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Post by promsong on Mar 27, 2018 14:44:44 GMT -6
 jasmine's villa
11:00pm
only months after jasmine purchases tess, jasmine is caught slipping something into her husband's drink by tess.
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Post by promsong on Mar 27, 2018 15:01:53 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 1 | 351 words
After their fifth anniversary, dealing with Rowan in bed was all too exhausting for Jasmine. She knew she had to do something and communicating honestly was certainly not an option. To Jasmine, it never was.
Things had been alright until that fifth year for some reason. The weight of Jasmine's decision to marry him had finally set in. The imaginary 'honeymoon' phase was long gone and even talking to him bore her to death. She feigned intimacy and love as best she could, which she had mastered over the years of being with him. It had gotten more exhausting, yes, though she could practically do it in her sleep.
So, when he left for work one day, Jasmine reached out to one of her contacts and got ahold of a liquid that would give her some peace at night. All it took was a few drops in his drink at dinner or water before bed, and he would be knocked out within the half hour. It was exactly what she needed to get sleep at night without being disturbed.
That night was no different from the many before and Jasmine stood in the kitchen with two glasses of water. She had insisted he drink more water as it was good for him, especially as he grew older. To Rowan, nothing she ever said or did could possibly contain any ulterior motives. Jasmine was his young, innocent bride, and his perfect image of her would remain uncorrupted until the day he died.
Jasmine had left Tess to her own devices while she prepared their water, so she expected her to be busy with something. Now that she was seemingly alone, she pulled out the small vial of clear liquid that she had hidden in the living room earlier. It was tiny enough to hide behind a book on the shelf and she knew that Rowan never read anyway.
She took the cap off of the vial and poured just a tad into the glass. Swirling it around, she sighed softly and went to go to put the vial where it belonged. Hidden. |
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 27, 2018 17:30:44 GMT -6
 TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
... ...
Time passed quickly and without incident, as long as Tess behaved the large mare was generally left to her own devices. Usually she trained in secret, honing her long forgotten skills in combat that she had learned as a teen growing up on Onea under the iron hoof of her father but now she had no trainer except herself. However this day had long been spent, moon rising high in the star filled sky and the mare was tired. She had thrown herself into training, yearning and almost demanding a chance to be let into the fighting pits only to be denied by Rowan without as much as a discussion. She had almost been thrown into a rage at the denial but held herself back, and the reassurance of Jasmine that she could in fact train, if only in secret, was enough to keep her cool. Being a guard dog was nice and all but the idea of taking out some of her frustration and anger on another slave was all too appealing, War Forged blood ran hot through her veins even as a slave.
Being dismissed each day by Jasmine was sometimes a joy and other times the large mare couldn't stand being alone, Valore felt no more like home than when she had first arrived and time alone meant more time to think. Tess didn't want to think anymore, to think about all the mistakes she had made and her mind forced herself to remember each moment before her capture with painful clarity. When she was left to her own devices so late at night Tess liked to wander the estate. The fresh sea air helped to calm her mind and soul before they quieted enough and allowed her to sleep. She liked to do laps around the villa, leisurely walking in circles until her already exhausted muscles cried for her to stop loud enough to drown out her thoughts.
On her third lap Tess caught sight of movement in the kitchen out of the corner of her steel blue eyes, slowing to a near stop compared to her brisk pace the slave turned her large head toward the window and caught sight of Jasmine. Normally Tess wouldn't pay any mind to her owner, she was used to the nightly routine of Jasmine bringing her husband a glass of water to drink but tonight she saw something strange that nearly made her stop in her tracks. A few drops of a clear liquid was added to one of the glasses, the vial was unmarked, small in size and unfamiliar. Tess had never seen that vial before, this was new to the routine and it made her uneasy. Turning her head back to the landscape around her the mare continued her walk, a bit faster than before and tried to act as natural as possible given the circumstances. She had once been a merchant herself and while she never sold anything that might be considered shady in any way she had come across those that wished for her to carry the necessary supplies to make such devious things or the potions themselves so she knew what they looked like, roughly. Many came in those same unlabeled bottles but usually the liquid wasn't clear in color, the ones she had seen were more milky...Where she had been close to the point at which her mind was calm enough for sleep Tess found herself alight with questions and she held no answers that might calm the knot forming in her stomach. This was going to be a long night...
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Word Count: 601
Post #1 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 27, 2018 19:02:07 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 2 | 453 words
The small vial was placed delicately back into its place upon the bookshelf and Jasmine slowly made her way into the kitchen. She had seen Tess doing laps around the house and could tell she was troubled. The mare had asked to be put into the pits and before Jasmine could say she would consider it, Rowan swiftly objected and told her that such a thing was ridiculous. While she may not have been expensive, he didn't want his property damaged. Jasmine decided that fight was not worth having and she told the slave that she could train as much as she pleased, so long as Rowan didn't see most of it. She was slowly working on him. Jasmine had felt like the villain many times before in her life and she wanted to let Tess have this. Besides, there was money to be made in pit-fighting and she was never one to say no to money.
"Are you almost done, Jasmine, I wish to go to sleep!" Rowan called out from their room. She rolled her eyes dramatically and took the two glasses, making a special note of which one was his. She wouldn't take street drugs, she didn't know what sort of chemicals were in them. It was fine for him to take them, though. That was somehow different.
"I'm on my way, my love," she replied as she walked up the stairs. She hated when he yelled down to her as if she was the servant. It wasn't often he did so, but when he did, it made her blood boil. Curlers in her hair and a chiffon robe trailing behind her, she peered her head into the bedroom where her husband was near the bed. "You really should be more patient with me, I am tired and move slow at this time of night," she said in a gentle voice with a small pout his way. She turned her anger into something that he could respond better to. He then apologized and took the glass that she held out as she walked over. He downed the glass in a matter of seconds. It was almost seconds too long for Jasmine.
He finally settled into bed and under the covers as she went over to the candles and blew them out. They were not in complete darkness, as the large window was open and allowed the moonlight to shine through. She wished him a good night and said her ingenuine 'I love you'. It was second nature.
She laid awake beside him until he was snoring softly and unable to bother her. She could finally be at peace and rested her head down on her pillow with a soft exhale. |
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 27, 2018 21:14:47 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
Rounding the corner of Jasmine's estate Tess let out a soft sigh of relief, if her master had seen her and suspected that she had seen something shady go down the mare doubted that Jasmine would have let her go so easily. Pushing her suspicions and worry to the side Tess tried to force her pace to slow again but her body was still on high alert, as much as she might try to mentally shove the thought aside something in her gut held onto her unease. While it might be unfounded it also might not be. Who knew what was in the vial other than Jasmine? Rowan sometimes had a hard time sleeping...it was probably something to aid him in that, Tess rationalized and her suspicious seemed to be confirmed by the sound of Rowan's voice escaping his open window. He demanded Jasmine hurry, that he wished to finally go to sleep. Tess bit her bottom lip at the sound and hurried toward the front door, she wanted nothing more than to lay in her own bed and drown her thoughts. The slave knew all too well that when Rowan spoke to Jasmine like he would a slave that her master detested her husband at that moment and Tess couldn't blame her. She didn't enjoy being barked at either and she was a slave.
