Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[Channelknight Fadran]

"My lord!" A servant said. "You have a visitor."

Ivian turned around. "Very well. Let them in."

The servant opened the door to enter an incredibly old yet spry-looking lady. There was a perpetual mischevious grin on her face, and she scanned the room with the look of a child wondering what would be most entertaining to break.

All in all, Ivian was very surprised.

"Mom???" Ivian demanded.

Louis Rewray caught his eye, grin growing larger. "Mornin', m'boy. I hear you've been hard at work, so I decided to come steal some of your time to pay a visit."

"You mean you're--"

"Not dead yet, no." She began scanning his counter of wine bottles, selecting one and examining the contents.

Ivian forced himself to regain his poise and coughed. "Do you need anything?"

"What, can a mother not visit her child for the sake of visiting her child?" Louis unstoppered the bottle and poured herself a glass. "I want to catch up with you! See how life's going. I think that we should start with..." her eye twinkled, "your marriage."

He stiffened, quickly shooing his guards out. "That's not something to be discussed her and now."

"She's a pretty thing. Heard her only duty's to bear your child."

Ivian turned around. "One would think that, considering my conception, a woman's 'purpose' is more than sex."

Louis strode over to Ivian, placing a hand on his shoulder, despite the fact that he stood a healthy two heads taller than her. "That's right. So you're finally getting it?"

"I got that years ago."

She shrugged. "Always good to keep track of these things. I'd like to meet her personally one day, if that'd be possible."

"You'll meet her soon enough," Ivian replied reassuringly.

"Good, good," Louis said, sitting down on Ivian's favorite armchair. "Now I have one more question before I let you get back to your work."

"And that is?"

Louis poured her glass of wine into a nearby potted plant. "Where do you keep the good stuff?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Darrin was shaking. His bruises had spread quickly over the last few days, climbing like vines over his cheekbones. Being starved had taken its toll on him; his ribs easily showed through his skin and his once muscular form was now utterly emaciated. Words spilled from his mouth like tar while he sat in his sweat against the wall.

"Maverick... Wither... Kill... Displeased with... me..."

[Channelknight Fadran]

"This is your job?" Louis asked, looking disgusted.

Ivian sighed. "Y'know, mom, this was supposed to be a private execution."

"Then I'll be quiet about it," she whispered.

"Not to be rude, my lord, but if you could please..." the guard--obviously new to the place--seesawed his hands, "get on with it?"

Had Ivian been in any other mood, he would've questioned the guard's attitude, if only for the sake of discipline. Personally he thought that people should question him more often, but the guards had no place in doing it. "Right. Of course." He pulled out a scroll of standard-issue solemnities before execution. "Due to your crimes against the crown, you have been sentenced to death by beheading." Thank goodness they're short.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Darrin struggled against the people who held him. It was fruitless; his muscles were all but gone and the guards held him back easily. "You don't know what you're doing!" Darrin screeched. "I need to talk to my brother!"

[Channelknight Fadran]

"The earth will consume the flesh," Ivian spoke, "and stars take the soul." He nodded to the executioner, who readied his axe as the guards started chaining Darrin down to the chopping block.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

As they did so, however, Darrin began to melt in his captors' hands. His eyes turned to slush and he screamed, blackness dripping down his face. 

The stars would not be taking this man's soul.

"MAVERICK!! GET. MAVERICK." Darrin screeched. His arms flaked away and his once-black flesh started smoking. The guards dropped him, Darrin's hot skin burning their hands. 

"Uh... Ivian?" said a guard nervously.

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Holy stars," Louis muttered.

"Get away from him!" Ivian demanded, shooing at the guards. "Spears!"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

The guards timidly obeyed. Darrin shook and screamed, his body now rigid and shaking. After a few tense seconds, he literally exploded, flakes of black and tar-like goo splattering all over the chamber.

[Channelknight Fadran]

Ivian wiped the sludge out of his eyes. "What... in the stars..."

"Aw, mal..." Louis muttered.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

A few miles away, Maverick sat blissfully in his living room, reading a book and sipping tea while his cat slept on the floor. He really needed to tell Ivian that he intended to let Darrin stay with him after a few weeks of torture...

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

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Okay, so... I kind of want to join this, but also I don't want to get too sucked into RPing again (to avoid massive procrastination causing me to not do well in other aspects of my life, which then causes stress so...not the goal). Is there a way that I could slip a fairly unimportant character in, something that doesn't need to be around too often?

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

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Sure, I'll DM you and we can talk it out!

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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I can help too. If someone could take over a waitress or two then that'd be great...

 

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

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I'm creating a waitress

 

[Frustration]

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filler post, because I have things I want to do.

Brother Tomad had just finished listening to confessions for the day when a young acolyte told him Father Arinor had called.

Brother Tomad ran as fast as he could, before shoving the doors to the infirmary open, and rushing to the Bishop's bedside.

"Father Arinor, you... you wanted to speak with me."

The old man turned to look at him, the plauge had been horrible on him, his skin was discolored, he had a large bulge above one eye, and there were places one could see through his cheek.

"Brother Tomad," he wheezed. "I have sent a letter to the Archbishop, he will be here within a fortnight, I am certain he will make you Bishop."

"But Father, you are still alive."

