You're sweating, pacing, weaving back and forth. This dungeon of a place is your prison now, the cave walls seeming smaller and smaller every time you turn a new corner. The bag on your shoulder is nearly empty. Circuta gathered so many plants, as many as it seemed her petite mouth could hold, but even she had known. Sorry, she had whispered as she gave them to you, seeming to know that the quantity would not be enough. How long will you all have to be down here? You shiver as you think of the time that has passed already, and how much more time there is to come.

A quick peak into your bag reveals that there are maybe ten vines left. You've taken to rationing yourself to have a vine every morning, or what you guess to be the morning. Time seems to pass strangely down in the caves, the only light the pulsing glow of the central lava. Still ten vines. That's twenty days. If you stick to your plan. Which, admittedly, hasn't always happened. It was only twice, just little slips, but you had to have them. If you had ever thought of detoxing, of trying to wean yourself off the influence of the plants, you're sure now that you never would be able to. You don't have the strength.

Suddenly, in front of you, a floating vine appears. One of your locoweed variety. It doesn't take long for your ears to fall back, for your blood to boil. You bellow, roar even, lunging towards the thing, mouth open. She taunts you, your little companion, but the severity of your frustration causes the image she has formed in to to waver and then fade. Still, you lung. Teeth open, eyes wide, you plunge forward. Your boggart is lucky she's invisible. She escapes your wrath unharmed. Still, you wonder why she sticks around at all. You've done nothing nice to her. She's like an insistent blob that won't go away. An insistent blob that you hate with every, tiny fiber of your being.

Interesting, then, that your lunge should bring you into a new room of the cave, one you haven't seen before. The sound of the water falling down is loud, but not uncomfortable. You don't wait. The place seems empty for now- a welcome peace from the hustle and bustle of the main cavern. You fall into the waters, settling easily into a laying position, letting the sweat that covered your body foul the crystaline fluid. You don't care. The cold shock is enough- enough to wake you up so that you might have a few moments reprieve from your detox. It's time you'll need. You don't think this is going to get any easier.

Oxy

The endless night could be returning, shadows and demons lurked behind every corner. Terror leaked into the souls of the innocents and yet The Mistress of bloodied and boiled dreams cared nought. Her personal innocence was beyond saving, she had committed crimes, sealed deals with devils and lied with whores and maidens alike. The world was a place were one was condemned to spend their days muttering about how unfair it was. Whisper to others about how horribly they were treated, the hearers of the whispers may agree but in reality they didn't care. They laughed at your misfortune and gloried in their own joys. It was a hard truth that the golden beauty had learnt at a very young age. Quietly she explores the new world that she had to call home, delicate steps carry her emaciated frame through the winding and confusing caves. Blood drips from her browned maw, the stream was gentle and light, she could easily be followed. It had been a while since The Vermillion Queen had killed another equine creature. She would welcome a decent fight, if anyone was stupid enough to track her then let them come. She would make quick work of them. "Pride is a deadly threat," her father reminded her, tossing her head, The Empress walked through him. His body rippled and collapsed into nothing...dispersing into nothing more than the air that she breathed. "I'm an Empress now, I don't need you anymore father." A lie.

Nosies travel back to her pointed golden ears and blue orbs turn in their sockets. It seemed that the gods saw it fit for Eris to have a play-thing for a while. The Empress did so love to play games. Moving forward she crept through the light and lurked in the shadows. Finally she spotted the one who was making all the noise, a sigh traveled down her nose. He would not play her game...not unless she commanded it. Steps echoed across the cave, the water did little to muffle her approach, but she didn't really want to remain concealed any longer. Her slim body paused on the ledge that stood above the bathing and mad stallion. Eyes narrowed in doubt, admittedly he did not need to be leading now that she was back but he did not have the knowledge of her return...yet. Turning, the wraith descended down to the level of the pool. When she reached the bottom, The Empress paused and studied Oxy, the water running in streams off his body, the liquid rippling and splashing with each movement that he made. Stopping at the edge of the pool, The Golden Queen simply waited. Not feeling the need to announce her return, he would notice her in his own time and in the mean time she would simply stand aside and enjoy the show that he was putting on.

The splashing and bathing, although unsightly, admittedly does you some good. Your brain welcomes the relief from worrying about plants and if you’ll have enough. Your body welcomes the relief of knowing that you’ll be a few hours without sweats and shakes. Your lungs welcome the ability to breath deeply. Admittedly, your leather bag is a little upset about being so suddenly wet, but maybe the water will help keep the plants fresher longer. Who knows. You never did have a green thumb. You just let mother nature do her work and then took what she gave you.

But apparently your ruckus has woken some other resident of the caves. Clicking hoof steps interrupt your bathing. For a while, you try to ignore them, act like you don’t know they’re there and hope that they’ll go away. Whoever they are. But the hoofsteps stop and do not start again. They’re not going to leave. With an annoyed grunt you rise, still choosing not to look at your company until you are fully risen. Then you turn. One of the Lesbians. You snort.

“Well.” You demand suddenly, wondering when it is that she’s going to recognize you’re not a complete moron. Does she know you helped guide them to the Deep Forest and then to the caves here? Does she know that you took four from the Threshold and welcomed them to the Asylum? Does she know that you haven’t been idle in her absence, that you have taken good care of her pets, just like she demanded of you? Perhaps she does, and perhaps she doesn’t. You’ll wait to find out.

