[h3][center]~Livia, Luna, Lyssa, Day Nine~[/center][/h3] Lyssa and Fia left Livia's office, with Lyssa making sure not to walk too quickly and making sure Fia didn't get lost. They left the main school building at a reasonable pace, and Lyssa for the most part remained silent. All she gave Fia was a bright grin and an occasional assurance this wasn't going to be terrible or bad in any way shape form or fashion. Eventually, they left the campus and stepped out into the town of Valeza. It was somewhat crowded as always, though not anything that should have been uncomfortable for the normal person. Just to make sure though, Lyssa made sure Fia was still following for the most part and wasn't having any problems with things so far. Hopefully, nothing would happen. Their destination wasn't that far away - a quaint little bakery that was run by a lovely older couple. Most of the time, it wasn't too busy and she and them got along pretty well. They also didn't ask why she wasn't attending classes, but that was irrelevant. Fia followed at a distance while keeping her eyes away from any people by observing the cobblestones beneath her feet- but she glanced upwards often enough to trail Lyssa. Eventually the pair of them arrived outside the shop, where is seemed the hellion paused for a moment. Amber eyes looked up from the pavement, curious. Stopping outside of the shop, Lyssa looked inside of it. A small building, with sweet smelling aromas coming from an open window with a larger glass one that allowed one to peer inside the shop. Just in front of it, a bench where one could sit and wait for a bit if they needed too. Lyssa looked over to Fia, then back to the shop, then back to Fia. There were a number of people in there, and Lyssa seemed to be in deep thought about something, face looking like it had earlier in Livia's office. She didn't want to leave Fia alone out here, but she didn't want to take her in there either. She was shy, really, really, shy judging from the way she behaved. And while there weren't many people in there, there was no telling exactly how she would react. Lyssa wasn't a fool, and once again, was smarter than people typically gave her credit for. Taking her in there, the chance of non-fun things happening went up exponentially. [color=f6989d]"Hey, Fia."[/color] Lyssa replied with a friendly grin, the look of deep thought on her face finally disappearing. [color=f6989d]"Think you can wait out here on this bench for a bit? I won't be longer than five minutes, promise."[/color] Fia paused for a moment, then nodded slowly in understaning. The crimson haired girl obediently sat down on the bench, glad to be finished walking around the local area. She hadn't brought her book with her, so she'd do what she'd done for years in a certain tower - wait. She was used to it. [color=f6989d]"Right! Thanks, I won't be long."[/color] Leaving her there, was probably a bad idea in hindsight. She wasn't likely to go anywhere, of course, but something else could go wrong. Someone may do something, someone might try something, so as soon as she entered the bakery Lyssa made sure to keep looking through the glass window to make sure she could still see Fia and only turning away when she had to order what she wanted. A few slices of lemon flavored, and strawberry flavored bread and a few slices of regular cake. Nothing fancy to be sure, but it was best to start out small when delving into the world of delicious sweets. About seven minutes later, Lyssa walked out of the door with a plate of various assorted pieces of delicious tasting and delicious smelling baked goods. Two of the lemon, three of the strawberry, and a rather large slice of cake right in the middle of it. Judging from the crumbs around Lyssa's mouth that were quickly licked clean, it was an easy guess as to where the third lemon slice went. [color=f6989d]"Ehe, sorry!~"[/color] Lyssa replied, walking over to the bench and taking a seat on the opposite end of it. It seemed like she had trouble getting close to people, so she didn't want to intentionally put her in a difficult position. [color=f6989d]"They were a bit slow but I got what we wanted."[/color] She placed the plate on the empty bench between the both of them. [color=f6989d]"So, go on!~ Have one~"[/color] The phoenix scooted slightly closer, internally thankful that the woman hadn't tried to get too close. Looking at the plate, Fia reached over and grabbed a red slice of bread, then scooted back to her side of the bench. After examining it suspiciously for a few seconds, the teenager took an inquisitive nibble of it. She'd had some combination of bread, gruel, and water for most of her existence. Livia fed her foods she had never heard of, including various meats that filled her stomach, something called 'pasta', and a few other dishes. Each of these dishes tasted different, but all of them were good. But this flavor ... this wasn't like the others. In the same way her week at campus wasn't like the rest of her life. The girls eyes lit up, and she would have thought that this is probably what 'sweetness' was if she wasn't so busy enjoying it. Another bite followed ... and another one after that. Soon, the slice was gone and amber eyes returned to the plate, wanting more. [color=f6989d]"Good aren't they? Its just bread flavored with strawberries."[/color] Lyssa replied with a grin, seeing Fia hungrily devour the bread. [color=f6989d]"They're noting really special but they're good and simple, easy to make and delicious! Best kinds of desserts!~"[/color] Lyssa took one of the strawberry flavored ones herself, and proceeded to hungrily devour it. She had to restrain herself from eating every single one on the plate, and going back in and ordering more. But she had other things and places she wanted to show Fia today. Aside from the sweets shop, she wanted to take her and say hi to the tailors that made her gloves. Take her and see the farms, not to mention take her to her favorite napping spot next to the lake and see if that kind old fisherman would be willing to try and let them fish. Yep, today she was gonna show Fia just what 'fun' and 'friends' were, and nothing was gonna get in the way of that, not even the Fun Guards. Fia backed off slightly due to Lyssa's excitement, but after a few seconds she reached to the plate again, grabbing a slice of the yellow bread and eating it. The crimson haired girl hadn't ever tasted anything sour, so her face contorted slightly as she dealt with it. But the taste wasn't unpleasant ... Just ... Different again. Soon enough, the girls amber's focuses on the large slice of cake, curiously, before looking up to the hellion as if asking for permission. [color=f6989d]"You don't need my permission, silly."[/color] Lyssa replied. [color=f6989d]"I brought them for you! Go ahead, have them if you want."[/color] Fia lifted up the large slice of cake, looking at it curiously before she took a nervous bite into it. The fourteen year old girl hadn't tasted anything that good ... in a long time. Lyssa would likely later explain to her later exactly what choclate and icing were, but for now the crimson haired girl was happy simply to bite into the rich food, devouring it at a speed that would make the hellion proud. After she was finished, the teenager looked over to Lyssa with small bits of frosting around her mouth, not knowing that she was smiling. For one of the few times in her life ... the girl felt a little decadent. Lyssa said nothing only giving Fia a smile back as Fia herself smiled. That was better, really. Good progress, then! Plan one for day of fun, accomplished! Taking the last of the lemon flavored bread for herself. The plate was fairly empty now, and the last of the breads found themselves devoured quickly by either Fia or Lyssa. [color=f6989d]"I'ma go give the plate back to the owner. Back in a second!