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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2017 7:32:36 GMT
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Long Live the Queen
a god doesn't turn at the cries of a worm
Sharp clicks from confident heels echoed harshly through the hall that led towards the greenhouse laboratory, the only sound after having Rook see to a minor disturbance from an elected official getting cold feet from his part of a deal. Though most of her followers were disposable items, the court she kept close by earned her frequent and respected attention. They were what fed the cause - the backbones to the silent movement clutching the West of the nation more day by day.
Their loyalty was adored and, therefore, rewarded.
The Duchess was one of those few; an incredibly sharp and gifted mind at such a young age. Like Yennefer, she saw the need for ambition where most followed like sheep. Her skills were exceptionally interesting to the Queen, so raw and elegant, subtle and mysterious. The earth had so many secrets that mankind had yet to discover... and here it had whispered them all into the ears of one of her newest favorites. With no retinue, she opened the lab's sleek doors on her own and stepped inside to the fresh and monitored air of the clean, organized work room.
After a full afternoon that had done nothing but annoy her and try her patience, she figured it best to fulfill her monthly visit to the laboratory a bit early to ensure Persephone's satisfaction. To think, only a year within the Spades and the girl had moved to one of the most trusted positions the Queen had to offer. She was a shining example - one that Yennefer took great pride in exhibiting.
"I trust everything is still operating smoothly?" she inquired dully, more interested at the moment in the oddly colored leaves of a short and stocky plant behind a thin pane of glass nearby. What she wasn't well-versed in had always made her curious. She knew nothing of the delicacy of this work... hence, why she'd hired the best. Of course, along with the growing success of Persephone's work, the Queen had been more than happy to outfit a more suitable facility for her needs some months ago. "Well-stocked? Things getting here when you need them, cooperating staff-hands?"
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The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead
ALIAS
Duchess
CLASSIFICATION
Auxiliary
POWER
Intuitive Horticulture
AGE
21
Inactive
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Nov 27, 2017 18:29:37 GMT
Post by Persephone Dean on Nov 27, 2017 18:29:37 GMT
sola dosis facit venenum
An assortment of herbs, some finely chopped, others still awaiting the kiss of Persephone’s blade, lay on the table before Yennefer’s young Duchess. They were meticulously organised into neatly arranged piles and were the ingredients for Persephone’s experiments this afternoon. She’d given orders to be left in solitude in the lab while she worked, and so it had come as a surprise when the door opened suddenly behind her.
She only had a few moments to adopt an indignant glare on her face, however, before she recognised the rhythmic click of heels on the laboratory floor. Her expression softened instantly, and she turned to welcome the Queen of Spades.
“Perfectly, thank you. I have a few new arrivals,” she added with satisfaction, noting Yennefer’s interest in the plant before her. “Rare, deadly – when used correctly,” Persephone said, grinning. “I have a feeling it could be very useful.”
She looked back around the lab, trying to think of anything else to report. Nothing came to mind.
“To think that it has been nearly a year – it feels like just yesterday I was chasing mysterious black cards and working as a waitress…”
_____________________________________________________
The restaurant had been pretty dead that night, and Persephone had long given up hope on anybody tipping well. There was a large table of teenagers ordering the cheapest dishes on the menu and a couple of moody middle-aged women who couldn’t seem to wait more than three minutes before grabbing her attention and demanding to know where their order was. Even her best sweet talk was unlikely to prise more dollars from their tightly clutched purses.
She was just bringing a few desserts through when she noticed a figure in the doorway. They seemed to have their eyes directly on her but she kept her head down, focusing on getting through the current service before having to deal with this new customer.
He was tall, slender, olive-toned with shortly cut brown hair. His suit seemed unassuming - fitting easily into any few businessmen walking down the street - and he saw her the instant he’d stepped through the door. A casual pace lead him to the small bar where he requested her by name, taking a seat at row of empty high chairs to wait.
Persephone kept an eye on the guy - making himself at home at the bar - but missed whatever exchange took place there. Her brow furrowed and she escaped back into the kitchen to collect the last of the dishes that currently needed running out.
“Yo, Persephone, that dude wants you. Inspector.”
She nearly dropped the plate in surprise. Why would he be coming for a waitress specifically? Unless they knew… Unless someone had learned of her poisoning.
She handed over her duties and quickly made her way to the bar, trying to look as fresh-faced and innocent as possible.
