Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

3 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

Riva grinned. "Really, Ivian? You assume so little of me if you think my psychological tactics are incapable of inflicting permanent damage upon a patient. But regardless, you have my word." She bowed with an obviously sarcastic flourish and said in a sing-song voice as she left the room, "sleep well, dear!" 

Caden looked towards Ivian, "if it is your will, my lord." He bowed, glaring at the Ravenness in a moment when she wasn't looking at him before leaving the room.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva turned towards Caden. "So, I'm assuming you've left the girl in the dungeons?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

2 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Riva turned towards Caden. "So, I'm assuming you've left the girl in the dungeons?"

Caden growled deeply in his throat, "yes. But if you're going to visit them, I will not have you go alone."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva chuckled as she walked, her hips swaying. "What, you don't trust me?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Just now, Shard of Thought said:

Riva chuckled as she walked, her hips swaying. "What, you don't trust me?"

Caden didn't respond as he stared down the Ravenness, standing up taller to fill in the confidence that he knew he was lacking in this woman's presence.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva made her way to the dungeon and easily found the girls. "Well, well, well," she said, nudging them awake with her foot. "What have we here?"

@Vapor @Channelknight Fadran

[Channelknight Fadran]

Wendy blinked her eyes open and looked up groggily. "Who--'re you?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva cracked her knuckles - high pitched pops for each and every finger - and grinned. It was an evil-looking expression, one that made her thin, blood-red lips look like a cut across her pale, wrinkled face. "Someone to whom little Arabella owes a visit."

[Channelknight Fadran]

She swallowed, hugging Arabella closer to her chest. "The king gave her his protection. Don't you dare lay a finger on her, Raveness."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Actually," Riva hissed, "I just came from the king. I'm rather..." She chuckled, eyeing her nails. "Convincing."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

3 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

"Actually," Riva hissed, "I just came from the king. I'm rather..." She chuckled, eyeing her nails. "Convincing."

Caden approached the Ravenness's shoulder, "not a finger, woman."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. I was promised an audience with her and I intend to take it." The Raveness turned towards Caden with a smirk on her face. "If I break my promise," she said haughtily, "the king will have you beat me until I'm nothing but a scarlet puddle. I would have thought you'd wanted to do that, but, well, it appears I was wrong, wasn't I? I had no idea you cared so much, my good general." She patted him on the cheek lovingly.

She squatted down beside Wendy. "Now I suggest you hand the girl over," she whispered, her breath hot on the girl's face. "Ivian may have given her immunity, but I heard nothing regarding your own protection."

Edited May 9, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Channelknight Fadran]

For the first time that night, a single tear threatened to drop down her face.

She’ll be safe, Wendy reminded herself.

Using all her willpower, Wendy relaxed her hold of Arabella and allowed her to fall into the Raveness’s clutches.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva rolled her eyes at Wendy's tear. Weakling. She shook the little girl awake. "Remember me, little one?"

@Vapor

[Vapor she/her]

22 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Riva made her way to the dungeon and easily found the girls. "Well, well, well," she said, nudging them awake with her foot. "What have we here?"

@Vapor @Channelknight Fadran

Ara groaned and covered her face with her arm, not waking up yet.

19 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Riva rolled her eyes at Wendy's tear. Weakling. She shook the little girl awake. "Remember me, little one?"

@Vapor

Ara yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She looked up at the woman and gasped, shrinking in on herself and looking around for Wendy.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

The Ravness took Arabella's hand and jerked her head to the side. "Come, now."

[Vapor she/her]

2 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

The Ravness took Arabella's hand and jerked her head to the side. "Come, now."

Ara shook as she stood up, glancing back and forth between the three others in the room.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva put her wrinkled hand on Arabella's shoulder, walking with her down a long hallway. The pair passed countless holding cells, the smell of dried blood and unwashed bodies clouding the air. On its own, it was enough to make someone unaccustomed to it sick, but Riva's perfume - a sharp scent of pine - overpowered it. Eventually, Riva made her way to a stone staircase lit by torches and offered her hand to help the young girl down them to leave the dungeon and its stench behind.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Vapor she/her]

Just now, Shard of Thought said:

Riva put her wrinkled hand on Arabella's shoulder, walking with her down a long hallway. The pair passed countless holding cells, the smell of dried blood and unwashed bodies clouding the air. On its own, it was enough to make someone unaccustomed to it sick, but Riva's perfume - a sharp scent of pine - overpowered it. Eventually, however, Riva made her way to a stone staircase lit by torches and offered her hand to help the young girl down them.

Ara refused the hand and headed down the stairs herself.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

The Raveness chuckled, the sound echoing in the stairwell. It would have sounded far more loving, but the sound quality in the lower-basement made it come across as rather menacing. "Independent, aren't we, little one?"

After walking for a little longer, the pair came to a door that Riva unlocked. The inside was that of a small office space; the Raveness's own quarters. "Please, sit," she insisted, gesturing towards the bed. Her voice seemed softer than it had been before, clashing against a presence that seemed almost too large for the tiny room. She sat down in a chair beside a desk, crossing her legs primly and clasping her fingers around a bony knee, trying to smile in a way that didn’t seem too threatening. That intention was greatly helped when she took off her mask, revealing a gaunt, pale face reminiscent of a skull.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Vapor she/her]

1 minute ago, Shard of Thought said:

The Raveness chuckled, the sound echoing in the stairwell. It would have sounded far more loving, but the sound quality in the lower-basement made it come across as rather menacing. "Independent, aren't we, little one?"

After walking for a little longer, the pair came to a door that Riva unlocked. The inside was that of a small office space; the Raveness's own quarters. "Please, sit," she insisted, gesturing towards the bed. Her voice seemed softer than it had been before, clashing against a presence that seemed almost too large for the tiny room. She sat down in a chair beside a desk, crossing her legs primly and clasping her fingers around a bony knee, trying to smile in a way that didn’t seem too threatening. That intention was greatly helped when she took off her mask, revealing a gaunt, pale face reminiscent of a skull.

Ara looked at the woman, confused, but she sat.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“You have no reason to fear me, little one," Riva insisted. "Despite what King Ivian believes, I do have morals and harming a child is against them. Though… I don’t suppose he - or you for that matter - has any reason to believe me. Especially considering how I suspect that brute Caden treated you…” She sighed. "You may call me Riva, miss 'bella. Oh!" She turned around in her chair, remembering something. "I have something for you." When she turned around again, she produced a box which she opened to reveal an assortment of baked goods. “Children still like cookies, don’t they? I did when I was your age. How old are you anyway?”

Edited May 9, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Vapor she/her]

Ara smiled at the sight of the cookies. “Eight,” she said quietly, obviously wanting to reach out and grab the whole box. “But my ma always said I looked young for my age.”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva lit up, all sharpness in her expression gone. "You most certainly do, my dear. You know, you can take the whole thing if you wish," she said with a wink.

[Vapor she/her]

Just now, Shard of Thought said:

Riva lit up, all sharpness in her expression gone. "You most certainly do, my dear. You know, you can take the whole thing if you wish," she said with a wink.

Ara reached out to grab the box, stuffing a cookie into her mouth. When she had swallowed, she asked, “How old are you?” before biting into another cookie.