many hundreds of years of being patient and waiting, she found it challenging now to be still and inactive. More so now that there was someone who disparately needed her help. And then something happened, for the first time, possibly ever, the twin of light regretted her inaction. Fore one of the men dashed forward, sword in hand. His words and actions brought a cold fury to the heart of her. And a small cry left her lips as he gutted the defenceless boy.

Even before Tsukiko spoke, Hikaru could feel the regret she held at what she must do now, with her beloved twin there. But for once the loss of life that would ensue, and the brutal violence, appeased rather then saddened the twin of light. “Do not apologize... if you were not here I would do it myself. With sickness and disease, and it would not be a quick and pleasant death.” Despite her words a small part of her was glad that she would not have to go through with such a thing and stain her hands of healing with death. That Tsukiko was here to ensure their deaths. Even though the scene would truly be devastating.

With a last nod to her twin Hikaru made her way through the room to its centre, and to the table that was quickly being stained red with innocent blood. She emptied her mind as she neared the table. Pushing aside her angry thoughts, pushing away thoughts of death and sickness until she was her naturally serene self once more. She could not heal him with a mind as black as hers had become, she needed to forgive the occultists, and forget them, so that she could return to a state of purity.

A slim hand reached out and she ran her fingers gently through his hair soothingly. “It will be alright.” She said with a light, reassuring smile. Then her attention was on his wound. She placed her hands along the ragged wound and began to hum softly as her hands began to glow with a white light. Her humming soon turned to soft singing, the melody was sweet and low and though the words were in a language that was old and long forgotten, it was clear that they were words of strength and of healing.

The wound slowly began to close, the flesh of his organs knitting itself back together, while she cleared away any infection that would seek to take route in the fresh wound. Her brow furrowed, and sweat beaded on her forehead. It had been so long since she had used her gift of healing. So long since she had done anything beside float in empty space. It was taxing. But she could sense that her task was almost complete and she refocused herself. Layers of flesh began to align and reform as a whole until the only evidence of an injury was the drying blood on his freshly healed torso.

Hikaru wasn't aware when her twin had joined her, but soft words reached her ears and her singing slowly came to an end. “He will be fine.” Hikaru said as she straightened, rolling her stiff shoulders. She swayed slightly but steadied herself by grasping the stone table. “And I am finished...I do indeed feel rusty.” She said with a grimace.

Looking at her twin and down at herself she heartily agreed that clothes would be nice, “A bath would be good as well.” She added as she looked down at her hands, slick with blood from Mortimer's wound.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu​

As the occultists suffered the fate that one bestowed upon Mortimer, the young lad continued to choke, his blood pooling around him; even as the screams of the dying filled his ears and the stench of burning flesh flooded his nostrils, the majority of his senses were dulled. He could feel his life slipping from him, his severed heart quivering while trying to keep that precious red fluid flowing, the pain from having his insides exposed to the chilly open air of the stone chamber too much for him to bear. He didn't want to die, but he wanted the pain to stop; the thrashing he'd done to try and free himself from his iron restraints had considerably slackened, his limbs resting limply in the shackles that bound him.

It was here that he felt something ruffle his hair; it was almost...motherly. Something a caring mother would do for a scared child, to soothe the sadness and fear in their heart, but even still muted sobs of anguish and agony left his throat. And even though his sense of hearing was significantly dulled, the words the Twin of Order and Light spoke reached him with impeccable clarity, though he could not see the angelic smile that crossed her features. What came next would both please and shock him; hands rested over the long open wound in his torso, an ancient and indecipherable song reaching his ears, a song of the ancients to call upon the healing energies of the world. Warmth washed over him, numbing the mind-shattering pain and reversing the damage inflicted unto him. When his flesh fully came together, that strange star-shaped mark - burned into his skin - would still be intact, apparently unaffected by the Twin's attempt to mend his injury.

And when she finished, Mortimer found his strength somewhat returned, his body weakened from the shock and blood loss but his senses returned to their full capacity; the blood-soaked gag was then removed and tossed unceremoniously aside, heavy gasps making his chest rise and fall dramatically. The bleariness in his vision now gone, his eyes looked around to see one woman to his left and another to his right; both were perfectly identical. Mortimer was taught some Latin, and he did hear his father say....His father. Fresh tears came to his eyes, sobs threatening to overtake him again; why would he do such a thing? What had he done that was so bad? And where was he now?

It was too much, the boy could not think of a single thing to say. His father called upon Twins....He'd heard Avatar of Chaos and Avatar of Order. "Father....I don't understand" was all Mortimer said; he just wanted to curl up and shut the world out. If he were in a better state of mind, he would have thanked the twins for saving his life...But everything that just happened was proving to be too much for him to handle at the moment.

 

[Karameida]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko:: Laurel Sutton [Head Maid]​

Tsukiko understood that their contractor was grieving but she felt it was a ridiculous moment to let oneself succumb. Surrounded by corpses of the ones who tried to slaughter you, chained to a table and leaving two beings stark naked in the midst of all of it just seemed....awkward. She shifted slightly where she was standing, it was one thing to come out naked and then kill also naked it's quite another to stand still while a man chained to a table has a break down. She didn't really want to interrupt him but she had no intention of staying down there any longer. It was a little cold. "We might want to continue this elsewhere..." she said shifting to undo his chains. "Well..." she said floundering for the right words. A poet she was not.

She felt for the man, she truly did. She could not possibly imagine the pain and betrayal he must have been feeling knowing that his father intended to sacrifice him. He'd had a very trying day and had gone through so much in such a short span of time, it wasn't surprising that he'd broken down once his life force flared back to life. And she was pretty sure that no one before had ever been gutted and lived to tell about it. All in all she was sure his mind hadn't even fully processed everything that had happened. And she was even more sure that he had no idea that he was now their contractor or even what it entailed. Then again...she wasn't exactly sure what it all entailed either. "Oh sweet gods..." she thought shaking her head.

