Private RP w/ Dances_with_Shadows

((it's fine))

While Kasiya was busy gathering his things from the hotel, his twin had other plans. Redore slipped into the store after Joanna walked in, then discreetly followed her around by keeping out of her sight. He waited and waited, then grinned to himself when she was distracted and alone. Just like his brother, he slid up behind her and announced his presence by the purred breath on her shoulder.

"Hello, short stuff."

Redore was almost exactly like Kasiya, as they were identical brothers, so it was no surprise many people got them confused. But when put side-by-side, there were some differences. For example, Redore's black eyes were cold and always churning with plans. Kasiya also had burn marks covered by tattoos while Redore's brown skin was unblemished. The younger twin also had piercings whereas the elder did not.

Hearing his purr, and feeling his breath she turned around with surprise. She yanked the earbud from her ear and gave him a raised brow. "I thought you went to the hotel to get your stuff?" She inquired, fiddling with the ear piece. It was a little creepy that Kasiya had- 'Wait…what happened to his tattoos… and piercings?' She wondered, attempting to back away from the tall male unsuccessfully.

"Oh, uh sorry, I thought you were… someone else." She mumbled, glancing at the empty isle way. 'Why am I alone? Why am I alone!?' Jo began to panic at seeing no one nearby. Whoever this man was, he didn't look to have good intention, not in the slightest. "B-but can I help you? Do you need something from the bottom shelf?" She asked, attempting to stay in a light-hearted mood. What more could she do?

((I gtg to bed, so night!~))

((As do I, but quick note, Kas is the one with the piercings))

((Oof, I'll fix that eheh))

((Don't know if you know or not, but I fixed it))

((yeah, I saw, just haven't been in the writing mood lately DX I'll get something up rn for ya))

Redore grinned and stalked closer to the girl, trapping her against the shelf by placing both arms on either side of her and looming over her. Bingo. She knew Kasiya, and the only person to really know who he was would be Joanna—this girl. He had had a hunch, and it would seem it came to be true. "Actually, I have a better thing in mind for you," he mused lowly, an almost sinister look in his eyes that seemed to burn like charred coal. Even the look in the twins' eyes was different. Kasiya still had a fierce underlying need for survival, even if he hated what he became.

Redore lost everything that meant to be alive, all burned up in his hunger for power.

His lips pulled back into a toothy smirk, and one hand quickly latched onto her wrist, keeping her there in a steely grip. One finger pressed down against the jutting bone on the side, subtly searing into the skin to leave a small and relatively harmless mark. "Tell my baby brother," he whispered, lips pressed against the shell of her ear, "I'm not done with him.

((You really didn't have to, because I understand the feeling. But thank you none the less~))

Her breathing was heavy, and her body tensed. There was something different about this man's voice, it was nowhere near the same as Kasiya's, even if he was a doppelganger of her frenemy. She cringed at his touch, wanting to pull away so badly, but she couldn't move. There was nowhere to go. His remark made her eyes grow, and a lump form in her throat she attempted to swallow down. But it only kept building.

Everything was in a whirl, her thoughts still foggy. Things weren't clicking.

And then they did. She jabbed her knee into his gut, pushing him off of her. Due to working where she did, and how small she was, she had taken a few defense classes. Though he was a rather tall, and decently muscled man. So it may not have done much. Quickly dropping her basket, she hurridly went down the asile to escape the creep.

Redore grunted and stumbled back when he was kicked, not expecting that from the tiny girl. "You little…" he breathed in astonishment, then growled over at her when she darted away. "Bitch," he hissed, quickly following after her. He would've left her alone, but then she had to go and do that—and he couldn't have her getting away with that.

His strides were longer than hers, and he was angry now. It wouldn't take long for him to catch up with her. Perhaps he should leave his brother with a little gift, a little reminder that he wasn't playing any games. He wanted his brother gone, out of the picture, no longer a threat to his power. Sure, it was fun toying with Kasiya, but now that he was getting what he wanted, there was no way he was letting Kasiya get in the way of that. His brother was a threat, something that needed to be removed before he messed everything up.

This girl will be a great way at reminding him of what Redore was capable of—a perfect promise.

Joanna was trying to stay at a calm pace, glancing over her shoulder. The store wasn't crowded, but there were enough people around. If Kasiya's twin tried to attack her, someone else would hopefully get involved. Hopefully. At the thought of someone not able to, she sped up coming to the sliding glass doors. 'Please oh please don't let him catch me.' She begged to no one but herself.

