• Closed • We Stitch These Wounds

[Ashira Ward]

47 Vhalar

The King was holding a morale building event. All drinks in the city were half priced. An opportunity. Everett had seen an opportunity in the drug Ashira had christened Beldurra after she accidentally exposed herself to it. Beldurra, at its most basic, caused fear and anxiety. Hallucinations. Vulnerable as it made a persons mind, they tended to become more susceptible to suggestions. Or so she'd found through her own experience. This hardly qualified as a clinical trial of course, with only one person. Still, all things had to start somewhere. Besides, she couldn't just go about poisoning the general population. Firstly because it would get her thrown in jail and probably hung, and secondly because then knowledge of it would spread.

And that was the opposite of what they wanted.

The opportunity Everett had seen in Beldurra was as a negotiating tool. If, in the course of a business meeting he could expose a rival, he could reduce a usually dominant, alpha male type to a sniveling coward, eager to agree, to sign anything if it would just take the fear away.

It had proven a versatile drug so far. She'd designed it to be taken orally. Slipped into a drink or food. When she'd accidentally broken the first, weak trial version on the stove, she'd learned first hand that it could be just as effective when airborne. This opened up new options. The first that came to mind, a favourite poisoners trick, though one she didn't yet have mastered, was to work it into a candle. As the candle burned, the poison was warmed up and released. Ashira had no idea how to make candles however, so that would need to wait. At the very least, it was common enough practice to put a small shallow bowl of some essential oil over a flame to perfume a room. Particularly as the cold seasons approached and the poorer folks bathed less and less.

The problem with air versus oral of course, was that it was far less discriminating. If Everett was in the room negotiating, and Ashira was there as a Scrivener, they too would be exposed. They could hardly take advantage of the situation if they were reduced to crying and trembling on the floor themselves. What they could do however, though it was unlikely to be pleasant, was to build up an immunity, or at least a resistance.

Which was why they had picked tonight. Between the rains keeping people in, and the copious amount of alcohol flowing to explain any odd behaviour in case anyone did happen upon them or the worst happened and one of them left the house while still under the drugs effects, this trial was as close to perfect as it was going to get.

That didn't mean that Ashira wasn't apprehensive of course. Her own first brush had been.. Less than enjoyable. And it had been far, far weaker than what she held in her hand now. The most recent version of Beldurra had been steeping for over two weeks. That said, she didn't intend to get the entire batch to the face like last time either. Still, she'd very meticulously hidden all the knives anyway. Just in case.

"I think dipping a finger should be enough, for this first time." She commented finally, looking over at Everett, courage as raised as it was going to be. The vial holding the poison was held tight in one slightly clammy hand.

[Everett Ward]

”And you’re sure it won’t kill us?” His voice was empty, as if the question were whether or not the weather was light enough to leave a jacket at home, but he knew it was far more serious. Everett’s first brush with Beldurra had been at Ashira’s expense, and though it opened a wonderful world of possibility for him, he saw what it could do to a person.

Of course, he didn’t know what it was or what was happening then. He knew that she’d likely poisoned herself, but as she went to bed, it seemed to subside. Perhaps it was his singing, or somehow she’d anchored herself to his voice and that drew her from the hallucinations. But her accounts of what she saw before he arrived home were… perturbing.

”It does us no good dead.” His voice was stern now, and he set his dark orbs on her. He knew that she would never kill him on purpose, though he didn’t doubt that she would torture him if she truly felt he deserved it. Still, he had asked for this, asked her to make a batch specifically so the two of them could build a resistance to its effects. Even should it still incite fear and hallucinations, Everett wanted to be prepared to deal with the effects as they arose, and could then use it in his business. It was a courageous tactic, and one that would take a steeled mind to pull off. So he knew the necessity of this exercise. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to learn more about himself then he truly wished to know.

He reached a powerful hand out and grabbed her free hand, his eyes on her face. She was gorgeous, even in her trepidation. He gave it a gentle squeeze and gingerly took the vial from her shaking hand. He didn’t remove the stopper, however. Instead, he examined the liquid in the vial, then looked back to Ashira. Her nervousness was not a good sign. He turned the vial over and over in his hands, carefully passing it from left to right to get better angles on it with his vision. After a few bits, though, he’d looked all he could. He scooted closer to Ashira, both for comfort and to make access to the poison easier. Again, his hand found hers, and he raised her pallid flesh to his lips to kiss it. With a look of fearful mischief, he released her hand.

