Fun And Games (Lucia)

With the flutter of wings and one final effort, Medeia would reach her quarters at last, carrying her precious cargo through the open window. It had been a quiet enough journey and there had not been anything that had troubled her. Lucia had been asleep in her arms the entire time, thanks to the Warlord’s skill with sleeping spells and watching her dozing had actually been a rather sweet experience for the dark mage. It only made her appear even more innocent, which deep down, Medeia believed that she truly was. Her response to the angel’s actions had been proof of that and the Warlord could not help but smile at the thought of what was to come. Unfortunately for Lucia, her embarrassment would only increase now although the witch hoped that she would not cause any permanent trauma. Just enough that the legal mage would not forget her any time soon.

Landing gently on the warm and fluffy carpet, Medeia would proceed to place her captive in a comfortable chair beside the large, well lit, old fashioned fireplace that the angel preferred. Her room was incredibly well furnished and decorated, a purple theme easy to spot across the furniture. The angel did adore that colour and as she turned away from Lucia’s sleeping form and walked over to close her windows, her form would seem to change in a moment, as she returned to her more natural appearance. Even her outfit changed to a red dress that only just managed to shield the mage’s rather large bust from public view. Curvy was probably a fair description of how she looked now and the rather intimidating appearance from earlier had seemed to melt away. There was a more gentle look to her, now that she was out of the public eye.

She would return then to her sleeping guest, admiring her form for a moment, before her expression changed into a devious smile. There was something that she just had to do and after waiting for the entire journey, she could not any longer. With an expert hand, she would swiftly untie Lucia, leaving the woman with her hands and feet briefly free, a necessity for what she was about to do. Medeia would then proceed to strip the woman down to her underwear, her smile growing as she went about her business. By the time she was done, Lucia would be sitting there in nothing but them.

Aware that Lucia might react strongly to finding herself in such a state, Medeia would retie the woman’s arms around the back of the chair, as well as insert one of her own personal gags around the woman’s mouth. A cloth of her favourite colour which would keep her quiet enough. The blindfold and leg bindings would remain off though, giving the legal mage at least some movement and awareness. The rest would come off when the angel was ready.

With that done, she would pour a glass of wine for herself and then sink into her favourite chair, waiting for Lucia to wake up on her own, a book in her other hand, which she soon started to read.

(528 Words)

Lucia finally woke up after what seemed like an eternity. She had no idea what had put her to sleep, but she had been asleep nonetheless and she needed to wake up. The blonde tried to stretch her arms above her head, but they did not move very far from behind her for some reason. Lucia looked down at herself to see why her arms were not moving and when she looked down she gave a scream of shock that was partially muffled by a gag, but its shrill tone indicated that she was in distress for a good reason.

Her clothes were missing and she was sitting in her underwear!

Lucia looked down at herself and noticed two additional things: that her feet were free to move and that she was tied to a chair with her hands bound around the back of it. She was not sure what the point of her feet being free was since her arms were bound, but she did not have time to question that. The Luminous Rose mage needed to get at least a basic idea of where she was.

The blonde calmed down enough to look around her and noticed that the room she had awakened in a room that was more opulent than any room she had ever been in before. She noticed the expensive-looking and tasteful furniture plus other items dotting the room and swiftly picked up on the fact that the color of choice was purple. Her sister Diana would have likely approved of the prominent purple theme since that was her favorite color.

Looking around further, she looked for her hostess and soon found her seated in a chair, but she did not look the same as she had earlier.

Medeia had somehow changed her appearance and was also dressed in a simple but beautiful and expensive-looking red dress that accentuated her shapely form. Lucia's eyes were irresistibly drawn to the Warlord's chest and she could not help but look at it for a brief moment before she realized what she was doing and her eyes turned downward while her face became bright enough for her embarrassment to be obvious. As she looked down to try and get over the mistake she had just made she was glad that she wore modest white undergarments because her hostess had a good view of the blonde's body. Speaking of her body, Lucia had two burning questions that needed answering.

Why had Medeia taken her clothes?

And was doing that really necessary?

[Post Word Count: 422]
[Lucia's Word Count: 422]
[Total Word Count: 950]

Lowering her book as she heard Lucia’s muffled shriek, Medeia would turn to her captive, watching her with an amused expression. It was clear that the blonde was not all that happy about her lack of clothing but that was only to be expected. Still, the reaction alone was enough to have made the effort worth it and the Warlord chuckled just a little as she put her book and glass down on the table beside her chair. Medeia mused that maybe she had overdone her sleeping spell a touch, given just how long that Lucia had been asleep for but the angel shrugged that thought off. Better to overdo it than not, after all, as having the blonde wake up mid flight might have been quite the tragedy.

That was not all that capture Medeia’s attention as she most definitely noticed where Lucia’s gaze ended up going, with the Warlord naturally following suit and glancing down. The smile on her face grew at that point, remembering how her previous captive had behaved in quite a similar way. It appeared that her natural form was certainly the one that her guests seemed to appreciate the most, which was quite flattering in truth. Due to her notoriety, she could not always walk the streets without a disguise, unless she truly wanted to stir up trouble. Most of the time, she took on either her Desertian or if she was feeling more light hearted, her Madeline persona..

Rising to her feet and approaching the legal mage, Medeia would crouch before Lucia and say, looking over the blonde’s rather lovely form, as well as giving the legal mage a rather good look at her own. “It seems that I was right to keep you gagged after that shriek of yours, hmm? I will take it off if you promise to make that a one time thing, as I do rather hate hearing a woman’s scream. I have no doubt that you probably have questions for me at this point, which I will answer if you can calm yourself. I know it must have been a shock to find yourself like this.”