"Look, I'm sorry for whats all happened....but...we shouldn't linger here..." she said hesitating and glancing at her twin. She didn't want to come out as the bad person in all of this but...well things had to be done. She wanted it done so she couldn't expect anyone else to make it happen for her. It also seemed like if she didn't do anything they might all be sitting down there for a long time. "I apologize in advance..." she said sighing slightly. Reaching down she hauled their contractor over her shoulder and straightened up.

If things had been ridiculous before they were completely outrageous now. Tsukiko might have been an all powerful warrior, a being who walked the path of chaos but she was also small of stature. Standing at five feet three inches and weighing a whopping one hundred and twenty-five pounds dripping wet and fully clothed, she in no way physically showed her combat prowess. She certainly did not look like someone who had easily slaughtered every last full grown man in the room, save their contractor. And now this female of a diminutive size had picked this man up off the alter and slung him over her shoulder? It seemed ludicrous, like some horribly macabre comedy.

Twisting her torso slightly she turned to look at Hikaru "It's time we got out of here..." she said turning back to where she'd seen an exit.

Laurel Sutton, the Head Maid of the Fortescu home, had been over-seeing the cleaning and airing out of some of the rooms. She had been told that the Fortescu home would be receiving two female guests, two twin female guests and that rooms were to be prepared for them. Told on very short notice she might add. It wasn't often that they received guests but when she asked how long they would be staying her employer had said indefinitely. She'd just shook her head mystified and had carried out his orders. Of course it was only due to the fact that she was competent at her job that the rooms were now decently inhabitable. The indomitable woman had begun barking orders immediately to get the rooms ready. Now that they were and she had time to relax she started wondering just what was going on.

Sure, the fortescu house had always been a bit strange. Always had weird things going on; the staff of course had always turned a blind eye to it because the wages were excellent. But the past few days had been even odder than was customary. She also was beginning to wonder what had happened to the young lord of the house, he'd not been seen for quite awhile. Laurel just shook her head, well it didn't really concern her. As long as she got paid her monthly wages she didn't really have anything to complain about.

She stilled when she heard some scraping and shuffling noises coming from the door that lead down to the basement. Scowling she took a few steps to the door. If she found some silly maid fooling around down there she'd be sure to turn her out. Turning the handle she opened the door absently noting the lack of a "squeak" and silently pleased. Picking up the folds of her heavy skirts she made her way down the stairs. When the basement came into view she came to an abrupt halt. It certainly wasn't a maid making the noises, the first thing she was struck with was that there were two naked females in there somehow. Laurel blinked, her eyes widening "Just what do you think you're doing here? This is a respectable home!" she said glowering at the two women. Belatedly she noticed that one of the naked females had something slung over her shoulder, it looked like a person. Like a male. But that wasn't possible. Was it?

Even more belatedly she noticed the the two women were identical Twins. Surely they weren't who her employer had mentioned? Surely these two indecent women were not the guests? "Tell me who you are at once or I shall have a footman summon a constable." she said sternly. The thing that bothered her even more; how had they gotten down here in the first place?

Tsukiko felt her agitation rise with the womans threat to send for a "constable" she could also feel that the woman who from their contractors memories was a head maid had silently judged them and put them in league with the lowest class of humans. "What a bothersome woman...." she thought clenching her jaw. "What I know I'm doing is returning something that belongs to this house." she said twisting her body to show Mortimer's face. She saw the woman pale considerably and felt slightly mollified. "He needs his room and something to eat. We need clothes...and a bath preferably." she said placing her free hand on her hip.

What was the young master doing slung over that woman's shoulder? And the audacity of the woman was astonishing. She didn't even show a modicum of humility at the situation she found herself in. Every instinct told Laurel to throw her out on her derriere but she wasn't sure if these two women were the guests the master of the house had mentioned. She hesitated for a moment but in the end cautiousness won out. "Very well." she said deliberately folding her hands in front of her. As the servants were out and would be out for awhile she motioned for them to follow her and she turned to walk back up the steps. Just what was going on in this house? She hoped her employer got back soon. At the very least she'd question the women and find out how they had gotten into the basement.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru Kimiko​

Hikaru was almost overwhelmed by Mortimer's overpowering sense of loss and betrayal. She felt it almost as if it were her own. And not for the first time, she cursed the limits to her abilities to only be able to cure the physical so completely. She had learned over the centuries that only words and time could mend the heart. And so long as he was her contractor, she would have time.

At this moment though, she could also feel her twins pressing need to move on, it mirrored her own. She had been apart of this slaughter simply by giving her unwavering consent, and while she didn't regret it, she did need to get away from the oppressive feel of death and suffering that filled the room. It too was wearing on her, in the weakened state she was left in after healing such a major injury after eons of inactivity. So much so that she left her twin to flounder as the minutes past and Mortimer continued to sob, lost in the suffering, death, and pain that would probably continue to haunt this room for a very long time, even after the bodies were gone.

The minutes seemed to stretch on forever before she became aware of movement, and looked up to see Mortimer slung over her twins thin shoulders as he continued to sob. If the situation hadn't been so awful, she might have laughed at the comical sight of such a small woman, carrying a larger man with as much ease as if she were lifting a small child. “Forgive me....I was distracted.” She said instead, pushing back the urge to laugh.

“And, yes I agree.” Hikaru said with a nod, falling into step beside Tsukiko as they navigated their way up to another large room. The air grew warmer as they moved through the cavern and up through a hidden door that lead to another room, one she recognized as the Fortescu basement once they entered it.

As they walked the oppressive feeling that had overwhelmed her in the cavern slowly left the twin of Light. Until it dissipated completely as her foot touched the stone floor of the basement. A sigh of relief passed her lips and she glanced to her twin, about to speak when the soft sound of feet on steps made its way to her, and she turned to look at the woman coming down the stairs...a maid, she thought, sifting though Mortimers memories. The woman's expression upon seeing the three of them was finally enough to draw out Hikaru's laugh.

