The Clarity in Beginnings (Keara Aithne)

[Therese Lenoir (DELETED 5697)]

A crow perched incongruously in the gold and browning leaves of a large oak tree regarded Therese with placid interest as she strode by along the unfamiliar streets. She had only been in this part of town a few times since her move to Harper Rock, but under normal circumstances she trusted her sense of direction as she might trust the word of an old friend.

Therese was soon discovering, however, that these were not normal circumstances. Perhaps, she considered, as a shaft of moonlight like a glistening dewdrop illuminated the bird's dark eyes, then teasingly turned a scattering of broken glass by the side of the road into a makeshift mosaic, they would never be entirely normal again. Everything seemed so vibrant now, so real, it burned every new sensation into her with a force that often kissed the edge of unbearable. Therese Lenoir had always been moved by beauty, but now, after she had Turned, it seemed as if she were haunted by it and it was inescapable.

Zebra-printed stiletto heels made almost no sound on the pavement as Therese turned from the main road down toward Aithne Asylum. A sudden gust of wind that she felt as pressure rather than cold encouraged her to wrap her short white pea coat a little tighter around her narrow frame, so that it almost covered the black turtleneck shirtdress beneath it. With her pale hair appearing almost silvery in the mixture of streetlamps and moonlight, the only concession to color in Therese's outfit was her vibrant green nylon stockings, which matched a large green stone set crudely in silver around her neck.

Somewhere, blocks away, maybe even a mile away, a siren sounded, harsh and demanding in the silent evening air. Sounds, too, were inescapable, forcing their way into her skull along with every other sense, drumming like a child who has found a pot and spoon, at least on this night. She quickened her pace.

She had been surprised, but pleased, to see the email from Keara Aithne upon logging in to her new account after... everything that had happened. It was hard not to think of it that way (as everything that had happened, rather than in little easily chewed bites), since she still found some of it difficult to believe. Arthur-- no, Peter. She had to train herself not only to say Peter, but also to think it. He was Peter now. Peter had told her so much, had helped her settle in so readily, and yet the more that she knew, the more questions rose inside her, a steady and querulous pace that reminded her of games she had used to play to torment her grown sister Grace.

So when Keara had offered to show her around, she had jumped at the chance. This felt almost as if she got a new beginning with a new family, a new chance to become - well, perhaps only to become.

A brief tinge of nervousness tweaked at Therese's chest where her heart used to beat as she considered all the different ways this meeting could go. Then she smiled her very best thousand-volt smile, vaulted up the steps and knocked on the door to the Asylum.

[Keara Aithne]

It wasn't that she didn't want him around but she was eager to get rid of, so eager in fact that as she "guided" him towards one of the portals she may have in fact pushed him through the wrong one. Keara loved her husband; in fact just saying that was an understatement but the word to explain the level of her attachment to him was yet to be invented. In that moment however, it didn't matter how much she loved him or how dearly she wished he was at her side, he had to go. Peter's childe was coming and Keara wanted to show her around alone. There were several reasons for this, none of which she could satisfactorily explain, even to herself. Enver could be prickly in his first encounters and with the childe being but a few weeks old, she didn't wish to scare her off. This was the reason she'd given him. The other reasons she wanted Therese to herself were far more urgent and in their own ways convoluted. Therese was an allurist. This she knew as she'd appraised the childe. Checking up on family was just something she did. She didn't like to push the boundaries of her powers by invading their minds, she just liked to know that they were looking after themselves, feeding and growing in strength. Her lineage housed few allurists and even fewer frequented the family homestead on a regular basis. For this she was irrationally thankful, as a small part of her feared that Enver might bond more with one of his own path than he did with her. This thought brought with an anxiety Keara was more than eager to avoid. Add in the fact that the female would likely be stunning, as most of their kind were, and she had as much reason to fear this fledgling as she did to embrace her. Of course family duty came first and that was a much easier task without Enver around to both upset and distract her. The more pressing reason Keara had to hide her husband, was the fact that she wasn't sure how advanced, or rather how under control, the childe's powers were. She knew Therese wasn't capable of accidentally pacifying her husband but powers had a habit of springing to life at the most (in)opportune moments. Tonight, Keara wasn't going to be taking any chances.