Moving though the courtyard Tess' steel blue eyes jerked toward the sound of a rustle in one of the bushes to her left, jumping to the side the mare soon sagged in defeat and relief. Where her mind had conjured up any number of dangerous animals what did appear though the foliage was but a small chipmunk, its cheeks stuffed with berries. It scurried off before Tess could curse the creature for giving her a fright and continued on her way, making a beeline for the front door. She was done with her pacing for the night, who knew what else she might see that was not meant for her eyes.
When she crossed the threshold and opened the door Tess tried to be as quiet as possible but being a beast of her size such a feat was near impossible. Try as she might the sound of her closing the door behind her felt like crashing boulders when it was merely the clicking of the lock in place, her hooves sounded like the thundering of a raider band in her mind even as she tiptoed to her room. Her senses had been heightened, body on red alert and even as she closed her bedroom door behind her Tess felt unseen eyes burning into her back. Part of her scolded herself for acting so silly but even still, after all the silence she had heard from Jasmine Tess still couldn't shake her unease. Something was wrong, she felt it. Laying her massive form on her bed the mare tried valiantly to fall asleep but it took quite some time and patience before her mind finally found rest.
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Word Count: 507
Post #2 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 28, 2018 14:29:25 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 3 | 521 words
There was a scream, shattering glass, and then silence.
It was only 5 hours earlier when the drowsy Rowan somehow pulled himself out of bed and was stumbling through the halls. Whether or not he was sleepwalking is still being debated, but what had happened before he had the chance to return to the bedroom was not.
Jasmine usually locked the door to their room, yet that night she had forgotten because she was so irritated with the way he had spoken to her.
Jasmine had woken up peacefully that morning, the sun shining brightly through their translucent white curtains that rippled with the wind. The bed felt less heavy as her eyes fluttered open and she noticed that Rowan was missing. Rather than go and investigate his absence, she lazily rolled over and soaked in the sun. There was a sense of utter tranquillity and she faded in and out of sleep as she laid there alone. The only thing that could have made it better would be if she was next to her girlfriend, Maggie. Oh how she wished to open her eyes and make out the gentle features of her real love.
Jasmine's thoughts wandered to the dreamy pegasus in a sleepy haze. It took about another 20 minutes before she decided to finally pull herself out of bed. Rowan hadn't said anything about leaving the house early in the morning and she was usually the first one to wake up. It was odd, but not all that concerning. Jasmine didn't ponder on it too long.
The tiny mare slid out from under the thin covers and out of bed, standing up with a loud yawn. She reached for the chiffon robe that she had worn the night before and slipped it over her shoulders. She pulled out her curls from underneath it and looked at herself from the mirror on the opposite wall. The room looked so much better without his presence.
She made her way out of the room and through the hall. She held the glass of water that had been resting on her nightstand and could have sworn she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Stopping in her tracks, Jasmine's silver gaze focused on the bloodied body of her husband that laid at the bottom of the almost theatrical staircase. She let out a loud shriek and the glass that she had been holding dropped onto the marble flooring. She felt a sense of panic as she stared down at the lifeless corpse. Even in this state of utter shock, there was a wave of relief that washed over her.
It took her a couple moments before she rushed down the stairs and towards her husband. "Rowan! Rowan?!" she called out frantically as she stepped around the pool of blood that seemed to have originated from his head.
"Wake up Rowan!" she ordered, nudging his nose with her own. She knelt down on her front legs and tried to wake him up. In the midst of this, her white robe fell into the blood and it seeped into the expensive fabric.
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 28, 2018 16:35:12 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
A night of restless sleep met the mare when she laid in her bed, tossing and turning through the hours Tess found herself still exhausted when she woke in the middle of the night to the sound of hooves wandering the halls. Bleary eyed and not wanting to investigate in case she saw something else that she wasn't supposed to Tess rolled over defiantly and ignored the rest of the sounds, including a heavy thump on the first floor. She tried valiantly to sleep soundly for the rest of the night but anxiety gnawed at her core and twisted her guts into a nice bow.
Tess had never been an early riser, she enjoyed her sleep too much and didn't have the willpower to tear her large form from the warm blankets but the sound of Jasmine's voice twisted into a shriek made the hippocampus leap from her bed. Still half asleep and utterly exhausted from a restless night Tess stumbled through the doorway of her room, tripping over her large hooves and landing unceremoniously on her knees in the hallway. The sound of Jasmine calling Rowan's name frantically made the lump in Tess' stomach transform into an iron boulder. "Jasmine?" Tess called as she picked herself up and off of the floor before tearing down the hall almost falling over herself again in the rush to find her master. Her dread didn't let up even as she turned the corner leading into the main hall and the slaves eyes fell upon the broken, bleeding body of Rowan at the bottom of the stairs. Immediately her mind connected the loud thump she had heard with Rowan's fall being the cause, guilt welled up in her throat. If she had just gone to check on the sound- No. Thinking about 'What ifs' would change nothing now, all she could do was pick up the pieces the best she could. Walking swiftly Tess' eyes never left Rowan and the blood pooling around his broken skull, she'd seen injuries like this back in Onea but usually the cause of the blow was a well placed kick or falling upon a boulder, not taking a tumble down the stairs. Nearing her small crimson master Tess lowered her head toward Rowan's still chest, resting her nose upon his barrel for a few moments, trying to feel for any movement and when none appeared the slave closed her eyes tightly. "Jasmine...he's not-" The mare started but soon thought better of herself, she alone knew few that survived such a blow to the head and the amount of blood he'd lost...Tess also knew that Jasmine was in denial, it was easily apparent that Rowan wasn't going to be waking up ever again. They both would have to accept that fact...a report would have to be made.
The thought of authority's made Tess shrink in on herself, tucking her long tail closer in fear. They would point fingers, place blame and Tess knew that she would be a suspect given her troubled past with previous masters. She'd nearly killed another slave when they protected their master from her fury, they would know about that for sure. Given that knowledge Tess would be an easy target for the blame and nothing she could say would protect her, only Jasmine held that power and if Tess' earlier sighting or suspicious were to be believed it would be in the unicorn's best interest to allow Tess to take the fall for Rowan's death...she was done for.
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Word Count: 596
Post #3 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 28, 2018 17:11:23 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 4 | 588 words
Jasmine had been huddled over her husband when she heard the sound of someone running in the hallway. There was a delay in the hoofsteps, but they were soon picked up again and getting louder and louder. She knew it had to be Tess, so she kept her eyes focused on Rowan. She kept frantically trying to get him to wake up from the deep sleep he was so obviously in.
"I just-- I just found him here asleep! He has to be asleep," she insisted as the other mare finally made her way over and began to check to see if Rowan was breathing. She watched her closely and waited for Tess to announce that while his breathing was shallow, he was still alive. Tess did no such thing.
