since the reunion with Seph, a restlessness has buried itself beneath Yarra’s skin, as tends to happen after an encounter with her brother. he’s just so…smug. so ungrateful. they travel all this way to stand at his side, and he turns his nose up at them? has the audacity to question their presence? a snarl builds in her throat, and Yarra stamps down particularly harsh on a stray piece of bark, relishing in the way it splinters beneath her claws. for a moment she imagines Seph scattered in a myriad of tiny pieces, and a smirk curves across her face. it’d serve him right. "Speech"

In the days following the little gathering she hadn’t consented to attend- but be damned if she had been asked to leave it. Things began falling into more of a predictable rhythm. While there was more of a presence of Sephiran and his family in the Polar Sound, she still kept mostly to herself. She preferred it that way; while she didn’t go out of her way to attract trouble, it still seemed to find her easily enough. As she adjusted to the new reality and whatever it was that Sephiran had come to represent, she found that her daily routine largely consisted of walking aimlessly from one end of the Polar Sound to the other and back again lost in her own thoughts. It wouldn't be long before she attempted another sacrifice, it was just finding the proper way to do it. Not that she had been led to believe there was an incorrect way to take one's own life. But it seemed a cliff dive wasn't a method that was acceptable- not to her goddess, at least.

Lost in the fantasies of death, she hadn’t realized that she had wandered up on someone until she heard the snarls coming from a feminine voice … directed at a … stick? Blinking her thoughts away, it only took her a moment to recognize Sephiran’s sister. “Is it all sticks? Or just that particular one that upset you?” Aurelia asked with a tilt to her head, and an amused smirk that tucked at her lips. What a peculiar individual.

"Aurelia Veratti"

that voice. despite it only being their second meeting, Yarra recognises the sweet lilting tones of that voice, head snapping around to meet a pair of bright blue eyes. heat fills her veins, bringing an abrupt flush to her face and the skin about her ears. it’s contrasted rather sharply with her stoic expression, which travels impassively over Aurelia in an attempt to seem nonchalant. gods, she’s a beauty - so stunning it almost hurts to look at her, like staring directly into the sun. “only those shaped like Sephiran,” she snorts, a sharp grin pulling at her mouth. “this stick in particular seemed to capture the…rather bulbous shape of his head.” mischief dances in her eyes, alongside a probing curiosity. this girl seems to be Seph’s plaything, and clearly isn’t a pushover - but perhaps she harbours fondness for Yarra’s brother, in which case she may feel the need to defend him. “we didn’t get a chance to properly acquaint ourselves.” she inclines her head, affecting a charming smile. “Yarrabelle Saxe, at your service.” "Speech"

Aurelia's lips curved into an amused smile as she listened to Yarra's explanation, her eyes flickering with amusement. "Well, it is very generous of you to find his likeness in sticks. I wouldn't want to touch the things that remind me of him.” She answered with a breathy chuckle, her sapphire gaze lingering on Yarrabelle as she introduced herself. She can't help but to notice the way Yarra's eyes roam over her, and the intense heat emanating from her gaze, almost palpable.It's a look that she recognizes- it must run in the family. The threat of shivers is sent down her spine, and she finds herself caught off guard by the charge of attraction. Or perhaps it's just the manifestation of tension- intriguing no less. 

Despite herself, she maintains the smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Aurelia Veratti,” she purred on a light breath, while making a display of offering an exaggerated dip of her head. "Have you had the opportunity to settle in?” Aurelia asked lightly- not that she particularly cared. It just served as an outlet to keep the other girl talking. The topic didn't necessarily matter.

"Aurelia Veratti"

Yarra dips her head in agreement, lips twitching with suppressed laughter. not so fond of him, then. she can certainly empathise. and yet, there's a hint of resignation when she speaks, a sigh that speaks of grievances long endured. "he is my brother, for better or worse. i can not help but be reminded of him." a presence as domineering as Seph, whose ambitions she has promised to help achieve? he is inescapable, a long shadow falling across her most sunlit of moments. case in point? this truly captivating creature, who bears Sephiran's mark so completely he might as well be glued to her side. sigh...why does her brother get all the pretty girls? "Aurelia," Yarra croons, relishing every syllable as it rolls off her tongue. "a name as lovely as the woman attached to it. how fitting." questions swirl through her the longer gazes upon her companion, though she knows better than to ask them. how did Aurelia come to know Seph? why does she stay, when she seems to dislike him so? is she his prisoner? her mind flits back to her reunion with Seph, his blatant jealousy and possessiveness. she belongs to me. none of you will touch her. typical of her brutish brother - and so unfair. hadn't he ever learned to share? no, came the immediate answer. he really hadn't. "more or less. the cold might take a while to fully adjust to." she lets her gaze settle heavily on the other woman, lets the heat of it sear into her pelt; there is no mistaking her attraction. "and what of you, sweetling? looks like my brother has played a little too rough with you." she dares a step closer, hips swaying in time with her rhythmic step. "father never taught him how to make nice with women, you see. me, on other hand..." "Speech"

