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Eye of the beholder
The woman's request was rather simple of less candles and guessed that she also had a sensitivity to the light and found what she needed far less than before the blight had turned them, she still missed food, water was still unavoidable but food was something she no longer needed. Emotions and energy.. were not as satisfying as what she cooked in some sense. “Of course, I feel the same, I keep my rooms so.” Sya snuffed out most of the candles bringing the room to a soothing darkness that would probably disconcert one of the living.
As the light in the room dimed to no more than a few soft glowing spots about the room she felt more comfortable. It reflected in the pale woman's normal resting face than that of the squinting one from earlier. Giving a gentle smile of approval. The tavern woman's willingness to accommodate her guest was quite enjoyable to see. To her Olivia was just a simple patron no titles or airs and yet she still helped out a stranger in need. The creatures chest felt light with the effort on her behalf. There was something so simple and honest about the moment where Olivia felt herself more so than years past. Indeed being around Sya let her relax to a level the lady had truly missed.
"That is better thank you." The lady's voice hinted with kind inflections.
Sya blushed when she noticed the woman's gaze turned to her, she seemed to follow her and had no fear of her eye, ears and even seemed to welcome it. The gesture of tucking a hair behind her ear was so very normal, the lady was well shockingly normal, if you could call any of their kind normal. But it was simple, a gesture you could see anywhere anytime. Her heart that probably did not beat as fast as before picked up a pace, so close she could smell the lady wore a scent and the subtle smell the furs had left on her clothes, the fact was plain. Whatever this woman was, she was curious and pushed through her nerves, Dawn Haven was all about second chances even for those who were considered monsters by many.
Olivia was so close it was conspiratorial, she was inches away now, the proximity was both the most scary and exciting thing she recalled recently. I want you… that was a bold statement but somehow Sya was honestly tired, she pretended to be normal for wider people, Sunni had let her be open but this was different. “I… I have seen them, I am glad you have not. I came close, in those forests, the howls, they drew to me, things… pulled at my mind's own corners… but somehow I kept my head. I am truly glad I am your first.” Sya was genuine and she revealed more detail than she had told almost anyone, it felt lighter somehow. Easier, then the implication of her word choice came to mind and blushed, memories of… no, not that right now. That was a different time in a hay loft.
“I was never magically trained, I had to figure it all out… I'm still unsure if I understand it, surely. But I can try.” Sya broke into a smile a faint one but it reached her eye and she was rather expressive. I'm the gesture. “That's quite a story. I fled my home with almost nothing, what little I could scavenge. I am maybe the last of that place. The Borderlands, I am one of the border folk, we are a rare kin now alas even ember Kin. So much is now blighted.” She said with a little sigh, they lay now heavily in the blight zone and she had felt no desire to enter it again, however immune to its effects and toxins. She did not know how she could refuse if Prince asked her though.
The lady's voice was calm and cool like the night air through an open window.
"I confess that magic is not my area. I dont know most of what I can or could do. It's more like a instinct or reflex. I have been able to learn restraint and even that is not as polished as I would like. I know you can understand when I say it is hard to find people who would willingly allow us to practice on." Olivia gave the brown haired woman a shy glance admitting her weaknesses was something again her father taught her from the time of her being a child never to do and yet, she couldnt help herself it seemed around Sya. Was it an ability of the giant blue eye to coax the truth or just her own desire to be free of carrying the burdensome secrete for so long, the ruby eyes creature cared not. Olivia ran to her friends openness with full speed never wanting to be so isolated ever again. Sya was going to be her dear friend, she just had to be!
“I was worse than homeless for too long, until Dawn haven… A merchant helped fund all this, but I am its keeper and left it to my hand.” She glossed over what she did to survive, it was far from a light topic but she wanted to live more than they did. Gesturing to the building with a proud expression. She said mode than she thought, her hands rolling the fabric of a skirt between two pale fingers with hands that seen a less comfortable life.
“I would appreciate that, their are others here but.. some Who do know, I do not feel yet able to trust myself, they serve the Royals directly and … I am still cautious of them. My people were left to die by them… they ignored us, as we sent message and messengers.” Sya was honest, deeply honest and risked opening up herself, an open… well if the eyed were windows to the soul, Sya had a rather large gate. A gate that opened a crack as its iron hinges swung slowly. A crack that let out a fierce emotion and a hot fire that she usually kept locked up tightly.
