Completed One Last Tango

[Livia Quinnick]

Dawn was not too far off, and most of the party that were the last guests to leave the dance had gone their separate ways. In a rare mood to socialise with those in her class, it was a successful night to forget all the troubles gnawing at the back of her mind, but when sweet slumber did not claim her, Livia was left to finally process what she had found this night. Never mind how she found Joel Schmidt, it was the eyes that haunted her the most. The longer she went back, remembering how his eyes simply looked as if the lights had just gone out... she was able to fixate on the details before her magic had closed the door to the outhouse. The door was locked still, remembering her magic had unlocked it with an audible click. Everything was normal, except for the obvious corpse occupying the outhouse. He looked as if he were playing a prank, and perhaps to anyone else who had not experienced a body that died of 'natural' causes, he may have had them fooled.

She had paced the length of her dorm room countless times, wearing down the rug with her constant fretting footsteps. Her bottom lip had been chewed on, breaking skin at some point and the metallic taste only broke her train of thought momentarily. Now, the young Quinnick sat on her bed and stared at the dress left in a heap at the foot of the bed, a perfect pool of beige, silver, and gold. It had been nice to dance after choosing to skip out on the past school activities her classmates had attended. Livia often was hard to track down for an invitation, but she heeded the words of several Proctors to allow herself one night of fun. It was truly a success, that it was not her corrupted magic causing a stir, a thought she worried herself about the days leading up to this night... Livia executed perfect control and calmness, perhaps a minor crackle here and there, but nonetheless, she was proud of herself.

But was that enough to satisfy her night?

Fuck. Livia closed her eyes and exhaled the supply of air filling her lungs. This is no use... She felt awake still, unable to even fathom the idea of sleeping in like many no doubt will be doing. That dormant ache throbbed now, pressing at her head. Getting drunk and high never lasted long enough to make her truly forget, but it never stopped her from trying. This was the end of it, the coming down and realising what she sought out was not truly what she had been looking for. Livia would thank Rowley for a successful night, but it was not his bed she was being pulled to. From the moment she had entered the main hall and saw him there, Livia had acted indifferent, no, ignored him altogether... but even that brief interaction with him had made her curse his very name.

The very idea of what she had felt for him was dangerous in her mind; someone she had slipped her defenses around and imparted morsels of herself she had not told anyone else at the Academy. They had gotten close, too close for her liking. Defenses had to be built back up, and distance soon after. No more mistakes.

Livia crossed her room to her door, draping the only cape within reach over her shoulders and pulling up the hood to the Quinnick blue material. Anyone would be able to recognise the particular shade, one purposefully missing from her dress at the dance. There was no real goal to this, or so Livia tried to convince herself. She was unable to sleep and restless, and whatever she had tried over the course of the night did not put her at ease. Why was it so difficult for her to be alone in her own head, but preferred to not be surrounded by a large group of people? Why did he make me feel at ease? Her teeth bit into her lip again, the cut in her lip stinging as the small wound reopened. Why does he still occupy my thoughts?

Her knuckles collided with his door, not too loud but... hesitant. As if this was a terrible idea, and she would come to regret this momentary lapse in judgement. When distractions and substance abuse failed at pushing the image away from her mind, Livia hit that low point where she needed comfort.

Unfortuantely, for Livia, the only one capable of easing her worries and taking her mind of... anything was Silas Artesto.

 

[Silas Artesto]

The young man in question couldn't fathom himself being the answer to anyone's problems as he was. Silas Artesto had his own troubles, his own swirling eddies of worry that kept him from a peaceful sleep. Much like Livia, he'd been on his feet more than his back so far, despite the soreness from a night full of dancing, staring out of the small window of his dorm room into the moonlit field below.

Funny... with how well the dance had ended up going for him, he'd expected to feel better than he did now. The connection he'd formed with both Zinnia and Houri had been a surprise, and where he'd woken up bitter and jaded over the disappearance of Vasha, now he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit happy that he'd attended, that he'd gotten to share those moments with the pair of girls tonight. Even if nothing came of it, he'd been able to forget the lonely feeling that had nagged him for the last few months.

Then there was Livia...

She'd made it clear to him on the night they'd spent together that what had happened between them wasn't anything of serious gravity. It didn't make them 'friends'. It certainly didn't make them a couple. Still, that she'd gone out of her way to completely ignore him for the entirety of the dance had admittedly hurt his feelings a bit. What was the point of pushing him away, if all he had been was a one-night stand? If anything, ignoring him made it seem like it had meant more to her than she was letting on.

Really though, it wasn't women that Silas was up all night thinking about. No, it was the person who'd originally owned the outfit he'd worn to the event, now hanging on the wall. His father. This would have been his birthday, according to what the Guard had told him. The few memories he had of his parents were fuzzy, blurred by how young his mind had been, but he'd heard all the stories of how heroic they were, how valiantly they'd battled the elven rebels...

Would he have been proud of him tonight?

The question nagged at him more than he cared to admit, his heart seeking approval that wouldn't... couldn't come.

Silas wanted to be a hero, like him. That was why he was so willing to devote his time to training, why he prided himself on being an Initiate of the Academy. At the same time, nights like tonight... they made him want to be normal too. To go out, have a social life, and mess around with girls. So many of his classmates made it seem like it was easy to do both, but to Artesto, they just seemed like separate worlds.

And, as though his problems came to confront him in person, a knock came from his door.

He whipped his head around at the sound, raising an eyebrow. Who the hell was knocking this late? Everybody had gotten so wasted or exhausted at the dance, he doubted anybody from his class was still awake. Cautiously making his way to the door, he gripped the handle and slowly pulled it open, the cool air from the hallway hitting his bare chest as it swung open.

