[PT-PP-F04] HOME AND HEART

[Mari 1]

HOME
 

 

Spoiler

To: Lancaster
From: Mari
Subject:
Come home for a surprise. You have keys.
Please.

The last word sent with a sense of urgency and desperation. 

Where once stood a shabby cottage barely fit for one, now stood a larger home - made primarily out of various cut stone and mortar. Two stories loomed over a frozen lake. Nestled in the forests of the 4th floor. Hidden by a steep and looming mountainside the house would be near impossible to find if you were not specifically looking for it. And yet, here, in the middle of nowhere - in a freezing tundra - was home. A cherished home of brick and mortar glowing amid seas of white. Glass windows frosted to protect privacy of those within - and large oak door with a chemical sheen that in just the right angle would dance with an almost translucent rainbow.

 

A larger home, far more accommodating for two people. A roaring fire - two reclining chairs A chilled glass of straight whiskey sat on a side table, next to a decanter with more of the precious liquid Sullivans Cove - Mari had to traverse the 29th floor to get that. Condensation clung to the side of the glass, and dripped down. Another item on the table, a welcome home present. Exactly 29 rolled cigarettes. Each one slightly different - each one containing tobacco from every floor that had been cleared. Mari had started working on it since before the concert - and it had taken a very long time. Most of them were rolled haphazardly, but one could tell she got better at it the further through the pile she had gotten. The living and dining room combination - the first thing you see when you enter has a sense of serenity and comfort. So many things familiar, and yet so many small changes. An uncovered Mirror, larger tables. Notes and bottles of chemicals on the dining table. It wasn’t just a shack. It wasn’t just a building. It was lived in.

 

Mari wore thick black tights - and a pair of slippers that did not make sense. They were bright green and covered in fluff, shaped like two frog faces. Every step she took and the frogs face would open up as though it was silently chattering away. Normally, she’d have worn an oversized sweater but today it was an oversized white t-shirt. Freckled arms, shoulders, and shoulder bones laid bare to the warm air of the abode. Several sizes too large for the woman. She didn’t seem to care. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun that had quite literally just been scrunched together haphazardly and tied up. 

 

In the corner of the kitchen sat a pot of coffee - freshly brewed. The scents of freshly made bread wafted through the air as Mari opened up the oven and pulled out two loaves. She didn’t know how to make much, but bread - she fucking loved bread. Two loaves of Ciabatta. These came out perfectly. The last batch had been rock hard and unceremoniously thrown out of the window to sit in the yard.

 

Trout

That was almost ready - on a grill that sat on top of the oven…

Another thing she had made - hand caught herself. Now, all she had to do, was wait for the man she loved.

Oh, and perhaps…the strangest thing of all - in the dead center of the room sat a little black bird with a white head. On its side. Each eye blinking slowly and independently of each other. It gave a little “coo” as it tried to stand, take a few steps in a circle, then promptly fell back onto its side.

Mari had been through hell and back. Learning who the faceless lord was. Raidou's involvement with the Laughing Coffin.

An offer to save Lancaster from everything. But how?

She needed to see him. To fall into his arms and breathe deep of everything that he was.

 

-Non Combat; True Tier 11-

Edited August 8 by Mari

[Lancaster 1]

The soft crunch of snow, the chill causing his breath to escape in thick waves of white heat. Lancaster still wasn't exactly comfortable on this floor, but the trek was more then worth it. A simple message drew his attention, and the burning little village counted its blessings when the man cut his tyranny short to respond to them in kind. Under his arm, a bouquet of flowers in all its cheesy glory. The man reaches for his jacket pocket and removes a comb to slide through his hair, mainly to get some of the rabbit fuzz out and remove some of the soot. Returned, he'd orchestrate a couple of times and slide his fingers on the label of some bottle of wine he'd stolen. A fine cabernet primed and swindled through threat from one of the lower trade cities.

Up the side he couldn't help but whistle as he'd approach, spotting a stack of bread sitting wistfully crooked halfway out of the snow like throwing stars in a target. The home had clearly undergone a face lift, as if someone had air lifted a whole second cabin and dropped it on top. The man couldn't help but run his hand against the side as he'd walk, now smooth stone and likely worth a pretty penny. Up onto the refurnished porch, he'd glance about admiring the clean cut woodwork and taking a second glance at the tinted glass. A key into the tumbler and door gently opens. The interior was completely redone, and Lancaster slowly trails from left to right, eventually his eyes settle on the only movement outside the fire.

"Coo."

The mans eyes narrow, finding it odd that some strange rat had found its way in here. It manages to stand, waddle over to him and flop onto its side. "infestamento?" The man worms, trying to shoo the thing out the open door. When that doesn't work, he leans over and places the flowers and wine bottle down. Picking it up in both hands, this bird was unlike any he'd ever seen. Not that he was much of a bird person. Holding it in both hands, it was bound probably because it was a nuisance. Falling back on more grim instincts, the man shores up squaring with the doorway. Two steps and he punts the bird out the door to a spray of little feathers that fall limply like leaves. To the larger table, the man wanders and sets down his gifts beyond the set utensils. Into the kitchen, he'd size Mari up in her black tights and makeshift nightgown. The little ribbits as she'd walk. He'd move in for the kill and bury his face into her neck. "Cute slippers mi fiamma." Pecking her neck as he'd wrap her stomach from the back. "Oh, and I dealt with some....pest. Is outside."

Lancaster | HP: 440/440 | EN: 62/62 | DMG: 1
 

Spoiler

 

Name: Lancaster, The Consuming Tyrant
True Tier: 3
Level: 22
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 440/440
EN: 62/62

Stats:
Damage: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - 
Armor/Trinket: 
  - 
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - 

Combat Mastery:
  - 

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:

Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

 

 

[Mari 1]

"Vincent!" 

Mari turned to wrap her arms around his waist as he buried his face in her neck, claiming to have gotten rid of a pest. A glance over his shoulder and she could see the strange bird was gone. "Ah ....yeh no that thing is...." Mari tilted her head. "I tried throwing it off the edge of Aincrad and when I got home it was sitting on my kitchen table."  Mari snorted. "Next time try roasting it." She offered, giving his cheek a kiss. "Hopefully it'll stay that way.

Mari's hands rose from his waist to wrap around his shoulders so she could bury her face in his neck. Offering it several kisses. Breathing in deep she couldn't help but cough as she got a mouthful of ash. Mari pulled away to wipe it from her face before burying it back into his neck. She missed this. She didn't care that he was covered in soot, she didn't care that it was a telltale sign of insidious exploits. She only cared about him. "These last few days have been fucking wild..." Mari muttered. She was exhausted, and had dealt with turning into a literal monster - and she couldn't even share that with him. Then there was the dark Shinsengumi...her gemini...The crazy Magician - and the people snooping around Ronbaru. There was so much to talk to him about but right now, she just wanted this moment. Mari grabbed Lancasters cheeks and offered him a long drawn out kiss - a moment she didn't want to break away from, and almost regretted doing so as she took a step back to catch her breath.

