Author: Raize, Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 6:35 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

“Oh for the love of…” Rhenakos sighed, dropped the roped man on the ground. The vacation home was well on it’s way to being burned to the ground, fames licking the sky as they danced about. The hunter sighed, and sat down next to the tied man, who was still fighting against his restraints.

“You know,” Rhenakos said as he took out a flask and started to drink. “It’s always ‘do this, Rhen. Help out here Rhen. Head over here and hunt this person down Rhen!’ It gets to be a lot, man…” The hunter sighed and took another swig. “I really get tired of all this free labor, ya know?”

“Can…you just let me go now?” the father said as he finally gave up on his struggles. “Obviously my idiot son got what he deserved, so I can just…go my merry way, right?”

The demon hunter took a rather large swig. “Ya know, it’s been great getting this off my chest.” He stood up, pocketing his flask. He pulled the man up with one arm, and started towards the burning building. “It’s good to vent sometimes. Anyway, it’s been a fun. You know…chasing you across the countryside, finding you in an aged oak barrel…man that smelled good. Might go back and get some…”

“Would. You. Just. Shut. Up!” the father yelled, finally snapping. “I demand that you release me this instant you buffoon!”

“Good talk.” Rhenakos swung the man around in a wide arc, and launched him into the burning building. He dusted off his hands and jacket, ignoring the screams, and took out his flask again. He went to take a sip, but it was empty. Disappointed and dejected, the hunter made his way back towards Adeluna.

“I wonder how the hell I’m getting back to Jayou…”

“And why would you have to go all the way back there?” a familiar voice asked. There was the sound of a babbling baby followed by it, and sweet hushes as Osiria came into view from behind a tree. “Izzy missed you…”

Rhenakos smiled. “Well, well…you just made my whole day…”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 6:34 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Lewis had left Dala and Simone alone for quite some time, thinking it best that he stay out of their time together. Things had always been a little awkward around him and Dala due to a certain contract that had been placed on her life, and while things were a lot better than before, Lewis was never really sure hot to interact with her. He had spent quite some time prowling the halls, looking over what Kalina had done with the place. From an aesthetic point of view, he had no idea if it was ‘fancy’ but he definitely enjoyed the way it looked. It was pleasing. Eventually he ended up changing out his gear in a spare bedroom.

Of course, he was running out of things to do, and he found himself standing back in front of their room, simply just standing there. There was a noise from within, Simone calling for him to stop dawdling and come in already. She knows me too well… He opened the door, and slid into the room where Simone and Dala were laying in the bed. Simone was holding Dala, gently storing the girl’s hair.

“You looked exhausted…” Lewis whispered. He walked over, and smiled. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Stop making small talk and get in bed. Here…” She patted the place beside her.

“But-”

“Did I stutter?” she said. “C’mon now.”

Lewis sighed, and got into the bed, to which Simone leaned against him. It wasn’t long before the trio fell into a deep sleep, finally safe.

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:41 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Dala smiled as she was given a hug then Simone began to tell her what had happened. It was that duke that had tried to kill her through Lewis, apparently he wanted to save his reputation and get a similar looking girl. That explained why they were going after women who looked like Simone. She then was pulled back as Simone had that serious face that all adults had when they were about to give a lecture. But Dala kept her face calm and listened intently. Although Simone's words flared up her independent nature and her desire to talk back, she kept her tongue still. The child could see that Simone just wanted to protect her, even if Dala believed she didn't need that protection.

"The injuries were my fault. The portal was closing so I forced magic to open it." She explained, "I know I'm not supposed to use advanced spells but…."

Dala understood that Simone was tough and that she could handle everything until Lewis was there to get her however,

"Its a big world out there. Lewis would track you down for a thousand years if he needed to but…" She gave out a small sigh, "I don't have a thousand years. I'll get seventy or eighty, if I'm lucky. I'm sure you would be fine but I'm only a human. By the time you got back I might have been gone. I'd rather risk my arms than lose another person I care about."

The child was surprisingly very aware of her own mortality. At the end of the day, she was just a human girl surrounded by long living people or immortals. They had thousands and thousands of years while she had maybe ninety. It wasn't something she ever complained about yet sometimes she worried that they'd forget she only had so much time left. It was why she always worried about her parents. She could give them all her days, but they would be without her for the rest of theirs. Deciding that thought was too sad, she decided to move onto something else.

"I understand though. But don't think for a second I'm gonna let that happen again!" She declared with a smile, "Next time I'll bring my snake so SHE can beat up the bad guys!"

Author: Simone, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:56 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Simone was startled as she laid in bed with the blankets up to her waist. From a look of shock, she changed course to chuckling towards Dala. “Yeah, Kali is really good but her sister Leilah is the actual healer of the two. She probably told Kali what to do,” Simone winked at her and shook her head. “It’s actually healing quite fine on its own believe it or not. I didn’t realize how fast I healed until now.” Something that was quite useful for her to know for the future. She could plan around that if need be.

There was more laughter as Simone grabbed Dala and pulled her under the heavy blankets with her in a hug. She was glad that Dala was alright. “Hi Silly girl,” Simone kissed the top of her head.

“Let’s see… Where to start for the ever-curious Dala,” Simone thought about it as she closed her eyes and mulled. “So, I’ve told you that Lewis was hired to kill me and that’s how we met~ My husband of that time was named Emil Somerset, he is a duke. Emil was the one who had the bounty on those women who looked like me. Evidently, there were rumors spreading fast that he had hired someone to kill me and that didn’t sit well with the other nobles since I had good relations with them. So he tried to find someone to impersonate me~”

She held Dala closer and frowned a bit, “It was coincidence I was even targeted most likely because I was in Adeluna and because I am the one he was trying to find a match for… Well you can put two and two together. They didn’t even realize it was me until I said so.” Snuggling down in she thought about how to process the next part.

“Dala, I want you to listen to me okay?” She pulled the child back as she leaned against the headboard of the bed, “I have been tortured longer than I can remember throughout my life. Nothing they could have done would ever amount to the suffering I am already been through. What would hurt me most is if they had captured you or hurt you.” She took Dala’s arms gently, “Even seeing this makes me sad. Do I want to know how this happened?” She shook her head and smiled, “I didn’t want you to follow because I didn’t want you to get hurt. I know that no matter what and no matter where I am that Lewis will come find me. If I can survive nearly two thousand years of suffering than I can suffer just a bit longer until Lewis comes to get me and I know YOU are alright.” She stroked Dala’s blonde hair.

“You are still only a girl Dala and while you are strong… It doesn’t mean that I want to put you through the things that I know exist in the world. If they had been sex traffickers or anything of the sort I didn’t want you involved in that. That’s why I didn’t let you follow me because I wanted to protect you. I wasn’t concerned about myself in the least.” Another kiss to the top of Dala’s head and Simone closed her eyes while she thought.

“You can always trust and believe in Lewis to find me whenever there’s trouble or protect me if he’s here and I can’t do it myself. Alright?”

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:38 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

The sound of the tapping on her door was enough to bring the child back from her sleep. She yawned then got off her bed, being careful with her arms. Although they were bandaged and healing, they still hurt quite a bit. She made her way to the door and carefully opened it. The child's hair was a mess and her eyes seemed drowsy. But when Lewis told her the news, she had a sudden burst of energy and a big smile. Lewis sounded exhausted and she knew Simone would be tired too but she didn't care. She bolted down the hall like a girl on a mission and opened the door with a slam.

"Simone!" She exclaimed, "You're alive! Do you have any injuries? Kalina'sreallygoodwithhealingandstuffsoyoumightwannaseeher."

Her words became a jumble as she was thinking faster than what her mouth could keep up with. Dala had also forgotten about the wrappings around her arms and forgot to make an effort to hide them. Instead she just jumped onto the bed and looked for Simone, who was snuggled in the bed. The child lifted the blankets as if she was looking for her friend.

"Hi." She said with a goofy smile.

Dala had just woken up from a nap, so her silliness levels were higher than normal. Besides, her friend could have died! Again! For like the hundredth time! It would have hurt a lot and she was afraid they'd have to deal with that amnesia again.

"So who did it? Who was after you? And why didn't you just let me follow?" Dala asked.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:21 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Lewis did his best to behave himself when they bathed. Once they were finished, and the two had set the vacation home alight, the assassin held Simone in his arms like a newlywed, making sure she was well and bundled. It would be a quick gate over, and no time at all, but Lewis didn’t want it to end just yet.

He turned to watch the building burn, and the two enjoyed a quiet moment as the crackling flames lit up the night sky. Lewis truly was content being with Simone, even if he rarely expressed it in a physical display of affection. If it hadn’t been for their resonance, he might have even feared that Simone didn’t understand the depth of his love.

“All right…let’s go home.” The portal opened for the two, and they stepped back onto the Isle el Koskaan. The night sky was beautiful, and even though Lewis pretty much ignored it, he could tell that Simone was happy. He walked inside, carrying her into the foyer. At once, Kalina, Leilah, and Raile all huddled around the two, with Leilah asking a thousand questions.

Kalina managed to talk her sister down, and shooed Lewis away to take Simone upstairs. It wasn’t long before they were upstairs, with Lewis gently laying his wife down on their bed. He brought her a nightgown, and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment as she changed. Once she was done, she took Lewis’ hand and squeezed it.

