Post by Helena Sawyer on May 27, 2018 20:20:21 GMT
We open on one end of a long table in the middle of a wooded clearing, set for a tea service for many. Only one spot is occupied, though: that of Helena Sawyer, who sits at the far end, immaculately dressed in a three-piece suit with a pair of white gloves, face painted with a simple harlequin design, and topped with a fascinator styled after a top hat. She smiles, waving down the table before beckoning the camera closer. "Come here, come here! Don't be afraid! We're just here to have fun, after all. Fun and frolic. Right?"
The camera approaches slowly, with a cautious pace. Helena nods, smiling and waving it closer. "Aww, little rabbit, are we afraid? Don't be. Even past this sweet predator's smile, I hold no ill will towards you. I simply want what you have, want to prove myself against you...for a rabbit you may be, but one who hides such ferocity. The fangs beneath the fluff are sharp indeed, aren't they?" She giggles, smiling, and beckons again.
Helena reaches over, idly stirring the contents of her cup with one hand without breaking her focus on the camera. "Vivienne, you have been such a surprise to so many. Who would have guessed that in less than a year you'd go from debutant to champion? I've watched you, Vivienne. Watched the heartache and the heartbreak and the betrayal and the resilience...you impress me. You seem so soft on the surface, but your silk hides a core of steel. It's made me eager to see you up close and personal...to find out for myself just what your metal truly is."
Helena takes a quick sip of her tea before setting it back down, crouching down. The camera follows her down after a moment's hesitation. "You're a being of light, Vivienne. Light and purity and good. You are good, more than anyone else we have ever seen...and never does it compromise you. It is your strength, Vivienne. Not ours. I, we, us...we lurk on the penumbra between the land of light and the pitch of dark. We are not good, we are not evil, we just...are. In fields of forget-me-nots watered by rivers of blood, that's where we dance." Helena extends a hand with a smile. "And we want to dance with you."
Helena reaches just past the camera, smiling, before suddenly standing up, her other hand darting off camera and seeming to guide the camera into a waltz. Helena keeps her eyes fixed, leading the dance with practiced ease. "So dance with me, Vivienne. Dance this violent, vibrant, vital dance of ours. I want to take the belt from about your waist, I want to walk away with it as my own...but I give you my word I will let you down gently. Hurt you to teach you, not for its own sake. You're already learning from your pain, rabbit...you are such a quick child, drawing dreams into the real and making them yours in spite of the world." Helena chuckles, though a sad note runs through it. "I wish I knew how you do. Maybe you could teach me? Or am I too lost to make dreams real again?"
Helena continues to dance, whirling faster and faster. As she does, the wind seems to whip up around her, ripping the hat from her head. She grins, the wind beginning to take patches of her facepaint with it. Underneath, though, is another painted design, this one all reds and whites, looking as if flensed flesh and exposed bone are peeking through. Even the light begins to dim around the camera, and as Helena begins to slow to a stop we see that the scene around her has shifted. The trees are warped and gnarled now, the sun overhead replaced by a bright moonlight. The table settings have all been scattered and smashed, the tablecloth eaten through and yellowed by age.
As Helena steps back, we can see that her formalwear is gone, replaced by her familiar ring attire. She rubs her hands over a set of forearm guards, scorched and ripped in places but oddly at home with her usual appearance. "I've been marked by the dragon, her ripping teeth and crackling flames tearing me down...but that punishment tempered me. Crash into me, rabbit. Bring your strength and your resolve to bear, and I will meet you blow for blow. I have endured the jaws of hell, Vivienne. I can bear the slings and arrows of such outrageous fortune, and with that fortune the Openweight Championship will be delivered into my hands."
Helena flexes her fingers, cracking her neck with a wide grin. "I have hurt the ones I love and the ones I hate to be here, Vivienne. I have given of my light and my darkness to become immortal. The Openweight Championship is not a simple trinket, a trophy to adorn me and satisfy my ego. It is a culmination of years of harm and suffering, toil and sacrifice. And while you have been an admirable champion...you will, in the end, go out on your shield. Revel in your time, Vivienne." Helena smiles, winking at the camera. "See you soon, little rabbit..." With that, Helena walks away into the woods, the light fading and swallowing the scene in darkness.
Michelle sat up abruptly and opened her eyes, looking around and blinking away the cobwebs. She was in a familiar place, the place she had found herself when Helena had taken them both on her chase around the world. This time, though, as she looked over to where the mirror inevitably sat, she saw Helena sitting there, staring into it with listless eyes. The gold in Helena's irises seemed dull, as if it had been worn down, and her makeup was cracked and flaking. Michelle stood up, walking over cautiously. "Helena?"
Helena slowly turned to look at her. "Michelle." Helena cracked a faint smile. "So nice of you to drop in. I was hoping we'd have a chance to talk, you know. Just the two of us. I missed our little talks."
Michelle shook her head, continuing her cautious approach. "Forgive me if I don't share the nostalgia. What's wrong with you?"
