Talking to yourself...
Been having a rough week, so I wrote some crap for Ani. I wish I could find someone to play her with. I miss her. She's that character that I will never be able to get out of my head. Enjoy!
Ani's eyes snapped open, and for a heartbeat, she saw nothing but darkness and shadow. Seconds ticked by and slowly the muted tone of heat based sight crept into her vision, mapping the landscape of her bedchamber. She shifted; the sweat soaked silk sheets coiled around her like a slick second skin. With a silent snarl, she kicked them away, letting her damp skin cool in the chill air. She lifted a hand and gingerly rubbed at her temple, willing away the uneasy feeling of urgency that had pulled her from her reverie. She had not been resting well for weeks, and it was starting to show. The normally calm woman was all but jumping at shadows; shadows that she usually called home and felt safe in. And the most aggravating part of it all was that she had no idea why.
With an uncharacteristic groan, the usually graceful woman rose from her bed with the intention of dressing. She was half way across the room before she heard the subtle rustle of scales upon the stone floor. "It's rude to stare, Riven."
Ani could feel the grin, rather than see it. Not that it mattered. Riven wasn't really, physically, in the room. The demonic essence didn’t have a form. Rather, it was a part of Ani. They shared a form, thoughts, and ideas. A less understanding person would have called Riven a splinter of Ani's personality- and in truth, the label wasn’t that far from correct. At least now. At one point, the two were at odds, fighting for control of the same body. But in the centuries that had passed, two essences combined. Ani and Riven were two parts of a whole that had very different outlooks on the world, and personalities that were nothing alike, but needed each other to survive.
"You're not resting well. It's making you weak. I can feel your protections cracking. Better be careful, or I'll start to wear down that precious control of yours. Before you know it, we'll be walking the streets wearing a mask of crimson. All the little people will run screaming."
The usual threat held no weight. Ani had long since won the power to remain the dominant force. In fact, the lack of effort on Riven's part to even make the statement a threat worried Ani more than anything. The Drow didn’t bother to respond at first, merely taking the moment to study the demon lounging across the room from her. Riven could appear however she wished. More often than not, she took great care in appearing as a monstrously beautiful version of Ani's drow form. Horns of ebony coiled around a fall of blue-black hair that coiled freely like living snakes about the twisted, delicately elven features of the face they shared. Where Ani was smooth, feline, and aloof, Riven was sultry, oozing lust and barely contained rage. But this day was different. Today, Riven was a mirror image of Ani. Even the usually crimson gaze of the demon was a dull, flat black. There was no life, no energy in the creature. Ani bore a moment of vanity and hoped that she wasn't appearing to Sundari and Farir as haggard as Riven looked.
"What's going on Riven? What do you know that I don’t? Why are we both feeling- uneasy? I've been dreaming. We have both been dreaming of home." Ani lifted a brow, crossing her arms over her bare chest as she leaned against the dresser.
"The dreams almost feel like memories, but I don't think they are my memories. Are they your’s? I do not recognize a lot of what I have been seeing. It feels like how you have described it feels to see my dreams. Like everything is hazy and disconnected." Ani snatched up a robe and slipped it on, suddenly feeling cold.
"They are memories. Just not ours. I think they're His. And they're definitely planted. Something is calling us. Well, me. You're, for once, just along for the ride." Sharp teeth spread in a quick, wolf-like grin, but the expression died quickly on the demon's face.
For a long moment, Ani lingered in silence. For the first time in a long time, she locked Riven out of her thoughts, mulling them over alone. She stared the demonic half of her in the face, onyx eyes dull and lifeless. So cold was that stare that even the demon shifted uncomfortably. Not for the first time, Riven wondered which one of them was truly the one tainted with infernal blood. Finally, Ani broke her silence and spoke, "It is most likely a trap. Whatever is attempting to lure us out is hardly going to ask us to dinner, and if they do, they are more than likely going to attempt to poison us.”
Ani sighed and pulled the robe tighter around her before glancing back up at the demon.
"Whatever is going on, we need to find out. I can't keep Calimport under my thumb if I can't even keep someone else out of our subconscious. I'll speak with Sundari and Farir, pack and we will leave at nightfall. It's been a long time since we have been home, Riven. I'm not looking forward to it. There are a lot of ghosts there. I just hope they are forgetful."
