Name: Kein Montague
Name Meaning: Kein is a corruption of "Cain", of fratricidal notoriety. His family took the name Montague after starting the highly successful Verona Motor Company with the Capulets.
Age: 20
Date of Birth: June 19
Astrological Sign: Gemini/Cancer cusp.
Bloodtype: O
Alignment: Neutral. By no stretch of the imagination could Kein be called 'good,' but on the other hand, he is an atheist at the moment. Even when he'll be proven wrong, he'll still fervently swear he lacks a soul, and therefore could not sign it over even if he wanted to. Besides... he's a contrary son of a bitch. He just doesn't like the idea of handing over power.
Strengths:
Physically, Kein is pretty attractive, and doesn't usually have much trouble picking up a partner. He has a nice balance of muscle that he tones with sporadic visits to the gym. (Darran got him into karate for awhile, but it was too much of a time commitment; he dropped out at green belt, three before black.) Though he has bodyguards, he's also trained himself to be quite decent with a gun, hitting what he aims for perhaps six or seven times out of ten.
Kein is very intelligent, and his ruthless business sense has gotten him what he wants countless times. Where others might use charisma to manipulate, Kein uses sly comments and an utterly self-assured attitude to cower more timid opponents into agreeing with him. He has a good attention span, can focus on something much better than your average person, and also has the focus and drive required to achieve his goals. He is comfortable with his power as head of the Montague Corporation, and it is rare to see him in a moment of hesitation. Thanks to a fascination for computers, he is a really excellent hacker and can find-- or hide-- nearly any piece of data, anywhere. This is quite a plus, considering that he constantly has to hide evidence of his hired assassinations. However he also has extensive business connections and the assets of Montague Corporation at his disposal, both of which could likely bail him out of trouble-- even for murder.
Weaknesses: Kein has a MASSIVE seme complex. He just can't handle being on bottom, and it leaks over into a general fear of not being in control. It doesn't turn him into a dictator most of the time, but at the slightest hint that he's losing control, he'll clamp down hard until his ego is soothed. However, strangely, this desire for control has one blind spot: his mother. Thanks to the odd diet of love, physical abuse, dedication to the company and more slightly twisted love that she raised him on, she can manipulate him without him even realizing it. The only antidote is his best friend Darran, who can sometimes see the power plays Eve makes and, if he feels they're totally out of bounds, subtly bring Kein back to his senses.
Though Kein may seem fairly nice at first glance, the truth is he is utterly amoral, and sees nothing wrong with arranging for the death of anyone standing in his way. Those who know him realize that he is more aloof than he first appears, and literally refuses to truly open up. He can also be bitingly nasty, and has a knack for saying what will hurt a person the most. He still finds himself drawn to Kisoku, no matter how much he vehemently denies it, and this causes him stress that sometimes manifests as bad migraines. Nevertheless, he does not acknowledge his leftover feelings even to himself and in fact, he is very adept at fooling himself.
Likes: He likes people with a macabre or sardonic sense of humor, blunt honesty, and a certain disregard for authority as long as _he_ isn't the authority in question. Running his company and the feeling of power he gets from it are also quite pleasant for him. He enjoys reading very much, especially political history, economics, and science fiction (his guilty pleasure). He goes out often, plays chess, swims at a nearby gym, and, oddly enough, practices bonsai. Kein enjoys pretty much anything having to do with computers and the Internet; he's something of a presence online, with a little network of friends and informants and an online war game based on Diplomacy. He can also put together a computer from scratch, or write a program.
Dislikes: People who suck up irritate the hell out of him, and he refuses to tolerate them either in the workplace or at home (this is why, when looking for someone for the night, he may hide his identity). He clashes pretty badly with traditionalists, particularly those shocked by a bisexual man running a giant company, since he can't help but flaunt insolence in their faces. He has no patience for small children, pets, stupid people, or religious fanatics-- and, in fact, tends to lump them all in the same category.
Greatest Fear: Losing control of the company, losing control of his lovers and friends-- but the only thing that could utterly break him would be if he became a victim, thus loosing control of himself.
Motivation: Though not hungry for _more_ power than he already has, Kein wants to achieve perfect control over his life.
Favorite Food: A nice broiled sea bass, with mashed potatoes au gratin and a salad. He likes a solid meal, but not too heavy.
Least Favorite Food: Those stupid little hors d'oeuvres they serve in fancy restaurants-- the only purpose of eating is to be _full_, after all.
