IC Time: May 13, 2007. Evening Volterra Time <tm>
Location: Dungeons, Volterra
Synopsis: Chelsea does Aro and Caius' bidding, bringing Inari back into the flock and working her magic.
Submitted by: Inari
Inari is laying on the floor where Jane had finally released her form the all consuming pain that she sent in overlapping waves and pulses through her nervous system. Pain so intense that eventually there even no screams as her body was paralyzed with contractions. In between such episodes there was repenting and more screaming, and eventually begging. At the moment Inari is laying on the floor, the ghostly remnants of that pain still present. Jane and Aro have departed. Aro with instructions to Chelsea to ensure her loyalty is foremost to himself, then the coven.
Chelsea waited for Jane to complete her work, finally leaving as the little demon got to business. Oh she enjoys a good show as much as anyone but it could effect her role here. The door opens to the dungeons and she enters smoothly, quietly, like an angel. There are little smiles to the guards, before they open the door to Inari's cell, though they stand onguard behind her. "Oh Inari…what has she done to you?" She asks in such a gentle voice, even as her mind seeks out such bonds the woman might have help elsewhere. The voice is sympethetic, even caring as she crouches a few feet away.
Inari rolls over onto her back, peering at Chelsea upside down. "You don't really want me to answer that do you?" The bonds surrounding Inari are few and far between. The strongest two predate any arrival of hers to Volterra, and one looks odd and different from anything Chelsea may have ever seen before. Of those that date her arrival, her connection to Aro is the strongest. The rest are tenuous at best, with the possible exception of a link to a female vampire in Forks somewhere. "If you don't mind, I think I will just lay here a bit."
There is a sympathy in her gaze, be it feigned. This is what she does and its always a bit easier if they are sympathetic to you. Wanting your help. Her mind looks curiously over those bonds, examining the bond with the female with curiosity. So this might prove a challenge after all, excelent. She does though, work on the easiest to sort. Aro's. «Aro is only doing what's best for you, he protects the Volturi and you with it. To be bonded to him is to want to protect him, to work with the others around him.» The general message of her tampering. "What has happened Inari that has found you here, when once you stood at my side?"
You say, "What happened?" she echoes. That bond is easily strengthened like the usual putty under Chelsea's ministrations, flowering nicely within Inari moving it to the forefront, though none of the others are dimmed. "I still don't think you want me to answer that." She laughs slightly as if it's all very funny to her. The laughter abruptly stops as she glances to the door of the cell, shuddering slowly. Gripping her fingers tightly together into fists she stops the shuddering by force of will and sits up, her back to Chelsea. "Please don't insult me. I can read your lies as easily as you can smell the wolves not far away from us."
Part of her mind works on strengthening the Loyalty there, between Aro, between the coven. Working to bring her back to the fold. That work is second nature to her, a bond she holds naturally, one that she maintains daily around here. At the accusation she can't help but smile at the woman, "Ah yes, the wolves…" There is a wrinkle of her nose as she glances towards those cages before looking back to Inari, "I think I will be glad when they are done with them…the stench is rather overwhelming isn't it?" She cants her head at the woman, "Or you used to the smell now?" She queries curiously. Now she dedicates another part of her mind to working on that other bond, trying to understand it even as she slowly tries to break it down like fading memory.
Inari giggles as she turns around on the floor, looking at Chelsea. "No. I can't really smell it. Doesn't bother me like it bothers you." She shrugs slightly - her hold on reality a bit obstructed after Jane's bout of torturing. The strongest of the other bonds is also easily administered to with Chelsea's ability, though an odd thing occurs as sit slowly diminishes - the second of the two becomes stronger, flaring, outshining her previous work of putting Aro and the Volturi above everything else. The flare subsides quickly enough - very odd. That second link, however, does not diminish at all. It's a very different connection, one not really associated with any single identifiable person and perhaps ominously not even originating from Inari. "Call it a curse, if you like. Or maybe a blessing - who knows?" She smiles up at Chelsea.
