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 Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:25 am
The mall was full of noise and action, overflowing with life. It was, Xareya decided, rather like a circus. Except the highlights weren't animals, they were human. A small smile of amusement appeared on her lips as she continued to watch the antics of both adults and children from her position against a shop window, moving slightly to the left or right to avoid the random passerby as they walked dangerously close to her and the bundle in her arms as if they couldn't see her. Which they couldn't. Xare had used glamor - only a touch of it - to ensure that her fae features were concealed from prying human eyes by making herself unnoticeable to the average person. It wasn't that she was invisible; people just looked over her without really registering her presence.
In the past, Xare had come here often, standing just as she was now to watch as people in the mall shopped and interacted with each other. To her, it was fascinating how many people could fit into such a small area and still go about their day normally. Another difference she would have to learn to adjust to, Xare thought wryly, as she would soon be spending a portion of her time living amongst humans while her Ashe grew up.
As if it could read her thoughts, the bundle in her arms gave a slight shake, catching Xareya's instant attention. The shaking dislodged the blanket that was covering it, revealing a rather large, silvery-yellow egg with miniature demon wings that floated lazily up into the air now that the egg was no longer wrapped up. With an exasperated sigh that ended suspiciously like a laugh, Xare shifted the egg to one hand while she used the other to gently tuck the blanket back around it, talking softly as she did so. "Impatient to get out, are we?"
The Ashe was about to hatch any time now, if the frequency of it's shaking was anything to go by. Unfortunately, Xareya had no way of telling exactly when it would happen, and so she had resorted to carrying the egg around with her whenever she had to take extended trips away from her rooms at Court. Today had been one such trip, as she was at the mall to pick up some children's toys and furniture for her Ashe. There had been no children at either fae Court for so long that there was nothing there that she could use, and she wanted to be as prepared as possible.
Xareya had already done all the shopping she needed for the day, but watching the crowded humans had been so interesting that she had decided to stay a little while longer. She was in no real hurry to return to Court, as the Queen had given her permission to do as she pleased until the hatching of the Ashe, and even the egg in her arms seemed to enjoy all the noise and bustle of Redwood Mall.
Caught up in the egg in her arms, Xareya failed to notice the human that was headed directly her way in time to avoid physical contact. A slight bump against her right shoulder broke Xare's glamor, and she suddenly became noticeable to the human eye. Fortunately, the contact only dispelled part of the glamor, and her features still appeared human. Even so, the bundle in her arms was now visible for all to see, and Xareya wondered how she would manage to explain the Ashe to anyone who was curious enough to ask.
She supposed that she could renew the glamor spell that made her unnoticeable, but there was no purpose to it now, since it would not work on people that had already seen her. Perhaps it was time to leave. With that thought in her mind, Xare began to quickly make her way back towards the entrance of the mall. With a little luck, nobody would notice the blanket covered bundle in her arms.
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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:36 am
Zanen hated crowds. Perhaps that was a bit of an understatement—she loathed crowds, the pushiness of the people struggling through a mass of bodies. And today, the mall appeared even more busy than usual, so there would be absolutely no chance of finding a nice and quiet place in her favorite bookstore to enjoy a moment of peace of tranquility. As it was, the teenager couldn’t even find her way to the said bookstore, disoriented as she was from being pushed around the mall by harried-looking customers swinging their large, bulky purchases in their arms.
Maybe I should just try and find my way back to the entrance to escape the bustle of it all…
Making up her mind to leave, she choose the direction that contained the least amount of activity, Zanen meandered down the passageway, taking great care to weave her way through the throng of the people. With some luck, it would lead down to the entrance, and her intuition told her that this would be a likely candidate, as most of the people here seemed to have their arms stuffed with packages of varying sizes. Yes, it appeared as if she was the only one empty-handed in the hallway.
An impatient push sent her sprawling to the left, and then the teen found herself slamming into a particularly tall woman, before falling hard to the floor, landing solidly on her behind. “Gee, thanks, a lot…” she muttered angrily under her breath in reference to the person who had shoved her, seeing whoever it was scurry away without so much as a simple “sorry.”
…Speaking of apologies, she should probably give one to the unfortunate lady who she herself had crashed into. Zanen blushed and hurriedly got to her feet, nodding apologetically to her, though she had to crane her neck upwards to do so, being as short as she was in comparison to the woman.