She raised a slim hand to cover her upturned lips, and stifle her soft laughter so as not to offend, or enrage the young woman further. As she did her twin spoke, and she could feel the irritation and anger that laced her twins impressions tone in response to the maid's bold threa. In a matter of minutes the maid had given in and agreed to supply them with clothes and a bath, for which Hikaru was immensely grateful.

“Thank you, it is much appreciated and will not be forgotten.” Hikaru's warm voice filled the room for the first time as they began to follow the maid up the stairs and through the house to Mortimer's chambers.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu​

Poor Mortimer just felt like his whole body was one huge heavy weight, his senses nearly numbed in their totality as his mind fought to process everything that happened. Anguished cries, now muted to small chokes of agony and despair, left his lips and his body had calmed considerably, evidenced by how limply he now laid in the shackles that bound him. As the minutes ticked by, he could more clearly hear the voices of these two women talking about...something. The words were still a mystery to him, but he did feel a tad more energetic; truthfully, he was still exhausted but it was more the mental fatigue that held him down now.

However, that soon came to an end as he felt himself hoisted and slung over a shoulder; his stomach lurched from the sudden movement, threatening to douse his rescuer with something unpleasant but the urge was not strong enough to carry out the deed. He could smell the stench of blood in the air, but even with that his body did not have the strength to wretch; he didn't even realize that the smell of blood was not from him, but from the massive body count that the Twin of Chaos racked up in such a short time. He then felt his body bounce a bit as the woman carried him up and out of the sacrificial chamber. "Wha...wait, who...who are...." he tried to ask, still not even certain who was carrying him nor the figure who trailed behind them. Though his questions stopped when he felt slightly warmer air envelop him, though it was still somewhat cold; the torches that illuminated the room served to help clarify his vision more, letting him see at least one of the women. Her hair was brown as cocoa, the voluminous threads falling down to what seemed like the middle of her back and the bangs perfectly framing her face. She was quite beautiful, as far as he could tell.

However, he soon heard a voice that was all too familiar: Miss Sutton, the head maid of the house. Before he could try to speak up in the woman's defense, he gave a slight yelp as he was spun around, letting Laurel see his face. "Miss Sutton..." he groaned out, only to silence himself once more as he felt himself be carried up the stairs; he'd heard his rescuer's demand that he would be going to his room. Which he was grateful for, because right now he just felt like laying his bed and never getting out. What would possess his father to be so heartless? Hadn't he been a good son? Hadn't he been an overall proficient student in everything that he needed to learn?

A few moments later, he was transferred into the care of some other maids and housekeepers who helped him get cleaned up and be put in his room to rest; the space was rather elegant, the most prominent piece being the mahogany four-poster bed at the south end of the room. As the servants helped him change into his nightclothes, some were curious as to the nature of the scar that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. He'd never had it before, and the fact that it was a star made some of them uneasy; though this was largely resolved when they saw it had six points and not five. No one dared asked what happened, and even if they did they knew from the boy's blank look that he would not be willing to speak. Another maid - a caring, portly woman of the same height as Laurel with dark brown locks and sea-green eyes and going by the name of Charlotte Elise - came in soon after, carrying a tray of pork slices, soda muffins, and barley water and after setting it down, left to give Mortimer some privacy. All through the house, there was chatter but they knew that for now it was better to leave things be; it was obvious the young master went through something...strange, and possibly traumatic. Better to let the head maid deal with this, as she was the one who often spoke directly with the master of the house; though all wondered where Lord Fortescu was. After all, he was present earlier to dismiss them for the time being.

 

[Karameida]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko :: Laurel Sutton [Head Maid]​

It took awhile but eventually the uproar that had ensued upon the arrival of the two naked guests and an obviously traumatized young master had quieted down. The servants now went about their normal duties but there was an unmistakable hum of quiet conversation as the servants gossiped about it. A good amount was on the young masters disappearance and sudden if somewhat strange arrival back in the basement. But the majority was speculation on the Twins. It wasn't everyday or in fact, ever, that strangers showed up in the basement of a house stark naked. Not even whores did that, scantily dressed as they may be, they were still dressed. Which brought up the question, how did they get anywhere naked? It would have certainly caused an uproar and there was no way they could have gone through town undetected like that. And there was still the matter of all of them ending up in the basement. No one was certain of how they had managed that. No one had heard or seen them come in which was next to impossible. Servants might be ignored by the quality but the servants never missed anything that went on in a home they were working in.

There was certainly enough speculation going on to last the servants a very long time. It seemed nothing would keep them silent, that is until a loud shout came from one of the Twins rooms upstairs.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!?" Tsukiko yelled outraged. She glared at Laurel and another younger maid holding a length of something. "Please refrain from using such foul language, this is a respectable house." she said coldly with a hint of disdain. "Oh, so it's normal in respectable homes to go around grabbing and groping naked strangers?" she asked a little too sweetly. Laurel narrowed her eyes and she straightened her already painfully straight back "No. But in respectable homes, people do not run around naked. To that end we are taking your measurements to find and get a suitable dress for you to wear." she said icily. Tsukiko had the grace to blush but she didn't back down. "I mean, even if I wanted to throw you out, I could hardly do so with you being stark naked. Also, that brings up the question....why were you two naked?" she asked a keen intelligence gleaming in her hazel eyes. Tsukiko shifted and looked at the wall that connected her room with Hikaru's. She wasn't entirely sure what to say or how much she should say to the maid. It hadn't really been discussed. "Had a tragic mishap..." she murmured evasively. "I think it would be better to get this over with as quickly as possible." she said looking back to the younger maid. Laurel didn't look convinced but she nodded.

"Alright miss, if ye could just raise yer arms up?" The young maid asked nervously. When Tsukiko complied the young maid went busily to work. "Hikaru...I think I'm going to have trouble in this world..." she thought chewing on her bottom lip.

