Re: Sis, I Think We May Be Lost!~ (open)

[Zienna]

Zienna chuckled as she watched the fruits of her teasing bloom from the young woman. The way her temperature rose slightly after her provocative speech just sent a pleasuring pulse throughout her being. And the way her words caused the mage to bite her lip was almost too good. Celia seemed to enjoy her company, which urged the succubus to try and get a little closer, maybe a little deeper. She wanted to see how far she could get with Celia, to see where she drew the line.

The girl was mumbling to herself, but Zienna couldn't make out any words, but she seemed to be remarking about her, and for that, the succubus tipped her head towards Celia till their noggins touched. She listened intently as the girl moved to her next question. It involved her blindfold, why she used it, and how she could see through it. That was something people often asked about, so she wasn't really surprised. What did surprise her was that Celia asked for a demonstration after all of this. A wicked grin touched her lips at the simple thought, though she wondered if Celia was aware she had just invited the succubus for some 'quality' time, and that Zienna was all too eager to grant that request. But first things first.

"Well, for everyone else, it's as opaque as a brick. It's made from a special fabric that allows me to see through it as if it wasn't there. Which is a good thing, since otherwise, I'd miss a lot of beautiful sights. Like you for instance." She whispered her last sentence into her ear, with her lips just millimeters away. It was clearly no secret that she liked invading people's personal spaces. She loved watching their reactions, and the feelings that accompanied them. "I wear it because my conception was... complicated. Whoever looked directly into my eyes would either spontaneously combust, or be filled with so much lust that they'd lose their minds. And that doesn't sound fun at all, since I like to play a little before I do what I have to. That's what they told me anyway." She kissed the girl's neck and smiled like nothing happened.

=====

Isis turned to see her partner run towards her and silently gesturing for a touch on her equipment. She tilted her head, but nodded to tell her that it was okay to touch her gear, but only after the static on her blades ceased so she wouldn't get shocked. Her blood suddenly rushed to her face when Lily called her beautiful as well as a work of art. Stuttering to find a response, she quickly said, "Th-thank you... You're really beautiful as well."

Her foot rubbed her heel as she thought about the offer. "O-okay, I-I'll come visit you." She was blushing heavily as her imagination ran away from her. So it was true, what Zienna said? Isis felt a little feverish for being so close to the young woman now, and she visually quivered nervously.

[Celia Darkson]

The mage felt Zienna's head touch hers. Out of some form of past childish instinct, she returned the gesture and gently cuddled up against the succubus. A small blush was one her features, but that wouldn't defeat her. Celia was determined to keep her cool as she always did. The young lady was the teaser, the one who made people feel uncomfortable. She wasn't about to lose her cool to a succubus if she could help it. A fire ignited in her eyes and heart, as she was pushing herself not to be affected by woman's flirtatious nature. However, when she was suddenly called beautiful, felt the warm breath of the woman tickle her ears and felt just how close Zienna's lips got to her hear, Celia shivered.

"I-I see! Well, material like that w-would perfect for Lily. She likes to hide her eyes and f-face, so you know! M-Maybe you can bring some back for us, huh?" Celia stuttered out her response and giggled nervously. She wanted to get her attention away from the actions Zienna took to unnerve her. The woman felt as if this was all a test, or the succubus's devious nature that was trying to dominate the mage's own nature. The girl told herself she wouldn't dare lose. Thankfully, the woman had more to explain when it came to the blindfold. She seemingly had a complicated birth and her eyes were a source of great power. That made Celia wonder if she were strong enough on a magical scale, to handle the insanity inducing runes and appearance of the Elder God's grimoire. Before she could ask another question, however, she felt the feeling of lips press against her neck. A tingling sensation swept through Celia's body and she finally cracked.

"N-No!" She squealed out, but it sounded a bit like a tiny moan. Celia shook herself free and started to skip around Zienna in large circles. The girl began to sing in a different language all together and had a rather insidious smile on her lips, but her face was fully flushed. After about a moment of freaking out, the girl calmed down and pressed her hands against her cheeks. She slapped them lightly to snap herself out of it. "C-C-C-Can you tell me m-more about your b-birth and I-I'll show you s-something great!" The young woman once again stuttered out her response and was trying her hardest to push that event out her mind. Out of all the knowledge she attained from The Outside, Celia wasn't ever prepared for such intimate experiences, even if she knew of the acts involved with it.

[Lily Darkson]

Lily became all too preoccupied when she started to feel her hands against the sides of Isis's blades, when the animus complimented her. However, her blush brightened as she had some sort of feeling of affection radiate between the two of them. A brighter smile appeared on the girl's face and even though she wasn't supposed to, she touched the sharp edges of the blade. The gunslinger willingly cut her fingers on the blade just to see how sharp they were. Her little fingers bled and they stained the blade lightly. The young lady's eyes widened and she quickly took out a black handkerchief to wipe the blood off.

"I'm sorry." Lily said softly and looked up at Isis with apologetic eyes. Her smile didn't fade, however, when she reached up higher to touch the flight gear of the woman. She had to get on her tip toes a bit, but Lily didn't mind, as she used her none bloody hand to touch against the gear. The gunslinger became exceptionally happy when the animus agreed to visit her. That childlike smile on the young lady was similar to that of a kid in a candy store. "Thank you, Isis... We should continue forward. I don't want to keep them waiting." Lily said softly and took a step back from Isis. When the woman was ready, she could take the lead for a bit while the young girl covered their back. "Ready when you are."

[Zienna]

Celia squealed so cutely, that Zienna couldn't help but imagine how she'd be if the two of them were alone in a locked room together. The succubus would have enjoyed every minute just listening to her give that adorable little squeak. The mage fought to escape her grasp, and even though Zienna was enjoying it a little too much, she allowed her to break free, curious as to what she'd do after the demoness' display of intimacy. And when she saw how Celia reacted, Zienna couldn't help but hold her stomach, crouch down, and laugh. She laughed the longest she had ever laughed in a long time, and the work out she gave her lungs caused them to burn. Her laughter wasn't loud, but more along the lines of a loud giggle.

Wolfram looked down at her, tilting his head slightly at the two girls before turning his head back towards the horizon. Nero shook his head, but he was giggling as well, invoked by the girl's reaction to each other.

