Jealousy

[Thorn]

Thorn made his way around the edges of the lake. Darkness had taken over the grounds of Shan Manor some hours ago. He had purposely waited until night had fully taken over until leaving the Tower, and coming down here. Thorn knew that it wouldn't have made any difference if he'd waited until dark or had gone or during the daylight hours. Vampires, Lycans, Demons, they were all predators. They were made for hunting during both the dark nights and (for the most part) shining days. His choice hadn't been a split-second reaction to his unyielding thoughts. He'd carefully deliberated if it was worth it to come down here, if it was worth it to be caught off guard and forced into a conversation he'd otherwise rather avoid altogether. Questions were always asked when one was found alone, no matter how subtle the question was, it was still there. The question tended to ring with curiosity as to why one had withdrawn themselves from others, and to why they willingly allowed themselves to become increasingly separated from those they'd been so close to. The questions often went unanswered.

In Thorn's experience it had been more often than not that he'd been alone, and so he found comfort in it even now as he stood looking out at the calm, smooth surface of the lake. Though he was able to find comfort in the silence and tranquility of being by ones self, he was still filled with an unquenchable amount of loneliness that left his barren and scarred. The scars were ones that only could be healed by the touches of someone close, someone who wasn't afraid to deal with issues lying beneath ones skin, or delve into areas that had been locked away for years.

Thorn stopped his pacing around the lake and finally took a deep breathe. The jacket he wore was not meant for the cold winter months. It had been designed for the light rain of some forgotten city. He wasn't bothered by it though. He was built to withstand impossibly cold regions, and the burning flames of Hell's most gruesome fires. He'd planned for this, but was brought with a curiosity to why he'd bothered at all with it. It wasn't until a few moments later that he moved, walking towards the center of the lakes frozen surface; ice chunks breaking away as he passed over the weaker portions of ice. He felt a slight tinge of regret in his decisions to come out this night now as he got closer to the center of the lake.

It had nothing to do with the knowledge that he was going to fall in, or that he had gotten into a habit of second guessing himself. It was because of the water itself. He had always felt the safest in bodies of water. He felt a tranquility that he had never experienced elsewhere in the contents of a body of water. He could enjoy water, take comfort in it, and allow himself to relax. His attraction to the water had always concerned him, but more so than ever than on the day that he'd first realized fire was imbued into his very being. Perhaps that was the reason though. The water could calm the uncontrollable pain and emotions he felt, just as it could easily douse the flames of a candle.

He had just made it out to the center of the lake when he closed his eyes. He called to the ice beneath him, and forced it to dissolve, plunging himself into the waters depths. He willed his body downwards, pushing with his mind to take him to the lake's bottom. As he slowly made his way to where he most desired to be, flickers of images, memories, flashed through his mind. Images of water in the forms of a misty afternoon, a foggy morning, a Tsunami, a Hurricane, rain, still bodies of water, and the icebergs of the North. Water had so many different forms, and yet it was always the same thing. It could be altered, go through changes, manipulated, and crushed, but there was no stopping it. It would still be water, H2O, and that wouldn't change no matter what form it's shape took.

It was that exact quality of it that caused the emotion in Thorn that he hated more than any other; Jealousy. He had been jealous of very few things in his life, and he almost never admitted them to the individuals it occurred with.

He reached the bottom of the lake sometime later. He'd been in no hurry, and had taken his time getting down there. Unlike his vampiric friends, Thorn would eventually need to breathe, but he wouldn't have to worry about that until a little while later. If he were any normal human he would have never made it down there alive, but he wasn't, and it was for that exact reason he would be able to stay down there. He allowed his right arm to extend above his head, and propel a few currents of hot water up towards the icy surface, quickly causing it to melt.

Thorn allowed himself to begin his floating back up to the surface of the lake's water. It was a peaceful movement in some ways. His body pulling him back towards the surface. The feeling of water rushing past you as you accelerated every bit more. The feelings of confusion and slight remorse had subsided for the time being as he floated his way back to the top, but he knew that like every other time, the moment he was away from the waters clear tranquility it would slowly begin to return as the flames reignited in his soul.

