RP:Let The Hate Flow Through You

From HollowWiki

Part of the Through The Looking-Glass: Return To Wonderland Arc

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.


Summary: Quintessa tells Khitti about her successful attempts on the bounty for Lionel, and Khitti promises to give Quintessa the fight she wants--as many times as she wants--very, very soon.

The Hanging Corpse Tavern, Vailkrin

Quintessa sits in the Hanging Corpse Tavern at a table of her own, nursing her second dark ale of the night as she awaits Khitti. Mismatched eyes of blue and hazel slowly scan the nearly empty establishment, lingering on the chair that Larewen usually sat in when she was still around. Quintessa had made it a point to always avoid seating herself there, not wanting it to look like she was trying to take Larewen's place. On the contrary, the elder vampire's image and reputation were the only two things that Quintessa didn't want from her. A light sigh escapes the hex blade's mouth as she idly rubs the bandages on her left arm, wounds from a very recent fight. The odd girl had no idea what she was going to say to 'Red' but she still wanted to speak with her and report her failed attempt at killing Lionel, and maybe even try to 'talk some sense' into her like the 'Butcher of Vailkrin' had suggested. Quintessa shakes her head at her inner thoughts, her pale fingers reaching out for her mug of ale before bringing it to her lips and drinking slowly. Her instincts were conflicted, screaming at her to simultaneously run away from Khitti, to stay far away, but also to get as close to her as possible, to learn what she could from the woman and about the woman. Placing her dark ale back down, the changeling pulls a silver cigarette case from her cloak and pops it open, drawing forth a single clove cig and placing it between her lips. But did Khitti want some strange, pretentious little girl hanging around her? "Probably not." Quintessa answers her own mussing, a snap of her fingers lighting her cigarette with a simple cantrip. "I need to be extra careful around her..."


Khitti || A request to meet the changeling was not something Khitti’d had in mind to deal with so quickly after their first “conversation”. Khitti’d been at the Temple of Loda in Lower Craughmoyle, getting a magic-nullifying bracelet her son needed--because who the hell wants to teach a two-year-old how to deal with magic?--unenchanted with the previous spell to block elemental magicks and one to replace it, that nullified necromancy. Fate saw fit to frak Khitti and Brand over again, causing their son, Dominic, to start hiccuping up globs of shadow magic. Well, that had to wait now. Her assistant, Camina, had found her, delivered the message from Quintessa, and was instructed to stay put in the dwarven town until the damned bracelet was taken care of. As Khitti rode on to Vailkrin’s portal, her tikifhlee keeping to the shadows, she mused on her own thoughts, much like the girl that was waiting for her. She’d had a bad feeling that morning. Her bad feelings were not some motherly instinct--though it did seem to heighten some once Dominic became a thing. No, it’d been a thing that always was, even all the way back in Dhavislaav when she was just a kid. She’d had one, the night her village was attacked and her friends and family were turned into shambling vicious undead while she was taken to be experimented on elsewhere. Khitti’d hoped that the feeling had something to do with Brand or Dominic. Maybe Brand’s mind had finally broken after his ordeal in the Shadow Plane. Maybe Dominic had melted their home, The Tranquility, and there’d been no saving it. But, no. Khitti was not that lucky. Instead, here she was, heading into the Hanging Corpse Tavern, as stoic as she’d been the day the Adventurer’s Guild headed out on their most recent expedition. “What is it?” Her words were flat as she found Quintessa’s choice of seating, olive-green eyes fixating on the girl. Luckily for Quintessa, it didn’t seem like Tenbatsu Kaji was with Khitti; it certainly didn’t mean she wasn’t still dangerous though.


Quintessa exhales a cloud of smoke, blowing it away from the two of them so she didn't come off as rude. Whatever was going on in Khitti's life was totally unknown to Quintessa, and the stoic air about the woman was enough to fool the young changeling. "I did as you asked," claims the girl as she slowly lifts Lionel's Catalian katana from her lap to rest on the table for Khitti to see. "I found him hanging out in Kelay and pressed an attack, but there were too many others involved to really focus on killing him. So, I tracked him to Frostmaw and fought him again." Quintessa pauses to take another drag from her cigarette, the clove scented smoke lingering around her head. "But he bested me and broke my sword. For some reason, instead of finishing me off he recruited me into the Warrior's Guild." The confusion the hex blade was experiencing was evident in her voice as she explained what had taken place. "You brother is an odd person; he knows I'm waiting for the right opportunity to kill him but he still wants to keep me around. He even gave me this katana." The changeling takes one last draw from her clove cig before smashing the butt in the glass ash tray next to her sword. "I know it isn't any of my business, but why do you want him dead? He seems a right fool but that's no cause to put a price on his head, not alone, anyway. He must have done something to really piss you off."


