11926/The Journey: III - The Empress

The Journey: III - The Empress
Date of Scene:	22 July 2022
Location:	The Velvet Room - Hallway
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Chas Chandler, Cael Becker, Lydia Dietrich, Jonathan Sims, Rien D'Arqueness, Michael Hannigan, Robbie Reyes

---

Chas Chandler has posed:
    As usual the door in the Hallway of the Velvet Room appeared maybe a week ago. Until today, it was locked and unable to be opened by any means of brute strength or magical prowess.

    Until today.

    At some point, it opened of its own accord and the castle thrummed with a bell chime to alert those within of its opening. Chas is in the library, pouring over books about rituals involving dreams and whether or not it's possible to do such a thing in the astral at all (apparently it is) when the chime sounds.

    He's familiar enough with the sound by now that he doesn't hesitate in closing the book, setting it back on the shelf, and firing off a text to the members of the JLD informing them that another of the doors--this one labeled III: The Empress--has opened, before going out to the hall with the door and pulling it wide.

    The curtain of fluttering blue morpho butterflies is also not disconcerting to him and he wastes no time stepping beyond into whatever lies in wait inside the chamber of this card's room.

    He finds himself in the entry hall of some sort of lush ceremonial field. A sun shines brilliantly overhead and a bubbling stream flows to his right. The carpet of grass underfoot is thick and deep green in color. In the middle of the field is a raised dais of stone with several cushions of red velvet set upon it. Beyond the dais in a sprawling field of rich golden wheat.

    Chas takes a few tentative steps to clear the entry way (it wouldn't do to bunch up like some sort of cartoon parody) and hmms to himself. "Not what I was expecting at all. It's oddly peaceful given recent events."

Cael Becker has posed:
    It was actually a bit of a relief for Cael when the message about the door comes through - she'd been trying to follow Jon's directions on how to make a soup, using their summoned water, as a food offering - and if there's one thing she utterly lacks confidence in, it's her ability to cook. "Aww. We'll have to finish this later, love," she remarks with mock disappointment - before leaning over to give them a brief kiss. "I will finish it," she promises - turning off the stove, and covering the pot.
    The pair arrive in the hallway a few moments later, Cael in her usual jeans, with t-shirt that says FBI on the right side, and her usual black boots. Seeing the empty hallway, she glances around and then remarks, "You think he went on ahead?" She steps through with one hand twined with Jon's fingers - though she drops his hand as she steps out into the field, so she can turn a slow, full circle. It was... beautiful, and she was vaguely aware that there was a part of her that simply wanted... to run and explore.
    How much of that feeling was //her//? She was still trying to figure that out.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia is in the library, too, sharing a comfortable silence with Chas as they both do a bit of research. For her, however, she's got an anatomy book of fantastical creatures propped up in her lap. She's so engrossed in the book that she doesn't notice the chime until Chas leaves the room and sends a text.

    She marks the place she's at with a silver dangly bookmark that has a Star of David at the end, and sets it down to hurry after Chas. She, too steps through the portal and nods to everybody assembled.

    "Hey all," she says. "This is very... pastoral." Thankfully the sunlight here isn't /real/ sunlight or else she'd be all withered away. Lydia is dressed for summer. She's got a white sleeveless dress on, with cornflowers growing up from the hem, and a pair of plain white sneakers. The only remarkable thing about her now is that her eyes are this strange off color pink that brings to mind things... wet and squishy.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "It's the Empress, I believe," Jon says, as he steps through the curtain of butterflies with Cael. His own eyes are a glowing bright green now, the sunglasses he wears only just hiding the glow. At least they don't look entirely out of place in the brightness of the field. "The card has to do with feminine things, motherhood, beauty, nature. Well, I say motherhood, but nurturing in general, abundance, fertility--of the creative sort as well as physical." He smiles. "It's Gaea's card, in a lot of ways."

    He squeezes Cael's hand gently before they stop holding hands and pulls down his sunglasses so he can peer around more easily. "Reversed, the card indicates... creative blocks, over-dependence on others, a need to connect to nature." A pause. "Where's the Empress herself?" he wonders, looking toward the dais.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien-Not-Rien is, of course, MORE than happy to show up to one of these door things! She's been hoping the next one would happen before she moved on to the next part of The Plan. Using her key, she's quick to jump over to the Velvet ROom, moving down the hall to join Chas and the others in the Empress Room. THe butterfly curtain gives her pause for a moment, studying it before she shrugs and pushes through.

