Epilogue: Light's Hope Chapel

At the top of the stairs floats what looks like a cocoon, a familiar face visible at the top...

Oliver pushes away from Apophan and, with what last of his energy he has, bolts up the stairs.
Oliver says: Senkha!

Senkha is not breathing.

Ariadine stands below the cocoon. She looks exhausted but forces a sneer at the two men approaching.

Oliver is a blighted mess of a rotting corpse. He's barely recognizeable. He steps forward and swings at Ariadine. This is not time for nonsense, it is time for punches to the face.

Ariadine stumbles back. Okay, was not expecting a face pawnch so early in the game. "Are you insane?!" She shrieks hysterically. Shadows circle her feet and begin to form a half hearted shield. Damn Ollie, you scurreh.

Nialos moves forward, also swinging for Ariadine. "Shut. Up."

Senkha's head lolls to the side of its own accord. Blood trickles from her mouth.

Oliver drops to his knees, ignoring her shadows and cradling Senkha in his arms. "Y'could say so, yes."

Ariadine's shield sputters and collapses under the angry old man fist.
Ariadine crumples in a heap of KO'd shadowbrat.

Senkha's head falls forward onto Oliver's shoulder; up close, it's clear that she's cocooned in a combination of shadow and fel magic.

Oliver lifts Senkha's head with a hand. "No, no- no, no, no-" He kisses her cheek. The flesh burns from the blight trailing from his lips, and he's begun to shudder. "No, no- Come on, no-"
Oliver looks up. "Ah'm gettin' her out 'a here. Nialos, Ah'm gettin' her-"

Nialos looks around, desperately, and finally begins to conjure a Death Gate.

Oliver lifts her in his arms and staggers through the Gate- they'd find themselves in Acherus, though he'd quickly get her to Light's Hope.

Nialos follows suit, sighing heavily. "Just... Just another day."
Nialos also takes Ariadine.

[they reach Light's Hope Chapel]

Senkha is still not breathing, still wrapped in her cocoon of shadow and fel magic. Her face is badly bruised and her shape, under the cocoon, is somehow...off.

Senkha has been flown down from Acherus, with some thinly-veiled disdain from its inhabitants, to Light's Hope. Oliver explains to the medics the situation as best as he can manage, and the mages set to work on unbinding her.

Nialos stands there. Impassively.

As the mages unbind her, the extent of Senkha's wounds becomes more apparent: both legs are badly twisted and broken, and her entire right side is covered with burns, both shadow and natural.

Nialos looks his daughter over, eye narrowed and lips drawn into a tight line. He glances up at Oliver, barely able to contain his grief now.

Macglynn collapses nearby as the cocoon falls. She has help. He doesn't need to be on his feet anymore. He rests on his side, and whispers as the medics set in on her injuries. "Please. Please. Please."

The medics work hardest on simply trying to get Senkha breathing again. It takes a few minutes, but they manage to find a pulse, and eventually begin forcing air into her system through complicated tubing. Bindings are wrapped around her burns.

Nialos' eye drifts all around the chapel's interior, brows furrowed as he struggles to maintain some resemblance of calm.

Macglynn seems past calm, past angry, past insane, and straight into calm again. One hand shakingly reaches out to touch her as the medics move away to gather supplies, and remains there until he's yelled at to remove it.
Macglynn whispers: Can you hear me? I love you. Can you hear me?

Senkha suddenly shrieks inhumanly, her body going rigid. The medics turn her on her side; one remarks, "She's seizing," in about the same tone one would say "it's raining."
To Macglynn: A spark.

Nialos stiffens at the shriek, and soon, a hand comes up to obscure his face. "Pull through, pull through..." He quietly repeats this over and over again.

Macglynn is dragged away by the medics. He's a deadweight. Black streaks on the marble floor under him. It's an effort, but they need him out of the way. He doesn't have the energy to struggle. Just looks at her.

The seizure ends relatively quickly; when it's over, Senkha is breathing again. The medics get to work trying to set her legs and mend her broken bones. They work at a lightning pace.

Nialos slowly moves away from the scene, determined not to get in the way. He takes a seat close to Oliver.

Macglynn whispers: I need you. I love you. Please. Please don't die. Please. I love you.

To Macglynn: The spark has become a steady flame. Weak, but steady. The sense of something trying to push through.

Macglynn closes his eyes and allows himself to sag against the wall. He also allows himself to weep, or as close as undead can come to it. "Please. Ah need you back. Please."

Nialos' voice is hoarse (for a Death Knight), his gaze stern. "She'll make it, Oliver. She's strong. She'll make it."

