Rewarding Persistance
The Streets of Chicago 1923
Again, he stares.
She would never have noticed him if he had not been staring so. Once she did notice, she could not stop her awareness of his presence. He was fascinated. Fascinated by her immortality and herself in particular. She had seen him around talking and speaking of things, going on and on forever about inconsequential matters. Sometimes, she would stand in the shadows and watch him watch the flocks that swarmed around him; he would be scanning the crowd tirelessly for her. He has taken to following her..and he is terribly clumsy in his attempts.
When she loses patience with his talking she decides to confronts him in surprise. He does not jump or act scared. He eyes her in reverence and whispers, "My Goddess" as he bares his neck to her.
He is mad. Completely, thoroughly mad in his obsession.
She just blinks at him then sighs slowly. "Tallon...this will not do. You do not know what it is you ask for. Come here.." she pulls him aside and closer so she can speak quietly, "Whatever illusion you have spun in your head..this isn't like that. You do not want to do this. You do not want to die."
"But I wont die, my queen.. I will be reborn, perfect, without flaws, a testimony to this time and place and all the creatures that exist in this age. I have thought long and hard on the secrets the night holds. People believe that the sun is good but why? It shows painful truths and allows ugliness to rule. The night conceals these things. After all.. only those that have finite lifespans can believe in something as powerful as love lasting forever. We shall be their examples."
Her eyebrows arch at this. Her expression turns thoughtful. She studies him, "There are no words that I can say that will change your mind, are there? You seem to be quite decided on this course of action. And if it is not me, it would be someone else, I'd wager..Am I wrong?"
Quiet laughter lightly tinged with condescention drifts out from the shadows behind Seiko. The voice that follows carries a languid drawl of the Old South.
"You're not wrong, Inari...not even a little bit wrong - you rarely are. Every one knows, once a man makes up his mind to die, he won't be swayed. If it weren't such an amazing effort and I didn't already have one of my own... Well. No. Men determined to die - even if they don't think that's what will happen - will indeed die, one way or another."
Tallon is taken back by the sudden appearance of another.."Ahh.. another Goddess of the night.. I can see it in your eyes.. and it is not naivety.. I have made my peace with the light. But look at you..both of you.. so strong.. so smug.. so secure in your place in the world."
He gestures at Seiko. "But you are the one that hold the key for me. I know this." He gestures to Alice, "I am sorry, fair Goddess, but thank you for appearing before me. I feel blessed." Again, he gestures to Seiko, "I dont have to convince you.. I already know my fate. I walk out of here as one of you, or not at all. I must say.. I am extremely excited over this. Giddy even."
Alice takes a few steps, joining Inari with a companionable laugh. In the street lights, she appears just as exotic as the other woman -Middle Eastern or North African perhaps. Her grey eyes sparkle with amusement. But then she turns her head to regard the boy with an expression that is suddenly full of warmth and absolute compassion.
"Tallon, was it? Yes, darlin' - listen. I'm not sure what it is Inari will do with you since you've... chosen her to do it. But let me be the first to tell you that the moon is just as harsh as the sun, and sheds a far colder light." She smiles. "And I honestly would look forward to seein' what time does to truth for you."
She then looks at the other woman and smirks, the spark of amusement lighting in her eyes again. "I find it entirely ironic that he does all this talkin' about makin' peace with the light, which shows too much truth and ugliness for him, but he chooses you for his 'key' and not me."
"Which proves to me that despite his fondness for self-delusion, his instincts are far sharper." She nods at Tallon. "I will give you what you wish. Now tell me, how do you thank a Goddess?"
Tallon falls to his knees, pulls out a pocket knife from his jacket, opens it, and then slashes across his wrists (across, not up and down), kisses each slash, bows his head and offers his now bloody hands up to Inari.
She blinks slowly and looks to Alice. She gestures politely, "Please, I insist." She takes one wrist and waits till Alice accepts the other before feeding.
Alice chuckles softly, moving to take the other wrist. She brushes one finger along the bloody skin in the way someone would skim the icing off a cake to lick it from their finger.
"Why, that's very kind of you, Inari, to share your Goddessly offering."