"That fucking bird...I picked it up from that strange magician man. Yanno, the one with the strange smiley mask?" Mari waved off the thought, she had a feeling Lancaster knew who it was - considering his very quick and dire warnign to have her 'laugh at every one of his jokes'

Her eyes shifted to the table. "Flowers? You always surprise me, Mi Amore." Mari padded over to the chair by the fireplace, bending down to collect the pile of cigarettes, and the chilled glass of whiskey. "Once again, I feel as though I can't seem to match you." With each step back the frog slippers would silently bark at Lancaster.

"Cute slippers mi fiamma."

"Ah." Mari looked down as she first passed him the glass of whiskey. "They're kinda stupid looking, huh? But I dunno. Kinda like them. Now..." Mari splayed out her hands to the man, the hand rolled cigarettes shifting in her palms. "Each one of these has tabacco from each floor, so 29 in total. I don't smoke, don't know if they'll be good. But I been working on this since before your concert, la mia stella." Now that she was explaining it....it seemed almost silly now. Her eyes shifted to the blazing fire. "So many farmers, up in fireworks...." She muttered. A testament to the sheer amount of effort that went into them.

"Oh...did you want a small tour? I'd love to show you the basement? Or food first?" Mari asked. Then with a small grin and a tilt of her head. "Or you can just have me?"

 

[Lancaster 1]

He'd smile so readily once the woman called his name, a quick snap to a dream that made reality fall away. Right to paradise. "I am sure that can be arranged, if it is this much of an annoyance." Lancaster offered in regard to the B&E Pidgeon. "Sorry about the ash, Is a little...busy today." Removing his jacket and finding a new coat rack sitting there. It was at this moment it clicked, that the shirt Mari was parading around in might have been one he left during one of their romps. "Oh? Lot of little things going on..." He'd offer curious speculation but would not dig any deeper, it was work talk and in this house he kept it to a minimum. Given that normally it just soured the mood, although the venting was nice it ruined a perfect evening with such gossip. Reciprocating the longer drawn kiss, finding the space in her lower back and leaning down to make it more comfortable.

Lancaster's own escapades had him running time and time again into a village of rabbits, robbing them of medicines that would serve the guild more then well enough. Half of there little nature magic crap just got scorched to a crisp, cutting them down in droves with little real resistance. He had to be wearing a good quarter of the forest by now. "Tybalt." The man offered off the cuff in almost a gasp, as Mari fanned her face after almost suffocating them both under a lip lock. "Easy to manage, but batshit. Is effective in his own right." A small acknowledgement and sense of pride in Mari for easily navigating a potentially hazardous scenario.

"You're one to talk, mi amore. I always am so spoiled by you." Flicking a bit of ash from underneath his right finger nail, looking up to see a shapely backside in a nylon black tint. The fireplace surges slightly hotter, springing to life as his blood does.

*ribbit*
     *ribbit*
          *squeee*

Her little slippers continue to gently taunt him as little faces spring up and fall, as if an accurate depiction. "From every floor?" Swallowing his own imposed stupidity and trying to find some fraction of his currently brutalized train of thought. "I wasn't aware that some floors had any. Grazi la mia anima gemella." He'd take the most disheveled among the pile, flick his thumb and spark it up. "Farmers? Ah! You figured out you're device~" The man squirreled recalling her prototype clutching just beneath her shoulders, one that he'd offered his own thoughts into help it along. It spoke entirely to Mari's ingenuity given it hadn't been that long and the man was ecstatic clearly. "Color me impressed and yet fulfilled. I knew you'd crack it, piromane."

Leaning toward a new and improved end table, the upside down cup still rested there. A flip of it up right side, the man taps a small inch of ash in. "Dessert first, I am tempted." He'd adjust his pant leg and belt buckle to release some pressure. "But I am curious. Give me the rundown, allow me to taste your passions as an appetizer." The man moves for her ear and whispers gently "We can save our passions for dessert" Adjusting the F1 cigarette in his mouth half way through, he'd murmur with a slight tinge of regret. "Else all your magnificent cooking will be wasted."

[Mari 1]

"Oh? Lot of little things going on..." 

“You could say that.” Mari mused as she kissed the underside of his chin. “We got all night, if your business allows.” Of course Mari wanted him to stay, she wanted to fall sleep under the sheets wrapped up in his arms. But Mari wouldn’t pry him away from his work.

A forehead rested on his chest as she closed her eyes. Raidou…wanted her to convince him to leave the Laughing Coffin..just how close had he been to everyone there? How should she even broach such a subject? Their conversations usually didn't delve into work related things. Mari had little desire to talk about or even participate in frontline politics and Lancaster was working for a notorious player killer guild.

"Tybalt." 

“Hmmm?” Mari lifted her head at the name, followed by the explanation he gave. “Ah. I figured you knew him given the message you sent. Yeh he’s… odd. Seemed to like my laughing gas - I think? I’m not entirely sure.” There were no follow up questions. She didn’t need nor care to know. She had a name to call him now, and that alone was probably too much information for Lancaster to give.

"From every floor?" 

“Mmhmm. Floor 9 and 29 were possibly the hardest. Not much grows amidst volcanoes - but the soil is quite fertile apparently. Then….” Mari sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. “Mi Amore, I almost got accosted by a tentacled beast getting that last one.”

"Farmers? Ah! You figured out you're device~" 

“Almost!” Mari said as her face lit up. She’d pull off the glove from her right hand - and in doing so revealed a scar around her wrist - fractured - as though something had carved it clean off and clumsily put it back together. “See…” She leaned into him, voice excited. “I got the length right - and even managed a small part here, where I can snap off the wire if I need to, I just need to figure out how to store more length in it so I can snap it off a few times before refilling it - oh and the recoil is still a bitch.”

"We can save our passions for dessert" 

Mari faltered, she placed the glove on the table and turned to face him. A palm against his chest as she pushed him back against the table, forcing him to arch his back uncomfortably. “Oh, anima gemella….you’ll be having more than that, I assure you.” A tilt of her head, hot breath on his neck as her hand trailed down lower, a press of her form against his - then - it all went away as she turned to actually serve the meal she promised.

 "Sorry about the ash, Is a little...busy today." 

“Yeh, no shit.” Mari commented as she pulled a particularly large hunk of ash from his eyebrow. “Speaking of your work…” Mari didn’t want to sour their mood. The two didn’t exactly run in the same circles, although - recently Mari found that she had been far more intimately entwined in the Laughing Coffin affairs than she’d ever realised. “Ronbaru.” Mari began, shifting to the kitchen to start plating up their food. “There are these three men. Andrew - tall bald man with a handlebar moustache. Ben, a mousey guy with brown hair, and Atticus a tall very thin man with blonde hair down to his waist. He has half of it up in a …man bun.” She spoke as she pulled the trout from the grill, and lathered a healthy serving of butter garlic sauce with it, then four thin and grilled lemon slices. “They wear matching armour with chainmail and a insignia with a fucking star - and a sword at its center. Think themselves to be knights or something…”  Mari padded back over to the table, giving him the serving of fish, alongside freshly baked ciabatta, and rich butter on the side. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“They kept asking about the recent fires, I threw them off a little but they’ll be an issue in the future if they keep up. Last I heard from a woman named Khione - they were investigating a series of thefts on the lower floors.”