"Liv...?"

The woman he'd just been pondering now stood in his doorway, clutching a cape around herself and looking... well...

"Gods Liv, you look like you've been through hell." He muttered. Any frustration he'd been holding onto over her actions earlier in the night was put aside for now. Whether she felt the same or not, Silas considered her a friend, and she sure as hell looked like she needed one. "Come in, then..." He stepped in, moving to let her slip into the room as well, before closing the door.

"What's going on, Liv? Are you alright?"

 

[Livia Quinnick]

She did not look too awful... right?

Not needing to be told twice, she slipped in past him and practically clawed at the clasp holding her cape in place, letting the thing fall to the floor and revealing dark attire normally worn for training. Barefoot, she began to pace a small length before her eyes saw her reflection in the mirror. Fuck. He was not wrong. What she thought was her mind spiralling was in reality doing a number on her. There was that slight redness to the whites of her eyes, more prominent as her eyes were indeed puffy from obvious tears, ones she did not recall. Her complexion was no longer that warm undertone, now lacking colour that made the very light application of makeup to her eyes appear darker. Hell was a kind way of saying she looked the worst anyone had ever seen her.

"Sorry..." She still stared at her reflection, teeth digging into her bottom lip as the mirror showed her the truth to her anxious state. "I could not sleep, and I just... I do not know. I needed to see you." What had she been thinking? The first and last time she was here in his room, she had left before he woke and bite his head off when he tried to talk to her. Back then, Silas was easy to confide in... but she did not like how he was now the sole being that was privy to her problems. Opening up was a vulnerable thing to do, and it did not sit right with her.

So why was she here now?

"I was a bitch tonight. I did not me--" Her head dropped to the floor. That was a lie, ever so ready at her tongue. She had meant to ignore him, to make good on her promise that they had no real reason to be friendly.

"I saw something tonight. Joel... fuck..." She was glad for the distance between them now, glad he did not immediately follow her to the middle of the room. Liv felt like she could burst; unleash the trauma that laid dormant inside her for hours now, but with corrupted magic she could bring down a catastrophe upon them. "Silas, he is dead. I found him... dead." The promise not to tell a soul had weighed heavily on her mind, threatening her very mentality of pretending everything was fine.

"When I close my eyes to sleep, I see his eyes. I feel sick." Her hands were shaking, her breath quickening and catching just as easily in her lungs that it burned. "I feel sick and then I become restless. Angry. I do not feel safe, and I do not feel at ease just knowing someone is out there capable of doing something so bold on a night of celebration. I--" Finally, a choked sob inhaled her words and her knees wobbled, threatening to give out in exhaustion after all the pacing she had done.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Gods...

Silas had heard there was some kind of commotion amongst the proctors, and he'd seen Livia talking with Evangeline and Salax earlier in the night, but he hadn't imagined... who in the hell would have done something like that? And why wouldn't they have been told? The Initiate shook his head a little, It made sense that the Proctors wouldn't want any panic or worry among the students. Of course they'd keep it under wraps.

But... they'd made Livia just keep it in and shoulder it all night?

His features creased into a worried frown of sympathy. No wonder she was a wreck, and he didn't blame her for going to Zaire and Rowley to try and score some easy tools for distraction. Silas didn't think he'd have been able to make it until the end of the dance if it were him. Quietly, he walked across the small dorm room, arms reaching out.

"Liv... you're trembling. C'mere."

Artesto found her shaking shoulders with his hands, pulling the sobbing girl into his arms with an exasperated sigh. He hadn't known Joel that well, but he was a nice enough guy. Certainly didn't deserve anything like that... what would you gain by killing initiates anyway? Seemed pointless, and there couldn't be an elf sneaking around the Academy. The sharpear would be noticed.

He abstained from asking her questions about it. She'd come for support, not an interview. She'd likely already be subjected to those in time.

"I had no idea, Liv... I'm sorry. That's... fucking horrible." He muttered, tucking his chin against her head as he locked his hands behind her back. He could give her shit for acting like a child at the dance later; she didn't need that tonight. She needed to not be alone. He would have needed the same after an experience like that. "Hey, I'm sure the Proctors are on it. There's nothing for us to get worried about." He reassured her. It was probably true, but that it had even happened in the first place was troubling.

Turning his head, and waiting for her breathing to slow against his chest, he looked over at the mess he'd left his bed after his own unsuccessful bout of sleep. He couldn't let her be alone. It would be cruel. She'd come to him because she needed him. Even if she'd never say it out loud, she felt safe around him.

Right?

"Look... stay here with me tonight. You can talk about it, get angry, get sick... whatever you gotta do. You won't have to do it alone."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

No, no, no, do not--

As soon as he pulled her into an embrace, her body relaxed despite her wanting to repel him. In the safety of his arms, she felt that annoyingly familiar sense of being vulnerable with him; trusting him with her delicate state. Although she wanted to seethe and poison him with cruel words that he did not deserve to make herself feel better about this whole situation, allowing herself this release felt better. He was the rock that always kept in place against her thrashing waves of emotions and thoughts, and she had been afraid that he would not want to put up against her ceaseless onslaught tonight.

No. He was a lighthouse and she simply caught his searching light.

He believed her. She could feel that in his voice, soothing her uncontrollable bawling as he waited patiently to guide her to ease her breathing. Livia Quinnick had never let another person watch her come undone in the aftermath. She had hidden away after her father's death, seeking solitude to make sense of everything. Here she was now, seeking out the boy she got too close to once and hated him for it.

And after all the ice she put between them, he was still so sweet, so readily to pull her back into this moment to share.

