To slay a monster.

Back again.

These walls were getting awfully old, to Reverie. Yet, she couldn't seem to leave them alone. Tracing the tips of her fingers along shades of pine and emerald, Rie slowly stepped towards his lab. He was there, this time. She knew it. Reverie knew this was certain death. She wasn't thinking straight, her sanity and patience worn thin.

The second that door creaked open, she was met with the familiar expression of disappointment on his face. It was anger, in all reality. The doctor was awfully good at disguising his feelings, he always had been. Reverie closed the door, gritting her teeth as they silently decided who would speak first.

"Did you miss me?" He finally spoke, once the effects of initial shock had worn off. There was a devilish grin in his eyes that spread right down to the corners of his lips.

"No." She replied, bitter. She wouldn't let her true feelings satisfy his cruel curiosity.

He rolled his eyes, irritated with her presence. "Silly, silly girl. Can't you see? This is my kingdom and you're not queen anymore." The doctor hissed, though did not budge from the desk he worked at. Reverie was not foolish enough to approach him. It was a standoff - though no reward stood for the winner.

"I am the queen of my own kingdom now. We don't allow sociopathic boulders into our ranks." Reverie almost laughed, sarcasm thick in her tone. She wouldn't let him get the better of her. No, Rie would not become the victim again. Her tone was poison. She wondered, as the doctor listened, if he was a masochist too. He broke out in a grin. "My, you're acting so mature for someone who was naïve enough to return alone." His voice brought back memories of dark rooms and broken bones. She couldn't help but shudder, vulnerability briefly flooding her eyes. 

Reverie pursed her lips, summoning a band to tie back her hair. She was tired of this already, yet the doctor continued to push his luck. "You're about as scary as a butterfly." He sounded amused, though his tone only dipped as he continued. "Life's not fair, is it? Is that why you're back? Did you finally realize I'm the only gem willing to treat you like a real gem? Foolish little pearl, aren't you?"

She stared at him for a while. Unamused and irritated, she silently planned in her head. 

"I'm not here for you." Reverie started to stroll around the room. She was... unsettlingly casual, considering this was his lab and she was the enemy. "Have you cleaned, or did you manipulate Juliet into doing that too?" She dragged a finger across one of the many boxes in the room, having noticed the lack of dust.

"If you're not here for me, I don't think that's your problem... However," He grinned. It was that kind of charming grin he always wore when he'd found a weak spot. When the doctor had found a way into your brain without you even noticing. "I think you are. You're still wearing our engagement ring, darling. Such a shame I loved you..."

She went quiet. The cruel man's words had hit hard. Reverie did miss him. She cried over him, keeping the watermelon tourmaline on her finger as a constant reminder of the bitter and the sweet. He had hurt her, but in this moment, Rie didn't seem to mind.

"Lie to me, one more time..." The doll muttered. She approached with haste, though the scene unfolded in slow motion.

"I loved you."

She cupped the man's face, staring at him with adoration. The room fell silent and the man let out that same condescending laugh he always did. He had won. The doctor had won. So he thought. However, this was not the ending Reverie strived for. Her expression shifted to bitter and cold. A swift swing left the man in shock. He hadn't even noticed the slap that had occurred moments before. He cupped his cheek, stunned.

"And I trusted you. I suppose we all make mistakes." Reverie grinned, tilting her head as she punched the Scheele's green gem in the jaw.

"Your mistake was coming here." He muttered, grabbing the pearl by the neck. The doctor held her in the air, his stare void of feeling as he watched the frail thing run out of oxygen. He didn't have to hold on hard as Reverie clawed at his wrists. Her vision grew fuzzy. However, the pearl was sick and tired of losing. Over and over, her plans were ruined by some green gem with a false charm and a deceitful personality. She wouldn't go down again. So she summoned her kunai, swiftly slicing through the man's wrists in a swing.

"And yours was keeping me in the first place. Didn't you know I was dangerous?" Rie pouted, kicking the gem backwards. Before he even hit the floor, she made sure to punch him a last time, grabbing his gem and ripping it out. The pearl grinned as her cunning ex-lover became nothing but an echo in the halls. Dust in the air.

"Well, Now you do..."