What grade are they in: Senior in college, thanks to an accelerated six year program that combined high school and college.
Marks: They don't use a GPA system, but Kein is currently rated "Proficient," about a B average. Some classes bring him up, others down.
Favorite Class: Political Science, especially since it often spills over into economic theory.
Least Favorite Class: He hates art, because he has no talent at it, and thinks it pointless anyway.
Personality:
He is smart and can be fun, but you could talk to Kein for hours and never really know him. He dates many people, but refuses to form an attachment. On a primal level, he is terrified of commitment, even platonic, because of him and Kisoku. It was the only time in his life he had ever loved someone-- excluding his mother-- and it ended so badly that it scared him off relationships permanently. Now, he dates quite casually, and at the most sees any one person for perhaps a week or two. And, while he does admit that he was attached to Kisoku at the time, Kein maintains that the moment their relationship ended so did his feelings. In actuality, he's pretty hung up on his brother, but refuses to recognize it.
Kein is only close to, and therefore at ease with, three people at the moment: his mother, his stepfather, and his best (arguably, only) friend Darran. Around them, he can be as impatient and brusque as ever, but it usually takes the form of temper that flares hot and subsides almost as quickly; anyone he truly treasures, he can forgive altogether too easily. He is also rather affectionate in private, in an admittedly clumsy way. This behavior does not extend to his partners, though: to them he is casual, smooth, and if they press for too much of his time or attention, very cold.
When ordering lackeys, underlings and the like, Kein is formal, but with a touch of affability calculated to make things run all the smoother. Nevertheless, he demands that his orders be carried out to the letter and perfectly on time. Any subordinate who slacks or tries to cut in on his authority (even if for the good of the company-- say, countermanding a harmful order) will be very sorry. Not only does he not tolerate such behavior, he also demands a full apology, a correction of the transgression, and may well arrange for something a little unpleasant to happen to that person, just to stress the point that it is Kein and only Kein who should be in control.
Indeed, Kein's mental stability rests on his being in control. The lines of power in his family have always been there, felt but not quite seen, and in watching the interaction between his mother and step-father, in experiencing both the love and abuse Eve offers him, he has come to value power over everything. This blends with his drive to run the company and carry on the feud with the Capulets-- his worth is proved by his position as the head of the Montague Corporation and conversely, he only deserves this position as long as he is in control. Were he to feel that he has been debased to the level of victim, his instinct would be to slink back into himself and no longer cripple the company with such a 'weak' leader.
Appearance: (picture)
At 6'1" and 165 lb., Kein isn't really slim, but a more average body type. He has some muscle, particularly in his upper arms and shoulders, and visits the gym from time to time. He is the more intense twin, with electric blue eyes and black hair cut in a slightly long, messy crew cut.
For work, Kein wears a simple but impeccable navy pinstripe suit (he has dozens, all of the exact same color and make). For formal occasions that aren't related to work, he wears a dark, dark red suit that brings out the color of his eyes. When dressing casually, he prefers to wear simpler clothes: simple T-shirts in basic colors like white, red, blue, dark green and black, along with jeans or khakis. He spurns personal adornment, and would never wear jewelry, sunglasses, or the like.
Social Status: Naturally, as the head of a very well known company in New Eden, Kein's name is easily recognized by anyone with business connections. On the street level, anyone who knows Tiger Claw knows Kein to be his employer, and this grants him as much respect as he gets in the business world. But for those ignorant of both, he's good-looking enough and wealthy enough to be welcomed in most places. However, he doesn't take advantage of this nearly as often as he could; the company and schoolwork will always come ahead of socializing in his book.
Love Life: Kein dates anyone who appeals to him, male or female. But because (though even he doesn't know) he's searching for a replacement for Kisoku, he never settles with any one person for very long, and sometimes even maintains more than one relationship at a time.
Family, Friends:
Eve Montague: 5'6", long black hair, blue- gray eyes, strong build. Kein and Kisoku's mother, and Adam's ex-wife. While Eve gives the appearance of having demurely relinquished the spotlight to Kein, in reality she has no intention of ever fading into the background. In her opinion, it is best to let the menfolk think they're in full control, but be able to yank the reins at any moment-- preferably without them realizing. She applies this theory to both husband and son, having utterly perfected it on Kein. After all, she was solely in charge of his raising and education-- in fact, his hatred of the Capulets is entirely her own, simply indoctrinated into him. Yet even while she schemes, she does love both Kein and Jiro in her way; her influences are always, in her opinion, for the best of the company, and what could be better for her loved ones than the success of the Montague Corporation? Thus she sees nothing wrong with her sly manipulations, and to her credit, does also demonstrate her love in more normal ways.
