Strangest of Strangers make for the most Interesting of Friends (Amelia, Private)

[Auer]

8th Brightening of Kalendryas, Era XV

Auer’s experience in Zinn’Sunn had this far proven to be of both pleasure and terror. She had a heavier load in her travelling bag to show from her time in the Kermite city. Yet she had also gained an added weight deep within the female Elf. It was the ever constant reminder that she was being followed. It was the shadow that was always connected to Auer in which the suns light simply could not penetrate through. It consisted of Auer’s well of memories that continued to blur and fool her vision. It created familiar faces in strangers she passed by on the street. What she perceived brought forth each and every intimate stroke of pain that always left the female torn between continuing to run or to stand and fight. To Auer it seemed no matter where she fled to, she simply could not and would not escape the cult and her past, whether it was by an external form or by internal means.

This brightening proved no different.

Auer walked through the Zinn’Sunn Street, her usually attentive violet eyes were averted as she walked passed the businesses to either side of her. People on the street stopped and chatted to neighbours and friends. Children laughed and played. Shop keepers called out bargains. The sound of life reached her ears and yet she paid her surroundings no heed. She merely continued to walk with a slight sway of her hips showing in each soft step she took. Cobwebs of thoughts hurtled through her mind transporting her from reality to a time of distance and memory. Auer walked the foreign streets with no set direction in mind. Unlike other busy cities, the Zinn’Sunn citizens were polite and well mannered. People stepped out of her way and gave Auer her personal space. No person called out to Auer, bumped into her, took the opportunity for an ill-mannered grope nor disturbed her patterns of thought. Over the past few brightenings Auer had taken pleasure in this simple luxury. She then placed no conscious thought in her movements as she continued to stroll at a leisurely, if not slightly rushed, pace. It was because of this that Auer took no notice of the obstacle in the form of a female ahead of her. Auer was jolted back to the present as she knocked into her.

The Elf’s layer of long thick lashes fluttered as her mind travelled the distance back to the present. Apologies issued forth her from blood red lips. The words conveyed by her silken tone were coated in sincerity. “Oh , I’m so sorry -” Auer’s pale hand made contact with the female’s shoulder reinforcing Auer’s genuineness as she looked into the female’s face. The female’s facial structure, her lips, but most of all, the beautiful strangeness of her eyes seemed so familiar to Auer. The female was sure she had seen this person before and then the connection was made as soon as Auer imagined the female’s beautiful hair removed from her scalp -

Shackles rested upon both ankles. Side by side, they both waited behind the other in line. Their shuffled feet moved slowly across the dark floor as their watchful masters walked confidently by them with maniac grins and weapons held at the ready to be used for any insignificant reason. Auer did not know the female. And even though they waited in the same line brightening in and brightening out Auer did not know her name. Auer had never been able to speak one word to her for that would mean pain. Auer only knew what the cult members called her, a mere number of ugliness.

With a gasp, Auer softly whispered that unwholesome number. “Seventeen, is that you?” The hope that another female slave had been able to escape the cult’s evil clutches filled Auer’s heart. The hope that perhaps she was not so alone in this light filled but damned world took hold. Perhaps finally she had someone to talk to that would truly be able to understand her words no other of normalcy ever could...
For only the strange were not so quick to condemn. For only the strange knew what it was like to be judged.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Winter. Amelia's favorite season, with its gifts of snow and wind and storms. The beginning of winter in Zinn'Sunn had been unexpectedly cold up to this point, but the thing pleased Amelia all things considered. A creature who tended to shy away from the suns and liked the hail, rain and snow, the girl was now in her natural element. The past few days had been kind on her finances, and she had taken the morning off to see to spending her income on totally unnecessary things. Curiously enough, she had never bought a kimono here in the Kemite city, or any other ethnic garb of the olive-skinned humans. Amelia felt she was not a kimono kind of girl, and she would rather be different in her Imperial-style clothing than look like an imitation of the submissive Kemite ladies.

Of course, she was not submissive at all, herself. The non-Kemite garb helped her establish a barrier with the Kemite locals. They looked down on her in their sense of cultural superiority, but when the time came, you could be sure they would knock on her door because they needed this or that, talking to some murdered person, getting rid of a bothersome spirit, or even buying a love charm or some other blessing that the spirits could give. Amelia would give everyone a polite smile, do what they wanted of her, and then suck them dry of their cash. It was a blast... the people here had plenty of cold, hard cash, especially those who could afford her services. The girl felt she had hit the jackpot in Zinn'Sunn - and things had only just begun.

