[right][i]Audiolog. Castalia Family History. The Life of Lucania Castalia Pt. 2[/i][/right] (A woman speaks, she has a soothing, smokey voice, with a slightly foreign sound to it) [i]"Ahh... and she finds herself making another one of these recordings... Why? Was the first not enough of the history of my being?"[/i] [i]"Hmmmm. I don't know. I couldn't sleep; not a nightmare-- I couldn't get that far. No, I was recalling this awful memory... and... as I lay in my bed, I thought it would make a good tale for someone in the future, trying to understand who, exactly, I was better."[/i] [i]"So, I suppose you could say I'll be making more of these as the memories come, for my own ego's sake."[/i] (She stifles a yawn) [i]"I've read my share of books about psychology, and it seems to be a common theme that simply talking about one's own troubling memories is a major step towards solving the trauma associated with them. I suppose you could call this memory 'repressed' then, as in, I have tried for a good amount of my adult life to avoid thinking about it. But tonight, perhaps so I can sate my own egotistical desire to talk about myself, the memory won't go away."[/i] [i]"This audiolog is the story of my first love."[/i] [center]~~~[/center] "[b]Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!![/b]" The shrill, girlish scream filled the narrow hallways of the hotel, Lucania could feel the vibrations from the shriek as it bounced erratically around her. Her sister certainly had the Family talent for reaching high notes-- but possessed none of the vocal control the sickness had given to Lucania. Had the scream come from any other floor, from any other door, guests would have been disturbed-- or perhaps concerned-- by the piercing howl. However on the 18th floor of the Castalia Hotel, cries such as these were quite a common thing to come from behind door 1818. As it turned out, Lucina Castalia-- Lucy, the Bastard of the Castalia Family, was a noisy girl. Lucania leaned against the wall next to the door, she listened to her sister stomp about her suite, no doubt throwing clothes around, looking for 'the perfect outfit.' As she crossed her arms, her eyes lit into an amused amber color, "What? No pearls?" "No! All my pearl necklaces are gone!! I need them they all go so well with the silver leggings! [b][i]AHHHHHHHHHHH[/i] WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME!?[/b]" Lucania gave a gentle laugh in response. "It's [b]NOT[/b] funny!!" An obviously frustrated Lucy replied, "I don't want to have to wear the gold! I'll need to change my... [b]UGH... MY EVERYTHING!![/b] Who would do this-- Was it the maid, did the maid take my pearls?" Lucania gave a shrug she knew Lucy couldn't see, "I would." "[b]Ugh![/b] Keep laughing bitch, we'll see how much help I am when you need me to help you find something..." "I'm absolutely trembling with fear..." Lucania's gaze made it's way down the hallway, there was a window at it's end, she looked at the position of the rising morning sun, "You know Lucy, I would like to get there at some point today. Are you sure you aren't already wearing the pearls?" The movement from inside the suite stopped. Silence followed. "Oh." A moment later, Lucy opened the door, as if exposing herself to the world in some majestic act. Lucania had to admit, her sister wasn't much of an organized criminal, but she did know her fashion. Lucy posed, as if allowing Lucania to assess the hard work that went into what she was wearing. Although she was 10 years her junior, Lucy stood nearly half a foot taller than Lucania, giving Lucy an elegant, slender figure. White and Silver seemed to be the colors of the day, and black, but according to Lucy, black went well with everything. The silver leggings were flawless, they melded with the shapely legs of her sister so well it almost seemed as though she may have just painted her legs a chrome color. Recovered and restored from the Old World, of course, not even Motum Diversum's best could produce stitches that flawless. She wore white heels so sharp that they could be considered hold-out weapons and a black tank top that was covered by a glistening silver blazer, one the same shade as the leggings. Pearls were wrapped around Lucy's wrists and neck, they sparkled a light contrast to the dark gleam of the silver. It was as if she was going to some meeting for Dust's fashion elite, and not just accompanying Lucania to Russel City. With a sneeze, Lucy broke her pose and the pair began to make their way down the hallway. "I know, fabulous, right?" Lucy pulled out an elegant silver cigarette holder as the pair walked, Lucania responded in kind by pulling out her lighter and holding a flame to the cigarette on the end. Lucania fell into step with her