~"[/color] The phoenix nodded slightly, waiting for Lyssa to come back. The girl waited, kicking her legs out from the edge of the bench in order to pass the time. That food HAD been tasty, although ... it was a little rich compared to what she was used to, and her stomach felt just a little sick ... it was worth it though. Lyssa dropped off the plate inside, quickly saying thank you to the owners and apologizing she didn't have time to stay for longer and chat or help out like she usually did. She walked back outside, not wanting to leave Fia alone any longer than she had too. Once there, her eyes lingered on Fia. Specifically, the dress she was wearing. It was a simple, white dress that was likely given to her by the headmistress. That wouldn't do at all, would it? Nope, she needed other stuff to wear! ...granted she couldn't just go buying all the clothes. So she'd let her choose something she liked! Yep, their next destination had been decided. The Clothing store! [color=f6989d]"Alright, come on!~ There's somewhere else I wanna take ya."[/color] Fia nodded slowly, putting her fingers together as she stood up. [color=salmon]"... where ...?"[/color] The crimson haired girl would follow no matter what Lyssa said, since Livia had made it obvious Lyssa was supposed to be watching over her ... and since the incident in the bathtubs, the hellion seemed a little more conservative with her actions. [color=f6989d]"Somewhere fun! You'll see!~"[/color] Okay, maybe not 'fun' in the traditional sense, but Lyssa felt like the girl having something call 'hers' would be of great help here. Even if it was just as something simple as a shirt. Winding through the streets, Lyssa kept a brisk, but hopefully not too fast pace for Fia. They passed a few people, a few taverns and restaurants with tempting smells, but today Lyssa would not allow herself to be distracted by their pleasantly sweet aromas. And soon enough with fairly little interruption, they arrived at their destination. A rather fancy looking clothing store by the name of 'The Vetement'. [color=f6989d]"Here we are! Go on in!~"[/color] Lyssa replied, holding open the door to the establishment for Fia. Fia was put off by Lyssa's natural excitement, entering the building with as much possible space between herself and the hellion. Althogh so far the woman had proven to be nice ... she was still far too unstable to be trusted. A deep voice boomed from the counter the moment the crimson haired girl entered the shop, [b]"Welcome - oh, what brings you here today, Lyssa?"[/b] By now, the man easily knew the pink haired girl's name, and was used to her twice a week visits. While his attention was drawn towards the hellion, the crimson haired one went into hiding behind a nearby clothes rack in order to escape his field of view. [b]"... err ... where'd your friend go?"[/b] [color=f6989d]"Hey Clothe!~"[/color] Lyssa replied brightly. [color=f6989d]"Just buying something nice for a friend. She's uhm..."[/color] Lyssa looked around quickly for Fia, having lost sight of her in the short greeting. Well, if anything she was good at making herself scarce. Still, Le Clothe must have scared her...she should have probably entered first, now that she thought about it. Darn it, she got distracted and ended up messing up. [color=f6989d]"Sorry, she's really, really, shy around other people. Uhm, give me a second and I'll try to introduce you."[/color] That said, she hadn't seen where Fia had gone, and she didn't want to sneak up on the girl. She took a look around, not finding any immediate trace of the girl. It'd be fun if it was a game of hide and seek, but this was decidedly not one. [color=f6989d]"Hmm...Fia? Clothe is a nice person. He's not gonna hurt ya."[/color] She grinned. [color=f6989d]"And if he tried, he'd have to go through me first!~"[/color] [b]"And trust me, no one's getting through her. She's a great wrestler, apparently."[/b] The red haired girl eventually slipped out of a rack containing cloth the same color as her hair, appearing six feet behind Lyssa wordlessly. Livia had taught her earlier that a place like this was called a tailor, and it was where they made clothes. But ... were there here because Lyssa wanted something? The crimson haired girl had some concept that the hellion still had a life of her own, and it was simply a side job for them to look after her. But if the hellion needed something for a friend, why couldn't she just go hide? Did one of her vases need a cover or something? When the girl eventually turned around, she would see Fia with her head tilted curiously. [color=f6989d]"Great! Sorry about that. Le Clothe, this is Fia. Fia, Le Clothe. He makes all of the clothes here."[/color] She said, giving Fia a smile. [color=f6989d]"She's my friend!~ Well, still in the process of being friend but If anyone can make friends with her, it's me!~"[/color] She confidently said. [color=f6989d]"I'm here to buy her something nice...uhm,"[/color] Thinking about it though, she had no idea what Fia would like or look good in. Something that would go well with red, obviously. And obviously, the best solution would be to ask Fia herself. [color=f6989d]"Hmm...Hey, Fia,"[/color] She said looking over to the girl. [color=f6989d]"You have anything special you'd like to wear?"[/color] Lyssa didn't expect much in the way of a proper reply from Fia, and already appeared to be thinking about the best way to go about this in that scenario. The crimson haired girl took a few steps back as Lyssa once again proved herself being overly excited, Fia's innate nervous tendancy revealing itself once again. She had no idea what Lyssa meant by something nice, and didn't care that much at this point. The abused girl simply wanted a good distance between herself and anything loud. Ah...oops. She was messing the second part of this up all over the place, wasn't she? That was no good. She'd have to try and be...a lot less like she normally was. It would be difficult, but it would be worth it in the end, yep! She just had to make sure she spoke in an indoor voice, didn't get overly excited, and didn't get all huggy with Fia even if she was adorable and she wanted to hug her to death. That said, first thing first. [color=f6989d]"Ah...eheh, Sorry Fia. I'm not used to being...not excited. At least, not in a few years, heh."[/color] Lyssa let out a breath, humming quietly before speaking again in a lot less excitable tone. One that sounded at least like it would have been one used by nobles during some fancy meeting or something. [color=f6989d]"Alright. So, could you at least tell me something you'd like to wear? Anything at all?"[/color] The hellion seemed to calm down a bit, and as she apologized, the phoenix felt a tie between embarassment for her weakness and gratefullness. Observing others over the past week made it rather obvious that most people considered their ideal level of interaction much higher than her own, so Fia understood her own timidity. However, the girl still seemed relieved that Lyssa was begining to not be so active. Having been dressed in rags the majority of her life and clothes selected by a much older woman for the past week, Fia had zero sense of fashion. To her, she just wanted to wear anything ... and yet something within her stirred. After thinking for a few moments, the young teenager simply shook her head. [color=f6989d]"No? You sure?"