ZANE . house venture

[ When he steps into the mirrors, he doesn't know what he's in for.

It twists him slowly. Sight does not serve him, but sound and smell and touch do, and he breathes deeply and calmly as his heartbeat starts to come faster. It starts as a whisper, in the back of his mind. It grows, pesky as a spiderweb, as soft, tickling hairs. It grows. It grows.

He looks to one of his reflections, and it is as though he could see through flesh and bone. He sees the spike that is permanently embedded through his heart. He sees the monster that was always there.

He strikes, shattering the mirror.

Yes, whispers God. Kill them. ]


[ Zane is homicidal. If you would like him to attack your character, wound or kill, or if you would like your character to bring him down (haven't worked out how that's going to happen yet, so it's open), hit this up. ]

[ The video shows a woman, now, with the same dark hair and perhaps vaguely more suspicious eyes than Zane. She is holding up a small dark rabbit with a ring of fuzz around its neck, sort of like a lion's mane. Frequent viewers may recognize this as Dani the Rabbit. ]

Who lost a rabbit?

[ Her eyes move to the ground, somewhere off-camera. ]

...two rabbits.

And a rabbit house.

[ She frowns at the screen. ]

I'm looking for anyone who can keep up with me in CTS. If you can't, I'm not interested.

[ She cuts off the video. ]

[ spam, greenhouse ]

[ This Zane has the bad habit of staring at people when they walk into the greenhouse, and watching them like a hawk while they stay.

When she leaves, she has another bad habit: finding a way to lock the door shut, even when she's not supposed to because this isn't a warden-only area and the door doesn't naturally have a lock on it. (She can attach one, okay. She never said she wasn't petty.) She'll let you in if you give her a call over the network. Probably. ]

[ spam, elsewhere ]

[ Common areas, gym, cafeteria, the bar, the laundry room. She goes about her ordinary routine, and watches you going about yours. ]


[ ooc: Zane believes she has always been a lady. She is rather more hostile and rather more intense than dude!Zane, and more inclined to use sexuality to her advantage. She's also newer to being a warden, and isn't so sure she's redeemed yet. ]

I'd like to put in place a few new rules for the greenhouse.

[ That's where he's broadcasting from; it's video, warm and green around him. ]

First: This is a safe place. Any violence, and you'll be banned. I'll decide how long. You might be tossed in Zero too.

Second: If you maliciously hurt any plants, that's grounds for banning too.

Third: I've heard that talking to plants is good for them. So I want to invite everyone to come in and talk to them. I'll keep the things you say secret. So will they.

Fourth: ...if there's anyone who wants to work there, tell me.

[ Oh, right. There are new faces, lately: ] I'm Zane. I'm in charge of it. [ For some reason. ] I'm not a botanist or anything. I just like the flowers.

[ Here, he is stiff, a little awkward: ] And I was an inmate once. I ... know what it's like. And I was an assassin, too.

[ He tries to think of more to say, fails, and hangs up. ]

[ flood ; action ]

[ Encounter Zane as a still figure, standing, blindfolded. He does not react to most things around him, but he is poised, tense. Breathing. Listening. He wears woods-roughened boots, dirty blue jeans, a ragged t-shirt.

Speak to him, if you want. ]

[ for bush ]

[ Bush should have known. He should have known that any attempt on the Emperor was doomed to fail - doomed to excite only fury. What was happening? Had all of Home gone completely insane?

Zane does not fear the Loyalist, the perfect Navy man. He knows who Bush is, though they are not truly personally acquainted. The Emperor likes this one. So it is a betrayal: a personal betrayal. And personal betrayal requires a personal touch.

This is why Zane steps up to escort him to the tower prison, the Spindle, the upside-down oubliette. He declines the guards; stay to protect the children, is what he says. He can take care of this one.

They step into a cylindrical elevator, one that will throw-and-catch up a thin line to the tendrils of the prison. A very, very special prison.

Zane's eyes: steady and unblinking. Accusing. Why would you do this. Why would you betray him. ]

[ for cassel, maybe morgana pre-cassel?? ]

[ He ghosts around the perimeter again and again and again. They are coming. They must be coming. He knows, in his bones, that they won't give up. So he'll have to stop them. Lock them away between here and the Barge, or try killing, or find a way to knock out the Admiral's control. Something. He has to. There's no other option.

He can't lose the children.

So he is here, in the nooks and crannies of the castle, circling the chambers where the children can be found, waiting. ]

[ video - private to the Emperor ]

I want you to remember.

When you were first here, when you thought that this was all a projection of Alexander's, we spoke. You thought it was ridiculous, remember? That the Lord Ruler could be a metaphor for you. You would never rule your people so incompetently. You would never be so pointlessly cruel.

You've just proven you can be. You killed Bush. For - what? Telling you that you were wrong?

You bastard.

[ Zane's voice is abruptly thick and choked. There was more he wanted to say, but it's gone, it's all gone and scattered. ]

It's over. We're over.

[ spam, CTS ]

[ Zane can be found in the CTS. For days. He fights until he is exhausted, then burns pewter and starts to drag. He has done this before, run for days without rest on pewter and water alone, but now he isn't bothering with the hydration. No care. No real thought. He is just fighting, and he will go on until the pewter is done, and until there's nothing left to burn. ]

[ private to marsh ]

I need more pewter.

[ spam - everywhere a nosy animal could get ]

[ There is a rabbit wandering about the Barge.

A deeply stupid rabbit. And a deeply friendly rabbit.

See him nosing around the deck. Snuggling against a door frame like it's his best friend. Hopping right up to your ankles like you're his best friend. He just wants your love.

Don't worry, Zane is in pursuit. ]

[ private to sylvanas - video ]

[ A pause. He's considered several things to say to her, but none seem likely to get much of a response beyond mockery. He considers, and finally he says: ]

Would you like to kill me?

[ public - video ]

For a lot of us, things are different here than they are in our worlds. At home, we're kings and queens, or we're invisible, or we're alone, or we're not alone.

I'd like to know how it's different, for any of you who'd like to tell me.

I don't mind telling you what it is for me.

[ video ]

[ Opens on a bunny, here thanks to Scoot, nosing against the camera enthusiastically WHAT IS THIS THING IS IT A NEW VEGETABLE CAN I EAT IT and this may accompany an alarming glimpse of bunny teeth. ]

Oh, stop it.

[ Zane nudges him back from the camera, giving it a clear view of him and his fluffy mane and his stupid ears. ]

He needs a name.

[ And suddenly, the bunny FREEZES. He may have detected a noise. Or responded to a gamma ray. Or become alarmed by a rumble in his own stomach. He suddenly dashes away, and runs smack straight into (and bounces off of) the bed's headboard.

You can just hear the eye roll in Zane's voice. ]

Honestly, he is the stupidest...

[ video goes off. Comes on again, a while later: ]

[ video ; filtered FROM sylvanas, no bunnies in sight ]

I'm Sylvanas's warden now. I'd like you to come to me first if you have any particular problem with her or... anything.

( private to marsh )

( cassel, emperor spam )

( video ; close CR )

[ video ; open ]

I'll be leaving, temporarily. If you have business with me, we should conclude it now.