Ring around the Rosie.

[Craven Delights]

Posted: 29 Aug 2007 06:30 Post subject: Ring around the Rosie.

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_+The pretty poppet the only thing he gave attention too as he watched her move about though the streets. Just a small woman, with a small attitude. Just his type.+_ "Ring around the rosie...pocket full of posies...ashes...ashes...we all. Fall. Down."

_+And so the singer of songs followed the pretty one to the local tavern. To take her home.+_

[ After the deed ]

"What's your name, little girl" "Do you like pina colada's? And gettin caught in the rain." "Check yes or no" _+The hollow words roll from thin lips as an even thinner frame hauls its catch through empty streets to an even emptier dock at the pier.+_

_+More lyrics spreading from the lips of this warped soul as the unconcscious woman was taken aboard a one man sail boat sitting tethered at the docks.+_ "I want my baby back baby back baby back...Chillie's baby back ribs."

_+Prize thrown onto the bed, crimsons watched her only the briefest moment before the clothing removed with the bare flick of a wrist. Still the warped soul gazes upon that frame in silence not making a move+_ "Eatin good in the neighborhood."

_+A thin smile moving onto those pale thin lips resulting in a fanged grin. Gloved hands rising to spread milky thighs and gaze at a warmth his body could no longer feel. A kiss placed to the inside of each thigh before the warped one's head rears back and strikes; feeding on her lifeblood from the sweetest of places+_

[ Dawn-ish ]

"Good night sweetheart, well it's time to go. I hate to leave you, but I really must say. Good night sweet heart good night. Bodo dee oh do dee oh do" _+Jeans tugged on, those crimsons looking to the bare flesh of the one beside him, a touch of lifeblood upon thin, but now colored lips.+_

_+Never one to play with his food as so many others, Lyric lay with the female for a time. Just feeling her body against his own and remembering ages passed when such meant something.+_ "She rode a fast machine, she kept her motor clean. Was the best damn woman that I ever seen. Those sightless eyes, tellin me no lies. Knockin me out with those american thighs." "She shook me all. Night. Long."

_+Not a bother made to dress the female, Lyric sped through the city with easy to deliver the package to a doorstep of a house he saw several of her friends come and go from.+_ "Aint gonna miss a thing. Even when I close my eyes, the sweetest dream will never doo. I've already kissed you baybay, and they can't do a thang."

_+Improv words of the couples song, Lyric set a single posie beside the slumbering woman. Blanket thrown over naked frame the singer of songs disappared back into the world of night with only a single look back and one statement to make.+_ "Rena's taste like heaven."

[Rena A Cronin]

It started out as a normal day and night. After putting in a nine hour day at the school, Rena decided to cool off at the Inn, relaxing a bit before heading home. Thing were still kind of tense there but they were working on it. Once inside, she saw neither Val or Darren and decided to take a seat at a booth. Once there, a stretch of legs along the bench and her back braced against the wall, her eyes circled the room a bit before slowly closing and phasing out the noise that abounded in the somewhat crowd Inn. Then the voice penatrated her silence, the one from the night before who left the posey on the table. Eyes opened slowly as she spotted the percher. "You again, I see."

What she didn't see until too late was the .45 that was hidden from the crowd by the way he was positioned at the table. He held it away from her so she wouldn't be able to grab it(not that she stupid enough to do so anyway) but still with authority behind it. He waved her out the booth, extending his hand to help her then held her arm, gun thrust into her waist-talking about her date with destiny.

The others in the room were busy with their own conversations/situations to notice the pair walking towards the door. Once outside and before she could get the question out of where they were going, the butt of the gun met the back of her head, knocking her out. Stars flashed before her as she crumpled to the porch, groaning as she hit the porch. Last feeling she had was being picked up and thrown over his shoulder before blacking out completely.

[Koyliak]

When Daven Mallie ordered Koy to meet with this investor or that buyer outside of the office, Koy always insisted the location be one that included fabulous (and expensive if Daven was paying) food. Today had been no different with a champagne brunch at Sutton Place to discuss plans for distributing Millie & Mallie’s fall line of Heavenly Boutique clothing.

