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 Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:39 pm
WHO: Sloane, Lady Estratus (Snoof) and Lady Sanguine (Roo)
WHERE: Mage Headquarters; Anica, Shyregoed
WHEN: March 18th, 1411; early evening
WEATHER: Overcast, dark and blue with frigid winds but no snowfall______________________________ "Grimm," it had croaked.
A flutter of ominous black wings, the crinkling of parchment and a foreboding voice with an equally haunting threat had been wrapped neatly with a black bow as if it were some macabre gift.
Lady Estratus had ran the message through her mind many times that night, unable to sleep at all. The only thing left of its presence was a single black feather, a black ribbon, and the words that had rocked her very core. Rolled parchment in hand, with the black ribbon and crow feather tucked neatly within, the woman mad her way to a hall with a long, dark table. Perhaps once it was a dining room, or else it was a meeting area for tacticians to plan with the Grand Magus, but at this point in time she was using it for neither.
Approaching the head of the table, Sage spread out the items across it. The parchment was a copy, one she had quickly transcribed after the letter all but turned to dust in her hands. Her powers had proven exceptionally useful then, retaining the message verbatim and allowing her to not let any details slip her by. Amber eyes narrowed at the ribbon, contemplating whether or not it had any physical ties to the cult. If it were so easy to harm the cult by injuring the ribbon then she would have ripped it asunder long ago. Unfortunately, that was not reality and it would be more useful in tact than in pieces.
At the very least, it would be if her Plague was present to detect the tainted scents lingering upon it.
The Sword Plague had gone missing after taking her assistant to the North Base's infirmary following a single cultist insurrection and, after she took the time to cut him down and strip him back to the unreliable Augur that he was, Lady Estratus had been quickly retrieved by Seers and Sages from Anica. Here she was kept safe, away from harm and other infiltrations as riots spread across the mountainous region.
Lady Estratus all but collapsed into her chair at these memories, taking her head in her hands and letting out a ragged sigh. Everything was happening so quickly, all at once, and now this. She wanted to swat the paper away, rip it up and pretend it hadn't arrived.
But it had arrived. There was no way to ignore it without bringing wrathful consequences upon herself and others.
With a strain, Sage closed her eyes and attempted to sift through the tendrils of thought calling out to her from all of the surrounding creatures; humans, Plagues and animals alike all reached out to her at once and it took an intense amount of concentration for her to single in on one in particular. Faces, thoughts, all garbled and blurry, whizzed by as though she were a phantom traversing the streets and invading their minds. Suddenly, with the scent of blood and a single thought, Lady Estratus had found him.
His mind whispered her first name, lacking any etiquette within its private confines.
Only one word was given in reply, more of a feeling than an actual interjection within his thoughts, Anica, and Sage pulled back. In one moment, she found herself back within the room, startled as though she had not been there for the past few minutes, and her hearing was almost muted. Slowly it returned and so did her other senses. Her forehead tingled, aperture reeling from the amount of concentration it took to directly influence someone's thought direction. There she sat, recovering, resting her arms against the large table and cradling her head as her breath came in gently labored gasps.
Until he arrived, there would be nothing to discuss about the situation. He was close, however, and his arrival was imminent.
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:23 pm
It was Lady Estratus that always overwhelmed Waldgrave's mind, even in her darker days, it was Lady Estratus who was the final and imminent step in completely ridding the then Servos of the Grand Magus' attentions. It was, worst of all, Lady Estratus who was so respected in the Fellowship, whose amber-eyed face was the very symbol of the Mages itself, it seemed, with her serious construct and overwhelming stone-faced tact. The Blood Lady would forever stalk her shadows, dream and dream again of what it would be like to be a human so honored in her place. This envy, this bitter and raucous anger she had, fueled by her years of determination and overwhelming failure-- this made it difficult for Sanguine to feel pity for this woman, even here, now, when she was suffering in so much pain.
Yet, so cold though she was to the Fellowship's Adviser, Sanguine found sadness yet in the crumbling fortress of Lady Estratus' defenses. This was not pity, but disappointment and a great sympathy, to see the woman cry and anguish so many times within a few days; though Sanguine refused to admit it, she knew that her Grimm had a special place in Sage's heart, and to see her die in such a dishonorable way seemed reason enough for the Adviser to swell with a river of grief. Lady Estratus, the figurehead of her aspirations and dreams, was a glorified but tainted image, and to see Sanguine's competition wallow in disappointment not at her, but at such a horrifying and tragic thing.