sister as she put her lighter back in her purse, "You are aware we're going to the famous Russel City slums, right?" Lucy scoffed. "I just feel as though I should tell you now, while you can still change," As they reached the elevator door, Lucania turned toward her sister, the pair maintained a familiar eye contact. Lucy cracked a smirk, "Look bitch, you know there isn't enough time in the day for me to change now. Let's hit the road." For a moment, Lucania shared in the smile, her eyes became a happy shade of gold. As she moved her hand to call for the elevator, however, they shifted into her more natural, serious brown tone. "Good. We have a ways to go and we need to make a few stops along the way, we don't need to be terribly early, but it's always nice to make a grand opening [i]before[/i] the grand opening" The rustic chime signified the elevator's arrival. [center]~~~[/center] [right][i]Audiolog. Castalia Family History. The Life of Lucania Castalia Pt. 2[/i][/right] [i]"In my life, one of the things I was never confused about was my sexuality. For as far back as I can remember, I've always identified with the heroes of the stories I would read, the brave knights and princes who would slay some great evil and be rewarded with some attractive princess in the end-- I didn't identify with them character wise, no, in that regard, I've always sided with villains-- I think, mostly, I found myself wanting a wealthy happy ending with a princess."[/i] [i]"Obviously I hoped that when I found my princess, she would have more character than the ones typically portrayed in Old Earth fairy tales."[/i] (She laughs) [i]"I think mother always knew, she never had a problem with my tendencies. Although to be fair, the sexual behaviors a 10 year old displays are very different from the ones a 16 year old displays. To father, my preference was a surprise, and while to his credit, today he accepts who I am, admittedly he's slightly annoyed at the prospect of the next Castalia being adopted, but he accepts me."[/i] [i]"When he found out over a decade ago, he though my preference was the result of some chemical imbalance caused by The Sickness."[/i] (She laughs again) [i]"I still think it a tad ironic that father was the one who introduced me to her."[/i] [center]~~~[/center] The armored limo they drove in ran quietly, so silent that the backseat, completely isolated from the front, seemed as if it possessed the stillness of another world. One could get lost in thought when confronted with the isolation it presented, or even simply just watch as the silent expanse of Dust raced across your vision. Lucania had often done this when she was a child, on trips out to the desert and neighboring cities she would just look out of the tinted window and think. As a woman she had less time to do this, often because she was re-reading some piece of intelligence or looking over some numbers or discussing a matter of business with her father... She had missed this sensation, the feeling of being driven somewhere and just being able to... watch time pass. "[b]Ugh!![/b]" Lucy's girlish voice brought Lucania's attention from the passing desert horizon, "How much longer?" "Well, we been drivin' for 'bout two hours..." A voice from the front of the limo replied, Lucania immediately recognized it as that of Diane Rizzuto. Diane was a long time associate of Lucania's, technically her guard, but only technically. Diane's real gifts lied in her ability to drive and her gift of gab. She was a reliable confidante, but she wasn't a guard, she could be trusted to protect a life about as well as a Forsaken could be trusted to bathe. "... So how long's that leave us Carmela? 'Bout a week?" "Four hours." A low voice grunted. Carmela Shelby, Diane's opposite in all but employer, was a silent and skilled guard. She had already taken several bullets for Lucania and had all the political cunning of a person from Dead End. Fitting, since that was where she claimed to be from. She didn't speak much, which fit Lucania's purposes for her just fine. "Shot me down quicker than usual today, Carmela!" Diane gave a annoying laugh, "I catch you on a red day, huh?" "Shut up, Diane." Lucy piped in, "I appreciate it Carmela." Lucy's gaze landed upon Lucania's own empty stare toward the horizon, "So sis, I been meaning to ask-- what is it that we're stopping in Laguna for anyways?" Lucania's brown eyes flickered into a sadistic orange shade, her trademarked smirk forming on her face, she looked her sister right in the eye, "I plan on cutting off a man's penis later today, so i figured we should get prayer out of the way before then." If there was a level of sound below absolute silence, the limo achieved it. From the front seat came an audible gulp from Diane, even Carmela's eyes went wide. In the back, Lucy held an expression of horror in contrast to Lucania's sanguine smirk. After a moment, Lucy's horror softened and she hit Lucania on the shoulder, "You bitch! You're such a fucking tease!" [center]~~~[/center] [right][i]Audiolog. Castalia Family History. The Life of Lucania Castalia Pt. 2[/i][/right] [i]"Her name was Salem."