Spirits of the Earth

OOC: Tags to @Draconian !

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The world was fucked up, scarred more times over than she deserved. What little solace was offered in this place of sin and blood was moot. His heart was already dying, withering away like the Northern Trees of the Niahi.

Upon the hill of Heilos, he could see the savage ambitions of man, where he cut into the earth and tore down the very trees that had been growing tall and ancient. Though the woods were not apart of Connlaoth, and the Duchess that ruled there was ruling out of insanity, and sin- he had to wonder if that's all of what was left for Connlaoth. Even if the kingdom ended this war, it would never be the same. The cycle was endless, and all of its people- shamed.

He couldn't believe heading North could be any worse than where he had abandoned his broken heart to the south. But he knew from her look, for he had seen that look before- that there was no more room for a rogue lover in the Grand Duchess's life. And the rumors he heard upon vacating the city were nothing of his concern.

She'd get fat and happy, have lots of children, and stay close to that bastards side. Drink after drink wasn't enough, and though drunk- he was still sober enough to know he lived in a world of fools- himself being the biggest one of all. Not a fan of being depressed, or the fact his good looks were becoming weathered- himself, growing older, he ignored the oncoming grey hairs in the months that had past- and wondered if he was old enough to simply wither away like the trees and he could become forgotten- and die.

Curiously enough, he saw the results of fallen trees- the massive 'Wonder Ship' by the crazed new Duchess of Hellvion. He never thought he'd live to see the day where a woman took leadership of anything by her own claim. Though if he had...
He would have thought the Grand Duchess might be spirited enough to be the one.

But he was wrong, wrong about so many things. And he didn't care as he pissed against a tree. Moving away, he found himself moving closer towards the edge of the mountain side, still keeping his eyes upon the massive boat while men raised its flag high into the air-
And it wasn't the flag of Connlaoth- but that of Hellvion. ANd he couldn't help but wonder if this duchy wanted its own war. Connlaoth would fall, and perhaps he'd crumble with it.

He was sick of himself, sick of the emotions he indebted to himself. Sick of the memories, sick of his own ego, sick of life. But as he stared at the ship, knowing full well the value of something so massive, so grand....
He soon found himself walking towards it.

Perhaps out on the sea, he'd drift away into the unknown-
and start over again, become the man he had once been, or was destined to become, and take a ride upon the arrogance of one woman to hide from another....

It was never a dull day.

Evarelia, since she could remember, had never been bored. There was always something to occupy her mind. Whether it was hovering over her husbands shoulder to help run the duchy, chase after her children through the muddy garden. Always something. Though now, her children were grown, her husband was deployed and she herself? Busy. Always busy. In the most glorious way.

With her husband off to play soldier, she'd been left to run things. Though, officially, it was still her husband. She signed the papers. She gave the orders. If the whole country wasn't in such a terrible state Evarelia would have even boasted about doing a good job of it.

It wasn't a tough decision to back the Duchess of Hellvion. Another woman. While Evarelia didn't have courage enough to run Folkvar completely, she could appreciate a woman who did. And there she was. Waiting for the ship. The maiden voyage. As usual, she was dressed impeccably. Just enough bosom to entice the gaze, a fan to keep her from getting too warm. A glorious hat to top off her stunning red hair.

Nothing short of a vision she waved her fancy lacey fan to her face, pressing a hand against her corseted stomach. It was a glace, really. A quick glace and all she saw was memories. The posture looked a little defeated but she'd never forget his face. For a few short moments, it was a good twenty years ago and she was a young girl off to be married to a potential duke.

Briefly, Evarelia looked down at her left hand, twirled her wedding ring around her finger with her thumb. Did he still have it? Did he sell it? While people had been milling towards the boat to be boarded - just as she was - the dead stop while she stared openly had people bumping into her and eventually she was going towards that familiar face.

Never had she been one for subtly. Evarelia was a stubborn sure woman and what she lacked in manners she made up for in cleavage. Usually it worked.

"My Dear Dekka," Evarelia started, slipping her arm into his, guiding him towards where she had intended on going, "You smell like a tavern." A tilt of her head, the coils of red hair spilling over her shoulder and bosom as she looked up at him, "Is that by choice or necessity?"

Belching when the arm caught his, he caught sight of her breasts first before following her wild, red curls to her face. Though its been a while, he'd never forget her.

"You've aged like a fine wine. Care to join me back at the tavern for necessity and excess?"

Evarelia wrinkled her nose at the belch.

"I can't say the same for you, My Dear. Maybe after a bath." Was her quick reply, a tilt of her head and she tried to smile at him. But he looked tired. "I suppose you never grew out of your wild ways and they're finally taking their toll?" Her voice was gentle and curious, a simple lift of her eyebrow and she took his hand and guided him along.

"Come with me, we'll get a meal in you and catch up, hmm?"

Dekka sneered at her suggestion.
"Catch up? What he fucking hell could we possibly fucking need to catch up on?" her story was cut and dry, she was a duchess after all, and he? Everyone knew about his soirerie with the Grand Duchess. But he was bitter, and not even appropriately was it directed at her. But he was tired, drunk and fucking irritable.

He was also glad the ring he had of hers was in his pocket. The chain had since broke, and he hadn't cared to replace it. It was also embarasaing he still had it after all those years. What was the use of hanging onto a memory?

He eyed her breasts when he averted her eyes and smiled meanly.
"It seems you've been fucking well."

Evarelia gave him a brief smile, though she held his arm all the tighter.

"It's what friends do, Dekka, after they haven't seen one another in decades." Was her simple reply before she couldn't help the smirk.

"Is that I've been fucking well or I've been fucking well," A bright smile up at him and she pat his hand, "Both of those quite true! Comes with a terrible amount of paperwork though, I fear I have to write essay's when I want a new dress." A purse of her lips and she looked thoughtful for a moment, " Or pants."

"Now," She pat his hand again, ignoring the fact he was looking at her breasts - that's what they were currently there for in this dress anyway - "At the very least have a meal with me and then a bath," He smelled. Not that she'd tell him that, even little words could cut deep and from the looks of it anymore deep wounds would kill the poor man. It was in her own selfish interests to keep him quite alive.

His lips itched into a smirk.
"I'm sure your husband wont fucking mind? But if you want cheap food and booze, the Stable house," which was the tavern he just visited, "is one I'd recommend."

Evarelia laughed and pat his hand again.

"I would like neither of those," She laughed, looking up at him, "Just come with me. Please?" Still tugging him along, "We'll get you cleaned up and fed."

Dekka stopped and gave her a stubbornly mean yet playful look when he said, "What's wrong with cheap booze? You didn't seem to mind a few decades ago. Did becoming a duchess make you too classy for dirt?"

Evarelia grinned and lifted her chin, eyeing him from the side.

"Of course I didn't mind, I was young and you're handsome," A tilt of her head and she held his arm all the tighter, too stubborn to leave him. Simply because of old times sake. After all this time and she'd just randomly bump into him. There was a lot to talk about. A lot to say.

A lot to question.

"Lead the way then, Dekka, I do hope you'll let me pay? As you said, I am a Duchess," She lifted her head and tossed her curls over her shoulder, "I can afford to feed one of my oldest friends."

He laughed, a bark of a laugh.
"You're holding onto the King of Thieves. Who said I'd let either of us pay?" And his grin grew roguish.

His arm got a light smack and Evarelia rolled her eyes boldly.

"I'm holding onto my friend, Dekka," She corrected, nudging him with her hip, "I would like to pay for you."

Again, he gave her a mean grin.
"How about you let the man handle this and i'll steal us some grub?" he was too drunk not to argue.

A mean grin was returned and she gave him another nudge with her hip.

"Steal it? You think I can run in this dress?" She flicked her skirts out with one foot before she held his arm tighter, "How do you plan on stealing food, anyway?" Her words were genuinely curious and she looked up at him, an eyebrow raised, "From the trash bin?"

He laughed, "seems we really need to play catch up, duchess."

A bright grin.

"We do, I'm glad you agree" A pout and she turned her head away, feigning being hurt "At least I remembered your name." Taking a breath she looked around before giving him another little nudge.

"Alright. Fine. But can I take you back to the inn after? You really do need a bath."

And at that, he grinned ear to ear.
"Only if you wash me."

Evarelia looked thoughtful for a moment, eyed him up and down.

Yeah, it was worth it.

"Done!" She'd had children and Dekka didn't have anything she'd never seen before anyway.

"You know, after having children, I've gotten quite good at washing backs." Especially after those backs had gotten loose and ran naked through mud. Naked of all things. Still, with her arm tucked in his she smiled up at him. Not quite what she remembered - or was expecting - but it was oddly refreshing to be around him again.

"Now, are we going to bathe and get a meal or are you going to prove to me something about yourself that I'm already very aware of?" She wiggled her ring finger at him - now with a different ring on it - to indicate she was indeed aware of his superior thievery skills.

"You know you'll be washing more than my back. You sure you'll remember how to handle my body? Last time you got to touch it was in cider creek that night outside the mill." He'd never forget that. It was the first and last time they had made love. And though she hadn't been his first, he had been hers; though she had been the love of his life. It was like salt in his wounds to see her now.

At her ring gesture, he casually shrugged.
"I only steal things worth stealing." it seemed his thieving antics, though known Connlaothian wide, her duchy had never once been affected by his skilled hands.

The memory caused Evarelia to turn a little red, though her wicked grin was on display. "I'm willing to risk it," anything toget him presentable, "though I may need a few pointers if I'm going to be washing more than your back." A gentle nudge to keep them moving and she smiled, a small tilt of her head.

"Well, that sounds fool proof. Now! Dekka," A small smile up at him, another little nudge, "are we going to have that cheap alcohol and meal before bathtime or no?"

But of course, milady," he went on with a drunken bow. "But walking around with the likes of such a stunning duchess may cause some unwanted attentions. Not many are used to seeing such royalty in pairs."

Evarelia smiled at pat at his hand.

"Which is why I wanted you to have a bath," a chuckle and she looked around, "Or perhaps I should wear a disguise?" Blue eyes were full of mirth and she grinned widely at Dekka, "Where might I find a disguise, I wonder?"

"Disguise?" he looked her up and down. "You know.." he went on, slyly, "You could just walk around naked. I'm sure no one would recognize you then."
And well- she had nice boobs and he never had a chance to see them so... 'developed'.

A light tap of his arm and an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"You just want a repeat." A wiggle of her eyebrows and she tugged him along, "Now, make a choice. Do you want to eat or take a bath?"

"Why not both? You know.. at the same time?"
He couldn't make anything easy, of course! Then again, he never did for her. He had always been so stubborn-
and also very persistent. Perhaps it's why, even today, after several other heart aches- this one still burned the most.

A bright smile and she tugged him along.

"Done! We'll go to where I'm staying, get some dinner, wine and then..." She nudged him again, "get you that bath." Tossing her hair again, a shift of her hips. It was nice - if bittersweet - to see him again. So much time had past and while she changed - hopefully for the better - being around her first love made her a little dizzy. In a good way.

"Or... Dinner and bath. At the same time," lifting an eyebrow, "though no dropping anything in the tub." Evarelia tugged him along to the inn, a more grand location than the tavern he probably wanted to take her to.

He still wasn't sober by the time they pulled up to the Salt and Sand Inn. It was a luxury place, with a grand view of the sea. Not many places could boast such beauty on their property- especially on this side of the ocean, which, thought beautiful, was rocky at best, but the cliff side below had a long stretch of beach, which this place had a long, ornate stair case crafted to allow easier access for it's visitor's to enjoy.

He had only heard about it- Hellvion being another one of the duchies he rarely frequented. It was for this reason he had escaped here- for a reprieve; though in no small way to stumble about as he spiraled out of control. But he wasn't too drunk to catch a certain look in her eye, which made his own green eyes soften just a little- mirroring the look of yearning he once had in his youth-
before he had the balls to utter his feelings.

It still hurt. THey hadn't really left on good terms- though he supposed it could have been worse. It was perhaps it's bad habit to fall for women he could not have that would be the end of him. He figured that was the best way to go when he had drowned drink after drink, whihc left him in his current state of inebriation.

"You know you're leading a wolf into your flock of sheep. You sure dragging in a man like me won't ruin your reputation, my lady?"
NOt that he cared- or tried to pretend he didn't, eyeing up all of the decorations the place afforded on its outside walls and knowing that inside, even more grand frills awaited.

But he felt so hollow- and where once he took such great pleasure and pride in his ability to steal just about anything.....
It was just his mind going through it out of habit, and no longer the need.


He needed more to drink. And by the time they approached the front door, and the doorman tried to open it for the lady, Dekka moved to cut in.
"I don't think so. I can fucking get this." And he bowed to the man,t hen to the duchess and opened the door- just for her.

"After you, Duchess."

A bright laugh and Evarelia watched Dekka open the door. Like a real gentleman.

Sort of.

Sashaying through the door she offered her arm to him again before looking thoughtful - but just a little bit.

"If I cared about my reputation, I'm sure I would be." A tilt of her head and a smirk, "Being a good leader means that most people in my Duchy don't care about rumours that maybe they heard heard from Hellvion." A smile and Evarelia guided Dekka along.

She didn't really want to get him more alcohol but she was keen on getting him cleaned up.  She moved to the front desk and smiled, "I'd like two meals, a bottle of wine and a bath sent my room," Shoulders squared, not a hint of hesitation. There was a brief look between the pair from the person at the desk and Evarelia just smiled and tugged Dekka along.

Using a key to her door she stretched her arms up, and moved to plop herself on a chair.

"Now we wait for the meal and that bath," crossing her legs  at the knee she watched Dekka, "So. Do you want to talk about it?"

Dekka, by now, was unphased by the posh environment of the elite. The Grand Duchess must've spoiled it out of him, but either way, he let his eyes linger over the ornate detail of the room. At her question, however, his hand paused where it trailed against the mahogany head board.