Mari turned to grab two clean glasses; unfortunately, she had no wine glasses - so the small ones she’d use for whiskey would have to do. Mari set them down on the table and kissed Lancaster on his forehead. Should he be telling him all this? She was practically signing their death warrants. But, if they listen to her - and leave well enough alone. They’d probably be fine.

“Right.” Mari moved her chair so she could cozy right up next to him. “I caught this yesterday.” She said as she nudged him with her elbow, a hand landing on his thigh to gently run up and down it. An act of comfort.

[Lancaster 1]

Lancaster couldn't help but swallow being leaned against, twisting his face in the top of her head as she'd seek out the spot beneath his chin. "Schedules clear... for the night." He'd offer pulling in the scent of chemical, a faint natural sweetness and cooking that mixed into the premier smell of Mari. "Just pleased, mi amore that you weren't strapped to one of his little wheels." Taking a drag of that cigarette really finished it off. Flicking his finger across the top snuffs out the cherry and he tosses the butt it into the cup for his ashes. "Is a lot of walking, for me." He'd thank her gently tracing her jawline and folding a finger under her chin. A soft tap of lips, the stink of cigarette on them but it was his only real way to show his appreciation. "Can only imagine the trouble, grazie mille amore mio. Best avoid those....Japanese..." he'd wave his fingers as if conveying their weird fetishes in a flippant expression.

The man would focus on her wrist, with all manner of conclusions to jump to as to why it existed. It was no secret that their lives were filled with mortal danger, yet even still it boiled into a sickened churn of his stomach. Taking the backside of her hand, he couldn't help but trace her wrist with his index finger. "I won't ask, but knowing you... the other fellow looked a lot worse. Busy in your own way..." He'd swallow hard and scan it down, it was a rare sight. "Is not much issue." His posture changed as he'd take to a seat and unfurl a white cloth on his lap, showing sets of manners that he'd hardly ever show most. A slight swig of the whiskey burned so valiantly down his throat, sparking the engine in his chest to life like coals. "Andrew, Ben, Atticus, Khione? These their usernames?" The man returned with a follow up question, being the first he's heard of this specific gaggle. It wasn't that often that he was in the main know to investigative sorts. They would likely be passed down the chain to the hunter type fingers with a little more tact, where he excelled in wanton destruction. As her chair would greet his, he'd open a cloth of her own and even stand to push in her chair. His inventory would flash open, and he'd place down a pair of long necked wine glasses. "Ironically I planned on smashing the bottle on your house, la celebrazione. But given the meal, is good use. If we have any left." The cups down he'd pour her a glass and himself one, playing the part of sommelier to a finely dressed woman in a plain white T shirt.

[Mari 1]

Mari ate with one hand, the other was delicately held in his - calloused fingers lovingly tracing her wound. Mari had almost forgotten about it. She heard the hitch in his breath - the way his words came out a little stilted. She couldnt help but smile. Swallowing the fish she turned to kiss his temple. "Not a person Mia Amore, twas my Gemini. That's...." She shifted her eyes to the side. "A long story - that involves a close friend - let's just say it was more difficult than I thought."

Mari leaned in, watching as he unfurled the cloth. Proper glasses. Good. "I must admit, I've never really had wine before, not expensive like this." Mari traced the rim of her cup as he would pour her a glass. "My ex would drink it regularly, but I wasn't allowed. Tch. Asshole. If we ever get out of here I'd eviscerate him."

Mari picked up the wine and sniffed it.

 "Andrew, Ben, Atticus, Khione? These their usernames?"
 

"Mmhmm...well, Khione is but she usually goes by Emilia. Atticus is, Ben, yes. Andrew? Not sure. I doubt it, meaning he's smart enough to keep his username close to his heart, or its something incredibly stupid."

The taste of wine was....interesting. Mari wasn't sure she had the kind of sophisticated palette for it. Full rounded. Oaky, notes of tannins. All different flavours and if Mari would swirl it in her mouth she'd be hit with other layers of complexity. Definitely something she was not used to. Mari took another long and slow slip.

Best avoid those....Japanese..."

Ah, Mari gave Lancaster a sly grin as she lowered her hand back down to his thigh, shifting it higher, letting it dance over areas that would make him squirm. "You don't want that?" She asked, leaning closer now - lips tickling his skin. "You don't want to see me writhing like that? This game is from Japan, I am sure there are ways if you are so inclined, my piromane.Because I sure would writhe alll manner of ways for you." Mari pulled away and shrugged, "Besides.."

"Little late for that...." Mari said as she swirled the rich liquid before taking a small sip.  “This might…sound odd.” Mari began. “But do you know someone in your ah. Group. That’s like…this tall.” Mari would stand from her chair to accentuate Brans height. “Wears an outfit that I can only really say reminds me of a dark Shinsengumi. Jumps around - uses aftershadows to attack?” The look on Lancasters face said it all. Mari reached out a hand to cup his cheek as she sat back down.

“Do me a favor. Tell him I’m doing what he aske- oh..wait..” Her brow furrowed as she shoved her fork into another section of the fish she had cooked. “No. You can’t do that. Then he’d know we’re connected…huh? Then again..” Mari lifted up her hand - turning it to and fro as she watched the glint of the red inset gem. His first gift to her…before they had really even known each other.

“I think he saw this, and connected some dots. Is…” She didn’t want to say it. She didn’t want to remove the first thing she had ever gotten from him. “Is it a good idea for me to wear this?”

 

Edited July 26 by Mari

[Lancaster 1]

The man breathed against the wine glass, even raking his fingers over the top to pull the scent to his nose. "Allow me the pleasure of hiding the body." The man spoke without an ounce of tact but all the honesty possible, like a simple agreement in their shared interest. "A wine is only as good as those it is shared and paired with. Like a good meal, good company." He'd lean an tap her glass with his own, locking eyes in a heavy intensity and tinge of a sly grin. "Alla nostra." A turn of a fork proved the man had some table etiquette and wasn't a total fucking heathen, despite prior appearances. It just proved that in most cases he simply didn't give a fuck about them save tonight. "This... gemini, long buried? Mine was a little more agreeable, I must admit so I cannot relate. Of course minus the black hair" He'd visibly shutter at the thought, as if his body rejected the vanilla look.

A light spit of wine causing him to cough once as a thin freckled set of fingertips traced his thigh, as softly as a feather duster before gaining more moxie. "Is an interesting notion, although I admit my jealousy would see the better of me. But I am willing to try and maintain control. You're a strong woman and know what you desire. I will not deny them." A longing and density as she'd pull back into a shrug, leaving him pent up and loaded like a shook up bottle of soda. "I am aware of the man you speak, keep our ring mia fiamma. The rules stand and this one is more adhered to them then most. Is not an issue, and I will alert you if it were." Tapping the rag on his lips in a light dab, he'd respect the white flakes of a finely cook fish with a turn of a fork. "Never fail to impress...Not for one second."

