A Night of Pasts Exchanged (open)

Rook looked up at Starfire and gave a small, awkward smile. Turning her eyes toward the barkeep, she quietly spoke. "Hey. How are you, uh... feeling?" She stammered a bit. "I-I'm fine, y'know, if you're wondering. I'm okay." Letting out a nervous laugh, she took a sip from her stein. A few butterflies flew about her stomach as she began talking again. "Do you want me to get you something to drink? Are you hungry at all?"

"As you wish," Rook said, continuing to sip at her drink. Her eyes trailed to Star's neck, and her expression turned grim. "Don't be sorry... I knew it wasn't you who did that..."

Unlike Star, Rook felt no lingering pain from her stab wound. Thistle did a good job of fixing that up. She reached her hand out in empathy, placing it on one of Star's, knowing well the pain, shame, guilt and frustration of having no control of your own actions. "You needn't apologize. It couldn't be helped. Anyway, look, I'm fine!" She grinned with her teeth. "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger, and I need all of that I can get, being a mere human and all." She returned her hand to her own side of the table, and propped her head up with it. With her other hand, she traced the well-worn lines of the table. "How long have you been with the church, Starfire? I want to be as helpful there as I can, but I'm not sure how. I owe you all my life, twice over. If you need anything, please let me know..." Rook trailed off, realizing how abnormal her previous way of life had been. She never had to work for anything. She used sly, twisted, promiscuous or violent tactics to get whatever she wanted for over five years now. But now that Drethiel was no longer a part of her, she felt a wonderful freedom and pride in every honest thing she did. It was like a way of redeeming herself. "I'll do anything, as long as it doesn't involve taking things that aren't mine." It was as if any thought or act of theft by her now came full circle with hideous karma.

Rook narrowed her eyes at the table as she listened to Starfire speak, mindlessly studying the pattern of the table underneath her hand. "I see..." she murmured softly. "It's fine if you don't go to detail. But please realize I'm willing to listen to you. Everyone needs someone to listen to their story." She slowly got up, and downed the rest of her drink. "I'm going back to get another. I know you said you didn't want anything, but you look like you could use something warm to comfort your soul." Not even waiting to hear a thank-you or protest, she strode off to the bar, and ordered two ciders, handing the barkeep a small handful of coins. She felt a small pang in her stomach, spending the last of the coin she had on her for the time being. I need to learn to give. Give, don't take. Earn, don't steal. Rook carefully carried the two filled steins back to the table and set them down on either side. Sliding into her seat, her mind only trailed for a minute back to her previous belongings... the ones she had hidden from everyone. Her collection of goods and coin that in itself would be enough to clothe, feed and house her for her lifetime. What would she do with it now?

Lifting the stein to her lips, Rook took a sip and flinched lightly, realizing she burnt her tongue. "I've got all night, Starfire, and nothing better to do. So what do you say? Would you feel more comfortable if I told you about myself, first?"

"Very well. Then let me tell you a bit about myself, Star." Rook smirked and blew on her drink this time before sipping it. As the drink warmed her up, she started from the beginning. 

"I was always a curious child, you see. But I lead a fairly normal childhood life, growing up with my mom." She made a curved motion around her neck with her finger. "Do you remember that pendant I used to wear? It belonged to my aunt, or so I thought..." She scowled, remembering how she threw it to the ground in the Basilica, destroying her last link that Drethiel had with her. "It was because I was so stupid... no, so naive... I found that thing, clearly hidden and stored away under my aunt's bed. I was taken aback by its beauty at the time, and made off with it." She took another sip of her drink, and stared down at the table. "Little did I know that it was one of Drethiel's sin-plagued relics. My aunt and uncle were good with spells, you see, and they knew of its dangerous power. The way it was hidden, they sealed it away with a powerful ward. When my aunt found it had disappeared, it's safe to say she lost it. She went on rambling about me staying safe and pure..." 

"The way she died was odd, too... shortly after all that, she committed suicide. Turns out Dreth had possessed her as well, marked up her legs many years before that." Rook grimaced at the memory. "My aunt cut those markings out herself, while she was living. She must have died of blood loss or something..." She sniffed and looked up at Starfire with eyes that had grown slightly weary. The guilt she felt about her past pained her, and it was difficult to talk about it, knowing she could have prevented it all if she didn't steal in the first place. "Sorry, I'm rambling. Long story short, my Aunt was trying to disable the pendant's dangerous properties, but became possessed by Dreth in the process. She had a lot more willpower and magic on her side than I did. When she cut out the symbols, his bond to her was broken... and I imagine he ended up taking her soul before he went off to find me, the new pendant-holder."

"The story from then on consists of me being influenced by him, as you know. My thieving habits got worse and worse, and my means to get what I wanted grew so drastic that I turned into a murderous thief, not just an everyday pickpocket." She sipped her cider thoughtfully, then continued. "But don't fear. Similarly to your situation, it wasn't really all my doing, it was mainly his icy, chiding voice in my head. My story ends with Wildgard, here, where I met you, and Thistle and Des... where I was finally freed from that dreadful angel and my uncontrollable greed."

She smiled up at Star, and then looked at their surroundings carefully, checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "There is something, though... something that I'm not sure how to deal with." Rook fiddled with her hands as she said the last portion of her sentence. "All the treasure, money...pracically everything of value I ever stole in that span of years... it remains hidden in a place that only I know. I don't know what to do with it. Part of me fears ever going near it again, and part of me feels it's not right to just leave it be after all this time." Breathing out a sigh, Rook took a long swig of her drink. "Giving it away feels wrong, as it's not mine to give. Keeping it for myself feels wrong, because... well, it's not really mine in the end. Starfire, what would you do in my situation? I mean should I have fun with it, leave mysterious treasure maps everywhere for people to find it on their own?" She laughed nervously to herself, trying to make light of it all.

"Anyway, that's all I really have to tell you. Now, what was this long, detailed story that you were going to tell me?" She waited intently for Starfire to speak.

During the time Starfire talked, Rook kept a sullen face. Having the one she loved killed in front of her, only to have him make her life a living hell by occupying her head... it sounded terrible. At least she didn't ever love Drethiel. Thank the gods above that she never loved Drethiel. That kind of pain would sear through the heart... having mixed feelings of hatred for your ex-lover, but remembering the times of love and passion before everything went haywire. Rook had never been in love in her lifetime - she merely feigned desire and interest to take advantage of the lusty. By the time Starfire finished her story, she was practically speechless, and on the verge of crying herself.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." She managed. From her pocket she withdrew a handkerchief and gave it over to Star. "I hope your life is turning out better than it has been. Like I said, if you need me, I'm here. You are truly one of my first friends." She concluded sincerely.

Rook awkwardly shrugged and put away her handkerchief, and watched Star put her head down. "H-hey... Starfire...we all get lost sometimes. Right now, I think you're doing fine. You're not in danger, are you? You're safe. You have a job... you have at least one friend." She smiled as best as she could. "Not everyone is out to hurt you..."

"It's alright." She answered, letting her know everything was okay. "It's rough talking about the past."