“Can you go get Dala?” she asked.

The assassin gave her a look, but Simone pouted. “Fine. I’ll be back…” He stood up, and made his way back down to the foyer. It didn’t take long for Kalina to direct Lewis to the room they had put her in, and Lewis found himself knocking.

“Dala. It’s me. I got Simone back and she wants to see you.” The exhaustion was catching up to him too, and he sounded exhausted.

Author: Simone, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:06 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

There were a lot of breaks in between everything and that was actually okay. She could feel Emil’s envy up until he was practically dead on the inside. “No~ They proving to be quite resilient maybe even more so than I am.” She let out a sigh as they discovered that Hector was indeed now dead. “Hector truly was weak in the end… What a shame. I thought he would have more fight than that one,” she pointed Emil. Simone couldn’t tell whose blood was whos at this point. It was all intermingling on their skin and it didn’t bother her. Maybe once upon a time, it would have but she saw the world how it truly was and it wasn’t a beautiful fantasy.

Simone kissed him back and put her forehead to his, “That sounds like a plan to me~ We should wash up before we burn this whole place to the ground. I’ll even let you bundle me up in a blanket and carry me home like an ailing princess~ Your poor defenseless sick wife that I am.” She tussled her hair with sass as she gave him a smirk.

One more round was what they had before she took a dagger and slit Emil’s throat. The gurgling noise was satisfactory as she took Lewis’s hand. “Come on Handsome~” One long bath later and she was bundled up in a blanket since her dress was most definitely beyond repair. Her long dark hair was sopping wet and she was shivering from the night air on her wet skin.

The entire vacation house lit up in black flames as they intended on leaving no evidence that Simone and Lewis had ever even existed. “Let’s go home. I’m tired Lewis~ and I’m sure Dala is worried sick.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 9:48 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

It was a gruesome night for Hector and Emil. The two got to experience horrific acts that neither of them could possibly describe. They both felt a kind of pain that could never be truly understood save for those who had gone through it. In that way, Hector and Emil bonded, experiencing things together, as one. At least, Lewis wanted to think it that way. It was…ironic and poetic.

The night waged on, and Lewis and Simone took turns torturing and playing with their victims. When they grew bored with it, they took advantage of each other, experiencing each other in ways that only they could. Daggers were used on each other, the pain enhancing the pleasure, all while the poor tortured souls watched on. Once the twisted couple finished with each other, they turned their attention back to their toys. This cycle went on through the night, and Lewis lost count of how many times he and Simone took their ‘breaks.’ He was content though. Happy even.

“I hadn’t expected them to last this long,” he said during one of the more hideous displays of violence. Hector had been given hands for feet, and feet for hands. “Come now, Hector…wiggle them for me…I want to see…Hector?” There was no life behind his eyes. The young man frowned, wiping his brow. He was naked, and covered in blood. “Dear…I think Hector has finally departed…” He looked back to see his equally blood soaked wife in all her glory.

“What do you say, then…one more round before we finish off Emil?” The Duke had long since lost his tongue, and for good measure Lewis had sewed his mouth shut. “I’m not used to using other people’s blood…this is…definitely a lot different..” He smiled, embracing his wife and kissing her, tasting the blood on her lips.

Author: Simone, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 8:23 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

“There won’t be much to clean up when we’re done,” she said it as if it was a reassuring thought.

There was a smirk produced by Simone as she slammed the dagger that Emil had stabbed her with into his other hand, “Yeah, it will be.” She looked like she was calculating the time in her head. “How long~ How long have I been here~ I want to give equal pay.” She wrapped her arms around Lewis’s waist as she got her blood all over him. Her wound had luckily closed thanks to her magic being back.

“They took such valuable time from us~” She pouted towards Lewis and looked towards Emil as she kissed Lewis’s shoulder. Her eyes were burning with hatred now. She was clearly thinking of how to proceed. “You cut and I’ll cauterize. We’ll make beautiful art together~” She had her lips to Lewis’s ear as she sang it out. “I can heal too~ We can keep this going for however long you want until you think we’ve made them pay enough.”

Emil whimpered for a moment, “Simone, please. Did I not give you the best life I could.”

“It was alright. Tad boring for my taste personally,” Simone shrugged a bit. “You have no one to blame but yourself. Though I have to thank you. Without your rash decision making I wouldn’t have found my soulmate.” There was a smile on her face as she kissed Lewis’s neck. “Now~ What should we start with? The arms mayhaps? We already cut Hector’s off. It would be a shame to waste them.”

She held up a finger and the dark flame spawned, “I should warn you Emil. When people see me as a bird they feel uncomfortable… Do you know why?”

Emil couldn’t think straight. “A bird?”

“Yes, you see I was brought back as a phoenix of the night. Do you know what they stand for and why people shiver when they see them?” She had looked much into her race since she became one. The details she had found made her realize why Angela chose this bred of phoenix for her.

“N-no,” Emil shook her head but he kept his eyes on her.

“I am a bad omen,” Simone said it amused. “Bad luck. Death follows.” She wondered if Lewis believed all of it and she took his hand idly almost not noticing that she had done so as she was burning a glare into Emil. “We should make haste~ Hector’s arms won’t be any good to us soon enough~”

So they started to saw apart their victims in the name of revenge.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:55 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Rhenakos sighed, “More work?” He stood up, and stretched. “Fine, fine…just…don’t make too much of a mess. I’m not helping clean up.” The hunter made his way back through the secret entrance, and went on his merry way.

Lewis watched with satisfaction as Simone enacted the first step of her revenge. Hearing his screams as she ripped out one of his nails was like sweet music to his ears. He was glad to have her back, and furious that she had been hurt. “What to do, what to do…” the assassin asked, crouching down to look at Emil at eye level.

“You know…I once read in a book that, in dire times, they used to replace body parts with those of the dead. Sometimes it was a success, but most of the time the body rejected it. Of course, this was without the use of magic or even medicine…no, the times were desperate. I’ve always been curious though…what it would be like.” He glanced to Hector, and then back to Emil.

“Emil…did you know that violence can be such a turn on?” He stood up, and pulled out a dagger, slamming it into the man’s hand. He cried out in agony, squirming in the chair, and Lewis shivered, smiling. “Oh my…I can barely resist it…” He looked to Simone, who despite her appearance, was glowing in his eyes.

“It’s going to be a long night…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:43 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Simone smirked a bit as she noticed Lewis. Right on time as usual. She noticed Rhenakos was with him as well. Though no words left her lips as she watched Hector lose his arms and Emil was slowly backing off. “I told you didn’t I?” She looked towards Emil. “He’s going to kill everyone in this house. I warned you but nooo Simone doesn’t ever know what the hell she is talking about,” she said it all dramatic as Lewis lifted her off the hook.

His line caught her off guard and she smiled up at him. “I missed you too.” She even had the stomach for ignoring Rhenakos. “Now,” She grabbed the dagger embedded in her and pulled it out. “What to do… about you two.”

She was tapping the bloodied dagger on the palm of her hand and glaring at Emil the whole time. “Rhen, his father was here. You should probably go get him before he runs off and causes a whole slew of problems. He’s a real asshole.”

Once Rhenakos was gone Simone threw the dagger barely missing Emil. She was going over to the torture tools and she was humming, “I told you… Didn’t I? That you have to hold the pliers a certain way~” All the blood had gone from Emil’s face.

“Come on Simone, you know that I was just angry. I would never,” he was reverting back to a coward but Simone just smiled at him.

“You see, I liked my nails. I had them done recently~ And now… I’m missing quite a few of them.” She held up her bloodied hand and showed Lewis. “See? Now, fair is fair. An eye for an eye,” she was talking in a very sweet voice as she showed Emil down into a chair. He was so scared he didn’t dare move as Simone started to rip his nail out.

The screams were well worth it. “Oh, right. Before I forget.” The drug was almost all the way out of her system as she walked over to Hector and grabbed his bloodied arm stumps. He started to scream as she cauterized the wound.

“Ma-magic…” Emil was horrified. “You weren’t capable of it before.”

“No, dipshit I wasn’t. Lewis did kill me. He killed me quite a few times… Let me tell you a little secret,” she leaned down to him once she was done with Hector. “I can’t die easily. Cursed at first. Lewis brought me back because unlike you he actually gives a shit about me whether I can bear a child or not.” She slapped Emil hard across the face.

“So… What should we do with them?” She dropped the pliers casually.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:32 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

As it turned out, Lewis and Rhenakos didn’t even need to sneak down. Their attention had been so focused on Simone, that neither of them noticed when the odd duo entered the room. Rhenakos took a seat as Simone kicked the shorter man straight in the crotch, and took a silent moment to admire her work. Lewis stood next to the hunter, arms crossed, waiting for the reaction.

“Oh,” Lewis said after clearing his throat. Hector had just noticed the other two in the room as he grabbed the blade off the wall. “By all means, please do try to kill her…I’d like to see you try.”

Hector stared at Rhenakos and Lewis, and then to his boss, Emil, who was paling.

“Where….where are all of the guards?” he asked, suddenly realizing what it meant for the assassin and the hunter to be down with them.

