First Encounter (Aella)

~*First Encounters*~

The night was cold, and the moon shone like never before. The water churned slowly as the wind howled softly through out the air, as if desperately trying to whisper. The sounds of car rushing down the pavement hummed and echoed through out the subway station. It was fairly empty, save for a young business woman, whom appeared to have been doing tedious work and has thus become exhausted, a homeless man, who had taken shelter from the cold in the subway, and a old cloaked woman. She wasn't really old, though she heard that 50 could be considered it, so let it slide. Her name was Nira, and she had just finished wandering the streets. Does she have a home? Of course she does, but she rarely goes. Nira appeared to look older than she really was, but she didn't let that bother her. Appearance never truly matters. Both her eyes are atrophied, but she can still see, despite her blindness. However, she cannot see color nor appearances, as she can only see silhouettes. She stood firmly, awaiting for the next train to arrive. She could faintly hear the rumbles of the other trains echoing through the tunnels. However, there was no announcement of the next train. Most curious.

Nira stood still, pondering about her life. She had become enlightened, and enjoyed her work as a scholar, but there was still much more to learn. Who was she really, and why was she unable to remember her childhood. She remembered a few memories, but they were merely fragments. Her 1st birthday, her parents arguing, and then their sudden disappearance. Their disappearance was the real mystery. Her parents where both with her when they suddenly vanished, so what had happened? Nira shook her head and sighed. It wasn't that it was too painful to remember, it was just the fact that it was a complete puzzle. Despite Nira's intelligence, she could not understand how they suddenly vanished. She took another breath of the cold air and let out another sigh. The cold breeze continued to flow through a vent. The homeless man eyed Nira suspiciously.

A few minutes later, another young woman rushed down the stairs, apparently thinking that her train had arrived. Didn't she know that they always ran late? How humorous. She looked young, in her early 20s probably, but she also appeared to be "loose". She looked almost as if she'd allow anyone to walk over her and take advantage of her. Easy prey for Nira, but she had no use for her, but kept studying her. Despite not really seeing much physical features, she was able to pick up on a few details. Nira had a rough time examining her, for she couldn't truly tell her background story. She had already read the other people in the subway. The young business woman, was most likely working to pay for her family who is currently struggling. She stresses everyday and is constantly overworked, and both her home and her job. The homeless man, who used to be filthy rich, lost all of his money in bad investments. However, this young woman who had just appeared, was a complete mystery.

Nira looked back and saw another young woman rush down the stairs. Clearly, she was more clumsy than the first. She tripped and fell, and Nira did her best to contain her laughter. After all, it wasn't everyday that you saw someone trip and nearly fall to their death. Nira watched as the other young lady, who still she was unable to study, helped the fallen lady up to her knees. "Clumsy oaf.." she said to herself quietly as she watched the "operation" at hand. The woman was soon on her feet again and thanked the woman that helped her. Nira scowled in disgust. How dare that other woman help the fallen one, she should've helped herself. Now, the fallen woman is deprived of all self-doings. No longer will she think twice before asking someone for help. She will now automatically assume that someone would eventually come to her. The experience was deprived. Nira felt like scolding the lady for helping, and it felt almost like a natural instinct to, but didn't. She was already exhausted all day after wandering the city, and didn't want to waste her breath. She now regretted saying her comment about the lady who had fell.

Nira turned her attention back to the young woman, whom she had created the name "Anonymous" for. Her past was very distant, almost as if clouded. She could gain no information what so ever on the young woman, and soon became fed up. It wasn't as challenging as figuring out her parent's disappearance, but it was almost just as frustrating. She could easily read anyone else, but "this one" was hard. Fed up with the puzzle, she approached the woman, still angry about her "good deed". "You don't know what you've done, do you?" she approached sternly. "Do you have any idea about the great annoyance you have caused in that woman just for helping her?" Nira now sounded a little angry, but did her best to not be. She despised that deed, and needed to know what foolish idea led her to help her.

