RP:Mind Mess
Part of the A Skull by Any Other Name Arc
The Labyrinth
Senka is stuffed into a cage, woven together by vines, only in body. Her mind is struggling to right itself and those around her with it, until it latches on the most familiar memory concerning this situation. A memory of a time where she went half mad, and one of those times occurred in a place called the Labyrinth. It rises around her, suddenly, rising from the ground like a long lost giant, in the shape of a long corridor with door after door after door…Its walls are the smooth metal that only humans can accomplish, stained with rust and already cracking under what one can assume to be time. It paints a different picture every time the light flickers, as it does often, coming from dusty chandeliers above her head. Every single one of those doors is shut and already it becomes clear that the corridor splits a few feet away. Turning her body, pale feet paddling over cold, steel floor, reveals that it's very much the same the other way as well. It's then that the albino realizes she's standing, human, and dressed in a ragged red dress that was gifted to her so very long ago. In a time where she had sisters and a pack filled with two-walkers but two-walker she could understand or at least bear not eating. The albino remembers this place well, with its walls that can change shapes and creatures that can be called from the shadows. It's a place where no mind can hide, holding their dreams and desires and impossible wishes as well as fears, nightmares and trauma. A place that can choose to bring forth any of those things, all the dirty secrets you've been so carefully keeping even from yourself. Senka knows what she'll see, knows how this works, she's been here before…but always alone. Turning the lycan realizes that this time that's different and this proves yet another complication. She knows the monstrosities her own mind hides but that of a pixie? For indeed it is three pixies that have been caught by the lash of her mind, dragged into the insanity with her and with no way of knowing that their prone bodies are carefully being taken care of in the real world. It's the pixie with the three teeth, an older looking fellow now that Senka has the time and patience to look at him properly. His skin is wrinkled and his beard is long but his eyes are sharp and smile is hostile. The albino doesn't even bother to study the other two but only turns to what she assumes to be Skylei. Her body is in the shape of a human because, as much as she loathes it, that's the shape her soul takes. No furry body to shield her from the outside, only big eyes and pale arms. But what of the poor half-elf dragged in with her?
Skylei feels her mind being tugged at. In her normal state, she might try to resist, but so tormented is she at that moment that she is helpless and her mind follows after Senka's just as willingly as Sky in body follows the lycan into forests and swamps. It's Senka's consciousness, dragging Sky's along with her own into that place where mind and soul go to come face to face with what truly lies beneath the surface; not that the half-elf could possibly know that. Her mind is torn away from her body, that body that is laid to rest by Senka's in the woven cage and thrust into a completely different place. Her own soul takes on a similar form to her reality, with a few subtle differences. If, on a normal day, you glanced at the half-elf, most would swear blind that she was elven. There is little that marks her as a half-breed on the outside and yet, her soul thinks differently. Here, Sky stands with soft rounded ears and face, a stronger stature and, instead of her elven ranger's leathers that she adorns in life, the half-elf is cloaked in black. She looks human. Standing on shaking legs, Sky would look to her surroundings and companions. She doesn't care for the presence of the pixies, she ignores them. Though she does not know where she is, she no longer fears the tiny beasts; what harm can their tricks and dust do in a place that she knows is not her reality? And so, she looks instead to the albino, now in her human form. No words make their way to her tongue, she just stares at Senka, as though the woman holds the answers to all of the questions that exist in the world and beyond.
Senka has the answers. And she utters them in a way that no sensitive soul should be exposed to. It comes down to them being, somehow, in the midst of fornication. "I know this place," She continues in a voice as husky as it always is. Her frown deepens as she eyes the flickering candles and the many doors before them. Senka's human face is so much easier to read than that of her wolfy form, and surprisingly there's real tension there. Anger mixed with fear, as if a man carrying silver arrows is pointing one right between her eyes. She doesn't want to be afraid but it's undeniable that she is. No mauling will safe her here… "It's…it's one of those two-walker things. Where people get lost. There's only one way out and we'll have to find it through..." Here the wolf hesitates. She's been in animal form for so long now that she doesn't always know the two-walker way to describe things. Just how do you find the words for horrors and nightmares that never exist and yet are very capable of hurting you? Her pause gives Sky some time to examine the wolf-now-human, should she wish to. Surprisingly, the woman's soul does not look much different from her real body. A little less scarred, yes, and her mane isn't quite such a mess but other than that, there's really little difference. Not even in the murderous intent in her gaze, that predatory look, as she turns to look at the pixies. Killing them here, barehanded if she must, will get rid of the threat their minds might come up with. It might be worth the effort…Then again; distance alone might do the same and who knows what their minds come up with once she had her pale fingers around their throats? The beast is lost, not daring to move either way with a reluctance she rarely shows. In short, it's fair to say that this place has her worried. "…mess. Mind mess."
