Angels and Demons

[Liliana Ambria]

[Authors Note: I would not suggest reading this until after a thread between Liliana and Logan. Until that time a few things may not make sense, and the timeline may seem a bit skewed. This thread contains explicit depictions of Sex and Violence. You have been warned.]

(Closed)

Otaria, City of Traitors, it marked the shores of Revan as a dark blotch. One of only a few cities left on the continent, which had been destroyed during the Demon Wars of old. It was once said that nine out of every ten people that entered the city, left it as planned. While the place was ruled by anarchy, it made certain that that ten percent, those unlucky ones, were forgotten and uncared about.

It was here that the Lavinian Demon had taken refuge. It was here she had come. Ettermire had pointed to Seth heading through Otaria, and so she had followed dutifully like any friend would, even into the lair of the beast. She knew not what the cost would be, but she knew one thing; she would comb the city to find him. As she walked through the harbor she found out why Otaria was so dangerous, it was hard to figure out which roads were the main ones, and which the alleyways where bandits and kidnappers would prey on the victims.

Liliana found this out, only because of the current situation. The rain came down in torrents threatening to wash Otaria off the coast of Reven. Sword was drawn and facing down four rather oafish men. Certain trolls had been part of their heritage the way they looked, dirty and it seemed the rain was the only time they showered, form the looks of the grimy water that flooded off their bodies. One of the things that seemed to ring true, was Otaria was not a place known for bathing.

She stood firmly poised in position her robes long since discard, or rather taken. Liliana was not just an ordinary woman, who the gods would occasionally listen to; she was a priestess if only because the gods entertained her notions. Still as the rain poured and soaked her through to the bone she stood resolute.

The men moved swiftly with their clubs, obviously trying to disable but not kill their target. A swing of the sword caused one to back off while the rest moved about hitting her from behind. She stumbled a few steps only to feel another club hitting her on her arm. The pain and the swelling almost indicated a fracture as she dropped her sword, before the clubs came raining down. Out numbered and outclassed by the thugs she fell to the ground. The water getting into her matted hair along with mud and gods knew what else. As she laid there the oafs grunted and laughed before one said, “I think we got ourselves a new wench for the pleasure palace near the center of town…Heard they accidentally lost a whore when a customer got rough…”

She shivered hearing the words. Her body to be sold to the highest bidder was not her intention when she entered the city. As she laid there in pain she groaned before the men seemed to stop a hush whisper of “look” heard. She could barely raise her head as she saw the figure. A cloak kept the rain off of it, but one thing was certain, there was no questioning his motives. Two daggers were held in his hands, one was bone white, and the rain dripped off it easily as its twin, one that gleamed in the light as the rain soaked the polished obsidian blade.

[Dissinger]

He could only see red. He had been following the girl since she had entered the port. Watching for motive, it had seemed she was searching, and he even knew what for. However here she was fighting oafs who overpowered her and left her battered in the alleyway. It was then he revealed himself dropping down he growled lowly as he drew daggers. The men in the alleyway only gaped at him dumbly before they took up position around their captive.

“Back off the bitch, she’s ours we caught her fair and square!” The one obviously leading the troop said as the figure stepped forward.

“How convenient, I wasn’t looking for her…” The cold voice came. The woman on the ground looked up hearing it, and gasped in pain form the sudden motion.

“Then why are you here? And why you got those daggers drawn?”

“I’m looking for victims, not for bitches as you so bluntly put it…” With those words he was off rushing forward. The first man swung at the man only to find his throat slit and club parried. As he clutched at his throat and began to go down the body was shoved into the other men as he continued forward heading for thug number two.

Thug number two was marginally smarter waiting for the first attack, only to fall to the ground the force of a kunai to his throat causing him to stumble and slip on the wet cobblestones. As the third checked on his comrade the leader moved forward to protect what little profit he would have left over. The cloaked man grinned as they went at it, blows being traded as the man would get solid hits on the murderer, only to get the grin widening with each solid hit.

“Why are you grinning you demon?!”

“How apt of you to call me by my name, but play time is over…” With those words the club was caught between the blades, before the blades bit into the rain soaked wood and in a scissor movement sliced right through it. The man was shocked and his eyes widened just before a blade was jabbed into the man’s gut. He looked down to see the obsidian dagger jutting out, before the man brought it roughly down and over gutting the man. As the innards began to fall out he moved to the lat man and slammed him hard by the throat against the wall.

[Liliana Ambria]

Liliana looked at the fight with the brutal efficiency she had only heard of. The cloaked man moved through each of his victims with a calculated coldness before he vindictively tore them to pieces and moved onto the next, play time slowly coming to an end as he reached the last of the men. Rolling so she could see him as the rain continued to fall the victim of this man’s brutality was clutching at the hand on his throat as the cloaked figure spoke, “Give me one good reason why I should let you live…”

“Please! It wasn’t my idea!” The thug gasped as the hand tightened around his throat. He began to choke as he looked pleadingly at the face under the cloak.

“You played party to kidnapping and several counts of murder; don’t lie about not enjoying it…” The voice said coldly.

“W-w-who are you?”

“The Man who’s going to kill you for hurting his friend…enjoy the afterlife, save me a spot in hell….” He said as with a calm twirl the knife was brought up to the man’s throat.

Liliana reached a hand forward before she groaned out, “Seth stop!” The cloaked figure stopped as he tilted his head towards the downed Priestess. He seemed to be asking her for a reason, and clutching her arm to herself as she felt pain washing over her she spoke, despite the more pain it caused, “Let him go, you’ve killed enough today!”

