Warning: Contains hints at intimate contact, mentions of sexuality and blood/violence/gore you are warned don't try giving me crummel fart for it

--

100 TC Dark

"Write something new! Write something new he said!" fumed a voice from an old rundown cottage.

Any bi-passer knew who was inside stressing over the fact Capricorn wanted to see a new skit not like anything else, he wanted it dark, full of betrayal, death, love, passion, and deceit. Everyone who knew the writer of these skits and performances had never considered something like that in her passions ever. Sur'ri wasn't a dark writer she dabbled in light hearted stories of love and adventure.

"Write something new! Write it dark, full of betrayal, death, love, passion and deceit!" She had her hands buried in her rusty locks her gray eyes full of a cool deathly steel of a knife. "Basta what did you put into his head this time?" she asked turning on the man that was sitting in the table chair polishing his knife with peeked interest in watching his charge fume. On her accusation he held his hands up to fend her attack off "I said nothing Sur'ri...but he is right, the only reason he keeps you here is for your talents in entertainment otherwise you would be out with the fire eater of a brother of yours" he spat at the mention of the man with distaste just the mention of Dustfinger left a bad taste in his mouth.

She scowled and took a crumbled piece of paper and threw it at him, which hit him in the head, he jumped up from his chair setting the knife down and pinned her against the wall.

"Do not anger me," he hissed into her ear his hands held her gently no intentions of causing her harm "do not anger me my sweet," she could feel his warm breath caressing her cheek moving toward her lips "I don't want to hurt you" he went to kiss her lips but she slipped her hand up between them, her breathing wasn't calm and even, her eyes distant and grave.

She shook her head "no Basta you already have...many times I will not go against my brothers wishes, he knows what's best for me and you are not that," she broke away walking to the other side of the room as Basta stood there silent and stricken as if she had slapped him across that sly mouth of his.

He laughed hoarsely pressing his forehead to the wall "And what does your fire eating brother know about love?" he asked his voice filled with venom Sur'ri was not the only thing he wanted that Dustfinger kept away from him.

"A great deal," she said firmly noting the anger in his voice "he's married with a wife and two children the last time I was in the Inkworld. Roxanne-"

Basta spun around "Roxanne is and was nothing but a traveling wench!" he bellowed anger and hate more than plain to see on his face.

"You know full well she was not, she was a dancer of the Motley Folk not a prostitute like Capricorn and the rest of you men here seem to think the maids here are for," she said bristling angrily "its only because of what I know that keeps everyone at bay" she said her jaw set walking to the side as he made a lung for her. She moved to her cabinet opening a drawer with an array of sharp knives polished and sharpened to the highest perfection. She used them in her performances and some she carried on her person for safety. She sensed him closing in and she picked one up and turned around only to have steel met with steel for he too had his own knife.

He smirked biting back his anger, his brown eyes intense and full of hate "Your brother" he rasped out "has kept everything I've wanted from me. First you, then Capricorn and then her." his hand was shaking she could tell from the way his knife grated against hers "and now your here in this world, in this village with me...im not going to let him keep you from me anymore I will finally have what I want. Dustfinger will finally loose the only thing he has left here. I will speak with Capricorn immediately."

She was shaking now she knew she herself loved Basta but her brother had begged her, pleaded and fought for her to not give in. And now Basta wasn't going to wait for her to break, he knew as well as she did she cared for him the way he had always for her. It was only because of his feud with her brother that kept her from him and he was done with it. He gently took the knife from her hand and set both of them on the cabinet shelf leaning into her. "I want you...I wont be denied any longer" he whispered kissing her deeply.

Her body shuddered she couldn't help the fact that she wanted to kiss him back, to give in to her feelings, to through everything Dustfinger said out the window, she couldn't help that but she tried.

"give in...you know you want to be mine" he whispered when he paused to catch his breath wrapping her tightly in his arms kissing her again this time lightly wanting to coax her into giving in, and it worked. She wrapped her arms about his neck pulling him closer as she kissed him back. "you will be the death of me one day...I know you will" she murmured "you'll sink a pretty little knife into my heart and twist and then walk away like nothing ever happened between us," she whispered looking at him through half closed eyes.

He had to smile at how wrong she was "your wrong Sur'ri...ill never do that...ill never let you go...once you are mine, you will always be mine."