Taking a moment to glance over Lucia’s lovely form again, she would add after a moment. “I was right. You are beautiful, Lucia and seeing you like that only confirms what I have known from the start. There are many among my own kind who were not as lovely as you and that is saying a lot.”

(415 Words)
(1365 TWC)

Lucia was still busy trying to get over her mistake when the Warlord rose from her chair and approached her. The blonde could not help but to look up and when she did she found herself in the very situation she had tried to avoid. She had an up-close glimpse of her hostess' statuesque form and got another glance at Medeia's chest, a sight which caused the blonde no small amount of embarrassment. Lucia was fairly sure that she was digging a hole for herself by gazing at her hostess' body just a bit too long to be polite and was fairly certain that the other mage was going to punish her for the mistake. In her defense Medeia's new appearance was beautiful in a way she could not easily describe; Lucia was not attracted to women, but her hostess had an unearthly beauty that made the blonde take notice.

Instead of being punished Lucia was given an offer... if she promised not to scream again the gag would be removed. The blonde was only mildly surprised by Medeia stating that she believed herself justified in gagging Lucia back at the park, but she got the impression that Medeia was accomplished at mental gymnastics and would always find a reason to justify anything she did. The Luminous Rose mage had reacted the way she did because she was not used to waking up in a strange place wearing only her underwear and she felt that screaming in distress was an appropriate response to the situation. Keeping her thoughts to herself because she was gagged and because she did not want to get herself into any more trouble than she already was in, Lucia instead replied to the offer with a few nods of her head and a muffled "All right."

Lucia blushed at the compliment about her beauty and it was not because she was flattered. She supposed that Medeia was trying to give a compliment to get her guest to calm down, but if that was the case it was not having the intended effect. Instead the blonde was getting even more flustered because a beautiful woman was looking at her while she was in her underwear.

[Post Word Count: 368]
[Lucia's Word Count: 790]
[Total Word Count: 1,733]

Taking Lucia at her word, Medeia would place her hands around the back of her captives head and gently undo the knot that was holding the legal mages gag in place, tossing the fabric onto the table for the time being once she did so. The dark mage would keep it within easy reach just in case she needed it but given the state of affairs, she doubted that the blonde would kick up a fuss. What would she have to gain from screaming and shouting now? Lucia had nowhere to go and even if she could somehow get out of her predicament, Medeia had an ally fairly close by who was not as gentle as the Warlord herself, who had her own ways of dealing with guests who caused trouble.

Once she was done with removing the gag, Medeia would walk around the back of the chair that the bound woman was sitting on, admiring the legal mage from all angles. Compared to how she had appeared in Talonia, there was a somewhat different manner to her now. Where before there had been a sense of menace, now there was a gentle and softness that exuded from her. There was no need for her to be threatening any longer with the girl helpless before her.

Unable to help herself, she would gently run a hand through the long blonde locks of the helpless mage, loving the feel of the strands as she did so. Medeia had always had a special interest in women with that hair colour and the angel sometimes thought that she was rather unlucky in not being a natural one herself. Oh, with her powers she could easily change its colour if she desired but still it would never be the one that she was born with. That being said, she felt that darker hair suited her better and certainly helped her when she wanted to make a more dangerous impression on people. “Such lovely locks.” She would say, a touch of adoration in her tone.

After a few moments of simply toying lightly with her guests hair, she would then say. “Well, I promised you answers so I suppose it is about time that you asked. No doubt you are rather surprised about your current state.” There was a touch of amusement in her voice but no more than that, as she waited for Lucia to speak, now that she had the chance to.

(409 Words)
(2142 TWC)

If Medeia thought she was going to win Lucia over with a compliment about her hair after running a hand through her hair like the blonde was a doll the former was wrong. The blonde did not react to the gesture at all and looked straight ahead as her hostess spoke and generously opened the floor for her guest to speak. Lucia did not immediately say anything because she had to think over the wording to her questions very carefully. She did not fully trust her hostess to give her a chance to really speak her mind now that the blonde was tied up and at the latter's mercy. It was possible that if she said something Medeia did not like the gag would go back in and stay there for the rest of their time together... however long that was.

Lucia's first impulse had been to inquire about why her clothing was missing, but she did not want to waste her first question on something that was inconsequential compared to what she really wanted to know, which was what Medeia really hoped to gain out of bringing Lucia to her home. She highly doubted that the other mage just wanted a companion for the evening. With the way she was bound and the way Medeia was talking to her and treating her Lucia had a sneaking suspicion that her stay was not going to be as brief as it was made out to be when the "offer" was first proposed to her. That was just unsubstantiated speculation, though.

The Luminous Rose mage thought about her first question a little bit longer before finally asking it. When she spoke she made sure to use a calm tone of voice to try and minimize the chances of her hostess getting offended enough to punish her in some way.

"What do you really want out of this meeting?" Lucia asked Medeia calmly, keeping any and all suspicion out of her voice. The blonde was not buying the Warlord's earlier claim that all she wanted to do was spend time with her. There was likely something else that Medeia wanted and Lucia already had an idea what it was the other mage might desire. Based on the numerous probing questions that had been asked in the park Lucia suspected that now that she was firmly in Medeia's clutches the latter would eventually resume trying to get information on the Winchester siblings. Since she was bound to a chair in an unfamiliar place there was virtually nothing Lucia could do to stop the Warlord should the latter become particularly determined to learn about the blonde's family.

[Post Word Count: 442]
[Lucia's Word Count: 1,232]
[Total Word Count: 2,584]

“I think that you already have an inkling into that. You are a bright woman, after all.” Medeia replied with a chuckle, moving herself back around to the front of her captive and placing herself on the blonde’s lap, her eyes focusing onto the orbs of her captive. She did not ask permission to enter the woman’s personal space yet again, not that she had even once up until that point anyway but now there would be no consideration for that. Lucia was in the Warlord’s world now and the angel had her exactly where she wanted her. “You have been awfully reluctant to open up about your past and I am just dying to know more about you. I am not sure why you are being so defensive about it, as surely it would be better for you to just open up rather than keep it all in, right? You told me that you were in charge up to a point and that your parents were somewhat negligent but is there more to it than that?”