Today, Amelia was wearing a white dress covered by a fur-lined cloak to protect herself from the cold, with matching silken gloves for her hands. A white hat, her signature, rested peacefully atop her head, unfazed by the breeze. The hat was purposefully low and wide-brimmed to avoid emphasizing Amelia's height, since she was taller than the average countryside girl. A red rose was nestled upon the brim, a crimson dot of color on an otherwise colorless attire.

The witch breathed in the cold morning air and went on her stroll. Her blue gaze fell upon the streets of Zinn'Sunn, bustling with activity, and the shadow of a smile played on her lips... as she imagined all of this being hers. Amelia had no doubt that it would be, in time. One day she would be top dog in the city - she, a woman and a non-Kemite to boot. Not controlling things directly, perhaps, but holding those in charge like so many puppets dancing to her strings. Why not? For every living soul in the world there were a hundred dead souls that could be forced to do her bidding. It was just a matter of how well she played her cards.

Distracted by such unusual daydreaming, Amelia failed to notice the girl who bumped into her. Truth told, the impact was nothing much, as the girl was a swordswoman and a martial artist behind the deceiving appearances of a lady. Amelia would have brushed it off as something without any consequence, reciprocating the woman's apology before going her merry way, if not for the strange words that followed. Seventeen? Blue eyes, only half alive, looked into the girl's own and saw an incredulous, hallucinated quality to them. For some reason it reminded her of her first day in Nexus, when her adventure had begun.

"No, I am afraid not," she said quietly, and hinted at a small smile, "the only number that matters in life is the number one, if you ask me. May I help you in any way?" The woman looked lost, and her demeanor had caught Amelia in one of her uncommon outbursts of generosity.

[Auer]

A frown lingered upon Auer's pale face. Her blood red lips pressed together momentarily as she studied the female with intensity. Auer realised the female was quite rightly not number seventeen for her voice held a different timbre. Of course all Auer had heard of number seventeen's voice was in the sound of her screams and yet, even from that Auer could tell the voice was completely different. Auer released her hand from the female's shoulder. Her arm softly fell to clutch at her side as she pressed her cold fingers into the warmth of her black woollen cloak that covered the black dress and underneath that her feminine form. It was a complete contrast to the female’s attire Auer had mistakenly identified for a numbered person of her past. So busy was Auer in her analysis of the female to reach this conclusion, that Auer had not yet acknowledged the question she faintly remembered the female politely asking her. The female’s eyes now looked at her awaiting the answer.

Auer gave a quick look around as if she expected to see some other familiar face of her past appear in the vicinity. Upon seeing no such sight, the half Elf averted her gaze. “Help me with?” Auer numbly repeated in her silken tone. So many answers to the question came to mind yet none were suitable to be spoken out loud to a stranger. “No, not unless you can help a haunted mind...” Auer gave a small smile in a lame attempt at conveying weak humour. It did not matter what side of Auer was apparent, Auer was not one who had the knack for social interaction. Her dark nature conveyed coldnes, curtness and hostility while her true nature - that of sweetness and purity - conveyed shyness, hesitance and awkwardness. Auer could only try her best, and that she did. The female’s violet eyes looked up slightly and fell upon the purchases the stranger carried within her gloved hands. Auer could not help but wonder what the female had brought, what a female of the normal kind purchased and did within a usual day of a stable lifestyle. Auer’s eyes rose further upwards to look into the female’s own. “I am sorry I did not mean to distract you from your shopping...” Auer managed a more convincing smile as she continued to look into the female’s strange eyes. Just the eyes alone was enough to make Auer think there was more to the female, there was something interesting about her, and that was enough to give Auer pause and keep her from carrying on with her walk and desolate thoughts.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Amelia was not easily fooled anymore, and she could immediately tell that there was something wrong with the young woman in front of her. On a second thought, 'wrong' might not be the best word for the impression Amelia got... 'different' was a better fit. Yes, there was a familiarity in the way this girl carried herself, as if running within a nightmare, the legs moving frantically but no progress being made. Of course, a man would have been too distracted by the lady's gorgeous appearance to pay attention to the eerie lights in her eyes, but Amelia knew that look all too well.

