Death Justice and the Fiery Bird

Ailuin was attired in a array of outfits. It was not nearly as eloquent as the attire that he had first met the Widower in, but it certainly still had that noble gentleman feel to it. His head was covered by that usual cap, angled just so to cover his horns and hair in front of his face. His pipe was in his mouth, bitten down as he puffed on it, pacing back and forth. Both inkstained sleeves holding a map that anyone could buy at the library of the establishment. After a few moments, he finally neared closer to the wall, rapping his knuckles along the wall. Completely oblivious to the crowd that was nearby drinking in their kegs after a hard day of work. Clearly his work, was yet to be finished. Ears twitching intently as he would pay such keen attention to sounds on the wall, smirking as he noticed feet facing inward nearby in one spot on a slave, leaning against the wall as they passed by before rapping his knuckle on it. >>
 yep, another secret passage. Fascinating! With his hands, he went to grab the nearby inkwell and soon enough scratched in the area he had found on the map, setting it down as his nose twitched, hovering over it with his pipe still puffing up a smoke storm

Adlwyn's wanderings around the Tether had given her a decent layout of the place, and slowly she was beginning to feel a little more settled. A room had been arranged for her to stay in for the foreseeable future, the idea of going home after each day exhausting. She tended to form some sort of temporary nest wherever she ended up, and as that process slowly began she was taking the opportunity to pay attention now not just to the layout and the points of interests there, but also the individuals that occupied it. The array of creatures had already occurred to her, having not seen a more varied collection in quite some years. Her attentions now more attuned, those golden eyes meandered not from place to place but from person to person, seeking out something interesting, something that had that little extra spark. Feather-lined dress of gold and black was lifted delicately as she ascended the stairs, a peek of dark heels adding an extra couple of inches to her frame. >><< Step by curious step she made her way up towards the fireplace above the bar, but more importantly to an odd one out, one who seemed to be particularly interested in .. a wall.. Which made the phoenix-born particularly interested in him. After all, the sane ones were much less fun. As he stepped away from the wall she would step in behind him quietly, not yet saying anything but instead knocking curiously at the wall as he had. Feathered lashed blinked as the sound, something that seemed normal to her - but she didn't know what she was listening for. Turning then, she'd follow up behind the male so intent on his work that it was difficult to say whether he had even noticed her at this point. She paused as she approached him and his work, tilting her head. Her voice was high and sweet as she spoke up, an innocent interest to it. "Are you hunting for treasure?" <e>

 Acantha sat amid plush pillows with a hookah topped with opium in her grasp, some fucking privacy finally in her possession after having her personal space so rudely invaded by her... victim. Suppose it wasn't his fault but that didn't stop her from being angry at him. It wasn't until there was a rap on the secret door to her space that she looked up from her calm moment, brows furrowing curiously at the sound, though she made to move yet to remedy it. Usually people didn't knock on these kinds of rooms. But then there came another and she sighed, bringing herself to heeled feet, straightening the voluminous crimson skirts that swayed about her before she was stepping toward that door. It swung open with a tiny click, golden bodice'd woman leaning out of the secret room to allow the nearby firelight to dance off of the intricate beading of her gown. >Acantha squinted, the scent of opium smoke billowing from the room before the crush of her aura filled its wake, stifling in her presence alone as she singled out the only familiar face near the opened door. Ah, shit.... whatshisname? She tried to dredge it up from her memories to call out to him but instead, to the two people stood with their backs to her, "Any reason there was a knock on the door or...?" There was a subtle threat to it, something dangerous hiding beneath the sass of her initial comment. <

