Curbing Pa Shun

Log Info

• Title: Curbing Pa Shun
• Emitter: Aryia
• Characters: Aryia, Venom
• Place: Fernwood, Aryia's Rented Room
• Time: November 1st, 2021
• Summary: The final pieces of the persona were coming into place, though they are held off as Venom and Aryia hold a heart to heart. Tender words are shared, then perhaps a bit too much so as Aryia pumps the brakes as a reality check. Making sure the pieces of the broken blade don't crumble to the floor, things get smoothed over as best they can. Furthermore, more of the oddities creep up, Aryia smearing moonlight on things, her having no clue how she was doing that. The elf shares some of her past that she had assistance recovering, as well as giving a name. After figuring out some things they could show each other to further their capabilities, they ponder their next steps. After the Ashwing incident on the Fernwood, and Venom's creeping anxiety, they resolve themselves to find a place to live. Just the two of them. We'll see how well this pans out.

Fernwood, Aryia's Rented Room, Dusk

It's been a day since the attack on the Fernwood, and tensions were high all around. From the staff that witnessed the events, to the patrons that were wary of returning.

Aryia sits in her room that she'd been renting out for months now, evidence of her residence scattered throughout the small abode in swaths of personalization. A small collection of books, the table turned into a tailoring/tinkering station, a few additional pillows on the bed. Everything was neatly tucked away after some hours of fidgeting about with it all.

It also meant it could be packed away in a moment's notice.

The mute mul'neissa, dressed down like usual, was writing in her journal carefully. Working on... something or another. Blazing eyes, like twin lanterns, raise to suss out whatever it was her night blossom was up to. Her face relaxes some as she gestures with her spare hand. "Hey. Thanks again for looking for me after yesterday. It meant a lot to me," she mentions, smiling sweetly. <Handspeech>

Venom, for her part, was meddling with certain aspects of her appearance. Largely, brushing along certain of her features with some manner of dust that seems to subtly trick the eye into seeing differning shadowed suggestions of form than were true to the touch, refining the shades of Violet she wanted everyone to see. Already, her hair was plaited in an intricate, Myrrish fashion down her back, incorporating streaks of rich violet tresses, and even additional lengths that matched her own, resulting in a braid much too long to suggest anything but a safe, even pampered lifestyle. A blossom of her would-be namesake rests not far from reach, intended to be added in reinforcement of that presumption.

The Acanian looks up as she notices Aryia looking her way to sign. Lips embellished a bit with yet more subtle tricks of makeup to suggest more plumpness part in a little smile, "You're welcome, North Star" having grown a decided comfortable fondness for the <Sildanyari> soubriquet she's given the elf. She sobers a little bit, then wonders, "You're..."

She falters, as seems her wont in regards to discussing her burgeoning feelings, then continues, "...So important to me... even though we haven't known each other long.... but.. and..."

Aryia couldn't help but watch Venom put the pieces together of what they made. From the streak of color in the hair, to the long braid, to the floundering of the words. She softly laughs in a small huff behind a hand, her setting her writing implements aside on the bed as she rises to her feet. Still a hint of a limp there from yesterday's mishap, but recovering.

She glides over, her reaching out to rest upon an arm. Her face tinged crimson from the namesake and the words. "Really? We've known each other for some months now, even before we... gave us a shot. You're... important to me as well," her free hand motions. <Handspeech>

Venom's smile brightens in return, gaining a little rose across her cheeks as Aryia laughs, and watches her rise. The lingering limp dampens her expressions lightly in concern, and her own hand rises to encomapss the one alighting on her arm.

Obsidian glitters under moonlight before the twin pools turn toward the comminucative signs.

Her expression clouds, some, a slight furrowing of her brow before she opens her mouth to reply.

She stops, looks to her lap for a moment, then starts to sign, instead, "I've known Slip my whole life. I still wonder..." a pause, "why no one made sure I was dead before they left. Before he left. I still miss him, but..." <handspeech>

This new hesitation lasts some seconds longer, and her eyes soften in a tangle of uncertainty before seeking those of her guiding light.

Her words are soft "Since you and I... since we..." swallow, "I just... don't think about him much, anymore...."

Don't cry, the makeup hasn't set, yet.

Don't cry.....

Expression clouding was a signal to Aryia that Venom's thought were wandering back into those dark depths. She steps a little closer, her encompassed hand squeezing the arm lightly as moonlight glances to the motions. Certainly in the dark.

A dark that wasn't nothing but void, the north star moving to take a seat upon Venom's lap.

The mute's expression softens, and she takes both hands into her scarred ones as she rests her head against a shoulder.