[Mari 1]

Mari laughed as he coughed. "Vincent...Vincent..." She chided, having finished most of her meal - Mari was far more focused on the man beside her now. "You wound me so. Jealousy?" She pushed strands of crimson hair away from his face. "You'd be the one making me writhe, Mia Amore - make no mistake. There'd be no other." His eyes shifted to her and he swallowed. Mari enjoyed watching his reactions. They were so human, so amusing. She loved him. 

Allow me the pleasure of hiding the body."

And Mari knew he was serious. Not a simple fact of people bursting into crystalized fractals in the digital facade of Aincrad but a real body of flesh and bone. Mari took another few sips of wine from her glass, emptying it before placing it on the table. She stood and pulled back on Lancasters chair, dragging him away from his practically finished meal. "The pleasure is all yours." It felt more real, far more intense than anything within the confines of the game. It made Mari's heart twist in an odd way. But her ex was an egregious person who orchestrated her downfall, and even the eventual death of their daughter. "But I ask you make him suffer first." A kiss on his cheek, then his lips. "Main course is over...I have something to show you."

Mari pulled on his hands to get him to stand and Lancaster followed, not before taking a step forward and falling into her, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other under her chin - tilting her head up to capture her in another long drawn out kiss. Passions ablaze the floor beneath them would scorch - but not burn. Mari pulled away, breathless. "Good thing I paid extra." She said as she pointed to the floor. "If you look around, most of the home should be fireproof. Most..."  With a tug on his wrist Mari led him toward the basement.

As they headed down the stairs there was a hint of gasoline in the air, further down and you could hear the small whirr and hiss of gears and steam. “Look.” Mari pointed to the left, a wooden table with an array of half built machinations, glass vials, and scattered notes. “It’s not quite as fancy as mine, but it is your own workshop. Already fitted with all manner of glass, and flammable chemicals. So….do be careful with that.” Mari said as she tapped the lit embers of his cigarette. “I wrote a bunch of instructions on how to use the burners, and the release valves. Try not to let the pressure build up too much, else things may go boom.” Mari pulled Lancaster toward the table, running a hand along it, fingers tracing the small inset stones - the table too, fireproofed. It was why she was so incredibly broke. Not that she cared. Mari never had a use for col till now.

“When we first met…” Mari began quietly as she hefted herself up onto the table, allowing Lancaster time to look around. “You whisked me away, on some kind of teleportation device, set up in different areas. I understand that’s - how you all get around but…” She gestured to the large space in the middle of the room. “If you so choose, you can place one here so you can come anytime, and avoid the snow. Honestly…if my workshop wasn’t on this floor, I probably would have moved my home completely but - it's less suspicious to have me wandering around when my home is close by.”
 

Mari would swing her legs, allowing the froggy slippers to almost fall off before bringing her leg up and letting it fall back onto her foot once more.

“The system wouldn’t allow me to assign you a bedroom without being married - archaic really…but this, this is yours, after all, Sei il mio tutto. ” She had slightly mispronounced the last part, but the intention was still there. The words were still heard, and felt. This man had quickly become such an integral part in her life. Mari didn’t know how long their little childish fantasies would last - but whilst they were living in them….she would give him the world.

“This is your space - to do with as you please, Vincent.”

[Lancaster 1]

The man felt himself gently lean as she'd push back a strand of his hair, tucking it neatly behind his ear. A coy smile as he'd bring up the glass of whiskey, the ice cube inside clicking against the side. "Is correct, I'll take it as a compliment." spoken slightly muffled in the glass as he'd steal a sip. There was a heavy pressure building, as if dinner was an elaborate foreplay. Lancaster was getting absolutely parched, yet no matter how much he drank it wasn't satiated. The click of her glass against the table, sees the man look to his own plate and move the silverware to its top. The napkin in his lap tossed gingerly atop it, his cigarette salvaged and sparked up again. Floor 1 almost down the hatch with three quarters gone. "It can certainly be arranged. A pair of pliers, a couple clipped wires. Should be a moment to never forget." A stolen kiss prevents the man from elaborating too deeply, and frankly derails his train of thought with a slight lean. "Is good, I tend to get hot and bothered around you mi amore. Too hot to handle, and bad for... the furniture." The implication was there, setting the cup on the tables edge and wrangling her lower back. That curve of her cheek, the smoothness of her skin that contrasted his own rough fingers. Traced to her chin and drinking deep her taste. The kindled floor stood up against the rise in passion, leaving only the licked ring of black like the fields of her performance. 

Being lead down into the depths of Mari's home, the darker basement that springs to life with the tap of a switch. The memorable scents of kerosene, of gasoline, ketones. The whole 9. "Is mine?" The man offered in the potent child like wonder, as if the cogs in his head matched the ones rattling in the walls. "Right!" The man remarked with a pair of pointed fingers toward her.  In a quick pull of the cigarette from his mouth, he turns it around and presses it into his tongue. Its snuffed with a soft sizzle, leaving no mark on the man despite how painful it could look. As Mari would start to point, Lancaster was right into the thick of it, letting her run her lesson like an eager student.

"Try not to let the pressure build up too much, else things may go boom.”

The man couldn't help but make an interesting connection to the statement, finding his own internal pressure rounding to do the same. Pulled toward the workstation by the woman he'd study the papers in a feverish focus, using outstretched fingers to slide papers over and scan them one after another. An inquisitive and intrigued mind being fed, a physical attraction being catered to and teased along. On all cylinders the man was utterly fulfilled. "Is possible, I would need quite a number of supplies..." a pause as he presses his left hand into his chin in deeper thought. "It would be stupid to link it to the same network however. I don't really want random goons walking up out of your basement when the stutter. Would need at least two..." The man stirred the thought in his head, doing the logistics for a moment as to discover how to begin.

“This is your space - to do with as you please, Vincent.”

"As I please..." The man remarked with almost a mischievous twist on the words, snapping out of his mental rabbit hole. "Ma non dovevi, mia anima gemalla. Non vedo l'ora fare una frittata. No bed, perfectly good table." The man knocks twice on the wood top speaking too quick for the cardinal to translate it fully, before burying his face into her neck with a light nibble.

[Mari 1]

There was something so incredibly heartwarming about watching him move around the basement. The way he’d tap his lips when he spoke, the furrow of his brow. Mari wondered if he noticed that he would tap his index finger lightly against his thumb when his gears were turning. Or how his lips would move wordlessly, as though his voice couldn’t keep up with his thoughts. Mari watched the man and found it difficult to accept just how much she adored him. How easily he had neatly wrapped himself up in the empty spaces in her heart. Igniting emotions that Mari thought were long dead. In such a short amount of time…it was so mesmerizing, so foolish…and yet…

"Is possible, I would need quite a number of supplies..." 

“Whatever you need, Vincent.” Mari was dropping his name as much as she could, reminding him he was more than the Laughing Coffin could ever possibly conceive, more than Cardinal ever deserved. Mari laughed as she kicked off her little frog slippers, sending them flying into his legs. They collided then bounced around the basement. “Think of me as your sugar mama. Ask me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you your desires.”