Once Zienna recovered, she stood up having regained most of her composure, but still had a hand to her stomach as the other found itself cupping her mouth. She lowered the latter to her side and revealed a wide smile, hinting at something devious churning in her head. She stretched her wings and flapped them gently. Her foot kissed the ground goodbye as her body floated backwards while circling the adorable twin slowly. Her posture was leaning slightly back, as if sitting on a recliner with her body following a steep yet gentle curve. "I don't think I can. I don't really remember much." Matching her teasing movements, her voice was equally so, but she wasn't lying. "And I never really asked much about it, but by the pictures alone, they already had me wear a blindfold. Strange if you think about it, I guess. Or maybe not, I don't know, I never had a child before."

Her finger was tapping a corner of her lips in thought for a moment before she returned her attention to Celia. "Oh, and before you show me whatever it is you want to show me, I need to know something..." She gracefully slid through the air and over to the girl while retaining her orbit around her. She slowed down when she was passing in front of her, long enough to say, with the most mischievous of grins and the sultriest of tones, "Do I make you nervous?" When she was out of Celia's line of sight and directly behind her, she stopped to hover, watching for her reaction, before she glided over and suddenly wrapped her arms around her again, squeezing gently and saying, with the same level of allure in her voice, "Gotcha~" After a quick giggle and a nuzzle into her cheek, Zienna let go and slid on over in front of the mage. Zienna landed, her wings folding back into her back. Her hands were entwined behind her, and she leaned a little bit forward with a soft grin. "Now, what was it you wanted me to see~?"

=====

"Wait, you're going to cut yourself!" Isis attempted to warn the girl, but her blood had already kissed the blades before a single word escaped her throat, and Lily was quick to apologize, even though she was the one who got hurt because of the blade's owner's negligence. The blood stains were wiped off quickly, and Isis was about to say something, but then she was suddenly silenced by Lily's eyes when she looked right into them, causing her blood to rush back to her face.

Next thing she knew, Lily had just finished examining the Reaver and was looking up at her with a smile that triggered something inside of the animus, something that made her heart skip a beat and leaving her dazzled. Signaling that Lily was ready, Isis gave her a nod and turned and gulped to refocus herself on the task at hand. That castle in the distance was what they were aiming for. The power it broadcast simply made sure that the pair would be heading that way, like an angler fish and its light luring smaller creatures towards it.

Isis turned about but her flight path remained unaltered. She distanced herself and held out a sword towards the gunslinger, giving Lily a smile of reassurance. "Hold still for a second," she said as the sword and the circles on the sides of the Reaver both emitted a glow. Lily's body also glowed for a second, and she might have sensed a feeling of warmth, calm and serenity enter her body which would have faded as the glow disappeared.

The animus smiled sweetly at her. "That should heal your fingers, and any other injuries you might have suffered." She turned to face the front again and kept her eyes out for any more enemies. She sensed they were still there and waiting for their chance to strike, and she'd be ready to cut them down as they appeared. Though, as she scanned the alleys and buildings, swiveling slightly to get a better view, she stole a few glances at Lily, both to make sure she was doing alright, and simply just to look at her. "Uhm... Lily..."  Isis began shyly, keeping her eyes forward so she wouldn't stutter as much, "if you don't mind me asking... uhm... where did you and your sister come from?"

[Celia Darkson]

Celia eventually recovered from her little panic induced attack, her face still flushed red. When she did, the girl pouted and let out an annoyed tune, but it was more playful than serious. The mage glared over at the succubus and thought of all the things she could do to her. That was when it popped into her head. A light bulb went off and Celia knew exactly how to get back at the teasing woman, who continued to laugh at her nervousness! She thought back when she had analyzed Zienna and remembered the poking at her sides. That got a giggle out of the girl, so the young lady was going to assault the succubus with tickles, the next chance she gets.

A devious smile formed on her lips, one that rivaled Zienna's in terms of the intent behind it. However, when the woman looked back up after her fit of laughter, Celia instantly returned to glaring at her. She pretended to watch Zienna closely as the winged woman started to fly around her. Her laziness was being preyed upon a bit, as she didn't feel like turning around in a complete 360 just to make sure she kept an eye on the flying woman. Rather, she just peered at her closely and listened as the woman explained the mystery behind her birth. She probably melted a lot of people who weren't prepared for her eyes to be opened, at least that's what Celia thought. Either case, the information was well received and the mage's glare changed into a serene smile.

"I want to see Zienna baby pictures one day. I bet you're all tiny and stuff, with your little wings!" Celia adored the thought of looking at the succubus's baby photos. Yet, she couldn't keep questioning the woman despite the fact she may have been okay with them. At this point, Zienna started to slow down her flight and began to taunt her, asking if she were making Celia nervous. A playful glare returned to the white-haired girl's face and she was ready to answer. "Of course not! It's not easy to get me to break!"

She stated easily. However, she was hugged from behind and squeezed once more. The young woman suddenly had images of Zienna licking her neck, as opposed to just kissing it and squealed even more. Her face went into full blush once more, but she calmed down when the succubus merely nuzzled her cheek. A soft giggle escaped Celia's lip. When asked what she wanted to show the flying woman, her eyes glowed brightly and she started to reach into her robe. However, she made sure that not Nero, nor Wolfram could see the book that she was about to pull out.

"Make sure Wolf and Nero aren't looking! This... This isn't a really safe book to look at directly, but because of your blindfold and your power as a succubus, I think you can handle it. Want to take the risk?" The young lady asked with a toothy grin. She taunted Zienna and wondered just how bold the woman could really be. Even without an answer, Celia unchained a book from her underneath her robe. A dark brown book lined with writhing tentacles along the spine and edges of the book, squirmed at the touch of the girl. They kept behind a thin-layer of some sort of plastic casing, that kept them from outright touching her. Wherever tentacles didn't align the book, there were a series of cryptic runes that were... Oddly terrifying. Should Zienna not be affected by the magic so far, her own being would be telling her that the book was insidious, the incarnation of an evil that only sits on the outside and manipulates from within. The book was connected to something so horrible, that it's power could still be felt even after it looked as if it were sealed. "This is the book that allows me to get info on... A lot of things. I went through a great and terrible deal to attain this knowledge, yet I cannot remember it all or else I'd go insane again. This book helps hold it all in." Celia explained with a soft smile and gently thumbed the front cover of the book. She had hoped that Zienna didn't become unsettled by the book.

[Lily Darkson]

They were getting close to the castle and Lily continued to feel the movements of their enemies, but wasn't too sure when, or where they'd strike. The ebony-haired woman was suddenly stopped by Isis and was told to stay still. The animus's beautiful blades were pointed at her, but suddenly, she was filled with a warming light that began to knit the cuts on her fingers together. The woman had restorative abilities with her blades and flight-gear, only adding to her overall interesting build. She was definitely a friend worth studying with.