GLancing around the area, she lifts both brows, "This is rather much more posh than the last few. Appears we're coming up in the Astral Plane!" She gives CHas a bit of a hudge and wink. Lydia gets an effusive welcome, moving to hug her and exclaiming, "I /love/ your eyes! You'll have to tell me how you did it."

But that will have to come after greetings. Rien moves towards Jonathan and Cael, wrapping the former into a tight hug even as she offers that wide, wide smile towards Cael, "Jonathan! Cael! So glad you could make it! This is getting interesting, don't you think?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike is the last to come in through the doorway. While one might like to state this as being fashionably late, there's little fashionable about his appearance. He's wearing the lower cost attire of a grey tee and jeans he acquired from one of New York's Goodwill stores. But that is counteracted by the fresh smell of soap, and the combed still damp hair that has been loosely tucked behind the ears. A hairband on his wrist seems to indicate his future intent for the hair once it has reached a drier state. Combined with the abnormally well rested look upon his face, it is safe to assume that unlike others, Mike has just started his day.

Musicians. Bah.

Once past the viel and moved to the side, an assessing look is gven to the new surroundings. No cottage like the last time he went into one of these rooms, but the cushions on the dais look inviting. The rest of the scenery is pleasant as well. He was already in a good mood to start with. But the scenery seems to tug the sides of his lips a little higher.

"I like it." Mike comments, giving the others a nod in greeting as he speaks, "Seems like a relaxing place."

Well, right now at least. He doesn't know how yet, but things are probably going to get weird. Probably when the Empress gets here. "I'm guessing the Empress is going to end up sitting over there." Mike gestures over to the dais adorned with the cushions.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Something stirs in the vast field of wheat and emerges from its depths. It's a woman, full figured almost to the point of lushness. She wears a flowing gown in green with a design remiscent of pomegranates. Her long blonde hair falls in a waving curtain down her back and around her shoulders. Upon her head is a crown of 12 stars.

    Deeper inspection of the woman shows that it is indeed the same figure that has met them in all the rooms. Only placed in the form of the Empress instead of Fool, Magician, or High Priestess. The Empress steps up on the dais and settles herself down on the cushions with absolute surety of her place as a leader.

    Calm blue eyes survey those gathered. "It is good you have come. Your hearts are heavy with pain and confusion and I fear that it only will grow more as the days progress" she says to the group. "But fear not. Here you are safe. Here you will have a moment of respite from the rigors of your trials."

    She gives a gesture inviting them all to come before her dais. "Please, come... let me look upon you all together so I may know you better." A pleasant smile plays on her lips.

    Chas is staring. At Lydia specifically, a blue fire spreading in the depts of his pupils, so the Empress' arrival is missed until she speaks. He starts at her words, the flame snuffing out and his eyes returning to normal as he eyes her. He looks at the others and snorts as he approached. "Yeah, its been going around alright..." he mutters. "Worse before it gets better sounds about normal for our lot. But this field you got, it's nice. Comfy even. Nice change of pace." He holds back though, leaving Jon and Rien to take point. He may be a leader among their number but he is the newest of the trio available and something about the Empress upon the dais has him uneasy, but he can't quite place it.

Cael Becker has posed:
    A frown appears on Cael's features for a moment, before she forces her features into a more neutral expression. "Rien," she remarks simply, taking a step away from her.
    To look around at her surroundings - naturally. Though she seems to always keep Rien in her periphery.
    She makes her way towards the dias as the woman speaks, letting Jon stay between herself and Rien - and ignoring that part of her that still wishes she could keep them away from the woman who made her so uneasy. They've //discussed// this. Instead the remarks to the woman with a dry tone, "We like to lead interesting lives." The resemblance to the Goddess she'd met does not go unnoticed - but it does go unremarked.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia grins hugely at Not-Rien and moves in to return the hug. "Rien! So good to see you! I will! I'll tell you /all/ about it. But first we have The Empress to deal with." She gives a firm nod, and turns to the room, returning Chas's stare with a warning glance.

