01 [Day: December 22, 1230. Time: 6:30 a.m.] 01 [The wampyrs have been traveling from London to Chester for a solid seven nights now, and by Moriel's calculations, they're getting close. Unfortunately, they're not *there* yet. While there's been a few settlements along the road - probably to take advantage of trade between the two cities - they haven't always been so conveniently located as to offer shelter to five travelers pressed for time.] 01 [So, instead, caves and even the carriage were frequently employed. This morning is an instance of the former. It's quite serviceable, the center cavern being large enough for eight to sleep comfortably and two corridors that lead to the outside. Most of the party's left to find food, as hunting isn't always convenient immediately upon waking.] 01 [But not Eliana! She's gone about her witchy ways, inscribing occult symbols in her own blood on the floor and walls, and muttering to herself. She's been doing this nearly every night for an hour straight each time, so the others are probably used to it by now. It hasn't hurt anyone yet (as far as they know).] 01 [In fact, she's about done! Let's see what happens!] 01 [Mini Start.] 06* Moriel has not gotten used to it. At least, not the part where Eliana is painting her own blood all over the walls. Despite that, however, he's stuck around this morning. He's spent the past hour sitting perfectly silently in the middle of the cavern, watching her. 06* Eliana might notice Moriel; she might not. Either way, she hasn't acknowledged him, instead chanting softly to herself as she paints with her index finger in very exact lines, smooth curves, and sharp angles. And then, almost sixty minutes on the dot, she closes the final symbol and says the last couple of words. 06* Eliana lets out a soft sigh - even if it's forced - as she glances over her handiwork. She brings her finger up to suck the rest of the blood off of it. 06* Moriel waits a few seconds after she stops chanting, watching her carefully. Finally he says softly, "Are you finished?" 06* Eliana turns to look at Moriel, removing her finger from her mouth. "Yes." 06* Moriel looks down at his hands, folded neatly in his lap, then back up at Eliana. "I didn't wish to interrupt." 06* Eliana smirks slightly. "It's best you didn't. That particular ritual is... complicated." 06* Moriel cocks his head to one side, his expression somewhere between distant and wary. "Is it?" 01 Actually, no. I take that much time because I enjoy bleeding all over the walls. 06* Moriel snorts. "Touche." 06* Eliana walks across the cavern to where her bag is and pulls her book from it before sitting next to the candle lantern. This may well be where Moriel is. 06* Moriel shrugs. "But it is possible for a task to be lengthy without being complex." 06* Eliana laughs softly. "That's true." 01 Just the same, I appreciate your not interrupting. 06* Moriel spreads his hands. "At your service." He's still watching Eliana, simultaneously intent and careful. 06* Eliana eyebrow raises. "You always are." She opens her book and starts flipping through the pages, probably looking for where she left off. 06* Moriel watches her some more. He tenses almost imperceptibly - since he's several feet away from Eliana and she's looking at her book, she probably doesn't notice. Abruptly he says, "Why did you return my ribbon?" 06* Eliana keeps looking through her book. "It's yours." 06* Moriel grimaces. "It's a ribbon. I hardly even remembered I gave it to you." And you walked across London to give it back to me, even when you have a servant that you could have sent. 01 Whether *you* remembered is hardly an issue. 06* Eliana finds her place and then turns her attention to Moriel, saying, "I didn't want to give Jill any trouble, and I wanted to talk to you." 06* Moriel meets her gaze, eyes unreadable. "Why?" 01 Why did you give me the ribbon? 06* Moriel sits back a little. He looks as if he's considering his words very carefully. "Because...it helped you." 01 Right. Exactly. It helped me to your detriment, if only mildly. 06* Moriel frowns, considering that for a long moment. Then he sighs. "As you say. Only mildly." 06* Eliana nods. "Well. That's why I wanted to talk to you." 01 You lent me your ribbon, and I was curious as to why. 06* Moriel looks at Eliana for a moment. Then down at his hands, laced together in his lap. Then around at the walls of the cave, newly decorated in bloody script. Eventually his gaze makes it back to Eliana, and the pause lengthens as he considers what to say again. "Well. I hope you found a satisfactory answer." 