Soothsay

They fed her exotics; ripe fruits and juicy meats, vegetables from who knows where. She was a treasure, a rarity, as important if not more than the queens sons. No one was to touch her. No one to look her in the  eye. And she was fine with this. Anyone would be happy right? But she was too drugged from the incence and the herbs they put in her food to really care.

No one touch the Queen's Oracle lest you die

And she nearly believed it now, mindless and numb as she was; ranting, rambling things so random, she was sure they'd interpret the way they wanted. And when things went bad it wasn't her fault, they just didn't hear correctly.

On a bed of white silk she lay, floating high and free. The walls shimmered of white silk, flying here and there. She was surrounded by it, it caressed her skin and flitted past her and as far as the eye could see there was white silk. Oh the things she did for him... her darling Max! He'd come to her night after night and make such sweetness to her body and then he'd fade like the mist she was surrounded by. And everyone watched; the perverts! Her face contorted at the thought. They wanted Max for themselves. But he was hers and only hers and she would fight for him! She threw her fist clumsily in the air, nearly falling off the bed. But it was alright! She floated back onto the bed, not quite touching it, twisting and turning like one would at the oceans depths. No one could defeat her Max!

Strong is he
My warrior king
going in and out
in and out
and fighting still
killing and spinning and twisting and
simple simple simple

She giggles, the ramblings of a madwoman inside

She holds him free and twists his bones
She takes him with her smile
yet nay a day the fae he may
but kiss until she moans
He cries and drinks her lovely milk
a babe called to her breast
and grows and chokes
the love of she
tho she he thought the best

Strong is he
My warrior king
going in and out
in and out
and fighting still
killing and spinning and twisting and
simple simple simple

The Queen's sons listen though they don't quite understand. She begins to moan as if being touched, and  the brothers  waited until the vision of this strange "Max" ended. Her back arches and her eyes go wild as she reaches for her invisible lover; they saw it as a sign. For whoever she reached to would be the chosen one to be sacrificed that night; his body food for the Oracle. For the Queen was a God and her sons through her, blessed and through them the Oracle would become more powerful until she was fit as a gift.

And so she rambled, high flying adored and thinking about the man she loved, always him. One day she would find him and he would save her and take her away from this place. Back to their children.

For the Oracle was a treasure, a rarity. If only Max could see that.

Horoscope: Cancer

You're dreams have been haunting you this past week. Listening to them could be a good and bad thing for you as new opportunities present themselves and a loved one turns out to be hiding something. Choose your path carefully.


    "That is true... My dreams have been strange lately. What do you think hunny?"
   
    "Hm?" Max put two slices of white bread into the toaster and pushed the lever down. Selene continued looking at the newspaper as she made her way to the refrigerator. Both of the kids were asleep and this would be the only time to celebrate the new year alone. She pulled out the bottle of champagne and set it on the counter.  Then she put down the paper and walked over to her husband.

Wrapping her arms around him she smiled and kissed him.
   
    "I said, what do you think of my horoscope tonight? Rather strange, right? I mean who in my family would be hiding something?" Max looked down at her, rather annoyed that she'd interrupted what he was doing.  "I don't know dear! It's just a stupid Horoscope. It doesn't mean anything, so stop worrying." Selene's face dropped, as well as her arms.

    "What's wrong hunny, you've never said that before..."

    "It's because I didn't want to hurt your feelings. But it's all fake dear. None of the things it says in those horoscopes is real." His face showed true disgust with the subject, something Selene had never seen before. She felt goosebumps ride up her arm.

    "Wow. You're rather cynical this evening." Actually he'd been rather cynical for months now; like he'd been tiring of her. She pretended to ignore it; attributed it to stress at work. After all she knew he loved her. They'd been in love since they were just kids. And from the time they'd been married she'd only seen his love for her grow. The neighbors always said what a beautiful couple they made and how nothing in the world could tear them apart. She hung onto that hope, although... well, she'd never had to hope before. She'd always just assumed. Now...

Selene went to the Cabinet and pulled out two champagne glasses. She wasn't going to let his mood ruin her evening.

    "I'm not Cynical; I just don't understand all this craziness about-"
    "Champagne dear? Let's just forget I said anything." Oh! how she missed her husband! This man in front of her with his scowl and harsh words was not her husband, not tonight. Max would never say such things. He loved hearing her horoscopes. Sure, he didn't always believe them but he never made her feel this way. Now it was like he was angry at her for having a belief in something.  "You must be so stressed with work and everything. I know how hard it can be..." She offered him a glass. Max ignored it and walked out of the kitchen.

    Selene followed. "Did I do something? Say something...?" Her voice trailed off as she knew there would be no answer.  One last attempt,
"EGO vos diligo." It was Latin, a language she didn't know but he'd taught her that one phrase as a token of love. He was so smart...

"What does that mean?"

In that moment she knew. Her chest tightened up as she looked at him. Everything was the same; every line every hair. How...? She didn't know and she didn't want to. Without saying a word she turned and went up the stairs.

"What the Hell does that mean?!? Selene!" Footsteps up the stairs, after her. Selene was scared. What would he do? She didn't know now because that man was not her husband! She ran. Ran to their/ her room and shut the door. What would he do? Who was that? Who would believe her? And where was Max?

The kids! She opened the door again and rushed right into the stranger pretending to be her husband. She could see it now, in the way he moved, his less than approving expressions. For months he'd been like this! And she'd shrugged it off as stress. Little Max would cry when he held him and Amelia had become so quiet...

The Stranger grabbed her by the arms. "What did you do, woman!"
"You're not m-my husband." Just saying it made her so much colder. "Where's Max?" He shook her then like one would shake a rag doll, but said nothing.