“That’s not relevant,” Rhenakos replied as he kicked up his feet on the small table, scattering the torture tools. “Go on…the man made a demand. Try and kill Simone here…”

Hector knew it was a trap, but moved quickly over to Simone, and swung the blade hard and fast, aiming to decapitate her. It was strange though, how light the blade had suddenly become. He was curious as to what had happened, looking down.

“My arms are gone…” Hector seemed more surprised than anything. “What…happened to them?” He looked to Duke Emil, and then to Lewis. “What did you do…?”

The assassin was smiling. “Oh dear…I let my dagger slip…apologies.” He walked up to Simone, past Emil, and helped her down off the hook, cutting off her restraints. He stared at her awkwardly for a moment, trying to find something witty to say like Rhenakos had been doing the entire time. “Er…I missed you…”

“Get a fucking room,” Rhenakos replied.

Author: Simone, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:22 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Hector had restrained a drugged Simone to the wall for a new different form of torture. Her wrists were tied to a singular hook as she was light enough that it didn’t need much support. “How much longer will this take?” Emil snapped. “We’ve been at this for literally fucking hours now.”

“Who knows,” Hector was laying out some various tools. “No one has lasted this long before even the other women caved.”

Simone was stirring and she drew a hard breath as she immediately looked up and attempted to move her wrists a bit. “You two sure are persistent.”

“Shouldn’t you panic? That’s the god damn normal thing to do,” Emil was still snapping. “Nothing about you is natural! You laughed at the torture and you even corrected Hector how to do it.”

“You shouldn’t half-ass trying to get your way… It doesn’t bode well at all and honestly, I’m growing bored of playing with you,” Simone said dryly. She could feel the pull once in a while. Her voice grew louder now as she felt the pull. “Besides didn’t you hire Lewis because I wasn’t natural?”

Emil twisted his frown even further as he grabbed one of the daggers and slammed it into where her womb would have been, “It’s all your fault for being so broken.”

Simone let out a chuckle through the pain, “I would be really careful who you fucking blame for how broken I am. You might not like the damn answer.” She spat at him and swung her feet hand putting the heel of her boot right back into his crotch for the second time.

Emil buckled over grabbing at himself as it was harder than the last time she had done it, “THAT’S IT HECTOR! Just fucking kill her and get it over with. She’s not worth the hassle.”

“It’s about fucking time,” Hector went to go grab a larger blade from the wall.

“I’m amused,” Simone chuckled.

“Why’s that?” Emil glared up at her.

“Because I broke you both before you could break me,” Simone was proud of herself but Lewis was so close she could taste him at this point.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:12 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

All about the house, things fell into a tense silence. The guards walked their routes as normal, but there was a edge to almost every action they did. Their boss was paranoid, and upping security everywhere, which meant something was coming. But they had no idea what to expect. They were all ready, though.

There was a sudden, loud knock at the door. It broke the silence, and two guards rushed the door, weapons drawn. The first guard readied his mace, and threw the door open. Standing there was a tall, crimson haired man with a smile on his face. The guard was taken aback by the appearance of the large man, but steeled himself. Tall and menacing or not, he was not to be allowed on the premise.

“Sir, I must ask you to leave!” the guard stated firmly.

“Wow, what a fancy place you have here!” Rhenakos said as he pushed his way inside nonchalantly. The guard seemed confused at the brazen action, and tried to get in front of Rhenakos to stop him again.

“Sir! I really must insist-”

“Oh, I must insist too!” Rhernakos said as he spun to meet the guard face forward. “I must insist that you go fuck yourself.” the guard stared at Rhenakos for a moment before it registered what he had said. The moment it dawned was the moment Rhenakos slammed his head into the guard’s, knocking him out instantly.

“Next.” Rhenakos turned to the second, who was now rushing him with a sword drawn. “Oh, such terrible form…” As the guard swung, Rhenakos dodged to the side and slammed his fist into his opponent’s stomach. At once, the guard vomited, and fell t the side. Clicking his tongue, Rhenakos shook his head and sighed. “I must say, I’m so very disappointed in all of you…” He looked around to find himself surrounded by guards. On the second floor, there were several more with arrows trained on the demon hunter.

“Surrender yourself!” the captain said as he presented himself in front of Rhenakos, sword drawn.

“You see,” Rhenakos said as he yawned. “This is why the guard industry is failing,” the hunter said as he glanced around. “There’s what….twenty of you?” He smirked. “In the time it’s taken you to surround me and have this half-assed scene, the fifteen of you have failed to take into account the many variables that go into such tactics of surrounding your foe. Now, the twelve of you really need to consider all avenues of the enemy, such as whether or not he’s tall and handsome, or a demonic entity, or even a fucking nutcase like I am. Now, the six of you should really pay more attention to the last, and most important detail…can you guess what that is, captain?”

The captain stared at Rhenakos in a mix of shock and disbelief and the drawn out, insane rant that had just transpired. “What in the hell are you even trying to say.”

The hunter rolled his eyes. “What an idiot…”

From behind the capitain, a blade slid across his throat, coating the floor in a spray of blood. “Says the king of idiots,” Lewis said as the body dropped. “Now…during all of that, the idiot guard over there never left his post. So…”

“Painting. That’s….a little cliche, isn’t it?” Rhenakos asked.

“Just bust the secret door down already, will you?” Lewis replied, getting impatient.

It didn’t take long for Rhenakos to kick the door down, and they descended into the torture chamber. Rhenakos went first, followed by Lewis, who was hiding in the taller man’s shadows. This was it…it had to be…

Author: Simone, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:51 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

The old man was terrified but Simone had given him exactly what Lewis would do if they were found. “It’s at the Somerset Vacation house. He had it built for Simone years ago when they first got married.” The old man was hushed at first, “She trusts you… Then you know she can’t die right?” They all knew. The house help perked up a bit at the news before ducking back down. “I was the one who pulled her from the lake~ We kept it from him. His father would have accused her of being a witch and done gods know what. Poor girl has been through enough and yet she insisted we leave her.”

He was attempting to get his footing, “You cannot miss the estate. All he has on him is his personal guards as everyone else was evacuated under Lady Simone’s last request of us. We prefer her to the Somersets. If you follow this road it will eventually come to a cobblestone road. There is a road sign for it. He named the road after her so you won’t miss it.”

He eyed Lewis for a moment, “She has a lot of faith in you. Please, get her out of there. She’s in the cellar. He has a hidden passage to it in the main foyer behind the large painting of him and the Miss. I loosened her bindings but… Hector probably has noticed by now. Lady Simone has already broken his nose using her own head to bash it in just before we left. His patience is growing thin… I dare not think about what he’s doing to her…” The old man was ashamed of himself for leaving.

Meanwhile, at the vacation home, Emil was pacing in the upstairs. “All the house help is gone. I can’t believe they chose her over me. This is most upsetting. Father, what do I do?” The older man was staring his son down.

“I told you this was a bad plan from the start. Get rid of the girl and play stupid. It’s only one man. If you must have her station the guards around the grounds. He can’t possibly get through all of them.” Emil nodded to the second plan as he dispersed the guards. He left one at the painting just in case as his paranoia had gotten the best of him.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:51 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Rhenakos crossed his arms, looking at the twelve dead bodies piled in the warehouse. Sure, it was an unintentional drug bust, and sure they probably deserved it, but was this really necessary?

“I don’t even know why I’m here,” Rhenakos said with a sigh. “You did all of the work. What am I, moral support?”

“Something like that,” Lewis replied. It was moral support in the most literal way. He may not give a fuck about killing, but he didn’t want to involve innocents, despite his demeanor. And Rhenakos, for all of his stupidity, was not one to idly sit by when innocents are in danger. It wasn’t the perfect solution, but it was what he had on hand.

“So this was a waste,” the hunter said, sitting on a shipping container. “What’s your next bright idea?”

Lewis closed his eyes. C’mon, Simone…give me something. Anything.

..wis? Can you he….feel me? I can feel y.. I know who ha….

“Simone?” Lewis replied. Shit. The drug again. C’mon, give me something…anything! The assassin opened his eyes. The sensation she was giving off. When she was calling him, he felt her pull him. It was light, almost like a subtly gust of wind, but it was there.

“This way,” he said as he darted out of the warehouse. Rhenakos rolled his eyes, but followed anyway.

“Where are we going?” Rhenakos asked finally as they started to get close to the edge of the city. “I thought she would be-”

Lewis pointed. “I felt a pull. That way…towards Bohar. I can’t…pinpoint it exactly, but….”

“So you can feel her. Where is she? Let’s go knock some heads!” Rhenakos was pumped and ready to roll.

“It’s not that easy. They’re drugging her, so we can’t focus properly,” the assassin said with an annoyed tone. “But we’re closer.” The two took the main roads, traveling in the directions that Lewis had felt. Every so often, he’d feel a pull again before it was dragged away by the drugs. Every step he got closer, though, was a step closer to the fury that he would unleash upon her captors.

Finally, they came across a traveling caravan, with a wagon leading the way. Lewis looked at the driver, who was an elderly man. At once, the man’s face lit up with recognition, and then immediately he tried to hide it.

Amateur, Lewis thought as he stepped in front of the cart. “Old man…let’s have a chat.”