 Ailuin didn't seem to mind what she did, clearly she found nothing noteworthy, but Ailuin had. There was several other instances he noticed so far along the floor, that led to another secret passage, one that might be more then a room but he would have to open it to find out. Grunting as he leaned back. Nose twitching as eyes narrowed and ears flicked back, glancing over at the woman as she asked her question. A brief amusement flickered in those intelligent eyes, looking her over curiously as his nose twitched. A human, wasn't it? A human...with....something else he suspected with those golden eyes she carried, glancing past her as he noticed Acantha with the golden sparkling bodice. Looking the woman over curiously before gesturing towards the map. "When you live in a new place, you should make every effort to know every exit and entrance of it, Lady Acantha" Came his reply, eyebrow rose to Acantha at her tone. >>Ailuin though of course, he HARDLY knew the other woman. "Sire Ailment." was offered politely to the human who clearly was interested on what on earth he was doing. His mismatched eyes sharply snatching back into her own, tail flicking as he offered a curt smile in her direction. "It is awfully rude to sneak up behind someone, by the way Miss?" Abnormally tall long ears for a canine, pricked up, elognated muzzle twitching at her as he continued to stare her over. He certainly wasn't checking her out, more so studying her and trying to figure her out. Another mystery after all, was his favorite thing.

Adlwyn : spun around sharply as she heard opening of something behind her, before even the opportunity to get a proper answer from the strange knocking male. "Looks like there was a treasure after all.." she muttered to herself as the blonde stepped out in all her beaded glory, though her eyes quickly slipped past her to where the wall stood now open. It was something unexpected anyway, and those were the sorts of things she appreciated - something new. The question of why they had gone knocking on her door went unanswered by Aidie, and she opted instead to seek a response from the one who had started it all, the odd male with the map. Eyebrow raised as he explained himself, having expected to find something there where it appeared there should be nothing at all. Clever, and something she would hope to keep an eye on. >> Adlwyn << "Ailment? Sorry, are you ill?" Yep. That was the question she asked, of all things.. well, someone had to make the connection at some point, right? "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. Maybe you should look up once in a while." Had she snuck up on him? Absolutely. Was she admitting it? Nah, why would she? "Adlywn. Or Aidie." She paused briefly, studying the male, and then suddenly as though remembering something shoved a hand out towards him to shake. <e>

Acantha exhaled sharply from her nose when he answered her, though her attention had wandered to the other woman on the scene. Her gaze ran the entire length of her, nostrils flaring as she brought in both her scent and the vivid taste of emotion from them both, a tang of excitement mixed with the fatty roil of curiosity. "This is no entrance or exit. It's a room." She shifted from the doorway, showing them the smoky interior filled with crimson cushions and that smoking waterpipe on the singular table. Ah, and there was his name, no wonder she'd had trouble remembering it, it was weird as hell. "That's his name." Answered the woman for him, before she shifted from the door and allowed it to click closed, suffocating the smell of opium but instead allowing the scent of her to flourish. >Acantha smelled like blood. A lot of it. Like she'd been taking baths in it though there was nary a trace on her. In a sweep of carnal-scented air the woman moved a bit closer to the large fireplace, pressing the wall a bit farther down to release another hidden door. "These are the slave tunnels. They lead to every room in the establishment. You know I'd be more than willing to help..." Oh, her tone had shifted in a dangerous manner, something the Arkaine would be familiar with though the new girl not so much. <

