三 [Visual] Hallowed is the path...

[hearts_of_gold]

The visual comes on, sent to as many people as possible, and Inara's looking a bit...different-ey. Her hair is swept up into a refined, almost regal style and her expression is far harder than usual. Something in her eyes suggests that she is both very focused and very displeased about something, but when she speaks it's with a smile.

A not at all

Comments

[Visual]

[slasher_slayer]

Have a Cassie, who's not exactly into religion.

"You can fuckin' try. But I'm awful hard to destroy."

[Visual]

[hearts_of_gold]

Resistance. How amusing.

"I am imbued with all the power of the Ori, and I assure you that I am also..."

Her fingers trail up to her throat where a pendant or a necklace might normally be, and finding nothing there is very brief alarm in her eyes, quickly covered.

"...very difficult to destroy," she says haughtily, and then attempts another very thin smile.

"It doesn't have to come to conflict, though. If you simply accept the truth and the light of Origin and become a part of my great army, you will be spared and set on the path to enlightenment."

[Visual]

[slasher_slayer]

"Oh, it will come to conflict. I don't do armies or enlightenment or any of that mindfucking, cult shit," Cassie replied, thoroughly unimpressed by Adria's 'oh, I'm tough to kill too' statement.

[Visual]

[hearts_of_gold]

"Origin is not a cult," she laughs dismissively, holding up a poised hand for emphasis. "It is the only truth. It is the one true path. And those who oppose it will meet a very unfortunate end."

[visual]

[valaunbound]

Vala can't do much more than stare at the screen infront of her for a good few moments, an ever increasing sense of dread mounting as she listens to Adria spouting her Ori nonsense and accompanying death threats.

But it's Adria, her daughter, her own flesh and blood, and she looks very much alive.

"... Adria?" She almost wants the answer to be 'no', or to wake up and realise this is all just a bad dream.

[visual]

[hearts_of_gold]

The voice draws Adria's focus, and catching sight of the screen for just a moment she's a lost and confused girl who's genuinely glad to see her mother.

"Mother!" She says with a smile, but it fades quickly.

"I thought that I sensed you...Why am I here? Did you and your friends do this?" She can't keep her hand from returning to the place where a piece of the Holy City of Celestis should be resting in her conspicuously missing pendant.

[valaunbound]

Vala's expression is caught up in one of those 'I'm smiling, but I also know this is very very bad news' poses that she seems to fall back on by default when she's still working things out. There's a glint in the way she's smiling though, that is as equally pleased to see Adria. Not that she'd admit it, given the delightful introduction Adria has just broadcast to Taxon, however.

"I can assure you this has absolutely nothing to do with me or SG-1." Vala holds her hands up in protest, before Adria takes it on herself to get revenge.

"It's... it's good to see you though?" She adds with some trepidation, the genuine truth of that visible in her eyes though. She's already taken note of the lack of pendant, the way Adria keeps fingering her throat drew her attention to it almost immediately. She's not sure if that's a good thing or not. Oh god why is this happening?

[hearts_of_gold]

She has, until now, done a very good job of hiding the edge of panic in her voice. Trying to win converts to Origin is usually enough to distract her from whatever her situation might be at the moment, but for the first time in her alarmingly short life she is on completely unfamiliar footing and quite vulnerable.

"Where are we, then? Where is this place?" And it's rare that she has to turn to her mother for answers.

[Voice]

[stealth_shot]

[guess who is not only very confused, but very stunned]

Inara? What's gotten into you?

[Voice]

[hearts_of_gold]

Despite the fact that she's clearly in Inara's shuttle from what can be seen of her surroundings, is wearing one of Inara's dresses, and if one were to look up Inara Serra's location on the tablets it would point to the spot where she's standing, she looks perplexed by this.

"I am the Orici and the leader of the Ori, my name is Adria."

[Voice]

[stealth_shot]

The what?

You aren't making any sense to me.

[Video]

[hearts_of_gold]

"Do not worry if you don't understand, if you dedicate yourself to following the Path of Origin everything will be made clear. The mysteries of the universe will be revealed, and you can ascend to a higher state of being," she says with a pleasant smile as if all of that isn't complete crazyness.

[voice]

[needtoruleit]

[You've poked his interest.]

... Power? What kind of power?

[voice]

[hearts_of_gold]

Now that's more like what she wants to hear. Her smile widens, becoming downright pleasant and reassuring.

"By following the path of Origin, one is working on the path towards enlightenment. Untold knowledge and untold power can be had..."

She holds out her hands, fire-like energy swirling above each one, and considers Billy's transmitted image thoughtfully. "What is your name?"

[needtoruleit]

[Billy is kind of skeptical.]

... Some kind of religion? I mean, no offense, lady, but that's kind of cliche, don't you think?

[Pause, and then he figures out he probably shouldn't make her mad.]

It's Billy.

[hearts_of_gold]

"The only true religion. The only one that can offer its followers real power, real knowledge...access to becoming beings of untold power and limitless knowledge."

She tilts her head the other way, calculating and watching the screen in a very focused manner. "Billy. I'd like to speak to you in person if I could, Billy. I could show you what I can do. I can show you Origin has to offer you..."

[visual]

[beholdthedrums]

Now wasn't that interesting? The Master grins, a hand pressed to his chin, barely containing his excitement. There could be much benefit underlying this situation... "You get use to this place, miss. It could be true that you've been kidnapped; I don't believe anyone has quite figured out how Taxon works." He sure as hell hadn't. "But if you need showing around, by all means I offer my service."

Ori, Origin, path of righteousness - it all sounded like a load of crap. But the result of rejecting it sounded quite pleasant. Such an easy way to cut down the city's population, if he simply balances himself between the sides.

He straightens and folds his hands behind his back. "Tell me about the Ori, why don't you?" he requests calmly, and the interest in his voice is no lie. "About the path to enlightenment."

[visual]

[hearts_of_gold]

"The Ori are the destined rulers of all worlds, all galaxies, and the creators of all life in the universe..." she says with a light frown. How can he not know this? But he is friendly and isn't immediately trying to overthrow her, and she would never turn down the opportunity to win over a new convert to Origin.

"As beings we ascended long, long ago, and have sought to bring the secrets of that power and knowledge to the devoted and the faithful. The followers of the Path of Origin are richly rewarded." Yes, it seems just about every other word out of her mouth is destined to be about the glory and the power of her religion.

"Taxon, is that the name of this place?" She asks, glancing around the interior of the shuttle that she's currently in, elaborately decorated to look more like a bedroom than a shuttlecraft.

[visual]

[beholdthedrums]

She was a curious sort up until the comment about ruling all of the universe, and disdain flickers across his gaze. Oh no. That was his job, not the Ori. Still, this was a rare opportunity that he couldn't completely avoid. He certainly wasn't going to let some measly girl destroy him.

"Yes, this is Taxon," he tells, voice tight. "You may want to be more careful regarding who you 'turn' to your little religion. It may not work as well as you would hope. However, I wish you the best of luck."

[visual]

[hearts_of_gold]

"Everyone will be turned. It's only a matter of how much persuasion will need to be applied," she says in a tone that suggests that she really doesn't understand why people would decline such a generous offer. "And than you for your support!" She says, apparently not understanding sarcasm either.