Beneath The Mask

[Zavine]

Zavine felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of another possible Ar’Tuel. She hadn’t heard the name uttered in such a long time, she knew previous owners had sought out others with little luck and Zavine was worried that many of her kind had met a similar fate.

Zavine clutched at the itchy blanket around her shoulders, holding it tighter around her exposed form.

Ar’Tuel? Red doesn’t sound like an Ar’Tuel name. How can she be sure?

“Are y-you sure… she is one?” Zavine asked, feeling skeptical, but at the same time hoping that Samantha was not wrong and that this ‘red’ person really was an Ar’Tuel.

“Red isn’t her name, it’s what her Master calls her,” Samantha replied as she moved the chair sitting in his backwards. Resting her arms on the back and her chin upon the cloth covered arms she met Zavine’s gaze, “She said she was a reincarnation, and she healed me just like you did in the ship's hull. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but then the mark, she has one at the small of her back that’s kinda similar to yours. I don’t know much beyond that, I mean we only just met, I doubt we were gonna just give our deepest darkest secrets to each other.”

Her words made sense, Zavine knew many Ar’Tuel would reincarnate, she would herself if experiments didn’t force her being to become physical. There was so much information to take in. Why would Samantha want her heart to die? Zavine understood it was a metaphorical statement, but to say such a thing? Zavine rubbed her throat, it was slowly feeling better. Should she chance singing? Zavine often found that singing calmed her down, and those around her.

Zavine pushed herself up off the bed and sat down on the ground, resting her back against the chair Samantha sat on. Zavine took a few deep breaths before a soft tune began to fill the room. Starting slow and quiet, interrupted by the odd struggling cough her song rose in volume. A song passed down from the elders, a lullaby, and one of the only ways Zavine felt she could calm Samantha's turbulent heart.

[Lavinian Dementia]

She rose up listening to the song with rapt attention. Her eyes drifted shut to enjoy the melody, her body seeming to relax. Sam felt tears well in her eyes as she was reminded of the times she woke with nightmares when she was younger. Still she kept herself from wallowing in sadness as she listened to the song.

The Warden opened her eyes when she felt she had a feel for the melody and gave Zavine a brave smile, “That was...amazing...you sing well.”

Zavine fell into a fit of coughs, then silence. She tilted her head upward, cerulean eyes ever silently staring at Samantha. There was always a long pause between that gaze and an answer. It disturbed her, but Sam also knew that it wasn't intentional and was probably because of her incarceration.

“I wanted you to feel better.”

She nodded before she said, “Reminded me of the times my mom used to sing me to sleep when I was a child. It was comforting, that was before I had started schooling at temple…”

She looked down, guilt gripping her heart at those words. She hadn’t thought of her birth mother in quite some time. In many ways the Dark Mother had taken her place. Still, the few times her mother had been present in her life had been some of her fondest memories. For the most part Samantha considered her uncle Taviri more a parent than her actual mother. Realizing she was tired she stretched her lithe form and yawned.

“I'm sorry Zavine, I need to sleep. I'm just too tired from today, entirely too many thoughts and emotions flying through my mind…” Samantha said softly. She moved to the bed and sat down heavily next to the girl before she removed her boots and looked over at her roommate, “I didn't even stop to ask, do you even sleep? Red does, but you aren't like Red…”

“I don’t need to, but I can.” Zavine said as she watched Samantha. Zavine headed to the bed, and carefully aided Samantha in tucking her in, removing the blanket from her form. Zavine headed to the corner and picked up her suit and began to wriggle back into it.

Samantha frowned sitting up, “What are you doing?”

“It is cold.” Zavine said, “I contemplated joining you but you do not seem to like physical contact.”

Samantha sighed before she said, “It's not that…” she grasped air trying to explain, “It's just my head and hair...if you just laid beside me it would be different. I promise.”

“If that is what you wish.” Zavine said as she dropped the suit and headed to the bed, crawling into the spare space. Samantha moved to allow her to fit comfortably on the bed. Her arm draped around the Ar’Tuel gently.

“Thank you,” she muttered, looking down on the girl.

Zavine responded in turn, and Samantha found herself cosying up into the crook of the Ar’Tuel’s neck. She gave off an incredibly calming warmth, much like Red, “You are welcome.”

It calmed her anger, it took the sting off her father's betrayal, and the loss of her freedom didn't hurt as bad. Samantha felt a warmth that she needed, as she curled against Zavine's form, almost clinging to her. She realized what was happening and said softly, “Just tell me if I'm getting too handsy.”

The Ar’Tuel gently shook her head. “I like this. I like the warmth, and I enjoy your company. You should rest.” Sam nodded and yawned before she passed out, the emotional rollercoaster finally hitting an end. She relished Zavine's warmth, it was the closest to home she had ever gotten.