TRP: Goatface and Rieka (Wolf's Bane)

[Setting: Backstory. Random unimportant town.]

"You're done!" the bouncer yelled, heaving Rieka
out. She hit the ground, sprawling out face first in the dirt. And just lay
there, for a second.

"Assholes," she finally muttered, rolling over and
struggling to her feet. "Kick a woman while she's down why don't you. Ass-
assholes on a stick."

Clumsily she pawed at her pockets, Rieka knew she'd stashed
a flask somewhere-- and there it was. Still half full too. Staggering off, she
tried to twist it open. Clumsy, shaking fingers couldn't get a grip. And then
the nausea hit. Rieka braced herself against the wall, retching.

Ugh. She needed another drink. Just... needed to rest a
second. Rieka staggered, her feet taking her out of Podunk Nowhere and out to
the ugly, dusty countryside surrounding it. She collapsed, her eyes slipping
closed. There was a flower, just in front of her. Wolf's Bane.

It was the last thing she saw before falling unconscious.

Jen

When she came back to her senses, the bleak landscape she'd
fallen asleep in was gone. Instead, a bed of soft, dry moss and grass covered
the ground that seemed to stretch as far as she could see in the gloomy, almost
sulfurous light. A sweet scent like rotting flowers filled the air that stood
perfectly still, as if just waiting for the storm.

From somewhere behind her came footsteps, quieted by the
soft ground. Out of the darkness, a create stepped. Thin and tall, on two
hooved legs, with ribs shining through translucent, almost iridescent skin. Its
body was naked, its member visible between its legs and six teats bobbing with
every step. The starkest juxtaposition, however, sat on its shoulders: two
golden eyes watched Rieka out of a goat's black-furred face. Long horns grew
from it, twisting around each other at the tips.

The creature walked slowly, deliberately, without haste but
clearly towards Rieka. The eyes were fixed on her, rectangular pupils giving
away no emotion.

Abby

"What the fuck." Rieka scrambled to her feet,
putting some distance between herself and the-- thing. She reached for her
mace-- and it wasn't there. A lot of stuff wasn't there, actually. Her
clothes-- she was wearing fucking butterflies-- her pack, and most importantly,
her flask. God she was sober too. Ugh.

Right. Well whatever this was, it was weird. And powerful.
Too powerful to fight. So Rieka turned back to the... goat-thing. "Hey,
any chance a gal can get some booze around here?"

Jen

The creature stopped. It tilted its head slightly, then put
its hands together in front of its face. When it pulled them apart, a sapling
rose from its palm. The sapling sprouted a branch, leaves, then blossomed, and
when the blossom died, a fruit formed in its place. The fruit grew until it was
a ripe, red apple- then withered and grew soft.

The creature plucked the overripe apple from its hand and
held it out to Rieka.

Abby

Rieka looked at the apple, then at the goat-thing.
"Y'know usually booze is something you drink," she said, taking the
apple and biting into it.

Jen

The creature did the head-tilt again, looking thoughtful- as
thoughtful as a goat could.

Abby

It may not have looked like booze-- but it sure tasted like
it. Felt like it too. Could be stronger, but Rieka wasn't gonna be picky.
"Y'know there's a reason I get drunk," she said. "Don't exactly
appreciate having... people? I guess? Show up in my dreams and un-do all my
hard work. So if you could just do whatever it is you popped in here to do and
let me get back to that, I'd appreciate it."

Jen

Slowly, the creature bowed its head. Then, without it moving
its lips, a voice sounded in Rieka's head.

"Minu-hei... I want... to ask you a question."

Abby

Rieka stepped back and grabbed at her hair. "Get out of
my head," she said, low and dangerous.

Jen

"Kani," the voice said. "Kanu-ai."

Abby

"I told you to get out of my head!" Rieka yelled.
For a lack of anything better at hand-- she threw the booze apple at the
goat-head too.