Skylei utters the words that Senka doesn't know, "It's a maze. A labyrinth, if you will." A hand reaches and pushes her hair away from her eyes and comes to rest on her forehead. Sky has been told stories of labyrinths since she was a tiny little girl in an elven enclave, sat amongst a group of her much smaller (and much blonder) peers. They were never nice stories. Those memories and the fear in Senka's eyes tells her that this is going to be a hellish experience. She has no idea that what is waiting behind those doors to torment her is just her own mind. She is imagining all kinds of physical threats; demons, giant spiders, the undead, necromancers, slavers, physical torture. She doesn't realise that what is waiting is far worse than anything that could happen to her body. This is the soul and the soul doesn't heal as the body does. Once broken, it's hard to fix. No amount of healing spells or bandages can quell the pain of the soul. Perhaps it’s better that she is walking into the unknown. "So we start walking then. Or we stay here forever until we die, and I know which I prefer." Would they die? Would their bodies rot and their souls stay in limbo if they chose not to travel onwards? Or has reality simply ceased to exist until they are free? Sky has so many questions that she wants to ask and yet, with misplaced confidence she would offer the lycan a smile. Finally a thumb is pointed at the pixies "And what about the three psychopaths that want to sacrifice us to their skull. What do we do with them…?" Poor Skylei couldn't be more wrong. Perhaps she hasn't realised, but there are more than three psychopaths in this room…
Senka still isn't moving. Hesitant, would definitely be the proper term as the albino furrows her brow and lets her gaze switch between Sky and the pixies. The halfling is still talking, so very unconcerned and the lycan turns to answer before freezing. Red eyes are fixed on something over Sky's shoulder, and whatever it is she's seeing is filling those expressive eyes with pain. "Mommy?" It's a boy, pale and no older than seven by the looks of him. He's got striking blue eyes of the exact same shape that Senka has, and when he smiles dimples form on each cheek. He's dressed in pelts of several kinds of animals and around his neck is a leather string holding one large fang that rests directly on the pale skin between his collarbones. The lycan eyes the boy with something akin to her usual fierce hunger, although with none of the predator-side of it, before she blinks and turns her fierce glare on the three stunned pixies. "We follow the boy," She decides, her husky voice seeming that much hoarser. However, her tone is steady and her steps are determined as she draws closer to the boy. She doesn't dare to touch him, his white curls, the pixie-like shape of his face…If she does she'll never let go. With obvious difficulty the psychopath turns her gaze to instead glare at the pixies and when she does, the shadow of her wolfy self is clear on her face. "You three try the other direction." Now that, that's decided, the wolf seems a little more prepared to move but that doesn't make it any easier. She can feel the kid's stare upon her face but she doesn't quite dare to meet it. Instead she turns to throw Skylei an expectant look, not needing words to urge her to hurry to her side. The pixies, it seems, are no longer their concern. At least not as far as the woman is concerned.
Skylei doesn't need telling twice. As always, she's willing to follow Senka wherever the albino tells her that they're going. She takes a few steps across the cold floor until she is by the lycan's side. She's probably a little too close for comfort, but Skylei wants some form of confirmation that they're going to be okay. She needs Senka to be someone that she is not, to offer her comfort and protection. She knows that it won't come from the wolf and so she tries to fool herself, through physical closeness, that Senka cares. She doesn't see the boy that fills Senka's eyes with pain. That torment is only for Senka's eyes and soul to bear. What she does witness is the changed demeanour of the woman; something has her spooked. Sky can only assume that Senka's mind is playing tricks on her and she doesn't see fit to tell the woman that she cannot see the boy that she speaks of. Instead she nods in agreement. She's particularly pleased to be leaving their pixie 'friends' behind. She offers the lycan a stressed smile, "Shall we go?"
Senka looks sharply down when small fingers wrap around hers. In her hand is the boy's, and when she looks further she sees his bright, bright eyes staring straight into her soul. Literally. The wolf knows that the boy is no longer a boy but a man, if he's still alive somewhere. But this knowledge does not make him any older, if anything the boy seems to become younger under her gaze. It should be disturbing that Sky isn't very curious about the pale boy, but the psycho is only grateful for it. She doesn't really do the sharing thing… However, the halfling does draw closer and like any startled creature the wolf looks up, briefly. They're close enough for the woman to feel the other's presence, feel Sky's body heat even though they're not touching, and for a moment the albino hesitates. Then, with a soft huff, the lycan accepts the behaviour and instead focuses her attention on the corridor stretching out before them. At least she won't have to tell her to stay close… "Steel yourself," Senka only offers, her voice low, almost growling, and her expression darkening, "This won't be pretty." With those pleasant words the wolf makes her way down the corridor and the moment she takes her first step the room shudders. Before anyone can move there's a groan of metal, barely a second's warning, before a steel plate slides down to crash into the space the women were before. If they had second thoughts, wanting to turn back, they can't now. The metal plate has separated them from the pixies and made the corridor into a dead end. Senka is still snarling by the time everything is settled again but seeing no other choice she once again takes the lead. Last time she was in the Labyrinth she let someone else lead her only to be separated from the group. She wandered around there for days and she's not liking the promise of mental torture that looms ahead of them. Still, they won't escape if they keep standing still…Bare feet paddle, slapping gently against the metal floor, as the lycan doesn't even bother to raise her hands to defend her. No body strength is going to aid her here…
Skylei is totally submissive to whatever Senka tells her to do. It might be because the lycan had been here before and knows better than she does what lies ahead on them. Or it might be because Skylei is already completely petrified. She wants to tell the lycan that she is unwilling to take the next few steps. She could live inside her own mind forever. It was probably preferably to whatever lies ahead. But obedience to the alpha forces her mouth shut and her feet to take the steps forward. One foot at a time, Sky, that's all it takes. She manages to take the first few steps and keeps steady pace beside the alpha. Once they're moving and that metal plate has slammed shut behind them, Sky begins to panic visibly. She's shaking and cold beads of sweat have begun to roll down her face. Her palms are clammy and she's feeling nauseous. Can the soul vomit? Sky doesn't want to find out, "I can't. I don't want to… please don't make me." If she's that scared now, gods only know how Senka and Sky will make it through the labyrinth with the half-elf in this state. Still, she carries on following in the stead of the wolf. Every few seconds she lets out a pathetic whimpering cry. It would seem that the woman is losing it already and it hasn't even started yet. Eventually, though the scholar could have sworn they've been walking forever, they stop alongside a door. Sky's whimpers only increase in frequency.