Chelsea is crouched in Inari's cell, a pair of guards behind her as she administers to the woman. The response to her tampering manages to make her blink and she looks curiously to Inari, "Interesting…" She whispers as she looks over the woman. Her focus moves to the other bond to test it with her special ability, trying to nudge ever so slightly with her mind to see the response. She is quiet for a few minutes before her eyes focus on Inari again, "My my Inari, what have you been up to?" She asks the woman though she does not expect an answer.
Another has been awake for some time and is now moving slowly in her cell. The large red wolf slowly moves towards the front of her cell where she settles down upon her haunches and eyes the others that are also in the dungeon.
Inari continues to smile up at Chelsea, though her head tilts slightly at Chelsea's remarks. Her eyes begin to deepen their crimson hue and slowly beome a match for Chelsea's, her curiosity peaked - seeking more information in one of the best way she knows how. "What do you mean, Chelsea? I've been doing Aro's bidding, of course." The second link, while still not the strongest has never lost its place, still second. The link to the Aro and then the Guard first. That odd link apparently isn't malleable and its purpose unclear. Inari scrambles to her knees, concerned, peering at Chelsea. "What's wrong?" Perceptive is definitely one of Inari's qualities, especially attuned as she is to Chelsea at the moment.
"Yes, of course. Your link to him is strong, nearly as strong as mine." Chelsea says in a low voice as she straightens to look down at Inari from her full height. There is a most thoughtful expression on her face for the moment. Though it brightens her eyes with delight. She likes puzzles, even the frustrating kind. "Well it was sloppy of you to get caught on Camera, saving a human no less. Shame he didn't look all that thankful." She says as she cants her head again, ignoring the question as she again probes the first of the links. Examining it, trying to focus on the sourse, ignoring Inari's questions for nows.
Abbey snorts faintly from her spot, ears flicking forward as she listions to the two, her pale gaze drifts from one to another. On camera huh?.. So that must be the reason why Inari is in trouble.. She would imagen anyway.
On her knees, Inari continue to peer up at Chelsea keeping her eyes locked on hers. "You're not answering my question Chelsea." The concern in her voice is becoming abundantly clear. "Tell me what's wrong?" That troublesome stubborn link suddenly winks completely out as if it were never there - leaving Inari only with the strong bond to Aro and the Volturi, and that slightly curious link to Stacy in Forks. Otherwise the rest are ghostly, even the initial strongest - Inari has few relationships she considers worth cultivating it seems. "Well, I was raised…." she lets the comment trail off, looking down at the floor in confusion, breaking her link with Chelsea. "I don't know what I was thinking." She seems rather appalled at herself.
"Someone has a hold on you Inari…Think." Chelsea finally answers the woman even as the link seems to break. "Huh…interesting…" Chelsea tilts her head as she looks at the woman at her feet a slow smile touching her lips, "You just have a rather curious little mind there…Forks has changed you I think." She settles on the link to Stacy, trying to erode it again, lending some strength to Aro and Coven link. Little subtle changes it is. Inari has seen her work before it is not like her skills are a secret. "Regardless of how you were raised Inari, you put us as risk. Are we not your family? Isn't it not a human attribute to look after your own?" She says in just a quiet little voice.
Inari sighs drooping visibly, nodding her head in agreement. "I know. I know. " She glances up at Chelsea, "What do you mean?" She silently Oh's. "Oh. You mean Stacy." She grins, chuckling in the process. "Aro sent me to talk to her, recruit her. She's nicely lacking in deceit - It is /very/ refreshing to me." Sucking in a deep breath Inari lets it out in a huff as she gets to her feet. "She has information regarding Kiri's disappearance and Alanna…" She lets it trail off at that point, "But Aro already knows all this."
Chelsea is quiet as Inari speaks, examining the bonds even as Inari speaks of them. She seems faintly distracted, disturbed by the one that is no longer there. One that left without her meddling. She finally looks directly to Inari, "How did you go with that Inari?" She asks even as she offers a slender hand to help the woman to her feet as she moves to rise. Surely she knows the answers to these questions, but it is not the answers she is looking for but the response of those bonds to the questions.
Inari takes Chelsea's, hand smiling slightly as she pulls herself up, letting go after she's on her feet. "She's willing. Needs some cultivating. She wants to help investigate Kiri's disappearance." Brushing her hands off on her jeans, she also begins beating her clothes free of some of the dust that's accumulated from laying on the floor of the dungeon during her recuperative phase. "I promised her I'd be back for her. She still needs…. cultivating. Did I mention that?" she grins wryly at the entire process in her head that's involved with the cultivating part.