For Kein's part, he believes his mother can do no wrong. She evidently saved him from the Capulet hell they were both languishing in, and he's forever grateful to her for choosing and raising him as a proper Montague. Much of his own value system is based entirely on the perceptions she-- occasionally literally-- beat into him as a child. So, naturally, he sees nothing surprising or unusual in how cruel some of her lessons became.
Jiro Montague: 6'1", black hair, brown eyes, medium build. As her betrothed, Jiro was always in love with Eve, and considers it the crowning achievement of his life to have brought her 'back to the fold.' But it can't be denied that even with the black sheep status she retained for a few years, she was always on a higher level than he was. Indeed, to retain the prestige of the Montague name (but also as a tacit admission of Eve's power), Jiro was the one to change his last name upon marriage, from Adaruriku to Montague. Normally, he doesn't even think of this; Eve meekly obeys his wishes and acts as an ideal wife in all surface areas, but it is only thanks to a concentrated effort on his part that he cannot see how securely she holds his reins. For it _is_ obvious, from how easily she can persuade him to her point of view, should she try, to the fact that he doesn't even dare claim Kein as his son. Sometimes, no matter how much he tries not to think of it, resentment will break out in him, and he'll show a surprising resistance to (and resentment of) Eve. But she knows him, and knows he's too devoted to her to ever keep up such assertment for long. Thus, to Kein, Jiro is something like a favored servant; liked and depended on every now and then, but certainly not admired.
Kisoku Capulet/"Juliet": Age 20, 5'11, pale complexion, blue eyes, dyed hair. Kein's twin brother, pitted against him in the two families' rivalry. Purely by chance, the two met under aliases and began dating one another. However, the relationship was shattered when each discovered who the other truly was, and since then, Kein has been Kisoku's bitter enemy in every area they've come in contact.
Darran Isanyeti: Age 23, 5'8", dark complexion, brown eyes, orange (dyed) hair, wiry build. Darran is Kein's best friend, and though officially on the Montague payroll, could almost better be described as a business partner. Kein depends on Darran for any number of things, from the elimination of business rivals to keeping Eve in check (though Darran manages this so adroitly Kein doesn't even, consciously, know). Kein would trust Darran with his life without a second thought, but is entirely unaware that the assassin has feelings for him. And considering how badly Kein handles relationships, it's doubtful Darran will ever let him know.
Molly 'Millions' Cooper: Age 22, 5'7, tanned complexion, bright blue eyes (contacts), silver hair that falls to her shoulder at its longest, but cut in an arc (a la Faye Valentine). She goes by the alias 'Millions,' not having used her real last name in years. Because of her deep tan, her asian-shaped eyes, and her vaguely caucasian bone structure, she has a distinctly unnatural look and really can't be ascribed to any one ethnicity. She fights with a custom gun that would be easily traceable if she ever lost it; a model based on the classic Browning HP, but with a slightly longer barrel, sanded-down grip, muzzle brake, and a little over half the normal pounds per trigger pull. As a result, it is quicker to draw, has very little recoil, and fires quite smoothly. As another assassin picked up in Kein's quiet search of Eden's underground, Molly is less skilled but also more expendable than Darran-- meaning that Kein can send her out on the assignments that he thinks are really too dangerous or even dishonest for his best assassin. She's aware of her situation, but accepts it for what it is; mainly, a _damn_ well-paying job with housing in the Montague complex. Because of her exorbitant salary, and a grudge against the Capulets that she keeps very privately hidden (she's fallen from high places, and her father was one of the many businessmen blackmailed by the Capulets into poverty), she's as loyal to Kein as anyone could ask under the circumstances. However, were someone to top her current salary... that loyalty might well be reconsidered.
Birthplace: New Eden
Current Residence:
There is an entire building devoted to the New Eden branch of the Montague corporation, housing both family and trusted company workers. Eve, Jiro and Kein live on the top floor, with the fairly recent (five years ago) addition of Darran. Though Darran's apartment was carved from Kein's, there is still easily twice as much space as he would ever need. However, the apartment's color scheme-- black, black, and more black-- makes it look somewhat smaller than it is. (The bathroom- all black tile and black porcelain- is truly scary.) Neither is it helped by the fact that he has tinted windows and even then is wont to draw the curtains over them. His flatware, cups, candleholders, and other random items are deep, cobalt blue-- practically the only spark of color in the entire place. Green is provided by little bonsai trees placed at random points, and thus runs the entire gamut of color in his apartment.
