tampered | That Voodoo that You Do (complete)

That Voodoo that You Do (complete)

When; Thursday
Rating; R
Characters;

milanbutterfly
Summary; The Thursday after their appointment the ticking began and Caterina is blackmailed rather willingly into allowing Isaak to treat her. This is the result of that treatment.
Log;

She was slightly nervous for the process, more than that. Incredibly nervous. Kampfer used black magic, alchemy and Caterina knew this would affect her in some way aside from simply healing. Yet still she sat before the garish dressing mirror and tidied her hair. The magician had not been completely specific with what the process would entail tonight.

Though her vanity was strong, she managed not to apply the heavy foundation and powder that she wished to cover her pale, sallow expression, so she wished her hair to be neat, at least. Since they were here in her apartments, she had left off a hat and the formality of gloves, opting instead for a lighter gown, pale blue silk, no coat or cape covering her. A silvery corset girded her midriff, showing off the slender waist.

Rising, she ensured that no one was about- Tres followed her orders, but he still worried for her and so she had sent him out on a scouting and supplies mission for the evening while this procedure was to take place. Once more she tidied at her hair before rising from the dressing table and heading towards the door, peering out from the peep hole carved eye-level into the door. Sometimes it showed what was truly out in the hall and other times it showed what looked like the inside of a gumball machine.

Eyelids dropping, she continued to resist the urge to cover herself in the safety of makeup. Kampfer would have to see her like this sooner or later and it both irked and worried her that she cared so much for his good opinion on her appearance as well as intelligence. And that he would see her so feeble.

Finally, when she heard the gentleman announce himself, Caterina opened the door and ushered him inside, "Goodevening, Kampfer, I hope you are well?" The lighting inside was low, the decorum garish as his own place, but much more simple than the rest of the outside.

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Isaak clapped upon her choice. His applause echoed sinfully eerily in the bathroom until he stopped, taking a bow to her. His smile was broad at her decision; victory was his in this at least. Hers too even if she was probably too engrossed in her martyrdom to notice it was the easiest and fastest mean to her triumph.

Good people ended up killed early with their pure hearts and broken dreams. Those who won and lived were the ones able to balance good and bad traits. People, neither heroes nor villains.

“Congratulations,” Isaak offered, “After you are admitted. I will detail you Dietrich’s background with grand luxury. But for now, we must heal you, hmm?”

Her abrupt request, took him aback. Isaak remained staring at the complicated lace of her corset for a full minute without knowing where to start. Buttons worked better than laces, he noted for the future in supplying Caterina clothes.

“Certainly, Duchess,” murmured a disgruntled Isaak as his fingers pulled a pale blue lace and fastened her corset grip on her curves. He took a bit to gain confidence and helping her to remove that garment for good. “Could you take off the rest of your gown yourself? I must set the bath ready.”

"Yes, one step at a time. First this and then my admittance and then background information," Caterina detailed as he worked over the laces of her corset. "Have you any clue as to what test of loyalty Cain might employ against me?"

She found the position rather intimate, herself holding up her heavy golden hair as Kampfer stood behind her, pulling laces loose from the bindings. Such an intimate thing, she thought, but let it pass, there would be better time to think on such things.

"Yes, I can manage the rest of the gown," Was her reply after the corset fell to the ground. Releasing her hair, the curls tumbled back down around her back and shoulders, framing her delicate body and face with their sheer weight and mass.

Slowly, her trembling fingers (trembling from both cold and what she had just agreed to) undid the ties and fastenings secreted about the material that held the dress in perfect form. Reaching one last pivitol snap, she undid it and the entire length of silk brocade fell in a light blue pile at her feet.

Beneath, Caterina wore modest garments, and, while Isaak's back was turned with the bath, she stepped easily out of those. A towel and robe were within her reach, but as much as the modest lady in her yearned for them, she knew Isaak would see her nude at some point and did not focus on the subject.

Though she had grown more weak and more sallow of complexion, her body was still finely shaped, high, firm breasts, slender waist, a slight flair at her hips and well made legs.

She had not bothered with shoes but stepped out of the satin slippers she wore about the house.

"Whenever it is ready," She said, preparing herself for the alchemial brew.

Cain’s test of loyalty worried not Isaak. He had little interest of the devotion within his Order and mostly consisted in inane games of destruction, which would be pointless in this world.

