The Night of a Lifetime (Rin, Kiera and Adrian)

by **Regalia Muse (Rin)** Thu Dec 20, 2012 3:50 am

England. There was no other word for it but boring. The people were polite, the events moderate, the high-class circle obsessed with fashion and politics, the crime rings devoted to arson and kidnappings. England was boring, and London and its people predictable. They had a routine and followed it, day after day. Rin stifled a yawn. Merlin knew why she ever came here.

Oh, that's right. She came here for her job. Ergo, to assassinate one mediocre Auror, and one annoying high profile person. Since neither of them appeared to be very interesting, Rin supposed she would be done with her task within the week. And then, back to Asia. Or Australia, depending on her next job. Not before meeting Kiera though. A faint smile flitted across Rin's lips. At least that was one interesting thing to look forward to.

Rin was standing in the shadows of a booth, out of sight, but observant eyes ever scanning over the entrance and bar. She'd heard that the Auror would be coming here today to meet someone. Rin would observe him, assume a suitable persona and talk to him. If he managed to hold her attention, then fine. Otherwise Rin would execute the job tomorrow.

by **Adrian Castella** Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:22 pm

Adrian walked into the Brimstone, wearing a dress shirt, tie, and black slacks. His shirt was a dark navy and he left the top button undone. Usually this outfit got appreciative glances from women. Tonight he was a bit nervous, he was meeting Kiera at 8:00. Right now it was 7:53, he liked to be a bit early.

Scanning the crowd, he didn't spot Kiera so went to find an open booth for them. Finding one that gave him a good view of the door, Adrian slid into the booth. This was kind of a second date, though Kiera might not want to phrase it that way. He would though, because he hoped that they could try and be more than friends. They would just feel it out as they went along, if she was really against it he would try to be just friends, even though he wanted more.

He'd almost put on his new dress robes that he had picked out, but decided to save those for another time. Tonight he wanted to go with a look that he knew most girls appreciated, and this one had always served him well. Before long she walked in, and he waved at her. Kiera would probably notice him pretty quickly, she was a sharp one. Then the woman turned and he realized it wasn't her, he frowned a bit and looked back down at his table. It was kind of disappointing that she wasn't here yet. Now it was already 8:05, but it felt like he'd been waiting a long time. Probably because he'd been looking forwards to it so much.

by **Regalia Muse (Rin)** Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:57 am

The Auror walked in. Rin contemplated him slowly, tilting her head. Hmm, not bad-looking. Not bad-looking at all. Pretty well-dressed in fact. And judging by the expression, really looking forward to something.

Rin pressed back into the shadows further, conducting her usual scan of body language. Back straight, casual posture, so obviously not here in any professional capacity. Looking quite happy. Hmmm, a date maybe? The man gestured to someone, then shook his head slightly, and looked away. Maybe he mistook the black-haired woman to be someone else. Rin’s sharp eyes caught the tensed muscles in the man’s shoulders though, unusual for someone in a bar. Perhaps the person he was meeting wasn’t all that amiable?

Anyway, enough of observing. Rin decided that her current appearance would be sufficient, maybe just…..Rin closed her eyes, concentrating. Seconds later, blonde streaks shot through her bronze locks, skin smoothening, cheekbones growing higher and sharper. A swish of a wand later, her robes were transfigured to formfitting black jeans and a golden top which complemented her skin. She walked casually towards the booth, sliding in with a graceful movement that would leave most envious. She cocked her head, putting on her best, impenetreable friendly-smile, “Mind if I join you?”

by **Adrian Castella** Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:53 am

Adrian felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and a bit of a chill run down his spine. Somebody was watching him, intently too, he rarely felt chills anymore. He was an auror, he'd seen things that would break other people. Instinctively he knew somebody was studying him, and it was more than just a girl staring at him for his good looks. Whatever reason it was, whoever it was that was studying him was definitely out of the ordinary.

Closing his eyes, he tried to remember who he'd seen when he came in. Eventually, Adrian found one person who had been nearly hidden from sight and had been staring at the door. Opening his eyes, he turned to look at where she was, and found her standing up. The woman had been staring at him, at least he thought it was the same woman. Oddly, the woman didn't look anything at all like the on he had pictured. Though she was heading from the same spot the other person had been, maybe he had been imagining the whole thing. It had never happened to him before, but it was possible his job was starting to get to him and make him paranoid. Adrian would see what she wanted before labeling himself as mentally unstable, it could just be a girl who was drooling over him. From the way she was staring she definitely found him attractive.

Adrian decided to puzzle the oddness of what had happened later. Now he needed to deal with the situation. The girl was very attractive, had blonde streaks through her brown hair, and was wearing tight jeans with a nice gold top. She had high, sharp cheekbones and kind of looked like one of those muggle models. He was hear for Kiera though, and though he couldn't help but appreciate her appearance he was annoyed she was bugging him. "I'm waiting for somebody, actually. What do you want? If it's what I suspect it might be, please just leave. The person I'm waiting for is my date." Adrian told her, emphasizing the word date.

by **Regalia Muse (Rin)** Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:50 pm

Rin mentally raised her eyebrows. The man was sharp, almost suspicious. Which of course made him all the more interesting. He inspected her, eyes sweeping up and down, obviously trying to picture how she looked before. Useless, he wouldn’t succeed. Rin toned down on the smile a little, she didn’t want to appear flirtatious, just friendly. If she had read this man correctly, then he would appreciate that. “Sorry, didn’t mean to intrude. Thought you would appreciate company while waiting.” Then she allowed a bit of disappointment to enter her smile. “Evidently I was wrong.”

Date? Kiera was coming to Brimstone too, today, according to sources. And the man had mistaken a black-haired woman to be his date….so could it be that……Rin barely resisted the urge to smirk. But instead of smirking, she merely allowed an edge to come into her smile, a glint in her eye, “This date you’re meeting. Her name couldn’t possibly be Kiera de Auvergne, could it?” Then knowing that she had caught the man’s attention there, Rin tapped her long, elegant fingers on the table, speaking softly:

“I knew a Kiera once, in my childhood. Or rather, until very recently. Thought you were talking about her. But if you’re not….” Rin sighed softly, and turned away. “I suppose I’ll have to leave.” Now was the time to see if she’d caught his attention or not, depending on whether he stopped her.

by **Adrian Castella** Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:15 pm

Adrian noticed the change in her smile when she realized he didn't want to be flirted with. Now he guessed she would try the hurt approach, saying they could just chat. It wouldn't work, but he did feel slightly bad about being so rude. Maybe they could chat while he waited for Kiera to show. Who knows, maybe she changed her mind. She was unsure about the whole feelings side of their relationship, perhaps she decided she didn't want to get into it. But if she had decided that he would have guessed she would tell him at least. "Sorry, I'm just really looking forward to it. Didn't mean to be so rude." Adrian apologized. She had looked genuinely disappointed, unless she was an excellent actress than she wasn't faking it. "You can stay, it's alright. I'm Adrian by the way." he told her.

