One hell of a Mother

[Rey'na]

17th Zi'da

Rey sat on her chair, sliding the vial of poison across the table in front of her. Scarf Rot, a small dose of it suitable for only one use. If only she could use a dagger well enough to make it worth using. Although, perhaps she could use it to kidnap someone? Didn't take much skill to stab someone in the back. That would be perfect, too.
Then, she sighed. What use did she have to kidnap anyone? Apart from maybe someone to experiment on, as her mother did. But that would mean she needed more poison, and she didn't have any more poison or she wouldn't resort to just kidnapping someone. She stopped sliding the vial across the table and dropped her head in her arms across the table. Why was this so confusing?

After a few minutes, she stood up and walked over to her bed. She sat on it, leaning against the wall as she did so. Despite how much she hated him, at least having a boyfriend gave her somebody to talk to. She hated being alone this regularly, and she had no idea where Denebah was. Not that it mattered too much, he was probably off performing to some people and having a good time.
After a few seconds, she started kicking her legs playfully off the side of the bed. "Mother" she said aloud, expecting no reply. "When YOU get bored, what do you do? I mean, in your domain so many people can be poisoned and captured and you can get away with it - but what do I do here? People are all law-biding and such."

Rey dropped her head grumpily into her arms, almost like a child would.
"I want to make you happy, like I always have wanted to, but it's difficult to do so with such little in the way of supplies and so few opportunities."

[Basilisk]

After a moment, Rey'na felt a hand on her shoulder. "Rey'na, if you're having trouble finding something to do that will please me, don't get yourself all into a tither about it. Let's see if we can work it out, hmm?" said a jovial, childish voice. When Rey'na looked up, she'd see Lisirra sitting on the bed next to her, grinning slightly. "I liked the way you got rid of the boyfriend, Ricin is always a good plaything." she said, laughing slightly as she spoke.

"So then, what exactly is keeping from having your fun, daughter-mine?" she asked in her cheery voice. As Rey'na explained what was going on, Lisirra idly let a green mist form above one of her hands, a mist that twisted and curled as if it were in pain, though that was far from the truth.

[Rey'na]

As the hand touched Rey'na, she jumped. That is until she realized who it was. Her eyes lit up with pure joy, something that one would rarely see in Rey these days. It had been a while since she genuinely smiled with happiness, but seeing her mother would always be reason to smile.
"Mother!" Rey exclaimed, putting her arms out as if she were going to hug Lissira. She would then stop and lower her arms, realizing it might be out of her place to hug her mother like that. "May I?..." she asked hopefully, her arms still somewhat in a hug-ready position.

She then sighed at Lissira's question. "Well, I'm yet to find a steady source of money, so I can hardly buy poison - even if I knew where to get it from. As for growing it, these conditions aren't like the ones you told me about in Rhakros - the poison is limited. Besides, I'm still not good enough to grow poison well. I suppose we all start somewhere, but...it's infuriating. I want to be the best I can, and I want to as soon as possible, yet it seems like such a distant goal."
Rey then took a deep breath. "Despite my masks and outfits, among other things, it's too difficult to go anywhere without being known. Which got me thinking, a lot actually. It got me thinking about an ability to shapeshift, like Denebah can. But I don't know where to start, and if I can't afford poison then I doubt makeup will do me any good either."

Rey's eyes fell to the mist with awe, admiring it deeply. It looked beautiful, to her, and full of potential. It could have been fatal, or maybe just paralytic. Maybe it even put people to sleep? Or just a disease, physically manifested. It could be near enough to anything, for that fact, and that was what fascinated Rey beyond words.

[Basilisk]

Lisirra smiled and hugged Rey'na when she asked, as she wasn't one of the Immortals who rejected touch from her followers, especially ones she had convinced to genuinely love her, as opposed to following her out of lust for power or some other such concern. After the hug, she listened attentively to Rey'na's problems, then sat in thought for a moment. Before she spoke, however, she noticed Rey'na's awe towards her mist. "It's nothing special, my dear. Simply a mutation of a flu that's currently only contagious to certain species of lizards, but I'm working on giving it a way to spread to human hosts, and from there, the other races." she said, making a gesture and harmlessly dispersing the mist.

