Did Cassiora ever get into a physical fight with Irkana to protect Besteel -and possibly Redimus too- from her invasive attempts, even defend his honor as well?
Oh, yeah. After the incident with the wild moon berries, Cassiora was pissed. She went looking for Irkana and gave her the beating of a lifetime, in front of the entire Kai'vren tribe. No one intervened—not even Gormak, who figured it was time his spoiled sister finally faced actual consequences for her actions.
When their father arrived from hunting and tried breaking them up, Cassiora struck him in the face, telling him to keep his spoiled brat away from her man.
A sizable crowd had gathered in the lobby of Cassiopeia’s largest design studio the following morning.
Photographers, journalists, reporters, a few film crews, and lots and lots of Stargazers — Tov’s fans.
Some held homemade posters. Others had stars painted on their faces.
The room was abuzz with anticipation and hushed excitement.
Cassio had kept the content of the press conference purposefully vague, knowing that the media would take the bait and speculation would run wild, drawing the public’s attention.
It worked flawlessly.
They checked their watch.
One minute till the hour.
Almost showtime.
Cassio squared their shoulders, head held high, and stepped out on stage.
They smiled magnanimously as dozens of camera lenses shuttered, flashing bright lights in their direction. Their years on the runaway had successfully desensitized them to the overwhelming sensation. They’d learned to embrace it.
“Good morning, everyone.” Cassio said once they reached the podium.
They took a moment to angle the mic upward to account for their full height.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering what became of my pet-human Tov after she collapsed during the final round of Alien Stage Season 39.”
Cassio smothered the bitterness of the term pet and pressed on, “I am happy to announce that — by the blessing of the Great Anakt — she is still alive and currently recovering in the medical center downtown.”
Cheers erupted from the back of the room, surging forward.
More cameras shuttered and flashed.
Cassio ignored the din of the crowd as gracefully as they could. They had a script in mind for this event, and they weren’t going to deviate from it.
“As for what took place during Round 30, Tov unfortunately suffered a heart attack.” They said, tone solemn. “We decided to keep this information private as the competition progressed, but this is her third cardiac event since the season began.”
A chorus of gasps ripped through the audience.
“After both the first and second scare, I asked Tov if she wanted to withdraw from the season altogether. But she was adamant about continuing.”
A boldface lie.
Contestants couldn’t withdraw, even if they wanted to.
The only exception was medical emergencies, and those had to happen during a round to count.
It was all buried in the contract every contestant and guardian had signed ages ago.
The public wasn’t supposed to know.
But Wren did.
She must’ve read the exceptions and worked within those bounds to disqualify Tov.
Clever girl.
Just like her sister.
“Her heart has always been weak, ever since she was a child, and it simply gave out at the end.” Cassio said. “While this is not the outcome we’d hoped for, our focus is on Tov’s recovery and her future now that Alien Stage has ended.”
They took a deep breath and braced themselves against the solid weight of the podium.
Now came the hardest part of any press conference: questions and answers.
“I will now open the floor for questions.”
They could barely get the words out before reporters armed with film crews and microphones rushed up to the front of the stage, shouting over one another.
“Guardian Cassio, how did you feel when you learned that Tov survived?”
“When will she be released from the hospital?”
“Is Tov going to model for your fashion house again, Guardian Cassio?”
“Will she ever return to the stage?”
“Has Tov spoken with Cirrus yet?”
Cassio waited a moment for the roar to die down before answering.
“I was relieved when I heard Tov would survive.” They said. “I didn’t want her to suffer in death. The Great Anakt does not ask for suffering. Nonetheless, I am grateful that I can continue to care for Tov as her guardian.”
“As for her release, it is still unclear. Her heart attack was rather severe, so she still has several hurdles to clear before she can return home.”
“My hope is that Tov can return to modeling as soon as she is able. At this time, she is still one of Cassiopeia’s brand ambassadors.”
