Fatum et Fortuna

How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly he spreads his claws and welcomes little fishies in with gently smiling jaws" Independant rp blog for Jackle the Mantle. Post-NiD timeline on occasion but I can jump around. I'm more than willing to rp multiple fandoms. M!A:.None, Status: Alive/Mostly Stable/Loyal (but considering rebellion)

[proxyhunter-archived]

Dual Dreamers

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“Um…” she felt her face heat up, and she looked down at hger feet. “I’ll be able to get back here, right? A-after I wake up….. Id feel really bad being your friend and never visiting.”

[fated-fool]

“Oh? But of course! You got here to start with, that means you have an Ideya that let’s you come to this Nightopia from the Dream Gate.” He explained. “Do you remember the area you came through before you got here? There’s lots of doors there, you just have to walk through the one that comes here.”

“If you need help, I’m sure the old bird that lives there couldn’t refuse you. If not, I’m sure I could look around some other Nightopias for you if you get lost.”

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Dual Dreamers

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“I love sweets,” she confirmed, following after him excitedly, “Ash likes to bake so theres always something yummy at home… She’s tried showing me how, but im not very good yet.” she glanced around as she talked, taking in the nightopia around her. After a moment, a thought occurred to her that had her tugging on Jackle’s hand. “Hey…”

[fated-fool]

“I’m sure you’ll pick it up with some practice. I’m a terrible cook myself, so you’re probably better than me already.”

Jackle paused, looking down at the small dreamer tugging at his hand. “Hm? What is it, Piper?”

[11111111-deactivated-deactivate]

“Im just having trouble understanding how someone could have so many very terrible oversights,” Bree sighed, “my seventeen year old has had better plans and leadership skills. Not often, but it has happened.” shaking her head, she looked the nightmaren over calculatingly.

“I suppose the real question here is what he mustve done to you to make sure you stayed loyal to him,” she observed. After all, she’d had her family threatened, her life taken, and plenty of other terrible things done to ensure her loyalties, and she was still planning on escaping. She could only assume Jackle had endured worse.

[fated-fool]

“Not all leaders rule with wisdom and kindness.” He replied. “Even those without the best skill set for it can rise to power quickly, and Wizeman is, in essence, a god here.”

Jackle paused, glancing at Bree for a moment with a serious expression. It was a heavy question to say the least, and he feared Wizeman for more reasons than just his sheer power. No, it was more personal than that.

“Oh, a few things here and there.” He lied, eyes darting to one of the frosted panes of glass lining the hallway, relieved that it gave him the opportunity to direct Bree’s attention away. “Ah, we’re here!”

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Dual Dreamers

[fated-fool]

Jackle cocked his head slightly, curious for a moment before deciding that Piper was, in fact, okay. He didn’t want things to go awry with his new friend so soon.

“Alright, of course. I’ll take you where ever you want to go.” He chuckled. “We shouldn’t have any more problems.”

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“Can we go to the coffee shop first?” she asked eagerly, “and then see all the plants? And the maze?”

[fated-fool]

“But of course. I’m sure the owner would be delighted to make your acquaintance too. He makes quite delicious cake if you have a sweet tooth.” Jackle grinned, tugging on the dreamer’s hand to lead her towards the central plaza. 

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“Thats idiotic,” Bree maintained, “firstly in entrusting you with raising him, though a forced obedience would make that a less disastrous choice, secondly in allowing you as much power as you did have without supervision to make sure you weren't abusing it. And thirdly keeping you in the same place afterwards where you could maintain any secrets you were keeping.”

“For example, I am currently in charge of a certain territory for my master, and in the brief spans of time where I was usurped or replaced, I was delegated elsewhere, incapacitated, or made to kill myself.” she crossed her arms. “Even with his ability to force loyalty onto me, he still periodically goes through my mind to ensure my allegiance.”

[fated-fool]

“I never said Wizeman was very smart, now did I?” Jackle chuckled. “His plans have always had flaws, but he’s too prideful to see. However, a nice combination of this, and his focus on his goals, makes him easy enough to manipulate if you know how. It’s how I’ve avoided too much trouble over the years.”

“I was given such power and duties raising the twins because, quite simply, it was convenient. There aren’t so many of us with high intelligence, and less so at the time. Many of the others were busy carrying out other tasks for him, so I was deemed available for the role.”