“I-I’m really sorry,” she squeaked meekly, “did I upset your bund—“
Zanen froze as she saw the glimmer of a tiny wing through the blankets, jarring her memory…where had she seen something like that before…Recollection suddenly hit her and she gasped, her light brown eyes slightly widening, “I’m sorry to intrude, but um, would that…happen to be an egg that you’re holding?”
A stronger blush touched her cheeks while the girl nervously fiddled with her long black hair, awaiting the answer with bated breath.
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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:06 pm
Turning a corner into the last passageway, Xareya allowed herself to relax a little, slowing down her page to match the people around her. She was almost out of the mall. While the crowd had been amusing to watch, it was almost claustrophobic to be in. Court functions at the Unseelie Court were crowded and lively, but they were nothing compared to the veritable mob that filled the mall.
A slight noise from behind alerted her, but not soon enough to be an adequate warning as someone barreled into her back. Xare stumbled a bit, the precious bundle in her arms held closely to her chest as she regained her balance. Turning, she opened her mouth to deliver a scathing remark about idiotic people in malls, but decided against it as her eyes took in the sprawled figure on the ground. Her slanted eyes took in at a glance the girl's appearance, before dismissing her in the superior way that the fae had. Xare shrugged, and was about to continue walking as if nothing had happened when a childish voice spoke.
For a second, Xareya considered ignoring the girl and running out of the mall. The door that led outside the mall was so close, she could see glimpses of it through the crowd. But running away was something Xare rarely ever did, so she stopped in the middle of the passageway and turned so that she was facing the girl directly, eyes narrowing as she noted more details about the girl that she had so casually dismissed moments before. She had long black hair that reached to her waist, light brown eyes, and a pale face that was currently flushed pink with nerves.
"An egg?" Xare repeated softly, her words carrying only to the girl. Although soft, her voice held a musical quality that somehow reminded one of the winds during a storm. "Perhaps. Why does it matter?" She hoped that the girl would be deterred by her nonchalant answer, as it was rather difficult to explain the presence of such a large egg in the middle of a shopping mall.
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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:20 pm
To tell the truth, Zanen was slightly put off by the woman’s rather unfriendly attitude, but then again the teenager did bump into her, and if her hunch about the bundle was correct it meant that she had put the egg at the risk of dropping from the owner’s slender arms…so she supposed that the other would have a legit reason to be annoyed. More vibrant streaks of red painted the girl’s cheeks as her blush deepened in the heavy silence that hung seemed to be suspended between them, even though the drone of the crowd in the background was still present. Zanen was just away to mumble a quiet “never mind” to her elder, and silently slip away to hope that she would never come upon the other again when suddenly, a musical voice sounded over the dull roar that played in the backdrop of the whole scene.
To Zanen, it seemed as if all the other wanted was to be left alone and free of prying questions from random strangers in the mall, and she was rather disheartened with the way this meeting was going. The teenager parted her lips slightly, and then closed them again when she discovered that she had no idea what she wanted to come out of them. Those tempestuous eyes and even the strands of silver streaked hair felt so intimidating that she subconsciously backed away as she willed words to leave her mouth.
“It-I-Well...that is to say, I, er,” the teenager stumbled over the words at the tip of her tongue as they all fought to leave first, “becauseIfoundaneggafewdaysago!” There, they all finally came gushing out in a stream of rushed incoherency. This day was going in a very, very bad manner…
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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:33 pm
The expression of mild disinterest on Xareya's face turned to one of intense curiosity at the girl's words. Taking a step forward, Xare raised a slender arm towards the girl, placing an elegant finger under the girl's chin and exerting a slight pressure upwards until she could look into the startled brown eyes. Although her features appeared human, Xare was still a fae with fae beliefs and habits. Physical contact was something she craved and needed, and the rather intimate movement was as natural to her as breathing. Tilting her head as she studied the face in front of her, she was silent for a moment, her stormy eyes dark and unreadable.
Abruptly, Xareya removed her hand, the silver bracelets on her wrist jingling softly as she completed her study and came to a decision. "Yes, I have an egg. You say you do too? Well, I was unaware that there were other eggs in existence at the moment." Xare glanced around the mall as she spoke, noting the annoyed looks flashed her way as they stood in the middle of the passageway. "Come, let us find somewhere a little less chaotic, and you can tell me all about it."
