Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

3 hours ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

Riva snapped awake in a cold sweat, chest heaving with breath. For a moment, she clawed at the silk sheets to sit up, then, once she had steadied herself, ran a hand through her thin, sweaty black locks. Images from the dreamworld of moments ago flashed before her eyes; apparently being dragged down to the dungeon by those guards was not a memory she could escape even in sleep. When she was younger, she'd had similar flashbacks in nightmares, flashbacks to being tied down to a table and experimented on by her mother. It was those nightmares that had fueled her early work and inspired her rage. Sometimes as a child she'd wake up screaming and pull a prisoner to work on, so their screeches could replace her own. A juvenile method perhaps, but it was those days that had given her the reputation she flaunted today. 

Not that her reputation had saved her, in the end.

An older Riva Thadel had had different nightmares; horrifying dreams of being pulled from bed and clawed apart by faceless townspeople. People who, though they had never met her, hated her with all their being. Dreams like these had mellowed her, made her see her work more as art and duty than a source of revenge and passionate ecstasy. And yet, this less sadistic Raveness had satisfied no one. In fact, she'd begun to worry that getting fired was her own fault. She should have been able to scare Ivian to his core, been more assertive with him. 

But then, of course, no amount of wishing and regretting would fix anything.

Riva turned to her side, putting her claws on Caden's shoulder. "Caden!" she whispered, shaking her husband awake. "Caden, Caden!"

Caden shot up, his hand darting towards the blade that lay beside his bed. In the blink of an eye, he was sitting up and moving to leap from the bed before catching himself. "What?" He whispered quickly.

On 7/30/2021 at 8:05 AM, Zephrun's Imperium said:

Nico nodded, but still felt sick. "Yeah. Yeah, I guessin'..."

"Are ya feelin' alrigh', pal?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

1 minute ago, The Ward's Guard said:

Caden shot up, his hand darting towards the blade that lay beside his bed. In the blink of an eye, he was sitting up and moving to leap from the bed before catching himself. "What?" He whispered quickly.

"I..." She still hadn't quite caught her breath. "My Stars. I just.. had a terrible nightmare."

2 minutes ago, The Ward's Guard said:

"Are ya feelin' alrigh', pal?"

"I'm fine." He sighed and was delighted when their food came; he needed the distraction.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Oh," Caden leaned back into the bed, looking exhausted. "Is that all?

-----

Fischer began to eat the soup with previously unknown gusto.

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

22 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"It's a stars-cursed metaphor, you little twit," Allivia hissed.

Leina scoffed. "Seems like a pretty crappy metaphor to me."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

1 minute ago, The Ward's Guard said:

"Oh," Caden leaned back into the bed, looking exhausted. "Is that all?

"'Is that all?'" Riva paused, then hugged her dear husband. "What do you mean 'is that all?' Don't you care?"

3 minutes ago, The Ward's Guard said:

Fischer began to eat the soup with previously unknown gusto.

Aaaand Nicolae barely touched his food. 

2 minutes ago, DramaQueen said:

Leina scoffed. "Seems like a pretty crappy metaphor to me."

Allivia launched herself at the girl, taking a swing with her fist.

[Channelknight Fadran]

Yelping quietly, Sarah ran at Allivia and grabbed her, pulling the other waitress away.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Depends, how bad was it?"

-----

"Ya don' look alrigh' ta me," Fischer said as he looked up between bites. "I remember ya bein' be'er a' ea'ing than this."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

6 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Yelping quietly, Sarah ran at Allivia and grabbed her, pulling the other waitress away.

"Let me go, you wretched harpies!" Allivia growled. 

4 minutes ago, The Ward's Guard said:

"Depends, how bad was it?"

Riva looked up, hoping her tears were enough of an answer.

4 minutes ago, The Ward's Guard said:

"Ya don' look alrigh' ta me," Fischer said as he looked up between bites. "I remember ya bein' be'er a' ea'ing than this."

"There's... unfinished business between us," Nico said, dropping his accent. It didn't seem right to use the boyish drawl.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Zephrun's Imperium

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

12 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Yelping quietly, Sarah ran at Allivia and grabbed her, pulling the other waitress away.

7 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"Let me go, you wretched harpies!" Allivia growled. 