"No, he's not dead. He's asleep!" she said as she stood up and gave him a light kick to the side. "WAKE UP!" she shouted at him. The body barely moved after the blow and simply laid there.
It took a few more moments for Jasmine to finally realize that he was not going to be waking up. She took a slow step away from him and looked over at Tess, inhaling a long breath. They were the only others in the house and she had known the slave's history. Jasmine didn't do it, she knew that much, so had Tess done it?
Her eyes stared into those of the larger mare's. "If you did it you can tell me," she said after swallowing a lump in her throat. If Tess had commited such an act, Jasmine knew that she would have to fear for her own safety. But maybe it was an accident and she didn't mean to push him. Maybe he just fell on his own. She prayed to the gods that he had somehow managed to stumble down those stairs on his own accord.
Jasmine knew that if Tess looked guilty, she also did as well. Rowan's side of the the family hated her and would immediately place the blame on her shoulders. She needed an alibi and the only other person in the world that could give her one was the slave that she had purchased. There was also no way to just simply get rid of his body, scrub the floors, and be done with the whole event. Rowan's absence would be noticed within days and it would be very difficult to explain how she somehow didn't realize her husband had been missing. While she was sure it could be quite easy to get his body into the ocean, everything else about that plan was sure to fail.
She had considered Tess relatively obedient, but what if she had snapped? It made Jasmine question what little she did know about the mare. Though, if she had been the one who killed him, why would she leave his body on display for her to find? It would make more sense for her to kill them both as the large mare could have easily taken their lives in their sleep. She was stronger than the both of them combined and while that was great for when Jasmine needed protection, it also made her concerned if Tess might one day turn on them. She took another step back and looked down at her robe that was soaked in her husband's blood. You could only see it on the pale fabric, as her coat was the same colour as the liquid that had spilt from his head. |
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 28, 2018 21:29:33 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
Tess stood beside Rowan, her nose brushing against his barrel as if yearning for him to start breathing again and wake up just like Jasmine did, while she didn't like Rowan she also knew that his death would be complicated to explain to say the least. The slave waited, standing still as the reality of the situation began to dawn upon Jasmine. Denial was a strong emotion to overcome, damn Tess knew that better than most. During her first few month in Aodh the slave had made several escape attempts, each failing spectacularly and yet she kept trying as if she had something to return to. Xiun had made sure that Tess would have nothing to return to in Onea, he stole her clan, her honor and home...but Tess still tried to return. Her mind rationalized each attempt by convincing her that if she made it back and pleaded for a meeting with the Warlord that she could lay out the evidence she had against her father, that somehow she could convince Hira that her culling had been a cover up for his own crimes and she had done nothing wrong. Her father was the true villain here but after a few months the reality of her situation began to sink in, even if she did escape her father would know about her return to Onea before she could reach Hira and he would kill her long before she would be able to speak to the War Lord. Tess was forced to accept the fact that she could never return to Onea and even if she did escape that she would always be on the run, no where would be safe enough to call home. With this newfound realization Tess was forcing herself to accept her fate of being a slave and make the most of her situation. That plan didn't including murdering one of her masters, she had behaved far better than she ever had before ever since joining Jasmine's household. She didn't want to jeopardize her place within the estate, not wanting to be forced from the home of the only master she'd come to tolerate, let alone like, since coming to Aodh.
Jasmine's final outburst of kicking Rowan and demanding he wake up made the mare take her own jerky step back, eyes snapping up to her remaining master Tess took in the sight of Rowan's blood soaked into Jasmine's once white robe. The crimson splashed across the fabric matched the unicorn's coat and was invisible to the naked eye minus its gel like shine. Jasmine's next words hit Tess like a slap across the cheek and put the large mare of the defensive, "No- I would never-!" A blatant lie, quickly the mare backtracked, "I only ever did...those other things in self defense Jasmine. I'm not a murdering barbarian like you Aodhians see us proud Oneans, I was a fucking merchant before this for Kaia's sake!" The stress of the situation mixed with her outrage made Tess forget who she was for a moment but she didn't backtrack this time, she was going to speak her mind. It would be the only way to convince Jasmine of her innocence. "I'm smarter than this and you know it. We both know I don't want to be a slave but this is my life now. I have no other choice but to accept this and make the best of it. I wouldn't jeopardize the best home I've found in Valore by doing something like this. I would never..." The way Jasmine took a seemingly scared step back, and away from her made Tess steel blue eyes grow worried, once a thought or worry was placed in a mind it was hard to remove. She could tell that Jasmine was scared for her for the first time since her arrival and instead of taking advantage of her master's lapse in confidence Tess shifted her gaze from Jasmine, covered in Rowan's blood, down to the lifeless corpse and signed in defeat. "We need to tell someone sooner rather than later, it was make us both look less guilty if we report this in a timely manner and comply with the Chevaliers - as much as I might detest the idea of bowing to them we need to do this Jasmine."
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Word Count: 731
Post #4 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 28, 2018 22:40:50 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 5 | 668 words
Jasmine was taken back by Tess' tone of voice. She had never heard the mare be disrespectful in the slightest and Jasmine couldn't quite say she blamed her. She had just accused her of murder after all. She also couldn't say she thought the mare was lying. It would be stupid to try and kill one her masters, she would be burned at the stake as soon as she was caught.
"I know you didn't, I just had to ask!" she said in her defence. Jasmine frantically stepped back and forth around his body, unable to remain still as her mind raced with how she was going to get through this. She knew she was going to eventually enjoy the fact that he was gone and she could spend his fortune without him around. She would be able to host all the parties she had wanted to host and be able to go to bed whenever she liked. She would have her freedom. Her mind stopped on that word and she looked over at Tess. Was she being selfish, thinking that she was the caged bird unable to fly when she had literally bought the one person she could vaguely consider a friend?
"I didn't even like the son of a bitch," she muttered. It felt good to say it out loud and she wished she could have said it to him before he had died. "If they find out about my girlfriend, I'm screwed," she said in frustration. If she was turned in, Tess would be put back on the market and the chances that she actually found someone more accommodating than herself were slim. Jasmine had also tried to keep her affair rather private and while she hid it well from Rowan, there was less of an effort to keep it from Tess. While the slave may not have known the exact details of the relationship, Jasmine wouldn't be surprised if she knew of it.
"We first need to come up with a strategy to convince them we didn't do it," Jasmine said as she finally stopped pacing. She had to get her thoughts in order if they were to get through this. "We need to be each other's alibi," she finally added after a moment. It was the only solution she could come up with and it was the only one they had on the table. If they didn't stick together, this could end badly for both of them and Jasmine wasn't about to lose her life because of the man that she came to despise. He had finally given her the only thing that she wanted, his money, and now it ironically came with a price. Why couldn't he have just left his fortune for her and pissed off? That would have been easier for everyone involved it seemed.