It was that sympathy for Lady Estratus' situation that Sanguine buffered up enough courage to come so closely to her and so quietly during her time of great weakness. The Infitialis knew the corridors of Anica well and, being so pushed aside as useless by Queen Valhalla, she was free to roam as she pleased in the broken remnants of Lady Waldgrave's great fortresses. No longer in the shadows, and no longer confined to her legacy as a myth, Sanguine stood at the threshold of the room, staring at the woman she detested and admired at the same time.
Despite the brevity of her actions, Sanguine was shy yet, and she ducked her veiled head before the Adviser, whose back was turned to her, as she could not think of a thing to say, and that was what made her truly sad. Now that she had permission to do as she pleased, to speak to others and to roam amongst men, the thoughts that had festered within those dungeon walls were now reluctant to expel from her in the form of syllables and speech. She had many things to say to Lady Estratus, perhaps too many things, so how could she think of nothing?
In her silence, staring at the floor still, Sanguine took a step forward in a meager attempt to catch the Adviser's bleak attention.
"A-- adviser Estratus..."
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:28 pm
It was such a quiet voice, barely breaking through the silence of the surrounding room. If it hadn't been for her current state of mind, however, Lady Estratus would have quickly picked up on the Blood Lady's presence. Now, however, her third eye was cloaked in thick fog and her senses were dulled with tears.
Immediately as the words left Sanguine's breath, Sage's head lifted and the motion caused her large ornate and wooden chair to squeak slightly against the polished stone. A harsh inhale lead to a quiet sniff and quickly she wiped at her eyes, drying them of any lingering moisture but unable to remove the obvious redness and developing bags.
How long had it been since she slept for more than a couple hours?
With a slight cough, Lady Estratus steadied her voice and uttered a simple explanation of "I no longer carry that title," before pushing the chair back and standing to face the Virgin Blood Plague. Returning to a face of stone, she observed the meek woman, eyes narrowed and scrutinizing. She had been there, then, leading Waldgrave through Valhalla's castle. She had been there, assisting the woman in her sinful baths of innocent blood.
She had been born of that woman's sin and here she stood, still haunting the halls of the Grand Magus' castle. "Have you need of me?" Sage's form moved gently to the side, blocking the parchment and other items from view.
There was no doubt in her mind that the feather and ribbon reeked of the House but whether or not Lady Sanguine was as attuned to it as her own Plague was another matter entirely. It was something weighing on her mind, having this Plague of sin assist in her ventures, but she knew not where the woman's allegiances truly lay. After all, if Waldgrave had betrayed all moral compass, reason and sanity in order to further her own selfish ideals then what was stopping her wretched Plague from doing the same?
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:09 pm
Even preparing for what was to come did not stop Sanguine from shrinking in her place; when Lady Estratus spoke, Sanguine flinched as if to avoid being hit, and she frowned intently when she heard the slow creak of ancient wood slide against castle stone. The sound was a familiar one, but Sanguine begged herself not to look up at the raven-haired woman until she was ready once again to face her own personal devil's advocate, though the lady did it completely unintentionally.
Her pale cheeks turned a soft hue of pink, and she wrung her thin fingers around each other as she could see Sage stand before her. The woman was tall in comparison to the Infitialis, and she could feel the Adviser's contempt in her eyes completely raze Sanguine's existence. She knew what she meant to Sage-- she was the pure evidence and proof that the Grand Magus indeed do what she did. But how could she help it, existing in this form, from that event, at this moment? She would not let the Adviser's thoughts of her consume her, not now, and Sanguine looked up at Lady Estratus with a scowl but, upon seeing the tired woman's baggy eyes, the Infitialis broke her ground once again.
Frowning, almost embarrassed, Sanguine followed where Sage's form went, but she could not get herself to follow. While shaking her head, the Plague curiously observed the edge of the table which much of the Adviser was now obscuring-- a table that was once Lady Waldgrave's. She could smell the woman's petrifying scent on it, but something seemed to rip it of its herbal scents and lingering feeling of forest in a cold way. It smelled familiar, like the blood reaped for the Grand Magus and the smell that haunted her in the dungeons.