With those words he scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the creaky bed and laid her down burying his face in her neck. He would finally have what he wanted, she would always be his and he would never let her go. For a love that traveled back like theirs no knife could severe, no fire could devour. She no longer pulled away from him he knew what she needed...what she wanted he knew her all to well and his little magician of fire and steel would have what she wanted and he would have what he wanted.

--

Hours seemed to pass, as the high noon sun dipped down into the early night hours. Sur'ri was the first to wake the constant reminder of the new project she had to complete seemed to be ever present in her mind, more so than the fact she would sooner or later have to confront Dustfinger and tell him that she was soon to be Basta's wife, that she had given into her heart...he had always told her that her emotions would be the end of her. 'Well they are not my end yet' she thought to herself she would be happy and she would see to it that her husband would be happy, he already was and he treated her like she was more than gold, if only he didn't break her heart everyday he worked for Capricorn.

She opened her eyes and looked at him as he slept holding her close his thumb rubbed shoulder tenderly. His long black hair fell over his left eye and his lips held a faint genuine smile, something no one but her ever saw. She sighed sadly gently pushing the hair from his eyes, shifting and placing a kiss on his lips. "You will never be fully mine until you leave him" she whispered softly when he started to stir. He smiled and kissed her back not having heard her as the memories of the past hours filled his mind and the warmth of her body against his became known.

"mmm yer sweet as honey," he whispered "I always knew yer sweet nature was like that" he grinned.

She smiled softly "I thought I would have tasted like soot and steel shavings...oh and don't forget lead and paper," she chuckled softly

"Your soap must be really strong then," he said with a shrug he felt so much better being how he wanted to be. She was the only person that knew this side of him the side that never wanted to kill or dabble with such things again, the side that wanted to whisk her away somewhere in the night and live for her and only her. But that side was no longer able to take prescience now even if he wanted to leave Capricorn would send men after them. He picked her left hand up looking at the finger that held his ring on her finger "You've worn that since that day haven't you?" he asked curiously remembering that promise he had made in the glade so long ago.

She nodded "yes I have...I always hoped that, that Basta would come back...the Basta I know now, he keeps twisting that knife stuck in my heart every single day you stay with Capricorn" she replied she knew she could say these things he never tolerated such things from anyone else but herhe cared about what she thought but not as much as he cared about what Capricorn thought of him. She knew Basta would be a happier man if he stopped playing dog for an uncaring master. He sighed rubbing his face ignoring her statement even though he never struck her or got mad at what she said he simply ignored them and she never pressed for she knew it would do no good.

She looked at him sadly and rolled onto her back holding the blankets close, his feet linked around her legs so she wouldn't go anywhere he wasnt ready to let her slip from the bed in attempt to evade him again.

I must writeI dont even have an idea close to what he wants from me she said softly looking at the quarter moon outside her window.

After what seemed to last an eternity of silence Basta settled his chin on her shoulder caressing her warm shoulder and neck with his stubbly face. Let me write it he whispered youve taught me how to read and writeCapricorn doesnt have to know I did,

She looked at him with a question glance And why would you do that? she asked.

I want to help youI want to help you please him so that he will consent to our desire to not only be a charge of mine but to be my wife, he replied.

What if he wants me to write another one? You cant always have ideasyou have work you have to dosometimes it takes days for you to come back.

Then this once will have to be enough of a lesson to teach youor at least give you a feel for what such things are like because I assure you what I have in mind will be exactly what he wants, he said knowingly.

Then tell metell me what your idea is she said her interest heightened

He thought for a moment a satisfied grin on his face having found something to keep secret from her that she wanted to know, everything else well she didn't want to know. "I don't think I will tell you," he mused "you'll just have to wait until I'm finished with it."

She sighed knowing that trying to persuade him otherwise wouldn't work. "Fine you better get writing then," she said nudging him "I don't want a ticked Capricorn on my back wanting something new," she sighed

"Oh I'll start when I'm good and ready...now how 'bout some more of that wonderful soot and steel shavings?" he asked rolling so she was pinned beneath him again.

--

Days passed, and days turned into weeks, and soon a month had gone by. Capricorn fortunately had given her ample time to write a knew play he'd inquire about it but she told him that every play had it secrets to be revealed when performed. He seemed pleased with her though when she'd describe how some of her ideas would be, but she herself knew nothing of what Basta was writing for her. Dustfinger had come back once or twice in the night to see her the past month she had yet to tell him of Basta's intentions, and even if she wanted to convince Basta to not it wouldn't have done any good. She was trapped in the lines of a intricate web of a feud that had all started with her years ago.

