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Lilie had to shake her head in silence as she decided not to inform the count that yes, the entire point of her lip gloss was to get a little attention. Still, this was just a rehash of a previous scolding where he had sat her down and discussed ‘proper skirt lengths’ for a straight hour--she honestly believed he was more overprotective than her own father at this point. Even if that wasn’t the case, though, this was also one of the many makeup products [i]he[/i] had purchased after getting rid of hers, so she really couldn’t take his concern too seriously.

Instead, she focused on following the signs, following the river. She stopped temporarily to wash the handkerchief properly before continuing, the sight of the meadow bringing a calm over her. She absolutely adored the scenery, admiring the flowers before releasing Ben and approaching the harp. It was playing all by itself! The weird part had to be the sea-salt scent that came with the breeze, though; she was pretty sure they weren’t near the ocean. But she liked it nonetheless, taking a second to enjoy it before reading the sign.

[color=00BFFF]“There’s a sign here, and it reads: ‘Sweet mage, sweet mage, listen carefully.’--”[/color] Lilie stopped to beam happily at the sign before continuing, [color=00BFFF]“--’This melody is your saving grace from all ignominy. Beware the words of careful thoughts crafted with you in mind as chains to bring you down to drown in their lives. But if faith you have your companion keeps intentions pure and simple sweet, speak my magic with these cords three and see your faith paid off in sleep.’ Magic…?”[/color] 

She noticed there were more words underneath. Okay, so the goal was to sing the magical words in the same chord as the harp. That seemed easy enough! Except for one little thing. [color=00BFFF]“What does ‘ignominy’ mean?”[/color] She asked, frowning.

The harp’s song did wonders to calm Ben’s nerves, the smell of the sea quickly erasing any hesitation he had. He wondered if they were taken elsewhere but the ground still felt like dirt. Perhaps the shoreline was ahead. As Lilie read the sign out loud Ben quietly pondered its meaning. [color=C0C0C0][i]Sweet mage? There must be eyes in the trees,[/i][/color] He considered before he thought of the rest of the passage. To him, it seemed to be an exercise in trust. He couldn’t help but remember their previous conversation with a slight frown, deciding now was the time to reiterate his previous point.

[color=C0C0C0]“Ignominy is synonymous with public shame or disgrace,[/color]” Ben replied. [color=C0C0C0]“That being said, I believe this test accounts for a bond of complete faith between us. And one of us has been dishonest tonight.”[/color] 

Lilie looked back at Ben, frowning. He was right, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. If the test could tell they weren’t sincere, they could end up failing. Talk about having to confront your demons! Well, it was her own fault, really. She just didn’t want to talk about it [i]here[/i], though. No, that’s not true, Ben was right, she was avoiding it.

Taking in a deep breath, Lilie turned fully towards him, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her coat. [color=00BFFF]“...you’re right,”[/color] She admitted first and foremost, letting out a sigh. [color=00BFFF]“I mean, I really did mean it when I said you didn’t do anything. You’ve been nothing but nice, and...it’s unfair that I’ve sorta been trying to get some distance.”[/color]

She looked down at the ground for a moment. [color=00BFFF]“I just...have a really, really hard time with vampires,”[/color] She confessed, feeling like she was revealing some deep, dark secret. [color=00BFFF]“They’re cold, and callous, and cruel, and they don’t care about human lives. They do whatever they want to make themselves look good at everyone’s expense.”[/color] She shook her head. [color=00BFFF]“I...I’m still trying to come to grips with the fact that I have to serve one for the rest of my life, too.”[/color]

Victor Astorio’s words echoed in Ben’s head as Lilie concluded. His assumption had been spot on, Lilie’s words speaking volumes on her previous experiences with vampires. But the prejudice had a deeper root, and even if he would not get a response, he felt compelled to ask, [color=C0C0C0]“What happened that gave you such a fear?”[/color]

Lilie tensed up considerably, her hands releasing her sleeves as she ran them over her arms. Just thinking about it almost had her reply that nothing happened, but that wasn’t true. She really, [i]really[/i] didn’t want to talk about it, either, but as the harp played its chords, the riddle came to mind again. Ben was right, it was asking for faith, but she didn’t know if she could. As she looked at him, she felt like she was searching for some kind of confidence, but his face--even if his eyes were looking over her head--had nothing but concern on it.