For some reason there was a glint in the woman's eye now, there was something very unusual about it. It made him slightly uncomfortable, which was rare. Something was just different about her, and he didn't think it was in a good way. But he wouldn't show it, he wouldn't let some woman make him too paranoid. His jaw dropped for a second, but then he regained his composure quickly. "How the hell do you know that?" he hissed at her angrily. Nobody should know, he hadn't told anybody, and he highly doubted Kiera would have. "Explain yourself before I get really mad, how did you know who I was meeting?" Adrian was glaring at her now, she should not have been able to figure that out. He would have played it off but when his jaw dropped when she said the name Kiera...well it wouldn't have been very believable.

The part about knowing her in some way must be true. It was the only explanation he could come up with her figuring it out. He had waved at a black-haired girl who looked slightly similar to Kiera, she could have put two and two together, but that was still a long shot. "Yes I am actually." he said honestly. Hopefully there wasn't any bad blood between them and this chick wasn't lying. Adrian put a hand on her arm and turned her back towards him. "I think we should have that chat after all. Just don't expect your amazing good looks to get you anywhere honey."

by **Regalia Muse (Rin)** Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:28 pm

The man wasn't feeling all that amiable towards her, that was clear, but he apologised to her. Rin revealed a perfect row of even, white teeth as she smiled amiably, "Regalia. Nice to meet you Adrian." She would have held out a hand for him to shake, but Rin's intuition warned her against it. The man was on the defensive already, no sense about pushing him away further.

Adrian was already uneasy around her, which spoke gallons of his skill. Run mentally catalogued him as someone not to be underestimated. Add to that the fact that most men would be drooling at her feet by now. The glint in Rin's eyes magnified, as her smile broadened. She always did like a good challenge. And she'd dealt with difficult men before. All that was needed was to push the right buttons, which she had evidently done by mentioning Kiera's name. So Rin felt a tiny spark of triumph when Adrian stopped her. She responded to Adrian's hissed questions in a smooth voice, lying too easily to be detected, "Lucky guess. You need not get so worked up." The Auror had done an excellent job so far of being impassive, but his shock on hearing Kiera's name was too obvious not to be noticed. So there was something going on after all. With Kiera-I-don't-give-a-damn-about-people de Auvergne, of all people. Interesting.

Rin smiled that enigmatic smile again, not allowing any of Adrian's comments to faze her. The man was incredibly intriguing. And resistant to her charms. "Amazing good looks? Why thank you sir, I take that as a compliment." Then a slight hardening of expression, just for show. "And since we've just met, do not presume me to be so cheap as to 'get anywhere with my good looks' as you so eloquently put it." This little display of spirit should definitely raise the man's opinion of her.

Now time to move in for the kill. Rin established eye contact with Adrian, spinning her words carefully like a spider's web, intent to hook her prey, "Do you know Kiera for a long time? As in, from her childhood or teenage years? Or rather, do you know anything about her past?" Rin smiled lightly and broke eye contact, "I presume not. For if you did, I fail to see why you would be meeting her here."

by **Adrian Castella** Sun Dec 23, 2012 6:20 pm

Adrian was a bit dazzled by her smile. Just like he had expected her to have, they were perfect and a perfectly white. Her looks would be distracting for him, even though he preferred Kiera's looks over this girl's. She really could be a model if she wanted to, she'd make a great one. "Regalia, that's a unique name. Can't say I've ever met anybody named that before." he commented. Despite the fact he was suspicious of her still he held out his hand for her to shake, having bad manners wouldn't help anything.

When she smiled this time he could tell it was genuine. It made him a bit uneasy, but it did make her look rather nice. If he hadn't been involved with Kiera he would probably be flirting with her right now. She would make one hell of a memorable night if nothing else. For some reason he could tell she was still trying to win him over. He was wondering what she had to gain from it, since he'd already informed her he wasn't interested in a relationship. Clearly she had some ulterior motive but what that was he wasn't sure. "If you say so. From what I understand though Kiera hasn't had that many friends in the past, it was just kind of surprising." he told her. Adrian really hoped this person wasn't an enemy of Kiera's, because he had a feeling meeting one of them would not be a pleasant experience. Not to mention he could be in danger just by associating with her, but thankfully he was a skilled auror. Most situations he found a way to survive, he'd had quite a few scrapes in the past.

Adrian couldn't help but give her credit, his hostility hadn't slowed her down in the slightest. Regalina was definitely more than a bit unusual in his opinion, he would try to not let himself be fooled by her nice attitude though. Never judge a book by cover was a rule he always used, and it had saved him more than once on the job. She could be all sugar on the outside but inside be a terrible person, he'd met more than one person like that. "Well it was a compliment, you should take it as such." he told her, smiling a bit. He knew how to act different from what he really felt, and was fairly good at it. Her answer surprised him a bit, most girls that beautiful were full of themselves and skated through life on their looks. "I'll try not to. I normally don't judge books by their covers Regalina. It's just most girls I've met as pretty as you skate through life on their looks. I apologize for my assumption you were the same way." he said sincerely. He was still wary of her, but she didn't appear to be as dangerous as he first assumed. Interesting, very interesting. His instincts were very rarely wrong, most of his first impressions were fairly spot on.

Meeting her eyes, he listened to what she was saying. "I haven't known her for that long no. Met her at a bar once, and then two other times." he admitted, deciding being honest couldn't hurt too much about that particular question. "As for her past, she's told me about it. Though she hasn't gone into great detail." Then when she made the presumption he didn't know anything about it he felt a bit of anger at that statement bubble up. He wanted to defend Kiera to this witch. Yes he knew she probably had a bloody and dark past, he'd suspected as much from the first time he'd met her, but she was good on the inside. Adrian could see it in her, and he would never give up on her no matter what she'd done in the past. "As for your other comment don't presume to know me. I have my suspicions about her past, and I'm sure we'll talk about it eventually. Regalina, if you want to walk out her without me hexing you into oblivion, don't presume to know what Kiera's like now. People who insult one of my friends to my face usually end up regretting it." Adrian warned, using a quiet voice to make her strain a bit to hear him. His eyes were boring into hers, letting her know he was deadly serious right now.