Senka takes a step. Another step. Guided by the tiny hand of a child who never got to know her, the albino seems oddly impervious to the pressure of the Labyrinth. But it's there, hammering away at her skull like a breathing thing, squishing her with every breath and slowly but steadily taking hers. So caught up with her mission to move on, to get closer, the albino has no trouble ignoring the halfling's whimper. "I can't. I don't want to…please don't make me." They're words that would invoke sympathy in anyone else. Senka barely even blinks, certainly doesn't look back, and every step she takes forces the other to follow her. That is, until they reach a door and with an annoyed snarl the woman turns to face her companion. The walls ripple, shuddering with her violent temper, but then form straight lines as suddenly as the surprise taking over the wolf's face. The halfling is in quite a state. If there was any time for guilt, it'd be now, for it's Senka's lust for hunting that has got them in this state in the first place. Awkwardness floods the lycan's body language, from the awkward shift in her stance to the twist to her mouth. And yet, she still offers the pale hand not occupied by her invisible offspring. "You…wanna hold my hand?" They're awkward words coming from an awkward mouth as the wolf tries, and fails, to seem approachable. Skylei is no good to her petrified with fear, even Senka can see that, and two-walkers like to hold hands, don't they? She remembers, from her days when she had a pack, family, how the gesture was one of comfort. Like fur grazing over fur, hot bodies pressing together and…now is really not the time to be homesick for pack. "We gotta keep moving," Senka continues, trying to sound like her usual moody self but the awkwardness still thickens her voice. "We need to get as far as we can before…" Again the wolf fails to find the words. Just how does one describe madness?
Skylei doesn't want keep going. She wants to curl up in a ball, cry and pretend that she isn't where she is. She wants to go to sleep and hopefully never wake up. Senka's awkward kindness is the last thing that she needs. It makes her eyes water and she nearly takes the lycan up on the offer. Until she rediscovers that burning desire for the albino to like and respect her. It's what's forced her down to follow Senka into a dark forest, into a swamp, what's torn her clothes off her back, what's made her buy two bottles of rum when she knew full well her body wouldn't be able to handle the alcohol. She needs the connection with the lycan and she doesn't intend to ruin it now by being a whiny bitch. Her nerves are shot, she feels as though she might collapse at any moment but she forces herself to look at the albino. And so she forces her lips into a grimace. "I'm fine. I just needed a moment." She's disappointed in herself and it shows. The soul can't hide what it feels when it's physically standing in front of her. She tries to play it down before she starts walking again, "You know what two-walkers are like…" She would push past the woman, brushing against her shoulder as does and continues walking with head turned down to the floor. She doesn't want to look at the lycan, such is her shame. She wishes she could just be alone and somewhere else. Her thoughts are distracted as she focuses her mind on counting every step she takes - one, two three, four, five…
Senka doesn't want to keep going either. But if Sky can find enough courage to brush past her, then so can the lycan. Not that she'll stop from curling her lip, not liking that push against her shoulder or the fact that the other moved straight through her boy. No, stop thinking of him. With renewed determination to ignore the adorable boy tugging on her hand, Senka follows. It's her first mistake. Caught up with keeping up with the sudden determined Sky, and completely missing the source of her sudden show of courage, the woman forgets to shield her mind. As if this was the sign the Labyrinth has been waiting for, the doors before them suddenly slam open as if by a thousand unseen hands. The doors shudder and then reach out to each other, mixing metal with metal until the corridor that had been big enough to walk side by side now is barely wide enough for one person. The walls aren't done yet, slowly peeling apart like slime to reveal glass windows. They're perfect circles, all at the same distance apart, and all at the same height as where Senka's face is. It's dark, impossible to see how long the hallway will last, but that's the least of the albino's worry. Because behind each glass is a face. Some faces she recognises, some she doesn't, but they all have one thing in common: they're dead. There are corpses, only separated by a mere thin piece of glass. Glass that becomes fogged with breath they ought not to have… The lycan doesn't let herself hesitate. Instead she steps in to embrace the darkness, muttering only a curse Skylei will have heard only of the more bold individuals of the Rynvale sailors. It's tight, embracing her in darkness and rubbing cold metal against her heated skin but still Senka pushes on. It takes only three steps before the metal has her caught, and knowing what's coming; the albino looks up. Long white hair falls in front of her face as she does so, for her head remains lowered even as her gaze lifts, giving that hostile look a feral edge. Her nose wrinkles, her lip curls as the woman quite forgets her appearance as she stares into the foggy eyes of her first tormentor. "You'll never be Alpha," The woman hisses, wrinkling her nose in the exact same manner as Senka has, "Freak." The wall releases the wolf, just enough for her to make her way to the next window. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how it is, and with another curse Senka pushes deeper into the darkness. She'll be damned before letting her past haunt her. The blue, eerie light of the windows is unnaturally bright on her pale face, even more so because of the surroundings darkness of that thin passageway, as if the horror within doesn't deserve to share that darkness. Yet, even amidst the first signs of madness, the woman still briefly looks back to the halfling. Like an Alpha looking after a pack member, making sure she's keeping up. "Don't hold their gazes too long," Her voice is soft, her normally so wild tone now an almost defeated kind of calm, "And don't answer. The dead will suck you in." It's what happened to the lycan last time…Her yearning for the past so much stronger than her desire for the present. She knows better now.
