Three Sisters Imbrien

[tankietka]

Part 1
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My name is Kira Imbrien, but I am better known by my adventurer name, Tankietka. I record here how I and my sister came to adventure in the Eastern Region.

To understand me and my sister, you must know something of the environment and circumstances in which we were raised. I was the eldest of three girlchildren in a noble family in the city of Marli in the Central Region. Marli was a Deva city, much more so than Deva Rakesh is a Deva town. The Eastern Region is racially integrated, compared to how the Central Region was, at least as it was five years ago. Now I do not know what it is like, as you know, all ways back are closed to us in the East.

My sister Sela, no longer living, was two years my junior. Our other sister, Tessa, is 5 and a half years my junior (I am 23, she is 17). Tessa is now a Cleric in the Eastern Region, and goes by the adventurer name Kukolka. Our mother is an attendant to the High Priestess of Marli, and Deva Ambassador to the Water Fairys Nation, and so naturally was involved in the War of Red vs Blue. Our father is a professor of Magical Physiology at Rohnel College. He studies magical creatures who possess different forms of healing than our own, such as Yeti and Water Pixies.

Our parents raised us with a racist ideology, but you must understand that they too were products of their environment. The population of Marli was entirely Deva, and though it was a beautiful city, and though Gaia and Azura lived in nearby towns, rarely did they choose to visit.

All three of us attended a private girls' school in Marli and had little reason to have contact with those of other races. But Sela and I did like to play and explore in the nearby woods, and the autumn when I was eight and Sela six, we came upon a group of different-looking children playing in our woods. I made friends easily, and my friends became Sela's friends. We kept the friendships secret from our parents, as we knew without understanding why that we would be in trouble if they knew. Our forest friends initially numbered 4 Gaia plus the 2 of us. Over the years the number grew to 5 Deva, 7 Gaia, 4 Kentas, and 2 Azura.

At home and school I behaved as a proper girlchild, but in the forest I learned swordplay with the boys. We used practise swords, enchanted in such a way as to do little harm, and to never kill.

There is a legend of a crazy old man living alone in that forest, who could enchant weapons without failure, and his workshop could only be found by one earnestly intent on purchasing one of his weapons, and carrying enough money to do so. I once met him, and can tell you that is not true, as he charged exorbitant prices, and neither I nor the two children with me had much money on us at the time. He was also not crazy; he spoke words of the common language, in sentences that made no sense to us, but he knew what he was doing with the enchantments. He probably just liked to be alone, and used words wrongly so he would not have to converse with anyone. I now recognise that those practise swords were merely the products of failed enchants.

[tankietka]

Part 2
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My first crush was Ramon, one of the Gaia boys from the forest. He was boisterous and irreverent and completely different than anyone else I knew. I agonised over telling him of my feelings for him, and when I finally did, I was embarrassed at having done so, for he did not return them. I was even more embarrassed to discover that his younger brother, Tiamo, a pale wiry redhead a year younger than I, fancied me. In time I grew to care for him in a different way than my other friends. This I knew I would get in trouble for if my parents knew, but Sela kept our secret.

I kept her secret as well. According to our parents, Gaia were all right; crude, uncultured, but mostly decent folk. But Azura, they told us, were despicable, representatives of all that is unholy. The trouble I would be in for sharing my first kiss with a Gaia boy was nothing compared to what Sela would be in if our parents knew her best friend was an Azura. So, they simply must not know and that was that.

Besides playing in the woods, one of our other pastimes was looking through our family's collection of spellbooks and eagerly imagining would it would be like when we got our mana and were able to use these spells. Great-Aunt Enevya's spellbook was a favourite of us both, and we imagined we would follow in her footsteps as Bishops and go on wonderful, exotic adventures together.

In my eleventh year, my class began memorizing the rote portions of a few basic spells, for physical defense, mental defense, and healing. Sela, two years behind and not due her mana for at least three years, begged me to teach her the spells too, so I did. By the time her class got to these basic spells, she knew them in her sleep. Frustrated with the slower learners, she antagonised them with the rote components of offensive spells gleaned from Great-Aunt Enevya's spellbook. Of course the spells did nothing as she had no mana yet, but she got in trouble all the same.