Having said that, Xareya suddenly realized she had no clue about where to go. Where did these humans gather to talk, if not in the middle of a mall? A vague memory tugged at her, and she remembered a snippet of an overheard conversation. ".. let's chat and catch up over coffee, darling..-" Coffee, ah yes. That strong beverage that humans seemed to rely on so much. Remembering a coffee shop that she'd passed by earlier on her way out of the mall, she raised an eyebrow in a slight inquiry. "How about some coffee?"
Shifting the bundle in her arms to one hand, Xareya absently threaded her free arm around the girl as if they were the best of friends and headed back in the direction she'd come without waiting for her new companion's consent. Xareya hoped she'd made the right choice in deciding to ask more about the girl's egg. She had seemed genuine when the words came out of her mouth, and Xare had the impression that this girl was not type to lie about something like this as a joke. There was much that she still did not know about these Ashe, and the fact that a human had guardian over an egg was surprising, as she had been unaware of the existence of other eggs.
Her thoughts came to a pause as they reached the coffee shop. Wandering in, Xareya spotted an empty table by the corner and maneuvered them both towards it. The smell of coffee surrounded her, and in her arms, the egg twitched slightly as if it could smell it too. A small smile of amusement appeared on her face as she settled down in one of the comfortable chairs, carefully setting the egg in her lap. Gently, almost reverently, Xare stroked a hand across the egg's smooth surface under the blanket that still covered it. Her Ashe was definitely starting to develop a personality, one that was expressing itself as twitches and wobbles.
Waiting as the girl settled herself, Xareya glanced curiously around the shop. She'd never been into a coffee shop before, and was amazed at the many varieties of coffee that humans consumed. It was noisy, too - almost as bad as the mall area itself. "Are coffee shops always like this?" The question escaped before she could hold it in.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:06 am
Zanen was unprepared as her head was lifted upwards, her soft brown eyes meeting the storm that brewed within the woman’s own orbs. They were hard and unreadable, but still strangely beautiful as they searched her face. Suppressing a slight shudder that rippled over her slight frame, the teenager got the vague feeling that they were almost…inhuman, the intelligence and cunningness that lay within the other’s eyes. And then suddenly, the deep pools of wisdom were gone from her immediate line of vision with nothing more but a melodious chime from the woman’s silver bangles to signify their disappearance. Shaking her head slightly, Zanen tried to dispel all the uneasiness that had gathered slowly in her heart—nonsense, the person who stood in front of her had to be a human, through and through. She must have fabricated the whole idea that those stormy eyes held experience and insight which surpassed the women’s outward appearance of age. She would have to stop indulging herself with all those fantasy books as soon as she got home—if she would ever get home, as the teenager suddenly found one of the other’s arm around her shoulders, taking her somewhere without her consent. In her reverie, the girl had somehow missed every word that had left the woman’s mouth. Was it something about coffee…? Zanen’s thin shoulders tensed, but she allowed herself to walk in pace with the woman’s. After all, if her newfound companion happened to be a kidnapper, there would be plenty of witnesses in the mall…or out of the mall, as that seemed to be the woman’s destination. She was lucky it was such a busy day.
Oh, that was the bit about the coffee. Zanen let herself be guided over to an empty table, her nostrils twitched slightly in response to the strong aroma that wafted throughout the shop. It was crowded in here too, thank goodness…still plenty of witnesses. Following the woman’s lead, the girl slowly lowered herself in a soft-looking chair, her eyes never leaving the mysterious bundle. Yes, it was an egg; Zanen could tell so as much even though she hadn’t heard Xareya’s confirmation earlier. So many answers might become revealed to her today, but to get them the teenager had a feeling she would have to tread carefully. She had no idea what she could be getting herself into.
“C-coffee shops? You mean are they always as busy as they seem to be today? I honestly have no idea; I’m not a big fan of coffee, you see. I always found it…rather strong,” she replied to the woman’s inquiry with a questionable tone. Had she brought her here solely to ask her questions regarding a drink? Maybe it was time for her to bring the conversation back to more important matters. Taking a deep breath she threw in a question of her own, “So…about the egg…what is it? I chanced upon one myself a few days ago in that ferocious snow storm that winter somehow dreamed up, and I don’t know where it came from—at all. What about yours?”