"Now, as to your troubles, my dear." she said, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hands as she idly swung her legs back and forth. After a moment, she laughed and clapped her hands. "Finding poison is easy enough, you just need to to go the Water Street Marketplace. It acts as a sort of black-market for Rynmere. In the past, my followers have bought or sold their goods there. We'll cover hiding your identity in a bit, but first let's talk of your income." she said, standing up off the bed and turning to face Rey'na. "You haven't found steady work yet, what kind work would you be most interested in doing, my dear?" she asked, her tone cheerful.

[Rey'na]

Rey'na filled with joy as she hugged Lissira. Without a mother, and a father who was far from kind, she loved having someone to hug. Especially someone who had given her so much. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt when she was young, and as such it brought out her childish side. Rey giggled a little as the hug continued, before letting go.
"That's amazing" Rey said, still in awe. "How dangerous is it?" she said, tilting her head curiously. It wasn't just wanting to know about the disease, but she'd always wanted to help with her mother's experiments - and this could be a way to do it. She smiled as she looked at it more.
"Perhaps...if you make it work against humans and such, I could use some of the gifts you gave me. Take it in and spread it for you. I haven't had much chance to try that yet!" she said excitedly, almost bouncing with joy at the idea of it. Thinking of how proud her mother would be made her ecstatic.

Then they spoke of the problems again, and her mood shrunk back to grumpy. "I'll make sure to bear that market in mind" she said, leaning her head on one hand. "As for the job, the main problem is that I just want to poison people. It's what I do best, and it's a gift you gave me that I will always treasure - what isn't to love? But sadly that isn't much of a valid career choice, in Rynmere at least."
After some thought, she sighed and stood up. "I just want a job where I can improve, so I can experiment more. One day, I want to be the greatest Yithnai you've ever seen. Assassinating people and nobody will even suspect it's me. Making poisons that will go down in history. But I don't know where to start."

[Basilisk]

Lisirra smiled at Rey'na's intelligent questions, her smile both proud and pleased. "Even when transmittable to more sentient races, it won't be deadly, it's too weak for that. But the brilliance of it is that it weakens the immune system, makes them vulnerable to other diseases." she said, before grinning playfully as Rey'na asked if she could transmit it for her. "Oh, of course. If I get it sorted, Andaris will be a perfect testing ground." she said, giving a mock-evil laugh when she finished speaking.

As Rey'na outlined her problems finding a proper job, Lisirra listened for a moment and then grinned. "Well, that's where a bit of trickery is needed my dear. For a public front, I'd suggest a job as a doctor, chemist, or apothecary. Those jobs dabble in strange herbs and diseases all the time, so it's a good cover, especially doctor." she said, before she gave her "daughter" a playful grin. "Now, before we go any further, let me see your work outfit. You know, the one when you're being my lovely little poisoner, not a good citizen."

[Rey'na]

Rey smiled, noticing that she had made Lissira happy. "Even if it was deadly, I don't know if I could handle it that well. I'm not particularly strong yet. But something like that should be no problem" Rey said with pride, feeling as if she'd helped. "As for Andaris, the lowtown would work best for that. It would be fun to watch them become even more vulnerable to those diseases!"
Talking to Lissira gave Rey a feeling of excitement. It was as if she had been given the most amazing present she'd ever received. She felt a part of something greater, like she was assisting in shaping the future of every person in Andaris. With her poisons Rey could target individuals, with her diseases she could spread chaos through the streets of Andaris. It was a goal that, as of now, was beyond her power. But one day, she could ruin the whole city with the help of her mother.

After realizing she had a dark and sinister smile across her face, she returned to normal and listened to her mother again. "A doctor could work, but that would require me to dwelve into medicine as well. Perhaps a herbalist, sell goods to people that need them. Then, I would work with doctors and my cover would be easy, but I could also study and grow some poison and not draw too much attention."
Rey let out a small grin when she was asked about her work outfit. It was something she loved and prided herself on. "Of course, allow me to go and put it on!" she said with excitement, before getting up off the bed and going to her room. First, she put on a cloak over her normal outfit.

