2014.11.08:Rianna's Redemption I
| Rianna's Redemption I | |
|---|---|
| Rianna accepts the ultimatum | |
| IC Date | Saturday |
| IC Time | After Midnight |
| Players | Velok (Storyteller), Rianna |
| Location | Domus, Prospect |
| Prp/Tp | Rianna's Redemption |
| Spheres | Mage |
Log
Domus - Grounds
The grounds surrounding the Domus is a vast expanse of green, the bluegrass trimmed down to the perfect height and framing the area. An expansive one story marble house situates in the middle, various windows either allowing in sunlight or emanating a faint glow of inner light depending on the time of day. A small stone path leads from the grass through brush and directly onto the sands of the North Beach. A gray checkered marble driveway curls from the street towards the garage attached to the house, lined with small bushes. The air is filled with the constant soft sounds of the crashing tide in the near distance and the fresh ocean smell. From most spots in the front yard one could get a clear view of the blue expanse that is the Pacific ocean, almost always sparkling in the sun and moonlight. A marble path stretches around the outside of the house leading towards the backyard. Two single palm trees stretch up to the sky near the side of the house, providing a small portion of shade that draws along the grass as the sun rises and sets. Between the two trees is a tied double mayan hammock.
When one gets to the backyard the view is undeniably different. The backyard consists of the same grass as the frontyard, well taken care of green that provides plenty of space for almost any activity. A line of small bushes mark the property line with a natural barrier. Beyond the barrier, however, is the normal uncultivated brown region one might expect from undeveloped land. No doubt the home of various animals like rabbits and coyotes. A wooden patio with shady overhang extends off the back of the house playing host to various chairs and a BBQ pit. A sliding glass door seperates the patio from the inside of the house. The faint sound of the ocean can still be heard along with the sounds of birds and, at night, the songs of the grasshopper.
The full moon is heavy over the darkened grounds of the Domus. The marble house is almost on the beach itself, only a small path through brush leading from the edge of the grassy grounds to the normally heated sands of the beach. A large enough, single story house with the entire front almost all windows. There are no neighbors, only a street leading away from the driveway back towards the general streets. Velok stands at the edge of the fence tapering off the grounds, leaning against it and staring off towards the dark waters. He wears a plain teeshirt and shorts, no tube or bow present despite normally being his accessories. Instead, tonight, he has a lit cigarette clutched between two of his fingers, the glowing ambers a stark contrast in the moonlit bathed grounds.
Rianna comes pulling up to the Domus in her little Honda hatchback, killing the engine and disembarking. Making her way down the walkway, she spies Velok and heads in his direction. "Hey. I totally got your text," she says as she approaches. "So, like... what's up?"
For a mage who walks so closely with death, everything seems remarkably...peaceful. The gentle breeze swings the hammock between the two trees, the lone occupant a medium sized spotted ocelot with bright blue eyes that pierce the darkness, staring at Rianna. Velok's attention isn't pulled when Rianna comes up, letting her walk out onto the grass towards him before he actually turns to stare. His own blue eyes, matching his cat, staring languid over the woman's body. "Rianna." He says, with a rather neutral look on his expression. The way his eyes tug up and down her, it's as if he's evaluating her. Looking for stance, looking for injuries, looking for potential markings of some kind that might come in handy for identification. He just stares at her for several seconds, eyes flitting down to the deathstick in his fingers. He holds it out for her. "Do you smoke?" He offers, watching the woman intently.
Rianna shakes her head. "Um. No. Like. Not at all," she says. "I'm pretty straight-edge. But I don't judge. It's your body, you do what you want to it." She looks out and around. "I really dig it out here. It's... quiet. Peaceful. Like... a kind of... serenity. Even with the ocean nearby, it's just all so... still." She doesn't seem to mind the scrutiny either, holding herself in obvious readiness. It shows in the slight tension of her limbs, the economy of her movements. Her right hand never straying too far from her hip, where Velok can surely sense the presence of magick. Something on her person, perhaps.
