The Power of Fear

[08:53] Deep in the Vale, Lavinia brought her Demonic colleague to the furthest end where they could find a plethora of fauna to mess with. Though before that, they'd make a quick stop at the Nyeshk pit to have some nice spoils! At least the spider would leave here happy and with something.

Now they were here, rabbits of various kinds and large boars roamed the area. There'd even be some rabid Vale wolves in the area if they went further east.

"Seems quiet enough, m'hm. Bit dark, but hey, fits the theme."

Lavinia's usually onyx and purple scales were far more copper-like than normal. The rust had taken quite the toll on her. It was only possible for her to walk straight and talk normally thanks to the ring on her finger. A ring that, despite its properties, seemed to have no negative effects on her particularly occultic form.

"Mmm. To tell ya' the truth, Halidrell. I think I have a degree of control over the dark that even some demons don't have."

She extended and flapped her shadow wings, in a display of pride but also to illustrate her point.

"But it ain't enough. No. I want more. I wanna be able to take what I want without even havin' to move. I wanna know things without havin' to bust people's minds. The dark is in every livin' thing, 'n' I wanna exploit that, so I can take what I need. What I deserve."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[09:05] Halidrell followed Lavinia into the Vale, which seemed to be the common grounds used by the Moonfall denizens and their visitors to tutor one another. It had become a place she herself frequented as well. A brief visit to a Nyeshk pit had put a smirk on her visage, before they went over to a rather quiet spot with all types of critters flailing about.

She knew some of Moonfall were the nature-loving type, yet at the same time to properly tutor Lavinia in all matters dark, she would have to invade on such matters. A small price to pay, nevertheless.

Whilst Lavinia expressed her goal. Halidrell would listen attentively to try and find what Lavinia would wish to learn from her. It seemed she already had control over occultic magic -- and her dark wings were a testament she was rather adept. However she felt something was missing. And perhaps Halidrell understood what it was.

Being the daughter of the Black Silk clan's leader -- she was conditioned to utilize the dark in her benefit. She grew up with the shadows as her lair, the hunt was an endeavor which required her absolute patience and focus -- and in effect, it had made her adept at the power of observation. Which in effect is the key to uncovering what's hidden underneath the darkness of her enemies' soul and psyche.

As such, before she even had control over the shadows, she was already a denizen of it. And her experience within it is something she could possibly pass on to Lavinia.

"I mentioned the shadows, before, Lavinia. And you disregarded it because you assumed it was something you hide in. A place where you strike from the darkness, rather than facing them full frontal." she'd exclaim, pacing along the dirt beneath her.

"However, my meaning was different. You see, the shadows are my ally, whereas for most others, especially humans, it's the opposite." she would add, stopping her stride to face Lavinia.

She peers deeply into her eyes before she goes on;

"Fear is the prime motivator in all realms. It is the fuel that sparks the flame for all races. Without fear, there is nothing else, for what we do, is always in fear of something. Whether it be the loss of life, the loss of a friend, being forgotten, perhaps fear that no one finds you attractive, fear of having no roof above your head...--Every single thing we do in life is out of fear of something." she'd state, her piercing mercury-like eyes locked onto Lavinia's.

"Fear of time." she would finally add. "Our greatest enemy."

"Like stated before, fear is the prime motivator, but also our prime weakness. I watch from the shadows, learn of my enemies' fear. The shadows itself signifies this fear. Where the light is hope, the shadows it casts down is our fear. And I dwell in it, use it, and mold it into my power. To uncover my enemies' true fears-- /that/ ismy strength."
(Halidrell)
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[09:08] * You have been awarded 1 Roleplay Points! *
[09:18] Ah yes, the confrontation of perspectives. It was inevitable, and what Lavinia ultimately sought when consulting a demon for this specific session. The theme here: Fear. And while the rhetoric here was worthy of top level sophistry, it held a lot of truths in relevant contexts today.

Fear was a prime motivator. It was Lavinia current drive. The spider wouldn't know, nor did the dragon's body language express even the slightest bit of caution or reluctance. These scales hid more than just flesh, after all.

"So, fear. It is your weapon. It is somethin' you embrace. I s'pose you also feel fear, huh? You welcome it, to drive ya'? And when y'understand it, y'can use it."

She crossed her arms, nodding. Lavinia was never the most intelligent person, but she was very good at remembering. And in turn, she could adopt logics. Basically, she wasn't dumb, just not too eloquent.