She was not demanding in her tone and the look in her eyes was more curious than anything. The more Lucia tried to hide such things from her, the more intrigued Medeia became. Just why was the blonde so reluctant to talk about her past? Was there some unpleasantness that had taken place? It was unfortunately a recurring theme for most of the people she met and the Warlord had certainly heard her fair share of sad stories, not to mention her own tale, which had been filled with betrayal, revenge and torment. There was no one left of her family as far as she knew, having wiped out the male half and not finding any of the females. Well, that was not quite true as Armina was still around, the only member of her sect that she held no hatred for, the opposite in fact. Medeia was closer to her than anyone.

There was one noticeable action on her part as she sat in the woman’s lap, with her gaze briefly looking down from Lucia’s eyes to glance at her beautiful form. The legal mage was oh so lovely and Medeia knew that the longer she stayed in Lucia’s vicinity, the more difficult it would be for her to keep her hands away. Generally, there was a deal struck whenever she claimed someone for the night, a contract of sorts regarding what would happen and what would not. Yet, the one between the two women tonight had been awfully simple. The lives of the people of Talonia in exchange for Lucia spending the night in her room. There had been nothing said about boundaries.

(452 Words)
(3036 TWC)

Lucia did not scream or make any other sound of distress when Medeia decided that now was a good time to sit in the blonde's lap because her distress could easily be seen on her face. It was red once again and she was doing her best to make eye contact with her hostess without looking at the Warlord's sizable chest yet again. She did not get why the other mage was so interested in her when the blonde had already told her the most significant details about herself up front.

Lucia supposed that Medeia thought the blonde was holding back something much more exciting like being from a family of powerful Holy magic users with a pedigree that went back several centuries or actually being an angel masquerading as a human despite her earlier claim to the contrary. There was nothing even remotely exciting about her background. Lucia was an ordinary human mage who happened to possess Holy magic. That was the extent of it.

There WAS the part about dying after drinking a rare vintage of wine that had been poisoned and being resurrected four years after her death, but that was not something she was going to tell right away because Medeia might think she really was an angel or other holy being.

"I don't get why you're so eager to learn about my past. Despite what you might think there's nothing exciting about it." Lucia commented on her hostess' belief that the blonde was holding back anything really worth telling. In truth her past was actually pretty boring. She was the eldest daughter of nine children and she had to care for her eight siblings plus her parents when they were too drunk to take care of themselves. It was hardly the stuff that made for a spellbinding tale.

Besides, Lucia did not go around telling everyone she met "Hi there! My parents were barely functional alcoholics and two of my siblings were certified sadists who punched, kicked, slapped, and used any means at their disposal to make my younger sisters miserable!"

Despite the hardships the blonde had endured she had long ago made peace with how her first try at life had turned out. Due to that acceptance Lucia did not feel any need to regale others with her life story at the drop of a hat. In her opinion her past was not a burden that she needed to get rid of but a part of who she was like her long blonde hair or her Holy magic.

[Post Word Count: 424]
[Lucia's Word Count: 1,656]
[Total Word Count: 3,460]

“Learning about my guests' pasts is something I always desire.” Medeia answered with a small smile. “I am always fascinated by the tales of those who I bring here, as they are so often windows into their minds and hearts. So many have regaled me with tales of regret and sadness, which while depressing to hear somewhat resonate with me. My past is no different and for many mages, especially those who have become powerful, they have an unhappy one that plagues them. I do not believe that yours is as happy and pleasant as you make it out to be. Are you trying to tell me that your experience running such a household was one of endless joy?”

As she talked, Medeia would toy with the top of Lucia’s underwear, her actions seemingly innocent but in reality were the ones of a woman trying to keep control of herself. She had not yet reached the point of being moved into action but if the blonde was not interested in regaling her with a tale then the Warlord just might have to find another form of entertainment. The legal mage was so beautiful, even more so due to her rather red cheeks and the temptation to lean in and claim her for herself was a rather hard one to shake. Lucia had been forthcoming in admitting that she did not have a significant other and from her words back in Talonia, had not had much experience when it came to close encounters at all. The thought only caused Medeia to want her more and for a moment, her gaze might have shown that.

“If you are unwilling to tell me about your family then maybe you could tell me about an adventure that you have been on? Surely you must have had some encounters in order to become the powerful mage you are now? That would not kill you, would it?” She was aware that it was supposed to be Lucia asking the questions at that point but the rules, as always, could change on a whim. A chuckle escaped her then. “Unless you are frightened that I might hunt down your associates as well. Do not be shy, Lucia, tell me a tale to help pass the time.” It was meant in jest but as usual, there was always that glimmer of a chance that there was truth behind her words.

(402 Words)
(3862 TWC)

Before Lucia could answer any of the questions that had been posed to her she quickly noticed what Medeia was doing to her and blushed furiously... she clenched her bound hands into fists and it took a visible and serious effort for Lucia not to scream, squirm, or thrash about in a panic. She managed to keep control of herself and endured what was happening to her, albeit with a face so red that her hostess might be able to feel the heat radiating off of it. When "requested" to tell her hostess a story from her career Lucia was willing to oblige but did not immediately respond because she could not come up with anything the Warlord might find compelling. When she finally calmed down enough to speak clearly she gave a statement to Medeia.