“Hi! Can I help you?”
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Nov 27, 2017 20:04:20 GMT
Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2017 20:04:20 GMT
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Long Live the Queen
a god doesn't turn at the cries of a worm
Rare and deadly. A new kind of curiosity piqued along her minimally changing expression as she did her best to visually study the striped leaves and thick husk of the plant. Something so small and innocent in appearance was capable of such violent and monumental destruction. What a beautiful thought. "I'll see it first-hand then. Inform me of the live test when you know the date, I'll adjust the schedule accordingly," she spoke the words easily. Whoever or whatever got put off would have to deal with it.
Business was just simply something that must be conducted - notes to be taken on how a subject took certain chemicals, effects and stages... Her Duchess was always so perfectly specific in her record keeping. Yennefer knew she preferred solitude and silence when conducting such an important task, but she'd have to make an exception. The Queen often demanded she see her curious assets first-hand. What kind of leader would she be without knowing every inch of the cards in her own deck?
"That was also on my mind," she admitted, her gaze still on the greenery for a moment til turning her attention to Persephone's current work. "It was beneath you. And unlike so many others, you recognized it."
The moment she walked into view he’d kept his eyes on her - which just so happened to be a few seconds after she’d spoken - and offered up a professional smirk as a greeting. “You certainly can,” his baritone voice answered while a hand reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Miss Dean, is it? Inspector Martinez. I heard you’ve had quite the number of sick customers,” his wallet came from the jacket and he never once looked down to it, only to her, and it flipped open calmly before turning around on the counter between them to scoot an inch closer for her viewing.
Inside sat the badge of a health inspector with a plain, black card barely peeking from the top sleeve. It was something that Persephone noticed immediately - hyper-aware of anything that could be a connection to that first Black Spade card - but it was only a glimpse. Nothing concrete. Still, it set alarms off in her mind, and suddenly she was excited as well as terrified. Could it really be?
She pulled on her best sympathetic look, as though she really cared about the man she’d poisoned. “I can think of only one, sir. So upsetting! We had to close early. I heard he made a full recovery, thankfully,” she lied. It was an assumption… certainly the restaurant would have suffered far worse had he not recovered. The poison had been enough to induce a momentary mimicry of food poisoning - nothing more. “I’m a waitress here,” she added, enjoying the obviousness of the statement. “I’m very aware,” he replied with a knowing smile at her status in the workplace. “So I don’t deal with food preparation, but I can take you through to the kitchen if you like?”The kitchen led to an office, a storage room and - on the other side of that room - an alleyway. If this man was from the mysterious group she’d been pursuing, then maybe what he was searching for was back there. She would follow him to find out for herself. “I would like that, yes,” the agreement came easily as if he’d been waiting for her to ask, standing from the bar stool to straighten his jacket and replace the wallet inside.
Wherever she led, he followed. He took an obligatory glance at the kitchen and earned quite a few looks from the cooks currently at work. “Your walk-in?” he pointed to the back corner of the kitchen at the freezer door and made his way over without waiting for her answer. “Would you?” he waited by the door’s handle, pulling out a pair of cream-colored, sanitary latex gloves from his pocket to stretch over his hands. Food inspectors were meticulous about keeping their fingers off of possible health dangers. Those that didn’t ever want to be found were meticulous about keeping their fingers off of everything.
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The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead
ALIAS
Duchess
CLASSIFICATION
Auxiliary
POWER
Intuitive Horticulture
AGE
21
Inactive
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Nov 30, 2017 19:08:15 GMT
Post by Persephone Dean on Nov 30, 2017 19:08:15 GMT
sola dosis facit venenum
Beaming with mollified pride at the Queen’s interest in her work, Persephone nodded enthusiastically and jotted a note down on the small pad on the table. “For sure, it won’t be long until it’s mature,” she said excitedly. “I need to brainstorm, come up with the effects I want, but this will definitely be useful.”
Persephone thrived on Yennefer’s attention and rewarded it in kind with loyalty and unwavering respect. In turn, she had found herself in a trusted and respectable position within the organisation. She’d relocated partly to avoid being tracked down by the remaining Survivors and partly to fully devote herself to her work. The apartment sale had left her in a more than comfortable financial position now that the Spades accommodated her and she spent the vast majority of her time researching and tending to the many, many plants that filled the facility’s greenhouse and laboratory.