Skylei squeaks as the walls begin to close in around her. The half-elf fears that they will crush her into nothingness. She still hasn't realised that what she has to fear from this place is not her physical destruction. She's not physically here, after all. It doesn't stop her from wrapping her hands around her head to stop the physical onslaught of the closing walls. But they shudder to a halt before they come to crush her body and she is able to open her eyes and look at what is around her. She wishes that she hadn't. The faces of the dead that stare out at her make her heart race and her breathing quicken. If she knew Senka's name, she would have cried it out in fear. She doesn't understand why they are there. But some of the faces that stare out of her are horrifyingly familiar. As Senka forces her onwards, Sky makes eye contact with one of the corpses. The face that the corpse wears is strikingly familiar to Skylei's own face. She's family; she must be. But Skylei doesn't recognise the face. Because of this she knows who the dead woman must be. Sky wants to linger longer and feast her eyes on the corpse. She's sickeningly fascinated by the woman that lurks behind the glass. But then the woman speaks to her, "You're the reason I was never there. You came into this world a murderer and you never changed." Sky tries to back away, but the corridor of windows is so narrow that she can barely take half a step. Turning away from the first woman she catches the eye of another, who speaks to her too, "I know what you're running from." Skylei whimpers and tries to force herself to carry on walking. The walk turns into a run as the first tear begins to creep down her face. She reaches Senka, fighting off the taunting words of the corpses as she does and the constant refrain of 'Murderer' that seems to hurt her the most. Sky reaches out and grabs Senka's hand without asking. She needs the albino's strength where she doesn't have her own.
Senka almost bites Sky's face. The moment that unfamiliar hand wraps around hers the albino turns to snarl, human or no, before pausing at the familiar sight of Sky. She's crying, and with a defeated huff the lycan sacrifices her hand for Sky to hang onto. For such mental torture, the lycan seems to bear it surprisingly well. It isn't just the perk of being only half-sane. The beast has seen this before and she's lived enough years to deal with her demons. It's easier, now, to walk past the whispers accusing her of being "unnatural' and "monstrosity'. So she al but drags the halfling with her, squeezing past walls that seem so eager to swallow her whole. That is, until they come deeper and the corpses a little more familiar… "You failed as Alpha," It's Mahri, the one Senka reluctantly adopted as sister only a few years ago. "You're nothing more than a simple minded beast." It's enough to give pause to her steps, and although she snarls she does so with a stare carefully turned away from the woman. Whether or not the lycaness is truly dead, that remains the question, but she certainly is in the wolf's mind. She's always so final in her social connections… "You're no family of mine," The woman continues, and Senka finally finds the courage to glare straight into the eyes hidden behind glass. "I don't need your two-walker logic. You disgust me." The wolf's husky voice is thick with loathing but her reaction has inspired more than she bargained for. The glass cracks, splinters, before Mahri's hands suddenly lunge for her throat. The albino flinches away on instinct, and it's that which saves her, and with a determined scowl she tugs Sky after her towards the next window. Rather than look into it, however, the woman turns her head towards the darkness looming ahead. "Not much further," She tells Skylei and then makes the mistake to look into the window. She freezes. Senka stares at her own face, her own red eyes and pale skin but whereas the soul looks aggressive and strong, the one behind the window is far from it. "I'm lonely…" Senka's hoarse husky voice tells her soul, "They accepted us. Why did you have to leave? I'm hurting. It's not natural for a wolf to be without a pack. It hurts! Why can't we be happy? Why can't we have a family?" Senka stares at Senka. One pair of red eyes fills with tears, the other fills with horror. It's the one not locked by the glass that breaks, her soul smashing against the glass with feral anger. "Shut up!" Senka growls, aggressive and wild with anger. She's slipping; the madness always does swallow her so eagerly. It's awaiting, like a long lost wife welcoming a sea roughened sailor home. "It's useless to deny it," The forlorn Senka continues, somehow looking so very, very human, "You know we're-" "I'm -not- human!" Senka growls, all but leaping at the glass and forsaking Skylei's hand to begin pounding at the glass with both fists. Her petite little human hands can't even crack it, however, and not even the weight of her entire body will make it tremble. Senka looks ready to tear skin from flesh, scowling until her face is twisted with hate. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