Velok takes a slow drawl off the cigarette, letting the smoke puff out past his lips. He doesn't blow it into her face, which would be rude, letting it just fade away into the nights sky. "Me neither, not really. These things will kill you." The irony is not lost on the man, his lips twitching into a small smile. Eyes look out once more towards the ocean, nodding his head. "It's important for members of my tradition to find peace. To find something that helps us cope with the terrible things we have to do. To hold onto our humanity. This is my sanctum." He gestures his arm around the grounds in general. Just like Eloise's garden, that slight twinge in the air to the senses tells that reality is all the more different here. "Originally I was going to have Maz speak to you, as she requested, but she's been busy. Penny, as well, and Misa." Velok takes another drawl off the stick and looks back to her. "You are straight-edge, as am I, so I will not mince words. I don't particularly care if you live or die, one way or another. Even though you are a mage, and a member of my own chantry. I will not be affected by your loss from this world." Another puff from the cigarette, creating a bit of awkwardness after a statement like that. "I've asked you here because it was requested of me by people whose friendships I value. But truthfully, if it was necessary, I would kill you myself rather quickly. But I don't want you to die." Velok's eyes bore into the woman with an odd intensity as he reaches out again. "Are you sure you don't want to try it?" He asks of the deathstick.
Rianna headtilts as he speaks. And the more he speaks, the colder she gets. Until she's positively glacial. She takes a step back. "No. Thank you," she says. "Let me guess. Axton, right? Or was it Eloise?" She crosses her arms. "I thought the mages would be different. I didn't think they dealt with their problems by -killing- them. That's what my family does. And that's why I've totally walked the fuck away from them. I am -so- over those assholes." She turns slightly, looking out to the ocean. "Why is everyone so hell-bent on -killing- people here? It's like some straight-up Manson Family style shit. For -real-. I have enough to worry about with the monsters. Isn't there -anybody- I can trust to not, like, be a total sociopath?" Her tone is kept cool and even. Maybe just a little bitter. But there's a resigned sound to it as well, as if this is something she's come to expect.
Velok shrugs his shoulder, bringing the stick back and letting it hover between his fingers. He tilts his head and stares at her rather poignantly. He says nothing, just letting her talk. Letting her vent, really, not trying to interrupt her. "Not all mages deal with their problems by killing them." Velok says finally, shaking his head. "But there's something to be said about letting others kill problems for them." Velok looks out towards the ocean with her, taking a deep, smokeless breath. He doesn't answer the question of whom, though the names she can probably already guess. "You and I have many things in common. You have people within this city that want you dead, but you're a smart enough girl to know that by now. So do I." Velok looks back to Rianna for a moment. He lets silence fill the air for a moment, then nods his head. "Euthanatos kill as a last resort. We kill when the other paths of redemption are no longer available. When the sins and suffering potential outweighs the good that someone can do, we kill." Velok gestures his hand around once more. "Don't like it, hate it even, but it's what we do, and it's what this is, right now." He says that one with a bit more finality, now boring his eyes into the woman. "Consider this your redemption. You've pissed off a lot of people, now all you have left is me." Velok shrugs, showing a rather lack of interest at this point. "Walk away, and the floodgates open. All those that are being held back from ending you will no longer have people standing in the way, and you'll have to take your chances."
Rianna turns back to face him fully. Eyes flashing. "All I've done is stand up for myself, and refused to be a fucking -doormat-," she says. "But that makes me -sinful-? Are you -kidding- me with this shit?!" Now she's getting agitated. "This is crazy. You know that, right? This is fucking -insane-. All because I wouldn't stand there and let myself be abused. Treated like a second-class citizen at best, and as a brood mare at -worst-. But -I'm- the one at fault. Jesus Christ, dude." She runs a hand through her hair. "I haven't -done- anything. All I ever wanted was to share the love of the Goddess with the world. But I can't do that as long as the monsters are out there. So I have to stop them. I have to -do- something. I can't let them win. What is wrong with -that-?"
