Chakrasul Receives an Invitation

Aloli

Hello,

This log happened a few days after Chakrasul's visit with Aloil at Benedicto's office, logged here.

I do have to apologize to the people who were asking me questions in this log and did not get immediate answers. It got a little overwhelming.

Hope you enjoy.

Soft, harrowing screams lend a morose air to Sapience as dark, ominous clouds gather over Duiran. As the darkness shifts and roils, jade lightning forks through it and illuminates the sharp features of a set of eyes.

A sprawling venantium cuff tinges red as it reveals Benedicto trying to locate you.

The low, sultry tones of Chakrasul, Goddess of Corruption reverberate across the land, "One week, Abbess, to repay your debt."

You suddenly feel a tugging from a trident pierced heart pendant, as its paired item pulls towards it.

The vague image of a trident pierced heart pendant appears in the air, before Benedicto appears in a flash of magic.

Benedicto appears in a frenzied panic. "Are you alright love?" He demands immediately.

(Tells): In a deep, gravelly voice, Iesid imparts to you, "If Corruption does harm to you, Abbess, I will help your husband tear down shrines of the Jade Lady if he should so wish."

A blacksmith's workshop.
A sturdy iron forge stands here, cold and dark. A lumenite slack tub is set against the west wall. Benedicto Silverain is here. He wields a leviathan-engraved bastard sword in his hands.
You see a single exit leading south.

Aloli drops her hammer and rushes to Benedicto. She answers his frantic look with urgency, "I haven't given Her our response yet. I don't know how to ask Her to officiate our wedding." She rests her hands on Benedicto's chest as she stands closer, looking up to him for support.

Benedicto Silverain asks, "Why not invite Her now and you can ask Her whilst I am here with you?"

Aloli heaves a heavy sigh and nods.

Benedicto reaches out to comfort you. "We can't avoid it if you wish to deal with Her. If not, ignore Her and I will gladly fight by your side. It is your decision and I will support you in whatever you choose." He smiles lovingly at you.

There is a mixture of conflicting emotions in Aloli's eyes as she looks into Benedicto's. She leans closer, heavier into his embrace, and shares her regret, "I should not having drawn such attention to us. I put our family in harm's way." However, she reasons, "You're right, though, I shouldn't avoid Her or she will come after you and things will be worse, only God knows what else She thinks would hurt me." Though her frown deepens, she holds handfuls of his surcoat to keep him close to draw on his strength, taking a deep breath and preparing herself. "I'll call Her." She announces finally.

"Courage, my love. Whatever happens, we will be together and we will survive. It is just another problem to solve." Benedicto replies whilst encircling you reassuringly within his arms. "It is like the removal of a bandage. We must rip it off. There will be a sharp pain, but it will be over."

Aloli's breathing slows as she deliberately tries to control her anxiety but Benedicto's arms around her soothe her and she grows calmer. She tilts her head towards the sky and speaks out loud, "Lady Chakrasul, if You can hear me. We are ready to make an offer."

(Tells): You tell Chakrasul, "Lady Chakrasul, would You be willing to meet? We are ready to make an offer to You."

Your pose is now set as:
Aloli stands within Benedicto's embracing arms, clutching handfuls of his surcoat.

Benedicto Silverain says, "You might need to call on Her directly."

You say, "I did. I asked Her if She would be willing to meet because we are ready to make an offer."

A piercing scream heralds the arrival of a cacophony of duskywing butterflies that quickly coalesce into the form of Chakrasul.

As the last butterfly lies flush against Chakrasul's skin, completing Her, She turns Her verdant gaze on you. An easy, twisted smile claims Her mouth and as She waits, Her wings pull forward in a lazy, makeshift shield of feathers that drape around Her tiny frame.

Iesid has appointed you to the position of Wildwood Chamberlain

(Tells): In a deep, gravelly voice, Iesid imparts to you, "We'll discuss when you are available."
(Tells): In a deep, gravelly voice, Iesid imparts to you, "I just leaned on getting two other Speakers to approve it so I'm not doing it myself."

Even though Aloli was expecting it, the screams preceding Chakrasul's arrival startled her. "Lady..." She takes a step sideways to angle herself while still remaining close to Benedicto.

(Tells): You tell Iesid, "Thank you, I will speak with you soon...if I live through this."