[/color] Lyssa seemed to think for a few moments, frowning slightly as she tried to think of something. She wasn't leaving without Fia choosing something for herself. Choosing for her just seemed rather...drastic, didn't it? That wouldn't be any different than the life she had before. Fia would choose for herself, simple as that, but she had no idea. Maybe Le Clothe could help here. She looked away from Fia, walking over to the counter where Le Clothe was. [color=f6989d]"Sorry about bothering you today."[/color] Lyssa said. [color=f6989d]"But...if you could do you think you could throw a few things together that Fia might like?"[/color] Le Clothe had largely left the two alone as they talked among themselves, having a guess about what was going on. The expression and the mannerisms of the girl were similar to those of his son after he'd been bullied at school - except worse. Especially with the normally loud, abnoxious, and cheerful Lyssa acting in a way he'd never seen before, it was rather obvious to him that he was supposed to follow suit. The man leaned over at his counter so that he could get another view of the now partially hidden Fia before returning to a standing position. [b]"The obvious choices are green and black - green compliments red very well, and black creates a darker image. However ... she seems to be on the shy side, so anything showing off too much is a problem. Perhaps something with a hood that she can hide behind? That hair is a bit of a spectacle, so perhaps she'd prefer people not to look at it?"[/b] Lyssa hummed quietly as she leaned on the counter. Well, it sounded good in theory and she was no expert on clothing or how to handle such things. She didn't think the hood was a good idea, personally but the demon simply shrugged slightly, shaking her head. [color=f6989d]"I don't think she needs to be encouraged to hide more, but you're the fashion expert, here."[/color] Lyssa replied. [color=f6989d]"But...do you think you could make three and let her choose the one she wants? I'll pay for everything if I need too. I've got plenty of money to spare."[/color] That's what she was here for, after all. Letting Fia choose what she wanted. Le clothe nodded, then looked at the girl again, who was still being extremely timid. [b]"I'll think of a few things. Could you get her to stand in the alchemy circle for me? It would probably be best if you asked her and explained what would happen ..."[/b] While Lyssa was doing that, the man clearly was deep in thought. Something fancy, obviously, but he didn't want to put too large of a strain on Lyssa's wallet ... Fia was currently hiding partially behind a rack of clothing, looking on at the exchange the two were having. [color=f6989d]"Will do!~"[/color] She brightly replied, before quickly clearing her throat and correcting herself. Probably would not be a good time to slip into her normal mannerisms right now. She had to make sure Fia got into the alchemy circle. Making sure not to bounce back over, Lyssa left the counter and stopped a few feet away from Fia taking note that she was hiding behind a clothing rack again. [color=f6989d]"Well, I think I figured something out you'll like."[/color] Lyssa replied with a small smile, taking care not to appear too excited again. It was getting a bit tiring even after such a short time, but she didn't want to scare the girl again. [color=f6989d]"Do you think you could stand on the alchemy circle for me?"[/color] She wanted it to be a surprise, honestly. It would have been more fun for the both of them that way, really. In the end though, that would probably have upset Fia. [color=f6989d]"Clothe is gonna make three outfits, and I think you're going to like them."[/color] The crimson haired girl nodded, walking over to the alchemy circle as instructed and standing there. After a minute, the merchant approached slowly. His following words were calm, collected, and most importantly - quiet. [b]"My magic pulls the fabric that you see around the store into a form on you. Your current clothes will be placed on the ground next to you, and the new ones will appear on your body instantly."[/b] The man pulled up a mirror so that Fia would be able to see herself. Strangely, Fia nodded, but ... the mirror. She saw a portion of Lyssa a few feet behind herself, but who was the golden haired woman standing in the middle? A second later, clothes appeared on her body and Le Clothe had to resist the urge to break into laughter at how she was startled. The first item that appeared on the girl was a well made black dress, with a matching robe over it that had red trim around the edges. Sewn to the top of it was a circle of red cloth that would help prevent water from entering in the case of bad weather. After a few seconds of calming down, the crimson haired girl looked over to Lyssa. Lyssa had to also resist the urge to laugh, though somewhat more unsuccessfully as Le Clothe had. She had to cover her mouth with her hands to stifle a small giggle. After regaining her composure and getting a good look at the robe though, Lyssa had to admit Le Clothe did good work, as always. [color=f6989d]"So, what do you think Fia?"[/color] Lyssa replied, only giving Fia a small smile. [color=f6989d]"I think it looks adorable on you. Well, can't be any more adorable than me but heh, I don't count because then it wouldn't be fair~"[/color] Fia nodded. It was simple, comfortable, and warm on it's own. The second costume that apparated was another combination of black and red, a dress exposing the upper chest with slits running up it's sides. Long black leggings covered most of the legs, and a collar supported the dress itself and the extended black gloves running up each arm. The back was almost completely exposed. Le Clothe spoke again. [b]"Something a bit more conventional. Extra bits for extra hiding, but perhaps you'd prefer something like this? Would probably be nice for the summer ..."[/b] The man was somewhat at a loss. Lyssa had encouraged him to get something a bit less hiding, so this was his best thought. The topic of his conversation looked towards the mirror again, and nervously turned around to see Lyssa's opinion on the subject. This one showed a lot more ... Lyssa clapped, though made sure to keep it to an indoor level and not so loud. [color=f6989d]"Well I like it!~"[/color] Lyssa grinned. Though she wanted to somewhat remain out of the decision making, the words left her mouth before she could stop herself. She hoped they would at least be done here somewhat soon, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up this serious and not so fun act. [color=f6989d]"Still adorable. What do you think, Fia? It's going to be yours after all, so you should decide."[/color] Fia jumped back just slightly, but nodded. That one seemed to get a bit more approval from the demon, so she guessed that meaned it looked nice? The final piece of clothing appeared on her. A rather simple dark green dress with a seperate hood that matched it. The two pieces appeared together on Fia's head, and for a moment the Phoenix couldn't see. After a second, she pulled the hood back just enough so she could see out of it. The edges of the dress were black, and the sleves on it went down to her wrists. For the last time, Fia looked back towards Lyssa. One with a hood, then. Not the one Lyssa wanted to see, but it was Le Clothe and she did trust him. So Lyssa gave Fia a grin and a small bounce where she stood. [color=f6989d]"Le Clothe, you make everything look good."[/color] Lyssa replied with a grin. [color=f6989d]"Well, Fia, out of the three, which one do ya want? Don't worry, I can pay for it. Probably."