Nira quickly analyzed and registered what the young woman had said in her head. She picked up a hint of sarcasm in her statement. Nira laughed silently to herself, amused that someone else would dare try to anger her. "Do not try to confuse me." she said firmly. Nira was in no mood for games. She took another second to analyze the young lady again. She seemed happy, but not quite. Almost as if something were missing from her life. "You helped that woman off the floor. She could've helped herself." Nira started. "Now, you have made her non self-reliant. She will no longer help herself. She will look to others for approval, and that self-approval will slowly be removed. I hope you feel proud of yourself." She made sure that her last sentence also had a hint of sarcasm, in order to combat what the young woman had said previously.

Nira sighed yet again and took a step back, looking to see if there was a dim light approaching in the tunnel, in hopes that the train would come quickly. She could hear and feel the rumbles of a train, slowly inching towards the station. It would arrive any minute. Nira turned back to the young lady, still filled with disgust, and continued her small rant. "Arrogance is no good, but it is meant to be used. Do not jump into anything, for you may not know the future consequences. May this be a lesson learned. She made sure to end this statement with a swift "punch", in order to intimidate the young woman.

The homeless man, who seemed to be delighted in the small debate, eagerly listened on to the conversation. Nira glanced at him. She made sure that her pitch black eyes met with his, which immediately made him retreat back to his own business. She could feel that the young lady was getting annoyed, and also quite upset. Nira chuckled in delight. All she had to do now was break her. "It is indeed your problem, you encouraged such behavior. The one who commits the deed is not responsible?" she asked in a sarcastic tone. The rumbles of the train approached, and it became more and more apparent that the train was near. She took another minute to study the woman. She was odd, but very charismatic from what she could tell. A father...Nira thought quietly to herself while continuing to examine her. Nira could hardly remember her father, but didn't want to start thinking of that now. "There is NOTHING to be gained to you or her from this. You will both suffer eventually." Nira ended her statement with a "cold" feeling.

***

Further down the station, the young woman who had fallen stood alone, in an empty and dimly lit corner of the station. Footsteps were heard behind her, but she took no notice. The footsteps were now followed by heavy breathing, which caused the woman to turn around. In an instant, the "thing" that had been behind her snatched her bag from behind and ran up the stairs at a great speed. Another man walked down the stairs as the thief ran up. The woman chuckled, surely thinking that the man would notice and help her. However, he didn't, and the thief continued to run off with her bag into the cold night. The woman stood there, dazed and confused, and commenced a senseless rant to the man who came down the stairs, questioning him as to why he did not help.~

Nira chuckled as she saw the event unfold. It had happened actually quite faster than she had expected it to. Of course, she had a slight feeling of superiority over the young woman, knowing that she was wiser than her. She laughed, a laugh that sounded neither good nor bad. "Now you have seen the consequences of your "good deed". THAT was your lesson." She gave the young woman a cold smile, almost like a smile of death. It felt good to intimidate the girl, but also, Nira had a slight feeling of sorrow. It was almost as if a foreign instinct inside her, almost like a motherly instinct, took over for a quick second. Nira shook the thought out of her head and continued to look at the young woman. "You are very...appealing. Quite amusing entertainment, considering how easily upset and overwhelmed you get." It was now Nira's time to crush the woman. "You're a mere toy. You're used. You let people take you over quite often, you have no self-respect for yourself. I suppose this was a wake up call." Nira wasn't trying to sound "bitchy", or was she? She had to get her point across after all.

The train soon rumbled into the station with a swift motion, and the doors opened silently. The train was fairly empty, considering the fact that it was almost midnight. Nira could not believe that she had wasted most of her time "arguing" with someone over something that clearly was idiotic. Not for her, but for the woman. Why would she help? It just made no sense to her. Nira stepped in one of the cars and stopped, turning around to the woman she had been talking to previously. "I believe we may meet again, your type often does not go under-noticed." Nira still felt an odd feeling inside her, as if this young woman had met her before. She couldn't wrap her head around the thought and shrugged it off. "We have already had our discussion, be off." she demanded sternly. And with that, Nira used a small amount of telekinesis to push the young woman away from her, and sent her flying into the wall behind her. Nira smiled as the door shut close, believing she had won.~