“However, whether or not she returns to singing will be her own choice.” Cassio looked to the back of the room where Tov’s fans were huddled together. “But I know she cares a great deal for her Stargazers. I have no doubt they will ultimately influence her decision.”
“And for Cirrus, while Tov has not had the opportunity to speak with them, she wishes them a warm congratulations on their win.” They round off their words with a gentle smile, rich in sincerity.
This was wholly true.
Before Cassio left the hospital yesterday, Tov had asked about Cirrus; how they were doing, if they seemed happy.
They couldn’t tell her much.
Cirrus hadn’t been paraded around in public and in the media as often as previous winners were.
And the one picture of them Cassio had seen, they looked far from happy.
Cassio kept that part to themselves.
“Any other questions before we wrap up for today?” They asked.
A pink, slender segyein with three green eyes pushed their way to the front of the crowd and held out their microphone.
“How does Alien Stage production feel about Tov’s survival?” They asked.
They can feel however they like.
Cassio didn’t say that.
It wasn’t very diplomatic.
They still needed public sympathy if this campaign was going to work.
So instead, they swallowed their words, smoothed out their facial expression, and said:
“Our discussions with the production team have only recently begun.”
They paused to look directly into the nearest camera, an unspoken challenge, “Aside from that, I cannot comment any further on the matter at this time.”
———
After saying their goodbyes to the last straggling reporter, Cassio was eager to return to their office.
The press conference should be on a broadcast or two by now, hopefully being received well.
As they headed for the stairs, a familiar voice called out to them.
“Cassiopeia.”
Cassio would recognize that voice anywhere. In this lifetime and the next.
It was the only voice they didn’t mind calling them by their full name.
They turned around and saw Ra’eon standing near the front entrance. She was wearing a white dress embroidered with red flowers.
Clematis flowers.
Oh, my Clematis…
Hope bloomed through the abyss…
That had been one of Ra’eon’s favorite songs. It was also the first song the Anakt Garden children learned to sing.
When Cassio heard Tov sing those lyrics for the first time in her clear and light voice, no taller than the back of a sitting chair, they almost fell to their knees.
It was painfully bittersweet to hear the words again, sung in the innocent voice of such a young child.
Ra’eon smiled and came closer, drawing Cassio out of their thoughts.
They shifted their form to be closer to her in height.
“Hello again.” She greeted with a slight dip of her head.
Cassio cleared their throat, their answering smile a bit shaky, “Hello to you too. Did you come for the press conference?”
“Not initially, no. I planned to come by today to see if you had some free time, since I’d be in the area.” Ra’eon said. “I know we have lunch scheduled for next week, so I understand if you’re busy.”
“No, I’m not busy at all.” They said, a little too quickly. “I have some time before I’m expected at the hospital this afternoon. Perhaps we could go for a walk in the park? There’s one not far from here.”
The broadcasts could wait.
They would wait.
———
The walk to the park was quiet between the two. But it was a comfortable silence, a familiar one.
Even still, Cassio was on pins and needles.
Where do I even begin?
They’d spent so much time thinking, over thinking, and then thinking some more about everything they would tell Ra’eon if they ever got the chance to see her again.
But now that the chance was here — sitting in the palm of their hands — they didn’t know how to start.
Ra’eon, as if sensing their hesitation, broke the silence first, “How is Tov recovering?”
Good, a topic Cassio knew they could talk about without issue. “She’s healing well, though her heart is showing signs of permanent damage.” They said. “The doctors aren’t sure if it was caused by this heart attack or the previous one. Thankfully it’s only minor.”
“Ah, that’s good to hear. I’ll have Wren bring her some treats next time she visits. I believe she mentioned vanilla candies were Tov’s favorite?” Ra’eon glanced over at them.
“Y-Yes, they are. She’s loved them since she was a child.” They said, stumbling through their answer.
Cassio could handle a room of hungry reporters and overzealous fans, sleazy producers and nameless lackeys, and yet a floral dress and bright grey eyes had them tripping over themselves.