 Ailuin as the two spoke to each other, Ailuin was quickly wrapping up his map in his hand once more and briskly walked past them, being careful to not be IN between them as they spoke to each other. Long plumage tail sweeping casually side to side as his ears fell back to a relaxed state. Hands sharply clasped behind his back that was clothed in that jacket, humming as he snorted at her assumption. "You see but do not observe." came his soft quiet tone, mismatched eyes flicking to the human in slight irritation. No wonder most Arkaines so far, thought them below them. Although Acanthas intellect showed promise, granted. Acanthas correction simply had Ailuin going back to his studying. "I don't need to look up, I knew you were approaching before you likely even thought you were." came his retort. "It's still rude, however, to not announce your presence before coming so close to ones space." >>Ailuin gloved hands continously rapping against the wood, sniffing as he crouched on the floor, clearly looking over the floor with extreme interest. He refused her hand shake, clearly not fond of touching and making it apparent by the glance down at her hand and shaking his head. "I don't. I'm sorry, Lady Aidlwyn." After all, they weren't on nickname basis yet. "To get into a room, one must enter and exit, or am I wrong, Lady Acantha? It is still good to know where your back might be pressed against, lest they should suddenly find a blade at their stomach otherwise." was resounded in response to her retort about it simply being a room. Despite her shifting, and closing, the door behind him, he didn't once glance up at her. Even as she seemingly had doused in a blood bath. That was none of his business. But however, when she did walk to reveal yet another location that Ailuin was close to tracking, his ears >>Ailuin fell straight back and his mismatched eyes gazed up into hers again. "Once again you show intellect, Lady Acantha. It disturbs me that you show so much promise, yet causes me to wonder at your age. Shall I guess? Or would you consider that rude?" was asked, tilting his head to the side as he rose to his full 6'7" height and strided over to where she had been, gazing down curiously at the corridor. "Well I guess we might go to see where it ends up at." was muttered, unraveling his map to mark it down on the diagram before stepping into the blackness, only a muted light blue color flickering in the dark hallways giving a hint to his location.

 Adlwyn. "Is it?" The question dropped from her lips as they cleared up the name situation. "How unfortunate." Truly. It did make him sound ill, after all. Speaking of whom.. "You assume too much," she answered to his claim of her lack of observation, a small wink given his way and a gentle curl of her lips letting that statement fall where it may. There was something in her eyes, a knowing look sent across that sparkled in those crimson-touched gems that disappeared as quickly as it had risen. Her attention turned then back to the leggy blond just as the first door shut behind her. Another secret door would open at her touch, an amused expression on her lips as yet another secret was revealed. But the dark woman's statement about what that door led to, where it was going? Oh that certainly caught her interest to another level. >><< It didn't just go to one place, it went everywhere. That was the sort of thing that she could use, something that she would be able to explore and find out just how far the rabbit hole really went. It meant that she could go to places she wasn't supposed to - and that was the adventure that Aidie was looking for. The surface levels were always so similar.. What would she find behind the curtain? Aside the tall Arkaine she would make her way over towards that same door, pausing only as she grew close enough to Acantha to catch that strong scent wafting off her. Both brows rose in interest as she met the woman's gaze directly. "To wash yourself in the sins of the dead.." Not a question, but a single statement after which she would give her another quick once-over from top to bottom, reassessing her before peering in through the open wall. "Don't mind if I do." Following directly behind, the light blue as her only marker for the time being.. <e>

Acantha. "I agree." To the statement on his name being unfortunate, it really was. It did make him sound ill, but then again, it was probably a decent moniker to ward off people such as themselves. His attention on her, though, complimenting her intellect, and then commenting on her age had the woman positively grinning, wide enough to show all four of those delightfully sharp fangs in her mouth. "I wouldn't consider it rude at all. In fact I think it'd be entertaining." To try and guess at her age when she was the eldest of her 'kin' that she knew of? Or even now, having travelled through time how did she count her age accurately any more? She'd lived longer than it seemed. And it seemed a long time. It was only as she held the door open for him to peer into the musty, cobwebbed hallways that occupied the spaces between the walls that she realized he was going to dive into them. >Acantha. Well, alright. Suppose she could leave her hookah here for now, her attention brought up to the other woman as she neared, and then paused at the distinct scent of blood on the vampiress. "You're about to be in a closed in space with me at your back, girl. I suggest you refrain from commenting." It would be wise for her to say only nice things to the vampiress, in fact, as she didn't linger far from behind the other. There were vague outlines of doors back to the interior of the Tether, easily swung open into each room that the establishment had, and if they chose to wander far enough, they'd even come across the private rooms. <