Even though she shows anger and agitation, Velok responds with pure passive peace. He doesn't match her tone, or her ferocity, he just stands there. "I have no problem with you standing up for yourself." He waits, letting her express herself as much as she wants. "Nor do I not relate with your situation. I've never particularly been very trustful with how kinfolk are treated, and even been quick to temper at the idea of them being treated like second-class citizens. You have no complaints from me that you stood up for yourself." Velok still lets the stick lightly smoke between his fingers, continuing to watch her. "You've had a lot of practice with these lines, you know? I can tell from your voice, and from the way you spoke to Axton and Eloise in that basement. You're quick to anger, quick to judgement." Velok shakes his head slightly, though eventually he starts to talk as fast as she did. "There is /nothing/ wrong with that, but the way you DO it matters, and on that front, you have failed /spectacularly/. You've managed to make it so now the monsters want you dead, and the ones that could be your allies, could be your friends, also don't care if you die, and some want you dead themselves. You're fighting a war on two fronts right now, and you will LOSE." Velok calms himself, keeping himself from getting as agitated as she is, even taking a puff off the stick again. "You and I have a lot in common. We both want to fight the monsters. We both want to put ourselves on the line to kill those that rape and murder and hurt and instill suffering within the world. We both want that. Everyone wants that. You are dramatically confusing the problem right now."
Rianna narrows her eyes. "Dude. I didn't say -anything- wrong to Axton -or- Eloise," she says. "All I know is he got all bent out of shape because I told the new girl a few things. My own perspective on a couple of issued. And he acted like I was the next Adolf fucking Hitler. And started yelling at me about how I had to -respect- him, because he's my elder in the Tradition and all this that and the other." She shakes her head. "I don't -respect- bullies. Like. At -all-. I respect people who -earn- it. Not people who -threaten- me into it. That's some Stockholm Syndrome style shit right there, and I don't have to accept it. Not from -anybody-. It isn't right. It isn't -fair-." She throws up her hands, stalking in circles. "-None- of this is fair!" she all but wails. "If all these people wanted to be my friend and ally, then why the -fuck- would they treat me like I'm worthless? How is that being a friend? Like, at -all-?" She runs her hands through her hair again. "I never should have come here. I should have just stayed invisible and never come out. This is so -stupid-. This is -crazy-."
Velok shakes his head almost immediately. "I don't care what you said, I care how you said it. Respect given is respect earned, Rianna. And either way, they're the only two people currently who have been keeping others from walking up and ripping your stomach open. I think that deserves at least a LITTLE bit of respect." Velok shakes his head along with her, waving his hand dismissively. "They have a vested interest in you, being a Verbena. You represent your tradition just as they do." He sighs as she stalks circles, just leaning against the fence. Oddly, every time she says Crazy, or insane, she can almost catch a visable wince, as if his eyes squint and his body twitches. Apparently, he isn't a gigantic fan of that word. He waits until she's done, keeping his eyes on her. "Because you haven't shown them otherwise. Or, I suppose right now, more appropriately, you haven't shown ME that you aren't worthless. You're in over your head. You have a goal of killing the monsters, but you're running out of people who are going to help you." He takes a small breath, tapping at the cigarette to let some ashes fall down. "You want blunt? Your an arrogant cunt that runs her mouth about being the only one that can fight the monsters, but you don't have the skills to back up your words. You think you're invincible. The wheel's GIFT to Earth. That you will ride your horse and raise your banner and lead us all towards /salvation/." Velok says the words almost with scorn, continuing to stare. "You aren't, and you're currently on a path to learning that the hard way with quite a bit of finality."