Leina was terrified and overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the more terrified and overwhelmed she was, the more her words took a life of their own. "Woah. Rude, evil, and an uncontrollable temper. You either need a therapist or a prison cell. Or both."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"I'll kill you!" Allivia wrenched herself out of Sarah's grip and marched towards Liena, her eyes wild. "Your life will be Mal!"

[Channelknight Fadran]

Quote

Hello, Guard, can I borrow a couple of your Praetoriums?

 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

28 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

Riva looked up, hoping her tears wer enough of an answer.

Caden sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand to try and remove the exhaustion. "What should I do, then?"

29 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"There's... unfinished business between us," Nico said.

Fischer coughed, a bit of the soup caught in his throat. "Uh, yeah?"

9 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Hello, Guard, can I borrow a couple of your Praetoriums?

Quote

First off, I believe the question you mean is "may I borrow a couple of your Praetoriums?"

Secondly, I'd prefer not. I personally think the scene will be far more interesting for the two waitresses (and future work with the Praetorium Guard) if a few men of the palace guard showed up instead. However, you may do as you please.

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

5 hours ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

Yeah, that's more like it, Mav thought. He had Forge with him; they'd left so fast he hadn't had time to put the pet away and he didn't trust the cat alone in the house outside of his kennel. 

The specter led him through a maze of passageways, stopping at a heavy wooden door.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

3 minutes ago, The Ward's Guard said:

Caden sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand to try and remove the exhaustion. "What should I do, then?"

"Just... cuddle me, stay with me." She curled up and laid her head in his lap. "It was horrible... They grabbed me and tore at me, kicked and spat."

4 minutes ago, The Ward's Guard said:

Fischer coughed, a bit of the soup caught in his throat. "Uh, yeah?"

"Look, there's something I..." Nico started tearing up and cursed himself. "Stars curse it, I..."

2 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

The specter led him through a maze of passageways, stopping at a heavy wooden door.

Forge meowed, begging to be released from Mav's grip. But the kitty was hushed and eventually relented, settling down with a bored expression on his face, his tail swishing in annoyance. 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Just now, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"Just... cuddle me, stay with me." She curled up and laid her head in his lap. "It was horrible... They grabbed me and tore at me, kicked and spat."

"Look, there's something I..." Nico started tearing up and cursed himself. "Stars curse it, I..."

Forge meowed, begging to be released from Mav's grip. But the kitty was hushed and eventually relented, settling down with a bored expression on his face, his tail swishing in annoyance. 

The specter opened the door, revealing a desk at which a young woman in a black robe sat. She had her feet up on the desk and a bored expression on her face.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Mav raised an eyebrow. "This is your master?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden's brow furrowed in confusion, "who?"

-----

"Stars above, what's wrong?" He asked as he moved to stand up.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"The-the guards, the ones who took me to the dungeon the night of the ball a-after Ivian fired me."
------
"I... Fischer, I..." Nico squeezed his eyes shut. "I sent you to be drafted. It was me. I..." He opened his eyes. "I loved you too much."

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

34 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"I'll kill you!" Allivia wrenched herself out of Sarah's grip and marched towards Liena, her eyes wild. "Your life will be Mal!"

Leina's fear finally caught up with her quick tongue. Her eyes widened as she pressed herself up against the wall. "Um...sorry?" she squeaked. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"You will be." Allivia punched her again, then started kicking her.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"They aren't here now, right?" Caden placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder, "it's just us two."

-----

"Wait," Fischer froze, "what?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Yes, but... Caden, what if Ivian doesn't stop at firing me, what if he kills me too?" 
--------
"I... I asked Ivian to send you away. I knew if you stayed, I wouldn't be able to resist, we'd be executed. I'm a coward, Fischer, it's what I do."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"He wouldn't do that. Title or not, you are the Raveness."

-----

"But I-" Fischer's hands began to trembled, "you said that . . . It was you?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"He's not afraid of me anymore. And the people fear me, they'll want me dead."
----------
Nico couldn't meet Fischer's eyes. He only nodded in shame, hating himself.

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

43 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"You will be." Allivia punched her again, then started kicking her.

Leina screamed as she threw her hands up over her face. She slid down the wall to the ground, forcing herself to try to crawl away instead of just curling into a ball and giving in to the beating.