Laurel watched proceedings carefully and wondered again just where the two women had come from. They looked like they might have come from the east but the long aqua hair, blue almost clear eyes and their perfect language suggested otherwise. She didn't claim to be an expert on the different cultures but there was something about these two that didn't seem quite....right. They spoke the language flawlessly like any of the quality, there was nothing to even suggest that they'd come from the stews but while they could speak it they didn't seem to know anything at all about the culture here. She pursed her lips and mentally shook off the thoughts. It wasn't really her business. What the lord of the house chose to do in his own home had nothing to do with her. She had no right to question her betters. "Right then, I'm done 'ere. I'll just be off to the other one and then alter the dresses ma'am specified." she said with a little curtsey before leaving the room. "Alright, thank you alice. Be quick about it." she said watching the maid leave. She turned back to the naked woman. "Alice will be done with the adjustments before the day is out, until then I beg that you stay in your room until properly clothed." she said turning to leave. With her hand on the door handle she looked over her shoulder "I will inform you both when either the Lord returns or the young master recovers." she said taking her leave.

Tsukiko stared after the woman a little agitated "No chance the "lord" is coming back..." she muttered to herself. She sat down on the bed and crossed her legs, she stared at the connecting door wondering if she should ask Hikaru for advice. She hadn't realized how long she'd been sitting there but when she got up to knock on the door she heard a knock on her outside door. "Yes?" she asked unable to keep the annoyance from her voice. The door opened and Alice, Laurel and another maid walked in, the two maids were carrying a lot of fabric. "Whats this...?" she asked warily. "The clothes I mentioned before." laurel said simply. "Already?" "Already? It's been hours since I was in here last." she said with a little scowl. "Hours..." she repeated blankly. Laurel just nodded and motioned for the two maids to start. The dropped everything on the bed and pushed a small foot rest over to her. "If ye could please step on this....thank ye." she said when Tsukiko stepped up uncertainly.

One of the maids handed her something and she stared at it in confusion "Uh...whats this?" she asked furrowing her brows. "You don't know what that is?" laurel asked incredulous. "No...should I?" she asked narrowing her eyes. "You most certainly should." Laurel replied.. It wasn't her fault. True, she had every last one of their contractors memories and knew everything he knew. However being male, he'd never had an occasion to wear womens undergarments. "It's called a Chemise. It's part of womens undergarments." she said. "Alice...show her how to do it." she said sounding exasperated. "Sure thing ma'am, please step down 'ere and 'and me the garment." she said taking the offered chemise and stepping down. Alice dropped the garment over her head and with a few tugs she found it hanging around her body. She looked down at herself and frowned, she felt her arm being pulled through another hole on the side of the garment and the process was repeated with her other arm. Alice took out another piece and leaned down asking her to lift one foot and then the other, the garment was pulled up around her waist. "Those are called drawers." Laurel said as if explaining to an extremely slow person. Tsukiko didn't like it, not one bit. But before she could open her mouth to respond she was being asked to lift her leg up again. Frowning she looked down and watched something being rolled up her leg, coming up past her knee before being secured by something. "Garters and stockings." she said as if reading her mind. And the process was repeated on her other leg.

Scowling she looked up "Is this everything?" she asked a little agitatedly. "Not by the half of it." she said with a tiny little smile. Tsukiko stared at her as if she'd gone mad. What the devil were women thinking wearing so much clothing?

The whole process had taken several hours but by the time she was finished she'd added several petticoats, corset, skirt, blouse, half boots and chemisette to the list of things she had been asked to put on. She wondered where the articles of clothing had come from, she knew there were no other women in the house and this didn't seem like a process that allowed one to quickly acquire clothes. "The lord had, had a female acquaintance of his over awhile back...he'd asked if she could procure some female articles of clothing for him...for some friends that were to visit. She thought it was strange, we all did...but she did as he asked." she said as if answering a question that hadn't been asked. "I see..." she said neutrally. They all packed up and went off to re-peat the process with Hikaru. Tsukiko waited patiently -if somewhat uncomfortably- until she heard the door open and close in her twins room before running -or trying to in any case- to the connecting door. Turning the door handle she threw open the door, picked up her skirts and hurried into Hikaru's room. "Hikaru" she said turning her head to locate her. She spotted her and stopped wrinkling her nose a little. "Women here wear a horrid amount of clothing, they really do." she said with a grimace. "How do you like your room?" she asked looking about her once more, it looked very much like her room.

A little while later she heard a door knock on each of their doors and heard a voice telling them it was dinner. She wondered what was for dinner, she felt like she hadn't eaten in eons.

Over the next few days Tsukiko and Hikaru learned the daily routine of the house and Tsukiko in particular learned how to dress by herself. She hated the idea of someone dressing her every day and hated even more the idea of having Laurel in there watching her like a child. After several days Tsukiko wondered if she ought to go to their contractors room and shake him, at least a little bit. They all needed to seriously talk and the sooner the better. She wasn't the most patient of people and what little she did have was being sorely tested.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

The initial uproar the three of them had caused upon their arrival in the basement had died down. There was of course no limit to the amount of whispered gossip that went through the house, but Hikaru had come to expect that from mortals. They had little else to entertain themselves....at least among the women. She wasn't subjected to most of it however.

Soon after their arrival Hikaru had been asked by the head maid, Laural, to stay in her room until she was properly attired. Which Hikaru could understand, but at the same time it bothered her. She very much wanted to check on poor Mortimer. The healer in her chomped at the bit. But she made herself sit on the edge of the big bed and wait patiently as Laurel and her maids saw to Tsukiko. She took amusement in her twins outrage, though when she responded to her beloved sister, there was sympathy also.

"This world is far different then any of the others.....But we will manage...We always do." A small chuckle entered her thoughts. "You just might have to finally learn patience." She teased.

It felt like weeks had passed, so anxious was Hikaru to check on the young man, before Laural came in with clothes for her. Her eyes widened, almost comically, as she saw the pile of fabric one of the young maids was carrying.

"Is all of that for me?" She asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes ma'am." The maid carrying the clothes nodded.