[/color] For the most part, Lyssa was glad this was almost over with then she could probably at least behave somewhat more...normally. She'd still reign in the bounciness, but hopefully Fia would eventually get used to it. Fia unsurprisingly liked the privacy the hood gave her ... she was able to avoid seeing people if she wanted to. But ... that also meant people could approach her without her noticing. The Phoenix thought for a few moments, and shook her head. Security blankets didn't work-she had tried using them before, but the pain was the same. As for the first two, Le Clothe switched between them once every few minutes so she wouldn't forget how they looked or felt ... And after a few switches the girl looked over to Lyssa for assistance in this matter. It was easy enough to tell Fia was having difficulty deciding. However, Lyssa wasn't going to help. She had already decided she wouldn't. That said, it was taking awhile and she really wanted this to be over with. While Clothe changed between the clothes, Lyssa had taken a seat on the floor and was sitting cross legged on the ground, slouched over and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. In fact, she almost looked half asleep. [color=f6989d]"Having trouble deciding?"[/color] She said with a yawn, standing back up and stretching. She could always buy both. That wasn't out of the realm of possibility, and she had already dismissed the one with the hood much to her own delight. [color=f6989d]"Hmm...you sure there's not one you like more than the other?"[/color] After a few minutes, Fia shook her head. One of them was obviously superior, based on the way Lyssa reacted. But the other one was comfortable to wear, and the girl decided that she liked both. It seemed almost disrepectful to get rid of one. Le Clothe at this point was thinking something similar to Lyssa, and he was tired of using his magic. [b]"Well, if your willing to buy both ... I'll give you a twenty percent discount on each. How does that sound?"[/b] It was certainly within the realm of possibility, and the cheerful girl was always a reliable customer. [color=f6989d]"Hmm, well if Fia wants both of them, I said I was gonna buy her something so...I might as well buy them, ehe~"[/color] Lyssa replied, seeming to have dropped whatever act she was putting on for now though her voice was kept to a more reasonable level. [color=f6989d]"I'll take both of them, then. Thanks Clothe~"[/color] Normally she might have refuted the discount, but that might seem a bit suspicious considering Clothe had no idea she was probably one of the richest people on the continent. [color=f6989d]"That sound good to you, Fia?"[/color] The crimson haired girl nodded, a little relieved that she wouldn't have to choose between them. Through her readings though, she had learned about the concept of money. And looking at the price tags, this was no cheap purchase. [color=salmon]"... thanks ..."[/color] Le Clothe summoned Fia's original dress back onto her body, creating copies of the others which appeared in her arms out of thin air. Soon, Lyssa and Le Clothe had exchanged their coins, and the tailor waved the pair goodbye. Fia clutched her new clothes close to herself, looking over to Lyssa to see what her next insane plan was. The girl was tired of all the stimuli, and was wondering when they would head somewhere without people. It was quite clear based on the weary way she looked at the ground that she wanted to be as alone as possible. Lyssa's next plan had been to take her to the lake. It was a rather nice, relaxing place she had found that was rather...nice for taking naps, really. There was a nice older fisherman there who fished there that she talked to on occasion. That said, looking at Fia...she looked absolutely drained. Thinking about it, all of these people and interactions with others would probably be fairly taxing on her, wouldn't it? [color=f6989d]"Hmm~"[/color] Lyssa hummed. Well, the only place with little people as possible, would be her own dorm. She doubted she could just waltz up to the headmistress's place where Fia had likely been staying before, after all. So with a grin, she turned to Fia and asked a simple question. [color=f6989d]"So, wanna come back to my dorm with me? It's probably nothing like Livia's place, but I'm the only one there usually and its pretty nice!~"[/color] Fia resisted the urge to jump back slightly as Lyssa exclaimed ... and nodded slightly. Being alone with this woman would likely make her uncomfortable ... but at least she would have a bit more privacy. And well ... Livia trusted her. That ... that should be enough. The girl seemed ready to follow Lyssa back to wherever she was going. [color=f6989d]"Great!"[/color] She replied rather excitedly. [color=f6989d]"Ah...erm, sorry. Ugh, man, I gotta cut back on the enthusiasm...but its really hard."[/color] She was trying at least. [color=f6989d]"But alright then. Come on."[/color] Lyssa led Fia away from the store, tracing their steps all the way back towards the Academy. It was around midday now, perhaps just a little before noon. There were a few other students out, but for the most part the bulk of them were still attending classes. Lyssa said hi to a few of them as if she was acquainted with them, but she didn't linger long and made her way straight to the dorms. It was perhaps odd for a demon princess to stay in the peasant dorms, but it had been requested by her parents. She had been given the largest one in the building, though, but it still wasn't as well furnished as the ones the nobles had though it was far from sparse. Opening the door to her dorm, Lyssa let Fia in. The room was admittedly, a bit of a mess. A desk near a window on the far side of the room had a mountain of books stacked on it. Some of them were open to various pages regarding complicated alchemy texts, while others were open to more history or math related things. The floor itself was wooden, but covered in a plush red carpet. The bed though, hardly looked touched as if its owner had neglected to sleep in it much, if at all. [color=f6989d]"Annnnd heeere we are. Home sweet home, at least for now kinda, heh."[/color] Lyssa stepped into the room behind Fia. [color=f6989d]"Sorry about the mess. I don't really have a whole lotta time to clean a lot. If I'm not reading those mountain of books over there I'm off doing something else."[/color] Really, she would have cleaned a bit if she had planned on having company, but she hadn't anticipated it a whole lot. Fia looked inside, inspecting the cluttered room. It was cleaner than the tower she had been kept in at least, so the previously abused girl didn't seem to mind too much. The crimson haired girl eventually spotted the books though, and walked through the room nervously and approached them, looking over the pages and trying to understand the words on them. The words didn't seem too complicated. The girl recently read a few passages of an Arthurian text that she had found, and the subject matter seemed less complex to her. Now that Livia had talked to her about being a familiar, it would probably be a good idea to see if there was a book on the subject. The teenager knew that her situation with master would be considered extreme by this point. [color=salmon]"... what are ... familiars ...?"[/color] Fia couldn't tell if she wanted a response, or if she had simply accidently voiced her thought aloud. [color=f6989d]"Eh? You can read that stuff? It's pretty advanced alchemy ya know."