Kein's living room is very spacious and comfortable, with a wide black leather couch, a stereo system, a state-of-the-art TV, and bookshelves lining every wall. Everything, as a rule, is packed away tidily, and the black glass coffee table is always polished perfectly. Track lights run the length of the room, which opens into a nice, but simply furnished dining room, and a kitchen with a cutaway window/counter (somewhat like a diner�s ordering window). There is also a study, a plain affair with more books, filing cabinets, and a computer to die for.
Kein�s bedroom carries on the black scheme, and he somehow finds enough books to warrant shelves even in here. His absolute favorite bonsai is kept on a pretty little bedtable, next to a decorative box that holds his pruning kit. Other than the ornamentation that provides, there is nothing; no posters, photos, or anything else. His bed is king-sized, but other than that quite ordinary. He has a fancy alarm clock that starts glowing softly a half-hour before the set time, then gradually adds sound, and so on, so that he wakes up refreshed and ready to work, instead of needing half an hour just to gain consciousness.
Other residents of the Montague complex include Molly Millions, high-level managers, and the staff of the building (such as Debbie Manx, head housekeeper for the top floor, and a medical staff).
History:
A long time ago, two friends started a small motor company in Japan. What had seemed at first a money guzzling failure eventually turned into the beginnings of a multimillion-dollar enterprise. As Verona Motors grew, so did the egos of the two founders. They took on the last names of famous literary Veronians. The Montagues and Capulets were on top of the world, but all was not well in paradise. To make their way to the top, the two founders had used very underhanded methods, but each disagreed with the other's stance. The Capulets were fond of blackmail. They believed that it was better to destroy a man's reputation than destroy his chance to correct the error of his ways. The Montagues, on the other hand, thought it better to simply kill a man, rather than drag his life through the mud. In the end, the two decided to split the company in half due to these irrevocable differences.
One half became the Montague Corporation, churning out cars to match Capulet Motors'. However, as the Capulets diversified their business, the head of the Montagues watched with jealous eyes and resolved to do the same. Thus the Montague Corporation became a heavy player in the field of telecommunications and technology; naturally, this later widened to include the manufacture of personal computers, and all the hardware additions required for such.
When Eve Montague was still a child, her parents betrothed her to the son a family friend-- a noticeably poorer one, but this could be forgiven since her future father-in-law was a computer manufacturer. Therefore, his company would be absorbed under the umbrella of the Montague Corporation when the marriage was established. But Eve was repulsed by the idea of an arranged marriage; she had nothing in particular against Jiro, aside from the fact that he seemed quite dull when they met for the first and only time as children, but she wanted to make her own way. In Adam Capulet she saw the chance to assert her independence quite dramatically: how better than to elope with the son of their archrivals?
So, she listened with delight as her family agreed to her plan to form a branch of the company in New Eden, just as her beloved was suggesting something of the sort to his family. Naturally, the couple married as soon as the two were in New Eden and away from the stifling pressure of their families. Eve�s luck held; she did her job so well that her family, though repulsed by her marriage, came to the conclusion that it would hurt their profits if they tried to extract her. Thus she was allowed to stay unmolested with Adam, and bore him two beautiful twin boys.
But Jiro was utterly crushed by Eve�s flight. The one time he�d met her he�d been too shy to speak much, but the truth was that he had watched her constantly from the sidelines and idolized her since before Adam ever appeared in her life. Without the Montagues� approval, he traveled to New Eden and sought out Eve, trying to persuade her to come back.
It was the right time for such an attempt; after a few years of marriage, Eve�s earlier infatuation and blind optimism were wearing thin. Her family never spoke to her outside of business, and she felt the loss keenly. Moreover, she was developing a paranoia that made her suspect that Adam was stealing business secrets from her to enhance his company (still her rival, no matter how friendly the rivalry was). She began to see her twins in a strange light; though there was nothing, really, to separate one from the other so early, the one that she thought took after Adam began to show all the worst Capulet traits in her mind, while the other seemed to be a perfect little Montague. So, it took Jiro only a few months of clandestine meetings and pleas to influence Eve into returning to her family.