"I doubt I will survive until morning, now be quiet I have something I wish to say. I have but one shame in life, something I want you to rectify. Brother I beg you, denounce the murders, and violence of the nobility, call them to repent, and push for their excommunication if they do not."

"I, father?"

"Please I beg of you."

Brother Tomad stayed by the Bishop's bed, agreeing to his requests, until he died in the early morning.

[Channelknight Fadran]

10 hours ago, DancingQueen said:

 

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Yay!

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Allivia Nordy had no intention of sleeping with Nicolae tonight; She wanted blood and the tool to get it was in the dungeons. The Raveness wouldn't mind a missing whip, would she?

She tiptoed down the long staircase, the flames of torches flickering in her wake. Unfortunately when she got down to the supply closet, however, she found two guards in her way. Allivia resisted and eyeroll and approached the pair with a flirtatious smile. "Well, good afternoon gentlemen. May I get through?"

@The Ward's Guard

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

On 7/1/2021 at 3:07 PM, Zephrun's Imperium said:

Late in the afternoon, when she knew Caden was at home in his study, Riva made the trip down to him and knocked on the door. She felt bad for acting the way she had the night previous - the childish way she'd revealed that the tea was poisoned was particularly embarrassing to recall - and was presently determined to offer a flag of truce by returning the room now that Caden was likely calmed down from last night.

@The Ward's Guard

 

While he swung his body weight, trying to stretch his sore muscles from his "drills" last night, Caden took deep breaths to slow his thinking. He was almost sure on what to think about the Raveness, his answer not changing from the night before, but something felt off as he went through the motions. He cursed himself for allowing such feelings to cloud the judgement that he had relied upon for years with no failing to this day, why now?

He grunted, a new pain arising in his shoulder. He knew he was getting older, but he refused to lower the intensity of his drilling, especially after his shameful actions the night before. He should have never trusted that witch, but now that his moment of anger had passed, he had spent the entire morning pondering on what had happened, his gut twisting and turning at thoughts that came to his mind. He missed the clarity that came with his anger, the singleminded focus on the task at hand, none of this contemplating and questioning. He sighed, turning to the cold and plain breakfast that still stood on the desk in the captain's office that he was in, placing his hands on his hips as he realized that he hadn't quite recognized how hungry he was.

58 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

Allivia Nordy had no intention of sleeping with Nicolae tonight; She wanted blood and the tool to get it was in the dungeons. The Raveness wouldn't mind a missing whip, would she?

She tiptoed down the long staircase, the flames of torches flickering in her wake. Unfortunately when she got down to the supply closet, however, she found two guards in her way. Allivia resisted and eyeroll and approached the pair with a flirtatious smile. "Well, good afternoon gentlemen. May I get through?"

@The Ward's Guard

The guard on the left perked up from his lazy posture before smiling knowingly, "of course, ma'am." He gestured towards the door as the other guard, far taller and muscular than the other as he stood just out of the light to make the details of his face obscured, lifted up his arm to stop Allivia. "What business do you have here, server?"

The first guard sighed, exasperated. 

Edited July 4, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

When Caden didn't open the door for her, Riva let herself in. "Caden?" she asked. "How do you do this morning?"
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Allivia squared her shoulders. "You must be new here. I'm Allivia Nordy and the other guards know to let me through."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Did I say that you could enter?" Caden asked without looking up.

----

"On who's authority, serving girl Nordy?" The man asked critically. 

His companion groaned, bowing his head and placing it into one hand while leaning onto his spear with the other. "Just let her through, makes everything easier."

The man snapped around to face him, "'just let her through' what, soldier?"

"Just let her through, Sergeant Wagner, sir," he said with a sigh. 

The sergeant scoffed, "you could at least stand at attention. Now," he turned to face Allivia again, "on who's authority?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"No. But I don't tend to care about authority." Riva eyed him, glad he wasn't looking at her. "Caden... Last night I was angry with you for intruding on my personal space, but I realize I did the same thing to you when I took your room."
-------
"Oh my own," she hissed. "You have no idea who I am."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden opened his mouth to argue, countless points that he had thought of after the argument the night before pushing themselves into his mind before he stopped himself, actually acknowledging what she had said. He lifted his cup, looking uncertain. "Uh, yes. That's the point I was trying to uh, make."

----

"You're a serving girl," the man stepped out into the light, illuminating the Praetorium emblem that was on his shoulder. "You have no authority to enter this chamber, and you will return to your duties. Understood?"

The palace guard coughed to try to mask his surprise at the sergeant's words. He cleared his throat, but kept silent for the moment, intrigued and worried at how this interaction would end. He felt that he should intervene, but his curiosity held him back for a moment.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Yes, well. I was wondering if you would, ah... want your room back."
----
"Oh, really?" Allivia stepped forward. "I can make your life Mal, sergeant." 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"What are you trying to pull on me?" Caden asked her while raising his eyebrow.

----

The sergeant didn't look the least bit intimidated, but instead paused to consider something. "You said your name's Allivia Nordy, correct?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Nothing," she hissed. "I'm simply trying to be good to you, just like last night. I drugged the tea to make you talk to me so we could get to know each other better. There's nothing wrong with wanting that. And there's nothing wrong with me offering you your room back."
---------
"That is correct, yes."