Soft winds whispers insight that betrays their perception of time, and the lessons learned thereof. "Ussta isto tessai... there is nothing wrong with that. People come and go in our lives. Your mind is sorting out the present while making peace with the past. But it does not mean the past is meaningless, or any lesser. It makes you who you are today. You still cherish those moments with him, no? Gives you some warmth and a smile."

A pause to breath, to let what voice wasn't there rest to not strain it. "There are many 'why's and 'what-if's of the past. I myself have many still to this day. Like what I used to be. But until you have more answers, you need not plague yourself with the hypotheticals. Perhaps they had to leave as soon as possible and had to make a tough choice? Maybe they weren't in a position to check on you?"

A hand raises to gently brush against a cheek, the set of eyes perching on a shoulder, looking up with a softness to them.

The human is a relatively comfy seat, considering. It's probably why they have so much extra mass.

The trouble in her expression is driven back by surprise for a moment as her dear one settles so in her lap, but it does return, albeit softer.

The unveiled Acanian curls her other arm about the swell of Aryia's hip as she settles in.

The words, their reassurance bring a little light at first, though clearly Venom needs time to proper parse and process her emotions. Given her background, it's entirely likely confronting the emotional baggage head on was not part of her conditioning, merely tamping it down to Act as she should for the Mission.

She sighs and nods at last, resting her head against hers, "M-maybe...." a pause, then, "Thank you, Aryia."

A peck, soft and lingering, is pressed into the snowy crown before her.

Aryia knew that just words wouldn't be enough to banish the darkness, but at least such comforts would be enough to help give the tools to start shooing it away.

Aryia nestles in, her giving a closed eye smile at the little peck. A silent chuckle, and a hug follows suit. A little grin plasters her lips as the wind changes tune. Sharp syllables that would leave one tongue tied, yet practiced enough to rough out the twists. "You're welcome, V."

A cheeky kiss on the, well, cheek follows after. <Kulthian>

Venom blinks and draws up just a little bit, canting her head with a quizzical, "Did Vaera teach you that?" a light smile quirking the corners of her mouth. <Kulthian>

Her free hand breezes up along Aryia's back, fingers loosely curling about the base of her skull while her thumb massages a gentle circle over the nice spot behind her ear.

The human takes a deep, slow breath, exhaling a sighed, "You're the best part of my life." <Sildanyari>

The hand in the elf's gives a little squeeze, long and tender.

It's clear the words barely rung recognition in the elf's ears, Aryia pursing her lips to parse it. All she could pick up was 'Vaera', 'teach', and 'you. She shakes her head lightly. "No, I've... been, um, trying to learn it myself. To... surprise you," she mumbles, eyes fluttering closed as the hand snakes up.

The north star lets herself rest into the hand as her frame relaxes. Soaking in those moments where it was just the two of them. Then the elf-speak graces her ears.

The pugilist pauses. Eyes widening to search V's face for... something. "V..." she voicelessly hisses.

The squeeze is returned, as in its wake was that warm, tingling feeling they clumsily explained to the other some nights ago. "I... I-I'm glad I could... could make such an impact on you..." she whispers back in one of her native tongues, getting a little misty eyed as the pools brightened further. A hand goes to her chest and clutches at it, fingers curling into her shirt. "... w... what is this feeling..?" she barely, almost imperceptibly whispers to herself. <Sildanyari>

Venom gives a soft, even girlish giggle before she leans in to kiss her forehead, "You managed that!" she assures her, continuing her massaging stroke.

She meets the widened moons with her own dark pools and a easy, fond smile, "Aryia." she purrs.

The return, her North Star's words, and the clutching at her shirt makes her wonder, "Mmm-maybe it's... may-maybe we can... we call it....?"

A swallow, a tightness in the woman's throat, a flutter in her chest that makes her wonder about her internal mechanics, and Venom whispers, "Can... we call it love... until we... until... we know for sure...?"

There is a small, proud smile at that, her giving a faint little nod after the peck. "Yes..." <Kulthian>

The gentle roll of her name makes Aryia's ears flick, the shadow elf's throat bobbing some as her face dusts over some. Relaxed from the motions, yet tense in the chest. Sometimes she forgets that V was better at picking up the small things than most people.

And then a proposition.

Oddly, Aryia stills, her looking off to the side as her fingers tighten. Was... was it? Was it that? Is that what burned so hot?

There's an uncomfortable silence. Then, the faintest, smallest nod. "V... I-I... I've... never been g-good with... with this..." whispered winds tremble.

She reaches up to hold Venom's face, carefully cupping cheeks to not smear anything. "... w... we can... we can c-call... it call it that..."

It seems like Aryia had her own things she was peculiar about.

In. O-Out.