"I... I have been so horrible." Her voice shook with her shoulders, angry at herself. "I treated you... like shit a-- and you did not... do anything wrong." Livia kept her arms rigid at her sides, afraid of reaching out to him. What if pulled himself away from her?

"I just... I just need someone." You. Always you.

Livia gave him no chance to pull away now, her arms circling around him in a returned embrace. She clutched herself to him, afraid of that lighthouse beacon from going out and leaving her stranded. Her small frame shook and was wracked with devastating sobs, but the quiet and peace he gave her to fill worked in the end. Seconds, minutes... only the sun lifting the dawn knew how long they stood there before her body calmed to numbness and the tears paused in their silver tracks. Her eyes closed, no longer haunted by the dead gaze that belonged to the Initiate.

Instead, Silas was the only thing she could feel, could comprehend.

Finally, that invitation. A promise that she would not be alone for the rest of the night, and one expiring soon. She should say thank you, or even acknowledge that she had heard him, but she only dropped her arms to his waist and pulled herself in closer.

"I keep thinking... what if someone else is hurt?" She mumbled, voice hoarse and throat raw from her wailing. "I try to remember everything... to find some sort of clue to tell the Proctors and be useful..." but I cannot find anything.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas didn't say anything as she shook in his hold, choking out an apology that he honestly hadn't expected. Yeah she was right, but fuck if he knew exactly how to handle the residual emotions of what had happened last time she'd visited his room.

Artesto cared about Livia; She was rough around the edges, and a bit of a bitch sometimes, but the only time she'd ever let him see past that cold exterior, he saw somebody who was misunderstood, with good intent that didn't know how to express herself.

I just need someone

She murmured into his heartbeat as she circled her arms around him and hugged him back. Once again, that iron curtain that she always kept drawn over her feelings, over her emotions, and over her heart slid open slowly.

For only the second time in his life, Silas held the real Livia Quinnick in his arms. And Livia Quinnick sobbed, wept only in his arms as the weight that the night's events had placed upon her shoulders so precariously now came tumbling off of them at once.

Silas offered no words but soft reassurances, slowly combing a hand through her hair as she let her tears fall, her body quaking with the withheld shock and grief. What else was there to do? There were no words that would make what she had witnessed acceptable, no rationalization that would soften that blow. After minutes that felt much more like hours, the tremors ceased, the sobs lessened and her breathing steadied.

He looked down at her, his hand running back down to the flat of her back. Almost in turn, she moved her grip down to his waist, and pressed herself even tighter against his body. Suddenly he became acutely aware of... well, her. Livia was thorny, but every bit as beautiful as she made herself out to be. If the situation were different, it would make him stir.

"Relax tonight, Liv. You've done enough for one night..." He murmured down softly. "I'm not pissed at you. It's whatever, the whole dance thing. You did something with me you regret, I get that, you don't have to be my friend."

He paused for a moment.

"...But tomorrow, we can walk through things and figure out if there's something you missed. If you want. Some rest will clear your head up, I bet."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Why did she ever push him away when he could accept her fretting like this? Support her when she needed it despite how she treated him? It would be a nice thought, to have him to herself, but Livia knew he would be better off with someone else than the youngest Quinnick and her indecisiveness.

With a loose breath, Livia lifted her head and rested her chin at his shoulder, looking at the familiarity of his room. "You would do that?" Of course he would, and he would of felt compelled to offer after she came to him distraught. She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat, pushing back the tears that willed to fall again. "I promised that I would not tell anyone, Silas. So I would appreciate your company, but we will have to be... discreet." There was every chance that the body was moved by now, than several individuals were tasked in investigating what had happened before they came looking for Livia to question.

Livia pulled her sleeves past her wrists and wiped at her eyes and cheeks, clearing the smudged makeup and giving her the illusion she was somewhat put back together. "Fuck, you probably think I am some raving lunatic after everything." Gently, she pulled away from his arms and made the short distance to his bed, sheets all in a disarray like her own was left in. "I did not wake you, did I? Shit." Livia winced as she tried to neaten his sheets to a more flat and presentable look. It was a moment to stall, unsure of what consisted and was expected of spending the night in someone else's bed.

"Can I hug you while we try to sleep?" There. She did not have to admit to him how much she enjoyed being in his arms, distressed or after a night of exploring one another's bodies. He had offered her comfort, and being in his arms did just that for the female Initiate. "Is that alright?" Her legs disappeared under the sheets, shifting herself to the farthest side and leaving him space to climb in beside her. She could not be cold to him no longer, not tonight. Tonight, Livia could afford to be unsteady, to allow herself to fall back into someone's waiting arms to keep her upright.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

There was a veritable mountain of questions and issues between them that needed to be hashed out with much clearer heads than either of them had tonight. Silas didn't know what the hell Livia saw him as, and he was beginning to suspect that was just as clueless in that regard. To turn her away because of some petty indecisiveness on her part though... it would make him no better.

Livia pulled away, and Silas nodded along with her concerns about his proposition. While she fussed with his sheets, he pushed the door to his room the rest of the way shut with a solid click. It sounded much louder than it was in the near silence of the dorms, but as Silas turned the lock to ensure they weren't discovered, he turned to watch her with a sigh.

"Calm down. I don't think you're a loony. You got spooked and you're fucked up over it. I already told you, we'll worry about it tomorrow."

His bare feet padded across the circular rug placed in the center of the room, bearing his family crest. Livia slid into his bed, sliding over against the wall. The sight made him stop for a moment and look at her. The last time she'd climbed into his bed, he'd woken up with a note and a cold pillow beside him. It would be a lie to claim he hadn't replayed the night in his head on some more lonely occasions, but the morning had always been bittersweet.