"I am not quite sure you are ready to go back there Inari." Chelsea responds to the woman's words of her contact in forks. That illusive link seeming to trouble her more than she is willing to admit. "I think some time at /home/ will do you some good for now." She reaches a hand to caress Inari's cheek ever softly if she is allowed, like a mother to a daughter. "We have time and patience to tend our members in Forks, for now we must focus on you."
Inari frowns slightly, blinking at Chelsea like a child who's had her favorite activity denied her. "I promised her." Her voice isn't petulant or resistant like a teenagers might be in this situation. She takes in a deep breath letting it out in a sigh, "I feel very useless here, Chelsea." She turns away from the caress. "I'm not like the others. I know they love me in their own way, but…I just can't stand the constant bickering here." She leans her forehead against the cool wall at the back of the cell. "I'm sure I will find something to do, and at least there's always Aro - he's very soothing - never lies to me." She turns back around with a tentative smile on her face, "Somebody should tell her though. Or we may lose that opportunity."
"All in due course Inari, all in due course. I am sure Aro will see how repentent you are for your little oversight." Chelsea cants her head at Inari, "I have no doubt of your loyalty to Aro." She says, which is a rather meaningful statement coming from her. There is a sympathic look in her gaze, fiegned or otherwise. She probes again, seeking out that illusive link before stepping back, "I shall talk to Aro about our little chat." She says as she slowly steps out of the cell.
What link? Nope. Nothing. Notta. Gone. Inari doesn't say anything initially as Chelsea begins to leave. She seems resigned to be left in the cell for the time being. "Don't forget to tell him about what was bothering you." While she says it, her tone conveys a bit of worry over the situation which Inari knows troubled Chelsea but she never really clarified. "I don't suppose you want to tell me about that first?" She asks out of some sense of hopefulness. "No… didn't think so." She laughs. "I'll be here. Not going anywhere."
The voices within the dungeon were easy enough to ignore at first, until the brief meeting turned into something more lengthy than the werewolf would have expected. Rising onto his paws, the large black lupine steadily made way for the bars of his own 'quarters' in a futile attempt to get a peek at the vampires that were dwelling nearby. One scent was familiar, and it was that alone that prompted his change. After a brief, but loud snapping sound Aset stood crouched by the bars, still attempting to get a better look now that he could maneuver his body into a better vantag point. "I know you…" he offers softly, speaking to the only familiar voice.
Chelsea lets the guards shut the doors on Inari and she takes a few steps till the sounds and sensations of Aset changing draw her attention. She looks over the werewolf curiously, "So it only takes curiosity for you?" She says with a huff of a laugh before she glances at Abbey's cell before stepping closer to Aset's cage. They had to practically break Abbey to get her to do it. Her mind probes casually at the bonds between the pair, just a curious touch at the moment.
Inari can't see Aset from where she is and her sense of smell just plain sucks. But her brain works and its recognition abilities too. "Aset?" She asks her voice in the beginnings of a state of confusion, "What are you doing here…." she doesn't quite finish it as a question. She moves closer to the door of her cell, trying to peer down the hallway, only catching a glimpse of Chelsea. "Is that what Caius was really doing in Forks?" she asks of Chelsea - the tone of her voice graduating away from confusion towards a bit of anger and betrayal, some of Chelsea's work already beginning to fray just a tiny bit at the edges - no doubt due to Inari's own nature.
Aset's bond to the red wolf in the other cage is quite strong, though oddly enough there is something of a bond with the other vampire that just so happens to be locked away also. Nowhere near as strong as the former, the latter connection almost seems to be somewhat favorable, or at least lacking is any true malice toward Inari Neville. Chelsea is observed briefly, but the wolf doesn't speak to her, rather he decides to respond to the one that he does know. "Looks like my old friend Kiri wasn't exactly truthful when she said she was going to have Caius call off his dogs…" the wolf replies, scoffing lightly though he does offer a shrug as well despite the fact that it cannot be seen. "They've been torturing Abbey…a lot. Trying to get a rise out of me, and when it doesn't work…they don't stop," he notes, shaking his head before peering into the red wolf's cell, watching her slumbering form. "What are you doing..down here?" he wonders, acting as if he and Inari were the only two around.