Lowering her gaze again, Lilie teetered back and forth for a moment. Finally, with a huge sigh, she ran her hands over her face, pushing her bangs off her forehead before dropping her arms. [color=00BFFF]“When I was little...actually, before I was even born, my mama used to be a renowned fencer,”[/color] Lilie slowly started. [color=00BFFF]“She used to teach at the Lorelai Institute, actually--they let her do it even though she was just a human because she was that amazing. She has a bunch of trophies and medals from tournaments she’s won, too. It was all she wanted to do with her life.”[/color]

Pausing for a second, she made a gesture before remembering that he couldn’t see her. [color=00BFFF]“But a vampire took notice of this human. And he wanted to see her skill for himself, so he challenged her,”[/color] She continued. [color=00BFFF]“I remember her bringing me to her job that day. Everyone was really nervous, and I overheard some of the other adults talking about it. I mean, the guy was a [i]vampire[/i]. Obviously there was no way my mom could win. But she accepted the challenge anyway--a one hit match. And...she won.”[/color]

Ben was ecstatic that Lilie was amenable to his question, focusing entirely on her response. He was pleasantly surprised to hear more than a single line of reason, far be it from him to complain. He was surprised to find her mother being the source of her talent with the blade, but he kept himself quiet until Lilie stopped.

[color=C0C0C0]“She won?”[/color] He asked. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so surprised, but surely such a talented human with such a victory would have been more than well known. As far as he was aware, there weren’t any humans that could possibly win in any sort of physical fight against their betters.

Lilie nodded. [color=00BFFF]“Yeah. She landed a hit on him--ripped his right shoulder sleeve,”[/color] She said, tapping her own shoulder. [color=00BFFF]“He didn’t like that.”[/color] 

[color=C0C0C0][i]How foreboding.[/i][/color] A vampire’s ego was so easily bruised. The fact that a human had bested him must not have gone over well. However, it did not take much to know just how foreboding the story became. The silence loomed over them for a moment before he would speak again. 

[color=C0C0C0]“What did he do?”[/color] Ben asked.

There was a small pause once again as Lilie stared at the ground. She could feel her chest starting to get tight as she took in a deep breath, once again hesitating. After a few seconds, she decided to just get the rest of it out. [color=00BFFF]“He followed us when we went home. I think Mama knew, and she tried to send me ahead, but I ended up hiding nearby. I should’ve listened to her, but hearing that [i]snap[/i] sound--”[/color] She swallowed hard, shaking her head. [color=00BFFF]“And I ran to her, but he grabbed me, and they started shouting at one another. I can’t remember what they said, but he left, and it wasn’t until she went to the hospital that I found out the sound I heard was him breaking her shoulder.”[/color]

Despite starting off quietly, she felt her meekness give way to anger. [color=00BFFF]“She couldn’t lift her arm after that--and for what, because he was a sore loser?! He killed her entire career! He [i]broke[/i] her just because she beat him, because he couldn’t stand the idea of a [i]human[/i] being better than him,”[/color] She raised her voice, throwing her arms up in frustration. [color=00BFFF]“And you know what? That’s how they [i]all[/i] think. They thought my mama [i]deserved[/i] it because she went out of her way to ‘humiliate’ him, never mind the fact that [i]he[/i] was the one who challenged her!”[/color]

The logical conclusion to the story came as expected, but where he expected sorrow, there was anger. At the very least, many things clicked into place and he truly believed that the wall between them came down. He walked forward with confidence with his hand outstretched, stopping when he felt himself touching her coat. His fingers slowly traced downwards until he felt her hand, taking it into both of his. There was much to be said, but there was little he could say that wouldn’t seem like an empty apology.

[color=C0C0C0]“Thank you for telling me,”[/color] Ben said. 

Lilie looked up at the taller vampire, feeling herself calming down. [color=00BFFF]“I‘m sorry, I just…”[/color] She had no idea how to properly explain herself, trying hard to verbalize her feelings.

Ben saw it was unneeded as he patted her hand. Upsetting her any further would only be to their detriment. [color=C0C0C0]“The shock of having to serve that which you loathe must have resulted in resentment. I won’t ask you to let it go, nor will I try to justify anyone’s actions, but I will say this: I also meant it when I said that I want us to be a team. Lean on me, I will do everything in my power to make sure I don’t disappoint you,”[/color] He promised.

She wanted to believe him. And maybe it was because she just poured her heart out and didn’t get laughed at, but she did feel like she could. Why else would he reply like that? 

The sound of the harp caught her attention, and she remembered the challenge. Right, a test of faith. Exhaling, she looked back up at Ben. [color=00BFFF]“Well...time to put that to the test,”[/color] She joked.

Ben gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile in her direction. [color=C0C0C0]“Believe in me. I won’t let you down.”[/color] He said. [color=C0C0C0]“Go on. We can talk more once we pass with flying colors.”[/color]

She wasn’t sure if it was because that was what she wanted to hear, but Lilie felt greatly reassured. She squeezed his hand before gently pulling it back, looking at the harp. Feeling more confident, Lilie approached the harp, listening carefully to the tune. After taking a few seconds to hum the notes for accuracy, she was sure she had it locked in her memory, bracing herself.

[color=00BFFF]“[i]Depalim ist, aqutori ald, estli seprient,[/i]”[/color] Lilie sang, waiting for the challenge to move on.


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[sub][right]Putting her faith to the test with [@Bert Macklin].[/right][/sub]