"As a Goddess of fertility and plenty, it is my pleasure to share with Mine Sister." She smiles into Tallon's eyes and feeds delicately from his wrists.
Tallons eyes roll back into his head from the pleasure. His mouth opens but no moan escapes it. His muscles refuse to move or break their current position.
Alice continues to feed as though she's taking the icing off a cake, not drawing out any blood that does not come from the would of its own volition, and likely not interested in allowing Tallon double the pleasure, as it were. She instead regards the man in his throes withbarely veiled contempt, but keeps a surreptitious eye on Inari, waiting to see if she intends the deed right that moment on the street.
Inari closes the wound, kissing the inside of Tallons wrist one last time. She stands.
Alice finally leans down only a little but also pulling Tallon's wrist toward her to close his other wound with brusque and cool formality. She pauses then, before lowering his arm to his side with care.
Seiko speaks softly, "You have pleased us."
Alice waits impassively, watching Tallon now with a studious expression.
Seiko continues," I would advise you to take a week to do all the things you won't be able to do again.. Watch a few sunrises, have hearty meals, drink deeply. Do those things that will make your heart race and beat in your chest. And when the time is right, we will come to you."
Alice glances up at Inari with the same impassive expression that is changed only by the flash of intensity in her eyes. A slow smile pulls at her lips then, and she inclines her head to the other woman before glancing slyly at Tallon, "And don't forget to listen to it - that heart racin' in your chest. That is one sound you'll soon miss, especially in the silence."
She looks back up at Inari with a twinkle in her eye. "Will we be off then? Or do you have any other worshippers to attend to this evening? I think I'm headed back to down the rabbit hole...."
Tallon nods in silence and on his knees, bows again before both of you before walking back among the living.
Alice presses two fingers to the spot between her eyebrows, closing her eyes on his retreating back.
"What *was* that creature, and how did you have the misfortune of being stuck with him as an admirer?"
She laughs softly. "You do play with him well, though. I don't think I'd have the patience."
Seiko's expression is thoughtful, "I think his persistance should be rewarded. Occasionally people should get what they deserve."
She licks her lips and smiles at her companion, "Shall we?"
---
Thanks to Billy M. and Kat S. for helping me out with this.
Again, he stares.
She would never have noticed him if he had not been staring so. Once she did notice, she could not stop her awareness of his presence. He was fascinated. Fascinated by her immortality and herself in particular. She had seen him around talking and speaking of things, going on and on forever about inconsequential matters. Sometimes, she would stand in the shadows and watch him watch the flocks that swarmed around him; he would be scanning the crowd tirelessly for her. He has taken to following her..and he is terribly clumsy in his attempts.
When she loses patience with his talking she decides to confronts him in surprise. He does not jump or act scared. He eyes her in reverence and whispers, "My Goddess" as he bares his neck to her.
He is mad. Completely, thoroughly mad in his obsession.
She just blinks at him then sighs slowly. "Tallon...this will not do. You do not know what it is you ask for. Come here.." she pulls him aside and closer so she can speak quietly, "Whatever illusion you have spun in your head..this isn't like that. You do not want to do this. You do not want to die."
"But I wont die, my queen.. I will be reborn, perfect, without flaws, a testimony to this time and place and all the creatures that exist in this age. I have thought long and hard on the secrets the night holds. People believe that the sun is good but why? It shows painful truths and allows ugliness to rule. The night conceals these things. After all.. only those that have finite lifespans can believe in something as powerful as love lasting forever. We shall be their examples."
Her eyebrows arch at this. Her expression turns thoughtful. She studies him, "There are no words that I can say that will change your mind, are there? You seem to be quite decided on this course of action. And if it is not me, it would be someone else, I'd wager..Am I wrong?"
Quiet laughter lightly tinged with condescention drifts out from the shadows behind Seiko. The voice that follows carries a languid drawl of the Old South.
"You're not wrong, Inari...not even a little bit wrong - you rarely are. Every one knows, once a man makes up his mind to die, he won't be swayed. If it weren't such an amazing effort and I didn't already have one of my own... Well. No. Men determined to die - even if they don't think that's what will happen - will indeed die, one way or another."
