Amara: So she's in the park, walking around, in one of her usual gypsy skirts and sandals, and loose club slink tops. She tops occasionaly by a tree or bush, and seems to watch it, her eyes glazing from time to time.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: Griffen sits patiently at one of the benches, backpack resting next to him, smoking a cigarette. Usual get-up...simple green lace-up shirt and natural fiber pants with a pair of Doc Martins on his feet, and a simple silver pentacle around his neck. He'll never change. Sitting straight-backed, eyes watching a particular tree.

Amara: She spots him at last and drifts that way, sitting down next to him. "So. Here we are."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He nods a little bit as she sits down, still watching the tree. "Indeed we are."

Amara: "What happened with you and Briar?"

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He snorts a little bit. "I do not appreciate those who play mind games, Amara. This should not be news to you."

Amara: "I know you don't. But what happened? What was said?"

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He's quiet for a moment, before finally looking from the tree to her. There's anger there in those eyes, despite the impassive expression. Most would miss it...even to Amara, it's...more distant then she used to know. "She put my ring down in front of me."

Amara: "what do you think she meant by that?"

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He shrugs. "I neither know nor care. I have no time for guessing games, Amara." He looks away, back to the tree, and takes a drag off his smoke. A couple beats pass. "How did you get ahold of it?"

Amara: "She told you she got it from -me- ?" she sounds surprised at this.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "I can only assume," he says with a shrug...definite iciness in his voice. "She wouldn't say. Merely set it silently down in front of me. But considering whom it ended up with last...coincidence is a fallacy, as we both know."

Amara: "We know this is true. But supposing I did not give it to her, what next might you assume?" She's obviuosly not trying to be patronizing or condescending. She puts a hand on his shoulder.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He almost flinches at the touch. Almost, but not quite. The man seems quite tense. "Picked from a pawn shop, perhaps, for some reason or another. Or perhaps it passed through...other hands before it got to her." He frowns some.

Amara: "I think it belongs to her." she says gently, concern lining her face when she sees how Griffen is acting.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "I sincerely doubt that. Possession being nine-tenths of the law is not an axiom I agree with. Those it belonged to at various times are gone."

Amara: "How many times have people said that about me? Sometimes these assumptions are false."

Amara: Meanwhile, she glancing around nervously as though talking about things in a prk is reason enough to draw the MIBs.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He looks at her, eyes narrowing slightly and frowning deeper. His jaw hardens, and he looks away. "You were never buried, Amara. You were not in the ground. I never visited your grave. There was none to visit."

Amara: "I think she's the girl we knew, Griffen. She has her reasons for keeping her secrets, but then she went and plunked down the evidence right in front of you. I don't know why she did. I can only guess she wants you to know."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "She..." He blinks. This honestly never occurred to him. His face clouds, and he looks down to the ground for a moment before his eyes find that tree again.

Amara: She's quiet for a second. But it's her, so we know it can't last long. "I think..she felt it was best for everyone. safer. her situation and all. I only found out when I accosted her when I spotted the ring."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "I see." He nods faintly. "Yes, I imagine it was safer."

Amara: She glances at his beloved ree and then back to him. "you seem different, Ace. I'm sorry I wasn't around- the city kicked me around some and I had to go off for a while and clear my head. I didn't know you were here. I wish I did. I wouldn't come back sooner. But I'm worried..you don't seem like you."

Amara: ((I would HAVE that should be. I'm high, sorry!))

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He considers the question for a long moment. "How do you mean?"

Amara: "You seem angry, and distant. Like..like you're really tired or just worn out."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He shrugs. "It has been a very long three years, Amara. I am not tired...I just know where my place is and where it is not."

Amara: "Where isn't it?" she says, confused.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "It is not..." He frowns, falling silent for a moment. "The matters of our kind, Amara, are not something I have felt comfortable about for some time."

Amara: "We're in a position to change the way things are going. We've arrived at the point where our voices matter now, and we can foster change. Tell me what it is that's disturbing you the most?"

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He frowns and looks over at her. "I am not comfortable with the position I would be placed in. Already, despite my obvious hesitance, there are those who..." He stops himself and looks away, to the tree. A slight shake of his head.

Amara: "People need good leaders, Griffen. I know..it's the last thing we want to get up to. I know some of your students haven't been..well, encouraging examples of what you can produce. But that's no reason to become the full on hermit you're trying for."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "Encouraging examples?" He snorts. "Abject failure on my part, Amara, I think is the more appropriate description."

Amara: "You cannot let yourself take the blame for how they turned out. I mean, that's like when you put a chimp in front of a computer and teach it to push butons. Yeah, they are going to SEEMto get it, but ee down, they are still chimps, and they are still going to fuck things up. You an't be blamed for the limitations of the material you had to work with."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "I don't believe it to be a lack in the students, Amara." He's quiet for a moment, loking over branches and leaves. When he speaks, it's queiter. "I've seen Syrine recently."

Amara: "Tell me about that. is she allright?"

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He nods a little bit. "She is quite well. Someone finally set her on the right path, and she is married with a child. Happy."

Amara: "And it had nothing to do with you that she had such a rough go of it. We don't get to choose thier fate for them." she reminds him quietly.

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: He frowns a little bit. "No, but we are supposed to help guide them. I do not believe it can be said I did exceptional in that field."

Amara: "You tried. she had other shit going on that couldn't possibly be your fault. And I beleive in you. I have seen you point out, with clarity, the way to people. they just don't follow it. they do crazy shit instead."

Griffen "Aconite" Aston: "I did not try enough." He shrugs, as if he has accepted this. "Even if the fault was not intentional, it was still there." He's quiet a moment, taking a drag off of his cigarette. "There is one who looks to me as sort of a mentor. I...do not find it a comfortable arrangement."