Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

An collective gasp arose from the court while Riva screamed and fought. Some looked away, unsure if watching the Raven was disrespectful, but others - most others - watched in gleeful awe. 

Riva tried desperately to get out of his hold, but he was a 300 pound muscular man and she was but an 80 pound frail old woman. "You DID kill her, didn't you? You were the one who killed your sister. YOU KILLED HER, YOU KILLED HER!!" The pair wandered out of ball room into the humid night air and Riva reached to start clawing up his face. 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden roared as he lifted Riva up and hurled her into the mud in front of him to get her claws away from his face. "Don't you DARE talk about her, you Maal-WOMAN!" He stepped forward, raising his hand to strike her face again.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

By now Riva was sobbing. Being thrown to the ground had knocked the wind out of her, so she was choking, her hair was matted with dirt, her makeup had been destroyed by tears, and her dress was ripped in a few places. She held up her hands, coughing out her plea: "Please. For the love of the Stars, for all that is good... please." 

[Channelknight Fadran]

Guards had run in and were shooing away the nearby guests.

"General Praetorium, you are under arrest!" One squeaked.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden paused upon seeing Riva in that state, but his attention was quickly grabbed. He whipped around, his face red with fury. "Stand aside or I will spread your blood upon the wall!"

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"What did I do..." Riva mumbeled. She stayed down for fear of being hit again, but the mud gave her no comfort. 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

The general shoved past the guardsmen, storming his way towards the nearest carriage before shouting at the coach man. "Leave for Castle Praetorium immediately!"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Castle Prae- "Caden, wait!" Riva got up and ran towards the carriage.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden whipped around, "what more, woman!"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"What the Mal just happened?" She was trembling all over. "I thought you actually gave a damn about me!!"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

He stepped forward raising a hand to strike her, "silence!"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva continued to speak, moving away from the carriage window. "We danced in there, damn you!! That meant something."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden swiped at Riva, missing as she back away. He shouted wordlessly in anger while the carriage rolled away, pulling himself away from the window as a single tear blazed it's way down his cheek. He shouted at the coachman, "faster!"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva heard him shout at the driver to move and watched helplessly as the carriage’s wheels began turning, leaving her behind. "No!” She forced herself to run as fast as she could, pulling up her ruined skirt. “Wait!!” She cried. “Caden! Caden, come back this instan-” At that moment - the carriage crossing over a particularly wet area - the Raveness was splattered with a great deal of mud. She gasped in shock, but ended up inhaling some of it. Riva screeched in anger, swearing right then and there that the moment she got home, she’d brew a suitably cruel potion for that horrid man. 

Stifled laughter came from behind her, the source of which Riva swiveled to find was a small group of nobles. She paled. They’d seen the whole thing. But… she could still salvage her reputation, couldn’t she? 

“What are you looking at?” Riva boomed. 

“Well, I’ve just never seen anything like this,” one young man chuckled. “I would have thought an old crone like you would have given up on dating by now. Must be a nightmare of a woman to be dumped on the street like that. What did you do, drop your dentures in his drink?” 

“How DARE you!” Riva’s eyes narrowed in fury. “I’ll have your head for such insolence, boy!”

There was only more laughter. “Stars, you’re a feisty one. Who do you think you are, the Raveness?”

What? Only then did Riva realize. 

Her mask. It was gone. Her face fell in horror, the world fading around her. Oh, how awful she must look. Her hair a frizzled mess, her dress torn and ruined, her dirty, wrinkled face exposed. Dear stars above, where was her mask??? She fell to her knees, searching the dirt road for the only symbol that afforded her protection. 

Eventually she found it. The black, feathered ornament was in pieces, evidently smashed by a certain carriage she’d seen only moments ago. It had to have fallen off when Caden had pushed her. Riva held the thing in shaking hands, awestruck. That mask was almost as old as she was and now… Anger couldn’t mask her fear. Those boys didn’t know who she was, but perhaps someone else might have seen her. First the pie and now this… She growled, a plan forming in her head. The king wouldn’t let this injustice pass.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Zephrun's Imperium

[Channelknight Fadran]