She left behind a marriage (she promptly divorced as soon as she reached Japan), a company, and a child, but the scorn of her family upon her return drove all that from her mind. Instead of feeling hurt or slinking back to New Eden, Eve set her resolve toward convincing her family that she was indeed still one of them. With the observations she had made of Adam�s managerial style she helped plot strategies to foil him, and meanwhile did as many tasks as her family asked of her. Eventually she did win them over, and their acceptance was signaled by their assent to her marrying Jiro.
Though Jiro�s feelings for her had never come off their worshipful cloud, a new dimension had been added to them since the time he�d set off to win her back. She was still a goddess to him, but one who had, undeniably, erred. She was no longer quite so perfect in his eyes, and on top of that he�d had to relinquish what little power and control he had so as to marry her. Every now and then he would remember this, and wage a little war of wills with her. Regardless of whether the actual matter was trivial or important, the real issue was who would cave first. It was always he, and so to this day he hasn�t resolved his need to feel in control, just for a little while, and continues testing her. For her part, Eve fell in love with the adoration he usually shows her, and learned quite quickly that his brief moments of insurrection could be countered easily-- though she did have to take pains to _appear_ to be following him, for appeasement. Thus Kein grew up watching the play between them and the subtle tensions as Eve and Jiro took their turns at this delicate tug-of-war.
Six years later, the New Eden branch was sinking without its founder, so the Montagues decided to send Eve and her family back to finish what she�d started. Since Eve knew this was a final test of her loyalties, she charged back filled with zeal to undermine the Capulets and prove the Montagues� superiority. It wasn�t an easy task; Adam had made good use of the years since their divorce and his company had grown quite powerful. So, Eve hatched a plan to strike at his most tender spot and force him into the downsizing that would give her company a chance.
When Kein was nine years old, his brother Kisoku was kidnapped and brought to one of the many Montague properties, to be held as a hostage. It was the first time Kein had seen his brother in six years, and through some serious oversight Kein was left by the one-way mirror into Kisoku's little cell as various gross hired men snuck in to play around with him. Coming, as it happened to, right on the heels of a particularly bad disciplinary episode, Kein linked the two events in his mind and became irrevocably terrified of not being in control.
But a niche did open for the Montague Corporation, proving the plan�s success. Perhaps it hadn�t worked as well as Eve had hoped, for the Capulets weren�t driven out of business in New Eden, but that was because Kisoku had been rescued before she could use the bargaining chip to full potential. Still, she had what she needed-- a foothold in the market-- and set about building from there. As the years passed she trained Kein exhaustively, and when he was fifteen she gave him his first real test. As it had happened, Eve�s last reliable assassin had died on assignment a few months ago, so Kein was ordered to penetrate New Eden�s underground as best he could, to find new blood. He performed outstandingly, building up an online network of informants that finally alerted him to several promising candidates. Two are still with the company: Molly Millions and the 'jewel,' so to speak, of the assassin division: Tiger Claw. Otherwise known as Darran Isanyeti, this man is believed to be the best fighter in all of New Eden-- he hasn�t died yet, though he�s had plenty of opportunities-- and also became Kein�s best friend. The personalities of the two mesh perfectly, Darran grounding Kein�s arrogance in humor as Kein provides the support to keep Darran from sliding into psychosis.
After a couple years, Kein had casually hooked up with Darran a few times and dated other people somewhat hesitantly, but hadn�t formed anything like a true romantic attachment to anyone. Then one night, as consequence of losing a bet to Darran, he attended a singles masquerade party and met an extremely cute boy. The two teasingly exchanged the names Romeo and Juliet, then spent what Kein thought would be a single night together, but to his surprise he couldn�t get �Juliet� out of his mind for days afterward. He soon found himself in a real relationship, and falling hard for the mystery man. His Juliet was lively and adorable, and something about him brought out Kein�s instinct to protect. It was a new one for him, to be supporting as well as simply controlling, and eventually he had to admit that somehow, he was in love.
Not for long, though, because at a car show where both the Capulets and the Montagues were displaying their new lines, Kein got his first look at Kisoku Capulet, and everything fell into place. No wonder, indeed, that Juliet had refused to give his name-- he was as famous as Kein himself. Not only that, but both were so shocked by the revelation that they responded angrily, and broke off everything then and there. Kein refused to let himself realize that he had lost something very precious to him, and remained furious and on edge for months afterwards. Only Darran was able to coax him back to himself, but with one noticeable difference; his dating became casual to the extreme as he sped through one partner, then another, firmly resolved to never let any of them get so close to him again.