It was refreshing to finally detach herself from her old life. There were now barely any remnants of Stephanie Dean – even when she looked in the mirror she saw a stranger. Her clothing choices had changed to those more befitting of somebody of her position within Yennefer’s circle and she saw a new hardness to her expression. She was still capable of wearing softer masks, but the Persephone beneath them had matured and cast away the last of her naivety.
Or so she liked to think, anyway.
Persephone looked smug at Yennefer’s words. It had been beneath her.
“I’ve always known I was destined for something greater. I just hadn’t realised it would be starting in a walk-in freezer.” She shook her head. Amateur.
_____________________________________________________
Raising an eyebrow, Persephone followed the “food inspector” to the freezer. It was little more than a broom cupboard in size, and she was starting to feel disappointed that maybe she’d imagined the black card after all and this guy really was just here to do an inspection on the premises.
“Sure.” She pulled down the handle and slowly wrenched the heavy door open. The contents of the freezer were just as exciting as one would imagine from a small Italian restaurant, and she eyed him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction to the vaguely ordered, rather unexciting stacks of frozen food.
“Take a look if you like. I don’t really know what’s in here, you’d have more luck asking one of these guys,” Persephone said, gesturing towards the cooks who were doing a terrible job of pretending not to eavesdrop.
“That’s alright, just need an employee accompanying me while I look about.” He was bending to see under a couple of shelves, pulling the occasional ingredient away to peer at the solid walls behind them. “Company policy.”
He turned to the other side of the walk-in freezer and closer towards the door to get her to move further in in order to give him some space to bend and look at the corners of the floor behind the shelving units. ‘Martinez’ stood, eyeing the door carefully and running his fingers along the creases and hinges in full view of the kitchen staff so that when he shut it… it seemed necessary to continue his inspection.
“Stephanie Dean, also known as Persephone Dean and - recently - masked ‘wonder’ of San Francisco,” he sounded unimpressed, finishing sliding his fingertips over the steel border of the door before looking at how clean it’d left his glove and turning around to face her.
Hearing her birth name was unexpected, but not exactly worrying. She held back an eye-roll, wondering if it was supposed to disarm her. “Stephanie” had been dead to her for a long time. The mention of masks was more exciting as clearly he was aware of Duchess. However, he wasn’t exactly impressing her; obviously not a higher-up. Persephone was almost insulted that the organisation had considered him worthy of the task of approaching her.
“Sorry, but your information’s wrong. My name’s not Stephanie,” she said with a smile. “Hasn’t been for a while. You’re right about the mask though – congrats.”
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 7:49:13 GMT
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Long Live the Queen
a god doesn't turn at the cries of a worm
"I've faith you'll think of something that intrigues me," thankfully Persephone did so more than not. Those that bored her and wasted her time were dealt with and replaced quickly. She had no patience for unintelligent minds. What she favored most about the Duchess was that she often surprised her - an rare happening - with how much she truly found herself interested by these leaves, flowers, vines, and their possibilities. Never a dull moment.Yennefer stood at her side and looked below with the slightest dip of her chin at the freshly-chopped stems along the counter surface. They were precise as ever. The young woman was very quickly shaping out to be a diamond from the rough with each and every day she honed her skills. The Queen was extremely pleased to be a part of that process. "His approach lacks a certain kind of mystery," she admitted, thinking back to when she'd sent an agent to the diner for the first time. "But that's where his usefulness lies. Lackluster. Forgettable." There was a definite perk to blending in.
When he'd mentioned the Spades, it confirmed all her suspicions.
“You’ve been looking for us. Well, you’ve caught our attention,” his face was serious, but not threatening. Professional. “We’ve been looking for you too. Fortunately, you weren’t all that difficult to find.” But first, her interest and reasoning. “Tell me. What could a young, undocumented-meta waitress such as yourself possibly want with the Spades?”
“I just find your organisation’s presence intriguing. I haven’t learned much of your motives or methods, but I feel like its ambitions may be compatible with my own.” She took a pause while she shivered, resenting the choice of location more with each passing second. “I was hoping to meet with somebody who could confirm this for me,” she added, resisting finishing the thought with an ‘and I suppose you’ll have to do.’ She met him with a playful, fearless smile. “Is that what you expected?”
