Private Tales The Obsoletes

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

Days had passed since the incident at their home.

It became clear that Faye could not face going back, even with Carlyle by her side. She lived with the broken wrist for a few days before allowing her bonded to heal it, a process that was not without pain, but Faye would bear it with the bravest of faces. Notes, flowers, and expensive gifts filtered into their room at the inn, all from friends and wealthy clients that heard the glassblower was to take some time away from her workshop. Well wishes and support were written into those notes, and Faye found herself slowly reading through the new batch that afternoon when Carlyle came back to escort her for a walk through the Inner City.

Her face warmed at the sight of him, and she rose from her seat by the window to greet him with a kiss. "I am afraid we may need to get another room to house all these gifts."

Carlyle Arevalo

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

Her legs were comfortable wrapped around his hips, and moved again once he settled them both at the window seat. He was a temptation, that purr of his voice had Faye leaning in against him as if it had beckoned her with the crook of a finger. Her hands held him by the neck, fingers lost into his violet locks, and the other gripping him by the shoulder. "I love it when you come to me for counsel." The smile was feline, wicked. Something only he would ever see, because only Carlyle had ever brought out her hunger.

"Tell me." She lifted her chin, angled her mouth, and began to leave tantalising kisses all along his jaw, to his ear, before repeating the same on the other side. "While I am inspired." She smirked, chuckling as her loving did not pause. He was used to this, knew when Faye was being affectionate in comparison to her wanting him, which was never far off. Still, her love had returned from his day and she needed to remember the parts of him she missed.

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

A new home.

It should bring her delight, give her assurance that they would be safe, especially in the Palace District where many of her powerful clients resided. Faye looked to her love, a forlorn expression unwavering. Try as she might, she could not bring herself to smile, to kiss Carlyle in relief.

"That family ruined my home, my love. How am I to start again in the very halls they walked? To follow in their steps of a home they lived and breathed in?"

It was a home. A shelter, security.

"How can I heal in a home that killed my own?"

And tears sprung to her dark green eyes. She smiled, apologetically, and wiped at the wayward wet tracks that fell. "My love, my sweet. I love you for doing this, and I am sorry I am so difficult but... I cannot. No. I cannot improve while living in their evil memory."

Carlyle Arevalo

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

Faye sighed, resting her head against his shoulder as she took a moment to think.

"You're right, you're right..." she squeezed her arms around him, borrowing their shared loved for comfort. "We need a home and one that accommodates all our needs."

She brought her face back so she could stare into those violet hues she had grown to love. They used to be the eyes of a stranger's, filled with the same love and adoration for her, but now Faye could not have him any other way. "Let us go visit my aunt."

The sister to her father, a woman that had been so beautiful, she was made a Lady once marrying into a prominent noble family. She was so coveted that the husband did not mind she did not take his family name, but became the first Lady Valimir.

Grace Valimir was not an artisan, nor was she cruel to her only niece. Both Valimir women kept loosely in touch, and Faye recalled the last she saw her aunt was more than four years ago. Carlyle had been there also, a chance running in at the Merchant's Corner.

"I have never asked of her any favour, and each year she writes for my birthday asking what I would like..." She shrugged. "She is the most influential person I know." And she had plenty of influential clients in her career.

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

Faye's brows furrowed.

"Gods no, Carlyle. I do not mean to tell her." A smile quickly uplifted her expression, and the Valimir beauty slipped away from him and began to look through her wardrobe. Everything was here, for there were few garments that needed to be hung up when her everyday gear was folded away to a drawer. In this wardrobe was where her fine dresses were kept to visit her high end clients, but one dress was chosen amongst the dozen.

It was red, a fetching colour that did Faye a lot of justices that seemed unfair. "Help me with the laces?" She asked before ridding herself of her casual gear.

---

Grace Valimir lived in the countryside of Thanasis, on an estate that put many others to shame. She had done well in her life, but without children of her own, she had always tried to entice a relationship with her niece through splendour and status. All of which Faye had managed on her own terms without Carlyle's contribution.

The pair stepped out from their hired carriage, and began to walk up the stairs leading up to the stately home. Waiting at the top was Faye's aunt.

"I have dinner waiting for us, my girl." The woman doted on Faye, kissing both her cheeks before turning that winning smile to Carlyle. "And you! I may not look it, but I age every day you do not ask my niece for her hand in marriage, Arevalo." Grace reached up to press kisses to both his cheeks before standing back to regard them both. "Best we both get inside, hm?"

