¤ In Dreams Come Truth ¤ ][ Open ][

[Raissa Sennett]

...Under a blackened sky she traveled, keeping away from the lights and buildings, Raissa was almost in a dead run, the lower limbs of the trees seemed like claws as the ripped at her hair. The nightmare of her vision had brought her to her knees,and when it was over she was drenched, and though she tried to scream the muscles in her throat would remain too knotted in fear to allow it. Her mind simply yelled for her to run, and that's exactly what she was doing. Running until she dropped from exhaustion at the base of the cliffs.

...Chocolate tresses in chaotic array as they clung damply to her petite frame. She didn't think before she ran, or she might have pulled on her cloak, but as it was the simple silk camisole top with matching pants were her only protection for the nights crisp air. Not as if it was needed, her blood ran cold now but that didn't stop her from hugging herself tightly as blunted teeth shivered. Back and forth, back and forth the woman child rocked as she tried to escape the memories...the memories of Him.

...As if to give assistance without her thinking about it, polished nails scratched at her face leaving crimson trails in their wake. Trying as they might however in vain to rip the images from her. Tormented eyes of violet lifted towards the sky and to the top of the cliffs. Pushing upwards bare feet made the journey towards one of the paths and the pilgrimage to the top or as far as she could go was started. One way or the other He would no longer threaten the little strand of sanity she held so desperately to. She was going to purge him from her being.

...Higher and higher she climbed,almost reckless in the placement of bare feet. Did she care? No, the demons where hot on her heels even though they were more imaginary than real. The man that had brought her luggage to her room was definitely real and that triggered the demons of her past to try and claim her, to push her past the point of sanity into the world of totally deranged. It wouldn't take much of a push at this very moment. Trust us.

[Arcadia Caughey]

It wasn't every day that Arcadia felt the whirlwind and scent of panic sweep through these woods, and it stopped her in the middle of her current deed. She could tell from the nature of the scent that zipped by with such frantic haste that it was no animal, but as her violet eyes scanned the area she knew that she would not see the owner of the distress. It was already moving on, past her and in the direction of one of her favorite locations around this area she haunted from time to time - the cliffs.

Murmuring a soft apology to the magnolia tree she was tending to health, Arcadia's hand stroked gently down over its bark. A promise added in the soft brogue of her mother tongue that she would be back, that it would stand in better health in renewed strength until she returned. "As y' are in need, there runs one in greater need." So said wisely in gaelic before she pressed her cool lips to the bark of the magnolia and took her leave.

She could give chase on foot, her preternatural speed was practiced enough over the years, but Arcadia's spirit was wed to air long before the vampiric blood had claimed her. So as much as she cared for and healed the earth and what grew from it, her traveling heart loved the speed of the wind. The full of her being dissolved into nothing more than that, silvery tendrils of air which blew in her chosen direction - to the cliffs, to see what fled there.

To track the scent was easy, especially in its owner's current state. To climb the cliffs was even easier when her form was no more than wind, mingling with the natural current of air at the edifice's greater heights. It didn't take long for Arcadia to catch up with the source of the distress once she arrived at the cliffs. Were she in corporeal form, she would have raised her brows in a stoic show of surprise. The one climbing was no more than a girl - not a mortal girl, that Arcadia knew - but a girl nonetheless.

She was not about to announce herself while the girl was still climbing, she knew an unannounced disembodied voice would probably do more harm than good. So Raissa might feel the cool sensation of a strong fresh breeze on her back as Arcadia swept higher than she, to the nearest plateau in the rock. There she could reform, and did, keeping herself out of plain and obvious sight. From this perch she watched, in case anything tragic should happen. Meanwhile, it gave her time to think. Years of experience with the distraught told her that if and when the girl reached the plateau if Arcadia greeted her with a casual, 'Good evenin' t' ye, just happen t' be standin' here for a good bit o' fun,' it just wouldn't do.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Feet lost their footing with her next step causing her to pitch forward and fall to her hands and knees, the sharp and jagged stone cut into the palms of her hands for a moment she thought about not getting up, but it was then a breeze drifted over her frame, lifting her hair slightly with it...it was the smell that had her getting back up, the scent was one almost of renewal and she needed that...a renewal of sorts.

...It didn't take her long, but long enough to reach that small plateau. Now that she was here, what was she going to do? Throw herself over the side and hope to land on something that would destroy her? No, for the moment she simply stared out over the world below. Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around her vision and that might have been why she was unaware of the presence nearby. It was safe to say that being one of the undead didn't make you a God.

...Narrow slit of violet continued to peer downward as if trying to pick out one thing in particular. Her nightmarish visions started when she arrived here and met Winston. She was almost sure he had nothing to do with Raine but her warped little mind just couldn't fathom the unlikeliness of it all."Get out of my head, there's not room for three." Why she shouted that was obvious, talking to herself had worked before so why not now?

...Arms void of clothing now wrapped around trim waist as her body began to sway back and forth, switching her weight from right foot to left. How could a person feel so alone in a world so crowded. Surely it should be a lot simpler to fade into the crowd and find comfort among the strange faces surrounding her,but as of right now she felt like the only person alive...and she wasn't even that.

[Arcadia Caughey]

Renewal. That was a gift Arcadia gave on a daily basis. To plants as was her duty as an avatar of Nature, but also to people through decades of experience as a healer. It was the latter well that she dipped into now, to help her decide how best to proceed with this distraught girl. The decision was made just as she saw the dark-haired lass' head peeping up over the ledge - just in time.

Drawing on the soothing, bewitching gifts that came with her immortal blood, she put a thought into the surrounding air with a calm pulse of power. There's someone else on the ledge. With how gently the calm breeze blew, carrying this news like sweet magic, the vibrations that Arcadia put forth were meant nudge the girl into relaxation, as if this truth was one of the most serendipitous in the world.