"Ma non dovevi, mia anima gemalla. Non vedo l'ora fare una frittata. No bed, perfectly good table." 

As Cardinal failed to translate his hasty words Mari thanked her Primary school for the initial interest in the language, which made her pursue it in later years. Mari wrapped one arm around his shoulder. A tilt of her neck allowed more space for him to explore her skin. “I didn’t have to but I wanted to.” Her words a moaned whisper as she tried to contain the rolls of her own excitement that swept through her body. The man was a far better feast than whatever she could cook upstairs. Another hand clumsily opened a table draw, offering him the exact tools he spoke about upstairs. Pliers, wires. They were shoved into his hand. Mari knew he wasn't referring to her when he was talking about those tools but - oh how she longed to tease him

Another fumble in the drawer, another tool, a flash of silver - Mari dangled a knife just over his head, an alluring smile curled up her lips before pressing the blade against his face, and in that same breath she wrapped her legs around his hips - trapping him fast to her. The pressure of his own excitement against her near bare skin was almost too much for the woman to handle. The cool metal digging into his skin was just enough to draw a thin line - to have a single tick of health disappear before she released the pressure and carelessly dropped the knife. It clattered against the floor and bounced under the table. Forgotten.

“Go ahead.” Mari leaned against him, pulling him even closer as her hands shifted- palm running over his chest, pulling the buttons of his shirt apart as her lips tickled his ear. “Mark me as yours, bites, burns, brands, scratches - scream at the world I’m yours with your scars, make me your masterpiece Vincent. I don’t care - but know this Mi Amore. Whatever you do, I will return twicefold.” A pause as she bit his earlobe then kissed the nape of his neck. “That doesn’t just include matters of the flesh mind you. Every smile, every laugh - every warm feeling and gift. It’ll all come back twice. That’s your warning.”

Her lips would trail down his neck to his collarbone.
“sei mia ossessione,I love you Vincent." Mari pulled away from him for a moment, cerulean eyes searching his smouldering crimson. Every time she admitted it she felt an overwhelming rush of joy, but it was tinged with pain, concern, longing. Mari wanted every part of him, she wanted to know more about him - offer him as much as she could, and in turn take everything of his. Was this healthy...?

This wasn't a sweet saccharine slow burn romance. The two didn’t tiptoe around another as feelings slowly bloomed. It wasn’t their style. It was an eruption of kindred spirits clashing into each other despite the warnings. Despite the very real threat and danger to their lives. It was two lost and lonely souls finally finding solace in one another.

Even if for a short time.

She’d share her childish dreams with him.

Edited August 2 by Mari

[Lancaster 1]

“Whatever you need, Vincent.”
     “I didn’t have to but I wanted to.”
          “Mark me as yours"
               "Whatever you do, I will return twicefold.”
                    "Every smile, every laugh - every warm feeling and gift. It’ll all come back twice. That’s your warning.”

The blade dug into his cheek, drawing just the thin line and with it a light pain. The woman's voice rang through his head as her warmth had long since captured him. A mind body and soul fully divined and entwined in her from the moment they met. Each time they tried to separate the pair would only find themselves more tangled in one another. "Mark you?" the man spoke with his lips pressed to her neck, Vincent nursing the thought. The woman was perfection, a work of art. Brilliant, Beautiful, Dangerous. Allowing her lips to dance down his chest, every step allowing his skin to tingle. His fingers running through her hair, raking the back of her neck. "A brand you say?" The gears turning as he sorted out what he truly wanted, what he yearned for outside of another night of lustful passion. It had clearly exceeded such trifles, hadn't it?

A prior note and mundane statement had itself boil to the forefront of his mind. Mari would pull back, and Lancaster cannot help but tug on the back of her neck and press her forehead against his own. Inhaling and breathing in her scent, mind numb on the softness of the nape of her neck. The pleasures, the company. "In all my life, I have sought valuable things. Money, wealth. For a time, it had.... brought me happiness. The finer things in life. Priceless paintings, gold..." He'd stare into her eyes with contrasting hue on full blast, a seriousness in his confession. "It was enough, until you...Amari. Now it is not. Is worthless rubbish. I would not ruin such... la bellezza. But... A brand?" The man would let go and point twice as if he had finally settled his thoughts, sliding between her legs with a suggestive posture. Even making a note to kiss a thigh on the way down. Up comes the knife, and he uses the blade to cut across his palm until blood is drawn. Coating the knife deeply, he places it flat in his hand and begins to burn. It glows bright orange, and the man begins to use his teeth and the pliers to break and bend the point. Almost a liquid, the man casts the handle into the corner of the room, as he clutches his fist tight allowing his skin to take the brunt of the heat away in a column of smoke. Opening it up, a small silver ring slightly jagged and coated in his own essence.

"mi amore della mia vita, del mio cuore, della mia anima.... Amari, I love you with every fiber of my being." The man falls to his knees and grabs her hand, slipping it onto her ring finger. "Is the only brand I wish to give you. Hope you have a large enough bedroom for two."

[Mari 1]

   ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

 

"Mark you?" 

His breath skims against her skin, always so warm. Mari could feel his lips smile against her. But there was a sort of pause in his actions. Mari expected rushed kisses and an eruption of passion, instead there was silence as his arms wrapped tight around her. A stillness that made her heart feel like it was being twisted and squeezed.

Mari furrowed her brow, did she - go too far with her admission? Her little stunt with the knife? Her hands stopped roaming. One wrapped cautiously around his waist, thumb looping into a belt loop to hold him there. Her other palm pressed against his bare chest. Feeling the thump of his heart beneath her fingertips, it lacked the erratic rush of passion and arousal. The steady feeling always grounded her, but right now? Mari wasn’t sure why the electricity in the air fizzled away. She didn’t understand the shift in his attitude.

His fingers trawled through her hair, rings snagging on tangled strands and pulling a little too hard in some places but she didn’t care. It made things feel more real.

"A brand you say?" 

His voice was low, unreadable. Mari couldn’t pin the tone in his voice. He was quiet, she could hear the gears turning in his head. Hear him working through thoughts unspoken. “Vincent?” She asked, concerned.

As if to answer her apprehension the man would rest his hand on the back of her neck, leaning away only to push her forehead against his own. He closed his eyes and inhaled. 

"In all my life, I have sought valuable things. Money, wealth. For a time, it had.... brought me happiness. The finer things in life. Priceless paintings, gold..." 

Mari couldn’t exactly offer him these things…She found his free hand in hers, and her fingers nervously played with his rings. She was the opposite, she liked simple things. She liked sentimental things - Mari wasn’t at all materialistic and had little care to flaunt things like wealth. Mari knew Lancaster liked these things, his taste in whiskey and wine - and the ostentatious look to his rings. Mari shifted her eyes away, nervous -

Until he started talking again and they swung back round to meet pools of verdant vermillion. She could stare at that gaze for hours, becoming lost in the haze. It wasn’t like the blazing out of control infernos he created, it was akin to a fire in a hearth. To home. They commanded her to stay still, Mari stopped breathing as she listened. As he told her it was all worthless.

”-But... A brand?" 

