12200/15 Fears: Stranger Things Have Happened

15 Fears: Stranger Things Have Happened
Date of Scene:	28 July 2022
Location:	A Prison Between Worlds
Synopsis:	Rien is visted by an ally and an enemy as Lavenza comes to offer tidings of hope, while Nikola draws attention to despair as the NotRien lays waste to a relationship before Rien's eyes.
Cast of Characters:	Chas Chandler, Rien D'Arqueness

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Chas Chandler has posed:
    Several days have passed for Rien in her Spartan prison. The only true gauge of time is what she sees through the eyes of the creature that masquerades as her in the waking world. Seeing all the things she should be seeing. Doing the things she should be doing. Ruining the life that she's built for herself there. It's a pervasive and violating torture.

    The screen is always there, no matter what direction she looks. A constant reminder of what is being done to her. Was it truly so easy for those close to her to forget what she looked like, how she acted, what she sounded and felt like? Apprently so. Sure there was one who disbelieved the change, but could one voice cry out over the majority of others? Especially one not incredibly close to her?

    "The Stranger is an insidious creature isn't it?" comes a youthful feminine voice from seemingly nowhere. "Rewriting reality is a dangerous task, but it seems to be able to subvert the danger by filling the void with it's own insulation."

    The source becomes more noticable with a small flutter of wings on the sill of one of the arrowslits in the prison. A small blue butterfly, not unlike those that seemingly dominate the grounds of the Velvet Room, perches there. "It is good to see that this imprisonment and forced watching hasn't destroyed your will. It means there is still time for Cael's actions to wear through the mask."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien has kept careful track of the time through the use of the screen, marking each day with a scratched line into the wall. It's not been fun by any means, the scenes with Robbie have been particularly painful to watch or hear. Because even if she stares at the floor, the audio still comes out loud and clear.

At the moment, the Not-Rien doesn't seem to be doing much of anything special, a blessed lull in the constant stream of activity. She's sitting at the desk she made, journalling, keeping notations of the Not-Rien's movements and destructive efforts. She's just finishing the final entry when the voice sounds.

Head whipping around, Rien looks all over before spotting the blue butterly alighting on the window slit. Eyes narrow at the sight, unsure whether she can trust it's appearance. After all, as it just said, the Stranger is insidious. "Yeah, it's done a number, certainly. But I have faith. In my friends, in the JLD. They'll figure it out. It's only a matter of time, and that I have an overabundance of."

Her gaze flickers to the screen, then back to the butterfly, "At some point, Jon or Robbie is going to listen to her. Or she'll find some way to prove it isn't me. Cael's resourceful, smart."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    "As are you" the butterfly replies with a slow flap of its wings. It rises again and flutters languidly to the center of the room where it lands on the white expanse of ground. There is a sudden flash and instead of the butterfly there is a young looking girl in its place.

    She is perhaps thirteen or fourteen in age with long white hair that falls down her back. It is held away from her face by a blue headband with white butterfly wings on either side of her face. Her dress is blue and black. She has full length sleeves that fully cover her arms and white spats that cover her legs from thigh to the black mary janes covering her feet. The most striking feature though are here eyes. They are a vivid yellow in color with a strange dual layer to her irises.

    She offers a curtsey to Rien. "I came only to offer a moment's respite and to check that you were still whole and aware. Already the enemy knows of a disturbance in the prison and will be making preparations to investigate. It is good to see you well, I have a feeling that you won't be here much longer." She pauses and places a hand to her chest. "I am Lavenza. It is a pleasure to meet you. Though, I admit, I wish it were under different circumstances."

     Her tone and demeanor belie her visible age. Clearly, this being is much older than it appears. The resonance about her is almost fae-like but slightly different. Whatever she is, the colorscheme is reminscent of the Velvet Room and she appears to be the same creature that greeted those who went with Jon to defeat Asag earlier in the week after the other leader of the JLD was lost to the abyss.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"I like to think so. I know I could leave the Tower if I really tried but... where would I go? Better to stay put where my friends can more easily find me," Rien lifts a shrug and watches the butterfly with a touch of bemusement. But then it transforms and she's chuckling.