A choice offered itself to her now... to delve deeper or to let go. Now it was a matter of deciding which would be more entertaining in the long run. Amelia's true Sacred Three were money, power and fun, and had been for a while now. She had had to sacrifice a lot, but now she could live unfettered and unrestrained. Happiness forever barred to her, she could still make up for it with joy, a more shallow feeling and an intoxicating one that could be obtained in a number of ways.

"Haunted?" the girl tilted her head a little, vaguely amused by the particular choice of word. "There are many kinds of hauntings. Some I can help with, some only yourself can, and some are going to stay no matter what, but you can be all the stronger for them." Blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the pale half-Vagaran continued. "It all depends on which type is yours. You have obviously mistaken me for someone else... and last time I checked numbering is only common among inmates and slaves in human auctions." Amelia's voice was calm and methodical, though the curious predator lurked beneath those slowly moving pink lips of hers.

"I am called Amelia," the girl introduced herself with a pale smile, "from the cold North, lately of Zinn'Sunn." It had been a while since the witch had encountered someone as intriguing as the violet-eyed female. She could tell this would prove an interesting meeting indeed.

[Auer]

Auer looked into the female's eyes as she spoke. Upon hearing the female's comment on the number, Auer's violet eyes blinked for the first time before a slight frown appeared upon her face. The female was merely speaking the truth but Auer, not one whom always possessed charm and grace especially when it came to her past, saw her words as judgement. When Auer felt judgements were being cast upon her, the darkness within the female tended to come out, however because the female had been rather polite, Auer showed Amelia the courtesy of merely letting the female taste her unpredictable nature and that proved to be something Amelia could truly pass judgement on.

"So I am either a criminal or a slave? Which one makes you feel the most secure and happy about your life, darling? Which one out of the two do you think holds the most evil in the heart? Which one is more likely to make you squirm?" Auer tilted her head slightly as she came up closer to Amelia until the female had entered way past what was deemed a respectful space in terms of interpersonal distance. Before Amelia could move away or respond to the female's words, Auer's blood red lips touched upon Amelia's own. The kiss did not last long before Auer pulled away. Amusement shone through her violet eyes as she began to softly laugh. "I am sorry that was uncalled for -" Auer could say no more as laughter took hold. After a moment she calmed down enough to continue speaking in her silken tone. "..But come on one must admit it killed the tension and it was just plain fun. You seemed in need of it as much as I. You're not bad...next time I expect better however.."

The female leaned a tad closer and whispered "Men tend to prefer a little more mouth action to occur..." Auer looked at Amelia with eyes of seriousness; she held the look just long enough until Amelia began to think she was a complete head case. Only then did a playful smile appear accompanied by a wink. Auer's tone changed to that of proper seriousness as she replied to Amelia last words."Auer is one name I am called, another name I carried for nine era's was number twenty-two. But you may settle for Auer - least to say it holds slightly better memories." Auer decided at that point that she liked the female and that was by no means an easy feat to achieve. Auer looked curiously into the female's poised face that held a certain coolness to its beauty. "Yes, I am perhaps a little....odd. How about you shant pass judgement and neither shall I. Now. Where can we go in this foreign city for some fun?" Auer arched her brow at the female and merely waited for the female's sugesstion and assent.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Auer was giving herself away with that answer, cementing Amelia's belief that the girl was either a slave, a criminal, or even an asylum inmate; however, the witch kept stranger company than that and was amused by Auer's reaction, if nothing else because her teasing worked so well. "Believe it or not, I do not squirm easily," she said softly, chestnut brows arching slightly as the other woman bridged the distance between them and, quite surprisingly, kissed her on the lips and then pulled away. Amelia had almost killed a man over something like this, but for a woman to do this instead, it amused her to some degree. Here was something she had not been expecting... though it was kind of sad that every kiss she had received so far had been forced on her.

Her tongue flicked over her lips, and Auer could see that it was forked, much like a serpent's. "Then, you had better watch out... my bite could be poisonous." Whatever this woman had on her mind, it was easily seen that Amelia was not going to step back easily, or at all. "Nevertheless, I would suggest you do not try this on your run-of-the-mill Kemite lady. People here have certain... expectations for our gender, which, if unfulfilled, can lead to trouble. Of course, it all depends on whether you stay away from trouble or welcome it instead."