Tallon is taken back by the sudden appearance of another.."Ahh.. another Goddess of the night.. I can see it in your eyes.. and it is not naivety.. I have made my peace with the light. But look at you..both of you.. so strong.. so smug.. so secure in your place in the world."
He gestures at Seiko. "But you are the one that hold the key for me. I know this." He gestures to Alice, "I am sorry, fair Goddess, but thank you for appearing before me. I feel blessed." Again, he gestures to Seiko, "I dont have to convince you.. I already know my fate. I walk out of here as one of you, or not at all. I must say.. I am extremely excited over this. Giddy even."
Alice takes a few steps, joining Inari with a companionable laugh. In the street lights, she appears just as exotic as the other woman -Middle Eastern or North African perhaps. Her grey eyes sparkle with amusement. But then she turns her head to regard the boy with an expression that is suddenly full of warmth and absolute compassion.
"Tallon, was it? Yes, darlin' - listen. I'm not sure what it is Inari will do with you since you've... chosen her to do it. But let me be the first to tell you that the moon is just as harsh as the sun, and sheds a far colder light." She smiles. "And I honestly would look forward to seein' what time does to truth for you."
She then looks at the other woman and smirks, the spark of amusement lighting in her eyes again. "I find it entirely ironic that he does all this talkin' about makin' peace with the light, which shows too much truth and ugliness for him, but he chooses you for his 'key' and not me."
"Which proves to me that despite his fondness for self-delusion, his instincts are far sharper." She nods at Tallon. "I will give you what you wish. Now tell me, how do you thank a Goddess?"
Tallon falls to his knees, pulls out a pocket knife from his jacket, opens it, and then slashes across his wrists (across, not up and down), kisses each slash, bows his head and offers his now bloody hands up to Inari.
She blinks slowly and looks to Alice. She gestures politely, "Please, I insist." She takes one wrist and waits till Alice accepts the other before feeding.
Alice chuckles softly, moving to take the other wrist. She brushes one finger along the bloody skin in the way someone would skim the icing off a cake to lick it from their finger.
"Why, that's very kind of you, Inari, to share your Goddessly offering."
"As a Goddess of fertility and plenty, it is my pleasure to share with Mine Sister." She smiles into Tallon's eyes and feeds delicately from his wrists.
Tallons eyes roll back into his head from the pleasure. His mouth opens but no moan escapes it. His muscles refuse to move or break their current position.
Alice continues to feed as though she's taking the icing off a cake, not drawing out any blood that does not come from the would of its own volition, and likely not interested in allowing Tallon double the pleasure, as it were. She instead regards the man in his throes withbarely veiled contempt, but keeps a surreptitious eye on Inari, waiting to see if she intends the deed right that moment on the street.
Inari closes the wound, kissing the inside of Tallons wrist one last time. She stands.
Alice finally leans down only a little but also pulling Tallon's wrist toward her to close his other wound with brusque and cool formality. She pauses then, before lowering his arm to his side with care.
Seiko speaks softly, "You have pleased us."
Alice waits impassively, watching Tallon now with a studious expression.
Seiko continues," I would advise you to take a week to do all the things you won't be able to do again.. Watch a few sunrises, have hearty meals, drink deeply. Do those things that will make your heart race and beat in your chest. And when the time is right, we will come to you."
Alice glances up at Inari with the same impassive expression that is changed only by the flash of intensity in her eyes. A slow smile pulls at her lips then, and she inclines her head to the other woman before glancing slyly at Tallon, "And don't forget to listen to it - that heart racin' in your chest. That is one sound you'll soon miss, especially in the silence."
She looks back up at Inari with a twinkle in her eye. "Will we be off then? Or do you have any other worshippers to attend to this evening? I think I'm headed back to down the rabbit hole...."
Tallon nods in silence and on his knees, bows again before both of you before walking back among the living.
Alice presses two fingers to the spot between her eyebrows, closing her eyes on his retreating back.
"What *was* that creature, and how did you have the misfortune of being stuck with him as an admirer?"
She laughs softly. "You do play with him well, though. I don't think I'd have the patience."
Seiko's expression is thoughtful, "I think his persistance should be rewarded. Occasionally people should get what they deserve."
She licks her lips and smiles at her companion, "Shall we?"
---
Thanks to Billy M. and Kat S. for helping me out with this.