Private Memories of the Future

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Asher Mossa
Location: Ryloth, approaching Raven's Point

The visions came without warning, as they always did. The Nightsister had seen glimpses of a place, an individual who claimed dominion over it. There was no knowledge of where this place was or who the man had been but the reason behind the visions had been received: find them. And so time was spent meditating, clearing her mind and offering her spirit to the goddess that had chosen her, until the location of both was revealed. Ryloth. Footfalls crunched as steps were toward the mountain ranges, the woman guided not by what could be seen but what could be felt. The were no buildings or markers that were understood but she felt the nexus through the force, the feelings familiar to what was felt upon Dathomir.

The only differences had been that the nexus on Dathomir seemed to connect more deeply with the Dark side of the Force, whereas the nexus she now approached seemed more pure, open to both the light and the dark. It was a curious feeling, one that caused more questions than answers. The Nightsister's strides were confident and even, footsteps sure despite the terrain. The set of her shoulder was proud, her eyes narrowed with a dangerous determination to find that which she sought, intending to invade it if need be and find the answers.

And while her approach did not waver the woman did not charge head first into the unknown. She was cautious and on the look out for would be defences. Despite the time that was spent to learn of the place and the man, only the location had been discovered. There was no knowledge of what awaiting within or without and Vanya was not childish enough to assume there would not be danger. So she approach with caution, scanning the area for dangers, her approach obvious to those that were protecting the sanctuary.

 

[Asher Mossa]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vanya Aklin

Sleep betrayed the shaman. His mind was always active with visions or whispers from the spirits which fought for his soul. Lylek had claimed him as had the All-Father of Skgerheim. One voice was quiet the closer he was to the other, but they fought all the harder as he slept, attempted to.​

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..asher​

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Eyes darted open as the mandragora looked up at the ceiling of the room he had taken for himself at Raven's Point. He stirred, clinging to the sheets which covered his naked form. Someone was approaching. Asher could hear his pet Morrok stirring. It was rare these days he was disturbed. So few strangers dared to approach. He would not be so kind to any that dared attempt breach. Asher would have to hurry as he dressed, rushing to the entrance of the great repository which contained secrets known only to him and the Nightmother herself.​

​

As Vanya Aklin approached, she would find herself confronted by a curious dragon. His descent from the sky above as unannounced. Large claws pressed into the ground as it landed with giant thud. It took in her scent, face getting close to hers. A low rumble could be heard within its throat as Asher rushed out from inside the library.​

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"Morrok, <<HEEL!>>​

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The command was given as Asher connected with the beasts mind. It pulled back to regard him. Reaching out to the dragon, the shaman placed a hand on its snout. A smirk tugged at his lips. Blue eyes looked over their guest.​

​

Asher's head canted to the side. This one bore the markings of a Nightsister of Dathomir. It seemed more were making their way to the place of knowledge. It had become Asher's purpose to guard it, whether self imposed or not, he would see it through. Astrid was gone, and Asher had found joy in his solitude once more, yet as he looked at this witch, something stirred within him.​

​

He smiled.​

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"He doesn't like strangers. It is his job to keep this place safe. It is mine to keep its secrets. What brings you here?"​

​

Eyes wandered over the woman's form once more before making their way back to the dark orbs she bore. ​

​

"I cannot grant access to just anyone."​

 

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Asher Mossa

The Nightsister felt the trembling sensation down her spine as instinct told her danger approached. It started with the rumbling with the ground, the distant vibrations of a massive bulk stirring, and then moved into the air, bring with it gusts of hot air. Having known that everything was connected through the Force, that the elements spoke to one another, that the trees and the rocks and the wind had stories to tell, she listened and felt the movement of the beast. A hand raised to shield her eyes from the updraught of dirt and debris caused by the creatures sudden landing, the ground thundering beneath her feet like an explosion, threatening to unbalance her, and as that hand lowered and obsidian eyes found that of the creatures, there had been a moment when time stood still.