She dips her head, making it hard to read her lips that mouth something.

"And I wasn't... built for this, honey..." Venom notes in a gentle tone, bringing her hand up to stroke her cheek, "... but we're together. We're in synch."

A nervous, if hopeful little smile, "We can do this."

The rehoned blade stills as her silent partner takes her face between her hands and dives back into her prelaunch meditative breathing, and her brows knit, "Aryia...?"

She wonders if the Mul'niessa is suddenly shoring up her resolve for something. This is new enough to both of them, maybe...

What did Berklitta tell Pa Shun in that scene...?

Oh! Yes! But.. the syntax...

She has it!

Her ministrations at the soothing cluster behind the Mul'niessa's ear stops, and her arms curl to embrace her more clusely.

The Acanian clears her throat, and, as she isn't entirely certain what a 'husky, breathy tone, full of heat and promise' should sound like, she parses the barbarian queen's declaration into proper trade, "I.... want to love you.. until my time is done, Aryia." her own words spoken with a warm, awkward, tenderness.

Aryia's shoulders shake some as Venom makes that point, a mute laugh snaking its way out of her tightened chest. "Y... yes, we are," she quietly murmurs, raising her head as her name is called. Visage all sorts of conflicted yet resolved.

She's pulled in, melting some into the hug as she tries to garner more resolve to show V that she had the strength to... to...

Halfway to speaking, words catch where cords didn't exist.

The elfmaid pulls away in the hug, surprised, face completely crimson as he lips formed half words, "I.. V... You... wha... V-V-Venom..!" Finally catching her tongue, she shudders out as if she was tipping all the thoughts in her head and heart out of a bucket at once. "I-I mean, I-I, you, we, I uh, Venom don't you- That's...- T-T-T-T-T-That's a bit... s-strong. C-C-Can we... c-c-c-can we try-"

She picking at her nails, trembling some in the other's lap as her blazing eyes glance between her hands and to V's face. "... w-w-we... w-we don't even k-know yet... f-for you to... say s-something like that..."

V's madeup features play a kaleidoscope of expression that can perhaps be described as watching a minecart named 'Overenthusiastic Mistakes' race down the track to slam into the end of the line hard enough to leave the 'too fast, there, chum!' flag dancing franticly in the aftermath.

Aryia's reaction wasn't...

Her face turns away, eyes closing.

isn't...

Her arms slacken.

"It's.... good, isn't it.....?" she breathes in a weak, plaintive tone, "We're.... happy... I don't... I don't want....!"

Here, words again leave Morbid's weapon hanging.

Aryia watches that minecart crash and fly off the tracks, seeing the full breadth of V's worries and woes rearing their ugly head. Unlike her night blossom, Aryia had the experience to parse though such fiction, and knew, at the very least, what was too much. Aryia's reaction was warrented, she felt, but the ripple of that made her worry heavily.

And there Venom goes, spiraling down... down.. down..-

"..hey."

There's some shifting as the arms around Venom tighten. Warm winds whisper soft amid the hanging weapon. "I'm here." Like so many times before.

"J-Just... slow down... okay? I-I'm not going anywhere..." the winds trail off, pausing as her hands tremble a bit behind Venom. "... j... just try... s-something smaller. S-Simple. L-Like... l-like..."

Her throat tightens, her heart hammers, everything burns so hot.

"V..."

Here it was again. The beating beast had been pulled out and shown the light. The warmth. But now was the real test. Holding it out so it could be warmed by another's grasp.

In.

"... I love you."

Out.

Error.

The Acanian hisses a tiny, chiding, "Jhi'heg Meat...!" <Kulthian>

This wasn't a situation that lent itself to a 'retreat, rearm, and return' solution. No clear lines of process, parameters of risk vs yield.

It was the meaty sort of tangled emotions, associations and guesswork that in a cruel way, Venom was overly sheltered from, kept from greater understanding of her own psyche, and how it must interact with the world outside her cognitie engine.

There is a sort of absent reaction to the reaffirmed embrace, too stiff to be called ragdoll, but, her own limbs take not action to enjoin nor rebuke Aryia's gesture.

Drip.

Her eyes open as Aryia starts to speak again, swivelling her way.

She swallows as her engine tries new gears, adjusting the throttle as it were and meets the moonlight eyes with her own touched by moist sparkles in the corners, and the glistening trail down her left cheek.

The words parse, and conflict and questions, and mortality cavort behind her eyes as she tries to reconcile the parameters of pacing Aryia is trying to guide her with.

Her expression is still troubled, things she's clearly grappling with, but the affirmation seems to balm some of the hurt.

"I love you, too..." she says softly, trying to understand where the line was drawn.