At the current moment she was folding some of her laundry she was responsible for, being in Basta's care and personal 'servant' by Capricorns definition she was ensuring Basta's clothes where neat, mended and ready for his next usage of them. That's when Basta came in from the conjoining room with a bundle of paper which he set before her pleased.

"There's your new play...not too long and not too short, I anticipate it being the length of your others."

She looked up at him silently for a moment and then looked at the stack of papers in front of her as she put her mending down. "Well then, I'll have to read it and see what can be done with it," she said with a light smile. "But I have to get my chores done before I can," she said leafing through the papers.

"Bah!" his protest startled her slightly and she looked up at him curiously

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"You can worry about your chores later, if Mortalla gets on your case tell her your working on something for Capricorn which you are" he said simply.

She shrugged "I guess..." she sighed

"I insist," he said picking up the clothes and dumping them on the bed "Now read...when I get back I want to know what you think" he said smiling and kissing the top of her head before leaving.

She sighed shaking her head with a light smile, you would think that he was a puppy looking to be scratched from a kind masters hand. Sometimes he still acted like the young man he was at 30, she was 27 oh how many years they had been together and then separated again. She pushed these thoughts from her mind as she let herself be carried away by the words on the paper.

--

The story was based around a brothel, though however magnificently disguised it was. The main roles where that of a young prostitute by the name of Roxanne it wasn't surprising considering Basta still held a grudge to that woman, there where two men that played a role in this woman's life. One Lucien a young performer for the show's the manager would show nightly, the other a man a good 5 years older than the boy by the name of Damien who was an ex convict and now a stage hand in the brothel.

As the story went on Damien and Roxanne became lovers, seemingly true and faithful to one another when she was not working. They had agreed her job would not come between them and their relationship of growing love prospered. Well that was until Lucien was stared as the lead male role in the newest performance and Roxanne was the lead female role. At first Roxanne had promised that the intimacy of the roles that where to be rehearsed would not interfere with her feelings for Damien, but as time went on and the show came ever closer to being complete she grew further and more distant from him. His anger began to boil and suspicion arose when one night they were intimate and she called him by Lucien's name. She had been quick to reassure him that it was only a slip of the tongue from rehearsals but Damien was no fool he allowed her to think he believed her, but in truth he did not and began to shadow her every step and one night when she had promised to be with him she was instead with the boy.

Over come with the sense of betrayal and anger, it festered into hatred and he began to devise a plan of revenge on the two. Yes they would both die, if he could not have her Lucien would not and Lucien would be punished for taking what was rightfully his own. So the opening night of the new performance the show went on as planned the young couple unawares of what fate awaited them in Roxanne's apartment. That night when she went to her room to wait for Lucien she was confronted by Damien a knife concealed amongst his clothes. He questioned her, beat her into unconsciousness, and when Lucien came into the room he saw what had happened. The two fought but Damien pulled his knife out and the boy fell upon it just as Roxanne was becoming conscious again. When Lucien was dead Damien turned on her, she pleaded and begged him to spare her but he merely smiled picking her up by her hair and whispered in her ear that all beauty must die and then he slit her pretty little neck.

After that Damien left the room and disappeared into the night no one ever found him, not that anyone looked for him either a prostitute being murdered was hardly a new thing as for Lucien being killed...they assumed it had been a feud between two men and they gave it no thought. They simply buried them side by side with only their names and the date they died on the head stone. But one day someone walked passed the two graves to see that someone had painted in red on the headstone 'All beauty must die'.

--

Sur'ri had her hand over her throat as she placed the papers down, her face pale. Basta was excellent and embellishing the murder scene...but then again it was amongst his common knowledge. It was defiantly full of what Capricorn had wanted and she was already picturing scenes and costumes for the actors. The only thing was she had a face for Lucien but none for Roxanne and Damien. She was deep in thought when he came back and he came in so quietly she didn't hear him. He looked at her curiously and poked her which in turn made her jump startled and scream, and he jumped back and cursed having being startled by her outburst.

"Confound it Basta!" she snapped placing her hand over her beating heart looking at him accusingly "I read something like that and then you do that blast you scared the heck out of me!!"

He grinned "So I did good then eh?" he asked with a smirk.

She scowled "if someone is looking for something like that then yes...yes you did an excellent job with it," she huffed "im going to have nightmares for the next month though" she grumbled "specially after my near heart attack just now."