A dragon. The witch was unfamiliar with this particular species but had encountered dragons of other varieties. Strides ceased and breath became less frequent as to not give the dragon a reason to attack. it had been expected that there would be defences, men and women, warriors to defend the sanctum from intruders. She had not expected a dragon. The gleam of its scales, the heat of its breath, the rumble of its growl as it regarded her with distrusting eyes - all of this reflected the power and grace it possessed. Vanya regarded it with a distinct respect, as still as stone, transfixed, not foolish enough to show weakness of fear. She had been so caught in the moment that she had not noticed the man's arrival until he spoke.

"There you are." Words were spoken beneath her breath, not intending him to hear them as her attention turned him him. Vanya observed him with a calm indifference and a certain familiarity that was strange given this was their first meeting. The Nightsister had yet to move as she looked him over, eyes traversing head to toe, taking in all that was on display, drinking in the power radiating from him in near tangible waves. And there was more--something that was both familiar and unknown, so similar that it reminded her of her own connection with Vahl, but somehow different. "I am not just anyone."

This time her chin raised in defiance, eyes narrowing as she looked at him as though his words were a grave insult, as though daring him to deny the power of her presence. She was Vanya, who was fire and wit and hate. She was a voodoo mamba, a pyromantic nightmare, the Chosen of Vahl. She was not just anyone. An honest answer could not be given to his question. She had not know what was here, only that Vahl demanded she come. There was no knowledge of what this place held, what secrets were hidden, what man and dragon protected. “I was shown this place; told to come here.” She offered the only answer she had, not elaborating how she had been shown, or how she had known to find a place hidden in the mountains.

 

[Asher Mossa]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vanya Aklin

"I am not just anyone."​

​

Asher smirked at the response. He did not know her from the next stranger. This was the first time she had arrived, and nothing of her value or worth had been been demonstrated. Their was an arrogance about her, or perhaps a strong confidence, which made it seem as though she should be regarded as important, a trait the Shaman had only seen exhibited from a certain sect of witches.​

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"Dathomiri..."​

​

He had at least discerned her origins perhaps, but there was still more to the woman than where she had come from. Something inaudible was whispered to the dragon before it took off. Asher had at least determined she was not there to steal anything from them. If she had seen the place in a vision, which may have been only been part of the truth, she would not be familiar with what lay hidden in the vault. For all anyone knew, this was a repository of knowledge, and nothing more.​

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His full attention returned to her as he nodded his head toward the witch in a greeting.​

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"I am Asher Mossa, caretaker, archivist, whatever title you want to apply to the roll I fill..." ​

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be careful with this one asher... there is more to her than what you can see...​

​

Lylek interrupted his thoughts once again. A day would come when the voices would be silent, he hoped, until then, Asher had at least learned to heed their counsel, most occasions.​

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"Without a name, you are just anyone, and even with a name, this is our first meeting. However, I do not think you are here to steal from the library... no... you were led here, drawn here. Perhaps you want to come inside and find out why?"​

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The warlock motioned for Vanya to pass through the entrance with him. It was an ornate doorway, one that boasted the great wealth which had been supplied to build it. It was also clear the design of it was not done by any witch. The extravagance of it was far too extreme for those that preferred to commune with the spirits and nature. Still, they had not turned down the gift, Asher had not turned down the gift.​

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"You must excuse my wariness. We do not get many visitors that Morrok does not already know, especially ones so beautiful as yourself, and most days, as today, we are here alone. He has your scent now, however, so you will be able to move about as you will without fear that he will swoop out of the sky and scoop you up as his next meal."​

 

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Asher Mossa

Asher Mossa. His name and face, scent and presence, were committed to memory, never to be forgotten after that moment. And yet even with the departure of the dragon, (Morrick he would call it), and the invitation to come inside, the tension did not bleed from her posture. There was a violent need to call upon the spirits, to move her body in subtle and intricate ways and render the flesh from his bones as punishment for the words he spoke. Had they been on Dathomir, where her word meant he would obey, she might have; would have had him stripped, and flogged, and starved until he submitted to her authority. But they were not on Dathomir. So instead fingers curled into fists, knuckles blanching white with the effort to not force him to his knees.

