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bloodsong1More backstory! Not that anyone's reading this...
Clio's behavior got weirder and weirder after I met Kenshin. She was gone for long periods, leaving me alone with the voice instructor and the sound tech, whom I was beginning to think was a lot like Keith Richards, he had died a while ago but hadn't realized it yet. The living room of the apartment was slowly being converted into what Clio called "ritual space", furnishings disappeared and were replaced with Doric columns, various potted flowers and shrubs popped up at random. I was called back to Wonderful Things about twice a week for jewelry, incense and various bowls and censers. Needless to say, I was getting rather curious.
"Clio, what IS that?" I finally asked her, pointing at an evergreen she was fussing over.
"This is Graveyard Cypress, native to Greece. Come, come, smell. Does it not remind you of the freshness of winter?" I walked over and sniffed the branch she held out.
"Smells like cypress," I deadpanned. Clio chuckled and patted my head. She had been doing that a lot lately. "So, what's all this for?"
"Ritual, of course!"
"Yes, but what kind of ritual?" I pressed. Clio stood, dusting off her fingers.
"You are Greek, Rachel, and you do not recognize an ancient ritual space?"
"Um, my parents were Orthodox," I said, puzzled.
"Hmph. Orthodox," She spat the word like a curse. I blinked and stepped back. She was angry. What on earth? "Money grubbing cowards, so eager to promote their One True Faith at the cost of our very history! The fools, they were so eager to embrace the message of eternal life, forgetting what was right and proper. They don't even bury their dead with coins to pay the Ferryman!" I kept my mouth shut. Clio sighed and turned to me, pushing her sunglasses firmly into place. I never saw her without them, which was another oddity in my new life.
"Forgive my outburst, Rachel. I have...very strong feelings about the Church."
"Yeah, I can see," I said softly, dropping my eyes to a Lily of the Valley near my feet. Clio came over and patted my head again.
"Fear not, my prodigy. In a week, all will be made clear. You will be introduced to the real religion of your ancestral land, the one of gods and demons and heroes, and you will take your place among them." She pinched my cheek and sailed out the door. I grabbed my wallet and rushed to the nearest library.
------
Five days later, I got the call from Kenshin that the last item had arrived. I left immediately after my voice lesson, eager to get out of the strangeness. I had woken up to find black marks on my wrists and Clio was nowhere to be found to ask about them. My stomach was tingling in that not-so-good way.
"Hi, Kenshin!" I called as I walked in. No repsonse. I looked around, not a single cute brunet.
"Um, hello?" I called again. A spiky haired kid barrelled out of the back and skidded to a stop at the counter.
"Who're you?" He panted. I blinked.
"I'm Rachel Papanos. Kenshin called me yesterday, said he had Clio's final order?" The kid looked me up and down suspiciously.
"Stay put and don't Touch ANYTHING," He snarled. I held my hands up and laced my fingers together. He dashed back through the rear door. I heard muffled voices, a few curses that sent my eyebrows up, and finally Kenshin walked out, looking much the worse for wear.
"Kenshin? You ok?" I asked, worried. He gave me a hesitant nod, keeping his head down, and shuffled to the counter. Reaching underneath, he pulled out a long, slim box.
"Here you are, Miss Rachel," He said. His voice sounded strained, like he had been screaming and he looked terrible. I reached over and gently tugged a lock of hair. Funny, it looked...brighter. He jerked back hard and fast, nearly trembling. I stumbled back, hands behind me so I wouldn't crash into a case.
"I'm sorry!" I gasped, suddenly terrified. "I've never seen you like this, I...wanted..."
"You are concerned for me, that you are. I appreciate it, but now is not the time, Miss Rachel. Please, take your box and leave."
"O...okay," I moved forward and picked up the box. Suddenly my hand was slammed between Kenshin's fingers and the box, which was smushed to the counter. I stared at him, unable to move.
"Miss Rachel," His voice had dropped to a whisper as he slowly turned my hand over, revealing the funky black marks. "Who did this to you?"
"I...I don't know. It happened last night, while I was asleep."
"You didn't hear or feel anything?"
"Um, no."
"Does Miss Clio know about this?"
"I...I haven't seen her today."
"Miss Rachel, listen to me. You are in grave, grave danger."
"Yo...you're creeping me out here, Kenshin," I choked out. My voice had failed. Kenshin never raised his head or looked at me. This close, I could see red highlights in his hair. Some part of my brain said "Oo! Pretty!" before being overwhelmed by Fear. I began shaking.
"You have been Marked, Rachel!" He hissed. I swallowed hard. No "Miss"? Ok, so totally freaked out now!
"Kenshin. Let me go, please," I whispered. He jerked as if he'd been hit over the head and let go, backing up into the wall. I rubbed my wrist and picked up the box.
"I'll...I'll ask Clio about it when I see her. Bye!" Spinning on my toes, I fled the shop, feeling a cold gaze on my back until I got to the corner.
