With him holding her, she forced herself to relax. He was telling her what they needed to do, and even if she didn't like it, she knew it's what they had to. "I… I really don't know why he hates you." Joanna said softly, tracing his muscles in his firm hold. She was being honest, she didn't understand. Why would anyone actually hate him? Herself included, though she realized she never truly hated him.
"How are we going to end this? Doesn't he have more power over both of us combined?" Humming, she pulled away just slightly, and led him back over to the bed. She sat on the edge, starring up at him. A warm, caring look was on her face, as she stared up to the one of Kasiya. "I mean, I don't even have magical abilities, so what am I suppose to do?"
He followed after her when she went to the bed, but he remained standing when she sat. He shifted his weight from foot to food, wondering what, exactly, he could accuse Redore of doing that would lead to the least amount of backlash on their part, should he manage to worm his way out of it with a 'not guilty.' "He's hated me forever," he stalled, "Ever since we were kids, it's all I've known from both him and my parents." Kas looked up and released an unamused huff. "I guess he thought that they might choose me over him if he didn't side with them, and that turned for the worse."
Stalling would only work for so long, and he knew he had to come out and tell Joanna what he was thinking. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed heavily and dropped his shoulders, looking defeated. "You're going to help me pin him with anything we can get solid evidence of. Attempted murder being one."
A hard lump grew in her throat, and she looked up at him in shock. "Y-you mean..?" Her voice trailed off, and her hands came to her mouth. 'He wouldn't… no!' Joanna stood up immediately, taking his hands in hers', and looking him up and down. "He tried to kill you? He hates you that much?"
Most wouldn't believe that, but seeing the way he treated herself, she could see it happening. The picture was clear, and so was the look on his face. "Kassy… I-…" She couldn't find her words, they were stopped before she could even think. Nothing was coming to her, she was drawing blanks every time something came to her. "You… how bad was it?"
"I attacked him," Kas said bluntly with a shrug, though his gaze dropped to their hands. He couldn't face her for some reason. 'Time for another confession.' It's been so long since he thought of that night, almost too long. But not long enough. The memories were burned into his head like the marks his skin bore.
"My family was poor. We lived in a place that valued magic, because there were so little people that had it. Neither one of my parents had any, but they wanted to increase their status. Redore and I were born of that twisted desire. Almost instantly, they favored him over me because of that one major difference. I was useless to them, so I was left to fend for myself. I still… I still tried to look up to him, to play with him as my big brother. He constantly pushed me away. One night I just… had enough. I ran into his room and tried to confront him. He hit me, so I hit him back. Things escalated, and he…" He closed his eyes and swallowed. He couldn't say much, just gestured to the burn marks on his chest, then the concentrated ones around his neck. "Pyromancer."
Her eyes seemed glossed over, as she listened to his words. Her heart pounded, and she reached up to tilt his head up. "So is that what he did to me? On my jaw and neck?" She asked softly, tracing the spots on her neck. She even went as far to take his hand and have him trace the slight scars on her neck. "Is that what he did?"
Joanna stared up into his black eyes, holding his hand against her skin. She wasn't sure how to comfort him, but he had used a lot of physical contact with her, so she was trying that. Holding his hand, bringing herself close, she was trying to show she cared. Whether she was doing that or not, was a mystery to her. She hadn't had to show him the comfort he needed, because he always closed himself off. With him opening up so quickly, she was trying to find his best suit of her trying to help him.
"Probably," he whispered, opening his eyes to trace the marks not only with his touch but his eyes. She was lucky they were only red and not as severe as his. Just enough to mark her. He let out a soft breath and rested his forehead against hers. Even he didn't know what he preferred for comfort, but Joanna's touch and support seemed to be what he needed.
His fingers curled against her jaw, just using the feel of her skin to ground him and bring him back from that yawning pit he was teetering on the edge of. "Whatever he's done doesn't matter anymore. All I care about is you being safe from him, and if that means bringing everything from my past to the surface and spilling it to a bunch of policemen, then so be it. I just want you safe." 'And if he touches you again, I won't hesitate to kill him.' He was fed up yet again with his brother, and this time, he wouldn't let some fire get in the way of his goal. Redore was going down one way or another. The world would be better without him, anyway.