Ailuin her question of is it, had Ailuin flickering his eyes back to her. "Yes." why was he teaching her manners? This establishment seemed to hold fine number of people who very well understood manners, space, and respect. Surely she had learned at least some sort of manners? Not even seeming to pay mind to the idea that his nickname was horrible. He preferred it, as it yes, in fact, was derived to keep people away from him. A distance from him that he PREFERRRED. Her grin at him had him unnerved but he kept his cool composure despite the slight itchy feeling of wrongness in him as he stepped up to her and asked that question. "Ah very well. No wrinkles states a young age, but the massive intellect says otherwise." came his start of induction. He completely bypassed the sheer stupidity of the possibly, fragile human as she stated what she smelled. Which only marked her as vastly different to Ailuin once more. >>glancing over the other human curiously as his head swiveled back straight ahead, pausing at a corridor that splitted multiple ways, holding his map down as his eyes glowed, showing forth a blue cyan color to highlight what stood before them, only to glance his cyan glowing mismatched eyes to the two ladies, continuing his induction. "Your jewelry is 100 years old, marking it a century old. Judging however, by the way you hold yourself and speak. I would say that marks you at 300. Thusly you buy new jewelry every 100th year or so, as you have no care for it that much or desire of any new fashion in jewelry, for that matter." He kept thinking, scrounging his brain for any new material while drawing on his map, the different corridors directions. "Do you know any languages other then common?" was asked. Even if he didn't know all the different languages himself, her KNOWING of old, possibly even dead dialect would certainly mark her as a ancient beast. >>Ailuin didn't seem at all, to respond the strange humans mentions. It seemed her commentary did little to sway him from what he felt, so far, were accurate observations considering the conversations she had with Acantha as well as him. Finally Ailuin would step forward again, pressing in one direction into a suite, gazing over the wall and studying it's pattern as he hmmed. Alright so he would need some of that...alright. The hand touched the wall material. Curious what was he doing? As he ran his hand gently up and down the wall while also studying the secret door mechanism and how it opened and closed. Every room and hallway was treated this way. It would no doubt, last for hours at his pace. At least this gave them plenty of time to talk.

Adlwyn had little to say as he brushed off her commentary, keeping herself occupied with making her way into the tunnel. The warning from the blond drew a smirk that she would not see, though it resonated just as strongly in her tone. "It's not like I've said anything that wasn't true. If you want to take offense by it, then maybe you should reconsider your choices. "The new game seemed to be guess-the-lady's age, and Aidie was not going to interrupt as the annoyingly overconfident man started to take a shot at it.. That type of man that overlooked her, that underestimated her from the start, it was what she aimed for - to go off of their radar. As for the age game.. There was no way for her to know, only having just met her, so it was her place just to listen with that same amused grin, calculating in her head as she went what she thought her own number would be. It was a game she'd played many times before herself in the dead of night, adding together what she knew with guesses >><< of what she did not. His thorough check of the mechanism, the wall, the doors, beyond the first door or so she would find herself growing quickly impatient. "At this rate, even the old one will perish down here.." As he opened another door, she would reach forward around him, taking a grip and giving it a tug to try and pull it back the way it had opened sharply. He'd need to be careful at any rate, else he lose a finger in his examinations to a door shutting onto it. "There's a door there. It goes into a room. Stop staring at the door, and the walls. This is an exploration, not a study on how to make secret doors." Harsh roll of golden eyes as she huffed and pulled back from the frustratingly tedious male. "Experience it." <e>

Acantha touched her bracelet when he mentioned it, frowning at him when he mentioned her fashion sense, hands running down her gown to smooth it as she felt so terribly judged by him. She was stunning, he didn't know anything. Especially considering what he was wearing. She kept her commentary to herself, that snide remark from the girl that neither of them really knew causing the vampiress to flex her keening gaze on her in the dark. Determining her shape and then looking past that, her aura flexing into that small hallway to almost make it hard to breathe, panic an easy way to relieve such a stress. Flight or fight would be running through any normal human's mind at that sensation at their back. Ailment's question was met with a hum before she answered him, her gaze never once leaving that girl. >Acantha. "I know more languages than you'll ever have the opportunity to learn." It was true enough, she knew words from languages long dead and languages that would be birthed long after he was gone. His thorough examination of each door didn't bother her, the woman content to stick their shared unfortunate companion between herself and the annoyingly slow Ark, a rumble of laughter leaving her when the girl finally had enough. "I doubt he's going to change his ways for you, girl. Perhaps he just experiences it differently, hm? Why so desperate to escape?" It was definitely said like a threat mixed with a dare, seeing if she could appeal to some darker nature in the seemingly average girl. <