06* Eliana snorts. 01 It bothers you. 06* Moriel raises his eyebrows, a faint, cool amusement turning one corner of his mouth. "What, particularly?" 06* Eliana gestures to the script on the walls. "This." And then to Moriel. "And the conversation we had when I visited your haven." 06* Moriel snorts. "Yes, the writing in blood on the walls does take some getting used to." He eyes Eliana some more, calculation turning behind his eyes. Apparently he decides to take a leaf out of her book, because he says bluntly, "And you are very intrusive." 06* Eliana stares at Moriel for a moment, then bursts out laughing. 06* Eliana keeps it up for a while before covering her mouth. "I'm sorry," she says, still maybe-giggling. 06* Moriel raises his eyebrows, unperturbed. "For laughing or for being intrusive?" 06* Eliana tries to calm down. "The... the first. Though if you'd like me to curb my intrusive tendencies, I can make an attempt." 06* Moriel thinks about it for a moment. "I expect that would be very difficult for you. It might even damage you." That was probably a joke, judging from the bright edge of humor in his eyes. "I shall try to bear with it, I suppose." 01 If you must. 06* Eliana looks back at her book, offering, "I didn't intend to make you so uncomfortable." 06* Moriel sobers instantly, the twinkle in his eyes disappearing. He lets out a breath. "As I said...I'm not much accustomed to company." 06* Eliana skims a page. "Mmm. But I doubt that's always been the case. I've spent the majority of my consciousness avoiding company." 06* Moriel thinks about this for about a breath before he twitches and deliberately forces his thoughts onto another track. "I...can understand that." 06* Eliana offers a small and bitter chuckle. "Impersonating a lady." And now her attention is fully on Moriel. "Don't you ever want to just know?" 06* Moriel considers. After a moment he says carefully, "I enjoy knowing. But I expect I don't *want* it the way you do. There are other things I want more." 06* Eliana shrugs. "Reasonable. I want to know why the ocean is blue and why there are stars in the sky. I want to know how fish breathe water and about the power in my blood." She traces the open pages of her book with her fingertips. "For the most part, others elude me. Hence my clumsiness." 06* Moriel cocks his head to one side, and a faint smile makes the corners of his eyes crinkle. "I admit I never thought to ask why the ocean is blue or why fish breathe water. But if no one is allotted strength in all things, it seems you have sufficient gifts elsewhere." 06* Eliana snorts. "No gifts appropriate for a lady." 06* Moriel goes still. "Ah. Yes. I suppose I was...fortunate, in life." 01 I'm glad for you. 06* Moriel studies Eliana. After a moment he smiles faintly. "You don't believe in charity in others, yet it exists in you." 06* Eliana raises an eyebrow. 01 In a manner of speaking. You offered a ribbon. 06* Moriel gives Eliana a blank look. "I don't see the relevance." 06* Eliana sighs. 01 Charity isn't true charity if it occurs as a debt. Your action was charity; you didn't even expect me to return your ribbon. Mine is simply reciprocation. 06* Moriel blinks. "One can *act* on a debt owed. But one can't force oneself to feel a particular way as a return on a debt. You said you were glad for me. You could have been lying, or offering a platitude, but you don't seem to have any taste for them. Besides, you returned my ribbon. If you see it as a debt, we should have been quits six months ago." 06* Eliana hms softly, then says, "I knew I liked you for a reason." 01 Do you read Farsi? 06* Moriel blinks again. And then some more. "I...do not. Is that what that language in your book is? I'd wondered." 06* Eliana nods. "The language of mathematics. Latin isn't bad, but there are civilizations far more advanced than ours." 06* Moriel, Eurocentrist that he was raised to be, looks perfectly astonished by this. "...how did you learn it, then?" 06* Eliana says, dryly, "I read a book." Pause. "Not this one, but they have a number of libraries. I spent a great deal of time cross-referencing a translation with the original work." 06* Moriel raises his eyebrows and says wryly, "I don't think most people learn languages by comparing translations of mathematical texts." 01 That text wasn't mathematical. And it was borrowed. 06* Eliana smiles, a little fondly, at the book in her lap. "This one is mine." 01 [Session End!]