Indigo and Red (closed to Mari)

[Astrophel]

For once, in Knife's Edge, the weather was good.

A soft breeze swam in from the harbour, bringing with it a salty chill air that filtered through the crevices and streets. But the white sun hung high in the cloudless sky, singing down its glory to the people of the usually snow-filled land. For today there was merely just the hint of freeze, with the cobblestones highlighted in only a faint cobweb of frost. The lintels of doorways were clean from snow, and the thatch of the older buildings was drying under the heat. Crows flew from dock to public house, darkening the pale skies just briefly with their jet palour, only to merge with the dullness of the brickwork. They cawed a new day, a new dawn, and carried on the will of their particular gods - be that the sun, the wind, the rubbish heap or the midden - collecting and discovering.

One particular fine crow, with a greying head and a white tip to his left wing, was down an alley this day. He was following the scent of a certain old sack of potatoes, taken from a ship on the harbour and brought down this way to be disposed of. A hulking figure, with great broad shoulders and an uneven temprement had the sack of the moulding tuberous crop slung over his shoulder. As he walked he sang with a raspy voice about a maiden fair whom he could never get in the real world. The grey-headed crow fluttered from one side of the street to the other, trying to be as stealthy and silent as possible as he waited for the potatoes to be dropped.

Then there was a hiccup. A mistake. Years of freeze and shaking people had left the back streets of Knife's Edge very under-kept, with dirt and homeslessness filling them up. Drains leaked, sewers overran, and in this particular place a large cobble stone jutted out where it should not be. After it came a dip, a pothole, and it was over and down this obstacle that the sack-carrier tripped, causing him, just for a moment, loosen his hold on the potatoes.

Desperately the crow thought this was his chance, and he flew down like the scavenger he is, ready to sieze the first thing to slip out of the sack. Claws went down, beak opened for a defiant croon, wings angled rightly to take the wind's current - but to no avail. His enemy, the sack-carrier, shifted his hold just as fast, and continued on, though limping slightly, and allowed only one item to fall. As the crow saw it fall with a soft 'clunk' and landed by it to watch it carefully, he knew that it was not a potato, and it was not food. Anxiously, even so, he pecked at it, and only received the chill and hardness of burnished clay back.

Unsatisfied, the crow flew off, but left his potential prize.

A dirty clay teapot, unbroken and inedible, with a small mark of an 'x' on one side, lying in the middle of the street.

[Mari]

Amari would have stepped on it, if she had not seen it tumble from the sack herself. "What the?" She nudged it with her foot. It looked to be an old teapot. No. Incredibly old decrepit teapot. As Amari rolled it to and fro with her heel she noticed a small 'X' on its side. "What kind of dumb ass decoration is that?" She asked herself, pulling out a small square of linen from her pocket to pick it up with.

Amari bent down and picked up the pot between thumb and forefinger. It looked like garbage. "Pretty sure dumb shits pay pretty pennies for things like this." She mused to herself. Tri-coloured eyes inspecting it closer. The Clay pot was unassuming and dusty. Amari didn't want to touch it with her bare hands at least not before soaking it in hot water first. "Eh.." She shrugged and wrapped it as best as she could with the cloth before hefting it under her arm.

Amari was returning to the inn from a small meeting, a few 'recruit's for the Crimson Hand, well 'her idea of the Crimson Hand. Suffice to say, they did not make the cut. Amari figured she may as well clean up the trinket there.

Amari returned to the inn, climbing the wooden stairs. She swung open the door of her room with a bump of her hip. Amari turned and shut the door with her foot, and clicked the lock shut with her elbow.

She headed toward the basin and sat the pot in there. She ran boiling water over it. The dirt and grime began to melt away from the heat, rising steam and the pressure of the water. "Thank the gods for the water pressure here..." Amari mused to herself.

Once the pot was relatively 'clean' she wrapped it up in the cloth and began to rub it dry as she headed over to the bed, coverd in plush linen and newly acquired furs, another reason she had ventured into the capital.

"Lessie..." The pot was still hot to the touch, it tingled her skin when she pressed her finger against it. She brushed her thumb over the 'X' to see if it was painted on - but it seemed to be baked onto the clay.

"Wonder how much this is worth..."

[Astrophel]

Gasp.

Breathe my friend. Breathe. Suck in air and let it out and ...