Jasmine had had thoughts about her killing him many times, but she knew she would never officially go through with it. She was not the nicest mare around, yet she also did have somewhat of a heart left. Her weak spot laid with other women and courtesans, though her husband's patheticness had almost caused her to pity him in a way. Every time he told her to do something or used that voice with her, that minuscule amount of pity she felt for him was reduced ever so slightly. So now that she watched the blood puddle around his head, she found it hard to feign remorse. She almost wanted to go back and give him a few more kicks, the one she had delivered had felt pretty damn good.
It was only then that she remembered about the vial that was hidden in the living room. She quickly trotted out of the hall and into the living room where she took the small glass bottle from behind the bookshelf. She didn't bother to hide it from Tess now, they were both screwed if either of them blamed the other. They were in this together.
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 29, 2018 1:11:15 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
The words that had left the slave's lips were forgiven for their brashness and Tess was thankful that even now Jasmine was a understanding master. Sometimes the mare forgot that she belonged to the smaller unicorn, their 'friendship' was growing and Rowan's death would either make or break the pair. If the mare had possessed feathers they would have been ruffled, Tess understood the defensive tone in Jasmines voice as she responded but that didn't mean she appreciated being accused of murder any less...even if Jasmine proclaimed that she knew her slave to be innocent all along. Jasmine then began to pace and mumble to herself, it seemed she was trying to formulate a plan for the pair to get through this alive. Listening with quiet detachment Tess was slowly fed information that had confirmed many of her previous suspicions. Jasmine never loved Rowan, that enough was apparent without words to everyone except Rowan. Having grown up in a house with a similar dynamic between her own parent Tess knew the tell tale signs of a loveless marriage, Vistalia went through the same charade with Xiun and to the outside world everything seemed perfectly happy but behind closed doors...the facade quickly fell away. Watching Jasmine pace Tess' brows curved at the mentioning of a girlfriend, was she talking about that beautiful pegasus? Well...it made sense to say the least but that would be a question for later, for now she had to concentrate on escaping this day with her life intact. Nodding along with Jasmine Tess silently agreed that before the authorities were called that they needed an alibi, technically neither could guarantee where the other was at the time of Rowan's death Tess also knew that neither of them were going to make it out of this without the other-
Without a word Jasmine turned and trotted away from her, leaving Tess to stand silently with the body. The smell of blood was beginning to coat her nostrils, the familiar tang of rust passed over her tongue causing the mare to rub her teeth over her tongue in distaste, trying to rid the taste from her mouth. Deciding that she didn't want to be left alone with the body Tess tiptoed around the stallion, making sure to give him a wide enough berth in order to keep herself clean of his blood, and followed after Jasmine. Turning the corner to the living room where Jasmine had disappeared Tess caught sight of the unicorn holding in her teke the same unlabeled bottle from last night. Before she could stop herself Tess spoke, "What is that?" She questioned quietly, dipping her head down in a submissive gesture once she realized that she was being rather bold with her words again. Where Jasmine wasn't as strict with her as Rowan had been Tess still wished to not push her boundaries and anger her master with demands. Where part of her wanted to know as little as possible her curious nature pushed Tess to question Jasmine. Plus it would be best for her to at least know a story to stick to when the Chevaliers were called into to inspect the scene, less discrepancies in their story compared to the evidence they found would seal their innocence.
They were in this together, for better or worse.
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Word Count: 560
Post #5 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 29, 2018 20:09:50 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 6 | 704 words
As she trotted over to retrieve the vial, Tess followed. She would have done the exact same thing, it was uncomfortable to be in the same room as that body. It resembled her husband faintly, but it was so creepy to see him there like that with his skull bashed in. The blood that puddled around him contrasted with the off-white floors and while it was a gruesome scene, it was almost impossible to look away from. The situation hadn't really sunken in yet and the gravity of whatever actions they did next hadn't either.
"It's not poison," Jasmine quickly said when Tess asked what was in the bottle. The mare's submissive stance made her shake her head. "No need to hold your tongue, we're in this shit together," she added. At this point, Tess could use almost any tone of voice and Jasmine would be understanding and okay with it. While she obviously would have preferred if their discussions remained civil, she could live with Tess asking questions and being honest withher.
At least she hadn't intended it to be poision, she couldn't quite confidently say she fully trusted the shady dealer that had sold it to her. She had used her contacts at the casino to get ahold of someone who could supply her with a strong enough drug to knock Rowan out, yet nothing to strong to kill the guy. It seemed that it hadn't of really mattered. Jasmine couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't given him that dose last night, would he still be alive?
"It's just to get him sleepy and drowsy so I don't have to deal with him at night. I slip it in his water and he doesn't bother me," the mare explained as she held it up. Jasmine's motives were rarely pure or innocent, but this time they weren't the absolute worst. Or at least she believed so.
She held the vial and thought for a moment to herself about what kind of alibi would protect the both of them. She wanted to keep Tess safe as well, which was a weird thought to have for Jasmine. She blamed those feelings on the fact that she would never survive without a body guard since that was easier to tell herself than that she actually liked Tess. She wouldn't want to see the mare go to another home where they treated her horribly.
"I need a fucking drink. Want one, Tess?" she asked in a exhausted and almost helpless voice. She didn't let this side of her show around others and the walls that she usually had up, were down. She of course was not completely off guard, but she was significantly less worried about remaining composed around Tess.
Jasmine walked over to the table beside one of the couches, taking the bottle of whiskey that rested on it and pouring two glasses. She downed the one she poured for herself in a couple seconds before placing it down rather roughly.
"Okay, okay," Jasmine began as she tried to regain some of the poise that she had completely lost during this whole event. "We won't tell them exactly what happened in the beginning. When they question us separately, we will both say that we spent the night together. Act embarassed about it or something." Jasmine was used to playing her part in many things. She played her part as the compassionate and willing to please courtesan, the faithful and loving wife, and now she would be playing the grieving widow. "First, though, you will go and find the dumbest looking chevalier in Valore. And when you and them arrive, I will be hysterically crying over his body." It was quite the plan and while she would have loved to just tell the chevaliers the truth, it was not an option. It looked way too horrible for them to just willingly admit that she had drugged him the night before and then he took a tumble down the stairs. She was determined to get out of this alive and preferably unscathed, though the chances of the latter were slim. She would be content if her and Tess weren't burned for a crime they did not commit.
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 29, 2018 22:03:33 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
The shake of Jasmine's head and her words comforted the large mare, she had always felt more at ease around Jasmine compared to Rowan, less like she was walking on eggshells and more like she was with...a possible friend. With him out of the picture now Tess would be able to walk the estate without fear of upsetting Rowan and facing the repercussions, she could train to fight in the pits openly and maybe she could finally get a proper trainer and equipment. No need to hold your tongue, we're in this shit together. Whether Jasmine had meant it or not those words struck a cord within Tess, the large mare had been hesitant to trust many since her Culling and Jasmine had been the first to pierce the stone walls she had built. Those words bolstered her confidence. Tess held respect for Jasmine, she would never outright act uncivil with her master and by basically being given permission to speak freely Tess felt...herself growing to trust and admire Jasmine all the more. Loyalty blossomed in her chest, Jasmine had her back rather than throwing her slave to the wolves and Tess would return the favor tenfold.
