RP:Thanks, I Hate It
Part of the The God of Undeath Arc
Summary: The Worm That Walks and Khitti have another encounter and Khitt is forced to take over to deal with it.
Note: This RP was pulled from Groghouse Rock for easier reading and to add to the God of Undead arc's page.
Song: Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
The Gualon Grogshop
Khitti was craving some seriously lowkey type of venue for a Sound of Sirens concert. So, she’d pulled out a map with the rest of the band gathered around, grabbed a newly acquired quartz pendulum, and let the crystal pick out a new place. She tilted her head as it chose Gualon, then looked to the rest of the undead that made up her band. “Well?” Gorey Taelyr shrugged and nodded, “It’s as good of a place as any, I guess.” Khitti’d smirked and nodded, “Let’s get to it then.” The group’s teleportation mage conjured up a portal for the lot of them, waiting for a signal to send over the band’s gear. The redhead arrived with her entourage of undead (all in varying degrees of undeath) and eventually found the barkeep. “I have no idea if you guys even listen to my music down here, but I’m paying you to let me play here.” To make her point, Gorey floated over and let three massive bags of gold collapse on the counter. “It’s best to let her do what she wants,” he said. Grargh blinked a few times, poked the bag, opened said bag, grabbed a gold coin out of it, and bit down on it, discovering that it was indeed gold. With a greedy look in his eye, the barkeep let out a sharp whistle at the current entertainment, “Get the hell off my stage!” A strangely wicked grin found home on Khitti’s lips as she gave a nod to Gorey, who then gave the signal to their mage friend to have the band’s equipment sent to the tavern and it was all set up on the stage.
Quintessa || There is a chill wind in the air, uncharacteristic for the month, but it is not overpowering enough to be noticed by the average person. Many assume that the chill running up their spines is unrelated to the fell creature in the area. It was subtle enough that those who did not have any proclivities detecting magic would not even notice, but for those that did they might have noticed the hunched, cloaked figure that shuffled into the establishment, face hidden behind a crudely carved wooden mask. They find a shadowed booth to seat themselves in and carefully observe the room. A lot of chaos was taking place so they hoped they could go unnoticed, recuperating after their defeat in Cenril- that is until the wooden mask tilts in the direction of the stage and a sigh of ethereal disbelief in advance of the phrase. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Khitti was the last person this creature expected to see here.
Khitti || [1 of 2] As the band finished setting up, Khitti took the stage, olive-green eyes squinting for a moment to take in those gathered in the tavern. She spied Leoxander, of course, and she could only offer him a grin. “So, we’ve never played here before. Thought it was time to change that,” she said, pulling the magically-enhanced microphone to her lips as she spoke. The candles that lit the room went dark, leaving the room in blackness for a moment. “This is dedicated to that daughter of mine…” It was no secret she’d adopted Quintessa some time ago. But where had that girl gotten off to lately? Well, Khitti knew. The candles flared purple, shadowflames lighting the room as chimes went off, signaling the start of the song. ♫Niiiiiiightmaaaare! Now your nightmare comes to life~♫ There was another pause, the music stopping as the stage became wreathed in shadowflames. ♫Dragged ya down below! Down to the devil's show! To be his guest forever! Peace of mind is less than never!♫
Khitti || [2 of 2] The band joined in, the sound of it all menacing, chaotic, angry. ♫Hate to twist your mind, but God ain't on your side. An old acquaintance severed, burn the world your last endeavor. Flesh is burning, you can smell it in the air, cause men like you have such an easy soul to steal!♫ Sister Sinister and Gorey Taelyr assisted Khitti in her singing, their choir of banshees fading into view behind Dayv Ghoul. ♫So stand in line while they ink numbers in your head, you're now a slave until the end of time here. Nothing stops the madness, turning, haunting, yearning-- pull the trigger! You should have known, the price of evil. And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah… Ooh, it's your frakkin' nightmare!♫
Quintessa || The Worm slumps down a bit into their seat. The last thing they needed was for Khitti to disintegrate them again. For a while it seemed hiding in plain sight had worked, that is until the orcish barmaid cleared her throat to get their attention. “You gonna order somethin’?” The wooden mask looks up to her with its rudimentary, forlorn face. “Meat.” Is the only thing the Worm utters in their phantom voice before the woman moves away back to behind the bar. Meanwhile the Worm had to plan their exit. Perhaps it could slip out unnoticed or wait for the show to be over. Or better yet- perhaps this meeting was fortuitous. Khitti had something that belonged to them anyhow.