“Besides, i was originally created with the intention of holding Reala’s current role. That means I got a little bit of power until what I was essentially a failed prototype of was ready.” 

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“Its not so bad,” Bree remarked, thinking of the oppresive fear that settled over the residents of hell. This wasnt nearly as potent, but she had a feeling that was more to do with Jackle’s control over the nightmares than a lack of energy.

“Still, I cant help but wonder what kind of general you have that didn't demand a part in the construction of a maze like this, or updates about new additions…. You dont look like the type to trust not to keep secrets.”

[fated-fool]

“A General-” He replied. “That is far younger than me and I was caring for in his younger years long after I started working on this place. When he grew old enough to take his position of power I simply......’forgot’ to mention my little project. There was some family drama, and I realized I couldn’t trust many with this information.”

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Dual Dreamers

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She wrinkled her nose, looking like nothing so much as a small rabbit, and giggled. She swatted at his hand lightly and backed up, tugging at his other hand with both of hers. “Come on, you were gonna show me the things,” she hummed.

[fated-fool]

Jackle cocked his head slightly, curious for a moment before deciding that Piper was, in fact, okay. He didn’t want things to go awry with his new friend so soon.

“Alright, of course. I’ll take you where ever you want to go.” He chuckled. “We shouldn’t have any more problems.”

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Dual Dreamers

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She lolled her head, facing him with her strange eyes for a moment before tugging the chain loose and letting the creature plop onto the ground. Not taking her eyes off of him, she shoved the pian with her foot, sending the pian flying a ways away.

“Okay,” she hummed, smiling brightly and reaching for his hand again. The kusarigama vanished in the time it took her to close her hand around his.

[fated-fool]

That was quite disconcerting, the way she had looked at Jackle and so casually dropped the poor creature. It was completely different to how she was before.....did he break her or something. 

The Nightmaren frowned, reaching out with a gloved finger and poking her very lightly on the end of her nose. He hoped he hasn’t drastically effected her somehow. That would’ve been unfortunate, she was quite sweet.

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Bree gave him a nod, taking a moment to locate her own frear and brutally crush it until she felt nothing.

“Alright then, lead on,” she hummed.

[fated-fool]

The hallways beyond the staircase were painted in cool tones; blues, grays and lavenders. Diamond shaped panes of frosted glass broke up the flat surfaces every once in awhile, each one a different colour and seemingly emitting a dim glow from beyond what the viewer could see. It was an eerily still place, almost foreboding in it’s atmosphere.

“Due to how much dream energy I have hidden here, the place is cloaked in nightmare to counteract it.” Jackle explained to the dreamer. “It keeps things off the General’s radar when he comes to investigate, and stops any other Nightmaren from sensing the Ideyas’ location.” 

[11111111-deactivated-deactivate]

Bree spent a lot of time blatantly not saying anything. So far as she was concerned, if Jackle was there and leading her through she was fine.

So she remained silent even faced with the solid wall.

[fated-fool]

One more check of the watch. After a few moments a door seemed to grow out of the wall itself. It was a small unassuming thing, could’ve been for a storage closet, but Jackle clapped his hands together as if it was what he had been waiting for. 

Opening the door, a dimly lit staircase stood behind it,and he gestured for Bree to enter. “Beyond here there usually aren’t a lot of shifts in the layout. However, I’ve never brought a Dreamer in here before. Any fear you have could amplify it’s complexity.” 

[fated-fool]

“It’s not very far, I assure you.” His voice dropped to a more comforting tone. In fact from anywhere in the museum, it was a all but a few turns to find one of the entrances to the maze’s center. They wouldn’t be traversing the outer corridors for long. “And I think this area will be more suited to your particular aesthetic tastes.”

[11111111-deactivated-deactivate]

Bree curled her fingers into fists, a sharp retort on her tongue in defiance of his gentler tone. She didnt need to be babied!

With visible effort, she swallowed her reply and continued following him in silence.

[fated-fool]

Jackle continued along their path. There were some turns in the corridor that were not previously noticeable, allowing them to leave the strange and seemingly endless yellow hall. More turns, ones that should’ve led right back to their starting point, by all accounts the directions the Nightmaren led Bree didn’t make sense. Every once in awhile, he pulled a clock from a pocket on his waistcoat before returning it.