"Clever. Very clever. And thank you, I appreciate the visit. It wouldn't be terrible except for..." she waves a hand towards the screen. Her eyes dart towards it briefly before cutting away again. Looking back to Lavenza with a nod, "I remember you... or, well, I remember seeing you. Good to meet you now, though."

She moves towards Lavenza, pausing a few feet away, "There's a creature that comes to visit me, Nikola. She let something slip on her last visit. This isn't the time or place to talk, but once I've been rescued from here, I think we should. It's important. To you, to the Velvet Room, to the JLD." Glancing around briefly, she refocuses on Lavenza, "You shouldn't stay too long. If they knew someone from the VR were here, I don't think it would end well."

She flashes a quick smile, "I can hold out a bit longer before I start to crack. If there's one thing that I'm used to.. it's being alone."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    "I think the Queen of Nothing needs a new pasttime, maybe we can look into changing that" Lavenza says with a soft smile. "But you are right... I should be off. I hope to see you soon in less antagonistic accomodations." She offers another curtsey and then there's another flash and the small blue butterfly is fluttering out of the arrowslit to vanish in a sparkle in the empty landscape beyond.

    Time passes and then realty folds in on itself to reveal Nikola. It is dressed in a red and black tuxedo (still with tails) and carrying a long cane. "Hello again, dearie. How are you holding up? Well I hope?" Gone is any sense of injury that Rien did to the creature.

    "Enjoying the show that NotYou is putting on for you? It is such a marvel how easily people are just going about their lives without you. Like nothing at all is different. Like you don't even matter." The painted lips on its face stretch into a beatific false smile.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Chuckling softly, Rien murmurs, "I hope you have an idea for a pasttime that doesn't have an expiration date..." Giving a nod, she watches Lavenza off before turning back towards the room. She conjures up a handheld bouncy ball, something simple. Tossing it at the wall and reaching up to catch it. Heading back towards the bedroll she'd made for herself and settling down.

Just as she's preparing to toss the ball again, Nikola appears and has Rien letting out a sigh. "You again? How many times will I have to kill you before they send someone new? If you'll let me know, we can get to it and put a halt to all this pretense."

Launching the ball across the room again, she waits for it to bounce back so she can catch it. "Honestly, it got boring after the first day. I think you underestimated how much time I spend alone on a given day. Shouldn't you be off doing something truly heinous like.. rearranging drawers or stealing socks from the dryer?"

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Nikola narrows its eyes. "You but up a brave front, Highness, but your soul betrays you" it says stanidng unnaturally still in place. "What that creature does with your name and in your name upsets and hurts you. Especially with the Hunter in your bed."

    It shakes its head disappointingly. "Your threats cannot hurt me, Rien. I am under the protection of something older and more powerful than you or the demons you slay for entertainment. It's not keen on letting go of its toys until it is very through with them and I am a very entertaining doll." It tilts its head, the ratcheting motion a touch too far to be normal by any human. "So go ahead and tear and cut and destroy all you like. I can be put together as many times as you can break."

    "There is another option for you, you know" Nikola teases. "One that will give you your life back and make you all the more adept at the destruction so crave."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
To Rien's credit, she doesn't flinch, holding that unnatural gaze with her own. But she can't keep the hurt that stabs at the mention of Robbie with that... THING. Still, she won't let the creature in front of her win. So she holds that gaze, steady as can be. "Maybe so. But /you/ cannot break me. You can't even /touch/ me."

She rolls her eyes and lifts a hand making a flapping mouth gesture as Nikola rolls on, "Blah, blah, blah. For claiming to be so entertaining, you're boring /me/ to tears. Really, if you can't at least be /interesting/, you might as well leave. Or I can take you apart again. Either way, it'll pass the time."