"Thank you." The gunslinger said softly and bowed in respect towards Isis. They were getting closer for sure, but the young lady knew that more than likely they could stop in a minute. There was going to be a final wave of enemies soon, but they had time to chat. Lily was asked where she and her sister came from. A simple question for a simple person like the young girl. She turned towards the animus and pointed upwards to the sky. "From far away. A different universe all together. We have a planet and galaxy. The galaxy is known as Animus, our planet Dominium. We named the planet after my family took over the planet." The way how Lily explained was concise and she was rather forthcoming with her information. Yet at the same time, she didn't reveal much that wouldn't be basic knowledge in their universe. "What about you?" She asked softly, looking into Isis's eyes and tilted her head gently.

The neo-shadows were out and about again, but they merely observed the two this time. The creatures saw as their comrades from before were obliterated and dealt with easily. They contemplated whether or not these hearts were worth it, but since the two exuded so much strength that their hearts resonated with the same energy. The neo-shadows were hungry and they were going to take their meal, but for now, they waited. Waited until the two were vulnerable.

[Zienna]

Heeding her warning, Zienna requested the other two to keep their eyes elsewhere and turned back to Celia, saying, "Of course! Life wouldn't be fun without risk, now would it?" She wondered what could be so dangerous about a book. She knew there were books which were enchanted by demons and mages alike to grant certain powers to their wielder, or to hold spells that could be casted just by cracking the right page and doing some silly gestures. There were a few she ran into, and none ever did too much harm. The ones that supposedly made people insane just by looking at it had little to no effect to the succubus, but did others. She always thought it was because of her mixed blood, but she didn't really think her blindfold had anything to do with it until the mage made mention of the possibility. Although Celia's book shouldn't be all that different, right?

Zienna watched her retrieve the article of interest and the succubus felt a power she couldn't quite comprehend once her eyes set on the book with what looked to be living tentacles wrapping around the cover. She caught sight of a rune or two which she thought she recognized, but at the same time they were completely alien to her. Was that even possible? An unexplained shiver ran down her spine and something pulled her a step back. Was it instinct? No, it was something different. There was a large hand on her shoulder which lead back to Wolfram. She could feel him getting a little bit intimidated by the thing. He had always been like that, though she had never heard him growl before. When she looked at the giant's armor, she could see the niches where the armor articulated glow, which meant he was about to do something. Zienna patted his hand reassuringly and he pulled it back, the glow fading, but he snarled lowly at the book. He retreated a few steps back and at rest, but his grip on the ax was tight. Whatever the book was, it must have been something so evil that even someone as resolute as Wolfram was getting nervous. But Zienna felt drawn to it for some reason, and not just because she loved going against the guardian's gestures of caution.

When she looked at the book again, the vine-like decorations on her blindfold flashed, which startled the succubus a little. "Strange... it never done that before..." but there was no time to ponder on why it happened. Wait, did she say, go insane again? That must have been quite the maddening book... "So is it like a grimoire, like a necronomicon?" Zienna asked, leaning forward to examine it closer. Another chill ran through her body. This book was completely different from the others she and her friends ran into while they explored Limbo, and felt like it was from a place beyond the two kingdoms. Her fascination wasn't enough to curb her teasing tendencies though, and soon she cracked a smirk at Celia. "Can it tell you what we'd do if we were in a locked room together?"

====

Isis followed Lily's finger to the sky as she explained that they were from a whole different universe, though wouldn't that apply to her, Zienna, Wolfram and Nero as well? The place they found themselves in felt nothing like their home at all. Still, that didn't detract her mind from listening to the the younger of the twins. Her eyes widened upon hearing their galaxy bore the same name as her race, Animus. Her intrigue grew more when the other girl revealed that they had taken over a planet. They must have been able-bodied warriors to achieve such a feat. Though she could only wonder why she could only sense so little from Lily and her sister. Were they masking it somehow?

Lily asked for an answer to her own question, and Isis gave a simple answer, accounting for what she knew about the others in the party. "Well, our world is called Loren. Zienna and I come from Limbo, one of the continents between the borders of Heaven and Hell. Wolfram was from Heaven, but got exiled. And Nero was a human who was possessed by a demon, but won over control. Although he was cursed to be what he is now..."

The timid warrior-mage looked shyly at Lily. "Is your galaxy really called Animus? Because... coincidentally, I'm an Animus, and... I think it's strange... A little bit..." Although she was being shy around the girl, her senses were still sharp. She tightened her hidden grip and kept ready for another attack. The enemy was getting restless, and she worried about getting outnumbered. As quickly as the two of them worked down their attackers before, she had a feeling there'd be more coming after them on the next wave. "We should be careful now... I can feel them watching us..."

[Celia Darkson]

Celia normally didn't ever show this book to anyone for the same reasons that she felt Wolfram's hostility. The book caused all sorts of madness and other negativity to spark from anyone who looked at it. Good thing the four of them weren't normal people, far from it. Any other average Joe would have been subjugated to psychological torture, as the book slowly deteriorated their minds until they were a shell of their former selves. Zienna was different though and the mage was grateful for that, she questioned what the book was and seemed unhindered from its maddening effects. If anything, it seemed to have some effect on the woman's blindfold, as Celia saw when she looked back to check up on the succubus.

"Strange indeed... That makes me want to experiment on you and the blindfold." The young lady said so easily, but it was true. She was like a... Mad scientist, but for the magical arts. She wanted creatures, exotic creatures, from all over to one day come to her room and have a little "tender love and care." The mage smiled towards Zienna with a toothy grin that revealed her two fangs, showing that she was a vampire. "It is a grimoire, yes. A grimoire of knowledge beyond human concept, yet pertains to the world of humans. You see, there are these creatures known as 'The Great Old Ones,' and they gave me this book. I survived their tests and endured all of their torture, to gain knowledge on them, their language and everything they have done to the world of humans. My mind shattered the first time, but I pieced it all back together, which impressed them. They gave me the book to preserve all of my knowledge of them and events from time immemorial." She explained excitedly and continued to happily thumb the runes on the cover. "Because your concept as a succubus is beyond that of humans in terms of belief, this book shouldn't harm you too much. I'm not risking it though. Wouldn't want to be licking the walls after all of this." She teased happily. However, it was turned around on her, when Zienna asked if it could tell her what would happen if she and the succubus were in a locked room.