(Tells): In a deep, gravelly voice, Iesid imparts to you, "You will do more than survive. I have faith in your strength, friend."

Benedicto nods reassuringly towards you, a sad, sympathetic smile curling his lips. He turns to carefully watch Chakrasul with an impassive expression, though his pearlescent stare holds a myriad of emotions.

Benedicto just thought:
Concern -- Panic -- Anger -- Resentment -- Fear -- Anger -- Concern -- Fear: These emotions churn, collide and cycle within his mind as he continues to stare.

Her silence unbreaking, Chakrasul casts Her amusement in Benedicto's direction, as if the emotions swirling between the two of you feeds Her. It only makes Her smile grow, the splitting of Her face revealing perfect fangs. Still, She simply waits, as if She has decided She will not waste Her words.

Aloli's heart beats faster as she takes a deeper breath. Nervous. Anxious. Worried. However, fear is the one emotion she carefully does not show. "I understand there is a balance in the world. Nothing is free." She begins as she slowly releases her grip on Benedicto's clothes to lay her hand flat against his chest. It's unclear if that's to help calm him, herself, or both. "We have come up with so many things to offer, but of them all... we decided we would like to invite You to ..." She tries to put the words out without concern, "... officiate our wedding. To marry us."

Think:
She can't curse our marriage, can She? We can survive this. We can handle anything.

Chakrasul's head tilts to the left, the movement itself jarringly fast. The smile falls, though it doesn't twist into a sneer and She doesn't usher an immediate rejection of the idea. Both seem to be good signs. Probably.

Darkly, Chakrasul, Goddess of Corruption says, "How much liberty will I have in its organisation, Abbess?"

There is a faint note that escapes Benedicto, somewhere between a grunt of disapproval and agreement at your words. He presses his lips tight together, fighting against an urge to respond.

Aloli grows immediately concerned with the question and her eyes widen with worry. This becomes quite visible in the way her natural light dims and her skin loses its glow. She looks up to Benedicto with the same question silently in her gaze but she knows she has to provide the answer herself. Returning to Chakrasul, she nervously offers, "It is only fair that You take as much liberty needed to be appeased."

Think:
Just officiating, it'll be fine... I will be giving him my heart at this wedding.

Benedicto winces at the amount of freedom your response suddenly affords Chakrasul, his brows suddenly furrowing with concern.

A war turtle blinks into existence and falls into line behind Benedicto.

Chakrasul's hands come together in a clap, which shatters the silence that had fallen and makes you jolt. "Good. I will inform My Chosen they have a wedding to organise." The Goddess practically hums and the shadows that roil through Her eyes, variegating the jade, further enhance the sadistic, proud little smile that returns to Her mouth. "Oh, it may not be him who gets that heart, now, Abbess. I accept." A dark, haunting laugh lingers, even after the Goddess disappears.

Aloli senses Benedicto's tension next to her but before she could react to it she is caught off guard by Chakrasul's quick answer and departure. Staring at where the Goddess once stood with wide eyes, "What?" she gasped in disbelief at the misunderstanding.

The darkness above Duiran abates, but the haunting, husky laugh that rolls across the realm evokes more terror than the clouds ever did.

Aloli takes an urgent step forward, still under Benedicto's arm, practically pulling him with her, "No... no, that's not at all what I meant!" She says in a chase after the Goddess.

A blacksmith's workshop.
A sturdy iron forge stands here, cold and dark. A lumenite slack tub is set against the west wall. A large war turtle stands here. Benedicto supports Aloli within his embrace. He wields a leviathan-engraved bastard sword in his hands.
You see a single exit leading south.

Your breath catches in a gasp of surprise.

"Dhar's Balls!" Benedicto curses at the empty space left behind, the laughter still floating in the air. He draws away from you, lashing out with a kick towards a lumenite slack tub. "Shit!"

(Duiran): Lin says, "Is it over then, Abbess?"

"This is bad. This is very, very bad." All the emotions that were present before are given voice. The words cycle within his mind and he grows more frustrated by his own helplessness within the situation.

Aloli is frozen with fear and shock, unable to move. "That's not at all what I meant!" She repeats, slowly processing the implications.

(Duiran): You say, "I don't know, Lin."

(Duiran): You say, "I believe She will not harm Duiran as long as I honor my end of the bargain. Unfortunately, this means She will organise my wedding."