"Talk about it?" He wasn't sure he got her meaning. His head was still swimming from the alcohol, but.. other things were sobering him. Thankfully he drank enough to nearly poison himself. He'd wonder if he'd come to regret this later. Even he, a man who could hold his liquor, knew he went well past his limit. Then again, he felt past his limit.

Closing her eyes for a few moments, Evarelia just gave Dekka a small smile.

"Why you're in this state," her voice was soft and she moved from the chair to the couch, leaving enough space for Dekka if he chose to sit beside her. Concern was bright in her blue eyes and Evarelia held out her hand.

"Why I'm...?"
Realizing what she meant, he barked a laughed.
"What? Fucking drunk?" he laughed. "Come on, even you should know me well enough to know I like my liquor, Evrie."
Evrie had always been his little nick name for her- and it was probably a slip of tongue he used it now.

"I do," she folded her hands on her lap, heart skipping a beat at the nickname. It made her tingle that he remembered. Shifting slightly she just watched him, "well, have a meal with me," And then as if on cue there was a knock at the door.

The wine, the food and the makings for a bath were delivered.

A few of the maids gave Dekka long looks, fluttering their eyelashes and Evarelia was surprised at the jolt of jealousy that surged through her. Then again, reunited with her first love. Rubbing her hands together and locking the door behind the maids. "Aren't you curious about how I've been? My children?" Well, not that he would like them, mordecai and Adhara they were.

She pulled the plates onto a little table and eyed Dekka and then the tub.

Filthy as a pig and drunk as a duck, he still had skills to draw the hungered attention of women. He had a way with his eyes, and a way to hold his expression that left so many swooning. Perhaps Evrie had been the first he used it on, first practiced and wanted to woo, but now? Now he used it to get so many lays he was probably considered a sex addict. He really did want to and loved to fuck just about any girl that'd let him.

"Curious?" he just about laughed in her face. "The whole fucking world knows about you and your Ansgar blessed children. But what about me? Fucking, I probably have so many fucking bastards out there..." And he thought back to Evangeline and how...
Well, yes, he was a father, at least on one confirmed occasion. The memory made him frown.

"Even a dead one." He tried to laugh about it- but the idea the Grand Duchess's first born child, a boy, who had died before even reaching the age of two, was hitting him a lot harder than he'd like to admit. He had been in love with her, perhaps even more so than he had been in love with Evrie, for at least with the Grand Duchess he got many good years of a scandalous affair.

With Evrie...
He just had a haunted past full of memories that helped lead him down the path that took him to just who he was today. She really was a great molder of his destiny- even if he'd never admit it. Hell, if he would have actually considered the reality of what his feelings could lead to, what they meant; he might have lived a decent life. Not that he'd ever think that way, or consider it...

Love.
It just wasn't fucking for him.

"You asking about children cause you want to make some with me?" He smirked- but hell, if he asked her, he'd fuck her right here. Too bad he'd probably have a whisky dick.
"I'm sure you've heard enough about me and what you've been missing- though I guess your husband does well enough- shooting off his fucking load inside you and making anything but a fucking heir. But hey, apparently I'm good at making some fucking sons. So you want it? I'm offering- and you know it'll only make us both feel like a fucking explosion of stars."

Yep, he was wasted.

A smirk, a single eyebrow raised.

His state surprised even her and Evarelia knew she'd probably have to coax him into the bed to sleep some of the alcohol off. After the bath.  Still, his attempt at humour mentioning his dead child had her heart break for him and Evarelia's face fell.

Mostly she ignored his later words, simply watching him before seating herself at the little table and poking at her food. "Dekka," a small smile, "I only want to get to know you again... And I'm sorry about your child." Looking a little crest fallen she moved to the food, "eat with me? Please?"

"KNow me again?" That had him laughing. "You trying to hit on me? How about I fucking eat the food off your breasts. I don't ever recall them being that fucking big."

"They did get quite big didn't they?" She looked down at herself, not letting Dekka pick a fight. "They sort of just exploded after I had my eldest, can't say I mind that they're still here." She picked at her food and ate it, giving him a tilt of her head, a little bird look.

"I won't stop you though if that's how you want to eat your dinner."

His grin grew enormous.
"Now that's what I'm fucking talking about! Lay a big fucking steak across them and I'll lick them clean!"

An exaggerated roll over her eyes and she folded her arms over her chest.
"You need a knife to cut steak, I'd prefer to keep my breasts in one piece. I take it back, you can eat your food like a regular boring person." A bit of food from her plate to her mouth and she just looked at him, passively. "Food or bath, you need to do one of them."

"The only thing I want to do is you. Fucking want to watch those massive breasts you grew bounce."

A laugh.

Evarelia laughed. A bright grin and she chewed her dinner thoughtfully before she shook her head.

"Not while you smell like that. Maybe after you bathe, why do you think I want you to take a bath? I've already had to live with one pig rutting between my legs, but at least he didn't smell like one." And then she resumed daintily eating her dinner.

"Fine," he went on with a salute. "A bath then."And he proceeded to sloppily undress.

Victory!

It was a grand attempt to keep the smug grin off her face and she quickly enough stood upto gather his sloppily removed clothing. Those would have to be cleaned. Or replaced. She waited until he was undressed before she guided him to the tub and rested a hand at her hip. "Climb in, I'll wash your back. And your hair."

"Though... How attached to this clothing are you? If there's anything in the pockets you don't want me seeing you have five seconds to get it." Graciously she turned her head and closed her eyes... Mostly because she wouldn't be surprised if he had a plethora of dicks just sitting around in his pockets.

"What the fuck you think I got in there? It's not like you can fucking loot me." though he had forgotten the ring...

"You are shameless enough to chase after me naked," another smile and she shrugged and dug around in his pockets. What was this? Probably from one of his many famous flings, a ring, even. Did he get married to a secret lover?

Carefully she pulled the ring out.

Then she stared at it.

"Dekka..." It was her ring.

"You... You still have this? It's..." A shake of her head and she held it carefully between her thumb and index finger, "I thought you'd have sold it years ago."

Smiling drunkenly, he said, "I told you the offer was good. I am a man of my word." but when he noticed what she held, he grew quiet and almost seemed to sober. Then he vomitted all over the floor.

The vomit caught her off guard.

Oh dear.

He'd gone and made himself sick.

"Oh, Dekka."

Tucking one towel aside for Dekka since she was now going to make him take a bath. She scooped some water from the tub, put it into the puddle of WhateverThatWas and cleaned it up with the remaining towels.

Then, once the mess was cleaned up she unceremoniously dumped them outside her door. The help would get to it. Moving closer to him she held his side and rubbed his back, "Please get into the tub of water? You'll feel better after, then you can sleep and in the morning you'll be right as rain." In her puke-cleaning-panic she'd placed the ring into a pocket in her skirts momentarily forgetting about it.

"Just ... Rest." She placed a kiss to his shoulder in a small comforting attempt - he was too tall for her to tiptoe and kiss his cheek - and rubbed his back again.

Dekka groaned.
"That sounds like a fucking good idea." And he stumbled with a splash into the tub.

Though looking like shit, it was evident Dekka lived an active lifestyle by the taunt muscles now glistening with water, and a hard life by the scars and bruises lining his form. And once situated, he gave her a grin.

"You gonna join me?" he asked, patting the water playfully.

Evarelia laughed, shifting her stance and smiling down at him.

"If you weren't so filthy I may have considered it." Gently she pressed her hand to his forehead, "we can nap together when you're done your bath."

He gave her a drunken, suave grin.
"That didn't stop us before," he said leaning forward, nearlyclose enough to kiss her.

"I was a horny teenager," she smirked, though she leaned in enough to press a kiss to his forehead, "besides, you didn't smell like a pig pen the last time." Leaning back she took a cloth, lathered it up with soap and passed it along his shoulder.

He laughed, though it sounded more like an echo of a laugh.
"I suppose river rot is fucking better than drunken puke?"

Still cleaning him the best she could she just smiled at him.

"Ah! But that water was clean! And running!" She pointed to the bath he was in, "gross."

"If you're so intent on fucking we can fuck in an actual bed!" She pointed to the bed behind her and smiled. "After you've bathed."

At that, his expression brightened as he lifted up his arm.
"Then scrub me down and do it fucking fast!"

A slap of the cloth on his chest, "you're not a baby, clean yourself." Though that didn't stop her from sitting back with her arms folded over her chest.

"Yes, but I am fucking drunk," he told her with an ear to ear grin. "Come on, stop being a fucking tease. You promised me sex. Why wait? You should get fucking in here with me already!" he went on, reaching out to snatch her by the arms and pull her in with him.

Being snatched caught her off guard and with a squeal Evarellia went face first into the water. Arms in the tub on either side of Dekka she just stared at him, hair wet and wide eyes. "Dekka!" While she wanted to frown at him she just grinned, a devilish smirk on her face. "It's only big enough to fit one adult, you know."

At that he pulled her closer, grip stronger.
"Then I'd better make some room."

"I'm still wearing my dress," Evarellia stated, giving him an unamused look. "How about you take your back," a gentle tug to get away "and get some sleep, and if you still feel like sex in the morning we'll get you a mint and do that." A smile and a tilt of her head, eyebrows up. Hoping, slightly, that he was too drunk to remember this conversation come morning.

His grip held true.
"How about we have that reunion now?" he went on, keeping her close, making kisses at her throat.

Evarelia gave her eyes a bold roll and she slipped her arms from her sleeves - though the corset wouldn't be removed so easily. "Alright, let's gone," she pet at his shoulder and stroked his cheek, "when have I ever been able to resist your..." A wrinkled of her nose at the state he was in, "charms?"

His kisses were still sloppy, his breath- rancid from drink. But his hands new exactly what to do, as she might be surprised to find her corset was actually beginning to become loose.
"No one can resist a king.." he told her, words slurred and hot against her neck.

Dekka always played a good game and unfortunately the only way to beat him at it was to play along. Evarelia nearly gagged at his breath and she was indeed surprised to feel her corset. "Dekka, wouldn't you rather do this when you're sober?" She moved her fingers up and down his sides in the water, sneaky attempts to wash him. If only she could do something about thy breath.

"Why?" He laughed against her skin, freeing her corset enough to slip his a hand up inside as he cupped her breast. "Of course I would." He laughed again. "I'd fuck you any time..." He continued to kiss at her skin. "Anywhere."

The hand on her boob caught her off guard and she gave a startled laugh. What a state she was in. Half in a tub, a hand on her breast with a very intoxicated man she hadn't seen in twenty someodd years. "I'd rather do this with you sober," she pressed a kiss to his temple and leaned away slightly. "In the morning. After breakfast. We can do it all day." A lie, to be sure, but he didn't need to know that.

"C'mon Dekka," she took the sponge back up and the bar of soap, "let's finish getting you bathed and then we can cuddle." Evarelia's tone took on a soothing note and she smiled.

He couldn't fuck if he wanted to. Not in his state, even with his hand on her breast. The world, after all, was still spinning. And it seemed he was getting ill again. This time, however, he turned to throw up outside of the bath, and it went all over the floor-
one puke right after another-

Yet, his hand was still on that victoriously claimed boob.

Then vomit happened. All over her dress.

"Oh, Dekka," the skirt was ruined and she's known he was sick, her wet hands pushed through his hair and she rubbed his back, barely even noticing he still had a hand on her breast. "Let it all out," she said gently, still trying to sooth with her hands. What a reunion.

Clearly life had not been kind to Dekka.

Though Evarelia wondered if it was by his own doing. Probably, the Dekka she remembered was impulsive and foolhardy. "Are you going to be okay? Should I call for a doctor?" She leaned in, voice low, "you said you were good at making sons. You're not pregnant, are you?"

At her response, he smiled through vomit stained teeth.
"Fuck no."
Then promptly vomited again.

"Good God, Dekka. How much did you drink?!" Her voice got high and a moment of panic ripped through her.  Still, being calm was important and she simply continued to alternate between rubbing his back and carding her fingers through his hair.

It was hard to tell. He mumbled something about drinking the entire bar, but after expelling more of his stomach's contents, eventually, he simply passed out in the bath. He looked like shit, perhaps even as bad as death, which in the moment, he wouldn't care if it took him.

"Dekka?" Evarelia shook his shoulder, "Dekka!"

Passed out in a bath of all things. Cold and clammy, she touched his face and checked his pulse. Worried now she cleaned the mess the best she could, opened a window to air out the foul smelling room and changed into a night dress - at least a hundred times more easy to change out of. It was a long night, watching over her sick friend and because she couldn't move him from the tub she stayed beside it, dozing off every now and then.

It would be well past morning, and well into the next day before he'd awaken. The window, it seemed, was still needed to be cracked, and the sounds of the busy streets could easily be heard inside. But the hubbub about some grand voyage of a ship or whatever, was lost on Dekka as he opened his eyes and groaned into awakenedness. And his head throbbed and his entire body felt worse than shit.

At first he had no idea where he was. The walls were immaculate- but he had seen far better in the plush palace of the Grand Duchess's home. And though he recognized the woman in the room- she was not Kathryn- or even his fling, Evangeline. No...

She was..

"Evrie?"

He winced suddenly- the very act of thinking, let alone speaking, sent a jolt of pain all around his brain- but mostly focused on his temples, of which he clutched at with a, "Fuck!"

Her name had her hum but the yelp had her jolt awake and he stared at Dekka with wide blue eyes.

"What! Are you okay?" Her voice got quiet, taking a quick look around the room, "are you still sick?"

"Fucking Ansgar'sball sack!" he kept clutching his head. "What the fuck happened?!"

"Far as I can tell you got dumped, got drunk out of your mind and then spent half the evening throwing up on me." A bright smile, "would you like come coffee?"

He continued to clutch his head.
"Fuuuuuck." bending over, he groaned.
"This is a dream, just some fucking, twisted dream." He belched. It was painful. He turned to peer at her with a sneer. "You fucking coming into my dreams to taunt me, you fucking cunt? Fuck." Even talking hurt. "Well fuck you and all the other cunt fuckers out there." He could see her expression and raised his voice."What the fuck you looking at? And why the fuck am I in a fucking bath tub?" Fuck!