Ani's eyes snapped open, and for a heartbeat, she saw nothing but darkness and shadow. Seconds ticked by and slowly the muted tone of heat based sight crept into her vision, mapping the landscape of her bedchamber. She shifted; the sweat soaked silk sheets coiled around her like a slick second skin. With a silent snarl, she kicked them away, letting her damp skin cool in the chill air. She lifted a hand and gingerly rubbed at her temple, willing away the uneasy feeling of urgency that had pulled her from her reverie. She had not been resting well for weeks, and it was starting to show. The normally calm woman was all but jumping at shadows; shadows that she usually called home and felt safe in. And the most aggravating part of it all was that she had no idea why.
With an uncharacteristic groan, the usually graceful woman rose from her bed with the intention of dressing. She was half way across the room before she heard the subtle rustle of scales upon the stone floor. "It's rude to stare, Riven."
Ani could feel the grin, rather than see it. Not that it mattered. Riven wasn't really, physically, in the room. The demonic essence didn’t have a form. Rather, it was a part of Ani. They shared a form, thoughts, and ideas. A less understanding person would have called Riven a splinter of Ani's personality- and in truth, the label wasn’t that far from correct. At least now. At one point, the two were at odds, fighting for control of the same body. But in the centuries that had passed, two essences combined. Ani and Riven were two parts of a whole that had very different outlooks on the world, and personalities that were nothing alike, but needed each other to survive.
"You're not resting well. It's making you weak. I can feel your protections cracking. Better be careful, or I'll start to wear down that precious control of yours. Before you know it, we'll be walking the streets wearing a mask of crimson. All the little people will run screaming."
The usual threat held no weight. Ani had long since won the power to remain the dominant force. In fact, the lack of effort on Riven's part to even make the statement a threat worried Ani more than anything. The Drow didn’t bother to respond at first, merely taking the moment to study the demon lounging across the room from her. Riven could appear however she wished. More often than not, she took great care in appearing as a monstrously beautiful version of Ani's drow form. Horns of ebony coiled around a fall of blue-black hair that coiled freely like living snakes about the twisted, delicately elven features of the face they shared. Where Ani was smooth, feline, and aloof, Riven was sultry, oozing lust and barely contained rage. But this day was different. Today, Riven was a mirror image of Ani. Even the usually crimson gaze of the demon was a dull, flat black. There was no life, no energy in the creature. Ani bore a moment of vanity and hoped that she wasn't appearing to Sundari and Farir as haggard as Riven looked.
"What's going on Riven? What do you know that I don’t? Why are we both feeling- uneasy? I've been dreaming. We have both been dreaming of home." Ani lifted a brow, crossing her arms over her bare chest as she leaned against the dresser.
"The dreams almost feel like memories, but I don't think they are my memories. Are they your’s? I do not recognize a lot of what I have been seeing. It feels like how you have described it feels to see my dreams. Like everything is hazy and disconnected." Ani snatched up a robe and slipped it on, suddenly feeling cold.
"They are memories. Just not ours. I think they're His. And they're definitely planted. Something is calling us. Well, me. You're, for once, just along for the ride." Sharp teeth spread in a quick, wolf-like grin, but the expression died quickly on the demon's face.
For a long moment, Ani lingered in silence. For the first time in a long time, she locked Riven out of her thoughts, mulling them over alone. She stared the demonic half of her in the face, onyx eyes dull and lifeless. So cold was that stare that even the demon shifted uncomfortably. Not for the first time, Riven wondered which one of them was truly the one tainted with infernal blood. Finally, Ani broke her silence and spoke, "It is most likely a trap. Whatever is attempting to lure us out is hardly going to ask us to dinner, and if they do, they are more than likely going to attempt to poison us.”
Ani sighed and pulled the robe tighter around her before glancing back up at the demon.
"Whatever is going on, we need to find out. I can't keep Calimport under my thumb if I can't even keep someone else out of our subconscious. I'll speak with Sundari and Farir, pack and we will leave at nightfall. It's been a long time since we have been home, Riven. I'm not looking forward to it. There are a lot of ghosts there. I just hope they are forgetful."