The meeting went well for Daven’s financial interests but poorly for Koy’s tailored silk blouse. Stained with sherry vinegar after she accidentally planted her elbow in the chilled gazpacho Koy was in need of a quick change before she returned to the shop. Her recent split from MoonBeryl had put her in a foul enough mood that the last thing she needed was to hear one of the old biddies chide her for her poor manners. She had to walk through Old Market on her way up to New Haven and stopping by the Den for a quick outfit change now would be better than murdering three geriatric women later.

If Koy were to die tomorrow she would leave behind her a legacy of wardrobes spread all throughout RhyDin. She kept clothing at the Outback, in the Iron Fists Garden, and at the Den – only in case of emergencies of course.

Her bruises from all the fights she managed to lose earlier that week were artfully concealed with makeup but she started to wonder if maybe her injuries were worse than she had realized as she closed in on the building. Was she seeing things? Rubbing at her eyes she walked with more trepidation as her mind worked out the image in front of her. There was a woman wrapped in a blanket passed out on the steps – was that Rena? Her vision must be blurred.

But it was Rena. Had it been PJ Koy might have laughed, thinking her beloved Presidente would wake up shortly with a wicked hangover and a wild story to share about the previous night’s antics. But it was Rena. Rena kept her head on her shoulders for all of their benefits at all times. Nothing about this fit, especially the oddly placed posie on her friend.

The Den was off the main street enough for passersby not to pay much attention to the shallow-breathing bundle on the steps. Forgetting her need to change Koy hurried over, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to do first.

“Beans? Wake up, Beans!” Nothing. Assess the damage - that would be important right? Crouching down, Koy’s breath caught in her throat as she started to peel back the blanket just enough so she could see how bad it was. Her imagination kicked in to offer up some more gruesome possibilities: missing chunks of flesh, visible bones and other gory delights.

She felt a little relief to find Rena wasn’t bleeding. She felt a little embarrassed too as she lifted the blanket higher, wanting to make sure.

It was when Rena shifted and let out a small groan that Koy saw what she had missed. Swelling, bruising and a little dried blood marred what could only be called a sensitive spot. Even the masochistic fashionista could not avoid an inward wince.

Someone had attacked her friend. Koy wanted to get her inside on the off chance the perpetrator came back. Her time spent flipping opponents in the rings came in handy as she managed to pull Rena up with some effort and carry her inside without hurting her further. She tried to make her as comfortable as possible on the overstuffed couch recently bought to start furnishing the Den.

Koy wished Charlie had been the one to find her. Charlie would be able to figure out exactly what had happened. She did that for a living. But Charlie's plate was overflowing with problems already. Koy also wished she had not laughed off her assistant Tula’s suggestion that she “get with the times” and get one of those cell phones the young girl was always playing with. She knew there were people who would want to be here. Koy considered running out to find whoever she could but she was too afraid to leave Rena alone.

So she sat and watched the unconscious Sage Bean Counter. She concentrated on every breath, every moan, moving only when she had to. The posie had fallen on the floor beside the couch, freed from the folds of the blanket once Koy brought Rena inside. Her gaze returned to the flower now and then, wishing she understood the meaning entrusted to its petals.

[Val Demure]

It had been a quiet day today, as he woke, Rena had not come home. He wasn't sure where she was, but at times, she would find refuge at the Den. It was a place where she and the other Daughters of Decadence would go when they needed a place to get away. As he got ready to go about his day he puzzled over why she had spent the night away.

A good breakfast and out the door for the days deliveries. A tiring but enjoyable job within the village of Rhydin. Delivering for various businesses, he got to meet a lot of the merchants as well, many of the different inhabitants and customers. Having finished up the day, he decided to make a stop at the Inn for one of those drinks. The one with the all hell and sexy label on it.

As many coined, a badsider, from the Badsider Brewery, sporting PJ. He moved to the bar engaging in a bit of conversation. It seemed a lady name Jade was giving Darren quite a time. Enough so, he wouldn't even respond to getting a drink for a good friend. He was after all, behind the bar, mostly with his eyes glued to the woman's breasts.