Confusion was apparent on her face.

"Excuse me?" Standing up, face flushed with anger.

"You're in a tub because you smell like a God damn barn! And then you decided getting violently ill was a great idea so you did that all over me and the floor! And then you fell asleep and you're huge so I couldn't do anything but leave you in a tub!" Evarelia took a moment, hands out while she calmed herself down. Them both being angry would hardly be productive.

"You're not dreaming. You're in my hotel room in Hellvion and I am absolutely not a cunt fucker, thank you very much."

"Fuck." He sneered and looked her over. "Coulda fooled me."

A dark look, "That I'm not a dream or that I'm not a cunt fucker, Dekka?"

"Both," he growled. Nursing his head, he glared at her. "What do you want?"

A frown. Evarelia reached out briefly, hand ready to card through is hair but remembering that he was rather bitchy, she quickly pulled it back.

"I was excited when I saw you. I just... Wanted to help." Tilting her head, she tried to smile and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "You were in rough shape. You're still in rough shape."

"Excited?" there was a subtle sparkle in the mean depths of his eyes. He sneered again. "I don't need your help." And he moved to stand, water gushing down his body-
before he promptly toppled over the side of the bath. The most foulest and colorful of words flowed from his mouth as cold, stale soapy water came with him- for he took the tub along, too! And it hurt like hell, his hands smarting where he had barely been able to catch himself. And the second he was able to get his balance (though he was still on his hands and knees), he turned to give the tub a hard kick that sent it sailing.

Though still naked, he was fuming made and his head was pounding like a freight train. Nostrils flaring, he stumbled to his feet- his long braid sticking to his body, and he growled no different than an animal.

"Where the fuck are my clothes?" THough he was pretty close to just simply walking out of there- dressed or not!

"Dekka!"

Evarelia yelled, angry now before she took a deep breath and went and grabbed him his clothes - which had been on the floor where he'd left them. Where she'd left them after she dug around in his pockets. The soppy mess of them in her arms, sure enough it made her night dress see-through, clinging to her skin but she was frustrated.

"Would you just calm down? Please? You're going to hurt yourself."

"Calm down?" The room grew hotter. "Calm fucking down?!" Small flames shot out and danced across his fists. "I am as fucking calm as I fucking can be!"

"You know what, I really think you're not!"

Clothes still in her arms she frowned at him before she tossed the wet clothing at his chest, "Cool down, Dekka. God. You're not a toddler. Stop your temper tantrum!"

Dekka caught the clothing but they began to smoke in his grasp, which only made his growls grow louder.
"Yeah well fuck you! No one asked for your god damn fucking opinion, Duchess." And with a huff, he attempted to get dressed while still sopping wet, and not able to control his fire power too well. But he really didn't fucking care.

Evarelia frowned, arms crossed over her chest after realizing the nightdress clung to her skin from the wet clothing. It wouldn't do well for them to both be angry and she took a deep breath, watching him try to get dressed. Gently she reached out a hand, looking at him.

"Dekka. It's just... Evrie. Remember? I know you were drunk yesterday but..." A sigh and she pressed the hand reaching out to him to her hair, "I just wanted to help my friend. I'm trying really hard not to get angry at you for... For being angry about nothing."

"Angry about nothing?" He shoved her from him, recoiling from any further touches from her as he sneered.
'Friend?" he laughed coldly. "Fucking funny thing to say you think we're fucking friends."

"We're not?" Evarelia's face fell and she went a little pale, "why not?" She smoothed her hands down the front of her clothing and she let out a careful breath. "What are we then, that you've carried around my ring for all this time."

He shot her a look, a dangerous, murderous look while his eyes narrowed.
"You went through my fucking things?"

The look was returned, except there was far more stubborn to it.

"You said you didn't care. All this anger should really be directed at yourself, Dekka."

"What do you mean I didn't fucking care!? What the fuck- What the hell are you even..." And all he could do was growl out more swears. "Look, just give me my fucking stuff back." His eyes grew hard. "All of fucking it, and I'll be on my fucking way."

Head ache aside, he could use another fucking round of drinks. Or maybe he really was still dreaming. Drunk nightmares were normally the oddest, and this was fucking over the top, to him!

Why was he so angry? Still she rifled through her soiled dress before her fingers fell to the ring. Pulling it out of the pocket and staring at it for a few moments. "Can't you stay? I don't want you to go," slowly she held the ring out on her palm to the angry man, looking fairly crestfallen. "I just found you again," and ever since he'd left she'd always look for his face.

He snatched the ring back- and in doing so, he might have singed her flesh. His eyes were still hard.
"Found me?" His body bristled, in no short difference than that of a wild beast. "Fuck you." And he threw the ring at her face, before throwing on what was left of his clothing and storming towards the door. ANd he couldn't help but recall...

The last time he threw that ring......

Kathryn....

Fuck her. Fuck Evrie. Fuck them all. And when he moved to open the door, he nearly flung it from it's hinges.

Being calm, cool and collected apparently only worked so well.

It wasn't the burn on her hand that had her angry - surely he didn't do it on purpose - it was the way he bristled. Like her having looking for him - sure it was passively - was some sort of insult. Evarelia felt ashamed of it and she stood there shocked when he threw the ring at her. Reflexively she caught it and just stared after him.

"Dekka!" Evarelia snarled, fist clenched around the ring, angry. No, she was furious and she stormed after him. "You've changed! And not for the better! Whatever you've been doing these past years has turned you into a real prick. I want to wish you a nice life but you'd probably strangle any well wishes to wallow in your bullshit! When you want to talk to me like a real adult you know where to find me."

"Know where to find you?" he asked with a roar, turning around and taking the door clean off the frame with him. That only pissed him off even more as he threw the damn thing on the ground.
"If I didn't get it across the first time I spat it... FUCK YOU!" And he turned to move down the hall, so pissed off and so consumed by his own powers he found himself slamming a fiery fist into a nearby wall, whihc made the whole thing shake and singe with smoldering black residue. And before anyone could even come to check on what the hell just happened, he wasted no time in exiting by a roll out the nearest window-
even though they were several stories up.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

While she considered herself a stubborn steadfast woman being screamed at after an emotionally draining night had her twinge. Not even in a good way. Finally tears pricked her eyes and she just tried not to cry and watched his retreating form. It had been stupid of her to approach him. Of course he wouldn't be the same. Just like she wasn't the same. Still! That didn't mean - "Dekka!" She screamed after him after he jumped out a window.

"Oh God," she skirted past the maids and the help and hung out the window, half expecting to see him splattered on the ground.

Except there was no one there, the only evidence of where he might have gone was coming from light foot steps on the roof.

A frown and she furiously wiped at her eyes.

"Fix my door!" She barked at the help while they scurried about extremely confused. It was a few hours, Evarelia had been moved to another smaller room while they cleaned hers and fixed her door. Still, she was angry. First he can't wait to get up her skirts and then he hates her guts! For nothing! "When did he become a hormonal teenager!" She snapped to herself, tempted to go out and look for him again. Just to give him a piece of her mind.

The ring he threw at her sat on her desk and she looked at it every time she felt like getting angry. That wasn't even hers anymore. It was his. The rejection - or whatever it was - still stung and she threw the journal she was writing in across the room before she went and flopped onto the bed. Quickly enough she was curled up in a ball on top of the blankets and fast asleep. Emotionally drained for what seemed like a life time.

Life sucked- it was a fucking joke, and even the drinks at the bar made him turn soured. A bar brawl really meant nothing-a nd he almost killed a man with his fists- but now he had been turned out, once again drunk and stumbling along a cliff side walk. He contemplated misstepping- and what that would even mean.

"I'm so pissing drunk I bet I wouldn't even feel the damn end," he grumbled. But a sudden explosion of colorful lights above what had to be the biggest ship he had ever seen, caught his attention. He stood more erect, staring at the ship and finding his boots guiding him towards it. And the second he realized what was going on, his grin grew boyish.

It didn't take long for him to get down to the dock where all of the commotion was. He over heard the rich and famous talking about the luxury ship heading out to foreign seas and even islands.

"Great white sand beaches untouched by humans," one man said.

"I'd like to see some of those exotic birds."

"What about the Northern Light show?"

"Oh, the one in Hyoite? You think the vessel will really dare to go so far north that we could see it?"

"Of course it is! Says so right in the pamphlet."

Dekka had snatched a pamphlet for himself, and a man's wallet- along with his ticket to board. Once outside of their circle, he began to leaf through the things- his interest seeming to sober him.

The day to board the grand ship had arrived. Evarelia had placed the ring on a necklace that she wore along with she charms she'd gotten for her children. They'd never see the charms - she hadn't sen either of her children for a long time - but she kept them close to her heart all the same. Her things had been brought aboard and now she was reading a book on the deck, enjoying theses breeze and waiting to set sail.

It was the first time in a long time since she'd gone on an adventure.

Sure it was a boat, but she looked up from her book, frowned at the still same scenery and quickly resumed reading. Always looking for the familiar face. The one that apparently hated her.

Getting on board was easier than he thought, but he knew better than to take the suite in first class. He knew those bloated rich type far too well, ticket or not, theyd have their suite. That only left him a few options, and he figured he'd play it by ear as usual. So he wasted no time and began to take a stroll around the ship's interior before it got too crowded as all the patrons would board. And though he found himself in a grand hall full of diamonds, ripe for the plucking on the shimmering chandeliers, a part of him just felt empty for it. All of this seemed empty... Wrong.

Another brief glance up from her book and she saw a far too familiar face.

At first denial was on her mind and then she sat up and stared through the grand windows, frowning briefly before she stood up, closing her book and leaving it on her seat. Evarelia had gotten on the boat very early, not keen on waiting to board and instead wanted to laze about on the ship. Apparently someone else did, too.

It didn't take long for her to find the room Dekka was in and the clicks of her heels against the polished floor gave away her presence. Not wanting to be angry she simply held in her hands in front of herself and watched him for a time, looking to his hands and then studying him. His posture. Looking for the young man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago.

Evarelia couldn't find him, but she kept looking. Just a little spark. "Hello," She finally said, voice even, if a little quiet for the grand hall.

He knew someone approached. He had caught her reflection in a grand mirror. This made him sneer.
"I should have guessed a woman like you would be on this ship."

Evarelia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, looking back at the reflection for a moment before sighing. "I should have guessed a man like you would be on this ship," She replied, not moving an inch, "I'm sorry, I thought you'd have calmed down. I suppose we'll see one another later sometime so..." Evarelia gave an incline of her head and began to walk away, "Be safe and have a nice day."

Dekka made no indication of his irritation, rather, he remained as he were, green eyes observant through the mirror. Once she was gone, his hands clenched into fists, and he felt the familiar, animalistic heat inside him rise. But he swallowed it down. It would do no good to let his powers explode here. And the ship, he figured, was about to set sail. It was time to make his decision...

Knowing Evarelia was on board....
He contemplated leaving this ship altogether, but part of him had to wonder...
Were the Gods set to mock him? He had, after all, not handled his rejection from the Grand Duchess well. And he knew the turmoil growing in the city. Why had she been so stubborn? What if she wouldn't be safe there? What if...

A dark smile curled across his lips. Why did he care? She wasn't fucking his problem anymore. And as he moved to leave the room, he saw movement.
"Evrie?" But as he stepped closer-
he realized his mistake, perhaps a bit too late, and a whack to the back of his head had him falling into darkness.

The noise was concerning, but Evarelia tilted her head, gave a listen and the sound of scuffling could be heard. Clearly he'd just had another temper tantrum and Evarelia wasn't going to humour him by going to see what was wrong. Instead she simply returned to her room, gently closed the door before grabbing a pillow and angrily yelling into it.

Later. She'd wander the ship later.

Maybe find Dekka again and demand to know just why he hated her so much.

He awoke with a groan, and the rattling of cold chains on his wrist further roused him.
"Eh?" he turned his head, which was a mistake, for a pain shot through him from where he had been clobbered. "Fuck!"

He jerked on the chains and looked around, until his eyes came upon a rather large, round shaped ship guard looking at him.

"Hello, King of Thieves. Welcome on board The Goddess."

Dekka's face scrunched at such an accusation, but the man didn't hesitate to hold up a wanted poster.

Dekka sneered.
"That doesn't fucking look like me."

"No?" the ship guard asked, looking from the drawing then back to the captured thief. "I see two beady, rat like eyes in this picture... and oh... it looks like you've got two rat like eyes as well. And this hair...."

"A shitty ass attempt to fucking draw anything-" But Dekka's grumbled were ignored as the ship guard went on.

"I see a braid. You have a braid. And I see a ton of money to bring you in .... alive."

Dekka eyed the man a moment before snorting. He raised his chin.
"Yeah, we'll have to fucking see about that."

The ship guard's eyes glistened with an unheard laugh.

"Yes.. I guess we will see."

It was a talent really.

The ability in which Evarelia could gather information.

Sometimes she liked hearing it from the source but other times it was a simple little rumour and she'd go about her business and get the whole story. So, it didn't come as a surprise from her when there was a rumour that someone had caught the King of Thieves.

Right here on the ship. How amazing!

Looking thoughtful she shifted her bosom to the guards, wearing one of her more tight dresses and soon enough she had all the information she needed and a fan which she used to fan herself. It was a tight dress, she needed the breeze.

The longest part was finding where they were keeping their prized possession.

"My dear man!" Evarelia started, going to the ship guard, fanning herself, "You've found my ward," She wiggled her fingers to Dekka, "He's quite enamored with the grand King of Thieves and I can see why you've mistaken him. Reading all the news about him, even..." A gentle shake of her head and an amused laugh, "Having the same hair. He's quite hopeless, my Ward."