The head turned back before he growled lowly, “It’s your lucky day, thank her for this act of mercy…” He said as he tossed the man down to the ground beside Liliana.

They met eyes briefly before he thanked her and began crawling out of the alleyway. Liliana groaned as she rested against the ground. The sounds of bone and obsidian against metal could be heard before she felt two strong arms rise up under her. She groaned softly before she was lifted form the ground and turned to cling to her savior, before the adrenaline finally left her.

She tried to say something and may have succeeded but what and how well, she couldn’t remember as she passed out.

[Liliana Ambria]

She awoke lords knew how long ago. Sighing she shifted and felt the cloth of blankets shift with her. Her eyes finally opening so see her on a bed; her clothing was on a chair next to her, clean and folded awaiting their owner. As she sat up she hissed slightly in pain before she looked down. She was nude with the exception that her arm was in what looked like a brace, the bandages that covered her chest, and what she could only assume was bandaging done up to protect her modesty around her waist and legs.

Looking about she saw a note left for her on the nightstand by the bed and picked it up. Wondering just what was going on. The last thing she remembered had been Seth picking her up and carrying her away. As she began to read the letter her lips moved silently to speak out the words;

Liliana,

I’m sorry you had to endure watching the grotesque display. It’s been harder and harder for me to keep my demons in check, and I find they don’t fight back as much when allowed to fight every so often. It doesn’t excuse the brutality, but I will not apologize for it happening, merely that you had to witness it. I have stepped out to get a few things for this safe house, and will be back shortly. Don’t worry too much about people wandering about, this place is only known to Lavinian thieves, and is frequently used when they have to enter Otaria.


Seth

She put the note down as she lay back on the bed and sighed closing her eyes. Seth hadn’t left, which was a good sign, but he didn’t say he would always be there for her. She knew what he was planning, Seth while methodical was often predictable to those that knew him, he would heal her up, make sure she was fine, then leave her just as he had so long ago, when they first met.

Lying on the bed she checked over herself and sighed seeing she had been cleaned when she had been placed in the bed. Something she was grateful for, Seth seemed to have pulled out every stop in order to make sure she’d be okay. It was nice to know some part of him cared about her, even if he planned on leaving her. Looking down she realized the blankets were resting on her stomach, and even considered pulling them up, but figuring Seth had seen her in far less, she just couldn’t seem to make an effort to care.

[Dissinger]

Seth sighed as he shouldered his pack. Pulling out the key to the lock he opened the door pushing it open roughly. He had been through the local bazaar in order to grab new bandages figuring it was about time to redress Liliana’s wounds. The girl had been sleeping for two or three days now, and he had been content just to check on her every now and then and make sure she was alright.

It didn’t help that as he looked upon her he felt guilty. Every time he saw her chest rise and fall he felt the guts of him torn out through his stomach as he had the leader of the thugs that had done this to her. He would watch only for a little while before he would go off into the rest of the small house. It was a quaint little shack, not unlike the one he had grown up in, but it served its purpose well, for very few disrupted the events in it.

The shack as he had dubbed the house was a simple design, with one general common area that held a table with a couple of chairs, and a stove in the corner for cooking and warmth. Two doors led to the bedrooms and in each one was a bed a nightstand and a chest for storing personal gear. He had moved one of the chairs into Liliana’s room and set her clothes, once properly cleaned, upon it. He had used the other one to eat away form her, not wanting to feel the guilt of having to look at the one he betrayed.

As he entered the commons area he threw his satchel on the table. A few things slid out, most notably the bandages and a bottle of alcohol, it was the cheap alcohol often used for cleaning wounds rather than getting drunk, and served its purpose well. As he grabbed them he sighed as he moved to Liliana’s room muttering, “Might as well get it over with.”

Moving over to the bed he saw the covers had fallen around her stomach and she was resting. The note had been shifted slightly, but he didn’t register it. Instead her moved beside her and carefully moved her clothes to the nightstand. Sitting in the chair he looked down at her before he sighed and began to work on her. Sliding a hand underneath her he leaned over her in order to lift her up when what happened caught him completely off guard. She had been laying in wait and had ambushed him at the best time.

Grabbing him into a hug tightly she clung to him as she whispered softly, “Don’t you ever leave me like that again you bastard!”

[Liliana Ambria]

She clung tightly to him, trying to make him feel real to her. It wasn’t enough that she was holding him, she wanted to hear him and know it truly was him, and not someone trying to take his place. As she gripped him tightly she fought back the tears she was feeling in her eyes, a rare display of emotion from the priestess. She had given up so much, even being disowned by the Seraphs just to be with him, and now that she was there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

Slowly she felt his arms wrap around her as he hugged her back, before he whispered softly, “I…wasn’t sure what to do…”

Pulling away from him she dabbed her eyes before she said, “A simple hello in Radasanth would have been nice…”

“I didn’t know, Taviri pretty much said you were looking for me, but then we got separated, and he never told me where…”

She nodded finally understanding. The week in Radasanth had been wasted by her brother’s efforts. While she would never hate her brother, he certainly was making it hard for her to like him. As she looked at Seth she sighed before he said firmly, “Sit up, I gotta redress those wounds…”

She sighed as she sat up before he began to unwind the bandages form around her chest. His hands clinical in their efforts which somewhat disappointed her. As he let them fall away from her she sighed before he placed a hand across her back and looked at her, “Breathe deeply and tell me if it hurts…”

Liliana tried to do as she was told only getting half a breath before she hissed in pain. He nodded as he grabbed fresh bandages and began to tightly wrap them around her. She then sighed as she said softly, “This is twice you saved my life…”

“Its been two years since the last time, I don’t think that it counts. Besides you took care of me while I was injured, I figured we’re about even now…” Seth replied as he tightened the bandages making Liliana wince slightly.