Her feet were petrified when in front of Sage, however, and Sanguine could merely tilt her head to the side and stand aloof, pressing her lips together as she tried to formulate a sentence befitting her own seriousness and that she, Lady Sanguine, should be treated with respect. Though what she said in her mind sounded as convincing as Lady Waldgrave once was, she could only retort to Sage's question with a meager croak of words.
"That table now smells," Sanguine started, stare now face to face with Sage, forcefully locking her eyes to those orange orbs as if to prove her point, "Of foreign things, like the evil that cursed the Grand Magus when she was gifted blood... what... have you done to mine lady's table?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:58 pm
"It is no longer her table," was the sharp and to the point reply.
Her words then were as cold as her stare, eyes met and locked with Sanguine's. Unrelenting, she reached a hand back and gripped the edge of the table; thoughts were whizzing through her mind, pros and cons of elaborating on the situation to this Infitialis or keeping her in the dark. The positive effects of telling her to leave would only be short term, with how the Plague stalked the halls. However, if there was a chance she would not use the information for her own devices, whatever they may be, there was then a chance at something Waldgrave had never considered her.
An ally.
Allowing her gaze to falter, Lady Estratus looked over her shoulder at the items in question. Both ribbon and feather sat together, innocently, and while the parchment was merely a copy of the words its message burned inside her mind with a taint as equal.
Sage let out a sigh, hanging her head and finding a patch on one of the stones she could feign interest in. "I have been contacted," she began quietly, her tone strangely candid, "By members of the House." A pause was given then, allowing this information to sink into the Blood Plague's mind. Reaction analyzed, she continued, "They are threatening my position and possibly my life if I do not take... 'precautions', as they so eloquently put it, toward my Plague's actions against them." It was impossible to hold back the scoff that forced its way out of the woman at the very thought, as though Sloane's infiltration of one of their many Northern bases had been an order on her part.
Unfortunately, as much as she would like, Lady Estratus could not take credit for that simultaneously successful and horribly botched assignment. No, it had been Sloane's own doing, one hundred percent, and however misguided and seeped in revenge the mission had been for the Sword Plague, it clearly hit the House hard.
Suddenly, a smirk crept upon Sage's face as realization donned upon her; Sloane had scared them. They were afraid of her Plague. In such a time of weakness, this thought made her pride soar. For once, perhaps, it was a good thing he was an Infitialis. A terrifying beast among Plague's, a weapon against the House, and an effective tool for intimidation.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:52 pm
"Do not spread such poison to my ears," Sanguine snapped, shoulders taut with strength in defense. To relinquish Lady Waldgrave's title as the one and only overseer of these fortresses was to relieve herself from one of few things she had, even if it was just a place she could roam at her will without the contempt of strangers passing, for she knew these labyrinthine stones so well she could navigate them without seeing. The Infitialis felt that she was too quick to speak, as evidenced by her looming stare slowly retracing itself back to the table, then to the floor, and she waited in silent panic to see if Lady Estratus would accept her meager stance as her only form of apology. To say sorry in word to the woman would only offend Sanguine further.
The blood lady's fingers twitched at the very mention of the House, though, and her instance of anger spun quickly back into weariness. It was true, she'd aided in Lady Waldgrave's collection of virgin's blood, but that lingering and vile scent that haunted her even in the bottom corridors of the castle, she could never think the source of, and always assumed was the aroma of her own sorrows and the inward evil of her Grimm. To hear that the cultists, a source of great disdain from the Fellowship men and women in the castles, which she'd learned about so quickly just by looming, made her reel her head to the side in sadness.
How could it be? She was a fool for assuming so little of the Grimm she'd rarely seen, and served to collect her blood to regain her youth for her own means, to rise and stay standing on the steps of the altar, and never had she assumed the House of Obscuvos was part of the scandal she'd thought only involved Mage loyalty both evil and extremely unquestioning of their Grand Magus. Trailing her thoughts was another simple idea, that she'd completely ignored the thought to save herself, for she would live on with great guilt if her birth arose in yet another immoral way.
"Nay, it is impossible for them to kill a lady whose title is Sage Estratus," Sanguine said, affronting her own morale with such a bite at jealous truth, as if she'd fed the idol before her with a chalice of assurance, "For even the tip of her thumb is stronger than any quivering wrist of a blindly pious man..."