"I can compensate you for the trouble, my good man, but I must insist you release him into my care." The tone turned cold, demanding and while she was short in statue, she held an invisible weight. Like there would be hell to pay if she was denied what she asked for.

There were no jail cells on The Goddess, but it wasn't like the staff wasn't illprepared to deal with rough and unwanted stow aways. Dekka had been taken deep below the ship, even lower than steerage, if one could manage to consider what was down there! Clanking pumps and hissing steam from the bellows could be heard, even in the stale aired storage room in which Evarelia had to cross.

But the expansive luggage area wasn't where they kept such a prized prisoner, and it was a smaller room, on with just a small window, too high for anyone to see out of, that was where the King of Thieves had been kept. And he was watched around the clock, arms (and legs) bound to one fo the strong, ship pipes that carried smoke and who knew what else elsewhere. It was a sweating pipe, one that kept the room a bit greasy with its dampness, and the braided fool who had been captured faired no different.

His skin was dripping with sweat, his eyes haggard from days lack of sleep, and his arms were held painfully above his head. Though at the sudden attention outside of his 'cell', he twisted in attempts to get a better look. He had been planning all sorts of escapes, even so much as to attempt to start a 'fire'- but they knew his reputation well enough that soon, a mordecai was stationed nearby. Seems the owner of this damn ship wasn't so stupid after all.

However, he couldn't say he wasn't entirely shocked to see Evarelia was the one attempting to rescue him, so when he finally had the gall to talk, he sneered at her, eyes dark.

"How goes it my duchess whore. You coming to have a bondage fuck with me?"
And he gave her his oh so charmingest of grins.

An eye twitch.

Evarelia looked to Dekka, fanning herself before she turned it on him.

"You keep up that talk and I'll ask out lovely friends here to give us five minutes," she waved the fan again before she snapped it shut and plucked at a piece of fluff on her clothing. Turning back to the guard she just stared at him, like it had proved a point. "You think an intelligent man like the King of Thieves would squander being saved? No. He looks like him, sure, but my ward is not a smart man."

A smile at the guard and she motioned to Dekka again, "Come along now. You've added more to my list to do. Now I need to give him another bath."

Another bath? Dekka smiled, his teeth stained with old blood.

"You heard the woman," he went on, pathetically trying to gesture with his body, which was still numb from the way he hung. The guard hesitated only briefly before allowing the 'King of Thieves' to fall uselessly to the floor. The man chuckled.

"Yes.. not a smart man at all. You might need to wait for his limbs to regain strength. He's been hanging like that for quite some time," the man informed her, amused.

Dekka just groaned on the ground, unable to fully move, cursing them all.

"You didn't even...?" Frowning she snapped her fan opened and closed, staring after the guard. At least he wasn't dead. Or missing limbs. Not too beat up, either.

"My poor dear," she finally started. If he was her ward she should probably be more caring. Her hands hovered over him and she sighed, "foolish man that thought you were the king of thieves." Evarelia began, knowing they were probably being listened to. Waiting for a slip.

"We'll get you tucked into bed soon after a hot meal," she said, hands hovering over him. Evarelia wanted to sooth, wanted to run her hands over his arms in a small effort to comfort him but she knew he'd probably just get snappish if he touched him. "Does anything hurt too much?"

Seeing how she was doting on him- and knowing full well the predicament they were in, he groaned a moment before nodding.
"Y-yeah... r-right.." And he was barely able to raise a hand as he pointed...

To his crotch.

"Right here," he breathed through a groan. "Can you kiss it and make it feel better?"

It took a lot of effort to not smack him with her fan. Which is exactly why she smacked him with her fan. The rap of the little wooden panels far louder than any gusto she hit him with. Though she stared and frowned, looking back at the guards.

"Did the touch you, Sweetheart? You can tell me," she stroked a hand along his cheek, "I'll take care of it in inky the way I could." Which would involve hell to pay. Maybe a few more fan whacks.

Dekka barely reacted to the fan smack, but he was still wearing his cat-like grin.

"Look- do you need help in carrying him? Or do you er.. want to wait for his limbs to return with strength?"

The man hoped they wouldn't wait. This was.. awkward. And he'd rather not be a witness to a duchess's lover and their conquest..

Evarelia could see how awkward the man was being and she folded her arms over her chest. "I don't want you touching him." She turned back to Dekka and smiled, "so we'll have to wait. I can't carry him on my own, I'm so frail and weak!" And she went back to fanning herself, glaring between Dekka and the guard.

What a trip.

So far it was great.

Dekka just looked between the two, still smiling.
"So what.. we wait all together, like some big, fucking close family?"

Evarelia rose an eyebrow, "Fine. If you want him to carry you..." She waved the fan again, "Follow me to my rooms and bring my ward, Guard. If you harm him you'll hear from me. Personally. And not the fun sort of personally." A smile and she let the guard do his thing with Dekka before she led them along through the ship to her room. It was modest - for her at least - with a large bed and a few chairs. A table.

Modest.

Once they were in her room she stared at the guard as coldly as her blue eyes allowed and tilted her head. "Just... Help him onto the bed and be on your way."

Once Dekka was deposited on the bed, the man made a hasty retreat to the door.
"My lady.." he went on, brushing back his haira nd clearing his throat. He looked thoroughly ruffled. "I mean.. Duchess.. Is.. is there anything you need that this... incident has been remedied?"

Evarelia made a shooing motion with her hand before she gave the man a cold look, "No. I think you've done quite enough." A small smile and she shut the door on the guard before turning back to Dekka, hands on her hips and looking thoroughly unamused.  A purse of her lips and she tilted her head, "At least you're not tied up anymore. How are your feeling. For real. No pointing to your dick this time."

"What?" he groaned, attempting to sit up, at least a little. His limbs felt awful, but at least he was able to move them a little more- albeit stiffly.
"Everything's stiff.." He gave her a sore smile. "Dick included."
He looked her over.
"So why the fuck am I here?"

"You're my ward," She smiled at him, "One who idolizes the King of Thieves. You're lucky that guard was stupid or you'd be in a world of trouble." Evarelia moved to sit on the bed, arms crossed over her chest, "I didn't think past getting you free." A frown and she looked around, "If you're nice I'll let you sleep at the foot of the bed."

He raised a brow at her.
"Ever the charitable duchess. Say, you wouldn't mind offering me that bath now? I think I can start feeling my toes. Moving around might fucking help me get back to normal-"
Which meant he could get the hell out of her hair.

And also posed another question....

"How long have we been out to sea?"
He really hadn't meant to remain onboard. He supposed now, he had no choice.

" A few days," A tilt of her head, "Far too long for you to swim back." Evarelia pursed her lips and smiled at Dekka, looking him up and down for a few moments before she crossed her arms over her chest and looked thoughtful. "It's a sponge bath. Which isn't too awful."

She moved closer to him before she sat beside him on the bed, facing him. "Dekka. You have no where to stay on the ship, they think you're my conquest." Evarelia grinned, sort of enjoying the role reversal. "I was kidding at the end of the bed, if you promise to be good at keep your hands to yourself you can sleep on this side and I'll sleep on that side." She pointed to the other side of the bed, before she moved her hand to her necklace.

Ah yes, his ring.

She carefully tucked it away under her dress in case it just sent Dekka into a fury again.

"Are you drunk this time?"

He was exhausted, but laughed.
"Drunk? I fucking wish?"
And he eyed her."WHat's this about a fucking sponge bath? Can't you spare  the coin for a real one?"
He kind of wanted a real one- he felt like shit, and probably smelled bad, too. THough little did he remember- she had smelled him at his worst.

"We're at sea. Surrounded by nothing but salt water." A simple raise of her eyebrows and she sighed, hands dropping to her sides. She wanted to use her bath for herself but she supposed, she'd give him what he wanted. Evarelia had always been clearly weak to Dekka's wishes.

"Fine. Fine. Fine." She pointed a finger at him before leaving the room, "It's a good thing I'm rational." Sort of.

Not really.

Evarelia returned with the ships servants in tow, an empty tub followed by buckets of steaming water. Soon enough, at the foot of the bed was a tub of water and she rested her hands on her hips and shuffled to the other side of the bed, which she promptly flopped back on and plucked her book from the bedside table to read. "Have your bath, Dekka. You can bathe yourself this time, I don't want to ruin this dress."

"Oh? You sound like you've done this before," he told her with a devilish grin. "But my limbs.. you saw how they've treated me.. " He went on, trying to roll out and stretch one limb. He cracked his neck. "I'm weak... vulnerable.... And I think you owe me more than a bath."

"I have. You were drunk out of your mind and managed to fondle my breast even though I was wearing something like what I am now." She looked at him for a moment before she stood up again, book thrown onto the bed.

"What do you think I owe you Dekka?" Evarelia crooned, though shortly after she played with the ring on her necklace. Well. His ring. The Ring.

His simple reply was, "Sex."

A bright laugh.

"Sex." She repeated lifting an eyebrow, "why would I owe sex of all things." She shifted her stance to stare at him, looking amused.

"Why the fuck not? I thought I was your ward... isn't that kinda in the fucking job description?"

Another laugh.

"No. It means I take care of you." Biting her lip, Evarelia looked thoughtful. "Sort of like ... I clothe you and pay for your meals. Maybe sex." A tilt of her head and she grinned, "probably not sex though. Not if you think I owe it to you." Shifting her stance she looked to the steaming bathtub and nodded to Dekka, "if anything you owe me! Now! Take your bath."

He snorted and began to work at peeling off his clothing, which he discarded carelessly to the ground until he wore nothing at all and they were in a heap beside the bed. He said nothing, his body- far more matured than she would have remembered it- far more muscled, and scarred. But he said nothing, not even over the fact his manhood might have been a bit hard prior to stepping in the bath-

But he really wanted and needed that bath- so he figured to indulge int hat first.
They were on a ship. There was no where to go. He could seduce her later.

The show wasn't ignored and she watched Dekka get undressed. Though once he was submerged and the image of his naked body seared into her mind Evarelia looked thoughtful. Giving the tub a long look, decided that it wouldn't fit the both of them. "You know, you're taller and more buff than I remember." A small smirk before she collected her book and laid on the bed, stomach down, facing Dekka.

"Still handsome though, so you have that going for you. Which is nice." His manners could use some work though.

He snorted.
"It's been so many fucking years, Evrie, you can start calling it by decades."
Though after thinking about it- he realized that reminded him of his age.

Evarelia smirled, resting her head in her hand while she watched him bathe.

"Two decades." Her voice was gentle and she smiled all the same, "I had Sunniva within a year of being married. She always reminded me of how much time had passed." A gentle shake of her head while she thought of her eldest child, lost to her so long ago. Evarelia's expression faltered and she stared down at the bed.

"We've gotten older, Dekka," She smiled gentle, "I'm not an imaginative little girl anymore, though you..." A tilt of her head and her eyes snapped back to his face, "You seem like you haven't grown up at all. Maybe a little more angry at the world."

He relaxed back in the tub, but she'd be able to see he was still tense.
"People don't fucking change, Evrie," he pointed out. "You were always one to follow up on your fucking duty. Get married and become a fucking duchess, pop out children... You've got it made."

"I was only raised to do my duty," She pointed out, sticking out her tongue for good measure, "Meeting you was a sort of... Breath of fresh air." Evarelia sighed and nodded, "I do have it made. I am very fortunate to have been in the position I'm in." A tilt of her head and she kicked her legs up, looking at him curiously.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Her voice was quiet. "That I was happy to go along my little... Road of life? The one paved in comfort and fortune?"

At that he laughed, a soured laugh.
"Why would I fucking care?"

"I don't know," Evarelia shrugged, "Jealousy? Anger?"  A purse of her lips, she tapped at them with her finger tips before pulling her hair over her shoulder and drawing her fingers through the curls. "How many women did you bed that live in the lap of luxury, using you as a play thing before they went to back to their husbands."

"Leaving you out in the rain. Alone during winter?"

Dekka bristled. What was her fucking game here?
He snorted.

"What you should really be asking how many women I have fucking bed. Cause rich bitches aren't the only ones I can have fucking fun with."

After all.. There had been Evangeline... although he didn't want to think about her, or.. his son.

A shake of her head.

"I'm sorry Dekka. Maybe i'm jealous." Maybe. Unlikely. But maybe. "Just bathe. I promise to keep my less than nice questions to myself." Evarelia pressed a finger to her mouth and laid her head on her arms, eyes closed.

"Dekka. Are you mad at me?"

Her jealous? That made him snort again, and he had to hold back his third snort at her last question.

"You have a lot to say about yourself for a woman who I haven't fucking seen in years. Can't you keep fucking quiet for two damn seconds?" He sighed, frustrated and sank a bit more in the tub, his toes now jutting out and curling as the air cooled them.

"I think you fucking forgot how dandy my fucking day was."

And really.. he could have gotten himself out of it! He was the kign of thieves after all...
Not that he'd mention he was grateful that she had gotten him- but now, yes..
Now he was regretting it.

Right.

Evarelia rolled her eyes, giving Dekka a slow look before she found her book and continued to read. Ignoring Dekka.

The silence was awkward, and it agitated him.

"How long is this fucking boat ride?" he asked, giving his arm a leisure scrub.

A brief look up from her book

"A couple weeks." Which was an under exaggeration, honestly Evarelia just saw an out for adventure. She figured she could worry about how long it took after she got there. There was little money couldn't buy.

"You can stay with me."

Dekka sneered a smile.
"A few weeks?" He continued to wash his other arm. "Aren't you afraid I'll get you fuckin' knocked up?" After all, there was a lot of potential there for 'catching' up.

Evarelia gave Dekka a curious look, an eyebrow arched up.

"I haven't gotten pregnant in eighteen years - and there was a good amount of trying for the first few." A small smirk and she gently shook her head, just staring at him, amused. "So, either I'm barren or my dear husband had problems he never told me about. Besides," she pressed her book down, resting her head on her hand, "you need to have sex to get knocked up."

"Yeah, but it ain't like that fuckin's not gonna happen."