A small growl escaped her lips and she quickly put the book away, before she turned on Zienna and started to tickle her sides. The woman began her assault with single-fingered pokes at first, but then went into full on five-fingered tickle attack!

[Lily Darkson]

Lily tilted her head at Isis as she began to explain where she and her companions came from. The young woman had a limited knowledge of such concepts, but knew of Heaven, Hell and Limbo, which was sometimes called purgatory. She listened closely to how they were all related to one another. Their past was definitely interesting and Lily wanted to ask more of it, but she wanted Celia to be around when that happened, so that the older twin would be able to explain and understand words said by Isis better. She wasn't a dummy per say, but she had the attitude of where if it wasn't armaments, then it wasn't worth knowing. That doesn't mean what Isis is telling her isn't worth knowing, not one bit. The gunslinger enjoyed this conversation, but wanted to have it in a more appropriate setting. Lily would decide to answer Isis's question concerning the name of their galaxy though.

"Yes, the galaxy is called Animus. I am not sure if it is related to your species, but it is possible. After all, my sister and I are here, so anything is possible." She said softly and reloaded her guns. Lily felt it already... The final wave arrived. "They're here. Be on guard." The gunslinger cautioned as their enemies started to arrive.

A total of 30 Neo-Shadows began to crawl out the pools of darkness. The humanoid creatures surrounded both Lily and Isis rather easily, quickly too. The gunslinger didn't say anything and only drew out her guns. She took in a big deep breath and exhaled it to calm her nerves. She was getting way too excited and that was going to throw off her aim. The young woman was already experiencing enough of that shakiness just from being in the new universe all together, so she had to make sure she was focused. This time, she didn't want to wait around and immediately started off by firing 5 bullets from each of her guns towards the Neo-Shadows. This caused some of the group to disperse, while the rest went on the offensive. However, this is what Lily wanted, as she teleported the 10 bullets into a time pocket.

Lily backed up more and more as she watched the Neo-Shadows swarm from all sides towards them. The woman looked towards her partner and before she took off, smiled at her.

"If you have crowd control, let them get in real close and detonate it. I'll be fine when they try to pounce on us." Lily's plan was simple. The creatures may have been able to outnumber them and there were around 20 of the group heading towards them with the intent to kill. They all swiped at the two, wanting to shred into them, destroy their bodies and retrieve their hearts. That was their folly, however, for someone like Isis and Lily, who knew their own weapons like they did the back of their hands. All they had to do was wait until the creatures got close enough.

((You can do the post where they get in close and can have Isis use her crowd control, Lily will clean up whatever is left with her abilities!~))

[Zienna]

Zienna relished in the annoyance she caused the young girl, taking her grumbling like she would sustenance. She was being way too cute for Zienna to ignore. Though what happened next surprised her greatly. At first it was just playful poking at her sides, but soon, Celia was attacking her with tickles, one of the succubus' greatest weaknesses. "NO-NO-NO! WAIT, DON'T! AHAHAH-- STOP, PLEASE! I CAN'T--" Zienna's burst of laughter was as uncontrolled as her vain flailing. She attempted to push the girl away, but she was having a hard time as the girl was bent on getting back at her for her teasing. The succubus wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to cover her weak spots, but there was only so much she could protect.

She had to think of a way to get out of the situation before she was forced to admit defeat. That's when she realized the most effective way would be to stun the girl long enough to push herself a safe distance. And taking Celia's tendency to grow nervous at intimacy, Zienna threw herself towards the girl, steeling herself and grabbing Celia around the waist. They would either keep standing, or fall to the ground with either of them above the other. Whatever the outcome, Zienna would attempt to plant a kiss on the girl, either directly on the lips or on her neck, depending on which seemed to be an easier target.

Let it be known that Zienna Eroheim never surrenders, and never admits defeat! If this proved useless, Zienna would have no choice than to resort to extreme measures.

====

Isis closed her eyes, yet with the assistance of her device, she knew where each of her enemies were standing. They were all in range for her Static Field, and without further hesitation, she summoned the circles needed to unleash her fury. One of the sigils appeared on the ground, covering a large area. High above, a duplicate was present, mirroring the other. The one in the sky glowed with untold power as Isis raised her swords in the sky. She then lowered them, pointing towards an enemy. A bolt of lightning shot from the aerial mark and hit the target squarely.

One after another, Isis continued to call down the sky's wrath, cutting down anything that got hit, and severely injuring the ones who managed to survive the initial shocks. The ground exploded at each strike, sending debris into the air. This was the same attack she used before when she was all alone, but thanks to the Reaver's inner mechanisms, the strikes were boosted in power. While calling down the lightning, Isis was also on the move, gliding gracefully as she twists and turns to hit the first enemy she saw in each direction. Her dance of death caused many to fall, although she was too focused on dodging incoming attacks to count how many. As the Neoshadows got closer to the two girls, Isis began firing sparsely around Lily, not wanting to accidentally call down a bolt down on her, or get her injured from the splash. Those who got too close were promptly cut down with her blades personally.

A lot of the survivors quickly picked up on her attacks and dove into their pools so they could be safe from her wrath, and a majority of them diverted their attention to Lily, seeing as Isis was shy of attacking close to her.

[Celia Darkson]

"There is no mercy for you, Zienna! You must submit to the might of Celia Darkson and pledge yourself to her glorious power!" Celia said with a crazed look in her eyes. She had never once thought that she could actually over power a creature that could be as powerful as a succubus. The entire ordeal was going to the mage's head, but she didn't relent. The young lady continued her tickling assault and found it very adorable as Zienna attempted to cover up. It was futile to Celia's masterful hands and she continued to shift her fingers accordingly.

However, the shift in battle seemed to reach a turning point, when Zienna boldly flung her arms around Celia and attempted to push her back. This attempt would succeed, for the young lady was too caught up in her seemingly in sight victory and stumbled back. The mage was sent sprawling backwards and landed on her back, the succubus on top of her. Celia was surprised at first, but when she saw the puckered lips of the blindfolded woman, her blush lit her face up. The woman turtled herself by raising up her shoulders to protect her neck, then dipped her body down a bit, so that Zienna could only go for the lips. Celia then put one hand over her mouth to prevent the kiss, then used her remaining hand to aggressively tickle across from one side of the succubus's body to the other.

And they will sing songs of how Celia dominated the mighty Zienna! How she toppled the succubus woman and made her declare the mage as her master!

[Lily Darkson]

A single breath was exhaled as Lily watched the creatures surround them. Isis went off and followed through with the plan, letting loose her barrage of lightning bolts and decimating forces with her blades. The gunslinger saw her opponents come in close and that was when she revealed her masterpiece. Around them several portals opened up in key areas that allowed her bullets to fly out, shoot them in the heads and body and travel through to hit targets behind them. Bullets flied and some even grazed Lily's cheeks and her body, but she wasn't hurt too badly by them. The group that moved in on her was swiftly dealt with, but that left the remaining 15 who were smart enough to start sinking into their own shadows.

A group of seven rushed after Lily, deeming her the most vulnerable target at the moment. This wasn't the case, however, as the young lady quickly switched her machine revolvers back to semi-auto mode and began to shoot whatever came close. Several of the targets jumped at Lily, while others came at her from the side and below. Her situation was a little bit more riskier, but she decided to turn her body into the attacks that would deal less damage to her overall and allowed her to avoid the bulk of the others. When doing so, she made sure to make every shot count and stayed within close enough range to have her bullets remain effective. However, he aim was off on some targets and her enemies managed to score hits on her. She didn't relent, however, and when she was currently out of bullets for the revolvers, she switched to her Notched Passion daggers.

After holstering her weapons and bringing out the daggers from her gauntlets compartments, she went on a more controlled offensive. Lily was only able to take on one target at a time, but she was able to feel more of the Neo-Shadows as they came. With simple stabs to very vulnerable and fatal areas, the gunslinger was able to dance around her opponents quickly and deliver them swift deaths. Eventually, her second group of enemies had fallen and that just left the last eight who were alive. The girl let out controlled breaths, but one could tell she was a bit tired from having to exert so much energy. Strands of hair fell over her face and blood gently trickled down her cheek and body.

[Zienna]

Celia may have managed to keep the succubus from kissing her, but her methods left her open for another counter. With just one hand to attack the succubus with, and with Zienna having the leverage due to her positioning, the succubus pinned down the attacking hand to the ground, after fishing for it wildly in the midst of Celia's furious barrage. She sat up, and with panting breath and wicked grin, her other hand hovered over the girl with her fingers wiggling ominously.

"Ohhhhhh Celiaaaaa~" the succubus cooed softly before her hand went for the girl's side and started tickling her in return. "Zienna Eroheim never submits to cute and pretty mages!" she declared proudly with conviction in her voice. But this minor turn was just that, minor. She needed to finish the job before mage could completely overpower her with her ruthless tickling. She needed an opening, but she couldn't jump off the girl just yet, not until she had recovered a little more from the earlier barrage.

=====

Isis began to worry when her companion was getting injured and bleeding. Admittedly, she could have prevented the shadows from hurting her so much, but she had underestimated the enemy. Her Reaver allowed her senses to sharpen, and that had grown on her, making her evasiveness something to be taken for granted. Lily didn't have such a device, and Isis failed to realize that. But she was going to make it right. She blessed the young gunslinger with a swirling shield of wind and water to negate further damage on the girl.

As she finished casting the spell, a Neoshadow jumped on the Reaver and furiously clawed at it, but as it saw with its own eyes, the device could not be damaged so easily. For that, it received a lightning bolt from above. Isis was unharmed by the bolt despite it landing on top of her, although her ears were ringing a bit from the impact. Two pools appeared under her as her attention was on the Reaver, and a pair of Neoshadows jumped in front of her to claw at her face and chest. She crossed her swords to block the attacks, but the two pinned her down with their weight. After a blast of hot steam, they quickly recoiled and Isis levitated to her feet. Her swords crackled as plasma coated the blades. She charged head on at the two and promptly and cleanly cleaved away their heads. She unleashed another batch of electric spheres, each seeking one out of the six enemy survivors. As the missiles shot to their marks, Isis continued to call down lightning strikes. But to her dismay, one pool was right under her, and the Neoshadow within popped up with a claw that hit her in the chest with an upwards motion, followed by a strong impact when a sphere crashed into the shadow, sending it directly to the animus. She clattered to the ground, resting on the device with a fair trio of gashes on her chest. She wasn't too badly hurt, although the impact did leave her dazed.

[Celia Darkson]

"I-I don't think so! I'm more than just a pretty face!" Celia announced, for the one mistake Zienna made in that situation, was that she didn't pin down the mage's other free hand, the one that was used for blocking a kiss. When she saw the succubus's fingers wiggle ominously, she smirked beneath her and and waited for the woman's hand to get in close. Once it did, Celia showed off a tact and strength one wouldn't expect a 15 year old girl to have. She grabbed the brown-haired woman by the wrist, then flung her body over to the side with an intense, but controlled momentum. This would cause Zienna, in her weakened, tickled state, to be easily thrown to the side, so that Celia could roll on top of her and be the dominant one. During all of this, Celia would have freed her other hand in the possible confusion and grinned deviously at the succubus.

"Ooooooooooh Zieeeeeeeeeeeeeenna!" The mage cooed in a mocking tone to her victim and continued her tickling assault on the succubus. "Beg, beg, beg! Say, 'Mistress Darkson, I yield to your power over me!' Beg for me, Zienna!" Just from this little exchange alone, one could tell that Celia was a rather sadistic person and loved to be dominant over others. A natural Darkson trait that she seemed to exhibit more openly than the rest of her siblings.

[Lily Darkson]

The fighting was over and the Neo-Shadows had all but been destroyed by the two's masterful onslaught. Lily sheathed her blades and quickly ran over to her partner. She was very impressed by the way how the animus handled herself, but even then, she feared for her safety. The gunslinger gently helped the woman up and allowed her to lean on her for support. The young lady showed that she was a lot stronger than her small frame showed. Lily looked up worriedly at Isis and tilted her head.

"You protected me. Why?" She asked, knowing that Isis would have done a lot better if she had not went through the trouble of coating Lily in the barrier from earlier. The help was much appreciated, but the gunslinger didn't want her friend hurt. The ebony-haired girl noticed the gash on the animus's body and took out her handkerchief from earlier. "I'm sorry, it's a little dirty. It'll help though." Lily said softly and gently pressed the cloth against the wounds on the woman's chest. A soft blush came to her face, when the young lady realized how close her hands had gotten. "Soft." The girl complimented in a rather sneaky way.