Her clawed hand would extend toward one of the nearby rabbits. From that motion, her palm oozed of an occultic miasma. The hare seemed to almost immediately start to tremble, before shrivelling and die as Lavinia siphoned all of its energy.

"But, fear ain't somethin' physical. It has to be somethin' from within. It is the shatterin' of one's will, taken by what they fear. Hmmm. I'm understndin', I think. But I don't know how I can realize this."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[09:28] If anything Halidrell deemed Lavinia one of the more logical creatures in and around Moonfall. She was one of the few that would take Halidrell's words in consideration and attempt to find the meaning behind those words. Most of the rather brutish inhabitants would often miss the note and evade the meaning of things. Regardless, she thus knew Lavinia would in time come to understand her, and in effect, the power of her philosophy.

Lavinia was right -- it is Halidrell's weapon, however perhaps not so much in the manner most people would think. It is easy to intimidate those that are weaker than you and thus strike fear into them. But at the same time, those trauma's will soon pass, to which the power will diminish. Halidrell often states true power is hidden -- and finding the hidden fears of people, is where true power resides. One could only guess at Halidrell's true play within Esshar, and how she intends to influence it. But it is unlike any other demon would attempt -- that's for sure.

"You are wrong, but I can see why. To answer to your prior statement. Fear is my weapon, yes, but it is not as simple as merely embracing my fear. Fear is there to be fear. Embracing it fully, would mean said fear would slowly diminish, as one acclimates to it. That is not something I seek for myself. My own fears are not relevant when I am at work -- and other individuals' fears should not become mine. So I do not embrace it as if it were the milk of a mother's breast...--No." she'd exclaim, pausing for a moment as she does love them pauses.

"Fear for me is like science. Which will get us to your second statement. Fear /is/ physical, as like I mentioned before, fear is the prime motivator. Look into a liar's eyes, and they will avert them. Someone anxious will shake -- some even uncontrollably. Someone truly terrified, will not be able to move. Such things are very physical indeed." she'd explain, going on;

"If a man gets cut, they will remember how it felt. The fear if it happening again, will either allow them to avoid it altogether, or perhaps dilute one's mind to a point they lose the focus they need to do so. To summarize, fear is /very/ physical. It is like I said, the prime motivator in /all/ things."

"So what I do. I study. I observe. I uncover what's hidden from the light and resides in the shadow. But there is a little twist. I /am/ the shadow."

"To know someone, or something, is to also learn of it's fears. How they came to pass, how they deal with said fears. But if I am the shadow where those fears reside in. I will be able to use it against them -- no. I will be able to FEAST upon them. And in effect. I shall take it's power. After all, what is more powerful to wield than the thing which controls every single living being?"

She outstretches her hand towards a critter over yonder.
(Halidrell)
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[09:40] This made sense, yes. Fear always had a physical side effect. Perhaps Lavinia didn't mean it so much as an underlying element rather than the raw concept of fear being something intangible. But she wasn't here to argue or get HER point across, she was here to learn about Halidrell's perspective. Besides, Halidrell was right and Lavinia was as well.

With each emphasis made in Halidrell's speech, the dragon would nod in acknowledgement. She was recording it all in that brain of her's. Registering all the details so she could ponder it all when in a more personal and comfortable space. She was good at remembering.

One had to become the fear. To become the danger. To be the one who knocks! Yes, that did make sense. And it didn't particularly demand the control of shadows, or even the dark, to achieve what Halidrell was presenting.

"Hmmm, how do ya' observe one to know their fear, though? Especially someone who is your enemy. Ain't always gonna have the opportunity to do so. And even the holiest of men can be quite deceitful."

She'd pace around, arms crossed again. Lavinia had succumbed to fear already, and now was trying to understand it. It wasn't a novel concept, but grasping the notion and utilizing it was new.

"I can think of many ways t'be feared. But . . . Even with fear, y'could fall into too. When people are scared, they can also become as dangerous as you. And that's also rather scary. Their wills are gone, but their mind runs wild."


(Lavinia Walters)
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[09:54] "What you say is true, to a certain effect. Yes, their fear could become their weapon as well. However, one's true understanding of fear and how it works will give an edge over those that just are overcome with it." she'd explain, her hand now oozing several threads of pure Black Silk.

Soon, the threads are flung towards a number of trees to which she utilizes her other hand to weave it into a bed of webbing. A single thread is flung towards a critter, one of the rabbits hopping around which is then propelled into the webbing itself. She approaches hoping Lavinia will follow, while she explains.