Her thoughts trailed at Lady Estratus' mention of her Plague, however, her lip pulled into a delicate frown as she pondered the tall Plague's visage at Queen Valhalla's castle, and during that one faithful day so many years ago in these same walls, only seasons after she'd been newly sprung as an Anhelo. "And her Plague, too, so strong must he be in his Grimm's image..."
Sir Sloane, he was called, tall and sprightly and an Infitialis whose scent was riddled with raw steel and blood, but the rest of his details were lost in the confines of her hazy memories. Sanguine was overcome by fear when she remembered Waldgrave's fateful death, however, but she was too shot with tears at that moment to notice the Plague in front of the youthful woman drenched in blood and the fur-robed queen. He was there, though, she was sure of it, but against her Grimm, and she remained as insecure and confused of what to feel of him as she was at Anica when they'd first met.
To think such a gritty aroma was attached to this formulated and justice-ridden Adviser was, however, difficult for her to imagine, and while thinking she glanced back at Sage for a moment, completely silent, her pallid face painted now with more curiousness than it was with nervousness or intimidation as it was only seconds ago.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:20 pm
The already dour expression upon Lady Estratus' face only tensed and turned more so at the Infitialis' biting words. A swift reply was already upon her tongue, one filled with as much venom as the Plague believed her previous statement to carry, but they stopped before she even opened her mouth to speak them. There was a feeling of balance in her reaction, a feeling she had felt when she saw the Grand Magus standing, naked and young, in Valhalla's castle.
Denial was their common ground but Lady Estratus could deny no longer.and this was where their emotions differed. Both of them held a great affection for Lady Benedicta Waldgrave and both of them were devastated upon the sight of her body covered in blood that was not her own, then blood that was. It was this realization that stopped her from digging a dagger of words into Sanguine's side, then, and moving on to explain the situation.
Whether an apology was noticed, accepted or neither, the topic was dismissed.
What came next was surprising but Sage was hesitant to take it at face value. There was an odd sting of bitterness to it, something she was having difficulty placing with her current state of mind and clouded aperture, but it felt distinctly contradictory to the words spoken. There was no time for her to be passive aggressive with this woman, this Plague, and so Lady Estratus shook her raven and stepped away from the table, holding a hand out toward the items laid out without breaking her gaze.
"If you're so inclined," she spoke calmly, not allowing her emotions to talk hold, "You may look." If Lady Sanguine was to be acting as she was, then it only made sense for Lady Estratus to give her a test. Surely, their devotion towards Grand Magus Waldgrave had been great, perhaps equal to one another, but no matter how much reality hurt her there was no way Sage would ever forgive the woman for doing what she did. If Sanguine could, had, and in fact did, retaining blind loyalty to the woman as she once had, then their professional relationship would halt before it even had a chance to be conceived.
And elsewhere, a knight strode through the mountains with such a quick and deliberate pace that he uncaringly shoved through throngs of rioters, knocking many to the ground. He was close, and the closer he came to the looming frozen fortress, the more abundant were the groups of violent humans.
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 9:00 pm
Sanguine exchanged her and the woman before her's increasingly scathing glares with a faltering glance over at the piece of parchment Lady Estratus had tried in vain to obscure from her sight. That stench of evil was wrought upon it, as writhe with the aroma as were those bathtubs of blood that clogged her past. Yet, for the Infitialis curiosity always overwhelmed her sense of wear, of suspicion, even in recent years when she'd been severely punished and so reprimanded for it that her health would be in better condition if she did not know half of the things that she did. That curiosity though, that retained knowledge, that was a major part of the giant scope of things that allowed her to stand before Sage like this with any sense of self at all.
Indignant, though biting her lower lip in learned cautiousness, Sanguine slowly reached out for the letter and unraveled it with her delicate hands. Hasty, delicate words written by Lady Estratus herself; she could tell by the precise but eager markings and the scent of a familiar Fellowship kind lingering on its page. Yet the distinct smell of cult still lingered like detestable fragments, marking the copied letters with sure evil. The further she read, the more disgusted her face became, until at the end her brows knit with a sincere form of worry. It spoke of the knight Plague she'd so faintly remembered and, perhaps unconsciously, someone she'd cared for more than Lady Estratus' presence.
