Ever Changing Waves [Serenity/Charoa]

[Motoko Higurashi]

No...no...oh, come on!

Pale little hands reached for the next book she could find. A page or two in, the girl whimpered and she put it to the side.

This is so unfair.

Motoko Higurashi groaned as she picked up yet another book, only to find she couldn't read past the title page. It had been a few days since she'd landed in Wonderland, since she'd been found by Sarah Roberts, and since she'd been left in the castle with her older sister, no creepy master, and no clue what to do. She was lucky, since Boogies avoided her. But still she was totally and utterly bored.

Now with time to spare, the young girl had wandered into the library to read something...and, to her horror, she couldn't read a single book besides the ones written for two-year-olds.

Everything's in english!!

Finally with a heart-broken sigh, blueberry-eyed Motoko leaned against the bookshelf with her face in her palms. "This sucks. I want to read! What am I supposed to do if I can't understand anything?!" The human whimpered again, feeling her frustration and sadness start to bring weak, crybaby tears to her eyes. She slapped herself a few times to make them go away. Man, how she hated being young and being childish. She didn't want to be so easily moved to tears...she wanted to be an adult. She wanted to be mature.

She wanted to go home.

But right now, she just wanted to read.

Kami-sama, have pity on me! I just want something to do...

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

Calmly she made her way down the shadowed hallways of the boogie palace, her heels tapping softly against the stone. There were none before her, the hallway strait and clear as far as her eyes could discern. Many would find this odd, seeing as there was a war going on these days. Normally there would be humans cluttering the place, either secreting themselves off to partake in their hidden agendas or too broken to care and simply carrying out the will of their masters. Said boogies would usually be out and about as well, their familiars trotting along with them to protect the cowards. But that was normally.

Today was not normal; today saw the long overdue appearance of one who struck fear into the hearts of even the boogies around her. Today Charoa had decided to exert her control over the fragile creature she shared her form with. This day she wished time to herself. Ever since that damned night her host had spent every possible second with that accursed blond boy; and when she couldn't be with him all she did was think about him. It was infuriating, and quite frankly made the demon want to retch. She despised her, she despised him; but most of all, she despised the love they shared. In her eyes it was completely worthless, and yet they had used it to keep her at bay. Something she was none too happy about.

In keeping with the day's oddness, she was not making her way down to the South Wing to fetch a snack as per usual, nor did she have her familiar with her. She found her hunger dormant, and the ever watchful eyes of Erebos would only agitate her further. Company was not something she wished, and so she made her way to a room of the palace that was almost always empty; the library. There was good reason for it being empty she supposed, most of the humans were snatched when they were too young to know of reading, and their masters certainly weren't about to teach them. As for the boogies, they were far too lazy to ever even pick up a book. The quality of the race had severely declined, even in her relatively short lifetime.

Stepping through the doors to the room, she was pleased to see that it was devoid of life. She wasn't content with this however; were she to place herself close to the entrance there was every chance some fool human could wander in and disturb her peace. Instead she moved between the mammoth rows, making her way into the rarely traveled sections of the library.

It was on her way to a secluded corner she knew of that she heard a shattered sob. For some reason this piqued her interest, the despair tasting oh so sweet to the creature. Turning from her course she moved down an adjoining aisle, following the taste of the sadness more than the sound of the whimpering. Soon enough she found the source of the emotions and sounds, a small blue haired girl leaning against a rather uninteresting row of books. The human however, for reasons she had yet to discern, was very interesting. She felt drawn to this girl; the only explanation she could think of being that she was unconsciously growing hungry and needed to feed. But instead of pouncing on the child and draining her dry, she merely stopped a few paces from her, voice low as she spoke. "Child...." A strange day indeed.

[Motoko Higurashi]

Much like her older sister and brother, Motoko was very bad at hearing footsteps or sensing when somebody was approaching. Even when someone was only a few feet away, the young girl still stood still, her face in her hands, unacknowledging to the woman right next to her. It wasn't until she spoke that Moto even noticed her. She jumped and turned to face the new face.

Oh. Oh my.

Big blue eyes widened at once, taking in Serenity. She was so pretty...so utterly adorable...it made Moto's face heat just a little. Sure she was giving of an aura that said 'Scary-lady-do-not-fuck-with-me' but the little girl didn't really care right now. This beautiful stranger was kind of distracting her from worrying at the moment. Which wasn't really a good thing or a bad thing.