[/i] [i]"I know. What an odd name, right? Odd though it may be, I thought it was beautiful-- I still do, beautiful in an odd way, just like her."[/i] (She sighs) [i]"Please don't get the wrong impression, when we became acquainted Salem and I were barely 18, and the relationship didn't even last a year. I'm not still pining after the affections of a love long lost, quite the opposite, in fact. I just think it's important to recall the emotions associated with a particular memory when we relive the past. Blame my father."[/i] [i]"As I said before, it was my father who introduced us. She was the daughter of a Guardian some cretino had killed without orders. When something like this happens, The Family puts together funds to ease the suffer of any widows and find work for any children. It doesn't always work out smoothly, but it's nice when it does. This was one of those instances."[/i] [i]"Well, as it turned out, we needed a bookmaker, and Salem was willing, but she needed to learn."[/i] [i]"Who do you think father dearest chose to mentor her?"[/i] (She laughs) [i]"Honestly, I don't think we even lasted a week before we found ourselves raiding utility closets whenever we could, looking to steal kisses from each other."[/i] (She sighs again, taking a longer pause, as if reflecting on the past) [i]"She was beautiful. She had this short blonde hair that was almost white in the sun, she didn't like that about her, I recall multiple instances of her trying to hide it all with a hat she was rather fond of, that didn't matter though, she was beautiful without it. Her skin was soft and dark and freckled... she might have had some Aqueon ancestry now that I think about it... Oh, how I wish I could have asked her."[/i] [i]"Ah well..."[/i] [i]"Her real beauty was how she interacted with the world. This was a time when attitudes toward Immortals, people like me, in Serenity was almost as bad as Russel City today and despite that... when I revealed my nature to her... we hadn't even known each other for 2 months at that point, but..."[/i] [i]"...She said she loved me."[/i] (She sniffles) [i]"Did... you know... that one of the changes to my body, after my Sickness, was that my tears taste like honey?"[/i] [i]"I'll tell you this, that had nothing to do with how sweet the tears I cried with her that night were."[/i] [center]~~~[/center] "Ya know boss, I feel like we never talk anymore." Diane's voice stirred Lucania out of her nap, apparently she was wrong about not being able to get back to sleep, apparently all it took was a monotonous landscape and a ride in one of Dust's most expensive luxury vehicle to lull the workaholic into an unconsciousness. She hadn't had the dream, and she couldn't see Russel City's skyline in the distance, so they couldn't be more than 20 minutes out from Laguna. Lucania shook her head to further wake herself before responding to Diane with a strategic, "I'm sorry?" Diane responded immediately, "Ya know boss! Pow wow! Go over plans, shoot the shit! I know Pablo--" "Paolo." Lucania corrected. Lucy had fallen asleep as well, and apparently seen fit to use her lap as a pillow, Lucania stroked her younger sister's hair softly, shifting her voice as to avoid waking her. "--Right, Paolo, Pablo, Paco. S'not like it matters, right?" Lucania sighed, her gaze looked out of the dark windows onto the yellow countryside of Dust, her eyes shifted a conflicted hazel, "It matters." She looked back down at Lucy's sleeping head sadly, "He's family. We have to respect family." "Pffft," Diane blew a raspberry, "Says who? The guy's a dick for sending you in blind so often lately. What's it matter that he's family?--" Lucania's eyes lit a fiery red, she met with Diane's in the driver's mirror, "300 years of Tradition, Diane." "R-right," Diane's eyes shot back to the road, "Right. I know those eyes, got it, changing subject..." As Diane thought, Lucania calmed her demeanor and spoke up, "No brave bandits try to rob the limo today?" Diane gave a dry chuckle, "We passed a burning car a few miles from Laguna... Oh! A few minutes ago, there was this group on 'cycles, Carmela was itching for a fight, but they avoided us like the plague, they were bruised up, too." She chuckled, "Someone put the fear 'a God in those men..." "Rightfully so, I'd wager." Diane feigned a hurt expression, "Miss Castalia! Ya mean to tell me you don't believe in the good intentions