"This cannae be, Milady..." Her scarlet pupils locked onto Sage and Sanguine, slowly, as if the burden of the copied document weighed upon her hands and stuck like an impermeable glue, set the parchment onto the tabletop. What the House was proposing was vague, too vague for her to wrap her mind around a single threat, a single solid thought. Her imagination lended her thoughts to dozens of things, terrible happenstances that would lead to Lady Estratus and her Plague's corruption. In that instance, she imagined the fall of Anica at Sage's very hands, the home Sanguine was both imprisoned to and was in strange kinship with, and she waas struck with indeterminate fear and anger.
Lady Sage Estratus... the thought of her giving into the cultists' influence, to think that Sage knew of her Lady's ill behavior and might not have done anything of it, that was enough to give her true strength. Hands quivering, Sanguine closed the space between her and Lady Estratus with furious steps and, a finger pointed toward her in accusation, the Blood Plague paused to think, cheeks brightened with fury, her teeth clenched.
Yet, anger could not overcome her, she would not allow it, and the claw precariously hovering over Sage's neck was quickly retracted. She would have more temperament than her Lady, Sanguine urged herself and, letting herself breathe, her head turned to the floor, she curtsied and backed farther away from the ember-eyed human in front of her, resolutely whispering to herself, "No, mine Lady Estratus is too different from Grand Magus Waldgrave, no... she will not fall so easily to the House's lies..."
The Infitialis looked up at Sage after her elongated pause and, back straightening, she nodded in affirmation and said aloud, "Milady, if this is a threat posed by the House of Obscuvos, I will serve unquestionably by the Fellowship's side." She bowed again and, gently, she added, "May my trust be yours, and yours mine, Lady Estratus... I will think of you as my Grimm's apprentice no longer."
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 9:49 pm
There was so much hesitation, so much uncertainty about this Plague, that it was difficult for Lady Estratus to pinpoint on any one particular emotion. Her current state of mind and emotional wavering did little to help matters, but she surmised that this Infitialis would be difficult to read even without such a hindrance.
Her eyes followed the Blood Lady, watching curiously for her reaction. When there seemed to be some hesitation, she waved her hand toward it, confirming the offer, and folded her arms to patiently wait out the read. Much to her surprise, it did not take long for Lady Sanguine to finish reading and speak out in rejection of the letter's message. It was difficult for her to place just what she was rejecting -- Obscuvans making contact, the threat, or them wanting some form of allegiance -- but it was a safe bet that Sage Estratus would sooner brave the threat or death than be swayed toward taking even a single innocent life, let alone the multitudes snuffed by her mentor.
The clouded vision of her third eye did not prepare her for Sanguine's abrupt and threatening gesture. She approached, looking intent to kill, but stopped herself with a claw at her neck. Lady Estratus' expression was unmoved, though the irritation was clear in her eyes. A hand was poised, palm out and ready to blast her back against the table if she did not relent but relent she did. The Plague curtsied, more silent apologies, and whispered something she only caught the tail end of by straining her ears.
"I will think of you as my Grimm's apprentice no longer."
Those simple words held a multitude of meanings, spoken only in a single breath; it meant Lady Sanguine did not believe she would follow in Waldgrave's tainted footsteps, would be a suitable leader, was trustworthy and could resist the twisted temptation of the House's black heart. "And I, you, Lady Sanguine," she offered the same in return, absolving the Plague of her connection to the Grand Magus, of her connection to those so called virtuous baths of which she was born. A slight smirk crossed her features, a brow raising curiously, "What will you think of me, then?"
Before an answer was able to be given by the Blood Plague, the large double doors to the hall were noisily thrust open, echoing in the massive space of the room. In stepped a towering knight of white, silver and red, armor and helmet blocking all features. Behind him, the doors closed on their own, bellowing loudly from the effort. His stride was strong, long legs carrying him quickly to the table where both women stood side by side and at the edge he leaned forward, pressing his hands against it for support.
A faint white cloud escaped the slits in the helm as he drew a deep breath and Lady Estratus made a faint click of her tongue in response. "What kept you?"
"Have you stepped outside lately?" he jested, fully aware of her tendency to stay within castle walls under most circumstances. It was then that he turned his attention toward the female Infitialis and inclined his head, a smile clear from his change in tone, "Milady."