"Look, you probably think I'm an amazing mage who's just playing modest, but there's nothing amazing about me. Really. It's exactly like I told you earlier... I'm not much for fighting because I'd rather help people than hurt them." Lucia tried to gently get Medeia to let go of the idealized version of Lucia she probably had created. If the blonde had to guess she would guess that Medeia was entranced by her beauty and power and came up with the idea that her guest was an overlooked miracle worker who was worth getting to know. The Luminous Rose mage was trying to let the Warlord down gently so that when the latter finally realized the truth she might be less likely to be disappointed and less likely to punish Lucia as a result.

"I'm not a mage who looks for fame, so most of my stories might not be all that fascinating to you, but I'll give you an idea of some of the work I've done over my career. I've helped out less experienced mages who got in way over their heads by exploring places like Abandoned Cabin and Silent Cemetery. I've retrieved expensive jewelry that some wealthy would-be adventurers left behind in Haunted Castle when they got spooked by something they saw and ran for their lives. I've even rescued someone from robed men who were members of a cult that practiced human sacrifice." Lucia informed her hostess that most of her work was not anything to write heroic tales about. It was work that aided people who were not as proficient in magic as her or people who were not mages at all. What they all had in common was that they needed help and Lucia was the one to provide it.

Not wanting Medeia to keep doing what she was currently doing to her, Lucia gave the matter a bit of thought and realized that she might have a tale that might not bore the Warlord to tears.

"I might have something interesting, something more exciting than the previous jobs I told you about. It's a story about a fight I had with a necromancer in Silent Cemetery several months ago. I'm not sure if that's anything you're interested in, so I'd like you to tell me before I start." Lucia stated without any sarcasm that she was willing to go along with the "request" of a story and offered a preview of sorts. It was completely up to Medeia whether or not the tale would be told, though. If the other mage vetoed that idea the blonde would have to come up with another one in a hurry.

[Post Word Count: 580]
[Lucia's Word Count: 2,236]
[Total Word Count: 4,442]

There was a twinkle in the eyes of the Warlord as she noted the ever increasing redness of the legal mages face. Medeia did nothing more than just tease the fabric but that alone seemed enough to thoroughly fluster the woman before her. She was not overly surprised and actually quite impressed that the blonde woman did not respond in a more drastic way. Not a scream or shout was uttered and the witch mused that she would have to try harder to achieve such a response but that was not her goal at the moment. Medeia just wanted to tease her guest a little. Unable to help herself from commenting, she would deviously utter. “You have great taste when it comes to underwear, my dear.”

“You mentioned before that you are not overly fond of fighting and I am not expecting you to have spent years fighting on the frontlines of war or anything like that but all mages of our level end up having to face difficult situations, even healers. I know that the path of a legal mage is far different to that of a dark one but I am certain that you must have been in a tough spot or two during your career. There must have been a time where you found yourself having to fight, a time where negotiation simply did not work.” It was simply a part of a mages life and while Lucia appeared to be innocent, Medeia simply did not believe that she had managed to grow so strong without being pushed by her enemies at least once.

Eventually, Lucia touched upon an encounter which might just have been similar to what the Warlord had just mentioned and her eyes lit up a touch, her interest captured. Her hand slipped away from the clothing of the woman although the look in her eyes was one that would make it clear that it might only be temporary. The truth was that her attraction to the blonde woman was strengthening and sooner or later, she would have to satisfy herself in one way or another. For now though, she would settle for listening to Lucia’s story.

“A battle with a necromancer? Now that certainly sounds more like it. By all means, Lucia, indulge me. Tell me about how you managed to defeat this darkness mage. I have battled a few of them myself in the past and know how difficult they can be.”

Leaving the floor to Lucia, so to speak, she would fall silent then, tilting her head as she waited. She made no sign of moving though and remained where she was, sitting on the legal mages lap.

(447 Words)
(4889 TWC)

Ignoring the comment about her choice of undergarments for the time being, Lucia focused on telling the story that might buy her some time where her undergarments were not the focus of her hostess' attention. Her face was still burning red from the comment as she started the story.

"One day I got a strong feeling like a premonition, a feeling that told me something odd was happening in Silent Cemetery. I dismissed it as an odd daydream, but when it was the only thing I could think about all day and night I decided there might be something to it. The next night I grabbed my special handgun Shining Light and went to check out the cemetery." Lucia started off. She was aware that that detail about having something similar to a premonition might lead Medeia to believe that she had special powers to detect evil, but that was not the case. It was a crucial part of the story, so it stayed in despite the risk.

"When I got to Silent Cemetery at midnight I entered it and when I reached a branching path I went right because something told me to go that way. The moment I did I ran into twenty-three zombies shambling in a big group, but I took care of them with my Holy magic." Lucia continued her tale. She was going to cut out all the tiny details like the whispering voices telling her that a grave was her home and every last detail of all the fights she got into, but she would tell numbers so that Medeia got an idea of what she had went up against.

"After another fight against a horde of thirty-plus zombies I reached the end of the right path. I searched the place but didn't find what caused me to have the premonition, so I had to retrace my steps to the cemetery entrance, then travel down the left path. At this point the zombies were out in force... the very first group I encountered when I went left was forty-plus strong and after that I met more large groups, including another thirty-strong one near the end." Lucia added, emphasizing the greater resistance on the next leg of the search.

"At the very end of the path I finally found what gave me the feeling. It was someone dressed in a black robe that hid his face in shadow... the robe was styled after a depiction of Death as a robed skeleton like those you'd see in an old book or an old painting. Anyway, he attacked me first and the fight was on." The Luminous Rose mage got to the part that was the most likely to interest the Warlord and gave what little bit of detail she could on her enemy.

"The necromancer knew a lot of spells... he could summon a giant skeletal hand out of the ground to try and grab me, he could summon a green bubble shield that protected him from all sides, he could fire a green skull that homed in on me, and of course he could summon groups of zombies whenever he wanted. He also had a spell that made skeletal arms burst out of the ground to try and grab me... he almost caught me with that trick a couple of times, but both times I managed to bob and weave through the arms without getting caught." Lucia gave a little more detail on the necromancer who had challenged her to a duel.

