growing roses in the disarray

MAEA

Carry me through this world alive
I feel no more, this suffering

The girl shuddered at the explanation. Such meticulous manipulation was completely forgeign to her, not part of anything she had ever experienced. Not even Evie's little schemes while they were small had been that nefarious; they had only been jealous little girl twists to get Maea to side with her, do the nasty and boring things in their games that no one else wanted. This? Something else entirely.

"But... how do I avoid ending up in that kind of situation, if I'm to stay on her good side?" she asked, lowering her own voice just like Loren. Something cold and nasty had begun to crawl at the back of her neck. A first indication of what kind of dangerous place she was preparing to move to.

Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin

The white sheep of the family

Loren sighed, and found himself tapping his foot a bit anxiously as Maea asked how to avoid it. " Sadly, I don't really have a good or easy answer for you. Depends how much risk you're willing to take on, I suppose." Still speaking in a whisper, he forced his leg to still.

"You can avoid being alone with her. Just attend classes and that's it. You can agree to her requests, then pretend to do them, either feeding her false information or giving her duplicates of whatever she wants, or acquiring it through non-nefarious means, or tell her you were unable to complete them through no fault of your own. Or, and this I don't recommend, you can refuse outright." He gave her a sympathetic look. "It won't be easy, whatever you choose."

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

MAEA

Carry me through this world alive
I feel no more, this suffering

Humming thoughtfully, Maea nodded. Considered the alternatives. Then she sighed and pushed a lock of white hair behind an ear. "Well, at least she won't have much to hold over me. I've no family to threaten, and those I consider friends are quite capable of looking after themselves. They're not easy targets for her to harm."

The smile she gave him suggested she counted Loren among them. Quietly confident that he would not let Zariah run him over, even with whatever history there was between the two.

"With a little luck, she won't even notice my existence. I blend in well with the environment here, after all." Indicating her pale complexion and the eternal snow outside, her eyes glittered with quiet humor. "If all else fails, I'll hide in a snow drift and no one will be able to find me."

Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin

The white sheep of the family

Loren sighed, and shook his head. "Zariah has a remarkable capacity to find ways to hurt even those you think are untouchable." It came out slightly bitter and slightly worried. "Take Jigano. He's powerful, yet he lives in fear of what she might do." Biting his lip, he gave Maea a considering look. "But the easiest way for her to win is to be afraid of her." There was a quiet determination in his voice.

Although he noticed the look she gave him, he chose not to respond to it. "I know you're trying to lighten the mood, but this is serious. One misstep could get you killed." Though it was probably unkind of him, he was deadly serious, and he wanted to impress the seriousness of the situation upon her.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

MAEA

Carry me through this world alive
I feel no more, this suffering

Her smile faltered at that, faded. Maea looked down at her hands, unsure of what to say. There was a gravity to the way he met her gaze, a clarity to his eyes now that suggested this was important enough to scatter even his personal rainclouds for a moment.

"Are you trying to tell me I should stay away?" she asked, after a moment of silence. "I've been prepared for a hard time ever since I decided to give this place a try. In facing Jigano, now making this decision... I'm not doing this lightly, Loren."

Looking up, she sought his gaze. There was a little bit of steel to her eyes that had nothing to do with the pale color of her irises, and everything to do with the challenges that had been placed in her path. He had been supportive of her making her own choices; what other option did she have now, but to face the consequences of them?

Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin

The white sheep of the family

Immediately, Loren shook his head. "No, of course not. You have every right to be here, and every right to try and train and keep an eye on Zariah." His tone was certain on that front.

However, he hesitated, glancing away. "But my cousin is a killer. They don't call her Merciless for no reason. So I just want to make sure that you are fully informed of the risks you are taking before you taking them." He took a deep breath. "If you are, and you still wish to pursue this course, then I will support you." He looked back at her, studying her features to make sure she understood the danger.

"It's not too late to back out of this." It came out much more softly. "But the choice is yours."

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

MAEA

Carry me through this world alive
I feel no more, this suffering

Maea met his gaze, and tried to feel as certain as she had claimed to be. Loren certainly managed to convey the dangers, and she would be sure to think this endeavor over thoroughly before she made her final decision. But in the end... what really reached her was the offer of support. His fierce allegiance, offered without hesitation or reservation.

"Thank you, Loren," she said to him, with a warm smile. Genuine gratitude was written on her face. "I will be sure to consider everything again, keeping your warnings in mind. I really appreciate your help, all aspects of it. Having you at my back would definitely be a comfort."

And a source of strength, should things go wrong. Would anyone suspect that the closed off Grand Healer might help a quiet girl from some distant place? If they didn't make a show of being too close friends - which, probably, they weren't - then neither could be used to harm the other.

Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin

The white sheep of the family

Loren nodded at Maea’s thanks. ”You’re welcome.” Standing up, he walked towards the door, though made no move to open it just yet. ”Whichever way you decide, I’d be happy to train you." The offer was made quietly, since he still didn't want to risk anyone overhearing them.

Glancing around the room just to make sure they hadn't damaged it in their meditation and magical training, he finally reached for the door. "We never got the chance to finish the tour. However, I recognize you have a lot to think about." With that, he held the door open for her, whether or not she wanted to continue walking with him or not.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

MAEA

Carry me through this world alive
I feel no more, this suffering

Following his cue, she too stood and made her way towards the door. Pausing, Maea considered the man, his offer, and nodded with a smile. "Regardless of which, I'd be happy to learn from you," she confirmed. "I will let you know as soon as a final decision has been made... I only need to talk to Jigano first, see if he can be persuaded to change his mind." It was quite unlikely, but she would try.

"Oh, I do. But that doesn't mean we can't continue the tour. Lead the way?" She smiled as she stepped out into the corridor, content to spend some more time in Loren's company, if he so wished. If not, then she might call it a day and return home. There was, indeed, a lot to consider now...

But she was quite sure of what her decision would be, in the end.

-----

- fin?

Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin