( selfish selflessness )

“You know I keep trying to tell you that one day, you’re pretty mouth is going to get you into some real trouble.”  She mentioned off hand, but there was a threat, a suggestion hiding in the shadows of the statement itself. There was something about her that always just kind of made her hand twitch, often entertaining what it would be like to scratch that particular nuisance by teaching the girl better manners. one by one. “My ego is perfectly fine, but we do appreciate your concern. Perhaps it’s time for you to go back to that gargoyle bitch boy of a God you’e got, yes?” 

There was no missing the sarcasm that seemed to always candy coat the words that Zana picked. Oceane wasn’t daft enough to think that this wasn’t a game, there wasn’t enough sincerity in the world to make her believe that. Instead, she played for the same reason, the surge of adrenaline, the excitement of a worthy partner - a cure to the temporary boredom. The thought alone caused a grin to spread like wildfire across features, clearly pleased with both herself and the ever-mouthy beauty that was still staring, now with a little more intent behind it. “If it were forbidden, you would just long to do it more, so no. Continue, you little creeper, but if you’re going to…at least voice your flattery.” 

“Do you normally make that noise when you’re concentrating?”

@broughtforth

There was no mistaking the feeling of eyes crawling across her skin. It didn’t make much of a difference what the reasoning for the staring actually was, but the weight of it all was starting to wear on her. Attention was pulled from the pages that were currently spread across her thighs, looking to the living, breathing interruption.

“Is there a reason you keep looking at me like that?”

    zana found herself sat in a lounge chair, gaze falling on nothing longer than a few seconds. at this point she was bored, unsure of how to occupy her time this moment. should she get up and wonder until she stumbled upon something to do ? or find some unsuspecting individual around her to entertain herself with. and that was when her eyes landed on oceane, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“good,”     —-  amazingly enough his tone had delved too far into the demanding, it was easier than he’d thought it would be,  arm extends for her to take it,  to loop her arm in his,  “glad to see we’re on the same page.  when did you realize he was gone?”

“come with me to the hall of devotion,   it’s not optional.”  //  @broughtforth

“If I didn’t know any better…”  Tone was whimsical, childish in the way that voice seemed decorated in a new kind of wonder - despite the way it was quite obviously manufactured.  “I would say you were thinking about taking that.”  While her words had served as a distraction, her fingers had curled around the girls wrist, capturing it effectively and allowing herself to feel the beat of pulse pick up underneath. 

@broughtforth

Chandari felt a tap on her shoulder. Ignoring the rather impolite start to the conversation, she replied. “There’s much fresh water in the All Follows Mountain and Park, but you’re also able to get water at the coffee shop or the bar.”

Intervention during her moments often drew a certain candor from her, and she lifted her attention enough to find a young woman watching the scene unfold. She released her grip, and gestured for a bartender to bring her her regular remedy – without a second glance at the now scrambling idiot, she pulled her entire gaze to her. “Don’t you know that it’s rude to interrupt a woman when she’s threatening someone?” Pulling a seat up, immediately following the movement to hover her eyes over the genuinely stunning form before her.

Claret-tinted lips refrained from a scowl, instead a cold, sinister expression settled on her face. Her nails digging deep into flesh, ensuring she would leave a mark on this fool. They’d made a mistake, thinking that she had the patience for childishness. This must have been their first time around Kali – well, they’d surely learn, wouldn’t they?

“Do not test me, child,” she hissed, leaning over them, as her lips brushed against their ear, the minutest hint of enjoyment appearing, “Next time, I’ll step on that neck of yours and snap it.”

There was an obvious touch of disbelief tangled within his features. He could repeat it, the fact that no one was happy to see him. Delighted. Relieved. Or any other relatively positive word - that wasn’t who he was, and anyone who came to them in the afterlife did not do so out of pleasantries. But, instead of arguing with her over the subject, he just ushered her inside a bit quicker.

Door closed and he took a moment to collect himself, to regain any composure he may had lost out on the streets of Charis. “Welcome,” he said, hand scrubbing down his face before he started moving down the hall, “to the rest of your life.” The sudden exhale at the tail of his words was meant to be a laugh, but it was more for himself than anything else. Once in the kitchen, he pulled a glass from the cabinet and set it down on the counter, just next to the sink, a little harder than he meant. and then flipped on the faucet. “Water,” he said.

    she was glad he didn’t push back, happy to let silence fill the space around them for a bit. zana followed along, eyes roaming along the walls and the way ahead of them. there was a nod of her head as he spoke once more, the words rest of your life ringing in her ears. things hadn’t really set in prior to this moment, she was starting to feel a bit fidgety, fingertips drummed mindlessly against her thigh. 

he laughs, he can’t help it— that had been his mistake when he’d first arrived, it had been somewhat of a meltdown, fleeing to find solitude only to receive a headache and a path straight back to arya’s house. he didn’t want to dwell on it,  on how different paganism really is,  on how he’d been chosen for a reason he doesn’t really deem as worthy enough.  “I always have too many questions,”   always learning, always craving knowing new information.  a shrug,  “don’t know never had the good kinda pain really.   though they do occasionally say anything’s possible. also I don’t believe I got your name,    i’m zion.”

Truthfully, Adrik asked for little out of what was his. Respect and obedience, a general umbrella of things. And for those that couldn’t quite meet his expectations, he had a way with dealing with them. Unfortunately, that has happened enough times that he has a certain ease about the situation. An unblinking lack of hesitation in severing the contract.

Her words pulled a bark of a laugh from him, his head turning so his focus could land on her. “No one is ever delighted to see me, pet. Don’t kid yourself.” Words were not a favored part of existing. The histories had a habit of taking his and twisting them completely, and people spewed them too often without merit. empty promises and threats. Feet climbed concrete steps before the door to a darkened home was pushed open and he gestured with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

   as much of a right asshole zana could be, she wasn’t stupid. she understood when enough truly was enough, of course that didn’t stop her from trying to get some wiggle room before it got to that moment. there was purpose in most of her actions or behaviors, some were less honorable than others, though she had her moments. the last few of her living actions held the most meaning to her, and she knew she would do her best to not stray from that path.

Her kind of person was someone’s type, he would assume - couldn’t quite picture the being who found her behavior endearing, but this place was full of surprises. “Zana,” her name tasted as annoying as she actually was, which he found quite fitting. “And no. I’m not.”