With Enver out of the way, Keara hurried back to the elevator and nervously clicked the fingernails of her thumb and index fingers together as it descended. There was time enough she hoped to look herself over and make sure that the first impression she gave the girl wasn't one that would have her running for the door. Keara didn't think of herself as intimidating but then she hadn't chosen her style to blend in, she'd chosen it to keep people at arm’s length, as she'd noticed in those first few days that humans tended to avoid those dressed in the more gothic and eccentric styles.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror she pulled her hair back and let it go, repeating the process several times as she wondered which made her look more serious. Pulled back her dreads were much neater and more manageable but the look did make her look a little more severe. Down she looked a little more feminine, if not wild. Sighing softly to herself, she decided down was better. She'd plumped for wearing a t-shirt in place of a corset, though she doubted she made the right choice and she adjusted the way it clung to her shoulders and waistline. It wasn't garish or crude. There were no clever slogans. The t-shirt was black, figure hugging and adorned with an intricate webbing design that was made out of silver and gold stitches. The skirt she wore was characteristically short but a little puffier than usual as it consisted of several layers of material. She'd considered keeping her legs bare, but had decided that modesty might be best preserved if she wore a pair of tights. The pair she chose were horizontally striped with small bands that alternated in colour between black and white. Boots were obligatory, she did so love chunky footwear and they suited the outfit better than any of the small number of shoes she owned. The leather boots covered her calves and had both lacing and buckles on them, as fashion dictated. Looking herself over, she decided she was missing something and went to go look through the vast array of accessories she owned. She wore a number of relics on every given day but these were generally secreted somewhere on her body and/or hidden under her clothing, only her usual rings and bracelets were visible. She didn't want to cover the necklaces she wore wrapped around her wrist but neither did she want to remove them. She tried on a number of leather cuffs but ultimately dismissed them. Finally she settled on wearing a number of thin, gold and silver bangles, even if they did interfere with the charms on the necklaces.

Finally ready to receive her guest, she made her way into the bedroom and called for the puppies but pursing her lips together and whistling. They usually got rowdy around the time she put her boots on as they knew that footwear meant someone was going out and that they might be able to go with them. They'd been disappointed tonight and so had carpet back to their beds to take a nap. Awakened by the sound that usually meant something exciting was about to happen, they quickly came yapping at her heels. Gizmo jumped up and down on his hind legs, pawing at Keara's tights and was promptly warned for his behaviour. After a moment of fussing, Keara moved over to the bed to look at the laptop. With a swipe of the touchpad it whirred into life and once more displayed the camera feed from downstairs. After a few moments and more than a little whining from the furry critters at her feet, Keara realised that the childe might not feel comfortable simply entering the building and that it might be best to wait downstairs.

Gizmo and Leeloo followed enthusiastically as she exited the cell, a small rubber ball in hand. Once on the ground floor, she sat herself on the floor with her back to one of the heavy wooden doors that marked the entrance to the asylum and began throwing the ball for the two Chihuahua's to chase down, argue over and retrieve. The game amused Keara as much as it did them, so when the knock at the door came, she couldn't have said how long she'd been waiting. Before she could get to her feet, the door had four paws pressed against it and a chorus of yipping began.

"Pshh!"

Keara silenced the puppies that knew better than to continue barking after being told to be quiet and opened the door. Leeloo held back at Keara's side but Gizmo was through the door the moment he could get his body through the gap and immediately set about winding himself around the feet of their visitor, jumping and yipping as he went. The command to be silent now being ignored as he greeted the female whether she wanted it or not.

"Gizmo!" she called through gritted teeth. The pup immediately stopped, looked to his mother and slunk back inside.

"Sorry. Spirited he is." Keara extended her hand to the woman. "My name Keara is. You Therese are?"

She quickly looked the woman over, but not in any obvious way and was immediately struck by the thought that she'd been right to send Enver out. Therese was more the sort of woman that belonged on Enver's arm and she knew it. He'd of denied it of course and meant it too as he was as much in love with her as she was with him, but that didn't stop Keara from thinking he deserved someone better. Though Therese's worth was yet to be seen and she couldn't help but hope that the woman wouldn't embody the stereotypical allurist traits.

"Most welcome you are," she gave a sweeping gesture and stepped back to allow Therese to enter the hallway.

The hallway was nothing special, classic in style with wooden panelling that stopped half way up the wall. There was a small side table with a vase on it that contained a fresh bunch of flowers and the walls housed several landscape portraits, but aside from these the place was relatively free from adornments and clutter.