Her natural curiosity was sparked now, and Zanen’s state of mind became a bit calmer as she inhaled the fresh scent of coffee. Funny how it always smelled better than it tasted…
“Oh, and if you don’t mind me asking, may I inquire about your name?” It was about time that she learned it so she wouldn’t have to refer to her companion as “the woman” anymore. Plus, it would be useful just in case if she did somehow manage to kidnap her.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:17 pm
Leaning back in the chair, with slender hands idly stroking the top of the egg, Xare looked every inch like the lady that she was. Even dressed as a human in a black scoop-necked sweater and tight dark jeans, there was an aura about her that seemed rather unnatural. It was something that even glamor couldn't hide, as it was ingrained into her so deeply that it manifested itself in her every movement and action. She was unaware of this, however, and it's effect on the girl as she listened intently to the questions, eyes never leaving those of the girl across from her. Xare had hoped, that now that they were slightly removed from the crowd, the girl in front of her would cease to be as nervous as she was, but that did not appear to be the case.
Just as the girl finished speaking, a waiter appeared, silently raising his eyebrows in question. Although Xare had only ever had very limited interactions in human settings before, the question was a universal one, and she responded by ordering the first thing she saw on the menu.
"I would like an Americano." Of course, she was clueless as to what it was, but she doubted anyone would notice if she didn't drink it. Or eat it.
Turning back to the girl, Xare waited for her to complete her order, using the time to consider the possible answers to the girl's questions. Deciding to answer the simplest one first, Xare finally introduced herself. "You may call me Xare."
She knew her name sounded exotic - Xareya Diem was not exactly a normal human name. But in the past couple of years, she'd noticed a trend where humans gave their children the oddest name combinations possible. Xare had a private theory that it had something to do with the all-consuming need of these humans to appear as unique as possible. She hoped now that the trend would be useful now, and that the girl sitting opposite her would not question such an odd name.
Continuing quickly in case the girl was indeed curious, Xare watched intently as she gave the answer to the next question. "The egg... contains a being that is known to us as an Ashe. Mine formed right in front of my eyes." She was not particularly worried about revealing such strange information to a human. In the past, when humans encountered things they did not understand, they passed it off as insanity or lies. At worst, the girl in front of her would simply believe she was a madwoman. Which, she mused, would be a blow to the ego, but at least nothing would come of it.
"As for you... tell me about yourelf. And your egg." She found it strange that such a young human had been entrusted with such a precious gift, but the Seelie Court had always been human lovers. For a moment, she wished that she could talk to Xeridan about the eggs, and ask for his advice. Ride had always been the scholarly one. A flicker of sadness crossed her face, almost too quickly to be noticed. He'd had more interactions with the humans, too, and would perhaps have seen something in this particular one that she didn't. Shaking off that thought, as Ride was no longer in her life, Xare focused once again on the conversation at hand. "And I never caught your name."
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:02 pm
Drumming her slender fingers absentmindedly on the table, Zanen failed to notice that the waiter was still standing impatiently next to it until he gave a meaningful cough that succeeded in attracting her attention. Giving him a slightly sheepish smile that sent a rosy blush blossoming over her pale cheeks, she hurriedly grabbed at a menu and deftly flipped it open, following the woman’s example in choosing the first thing her eyes alighted upon, “Umm, may I have a Tazo Chai Crème Frappuccino, please?” She watched as the waiter gave a nod of assent, scribble it down in his notepad, and scurry away before turning her attention back to her companion—just in time to catch her name. Xare…it was a refined and elegant name, and Zanen found herself taking a liking to it and its exoticness. She gave Xare a tentative smile and she was just about to compliment the name, when the woman quickly continued on, giving her no chance to do so.
The next thing that left the other’s mouth succeeded in entrancing the teenager even more. An egg forming out of the particles of nothingness? It was outrageous, totally going against the principles of science, but somehow…she could not help but believe the strange mysteries that Xare was entrusting her with.