Khitti felt something… weird. Something… familiar. No it wasn’t Leo. No it wasn’t Mathollak. It was something much much worse. Something… gross. Khitti’s stomach lurched a bit, but she bit it back as she continued singing. ♫Can't wake up in sweat cause it ain't over yet! Still dancing with your demons--Victim of your own creation! Beyond the will to fight, where all that's wrong is right, where hate don't need a reason--Loathing self-assassination!♫ Oh gods, what was it? Who was out there in that darkness that was triggering such a trauma response in her entire body? Gorey could sense something was off with Khitti, so he nudged Sister Sinister, and motioned to their lead singer with his eyes. Sinister frowned somewhat, but continued on. Khitti picked the wrong song apparently, because something was making her feel like she -was- in a damned nightmare. It wasn’t Tessa… was it? No, this wasn’t her. Not like in the Mage’s Tower. ♫You've been lied to, just to r*pe you of your sight and now they have the nerve to tell you how to feel! So sedated as they medicate your brain, and while you slowly go insane they tell ya "Given with the best intentions! Help you with your complications!"♫ The redhead’s vision went blurry, forcing her to hang onto the microphone stand. ♫You should have known! The price of evil! And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah! No one to call! Everybody to fear! Your tragic fate is looking so clear, yeah! Ooh, it's your frakkin' nightmare!♫
Quintessa || The Worm leers at Khitti from the shadows of their booth, taking note of her strained attempts to keep pushing through. Was she perhaps reacting to something? Could she sense the Worm’s presence? The static aura of necromancy that clung to the Worm would indeed be remisnet of Quintessa- yet oddly different. Distinctly different in fact. It is at this moment that the Worm decides they will show themselves to the redhead, perhaps a whispered word when she finishes her set. While all eyes were upon the stage it was not the most opportune time to do this, so they waited, bits of chicken disappearing into the mass of darkness behind their mask every once in a while.
Khitti ||The night of the Cenril ritual to cure the zombies of their affliction slowly oozed to the forefront of Khitti’s mind as she finished up the song. Khitt was there too with it within their shared mind, trying to talk her through it. Trying to remind her that it was alright. But it wasn’t alright. Her stomach was like the sea on a stormy night, her mind was fixed on that night--her skin felt like it was crawling! It was supposed to be a good night. She just wanted to let off some steam after everything, to try to get rid of all those emotions that had been piling up over the last few weeks. The madness of it all was creeping up on her again and she laughed hysterically into the mic. Gorey was quick to mess with the enchantment of the microphone, distorting Khitti’s voice as she laughed to help it fit the song. ♫Fight! (fight!) Not to fail! (fail!) Not to fall! (fall!) Or you'll end up like the others! Die! (die!) Die again! (die!) Drenched in sin! (sin!) With no respect for another! Down! (down!) Feel the fire! (fire!) Feel the hate! (hate!) Your pain is what we desire! Lost! (lost!) Hit the wall! (wall!) Watch you crawl! (crawl!) Such a replaceable liar!♫ Khitti could barely breathe. But she was almost done. ♫And I know you hear their voices, calling from above. And I know they may seem real, these signals of love! But our life's made up of choices! Some without appeal! They took for granted your soul! And it's ours now to steal!♫ The last few verses were left to sink into the crowd and the music faded out. Khitti was able to escape the stage for a moment, letting Gorey take over on singing while she recovered. “Whiskey. Now. The bottle. Give it.” Grargh could barely hand over the bottle before Khitti was snatching it away, uncorking it, and taking a larger drink than someone in her state should drink.