[Therese Lenoir (DELETED 5697)]

The chorus of warm, excited yips and barks that followed her knock was both unexpected and strangely reassuring. The sound of living creatures, especially pets, brightened the cool evening and counterbalanced Therese's sudden realization that this place truly had once been an asylum in a very different sense of the word. A wide, sort of disbelieving smile stretched Therese's mouth and she laughed aloud at the feel of the small chihuahua twisting around underfoot and rubbing against her ankles and calves. She was careful not to move until Keara called her dog back to heel, though, not out of discomfort at the presence of the animals, but out of fear she might tread on him with her ridiculously high heels.

Entering gingerly, Therese took the other woman's extended hand, turning up the voltage of her smile. Keara might note an almost visible turning of gears behind the childe's pale blue eyes as she worked through the unusual phrasing. An interesting eccentricity. English not a first language, then? Perhaps not even a second language. Therese's well-traveled ear, keen on even the trace of an accent, sought to drink in more words and try to pinpoint where Keara was originally from.

"Yes, I am Therese," she said, her own voice low and rich, with just a hint of New England clinging to the vowels despite her many summers spent in Europe. "It is very good to meet you, Keara."

She allowed herself to be ushered inside, her sharp eyes taking in the decor with a fair amount of interest and only a slightly critical aspect. She was especially interested in the landscapes, but quickly tore her eyes away and focused back on Keara. "Peter's told me a little bit about you, and about the Vedarian clan," she said carefully, just a hint of groundwork before she got to the meat of her visit.

"But I have been very eager to form my own impressions. The chance for a new home, a new family... it isn't something I would lightly consider." That sentence had escaped her a little before she had intended, and carried with it a subtly dark undercurrent of passion, something dangerous when attempting to form a first impression. Therese bit back the urge to explain herself and simply let her smile linger.

[Keara Aithne]

Her grip was light but firm as she shook Therese's hand, though the contact didn't last long. The fact that Peter had told her of her family was a good thing in her mind, as she knew his explanation of them would be both thorough and fair. Peter was the scholarly kind and would have surely told Therese everything he thought she needed to know.

"Told you then he has that difficult to understand I might be."

It was a fair assumption to make though the way she some bothered some more than others. There were those that had been curious enough to ask why she spoke so strangely and she'd never withheld what she knew in that regard. Truth was she wasn't entirely sure what the reason for it was, but she was more coherent now than she had once been. Thankfully her odd speech pattern wasn't enough to highlight her as a supernatural being. In this day and age, most simply assumed that English wasn't her first language. In her time they would have likely labelled her a simpleton or worse, a witch. She was sure the woman would require further information about her and her family, but in that moment it didn't seem necessary to bombard the poor childe with too much information.

"Best it always is for your own assessment of others to make. Naturally biased we all are in our thoughts and opinions. Circumstances too a difference do make. Hope I do that favourably upon us you will look, once you the chance have for more of your family to meet. For that is what consider us I do. All those that to my blood traced can be family are. Lie I shall not. No family perfect is. And force you I shall not for others to meet, if that your wish is not. Respect I do that we all our own lives must lead. Children in the strictest sense of the word, you are not."

She stopped herself there, aware of the fact that she was prone to ramble on and get lost in within her own train of thought. The woman was barely through the door and certainly didn't seem to require any sort of lecture. She was here to learn and judge for herself and that showed her in a favourable light as someone that likely had a good deal of intelligence and common sense.

"If questions have you do. Afraid to ask them you should not be. Pretend I do not for all the answers to have, but do my best I shall for to answer and explain what I can."

Keara finally closed the front door, and gestured down the hall. She would show the childe around and get to know her as best she could in the process. Therese likely had more questions than she did and Keara could only hope that the woman would pay attention and listen to anything of importance that she said. She also hoped that she had the strength of mind herself to show Therese around without allowing any of her old, and more peculiar, habits surfacing.

Meanwhile, realising he wasn't going to get any attention from the newcomer, Gizmo had quickly slipped back inside and set about the task of making sure that Leeloo felt comfortable. He was oddly maternal in his own way and obviously cared for his little companion. After a short investigation of her physical form, he settled at her side and waited for Keara to throw the ball that lay on the floor in front of him. Of course the ball wasn't thrown, as she was conversing with the newcomer. In an effort to regain her attention and bring the focus back to their game, he nudged the ball with his nose and rolled it towards Keara's feet.