"I am a social chameleon. I've learned throughout my days what makes individuals tick. Both human, demon, or any other race. In the end I concluded they all tick the exact same way." she explains, further elaborating.

"At first, for example -- people were unaware that I was a demon. A little test to see how I would fare if I were to blend in. As of now, such measures are not needed. But to put it in a simple manner; I am able to weave a web around anyone I interact with and divulge the small things I need to uncover, or deduce their fears."

"I do not need know their deepest and darkest fears if I am able to deduce small things which will set in motion the uncovering of what lies beneath. It is a rather intricate ability, and it requires subtlety and tact. My personality however, makes me unpredictable. Even if those that I examine as my prey find out I am merely infiltrating their psyche, I can assume another persona to once again throw them off. In effect, no one so far has ever truly predicted me -- and in effect. I can observe in peace." she says, now near the rabbit strung up in the web.

"It helps that I am not a aggressive creature. And most of my examinations are not needed -- however I do so as a habit. One day it might prove to be useful. When the day comes one might become my enemy, I will know all their quirks. It will give me an edge. This is the base premise of becoming one's fear." she'd state.

"But, this is /my/ way. But then again you could consider I am lying, and there is more to it. Or there is something else I do. The uncertainty of it all will invoke an anxiety into people -- so they will always be on guard around me, once they learn of how I weave my threads. Uncertainty is one of the prime causes of fear. So in a way, I have become fear itself." she'd ramble on, soon realizing it will probably be too much to take in.

"But let's focus on what you can do. See this rabbit? It's instincts tells it I'm the predator, and he is the prey. Simple right? Animals such as these are the most honest in things like this. It just knows to fear me."

She then manipulates the black threads, which are revealed to be doused in some sort of shadow. It starts toslowly overtake the rabbit, enveloping it in a black miasma of shadowy smoke.

"It's fear grows by the second, making it vulnerable for me to invade it's psyche. My mana will come knocking, and due to sheer fear, it will have no choice but to submit. Then, I feast. I consume it's fears, and as such, it's very will, will come with it."

The rabbit squeals, and slowly but surely, it's eyes go cold, yet it is still living.

"Humans have stronger wills of power. But when one's fears are revealed, and they are put into a position where they will be at the whims of a predator. Ultimately, their fear will be mine to feast upon."
(Halidrell)
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[10:11] Oh, a field experiment! She'd definitely want to see that. Enthusiastic, Lavinia followed the demon to see just what would be going down with the poor prey.

Though as Halidrell spoke of her own unpredictable nature, Lavinia would confer the demon a stare. Almost a squint even. The dragon was still somewhat immature, despite now being a young adult, and somewhat saw it as a sort of challenge to figure out the spider. Though, mostly in jest. As she'd also figure that Halidrell had been staking out the young dragon too. That was somewhat intimidating.

"You're right that I didn't figure you y'were a demon 'till we went on that trip. Y'know how t'sound and act human. And even then, some humans I mistake for demons 'cause of how they are. Like err."

She paused for a moment, hesitant if she should even say this. But she would anyway.

"Like Sibylle, really. More of a demon than a human."

Now, back to some Halidrell tomfoolery. Casting doubts into the minds of her listeners. Maybe this was all just a big lie. It did not make Lavinia anxious more so than very curious. There was something else on her mind that superseded all other worries. One she did a good job burying.

Attention returned to the rabbit, intrigued to see what would happen to it in this little experiment! And there it was. The dark, used not to destroy, but to take. Take the rabbit's primitive will and leave it only with overwhelming fear. Total blackness, hardly physical, and left completely vulnerable.

Scaly fingers hooked, prompting quite the loud cracks, as Lavinia almost obsessively fixated the now horrified and paralyzed beast. It'd likely die from the fear, as many animals do when in particularly stressful situations. But, it was /fine/ beyond that.

"Wow . . . It's like you sucked out all of its will t'fight or t'flight. It's just, there, at your mercy."

It was just there as Lavinia was left there, exposed and vulnerable by fear. She had wished to impose her own will onto others so she could feast on it, and yet she was the one with the fleeting willpower and ended up being the rabbit for both the Albino dragon, and the Gremlin demon.

She clenched her jaw, teeth gritting, as she recalled just how revolting that experience was. The vision given by her friend. Lavinia had no desire to be this rabbit, shackled and left mortified.

"This is what I've been wantin' to understand, in truth. I thought I could just . . . Impose my will onto people with raw power. But, t'take somethin' as powerful as someone's will, I start t'see why fear is such a useful tool. Heh. No wonder no one bothers ya'."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[10:23] "Exactly." she'd state.