The reaction the pair have for each other, most certainly does peak Chelsea's interest. Well well well, what do we have here. She looks from Aset to Abbey, then from Inari back to Aset. There is a wrinkle of her nose ever so briefly. The thoughts she has running towards the distasteful. At Inari's question she cants her head to her, "I know not, I believe he had several issues to see to. He does have an old friend in Forks." She says with a smooth smile, "And that curious little human." She notices the bonds begin to fray and works at strengthening them once more, "That he killed a few birds with one stone, does that really worry you Inari?"
Inari leans her forehead against the bars of her cell. About to respond to Aset, the affects of Chelsea's ability change her priorities ever so subtly, but not her nature. She chuckles at Chelsea's query, "Everything Caius does worries me. I suppose I could have made it a lot easier for him, but denied him his sport. He'd had resented me for that." Her voice is a bit worried at the idea of making Caius resentful, okay - a lot worried. Sighing, she twists her head to lay her cheek against the bars finally responding to Aset. "I'm sorry. I should have moved more quickly to resolve the situation." The little tweak to Inari's bond to the Volturi doesn't change much, except in the one regard towards Aro whom she already has a natural faith in, though overall that seems to tighten Chelsea's work easily enough.
"Yeah, it doesn't much matter…" Aset offers, his brow furrowing lightly. "I'm just hoping that whatever it is that your friends want from us they will hurry up and get on with… I should have known better than to trust the Volturi, no offense to you, Inari.. I have no one to blame but myself," he notes with a light shrug before leaning his back against the cold wall that had previously been beside him. "Who is this that you are speaking to?" the werewolf inquires, his eyes looking to Chelsea finally where they fix for the time being.
Chelsea watches the exchange quietly, measuring the bond between them before working to erode it, to slowly tweak it if she can. Sure she could go the broadsword technique, but when she has the time, she prefers working with a scalpel. She lets the pair speak while she works on the little adjustments between the pair. She manages a chuckle for Inari's comments on Caius, well perhaps she does follow that sentiment after all. She leaves the bond between Caius and Inari, quite well alone for now. "My Name is Chelsea wolf…and how do you know our little lost lamb here?"
You say, "Oh. I'm sure they will get around to something sooner or later." Inari's voice becomes a bit hardened and resentful - no doubt the subtle beginnings of Chelsea's ability. She grins at the label given her, finding it kind of appropriate in some ways, not derogatory in any way. "Though things might have gone a lot faster if you'd told your packmates what was going on from the beginning." Okay, now her tone is becoming a bit belligerent, actually beginning to assign blame. "Why didn't you?"
Aset's mind seems to be a little difficult to tweak, for whatever reason that may be, and a light shake of his head is offered to Chelsea. "We've spoken a few times… She visited my home, so that we could talk about peace," he offers simply enough before his attention is once again on Inari. "Why would that have mattered? They didn't harm you, even though they knew nothing of our dealings… You came to talk to me anyway, didn't you?" Aset replies, his brow furrowing a bit as Inari's increasing belligerence begins to allow Chelsea some leeway in her attempted persuasion. "They would not have agreed with it. They think you're all beasts, liars, monsters… I think that only some of you are. I wanted to prove that we could get somewhere first, and then have something to show them.."
Chelsea just crosses her arms across her chest as she examines the pair from a vantage point that allows her to see each one, "Brokering treaties with wolves? What a …cute notion." She says in a low voice and continues to work on breaking the bond between Inari and Aset. Just another tweak here and there. She does not touch the bond between Abbey and Aset yet, she knows where her strengths Lay and that one is way to well formed for quick work.
