Don’t you worry; you will help me Who: Kitty and Kumiko Where: Ad Gustum When: Morning
There was one thing that remained timeless in any sort of brothel and that was the ladies always found a way to pass the time through gossip. Good to know that Kumiko could always rely on that for a source of amusement. How else was she going to pass the time when she had an eternity ahead of her? Not that she always partook in the chit-chat, but it was something she always stashed away in the back of her mind. And for weeks now she had overheard various girls speak of someone who was keeping the blood hunter's interest. They all laughed when they deemed this girl his "girlfriend" and how she had him whipped. That wasn't what got her interest. What perked her right up was when she finally heard one of them utter a single word - siren.
So the rumors spoke of some redheaded siren girl trapped in the basement who served as the whore to the vampire hunter. Oh, Kumiko could relate all too well. Being the interest of a vampire had its pros and cons, predominately the fact that both a siren and vampire could live on together without a worry about time. What sucked was whenever said vampire thought it was a brilliant idea to feed off of said siren, because... yeah. The thought along made Kumiko shiver. Either way, she wanted to meet this little siren girl, mostly to humor herself, though also because she was free from clients that very morning. After slipping on her silk robe and grabbing herself a cup of oolong tea, she headed on down to the chambers that lurked below.
Kumiko had one of the grunts assist her with opening the door to the chamber at the very end, letting the siren slip in before closing the door. She was sure that her presence came as a surprise to the redhead, but didn't everyone's when you were a lowlife slave? Flicking her black hair over her shoulder, she looked on over to her with a slight smile creeping on the corner of her lips. "You must be who the girls refer to as 'Kitty,'" she commented calmly before sipping on her tea.
Kitty wasn't expecting company, but when was she ever? The only person she could count on to drop by was Lex and that both pissed her off and got her off, a combination that left her feeling dirty and satisfied at the same time. Her other visitors were usually familiar faces, but the woman who entered the room was someone new... and definitely not another slave. Kitty sat up on her bed and set her book aside. "I suppose it's a good thing to be known outside this room," she said, rolling her eyes. "Yes, I'm Kitty. And you are?"
Ah, the redhead had some bite to her. Kumiko could tell already that this siren would have a long life ahead of her if she kept that up. Her eyes scanned around the vicinity for a moment, looking for a clean place to sit down, but not an inch of the ground looked suitable for her. Then again, she was in a slave's chambers. What else did she expect? Bringing her gaze back to Kitty, she looked over the girl, realizing that they both looked similar in age. Well, look was the keyword there. Kumiko was far older than she led on. Perhaps Kitty was older as well? She would soon find out. "Kumiko," the siren barely bowed to the girl before taking a few more steps towards her. "I suppose you don't mind keeping me company for awhile?" And even if Kitty said no, she was going to insist on staying. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
"Not at all," Kitty said with a twist of her lips. "You wouldn't mind me following you out, would you?" She was sure Tristan was around to prevent something like that happening, but there was always a chance a girl might come down and be foolish enough to set Kitty free. The very first thing she'd do would be equip herself with something silver, and then she'd have a vampire to hunt. "I don't get a lot of company," she said, pulling the covers taunt on the bed so that they made the end presentable enough to sit on. "I'd apologize for the mess, but I don't have much to work with either." She was hoping she'd get more from Lex soon, or Tanith. Either one would be just fine, and even better if it urked the other enough to help her out further. She could always count on Lex to bring her treats in an effort to out-do Tanith.
As much sympathy as she felt towards the siren being locked up against her own will, Kumiko wasn't stupid enough to let the slave free. She didn't answer Kitty's question and instead hopped up onto the bed gracefully before sitting down with proper posture, keeping her cup of tea close to her chest. Taking in another sip of tea, she glanced down briefly enough to catch sight of some faded bruises on the redhead's wrists. Good to see that she was been taken care of oh-so well. "No need to apologize," Kumiko stated in a flat tone. You're a slave, this is what you get. "Always have to work with what we're given, no? Must be a siren trait." She knew how that went all too well. Some days that meant killing a man with a butter knife if just to give into a bloodlust episode. Never settle for anything was how she lived her life... except for designer brands, but that was a different story. She had struggled long enough in the beginning and now she was reaping the rewards. Perhaps one day Kitty would, too. Any proper siren wouldn't tolerate being locked up for long. Kumiko was surprised there weren't bets being placed amongst the whores to decided how much longer until the redhead broke free.