"Anyway, we fought for quite awhile. He threw every spell he had at me and I had to tap into some of my stronger spells to even get past his shield. Near the end he teleported close to me and tried to grab my shoulder with a glowing green hand, but I turned around and shot him three times in the chest with Shining Light because I didn't have time to cast a spell. He disappeared and used a stronger version of the spell that summoned skeletal arms... there was almost a small forest of them and I was pretty sure he was trying to immobilize me so that he could kill me with that glowing green hand he tried to use on me earlier. When I dodged all of them and faced the necromancer to get ready to attack he simply vanished and his voice warned me that the next time we met he'd kill me." Lucia finished the story. It was not the most thorough retelling of the story because she had had to condense it to try and avoid boring Medeia with irrelevant details and she was not the best storyteller, so it might have sounded less interesting than it really was. Hopefully it was enough to interest the Warlord for a bit and buy her some valuable breathing room.

[Post Word Count: 810]
[Lucia's Word Count: 3,046]
[Total Word Count: 5,699]

Remaining silent as Lucia regaled her with her story, Medeia’s gaze never left the orbs of the blonde, as if she was trying to tell whether the blonde was being genuine by her eyes alone. Her expression did not darken though, proof that she detected no lie and she came to believe that the legal mage was telling the truth. What a story it was too, one of a fight to the death with a creature of pure darkness. From the sounds of it, the blonde had truly found herself in a tough spot and yet had managed to overcome all of his summons and force him to retreat. Lucia must have killed over a hundred creatures, judging by her numbers, which was quite a feat in itself.

“Not every mage could have performed as admirably as you did, you know, many would have been overwhelmed by such a force. If that is not evidence that you are worthy of my affection then nothing is. You truly are gifted, Lucia.” Medeia did not feel as though she was over exaggerating in her praise. Lucia’s opponent had clearly been a tough customer and one that had pushed her quite a bit.

After a moment or two, she would muse further. “I for one certainly hope that he does not carry out his threat as I would be most displeased to hear that one of my favourites had been defeated by such a being. If I ever see him, I will put him out of misery for you, my dear.” While it may have sounded like an idle comment, Medeia was completely serious. Those who threatened her girls were instantly marked for death in the eyes of the witch.

Thinking back over Lucia’s story briefly, the Warlord would then joke lightly about the current situation. “It appears that if he truly wanted to immobilise you then simple rope would have been a more effective way.” She would, however, be quick to add, trying to cut off any further possible embarrassment from occurring for the moment. “It was a joke, Lucia, nothing more.”

Medeia would be lying though if she said that the blonde did not look attractive in the Warlord’s unique bindings. There was something about them that seemed to accentuate the form of the one ensnared although part of that was probably down to the fact that Medeia was fond of getting creative with her knots. Lucia had been spared that for the moment but it was an option, depending on how things went.

“I think you have earned the right to ask another question of me if you wish.” She would continue on, pleased that the blonde had eventually spoken about her prior encounters a bit. “I am sure that there is one that must be rattling around inside your head at least.”

(473 Words)
(6172 TWC)

Lucia thought that Medeia was going to call her out for owning a handgun and use that fact to call into question the blonde's earlier claim that she used violence as a last resort, but her hostess did not. Instead she praised Lucia for fighting her way to the necromancer and defeating him despite being heavily outnumbered. Medeia also tacked on a pair of assertions that surprised the blonde. The first was that successfully forcing such a powerful enemy like the necromancer to break off the fight and withdraw was an act that served as airtight proof that Lucia merited the Warlord's affection. The second assertion was that the Luminous Rose mage possessed considerable talent as a mage.

"I think you're praising me a bit too highly, Medeia." Lucia opined while blushing due to embarrassment about being praised. She did not think that what she did was all that praiseworthy, especially since the necromancer got away before she could finish the fight. Had Lucia defeated him once and for all she might have been accepted the compliments more readily, but as it stood she did not deserve nearly as much acclaim as Medeia was heaping on her.

When Medeia mentioned that she would gladly take on the enemy should they somehow cross paths the blonde remained silent, but her face showed surprise at the Dark mage being willing to do something like that for her. She was also left speechless when she was referred to as a "favorite" of the Warlord's despite them not having known each other for very long. Lucia was not sure what to say to either statement, so she focused on the threat her enemy had made before leaving.

"When he threatened me his words led me to think he wasn't going to give me a quick death. Based on his words I think he wanted to bury me alive and let oxygen deprivation and suffocation do the rest." Lucia stated the exact nature of the necromancer's threat against her life. After a few moments of thinking back to the fight the blonde recalled them.

"In fact his words were "I will drag you beneath the earth and show you the meaning of suffering." Lucia recited the words used in the threat to Medeia. The blonde sat in silence for a few moments after hearing what Medeia said to her. The timing and the content of the attempt at humor were not very good, so Lucia did not say a single word until she was informed that she had been granted the "right" to pose another question to her hostess. Those words made her think carefully about her question before she asked it so that her chance was not wasted.

Once she had a question she thought was worth asking Lucia posed it to Medeia.

"Are you attracted to strong women, Medeia?" Lucia asked the Warlord. From the praise she got just a short time ago she got the impression that the Warlord found her desirable not just because of her looks but also her power. Lucia could be wrong, though. Still, it was worth risking the question she had just earned to ask because she was hoping to gain a bit of insight into the mind of her hostess.