[Therese Lenoir (DELETED 5697)]

Therese absently dug her cold fingers into the tense muscles at the back of her neck, finding the rat's nest of golden hair that always seemed to retangle itself no matter how many times she brushed it, and working her delicate digits through it. It struck her for a moment that her skin was not warm there under the straw-colored thatch as it was wont to be, but her attention returned almost immediately to Keara.

Yes, the way that the other woman spoke was unusual. Difficult, even. But Therese liked difficult. She enjoyed puzzles, and this woman, with her manners that seemed somehow archaic even as they reminded Therese a little of Star Wars, and her modern, youthful attire, was definitely a puzzle. At the same time, the more that she listened, the less difficulty she had in reordering the words in her head. Eventually, she was certain, she would not even have to bother doing that, and that thought came with an odd hint of nostalgia. There was something poetic about the cadence, almost Shakespearian, and as with Shakespeare, Therese enjoyed picking out the measures.

Therese let her customary quiet smile wax on her moon-pale face, watching the small dogs while she ordered her thoughts in her mind. She had a lot of questions, but she was not sure of an appropriate order, or even if some of them should be asked on a first meeting.

Finally, she said, "I do wish to meet with the others of your- of our family, or as many of them as wish to meet with me. I do not take the opportunity to have a family lightly, not at all." She licked her lips, tasting the strange waxy non-taste of her lipstick, and said, "Perhaps you could begin by telling me a little about this place, and how you came to choose it for a home and refuge?"

That seemed innocuous enough, and if it skirted around the edges of what Therese really wanted to ask, so be it. The answer would help her form an impression of the woman she was speaking to, and that impression would tell her how she wanted to couch the next question.

As they spoke, she drifted down the hall in the direction that Keara had indicated, her pale, sharp eyes taking in every detail of the place around her, although she would occasionally wince if a light was a little too bright or if one of the puppies made a high-pitched noise. The over-vividness of the world was not so terrible inside, but it still gnawed at the edge of reason, enough that it made Therese look at her companion in curiosity, wondering if she felt the intensity of this world so fully, and if she had felt it for so long, how she might have managed.

[Keara Aithne]

A small nod of the head indicated that she would welcome the opportunity to introduce the woman to the rest of the family, though she half suspected that Peter would prefer to have that honour himself. A family meeting might be a little off putting for a newcomer, but Keara quickly dismissed that thought as her clan was quite free spirited and she didn't see some of them from one month to the next. The likelihood of being able to gather what could be considered 'too many' within the asylum's walls for a few hours seemed practically impossible. There were a few that returned home regularly that would of course introduce themselves given the chance, for her bloodline seldom harboured any that Keara would consider rude or a lost cause. Perhaps this was why she liked her family as it was. She could recognise her blood in them all and their numbers were manageable enough that she could recall most by name. So large a clan they were not when compared to the others.

"Few me that have asked," she began, a soft smile on her lips. Before continuing, she scooped up the ball, through it down the corridor and then began to walk at a slow pace. Having gestured for Therese to follow, her explanation soon followed. "Appropriate seemed it did for an asylum as my home to take. Quite mad I believe the others thought me when returned I did from the accursed realm. Some two hundred years in there I did spend and when flesh once more I became, found I did that concentrating difficult was and that the connection between my words and thoughts not right was."

As they reached the end of the hallway, Keara gestured to the elevator. There wasn't much of note on the first floor, and so she would rather untraditionally begin the tour on the upper most floor. Having pushed the button the doors opened almost immediately, as no-one had used the elevator since she had. Upon hearing the familiar noise, Gizmo, who had chased the ball and was proudly holding it in his small jaw trotted over to join the party. Leeloo, not wishing to be left behind either, soon followed on his heels.

"But more than that it was. Liked I did the architecture. The frame of the building. The brickwork called to me. Safe here I did feel. So when decided I did for roots within the city to make, this my first choice was. Much work since then done has been. Begin we shall upon the top floor. For there the most interesting things have I for you to see."

Keara moved into the elevator and waited for Therese to follow and perhaps ask something more of her before their tour continued, or perhaps more accurately, began.