[/color] Lyssa replied, somewhat shocked that Fia seemed to be picking over the books on her desk and actually understanding them somewhat. She didn't get very long to talk with her about that though, since the next question she asked was somewhat of a trickier one to answer. Lyssa thought about avoiding it altogether, but that was probably a bad idea. [color=f6989d]"A familiar? Hrmm..."[/color] Lyssa plopped down on the bed, humming quietly to herself as she thought about the best way to explain it. [color=f6989d]"You don't know? That's kind of..."[/color] Well, not odd considering the implications Livia had given her earlier that morning. That said, it was a tricky subject. Should she explain it to her? She didn't entirely think it was a subject she could explain well. The girl didn't entirely understand what it was...which meant that she didn't know what she was? Lyssa was having trouble thinking about how to answer this question. It was a bit late so Luna figured they might be at Lyssa's dorm if Luna knew anything about her. She just hoped that Lyssa wasn't doing weird to Fia. Soon enough, she found herself in the Peasant's Dorm and knocked on the door to Lyssa's room, hoping they were there. About that time, three familiar girls were walking through the halls from possibly one of their rooms to anothers. They pointed and whispered among themselves, which caught Luna's attention. As she turned towards them they were shocked (well, two of them) and ran (pulling the third behind them.) Leaving Luna just a little dumb-founded. Oh thank great uncle Lucy someone had the fortunate timing of knocking on her door. Before Fia could have much of a chance to react, Lyssa was on her feet, hopping off her bed and at the door. She opened it swiftly, already wearing a smile. Having company over was always fun!...though, with Fia...it might be decidedly un-fun, but as soon as she saw who was standing there she was a lot more relaxed about who had knocked. [color=f6989d]"Oh hey, Luna!~"[/color] Lyssa greeted her brightly. [color=f6989d]"What'd the headmistress want with you? Oh, and come on in, uhm, pardon the mess and please don't touch the books. I'll loose my place."[/color] [color=yellow]"Oh, thank you Lyssa. The Headmistress wanted to send me on a mission tomorrow. I'll be out for a few days, so Lyssa. . . Please, I know this is asking you a lot, but in my place could you make sure you and Fia go to classes."[/color] Luna said, almost pleadingly. She knew it was a long shot, but she needed to try anyhow. [color=yellow]"Plus, the Headmistress would probably hate it if Fia didn't learn what she needed."[/color] Hopefully that got Lyssa wanting to go. Fia looked over at the pair as they were speaking, making sure the alchemy book was back on the page in which it started. The crimson haired girl simply looked at the two as they talked, partially hiding behind the bed. Two people in the room ... made her a little more uncomfortable. Lyssa seemed a bit hurt, though she really couldn't blame Luna. [color=f6989d]"Heeey, what do you take me for! I'm a responsible adult! I can adult very well, thanks!"[/color] Her choice of words and tone of voice decidedly made that fairly difficult to believe. She really could though, most of the time if she had too. [color=f6989d]"Hehe, of course I will. I promise I won't snooze through the classes either."[/color] She continued in a much more serious tone. That was all Lyssa had to say on that. She was focused on something else Luna said. Mission? Well that was fun. [color=f6989d]"But a mission? That sounds mysterious and fun. What ya gonna be doing? Come on, you can tell me~"[/color] [color=yellow]"There's not much to tell, truthfully. The headmistress just wanted me to deliver a letter to an old friend of hers apparently. It's nothing exciting I think. . . Though this is coming from the Headmistress that claims she's old when she looks fairly young."[/color] Perhaps if it were a demon like Lyssa saying that it would be believeable, demons seemed to be rather peculiar after all, but still Luna wasn't sure who she'd find when she got to her destination. She sighed a little though, [color=yellow]"Sadly that means I'm hardly going to see Fia the next few days to be a big sister to her, so it comes down to you Lyssa."[/color] Luna said with a smile at the demon before looking over at the place Fia was kind of hiding before moving slightly closer. [color=yellow]"Hello, Fia. Do you remember me? I don't really think I'm all that scary am I?"[/color] She asked openly. With Luna still at a comfortable distance, Fia managed to give off a delayed, but polite nod. Over the past week with Livia the girl had learned not to run from just being looked at. Although ... big sister? That didn't make a lot of sense - the two of them weren't related, and the crimosn haired girl seriously doubted they had any sort of blood relation. [color=salmon]"... sister ...?"[/color] The girl's head was slightly tilted, obviously a little curious. [color=yellow]"Well, we're not really sisters. Of course."[/color] Luna chuckled a little bit at the thought. [color=yellow]"I just thought you could use an older sister figure to help out. If you'd rather not, I don't have to."[/color] Luna inched slightly closer, not very close but just enough to test the waters. Fia of course was clueless. She inched back, but the net distance between the two decreased. [color=salmon]"... Older ... Sister ...?"[/color] The crimson haired girl was confused by what exactly Luna meant - she'd lived in her entire life, and her expanse of knowledge in the world was a short time at St. Sappho, years locked in a room in a tower, the cloudy memories she had of the past, and of course the books she read obsessively while in Livia's office. For the most part, Lyssa let Luna and Fia talk for a bit. She had already had her most of the day to herself already, and if Luna was gonna be leaving tomorrow it'd be nice to let them have some bonding time. So the demon walked over to the table, taking a book off of the top of one of the precariously stacked piles before plopping back down on her rarely used bed and opening the book. Its pages showed some very advanced alchemy formulas and such, likely something beginners would have a lot of trouble understanding. She should probably take this time to read just a bit about her studies. If she was gonna be looking after Fia, she'd have to try and multitask that with some reading. [color=yellow]"An older sister is someone that helps you out, sometimes when you don't want it. They typically have your best interests in mind, but sometimes they just want to poke fun at you."[/color] Luna was just citing the relationship between her and her older brothers at this point. [color=yellow]"But they most of all take care of you when you need it most."[/color] Luna scratched her head a little bit, [color=yellow]"Look at me saying these embarassing things."[/color] Fia pointed at herself, waiting a few moments before pointing at her self and speaking softly. [color=salmon]"... younger sister ...?"[/color] Luna's idea seemed a little scary, but if it would satisfy the older woman then she wouldn't argue. At least it didn't involve 'best friend' which included tackling people. [color=yellow]"That's how it would work out I guess. I just want to help you, if you'd let me. If you don't want me to help like this, I can understand."