Rianna turns and faces Velok, eyes narrowed to slits. "I have -never- said that. -Never-. I've -never- said I was the -only- one who could fight them. All I've ever said was that I -could-. That I -had- to. Because I know what they -do-, and I don't want that to happen to anyone else, -ever-." She clenches her fists, sucking deep breaths. Striving for composure and not quite finding it. "Six. I was -six- when they killed my mom and dad. They were the most wonderful, loving, decent, -good- people I ever knew, and they -died- for it. They died to save me. How can I do less than that? How is that right? I owe them everything. But no. You guys don't want to see it that way. None of you -care-." She crosses her arms. "I haven't done -anything- wrong. Nothing that means I deserve to be -murdered-. All I've ever tried to do is something -good-."
"Oh boo fucking hoo." Velok says in his rather posh British accent. "You know how many dead mom and dad stories I've heard? You want to go toe to toe? My life was stolen from me by my family, locked away for years in an asylum where I was tortured almost daily, had my first love gutted in my arms, dying to save me too. I've lost everything, gained it back, then LOST it again. Yea, you've got problems, everyone has problems. That doesn't give you a blank check." Velok starts to get a little agitated as well, though he still controls it to only a slight increase in his tone. "There you go again. YOU GUYS don't want to see it that way. None of YOU care. The loner Rianna and everyone else just doesn't understand." Velok shakes his head, pushing his way off the fence and walking out to stand in the middle of the grass. "What, do you think I'm telling you to stop fighting the monsters? Is that all you're hearing? Like I love the idea of having them all to myself? I love that you want to fight suffering. I love that you want to push back the darkness instead of lounging around drinking coffee. Love it. Absolutely love it. More power to you, Rianna." Velok says, holding his arms out to either side. "But welcome to the real world. You have no code of ethics. You have no safety measures like the Euthanatos have. You've never been taught how to fight away the darkness creeping inside. You have no idea how to remain covert or how to manipulate people into doing what you want. You're right, you have done nothing to deserve being murdered. And yet, people want you dead. If you'd done something to deserve it, Rianna, I promise you. We would not be having this conversation right now. You would have an arrow embedded within your throat."
Velok's voice lowers for a moment as he shakes his head, eyes looking away from the woman standing before him. He calms his breathing, keeping the cigarette in his hand. "Damnit, hippie." He mumbles, his eyes going back to Rianna. "So walk away. Go at it alone, and scream that you don't deserve to be murdered while you get murdered. Or stay, show me you aren't actually worthless, and hit me. If you can."
Rianna curls her fists again. "I do -so- have ethics!" she protests. "I only kill -monsters-. I want to save lives, not -end- them. -God-." As he urges her to hit him, she just kind of... stares. "What is me hitting you going to prove?" she asks. "I don't wanna hurt you. Like. At all. And. If I tried to hit you, I could. Hurt you." She reaches under the hem of her hoodie, gripping the hilt of the dagger she wears at her hip. "Father Cross made this for me. It hits... really hard. I don't know how to fight without it." She fixes Velok with a firm gaze. "This weapon isn't meant for -you-. You're not one of the monsters," she says. "If you wanna spar me, then I'll spar. We can, like, find some batons or clubs or something, and I can show you that I know how to fight."
Velok shakes his head. "If you had ethics, you wouldn't have people wondering why they should be letting you stay alive. And I'm really starting to wonder that myself." Velok points out, though he does continue staring at Rianna. He doesn't even look at the dagger, just nodding his head. "I'm the worst kind of monster, Rianna." Velok clarifies, keeping his eyes fixated on you. "I'm the kind that doesn't fear death. The kind that will walk in a house and kill two infant children knowing they'll have a better life in their next one instead of trying to live theirs." A small smile twitches at Velok's lips. "You say you can't fight without it, then try and stab me." He says, seeming completely serious.