Maybe I really should lay off the fantasy…
Yet no knowledge that she held of the fantastical world supplied her with the knowledge of what an “Ashe” was. Biting her lip slightly, the teen slowly garnered up the courage to ask and risk sounding like a complete idiot, “Ashe…? Erm, what’s that? It is like the ash that you get when a fire loses its will to burn?”
At Xare’s next request, Zanen furrowed her brow as she tilted her head in a considering manner, “There’s nothing really interesting about me. I’m just your average student who attends college.” The teenager chose to omit the fact that she had managed to skip a grade; she didn’t like to appear as if she was bragging. She closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair, sinking into its comfortable supports as the winter scene in which she found the egg replayed in her mind. A hint of a smile graced her lips as she relayed the memory with a slightly amused voice, “I went out to replenish my hoard of chocolate, against the sane portion of my mind advising me not to go outside and join the harsh gales of winter. I was walking, and suddenly a streak of dark silver crossed in front of my face. I followed it…and found an egg. It lay buried in a recent pile of snow, with an intricately designed hairpin lying next to it.” Zanen took a slight pause and opened her eyes, wondering if she should elaborate more about the mystical object she had found when she noticed that Xare’s expression seemed a little wistful…bordering on sad even.
“I—is something wrong, Xare?” the teenager inquired, her delicate features forming a worried expression on her pale face, “oh and please forgive my rudeness! My name is Zanen.” Not exactly a common name either, and she had no idea why her parents decided to name her that, but right now the girl was more concerned with the fleeting expression of melancholy that she saw on her companion’s face.
Was it something I said...? Did I do something...?
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:03 pm
"Zanen," Xare repeated, letting the name roll softly off her tongue. She was right, humans really did have a tendency to give their children rather unique names. Though this one, she decided, suited the girl sitting across from her quite well.
Looking into the concerned face in front of her, Xareya realized that her expressions had reflected her thoughts of her brother. Years of practice allowed her to shake her head and smile as if the sadness had never existed at all. "No, nothing is wrong. I like your name. It is very... unique."
Pausing as the waiter returned with their respective drinks, Xareya stirred hers in silence for a moment before glancing up again to study Zanen's face. Now that she had calmed down enough to be less nervous, Xare could see hints of the intelligence that peeped out from beneath the childish exterior. She had also noted that when the girl had spoken of finding the egg, her features had exuded a quiet joy. Perhaps there was more to this girl afterall.
"An Ashe is not the same as the ashes that are created by a fire. They are beings created out of the fragments of our people that have passed away." Xare did not mention that the 'people' that she was referring to were not humans, but fae. She had no doubt now that the egg that Zanen had was indeed an Ashe, and was willing to share what little information she had on them, but only up to a certain point. Introducing a whole new race to the conversation was a little far out.
Wanting to change the topic now that she had gleaned the information she wanted from Zanen, Xare tilted her head with a cheery smile. "Chocolate, hm? I have a fondness for it too. It is a good thing that my metabolism is so high, otherwise I would be much larger than I am now. Was that why you were here today? To stock up?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:22 am
Zanen’s lips curved upward into a more prominent smile at Xare’s compliment with was accompanied with a rosy flush of the cheeks, though she was a little unnerved by how quickly the other’s expression could change. She could have sworn there was a moment of fleeting sadness depicted on Xare’s before, but all that appeared on her face now was a smile so bright that it almost made the teenager doubt if that unhappiness had ever existed. Had she not gotten so close a look her companion’s features, she probably could have been convinced that she had fabricated the whole memory. Shaking off her slight uneasiness with a simple nod of the head, she brightly countered with a cheerful, albeit slightly quiet voice, “Thank you! I like yours as well; I don’t know why, but ‘Xare’ seems very fitting for someone…like you.”
Zanen trailed off right before ending the sentence, as she realized that she was unwittingly going to call the woman “feline” with her next breath. Yes, that was what Xare reminded her of with her graceful elegance and slyness that refused to be pinned down. In fact, the teenager could almost see the other with the beautiful slanted eyes of a lion. Well, at least she had quickly changed her train of thought to “like you,” as that somehow didn’t seem like a weird thing to say, unlike the alternative that still swirled around in the recesses of her mind.
