IceAndWave/DressesDancesAndDebauchery4a

Dresses, Dances And Debauchery - Part 4a

What happened between Asura and Cassia...

Asura helps the somewhat unsteady Cassia to her feet, taking mild advantage of her drunkeness to hold places she probably should ask permission for first, and helps her back into the rooms that have been prepared for her in the Palace for some time.

Cassia doesnt object as she is guided along the corridor to her room, swaying a little, then turning to face Asura, "Thank you... for... a wonderful night." The thought that she should be guilty has been lost somewhere in the warmth of the fruit juice.

Asura smiles, "You deserved it," and moves into Cassia's room with her, sitting the young girl on her bed and carefully removing her shoes before moving a seat in and sitting down opposite her. "Now," she says, smile gone, "We need to talk."

Cassia bites her lip, but nods. She waits for Asura to start to talk, holding herself upright.

Asura sits on the chair she pulled up, Cassia wavering slightly on the bed as the alcohol from the ice-wine and "fruit juice" affect the young girl's system. "So, Cassia... how did you enjoy your first real party as one of the Exalted?"

Cassia smiles, and swallows down the small bit of guilt that is starting to surface, "It was... wonderful. Nothing quite... like I imagined but..." she smiles wider.

Asura smiles slightly in return and nods, "And what did you think of Sian and Venia, now that you have had a chance to actually meet them directly?"

"Sian is ...so serious." She looks slightly disagreeable at this. "Venia..." Why is she asking me about venia? why doesnt she just say?! "Venia was... very pleasant to talk with and wonderful to... dance with."

"Sian is very serious, about everything..." Asura smiles slightly in memory, "Venia... now Venia is why I'm talking to you now... although your current state is not the best." Asura leans forwards and places her hand on Cassia's chest, slipping her fingers between the strips of the dress.

A hot patch forms on Cassia's chest where Asura's hand rests on her skin, the warmth flowing out to suffuse the girl's body, and where the warmth goes the fuzziness of the alcohol disappears. Asura breathes once and sits back down, "Feeling better now?"

Cassia glances down at where the hand was, and the warm sensation, then up at Asura. The events of earlier come back into slightly sharper focus. Despite this she nods, and "...Yes, thank you." A small smile.

"Good. Now Venia..." Asura pauses in thought for a moment, "Venia and I hate each other, and I mean that word in its purest form. We have hated each other for years now, and seeing her again brought up... never mind." She shakes her head, "You are a young girl, only just come into her heritage and power as one of the Chosen. Venia has had many years of experience in a world full of people like us. Do you see what I'm saying here?"

Just say it! Cassia nods, trying to keep the emotion she is feeling out of her voice and her body, slightly easier now the drink has gone. "Yes, my lady."

"This 'understanding' that we have come to is just a means to an end, and I am sure that that is as true for Venia as it is for me," Asura reaches out to stroke Cassia's cheek, "Since I am unable to travel I will need an agent, a friend," the full devastating power of one of Asura's heartbreaking smiles is leveled at the poor girl," someone I can trust, to go with them. I need you to do this."

Cassia shivers softly at the carress. How did she know to stroke her there, just where Venia had earlier? She warms slightly at the memory despite herself. "To travel with Venia? Where?" she asks, dampening down the excitement, letting the curiousity show.

"Wherever they have to, I expect. Tideholme is, in the grand scheme, a very small and unimportant place, but what has been my cage for so long could become something else, if everything goes as planned..." Asura moves over to sit on the bed behind Cassia, "I would expect you to report faithfully everything that happens upon your, no doubt infrequent, returns here, but otherwise you are to travel with Venia, and Sian."

She sighs, "You need to find out what they are up to, why they're here, now, together. I refuse to believe it is a coincidence, particularly now." She strokes Cassia's hair, "Could you... distract Sian, do you think, seduce him?"

Cassia sighs softly at the stroking, "...I..." she considers, "...He only seemed to dance as close to me as the dance required, my lady."

"You're a beautiful young woman, Cassia, but, I fear, lacking in knowledge as regards men and their desires," she plays idly with Cassia's hair, parting it over her neck where the pins that hold her dress up reside and gently unpicking one.

Cassia feels the pin going this time, "...Asura?" she asks softly.

"It's late, and you've had a big day," Asura kisses the back of Cassia's head, "You need to sleep, and you don't want to sleep in one of Silver Peacock's creations." Another pin is removed, "Why I'm really talking to you, though, is Venia. She can be dangerous. Beautiful and seductive, but very dangerous. She may try to affect our relationship, our friendship, while you are away with her and Sian, and I want you to be aware of that."

"...She told me what she did for your house."

"Really? That is a surprise," she strokes her long fingers down Cassia's back, "She must trust you a great deal already, I'm impressed. Nevertheless, be careful around her. She has depths that I don't think I ever touched, and the Dragons know I tried." She undoes another couple of pins, leaving the dress barely hanging on.

Cassia shivers at the feeling of the fingers, too similar to the fingers in her mind. It would be so easy to tell her, right?

Asura slides around on the bed to face the girl, "I am placing a great deal of trust in you, Cassia, and an equal burden. But I feel that you are equal to the task, and you can always come home, to me, for advice," she leans forwards and kisses the young Dragon-blood, a soft, tender kiss that lasts an eternity of heartbeats. "You should go to sleep, one never knows what tomorrow will hold."

Asura stands from the bed.

Such a different kiss... but still so... She looks up from the bed at Asura, "Good night Asura." She smiles and thinks about the kisses. She should tell her. She really should.

Cassia looks down, then up again "Asura..."

Asura walks softly towards the door, waving her hand as she walks out to silence the light crystal, "Remember what I said, won't you Cassia, the next time you have sex with Venia." And she leaves.

Cassia stares at the door she left by for a long, long time.