With the truth, the wind also stirred Arcadia's scent in the air, one that was very unique. Fresh like the wind married to her spirit since childhood, sweet like the nectar and leaves of the plants she devoutly tended, but as she lacked a beating heart her scent was also not human. As Raissa looked downward and shifted her weight, Arcadia crouched down, placing her backside on the stone to have a sit.

A submissive position, to lessen the chances that she'd be threatening. But then again, Arcadia looked a girl herself - few would put her age over many more years than twenty though she was nearly a century old. In the past couple of years she'd modified her stye of dress to her appearance to her advantage - the rounded collar and slightly puffed sleeves of her dark blue, high waisted dress that was lined in black lace had something lightly doll-like about it. As the dress reached only her mid-thigh, her black fishnets were easily seen, and she wore knee-high black lace up boots that were not only good for all terrain, but quite fetching on her legs to boot. Her thick indigo-black hair was up in two messy buns on either side of her head, and her violet eyes were captivatingly watchful.

The trap of her eyes couldn't be helped, it came with what she was. When she spoke to Raissa, her voice was just like her wind. A lithesome brogue, a bit stoic yet melodically kind. "One o' me favorite views - surpassed only by the one from the summit, o' course. I was wonderin', lass, if you'd like t' have a sit?"

[Raissa Sennett]

...Raissa jumped even though the voice was so melodic, it didn't startle her any less. She had thought she was alone..guess not. Arms would slowly release their hold on her before falling almost limp to her side. Ever so cautiously she turned around searching for the source of the voice, and as if to acknowledge what the female had said violet eyes of her own lifted towards the top of the cliff. I hate heights." Well now, Little Miss Walking Contradiction you were standing on the side of a cliff.

...The invitation to sit brought an unceremonious flop to the ground as Raissa now sat Indian style facing the other female, who seemed to act as a catalyst for calming her. Her demeanor, her scent and even the way she causally sat leaned against the rock spoke volumes where words could not. Had Raissa grown so desperate for company that she would trust the first person to offer it? Un-trusting soul was the tormented beauty but tonight her demons were relentless and maybe her new companion of sorts could distract her mind long enough for a moment or two of peace.

...Twin hands lifted to tuck thick strands of chocolate tresses behind her ears before falling idly into her lap. Yes, idle hands were the devils tool her mind chimed in but a simple shake would ward that off for the time being. "Did we disturb you? Surely they had for who on the right mind would be lounging around on the side of a cliff for no good reason? Plus with conversation between them she was less likely to pitch herself over the side to see what would happen.

[Arcadia Caughey]

The lass' statement about heights drew out one of Arcadia's cryptic, knowing little smiles. Since she was given the blood almost eight years ago, Arcadia had adopted the habit of never showing her teeth when she smiled. While she didn't try to hide what she was, she was an intensely private person who felt that the sharpness of her two eyeteeth was no one's business unless she wished it to be. She'd learned rather quickly that once people discerned she was a vampire, they felt it their business to pontificate, question into her habits, or give advice that was entirely unsolicited. To keep her smiles tempered was a small sacrifice to make to potentially spare herself all that.

"Doin' what y' love is easy business. Doin' what y' hate is what really carves us into who we're meant t' be, aye?" Some would have chosen mold, instead of carve. The word choice was purposeful on Arcadia's part - what she'd just said to Raissa was straight from the teachings of the Elders who raised her, and Arcadia knew from experience that the process was more unpleasant than a nice cushy molding. "Not t' spoil your ascent with thinkin' about the way down, but if ye do brave your way up t' the summit, there's a far more leisurely way t' hoof back t' civilization." One Arcadia would be glad to show her, but she would just float the possibility for an alternate descent for now.

Her violet eyes were watchful, it was rare that Arcadia ever looked away from whomever she was speaking to. While she didn't comment on any of them, she noticed all of Raissa's little actions. As the lass tucked her hair, Arcadia's lips curled into a ghostly little smile, fueled by a single thought - were this girl mortal, and if she wasn't in such a harried state, she would be the fetching, succulent sort of lass that Arcadia liked to woo for her meals. While Arcadia's sensual tastes peaked her interest in both sexes, when she drank to quench her nightly thirst there was nothing she liked better than to elicit sounds of pleasure from a beautiful woman. Not only did they taste so much sweeter, but women brought out Arcadia's more nurturing side and tempered her beastly urge to use her hunger to bring death. In keeping her hunting to women, all of Arcadia's nightly meals went on to live out their merry mortal days.

What Arcadia said in reply to the lass' question were words carefully chosen, and cautiously spoken. "From the sense of ye, lass, I was concerned that y' are the one who's feelin' disturbed." As for the we, she noticed it, just as she obviously noticed that they were the only two people currently sitting on the ledge. She posed an innocent question in return. "Is there another heights-hater who's attempting' this climb with ye?"

Arcadia hadn't caught any other scent in the air, but one never knew for certain unless they asked.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Fidgety was Raissa was becoming. She wasn't use to sitting in one place for very long so that might explain why slender legs now positioned themselves to stretch out completely before her. Hands also followed suit of sort to crush palms into the earth blow to support her upper torsos slight lean back. Ankles would cross just to give the appearance of being totally relaxed. Watching and listening she was good at and she took a few moments to ponder what the woman had said."Kind of like what doesn't kill us makes us stronger?"Conversations never came easy to Raissa, but then again ninety percent of her interactions with others were of the male variety.

...A glance over her shoulder a moment before her attention once again returned to the woman, she did have the feeling of being checked out but she was use to it, although not why one may think. She was use to people staring at her with accusations in their eyes, sometimes they feared her and her touch but it was not something she could help but to save discomfort she had started wearing her gloves, gloves that were now tossed on the couch of her room. Index fingers from both hands starting moving from side to side like mini wipers on dirty glass. Brow did lift as to her alternative descent from the cliffs, and if Raissa had been more attuned to who she had become she might have understood exactly what the other had meant. The only thing she could do half way right was feed.

