Private Tales The Obsoletes

He wished it to be true, that their location was the biggest of their problems. Their lifestyle, the path they'd chosen, however, would always attract danger and violence. It was Carlyle's ambition, the burgeoning business of the unpleasant that he'd built which had caused this damage to Faye's home, not merely the paltry whim of a scorned man.

There was no salvaging this. Even if they rebuilt, repaired... the pain would remain in Valimir's heart. All that Arevalo could do now was mitigate that pain. With resolve in his glimmering violet eyes, he nodded and held her tighter, rising to bring them both to their feet.

"We should go. We can find an inn for the day closer to the Inner City." It was beyond even his ability to find them housing on such short notice, but they could not slumber here today. Faye would only writhe and wither in agony over the state of the place, when rest was what she needed most after the ordeal they'd endured. "Tomorrow we will seek a new home, and a new beginning."

So nearly did Carlyle ask the question now, though already he knew the answer. All that delayed him were the tears in her eyes, and the blood and broken glass that surrounded him.

No, he wished not for the memory of their moment to be stained with this wreckage.

Faye Valimir

There were some wounds that even the bond of a Dragon could not heal; Broken bones and ended flesh could always be repaired, but bruises upon the heart and fractures of the soul were not so simple to ease and soothe. Even when removed from the site of heartbreak that his recklessness had brought about, Faye's heart was still in pain.

That there was little Carlyle could do to ease it was a bitter pill for him to swallow, moreso even than the loss of their home. In the following days, he found himself with Zeodag more and more, the negativity bred by the black dragon's presence drawing him towards his work. Arevalo had to keep up appearances, and several outstanding assignments were requested of him, as well as an ensuing battle over compensation from Terrast's estate.

It was all so paltry to Zeo. He fed hatred into Carlyle's ears, reminding him of the magnitude of this betrayal, of the condemnation it served as to these people and their false peace.

Carlyle could resist these urges, for now. Even so, it wore on him, and each time he returned to their little interim Inn home, he was more exhausted, physically and mentally, the warmth of her lips and embrace were a welcome distraction, bringing color to the pallor of his flesh.

"I hadn't intended on staying much longer anyways..." Carlyle muttered against Faye's kiss, his eyes darting across the room and taking in the sizable collection of well-wishing she'd accumulated over the last couple of weeks. One of his hands drifted low, cupping Valimir by her backside and lifting her up to spin around and sit where she'd risen from, resting her down on his lap. "I've been made an interesting proposition today, and it's one I can't accept without your... generous counsel." He purred.

Faye Valimir

There would be plenty of time to revel in each other's bliss at a later time, as much as Carlyle craved her at all hours. That there was so little to stop him, naught but clothing and inhibition in between them certainly didn't help him with his resolve. Even so, the proposal he'd been offered was certain to pique her interest, and he'd hate to distract her so... for now. Arevalo tilted his head back, a breathy, barely audible groan leaving his lips as Faye lavished him with all of her affection.

To be treated like a king by a woman fit to be queen was a privilege few would ever know so well as he.

"We've been offered recompense, from Terrast and Alinar's remaining family." He breathed out. There had been many murmuring talks as to what punishment could be inflicted upon the family their attacker had belonged to, seeing that he was already dead. Ultimately, Carlyle had made it known that he would seek compensation for what had been done. He'd kept most of these talks away from Faye, not wishing to trouble her already wounded heart further with paltry legal battles.

"Should we agree to forgo any extreme measures against them..." Arevalo leaned his head to whisper against her ear, his voice husky, "...Which would most certainly have the backing of the entire city..." He punctuated that delicious fact with a kiss to the side of her neck before drawing back. "They have offered to surrender to us their estate. In the Palace District."

A significant upgrade, Carlyle did not need to tell Faye explicitly how lavish a home they would be moving into, she'd seen them all herself. He could remember moonlit walks with her through the Palace District, the stars glimmering in her eyes as she looked upon the palatial estates, the barely restrained dreams of a classier lifestyle thrumming in her heart.

"Something to more befit your elegance, I think..."