"I make it work," Kitty said, examining Kumiko with curiosity. The phrasing made her think there was something more beneath the surface and she had never been one to shy away from asking. "Are you a siren?" If so, damn did she have it better off. Kitty was instinctively jealous, annoyed that Lex would treat her so poorly... but then Kumiko wasn't a slave. Funny how she'd gone from wanting to escape to just wanting to be treated better. She obviously needed to get her priorities straight. Or maybe she was just resetting her expectations.
Kumiko raised an eyebrow at Kitty's question, finding herself smiling lightly in response initially. Looked like the young girl caught on fast. Typically, Kumiko never liked revealing such secrets, but the fact that Kitty was being so open to the concept made the Japanese siren make an exception this time around. "I am," she replied politely with a slight nod of her head. "Been years since I've come across a kindred soul." Well, she didn't find the two of them on par in certain things; Kumiko was a distinguished escort while Kitty was... well, very far from that. But on terms of being a siren? Oh yeah, they both had that down. She awaited the redhead's response patiently, intrigued to see how she would react.
So this was what she could have been, had she chosen to work in the whore house. Kitty wasn't sure if she was impressed or annoyed, though the later was with her own situation rather than Kumiko's higher stature. This was never something Kitty wanted for herself, but if she'd known she would be in the business she would have rather been upstairs than down. "You're the first I've met, other than my mother," she said, hoping that wasn't putting too much of herself out there. She didn't feel threatened, but she'd been on guard so long that it was hard to drop it. "You... don't seem like someone who would give in to their urges." And yet she seemed old enough to have must.
So far, she was the only willing siren whore in the building and Kumiko planned on keeping it that way. She never did well with competition and the only reason she put up with the other prostitutes was because she was more or less fed her kills on and off. No one could beat that. And she had to admit that it was a bit of an honor to be the first siren Kitty had met, family aside. The girl was lucky to have known her own mother. Better off that way, in Kumiko's book. She wondered sometimes herself if she would have struggled less had her mother been in her life. Perhaps she would have led a different life, but now wasn't the time to think of 'what ifs.' "I don't?" She took in a deep breath while organizing her thoughts. Whether that was a jab at how young she looked or not was beyond Kumiko, but she tossed the thought away to remain polite to Kitty. Besides, they had only just met. "Perhaps that's a good thing. Would keep away the unwanted attention." There was a bit of a sly smirk on her lips before she took in another gulp of tea and once the cup was lowered, the smirk was no more. "Dare I ask what I do seem like to you?" Because an old siren needed to humor herself from time to time.
It was only in Kumiko's response that Kitty realized her comment could be seen in a negative light. She was quick to correct herself, hoping not to offend the other siren; she didn't have enough friends down there to go around pissing them off. "I mean that you don't look capable of violence in a good way. Innocent in a way that helps rather than hinders." In her mind, it meant she was better able to get away with things. It was a look that Kitty appreciated in herself as well... when she'd been free to make her own kill choices. "You seem... proper," Kitty said, hopefully picking a word that wouldn't upset Kumiko. "I don't know if it's upbringing or culture or... You just seem very put together." Not falling apart like she was. Damn.
The siren smiled lightly at the reaction from Kitty. Innocence was one way of putting it and Kumiko was grateful for being able to get away with such things in her life. Acting sure as hell helped, as did the entire time period in which she grew up in. Murder was far more complicated in this day and age, but Kumiko was happy to know that Ad Gustum was able to supply her with most of her kills. That didn't mean she didn't like going out and killing a few men for the sake of it; she just had to be careful. "I suppose it's a combination of all of the above." With a tilt of her head, she kept her eyes locked onto to Kitty as she decided to give the redhead another tidbit, "Years of experience help, too. Perhaps it has made me jaded, perhaps it has made me wiser. Suppose that is up to you to decide." Though years of slaughtering men never grew dull in Kumiko's mind.