What a bitch this kid was… But she'd been spotted, found and wanted. It was his Queen’s decision - a hand pick - and he dare not do anything but follow her direction. “What we expected,” he nodded curtly, still professional in demeanor regardless of his thoughts. “Yes.”
He lifted his arm to let the sleeve of his blazer fall away from the watch in his wrist, glancing down at it to keep himself informed of the time. Soon, suspicion would start from the kitchen staff. “Take your break in forty minutes. The parking garage down on the corner at Deerborne and 12th, Lot C. Silver BMW. Take a seat in the back,” he opened the metal door behind him and removed his gloves in front of the kitchen staff. “Don't be late.” It wasn't a request, and it felt heavier than a threat. More like a warning for the both of them. “I'll get these results back to your general manager. I appreciate your time,” he spoke loud enough for the others, turned to leave, and offered them a dry smile on his way out.
"I rather like the look of this one," the Queen had stepped a yard or so away, tapping a pane of glass with her fingernail; a deep, purple flowering plant behind it. "I haven't seen it before," the unspoken question to have her Duchess explain hung in the air as she imagined it on a side table or nightstand in her home or office.
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The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead
ALIAS
Duchess
CLASSIFICATION
Auxiliary
POWER
Intuitive Horticulture
AGE
21
Inactive
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Post by Persephone Dean on Dec 8, 2017 15:22:07 GMT
sola dosis facit venenum
“You have excellent taste, Your Highness,” Persephone said, more than a touch of admiration in her voice. “The development of that hybrid is nearly perfect. There’s still a little more work to be done but I think it should have some pretty versatile psychoactive effects once I figure it out.”
Persephone’s power was at its strongest when developing poisons, but she found that when she really focused and applied herself with the right resources then her intuition was able to lend a helping hand in all kinds of more complex and subtle products. It was harder work at first but once she was sufficiently inspired then her power took over with ease. Having the resources of the Spades was a definite bonus – without the materials at hand, Persephone couldn’t develop anything utilising them – and she was beginning to make real strides as her lab grew more and more diverse.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?” she asked, feeling inexplicably nervous. She wanted the Queen to approve of her work – approve of her – and had done rather fervently even before they had met.
On that meeting, however, her nerves had been significantly amplified.
_____________________________________________________
There had been a few steps before Persephone was allowed access to the Queen of Spades herself. She had dutifully attended the initial meeting in the back of the silver BMW, despite her misgivings surrounding the rather unimpressive man who had conducted those first talks, and been thoroughly vetted. She knew that they knew of her connections to the Survivors. It had taken her a little time to fully convince them that she had cut herself off the second they had failed to prevent the Event. It had been hopeless, and a life had already been sacrificed in the name of “heroism”.
If Duchess wanted to continue playing those deadly games, then she wanted to be on the winning side.
She’d decided against arriving in costume. It had been a surprisingly difficult decision; did they want to recruit Persephone or Duchess? In the end she had settled in dressing somewhere in between, forming the foundations for her later transformation into the smartly-dressed, high-ranking member of the Spades that she would become in the months to follow. The colours were the same as her suit, but instead it was a form-fitting, rather expensive dress. She’d even indulged in make-up for the occasion – the smoky eyes a pseudo-mask.
The second she laid eyes upon Yennefer, Persephone knew that this was somebody who knew how to be a leader. She was silent, not even moving, and yet every person and object within the room was under her control.
Persephone had been unsure how to proceed, her nerves driving away any protocol or procedure that she had been informed of, and greeted her new Queen with a deep curtsy.
“At your service,” she pledged.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2018 8:49:21 GMT
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Long Live the Queen
a god doesn't turn at the cries of a worm
"You have excellent taste, Your Highness." The first thing the Queen had noticed about the young woman was her honesty. Unlike so many others her flattery was wholly genuine and lacked the drenched over overly exaggerated tones of would-be followers that wished only to suck the power or money from the veins of the success she'd birthed. Persephone flattered and complimented out of admiration, out of vision for what 'Spade' stood for; wisdom, work, success. It was this reason that had drawn Yennefer to favoring her into the position she'd come into now.
"Mmm," A hum of agreement. A hybrid? Now, that was quite something. "A creation of yours, then?" she asked, a sharp brow piqued with an intense interest. Initiative of power, taking control. Beautiful. The listing of effects did nothing to deter that interest and only made it that much more apparent in the relentlessly attentive gaze she held with the Duchess.
