as long as you're still burning bright [pav]

Maybe once in a blue moon, Pavonine didn't spend her time going around threatening to eat random students (which she really doesn't). She was just roaming around the school just looking out the distance.

Some might say that she was contemplating the meaning of life; admittedly the true reason wasn't so far off. Pavonine, after all this time, was still Adularia — and in turn, Nadeshiko — by heart; this was her looking back at the last time she called herself that and assumed the name of what she once identified as her avatar in a game.

Pavonine sat on the floor, brushing her hands against books that she once leaned on as she opened her eyes for the first time. Her hands stopped on a book that she didn't really care for what the title was called, but the blue of the cover caught her eye.

She stared at it for a few minutes, her mind lost in thought. Life as Nadeshiko was difficult, and running away assuming another life as Adularia was just as terrible. Internet addiction was a serious problem, and lots of people didn't know just how strong the strings pulled for Nadeshiko.

Death was certainly something that changed her.

She touched her neck lightly, remembering the night she decided a game was not really letting her escape anymore. All the while, she didn't notice the young man who was searching through the shelves for a particular book, generally heading towards her direction.

It really wasn't long before he would bump into her, or trip over her across the smooth waxed floor.

Pavonine twitched lightly from her stupor, staring at the boy. "... Uh." Awkward. An unusual manner of speech from the Dragonborn, something that she hasn't exactly done since she came back from the dead.

"... I'm in your way...?" She said, her eyebrows bent in self-confusion. She certainly wasn't meaning to be rude; just so lost in thought that well... nothing else mattered.

It was as if electricity shot through her being. Woken up by what seems to be the fates' wheel's turning, she found herself being faintly reminded of someone she knew - not too well, but well enough to know to be wary.

This man's voice was certainly a voice familiar.

Was he a Transcendent being like she was? A person whose soul never truly dies? A soul who lives between dimensions, never really truly fading away?

Adularia had never really met the cloaked man that Pandamic followed, nor did she ever really find any interest in doing so. She became a hacker on her own accord, having been provided the means to do so by Pandamic. If anything, she became one for her own set of agendas, aware that what she was doing was neither right or wrong, knowing that for the most part — she was swimming in the grey seas of morality in deciding to do what she did.

This man, whose voice resembles one person that started the fire, was in front of her. Pavonine, whose only trait closely resembling Adularia was through the iridescent hue of her eyes, just slightly — ever for a moment — feared recognition. She certainly enjoyed her quiet moments with the Aurora of this world; Pavonine would rather not have to deal with someone that could very well turn the tides.

Crinkling her nose a little, she looked down at the fallen man, her eyes watching ever so carefully. She took the book and moved it close to his reach so he can take it. "I... don't need it anymore." She faltered a little bit, watching him before shaking her head.

Her eyes furrowed. There were many ways a Transendent could come to life. They could be forcibly thrown into a world with another "version" of them already inside; they could also be put into a world, forcibly taking over the native's body, assimilating old memories with new.

Just... so many ways that this person could be the person that familiar voice belonged to.

Pavonine chose to set the worries aside. If this was the Native, then there was certainly no guarantees that this man was exactly like the one she knew —- well, if he was even the person she was thinking about.

"You look like you've been searching the library for that thing for quite a while."

"Pretty sure." She said, waving her hand dismissingly. "Kinda spaced out and had my hand on the thing; wasn't gonna read it."

Quite the honesty for someone who was just incredibly tense just a few moments ago. It was her choice to calm down and get a grip; there were things yet proven that she could probably play around with and figure out the answer herself. She wasn't some sort of all-powerful time mage like Aurora was; not dismissing her own abilities of course, but daubling in time-space and the works wasn't exactly one of her fortes.

Her forte was in the manipulation of Earth, of life, of the greens that give this planet life — and probably the manipulation of her own body into the image that she so chooses to a limited extent.

Unless you count her image in a mirror. For some reason, it was always Adularia that shows up. Same stoic expression, iridescent hair, scarred and pixelated face, and that crown of burden that was each gem in her body.

Her nose wrinkled at the thought. Thank the person who didn't think Mirrors were a fun thing to put in a library.

She crossed her arms after the young man mentioned being new. Not so long ago, Pavonine was pretty new herself. It was here where she first took a step, and where she first opened her mouth to talk on her own without a machine to assist her.

It was that freedom of being to express her feelings — whatever they were — that bore fruit to whom she chose to portray herself today. "Yeah?" She cocked her head towards the hallway, "There's a computer on the other side of the hallway. The library's got this database you can just do a search on and it tells you where it is. Don't worry about being lost. There's several libraries around the island and trust me: everyone gets lost."

Dewey decimal system but that's not too hard now, is it?

"Gotta log in with your ID to access the computer though. Have yours yet?"

One can guess the term “skittish” would actually be an appropriate word to describe Pavonine; though admittedly, it wasn’t her usual self. General discomfort to a situation does things to people, and she wasn’t really exempt. It was hard enough that she had to deal with reminiscing certain things, and now having to be put right smack of a person who might be an alternate self of someone who was actively influencing her life previous.

Well, shit.

Neelan—whaddawhada? Pavonine squinted lightly, painting her confusion in broad strokes of vivid color all over her face. “Neil. Got it. Don’t think I could pronounce the full version even if I tried.” She shrugged before pushing away some hair from her face, tucking the longer strands behind her rather pointed ears. “The name’s Pavonine. Don’t have a last name, actually.”

She laughed nervously. Well, she didn’t really have a last name unless you used the name of her previous life.

“In any case, you want to log in to the thing. Your user name is your student ID number on the top left of the front of the card; password is your birthday generally. When it lets you in, it’ll prompt you on what password you’d want and some security stuff. Blah blah blah.”

She, once again, shrugged.

“I’ve only been here a year or so; so unfortunately, I’m not much different. This is simple enough though. Probably can show you the cafeteria areas and where the good vending machines are if you want a snack.”

Well, he’d have to check that book out first if he’s taking it with.

“Wanna check that book out before we go, then?” She said, straightening her uniform a little bit. Sitting on the floor may have put some wrinkles on it to her utter dismay. Like Nadeshiko and Adularia before her, she was certainly quite vain. Remnants of her old regal demeanor still stick around underneath her coarse attitude.

I guess, coarse unless you counted today – which exposed Pavonine as a complete and utter wreck. Not exactly the kind of impression she generally wants to lay on someone new. Even Aurora didn’t exactly see her in that state very often. The Dragon cared for her a little too much to give her a reason to worry.

Sure, the lady had lived a long time and seen partners come and go but Pavonine was a young Dragon in comparison to what most are destined to live for. She’d probably end up living as old as the coot.

She would wait until the boy finished checking the book out with the librarian at the desk before gesturing at him to follow. “There’s usually a common area in each building with Vending Machines and Photocopiers.” On this building it’s to the right of the Library once you come out.”

She took a peek at the window and sighed, it was getting dark enough where her reflection was coming off the reflective window panes. If Neil decided to look, he would see a faint image of another woman with butterfly wings and a cape shadowing her.

What sort of mystical creature was Pavonine?

It was made apparent when she finally arrived at the snack area, bought some pop, and took a swig. A massive burp of fire came out of her mouth, and Pavonine immediately covered her mouth.

“… Woops.”