"I am not afraid of him." There was a bite in her voice, and a fire in her eyes as she approached the entrance he had motioned her through. "I have walked among the undead, communed with spirits of death, emerged from fire unburned. I respect the dragon but I am not afraid." And she was not. That much could be seen in the arrogance of her persona, the unshakable confidence with which she moved. Vanya had lived long enough, seen and done to much to kowtow to fear. Yet as she stepped over the threshold her spine trembled with unease, goose bumps littering tattooed skin as warnings echoed softly in the back of her mind, her own intuition cautioning her of the danger that might lurk within, Vahl's caution of the man whose company she was now in but no reflection of this was seen on her face.

Vanya regarded what was on the other side with a quiet curiosity. the same stoic indifference she had greeted him with. It was an opened room, the walls lined with scrolls and tomes, and the knowledge of centuries passed. There were desks and chairs, quiet little nooks to sit, and read, and learn. But it was so much more than a simple library. Vanya did not need to be familiar with Asher or this place to feel the nexus of energy around her. It pierced through mind, body, and soul. She drew a breath deep into her lungs, finding that she could breath for the first time since leaving Dathomir. The feeling of this place, the resonating presence of the Force, reminded her so much of home.

And then she had moved; quickly and without warning. The back of her hand coming across his face in a vicious backhand, a small measure of punishment and discipline, the rings on her fingers likely to cut skin. And as her arm dropped down Vanya turned to face him, came closer to stare at him with that same unshakable confidence. "I am Vanya." More played on her tongue, a dozen titles and names she had been called. Clan Mother, teacher, master, mistress. But each one went unsaid as her eyes dipped to his mouth, as though waiting for whatever snark and cynicism would drip from them. "I am not just anyone and you would do well to remember that."

 

[Asher Mossa]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vanya Aklin

I respect the dragon but I am not afraid.​

​

Her words cam as a surprise to the shaman. Only a fool would not be terrified of a thing which could swallow them whole. Respect at times paired well with fear. Often it was fear which led to the other.​

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"You should be."​

​

The reply once again demonstrated that Asher would not simply submit because she was a Nightsister of Dathomir. If the woman thought that knowledge was going to somehow make the warlock fall in line she did not understand the path he had followed. Men and women were equal under his order, and it was not uncommon to see a man rise to power. Lylek had chosen him after all, when it would have been as simple to choose a woman.​

​

A smirk pulled at his lips as they crossed into the library. He did not have to look to know the amazement which washed over the features of Vanya's expressions. Asher remembered too well the first time he had set foot in the repository and seen the amount of tomes and texts the place housed. It was truly a home to knowledge and magicks that were only limited by the imagination. The secrets in one room alone were enough for a lifetime of exploration and research, and Raven's Point had many rooms.​

​

He turned to face the woman as her hand came across his face. Reaching for the place it burned, Asher checked to see if her rings had broken skin. One had, and the cut on his lips stung as he licked the blood clean. Without a warning his own hand flew at the woman. The back of his hand aimed to come across her cheek and mouth.​

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"Neither am I. If you want access to this repository beyond this hall, I am the only here to grant you that access. You would do well to remember that in this hall, your titles are as meaningless as the vapor which is expelled from your lungs with every breath. This is not Dathomir, and I am not some simple Nightbrother. I am chosen by Lylek, the spirit of shadow, to do his will and his bidding. I belong to him."​

​

Asher rolled up his sleeve to reveal the mark with which Lylek had claimed him.​

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"If you do not fear my dragon, then fear my master."​

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His eyes fell to the woman's lip. It was bleeding as his had been. Taking her jaw in his hand, Asher pressed his lips to hers, licking the blood from her wound as he pulled away.​

 