“Y-you know you don’t have-

Mari was cut off as he wagged a finger at her, his eyes still focused solely on her own as he kneeled down, kissing a thigh - she could feel his heated breath though her stockings. So wait…was he just… No…something still felt off?

Eyes widened and panic set in as he dragged the knife across the palm of his hand. “Vincent!?” Mari went to slide off the table but a quick glance up from him caused her to still. Her hands gripped the tables edge, knuckles turning white as she leaned over him, ginger hair spilling over her shoulders. What was he doing? Why?

The man melted the ring, and in the process stained it with his blood. Odd. But what was his reasoning? A hitch in her breath as she tried to calm herself. Mari didn’t like seeing him hurt.

"mi amore della mia vita, del mio cuore, della mia anima.... Amari, I love you with every fiber of my being." 

“W-what?”

The man falls to his knees and grabs her hand, slipping it onto her ring finger.

WHAT?

"Is the only brand I wish to give you. Hope you have a large enough bedroom for two."

Did…

Did he just propose to her?

Her confidence crashed.
Her control cracked.
Her cool, calm demeanor gone.

Mari held out her hand, trembling as she turned it over and over - inspecting the thin ring of silver, stained in some places with red. This was a joke…right? Her vision blurred at the corners of her eyes as they turned to him. They’d known each other for a few months at best. She gently fiddled with it, turning it to and fro. He had proposed….He had proposed!?

What was her last proposal like? Mari shut her eyes…

- - -

She sat on the couch, hands wrapped around her waist. A positive test sitting on the ornate coffee table. A faceless man angrily paced back and forth in front of her. A wine glass sloshed in his hand as he accentuated his movements with angered shouts before finally throwing it against the wall. He turned to her. “Marriage.” his voice cold, Amari flinched. The man sighed as he inhaled and sat next to her. He took her hands in his. “We will fix this.” A cold kiss to her temple. As he stood. “I’ll start making preparations. It’ll be a small event, before you start showing. Goodnight Amari, love you.” And with that she was left alone in a dark cold high-rise apartment.

- - -

“Y-You know….” Mari said, then swallowed. Her mouth felt dry, and no matter how hard she tried she still felt lumps in her throat. She could feel tears trailing down her cheeks. This wasn’t fair…this wasn’t fair. “T-T-This is incredibly stupid….” A few months…a few months… And in those few months he’d done so much for her. He helped push her to redemption, he pulled her up when she was teetering on the proverbial edge and would pull her into an ash covered embrace whenever she felt cold.

But…they were from two different worlds.

“I've lost all the things that once filled my heart …then I met you…” Another cough and hiccup as she struggled to talk through her tears. “You supported me, you always make me smile.” Mari paused as she lifted her hand to wipe away her tears. “Your passions and smart mind… but…but what if you slip through my fingers?” Trembling hands reached out to him as she’d fall off the table and collapse into his embrace.

“Y…You’re Laughing Coffin…” She mumbled into his chest. “I worry you’re going to end up getting hurt. I’m scared. I’m scared of losing you. I’m scared of what I might become if I do…” Her fingers curled into his unbuttoned shirt. Her chest tightened as it fought against the wash of emotion. Loneliness and despair clawing at the recesses of her mind, telling her to run, to leave. This was stupid. Foolish. Wrong. Something that would only end in heartache. Her heart felt like it would break.

She shifted her chin up to see Lancaster's smiling face and those trembling trepidations faded. “Yes.” She breathed, laughing into his lips as she kissed him, the way everything just disappeared with that goofy grin of his. That was all it took to make everything okay. “My Vincenzo Lionetti. The bedroom is plenty big enough. I’d love to show you.”

Mari drew in a shaky breath, she knew people would hate this decision. They couldn’t hide their relationship anymore. They’d be painting targets on their backs. “We’re such idiots…” She mumbled into his chest. And they really were. Weren’t they?

“I-I have to get you something.” She mumbled.

She promised she’d return everything he gave her twice fold, right?

But in that moment, all Mari could do was desperately hold onto her happiness for a few moments longer. Lest her trembling heart completely break.

Edited August 3 by Mari

[Lancaster 1]

The ratcheting of gears and sprockets continued to churn away like an engine, creating an endless white noise that produced the backdrop. Darkened stone stood strongly on all for sides providing little encouragement to consider this place a comfort. But to Lancaster, and seemingly to Mari as well it was. Holding tight with both hands her slender fingers with a tone slightly brighter, cradling it and raising to the flats of his feet. "I am incredibly stupid for you. What can I say?" Lancaster spoke with a whimsical gest and acceptance. The man slid open the drawer and placed the pliers back inside, his mind ablaze with all the consequences of such actions and just how much he didn't care. Run, hide, fight, kill, scream and cry or bleed. All of it, the man was willing to undergo it all for her. Clasping at the little brass handle he pushes it back, sending a little rumble through table as it rolls closed. A curved finger joins her own attempts at wiping away her tears. "Is possible, but I want you to know my intentions. My desires. I will not give this up without a fight mia fiamma and neither will you."

Tapping his tongue piercing against his teeth for a moment, his fire immunity flickers out briefly and he burns the wound to cauterize it. A healthy dose of pain that was more then welcome, bestowing a faint euphoria. Another tap and to the observant the little flicker of red light in his mouth. "Is no longer important, Laughing Coffin was a means to an end. A share of aligned goals. But if it imposes itself into my life...." Locking eyes with her, basking in that rich set of sapphires. A flicker of kindling shines beneath his, proving the alignment of heart and mind. "Or yours, well... They do not call me the consuming tyrant il nulla." That goofy grin remained but there was the slightest hint of some darker connotation and meaning beneath it. The woman leans forward and without even a moment of pause Lancaster moves to allow her to bury her head into his chest. The man ruffles calloused fingers through her flaming orange hair, stroking fondly the back of her head as his own inhibitions and fears melted with her warmth.

“Yes.”

The man sparks into high octane happiness, as if Mari had just flicked some switch. "Yes!? non vedo l'ora. Sono l'uomo più fortunato. Sto sognando." The man yelped with a grin ear to ear, between sharing a kiss then overwhelmingly pecking her cheek, her forehead, her neck and her fingers. Any bit of her skin while clutching her shoulders with his hands, the shock and heavy excitement in equal measure. "Mi anima gemala you have already given me the world. But..." He slides toward her ear, even making a special care to ring her hair out of the way around her ear. "I accept gifts." he whispers into her ear and stealing a nibble of the lobe as he'd back away. "Let's go see how big this bed is."

[Mari 1]

"Yes!? non vedo l'ora. Sono l'uomo più fortunato. Sto sognando."

Once again, the irony of the juxtaposition was not lost on Mari. He practically vibrated with sheer elation, a small dance of his feet as he celebrated her acceptance, almost like a child. This was the man people feared? Calling himself lucky. Dreaming? At least she thought that's what he said - Mari struggled to understand him completely when he spoke too fast - she’d need to get back into Italian lessons if she ever…

If they ever left this place….

