The Simple Things, Tag - Fille

[Amisi Shoban]

Sunday, April 7th, Mid Afternoon

Most people failed to appreciate the art left behind by those before them, particularly amidst the tall city buildings and bustling crowds. Here and there were impressive works, from the fine architecture to the sculptures that still stood as they had years ago along the busy streets. They were beautiful, just often overlooked.

Amisi was not one of the people, part of the minority that did take the time to stop and enjoy the sites along her path as she completed her errands. In fact, she often found herself distracted, wasting time admiring the details around her. To her, it was anything but a waste of time, but instead a much more useful way to spend her afternoon than completing mindless tasks that could be left for later.

Today was one of those things she probably should have been focusing her time on checking of her to do list, but most of it was not at all crucial. It had been an hour or so since she had last glanced at the piece of paper, the only hint of her true reason wandering this part of town being a plastic bag that hung from the crook of her elbow, swinging lightly as she walked, brushing against her side.

Exams were drawing closer, or at least closer in Amisi’s opinion. There was much to prepare, but because of her early productiveness, she felt in no hurry to start preparations. As long as she gave herself two weeks to study, she figured she would end up okay. Her classes were fairly easy this semester, even if she was already taking some upper level courses.

Amisi paused, blue eyes flitting over a copper structure in the middle of a small plaza. It was a hand, the fingers clearly defined, even a trace of their prints etched into the smooth surface. Following the fingers to the palm, the hand softly curved into a doe, its delicate head positioned where the wrist would have attached. She reached out, unable to resist running her fingertips across the large sculpture as she glanced down at the inscription on the stand where the work was mounted.

Hand of Peace. Well, that was certainly fitting, as Amisi instantly recognized the symbolism presented before her.

[Fille Wynne]

Humanity as a whole had fallen.

In the Golden Era, where she would have been Queen, there was none of this… this. The people of this era were bought and sold by the lies they were fed, in a series of worlds where one day a man could be a hero and the next he was being executed for treason against the government. This world no longer had the pulse of magic, of truth, of feeling that it had once had – and that was a shameful thing. When she became Queen, the magic would return. The truth, no matter how ugly, would return.

There were occasions that she just wanted to get out and feel the sunlight, allow it to seep into her pores and refresh her. She spent so often in the dark that on occasions, she made herself sick… This day was one of her daylighter days, where she’d just walk until something interesting happened. And so far, despite her having just started out a while ago, nothing exciting was happening.

That man she’d met the night before – who had he been again? Oh, it didn’t matter – after all, if he was anyone of importance, she would have recognized him. She glanced around the plaza that she had stumbled into, eyes flitting over people and decoration alike, nothing interesting catching her. This was a quiet place, it seemed… for now, at least, she could bear the noise of this place in order to regain her health via the sun.

She located a bench, near a statue that was disgustingly anamorphic – she stared at it for half an instant, briefly wondering who in their proper minds (or any state of mind, actually) would merge a hand and a deer together. Human beings had always killed deer. She glanced down to the title, finding even less meaning to it. Ah, well. She’d just have the damnably ugly thing destroyed one day. Maybe even soon.

She leaned her head back on the bench, sliding her sunglasses off so that she could feel the heat on her whole face. She had exposed an indecent amount of skin for this venture – it was ridiculous. The shortest shorts she owned, coming to about the middle of her thigh, a thin tank top… She felt naked. Compared to the other Venusian women on the streets, though, she was more than covered. She’d have to do something about that…

She opened her eyes again a moment later, realizing there was someone else looking at the statue that had previously drawn her attention. She sat silent for a moment, watching the girl out of the corner of her eye. ”It’s interesting, isn’t it?” She quirked the corner of her mouth up, pulling her hair into a twisted knot over her left shoulder. She wasn’t quite ready to go home yet – for all she liked the darkness, she liked the sunlight as well – so why not amuse herself?

[Amisi Shoban]

Amisi was caught off guard by the sudden voice, but maintained her composure enough not to jump. Her blue eyes darted toward the other person as the Terrestrial noted curiously that she had failed to notice someone else’s company when she was first drawn to the statue. Perhaps her constant awareness was slipping slightly as she became more confident, more content, which was mainly thanks to Cyorlithe.

“It certainly is,” Amisi responded, suddenly feeling oddly self conscious in the presence of this particular female. Frankly, she could not place it, but until her stare the small brunette felt uneasy and perhaps a bit unnerved. She swallowed slowly, taking her eyes away from her company and turning her attention back to the statue, though she was hardly paying much attention to the detail of it anymore.

