"Bye Cap!" Layla shouted at the retreating hero, who seemed to cringe at the sound of her voice. Not that she blamed him. Inside, she was sighing with relief. Finally, he had taken a hint and left them. She really wouldn't have wanted to go through with the rest of her plan with him there.
Rowena was still eyeing her suspiciously and Layla forced herself to flash a sickly fake smile at her. Then she balled up her fist, still in her pockets, and walked up to the woman. Layla was very aware she had just crossed the invisible line over into the immortals personal space, but it didn't faze her. Not much did.
Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at the woman, a smile still on her face.
"Now, I really do respect you, Rowena, and that fact that you feel there are certain things you need to do to protect yourself. Your family. All I hope is that you don't get in my way while you're at it. Because there are certain things I have to do, that go beyond you," she paused, taking in the woman's reaction. "I know stuff, Rowena. I think you've figured that much out by now, and maybe more. And so I figure, Rowena, she's a wise lady, she'll know what's best for her. Because you do know, right?... I hope you're not going to make me think I overestimated you."
With that she turned around on her heel, and began walking away, but not before glancing over her shoulder and adding;
Rowena watched the girl, the impertinant little chit, walk away, her eyes narrowed. She could eliminate the threat the creature posed. She could do it right now. It'd be easy, and she'd just be one more body... if she bothered to leave a body.
Slowly, the young seeming immortal smiled a strange smile. "So this is how the game's to be played?" she asked nobody. "Very well, Miss Miller. We'll play." She turned on her own heel, mind working quickly.
It'd been a long time since someone had actually dared to challenge her, outside the Mantis, and as her Eldest Sister often said, the greatest problem with immortality was the boredom.
Penance was, by nature, a curious. It wasn't something that had served her in good sted when she had been one of Emplate's thralls, or when her body had played host to the St. Croix sisters.
But now she was her own person, free to investigate this strange world she was a part of.
She watched things. She paid attention.
She watched the pretty blond girl and the not-pretty dark girl who Jono had told her was Mrs. Xanathos. She liked Mrs. Xanathos. She teased Jono and actually managed to make him laugh, and she always had an apple for Penance.
Mrs. Xanathos did not trust the pretty blond girl.
Penance had long ago learned to distrust pretty girls.
Rowena was still eyeing her suspiciously and Layla forced herself to flash a sickly fake smile at her. Then she balled up her fist, still in her pockets, and walked up to the woman. Layla was very aware she had just crossed the invisible line over into the immortals personal space, but it didn't faze her. Not much did.
Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at the woman, a smile still on her face.
"Now, I really do respect you, Rowena, and that fact that you feel there are certain things you need to do to protect yourself. Your family. All I hope is that you don't get in my way while you're at it. Because there are certain things I have to do, that go beyond you," she paused, taking in the woman's reaction. "I know stuff, Rowena. I think you've figured that much out by now, and maybe more. And so I figure, Rowena, she's a wise lady, she'll know what's best for her. Because you do know, right?... I hope you're not going to make me think I overestimated you."
With that she turned around on her heel, and began walking away, but not before glancing over her shoulder and adding;
"Yes, Rowena, that was meant as a threat."
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Slowly, the young seeming immortal smiled a strange smile. "So this is how the game's to be played?" she asked nobody. "Very well, Miss Miller. We'll play." She turned on her own heel, mind working quickly.
It'd been a long time since someone had actually dared to challenge her, outside the Mantis, and as her Eldest Sister often said, the greatest problem with immortality was the boredom.
Reply
But now she was her own person, free to investigate this strange world she was a part of.
She watched things. She paid attention.
She watched the pretty blond girl and the not-pretty dark girl who Jono had told her was Mrs. Xanathos. She liked Mrs. Xanathos. She teased Jono and actually managed to make him laugh, and she always had an apple for Penance.
Mrs. Xanathos did not trust the pretty blond girl.
Penance had long ago learned to distrust pretty girls.
And what did you do with people you didn't trust?
You followed them, of course.
Penance was very good at following people.
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