Hikaru stood and moved away from the bed as indicated then by Laural. Apparently the young maid already knew she would need help. They had dressed Tsukiko first after all. For the most part she found the clothes bearable...if a little excessive. But the corset...the corset she wanted to throw out the blasted window! It felt constricting, and seemed to want to cut off her breath. Laural, upon seeing her reaction to the corset, asked for it to be loosened a little. But even then it still felt like too much. By the time they had finished dressing her, Hikaru was hot and breathless, not used to wearing quite so much, or being quite so constricted.

Almost as soon as her bedroom door shut another opened, this time the one that connected to Tsukiko's room, and her twin came running in, voluminous skirts in hand. "They really do." Hikaru agreed breathlessly. "I feel like this ....corset? I think its called...is trying to squeeze the breath from me."

For the first time since entering the room Hikaru actually took a look around. She hadn't even thought to before, preoccupied as her thoughts had been. "Its alright. Big for a guests room, then again...we were expected." Her eyes darkened slightly as she thought back to the ritual that brought them here, and was meant to bind them to the previous lord of the houses bidding.

All to soon the twins were interrupted by a soft knocking at the door. At the mention of food Hikaru's stomach gave a small growl. "I'm starving!" She murmured surprised, as she had not thought about food for a very long time.

The next few days were spent learning how things worked around the house. When she could, Hikaru would sneak away for a time and check on the young master. But he never seemed much improved. She would speak softly to him. More to comfort then to get a reply. It just seemed to be a waiting game. He would come around when he was ready. Unfortunately her twin wasn't quite as patient.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu​

Why?

Father....

Why would you do this to me?

These were the same questions, in almost the same order that repeated through young Mortimer's mind; his eyes just stared blankly at the wall. Having been brought up in such a prestigious house, he'd rarely - if at all - been exposed to the harsh realities of true violence. And what made it worse, his own father did it to him. The man who brought him into this world, raised him to be a gentleman and taught him everything he knew...Turned into such a monster. Made him into a living sacrifice. And to what? Bring these 'Twins' from somewhere beyond?

These thoughts, however, took a back seat to the real terror of the whole situation: Where he was cut open to expose his innards to the harsh cold air. Even now he could still feel the burn, the utter agony as that wicked blade sliced through his sternum and stomach. For days this cycle repeated: Wondering why, seeing through bleary eyes what transgressed, then the fading of the world as death threatened to take him. Occasionally, he would fidget with the strange star-shaped mark over where his heart was. Where his father had pressed that searing piece of metal into his flesh. What was the point of it all? Why do this...Why make the last memory of his father to be the most horrid imaginable?

It was these preoccupations, as well, that caused Mortimer to simply blank out everything else; the maids tried unsuccessfully to rouse the young master from his stupefied state. And even when Hikaru - the very woman who healed his grave injuries and restored his life-force to what it had been - would try to talk to him, his gaze would not shift to her. Just that blank vacant stare to the wall across from him, like he wasn't even there. Like his mind had simply shut down and blocked out everything else; even his food would hardly seem to be touched when a servant would come to collect the dishes.

Eventually though, it would come to a point where something would break; just as the maid brought in his lunch and turned to leave, Mortimer weakly called to her. Of course, she was glad the young master was finally responsive; many of the other servants wondered if he'd fallen into some sort of coma or something. He then asked - weak as his voice was - if the two women who had brought him to Miss Sutton could come to his chambers; giving a small bow, she left and went to fetch them. Of course, he was hardly presentable in his current state: His hair was all mussed up and he'd become relatively unshaven and unkempt-looking, but right now that didn't matter.

In fact, he wondered why he even bothered to call for the Twins; maybe it was because he wanted to know why their summoning made his own father into a monster. Why the man who helped him become who he was had tried to kill him. He didn't know if they would have the answers he thought he sought...But he wanted to start somewhere.

 

[Karameida]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

Learn patience....

Those words echoed in her mind several days later as she was once more put through the inane tasks set forth for the women in their contractors world. Her and Hikaru had a general idea of what was expected due to their masters memories but they had learned rather quickly that their masters view on the world had not included what the female of the species did. He'd had a vague idea but had she known everything she might have been tempted to pass herself off as a man. It was ludicrous, the amount of times a woman had to change throughout the day just to preform different tasks. Not to mention the other menial things they were expected to do. Thus far they had not had to deal with the majority of it as they were basically prisoners inside the four corners of the grand house. The people of this era were as far removed from each other as day from night. They might watch and note what their gender counterparts were doing but the general lack of any true knowledge was more than a little surprising and yet they had the audacity to speak of defending honor and of lamenting loyalty.

They lived in two separate worlds and only made a show of existing in the same sphere.

Learn patience....

Those words had been haunting her since her twin had whispered them in her mind. She personally thought she had shown a spectacular amount of patience considering everything. Especially when one knew her personal definition of the word. Yes, she had been far more than accommodating she thought. Their contractor was being incredibly selfish. Ok, so his father had tried sacrificing him to some beings he'd never even heard about. Sure, that was hard but he had to move on past it. "What if he never gets passed it...?" the thought sent a bolt of panic through her. After spending eons sealed within that void would they be shackled to this house when they'd just gained their freedom? Would their contractor be so weak as to forever shut himself away within this house? Forever sealed away above the remains of his father and his captors? The mere thought was enough to send her into a frenzy. She had to order herself to calm down, to breathe.

After a moment she had her emotions back under control. Well, at least she wasn't about to tear this house down to it's studs anyways.

She had to find a way to make him understand that as their contractor certain things were expected of him. They had work to do. And from what they could sense it was a lot of work. They couldn't get an exact understanding from within this house but what they could glean from the outside world was not good. All the work they had done had been torn and shredded into nothing but a few pathetic strings. Darkness had gotten a very strong foothold in the world and had nearly taken over the world as a whole. They needed to do a great deal of work so that the scales were once more balanced and everything was aligned as it should be. "That all sounds fine and dandy..." she thought. But it was all pretty useless if she couldn't even see their contractor. "That busy body of a head maid is a demon I swear it..." she thought moodily.

