8606/Awaken, and Kneel Before

Awaken, and Kneel Before
Date of Scene:	08 November 2021
Location:	Medbay
Synopsis:	A scene in medbay about how Ree is adapting to life outside of Hell. She likes her new boots!
Cast of Characters:	Ree, Raven Darkholme, Azazel, Clarice Ferguson

---

Ree has posed:
"She's awake," Dr Hathaway says at the door. "I've gotten the room cleared, which is probably for the best. If you could convince her to wear pants I'd appreciate it." She seems exasperated, which falls under 'normal'. She may or may not know about Azazel, but either way, the Doc has gotten Ree as good as she's going to get.

Inside the medbay, which is cordoned off, Ree is up and about. She's inspecting the drawers, anything she can open, and looking at needles and drugs and bottles and sutures and tools and cupboards and yep, she's awake. she's alert. She's curious.

She's probably going to need something on her ass, since she's walking around in a hospital gown, but red butts are fine, right?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
At the first call from Hathaway that their guest was awake, Mystique went to meet the doctor and then called Azazel. She knew the man would pop in where she was, so she remained outside the Imps room.

"If she doesn't want to wear pants, she doesn't have to," she says calmly. "But it means she stays in that room. She'll learn, after all this is the first time on this plane for her."

Azazel has posed:
    *Bamf*

    And Azazel is standing beside Mystique. After a moment's looking around and spotting the imp in a hospital gown, he smiles and says, "Well, she's looking a good deal better than when we first saw her." He takes a step towards Ree and clears his throat to try and pull her attention away from the various interesting things in the room then says "Hello, little one. How are you feeling now that you've had a little time to heal and recover? I was interested to see that an imp had the presence of mind to send out a call for help."

Ree has posed:
Interestingly, her choker is not present as she turns to see the new arrivals. It's either there and able to shield itself even from Azazel himself, or it's been removed. She's holding a bone saw in one hand and a catheter in another, a curious pairing but likely not one that she knows how to use anyway. She quickly puts them behind her back, and says, "I wasn't stealing them."

Then she pulls them from behind her back, and looks at the saw. "Well, maybe this one. It looks -awesome-." She sets them down, then turns to Azazel. And she starts to kneel to him. "Lord," she says softly. "I sent no call. Or, maybe in a dream.." If she was having dreams, she wasn't a normal imp. They weren't given that luxury.

In fact, nothing about her seems quite exactly right. She isn't broken inside, for starters.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique slides the door closed behind her, Azazel having entered first.

"You have no use for either of those things Ree," she comments, leaning back against the door now. "But if you want them, you can have one of them, not both."

Mystique hadn't seen the jewelry so she didn't even know to look for it. Instead she was interested to know how the S.O.S. had made it out if she didn't send it.

"Ree, you don't need to fear being punished for telling the truth, you're free now." Well, freer than Hell.

Azazel has posed:
    With a slightly raised eyebrow, Azazel nods and says "You're an interesting case, Ree. Most Imps don't have dreams, it's torn out of them before they ever get to that rank. You seem to have kept a good deal of personality too, for that matter." He says nothing about saws or catheters, as they're not his. Nor does he say anything about the kneeling, as, well, he's fairly used to it at this point. It's something he'll have to work on getting over now that he's here.

    "You may rise, I just wanted to talk with you and try to find out how you managed to contact me. And now that you say it wasn't on purpose, I'm even more interested in the answer to that question." He looks at her closely for a moment, then adds, "When I saw you down there, you had something around your neck, it looked like a piece of jewelry, but it's gone now. Which is another strange thing for an imp, as they are not usually allowed possessions. You present a bit of a mystery, Ree." He smiles, "And that is something I like. It keeps life from getting boring."

Ree has posed:
Ree's horns shift slightly, separating and pointing down and outward. They just seem to do it on their own, because Ree gives them no attention. She does use her tail to look at the catheter, and then she shrugs and puts down the bone saw. She keeps the plastic tube instead, which is a weird choice. "Mine," she says softly to herself. It sounds like it means something important, the way her eyes linger on the simple tube.