How embarrassing…
“Those are Wren’s favorite too.” She chuckled. “It’s interesting how similar they are despite growing up separately.”
“Did you raise Wren yourself?” Cassio asked.
It was the first thing that came to mind, though they’d been wondering about Wren’s background since they first met.
Well, since Wren came up to them in the lobby of the hospital after Round 24 and introduced herself as a “friend” of Tov’s.
They hadn’t had the chance to ask Tov about her either.
“Yes, from around the time she was eight years old. I was working for Anakt Garden then and they asked me if I would like to care for a human without a guardian.”
Cassio smiled, their heart warm at the thought. “So you finally got to become a guardian after all.”
Ra’eon had always wanted to adopt a pet-human. But back then, no segyein would sell to her.
They all deemed her appearance to be too “humanoid” to properly establish a master-pet relationship with a human child. It was devastating.
She left not long after that.
“Well, not quite.” Ra’eon said. “I’m technically Wren’s guardian, but I don’t have legal ownership of her. The Anakt Group became her legal guardian when she was enrolled in Anakt Garden. Then, after she graduated, her ownership was transferred to ZYNE Entertainment.”
ZYNE Entertainment? The pet-human talent agency?
I thought they only poached Anakt Garden graduates who didn’t qualify for Alien Stage.
“I see… That’s a rather interesting relationship.”
“On paper yes, but Wren refers to me as her guardian for simplicity’s sake. And I treat her just as I would any human I legally adopted.”
The pride in her voice was clear as day.
“I have no doubt about that. You’ve always been very maternal.” Cassio hesitated for a moment, before pressing on. “But if you’ve been caring for Wren since the girls were eight, that means you’ve been back for quite a while. Is there a reason why you didn’t reach out to me before now?”
Ra’eon’s smile faltered, and she looked away for a moment.
“After how we left things, I didn’t know if you would want to see me again.” She said quietly, “Especially because I couldn’t tell you why I was leaving or where I was going.”
Of course I’d want to see you. Cassio thought.
“You can tell me now. Only if you want to, of course.” They rushed to add.
“I do, and you deserve an explanation anyway.” Ra’eon slowed her pace near a park bench and sat down, patting the space next to her for Cassio to follow.
She turned to them once they were seated and took a deep breath. “You know my relationship with my mothers is very…”
“Complicated.” Cassio finished.
Dumpster fire would’ve sufficed as well.
Ra’eon gave them a thin, knowing smile, “Yes. Complicated.” She said. “When I was much younger, before I came here and went to school and met you, I enlisted in the armed forces on Thali to be independent of them. But there were stipulations.”
“What kinds of stipulations?” They asked, frowning.
“If the force was ever called upon, I would be required to return home for deployment.”
Cassio blinked, mouth slightly agape, “A-As a soldier?”
“No, no! As a medic. Not a soldier.” She said quickly. The shock and panic must’ve been clear on Cassio’s face.
“The deployment was classified. I couldn’t tell anyone what was going on without breaching protocol.” She continued. “I worked mostly with civilians in the hot zones, segyein and pet-humans. The younger humans took to me well because of my human-like appearance, so I ended up caring for them full time.”
“And that’s why you chose to work for Anakt Garden when you came back?”
Ra’eon nodded, “It was one of the only positions I considered.”
I’m sure it fit you well.
“I was worried for a long time, about how you were fairing.” She said. “But then I saw you on a television interview once, right after I got back. You looked so at ease, and I realized you were doing just fine without me.”
Ra’eon said those words without malice or sorrow or regret.
Only peace.
Only relief.
Cassio wanted to crumple in her arms.
I was a mess after you left. They wanted to say. I was absolutely miserable.
But that felt too personal, too intimate after so much time spent apart. Even if that time was nothing in comparison to both of their lifespans.
Maybe it felt like longer because of their humans.