It was then he seemed to notice the wretched stench permeating through the room from the head of the table and cringed as his helmet's visor pulled back of its own accord. Within moments, the metal of the helm was folded up and pulled back into non-existence somewhere within his armor as if it had never been there to begin with. Messy red hair clung to his neck and brow as the residue of perspiration stuck to him from his quick change in pace and distance.
"What is that horrid stink?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:55 pm
Lady Sanguine slipped the narrowest smile to Lady Estratus, sheepishly trying to give her a response in return to her ready invitation to her just starting loyalties. Jealousy aside, partnership was honor nonetheless, and Sanguine was wise enough not to reject the welcoming offers of someone who was obviously higher than she. She could keep her grudges in secret, if it indeed had to be that way, and the suffering look upon the raven-haired human only moments ago made her heart softer towards the lady before her than it was just days earlier. Emotion had a way of escaping Sanguine's confidentiality into a realm of unknown and unease, as seemingly many things did, but in a way that made her sympathize and rid of the angry, lurching monster that stalked the halls of Anica as the Blood Lady. To see that unkempt emotion from Sage, if only for a few seconds in hearing while she was still perusing the hallway, was enough to realize that she was human through and through.
As much as she held contempt for many of the humans that confined her, she also felt a great sympathy towards them. An Infitialis such as she had the ability to kill many of them as she pleased, and though Sage was the same, she quietly felt the need to protect herself from Lady Estratus.
Before she could speak, though, and perhaps for the best, an armor-clad knight burst in from the entrance. His white and silver armor, speckle with a ruby red, gleamed more than the used armor of many of the Anican soldiers. He did not have the decor of a regular Imperial Guard or a noble, no, and it only took Sanguine a moment to realize once more the scent that lingered in her memories, that distinct fragrant of metal and blood. When the armored man clamored forward, his layers of silver clattering as he moved, Sanguine took the time to shy her head away and turn her gaze curiously to the side. An Infitialis like her, but she couldn't seem to grasp a stronger presence around him.
The Blood Plague's eyes shot up at the knight when he spoke a simple word, "Milady," but her gaze was still affirmed to the ground when he glanced to the two ladies before him, and she knew not if it was for Lady Estratus or she. She avoided confrontation and safely assumed for the latter, wrong or not, bowing her head back into obscurity. Sanguine wrapped her hands around themselves and bent her knees ever-so-slightly for a momentous curtsy, nowhere near as heartfelt as the ones she'd given Lady Estratus.
Yes, that voice was familiar... how she could not affirm herself in front of known kin less than in front of strangers she did not know, but she couldn't afford to stare stupidly up at him nor his Grimm, now. She felt strangely isolated without the presence of her own Grimm, as beside herself though the thought was, and she felt warmth collect around her cheeks. When the clatter of armor beckoned closer, the shadow of the tall Plague inching in, Sanguine couldn't help but take a second's glance up at the knight. Shocked that his helmet was now gone-- no longer in sight, nevertheless-- Sanguine fumbled about for a word in response to the inquiry about the cultist's putrid smell which, to her, was no more vile than the scent of the dungeon she lived in underneath the shadows of this very castle.
"The--," she paused, surprised now that she would speak so quickly, "The House of Obscuvos beckons for his Lady Estratus..." After speaking, confounded by herself and her reaction to the situation at hand, Sanguine stepped closer to Lady Estratus, taking quick steps to nearly hide behind the regal mage in an attempt to dig away from unneeded attention, though the efforts were useless and Sanguine painfully acknowledged such a fact. Brows furrowed, she poked behind Lady Estratus' side and glanced at the red-haired Plague, unable to anticipate whether or not, by chance, he would recognize her any longer.
A nerve-wrecking thought, but she forced herself to reground herself in her own tenacity and determination, strength for if he did, and hoped that her brevity would gather at her feet once more before it was too late.
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:26 pm
Attentions drawn to the items upon the table, the Sword Plague did not immediately take notice of the Blood Lady's curious behavior, too caught up in the obvious and permeating stink wafting from the ribbon and feather like death; even the parchment smelled to a degree, as if the words themselves carried a tainted aura. It only took the soft voice of the female Plague to jar his awareness away from the objects and just five little words for his expression to go from interested to disturbed.