Within the clay she could still feel. Though things were ... dulled by the thick wall of material surrounding her immaterial nature. It was like a border between two worlds or two lives. You knew the other side was there, but you could not see nor comprehend it completely. The swirling aether that made up the slight and thoughtful form of Astrophel swam with a nervous dispoition, wondering exactly what was going on as she felt herself transferred from one site to another. Before there had been shouts, the familiar noises of the ship that Herandira had taken her on, then there had been thuds and the sound of the sea had finally died away. After so long. It had been months on that boat, months of Herandira saying "sleep with this guy," "no, sleep with me," "wait, can you get me pudding," then, "wait ... can you get back in your pot?"

And then there had been the heat. Sudden, direct, inconsoliable heat - which was very unlike Astrophel's merchant master to do. She knew Astrophel felt it when the teapot was washed, she knew it made her incoporeal form shiver and feel pain like it was burning her physically. She knew it was a shock, so then why did she dunk her in so much hot stuff?

Before Astrophel had time to answer that question she was summoned. Flesh ran across the seal, calling her out. It was strange, though. Usually Herandira used her voice, and vocally told Astrophel to make herself physical so that she could do whatever silly sailor task needed to be done then. Once she had touched the seal once the connection had been made between djinn and master, so why did -

As her form gathered together into the small and young form of the girl that Astrophel always liked to take - the girl looking around fifteen years, with the light blue dress, long indigo hair and the small black cuffs around her wrists and neck she had to wear as a symbol of her work - she paused. She breathed. And gasped. Her eyes widened as she gazed directly at the person before her, the being that was ... well had red hair, not greying brown like Herandira, and was shorter, had multi-faceted eyes and - and - well. Was completely in the wrong place.

Astrophel blinked and took a moment to look around the small room she was in. There were windows, looking out to a town. There was a chill in the air, and the sounds of livliness downstairs. There was heat rising from a hot water pot near a fire - very likely the cuplrit of her pain and - and.

Well. Her teapot was in this girl's hands. Not in Herandira's. And by the distance of the left thumb and the tea pot rim, it was very likely that she had touched the seal.

Astrophel's heart sank slightly and she let out a quiet curse before sinking into the formal curtsey of how she addressed every new owner of her vessel.

"Master," she mumbled, wondering how on earth Herandira could have given the pot away like this, "Your will is mine."

[Mari]

It was so sudden Amari wasn't entirely sure how to process it. One moment she was messing around with an old decrepit pot, the next - a girl stood in front of her.

The girl had long, flowing indigo hair. It shifted with the sudden movement before resting neatly against her pale skin like a silken curtain, not a strand out of place. Her skin looked as though the sun had never gently kissed it, and that she instead - were caressed by the illuminating moonlight. Her eyes, pitiless and entirely black glanced around the tiny room. She seemed just as confused as Amari was. Amari's own eyes glanced down the tiny girls skinny form, she wore flowing blue garb, it looked as though the silken hues of blue and white were some sort of vestment, but to what, Amari did not know. The girl was barefoot, and she shifted awkwardly.

Amari's ears perked as she thought she had caught small, whispered profanities lilting up from the girl in a strange, thick accent. The petite teenager bowed, low and sweeping, her hair spilling over her bare shoulders.

"Master, your will is mine."

The strange words in an even stranger accent snapped Amari out of her dazed state. "What?" Amari's own voice was filled with alarm, and shock. After all, some strange little girl just managed to make her way into the room. Amari's brows furrowed at the term 'Master' Amari did not like being called such a thing. She had spent months convincing Noel to stop calling her Mistress.

"Who are you?" The words left Amari's lips in a low growl as Amari allowed the pot to fall to the bed. Her form tensed, ready to shift in case of some form of surprise attack.

"Answer very carefully." Her words were filled with a dangerous venom. Amari did not like violence, but if her own well being were threatened, she would not hesitate.

[Astrophel]

The young woman froze, her black eyes enlargening and turning into a form of a frightened stare. As the red-haired lady lowered herself into a fighting crouch Astrophel thought of instantly going back into the aether and running back to her teapot. At least in her teapot she was safe. Safe until someone else got a hold of the cursed thing and decided to use her for an evil scheme of theirs.

She blinked slowly, and then realised that this female was just as confused as her. Just as lost as her, and just as potentially vulnerable. Or maybe not. After all, if it came to a fight Astrophel could just go and hide again. Bye bye. See you later.

She nibbled her lip and put up her hands to show she wasn't holding anything. At the moment at least. She could kill for a cup of black tea with lemon.

"I said 'your will is mine,'" she squeaked, generally threatened. "You got my teapot and - and well. I'm here. Which is..."