Wait a minute, what if this girl is a Boogie, like neechan warned me about! She could be dangerous! Stop staring. Now. Don't look.......damn my bisexualness!!

Still, it seemed everyone in this place spoke English. She'd need to ask Aione to giver her lessons...but for now, she would just have to wing it.

"G-Gomen nasai...M-Moto didn't mean to be n...noisy. Moto will be moe...more quiet now..."

I hope that was close enough. Don't want to embarrass myself in front of this cute girl.

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

Soulless eyes closely studied the strange little being before her, each of the dark pits taking careful note of every possible detail of the girl that could be perceived as of yet. The child was young, very young; that much could be determined from several factors pertaining to her outward appearance. In all likelihood she was a new arrival as well, or else she would be and about serving her master, instead of standing here rifling through books that she apparently couldn't read. Taking that into account along with the tone of the girl's skin and what she had learned of humans through her host; she determined that the girl did not speak Common (aka English) before the child ever opened her mouth to speak.

The human turned towards her, and in doing so revealed even more of herself to the shrewd demon. Judging from her facial structure that was similar to that of the hated blond child's; it was obvious that the girl was from what the humans called 'Japan', which would account for the language barrier. Her body was well formed, and it would be a safe bet to assume she would be very attractive when older; but of course Charoa cared little for such matters, it was far more important to her for a human or boogie to be pleasing to the tongue rather than the eyes. Most of the 'pretty' ones tended to be a bit sour and dry; which is why she preferred her meat young and tender.

But the child's eyes....it was these that drew her interest the most. Though the girl was still young even by human standards, she could detect a highly intelligent mind behind the blue orbs. It also seemed to her that....perhaps the child was not so innocent as her appearance made her seem. Of course she looked as though she were harmless as a rabbit, just like all the others. But then she remembered that humans were bred to behave in such a manner; so that they could be more easily herded by their masters, either human or boogie. It was all in the teaching she thought she'd once heard someone say, perhaps just before she'd gotten hungry, and that presented her with a very interesting thought.

From her earlier assessments she'd already determined that the girl was young, but she wasn't an infant. Given what she knew about humans thee child seemed to be old enough to think independently, but not so old that her mind would be irreparably tainted by the idiotic humans she had come in contact with. Which meant that it might just be possible for a boogie to take control of her and raise her their way, to mold her into what they saw fit. The possibilities amused her greatly, something that had not happened in many years, if ever. She spoke again; as before she kept her voice soft, but this time spoke in what she surmised was the human's native tongue. "Who is your master child?" She of course didn't care in the least, but it was less trouble to trifle with; and who knows, the might make for a semi-edible snack one day.

[Motoko Higurashi]

It wasn't that hard for Motoko to tell that she was being examined. And despite the fact that this woman was incredibly beautiful, she hated being looked over like this. It was just like being home again...where thousands of her mothers and fathers friends would give her the same cold, observing, bored gaze from across the room as she tried to get away. Moto had become so used to their staring that she'd started to ignore it. However, it was hard to ignore this strangers staring. It was cold and observing, just like the others...

But she wasn't bored. She was calculating.

Imagine the look of surprise on Moto's face when she spoke Japanese. Bright eyes widened to the size of tennis balls (if that was humanly possible) as she looked into the soulless eyes of the stranger with a spark of delight. At last, somebody who knew her native tongue. That would make a conversation so much easier! But after a moment, Motoko realized what the stranger had said. And it made her skin go cold. "Who is my master?" she repeated in a whisper. Oh no. Could she be a...?

"Um...I don't have one. I mean, I don't think I do...I don't call any Boogie 'master' if that's what you're asking..."

This person must be a Boogie. Shiiiiiiiit.

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

The startled expression of surprise form the girl was expected, though not understood. Was it really that odd that she knew the language? Certainly the girl didn't think she was the only one; there were many more from her land that spoke it, so what was one more from without? Due to her host's odd tastes in humans she had spent far more time in the land than the child had herself, something that would undoubtably surprise the girl even further. But then that was always the way of humans and boogies, they never saw anything coming. Made the hunt so much easier.