Now here is the reason Tessa has been sheltered all her life and is afraid of everything. When she had almost reached her fourth year, she was stung by a nettle and had an allergic reaction so severe that she nearly died. One of mother's Water Pixie friends stayed by Tessa's bedside day and night for a week. After that, Tessa was confined to the manorhouse and its walled gardens.

Father brought her a pet baby Yeti to keep her company. The Yeti Fuzzby was often her only playmate, and she loved him very much. She had him for less than 2 years though before he developed feral magic, poisoned her, and had to be put down. Tessa was heartbroken. And fearful. If her beloved pet could turn on her, and leave her, who or what could be trusted?

Tessa was often ill, so for that reason and for fear of nettles, Mother hired a governess to teach her at home. Tessa stayed within the manorhouse and its garden walls until her seventh year, when one of Father's colleagues concocted an antidote to the nettles' allergen. Then she was allowed to start school with us. However in the second week, she came down with a bad case of the Poultry Pox -- a normal childhood disease, but she was sicker for longer than most children. When she recovered and went back to school, she had no problem catching up with the class, and became the teacher's pet. All was well for two months, then a jealous classmate pushed her out of a window. Tessa was kept home for six weeks after that, time for her broken leg and arm to mend, and to protect her from her classmates.

She went back to school for another three months. Then I was kidnapped, and Tessa became too frightened to leave the manorhouse. Our parents coddled her, so she was schooled by a governess again until age 11 when she was sent to a convent.

[tankietka]

Part 3
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It was during the time that Tessa was home with a broken arm and leg that I came into my magic -- what little magic I was to be blessed with. My magic came easily and painlessly; perhaps because it was not enough with which to do anything useful. Such little mana limited my career options considerably, and disappointed my parents. In standardized testing, I proved just manaful enough to affirm my birth status and assure my place as an acceptable choice of wife for a nobleman. Despite slightly elevating my status among my peers, I had failed through no fault of my own to live up to my family's expectations.

My lack of mana was in a small way a relief, that I was no longer expected to become a Priestess, though it also meant I could never become a Bishop, either. That made me sad. But Sela still had a chance, and if she was going to adventure as a Bishop, I was going to adventure with her. So it was that as my childhood hope faded away, a vision of a promising future took its place. From that point on I took my sword practise seriously; what was once just a sport would become my livelihood.

My first battle against enemies occurred in my fourteenth year. It was a miserable failure, and yet the aftermath caused me to learn my own weaknesses and strengths. Sela and I had met our friends in the forest. I know not what Sela was doing, while I and a few boys practised with our swords. We had no prior reason to think we were unsafe in this part of the forest. Suddenly we heard a shout, stopped and looked at each other, and ran toward the sound. A scream this time, and we came upon a band of Orcs attacking our friends! We ran in to defend them as I saw one Orc carrying off a Gaia girl. I ran to stop him, but another Orc stepped in between me and them. I swung my sword at his heart but it did not pierce the flesh. Of course; these weapons were enchanted to do minimal harm and never kill. The Orc I had attacked grabbed and twisted my arm. He knocked the sword out of my hand with his club and threw me over his shoulder. I kicked and pounded at him to no avail. I saw Tiamo coming up behind him with a tree branch. I winced, bracing for impact. The Orc bellowed in pain, shifted my weight. I heard the sound of bones cracking and struggled to see what had happened. No. Dear Astral, No! Tiamo lay crumpled on the ground, his skull crushed in. Tiamo, my love, gone; unthinkable. I felt an empty blackness begin in the pit of my stomach and radiate out, while a dismal grey pressure closed in on me from all around. I retched down the Orc's back, and the greyness enveloped my mind.

I shall be brief in recounting the events of my nine days in the Orcs' camp. Besides myself and the Gaia girl, they had also taken one other Deva girl. I do not record their names as I wish their spirits no shame. The other Devan did not survive the first night. The Gaian lived two and a half days by my estimation before being killed brutally for sport.

I lived simply because I did not die. Because I could take all the abuse they dealt out. And because I had just enough mana to cast a protection spell on myself every fifteen minutes. At least while I was conscious. I learned quickly how to locate and Heal internal hemorrhages, a subtly different technique than the basic Healing we had learned in school.

I was "lucky" enough, if you could call it that, to become the chief's pet. This role afforded me some protection from the others, and the fact that I was the only prisoner left may have protected me from being killed by him.