"You do not come across as jaded," Kitty said. "Though we have shared very little. Maybe you are. I believe any siren who lives a long life to be wise, as we must be to continue living as we do. This day in age, it will be harder. There are more people watching for us, but I'm sure we'll manage." They had this long, so she could see no reason why it would not continue. Sirens were either wise and willing to kill, or old and dead. In Kitty's mind, there was no in between. "May I ask how you came to be here?" She wasn't entirely sure where 'here' was, other than a whore house that she assumed was in Scarlet Oak. It seemed an odd place for such an establishment, but then so did a vampire bar and that place had been thriving.
Ah, yes, since the Light of May, there were definitely more people watching, especially hunters. Kumiko was sure that if she had survived this long then she could keep on going, but it didn't mean she had to give a blind eye to danger. "By choice," Kumiko replied calmly and honestly. Unlike Kitty, she hadn't been dragged to Ad Gustum against her own will. This lifestyle was one that Kumiko thoroughly enjoyed and always had enjoyed. The life of an escort was a glamorous one in the siren's eyes and she did not wish to stray away from it. "Then again, I've been in the industry for long enough that it would be such a shame for me to drop it now." Finishing off her cup of tea, she placed the ceramic cup to the side and folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Though I must say, it was easier in some respects before geisha came into existence." And now she was putting a date on herself and if Kitty was smart enough, she would catch up. Girl has been clever so far. I wouldn't expect any less from a good siren.
Kitty wasn't a history buff by any means, but she knew enough to pick up on the fact that Kumiko was old. Possibly older than her mother. It was a bit of a mind trip for her, seeing as how she hadn't even stopped aging. And then her mind wandered over to the vampire in her life-- who was older, Lex or Kumiko? How would Kumiko have killed him? Probably with a silver samurai sword that I can't get my fucking hands on. It was useless to think of how someone else would kill Lex when no one else was locked in a basement without even a spork to stab his eyes out. Not that she needed a spork. Her nails would do just fine, but they wouldn't cut through his flesh to finish the job. And her mind was off again. "I suppose it was," Kitty said with a little smile. "I guess they would have created competition. And rules. Though my experience is only with the fiction I've read."
It was a rare occasion when Kumiko broke out from her proper shell and let herself relax around others, especially first meets, though it was hard not to laugh at Kitty's words. Oh, there was competition in many senses of the word back then. She recalled murdering her own mentor due to the competition that rose between the two and didn't care for even a second. Sirens weren't like vampires when it came to their immortality. They had to fight to stay young and beautiful, thus they were all natural warriors at heart. A siren that wasn't was a waste of life in Kumiko's eyes. "All fiction draws from truth in life," Kumiko reminded Kitty once her laughter died down. "Trust me, there was competition and rules back then, but rules are meant to be broken." They were sirens, after all. They had to bend and break the rules for their own well-being. "And seeing that I'm still alive even after several hundred years of competition, I would like to think I know what I'm doing, both as a courtesan and a siren." She tucked some of her black hair delicately behind her ear while giving Kitty and intrigued stare. "Do you know what you are doing, Kitty?"
She was glad she could make Kumiko laugh, even if it was at her expense. There was a lot Kitty didn't know about life, primarily because she was so very young. As far as sirens went, she was just a baby, not even to the point in her life where she stopped aging. There was a lot that she'd been through, but the hardest part was what she was experiencing now. Getting caught by a vampire and made into a slave had never been on her list of things to happen in her life. "No," she answered truthfully, her smile turning sad. "I mean, I thought I did, before Lex caught me. Now it's just trying to stay alive and trying to escape. Trying to stay sane. He's stronger than me, and harder to kill. And they've spelled the room so I can't take my bird form. I... haven't figure it out yet." She had all the time in the world to think of a plan. She just hadn't found one yet.