by **Regalia Muse (Rin)** Sun Dec 23, 2012 6:46 pm

The man found her physically appealing, like all others did, that was clear. Inspite of his suspicions, when Adrian held out a hand for her to shake, Rin smiled further, warmly, finding it effective. She clasped his hand for a few seconds, letting it go, not intending to prick the man further. “Regalia, not Regalina. It would do you well to remember it.” The words were cryptic, but significant. Oh, hardly anyone who ever met Rin ever forgot her, she made sure of that. After all, you don’t tend to forget the last face you see before you die.
“Yes, Kiera isn’t the most friendly person around. Which is why I hope you’ll forgive my curiosity regarding you.” And this statement was absolute truth, because Rin was certainly very curious about this man she had been assigned to kill, this man who was meeting Kiera de Auvergne of all people in a bar. He was smiling now, and that smile was definitely an improvement on his looks. “People who live life based upon their looks, are people I abhor personally. Such women are an insult to beauty.” Of course, Rin lived life based upon her cunning and brains. That didn’t however mean that she had any compunctions about taking advantage of her looks. But again, Adrian didn’t need to know that.
And then finally, Rin’s curiousity about the relationship between Adrian and Kiera was satisfied, the moment Adrian jumped to Kiera’s defense. If looks could kill, then Rin would have been buried six feet under right now. So the man liked her ex-colleague. How……intriguing. Oh, she could have fun with this.
Rin’s laugh was like the tinkling of bells, soft, ringing and capable of enchantment. She laughed, and smiled at Adrian, the words lilting towards a smooth drawl, “Oh, how sweet. You’re defending her. The women you know so less about. You think I’m presuming?” Rin leant forward, voice impactful, eyes flashing, “Oh honey, if only you knew. A leopard can’t change its spots. Besides, I’m not slandering her. Merely stating the truth.”
Rin tossed her hair back, running a finger along her glass, “She and I used to be best friends after all. I doubt there’s anyone in the world who knows her as well as I do.” Then she turned towards Adrian, cocking her head to the side, “But I wonder. What exactly did she tell you? Oh, let me guess.” Rin couldn’t quite stop her lips from curving up into a smirk, “That she, poor and deserted by her mother, was wandering about unknown streets, seeing horrible things not fit for a child, forced into murder and butchery by circumstances. Of course, I’m sure she neglected to mention the fact about how she enjoyed it all. Torture. Murder. Spilling blood. Tell me, have you ever wondered about how a girl, so-called deserted by her family, had enough money to travel the world and start a weapons armoury?” And Rin knew, that with that question, she had hit the bull’s eye.

by **Adrian Castella** Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:04 pm

Adrian couldn't deny that when she smiled at him he almost wanted to smile back. Something about it was unusual though, almost like she had won a small victory or something. Then he realized that he'd made a mistake about her name, which was odd for him. His mind was still telling him that she was dangerous, that was probably why; because usually he rarely made mistakes, even about small things like names. "My mistake Regalia. Do you go by a nickname?" he asked. Even if all his worrying was for nothing, he knew he would remember meeting this so called 'friend' of Kiera.

"It's understandable, I'm not surprised you were curious about it." he admitted with a blank expression. He would hide behind his mask, he didn't want this person being able to read his mood if he could help it. Most people couldn't see past it, but Adrian had a feeling she was not most people. "I completely agree with you, those people make me sick as well. Though I can't say I haven't used my looks to my advantage every once in a while." he said honestly. Using his looks to get something wasn't something he did often, but on the rare occasion he did. Though he wouldn't consider himself arrogant, Adrian was well aware that he was better looking than most.

When Regalia realized he did like Kiera, it clearly interested her. If she did know Kiera like she claimed then it wasn't very surprising. Then to his surprise, he noticed her examining his looks. As soon as that look appeared it went back to interest and a bit of amusement. The laugh was a lovely sound, but it made him a bit uncomfortable because of who was laughing. "Sweet isn't how I would define myself, I'd keep that in mind if I were you. I'm not just going to sit here and let you say bad things about a close friend of mine, perhaps more." Adrian said seriously. Even though he wanted to lean back when she got her face right up in his, he stayed where he was and met her gaze. "You may be right, but personally I believe people can change. I know I have."

Though he wasn't happy about her being here, he had to admit he was curious about what she had to say about Kiera. He knew very well that he didn't know very much about her past. All he knew was that it was very likely blood filled and very sad. "Best friends, I wasn't aware she had any friends other than myself and one of her workers. Though I hate to admit it, you probably do know her better than me if you aren't lying." he admitted begrudgingly. "She did tell me that she lived on the streets and deserted by her mother, but she never said she was forced into killing people. I know that she once killed people for a living, or at least suspected as much. Also I've seen a bloodthirsty look upon her face on occasion, so I figured she does enjoy it." Adrian told her with a sigh. "But she's never lied to me, or tried to put herself in a better light. She may have left out some things, but she hasn't lied. Also, I believe she can change for the better." He hated the smug look on her face, and he suspected she was telling the truth about knowing her. Everything made sense, and a lot of it he had guessed about already. "I wish I didn't believe you." he said quietly.

by **Regalia Muse (Rin)** Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:10 pm

Rin contemplated telling Adrian about her 'nickname', of sorts. All the assassinations completed by her till date were under different identities, courtesy of her Metamorphmagus abilities. But Adrian was an Auror, and a sharp one at that. If he escaped somehow, and remembered her name, then 'Rin' would find its place in the Auror records. "No, no nickname. Regalia is just fine."

"Hmm, I can understand why you would take advantage of your looks. They are quite......out of the ordinary." The compliment was delivered with an additional smile. Adrian didn't back down when she got into his personal space, which delighted Rin all the more. Oh, Kiera had got a good one for herself. When Adrian claimed how he would defend his 'more than close' friend, then the smile on Rin's face shifted towards the sardonic, "How....touching. You really like her, don't you? People only change if they want to change, Adrian."

"Yes, best friends. We've grown up together. And since you've already admitted that I do know her better if I'm not lying, then let me tell you that Kiera has no intention of changing whatsoever, no matter what it may seem like to you." Mind games. Oh, how Rin loved them. She couldn't quite stop that triumphant look from entering her eyes when she spotted a glimpse of doubt, and hesitation in Adrian's, especially when he talked about what he knew regarding Kiera's history. And speaking of Kiera.....

Rin's eyes darted to the side, briefly, when a dark-haired woman entered the bar. It had been years, but it took mere seconds for Rin to recognize her ex-colleague and best friend. She was walking slowly, a drink in her hand, and her downcast expression was visible even from a distance. Something had happened. Rin clicked her fingers minutely, under the table, out of Adrian's sight, and the light amber liquid in Kiera's glass darkened briefly. Lets see how much exactly about her past does Kiera confess to Adrian in an intoxicated state.

Rin turned back to Adrian smoothly, without missing a beat. Oh, she definitely wouldn't kill him tonight, he was far too interesting for that. But now came the time for the final move of the game, the time to sow that final seed of doubt. Rin leaned forward again, eyes fixed invariably on Adrian's, tone intense, "You wish you don't believe me, but inside your head, you do. Let me give you proof then. Ask Kiera about Tibet. Ask if she's ever been there. See how she reacts. See if she tells you the truth......or lies." Rin got up from the table, and walked towards Adrian. She leaned down, whispering into the shell of his ear, giving her last parting shot, "You see Adrian. You may trust her. But she definitely doesn't trust you." Then flipping her hair, turning around, Rin gave a last enigmatic smile, and walked out.

by **Adrian Castella** Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:27 pm

Adrian saw her consider the question, it was obvious she had one to him. However, for some reason she was hesitant to do so. He had a feeling it was because he was an auror, and she was most likely somebody who'd committed more than one crime that could get her locked away in Azkaban for life. Part of him wondered if he knew her by a different name. However, he didn't have any evidence whatsoever to take her in for questioning. It would remain a mystery who this woman was. Unless they met again that was. "Sure you don't." he replied to her, a knowing look on his face.

"As are yours Regalia. If I wasn't involved with Kiera...well let's just say this would have been a night you would never forget. It wouldn't have ended in this bar either." he whispered to her, smiling back a bit more. "But that isn't the case, though I have to admit my...shall we say baser instincts wish it was." Adrian admitted to her, winking at the woman. Usually he wouldn't have told her so much, but even though he strongly disliked and was suspicious of her she still was attractive to him. "Yes, I like her quite a bit actually. More than I've ever cared for anybody else. Who are you to say she doesn't want to change? You may have known her longer, but that doesn't mean you know the current her better than I do." he told her, a touch of anger in his voice though he was keeping nearly all of it back.

"That's odd, she never mentions you. You two aren't friends now are you?" he asked. He already knew the answer was a no, well was fairly positive. If she was still close to an old friend she would have told him, at least he thought Kiera would have. However, perhaps he was wrong. As much as he hated the fact, her questions and talking down about Kiera was making him wonder more about things he was already curious about. "Part of me wants to slap you right now, you are lucky we aren't alone." he said in a harsh tone. Adrian was staring her with anger in his eyes, not bothering to conceal it at all. Then after a good long stare he composed himself again.

All of a sudden Regalia's eyes looked away, and he noted it. Looking towards where she had been, he saw Kiera walking with a very sad expression. She already had a drink, and it looked like something bad had happened. Adrian turned too late to see her drink darken for an instant, so he had no idea what the woman across from him had just done. Now she would have to go, and he looked back at her with an annoyed look on his face. It was clear she did recognize Kiera, and that made him even more curious to ask Kiera about some of this. Up until now he'd tried to ignore her dark past, and possibly dark present; but, only know was he going to press her for answers.

The woman looked back with a look on her face that he didn't like at all. Very, very rarely was he ever scared, but the look in Regalia's eyes honestly frightened him a bit. Adrian recovered quickly enough though, and met her unnerving gaze. She was trying to pit him against Kiera this whole time he knew, and though he was fighting it, the woman was being successful to some extent. "I might just do that. I really wish you'd never come and talked to me; however, I needed to ask Kiera these questions eventually." he admitted with a heavy sigh, hating what he would have to ask Kiera. Now though he was too curious to not ask, as much as he cared about her he knew she hadn't told him everything about her past. "Kiera does to..." then he stopped, unsure. "Hell, maybe she doesn't. I despise you for making me doubt her. If I were you, I'd stay away from me for my own safety. Now get the hell away from me before I do something I'll regret." he threatened her, his gaze boring into hers.

Once she was gone, he waved to Kiera. Hopefully she would see him and come talk. She had some questions to answer. If she lied to him, well he would have to cross that bridge when he came to it. Adrian was really, really hoping she would trust him enough to tell the truth. If she lied to him, he would have to either remain friends or just break off his friendship with her completely. Because he cared too damn much about the woman to be friends or in a relationship where they lied to each other, he was always honest. If Kiera wasn't honest as well, then it could never work with them, much as it hurt to admit that to himself. Taking a drink of his firewhisky, he shook his head to try and rid the seeds of doubt that had just been planted.

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:22 am

The day had been going pretty good till the letter came. And no, Kiera wasn't talking about the letter from Rin.

She would deny it with all her heart, but a large portion of the day had been spent by agonising over the date in the evening. And yes, Kiera knew it was a date, she wasn't a dumbass. And add that to the fact that unlike their first date, this one wasn't in a casual setting, which meant she would have to dress up. Drat. After putting way too much of thought on way too small of a thing to truly matter, Kiera had put on a blood-red dress with a black belt, an outfit gifted to her by Dmitra. She had sworn never to wear it, but hell the knee-length dress looked good on her. It was feminine without being overly so, slightly gothic and the colour was just too appealing against her skin.

But then of course, the letter had to come and ruin everything. Which was why, with a tormented mind and emotions barely held in control, Kiera made a beeline for a drink the moment she entered Brimstone. She turned, and spotted Adrian talking to a woman in a booth. They seemed rather......close. The unidentifiable emotion which sprang up in Kiera's chest at the sight was to blame why she didn't notice any change in her drink, which was horribly unlike her alert nature. The woman whispered in Adrian's ear, and left, and pricked something at the back of Kiera's head. She seemed strangely familiar......Kiera walked towards the booth and slid in. She looked up at Adrian, saw him properly for the first time since entering the bar, and for a moment, forgot everything. At that moment, Kiera understood what it meant for the heart to 'skip a beat.' She downed her drink.

Shit. Shit. Immediately the world around her spun and became blurry, the lights started hurting her eyes, and Kiera felt the overwhelming urge to lay her increasingly heavy head on the table. Somewhere, amidst her rapidly fading logical mind, the all-too-familiar gleam in the woman's eyes registered in her head......Rin.........Kiera blinked rapidly, her knuckles tightening their grip on the table. This was going to be one hell of a night.

by **Adrian Castella** Fri Dec 28, 2012 8:17 am

Adrian was nervous about their second date, first one if you don't count the picnic one. Because that one she didn't really want to go to in the first place. Now he saw Kiera his heart was speeding up, and his blood started to boil a bit. She looked fantastic, the blood red dress with the black belt was so her. He couldn't help but smile a bit when he saw her, despite the things that he had just been told about her. They were yet to be proven true, but generally he was an excellent reader of facial expressions and able to tell when someone was lying. There was no hint of a lie when Regalia was talking to him.

When Kiera looked at who he was talking to, there was recognition, and even a bit of dread in her expression. Was this the reason she had left their beach day, was it because Regalia had been coming in to town. His instincts told him that he was right, though he didn't have proof yet. As Kiera approached though, he noticed that she was extremely troubled. Out of the corner of his eye he'd watched her head to the bar and grab a drink even before she recognized Regalia. Part of it could have been she wanted to soothe her nerves, but he had a feeling something else was bothering her.

