Ame Damnee Residential District

Maric Vakarian - Al'vyon Estate

His eyes grew soft and sympathetic as she confessed her envy to him. He'd always felt bad for Ryuna, she always seemed so uninvolved with the other members of the group. He couldn't imagine how lonely it must've been, especially with a prick like Satan as a master. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, the shift happening subconsciously. "Very well. You may pull away once the energy is leveled." He said before gently bringing her lips to his.

The energy began to flow into him, creating a high that was on the level of when Xena first bit his neck. He kept his free hand on the bite mark to remind him of his commitment. The kiss was chaste, it was gentle and aside from the euphoria, there was no spark of affection. He only prayed that Xena didn't walk in on them until their lips parted. This would be a very long winded explanation if he was caught, and Maric could do without anymore drama today.
 
Errol
Residential District - Al'vyon estate

Errol had just finished cooking and packing up the meals he's going to bring back to the Sanctuary. He was feeling calmer, more sated, and actually kinda happy. He had packed up five person's worth of food for the starving girl, just so she won't have anything else to complain about, and when he decided that everything has been accounted for, he took a tray with some food and brought it up to Xena, who was still in her study, reading on some of her books. He placed the food on her table and smiled. "Here. If I may ask, what are you looking for in those books?" he muttered as he glanced over at her. She seemed to blink a little, as she closed the book and placed it in the shelf, picking up another one. "Ah, I'm just reading on the stuff about eyes and case studies of blindness, since you mentioned the girl from earlier..." He simply nodded. She continued with a smile. "If it wont be too much of a bother, would you give Maric some food to eat as well? He's in the other guest room with Ryuna, ah, she's... a harbinger too. A little injured, so she should be asleep at the moment."

Errol stiffened a little. Maric Vakarian. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay." he muttered, but Xena seemed to notice this as she tried to backtrack. "If you don't want to, I can always---"

"Shh." Errol said with a smile. He picked up his tray again. "If I'm going to have to put up with him, I might as well trying to get used to his presence sooner."

A small, sheepish smile formed on her lips, the smile of a maiden in love, and that, to Errol, was the most beautiful smile he had seen from her so far. "Thank you... Errol."

He nodded politely as he went out, making another trip to the kitchen, thankful that he still has two servings to spare. As he walked toward the door of the guest room, he had to admit he was psyching himself up a little bit. Be civil. he thought to himself. He had, for a while, threatened to kill Maric at one point, if not for Xena's wishes for him to stop. Civil... huh. he thought, as he opened the door to the guest room.

The scene was not one he was expecting. Maric Vakarian, the man himself, pressing his lips against the other visitor Xena had spoken of... His eyes widened for a split moment, his hand tightening on the tray. It was only a moment before his body relaxed, but anger seethed through his veins. It was a hot, consuming, hatred. How dare he... How dare he--- kiss another woman in Xena's own house? This man, who had made Xena smile like a lovestruck girl, whom she trusted with all her heart, doing this... he could have at least had the decency to not commit this infidelity right under her roof! I... lost Xena to this bastard? The happiness and contentment that was starting to form inside him doesn't seem like it's still there anymore. All he felt was anger, a need for retribution.

Does this guy even love her? The Sin of Lust will stay as the sin of Lust after all.

He wanted to beat him up. Kill him, gut him, splay his intestines all over this other woman... he had never had such dark, gory thoughts since... well, since the day he killed his previous Master. But no, his needs were of the least priority. What's most important at this moment... is for Xena to know. Then she could decide what to do with the incubus. Errol has an abundance of ideas in his head at the moment. He walked inside the room and put the tray down on the bedside table, gently, too gently... as he murmured. "Enjoy your meal." Suppressing the desire to wring Maric's neck, he walked back quickly outside and shut the door with a loud slam. Walking through the corridor, he could see the door of the study open, Xena peering her head out with a curious expression, no doubt having heard the loud thud of the door he just closed.

"Is something the matter?" she mouthed, but he simply continued walking, towards her, with a purpose.
 