She saw that the red head had no idea what she was talking about. Of course Astrophel knew she was away from her country. Alteron was a vast way over the sea, months away as far as she knew and as far as the trip had gone. It was possible that perhaps she had been lost somewhere on the journey somehow, because she was sure that Herandira would not ever sell her vessel. She was also fiercely protective of it and allowed it very much to never fall into other hands.

Then a thing struck Astrophel. As far as they had come, as far as the ocean had carried them there was no sign to say that they had come to a place that was wildly foreign. As her eyes relaxed a little and her pose did she felt a wave of understanding come over her as she spoke.

"I'm... I'm a djinn, master," she said quietly, "Which I don't think you have here. Sorry. But ... But I'm yours now. To do with as you wish."

[Mari]

Amari relaxed her stance, seeing that the girl didn't pose an immediate threat. She wasn't going to completely lower her guard however. Since what the girl was saying seemed completely....ridiculous. It made no sense to the red haired woman.

"To do with as I wish?" Amari asked incredulously. She had no idea what a Djinn was. "So, if I were to order you too...." Amari trailed off. Her eyes darting around the room. She had to think of something, something that someone would not normally do without reservation. Her eyes landed on a protruding nail on the door frame. Two inches long, it's tip rusted and jagged. "I order you to slam your palm on te tip of that rusty nail." Amari said, pointing toward the nail behind the strange girl.

The girl glanced back, and upon seeing the nail looked back to Amari. Black eyes wide in alarm. "Y-Yes Master." She headed over to the nail and rose her hand as if to strike it.

Holy mother of goddamned fuckin' crazy bitches the kids gonna do it

Amari leapt off the bed and in two quick steps she grabbed the girls wrist tightly, just before she struck the nail. "Are you fuckin' insane?" She hissed.

"Y-You're my Master..." The girl whispered, her eyes shifting to the floor.

"I don't believe this..." Amari muttered. "Don't hit your palm on that nail." Amari said for good measure, just in case the girl, Djinn, or whatever would go ahead and complete the ridiculous command. She let go of the girls wrist and took a step back rubbing her temples. "This is fuckin' ridiculous. You're telling me...you, live in that dinky ass clay pot?" The girl nodded, "And me having posession of that pot means I have possession over you?" She nodded again.

"This is some Madison grade bullshit right here." Amari mumbled. Still massaging her head. "At least we speak the same language...somewhat. That's a thick ass accent you have there...." Amari paused, "Whats your name?"

"Astrophel, Master." The girl squeked.

"Right. Astrophel." Amari responded. It felt jarring to hear herself constantly being refereed to as a Master. It didn't sit well with the woman. "Don't call me that." Amari snapped. "Ugh...I need a drink. Tea or something, this is too surreal." Amari sat back down on the bed. Still trying to process the turn of events.

[Astrophel]

Astrophel's ears picked up at the sound of, 'I need a drink.' The thought passed through her mind of black tea with lemon, exactly what she had considered before. Nibbling her lip again she watched the girl who was her master, but didn't want to be called her master. Padding her bare feet and picking at the hem of her right cuff she paused before nodding a little.

"I will go get you a drink," she announced, and with that she turned and wandered out of the little room.

There was a door, a large wooden thing and beyond that Astrophel found a funny winding staircase, with a strange sudden cut to the right in it. Her brows furrowed as she followed this peculiar piece of architecture down to the lively noises. In Alteron they built staircases straight and sure, not this funny perpendicular turn. If you couldn't fit a staircase into a place... Why. Put it elsewhere, the djinn thought.

She came down to what could only be described a public house. These at least Astrophel recognised. It was more boisterous and wretched than those in Alteron - overall she had discovered that her home just was... More civilised, and she then walked over to the bar.

It was then the thought struck her that the barman may not like serving a young child and so she pulled herself up to more of a height, not caring if anyone stared. After all, shapeshifting was normal - right?

She couldn't be sure here. A blink from a barman and a sweet smile from her later and she was walking away with a cup of black tea with lemon, stunning everyone for asking for a non-acoholic drink.

Coming back up the odd stairs she held out the tea to her new master and remained as the older version of herself whilst wild murmurs began to rise from below. As she offered the drink with a smile and, "You wanted a drink?" Shouts arose and numerous shocked gasps.

[Mari]

Astrophel announced that she was going to get a drink, and before Amari could tell her to stay, she was out the door with a turn of her dainty bare feet and the whip of her flowing locks. The door clicked close and Amari could hear the faint footfalls disappear, drowned out by the ambient noises below.

The red-haired woman was still reeling, trying to piece it all together. She had no idea what a Djinn was. Look at his logically Amari. Do what Master says, take it one damn thing at a time...