Their imprisonment and inability to do their job wasn't the only thing that was making her feel so irritable. She let out a breath and closed her eyes trying to pinpoint what else was bothering her. An image of the bodies decaying underneath the house flashed in her mind. She frowned and furrowed her brows thoughtfully. She made a fist and brought her hand up and started chewing on her thumb nail. The descendants of the bastards who'd betrayed them. Even after killing them all off she still felt a burning rage smoldering within her. She didn't understand why. Her desire for revenge should have been sated. She had killed them all, she was certain of it. So, then why did she feel like something was wrong? Missing? Like something important hadn't been done? Her frown deepened as she continued to sit and ponder it. "DAMN!" she cursed, not too quietly either. She didn't understand why she kept thinking about those traitors.

It certainly wasn't helping her mood.

She shook those thoughts aside and just stared at her door. The tension in the house was palpable and she thought she might flip and be the one to break it....and everything else around her. But just when she feared she might destroy everything in a fifty mile radius, their contractor summoned them. "Finally!" she thought, not without a hint of irritation. A maid came for them and lead them down a series of halls and stairs that lead to their contractors room. Towards the door that had remained closed tight against everything since they'd arrived. "He's going to have questions..." she thought to her twin. It wasn't unreasonable to have questions. She just hoped they had the answers he sought. She feared what might happen should they not give him the answers he wanted.

The door was opened and they were ushered into a room that was unnaturally dark.

Tsukiko glanced around, she was certain everything in this room was of the highest quality and in the latest fashion. But the darkness that swirled and seethed in here somehow made everything seem drab and outdated. This was her domain; you'd think being in here would have made her feel more at home...but it didn't. In fact it always made her severely uncomfortable. With her twin right beside her it made her only too well aware of the darkness and evil that lurked within her. She shook her head and focused on the massive bed that dominated the room. And more specifically on the man that sat in the middle. He looked so small compared to everything else. Tsukiko and Hikaru stood in silence for awhile beside each other staring at their contractor. "What did you want?" she asked after a moment and a little more harshly than she meant. She muttered an apology and glanced at her twin. "Perhaps you should do most of the talking...." she thought.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru Kimiko​

Patience. She knew the word was on her twins mind, the two shared no secrets. But it was also on Hikaru's mind. She was becoming uncharacteristically impatient. And a practical stubbornness had taken hold in her. She was dismayed to learn how much time and effort the women of this world put into meaningless, pointless activities. Such as changing multiple times a day. After the first couple of days she refused, much to the head maid's displeasure and exasperation. The dress she put on in the morning was the dress she would wear until she retired for the evening, end of discussion.

“It is absolutely ridiculous to change three times a day, how is anything else to be accomplished when it takes so long just to get out of the old clothes let alone put the new ones on?” She argued.

While her tone of voice was patient and not unkind her words were firm and brokered no argument and eventually the maids gave up. She spent her time instead on reading what history books the library contained. For she, as her twin had sensed as well, could feel the darkness in this world. It had taken root and grown in the years in which they had been imprisoned. It had festered in the hole their absence had left, and Hikaru needed to find where it began, to better know what they were up against.

The rest of her time was split between Mortimer, and Tsukiko. She didn't speak to the lord of the house, but she would hold his hand and hum or sing, she sensed his troubled state and sought to calm his turbulent thoughts. She had healed him physically, the rest was up to him. It was harder to try and calm her twin's agitation, for Hikaru shared her fears. She couldn't stand idly by, trapped in this house, and do nothing to stop the spread of darkness washing over the world. A balance needed to be restored, and the gods would not interfere again, it was up to her and Tsukiko.

The tension grew in the twins and around the house until it seemed something had to snap, when finally they were called upon. Her thoughts echoed her twins, though they lacked the irritation, instead the word was filled with relief. “He will. We'll just answer them as best we can. Whatever may come of it, we need to make certain he understands that we cannot be bound to this house.” She replied, her gaze as she met her twins for a moment, burned intensely with the need to balance the evil running rampant through the world.

As soon as they entered the room Hikaru murmured a quick order to the maid who had opened the door, much as she always did when she entered the room, and in a moment the thick drapes were flung wide and the room was bathed in warm sunlight. Though even that couldn't dispel the darkness taking root in the atmosphere.

Hikaru took her twins hand, seeking comfort and hoping to give it as she could feel Tsukiko's own uneasiness. She cringed though when her twin spoke, the words seeming harsh. And nodded as she met her gaze.

Turning back to Mortimer she said, “I'm sure you have questions, and we will answer what we can. But then you must leave this bed and rejoin the world.” Her tone was firm, but not unkind, and she waited in patient silence for the lord of the house to speak.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu​

The young lord, now orphaned as a result of his father's treachery, just sat and waited for the two women to come to him. Questions galore flitted through his mind: Who were they? Why was there such a strange ritual? Why was his father involved in it? What was so important about them? Some he knew they wouldn't be able to answer, but he would try to get as much information as he could. He needed to. He needed answers to help him rationalize his father's torturing of his own flesh and blood.

At last, these strange women - so resistant to the customs of this world - were allowed into his chambers. Mortimer didn't even flinch at Tsukiko's words, his mind too addled from stress and sadness to bother dealing with such abrasiveness. He did, however, react when the drapes to the room were practically torn open; a loud groan left his throat as he threw his arms up to shield his eyes from the harshness of the glaring sun. After a few moments of letting his eyes adjust to the change in ambience, he was able to blink away the spots from his vision.

When Hikaru then spoke, stating of his need to leave this bed, all he did was stare at her for a few moments; why did it matter if he left? It wasn't like they were bound to follow him or anything. He'd never seen these two women before in his life; and though men held much power and sway, Mortimer was taught better than to think that any woman would up and follow his orders at the drop of a hat. Well, at least that was one more question to add to the pile.