He ignored her complaint as he shrugged his black coat off, though he kept his long sleeved white shirt on to hide the scars on his arms. He seemed pleased now even though the day had taken a tole on him, he was weary from the happenings of the day even though he was an excellent actor for hiding how it troubled him sometimes. She always knew that underneath everything bad he was a good man...she just needed to draw it out more and get him away from this place but he would never leave Capricorn.

She sighed heavily watching him as her sunk his fingers into his hair the gold band on his left hand peeking out from his black tresses, she looked down at her own hand seeing the same gold ring she had kept for years but now it didn't stand for a promise waiting to be fulfilled, it represented a completed one. They seemed to fight still specially when he was as she despised him, hardly when he was her Basta the man she knew and loved and right now he was her's.

She stood up from the table taking her hair out of the ponytail she kept it bound up in and let the rusty hair fall past her shoulders. She took her black polished shoes off and slipped on a pair of slippers and removed some of the undesired accents to her attire pulling her shirt loose of her skirt and taking it off so she was just wearing her cami, she kept her necklace on though it was another treasure of hers she kept on always. She moved to the stove in the corner of the cabin and stocked the fire inside watching the little flames flicker playfully at the kindling.

"Don't play in the fire" he said suddenly and so sharply that she responded quickly closing it back up. "You know I don't like your unhealthy infatuation with fire," he muttered.

"And you know my brother doesn't like my unhealthy obsession with knives," she countered "you both are so bent on keeping me from doing things I like...sometimes id like very much to tell you both to stuff it and let me be, but then I realize my life would be nothing without both fire and steel...I love both of you and yet you both hate each other" she said sadly with a sigh.

"Good...life would be out of balance," he muttered "as long as yer mine life seems a little bit better."

She was silent as she tidied the small kitchen area and other parts of the small cabin. She was bent over her small writing desk putting pens and paper away when Basta wrapped his arm about her waist pulling her to him and turning her to face him. "Who did you have in mind for the lead roles?" he asked curiously running his fingers through her hair.

"well," she said unbuttoning a couple of buttons on his shirt "I thought id cast Angelo as Lucien, that light hair and light eyes seems to fit and it would contrast to the darker character of Damien. But I don't know who to cast for Damien or Roxanne, none of the maids look much like the story depicts and there's not many men that would look like how I picture Damien" she said simply.

"Well how do you picture Damien?" he asked slipping the strap of her cami off her shoulder caressing it with his worn fingers.

She sighed and pursed her lips "well I pictured him like you actually...I think the way you wrote it hinted at that fact...the long black hair was a give away" she said looking up at him noting his grin.

"Indeed I did, you are very detail oriented my dear" he grinned "I want you to cast me for the role"

"well then you'll be Damien...im sure you have a knife already picked out" she said with a light smile. "I just need someone for Roxanne"

"Why don't you play the role?" he asked.

She looked at him the flicker of fear in her eyes that appeared on occasion. "I'm nothing like the character...it may send messages that I don't want to be sent" she said hoping her would let it lie but he didn't.

"Is there any woman here you would prefer having the role that would send the right message?" he inquired.

She shook her head "No,"

"Then play the role," he said firmly she could see it was not a request.

She nodded relenting not wanting him angry with her. "But the reason for my hesitancy is because every lead role a woman plays Capricorn takes a fancy to...he already watches me too closely for my liking,"

"Your my wife now...there's no reason to fear for that" he soothed "Capricorn is known to do many things but taking a man's wife is not one of them."

She sighed looking at the wall and he guided her face back to him kissing her lips lightly. "Tomorrow you can start writing it into a script and make copies to give to the people your casting to rehearse" he said lightly "It will be superb and just what he want's he'll be very pleased," he smiled comfortingly.

She forced a smile and nodded in agreement. "Your right...I have no reason to worry about nonsense."

He smiled "that you don't"

--

Another month passed, a month of endless practicing, rehearsing and preparing the costumes. A small set was built to go into the church hall when they were to perform it on the first night, it would be taken down until Capricorn wanted to see the performance again and when he was tired of it they would take it apart and reuse what they could for the next performance. Things seemed to be going smoothly no problems with the cast and everything was on schedule as night approached on their set date. Sur'ri was busy dressing in her costume for the opening act, the garb of a prostitute was not something she liked seeing on herself her brother would have a fit if he saw her. She pushed it out of her mind as everyone assembled in the church hall awaiting the start as the rest of the cast took their places. The performance would be a success even for its dark theme.