“Dread not, Duchess, for you are an important secret asset to have your membership revealed to Nightroad or Blanchett,” Isaak explained before turning to fill the bathtub with cold water. “Most likely it is going to be a harmless game but he will make you wait to see if you break under the pressure. Also he knows better than anger me, thus won’t hurt you. You amuse him.” He paused, stopping the cold water when reached the half to apply hot one next. “He is the mirror image of your Abel, do you understand? He looks and sometimes acts the same. I assume that would psychologically weight you and he would be delighted.”

He spoke no more after that warning. Isaak was too occupied in measuring the temperature of the water to a warm balance and then applying the right amount of his formulas inside. The liquid turned blue, then red and finally reached to a yellowish hue he approved. It was heavier and concentrated but welcoming like a protective womb.

The primordial, the place of birth. The source where all was perfect and simple.

Isaak closed his eyes and chanted under his breath, a red pentagram glowed beneath it, stabilizing the elements to make the substance safe for Caterina’s use. When he finished, Kämpfer spun around and bowed, motioned her to enter.

“All yours, Duchess of Milan.”

She understood the implications of Isaak's words. Cain was not Abel, though they shared similarities. She must keep that in mind, Caterina reminded herself. Then, her attention fixated on the task at hand, watching Isaak go about his work, measuring water and ingredients.

Standing transfixed, her throat went dry at the chanting and the pentagram, her limbs almost refused to respond when Kampfer turned to her and bowed. Almost.

With a nod, Caterina moved towards the edge of the tub and waited for Isaak to offer his hand to help her in. Her grip was still cold, but firm and upon sliding into the water, she held her breath, afraid of swallowing lungfulls of the substance and drowning.

But finally, she relaxed and awaited his instructions.

Isaak was not fazed at her nudity. He was in a pure professional mindframe to leer secretly at her breathtaking beauty. That would come later, if he was fortunate enough and either cared to indulge more carnal pleasures.

He did not move or show any emotion but a guarded concern when Caterina approached to the tub, nor went to help her. Apologetically, he inclined his head, casting his gaze down as forgiveness for his poor manners.

“I cannot touch you during this process even to help you in and out. It could alter your system,” explained Kämpfer, hoping she would know that she must slide and exit alone. “Our next session, I would be able to but in this one your body solely has to caress the liquid.”

"I understand," She replied, reassuring him with a smile and moved into the liquid, she sunk fully, and surprisingly, the liquid felt warm and welcoming. A drowsy feeling overcame her, safe and protected.

However, she did not sleep, but the feeling helped to ease her lungs to work and her mouth to open, swallowing the water as though she were breathing. At the first taste, a rising panic shivered through her chest, but she was not suffocating and that panic was squealched.

Instead, she relaxed and awaited any instruction or order from Kampfer.

Isaak nodded, appreciating her understanding and strode near the tube but remained distant enough to not disturb the process. Caterina was still awake within the liquid, Kämpfer could tell by the near imperceptible twitching of her tensed muscles. Thus he waited until the water drowsy effects triggered in her and lull the Duchess into a sweet slumber.

She would dream of darkness but she would not fear of shadows. There would be silence in her dreams. No ticking, no flashing lights or painful body to worry about. Only the darkness, the warm water and the still world of her mind.

The process would endure all night. Isaak braced himself to spend hours vigilant and praying that her cyborg did not show up from his chores and crashed in thinking he had drowned her.

Her eyes watched Kamfper steadily until they seemed to tire. In the water, the lids were heavy and slowly slid shut, covering the razor blade blue of her irises.

Soon her mind was drifting, this was peaceful, no ticking, no pain, only dark stillness of her own mind, peaceful and serene after the trauma of the harshly discordant world outside of it, in this place that rained eggs and ticking carousels.

She had lost all concept of time or conciousness, but stayed in her mind.

Morning came, Isaak had kept his watchful guard whilst Caterina slept blissfully. She looked as pure hearted as those women she envied in her slumber but Kämpfer was glad she was not. Walking towards the window, he opened it widely, allowing sunrays hit the water. Father Sun triggering the mother element with his symbolic virility.

The liquid would cool now and, when Caterina pulled up to breathe, turn into common water. He had her red bathrobe and a towel ready to hand at the soaked Duchess. The mental image was hilarious.

