Post by Ayura on Jun 5, 2006 14:39:38 GMT -5
((Ayura being uncharacteristically serious here. Timeline-wise, this takes place after Issue 3, but just before Issue 4. Also, it's supposed to be a bit longer, but the rest deals with non-Ayura stuff.))
It was, perhaps, a stroke of luck that the person who answered the door was Carmina.
The girl stood in the doorway, eyes downcast. Her posture was meek, unassuming, unobtrusive, as though she wasn't quite sure that anyone would answer the door at all, and was entirely prepared to stand there, looking for all the world like a background scenery prop.
Carmina looked at her. The girl did not look back.
Something about the girl felt odd, Carmina decided. It wasn't really something she could pin down, but it felt as though something was tickling the back of her mind, trying to let her know something about the girl, and it was just out of reach.
"Hello," Carmina said, because it did not do to stare too long at someone without saying something.
The girl looked up at this, and suddenly she did not feel odd anymore. She still looked slightly odd, with strangely unfocused eyes, but then maybe that was how she always looked.
"My apologies," the girl said in a smooth, friendly voice, the kind that spoke of some sort of classical education or radio announcer job, the kind where precise diction and personable personality were invaluable traits. "I should have expected my arrival to be expected."
"Actually, I don't think we were expecting anyone," Carmina said uncertainly. "I think. Or something."
"Indeed? Then perhaps it was merely a fortuitous coincidence that the first person I should meet is one alike in so many ways."
Carmina wasn't sure how to respond to this, so she said nothing.
"Allow me to introduce myself." The girl lay a hand on her chest. "You may call her Sethe."
"I'm sorry?"
"I prefer to remain anonymous, but this girl is... shall we say, my representative. I can assure you that she speaks entirely with my voice."
Well, the girl was talking in a voice that would be expected from a girl, but then Carmina realized that this was probably a Figure of Speech. "So I should call you Sethe?"
"... I suppose that will do. Yes, you may."
"Hello, then, Sethe." Carmina beamed happily. "How can I help you?"
"I am looking for a certain acquaintance of mine, and I was told that she had taken up lodgings at this address. I believe she goes by the name of Ayura."
"Ayura? Oh, I think she's in her room right now. I'll go tell her that you're here."
For her part, Ayura's first reaction to Sethe was impressive.
"Yes, Carmina? I am afraid that I am in the middle of an experiment, and I-"
"Hello, Ayura," Sethe said pleasantly.
Ayura stared.
Sethe smiled.
Ayura stared.
Carmina's city-issued PDA beeped. "Oh, I am sorry. I think my contact has discovered something new. Goodbye!"
"I appreciate your effusive greeting," Sethe said, several minutes after Carmina left. "This girl is named Sethe. Please, address her only, and do not speak my true name. I don't think you'd like the consequences any more than I would."
"What are you doing here?" Ayura asked bluntly.
"I had an opportunity, and I took it." Sethe raised a hand, and the ebony wristbands gleamed. "I am sure that you would agree as to how... characteristic this is of my kind."
"You know how I would think."
"Possibly. Possibly not." Sethe leaned forward. "What I'd like to know is... what do you want?"
"What?"
"What do you want? It's a deceptively simple question. What do you want, such that I can help you get it? I offer myself to your service. Make use of my abilities and connections however you see fit."
"No." The answer was flat and final.
Sethe chuckled. It was a sound of genuine amusement, out of place with the girl's blank eyes. "Silly, silly angel," she said. "I know why you are here. You've fallen, and you can't seem to get back up. Why not fall all the way?"
"I am not fallen!" Ayura blinked, and took several deep breaths. "I am not fallen," she said, somewhat more calmly, "so say I. This is just a temporary exile. I want... what I want is to go home. And home will I go, by my own efforts. Not yours, nor the efforts of anyone else."
Sethe shook her head. "No, that's not what you really want. I suppose my visit this time was premature." She bowed slightly. "I will visit you thrice more, and ask you the same question. At the end... you will tell me what you really want." She turned to leave.
"Wait." Ayura pointed. "The girl. She has done nothing to deserve your puppetry."
"On the contrary." Sethe smiled. "She made her own choices. And is it puppetry, really? Your friend Carmina shares a similar situation, with just minor differences. And the newcomers to this city, these Kheldians, including... but no, you shall find out for yourself. If there is nothing else..."