Aryia lets out a shudder, shaking her head. She wasn't learned, but she could put two and two together. "You are not stupid meat, or useless," she firmly says back, squeezing the hold. Pulling back some to see Venom's moistened gaze settling on her own blazing ones. A soft sigh leaves her, shaking slightly. "... night blossom..." she murmurs, reaching up to wipe away the trail.

The simple words returned, as expected as they were, still cause breath to catch. Then, slowly, a warm smile spreads across her lips, eyes squinted from how broad it was.

Again, her hand clutches at her chest. "... that.... t-that feels nice to hear..." she whispers, leaning up for scarred lips to meet the other's.

The line was a blurry one. Yet... the pace Aryia was trying to set was one that was wouldn't outrun her anxieties, to blow past the line.

It seems Aryia's learned the language better than she'd originally thought.

Venom's eyes flicker some as Aryia corrects her self appraisals, years or decades of training may be trying refute her North Star's kind words. It's hard to true up a bent blade after it's cold, after all.

She exhales a soft note on the scarred kiss and melts into her arms, and her arms come to life again, intent, content, to hold the dark elf close.

Love is good.

Saying love is good.

Wanting a good thing to last the rest of your time is... not good..?

Pa Shun was wise....

Love is complicated.

Aryia hugs Venom back tightly, keeping her close as she holds the kiss the for a while before sighing through her nose and pulling away. Still seated on the other's lap, she smooths out the side of the woman's hair. "... just like that," she sub whispers. "V. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here..."

Venom lets the kiss break as Aryia starts to draw back, and, while somewhat reassured, there are still things on her mind, "... I don't understand..." she confesses softly.

Her eyes seek the glowing moonlit pools of her love and she weakly continues, "... why is.... saying I don't... want to stop feeling like this... why is... why is it bad....?"

Aryia's gaze softens, her watching dark eyes for a moment before leaning forward to rest her forehead against Venom's. "... I don't want to either. It's not bad, I'm just... afraid. Of moving so quick. Of the unknowns. I've... never felt like this before," she tries to explain, eyes half lidding in thought. In. Out. "... and I... want to... know myself better. So I'd rather... take it slow. We've known each other for a decent bit of time, yes. But much changes in months and... and years. Decades. I'd... rather we enjoy us now, and... and be sure we are good together in many circumstances before we do something as..." Her face reddens. "... bold as... until the end of your days..."

"I don't... know how long he made us to last." Venom replies, lifting a hand to Aryia's cheek, "I'm... sorry I..."

She takes a moment to process the parameters of Aryia's meaning, and her affect on them, "I didn't mean to make you afraid... I was trying.... to make you feel good."

The offer of loving till the end of her days went very differently for Berklitta.

Pa Shun seemed to like it, anyway....

The elf raises a hand to cover the one over her scarred cheek. "Please... don't feel sorry. We're both... both feeling things we have no idea what to feel about. We're going to step on each others toes about... about things. It's just... important we make sure we talk about it."

She nuzzles into the hand briefly before continueing in her voiceless whisper. "I don't... see why wouldn't last for a while. I mean you... um... look pretty normal for... a human..."

A long moment passes, the elf recounting the perceived misstep in her mind. "... why does what you said sound familiar...?" she queries.

Venom smiles, her cheeks dusting rose as a little smile curls up the corners of her mouth. She parses her words and nods a little against Aryia's brow, "Alright, I... we can do that, then."

With the next remark she returns with a little shrug, "I wouldn't blend in if I didn't, I don't think."

Before the last remark, a question brings a brighter shade to her face and she glances sidelong somewhere, ahh... anywhere and she fidgets, "I... remember... when Pa Shun was about to leave Berklitta to face the leader of the Stone Serpents, and..." Fidget, ".... well... what she said then made Pa Shun really.... really happy."

'Happy' is a word for it.

"But I had to add words.... because her Trade is... not good, so...."

"I meant... uh... nevermind, it's not important..." Aryia clears her throat, pulling away slightly to do so. But, such a motion catches V's notion of wanting to look anywhere but her love.

Blazing eyes blink a few times, before a small smirk breaks at the corner of her lips. Her shoulders shake some as the mute stifles a silent giggle. A breath to get her timberless voice back to a proper teasing tone. "V-V... hehe... you... oh goodness. V you... you know those books are just fiction, right? If only such things were so straightforward like in those. Perhaps there are some books that aren't just people going at it that may give some insight. But I've yet to run across any."

Venom fidgets a little more, and really seems to be struggling to meet Aryia's eyes again, "But.. it seemed like it was..." she trails off.

A sigh, and the normally stoci and 'all together' Venom seems completely out of her depth.

