Eva was nothing more than a curiosity to Maria, the inheritrix of the Stillwater who padded its halls in half-bare feet and sprawled on the decaying piano like a stray cat. "Oh, please, Maryushka, stay a while," she said, swinging herself upright, toes dangling above the keys. "It's gotten so lonesome here."
Maria stood by the piano, as though considering what to play. "Maryushka. Aren't you familiar?"
"We're girls of a similar age, why shouldn't we be friendly?
"A similar age, but not a similar status."
Eva pouted, a pitiful expression, however alluring the curl of her lip. "Don't you like me?"
Mere liking (believed Maria) was beneath a Mistress -- Scarlet Nina's love and disdain were passionate and complete. Maria tried to find it in herself to disdain Eva.
"Well," Eva continued, "I like you. Don't you know, Maryushka? I admired you since I set eyes on you. Since you never set your eyes on me, I admired your straight back, the nape of your neck. I admired how you looked at the river and the horizon. And --" She leaned over, and caught a lock of Maria's hair between her quick fingers. "I admired your long, dark hair."
Maria's breath caught.
-
Eva was nothing more than a curiosity. The Stillwater pulled the human soul like a spring, and most souls couldn't bear the tension -- strangers came and went through the observatory of unseen skies, but Eva, Eva with her hands coiling Maria's hair, Eva with her arms loose around Maria's neck, Eva stayed.
And when Eva kissed her, when she kissed her the kiss was like a counterweight, and Maria knew the torture of that tension -- Maria whose soul aspired to the air, even as she longed to be buried in Eva's arms.
Maria/Eva, 1/?
Maria stood by the piano, as though considering what to play. "Maryushka. Aren't you familiar?"
"We're girls of a similar age, why shouldn't we be friendly?
"A similar age, but not a similar status."
Eva pouted, a pitiful expression, however alluring the curl of her lip. "Don't you like me?"
Mere liking (believed Maria) was beneath a Mistress -- Scarlet Nina's love and disdain were passionate and complete. Maria tried to find it in herself to disdain Eva.
"Well," Eva continued, "I like you. Don't you know, Maryushka? I admired you since I set eyes on you. Since you never set your eyes on me, I admired your straight back, the nape of your neck. I admired how you looked at the river and the horizon. And --" She leaned over, and caught a lock of Maria's hair between her quick fingers. "I admired your long, dark hair."
Maria's breath caught.
-
Eva was nothing more than a curiosity. The Stillwater pulled the human soul like a spring, and most souls couldn't bear the tension -- strangers came and went through the observatory of unseen skies, but Eva, Eva with her hands coiling Maria's hair, Eva with her arms loose around Maria's neck, Eva stayed.
And when Eva kissed her, when she kissed her the kiss was like a counterweight, and Maria knew the torture of that tension -- Maria whose soul aspired to the air, even as she longed to be buried in Eva's arms.