"I don't know." Helena admitted, shaking her head. The flakes in her facepaint seemed to repair themselves, flying back together, and some of the vibrancy came back into her eyes. "Clouds on the horizon. The waters are rippling, and I can't read the signs. I'm...I guess I'm worried. Is this what being worried feels like?" Helena giggles to herself a little. "It's strange. I kind of like it."
"That makes one of us." Michelle snarked back, grabbing a stool that appeared just at the edge of her fingertips and sliding it forward to sit down, hands perched together on the edge of the stool and legs kicking to each side lazily. "That likes it, anyway. I'm plenty worried about Night of the Immortals. Vivienne's...really, really good."
"Yes she is." Helena spun around on the chair to face Michelle fully, smiling. "But she's never faced an enemy like us. The Pack is too...linear. We take angles, we're different. She can anticipate evil, but I doubt she can anticipate us."
"What, we're not evil? Didn't you bully a priest once in his own church?" Helena shrugged, assuming a faux-angelic pose, and a halo shimmered into existence over her head. Michelle reached out, swatting the halo and watching it dissipate into dust again. "Stop that. You're no angel."
"Whoever said angels were nice?" Helena countered with a grin, and Michelle paused, shrugging. Helena smirked, nodding sagely at Michelle. "I'm going to be honest...I knew what I was, once upon a time. I don't remember. Memories are tricky when they're all tangled up in dreams and nightmares and someone else's head. I just know what I love and what I'm supposed to do." She sighed. "I wish you the best of luck, I really do. And if you find out, share with a girl-shaped entity?"
Michelle paused, chuckling, and nodded. "Absolutely." She sighed, looking Helena in the eyes. The two mirror images stared at each other, reflected in the actual mirror behind them. "You're going to get me killed some day."
Helena shrugged. "Maybe. But until we get there, it's going to be an exciting ride. And besides, if I got you killed, Grace would find a way to do horrible, unspeakable things to me. And not just the kind you want her to do, either." Michelle flushed bright crimson, and Helena let out a howling laugh, shaking her head. "Oh, you are so much fun to poke!" Helena smiled again, reaching out, and took Michelle's head in her hands, bringing their foreheads together until they touched. "I'll keep us safe, Shelly. As safe as we ever get. Just...remember to pull me back now and again?" Michelle nodded, and Helena smiled, reaching up and tapping the end of Michelle's nose with a grin. "Boop!"
Michelle sat up abruptly and opened her eyes, looking around and blinking away the cobwebs. She looked over, seeing Grace curled up in the hotel bed next to her, snoring into her pillow. Michelle smiled, leaning over and planting a soft kiss on Grace's temple before rolling over and closing her eyes. We fade out on Michelle smiling softly, expression at peace for the first time in a long, long time.
The camera approaches slowly, with a cautious pace. Helena nods, smiling and waving it closer. "Aww, little rabbit, are we afraid? Don't be. Even past this sweet predator's smile, I hold no ill will towards you. I simply want what you have, want to prove myself against you...for a rabbit you may be, but one who hides such ferocity. The fangs beneath the fluff are sharp indeed, aren't they?" She giggles, smiling, and beckons again.
Helena reaches over, idly stirring the contents of her cup with one hand without breaking her focus on the camera. "Vivienne, you have been such a surprise to so many. Who would have guessed that in less than a year you'd go from debutant to champion? I've watched you, Vivienne. Watched the heartache and the heartbreak and the betrayal and the resilience...you impress me. You seem so soft on the surface, but your silk hides a core of steel. It's made me eager to see you up close and personal...to find out for myself just what your metal truly is."
Helena takes a quick sip of her tea before setting it back down, crouching down. The camera follows her down after a moment's hesitation. "You're a being of light, Vivienne. Light and purity and good. You are good, more than anyone else we have ever seen...and never does it compromise you. It is your strength, Vivienne. Not ours. I, we, us...we lurk on the penumbra between the land of light and the pitch of dark. We are not good, we are not evil, we just...are. In fields of forget-me-nots watered by rivers of blood, that's where we dance." Helena extends a hand with a smile. "And we want to dance with you."
Helena reaches just past the camera, smiling, before suddenly standing up, her other hand darting off camera and seeming to guide the camera into a waltz. Helena keeps her eyes fixed, leading the dance with practiced ease. "So dance with me, Vivienne. Dance this violent, vibrant, vital dance of ours. I want to take the belt from about your waist, I want to walk away with it as my own...but I give you my word I will let you down gently. Hurt you to teach you, not for its own sake. You're already learning from your pain, rabbit...you are such a quick child, drawing dreams into the real and making them yours in spite of the world." Helena chuckles, though a sad note runs through it. "I wish I knew how you do. Maybe you could teach me? Or am I too lost to make dreams real again?"