The House of Obscuvos beckons.
His eyes quickly drew to those of his Grimm who were deep set and grave in accordance with the topic. Pushing away from the edge of the table and approaching the two women, as well as the collection of things, and once he was close enough began to run a claw along them. The oily black feather spun softly and the velvety ribbon snagged and followed his claw until it unrolled. The parchment was turned toward him but, perhaps embarrassingly, was turned upside down. The Infitialis seemed not to realize this and merely squinted at the scrawled words, head tilting slightly as if this would bring him some easier understanding. Alas, there would be no deciphering the written word if one had no practice to begin with. Lady Estratus sighed, prompting him to look between the two women with a concerned brow. "What does it say?" a fair question for one as illiterate as he.
This time, it seemed the human of the three was more apt to speak quickly, perhaps so Sanguine would not stumble over her words and the situation could be summarized as well as possible. She stepped away from the other female, not glancing her way, and pulled the parchment back from Sloane's dangerous fingers. "They desire for me to follow in her footsteps, so to speak; to break down and form some sort of pact with them," she scoffed at the very idea, eyes rolling and staying away from the gaze of either Plague, "But they also make a specific ultimatum which should tickle you."
At this, Sloane's posture tightened and he stood a might taller than normal, shoulders back and spine arched with a distinct amount of pride. A smirk washed over his face at the very notion of her bending to the same wills as Waldgrave, the will for power and youth, of all petty things, while his Lady's desires were far more humble. Her amber eyes drifted curiously to Sanguine, pondering if she agreed with the notion and felt the same sort of intimidation disguised by orders. "They demand you not work against them," his sharp grin faltered for just a second until she continued, "I believe you've frightened them." Then Lady Estratus had a small smirk of her own and the Infitialis' chest might as well have burst from how fast his blackened heart was beating, swelled with honor and gratitude.
That one smirk, that one small gesture of appreciation, suddenly made up for many years of silence and emotionlessness, and he had nearly been swept away then and there. The only thing keeping him from doing so, however, was the presence of Lady Sanguine and the thought of her swiftly grounded him back into reality, back into a humble posture. The poor woman, whose situation he was partly responsible for but only felt the smallest twangs of guilt toward. He was happy that Waldgrave was dead, took great pleasure in the fact he silently assisted in it, even for a second, but it was a terrible sympathy that weighed upon his shoulders that the Blood Plague was now without a Grimm. She was lost, alone, in this giant icy fortress with no Lady to turn to but his own and neither of them knew her well, just as she did not know them.
A slight clear of his throat prompted a change in composure from the man, waving a knifed hand toward Lady Sanguine and appearing genuinely interested in her opinions - for, in truth, he was. "What do you make of all this, then?" After exchanging a brief glance with his Grimm, he elaborated, "How do you think we should react to such a threat?" Surely there would be no acknowledging any possibility of his Lady associating with the House for there simply was not a chance in the coldest nor hottest reaches of Hell. If the Obscuvans thought otherwise, they had another thing coming entirely and it would likely arrive in the form of Estratus' Sword.
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 9:52 pm
Despite herself, Sanguine felt a twinge of happiness and contentment at watching the Sword Plague and his Grimm talk amongst one another with such relative ease, especially in front of a Plague such as she. Upon glancing up, she noticed the subtle smirk of Lady Estratus, a well of emotion considering the woman in mind, and the spiky grin in response by the fellow Infitialis that managed to get her own soft lips to glow ever so slightly. Lady Sanguine was smiling-- subtly, but it was there, though she felt the pounding in her chest of a heart that beat too quickly with nervousness. She allowed herself to be intimidated when she had trained herself so ably around pure strangers not to be, too busy she was with being the monstrous image she was painted to be.
Now that her identity was known, no longer the paralyzing deity of horror amidst Lady Waldgrave's castle, she felt naked. The Blood Infitialis remained silent, staring at the floor, cheeks a flushed pink while she drowned out herself from the conversation. Once she slowly immersed herself back into hearing the two in idle numbness, Sloane's gravelley voice called back out to her in nearly an instant, and she snapped her head up to stare at the man with an empty-minded blink. Hesitant, she placed her hands wrapped around each other politely over her chest, doubtful at first that the knight in front of her might have been talking to her.