And for a while you consider just staring at her for a bit longer, saying nothing until she says something to you, but then you remember- news she should probably be aware of. “I promised our soldiers to the war effort.” The war against the darkness that’s plaguing the above. With a deep breath, you wait for her answer. You wait for her to yell, to tell you it was not your place, but you don’t care anymore. You’re tired of standing beneath her for nothing. You are as good at your trade as the Phantom Seeker is at hers. If the Lesbians will not give you what you want you will take it, but you will stand idly by no longer.


@[Eris]- do you want to be tagged every time? I forgot to ask. You don't have to tag me :D

Oxy

He turns, the water rushing off him in great currents. Following the trails of the liquid with blue orbs, The Empress does not meet his eyes once his body has spun to face her. How had she not noticed how well built the drug crazed stallion's body was before? Tilting her head to the side and raising her crowned head, Eris finally looked at Oxy's face.

At his vocals, The Empress snaps out of her daze. "Well?" The response is gentle, a slight purr to her tones. Taking a few steps closer, raked her eyes over his body once again. Studying the way his muscles rolled under his brown coat, admittedly he lacked the grace that had attracted her to Skywalker. Only there was something about his mass that drew her in, smiling gently, Eris decided it was about time she induced Oxy into her personal family. Noticing that he was simply staring at her, Eris moved closer still. Waiting quietly for a response, finally the large brute spits a response. War effort? Blinking Eris now stares at Oxy in confusion. "War effort?" This time she asks out loud, her confusion rings through her tones loud and clear. "Did this...meeting happen in one of your delusions Oxy?"

Chuckling at her own terrible wit, The Empress now comes to a stop directly in front of the brute. This was a very interesting new delusion...perhaps the mad man before her was actually a prophet. Who knew what kind of special abilities he had after all. One thing Eris did know was that she defiantly wanted the pleasure of playing around with a prophet. Such things would be impressive when she told those who admired her. Her neck arched out to rub her check along his if he allowed it, the first touch was always important after all. Only her eyes portrayed her true intentions however, what she really wanted from Oxy. Her chuckle finally died and stopped echoing around their private cave.

The possible future General should know better than to deny her, if he was truly ambitious then he would go the extra mile. The previous General had, Oxy should take a leaf out of his book. Baring her teeth at Oxy slightly, chaos' mistress waited to see what card the druged brute before her would play. "To them, it's nothing more than a game, it's about time you started playing it little flower." To a certain extent, her own father had taught her how to manipulate the males around her. It was Eris who decided which males she actually attempted to manipulate like this however.

"Come play a game with me Oxy." Grinned Eris, her tones low and suggestive. Surely he knew what she wanted...and The Empress was almost positive he would play along and do his duty to her. After all this almost General was hers to tease and play with to her hearts content...wasn't he?

Well, she answers back and you practically roll your eyes and her idiocy. How did you even end up mixed up with all these idiots? Oh yeah. Lace Face. You never should have followed her. This whole herd has been nothing but a load of trouble since you started... a pack of crazies. Of course. Not that you don't belong with them... you certainly do, but that doesn't mean you approve of the haphazard leadership that you've witnessed thus far. Promotions given on a whim, or not given on a whim, to those who don't deserve them, mares who disappear at the drop of a hat when they're supposed to be in charge, doing who the hell knows what, membership that hardly answers the call of their ladies. You snort in your disgust. As for the purr in her voice? You notice... you're not oblivious, after all.

And then, as if confirming your thoughts that she is nothing but a moron, she stutters out like she hasn't even heard of the war plans. “Yeah, war effort, against those monsters up top,” you spit out, your brows furrowing to accent your frustrations, your voice just slightly sarcastic enough to hint at your true feelings. Besides, this isn't exactly the topic you had in mind. “I don't have delusions.” And then you just glare, because this game is growing tiresome already. Besides your drug habit, your impatience has always been your greatest weakness.

But she seems unimpressed, or even uninterested, in what you have to say. She stops in front of you, staring down, arching her neck, reaching out to touch you. You let her flesh brush against your own, but make no motion to approve of the action or return the favor. And if you were uncertain before, if you didn't understand at first, you understand now. She's trying to make you a toy, a pawn, in some maniacal game she's whipped up in her head. Well, you imagine she's going to be sorely disappointed. You're nobody's toy.

Come play a game with me Oxy, she purrs and you grimace at the idea of letting the beastly woman touch you again. You have a feeling she's going to be sorely disappointed. Heaving yourself from the water, back onto land, you nevertheless wipe the grimace from your face and do your best to appear interested, to act like you want her, to cock your eyebrows and your neck in just the right position. You take a deep breath and walk towards her, evenly but purposefully, gliding until your close to her, able to put your velvet nose next to her ear, if she had not yet moved.

“My queen,” you barely whisper, just a breath that breaks past your lips as you try to graze your teeth against the area where her ear meets her head. And then, without warning, you actually bite, trying to dig your enamel into her flesh before pushing past her towards the door. “I don't play games, bitch. Get it together or I'm out.” If she has anything to say, you guess she better say it quick. You're two steps from gone and not turning around.

@[Eris]

Oxy