"You seem quite sure of yourself. What makes you think we're going to have sex?" Evarelia grinned, tilting her head, "I'm not the easily swayed girl I was before." She tapped at her lips, "then again it has been years." A brief look down at him, a smirk, "should I make you work for it? Though I doubt you'd refrain from giving a thirty-second poke'n'hump to anyone that lifts their skirts."

He peered over at her, giving her a look that read , Who are you fooling?
"I'm not a fan of things that are easy." And he moved to prop a wet foot on the side of the tub.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and scrub my foot?"

"Ha!"

Useful.

Evarelia gave Dekka a long look and just lifted an eyebrow at him, "I've done quite enough, don't you think?" Rising to her knees, she took her book and laid down on her stomach, facing away from Dekka. "You enjoy your bath, I've gotten to a good part in the book." Then she promptly ignored him. Wash his foot. Yeah right.

And she'd soon hear splashing.
"Good part of a book? You fucking kidding?" He splashed some more water on the floor. "Your eyes ain't even focused on the page. If you're gonna fucking pretend to read you should learn how to fucking do it right. Or.." There was another splash. "Fucking own up to it."

"Fine."

Evarelia looked up from her book and stuck her tongue out at Dekka.  "I'm ignoring you. Finish bathing, you're not a child."

"You're fucking responding to me... Doesn't sound like ignoring to me," he went on, mocking her by cleaning out his ear with his pinky.

Sighing, Evarelia put her book back down and stared at him, an eyebrow lifted up just so and for the most part she looked unamused. "Are you trying to be cute? Because mostly it's just annoying, My Dear."

He peered over at her.
"Cute wouldn't be the fucking word I'd choose," he told her, giving her a soured grin. He looked down at her book. "I thought you were fucking reading..."

A frustrated sigh and she tossed the book to the side.

"Why are you so grumpy. I've been nothing but nice to you and you've been a complete asshole." A glare and she just frowned at him, lips pulled down in a little pout.

He just gave her a smiling sneer.
"What? You expect to buy my friendship? That's real classy, Evrie. But I think you're forgetting who you're housing here." And he moved to stand up from the waters as they gushed down his body. He headed straight for her, having no care for his nudity, or even the partial hard on he had bobbing out infront. Though details may have been lost with how quick he snatched onto her arm and yanked her out of the bed, pulling her close enough to him she'd be able to feel his heat, and the water dripping off his form.

"I didn't ask for your pity, or your help, or even your fucking friendship." He told her, but before even he could think on it, he felt his body act on instinct, for this was no mere woman in his clutches, but his first real love, and the intoxication she bestowed on him from their youth returned as his lips crashed against hers while he pressed her in close, one hand entangling in her hair- the other, moving down to feel the matured outline of her form.

Evarelia gave a shaky gasp, eyes going wide and staring up at him when he yanked her off the bed in a flurry of fabric and her long red hair. "You're getting my dress all wet," She gave a pathetic whine, looking down at the dress and then up at him. Anger bubbled in her chest and her palms itched to slap him. Being so rude. All she wanted to do was be his friend again. All Evarelia wanted was to ... What.

That flew out of her mind though at his words and for a fleeting moment she looked sad and disappointed. He didn't wanted to rekindle their friendship - which she couldn't blame him for.

A surprised gasp when his lips pressed into hers and Evarelia's hands went into his hair as his did to hers. "Dekka," She gasped out against his lips, pressing herself to him eyes squeezing shut. There was no move to pull away from him, instead she pressed into the kiss before pulling away enough to talk. "I just missed you," she missed being the imaginative girl from when they met. Maybe it wasn't him she missed. Maybe it was herself.

It was only at her words did he sober and pull away. He was breathing hard as he looked her in the eyes.

"Missed me?" he gave a half assed smirk. "Is that it?"
And he looked about ready to drop her.

"No," was her simple reply, cheeks heated and lips red.

Swallowing carefully she fixed her hands between them and weakly pushed him away, "none of that matters now though." Clearing her throat she looked at his mouth, to his neck. It was tempting to catch a bead of water on his collar bone but she resisted. "You should wrap yourself in a blanket or something."

"Why don't you do that your fucking self," he went on with a frustrated growl, and dropped her half drenched body onto the bed. "I never said I was finished with my fucking bath."

Surprised brightened her features and she laughed.

It was a surprised laugh and she sat on the bed, her front wet from neck to toes. Seriously? It took a good amount of effort to keep back her biting remarks but she breathed carefully and tried not to roll her eyes out of their sockets.

"Very well. You've given me no other choice," her voice was soft when she got up off the bed, "don't look." Her voice was low and she shimmied out of her dress, the wet flop of fabric hitting the floor echoing out of the room. Thought she didn't make any attempts to hide herself when she went to the closer to get a dressing gown and wear that. A sigh at her dress which she moved to prop up on a chair and she on the bed, frowning slightly.

He was like a hormonal teenager.

Then Evarelia bundled herself up under the blankets, giving Dekka one last look before finding her book again.

He looked anyway, but it was more of a glare than anything else. He moved to towel himself off now, feeling as done as he wanted to be with his bath, and carelessly tossed the towel aside.

"Look, you fucking saved my neck, but this ships going to be fucking on this water for longer than I'd fucking like it to be, so do me a favor and just pretend you don't fucking know me." And he moved for his clothes.

"I'm going to fucking see what else this boat's got to offer."

A brief glance up at him and Evarelia licked her finger before flipping the page. A twitch of her eyebrow and she stood up, giving Dekka a brief glance and offering him a smile. "Alright," her attempts to be his friend had failed spectacularly. "Sorry, have a nice trip, I guess."

Once dried and dressed, Dekka said not a word as he turned from her, throwing the door open and disappearing after it slammed. And though he knew not where he was going, all he could think of was getting anywhere else but that room. He had been holed up in a very inconvenient room in a very inconvenient position, so up to the deck he found himself, and he'd never thought the sunset could look and taste so good.

What a confusing man.

Evarelia glared at her book, frowning at it and when she realized she read the same page three times she angrily threw it across the room, glared at the door and curled up in bed. Maybe she'd feel better tomorrow. What an awful idea. Helping Dekka. He was a bitter angry man now.

Grumpy, her room a mess, she pulled the covers up over her head, face into the pillow and tried to sleep.

Hours would pass but any hint of Dekka was in the chilling waters of his abandoned bath. Up on the ship's deck, however, the man himself was also cooling off. The sun had since faded, a few pockets had been picked, but he realized a dismal reality- the ship would remain monthsat sea, and though most folk were wealthy, stuff nosed nobility or tradesmen, Dekka found little excitement in this deal. So the pearl necklace he swiped was casually dropped over board, and the emerald, he merely stared at in the moonlight, contemplating doing the same.

Evarelia had been woken up.

There was the grand opening ball, madam, weren't you coming?

Not a guest of honor - but a well known one - she supposed she'd be required to attend. The room had been cleaned and the Duchess in a fine gown of emerald green. It showed off all the appropriate assets and let the jewelry she wore hang. Everalia wasn't wearing the jewelry, not really, she was presenting it over her bosom.

They weren't looking at her breasts, pushing up and looking Oh So tantalizing, they were looking at the necklace.

Fan in hand, she hand a flute of champagne and she sipped it carefully, smiling and nodding to the people that came to greet her.

What an awful day. Evarelia answered mundane questions about her children - We hear Sunniva is a Knight of the White Lily, how proud you must be - to give the same answer. So proud.

It was awful.

It wasn't until she begged being over heated and needing a breath of fresh air that she went outside, full glass of champagne in hand that she saw a familiar shade of hair. It was a small ship, after all. At least it was small when you were trying to avoid people.

"You're not dressed for the ball," She quipped to Dekka, taking a sip of her drink - and carefully guarding it in case he decided to try and swipe for it.

"I expected you to be in a suit and half up a ladies skirt by now, I mean... It's started a half hour ago." She clicked her tongue and shook her head though smiled all the same, giving him a curious look.

He didn't look at her and said, "I couldn't find a man to steal the right size suit. The tall ones are too fucking fat and the others ain't this fucking tall."

"What a terrible life you live." Evarelia moved to stand beside him, looking down at the ocean and then up at the sky, "would you like to borrow a dress? I'm sure I have one that would suit you eyes."

He gave a sneering smile, eyes still on the ocean.
"Your hips are too fucking wide."

A brief pause and she sighed audibly. Evarelia wasn't really sure why she even bothered trying.

"If you can't charm your way into a ladies bed tonight and you need somewhere to stay, you're free to sleep in my room." There. A kind gesture. She tried to smile, it came off as more of a grimace. All she wanted was... What they had before, but life hadn't been kind to Dekka -whether by his own doing or not - and it showed.

"Have a nice evening," another little attempt at a smile and Evarelia turned to return to the party. To drink a lot of alcohol.

As she turned to leave, it seemed Dekka was bent on letting her just go so he could stew in his own turmoil, but before she was even ten feet away, he cut back to her, "That's a dangerous fucking request, coming from a fucking woman traveling without her husband."

"Dekka," she growled, "I'm offering it to you as my friend. For sleeping." She held out her arms to indicate the deck, "but if you'd like to sleep here, you go right ahead." Evarelia folded her arms over her chest and frowned at him, "if you're just missing at least I'll know you fell overboard."

He turned to her, hands in his pockets with the smuggest and most venomous of smiles.

"I can fucking assure you, you can't get rid of me that easily." And he moved to walk clean past her- and actually was heading straight for the room leading to the party. He didn't care if he were underdressed, he was going to fucking make her regret her decisions.
All of them.

He pushed past the froofy man who told Dekka he needed to check the list and inquire of his dress. But he kept on going, the man too flustered to follow as he looked around, paling in color as he trie dto think of what to do.

But Dekka knew exactly what he was doing, as he snatched up a champagne glass from a waitor walking past and downed the whole thing in one knock back.

Dekka confused her.

He didn't want anything to do with her. Then he wanted to embarrass her. Evarelia followed him In a flurry of pretty fabric, reaching him after he finished his first glass of champagne.

"Please don't make yourself sick again, Dear. As your minder you know I really must ask you to cease drinking it like that." Taking a new glass of champagne for herself she drank half of it, paused and then finished the other half, "you need to take at least two mouthfuls."

He took another glass, smirking darkly and jabbing the reply, "No.. you need to learn to drink it in just one fucking go." And he knocked back a second.

"This is champagne," Evarelia pointed out, dead pan, "you knock back whiskey in one go." Still, because she wasn't about to be showed up an to prove she could do it she finished her third glass in one go and triumphantly put the glass back on the counter. "You have fun, Dekka," another little smile and he turned to walk away.

But he caught her by the wrist.
"Why go so fucking soon?" His grip grew tighter. "I just got a little buzz... why not we try that dance floor? Seems a lot of your fucking sorts of people are enjoying it." And he began to drag her that way.

"Dance?" Evarelia's eyebrows shot up, a small smile on her face. He meant to dance. "That's because dancing is fun for everyone." And her being dragged along turned into her willingly going towards it, even pulling Dekka along. "Do you know how to dance?" A genuine question, cheeks flushed by the champagne.

"I've fucked the Grand Duchess and other noble whores enough fuckin' times you'd think you'd fucking trust me." And he moved roughly into position, pulling her near flush against him as his green eyes danced with the glowing effects from champagne. He had the right position at least and he grinned at her, poised in anticipation. But before she could make a comment, he dipped down into a stride, and began to move with her across the dance floor, not unlike the new blossoming dance of flowers in spring.

It was a surprised laugh.

"Just because you can dance between the sheets doesn't mean you're any good on the floor." A smirk and she let him lead - for his ego, she told herself. The music was probably inappropriate for the kind of dance Dekka seemed to want to do, but a pause from the band had then picking up on the attention seekers and Evarelia closed her eyes and let Dekka lead her around. A pleased smile was on her face, surprised with herself that she could find fun in the situation of Dekka asserting his dominance.

"But..." he went on, eyes roaming up her form. "You're smiling." He smirked. "I must be doing something fucking right."

"Of course," Evarelia quipped, hand on his shoulder. "No one can frown while they're dancing." If there had been one thing Evarelia was good at, it was dancing. "You're better than I thought you would be." Then again, perhaps the grand duchess had taught him. A small smile and she simply looked at him. Thoughts tumbling through her head as surely as they danced around the room. "Are you trying to prove something?"

THey continued their dance.
"What? What do you think I can fucking prove with a dance?"

Evarelia grinned widely and tried not to laugh, "I don't know, that's why I asked." As they continued their dance she smirked at him, "you know, I heard you can tell how good a lover someone is by how they dance." The smirk turned dark and her voice dipped, "I suppose that explains why I was never fond of dancing with my husband."

"Tch. You picked him."

A laugh.

"Picked him?"

"Sold to him more like," a smirk and she just watched him.

"Call it what you will," he went on, oh so gracefully in his strides, in his dance. "But I don't buy that crock of bullshit no matter what way you try to fucking sugar coat it. We all can make fucking choices."

A sly look.

"I was going to make a choice but then you disappeared and I was left with just one." A smirk at him while they moved, "minus an engagement ring."

He shot a dark look at her.
"As if I'd fucking believe that one, Everie." And he paused in their dancing. They were near the edge of the dance floor. "What do you fucking want from me? WHy should I fucking care about your husband or your fucking choice? That was decades ago. We've got wrinkles and gray in our hair now." He bared his teeth a little in a scowling smile, but he found himself holding his breath, waiting for what she had to say while dancer's gracefully slipped past.

"I don't know what I want from you," her voice dipped and she looked down and away. "A second chance?" A forced smile and she started to step away, looking a little awkward. "Perhaps I... Convinced myself I was more important to you than just a roll beside a river and an engagement ring." Clearing her throat, "at the very least I'd like to be friends again."

Still bubbly from the champagne. He laughed, a good hard laugh as he pointed a finger at her.
"That's a good one. That's a good fucking one, Everie. ANd you know what? I'd fucking have believed it had you not made your fucking choice."