--

All was dark except for the eerie red glow of the red lights set on the center of the set, Damien stood on one corner dressed in all black and Roxanne was talking happily in Lucien's arms to one side of the room. Piano music filled the echoing hall and other instruments filled the room from the cassette player on the floor somewhere behind the set. Roxanne and Lucien began dancing a tango, slow, racy, and sensual.

Damien paced back and forth like a corralled bull threatening to break free. You could hear him speaking in a husky rageful voice "Jealousy will drive you mad!" he yelled the last word as if the man where literally going mad.

A singer began to sing in a deep husky voice

"Roxanne...You don't have to put on that red light

Walk the streets for money

You don't care if it's wrong of if it is right

Roxanne...You don't have to wear that dress tonight

Roxanne...You don't have to sell your body to the night"

Damien on the other part of the room looked sad and mournful watching the pair as they danced, Lucien's hand curved over Roxanne's chest down her side resting suggestively on her thigh, his other hand rested over her's at her waist, and his face was buried into the crook of her neck caressing her there with his lips.

A soft almost angelic mournful voice rose softly from Damien as he began to sing, slowly, grieving, and mournful.

"His eyes upon your face...

His hand upon your hand...

His lips caress your skin...

Its more than I can stand!"

His voice echoed threatening to shatter into a million pieces.

"Why does my heart cry?

Feelings I cant fight!

Your free to leave me but

Just don't deceive me!

And please believe me when I say I love you!"

The unnamed singer sang her name over and over again as Damien sung, the plee of a man so in love being mingled with the calling of the men wanting to pay for her body. The couple danced closer to the bedroom in the set Damien was there already waiting. The music died down in a stop as Roxanne broke apart from Lucien almost as if she were considering going back to Damien to beg his forgiveness and take her back. She left Lucien walking into the room stopping when she saw Damien her body held that of fear.

The red light shone brighter on Damien all focus turning to him as he spoke. "And I who love you so much; what am I going to do? You left me...you left me like a dove. My soul has left me; my heart has left me. I no longer wish to live because I cannot convince you, not to sell yourself, Roxanne. You are no longer mine, all beauty must die!" He charged at her beating her and throwing her to the ground where she remained still and unconscious.

At the sound of the fight Lucien came in to see Damien through her to the ground, thinking she was dead he lunged at Damien. But Damien had anticipated this move and held his knife out and it pierced Lucien to the heart. A few heart beats of a moment counted out and he feel to the floor lifeless blood gushing onto Damien and the floor. A shrill scream of agony filled the room and Damien spun around to face Roxanne and he approached her the knife still covered in her lovers blood.

"Please Damien spare my life, forgive me of my sins against you" she pleaded her black makeup running down her face with tears.

But Damien merely smirked kneeling next to her cradling her head with his hand sinking his fingers into her hair and forcing her head back, he bent and whispered in her ear. "All beauty must die" and he drew his knife over her throat any cry silenced instantly.

There was silence and then the choir began to sing in rageful voices. As Damien gathered his former lover into his arms weeping.

i"Why does my heart cry?"/i Damien sang bitterly as the choir sang

"Roxanne!...You don't have to put on that red light."

i"Feelings I can't hide!"/i

"Roxanne!...You don't have to wear that dress tonight"

i"Why does my heart cry?"/i

"Roxanne!...You don't have to put on that red light"

i"Feelings I can't fight!"/i

"Roxanne!...You don't have to wear that dress tonight"

"Roxanne! Roxanne!"

Damien had now let his love lay on the floor in her own blood as he looked at his knife with bitter hatred he plunged the knife into his own chest his last words were. "Roxanne...all beauty...must...die" and he collapsed next to her never destined to be joined in life but in death no one knew for sure.

The lights shut off upon this scene the room was filled with a eerie silence again. Basta in the dark kissed his wife happily on the lips smiling pleased at how the performance went, he knew he wouldn't have a chance to congratulate her properly until they where home so a stolen kiss after 'The curtain' fell would have to do. Suddenly a resounding applause from Capricorn broke the silence and the lights turned back on again as the three actors stood up taking their bow's as the rest of the gathered people applauded.

An applause! And Capricorn was beaming with that sadistic glee of his. Sur'ri held Basta's hand wanting to kiss him but refrained. She looked around the room she was sure she would collapse from all the excitement. Even though it had been a dark murderous story she felt as if she had crossed an obstacle in her life not that she had performed such a terrifying performance but she had done something her brother would consider betrayal...she was married to the man she loved no matter how dangerous...how dark...how rageful he could be. He was her's and she...she was his.