So, as he undid his belt and slid it from his trousers, letting them fall to the floor to leave him in the loose-fitting undergarments he'd chosen for comfort during the dance, he stepped forward and brought a knee up to the bed to slide in beside her. "Only if you're here when I wake up." he murmured, settling in underneath the thick blanket and reaching out to bring her close once again, resting her head on his bare chest. She was so warm, it felt incredible on a chilly night like this one.

After a moment, he leaned down and pressed his face to the top of her head, arching his back slightly to be more flush against her body. As much as this was for her, Livia's scent, the sweet smell she always seemed to have wherever she went... it made him shiver a bit. The way her hands pressed against him, little hotspots against flesh ripe with goosebumps from having her so close to him again.

He'd missed her.

"We can fret when the sun comes up. Just... let your mind rest tonight, Liv..."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Now she felt severely overdressed in her training gear.

She did her best to avert her gaze as soon as she watched his hand remove his belt, her cheeks filling with pink but under the dim lights, perhaps he would not see her blushing. Of course, there was no need to be so shy around one another. Pulling the sheets to just under her chin, she shuffled to welcome him under the warmth of his blankets and cuddle up against him. They had done this before, and Livia often thought about it when she hugged her pillow after a restless night of disturbed sleep. How nice it would be to have this...

"I promise to be here." She murmured softly, pulling her head back just a touch so that her lips were not touch his bare chest. Her breath was warm, nothing she could do but hope he did not think back to that night. But of course he is thinking of that night. It was rather cold of her to have slipped from his room as soon as he drifted off to sleep. Hell, she entertained the idea long enough to pretend she was asleep beside him, but she also had never stayed in someone else's bed like that.

"In the morning I will still be here." Was she comforting him now? Did she truly hurt his feelings after...? Liv made the mistake of lifting her head to meet his eyes, but she miscalculated how close he truly was to her head. "Sorry." Her heart skipped a beat, pounding against her ribs after her lips had brushed his chin. She pursed them, an attempt to stop the nervous giggles from leaving her but it was no use. The smile that stretched the corners of her mouth felt the most natural she felt since... well before her headache started at the dance.

In an effort to distract him from that touch of her lips, Livia curled an arm around his side. "I will be honest, Silas... I barely sleep these days, but this... this helps me settle." Her fingers brushed at his spine, drawing slow circles. "Again, I am sorry for being such a bitch..." She was not sure when she would stop apologising this night alone.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

A soft exhalation poured from his lips to her brow as she drew lazy shapes on his back with her fingertips. The sensation didn't help any attempts to sleep, not that he expected said effort to be fruitful. Not that her presence wasn't comforting, but the tension between them was so thick you could practically bite into it. Had this been why she'd avoided him? Because they always seemed to be drawn together, no matter how they pretended to feel?

His hands slid up her back, digits clutching at the material of her thin training top gently as his hazel eyes met her own, smiling like she'd been caught stealing a cookie when reminded of how she'd left him hanging last time. It was enough to make him let out a small laugh, seemingly ignoring the fact she'd nearly kissed him just moving her head around. "You... can always ask, you know?" He mumbles, bringing his face inches closer as he speaks, perhaps at his own will, perhaps at the will of something else within him. "Not asking you to walk around with me on your arm, but... I can do this for you. Lord knows I need it too, sometimes..."

Silas didn't bring up the fact that this had been a troublesome night for him as well. It wasn't relevant, not really. He did, however, take the opportunity to prod at her ego, ever so slightly.

The smile on Artesto's face turned into a smug half-grin as he placed his lips feather-light against her forehead, brushing it just like she'd done his chest and chin. It was fleeting, little more than a peck, and yet he held his face there, breathing his words on her brow."To go from pretending I'm invisible to kissing me, though... a man gets mixed signals, Quill."

Bringing his head back, his hands loosen their grip and slip down to her waistband, resting on the belt of her own outfit as he straightens his body, tilting his head up with a yawn.

"And yeah, you can be a bitch. If you weren't so damned cute I'd be angry. Try and get some rest, yeah?"

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Damn him. Silas knew her well enough to know she was not one to go down without a fight. Even after the disarming he did to her ready protests; the use of the nickname she actually adored and calling her out despite her apologies... He must of known she would not be quiet after saying all of that to her. And he called her cute. Livia used her hand at his back to roll him to his back, following him in the movement to stare down at him.

"Oh, how am I to rest when you threw that challenge at me? I did not kiss you, Artesto. You know I am capable of much worse if you think this was mixed signals." They certainly did not need to kiss first last time. "But if it is rest you are after... then I bid you a good night." This time she did not shy away. Shifting once again to reach him, her lips found claim to his and pressed gently. It lasted only seconds before she pulled away a little to meet his eyes. Fuck. Livia hoped he could not hear her heart beating so hard, and that the shakiness to her arms was due to holding herself up, not nerves at taking such a daring move.

But he had... oh. He was making light jests at her expense... and now she probably made things weird between them.

Livia cleared her throat, rolling off of him now to grimace at the ceiling. "Well.. I am not opposed to asking for company in the future. I... I think that would be quite nice." Perhaps not in her nightwear if this was how he went to bed.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

He probably should have known the teasing would set her off-- Vulnerable or not, Quinnick loved a challenge, and she had a reputation for not backing down. Even Silas hadn't been expecting the sudden push she gave him though, shifting their weight and rolling over to straddle him. What was once tension was now a palpable boundary in the air that the two of them threatened to break a second time.