Amari had touched and rubbed the teapot, but nothing happened till she rubbed her finger on the 'X' so it must have been some sort of sigil. Similar to the one on her back. The teapot, was the vessel in which the young girl lived. She seemed adamant on serving Amari, so Amari had to assume that the mark also acted as some sort of contract.

Amari took a deep breath, and exhaled. Feeling a little better about the situation now she had more of a grasp on it.

Or so she thought.

Her door opened again and in came the little girl. Only...she wasn't so little anymore. It was very clearly the same child...girl...woman...from before, but she looked different. Older. The hell is this creature?

Amari's tri coloured eyes glanced up and down, from the slip of a milken white thigh to the curvature of a now bountiful and near exposed chest. The Djinn's lips were full in a slightly glossed pout, her pitiless black eyes eyes stared innocently back at Amari from under long and full lashes. Her lips turned up into the slightest of smiles. Soft voice, still spoken with the curious and thick accent.

"You wanted a drink?"

Astrophel gently placed the teapot and the single cup on the bedside table, with a practised motion she poured the tea and offered it to Amari. She lowered her head in a small bow and her hair spilled smoothly over her porcelain shoulders. Amari forced herself to glance down at the tea. Her nose wrinkled, it seemed to be a black tea with strong hints of lemon. "Mmm...I would have preferred Jasmine myself." Amari said to herself. Not meaning to insult the girl or her offering.

"You drink it first." Amari said. Shifting her gaze up to Astrophel who straightened her back. Her startled motion shifted the teacup, but she was adept enough to not spill a single drop. "E-excuse me, Master?"

"You heard me." Amari said, turning her attention to the kettle. She opened up the lid and glanced inside. Nothing but tea leaves and lemon slices. "You heard me. I want you to drink the first cup. I'd rather ensure you did nothing to it. I have a lot of enemies, Astrophel. I can't be sure that you are not one of them."

[Astrophel]

She bit her lip and nodded, leaning forwards to gently take the pot. Holding it with expert care and with much ceremony she leant forwards to pour a moderate amount into the cup. Pausing for a moment she gently reached to take it between her long tanned fingers and very carefully raised it to her lips and sipped.

Gently, she lowered it back down and then took a step back.

"I apologise if it is not to your liking, master," she said, tipping her head slightly to the side.

As an older version of herself, Astrophel often found she acted slightly different. Her innocent eyes were still there, and the act of being a pretty being, obedient and genteel - but the age gave her something else. An edge, a fire, that her younger form seemed to never take up. It was the same person, same body that she imagined (except perhaps with more curves), but with the maturity her confidence grew. Her hip stuck out as she stood and walked, her attitude was a little more provactive, and her attention to detail was exaggerated. Altogether her skill at seduction was increased and she found herself simply longing to be a little more desired than her younger form allowed and could get away with, finding she enjoyed the attention, if she was honest.

She could feel the eyes burning on her as she revealed no ill effects of the drink. Hesitantly Amari placed out a slow hand and took up the tea, still with some incredulousity in her gaze. Remaining there still, Astrophel smiled just the littlest bit and actually allowed herself to shrink a little, letting the hair flow longer and more wild as she went back to the young girl.

"I hope you enjoy it," she said gently, bringing her hands together. Her thumbs twitched, fingers fidgeted. Still, she was nervous, still she wondered what had happened to Herandira.

"I am sorry if you don't."

[Mari]

"You know Master is a masculine term right?" Amari muttered before taking a sip of the black tea. She wrinkled her nose at the taste. "If you insist on fuckin' calling me such a thing at least use the right honorific." Amari sighed as she swirled the remnants of the tea in the small cup watching as the black liquid sloshed around. "The tea is a little too bitter, it's been brewed too long. It's also got far too much sugar for my liking no doubt it was to compensate for the bitterness. Although that's not your fault. You're not the one who made it. You simply fetched it." Amari rose her eyes to see that Astrophel had returned to her more juvenile form.

"I don't think I'll get over that whole shapeshifting thing you're doing." She muttered as she stood, placing the cup on the wooden dressing table. The red headed woman approached Astrophel with silent steps as her feet landed on plush carpet. The djinn seemed to cower and take two steps back. Amari quirked her brow at this curious as to what would illicit such fear. "Have people hurt you?" Amari asked as she reached out to let her fingers gently fall through the curtain of indigo locks. "Tell me about a few of your previous 'Masters' surely being in servitude alone hasn't made you so timid. I should know. I serve someone myself."