...Bubble gum tongue would make a debut with a light lick of dry lips. For some reason she felt like a bug under a microscope when the next question presented itself. Well, she wasn't in the habit of lying but she wasn't about to air her dirty laundry or her gift to someone she didn't even know, hell she didn't even know the females name and here she sat like it was a warped tea time, hold the tea with plenty of warp. "No, I'm solo tonight. Just have a bad habit of talking to myself." That probably sounded better in her mind than it did out loud but the words were out and couldn't be taken back. Simply for sake of staying complete strangers Raissa offered her own question of sorts, except with less tact. "Gotta name? Yep, conversations were not her forte.

[Arcadia Caughey]

when sitting, arcadia was a rooted, sedentary being. the lack of traditional mortal life in her body - breath, heartbeat, so on - only increased her natural stillness. here and now, the only thing that moved around her was the part of her that was ever moving - the currently invisible tendrils of wind which followed her all of her days, wafting gently around her like the blanket of a very old friendship. those who stood close to her often noticed it, just as some noticed that the tips of her hair always blew touched by a breeze whether inside or outdoors. but for each that noticed, there were just as many who never noticed at all.

or if they did notice, they didn't say anything, which was exactly the choice arcadia made when it came to the lass' fidgeting now. instead she continued to smile one of those ghostly little smiles, a touch amused. "i think we're both livin' proof o' the truth o' that pithy sayin', wouldn't you agree?" she would leave the meaning of her words an implication only, and defined her point no more than that.

what arcadia had meant in regard to the cliffs was quite literal - at the top, the descent through the woods on the opposite side was while markedly downhill a walk that had no steep climbing required. the winding trail that kept the descent feasible was a far less direct way of getting from a to b than the plummet to the bottom on this side, but arcadia was making an assumption that this girl hadn't climbed up here just to jump.

raissa's admittance to a lack of companion caused arcadia to lift a slender brow. "pity that. it's a tall bit o' danger climbin' about here at night, alone. i've plans t' head t' the summit myself, i prefer the hike down the paths to takin' a nose dive off this side o' the rock." it was truth - wandering these woods and others was how the eternal vagabond in her enjoyed spending her nights. and she did have the magnolia to return to, eventually. arcadia resolutely kept her promises, whether made to people or plants.

her pursed lips quirked into a bit of a smirk. "do i have one? oh aye. and ye do too, i expect?" she shifted her shoulders into a position of more comfort against the cool rock behind her and let the silence hang a few moments. her incredibly dry sense of humor rearing its ugly head in the meantime, before she actually obliged the implication of the lass' question. "i'm arcadia."

[Raissa Sennett]

...How many times before had Raissa prided herself on her astute observation powers? She learned a lot about people from simply sitting back and watching how they acted or interacted with others why had she failed to do so with this person? Maybe it was the remnants of the linger dream but now..now along with what she was saying it slammed homed. It took her a moment to collect herself mentally but she did so without much trouble. This had gone on long enough, not to mention it was dangerous.

...Tip of bubble gum tongue came out to give moisture to plump lower before she spoke. "You seem to be handling it a lot better than myself." And it was true, Raissa had a hard time adjusting if you will to what she had been forced to become. A little ironic at that...the once vegetarian was now forced to consume and destroy just to survive. A shrug of shoulders as the voices in her head told her to stop it but she obeyed. Fleshy hoods claimed her vision for only a moment before giving their attention back to the woman. "You expect correctly."

..She was glad that the woman had not offered her in friendship or to shake because that would have lead to another can of worms that Raissa honestly didn't feel like opening. So, she lifted one hand a gave a waggle of fingers instead."Nice to meet you Arcadia, I"m Raissa...Raissa Sennett." Slight giggle at an odd moment, but it was really an inside joke. She had been told once that getting information from her was like pulling teeth and a quick trace of said teeth with tongue proved they were all in place. To celebrate that faux victory she flashed a smile and gave a curt nod of her head. Score one for her!

...Don't think Raissa missed part of the conversation, it was just sometimes she opted to meet the latter with the first and vice versa. A slow perusal above Arcadia's head and back down, then a twist over her shoulder to look down before facing her with another nod."Then maybe I won't be going it alone, that is if you'd like to come with?" Like an actor taking an unseen cue her legs uncrossed and with one fluid motion she was to her feet, hands brushing any traces of dirt and whatever from her flimsy clothing. It would be nice to have company, but she totally understood if Arcadia didn't wish to trek to the top with a strange nutcase.

[Arcadia Caughey]

"Now." The word though emphasized still graced the air as gently as all her rest, thanks to the musicality of her calm, casual brogue. "At the time, no. When it first happ'ned those close t' me were sure it would break m' mind, or that I'd let meself wither t' an early grave out o' grief and shame. The one who attacked me gave no guidance or knowledge. On top o' that I'd never known the taste o' meat, and me friends kept watch over me and forced blood down m' throat t' make sure I didn't go t' the grave, because I was so distraught I wasn't carin' for meself. Each night that I rose tryin' t' live me life as it used to be, tryin' t' behave like nothin' had changed, was ended in catastrophe. It wasn't until I made peace with the fact that I was no longer who I used t' be, that m' place in Nature's plan had changed and that I devoted me time and energy into learnin' that new place, then I started to 'handle it'."

It was more than Arcadia normally spoke about herself. Especially about that time in her life, those years ago. She didn't know this lass from Eve, but she was a teacher by nature and she knew - reluctantly so - that sometimes one of the best ways to help is by sharing one's own experience. She saw too many vampires who tried to live out their days as if they were still human and unchanged. Once upon a time Arcadia had been a stalwart pacifist and a vegetarian who quite literally worshiped the natural cycle of human life and death. If she could face her newfound role as a predatory being and find a way of doing so without losing her sense of self and beliefs completely, anyone could. One only had to try.