In a feeble attempt to cover her insecurities, she spoke again, “Very interesting symbolism,” But she left it at that, not wanting to ramble or seem anymore nervous than she had already let on. Besides, she was unsure how the other felt about the particular piece, as it was a rather controversial sculpture. Amisi was careful not to offend this stranger.

Frankly, Amisi was unimpressed by it. Not only did it use such stereotypical symbolism, but it was insanely hypocritical. Their race had little notion for peace, particularly Terrestrials in specific. Then again, perhaps it was fair of the Neptunians to make such a claim. To the best of Amisi’s knowledge and memory, they had always been a rather peaceful race, preoccupying their efforts with the arts, though that did not mean there had not been some frightening Neptunians in the past.

Well, with one glance it was easy to tell the other female was Venusian. Amisi had her own rough, biased opinion of that particular race, like she assumed most people did. But then again, she once thought poorly of Lunarians, which quickly changed when she fell in love with one. She learned quickly they were not all the same, those few bad eggs ruining the entire stereotype.

“What do you think?” She asked, suddenly curious as to what opinion this Venusian stranger might have, not to mention she was craving any sort of riveting conversation.

[Fille Wynne]

This little thing was like a bird, so jumpy. She peered at her with veiled amusement, noticing that the girl watching her as well. Symbolism? Hardly so. She gave half of a smile anyway, once again more from amusement than anything else. ”I think it’s quite a piece of work.”

She leaned forward, removing her elbows from the frame of the bench and placing them on her knees. ”I think, my dear girl, that human beings are the only creatures foolish enough to associate peace with a creature that they have historically killed for meat. The hand, too, is a false symbol of peace – never in my life have I met someone who would give something and not get anything in return. The hand of man has always been used for betrayal and war, not for holding peace.” The entire thing, really, was more of a joke than she wanted to deal with.

But it would be interesting, she mused, to hear the girl’s thoughts on it. She seemed to be an intelligent creature, and was by no means hard on the eyes. There was some draw to her, as though the life energy flowing in the girl was familiar. Perhaps this child would one day be an ally of hers? It was an amusing thought. Then again, everything in this day had either been incredibly annoying or more amusing than she could even think to bear. ”What about you? What are your opinions?”

Terrestrials were generally such dirty creatures, working their animals. Then again, Venusians were a particular brand of filthy as well, as were all the other races. Even Lunarians… perhaps, in their way, those who were involved with the White Regime were the dirtiest of all of them. Senseless violence - she herself had always had a reason, no matter how petty it might seem even to her now, for her actions. The White Regime, though, her network had infiltrated. Mainly without their own knowledge, to her pleasure. She knew of their games, their hunts.

She turned her attention back to the girl, waiting for a response. Interesting creature, this one.

[Amisi Shoban]

Amisi nodded politely along with her comments, finding herself a bit more relaxed when she spoke, her answer far more thorough than hers had been. Then again, she was never one to just open up to another right away. She was always guarded and a bit self-conscious, despite the fact that she possessed the intelligence that could impress many. It was a matter of showing this skill that became a bit difficult.

"I agree," She started, walking slowly around the statue so that she surveyed it from the same angle as the new acquaintance, but did not feel the need to sit with her. Standing felt safer. "The dove is a horrible peace symbol. The same goes for other common peace symbols. The fawn or the doe? The fawn only grows up to be a creature hunted and slaughtered for recreation. And does have some of the most tender venison, and thus hunted all the same," She was talking a lot now, he eyes never leaving the piece of art.

"I understand what they are trying to portray. Perhaps extending a hand in peace, like some sort of peace offering or a treaty, but are those ever really kept?" Her gaze became skeptical, "But I supposed it is not much of a surprise since it is old Neptunian," It was true they could be a rather fearsome race, just as the ocean could be both calm and devastating, turning in the blink of an eye, but they their love of the arts at times made them seem like a group of people with an almost hippy-ish outlook, that music and art could bring the planets together.

"I assume this was created turning some sort of conflict. That is typically when peace items pop up. Aesthetically it is alright, though I assume the lack of detail was on purpose," The hand looked like a puffy blob, the fingers resembling that of someone overweight, and the bird portion itself was bland, albeit clear that it was representing a dove.

At last Amisi glanced back to the stranger again, feeling far more comfortable now and appreciative that she, too, seemed to have some deeper understanding of things. It was refreshing, though she could tell the girl was a few years her elder. Still, she could not deny the sense of familiarity, which oddly came with a bit of trepidation. Maybe it was just Naru again, hiding details from her past or being irrationally paranoid.