Skylei doesn't have Senka's years and has a great deal more sanity. Only it feels as though with every step that sanity is fading fast and she is becoming a nervous wreck. She clings tight to the former alpha's hand; ashamed, afraid and desperate, as though the white wolf of her only source of oxygen or her only light source on the darkest of nights. If she lets go of Senka's hand, Sky is afraid she might die. She is dragged along behind the lycan, unwilling to raise her head to look into any more of the windows, still trying to convince her rational mind that the insults and taunts that are thrown from snarling lips; 'unstable', 'dangerous' and 'cursed', are just words and mean nothing at all. It isn't working. She only looks up when she hears Senka shout at one of her own demons. And then she sees Mahri. One of the few connections that she and Senka shares; probably the only connection that both of the women them truly cared for torments the wolf. And Sky is, for one moment subject to Senka's torture. She hears the words. Mahri is Senka's demon more than she is Sky's but Sky hears the entire exchange. And she sees the woman break through the glass. Skylei screams a loud haunting scream of fear for the lycan, and clings tighter to her hand. She won't let go. Skylei needs Senka, even if the albino doesn't need her. Pack mentality tells her that there is strength in numbers. But then Senka is lost; she sinks like a ship cast against an iceberg into insanity by a figure that is obscure to Sky's vision. And as the lycan fades into madness, the physical connection is lost and Sky looks away from their hands and to the opposing window to the one on which Senka bangs. It's the only person she longs to see. It's her father. Her twice dead, beloved father who Sky secretly mourns everyday of her wretched life. The elven mage is just as she remembers him. Just the sight of him is enough to fill her heart with fear and hope in equal measures. To look upon the face of the dead again is sickeningly painful and glorious. Before she can stop herself a desperate cry of "Dad!" falls from her lips. Then he speaks, "I died for you. I always did what I could to keep you safe. I don't know why. You're nothing but a dirty little half-breed. How could I ever love something as impure and vile as you; you can't even do magic? You must have known it wasn't real what we had. I did my duty. It was never love. I wish you'd never fallen into my life. I wish you'd never been born. You're probably not even a Lucindio." Each word hits her like an arrow. It is a real and physical blow against her mind and soul. She wishes for death. She wishes to shout that it's not real, to deny what the figure tells her. But she can't, she's too broken. She can't even cry. She just stares into the eyes of the figure of Nasurate.
Senka doesn't know Sky can't see what she sees. She would be relieved to know this was the case. As it is, she's a little preoccupied with her own face, snarling and pounding at the window. "Why won't anyone-" "Shut up!" The lycan interrupts herself, before telling that vision behind the glass to do something physically not possible. Usually, the albino's anger is what keeps her focused and intent on her target until she's blind for anything else. However, as her own hand hits hard enough against the glass to push her body back, Senka stumbles into her companion. She snarls, like a beast interrupted by a meal, before pausing as she realizes who it is. It seems she's fated to remember Skylei's there in the first place, over and over again as they walk the insanity that is their combined minds. The wolf isn't interested in secrets, so she doesn't even glance at the glass Sky is staring at. Instead her fingers roughly curl around those of the halfling to impatiently pull her further into the darkness. "We're almost there," She says it with dogged determination and indeed she refuses to look at any of the windows, despite their patrons screaming for her attention. "Steel yourself, Sky."
Skylei is woken from her traumatised trance by the tugging of Senka's hand. Even as she is dragged from the place that has torn her mind to shreds, the half-elf longs to break free and run back to the place where the figure of her father stands. Even if what he is throwing at her is the most heart-wrenching, soul-destroying, agonising taunts, it is still him. Her mind, so frazzled and tender tells her that she wants to hear those words because they are his words. And they are better than nothing. It's a good job that Senka has a vice like grip on her hand because otherwise she would have run back into that tube of torture. Still, they make it through with little more agony than is to be expected from a place of such pain. Finally they are in the blackness. Sky tugs her hand away from the lycan's to wipe her hair from her eyes. Big mistake, Skylei. As soon as the fingers fall separate the room begins to shift again. Skylei is pushes one way and Senka the other and a wall rises from the ground between the two with a grinding screech. Whilst the separation is only going to be temporary, neither party knows that. They are separated, alone with a metal wall between them in the darkness. For Skylei, this alone constitutes her greatest fear in life. She is without friend, forgotten and abandoned. There is no one looking for her. Nobody cares. Skylei feels her way to the newly formed barrier and begins to bang on it violently shouting as loud as she can, "Where are you!? Can you hear me?" Senka won't hear her. Nobody is listening. The overly sentimental half-elf, who had clung to Senka as a child would cling to their mother has been left forsaken. She screams words that no one will hear because the sound is the only thing that keeps her from being driven insane in the lonely dark and silence, "I still need you! We stick together because that's what we do! Because we're all we have left of… of the… of what we had…" She -needs- Senka. And so she starts walking into the unknown, feeling her way along the wall, in the hope that she might find the albino somewhere along the way. Skylei can only imagine what is happening to the wolf on the other side of the blockage.