“That’s a gross underestimate there,” She replied as she looked at him before she continued, “However this does mark the second time you’ve stripped me. You mean to tell me in all the time we’ve known each other you haven’t had one lewd thought towards me?”

“Lewd thoughts? Now that’s just unfair. I have lewd thoughts about you just seeing you, it comes with being a male and all. I doubt I could see even a halfway decent woman and not have lewd thoughts…” He replied dancing out form under the subject.

“So you mean to say that you have never, elaborated on those thoughts?” She replied. Seth was caught.

He chuckled as he looked at her before he got up and said, “Now darling, if you want to know something, don’t dance around the subject just ask it. You’re only going to get a dancing partner and no straight answers that way…”

[Dissinger]

As Seth got up to leave Liliana she reached out for his gauntleted hand and held it tightly. He stopped as he turned to look at her seeing her gaze deeply into his eyes before he shuddered and turned to walk away. It hurt what he had done since their last meeting. He had been so unfaithful, had steeped himself so badly into corruption. He couldn’t look her in the eye anymore. As he carefully pulled his hand from hers she spoke, “What’s wrong Seth?”

“Too much,” He replied as he turned to leave the room.

He nearly got through the threshold of the door before she called out, “Please, I have to know, what your intentions are.”

He stopped at the door before he said simply, “Get you healed up, escort you out of town, then leave you. I’m not the kind of man you should be chasing Liliana. You’d be better off-“

“Don’t you even start on the self pity Seth!”

He stopped once more as he turned to face her, seeing the stubborn look on her face he had seen only a few times in his life. It was a face that refused to take “no” for an answer. Sighing he turned to go before he said simply, “Get some rest, you have a few bruised ribs to heal, and that broken arm…I figure we got a month together if you just take it easy…I would suggest getting dressed a little since you’re finally up and I didn’t want to invade your privacy anymore than I already did.”

Liliana finally called out, “Seth, what are your feelings towards me?”

He just kept walking without answering the question into the common room, ignoring it. He didn’t feel like getting caught up in romance. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her or desire her, he had more than enough feelings for the girl, some a bit more base than others, but ultimately that he had shut down his heart again, and didn’t want to open it up only to get hurt when the person died or left him.

[Liliana Ambria]

Liliana was shocked to see him like this. Seth at one time would have been kissing her, or cracking jokes. He would have been proud arrogant and brash. Time however had been cruel to the thief, and with everything that he had endured, the pride had been broken. He was introspected where he had been extroverted. He was reserved where he had been bold, and most importantly she saw how it pained him to look her in the eye. He did however seem to care about her enough to not force himself upon her.

Thought it frustrated the hell out of her. She wanted to feel his lips on hers to share in their intimacy. She wanted the days of old where they could just be together even if it meant just sleeping together on a bed in Keller Hall. She wanted to know he cared about her, made her feel normal rather than some stuffy priestess up on a pedestal. As she carefully grabbed some of her clothing she pulled it in leaving her shirt off for now as she grimaced.

Figuring not to button up the shirt for now she threw it around her shoulders before she slipped from the bed. Moving carefully so as not to further inure herself she went to the doorway where she Saw Seth moving about almost purposefully trying not to look at the room as he began to cook dinner. Her gaze held him in it only so long before she said softly, “What’s for dinner?”

Immediately his head snapped to face her as he moved swiftly to her side and said, “You shouldn’t be up, you’re going to aggravate your wounds!”

Placing a hand on his chest to restrain him she spoke softly, “I’m not a child Seth, if you think this is the first big boo boo I’ve received then you are sadly mistaken. I have hunted Demons who sought to kill me, rather than sell me to a whore house so I can turn out tricks.”

His eyes softened at those words before he turned and threw a hand up giving up. It infuriated her to see him act like this, to be so bold then back down. To give in so readily after what he was and had been through. Reaching out with her good hand he gripped him by the back of his collar before she jerked him back and said furiously, “Would you look at yourself? Where was the Seth I knew, that took on a group of Bandits on his own because he wanted to rescue me? What happened to the Seth Dahlios that was the Scourge of Scara Brae and the Thief Extraordinaire?”

“He’s dead,” Was the curt reply before he shrugged her hand off and went across the room to check on dinner.

[Dissinger]

“That can’t be true!” Liliana called out as he began to stir the pot making sure the stew didn’t settle, and more importantly burn. He remained silent not even arguing with her anymore as she leaned in the doorway. Her voice tried to goad him into an argument, but he had been in so many before on this very subject that he knew bait when he saw it. As he continued to stir the pot he could almost hear the gears in her head turning, trying to figure out where to strike.

“He’s been dead since my parents have Lily,” He said sternly, “Didn’t you realize I lost all ambition? I have no drive, no sense of purpose. I have no true goals anymore than my death.”

“What about the fight in the alleyway when you slaughtered three thugs and nearly killed a fourth? That had to have been the old you?”

Seth snorted as he retorted, “Did any of that strike you as something Seth Dahlios would do? Or more like the Lavinian Demon?” He waited silently before he smirked and said, “Yes, my thoughts exactly.”

“You would have killed me had it been Demon, I know it…” She said firmly. Seth knew her logic was sound, after all Demon had tried to kill her once, back in Salvar where the scar on the back of her right shoulder came from. A scar he had not had to look at until recently and never felt more remorse for than he did then. Her logic was quite sound form someone who had observed Seth as long as she had.