of the average Dust highwayman!?" Lucania couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she lit one of her cigarettes, "No Miss Rizzuto, I'm afraid not..." "Oh, Miss Castalia! How scandalous..." Diane paused as she thought, "Hey boss, you hear about Harlem?" "Hmmm? No, what's going on in Harlem? A Renaissance?" "A wha...? Nah! Baseball!" "Based-what?" "Baseball, ya know? Like the game?" Lucania tilted her head, "I've never heard of it." "Wha...!? You ain't never heard of baseball? I thought you were like an expert on Old World stuff!" "I never studied much in the way of sportsology, I'm afraid." "Well, where I'm from, in Parkland, the flat sandy lots made it perfect... We played all the time, now I hear they're startin' up a league in Harlem, I'm getting all... Um..." "Nostalgic?" "Naw, I ain't gotta fart. I just feel homesick, ya know?" "Mmmm..." Lucania gave a small smile to Diane in the rear view mirror, "Perhaps I'll mention it in the next Family meeting? We're always looking for more opportunities to expand our legal gambling--" "Ya mean it!? Maybe I can get in and fix a game or two for y'all!" "I'm sorry? You don't play to win..?" "Naw, I'm awful. They called me Dizzy foot Diane whenever I went to play. I just think it's fun is all." Lucania giggled, "We should get you horse racing..." Diane's brow furrowed, "Whut?" Lucania raised her voice slightly, "Horse racing." "What's a horse?" Lucania stifled a laugh. She wasn't even sure that there were any horses in Dust, "They're like these..." Her eyes shifted between brown and hazel in confusion, "...Cars. But instead of gas, they run on carrots and apples." "Whoa! Are they some Gaen invention or somethin'?" [i]That was a good question.[/i] Lucania's hazel eyes became darker in thought, "Not quite... I've been to Aspin numerous times, I've never seen one. I believe they were creatures from the Old World." "How is Aspin, boss? I never been." "Egalitarian." Lucania responded without thinking, "But it's clean, and the nights are quiet... Very boring compared to Serenity." "Well, I'd still like to see it one da--" "I see horses in my dreams." Lucania interrupted, "They're these beautiful muscle beasts... I learned about them from my books, but I've only ever seen them in my dreams. I think they represent something poetically dark, like the end of all life... When I hear them, and I see their colors so vividly, I feel almost hypnotized..." Her irises became golden, "They're so... oddly beautiful." The limo fell into a deep silence. Diane sighed, her eyes looked into Lucania's through the rear view mirror, "Boss-- We really need to get you laid." A moment passed, and the pair erupted into laughter. [i]You aren't wrong, Diane.[/i] Lucy shifted in and groaned in Lucania's lap as the laughter died down. Diane cleared her thought after a few seconds, "So boss..." Lucania smirked, "I'm flattered, but you aren't my type, Diane." The Driver's checks flushed a pale red, "W-what! I wasn't talkin' about that!" Lucania tilted her head, "Oh?" "Yeah... I was just..." Diane's eyes went back to the road, "I was just wondering what happened back in Laguna, in the church." Lucania's eyes became a more serious brown, "I went to confess to a priest, Diane." "I-I know that's what you said, but..." Diane sighed, "Boss, I've known you for a long time. I like to think I know you well enough to gauge what you're feeling... And when you came out of that church... Y-you were cryin'..." With a sigh, Lucania leaned back in the leather seat, "You're right. I was." "Can I ask why, boss?" Lucania unclasped her purse and pulled out a fresh manilla folder, as she looked it over, her irises became a mirthful tan, "Relax, Diane. They were sweet tears of joy." "Really? What happened?" Lucania cracked her signature smirk as she met eyes with her driver, "I had a religious experience." [center]~~~[/center] [right][i]Audiolog. Castalia Family History. The Life of Lucania Castalia Pt. 2[/i][/right] [i]"What followed was one of the best years of my life-- Although I suppose that's really only what I felt at the time, isn't it?"[/i] [i]"Actually... I think it was only about 8 months. I guess the exact time I spent with her doesn't really matter, does it? She's gone. But the love we shared exists in a place where there's no space or time. I love her, and I know she wants me to be happy."[/i] (You hear her move away from the microphone, her voice was breaking) [i]"In a word, the time I spent with her was; dreamy."[/i] [i]"We had so many dreams. We would get married! We would have children, adopted orphans, of course, and eventually grandchildren! We planned on spreading her father's ashes all over Dust and... Oh! We were going to be Mrs. Castalia, I'd be her Don, and she would be my doll... I'd retire early, and we could move to Aspin! She adored Aspin. I think, in another life, she was a mathematician, her skill as a bookkeeper supports my thinking. It would be safe and quiet in Aspin-- She wanted so bad to see it."