It may take a few minutes or it may take hours, but eventually, the medics step away from Senkha's form. She's covered in bandages and swollen, but her faint pulse is steady, as is her breathing. The chief medic approaches Oliver and Nialos, his expression grim. "She's stable. For now."

Nialos grunts, rolling his eye. "That's assuring." He sighs, however, and nods. "... Thanks."

The medic continues, almost deadpan. "I can't say when or if she'll recover completely. Her injuries are extensive and the infection is more severe than it at first appeared. We're also limited...the amount of shadow magic forced on her system has made her intolerant of the Light until said shadow magic is purged."

Macglynn says: Wh- what about other. Healing. Methods.

Nialos grumbles quietly to himself, before throwing a hand up. "What about nature magic? Isn't there-" He catches hismelf. "Isn't there anything, anything at all..."

The medic frowns slightly. "Other forms of magic could help, yes. Our medics here aren't trained in those forms, however, and our druid team is away on a mission to the Plagued Woods right now."

Macglynn says: Well fuck me sidew- *he coughs again, more black spilling onto the marble. It's more solid this time! Yay?*
Macglynn says: Can we move 'er?

The medic's frown deepens, and he shakes his head. "For her sake, it would be better to wait until we can construct braces for her legs. And...I should warn you that she will likely never walk properly again."

Macglynn snarls and tries to push himself up again. "SHE. CAN'T. DIE." He's far too torn up to actually stand, though, and just falls over onto his side, cheek in a pool of his own "blood". "She can't-"

Nialos says: Oliver. Calm. Down.
Nialos pinches his brow. "Lame legs? Fine. She'll make do. Will you -watch her-?" He glares up at the medic.

Macglynn doesn't try sitting back up, apparently having given up on the prospect.

For a moment, the guards move towards Oliver as if to retrain him, but the chief medic raises a hand to them and they fall back. "She won't die. Not tonight at least. For your sake, I'd recommend getting your own injuries looked at. We'll watch her through the night. You're welcome to return. We may have her more stable by morning, and you can move her then."

Macglynn says: Burn 'em shut fer all Ah care. Ah ain't leavin' her.

Nialos roughly places a hand on Oliver, quickly funneling a healing stream of bloody magic into the poor sod. "Here. Stop bleeding all over their flooring. Won't be good for her, too."
Nialos says: Last thing she needs in this state is a helping of Blight.

A few of the medics make irritated or disgusted sounds, though the chief medic's voice remains compassionate. "If you are going to stay, it's better for her if you get yourself cleaned up." He nods at Nialos.

Macglynn looks ready to suggest they just spray him with a hose if they want him cleaned up so bad, but instead nods, cheek still pressed on the floor. There's a lot of pain in his eyes.

The medic extends a (gloved) hand to Oliver in an attempt to help him up. "We'll do all we can to save her, sir."

To Macglynn: --h--h...e..r--e.

Macglynn reaches up to take the man's hand. He stumbles a bit once he's righted, and looks at Senkha. He smiles.
Macglynn whispers: I am too.

To Macglynn: All goes silent again, save for that steady flame.

Senkha & Ariadine: February 16

Sènkha 's face is flushed with fever under her bruises, her hair damp with sweat. She is muttering to herself under her breath, but it's nothing but nonsense.

Ariadine eyes Senkha warily. She doesn't look too well herself. "Not so cocky at the end of the week." A slight smile returns to her face.

Sènkha 's eyes flutter open; she grins lazily. "I was never c--" She cuts herself off with a coughing jag. "--was never cocky. I just understand things better than you do, little girl. B-but judging by how tired you look, you're starting to get it."

Ariadine snorts, "I was hoping that mouth of yours would be running off less when you couldn't even hold up your head from exhaustion. Slowly, she tilts her head and her hand twitches. "There is nothing from you I need to understand."

Sènkha says: Ah, p-perhaps I was mistaken. What a disappointment you m-must be to them.

Ariadine sighs softly, she seems almost resigned to it. "I have the time to grow. Head injuries and torn psyches never made recovery to full strength easy."

Sènkha chuckles weakly; the chuckle falls into another cough. "Th-that's just it. You haven't go that time. You think that you do, but now that I am here, how long do you think they'll w-wait?" Her grin widens. "Dizzy wasn't the retard, Ariadine. -You- were."

Ariadine says: ... N-no sense in disposing of a useful resour-- I'm not here to listen to sleep deprived rants.

Sènkha laughs again, sounding somewhat stronger. "If it's so meaningless, why is your voice shaking? You know I speak the truth, don't you."