Except he was the one in the situation, and he alone knew the true answer.

“Demon and I make bargains, I let him free from time to time and he does exactly as I wish. He gets leeway to accomplish the goal, but he gets freedom briefly in exchange. He doesn’t care so long as he gets to sate his bloodlust,” Seth replied as he began to ladle out two bowls of stew. He then turned and set one on the Table before he said, “I’d let it cool a bit, too hot really…”

Liliana just remained in the door silently. She seemed to be studying him, and he knew what for. As he silently counted to ten, reliably she asked the question, “How can you-“

“Its one of the few things that has kept my sanity, and because of it, it’s a double edged sword,” He answered before he sat down and looked up at her, “Are you going to join me? This can’t be for just me…”

[Liliana Ambria]

Liliana looked at Seth for what seemed like forever. He had offered to share dinner with her, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted it. Still she moved forward and sat heavily in the chair, knowing the food would do her good. As she sighed she dug slowly into her stew, the rich taste setting her back as she looked at Seth, “This is good, who taught you how to cook?”

“I had to learn, no one was going to take care of me on the open road, and taverns can rip you off if you give them a chance,” Seth replied as he avoided her gaze.

She nodded as she continued to eat as she felt his grey eyes on her. She made sure to eat slowly so as not to scare Seth, and when she finished she looked at the thief once more in the eyes, causing him to wince like a hurt dog, and to avert his gaze immediately. She frowned seeing this before she said softly, “Look at me Seth, don’t be ashamed…”

Slowly he turned his gaze back to her still trying to avoid her eyes as he did so. He then spoke softly, “Sorry, its just hard looking at you anymore, half your pain is my fault. You’d have never come here were it not for me.”

Liliana clucked her tongue as she said boldly, “And do you think I wouldn’t do it again? I know you don’t think highly of yourself, but I do, and I know you can be a rather damn good man when you want to be. Letho-“

He groaned as he cut her off, “Letho…is a sore spot for me, I don’t feel like I was at my best around that man…”

She smirked as she said, “He thinks there is hope for you, and frankly I agree.” She then moved over and hugged him wincing slightly in pain. She sighed as she felt his arms wrap instinctively around her before she whispered, “If I didn’t I don’t think the Seraphs would have thrown me out…”

Seth was quiet for awhile before he spoke, “Did you really sacrifice your life for me?” She nodded as he shifted her to a more comfortable position by standing. He wrapped his arms warmly and securely around her as he whispered, “I appreciate the vote of confidence, but disagree with the means of doing so.”

“I don’t,” She said softly as she leaned into him sighing.

[Dissinger]

Seth sighed as he held her in his arms. It felt so right, so pure that he didn’t want to let go, but he knew he didn’t deserve this. He had betrayed her so much. When she leaned into him it took his breath away as he closed his eyes and said softly, “I betrayed you so much Liliana, I don’t deserve this kind treatment.”

He could feel her stir in his arms as he finally met eyes with her. He didn’t shrink away or divert his gaze, merely met her soft brown eyes with his own. She then said softly, “You couldn’t have betrayed me Seth. There is no way.”

He grimaced a bit before he looked down and said softly, “I cheated on you, numerous times. I was falling apart, at first it was Sivienna, and I was so lost over you, but then, more and more I was throwing myself into the arms of people I knew just to forget the pain.”

There was silence for awhile as the words hung in the air. Slowly he felt a soft hand on his cheek that pulled him so he would look into her eyes. He felt the guilt begin to surge up before Liliana said softly, “How can you cheat on someone you weren’t committed to in the first place?”

He looked her in the eyes as he said, “But-“

“No buts, you and I were never officially together, not since Salvar. What you did, was more of what anyone would have done. You tried to find the one person that would get rid of the guilt and loneliness. Perhaps you went a bit farther than I would have, but in the end the truth is clear, those women were not what you needed, and I had no claim over you,” She said as she leaned forward and kissed him gently.

The kiss tore through him as he felt something kindle where his heart was. His heart beat rapidly as he kissed her back timidly. The thief Extraordinaire, the man who had killed many and earned the title of Demon, was at a loss. When he finally pulled back she smiled softly before she said, “Now, you cheat on me from here out, I will kill you.”

Seth chuckled as he nodded and said softly, “Agreed.”

[Liliana Ambria]

Later that night she rested in her bed sighing as she tried to get comfortable. Her heart was beating rapidly from the intimate scene between them and she could have sworn she had felt his just as fast. They had disentangled shortly afterwards and gone to separate rooms, despite what she really wanted. Looking about the room she saw it had been spartanly decorated the chair the nightstand the bed and the chest for her gear. Sighing she laid back as she pondered just what she would do.

Seth was being distant from her and she could understand why. The problem was it frustrated her to no end. Perhaps it was against her teachings and that fact made it all too alluring. Perhaps it was just what she had wanted all her life and only now did she get the chance. All she knew was she was no longer content to just be around Seth. Everything she had heard had caused her to steel her heart against her brother and the Council of Seraphs. Everything she had watched Seth endure had slowly caused her to move beyond the sanctity of her vows.

Now she just wanted to be with Seth, to share in his pain and his joy. As she sighed she winced slightly as she gently felt the bandages. He had applied them tightly, and yet he had been very clinical in their application. It was things like that that frustrated her. He would be so close, and close off himself from feeling anything good. She knew he had wanted her. Their kisses shared in the cave, and later at Keller Hall had been so passionate. She had almost given into him then, but had restrained herself.

