A chance exchange of words
~YVETTE~
* A flash of light appears on the outskirts of the woods and just
as abruptly vanishes, leaving in its wake a warily crouched
figure, gun held before her as she scans her surroundings. Seeing
nothing in her vacinity she stands and slips the gun back into
its hiding spot, then turns towards the tavern...she stares at
the tavern for a long moment before starting to walk towards
it...part way she pauses and slowly turns towards the lake, her
eyes afixed to a certain spot on its shore, a spot not so long
ago marked with blood......the blood of a friend, a friend who
was once her enemy, her rival....one who she can never actually
call friend, for they will forever remain permanantly afixed on
opposite sides of this war..she shakes her head sadly as she
approaches the spot and kneels down, her hand lightly brushing
the grass..* did our ploy work? *her voice a soft whisper over
the wind...he was in bad shape when she left him, dumped him at
the feet of the gate guard "Unlike you, we don't take
prisoners"..her harsh words echo angrily in her head...to
save him, to get him back where he belonged, she had to almost
kill him....hopefully it worked...she looks out dully over the
lake....that had been the first time she had been here in a long
time, they were better days when she once frequented this
place....she looks back towards the tavern...maybe they will be
good again....almost painfuly she regains her feet and once more
heads towards the tavern...with each footstep she tries to push
memories of the past away, tries to block them up, wall them
away..as she once had about her mother, but even those memories
are no longer behind a stone wall, they haunt her continuously,
popping from the depths of her memory at unexpected moments, but
even those memories, painful as they may be, do not haunt her as
much as the more recent ones....her capture and
incarceration...the small cell, the ever watchful cameras, the
false reality of the holographic wall.....the lonliness and
insanity slowly eating at the edges of her mind....the
confrontations with old comrades, those she once worked beside,
once trained, those whom she betrayed...her old friends, now her
enemies...how many more will she betray?..how many more lives
will she ruin?...once she was a trusted member of GUARD, high
ranking, the daughter of their leader....now, now she was a
hunted traitor, both feared and despised....even amoungst the
runners she was feared and by many hated...she was once one of
the enemy, she had turned many of them to the GUARD, hunted many
of them.. and now.... now now they had even more reason to fear
her, GUARD had her imprisoned for two months, they could have
done much to her, turned her back, use her as a spy...even she
did not know what they may have done to her...the only thing she
was sure of was that she would not even trust herself...that was
why she would not yet find Zak and Jesse..Alan would have let
them know she lived...but she would not subject them to whatever
GUARD may have done....already she had hurt one friend, one who
trusted her...if she could break Alans arm, what else might she
do to those whom trust her?...she pushes these thoughts form her
mind, as she pushes open the door of the tavern, her green eyes
roaming its smoky intereior, taking in each and every
patron....her gaze completes its circuit and lands on the bar,
roaming over to the bartender, a brief smile on her lips as she
softly mutters* some things never change. * she walks over to the
bar, grabbing a stool and nodding apreciatlively as the bartender
slides towards her a labbat max ice, in return she slides across
the bar several coins* keep them coming. *she slugs back the
first beer in a matter of seconds, then taking a sip from the
second she once more turns to peruse the crowd*
~ZORA~
*It had been some time since she had gone to the Tavern. Most of
her time had been spent with the R.UN.ners and with Ace.
Teleporting to Tari's old house she slips into the shadows.
Appearing in the shadows by the bar she looks around. Seeing
Venin she hesitates. She had heard about her capture and the
rescue. For a while she watches her. Then seeing how lonely she
appears she steps out.* Hello Venin..
*She simply drinks the beer, watching everything around her, yet ignoring it....trying somehow to make it feel as it did of old....before her capture, back when she still had her farm, and her horses.....and the semblence of a family..... perhaps that was where she went wrong.. . she opened her heart, and her home..she started to form a family, of sorts...one that she cared for....perhaps she never deserved such a luxury, it was not meant for her....all her life she had been alone, maybe..that is what was meant to be.....it would be best for everyone if she once more retreated to herself, stepped out of sight...keep others from trusting her, that only led to trouble......she is deep in thoughts when she hears her name spoken...reflexively she lets the beer bottle drop, the gun instantly appearing in her hand, aimed at the source..her hand shakes slightly as she recognizes the runner....she could have shot her, could have killed her, before she knew it..she shakes her head and lowers the gun...she cannot trust herself around others.....she once more stashes the gun then looks at you* Shadow, isn't it? uhmm Nora? no now I remember...Zora. *she looks over a the bartender cleaning up the remains of her dropped beer and he silently slides her another, she takes a sip* what are you doing here?