    She waits for the trio of leaders to step up before following them, sanding just behind them and off to the side. "The Empress is one of my favorite cards," she says. "Along with the Queen of Cups."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon gives Rien a smile, if a vaguely tight and concerned one--he's /worried/ about Lydia's eyes, dammit--and a hug. He can talk to Rien and Chas about his worries later--this is an important meeting.

    He does give Lydia a thoughtful sidelong glance at her statements about her favorite cards. Filing it away for later.

    In contrast with Chas' reaction, the Archivist smiles widely at the appearance of the Empress. "Gaea's card indeed," he murmurs, and he'll think more about the fact that this being has /always/ looked like Gaea at a later time. He steps forward toward her, bowing without reservation and gesturing for the others to at least come introduce themselves.

    "Hello again," they greet the Empress, still with that wide smile. "This /is/ a good time for meeting you."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien-Not-Rien grins towards Lydia and gives a nod, "It should be fun, the last few have been getting progressively more introspective, don't you think?" Then she's turning towards Mike and smiling wide once more, "Michael!" Moving in for a hug unless he dodges, "How good to see you! How's the music coming along? When does your next album drop?"

It's almost like she's purposely NOT greeting the Empress. Ignoring her. Slighting her, even. When she does finally turn towards the Empress, there's a shuttered expression on her face but a baleful look in her eyes. "All these 'trials' and still not even a hint of explanation for /why/. Does anyone else wonder what gives this... creature.. the right to play God?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As the Empress emerges from the one potential hiding place in the room, the musician watches. And admires. He's not certain what the magician did to look like that but they took the time to switch up appearances. Mike might as well oblige by taking the time to look.

And... done.

He's quiet as the Empress welcomes them but there's a bit of a head tilt to the mention of there being relaxation in store for them. The smile's not going away just yet but it relaxes.

Alright... Let's see how this plays out.

He follows suit with the others, coming up closer to the dais. Taking note of some odd expressions going on between a few of them there's a bit of wonder to what he's been missing while globetrotting and figuring out spells on the fly.

"I'm not that versed on Tarot." Mike admits, in return to Lydia's declaration of her favorite cards. "But the last room I was in was interesting." He looks over to the Empress, "I'm curious to see how this one plays out. " He nods his head to her, "Good to see you aga-."

Hearing his name, Mike turns his head to see an incoming Rien smiling and arms coming in for a hug. The smile dies a little and the eyes widen. Be it the lack of exposure to Rien recently to inform him if this is normal or his prior attention towards the Empress, there is no escaping the incoming display of affection. It's almost instinctual the way the arms lift to accept the hug and return it. But the questions following do cause for him to pause for a moment. "Ah.. hey Rien. I'm still promoting the current one and filming . Not for awhile."

When Mike is let go, he takes a few steps back from Rien, watching her address the Empress. He glances over to Jon and Cael, seemingly hoping that one of them could tell him WTF is going on.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    The Empress watches and listens to questions before giving them all a smile, even Rien whose display was quite rude. "It is an exercise in growth. Growth for you and growth for those around you" she replies. "Including me. Here, in this fourth step in your journey, you are to be giving a momento of solace for what you are to endure. Much is still required of you, but understanding the abundance that lies within is necessary if you are to tap into it when the need arrises. And so... I will do that, for each of you, if you are willing to allow me."

    She rises and looks over the gathered beneath her. "Understand that none are forced into this but without this knowledge, the future may be more difficult to overcome. I assure you it will not harm you, but some may not truly understand the gift I give until a latter time. If you feel that the process is too little, I ask you to wait and see if you feel the same at the end of your own Journey."

    Her barefooted steps take her from the top of the dais to stand before them. Her stature is tall for a woman, close to six feet, but she carries the ripe frame with grace enough to emphasize her beauty and regal nature. "Now... who is willing to come forward and offer themselves a glimpse into their own abundance first?" she asks, blue eyes lighting on each in turn with equal openess and kindess.

