V'Atre

Her lips twitch slightly into a smile at seeing the cute couple before her attention was once again drawn to the drell, when she heard his comment. She looks at the drell once more and tips her head to the side before looking down at her cup once more. “I didn’t think monsters had nightmares.” Her voice soft as she continues to pick at her mug once more.

His eyes cleared and he gave a visible start at the sound of soft voice. He caught sight of a pale drell at a table next to his. He was pretty sure it was she that spoke, but without eye contact he was left uncertain. He gazed around the cafe, but everyone else seemed even less likely to have spoken to him. He inclined his head to her. “Verily, they doth, but I hadst not realized that I spoke aloud. I mun apologize, for I am but sure that wast a most odd statement to chance upon.” 

Rine was un-phased by the drell’s display of anger and frustration, giving him an expression that asked if he was done with his little outburst. Her hip cocks out to the side, her arms crossing under her bust as she watched him try to regain the composure he had lost. 

In truth it was what she was looking for from him, she wanted him to get angry at her, to yell, to push back. “Sucks doesn’t it.” She hums as she eyes him. “Made to believe it would be the end but it’s not.” She has a slight bite to her tone as her hand lifts the blonde wig off her own head. “Always something else that needs to be added.” Her hand dropping the wig, not seeing a point in walking away because he could easily just find her.

“If you haven’t clued in yet… I was making a point.” She scoffs looking away from him, anger that had been so long repressed bubbling to the surface. She flickers with a light blue hue as her biotics hum to life. She probably knew that it seemed out of character for her to all of a sudden to be angry at the drell, it took a lot to make her angry. But with the war finally taking it’s toll she snapped, and blamed the one person that made it possible for Cerberus to bring her back.  It was him that went for her in the afterlife, her anger was towards him for shoving her back into the empty husk that laid on the Cerberus table.  He was why she had to feel losing everyone she loved, why she had to be the one to carry the banner, she was the one that was blamed when things went wrong, it was her fault because he made it so. 

He dropped his arm when she ignored it. The woman truly had a dizzying intellect. He could not decipher what she was going on about. His brow ridges drew together, a piece of the puzzle was missing. There was much he could do, but mind reading was not one of them. A warm light surrounded him and his costumed melted into an open chested teal silk shirt and black trousers. It was obvious things had changed.  

Rine smiles wide as she watches the drell disappear into the room once more to change. “You know this about me when we met dear.” She calls into the room as she slips to the bathroom to get the final piece to his costume, the curly luscious blonde wig. She returns just in time to see the drell step from the room, she kept the wig hidden behind her back.

“My you make an adorable cherub!” She laughs lifting her omnitool quickly to get a picture. “V’Arte won’t believe me when I tell him I got you in the costume.” She smirks proudly at V’Atre before the smirks becomes a devilish grin once more. “Now stay still while I add the last piece to your costume.” She giggles quickly plopping the wig onto his head and jumps back out of the way in case he went to hit her. 

“Perfect.” She laughs snapping another picture.

Adorable? He looked the fool. He still couldn’t decide if mortals dressed in this manner to mock the Gods or if it was their attempt to feel like a God. If so, he pitied them, they romanticize that which they knew nothing about. it was not a mantle he would wish on anyone.Nor were the shackles he wore being bound to a God. His hand rose to wipe the image from her OT but stilled. he lowered it slowly to his side. He would allow her to keep the memory. But she was starting to push him farther than he was willing to go. “Mayhap so, but he wouldst be looking at himself in the picture,” he reminded her.  When the blonde wig landed on his head he growled, yanked the wig off and slapped it on top of hers. “Thee wilt hath a bald cupid, Rine or none at all.” His gaze narrowed on hers. “Were thee anyone else, I wouldst  - “ he stopped and took a steady breath. “Hath a care, mine friend. There ist much I wouldst doth for thee, but taketh care not to breaketh that which bends.” 

Rine grunts to bring dropped to the ground, she frowns at the two men. She slowly stands dusting herself off and rubbing her backside, her butt cheeks throbbing from being dropped. “Correction sweetheart. I was riding HIM, and he isn’t too bad just got to work on the whole dropping thing.” She winks at V’Atre realizing having her husband jealous and looking to kill V’Atre would be the only fun she would really have. 