Once outside, she pulled her phone out and quickly unlocked it. Who would she call? Technically she had assaulted him, so she couldn't call the police. She didn't want to call Kasiya, did she even have his number? Her parents would be useless, as would her siblings. She couldn't call a single person, none of them could help her. So she just kept a steady pace towards her car.

Redore followed after her, eyes narrowed and steps heavy. As soon as they were both outside, he looked around, then jogged after her until he had an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back flush against his chest. His grip was not gentle as he gripped her jaw and forced her head up, fingers digging into her skin. "You're lucky I have a use for you," he growled into her ear, clearly pissed. "Or you wouldn't be getting away with that without punishment."

He shoved her away from him, not caring if she fell. "Remember my message, pretty bird. Don't disappoint." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away, satisfied she had learned her lesson.

Joanna's breathing hitched when he grabbed her. Wincing, she looked up into his cold eyes, listening to every word he had to say. She wasn't about to ignore the man that could potentially kill her if he wanted to. Once she stumbled to the ground, her green eyes watched him go in horror. 'That man is a psychopath!'

Pushing herself off the ground, she fumbled to her car. Getting in, she unlocked her phone to call Kasiya. Luckily having his number from the night before, she jotted it in, tapping the call button. "Please pickup. Please pickup." She whispered, holding a hand to the spot on her neck where Redore had pulled her head back. It was sore, due to his roughness on her. "I'm never going anywhere alone again." She whispered, listening to the dial tone.

Kasiya hummed in confusion and dropped his suitcase onto the bed when he heard his phone buzzing in his pocket. He didn't think Joanna would be calling him this early—hell, he had expected to see even less of her today thanks to her schedule and that weird moment in the kitchen. Just the thought of that particular incident has his heart bucking in his chest. He shook his head and pulled out his phone, sliding down to the floor with his back against the bed.

"Hello?" he answered, pressing his phone to his ear and tipping his head to the side. Not very many people knew his number, so he didn't bother with announcing who was picking up when most people already knew who he was when they called—save for the few wrong-numbers he got every now and again.

Her shoulders lifted at hearing his voice, and she put him on speaker phone as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Kasiya, thank gosh." Her voice was rather panicked, and worrying. "Where are you right now? I'm not up for playing games, just tell me please." She begged him, watching the road in front of her. She didn't want to get a second ticket in not even two full days.

Jo set her phone aside, yet somewhere he was still able to hear and understand her. "Come on Kasiya, this is important." She informed him, as she pulled up to the red light.

He frowned and pulled a leg up to hold against his chest, chin resting on his knee. "Alright alright, relax," he said, not liking the tone of her voice. "I'm at the hotel. What's wrong, shortcake?" he asked softly, completely serious and incredibly worried about her. Something spooked her, badly, and he wanted to help her the best he could.

Kas' heart sped up when he thought about the possibilities—mainly, the possibility of his brother getting to her. He really hoped Redore hadn't approached her. If he did, then he really, really hoped he hadn't hurt her. 'I swear, if he hurt her, I'm hunting him down once and for all.' He needed to get rid of his brother as soon as possible at this rate, or at least make sure he wasn't a problem anymore.

Tapping her fingers on the wheel, she sucked in a deep breath. "It-it's nothing. I mean, nothing that I want to talk over the phone. Just, can you tell me which hotel you're at?" Her voice relaxed, so she would seem more natural when she spoke. Though she only sounded fake, and forced. "Please Kasiya, I'll tell you what's going on once I get there."

She wasn't lying, there was a warning with the message the man had given her. Something she needed to tell him. If she didn't, not only would he be in danger, but she might be too. Being stupid, she had attacked him, and he had no plans to harm her. But now, he had all the reasons to do so. Even if she was just a small Canadian girl, she assumed he wouldn't care, and probably just get rid of her on the spot.

"Nimbus Motel," he said slowly, sliding his shoes off since he decided to just wait for her. "Room 115." He glanced around the room, then sighed and ran a hand over his face and through his hair—now cut to a more manageable length. "Talk to me, shortcake. About anything. Please." He didn't want her to be scared like how she sounded, no matter how relaxed she tried to sound. Maybe if he got her to distract herself, then it'd be better. This was his first time trying to comfort someone, so he was a little inexperienced with that sort of thing.

"Ack." He jumped a bit and looked down at his lap—where a kitten was peering up at him hungrily. "I just fed you, you vacuum," he grumbled, but leaned over to grab the bag of cat food he had bought. He poured some onto the floor. The kitten mewled and hopped out of his lap to go over to the small pile of food.

With a sigh, she turned the car around heading to his location. "What am I suppose to- what?" Her confusion was clear at his second statement. It threw her off a little bit, and she blinked trying to think what on earth he meant. "Vacuum? What is that suppose to mean?" Jo asked him, running a hand through her hair.