Ailuin when she spoke of her one, so far, accurate observation, Ailuin simply glanced over at her. "Are you wanting to be eaten in a corridor where the guards certainly wouldn't find you? One would think you have a death wish, that no doubt, Lady Acantha will gladly grant I suspect if you keep up this foolish topic." was resounded smartly and adeptly with little seemingly any emoiton in that tone. Tail flicked as he seemingly was sketching...every rooms wall too. Why? And then making notes near it. Texture? What was this guy UP to!? No doubt with the wild erractic but also zone in focused note-taking and procedures he was taking, it was hard to guess at what his game was at. But he suspected Acantha, likely knew. Oh she was completely off his radar, but he knew that Acantha wasn't going to let her snarkiness slide nor was she going to accept what she just boldly did. Something which, Ailuin admittedly, had been too focused on his note taking to even notice it. >> Ailuin one minute, his hand was on the wall. The next his wrist was bruised to shit, but certainly not BROKEN nor did the door close. However, skin was completely ripped off cleanly on either side, revealing meaty exteiror in a very large wide expanse on either forearm that had been trapped in the doorway, ripping away fur and flesh to reveal meaty exterior of muscle and vivid cyan blue. That was in a blink of an eye, before with gritting teeth and glowing blue eyes, that flesh and fur suddenly started to in a flash and glow of blue, started to piece back together before their very eyes, only to dim out as he breathed out heavily. Clearly he had been holding his breath in with supreme impressive control of not screaming from such savage wounding. His eyes shot to the offender and her foolish words. "Do you understand, that exploration is part of discovery. And that both need to be done to coincide. Else, how do you learn or discover anything new?" >>Ailuin was asked to the female under the shadow of his hat, glancing up to Acantha as she gave her answer. "Dead languages included?" It was like she hadn't just ripped off the flesh of his arm, the way he was acting about it, simply brushing off the rest of the blood from his fur casually as he grunted and sharply turned on his heel to once more, face the door and open it to study what he wanted to fucken study without interruption. Pest. She enjoyed toying with her meals mentally. Also noted. He remained starkingly silent as he studied the texture on this wall and the way it was designed. Slapping his findings down in front of her in his lifethorn. Flipping pages for her to see. "You see how it differs? There is a reason for me to study and discovery. Instead of assuming and bullying, ask." was resounded, with a flick of his tail, Ailuin strided casually past her and Acantha like they weren't following behind him. "I will give you a answer the next time we meet, Lady Acantha, onto>> your age." was promised to her.

Adlwyn could feel the walls closing in around her the further they went into the tunnels, the suffocating feeling in her chest as the air itself seemed to thicken around her. She drew a long, steadying breath, aware of the presence behind her, the annoyingly slow movement of the one in front of her. The darkness was closing in on her, already. Had it been that long? Was it that stifling here? The voice of the blood-scented one behind her, the accent on the word escape did have a small pull at the back of her mind.. but the panic didn't quite set in as she might have hoped, or at least if it did her response was not to go immediately running. Instead, she lifted one hand in front of her, and a few inches above it lit quite suddenly a rather large ball of flame. The fire had seemingly come out of thin air, and there it seemed to remain, hovering over her opened hand in front of her. >> << It would provide at least some additional light for them, not a massive comfort for Aidie, but adding to it the fact that it showed she was not as helpless as the two kept implying would hopefully give her a little more space from the two of them than she had received thus far. It was her own fault of course, but being underestimated tended to be better.. The door was still pulled back, the flame continuing to hold its place in space without her hand as a balance point as she reached to do so. The response from the overly detailed male was more than she had anticipated, and in that way so much better. "Oh I'm sorry.. I thought you knew what I was going to do before I did it." Yowza, that looked like it hurt, but even so the tone of that statement was clearly sarcastic. >> << His hand could have come clean off and she would have - well, alright, she might have felt a little remorse if the whole thing had come off, but she couldn't say for sure. It hadn't happened. Yet. But naturally he would be upset by such a thing, and she allowed him his path by her as he started to storm off, grinning all the while. "After you're done detailing every hair, blood, and fiber that's been ripped from your arm, you should put some ice on that!" she called after him. <e>