She waited eagerly for more information about the mysterious eggs and the equally intriguing “Ashe” that they would bring forth, but after the first two sentences Xare seemed to completely dismiss that matter, and move on to talk about…chocolate? The teenager adored the sweet, but somehow it seemed more paramount to learn more about the matters concerning the eggs…an odd thought crossed Zanen’s mind as she replayed the words that Xare spoke in an effort to glean a bit more of what she would be dealing with if the egg happened to hatch. The words “our people” nagged at her mind for some reason; she had a feeling that by using that phrase, Xare was excluding one of them from falling under its category. But who, she had no idea.
Biding her time, Zanen returned the cheery smile that remained intact on the woman’s face, “Yes, chocolate is quite marvelous, isn’t it? Actually, I came to the mall in anticipation of spending a quiet afternoon reading whatever I happened to find in the bookstore.” Pausing to wonder whether or not it would be smart to ask more about the Ashes now, the teenager uncertainly tucked some stay strands of hair behind her ear. Inevitably, her curiosity won out; the worst Xare could do was refuse to answer her.
“Um, about the Ashes…if they’re created from the ashes of your people, does that mean they’re…ghosts?” she inquired quietly, totally overlooking the fact that she had accidentally said “your people” instead of “our people.”
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:01 am
A ripple of delighted laughter emerged from her throat at Zanen's words. Soft and musical, the sound nonetheless carried a hint of the winds in the storm with it. Someone like her? Oh, the girl had no idea. Leaning her elbow on the table, and her head on her hand, Xare leaned forward and regarded Zanen solemnly, though a tiny, mischeivious smile played around her mouth. "Thank you. You're right, it matches me. Or rather, you could say that I match my name." The fae really had no sense of modesty whatsoever.
Aside from amusing her, the Zanen's comment also served to highlight her perceptiveness, and Xare made a mental note to be more wary of what she said in her presence. She doubted that the other would ever be able to come to the conclusion that Xare was a completely different race from her own from their brief encounter, but their race had hidden themselves from the humans successfully for so long only by taking careful steps to ensure that they appeared human at all times when in human occupied areas.
Her attention snapping back to Zanen's words just in time to hear her reason for visiting the mall, Xare once again felt a faint pang of wistfulness. Reading. It reminded her of Ride again, and she had a flashback to themselves as children - Ride, with his nose in a book and an arm flung casually about her shoulders while she drew in a sketchbook, a content expression on her face. Looking down at her drink so that Zanen wouldn't see, she stirred her cooled drink needlessly as she cursed herself for being so sentimental. This flood of memories had only started after the appearance of the Ashe, and it was fast becoming a nuisance. She did not need, or want to remember Xeridan.
As if feeling her tension, the egg in her lap shake slightly, and one of the miniature demon wings floated out from under the blanket. Easily catching it with the hand that was not currently supporting her head, Xare gently pushed it back underneath the covering. Humming softly to the egg until it quieted, Xareya used the time to push and lock away all memories of Ride into a deep corner of her mind.
Looking up again now that she had her emotions back in control, Xare raised an elegant eyebrow. "How can one spend a quiet afternoon in a mall crammed to the brim with people? I personally would much rather be reading in the comfort of my own room. What are you generally interested in?"
A slight frown appeared between her brows as Zanen continued pursuing the topic of the Ashe. She also caught the subtle change from 'our people' to 'your people', as if Zanen had picked up on the fact that they were of totally different races, and it worried her. It had seemed unconscious on her part, but the fact that such a distinction had been made was not a good sign.
"If they are dead, how can they be anyone's people? They are created from ashes, yes, but they are not ghosts. Ashes are just like normal people," Xare added, hoping that Zanen would assume that normal meant human, "if you can imagine anything ashes being normal." Although Xare, like all fae, was not one to tell a lie, she had no qualms about twisting the truth, or omitting it as it pleased her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:29 pm
Zanen truly had no idea what to make of Xare’s amused laugh and as the woman leaned forward, the teenager instinctively leaned backwards. Her light brown eyes carefully regarded the other with an unfathomable expression on her face. Once again, she didn’t know what to make of her almost inhuman companion. There just seemed to be something more than what met the eye…
Hiding away her misgivings with a small smile, she merely replied, “Indeed, it seems as though your name and yourself came into being specifically for each other.” The girl’s slender fingers closed around the cup which held her drink and brought it to her lips. She took a delicate sip, relishing the exotic flavor that flooded through her mouth. It was pleasantly refreshing, and Zanen grudging admitted to herself that perhaps not all coffee tasted of hard bitterness as she had previously believed. Did this even count as coffee though? She never really understood the differences between coffee, cappuccinos, frappuccinos, and whatever else coffee shops like these dreamed up.