"Quill, you know what I--"

She didn't give him time to finish whatever comeback he could think of, shutting him up with an even more unexpected kiss to his lips. Liv was right. They hadn't actually kissed last time. Even for the few seconds this one lasted, he could feel everything through the soft lips that pressed against his now, the energy she still had this late at night, the beating of her heart at the dangerous game they were playing...

He wondered if she could feel his?

But as soon as it happened, it was over. She broke away and quickly rolled off back to his side where she'd been lying before, looking up at the ceiling with a perplexed expression on the soft contours of her face. Had she not liked that? Regretted it? It wouldn't be the first time she regretted doing something with him, he supposed... Now she'd left him on his back, practically stunned, with heat searing through every vein in his body. The place she'd just sat felt so damned cold now... like there was something missing that should have damn well been there.

He turned his head to look at her, and felt his teeth close on the inside of his cheek. It raised the question of what kind of company she was looking for? He hadn't planned on doing anything tonight, figured it wasn't a good time, but...

"Hey, Quill?"

Silas reached out, putting his hand on hers.

"You maybe want to... do that again?"

It wasn't entirely clear if he meant the kiss, or something else.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

"No." She replied quickly, her nerves going haywire within her. Her hand squeezed his, not dismissing it like she ought to... because it felt nice to hold him. Did he like that? Having her on top of him and kissing him like that? Is that what he was asking her? Liv turned her head to look at him, brows knitting together as she thinks on what he had asked her that she was so quick to disagree to.

Fuck it.

Livia shoved the sheets away and slowly climbed back to pin him down with her legs either side of his hips. "I do not want to... not really." Her hands fell to rest against his chest, staring down at him before her eyes betrayed her and fixed on his lips that were warm against her own. "I am a little overdressed for rest however that may play out..." There was no need to lose nerve now. He did not think of her in the same way she was confused about him, but they both could understand the carnal wanting they could both satiate for the other.

First, her hands withdrew to the belt around her trousers, unbuckling it and slowly pulling it free from her form. Next, her fingers clawed at her top to pull the tucked hem out and pull it over her head. A thin piece of cloth was left, the silk a shimmering soft colour in contrast to the all black outfit she had previously worn. She had meant to kiss him, just as she was now slowly removing layers before his eyes.

"This is not what I was thinking of when I came to your door, so you are aware, Artesto." It was true, but it felt like a lie on her lips. Her hands pressed into the soft bedding under him, slowly lowering herself to him again. "You perplex me. I tell myself to forget about you and here I am, back to you." She remembered how good she felt last time, how he experimented with his ability that sent her over the edge. That kind of thing could become an addiction... and Livia had gotten her taste.

"I looked for distractions all night.." Livia did not bother finishing her words before her lips were back on his. It started out chaste, apprehensive in whether this was the right idea at all, but hell did she just want to be momentarily ignorant to the world outside this room and focus on this boy that did wonders to her emotions. She stole his lips into a more meaningful kiss, one intending to show she would not shy away again.

No. This time she would not regret it.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas woke up warm, much warmer than he usually did. It wasn't the sun peeking through his window, bathing him in sunlight, nor was it a heavy blanket cast over his body. No, this morning all the warmth that radiated through him came from the woman nestled peacefully against his chest, her skin flush with his as she slept soundly in his arms.

Livia Quinnick was almost angelic in her sleep. Looking down at her with lidded amber eyes, Silas wished that she was able to feel as serene as she looked in his bed. Last night had told him many things, though. That his dear friend had her share of personal demons to combat was one of them. Artesto wasn't totally dense; he'd felt the strength of her emotions, the weight of the words she'd said to him before they'd succumbed to exhaustion.

Whether she'd admit it or not, she cared deeply for him. He understood that, now.

The blonde initiate ran his hand slowly through her messy brown hair, tracing paths to the pale white ends hidden therein. He knew Quill; Once they left this room and stepped out in front of other eyes, she'd act as though this never happened. They would be back to being acquaintances and nothing more. The woman he'd been allowed to see last night was one she would only show in private.

Gods, she could be a stubborn bitch.

Wrapping his arms tightly around her bare form, Silas pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his hands drawing shapes on her back in an attempt to gently rouse her from her sleep.

"Quill... It's morning. We have to go soon..."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Had she fallen asleep? She could swear they were talking about one of the many missions they had been on recently only seconds ago.

Livia groaned lightly, arms reaching out to stretch and lazily wrapped them around Silas, a form much warmer and comfier than any pillow, and buried her face deeper. "Or we could stay in here for the rest of the day." In here, she did not have to put on a mask and deal with whatever it was she saw last night.

In here they were alive.

A sigh left her lips before he could try to convince her again, forcing herself out from the entanglement that was their arms and sat up. "You know, I almost forgot why I came to your door last night..." Was that a good thing? She needed a distraction and got it... but now that she was awake and reminded of the very thing Silas promised to do with her once morning came... The headache began to brew.

Livia swung her legs out to the side of his bed and scanned the floor, slowly putting on the layers of clothing that were removed last night before sitting back down on the edge of his bed to run her fingers through her hair. Often it would be styled back, but she had let it loose for the dance, so the most she could do was to work through the tangles with gentle care. "I... I did not wear shoes last night getting here." She winced, unsure of how to explain that mishap if anyone were to see. "Mind if I meet you at the hall where we had the dance last night? I will try to be quick."


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas would have been lying through his teeth if he claimed that staying in bed with her until somebody came to physically remove them from each other's arms wasn't an appealing idea. In that one moment of time, with the pleasant warmth of the morning sun mixed with the soft sensation of Livia's skin as it rested on his, everything felt as it should be. It was the first time in ages he could claim to truly feel content.