Acantha didn't flinch or jump when that light flared to life, the illumination of her face nailed to the girl was likely not what she wanted to see. Especially now, with that expression of clear and distinct hunger laid across her face, so harshly lit in a flickering flame held above them. And then the scent of blood, stinging with that anti magic bullshit in her nose to bring back memories of... another time, her control on the vast emptiness of hunger within her waning. It was seen in the flicker of her irises, before they widened, the vaguest smell of anxiety combined with the electricity of the Arkaine's pain causing her to completely miss what the woman said in retort to what she'd done. Something that typically would have gotten a laugh out of her. Instead she barely shifted when Ailment swept passed them both, the full weight of her hunger on the woman beyond. >Acantha was little more than a blur a moment later, aiming to slam herself against the other woman and pin her against one of the walls rather bodily, her face so very close to some vital places on her anatomy. A guttural growl rattling between them as the woman in red collided with her and immediately spoke. "Tell me what you are." A demand, immediate and weighted with a threat to her life if the woman so managed to pin her. <

Ailuin hadn't he warned her? And yet stupidly she bore her flame alight. The Arkaine had given warnings, had told her repeatedly. And every instance she struck him down as a know it all. And yet he wondered as she was pressed up against the wall with Acantha strongly, clearly, wanting to feed on her, if she thought of him still, as a know it all. He did pause, in his step, thankfully, as the altercation began, but he didn't turn to face them. His hands tucked behind his back as he suddenly erupted into a laugh. Smoke from his opium billowing down the secret passage ways stank up the place at this point, of it. Pipe was rubbed down, casually, all while he cleaned it out. "Well she has a smell of a bird, gold eyes with crimson. Haughty proud attitude with clear beauty and wields flame as if it was second nature. I'd mark her of a fire sort, a demon. But you would get along and know what she is, likely, if that were the case." >>Ailuin tilting his head as he hummed, clearly thinking it over. "Besides, no demons that I know of in the books I have read over them thus far, hold any enhanced senses from the host it takes over. Thusly, she has to be something animal nature. Shape shifter perhaps? But with fire capabilities marks her to a extremely narrow list of what she could be. My guess, due to the golden eyes, is phoenix. Though I could be wrong, as I am still after all, learning." Shrugging casually as he gazed along the hallways, clearly seemingly waiting a long expanse distance for them to get over their petty disagreements. Though, clearly, it amused him that Acantha lashed out like she did. "Lady Acantha, that was not very ladylike at all. Not that it surprises me...Widower. I just wonder if you're trying to get me to believe you're a vampire all the more, or if you're truly are just that...hungry after your dance with a certain...man? I believe he is a man, judging by the scent alone." >>Ailuin was rambled off, hand lifting briefly the hat off of his head and running his hand through his hair to push it back once more, only to land it on his head again. "So. Are we done playing whose the scarier monster and proceed? I'll not wait much longer." was admitted openly between the two. He wasn't going to stand around and watch a catfight.