Rianna crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes again. "Did you, like, never stop to think that maybe those people who want me dead? Maybe -they're- the one with the problem? Maybe -they're- the ones with no ethics? Or are you just assuming I'm guilty until proven innocent? 'cause that's, like, totally fucked up." She shakes her head. "-No-. You may not fear death, but -I- do. And if I -did- stab you? I don't know that I'd be able to heal you here. This place is, like, all wrong for my magick. I'm not gonna take the chance."
Velok shakes his head. "If I thought you were guilty, you would be dead." He points out quite clearly. "I'm sure they are the problem. They're a member of your nation, and I've so far not yet met one that didn't think first with their fists and second with their hands. But I also know that they can kill you, and will kill you, and no dagger is going to prevent it. Regardless of who makes it." Velok does drop his hands, shaking his head. He stares at Rianna with a look of disappointment, bringing the cigarette up to his lips to take one more drawl. "You have so much promise, but you want to do it alone. You want to be alone, and that's fine." Slowly, Velok turns and walks back to the post, shaking his head. "One of the first things we're taught, within my people, is not to fear death. To know that it's coming to everyone. To know that it's our destiny to eventually die, and to make the most of what we can." Velok turns his blue eyes back to Rianna, watching her. "Maybe this is the challenge you need. Maybe it is your time to die, Rianna, and I would be interfering with destiny to try and prevent it." Even the tone of his voice seems to reflect sorrow as he watches her.
Rianna throws up her hands again. "I do not -want- to do it -alone-! Jesus -Christ-, there you go -again-! I can't -win- with you!" She rubs at her face, starting to resemble the wild witches of old, the way her hair is starting to frizz up and fall every which way. "I wanted to -help- my family. All I wanted was to -help-. But I wasn't -good- enough for them. They didn't -want- me. So I've washed my hands of them." She points an accusing finger at Velok. "I came here because I -thought- you wanted to talk to me about monster hunting. But instead I'm having to justify everything about me to you. I'm having to prove that I somehow -deserve- to live. Which is total -bullshit-. -Everyone- deserves to live. Only the monsters have to be put down. But now you're giving up on me because I'm afraid I could, like, -seriously- hurt you? Are you -kidding- me with this shit? God fucking -damn-, what do I have to -do-?!"
Velok's eyebrows raise as he leans against the fence, just watching every movement she makes. He remains rather calm even in the face of her agitation and pointing finger. All the way until she actually asks what she has to do, and Velok asks her plainly. "Show humility." Velok says, bringing the cigarette back up to his lips. He takes a deep puff and lets the smoke blow out up towards the sky, dropping the stick and crushing it with his foot. "Show that you can remain calm. Show that you can recognize when someone knows far more than you do. Show that you can recognize that there are many people in this world that are simply better than you are." Velok points his own finger now, though he points it at her belt. "And yes, show respect, even when respect is not given in return. A relatively easy task to do that gains infinite rewards for little cost." He reaches up to fold his arms over his chest, watching. "Because if you can't do any of that. If you can't act like a professional, and instead come off as a scared, upset, angry little girl, then you will never fight the real monsters. You will only make enemies amongst people you don't need as enemies, and spend all your time...angry."
Rianna turns white, all the way to her lips. All save for two bright red points at her cheeks. She trembles, clenching her fists again. "So in other words, be the fucking -doormat-. Let everyone else just walk all over me. I should just smile and nod and kiss everyone else's ass, and act like it doesn't -bother- me. Like it doesn't -hurt-. I should just sit down and shut up because everyone else is so much better than me and everyone else knows everything forever, and I'm just the dumb-ass girl who doesn't know -anything-." She's fighting so hard for calm. So hard. "That's not a 'little cost' you're asking of me. You're asking me to give up my self-respect and my self-esteem. You're asking me to compromise my integrity and self-worth. I can't think of any reward, infinite or otherwise, that would be worth doing that to myself."