Ariadine says: I know you are fighting a losing war. I know your time is limited. I know Senkha MacGlynn is lost and whatever truly spurs your darker desires is gaining control.

Sènkha shakes her head, still laughing. "Little fool. Just like a--" Another coughing fit. "--just like a useless little girl, to spout off as if she knows everything, when in truth, she hasn't a clue."
Sènkha says: You speak to Senkha MacGlynn now. I'm no more lost than Dizzy MacGlynn and neither of us are in danger from the nothing before me.

Ariadine says: Oh, but she is lost. Lost and bound just like her own pathetic guardian. I bound and imprisoned them both. And if I am the weakling in this then how I keep them down is a mystery left to the Gods.

Sènkha says: You're nothing but a memory, Ariadine. An imprint, if you'd like to be called that. Your birth mother created you with her torment, with a specific purpose.
Sènkha says: That is the only thing that gives you any strength.
Sènkha says: And it is why you are running on borrowed time.

Ariadine hisses furiously, "We -both- only have borrowed time. You, me, and the girl. But I can use my borrowed time to fix this mess. You will just become a slave."

Sènkha says: And you're anything better? Did they ever give you a choice in what you did? Or were you simply told?

Ariadine says: I -follow- because I know what I do is righteous.

Sènkha says: Answer the question.
Sènkha says: Did Radok ever give you a choice? Did your whore of a mother?

Ariadine says: You know nothing of my mother. And I did have a choice. The minute I regained control of this body I had the choice to stay with you or return.

Sènkha says: No you didn't. You knew they were looking for you. You knew that if you ran, you would be killed.
Sènkha coughs again, blood dripping from her lips. "And I have seen your mother. You look just like her, little imprint."

Ariadine says: So you and Oliver and your legion of friends would not of been enough? ... I suppose not, considering they haven't been able to reach you yet.
Ariadine 's eyes narrow, but she doesn't ask how she has seen her mother.

Sènkha says: We're realistic.
Sènkha says: And you were brainwashed.
Sènkha says: Well. You couldn't be anything else, little nothing.

Ariadine says: What do you want, Senkha?

To Macglynn: Her voice, which has been fading quickly over the past several days, comes loud and fast, as if they are the last words she'll ever speak: "I love you."

Macglynn whispers: "--Senkha?"

Sènkha laughs again. "Nothing. Nothing at all." She closes her eyes; Ariadine would feel a sharp, excruciating pain through the very center of her mind, unstoppable and unblockable. It's over in an instant, and when it ends, Senkha's head drops, lifeless.
To Macglynn: The connection remains but the other side is silent and dark; not even Itzhal is responding.

Ariadine staggers back, bringing a gloved hand to cover her face as she shrieks in pain. She looks back up at Senkha before her other hand grabs her dagger. "What did you-" her high pitched voice is cut off at the sight of the woman's drooping head.

Sènkha is only just barely breathing; to all intents and purposes, she may as well be dead.

Ariadine looks behind her back. No one else was there. No one saw. She hurries out of the room before anyone else could wander in. Deep down, she sure as hell wished the woman was dead.

Senkha, Apophan, & Ariadine: February 13

Senkha is still causing the wasps around her to dance. Right now, it's a lazy waltz. She's too tired to produce much more than that.

Doombolt says: Hmm, curiouss.

Senkha glances up halfheartedly. She doesn't respond at all to Apophan's comment.

Doombolt eyes the insects with amusement.
Doombolt curls a claw towards the bugs. Their dance slows and they shake their heads before buzzing off, literally.

Senkha frowns slightly but still says nothing. Instead, she simply stares off into empty space, almost angrily.

Doombolt lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
Doombolt says: You know, what the Inquissitor ssaid wass true. Jusst accept what we offer and you will find your life much eassier here.

Senkha still glares into empty space. If she could, she'd be folding her arms across her chest, but seeing as she's cocooned, well. She barely focuses when she sees Ariadine approaches. She lets go of focus, however, and simply glares into space.

Doombolt says: Ariadine... I undersstand you've already vissited your former caretaker?

Senkha says: I never took care of -that-.

Doombolt says: Oh but you did.

Ariadine nods slightly, "Yes, I did."
Ariadine smirks slyly at Doombolt.

Doombolt says: You ssee, what you thought wass the daughter, wass the sshadow.

Senkha says: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Destiny, blah blah, bullshit about fake gods, whatever.

Doombolt chuckles, "Only the one who does not understand would call them fake, but regardless..."

Senkha rolls her eyes and goes back to glaring silently.

Doombolt says: Dizzy never exissted at all, SShe iss merely ... a sside effect.