With guidance, of course. Arcadia might not be so far along and so comfortable on her own path if it wasn't for Adrian.

Arcadia's lips curled in one of her wry little smiles when Raissa waggled her fingers so. She didn't do the same in return. Hugs, handshakes, waves and the like...those general behaviors only came naturally to Arcadia with the ones she considered family. Probably because she'd spent nearly a lifetime wandering around on her own, quite used to spending her days without physical contact. So she busied herself with getting to her feet instead. An easy rising, containing all the smoothly nonchalant movements that were natural to her body after the years spent settling into the inhuman grace that came with the blood.

She didn't brush herself off, and rarely ever did. One thing that would never change about Arcadia was her love of getting good and dirty - there was no better way to feel closer to the earth. "Aye, Raissa. I think I do fancy a climb." And there was no time like the present to begin. Turning around to face the stone wall she'd been reclining against, with a slight bend of her knees she lept upwards about three feet, enough that her hands could grip a small slab of rock that jutted outward. Hanging from it her right foot soon found a place to rest, and she used that leverage to pull herself comfortably upward.

She was no stranger to climbing, but truth be told she preferred to be a monkey in the trees.

[Raissa Sennett]

...If not for the fact Raissa wasn't totally off her rocker she would have thought she was hearing her own story. The two women shared similar parallels. It was easy for Raissa to relate and she stood there nodding in total understanding. "I suffered the same fate." That would be all she said to that. The woman wasn't stupid and didn't need the tragic story. For the most part Raissa dealt with the cards she been given, truly there was no use in crying over spilled milk.

...Maybe this evening would bare fruit so to speak. Who knows what kind of relationship could come of this meeting. Arcadia did seem the nurturing kind so maybe she could give guidance to Raissa when she needed it. Nothing worse than hating who you are and not understanding exactly what you are. Sure, she knew the basics, but the demented dollie didn't understand her full potential and that was a shame. Such untapped talent at her disposal.

...The lack of a return gesture didn't bother her in the least. Raissa watched as Arcadia made it to her feet. She was definitely a creature of beauty. From the way she spoke to the almost timeless perfection of her features. Smile was given as she agreed to join her on the climb. Violet eyes watched and then followed Arcadia's lead. Yeah, she wished she would have dressed a bit better for the occasion but she had said there was an easier way down from the other side. Raissa didn't wince as the rocks jabbed into her soft flesh with each inch higher the pair went. Good thing Arcadia's couldn't see the smirk on Raissa face, after all she did have a nice view.

[Arcadia Caughey]

To hear that answer from Raissa, once Arcadia was perched 'comfortably' with a solid hand hold and foot hold, she turned her head to look below. Giving the lass one of her trademark knowing smiles, she replied simply with her distant but kindly brogue, "Then your handlin' it right well as ye are, if ye ask me." Even if the distress she'd felt from this woman earlier was directly related to her difficulty dealing with the transformation that was thrust upon her, Arcadia still believed her reply had truth. In this woman's company only for a short time, she could tell that the lass was trying. Finding the resolve to wake and keep trying day after day was the nobler part of any battle of will - so Arcadia believed, at any rate.

Besides, everyone could use some positive reinforcement, right? Once given Arcadia turned back to the task at hand. Tucking the tip of her boot on a foothold that was barely a foothold at all, she moved her weight upwards with an ease that gravity would scorn, right hand immediately finding a new hold. A vampire's body could be light as a feather or immovable as rock depending on their will and the circumstances, and that was an ability Arcadia had mastered early on, thanks to her deep lifelong relationship with the wind and the similar weightless gifts it gave her.

So the fact that Arcadia was wearing a dress, it didn't get a second thought. In her more recent days as Adrian's Countess she'd often dragged him through the muddy woods fresh after a fancy party or fundraiser with she in her expensive ball gown and he in his noble finery, and she never batted an eyelash when fabric was torn, dirtied or soiled. Nor did she ever let what adorned her body change how she chose to move, and at what pace, and where. She was a stubborn child of Nature that way, almost ninety years set into her ways ingrained in her since girlhood.

She kept an even pace pulling her way up the jagged rock of the cliff, choosing a speed that she thought Raissa would be able to manage. If it had occurred to Arcadia that the lass was getting a first class view of her black garters and panties, she didn't let on to that fact. After all, the bare or partly-bare body was only natural, even its most intimate parts.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Sometimes it was nice to be validated by someone that really understood, so Arcadia's smile was met with one of her own before the pair started their ascent once again. She might not realize it but Arcadia helped talk Raissa down from the mental cliff she was perched to jump from. Maybe it was simply knowing that she wasn't alone in the world that made the difference. Alone was something she had always been, but it was also something she grew tired of.

"Thanks." The single word was sincere and the only one given. She needed to focus on climbing because unlike her partner she wasn't an experienced climber. Slender fingers searched for any nook and cranny to give her a grip as bare toes sought out the most stable of holds. It wasn't as hard as she first thought it would be. Maybe that was because Raissa kept saying "light as a feather" in her mind, no real effect but mind over matter worked wonders.

...Of course she kept shifting her gaze from the rock face to the black garters and panties that she was treated to, it brought a slight chuckle from her. Two women climbing in attire that wasn't even close to be appropriate. It was the little twists and turn in her immortal life that was making it more interesting with each passing day, and this evening ranked up there with one of her better nights spent. At least she wasn't alone but the lingering fact that soon enough she would be was the only damper. That and the fact she was growing thirsty. It had been awhile since her last meal.

[Arcadia Caughey]

There were times when conversation wasn't required, or more than that times when it was completely inappropriate. Arcadia considered this one of those times. It was more than concentration on the act of scaling the cliff that fueled her quiet - it was her long-standing relationship to and worship of Nature which stilled her tongue.