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx​

Tag: Asher Mossa​

For a second time that day the world stood still, as did her thoughts. Her skin stung when his hand found its mark, head jerking to the side as her vision clouded. There was a sudden swelling of power around them as the witch gathered the Force to her, the presence of it heavy in the air, riddled with warnings as the nexus bolstered her strength much like Dathomir's did. Obsidian eyes blazed when she turned back to him, the mark of his hand evident upon her pale skin, lips reddened with blood. The Nightsister had seen the mark on his arm through the haze of her anger, and had not cared about it; it was deemed as meaningless as he was. But there was something to be seen beneath the fire in her eyes--emotions that were conflicting. Vanya had been angry he'd struck her, surprised that he'd been stupid enough to do it, aroused that he'd been confident enough to lay hands on someone who was clearly his better.​

“Nothing that I do is meaning--“ Asher silenced her, cooled the embers of her fire with his lips; the taste of him invaded her mouth, the smell of whatever soap he used lingering in her nose, the sudden closeness something that had been missed. Vanya was not a woman that wanted for company, she had not been lonely after separating from the twins father, nor had she laid alone at night wishing for someone to be there. But the closeness between them now, it lit fires in her blood. His retreat was not accepted, was prevented by a hand hurrying in the roots of his hair, holding tight to bring his mouth back to hers, so that she could taste the blood, hers, his, on his tongue, so that her kiss would both sting and soothe his own wound.​

The nails of her opposite hand bit into the mark on his arm as she grabbed him, not caring if it was scratched or damaged while she painted herself against him, giving him know choice but to accept her demands. The Nightsister was not someone frightened by the violence of a man, was not someone considered soft or sweet. She was passionate, provocative, and took what was wanted. In that moment she had wanted more from him. Vanya pushed hard against him, the swell of her breasts felt against his chest, forcing him back to the closest table, where whatever had been on top of it fell to the floor with a thud. When lips finally parted from his, her teeth dug into his lower lip before letting go. She looked into his eyes again, her expression harsh, but heart racing. “I am not afraid of your master, your Lylek, for he is not mine.” Even the name had enticed shivered warnings down her spine.​

Nothing had been known about the spirit he claimed to serve but what was known was she was Vahl’s Chosen, and that had made her different, special. And it was something that they seemed to have in common; both chosen and guided by a primordial spirit, proud, unwilling to be compromised. “He might own you, but I am under an obligation to no one. I am the Chosen of Vahl, guided by her wisdom, her destruction, and your god is nothing to be feared for he is nothing to me. As meaningless as the vapour expelled from your lungs.” She growled back, playing his words back to him, leaving them dripping with venom as she shoved him harder against the table.​

 

[Asher Mossa]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vanya Aklin

It was a battle for control. Two dominant personalities, both claimed by spirits which would not allow their hubris to humbled. She did not let him pull away from the kiss, but rather pulled him close once more. Asher could still taste the blood on her lips, and now his own as well. His lip split even more as she pressed into the kiss, and opened again when she bit on his lip. It was clear she had no care or concern whether her action brought him pain, and Asher did not care what pain he caused her.​

​

Still he winced.​

​

Vanya wanted more, or seemed to. Pushing her body against his, she forced him back toward the nearest table. Nails dug into his scars as the man smirked. Her words played at his own as she continued to present her defiance. This was not the domain of her spirit, and she should have known the dangerous game she was playing. Unless the spirit she belonged to had designs to wage war and move into a domain that was controlled by another, Asher was not concerned with the pretense.​

​

That did not mean Lylek was not.​

​

When Asher's backside hit the table, his eyes began to glow. His hands gripped the woman by the shoulders, hard, and pushed her away with an unnatural strength known to any human. His voice changed as he began to speak, as though many voices were speaking at once. The shaman was a vessel at times, a shell, for the spirit when it saw fit to speak to others which it had not claimed or remained closed to its voice. There was a bite to the words which came, an anger which the woman would do well to heed.​

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"You dare be so flippant in a world which is not yours. This is my domain, and he is my vessel. Respect both."​

​

Asher's arms fell to his side as he collapsed onto the ground. The time had been brief, but the possession always left him weak. It would be several minutes before the warlock would open his eyes. Until his mind regained its faculties Asher's world would remain black.​

 

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Asher Mossa

The air shifted as the spirit moved through him: the temperature dropped, and the room seemed suddenly darker. It enticed sensations she was familiar with, the shivers down her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck, the goose-bumps raising along her tattooed skin. This was the body's fear, not hers. Vanya dug her heels into the ground and threw an arm out to catch herself on the closest table when Asher, or rather his Lylek, shoved her from him with an unnatural strength. And when next obsidian eyes rose to meet his stare, finding his own eyes aglow, and hearing the ominous overlapping voices, it was not fear that burned in her veins, but defiance. Had the Nightsister been another woman, perhaps she would have been afraid, and show a a cautionary respect for the primordial force which spoke.

But she was not another woman. And Lylek did not frightened her. It did not matter how enraged the spirit became, what warnings he spoke, or what tortures he imagined for her body. She was the Chosen of Vahl, and nothing would forestall her return. Her lips curled into a cruel smirk as she rose to her full height once more, her aura radiating power as the Force moved through her. Insults played on the tip of her tongue with the intention to invoke the wrath of Lylek, but they would remain unsaid. There was a finite amount of time a primordial force could be channelled and it seemed that time had elapsed.

When Asher collapsed she had not moved to catch him. Vanya allowed him to fall to the ground in a heap, and only rolled her eyes. “Pathetic.” It was all she said. Vanya had no misconceptions that he would hear given in his current state. The statement was likely to fall on deaf ears. And she understood why: she understood, likely better than anyone, the physical and mental exhaustion that would plague him when he awoke. When Vahl first moved through the Nightsister, spoke with her mouth, saw with her eyes, walked with her legs, she had not awoken for days, and there had been no memories of the event. With each time after that the woman grew more accustomed to being the goddess' vessel, became more aware of what transpired during those moments. But the aftermath was always difficult.

She could have said more. Could have helped him but did not. Vanya stepped over him, and allowed the receding click of heels to announce her departure. Her explorations of Raven's Point did not stop without him as a guide. Tomes were taken from the shelves, rooms were explored, until the Nightsister had settled in the grove. She did not care to track the passage of time as it was meaningless to one such as her. When Asher awoke he would not have difficulty locating her. Vanya was not a woman that hid for any reason and he would feel her presence in the Force.

 

[Asher Mossa]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vanya Aklin

Asher was not certain how long he was out, only that it was long enough to give the woman freedom to give herself a tour of the library. His senses stretched out to find her through the force. An aura as tainted as hers would be easy to find. She did not hide, and Asher had not expected her to. He was drawn to the grove where he found her amongst the tomes she had gathered for herself. A smile drew itself across the features of his face, and even though his head still ached from his fall, Asher was amused.​

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"It did not take you long to take advantage of my respite," his words came as came into view. His sharp hued eyes washed over the sight before him as he drew one of the tomes to his hand through the force.​

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The leather was kept perfect. There did not seem to be a dry spot, or crack anywhere.​

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"Mysteries of the Arcane..."​

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Asher smirked. It seemed she was looking through things which anyone could discern. Perhaps there were other tomes, deeper magicks she was studying now, but the one in his hand was elementary.​

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"Tell me, are you here for the books, or was it something else that drew you here. You haven't left, but you haven't gotten into anything too... valuable to us."​

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His eyes bore into hers.​

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"What are you here for... or who... are you here for?"​

 

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Asher Mossa

The Nightsister had felt Asher's approach long before he made his arrival; she had not been concerned and had not risen to greet him. Instead she remained seat in the reclusion of the grove and waited for him. Asher would come to her as she would not seek him again this day. "You sound disappointed." This had been her response. Direct and to the point; without compassion. He should be grateful that books had been enough to satisfy her curiosity even for a short while. There was no mistaking the witch's prowess and he would know what damage she could have caused during his slumbering moments.