The Orc who had kidnapped me, the one who had killed Tiamo, was the chief's fiercest competetor. It was in this that I saw my chance for escape. The first day, when he discovered I could Heal myself, he would cut me, and then watch, fascinated, as I used magic to close the wound. When I could see he was not likely to tire of this, I told him I had used up my magic; he cut me once more, I faked the spell, and he grunted and let me alone. He had played that game with me a few more times, but was forbidden it now that the chief had decided I was his.

The Orcs had judged me docile enough that I now had a bit of freedom to go on errands about the camp; truly more pet than prisoner. On the ninth day, I managed to catch the fierce one alone. It was dangerous, but this was the best chance I could see to escape. I flirted with him, pretended to be awed by his power, pretended I found him attractive. Then convinced him to unfetter my feet and take me some distance from the camp, making sure he had his knife. (As only the chief had the keys, I had to use a pick to unfetter myself, but the fierce Orc agreed it was a good idea). First I let him tire me out with the cutting-and-Healing game, once again pretending I had run out of mana when I really had some left. This time he cut me a dozen more times, testing whether I was telling the truth. Then, with no one else around, he turned really nasty, and I began to regret going with him alone. I drew his attention to the reason for unfettering my feet. Finally, thank Astral, it was over. The horrid Orc lay relaxed after his fun, his eyes mercifully closed. I gathered my strength, silently picked up his knife, and thrust it into his throat. Then I bolted in the opposite direction from whence we had come. I knew not which way was home, but I was free.

[tankietka]

Part 4
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When I could run no more, I realised I was still bleeding, and Healed myself. I sat and rested a few minutes, alert the entire time, afraid the Orcs were close behind. I Healed myself again and resumed running.

Once out of the woods, running toward the only village in sight, the first person I encountered was a Gaia woman ploughing a field. She took me into her home, gave me a red potion, and sent one of her children into the village to message the Kahuna. My hair was caked with dirt, and at first they mistook me for a Gaia girl missing from a nearby town. The farmer helped me wash up and gave me clothes to put on: loose clothes with sleeves too short, but I was grateful for anything to wear. The Kahuna Restored my Purified Water. The other purity I had lost could never be restored.

I told the Kahuna and farmer what had become of Tiamo and the missing Gaia girl. They told me the bodies of three Gaia, a Deva, and two Kentas had been found at the site of the attack. The farmer fed me and offered me a place to rest as long as I needed. I thanked her but said I must return home. I had to find out what had become of my sister. The Kahuna walked with me to the teleporter, and with funds from the Alms house paid my fare to Marli.

My parents welcomed me with trepidation. "Please don't ask me to talk about what happened," I beseeched them. "I am alive; please let that be enough." It hurt them, but they respected my request. My relationships with them were never the same again. Their eldest daughter, the responsible one, had failed in her duty to wed a nobleman.

Along with her best friend Verilee Vespa, Sela had hidden herself and watched when the Orcs attacked, and so was able to return home and lead a search party. After five days they returned; that was too long to hope for two girls of fourteen and sixteen years to survive among Orcs.

My parents sent handsome sums of R to the Gaia farmer woman and the Alms house, and a rare-gemmed ring to the Kahuna. To the Orcs they sent vengeance. The militia followed my directions from the Gaia village, but the Orcs had moved on again. The militia did catch up with and eliminate and entire camp; whether it was those that took me, I do not know.

It came out that we had been meeting children of the "lesser" races. That contributed to the already valid argument for our safety, to forbid us from entering the forest. Using teleporters to visit our friends, or for them to visit us, was also out of the question. With Sela and Verilee forbidden each other's company, Sela withdrew, her mood darkened, and she was left without a single friend in school or anywhere. I would like to be able to say I was the exception, but she stopped talking to me as well and eventually I stopped trying.

In the early winter, shortly after her thirteenth birthingday, Sela took to her bed with pains that mother knew to be her magic emerging. I was worried for her, as mine had come so easily, but soon learned there was no reason to worry. Sela's magic was very strong. Her mood lifted a bit, but though her peers admired her, she had no friends. It was said that she would be High Priestess one day--if she could ever learn discipline, something our parents and teachers despaired of. Indeed, Sela ran away later that year, and afterward people would say of her, shaking their heads sadly, "She was always the wild child."