[/color] Luna said almost sullen. She decided that this current distance was enough as she waited for Fia's reply. The phoenix approached slightly towards Luna, still seeming a little confused about the entire idea, and unsurprisingly extremely uncertain about the whole thing. Fia's expression made it obvious she was thinking about it, and eventually the girl didn't give a reply. The girl just felt she didn't know the other girl enough to accept just a thing, and still wasn't sure about Livia who had been helping her every night. Well, that was the answer Luna should have expected, or rather lack thereof. Well, there was something to build up to. [color=yellow]"I understand."[/color] Regardless, she spent too much time here and she needed to get to bed early as always to get up in the morning. Luna turned on her heels and walked to the door. [color=yellow]"Lyssa, I'm going to go get ready for tomorrow. I'll leave Fia to you then."[/color] With that, she opened the door, exited, and closed it gently to head back to her room with her head held semi-low. [color=f6989d]"Yep, count on me! I'll take good care of her~"[/color] Lyssa chuckled lightly to herself, the book she had been reading tossed carelessly onto the bed. That said, Lyssa had no idea what to do now. It was clear Fia didn't want to go anywhere with a bunch of people. Most of her time was spent around people, rather than not. Which meant she was a bit out of ideas for now. [color=f6989d]"Welp, guess the Fun Guard is gone so what you wanna do now, Fia?"[/color] Fia simply looked upwards, suddenly a little concerned that she was alone with the hellion ... perhaps she should have gone along with Luna so she'd stay ... truthfully, the crimson haired girl wished she could have stayed with Livia, but that wasn't an option. If the fun guard meant she could do something she enjoyed ... a second later the girl was looking through one of the books on Lyssa's desk, [i]The Succubus's Tale[/i]. Her eyes scanned through the pages ... [color=f6989d]"Reading? Pfft, we can do that later ya know."[/color] Lyssa said as Fia scanned over the books...at least, until she saw which book she was reading. Lyssa had completely forgot that she had left such a book there. The rest of them had been stashed somewhere else. After all, her mom might get a bit upset that she was reading such things instead of focusing on her studies any less than she already was. [color=f6989d]"U-uhm...you sure you want to read that?"[/color] If she wanted too, Lyssa was probably not going to stop her. But she had no idea if she should or not. This was Fia after all, and she was...well, probably had less than good experiences with such things. The crimson haired girl simply looked up, ask if asking [i]"Why?[/i] to the hellion. The girl was simply reading a tale about a man and a woman in the forest lying next to eachother, having a conversation (the next part however, was when that 'conversation' would become more). For now though, the girl simply didn't have an idea. [color=f6989d]"It's uhm...a bit more...adulty for you I think?"[/color] Lyssa replied. Welp, this was going somewhat badly already. If Fia wanted too, she wasn't going to stop her but...she certainly wasn't going to encourage her to read that. [color=f6989d]"Alchemy is fun, though! Maybe you want to read something about that instead?"[/color] Fia was confused as Lyssa said it was too 'adulty' for her. What did that even mean? Although as the excited woman started shouting about alchemy, the abused girl dropped her book and took a few steps back to the corner of the room, a little fear in her eyes. Her master always got loud when he was upset with her. [color=salmon]"... please don't ..."[/color] Oops. Bad times. [color=f6989d]"Ah sorry!"[/color] Lyssa quickly apologized, realizing she wasn't using a voice that Fia would be comfortable with. [color=f6989d]"I didn't mean to be uhm, so loud. I uh..."[/color] Lyssa sighed. Urgh, this wasn't going so well, was it? She looked to the floor, frowning slightly as she wracked her brain for something to do here. She really, really, did want to be friends with Fia and help her, but it...well...wasn't going so well. A few moments of silence passed as Lyssa tried to come up with something, but ultimately it failed. She was out of ideas here, at least for now. With a small smile over to Fia, she took her seat on the bed again deciding it best not to go near her. [color=f6989d]"I just don't really want to see you uncomfortable. That book...well...I guess ask Livia about it. I'm not really sure I can explain it well."[/color] At least, not in a manner that someone might find more comfortable. For then Fia nodded, picking up the book and stashing it in the bag her dresses were in, before looking back over at Lyssa a little more nervously than before. After a minute, the girl returned to the bookshelf, and after a quick look around noticed a small box. Turning back towards Lyssa the girl examined them. [color=salmon]"... what are ...?"[/color] Well, she hadn't exactly intended for Fia to take the book. That was one of her favorites...but well, she wasn't exactly about to take it back from her. Still, at least the girl didn't seem entirely put off by her little outburst, so that was good. She was curious as to what she was doing near the bookshelves, when Fia reached for he deck of cards. A favorite little past time of hers back home. [color=f6989d]"Oh, those are some playing cards. I don't mean to brag, but I was [i]really[/i] good back home, hehe~"[/color] Lyssa giggled brightly. [color=f6989d]"You wanna play? You probably don't know how, but It's easy~"[/color] Fia looked at her, as if trying to make a hard decision. Picking up the cards seemed to please the hellion, and perhaps that would help calm her down and prevent her from being so loud. After a few seconds, the crimson haired girl nodded a little, slowly approaching Lyssa, handing the cards over and then skipping a comfortable distance back. Lyssa took the cards from Fia, opening the box and taking out the cards. She sat the box on the bed, shuffling them with surprising dexterity and pulling off more than a few tricks whilst doing it. She could also probably show her a few small magic tricks too, probably. She wasn't some sort of master person of deception, but she could probably pull it off. After finishing shuffling the deck, she placed it next to her on the bed. [color=f6989d]"Hmm...want to see a trick? Doesn't involve any magic whatsoever."[/color] A trick? What was that? The girl watched Lyssa shuffle the cards, and raised an eyebrow at how they moved. Did it involve that? It made the red haired girl curious enough that the girl nodded. [color=f6989d]"Normally, I'd have you shuffle the cards but I don't think you can so I'll do it for you."[/color] Lyssa said with a sly grin and picking up the cards. It was a simple trick she had learned ages ago from a...friend of hers. He wasn't around any more, but he really loved magic tricks like this a lot, and she was more than eager to use them to entertain Fia if she could. [color=f6989d]"So, as you can see Fia, all of the cards are in random order."[/color] Lyssa continued, making sure Fia saw all of the cards in the deck before reforming it. [color=f6989d]"Annnd one more shuffle for good measure...and there. All done~"[/color] Lyssa placed the deck back on the bed. [color=f6989d]"Now, if you could...split the deck, if you want."[/color] She doubted Fia knew what 'cut the deck' would mean. The girl approached nervously, observing the cards as they were shuffled. Fia nodded in agreement that the cards were in fact in a random order. A few seconds later, the girl nervously followed Lyssa's directions and split the deck in two near even stacks before stepping back. [color=f6989d]"So, by looking at the fourth card of this stack,"[/color] Lyssa said, pointing to the stack on the left. [color=f6989d]"I can tell you, the fourth card on this one."