A series of kisses followed by the hiss of flesh and Mari laughed into his touch, he was eager for her to show him the rest of her home. “Un memento Vincent…aspettate.” Mari gestured for him to come closer, as she repositioned herself, sitting at the stool - leaning over the table. He followed suit, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kept kissing her ears, her neck.

“….sto sognando…”

He’d keep whispering it into her ear as Mari struggled to pull out the tools to work. The man kept latching to her, simply shuffling to the left or to the right when she would open a drawer. 

The rush of emotion quelled… at least enough for her to work…for now. The shock of the proposal caused unwanted tears - but they were long gone and replaced with a sense of warmth that leeched into her core. “You know I don’t care about you being in the coffin…what I do care about is your safety.” Mari said quietly as she checked to make sure she had everything. Pliers, mandrel - soldering iron…

Mari took a deep breath, “I was part of the Floor 10 boss raid.” She opened up her inventory and pulled out a small dagger. A prompt came up to have it transform into a polearm but she ignored it.

Mari held it up in the light, high over her head, just in front of Lancasters face. The blade is blood red, curved at the tip. The hilt black, resembling multiple snakes coiling around each other with their heads flourishing out as the guard of the weapon. Mari used to love this weapon. It held a lot of sentimental value. It saved her multiple times. But…it was nothing more than a digital item. “There were only like 4 of us, and even then some of them were zoned out. Zelrius wanted me dead - denied half the frontliners from going in a fit of rage because how dare someone other than him lead the skirmish. I was hated, hunted. But with the small team, I persevered. This was my reward.”

 Mari pulled it to her upper arm and dragged it across it. The thing had bleed; so a thin line was all she needed for crimson to start flowing down her arm. “It’ll all come back twice.” Mari repeated her warning as she glanced up at Lancaster, errant drops falling to the floor at their feet. Mari needed her hands to work. She never understood why people always went for the palms when needing blood for something in movies.

She leaned under the table and twisted a valve, and with a soft fwoom the bunsen burner lit up. She picked the discarded pliers and wire up and started working. Thankful she had picked up the artisan class. “Its funny…I picked up artisan to help with some of this, never did I ever think I’d use it to make a ring.”

Mari let herself bleed onto the blade, not that it made much of a difference in colour, then she held it to the flame. It hissed as droplets landed on it, then - Mari began to shape things together.

“Here, give me your hand.” Lancaster held out his hand - fingers limp - his other  fell into her hair, scratching her head as she worked, checking his ring size - then double checking again before going back to work. The blade of the Kusanagi now melted. She inserted it into a black band - it quickly cooled - thanks to Aincrad’s systems and she managed to polish it to give it a small shine.

 With a great deal of effort Mari managed to create a ring; in her own way. The center made with the glinting red of the blade - when the ring shifted -so too did the red.

Still bleeding, Mari turned and grabbed Lancasters left hand, pressing the ring into it.

“How could I not say yes? How could I not love all that you are? You’re my anima gemella - a flame that has ignited the dying kindling of my heart. Fire burns, and is dangerous - but it gives just as much as it takes.”  Mari wasn’t good with words, she couldn’t paint a colourful picture like he could. Still…

“For that, I will ever be yours - being marked. Belonging. It’s not surrender. It’s not a prison. With you, Vincent. It’s home. Allow me to be your Amari Lionetti.”

A tilt of her head, then a grin.

“Now I can show you the rest of our home.”
 

 

Quote

 

-The Following item is destroyed-

DEMONIC KUSANAGI |T4 Demonic Weapon (Dagger) | BLEED II | EVA II
A blade that matches the wielders highest ranked weapon skill. The weapon looks similar to that of the Orochi's katana. The blade is blood red and curved at the tip. The hilt resembles multiple snakes coiling around each other with heads flourishing out as the guard of the weapon
Obtained Here

 

 

 

Edited August 8 by Mari

[Lancaster 1]

Cradling fast as Mari turned to begin working. Vincent continued to brush gently and peck the nape of her neck with his lips, watching in awe and bewilderment as she'd work. Every time a she'd spin to a drawer he'd lean with her, even playing nurse as she'd pass him tools. "Is quite the history, and I find it ironic given the man made such a massive stink that he ended up being taken out like trash.... I know mi amore, I know." The man welcomed the divide and the acknowledgement of his history, and its dismissal so readily at the gravity of it. They both had chosen to overlook the finer details and do their best to move past them, not allow them purchase or get hung up on all the politics of it. Her concern for his safety was entirely warranted and he knew it, he lived it.

"Is a rather grazioso knife, quite the story." Spoken as he listened to the explanation while glancing it over. Watching the woman slit her arm, she'd catch him wince with a reach of his hand but hold his tongue and halt himself. This was what she'd told him was the deal, and he wished to and had to accept it. Hesitantly the man turns his hand over, looking deeply at the woman's craft that held a bit more finesse than his own tinkering and fumbling had. "Is more then a man could ever ask for." Closing his hand around it, a flick sees it slide onto his left ring finger after removing one of the other many. As if reserving the space for it exclusively, admiring the black sheen and the red ember in a stroke of color from its confines. Like an accurate depiction of what it stood for and the man that wore it. He'd fold his fingers to inspect it from different angles, grinning wide before folding his fingers into hers to allow the rings to connect. "Let our passions raze on for as long as we breathe, a fire to which no rain or tears can quench. Fino alla fine. From the very moment we met, I found myself tangled in you. Flames raged in my heart, wild without reason. I am... pleased that I can share it with you. Provide that kindling the spark to thrive. You glow so brightly, so bellissimo and I can find no equal." His emotions and his thoughts finding little resistance, allowing what rattled beyond to pass gracefully into words.

"Is no prison, I agree. Il mio cuore ti appartiene. Show me our home, our dream bella donna. Is a palace to which none can compare." 

[Mari 1]

 

Lancaster would wrap his fingers around hers, pulling her up and out of the chair in a tight embrace, whispering words in her ear of passions and of love. Confessing his desire to share it all with her, even if it were for just one more day. Their dream was theirs, and theirs alone.

"Dammit Vincent..." Mari muttered into his neck. "I thought I finally had managed to woo you with my words and yet you go and say something like that. I could never be as articulate as you, but come - let me show you in other ways." 

And she'd drag him up the stairs to show him the rest of her house.

A quaint and frozen pond out in the back yard, a tiny slime farm that squelched at the back end of the property - the sounds were not pleasant-  A well stocked kitchen, large wooden dining tables...chairs by the fireplace - and almost everywhere Lancaster would look, he'd see a glimmering crystal embedded. In a chair, in the exposed wooden beams above, the cobblestone walls - the floorboards. Mari was meticulous in her application, each one evenly spaced apart, and each one costing the woman a small fortune.

With two rooms to go, Mari first dragged the ash covered man to the modern bathroom.