[Zienna]

Zienna was caught off guard by the girl and was now laying with Celia straddling on top of her, and mocked the demoness using the same tone Zienna used on her just seconds ago. This was not going to end well for her she felt, and there were only a few options she could take. Luckily, all of them would pull her closer to the mage to steal that kiss she owed her. The plan she chose was one that would tickle the mage's ego. If only the succubus could catch enough air to speak.

"Okay! Okay! Miss-Mistress D-Darkson!" It was getting harder to breathe; her lungs and sides hurt, but it was nothing she couldn't power through. She gasped sharply, trying to get as much air she could. "Mistress Darkson! I-- I--" Zienna's wing extended and folded over the two. She focused her jitters and spasms to her lower body, causing her hips to thrust up suddenly, which would imbalance the mage--who was already leaning towards the succubus. Using the downward momentum of her lower body in her thrusting upwards of her upper, she managed to get herself  into a leaning/sitting position. Her hands would position themselves on the girl's shoulder blades, and the muscle contractions would cause her to pull herself towards the mage. Her wings would also attempt to aid in her effort by wrapping around the two. "I-- I want you! To surrender!"

Once again, she attempted to plant a kiss on the mage, and this time, if she tried to block, Zienna would lick her hand and even playfully bite it if she refused to open up. If she was going to fall to this cutie, she was not going to make it easy.

=====

Isis' swords fizzled out when she saw the blur of her partner come closer, not wanting to accidentally electrocute or burn her. She grabbed hold of the hand Lily offered as Isis got up, her face turning slightly pink. "I... didn't want to see you get hurt even more..." the animus shyly said, touching her chest and wincing at the pain. It wasn't as bad as it looked, so she could afford to wait until she could heal the gunslinger fully before fixing herself up.

Lily pressed a handkerchief on the animus' chest, and Isis cringed a bit, but smiled at the kindness she was shown. That smile was soon overtaken by a deep blush when Lily uttered something that could only have been taken in one way. "O-oh, th-thank y-you..." she said, looking down and to the side. Shyly, Isis placed her hand upon the girl's head and used her magic to cast Mend again, fixing what damage the Neoshadows had done. "A-are you still hurt s-somewhere? It shouldn't be long until I can cast it again."

[Celia Darkson]

Celia leaned closer to hear Zienna submit to her overwhelming tickle attack. However, the mage was quickly thrust into and had the strength of Zienna's wings wrap over her and pull her down. Her eyes widened when she realized that the succubus was aiming for them to kiss once more, which seemed very likely of happening. Time seemingly slowed down, as the young woman thought she was at the brink of planting her sweet, virgin lips upon the experienced and sultry lips of the winged-woman below her. It happened, nonetheless, the young lady's soft, puffy lips, crashed into Zienna's and they'd be able to taste one another. Celia's face flushed bright red and her tickling assault had briefly stopped in that moment, as her mind attempted to process everything that was going on.

"M-My first kiss... No... She took it, she really took it! W-What's going on? D-Did I lose?" She asked within the split second between their lips colliding and her hands stopping. More than likely, Zienna could have used that as a chance to get the upper-hand, but given how tired and weakened she already was from previous assaults, it wasn't likely. The outcome between the two of them, would be a draw, unless the succubus had the strength to be dominant in the end.

[Lily Darkson]

Lily felt very responsible for the fact Isis got hurt so easily. There was something about the woman that made the gunslinger not want to see her in such a state. She saw the blush on the animus's face and returned the gesture with a small smile on her own. Her cheeks turned a little pink. The young woman blushed even more when she felt a hand touch her silky, ebony hair. Her wounds begin to mend once more, which caused her eyes to widen and quickly look over to the woman.

"N-No. You must save your energy for yourself, Isis..." If Lily could raise her voice, she would, but the young lady had never once raised her voice. She never even once raised it at Celia. After her wounds wee healed, the girl pressed just a bit firmer on Isis's chest and started to walk slowly with her back to their hub point. "Can you hold the cloth? I need to make sure I can cover us." Lily spoke softly and let the animus hold the handkerchief to herself, while she reloaded a gun with one hand and had it at the ready.

[Zienna]

Zienna didn't let go of the kiss so quickly, savoring the prize she conquered. It seemed the succubus had won this round, but she wouldn't let that mean the end of their tender moment. For the demoness, it has only just begun. She may have been tired from all that laughing and tickling and wild thrashing, but she was far from spent. Slowly, she pushed herself off the ground to a sitting position, hooking a hand behind Celia to keep her from escaping.

The girl's confusion was something Zienna preyed on, using it to slowly lay her down gently while she took the dominant position over her. At any moment she could have used her powers to forcefully bend the girl's mind for her own amusement, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. After almost losing the battle, she would want to make the most of her time while little Celia was still dazed. The succubus' muscles were still recovering, and instead of propping her up over the girl, she fell on her gently, which worked for the demoness. Thinking that the girl needed a breather, Zienna separated from the kiss, although she'd quickly regret it, as she doubted that Celia would allow her to get that close again. Although it was sweet while it lasted. "You're not a bad kisser, Celia~ It kind of... makes me crave more~" she whispered to her teasingly. "Did you enjoy the kiss?"

=====

Isis did her best to smile despite the pain. "It's okay, my wounds aren't as bad as they seem." In truth, it could have been much, much worse. It was time they headed back to the others, with the way now clear for the time being. The animus' blush only deepened when Lily pushed the cloth on her, and once again, Zienna's words came ringing back into her mind. If she were still bleeding from her chest, it would have stopped by now because she was sure all her blood decided to stay under her cheeks.

She silently took over for Lily on holding the cloth when she requested it from her in order to keep an eye out for both of them. Isis could still fight if the enemy decided to attack again, although she doubted they would so quickly after their joint display. An extended silence with only Zienna's words in her mind made her a little restless, up to the point where she couldn't ignore it any more. "Uhm... Lily..." she said in a voice that was just above a whisper, "Zienna told me... that... well..." She dared not look directly at Lily as she nervously touched her own arm, "S-she told me... that you..." she was searching for a word to put what Zienna told her a little lightly, unsure if she'd appreciate the demoness' unbridled words, "That you... liked me... I-is... that true?"