She gently rested her hand over her pants, remembering how he had seen her. Seth was so difficult to read, perhaps form the training in Lavinya, but ultimately it meant one thing, she didn’t know how to figure him out. Even the information she received from Darith didn’t unravel much about the enigmatic Lavinian. All it did was give some motive to her, never truly explaining the hows, or the whys.

Sitting up on the bed she reached into her satchel as she sighed and pulled out a book. It was a tome she had not worked on in a long time, but it was something she needed to read for now, while she tried to figure out what to do with Seth. Prior to the events that led to his hanging and subsequent salvation by her, she had began to write a book about Seth, keeping track of every rumor, every bit of Lore that was associated with the man. From accounts form the thief’s guild, to accounts from previous comrades, she had tried to accumulate wisdom on the subject of one Seth Dahlios.

The result was lack luster, she only really had his history up till he left the thief’s guild, and only one man could truly tell her what remained. He, however, wasn’t talking to her, and was sleeping in the room next door. As she sighed she closed her eyes as she settled in her bed in an attempt to sleep once more as she sighed sliding the book under her pillow, “One day I will pin you down…”

[Dissinger]

“I’m in over my head…” he muttered as he sat on the bed. He looked at his gauntleted hands as he sighed and slowly began to take them off, unlacing each one as his pale flesh slowly revealed itself to the candlelight. Placing them on the nightstand he sighed as he slowly began to pull off his vest and shirt. He carefully set his clothes nearby before he unbuckled his dagger belt. His hands moved swiftly in the practiced maneuver as he unsheathed spite and slid it under his pillow. The belt placed upon the clothing he had only recently taken off as he sat on the edge of his bed and began to pull off his boots. The boots were tattered and obviously worn, much like the rest of his equipment. It almost looked as if he didn’t care anymore.

He then checked on himself, seeing the numerous scars over his chest and stomach and probably more over his back. He closed his eyes as he remembered what had happened. The Sin Harvest Kycoo had reflected, and the damage it had done. That entire journey had been one wound after another, and now he had to bear its weight upon his body for the rest of his life. Sighing he closed his eyes as he rested on the bed relaxing for the night. He could hear Liliana shifting in the other room, but ignored it for now. As she put it she was a big girl and could take care of herself.

His thoughts however lingered on the girl. She was always to be the goal, but never obtained. Yet here she was trying to be with him, to be a part of his life. He sighed as he slid under the covers. He couldn’t let her get close. He wasn’t in a position to have someone be a part of his life. He had too much work to do, and not nearly enough time to do it. As it stood he was already delaying his work for her, and he didn’t want to get entangled with her anymore than he had already forced himself to.

He knew he cared about her deeply. He also knew that had it been any other situation he most likely would have proposed and been done with it. However, destiny had taken in a far different position, and she was no longer something he could afford to have. He had to get everything in position, the daggers, the bits and pieces. He couldn’t afford it at all. It was this that frustrated him. To finally have her with him and to be forced to push her away. He just wasn’t sure how he could take it. It was easier when she was still recovering, but now with her awake, it was getting hard to try and keep distant. Every wall he set up she would shatter.

Clutching the pillow under his head he sighed as he closed his eyes and said softly, “I’m sorry…”

[Liliana Ambria]

Two weeks passed by without incident. Occasionally they would share a kiss or a hug, but otherwise they went about their lives as if nothing was going on between them. Liliana however, was getting frustrated at how well he was remaining aloof. She sighed as she once again prepared for sleep. The bandages were only reapplied the day before but it was getting better, her ribs healing and her arm was definitely feeling better. Still his hands never roamed, never caressed, only clinically felt her body, and it irritated her. She could have sworn if she moved his hands to where she wanted them, he’d only infuriate her more by not even acknowledging the act.

Still she sighed as she prepared for bed once more. The separate rooms were even starting to get to her. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the bed just that she wanted to be around him. As she sighed she pulled out the journal before she looked through it and muttered, “Perhaps I should talk about how stubborn he is…”

Soon however she reached out with her senses, feeling a bit of pain from her ribs but ignoring it. Her goal was soon achieved as she could feel Seth sleeping, his spirit at rest even if torn. Sighing she began to pull it back when she felt something odd about Seth. Frowning she concentrated once more on the Lavinian as she could feel it, in the pattern she had come to learn was sleep were spike of emotion. She wasn’t sure what kind, but she knew that if they were this strong it was no simple dream. Moving as silently as she could, she sighed as she leaned in the doorway to his room. It was dark, but she could see by the moonlight he had already begun to toss and turn.

She watched silently seeing him move about on the bed before he sat up abruptly and clutched his forehead. He was panting for breath and she was certain that he had a nightmare running through the still sleeping portions of his mind. Before it would slither into the depths of him and wait for its next chance to attack. The problem was most nightmares were trivial, Liliana knew however while most nightmares were create out of circumstance, Seth had constructed his based on one night, that she was sure even now was haunting him.

Remaining silent she watched as he seemed to calm down, the hand dropped to the bed before he turned to roll over and try once again to sleep. She knew he could tell she was there, and so she simply stayed there for a bit before she took the first step into his room. There was no sound though she could see him tense as he tried to ignore her. Finally she was sitting on the edge of his bed, forcing him to acknowledge her as he sighed and sat up pretending to rub the sleep from his eyes as he muttered, “You should be resting…”

“You know you’re a horrible liar…” She said firmly.

“What would you know about lying? I didn’t think it fit in with your ethics,” He retorted.