Before he knew it she was sliding into the booth with him. For a moment when their eyes met when she had just sat down, he noticed her pause and her stop the intake of regular breathing. His own heart rate sped up and he forgot to breathe for a second as well. There was something about Kiera since the first time they'd met, he'd always known he would start to fall for her.

After she took a sip of her drink, and he took one from his he noticed her start to get dizzy and before long her head was nodding and swaying. Moving across the table, he slid in next to her and put her head on his shoulder. "Kiera, are you okay. Kiera!" he said in a loud voice when she didn't respond. Had Regalia put something in her drink, he hadn't seen anything. It was possible she or somebody else had drugged her when she came in though. "It will be all right Kiera. I'm going to send for a Healer."

As an auror he knew very basic battlefield healing but had never learned how to handle poisons and drugs. Gently, Adrian propped her up against the wall and parted her hair out of her face. Then he kissed her gently before going to ask the barkeep to send an owl to St. Mungo's. "No, she hasn't been drinking too much you idiot! She just arrived and only had a few sips. Already she's dizzy and ill. Now send for a Healer before you make me really angry. I don't think you would want to explain why when an auror..." he trailed off in a smoother voice, "When he asked to send for a Healer, was refused that basic right." Adrian flashed his identification. "Be quick about it."

Then Adrian hurried back to Kiera, and pulled her into a hug again. "Help is on the way. Don't you even think about passing out. I need you to stay awake." Adrian told her in a quiet voice. That was one of the things they taught you, if somebody started acting dizzy or sick after eating or drinking something do everything you can to keep them awake. Sometimes if the person passed out they never came back.

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:20 pm

Everything was passing in a blur. In a moment, there was a panicked voice, and her head was on a shoulder, surrounded by a distinctive scent, like fresh coffee. A very, very small voice in Kiera's head protested feebly, telling her that she was definitely, definitely not liking this, but the pounding in her head drowned out all other sounds. Then she was being propped against a wall, warm calloused fingers were sweeping her hair to the side, and what felt like a gentle kiss, like the touch of feathers, being pressed against her lips.

There it was again, that lone voice of consciousness, something telling her that she shouldn't be letting this happen, that she was going to regret it very, very much indeed. But then again, Kiera couldn't be half-arsed to care right now. The pain was hell.

By the time the soothing presence returned, the pain was fading and the all-too familiar light-headedness was setting in. Then Kiera was buried in the scent again, and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Then suddenly her eyes flew open, and she pushed the presence away, eyes unfocused, voice slightly sleepy, "Nope. Do-not-touch-me." Kiera prodded the shoulder for emphasis. "I...don't....do not....nope..not like people touching me. Besides...." Kiera yawned slightly. "My date would probably get mad. Like I did." Her voice grew slightly dark at the memory. "Stupid Rin. Why does she have to....to..in-terf-fere in everything I do....spiking drink and talking to Adrian and....."

Then she blinked rapidly, and looked at the person holding her not even a minute ago. The face was blurred, but she addressed it all that same, "Do you....you...know where Adrian is? H-he..." Kiera held in a jaw-splitting yawn, then ploughed on ahead. "He's an idiot. S'posed to b-be h-here...but...idiot. Complete nutcase. And ap-appar-rently idiocy is con-contagi-ous coz he makes me act like an idiot whenever I'm near him." Kiera glowered at nothing in particular. She made violent swinging actions with her hand to accentuate her point "Should bloody chop off his head and dis-dis-embow-el him when I'm at it."

But then again he makes me f-feel...like a real per-son so I guess..." A small smile flickered on her lips. "He isn't that bad." Then looking up the face again, "D'you know where he is?"

by **Adrian Castella** Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:00 am

It was so strange seeing Kiera in such a weak state, Adrian was extremely mad. He had a feeling that it was Regalia who caused this, though he didn't know why she would do such a thing. If she used to be friends with Kiera then why would she drug or poison her? There were questions that needed answering about this Regalia person, but first he needed to make sure the most important person in his life didn't die. When he lightly kissed her she didn't even respond really, though she was still awake. Whatever it was that had been given to her must have been some strong stuff to let him get away with kissing her, he thought to himself with a laugh.

Now he was back and help should be on the way soon. Adrian hoped that they would get hear quickly, she needed to be seen by a healer as soon as possible. This time when he saw her she seemed slightly more awake, though still confused and obviously not herself. He knew that even before she started to talk to him.

When he hugged her Adrian noticed her breathe deeply, and she lost herself in the hug for a moment. After a few seconds, she realized what she was doing and pushed him away. "I know you don't like people touching you, but I thought you might make an exception since you have most likely been drugged." he said slowly to her. Her voice was slow, and it almost sounded like she had just woken up. "Why were you mad?" he asked her quietly. Perhaps she would open up to him, like he had been trying to get her to do. "Rin, who is Rin? Is that Regalia's nickname? I wouldn't worry about what she said to this Adrian fellow, from what I saw he really likes you." he said quietly to her.

Now he was struggling not to laugh, but he held it in and composed his voice. This would be fun to play with her a bit before letting her know it was him. "Adrian, hmm, is that your date? Fairly tall, dark-haired, a day or two's growth of stubble on his cheeks?" he asked. The yawn was rather loud and quite amusing, he was enjoying seeing Kiera like this he had to admit. "Well I agree with you that Adrian's an idiot, he sure seemed like one when I saw him. Makes you act like an idiot as well, how so?" he asked tentatively. Then he shook his head at what she said next. "Now, now...don't do that. From what you've told me it seems you would regret hurting this man."

When she said that he made her feel like a real person he smiled widely. This was the moment he needed to let her know who it was she'd been talking to. "I think so. A little bird told me that Adrian is pretty close. In fact...he's the person talking to you right now. Help is on the way Kiera, you really don't think I would let another man give you a kiss and hold you did I?"

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:05 am

"Mad? Why....was....I.....mad...." The blurred face's questions seemed to be penetrating Kiera's numbed mind from a great, great distance. Her face scrunched up in thought, and she propped her head on her hands, staring at the dark wall as if there was something extremely interesting going on there, even though the scene of Rin whispering into Adrian's ear was replaying again, again and again before her mind's eye. Though still sleepy, traces of resentment, anger, frustration found expression in her voice, "I don't know...bloody hell I don't know...I'm just so, so mad....." Then her head turned suddenly and she pointed at the blurred face accusingly, "You're l-ly-ing....not tel-ling tr-truth.....if Adrian liked...liked me, he wouldn't have been flir..flir-ting..." Kiera's face grew even darker. "With...with Rin."