[Post Word Count: 544]
[Lucia's Word Count: 3,590]
[Total Word Count: 6,716]

“I had a feeling you would say something like that.” The Warlord replied as Lucia played down her efforts. “Your humility is one of the reasons why I like you. It is rather appealing and not something that I encounter all that often. If more mages were as humble as you then I certainly would not have found myself in so many fights with them.” Honestly, Medeia wished that more of her meetings had ended peacefully rather than a fight, as combat did ruin the mood to put it mildly. She was awfully thankful that the blonde has been so amenable.

The Warlord barely reacted when the legal mage spoke about the threat that the necromancer had made to her. “If you can force him to retreat once then you can do it again. I have faith that you can avoid such an unpleasant fate but as I said, if he should come upon me first then it will be he who finds himself in the ground swiftly. He will receive no mercy for me should that occur and burying him would be a pleasure.” Her previous comments on the topic had been perfectly genuine. A threat against someone she liked was one against her.

When Lucia eventually found a question to ask, Medeia tilted her head before answering. “I admit that there is a certain appeal to strong mages and since I do not come across them often, that adds to the attraction. Do not mistake me though, not all of my favourites are mages of the highest calibre. Some are still coming to terms with magic while others are part way through their journeys. Looks, magic, personality, one or all of them can attract me and you, my dear, have all three. The fact that you still find yourself wondering why I like you baffles me, Lucia, for I cannot make it any clearer to you. With words, anyway.”

She paused and asked in return. “Is it that difficult to believe that I find you attractive? I do not say these things lightly and I would not have gone to all the trouble of going through all of this if I was not being sincere. You are one of the sweetest mages that I have come across and that in itself is another reason why I brought you here. So powerful and yet so innocent. A rare combination. No doubt you will simply deny it yet again but you are special, regardless of whether you believe it or not right now.”

(423 Words)
(7139 TWC)

Lucia listened as Medeia stated the former's humility was but one of the reasons the Warlord was fond of her. The blonde did not comment on that, especially the part about that virtue being lacking in the other mages the Warlord had encountered. Lucia supposed that the other mages were like her in not enjoying being deprived of their right to choose who they associated with by someone who was a very powerful Dark mage. The blonde could not blame Medeia's other victims for not wanting to be taken away to an uncertain fate at the hands of someone with a menacing title.

Lucia also listened to her hostess declare that she would do to the necromancer what he had vowed to do to Lucia during their next encounter. The blonde suspected that Medeia was trying to present herself as a protector of the "fortunate" young women she deemed her chosen ones, but she knew better than to blindly latch onto the idea of having a Warlord for a benefactor. While Medeia was undeniably powerful her services would likely not come cheap... requesting her help for any reason would most likely be a devil's bargain. Lucia kept her mouth shut and did not say that out loud.

The blonde heard the answer to her question and learned that while Medeia was indeed attracted to strong mages they were not the only ones she was drawn to. Lucia gained a bit of insight into her hostess and how she selected those she "asked" to spend the night with her. She had also learned that her hostess was fond of the Luminous Rose mage because of the latter happening to meet all three of the criteria that marked someone as desirable. Lucia finally did say something in response to the statement about the blonde being puzzled as to why Medeia was interested in her.

"I'm still confused and I'll likely always be confused as to why you're so interested in me, Medeia. My looks aren't all that amazing... anyone who has the right magic or enough money can look beautiful. And I'm not exactly overflowing with charisma either." Lucia admitted that the Warlord's assertion was true. She did not understand the other mage's keen interest in her, but she likely had an idea. Maybe it had to do with her magic.

"If there is anything special about me it's likely my magic. I haven't encountered a lot of other Holy magic users, but that's probably because I don't socialize much." Lucia finally conceded that there might be something special to her after all but pointed out that she likely was far from the only user of Holy magic. That statement was intended to downplay one of her defining characteristics by highlighting how there were likely others who wielded the type of magic she possessed.

"And I do find it strange that you consider me attractive enough to bring to your place, Medeia. The only special thing about me is my magic." Lucia asserted before she heard Medeia describe her personality as "sweet." When that happened the blonde lost her train of thought, her facial expression shifted to one that made it clear she was flustered, and her face reddened yet again. Her eyes looked down for a few moments before she made eye contact again.

"I've never had a-anyone c-call me that before. That's a f-first for m-m-me." Lucia replied through stuttering. The blonde did not consider herself all that endearing. She did her best to treat others with kindness and tried to be an all-around decent person. She had no idea that Medeia considered her personality to be what the latter had described it as, but that might have just been yet more talk meant to butter her up.

[Post Word Count: 628]
[Lucia's Word Count: 4,218]
[Total Word Count: 7,767]

“I am surprised to hear that if I am honest with you. Sweet is a word that not only describes your personality but your aura as well and it baffles me that no one else has picked up on it. To find a mage of your strength who had not been hardened by their experiences is incredibly rare and yet you still give off such an innocent vibe despite your trials. I know that you said that you have not been in an awful lot of combat and that healing is what you desire to do but even helping others with their injuries can be a traumatic affair.” Perhaps it was unfair that she was comparing Lucia to other mages that she had met but in truth, it was meant as a compliment to the blonde’s inner strength. To get to where she was without cracking was quite an achievement.

Referring back to Lucia’s comments about her magic being the reason for her standing out, Medeia would muse for a bit before offering her opinion. “It is quite true that holy magic is rather unusual and there are not many who I have encountered who wield it. Generally, I am not all that fond of your type of magic as it reminds me of my kin, which is not a subject that I enjoy dwelling upon. I am capable of such abilities as well but only when I am using my most powerful form and they are certainly not supportive, at least for no one other than myself. I suppose in that regard we are the opposites of the same coin, whereas you use it to heal, I use it to judge. If you still do not believe that my fondness is genuine then consider this. If I was not fond of you then I may well have attacked you because of your magic. I have killed wielders before, just because of the magic they use.”