It wasn't that easy though. Silas knew it, and Livia did too. So when she began to pull out of his embrace to leave the safety of his bed, he didn't put up a fight. Instead, he slid back and pushed himself to sit against the headboard, watching her with muted adoration as she dressed in front of him. Somehow, watching her put everything back on was almost as intimate as watching her take it off had been.

"Well, least I can claim I took your mind off of it?" Silas asked. It was lighthearted, but he knew there was no dancing around the reason she'd initially paid him a visit. He'd made her a promise before things had gotten out of hand between them last night, and he intended on delivering. "I wasn't offering what I did to get in your pants, Quill. I do want to try and help you, really."

There was some small part of him that wished to offer assistance with her hair, but he worried that Livia might find that a bit too... close? He wasn't sure if this was last night's Livia Quinnick, or the one he usually saw out in the hallways.

The two were very different beasts.

"Y-yeah of course." Silas stammered, sliding out of bed to search for his own clothes. They'd left his bed in an absolute mess with their tossing about, and he needed to try and clean the place up a little bit before heading out for the day anyway. "I should clean up a little, then I'll throw something on and meet you, yeah?"

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

I do want to try and help you, really.

Livia softened and halted her own fussing to look at Silas. It was a mistake, viewing him sitting upright and against the sturdy headboard and looking like a divine picture the morning after they gave into pleasures. He drew her in, resting one knee onto the side of his bed and letting it sink with her weight as she leaned towards him to steal a kiss before he was able to leave the tangled sheets.

"I know what you said last night was genuine, Silas. Whatever this is between us and whatever it may grow into, I hope us friends at the very least." And truly, what those feelings she had harboured deep within her may have come to surface for air many times over the course of the night, Livia still allowed some of it to float around. It was torturous of her to ignore him for as long as she did; caught off guard by the simple attraction she held for him.

Before she extracted herself from his bed and her lips from the vicinity of his own softened touch, Livia pulled away to meet his gaze and spoke. "Right. I will meet you in an hour? That should be plenty of time for you to clean up a little and for myself to look presentable for the day." Liv's lips curled upwards at the corners, and that olive shade of green that made up her eyes glimmered in the soft sun filtering in. "I would say two hours if you were so kind to offer your services to clean my room also, but I am not that selfish."

Just one more, Livia stole another quick kiss from him before darting to his door, stooping to grab her cloak in Quinnick blue along the way. She fastened it around herself, pulling up the hood to hide her face before slipping out as quietly as she could.

---

The hour was almost up but Livia made it with minutes to spare. She was dressed in more relaxed gear, clothing that was more befitting for an Initiate of noble upbringing. Where her mother would prefer her in dresses and skirts, Livia settled for fashionable trousers that moved almost like a skirt given how loose they were. Her hair, no longer wild and draping along her back, was braided tightly. Getting changed and ready for another day had begun to feel taxing, and Liv ate the last piece of her fresh pastry she had grabbed in hopes to lessen the headache that decided to remain after all.

She lingered by the doors, the very same doorway where she had run into Leander and Rowley and entered the dance with each of them on her arm. Gods, hopefully Silas does not recall that. Livia dusted off her hands and peered at either end, waiting for Silas to appear. It would be very unlike him to be late, given his talent, but perhaps he liked playing it close.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Livia's words to him before she left, the way she'd gone back to kiss him again and again, as if even after the long night of indulgence they'd had she still hadn't gotten enough of him... It replayed in Silas' head again and again, long after she'd finally departed his room. Artesto's lips still felt warm where she'd stolen that last peck, and it was that warmth that had him wearing quite possibly the dumbest smile on his face as he tidied the mess they'd made.

Truthfully, Silas didn't need an entire hour; The room was cleaned in only minutes, and he'd had enough time before their agreed appointment to quickly shower himself off as well. Part of him was almost reluctant to: there were still the faint traces of whatever scent it was that Livia had worn to the dance the night before, and the floral aroma was admittedly pleasing. To lose the last piece of what had been a night he wished to keep in his mind for as long as possible was disappointing.

Nevertheless, he finished washing and opted to wear the snug-fitting black bodysuit he wore during missions, if only because it was easy to slip into, and he'd wasted time in the shower to the point where he was nearly late. Giving his dorm a final look-over and finding nothing out of place, Artesto quickly rushed to the room the ball had been held in, finding Livia waiting in the hallway just before it.

"Hope I'm not late." He spoke apologetically as he approached her, stretching his arms out and then pulling his leg behind his back briefly to limber himself up. Cramps were a killer after the kind of running he could do. "Wanted to catch a quick shower before we go poking around an outhouse, see how long that 'squeaky-clean' feeling lasts..."

Silas was right back to being a wisecracking smartass, just as he expected Livia to be back to keeping him at arm's length. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was better than being pushed away from her entirely. Brushing himself off, Artesto strolled up to Livia, and offered the crook of his arm for her, just as she'd had Rowley and Urahil held yesterday.

"Shall we?"

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia dropped her gaze to his offered arm, then her eyes drifted around them to see not many souls wandering around the morning after the dance. How she longed to take his arm and ignore the direction of fate, forget all else and have him at her side... but she knew goods things do not last.

With a heavy sigh, her hand found place at the crook of his arm and still gave herself space at his side, unlike how she was side by side with her two escorts into the dance.

"We are going to look foolish." She complained, thinking of how odd it would be for two Initiates to go looking around an outhouse. Livia still did not stop as she led the way, pulling Artesto with her as she started the retracing of steps.