Rien is given pause at the first part of that last statement, then leans her head back and lets out a rusty little chuckle, staring up at the ceiling as her head tilts back, "I'm not working for an Old One. I don't work /for/ anyone, I have no master, and I never will."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    "It's really not as bad as you may think" Nikola responds. "We are ultimately left to our own devices unless I Do Not Know You has a job for us. We move about in plain sight, we entertain our own desires, we sleep, we eat, we enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. And we occasionally destroy." The painted lips twitch in an unconsious tick.

    "When the job comes it is usually another piece of a millenia long puzzle. Removal of one obstacle, placement of another." It gestures with jerky inorganic motion. "And our enemy is the same as yours. Those who serve Hell and the lesser realms wish our containment just as much as the angels on high. You could continue to destroy them all and with the power offered it would be even more trivial than it currently is. Entire scores of demons dieing before you. In fact, you and your precious Hunter could take over The Morning Star's domain with the power offered if you so wanted."

    It shows its teeth, too straight and white to be real. "You cannot tell me with any honesty that the offer doesn't at least entice you."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien sits there, throwing the ball, letting it bounce, catching it. Rinse, repeat. It's muscle memory more than anything, her attention on Nikola and what is being said. She catches the ball for the fourth time and holds it, looking towards Nikola once more.

"And end up looking like you, or that /thing/ out there parading around as me? No thanks. I think you're afraid of me, the lot of you. Because if you're all nothing... and I'm the /Queen/ of Nothing... then in the end, I think I /am/ more powerful than you. Your master. And aaaaaaaaaaaall his little minions," RIen flashes that sharp, humorless smile towards Nikola.

She gives a small snort and tosses the ball again, letting it bounce off the wall, off the floor, and back to her hand. "So no. The offer doesn't entice me in the least. I have an eternity to do what I want, when I want. All of this? Drop in the bucket. And once /you/ realize that even if you can hurt me right here, right now, there's a finite limit to the pain you can cause? Then you'll realize you really have no power over me after all."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Nikola's expression, still a painted on smile, falters a little. "And you think that will save you?" it retorts sullenly. "You think a being who has no sense of time. No sense of existence beyond the nothingness in its cell will ever grow tired of keeping you here trapped forever?" It gestures to the screen where the NotRien and Robbie argue and fight with one another in domestic uncivility.

    "No" it sneers, "If you continue to refuse you will stay here and watch as that thing destroys everything you ever touched. Ruins and corrupts every connection you made until absolutely nothing remains. And then you can lie helpless in your dissolved kingdom, oh great Queen."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lifts a brow at Nikola, a smile creeping across her lips as she pushes up to her feet, chin lifting. "Oh but see, I know something you don't, Nikola. Something that has been intrinsic to my very being, the reason I was /born/. And why, ultimately, you can't hope to win." She approaches the creature, that smug, knowing smile on her lips.

"You cannot kill The Truth. Inevitably, it will come back. Bigger, stronger, more powerful than ever. All your lies, your tricks, your deceptions.. they only make the truth /stronger/." She runs a look over Nikola, then curls her lip and mutters, "Now get out of my tower, /servant/. I need to prepare for the rescue that's coming."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Nikola's lips curl into a sneer of rage. "You are a thoroughly annoying individual" it says as he steps back from Rien. "It doesn't matter though, you will break or you will simply stop. They all do in the end. Or you will beg to serve as I do." It turns and simply vanishes as silently as it arrived just as Rien throws Robbie out of the life that Rien worked to cultivate.

    The scream of tires and roar of the Hellcharger's engine echo through the emptiness of Rien's prison as the NotRien sits at a mirror and smiles, looking not at herself but at the owner of the life being forced to watch the chaos it wreaks.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
That smug little smirk holds until approximately two second after Nikola leaves. Her face falls, her eyes turning to the screen, tears falling as she whispers, "Don't believe that thing, Robbie. That isn't me, you know it isn't. Find Cael. She can help you remember. And then come find me." She's left staring into the face of the thing that's stolen her life and is trying to dismantle it a piece at a time.

"Just you wait... you and I have an appointment, and I'm going to enjoy skinning you alive one strip at a time." Forcing herself away from the screen, she turns and goes back to her bedroll, curling up and plotting.