There was something else that she wished to remark about too and a frown briefly crossed her features. “You talk about yourself being plain so often and I do not understand why. Just because you are not outgoing does not mean that there is nothing special about you. Honestly, I prefer those who tend to go into their shell a little. I do not have much patience for those who scream and shout, while I have an infinite amount of it for those who are unsure of themselves. You are a gentle and kind soul, Lucia, which is something that makes you quite different from most.”

Medeia paused again, uncertain as to whether she should try and refer to Lucia’s past again or not but there was something that she wanted to know. It was personal but not something that would aid her should she wish to seek the blonde’s family out. “Is the reason why you feel inadequate to do with not being your mother’s favourite? I do not mean to upset you but it sounds like a possibility to me. You spoke about your mother having a particular fondness for your older siblings. I can understand that, it was the same for me compared to my brother.”

(535 Words)
(8302 TWC)

Lucia did not comment at all in response to the explanation for being called "sweet." It sounded like still more flattery intended to win her over and make her forget about being brought here against her will and sitting tied to a chair while wearing her underwear. If that was the case it was not working... while the blonde was not being vocal about her predicament she was not being won over by Medeia's sweet words and affable personality.

"I can agree with your claim about how we use our magic, Medeia.." Lucia replied calmly. That was one statement of the Warlord's the blonde had no trouble agreeing with. The differences went far beyond Lucia having blonde hair and Medeia having dark hair as if that alone symbolized where each mage stood on the spectrum of good and evil. The differences extended to more significant matters like their mindsets, which were clearly worlds apart.

Medeia's admission that she had used violence against other mages due to their magic further undermined her earlier claim to be against violence for its own sake. It also reinforced Lucia's belief that Medeia was not as benevolent as she liked to act and talk. She had gotten a glimpse of the "real" Warlord earlier, but this conversation was only reinforcing what the blonde had learned and she was not liking it.

"Our stances on the value of life differ as well, Medeia." Lucia gently commented. The blonde knew from personal experience how easy it was to die. One moment she was drinking wine of a rare vintage with her family and the next she was lying on her back on the floor struggling to breathe. She could do nothing but feel her life slowly slip away from her as her breathing slowly but surely ground to a halt and after what seemed like forever she finally joined her family in death. Poison had taken her life without regard for her age, her beauty, her nation of origin, or her good or bad deeds.

Lucia was not overly concerned if Medeia did not take kindly to that remark. The other mage needed a reminder that taking life was not something to be done lightly. The Luminous Rose mage was fortunate that she had never had to kill another person... the most violent action she had taken was to punch someone out in Motor City after they threatened the late Dr. Howard Abel and they transferred their aggression to the blonde when she intervened. They likely had a nasty headache when they regained consciousness, but they had survived. Lucia had felt no inclination to kill her enemy and was content with stopping them before they could hurt her or the elderly man she had intervened on behalf of.

"Being kind and gentle might get me in trouble one day, but that's OK. Like I said, I'd much rather heal people than fight them... unless a fight just can't be avoided." Lucia remarked on the appraisal of the personality traits the Warlord had brought up and reiterated her stance on violence. Medeia could get upset if she wanted, but Lucia was telling the truth. The blonde preferred helping people to fighting them, but if she had to raise her hand to someone who threatened the innocent she would do it. She only hoped that in the course of defending others she would never have to take a life.

When the subject of her family was brought up the blonde had to take a few moments to think about whether she wanted to respond or not. Responding would likely give Medeia a "foot in the door" to ask more questions about her family. Not responding would likely give Medeia a reason to increase the pressure on the blonde, possibly even punish her somehow. Lucia needed to think carefully before she responded.

"I was never concerned about being a favorite or being at the top of the family hierarchy. I also don't think of myself as inadequate. I just think of myself as an ordinary person who happens to have unusual magic. I also had to shoulder burdens that I wasn't really ready for, but if I didn't shoulder them no one else would." Lucia commented on the question of her family. The blonde knew that Medeia might consider that response to be dodging the question, but Lucia was telling the latter how she really felt. The blonde did not see herself as inadequate and she did not see herself as extraordinary either. While she might be viewed as extraordinary by other people, Lucia did not intentionally work to build up that image nor did she let it go to her head.

[Post Word Count: 782]
[Lucia's Word Count: 5,000]
[Total Word Count: 9,084]

As Lucia spoke, Medeia would stand up and walk over to her bedside cabinet, spending a moment searching for something. It might have seemed ominous for a second but nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, it was simply a hairbrush and as she returned back to her guest and walked around so that the Warlord was behind Lucia’s chair, it would be pretty obvious as to what she was about to do. The brush would then start to run through the hair of the blonde haired woman, gently moving through her beautiful blonde locks. Medeia did not ask permission to do so but when had she during the encounter?

“Indeed but in my shoes, I doubt you would have been able to talk your way out of so many of your battles. The path of a dark mage is rather more violent than that of a legal and sometimes combat is unavoidable. I can heal just as effectively as you can but how often do I find myself needing or wanting to do so? Not all that often. Friends are naturally in a rather short supply.” It was difficult to know if she regretted that fact or not and the truth was that there was a part of her that did. Loneliness was something that most dark mages experienced and for a being as old as Medeia, it affected her more than most. Armina was a great comfort to her but there were times where she just had to mingle with others, which was one of the reasons why she acquired guests as she did.

“I do not deny that we have a different view of the value of life with one another but if you believe that I fly around this world, killing people by the thousand then you are wrong. It is not my first resort nor one I generally enjoy. If you must know, I would rather turn others to my cause than kill them outright although that is not always an easy task.” Her brushing did not stop as she talked, gently working on Lucia’s hair.