Then the face spoke again, in a curiously choked voice, like with tears, or laughter. But Kiera liked the face, especially since it smelled of coffee and agreed with her that Adrian was an idiot. "You're ri-right." Kiera nodded vigorously to emphasize her point. "Adrian.....idiot. Makes me.....idiot too. When I'm with him....I....I feel happy and smile." Her tone was disgusted, like smiling was the biggest sacrilege in the world. Then she pointed to her chest, where her heart was, with a finger, "And this place.....goes thump thump thump."

Then she scowled. Maybe she didn't like the face so much after all. "You're wrong.....wrong wrong wrong..." Kiera shook her head to the side, "I don't like him at all......don't like idiots....especially if they make me go...thump thump thump....will cut and chop and dice and...." Kiera was interrupted in her dreamy litany of how exactly she would make Adrian suffer when the face told her that it was Adrian.

Kiera frowned. "Little bird's lying....omm-mis-sion of tru-th.....you can't be Ad-Adrian." She poked the face's shoulder for emphasis, "First of all, you're a face. A very blu-rr-y face. And an 'it'. Adrian is not a face. Or an 'it'. " Then she poked the face's nose, "Sec-ond, you're not an id-iot. Adrian is idiot so......you're not him." Then she prodded the face's forehead rather hard, "And thi-thi-third, if you were Adrian...you'd have ask-ed me 'bout the letter re-gard-ing my mother..by now." Kiera's eyes immediately clouded over at the memory. "Adrian may be an idiot....but..but he cares."

by **Adrian Castella** Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:40 pm

Adrian noticed that the drugs had muddied her thoughts, it was taking her so much longer to form her responses. She seemed to get lost in a memory of something for a moment before she gave him her answer. It hurt to see her in such a sorry state, and he was cursing silently that it had to happen on their date. "Yes, I got that you were mad." he said quietly. Then when she said flirting with Rin he realized Rin was the nickname of the Regalia girl who had talked to him. "Flirting, from what I saw she was flirting and he wasn't. She seemed to have information that interested him though. I was close to the booth, heard her talk about being friends with this Kiera during childhood." he told her. Adrian wanted to hear the truth, and he was afraid if she knew it was him she wouldn't tell it to him.

It was funny to see Kiera in such a state, and she was smiling at him even though she didn't know who he was. "Hmm, I see. Well sometimes it isn't too bad being idiots together with somebody." he commented. When she talked about smiling it was with the usual disdain...but then she talked about her heart thumping and his heart started to do the same. "That sounds like a good thing, not a bad one."

Now she was mad at him, as she so often was. Kiera's scowl looked like the one she gave him when she knew who he was. "It doesn't sound like I'm wrong. To me it sounds like you are in denial...don't like feelings do we?" he asked her quietly. "Yes, I know...you would like to chop me up..." he said, and looked away as a few tears formed in his eyes. She had just seen who it was and paused in what she was saying. He wiped away his tears and looked back at her.

Adrian looked at her with a sad expression as she said it wasn't him and poked him, trying to intimidate him. Really it was a normal tactic for her, but that she didn't believe it was him cut him to the quick. He had taken care of her, held her, gave her a kiss, went to get help...and now when she saw it was him there she didn't even think it was him??? The pain was evident though he tried to mask it as best he could.

Looking at her sadly, he tried to find his voice. "I can't, can I? I held you and set you gently against the booth, gave you a kiss and tried to comfort you before running to get help. Which should be here by now, that barkeep I told to summon a Healer is going to get in trouble if the man doesn't show up soon." he said angrily. Then he refocused on their conversation. "Yes, I know...you can't see my very well. But isn't my voice the same?" he addressed her first point. "Secondly, I agree with you that I'm an idiot. I never said I wasn't. If you think otherwise than that is your decision." Then he thought about how to respond to the third point she had made. "As for the last point you never told me what that owl was about. You just ran off, leaving me on the beach with our picnic. All I knew was something was wrong, I never knew what. Sorry I forgot to ask." he apologized.

Turning to look at her, he wanted to pull her into a hug and kiss her. Getting his face up right next to hers. "Can't you see that I care Kiera de Auvergne???" he asked with a whisper. Leaning even a bit closer, he kissed her gently and then looked away as some tears fell. She didn't even believe he cared about her...it felt like his heart was breaking.

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:36 am

Adrian wasn’t flirting. Was not flirting. Not. As in negative. He was just talking about her, Kiera. At least according to the blurry face. Kiera fought, fought with all her might to restrain a full-blown smile from emerging at the words, there were certain limits not to be crossed, even when drunk and highly intoxicated.

Then her mood changed. “Good thing? Good thing?” Kiera’s voice progressed from incredulous to scandalized. “My friggin’ bloo-dy heart tries to……. “ Large, jaw-splitting yawn. “Ri-rip itself…… out of my bo-dy every…..eve-ry time he…” Another yawn. “Do-does some-thing idi-otic…..and it’s a good thing?” Then a long pause. When the blurry face talked of denial and not liking feelings, Kiera looked down….feeling ashamed? Hell, she wasn’t in a mood to analyze her feelings, her head HURT. So she did what she did best, muttering audibly, “’Course I don’…..don’t like f-feelings. Ho-ri-ble things. So ever sin-ce….since my moth-er………..ditched me…I ga-ve up on them. F-feelings.”

Then it came, pelting down with great force, the reason why Kiera had to struggle to come today, the reason why keeping a neutral expression was a challenge, the reason why she was pretending, so, so hard that everything was normal. The letter. Not the one on the beach. The one she received this morning.

And the face…was getting blurrier, turning away. Kiera leaned forward, placing her hand on the face’s jaw, desperate to see it again. So she could pretend everything was normal, distract herself. But as she came, closer and closer, some of the face’s features came into focus. Achingly familiar features. Kiera ran her long-fingered hand over the straight nose, the stubbled jaw, the chapped lips….breathing deeply all the while, in the scent. Her eyes were fixed on his, and his eyes were wet. Kiera brushed away moisture from the rim of the eyelids, looking at those soul-searching orbs all the while, her nose brushing lightly against his, breaths mingling. Her voice was quiet, too quiet, strangely coherent, vibrating with an emotion no words in the world could describe, “My mother’s….she…….she….dead. She’s dead.” Kiera’s unfocused eyes now latched only on one anchor, Adrian. The intensity of the black orbs was staggering. “All…..all these…d-days of my life….finding her was my only mo..motive. My..only goal. Fin…ding her….tak-ing revenge….eventu-ally. B-but…she’s d-dead. Dead. And my life…..all these days….I couldn’t….couldn’t…” Her voice was shaking, shaking. Because she was tired pretending that she was strong, all the time. Her voice broke, “I c-c-couldn’t even….a-ask h-her…..why…why she d-d-did it. Why she s-sent me away. I n-never knew….I never will know…..wh-what my m-m-mistake was. W-was I th-that b-b-bad of a d-d-d-daughter…”

This was a greater gift than anything Kiera could have given him, more than a willing kiss, perhaps even more than love. Be it in an intoxicated state, she had given him enough trust, to show her weakness in front of him.

by **Adrian Castella** Tue Jan 01, 2013 9:57 am

Kiera was struggling to contain a smile for a while, and Adrian let his own cross his face. Even when she was drunk she struggled to hide her emotions from him. One day she was going to be able to show them freely, at least to him; at least, that is what he kept telling himself. If she never did though, that was alright, because deep down he knew that she cared for him.