Straightening her nervous posture as she listened to Jasmine's explanation Tess' usual confidence returned, doubting Jasmine would lie to her now she was glad to hear that it wasn't poison merely something to get Rowan to sleep without bothering Jasmine. Tess could understand that desire, her own mother stayed up late into the night doing menial chores just so she didn't have to share a bed with Xiun before the stallion married younger, prettier brides and yearned for them to join him instead of Vistalia. Personally she'd all but ran from her home and became a traveling Merchant because that was not only her calling but would keep Tess outside of her father's reach, he'd have a hell of a time marrying off a daughter that he couldn't locate in the wilds of Onea. Had this been the first time Jasmine had given Rowan the drug? From the way Jasmine spoke Tess doubted it, so why had this night Rowan gone for a late night walk only to end up face first at the bottom of the stairs?
Her eyes trailed after Jasmine as the mare spoke of needing a drink, shoulders slumping at the sight of the caramel colored whiskey waiting for her it took everything in the mare not to down the glass with the same vigor as Jasmine. Sighing in defeat Tess shook her head at Jasmine's offer of a drink, "As much as I might need one I feel that not having the smell of expensive whiskey on my breath would benefit our case..." Damn she wanted that drink though...how long had it been since she'd tasted Whiskey of that caliber? Too long was the answer but they could drink later, once this business was dealt with. Jasmine's alibi consisted of the pair claiming to have 'spent the night together' and that she should 'act embarrassed about it or something'.
Blinking in a touch of shock Tess' mind immediately took the idea and ran with it in a way that she hoped Jasmine didn't mean, she'd never looked at her master like that until the idea was put in her head. Sure Jasmine was gorgeous but- well she wouldn't deny the offer if it was given- Wait no STOP- Tess pleaded with her brain. She could feel herself growing flustered and when that happened her cheeks always flushed a very girly pink which the mare tried to hid behind her messy forelock and bravado. This wasn't the right time, or situation, for herself to be doing this. There was a dead body in the other room for Kaia's sake! Her brain flat-lined, letting out a panicked screech before allowing Tess the ability to phrase her confusion in a coherent sentence. "Wait wait wait- back up for a sec. Y-you don't mean- 'spent the night together' like that...right?" Shaking her head jerkily Tess felt her cheeks burning and ground her teeth in an effort to cool her flustered brain. Again she shrunk in on herself, being nearly socially inept (at least in these kind of situations involving love or sex or anything of the like) made Tess' confidence shrivel and her body reacted by nervously swishing her sturgeon tail behind her. She knew she was getting ahead of herself, Jasmine hadn't meant it like that, right? Her mind clung so heavily to Jasmine's alibi idea that she almost completely forgot about the order to find the dumbest looking chevalier to bring back to the estate. She had to get that first part sorted out first.
......
Word Count: 796
Post #6 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 29, 2018 22:48:13 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 7 | 819 words
Jasmine was relieved to have gotten no arguments or suspicion from Tess after she explained the contents of the vial. She had no plausible reason to lie to the mare with what they had to deal with now. Rowan always seemed to complicate things, even beyond the grave, he was giving Jasmine hell. And yet with this huge ordeal, her shoulders felt lighter. There was no one weighing her down. Until someone else came over, she didn't have to pretend to love her husband. She ached to remove the curlers present in her mane but knew that she had to make it seem like she had just woken up. So having perfectly done hair was not yet an option. Jasmine didn't like to look like such a mess, covered in blood and an almost wild look in her eyes. If someone had walked in the room at that exact moment, they would safely say that the body in the main entrance was of her doing.
Jasmine knew she looked extremely suspicious in that situation. She married him for money, cheated on him with a showgirl while claiming she was just going to the casino to gamble, and now felt a remarkably low amount of sadness.
"Hm... I do suppose you have a point," Jasmine considered, leaving the glass there before setting the vial on the table beside it. She planned on tossing it into the ocean while Tess ran out to get some 'help' so that it would be lost forever. Jasmine was obviously not thinking very clearly and she was glad that Tess had some sense in her. It wasn't often that she had a drink only minutes after waking up, but it also wasn't often she found her husband dead at the bottom of the stairs.
Her suggested plan about claiming that they spent the night together did not go over too well with the other mare. Jasmine was so, so, tempted to make some sort of joke about it and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself. It was certainly not the time.
"I do mean it like that," Jasmine paused and began to once again pace around the room. "But judging by your reaction, I don't know if we can pull that one off," she commented in an almost nonchalant tone. She sounded bored as if this was more of an inconvenience than a serious event. Now that she had some alcohol in her and things had settled slightly, her demeanour shifted.
Tess' had as well and she looked incredibly embarrassed. She usually stood tall and with confidence. Jasmine liked that about her, she hadn't been broken by the hardships she faced. Of course, she was only aware of the whole 'slavery thing' as Tess had yet to fully open up to her. She wondered if the mare ever would and was curious about her story. She would share hers if Tess did the same.
Jasmine was not a stranger to sex, having that been one of the main focuses of her last job. The young girl she had been then was similar to the one standing in the room next to her dead husband, yet this one was smarter. She was never the most intelligent when it came to books, but she learned to read people. She learned to manipulate men and sometimes women in her sleep. She created fake personas for her clients to enjoy and went along with them as if she was an award-winning actress. Soon she would be going back to those days of feigning innocence and helplessness when she was to be draped over Rowan's corpse. Jasmine could already see her face when the chevalier walked in, eyes filled with inconsolable grief but a sense of hope, hope that he would somehow be okay. The idea of this playing out in her head almost made her excited. This upcoming performance of hers would determine their fates and because of this, she knew that she had to take it seriously. Now was not the time to be amused by her husband's death. Not yet at least. She could celebrate with Rowan's favourite champagne when this whole mess was over with.
"Maybe we just stick with what happened. You were asleep in the other wing of the house, I woke up and he wasn't there. I saw him at the stairs, dropped my glass, and came running to see if he was alright. I send you off to get help and when you come back, I'm covered in his blood." She mapped out her plan out loud as she paced impatiently. For some reason, her thoughts flashed to that moment on the morning of their wedding where she had almost gotten cold feet. What would her life be like if she did decide to run? Would she have just found another man to manipulate and toy with? Quite possibly. |
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 30, 2018 0:26:18 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
Tess was proud of herself from abstaining from the drink she desperately wanted, the whiskey Jasmine had consumed seemed to do the mare good and she wished to numb herself as well. The day had just begun and already her nerves were beginning to feel fried. It wasn't everyday that you woke up to a scream followed by a dead body and your master implying that the first alibi that came to her mind was the pair sleeping together while her husband took a disastrous tumble down the stairs. As if that wouldn't be suspicious of a story, two lovers alone -enjoying each others bodies- while the third wheel smashed his skull on the bottom of the stairs...Uh huh. Yeah, nothing wrong with that picture- except that the two lovers would now be left to their own devices in the large home that belonged to the deceased now that he was dead and one would inherit everything he owned, including the slave lover.