Jade ended up getting Val the Badsider, as she did, he asked, "Darren, have you seen Rena lately?” in which Darren responded with a long hard thought. "No, not since Sunday, nope!” Having thanked Jade for the drink, he decided to see if Rena had made it back to their place yet.

Arriving home on his horse Scratch, she was no where to be found, nor had she come and gone. A meal fixed and devoured, he decided to go hang out where he usually hung out. He was really pretty easy to find. Most of his time was either spent at the Arena or Outback, on occasion the market or to quench a thirst the Red Dragon Inn.

But tonight, he planned on meeting up with Rena at the Outback. He was rather disturbed most of the night, as it seemed, she wasn’t going to be coming. He dueled against G'nort and Vinny, both easily making the best of their duels with him. Then he started to Duel with the Cat woman. He didn't know her, but figured if he was giving them away, he might as well give them all away.

But after the final conclusion, Dioxane, the official caller of the duel announced, "And Val has finally learned how to win one!", which he did win. Of course, he thought it was more like and the law of averages that pulled him to victory over Maetel. Having finished the night of duel, he proceeded to finish off another one of the Badsiders. Curious to the taste, they were very good and packed more than the typical ale "Punch!”

After having finished off the drink, he was ready for another as well as another duel, but the crowd had mostly thinned, so he decided to head back to the home he and Rena stayed at. Perhaps she would have found her way back there by now. Or perhaps not, as Koyliak came bursting into the Outback. It appeared that she had ran from one end of Rhydin to the other, gasping for breath, leaning against the door seemingly trying to catch her breath, Val called over, "Hey Koy.. Man, you need to work out more", he chuckled, though as he did, it was odd to see her so disheveled and frankly quite a mess.

"Want something to drink?” Val questioned figuring she needed something by the way she looked. "NO! Ye gotta come with me.", came the reply, a little shocked, he stepped over toward the door where she stood, "Ok... so what's up Koy? Where do you need me to go?", and back out the door she started, "Just come!” Val took a casual sip from the bottle; he pondered a moment thinking something had happened to Matt. Why else would Koy come looking for Val? He decided whatever it was; it had to be something urgently important. So off he took, out of the Outback. He saw Koy quite a distance and easily caught up with her only to slow at a mere jog running beside her.

As they ran down the street, "So what's going on?” Val asked, then taking another sip from the bottle. Her ragged breathless response as she seemed to be sprinting, "It's not good!” was all she said. "What did something happen with Matt?” curiosity getting to Val, as he hardly knew Koy, and why would she need him to follow her anywhere? She was married to Matt; surely he could handle such important matters? Couldn't he?

"No, no. Beans, Val, its Beans.", and as she said it, Val reached to her arm taking it bringing them both to a halt. Koy half flipping back around at him, her face wild-eyed staring at him like he was a madman. His heart pounded with terror and the complexion of his face turned ghostly pale, "What about Rena? What's happened?”

"I'm tryin' ta show ye! Stop wastin' time or I'll clock ye and drag ye the rest of the way!", spoken adamantly as she yanked her arm free and started sprinting again, as she started to run through the alley she collided with some garbage cans, but managed to stay afoot, moving as quick as she could. Not long after, Val had already caught up with her and followed her, his mind raced wild. As they ran, he yelled to her, "what's happened to her?", but Koy wasn't stopping to talk so they just continued running, to where, Val hadn't a clue. It was in a part of the village he was unfamiliar with, as well, were the people they ran past, Koy almost slamming into an older man and his companion.

They were close, and he could tell, as they slowed, Koy making a turn off the main road, as well, Val followed, slowing behind, his heart pounding from the worry. The woman he cared for, as life itself, loving her, worried knowing something dreadfully wrong had happened. What though? Koy reached the door to a place and started banging and shouting through it shouting, "Tula! Let me in! It's Koy! Tula!” AS Val watched, he near almost just busted through it. He knew it was something that could be fixed later and wasn't sure what was happening, but just knew, he had to get to Rena.

While Koy continued banging on the door, once again, Val questioned, more demanded to know, "What the hell happened to Rena, Koy?!", and finally the door opened, Koy nearly smashing her hands into the woman that had opened the door. Tula, stepped aside, to avoid being yelled at or getting in the way.