Silence allowed her to focus on the feeling of the rock under her fingers. It's solidness under her boot. The cool stolid energy of the immovable stone. Earth energy. Beyond her deep connection to plants, she found the grounding energy of the earth very calming, soothing, and reassuring. For a woman who was as wayward and wandering as the wind she was bound to, the earth saved her from simply blowing away. It was what gave her that stoic, casual calm demeanor that Raissa had seen so far tonight.

Silence also aided in finding a rhythm. She'd learned a long time ago, when she was still mortal and was only climbing trees, that a steady pattern of movement was far more beneficial to an easy assent than deliberation and pauses were. Working to keep a continual pace of handhold-foothold-handhold-foothold the first choice the eyes spied became the best choice, and once the decision is made so it shall be. In this way Arcadia smoothly scaled her way to the summit of the cliff, never giving herself time to question the climbing choices she made.

It was just before she pulled herself onto the flat surface of the cliff's top that she commented on the chuckle that faintly tickled at her ear. "Just remember a dirty joke, lass?" The questions was wryly spoken, a bit of Arcadia's dry sense of humor. She didn't even glance behind her at Raissa, focused instead on firmly planting her palms on the flat stone, and hoisting her way up to the top of the mountain. When she succeeded, she remained on her knees, poised to offer the lass a hand up if she needed it.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Like a trooper Raissa followed Arcadia, fingers and toes now had their battle wounds from the war with the cliff wall but she made it! Somewhat. So immersed into the fluid rhythm she had found that when Arcadia's voice penetrated her concentration her left hand lost grip and almost sent her crashing, she was quick to recover and now had strongholds like cement.

"No, just admiring the view." Raissa didn't feel the need to elaborate on what view she'd been admiring. Petite frame shimmied slightly before hoisting herself rather awkwardly to the flat surface of the top. Rolling over to her back she just laid there a moment as if it had been taxing on her, but they both knew the truth. She owed the woman now because tonight was one of the worst she had had for a very long time, and now she had this uncanny feeling that from here on out, her "life" was about to get a bit easier.

...Coming to this place didn't seem like such a big mistake, and it was high time for Raissa to face the demons that nipped at her heels. Raissa had never been a weak person how ironic now that she was an immortal should found herself extremely weak and frail. Maybe it was the fact that her will to survive wasn't as strong as it use to be. Self loathing, or better yet self pity had been her best friend. She closed her eyes a moment as her thoughts raced out of control.

...Eyes opened to stair up into the black sky, there were a few stars that sparkled but not many. Sitting up and giving Arcadia an impish little smile. "Do you come here often?" It was chit chat but in her mind it sounded like some cheesy pick up line, and like some stupid inside joke Raissa lost herself in laughter. Sure, it was easy to laugh at yourself when your mind wasn't always in peak condition.

[Arcadia Caughey]

"That makes both o' us." A quip perhaps, but a truthful one at least. Considering Raissa's attire, her state of distress when Arcadia happened upon her, and the challenge of the climb itself, when the lass pulled herself up onto the flat plateau that was the cliff's summit there was much to admire. Being resolutely independent herself, it was a quality she admired in others.

As Raissa rolled over onto her back, Arcadia shifted as well. Sitting indian style as she chose to now was a common position for her, dress or no dress. As was often the case, instead of turning her attention up at the dark sky and stars her own violet eyes watched below, the surrounding woods, falls, river and the town of New Haven picturesquely oriented in the distance.

A knowing little smile was the silent answer to the lass' question, and if not for Raissa's laughter silence would've reigned as Arcadia thought over how she wanted to answer. "I tend and care for these woods as most folk tend a backyard garden," she replied finally as she turned her gaze on the lass. "But these woods are not the only I tend. So while I do come here often, here is not where I rest m' head come the dawn. But there's a private practice that m' foundin' with a friend, bein' built at an inn not far from here. M' work there will bring me here more." That last bit was spoken thoughtfully - she'd yet to truly have that realization, that her latest endeavor with Donald would root here more deeply to this area.

"I would ask y' the same question in return, but I've never caught your scent around these parts before." Arcadia never forgot a scent as it was, but the sweet female scent of this lass? Never. She imagined Raissa's blood tasted as succulent and ripe as a peach, or a strawberry. A notion she made a point not to linger on - as time ticked on her hunger would slowly grow more insistent, but she was no spider spinning a web just to trap a meal. Not this girl, not this time, not when Arcadia was rather good at plucking any unsupecting lass from her evening plans and showing them an unexpectedly different - but far more pleasurable - way to pass one of their nightly hours.

When it came to supple women and blood, Arcadia was a glutton. Thankfully Adrian did not mind.

Her own hunger reminded her of their earlier conversation. Raissa's confession that her introduction into this life had been much like her own. Violet eyes had wandered but they returned to look the pale woman over carefully, seeking particular information this time. She saw no harm in vocalizing the question. "Y' do know how t' quiet your thirst, aye? How long has it been since your new life came t' pass?" If the answer to her question was no, it wouldn't be a wonder to Arcadia why Raissa was in distress. The thirst could drive anyone mad.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Hypnotic that was the only word Raissa could muster to describe Arcadia's voice. Like a familiar friend, soothing and inviting. It was her voice that slowly had Raissa's laughter turned giggles under control. With baited breath she seem to hang on each word, total enthralled, tortured mind forming a battery of questions.

"A nurturer, that makes sense. If I'm not being too forward what type of practice?" Slight squirm to find maximum comfort since a pebble was promptly poking her in the bum. Thumb nail of left hand was now picking at the index nail of right in a bit of nerves. Although she felt she could trust Arcadia, Raissa wasn't about to spill her box of crayons just yet. "I just arrived here earlier today."