The elderly man stepped down from the wagon, and got down on his knees, practically begging for Lewis to spare his and those who had fled from death. The assassin pulled out a dagger, and pointed it at the man. “You know where she is, then?” There was a gruesome smile across his face. “We can do this two ways…you either tell me, and I kill you quickly…or you don’t, and I kill you slowly while you sing…”

A hand came down on Lewis’ shoulder, and Rhenakos pulled the crazed assassin back. He held out his hand for the old man, and pulled him up.

“What the fuc-” Lewis started.

“Shut it, runt,” Rhenakos snapped back angrily. He turned his attention to the old man. “She told you to run, didn’t she…” The man nodded quickly. “It means she trusts you. You helped her…at least tried to, at least.” Again, the old man nodded. He was quivering, terrified for his life. “Then you know who he is.”

“Y-yes…” the old man replied. “Just…just spare these people. They’re innocent. If you must take my life, then do it…but not them.”

Rhenakos smirked. “Ballsy. I like it.” He looked to Lewis. “See what happens when you talk to someone? Now,” he turned back to the old man. “Tell us where she is, and you can all go. We’ll save her…I promise…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:12 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Simone could feel the killing intent that Lewis had and she had a pretty good idea that he was on top of it all. It made her smirk lightly. “What the hell are you smiling at?” Hector was clearly getting pissed at how much he couldn’t get through to Simone.

She tilted her head at him and gave him a bored expression, “Thinking about how lovely it’s going to be seeing your throat slit… If he makes it that easy. My husband isn’t known for his mercy killing when he’s pissed. If I were you and this is actually a suggestion, I would get the fuck out of here and run for the hills.”

She was met with a slap and that just made her sigh, “He slaps me harder when we fuck.” Simone got hit again this time much harder as she was knocked out from smashing her head into the back of the chair. Damn that Hector could hit.

It was sometime after that when a voice called to Simone, “Lady Simone.” It was concerned for her and she knew that voice as her brows knitted together. She stirred awake to a soft touch and some water being given to her. “I thought that was you.”

“What?..” Her vision went from blurry to fine and she stared into the eyes of someone she knew quite well. “Ah, it’s you. You shouldn’t be here.”

“The Lord told me to make sure you are at least watered. I had no idea he actually had you. He’s lost his marbles.”

“So I’ve found out~ Didn’t know he had it in him to torture a woman not that he’s actually doing it himself. Though when have you ever known him to do things on his own,” Simone grunted as she tried to readjust herself. The older man helped her out loosening the restraints and retying them so she was more comfortable.

“I’ve cleaned your wounds,” he watched her with gentle eyes. “If I had known he would do this.”

“It’s not your fault~ Does he know?” Simone looked worried.

“No, we’re sworn to keep your secret safe.”

“Then I can endure anything he does to me. Do me a favor, gather all the house help, and leave,” Simone gave a warning. “When Lewis shows up and he WILL show up… He will probably kill everyone in the house. So take everyone not involved and leave.”

“But your health…”

“Don’t worry about my health. I’ll feel much better when these drugs are out of my system.” The older man nodded and he left her. “It’s just a waiting game now~”

”Lewis? Can you hear me?” This was the most she had actually been sober. ”Can you feel me? I can feel you. I know who has me. He’s —” She was focusing so much on trying to contract Lewis that she didn’t see Hector giving her another round of the drug. “God damn it,” she groaned towards the man. “You have the absolute worst timing. How’s a girl supposed to get her beauty sleep?”

Looks like it was another round for her then.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:50 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

As Rhenakos approached the alley that he sensed Lewis in, he immediately covered his nose. “Oh gods…Lewis, what the hell did you do.” As he approached, he looked at the now five bodies that littered the alleyway. One of them was fresh. The others seemed like they had been put through a variety of tortures.

“More importantly…how the hell did you do all of this and not get caught.”

Lewis was cleaning one of the many daggers he had used. “You’d be amazed at how certain magics can muffle sounds.” He finished cleaning the dagger, and looked to Rhenakos. “I’m much calmer now than when I started.” He smiled, which for Rhenakos was a scary image. His face had a bit of blood splatter against it. “She’s annoyed right now. Annoyed is good. It means she’s not worried. And that means I have time…even if she is in a little pain.”

“You can’t…like…feel her location? Can she say anything?” the hunter asked.

“Unfortunately, we’re rarely apart…so we haven’t had the opportunity to really test or train these resonance traits,” Lewis said with a sour face. “Something that, when I find her, we will probably remedy.”

The hunter nodded. “So what do we have?”

“A name. Hector.” Lewis smirked. “He was hired…as well as this one here,” the assassin pointed to the fresh body. “To find women who looked like Simone.” He turned to look at Rhenakos. “A certain nobleman has been offering a hefty bounty. All of them alive.”

“Any clues?”

Lewis scoffed. “Please. The nobleman is a moron. He used fake names, but he put an official seal on one of the payments. A Duke’s symbol. Putting two and two together…and well…” The assassin shrugged. “Duke Emil. But I have no leads on where he might have taken her. His estate is probably clear…he’s not THAT stupid.”

Rhenakos crossed his arms. “So what about shell companies that are owned by his circle?”

The assassin looked at Rhenakos with surprise. “You…”

“I..what? Raile was talking about how they’re great for being tax havens, and-”

“Shut up,” Lewis said as he closed his eyes. Octane. Payroll. Barista. He moved to one of the first bodies, and started digging into the pockets. Finally, he pulled out a letter with a strange looking symbol. “Warehouses. East side.”

The hunter slammed his hands together. “Let’s go then!”

Author: Dala, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:50 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Kalina, the tall beautiful lady from earlier, brought medical supplies and began spreading some sort of salve all over her arms. The scent of the mixture reminded Dala of aloe vera and calendula, both herbs that her mother worked with in the temple. The salve was cool and relieved some of the pain on her arms. Lewis was about to leave when he turned back and gave her a half hearted thanks. The kid just gave him a nod in return, knowing that showing gratitude was difficult. Besides, this moment was probably something neither of them wanted to talk about another other time.

Kalina was wrapping her arms in bandages after treating them to protect the open wounds from any diseases. The entire time the child was strangely quiet. Half of her was worried about Simone while the other half was trying to reassure herself that everything was going to be fine. Lewis was a smart guy, he would be able to figure out what was going on. Once her injuries were wrapped, Kalina helped the child up and Dala began walking towards the living room. Until Simone returned, the child was determined to stay at the island.

"We should really keep a tracking magical thing with Simone." Dala quietly joked to herself.

Eventually the girl fell asleep on the couch, growing tired from the day's activities and the stress from earlier.

Author: Simone, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:27 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Her head hurt. It was throbbing and she could taste the iron in her mouth. Letting out a groan she straightened herself out in the chair the best she could. They had tied her legs and she wiggled a bit more. The drugs were keeping her magic at bay but just barely. She could feel Lewis’s murderous intent. Good, Dala got to him. It would only take a short time, but a short time to Simone was a long time for the average person. It didn’t matter how long it took in the grand scheme of things. They didn’t know she could die and the only thing they could do to her was try and recondition her.

That would be an issue they would come to find out. She tilted her head as Hector came back with a set of pliers. “What kind of torture are we doing?” She didn’t sound scared and it unnerved the man.

Hector looked back at Emil and looked for an order, “It’s not having any effect on her.”

Simone looked down as Emil gave the order allowing Hector to tear out one of her finger nails. The phoenix let out a muffled noise as she held it in. “God fucking damn it, if you are going to fucking torture someone do it properly. You aren’t even holding the god damn pliers the right way. You are doing it like a fucking pussy.” She was in pain but still she kept the insults coming as she thrashed in the chair.

“It’s not working. We’ve been at this for a while,” Hector sounded displeased.

“I will not be broken by a miserable shit bag of a duke and his stumpy ass henchmen,” Simone growled at him. “It sure as hell will take a lot more than what you have to dish out to get me to cave in. If he couldn’t make me cave you sure as fuck can’t.”

Emil wasn’t sure who he was but this wasn’t the same Simone he had married… and he knew she had memory issues. Did she somehow recover them? “Skip her meals see if that helps. Under no circumstances are you to kill her. We went through all the trouble of finding someone like her and now we have her. There’s no way a simple woman like her can withstand torture for long periods of time.”

Only, they had no idea that she had survived seven years of intense torture and she wasn’t about to let them know.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:17 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Kalina came out with a variety of medicines and was ready to help Dala once she got a hold of the situation. Meanwhile, Lewis listened to every word that Dala said, taking in and memorizing the details. He didn’t interrupt her at any point, instead trusting the girl’s input. If Lord Raith trusted Dala, then there was no reason for him not to trust her either.

“Kali, take care of her,” Lewis said as he stood up. Whatever drug they had used on Simone had started to wear off, leaving the assassin with some focus. He reached into his pocket and thumbed the ring that Raile had given him, and a portal opened in front of him. Before he stepped in, he awkwardly paused, and took a quick look at Dala.

“…thanks.” It was a half hearted, barely audible word, but he said it. If it hadn’t been for Dala, he wouldn’t have a shot at finding Simone. “Kali. Send Rhen when you’re done.” He was an idiot, but he was a useful idiot. And with that last though, he took a step into the portal.