Looking up from her frappuccino, the teenager frowned slightly as she saw Xare absentmindedly stirring her coffee. “What’s wrong, Xare? You haven’t taken a single sip of your drink yet; it’s not that bad, is it?” She was about to offer the woman some of her own drink for the other to try, when Xare suddenly spoke again, after carefully calming down the actively moving egg that lay beneath the shroud of blankets.
“I-I didn’t expect the mall to be so busy. I don’t go there often, and I already reread every book in my house at least twice,” a slight blush adorned her cheeks during her reply, “and fantasy. I read fantasy. Though I probably shouldn’t, as now it’s starting to give me rather…strange notions.” She declined offering any of the said notions, as she would imagine Xare wouldn’t take it kindly if she admitted that she thought the woman didn’t give off a sense of being human.
Reaching once more for her frappuccino, Zanen noted that the woman’s brows were furrowed together in a frown and it was not for the first time that the teenager had wished she could learn the art of reading minds. She responded with a slight frown of her own, still suspecting that the other was omitting a lot of information in her short and careless explanations.
“You said they were formed by the ashes of your people,” she pointed out, still subconsciously voicing her odd little suspicions by using ‘your people,’ “and even if they have deceased, they are still part of the people, are they not?” Zanen paused, a little unsure of what to say next. Suddenly a thought that she hadn’t considered before crossed her mind, and her light brown eyes widened slightly in curiosity, “Xare…how did you know what the egg was going to hatch into? I mean…it’s not everyday when you chance upon an egg with wings. Come to think of it…do you also happen to know why my egg’s wings seem to be more…angelic than yours?”
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:32 pm
"I don't drink coffee. I did not realize that an Americano was coffee based." Looking down at her drink now that Zanen had pointed it out, Xare offered an indifferent shrug before lifting her gaze back towards Zanen, eyes hooded and glittering with some suppressed emotion.
Zanen had unconsciously done it again - the distinct division between what she considered her people, and Xare's own people. The girl sitting across from her was entirely too perceptive, and asked far too many questions. Xareya felt that she had given out more than enough information on the eggs, and any more would be risky to the fae. Any explanation on the wings of the Ashe would lead into the separation between the Unseelie and Seelie courts, and such things were well documented in the myths and stories that the humans chose to tell about the existence of the fae. Of course, the human versions varied, and were not accurate representations of the truth, but the fae had survived by being cautious around humans.
Xare had noticed the way Zanen leaned away whenever she came too close, and it was an unusual experience for her. Most humans she approached were drawn to her beauty and tended to lean into her touch rather than away from it, and the fae were a very tactile people. She found Zanen's behavior intriguing, and wondered if she could use it to divert her attention away from the Ashe. She'd already made the decision not to answer any more questions regarding them, but humans were inherently curious, and had a tendency to pursue a matter until its death whenever they could.
"I unsettle you." The words came out as a statement of fact. "Why?" Deliberately, Xareya leaned forward again, enjoying the other's reaction to her proximity.
Keeping her eyes locked with Zanen's, Xare continued, "fantasy, hmm? I like fantasy. I read it all the time for light entertainment." She didn't mention that the entertainment came from finding out what the humans had gotten wrong in their description of the fae, but the comment had been true enough as it went.
The unreadable expression in Xare's eyes turned mischievous as she went with the impulsive urge to bait Zanen a little further. Releasing a little of the fae glamor spell that kept her appearance human, Xare let her eyes bleed back into their original fae colors for just a split second. Streaks of silver lightning flashed through the impossibly vibrant blue-green depths of her eyes before she blinked, and her eyes went back to their human equivalent, a normal blue-grey. There was no hint on her face that anything out of the ordinary had ever transpired, and her features were once again completely human. "What sort of notions do you get from the books? Dragons and little elves?"