Helena continues to dance, whirling faster and faster. As she does, the wind seems to whip up around her, ripping the hat from her head. She grins, the wind beginning to take patches of her facepaint with it. Underneath, though, is another painted design, this one all reds and whites, looking as if flensed flesh and exposed bone are peeking through. Even the light begins to dim around the camera, and as Helena begins to slow to a stop we see that the scene around her has shifted. The trees are warped and gnarled now, the sun overhead replaced by a bright moonlight. The table settings have all been scattered and smashed, the tablecloth eaten through and yellowed by age.
As Helena steps back, we can see that her formalwear is gone, replaced by her familiar ring attire. She rubs her hands over a set of forearm guards, scorched and ripped in places but oddly at home with her usual appearance. "I've been marked by the dragon, her ripping teeth and crackling flames tearing me down...but that punishment tempered me. Crash into me, rabbit. Bring your strength and your resolve to bear, and I will meet you blow for blow. I have endured the jaws of hell, Vivienne. I can bear the slings and arrows of such outrageous fortune, and with that fortune the Openweight Championship will be delivered into my hands."
Helena flexes her fingers, cracking her neck with a wide grin. "I have hurt the ones I love and the ones I hate to be here, Vivienne. I have given of my light and my darkness to become immortal. The Openweight Championship is not a simple trinket, a trophy to adorn me and satisfy my ego. It is a culmination of years of harm and suffering, toil and sacrifice. And while you have been an admirable champion...you will, in the end, go out on your shield. Revel in your time, Vivienne." Helena smiles, winking at the camera. "See you soon, little rabbit..." With that, Helena walks away into the woods, the light fading and swallowing the scene in darkness.
Michelle sat up abruptly and opened her eyes, looking around and blinking away the cobwebs. She was in a familiar place, the place she had found herself when Helena had taken them both on her chase around the world. This time, though, as she looked over to where the mirror inevitably sat, she saw Helena sitting there, staring into it with listless eyes. The gold in Helena's irises seemed dull, as if it had been worn down, and her makeup was cracked and flaking. Michelle stood up, walking over cautiously. "Helena?"
Helena slowly turned to look at her. "Michelle." Helena cracked a faint smile. "So nice of you to drop in. I was hoping we'd have a chance to talk, you know. Just the two of us. I missed our little talks."
Michelle shook her head, continuing her cautious approach. "Forgive me if I don't share the nostalgia. What's wrong with you?"
"I don't know." Helena admitted, shaking her head. The flakes in her facepaint seemed to repair themselves, flying back together, and some of the vibrancy came back into her eyes. "Clouds on the horizon. The waters are rippling, and I can't read the signs. I'm...I guess I'm worried. Is this what being worried feels like?" Helena giggles to herself a little. "It's strange. I kind of like it."
"That makes one of us." Michelle snarked back, grabbing a stool that appeared just at the edge of her fingertips and sliding it forward to sit down, hands perched together on the edge of the stool and legs kicking to each side lazily. "That likes it, anyway. I'm plenty worried about Night of the Immortals. Vivienne's...really, really good."
"Yes she is." Helena spun around on the chair to face Michelle fully, smiling. "But she's never faced an enemy like us. The Pack is too...linear. We take angles, we're different. She can anticipate evil, but I doubt she can anticipate us."
"What, we're not evil? Didn't you bully a priest once in his own church?" Helena shrugged, assuming a faux-angelic pose, and a halo shimmered into existence over her head. Michelle reached out, swatting the halo and watching it dissipate into dust again. "Stop that. You're no angel."
"Whoever said angels were nice?" Helena countered with a grin, and Michelle paused, shrugging. Helena smirked, nodding sagely at Michelle. "I'm going to be honest...I knew what I was, once upon a time. I don't remember. Memories are tricky when they're all tangled up in dreams and nightmares and someone else's head. I just know what I love and what I'm supposed to do." She sighed. "I wish you the best of luck, I really do. And if you find out, share with a girl-shaped entity?"
Michelle paused, chuckling, and nodded. "Absolutely." She sighed, looking Helena in the eyes. The two mirror images stared at each other, reflected in the actual mirror behind them. "You're going to get me killed some day."
Helena shrugged. "Maybe. But until we get there, it's going to be an exciting ride. And besides, if I got you killed, Grace would find a way to do horrible, unspeakable things to me. And not just the kind you want her to do, either." Michelle flushed bright crimson, and Helena let out a howling laugh, shaking her head. "Oh, you are so much fun to poke!" Helena smiled again, reaching out, and took Michelle's head in her hands, bringing their foreheads together until they touched. "I'll keep us safe, Shelly. As safe as we ever get. Just...remember to pull me back now and again?" Michelle nodded, and Helena smiled, reaching up and tapping the end of Michelle's nose with a grin. "Boop!"
Michelle sat up abruptly and opened her eyes, looking around and blinking away the cobwebs. She looked over, seeing Grace curled up in the hotel bed next to her, snoring into her pillow. Michelle smiled, leaning over and planting a soft kiss on Grace's temple before rolling over and closing her eyes. We fade out on Michelle smiling softly, expression at peace for the first time in a long, long time.
Well howdy there pardner.