Maric Vakarian - Al'vyon Estate

Maric's eyes grew wide as the door opened. His lips parting from Ryuna's with the high still present in his mind. His anxiety was replaced with exasperation when it turned out to be Errol, but if looks could kill, then Maric would be dead a thousand times over. He knew that look, he'd seen it before in his time as a harbinger and a womanizer. A man in love, rejected by the woman he loves, only to find the man she's in love with kissing another woman. It's happened no less than three times in his career.

This time was different however. This time he was justified and he was not going to let some jealous lapdog ruin what he and Xena share because he witnessed something out of context. He sighed and gave Ryuna a shrug. "Of course it would be Xena's servant who sees it without context. You eat and rest up, I'll sort this out." He said as he exited the room. He made a beeline right for the study as he saw them both in there.

"Xena, before Errol here describes a scene to you with no context allow me to explain. Ryuna's awake and told me what was required to help her adjust to having her soul reenter her body. She needed to have me siphon her energy off so that the body and soul can adjust to being together again. She said that a kiss was all that would be necessary for the effect to happen. I should've asked you if it was acceptable, but you were busy telling Errol everything. You remember how Ryuna is, and I made sure there were no romantic or sexual implications before I obliged her request. We kissed, it was quick, it was chaste, and it meant nothing, and Errol stumbled upon us without context. I submit myself to any punishment you might deem necessary, but I did it too help a member of our family, nothing more." He was able to look her straight in the eyes, and said it with such confidence, if she trusted him as much as he hoped she did, she'd know he wasn't lying to her.
 
Ryuna, the Al'vyon estate

A second to two seconds was all it took. Instantly the fever broke. She could think clearly again. The door had opened showing a man who from Ryuna could tell was angry as she pulled away from the sin Lust. The fox’s ears twitched slightly as she stared at the man. Who hadn’t knocked with food on a tray. The way he moved told her he could be a thorn in the side if provoked. As he slammed the door after a sharp enjoy your meal she knew something was up.

Standing she followed Lust and headed out that slammed door. Her mind was made up without much thought. She was going to teach a man some manners about doors. It didn’t take long to catch a glimpse of the female they were all but racing to get to. Ryuna paused behind the doorway annoyed for the moment but willing to see how things would play out. She tilted her head as Lust started off by explaining it was a misunderstanding. But what came from his mouth lastly caused her to falter.

Family?

The words alone made her feel like she had never really seen those she lived around for so long. She moved to lean against the doorframe so she could now see the trio and the events that would unfold. Should things get out of hand she would step in. After all all the Sins knew she was many things but never a liar.
 
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Xena Mythriel Alv'yon
Residential District - Al'vyon estate

For a long time, Xena was silent. She had seen the hatred brimming in Errol's eyes as he approached. And she felt... protective of him too, as much as she was with the others, but when Maric explained the whole thing to them, he slowly calmed down. For some reason though, while Errol's heart was satisfied, hers wasn't. Maric said things that made sense, but her heart would not allow herself to accept it. Pride will be prideful, and at that moment she felt as though her ego was bruised. It was less on the idea that he gave someone a kiss, but more on the fact that he gave someone a kiss without considering her feelings at all.

She met his eyes with a little bit of disdain as he finished his explanation. Her eyes were cold, as she replied. "So? I get that you want to help Ryuna, Maric, and I want her to get better, too. But it seemed you just automatically assumed I'll be okay with it. I thought I made it clear. That you are mine." she murmured. Maric had underestimated her possessiveness. And her arrogance, as well. "Any punishment, huh..." she made a small bitter smirk as she suddenly pulled on Errol's shirt, so she was closer to him. He made a small yelp, but she kept her eyes on Maric. "An eye for an eye, a tooth a tooth... and a kiss for a kiss. You wouldn't mind, would you, Maric?" she said as she swiftly popped something into her mouth, so fast it was not nearly noticeable, and suddenly pulled Errol down and kissed him in a way that was obviously out of spite. Errol's eyes widened in alarm, but it suddenly registered with understanding as something went down his throat, and when he pulled back, he was coughing.