"I've grown tired of my bedroom's decor," she answered with an honest and drawn tone as she looked back to the vibrant, violent flowering plant. "There's something about the thought of sleeping with such deadly beauty mere inches from you that sounds... rejuvenating. I dare say it's possible the cultivation of your talented productions have spoiled me."
Fourteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds until her new guest was to arrive. Two large men stood at the inside of the door - another pair on the outside - a servant stood at the side of the office for whatever the Royal Court and Her Majesty requested. The others in the room were few.
A thin blonde woman stood at the back behind the long, dark ashwood desk in a blazing red dress to rest along the metal railing that surrounded the glass walls which faced the outside towards the ocean and the distant city. Another prominent figure was a mountain of a man dressed to the nines; dark-skinned with a black suit and deep, silver tie. He sat in a sofa-chair in front of the desk facing the last in the room. The Queen. Yennefer was at the forefront of her desk and leaned against it rather than sitting behind it. The moment a host opened the door to announce her guest's arrival, she stood straight in her habitual and natural commanding stature.
The Queen had seen photos, videos, and even the girl at a distance. What she hadn't seen was the muted fear in her eyes that offered true respect in its esteem. The blonde at the back turned her head over her shoulder to briefly watch, the man kept still but kept heavy eyes on the newcomer, and Yennefer turned to greet her with nothing but a look to gauge the girl's first impression.
Her physical appearance was striking, but not egotistical or attention-seeking to draw more to herself than the royalty she held company with. Though visibly nervous to a trained eye, she approached with conviction and paid her respects. "At your service." After the words were spoken, the blonde and the large man moved their eyes from the girl to the Queen to await a reactionary response. Though the side of the blonde's lips tugged in a sly and tainted smile, the man stayed apathetic.
A few moments to think on the words had passed when Yennefer finally decided to step forward and patiently close the gap between them, head tilting at a slight angle to observe the girl's curtsy. It was perhaps a bit old-fashioned for her... but nevertheless, the courage the young woman showed had - not quite impressed, but - been taken note of. There were embers to this one... simply waiting to be fed oxygen to grow into flame. "We'll see."
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The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead
ALIAS
Duchess
CLASSIFICATION
Auxiliary
POWER
Intuitive Horticulture
AGE
21
Inactive
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Jan 23, 2018 19:53:12 GMT
Post by Persephone Dean on Jan 23, 2018 19:53:12 GMT
sola dosis facit venenum
Smiling broadly now, Persephone leaned in closer to the glass to admire her work that the Queen of Spades had so generously complimented.
“Of course. The laboratory conditions have enabled it to be grown and modified so quickly. We maintain something of a micro-climate within that glass for truly optimum conditions. So far, it’s paying off. The senior lab assistant has been wonderfully cooperative.”
Persephone slipped in that note of praise there, conscious to emulate her superior in giving credit where credit is due. Making those who worked for you feel valued and appreciated seemed to be key in maintaining their trust – and thus your hold over them. Certainly Yennefer had a vice-like grip on Persephone. While she didn’t gush over her poison-producing protégé, she fed Persephone constant positive feedback that only further cemented her loyalty – if that were possible. Persephone had much to learn from her Queen.
“If it’s deadly you want, I have some vicious contenders for a place at your bedside. The most lethal species are kept in separate greenhouses; some of them are just strikingly beautiful. Nature’s like that, I guess,” Persephone added, her fondness for the plants completely evident in her voice. One could easily draw a parallel between the Duchess and crazy cat ladies. Not that she would be amused by such a notion in the slightest.
_____________________________________________________
Persephone’s heart had sunk a little at Yennefer’s first words to her, but they also triggered something within her that immediately surged through her veins. She pulled herself out of the curtsy and stood tall, shoulders back, eyes burning. Turning her head slowly, Persephone gradually met the gaze of each member of the room in turn before returning her eyes to Yennefer, who was standing before her.
“I brought what you asked for, your Majesty,” she said – the only thing keeping the remaining nerves from her voice being the years of practice at wearing masks. “I can guarantee its effects.”
Persephone produced a vial from a discreet pocket at her side, holding it out for Yennefer’s inspection.
“I can bring you so much more – do so much more – if that is what the Queen of Spades so desires.”