[tankietka]

Part 5
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To understand why the next events unfolded as they did, you must have knowledge of the worst insult in Marli. I'm sure you're aware the three races of People have an agreement to refrain from killing one another without justifiable cause. As the Deva of Marli take that agreement very seriously, calling someone a "PKer", offensive slang for "person-killer", is the second-worst thing you can say to them.

Now, one night I caught Sela sneaking out of the manorhouse to meet Verilee after everyone had gone to bed. I knew that were Tiamo alive, I'd likely be sneaking out too. I asked only that she stay close to the city, for her own safety, and she agreed to that. So I became her accomplice, covering for her when she snuck out every few nights. That shared secret improved our relationship a little.

Once in the middle of the night, Sela came to my bedroom in tears. Just past the South bridge of Marli, she and Verilee had witnessed Lady Lilantir, the mother of the High Priestess, murdering an Azura man. Of course she could tell no one besides me, since she was supposedly in bed at the time the murder occurred. For defending Azurans in political discussions in school, Sela had gained the moniker "Azura-lover", which only made her blush and argue more adamantly. But she did keep mum about the crime she had witnessed. For as long as she was able.

In the fall before she turned fourteen, Sela stopped sneaking out. Asked why, she said hollowly that Verilee had moved to the Eastern Region to attend Summoner training. Her goal in life was to tame and raise a Hawkman, a symbol of her religion's god. I consoled Sela, telling her fourteen was a bit too young yet to leave home for adventurer training, but that I would wait for her, and we would go East together in a few years.

The secret of the witnessed murder came out at a most inopportune time in a most inopportune way: at the Midwinter Feast, an exquisitely formal banquet celebrating the longer daylight to follow. Between fifth and sixth courses, Sela had had enough of the taunts of "Azura-lover". She wielded her novice staff and Stunned the offending classmate. Mother reprimanded her and demanded she apologise, and Sela cast Silence on Mother. By then they had everyone's attention. The High Priestess rose calmly to her full height, wrapped in a spell to make herself more imposing. "You have a lot to learn, young novice," she said icily. She extended her hand and Sela's staff flew across the room into it. Sela burst out spitefully, "Your mom's a PKer!", turned and ran from the hall. All present were shocked that anyone would dare insult the High Priestess so. I shamefacedly requested a private audience with the High Priestess, explained to her and Mother that Sela had meant no disrespect, and told them what she had told me. The High Priestess said she would deal with this matter herself. Mother told me not to repeat what I had told them. I do not believe Lady Lilantir was ever punished.

Later that night I told Sela how I had mitigated the situation, but that she must learn to control her temper in public. She sullenly said she was sick of the lies and intolerance. That would be the last conversation I had with her. The next morning she was gone. By what she had taken from her room, it was obvious she had meant to run away. Also missing were two Water Pixies -- and two Water Pixie sealing cards from Father's warehouse. We set out to look for Sela, but were attacked by demons and barely escaped with our lives. The demons were everywhere; the best we could hope for Sela was that she had died quickly. Within the half-hour, demons swarmed the city walls.

The siege lasted three days. In the end, we defeated the demons, but they had destroyed our morale. Marli was no longer a safe place to live. After Sela's funeral, our parents sent Tessa to a convent North of Laksy, where she would be safe.

Sela's death left me distraught. Our relationship had been rocky the past few years, but she was my sister and had still been my dearest friend. I grieved for the loss of the adventures we would never get to share. My life without her would not be the same.

My ordeal at the Orcs' hands had only cost me a good marriage. My fear that it had also rendered me unfit to enlist as a Holy Warrior was unfounded; the High Priestess gave me her blessing. With Sela gone, I had little reason to delay. I finished out the school year, then bid my parents farewell and set off for Trainee's Island.

[tankietka]

Part 6
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I knew I was not a great fighter by any means, nor particularly strong. My time with the Orcs taught me that my strength lie in my resiliency. With that and training, someday I would be worthy of the Knighthood. I chose as my adventurer name 'Tankietka', meaning "small tank".

Overconfidence would do me in. I tried to take on an Anatema alone after being told not to. Even more foolishly, I tried the same with a Boss Worm Piranha; that did not go so well. On Trainee's Island, I learned humility: I was not invincible.

Under the convent's strict rules, Tessa was seldom allowed to use the messaging service, but we kept in touch when we were able. Homesickness made her physically ill throughout her first few months there, as she could contact no-one from back home, due to the total disconnect between the Eastern Region and the rest of the world. The other girls called her 'Kukolka', meaning "little doll", owing to her flawless beauty and fragile nature.