"I do not present myself as an enemy, nor as a dedicated ally. I am who I am, and people respect me as such -- and in effect, leave me be. It gives me the room to work, and do what I want. In the end however. I will most likely be one of the only ones left." she'd state.

The rabbit was now completely devoid of life. Or rather, it's soul was gone, taken by Halidrell who had opened the gate to it's psyche, a gate weakened by unsurmountable fear. A bitter after taste for Halidrell however, as such inferior creatures were hardly sustenance. But for the sake of demonstration, it was enough.

"I know of your predicament and why you ask me to teach you my views." she'd state, having deduced she and the other little dragon had gone on a journey to ascension, and they have been met with disappointment left and right. She could deduce that Lavinia is searching for a way to have power of thosethat had barred her until this point, and as such, she attempts to advise.

"That dragon we met. A grand creature, one that stands at the pinnacle of your species. You asked it for help, but it had done very little to do so. And you were left with scraps, like a child dismissed by a tired elder." she would exclaim, the reality ringing true in her words.

"I think it did not take your seriously. It had no need to. It was old and tired -- why would he aid a fledgling drake like yourself. But then again, he did offer us his essence as we commanded. So the difference was clear."

"In regards of /our/ request, namely the demons. He had no longer a say in the matter. We demanded it, we had won the battle. And we were prepared to take it to the end if he did not heed our wishes. Perhaps he would best us, perhaps not. But he knew that we had the will to push through. You and the other little dragon however -- you asked for a favor you had not earnedyet." she'd state, momentarily pausing.

"If I have learned one thing is that creatures of great power. They do not do favors. They act based on power, and the sheer force of will that goes with it. If he had fought us there and then, he was afeared he might perish. As such, he acted based on his /fear/. You however, attempted to speak to his benevolence. But solitary creatures as such have no need for such concepts, it will only respond to it's own fear."

She would finally state, her overall message of the entire lesson;

"The next dragon you cross. Introduce it to raw fear, invoked by a creature whom he will deem lesser -- in fact, you. And it will bow it's head and give you everything you desire."
(Halidrell)
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[10:40] Halidrell presented fear as a key. A key to getting what Lavinia wants. The key to the minds of many. The dragon clenched her fist, scales cracking under the pressure of her rising frustration. The same occultic miasma that had oozed from it wheezed from the fissures between her fingers, like a high pressure leak.

If she wanted answers, to be taken serious by the demons, to no longer be seen as a pet, she had to be feared. Had she been feared by Anikos, he would have likely capitulated before taking her tail. Daemia would actually respect her and demonkind would have to recognize her as a creature of equal standing.

But most of all, should she ever be confronted to Ryujin, she would not be his Nehir. No. She was going to get her answers, even from the Gods.

"Tch. Here I thought my kind could transcend this crap."

Lavinia was still frustrated. But not at Halidrell. A sudden release of the blackness she had stored in her clenched fist would have various bolts of darkness befall a few nearby rabbits. It wouldn't harm them, but rather pin them with ropes similar to the spider's webs. Evidently not as silky and refined, but the occult was something she could mould exceptionally well given how she harmonized it with her blessing.

"Tell me, Halidrell. What do y'think I fear? Ain't puttin' ya' to the test, just wanna know your deductions on me."

She did not look at the demon but instead the creatures she had trapped. Approaching the first victim, she'd proceed to try and imitate what Halidrell had done. An imposition of her will manifested by the occultic ropes slowly covering the animal's being. She neutralized it just as she did when imbibing her scales with the mana to avoid any physical damage and instead tried to infiltrate the creature's very mind, it's soul.

The beast would squeal and struggle, while Lavinia sadistically continued to try and drill her willpower into its primitive sense. It was already terrified, but she wanted to push it even further. Use that initial fear as a basis to grow it exponentially, until it'd be hollow.
(Lavinia Walters)
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[10:46] Halidrell would smirk, observing Lavinia's actions as her anger grew to a bile of putrid miasma, now taken out on the rabbits in front. She'd answer, offering some insight on what she had deduced.

"I have not thoroughly inspected you. For now, I didn't deem it necessary, because I had the feeling you're much more of an ally than someone I should be cautious around." she'd state.

"However, habitually I do examine key things about you. I would say your fear is seeded deeply in a form of insecurity. You have probably grown up listening to stories of grand dragons with power that forces others to respect them as near deity-like creatures. The sheer emphasis on these legendary traits put a strain on you, as you feel you should have the potential to become something much alike." she'd state.