"I had a headache starting after my dance with Leander. Before you say it, yes, I too thought the headache was due to dealing with his whiplash throughout the dance, but something was calling me out here." Finally, they made it out to the exterior, the sun gracing them with warmth as Livia directed them both the opposite direction to where she had seen Caeso and Alice disappear off to.

"Odd... I dropped my glass of wine here." Liv drifted from Silas' side and ventured a few feet forward, crouching down to see the dark wine still staining the grass and dirt. Perhaps the Proctors had taken it? "The Proctors --"

"What are you two doing out here?"

Livia froze, afraid an Initiate had seen her with Artesto, but the boots that came into her line of vision were weary and old. She lifted her gaze and met the scowl of a Dreadlord.

"I am looking for an earring." She said quickly, standing up straight once more and put on her best defiant look. "I seemed to have lost it last night. Have you seen one by chance?"

Another Dreadlord came round from behind the building, where the outhouse would be found. "Garren, we have all we need. Time to leave." The female then spotted Livia, and then Silas. "Return to your dormitories, Initiates. This is an investigation being conducted b-- hold on." She crossed the distance, then a gloved hand lifted the braid at Livia's back. "Quinnick."

The other Dreadlord, Garren, raised his brows. "Coming back to the scene of the crime?" The female hissed and whirled on the other, a silent threat in her gaze. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his broad chest. "We will be requesting your presence to conduct an interrogation later today. Proctor D'Amour needs to sign off on it, and then we will be coming to collect you. Make yourself available, alright?"

And with a pointed look to Silas, as if to say do not waste her time or our time, they both left the two alone.

"Fuck." Livia growled ever so eloquently, turning to glance at Silas.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas chose to ignore the obvious difference in how she took his arm. This wasn't the time or place to start bringing up conversations from last night-- It would only sidetrack them, when they had much more important matters they needed to be tending to. Namely, trying to give Livia the slightest peace of mind over whatever the hell had happened last night.

If she wanted to continue pushing him away, that was her choice. He wasn't going to beg her.

Tucking that bit of frustration away in some hidden corner of his head, he set about crossing the massive area in which they'd all been dancing only a day prior with her, keeping his eyes peeled for anything even slightly out of the ordinary. Silas had been giving his attention to his dance partners, admittedly, and hadn't known anything had gone awry at all until Livia had told him last night.

Quinnick made a comment about looking a fool, and Silas felt the corner of his mouth quirk. "Please, you saw Zaire didn't you? He has us both beat in foolishness, so I wouldn't stress about that." The boy had arrived under the influence of whatever his drug of choice was, and it had been obvious to just about everybody but Houri. "Plus, I hear there was some scene with Maseno and Thraah that was too good to be true. Wish I'd seen it."

He'd been dragged off by Victoria Von Fleet on one of her random whims, and then Livia had found him not long after that. At least they all had alibis, should anybody get an itchy pointer finger.

Livia stopped to inspect a dark stain in the grass. At first, Silas thought it was blood, but she recalled spilling her wine in that same location. Artesto shrugged, not seeing the lack of a glass to be such an odd thing. "It would make sense to clean up after the event, especially something like a wine glass, since it probably doesn't have anything to do with the mur--"

The initiate shut his trap as he spied the approaching Proctors.

They quickly ordered the two of them back to their rooms before delivering Quinnick a not-so-subtle warning about poking around where she shouldn't, seemingly not concerned with the fact that they'd just revealed the fact there was a crime to an Initiate who shouldn't otherwise know.

Fucking morons, sometimes...

Livia let out a swear as the Proctors departed, but Silas didn't seem too upset by the encounter. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder and offered gentle reassurance. "Don't sweat it, Quill. You heard them, they don't even have D'Amour's approval yet. Until they do, nothing they say holds any weight. Let's be quick and then get the hell out of here."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia shook her head, discouraged now to continue any further. At least, not until the coast was well and truly clear. She turned to meet Silas' gaze and released the breath she had been holding.

"If D'Amour signs off on an investigation, my brother will know. Okko... he will use this as an excuse to see me but I told my family I do not want to see them until I knew how to control this corrupted magic." Livia grimaced. What she had learned of that ill-fated night would have her feeling guilty for the forseeable future. She could not tell Silas that, at least not yet.

"I actually hope to have some control over it before I turn eight and ten." She explained some more, grabbing his arm again but this time a little more closer and tighter than she had previously. Her divining magic had told her they were the only ones around, and so she felt more confident in straying closer to him. "It is Quinnick tradition to eat three meals out in the gardens. Breakfast is for yourself, lunch is reserved for family, and dinner is for friends and loved ones." Liv did her best not to scrunch her face delicately at the thought. She knew her brother would expect her to have made friends here and yet all she could think of is who would be gifted such a title. She would invite Silas, and perhaps the rest of her class in hopes that someone could pretend she had not been hiding away and staying aloof.

The outhouse was as she remembered it, but the same feeling that came to her the night before hit her stomach like a wave of unease. Liv gritted her teeth and leaned into Silas, pausing.

"It felt like someone was here, waiting for me. That someone was going to llay a trick on me. I opened the door with my magic, and walked around to see inside." Fuck, bile was rising in her throat. "He was sat there. I only saw his face but I knew he was gone."

In an attempt to not remember the glassy stare of Joel's eyes, Livia looked around their surroundings. There was not much else around, nor any kind of sign to indicate a struggle.

"They would of cleaned up after last night... but," She bit down on her lip in thought and looked up at him with her olive coloured eyes, "what if we went to scope out his room?"

She felt guilty not having given the time to recall anything about the departed Initiate, but to find something out would help her... At least that was the theory she was working with.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Livia rarely spoke of her family, at least to Silas. Privately, he'd found it odd that she so rarely seemed to associate with them at especially public events, unless required to by custom. That she suddenly began opening up to him about some of her stresses was unexpected and, admittedly, a bit unnerving.