Tessa's only previous experiences with peers having been negative, she mostly kept to herself. Again she became a favourite student, employing her fine handwriting to copy scrolls for the Clerics to enchant. In time Tessa grew comfortable safe within the convent walls, as she had felt safe shut in the manorhouse most of her life. But she feared even the weakest of monsters, and would spend two days recovering from the anxiety of each outing day. She was eventually diagnosed with aggrophobia. Learning meditation helped her control her fear.

When Tessa got her mana, she began studying in earnest skills of the Clerical trade. The four most popular girls in the class adopted her as a pseudo-friend to help with their studies. They still teased her, but she took it good-naturedly, and they came to accept her as one of their own. When the ringleader's best friend was ousted from popularity, Tessa took her place. It was thus that she gained knowledge of the ways of the outside world and cultivated an interest in fashion.

Upon completion of my Holy Warrior training, I moved to the floating city of Rakesh. There I met a good group of friends -- Breeder Aravalia, Assassin iSpy, and the Priest votblindub -- and joined their guild, Starseeds. Ara gave me my first pet, a Pantera named AlhZion.

Orcs roamed the area surrounding Laksy. I feared them, but vowed to reduce their numbers. Upon finding an Orc sealing card, my first feeling was one of repugnance; why would anyone want an Orc as a pet? My second thought was of retribution. Yes, I would capture an Orc, make him my slave, make him feel as powerless as they had made me feel. I tried taming one myself and failed. Guildies told me Orcs are not easy to tame, and if I got another card, to bring it to someone who specialises in creature taming. Not if; when. By now I was determined -- I -would- have a pet Orc. I spent days in the Harvesting Woods, killing more Orcs as I searched for another card. Finally I got one, and took it to ArchenEmber, who sealed in it the soul of an Orc.

Finally I had... a weak and pitiful Orc child. This was nothing like the revenge I had imagined. The boy depended on me for everything, and I could not mistreat him. A sort of mothering instinct took over; I treated him as the child I would never have. I taught him how to defend himself, and how to fight. It occurred to me that teaching these skills to an Orc might be dangerous, perhaps crazy, but my boy was ever loyal to me.

Last year, unfortunate Tessa again lost her security. Corrupted Angels attacked the convent, killing most of the Clerics and students, and demolishing the building. During the attack, Tessa hid in an alcove, too frightened to join the melee or cast healing magic lest the Angels notice her. By luck, they did not, but an Assassin-in-training with a vendetta against the Angels, did. "Heal, please," the young Azura woman bade her. Tessa stood frozen in place, staring at the first Azura she had ever seen up close. "Heal me, damn you, so I can get you out of here!" Tessa Healed the Azuran, and together they ran from the ancient building as it crumbled. Tessa was whisked away to Trainee's Island, where she registered with the Bureau of Adventurers, giving her name as Kukolka. There she partied with the young woman who had saved her life, MysticAssassins.

[navras]

Holy hell, you write stunningly well! Please give me some feedback on The Tainted, will you?
That was like the greatest diary I've ever read.

[tankietka]

Holy hell, you write stunningly well! Please give me some feedback on The Tainted, will you?
That was like the greatest diary I've ever read.

Thank you very much! This is my first fanfic of anything, and the first fiction I've written in umm, 5? 6? ...too many years. Glad to hear you enjoy it! ^__^
Sure, I'll look up The Tainted right after this.

[tankietka]

Part 7
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After receiving her Clerical degree, Tessa moved in with me in my small studio apartment in Rakesh. It was good to get to know her better. We had never been close, as Sela and I had been, due to our difference in ages and because Tessa had always been at home while I was often out. Training with MysticAssassins had helped her mature some and not be quite so afraid of everything, so she was more fun to be with than in our younger days. We even had some fun times outside together, like the time she partied with my pet Orc, FerociousJay, Healing him as he killed a Red Drill while I took on its three guards.

Here is how Tessa developed courage. One day she was sitting by the pool outside the Rakesh Temple, and a Deva man came up to her and said "I love you. I like you. You like me." She asked if he knew her, thinking he might have mistaken her for me since we look similar. He said yes. We did not know how he would know either of us, so the next time he asked her to party, she did, and asked again if he knew her and again he said yes. She asked how, but he did not answer. So she did not follow him down to Laksy, and when he returned, refused to heal or buff him until he told her. He admitted he did not know her. Satisfied that he was not someone she knew in disguise, but just a random stalker, she healed and buffed him.