To some extent, the two sirens were kindred souls in the sense that they both had vampires haunting their lives. Kitty had Lex and Kumiko had Katsuo. Granted, Kumiko was pretty sure that he was long gone since the last World War, but he remained untouchable in her list of murder conquests. Seemed like Kitty had that same issue and from one siren to another, she could actually sympathize with that. And that alone was enough to perk up Kumiko's interest in helping the redhead. Maybe not as much as opening the door for her and letting her go - Kumiko was loving her job and preferred not to lose it over something lame - but Kumiko had a history of being sneaky, so she was sure she could figure something out. If Kumiko had it her way, she would use a silver-bladed sword against the hunter vampire and- wait... "Vampires have their weaknesses, too, Kitty," she reassured the girl, doing her best not to smirk. "They are mere mortals to simple things, like fire and silver." She would let the fellow siren piece it together from there and so far Kitty was impressing her, so she was certain the young one would figure it out.
Kitty didn't even have the clothes she'd been wearing the night she'd been kidnapped, let alone a bit of silver. If she did, she would have been formulating a plan rather than just sitting around on her hands. "Unfortunately, I have neither at my disposal, though I've been trying to get my hands on some magic books. I thought that if I could make fire, that might work. Silver nail polish would be splendid..." She liked the idea of leaving real wounds on Lex after their encounters. If she did have a weapon, she couldn't decide what was better-- slow torture or a quick and painful death. For what he'd put her through, Lex deserved to be dipped in a pot of boiling silver ever hour for at least a week. "You don't happen to know black magic, do you?" She knew it would take time to learn, but time was something she had in spades.
Silver nail polish? Wow, why didn't they have that several years ago when she tried her first attempt to kill Katsuo? That would have been nice. At least Kitty had a good imagination. Who knew, maybe there was a way to magically infuse it. Perhaps she could ask Tanith later. She seemed quite keen on silver everything, or at least that was what she had heard from her fellow whores. "Sadly, magic is not my forte. I specialize in other ways to kill my prey." After a pause, she rethought that and smirked lightly. "Though... I do know a few who are well-versed in magic. A close friend of mine is a master blood witch. Perhaps I could ask her...?" Granted, Kumiko wasn't keen on helping people, so she was sure she would have Kitty pay her back somehow, but helping out a fellow siren against a vampire, a situation Kumiko knew all too well about from her own experience, was enough for now. Besides, it wasn't like a spellbook was on par with opening the door and letting her run.
"I haven't had the time yet to specialize in many different ways," Kitty said with a little smile. "But I was always effective until I got trapped here." Almost anything would work as a weapon, but Lex has made sure there was nothing around for her to use. She didn't even have a spoon for fuck's sake. Her bare hands could do quite a bit of damage alone, but Lex had learned that fast enough to watch out for them. If only she'd never been caught in the first place... "I'll take any help I can get," Kitty said. "Magic seemed like a good option because he couldn't question where I got it. A weapon of any sort might be traced back, though with the way people come and go, I do wonder if anyone would be able to figure it out." She didn't know if there were cameras in the hallway or what. It didn't seem like a sophisticated operation in the way of electronics, but the magic that prevented her from shifting was effective enough.
Kumiko wasn't so sure how well magic practicing would work out in a room that sealed off the siren's abilities. Magic wasn't a forte of hers, though perhaps she could ask Kiara next time she talked to her. At the very least, Kumiko figured blood magic would be a type of witchcraft that Kitty would have easy access to - just a little bit of her own blood. No siren - no true siren, that was - flinched at the sight of a little bloodshed. "Then magic it is," Kumiko nodded. "I'll do my best to find something for you, so long as you do your best to be discrete." That was something Kumiko did as naturally as breathing, but she had to make sure this young siren wouldn't start pointing fingers when asked where she received a book on blood magic. "Besides, I feel your pain when it comes to being under submission of a vampire." And while Kumiko wasn't fully acquainted with Lex, she heard enough rumors from the ladies to know he was the opposite of a gentleman. Kitty didn't deserve such attention. A captive siren was like a caged bird - she needed to be free and fly.