Now a proper snicker leaves Aryia. "Heh... heheh... V..."

A hand raises to guide the wandering onyx gaze back to moonlight ones. "It seems like it is, but it's not. Some people like to read things like that, skip past all the feelings and get straight to... well. You've read it."

She leans forward, and now she was the one to kiss the other's pate.

The mute leans back some, her running a hand through her own snowy hair to brush it out of the way. Strangely, where she weaved her fingers through gives off a luminosity, not unlike the way her eyes shine. The pugilist is none the wiser to this.

Venom sighs, her eyes taking the guidance back to the moonlight, her arms curling loosely about her shoulders, "I guess you're right. But... there were times we saw things go... kind of how they did in the book."

She seems a little more comfortable with the conversation though the flicker of light from along her wintery locks brings a quizzical look up to that quadrant, "Aryia?"

A blink, "New magic....?"

Aryia's face gains a rubor. "... there may be some things in there that are informative. But just take it all with a bit of skepticism. Remember, those books are meant to entertain."

She blinks as well. "... new magic?" she repeats, barely heard as she's pulled away. The elf tries to look up at where V is glancing to, her frowning some as she couldn't spy anything. Reluctantly, she leaves her perch and pads over to a mirror V was using to work on the persona.

The mute blinks again, her pulling at strands of her glowing hair to get a better look. She puts a hand against her chest, touches her face, then gives a soft sigh. She turns to face Venom.

"... new. Yes. It's getting more... obvious. Right. I need to... tell you a few things."

The pugilist pinches the bridge of her nose, her other hand motioning. "Do you know Celestial?" <Handspeech>

Venom rises as Aryia does, but doesn't crowd her way into the Mul'niessa's examinations.

When the elf turns back her way, she finds the human has assumed the sort of focused, analytical expression that accompanies some of her work.

On the flashes of sign, her eyes flick to absorb the gestures, processing the connotations, though in the afterman of her question, she can only offer a shake of her head, "I'm trained to grasp languages quickly, but, I haven't had enough exposure to it, I'm sorry."

Aryia scratches her head, only making the effect grow more pronounced. "It's fine," she motions quickly after the apology, a bit relieved to see that mind getting to work. "I've been working with a Mourner to try and figure it out. After a recent job I learned I... apparently... understand? That language? /Somehow/? And you can't..."

It's at this point some of the typical anxieties come back. Picking at fingers, shifting on her feet, shoulders hunched some. "... you can't deny there's been some odd things about me as of late." <Handspeech>

"Negative." Venom begins at first. <Kulthian>

The unveiled Acanian steps closer to the Mul'niessa, lifting a hand to gently stroke her fingers back through her hair, "You've mentioned gaps in your memory, North Star, you could have learned it before whatever happened." she offers, trying to be reassuring as she examines the possibility. <sildanyari>

The weapon closer to her full, then, taking the smaller woman in her arms, "None of the wierd things makes you any less Aryia than you were, before. We'll figure these things out, we're a team."

Aryia gives a soft sigh as her eyes close from the touch. The light is decently bright, like a moonlit torch, and moreso than the orbs she could make before. The soft spoken words in her native tongue gives the mute pause. "... and that was the other thing I need to speak with you about..." she starts, close enough now to speak once more. But such words were cut off as she was encompassed by Violet. <Sildanyari>

She sighs, and relaxes, giving a small nod in the hold. A hand raises off to the side, making a firm twisting motion with the letter 't'. "Team. Yes." <Handspeech>

She shimmies up a bit to her tip toes to speak further. "The same Mourner helped me remember some stuff. And... it conflicts with this Celestial stuff. I'm really confused about it all..." <Sildanyari>

Venom's brows knit some for a moment, but, she curls in around the smaller woman, resting her cheek against the top of her head, but she relaxes as it seems Aryia wants to get closer to her ears.

She instead sinks a little, knees spreading to either side of the Mul'niessa to meet her more at eye level, her hands resting against her knees, "Maybe I can help you process some of it?" she offers with a glimmer of hopeful optimism.

Aryia returns the hug as best she can before pulling away, her worried visage settled some from the offer to help. She bobs her head at the now eye-leveled Venom, the moonlight cast from her hair throwing odd shadows on the walls. "I would appreciate that a lot..." she whispers softly, her stepping forward to impart another kiss, a lingering one before pulling away and gesturing towards the bed to sit upon.

She plops onto the bed, and wrings her hands. And she... starts.

"Verna, she managed to pull a memory out of all that mess I can't remember. And... it was a lot." Her eyes unfocus, watching the space in front of her. The lightshow dimming on her hair and her eyes somewhat. "I was young. Very young. An adult by human standards but not by Sildanyari. I was getting dressed for a... gala. In a room. My room. And my mother was helping me get dressed."