“Also… Don’t blame me for practicing… it wasn’t my plan to practice.” She shrugs innocently looking at Hunter with large eyes and batting her lashes. “I was bored and you know I’m a bit of an attention whore, you shouldn’t have left me alone for so long with abilities I was curious to use. You know I will die at least a couple times before I get the hang of it.” She twists the tip of her boot in the ground really playing up the innocent card. “I’m on shore leave and normally I’m hunted but you have been doing such a good job at keeping me safe that I’m lonely.” Her voice soft as her hand rests on his crossed arms before her lips curl into a mischievous smirk. 

“Besides, V’Atre always comes when I call.” Giving the peach coloured drell a playful wink putting him in the hot seat once more.

V’Atre frowned at the large drell. “Desist, Hunter! I am not pale, nor do I ride -” he paused at Hunter’s incredulous look. His gaze fell to his peach colored skin then rose to Hunter’s deep red skin. He released a small breath. “Mayhap, compared to some I am...pale. But I do not -” Rine’s wink and words stopped him cold. Why was she baiting her husband? Or did she just wish to see his pale face rearranged? 

Hunter’s eyes narrowed on his wife, not even glancing in the other drell’s direction. The other man had done what was needed. It was his wife that was instigating. He deigned to ignore her riding comment. He did not like seeing his wife’s legs around another man’s waist, but were blame to be laid, ‘twould be at the perpetrator’s feet. 

He remained firm against the looks she was sending him. He wasn’t naive, he knew manipulation and usually he played along with her. But when it dealt with her safety, he would not back down. To add to it, her words were quickly digging her deeper into a hole. V’Atre always.....he took a deep breath, a deep rumble built in his chest as his body began to expand in size. 

Rine grumbles as she slowly opens her eyes, feeling them roll about in her head before looking up at Hunter. A small smile spreads across her lips knowing full well she had pulled Hunter away from his work to be there to revive Rine. She sits up slowly as she rolls her neck, hearing each crack with each movement she made, her hand touches the healing wound on her temple before looking up from where she had fallen. 

“Well I’ll be damned.” She mutters remembering the events to hitting the ground which had killed her. “Guess I won’t be doing that again.” She grunts standing up, putting her hands on her lower back so she could stretch it and crack it. “You.. The falling was fun.. The landing not so much.” She looks at V’Atre unimpressed with him before looking to Hunter. “I blame you for this you know…” She playful narrows her eyes at her husband, poking his chest playfully before looking at V’Atre. 

“And you need to have more fun.” She playfully points to him before moving to jump up onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck and her legs around his waist. “Onward Death.” Her one arm extending out before them, like a captain ordering his army to charge forward. “We are off to find fun and punish you for taking my fun away.” She orders mater-of-factly, with a wide smile. She didn’t think anything about V’Atre’s scent being transfered onto her or the effect that it was having on Hunter. V’Atre was a friend and she knew that there was something bothering the drell, not entirely sure what it was but it was something that she could feel and hear.

Hunter’s lips dipped down into a slight frown at her smile, his eyes narrowed. A smile did not fix everything. He watched silently as she tested her body. When she rose to a stand, he rose as well, his arms crossing over his massive chest.  The fall was fun. Blamed him. He grunted. “Me? YOU shouldst not be practicing thine abilities without mine presence until you understand them.” HIs voice had a harsh, emotional edge.

But she was already moving away from him. He was stunned when she mounted the other drell’s back. His eyes bore into the drell, not amused to see his wife's legs about another man).  “Death rides a pale steed, Riiine, not thyself.”

He noted her petulant look and all he could do was shake his head. The choice to stay is not hers to make. Not as an immortal. You live and die by your God’s whim. Or A God’s whim...but few Gods would seek to destroy another God’s warrior angels, for that would declare a cataclysmic war. Angels could be killed...even Gods could be killed. If one knew how to do so. But that was not knowledge they allowed out. But, Rine was not to be granted an out. In truth, he did not think she truly wanted it. She loved Hunter too much to walk away from him. 