"Discretion is a necessary part of asking for help," Kitty said. She'd been willing to give Lex Tanith's name when she'd given her clothes, but that was because Tanith seemed amused by the idea. Anything that actively helped her escape would be the sort of thing she'd willingly keep quiet about. Turning over those who helped her would make enemies and Kitty needed friends. "You've been in a situation like mine?" she asked Kumiko. "Are all vampires so..." Kitty shook her head, trying to think of a word that wrapped up everything that described Lex. Other than 'good in bed' her thoughts weren't exactly positive. "He'd an ass," she finally said. "Ninety-five percent of the time. And he really thinks I can live like this." Or maybe he knew this would drive her mad and he just wanted to see how long it took.
Oh yes, she was all too familiar with vampires and wished she wasn't. The smile that had been lingering on Kumiko's lips slowly faded away while she looked at Kitty. Sounded like Lex did a good job upholding his douchebag reputation. "All vampires I've met are usually full of themselves. Something about being immortal with advanced abilities, I suppose." Kumiko preferred being a siren any day on that matter. "One in particular I've been trying to kill for over two hundred years now. Though at the same time, he's supported me, but-" She shook her head to rid herself of the memories of Katsuo. As far as she was concerned, he was dead to her now. Having disappeared during WWII and not hearing a word since, what else was she to expect? "It's not easy, that I will say. I wouldn't be surprised if you spend the rest of your life as his nemesis."
"I'm sure I won't be the only one," Kitty said with a soft snort. Lex seemed like the type to attracted hatred. There was no way she was the only one out there with a desire to inflict pain on him like he had on her. The infuriating part was that Lex likely didn't feel the same; she could hardly be a worry when she couldn't effectively hurt him. To him, she was just a toy, annoying at best. Kitty wanted to prove to him she was something to fear, even if she wasn't a vampire. "I can't claim that Lex has supported me; his only reason for providing me anything is because he'd rather do it himself than let someone else step in. He treats me like a pet, nothing more," Kitty said, lips pressed tight in annoyance towards her capture. "The vampire you've been trying to kill-- would you still kill him, if given the chance?"
That definitely sounded like something Katsuo would do - doing everything for the siren simply because he didn't want anyone else to come near her. She wondered what the vampire would think of her now being a high-class escort and all. Probably die for real. Speaking of dying, Kitty had brought up a rather interesting question. Stupid in Kumiko's mind, but she didn't blame the curious siren for asking. It was enough to elicit a gentle, yet dark chuckle from Kumiko. "I'd gladly do it. I wouldn't even give it a second thought." She didn't care how much Katsuo supported her. He needed to die, just like all the other men she encountered in her lifetime. "And what about you, Kitty? Would you kill your vampire if given the chance?"
"So long as I'm his prisoner, yes," Kitty said. There were times that she'd not fought him tooth and nail, but that was more for her benefit than to keep him alive. Fighting with Lex meant that she was treated poorly afterwards, and sometimes it wasn't worth it. Better to bid her time and watch for the right openings when she could most benefit from it. "I can only look at the situation as it is now. Things will change, and then I'll have to re-evaluate. I might continue to hate him once I'm out, and then I'd still want my revenge. I guess I'll have to see."
Kumiko was quite proud of the young siren's answer and looked at the redhead with approving eyes. "You'll have your revenge, Kitty. You'll see." If she kept that spirit up, the siren would do well in life. Kumiko didn't know too many sirens in her life, but some of the ones she met deserved to be stripped from their immortality and beauty. There was no room for hesitation or even a sense of humanity. It was a ruthless world out there and they had to seize it by the balls. "Besides, you'll have all time in the world to finally get what you want." While reassuring the redhead, she slipped off of the bed and onto her feet, smoothing out her robe. "Trust me, I would know." With a light smirk and giggle, she turned on her heels to head to the door. "I must be off now, but it was a pleasure chatting with you, Kitty. I hope to see you again in the near future." As she propped the door open, she looked over her shoulder to eye the siren. "And I promise to have a magic book in tow." That said, she slipped on out from the cell and closed the door behind her, locking it shut.