(Duiran): Kaiara says, "Oh my."

(Duiran): Jhura says, "Oh dear."

(Duiran): Lin says, "... incredible."

(Duiran): Iesid says, "Neat."

(Duiran): Stine says, "And I thought losing an eye was bad."

(Duiran): Iesid says, "Ah ha, yes. 'Eye do'."

(Duiran): Kaiara says, "Oh no."

(Duiran): Stine says, "Eye don't!"

(Duiran): Lin says, "Godspit and shit."

(Duiran): Serrice says, "Hrngh."

(Duiran): Bruin says, "I see."

(Duiran): You say, "I think She misunderstood my intention of asking Her to wed us...She seems to think that means She might take my heart instead of me giving it to Benedicto."

(Duiran): Aisling says, "Hardly misunderstanding. There's no cost if you give nothing."

Benedicto reaches up to force his webbed fingers through his tentacles as he paces back and forth frantically. "You heard what She said, it will not just be Her but Her whole Order." He exclaims angrily towards you. "I would rather go down fighting than submit either you or myself to their jeers." A dangerous light enters his eyes, violence that can only usually be glimpsed in the heat of battle. "I will not abide it. I will not *countenance* it!"

(Duiran): Lin says, "Personally, I would prepare to lose something dear."

Benedicto just thought:
Images flood his mind. Scenario after scenario flashing one after the other. Rijetta hooting and laughing as both he and Aloli are forced to perform one humiliating act after another for the Goddess' amusement. In each situation he throws himself into the fray, lashing out at their jeering faces.

Aloli didn't realize that until Benedicto recounted, "Oh...my...goodness. You're right." Attuned as she is to him, she lives through every image and scenario flooding his mind, frozen by them. Slowly, she reaches out a hand, daring to touch Benedicto's back in the throes of anger, "Do you really believe She will have them humiliate us like this?"

"There is any number of things. She could command things done to you and force me to watch." Benedicto hisses in response, his fingers flexing dangerously, his anger and frustration evident due to the helplessness of the situation. "Did you not hear Her? She is allowing Her entire depraved Order to be involved in the 'planning'. You allowed Her too much freedom!"

Benedicto's tentacles undulate with frenetic energy, thrashing in a manner more like a nest of live snakes than the lazily coiling appendages they normally are. "This is very bad." He echoes his own thoughts.

Even though Aloli is slowly working her way out of her paralyzing fear of the situation, she cannot help but grow even more distressed with Benedicto's flailing tentacles, realizing then just how aggravated she has made him for the first time. Her regret immediately shows on her expressive face, having naively not thought it could or would be taken so far. "I am sorry, love. I thought..." She pauses to put her words together then resigns to, "I didn't think..." She deflates quickly as her mind races and calculates the terrible possibilities. "What have I done?" she whispers in dawning realization while simply falling back onto the anvil, using it for stability. "I don't know Her well enough to have good faith but I thought I was being fair... Should I go back and set limits to what the wedding can be like?" Her heart sinks as she asks, "Can I even do that?"

"I know Her." Benedicto grates out as he leans against the wall. "I know Her all too well." He seems to deflate inwardly, his back sliding down to the floor until he hunkers in a crouch, his fingertips irritably working at his forehead. "It's too late to do anything now." He explains in a hollow voice. "She has settled on what She wants. To renege on this deal now will only invite worse."

Dark, alluring whispers accompany a creeping tendril of jade essence that snakes into the vicinity.

Silence falls for a short time then Aloli heavily pushes herself off the anvil and shuffles over to Benedicto. She plops down onto the sand-covered ground next to him, not caring about her clothes. She thinks out loud, "What if we don't attend?" This question is full of hesitation but before she can voice her next thought she hears the whispers and sees the jade tendrils, quickly she reaches up and grasps at his leg to alert him.

Benedicto glances up at the contact, his attention quickly drawn to the sound of the whispers and the essence that accompanies it. "And further risk Her ire?" He asks vaguely, his focus upon the jade tendril. "You are making assumptions. You are still trying to think of this in terms of a wedding that anyone would plan. Their friends, their families, a lovely meal..." Frustration creeps into his tone. "We have given Corruption and Her Order our wedding. It will be nothing that we either expect or want."

Heavily, Benedicto Silverain says, "I cannot even call it off because that will, again, earn Her displeasure. She will not relish being robbed of Her opportunity for amusement."

