Nature and Bells

The jingle of bells would, without warning, join the other soft noises of nature, and soon after, a light sort of laughter would bubble its way out from barely visible lips. In the light of the full moon, her ankle would be the first thing seen, and wrapped around the dainty bones was a slender, delicate silver chain: the band that held together the source of the noise. Her skin seemed naturally tanned, but after years and years, well over one hundred in fact, spent in Arcadia and all of its glory, there was a certain paleness that contradicted the natural tone of the Romani woman.

Next, came her hand, fingers long and slender, much like a pianist. Her arms were hidden beneath the soft blue shawl, obviously handmade and frayed just enough to show its true age. Her sleeves, however, were nearly nonexistent, the white fabric resting just beneath the curve of her shoulder and clinging tight to her skin the entire one inch length. If one stared long enough, they would see just how unnaturally pale the girl was, as the white fabric looked surreal in its tone against her skin.

Her hips swayed to one side, as if she were dancing to some music that only she could hear, and more bells jingled from the cloth belt tied around her waist, accentuating her natural, albeit relatively subtle, curves. The stranger's talent was easily apparent as she faded into existence in the clearing, only feet away from Yashita, like some Cheshire Cat from the stories. Her long face was lit up in the kind of smile men would go to war for, and her eyes seemed to glow, as if they held their own source of magic. The amber appeared like liquid, swirling and crashing like waves as she looked between the birds and the squirrels, reaching out her opposite hand - the final thing to fade into view - to allow a small fledgling to lad upon her finger.

She tucked it in close to her chest, nestling the baby bird against the curve of her chin, protected for a moment from the elements by the Fae. Then, she spun on one bare foot in a barrage of beautiful music, and lifted that same hand towards the night sky. The bird tweeted in excitement, flapping its tiny wings a few times before it managed to take off, escaping out into the world, and the animals echoed their praise as Syeira of the Exalted fell back into a patch of soft grass, laughter blissful and content.

Her hair formed a brown and golden halo around her head as she laid there, staring up at the starry sky. Of course little Syeira was aware of the Gangrel's presence... She had been watching her for quite some time, observing the stranger lost in time, wondering about what she would do and how she would go about it all. The world, for her, was fresh and new; she was just a baby, a little fawn learning how to walk. The tumbles and stumbles and falls were amusing in their own accord, but deep within the chasm of her heart, she felt a pull of familiarity. It was like watching her own little brother, her own sweet little phal, as he came into the world. His name pressed on the very edges of her consciousness, begging her to remember, to speak, to breathe life into him if even for a moment.

Her smile became dreamy, almost distant, as she allowed the feeling of familial ties to wash over her. With her Valeri, she rarely had time to think back on the past, on the lives lost and worlds left behind. That sort of thing was a plague, gnawing at her bones and her mind until it eventually managed to take hold, and there were far too many nights when his agony showed through those beautiful eyes of his. She avoided causing that sort of pain as often as she could, preferring his subtle sort of smile, loving the man he was when he was with just her and not her memories, too.

Still, Valeri was off playing politics without her watchful eye on his back and questions floating over his shoulder... and she was alone with the stranger Yashita and her memories. She giggled to herself for but a moment, wrapping her arms around her exposed midrift and raising her legs, clad in many skirts and scarves, to roll from side to side like a child being tickled, and quietly... to herself, she whispered his name.

It was then, and only then, that those liquid eyes of amber and gold would fall upon the woman, and the knowledge held within them was staggering to say the least. Time moved differently in Arcadia, and well over one hundred years had passed in the human world since Sy was first taken by the Faerie Folk. During that time, and during her time committed to the KGB and other intelligence agencies, the Roma had learned quite a bit... and her eyes... Well, her eyes never lied.

"Evening, indeed, little ball of fluff and fur," she purred, her accent dripping off every word like honey, sweet and thick. She stretched her slender frame back out, resembling a cat in her laze and arch, but she never took her eyes off of the woman, even as her toes curled in glee. Relaxing once more, still on her side in the grass, she let a single blade of green fall from her otherwise perfect hair, feeling it as it landed on the back of her hand. "Sheranda o' shon, nii?"

"It is not unfortunate, little lunar flower. I speak the tongue of my people, my Romansa. If you knew, you would be nii Gabja, en da Gabja Gabjansa." The tiny fae giggled as well, her eyes almost green with glee. She looked beautiful, and totally tangible, lying there in the grass, though her tiny frame disturbed the scene of nature as little as possible. She was a splash of color among the bright greenery, standing out exactly as she was supposed to... just like the beautiful belladonna flower, purple against green leaves.

Sy was danger incarnate in the most disturbing sorts of ways, but it was the kind of danger she easily kept within, boiling like water just beneath the surface. She offered this woman no threat, harbored no ill will. Here, she was truly at home, and it was as if Yashita herself was just another part of the land around her.

She did not sit up as she turned her focus back to the indigo sky, painted with stars, and she let out a soft, content sort of sigh. "You come here in peace, peace to my animal friends. Lunar flower, that is such a gift, you see. Roma Romansa, nii de Gabja.... but for tonight, perhaps just for tonight, you nii Gabja. Be Roma with me, lunar flower? Mayhaps we dance?"

The imagery the girl questioned made her laugh, the light kind of laughter even the innocent Rumor could only dream of... It was the laughter of experience, of knowledge, of years and years of heartbroken silence shattering against a wall of amusement and happiness. Not only was this woman awash with the tales the ignorant told, picturing painted wagons and fortune tellers whenever she mentioned her people, but she was offering a deal to a Fae. Such a fool, she was, so innocent and so sweet.

Sy wrapped her arms around her exposed waist as she laughed, rolling onto one side, facing the strange girl. Her face was alight with brightness, with happiness and excitement, and - if possible - she looked even more beautiful than she had moments prior.

When the laughter finally died, she held out her left hand, long, thin fingers extending towards the woman. She did not realize just how loose the terms of her agreement were, what different sorts of ways they could be interpreted, but Syeira was nary a one to turn down a deal. With eyes half green and half blue, and all mischief, she offered Yashita a wicked smile. "Deal. Let us shake."