Ariadine keeps a passive expression on her face. But anyone could tell from her body language she is not pleased to see Senkha today.

Senkha ignores Apophan's words, still glaring into space.

Doombolt looks at Ariadine.
Doombolt says: Alright, child, sshow me what you can...
Doombolt motions to Senkha.
Doombolt grins wickedly at Ariadine.

To Macglynn: Apophan has said that Dizzy never existed...that she was just a side effect. Senkha is pretending it doesn't bother her, but it bothers her greatly, to the point where it's only her intense focus that's keeping her from screaming.
Senkha closes her eyes.

Ariadine looks at Senkha, and slowly brushes a loose strand of her dark hair to the side.

Senkha snaps her teeth at Ariadine's hand.

Ariadine jerks her hand back, and wrinkles her nose in disgust.

Doombolt looks at Ariadine.

Senkha keeps her eyes closed, expression almost forcibly serene.

Ariadine tightly grips Senkha's jaw with one hand and brings her other to rest on top of Senkha's forehead.

Senkha continues to snap her teeth at the other girl, wrenching her head back and forth. She's not going to make this easy.

Doombolt eyes Dizzy oddly.

Ariadine hisses crossly at her resistance. Her grip tightens and an almost oily shadow circles Senkha's face and try to keep her still.

Senkha laughs, kept still by the oily substance. "Amateur," she chuckles, as much as she can with her head held still.

Ariadine bristles at the jibe, but remains silent. Quickly, she brings her hand to rest over the woman's forehead and attempt to delve into her subconscious. "What do you search for, Sovereign?"

Senkha keeps laughing; at this point, it's almost disturbing how amused she is by the process.

Doombolt flicks his tongue, his presense looms into Senkha and Ariadine's mind. "Honestly... you need me to tell you?"

Ariadine glares at Senkha. The manic laughter unnerves her more than she cares to admit. Slowly, she presses deeper into Senkha's mind.

Senkha allows the other girl to search through her mind. She'd find all sorts of horrible memories, wonderful fodder for torturing someone. At the same time, however, another presence seems to be sitting nearby, watching the entire process with something between annoyance and amusement. It doesn't aim to make itself known, either way. As for Senkha, she's still laughing.

Ariadine ignores the memories, the presence watching her is far too enticing. Instead of concentrating on the pockets of memories and thoughts she delves deeper into Senkha's subconscious.

Doombolt eyes the interaction between the two, he wonders about the other presence but simply is fine observing.

The further she delves, the more a sense of fear and wariness would press on her mind. It's the sort of feeling you get when you know something bad is about to happen, but you don't know what. The hairs on the back of her neck would begin to stand up, and something like lead would settle in the pit of her stomach. She might notice a clamminess developing if she delved any further and would hear a sort of laughter--not quite Senkha's and another, not quite human.

The mixture of Senkha's laughter and the new voice makes the girl shudder slightly. But when she feels close enough she abruptly stops the dive. This is where she begins to search through Senkha's memories. But oddly enough, she ignores the more obvious choices. Instead she gently begins to prod and search for any hint at the connection Senkha had with the outside world.

Senkha seems to have no connection to the outside world. The more the other girl searches for it, the more pain and fear she would feel and the louder the laughter would become.

Abd'Zoth peers into Ariadine's progress, still more of an aloof observer than a weighted presense. He's rather interested to see what happens...

The hand over Senkha's forehead begins the shake slightly. After a moment longer of searching she stops. Out of sheer petulance and fury at being taunted she unleashes a wave of pain within Senkha's mind.

Senkha hisses with pain at the attack, though the hiss turns into a weak laugh. She seems like she would be shaking her head if she was capable of doing so.

Ariadine doesn't want to be careful or gentle. She goes straight for an odd cluster of memories... The musty smell of Oliver, the feeling of sitting on the Quel'Talan and the ocean beneath her feet rocking her. She tries to tear them away.

Oddly, Ariadine wouldn't find any of these memories. They seem to have been torn away already.

Abd'Zoth chuckles, a rumbling echo through the minds.

Senkha says: Looking for something, little girl?

Ariadine 's rage rises. Now Apophan laughed as well. The feeling of Ariadine's presence takes an almost desperate feel as she reaches for something, anything to tear away.

Almost in response to this, a pad of sticky notes from Senkha's office appears. The notes have words on them: Worthless. Failure. Coward. Child. All of them quite tearable.

Abd'Zoth rumbles, "Ariadine... Sshow your masster a different trick... if tearing away doess not work.... what do you do next?"