And then the mother of all questions. How long had she been cursed to walk the earth as such. Brows furrowed and she counted back the days and months but for the life of her she couldn't remember the exact date. She tried to forget but of course there are something she just can't forget. Little roll of shoulders and a dip to the left by her head as if to give comfort from rubbing her cheek against her shoulder. "Five or six months, give or take."It was easy to tell the subject was a sore one with Raissa, and she wanted to answer the last one first so that when she answered the question about quenching her thirst she wouldn't sound so green.

"There's a way to quench it?" Demented doll was open to any and all suggestions on how to prolong the inevitable. The truth of her situation was a truth that she didn't enjoy and would put off feeding until the last possible moment. Raine was her first real kill, and it wasn't for feeding but for revenge. They say revenege was a dish best served cold, and these days Raissa was as cold as they came.

[Arcadia Caughey]

There were a lot of people who were too forward with Arcadia. Perhaps because they thought that her stoic nature was a passive aggressive challenge of sorts, and that she simply wanted to be pressured and prodded until she opened up and spilled all her secrets like a flood. Playing hard to get with her personal life. But this could not be farther from the truth. While there were many layers behind Arcadia's distant kindness that could be discovered with time, revealing these layers was something up to her discretion, at her own pace...if they were ever revealed at all.

What Raissa asked, however, Arcadia felt the question was a far cry from such invasive prodding. "Not at all forward, lass. A medical practice. I've practiced the healing arts for near eighty years, I expect." For in reality Arcadia had no recollection of how old she was, nor the day of her birth. Just her estimations. Time was a vague thing for her. As for the 'math' of age, she'd been a vampire just under ten years, had lived more than eighty, and yet looked no more than twenty. There was an answer to that odd little puzzle, one of those layers that Arcadia kept somewhat private.

She didn't seem surprised at how long - or rather how short - a time that Raissa had been a vampire, as evidenced by a slight nod. Her last question, however, drew one of those cryptic, knowing little smiles from Arcadia. "There are a number o' ways t' answer your question, m' bonny lass. For starters, as young as y' are in this life feedin' any less than every other night is foolishness. The longer y' wait t' sate your thirst, the more the beast o' the blood will rage and cloud your judgement, and the more primal and remorseless you'll be when y' do finally put lips t' throat. Should y' choose t' do as I do, and drink every night, you'll find that within reasonable time it's much easier t' pull away before y' bring death t' the one you're dinin' on."

"But should y' find yourself unable t' dine, or not feelin' up t' the task, or y' can't help bein' in a crowded room where the scents and sounds are baitin' your hunger t' the point where y' feel your control slippin', there's a mixture o' herbs I brew as a tea t' help with that. From leaves o' plants that can be found and gathered in these woods, and I will show y' how t' identify them and where some o' them can be found." Arcadia was getting up, and just as before she didn't bother to brush herself off. She turned away from the panoramic view afforded by the top of the cliff, making her way to the winding path that lead down the lazy incline of this side of the mountain.

Apparently she meant now. Arcadia was not the sort of woman to waste time, or to sit around idle for long.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Raissa had never been one to pry or step on the toes of another. She herself was a very private person, only divulging bits and pieces of her life in order to appease someone else into leaving her alone about it. She could respect the fact that Arcadia wanted to do the same. Of course when Arcadia said she's been practicing medicine for nearly eighty years Raissa just gave a few blinks. "Wow."

...There was no way in Hades Raissa would have ever guessed Arcadia to be that old for lack of a better word. She was a beautiful woman who to Raissa looked no more than her own age, but then again it made sense. From what she knew of the undead, which was what she had read in books, aging was no longer an option. So that was a pro on her list of pros and cons.

..."I never thought about it that way, to feed regularly to keep the more primal instincts at bay." Cant of head came with a flutter of sooty lashes over violet eyes as Raissa took in every word. Knowledge was power and Arcadia seemed to have a vast knowledge base. Since they had this good rapport between them, she would push pass the embarrassment factor for her next question. "I've heard of blood dolls...but do not understand them fully."

...Maybe Raissa could get one of those herself, just one person to allow her to feed that way she didn't feel guilty, even if she could about harming another. The herbs Arcadia was now talking about held promise of their own, really this woman was wise beyond her apparent years and Raissa would learn as much as she could.

...Thank goodness moments of clarity were growing more frequent for her, or this conversation might have came to an abrupt end, but as it just happened Raissa in a fluid motion got to her feet in preparation to follow Arcadia. If she was willing to share her knowledge, then Raissa was willing to accept any and all help she would give. Who knows, just maybe Arcadia would end up being someone Raissa could trust in calling friend. Not like that ever worked out in the past, but she had forever to hone those skills.

[Arcadia Caughey]

"Mm," spoken with a nod and a wry little smile in reply to the 'wow'. As Raissa was willing to follow, Arcadia started down the trail. It was no smooth path, there would be stepping around rocks and brush and a bit of light downward climbing involved as they went along, but when compared to scaling up a jagged cliff…well, no comparison really. "If I wasn't seventy years a healer when the blood was forced on me, the vocation might o' proven too hard t' reconcile with the predatory nature. It's what turned me t' the leaves that I'm goin' t' show ye tonight in the first place - used t' chew them t' stifle m' hunger when I was seein' patients, until I got that side o' meself under better control."

"And that's the heart o' it, obviously, control. Aye?" Arcadia offered that remark in a tone that suggested Raissa herself had already learned this. As with the climbing earlier, she picked a pace slightly more moderate than what she would use if she were treading down the mountain alone, with a glance now and then over her shoulder back at the woman who followed. "Nature is nature. Whether one is a plant or a bear, a human or a vampire, we are born into our nature and there it is. It's neither good nor bad, it's simply nature. It's self-control, or a lack there of, that can color a bein' good or bad. T' feed regularly in order t' be in harmony and establish the greatest comfort with your own nature, I consider that good in me book. Others might disagree, but those same others have never shown me anythin' worth listenin' to t' influence me t' believe otherwise."