Koy slumping to the wall, let Val see inside, where he saw Rena curled up on the couch, her back to him, covered in a blanket. Val quickly moved lowering to the edge of the couch, "Rena.. Love?” his hand gently pressing over her arm to her shoulder, her back to him, as she lay curled up beneath the covers.

Koy spoke after having caught some wind, crouched watching Val, her voice drawing his head to look at her, "I...I found her tha way earlier.", his brows creased with deathly concern, "What on the couch, like this?", then the groan from the couch, and a flinch of her shoulder drawing his attention back to Rena. "Rena.. hun.. What's going on?” his mind racing, still not having anything to hold onto other than the fact, she was alive, which brought some relief to him.

Koy was quiet, as she spoke from the crouched position just inside the door, "No. Outside like that.", again Val turned and looked at Koy, "what she was curled up outside?", not waiting for an answer, he pondered why couldn't women just spit it out, after all, he was a man, and what more, than a man that loved the woman on the couch right now. Turning back, he tugged lightly on her shoulder, a soft gentleness, within his voice the caring love he held for her expressed as he tried desperately with a tenderness to find out what in the hell was or had happened, a whisper of his voice, as he leaned to her trying to get a look for himself. "Rena.. Love.. What’s the matter.. What’s going on?” the sounds of Koy spoken but unheard as he listened to Rena whisper, "My head hurts."

His hand moved to her head, lightly touching her hair as she winced, "Why, what happened to your head?” A moment as he gazed at her, still wondering what had happened, “What did you finally fall out of that tree?". She replied, "I don't know.", and then Koy spoke up, "There are other injuries.” Val looked at Koy, "Aye, Where?", then turned back to Rena, "Where.. What happened to you Rena?” his voice a little more firm and insistent, as if he could command her to answer direct. For certain, not knowing what had happened was certainly a draw on his patience. She shook her head at him then winced whispering, "I don't know."

Koy quietly stated, "Underneath the blanket.” which seemed, she already knew exactly what had happened and could have just been frank about it. If there was a time he'd rather deal with Charlie, it would be now. She never has that timid, reserved attitude toward him. His last dealing with her was enough to tell him that. With concern about Rena, he turned looking at her, noticing for the first time, that she didn't appear to have anything on and after Koy's words, he just lifted up the blanket a ways, of course, he didn't see anything unusual except that of an extraordinary body. He loved Rena, heart mind and body. And what a body it was.

She had rolled over toward Val, a glance to him then buried her head against him, as she did, his warm hands caressed over her shoulder and back, his voice filled with concern as he spoke softly, "Are you hurt Rena.. I mean aside from your head?” she mumbled, as she stretched out her legs, "I'm so sleepy, And I'm cold.” He drew the covers back up after having a look at her he whispered, "Ok.. Love.. You just rest.", then leaned to place a soft kiss on her forehead, "You rest now.. We’ll figure out what happened to you?”

Koyliak spoke up, a look from her as she watched Val caring for Rena, "Do ye think she should stay here tonight or mebbe we should take her somewhere else?", as they talked a bit, Koy didn't think it was a good place for them to stay, since Rena had been rolled off in front of the place. Which, Val realized, whoever it was, knew them and knew them better than he, because, until now, even he had never been to the Daughters of Decadence Den.

While Koy and Val talked about what to do, Rena shifted, and the covers revealed her legs as they slid off and there it was, the injury that Val had missed. It wasn't any ordinary injury; it was more deliberate, precise. Something sick and disgusting as bile from Val's stomach rose; he swallowed tasting the bitter disgust he already had for the foul creature that could do such a thing. Koy whispered, "See?"

With determination, and since he knew she wouldn't be safe in Rhydin, he made ready and had Tula help get her ready to ride. As Rena drifted off to sleep, Val stepped to the door, calling for his horse, Scratch, with a whistle.

"Okay Rena, we're getting out of here now.", as he wrapped her up into a blanket, the woman Tula helping out, he pulled the blanket up over her fanged bit legs, a look of deathly anger burning flames within his eyes as he swore on his breath to Rena, "I don't know who did this to you.. But to the Gods I'm gonna kill em..."

