The Damned Woman

"Yes but only when all other means have been exhausted. When you're being suppressed and ignored and treated as 2nd class sometimes it's the only language your enemy speaks."

send  🎁  for  my  muse  to  try  &  guess  what  yours  got  them  for  christmas .

"I thought we didn't do gifts." Briana commented as she lifted the box to look at it. Carefully turning it over she tried to listen for any clues as to what it might be.

"Well I can only assume it's not food." She joked darkly given her particular diet. "New headphones? Uh... sheet music? Fuck I don't know I'm shit at this."

Jessica recognised the woman from a couple of weeks ago. She had been at the bar, laughing while doing shots and tossing bar snacks into Caesar’s mouth, when music had suddenly started emanating from the piano in the corner of the room. It hadn’t been a song that she recognised, but even in her inebriated and jovial state she had been able to tell that it was beautiful. That she felt something when she heard it.

“Hey, I remember you,” she started, sliding into the seat next to the other. “I heard you play the piano a while back. You were incredible.”

(( @bean-damnaithe​ ))

-

Briana looked round when she heard someone talk to her. Hearing the woman say she recognised her she was confused for a moment until she realised where from. “Oh. Yeah well, I play professionally plus I’m a vampire so i’ve had more than a few years of practice.” 

It was always strange being recognised. After so long hiding behind a mask it was strange to just be out there in the open. “I’m actually thinking of doing a gig in the new year.”

Abby brightened at the question. “Oh yeah, definitely,” she said with a grin. “I love a good party. Weed, alcohol, sex, and music … it’s great. Even if the party is lame I still find a way to have fun.” She glanced sidelong at Briana. “You know of any good parties coming up?”

-

“Well that certainly depends. You ever been to a vampire party?” Briana asked. They were always crazy and she wouldn’t invite just anyone but the girl was psychic which meant she was made of heartier stuff anyway. 

“Well … we’ll see,” Cassandra said, not sure she entirely believed her, but willing to try anything once. If it helped her in some way, she was interested. Anything that would get her to her goal was welcomed.

-

“I’m sure. You’ll have to excuse me though. It’s getting late and as you can imagine the night calls.” Briana wanted to grab a light snack before she headed home. “It was nice to meet you, even if your lack of music is a little disturbing.”

~

Marcus nodded along a little as she spoke. While he didn’t understand the way that world worked, what she said did make sense. “Did you ever want to do something else?” he asked, always fascinated with people who had always known what they wanted to do with their lives. 

-

“For the longest time getting “to do something” wasn’t in the cards. I was a woman who was alone throughout the centuries. I didn’t remember my sire so I didn’t have someone to take care of me. A lot of my time was spent fighting to adapt and survive. A profession wasn’t really something I thought about for a long time so when I did I went with my heart.”

~

“Maybe I could come stay at your place every once in a while. Make it feel not so fucking huge and lonely.” Other than the offer to stay with him, it was the least that he could do. The fact that it seemed she could get what she needed delivered and made in Faerune did put him a little more at ease. Ever since they’d first met all those many years ago, he never had liked the thought of her in that place. “I know, but you’re the closest thing I have to a family. Family protects family.”

-

Briana looked over at him. Family protects family. Benji was probably the only person who saw Briana that way. Even people she had sired had gone and left unable to put up with her. While they weren’t always in the same city when they were the two always looked out for each other. Benji had always reminded Briana of someone. With a mind too scrambled to remember, she hoped it was family. “Maybe just a night or two. Just until the stuff gets here?”

~

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Abby said with a nod. “I’ve got my siblings and my best friend Colton. I’ve met this new girl Mia, too. They’re all really good for my mental health. I like to blow off steam at parties, too. It helps.”

-

“Good. I’m glad. Those of us that carry heavy mental burdens need people around us who can carry some of the weight when we need it. Not that what we experience is similar but you get my point.” Briana waved her hand as it to brush off the topic. “So you’re a party girl?”

~

“My regiment is very strict,” Cassandra said, not mentioning that it was her father’s regiment that she kept out of obedience to him. “If I find a moment … maybe I’ll try it.” She knew she couldn’t at home, her father would surely hear it, but maybe while she was at work or walking about the town.

-

“I can promise you that with the right song, your whole life can change. Music is transformative. It’s the only thing that helps me collect my thoughts.” Hearing that someone was living without music in their life was awful. She actually felt sorry for the young woman.