[Celia Darkson]

The mage was dazed completely as she continued to lock lips with the succubus. Her eyes were closed and her eyebrows raised to give a questioning, confused look as to what she was experiencing. Celia's mind raced as a feeling such as a kiss was all too new to her. Perhaps she was overthinking it a bit, but she had all the time and room to. Never before had she kissed anyone nor had she ever thought about kissing a person. For all of her knowledge in a myriad of subjects, she was still very unfamiliar in the ways of kissing, sexual intercourse and so on. A true innocent child in that aspect, but nonetheless, her lips were taken from her. She could feel herself becoming breathless as her body was laid out onto the floor, her arms held up over her head in a submissive manner. Zienna's body gently fell onto hers and the woman would be able to feel Celia's assets beneath the cloth. When her lips were eventually freed, the mage took a small breath and started panting, her cheeks a flushed red and her mouth seemingly open for more.

"N-No... I didn't enjoy it." The young lady said through a weak protest. She squirmed underneath Zienna, but didn't dare try to assault her with tickles anymore, fearing that she'd have her lips taken from her again. Her chest rose and fell, as the knowledge she gained of the feeling of sharing a kiss with another person, no less another woman, sunk deep into her mind. Celia often cherished first experiences due to the new feelings they brought on from discovering them, but this was the first time she had questioned the feelings that went into this specific occurrence. A gentle swipe of her tongue ran over her lips and she gulped, staring up at the blindfolded woman.

[Lily Darkson]

"I hope so." Lily said in response to Isis reassuring her that the wound wasn't as bad. However, something inside of the young girl told her otherwise. The gunslinger wouldn't fight the animus on such a topic and opted to continue forward. She had hoped the quick pace they were going at, didn't cause any harm to her partner. They needed to keep going, though, for they didn't know how much longer the enemy was going to keep away from them. Lily checked behind every so often and saw nothing, letting out a soft sigh of relief at the peace and quiet that followed. The quiet didn't last long when Isis suddenly started to speak up. The girl traced nervousness over the woman's soft speaking, more so than usual and wondered what bothered her. Eventually she found out from Isis that Zienna had said that she, Lily, had taken a form of attraction to the animus.

"L-Like..." She stuttered ever so quietly in a cute manner, her face flushed immediately. Much like Isis, Lily didn't look directly at her and even tried to hide her face further into the hood. The young lady had indeed felt some sort of attraction to the animus, but didn't know how to characterize it. She wasn't ever one to think about love or affection beyond familial bonds. When the question from Isis came up, Lily was taken by surprise. Thinking back on it, the girl figured that she had wanted to get to know the woman more just beyond her armaments. "Let's know each other." She said softly. "I want to like you more, Isis." Her tone was laced with nervousness, but as straightforward as she was, she couldn't just bring herself to phrase her feelings any other way.

[Zienna]

Zienna chuckled evilly at Celia's protest, especially when her lips were clearly asking for more. The succubus gently touched the girl's side, stroking her young but developed body to soothe her of her worries, but didn't yet move towards her more intimate areas, preferring to ease her in first. "Then it seems I need to try just a little bit harder, hm?" she said with her voice as alluring as fine wine under a full, moon-lit night.

Her hand brushed up against the mage as it slowly moved upwards to her cradle her cheek. The succubus' thumb passed over the corner of Celia's lips, gently and teasingly pulling her lower lip down as Zienna slowly advanced, tilting her head to the side as to get a desired angle for when they locked lips again. She let a hot breath escape her as she paused just before their lips touched. "Ohhhh Celiaaaa~" she whispered before she took another taste from the girl. Zienna let her body slide to the side, careful not to disturb Celia's resting form, but kept a leg on the girl's lower body to keep her from squirming too much.

She'd admit it, Zienna was enjoying this. The confusion Celia let off, mixed with a longing for more, it was like a--no, it was a rare treat for the succubus. It wasn't every day that she tasted lips as pure as Celia's, and the feeling was indescribable; one had to experience it for themselves to truly understand why Zienna would have trouble letting go of the mage when she was that close now. Sticking with her plan of attack, she slowly slid her other arm under the girl so she could be pulled closer for a deeper kiss. Despite her focus on the mage, one part of her mind thought about their scouting party, wondering how Lily and Isis were doing with their little date. But it got no further than that before she would pull her full attention back to Celia, making every second feel like ten in her mind.

=====

Isis squeaked when she heard Lily say that she wanted to like the animus more. If her head could still get redder, it would. She picked up the gunslinger's nervousness as she said it, ensuring to her that she meant it, and not just saying such a thing to make things a little less awkward. Her heart skipped, and for a moment, she wondered if it suddenly stopped, deciding that her happiness had reached its peak and she was ready to die right there. But it continued to beat fast and strong, keeping up the supply of blood to her cheeks.

Her body wanted to hug Lily, but she managed to keep herself under control. She didn't want her blood getting all over the girl, and she wasn't the type to get so close so quickly, despite Zienna's... err... teachings? "I-I w-want to like you more too..." the animus whispered, being unable to make her voice go any louder. If this actually worked out... as painful as it was to say, even in her own head... she'd have to thank Zienna for plotting this forced encounter on the both of them. Maybe when the two of them were in private, and out of earshot from anyone else. It wasn't that she didn't like thanking the succubus, it was just that it made it hard for her to do so when there are other people about, feeling that she'd never get anything done without her help. That was especially true in this kind of situation.

[Celia Darkson]

"Oh my god, what is going on? This succubus, this... Zienna! She's kissing me over and over... My body, she's feeling my body too! No, no, no! They didn't teach me this, I am not ready for this! Not with a succubus at least! No, no! Her lips... I want more, yet I don't because I have to analyze the feeling, but it's too much at once, too much! Her leg, her leg has me pinned! Damn her, damn her, damn her! I-I'm a princess! I should be stronger than this... Nooooo!" The infinite thoughts that were rattling around in Celia's mind combated her at every turn. She had so much knowledge of humans and things beyond them, but little experience to go with all of it. Not to mention she was still just a young woman who was still in her teens. The fact that one of the most powerfully, sexually induced creatures was on top of her and taking her lips at every moment, burned circuits in her mind.

On the outside, Celia's body had submitted. She was Zienna's plaything rather easily and her body failed to continue struggling. The succubus would be able to tell that the mage was fighting two battles, one on the inside and the other on the out. However, she had lost most of the outside battle. Occasionally she gave weak struggles against the woman, but failed to do much. Eventually her body was propped up for a deeper kiss and in the moment, her eyes closed. Celia had started to unconsciously indulge in the kissing.