No words were spoken when he took one of the books into his hands but the corner of her mouth pulled into a smirk. Vanya appeared uninterested in him, preoccupied with the pages of the tome cradled in her pay but she was very aware of his presence within the grove, the distance between them, the interest he had for herself. She could not fault him. Had their rolls been reversed and he arrived on Dathomir claiming that Lelyk guided him, had shown him visions of the planet and the witches, she would have been equally suspicious and far less unwelcoming. It was only once he had poised a question, almost as though he was demanding an answer, that the witch graced him with her attention.

She allowed the pages to close and the tome to be left forgotten on the bench as she stood, obsidian hues never once wavering from his own blue orbs. Once more were the two face to face, as though staring alone could reveal the secrets each carried. "I told you. Or did you forget when you fell and hit your head." She had told him - had told him that she had been shown Raven's Point and told to come. He was certainly smart enough to discern that it was Vahl's wisdom that had guided her. "I was shown this place. I was shown you. And I am here to understand why. So why don't you tell me what secrets you guard - we both know it's only a matter of time before I find them."

 

[Asher Mossa]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vanya Aklin

"I was shown this place. I was shown you."​

​

The answer was the same, and yet held more information. She had had been told to come to the repository, but she had initially left out the part of being shown Asher himself. This would not be the first woman to tell him she saw him in a vision. It would not be the first time he had found himself plaything of other spirits as well. Should he tell her of the All-Father as well, the great tree, the spirit of the forest, which had sent him out as a young child to explore a world which his kind knew nothing of?​

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It was unnecessary.​

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"You may explore freely, save the vault. I am the only one that can gain you access to it, and that is something I will not do for anyone that is still a stranger. Your Vahl, if she is as great as you say, she would have known this. That cannot be why you I was shown to you."​

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The statement was also a question. Asher was indeed curious. She was here to understand her vision, and yet she had also been sent. Her ways were like the other nightsisters, but they were also different. The others respected his allegiance to Lylek even if the Solanaceae no longer followed the old ways of the Mandragora. This one viewed her mistress as all powerful.​

​

Asher scoffed.​

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It seems that the answers to the questions we both have rest here, or lie with me for some unknown reason. If you have not seen to claiming a room for yourself, I can have quarters prepared for you."​

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He took one step closer, close enough that it would be a simple thing to taste her lips once again.​

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"Unless you wish to take mine in the same way you seem to have already claimed whatever you want from this place?"​

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Was he challenging her again? No. Was he daring her?​

​

...perahps.​

 

[Vanya Aklin]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Asher Mossa

Rarely, if ever, was a vision understood the moment it was received - often they came in flashes; places and faces, sometimes names. Some days there might be cryptic warnings of danger and other days glimpses of future slendour but whatever was seen, time would always reveal the truth. What was a mystery today, would be unravelled tomorrow. So Vanya did not hesitate to speak the truth to him - that she had been given visions of him and his sanctuary, and she held no concern that neither herself nor he understood why. "Whatever reasons I was shown you and this place, time will reveal them." Always did the answer behind these visions become clear.

Her lips had drawn into a smirk, something akin to a challenge of her own while a finely sculpted brow lofted at his audacity, as though he was giving her permission to explore when it had not been requested. Should the Nightsister wish to wander, he would not be able to stop her - not easily - and they both knew that. But for the moment, not another word was spoken, not even the insult that played on her tongue when his words, whether intentional or not, had been construed as insulting. His scoff had only served to deepen her smirk and had her obsidian eyes narrowing in response to his own challenge.

Vanya had never wanted for a man's company but she was not a woman easily swayed away from a challenge issued. Had he taken her for an ordinary woman? An ordinary witch? Someone that would shy away from intimacy? It had not mattered that they were strangers who knew only the others name. Her heels clicked once as she took a single step closer so, that there was no room between them, so that he would feel the soft movements of her body brush against him with each inhale and exhale. She did not move again, only stared at him with blazing intensity.

"Tell me," she said. "What makes you think I haven't already made a claim on what I want?"