She smirked as she said softly, “It doesn’t take a good one to know a lousy one…”

He remained silent, she knew why, he was caught. Now, she had to figure out how to press his advantage, and so she put a hand on his chest, and sighed as she felt the flesh rather than the vest he liked to hide behind. She then moved forward and whispered in his ear, “Don’t keep pushing me away Seth, I know you need this as much as I do…”

[Dissinger]

He had to fight to keep his emotions in check as she was so close, and he was in so emotional a state. As he gently placed his hand atop hers he whispered, “What do you want?”

She moved slowly before a hand forcibly pushed him down on the bed. Resting in the pillows the aggressive act caught him off guard. He then felt a pair of lips press hungrily against his own, and he finally gave in, his arms wrapping around her body as they finally gave into their pent up needs. She pulled back and rested her head on his shoulder before she whispered, “Don’t force me to sleep alone another night. I want you here with me all the time…”

He sighed softly as he felt her body against his before he whispered, “Your vows…”

“…are my concerns not yours,” She finished for him. She then nestled her head by his neck as she whispered, “Maybe we don’t go all the way, but I’m tired of sleeping alone. I want to know your there, that you will always be there. I don’t want to feel like I gave up everything only to have it come in vain…”

He shivered feeling her breath upon the sensitive skin of his neck. He closed his eyes as he said softly, “We share a bed, and I doubt I could hold back…”

“That’s the point darling. I don’t want you to hold back. I’ve wanted to know what those women have felt in your arms. I want to know what its like. This entire time I’ve been frustrated as you don’t even give me the caresses you used to, like you clammed up.”

He looked into her eyes as he sighed softly. Finally he nodded as he said softly, “Not tonight, perhaps soon, perhaps later, we’ll see.”

“Promise,” She ordered.

“I promise,” He replied as he kissed her.

[Liliana Ambria]

The next morning Liliana sighed feeling the bit of warmth next to her. Curling towards it she smiled feeling the familiar flesh, smelling Seth’s familiar scent. While they hadn’t gone fully where se wanted to go, they had made a rather large jump. Feeling his arms slowly wrap around her she sighed as she rested eyes closed in his warm embrace. He gently kissed the top of her head before he spoke softly, “Morning Angel…”

She smiled at the nickname before she retorted, “Good morning Demon…”

A soft groan could be heard as he said, “Please, I’m not that man anymore…”

Moving up to be beside his ear she whispered softly, “Of course not, I know you’re just a big baby…”

Seth feigned being hurt as he replied, “Aww come on now, I didn’t take a cheap shot…”

Moving forward she kissed him deeply cutting off any further complaints. His arms wrapped around her once again as she lost herself in the kiss, content to just be with Seth. After some time later she broke the kiss and rested her head on his chest. A smile was on her face as Seth gently stroked her hair, making her feel relaxed and safe. She then sighed as she whispered, “I missed you Seth, I missed being around you…”

A finger was pressed to her lips to cut her off. Looking up to meet his gaze she sighed as he spoke softly, “I know. I tried to find you, and eventually I gave up, every time I looked you weren’t there, always beyond my reach. It frustrated me to no end, and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I came here in order to clear my head and think. Though, I guess that did a lot of good.”

She kissed him before she moved so she was straddling his waist. Cupping either side of his face she leaned forward as she said boldly, “Don’t feel guilty love, you tried, which is more than I could say about anyone else in my life. You tried to free me from the cage I put myself in. You tried to find me, to give me hope again. I cannot think of any sweeter gift I’ve been given than your blind loyalty to me.”

She could feel Seth stir beneath her, obviously caught off guard by the forward act. After she had finished saying her words, she soon found herself on her back looking up into his face. Their breathing was ragged and hurried by the simple act, and yet Seth’s eyes looked so clouded. She could see the wants and the arguments against them in his eyes. She was a priestess, she was to remain pure, and he wasn’t good enough for her. In the end however she knew how the end the argument in one quick move, and moved forward pulling his head towards hers and kissing him fiercely. He returned it full force, to the point she could almost hear the beats of her heart.

As they broke apart he looked questioningly into her eyes, almost asking permission for what he had never sought to ask. A smile left her lips as she whispered softly, “Lets just be careful, I have a few ribs that like to complain.”

[Dissinger]

He didn’t need to be told twice as the flurry of clothing began. While Seth slept without a shirt Liliana had to be a bit more decent. Hands would push and pull at clothing until the only thing between them was bandages, and even then it was only over a very small portion of her body. This was far beyond anything they had ever done together, and yet it seemed so right, so natural. Their hands while exploring were never timid, never shy. This had been two years of pent up want unfolding in a matter of seconds.

The kisses came fast and furiously as they abandoned themselves to the act. Seth tried to make it as pleasurable and sweet as he could, making sure her ribs would never be bothered by what they were doing. As he cupped her cheek and kissed her fiercely the last bits of clothing were hastily added to the pile that had grown on the floor. Once this had been done they broke their kiss and looked at each other panting for breath. She smiled up at him before she whispered, “You going to give me the full treatment or gawk at me?”

Seth indeed had been gawking. He had been with many women, some more beautiful than her, some that were less so. She was cute in the girl next door way, and while he had searched for someone to share himself with, his life and his dreams, he never thought it would be this girl. As he chuckled and smiled he gently kissed up her neck before he whispered in her ear, “I’m just checking to see if this is what you want…”

He felt her nibble on his ear before she replied, “You get out of this bed, and I will kill you.”

That was all he needed to hear as they joined for the first time. He had been someone’s first before, but this was different. This wasn’t hero worship; this wasn’t pent up lust towards a savior. This was something that had been brewing since that fateful day he had rescued her from bandits. Back to the cave that had been the start of their awkward friendship, and more recently intimate relationship. As they met in the throes of passion Seth finally found what he was looking for, someone who accepted him fully, who despite seeing him fall apart was willing to pick up the pieces and put him back together.

