Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[Condensation she/her]

13 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

"Well, o'course I can, miss! How many does ya need?"

"One is fine, although three might be nice."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Well, I can do that absolutely." He bowed, tossing back his cape to be dramatic.

[Vapor she/her]

2 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

"She's the reason I'm here. I was... kind of in charge of taking care of her at... where we're from." Wendy looked between the two of them. "Umm... I'd love to stay and chat, but I still have work to do. Ara, you make sure to be a good girl; if I have time I'll take you and Katie somewhere fun tonight."

Ara bounced up and down. "Okay!!"

2 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

"Aww. Now that's sweet of you, miss, takin' care of the girl." He glanced up at Ara and grinned at her before asking Wendy, "Somethin' happen to her parents? Surely she ain't yours."

She looked down, happy expression lost. "My mom and dad are dead."

2 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Nico kept his eyes on the door for a few seconds after she left. "Overworked, that lass," he said. "Poor girl. Sweet though. Are you good for her, miss 'Bella?"

"Yeah."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

3 minutes ago, Vapor said:

She looked down, happy expression lost. "My mom and dad are dead."

“Aww. I’s sorry, miss. That’s awful. My own parents is dead too.”

4 minutes ago, Vapor said:

"Yeah."

“Good!” Nico pulled her off his shoulders and tickled her. 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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*At some point in what I assume to be the near future*

"You've got to be more careful!" Wendy scolded, lighting a couple candles and holding the finger up to the light.

Katie pouted. "I was being careful! Really careful! I think the glass just moved to get me."

Wendy looked up, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Sure. Now hold still."

"Kay. I'm holdin--ow!"

"Got it." Wendy held a tiny piece of glass in a pair of tweezers, dropping it into a nearby dustbin. "No, no moving. We still need to wrap it up."

"Wrap it up? It isn't even bleeding!"

Wendy shook her head. "It'll bleed if you squeeze it, and we need to make sure it doesn't get infected anyhow. Here... hold still..." she wrapped a bit of cloth around Katie's finger. "There. Better."

Crossing her arms, Katie gave Wendy a look. "Okay. Can I go back to work now?"

"Only if you promise to be more careful."

"I was being careful! Really, really careful!"

Wendy smiled and ruffled Katie's hair. "Alright. Get your work done; unless you don't want to come with me and Ara tonight."

"I'm going! I'm going!" Katie ran off to go finish her job.

Standing up, Wendy put away her medical supplies and took a quick breather. She'd already finished all her duties that day, and had collected her weekly wage from the taskmaster. That combined with the pocket change she'd kept on her was enough to take the three of them out tonight. Hopefully she wouldn't need it for anything else later on.

"Hey, uhh... Wendy?"

She turned around. "Umm... oh, Sarah? What is it?"

"Uhh..." Sarah held up a bleeding finger sheepishly.

Wendy furrowed her brow, then sighed. "Alright. Come here. Stars, I didn't ask to be a doctor as well as a waitress..."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

4 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

With a grin, Riva ran after him and took his arm, bumping him playfully with her hip. "Oh, c'mon! Maybe this marriage isn't for nothing after all!"

He regarded the Raveness with a suspicious glare, stopping only to get a better look at the woman who had grabbed hold of his arm. "What do you really expect to get out of this marriage, a man who's subservient to you and your every whim?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva scoffed. “Oh please. Everyone in this stars-cursed kingdom is scared to death of me. They’d do whatever I say for fear that I’d torture them. You and the king are the only ones willing to butt against me and quite honestly, it’s a breath of fresh air.” 

Saying it out loud was….. refreshing. She stood motionless for a moment. This was her chance, wasn’t it? To be treated like an actual human instead of a demon. “You don’t have to love me - I don’t expect you to - but….. I don’t think I want to live with a man who wants to kill me.”

Riva’s hands shook. Stars why was she opening up here in the kitchen in the middle of the night wearing her chemise to a man who’d outright said he thought she was evil???