As the comforting liquid turned to regular water, she continued to breathe it in, eyes opening wide. Caterina thrashed about, getting her bearings before realizing that she would not drown if she only sat up.

Shooting up from the water, she splashd it over the edge of the bathtub, her mouth open in a gasping 'o' as she sucked in air, coughing and sputtering, hair plastered to her face and head.

She looked like a drowned person, quite at odds with the austere portrait she showed daily.

Isaak held his laughter at Caterina’s problematic awakening. Her hair was smothered down and unravelled; her expression wild and face clean of make up. Despite the circumstances, she looked lovelier and more importantly, healthier. Her chest was rising to a rapid pace, her lungs strengthened.

Strong but confused like a new born.

Silently, Kämpfer moved behind her, placing the bathrobe over her shoulder and then covering her dripping hair with the towel, mussing to dry the strands idly.

“How do you feel, Duchess?” he asked, interested to know the results. “How does your body feel?” Isaak said nothing about the unorthodox treatment, she already knew his methods were unusual.

She rose out of the water, shivering to the cooler temperature of the air now that the embryoic warmth of the water was gone. As Kampfer placed the robe around her shoulders, she snuggled into it, amused at his attempt to dry her hair. It would tangle that way, but for now she indulged him.

"Stronger," She replied, a bit hoarse from swallowing and regurgitating the water. "Less ill than before, thank you." And closed her eyes, enjoying her newfound health though the ticking had returned.

"Kampfer, what ill effects will this have on me?"

Isaak continued to rub the towel on her head as he had done to Dietrich when he was younger much to the Puppet Master’s eternal annoyance and the Magician’s delight. Then, satisfied, stopped the motions, heading to close the windows so Caterina would not catch a chill.

“Effects? None the first time,” informed Kämpfer, “But if the baths continue you will become less human, more aware of the elements. Your life would prolong and you probably never get ill anymore. This isn’t the treatment I give to Mein Herr. His are quite different,” he assured her with a dark smirk. “His entire genetic structure must be treated specially.”

"I see," Caterina replied. "Am I healed then or will the treatment need to continue?" She did not want to be kept in the dark on this, but the prospect of becoming inhuman disturbed her greatly.

Closing the tie of the robe around her waist, she caught a glimpse of her hair in the mirror and frowned slightly, she would have to comb it out before the mess dried into one giant tangle.

Moving to a counter, she picked up a comb and began to pick through the locks, the comb began to vibrate and let off bubbles to which she cast it aside and tried another.

"And how do you treat Cain?" She asked, tone innocuous, eyes looking guilessly at Kampfer.

“No, I am afraid you aren’t healed yet,” Isaak explained. “But much of your affliction is gone. If we were in our realm you would be almost cured. Your health will continue to worsen with the ticking however I can rejuvenate you again until you feel is necessary, Duchess.”

He watched her with mirth as Caterina attempted to untangle her untamable mess of golden strands. It was almost comical to see her doing this mundane task that he was willing to bet the Cardinal bestowed to her storage of maids in the Vatican.

He inclined on the wall, his hair and body almost melted with the shadows lingering there. Isaak took a pause to reply about Cain’s treatment. “His affliction is different than yours. Your body is dying; his is in a convulsed process of destruction. For Cain Knightlord is already dead, the Nanomachines are using his shame and form, masking in the remains of his personality.” He cast his gaze down, almost musing to himself. “But dead had come back to life in this world, hadn’t they? I wonder…”

"I will leave my treatment to the descretion of my physician," Caterina replied with humor, watching him from the corner of her eyes in a mirthful glance. Then continued to attempt to comb her hair, perhaps she should not have so hastily dismissed Tres.

"The dead have come back to life? What are you saying, Isaak, how is that possible?" His name slipped out, she hadn't meant to address him so informally and she did not even notice what she ahd done.

When she looked to him again, face serious to his admission, she was slightly unnerved with the way he melded with the shadows, eerie. But then, she knew he was not a human being in the sense.

“I was thinking aloud. Forgive me, Caterina,” Isaak commented, shaking his head lightly. Stepping onto the light to materialize firmly. He was smiling coyly. Unlike her, he did not slipped her name accidentally.