Xena gave Maric a blank look. "It was quick, not exactly chaste, but it meant nothing. Obviously I don't need to ask you, right? After all, you did not even bother to at least wait for my permission." With that note, she suddenly turned around towards the staircase. "Let's go, Errol. I have patients to meet."

He coughed a bit more, as he followed her down the stairs, too preoccupied to get his throat back in order to give Maric a stare. Xena did not bother to look back at Maric, surely she had hurt him, but he had dug his own grave for this. She honestly and truly believes her anger was justified. As she walked, Errol was the only one who bothered to get the meals he prepared for the patients, and to close the door when they stepped outside. She didn't even pause, she just knew he'd catch up with her soon enough. And when he did, he was clutching his throat, looking concerned. Silence continued between the two as they walked through the streets, towards the Sanctuary.

"Xena..." Errol started. "I may have overreacted. I didn't know the bigger picture and jumped to conclusions. I think... you should come back and talk it out a bit---"

"No." she insisted, stubbornly. Errol gave her a worried look. She sighed and gave him an apologetic one. "Aren't you mad, though? I just used you to get back at him... I'm sorry."

He shrugged with a genuine smile. "It's no big deal. It's not like I haven't kissed people for work before." he made a small chuckle."Happy to be of service to you, although that thing did caught me off guard. What was that...?"

She shrugged. "A precaution." she simply replied. He nodded, trusting her fully, not even bothering to ask any more questions. In the distance, the still broken door of the Sanctuary started to become visible. Xena made a huge sigh as she clutched her head like she was having a headache. "Errol, once you get the time, can you get someone to fix that, please?"

He made a small smile. "Roger that."
 
Maric Vakarian - Al'vyon Estate

When she spoke it was like a dagger through his heart. He couldn't watch the kiss, even though he deserved this treatment it still felt like someone had torn out his heart where he stood. Tears fell from his face while she was still in the process of leaving. After she left, he was still standing there, motionless, his eyes glued to the floor in shame as tears fell. He could still tell that Ryuna was behind him, and softly spoke to her. "Ryuna, you should rest up and eat. I need to be alone for a while." He told her as he walked passed her, unable to meet the kitsune's gaze.

He left the Al'vyon estate, left the residential district. He didn't know where he was going, he only knew that he wanted to get away from everything.
 
Ryuna, the Al'vyon estate

Ryuna the Sin of Envy was baffled by the progress of things. Then again Pride never behaved how she expected her to. It was just how the woman was. She face palmed for a moment then sighed as she moved forward. Her body would curse her later but she needed to see to poking the lioness while she still had some fingers to lose, “Don’t choke on your tongue there, Lust. The great and powerful Siege will deal with this. Next time don’t be a push over and dominate her ass a bit.”

It was how the fox saw things in that screwed up mind of her. There just wasn’t and easy way of explaining things. She looked over herself before deciding she needed something a little more fetching and to hide a few extras. Setting about she cloaked herself in glamour that hid her ears and tails before she found a spare set of clothes in what she could only guess was Xena’s bedroom. Changing into the long dark green skirt with a black corset and equally green blouse under the corset she glanced herself over. Human enough she thought before slipping out of the house to follow the pair that had just left.

Her nose was still the best thing on her from time to time. The broken door the scents led her to caused her to sigh as she inhaled some new scents. Should she wait outside or go in? Why was she even doing this again? Oh right. Lust and his broken ego. Poor bastard. She knew how it felt. She watched it too much with Lucifer. After some time she stepped into the building.
 
Allanah
Residential District

"Miss Lucy, please leave." the girl suddenly said as she pushed the woman around, rather intensely. Lucy seemed to be more sober now, so she'll probably be fine. Besides, if Allanah will have to pick between which places are more dangerous at the moment, the streets or her house, she would be inclined to choose the latter. A sick feeling was emerging from her chest for a while now. Dread. A dull pain, throbbing, getting more and more unbearable by the second--- I knew it. she thought.

She's coming.

