Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

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I gotcha in the DMs, Connie!  

Riva stared at her hideous reflection in the mirror. Her tears had made her mascara run, leaving trails of black down her wrinkled cheeks. She was usually able to convince herself that her age wasn't that much of a problem, but that was utterly impossible now; she was a monster and it was no wonder Caden couldn't stand her. While she cleaned up her face and removed her makeup, she sobbed steadily but quietly. 

Daku had come back earlier that afternoon with the new furnishings she'd asked for and now the place looked very different from the sparsely-decorated chamber she'd been met with the night previous. You could hardly tell that the general had once lived here. Yet the more she thought about it, the more restless she grew. Stealing Caden's room had been a stupid move. He already hated her and she had not forgotten that he could kill her at any moment. Second chance my ass, she thought. You sent me here to die a slow and painful death, Ivian. But she had no idea how to proceed. Would Caden respect her more if she gave it back? Or would he see her as submissive and feel he could push her around? She ultimately decided that she would give the room back, but not tonight. He was likely still quite heated and she did not want to interfere with him while he was. 

The torturess plopped down onto the soft bed, the plush mattress making her shaky breathing quiet some. The embrace of the pillows felt like a sweet, loving hug. Or, she assumed it did; she'd never actually been hugged before, but it sounded nice enough. Warm and comforting. Of course, a torturess didn't deserve warmth and comfort, she knew that. She just couldn't deny herself the luxury... Riva soon fell asleep, fully dressed and on top of the covers.

[Channelknight Fadran]

Wendy woke up screaming.
Not really, but she certainly felt like screaming. Pale sunlight leaked through a tiny barred window onto a pile of straw that she was lying on. She squinted as consciousness returned to her, disoriented and confused.
And then her head rang with agony.
She cried out, hand flying to her temple, as a wave of insistent pain hovered inside her head. Wendy tried to stand, free hand groping blindly for a wall. Luckily she found one, bracing against it to get up. A high-pitched perpetual whimper—more of a breath, really—tremored on her voice. The pain stayed, threatening to bring tears to her eyes.
Taking a step was a mistake. A jolt ran up her spine into Wendy’s head, spiking the pain hard enough to make it unbearable. She shrieked again, stumbling; but that only sent more jolts up. Wendy eventually toppled to the floor, grasping her head and screaming. The pain faded with her laying still, but her tears didn’t.
“Uh… miss?” A guard asked from the other side of the prison cell. “Miss, are you…” He cleared his throat. “Can I call someone to account for you?”
“Ni—Nicolae Kimby,” was the first name she could think of.
“I don’t think now’s the best time to be making kids—”
“Just get him!”
“Alright!” The guard held out his hands and went off to find Nicolae.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Nico was awakened by a knock at the door. He groaned and rolled over to look at the door, but when he did, he fell out of bed. There was a loud thump on the floor and a rustle of blankets.

”Who is it?” he said, his head of messed up hair poking up from the blanket.

”Goarn, sir. Guard from the dungeon.”

Oh, no. Did I do somethin’ wrong?

“A girl is calling for you? Black hair, real pretty. A waitress I think.”

”Oh!” Nico stumbled out of his blanket and opened the door, unconcerned about being in his boxers. 

The guard blushed. “Uh….. You’re coming in that?”

Nico looked down and his eyes widened. “Oh dear. One moment.” Indeed, one moment later, he was back in a robe. “Let’s go!”

”okay then….” Goarn led Nico to the cell downstairs and Nico rushed over. 

“Wendy! Oh no, oh, no. It was Allivia wasn’t it, I told you she’d do somethin’ like this….”

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Ni--Ni--" She was grasping the bars with one hand and her temple with the other. Wendy's eyes were squeezed shut, and she was struggling to stand.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Well, let her out!” Nico demanded of the guard. “She ain’t done nothin’ wrong. Allivia Nordy put her in there, an’ she don’t deserve it.”

“Okay, okay…” Goarn hurried over to get the keys. 

Nico knelt down. “What happened, Wendy?”

Edited July 3, 2021 by Zephrun's Imperium

[Channelknight Fadran]

"I don't--it--"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Imma get you out of here.” He sighed. “I told you, Wendy, Allivia is too much for ya.”

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Can't... think..." She let out a quiet shriek as a random jolt of pain shot through her head.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Goarn came back with the keys and unlocked the door. The moment he did, Nico rushed into the cell and gave Wendy a hug. 

[Channelknight Fadran]

Wendy sobbed into Nico's shoulder, shaking with pain and tears.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Shhh. It’s alright. Nico’s gotcha.” He rubbed her back. 

[Channelknight Fadran]

"It hurts." Wendy whimpered. "Stars..."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Looks like she hit you over the head real hard, my dear.” He tsked. “Does you think you can walk?”

[Channelknight Fadran]

"I... don't... I don't know."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Right then. I thinks I can carry ya.” He gently began scooping her up.

[Channelknight Fadran]

Wendy didn't stop him, instead wrapping an arm around his neck to steady herself.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Dear Stars, this is all me fault..." he mumbled as he carried her out. "I'm gettin' you to the healin' ward, alright?"

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Not... your fault..." Wendy swallowed.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"If I'da just said yes like I was supposed to, miss, none of this woulda happened. Of course it's my fault and don't you say it's yours 'cause - 'scuse my language - it sure as Mal ain't yours."

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Not. Your. Fault."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

He sighed. "Stars know you should give up on me, miss."

[Channelknight Fadran]

"I don't..." Wendy sucked in a breath, trying to make the pain subside for just a moment. "Give up on anybody."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Aww, you poor darling..." Nico held her close and kissed her forehead. 

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Katie and Ara?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Mal, Wendy, I just woke up, I ain't heard nothin' 'bout them. But I doubt Alli would go after them."