[/color] Lyssa counted four cards from the left deck, taking a look at the card itself - but she didn't show Fia. Instead, she put it back on the deck. [color=f6989d]"So this card, tells me the fourth card in this deck, will be the four of diamonds."[/color] She counted out four cards from the right deck...and revealed it to Fia. It was, in fact, the four of diamonds. [color=f6989d]"Wahaha, see?"[/color] It was a simple trick, really. One that most people could probably easily learn and pull off as long as they didn't overuse it. The crimson haired girl observed the woman, and tried to piece together what happened. If the cards had been random. Amber eyes looked up to Lyssa, seeming a little confused. How did that happen? [color=salmon]"... how ...?"[/color] The hellion of course had piqued her curiosity, and it was clear the girl was trying to think through it. [color=f6989d]"Want to see it again, then?"[/color] Lyssa replied with a sly smile, as she reformed the deck and gave it another shuffle. The girl nodded, seeming to focus more on what Lyssa was doing and not realizing that she had taken a step forward. Something inside the crimson haired girl made her want to figure it out. [color=f6989d]"Good!~"[/color] Lyssa said excitedly, though not in a voice that would have scared the girl. [color=f6989d]"Watch closely now, and maybe you'll get it. Split the deck again~"[/color] As soon as Fia had finished cut it, Lyssa pointed to the deck on the right. [color=f6989d]"So as you know, by looking at the fourth card in this deck, I can easily tell you the fourth card in this deck! No magic involved at all."[/color] Once again, she took the four cards - taking care not to show it to Fia once again. [color=f6989d]"And it tells me...this card, will be a Queen of Clubs!~"[/color] Placing the four back on the deck, she proceeded to take four cards off of the top of the one on the left. When she got to the fourth one, she held it up and gave a smug, seemingly satisfied grin. [color=f6989d]"And once again, I am correct...hmm...maybe I should become a professional at this...heh."[/color] By this point, Fia had logically discerned that she was missing something, but couldn't quite place it. The crimson haired girl pointed to the deck, then herself, wondering if the hellion had somehow managed to mark the cards. [color=salmon]"... I see ...?"[/color] [color=f6989d]"Be my guest."[/color] Lyssa gave her a small smile as she shuffled the cards back together and handing them to Fia. She wouldn't tell Fia outright what she was doing - it'd be fun to see her work it out for herself if she could. If she figured it out though, she would tell her if she was on the right track or not. The girl looked over the backs of the cards, and noticed small scratch marks on them. Keeping the cards in order, she flipped over each on and looked at their backs, and over a few minutes memorized their order and the obvious sequences on the back of each one. She returned the cards to Lyssa and nodded as if she understood stepping back again. Lyssa happily took the cards back, and shuffled them again. She was starting over with the trick here, so she did what she had done to begin with, just to be sure. [color=f6989d]"Completely random, yep!"[/color] Lyssa replied with a grin as she showed them before shuffling it one last time. Once again, she placed the deck on the ground and got Fia to cut it. [color=f6989d]"As usual, the fourth card here will tell me the fourth card that will be in the other deck."[/color] Lyssa counted out four cards from the deck on the left, and once again didn't show Fia what it was. Meekly, the girl responded, [color=salmon]"... fourth ... spades ..."[/color] The crimson haired girl looked up, as if a little nervous she was wrong. Lyssa looked form the card, then to Fia, then back to the card, then back to Fia, then back to the card. [color=f6989d]"...how?"[/color] Lyssa was completely dumbfounded. Had Fia done something to her cards? Maybe mark them in some way? She quickly flipped the card over, inspecting the four of spades herself but found no unusual markings or blemishes on them. [color=f6989d]"Either you can read minds, see the future or are really really good at guessing things."[/color] Lyssa replied, obviously confused as to what had just happened, but it didn't seem she cared too much. In fact, she seemed rather excited. [color=f6989d]"Hehe, that's pretty amazing, though. How'd you do it?"[/color] Fia blinked twice, and then looked downwards to the ground. It took her a minute to realize it, but apparently ... was that not Lyssa's trick? To memorize the backs of her own cards? The crimson haired girl was dumbfounded as to how the hellion had done it otherwise, but it made the demon speak less which made the phoenix happy. The crimson haired girl looked at Lyssa, making a clear shuffling motion with her hands to instruct the older girl to do it. Curious, Lyssa did as Fia wanted and shuffled the cards. She had no idea what Fia was going to do, but it intrigued the demon. She had no idea how Fia could have chosen the card as she did - there were only a few possibilities. Realistically speaking, she couldn't have some sort of power to see the future or read minds. That was just silly, wasn't it? Which means she had somehow managed to mark the cards or something. This was a puzzle Lyssa wanted to solve. [color=f6989d]"Here ya go~"[/color] Lyssa replied with a smile. [color=f6989d]"Nice and shuffled. What do you wanna do with them? I'ma be watching you though, and nothing gets past me. I'ma find out this little trick of yours, ehehe~"[/color] Fia first shook her head no, then handed the deck back, indicating for Lyssa to split it. Lyssa cut the deck like she had Fia do before. She had no idea what the redhead was planning, but it would be fun regardless. The redhead then raised 3 fingers then pointed at the deck, wanting for Lyssa to draw down to the fourth card. Fia then pointed at the final and fourth undrawn card. [color=salmon]"... K ... clubs ..."[/color] Then made a drawing motion for Lyssa to look at it. Lyssa placed the deck back together. And then promptly prostrated herself on her hands and knees. [color=f6989d]"Teach me your ways, oh master of the cards."[/color] Honestly, Lyssa was impressed. She had no idea how Fia was doing this. Well, she had some ideas but she had no idea how she could have done them simply from messing with the deck for a few minutes. She has spent months learning the various tricks and getting everything right. If she could do something like this, then...hmm...she'd need a new trick, wouldn't she. Well, she had a few of them she could use. Fia backed up a few steps as Lyssa spoke, then prostrated herself ... before her? The same way she prostrated herself before her old, dead master. The one who had beaten, tourtured, and raped her ... The girl's eyes went wide with fear, and as she backed up she eventually hit the wall and sat down, curling up in a ball with her knees against her chest. [color=salmon]"... don't ... please ..."[/color] A shiver as if she was cold ran through the young teenager's body, who burst out in tears. Ah...damn it she messed up again. Lyssa quietly sat up, not wanting to make any sudden noise. She should have probably realized that Fia wouldn't have taken it as a joke, but she had just got caught up in the moment. It had been going well! Really, it had but...she messed up again. [color=f6989d]"Ah-uhm, uhm, uhm-!"