As strange as it was to see, a small smile suddenly crept onto her face. The little girl was frightened of her. It wasn't surprising, every one was frightened of her afterall. However most would have immediately fled her presence. This girl on the other hand, though utterly lacking any means of defense, remained and even continued to speak to her. As much as anything else this intrigued her, she wanted to know what it was that kept the child from screaming in terror and running for her life. It wasn't stupidity, that was certain. But beyond that she couldn't fathom a reason. And so the demon resolved to uncover the cause, in her own special way.

Casually she tilted her head slightly to the side, dark eyes staring straight into the girl's bright blue. She allowed the smile to remain where it was, although she made certain to blank out the rest of her features so that there was nothing to betray the emotions she may or may not have been feeling. For several moments she paused and simply stared at the human, as though studying something. "Why is it that you fear me?"

[Motoko Higurashi]

Again Motoko felt the stare of being studied.

What am I, a painting up for auction?

The smile on the woman's face only added to the appeal she had. It was a small smile, but it had an odd edge to it. As if the expression was new to her and didn't fit, like a new pair of jeans or a choker that was too tight. Moto tilted her head at that strange smile on the lovely stranger...who she had no doubt was a Boogie after all...blueberry eyes meeting empty black. She shivered from a chill that came out of nowhere.

Brr. She's attractive, but bitter...and creepy.

Her question wasn't really a surprise for the little human. Based on her expression alone one would assume she was a little freaked out. This woman had a scary aura to begin with, and if that wasn't all, she was a monster. Motoko keep eye-contact, though her face turned into an blank, serious expression. "I fear you because I know what you are. And because you have a dangerous air about you." Her serious face morphed into a child-like smile, though her eyes stayed cool.

"Well? Am I right? Are you a dangerous Boogie, miss?"

She half-hoped she was wrong. And yet...she wanted to be right.

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

It almost made the demon chuckle, the way that the human was so carefully scrutinizing her. She was certain that she had appeared almost exactly the same mere moments before when she had been the one at study. The comparison was not at all lost on her, and she made mental gave the girl yet another point in the usefulness and interest category, a category that for all others was not so notably empty.

Though she did not tilt her head as the child had done, she too began to ponder on the being before her. She hadn't noticed it before, having never paid attention to anything but negative emotions and the most sickeningly powerful positive ones, but there was something odd about the aura of fear that surrounded the girl. It was not an all consuming envelops of pure terror like what usually filled those she encountered, in fact that fear barely went skin deep. And as she had stated it was not a pure fear, it was tainted by other things, things she had never before encountered in tandem with the delicious emotion. There were hints of interest, curiosity, even.....desire and excitement. Truly there was something that set this child apart from the others, something she would be very interested in uncovering. Because although the sweet fear was tainted, she couldn't help but think that the seasonings only served to enhance the taste.

Again the demonic being was brought to the point of near open amusement, this time by the girl's words. But as before she contained the dark chuckle, only allowing the smile to turn to a slightly larger one of amused contemplation. How best to go about her little....fun, was it? Yes, she believed that's what they called this feeling. But how could she best direct the child? Perhaps that was the best course of action, to simply be direct. She suspicioned this this one was too intelligent to be so easily goaded or led astray as the others were, but that was all the better. Afterall if she believe the child as idiotic as the rest of the stumbling hordes then the human would more likely than not be lying at her feet in a pose that she would never rise from. "Dangerous? Yes, perhaps moreso than any other in this land. " She paused a moment, raising one eyebrow slowly in a meager gesture of curiosity. "Yet you knew this. So I must ask you child, why do you not flee?"

[Motoko Higurashi]

She has a point, you know. Why aren’t I running?

Motoko tilted her head, looking more through Charoa than at her. Why wasn’t she getting away from this monster as soon as she could? Because, much like the sister and brother who’d raised her more than her parents, the little Higurashi girl was curious. She had never spoken to a Boogie before. She’d seen them from a distance, watching from behind Aione’s back or from around a corner. But now that she was face to face with one…she was more intrigued than terrified. And that’s saying something.