Yes.. It's Zora… How are you? I heard about your trouble.. *Quietly she moves over to the bar signaling the tender for a glass of water. She rarely drank any alcohol. While she didn't know Venin that well she was a R.UN.ner. There were so few of them they had to stick together.*
*she takes another swig from her beer * I'm okay *she shrugs and looks at the beer bottle between her hands* living I suppose...you?
I'm doing ok.. *Tilting her head she looks at Venin.* You look better than I had expected. *In fact she looked in better shape than the last time Z had seen her. But how was her mind?*
*she half chuckles as you look her over* better than what you expected for someone held by GUARD for two months? *She pulls out a pack of smokes and lights one....a new habit she had aquired since getting out, or at least the resurgance of an old one...she offers the pack to you* want one?
*Shaking her head she holds her hand up.* No thanks.. The nicotine gets on my nerves.. *chuckles* Not good for a thief. *Nodding to the tender she slides a few coins over as he delivers the water.* No.. I had expected much worse. You look very fit.
*she shrugs and takes a sip from the beer* nothing else to do in that hell. *she takes a long drag form the smoke and closes her eyes as she remember the futility of that cell* nothing at all.
*She didn't need to be a mind reader to understand what Venin was talking about. Her mentor Jack had been imprisoned once during his younger days as a thief.* I understand.. The outside looks good.. *Her voice quiet.* How about the inside? *Watching the way Venin was downing the drink and seeing the cigs she has to wonder.. She knew Venin hadn't smoked before.*
*she quirks an eyebrow at your comment, then finishes off her beer, signalling the bartender for another* the inside? *she shrugs* same as always. *...or was it?....she never used to hurt her friends..she never used to be afraid that she would be the cause of their downfall, but now?....now, she isn't so sure*
*Shaking her head she watches Venin closely. It wasn't easy.. She was good at hiding her thoughts and feelings from others.* No one I have ever known has been the same after being locked up Venin.. *Chuckles softly* While most of those I know where criminals locked up in prison I would think it is the same for you.. I've been told it allows one time to think.. Sometimes too much time..
*She smiles at you, the smile almost sad* That is does. *She takes a sip of her beer and a long drag off the cigarrette....she exhales slowly, letting the smoke circle her head* but sometimes you learn something... and sometimes it is revealed to you by others.
*shrugs* True.. but are you sure what others reveal to you is the truth.. Or the truth the way they want you to see it.. *She wasn't sure how much she could trust Venin. For now she would give her the benefit of doubt. Although she wouldn't reveal any major secrets.. Somehow she felt Venin needed to feel a part of things again. If she didn't she would become lost between worlds. From what she had heard Venin was too important to lose. Why else would the others have gone after her?*
*she shakes her head and takes another sip of her beer* I know it is true *she finishes off the smoke, crushing the butt out in an empty bottle* It was verification of what I have always suspected...now I know, for sure.
*Taking a risk she reaches out trying to lay her hand on your arm.* Do you? People care a lot about you.. I know we don't know each other, but what I have heard about you I liked.
*She flinches slightly as you lay your hand on her arm, but allows it to settle for a few brief moments before she pulls it away, as she once more lifts the bottle to her lips* Appearances can be decieving, the sooner you learn that the better off you might be. *she finishes off the bottle and stands* I should get outta here now.
*She can't help laughing at that.* I think we (meaning all unnaturals) are well aware of that. *Smiling she moves her hand back to her side* Of course.. Perhaps we will meet again soon..
you may be right...*she shakes her head* ..all may know, but some don't understand *she turns and heads towards the door, her words muttered more as an afterthought to herself than to you* not if you're fortunate.
*nodding she watches as Venin starts to leave.* No.. I will only consider it unfortunate if we are on opposite sides.. I don't think that will be the case.. *she hoped she was reading Venin right.*