The moment the gate closed behind Lewis, he felt a strange, almost smug sensation followed by a sudden shock hit his system and he started to see stars. They hit her. Bloodlust exploded in his heart. I’ll fucking dismember them alive… He shook it off, and then started through the back alley of Adeluna that he had appeared in. Not moments later, he started to feel whatever drug they had used on her earlier. Not this fucking time. He pulled out the bone dagger, slicing his hand open with a swift cut. Blood poured onto the blade, coating it. The sharp pain kept his focus.

The blade started to frost over with his blood, and he wrapped his wounded hand around it, gripping tight. The ice froze over his wound, as well as coating his hand. The pain was intense, but with a wicked smile, Lewis was able to bear it.

First. Coffee. Octane. It wasn’t a spot he had ever been, but he had passed by it a few times during a few jobs he was doing in the area. It didn’t take him long to navigate the streets.

Onlookers eyed the strange, sweaty man with a murderous look as he went by, but not a noble in sight was courageous enough to confront him over it. Instead, they went about their daily business. Lewis knew that he wouldn’t be completely clear; someone would likely attempt to summon the guard. A problem for later.

The door of the coffee shop slammed open as Lewis walked in. The entire shop quieted down, looking at the maniac silver haired boy.

“I,” Lewis said as he glanced around. “Could use a cup of coffee.” He waltzed up to the barista, a wild look in his eyes. “I would like…a cup of Midnight.” There was silence in the room. To most, it made no sense. There was no brew known as Midnight. But to a few, including one of the baristas in the back, they knew what it meant.

A favor.

The barista that had a knowing look came up, and excused the others, making a specialty brew on the spot. Lewis took the cup, and walked out. He sipped the coffee, and walked three streets down, and into the alley. Good. No witnesses… It wasn’t long before the barista and three others joined him in the alley.

“Well?” the barista asked.

“Medium height woman. Fancy clothes. Dark blue and black. Lots of jewelry. Had a kid with her, wearing a purple dress.” Lewis was straight to the point.

“Didn’t see her,” one of them said. The second shook his head. “Saw the woman leave the girl. A shady guy followed her. Big fella.”

Lewis narrowed his gaze to the barista. “Talk.” The man seemed nervous. “Talk, or I’ll make you talk,” the assassin said as he took a menacing step forward.

The barista was sweating now, shaking his head. “I can’t. They’ll maul me. Kill my family. I can’t!”

“I’ll kill you and everyone you’ve ever associated with if you don’t give me a fucking name,” Lewis said as he drew and tossed a dagger into the man’s leg. The barista cried out and fell to one knee.

The other two seemed not to like this, and produced weapons, moving to protect the barista.

“Oh please,” Lewis said as he produced more daggers. “I don’t have fucking time for this.” He threw the first dagger into one of the man’s skulls, ending him instantly. The second seemed to rethink his choice, but in the end decided wrong and moved to strike Lewis. It was over before he made his second step, and he collapsed with a gaping neck wound.

“Now…where was I?” Lewis asked as he approached the barista. He leaned down so that he was eye to eye with the man. “I ‘m going to need you…to tell me what you know…”

“I-I-I.” the barista stammered, shaken to his core.

Lewis sighed. This was going to take much longer than he wanted.

Author: Dala, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:53 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

"Adeluna at the Octane Coffee shop noble district. Simone noticed someone was watching us but she didn't tell me who or anything else. She said she was going to the wine shop nearby and gave me instructions to stay calm, wait 5 minutes, then go back. When she didn't come back I raced to the portal. Her magic was fading and it was too small. I had to rip it open myself." She explained as fast as she could without stumbling over words, "The blacksmith we visited before the cafe mentioned girls like her were going missing in that area."

Dala wracked her brain for any other useful information. She just should have followed Simone! At least then she would have better info like any appearances or something. But that was all she could offer. The child didn't let herself cry and pushed down the feelings of fear. Instead she let herself be angry. The anger helped distract herself from the pain of her arms. Looking up towards Lewis, she knew he was furious and would tear the world apart for Simone.

"If somebody's kidnapped her, give em hell for me." The child said, her voice shaking with fury.

If it wasn't for her arms, she would've tried to jump into the fight herself. Relying on others to save her friends wasn't normally her style but in this case, she had no choice. Moving her arms out from underneath her dress, she finally had a look at them. From her shoulders down, the skin was blistered and bright red with patches of black dotted around with some of the old skin already falling off.

"I caused the wounds." Dala said, "Forced magic into the portal to get here."

This was why her old teacher never allowed her to use large spells before she was ready.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:21 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Lewis had been waiting for Simone to return. As it turned out, his job for the day hadn’t been too terribly difficult, leaving him ample free time to work on clearing out weeds from the front of the castle. It wasn’t an elegant job by any means, but he knew that Simone would enjoy doing something with the front of the castle. He could hear Kalina hard at work on the interior, which was a good thing. The faster she finished, the faster they could move forward with the plan to open the orphanage.

It’s a scary thought. That happened to be the emotion of the month. As they neared the completion of the whole project, Lewis found himself more and more nervous about the prospects of actually taking care of other children. It was one thing to help run the old thieves’ guild…this was an entirely different kind of beast.

Hm? As Lewis’ arm extended down to reach for a weed, he noticed something peculiar. Hairs. His arm hairs were standing on end. I don’t feel anything here though. It took him a moment to recognize what it was. The resonance with Simone was mixing with his own feelings. But why? What exactly was she feeling? It was subtle at first, but Lewis realized something else was wrong. His vision was swaying. Once again, he wondered if someone had managed to sneak up on him….

“Simone…” The resonance was creating a strange sensation. There was no drug in his system, yet the feeling of something powerful was coursing through his senses. He fell forward, suddenly hyper aware of his own weight. “Fuck.” He fell forward, and lost consciousness.

He wasn’t out for long, though. It was the smell first. Burning flesh. That was never a good smell. The assassin rolled over, groaning. Then he heard Dala call for him.

Fuck.

The world came rushing back, and Lewis scrambled up, nearly falling as he tried to regain his stability. “Dala!?” His words were slurring, but he managed to get to the girl. “Where is Simone!? What happened!?” Despite her trying to hide it, Lewis could smell her wounds.

“Kali! I need help out here!” Lewis yelled. “Bring healing shit, and fast!” He looked back to Dala. “Speak. Now.” The tone of his voice was murderous, but it wasn’t directed at her. Lewis was going to get to the bottom of this, and no one in the world was going to stop him. If someone so much as made an attempt to slow or stop him, he’d silence them without a second thought.

Author: Simone, Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 1:56 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Simone didn’t answer Dala as she was preoccupied with watching the man from the corner of her eyes. It wasn’t the fact that Simone felt threatened by the fact that she had Dala with her. The last thing she needed was her getting kidnapped and her. Simone’s life flame couldn’t snuff out that easily and thanks to all the torture she had been through there wasn't much they could do to her that would phase her.

She figured that she couldn’t rely on her magic, at least that was what she planned for. If they were kidnapping women they had to have a way to sedate them just in case of magic properties. She hadn’t been wrong as she was grabbed and the drug forced into her system. There wasn’t even a chance for her to cause a massive scene. They had been doing this a while.

Irritation filled her veins as she lost consciousness. The muscular man heaved her up over his shoulder and made his way out of Adeluna. Most of the people stayed out of his way and the guards were too busy panicking at another kidnapping to even get their shit together.

Taking her back by horse the man arrived at an estate. Simone had gained and lost consciousness several times so she had no idea where they were. The only thing she did know was that time had passed considerably. The sun was now high and by the smell of the air they were in a familiar place to her but she couldn’t place it.

Her vision blurred and she passed back out from the man administrating another dose of the drug. When Simone finally came to she instinctively pulled on her arms and flexed her legs. Her legs were free but she was tied to a chair that was more or less forced to be stationary. The room was dark and damp, she could smell the earth and recognized the smell of a cellar right away.

As her vision focused she looked around calmly and found that there were many women down in the cellar. Some of them were beaten badly, others were crying, and most of them were tied up. There were some that were just too weak to move. The fact they all looked close to her made her hair stand up but it wouldn’t be the first time that she had been part of some sick plot like this.

Her glare tuned in to the sound of people approaching. When they finally rounded the corner Simone just started to laugh. “Oh, this is fucking precious,” she said it out loud as her laughter got harder.

“What’s so funny woman?” The man stared at her, “You look like her.”

“That’s because you fucking moron I am who you are looking for,” the poison dripping from her lips was thick. “I never thought I would see you again Duke Emil Gaston Somerset~” She cooed.

His eyes got large and his breath got held up in his throat, “Si-Simone…” The bravado he had was all but lost as their eyes met. For everything that Emil could have been Simone had always known him as a coward. He had even been married to her because she was meek and wouldn’t boss him around much. “So… The assassin didn’t kill you… He just stole you then.”

The smile that Simone had died down as anger set in, “Emil.”

“Yes?” He was enthralled just by the sight of her.

“Come here, let me show you how much I’ve missed you since that assassin stole me~” Simone pouted at him and gave him those meek eyes he knew so well.

“YES, yes of course!” Emil was happy as he came to her and bent down to greet his once dead wife.