Rey walked back in with the cloak's hood up. "I wear this out and about. It's normal, which means it's perfect. Nobody would expect it" she explained. "But of course, if it's a noble event, or I need to go undercover somehow - I choose this" she said, before jogging out of the room.
When she walked back in, she was wearing her black dress that went down to her knees. Her face was covered by her black mask, one that looked like the kind you might wear to a party. But behind it was a purpose.
"Should I ever need to go undercover, this mask will hide my face until I can do it without the mask. Even then, why not do both? It hides my eyes decently, making the glow more faint so nobody would expect it to be a mark - more to be a Biqaj. Perhaps one day that mask will even be one that sends fear through any who see it" she said with joy. She let out a small giggle at the idea, of wanted posters for her mask. People wanting her head but not knowing which head they were looking for.

"I want to expand my wardrobe a bit, when I have the money, but for now I have a general idea. It's still not enough though. Should someone be more skilled than me, or see my face somehow, then it's over in Andaris for me. If I can escape, I can never come back. Assuming I escape alive.

[Basilisk]

Lisirra smiled at Rey'na as she spoke of possibly finding work as an herbalist. "Excellent, my dear. If you play to your strengths, it'll go quite well for you." she said, before watching as Rey'na went to go put on her work clothes. Lisirra watched patiently as Rey'na modeled both outfits, then walked up to her masked appearance and gave dark, pleased smile. "There's my sweet daughter, ready to bring suffering and disease at whim and will." she said, reaching out to gently stroke Rey'na's cheek.

"Now, of course we'll want to get your wardrobe expanded, make it more...enigmatic, more sinister." Lisirra said as she started to circle Rey'na, thinking. "Of course, the easiest way to avert a connection between your upstanding, respectable mask and your true, poisoner self, is to convince people that they've seen the two of you together." she said, before laughing wickedly and clapping her hands. "Your Yludih friend, does he know of your true work and nature, my dear? If so, he could be a most...valuable assistant to you." she purred, her tone both sinister and playful.

[Rey'na]

Rey'na smiled as Lissira complemented her outfit, and stroked her cheek. Her heart raced, like a child winning an award. She put her hand to Lissira's, wanting to keep this moment of happiness for as long as she could. She'd take any chance she could to be complimented and praised by such an incredible person as her 'mother'.
"Suffering and disease is just how you like it, is it not?" she smiled sinisterly. "If that's what pleases you, then that's what this mask will represent. Anything that pleases you, mother, is my priority. Ask and I shall find a way to level the entire of Andaris if you ask me to, turn it to your control."

Rey turned her head curiously to Lissira as she circled her, talking about her wardrobe. "Sinister? What sort of clothes would you recommend? I suppose things that compliment the mask, but you sound as if you have something in mind mother" she asked. Whatever her mother said, she would trust the judgement of and follow.
"He does, yes" she said, confused for a few trills. Then she realized. "You don't mean to say he could..." she said before her voice faded into silence. As she thought about it, her smile grew by the trill. It was perfect. She was attacked by the masked assassin, and then nobody would know it was her that had done it. The plan was flawless, it was beautiful, and so many people would see her as the victim. The same girl they would help to her feet would be the one driving a knife through them in the name of her mother.
She couldn't hold back. She pulled her mother in to a hug, then started laughing into her arms. "Thank you, mother. Thank you. I promise, I will make you proud - no matter the cost."

[Basilisk]

Lisirra smiled at Rey'na's words of devotion, then watched as she realized what she was suggesting with her Yludih friend could do. She returned Rey'na's impulsive embrace with one of her own, letting it last as long as Rey'na willed before speaking again. "Now, you'll want to actually give your friend something he can use on you, so this might have to wait until you've built up enough money to finish your outfit and buy a proper poison for the task." she said, her tone cheerful before she returned to her examination of the outfit.

"For the outfit, a heavy black cloak, with pockets on the inside for the implements of your craft, would be suitable. As well as some comfortable boots and perhaps leggings or stockings, to hide any identifying marks on your legs that might crop up in the future. Gloves are always useful for our line of work, and...something to cover the lower part of your face and perhaps a hat or hood. For this, we'll want make you appear...inhuman. Monstrous. A being of malice and darkness, beyond the scope of Mortal understanding." she said, her tone thoughtful before she grinned wickedly. "I might just help with your performance, my dear. Make a disease suitable for the stage you'll set." she said, before giving a wicked little giggle. "If this goes as well as I envision, no one will associate your masked form with anyone but me, my dear. To them, it'll be as if you were created by me for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc upon these poor unfortunate souls."