~

“And you love me for it” they smiled back. “Don’t worry if it’s not interesting I’ll make it interesting. I know for a fact that at least one person has died at the address I was given.” they said as they started to walk. “you really think this whole thing is interesting?” they turned to walk backwards for a brief moment, gesturing to the construction going on behind them. “Sure it was a little bit of a thrill when it happened, but then it stopped and became boring again”

-

“Oh you wish.” Briana replied barely keeping a smile from her lips. “Is your way of making it interesting adding to that number of dead people?” She joked. “Of course I think it’s interesting. The earthquake is a curiosity. The fact it was localised is fascinating. You forget I fought in the war to call this place our home. You younger lot are use to having Faerune. It’s interesting because there’s a possibility this is old tensions spiking again. Are you ready to go to war? I haven’t held a sword in a good century but I’m willing to give it a go.”

Korra was late to her shift, but what else was new. She hoped someone might have covered for her but the manager seemed to anticipate this happening and she could already see 5 missed calls from the venue. ”You know it’s times like these that I wish my magic was stronger” the faerie frowned her nose looking at her phone. “You don’t happen to, like, have a car or something to get me to Birch Bar soon?” she raised her eyebrows slightly at the person she was talking to. “Or I mean if not, maybe… give me a distraction so I don’t even have to go?” Korra’s shoulders raised lightly, wouldn’t be the worse of the ideas to skip the whole work thing and have a bit of fun.

@faerunestarters​

-

“Never bothered learning to drive. Okay that’s a lie. I have a bike licence. Honestly I didn’t think the car would take off like it did. I figured people would get bored of it or annoyed by the amount of noise it made. I prefer horses. Who doesn’t love a mode of transportation that’s happy to see you in the morning. I use to have this black steed. Caiteoir. It means wanderer.” Briana finally caught that she was rambling a little. “Oh shit sorry weren’t you suppose to be going to work?”

~

“Do you want to stay here for a little while?” Benji asked, “see if you hear things here too?” he moved to the kitchen to grab some blood and set it down on the coffee table. She hadn’t asked for any, but he brought it anyways just incase. “Could you get any of the medication you need out here or something from a witch that might work?” he asked as he settled down on one of the chairs, his legs hanging off an arm rest. “You don’t have to go back, I can - I can take care of you.” 

-

Briana reached for the blood without even thinking, mumbling a small thank you. “I don’t want to intrude. You have your own life. Plus it’s my own fault for having such a huge fucking house. I know what it is. It’s always what happens when I’m alone. It’s like my brain fills in the space. Pulls things from my past but I don’t always know who it is and it’s him again and I don’t... I don’t remember.”  She drank her blood down before setting it aside. “I’ll be fine. I’m fine. I just... I’ll call them, have things sent over. I can get the potion ingredients sent over too so I can get my next dose from someone in Faerune.” Briana pulled a little on her dark hair, the dull pain distracting her from her thoughts for a moment. “You know how bad I get Benji... I can’t put that on you.”

~

“Do you have a favorite era?” he asked “either that you performed during or just to listen to?” he asked “Sorry if I’m asking too many questions, I’m just really interested. I’m still new to this whole world, so it’s still kind of mind blowing even after a few years that there’s people who have lived hundreds and hundreds of years”

-

“Honestly? I’m not sure I could pick. Each era had it’s pros and cons. Each era brings with it genres and new ways to perform. Did the money get better? Sure. Is it disappointing less artists are singing live? Absolutely. The industry changes with time. There’s always something new to discover.”

~

“It only lasts for so long,” Abby admitted. “I haven’t figured out a way to keep them locked up forever. I have to feel everything eventually. It’s just better to feel it when I’m not at work. It’s bad for business if people walk in on me crying my eyes out.”

-

“Yeah I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be considered a good thing in any profession.” She was an interesting young woman but psychics always were in Briana’s opinion even if their existence did cause her some personal pain. “Well I certainly hope you have people around you who are a good support system.”

Cassandra smirked faintly. “I don’t really listen to music other than when I meditate,” she admitted. “Many spells take concentration and music can be a hinderance rather than a help in a lot of cases. The last thing I need is to lose an arm because I stumbled over my words.”

-

“So that’s all you do? Meditate and cast spells? Seems a little unfulfilling. Music should be injected wherever you can. When you’re making breakfast. When you’re driving to work. When you’re having sex. Maybe you should consider trying it. Just when you have a moment to yourself. When you want to feel something. Find a song. Play it. Lose yourself in it.”

~

“It takes more than an earthquake to make me curious” They replied, smirking a little as they noticed the way she stood up a little straighter at their mention of the blood party. “Somewhere in town. I have the address written down somewhere or another. I think they’re more frowned upon than anything. Of course I could be wrong, keeping up with legalities has never been a personal priority. Besides, isn’t it more fun if it isn’t completely legal?”

-

“You’re such a bad influence.” She smiled at them before rolling her eyes. “Alright fine. Take me to this blood party. It better be damn interesting though since you so uncurious about the only interesting thing to have happened since I got back.”