[/i] [i]"I had already been several times by that point... I promised her that I'd take a weekend off and just go there..."[/i] [i]"I'm sorry, Salem..."[/i] (You can hear light weeping, for several minutes following this, there is silence) [i]"I... apologize for losing my composure. I suppose I've underestimated the therapeutic value recording these audiologs might have!"[/i] (She giggles) [i]"I..."[/i] [i]"Before I move on to her passing, I'd like to discuss about why I loved Salem. I think that it is... important. Perhaps just as much for progeny as my own mental health."[/i] [i]"She was accepting and open, when she thought of something, she put her all into it-- and when she felt something, everyone knew it. She wasn't just aware of her flaws, she wore them like badges of honor. She wasn't original, and she didn't try to be, she was a truly authentic soul, and I loved that about her. This beautiful gestalt, abstract mosaic of a woman..."[/i] [i]"And the sex..."[/i] [i]"How would Lucina put it?"[/i] (Her voice becomes more girlish and high pitched) [i]"Well, it was off the charts!"[/i] (Her voice returns to normal) [i]"Is it odd that, in many ways, she reminds me of my mother?"[/i] [i]"Perhaps I have some kind of reverse Oedipus complex?"[/i] [i]"More than just their shared slender physique, too. They had similar senses of humor, they were both kind and adventurous in the same way-- they even possessed the same taste in music!"[/i] [i]"Salem loved hearing me sing, like mother, and her favorite song of mine, by far, just like mother, was [color=Blue]Blue Velvet[/color]."[/i] [center]~~~[/center] "Where are you going, sis?" Lucy stirred as Lucania moved to exit the car, from the open door, a younger, bearded version of their father poked his head into car through the open door, he spoke in a rough voice gained through years of exposure to smoke and whiskey. "How's it goin', kiddo?" "Uncle Leo?" Lucy sat up, "We're in Russel City already?" "Pfffft, already she says!" Diane yelled from the driver seat of the car, "We've been driving in circles around here for the better part of an hour!" Lucania forced a dry laugh as she walked over to Diane's side of the limo, "Is someone not used to maneuvering the slums? It'd be unfortunate if I needed to hire a new driver." "N-no boss!" Diane adjusted her hat, "Just new streets is all, it'll be easier once I get out of this 'Mug me' sign with wheels and into an actual ride, I swear!" Lucania was smiling, but her eyes were serious, "I should hope so." Lucania sighed, "You know what I need you to do, correct?" "A' course, boss!" Diane smiled an innocent strained smile, "...But maybe repeat it again? Just for clarity." Another sigh, Lucania gripped the bridge of her nose before speaking, "Take this car to the parking garage. Not difficult. Get another one, one you can maneuver these streets in--" This was Diane's are of expertise, she adopted a serious demeanor, "Slum streets are a hard sell, boss-- It's a miracle the Castalia-mobile made it this far. Cars are a no-go, now something like a 'cycle could work..." "One that can hold all three of us?" "If y'all are okay with squeezing in real close...?" "Yes. That will work, as long as you're positive you can get us away from the Guardians." "Oh yeah, I'll have y'all out a' there in a flash! I'll steal a 'cycle from the rich part of the city and swoop in to save ya all hero-like..." Sticking her head into the front part of the car and looking at Lucania through the rolled down glass, Lucy asked, "Wait... What do you need a getaway driver for...?" Leo spoke up, putting his arm around Lucania's shoulder, "Just some security, for the uhh..." He snapped his finger in thought, "A little 'promotional event' for the grand opening of the club, you know, just something to let everyone know the Castalias have finally arrived." Lucy narrowed her eyes, but before she could object, Lucania reached into the car placing a warm hand on her check, "Relax, Lucy, I've been planning this for quite a while. It's just a small thing that needs to be done, everything will be fine." Lucy's gaze softened, "Just... be careful, okay?" Lucania moved in to kiss her sister's check, "Of course." As the limo got ready to drive off, Lucania gave a light nod to Carmela in the passenger seat. A nod that in this instance, was discussed beforehand to mean one thing. [i]'When you get to the club, take care of Lucy as if she were me, don't let her leave until I get back.'