Amelia concluded that Auer was a complete head case, though she was not one to talk. The half-Vagaran was hardly the epitome of normality, though she was rarely this forward with people that were still alive. "Fun... now isn't that what we all want?" She gave a polite smile and twirled her lace umbrella between her fingers. "Fun means different things to different people. My brand of fun is not for everyone... then again, I find raising the souls of dead people to be fun, too. The question is, what kind of fun is up your alley, Auer?" It was fortunate for Auer to have met Amelia on her day off. She was normally a busy girl, either working in her shop or concocting some new scheme. It wasn't every day that she got to know someone as delightfully disturbed as Auer, though. In the past, she would have avoided her company like the plague, but now she could feel that there was definitely a lot of perfectly shallow fun to be had with her... so why not?

[Auer]

Auer gave Amelia a playful smile. What reflected in the female's violet eyes was that of mischievousness, mayhem, destruction and yet at the same time, a certain liveliness became visible as it danced unresricted within her irises. For the first time the void of emptiness that seemed to emulate from her pupils to the dark depths of the female's soul could not taint the female's pleasure as it had a habit of doing in the mundane existance one brightening carried unto the next.

Auer arched her brow upon seeing Amelia's wildly exotic tongue. "I am sure it can be. But I would also believe it could be either posion or sweetness depending on what you are most inclined to make it be...Whatever you may think of me, I do not make it a habit to get too close to females and especially not with my lips. " Auer's eyes widened slightly to dramatise her point.

Amelia's next words wiped the humor and liveliness from Auer's pale face of delicacy. She took a step back as her eyes cautiously studied Amelia's. In a softer tone threaded with seriousness Auer replied to the female. "I know why you appeared to be familiar to me now. You possess that strange look within your eyes. It is of this plane yet at the same time it touches upon and sees distant planes where the keeper resides counting each soul of the dead that awaits entry at its black gates...and sometimes there, just sometimes, the keeper will refuse a soul entrance."

A far away look entered into her violet orbs as her eyes looked past the female to gaze further down the street. It was not her eyes that saw, but her mind's eye that stared down the internal road of memory. "Tell me Amelia, do you ever torture souls of the living for fun? Perhaps kiss them with death and then revive them with life? Is the dark arcana your way of having fun?"

Auer tilted her head slightly to the side exposing the milky white of her neck as it became revealed. A slight frown showed upon her brows. She spat out the last questions that demanded release. "Do you ever evoke the spirits to play cruel games on the living? Do you use energy of the dead to bring misery to life? And do you listen and take pleasure in hearing the living cry out tortured screams?" All the while her eyes stayed attentively focused upon the female. Her eyes held a void of vacantness to them. Her eyes held the image of death's lingering claim before devastating release. Her eyes whispered pain. Unshed tears threatened to spill dangling upon a desperate longing.
It was a longing of the morbid. It was a longing of a forsaken soul.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

The first thing Amelia noticed about Auer was that she, apparently, talked a lot. Which was not the same as actually saying a lot. The impression she got was that Auer loved making things pretty, whether herself or the things she said - beautiful sentences, but barbed. Amelia herself was less demanding, and when she claimed her pleasures in life she was often silent about it. Still, this girl's style amused her a lot... here was someone who would stop at nothing under the right circumstances.

The witch, usually correct in her impressions, thought she had found someone who was darker than her.

"I..." she began, frowning slightly. Considering the questions, it was something of a minor shock to have to admit that, indeed, "I have done all of that at least once." Auer was making it sound like such an evil thing... Amelia did not consider herself evil. Not good, not evil, and definitely not neutral. Amelia was just herself, she did the things she did for her own reasons. "I had good reasons, though. I think we have something in common here, do we not? We both think that inflicting pain is at the very least better than receiving it, yes?"

She smiled a little. "It does sound scandalous at first, or at least it did for me... admitting to deriving joy from destruction. But then, little by little, you realize that it is a part of nature, a part that exists to keep us alive. And then, you come to accept it. Destruction is not necessarily a bad deal." One could say that Amelia had reached a maturity of sorts in her extreme and conflicted personality. She had accepted herself, in time. Now she even enjoyed herself. But the truth was that, at least twice in her life, she had seriously considered suicide as a viable option.