Khitti smirked at Quintessa, eyeing the katana to confirm it was indeed Lionel’s. “Of course he bested you. He’s been doing this gig since he was a teenager. Getting attacked by people who despise him is every bit a part of him as Hellfire had been. Which is why I was paying mainly for attempts.” A chair was found, hesitation clearly there, but Khitti eventually sat down in it, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not surprised he threw you into the guild either. This is what he does. He uses your strengths--and weaknesses--to benefit himself. Whether you want him to or not. He’s a lot like Larewen in that regard, but to tell him that would prove to be a bad idea.” Quintessa’s questions were starting to strike a not-so-nice chord, a grim frown finding its way to Khitti’s lips. “Because he needed to be sent a message. He literally just came back from the dead; Hellfire or not, I knew he wasn’t going to die that easily. I -hate- that he did.” There’s not much more elaboration on it for the time being, if Khitti was even going to give anymore of an answer anyway.


Quintessa felt herself nervously chewing her bottom lip and stopped herself as soon as she noticed. "You knew I had little chance of beating him, didn't you?" The changeling couldn't help but slightly tilt her head at Khitti, a little like a lost puppy. The idea of yet another person using her made her feel awful inside. First the Drow, then Larewen, and now Lionel. The worst part was she knew she was going to let him get away with it too. Blue and hazel eyes drift away from olive-green as Quintessa stares down at the sword, the confidence she had brought with her for this conversation slowly melting away. "I've got more attempts left in me," the changeling says, knowing better than to pry any further into Khitti's affairs, "But I'm not sure I'm the right one to be sending this message... I'm-" Quintessa grimaces, not wanting to speak out loud her insecurities. "I'm too weak. For all my passion and ambition, I'm still a little moth flying into the flames. I hate it." Delicate digits fiddle with the hilt and sheath of the sword on the table as she speaks. Even though this weapon was used to kill one of her rivals last night, she still could not have done so without the help of her master, Kasyr. "Why don't you do it? I've read all I can find about the Tenbatsu Kaji. If Lionel is as conniving as Larewen, as you say, then bring your weapon to him and cleanse that filth from Lithrydel. Sending me after him is only going to get me killed..." Quintessa smiles in spite of herself, "Unless that is your aim. If that is the case, pay me for my attempts and I'll keep it up until he finally kills me. It seems to be my place in all of this. A weapon. A tool to further other people's goals. You told me I should just accept it and perhaps a part of me already has."


Khitti stared at Quintessa as the girl told Khitti of her concerns, and her weaknesses. It made her… uncomfortable. Why? Because it was like looking into a mirror. All the times she’d claimed she was nothing, would amount to nothing. All the times she tried and failed with her magic, both dark and light. All the times she wanted to just end it because nothing she did worked. Because she’d just let everyone down. Khitti didn’t like this. She wasn’t a fan of having mirror of herself thrown back at her so casually. The thought of Brand scolding her for always thinking that way was enough to make her shift somewhat in her chair. The thought of Amarrah always berating her for being less than she could’ve been, whether she had control over it or not. “Then do something about it. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. You’re in three separate guilds that have the capability to help you--the most important of all being the Necromancer’s Guild.” Because to hell with weapon and close-quarters training. “Lionel won’t kill you. Not now that he knows you have potential.” She paused, eyeing Quintessa, her frown returning. Sigh. This whole thing was not going to be easy for Khitti whatsoever, was it? “Stay here.” Khitti headed towards the door, off to retrieve something from her cat… wherever the hell it decided to hide while its owner was inside the tavern.


Quintessa 's mismatched eyes flicker up in Khitti's direction when she says to 'Do something about it' and her lips part to protest but the words never come, instead gawking at Khitti like an idiot instead, mouth hanging open. "Yes, the Necromancer's Guild... I'm working towards becoming a Sceleratus but Provectus Bradyn says I need to further improve my curses and poisons. I didn't join these guilds for clout, I assure you, I'm learning all I can. Why do you think I took over House Dragana? It certainly wasn't for the political gain." When Khitti tells her to stay, the changeling blinks up at her but finds herself obeying her. "O-okay." Quintessa was content with finishing her ale while she waited.