Aurelia's name almost resonated in the space between them, delivered in a low, velvety purr that seemed effortless for Yarrabelle Saxe. Though, she couldn't help but feel the warmth of the compliment was meant to lull her into a false sense of security. It left her wondering if Sephiran's sister had her own unique way of manipulating and playing with other's minds. Or maybe she was just paranoid. “You are far too kind Yarrabelle,” Aurelia replied with a sly grin, her eyes sparkling with playful curiosity. It was hard not to be drawn in by the aura the other fae projected, but as long as the stakes were low, Aurelia would allow herself to indulge.

She nodded along with the answer to her prompt of pleasantries. The cold could be most unpleasant. But Yarrabelle clearly wasn't content to linger on boring detail. What of you, sweetling? “Ahh, well. Your brother does have a certain … exuberance when it comes to playtime,” she answered with a wry half-smirk.  “Rest assured, though, I never make it easy for him.” She couldn't help but allow her attention to be stolen by the sway of her company's stride as she so casually closed the space between them. But it only lasted for a moment before Aurelia's sapphire gaze returned to hear Yarra go on about her father. “As for what your … lessons entailed. You have my attention. Care to enlighten me with a demonstration?” The distance between them was quickly closing, and she couldn't help but adopt a lower tone as the piercing emerald gaze that seemed to ensnare her soul. Her mind had been left reeling. How had they gotten here?

"Aurelia Veratti"

oh, Yarra thinks, though the notion is distant, i might just be in trouble here. every second in the presence of this divine little creature is like a personal challenge to the Saxe woman, urging her to cross boundaries she knows she ought not to. her status as Seph’s blood might provide her a touch of leeway where others would find only brutality, but she’s fully aware of just how nasty the consequences would be if she chose to violate her brother’s claim. even the faintest of touches would be perceived as a challenge. and Uncle Rhaz, though he cares for her, is Sephiran’s man through and through. if Seph asked it of him, he’d drag her to the gallows for her brother to hang - and he’d perceive it as justice, too, since Seph had given them all fair warning. she knows this, and yet still she craves the woman before her. perhaps that is her goal? perhaps she aims to destroy Seph’s trust in Yarra by tempting into betraying him? tricky little minx. “they’re not difficult lessons,” Yarra murmurs, and they’re close enough that she can feel Aurelia’s breath mist across her face. “they just require a…devoted student.” she shifts forward until they’re an inch apart, and stares the woman down with those venomous eyes, tracking her every movement with all the attention of a snake tracking its prey. like a snake she wants to stick out her tongue and and taste her, wants to pull a litany of sounds from her throat, wants to mark her up the way Sephiran has done until all traces of him have been washed away. but they’re fleeting impulses, and above all else, she dare not incur his wraith. it doesn’t halt the words that spill from her tongue, though. “tell me, gorgeous - have you ever been touched for the sheer pleasure of it? has anyone ever devoted themselves to you, fallen to their knees for you and worshipped you as though they were an acolyte and you their goddess? have you ever felt the sheer ecstasy of another’s body intertwined with yours, lost in the carnality and fire of each other’s sin?” her words are mere cobwebs of a thing, dancing delicately in the wind, easily cast aside should Aurelia desire it. “sex, my dear - it needn’t be a brutish exertion of power. it needn’t be violence and blood.” "Speech"

Aurelia's breath caught in her throat as Yarrabelle moved closer, her words dripping with a seductive allure that sent shivers down her spine. She knew the risks, understood the consequences, but the primal desire within her was impossible to ignore. The tantalizing prospect of surrendering to Yarra's whispered promises of pleasure was too tempting to resist. With a slow, deliberate movement, Aurelia leaned in closer until they were dangerously close to one another. The air between them was charged with electricity, their eyes locked in a dangerous game of desire. In a barely audible whisper, Aurelia responded to the question posed with husky anticipation. "No,” she replied, savoring the suspense that hung heavy in the air. "I have never before encountered such unwavering devotion.” A thrill coursed through her body as she hesitated at the threshold of succumbing to the temptation before her, knowing that there would be no turning back if the continued much further. The pounding of her heart echoed in her ears, a physical manifestation of the surge of adrenaline that flooded her veins. With every fiber of her being, Aurelia dared to surrender herself to the all-consuming passion that enveloped them both, as she was nearly lost in the intoxication of their forbidden desires.