And uncorked the vial. He was holding his breath, and he knew that he would have to breath eventually. However, he took the very last finger on his left hand, the pinky, and dipped it about a half an inch into the liquid. As he removed it, he lifted it to his lips and gingerly licked it. It tasted acrid and rotten, like spoiled meat charred in a fire. Still, though, he needed to ingest the minute amount of the liquid. As soon as he did so, he steeled his features and passed the vial to Ashira.

”Before it takes effect… I love you. No matter what happens.” And he closed his eyes to steady himself as the poison started to pump through his veins. He grabbed Ashira’s hand again, after she ingested the Beldurra, and held tightly. Whatever they were in for, they were in for it together. And that was comforting to Everett.

[Ashira Ward]

"Yes."

She replied immediately when asked whether or not she was sure it wouldn't kill them. Then, because Ashira, while often sneaky and deceptive, was also generally truthful when discussing her craft she continued.

"Probably. There's a small chance of seizures which could kill us. Very nearly negligible."

The worst part was that she actually had a plant that might have mitigated even that small chance. Herb of Grace was effective at stopping seizures. The problem was that it also negatively impacted male fertility, which she absolutely did not want to do. She'd considered adding it anyway, with the Groundcones, excellent for male fertility to offset that, but the more ingredients you added the higher the chance that one of them was going to interact badly. She was learning, she was getting better, and eventually she'd perfect this poison, which she felt might well be her legacy. Until then however, she judged the risk of seizures as less of a danger to Everett than the risk if she added a bunch of different things to the mix. In fairness there was also a small chance you'd get struck by a carriage every time you crossed the street, but people still did that.

"I know."

Her voice was serious as her dark eyes met his. If she'd thought the risk too high, if she thought the worst was likely to happen at all, she would have vetoed this idea. Determined and stubborn as he could be, she could be worse. If she truly believed there was even a one percent chance that this could kill him, she would not have allowed it. For all their conflict, she adored Everett. She might hurt him sometimes, when she herself was hurt, but she would never purposely do permanent damage, and she would never kill him.

Still, as he kissed her hand she couldn't help but shoot him back a quick smile of her own. She was afraid of what she'd made, concerned about how strong it was and how strongly it might affect them. But when he gave her that mischievous look. It was like they were teenagers, getting into something they shouldn't, something they knew was dangerous and that they ought to respect, but that they were determined to experiment with, to experience regardless. She wasn't sure she'd ever classify a brush with Beldurra as fun, but she was glad if she was doing it, that it was with Everett.

After he took his fingerful, she took the vial back, gingerly dipping the fight joint of the first finger on her right hand into the liquid and bringing it to her mouth. The taste was.. worse than her usual cooking. By a long shot. Not entirely unexpected though, since the smell of it evaporating and burning the first time had been similar. She firmly restoppered the vial and set it as far away from them as she could reach. It was likely best not to have it on her when it kicked in, which it would, and quickly if she was any judge.

"I love you too, always and forever." It did bear saying. For now his hand was in hers, and she leaned against him, drawing comfort from his strong frame. For now they were united. For now they were supportive. When Beldurra kicked into high gear though? Anything could happen. Things not even they would say in the heat of their worst fights might come out. They might not recognize each other, seeing only shades and monsters. It wasn't even just words. Depending on how Beldurra affected a person at higher concentrations, one of them could even grow violent and hurt the other, thinking they were fighting for their lives. Hopefully not, that would make it less useful. Everett didn't need his business partners attacking him. That was hardly profitable.

At the very least, she thought, as the poison started to truly infiltrate her body, whatever happened, given the dosage it was likely to be a strong effect, but it shouldn't last terribly long. At worst, she estimated three breaks. She could be wrong though, it had happened in the past, once or twice.

Beldurra was an interesting beast. Ashira had poisoned herself in the past, unintentionally. Always though, the reaction had been largely physical. Intensely unpleasant, but physical. The most that had ever gone with a case of poisoning was disorientation. Maladies of the body held very little fear or worry for her. The way that Beldurra affected the mind though.. That scared her. That was out of her control. Control was very important to Ashira. That was what filled her with trepidation, and what had her holding Everetts hand tightly enough to give away her concern.

Again, it was subtle at first. Creeping in. A slight feeling of disconnect, a wrongness to everything she saw. A slowly growing and absolute belief that things were moving, happening, just out of her view. She had to restrain herself from whipping her head around to check. She still could, she still had some control, but they were only just beginning...