Sortilege of Creation IC Thread

[Payne]

fooly, LoKi

Yin frowned when Dubhe got up, holding her arm. She hadn't seen the mark herself, but Setsuna had told her about it, and the fact that the girl was holding it like that could only mean that something concerning the ritual had occurred. There was nothing that Yin could do though. With Atticus here, she was wary of asking any unnecessary questions, and it seemed the Dubhe was as well. The girl had seemed like a smart one, and Yin now found herself glad for that.

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Illya

Tear froze up when a voice called out from above them. The last thing they needed was another surprise at the moment. With some effort, she turned to look at the newcomer, and felt her stomach lurch when she saw the markings on his face. They were the same as the man they had met the night before. So, that meant this was a competitor in the heretic ritual?

She didn't have time to think about it though. Darien grabbed her arm and pulled her into an alley and away from the scene, telling her that a retreat would be best for tonight. As much as she hated to leave the dead apostle on the streets for another day, he was right. Tear was in no state to continue the fight right now, and she followed along behind him towards the chapel, trying to think of a good way to tell him what she had experienced when she looked into Faust's eyes.

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Mephist yowled again, and Faust looked at where the pair had been standing a moment before. "Oh bother... It seems they got away." The beast turned to growl at him and Faust shrugged. "You could have gone after them." He pointed to the carcass that Mephist had been about to start on before the fight. "Go ahead and eat what's on the table. No sense in wasting a meal."

[Prisma*Illya]

Payne

Claudius Clover ignored the vulgar display below him and focused on Faust's face.

"You are looking for entertainment, yes? And I am looking for someone to help stir things up in this city. I believe we can be mutually beneficial to one another," he proposed. "Do as I ask, and I can guarantee you will find amusement. Or.. you can go back to attacking vagabonds. That hasn't seemed to work out too well for you."

Faust paused, considering the other man's words. He could be using him - nothing was more likely - but Faust didn't particularly care. It could provide some enjoyment.

"Very well. What did you have in mind?" he said as C.C. descended into the alley with him with a smile.

"Let's see.."

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Darien was bursting to ask, but he decided to hold off any questions till they returned back to the flat. When they arrived, he removed his jacket, wincing as he inspected the claw marks on chest and shoulder.

"Damn, he got me good," he sighed, reaching for the medical supplies. He fiddled with the case, setting it on the bed as he struggled to find the right words. Perhaps it was better to just be frank.

"Tear.. what happened back there?" he asked, looking intently at her.

[foolcoolylover]

Noin, Payne

"Hm, pasta.. I think I could do something." he stopped for a moment to think. When Dubhe got up and walked over to the window Atticus stopped what he was doing to look. He watched and wondered what possessed her to head over to the window. When Dubhe looked back saying it was nothing Atticus had a look of skepticism and concern intertwining on his face, but said nothing. He started to chop up basil leaves and walnuts. It was hard to find both, but Kevin really did have a good eye for food. He was mincing the garlic which was when Dubhe posed a question. He stopped what he was doing and brought her a small thing of cheese and grater to Dubhe. They bought it with no questions on what kind of cheese it would be. They both could tell it was locally made. "Well my mother taught it to me.." He put down a small bowl for the cheese to go into. "And her father taught her, and his father before him, and his father before him." He went back to the kitchen and began to put together the pesto. "In my family its tradition to serve as an Enforcer for the association." He went back to grab the cheese. "You seemed worried earlier.. If its about what happened at that house, then rest assured that Yin and I will let nothing happen to you." he tried to reassure her guessing at what bothered her.

[NoIn-LoKi]

fooly, Payne

She avoided Yin's eyes and instead stared off into the kitchen. She didn't know how much Setsuna had told her, but figured she knew at least some of the more sensitive details. Her eyes watched Atticus move about, but she didn't realize he was talking again until he came out of the kitchen. Pulling herself together, she began to grate the cheese and put it in the bowl. "That's a long tradition." she said and another question came to mind "Is it what you wanted though?" remembering that her family had tried to force her into their traditions, even though she was neither fit nor willing.

When he voiced his reassurances Dubhe smiled at him. She shook her head lightly. "No, it wasn't about that. I think if that Dead Apostle was after me, he would've found me by now" She swallowed and then made a decision. "I suppose you know about the ritual and that certain people are involved? Well things keep changing and the change isn't always good. That worries me." she said, maybe a little vague but with a final tone in her voice. She wouldn't comment on it any further, at least not tonight. She wanted to trust him, to tell him, but a part of her was still skeptical. Maybe in the morning she wouldn't be so confused anymore.

The pest he was making together with the pasta began to smell pretty good and Dubhe suddenly felt hungry again. The prospect of more than decent food made her sit back relaxed.

[Payne]

Illya

Tear blanched when he asked the question she had been dreading. She had thought that she was prepared to answer, but in the second after he asked, Tear had relived the nightmare all over again, and she sat down on the bed, hugging her elbows. "I..." She started, but couldn't finish. After a moment of sitting in silence, she looked up at him and grimaced at the wound on his shoulder. "Let me..." She needed something else to focus on right now, and this gave her that much. With an expert touch, Tear wiped down the wounds and began to apply bandages. Her fingers slowly traced the outlines of his muscles as she worked. These were the muscles of her husband, of the arms that held her close when she was broken down. Why did she fear them now?