Her first possessoin. She'll treasure it forever. Then her eyes come up, and she frowns. "I don't have anything around my neck," she says, touching her throat with her fingertips. "Why would I?" She looks at Mystique to clarify. Nothing about her suggests that it's a pose. Or lying, as previously mentioned.

She gets to her feet then. "I can only put things together, I can't send messages." She takes the catheter from her tail, and puts the two ends of tube together. They suddenly are one circle, the parts having combined at a molecular level. "It's how I got noticed for promotion. Helps me build things in a hurry, without tools. I was useful."

Then she puts the ring on her wrist, and makes little circles with it like a tiny hula hoop. It's a toy now.

Azazel might notice, this isn't something she got from Hell. It's her own ability, and if she's tapping into magic, it's the basics of a very powerful ability. Molecular manipulation is one of the big ones, even if it is in an infantile state still.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Not the worst first choice of a possession, but clearly an odd one. Mystique wouldn't have cared if she took the bone saw, not that it had much use outside of medical needs. Ree had been looking at them, so one was offered, it was as simple as that.

"Perhaps this item you saw Azazel, is only visible in Hell?" She ponders a loud. "I don't see it there now, and didn't see it in Hell either, but I was a little busy at the time and could have missed it."

She looks Ree over again, a smile playing on her lips. She wasn't going to interfere with whatever it was Azazel needed or was doing, this was his show, but she was going to help where she could. Picking up a tablet off the counter, she uses it to pull up some clothing choices on the screen, "Ree, which of these things would you like to wear on your body?" She then asks, and offers the tablet to Ree to look at.

Azazel has posed:
    He shrugs to Mystique "It's possible, I suppose. It could have something to do with why she seems to have more of a 'self' than most imps do. Well, no matter, it's something we can explore over time." He does take note of the melding of the two ends of the catheter as she explains and nods, "I can see how they would want you working, yes. That can be very handy. A bit wasted on corpse mountains if you ask me, but still a useful ability. You are just full of surprises, Ree."

    He snags a chair with his tail and sits down, considering the young imp for a moment while letting her take a look at what Mystique is offering to her. Clothes do matter a little if she's to wander anywhere but the medbay, he supposes. He is, after all, almost always fashionably dressed.

Ree has posed:
Ree actually takes a moment to check. She glances at Azazel's reaction to see if this is, in fact, allowable? Clothing is something she'd been denied; it wasn't even an option. There were some Fiends she'd kind of have liked to offer clothing to from time to time, but nothing is ever hidden in Hell. You get no protective illusions.

"Well, if you're serious?" She looks again, then she reaches for the tablet. A moment later she'd be flipping through the options almost frantically. Boots are apparently very popular. Mesh tops. Gloves. Leggings, black skirts, pleated stuff, rivets, chokers (why?), bracelets, more leggings, boy shorts, a long brown scarf (random), kneepads, halter tops, more boots, belts of all sizes and shapes, jeans...she goes on.

Fashion is apparently not one of her skills.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique watches the flipping of pages with amusement, then she takes a moment to show Ree how to add items to the actual list. Some will have to be purchased, others are on hand from various means. The cobalt mutant kept a list of everything that came onto the asteroid that would later go out to Mutant help shelters, and the like.

"You are allowed to wear clothing now, in fact... you can't leave this room until you do," she comments after Ree starts actually tagging things. "You are part of this world now, and you also appear to have a unique ability that doesn't fall into the usual sort that beings of Hell have, unless I'm mistaken."

A quick glance to Azazel before she looks back to Ree. "I believe that makes you partly mutant, though I don't know how that works."