Finally, Jackle stopped quite abruptly beside a blank lavender wall.

[proxyhunter-archived]

Dual Dreamers

[fated-fool]

The Pian’s distressed noises started up again as it fell clumsily down. It wriggled it’s body in an attempt to free itself, but no such luck.

“It looks complicated, but very interesting.” Jackle hummed admirably. “But what do you hunt with it?”

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She tugged sharply on the chain, the ceature flying toward her caught easily in her hand. “Proxies,” she hummed, tapping the edge of her blade lightly against the pian’s forehead, “and other supernaturals. Not fae, since I am one, but there’s plenty of other creatures swarming the town.” she giggled again, pressing down lightly and watching a small red blot of blood well up and fall like a little tear down the creature’s face.

[fated-fool]

“Piper.” He placed a hand on the girls shoulder. Her actions were unexpected, even a little jarring in comparison to her usual demeanor. “Their skulls are soft. If you continue, you make kill that thing.”

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Dual Dreamers

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She giggled. “Of course~ me and Ash go out, but shes much more experienced than me; I gotta go with yer when we’re hunting or I could really get myself hurt.” her gaze returned to the still nearby pian, and with a grin she took a few steps back, twirling the weighted end in her hand. “Its a hard weapon to learn, but its really fun.”

That said, she released the chain, guiding it towards the pian. It wrapped once, twice, three times around it before dragging it ungracefully to the ground.

“Its very versatile and good for incapavitation,” she grinned.

[fated-fool]

The Pian’s distressed noises started up again as it fell clumsily down. It wriggled it’s body in an attempt to free itself, but no such luck.

“It looks complicated, but very interesting.” Jackle hummed admirably. “But what do you hunt with it?”

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Bree grimaced, following closely and mainly trying to ignore the bright yellow corridor stretching into eternity.

“Im less worried about you losing your way,” Bree muttered. She surprised herself, finding her hand reaching to take hold of the nightmaren’s cape in a search for more concrete security. With a scowl, she dropped her hand. This was ridiculous.

[fated-fool]

“It’s not very far, I assure you.” His voice dropped to a more comforting tone. In fact from anywhere in the museum, it was a all but a few turns to find one of the entrances to the maze’s center. They wouldn’t be traversing the outer corridors for long. “And I think this area will be more suited to your particular aesthetic tastes.”

[proxyhunter-archived]

Dual Dreamers

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“My kusarigama,” Piper hummed, pian forgotten as she surveyed her weapon, “its a weighted ball and chain and sickle weapon.” she held the weapon up slightly for Jackle to see. “I use it when im out hunting.”

[fated-fool]

“Kusari..gama?” He tried out the word. It was an interesting shape, quite unusual, Jackle had never seen one before. It looked rather difficult to use. “You go hunting?”

[11111111-deactivated-deactivate]

Bree had to take a moment to indulge the childish instinct to bounce, slightly, on the floor. That satisfied, she glanced at the nightmaren and sighed. Of course it would be a labyrinth, wouldnt it?

“Lead the way I suppose,” She said, popping another candy into her mouth.

[fated-fool]

“What better place to hide something than in an ever changing maze?” He said in response to the woman’s sigh, as if catching on to her line of thought. “You needn’t worry, I know how this place works. We have no chance of getting lost.” 

Jackle led her down one of the branching hallways, one painted in soft yellow. The place looked a little like when one entered an optical illusion created by two mirrors in a room, creating what appeared to be an endless corridor. 

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Dual Dreamers

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“Gross,” she pulled a face, irritated by the Pian’s sobbing and nonexistent progress. It was just so helpless and ugly and ANNOYING, she wanted to…

She glanced down in surprise to note her kusarigama, familiar in her grip. Pian forgotten, she turned to Jackle questioningly.

[fated-fool]

“Oh?” Jackle hummed, glancing down at the weapon. “You’ve manifested something in the dreamscape. Very impressive, although judging by your expression it was an unconscious decision.”

It was a very strange looking object, although clearly a weapon considering the blade. Had Piper intended to hurt the sobbing Pian that was slowly flying away?

“Um.....what is it?”