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2018 23:41:16 GMT
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Long Live the Queen
a god doesn't turn at the cries of a worm
As she watched her Duchess come closer, the Queen leaned back from the glass case to allow the plant's creator to admire her own work and explain more fully the process of its living condition. With acute perfection and simplistic, to-the-point description, she offered the information exactly the way Yennefer desired it. Accurate, intelligent, without unnecessary flourish but just enough to give it its due justice. Even a side-swept compliment to a fellow employee was thrown in. She'd learned the game well.
"I'll see to it that he's rewarded for his work. Perhaps you can come up with something he'd appreciate," though it was phrased like a suggestion, it was clear the Queen expected that request to be fulfilled. 'Commanding' her court like the lowlifes beneath them wasn't something she enjoyed. No, they'd earned respect - not something that was easily attained. It made sense to keep the more exciting assets in a separate, more private area.
"I'd like to see these contenders then," she took a breath to straighten her shoulders, bidding the flowering plant a farewell with but a flick of her gaze before she pulled her cellphone from a jacket pocket to make a call. When the speaker rested against her ear, she spoke a brief, "Extend my meeting with the Duchess, reschedule the next" before ending it and setting it back inside the jacket.
The Queen had meant to turn herself and step back to her desk when the sudden strength of her guest's voice made her instead stand still and think otherwise. Oh? Now this was a welcome change. There was the fire she knew burned deep within that shell that society had forced around her like a spiked cage. Dare to step out, dare to accept who you really were, and they'd give you a stab to put you back into place.
"I can guarantee its effects." "Can you?" she inquired sharply and immediately, looking back over her shoulder with a spiked eyebrow. When the vial was produced from the pocket, the guards at the back set their hands immediately to the holstered handguns. The Queen, however, made no such hasty movement. The blonde and rather sultry woman's grin widened behind her at how suddenly courageous the Duchess had become; the dark man still intent on simply watching, though not entirely apathetic - more so just simply serious.
Unfortunately her promise of the gifts and talents she could bring was so overly said and done by all that entered this room under the same circumstance. How droll. This young thing was definitely a rare find... but she needed sharpening. A diamond in the rough. "I'm more interested, Miss Dean-," she turned again to face her, locking eyes with the hopeful youth as a hand raised calmly at her side, "in what you desire." The vial betrayed its holder, pulling from her fingers by an unseen force to land comfortably in the Queen's lifted hand's palm without breaking the gaze they shared.
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The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead
ALIAS
Duchess
CLASSIFICATION
Auxiliary
POWER
Intuitive Horticulture
AGE
21
Inactive
|
May 19, 2018 20:37:53 GMT
Post by Persephone Dean on May 19, 2018 20:37:53 GMT
sola dosis facit venenum
Persephone understood and acknowledged the command laced into Yennefer’s words instantly, nodding her head in an almost imperceptible bow. “I’ll have a discussion with him tomorrow to express my pleasure in his work for the Spades. He will be rewarded accordingly, of course.” She already had a few ideas of how to approach it. She would never directly allow the assistant to form any delusions of grandeur, of course, but he responded well to her feigned interest in some of his more personal projects. Something along that line was sure to boost him without giving him ideas above his station.
She was visibly excited to show Yennefer the other greenhouses. Access to these was on a strict need-to-know basis and only the most trusted of Spades worked on Persephone’s plants in here. They were fairly small compared to the main lab but each had a perfectly tailored micro-environment.
It was especially exciting because Yennefer had explicitly extended the meeting. Persephone couldn’t help but bask in a heady mix of gratitude and admiration for her Queen.
“Okay,” she said, beaming proudly as they approached the first of her suggestions. “This multi-coloured creature is perfectly harmless until specifically combined with the DNA of the target in liquid poison form. Its thorns are just amazingly sharp and the colourful flowers are delightfully deceitful, don’t you think?” She turned to another. “Or this… The deep reds – almost black here – are a fantastic hint to its effects on its poor victim’s blood flow.”
She indicated the next greenhouse. “There are more, of course, but these are the most suited to décor, I think.”
_____________________________________________________
Can you?
Could she guarantee the effects of her work? There wasn’t even a trace of hesitation in Persephone’s reply. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Her eyes were fixed on the Queen. She wasn’t really concerned about the others in the room – although she was sure they would all become interesting and useful in time. There was a reason they were in the room, after all.