She bites her lip, looking down. "... my father burst into the room, worried about... something bad. And mother prayed that Taara would save us. There were a lot of Magrium and Taara symbols about. I think I was wearing one. Or... something close to it."

It looked like she has more to share, but was letting that bombshell of information settle first, a glance taken to Venom before looking forward, a bit lost in her head.

Venom takes the direction without question and settles into the bed beside her with care to neither bump her nor pop any of her fine stitchwork. Her arm snakes around the smaller woman's shoulders and she absorbs the information as Aryia relays it.

She understands what mothers and fathers are, intellectually, but likely isn't entirely sure of the social dynamics at play, particularly for the Mul'niessan culture.

In either case, the unveiled Acanian's expression is alert and attentive, her hand gently rubbing a light circle on her arm as she listens.

With the glance her way, the hesitation, she smiles a little bit, understanding it to be encouraging, and nods.

The small bit of reassurance gives the mute woman a bit more fuel to keep going, her leaning into and against Violet. Her frame is filled with unease, with old emotions and memories that were so stagnant and ancient that it fermented into something dense that was difficult to process.

In. Out. "In Aby'ssa. There is a way to punish noble houses. Or... anyone really, but it's not very common. It is done as a 'humane'-" she air quotes the word, "-method of ridding a house. Or paying a debt. Reserved for kids usually so you're not killing them or for martyrs. But... You sell them into slavery. And run them through so many owners and so many sales that they lose all sense of identity."

She clenches her fist, the knuckles turning a shade towards white. "I was called Zilstrae. That's what my mother said to me. That was my name. Or is. Still is? I... I don't know..." she murmurs softly, trailing off as she rubs her temples.

The human continues to listen to Aryia's tale, processing the details as they come along, her expression unchanged, though neither is the pace of her gentle traceries.

There are elements she needs to analyze further to properly understand the full impact of the process. The ones she knows from their past conversations, now, at least have something of an expanded motivation assigned to them. More of the previously unknown will require more imput, but that will take some time and selective inquiry for proper parsing.

The new, or rather, original designation of her dear could contain clues of potential target parameters and infer motive, though it would take more intimate knowledge of the goings on in Aby'ssa than she currently has access to.

Problematic.

Still, this is potentially a crucial aspect of Aryia's sense of identity.

Zilstrae < -> Venom

Aryia <- > Venessa/V/Violet

"Zilstrae is the name your creators gave you." the brunette notes in a soft voice, looking to her face, now, as she takes the name for a brief spat of walkies, "DO you like it?"

Aryia is rubbing at her temples, doing her best to stave off a headache that was building as she thought about the troubling information, and the lack thereof to answer the budding questions that always sprouted when thinking about the nugget of her past.

Though, the birth name uttered from lips naught of her own makes the nearest her flick and her attention pivot over like anyone else being called out.

She blinks. Some things still lurk in those old memories, even something like that. "...my... parents, yes, gave it to me. I think... y... yes. That sounds right."

She sits upright, trying to hold herself like she saw in the memory. She inhales, then tries to copy what she heard as well. Most of it gibberish or Sildanyari adjacent for Venom as from proper nouns. "I'm Zils..." she clears her throat. Trying to speak more properly. "I am Zilstrae of ho.. use... house..." <Undercommon>

Though, some things were still locked away. She sighs, letting her posture lax as she look up at Venom.

The question is pondered. "...I... don't know? It is a nice name, I think. But that might be because I never knew what I was called before... I don't know if I'll use it or not..."

A shrug. An answer. Perhaps an unsatisfying one, but an answer.

Venom seems to note the play of expressions along her love's features, but doesn't have enough to conclusively weigh in on them.

Instead, she shifts the lay of her arm Against Aryia's back, shifting the target of her soft stroking to the back of the elf's head, "I'll keep using Aryia until you're certain." she offers with a little smile.

Aryia's eyes flutter to a half lid, her tiling her head back to push into the hand with an easy sigh. "... I think... you are the only one I would be okay with calling me that," she murmurs soft. "Hearing it feels... old. But new. It's weird..."

She brings forward some of the glowing strands of moonlight, her inspecting the bright thread up close. "... like this shit. And the Celestial shit. And ever since Strike showed me how to this one thing... I just..."

She turns to face V, her visage wanting a thousand questioned answered yet finding wanting. So she throws something to the wall, hoping it would stick. "... there is another person who uses their body like I do. Her name is Strike. And between her, and what sister showed me. I didn't realize how much I... how much of this feeling I had. It feels like I'm... I'm burning on the inside. Not in a bad way. Just..."