"I'm Amisi by the way, Amisi Shoban." She introduced herself, but did not offer a hand, not feeling it necessary at this point. Perhaps she had seen this individual on campus, or just around the city that at times Amisi found to be very small.



((Here is the sculpture I am picturing, fyi. I saw it in Malaga, Spain while I was abroad. xD Thought it would help for a reference. clicky))

[Fille Wynne]

She found herself interested in what the girl was saying. Not just because it was a conversation to be had, but because the girl agreed with the sentiments that she’d voiced. She’d pretty well expected the girl to turn her nose and to try to call her a… what was the term that they used now days? Some sort of beastly Jovian term, more than likely. As soon as she was queen, that gross language was going to be outlawed. Just like Martian. And that gods-awful Mercurian. That one sounded like someone was murdering a perfectly good animal in a brutally bloody fashion. It was so much nicer when one did something like that slowly.

Torturing an animal, that was.

She waited for the girl to stop speaking, rather astonished that the girl just… introduced herself like that. This one was a good strong one. She’d undoubtedly have a deep reserve of life energy, ripe for the taking at such a young age… But that’d be something that she would muse on later. At this particular moment, she was more interested in the fact that the girl could prove useful to her.

”Fille Wynne,” she stated easily, nodding her head. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Shoban. I’ll have to admit that I once again agree with you, though which conflict it could be is beyond my memory at this moment. Surely it’s not old enough to have come from the Rise, but it certainly doesn’t reflect the recent years’ turn in Neptunian style. I’m going to assume, Ms. Shoban, that because of your very in-depth and comprehensive analysis, you’re a student at the University. Am I right? My brother and his wife teach there.”

That girl was a student at the University. Ushriya Deva. And her precious, ever-loving Ruro. Her connection to Zoi was proving most useful in this life, though she would continue to be disappointed that he was currently out of her reach. Amora, though… Amora went to the daycare that she worked at. Something clicked into her head all at once, and the lightest of smiles lit its way onto her face. Ren, Iskra, Amora, Mai. They all went to that daycare on occasions, and were stuck together like clue. Looking at them, their appearances, she could tell why.

She may not be able to have her boys, but she’d most certainly have her girls. She looked over at Amisi again, contemplating. Hell, maybe she’d take this one too.

[Amisi Shoban]

Wynne, wynne... The name was familiar in her mind, but she could not quite place where until mention of the university. Of course Amisi was familiar with this new acquaintance’s brother and sister-in-law, through both Ruro and the ill-fated New Year’s fiasco. Amalia was one of them, the sisters, and Zoi was one of Ruro’s boys. Her knowledge of the entire situation was still very limited, Cyorlithe only explaining what he felt she needed to know. Naru was no help either, having had no understanding of the entire picture during her lifetime.

“I am a student,” She nodded politely, confirming Fille’s speculations. “And I believe I am familiar with your family. They are friends of my brother as well,” Amisi never actually had a class that either one of them had taught, but she planned on signing up for one the next semester. It was always useful to know the professors, and regardless, she had heard fairly good reviews about the both of them.

The terrestrial caught a brief glance of the smile that flittered across the other’s lips, and curiously Amisi’s brows twitched inward slightly, wondering what was so humorous all of the sudden. There was no denying she felt wary around Fille for some reason or another, originally dismissing it as the natural feeling of awkwardness around a stranger. However, she was beginning to think this foreboding was something more, though she could not fathom what sort of threat this new acquaintance could possibly be. The young woman did not look exceptionally strong or anything, but she did quite clearly have a clever mind.

“Do you work at the University as well?” She questioned lightly, anything to break the disturbing silence that had settled uncomfortably on the situation, or at least uncomfortably for Amisi nonetheless. Carrying polite, small talk was no something she was particularly good at either, she realized as she shifted her weight with subtle anxiousness between her two feet. Still, she did not want to be rude, Fille was related to some that Amisi was familiar with, and futhermore, she was intrigued.

[Fille Wynne]

Well, well. They were both friends of her brother? That was a speculation that she didn't want to jump on quite yet - she had a final line of inquiry for the girl. She allowed a grim and unsettling silence to settle over them, a thin trail of energy seeping away from her and towards the girl. Just a sip, just so she'd be able to find her again. This girl was connected, somehow, and it was possibly going to be the single most delicious moment of her life. The energy tap was done after just an instant, and the little sliver of distorted air returned to her and crawled back up the back of her leg, vanishing into the skin at the back of her knee. To be sampled at a later date.