Khitti returned, a small pouch of coins in hand. It’s dropped on the table near Quintessa as Khitti reclaimed her seat, ten thousand gold within it. “Look. I’m gonna be honest: this whole thing is making me frakking uncomfortable. It’s happened to me one other time and that girl has long since left Lithrydel. You remind me of me. From not even all that long ago. Maybe that’s why Lionel decided to bring you into the guild. Because he knew me from when I talked like you too. Knew, much like my husband did, that all of that whining and moping was nonsense. I still whine and mope, and drink to cope with it all, but that’s besides the point. Moral of the story is that you need to get angry. Use that. Even if you don’t -actually- believe in yourself. Rage and hate is a hell of a morale booster when you need it, even if it’s temporary. You have people that’s used you, still continues to use you--let that make you angry. You’ll never fully be free of people using you, but that’s not something you can control.” Khitti shrugged, smirking bittering, “For a bit there, I thought I was being forced to bend the knee to just one god… turns out it’s three separate ones. But sometimes, if you let people--or entities--use you, then you get something in return. Whether they give it willingly or not. As for the Necromancer’s Guild, study poisons and curses. Do the bare minimum it takes to move on. Don’t let yourself be so engulfed in things you don’t specialize in that you don’t practice what you -are- good at. That was something else I had to learn too. I couldn’t fully resurrect someone to save my life--to the point that I had to ask -Bradyn- for help when I really needed it. I don’t deal in curses or poisons or reanimation. I wield the Black Tides likes it’s an extension of myself--because it has been since I was a kid. The other things are easy too, so long as you think of it the right way. Writing incantations and curses is like writing a recipe. Making potions and poisons and drawing sigils is like following a recipe. You read what’s in the books, you copy it to a tee until you can do it with your eyes closed. Some things don’t come that easy, but at least you’ve got things to reference and people to help you where you need it.”


Quintessa continues to drink her ale in silence, somewhat hiding her face behind her mug as Khitti speaks to her. All this time she had been suppressing her anger because of the trouble it had gotten her into and now she was being told she should use it instead. The changeling can't help but have a lingering smirk on her face when she places her empty mug on the table and idly grips the sheath of her katana. All of what she had said made sense to her and she was thankful to have been given the advice. She even felt flattered that Khitti saw herself in her when she looked at her, even thought the description wasn't the most flattering. Still, there was one thing the changeling couldn't help but address as her smirk shifted into a wide, sharp grin. "Would you like to see the depths of my hatred?" Unconsciously, the hex blades aura strengthens, causing the light in the room to dim a little bit as Quintessa's chaotic emotions were allowed to surface. "I'd like to show you. I wanted to show you the day you called me a fraud and shouted defamations at me from the stands in the arena. I haven't forgotten about that, y'know." The hex blade's demeanor has changed significantly since Khitti started talking, the lost puppy resembling a rabid dog more now that her creepy aura was distorting her already gangly and awkward features.


Khitti || “I’m well aware of what your type of hatred looks like. I’ve had plenty of my own lately. The knowledge you’re being used, that you can’t always be there to save your friends and family, to know that you might be to blame for a lot of the things that happen to you… and that you have no control over any of it,” Khitti said, crimson brows knitting together. “And you -are- a fraud, to an extent. Perhaps not quite so much as I made it seem, but my rage lately has not solely been for you.” Quintessa tried her hand at intimidating Khitti, but all the redhead could do was stare at her blankly. “You don’t scare me because you -are- me. I haven’t been scared of myself or the things I can do for quite some time. The shadows bend to my will just as they do to yours. Even when the light was stronger, it was still there for me, even when I didn’t realize it.” The shadows of the tavern vacated their nooks and crannies, gathering together until they reached Khitti. The dark magic swirled up and around her arm until it reached her right hand. A spark ignited there, purple shadow-flames coexisting with the shadowy smoke, the two magicks soon accompanied by another in the form of grey ice crystals, clinging to the smoke. “I do not need Tenbatsu Kaji to kill you or anyone else. I do not need the light. But I wield both because it’s expected of me--demanded of me--and I will not hesitate to use either on anyone that deserves it. Cyris is not the only god I have given my life to. I am all for freedom and independence, but that only goes so far. And when it doesn’t, the need to kill and the pleasure I get from getting my revenge on those that have wronged me fills the void.”


