shiftingwinds | [7rings] catchall for lenore

[Knock, knock! It's Lenore, at Shi Qingxuan's door. She holds up a bottle of wine.]

Oh good, you're here. I brought you a get-well-soon gift.

Or, if you're feeling well enough... perhaps we could share a drink?

[in this moment, lenore is genuinely one of shi qingxuan's favorite people. she beams and ushers her into her room.]

I would love that!

[for her part, she's looking perfectly fine - there's not a trace of injury anywhere on her! though that's probably not all that surprising, given people were very obvious about intending to throw her into a healing pod at the execution yesterday.]

I'm glad to see you're in one piece. I was afraid you wouldn't make it.

[She'll just go over to the mini-kitchen and find some glasses for them.]

Ahaha...

[yeah, she was afraid of that, too. honestly.]

I'm just lucky to have been taken to that healing pod so quickly, I think. [she gives a little twirl, though.] But I feel better than ever! ...so it worked out.

[it's fine! it's fine. she looks at the wine bottle with interest.]

What kind are we having today?

Sounds like those machines are capable of miracles. It really is incredible.

[and to her question:] A port. It's supposed to be very sweet.

[She pours two glasses and places them down on the table, then takes a seat in one of the chairs.] Come, sit.

[don't have to tell her twice! she takes a seat at the table, then raises her glass to clink it against lenore's.]

I'm looking forward to trying it.

[As soon as their glasses clink... they suddenly find themselves inside a different, more extravagant room.]

[They now sit at a round glass table with four ornate chairs surrounding it. In one side of the room is a roaring fireplace. At another side, a cabinet filled with pitchers and glasses, some containing a red liquid. In one of the chairs, a silver-haired woman sits, a goblet in her hand. With her deathly complexion and long red claws, it's clear that she's no human. Perhaps fortunately, she doesn't seem to perceive them, even as they sit right at the table with her.]

[Shi Qingxuan and Lenore still have their glasses of sweet wine in hand, but from the woman's goblet, and perhaps elsewhere in the room as well, wafts the faint smell of blood.]

[Lenore's eyes widen in alarm.]

What just happened?

Ah..?!

[what the hell..? shi qingxuan's eyes widen with alarm, as well, and she finds her gaze sweeping over their altered surroundings, gripping the stem of her wineglass a little tightly as the smell of blood wafts up from... somewhere.]

I'm - I'm not sure.

[It's only a moment later that the peace in the room is disturbed by... Lenore? A second one, bursting through the entryway and marching right to the center of the room. Another woman enters too, tall and muscular, with long raven hair and a dark blue cloak wrapped around her shoulder. She stays near the entrance, watching with an eyebrow raised in amusement.

The silver-haired woman looks up from her drink. "Lenore, would you--" And is promptly ignored when Lenore hurries past her, flinging open the drawers of the cabinet and rummaging through them. "--What the fuck is she doing?"

The raven-haired woman shrugs. "She found a spider."

"And!?"]

Wait... Why is this...!?

[The real Lenore is looking unusually agitated.]

[she looks between the real lenore and the lenore of the memory, and then her gaze shifts slowly from one of the unfamiliar women to the other.

a... spider? who are these people?

(the sisters she'd mentioned...?)

and why does she look so upset?]

...is this something I shouldn't see?

[should she cover her eyes.]

Yes. Definitely.

[But it doesn't really matter, because the raven-haired sister verbally elaborates. "She thinks she can make a splint for its broken leg."

The memory-Lenore looks up from the mess she's making. "Striga, you didn't have to tell her that!"

But it's too late. The silver-haired vampire bursts into laughter. "Holy shit. Where's Morana? She needs to see this," she gasps, cackling uncontrollably.

With a humiliated huff, the memory-Lenore turns from the cabinet and rushes out through the doorway again. The memory fades then, leaving only the sound of mocking laughter for a few moments before Lenore and Shi Qingxuan are returned to reality. Lenore sits still for a moment, then takes a very long sip of her drink.]

[shi qingxuan very obligingly reaches up to cover her eyes, but unfortunately, this doesn't stop her from being able to hear.

the other women's taunts are just cruel. the cackling, the laughter -

it lingers, and she waits as it fades out, then slowly lowers her hands when she hears lenore take a long sip of her drink. she's quiet for a few moments, watching her, and then after she takes a sip of her own - ]

...that's a kindness, not something to be mocked. You wanted to help.

You don't have to say that. It was just... stupid, I know.

[another sip of her drink.] Didn't work, either.

Still, it's better to try and fail than to not try at all, wouldn't you say?

[she smiles]

[Lenore considers arguing... then relents, leaning back with a defeated sigh.]

God. You might actually be the nicest person I’ve ever met.

Oh, that's unfortunate.

[lol]

What? Just take the compliment.

...That said, I don't mean to make it sound like my sisters are horrible mean people, or anything. But they are, well... sisters.

Siblings can be like that sometimes. My brother is—

[well.

lenore will get to see exactly what her brother is, actually! she'll also get to see what the heavens are like, as a memory starts to play out, with gods gathering for a banquet. i'm sorry it's really long but it's also a really funny scene.]

[7rings] catchall for lenore

w2, monday

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