Knowing that the girl would never be able to prove anything about her, and would most probably pass off the changes in her eyes as a trick of the light, Xareya leaned back to await Zanen's response. The game had just started, with her as the gamemaster and Zanen as the game's one and only unknowing participant.
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:47 pm
Zanen leaned forward to offer her companion some of her frappuccino since it didn’t taste very coffee based, when suddenly Xare leaned forward as well. Instinctively leaning backwards once again, she realized that Xare was also either perceptive or she hadn’t been concealing her uneasiness as well as she thought she did. The teenager also noted that the woman had completely ignored her questions that delved into further detail about Ashes and their eggs. Well, two could play at this game…
“And you’re ignoring my questions regarding the Ashe,” the girl countered, her brown eyes lightly watching the other, “why?” Casually brushing back the tresses that threatened to spill out of their loose ties, she marveled at her audacity in completely disregarding Xare’s inquiry about her notions. There was a time when she would always answer her elders politely and truthfully, but that time wasn’t now. The teenager simply did not wish to throw out the absurd reason why the other disconcerted in the middle of this crowded coffee shop; her suspicions that Xare might not actually be human certainly fell in the very category that bordered on the line of...insanity, maybe? Gaining more confidence, indeed she was, but embarrassing herself still wasn’t in the list of her best interests. Still, she couldn’t help somehow half-heartedly indulging in her idiotic theory.
“Fantasy is quite enjoyable, isn’t it?” she plowed on in a breezy manner, marveling at the depth that the woman’s eyes seem to hold. It gave off an otherworldly sort of ambience, and Zanen once again wondered how old the other was. And then suddenly, their stormy depths crackled with silver streaks, before a quick blink signified the return of their normal appearance. The teenager’s eyes involuntarily widened, as she searched for any signs of lingering silver in those impossibly deep pools of intelligence. Nothing. It was all but vanished…but it couldn’t possibly have been her imagination; the silver had been way too vibrant to dream up.
“Notions…? I guess you can say that I believe in the existence of fantastical creatures…but mainly, it has led me believe that magic is a reality,” Zanen responded in a mild, conversation tone, “so tell me, was it through magic that your eyes suddenly became silver? I’ll believe in anything you know.” The teenager really didn’t think that Xare would admit to using magic even if it actually existed, like she had just boldly stated, but something…something had to account for that subtle shift in the woman’s eyes. Oh well, it just made the day more interesting. Keeping her light brown eyes on her companion, Zanen quietly sipped her frappuccino as she waited for the mocking voice of the other to make her stand—or ignore her completely, of course.
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:18 pm
Xare smiled as the girl sipped her cold drink and watched her with those oh-so-casual brown eyes. It had been so easy. "Because the fact that I unsettle you is so much more entertaining than answering questions about the Ashe."
Lifting a shoulder in an elegant shrug, Xare dismissed the matter. It was enough for her to know that she did unsettle the girl, and she was pretty sure as to the reason behind it. She supposed she could put more effort into acting and appearing human, but Xare liked living slightly on the edge. Besides, it was a little too late now, and she was having too much fun. She also doubted that Zanen would be able to pass on her suspicions to anyone without sounding crazy. Just imagining the scene made her lips twitch in amusement.
Magic was such a broad topic, even to those who were intimately aware of it. To humans, it encompassed everything from the paranormal to mythical creatures, and they enjoyed attributing anything out of the ordinary with it. Xare barely suppressed a sigh at the girl's question about her eyes. It was so ... typical of the race to assume that the flash of silver in her eyes were a result of magic when infact, her eyes were naturally like that.
"My eyes?" Xare affected a mildly disinterested tone. "They are not silver. Last I checked in a mirror, my eyes were rather blue. Magic, if you believe in it, would not turn my eyes silver. But since we are on the topic of fantasy and you are so persistent about the Ashe, then why can you not attribute the appearance of your egg as magic and accept it as that?" While Xare did not deny the existence of magic, she also did not make any definite statements regarding its existence.
"Believing in anything, indeed." In a sudden movement that reflected her shift in mood, Xare leaned forward again. She did it in part because she was genuinely interested in Zanen's answer, but also because she simply enjoyed seeing the girl unsettled. Tilting her head, she asked, "do you believe that the average magician doing their shows and slights of hand are using magic as well, then? Afterall, they call themselves magicians and perform tricks that others cannot."
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