Not long after that, Tessa brought home a Water Pixie. This was around the time FerociousJay was getting obstinate, as pets sometimes do when they are about to evo, going off to attack creatures without being told to. He attacked the Water Pixie repeatedly. I knew we could not keep them in this same small apartment, and neither of us were willing to give up our pets. We decided it would be best for me to live closer to the dungeons I frequented, and Tessa to remain in the studio apartment, safe in the floating city no monsters could enter. So it was that I moved, first to Horizen, and then to Rondo, where I now share a third-story room in the Southwest Quarter with FerociousJay, AlhZion, and my Tortus, KarNix.

Tessa, still living in our old apartment, now with two Water Pixies, prefers to spend most days in quiet pursuits such as copying scrolls and seamstressing. We still keep in contact by messaging service. She parties infrequently, and prefers small parties, until she gains confidence that she can keep a larger party buffed and alive. Though she still favours quiet seclusion at home, she adventures because she hopes to one day be a good enough Priestess to win the attentions of a certain powerful Chaos Mage.

As for myself, I relish diversity -- of men, of scenery, of monsters. As I write this, my current favourite haunts are the Lost Mines and the Western area of Palmir Plateau. When I'm not out ridding the world of monsters, likely places to find me are near the Hidden Village Warehouse, or the Horizen North Bridge. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories, so if you see me, please don't be shy to say hello.

~Kira Imbrien, aka Tankietka

[sela]

My dear beloved sister Kira,

Glad to hear you've done well for yourself, and Baby-doll has grown somewot of a spine. It's funny, if our elders could see us, she's the one they'd be proud of. Props on the wholesome image you've set yourself up. "Oooh, look at me, girl-next-door, I have friends everywhere from noobs to PKers!" Gag me with cherries n pits! Provoke? My eye! Knights are supposed to anger mobs, not flirt with 'em.

LOL you thought I was dead! You threw me a funeral! LMFAO! XD You of all people should know me better than that. You survived the Orcs' camp beyond all reasonable hope. Whatever made you doubt your little sis could survive that demon attack?

So to fill in some blanks. I followed Verilee to Katan, where I converted to Shumazism and began to study dark magic. Not at all easy for a Devan to learn, but then I always did like a challenge. Since you don't seem to have guessed, I and Verilee are lovers. Never wonder why I wasn't interested in boys? That's okay, you had enough interest for the both of us. Bet you're wondering now about those Water Pixies and cards I took. One failed to tame; the other I sacrificed in the conversion ritual. Hate me yet?

Anyhow, we'll probably never speak again, but I thought it only fair to let you know I'm still alive. Don't try to find me. Even if you did, you wouldn't recognise me. Just know I'm still out there somewhere, collecting information and stirring up trouble, same as always. Remember, we Imbrien don't go down easy.

<3 Sela

[tankietka]

Dearest Sela,

It fills me with joy to learn you live.
You are my sister; I could never hate you. I regret that I wasn't a better friend in our last years together. I hope you will reconsider your decision to never speak to me again. I would love to see you again, and catch up on each other's lives the past seven years. I have missed you, truly.

fondly,
Kira

[sela]

You are my sister; I could never hate you.

Is that a challenge?

Dear Sela,

All I wrote on the forum is true; I do not hate you, and I have missed you, lots. I would love to see you again, but I request that you take our further communication to private messages. At the very least, please do not insult Tessa publicly.

Sooo, you reply to me publicly and then expect me not to do the same? That's yakdoh.

And I don't know what you've heard about me, I don't flirt with mobs. If you're referring to Burzom, that was an exceptional circumstance. -_-

LOL no, I heard you shouted "I HEART U CRYPTIC!!!" while tanking him. But Burz, too? Damn, girl! XD

I'm sorry it took me this long to see your message. I haven't been checking the forums much because I've been working on videos.
If you do change your mind (and I hope you do), I can meet you just about anywhere.

Patiently yet hopefully awaiting your reply,
Kira

Here it is. If we are ever to meet again, it will be when I'm ready, and on my terms.

<3
Sela