Azazel has posed:
    With another little shrug, Azazel replies "Honestly, I;m not even sure how that works. Usually the denizens of hell are souls sent to that afterlife for whatever reason, but this seems more like a person than a doomed soul. I'm going to be doing a number of magical rituals to try and figure out, first of all, exactly what she is. For now, is it ok if she stays here? It's a fairly isolated environment, and I'm not getting any hints of danger or even maliciousness from her. Which is another indication that she's not a typical imp."

    Looking back to Ree as she happily tags clothes, he chuckles and murmers to Mystique, "Just get her what she's listed, I'll pay for it all. Someone just rescued from hell needs a few things to call their own." Addressing the imp directly, he says, "I'm going to have you stay here while we figure out exactly what's going on with you. You seem very different from what I'd expect from an imp, so we need to figure some things out."

Ree has posed:
Ree looks up from tagging a shirt with a rude slogan on it, the picture of innocence as her finger hovers over a 'Snap My Choker' shirt. She may not be malicious, but she's definitely not an innocent. No matter how much she may seem to be. Though there's definitely going to be a learning curve.

"I don't remember being alive, but maybe I was a mutant. No way to tell," she says, though she knows that all Wisps are doomed souls. She was one. She must have been. Then she listens to Azazel, and frowns.

"Am I a prisoner?" she asks, and suddenly it matters. She's listening now.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods once to Azazel's request, then looks back to Ree. "No, you are not a prisoner," she states plainly. "What you are is a guest, with a lot to learn about being in this world and not in Hell any more. Anything you want, we'll get you, but there are certain things you need to know before you head down to earth itself."

The whole time she's been watching what Ree adds to the list, and it amuses the hell out of her the choices the little Imp is making. "Whether you were living or not, the abilities you have are unique, to me that says you were a mutant and kept your abilities. I take care of mutants, as does Azazel," she gestures toward him since he never officially introduced himself like she did, but things were hectic and Ree was injured, so it's understandable.

"We just want to make this transition a little easier for you Ree, that's all," she finally say with a smile then adds, "I love those boots."

Ree has posed:
A moment later, while Ree isn't looking, something shines on her neck. It's like it's poking out of hiding, making itself known. She isn't doing it, she isn't even aware. But the shining pendant that suddenly appears around Ree's throat comes out of hiding like a shy child. It sends a pulse to Azazel, one of recognition.

Something of his, on this child? And it has his own signature. Well well, interesting indeed. And the way it's acting, it absolutely could be sentient.

Ree, however, is shifting uncomfortably. "I don't want to be kept in this room. I want to move around and explore. I'll even wear something if that's what it costs." She feels hemmed in, and honestly understandable in where that's coming from.

Azazel has posed:
    As the pendant pops into view, Azazel's eyes narrow a little and he gestures  her to come over to him so he can take a closer look at it. It feels familiar, and he'd like to examine it and try and figure out exactly what it is and possibly how it ended up around Ree's neck.

    He looks to Mystique when Ree asks about moving around, replying "I don't imagine that will be a problem, but Mystique sets the rules here, so you do have to listen to her if she tells you there are places not to go. I'm still working on establishing myself a place that's actually worth living in rather than just a place I've stored things I might someday need."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique steps back to Ree can move, if she chooses to, to Azazel.

"Of course you can move around," she says as she moves. "There are only a few places on the Asteroid you aren't allowed to enter, but other wise you are welcome to move around here like everyone else, do long as you wear clothing, yes that is a requirement."

She doesn't miss the choker just appearing, it wasn't there and now it is, but that's is Azazel's to deal with. Although Mystique knows about magic items, she doesn't know how they work, just that they exist in the world.

"For now, I will get you a shirt and pair of pants, and some shoes, so we can arrange for you to leave this room when we're done talking," she adds, already pulling out her phone to send someone for those items.

Ree has posed:
Of course she comes to Azazel. He's a Lord. She follows their orders. "What's there?" she dares to ask him, though she doesn't feel anything. She's completely unaware of the pendant's existence, and that might also be to the good. She can't trade it or lose it that way.