Velok shakes his head fairly quickly. "Always the extremes with you, isn't it?" Velok asks, letting his head tilt as he watches her turn white. "You want it all or nothing. I tell you to show humility, you turn that into being a doormat. Did I say be a doormat? I can tell you're a kinfolk alright." Velok actually smiles fully, one of the first few times tonight. "So fierce. You took their honor and pride rather heavily. Even while you scorn them, you certainly /act/ like them." Velok looks down towards the ground and the crushed cigarette. "You know why I think those people want you dead? Because you ran your mouth. Because you acted like you were better than them, and they have the same pride you do. They just don't have the shame when it comes to killing someone that doesn't deserve it. One of the lights comes on within the house, and Velok's eyes immediately turn to look towards the windows, though no one shows up. "No, I don't think you should be the doormat, but maybe you do have a problem you need to look into. You keep saying you don't want to do this alone, and yet you storm away from anyone and everyone that has any common ground with you. Your nation. Several of Phil's gatherings. The basement in Roasters." Velok continues watching the house until the light goes back off, returning his gaze to Rianna. "And stop being so fucking...DRAMATIC." He says with a nod, emphasizing the word. "You take everything to the extreme."
Rianna crosses her arms. "I never said I was -better- than them," she says. "I just called them on some of their bullshit. Like, how, killing millions of innocent people for the crime of using machinery more complex than a lever -isn't- going to stop the Apocalypse. The most powerful weapon against evil Gaia ever gave us is her love. But they don't know -how- to love. Maybe they did once. But now all they have is rage and hate and cruelty. And I can't be part of a nation that is governed like that." She fixes Velok with a look. "My dad was Garou. They called him 'Shield of Gaia' because that's what he did. In the end, he died so that the monsters could be stopped. -Our- tribe is the only one that understands the power of Gaia's love. But as long as they let the other tribes rule the Nation with hate, I can't be a part of it. -That's- why I left." She straightens her spine. "One of the other Kinfolk girls made a joke. She was trying to be funny. And one of the Garou -broke her jaw-. She's -pregnant-, but he did it anyway. To teach her a lesson. To show her her -place-. I won't be part of a Nation that allows that. It's -wrong-." She shakes her head. "I don't have anything in common with -them-. I shouldn't have to be afraid of my own family."
Velok nods his head, though he stays quiet while Rianna explains. He just keeps nodding at different points, but he's certainly glad it seems like she's calmed down a bit. "I know who you're speaking of, and the incident involved. Which...though...is probably another reason why they might want you dead. The entire nation is ridiculously secretive. The mere fact that you're telling me that, they'd want you dead if they knew. Luckily, I already know everything about it, so you don't need to worry. I wouldn't actually reveal what you told me ANYWAYS, but.." Velok waves his hand dismissively, as if just making the point. "Look, Rianna." He says, his voice dropping down a bit. "I'm not asking you to go be with them. I'm not even asking you to make NICE with them. For all I care, you don't have to speak to any of them again. To me, you're a mage first. Just because of what's in your blood, you're awakened. Which is /why/ I was asked to talk to you. Which is why so many of us mages have been going out of our way to keep them off your back, to give you a chance to show /us/, the Mages, that you aren't a lone wolf...forgive the idiom." Velok glances back to the house for a moment, staring off towards one of the windows covered in curtains, then looking back to Rianna. "What do you want, Rianna?" He asks, plain and simple. "Stay calm, look deep within yourself, and tell me what you want. Don't give me some bullshit 'Kill all the monsters'. I got that much already. What do you /really/ want, Rianna?"
Rianna looks back at Velok. Considering that question. Thinking about it long and hard. She looks out to the ocean, then up at the moon. "I want..." she says, her voice quieting. A breeze comes up off the water, and she wraps her hoodie around her a bit more closely against the chill. "I want to feel -safe- again. I want to know that the world isn't just pain and misery and evil. I want to have something -pure-." She pulls her hoodie even closer. "I want to be loved," she says in a tiny, frightened little voice. "Like when I had my mom and my dad and my grandpa."