Simone’s eyes turned a shade dark and a pissy expression laid on her face as she shot her leg right up into the duke’s crotch. The duke fell over holding himself, “Let me out of this fucking chair right this instant Emil! If you know what’s good for you you’ll let me go and we won’t speak of this ever again.” She was screaming and throwing all holy hell towards him. “If you keep me~ Well I don’t know what he will do.”

“Hector,” the duke groaned as he held himself on the floor. The big muscular man who had kidnapped her came over with a thick club. “Don’t kill her but… shut her up.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to kill you in particular,” Simone spoke calmly with deep-seated anger up at the man. “When Lewis finds out~”

The duke held up his hand to the man before he could strike her, “Are you telling me you are with a lowly assassin? You could have had me.”

“I did have you or have you forgotten it was you who hired him to kill me? I have no need for a coward of a man who backtracks just because he is scared. That’s all this is. It’s a way for you to think your dick is bigger than it actually is,” Simone’s words stung and it showed as the duke threw his hand down. Hector hit her hard with the club. Her blood spilled lightly as she was knocked out.

“Keep the drugs in her. We’ll obviously have to recondition her. I don’t care what you do but get rid of the others," Emil finally pulled himself up off the ground and took a look at his lost wife. "He's poisoned you… That's all this is. Right? Please, don't make me hurt you more than I have to." The duke left Hector to figure out what to do with the other kidnapped women as he decided that leaving no evidence was the best route.

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:30 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Dala was just enjoying the little cat fight between Simone and the random noble lady. It was always fun to see Simone bare her fangs and usually rare. The version that the child always saw was a sweet and kind lady. However, Dala was not surprised when the lady backed down. A pitiable noble had nothing against Simone. Dala waited until Simone was in the cafe before she started admiring the daggers again. They were just so shiny. The second Simone returned, Dala quickly shoved them back into the basket, completely unaware of the threat lurking in the shadows.

"Oooooh that looks so good." Dala said practically drooling.

She stabbed the cake with her fork and let out a mmmmm before gobbling the entire thing up in seconds. The child ate like a pig and had forgotten all about her manners.  The cake tasted like heaven itself. So fluffy and filled with the flavor of strawberries. The only thing she did remember was to clean her face with the provided napkin. Dala felt the touch of Simone's hand and looked at her with confusion. Simone would find herself easily in the mind of Dala, since the kid didn't exactly have any mental or magical mind protections.

-Tell me what's wrong. Who's making you feel threatened?- Dala responded back in a serious tone, well as serious as a child's mental voice could get.

Instead of telling her, Simone told her to stay put and that she was going to the wine shop. The way she phrased the way we came part was an obvious direction for her to go back to Lewis that way. Every part of the child wanted to fight with Simone. Letting her go alone was a stupid idea. But….. if she didn't follow orders she could get Simone killed. The child gritted her teeth and looked down at her plate, her hands curling into fists.

-I…I understand. Don't let yourself get hurt.- Dala mentally pleaded with Simone.

The child tried to calm herself down and started using her fork to pick at her plate, pretending to be occupied. Simone left the table and went off, never coming back. Dala obediently obeyed Simone's orders but after five minutes, she looked around the area with a panicked look. She walked towards the area that they arrived as slowly as calmly as she could. The alleyway seemed dark and silent without Simone. Dala's eyes grew wide as she realized the portal was barely there. The portal had started shrinking without Simone's magic nearby. It was such a small hole, about the size of her shoe.

"No!" Dala screamed as she ran towards it, dropping the basket with Lewis' gift.

She touched the portal but it didn't grow back. Only magic could make it grow back. Dala looked at her hands, closed her eyes, and began to concentrate. She could feel the warmth flow through her arms and reach her hand, but the magic only created a small spark of light. She reached out and attempted to use that light to reopen the portal, but it fizzed out, only powering the portal by a tiny bit.

"No no no no." She said panic growing in her voice before it turned to pure rage and desperation.

The child reached out towards the portal and started forcing the light magic through her arms. Forcing magic was dangerous and unnatural. Her old magic teacher once told her that. If she did this, there was no going back. But at that moment, Dala didn't give two shits. A burning light magic pierced its way through her flesh and powered the portal as she pulled it open. The scent of burnt flesh filled the air and her arms began turning a bright red. Dala's eyes were filled with sunshine as she screamed from the pain. The magic she forced through her body was slowly burning her.

Skin began peeling off and falling to the ground as her arms were covered in blisters and sweat. It wasn't enough! She needed more magic! The portal began slowly closing again as she was loosing momentum. She gave a final push, forcing as much magic as she could and let out an ear shattering scream, one that pierced the air and terrified anyone who heard it. Dala's arms were covered in blisters and horrible burn wounds that would make the sturdiest of people gag. Dala fell through the opened portal, onto the hallway floor exhausted.

"Lewis!" She shouted desperately as she shoved herself with her feet towards the wall, propping herself up in a sitting position.

Dala's arms were limp, unable to feel movement but she shoved them under her skirt to hide her injuries. Lewis needed to focus on saving Simone.

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:40 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

“He does seem to be like that, doesn’t he?” He liked anything she did… She hadn’t found something he disliked.

Simone tapped her chin and nodded, “They should. I’ll see if they can’t make it for you.” Once they got to the cafe Simone laid claim to a table even going so far as to glare at another noblewoman for trying to take the table.

“I’ll have you know my husband~”

“I’ll have you know that if you can’t stand on your own two feet you should find another table,” Simone put her hands on her hips at the woman.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Did you want it to be one?” Simone’s normally meek voice had taken a rather cold tone as her eyes narrowed down on the other young noblewoman. “Move along, you’ll scare my niece.” The noblewoman scoffed and Simone sighed a bit. “I never did like how catty nobles could be. It’s exhausting.” She made sure Dala was all set and took one last look at her before leaving her. “I’ll be back.”

A taller muscular man went into the cafe behind Simone. He wouldn’t have stuck out if it wasn’t for the fact that he wasn’t from the district. When it came to the noble district it was easy to tell who belonged and who didn’t and while Simone could blend in she was ever cautiously watching her back now. Something wasn’t right and her hair was standing up on her arms.

Adeluna, for the most part, was a fairly low magic city and as not to blow her cover and put Dala in danger she had to be careful. She also couldn’t let the Benin officials find out that it had been her that threatened them. It was putting her in a bind. Maybe though she was being paranoid as she ordered their cakes and brought it back out to Dala. “Here you go, I had them get an extra big slice for you to make up for the last time you couldn’t have one. It even has two strawberries~” She seemed mighty pleased about it.

Still, she was watching from the corner of her eye as the man had come back outstanding in the corner. The blacksmith did say that women like her were being hunted. She chewed at her lip. “Dala,” Simone was hushed as she reached over and touched her.

”Dala, listen to me very closely.” She let her voice find her way into Dala’s mind and made eye contact with her. ”I have a very bad feeling. If something happens under no circumstance are you to fight back. Do you understand? Go find Lewis. I’ll be fine.”

The last thing she needed was Dala being taken too and from the way, she was being watched she had a good feeling she was being targeted. “Stay put okay? I’m going to go to the wine shop not that far. The way we came should be good enough for us to get home so we’ll head back that way after we’re done here.” The context clues for her to get back to the island and she knew Dala was smart enough to figure it out. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

”Wait those five minutes. Do you understand me? Calmly make your way back.” Her gray eyes were on Dala and there wasn’t any fear. She pushed herself up and headed off with the man following closely behind her.

Simone never did come back.

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:23 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

"If its from you he'll probably like it anyway." Dala said while she practiced some of her attacks with the daggers.

They were light weight but would damage whomever they stabbed. Once she was done playing around with the weapons she and Simone tucked them into the basket. The child gave the weapons man a wave goodbye, trying to remember this place for the future. Maybe she could convince the weapon smith to join her future kingdom one day? The thought made her smile as she walked by Simone's side.

"Do you think they'll have strawberry shortcake?" The child asked, "Last cafe I went to was all out. Couldn't even find any in their storage."

Never mind what she had been doing in the storage of a cafe shop. She followed Simone towards the cute cafe. The building was made out of birch wood and had a unique style among all the other homes. There were several tables but the cafe was a busy place. Nobles rushing in and out, carrying their own treats that they happily chowed down, in a delicate way of course! Almost every table had been taken up, they were lucky to find an empty one at all. Dala plopped down on the seat and observed all the nobles and their strange fashions.

"I'll be fine! Remember I'm the coolest most epic warrior princess!" Dala said with a confident smirk, "This table will have the best protection this city can offer."

She also wanted to look at the daggers again and play with them.

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:11 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

“Good, sometimes you just have to fake it. Give them a good show and have them eating out of your hands,” Simone gave her a smile and approved of her noble like attitude.

Once they had the daggers she chuckled a bit and held out the handle for her, “Lewis and I have been married a year~ I figured that he deserved something nice for putting up with me for this long.” Sometimes she still felt like a burden but when their hearts were one it felt pleasant and she liked that a lot.

“Careful with them like he said. They are hot.” She let Dala play with them a bit before she helped her tuck them into the basket. “Don’t lose them. Thank you again, Mr. Jameson.” He nodded to her and watched the two ladies leave his shop. He thought she was a bit of an odd duck but at least she was happier than most of the wives that came into his shop.

“How about we stop for some treats? I saw a nice little pastry shop here on my way to find the blacksmith,” she pointed it out to Dala. “We can have a nice little lunch and then go back to the island. I’ll show you all around!”