She watched as the vial was plucked from her hand by nothing, shifting across the room to settle neatly into Yennefer Evgeniya’s open palm. The whole time, the Queen of Spades was staring directly at Persephone. The power could only have come from her. It was so commanding, so unnerving, designed to impress and unsettle in a single, calculated moment.
Persephone took a quick breath, remembering Yennefer’s words.
“What I desire is to see this dull, senseless world given purpose and direction.” The words were out before she had even really considered them. It spoke volumes of her own ambition bursting within her, just aching to be given a push in the right direction. “I want to pursue the vision of the Spades – sharpen and define it wherever there’s resistance.”
She looked down at the clothes she wore; the uniform she had crafted for this moment. “I desire to be your Duchess, your Majesty. Under your command, I know my gifts will thrive.”
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 6:26:30 GMT
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Long Live the Queen
a god doesn't turn at the cries of a worm
The multi-colored plant was intriguing in its use, but its looks didn't suit her for where she needed the planter or vase placed. "Fascinating," she remarked honestly, stepping from behind Persephone to see it closely through the thin, containing glass. It was most certainly beautiful in its own right with its odd twists and long, draping tendrils. "Deceiving indeed." The next that her Duchess had turned to however offered a much different appearance. Rigid, straight, tall, and thin.
The red was only visible in the light and without it would surely seem as dark as the shadows it cast. Still, that subtle sheen of crimson and the more daring use of its potential had caught her more daring appreciation as she imagined it on either side of her bed. Persephone offered more, but the Queen's attention was still on the blood-red trophy before her. "How tall can it grow?" a brow angled and she lifted her head to look back over to the young woman.
Here, the flowering plant was contained and boxed. Perhaps she'd do away with setting them on a nightstand altogether depending on if they grew impressive enough to rest on the floor in a larger pot to reach upwards. Instead of simply decorating, she'd be surrounded by quiet, controlled, natural deadly beauty in the comfort of her room. What a thought.
Without a beat, without so much as a blink from the young woman, she answered with not just honesty, but confidence. Well now, that took quite the character. If she were so inclined to like most others, maybe the response would've brought a smirk along her face. But it didn't. Yennefer looked down to the small vial in her hand after the subtle exchange and connection of 'this is what I am and what I can do' was made between the two's eye contact.
It wasn't like any other drug or poison that came from a lab... Rather than stark white in color, it had a certain sandy tone and seemed rough like graveled grain instead of pillowy powder. The vial lifted slightly over her shoulder and gave all the cue the woman in the form-fitting red dress needed to step over and take it from her. "I expect to know promptly of its results," the words were cast over her shoulder along with the concoction instead of directly to her, but the blonde smiled with interest and bit the corner of her own lip before walking wordlessly out and perhaps giving this 'Duchess' a full body scan once or twice on her way with an all too excited glint in her eye.
Back to the conversation at hand, the young woman had seemed to surprise herself more than she surprised the Queen. If anything the answer had been more or less expected. "To 'sharpen and define'," she repeated, clinging to those words in particular and thinking on them a moment as she took a few slow steps forward to look down where Persephone herself had; at the costume and its intricate design.
The attention there was more to let her eyes do something when in reality she simply wanted to hear and feel the girl's breathing as she stood there in her presence. You could learn so much from how a person stood and lived beside you when confronted and left exposed - a situation the Duchess had gladly put herself in for this opportunity. "This nation, Persephone Dean... this world, it has done people like you and I a horrible injustice. It's told you that you belong to laws made by a man in a suit that's never met you. It's told you that ethics are unnecessary and majority-voted morals should replace them. It's told you that you are one in a sea of billions of gathered animals. Do you know what animal waits willingly for its own slaughter?"
The Queen kept her breathing on pace with the girl's, oddly steady and admirably solid. Her eyes lifted and flicked up to stare her would-be follower in the eye. "Sheep." Her eyes thinned, judging the character before her for the rawness of truth the girl so desperately craved; even if she was oblivious to her own hunger. "It took mankind until 1860 to realize that he was a product of natural selection. Now, those that find themselves in positions of power live nothing but a wonderfully scripted lie and hide it under the rug. They've told those beneath them they're to be followed simply because they've dictated it. A genocide of individual thinking, a mass-hypnosis. They've made a sheep of you, Persephone, but now you've gone and woken up. Mankind has forgotten the world's natural order," survival of the fittest. The strong on top, the weak below them. Logical, organic. "I'm going to correct it."
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