Another small smile spreads over Velok's lips. It's pretty clear he didn't expect that answer, but the change in her...is something he might have been looking for. He takes a step towards her, then another, then stops. No hostility as he approaches to stand near the woman, just the same calm man that's been there since she arrived. "The world has quite a bit of pain, misery, and evil in it, Rianna, but it's not just that." Velok raises his arms, gesturing around. "My own personal sanctuary, an example." He faces Rianna, letting out a slow breath. He keeps his arms out to his side, as if he was inviting the woman to a hug. "You have the desire, Rianna. You've had it for a while, but you don't know how to act. You've never had someone teach you. You're running from everyone and anyone. You don't know how you're making people upset, but you are, and I don't particularly think you want people to be upset with you. I don't think you want people to hate you. I think you're bluffing when you look at people and say you don't care that people want you dead."
Rianna draws a shivery breath. "I know... I know there's still good and bright left. And it's so... delicate. It's so easy to lose track of. And... that's why I want to fight the monsters. I know how easy it is to lose it all. And I feel like... I have all this power, now. I was chosen for a reason. And... if I didn't -do- something, then that'd be just like... letting the monsters -win-." She seems to shrink away as he approaches. "I've been alone for so long. But I don't know what to do. I try to do good, but I get it all wrong. I'm so screwed up all the time, and I just... wish someone could switch me off and -fix- me." She looks up at Velok then. "I -do- care, Velok. I'm so scared. I know what they're capable of. I've seen it so many times." She sniffles a bit. "I thought... they'd be like the Garou back home, in Olympia. I thought that they could make everything be okay. But they're so different. They're not like my dad or White Ivory Lily, or Sally Light-of-Luna or -any- of the Garou I knew when I was a kid. And. I'm so. -Scared-. Of them all."
When Rianna shrinks away, Velok's arms lower back down to his sides, and he just watches the woman. "I'm not saying you shouldn't do something." Velok says, though his eyes wince slightly. He slowly lowers himself down to the ground, folding his legs in a pretzle as he stares up at Rianna. He seems weary, almost. As if a task he set out to do had been finished, and now the weight of it weighs on his brow. "When I came to this city, I felt...remarkably out of place. I still feel out of place. It took me a long time to come into my own. To realize how the game is played. To balance keeping people on one side happy and appeased, and fighting those that needed someone to stand against them." He takes another deep breath, letting it slowly exhale. "I was asked to talk to you because others had failed. Because you shunned them off. You refused to listen to them. You refused their advice, you weren't humble. Typically, I'm the last person left in that case. I'm not the nice one. I'm not even the socially astute one. I'm the one that knows when to kill." Velok continues to stare at her, nodding his head. "When you showed up here, I didn't lie. I don't have anything vested in whether you live or die, but I can. I can -fix- you, or try. Little of you is broken, but the parts that are are the parts people want to kill you for. The more people that want you dead, the less focus you have on actually helping people. On fighting the actual monsters." Velok nods his head, assuring himself in what he's about to say. "I can mentor you, but it won't be easy.
Velok nods his head, suddenly pushing himself back up off the grass to stand in front of her. "I will show you what I know. Not just of fighting, but of maneuvering. Of strategy. Of how to act so that you don't need to worry about petty drama like this. I will take you under my proverbial wing, but it won't be easy. It can fail, just as easily as it can now, and you will no longer have any shields. You will go back to being alone. I would need you to do everything I ask of you, on the promise that everything I ask you to do, will help you stay focused on that goal of fighting back the darkness."
Rianna takes all of that in. "I... I don't know if I could... kill anyone. Unless I -knew- they were a monster," she says. "I... don't want to be like they are. I don't want killing to be... easy. Like it is for them. But... maybe you can help me. Maybe you can make it all make sense, somehow. Maybe you can help me understand, so I don't have to be scared anymore." She offers a tiny nod. "I'll... I'll do it. I'll be your student. I'll try not to fail you. Um. Sir. Master. Master?" She headtilts. "Is it 'master'? I wanna get this right."