As they joined a fire ignited in his chest. Far more fierce and passionate than he had ever been before, they made love. He felt something mend in his heart, as if a piece he had been desperately searching for was finally returned. It felt like he was whole for one. It was a feeling he treasured as they continued to be together. Finally both completely exhausted and tired collapsed upon the bed, spent of all energy and needing to rest before even thinking of starting the day anew.

As he rested against her she stroked his hair lovingly as she whispered, “I love you Seth.”

A soft smile, genuine and real appeared on his face as he whispered back softly, “I love you too.”

[Liliana Ambria]

Liliana relaxed in the bed with Seth for what seemed like an eternity. The one thing she had cut herself off from had fulfilled her desires so fully she now knew what she wanted. There would be no more wandering about. Seth was truly what she desired. The way he had acted, had catered to her every want and need had been sweet. He was the man she had craved for so long, and now that she had him, she could not get enough.

As she looked down at him resting his sweat covered head on her chest she lovingly stroked his hair, smiling as he seemed to be utterly docile. The demon was no where to be found, and so he was complacent, and obviously as satisfied as she was. She closed her eyes as she smiled softly before she whispered, “Do you want kids?”

Seth sighed as he looked up into her eyes. Kissing her gently he whispered softly, “What do you want?”

Liliana didn’t have to think before she whispered, “You and me, in a nice home somewhere, not worrying about what you’ll do next. A child or two are wandering about giving us untold joy. Maybe a boy, maybe a girl, I really don’t care, so long as I’m with you.”

Seth chuckled as he asked, “Got names picked out?”

Shaking her head she looked into his eyes before she whispered, “Until I met you here in Otaria, I never expected to bear children. I was expecting to be alone, and die alone. Now that I know I have you, and always will, I can’t help but want to.”

He kissed her as she hugged him close. She could feel herself once again in need of his touches his caresses. However she put a bit of restraint on herself as she gently nestled her head on his shoulder. He smiled as he whispered in her ear, “What do you think of Samantha for a name?”

“And if it’s a boy?” She asked as she kissed his cheek.

“Garret, he put up with me as much as you have, he deserves that much.”

She giggled as she rolled pushing him on the bed before she whispered, “Well then it’s settled. Now, do we plan for kids now, or later?”

He kissed her gently before he whispered, “Keep playing rough with me and we’ll be having kids within a year.”

Grinning at the admission she gently draped her hair over his chest, enticing him further before she whispered, “Then a year it is…”

[Dissinger]

The next few days passed quickly and while they had been free with each other they knew the time would come eventually. After the bandages were removed and revealed Liliana in good health it was only time that stopped them from moving on. As Seth began to pack up his things, Liliana packed while the silence grew thick. It wasn’t hard to tell there was something on Seth’s mind, and the Demon was loathe to tell the one person that he had to leave her, if only for a short while.

Finally Seth spoke his mind bearing the heavy burden, “I came here for a reason, to clear m head and think. Unfortunately before I could get any answers, you showed up.”

Liliana tensed hearing the words. He knew she understood the implication and before she could speak he said softly, “I’ll escort you outside of Otaria, but I need to think things through. I have too much to think about and not nearly enough time.”

He felt the fragile hand of Liliana on his shoulder as she said, “Let’s go to Radasanth first then, part ways there. At least then I don’t have to worry about going somewhere, and even then I can stay there for you. I want to make it clear where I am, so you can find me when the time comes.”

He smirked as he kissed her, before she pressed herself against him. He closed his eyes as he sighed hugging her close. They had moved beyond the friends they had always introduced themselves as and furthered themselves down the path they had begun that fateful day in Corone. When he looked into her eyes he saw the love and the compassion shining in them. Gently he cupped her cheek as he felt no anger no fury, nothing eroding his sanity or his will. He smiled softly as he said, “We’ll go to Radasanth, say our goodbye, and I’ll be back in a month. If by the spring I haven’t returned, go find somewhere safe, and I’ll crawl my way out of hell to get back to you.”

“I should hope it never comes to that,” She said firmly. He could detect the fear in her voice as she looked at him. Seth felt a bit of the pride well up in him at her worry. He knew he couldn’t die, too many had tried and failed. It would just be more of the same, with the exception being he had a reason to live, a very small fragile reason to live.

He kissed her as he said, “It won’t, I promise.”

[Letho]

General Notes: First off, while you did mention that it would be wise to read the thread between Liliana and Logan, I searched high and wide in search for the thread and failed to find it. I’m guessing since you didn’t link it, that it happened before the crash, but without a link or an explanation, I’m not certain. Perhaps it would clear some things up, perhaps it wouldn’t. I guess it doesn’t matter that much. This was a pretty straightforward quest. Also, because of there was no real strategy involved in the quest given its nature, I didn’t score in the strategy section and instead made Character out of 20 since I think that was what this thread was all about. But, without further ado, the rubric... *dum-dum-dum*

EDIT: Something that occurred to me and I forgot to add it in any of the rubrics. You say at one point that Seth is basically wandering around in search for death. I mean, this is his basic theme for a long while. Why not just kill himself or just find somebody who’s bigger and meaner to kill him? :P Sort of a trick question.