(Duiran): Iesid says, "Thanks is due to the Abbess of the Sentaari for stepping up to fill the Wildwood Chamberlain position."

(Duiran): Xavin says, "Huzzah."

(Duiran): Bruin says, "Huzzah."

(Duiran): Serrice says, "Congratulations."

(Duiran): Kaiara says, "Thank you, Aloli!"

(Duiran): Czcibor says, "Mm thank you and congratulations."

(Duiran): Jhura says, "Huzzah."

(Duiran): You say, "Thank you all and I do apologize for what happened earlier and for what might yet happen."

(Duiran): Serrice says, "Ominous, but we will stand together. Hopefully."

(Duiran): Bruin says, "I still do not know what that is, please may someone explain?"

(Duiran): Kaiara says, "You're probably going to have an amazing turn out for your wedding."

(Duiran): Lin says, "Weddings are so boring..."

Benedicto just thought:
Plan after plan after plan after plan flits through his mind. His brain feverishly searching every avenue and possibility for something that might fix this scenario. That offers the slightest sliver of hope. Even as he thinks and thinks, an element of his thought process identifies that this is exactly what Corruption wants. Already Despair has been wrought and both he and Aloli are caught within its clutches.

(Duiran): You say, "I hope to have you all there but I fear it will not be a pleasant wedding."

(Duiran): Kaiara says, "I like weddings!"

(Duiran): Kaiara says, "I'll bring you something lovely to counteract this business."

(Duiran): You say, "I would ask anyone who attends to bring their best weapons."

(Duiran): Serrice says, "My mind and my fists."

(Duiran): Czcibor says, "I trust Benedicto to hold off any threats to a lovely day."

"We're trapped." Benedicto groans finally. A note of resignation within his voice.

(Tells): A low, sultry voice resounds within the depths of your mind, "Oh, Abbess. You speak as if their names are on the invite list. They are not. Yet."

(Duiran): Serrice says, "And your best behavior too, I hope. The gods demand our respect, even if... well, you know."

(Tells): A low, sultry voice resounds within the depths of your mind, "You may send Me a list of those you would like to invite. I will consider it."

Think:
I do appreciate it. I just hope for it to not become a bloodbath.

(Tells): A low, sultry voice resounds within the depths of your mind, "It'll be whatever I desire it to be. Nothing more, nothing less."

Benedicto just thought:
"Father is absent. Lord Damariel is absent. Lord Dhar is absent. Only Lady Ethne and the Hunter awake within the realms currently. The Hunter has no loyalty towards us and Lady Ethne has already proven reticent in becoming involved with Her Sister." Hopelessness. Isolation. Hesitancy. "The Warlord?" A faint note of curiosity lingers over this thought for a moment before it is carefully tucked away.

Aloli closes her eyes and tries to push the voices out of her mind. Tears begin to well in her eyes and flow freely and for the first time as she gives into the hopelessness of the situation. She listens to every one of Benedicto's thoughts and fears. The anxiety of it all paralysis her. She lifts her voice, not to Benedicto, but to the lingering presence, "I will provide a list." There is a hint of thankfulness and annoyance in her voice.

Benedicto nods mutely, his attention turned largely inwards and towards his thoughts. Abruptly he stands, moving towards the main house. "I need to rest." He declares flatly, his voice wooden. As he reaches the entrance to the smithy he turns and quietly murmurs towards you. "I love you." He does not wait for a response, instead, he moves out into rapidly darkening evening.

"I love you too," Aloli whispers as she watches Benedicto walk down the alameda and disappear around the bend. Her head hangs as she gives herself over to her need to cry, trying to work past her anxieties and fears. Her hair starts falling around her while she sits there until a powerful gust of wind blows through the smithy and brings with it Benedicto's scent. Perhaps she was imagining the smell of him. Nonetheless, the intoxicating scent breaks her from her gloom and she decides this is not going to break them. "There is nothing that will come between us," she declares and decides it's time to head home too. It does not take her very long to reach the house, change her clothes, and slip into bed as quietly as she can without disturbing him. She cuddles in close and vows to share newfound determination in the morning.

A couple of days later everyone on the list got invitations mailed to them.

A dying, emaciated pigeon flutters in towards you, gliding over you as it drops a stiff, jade invitation into your hands before flapping away once more.