Edited June 10, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

For a moment, Caden froze where he stood. It wasn't exactly the words that the Raveness spoke that had surprised him, but the manner in which she spoke them. His mind worked slowly as he reviewed the woman's words in his mind, although whether it was due to the late hour or the source of the words, he couldn't say. His lungs began to burn, and he released a breath that he didn't know he was holding. 

The woman who he had feared and hated for so long stood before him in only her chemise, asking that he not not want to kill her. He shook his head, the contradiction between the woman who stood before him and the Raveness who had such an overpowering presence at the ball barely more than a day ago burned in his mind. There had to be something that she wanted from him, right? Wasn't that how the Raveness worked? He spoke slowly, unsure how to respond to the tone that the Raveness had set, "I don't want to kill you unless the King commands it."

The king, yes. The king had a purpose for this relationship, that was all that Caden had to keep in mind. "I won't love you, Raveness, and I never will." He stepped away from her, feeling a strange sense as he left her immediate presence; but he was glad to be standing alone, just as he was used to. "Just stay out of my way, and this might work out."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva was... disappointed by the response. Stay out of his way? Stars, she was out of everyone's way in the basement, separated from everyone but those on death row; criminals, thieves, assassins, the scum of the earth. She wanted something different from that, damn it. She held up a hand, starting after Caden. "I-" 

But she trailed off. What was there to say?

"Good night, I suppose."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden placed his hand on the doorframe, turning his head to look back at the Raveness. "Good night." He didn't immediately turn away, pausing for just a moment as he felt that he should be doing or saying something more. Instead, he walked off back to his desk to gather the letters that were to be sent off.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva walked out, bumping him with her hip again on her way and flashing him a small smile. 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden flinched, reaching for the blade that was seemingly always at his side at the contact. He brushed it aside, only offering a slight growl in response.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

With a small chuckle that to Caden might have sounded slightly evil, Riva walked back to her new room in the darkness. She hadn't eaten much, but her belly was full now and her thirst satisfied. When she sat down on the bed, she was struck once again by just how soft it was and suddenly her eyelids felt heavy, the warm covers too enticing to resist curling into a ball. It was perhaps 1:30 in the morning; a little early to be sleeping for Riva, but not an unreasonable bedtime by any means. She sighed, pulling the heavy blanket tighter around her, fully aware of how tiny she was on the massive bed. Her bony body sank into the mattress a few inches and it seemed to Riva as though she was being held. Warmth. Comfort. Security. All three flowed within her like never before. Who knew? Maybe this whole marriage thing wouldn't be all bad.

[Condensation she/her]

On 6/9/2021 at 3:13 PM, Shard of Thought said:

"Well, I can do that absolutely." He bowed, tossing back his cape to be dramatic.

"Thank you." Alienor smiled.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

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Okay, so Caden and Riva are in bed, Nicolae and Eleanor appear to be done. Fad, do you want to write Katie and ‘bella’s adventure or do we want to time skip? You’d be writing the adventure pretty much by yourself and it could slow down the plot a bit. I’m thinking you could just do it in one post

 

Edited June 11, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Hm. I'd need a 'Bella to do a Kabelendy (the new official big sis ship (BSS)), so....

@Vapor

[Vapor she/her]

On 6/9/2021 at 4:15 PM, Shard of Thought said:

“Aww. I’s sorry, miss. That’s awful. My own parents is dead too.”

“Good!” Nico pulled her off his shoulders and tickled her. 

Ara squealed and tried to push Nico away.

1 hour ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

@Vapor

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okay hi

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Hello. Uhh... Wendy's gonna take you and Katie out to ice cream.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

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I was thinking Nico could tag along.  At Ara's request.

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Sure! Bring him! You'll tick Wendy off like crazy, which is always entertaining to write.

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“So, ‘Bella. You’re gonna go somewhere with Wendy tonight?”

[Vapor she/her]

"We're getting Ice Cream!!!"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Nico scratched his head. "Oh, boy, now. Ain't that stuff expensive?"

Edited June 12, 2021 by Zephrun's Imperium

[Vapor she/her]

“Really?”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh, yes, miss." He paused. "Maybe I should chip in to be helpin' Wendy pay for it. You want me to come along, miss?"