But blood dolls. The topic was enough to make Arcadia halt in her tracks, propping one foot up against a nearby rock as she turned to Raissa. "If y' take anything from our chat today and keep it close t' your heart, take this - while findin' someone willin' t' be your most regular meal can make your conscience lighter and your huntin' a breeze, if y' don't take care such a relationship can get very complicated, very fast. One wrong turn, one ground rule broken, and the pair get swept up and suddenly there's not just one vampire in the picture - there's two, and the one who was a blood doll suddenly needs a blood doll o' their own. And damned if it's not because that blood doll had aspirations for the situation turnin' out that way all along." To this day if she ever saw Lucas again she would remove his pretty little eyeballs from his pretty little head for tirelessly cajoling her into siring him for all these deep philosophical reasons, when all he wanted was to keep his pretty face pretty for eternity. Raissa might be surprised with the strong tone Arcadia took with that particular bit of advice, but she didn't want anyone to be badgered into making the heinous mistake she had.

A puff of air abruptly exhaled, and Arcadia felt her better for weaving the cautionary tale. She turned, intending to continue down the path so long as Raissa was still willing to follow.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Raissa watched her step, carefully maneuvering her way down the path just behind Arcadia. She was growing more impressed with the self control and healing nature of the woman before her. So in control of herself and confident in her skills."Sort of like an immortal gum for hunger control." That's what she was considering it to be. Unlike Arcadia, Raissa didn't have seventy years of being a healer. She wasn't even a healer to begin with but she would try anything to prevent from becoming a cold blooded killer, no pun.

...Wise beyond her years and her advice was appreciated more than Arcadia would ever know. Each pearl of wisdom was stored away in her troubled mind for future reference or comfort. "Conquering ones world and owning it so to speak." To tame or control my cravings in essence is like conquering the beast."Not as wise as Arcadia, Raissa rationalized things in her own way, but it was safe to say that she truly did understand each word spoken. Play it back, that seemed to be what Arcadia was doing now, giving to Raissa what someone had given to her..hope...and understanding. Eyes cast down to watch as she stepped over a small cluster or rocks, might explain why she almost ran smack dab into Arcadia, if not for looking up in the nick of time.

...Her own footsteps stilled and she glanced at the leg that was blocking her path, but yet wasn't doing so intentionally. Cant of head and nibble to lower lip but it was the change in the smooth soothing voice that made her take a small step back, not in fear but in a realization. Now, when Raissa was in the Alliance she met a man named Lucas Lightrose, they had talked a few times and he had mentioned a woman named Arcadia and a man named Adrian. Was this the woman he spoke of? Shoot, Raissa wasn't going to ask that was not her business but Lucas was a dandy in her book and well, she closed that chapter a long time ago." I never thought about it that way. I would not want to burden someone with this curse, and it's like having a baby and you're not ready for it. The blind leading the blind I guess." Yeah, there would be no blood dolls in her future, she would use the leaves that Arcadia would show her, and feed every other night as she also suggested.

...Of course Raissa would fall in step behind Arcadia. Oddly enough Raissa was associating a mother figure with the woman, a very beautiful and wise mother figure at that. No, that just wouldn't do she would be more of a kindred spirit type, for Raissa would never want to sleep with her mother. Little giggle at the thoughts running unchecked in her mind. It was probably a good thing Arcadia couldn't read minds or she might just shove Raissa over the edge of the cliff if they came close to it again. Raissa was sure she wasn't the first person to think such thoughts of the woman just ahead of her, nor would she be the last.

[Arcadia Caughey]

As soon as it was evident that Raissa was still willing to follow her - so willing that they almost had a human fender bender - Arcadia resumed her steady pace down the mountain. Feet maneuvering around larger rocks and brush with a grace so sure and uninterrupted it was like her feet danced against the mountainside. With a long history of connecting her energies with the earth to aid its growth and healing process, her senses were well-trained to 'read' the ground at her feet without the aid of her eyes. "Aye. We can only truly conquer ourselves, y' know. Perhaps because it's right difficult for us to stab ourselves in our backs." There it was, Arcadia's dry and mildly ironic humor.

That Raissa didn't question Arcadia further about Lucas was a blessing. As it was, the fact that lass' choice metaphor so aptly described the infuriating experience of siring Lucas was enough to make her snort, and roll her ayes. "Aye. Givin' oneself a self-entitled vampire in swaddlin' clothes, that's exactly where the road of keepin' a blood doll can veer." Considering Arcadia was a woman who worked tirelessly all her life to keep her self-control carefully guarded and monitored, it took a lot to incur her ire to the point where she agreed with the beast within her - both her rational and primal natures thought that any harm she brought down on Lucas should they ever cross paths again was karmically justified.

Not to mention her right. Though she told him frankly that she washed her hands of him completely and never wished to see him again, she was his sire. To discipline him was her prerogative.

Mother figure, wise, kindred spirit, all of these things Arcadia could be and more. Whether or not she considered herself to be all these things, that was another story entirely. When she heard the faint giggle from over her shoulder, her lips curled into a bemused little smile that Raissa would be unable to see. "M' glad t' see your spirits have picked up, lass." Though her back was turned, Arcadia's observation would ring clear on the girl's ears. The ability to send her voice out on the back of some of her wind to be brought directly to the ears the words were meant for was often used by her, whenever there was need.

Progress was being well-made by the pair of them down the mountain. At such a pace, it wouldn't be too much longer before Arcadia would be veering them in one direction or another, towards a place ripe for Raissa's instruction.