Ayura opened her mouth to protest, but Sethe was already gone.
It was, perhaps, a stroke of luck that the person who answered the door was Carmina.
The girl stood in the doorway, eyes downcast. Her posture was meek, unassuming, unobtrusive, as though she wasn't quite sure that anyone would answer the door at all, and was entirely prepared to stand there, looking for all the world like a background scenery prop.
Carmina looked at her. The girl did not look back.
Something about the girl felt odd, Carmina decided. It wasn't really something she could pin down, but it felt as though something was tickling the back of her mind, trying to let her know something about the girl, and it was just out of reach.
"Hello," Carmina said, because it did not do to stare too long at someone without saying something.
The girl looked up at this, and suddenly she did not feel odd anymore. She still looked slightly odd, with strangely unfocused eyes, but then maybe that was how she always looked.
"My apologies," the girl said in a smooth, friendly voice, the kind that spoke of some sort of classical education or radio announcer job, the kind where precise diction and personable personality were invaluable traits. "I should have expected my arrival to be expected."
"Actually, I don't think we were expecting anyone," Carmina said uncertainly. "I think. Or something."
"Indeed? Then perhaps it was merely a fortuitous coincidence that the first person I should meet is one alike in so many ways."
Carmina wasn't sure how to respond to this, so she said nothing.
"Allow me to introduce myself." The girl lay a hand on her chest. "You may call her Sethe."
"I'm sorry?"
"I prefer to remain anonymous, but this girl is... shall we say, my representative. I can assure you that she speaks entirely with my voice."
Well, the girl was talking in a voice that would be expected from a girl, but then Carmina realized that this was probably a Figure of Speech. "So I should call you Sethe?"
"... I suppose that will do. Yes, you may."
"Hello, then, Sethe." Carmina beamed happily. "How can I help you?"
"I am looking for a certain acquaintance of mine, and I was told that she had taken up lodgings at this address. I believe she goes by the name of Ayura."
"Ayura? Oh, I think she's in her room right now. I'll go tell her that you're here."
For her part, Ayura's first reaction to Sethe was impressive.
"Yes, Carmina? I am afraid that I am in the middle of an experiment, and I-"
"Hello, Ayura," Sethe said pleasantly.
Ayura stared.
Sethe smiled.
Ayura stared.
Carmina's city-issued PDA beeped. "Oh, I am sorry. I think my contact has discovered something new. Goodbye!"
"I appreciate your effusive greeting," Sethe said, several minutes after Carmina left. "This girl is named Sethe. Please, address her only, and do not speak my true name. I don't think you'd like the consequences any more than I would."
"What are you doing here?" Ayura asked bluntly.
"I had an opportunity, and I took it." Sethe raised a hand, and the ebony wristbands gleamed. "I am sure that you would agree as to how... characteristic this is of my kind."
"You know how I would think."
"Possibly. Possibly not." Sethe leaned forward. "What I'd like to know is... what do you want?"
"What?"
"What do you want? It's a deceptively simple question. What do you want, such that I can help you get it? I offer myself to your service. Make use of my abilities and connections however you see fit."
"No." The answer was flat and final.
Sethe chuckled. It was a sound of genuine amusement, out of place with the girl's blank eyes. "Silly, silly angel," she said. "I know why you are here. You've fallen, and you can't seem to get back up. Why not fall all the way?"
"I am not fallen!" Ayura blinked, and took several deep breaths. "I am not fallen," she said, somewhat more calmly, "so say I. This is just a temporary exile. I want... what I want is to go home. And home will I go, by my own efforts. Not yours, nor the efforts of anyone else."
Sethe shook her head. "No, that's not what you really want. I suppose my visit this time was premature." She bowed slightly. "I will visit you thrice more, and ask you the same question. At the end... you will tell me what you really want." She turned to leave.
"Wait." Ayura pointed. "The girl. She has done nothing to deserve your puppetry."
"On the contrary." Sethe smiled. "She made her own choices. And is it puppetry, really? Your friend Carmina shares a similar situation, with just minor differences. And the newcomers to this city, these Kheldians, including... but no, you shall find out for yourself. If there is nothing else..."
Ayura opened her mouth to protest, but Sethe was already gone.