"Yes. I do have questions. But I kindly ask that you not order me to leave until I am ready. I do not know who either of you are, or why my father put me through that hell." he then replied to the Twin of Light, his empty eyes staring into hers; when their gaze connected, he felt a little...well, better. Like she was taking a burden off of him. "I apologize...I do not mean to come across as brash. I cannot help wondering, however, just who you two are. And where is my father?"

 

[Karameida]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

Tsukiko glanced at the tall grand windows that let in light. Tsukiko could see it battle against the deep darkness in the room. Fed and nurtured by Mortimers own thoughts and feelings. The light and darkness in the world was either made stronger or weaker depending on the hearts of the people who inhabit the world. And the people in this era held much darkness and treachery in their hearts. It was feeding the darkness at an alarming rate. What little light was left was slowly being consumed by the darkness. But with Hikaru's emergence into the world the light gained a foothold that helped them stave off the tendrils of darkness that sought to devour their natural light.

"I think for this conversations he's right Hikaru. For what we have to tell him it might be best if he remained sitting." She said softly. She watched him relax as he looked at her twin and let out a little sigh. His inner anguish would not be helped by her. She would forever belong to the dark.

They both understood where his thoughts were going and knew they had much to explain. Where to even begin? At his question about where his father was she felt a twinge of guilt inside of her. "Well, it's not unreasonable." she said closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "But first to address your earlier thoughts. We are bound to you; you are our contractor. The people who were trying to kill you were the descendants of traitors who sealed myself and my twin away aeons ago." she said as if telling a story. The usual brusqueness and harshness in her demeanor gone. "As to who we are? Well. Thats a little more difficult to explain. The short version is we are beings who were created in another time and era by the gods. We were sent to the world and tasked with restoring and keeping the balance. We don't fully aid the light nor the dark. We do what we must so that light and dark remain even in power." she said. "And this world has fallen to darkness. The light in the world is almost entirely gone." she said trying to convey the seriousness of the situation through her voice.

There was no kind way to tell him about his father. "Your father as well as the rest of the cult are dead...." she said lowering her eyes and trailing off. Taking a deep breath she looked up and straight at him. "I killed them." she said. "While my twin was healing you down there I killed." she said again. "I am a warrior. Hikaru is a healer." she said so that he knew their natures. "As to why they were trying to kill you? We arn't really sure. It's possible that they misunderstood something and thought to unseal us a sacrifice was needed. But what they were after was our power." she said. Even though she had told her twin to do the explaining she ended up explaining it anyways. But she felt that she had to tell of her own sins to their contractor.

"From here....it might be best if Hikaru explained things a little more." she said looking at her twin. Hikaru would be able to put him at ease just by being in her presence. Her voice would soothe him and comfort him. Her words while true held no comfort. Just simple truth. But because of her very nature, none could find relief in her presence. The only time one felt at ease around her was in battle. Her abilities and prowess let those around her feel safe. For comfort you went to Hikaru. "This might all seem unbelievable like a big lie but please listen. It's all true." she said. The people in this world were far more closed off to possibilities than people in the past. "This might take a long time, Hikaru..." she thought to her twin, the thought transmitting to their contractor as well.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru Kimiko​

He must leave the bed, if they were to fix things, they couldn't do it trapped in this house. But as a healer Hikaru knew when to push and when not to. Instead she met his gaze with her own patient one, the torment and darkness in him clear in his gaze. She eased what she could and was pleased to see him relax somewhat. As for his apology, she gently brushed it aside.

“Grief and trauma effect us all differently, you have been through a lot young lord.”

Hikaru was about to speak, to tell him of how they came to be, of their purpose in the world. But she was surprised when Tsukiko began first, knowing how her twin didn't like to make the explanations. Always thinking they came better from the twin of Light. It became clear to her, when Tsukiko reached the part of the tale that involved his father and the cult, as to why her twin had chosen to speak. She gave her twin's hand a gentle and bracing squeeze.

It always pained her when her twin felt conflict, and guilt over her actions. It wasn't often, because what the warrior twin did was necessary. But when it came to dealing with the broken people left behind, well she could see the toll it took. It was much the same for Hikaru when she faced something to great for her abilities to heal. The frustration and guilt she felt then almost overwhelming.

When Tsukiko came to the end of her story, Hikaru gently pulled her hand away from her twins and made her way to the edge of Mortimer's bed. She sat, taking the young man's hand in her own, seeking to comfort as much as she was able.

“As Tsukiko said. I do believe your father thought that by sacrificing you, the cult would gain control of us and our powers. Instead he has tethered us to you, and this is why you must leave your bed. The time for taking action is swiftly approaching and if my twin and I do not find a way to balance the evil growing in this place, life as you know it will be thrown into chaos. And that burden is now placed on your shoulders as well. The longer you remain abed, the longer we are confined to this house, useless.”

She said this not to frighten or bully him. Her words while dire were delivered matter of factly. They could not move forward while he continued to lay abed. And to remain in this house was to be impotent in the face of growing darkness. The need to act grew stronger with every passing hour and she knew her twin could feel it to.

“So you see. We very much need your help.”

 

[Razgriz]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Mortimer Fortescu​

Mortimer could only listen as these women explained themselves; it seemed all...incredible. Too incredible to even have a chance of being believed. And yet, there was something that was letting him trust they were saying.

Though that all stopped when the brasher one informed him that his father was killed. That SHE was the one who killed him.

Dead. My father is dead.

That sentence resonated within his mind even as his ears went on to listen to Hikaru's other words, her touch comforting and helping to quell the newfound chaos of his mind. He was to be used as a sacrifice, and it was with that statement his father's last words made sense: About how he would usher in a new age. About how things would go back to the way they were. He suspected that his father had been dealt with, but he still loved the man. He had been Mortimer's world ever since his mother died. And to hear he was gone, even with the betrayal of the father-son bond, wounded Mortimer. Worse than having his torso ripped open.