Ariadine hisses with fury at this. But her small form stops trembling with rage at Apophan's words. Her shoulders relax.

Soon Senkha would start hearing something: her own name. It's only as loud as a soft whisper, but the chant remains constant. Senkha, Senkha, Senkha. "Ever notice how a word has no meaning once it's repeated too much?" She says so softly.

Senkha actually smiles at this, almost thoughtfully. "A consummation devoutly to be wished," she murmurs. With every repetition of her name, something echoes back at Ariadine. Worthless. Shadow. Weakling. Lesser. The words seem to attach themselves to the name and dissipate with the meaning of the word. Meaningless. Meaningless. Meaningless.

Ariadine tears her hand away from Senkha and steps back, panting. Her large eyes even wider with fury and fear. Quickly she brings a hand to her dagger and draws it. "Don't push me!" she shrieks.

Senkha raises an eyebrow at Ariadine, a surprised smile on her face. "Really? -That- was pushing you? I wasn't even -doing- anything."

Doombolt 's tail reaches out and lashes around Dizzy's arm, tearing her off her feet and into the air near Apophan.

Ariadine stares at him, "A-apologies, Sovereign." Her dagger clatters to the stone stairs below.

Doombolt simply says, "Good." And he sets her down.
Doombolt says: Of coursse...
Doombolt says: Thiss little excurssion hass left me rather... unssatissfied.
Doombolt says: After all, I've yet to pry around in thiss little brain mysself...
Doombolt strolls over and taps Senkha's head with a single claw.

Ariadine glares at her feet.

Senkha flinches at the claw-tapping, eyes falling closed again.

Abd'Zoth condenses into a more mentally flexible form and squirms into Senkha's mind. Not for the voice or the depths that Ariadine saught, but the other memories, the ones that likely... she didn't want to safeguard... such as her mother.

Her mother could be found easily and without much resistance. Senkha's brow furrows slightly, but something in the back of her mind laughs again, almost excitedly.

The presense latches onto a memory of Senkha's mother, then another, then another, almost to the point of obsession. It coils them together and slowly bleeds them into the forefront of Senkha's mind.

An odd flicker of emotion passes across Senkha's face, but it's gone before it can be recognized as anything but a passing of shadow. Her brow remains furrowed as if in fear of some sort of pain.

As the memories are bled in front of Senkha's consciousness, it would throw the words of worthlessness back into her face.

The sound of a whip cracking begins to play, louder and louder with each repetition of the word worthless. A laugh that sounds like Selvaggia or possibly Senkha's mother seems to come from behind the whip cracks. Senkha's face twitches with each crack and repetition, as if feeling the injury anew.

The presense would sift through the memories before and after they pass before Senkha's mind, "Hmm," it would say some times. "No," it would say other times. It was definitely searching, but for what, it was unclear.

Senkha just continues to sit there, face twitching, expression screwed up in apparent pain. The laughter and whipcracks grow louder every minute, even pressing on Ariadine's ears and mind.

Ariadine watches Senkha's face quietly, her pouting expression slowly turns to a smile as she hears the sounds of a whip and Senkha's pained expression.
Ariadine tries to slip back into Senkha's mind. She wants front-row seats.

Senkha allows this; the whipcracks and laughter growing louder still, almost unsettling here in Senkha's mindspace.

Abd'Zoth suddenly ceases the repeated images and they all fade away, leaving just an empty void. In the distance of the mindscape, the massive presense is ... creating something.

The laughter and whipcracks stop obediently as the repeated images fade away. Everything seems to stop, watching.

Abd'Zoth returns with all the fanfare one such has himself rather enjoys, Lightningstorms, rumblings, you name it. Except braneconfetti, god he hates that shit.

Senkha cringes again as he returns, apparently pained by the entire ordeal.

Abd'Zoth uncoils himself and pushes a homunculus of memory at Senkha's mind: It's her mother, created entirely from all the negative memories of her.

Senkha 's cringe deepens, but somewhere, something is amused by all of this.

Abd'Zoth leaves the homunculus to perform an exaggerated function of the memories and images, meanwhile... he slinks off to find this.. amused portion of her mind.

The homunculus continues to perform at full strength for a while as the search goes on; Senkha's face remains screwed up and, after a moment, tears are streaming down her cheeks. She's biting her lower lip, as if to suppress a scream. But after sometime, the homunculus would give an unearthly shriek and its head would hit the back of Ariadine's. Whatever destroyed the homunculus remains unseen.

Abd'Zoth pauses, curious at the destruction of his toy. "Hmm, full of surprissess aren't we?"