In. Out.

"... it let me do what I did in the Colosseum."

Venom smiles a bit and nods, "When we're alone, then." she agrees without hesitation.

As Aryia goes into the wierd shit, and the names, there's... a look, something in Venom's eyes, less analytic, though it fades to a sort of abstract distraction, "It wasn't anyone of our unit."

She seems to return to the moment, eyes flickering up toward the flowing light brought to the fore, though with the renewed words, it seems V's processing takes over once again.

At the end, noting the affair at the Colosseum, her lips purse in some bemusement, "Some kind of... infusion?" she wonders aloud.

Aryia gives a nod, her reaching over to hold one of V's hands to give it a gentle squeeze. "I figure it wasn't. She used to be a golem. And certainly not any of the Metal," she clarifies, not voicing the last word and letting her fingers flick the sign for it. She takes another even breath and rubs a thumb across rough knuckles.

A shrug, her looking to her hand, the scarred, grey digits illuminated by a strand of moonlit hair like a hanging lantern. "Sort of? It's... hard to explain. It's all feeling. It felt like... like..."

She closes her eyes. "I am in a vast ocean. The surface, the light, is above me. The dark, deep is below me. If I... I go past the... memories. There's something holding it all together. And I can just... barely... touch the waters. I didn't know I used it when I fight. There's so much there. I just didn't know how to look for it."

The spark of... whatever it is returns to Venom's eyes, suffusing the cast of her expression around them at that. It's a look very much like her talk of the Metal, though the extra... aspects of this Strike... entity muddy the water a little bit.

It doesn't completely leave her eyes until near the end of Aryia's explanation about the... energies powering hew new abilities, but the metaphors are.... hard for her to process, that's she's either still trying to shake off enough of her personal baggage to analyze the concepts properly, or the abstractions are too far out of her wheelhouse to properly break down into concepts she can look at from all the necessary angles.

Aryia doesn't catch the familiar expression until the very tail end, moonlit gaze looking up just as leaves. Again, she squeezes the hand in hers. A small smile and a nod.

Then. A snerk. "Yeah, I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense. It's the best way I've been able to describe it when... when I've been writing it down."

A long, long pause. A thought. A sly smirk. "... you... know. I could... try and teach you some of that," she mentions, moving about to wrap her arms around the arm closest to her. "We still have some training to do." Is that a teasing tone? It has to be. Or at least a half serious, half teasing one.

Venom returns the squeeze and exhales a slow sigh, "I'm not used to... that kind of expression." she concedes with some reluctance.

She turns her head slightly to gently peck a cheek, then, "Maybe there are things I can teach you, too..." she offers in counter.

Aryia gives a closed eye smile at the brief kiss. "It's okay. Flowery is the only way I can describe it, as it's not something... logical."

She opens her eyes. A brow raising as the luminescent hair casts strange shadows on the walls and ceiling. "Oh? What sorts of things do you have in mind?"

Venom rolls her shoulders, giving her options a few moment's thought, "Alchemy could be useful, you seem at least as capable at avoiding detection as I am."

Hmmm.

Her eyes lift toward the glowing locks, "That may become a problem unless we can figure out how it's triggered." soft spoken words preceeding her hand lifting to comb them back from Aryia's face, "I know three languages I'm reasonably sure you don't... I don't know it you have any interest in my sort of ranged firepower."

Aryia nods along, her looking up to follow her love's gaze. "... I have no idea either," she adds, letting her head tilt to the side as an ear does its playful bap against a passing hand. "I... will probably need to meditate on it. My little lights don't last this long."

She rubs her chin in thought. "I... could try those languages. Maybe. Kulthian is rough as is, and I'm already terrible at writing. You... could show me how to write in Sildanyari. I forgot how to."

Though at the last notion, Aryia tilts her head from side to side. "... maybe? I haven't shot a gun before. I could throw something if need be. I just don't like... well, you know." The mute makes a stabbing motion in the air.

Venom takes in her love's answer and nods, smiling a little bit, "We can do that, sure." she offers in some soft delight, glad she has something to offer yet.

She glances to her weapons and gives a little nod, then back to Aryia, "There are the small throwing irons I mentioned before. Some are like sharpened stars, but I've seen some that are like big, headless nails. They both do the job, but they're concealed very differently, and you have to throw them each in their own way."

Aryia ponders, her looking to her hands as if imagining holding the weapons. "I've thrown a lot of random things in the fighting pits. I think I can figure out the nail thing. I... think my mind can deal with holding those."

There's a comfortable silence, the elf leaning forward to simply hug Venom in her nearly made persona.