"If it is your order, then...of course." She says this to the boss, but then glances at Mystique. There's definitely a rebel in there, she does not want to follow this order. No Fiend ever managed to tame this one. And she's obviously an accomplished liar. She barely twitched.

Then without a beat, she grins. "They are really good boots," she says to Mystie directly. It's a hint like a sledgehammer. So, not shoes then. And she did hear the compliment from earlier.

Azazel has posed:
    When Ree comes over to him, he reaches out and takes hold of the pendant in two fingers, getting a feel for it's energies. After a moment he nods and releases it, having gotten a good enough feel for it's energies. "It does feel like something of mine, though I don't remember at this exact moment who it went to. There's been so many over the years that it's hard to keep track of them all. I think this may be what called me, finding it's holder in a place it didn't belong. Not that I'm sure why it took so long to do so, but magic and the other planes sometimes interact strangely."

    He looks over at Mystique with a bit of a smirk, "This one may run you a bit ragged, I think. She's not nearly as innocent as she looks." Witha chuckle he adds, "I think I lik eher."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It's not long after Mystique sends out the request that Clarice shows up - a small armful of clothes in hand for Ree to try on. In fact, given the expedience of her arrival, it's clear the teleporter didn't bother with //walking// through the halls in order to make the delivery. "Avon calling!" she announces brightly as she opens the door (nevermind that she doesn't have any make-up with her. She'd need Pete for that.) "If these were in my size..." she remarks as she lifts the pair of boots off the pile, setting them down beside the pile of clothes.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique snorts softly, she could read the little Imp's lie like an open book. It was the usual signs, body language, tone, shift of the eyes, but it was a lie all the same. It didn't matter really, either Ree would follow the rules or Ree would find herself in a cage and Azazel would get called.

"That's why I made sure they were the ones brought," she comments, giving Clarice a nod as she comes in with the clothing and boots. "And you may as well stop trying to pretend you're cute and innocent. Cute, certainly. Innocent, not a fucking chance in hell, so we'll just get that out of the way now and you can stop the games. You try shit with me, here on the Asteroid, and trust me... it won't be Azazel you deal with first."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Sometimes she asks me to space people," Clarice supplies brightly. "And sometimes I do it of my own authority."

Ree has posed:
Ree blows out her cheeks a moment, getting caught too easily. She expels the air with a puff and sighs. Another glance at Azazel says all the things; he's an authority she knows to respect. Mystique isn't yet, but she deflates and allows herself to be overruled.

Then, boots! "Ooh!" she says, pulling them on without pants first. And she's nude, her cloth robe falling off of her without being removed. It looks as if the seams just let go and it slips to the floor at her command. Another aspect of her ability, it seems!

She looks at her feet in the boots, then grins. This is going to be easy, just put her in clothing that she finds interesting. Then, suddenly, maturity hits like a lightningbolt and she's fifty inside. "I thank you for your service," she says to Clarice, bowing her head. She's recognizing Clarice as the Headman. The one who'll kill her if she's out of line.

And just as suddenly, "Ooh, nice!" She grabs some shorts and yanks them on, backwards. Then tries again.

Ree has posed:
Azazel's comment isn't responded to. It's not that she isn't sure how, she's just thinking on how to respond to it. In HER experience, offers of interest from those higher in status than her always end up in pain. Really though, when you return from a tryst with someone without damage it's embarrasing.

There's an aspect of Hell that Ree knows well. You have to be seen as tough, or you're prey. Being noticed by someone, that's status. But being sent back and found not interesting enough to have enjoyed, that's like stepping into a minefield. Now, if you return and you've got limbs hanging from tendons, and holes in you, and you've clearly been found interesting? And you're tough enough to have survived? Imps gain status from that kind of interaction.

The fact that Azazel probably isn't that kind of demon never occurs to her. She's expecting some kind of offer, and the fact that she's interesting to him usually means she's about to get dragged into a side room in her experience.

