And if you close your eyes

[hellofist]

Who: Joel Angrypants, Lucrezia Borgiapants, and Cassandra Cainpants
What: Saving lives, losing lives
When: Tuesday morningish
Where: the castle
Rating: R for violence


Typically, Cass isn't in the castle when the sun comes up, but she is today. It takes a long time to get her out of bed and it's only Lucrezia's voice over the journal that does it, pulls her away from warmth and affection and back to her own disused room for a quick shower, wishing up fresh clothes, and then she's off to search out her friend.

Come and meet me, Cassandra. I'll be waiting. That was really all it took and now here she is, on her way to find Lucrezia to find out what she'd needed. There's something odd to the castle today though, it's not quite noon and she hasn't seen many people, but she doesn't think they keep the same odd hours as her.

Doesn't really matter though. Today is going to be a good day, strange mood of the castle or not, and when she spots Lucrezia she has to grin. It's easy to sneak up on her and grab her around the waist from behind, spinning her in a circle and kissing her cheek before setting her down.

"Found you," she says, smiling as she goes to stand in front of the other girl. "What are we doing?"

Comments

[hellofist]

Everything might have been salvaged, if that knife had stayed in. Lucrezia could have called for help, the blood loss could be reversed, doctors could have fixed her neck and that gaping bullet wound on her chest. She even manages a weak smile as she looks up at Lucrezia, golden hair blurry but still pretty as ever.

There's so much red on her though, and Cass raises a hand to try to brush some of it off just as Lucrezia pulls the blade from her throat. Her eyes widen, lips barely forming the word no but now it really is too late. That little bit of hope gone because Lucrezia was just trying to help.

She was so tired before but now she has nothing left, all of her strength floods out of her with each beat of her heart. Lucrezia still looks like an angel as she fades away, pretty blonde hair.

It's always pretty blonde hair and arms wrapped around her when she dies, Cass thinks to herself as she lets her eyes close, finally goes still. Pretty blonde hair and she winds up in the arms of someone she loves, to take her to the other side. There are worse ways to go, really.

[lucre]

The blood spatters her face and that pretty blonde hair slips out of their braids, the tips tinged dark red. She pulls out the knife and lets it fall to the floor.

To Lucrezia's mind, there is no more hope. As sheltered as she might be when it comes to other matters, death dwells close to her, her family. She knows a mortal wound when she sees one. There are no miracles here, even in a magical castle or the arms of the Pope's daughter. Even the Vicar of Rome can't pray for miracles to save his favored son, so where does that leave the rest of them?

She cradles her friend by the base of her head, as she would hold her own child, her other arm wrapped about her body to keep her warm. They say it is coldest before the end. Perhaps it's true. There are some here who have returned to tell the tale.

"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine," she finds she can recall the entire passage: Te decet hymnus Deus in Sion et tibi reddetur votum in Ierusalem exaudi orationem meam ad te omnis caro veniet. But the words feel distant. They are cold and meaningless and she wonders how much comfort it would give Cass if she doesn't even understand the words. She holds Cass tighter to compensate, kissing her forehead again and again. She can think of little else to say (not I'm sorry, never that).

"Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna." She hopes her prayers prove unnecessary.