It was the same old argument, they had both been hurt but she had come to hate her feelings where as he struggled to embrace them. "Yes, I believe it is." he said seriously, turning to look at her. Kiera, it won't always feel like it's trying to rip itself apart, sometimes there will be feelings that will warm your heart and make you feel...well, loved. Everybody wants to be loved deep down, even if they deny it to their deaths." Then he looked at her with a intent expression when she mentioned her mother, she hadn't talked much about the woman until now. "I've tried to abandon feelings before as well, and when I tried to find them again it was painful. I am so glad I did though, and I promise I will be here to help you not hate your feelings again as well.

Suddenly he saw a dawning realization of why she was so upset cross her face, very slowly her thoughts were starting to become more coherent. It was still a struggle, but now she was starting to return to normal. There was something bad that had happened, something that hurt Kiera very deeply.

When Kiera placed her hand on his jaw, he jumped a bit before smiling. As always, when they touched there was something special about it. This time it was a gentle touch, and his cheeks warmed a bit as he grinned at her. Adrian let her run her hand over his face, exploring it a bit. Staring at her as she wiped away his tears, Adrian realized that Kiera needed him as much as he did her. Even if the feelings weren't visible usually they were still there, and that was what was important. As she told him about her mother in a broken voice, it was obvious she trusted him fully.

Showing her his hand, he slowly put it on her shoulder and pulled her head onto his shoulder. Adrian held her to him in a soft hug, and kissed her forehead. I'm sorry Kiera, truly I am." he whispered as he rubbed her back. Her eyes were full of pain, and hate as she thought about her mother. She cared for the woman though, even though it turned out she was trying to get revenge on her. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay. Things turn out how they do for their own reasons, Kiera. Perhaps you not meeting her again is how it was meant to be, and will work out for the best. I know it'd hard to believe that, but we can only look to the future." he said slowly, trying to help her as best he could.

"From what I know about it I don't think you were." Kiera was so vulnerable, and he knew if he handled this poorly she might never open up again. "It's okay to be hurt Kiera, there's nothing wrong with it. Your mother sounds like she made her own mistakes, I don't think...at least I wouldn't imagine any mother would leave her daughter if she thought that they could be together and safe. I'm sorry Kiera, just let it all out." Adrian said as he pulled her closer and began to stroke her hair softly. "Is...is there anything I can do?" he whispered to her.

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Thu Jan 03, 2013 6:18 pm

"Does it....does it matter...wh-what we want....." Kiera laughed, soft, mirthless. The lightheadedness was almost gone, leaving behind a heavy, mind-numbing ache and a hollowness in the heart that she had been trying to forget for so long. She wanted so, so much to just fall to sleep, close her eyes and believe for a few deluded moments that the world wasn't empty and cold, and she all alone....but Adrian's eyes forced her to stay awake, to keep looking....like a black hole which sucked her in and wouldn't allow her to fall away, to step back, to deny. Not this time.

"Who cares....who cares ev-en..ev-en if i-it is l-love that we want...." Her voice drew off into inaudible whispers, like the cold remnants of the air when a blade slashed through it. Another listless chuckle forced its way through her lips, "Its not like we're going to get it."

But it was difficult, so difficult to grasp on to the fact that she was all alone, when her head was laid on a comforting shoulder, warmth embracing her. Kiera fought harder than she ever had before, not to give in. Damn it....damn it.....damn it........."Its not fair.....not fair....." She was talking, whispering into his shoulder, a tone of almost desperation in her voice. "I....it was so hard b-but I managed to save myself.....managed to control myself...and face the world a-and b-be strong and tough and invincible and....." Kiera then looked up at Adrian, an indecipherable emotion burning in her eyes. "And you. You just....just stroll into my l-life l-l-like its no b-big deal...and teach me to-to like and enjoy and hope" Kiera spat the word out, like it was the biggest curse of her life.

Kiera came closer, not knowing, not caring, just wanting to get things out, this once. "And I'm tired. Tired of denying, and pretending, and holding back and...and...." Kiera was breathing deeply, intoxicated, but feeling like she was finally waking up. She met Adrian's eyes with a blazing glaze that threatened to scorch everything that it met. "And I'm tired of being a coward. So I like you. Like you. A lot. And if I were a normal human being I'd probably want to be in a relationship, but I have no social skills. But I do know enough to do this." And in a rash, reckless, typically-Kiera move, she kissed him.

by **Adrian Castella** Thu Jan 03, 2013 6:49 pm

Adrian wouldn't let Kiera's gaze leave his, this was his chance to prove to her he cared, and that he would never stop caring. "It makes every difference in the world what we want." he said, frowning a bit at the cold laugh. So much pain and bitterness she had to deal with, it made him want to cry for her, for what she'd been through. He kept gazing at her black eyes with his, because he knew if he let her stop she might die from whatever this was. Just because she was becoming more coherent didn't mean she wasn't still in danger from what had happened to her.

Love, that was something she didn't know much about. "Kiera, love isn't something that just happens. Loving somebody is a choice, you begin to care for someone and you choose not to stop caring. You do everything you can to make them happy, to protect them, make them laugh when they're down and hold their hand when they are in pain." he told her quietly. "Kiera de Auvergne, you will be loved even if you don't want it. Because I love you, even though you make it so difficult sometimes..." Adrian told her.

Holding her to him, he breathed in her scent. She smelled faintly of alcohol, but mostly smelled of cinnamon. It was a wonderful smell, because he loved that scent. The other times they'd met she hadn't smelled like that, and he wondered if she did smell like cinnamon just for him. That thought, that she would do something because of him, made him smile widely. He could see she was still fighting her feelings for him. "You never had to do that. It is good to be strong, but you don't have to be invincible. Nobody can take on everything and win all the time." he told her honestly. Her eyes were so unique, they looked like they held hate and love for him at the same time. Perhaps hate wasn't the word, but at the very least annoyance and a strong dislike. They clashed and her gaze burned into him. "And what's wrong with hope? I know it is a big deal Kiera, believe me I do. Before you I had forgotten what it was like to love, after my girlfriend's death I had become cold and detached from people. Meeting you, starting to care for you, well it's changed me for the better..." Adrian trailed off.