Nothing having happened yet is kinda weird. So she's waiting to see what happens next. Mystique threatening her, that's basically just Tuesday. She isn't even registering it save as baseline normal.

Azazel has posed:
    Watching Ree get 'dressed' brings another little grin to his face, she's obviously both enjoying herself and at the same time expecting the whip to fall. It will take time for her to get past that, without question. Years of torture doesn't just drop away from you overnight, but there's time for that. He's not exactly the type to be in a hurry for anything, given how little years mean to him.

    "Just remember, you're not in hell anymore, some things are going to change. We'll walk you through it, that's why I wanted you here until you learned to fit into the world a little better. Nobody's going to torture you for fun anymore, for instance, that's not all that acceptable in the real world. Listen to what Mystique and Clarice have to tell you and you'll start to get the hang of things."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Yeah, that went about how Mystique expected it to go. Watching Ree get dressed was much like watching a four year old trying to dress themselves. Nothing in the right order, and the backwards pants was in fact the clincher for that.

"We just want to help you adjust, nothing more," she comments, then walks over to finally lay her hand on Azazel's shoulder. She's like to offer more, but that's enough for the moment. "You call him Lord, do what he says, and he just said to listen to me and Clarice, so this should be just fine."

No, it won't be just fine and she knows it, but she has to keep the calm appearance that it will be, that's what leaders do.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice watches the girl curiously as she tries on the clothes - not seemingly offput by the way the hospital gown had simply fallen away. "You should probably put on a pair of those, first," she remarks - pointing at a brand new, sealed package of underwear. "Then the shorts. The other way around." Helpful, practical advice. To be honest, she was never this lost - not when it came to clothes - but there had been otherways she'd been completely lost when she'd come out of her own personal hell, so she can relate.
    "Once we're sure you're adjusting well to the Asteroid, we can accompany you down to the planet," she suggests. "And see how things go from there."

Ree has posed:
Not tortured. Ree licks her teeth as she's told that, and it doesn't entirely make sense. So she stays silent and listens, not only to Azazel but also to his subordinates. They want to help. That doctor took away my pain. I don't feel dizzy or sick. I -always- feel dizzy or sick. The floor isn't moving, either from illness or from earthquakes.

It's too much at once.

Looking at underwear, which is basically fetish wear, and staring at the wall a moment, she kind of shuts down. Her eyes lower, and hse kind of...blanks out. She would never she would NEVER, ask a Lord for privacy. But she needs...

"Please," she says, without explaining. No added information. Just that.

Dr Hathaway walks in without warning, and says, "Everyone out." She walks right past everyone and takes charge, not asking a damn thing. This is her bailiwick. She doesn't even glance up, checking on Ree first. Patient, doctor.

Azazel has posed:
    Azazel nods, recognizing the signs in the recently rescued. He's seen it before, after all, in his many centuries of dealing with demons, cults and the like. Nodding to Hathaway as she goes by, he gets up, moves his chair off to the side and out of the way, then heads for the door. When you have an expert, you let them do their work.

    As they walk out of the room, he comments to Mystique, "The sooner you can find me those mutants to be my staff, the better. I'm going to need a place for her to call home sooner than later, I think."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Under normal circumstances Mystique does not take shit from people, this however was not people... this was Dr. Emily Hathaway. With a nod, she glances to Ree for a moment with a quiet, "We'll talk more later." then lays the tablet on the table and heads out of the room.

Once outside she pauses there for a moment, listening to Azazel. "I'll go check on that now actually, because you're right," she replies to him. "Come back tonight, have dinner with Lydia and I, and I'll have a list of mutants for you to look over, call, etc."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yes ma'am," Clarice answers the doctor immediately, turning to make her own way out of the door. She argues with the doctor sometimes, sure - but that's always when it comes to her //own// care. If it's anyone else's care, she's always the first one to back the doctor up.
    Clarice really is an awful patient.
    "She's having a rough time of it, huh?" she remarks once the door is closed behind her. "Well. ...if I can help, I will."