"LEAVE!" she yelled at Lucy as she pushed her out of the house and slammed the door shut, locking tight as she ran to her bedroom, looking through her drawers. There are some here, there should be! But she felt her consciousness fading, the smell of leaves and earth filling her nose, the feeling of gnarly roots around her limbs--- Relief filled her when she saw the small vial filled with a blue-green liquid. She reached out, uncorking it, but today she was too late. She had only downed a quarter of the liquid when she felt the immense pain. No! Please---

Blank.
 
Mina - Residential District
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Mina stepped out of her small house before locking the door behind her, now feeling pleasantly refreshed after she got clean and changed. She made a mental note to buy materials to make a new dance outfit; the other one had been trashed after her venture into the desert. Not cheap... she thought ruefully. Now she was sporting a loose black shirt and a simple pair of pants, all covered up by a giant, hooded grey cloak; the kind that was perfect for burrowing in if the situation required. It provided a sense of security as her near-death experience finally seemed to be truly setting in, much as she tried to ignore it. Which was also why she locked her door, something which she almost never did. Although all of this did nothing to quell her curiousity of the strange note she found at the Sanctuary.

As Mina turned away from the door, she pulled the note out of her pocket again and looked at it intently, trying vainly to decipher it. Has to be an actual language... I'm sure there must be some information on it somewhere. Library maybe?

Maybe it was all just a distraction from her real problems. Then again, Mina always was the queen of running from her problems.
 
Celeste
Residential District, Allanah's Residence

The woman opened her eyes, a grin forming on her face. She was in a room: Allanah's room. On her hand she held a vial full with blue-green liquid. She examined it closely, fascination in her expression, as she chuckled earnestly. "Good try, my adorable Allanah. What is this, a mixture you have concocted yourself, perhaps?" she poured the remaining contents of the vial down on the floor, her other hand closing and opening, feeling a little more stiff than it should be. She let out her wings. It didn't feel right, and she felt like she couldn't flap it properly. "I see. A paralysis inducing potion. Clever. You have done well to thwart my efforts. One second too late, I would not have been able to move while I'm in control. Such a waste when I bided my time for almost a year just to get this moment of dominance. Let's see..." she walked over to the mirror and stared at herself, smiling mischievously. She took off her clothes, one article at a time, seeing the dark splotches on her limbs and stomach. "Hideous." she muttered, running her fingers over her skin. "Nobody would want a rotting body. I certainly don't. That's why... be a good girl, stop being stubborn and let me use yours already, Al~"

No response.

Celeste frowned. "Boring." she muttered, as she slipped on new clothes, brushing her hair with her fingers as she stared at herself in the mirror. It was bizarre to be moving again after almost a year in limbo. Even more bizarre to be back in her original body again. She glanced at the clock. She only had, at most, a day, before Allanah tries to pull her back again. Should she go to Yadressil forest right here and now, find a way to free Al's body to retake it, or should she walk around Abaddon and go sightseeing? Well, one option would certainly give her a chance to escape her current situation, so there's no contest.

Sightseeing, it is.

After all... playing with Allanah is pretty fun.

***​

Errol
Residential District

Changes. It was everywhere. But for better or worse, the Residential District still seems to be the same. Errol walked silently atop the roofs of the houses, glancing about at the people walking around, living their lives. He had no idea where ti go right now, or what to do. Now that Xena has been around some of older colleagues he had started to feel... out of place. The Sanctuary used to be his space, a place where it was just him and Xena. It was never busy, there never were many patients. But now... everyone is coming and going. It has become so... busy. Buzzling with people.

Errol never liked crowds.

Perhaps that was the problem. In his younger days, it was drilled into him. As a slave, more people meant more customers, traders, talking about him and his sister as if they were livestock. As an assassin, more people meant more witnesses. In a nutshell, more people have always meant more danger for him. Well, it's true that he no longer has to go by that way of living but... he just feels uncomfortable. And as a result he was inclined to avoid crowds as much as possible. It was an instinct, ingrained under his skin so well that he could no longer get rid of it. Xena tried. She didn't succeed either.

On the corner of his eye, he caught the glimpse of a grey cloak, a figure closing the door and walking away with a purpose. He could not see its face properly in the angle, but its built and movement was quite feminine... and familiar. She seemed to pull out something from it's pocket, and with a small amused smile, Errol started heading towards her, his movement swift and silent as he jumped from roof to roof, ultimately landing on a crouch on the ground next to her. He looked up, and soon enough he realized his suspicion was correct.