Tear blinked and realized that she was crying again. Somewhere inside of her, the dam had broken, and her head fell to his shoulder, soaking the freshly wrapped bandages in tears. "He had some kind of mystic eyes..." She said, refusing to lift her head from where it rested. "I think they make you see what you fear most, or something like that." Tear sniffed. "You used me, sold my powers out to the highest bidder, and then tortured me when I didn't please them. A lifetime of being violated by men I didn't even know, and then at the end, you put the knife in my heart yourself." She shuddered, unable to keep herself still any longer. "I know it was all just an illusion, but I can't make myself forget it. I can't make myself stop doubting you, and I hate myself for that."

[Prisma*Illya]

Payne

Darien watched with pained eyes as Tear gently treated his wound, her soft, delicate fingers sending tingles through his bare skin. Her touch always made his heart leap like the first time. He could never grow tired of her, never find a fault with her.

So why...

Why was there a wall he could never seem to get through?

He pulled her tightly at him, burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent. He couldn't say any words to assure her that something like that could never happen. To hear her even entertain such fears was painful, but to acknowledge the need to smooth them away was too much. So all he could do was hold her like this, try to make her understand that a day where he could no longer hold her like this would be the last day of his life.

"I love you," he said softly, trailing down her neck and shoulder with butterfly kisses. "I love you Tear, more than I can ever say."

Someday, he hoped she could really believe that with all her heart.

[Payne]

Illya

Tear felt the arms around her and melted into the embrace. How could she be so quick to doubt this man who so clearly loved her? It should have comforted her, but somehow, it only made her feel worse that she was always the first one to give in. "I'm sorry." She mumbled into his chest, where her face had come to rest. "You deserve better than to be doubted so easily, and it's not the nightmare that tore me up so badly. It's the fact that I so easily let it come between us. It's the fact that I'm hurting you, even while you're holding me like this." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him even closer, barely leaving room for them to breathe. Tear planted a single kiss on his chest and then broke away, pulling him towards the bed by the wrist. She was honestly afraid of it tonight, but Darien was wounded, and she wasn't going to let the fear stop her from taking care of him. He had already suffered enough for her sake. "C'mere. I'll try to make it up to you."

[Prisma*Illya]

Payne

Darien held her so close, so tight he thought he would break her.

"Don't think about that anymore," he whispered, his heart pained at what he was hearing. He felt her tugging him onto the bed, but he shook his head sadly and kissed her reassuringly.

"You don't ever need to do anything to please me. Just being here is enough," he said, pulling her close as they lay there. The best way he could show her he loved her right now was to just hold her.

[foolcoolylover]

Noin, Payne

"Well I never really considered what I wanted. What I wanted was a way to find Chelsea easily, and being an Enforcer gave me that." Dubhe's answer worried him a little more, but he was glad she felt safe at least. He returned her smile and nodded. He went back into the kitchen and stopped in front of the counter. With a thought he wondered what he should do now. He found Chelsea, it was a shock, but before now his actions were based on trying to find her. He shrugged and boiled the spaghetti while mixing the cheese into the pesto deciding to take a lesson from Dubhe and worry about life one chapter at a time. He plated a portion of the pasta pesto and put the rest in a bowl. Bringing everything out Atticus called Yin over to the table and started dinner. "I hope you enjoy, I felt it would be a wise idea to bring the rest out in case anyone wants seconds."

[Payne]

Illya

"I know that." Tear said as he held her close. At first, her skin had crawled from the contact, but now she was experiencing the familiar warmth that she had grown accustomed to of the past weeks, and she wanted nothing more than to burrow deeper into his embrace. "Let me take care of you though." She said softly. "I want to." For the first time since they had gotten back to the flat, Tear realized that she really did want to. She had told herself that she would trust this man, but she had strayed so easily from the path she set for herself. Even so, he was still willing to be there for her any time she needed him. How could she not be equally as willing when he needed her?

Tear rolled on top of him, but didn't leave his embrace. There was no need for space in between them now, or ever. She loved him, loved him so much that it scared her, and Tear wanted to show him that tonight, even if it took until both of them fell asleep from the gentle rocking of the bed to do it.

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fooly, LoKi

"It's good." Yin commented as she dug into her dinner. She wasn't really paying that much attention to it though. Instead, she was mulling over whether or not she could trust this enforcer, and whether or not she could allow Dubhe to trust him. The girl did have a certain way of drawing people to her, but sometimes that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

For the most part, they ate dinner in silence, and after they were done, Yin and Dubhe relocated to the couch. Eating seemed to have made Dubhe tired again, and she fell asleep fairly quickly, but almost as quickly began to toss and turn again. With a sad smile, Yin pulled the girl close and held her until she slept peacefully again. The last thing she wondered to herself before falling asleep was what the girl dreamed about that made her thrash about so much.