She talked of her sight , how she could see in the night like prevention in darkness black and how the world was a… pallete of not colour In the darkest night but greys and tinged almost blue. How she could almost see something but could not put her mind to understand it, there were hidden layers and an… another layer that had yet to reveal itself.
Sya talked maybe too much but her heart felt lighter and listened intently to what she said about he needs and plans. But Sya felt a hand in her lap and made a choice, maybe a dangerous one but she had died… what was much after being dead? Fuck it. She died once, she had lived through hell.. why not…
Sya moved her own smaller hand and turned It to interlock smaller hand with Olivia's, intrigued how both their skin was cooler and the fact that her nails felt dangerously sharp, hard but also did not hurt Sya.
Olivia felt herself becoming closer to Sya with every hardship the young woman confessed. The lady wanted to kidnap her and carry the blue eyed girl far from here back to her lands and pamper her like some beloved pet. The royals here seemed to be a far cry to her own rule of justice and fairness. How could someone just let their people die so carelessly? It made her smooth brow furrow to hear such things from those in stations far above her own. She would have words about this after more information was gathered of course. A creature yet still her fathers daughter and his lessons were ingrained into her very sole whether Olivia cared for them or not. It was time for her formal introduction except that would mean she would have to formally announce herself to the area, and that might break her friendship prematurely.
"That sounds very brutal. You really are a strong flower to have blossomed under such hardships." The tenderness in her voice carried with it the feelings of sincerity of her words. The creature pursed her full lips in thought on how to best handle such a delicate situation. Her new found friendship was far more important then the decorum of some royals who let their people die so carelessly. Yes they could wait, Sya would have to come first. She watched silently as the tavern woman took her fingers and interlaced the warmer slender digits made her sigh ever so quietly. Certainly no one at the keep would dare to touch the nightmare for fear of losing their soul yet here in the tavern she was making a simple connection that Olivia had always been so envious of common folk for.
How hard it was for the ruby eyed nightmare to not pull Sya close and comfort her from the dark like two lost girls in the woods. A deep stirring in her chest like a dozen tiny bats flapping wildly within her chest as she listened on to the destitute servant girls strife living in the streets like a foul creature. In her lands if there were homeless then they were put to work and given a wage even if it was to patrol the streets at night or clean the land for farming families it was a wage they could claim from the holdings and in turn produced a tie to the land and the families that worked it. Far be it for anyone who knew of the demon of the keep to cross those within its boarders. So peace through fear as her father had always suggested was actually a decent way to rule.
The mentioning of the girls blue eye allowed the demon next to her to boldly gaze into its depth. It was so beautiful to Olivia. Held captive by its grandeur, the lady knew why it had such a deep impact after living in the shadows of her keep for so long not wanting to frighten her people she hid and now beneath this radiant jewel she felt completely exposed! There was nowhere to hide from its gaze and the pale lady felt so deliciously revealed when Sya looked at her, almost to the point of being trapped. More tiny bats fluttered about within her chest.
Lost in her own selfish thoughts Olivia nearly failed to pay attention to the information she wanted to know. This Sya was a treasure she had to keep safe at all costs. The two coachmen it seemed would be staying a bit longer then she had planned. There were other creatures here? In the town boarders?! A protective instinct for her Sya grew as did her black nails albeit slightly as it concerned to her nails.
“You have it. I will call you friend.” Sya said, repeating self when she realized she deviated from the common tongue of her former homeland. It is almost said as an oath than a statement.
The snow white haired woman's eyes went wide at the words! Without court trappings or royal titles she had made a friend all on her own! So utterly ecstatic to the new friend she half caught and suppressed a squeal to where it sounded like one of those tiny bats deep in her chest, cried out for joy. Looking away Olivia took a second to regain her composure, even though all she wanted to do was to hug her friend ever so tightly. The creature from under the bed of her peoples homeland was now with a friend which brought the grand total to two. When her face returned to meet Sya it was of a simple warm smile.
"I would like this very much Sya. I will also be your friend and no matter the hardship I want you to lean on me as much as you like." Her body froze not trying to imply things or deeper meanings yet the loosely worded statement she realized invited all manner of misunderstandings. Brave faced she let them stand, if Sya, her friend wished for there to me more to them then the simple kindness, well so much the better.