When the room sustained an awkward silence, though, Lady Sanguine realized that the Adviser wasn't cued to speak. Brows raised with surprise, Lady Sanguine retreated into stutters at first, bowing her head to Sir Sloane in apology. She was not a swift talker as Lady Estratus was, it seemed, not when her monstrous wits and tricks for intimidation were gone with her monstrous legacy. "T-t'is certainly a letter that doubts itself, sire... the House has no power against the Fellowship. Milord and milady have every right to laugh at them, for they scare the cultists-- t'is an empty threat they cannot fulfill."
Lady Sanguine paused, though, recollecting the powers of the House itself if they truly did work under Lady Waldgrave's supervision. If the collection of virgin blood, so quickly and promptly over the span of seven years, was truly the cultists' doing, Sanguine was both completely frightened and subservient to the House's very existence. The lingering smell in the dungeons while pools of blood were hidden right next to her station, all while the Grand Magus played and mingled with dark magic... if they were as powerful above ground as they were underground, perhaps Sir Sloane and Lady Estratus were smirking against a faction that was yet to show its true influence to the rest of Panymium.
"...But beware, Milady Estratus, for the House wishes to transform the Fellowship behind your back. They, like insects, are ones to find homes everywhere, and the Fellowship castles provide warmth most plentiful in the cold of Shyregoed." Biting her lower lip, Lady Sanguine turned her head to the side in doubt, what smile left in return to the knight's pride transformed into a worried frown. She clenched her hands tighter, her heart too knotted still to tell neither Adviser nor fellow Plague the details of her own memories with the cult.
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:03 pm
A calm smile spread across the Infitialis' face at the female Plague's confusion. Through what little he knew of her history, it was an understandable reaction, especially around those of high rank and intimidating stance as his Lady Estratus, but it was no less an endearing trait and one that caused him to be even more attentive to her words than would normally be the case.
Lady Sanguine's first string of words only served to curve his smile even further, swirled eyes wide and attentively drawn upon the tainted woman. His Lady, as well, seemed pleased by her former leader's Plague's words, though did little to show it outside of gaining a more casual stance. These feelings did not last long, however, as her words turned from compliments to warnings. Very real and dire these warnings were as Sloane had witnessed and faced the viciousness of the House first hand; their ruthlessness knew no bounds for neither women nor children and Chauhn's hands would remember their cruelty all too clearly.
"Our guard shall not falter, Lady Sanguine," her words were calm but assured, "You have my word." While pride they could have, it would not give way to blindness or apathy. Tolerance of the House to any degree was what allowed them to flourish so despite all that worked against them; if they were not destroyed and beaten back constantly, but allowed to fester as they are, they would flourish and that was clearly the cause of this message.
They felt strong enough to send it despite their fear which was a warning of their rising standing on its own.
Sloane pushed off from the table, tucking his arms behind his back in a more professional stance and bowed his head to the Virgin Blood Plague. "Your words will be taken to heart, Milady. Though they may hide in the crags of Fellowship stone they will not evade us for long. We will weed them out in time, crush them like the insects they are." A brief glance from his Lady told him to ease off on the vivid imagery and he leaned his head back, losing what devious grin had been growing during his description and replacing it with a far more friendly one. "Please be sure, Lady Sanguine, to tell us if you find any crawling about. I would find your assistance most pleasing."
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:43 pm
Sanguine smiled, her head lowered while she carefully took in all of the words of Sir Sloane with delicate politeness. She bowed her head when the time seemed right, then bowed and bowed again in thanks before lowering herself to her knees, crouching as a knight would in servitude. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she relished the moment; the Adviser she once despised would open her arms to her so easily, and while the jealousy in her heart would not be forgotten as quickly, the Infitialis would not old the Sword's Grimm with rancor contempt.
"I-- I shall, sire, and Grand Magus Estratus; I cannae thank you enough... I owe my life to you yet, and to the Fellowship... my life is to thou first." She could not bear to look up, and remained where she was, wiping her eyes as tears rolled down; it was a collection of nervousness finally unraveled after the tense few moments that followed her callous greeting to Lady Estratus, a release of the fear and hatred that she held for the woman.
If her strength and usefulness would be measured by the damage she inflicted upon the House, she would do her hardest without question.
END
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