From the beginning, Eve made it clear that she would transfer power of the New Eden branch to Kein as soon as he was able to handle it, and to that end he was enrolled at fourteen into a six year program that provided both a high school and a college education. Moreover, Kein assumed the role of CEO a year ago, and so has his hands quite full nowadays with work, his senior year courseload, and, of course, the rivalry with Kisoku that extends quite beyond a simple business competition. Sometimes he takes the time to hang out with Darran or date, but not too often because he always keeps his priorities in mind.
Writing Sample:
"There he is, Kein," the words were whispered in his ear, Mama's dark hair slipping across his cheek, "Kisoku Capulet." They were standing by a window built into the wall, looking in on darkness. But not quite darkness, no, for as Kein's eyes adjusted he could see a child kneeling, crying into his bound hands. *Why is his hair cut like mine?* As they watched through the one-way mirror, the boy gave another sob and raised his tear-streaked, frightened face to peer directly at them, though all the captive could see was himself. *Why are his eyes the color of mine?* "Mama... he looks like me..."
"Well of course," his mother replied, annoyance edging her tone, "he's your brother, darling, he's bound to look like you."
"But Mama, he--" Kein struggled around the words he was trying to say. What _was_ he trying to say? That the little boy-- his brother-- looked hurt, looked scared. That he remembered himself once crying in just that way, after a nightmare. *Maybe he smiles like me, too.* "Mama, couldn't we maybe let him go home?"
"Couldn't-- we-- what?!" his mother whispered savagely, spinning Kein around with a painfully tight grip as he stared, startled, at her furious glare. "Set him free? That miserable Capulet bastard? Set him free and let the Montagues walk all over us? Is that what you want?!" She shoved hard with both hands planted firmly on his shoulders, forcing him to the wall next to the window.
"N-no, Mama," he whimpered, frightened by her quick change, "I don't, I don't, but he _looks like me_, he--" a gasp was wrung out of him by a ringing slap that brought tears to his eyes and effectively silenced him for what his mother was going to say next.
"I would never have taken in a Capulet!" his mother shrieked, "I raised you a Montague! Show it, you pathetic little freak!" She turned Kein around again, slamming him to the window as he caught his breath in pain, the jutting sill having smashed into his chest and winded him. "That is a Capulet, the scum we spend our days working against," she murmured darkly by his ear, "but he's also just a little boy. Like you. And today looks like a good day for all little boys to learn a lesson, hm?"
Kein, his cheek up against the glass, frowned slightly in confusion and fear, the latter entirely overtaking his face as his right arm was wrenched behind him and pulled up sharply.
"Doesn't that hurt, Kein?" his mother asked in the same low, tautly angry tone, and jerked on his arm slightly.
"Mama-- ahh!" He half screamed, half cried, forced up onto his tiptoes to relieve some of the pain even as she pulled his arm again.
"Here's the lesson for today, Kein," her voice reached him through the piercing scream of his joints, "in life, you experience pain. Life _is_ pain. A lot of it. Nothing you can do will save you from it, nor anyone you know. If you're lucky, you learn from it. And if you're _smart_--" another jerk on his arm, another cry forced out of him, "you use it to break your opponents and crush them into the dust. You give them _so much_ pain that they never recover, never get a second chance. Now, I could fight that son of a bitch Capulet in the market, in our traditional battleground, but that would give him the opportunity to recover, to _fight back_, you understand? By doing this, by taking his precious little son and doing the unthinkable, I am causing him more pain than he even thought possible. I am breaking him, Kein. He will surrender to our demands and we will have won because of what _I_ have done today, because of what I understand will cause him the most agonizing, unbearable pain. _Do you understand?_"
"Y-yes Mama, I understand-- Mama--" his words were choked off by a final brutal slam against the wall that made the back of his head tingle and his ears ring. His vision went blurry, but only for a moment, he was sure... he'd be back to normal in a moment. It was a long moment, for when his eyes cleared his mother was gone, and he was slumped over on the floor. But it had only _been_ a moment, and everything was back to normal. Gingerly, he tried to curl the fingers on his right hand into a fist; they trembled, but worked. It hurt to drag himself up to the sill again, to turn his head, but he managed it, turning just far enough to see the huddled form through the window, a little boy-- a Capulet-- who looked up in blind terror as one of Mama's hired men opened the door with a curious smirk on his face... the ringing in his ears was coming back, but still he stayed watching and watching... what was going on, why was he, what was, why wasn't anyone stopping, why?
"Yes, Mama, life is pain. Yes Mama, yes Mama..."
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