Tanith (silverwhip) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2012-10-18 00:16:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #solo, 2009-09-18, tanith |
Don't take this as a victory
Who: Tanith and Eztli (npc)
When: Nighttime
Where: Ad Gustum, Tanith’s room
Eztli had given Tanith her space for the past few days, but earlier in the evening he had sensed that something bad had happened. Tanith’s heart was racing and he was sensing something like fear in her. The cougar had run all the way back to Ad Gustum, and circled the building several times before he found someone willing to let him in. Then he ran straight to Tanith’s room and began clawing at the door. “Tanith? What’s going on? Let me in. Please let me in. Now.”
Tanith turned away from her closet, automatically heading to the door. A few hours ago she wouldn’t have been so happy to see him, but right now her reasons for anger seemed a bit further away than they had done. She opened the door and jerked her head. “Hurry on then,” she said, and Eztli did just that. He hurried into the room, taking a good look around and expecting to see something terrible. A body, at the very least. Instead, he saw open, half-packed suitcases on Tanith’s bed.
Puzzled, the familiar turned to look up at his charge. ”What are you doing? What happened?” That last question quickly answered itself. Now that he was in closer range with Tanith, the familiar found he could pluck the memories easily from Tanith’s mind. What had happened was still replaying over and over again in her head. And as it did, Tanith knew that Eztli knew, and for once she didn’t really care.
“I’m leaving,” she said. “I can’t do it anymore.” She headed back to her closet and grabbed several pairs of pants and tossed them on her bed. To Eztli, this was simply interesting. He had long thought Ad Gustum was a bad environment for Tanith, but knew the money she was making held great sway.
”Where are we going?”
Tanith couldn’t help but the familiar a dirty look, but it wasn’t half as bad as it normally would have been. She shrugged. Truth be told, she never really planned ahead that much. Right now she’d settle simply for ‘away.’ It was then that Eztli realized she wasn’t talking about simply leaving Ad Gustum, but something much more significant. ”You mean to leave the state,” he said, and Tanith nodded. ”This isn’t you, Tanith.”
At that, Tanith couldn’t help but laugh. “No, cat, that’s where you’re wrong. This,” she said, gesturing at her suitcases, “This is me. I don’t stay in one place for long, I never have.”
”But you did here,” Eztli replied. ”Not just Scarlet Oak, but the state in general. You’ve been here a long time. As a young woman you wanted to stay out of your uncle’s reach, but then you became more powerful. You want him to find you now, so you can destroy him. And for that to happen you have to stay in one place a while.”
Tanith paused and looked over at Eztli, a little surprised to hear it all put to words that way. She certainly had never spoken of it, and she couldn’t remember ever even having that thought. But when she heard it she knew that Eztli was exactly right. That was the greatest explanation of why she had established herself somewhere. Hearing it felt right. Yes, that was what she wanted. That was it exactly. “Well, it doesn’t have to be this place,” she finally said. “He can find me just as easily somewhere else, if he even wants to. If he did I think he would have done it by now.”
”It’s not you to run away, Tanith,” Eztli urged. ”Especially not from that vampire. You’re stronger than he is.” Anger flared up inside of Tanith, and she responded by picking up a vase and throwing it across the room. The shatter of glass did not make her feel any better. ”Don’t do this. Please.”
“Why does it matter to you?” Tanith demanded, putting a hand on her hip.
”I like it here.”
“So?! Stay. I’m certainly not asking you to go with me,” Tanith pointed out.
Eztli shook his head. ”I go where you go,” he said. ”That’s how it works. But I want you to stay here. I feel as though it’s important somehow.”
Tanith made a sound of annoyance and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had the strange sensation of trying to talk sense with the Cheshire cat. “I know you’re very fond of Treat-“
”Yes, I am, and you are too, but that’s not the reason,” Eztli interrupted her. “Certainly he would factor in a little, but I spoke with him the other day. I don’t expect either of us will see him again.” Eztli could see Tanith growing angry, and he quickly spoke again before she had the chance to yell at him. ”This isn’t about Treat. I don’t know what it’s about. I think it’s just part of what I am. You may not like it, but I exist because I’m supposed to help you. And I feel as though staying in Scarlet Oak is in your best interest.”
Tanith didn’t respond. Any other day and she would have told the cat to go fuck himself, but today she felt so… weary. Tanith wasn’t used to doubting herself. She was usually so sure of everything she did, but at that moment the only thing she knew was that being in the same house as Alistair disgusted her.
”We could still leave this place,” Eztli suggested, cocking his head to the side. ”Stay in a hotel for a few days. A change of scenery might make you feel better.” Tanith didn’t answer. ”Just… just don’t leave tonight,” Eztli urged. ”Don’t make any decisions right now. Think it over for a few days with a clearer head. Will you do that much at least?” At length, Tanith nodded. Breathing a sigh of relief, Eztli sat down.
“This doesn’t mean I trust you, cat,” Tanith warned, watching him out of the side of her eye. “And I certainly don’t like you.”
Eztli stretched out on the floor, not feeling the need to respond. The familiar couldn’t help but feel as if he’d won a great battle just then.