Another thought. "... we... should probably move to someplace else, shouldn't we. Especially after the Ashwing thing..." she murmurs.

Venom enfolds Aryia in her arms as the elf moves in to hug her and she rests her head against her in turn, "I would, honey." she says softly.

She gently strokes the elfmaid's back tenderly and remarks, "If you want I can scout some places discretely... Maybe Violet can get a place, somewhere under her name?"

Aryia quietly melts into the hug as her tense back is eases from the touch. "... I... would like that, actually. I can help pay, I've a decent bit saved from all the guild jobs. Managed to get that jacket I made enchanted because of it."

An idle thumb towards the verdant jacket that hung off a coat hook on the wall. "... and... since it'd be Violet's place, we can be together more often...

A long pause. "... do... either of us know how to cook..?" she muses aloud.

There is a pause before she answers with a quizzical, "Do you like flat bread...?"

With a little grin, she draws back, delaying enough to plant a quick peck on her cheek before meeting her eyes, "I know a little bit of cooking, it does in the field, anyway."

There's a glance to her extravagant braid where it brushes against her leg, then, "How about you?"

Aryia snerks, nodding. "If it's fresh, yes. I'll eat just about anything."

She gives a soft sigh at the peck before scratching her head, the luminesce properly spread to half the hair now. "Uh... sort of? I know how to cook things to not get sick from it. But it tastes kinda bland. You know, gruel and stews. Whatever they had me make in the kitchens in Charn."

Another long pause. "... I've... never actually like... lived with someone before. Not like this. I will warn you, there's going to be some pretty obvious differences that I've noticed between mul'neissa and humans that we'll have to keep in mind."

Venom relaxes her embrace a bit and cocks her head, "Fresh is best but salted meats keep better. You just need to boil it, first."

She considers the rest for a moment and is forced to shrug once more, "We both have a few things to learn, I expect."

Aryia groans, her dramatically leaning back and letting her head lull backwards. "I knooooow... I've ate so much of that stuff on the sea..."

She ceases her playful shenanigans, her shaking her head and righting herself. "Such as, me still not being able to understand how humans sleep for so. Long. It will be two in the morning after I have had my rest and you still are out. I am glad I can read in pitch black," she teases.

Venom shrugs helplessly and sighs, "It's how he built us." she offers with a wan smile.

With a glance about the room, she wonders, "Maybe it keeps us out of mischief?"

The Acanian isn't entirely sure of the design advantages of that aspect of her design, thought it could simply be aligning with more natural specimins to avoid tipping off their nature.

Aryia shakes her head. "Something about resting. It's just the amount that baffles me."

A mischievous smile plays her lips, almost twisting into a small w-shape. "... maybe? Maybe not. Certainly won't keep me out of trouble," she winks. Then a warmth suffuse her face. "I... am actually kind of excited about this, if I'm to be honest..."

Venom arches an eyebrow, "Even with me sleeping so much?" she wonders, the subtle hint of a tease in her tone.

She glances up to see what Aryia's hair is doing, then gently plays with it some more, "I haven't lived with anyone since.."

Since then.

"Yes, even with you sleeping so much. You always seem so... peaceful." Face reddening from her admittance of watching her lover sleep, she clears her throat and rubs at her face.

The moonlit hair seems to have not abated in it's intensity since it was applied, despite it having been done so perhaps... ten? Twenty minute ago? The hue did match her eyes. Might be sticking around for a while.

Aryia pats V's leg. "... since then," she completes simply. "Well, I assure you, there won't be any of that kind of bad stuff happening in our little abode. If there is, then that means someone broke in, and they've made a biiiiiiiiiiiiiig mistake."

The elf does a little hop in her seat to peck V's cheek.

Venom seems to process that for a few moments. Peaceful. Hmm.

She continues to play with her lovers hair, softly saying, "It wouldn't be a good idea." she agrees on the matter of breaching their personal security.

She blinks at the sudden hopping kiss, then leans in to return it more fully...

Aryia quietly sighs as her hair is toyed with. Eyes half lidding. "No... it wouldn't..." she murmurs just as quietly. The slight movement is noted and reciprocated readily, scarred lips meeting the other's for a longer and more wanted time.

A small break. A breath. A whispered wind.

"I love you, V."

Meet once more.

Venom brings her hand around back, thumb gently massaging the sweet spot on one side, with index and middle fingers at play on the other as Aryia moves in to renew her kiss, eyes drifting closed.

Her other arm curls about the elf's waist, and she holds that position for some time before drawing back just enough for the flex of her lips to brush those of her dearest as she returns, "I love you, Aryia...." then seals the kiss anew.

-End Scene-