His smiled broadened. He did not have to lift a finger to get her back into her body this go around. She was immortal now. Tied to the shell. He raised his hand to his lips, blew her a mockery of a kiss and waved once more. He watched her spirit fade, soft trail streaks were all that could be seen as her soul rubberbanded back into her shell.  Despite the soul moving on, he could still feel its presence, though much fainter. He would continue to feel it for some time, it was how death tracked escaped or newly released souls.

He stepped into the mortal realm to expose his presence to the God. “Amonkal,” he said, inclining his head to the giant red drell. Hunter was aware the moment his wife’s soul re-entered her body. He was also aware of the arrival of his friend. He expected no less. He knew no other death could come for his wife. 

Rine looks up at him and smiles brightly. “He can be if he let’s loose and let his ridges blow in the wind.” She giggles at the thought of him being like some long haired human love interest on the cover of a romance novel. “And if you are an assassin I hear death is fun.” She smiles brightly from her position on the floor.

Rine groans internally, as her arms are thrown to her side dramatically. “Ugh FINE!” She rolls her eyes before dropping to sit on the ground, crossing her arms over her chest and her legs into her lap. “I’m telling Hunter you are no fun and wouldn’t let me play.” She projects to V’Atre as she pouts, she truly had embodied the persona of a young child. 

Rine frown as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Why do you always want to ruin my fun? And I don’t want to go back.” She looks away from him like a defiant child, she felt free and wanted to have fun.

“Besides, danger follows me everywhere I go.” She bounces on the balls of her feet looking around herself. She didn’t seem to register what V’Atre was saying to her, nothing mattered in the moment. Right now all she thought about was having fun and being care fear. 

Rine’s smile fades into a frown. “Come on! Just a little longer… I want to get in some things off my bucket list. One being able to haunt a bastard and two to walk through walls. OH you know what would be really fun!” She gasps smiling brightly once more, clapping her hands together she was unable to keep track her thoughts. Her soul taking on the mentality of a child, perhaps it was the playful side of her she kept hidden for so long that it’s coming out in full force in death. For whatever the reason was, she was going to be difficult for V’Atre to get her back to her shell.

“What about if we go to a funeral and make the body pop up out of the casket… Has to be someone who’s an ass though. Know anyone that would fight the bill?” She giggles wondering if this was what it felt like to be a mischievous spirit. 

“Just imagine the look on everyone’s face.” She giggles before moving away from V’Atre. “I’ll go back to that life once I’ve had a little fun.”

His jaw dropped open then slammed shut. What the? She’d lost it.  Normally it amused him when spirits moved their lips trying to talk. They had no body, no breath...no voice. Thoughts had to be projected or signs signed. He was able to read lips, for he’d had centuries of practice, but it was still a waste of energy for her. “Push your thoughts at me, you have no voice here,” he projected with a wave of his hand. He paced for a brief moment, considering how to make her understand the danger she was in. His gaze returned to her, he shook his head, his lips a grim line. “Rine, NO. Yo wilt go back now! Devourers art drawn to spirit essence. They wilt absorb your essence into them, you wouldst cease to exist. Nothing left for your husband to save!” He ran a hand across his head spines in agitation.  In the spirit realm, one’s body felt whole, though it was not. 

vatre:

V’Atre sighed. He’d been drawn instantly to a soul only he could claim. A soul he had no business claiming. He scowled at the spirit before him. He projected his thoughts at it. “What didst thou do?” There was little doubt Amonkal would be here soon. He would have felt his wife’s death.

Rine bounces on her heels are she smiles brightly at seeing the friendly face. “I did something stupid as usual.” She chuckles glad to actually be back in the spirit realm once more, continuing to smile brightly at him. 

“Did you know that walking along the railing on my balcony is never a smart idea. Apparently you slip, fall, smack your head all the way down until you splat.” She giggles as she begins to wander, not entirely sure where she wanted to go but she remembers the first time she was here and actually missed it. It was like being reunited with a part of herself that had been left behind.

“Now… I’m off to go haunt the Illusive Man, maybe I’ll make Kai Leng trip… Gods… I hate that man. Do you think it would be weird for my to start using my hubby’s name as a swear Like Amonkal damn it? Or is that just weird…” She giggles, completely giddy as she looks at the drell who she could only assume was far from amused. She doesn’t think that perhaps it was a side effect of being dead, but whatever it was she was enjoying it.