“Actually…the Boogie part was half a guess...” Moto mumbled, avoiding the Boogie woman’s gaze for a second before looking back at her. “I’m not running away because…” she decided to just tell the truth, “…I’m inquisitive. I’ve never talked to somebody so perilous, so I wanted to give it try. To be honest, I find you kind of…cool.” Motoko twirled one of her long strands of blue hair between her fingers, watching her. She didn’t know how this woman would respond to her words.

Boogies, as Ai put them, were unpredictable. The cutest ones can be the deadliest, and the most fearsome could be the purest hearts.

She’s pretty cute. And she says she’s dangerous. Am I an idiot not to run?

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

Mumbling she might have been, but the demon heard her nonetheless. The admission that she had been guessing would lower her value in the eyes of most, but in the carefully appraising eyes of Charoa it only raised her worth. It meant that the girl was quick enough to put two and two together, and she was not too timid to take a chance even though it might leave her at fault. These were very necessary traits in what she was considering, the one to survive and the second to dominate. Both of which she would be required to do if she were to succeed in the little game Charoa was carefully beginning to weave.

Yet as the continued with an explanation for her action, or inaction as the case happened to be; the boogie's head tilted a bit to the side in quiet contemplation. The child was curious, that she'd already determined. Her face, though serious at times, and always....cute? Yes, that was the word. Despite its seriousness and cuteness, her eyes betrayed her childish curiosity; a curiosity that, if nurtured in the proper direction, could prove to take the girl far.

In addition, she picked out what the girl was saying between the lines. Though she herself might not yet realize it, Charoa could see that the girl had a fascination with danger. This of course would mean that she would not shrink from conflict or confrontation and, paired with certain other budding traits, could turn the girl into quite a formidable personality later in her life.

That was of course the deciding factor in everything concerning the girl, time. She needed the time to develop herself and to learn what there was to be taught. This meant that she would need some defense against the boogies, who were notoriously talented at cutting short a human's time here in Wonderland. This was something that the darkly beautiful demon before the child could provide better than any other. With the girl under her protective wing, there were very few even in this land that would dare harm the child for fear of her retaliation. And in addition to this there was something else vital that she could provide the human, that something being the proper teaching she required in order to become the dominant being that Charoa believed she could transform her into. Luckily for the girl, time was something that was decidedly in her favor.

At the little human's final statement however, the demon was for once surprised. She paused in her planning, slowly blinking at the girl several times as though she had just noticed her. It was certainly the first time she had been addressed as anything even near such a compliment. When she thought about it, it actually made her chuckle; a dark and soft sound, only lightly accented by her host's brightly bubbly voice. However unlike her host, who was prone to fits of uncontrollable laughter, she only allowed herself a momentary indulgence. When it tapered off moments later she smiled at the girl coolly. However there was something odd about the smile; it was not the biting cool that came before the cold of winter, it was more the gentle coolness that preceded the sunlit summer. And indeed her eyes sparkled at the human like opals suddenly hit by a bright light. "Tell me child. What is it you find so...'cool', about me?"

[Motoko Higurashi]

If Motoko were to compare this situation to anything, it would have to be the scene in Monty Python’s Holy Grail (thank you Japanese subtitles) with the killer rabbit. The rabbit looked so cute and fluffy on the screen nibbling on the grass, but, even if the main characters are too stupid to catch on, you know that it’s bad news. It might have been the aura of the scene (humorous as it was) or the fact the rabbit was surrounded by skeletons. Either way, the adorable little rodent devours a few of the knights before they kill it with a grenade.

That was sort of how this little meeting was ending up, but without the dying people or the explosion. And hopefully neither of those things will occur while I’m still here.

Moto blinked, just like Charoa, at that little laugh and the way her eyes seemed to light up. It was so cute, but devious at the same time. I’m beginning to see a pattern with her. When the Boogie asked, Motoko was ready with her response.

“It’s your eyes. They’re like coal, or opals…but the color isn’t what makes them dark,” her smile twitched slightly, “It’s like you have a black fire in you, and you’re eyes are windows. It reflects the darkness in your heart.” Where was the poetry coming from? Maybe I ought to stop reading so much. The blueberry girl looked away from Char and to the books around her, feeling the ache of the language barrier yet again. Then, after a pause, she looked back at the woman with a slight frown.

“May I ask that you don’t call me ‘child’? My name is Motoko Higurashi, and I’ll have you know twelve is the age of adulthood in Japan…for some things.”