Perhaps something truly had changed between them last night? Something so significant that it had altered her viewpoint on him? On their relationship? As Livia pressed into his side tightly, his arm came around to hold her. "I'm sorry, Quill. I can't imagine... that's not something you should have had to see on what was supposed to be a fun night."

What else was there to say? Theirs was a job where they would see death in its ugliest forms. That was more or less inevitable, but to witness such death in what was supposed to be their safe haven was violating. Disturbingly so. Livia looked up at him with her eyes clouded with trouble and worry, and proposed they change the scope of their investigation.

All things considered, he was inclined to agree. His eyes fell down onto her neckline as he nodded with a low breath. "Yeah... Yeah, okay. I don't want to risk getting you into any more trouble. We'll try that then. Let's head back to the dorms."

Silas walked back to the male dormitories with Livia close, at least until they were back under prying eyes and she quietly placed the distance between them back into place. Artesto didn't mind; He hadn't been expecting to be back here with her so soon, and he wasn't going to force anything onto her, especially when there were far more worrying matters at hand.

As they searched for the room, Silas spoke, the first he'd said in regards to her family since she'd mentioned them.

"You know... I used to be jealous of you, a long time ago. You were part of some big important family that everybody talked about, and my family... I never got to meet them. The only time they were ever spoken of was in the past tense."

It was a petty thing to be envious of, he supposed... but then he'd been a child.

"I understand now that even the biggest of families have troubles. I am sorry that yours brings you worry, Livia."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

"Jealous of me?" She could not help the light snort and small smile that tugged at her lips, unable to comprehend why family was so sought after when her own was not the perfect paradise to grow up in. Her smile then turned sad, recalling only little of his family but remembered he was brought up with the Guards.

"Do not let Okko or Bannon hear you say that. Otherwise, I fear they would trade me in for another brother... You will just have to adopt a new name that means blue or white to fit in with the Quinnicks." The male dorms were not familiar to Livia, but her cunning ability to find whatever it was she wanted came in good play. She lead them both up a few flights of stairs before rounding a corner and stared at a door. There were no tributes left outside the door, at least not yet. This was the door, Joel's door.

Her face fell considerably, chewing on her bottom lip as she stared at the door knob. "I... I do not have a key or a good sense at working a lock... unless..." Livia got to her knees, leaning the side of her head to the door. Her ear was just shy of the cool brass, listening for the clicks while she put her magic to the test. At first, it did not want to listen to her whims, but Livia kept at it. It was fortunate no one else was walking up this way, finding Livia listening to a lock and Silas standing there, clearly not at his room.

"Oh thank the gods, I think I did it." Her hand tried the handle, trying to contain a smug smile as it opened inwards and allowed them in.


Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

As Silas had both expected and feared, they weren't the first to go through Joel's room. It hadn't been ransacked, but there were telltale signs that the late Initiate's belongings had been rummaged through somewhat recently; ajar drawers, slightly misaligned sheets, and, most notably, a broken lock on the chest at the foot of his bed.

"Mm... Somebody had this idea before us, probably the same pair we ran into outside. Joel was a neat freak, these little imperfections would bug the shit out of him." Silas motioned towards the drawers and the bed in particular as he stepped in. If their 'investigation' had been approved, they likely would have already turned the place completely upside down. "They were rushing though, I think we still might find something."

The room of a neatness-obsessed cleanliness addict left places to look unsurprisingly sparse. The drawers and shelves had been picked clean, and from what Silas could tell, the only things in the unlocked chest were personal effects and schooling supplies. Not shocking; Artesto doubted Joel was preparing to be murdered. With a sigh, Silas pulls out a small notebook and begins thumbing through it, sitting on the bed and peeking up at Livia.

"Please, if your brothers knew about what we've been doing, they'd be trying to get you to adopt my name." He teased, hiding his snicker behind the notebook. "Which would be better than becoming an Urahil, wouldn't it?"

 

[Livia Quinnick]

With her back to him as he went to sit on the bed, Livia had been looking at the bookshelf and read each spine of the few books Joel had kept. Her head whipped around, braid flying from one shoulder to the other as her eyes widened in surprise. Heat lingered at her cheeks at the thought of Livia taking Silas' name, her heart beating so fast at the mere cheek of him saying so aloud. She almost forgot his mention of Urahil, clearing her throat and turning back to the bookcase.

"You have more of a chance of being a Urahil than I. White hair does not equal to blonde." Livia Artesto. It sounded almost as natural as her family name. She crossed her arms, holding them there tightly as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Silas would never know how freeing it would mean to her to not bear the name Quinnick, but after her lifetime of having it made her comfortable with what the privilege of the name often brought on. The luxury it afforded her. Fuck. He had to put the idea in her head; that taunting option left in her line of sight to rouse temptation from her. That choosing him was the right thing to do, and to give in to her feelings.

But she grew up with parents that used her to spite the other. Livia was afraid of becoming like her parents, either one made her jaw set tightly. Silas deserved more than what her parents taught their only daughter.

"I have no idea what I am even looking for." She sighed, turning around to face Silas and cross to where he sat on the bed. Her leg brushed against his, not at all afraid of being so close to him now they were in private. Uncrossing her arms, one planted behind him to give her leverage as she leaned to read the notebook he had picked up.

"What is that? Study notes?" Livia turned to peer at him, raising her questioning brow. The pages had looked similar to her own note taking, but they also seemed full of words than her mixture of diagrams, quick notes, and the full detailing.


Silas Artesto