"You seem intrigued, Auer," the girl tilted her head, matching Auer's own angle. Amelia's voice was calm as she spoke to the young woman of topics that most girls their age would not dream of touching, much less after five minutes of their first meeting. "I think you are a destroyer like me, but your feet are not wet enough in the waters of this river just yet. I cannot claim wisdom in any shape or form, but this is something I have some experience with. And because of that, I cannot help but feel a deep curiosity... and even relate, to a degree."

The witch's cursed eyes narrowed slightly. They were an odd color, light as blue went and yet lacking brilliance, dull in spite of their owner's liveliness. "Destruction takes on countless forms. Mine is about finding the strongest opponents there are, among the living and dead alike. They usually deserve it. I weave my web until they crumble, and then I start over. It makes me feel alive. So, what turns you on instead, Auer?" She asked in a whisper.

OOCI owe you big, Big, BIG apologies, Angel. Sorry for semi-disappearing on you lately! I'm leaving the country in the morning. :)

[Auer]

Upon hearing Amelia's words Auer could simply do no more than press her blood red lips together and frown. She had expected Amelia to admit to doing some of the deeds Auer had asked but upon hearing that the female had done them all and what more, these type of horrific deeds made the female feel alive, Auer then knew without a doubt that this female was more screwed up than she was. The only other time Auer had thought these words of another was the cult. Did this mean Auer should treat her in the same way she would her torturers? Perhaps...and yet, as Auer's violet orbs looked into the females lightest of blue, all Auer could do was laugh.

Long moments passed by until finally Auer contained the joyous sound of insanity. Auer swept stray locks of her long dark hair out of her eyes and then in her silken voice of calm Auer felt she was finally ready to face Amelia's words head on. "I have become a destroyer, yes. I want to destroy each and every twisted cult member and will not stop until their screams echo through the afterlife. I also want to destroy every man who rapes, abuses, tortures, enslaves and uses dark arcana for their own amusement and pleasure. I want to destroy each man for them merely having that tainted gene. But most of all, I want to destroy every man who dares to show me love."

Auer grasped the question that had stirred from her soul's very depths where the broken, yet still quite sane, shards of the old female remained. Auer paused. Her violet eyes repeatedly moved from one blue eye to the other before she continued to speak in a softer tone. "So these are the reasons why I destroy... Please enlighten me Amelia, what is the reason why you do what you do?" Before Amelia could begin to voice an answer Auer began speaking again as she pulled her tanto out of her sleeve and twirled it in her milky white fingers whilst her eyes stonily watched the female. "You may know arcana and possibly other brutal skills but I have raging hate where once resided a pure heart. If you dare think about putting me through experiencing that dark arcana again then I will make full use of the torture techniques I learned through that dark time. And trust me they are very creative. Got that?"

And just as quickly as that, her seriousness and chilling severity disappeared and a wide smile revealed itself upon Auer's lips. Destruction and deranged delight danced in the violet of her eyes. "What turns me on is letting men fall emotionally head over heels in love with me and then physically tearing out their useless hearts. There is nothing more pleasurable than knowing that in one moment their heart is pounding wildly because of me and then in the next moment, their heart is lifeless in my hand." Auer looked down at her hand and her blood coloured smile widened.

OOCThat's ok sugar no need to apologise. You had more important things to take care of. Shall catch up with you when you are settled :)

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Amelia merely blinked in polite surprise as Auer reacted to her words with twisted laughter. She failed to see what was so hilarious about the things she had said, things she fully believed in and that she hoped would be a useful tale for one such as Auer. It did not occur to her until later that the girl may have felt threatened by such an admission, even though this was not the case. Auer did not classify as someone Amelia would want to hurt... unless she herself decided to do something about it to change her status.

Which she actually came very close to doing. Amelia was not a fan of having a dagger drawn at, no matter who did it. She regarded the tanto with cold blue eyes, wondering where this girl had left her sanity. Flashing a blade to a complete stranger outside in the city... Of course, the Adjurator was far from unarmed, though that was besides the point. The need to even draw the blade in order to prove a point qualified the action as well as the actress. "Good craftsmanship," she said casually but with an undertone of ice, "but I would put that away if I were you." Amelia felt no need to show the deadly blade concealed as her umbrella, or to state that she had knocked out men three times Auer's weight with her bare limbs. No need to. Amelia was little bark, but a lot of bite. That, she reasoned, was the main difference between them. Now, how to convey as much to Auer?