Quintessa eyes gleam with grim fascination, her excitement growing at the small show of power the young spellcaster managed to coax out of Khitti. The changeling was perhaps terrified, but that only fueled her desire to attack her, to flip the table away from them and try to remove Khitti's head from her shoulders. "Good." she whispers, fighting her instinct to draw her blade and fight against the odds. Quintessa didn't care if she won or lost, lived or died, the thrill of battle was all she cared about and it suddenly became apparent to her why she'd felt so depressed lately. She was a swamp monster, not a scholar. The cramped spaces and safe training grounds the Mage's Guild offered her bored her without a race of saurians she could murder indiscriminately. Quintessa had denied her bloodlust for far too long and now she needed to sate it any way she could. "Your gods and your struggles with your inner duality matter not to me. How can you claim to value freedom and independence while kissing the feet of beings that remain silent and detached? f*** the gods." Quintessa stands up and snatches her weapon from the table. "I want to fight you. I want to test my might against the one whom the Tenbatsu Kaji found so worthy to choose. Use whatever means you have to crush me, I welcome it. You are the most alluring person I've met since my master, Kasyr. I -need- to fight you."


Khitti || Alluring. Alluring? Had Khitti ever been called that before? She blinked a few times as she thought about it, forgoing processing all that Quintessa had said for the moment. When it finally does indeed get through to Khitti, she shrugged. “Duality has been my nature for some time, kid. Can’t escape it. And I’m living and breathing because of those gods, by the way. Lionel? No. Some witch brought him back. I had to work for it. I resurrected and killed my twin sister for it. I burned in Arkhen’s flames and Vakmathras brought me back, in exchange for the souls of those that came before me. I work for those gods because they want what I want and the moment that no longer lines up, then that service will be stopped.” Khitti shifted her attention elsewhere, indifferent to the changeling’s words and actions--sometimes, Khitti was more cat than just in name. “You can have your fight. And there will be blood. And pain. And anger. And whatever else you want, but there will not be death. I still have things to do. -You- clearly do too. Beyond attempting to kill Lionel for a few gold pieces. While it had crossed my mind, I’m not here to use you. You have sent my message. You can continue to choose that path if you wish and continue to be paid for it, but there’s other things that’s expected of you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be what you are right now. You wouldn’t be like -me-.” Khitti stood up from her chair finally, the action nonchalant as she stepped behind it and pushed it under the table. “You will get your fight because I know full well what it’s like to not get it. Lionel has done that to both of us. Others have done it to both of us. What they all fail to realize is that it’s the perfect atmosphere, for people like us, to practice our skills. You can’t wield dark magic and expect no one to get hurt. But, the fight won’t be today. I don’t always travel with Tenbatsu Kaji--especially when I hadn’t planned on being in Vailkrin. You will get it soon. And you can continue to fight me so long as it serves a purpose to you.”


Quintessa listened to Khitti's tale of being burned in Arkhen’s flames and Vakmathras bringing her back and the hex blade's face twists in anger at the mention of the Death God's name. "Bah! If we are so much alike why do the gods forsake me? I already bargained with the Insectoid of the Dark Forest for the power to overcome Vakmathras. That's how I was able to cut down Gevurah! He cannot ignore me any longer. Cannot turn his back on me again. I-" Quintessa cuts herself off, finding it prudent not to speak so openly of her secret mission given to her by Alithyk Caluss, a god she understood so little she had never even heard its name spoken before. "I will not hold back against you or anyone else, but for now I'll play by your rules. I like you. I don't understand your loyalty to the gods or why you think I have some kind of expectations to uphold but I feel like I have a lot to learn from you. I'll find you, when my wounds are healed and mana at its peak I'll track the feeling of your aura. I know it well by now." The changeling's sword is slid into her belt before she reaches for the bag of gold on the table. "And then I'll get to see what you're really made of." the look that Quintessa gives Khitti at that last statement is hard describe, but if she could have hearts for eyes she would at this moment. The scene she was imagining in her head was intoxicating for her. "I'll try not to get killed, I promise."


Khitti || The Insectoid of the Dark Forest meant nothing to Khitti. It’s not like she’d attended that Halloween ball, nor does she keep tabs on Gevurah. “The gods do what they want until they have need of you, or until you have need of them. They’re just as fickle as mortals. And I’m not quite so devout as you might think, girl, even if I do run the guild for those that are such.” That look Quintessa gave her was spied and looked at with mild confusion, though Khitti did her best to mask most of it. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. That’s why Lionel’s got that bounty on his head.” It was obvious that the bounty wasn’t going to go away anytime soon, but neither would Khitti make a huge fuss about it and coerce others into doing it. Even if Quintessa was the only one that would get paid for it, the message had been given. Khitti would say nothing else to the changeling and headed out the door to seek out that cat of hers, wherever the hell it decided to lurk for the time being.