Clio's behavior got weirder and weirder after I met Kenshin. She was gone for long periods, leaving me alone with the voice instructor and the sound tech, whom I was beginning to think was a lot like Keith Richards, he had died a while ago but hadn't realized it yet. The living room of the apartment was slowly being converted into what Clio called "ritual space", furnishings disappeared and were replaced with Doric columns, various potted flowers and shrubs popped up at random. I was called back to Wonderful Things about twice a week for jewelry, incense and various bowls and censers. Needless to say, I was getting rather curious.
"Clio, what IS that?" I finally asked her, pointing at an evergreen she was fussing over.
"This is Graveyard Cypress, native to Greece. Come, come, smell. Does it not remind you of the freshness of winter?" I walked over and sniffed the branch she held out.
"Smells like cypress," I deadpanned. Clio chuckled and patted my head. She had been doing that a lot lately. "So, what's all this for?"
"Ritual, of course!"
"Yes, but what kind of ritual?" I pressed. Clio stood, dusting off her fingers.
"You are Greek, Rachel, and you do not recognize an ancient ritual space?"
"Um, my parents were Orthodox," I said, puzzled.
"Hmph. Orthodox," She spat the word like a curse. I blinked and stepped back. She was angry. What on earth? "Money grubbing cowards, so eager to promote their One True Faith at the cost of our very history! The fools, they were so eager to embrace the message of eternal life, forgetting what was right and proper. They don't even bury their dead with coins to pay the Ferryman!" I kept my mouth shut. Clio sighed and turned to me, pushing her sunglasses firmly into place. I never saw her without them, which was another oddity in my new life.
"Forgive my outburst, Rachel. I have...very strong feelings about the Church."
"Yeah, I can see," I said softly, dropping my eyes to a Lily of the Valley near my feet. Clio came over and patted my head again.
"Fear not, my prodigy. In a week, all will be made clear. You will be introduced to the real religion of your ancestral land, the one of gods and demons and heroes, and you will take your place among them." She pinched my cheek and sailed out the door. I grabbed my wallet and rushed to the nearest library.
------
Five days later, I got the call from Kenshin that the last item had arrived. I left immediately after my voice lesson, eager to get out of the strangeness. I had woken up to find black marks on my wrists and Clio was nowhere to be found to ask about them. My stomach was tingling in that not-so-good way.
"Hi, Kenshin!" I called as I walked in. No repsonse. I looked around, not a single cute brunet.
"Um, hello?" I called again. A spiky haired kid barrelled out of the back and skidded to a stop at the counter.
"Who're you?" He panted. I blinked.
"I'm Rachel Papanos. Kenshin called me yesterday, said he had Clio's final order?" The kid looked me up and down suspiciously.
"Stay put and don't Touch ANYTHING," He snarled. I held my hands up and laced my fingers together. He dashed back through the rear door. I heard muffled voices, a few curses that sent my eyebrows up, and finally Kenshin walked out, looking much the worse for wear.
"Kenshin? You ok?" I asked, worried. He gave me a hesitant nod, keeping his head down, and shuffled to the counter. Reaching underneath, he pulled out a long, slim box.
"Here you are, Miss Rachel," He said. His voice sounded strained, like he had been screaming and he looked terrible. I reached over and gently tugged a lock of hair. Funny, it looked...brighter. He jerked back hard and fast, nearly trembling. I stumbled back, hands behind me so I wouldn't crash into a case.
"I'm sorry!" I gasped, suddenly terrified. "I've never seen you like this, I...wanted..."
"You are concerned for me, that you are. I appreciate it, but now is not the time, Miss Rachel. Please, take your box and leave."
"O...okay," I moved forward and picked up the box. Suddenly my hand was slammed between Kenshin's fingers and the box, which was smushed to the counter. I stared at him, unable to move.
"Miss Rachel," His voice had dropped to a whisper as he slowly turned my hand over, revealing the funky black marks. "Who did this to you?"
"I...I don't know. It happened last night, while I was asleep."
"You didn't hear or feel anything?"
"Um, no."
"Does Miss Clio know about this?"
"I...I haven't seen her today."
"Miss Rachel, listen to me. You are in grave, grave danger."
"Yo...you're creeping me out here, Kenshin," I choked out. My voice had failed. Kenshin never raised his head or looked at me. This close, I could see red highlights in his hair. Some part of my brain said "Oo! Pretty!" before being overwhelmed by Fear. I began shaking.
"You have been Marked, Rachel!" He hissed. I swallowed hard. No "Miss"? Ok, so totally freaked out now!
"Kenshin. Let me go, please," I whispered. He jerked as if he'd been hit over the head and let go, backing up into the wall. I rubbed my wrist and picked up the box.
"I'll...I'll ask Clio about it when I see her. Bye!" Spinning on my toes, I fled the shop, feeling a cold gaze on my back until I got to the corner.