[/color] Lyssa stuttered out a few words, nervously looking towards the ground, trying to find something to say or do, but words found themselves caught in her throat, unable to speak them clearly. She messed up, didn't she? Hurt someone again she hadn't meant to. But well, if she didn't do something Fia was probably going to keep crying, and that was something she didn't want to see. [color=f6989d]"H-hey, Fia? I-I'm sorry alright? That was a stupid joke on my part."[/color] Fia didn't hear any words ... Not seeing Fia respond, Lyssa honestly just wanted to hug her. To cuddle her and tell her everything would be alright, really she did! But...it was clear to Lyssa the girl absolutely terrified of her now. Doing anything like that would have just caused her further distress, so Lyssa had no idea what else to do here. Her usual way of cheering people up, making them laugh or just generally being friendly...didn't work. Really, it was to be expected, but she had no idea how to do that otherwise. Lyssa stood, wordlessly. She felt terrible and wanted to just curl up somewhere herself, but that wouldn't solve anything. Instead, she left the room quietly, making sure the door was secured when she left before sprinting straight to Livia's office. [hr] The crimson haired girl shook in terror as her master unlocked the barred gate that led to her room, fumbling the keys in some sort of rage. The door opened, the man locking it behind himself. For the girl with her neck and limbs chained close to the wall though, she was unable to flee and simply had to wait as he approached. She simply sat on her small pile, begging softly. [color=salmon]"... don't ... please ..."[/color] The response to her plea however was a foot straight to the ribs, knocking the breath out of her. Instinctually, the crimson haired girl tried to flee from the source of pain, but the iron around her neck choked her in response. Tears formed in her eyes ... Which resulted in a slap across the face for the crying girl. [b]"Did ... did you just cry?"[/b] Another red mark creasing across her features quickly followed the first. [b]"Did I ask you for them yet?"[/b] This time the older man grabbed her by the hair, lifting up the crimson haired girl until her bonds became taught before tossing her down to the ground. The man pointed to her eyes, fire going through her own. [b]"Those tears are useless ... Just like you."[/b] An exteneded beating followed, with her master screaming various things in a flurry of kicks, punches, and slaps. Eventually, the man stopped himself from kicking the sobbing mound. [b]"Do you want to be useful to master?"[/b] The crimson haired girl didn't respond, simply sobbing to herself in pain. The girl tried to mutter a resonse, but was in too much pain to collect herself. Angry words followed as the man stomped onto her forearm. [b]"You don't want to be useful to me?[/b] Another step on the same spot. [b]"What sort of useless piece of shit are you?"[/b] Another step. This time, the sound of a snapping was heard. The crimson haired girl screamed in pain, unable to control her volume. [b]"All you ever do is scream! Be THANKFUL for my prescence!"[/b] This time he stepped on the slave's already broken forearm, who released a sound from the tourtured souls in hell. The young girl didn't hear anything for a few minutes, instinctually cradling her left arm as tears streaked down her dirty face. Eventually, she felt herself being lifted by her hair, peering straight into her eyes. A slap across the face. [b]"Useless familiars don't get to peer at master. Do you want to be usefull?"[/b] This time, the twelve year old nodded, trying to stop herself from crying. The crimson haired girl felt her knees jar as they impacted the ground first. [b]"BEG!"[/b] A foot planted itself on her back, forcing her to bend over against the floor. It lifted off for a moment, during which the crimson haired girl assumed as proper of a stance as she could manage before feeling the foot return to it's place. [color=salmon]"... please ... master ..."[/color] A hand roughly grabbed her hair in response, spinning her around. Next the rags she wore were torn from her body ... [hr] [color=a187be]"Fia? Dear?"[/color] Whenever Fia would come too, the first thing she would see is Livia only a few feet away. Judging from her tone of voice she was obviously worried. She had made sure to lock the door on her way in just in case. Lyssa was sitting on her bed, eyes cast to the floor, and if her nervous fidgeting was anything to go by she was also worried. She hadn't told Livia much about what happened, only that Fia was having some sort of breakdown which was as much info as she needed. It was probably clear that she blamed herself for this incident. When Fia's situational awareness finally returned, she found herself mid scream ... she cut the scream off as soon as she realized what she was doing, wiping away a few tears that had formed around her eyes. The crimson haired girl hadn't moved from the corner she had sat down in, though there was some small pieces of evidence that she had been thrashing around. Looking in front of her, she noticed the headmistress only a few feet away ... and Lyssa sitting on her bed. They both looked incredibly worried ... the girl tried to summon up some train of rational thought ... but her body was still shaking and sweat pouring from her brow. Tears countinued to streak from her eyes, although they gradually slowed. [color=salmon]"... I ... useless .."[/color] It was the only words she said, and what she felt at that moment. Livia sighed, what sounded in relief. Well, at least Fia seemed fine for the most part. [color=a187be]"Fia, dear, you are far from useless. I never want to hear you refer to yourself that way again."[/color] Livia's voice was firm, but still carried a hint of worry in it. It was probably useless asking if she was alright, and for the most part she seemed fine physically speaking so Livia wouldn't say anything. [color=a187be]"But I am glad you are mostly fine. Do you think you can walk, dear? I think its time you came home for the evening."[/color] Fia nodded in understanding, seeming a little surprised by Livia's firmess. A second later, she tried to stand up, trying to affirm the headmistress' last statement. It was clear she was a little unsteady though, and she was breathing a little quickly. [color=salmon]"... Livia ..."[/color] Her head was still swimming, and she started to lose her balance. Seeing the girl was about to fall, Livia acted quickly. [color=a187be]"Easy...shh, you're safe, Fia."[/color] Livia spoke quietly, reaching out a hand to steady the girl hoping at least she wouldn't put up too much trouble. It was obvious she was exhausted, and more than a little dazed. [color=a187be]"Let's get you home alright? If you're having trouble walking, I can carry you."[/color] The girl shook her head, and a second later nearly fell on her face. Tears blocked her vision, and her version of up was wrong. After a short bit she nodded towards Livia, hardly able to stand properly, much less walk herself home. Wordlessly Livia picked the girl up as gently as she could, letting the girls legs fall over one of her arms and her head rest against the other. She passed Lyssa, seeing the rather distressed state of the girl and sighing. It wasn't her fault, really, but it was easy enough to believe Lyssa blamed herself for this incident considering things. [color=a187be]"I'll talk with you later, Lyssa."[/color] Livia said gently, though received nothing in reply only a quiet mumble and a nod of the head. That was likely all she was going to get though, so Livia simply left and carried Fia back to her house.