Senka can hold onto her sanity as long as she needs to lead, having a purpose to keep her together. The moment Sky tugs her hand free from hers, both their mind go reeling. While Skylei is plunged into darkness, Senka is blinded by light. Painful to her eyes, so suited for darkness, its white glare forces her to cover her face in an attempt to stop the stringing. So sudden is this change, that the former Alpha is forced into a crouch before she knows it, breathing harshly even as her palms shift to push against her eyes. Her white hair, the one thing that -is- suited for this light, covers her in a loving embrace as she counts to fifteen before daring to shift her palms down so that her fingers cover her eyes, filtering in the light. There's no sound, no scent, nothing to guide her and the silence is a madness of his own. Her blood rushes in her ears, her breath is driving her further into the spiral that is insanity, and her skin is overly sensitive to the slide of her long, long hair. Finally the lycan dares to slowly pull her fingers away from her eyes, so that she can force her red stare on the rest of the room. Senka is not alone. Faceless men, women, children and animals form a crowd, silent spectators to her plight. Defensive, the albino presses her back against the steel that's separated her from her companion. She's glaring, that fierce wide-eyed and half-mad stare that always submits her surroundings to her. "I love you," The first faceless tells her, his messy hair falling into eyes that are not there. Speaking from a mouth that is no mouth. He has clothes, hair, muscle and bone but no scent and no face. "I love you. Let me in," He pleads, only to be interrupted by the moan female. She has sleek, long, graceful black hair. A leather dress, wicked heels, not but no face. "Senka…I missed you so much. Let me hold you." "No!" Interrupts another, as wildly as the red curls in her hair, "Let -me- hold you!" "No!" Another insist, more black hair but of the messy kind now, "Let me hold you, Senka. I miss you. I love you. Let me in!" Skylei fears solitude. Senka's heart hold a completely different fear. Red eyes widen in what is, despite all of her experience and life lessons, undoubtedly fear. The albino takes off, weaving around what is now undoubtedly a mob of people all begging for her attention. Her affection. Her love. "Leave me be!" She growls, demands, but the hands still reach for her to tug on her dress, her hair, her -soul-. "But I love you," A nearby faceless whimpers. Holding out his half-clawed hands of a lycan mid-transformation. "I need you!" Senka can only dodge the reaching hands, following that wall blindly for it's the only thing she -can- follow. "I didn't ask for this! I never asked you to love me!" Senka snarls with the viciousness she's known for. So horribly, horribly blunt and yet..and yet.. 'But I need you!" More hands reach, more voices cry but all the lycan does is run, run, run…Every slap of her bare feet against the floor like the crack of a whip, spurring her on. Every hand reaching for her another warning, she can clearly see her fate should she let herself be pulled into the pile of warm bodies. "Leave me -be-"Senka snarls, putting all the authority of an Alpha into her voice but still they reach, still they yearn, still the faceless need…
Skylei walks in silence. Silence and darkness. There is nothing there. No matter where she goes, how far she walks, she is alone. How long has she been walking? It feels as though she has walked for years. And then, out of nowhere there are noises, people and light. They surround her just as Senka's demons had crowded her. Only whilst the lycan's demons clamour for her love and attention, Skylei's illusions don't even notice that she exists. Sky stands perfectly still, blinking her eyes to adjust to the light, and the creations of her mind simply mill around her. Some look straight through her. One even walks straight into her body and appears on the other side as though nothing out of the ordinary has occurred. Even as Skylei walks through the swarms of people she is unnoticed. She doesn't matter. She is insignificant. Then the creatures morph and take on faces. She sees Josleen, Tyler, Eliason and the people of Chartsend. Her colleagues. A realistically snarling Senka. Every person from every facet of her life is represented and they don't even notice that she is there. Running up to one of the figures, a manifestation of one of the women who works in the library in Cenril, Sky waves her hand in her face. The woman doesn't flinch. "Hello?!" Skylei would bellow. No reaction. "I'm here…" she whispers. "I'm here. I'm real. I matter. I'm not alone." But you are alone, Skylei. None of these people can see you. And none of them know who you are. Eventually she makes a beeline for the figures she cares for the most. She holds her face close to Senka's. The beast of a woman snarls as though she has seen something and Skylei's heart fills with an unexpected joy. But Senka's eyes remain focused on something far past where Skylei stands. She too sees right through Sky as though she is not even there. "Just look at me", the half-elf begs, "I just want to be seen…"
Senka is rapidly losing what's left of her patience. They want her, need her, ask so many things of her and the albino is not in the mood to give any of them anything. The worst is that, though she can shake their grips from her arms and hair, she can't attack them. Already she tried and after every step she tries again. Her temper, as always, makes her act without thinking but her hands go straight through the faceless, through their necks, through their chests… "I just want to be seen…" A more familiar voice begs, somewhat muffled under the other demands. "Useless needy two-walkers," Senka hisses, her eyes widening with her madness, freely showing the whites, "Begging, needing, useless sentiments. Sentiments don't keep you alive. Ah!" A new hand on her arm, startling the wolf and making her flinch back. When she looks up the crowd looks twice as big, mixing faceless with the faces and showing the contrast sharply between them. But it's the size that worries to wolf, instils fear with her like an animal being hunted by a pack of feral dogs. She's used to being in the pack, not being chased by it… "Disgusting," The lycan who, not too long ago, was eager to taste spider guts snarls the words at those closest to her. Lashing out verbally seems to be the only thing keeping them away. At least that isn't that different from reality. "Needy little things," She spits, lashing out aggressively only to snarl in frustration as her fist cuts through the faceless as if she were swiping at mist, "Wouldn't survive two days in the wild. Tamed. Useless. Caged and loving it, you -disgust- me." Senka has even lost sight of the wall, now, but can only wildly stumble in the direction she thinks she's was originally going. Stumbling blind, amidst the chaos and insanity that is their combined minds.