"Damn body! Stop, stop stop! The more she lets in, the more I can't handle. I need to... I need to get this information into the grimoire and quick! At this point I'll-!" What the mage wanted to do was vent out all of the feelings associated with kissing a succubus. They hadn't even moved on to the bigger and better things, but it was because of that simple fact, that Celia was scared. Her body tingled at every touch Zienna gave her and the kiss seemed to last for minutes at a time, when it was really just seconds. The girl started to do it, venting all of that information into the grimoire, so that she could regain a bit more of her body. Doing so allowed her to break the kiss momentarily and open her eyes. "Y-You won't get the best of me, dammit! I-I am Celia Darkson, not some plaything for your desires, Zienna Eroheim!" She announced through a soft pant.

Truth was, Celia was feeling breathless from the kissing. She knew, however, that she had already lost the battle of physical might. The mage wasn't a physical fighter to begin with, but she wouldn't let that deter her from putting up a fight. Meek as it was, the young woman tried her hardest to struggle against Zienna's hold and squirm out. However, she never really moved her face from the succubus's and the look in her half-lidded eyes said something contrary to what was just said.

[Lily Darkson]

Lily had memorized the distance between their camp and the time it took to clear the area. They were making faster time due to the fact no enemies had popped up to impede their progress. At this point, it was just small talk with Isis, that Lily otherwise wouldn't have found herself doing. Interestingly enough, Lily was a withdrawn young woman, who only spoke to her family members. It took a lot to get a single bit of recognition from the girl, due to how she felt about others around her. What really allowed Isis into Lily's heart, was her Reaver. That wasn't a bad thing, for the gunslinger was interested deeply in the armaments, but what attracted her the most was that the animus, for all intents and purposes, WAS the armaments. A sentient being capable of being its own weapon. A thought like that excited Lily, because it was the genius of species and technological engineering, that she thought she'd never be able to see.

"Isis, you are very beautiful. I hope we can get settled soon. I want to know a lot more..." She trailed off slightly and blushed more. They were both a pair of walking tomatoes with the way how their faces were reddened most of the walk. "Can we stay up for hours and design weapons? I really like weapons. They are intricate and interesting, unlike most people. You're interesting though. Powerful as well. You're also really nice... You helped me at your own expense." What Lily was doing, was listing off the reasons why she had taken a particular interest in the animus. This was a compulsive thing she couldn't stop and only did this around family members. She looked over to Isis and frowned a little at her wound. The girl didn't like the look of someone like the animus being injured.

[Zienna]

Celia's internal panicking fueled the succubus' teasing. Although she couldn't read her mind, and her empathic senses only allowed for a semi-detailed look into her emotions, it was enough for her to taste the mage's inner turmoil. She was torn between indulging in the demoness' affection and doing something else that required her to break the moment, characterized by her squirming that had powered down to a point where it was barely noticeable. Zienna would keep the mage from doing the latter to the best of her ability, and she'd be taking a few more things from the girl if the succubus continued to have her way.

It would be much easier for her now that Celia's body has submitted to her desires, her eyes closing to indulge in the kissing. And she said she didn't enjoy it? Zienna was grinning on the inside as she continued to caress the girl, stroking her hair as they kept locked on to each other. Soon though, Celia had worked up the will power to break away from the succubus' lips and once again protested. Zienna just smiled mischievously, licking her lips as a subtle sign to Celia that she was not out of the woods yet. The demoness pushed her body into the mage, pressing her upper and lower plates against the girl's body. "Don't underestimate yourself~" she said in a soft whisper as she looked deeply into her eyes, catching a spark that revealed something entirely different to her protests, "You are more than that, my dear~" Zienna kissed the girl's cheek, teasing a lick.

Her hand slid, slowly, to Celia's lower back with a touch that was applying just enough pressure to be known. "Your mind and body are in conflict, Celia..." Her voice was lustful and sultry. "Allow me to put you at ease." Zienna planted a few soft kisses on the girl's neck, each one getting lower and lower. As her kisses descended, so did her hand, moving from the girl's lower back to a place just a few inches away which was much, much softer and tender. "Just relax, Celia~ I'll take care of you~"

Zienna's bloodline was definitely showing in her display, and its calling had grown over time. The succubus herself was keeping herself controlled for the time being, a difficult thing to do in a position of power, but she wanted it to drag long enough for Celia to realize her inner urges and needs; let her mind submit willingly just as her body did. Doing so, she'd remember the experience much more warmly, maybe even long for it to happen again. That was what Zienna was aiming to do with her controlled display of affection. She plans for the future. Well, she plans often enough.

Why would she just take someone once and leave a bitter memory of herself with them, when she could ensure a steady source for her future self?

Why not make a network of friends she could call to and be called to?

Why just experience them once?

Celia was someone who shouldn't only be experienced once...

=====

Isis herself was not known to converse with strangers unless they started the conversation with her. She'd only initiate if she was emotionally close to someone, or if there was an urgent need to, like when she first met Zienna and Nero the first time they visited her settlement. She could still remember her anxiousness when she approached them. She knew they were her only ticket to go exploring since no one ever batted an eye to her because of her soft and timid demeanor. She never showed off her abilities to anyone, which lead them to think that she held no magic nor skill, and was simply there to bask in their family's fortune and reputation.

Thinking that anyone from her settlement bringing her along for the adventure was a simple fantasy, so she gathered up her courage and asked to join the succubus in their exploration. To her surprise, she was welcomed without question. Her shyness had slowly been worked on over the time she spent with the duo, and although she comes off as shy, it was nothing compared to how she was like the first time. By the time they met Wolfram, she could already fight without holding any of her powers back.

When Lily spoke once again, Isis' heart skipped another beat. Compliments had gotten numb on her as there was only so many times it could be said before it lost meaning, but the young girl somehow invoked that little skip once again. She nodded as Lily asked her if they could stay up late together to design weapons, a request that was new to her. She wasn't a weapon maker, much less a weapons designer, but she knew enough to maintain and fix Reavers. She'd even fixed one or two that weren't her own, but she never dreamed about making anything like it. That thought never crossed her mind, and it made her think about Lily's offer. She reckoned she could have helped her integrate some features of the Reaver to her designs, and perhaps give advice to her as well. But most importantly, it would allow her to spend a little more time with the girl, hopefully out of the way of Zienna's teasing.

Hearing Lily reference her wound again, she shyly looked at her, tomato face and all. "My father and grandfather... they always told me that... we should do everything we can to protect the ones we care for... even if it meant throwing yourself in front of a stampede to shield them from the horns... I... I couldn't stand... seeing you get hurt... especially when I could have protected you from all that pain..."

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