Ariadine falls to her knees, and quickly rises. That didn't happen no way. Her eyes narrow as she peers into the dark recesses of Senkha's mind, "Come out and play, maybe?"

Abd'Zoth hisses, "I would assssume ... ssomething akin to that fragment the old elf left?"

Senkha 's mind remains dark and blank, almost echoey, like an abandoned church.

Doombolt sinks a talon into Senkha's shoulder. He calls out sweetly, despite being a giant hell-worm, "Come out and pla-ay."

Senkha sobs in real pain, trying to tear her head away from the taloned hand. "Let -go- of me!" she screams.

Doombolt channels a very small pulse of lightning into the wound, then again, slightly more. Then again. "Well?"

At the same time, in the back of Ariadine's mind, a brief thought passes: Senkha will be Ariadine's replacement. Ariadine has failed. The thought is gone as soon as it comes. Senkha screams again in agony, trying to fight against her bonds for the first time since she was taken. Blood leaks through the cocoon, as does the acrid smell of burnt flesh. Still no sign of whatever they're calling...except, faintly, a laugh.

Doombolt stops the pulses but keeps the talon embedded. "Hm...."

Ariadine pulls out the collected laughter of her close friends: Arubrey, Marius, Oliver, Nialos, and Shepard. But none of their laughter is in good fun. It's all be warped into a cruel and jeering laugh. Look at the weakling cry. As the thought of being replaced flashes through her mind, she lashes out at Senkha again, and tries to replay the memory of being torn by Oliver's pauldrons in Borgen Alectus' basement.

Oddly, their laughter seems missing from Senkha's mind. All that remains is the laughter of her mother, her sister, and (strangely) Dizzy. That laughter comes a bit too far forward and surges into Ariadine's mind. Senkha gives another cry, but the previous laughter grows louder.

Doombolt narrows his eyes at Senkha.

Ariadine tries to pull away from the onslaught. Failure. Failure. You will be replaced.

Doombolt rips his claw from her shoulder.

Senkha gasps in pain as the claw is removed but says nothing.

Doombolt holds his palm over the wound, electricity flickers at his shoulder. The lightning surges down his arm and into the wound, smoke rises from the tauren's massive knuckles.

Senkha 's body jerks at the surge of electricity sealing the wound. Once again, the smell of burnt flesh permeates the air.

Doombolt leans in to Senkha's ear and whispers. "I know you're there... And before thiss iss over... you'll be my plaything... laugh, the sstronger you are, the sstronger you'll be for the Godss..."

Ariadine stares at Senkha hungrily. SHOW ME. SHOW ME. Jealousy and fury surrounds the girl.

Senkha flinches away from the whisper but gives no other response. At least to the Apophan. Ariadine, on the other hand, would start hearing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" playing excruciatingly loud.

Doombolt narrows his eyes at Senkha, then at Ariadine.

Senkha says: ...up above the world so high...l-like a diamond in the sky...

Doombolt moves his claw over to Ariadine's head. Dead Silence forms in her mind, only her own thoughts permeate her mindspace. He wraps his other claw around Senkha's head.

Senkha finishes the song quietly, her voice muffled by the claw around her head. "...how I wonder what you are."

Doombolt hisses a word in an abyssal tongue, The Arcane cocoon would start expanding, lashing up around Senkha's jaw.

Senkha is silenced by the cocoon around her jaw. She closes her eyes once more, forcing her face to relax.

Ariadine 's shoulders relax again. "I won. I won." She keeps muttering to herself.

Doombolt says: I find your attemptss to be sstrong amussing, SSenkha.
Doombolt says: But let uss be perfectly frank.
Doombolt says: If the old elf had not done anything to your mind, you would be one of my thrallss before the third ssunrisse of thiss... ordeal.
Doombolt says: Ass it iss... it sshould sstill only take...
Doombolt eyes you up and down.
Doombolt says: ...another eight.

The wasps above them begin to buzz and hum "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Doombolt says: But, I'm afraid you're not allowed to sspe-
Doombolt looks up.
Doombolt hisses a similar word in the abyssal tongue. The wasps' buzzed falls back into the monotonous buzz.
Doombolt sighs at you.

Senkha sits quietly because she has no choice.

Doombolt says: Musst I put you in a chamber where your only thoughtss... are your own? And whatever -I- want you to hear?
Doombolt says: Would you like that?

Senkha continues to sit quietly because she has no choice.

Ariadine would like that.

Doombolt looks up at the bugs.
Doombolt says: And if you are going to make my children ssing ssomething, do make it ssomething.... with a little... bounce to it.

The wasps start singing "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts."

Doombolt hums along, "Bum bum bum..."

