Taking the Initiative [Dark]

[Dark]

Minh had progressed from a vague, prickling sense of unease to full-blown panic. Something was seriously, very seriously, completely and utterly wrong.

She looked at Monty in way on confirmation, but only got an indifferent stare before the mangy mutt went back to guzzling down the bits of meat Mnem had the villagers bring in especially for hir. Minh growled--ungrateful brat.

She watched Mnem as covertly as she could over the musicians that had filed in--bad musicians, at that--and wondered how she could fix this.

Getting up, she meandered towards her companion, picking up a grape along the way. Monty continued to ignore her.

"Jewels are always nice. Have you thought about sapphires? I think they'd go exceptionally well with your coat."

She flopped down next to her new-found Queen, grinning in what she hoped was an amiable enough manner.

"So what next?"

[Bee]

Mnem tossed another hunk of meat down to Monty, who tore into with carnivorous glee. Sapphires sounded quite lovely, actually. She liked them better than other jewels. Red wasn't her color and everyone who owned diamonds felt compelled to have them be gigantic and gaudy, and it was really quite disgusting. She was a classier queen than that.

"As much as I enjoy being waited on here," she said, "I really think we should get back to the Court of Hearts. I am no doubt missed. I'm going to order the villagers to pack us some good food and--gives us some of their funds, yes, for the trip back, and then, my attendant, we shall be off."

Smiling, more to herself than Minh, she added, "I think perhaps I should order a few executions before we depart. Those oxen who manhandled us, maybe. That will teach them not to be fooled by liars who would slander a Queen." She mulled over this. "Yes, that will do nicely. A few of the woodsmen have very serviceable axes. Come, Minh." She started to rise.

[Dark]

If there was anything that spelled not-Mnem, it was unsubtle murder. The burning of their nemesis had been a warranted, but infrequent occurrence. Mnem dealt in poisons and intrigues--she didn't participate in pointless slaughter. She got even.

Minh eyed her, trying to calculate her chances of actually snapping Mnem out of whatever enchantment that had seemed to have taken over her mind. They didn't look promising.

She looked around desperately for something, anything to give her an advantage, eyes landing on Monty.

"Monty. If you help me, I'll let you into the cages. You can screw or eat as many of the bucks or does as you like. You just need to help me."

Monty seemed to consider the bribery for a moment, but from the manic gleam that had entered demonic blue eyes, Minh knew she'd already won. Monty went for Mnem's ankles, tripping her up.

Minh dived for the bracelet.

[Bee]

Mnem shrieked in pain and rage as Monty attacked her, biting and clawing at her legs and sending her to the floor, sprawling awkwardly. She screamed at them to get off her, that this was no way to treat a Queen, that she would have them both beheaded and their bodies fed to cannibals--and then Minh was on top of her, holding her down, reaching for her arm, and a moment later the bracelet was off.

There was a moment of dizziness, of confusion, and then the headache began to set in, like being bashed in the head with a frying pan all over again. She pushed Minh off and rolled over, clutching her head and trying to breathe through the sudden agony. It didn't work.

"What--" she hissed, and when the sound of her own voice hurt her ears, she dropped to a whisper. "What the hell?"

[Dark]

Minh kicked the bracelet away, sending it skittering across the floor into the far corner. She didn't want to risk it having any sort of addictive properties, and have Mnem go into relapse. Dealing with junkies could be bothersome, and dangerous.

From the looks of it, however, she didn't have to worry about Mnem going homicidal-crazy on her anytime soon, as she appeared to be sporting a very bad migraine headache. One of the effects of the bracelet, maybe?

There was a polite, inquiring knock at the door and she got up for a moment to deal with the locals--No. The Queen was resting right now. Yes. She would be very happy if they held a feast in her honor. Yes, that was all.

She settled down next to Mnem on the floor, and quickly briefed her on the situation. Monty went back to scarfing scraps of meat.

"We need to get out of here, quickly, before we end up right back where we started."

[Bee]

Mnem had no desire to wind up tied to a burning stake again. Minh was right. As soon as the villagers saw that she was not actually a Queen of Hearts, they were going to go batshit, and Mnem and Minh would be on the receiving end of their rage. And the villagers seemed fond of taking out their aggression by burning people alive.

She got to her feet, slightly unsteady, the sudden movement making her head swim and spin worryingly. She saw the bracelet, kicked to the far end of the room, and grabbed it, shoving it in her pack. She had no desire to put it on anytime soon. But she wanted to keep it, wanted to figure out exactly how it worked.

The back door of the house was in the kitchen. Mnem began heading that way, annoyed at how bumbling and ungraceful she felt walking--she was teetering, for god's sake, like she was some kind of drunk--well, she sort of was a--but that was hardly the point.

She gently pushed the door open.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

[Nathalia]

For reaching 101 posts, you each get the special January prize!

You each get one of the following:

A small stoppered flask containing what looks to be swirling white smoke...if inhaled it could grant an SD some fairly amazing powers...

Can only be used once on one SD. No physical effects will be seen, only a power gained <3

~Nathalia

[Dark]

((Pretty, shiny! ))

Looking back, Minh had no idea how they'd managed to sneak out of the village undetected. Mnem looked just a tad punch-drunk and couldn't seem to manage a straight line. Somehow, though, they made a zig-zagging line up the knoll above the village and over, back into the woods and relative safety. Monty grumbled the entire way, more than likely bemoaning the loss of a steady supply of fresh meat.

They stopped long enough to take a short break, and Minh took to opportunity to readjust her pack and ply Mnem with food. Hopefully protein would help the headache.

"They have a tactical advantage over us, so we better keep moving. Do you think you can manage? I can carry you for a ways, if I have to."

They really were moving to slowly, with Mnem under her own power, but it couldn't be helped.

Minh quickly checked the compass, and pointed them in the right direction.

[Bee]

In the end it was a battle between her body's exhaustion and her pride, and as usual her pride won out. She told Minh that she would be able to nagivate the woods just fine, thank you very much--though even as she said this she tripped on a rock and nearly face-planted--and continued onwards. Mnem kept throwing glances over her shoulder, making sure none of the villagers were searching for a suddenly-errant Queen and her attendants. Or a Ten and her friends.

Unfortunately, her pride didn't win for very long, and the victory was bittersweet and filled with pain. They weren't walking long when Mnem suddenly became aware that the trace bits of sunlight in the woods burned her eyes, and that every step of their feet along twigs and leaves sounded like a bomb detonating.

"Minh," she said, reluctantly. "I need to stop for a little while."

[Dark]

Minh, who had been keeping a close eye on Mnem the entire time, had to agree--she'd wondered how long it would take for Mnem to finally collapse, and now looked to be that time. But they still weren't far enough away from the village for her paranoid state-of-mind, and she had no intention of getting dragged back and burned. So they had to keep moving, even if it upset Mnem's delicate pride.

"Well, that settles it, then." She trotted over to where Mnem was standing, swaying like a drunkard, and shifted the pack higher up onto her back--she'd need to center the canine's weight if this was going to be even remotely pleasent. "Up you go, deary. We can't stop just yet, but you can rest."

Considering how slowly Mnem had been moving, with Minh carrying her they'd probably be moving at that same pace--but at least they'd be moving.