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Nayakiru slid out from the manor behind Thorn. She made sure to never be heard nor seen, her feet never touching the ground as she 'walked.' She had not felt curious for some time now and relished the very thought of it. The evil beauty kept those bright eyes upon the male before her, long blue dress flowing around her. It was unusual for her to wear clothes, especially when around the manor, but with the cold, she really had no choice. Though Nayakiru could withstand the greatest of colds, it would seem strange if the woman wore nothing. Where Aida knew not where she had come from, Naya knew everything, but would never tell her future self.

She pulled her mind from these thoughts and returned her attention to Thorn. What was he doing and why had he waited until now to do it? She smiled to herself, watching him move, never stepping out so he would sense or see her. For once, she did not want to be seen and kept her distance without being too far away. A light frown creased her 'brow when she saw he was heading for the lake. What was he planning? It was most unusual for him to sneak around like this.

The woman tilted her head, light blonde hair falling down over her shoulder once he began walking out onto the lake. Even now, Nayakiru was careful to keep herself hidden from view, taking to standing behind one of the many trees that surrounded the lake. Once he vanished from view, the frown increased, warping her face slightly, giving it a more demonic look. She waited until she was sure he was nearing the bottom of the lake before advancing. No footprints were left in her wake in the snow below her, for she did not touch the ground, moving almost ghost-like to the lake.

She sat herself down on the ground, arms coming to rest upon her knees as she waited for the male. Even now, she didn't touch the ground, simply hovered above it, her dress pooling on the ground beneath her, getting slightly damp with each passing moment. Eventually, she would smile. Though it was not her usual smile; cold and slightly twisted, it was a genuine warm smile. Now was the time. "It is not a good idea to swim within a frozen lake, Thorn. You will catch a terrible cold." She knew very well who and what he was, but it seemed so fitting to say.


( The dress: www.etsy.com/listing/86110730/vintage-60s-70s-blue-flutter-cape-maxi?ref=sr_gallery_8&sref=&ga_search_query=flowing+dress&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_page=6&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet= )

[Thorn]

Thorn almost regretted his decision to leave the water so soon as he drew closer to the surface. He knew he could stay longer before he needed to breath, but staying would only make him feel worse after he eventually left. All he had needed was a break from his unwanted emotions, a subtle reminded of how he used to, and would one day feel again. He'd grown used to feeling confused and remorseful, but he had never been used to second guessing himself. He'd always trusted his instincts, and it was for that one reason that he'd needed to clear his thoughts.

He closed his eyes before he broke through the surface. He forced himself to levitate out of the water, hovering only a an inch or two above it. He was about to take in his first breath when he heard her voice. His sapphire eyes shot open, focusing in on Nayakiru instantly. It was obvious that he was surprised by her appearance. He disappeared, only to reappear next to her. He was soaking wet, and was in need of a shave. Water dripped off of his body and clothes. Perhaps he should have stripped down into the bare minimum before going into the water, but that wasn't something he would worry about now.

"Naya." He stopped for a moment, trying to get his thoughts together. "What are you doing out here at this hour?"

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Nayakiru shook her head lightly, blonde hair drifting around her head as thuogh caught by a gentle wind, thoguh there was none. The night was as calm as it ever had been. "Come. Let us get you inside and dry. We shall talk then." She got to her feet and took hold of his arm, not seeming to care that he was soaking wet. The elegant woman gave him that smile once again and began 'walking' back to the manor. "We shall get you a nice bath and some warm, clean clothes, then we shall have hot chocolate brought to us in the sitting room. We shall talk then, dear." Byt the one of her voice, it was quite obvious that this is what she would do, if he liked it or not.

[Thorn]

Thorn smiled warmly at her as they began their walk back to the warmth of the manor's walls. It was a first sincere smile he'd been able to show in the past few weeks. He shook his head softly at her almost commanding tone, though he knew that she meant well. "Very well, then." He had fully planned to go along with her plans. He continued to stare at the lights coming from the manor as they spoke. A slight wind had begun to pick up enough to ruffle his wet hair since they'd left the lake. As they came to the first entrance to the manor he turned his head to look at her. "Not to sound so forward if I do, but who's room are we going to?"

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Nayakiru chuckled lightly at the question. "We shall go to my room. I have everything I need for a wonderful bath there." After a few moments of walking, the evil beauty pushed open the door to her room, making sure to close it once they had both entered. If anything, Nayakiru relished her privacy and would not allow anyone into her room without her there.