"Mina." he muttered as he stood up and brushed some dust off his clothes. "I was wondering why you suddenly disappeared from the Sanctuary. You look much better, good, but..." he hesitated as he took in her clothes. "What's with that get-up?"
 
Mina - Residential District
​
Mina jumped with a small squeak of surprise when something landed with a thump next to her. When the mysterious person looked up so she could see his face, her now violently beating heart slowed to a more moderate pace. Errol? What's he doing here? She couldn't help the slight blush that rose to her cheeks out of embarrassment for her childlike and girly reaction to the scare, but what could you expect when someone jumped off your roof with no warning whatsoever?

Mina blinked when he started talking to her, as if it was perfectly normal to just drop out of the sky and start a conversation with someone. She stared at him dumb-founded for the few seconds it took her to comprehend what he said before she finally replied. "It's uh, it's comfortable," she said, pulling her cloak more tightly around herself. Mina closed her eyes and shook her head. "Errol, what were you doing on my roof?" she asked, more confused than anything else.
 
Errol
Residential District

Errol tilted his head at her question and blinked innocently, as if he did not expect such a question. He scratched the back of his neck for a moment, looking a little uneasy. Xena knew his habit of walking on roofs to avoid people, and she was used to it, so he never actually realized others would find it so strange. "I, uhh..." he glanced at Mina's house, and then smiled awkwardly. "I saw you from there." he pointed at the roof of another building at a distance, not quite that far. "I usually walk around town from up the roofs. It has a nice view, and I won't have to bother with people, so." he shrugged. When he looked back on her, his eyes looked amused, but his expression was quite apologetic. "I'm sorry. Did I scare you?"
 
Mina - Residential District
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"Well, yes, people jumping out of nowhere tends to scare people," Mina commented sarcastically. How did he even manage that anyway? Most people found it difficult to sneak up on her, and she hadn't heard a thing until he landed right in front of her. Unless... Mina looked at Errol with a sudden interest, unaware that she had just started to analyze him like a botanist might analyze a strange plant, or a scientist a lump of bacteria. What kind of person walked around on rooftops just because they didn't like people? No, there was something more there. The way he moved, the way he spoke, it was like it was telling her something. He seemed comfortable in the shadows, but didn't cling to them like some scared dog; quiet, but confident. And it all seemed so engrained into him, as if half the time he didn't even realize he was doing it. Then the pieces just clicked into place. Assassin? Of course she could be wrong, but at the very least if he wasn't an assassin he should be, what with his natural tendencies. A normal person probably would have been frightened by such a thought, but, well Mina was far from normal. And she didn't see any kind of malice in his silver eyes, so there was that too.

Mina smiled, pleased with her deduction. The entire thought process had only lasted about a second before she spoke again. "So, you usually walk on roofs so you don't have to bother with people, and yet here you are bothering with me. Should I be flattered?" She reached up and twirled a piece of her hair around her finger, eyes sparkling mischievously.
 
Errol
Residential District

Errol seemed to consider it, looking thoughtful. "Well..." he started, trying to think of a reason why he's dealing with her right now. Then he realized it, there actually was... none. No reason at all to stick around. He just felt compelled to do so. He stared at Mina, as if she was a weird thing he didn't know how to deal with. She was twirling her hair on her finger, mischief dancing in her eyes... now that he thought about it, she was actually pretty, her features accentuated by that expression.

"I was simply curious on what you're up to. You suddenly disappeared from the Sanctuary, and I remember Xena saying you need some rest. And yet you're here... doing whatever you're doing. wouldn't want you to end up in the Sanctuary again. Too troublesome." It was a rationalization, Errol knew. But then again, one does not have to have reasons to do what they feel compelled to do. Maybe he's just bored and wants a change of pace. Maybe.
 