Skylei is panicking. She continues to run up to the figures that haunt her soul, begging them to see her and torturing herself further as she knows that they cannot and will not answer her pleas. All that she can hear is the beat of her heart, the pounding blood in her ears and the silence. She's scared that this is where she will be trapped forever, always condemned to walk the world seeing everyone without anyone seeing her. But in the silence of her worlds she is able to hear the other female more distinctly than Senka heard her; 'Wouldn't survive two days in the wild. Tamed. Useless. Caged and loving it, you -disgust- me' Sky lets out a single high pitched yelp as she realises that she is not fully alone, and begins to run again. She lost the wall long ago and so she doesn't know where she is going. All that Skylei knows is that she needs to find the albino. Senka is the only real thing in this place and the only thing that can hear her speak. Yet again, she -needs- the lycan, much more than Senka needs her. Feet pound the floor as she continues running further and further into the strange chamber, still filled with figures that cannot hear her scream or see her cry, until she reaches a far wall with a thump. She is physically knocked backwards and not for the first time, Skylei wants to cry. She is utterly defeated. If only she knew the lycan's name to call her and be reunited. Damn pride had prevented her from asking and she longs to rectify this mistake. Instead all she can do is scream through the walls, "Where are you!?"
Senka has people clinging to her. Hands holding her, pulling her in all kinds of directions and there are too many for her to fight. Yet fight she does, clawing at faces, tearing through chest, kicking long legs only to have her go through every single one of them. Chests, faces, stomachs, they all part at her touch only to seal seamlessly back together right after. It's a new kind of madness, to be touched but unable to hurt in retaliation. The beast isn't known for her affection, there are very few people she'll allow close enough to touch without her tearing at their faces. Now, the mob she couldn't outrun is pushing and pulling her, moving her without her permission. There is no way to fight that many people, faceless or otherwise, no way to resist. Is this what it's like to be human? To be torn in new directions by the whim of others? "Where are you?!" A familiar voice calls to her and Senka almost responds in her usual violent manner before realizing that it's the one person she might be able to touch. The one person who is real in the mental madness that they share. "Sky!" Senka snarls, fighting against many hands and sliding through them as if they were vapour, "Sky! Get me out!" She's drowning, drowning in hands and bodies and so many, many needs of sentimental two-walkers. Bare feet dig into soil that is not there, trying to brace her body and fight the constant pull but it's no use. Slowly but steadily the albino is lead in one direction only to be tugged in another. All she can hope is that they won't pull hard enough to tear her apart.
As Senka's voice touches her ears, the half-elf lets out a sigh of pure relief. She's not alone. She's not lost without hope and she will be okay. Until she realises what Senka is asking her to do; 'Get me out!'. "How?" Skylei bellows back in utter confusion. It's unlikely that Senka will hear her over the deafening mob that long to grab hold of the lycan and pull her into their embraces. Sky is alone with her thoughts again. And this damn wall that runs between the two of them is still in place. Pulling herself up from the floor and bashing her fists against the barrier, Skylei opens her mouth to scream Senka's name before realising yet again that she doesn't know it. So her mouth is promptly shut and Sky resumes her panicked thumping on the wall. She quickly realises that this futile and this is not the way she is going to get Senka 'out' of the horrors she is facing on her side of the wall. And so she begins pacing the floor, bright light beaming down on her as she struggles to find the answer to the conundrum. And she needs to find it fast because, by the sounds of it, Senka needs her too. Fortunately, Skylei is not stupid and now that she's not so afraid, she is able to focus. Her eyes are closed and Sky tries to will the wall to collapse between them; it's not enough. What else can her soul do? She does everything she can to make the wall collapse. She visualises the space between the two women closing, she even prays to every god that she can think of, and yet nothing happens. She has to truly believe, with all her mind and soul that the wall between them both does not exist. She wants to shout through to Senka and beg her to reassure her that the two of them will be okay. But the woman is in a worse state that she is and Sky has to grip whatever reality they are in and force it to meld to her wishes. And then, as if it is a miracle, darkness falls across them both. The floor shifts beneath them in one rapid smooth movement pushing them back together as though there was never any wall in the way. Skylei falls as the floor grinds to a halt, stabling herself by grabbing hold of Senka's arm. The lights are still down; but they're back together.