She let go of Thorn's arm and moved into the bathroom, leaning over to turn on the water, delicate fingers reaching into the flowing water to check the temperature. "Please undress, Thorn. You will catch a terrible cold in those wet clothes. There is a robe on the back of the door if you wish to use it." It was unusual for Nayakiru to show so much care for anyone, but Thorn was the only one to have taken the time to have gotten to know the woman. She added a few different coloured liquids into the wayet, turning it a shade of purple. When the tub was filled enough to satisfy the woman, she turned and moved back into her main bedroom, dropping off her dress as she did.

Nayakiru rarely wore clothes, preferred to be natural and free, rather than clothed. She did not care that she was naked in front of the male, he had seen it many times before, as had everyone else. She offered him a smile, bright green eyes fixing upon the other. "Your bath is ready, my dear. Everything you would need is there for you."

[Thorn]

Thorn nodded to her, for he was unable to find anything else to say that might fill the amount of time it took to get to her room. By the time they'd made it into her room, most of the water droplets had ceased falling from his clothes, though they were far from being anything but wet.

As she let go of his arm he found himself turning to look silently about her room, almost unaware of his actions. When she spoke he was brought back to his thoughts. He nodded to her and then began to undress. As the clothes were removed from his body he simply dropped them, and watched as they began to float before hitting the ground and refolded themselves. Once he was finished he would send them away, teleporting them The Tower, where he would take care of them later. In their place he summoned new clothing: a simple black t-shirt, jeans that had just began to fade in color, and other assorted pieces of clothing that were all folded perfectly one on top of the other as they came to rest on one of the chairs within the room. He ran his fingers through his soggy hair as he turned to look at the robe on the back of the door. He had no use for it; he didn't care to be seen naked by Naya.

As he waited for her to finish with the bath he sat down in the chair that faced her bed. Thorn began to think about the last time he'd been in her room. He'd delivered her the invitation of sorts to have tea with him in the Tower. She'd responded with a very simple yes, and yet she'd never shown up. He was brought out of his thoughts as she reentered the room. He rose from he was seated and moved to her. His lips merely brushed her cheek as he stopped for a moment. "Thank you." He moved through the doorway into the bathroom, closing the door silently behind him.

He stared at the bath's water he couldn't help but be reminded of amethysts to some extent. The thought left his mind as he came to rest in the warmth of the water. He allowed himself to let down his guard, and relax as he took a deep breathe. After a few minutes of simply relaxing in the waters heat he would begin to actually get clean. He would leave the water some ten minutes or less later, and picked up one of the towels that lay near him. He used it to dry off his bottom half before wrapping it around his waist. He moved to pick up a second towel to dry off his hair.

Once completed he would move to the sink, summoning his own tooth brush and razor into the bathroom. He would take care to shave off the dark black beard and mustache that had begun to grow from his lack of trimming. His next move was to brush his teeth, which he did rather quickly. When he was done he sent them both back to his room.

He stared at himself for a few minutes in the mirror. He'd hardly changed, if at all, from how he had when he first left Hell. He'd taken pride in his appearance over the years, and yet he knew that he was still lying to himself. This was not his appearance. It had been at one point in his life, but it had not been his since he first stepped into the world of the humans. With a sigh he let down the glamour he usually wore at all times. His skin had turned from it's light tan to a solid black. His fingernails were replaced by what appeared to be almost solid flames. Short flaming red horns appeared through his black hair. Sapphire and Blood red colored markings appeared on his body. Every so often one would move as if by its own will. His wings remained folded against his back.

The markings had been placed their by his teachers, and they had in turn almost poisoned his body. It had turned his lightly tanned skin black, his nails had erupted into flames, and had caused dark red horns to grow. He'd despised the form almost instantly, for it had dispelled all resemblances he had to his mother except for his sapphire hued eyes.

He stared at his reflection once more, and began to remember that there was one more glamour to let down. He looked down at his left hand, and willed it away. His index finger slowly began to whither as the glamour departed. It was the side affect from having touched Aida's sword when it'd been unhappy. He didn't know what had brought him to touch the sword after having been warned so many times, but it was a choice he would now have to live with for the rest of his life.