Joanna pulled him close slipping her arms around his waist. "I'll take off work for tonight. This is more important than me getting paid." She whispered, burying her face into the crook of his neck. He hadn't said it… bothered him, so she assumed she would be OK. She kissed him slightly, before resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Don't try to argue with me, my mind is set. We need to find what we can, and we're already behind. I'll get Jonathan to cover my shift." She continued to whisper, trying to sound calm and organized. She assumed he was going to argue anyways, so she prepared her case, and reasoning to why this was more beneficial. There were plenty of reasons, and all she would have to do is state very few of them and he'd have to agree with her. No arguing after that. It was practically full-proof.
He sighed and slowly wrapped his arms around her. "Shortcake…" he protested, "It can wait a day. You don't have to take off work and mess with your payments just for this." He didn't want to make her move things around for something like this. She already had enough on her plate because of it, she didn't need to worry about money and catching up on work on top of that.
Even if he protested, he knew she had set her mind on it, so he was preparing himself for a speech full of reasons why she was right in making this decision. He didn't bother with saying anything else, just adjusted his hold on Joanna so he held her just a bit closer, like a child afraid of losing his favorite toy. He might pretend that everything was fine, but he was scared of just that—losing her, losing the one thing that genuinely made him smile and feel normal.
"I want to though," She mumbled, feeling herself beginning to relax in his arms. "Besides, that means I can be with you tonight. And not have to worry about either of us getting hurt because of your brother." She hummed, pecking him a few times. It just came naturally, though she wasn't sure what did. If it was either an acting job or if it was her true feelings, she really didn't know.
"I can catch up, Jonathan owes me anyways." Joanna pulled out of his arms, and stepped onto the edge of the bed. She slightly hovered over him, and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'll be OK… We'll be OK." She hummed, leaning in to rest her forehead against his. Once she had, she shut her eyes feeling the secure feeling of him being around. "I promise you that much."
He stayed silent, simply watching her as she argued—reasonably, to his begrudging distaste—and felt a twitch of a smile when she pecked his lips a few times. His eyes followed her up when she got onto the bed. When she talked like that, it was hard for him to argue with her. Damn her for being reasonable and stubborn at the same time.
With a sigh, he settled his hands on her waist and closed his eyes, angling his head so he was facing upwards towards her more. "Alright… alright, you're right. But at least promise me that we aren't going to focus on that all day. Some breaks are good." It was slightly weird to be looking up at someone, even if he had his eyes closed and he couldn't see her. He didn't need to, just had to feel her hovering above him. Weird, he decided, but not off-putting.
"Of course, but it's good to get a start. Let me call Jonathan and then we can get to work." She hummed with a smile, leaning forward and placing one last gentle kiss on his lips. She leaned forwards more, leaning against him. "I'll be right back, I just left my phone in the car." She mumbled, getting off the bed and walking past him to the door.
She half skipped out, trying to be quick, so she could come back. Once out the door, she let her thoughts settle about what had happened for the 40 minute to an hour she was in there. She had admitted she had some form of feelings, not even sure which ones she was talking about. He hadn't said that he did specifically, but she got the point when he started to kiss her. He didn't push her away, on occasions even bringing her closer. She blinked to clear her thoughts as she opened her car door.
While he waited for Joanna to come back, Kas sat on the floor with his back to the bed, mind spinning with so many different things. Most glaringly was the girl he had hated—but also secretly cared about? That secret had been so secret, even he hadn't known about it. Of anyone, why Joanna? He wasn't complaining, he would never complain after everything they've shared with each other, but he was confused. What did he feel for her? He'd like to say they were friends, but there was clearly something different between them that he just couldn't pinpoint. And then there was also Redore–
"Meow!" Inigo jumped up onto his lap and pressed its front paws against his chest, its eyes peering up at him adorably. Kas smiled and scooped the feline into a hand, then gently set it on his shoulder. Immediately, Inigo purred and curled up against his neck. It was strange, he thought. It was almost as if the kitten was comforting him. It was certainly working. 'Little bugger is learning from shortcake.'