[/i] The black limo drove off, leaving behind a cloud of light exhaust. Lucania and Leoluca stood alone, surrounded by tall, ramshackle buildings made of sheet metal and scavenged wood. Nothing was new here. In Russel City, the slums were made of the detritus of all of Dust. Those broken, cast aside, tired and poor came here to die and the opportunistic came to try to consume the unwanted. The Winged Guardian's avoided the area like the plague and those that did dare enter were already corrupted by greed and hatred of those beneath them, those they were to protect. Certainly, there was a goodness here, but only barely. The positivity fed into the great darkness that existed in the slums-- one could barely see the sun from it's streets for a reason. The slums lived forever by consuming itself. It's narrow alleys are chock full of dark forces and vicious secrets. Only hopeless prayers dared enter this frightful maw. Those in power here care not for good deeds or priestly invocations, they're as likely to rape and kill you as greet you with a happy "good day." Lucania took in a loud, deep breath of the sour air, "Ahhh! You just can't get that in Aspin!" Gravel and glass crunched under Leo's feet as he began to walk, "Didn't know you were such a fan of the RC ghetto, kiddo." "Mmmm..." She fell into step at Leo's side as the pair began making their way down a dark side street, "Leo, I'm a fan of any place that gives me an unfiltered look at human nature-- and then lets me exploit it however I want." Leo grunted as the pair turned another corner. Even in the lack of light, Leo seemed worn down. His hair was unkempt, he hadn't shaved, his suit was missing a tie and jacket, he was even starting to smell like... the absolute loss that permeated the atmosphere here. Lucania tilted her head, "Leo, how are you holding up? You seem like you might be going a little native." The man gave a long, tired sigh, "It's just been a hard couple of months, Lucia." She placed a hand on his shoulder, the pair stopped walking for a moment, "You know you're the only one I could trust to help me with this, right?" He placed a hand on top of her's, "I know, kiddo." Their eye contact lingered, Leo knew his purpose and Lucania knew he knew, they didn't need to dwell on it. As they continued walking, Lucania fished two cigarettes out of her purse, handing one to Leo, she lit them both. "Who else..." Lucania began, blowing a plume of cigarette smoke into air already irrevocably polluted, "Can make deals with Guardians like my amazing uncle Leo? Or move product like Leo? All under the radar? I don't think anyone could, to be completely honest..." He gave a tired smile, "Damn right." "How much do you plan on drinking tonight, Leo?" "Enough to forget the last--" He paused. Three men approached, all appeared to be in varying states of decay, one was unarmed, an almost certainly stolen 9mm gun held by a belt, one had grossly misused kitchen knife, and another, the apparent leader, had wood fashioned into a makeshift bat, nails hammered into the ends. From behind, two more approached, one with patchwork shotgun that didn't appear like it could survive being fired another time, and his companion, unarmed, appeared to be tweaking out. The leader, the man with the bat, spoke with a sneer, "Did the lucky couple get lost on the way to the gala?" His friends snickered, he continued, "You know the deal, drop it all, girl stays with us, you live." Lucania, as this was happening, tried to maintain a serious demeanor, but couldn't help let a giggle slip. All eyes were on her. The shotgun was pointed at her back, the leader brandished his bat, he addressed Leo, "Your bitch have a death wish or something?" She took a small step toward the leader, "Nooo..." [i]Another step forward.[/i] "On the contrary," [i]Step.[/i] "I've actually been craving attention from [i]real[/i] men..." [i]Another step.[/i] She gave Leo the same look a disappointed lover gives, "There are some things money just doesn't replace..." Her hand lingered above the leader's crotch. He dropped his bat, giving a slight laugh, "You think you can take me and my boys?" He gripped Lucania's rump, pulling her in closer. Lucania's eyes stayed a neutral brown as she ran her fingers across the man's check, she leaned in to whisper in the man's ear, "All at once." She flicked her wrist, raking her sleeve across the man's face. Where he once had two eyes, there was now only one. Bedlam broke out. The man fell to the ground gripping his bloody, useless eye. Lucania ducked as his companions attack, first the man with the knife, stabbing at the air above Lucania's head, then the other man with his 9, he tried to draw it-- Leo didn't give him a chance, shooting the man twice with his own piece at point blank range. Leo turned to the man with the shotgun, delivering