Technically it was the age of consent, but that counted as adulthood.

Right?

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

This time the girl did not hesitate in her answer. She surmised that the girl was becoming more confident now that it appeared the demon had no ill intentions in mind. In fact she had quite a few intentions in mind, all something that the majority of Wonderland would fear and loathe. But the girl was right in her thinking that the boogie had no hostile feelings or thoughts toward her. Quite on the contrary in fact; she was making plans for the girl's nurturing and preservation. She had already decided that she would allow no harm to come to the child. Far too long had she been trapped in this body, locked away from her ambitions for this world; but this girl just might prove to be the key she required. Certainly she was far closer than any other that Charoa had encountered in her centuries here, exponentially more so than any boogie she had ever encountered. That the girl was new and alone presented her with an opportunity, one she would be a fool to miss.And Charoa Avarie was no fool.

As always she silently listened to what the girl said to her, only vaguely distracted by her plans and musings. She wasn't really all that concerned with appraisal's of her appearance, though her other half would have been absolutely thrilled to have someone commenting on her appearance. The beast was fully intent on barely listening if thats all that was going to be spoken of. But the twitch of the girl's smile caught her attention.

Her focus shifted to the child's words, carefully appraising each rise and fall of her voice. When she had finished the demon said nothing, merely staring at the small human before her. Many things she had been called before, and many petty remarks had been uttered behind her back. Most of these were silenced, the others ignored as the last feeble attempts to fight back against the encroaching darkness. All were filled with hatred and fear. She in fact took a small bit of pride from some of the comments, things that struck close to the dark truth. But none had ever been so accurate, nor had they ever been so....flattering. She truly appreciated the remarks, though many would have shunned them.

Her eyes followed the girl's as she looked away, carefully noting the look of longing in them as she stared at the books. So that was the reason for her sobing earlier, she was unable to read the common tongue. A trifle thing to be sure, but then even the most valuable human was afflicted by them from time to time. This particular issue she could easily solve, and as such she wouldn't hold it against the girl.

At the frown and comment on how she addressed the human, the demon found herself once again chuckling. This time the dark laughter continued unabated for several moments, long enough for her hand to raise and gently stroke across the child's cheek. "I apologize my dear, you are most certainly not a child. What would you have me address you as....?" She ignored the fact that the girl had given a name, as it was not that which she had asked. Giving her a moment to answer she again stroked her fingers across the human's cheek, softly and almost....lovingly. Gently tucking a bit of stray hair behind the girl's ear, she smiled softly at her. "Would you have me teach you?" Hopefully she would receive the answer she wished, it would do no good if she had to force her.

[Motoko Higurashi]

Motoko blinked as Charoa laughed, this time for longer than before. It shattered a little of her idea of a Boogie. The way Sori had explained them to her, they were all monsters in human form, tricking the humans with looks and kind words before they killed them off. It had frightened Moto. And Ai's protesting that not all Boogies were evil only made her confused. But now, hearing the Boogie laughing an honest laugh, she had a hard time believing she was really all evil. Then again, she had said herself that she was incredibly dangerous.

Way to add to my confusion.

Then that cold hand reached to stroke against her cheek. Boy could Motoko rebound fast. Her eyes darkened from the wide-eye curiosity and to a suspicious glare. She pulled back, just out of Charoa's hold, and kept on looking right in her eyes. Years of cold from her family had frozen just a bit of her...and that cold edge was showing now. "Please do not touch me." Moto spoke calmly, but her voice didn't sound any different than before. It was only her gaze that had shifted. "I would ask if you would call me Motoko, ma'am...and what may I call you?"

"...and...what do you mean, teach me?"

[Serenity/Charoa Avarie]

Charoa made no acknowledgement of the girl's withdrawal from her; as always she was a blank slate, giving not the slightest indication that she had noticed anything odd. She did not start at the sudden movement; not even the slightest twitch of an eye or the tremble of her arm. The arm in fact remained extended as it had been, poised in midair as though still reaching out to the girl that she could no longer touch. Each delicate finger of her hand remained curved and outstretched individually; seemingly stroking the cheek of some invisible being.

Her dark eyes were like the placid waters of some terribly dark lake; extending so deep that not even light could penetrate its depths. For several minutes she stood there, even after the girl had spoken; just staring at her, arm stretched out toward her. The silenced loomed upon them oppressively, almost smothering in its totality.