Finding a small table outside the shop she puffed her lips up a bit. “Dala, you are going to have to wait here at the table. I wouldn’t want anyone to snatch it from us. You’ll be alright, right?”

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:05 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

"I don't really care about all that magic." Dala claimed, "And I am so gonna check out that pirate ship later."

One didn't mention a pirate ship unless they wanted her to go investigate. But that was for another day. The child's eyes widened when she saw Simone sing, bringing forth the dark fire and creating a travel gate. It was just the right size for the both of them. Dala accepted the basket then rushed through the portal without a hint of hesitation. The other side was in an alleyway near the noble district, a place she'd never had the privilege of visiting. Most days the child looked more like a street rat than a noble. Simone gave the warning about vindictive nobles.

"Got it. I'll be so noble like, they won't even know what hit them!" She declared.

The streets were buzzing with activity as people rushed from stall to stall, buying whatever their wealthy hearts desired. Many curtsies and pleasantries later, they finally made it to the Jameson's Smithy. Dala thanked Simone for opening the door then looked at the room with an evil little grin. There were so many sharp things! She kept down her instinct to swipe them and instead focused on the old man.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She said politely with a deep curtsy.

The girl's attention quickly left the shopkeeper and focused instead on all the blades that decorated the shop. She watched how they sparkled in the day's light and the beautiful gems that decorated the handle. There were swords too, which were just longer daggers. Her face had a big smile as she reached out to touch the weapons but stopped, realizing that the shopkeeper would get mad at her. So she just watched the cool weapons with great interest. Then Simone offered to let her see the daggers. Dala rushed over and jumped up and down, nodding her head repeatedly.

"Gimme gimme." She said with her hands attempting to grab it.

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:16 AM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

“I’m beginning to think all rebellious souls love mud,” she chuckled a bit as she stared at Dala in the mirror. She was certainly cute. Though Simone found her cute no matter what she was wearing.

Simone held out her hand and a dark flame appeared, “My magic is the fire of life though Lady Angela made me closer to death.” She made it disappear and smiled, “Even light magic can be useful I am sure. You’ll have to find something to make it unique like you.” She thought about it and smiled more, “I actually don’t specialize in offensive magic. If I sing I can imbue Lewis with defensive and offensive spells but I’m actually quite weak myself. Sometimes you just have to find out what you are good at and sometimes it takes a while. I used to just touch Lewis to activate the magic until I found out I could do it through song. That took a long time to figure out because no one was there to guide me.”

She patted Dala on the head. “Alright, I think we are ready.” Simone thought about it, “As soon as Kalina is done with the rooms~ You can have any one you want so you can visit and explore the island. Raile told us that there is a pirate ship crashed in the cove but you have to be careful. You are welcome here anytime you want even if we’re not here.”

Simone let loose a soft song as a gate of black fire appeared. It was small enough for her and Dala to go through. “This will get us to the alleyway,” she winked at Dala and scooted her through. Grabbing a basket that had a loose blanket in it she handed it to Dala. “For hiding my surprise.”

Once they got into the alleyway she made sure no one saw them as she closed the gate. They were in the noble district and the chatter was oddly loud. Taking Dala’s hand she motioned to follow her, “Don’t mind them too much but we must be on our best behavior. Nobles tend to be a bit vindictive,” she warned.

The streets were a bit crowded and when other nobles stopped for Simone and Dala to cross Simone made sure to curtsy. “Alright, this is it.” The sign was done in a fancy font as thick black smoke raised from a wide chimney in the upper district. It read “Jameson’s Smithy” and Simone opened the door for Dala to go in.

“Ah, Mrs. Terrowin. Here for your order?” It was an older man possibly in his forties. He was wiping his hands off with a cloth.

“Yes, please. I’m so excited to see them,” Simone looked down and smiled at Dala. “This is my niece Dala.”

“AHH! Miss Dala, it is a pleasure to meet you. It concerned me the last time Mrs. Terrowin came alone. There’s been a lot of kidnappings lately of women who fit your looks. It makes me feel better you at least didn't come alone this time.” It threw Simone off but she waved it off. She wasn’t overly concerned about it since they were here for only a short moment. “Anyways, here they are.”

He brought over two blood-red sheaths with black and gold designs. They were beautifully crafted. Pulling one of the blades out they were curved and the blade was etched with the design of a bird, a phoenix if one were to look closely. Steam was rising from the blade. “I don’t recommend touching the blade. The magic imbued on it will burn anything it touches.”

Simone’s eyes were wide, “Oh, they are beautiful! My husband will love them!”

“Some of my best work. I was a little shocked when you paid the full price upfront for them. What is it your husband does for a living?”

Simone didn’t skip a beat where most would have, “He is a mercenary by trade but also dabbles in trade.” It was sort of right. “He’s away a lot to pay for the lifestyle he wishes for me to have. I have terrible health you see?”

The blacksmith frowned a bit, “That’s awfully unfortunate but I am glad that your husband sounds like a good man. I hope he likes it and tell him if he ever needs them sharpened just to bring them back. It's on the house” Simone nodded and took the sheathed one before gently putting it in the basket.

“Thank you so much. Want to see it Dala?” She held the other sheathed one out to Dala. “Your uncle showed you how to use a dagger, right?” There was a wink since the blacksmith couldn’t see her. She knew that Dala would love to hold the dagger.

Author: Dala, Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 8:50 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Dala struggled for a moment since she wasn't used to dresses. The only other dress she had was a fancy pink gown meant for special occasions. As for accessories, she had a special flower crown Alairia had given her that she treasured above all else. Most of her regular clothes consisted of tunics and trousers. Once dressed, she stepped out from behind the panel and rushed over to Simone so she could lace the back. Simone began mentioning Cecelia and Dala could hear the nostalgic sadness in her voice. She moved on before the child could ask more, focusing on her hair instead.

"Makes sense." Dala said, "Aunty Simone it is!"

The jewelry consisted of a pearl necklace with a little amulet attached and a pearl bracelet, all which matched the outfit perfectly. She was guided over to the mirror where she saw her reflection. The child reached out to touch the reflection and smiled softly. It was at these times that she remembered how lucky she was. Dala had her mother and father, who loved her more than anything. She had Simone, a dear friend to her and mentor. She had all her friends, teachers, and pets. Everything that a person could want and everything she once lacked. Simone then began to talk about Cecelia and how she got mud over her dresses.

"I'm afraid I won't be any better about the mud." Dala admitted with a smirk, "It's not my fault! I just don't see mud spots sometimes."

The child wished she could meet Cecilia, but the girl was dead and gone. Even if Simone hadn't already mentioned it, Dala would be able to guess by the tone of her voice. But she wouldn't say a word about it. That was an old wound that didn't need to be ripped open again. Simone changed the subject to gates, something Dala had seen before but knew little about.

"Gate travel, I've gone into one a couple of times. Never had the magic to make one myself." Dala said bitterly, "My magic specializes in light and its proved to be useless."

She'd been told her light magic was powerful but even with training, reading, and trying to figure out how to activate it, she could barely get more than a flicker of light from her palm. Besides, she wanted COOL magic, like fire or storms. Light magic seemed utterly useless to the child.

Author: Simone, Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 8:15 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

“Yup!” Simone put her hands on her hips. “Now, I’m going to make you fancy.” She pulled over the stool from the vanity. “Change behind the panel and come back over so I can lace it up the back.” Once Dala had gotten into the dress Simone admired the length. “So I was right with how tall you are. I haven’t lost my touch. The last time I did things by sight…” She hesitated for a moment. “I was getting measurements for my daughter Cecelia. It was her birthday dress.” She gave a sad smile.

“Let me do your hair.” She took no time at all showing Dala how to get ringlets in her hair and pulling it half up like her hair. “This is important Dala. When we go into the noble district I want you to pretend I’m your aunt. It might be weird if they think I’m with a stranger’s child.”

She paired it up with some nice jewelry, “These are all yours to keep okay? Keep it for your princess appearances. It looks wonderful on you.” She pulled Dala over to a gorgeous full-length mirror. “What do you think? I remember my nannies doing me up like this for trips into town all the time. Cecelia hated it though,” Simone chuckled. “She liked mud over dresses. She scared me a lot. Real warrior princess if you’ve ever met one. Just like you Dala.”

It was a good memory. She tried not to think about the end of everything and losing her. “Have you ever used a gate before? I have been working on it and not telling Lewis I can do it.”

Author: Dala, Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 8:06 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Lewis wanted to make a change in the world? She always had the impression that Lewis wanted nothing to do with anybody. Perhaps that was the version that Simone saw, like how her mom and herself saw Raith in a different way. The child followed Simone into the great family room and spotted the muscular elvish woman taking down the fireplace with a giant sledgehammer. Simone quickly introduced Kalina as Lady Angela's daughter and partner of that friend whom got them the island in the first place. Dala made a graceful curtsy, something that she'd been working on with Simone.

"I'm gonna get muscles like her some day." Dala declared confidently.

They moved on to the nursery that was filled to the brim with stuffed animals. The crystals dangling from the ceiling caught her attention first. Each piece dazzled and sparkled, reflecting the light coming through the windows. There were a hundred stuffed animals in the room and a warm crib. Dala knew that the baby they adopted would be comfortable here. They would experience a comfortable life surrounded by love. Simone appeared to have an excited anticipation for the child.