She caught sight of the hotel, not too far off, and sighed out of relief. Whatever he said, didn't really matter at the moment. What mattered was getting there, and staying close by. At least for a little while, considering she didn't feel at ease in the slightest. Even driving she was paranoid. What if he was following her? What if he found out where she lived? What if he already knew where she lived?

"Uh…" Kasiya winced and looked over at the kitten, happily eating the tipped over food. "You'll see once you get here," he vaguely said, then reached over to run a finger down the skinny kitten's back. He definitely needed food, which how skinny he was, so Kas hadn't thought twice before scooping him up from the sidewalk and finding food at the nearest store.

"Hey, shortcake," he abruptly said, noticing that she was getting quiet. "I think I might stay home today. I got a bit done, but I'm kinda feeling lazy now. How do you feel about cats?" He spoke casually, as if asking about the weather, and added that last question to get it over with after distracting her with his babbling.

Blinking out of thought, she pulled up to the hotel with a furrowed brow. "I mean, I don't mind cats. Why do you ask?" She hummed in a questioning tone. Joanna circled the parking lot, in attempt to find a parking space. Slowly, things began to click together. "Wait- you have a cat? Really!?" She said, surprised to hear this. "I wouldn't expect it of you, Kasiya, of all people."

A smile broke her lips, as she had found a parking space. "What's it's name?" She knew she was being too quick for him to even answer a single on of her questions. She just tossed them down, one after the other, but that was just her. What would you do about it? "Or, just tell me when I come inside. I'm here."

Kasiya laughed softly, watching the kitten eat while listening to Joanna's rapid-fire questions. It was a genuine laugh, matching the small and genuine smile that graced his lips. "I've just been calling him Cat. Picked him up off the sidewalk." He then playfully scowled at the door as if Joanna was standing there. "And excuse you, I love cats."

He was glad that he managed to get her to think about something other than whatever was making her sound scared and worried. Who knew his babbling would actually work, all things considered. He wasn't very good at comforting others, as he didn't even know how to comfort himself. People weren't something he was good at navigating after spending so much time trying to avoid getting close to others.

Snickering, she got out of her car and locked it. "I just didn't expect it of you, that's all pretty face." She purred, before pulling the phone away and hanging up. A slight smirk was on her lips, as she was quick to come to his door. Though her thoughts began to consume her once more, weighing her down.

How was she ever going to tell Kasiya? 'Oh hey, so I ran into the psychopath, apparently he's your brother, and he told me to tell you he's coming for you. So how was your afternoon?' Like that would go well. She groaned, rubbing her face as she felt heavier at the message she had to deliver. What would happen when she told him? Would he hate her? She sure hoped not, as she really only knew a few people who slightly cared. Kasiya was one of the few. With one last deep breath, she knocked on his door hoping for the best.

Kasiya glanced up from sitting with the kitten, hearing the knock on his door. He looked down at the tiny feline, then up at the door, then down at him. The kitten peered up at him with its unique eyes, purring, and Kas scooped it up as he stood. He pulled him to his chest, the kitten fitting in his hand perfectly, and walked to the door and opened it. "Hey shortcake," he greeted with a small smile, leaning against the doorframe.

He had changed into a black tank top with grey sweatpants, the waistband of his pants hanging low around his hips and his freshly cut hair still slightly damp from getting it washed after the fact. The kitten happily nestled himself against Kas' chest, paws outstretched and almost hugging him as he faceplanted and yawned.

In attempt to ignore what he was wearing, she glanced up to his face. "Hey!" She chirped, standing on her toes. "Is that the little guy? He's so small!" Joanna cooed, reaching up to pet the little thing's head. She was gentle, and sweet about it. "And you haven't named the poor thing, that's so tragic." She pouted looking up to his face.

The thoughts of the man with the identical face filled her head, and she winced slightly. She blinked away her thoughts, and took notice of his hair cut. "Did you do that? It looks nice on you." Joanna complimented, wanting to reach up and run her fingers through it. Oddly enough.

The kitten purred and let out a squeaky mewl, tilting his head back to look at Joanna with its brown eyes—the other pigmented like what Kasiya described as 'like the fires of Hell.' Kas chuckled and lowered him some so that Joanna could pet him easier without needing to co on her toes. "I just picked him up, shortcake, and I can't exactly bring stray animals into your home."