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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 Valimir]

Her aunt gave a good-natured laugh, swatting at Carlyle's arm at his question. Faye smiled because of this, the first real moment of joy in so long that she stepped into her love's side and wound her arms around him to squeeze.

"Gods, no. It is a good thing I married rich, I never took to cooking like my brother did." She smiled, seeing the connection between the younger couple had never faded. "Come along, my darling family. We have a wonderful spread waiting for us and some exquisite wine."

The home Grave Valimir lived in was something so grand, Faye thought she was walking through the homes of her high end clients. For someone that married a noble merchant, the family seemed to do so well to keep up with the old money names of Thanasis. Grace lead them both to the smaller dining room, the one that housed a luxurious chandelier of fine details. Faye paused upon seeing it again, her breath taken by the craftsmanship of her late father.

It had been a wedding present for his sister, something eye catching and yet beautiful no matter which angle you looked at it.

Beneath it was a large, square table. It was the dining room Faye voiced she liked best, that it was intimate and homely. Now, Grace put time and effort in keeping it so, just for her only niece's wishes.

"I miss him so much, but I am glad his memory will live on it the works he did." A true artisan of his craft.

Faye took the seat to the left of Grace, leaving the seat to her right and opposite of Faye to Carlyle.

An attendant approached the table and poured them a medium blend of wine. She did not touch it, absentmindedly admiring the crystal glass.

Grace sighed and gave them each a grim smile. "I heard what they did to your fath--- your home. Is it in disrepair? Where are you staying now?"

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

Grace pursed her lips and looked between the two, her gaze settling on Faye longer than what was deemed casual. At long last, the older woman took a soft inhale before speaking. "You know I have money set aside to help you with lodgings... I offered in the past, but you need only say the word, Faye."

Faye's dark green eyes flicked up to her aunt's and the hurt and anxiety mixed and swirled across her face. "Something in the... Palace District perhaps. Only because I know we can have security there... to help ease my nerves."

Violated. She never felt this sort of dread before, but those men had crossed into a home she had known her whole life, and now it was forever spoiled by that violence.

Grace reached for Faye's hand, but hesitated. "Who am I if I cannot protect my blood?" She extended that to Carlyle too, lifting her gaze to watch the violet haired man. Grace had watched him grow up as she had watched Faye over the years. Where Faye's father was worrisome about his daughter falling in love with the first boy she truly met, it was Grace that assured him that Valimir women knew their worth and could take care of themselves.

But looking to the couple now, she knew they leaned on each other in turns, and with Carlyle's assurance that they would be family in name one day, Grace smiled now. "Let us eat first, and then we can discuss a line of credit over drinks."

Carlyle Arevalo

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

By the end of the evening, Grace had assured them that whichever home they wish to purchase, she would take care of it. Even with her eagerness, her sheer happiness to help and see her niece healthy and well, it did nothing to clear the guilt that still weighed on her.

But... it meant a fresh start.

In fact, Grace had offered to lease the two her husband's city apartment while they searched for the perfect home.

On their way back to their temporary lodgings, Faye had kept quiet. She leaned against Carlyle, tucked beneath his arm that shielded her from the world. Here, beside him, she felt as if all was well. It told her this was all they needed, and as long as she had that, she had no other complaints.

"Perhaps I should accompany you tomorrow when you tour properties?" She asked quietly. The only criteria she had for a home was to be a great distance from that family.

Carlyle Arevalo

 

[Carlyle Arevalo]

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

 

[Faye Valimir]

Faye leaned into him, grinning up at her love from within his safety.

"I certainly do like your mouth... and some of the words it speaks."

She did not shy away from him, but rather leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. "We will find a perfect home. Perhaps something with an extra room or two, room for the family we always talked about." Faye smiled, certainly looking forward to their search for a home now. The idea of the future excited her, had filled her with happiness she had not expressed since the days of her father's home being damaged.

"I know a certain blind dragon would not mind a larger perch to spread his wings in, perhaps an entire home for him, proper shelter." The planning kept a smile stretched on her lips as she thought of what they could look for in terms of a home. She would have to insist on a room reserved for her aunt should she choose to visit, a gesture certainly to thank Grace for her love and help.