Wendy briefly considered running over and ruining Allivia's face, but ultimately thought the better of it. She'd originally assumed that Allivia would 'punish' her and Nicolae in subtler fashions than direct violence, but the throbbing knot on her head was a testament otherwise. It would probably be worse to enrage her further than to do nothing, so Wendy simply kept her distance.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh my joy!" Nico exclaimed, flabbergasted at what he had just witnessed. "Wha' in Mal's name was 'at!" 
-------
Riva ditched her heels once she got to her secret entrance; they kept getting stuck in the mud and had made her trip quite a few times. By now, she was practically caked in dirt, which did not help her mood improve. Growling, she pulled open the top of the tree stump, descending the ladder into the tunnels. Going through the main entrance all covered in dirt would have been too much. No, she’d change in her old room and then wait for Ivian in his chambers. Hopefully he had not forgotten what power she held. 

Once in her old room (which was now almost completely bare and seemed like a skeleton compared to the rooms she'd been using at Caden's estate) she stripped and drew herself a bath. A few times she nearly called for Daku, but that would have been useless; she didn't have time for a scented bubble bath, she just wanted to get clean and then... She smirked. Well, then she'd get all presentable for her sovereign. 

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Kay." Katie whispered, glancing out at the party. "I know the secret entrance. We just have to be super sneaky."

@Vapor

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

The king would find his Raveness in the corner, sitting cross-legged at his desk. Riva made no effort to hide her less-than-desirable appearance before the king. Though she'd managed to comb the dried mud out of her hair before coming into the room - it was now silky smooth and cascaded down her bare back - no amount of brushing and cleaning could change how thin her hair was. She'd thrown out her dress and the padding she wore at balls to make her hips and bust more shapely, donning only her thin, form-fitting, black underdress. It completely denied any fashion standards, displaying her own gaunt body shape instead of the manufactured one her normal dresses relied on. In short - between the uncomfortable amount of exposed wrinkled skin and the makeup she’d added to make herself look more skeletal, contouring her already sharp cheekbones and collarbone, adding circles under her eyes to give her an undead appearance - she had made herself a corpse. When Ivian saw her, she wanted him to be reminded that her reputation was not unwarranted. He would fear her. As everyone should.

She signaled one of the guards in the room. "Send for the king."

"But, miss, there's a ball going on, I don't think he wants to be dist-"

"I don't care. Send for the king. Now."

"O-okay." He scurried off and tapped the king's shoulder. "Uh... your Highness? The Raveness is sending for you."

Quote

This happens a few hours after Riva is carried out by Caden; she spent a lot of time on her make up.

 

[Vapor she/her]

2 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Katie straightened out her apron, took it off, then threw it over Arabella and flipped it around backwards. "There! Now you have a cape. Let's go!"

Ara giggled and curtsied at Katie, grinning.

21 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

"Kay." Katie whispered, glancing out at the party. "I know the secret entrance. We just have to be super sneaky."

@Vapor

"I will."

[Channelknight Fadran]

45 minutes ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

She signaled one of the guards in the room. "Send for the king."

"But, miss, there's a ball going on, I don't think he wants to be dist-"

"I don't care. Send for the king. Now."

"O-okay." He scurried off and tapped the king's shoulder. "Uh... your Highness? The Raveness is sending for you."

Quote

If it takes place in a few hours then I have some other stuff for Ivian to do

27 minutes ago, Vapor said:

Ara giggled and curtsied at Katie, grinning.

"I will."

"Kay. Now..." Katie fingered a small rock, then hurled it at a vase filled to the brim with salt.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Just now, Channelknight Fadran said:

If it takes place in a few hours then I have some other stuff for Ivian to do

Quote

Aaaaaargh, noooo. Not a lot of hours, just like one. RP with meeeeeee

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

Quote

A few means at least three.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Quote

You think it takes her three hours to do her makeup? Riva is a fanatic, but not three hours, she's on a schedule. Just RP pleeeeease :plead:

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

Quote

Kay.

1 hour ago, Zephrun's Imperium said:

"O-okay." He scurried off and tapped the king's shoulder. "Uh... your Highness? The Raveness is sending for you."

Ivian growled under his breath. The party had been going on for far too long in his opinion, and if the Raveness wanted something then he doubted it was good. "What does she want?"

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"I don't know," the guard asked. "But she's been sitting in your room all creepy like she owns the place."