Quintessa || Almost as if in the blink of an eye the hunched figure at the table is no longer sitting there and is instead lingering uncomfortably close to Khitti. As Grargh walks away, leaving the singer with her drink, the Worm that Walks drifts even closer, silent as death. “Excuse me,” they say in their strange, reverberating voice that should not be physically possible to produce, “I’ve been a fan ever since I saw you in Cenril- Can I have your autograph?” The misshapen, wooden face stares lifelessly at her, waiting for her to respond.
Khitti side-eyed Leoxander as she downed a bit more whiskey. “There is more to me than just that,” she said flatly, almost offended. The Worm started to speak to her, so she turned around and just stared at that lifeless mask. The sickness in her stomach returned, her anxiety spiked, her heart racing to signify that she wasn’t feeling all that great at the moment. The voice… ‘I’ll give Quintessa your regards.’ She knew that voice. “You…” She could barely speak, her voice a whisper. “Why are you here? Have you not done enough?” One hand started to reach for the other--no, it started to reach for the seashell bracelet on the other wrist. Khitt was trying to take over, trying to help her put an end to this so he could deal with it.
Quintessa || The Worm that Walks regards Khitti calmly, slowly lifting what was meant to serve as its hand but in reality was that squirming mass of worms she was no doubt already imagining. “There will be a chance for us to fight again but for now… My mask. My real one. I need it back.” There was a strange sense of urgency in the tone of the creature. “And then I will leave you.”
Khitti || Again? They’d have to fight again? She couldn’t. She wouldn’t! Ugh. There were even tears in her eyes now as the Worm got closer. Somewhere in their shared mind Khitt could see what was going on, how the Worm strangely meant no hard. For now. He forced Khitti’s hand to grab ahold of the bracelet and soon the shapeshifting took over. A bit of shimmery magic rippled across Khitti’s form and where she had been standing there now was a male that looked a hell of a lot like her, though taller. Except instead of her usual attire, Khitt was in his own: a black slim fit suit with a purple button up shirt beneath, black boots, his long hair pulled back into a braid, and his favorite accessory, a pair of enchanted pince-nez sunglasses. “Sorry. She’s been in a bit of a mess thanks to your co-worker.” He meant Quintessa, of course. “Yeah, we’ve got your mask.” He put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle, motioning to the band’s mage that got them there to come to Khitt’s side for a second. “Gimme our stuff,” he said, taking the satchel from the mage. From within, he pulled out the Worm’s cold-iron mask and handed it over. “You don’t have to leave. She’s just… It’s complicated, okay? I’m sure you get it.” Much like Khitti had, Khitt now side-eyed Leoxander, but instead of Khitti’s usual scowl, he gave the wolf a half-assed salute instead.
Quintessa || The mass of worms recoils for a moment as Khitti becomes Khitt, but once they knew it was not a threatening gesture they relax once more. With the cold-iron mask back in its possession it trades it out with the wooden one, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter. It takes a moment after this for the Worm to readjust, caught off-guard by this act of kindness. They would remember this. “Thank you.” The visible worms retreat from view as they step away. “No, I should leave. Not that I don’t enjoy the music but it is best I left anyway… Is there anything you’d like to say to my co-worker? That’s where I’m headed next. Passing a simple message is the least I can offer.”
Khitti leaned over and picked up the wooden mask that had been dropped, then eyed the Worm. “Tell her… she has a lot of explaining to do and it better happen soon before -I- find her.” It was a threat. A promise. If Quintessa did not find her mother soon, Khitt was going to come looking for her and things would be far, far worse for her. Much like Khitti, he didn’t take betrayal well either and the amount of turmoil it had sent Khitti into made Khitt pricklier than a cactus pear. As if to make his point, Khitt took a swig of what was left of his female counterpart’s alcohol, gave the Worm a nod, walked over to the closest orc, and punched him in the face. It was his trophy-winning right hook--Mathollak would know it. It was time for chaos, apparently, because a bar brawl had finally broken out.
Quintessa || The Worm form themselves tensing a bit at Leoxander’s words, but they remain calm. It seemed a simple enough question. “Indeed she does. I’ll let her know.” The creature responds to Khitt before the masked face turns to address the lycan. “Here specifically? I came from Cenril- I certainly didn’t come for you, if that’s what you’re asking. It's a coincidence. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”