For some reason she trusted Yarrabelle Saxe. Perhaps it was a foolish thing to do so. "Yarra,” Aurelia whispered, her voice barely audible above the pounding of her heart. "I cannot deny the yearning that burns within. But we tread on treacherous ground. My body has been weaponized against me, every touch laced with manipulation and control. I would not know what to do in the embrace of a lover who seeks out my pleasure, my liberation.” Aurelia loathed the idea of exposing herself for vulnerability. Why was she doing it? What was this trance that she was trapped within?

"Aurelia Veratti"

they seem to have woven a spell between the two of them, a treacherous combination of desire and curiosity and pure need. in this moment, if Aurelia were to reveal herself as a sorceress, Yarra would be inclined to believe her. how else can such raw, carnal energy be explained? why else is she so tempted to throw caution to the wind and earn the ire of her eldest brother? it’s not reasonable - but then not many of Yarra’s impulses are. all she knows is that this spell-binding woman must have been placed before her as some kind of challenge, temptation incarnate, the very culmination of all her desires. Yarra feels suspended above a cliff, poised on the very edge and one step away from throwing herself headfirst into the waves below. and judging by the look in Aurelia’s eye, she feels a similar way. “in another life,” she muses, and there’s such clear longing in her voice it is almost tangible, “i would delight in being the one to show you such devotion. i would lay my tongue and teeth and claws at your feet to do with what you wanted; i would be your willing servant, pledging myself to the pursuit of your pleasure. i would live to bring you to the brink of ecstasy again and again, until all memories of my brute of a brother were thoroughly scrubbed from your mind.” such a tantalising fantasy, so alluring she almost drools at the thought. alas, Aurelia’s words bring her back down to earth, an unpleasant and yet crucial reminder. that sex has been weaponised against her, a torment designed to allow her no pleasure or agency…the very thought turns her stomach sour. “for that, i am sorry,” Yarra says, soft and genuine. “no woman should ever be brutalised in such a way.” so rarely does the Saxe woman apologise for anything, and never earnestly. but despite everything, she finds herself wanting to wrest this woman from her brother’s clutches…if only for her own selfish reasons. “i wish to offer you this, darling: a favour. i do not give them lightly.” she paces a few steps away, putting some much needed distance between them. any closer and Yarra truly might not’ve been able to control herself. “if ever you find yourself in need of my assistance, whatever it may look like, call for me. i promise you i will answer.” it’d be a violation of the Saxe name to move against her brother, but perhaps she can help in some small way in the future. "Speech"

Aurelia's gaze lingered on Yarrabelle, a mixture of gratitude and understanding reflected in her sapphire eyes. "What a life that would be." Aurelia echoed lightly- the note of longing easily heard. But as the intoxicating spell between them seemed to wane, she took a step back, giving both of them the breathing space they desperately needed, she wanted to offer reassurance. The last thing she wanted was for Yarrabelle to fill sorry for her. "No need for apologies, dear Yarra," Aurelia responded, her voice carrying a noticeably brighter  cadence. "I am a tough one. I manage just fine amidst the challenges thrown my way." A wry smile played on her lips, acknowledging the strength that dwelled within her despite the trials she faced.

The offer of a favor didn't go unnoticed, and Aurelia's expression softened with genuine appreciation. "Your offer is kind, and I'm grateful for it. However, I would like to when we meet again, it is without the need for such pretenses. Perhaps in a setting where the complexities of our lives don't demand us to seek aid from one another." Her words carried a sense of yearning for a simpler connection, free from the shadows that loomed over their current circumstances. "And perhaps we can become more familiar." She finished, with a mischievous smirk and a casual wink.

With a final lingering look, Aurelia stepped back, creating a bit more distance between them. The unspoken tension lingered in the air, but she couldn't deny the magnetic pull that drew her to Yarrabelle Saxe. "Until next time, Yarra." She concluded lightly. Sure that if she was gone for much longer, Sephiran would come looking. And she didn't want to cause trouble for her new acquaintance. As she turned away, she couldn't help but think of what their next encounter might look like. And she was eager for it.

[exit Aurelia unless stopped]
"Aurelia Veratti"