INTRODUCTION – 6

This thing started off good, but not exceptional. Liliana’s opener gave me a good picture of where she was and why she was there, but little backstory as to what preceded the events. I believe there was only one mention of her being in Ettermire and that something there directed her towards Otaria. This might’ve happened in the quest with Logan, but even if it did, some coherent information should be given in the opening posts. Seth’s entrance was well done, albeit a bit predictable. Given the flow of the quest, it would’ve been unnatural to say why he was there and why (since it’s explained gradually later) and I didn’t take off points for that. The only reason why the score isn’t higher (other then issue with Liliana) is because I basically knew what was going to happen from the moment you introduced the thugs in Liliana’s post.

SETTING – 4

I’m sorry, but I have to hurt you here. From the very beginning, where Liliana is intercepted by the thugs in a typical back alley, I felt like I was looking at the events unfold on a blank piece of paper. I’m not saying that you should write litanies on how rancid the back alley stunk once the rain got the decaying litter floating, but I would like something tangible other then the rain to complete the picture in my head. When the story moved into the house, the whole thing got a little better, but not by a lot. There was some description, but mostly it was crammed into one paragraph that was almost like reading a manual. The chair is there, the bed is there, the bed is looking like that... Don’t tell me what the setting is, show me, make the description an essential part of the story you are telling.

STRATEGY – 0/0

Character out of 20.

WRITING STYLE – 6,5

There is nothing generally wrong with your writing style. It’s clean, it’s simple, it flows, but sometimes I feel it’s a bit too simple. I’m not talking about brevity because brevity is always good. I’m talking about the lack of certain figures that could enrich your writing. Try using some similes from time to time, try various descriptions of the same thing. In one instance, I noticed that Seth “sighed” three times in like four sentences. I’m not saying that the situation didn’t demand a sigh, but saying: “Seth sighed and...” a couple of times looks repetitive and sloppy.

On another note, you have punctuation problems from time to time, especially with the comma. I’ll give you an example:
It was then he revealed himself dropping down he growled lowly as he drew daggers.This should either be broken into two sentences:
It was then that he revealed himself. Dropping down, he growled lowly as he drew his daggers.Or:
It was then that he revealed himself, dropping down and growling as he drew his daggers.I prefer the first one because the short sentence gives a feeling of suspense and suddenness.

Other then that, there are several typos, most notably those that don’t get caught by word because they are misspellings. “Inure” instead of “Injure”, “lat” instead of “last”...

RISING ACTION – 8

This was really well done. Usually the quest that start of with a bang sort of go downhill from there, but you managed to transform the real action suspense into the tension between the character in a manner that kept me pinned to the chair, making me want to know what would happen between them. This is a good example how rising action doesn’t have to be the action flick kind of action. Some minor inconsistencies in character hurt you a little bit here, preventing me from scoring higher, but personally, I think this was where the thread shined. This and Character.

DIALOGUE – 7

When there is a lot of dialogue (and this was a perfect opportunity for such a thing since both characters are written by the same person), it’s relatively easy to distinguish the good dialogue from the bad one for me. The bad dialogue is everything that juts out and I have to read over and wonder whether or not the character would really say that. If you reread your post and put a finger to your head about a certain line in dialogue, most likely there’s something amiss with it. There were few such occasions in this quest, the most notable one being:
“The Man who’s going to kill you for hurting his friend…enjoy the afterlife, save me a spot in hell….”It seemed a bit of an overkill even if the character is a badass murderer or whatnot.

CLIMAX – 7

I had divided feelings over this. A part of me told me that it made perfect sense for the sex scene not to happen on the very night she came into his bed after the nightmare, given the turmoil of emotions within him. However, this would make sense if they didn’t have sex immediately on the morning after. Why the suspense? It totally killed the momentum for me. Rising Action brought it up to this point and then just before the peak, you let it drop and then got to the climax. Ride the wave, use the momentum, don’t make something different just because you simply want it to be different from the usual. However, once they finally did it, it was well done and it was incorporated in the story really well.

CHARACTER – 15/20

Don’t get this wrong, but Liliana’s sexual desire struck me as odd. I mean, no offence, but it seemed to me that despite all the emotions and affection and all the shit that stood between the two, she came to Otaria because she desperately needed to get laid. She deliberately leaves the blanket down, walks around in an unbuttoned shirt, throws herself all over Seth, and yet she speaks of purity and true love and is introduced as a girl next door. I just found it really odd she would do that for somebody who fucked her up, betrayed her and all that shit. Yes, I understand that she truly cares about him, but no matter how much she cares, she must have doubts and I seldom saw that in her. Seth played his part really well. At first it seems like character inconsistency, but the more you read, the more you understand that he’s really confused and messed up.

CONCLUSION – 6,5

Talk about the kick in the nuts. After all the pillow talk about babies and family, they decide to part ways? That’s hard, man. I haven’t docked the points because of that though. I did because I had no idea why Seth has to go away, where is he going and what is this business that he has to settle. After trying so hard to build a relationship between the during the quest, you failed to explain what was so important to break them apart – even though only for a month – and that kind of killed the conclusion. I was left with a question mark above my head, and not the good kind that wants me want to read the next chapter, but the kind that makes me think that this chapter wasn’t concluded properly. Always tie up loose ends, even if they reach out towards the future events.

WILD CARD – 8

Seth finally banged that sweet-ass Liliana, I read and judged this in one sitting and I was on a roll today, writing 8 posts. All of this gives you a big fat 8 and a :cool:



FINAL SCORE – 68


Congratulations!!!



Dissinger gets 3500 EXP and 100 GP
Liliana Ambria gets 1200 EXP and 100 GP

[Zieg dil' Tulfried]

EXP and GP added!
Dissinger leveled up!
Liliana Ambria leveled up!