"Mommy?" Amelia's frightened voice echoed down the hallway. Selene had to be brave. She had to fight this and save her kids. She had to keep this monster away from them.

"Go back to sleep Amelia. Mommy will be in there soon, I promise." Her voice held that strength that only mothers could wield when comforting a scared child. She was crying now as she looked up into the face of... who?

"Who are you?" she whispered and he threw her into the room towards the bed. She would have caught the edge by a few inches but missed and slammed into the carpet. She could hear the door closing behind her. Tears streamed down her face. She wasn't strong enough for this! Who would believe her? Who? A rough hand jerked her up from the arm and she cried out in pain. She looked into his eyes then and saw something not human. He wasn't a who, he was a what.

"You need to calm down hunny." His voice was pleading now but his eyes were still alien. "It's me, Max. I'm sorry that I hurt you. That was stupid of me. You're right, work has been really stressful. And you've been really supportive. Please. Just- come here?" He pulled her to him in an embrace. But Selene could feel it now, the stiffness of his body, like a living machine.

And then the pain in the back of her head made everything go black...

Former Name: Selene Brooks
Alias: Soothsay, The Wise Woman
Kith: Wizened
Seeming: Oracle
Court: Winter
Entitlement: House of Rhapsody

Background-

   1. Born: 1933
         1. Born in South Florida on December 20, 1933
         2. Siblings
               maybe later?
         3. Family
               1. OPEN
   2. Married: 1955
         1. Maxwell Brooks aka. Gaius Arctorus
   3. Children
         1.1959 - Amelia Brooks
         2.1963 -  Max Brooks
   4. UCF founded 1963
         1. Maxwell becomes a Professor of Roman History
         2. He gets kidnapped in 1965 where a fetch takes his place.
   5. Captured: 1966
         1. Selene is captured by the man pretending to be her husband and sent to the Goblin Market where she is sold as a slave. She tries to escape and is
        beaten badly
        for it.
         2. For months she is a slave, selling small remedies and the like to fellow fey, becoming her master's delivery girl under chains.
                1.She is finally sold as a cup bearer and eventually a soothsayer to what appears to be an Egyptian King, telling fortunes and reading the stars.
                  Still serving as a delivery girl, only this time she is to go to the Goblin Market in search of other slaves.
            A)Josh Shor's character - She deliver's him to his master and tells him that she will know when the time is right to escape.
        2. She is then given as a gift to the ring leader and she becomes the herbalist and nurse (among many other things) for the warriors of fame in
           the pits, finally finding her husband.He does not remember her though and in her rage and despair she attempts to escape through the hedge.    
        3. Fighting through the thorns leaves her blind and weak and she is recaptured by a warm voice and the smell of Jasmine. She is taken to the
           summerlands where her gifts of prophecy are brought to life and in assisting five others she manages to escape.
         3. Escaped: 1992
               1. Her escape makes her part of the Blackguard where she is kown as the blind cowl
               2. Black Guard consists of:
                     1. Lord Valentine (Angelus Michaels)
             2. The Soul Behind the Mirror(Emma O'Dea)
             3. The Rolling Rock
             4. The Wolf
             5. The child of Summer

She was chained again. But this time, she couldn't see it; couldn't see anything anymore. The heat from the sun warmed her face. It always would now. For where she was there was no cold, no night... and yet... There was eternal darkness. No shadows or movement that she could see just, black. It nearly drove her mad; this dark heat was like Hell - like being in a furnace and not knowing where the flames would end. Where was the doorway?

She felt along the smooth walls until she found it and took an uncertain step. Down, that's right, the steps lead down. There are three and then grass and...

"AAAGH!" She fell to her knees on the hot stairs shrieking and holding her head as spasms of what could only be hot lava pouring through her skull and out of her eyes. She wanted to cry but she couldn't and she called out for help but there was no one. Slowly - it seemed - she rolled onto the grass, the palms of her hands shoved into her eye sockets, but the pain continued to saw it's way through her brain until - there! She pointed and groaned. The first thing she'd seen in so long! He stood there, tall; a shadow with a map! And he knew the way! She realized she was crying; sobbing actually as the pain filled the vision in red aching streaks of blood and thorn.

She could feel them biting into her skin, tearing it apart and the wild laughter of her mistress as she was being hunted. Yes that was it! She was running now but her legs weren't moving and the heat kept boring into her, searing flesh and bone and thought. They were all so close now! One more step and the six would be free! Six... six of them meant six years meant... six six six six six six six six.... The number echoed until she screamed in frustration. The Lava was now filling her head, her mouth and ears and nose. It gurgled up through her throat and she found herself drowning in the hedge.

But then! That hand! Oh, he would know the way, yes he would! And he could lead her, be her eyes for her -she could see him now. But she was blind, and the realization of this brought her back to her senses; back to the grass on which she lay, her palms still pushing into her eyes, the thin unbreakable chain still encircling her left ankle.

She heard his voice...

The girl known as Selene looked up as if she actually expected to see something and then realized she couldn't. Another voice echoed across the unknown yard to her.

"Selene! Dearest! What are you doing on the floor? Did you have another one?" Footsteps coming towards her at an alarming speed. "What did you see?" A firm hand gripped her chin and yanked on it. Was everyone here blind? For if Selene could see it then why not anyone else?
"I... I don't know mistress. There was so much pain and heat-" Her head dropped before she could finish and then she felt a slap; so warm and sharp and hard her head nearly fell off.  Blood at the corner of her mouth tasted just like the vision. She heard her mistress stand up and walk away. "What am I to do with you Selene?"

The number six hung in the air, with the scent of Jasmine and the knowledge that at last her savior was here. Selena the Oracle smiled.