[Raissa Sennett]

...Arcadia was right, Raissa mood and spirit had lifted from the self pity that wrapped itself around her like a blanket. She had a lot to live for if she just thought about it. She had traveled to this place for a reason, to find a fresh start to shed the troubles and memories of the past to begin anew. What better way then to come out of the shell she lived in. This was a fine way to start. The woman walking before her could become a friend, or at least someone she could pass her time with and learn from. Light smile given to her back as she spoke, this woman was definitely like the wind which carried her voice to Raissa.

...Could Raissa really tear down her own walls, allow people to get to know the real her without fear or hesitance. Acceptance was something she had precious little of, once most found out about her ability they freaked. It had taken years to learn how to project what she wanted people to see, but in this brief encounter with the lovely creature before her it was slowly starting to crumble. Of course it would take time and with time hopefully Raissa could come to trust people again, and not always assume they were out to harm her. She made the mistake of trusting after years only to have her heart handed to her with a nice dagger firmly in it, not literally of course but it might as well have been. Her death and rebirth was a blessing in disguise and a curse all in one.

...It was time. Time to let the past stay where it belonged, behind her. Now it was time to create her future whatever it may hold. There would be no new vampires to swaddle in her future, none like that of Lucas to haunt her every step. No, she would learn all she could for Arcadia and put it to good use. Her thoughts were interrupted by the growing thirst, and the fact that a fat little bunny was scared out from the underbrush to scurry to another spot didn't help. She hated the burn in her throat, but her silence was kept as she continued to follow Arcadia, this time not so close that a collision would happen should she stop.

[Arcadia Caughey]

In the silence of words, Arcadia clearly heard the scuffle of animal life nearby but didn't seem to pay the least bit of attention to it. For as tightly wrapped as the woman was to nature, the deep relationship was rooted only with that which grew out of the earth. She tended to keep her distance from most wildlife, in fact, unless special occasion called for it. Likewise, wildlife tended to keep its distance from her. It was an unspoken understanding that was seeded decades ago and cemented devoutly with time no matter where it was the dark-haired vagabond traveled.

So by Arcadia the bunny was paid no mind. For that reason, and for an equally powerful second - never had her teeth punctured the flesh of an animal, even in her greatest moments of hunger. If it had been a fetching lass which scurried out of the underbrush…then Arcadia's reaction would have been a much different story.

What Arcadia was paying mind to was where they were going. Near the base of the mountain, she swerved quite suddenly off the beaten path. "Mind your feet," was the fragment of advice she offered with a glance over her shoulder at Raissa as she made way down a series of step-sized boulders with a loose jogging step. The warning wasn't for the rocks, but for the fact that she was about to step Raissa into the brush of the forest floor, where low-laying branches, poking fallen twigs, and of course small pebbles hiding under dead leaves were always possibilities that could give the bottom of one's bare foot a smart.

While her boots could trample over any of these with ease, Arcadia was not walking in a straight line from step to step. Where her foot was placed was a purposeful act, just another way for her to care for this forest as her and its energies connected her with the knowledge of what lay on the ground. A zig-zagging route as it was, she was so used to moving through here in such a manner that it didn't affect the smoothness of her forward motion.

As she lead the girl through the brush, here began the lass' lesson. "As y' well know or have at least suspected by now, a vampire's hunger is not a hunger o' the stomach, it's a hunger o' the veins. T' suppress any appetite, we do two central things for success - we relax the part o' the body in question and in doin' so stifle the involuntary reaction o' hunger it's producin' to alert us, but we also give it a suitable substitute o' what the hunger is lookin' for t' tide it over until we can tend to it truly. Both o' these ways of trickin' the internal body, so t' speak, are only that. Tricks. T' buy time. Never t' be used as a substitute for actual feedin'. Aye?" Whenever she was instructing, this was Arcadia's way. To say 'aye' as a question, combining it with a glance at the student or students to check for comprehension, and also to allow for a pause long enough for them to pose a question if they wished.

That never stopped her from adding a bit more information to the pile, however, and she did so now as she veered them to the right. "Nor does trickin' the internal body substitute the need for a strong will. Your eyes will still be able to stare at the veins o' any neck. Your thoughts will still be able t' dream on breakin' the flesh and tastin' blood. Your ears will still pick up the sounds of hearts beatin' around you, your nose the scents. These plants will ease your physical hunger to make the task easier, but it is your job alone t' train and discipline your will."

[Raissa Sennett]

...Mind her feet she did for she wore no shoes upon them and she had already stubbed her toe on a rock or two. She felt like a prize boxer ducking, weaving and bobbing her head to avoid the 'punches' from the branches. This was turning into a work out, but she really didn't mind. It kept her thoughts occupied and so far the demons of the past had not reared their ugly head, but enough of that, Arcadia was speaking and Raissa was hanging on every word. It made sense to trick the body into believing what you needed it to if only for a little while. She just hoped she could do that when applying it to herself.

...Although Arcadia couldn't see it, Raissa gave a nod in affirmation before release the soft syllables of her words. "Like convincing myself that I'm not hungry but just in need of a light snack." Raissa understood, she really did but somehow her explanation didn't make any sense to her own ears so she was sure Arcadia wouldn't get it either. But as her lesson was still be taught, Arcadia's student was trying to practice what she was learning by ignoring the smell and heartbeat of that fat little rabbit. Raissa had become a master at ignoring and blocking out things, but this was proving difficult. Not wanting to disappoint her teacher she focused her energy on something else. Soon the ache in her throat was becoming just a tad less known but it was still there.

..."Self control...that's what it's all about." It was Raissa's 'eureka' moment at least to herself. Self control was one way to make sure she kept her secret from others, to put on that facade of humanity and keep at bay the longing need to sink her teeth into supple flesh and take what she needed. Pleased as punch with herself she was and the smile she now wore spoke volumes. She knew she could do this, with Arcadia's guidance and advice Raissa could control her primal needs and walk among the living as if she was on herself. Granted, it would take some time but it was worth a lot knowing simply that she could...one day.

[Sponsored content]