"So it was a dark cult for you," the girl continued. "I think I get the picture; it is fairly simple, isn't it? I guess it started with a lot of... dark tribulations for me, as well. But you see, I won't be so hypocritical as to say that my past is entirely to blame for what I have become. If you do so, you end up belittling yourself and your ability to think and feel. People can react in many different ways to the same abuse. Some people seek revenge, others forgive the unforgiveable. To me, the turning point was realizing that my past is not my excuse, but my eye opener."

Amelia shrugged lightly, and smiled a little. "I will not judge your desire to get vicarious revenge on all men. After all, a part of me wants to get vicarious revenge on all spirits, but I keep that in check... usually. I do consider myself more egalitarian in my choice of opponents, shall we say. Gender, race, occupation, they mean little to me, as long as the person has power. You asked me why I do it, didn't you? Well, I must confess I asked myself that question many times. The truth is that..."

"I want to discover my limits," she said honestly. "It is one of the only things that still catch my interest. Everything I thought I knew about me was false, an invention of the mind. In risking it all against a powerful enemy, I learn who I really am. That and I am easily bored - we all need to do something with our time." The smile on her face grew a bit more playful. "I hope this clears up why I do not wish to challenge you, Auer. There is simply no gain nor entertainment in bullying one who is so weak as to try and cover fear and insecurity by flaunting a tanto. It would teach me nothing, show me nothing. No fun. Simple as that."

[Auer]

Whilst Amelia spoke, Auer continued to twirl her tanto between her fingers in a playful manner. She had no point to prove by the action. She merely enjoyed with the feeling of the blade in her grasp, the beauty it graced her with, the flirtation it offered and the possibilities it whispered of. Auer thought it was obvious that she did not mean to use the blade on Amelia or that Auer kept it visible because she perceived Amelia as a threat. Truth was, if Auer thought for a moment Amelia would make her the next victim then Auer would partake in a more deadly dance with her blade rather than merely letting it dance between her fingers alone.

And while at first the dagger had served the point Auer had vocalised, it occurred to the female that perhaps it was not the wisest of actions. Whilst many would have heeded her warning with caution upon the dagger's appearance, Amelia certainly did not fall into the category most others did. Indeed she was in a category all of her own. This was proved by what dwelled in the light blue of her eyes; it showed in her reaction to Auer’s words, or more to the point, the little reaction she gave. And it also showed in the words she confidently spoke in response. Yes, this female was delightfully different and as a result Amelia sparked Auer’s interest and demanded Auer’s respect.

Auer's violet eyes remained attentively fixed upon her companion as the blade continued to twirl. It was only when Auer had heard those cool, calm and confident words pass from Amelia’s lips; and most of all, the implicit demoralising connotations Amelia and her words held, did the tanto stop swirling in her hand. With sleekness Auer placed the tanto back in her sleeve. Her violet eyes held Amelia’s gaze as sinister rage blazed in the violet of her eyes. Auer stayed silent as she contemplated the female’s words. She contemplated whether the female had meant to be so condescending. Auer silently mused upon the question of whether dark arcana was similar to her curse, did it bring its own type of corruption? Did all who use the dark art become corrupted by its morbid, yet no doubt delicious, power and thus they thought themselves superior to that of the uncorrupted souls?

Amelia moved on to say that it was not her past that made her the way she is but the lust for power, for reaching and perhaps destroying her own limits; she did what she did to bring liveliness and interest into her life. And then Amelia ended with another insult, perhaps truthful, but nonetheless arrogant. The darkness in Auer silently snarled and hissed. It wanted to seize the female and cut out her lips that spoke such disrespect. Finally Auer’s time of silence came to a crashing end. In a voice of dead calm she responded. “I am glad you find me such a worthless soul to haunt. In truth, you are correct. My soul is shattered and torn between two life forms, what remains is of no value except for that of a sometimes disgusting sentimentality. This curse runs through my blood tainting what humanity may have survived. Unlike you, my past has made me the being that I now am; he was the cause and I bear his effects...”

Auer moved an inch closer to the female. Her eyes remained fixed upon her light blue orbs. “But that does not mean I am not appreciative...I hold for him such overwhelming love and also such overpowering hate. The future belongs to those who survive the past. I do not use my past as an excuse... I do not need justification for what I do, how I feel and who I have become. The past had taught me valuable lessons, opened my eyes? Yes that is true. It has made me a survivor, it has taught me endurance; it had killed what was weak and worthless and breathed fire and chaos into this casket; I have been kissed with corruption; I have intimately experienced the pleasure of pain to now be able to give it. You have your own version of power, your ways to evoke death and I have mine... ” Auer leaned in closer to Amelia; her eyes widened and deep within their darkest depths, insanity could be seen laughing. She tilted her head and offered Amelia a cold smile.