Maybe Tov and Wren had grown and changed so much in such a relatively short period of time that it warped their sense of scale.
Maybe that was okay.
They have time now.
———
Tov was expecting Cassio to be at the hospital soon.
They’d spent longer than intended talking with Ra’eon at the park, skipped lunch, gotten pulled into an emergency meeting about next season’s photo spread, and now they were running late.
Cassio fished for the car keys in their bag as they quickly made their way through the parking lot.
“Guardian Cassiopeia!” A voice shouted over the traffic.
It sounded nothing like Ra’eon’s, but it was unfortunately familiar.
Cassio stopped mid stride, turning on their heel.
Their lofty mood curdled at the sight of Agent Pol behind them, arms folded, looking far too at ease for their liking.
Even behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses, Cassio could feel Pol’s gaze pierce their skin.
There was no sign of her partner.
A rabid dog off her leash. Oh joy.
“Agent Pol,” They nodded in lieu of a proper greeting, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I suppose a congratulations is in order.” She said, stepping closer.
“For what, exactly?”
“Your pet managed to survive the competition, even though she didn’t win. A heart attack right before she got her head blown off. Convenient, don’t you think?”
The smug curl of her lip aggravated Cassio’s temper.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have a habit of running your mouth without getting to the point?”
“That’s awfully defensive for someone who I haven’t accused of anything.”
They rolled their eyes, “You’re implying quite a lot. Now out with it.”
Agent Pol was smirking now, “I’m looking into the… suspicious nature of Tov’s incident during Round 30. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“I’m afraid I don’t.”
“So you wouldn’t mind if I took a look in your car for anything out of place?”
They narrowed their eyes at her, “Do you have a warrant for the search?”
Agent Pol huffed a laugh, as if Cassio’s question was funny.
“There’s that defensiveness again. If you have nothing to hide, it shouldn’t be a problem.” She shrugged. “This only raises suspicions.”
“I simply know my rights, Agent Pol.” They said. “You need a valid reason to get a search warrant signed.”
“My valid reason is your sympathy for pet-humans. It’s clouded your vision; made you act irrationally.”
Irrationally?
Cassio forced a scoff, “Do you really think I would risk everything I’ve accomplished — everything I’ve built over the entirety of my adult life to save a pet?”
Another boldface lie.
No one needed to know that.
“You seem quite fond of her.”
“And you seem quite fond of your job.” They snapped, their patience worn thin and brittle. “If you continue to harass me or my human without the legal authority to do so, I’ll make sure you no longer have one. Have the day you deserve.”
Cassio flashed a fake, tightlipped smile and continued walking toward their car.
“It’s only going to get worse from here.” Pol called out to them after a few paces.
Okay.
That’s enough.
They stopped, turned around, and stalked back over to Agent Pol.
Now at their full height, they loomed over her, blocking the sun. Their shadow stretched long across her frame like bad omen.
They hoped there was fear in her eyes.
“Worse for who?” Cassio asked, low and foreboding, “Me? Or you?”
————————————————————
Super long log this time, but I had a lot to cover/set up for the future.
The AREPH isn’t done with Tov and Cassio yet, but Cassio isn’t going down without a fight.
Anyways, I love my big tall wife (gender neutral) and their ex-wife (not really) and whatever kind of segyein yuri they’ve got going on 😁
Shout out to @rockwgooglyeyes for coming up with “Cassiora” as a ship name for Cassio and Ra! So cute!!
After Irkana’s betrayal was exposed, Redimus wasn’t only heartbroken; he was utterly devastated to learn the woman he loved had only used him to get close to his brother, seemingly confirming his worst fears: that he wasn’t worthy of being loved. And with Thalyss gone, he felt he had no one to talk to.
With his feelings of worthlessness at a peak, Redimus reached his absolute lowest point and came close to killing himself; he held his mother’s hunting knife to his throat and came really close to slitting it, but Besteel and Cassiora found him just in time. Besteel didn’t judge him, nor did he give him a sermon or a scolding; he simply hugged his little brother, begging him to stay in this life because he (Besteel) needed and loved him.