Finally, Adrian felt Kiera give in to her feelings. The look of tension left her face and she let her feelings for him shine through, it was a sight he would never forget. "I am tired of you denying it as well. You are so special Kiera..." he whispered to her. It felt like his gaze was locked on her and gravity was pulling them together. Even if he wanted to (which he didn't), he couldn't have stopped their kiss from happening at that moment. She was awake now, and knew what this meant for them. I like you a lot too, maybe more. This is what a relationship is about, Kiera. Being here for each other, caring, muddling through life together through thick and thin." Then he stopped as she kissed him, and he put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her to him as Adrian kissed back. Fireworks were going off, and a shiver of electricity and pleasure ran down his spine as his heart started beating funny and a sense of warmth spread through him all at the same time.

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:02 pm

Kiera knew that she was supposed to be listening to Adrian, that he was trying to comfort her, reassure her. But he didn’t need to. All Kiera needed to do was to look at him, see the sincerity in his eyes, his ever-varying expression as it flitted constantly from worry to empathy to care- all for her – and he spoke on and on. Her mind wasn’t in a fit state to comprehend all his words anyway, so she closed her ears to the words and simply let his voice wash over her.

She didn’t deserve this. Hell, she didn’t deserve this. She had done nothing, but insult and hurt and push away Adrian, and he just kept coming closer and closer, relentless. Like someone who was determined to push down her shields even if it took his last breath. Maybe, one of the reasons why she found it so difficult to accept Adrian’s emotions was because she found it so utterly impossible to believe that someone could like her. She was harsh, cold-hearted, vicious, blood-thirsty and combat-hungry at best, and a murderer at worst. What was likeable about her? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But you know what? She really couldn’t give less of a damn right now. Because right now, she was kissing the man who cared for her. And she cared for him right back. Sure, when she got back to her right senses, this rash move would come back to kick her on the butt, but she lived in the moment.

“You….talk..too…much.” Kiera murmured against Adrian’s lips, her hand wreathing its way into his short, mussed-up hair. She pulled back, resting her forehead against his, breathing deeply. “Frankly…I…..think you’re……mad…….for seeing anything…..remotely….likeable..about me. I’m…abnormal….not special. I’ve…..given you….many chances in the past…to step back. Today’s..the last. I know I’m impossible…and I’m proud of it. I’m never going to change. So if you have any doubts, if you want to back out, now’s your last chance.”

Then there was a sound, like someone clearing their throat. Kiera’s eyes flicked to the side, and saw a man, looking distinctly uncomfortable, like he’d witnessed far more than he would like. He quickly withdrew a vial filled with a clear liquid from his robes, placed on the table, inclined his head to Adrian and walked out. Kiera’s hand came out to wrap around the vial, lifting it to her eye-level. Not needing any instructions from Adrian, Kiera opened the cork and downed the vial’s contents, waiting for her mind to clear.

by **Adrian Castella** Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:21 am

Adrian noticed when Kiera just kind of started to tune out. He was about to stop talking, but then he noticed the kind of happy look on her face as she listened to what he was saying. Her mind must have still been quite a bit groggy, so she just didn't want to strain to understand him. At least that is what he suspected. Being attentive to what he was saying usually wasn't a problem with her.

Then suddenly he saw her expression change, and it looked like she was trying to puzzle something out. Which honestly must have been quite challenging when your brain feels like mush, which it most likely did. That she was even semi-coherent was quite remarkable. Kiera was a tough cookie, just like she came across at times. People didn't become that tough from a soft life. He knew that Kiera was damaged in a lot of ways, but he would help her the best he knew how.

Before they broke the kiss Adrian felt Kiera really begin to enjoy it. There wasn't hesitation in that one, she had wanted a kiss and gave him the best one he'd ever had in his life. When she did break it he was kind of dazed, and now he was the one who couldn't think properly. She muttered something he couldn't understand and he just smiled and nodded.

Staring into her eyes, he finally found his thoughts again and this time he was able to understand what she was saying. Both of them were breathing a bit heavily from that amazing kiss. "Kiera..." he whispered to her, "Kiera, I stopped...having doubts...after...that...day at...the beach. I'm never....ever....backing out." Adrian didn't know how or why, but he'd fallen in love with this dangerous woman. No matter what happened now, he was always going to care for her. All he could do was hope that she would let him into her life, even though the thought terrified her.

Just as Adrian was contemplating kissing her again, Kiera looked over at somebody. There was a clink on the table, and Adrian turned around to see a blushing Healer rushing off. He must have found them kissing and waited to give her the vial that would help clear her head and make her come to her senses. Adrian was blushing, but very grateful that it had arrived. "Thank you, sir." he called after the man. Turning back to Kiera, he saw she had drained the vial already. The potion should begin to take effect quickly and work its wonders.

"So what now Miss Auvergne? If it were up to me I'd probably just spend the entire night in this booth kissing you. But what do you want to do?" he asked her with a sly smile.

by **Kiera de Auvergne** Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:03 am

Fuck.

No other word, could summarize Kiera's emotions and thoughts as perfectly as this one, right now. Right now, her thoughts were in a whirlwind, the fog had lifted, the lightheadedness faded away, the recklessness gone. All that was left was her mind, her fully logical, rational mind, which was going: fuck fuck fuck.

Adrian didn't notice it, at first. He was too happy. He assumed that Kiera had been in her senses all along, and admittedly she had been more coherent in the last few minutes. But what he didn't know was that she had coherence, but lacked her common sense, inhibitions blown away by the drug. In the name of all that was holy, Kiera swore to herself, mind growing darker, she would have her revenge against Rin. Probably gut her, and rip her intestines, and hang her mutilated body up for all to see, because fuck, Kiera had never been so humiliated in her life.

The humiliating incidents, words, her own actions, assaulted her one by one. Shit........no, no, no, no, no, her memories must be mistaken, there was no way in HELL that Kiera yawned and laughed and called Adrian 'a face'. And behaved like a ridiculous idiot, if there ever was one...........oh shit, she had confessed about her mother...and seeked comfort on Adrian's shoulder.....and broke down....and.....and......she kissed him. After telling him that she...she l-liked him very, very much. Kiera's face flamed, her pride and self-dignity had practically been razed to the ground.

She needed to get away from here. Now. She couldn't face Adrian, not after all this. But Adrian....he told her he liked her and cared....and he wasn't backing out....no, no, enough was enough. Enough of 'emotions'. Kiera stood up, pushing back her chair, avoiding Adrian's eyes. She had nothing to say to him, she would probably never meet him again, she would try her best to forget everything....Adrian would get over it with time, this action of hers would probably do him more good than harm....

Then his voice echoed in her head, Because I love you, even though you make it so difficult sometimes..

I love you

Love

She hadn't meant to talk to him, not ever, but her voice flew out before she could help it, disbelieving, "You love me?"