Adlwyn hadn't exactly been given a warning as to what she had been doing, and in the end it seemed she'd done nothing more than flick on a light to upset the woman so. Her attention had landed on her as soon as Ailment had made his way by, the threat and hunger clear in eyes that disappeared into darkness. A single brow raised, a touch of awkward surprise hiding the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.. a feeling which let itself out in a small yelp as out of nowhere she found the woman practically on top of her. A grunt escaped as her back struck against the wall behind her, but the shock of it turned out to be more than the strength of it, and quick reflexes meant that she was able to throw a shoulder forward and knock her way back out of the attempted pin quite quickly. >> Adlwyn << A rapid several steps back was taken, the flame that had been floating in the air between them flickering once, twice, and then expanding suddenly. The flame stretched out into the space between the two of them, stretching from wall to wall in the tunnel to create a barrier between the two of them, while another rose into place a few feet behind her. Aidie stood there for a moment, catching her breath as she stared across towards those dark eyes and then straightening, shoulders pushing back as she took back her confidence. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." That grin now stretched a little too far across her lips, something older, darker appearing in those fire-touched eyes as she looked across the flickering flames at the threatening demon-woman. But of course.. someone had to go and ruin the moment. >>Adlwyn << "..Fucking know-it-all," mumbled as the somehow-even-more-frustrating Arkaine rattled off some bullshit that managed insanely to get him to something resembling a correct answer. A groan escaped her throat, accompanied by another roll of her eyes as she called out to him without looking - "You take the fun out of everything!" A large huff released as she continued to level a stare across at the hungered woman, that semi-serious atmosphere returning. "Are you ready to place nice?" There was no reason whatsoever that she should have to go past her, really. The options were endless behind her, all she needed to do was leave that barrier and hope it was enough to keep the woman at bay. Still, having her seemingly caught made the moment just too irresistible.. <e>

 Acantha could barely hear Ailment talking in the background of the roar of her hunger, quickly beginning to lose grasp on her mind as she ached to feel another soul like down her throat and leave that trailing wake of ecstasy behind. Pleasure unlike any she'd ever felt before, promised in the final drops of a woman who so easily tossed her aside, Acantha's projection of motion tilted from her hunger. A clatter of heels as she stepped back, and that flame widened to block her path. Another forming behind her soon enough to create a distinct box of heat where the woman in red stood. Only the ever black haunt of her gaze through the flames on the girl was any indication that the woman remained there, listening as the girl dared her to reveal what she was and her Arkaine buddy did just that for the vampiress. Phoenix... "I'm a vampire, he already said so.">Acantha's voice was low and dangerous between the flames, before the clear click of her heel sounded, and the edge of her skirt danced over that line. The thin fabric caught flame immediately, carrying up to her middle where it caught her bodice too, those beads popping from their burnt threads to rattle to the ground as she took another step through the flame, as if agonizingly slow. "I'm just your everyday vamp." Clearly not, as her clothing immolated right from flawless skin, leaving only black residue behind across her marble, the state of her flesh only seeming to blister beneath the heat before it resolved in a moment, and she felt the pain crash through her hunger at last. "Run, little phoenix, before I turn you to ash." It was almost singsong in its dark melody, her hungry gaze still pinned on the girl--though the blackness within them was beginning to recede. >Acantha. And finally, she answered Ailment, her tone still eerily even as she regained her composure, despite being almost entirely nude before them both--wearing only her jewelry and a harness high on her thigh with an ornate golden short sword strapped to it. "I'm always hungry."<