Senka is making promises and not very nice ones either. Apparently, making knots in intestines is quite popular these days. The wolf is feral, drawing energy from all the violence within her but no matter how she writhes she cannot fight them, she cannot break the hold of many hands on her body. They're even in her hair, untangling the knots with disgusting loving affection. "I'm going to tear open your skin and dig my hands deep in your-" Whatever else Senka is promising to do, it's over quite suddenly as the floor moves and faceless disappear. It takes effort, it takes determination but the beast manages to stay on her feet as more and more hands disappear from her skin. Except for one, a soft hand reaching out to hold onto her arm. With a snarl the beast turns, yanking her arm from the other's grip while swinging her other arm up. Should poor Sky be unprepared, she'll be faced with a palm hitting her chin with more force than must be comfortable and slender fingers curling to dig into her flesh. As always, the albino is not afraid to draw blood but she'll only do so should the half-elf move. Somewhere, be it somewhere far and faint, the woman does know that it's Sky she's holding. Most of her soul, however, is wrapped in the violent rage for which she was so well known, once.
Skylei squeals as Senka's palm makes contact with her chin. It's not that it hurts particularly badly, though it stings enough to legitimately elicit a whimper, but the shock of the woman making contact with Sky's face makes the half-elf's eyes water and her face grimace. Not that Senka would be able to see her grimace, the darkness still blankets the two and Sky certainly cannot see a thing. Skylei's own thoughts are somewhat lucid, her soul having been calmed by Senka's presence. The lycan however is only greeted with, "What the bloody hell, woman!?" Skylei's own hand goes to clutch the side of her face. She wondered if damage to her body in this world would translate to her physical body once they escaped this labyrinth of hell. She takes a few steps away from the woman, to stop her from causing any more damage to her fragile soul. She has enough courage, in spite of Senka's fury, to utter a command; "We need to keep moving." Sky wants to grab hold of Senka and drag her along after her. But with the albino in such a volatile state, so close to mania and so far from sanity, Sky doesn't dare even get close. And so Sky attempts to take control as best she can, "Will you follow me…?"
Senka attempts to draw blood before Sky's chin is quite free from her grasp. However, the moment she hears Sky's voice she blinks and pauses. Red eyes, always so very useful in the dark, now reveal very little. It might be a place of minds but her mind has always been a bit of a mystery. "Touchy two-walkers," Her husky voice is low, rumbling in displeasure. She's pacing, restless and agitated after that loving assault. Truthfully, that experience rattled her almost as much as her ghostly friends…the spirit triplets that tormented her for so long. "Will you follow me…?" Sky's voice draws her back to the here and now and with a disgusted snort the wolf is quite suddenly herself again. Such is madness; after all, it breaks like waves on sandy beaches and can disappear quite as smoothly. Drawing back to gather for the next crash. "Taking the lead, little pup?" Senka's voice is mocking, the voice of the bully that she truly is. There will be plenty of hunting that she will do alone after this. Already there are faces in her mind, her soon-to-be-victims calling her attention. Soon, real soon, of that the psychopath is certain. "You better let me go first," She simply continues, following Skylei into the darkness and quickening her pace to try and pass her, "You're too easily caught off guard."
Skylei flushes a deep red. For once she is grateful for the dark and the fact that she is of half-elven birth. The elf in her soul forces that ever-so human rage under control so that she doesn't simply scream at and slap the woman. Has she not proved herself time and time again? Yes, Sky made some mistakes… a lot of mistakes, probably more mistakes than her company was worth. But she has come through time and time again and in spite of it all, she was still standing alongside the alpha. But that never mattered; the lycan doesn't possess the sentimentality that keeps her soul so good and pure. But her internalised rage taunts her soul, driving Sky ever closer to the madness that possesses Senka, threatening to corrupt that inner goodness. A deep scowl sets on to her face and she storms after the wolf after feeling her brush up past her. Her words are laced with sarcasm and positively dripping with that irritation she is fighting so hard to keep under rational control "You'd better stay close then. You wouldn't want me disappearing and causing you more trouble than I already have." And yet she carries on following after Senka, having to keep listening hard to hear the female's footsteps as the darkness still surrounds them...