Inari frowns - most at her own reactions. There really isn't a bond of any sort other than those ghostly ones Chelsea has already seen from her to Aset. It disappeared as she worked on it but quickly reforms, oddly enough. Chelsea has seen this before and knows it means trouble. Its the kind of bond formed not with a specific person but with some ideal that is ingrained in the nature of the person involved. Inari is drawn to people who speak the truth - finding it soothing and comforting. "I know…." the belligerence drains from her tone. She shrugs, mostly at Chelsea, even though it's probably lost out of sight, "There's merit in it. It could be a very useful thing in the next coming conflict that Aro is always preparing us for." She frowns at Aset's accusation, "I don't lie. It's just plain a waste of time. I'll tell you if I don't or can't tell you something." Okay, Chelsea just dissolved that bond again, and her tone becomes slightly unfriendly again - she's going to have to work more quickly and at both ends to make it stick against Inari's nature.
Aset rolls his eyes at that, and it is clear that he's not exactly giving Inari as much benefit of the doubt as he had once before at first, but much like the other the bonds that he holds seem to want to fight the unseen manipulation despite the stealth of the attacks. Vampires aren't the only one's born with powers, and his seems to be rearing its head whether Aset is aware of it or not. "Cute notion… Right. Well, I've met vampires that I didn't need to kill, or even fight. I guess I was just naive to think that certain vampires would actually listen to a proposal made for mutual benefit, rather than simply their own," the werewolf offers to Chelsea. "Besides, I never said that -you- were a liar… You can't believe that all of your people are all nice and good. I'll admit to being naive, but there's a difference between naive and stupid… Right?" Again, it seems that when Inari's polarity shifts, Aset's is not terribly far behind.
Chelsea's watches the bonds faulter and reform, tweaking each as they do. Her eyes widen a fraction as another snaps into place. Ooh but she does love a challenge. This is going to take some real finesse here. She stands still there, between the two cells. Anger. That's a start. Directed anger, even better. Just to channel it. Work it against the bond. She glances over to Aset and tilts her head, something faintly condenscending about the way she looks at him. Like an adult to a child. "Indeed, there is, my people are not stupid. nor naive." Blind maybe, easily led perhaps.
Inari is a bright girl and knows what Chelsea can do. She steps away from the cell entrance and retreats out of sight to the back of the cell with a slight impish smile on her lips. Two can play these games she thinks to herself, almost as if there was some aggressive sibling rivalry taking place. "I'll talk with Aro soon enough, Aset and at least get to the bottom of this. It might be as bad as you think and maybe it won't be. If anyone's capable of seeing the benefits or lack there of, it's Aro. He ~will~ sort it out." She believes this, naturally, or she wouldn't be saying it - not like her life is in danger or any other such thing. Playfully to Chelsea she quips slightly resentful at the silent manipulation she is pretty sure is taking place, "Let's not go fucking with this just yet till we make sure that's what Aro wants. He did send me to negotiate, after all."
Aset scoffs at Chelsea, his eyes rolling as he shifts his attention to rest solely onto her. "Your people? I assume you mean those under your direct command, or…those that you know best? Clearly, you can't possibly speak for all of your kind. Last I checked in the last three hundred years or so you have had more squabbles with fellow Cold Ones, more instances of them breaking your laws than any of my people… Number differences or not." Aset's eyes have narrowed, but only remain so for a moment before a smile quickly replaces the scowl. "Excuse me.." he offers, bowing his head briefly before shifting his focus back to Inari who he still cannot see. "If you say so…" he murmurs, grinding his teeth for a moment before the vampiress says something strange. Blinking, Aset cranes his neck and his brow begins to furrow. "What do you mean…? Fucking this up?" His gaze shifts quickly to Chelsea. "What does she mean by that?"
Voices once again catch Abbey's attention, she dozed off some time ago and is now awake. A faint huff escapes her while she shifts and stretches herself out, chains rattle as she goes. She glances towards Aset's voice once she hears him, ears perking forward as she ponders who his talking too.
Chelsea chuckles at Aset's response, "You know your history, and it seems mine as well. It is true times have changed." She says with a faint nod in his direction before glancing at Inari and smirks, "As you wish, I will speak with Aro on what I have found out." She says before looking back to Aset again and laughs, "She doesn't want me to make…judgements on you and your ideas until we have spoken to Aro." She says though there is perhaps a hint to more. As she hears the chains from the other cage, Chelsea steps back a step to get a view of Abbey as well, "Sleeping beauty awakes…"
Faded…..