"No, unfortunately, I didn't inherit my brother's intelligence. He's very smart, for a Venusian. I work at a local day care center." She responded generously, considering the fact that she only had one more thing that she wanted out of the girl. "Tell me, Miss Shoban, what does your brother do for a living? I'm trying to determine if perhaps Zoi has mentioned him and I'm simply forgetting a name." Maybe she'd get the response she was after. If he was a doctor, or a farmer, or both... Had she not had years of practice, a malicious grin would have spread over her face.

Nonetheless, even if she was just the sibling of one of the other three generals, that would be enough to irritate them. She'd keep this Amisi for a later date, though. Right when they'd lose hope, they'd lose her, too.

[Amisi Shoban]

Something felt odd, but Amisi was not sure what, and dismissed it again like she had every other peculiar notion during this conversation. It wasn’t like she met new people often, so it was no surprise she was unfamiliar with the way new conversation felt, especially in such a random setting.

“Oh, what a pity,” She chuckled jokingly in repsonse, “But running a daycare center is an excellent profession as well. It takes a special kind of person to be able to deal with children all day. I’m not sure if I have that sort of patience,” This time, she laughed at herself. She of course dreamed of having her own family one day, raising little ones with someone she loved, but right now there was no way this little obsessive compulsive student could imagine spending day in and day out with kids running all over the place.

Well, she was rather interested in Ruro. For a moment she furrowed her brow, as always asking why just as she questions almost every interaction around her in nearly all circumstances. Well, Fille was the sister to one of her brother’s close friends, so she had reason, the terrestrial supposed. “Well, he’s a doctor. He’s on call often at the local hospital, but he also works plenty at our family farm.”

It was funny how unrelated Ruro’s two jobs were, but then again he took such great care of the horses it was no surprise he made such a good doctor. She glanced at Fille more deeply, trying to picture this woman working closely with young ones, and yet struggled to see the softness. With a mental shrug, she dropped it. Maybe she was different around children.

[Fille Wynne]

Oh. This. Was. Splendid.

She knew from her conversation with that damnable Moon-twit that the reincarnation of her precious Endymion was a doctor and a farmer. She was practically beside herself with glee at this new discovery – he had a sister. A younger sister, at that, this was going to be absolutely delicious.

She laughed at Amisi's reply to her admission, a sound that hadn't actually escaped her in full in years. ”It's taxing at times, but I have many siblings, so I'm used to children. I do hope you'll excuse my rather awkward mannerisms... I've dealt with very few people on this planet since my arrival other than the kids and occasionally their parents. I think my daughter is the only person I've had a real conversation with, save yourself, in quite a while. Do you have any children, or, my apologies, you're a student. Do you have any aspirations to have children?” She hadn't really spoken so much at once in a while, but her heart was just racing with this joyous news. She was going to make him hurt before she made him bleed. And perhaps she could even make it worse... This girl was smart, but perhaps a good brain-washing would do her well.

”Oh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to distract you from whatever you were doing. You're probably quite the busy young lady. Please, don't feel obligated to stay and talk to me.” Half truths, because she'd find out where this one lived easily enough. She couldn't let this one slip though her fingers.

[Amisi Shoban]

Fille’s sudden excitement was slightly alarming, but maybe it was solely the now known familiar link between the two that brought out a more amiable side. “Oh, that’s quite alright,” She brushed off, deciding that her lack of interaction was a good excuse for the awkward flow of this conversion.

At the mention of children Amisi’s mind immediately went to Cyorlithe, bringing a soft blush to her cheeks. Instinctively she touched her warming flesh, offering a small, embarrassed smile. “Maybe one day,” She admitted honestly, picturing a little boy or girl, the perfect blend of her and Cyorlithe, holding sweet Ren’s hand as the four of them strolled down the boardwalk. Instantly she was mildly ashamed of her overactive imagination.

The mention of distraction brought Amisi back to the realization that there was, in fact, other things she should be doing at the moment. Taking a glance at her watch she was surprised to see how much time had passed, but intrigue had her paying no mind to the ticking time. While she had no where she needed to be specifically, there was plenty she needed to attend to for the upcoming exams and the end of semester assignments. “Well, I have enjoyed talking to you! It was a nice break from school, but I do need to get back to some schoolwork," She gave Fille a sheepish, yet friendly, smile, offering a bit of an awkward wave.

“Perhaps we will run into each other again sometime, since, you know, mutual friends and all,” With that friendly good-bye she departed, still feeling slightly off about the entire encounter.