“I have to run the Inn, but I will help you in my spare time, this room… and the room your coachman has. I can do.. a … longer. term. Lease. Yes.?” Sya said she was still unsure of the wording but gestured. “If you wish, I keep it for you, the basement… has room for goods, and strong room? If you need.” Sya said, wondering if her wording was right.
“I do not know why, but I feel like I should help you, like… something important…” Sya shook her head unsure, the big blue eye of hers was confused but content in a way that could not be hidden. Looking at the red eyes of Olivia, she have the hand a gentle press and well. Sunni made her Mistress…it was her choice… and she made it. Olivia she would aid. “I Live up, near the back. There's a stair back near the way down to the bar, if not, my office is on the hall to mine and the merchants personal rooms. You are welcome to find me there if needed.” She smiled at that, she was proud, her office, her ledger. her quill and ink she practiced so hard to learn to list the accounts.
The pale lady with the faint pink tone to her milk cheeks smiled deviously at the thoughts in her head.
"Yes, please come to me and I will see you are well compensated for the rooms." The ruby eyed girls voice sounded a little eager for Sya to visit and talk more. Pausing to reel in the excitement, she continued with a very friendly smile.
"My coachmen can help out during the day for tavern chores. I think they would also be happy to find things to do instead of being kept in their room while I rested." Olivia didnt really sleep per say but having people think they could enter the room and possibly expose her to light would be... problematic.
"They are brothers, the burly one with dark red hair is john while the one with bright red hair is Alex. They are two of.. the most trustworthy coachmen you'll find. I will ask them to find you for things you may need done. Since I will be extending my stay here for the foreseeable future." Talking of more light topics, fell to explain dawn Haven, some of its characters and some of the gossip she picked up, such as Lunaris soldiers, to be careful of winged blightborn, but not fear him and lesser topics.
“Anything in particular you want to know?” Sya never really noticed she had not let go of the other woman's hand, nore they shifted closer over time.
And.. Sya did something impulsive. She closed her large blue eye. “Forgive me, but I died once, I saw fire consume the wolf and man conjoined I was treated worse than a beggar, and i… I thought no one would ever be truly comfortable with me.” Sya perspective and her very nature and... deep something changed that day, the day the blight took her, and now she did not hesitate when she saw a chance because who knew if she would ever get one again.
The pale nightmare watched intently as her friend made such a deep confession. Her own face turning to sympathy as she held onto as one of the few human qualities like a priestess's rosary. Her fingers moved slowly caressing the warm skin of her friends hand.
"How long are the days here?" Her voice quiet and sincere.
"My friend I promise that for as long as you so desire I shall hold you close, and protect you form those dark nightmares."Sya leaned over the short distance, a matter of inches and leaned up cutely to kiss Olivia. A soft and tentative one as she felt the gentle strands of white Cheekily nudging it from her ear.
Though she could catch a bird in mid flight Olivia watched frozen to Sya's movements toward her. Loosing the focus, her breathing stopped as the brown haired blue eyed girl leaned in closer and closer. So bold it scared Olivia a little. Yet when the full lips of the tavern keeper pressed themselves to the nightmare she impulsively squeezed the warm hand in her own. The ruby eyes bashfully glancing at her friend as the free hand moved up to her lips and with just the tips of her fingers felt the spot where the kiss made its mark. The tiny bats went wild within the cage of flesh. In a simple gesture Oliva hoped her friend would understand the meaning, slowly she carried her friends hand to her lips giving the back of Sya's hand a tender kiss before turning it over and kissing her open palm and smiled with a nod.
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Alex and his brother had gotten quite drunk as told to by their lady who for whatever reason retired early. Arm in arm they steadied each other to their room and not caring to lock their door John who had been less eager to be the victim tried to drink more than his brother. There was simply no way he wanted to be sober for whatever she had in mind. The images of the lady slowly climbing out of the carriage was more then enough to feed a dozen nightmares. Where ever she was he just hoped the person was deserving of their lady's attention.
Before they could feel the beds embrace or the softness of their pillows they were sawing logs with John having made it to the bed, and Alex on the floor scaring the mice. Both still fully clothed and oblivious to the rest of the evenings on goings.
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