'I do mean it like that.' Another internal screech raked the mare's brain, her assumption had been right- and here Jasmine was acting so nonchalant about the suggestion! Sure it was going to be a mere story but the actions behind those words would be felt and remembered by all parties involved, and a chevalier would know- Tess could feel her heart race within her chest but it thudded to a near stop when Jasmine decided that this alibi wouldn't work due to Tess' reaction to the idea. Damn right! She thought, snark apparent in the way her face contorted in relief and disbelief as she watched Jasmine return to pacing in thought, having to formulate a new plan since Tess had reacted so violently to the last one. Truthfully her brash reaction was mostly due to being caught off guard at Jasmine's idea and her nonchalant way of suggesting such a thing could happen between them.
Tess had never- well she was still a virgin to put it simply. She'd grown up a tomboy in a world ruled by men, due to her overly tall stature and beastly tail Tess had yet to come across a stallion that found her attractive...those in Onea coveted shorter, stockier builds and here she was, all damn legs. Not many were as tall if not taller than herself, how would sex work with someone smaller than her? The subject of Sex was a strange and foreign concept, definitely not one she had experienced enough to be as nonchalant as Jasmine about the idea of their bodies- No! There she was letting her mind run with the idea again, not that she didn't consider the image to be hot- FUCK! She had to rein herself in, at this rate she'd be useless in any plan they formulated, too preoccupied with the idea of having someone look upon her with desire and lose her virginity...finally. Shaking her head again Tess forced her mind to focus on the problem at hand while her body straightened again, trying to pull her usual confidence back from the brink of such an awkward situation. The previous alibi had been dismissed and now it was time to forget about it forever. Jasmine almost sounded bored and Tess had to hold in a scoff, this was by far the most stressful day she'd had since arriving in Jasmine's home...and the day had just begun. It was going to be an excruciatingly long day filled with one problem after another, Tess new this to be a unfortunate fact given how the day had started.
"Sticking to something simple and as close to the truth is usually the easiest story to follow, the less details we need to remember the less chance we get caught in a lie..." Tess spoke simply, keeping her eyes focused on anything other than Jasmine while she focused on calming her heart and fried nerves. She couldn't look at her master while her cheeks were so flushed, chewing on her bottom lip Tess turned her long body so she was parallel with the doorway instead of standing in the center. She knew that she blocked most of the exit no matter how she stood but Tess hoped that moving might give her brain something, anything, else to think about. Clearing her throat Tess motioned toward the door with a quick jerk of her massive head, "I vote we stick with that instead of-." She paused, shifting uncomfortably on her feet, yearning to move more. Walking, or better yet running, would give the mare something to do with her brain. Exercise had a way of clearing her thoughts that she had yet to find anywhere else. "Uh...should I get going? I mean- to find a 'dumb looking' Chevalier?"
......
Word Count: 801
Post #7 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 30, 2018 19:12:13 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 8 | 590 words
Jasmine's eyes closely watched the mare upon her decision to discard of the previous plan. Was the idea so absurd? She wasn't sure whether it was inherently personal or Tess was not experienced with sex. She would have to ponder on it at a better time, her focus was needed on the situation at hand. Her thoughts were so utterly jumbled that she was having a difficult time staying on one thing for very long. She wanted that drink. No, she /needed/ it. Tess had raised a good point earlier as to why she wasn't going to have it and that caused Jasmine to pull her eyes away from the already poured whiskey. She had to get through this for the both of their fates.
"You are correct, simplicity will aid us in this," Jasmine said as she stopped her pacing. She faced the open window of the living room, feeling the ocean breeze on her body. The robe she wore fluttered in the light wind and she sighed loudly. She had gazed out at many windows in this house over the course of her stay. She felt trapped in her own home and ached to go outside even though all that took was a couple steps towards the front doors. Her eyes narrowed as they scanned the horizon line and the water that rushed to and fell back from the beach below them. It was all hers. This property? Hers. That whiskey? Hers. Tess? Hers. The extravagant funeral gown she was going to have to buy soon? Also hers.
She kept her eyes on the scenic view as Tess spoke up again, confirming the orders Jasmine had given her earlier. "Yes, hurry back and pretend to look concerned. I have to go get ready," she said in a neutral tone. Her thoughts had somewhat calmed down as she took a moment to clear her mind. She wasn't the best at fake crying, but she had practiced recently when Rowan got curt or demanding with her. She would let a couple tears fall before trying to "hide" what was going on from him. He'd immediately felt guilty and offered to buy her an expensive gift. Wiping away her eyes gently, she'd nod and say that would be sufficient to make her feel better.
"Go now, Tess," Jasmine said as she turned around. She walked over and looked up at the mare like she had done months earlier when she first bought Tess. "If either of us fucks this up, we're done."
It was less of a warning than a simple statement of facts. She wanted to remain calm and collected, but the rational side of her knew that this wasn't going to be a simple walk in the park. They hadn't actually murdered him, so that made things easier, though rumours would circulate. Jasmine liked being talked about and even though there would be horrible accusations, she wondered exactly what they'd be saying about her.
Now that she had Tess doing her part, she needed to do hers. The estate was quite secluded and while she was outside, no one would see her. She marched out of the living room and towards the back exit, swinging the door open and heading down the steps. She held the vial and went to the end of the backyard where the pool was. She first poured the liquid out into the ocean and then filled the bottle with small rocks so it would sink. She chucked it unceremonially out to the rushing waters. |
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 30, 2018 21:05:13 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
Tess' eyes wandered back to her master, having steadily regained her composure since the idea of sex hadn't been brought back up. Her cheeks drained of their flustered hue as the heart within her chest began to quiet. The large mare wasn't used to being the voice of reason, her father's hot blood ran through her body and caused her to be stubborn to a fault, not to mention her explosive temper. Shock still flooded her system, allowing her an almost cold detachment to the entire situation even though if they were found wrongly guilty that Tess would most likely face the harsher punishment. She felt a strange sense of pride at seeing Jasmine abstain from shooting the second glass of expensive whiskey that lay there, calling the unicorn's name and instead she moved to pace again. Having someone agree with her was also a strange concept to Tess, especially now that she was a slave who to many was only worth the amount of shards they could be sold for. That was how all had looked upon Tess...until Jasmine came along that is, the unicorn had truthfully saved her from herself and the cruelty of Valore. Allowing the beast some meager freedoms and an ounce of respect had gone a long way to getting Tess to open up and trust her master. With trust and admiration soon came loyalty and to have a loyal Onean at your side was like having ten of the best warriors at your back. None would dare strike at a back so well defended.