“Lady Sahl was dead, wasn’t she?” questioned Kämpfer with a matter-of-fact voice. “Not just her but people who die in this realm are… returned to life. Dietrich tested my hypothesis already. However, could they join their worlds again? That is what I don’t know yet.”

He strode towards the window, his hands joined together on his back, giving him a thoughtful appearance. “What I mean is that… if dead are resurrected. Perhaps, and this is but a theory, Cain Knightlord may return. I don’t know how his siblings or Lilith or you are aware but Cain is completely innocent of his crimes. He didn’t even choose to be a Kreznik. He used to be a loving leader who worried about his people much unlike his twin.”

She noticed his use of her first name, but it was only fair for one because she realized that she had used his and for two because she liked the way he pronounced her name.

"She was," Caterina replied quietly, thinking for a moment on all of his words. "Then, if the real Cain, the one who died comes back, could he be placed back into the body to deactivate the nanomachines?"

She knew not how the Kreznik system worked, Isaak was the expert, but she was theorizing.

Isaak was smugly delighted Caterina had not protested about his daring addressing by her name. He turned to face her, expression half concealed by his long hair.

“Maybe he is there but too weak, too lost and blaming himself for all that he has done,” he commented. “He should be hidden purposefully to not face his siblings. If they tried to reach him as their brother, perhaps he will struggle against the Nanomachines.” Kämpfer passed by Caterina to gather his supplies in the kit. “His sister is here as well, Empress Augusta Vradica alias Seth Nightlord. She’s the young girl that you have probably seen nearby your priest. All family together. It would be better if they all remained in this world, wouldn’t you agree?”

Her eyes widened and she turned sharply, "What are you implying, Kampfer! Abel and Empress Augusta, they are needed in our world. Especially the Empress, no one would be able to rule the Methuselah empire as she does."

Then inclined her head, stopping her actions of combing her hair, "Or do you have a plan to take care of that already?"

“My original plans were… replaced by this city,” Isaak commented, smiling maliciously. “Our world should never have those creatures. They are a time bomb no matter how controlled some appear to be. One little slip, they would be taken over and seek only destruction like happened to Cain.”

He bowed before her, his smile faded a bit. “Only in this city they could be happy and together without death to be an issue for either. And, think about it, the times are changing Ion Fortuna’s last misadventures displayed him in a positive light among the nobility of the Empire. He also thinks Humans and Methuselahs are equals. He would be a proper Emperor or at least a good figurehead for his grandmother would really reign as she has as Augusta’s decoy.”

He tilted his head. “Blanchett will rule in Albion, Alessandro in the Vatican and Fortuna in the Empire. The three are pure hearted, naïve figureheads who are needed to build the world. But us, the adults, must show them the way. Think about it, Duchess.” He inclined his head, closing his kit with a snap. “Have a good day, your cyborg must have found the way back home by now.”

"If he has not, he will shortly," Caterina murmured. "I will show you to the door." There was a strange sense of disconnect when she thought about it.

After her family was killed, Abel was there. Always there. How could she get used to him being gone?

But her thoughts betrayed her, hadn't he found another? Wasn't he happier here? With Lilith and if they brought Cain back, with him as well. And Seth.

She wanted to cry, to scream, instead, she paused at the door, opening it and holding it for Isaak. "I... agree."

Isaak paused, noticing how troubled she was. Of course the turmoil was great. He should have waited to reveal this. Cursing his lack of timing, he reached for her free hand and gave a light, uneasy squeeze.

“It is hard to leave behind someone you consider family,” he commented. Comforting was something he was not able to do. He just prayed that he was doing this the right way. “I understand. But you have your brothers and your Professor. Even your Mental Watchdog. I will be there if you need me, as well. Don’t be ashamed of your sentimentalism, Eisendame, cherish it.”

Without further ado, he released her and bowed deeply, clutching his right arm against his chest. “Farewell, Duchess,” Kämpfer bid before he walked out her apartment.

She smiled to his words, at his attempts to comfort and the caress of his hand. She returned the squeeze until they both released hands and he turned to leave.

"I will overcome my emotions, he will be happy with his family, our world will be safe and I will not be alone. Farwell Kampfer, and again, thank you." Then, as he left, closed the door, waiting for Tres.

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That Voodoo that You Do (complete)

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