[PRP] All Work and No Play- (Riley/Amrita?)

[Nio Love]

She was dreaming.

In her dreams, she fought in a great and terrible war, with neither side winning and both battlefields coated in the thick stench of spilled blood. There was death around her, so much death. She hated it, because she had caused so little of it. She found no pleasure in the sight of death, only the dying.

So her dream was leaving her listless, and unsatisfied - much like the waking world.

But as usual, Riley was fully aware of her surroundings and the presence of any who came near while she slept. Her mind could not easily fall into the depths of true sleep, so it hovered near the edge, imagining scenes that she knew to be false images while she waited for something better to happen.

enoh love

 

[Enoh Love]

She didn't like to be late, but yet again, there she was. Strolling into the woods well after her intended visit time, all because some Kitsune ended up too attached to her host. It had not been a good morning for her, and it put her on edge. A grumpy Queen did not bode well for the majority.

It didn't take her long to find traces of Riley, partially because she knew where to look. Not to mention the handy bonus of being able to sense the woman, thanks to their mutual benefactor. She had also come to know, over the last few months, that once she could sense Riley, Riley could sense her; and that conversations could be started from that distance, easily.

"Why don't you sleep in Amity? As a visiting Professor, they're bound to have housing for you."

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

Still asleep, Marati's presence tickled her mind and created an illusion of her within the battlefield. She walked with an even step through the fighting hordes, unphased and untouched by blade or being. Her question was so amusingly mundane in comparison to the chaos that went on around her.

I would sooner test my luck with cafeteria food than to be caught sleeping on grounds. A very monotone voice answered. Riley had not awoken, but that never changed her ability to have a decent conversation. They have methods of exposing deception. For all I know, the bogeys are scanning the grounds nightly. No, I will not sleep under their roof.

Her expression turned annoyed, shifting against the tree. In her dream, Marati had arrived in front of her, and Riley reached out with clawed fingers, though it wasn't clear what she was reaching out to do. Besides. I can smell them. All of them. Their blood cries out to be spilled, to be drunk. You do not want a massacre on your hands so soon.

Her eyes flickered open, and she realized where she was. She tilted her head to where Marati walked, and swung down the branches with her tentacles until she reached the ground before her on one knee. She rose, and her eyes lifted in lieu of a smile. When she spoke, her voice was full of life again - and a little helplessly seductive. Old habits died hard.

Good morning.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

Soon enough, Marati could spot her up in the tree. She was a ways up of course, and difficult to see clearly, but she was there. Reaching for something. It was almost enough to entice her curiosity to ask, but she didn't; what Riley was saying to her was enough food for thought at the moment.

"I see. Very well then." While she had a point, Marati had her trust in the artifact she had found. He would not have lead her to that room, only to leave her vulnerable. Especially when the victim would also be one of his own. Either way, she could understand the call for caution, and agreed to it readily: after all, that was her whole game here.

There was a small flash of disappointment as Riley admitted to not being quite ready to be that enveloped in society, but at least it was confirmation of something she had already known. Baby steps, of course. That was always advised.

"Good Morning, Riley." Marati replied sweetly, watching as Riley rose from bended knee to stand before her. "I hope you slept well." The smile on her lips didn't quite reach her eyes, as her conversation with Remi still left her more irritated than she first imagined.

"I had a surprise conversation with Remi today." The patchwork took a step to the side, and leaned her back against one of the nearby trees, folding her arms across her chest as she continued. "As it turns out, he and Amrita are in some form of committed relationship." Her expression turned disapproving, for reasons beyond her own plans. "-And he is fully aware of who I am, and went as far as to threaten me for the sake of his Amrita." Her tone dropped, briefly mocking him for his choice of words. "We will have to watch him carefully now, as he may very well become one of our greatest threats. It was not the outcome I had expected." She growled a little bit, before wiping the disappointment from her face.

"However - and I imagine you might agree with me, but - I believe something good did some out of it."

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

The news came as a surprise. Riley's last experiences with the students of Amity had left her with the impression that Amrita and the igor were developing into a relationship. The only thing she remembered about Remi was just how easily frightened the boil could be.

But that, of course, was a lovely memory.

It pleases me to know that someone you consider a threat already has a crippling fear of me. I've brought him to his knees before, despite his silly attempts at illusions. I have full confidence that, should he ever stand in your way, I will have him well in hand. The love life of a typical Amityville student left her bored; she was sure this was just as frivolous, and would crumble under any given pressure. If she was less inclined to simply kill him, she might have even considered suggesting to Marati that she concoct some silly scheme to end the relationship in a dramatic manner.

Because. Teenagers.

What good came from the enlightenment of the kitsune? Riley asked, curious as to what silver lining Marati could have found.

enoh love

 

[Enoh Love]

Well well well - this was great news. A grin spread on her torn lips, suddenly quite satisfied with the world again.

"As always, you know just what to say." Marati, still grinning, gazed off for a moment to focus on that delightful fix to her problem. "I had hoped he would be more receptive to me, as his alternate self was once my ally, but it seems he values her over his better self, and me." Which was an incredibly pity. "However, I no longer have to worry about him, and instead will leave him to you, should he not see reason." She waved her hand in dismissal, pleased enough with that solution to no longer waste her time with it.

"Regardless, this little chat with Remi did indeed prove useful." A small nod, and she pushed herself from the tree, to once more stand on her own power. "In light of his threats, I came to realize one thing: we can no longer properly afford to remain as stagnant as we have been." Now that someone out there not only knew who she was and what she was capable of, but who also carried the very real possibility of standing in their way, it was time to start moving, before it was too late.

