08-31-2018, 08:43 PM
Marcus misread her, purposefully or otherwise. It was not fearlessness arming her with challenge, nor anything so noble. It was vitriol. A purely antagonistic flame that would burn him up should he step too close, even if she burned with him. Her lip curled derision, ignoring the emptiness of his apology. The moment control was wrenched from his grasp, she stopped paying attention. If he wished to play at subservient masks, that was his problem. But it was a fucking lie.
A feminine voice broke the impasse. Unsurprisingly. The woman knelt, wreathed like a queen in shadows, the crystals at her throat winking like the promise of spring. Words of defence washed over Oriena unnoticed. Inborn rights were worthless as dirt to someone like Ori, who'd battled for even basic necessities since the cradle. Still, the balm of Evelyn's touch helped her to her feet. She didn't refuse that.
Ascendancy did not even speak, just disarmed Marcus with a shake of the head and walked away. It burned in the pit of her stomach, that apathetic dismissal, and she untangled herself from Evelyn's gentle grip, felt the resistance in her coil like a striking snake despite having no weapon with which to retaliate. Her black gaze followed him, only to flinch when the barrier ceased and the power crashed back in, so violent it actually hurt. It fizzed within her for a moment, like flexing a sore muscle -- filling her fast and painfully, until she abruptly let go.
For a moment Ori felt like she balanced on the edge of the fucking world, like the creature had emptied out her brain and shoved it back in wrong. Familiarity sparked beyond the simple hum of kinship that marked her and Evelyn's shared gift. She didn't chase Ascendancy down, and even if she couldn't articulate why, she knew it was purely for Evelyn's sake. The favour would only happen once.
One of Nox's friends was talking by now, but Ori wasn't listening. Marcus's obsequiousness irritated like a buzzing wasp, and she tuned that out too. He played the smiling assassin, knowledge that might arm her in the future, but it was not a game she was willing to play tonight. She was not likely to forget he'd tried to kill her, either. Her name raised in question finally roused her attention from Ascendancy's retreat and the banalities around her. She likely wasn't welcome at the club right now, and it was closed anyway. Clashing with Carmen on a quest to simply get clean drew no temptation; for while there was somewhere she suddenly realised she would rather be, she did not want to turn up dripping blood like something summoned from a nightmare.
A razorblade smile hitched the corner of her lips, surprised Jaxen even dared offer; not that she wasted thought questioning it. Acceptance came with the carelessness of a tossed coin, though neither did she leave without a final repartee for the consul. Her eyes flashed dark. "Shouldn't you chase after your master, Marcus? That leash must chafe, huh."
A feminine voice broke the impasse. Unsurprisingly. The woman knelt, wreathed like a queen in shadows, the crystals at her throat winking like the promise of spring. Words of defence washed over Oriena unnoticed. Inborn rights were worthless as dirt to someone like Ori, who'd battled for even basic necessities since the cradle. Still, the balm of Evelyn's touch helped her to her feet. She didn't refuse that.
Ascendancy did not even speak, just disarmed Marcus with a shake of the head and walked away. It burned in the pit of her stomach, that apathetic dismissal, and she untangled herself from Evelyn's gentle grip, felt the resistance in her coil like a striking snake despite having no weapon with which to retaliate. Her black gaze followed him, only to flinch when the barrier ceased and the power crashed back in, so violent it actually hurt. It fizzed within her for a moment, like flexing a sore muscle -- filling her fast and painfully, until she abruptly let go.
For a moment Ori felt like she balanced on the edge of the fucking world, like the creature had emptied out her brain and shoved it back in wrong. Familiarity sparked beyond the simple hum of kinship that marked her and Evelyn's shared gift. She didn't chase Ascendancy down, and even if she couldn't articulate why, she knew it was purely for Evelyn's sake. The favour would only happen once.
One of Nox's friends was talking by now, but Ori wasn't listening. Marcus's obsequiousness irritated like a buzzing wasp, and she tuned that out too. He played the smiling assassin, knowledge that might arm her in the future, but it was not a game she was willing to play tonight. She was not likely to forget he'd tried to kill her, either. Her name raised in question finally roused her attention from Ascendancy's retreat and the banalities around her. She likely wasn't welcome at the club right now, and it was closed anyway. Clashing with Carmen on a quest to simply get clean drew no temptation; for while there was somewhere she suddenly realised she would rather be, she did not want to turn up dripping blood like something summoned from a nightmare.
A razorblade smile hitched the corner of her lips, surprised Jaxen even dared offer; not that she wasted thought questioning it. Acceptance came with the carelessness of a tossed coin, though neither did she leave without a final repartee for the consul. Her eyes flashed dark. "Shouldn't you chase after your master, Marcus? That leash must chafe, huh."