two more shots to the junkie's center of mass before he could completely process what was going on. Behind Leo, Lucania had already slashed the knife user's throat. As the leader continued to scream in pain, the last unarmed junkie, without any other options tried running away. He didn't get 5 feet before Leo fired. Lucania looked at Leo, a smirk on her face, "You've been keeping the good captain tied up here?" Leo shrugged, "Relax Lucia, it's a secure location a few blocks from here, no one's getting to him before you." "Hmmm..." She breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, then, lets go get him!" "What about him?" Leo pointed to the man on the ground. "Hmmm? Oh..." Lucania's gaze fell coolly on the man whimpering on the ground, griping at his bloody eye hole. She squatted by the man, "We can allow him to live," Grabbing the man's hair, she brought his face to her own level, she looked into the man's eye, "Very rarely in life do we receive second chances. Today is yours, I want you to tell any glass shard neighborhood gang you meet that the slums are officially under new management..." She dropped the man's head back into the alley muck, "By order of the Castalia Family." [center]~~~[/center] [right][i]Audiolog. Castalia Family History. The Life of Lucania Castalia Pt. 2[/i][/right] [i]"..."[/i] [i]"I remember the exact date; March 2nd, 2373. I found her, in my old suite, at 11:38 that night. I remember it being warm, almost unbearably so. I didn't need to alert father, or the Winged Guardians, my yell was so loud, I know everyone in Serenity knew."[/i] [i]"Someone had raped and killed her."[/i] [i]"The events leading up to it don't matter. I've gone over them more times than I care to mention, and it was, literally, an average evening up to a single point. There was a Family meeting I needed to attend, so I let Salem go to my room herself."[/i] [i]"That's the point-- the single point I wish I could undo that evening."[/i] [i]"That is the point where nothing else matters. This wasn't a gang killing, but it wasn't a random act of violence either. It was a crime directed at me, who ever the man was, he was waiting in my room, waiting for me."[/i] [i]"Instead, however, he got Salem."[/i] (She is quiet for several minutes) [i]"I've been angry for a long time. I won't pretend that I'm not anymore, I am. Whoever it was, managed to get away with it for this long, and is still out there, and... this has only increased my rage. But it has also driven me. He forced my hand, for years I've chased him, I feel something more base than the void child of apathy and raw hatred towards him, but in a way he's molded me into the person I am today."[/i] [i]"It wasn't enough to steal one life."[/i] [i]"That's alright, though. I haven't let it consume me, I haven't completely moved on, yes, but I have continued living, and soon I will be able to move on."[/i] [i]"I now know who he is."[/i] [i]"Russel City, where we soon plan to make our presence know, harbors a an animal disguised as a man. Fitting, that he should be a captain of the Winged Guardian pigs."[/i] [i]This may sound rather cliche, but I think I crave the release revenge may finally provide me. To him, at least, I will be his ultimate undoing."[/i] [i]"I am become death."[/i] (She yawns, then laughs) [i]"I suppose that's enough for tonight, isn't it?"[/i] [center]~~~[/center] A graying old man, at least 65 years old, hung, naked and upside-down, from a warped streetlight in the Russel City slums. The rope was tied sturdily, if tightly, around his ankles, and aside from from some bruising and the blood rapidly rushing to his head, the man was unharmed. On the street in front of him laid the armor of a Winged Guardian captain. To his left, a man named Leo kept an eye out for the man's comrades. To his right, a woman named Lucania read off the man's offenses from a manila folder, copies of which had been sent to all of his superiors in Russel City. In front of the man, a crowd was gathering. "30 years, Russel City!" Lucania roared, she had a broken smile and her eyes were skewed, one was a bright happy yellow, another was a dark crimson. She spread her arms as if she was presenting some miracle tonic, "30 year Captain Adam Worth of the Winged Guardians has operated, with impunity, and assaulted the women of Dust-- our women! Your daughters, sisters..." Lucania's vision darkened as her irises became black, "Our lovers." "Y-you're insane!" Adam spat, "They were--" "Immortals?" Lucania tilted her head as she cut in, "Sickos? Mutie scum?" She opened the folder again, "Alice Thomas was 9 years old, Adam." "They'll string you up for this--" "Who, Adam? The Guardians? Oh-- They'll come, I expect them to, I sent all of your higher ups copies of