As soon as he gets into the song, however, it switches. "IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL."

Doombolt yells: NO!
Doombolt says: No, -ANY-thing but that.

It's hard to tell, but Senkha's closed eyes look amused.

Doombolt taps his chin, 'But what to do with you for tonight."
Doombolt says: SSince my creationss are a bit ssusssseptable to your influence... we'll have t-.... ah... yessss...
Doombolt says: I know -exactly- who can keep an eye on you.
Doombolt takes a few steps back and tugs on his robes. Slowly, something seems to squirm underneath the cloth, then another something, then more somethings. Dark shapes poke out of his hood, sleeves, and robes.

Once Apophan removes his hand from Ariadine's head, another thought would flit at the back of her mind: second best.

Ariadine flinches.

Senkha 's eyes remain closed; if she notices the slithering, she gives no indication of it.

Doombolt says: Thessria, Hyaku, Yssthem, Jik'thu, Gulkat, Zurassh, Barika, Niobu, Ocaram, Urika.... Your masster callss...
As he says each name, a dark form slithers from the mass of blackness at his hooves and coils up near Senkha's body. Each of the forms has bright glowing eyes, each with a different color, casting almost a twisted mockery of a rainbow on the woman.

Senkha continues to sit. Another echo of a laugh sounds, seemingly coming from all around them.

Doombolt says: The Ten of you, keep an eye on her, and if sshe managess to bring any mo-
Doombolt snaps at nothing, the echo of the snap causes the laughter to instantly dissipate.
Doombolt looks at you.
Doombolt says: I don't think you have an appreciation for where you are.
Doombolt says: You are begining to bore me.
Doombolt says: Ten, do keep her... occupied.

Senkha's expression remains neutral.

The Ten Snakes bite into Senkha as one.

Senkha gives a muffled screech under the cocoon, eyes flying open for half a second before they flutter closed again.

Doombolt says: I'm ssure you'll get more creative ass the night goess on.

Thesria's purple-eyed head rises up, "Of courssse massster..." it hisses.

Ariadine shifts from foot to foot, staring at the ground. In her own mind, she wrestles with snuffing out the whispers in her own mind.

Doombolt folds his claws together, "Your mind will find them completely immune to any presense that thing inside you has..."
Doombolt chuckles at you.
Doombolt says: Come along, Ariadine, dinner awaitss.
Doombolt says: SSome night elf got too closse again...
Doombolt cackles maniacally at the situation.

Senkha's head lolls forward slightly; to all intents and purposes, she seems to be asleep.

The snakes bite her again to wake her up.

Ariadine's gaze goes up from the floor, to Senkha, and then to Apophan. "... Yes, Sovereign."

Ysthem's red-eyed head rumbles, "No sleep for you tonight."

Senkha twitches awake, though her eyes remain closed. She laughs quietly behind the cocoon.

Doombolt looks back and narrows a single burning eye at Senkha. The faintest smile can be seen grow on his lips.

Senkha & Ariadine: February 12

Senkha is cocooned in a wrapping of fel magic and arcane energy, strapped to a throne by tendrils of shadow, and guarded by three giant wasps. The three wasps are doing a jig.

Ariadine ascends the stairs, a very wide and smug grin spread across her face. "Sometimes I wonder if you purposely put yourself in these kind of situations. A lack of luck really can't be coincidence at some point."

Senkha is disinterestedly watching the bugs do their dance. When Ariadine ascends the stairs, a brief look of longing crosses her face, but it is soon replaced with the disinterested stare at the wasps. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd decide to show up."

Ariadine claps her gloved hands together, a look of joy much akin to a child being shown a long waited for birthday present. "Oh! But I am kept busy by the Sovereign. But I must admit I was disappointed when told I couldn't come to see you until I was done with my own business."
Ariadine 's head tilts from side to side as she speaks in a sing-song tone, "You know I love seeing my Mommaaa."

Senkha rolls her eyes and continues to watch the wasps. They've ceased jigging and begun to waltz, almost gracefully.

Macglynn whispers: The constant imagery of happy, simple things falters for a moment at the realization of Ariadine. They return, though. He knows all him being angry will do will make things harder.

Ariadine watches the bugs in mild interest, "I wonder if it's a peaceful feeling... knowing what you are meant to do in your life. No self doubt or worry. You are given a task by a master and you do it." Her gaze shifts back to Senkha.
Ariadine says: What do you think is going to happen to you here?

Senkha keeps a level gaze on the wasps, a faint smile playing on her lips as if something pleasant has crossed her mind. "I haven't the foggiest. Likely, you'll try to upset me somehow. You've already demonstrated that much."