Ailuin gave her hints of warnings however. It wasn't his fault she couldn't keep up. In her mind eye, she had only done one thing wrong. In his mind eye, she had done three things wrong that ended up with her pinned up against the wall, albeit briefly. When the flame bursted from her, Ailuin smiled even more, chuckling as he started to pack his pipe with new opium, clearly counting down the seconds while he smoothly turned on his heel, watching the women dance briefly with his mismatched eyes still, seemingly, focused on his pipe. Stepping up close to the wall of flame as he'd briefly dip his pipe in it, then step back once more. Hands sliding into his pockets. "I do not know it all. I discover it all." came his response that was quite humble but also factual. His tone still smooth, still cool. Still...even. Unreasonably calm in the potential in danger. Smiling brightly as Acantha smoothly averted what Ailuin >> Ailuin already knew. But clearly, she diddn't want the woman to know. And knowing, exactly, how dangerous she was more so then anyone else would even begin to understand? He didn't take his chances, he didn't tell the truth of what he thought she might be. Speculated she COULD be. His smile grew WIDER in fact, as Acantha stepped through the flame and said those next words. Tail wagging as his eyes lit up in clear fascination. It ever did cause him to wonder how the hell it reacted like that in flame. It was absolutely terribly fascinating and frightening at the same time. Her mention of him taking the fun out of everything had him shrugging. "That is where we differ. Where you deem ignorance as fun, I deem it as arrogant and stupid." calmly cooly spoken while Acantha continued her chase clearly, towards the phoenix. Who was really, offering herself up on a silver platter by now. "I would take that offer." >>Ailuin puffing through the flame as he stood across from her. "If I were you. The flame will not protect you here." As if he...already knew that. Did she know, how deep he would pry with the vials she had given him? Did she know how far he would go? And now he determined, he must go further even to discover more. "She places trump card, I'd wager. And if I am a know it all, and have been correct this entire time, do you really dare to chance on the wager that I might be wrong this time, Lady Aidie? I would take her offer and leave. Now." Cooly facing the clear insane danger right beside him as if he was certain he wasn't going to be feasted on instead. Ailuin meanwhile, simply turned to eye her. "Well, that's certainly noticeable. The question is, hungry for what? I at least, am obvious in what I hunger for. You...are so crafy it's hard to pin down Lady Acantha. I must say, you have given me quite the extrordinary puzzle." >>
Ailuin a heavy pause as he thought carefully, on his next words before he finally deemed to speak them. "Thank you for the mystery, I needed it." and with that he was walking down the hallways again, seemingly not turning back around to see if the phoenix got eaten or not. All wrapped up in his ideas, theories and textures and doors. Mapping out the servant passages with glee and soon enough returning to his own suite, in which...Ailuin, smartly placed the heavy desk against for next time. This way nobody would be sneaking in and out on his friend and wife. Nobody..would threaten them.

Adlwyn watched as the edge of her dress caught fire, eyes widening at the sight as they followed the line of flame up the woman's figure. And yet she continued to step through with what seemed like an intentionally leisurely pace. Her movements matched the vampiress' in pace, a slow step along with her, and then another. "What are.." But the question didn't finish. As the other stopped, she did not, continuing a further few steps before she would do so. That very flame which had created lines across the floor in her attempt to keep at bay the other began to fade and to do so quickly, until the darkness had returned and only a couple of unsteady breaths could be heard through it while Aidie's eyes adjusted again. She could hear the commentary, the man in the background pattering on as though what he had to say mattered at this point anymore. He did like to go on.. >>Adlwyn << But her focus was on the vampires herself, on what she should do then. The warning had sunk into her veins, the dark hidden tunnels they were in making the threat all the more viable. Teeth gritted, her jawline accented as she warred with herself over the decision and then committed. The flame appeared again, a sudden sweeping flash of fire that seemed to come from within her. It started from her chest, echoing out from there as an immolation. It sped across her form, covered every inch from toes to the top of her head.. And then it snapped out of existence just as quickly, leaving nothing behind in its wake but a few touches of smoke and ash. <e>

Acantha somewhat adored the Ark for seconding her notion for the girl to leave, knowing she was bent on losing control and also knowing she perhaps didn't want what that girl had. She'd been warned about bogging down her soul with needless meals, despite the ever-growing void of hunger within her. She had to be selective. Losing control wasn't selective. So when the girl finally made her choice to leave entirely, there was the distinct taste of her own relief on the air as the vampiress took a breath, only to turn her attention onto the Arkaine and his question on her hunger, drawing a grin across her mouth, envenomed saliva spilling from the edges rather lewdly as she seemed to stare right through him with that weight of hunger within her. "Life." She answered him, a key piece of the puzzle she's so barely presented to him, her voice a gravelly moan before the naked woman was just... gone. >Acantha. No, she didn't want to eat him, either. At least not now, not without knowing more. So instead she found herself back against the good Doctor Istrodan, suckling the pain from the corners of his soul instead of ending some fool's life. <