After a few more moments he turned away from the mirror. If there was one person he didn't mind seeing him in this form it would be Nayakiru. As he reached for the door handle he almost had a second thought to restore the glamours. He knew he'd grown to not trust his own instincts lately, but he forced himself to not take the glamours back on. He finally opened the door, and reemerged from the bathroom some twenty-five to thirty minutes later wearing a towel.

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Nayakiru stood by the window, the sun weakly shining over her perfectly pale skin and further illuminating her bright green eyes. Though she couldn't actually see Thorn return, she sensed him and somehow he felt different. She couldn't put her finger on it. Naya pulled her gaze from the vast gardens on her side of the manor and turned to face the male. She wasn't shocked to see him in this form, having seen it in Aida's memories.

"I trust that you enjoyed your bath, love." She whispered, her voice soft and gentle. The woman moved from the window and settled herself down on the bed, only moving then to pull her long, blonde hair up into a relaxed ponytail at the top of her head. She then fixed her eyes upon the male, smiling gently over to him.

[Thorn]

"As much as one usually expects to enjoy them." His eyes glanced to his clothing that he'd left on the table as she made her way back over to the bed. Without another movement they would appear on his body, the towel clutched in his hand. He disposed of the towel before turning back to look at her. He was happy that she did not appear to be surprised. He had been unsure on if this was one of the things that Aida would have shared with her through memories. He moved to sit at one of the edges of the bed, facing his beloved Naya. He smiled warmly at her, his sapphire eyes radiating in the light.

His smile faltered for a moment as he caught his reflection through her eyes. He was not yet ready to fully embrace his true form, for reasons he wasn't fully able to understand. He broke eye contact with her slowly and rose to stared by the window. By the time he completed the action he had replaced the glamour.

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Nayakiru watched him carefully for a few minutes; noting the look in his eyes. It seemed he was having some sort of trouble, though she would never say anything about it. It wasn't her place nor her style. The woman shifted to rest her back against the pillows once he had moved, her eyes remaining on the male even as he stood by the window.

"Why replace the glamours and hide your true form, love?" She asked simply. She may not wish to mention his evident troubles, but this she would. "There is nothing shameful about showing ones true form, Thorn."

[Thorn]

Thorn sensed her eyes upon him as he moved, but simply ignored it for a moment. He shrugged after a moment as he stared out the window, surveying the grounds of the manor that was visible from her bedroom. "Force of habit, I guess." He turned turned away from the window to face her after a few moments.

He smiled softly at her as she presented her second comment. "You are right, Naya. But sometimes the true form does not reveal one's true self."

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Laying back against the many pillows on her bed, Nayakiru placed her hands on her stomach and fixed her eyes back upon the male. She wouldn't speak again until he'd spoken and simply waited for him to do so. She had known for a long time that she had found love with this male. The one thing she had never experienced in her life, but she knew it now. Her heart beat faster and slower at the same time when he was around; her breath caught in her throat, but grew deeper; the night and day seemed to dazzle her at once. She couldn't explain it, even if she had wanted to try, she just... knew.

Tearing her thoughts from these, she blinked once to clear her head, realising that he had begun speaking. "Touche." She whispered quietly, the trace of poison usually found in her voice had vanished. "You are also correct. Which do you feel more yourself in, Thorn? This one or the one you hide from the world?" She felt she already knew the answer, the struggle in his eyes was enough to have answered her question, even if she had left it unvoiced.

[Thorn]

Thorn turned his head softly at her. "You know I prefer this one." He moved to sit next to her on the bed, one of his hands moved to rest it on one of hers. "I have worn it almost every moment since I have left Hell, showing it to only those who I care for the most, or when it was unavoidable to the circumstances." His eyes moved to meet hers. "There are circumstances and events that lead me to keeping the glamours, but I occasionally feel as though that I no longer need them, then..." He shook his head looking for the words. "Did you have access to most of Aida's memories?"

[Nayakiru Kygnosti]

Nayakiru nodded. "Yes, I thought you may have said that." She raised her free hand to place it on top of the one he'd placed on her other one. Her bright green eyes shone into his, burning with that same sparkle as Aida's did. "Yes. She and I had no boundries other than I knew who our parents were. I know everything she knew when were were... connected and she knew almost everything I held in my mind, though it took her a longer time to unlock them than it took myself."

[Thorn]

Thorn nodded softly to her. After a few moments he raised his right hand and motioned as if to press his index finger against her temple. "May I show you something?"