"However the time of dragons seems to be at a near end. Most dragons are in remote places - your dragonkin are numbered, and there are other forces at work who do not seem to acknowledge your kind as they would in older times." she'd state.

"Your fear is that you will be unable to ascend and prove yourself. You fear that ultimately, you will become just a passing line in the book of history. Your fear, is that you will die without knowing what it's like to be a true dragon." she'd state.

"Am I right?"
(Halidrell)
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[10:58] "For someone as young and probably volatile as me, that's a bit careless, Halidrell."

Spirit eyes were still fixed on the dying animal. It was going to die from the whole ordeal even if Lavinia hadn't completely overwhelmed it like the demon had. It didn't matter, for she had other subjects to work on.

"That is somethin' I'm worried 'bout, yes. But I didn't grow up with tales of dragons 'n' legendary people."

She marched over to the next imprisoned critter, seeking to have it undergo the same experience. It was primitive, so an easy catch, but she had to start somewhere.

"My mom was, and still is, a whore. Never knew my dad, who was a descendant of the dragons. I only really got to learn 'bout 'em dragons when I grew my scales as a teen. I s'pose it gave me somethin' to be proud 'bout, better than bein' some field worker destined to serve demons."

Lips pursed, tone neutral, she just kept on inflicting the same ordeal to the beasts.

"I'd hate myself for not becomin' somethin' better than the muddy shit I am now. But, what I fear has to do with one of your kind. To overcome it, I'd have to be seen as equal to you. And I can't do that as a mere human, no matter how true it is. No matter how many demons it took to beat one knight. Only as a dragon can I earn the respect I deserve, and to be free."

And to achieve this, she needed to be feared. By her kind, and the demon that ensnared her. Or, alternatively, be feared by those that threatened her comfortable place with that demon.

"You're right 'bout dragons gettin' obsolete. They ain't shit anymore. They disgust me on how . . . Pathetic they've become. So I wanna transcend them too. Be the proper replacement for their failure."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[11:04] "Ah, the shackles of life. There will always be something or someone that will impose it's will on you. And to overcome it, one must transcend one's self. And in effect become a better version of their selves. Your history, albeit a bit muddied as far as I can see, can be molded and formed to become your weapon as well." she would exclaim moving closer to spectate Lavinia's master of the Occult.

"What I find laughable is people's obsession with heritage, their past and what blood one carries. Most demons demand that everyone else validates their superiority, but I see it a little different." she adds, a smirk on her lips.

"It is the flaw of all living creatures. To quantify one another based on the things no one truly has much control over. Your mother, you could not control her. Your race, you cannot control that. Yet any and all will want to use it to determine /your/ worth. But one's worth can only be determined by he who possesses it. As such, I will see all things equal, because I am not going to be an individual that will underestimate, or overestimate another, based entirely on their race. I am smarter than that. And in a way, with that simple understanding, I have already transcended what it means to be a typical demon."

She then looks at Lavinia, all the same, to bring across the point of it all.

"You can transcend yourself as well. Not as a mud blood, a bastard or a dragon. But as Lavinia."

A smirk forms along her visage.

"Those will be my parting words. Keep them in consideration."
(Halidrell)
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[11:14] The value of individuality. Something Lavinia had forgotten with her constant exposure to Daemia and Flayre's talk of blood purity. It truly was a revolting concept for someone like Lavinia. One who resented her origins and the idea of intimacy. Both of these were contingent to her apotheosis as something greater.

Halidrell's words did calm her down, however, just as Heidi's did. The constant discharge of cruelty on the animals ceased, as she'd allow the remaining to flee.

"Hmmm. Few think like you, Halidrell. And the one that matters certainly doesn't think like that. As such . . ."

The miasma of blackness that consistently flared on her hand would slowly died down, a gaze of melancholy remaining on it.

"I have to prove to myself more than to them that I am worthy of freedom and respect. For I led myself to this prison I cannot get out of, and blamin' my origins makes me like these backward fools."

Calmed, her wings retreated completely, folded behind her back.

"Thank you, Halidrell. I will keep these words in mind. And I will have my name respected, rather than the idea of myself I propose to them."

A light smile.

"Though, I'm still becoming a dragon. And I will transcend these old pieces of shit. As Lavinia Walters."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[11:15] Halidrell says, "I see you are able to find your flaws... It is now up to you to break free."
[11:16] Halidrell says, "Good luck."