His eyes flicked up to look at his hair, which was dangling over his eyes a little bit. "Er, thanks. Stopped by a barber. The guy was really not happy about it." He had noticed the wince and didn't know what it meant, but he didn't comment on it. Joanna wanted to talk to him about something, so she'd probably tell him when she was up to it. In the meantime, he was happy to cheer her up with the kitten. "Uh, anyway, I need to feed this guy for a while, he's too skinny. So… I guess I'll have to bring a stray animal to your house after all." Kas shrugged, then shifted off to the side to let Joanna into the hotel room.

Entering the room, she let a soft smile rest on her thin lips. "I'm fine with that, as long as he doesn't get into much trouble." She giggled, turning her head to face where she was walking. "Besides, a kitten would be nice to have around. It can get lonely at my place." She informed him, glancing around the room. "You've been staying in places like these?" Her tone sounded disappointed, pitying even.

She wasn't going to lie, she felt bad he hadn't come to her sooner. Though, she knew why he wouldn't. They weren't really friends, so things must have gotten incredibly bad for him to come to her. And she knew this. With the information she had, it shouldn't be hard to figure out why he had or hadn't come to her. Though she didn't feel like trying to get into the details. So she distracted herself with what she had to tell him. 'Wait- do I have any visible injuries?' She panicked, putting a hand on her neck.

He narrowed his eyes at her when he detected pity, though he said nothing as he shut the door and bent down to set the kitten down next to the food once more. "They work," he said, glancing over at her. He didn't want her pity—it wasn't necessary for her to waste it on him. He was just trying to survive one day at a time, and hotels were convenient enough for him. Not exactly cheap, but cheaper than getting a house or rental.

Kas was about to sit down on the bed when he caught sight of Joanna's hand. His black eyes darkened impossibly and he stalked over to her instantly and grabbed her wrist. "What's that?" he questioned lowly, eyes on the small burn mark eerily similar to the much larger ones around his neck and over his chest. His grip was firm, but gentle almost, not wanting to harm her but also wanting to know what happened to her. That sight triggered his worry and prompted him to search her for more injuries, finding some blooming around her jaw and neck. "Joanna, what happened to you?" he added slowly, worry-filled eyes flicking up to meet hers.

A gasp escaped her lips when he grabbed her wrist. Looking up into his eyes, she couldn't stop he own from glossing over. "I-well, er…" Tilting her head down, she pulled her hand away from his. "I ran into a man while I was at the store." She mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. How was she suppose to just tell him. It wasn't as hard now, but still rather difficult.

Forcing herself just to breath, and keep her tears back, she walked over to the small sofa. Mostly to put some space between the two of them. He was about to ask more questions, and she couldn't lie to him the answers. So she sucked in a shaky breath, patting the spot next to where she was sitting. "Come sit," Jo directed him, pulling her legs up onto the cushion so she could rest her chin on her knees. "I know you're not going to let me go until I tell you what happened."

Kas watched her calculatingly, eyes following her as she walked to the couch. He didn't make a move to follow her just yet, thinking over her words and the look in her eyes. There was a tick in his jaw, but it didn't take long for him to move over to her and sit on the couch. "You're right about that," he mumbled, sitting back and sprawling his legs out in front of him. The kitten jumped up onto his lap, using his sweatpants as leverage, but didn't stay there for long—the little feline padded right over to Joanna and bumped his head against her leg.

"Talk to me, Jo," Kas whispered, eyes on the kitten as he went through scenario after scenario. She met a man at the store, someone that had her so scared she called him, just her worried voice setting him on edge. Someone that had marked her—hurt her. He didn't like where this was going.

Joanna stretched one of her legs out, and picked up the small kitten. "He looked just like you." She whispered, holding the kitten close and stroking it's head. "It was scary how similar he was to you." Her voice was soft, and delicate. As if she spoke to a certain point, she might just break. "He gave me a warning. A message."

At this point, she let warm tears slip down her cheeks. Avoiding his gaze at all cost, scared he was going to judge her for being scared. The whole charade flashed through her memory, each scene more agonizing than the last. 'I shouldn't be here. He could have followed me.' Her thoughts echoed, in a repeated fashion. "I-it was a message… to you…" Finally it was said, and she shook her head. "I shouldn't be here, not now." Standing, she set the kitten on his lap and started for the door rather quickly.

Kasiya cursed under his breath when she finally told him who it was—by just telling him what he looked like. He ran a hand over his face, eyes flicking to the floor as his mind reeled with the information. But when he felt the weight of the confused kitten on his lap and heard her trying to leave, his head snapped up to look up at Joanna. Tears. Those were tears.

She was scared.

He barely even thought once at his actions as he set the kitten aside on the couch and stood up, catching up to her easily. "Shortcake," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. He turned her around so that they were facing each other, keeping her close and pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Breathe," he whispered into her hair, one hand stroking up and down her back.