 

 

----------------------------------

 

"Amazing! No!?" Mari said as she spun on her heel, turning to face Lancaster who blinked, a little bewildered at the sudden change of scenery. The room was surrounded by lit candles, flickering gently in an unseen breeze. The scent of sandalwood and saffron wafted up from the bath, looking upon its surface and it was covered in rose petals and oils. Beside it an array of lotions, and scrubs - all with no doubt high price tags. "I did this for you." Mari said proudly. "The bath is big enough for the both of us - but for today. This is all yours. A bath fit for a king, my red king."  Mari was already in the process of pulling off his jacket, followed by ushering the rest of his clothes to the floor and getting him to sit in the bath. With her remaining resolutely outside it. "I don't know what it is like for you...but for me - I never got to experience this. For years. I never had the luxury of baths, or showers. Always bathing in whatever clean body of water I came across." With a snap of her fingers she would have Lancaster lean forward in the tub  so she could scrub his back. "So, when I was upgrading my home, I decided to go for things much more comforting. Luxurious." Mari grinned as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders from behind, offering him a kiss on his cheek. "After all, a king needs his needs met, no?"

"Ah." Lancaster leaned his head back against the cool stone of the bath. "Mi Amore - I have had access to baths." He reached out to cup her cheek, and Mari could feel the heat of the newly fashioned ring, still not completely cooled on his finger. "I've been attended to before, but you - is better." 

Mari paused. Attended to? Bathed? A low rumble of jealousy welled up in Mari's gut, and she was tempted to drop the wash cloth right over his face and let him finish cleaning himself. She must have been wearing the motion clearly on her face because the man, her fiance laughed. "S-so?" Mari muttered as she batted his hand away. "I'm better." Mari leaned over him to press her lips against his, and repeated it. "I'm far better - and I'll make sure you know it." A threat and a promise in equal measure.

Mari continued to wash him down, allowing him the chance to rest and relax - he'd lift an arm, turning it to and fro - splay out his fingers. He really had been cleaned like this before. More jealousy...Mari tried to tamp it down. It'd not be fair to take it out on him. Hell - a few days before their tryst in the forest she had been with Oscar. Still... "With me, you don't need to be on guard." Mari tried to sound soft, and comforting but it was clear she was still envious. Mari would slip off his rings, one by one so she could clean between his fingers. When she got to the engagement ring Lancaster pulled his hand away. Refusing to let her remove it. "This stays on."

Mari offered a snort of amusement. Finishing her task she finally stood, and pointed to the bathrobe, his bathrobe. For there was one for her, and a larger for him. "Whenever you're done - that's for you. Its been a long day, no? So after I'll show you the bedroom."

[Lancaster 1]

A small grin at the subtle spite of Mari's linguistic defeat, given that wasn't at all his intentions but he found the gesture rather sweet despite it. Carried in her will to show him the rest of the abode, finding the stones that lingered simply through cursory glances. A method evolved to begin to create a space that could survive him being a firebug, proving once again Mari's ingenuity with a concept and to what lengths she could evolve it. The man wasn't quite perceptive to seek out and spot them all, but more then competent enough to spot a few. Into the destination she'd aimed to show him next, a quite defined and well stocked bathroom. Stone tiles cobbled and smoothed into a well dressed and pristine floor, a tub large enough for two sat almost dead center. Basins, towels, and cleaners all matched to create a combined set of refinement that could make even the most lavish attempts to become flustered.

"Amazing..." The man scanned the floors and walls, even looking up in his visual comb. "Doesn't begin to cover it...." The way its spoken would provide the sense of a slight bewilderment in lower tones and slowed words. A couple steps he'd press his hand into one of the walls, sliding along and coming to one of those red gemstones. Tapping it once, sees it flicker with light and settle proving its magic.

"I did this for you."

Instinctually Lancaster couldn't help but curve his left hand toward his chest, visually asking with the words not flowing out. Even the slightest bow of his head, as if wounded with pride. Mari would help him out of his get up, finding a space to put all of his belongings and encouraging him to try it on for size. Climbing into the tub and somewhat surprised she'd taken to attending then joining him adamantly, but Lancaster was in no headspace to decline. After everything shared today, Vincent couldn't even begin to argue. If this is what she wanted then the man would happily oblige her gifts with the intention to share them. A strange sentiment that he wasn't entirely unaware of, and even he found that it didn't quite fit his normal desires. Where before it was all about taking for himself, Lancaster could only find the earnest desire to share with and spoil Mari. His most valuable treasure. 

Allowing fully for her to drag a washcloth over every inch of his skin, listening deeply and hanging on not only the action but her words during the recount. His response paid with the flustered flick of irritation and a slight sour of her expression in a scrunch of her nose. Jealousy? The man could pick it up so quickly, and cannot help but chuckle low at how cute it read. Rubbing an outstretched hand against hers as it dangled before its patted back, causing Lancaster to quickly retreat and raise them. "I know, I know. Is long history, but know this..." The man leaned as she'd aim for beneath his right arm as the norm proving his experience. "You are so much easier on the eyes, and a lot more gentle. Some of them were men." A joke clearly with a tinge of the truth. Bath house attendants were usually disheveled and rough but polite enough not to get removed, and half resembled offspring of trolls. So a beautiful woman in a private bathroom with a much kinder approach, was a dramatic upgrade.

As she'd finalize through the spaces between his fingers, removing rings the moment she fell on the most recent and most important Lancaster would retract. Some baser nature caused him to defend it, refusing entirety to have it taken away. When Mari would stand, the man would as well. If any birds happened past the window they'd catch a full spread eagle. To the robe in a cool grey cloth, he'd wrap the ties around his waist and offer her his arm. Yeah the gesture was corny, but the man was entirely up for his cheesy displays of affection when it came to her. To be stupid solely to watch her smile, to allow her heart to well with fleeting happiness. Each one his pride took a knee to her, and each one a success.

"Lead the way."

---

Into a much larger bedroom with a set of windows overlooking her yard, dim light pouring through. At their sides a pair of curtains drooped low hanging from a rod above them, a pair of end tables in a darker wood that matched one to one the dining room table on the floor below. The bed so clearly took up a fair chunk of the room. A twin pair of comforters stacked that made it so much fluffier, a way to stem off the cold of the floor without the use of flame if they so choose. A small table sat between the two tables, a silver tray topped with a few glasses and a single glass decanter cut like a diamond right in the center. Its colored with a reddish brown liquor, a little treat whenever the occasion arose. Lancaster would press his hand into the bed, finding the thread count so much higher then the usual. The sheer volume made him assume it something extravagant, and the composition made it feel like silk without the gloss. Mari would explain its composition, allowing Lancaster to admire even further just how much length and expense she had undergone. Even the little gemstone linked to the corner of the blankets, the little dangling chain that flicked like an earring from the pillows sides. Every effort to make this place fit Lancaster and her like a glove. "I suppose its time, allow me the pleasure..." tugging at the lower seam of her shirt, eager to return the favor for the bath.

---

Thread Closure:
Lancaster | [Word Count: 11894/5 = 2378.8] * [True Tier: 3] * [Group Factor: 1]* [Final Exp Modifier: 1] = 7136 EXP, 1*Mon
Mari | [Word Count: 11894/5 = 2378.8] * [True Tier: 11] * [Group Factor: 1]* [Final Exp Modifier: 1] = 26167 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 3925 col, 1*Mon