    Chas looks... guilty. Embarassed for himself. He has a lot to answer for to a figure that shares this creature's appearance and it tugs on his own heartstrings that she offers kindness and knowledge to him despite all he's done. He swallows and pointedly does not go first, instead looking to the others of his comrade almost pleading for another to step up to take the first step.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael listens to the woman's words, a faint frown tugging at her lips. She glances towards Jon for a moment, then at the woman. Cael was not the most //credulous// of people in the room - but she'd been determined to give this thing a serious try, and keep an open mind - and really, what's the point of coming this far, and turning down the offer of a resire?
    "Sure. Me," she offers simply, her arms crossing over her chest. Maybe the body language is a bit rude - but it doesn't seem to be entirely purposeful, as she watched the woman with an uncertain expression.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia looks skeptical. Growth is good, but another is providing growth, and The Empress' version of growth might impede with that. Solace is... even in her impaired state she understands the need for peace and rest. She looks at the others, doing a little mental math, and finally coming to the conclusion that it's better to play along instead of arousing more suspicion.

    She'll defer to the other leaders letting them have a chance to take the lead, but Cael manages to beat them to it. With a shrug, she boldly steps up herself. Oddly pink colored eyes meet blue and she grins, perhaps a little too widely. "Let's see what you've got."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon frowns at Rien for a moment. "I don't think they're 'playing God,' really. Just... progressing through the journey the same way that we are." He gestures toward the Empress. "As she said. Growth. Even we immortals can grow," he says to his friend with a smile that falters after a moment, taking in the baleful expression on her features.

    He looks to Mike and shrugs, lowering his voice. "There's been a lot going on. Old Ones latching onto people, feeding on their fear. It has us all a bit... on edge." He glances between Cael and Rien, then sighs.

    They'd have stepped forward, but Cael offers to go first, along with Lydia, so they smile and step back a bit, glancing around at the others. "It'll be fine, Chas," they murmur to their friend. "Just... relax, alright?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien-Not-Rien huffs out a breath and shakes her head at Jon, "I just don't know that we should be blindly trusting whatever this is that apparently has insight into the deepest reaches of us when we know absolutely nothing about it. What it's been corrupted? Faulty programming, magical decay, intentional sabotage from outside sources... I'm just saying, Jonathan. We've been going through all these trials, letting it dig into the deepest reaches of us with no understanding of what it is or expects out of this 'journey'. Growth like this is upposed to take /years/ and effort and work... not a smattering of weeks. How is it even /pulling/ the information about us that it has access to?"

She faces him and smiles, that too-wide, too-bright smile of hers, "Jonathan, you know me. I'm your friend. But we know less than nothing about this creature. We don't even truly know if it's 'progressing' along this journey, or if it's just programmed to /say/ that it is, to keep us coming back for more. What happens if this thing's sole purpose is to gather information and test our resolve, to give to someone or someTHING else?" She folds her arms over her chest and gives it a baleful glare once more, "I'm not saying I won't do this, but only because it means so much to you. And I think we should seriously consider what this thing's ultimate goal here is."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
A brow raises to Jon's explanation. A glance is givenin Rien's direction and then back to Jon. "Old ones?" Someone REALLY needs to hit the VR library. This type of material is probably not something the NYPL keeps on hand. But being they're currently in the presence of the Empress, perhaps that will be something to correct at a later point.

Mike listens to the offer, considering it. A glimpse into their true nature. He notes Chas seeming a bit reluctant. And a small understanding smile is offered his way. Putting oneself out there is a scary thought. Especially letting someone else in the driver's seat to what will be exposed. But, there was one thing the Empress did that appealed to Mike in this offer.

"Sounds like therapy." Mike comments, glancing to the others. Taking note of Cael that already volunteered. "I'll go se-" He sees Lydia step forward. When Rien speaks up about her concerns, he pauses for a moment. The argument's not a weak one.

"Well. Sometimes the best rewards come with a little risk, some blind stumbling, and faith." And some of the biggest pitfalls. But Rein's doing a good enough job for that side of the debate without his help.

Mike steps forward.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The Dark League's youngest Ghost Rider has been notably missing thus far on this latest exploration into the Velvet Room. He'd sent a vague message to Rien several hours ago about being home late from work.. and the summons that went out seems to have been completely ignored.

Until his tall, lean frame is spotted emerging from the curtained door, and wading lazily through the field of grass toward the others. He looks nothing so much as *hungry*, like a junkyard dog that's missed his last few meals, and has decided he's going to have to get crafty about it.

Eyes on the Empress, hands jammed into the pockets of his leather jacket, he angles toward Rien-Not-Rien when he spots her. "Hey, babe. Sorry I'm late. What're we agreeing to, now?"