A Century

"And I am perfectly willing." Aluraune said quietly, watching her. He was more than willing to finally be able to confide in someone.

Asema opened her eyes and grinned, a deadly grin. "Lovely," she said, then scooted somewhat closer. "Tell me your whole life story, then."

Aluraune blinked, slightly taken aback.

"My...Asema, now is hardly the time. It is--hell, it is ridiculous to ask something like us to recount that much time. Do not be foolish."

Asema was surprised by his profanity. She smiled, though: it made him seem a bit more real. "All right... then tell me what you remember!" she said in a chipper voice.

She leaned forward and took his hand, lacing their fingers. "Please?" she whined.

Aluraune sighed; there really was no use in trying to deny her anything. He would give in sooner or later.

"Fine, fine. Well, let's see...I know that before I met you, I was on my way back from Italy. I had heard that there were some very interesting relics related to our history. I had mostly been wandering from country to country before that--no true intentions."

"Mhm," Asema said as she watched him intently tell the story. She couldn't help but mentally squeal some over the fact that he seemed so... cute when he explained things. "And why do you want to know about our history, specifically...?"

Aluraune shrugged, looking around the cave.

"I suppose I just got...bored. Boredom, that's really it. There wasn't much to do, and I wanted to stay out of the public eye, so I just studied. There really isn't much to it."

"Oh," Asema said as she released his hand, then shifted under her dress. It pulled when she moved and she frowned. She licked her lips, not bothering with caring that teh red had become a softer shade now.

She nodded once, then laid on her back, oblivious to her dress rising up in the front. "I agree. It gets very restless... but I've been happy since I found you."

Aluraune's eyes casually scanned her--accidental?--rising dress, but he managed to let his gaze pass. A lifetime of solitude had not prepared him to handle things like this.

"It hasn't been a very exciting li--existence, really."

Asema frowned when she wasn't comfortable with the position. She raised his arm, then crawled into his lap, letting his arm back down on her midsection. "Much better," she said with a soft sigh.

Aluraune coughed, going still for a moment. If he had actually planned to go out for the day, any plans quickly left his mind--it didn't seem he would be going anywhere.

"Ah...good. I'm glad you are comfortable."

Asema smiled up at him, letting her head fall back off of his lap. "All right, all right, continue. Life story," she reminded him.

Aluraune rolled his eyes, hesitantly beginning to play with her hair; it calmed him in a strange way.

"What else do you want to know? I told you, it has not been too exciting. I just traveled--plenty of people do it."

Asema chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "Shh, love, don't get worked up now." She closed her eyes, the feeling of his fingers in her hair calming her some as well. "Hm... have you ever loved before?"

His fingers stopped--only momentarily--but he picked up pace again. He had figured that question might come up sooner or later.

"Well, not really; I tried to avoid others as much as I could. The most that eve happened was coming into contact with some mortal who had these morbid romantic fantasies about our kind--but, that's really about it."

Asema chuckled quietly. She recalled him wanting to be away from her once they first met. She took his hand from her hair and stared at his pale skin.

Aluraune looked down, eying her curiously.

"May I help you with something?"

"Hmm?" Asema tried with a small smile. She dropped his hand, then looked up at him. "Oh, no, I was just examining your hand."

"It's not that much different from your own. You act like it is something special."

"It is something special," she said quietly as she picked it up again. "I've not found one thing about you that I don't like, Aluraune..."

Aluraune laughed at that--he had a hard time believing that there was nothing wrong with him.

"You must have met very little of our kind, then."

"I've met plenty, of every kind," she replied fairly and let his hand drop once more. "I just... fancy you the most."

Aluraune blinked again.

"Me?...why? We have not known one another too long. Why me?"

"I'm not sure. With everyone, I've found a fault I can't ignore, but with you... I've found none that I can't ignore."

Asema glanced up at him to see his reaction.

Aluraune looked away, trying to avert her gaze.

"You talk too much, you know that?" he said, trying to sound aggressive, but failing.