After a moment of what Tess assumed to be her master collecting her thoughts Jasmine turned and closed the distance between the pair. Looking up at her in the same manner as when she was first purchased Tess held in a chuckle. The pair had come a damn long way since that day so many months ago and all that time seemed to be leading toward this moment, this choice, this partnership. Trying to lighten the mood some Tess allowed herself a short scoff, flashing Jasmine her usual lopsided grin and arched brow. "I don't know about you but I don't have to pretend. I know the stakes all too well..." Truthfully Tess was damn sick and tired of facing the consequences of crimes she didn't commit. Majkin had died due to her actions and Tess rose from the ashes to replace her, building someone stronger and more capable from the ruin of who she was but even she knew that if she was found guilty again that there wouldn't be anything left to build from, her body would be butchered because of a crime she didn't commit. "And I'm not dying because Rowan was an idiot who fell down some damn stairs. No. He isn't taking us down with him Jasmine." Tess wasn't going to go down without a fight this time, she'd survive this. She still had to get revenge upon her father, Xiun would know the tortures she'd been forced to endure in Valore. She'd laugh as he fell from being the head of a fierce clan to a elderly slave...She couldn't die before seeing that.
Turning from Jasmine now that she had been given permission to leave Tess started at a trot, first making a quick stop at her room to adorn her slave bridle. She knew it would be suspicious for a chevalier to see a branded slave out in public without some sort of bridle adorning her face. She picked the bridle with a thin bit, knowing she had to keep up appearances outside the estate but also detesting the feeling of cold metal on her tongue. Scrunching her nose as the metal fell over her tongue and bit at her senses Tess turned and trotted from her room, making a beeline for the gated courtyard.
Once outside the mare made sure to take a few long lungfuls of clean ocean air into her body, trying to purge the tang of blood mixing with metal on her tongue. Trotting to the gate Tess grabbed the bars with her steel blue teke and flung them open before leaping into a full gallop, leaving the gate open behind her. Sprinting down the winding path that led down the hill and toward the main hub of Valore Tess mind began empty itself of everything except the exhilarating feeling of her muscles getting a good workout. Nothing filled her head except the half concentration of her hoof placement, making sure she didn't roll a hoof on a stray stone or trip and fling herself head over ass into the dirt.
Time passed and the familiar city of Valore soon enveloped the mare, she slowed her pace once her hooves met cobblestone but she still kept up a brisk trot. Her chest heaved from a mixture of her exertion and concern returning to her veins, while she would usually mask her emotions with bravado Tess allowed her face to contort with concern and fear. Moving jerkily in both her steps and head movements Tess hopped she looked the part of a frantic slave looking for something. Blue eyes scanning each face around her she prayed that finding a dumb looking Chevalier wouldn't take too long, Tess wanted to both get this over as quickly as possible and not keep Jasmine waiting.
......
Word Count: 901
Post #8 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 30, 2018 22:21:31 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 9 | 849 words
Jasmine stood at the edge of the concrete, listening to her heavy breaths and the waves crash against the rocks below her. She wondered what it would feel like if she fell and knocked her head on the jagged coastline. Would she deserve it? Did Rowan deserve it?
She couldn't help but think back to Tess' replies at her comments about what she needed to do and how much it mattered. If her slave wasn't going to let Rowan ruin her, Jasmine sure as hell wasn't about to as well. Tess wasn't dumb and neither was Jasmine but she lacked the strength that Tess so obviously possessed. She was colossal, no doubt. What Jasmine really admired was how she had been sold and purchased over and over, and here she was, standing with pride. She couldn't fathom the amount of resilience this mare had compared to her. And for a moment, Jasmine envied her.
She was by no means a naturally loyal person, yet she somehow felt like it was her duty to protect and take care of Tess. Not that she seemed to be needing her help so far, that was. Jasmine was protective in her own strange and often...questionable ways. She had never had any close friends and this whole situation seemed to bring them closer together. Tess no longer had to worry about Rowan getting upset over her often times sassy replies. Jasmine appreciated honesty and would rather not have someone lie to her when her entire marriage was built upon one. Besides, it was almost nice to give someone else some control instead of making all the decisions by herself. In truth, she was extremely lonely. This chapter of her life was over now and she was to start a new one, seemingly with the slave that her now late husband had bought for her as some sort of anniversary gift.
Jasmine stepped away from the edge, turning around and looking over her shoulder somewhat dramatically at the ocean. Oh, how she'd miss this view if she lost it. If she was to be blamed for her husband's death, she would rather end herself than have someone else set fire to kindling underneath her.
Hooves clicked as she walked back into the house and shut the doors behind her. She then went to the front of the building, leaving one of those doors cracked open instead. This was going to have to be the best performance she would ever give and she slowly began to make her way toward's Rowan's body. "Even in death, you're a giant pain in my ass."
She came up behind his body, laying down up against him. She winced in disgust as she felt his blood on her front legs and as it seeped into the expensive robe she wore. It was still kind of warm and she wanted more than anything to take a hot bath after this. As she sat there, Jasmine began to wonder what her life would be like after today. Would she simply move on to the next man who could provide with for her? Or would she try to be happy with her current wealth and her current girlfriend? She loved Maggie almost more than herself at times and didn't want to lose her, so maybe getting remarried was not the best of ideas. At that moment, Jasmine wanted nothing more than to be sitting with her girlfriend and holding her closely. The intimacy she received from Rowan was never wanted nor asked for and the idea of being able to have Maggie over to the house made her very excited. However, she needed to focus back on what was happening. She would wait there now until Tess returned and when she heard her heavy hoof steps approaching, she would begin to sob.
He had supposedly been off duty for the past hour, yet this Chevalier marched down the streets with authority, as if he were the King himself. He stopped by a fruit merchant's stand and looked down at the produce before gazing back at the merchant with contempt. "These strawberries look absolutely spoiled," he commented, as if was now the police of fruit. The merchant held their tongue and simply nodded before pulling out a new box of strawberries from behind the cart. "Much better. I will take th-" Just before he could finish his sentence, he heard a loud thumping noise heading straight in his general direction. It was a large slave, judging by their bridle, who seemed to be alone. He was there to save the Valorian streets from masterless slaves and he began to approach, leaving the box of strawberries behind without a second thought.
"Are you running away from your master?" he said confidently, his head held high even though he was considerably smaller than the slave that stood before him. He was slightly concerned that he would attempt to run over him. Or at least the Chevalier thought he was standing in front of a stallion. "Because if you are, I will be forced to take action."
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Post by Sasha Arctic on Mar 31, 2018 17:29:48 GMT -6
TESS
"Until you are broken, you don't know what you're made of."
......
Being a stranger to the city of Valore had its ups and down but mostly just downs. Tess, who was one of such strangers, was having a hell of a time navigating the endless streets of the sprawling city. Grumbling under her breath Tess' fish mustache scrunched in annoyance, the only part of the city she knew well was the gilded bridge...for obvious reasons so the rest just felt like each of the streets were the same. Filled with beautiful, stuck-up bodies that either looked though her due to her brand and slave bridle or looked upon her with scorn. She tried to weave around passing bodies but she was so long and massive that keeping herself from hitting anyone with her thick tail was a battle, she occasionally felt something connect with her tail followed by a cry of outrage from behind her but her pace didn't falter. She didn't have time for forced apologies, she was on a mission, one that was life or death. Somehow with all the twists and turns Tess had taken she found herself trotting down a street filled with merchant stalls, from one of them a stallion stepped into Tess path and began to address her with a firm, accusing tone. Skidding to a stop in front of the man Tess' brow furrowed and wished to scoff but knew better of herself, very few in Aodh were as kind to slaves as Jasmine and from his words this stallion thought she was a runaway slave and that he would be 'forced to take action' if she was one such runaway. Dumb Chevalier found, target locked. The large mare shrunk within herself, assuming the stance of a scolded puppy. Her head dropped from high on her shoulder to below the level of the stallions own and hooves fidgeted beneath her massive form.