Ariadine says: Not what I am going to do to you. I will probably not be permitted to take part in most of what will be done...
Ariadine lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
Ariadine says: They've already destroyed one of your legs. If they don't want you for your body, and will slowly tear it away I won't be there for much anyways.

Senkha says: Damn shame, that.

Ariadine says: Yes, damn shame.
Ariadine bats her eyelashes, "Tell Daddy I said hello. It must be fun feeling so useless."

Senkha says: Are you going to do anything or are you going to sit here and try to taunt me?

Ariadine shrugs, "If you thinking I'm attempting at taunting you then you are sadly mistaken. I just want to satiate my curiosity. Talk. No point in taunting you anyways."
Ariadine says: It would be like beating a dead horse. Pointing out the horrible situation you are in is like talking about the weather at this point.

Senkha chuckles. "Yes, it is, isn't it? Odd that I'm the one tied up here; you'd think it'd be Oliver or -you-. Guess it was just my turn or something." The thought seems to amuse her far more than it should.
Senkha says: Oh, excuse me, not you.
Senkha says: Silly me. It's been a long couple of days.

Ariadine laughs quietly to herself, "Silly you."

Senkha continues to laugh; the wasps resume a cheerful jig and somewhere, the bugs above them start playing the music to which they are dancing. "You should know, by the way, that I undid everything you did to Llew. He's better than new. Good to know, hmm?"

Ariadine shrugs, "We didn't expect anything less. It was fun while it lasted though."

Senkha says: Glad you enjoyed yourself.

Ariadine says: Pretty impressive what you did. I'll give you that. You probably were digging your own grave even more though by aiding him. You just keep impressing us.
Ariadine says: Oh yes, I did. Nothing like reducing a proud and arrogant man to a sniveling pile of self doubt and regret.
Ariadine says: Fun stuff.
Ariadine claps excitedly.

Senkha says: Not really hard, when you think about it. His Guardian wasn't even drawn out or developed. That's kind of like reducing a child to tears by taking its candy away.
Senkha smiles fondly as one of the wasps bows to her in a gentlemanly way. "Won't be a problem for Llew again."

Ariadine smiles, "I don't know. Guardians reflect their host. I wouldn't expect too much from the man."

Senkha says: And that, Ariadine, is your problem. You think yourself to be incredibly high and mighty, more powerful than anyone you meet.
Senkha bobs her head at the wasps; they begin a cheerful reel. "And you'll keep finding yourself surprised and taken off-guard, by people like Llew."

Ariadine frowns, "Why shouldn't I feel powerful? I am." Her left hand twitches slightly in subdued fury. "As for Llew, he hasn't taken me off guard yet."

Senkha says: You -think- you're powerful because everyone's told you that you are and poked at you until you can't think any differently. But you're young; you've yet to discover what true power -is-.

Ariadine sneers, "What do you know about true power? You are here because you lack the will to use your own." Shadow dances around her feet, "You -lost-, Senkha. You lost. We won. The powerful won."
Ariadine closes her eyes and smiles reverently, "Do you feel that power whispering to you here? It offers us true power and we are accepting it."

Senkha laughs, shaking her head. "I feel a headache coming on from a little girl, sounding every bit like the petulent teenager she is. And no. I don't lack the will to use what I have. I lack the desire to harm others."
Senkha says: Knowing what one can do, understanding ones own excessive strength, and refusing to use it--that is power, Ariadine.

"True power is not letting petty worries like harming those around you get in your way." Ariadine frowns, "I don't know why we are getting into this."

Senkha says: You wanted to talk. We're talking. And get in the way of what, Ariadine?

Ariadine says: Getting in the way of you honing your power into something great.

Senkha says: "Something great" meaning what? You're throwing a lot of vagueries at me, Ariadine, and sounding very much like your master.
Senkha giggles, clearly amusing herself. "All you need is the forked tongue and the hiss."

Ariadine's mouth tightens into a thin white line. Damnit she thought he sounds cool when he talks like that.

Senkha says: ...something great meaning...?

Ariadine lashes out at Senkha, unleashing a burst of shadow into Senkha mind. It's intent is to unleash a burst of pain. If it dropped Senkha's defenses enough she'd try to press into her mind and pull out some unpleasant memory.
Ariadine turns around and storms out of the vagina room. If there was a door to slam, it would be slammed.

Senkha hisses in pain at the attack, but the hiss is followed by laughter.
To Ariadine: "Nice try, princess..." The connection goes dead.

Ariadine snarls furiously as the laughter follows her out of the room.