He still couldn't really wrap his mind around them being unable to leave; even Miss Sutton, stubborn and loyal as she was, would leave if matters were urgent enough. And this 'rebalancing the world'....Well, surely they could still leave him behind, couldn't they? If they were children of the gods, as the fiercer one put it...Why would they need him?

But even still, he did not speak, his mind trying to process everything that was said; how could he possibly be of any use to rebalance the world? He was still trying to learn the silk and tea trading business his father owned. And another thought came to his mind at that, making his eyes widen in realization: He was now Lord of House Fortescu. With his father's death, he was the new head of the household. Everything his father owned was now his. He would be responsible for the serfs that worked his father's lands, run the manorial courts, and have to take the Oath of Fealty to the King under his new title of Lord Fortescu. And of course, try to explain to the staff that his father was dead. It was still something he needed to investigate himself; but what would he say? Could he even bring himself to go back into...wherever it was that they had done that accursed ritual?

And after a while he sat up straighter, his muscles stiff from extended bedrest, and spoke again"M'lady, I'm sorry...But I do not understand why you need me. If you have been put away for so long, are you not free now? There is nothing binding me to you is there? You said that my father wanted to bind you through me, but with him gone...Does that not liberate you?" One might think it odd that he would hold serfs under contract to provide monies or material goods to pay for their tenure to till the fields if he were going to talk like that. But that was filial business, one that he would need to attend to. As well as their 'binding' would be far more permanent than that of serfdom.

Of course, he still did not fully realize the significance of the mark upon his chest, for it was in fact a tether that held the Twins anchored in this plane of reality.

 

[Karameida]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

She watched her twin fill in the rest as well as move to his side and comfort him. She stayed where she was at the end of the bed. The shadows seemed to reach for and envelop her. When her twin was finished they waited, she was pleased that he didn't have a huge freakout nor did he seem to question them on who they are and where they came from and he didn't bombard them with questions. She hoped that he may just accept it and they could move on.

Then again, perhaps not.

Tsukiko let out a sigh and closed her eyes making a bid for her patience. After a moment she opened her eyes and stared at him for a long while. They had just told him a lot of things, most people would not have remained as calm. "Your father did indeed try to bind us to him but he failed. We were never bound to him, had we been then the moment he died we would have been forced back inside the realm where we have been sealed for the gods know how long." she said frowning a little. "We are in truth, bound to you." she said clenching her jaw a little. "When we were betrayed and sealed away they knew that one day we would be unsealed. They sought a way to control us. They were unsuccessful for the most part but they did make sure that should we ever be freed we would require a tether to this realm. You are that tether, Mortimer." she said with a little sigh.

"To be honest we were not one hundred percent sure how it would work. As my twin said, they misunderstood something and you ended up with the mark. If he had succeeded me and my twin would once again be thrown back into the realm of isolation. Before we even fully materialized we could sense those in the room and knew we could never be bound to them for they were steeped in darkness. You were the only one who was not and that is why we finished the contract." she said trailing off. "Your life will only become more twisted as we continue together and for that I do apologize." she said. She fidgeted with her hands while she talked. "But its as my twin says, if you remain locked away then this world will crumble to ruin. Mankind has taken all the work that we did in the past and unwound it and turned it into a Gordian knot." she said pursing her lips together in quiet contemplation. After a moment she spoke up "Besides requiring you to move about your knowledge and status in general may well prove to be invaluable. We know basically what you know. We gained that knowledge and cemented the contract with you when I took blood from you. Had it not been such a dire situation we could have done so in a less dramatic way...." she said trailing off. For a moment she fussed with her dress before looking back at her twin and their contractor. "However this era is....strange. While we have your knowledge we do not have what it takes to move around in this world. You will help there." she said with a little nod as she thought about what she had learned thus far in regards to what females must learn. "You people who belong to this era are so far removed from each other. The two sexes live in two completely different spheres. I was not expecting any of what I've had to go through since we arrived based on your memories." she muttered her eyebrow twitching in slight agitation when she thought over all the heavy clothing, corsets and training they'd had to endure so far.

"I'll leave that topic for another day...." Tsukiko said. If she talked about it too much at the moment things might turn ugly.

"Basically, what it all comes down to, is you. Will you remain locked away in this chamber, surrounded by darkness? Or will you leave the shadows and step forward with us?" she asked, her eyes intently staring into Mortimers own shadow-y and exhausted eyes.

 

[Serenity]

RE: A New Fate for the Twins [Razgriz x Karameida x Serenity]

Hikaru listened to first Mortimer, and then her twin speak. All the while she was growing more and more agitated. This world was wounded and dying, limping on to its grave and they needed to take action. And to her it seemed being soft with this young Lord was getting them nowhere. She needed to make him understand. She stood, withdrawing her hand from his and crossing her arms over her chest, looking down upon Mortimer. Her expression was fierce, her eyes glinting with something far to close to anger.

“Yes we are children of the gods. But unlike Miss. Sutton, we are not of this plane of existence. She may leave your side as she chooses. We however may not, we were never a part of this world. We were a gift given to balance it, yes, but that only extends so far, and since we have been banished to the void we are able to live here now only so long as we are tied to something, or someone of this world. That just so happens to be you. And though the healer in me yearns to give you the time you need to recover and regain your strength and inner balance that just isn't possible. You need leave this bed. Now.”

Her tone was no longer the patient tone of a healer trying to comfort. There was urgency in her voice and her agitation was clear. Action was being demanded now not asked. One look at the Twin of Lights face and you could see she would suffer no argument. At this point she did not even care whether he believed them. Belief could come in time. For now he simply needed to start living again so they could get on with their task.

“We will see you at this evenings meal.” Her face and voice were hard as she spoke, and she dearly hoped he got the message.

Where as the Twin of Darkness had offered him the option of staying in this room, full of shadows and darkness, she had not. And would not. She would see him at that evenings meal or she would drag him from his chambers kicking and screaming.