"I believe it's about time we started to bring this irritating world to its knees, don't you?"

nio love

 

[Nio Love]

Riley looked as pleased and excited as she'd ever been (without the aid of sugar). Oh, ohhh. I am so glad to hear you say that. She owed Remi a great deal of credit, now. She would have to thank him one day, probably while simultaneously killing him.

I am ready. I have acquired a new weapon that continues to grow with power the longer I use it. Her hand pressed against the sword at her hilt; no longer the dull sword she'd normally owned, this one was clearly new, with a bright and shining sun hilt. Each time I fight, I feel it soaking power from my opponent. And it speaks to me; it was a human, once. I now wield a human. The irony is sweet as blood wine.

They were going to finally see action. Riley had ached for this daily, but her patience would be rewarded now. The thrill of this thought did not leave her eyes.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

She looked at the sword as if seeing it for the first time; initially, she had passed it off as just a weapon. Now, it was so much more.

"A human that is now a weapon? That is beautiful irony." Marati chuckled, and mentally added that to their arsenal. At this rate, they would have the world at their feet in only a short amount of time. "We can talk more about that in a minute. One thing at a time."

"Now…" Her head tilted in thought, her grey eye lifting to look unseeing into the canopy of branches above them. "…and please correct me if I'm wrong… It seems to me that an awful lot of this world functions as it does due to the Pumpkin patches in each city." Her gaze lowered again, this time fixing properly on Riley. "So, if we were to...remove them from the equation…" She trailed off, her grin returning.

Nio Lovely

 

[Nio Love]

They would spawn further from home. Riley finished the thought, not nearly as excited as Marati, but still pleased at the thought. It's a lovely strategy for destroying a town. No permanent casualties, of course.. She sighed with longing, and continued. But a town can be leveled without anyone to fight back. Lives shattered. Homes burned down. It's a beautiful thought.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"I've come to understand that permanent casualties are an incredibly rare phenomenon here." Marati sighed, bowing her head forward enough to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"That does sound lovely." She recovered from her brief distress, and offered Riley a smile. "You know this place better than I. I would like for you to find a small, out-of-the-way town for us to begin with. It must take no more than thirty-six hours to reach." For obvious reasons, and one she didn't hope to have to bring up. "I, in the mean time, will go and request and audience with Him. Perhaps he can lend us his knowledge and assistance." The plan, however vague, was coming together.

"I will meet you back here in twelve hours. Would that be enough time for you?"

nio love

 

[Nio Love]

Riley's expression curved in the strangest way, and it almost seemed as though, if she had a mouth, it would be curling at the edges.

Then it fell as she considered how long it would take her to find a suitable town less than thirty-six hours away.

I admit that it might be a tight deadline, if you want proper surveillance. Getting there won't be the problem, but I like to take the time to judge a target before choosing. Also, when you request it be less than thirty-six hours away, what mode of travel do you mean? By foot, by mount, or by flight? I can carry a passenger, but my mount is usually just as fast as I am in the air. I am, after all, no dragon.

Her voice tinged with an uncomfortable bittersweet sadness at the last sentence.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

Marati considered the information she was being given, and in the end, conceded with a sigh.

"I suppose the deadline is too tight." Her head tilted for a moment, reorganizing her priorities and readjusting her expectations. "I will not risk Amrita waking up while on the trip home. No matter where we go, we must be back before then." It was the whole reason for her deadline to begin with: if they wanted to start now, they had to start now; but she supposed that delaying a week would be more beneficial to the both of them.

"This will give me more time as well-" She decided, with a nod. "-in the event there are more kinks to work out than I am initially projecting." Merlin may bring up some points she hadn't considered, or perhaps even require work done first before providing answers. "Very well, instead of in twelve hours, we have just under a week." When she shifted, it was to free her phone from a hidden pocket, bringing up the calendar to take a look at it.

"Currently, I occupy four and a half days - so we have four days to get out there, take them out, and return home. I can trust you to choose the mode of transportation that would suit us; I do have a mount capable of fast speeds, and flying." It was important to let her know what she had to work with, of course. Though she did not understand the twinge of sadness Riley was displaying, she could at least allow a brief amount of sympathy for whatever it was she had lost. "You may not be a dragon, but I do appreciate the creature you are." The Mindflayer was offered a small smile, before she got back to business.

"I have roughly three days left to get things settled on my end, so six days from now I'd need for you to either be ready to leave for your chosen location, or be able to communicate long-distance to give me directions to where you are. Currently unforeseen road blocks and complications aside, of course. Does that sound a little more fair?"

nio love

what are words

 

[Nio Love]

More than fair. Riley did not expect to be given so much time after being given so little, but she looked forward to utilizing the breathing room she was granted. I will be able to contact you as Tajana. In fact, once I've scouted the area, and found a suitable target, I will spend the rest of my time at the school readily. In case it is you who wishes to find me.

And definitely not for any other, dragon related, reason.

You will not be disappointed with my choice. This is not my first time. Her voice tinged heavily with pride, and malice simultaneously. It was, after all, why she needed a disguise in the first place.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"That sounds perfect." Marati nodded, tapping a note into her phone. These devices were amazing. They certainly helped. The phone vanished back into its hidden pocket, leaving the Patchwork to study her accomplice.

"I've no doubt that you'll make me proud." That smile returned. Her experience was also an incredible asset, and a definite part of the reason why she was so keen on having the Mindflayer in her fold. "I will leave that in your expert hands, then." With a small nod, she took a step back.

"I've got to get back. If you need anything more from me in the next few days, give me a call. Have a safe trip." She bid with a smile, before she turned to leave.

Nio Love