The next room had dark stone floors and deep blue walls, reminding her of the midnight sky. She smiled to herself when she saw the little cactus standing strong on one of the large windows. She rushed over to one of the windows and opened it, letting in some fresh air. The island breeze brushed against her face as she admired the view. Then Simone called her over and showed her a purple noblewoman's dress. Dala's face lit up with joy.

"Really?!" Dala exclaimed, "I getta have this?!"

Author: Simone, Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 6:22 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Simone was happy to see Dala’s reaction and chuckled a bit. “Believe it or not Lewis has so much silver he doesn’t know what to do with it. Bounties are high and a good living if you are good at it as are assassination targets.” She remembered her own. “My last husband offered Lewis twenty-five thousand silver upfront to kill me.” She didn’t know if she had told Dala that’s how she and Lewis had met.

“We have a friend who barters with just about everything. He got the island at a really good price and in turn, we were able to get it.” There was a nod from Simone as she smiled, “I want children Dala. I will love them unconditionally. I was in a real bad funk for a while after the news from Angela. Lewis wanted to make a change in the world that was good. It worked for both of us.”

She showed Dala the entire castle except for the bedrooms since they were all the same. They came across a tall muscular elvish looking woman who was working on their great family room. She was tearing the fireplace out by way of a giant sledgehammer. There was dark marble she was working to replace it.

“This is Kalina, she is Lady Angela’s daughter and the partner of our friend we told you about.” Kalina acknowledged them with a look. “She is a craftsman but she specializes in blacksmithing. This is going to be our family room! Where we can all sit together and relax after Lewis comes home. We can read books here in front of the fire and everything.” She had such big hopes.

“The grounds have six grounds that I’ve located. I’m working on getting them restored slowly. I’m going to make one a tea garden.” Then she took her up the grand foyer staircase. “Our room is this way.” She got to two giant ornate doors that sat at the very end of the east wing. Simone stopped to a door just before their room.

“Dala, I showed Lewis this already so it's not a secret anymore…” She smiled and opened the door to a nursery. It was done like a nightscape. All of the stuffed animals that Lewis had won her were in there all around for decorations. There was a crib of fine craftsmanship. Sparkling crystals hung from the ceiling and when the light hit them they lit up like starlight. “For when we adopt our first baby. We’re still looking though. Soon though! I worked hard on this for a surprise.”

After she took a breath in the room she had an exciting air to her. "Someday we'll find a baby I'm sure. Even if we don't get one right away. That's fine with me." She beckoned Dala to follow and went to the two big ornate doors. "This is our room." She opened it and Dala would be met with dark stone floors and midnight blue walls with silver molding. It was noble looking but in a different way. There was a large canopy bed with dark blue silk around it tied back with black ribbons. It certainly looked like somewhere Lewis would live. There was a large vanity, black stone fireplace, a blue couch in front of the fireplace, and other pieces of furniture. Dala's cactus was on a stand by one of the large picture windows.

Through the windows was a great view of Fulani's mainland and the lake. "Isn't it beautiful?" Though once Dala took everything in she brought the girl over to her armoire and opened it. Inside was a purple noblewoman's dress and shoes that would fit Dala. "I had this made for you~"

Author: Dala, Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 6:05 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

The child took Simone's hands where they were taken to where the gate to the house was. She nodded her head and closed her eyes, putting her entire trust on Simone. The child was led through the door and into the outside. When she opened her eyes, her jaw dropped. The castle was beautiful, far better than anything Dala had ever seen before! Then there was the fact the entire island was bought for them. It was strange, since the child had seen the temple and lived in a room of grandeur but that was owned by a god. Of course it was grande. But they had enough money to OWN AN ISLAND? Her father must have been paying Lewis a LOT of money if they could afford something like this.

"This is…..AMAZING!" Dala yelled, "It looks like a beautiful castle from one of my books. This is so cool!!"

Then Simone mentioned the fact they were planning to adopt which made the child smile. There were hundreds of children out there, abandoned or forgotten about. So many who'd been forgotten and left for dead or stuck in an orphanage that never treat them right. Some kids didn't even have local orphanages to live in. The fact that Simone was going to adopt, it made Dala hopeful for those still trapped in the system.

"Good. There's many kids who need adoption." She said, "Bringing them here….it would change their lives for the better. And if you adopt, make sure to show the child that you really care. Its easy for us to feel like we're being abandoned again."

Dala herself would adopt every kid she ever met if she had the money and was an adult. Unfortunately they didn't allow kids to adopt other kids. Adoption was a personal subject to Dala, as she knew the ins and outs of adoption and how it worked in reality. It wasn't as nice or simple as the stories showed.

"Heck yeah I wanna be a pretty noble and see all the epicness of the castle!" Dala exclaimed.

Author: Simone, Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:53 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

Simone chuckled at her young friend. “I get to show you what Lewis and I did first,” she whispered to Dala. “You need to see what Lewis bought me.” She was so excited.

She held out her hand to Dala and took them back to where the gate to the house was. “Okay, I need you to close your eyes and just trust me.” She waited and carefully led Dala out the door. Through the door, she took her outside and got a bit away from the castle they now called home.

“Okay, open your eyes.” Lewis bought her a castle well technically, “He bought this entire island for me!” She showed Dala. “There’s lots of adventuring to be had so you can come here whenever you want! I even made up one of the bedrooms for you. The castle has about one hundred bedrooms and thirty-eight other rooms. We're the only ones on the entire island!”

“Well for us, he bought it for us, not just for me…” She smiled. “We plan on adopting a lot of children because well,” she put her hands on her womb for a moment had a sad smile. “Lady Angela said I couldn’t have children but… Lewis found a way for us to still have children.” She seemed a bit happier.

“Want to see the inside of the castle? After that, I need to dress you up to take you into the noble district of Adeluna! That was my other surprise.”

Author: Dala, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:21 PM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

The room was massive with a living room that connected to a bedroom and a bathroom. It was large enough to be a small house and had more space than the child knew what to do with. A chandelier sparkled above while the girl sat at her desk with a quill in her hand. Stacks of parchment paper covered her desk, each covered with writing. The words were in beautiful cursive with very few mistakes. Some of the stacks were her plans for the future, some were lessons, and some were for practicing her handwriting. When her parents and friends were busy, she stayed in her room, writing endlessly. Today she was focusing on writing in common, translating it into Boharian, then translating it back into commons. A fast way for her to learn the language and understand how language worked, she did it for every language that needed to be learned. Keeping focus was a challenge since sitting in one spot for long periods of time felt draining. But each time she looked away from her work, she'd give herself another sentence to write.

Dala's eyes were growing weary, getting tired of staring at one page for so long. Her wrist was tired but she kept writing, determined to finish this last paragraph. Suddenly there was a knocking on her door and she jumped from her chair, rushing to the door. The only people who had a reason to say hello was her parents or Simone or a servant telling her it was time to eat. But really, any excuse to get a break from work would be enough. She opened the door to see Simone with a mischievous look.

"Yes!" Dala exclaimed excited to head into town, "Lemme get my boots on."

She rushed over to the corner of the room where she'd tossed her boots and quickly got them on then ran back to Simone. Going into town with her friend sounded much better than having to deal with work. The child's hair was relatively messy and her outfit was just a plain tunic with trousers. The outfit was great for adventuring but not fancy in any way. Dala closed the door to her room and locked it before turning back to Simone.

"Ready for adventure!" Dala declared with her hands on her hips.

She was posing like she was some great hero, even though this was just a shopping trip.

Author: Simone, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 11:46 AM, Post Subject: Seeking [P/R]

A year went by without too much stress. The hardest part had been getting used to being away from each other willingly. The first few times had been hard but it took adjusting. Now there was something to celebrate. In a few days, it would be a year since Lewis and she were wedded. They were planning a small vacation to head back to Jayou to visit old friends.

“I’m going out today,” Simone wrapped herself around Lewis. He was staring at her and tilted his head. “It’s a surprise… Don’t look at me like that.”

“Where?”

“Adeluna.”

He let out some grumbles and sighed, “Fine. I’ll be gone most of today anyways.” They kissed and she let him go.

“I’m taking Dala if that makes you feel better,” Simone cupped his face a bit. He just shrugged it off but she smirked knowing he felt a little better about it all. After kissing Lewis bye for the day and seeing him off she found herself wandering out of their quarters to the little princess’s.

She could hear Dala existing inside and gave a few hard knocks on the door. Simone looked like a nobleman’s wife. Her long black hair was in long loose curls and half swept up. Her dress was made of satin and was layered heavily with dark blue and black damask fabric. The front of the dress was brought together with a second looser corset design. Her makeup was done which was something that Simone certainly didn’t need but it would be out of the ordinary for where they were going if she didn’t.

Fine jewelry was fitted on her too and the way she held herself was a bit better than normal, not that it was a problem. Thanks, corset, gods she was finding she did in fact hate them. She really did look spoiled. Once Dala opened the door Simone gave her a mischievous look. “Do you want to do something with me today? I need to go into the noble district of Adeluna to pick up Lewis’s anniversary presents. I was hoping that I could have a cute little partner in crime.”