"N-no sir." Tess spoke meekly, her words shaking with feinted fear and worry. Her sides heaved, each breath she took into her lungs was long yet shallow sounding. "My master has- he's fallen and my mistress sent me to find help. P-please, we must go and help him. I didn't have time to check on his condition before she sent me to find help. I don't know if he's going to make it-" She forced her long body to shiver as if recalling the memory was horrible. Shaking her head Tess's wild blue eyes fell upon the chevalier and jerked between him and over her shoulder, back the way she had came, "There was so much blood- please we must hurry." Licking at her parched lips Tess was beginning to feel the familiar ache of physical exertion, she would enjoy few large glasses of water once she returned home and probably wouldn't feel like training today let alone have the time. After all this was said and done she'd take Jasmine up on that offer of a drink, she'd be able to properly enjoy it once she knew that they were safe of accusations.
......
Word Count: 511
Post #9 |
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Post by promsong on Mar 31, 2018 20:56:48 GMT -6
Jasmine
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel,
Living in the garden of evil.
God's dead, I said 'baby that's alright with me'.
post 10 | 515 words
total wc after this post: 12,082
The Chevalier narrowed his eyes with scepticism, unsure what to make of the slave. Were they telling the truth? It was his duty to find out. Besides, if there was truth in what they spoke of, this master needed his assistance. He appreciated the way the slave showed respect to him and he nodded back. "We must hurry then, where is this house? Lead the way!" he said as he began to march forward in the direction that they had come from. He had very little medical experience but believed himself to be capable to deal with such a situation. As they made their way back to the house, he looked over at the slave. "How had he fallen?" he questioned. He might as well press for details before he arrived at the scene of the accident. He might have been officially off duty, but a Chevalier never was actually on break! At least he thought so. Most just thought he was crazy.
Jasmine laid there in the blood, frustrated and angry. Her mind was running over all of the possibilities of what was going to happen after this was over. She assumed that Tess and her's relationship would be different and that they would probably be a lot closer than before. Rowan was finally out of the picture and they no longer had to pretend to be other people in the house. Maybe she could even move Tess into a bigger room now that Rowan wasn't there to get jealous. He had claimed several times that Jasmine took more interest in their slave than in her own husband. She was surprised that he was that smart.
She rested her head on his neck out of boredom. She trusted that Tess was doing her best and getting here as quick as she possibly could, but it was still uncomfortable to be laying next to, and now on top of, a dead body. This was the closest she had gotten to him in months.
It disgusted her to have to pretend to mourn his death and despite this, she wouldn't let that small fact get in the way of her inheriting his wealth. No, she had gone too far and tried way too hard to give up now. If she was going to marry someone she didn't love, she would pretend to love them until death does them part. And after that, apparently.
"Remember that night when I made you have 5 drinks and then asked you to sign something for me? You signed away your entire estate and fortune to me," she whispered to him quietly, her eyes staring directly into his blank ones. "I never liked your family. Not like they were particularly fond of me, anyway," she continued. "And now, because they never liked me, this whole house and every single thing in it belongs to me and only me. I also don't have to do any more of your stupid work dinners or ridiculous 'get-togethers' with your business partners who are also coincidentally pretending to get along with you."
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Post by promsong on Jul 4, 2018 19:20:53 GMT -6
A Conclusion
All those special times I spent with you, my love
They don't mean shit compared to all your drugs
But I don't really mind, I've got my drugs and that
Like my memories, I don't need that post 11 | 625 words
*note: jasmine's feelings towards her husband have slightly shifted since the writing of this original rp. this conclusion serves to wrap up the thread but to also clarify how this event went down according to her updated history.*
As Jasmine laid there in her husband's blood, the Chevalier and Tess couldn't arrive sooner. It felt that time had been frozen and every minute she was on the floor with him, everything else had completely stopped elsewhere. It felt too surreal and when the two of them could be heard walking up the steps, her ears instinctively perked.
"Lead me to the person who needs help," the Chevalier said, his voice loud and obnoxious. Tess mumbled a reply, something that Jasmine could not hear from behind the body.
The large doors creaked open, already slightly parted from the time that Tess had left to find someone. "Bloody hell!" the Chevalier screamed as he witnessed Jasmine and her husband. Her eyes slowly trailed up his hooves, his legs, and then to his face.
"I-I-I found him like this, this, this, morning. I woke up and he wasn't with me in bed so when I went to go and see if he was in the living room he was at the bottom of the stairs! I think he hit his head but, oh I'm not a doctor." Jasmine's words started off stumbling, yet as she went on, she was pouring out the story of what had happened at 100 miles a minute. There was enough reason for the Chevalier not to believe her.
"He won't wake up, I tried to wake him up, I tried!" she screamed, helplessly looking up at the Chevalier. His slightly disgusted expression went soft and she could see the pity beginning to set in. His mouth went tense, his eyes gentle as he stared down at the bloodied woman. It was working.
"Wake up Rowan, please, my love," she cried. Jasmine shook him with her teke, pressing her forehead into his neck as they rocked back and forth. "Please....," she paused, letting out a choked cry, "Ignacio, bring my husband back." Her words got quieter as she continued to sob into the dead body's flesh.
"Lady, I think we should get you up and call for more help. This needs to be investigated thoroughly," the Chevalier said, his voice sympathetic and hesitant since she was in such apparent distress.
"I'm not leaving him until they come to take him away!" Jasmine shouted, now placing her neck over his in a protective manner. The wound was wet, still fresh, and she could feel it against her own skin. It was disgusting and it began to make her nauseous. Holding back the urge to throw up last night's dinner, she focused on the task at hand. She had one job right now, and it was to convince this man and any others to come that she loved and cherished her piece of shit husband. She needed to be the grieving, distraught, widow.
It had taken 30 minutes for backup to arrive and it took another 10 minutes to pry Jasmine away from Rowan's now cold body. She screamed, she cried, and she even threw up at one point. All this emotion had to have come from somewhere, and it did, but not from the fall her husband took. Five years of feeling imprisoned, five years of lying awake in bed when he laid next to her, and five years of drinking her evenings away. Marrying for money was supposed to be easy, yet Jasmine had experienced something so wildly different that she could still not comprehend how someone could feel so helpless when surrounded by so much wealth.
The Chevaliers declared the death an accident in the following weeks, despite Rowan's family causing one hell of a kerfuffle at his funeral about how Jasmine had murdered him. Months later, everything still sort of feels like a fever dream, but less like a nightmare. |
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