People were beginning to stare at them now, realizing the odd ball pair had stopped dancing and their conversation appeared anything but conventional.

A bored look to Dekka and she rose an eyebrow, shifting her hip. "What choice? The one where I didn't chase after you when you left? That one?"

"And now you're making me even more glad I had fucking left," he said through a clenched teeth, chilling smile.

Evarelia frowned, eyes quickly looking down at the ground and she let out a little shaky breath. It was for the best that he hated her. She didn't know why he hated her but it was for the best. This way nothing could happen. No old sparks. No new sparks. Just... Nothing.

"I don't want to fight so... Thank you for the dance, Dekka. I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable." The smile was gone as quickly as it appeared and she gave a polite nod of her head and made her way to leave. If Dekka didn't want anything to do with her... It wasn't a big deal, right? She'd been alone most of her adult life. Being alone on a boat ride wouldn't be any different.

He just let her leave. But he wasn't about to go anywhere himself. He swiped another champagne and began to prowl the area, uncaring he was getting peculiar and judgemental looks.

"Miss, you must do something about your companion," Evarelia looked up from her champagne, frowning slightly, feeling a little bubbly like her drink.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The man," the person talking to her nodded towards the familiar man and she bit back a groan. Dekka. A sneer and she sighed, head going down and the now empty champagne glass was rested on the table.

Evarelia - irritated now - hooked her arm around one of his, "people are complaining to me about you," she grumbles, "what skirts have you been up and could you please[/] keep it to behind a curtain or something?"

Dekka rolled his eyes.
"And I'm happy to see you too," came his curt response, ignoring all of her comments. "Missed me that much you just had to hunt me down all by yourself, now?"

Evarelia rolled her eyes as well, "yes. Exactly, oh, Dekka!" She pressed a hand to his chest, "take me! Take me behind a curtain!" Though quickly enough she looked unamused, "really now. Are you drunk?"

He gave her a soured smile and leaned in real close.
"I'm getting there," he told her, champagne bubbling from his breath.
"But what was that you were saying?"
And she'd find herself suddenly being dragged towards a wall. "Something about having sex behind that curtain?"

"What?!" Evarelia stared after him, being dragged all the while. "I was being silly! Behind a curtain is a little obvious, don't you think?" Still, she flushed at the idea.

"And?"
His grin grew wicked and he paused just a few feet from the curtain in question. He looked her over.
"Evrie.. is that a blush?"

The mention of her blush made her blush harder. Quickly she looked away, down at the ground then back at Dekka. "Of course I'm blushing. Because I remembered too late that you would be all for it!"

His grin twitched wickedly. And though they were paused there off to the side of the dance floor, he waited only just a few seconds more before suddenly pulling her along, throwing the curtain open and yanking her back behind it with him. The curtain settled around them, darkening the small area and even making it seem a little damp.

"You feel hot..." he went on, using the crook of his finger to caress her cheek. "Are you getting ill?" he asked, his other hand moving to her side, and slowly smoothing along it. Gods... she was a woman. A real woman, not the skinny little stick with legs he managed to fuck all those years ago. And it made him hard, rock hard. She probably could feel it. He was holding her intimate and close.

This went from one to a hundred and Evarelia gave a soft gasp when she was pulled behind the very curtain she'd teased him about. A brief look down and she grew more flushed, suddenly the corset was too tight. She could practically feel the heat from his hand and she shivered, giving her head a little shake. "N-no... I'm not sick," her hands were on his shoulders and she gave him a gentle push, "Dekka, what are you doing?"

"Gods, shut the fuck up and let me fuck you."
Gods he'd wanted this for decades... decades as he silenced her with his lips.

Evarelia melted into the kiss, though his words filtered into her head and she started to shake her head. "No, Dekka," she pulled away, though she still leaned in for a few good smacks on the lips. "Not here," a brief pause, "my room. In a half hour." Because she wanted this too.... Just not fully dressed behind a curtain during a ball.

"Half an hour?" he growled through kisses. "It's now or fucking never." And skillful hands began to unlace her corset.

Now or never.

That's what it was before, wasn't it?

Now or never.

Evarelia curled her arms around his neck, smashing her lips to his and marvelled at the heat in her belly. It's been... What? Almost a decade. After she and her husband tried for a third child for so many years with no luck they'd stopped completely. Her hands moved to his shirt and she glided her hands up the bottom before helping Dekka with the ties,  not to take it off, but to loosen it enough to free her breasts.

Now or never.

Once her breasts were bared she took Dekka's lips in another heated kiss. "I want you," she hissed against his mouth, tasting the champagne. "Here. Now." And her hand snakes down his front and boldly cupped his groin.

"Gods," he groaned, hips leaning into her as his own hands groped her breasts. He moved to push her against the window, heated kisses trailing up her neck. Nibbling at her ears, he moaned, "Damn you've fucking matured beautifully." her chest was more than a handful, and her hips, he was loving the shape as his other hand smoothed up her curves, "Gods, how I fucking need you." And he moved down to undo the front of his pants.

The slightest hint of a sad smile in between kisses and hot nuzzles  was on her face but Evarelia did her best to mask it. This was a bittersweet encounter, to be sure, the one person she'd been craving all this time and here he was. Drunk. Bitter. Wounded and hurt. After his pants were open, she slipped her hand in, circling her hand around his cock and she closed her eyes, "You haven't done so bad yourself," she teased.

This wasn't the sweet reunion she imagined happening, but she supposed it would do.

Now or never.

Doing it face to face wasn't really an option when she was wearing a dress, so she slowly turned, catching Dekka's hands and pressing it to her breasts while hiking the dress up, rubbing her backside against his groin once the fabric was up around her hips. Wearing little more than a garter and stockings under her dress Evarelia tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked at Dekka in the dim light, biting her lip and giving her hips an inviting little wiggle.

And he was inside her, really, truly inside her. Her skin was so soft, hot and inviting, like wet velvet that gripped him as he pushed his whole length into her. A moan came out, laced in his hot breaths that rolled down her shoulder as he rested his cheek to hers and kneaded her breast. And though he was a man that liked it rough and hard, he found himself unable to buck like the dog he wanted to be. Instead, he kept his shaft inside her, teeth grating across her neck and lips moving to kiss her shoulders.

"Gods," he shivered, dick pulsating within her before he slowly began to move, tasting her at length. In and out. In and out.

A gasping little moan before she bit her lip and squeeze her eyes shut. Her hand moved over Dekka's at her breast and she gave encouraging movements of her hips. Was this what she wanted after all those years? Something as simple - or not so simple - as a tryst in the darkness? The room went silent for a moment and Evarelia remembered where they were, her belly clenched and she tipped her head back onto Dekka's shoulder before another tune picked up.

There were so many pretty things to whisper, but she kept her mouth closed. Instead she encouraged his hand on her breast, and shifted her hips to give him more freedom. What she really wanted was to do this on a bed and look at him, a quick glance over her shoulder and a gently push of his face had her catch his lips in a kiss. "You feel so good," she whimpered, amazed and flushed that she could feel him inside her, poking all the right places. Though she guided his hand from her breast to down under her skirts.

He kept his pace. Nice and slow. Pulling almost all the way out, then back into her heat again. It was like a dream, the music, the smell of the velvet curtain mingling with the scent of her hair.

"I bet fucking better than the last time," came a growled, heated whisper into her ear. With his hand guided south, he could feel her heat growing as his hands suddenly laced with hers.

"Gods.." he shook and buried his face into her shoulder again, panting softly as he half whimpered. Although he's had plenty of fucks, he couldn't believe he was actually fucking her again.

It was a sweet kind of torture. So slow, so full. Evarelia let out a moaning little whimper everytime his hips were flush against her. Her grip on his hand was a physical indicator of how much she was feeling, the closer she got to her peak the tighter she held his hand. Mouth open and breathing slowly before she turned her head and gave a little moan. "Much better than last time," which had been a little awkward and just good enough to leave her wanting to try again.

This wasn't how she had wanted the evening to go but now that it was happening she wasn't all that surprised. Evarelia moved the hand not holding Dekka's to stroke between her legs, the building pleasure was good but not enough and she tipped her head back and bit her lip. Breath little panted moans, "Dekka," she breathed, not quite believing she was here. With him. With her skirts hiked up and her nethers full of her first love, "Dekka!" a bite of her lip and a careful exhale so no one got alerted. Fingers squeezing around his.

One hand was now moving to stroke across her sex, finding her clit and massaging it roughly as his own thrusts grew quick, short and rough. He couldn't even begin to explain how much he needed this, wanted this, but it had been too long and he would have came right then and there already had he not had enough alcohol to make things just a little bit harder.

Even still, he could feel his own peek pooling, his cock, turgid and tense as he rammed it into her, again and again and again.

"Gods, Evrie." And his hands shifted back to her hips, and he began to fuck her raw and proper, bucking so hard his pants fell the rest of his way down to his ankles and his balls started to slap against her with each and every full lengthed thrust.

Mindless to what was going on around them, Evarelia grew tense and she arched her back and bit her lip. Her hair was a tumbled mess of red curls and she rolled her hips to his movements. His name was a soft cry. Finally when she reached her peak, she cried out softly before she pressed a hand to the window and stared in a sort of trembling horror at the man smoking a cigar and staring at them with a lewd smile on his face. "Dekka!" She hissed, standing up a little straighter moving to cover her breasts, "someone's watching!"

Her peak made him peak, as he didn't think much about filling her full of his seed. And he had a lot to flood her with. With a grunt, he looked up to observe what she did, seeing the man's nasty expression through the steamy hand print Evrie had left behind.

He pulled out of her in a hurry, and was out from behind the drapes in a second. A moment later, she'd see Dekka grabbed the man by his shirt collar. And without warning, began to wail on him with his fists.

Trembling still, she quickly fixed her skirts and tied her clothing closed before she followed Dekka. She'd ignore the wet feeling between her legs and the pleasant warmth in her belly. There wouldn't be a fear of children, she was barren. At least she thought she was, having had no more children after her second one. Retired up, skirts down over her bottom, she rushed out after Dekka, grabbing his arm. "Let's go!" She hissed, "please? I don't want you to get into trouble again." All the while the man was curled up in a ball on the ground, crying out for help.

Dekka kicked the man, and didn't stop.
"GO?" Another hard kick had the man on the ground reeling. "I'm gonna fucking kill him."

"Kill him! For what!" Her voice dipped into a hiss, "we were fucking against a window!" Her hands tugged in him and she tried to move between him and the poor man in the ground, "please, Dekka!"

The man groaned when another heavy boot nailed him in the side. But he did stop and turned to Evrie, snarling. He took her by the hand.

"And who do you think he can fucking tell?"

But a dark, blood gurgled laugh from the fallen man made Dekka pause.

"Dekka?" he chuckled again. "Mighty King of thieves..."

A glance down at the man, frowning all the same before she curled her fingers around Dekka's. A sign of comfort, even though he didn't really need it. Did she care about who this man could tell? Not really. They were all on a boat and any ruffled feathers could be smoothed out by the time the ship docked.

Mighty king of thieves.

What did this man know? Evarelia paused, pressing a hand to her chest and gave his hand a little tug again. "Everything will be fine," She said slowly, though she didn't quite believe it.

He shrugged her off.
"It will be once I kill this fucker." And he stalked over towards the man and yanked him off the ground by his hair, dragging him towards the side of the boat.

Again, she rushed in front of him, hands on his chest while she tried to stop him. Evarelia stared at him, alarmed, "What are you doing?" Her voice was a shrill whisper, mild horror, "Why are you trying to throw him off the ship!?"

Dekka paused, breathing hard and heavy as he looked down at Evarelia.
"Do you know what will happen if I fucking don't?"

"He'll spread a rumour?" She glared, frowning, giving her eyes a til, "spread a rumour about me? About you? What will happen?"

"Rumors?" he scoffed. "You think I'm jacked up, fucking ready to kill a man over fucking rumors?"

"Well! Explain to me what's going on. Please. Because I'm not understanding what's going on here."

His eyes looked past her, as he sneered and shoved the bloodied man onto the deck.
"You can't be that fucking ignorant."
For right behind them were the armed mordecai on the ship.

It occurred to her then. Evarelia looked over her shoulder, turning to glare at the mordecai. Though she frowned over her shoulder to Dekka, as well.  "Gentlemen, " she took Dekka's arm, "we were just leaving."

"Sorry milady, but we need to take you all to the captain's quarters for questioning. Violence is not tolerated on board this vessel." And he made sure to add, "Hellvion law."

Evarelia wrinkled her nose, looking down at them, despite her stature. "I don't think that will really be necessary, gentlemen. Everything's been resolved," a tight lipped smile and she tilted her head, waiting.

"Even if it were, we require your assistance here, mildady." The tone in the soldier's voice was one that left no room for negotiation. "If you all come willingly, this'll make things easier."

A slight sneer and she sighed, like going with them was some great service she was doing and she rested her hands on her hips, still unamused. Evarelia stood her ground and tilted her head, " Very well. I can play nice." A purse of her lips and a frown, "For now."

The men moved to help the injured man up, who coughed out blood, wincing.

"Fucking prick," he growled over at Dekka and Evarelia, causing Dekka to give her a vacant smile in return.

"Shall we, milady?" he went on with a bowing gesture. And he followed at her side. There were four men to detain the three of them- and though Dekka was sure, magic or not, he could take on all the men- they were just a tab bit better equipped...
And had armor, among other things. Perhaps he was being gracious because he had just gotten laid.


The captain's quarters were above deck, and though they were informed the captain was not there, they were all ordered to sit around a table, while the injured man was being treated.

The last place she wanted to be with come smeared between her thighs was in the presence of other people. Being near a captain of the ship was an even less wanted thing and Evarelia had to fix her clothing in a flurry of movement while they were walking, fixed her hair and despite looking, perhaps a little flushed. Lips a little red. She looked presentable.