Joanna was on the phone, using her shoulder to hold it. "I know Jonathan, it's really short notice." She sighed, pulling her hair up into a loose ponytail. "No kidding! It's barely even 3 hours until I have to leave!" He complained, into the phone, making Joanna groan internally. "Listen, it's about… that guy. Some things are going on, and I need to clear them up. So please, can you take my shift? You still owe me from the last time." She pointed out, knocking on his hotel room door.
A very loud sigh came from the other end, and Joanna smirked knowing he was about to give in. "Fine, next time give me some warning though if possible. I hate having to change plans on Grace." He muttered, hanging up the phone on her. This left Joanna with a slight smile, outside of the hotel room.
"It's open, shortcake," Kas called, leaning his head back against the edge of the bed and closing his eyes. His arms lifted and draped over them, while his legs sprawled out lazily. He didn't feel like moving from his spot, and the kitten seemed content while curled up tightly against his neck. The steady purring was calming him down and giving him something to focus on, so that was a relief. Now he was getting back into a better headspace than before, one more apt for thinking critically and logically.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it for now. It wasn't Joanna, that much he knew, so he had a very limited list of possible culprits of who it could be. Another buzz, then silence. They knew he wasn't going to answer. Good. He had other things to worry about.
Joanna pushed the door open, and stepped through the door frame. Bumping it with her foot to close it, she skipped back into the bedroom. "I'm clear! So what are we going to do as of the moment?" She asked, walking over to him, and sitting beside him.
Only now she realized she really did need a day off, because just hearing that, she felt lighter. Her shoulders lifted, and a genuine smile stayed on her lips. Resting her head on his shoulder, she nuzzled into the relaxed kitten sleeping on his shoulder. "By the way, you're really cute with that kitten." She hummed, resting a hand on his chest. She wondered what he was thinking, and what was going through his head. 'What can I do for you Kassy? What can I do to help you relax?'
Kasiya hummed and moved his arms just enough to peek down at Joanna when she sat down next to him. His lips tilted up into a soft smile when she commented on him and the kitten, and he went back to covering his eyes with his arms. "I like cats," he said simply, "And I'm willing to bet that he's learning from you."
Physical contact, the kind of contact that was friendly and not intended to harm, the kind that he had lacked growing up—that was what he was missing and needed. Joanna had already figured that out a while ago, and it took Kas just now to realize that. So, he dropped an arm to wrap it around her waist, holding her close while shifting his body to face her just a little bit more. As for what they had to do, he…really did know. "I only know how to avoid the law," he admitted sheepishly, face heating beneath his remaining arm, "not work with it."
A slight smirk came to her lips, and she relaxed her position. "I won't take that bet, because we both know he is." She purred in his ear, nuzzling into his cheek. She was happy, and glad she had taken work off. Even if she had lost her favor to Jonathan over this, she couldn't care less at the moment. Slowly she let herself try and figure out why this was natural to her. Maybe it was because she liked how it felt herself, whenever anyone gave her the warming physichal contact she so rarely got. Though, she was a grown woman. Wasn't this a little childish, being so… 'warm and fuzz'?
At hearing his words, she sighed outwardly, groaning inwardly. "This is going to prove things rather difficult then, isn't it?" She mumbled, pulling her face away slightly. "I think we need to start from the beginning. How many, and what crimes has he committed? If we start there, we might be able to pin one and find the evidence for it."
"Oh boy." Kas sucked in a deep and slightly dramatic breath as he sat up a little straighter and dropped his other arm. "There's a lot, shortcake, and most of it I don't even know about. He's good at covering his tracks." He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, keeping it buried there for a moment while he thought, the strands hanging over his eyes. "I'm probably his only walking canvas. Never got to clean up his mess before I left."
His phone buzzed again, and he growled lowly in annoyance. That midget sure loved to annoy him whenever he deigned to acknowledge him. Though, something must be important for him to pop up out of the blue. "Okay, so I know you might not care much for my family, but I have a cousin that's an evil tech genius," Kas said, shifting so he could grab his phone without disturbing the two cute beings using him as a pillow.
"An evil tech genius?" Joanna asked, raising her brow. "I find that hard to believe." She snickered, looking up to his face. Though he didn't look the same, he looked annoyed. "Everything OK Kassy?" She asked in a low hum. It was clear she was worried for him, and she really didn't care. "You don't look too happy."