Mina - Residential District
​
"Well, if I get attacked by any more wild sandstorms again, I'll be sure to let you know," Mina joked. "But I think two days unconscious is more than enough rest for me, thank you." She didn't really believe his explanation, but she wasn't going to push the issue, as she had something else on her mind now. Her eyes lit up as if she just remembered it. Mina glanced down at the paper in her hand, which she had unknowingly crinkled up into a ball after the scare. "Though, as long as you're here," she smoothed out the paper some before holding it out to Errol, "I did actually find something else of interest in the garbage can. See? Not entirely pointless. Unless it's just some archaic grocery list..."
 
Errol
Residential District

"Looks like gibberish to me." Errol said as he turned the paper over in his fingers, frowning. "I have never seen this language before. At least, not in Xena's books. This doesn't seem to be her writing. Interesting... you say you found this on the garbage can?" He couldn't help but grin as he remembered the way he had found her earlier that day, the one scene that made him burst out laughing. "I guess you could try and check out the library if they know that language. I have a feeling it might be one of the har---" he stopped short, realizing Mina knew nothing about it. "I mean, I have a feeling it's one of Xena's collegues that wrote it. Why are you interested in it, anyways?" he tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at her.
 
Mina - Residential District
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"Because it's interesting," Mina said simply, as if that explained everything. Interesting things always led to interesting events if you dug deep enough, and it seemed she was on a never ending quest for interesting events. It'd probably kill her one day; in fact it almost had more than once. But even though each little venture was likely taking her closer to her impending death, some curiosity is insatiable, even if it did kill the cat. Cats had nine lives anyway, didn't they? But you don't... the voice of reason spoke up once more. After four near-death experiences, sometimes it felt like she did.

Mina glanced at the note in Errol's hands. "You can keep that, I've already got it up here," she said, tapping her head. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one, after all." She grinned.
 
Errol
Residential District

Errol stared at her intently... as if he was considering something. "Something tells me you're just gonna end up in trouble again." he suddenly muttered, as he stared at her from her head to her head to her feet and back up again, sizing her up, and making a disapproving look. "You don't even seem like you're much of a fighter, why do you keep putting yourself in dangerous situations. You see, this---" he said, motioning to the paper in his hand. "I don't think this one is child's play. I don't know what it says but if it's written by one of Xena's friends..." he said the word with a certain distaste. "This could just be nothing but trouble. Forget it. There's a reason why Abaddon is called the City of the Damned. I don't want to find your dead body knowing I could've prevented it." he said as he crumpled the paper and placed it in his pocket, giving her a disinterested look.
 
Mina - Residential District
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Mina raised an eyebrow at him. "Well then, former assassin, if it bothers you so much, prevent it." Her tone was light-hearted, but there was a slight edge to it. If there was one thing that got under her skin more than anything else, it was people telling her she wasn't capable. Too small. Too weak. Too young. Too... Anything. Well maybe they were just too small-minded. The only thing she was was too stubborn.

"But I understand if you'd rather stay out of it," she said casually as she started to walk away. "After all, it could be dangerous." Mina glanced back at him with a sympathetic look.
 
Errol
Residential District

Errol raised an eyebrow at her, suddenly looking amused. It is the second time his history has been thrown back at his face today: first by Maric, and now by this girl. It was no surprise, he still has all his habits from those days, but he wasn't used to being called out so nonchalantly. Something about being in the shadow of one of the most talented healers in Abaddon stopped people from taking notice of him, all these years. In fact... it was probably the first time in a long while that he's doing something that Xena has not commanded of him. He crossed his arms in front of him, still giving her that look. For a moment, he considered wiping away her recent memory, something he did to Wroth before, but in the end he decided against it, knowing that with her stubbornness, she was bound to remember sooner or later. Manipulating memories through perception only goes so far.

Sighing heavily, he flicked his hand, a small pocketknife appearing from his sleeve as he walked over towards her and took her hand, placing it on her palm. "At least take something to defend yourself with." he muttered, and then looked in the direction she was heading. Do I have something else to do today? He mulled it over, coming up with nothing. After all, he really didn't have much personal hobbies. That's right... I have the rest of the day free.

He glanced at Mina. "Well? Shouldn't we get going?"
 
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