Jen

It hit the creature square on the forehead, but it didn't
react. The voice turned into a low humming, a soft melody.

Abby

"Stop it," Rieka said, turning from anger to
pleading. She sank down, hands over her ears, trying in vain to block out the
sound humming in her head.

Jen

The melody stopped then, and everything was silent. The
creature stood still, looking down on her.

Abby

Rieka didn't move. Stayed, curled in a ball, covered in
fucking butterflies, stuck in some messed up dream-realm with some thing that
had no problem getting in her head.

"What do you want?" she asked lowly, finally
looking up.

Jen

For several moments, it stayed silent. Then the voice
sounded again, soft and low. "Exchange."

Abby

Rieka shuddered as the voice echoed in her head.
"Exchange what?" she asked.

Jen

"A wish for..." It trailed off, thought for a
moment. "For possibility."

Abby

Rieka laughed, an ugly laugh. Mysterious and indirect, what
else should she have been expecting? "I don't understand you. You understand
that? I don't get what you're asking of me."

Jen

"I want you... to help. Me. I offer... possibility.
Power." It swayed lightly on that last bit.

Abby

Oh Rieka knew what this was now. She'd heard about this.
Find some being on some other plane, they'd give power, and then nobody ever
talked about what it cost them.

"Uh huh. You sure you want me?" Rieka smiled, a
bitter and broken one. "I can't help myself, the fuck do you think I can
do for you?"

Jen

"I help you help me," it said. "I need to...
otatu. Die."

Abby

Well, Rieka hadn't been expecting that. "Guessing it
ain't as easy as magicking up a knife and letting me have at you huh?"

Jen

"No."

Abby

"Called it." Rieka still hated the voice echoing
in her head-- but the things you could get used to given a little time, and
enough depression. She got to her feet, starting to brush her clothes off but
stopping as she remembered they were butterflies. Why butterflies?

"I'm pretty happy--" ha, as if-- "with the
power I got now, thanks. So if you could just lemme wake up and get back to my
life-- I'm sure you can find some other sap who'd be a lot more willing to
help."

Jen

"Your life," the creature stated. "All you
want?" It pointed at the ground, and out of the moss a myriad little stems
grew, twisting and intertwining until they formed the shape of a body, sprawled
on the ground with some oblong object lying beside it.

Abby

"Uh huh," Rieka said, not entirely sure what
goatface meant but pretending she did. "Yeah. All I want. So I just lie
down here and I wake up and everything's back to normal?"

Jen

Again, the creature just stood there and looked at her. The
shape between them started to decay and sink back into the moss. In its stead,
a single purplish flower grew.

Abby

"Hey," Rieka objected. "I thought that was my
ticket home."

Jen

"Help you help me," the voice came again.
"Help me help you."

Abby

Rieka had a sneaking suspicion goatface wasn't gonna let her
out until she said yes. "Okay, okay, fine. I will help you. We good? Can I
go home now?"

Jen

It gave a single nod, then pointed at the flower.
"Eat."

Abby

Rieka recognized that flower-- Wolf's Bane. Poisonous.
Everything was all mixed up here though-- and even if this wasn't, what would
she be missing out on anyway?

So Rieka picked it, and she ate it.

Jen

"Kukuu'ai," Rieka heard, but she understood
"Thank you."

Abby

"Yeah, yeah." Rieka'd give it a month before
goatface regretted picking her and took it all back. "When do I wake
up?"

Jen

"Whenever you want."

Abby

"I'd like to now."

Jen

She'd hardly finished that last word when everything
vanished. Around her was darkness, a cool breeze, the smell of dust and hard
gravel pressing into her cheek.

Abby

Rieka flailed around and sat up. Clothes-- yep. Pack-- right
where it was supposed to be. Flask-- oh yeah. Rieka emptied that out as fast as
she could swallow.

Now that was all over with, Rieka headed for the tavern.
Time to forget all about that weird goatface and his whole deal.

[END]