The order to sit made her face sour and she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and her chin up, "I'll stand, thank you. Sitting in this dress is just awful for it and it's probably worth the four of you put together." A sneering smile before she shuffled off to stand beside a wall.

"Well I wouldn't scoff at a fucking seat," And Dekka sneered a smile as well, and plopped down into a chair. The man who's face had been beaten in exchanged looks between the two of them, but said nothing, but when the captain arrived, he saw just who was there.

"Ah, Duchess, I am sorry to inconvenience you. But I'll make my assessment here brief."

And he looked down at Dekka, then to the beaten man.

"Being the highest one of station here, might I inquire to you of the events that took place here to render this man in such a state?"

Evarelia sighed, a tilt of her head to the side.

Admit to having hot sex behind a curtain and look like a hussy? No. Thank you.

"Does it matter?" She looked to the beaten man, "Shall I have my friend apologize? I can give him a decent sum of money and he can be on his way. He's just a little bruised and bloodied." A puff of breath and she just stared at the Captain, wanting to be away and silently fuming at Dekka for getting so carried away.

"Forgive me, but the laws on this ship follow that of the Duchy of Hellvion. And from what's been going on this ship, apparently we've got the King of Thieves in our midst- and I'm being told this man is him."

Dekka only gave the man a soured smile, but kept quiet. He figured he'd let Miss Duchess speak.

"You've been told?" A simple raise of her eyebrows, "this man is an old friend of mine. A guest." A raise of her eyebrow and she tried to take up as much space as she could. "Being told is hardly proof, now," she moved to stand behind the chair Dekka was seated on, placing her hands on the back, "if you're just going to waste my time with 'some one told me,' you can come find me when you have proof."

The captain sighed.

"It's just protocol, my Duchess. If you claim he is your friend, then so it shall be," and he went about, quill in hand, striking it into his ink and scribbling down a few words. He then looked up at the pair, then over at the man, injured.

"And you sir.." he went on, clearing his throat. "Would monetary compensation suffice?"

The man's lips sagged but he nodded curtly, smiling through stained, bloodied teeth.

"Yeah." He didn't bother to eye the two as Dekka's grin broadened.

"Money fucking talks."

The captain looked up at Dekka.

"You should write that fucking down in that book of yours. Might make things sound more interesting. And while you're at it, put down I'm the male concubine of this rare fucking beauty and that we're having a fucking affair and everyone should just leave our own fucking relationship alone."

The way Dekka smiled after giving such a statement made the captain's brows raise. He wasn't sure if he ought to believe it- but sadly, he felt some truth in the statement.

"I'll simply mark the exchange of money writes was compensated in this misunderstanding." And he took his quill again and did just that.

It occurred to her then, sadly, that Dekka was an idiot.

There was an audible smack of her palm to her forehead and she gave the bloodied man a nod, "apologies for my ... Companion... The funds will be wired to your account as soon as possible." Sure he'd seen her tits. It didn't deserve the face breaking he got.

"So glad we could resolve his, Captain, I do hope the rest of the trip is uneventful," the last words were said with a brief glance to Dekka before she straightened and moved to the door.

"Well, My dear? Shall we?" She held out an arm to Dekka with a raised eyebrow. Her concubine. Really. Of all things. And an affair? Evarelia was almost certain that called for a relationship and the only thing they'd had together anymore was champagne.

His smile was smug, but also sour. And he got up and took her arm.
"Anything for you, my love," he went on, kissing low on her neck before moving with her out the door.

Evarelia kept the charade until they were at least out of earshot. "Are you kidding? My concubine?" Angry, she just stared at him before shaking her head. "What, did you think we'd just spend the rest of the ship ride having sex to make up for all the time that's passed?"

He gave her a cold smile.
"Why the fuck not. You look like the type to have a couple of men fucking you on the side anyway." And he looked her over lewdly.

Evarelia smiled, "well, isn't that fancy!" She pressed a hand to her midsection, "I was going to say the very same thing about you! All sorts of men on the side. That's how you keep from getting caught right?"

"Oh, yeah, fucking midgets too. And horses and even bears. Did you ever fuck a bear? I bet you'd feel like a real woman after that fucking lay."

"Horses? Well bless my soul, that's just impressive. I bet your lower half whistled when you ran after the horse." A bright smile and she shifted her weight before giving him a look, "why do you think I have sex with a bunch of different men?"

He snorted.
"Why the fuck not?"

The kind of answer she should have been expecting but wasn't.

"Right. Well," Evarelia leaned in, gave Dekka a quick kiss on the cheek, "Thank you for the lovely evening. It's a pity it got cut short and, well, you're an asshole." A polite curtsy - which she instantly regretted - and she turned her way and started towards her room with the intent to bathe.

What the fuck had she expected. He let her go alone, just standing there and watching her form stroll down the hall.

No sounds of footsteps, she rolled her eyes and sighed, "You're not even going to follow me? Really? After all that now or never crap?"

"I'm fucking sober now."

A slight wince, "right. All I ever was to you was an easy lay wasn't I? I would do well to remember that." Turning around again, head ducked down, she continued on her way, wishing that the tightness in her chest was from alcohol instead of feeling hurt.

He just watched her go, knowing full well he didn't belong here-
Not with her. Not this way. This wasn't how things were meant to turn out. And though he opened his lips, finding himself almost calling out to her- he instead turned away from her and left.

Evarelia rounded the side, leaning against the wall and waited. Just a few moments. For anything. Nothing except for retreating footsteps and she ducked her head down, turning to ram right into a chest. "Oh... Excuse me," she said softly, moving to walk around the man.  Who moved to the side, giving her a long look when she brushed past him.

Not having bothered to look at his face she walked quickly to her room. Night had fallen and when the door was finally closed to her room she angrily removed her clothing. Angry at herself, mostly. Letting herself be used to easily. Stupid. She was a grown woman and she'd reverted to a stupid teenager so easily around him. Undressed and cleaned up from her... Activities... Evarelia pulled on a nightgown and sat on the bed. Mostly pouting and saddened that there was a lack of champagne in her room.

Although The Goddess was of incredible size, he still felt it wasn't large enough, for after hours of stalking all levels of decks, he found himself, once again, in the god damned first class section.

Which would place him there just in time for a figure dressed in black to go into a room he should be familiar with.

The door clicked behind the figure and a soft thump was made before a loud crash of glass and a cry of pain from a woman. The muffled 'help' would be familiar to him and she gave the door a few hard thumps before another crash and silence.

For a while, Dekka looked at the door, listened to the commotion before his hands tightened into fists.
"Fuckin' Ansgar's ball sacks," And he threw the door open and saw some strange, malicious looking man in the room. "Ah, I knew there had to be another bastard in here." His fist began to catch a flame. "Lucky for you I'm drunk and pissed off fucking royally." He cracked his neck. "Now you're gonna fucking burn."

There was another loud smash and the figure crumpled to the ground, standing behind him in a loose night dress was Evarelia, hands bleeding from cuts and she dropped the vase. Pale, hair a tumbled down mess of curls, tears were in her eyes and she made an effort of choking back her cries before she pulled her hands to herself and looked at the crumpled body between them.

Why did he come here.

"You have to help me move the body," she huffed out, moving quickly, blood smeared on the cloth of her night gown, and then on her face when she went to wipe the tears from her eyes.

'Oh, so now you're okay with me hefting corpses into the fucking sea?" he sneered. But he knew it wasn't a time for joking. "And what do you want me to do.. my hand is on fire," he growled, but clenched his fist tighter untilt he flames went out.

"I meant into a closet or something!" She stomped her foot and yelped when it was on a shard of the vase, to which she slapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. What an awful trip. This was a terrible idea. A look down at the shards on the floor and she picked the bit from her foot before carefully shuffling through the glass and looking down at the man.

Still breathing.

Masked.

"This is all your fault, you know."

"Are you talking to me or the fucking masked man?"

"You!" She hissed, "I nurse your sorry ass while you're puking drunk." Evarelia frowned, looking down at the ground and the masked man made a little groaning noise. Evidence of a knife in his belt - probably to slit her throat. "And then when you see me again you hate me."

A huff of breath, the meat of the problem.

It wasn't the masked man bleeding from the head on her floor, it wasn't her cut hands or her hurt foot. It was that he hated her and she didn't understand why.

"Just..." She wrapped her hands around his ankles, "Help me throw the bastard overboard then. Seeing my tit is one thing, breaking into my room and trying to kill me is another."

Dekka watched the man. Spying the knife, he bent over to pluck it from him, and began to grope through him, looking to see what else he could steal.
"We'll toss him fucking over board once I see what I can pick from his fuckin' pockets."

Evarelia rolled her eyes, "Are you serious. I can probably buy you anything you'd pluck off of him. He's probably one of those guards from earlier. Can you just help me for once?!"

"If I wanted to buy things I wouldn't have become the King of fucking thieves," he told her with a glare. He continued about his business, and once he felt satisfied, he moved to pick up the body.
"So we just draggin' it out on the fucking deck like this? Or do you have some sort of body bag we can stuff this fucker in?"

A slap of her hands against her thighs.

"Does it look like i keep body bags?!" A huff and Evarelia pushed her hands through her hair. "My dress from earlier, theres enough fabric on that to choke a horse." She made a move to grab it, holding it out, "do you dispose of dead bodies often?"

"Killing ain't my thing. You'd think you'd fucking remember what I'm the King of," he went on, taking her dress and ripping it in long shreds. "Too bad you're still not wearing this fucking thing.." his grin turned wry. "Woulda been fucking fun to tear it off of you."

"I would have given you a different dress to rip up," she stated plainly, "You can rip this off of me later." Evarelia hissed quietly, frowning at the body. Frowning at how he wasn't dead.

"This was a shitty idea. Why. Of all things. A ship. Why did I think going on a ship would be a good idea," She frowned down at Dekka and folded her arms across her chest.

"I ask myself that same fucking question every day damn I'm on here."
The man was firmly wrapped up by now and Dekka hoisted him onto his shoulder.
"So we're going to have to do this as fucking quick as possible. This fucking load looks like a wrapped corpse."

"At least you were probably drunk," she countered. What was her excuse? Adventure? A taste of Not Being a Duchess? She couldn't really do Duchess things at sea now, could she?

"It's a..." She paused, "Oh who cares, let's just go," And Evarelia, hair a tumbled curling mess in her almost sheer nightgown led the way to deck, taking careful hesitant steps to check for things. Watch for sights and listen to sounds.

Also her foot hurt and when she put too much much pressure on it she'd hiss and reel back.

What a joke. A glance around and the coast was clear, just a few doors and a hallway away from deck to toss the Would Be Thief-Murderer into the ocean.

Although the coast was clear, all the way out onto the deck, Dekka couldn't help but sense this was a bit too convenient, as he made his way towards the edge, glancing over his shoulder, then forward, to the sides and then back again.
Still no one. Still too easy.

Even still, they had a fresh kill on their hands that would put them both in the guillotine. So with a soft grunt, he hefted the body up and over the side. It was dark, but he could still see the body splash into the black as night sea. He watched it bob a little before slowly it began to sink away into the waters, and away from view.

Leaning against the railing, he continued to stare down at the sea before looking up to the sky, where the stars danced in all their misted mystery. A few clouds began to draw over the moon before he turned to Evarelia. And at just that minute, he spotted a shadowed figure looming behind her, one truly that- a near invisible shadowed figure of a man, who most certainly held a knife and moved to cut directly at her.

Quick thinking had Dekka grabbing her arm, yanking her against him as he turned away and felt the knife cut across his lower back. He winced at the cut, feel the blood quickly seep out and tickle down his back side before he gave the duchess a shove and told her, "Get back to your room." And he turned away from her, and threw his fist forward to catch the wrist of the invisible figure, and dodged another cut of his knife.

Get back to.

What?

Evarelia gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth before she did just that, turned and ran for the room. If Dekka hadn't seen that person. No doubt she'd have a knife in her chest. Another hole to breath through. She got halfway to her room before she stopped, still frightened but angry now. What use was she if she ran away? What if Dekka got hurt?

Who was she going to be unfaithful with?

A shaky gasp and she turned back around, only this time she had pilfered a broom one of the ship's maids had forgotten propped up against a door and she rushed back.

"Just let us kill the bitch," The masked man snarled at Dekka through punches and slashes, "You let us kill her and you'll get off scotfree. Maybe we'll even share some of the payment."

The unseen man had won a slug across his face. And at his words, Dekka spat blood at his feet.
"Do I look like a fucking lowly sell sword to you?" But even as he asked, his eyes danced as he watched where the unseen's man silhouette morphed his surroundings. It was subtle, but knowing now that he was there, Dekka kept his eyes trained on him as the two continued to circle one another.

The man that got punched barked out a laugh.

"Nah," He swallowed the bloody saliva and grinned, a wide red one, "You look like a lowly whore." He circled Dekka, flexing his hands and rolling his shoulders. "C'mon, why waste your time? It'll happen eventually." He breathed, voice going quiet before he made to pounce, reading to grab Dekka's shoulders to bring him down and knee him in the head.

Whore? If the man served to rile him up, it only made the thief king laugh. But his opponent took to long on his attack, and Dekka was already ready for him. The lunge had come, and then his dodge, and soon Dekka was over top of him, arms secure and tight around the attackers neck.

"Ain't got fucking much t' say now that I'm fucking choking you!" came Dekka's raspy growl, his entire body shaking, fighting off the man scrambling beneath him- but his hold held true, and he wasn't aiming to ever let go until the man was dead.

The attacker had faltered and now he was paying the price.

His hands grabbed uselessly at Dekka's and he made desperate choking noises as his face went red and his eyes rolled back into his head. It took a good number of minutes but his hands fell uselessly to his sides and he stopped breathing.

Evarelia had opened the door not long after and watched and as horrified as she wanted to be she just stared and bit her lip. Crouched down. A gentle shake of her head at him before she pressed a hand to her chest and closed the door again, moving to sit on the bed, wringing her hands. What were they going to do? One day at sea and already...