Faye Valimir

It was for that reason which he's sought her counsel in the first place. Carlyle's face fell, to see the sorrow his darling had been battling renewed by his own words was crushing if not somewhat expected. Logically, the transaction made sense; They gained valuable property, valued far higher than the damages caused by Terrast and his mercenaries. It was a home, a place to live and build upon what they'd started so long ago, in that little shop.

Emotionally though, it was simply too much. Every moment would be another reminder of that night, every morning would be waking up in enemy territory, a nest of evil that had taken so much from her. Carlyle's heart had been twisted, corrupted by the influence of a malicious being. Faye had followed him into the darkness, but her soul was not so calloused and cold.

And in her sadness, she warmed his own.

"I understand, my love." Carlyle spoke softly, holding tightly the love of his life, the reason for his very being. His face nestled into her neck, his lips placing soft, gentle kisses along her skin as he comforted her. "I must be the one to apologize. I allowed my vengeful thoughts to rule me, prioritizing some childish payback over you." What had come over him? The idea seemed a fallacy, now that he considered it truly. A frown creases his lips as he closes his eyes, resting against her.

"I just... I'm eager to find safety once more. This small little suite, it cannot contain our love, our ambition... It can scarcely contain us ourselves."

Faye Valimir

Carlyle could have remained there, bathing in those green pools of her gaze for the rest of the day, and perhaps the next as well. Even amid the turmoil that had taken hold of them over the last week, disrupted their operations and stolen their home from them, there was safety and shelter in her eyes. Valimir was all the solace he could ever ask for.

Were the world so perfect as their love, it would be that simple. Alas, such things couldn't be. Thanasis, this living breathing city, was their lifeblood, and they could not feast upon it's offerings until they'd found a true home. A task that fell to him, for his actions had brought them here.

At least, he'd felt so. Faye's mention of her aunt left him with a somewhat bemused expression, even breaking through that haze of darkness that clouded his eyes. "Your... aunt?" He repeated. Grace was a woman of stature, certainly, but she was, quite frankly, too ordinary for Carlyle's liking. She lacked the dedication and divine beauty of her neice, and the drive and willpower of her brother. Arevalo hadn't thought once of her since their last meeting, and yet...

Concern, in the very back of his mind. Not for himself, and not even for Faye. For Grace Valimir.

"You need to be certain, love..." Even to himself, this caution seemed awkward, and out of place. "Involving her in this... in us, even indirectly, puts her at some risk."

Faye Valimir

At Faye's reassurance, Carlyle did smile. Even so, as she slipped away and turned to the wardrobe the look of concern did not waver from his features. It had not been telling her outright that he'd meant to warn against. In asking a favor of her, they indirectly connected her to everything that had happened over the last few days. And if she was connected to that...

She was connected to it all.

"Of course, love." He replied as he rose from his seat to join her.

Would she feel the momentary trepidation in his fingers as he helped to dress her? That uncharacteristic hesitation in his voice as they spoke idly of the day ahead of them? Even to Arevalo himself, it was unnerving and off-putting. Worse, he could practically feel the seething disdain of He who pulled the strings, disgusted with such human sentiment. Still, he said no more of his worry. The window of vulnerability had been brief, and Faye had closed it swiftly.

---

It wasn't the first time he'd accompanied her to her Aunt's home, but ordinarily their visit was more out of courtesy than anything else. Faye and Grace had a relationship both healthy and beneficial to both sides, perhaps the closest thing either of them had to a parental role at this point in their lives. Still, Carlyle was a third party, often taking a backseat and allowing the two of them to converse as they pleased.

Today, though, they were her to ask a favor. Undoubtedly Grace had heard of the incident by now; it was a topic of discussion especially among the upper class, how one of their own families had gone mad and tried to kill the lovely young couple living in the old Forge.

His face scrunched up a bit as she kissed his cheeks, far from comfortable with affection from anybody but Faye. Forcing a smile, Carlyle bowed his head with reverence. "Oh, I wouldn't worry very much, my lady." He assured her, reaching out to place a hand on Faye's back. "Things are progressing, I assure you. We've simply hit a few bumps as of late."

Bumps... that was one way to put it.

"I can smell the meal from here. What have you whipped up this time, Grace?"