Velok shakes his head. "Killing isn't supposed to be easy. It's very, very difficult. Which is why I was so uncomfortable with how...cavalier you were about it. Even the monsters." He says with a simple nod. "Even those who you KNOW deserve death, there is always ripples. One of the spokes of our code. The monster you kill had someone who loved them. Cared about them. They might not always have been a monster. Few people in this world remain so unconnected to others that their death won't have an affect elsewhere." When she starts to try and get the titles right and says Master he blushes. His cheeks turn a little red and he looks away, shaking his head several times. "No, no not...not Master." He says, though his lips pull into a smile and he looks back. "Not sir or Master. If you need to refer to this, it's a mentorship, but I would prefer you call me Velok, and I will call you Rianna." Velok continues to stare at her with those light blue eyes, eyes that still practically glow in the reflected moonlight. "But I need to be clear, that you will need to do everything I say, in the beginning. I won't turn you into a doormat, but you do need to understand humility." He looks away from her, towards the ocean. "Those who speak, don't know, and those who know, don't speak. You should never need to boast. You should never need to brag or try to tell people they're doing things wrong. You need to know within yourself that what you're doing is right." He looks back to Rianna, another smile on his lips. "And yes, you do need to know when to be humble to people. Even if you don't feel it. I'm not asking you to go be someone's serving girl, but you need to remain calm, even when provoked. Are you sure you're ready for this? It's not going to be easy."
Rianna takes all of that in biting her lower lip. "I... I kind of have to be, don't I?" she says at length. "I mean... I'm a mage now. I can do -anything-. I'll do what I have to do. I'm so tired of being alone and afraid of... everything." She considers Velok for a moment, then steps in to put her arms around his middle. A brief hug. "Thank you," she says softly as she steps away. "I... should probably go. I got class in the morning."
Velok is slightly unsure whether she's bluffing, or truly seems willing to accept things. When she steps in to wrap her arms around his middle it's a couple seconds before he lowers his own to hug her in response. The man is warm, remarkably warm for someone wearing so few clothes near the ocean breeze, but he still hugs her back. Eventually his arms fall away and he nods his head. "You're not going to be alone and afraid anymore, as long as you don't lose yourself. You never deserved to die, but you needed to start walking down the right path. Consider your redemption started, Rianna. I'm rather quite proud of you." And he is, even though she's not really spoken to him much, she can tell from the look in his eyes, the small smile on his lips. He is proud, or relieved that things turned out this way instead of the grim alternative. He nods his head to her comment of class. "The first thing I want you to do is go to Eloise and apologize to her. Apologize for the things you've said, even if you spoke the truth. Tell her what's happened here, and that you don't want to be alone and scared anymore. That you've given up your other family, and joined a new one. The mages." He smiles a little, shaking his head. "We're a pretty fucked up family, but we typically know what we're doing. Stay calm and polite, even if you don't particularly like things she says. You don't have to follow them, but you do have to at least listen. If you can do that, I know you're serious, and I'll help you become the wonderful woman your father would have been proud of."
Velok smiles, giving Rianna a small wink as he turns around. He starts to walk away, back towards the front door of his home. Without a cue, the ocelot hops off of the hammock and trots along the grass over to the door, slinking inside first. "Sleep well and sweet dreams, Rianna." He calls back, heading into the house.
Rianna bites her lower lip. "I'll... talk to her," she says at length. "I mean. I still don't know what it was I said wrong. I -really- don't. I didn't mean to upset anyone. I was just trying to be... honest. And. I'm afraid she won't believe me. But. I'll talk to her. I'll tell her I'm sorry, and I want things to be okay again." She watches him go, then turns back to look to the moon. "Mama? Help me. I can't do it by myself. Help me do it right this time," she murmurs, before she turns to head to her Honda.