your exploits in advance-- they'll come. I do doubt that it'll be to save you, though. They'll probably just want to watch." A sizable crowd had begun to gather, people began chanting for his death. "Watch what?" She leaned in close tot he man's reddening face, "To watch you beg an Immortal girl to put you down like the animal you are." The crowd cheered. "Your citizens want it! You live to serve, don't you!?" She slashed her razorblades at his eye, the man's screams were drowned out by those of the crowd. Her voice was loud, but eerily calm as she proceeded, "You took her from me." She slashed across his chest, "150 girls." she cut off an ear, "150 [i]innocent[/i] girls." a slash to the jaw, "And my Salem, on top of them all." She slashed at his groin. Adam's wails grew more pained with each cut, but Lucania continued, with the support the ever increasing crowd, until the man was little more than a loosely held pile of pulpy flesh and blood. That didn't matter though. He was living. He could still feel pain-- he could still feel her rage. Lucania had become the man's death, but she didn't intend on giving it to him so soon. Her composure was breaking-- It had been broken, but as she slashed at the man she was on the verge of tears, she practically bathed in his blood and gave the crowd a show in the form of her shrieking curses in Italian as she flayed the rapist alive. This continued for some time. Lucania knelt to look the man in his one functioning eye, "Adam, do you know what happens next?" Of course he couldn't respond. Lucania knew that, she had already cut out his tongue. In response, he tried, unsuccessfully, to spit blood on her face. She didn't bat an eye. She gasped like a mother hearing a child's first words, "That's right, Adam!" Lucania pulled a pair of shears out from her purse, her false smile died, "I'm going to cut off your cock and balls-- then I'm going to cut you down, and let the crowd have it's way with you." As she moved to make the cut, Lucania thought, oddly, of Jesus Christ. He taught that one should turn the other check, that down the path of revenge only lied sadness. For Lucania, in that moment, that feeling of a weight bearing down on her finally being lifted. It felt better than good it felt like a... catharsis. The adrenaline continued to pump through her body as she felt an array of emotions associated with vengful closure. In that moment, revenge solved everything. Her voice cracked with the flow of the moment, she addressed the crowd, "This!" She raised the bloody phallus, "Is what happens to those who wrong you! Who wrong us!" Tears streamed down her checks, "Not just the Winged Guardians, I will personally bring death to any [i]figlio di troia[/i] who crosses the Castalia Family!" Leo sighed, tossing his cigarette on the ground he placed a free hand on Lucania's shoulder, "It's time to go, kiddo." "[i]No![/i]" Her voice boomed, she punched Adam's unconscious body, "I want this brutto figlio di puttana bastardo to feel the salt of every tear he has caused in his wounds!" Leo didn't give her a chance. Wordlessly, he hoisted the bloody heiress over his shoulder as she cried, beating fruitlessly at his back. "[b][i]Cazzo! Cazzo! Porco dio! Ti ammazzo! Che te pozzino ammazzÃÂ!! Dio cane! Sti cazzo porca miseria!!! [/i][/b]" As the pair left, the crowd fell upon the horribly mutilated Adam Worth. ~~~ [hider=A few hours ago, at a small church on the outskirts of Laguna...] A beautiful woman, with a single red rose in her hair, dressed in a black evening gown, sits in the confessional booth. She doesn't say anything, her expression is downcast and her eyes are blue, and for several minutes, the church remains still. A portly man dressed in a priestly robe enters the other side of the confessional. Despite his weight, his movements do not disturb those praying in the church, they are silent, practiced. Still, someone with a trained eye might notice the manilla folder he carries. As he sits, he can see the woman through a a golden screen, she smells vaguely of sunflowers. The pair don't speak, they're familiar with each other, familiar enough to gather all they need form a collective silence. They're both Christians; but the woman is not there to confess her sins, and the man is not a priest. The man clears his throat. He slides the folder, under the screen, to the woman, who begins to read through the pages of reports. The man, like a ghost, leaves the woman alone in the booth, again. She reads through the incriminating documents. They serve as definitive evidence for crimes committed by one man, Adam Worth, over the course of 30 years. The combined results of eight years of investigations. Tears fall on the pages of the manilla folder. The woman's eyes are amber.[/hider]