She pulled away from him, to pet his cheek with her thumb. "Come on, what's up? I can listen." She whispered, before petting the kitten that was purring on his shoulder. "If it's nothing, then tell me to stop worrying, but if it's something don't lie to me." She mumbled, before running her hand through his soft hair.
((okay, changing the gender of the cousin because I need more female characters XD))
Kas couldn't help himself when she started to touch his hair, eyes fluttering closed and head tilting into her touch. Okay, so maybe he had a weak spot. "Nothing's wrong, exactly. She's just annoying and only chooses to acknowledge me when she needs a partner in crime to carry out her more in-the-scene schemes. Otherwise, she's harmless. Most of her damage is done electronically."
Forcing his eyes open, he looked down at his phone. Sure enough, it was his cousin, Arina Kortneva. His eyes darted over the messages, which turned out to be the same thing over and over again. "It's an address. She wants to meet," he Joanna, then tipped his head like a curious puppy when he saw Arina texting. A muscle in his jaw feathered when he read it. "'And bring your lady friend.' I should've known she'd have surveillance on this place."
((XDD That's fine!))
She watched him carefully, watching him relax into her touch. 'Well this is beneficial to both of us.' Jo smiled, and continued to pet him. She listened to him talk, and nodded at the last sentence. If she was harmless, there was nothing to worry about. She was probably a harmless, smart girl aroun 17-19 range. Jo wasn't going to ask though, she had already painted a mental picture.
At his next words, Joanna had a though come to mind, and she seemed like she was trying not to laugh. So bringing her lips close the his ear, she whispered. "It's a good thing you really weren't trying to 'sleep' with me." She purred, before pulling away to laugh slightly. A smirk rested on her lips, and she hugged him a little closer. "I'm teasing."
He tried not to focus on the feeling of her fingers in his hair, that simple action quite distracting when he was attempting to figure out the pros and cons of going to Arina for help. Pros, she was a freaking genius and could likely do what they couldn't with even less suspicion from people outside of them three. Cons? She was downright evil, expensive, cocky, and delighted in annoying him.
When he felt Joanna's breath in his ear and the words she whispered, he curled his nose and groaned dramatically. "Ugh, she'd never let me live that down if that was the case. She's like an elephant, never forgets anything." He leaned into her when she hugged him closer, still careful to not disturb the tiny motor vibrating against his neck.
A content sigh escaped her lips, and she nuzzled into him. "Have you ever factually checked that? Or have you just heard that?" She asked resting her chin on his chest. "Because I personally, don't really think it's true. You can only be so sure." She mumbled, her green eyes peering into his black ones. "I'll probably check later, otherwise it'll bug me." Yawning, she nuzzled back into him.
Back to being tired, she shut her eyes feeling the relief of shutting them. Her face relaxed, and her whole being slumped some. Slow, steady breaths escaped her lips, and she tried to keep herself awake. Kasiya wouldn't let her go back to sleep, or so she hoped. He would move, or talk, and not know it was keeping her awake. She hoped he would at least.
He rolled his eyes and ran his hand up and down her arm from where he had his arm curled around her. While he did that, he attempted to squeeze information from Arina. "It's an expression, shortcake. But still, that girl never forgets anything. It's like she's got a memory chip implanted into her brain that collects data and sorts it into some sort of complex storage hardware." He curled his nose and grumbled, "And now I'm realizing I've listened to her for too long."
Unfortunately, no matter what he did or asked, she was right back to repeating the address instead of giving him the answers to his question. That stubborn girl really annoyed the shit out of him sometimes. Either way, if he wanted information from his cousin, he'd have to do what she asked. "What do you say to a road trip, shortcake?" he asked, looking down at the drowzy-looking Joanna.
She perked up, out of her tired state. "I love roadtrips!" She grinned, pulling away from him and standing up rather quickly. "Ahh! Head-rush." She squeaked, tipping over onto the bed holding her head. "I really shouldn't stand up that fast, I'm going to hurt myself." She mumbled, sitting up slower this time. A slight sigh escaped her lips.
She looked at Kasiya smiling brightly once more. "Mind if we stop by my place first, so I can change into something more comfortable?" She hummed, rubbing under her tired eyes. "I don't want to be stuck in this outfit for a long time." Standing, she pulled her hair out once more letting it fall over her shoulders.