“I advise you to not be so quick to make false assumptions. I do not hypocritically use the past to place my blame on. I use my past as fuel; my inspiration; my direction. I use my past to remind myself of what I once was...it is my fable....” Auer then brought out her tanto again and continued to twirl it in her hand, softness returned to her silken voice and was revealed in the curve of her blood coloured lips. Casually she ended her string of words. “I do not flaunt my weapon as a mask to hide my insecurity and fear. Those pretty eyes of yours are clouded by your confidence; I find that to be as sinister as it is sexy. But just as your eyes are used to convey a tool of your trade, so does this weapon convey mine. So...Insecurity, fear? No it is determination.”

Auer smiled down at her tanto “It is a tool that conveys my lust, my flirtation, my passion...and in time, my strength with this weapon and other beautiful methods of creating death and pain will grow...” Auer paused and gracefully slipped the tanto away. She then smiled enticingly at the female. Playfulness stalked her words. “Perhaps there is something we can teach one another? What say you my strange yet alluring friend?”

OOCThis post proved tricky to write...ggrr you lol. You know if I did not love ya so much I would have gone for your throat muhaha *grins*

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

The witch considered Auer's reaction carefully. In truth, Amelia herself was not completely sure why she had thrown those words at the young female in front of her, but they just had found their way out of her mouth. She guessed that the temptation had probably been too amusing to resist. Some people were quick to bludgeon others, but Amelia was more of a controlled, systematical slicer... or even better, a piercer. Once someone qualified as her target, she enjoyed teasing them with thorns both physical and figurative. Auer had not backed up, and Amelia was not one to do so, either. And studying the expression of her targets while she delivered the things that hurt the most, it was an artform in its own right... music performed for one's own enjoyment.

She listened intently to her words, a spark of amusement still in her eyes but trying her best to take it all in. In the end, she blinked a couple of times, as if in mild disbelief, but then smiled. "You sure have a way with words, Auer," she revealed her teeth. They were pearly white, and obviously taken care of with single-minded care. "I will admit overconfidence is my new sin's name, but to my credit, it is much more entertaining than its opposite. One must believe in oneself even when one shouldn't."

Of course Amelia believed little of what Auer had said. The girl was messed up beyond recognition in a way even Amelia was not. However, to Amelia, life was long over - now she was playing a game that sometimes resembled it, and one that she liked much better than the real thing. And in a way, Auer was doing the same. Under this perspective, the witch could perhaps relate in some form. Amelia put a polite hand in front of her mouth, giving a short, light giggle. "So be it, so be it. This sounds like it could be fun, after all. At the very least, we do share a few common friends."

This girl was utterly insane, the half-Elf knew. Amelia considered herself to be perfectly sane, merely believing in different things than most people, and with different intensity, but pursuing her objectives with lucid awareness. Auer was... unstable, for want of a better word. While Amelia had a sadistic streak in her and one she recognized, Auer was probably best defined as a psychopath. Which was admittedly an interesting thing.

"So," the girl said in her light soprano, so much unlike the things she used it for, "what shall we teach each other? I am assuming you have no wish to learn the, what did you call them? Dark arcana? But I can teach you how to be deadly with your body in ways that you might not have considered. With this," and she closed her gloved hand into a tight fist, "or with this." And here she held out her pristine white lace umbrella, casually pressing a small lever on the shaft. She pulled the handle back and a few inches of cold steel slid aside, revealing that the shaft of the umbrella actually contained a thin but deadly blade. She did not unsheathe it entirely, though. Instead, she pressed the hidden sword back into place and the umbrella returned to its normal state.

"And you, Auer, could maybe tell me what that word... 'sexy' means to you. I would not have thought a dagger could have such qualities, to be honest. It may appeal to the one wielding it, but another? I doubt that." It wasn't that Amelia had never wanted to be sexy or that she could not understand what it was... she could. But the word held different meanings to different people, and Amelia was decidedly curious to hear what it meant to Auer.

OOCThere's always time for that... ;)