A careful little breath and she moved to lay down on the bed, willing herself to calm down.

What was supposed to be some sort of new adventure was turning out all wrong indeed. Much like the rest of her life managed to do.

"What are you doing?" Dekka growled. "We need to toss him over board."

Evarelia frowned, going back to him, "Oh, when I need to do it you get angry, when you need to do it it's obvious." She huffled, folded her arms over her chest, "I'm not ruining another dress," She hissed, frowning at him before she pressed a hand to his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

He felt something on his side, something wet. He must've gotten cut. But it was strange she asked how he felt, because he suddenly felt dizzy and when he went to move, he suddenly toppled over in a spell to the ground.

"Oh, shit."

Evarelia fell to her knees when Dekka went down, whispering his name in a harsh whisper before she looked around again, pressing a hand to his side. Coming back wet she gasped and smoothed her clear hand over his face, "Dekka. Dekka you have to go lay down. We have to fix this," her hair was a tumbled red mess and she looked at the dead body of the man on the ground.  "You go clean up your wound and I'll... I'll figure out what to do with our friend."

"Fuck the wound, I was fucking poisoned," he growled, and tried to sit up, his head very much feeling light and swollen.

"Poisoned?" She hissed, panicking, "Dekka, what do I do?" She moved to push his shirt from the wound, "Tell me what to do before you pass out or die, please!"

Dekka groaned.
"We either fucking bleed me out or find an antidote on that fucking corpse," he growled, lamely crawling over towards the fallen body as he began to pat it down to look.

Sure she read books.

Evarelia gave a very hesitant nod though, moving to the body and rifling through the pockets, grabbing at his coat. Looking for some sort of secret pocket. Frantic. She didn't want Dekka to die -even if he was an asshole.

The first thing she found was a pen, which went sailing over her shoulder in irritation and then.

In his coat. behind a pocket.

"Dekka," She whispered grabbing at the little vial in the coat, fingers tore at fabric and she looked at it, mouth open lightly, worried, "Is this it?" How would he knew? Well, hopefully he'd know better than her.

Dekka snatched the vial and uncorked it with his teeth. Spitting the cork aside, he rolled the vial between two fingers an inch or two below his nose.

"It's either the antidote, or more poison, and at this rate, if I don't try it it might not fucking matter."
So he knocked it back and shivered. The damn stuff was bitter as fuck, and it was hard to go down, and sent a stinging through his veins, that made him lurch forward and grip at his chest.

Oh no

She'd just sent her childhood love to his death.

Fear gripped Evarelia's chest and she reached forward, one hand on his shoulder, the other on his back. "Dekka," She hissed, looking around, alarmed, afraid. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to pull him close gently, to just lean on, to hold. "Dekka, please?" She whispered, taking a deep breath, afraid and worried, "Dekka!"

A hot whiteness flooded his vision, burned his nose and burned his blood. He had no control over the consequences, his body writhing before he paused a moment, not realizing he was butting into Evrie (not that he was in the condition to care). Though they were both getting older, his body was still hard and strong, from long years of living up his ego- of stealing, sneaking and women. At least he'd die when he was still handsome. It would be a shame if the world were to see him age after such a life live in sinful youth.

But fire's never go out so easily, but it seemed his days were numbered as he unconsciously vomited, and then a second round heaped blood onto her dress. And then he law still, stiff- like death.


But he was still breathing, slow and shallow. And his heart beat was even weaker. Beating. It'd stop, then it'd beat gently, slowly again.

Evarelia went stone cold.

This was almost familiar. The jerky movements, the vomiting, the blood. Her hands pressed against his cheek and she sobbed at how cold he was. "I just found you again," She whispered against his forehead, vomit and blood staining her nightgown. She pressed her forehead to his neck, ready to sob at the loss of someone who had been, was? important to her and she felt it. A gentle flutter. Like a butterflies wings. So soft and fragile.

"Dekka?" She whispered, lifting his head in her arm. Still dead weight. He was so cold. A sigh. Evarelia ignored the assassins body before she steeled herself and grabbed Dekka's arm. It couldn't get worse right? It took effort and do doubt she left a trail of Gross as she dragged Dekka to her room. Depositing him to the floor beside the bed, she pushed her blankets off of it and onto him, getting him comfortable before she left the room and grabbed the assassin by the wrist and dragged him along.

Instead of throwing him over the railing those, she shoved his ass under the bottom of it.

Sweaty, panting, she rushed to her bedroom. Luckily, everyone was sleeping or ignoring the noises outside their room and she did her best to clean the mess of blood and vomit that led to her room. Get Dekka warm. That was important. So, Evarelia went to her closet, grabbed a new nightgown, pulled that one, hide the dirty one and curled up on the floor with him, an arm around his middle, a leg up on his waist. Her hand moved up and down his cold chest and she snuggled her face in against his neck. "You're taller than I remember you being," She whispered, eyes falling closed.

If Dekka wasn't here. Would she have died? It chilled her to think that, yes, probably.

Strange how everything was so quiet- to the noises on deck, to the noises in their room. Quiet.

It was a luxury cruise... Maybe there had been a dinner, it would explain why none were in their cabins. Or maybe it was the late hour; a lot would be in bed were there not some ball or dinner to attend. But this was a luxury ship, one built to entertain, to show the world a real castle on the waters.

So it was strange when the entire thing lurched and creaking out an unearthly groan before the entire ship shuddered back onto still waters.

That.
That got the entire place to awaken.

There had been a ball, a grand ball that night onthe further end of the ship....
Fortunate for them, the massive iceburgh did not hit their side, but close enough. It hit the ship in any event and where it did it was taking on water- and fast.
Unfortunately for Evarelia, the iceburgh had carved out a nasty hole, just on her side of the waters; to elicit the most haunting of noises she'd ever known.

And that he'd ever known. Somewhere between one and midnight, he had awakened. The party was still going on, there was silence everywhere. And though it was cold (damn rich snobs thinking it was a smart idea to sail through cold, ocean waters), he had awoken to warm arms around him.

A strong hand smoothed up her body, eyes still closed as he took in her smell, took in her feel. It didn't take much effort to push up her nightgown, for his lips to find her's and for him to whisper her name in want-

Just when the iceburgh struck.

"What the fuckin' hell!?" It was haunting enough to wake the dead and the man leaped to his feet and rushed out the room. Only when he threw the door open did the ship tremble again,a nd he caught himself against the side of door.

He was still reeling from what happened. Had he been poisoned? Was he about to get laid?
Did it matter if the damn ship was being attacked? But as he rushed down the hall, uncaring he hadn't any shoes on, and made it up onto the deck, he looked around, surprised to see not much of anything.

Then he heard it- the guests on the other side of the ship, and a few fleeing their way (or from it)

"Ships been hit!" one old man said to the couple as he passed. "They're checking on it, but we're heading to the front, gonna see if the ship can take whatever it was it it into. If not.." he shook his head, "You should get to the life boats as well." And the pair disappeared from sight.

It felt like a dream. Hands on her. Sleepily she had accepted the touches and the caresses and Evarelia moved into them. Except that jolt. That noise. Her eyes snapped open and she watched Dekka get up and rush from the room. Instantly she'd never been more scared than she was before and she rubbed at her chest before she quickly pulled on a robe before she followed after Dekka, barefoot as well.

Life boats?

Evarelia's breath was short, eyes closing briefly.

So, this was what it was like to die.

Slowly she grabbed Dekka's elbow, amazed and pleased that he was awake but... Evarelia sighed and looked at him before she started to tug him to the life boats. There was no way in hell she was going to die! "I haven't seen any grandbabies yet," Evarelia snapped, mostly to herself, "I absolutely refuse to die." A brief thought of her belongings. Jewelry. Clothes. Those could be replaced. What she considered priceless she already wore.

"C'mon, we need to get to safety," And she continued to drag Dekka along. It would be easier to worry about how to survive once they were well... Safe.

Dekka wasn't much for being dragged, but he didn't move well enough on his own out of confusion rather than any ill will to escape a sinking ship. But something seemed.. off.

"Isn't it too quiet out here?" he murmured, eyes adjusting to the dark as he looked back towards what he could only presume had been the iceberg they had crashed into. It was large and pointed, but not much stuck out from the water. But even in the moonlessnight, he could see it's shadow lurking dark and deep beneath the waters.

But that's when he saw something else. The large shadow...
It moved just beside the side of the ship....
And was basically the same side of it. He stopped dead in his tracks and shivered.

"What the fuck..."
And then the moving shadow was gone.

Did she care if it was too quiet?

Evarelia almost snapped at him to get moving. Like she'd said, she wanted to see grandchildren before she died, damnit! Her daughters married off to decent men! Cute children! Anything! Then Dekka stopped dead and she jerked her head towards him, felt him shiver.

His voice had her freeze and she moved closer to him out of fear, "Dekka?" Her voice was quiet, looking at him, "What...?" Chewing on her lip, she felt the ship lurch to the side, like a wave had crashed against it that tried to push it over and she planted her feet the best she could and held onto Dekka for dear life. "Please, we have to move. I don't want to die here, do you?"

As the ship was knocked into, he managed to catch Evarelia before stumbling to get his footing. He found himself resting against one of the boat's cabin walls as he tried to figure out just what the hell was going on when her words cut him back to reality. His heart must've been hammering. He grunted at her words and snorted, "Of course not. I'm not fucking dying here."

Green eyes cut across the ship, and he moved forward, roughly pulling her along.
He didn't know what the hell was going on, but even he wanted to piss his pants at the prospect there was some massive sea creature potentially attacking the ship.
Things would have been easier had it been just an iceberg taking them down...

But he could sense it... whatever was out there, and he began to move more swiftly. He knew it'd strike again.

There was confidence in his words.

Evarelia didn't really believe him though.

They were in the middle of the ocean, even if they survived the ship sinking... Where would they go? It was cold and bitter outside and the water was freezing. For the first time in her life she wished she was a mage or something. Maybe then she could be help to someone. Water mage. Take care of that pesky ocean.

Evarelia swallowed carefully, doing her best to remain calm.

A long look at Dekka while they moved to whichever exit to at least not die with the ship. "Dekka," She panted, heart making her breath pick up, "I have something really important that you need to know." Still, she clung to him, moving to the best she could, barefeet cold against the floor, "Do you want to know it now or after we survive?" Licking her lips she looked at him, giving a startled yelp when the ship lurched again. This was ... Probably the worst idea she'd ever had. Yeah, a ship ride. What a great idea.

Dekka caught her and braced them both as the ship continued to rock. An unnatural crunching sound soon followed, and he heard the ship splitting beneath them.
"I don't know how good of a time this is for any sort of fucking talk!" he growled, pulling her along as he fought the awkward motions as the ship writhed from it's wounds.

"Later then," Evarelia decided, doing her best to help against falling while the ship rocked. A brief moment and she closed her eyes, feeling her stomach flipflop, glad she hadn't really eaten anything since early the evening before. One of the doors was right there, it was black in the ship with little more than the moon light to guide their way. The rocking had the wax put out the candles and she clung to Dekka tighter, face tucked against his chest and arms around his middle - though she'd hoped there was enough room for him to move about without her in the way.

Her hand grasped railings when she could and helped steady them.

A brief glance out one of the windows and she saw something, a soft gasp and she squeezed her eyes shut. They were going to die. There was something out there and they were going to be it's food. "Dekka," She panted, "You know how to swim, right?"

He paused, needing to catch his footing, and turned with bared teeth.
"Swim? Do I know how to fucking swim?" That was rich. "Does it fucking matter?" Swim or not, either the damned beast would eat them when they hit water, crush them...
Or the cold would. He grew hot with rage over it, his body emitting heat even she could feel.

The ship trembled now, a part of it lurching before there was a series of cracking, and the section of the ship the pair were on suddenly dropped- only then he realized it had been leaning up and out of the water and the weight of the thing forced it back to even out on the surface before it's haunting echo faded out into the darkened waters. But the screams of the ship's patrons were still ringing clear into the night. 

Fuck.

"Sure," She gasped, eyes closing for a moment while she swallowed her fear.

"It'd be awful to just... Sink," Evarelia clung tight to Dekka, finding him a strange warmth from him which she eagerly snuggled into when she could. Worst idea. A sucked in breath and she squeezed her eyes shut and she let out a soft cry, tears finally flooding her eyes at the screams. There were people dying. "Dekka," She breathed, her cling doubling as a hug, "I don't think we're gonna make it," Not that she doubted him, but... The odds were certainly against them.

THe pair were still plastered against the outter cabin wall as the ship began to creak again and bubble as the ocean began to claim it. This time, at a much slower pace. And a lot slower than the beast would have liked.

"Just hold onto me," he growled. "We're fucking getting out of this alive if I have to punch the god damn beast's head in."

Maybe the beast heard him, mybe it was just awful luck, but the swell of the beast's returning form rocked the ship before it slammed into it again and then resurfaced. Dekka let out a cry, stumbling as he grabbed onto the open door that lead into the cabin stairwell, and his other hand shot out to secure Evarelia against his side. And as the ship splintered again and rocked away, he saw the massive jaws of the beast come open, consuming the skies in it's dark mass, and making the duel rows of jagged white teeth appear like stars before down the mouth came as it crunched into the  deck of the ship right before them and tear it off in one great bite.

The action rocked the ship and forced it away from the beast and the ship tipped again. This time  they were going up, and with an action so fast Dekka lost his grip- not on Evarelia, but on the door he held onto and down into the sinking ship they went,tumbling down the stairs nad into the dark hallway that was flooding below.

he didn't even get a chance to catch his footing when the ship rocked again, separating the pair as they both went down the hall and away from the only opening that would take them back up towards the surface of the ship. the ship only stopped moving after Dekka's back slammed against a wall and he, landing face first in a rising swell of sea water that was beginning to creep in through the hall they were both now trapped.