Besteel and Cassiora (and baby Fayluna still inside her mother’s pouch) moved in with Redimus in Solas for a few months and spent a lot of time with him. They didn’t want to leave him alone in fear he may try to kill himself again.
One of the many plants Dorceans brought over from their homeworld is a bush whose ripe berries, colored a strong magenta-lavender, have potent aphrodisiac effects. They call it Wild Moon Fruit. In strong doses, it can make primal instinct overcome rational thoughts for over twelve hours. The Brih’nar tribe keeps these bushes under particular zeal.
Irkana once stole some berries and tried using them on Besteel, wanting to get pregnant by him, but it backfired because she wasn’t the woman he desired. Instead, Besteel dumped her and went back home to Cassiora, who could tell something was wrong when her mate suddenly tried to have sex with her. Thankfully, Fayluna’s startled cries inside her pouch made Besteel somewhat snap out of the frenzy, long enough for Cassiora to fetch the healer.
Besteel had to submerge his body in cold water until the effects wore off.
Did Cassiora come close to killing Besteel at least once before she fell in love with him?
Well, shortly after meeting, Besteel inadvertently tracked down a waterbear from Cassiora’s herd amd was about to kill it when she showed up. Somehow, she overpowered him and held a knife to his throat, warning him to leave her herd alone.
Needlesss to say, Besteel found it attractive even if he wouldn’t admit it. PS: On a humorous note, he probably got the Dorcean equivalent of an erection 😂
Universally, Dorceans believe that when they die, their spirits move on while their bodies return to nature.
Hunters and warriors are buried with their boomrods and weapons.
If the funerary rites aren’t performed properly, the spirit of the deceased can’t move on, and their wrath manifests in different ways. They can possess dangerous creatures to slaughter the living, or become evil spirits that roam villages and sow illness and suffering.
The type of rite depends on the circumstances of death, subspecies, and the deceased’s occupation.
Sea Dorceans rites involve taking the bodies of their deceased to special coves where anemonae-like tendrils grow at the bottom. As the body sinks, the tendrils grasp it and consume it.
Polar Dorceans consume the organs of the deceased, leaving only the hearts inside the body, which they then bury beneath rock piles.
Forest Dorceans bury their dead at the roots of trees so that their bodies will nurture the forest. However, they can be buried in any spot within the Wandering Forest’s boundaries. Either case nurtures the forest, a symbolic sign of gratitude to the Heart itself for providing them with animals to hunt.
A common practice is to bury mated couples together, so that their spirits may reunite in the next life. Besteel and Redimus decided to put Vamphyr to rest next to Thalyss, even though their marriage didn’t end in good terms.
Besteel and Cassiora burned their stillborn cubs in the flower field where they met. Later on, Besteel would bury Cassiora there. He’d visit her grave once a year, on the anniversary of her death. In his deathbed, he asked to be buried next to her.
Redimus was the first Forest Dorcean to be put to rest in the sea, done at his own request so he could be with Marakeen in their next life.
If a poacher is killed or his body found, they’re burned in a pyre, thus condemning their spirits to never become one with the forest. This is seen as a fitting punishment for those who only took from the forest, but never gave anything in return.
Forest and Snow Dorcean cubs that don’t make it to the first year are in special spots within the tribe’’s village. It is believed their spirits will become protectors that ward off famine and disasters.
Did Besteel try to hunt the creature that killed Cassiora to avenge her?
No. Vipanthers hold grudges for life. Broken Tooth wouldn't be satisfied with just taking Cassiora; she might eventually go after Fayluna, too, as revenge for Besteel killing her mother in his First Hunt.
And so, Besteel took Fayluna and moved to Solas with Redimus to keep her away from the forest and Broken Tooth. He wouldn't risk his life in petty revenge and risk leaving his daughter an orphan.