But soon a smirk that seemed almost triumphant appeared on her face; the tiny fingers curving gracefully into her palm as though beckoning the human girl back toward her. The answer had not been what she had preferred, but she supposed that it would suffice. Certainly it was better than some of the alternatives; each and every one of those terminating in her draining the girl dry and leaving her empty corpse for the other worthless humans to clean up. Her voice cut through the silence like a knife, soft and dark as it peeled back the silence like the layer's of some fool's flesh. "Very well, Motoko. I will refrain from touching you until we are....closer."

The first question she pondered a moment, weighing the options. She very much loved the titles that came with control, and it grated on her being for one of the lesser creatures overrunning this palace to address her as though they were her equal. But then, it might better serve her purposes if the child thought there was some measure of familiarity between them. And if all went as she planned, this human might somebody be equal to her majesty. Or at least as close as any could be. "Custom dictates that you call me your mistress, for I lay claim to you now. However....I will permit you to address me as Charoa.

Pausing again, she carefully studied over the girl's final question. What she unveiled from it satisfied her deeply. Despite her retreat from the boogie, the human was still intrigued by what she had to offer. To Charoa they were like the unsuspecting struggles of a fly; they let her know that her quarry was in her web and ripe for the picking.

Slowly she stepped forward, and then another; always careful so as not to let the child be spooked off. Her hand rose and her slender fingers traced over the night blue bindings on a book that sat roughly head height to her. "There are many things in this world you do not know, things I could easily teach you.

[/b]" Her gaze turned back to Motoko, the stare intimidating simply because of its lack of intimidation or threat. "To read and speak the common tongue for instance" Running her fingers across the spines of the books, she sank into silence again.

It was several moments later that she turned fully back toward's Motoko; her fingers moving from the intricate silver designs they had been tracing to return to her side. "I can teach you other things as well; secrets. Secrets that none in this world could ever fathom. Secrets that will help you to survive in this world." Again she paused, suddenly remembering a trait that was peculiar to humankind; a very compelling trait. "Secrets that will help you protect those you care for." That ought to do the trick. She had never understood why humans worried about anyone of their kind besides themselves, it was pointless. Self-preservation should come before self-sacrifice without question. But it did make it oh so easy to convince them[/size][/blockquote]

[Motoko Higurashi]

The silence that followed Motoko’s withdrawl chilled the girl to the bones. Why wasn’t the Boogie moving? She didn’t budge, didn’t speak, didn’t scold her from puling away…is she even breathing? She’s so still. For a moment Moto worried that she’d offended this woman, and that one little false motion like that was about to get her killed. But despite that idea, she didn’t run. It wasn’t that she wasn’t scared…she’d been so all along, in her own way...but she realized that if this woman was going to kill her, running wouldn’t do any good.

Blue eyes shown with relif at the smirk, releasing a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Moto stepped forward again, though remaining out of Charoa’s reach. Charoa…’white lamb’…what a lovely name…

Wait, what did she just say?

“Y-You lay claim on me? As in…you’re now my master?” Motoko blinked stupidly, then realized what she was doing and shook her head. “Just like that? I don’t need to sign my name in blood…” …or swallows yours? “You just say the word and suddenly I’m your…slave?” It seemed to happen much to fast. Aione had warned her it didn’t take long to be claimed, but even she’d gone almost six months without a master. For Moto it had taken one glance, a few words, and now this. Charoa.

Motoko belongs to Charoa. That’s it?

As Charoa continued speaking, this time not of ownership or touch, but of books and secrets, the little human’s eyes and smile lit up with the curiosity so often linked to Higurashi’s. Learning english would be wonderful. Being able to read and write and hold a normal conversation…life would be much easier. But the thrill of that seemed pale in comparrison to Charoa’s next offer. “Secrets none could fathom? Sounds like fun…” Moto mused, lifting her hand so her fingers touched the spot on her face Charoa had held, “Why would you teach me these things? You don’t know me. You don’t know if I’m true to my word or if I’m deceitful…”

But secrets meant lessons. Secrets meant things she could learn.

Maybe even secrets that would make her more…adult.

But… “…why are you choosing me?”