Faye Valimir

Faye enjoyed these visits, and in the particularly bleak circumstances they'd found themselves in she needed every bit of joy she could get. So Carlyle did what every good and decent partner does for their better halves, and kept his mouth shut. There was nothing to be gained by voicing his discomfort, and it would only prolong their stay. The food did smell heavenly, and it would be a shame for the veritable feast that Grace likely had set out for them to go to waste.

"Your brother took to many things." Carlyle mused on as Grace led them inside. "This home is proof of that. It wouldn't be incorrect to call it a museum of some of his finest work." That Faye's father had made such exquisite and incredible works, yet chose to live in a quaint little workshop well below his means spoke only to the kind of man that he was.

Arevalo had much admiration for him, the one who'd taken him in at his lowest. As Faye squeezed his arm, he turned his head, leaning down to place a kiss upon her temple. "So lucky am I, to have his greatest creation at my side."

No work of art could ever surpass the raw beauty that was Faye Valimir. Of that, there was no debate.

Once they'd reached the dining room, a cozy little chamber not so grandiose and over-decorated as to distract from the taste of a good meal, Carlyle sat across from Faye with an eye already trained on the wine. After the week he'd had, a bit of the poison would take quite nicely.

Certainly, it would help distract him from the topic at hand.

"The home is..." Carlyle shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking down at the table in front of him. "The damage done to it is more sentimental than physical." It would be crass to simply say that Faye no longer felt safe there, and Grace was wise enough to know what he meant. "We've decided it best to look for a new home, perhaps restoring the forge after we've had time to process and heal."

Faye Valimir

Carlyle's relationship with Faye had always been one of mutual stabilization. Neither held a particularly normal life, and with that abnormality came stressors. Whenever one of them began to crack under the pressure, the other was always there to be strong, to bear the load for both of them. That was Carlyle's duty now, and he fulfilled his role to the letter as they dined; fielding any questions about the incident, particulars about the damage and repercussions, and artfully evading any soft inquiries regarding the perpetrator.

"I am in negotiations with the opposing estate to find some sort of acceptable recompense for the damage." `He spoke into his tea, looking down into the dark liquid as he brought the rim to his lips and took a long sip. "While it is difficult to accept anything from the family of he who laid hands on my Faye, I will not allow the actions their blood took against mine to go without punishment." Ruthless? Perhaps, but then whether Grace knew it or not, Arevalo had a reputation for such ruthlessness.

"Well..." His brow quirked as he used the cup to hide the smallest of smirks. "Besides the punishment of losing their own."

His only regret is that the fool hadn't suffered long. Were it his decision, he would have made the process unbearably slow, for one who dare to harm the woman he cherished most. Still, as he spoke he rested his hand upon Faye's lap underneath the table, squeezing gently. He knew well she was reluctant about his interest in prolonging any such litigations.

"But what is most important is that we are safe, and that we have one another. Humbly, we will take what assistance you can offer. My highest priority is the comfort and security of Faye."

Faye Valimir

They'd gotten what they'd wanted from Faye's aunt: A freedom from the confined lodgings they'd been confined to, a chance to make a new living in a new setting, without the shackles of the past clinging desperately to their ankles. Still, it was glum and dreary as they departed, as droll as the grey skies overhead, as the chilled air that Carlyle shielded Faye from with the crook of his arm around her.

Arevalo's frustration was three-pronged. Even longer they would need to wait for a proper home. Even longer before the safety and security of his Faye would once again be a certainty in his mind. And even longer before he could properly operate with any real efficiency, his contacts, network, and workload all upended by the commotion this episode caused.

Perhaps it was wrong of him to be thinking of his work at a time like this, but the frustration was not his own. The goals he'd been working towards were those of Zeodag, and that black beast was not patient. If Carlyle was incapable of being his vessel, there would be further problems.

So it was with a frown that he held Valimir close, nodding quietly as she asked to accompany him. A day out would do her well, and she could perhaps distract herself from the dissonance in her head, the doubts and fears that filled her. "I want you to be happy with our selection. Far better to use your eyes than my word of mouth."

He feared they had a long day ahead of them, though.

He'd little idea how correct he was.

Faye Valimir