I will only complicate you. Trust in me and fall as well.

[lilith-qliphah.livejournal.com]

Tuesday, September 1st
Day 93
Evening

I do not bother to draw my form back together after I leave the Grindhouse, instead I remain as desert air drifting over the carnival, simply enjoying not being contained in human form for awhile. I did not look for Zann immediately after I left but I know perhaps only a day has past between then and now and the time has come. I search the lot and she is nowhere to be found, so I widen my search to include the town and then…Oohh, there you are.

...I easily spot her, walking quickly down the road with hands stuffed in her pockets and a determined look on her face that makes me spark with excitement, hoping she’s going where I think she is. I watch as she turns down the main street showing no signs of slowing as she passes by shop after shop then after the stables turns right. Oh you sneaky brave little thing, you are going to see him without me, aren’t you.

She reaches the tower and pauses at the entrance, looking it over carefully then taking a deep breath she steps up to the door pausing again. Ooohh this is going to be such wonderful fun. Without out even a slight ripple in the air, I draw my form together behind her as she raises a small fist and knocks on the door.

“Zann, why are you knocking on a water tower?” I ask, cautiously and then gasp taking a quick step back as she jumps in surprise, spinning around to face me.

[open to Zann and Iblis]

Continued here.

Comments

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

"Well. Isn't that something." And I smile, 'cause I'm sure he's seen something like it before, but doesn't mean I don't know that I'm good at what I do. "Imagine if you could do that for hours on end before you grew weary," and I can feel my eyes lighting up at the thought of the dance, the strings repaired and struck and thrumming out as far as the stars, singing creation. ...hundreds upon hundreds of bolts sliding together at once, that low deep satisfaction of knowing a job is done replicated a thousand times over, altogether." Leans down to me and I look up at him and his hand's fitting smooth across the curve of my skull. "It is all already here, Zann, like a match waiting to be struck."

Listen to the clackclack of the spheres running their timeless arcs, and I'd lean into his hand a little except I remember how he touched it and it stopped. Seen what he can do, but oh, what he can do...

"Would you ask me for a favour that'd hurt the family?"

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. I smile, and I stroke the fine bristle of her hair as if she were a cat.

"We can negotiate boundaries," I say. "You can tell me..." I think. "Three things you would not do. You should be quite precise in your language," I smile. "And if I agree, it will be done. Your word will be your contract, and mine." My hand moves down and strokes the back of her neck. "But if you decide you would rather not, you can leave now, and I will bear you no ill will for it."

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

"We can negotiate boundaries," he says, smiling. "You can tell me..." pause and beat, "three things you would not do." Oh, there's a pattern there too, the triune beat... Fairy tale more than machinery, but still humming. "You should be quite precise in your language. And if I agree, it will be done. Your word will be your contract, and mine. But if you decide you would rather not, you can leave now, and I will bear you no ill will for it."

Shake my head a little, feeling his hand running over the back of my neck; it's a nice feeling, half sleepy and half electrically-awake, fine hairs standing on end. "Don't want to do that," I say about leaving. "Three things... Don't want to hurt the Carnaval or its people..." Trail off and shake my head, straightening up a bit. "I need to think about those things," I say. "It's... I want to be careful about this, you know?"

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

I nod. It would be pleasing if Zann just rushed headlong into this agreement, for that way she would be bound to make mistakes. But even with a carefully thought out series of exemptions, I am certain I can make good use of a favour from her. Especially with the power she has the potential to hold.

"Think on it," I say, "and call for me when you have decided. If you say my name with intent, I will hear you." I smile. "Our friend Lily has been gone for quite a while, has she not?" I observe. "Perhaps I scared her away." I can feel Lilith in the room with us, the dry heat of her, and my smile deepens.

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

"Think on it, and call for me when you have decided. If you say my name with intent, I will hear you." I nod, finishing the cigarette. Not to hurt the Carnaval and family... Jesus, what else is there?

"Our friend Lily has been gone for quite a while, has she not?" and I look up and around and Jesus, when did that happen? Think back and... yeah, been a while. "Perhaps I scared her away."

"Oh gee, maybe," I say, grinning. "All the times she's run into you, and she cuts and runs when you start just talking about being the devil." Shrug a little and draw my knees up, balancing on the arm of the couch. Still not polite to ask about Lilith instead of Lily, or how well she's fitting into the new name, but... "Have you known her long?"

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

"Oh gee, maybe. All the times she's run into you, and she cuts and runs when you start just talking about being the devil. Have you known her long?"

Ah, Lilith, Zann knows you are not what you seem. But I will not tell her who you are; that can be your secret to tell.

"For quite some time," I say drily. "She is an... unusual woman, but I am fond of her," I add. "I am sure that next time you see her, you will both have much to talk about." I take the blueprint and roll it up, old paper crinkling, and I hand it to her. "I will see you soon."

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

"For quite some time," he says, and the way he says it... yes, okay, I will stop needling around the edges of things, or at least needling him. "She is an... unusual woman, but I am fond of her. I am sure that next time you see her, you will both have much to talk about."

"Probably," I say, taking the roll of blueprint and feeling the soft weight of it, ink and thick paper and the hint of meaning where the pen scratched in shapes, there and there and there.

"I will see you soon." Nod at that, and smile, and get to my feet.

"Thanks for having me over," and it sounds too formal by half, and I laugh a bit. "I'll catch you later, I guess. Take care, okay?" Really do, please. Pause as a thought hits me.

"Why did you come out to the Tavern that night, if you hate us and you could have stayed at home and drunk whiskey here?"

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

I smile at Zann. The girl does have quite the gift for perceptive questions, for feeling under the edges of things.

"Perhaps," I say, "because sometimes it is better to feel irritated or angry with humans than to feel anger about other things." I pause. "And it was just after our friend Lily came to Excolo. It had been some time since I had seen her last, and it put me in the humour for distraction." I take her hand. "I will take care of myself, yes. I always do. You do the same; it would be a shame to let your pretty brain go to waste." I let go of her hand and walk down with her to the door. Outside the night air is crisp, and the stars are like stone.

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps, because sometimes it is better to feel irritated or angry with humans than to feel anger about other things." And if that isn't a pattern people follow often enough, I don't know what is. "I will take care of myself, yes. I always do. You do the same; it would be a shame to let your pretty brain go to waste." Grin up at him and run on hand through what there is of my hair.

"Will do." Pull the collar of my jacket up with one hand, cradling the blueprint with the other, and looking at how gently the moonlight picks out maybe a quarter of what the sun could if it were out. "Hey," I say suddenly, "thanks for the cigarette and the blueprint, you know?" Duck in and give him a quick one-armed hug, and then stuff my free hand in my pocket and start out across the grass, not-quite skipping in the night, and head back to the Carnival.