He carried her on his war horse away from the damnation village, and as they rode, Rena slept while Val held her close delivering her to the safety of his men and the house he had built upon a ridge.

[Val Demure]

Having set Rena up in her room at the ranch, he asked Brodie to return to Dragon's Eye to inform the council, should he end up dead to turn the Kingdom over to Rex. The two men hugged as Brodie went to the corral to saddle a horse, Val stopped him on his way. "No, you take Scratch! And if when you get back, I'm dead, you see to it, Rena keeps Scatch. And all of this. It's hers!"

Brodie looked scared as hell, he had never seen so much anger within the eyes of Val before. He had fought with him for 10 years in Dragon's Eye, been saved by him, and never once seen the hatred he had within his eyes now. Val returned to the house and gather some things, stopping up in the bedroom, he lowered to his knees beside Rena as she slept. Taking her hand, he held it for some time, then pressed his lips against it. The softness of her flesh against his breath, after he stood he leaned down and kissed her, a soft whisper. "Aye, you know how I will always Love you.", then turned and walked from the room, on his way, he slipped his sword, the "Death Sword to the Undead", over his shoulder, and stepped out of the house.

Having taken one of the stallions, he rode back toward the village. In his mind, he contemplated the slaughter of all the walking dead. Having ridden the horse hard along the distance, the stallions legs lathered in sweat as he frothed at the mouth, nearing the market Val slid from his back having arrived at night, knowing the damnable creatures didn't dare walk amongst the light. As he moved through the streets, he shouted out, "POCKET FULL OF POSIES ASHES ASHES COME BURN TO HELL YOU ****", certain that the lyrics to the song Rena kept singing in her sleep would draw the creature out of his lair.

He continued walking up and down the streets, repeating the song, as it rang out in the Village, lights late at night started coming on, candles and heads popping into windows. Doors opening, poking heads into the night, and as they saw Val approach the quickly darted back into their dwellings. He walked to the docks and through the warehouse district searching out the vile creature that desicrated the woman he loved. As he moved through the town, he slipped down the alleway behind the Inn, screaming into the night, "COME ON YOU ****ING COWARD! YOU"VE TASTED THE FINEST OF THE LIVING! COME AND TASTE ME!"

As he rounded into the market center, Val drew out the sword, turning to look down each of the streets! What are you afraid of? Afraid of a man like me? And then he saw him at the end of a street, walking toward Val, his sword just slung over his shoulder as he glared with gleeming hatred in his eyes. As the dead creature approached, Val seemed to remain calm as he spoke, "Are you the man that fed on Rena?"

[Val Demure]

WIth fury in his eyes, the flames of the soul from the beast he was, lept about within his pupils. Even from the distance, Cain could see this was no ordinary human being. Val was certainly not like any other human he had encountered. While Val stood there with sword over his shoulder, the sure cockiness of the creature before him smirked looking at him with arrogance.

Unable to control the anger that was set in motion, Val's ability to take his orginal form, hundreds of years from being in mortal form that had deprived his memory to recall the natural ability to shift. As he stood there, the red shirt started to rip, as well, the pants on his legs as did the boots.

Without hesitation, the steel barrel of the .45 caliber pointed at Val and fired, the bullet flying through the air spiraling, leaving Val without time to think or react to the shot, it hit.

Moments passed as Val stood there in the center of the market place. A bullet just above his eyes, centered over the bridge of his nose bore through his skull, the impact causing his body to collapse to the ground. A maniacle laughter echoed in the market center as the dispicable creature turned vanishing unscathed into the night plotting his next feast.

As Val lay there, a transformation occurred. The flesh of man turned into that of the dragon. Red scaled ancient wyrm filled the market center, his body crushing the statues that existed as it grew back into the form that Valiance Demure was hatched to. A dragon, who's spirit started to lift upwards toward the sky to join his kind amongst the stars of the night.


(( ~ The story goes on and I recant any permanent death to Val due to story line circumstances. I hope everyone enjoys the continuance of the Story Line as it develops! ~ ))