“There is nothing wrong with preferring a gentler approach to handling a situation and I praise you for having reached your level of strength without having to compromise on that too much. As I said, I find your gentle nature to be incredibly refreshing compared to many that I meet, both legal and dark. I am not sure if you realise but kindness and gentleness are generally signs of the angelic or at least that is what humans tend to say. You are a perfect example of what they believe.” She then said with a shrug. “I do not share the same viewpoint of angels myself but my encounters with them have been rather different than most.”

As Lucia spoke about her family a little, Medeia would chuckle. “You continue to be humble, no matter what, which is a sign of your determination. Believe what you wish, Lucia but there are many who would crack under the pressure that you have experienced.” She was not all that upset that Lucia had dodged the question, somewhat expecting it. No, keeping her own cool was important too.

(539 Words)
(9623 TWC)

OOC Note:

Lucia watched the best she could as Medeia walked away. She did not like for the other mage to go out of her sight, but her head could only follow the Dark mage so far before she turned to face forward again. When Medeia returned she knew it because suddenly something was being done to her hair. When the action had been repeated a few times it turned out to be brushing her hair, something which comforted the Luminous Rose mage but did not seriously disrupt her speech. However, her face turned a light shade of red despite her best efforts to not be flustered.

Lucia listened to Medeia describe the difficulties of the life of a Dark mage and found herself not feeling particularly sympathetic towards the Warlord. The blonde did not have a black-and-white view of morality, but it was easy to see how someone like the Warlord could make enemies. If she went around threatening towns full of innocent people in order to get young women she wanted to be her "guest" to go with her "willingly" then the dark-haired young woman should not be shocked to find out that not too many people liked her. Lucia wondered if the statement was meant to convince the blonde to be her friend, but the wording was vague, so if that was the intent she did not pick up on it.

Next came a remark about the use of violence paired with a rebuttal to the blonde in case the latter thought that Medeia habitually killed people and killed them en masse. Lucia remained silent because in her opinion that statement did not have much truth to it. Medeia had already admitted to killing mages who used magic she did not like and had threatened Talonia and its people to get Lucia to go with her, so Lucia did not readily believe the claim of her hostess. The blonde had the sense to keep that to herself, though.

Medeia followed that with praise for the blonde and an assertion that the two personality traits the Warlord was praising were often attributed to angels. Lucia did not buy a word of it. In her opinion Medeia was trying to inflate the blonde's value beyond what it really was to make herself feel like she had made a "good" catch by bringing an ordinary mage like Lucia to her home.

"That's a flattering thing for you to say, but I don't see myself as comparable to angels. They're divine beings and I'm just a mortal." Lucia acknowledged what her hostess said before rebutting it. The blonde never believed that she was anything special. As she had asserted several times before the most special thing about her was her magic.

Lucia also listened to the Warlord state that she did not share the common perception of angels but had the awareness to add that her mileage varied. The blonde wondered why Medeia had it out for angels but recalled the Warlord's lofty goal and figured that the latter was trying to get rid of the competition. Maybe there was also a personal reason, but Lucia did not know for sure and was not inclined to ask.

"It got difficult at times, sometimes much more difficult than it had to be, but I wasn't going to quit just because things got rough. If I didn't carry the responsibilities no one else would. And once I held some of my younger siblings in my arms when they were infants and felt the weight of their lives I couldn't walk away from my obligations to them no matter how rough it got." Lucia divulged why she had continued caring for her siblings when the going got rough with the most emotion she had shown since shrieking when she woke up to find herself sitting in her undergarments. It likely sounded cliche and overly saccharine, but the blonde did not care what Medeia thought of her admission. Holding some of her younger siblings in her arms and knowing that they counted on her for the love and care their parents were often too drunk to provide was another thing that had taught Lucia the value of life and made her hesitant to take it.

[Post Word Count: 708]
[Lucia's Word Count: 5,708]
[Total Word Count: 10,381]

“I most certainly prefer your company to theirs.” The Warlord replied with a chuckle, still working on her captives hair, her deft touch gently brushing it as though she was master in the field. “You think I am pompous? Try listening to a group of them talking about angelic politics for an hour or so. It would drive you mad.” After a moment, she would add. “I sometimes wish that the mortal view of what angels are like was actually reality rather than simply a dream. The people of Bellum certainly appear to believe strongly in their God.” Her tone was even, despite her distaste for Arcanos and what it stood for.

As she listened to Lucia speak about her background, Medeia would answer. “Are you sure you are not a holy being yourself? You certainly sound like one when talking about protecting your kin. It sounds as though you were the glue that held your family together and that is a difficult task for anyone, let alone someone as young as you. I do not have the slightest doubt that what you say is true and I hope that some of your brothers and sisters appreciated you for it at least.” From what she was hearing, there was most definitely something else there. Lucia was talking as though without her, her relatives might not have even made it past childhood. Just what kind of monsters did she have for parents? Were they even worse than the witch’s had been? She could not help but wonder.

Deciding to change the subject a bit in order to keep things flowing, Medeia asked after a moment or two. “So, how did you become a member of Luminous Rose? I know that the guild has been around for a while now but is still relatively new compared to others. I must admit that you fit them like a glove, Lucia, as you do remind me of my other friends in that particular guild. They all have a sweetness to them, regardless of their power although you just might be the sweetest of all.” She was curious although her interest was nothing more than just that. There was no other motive as such.

As she waited for an answer, the dark mage would continue with her brushing, moving around from time to time in order to reach where she wanted to. The look in her eyes though would be rather whimsical for the moment, lacking any malicious intent.

(414 Words)
(10795 TWC)

The Luminous Rose mage listened to Medeia talk about divine politics and express the wish that the behavior of angels matched up with what people saw them as. Lucia was not sure how much of it was Medeia's honest opinion and how much of it was just her hostess trying to figure out where the blonde stood on certain issues. The blonde let the talk about Bellum pass without comment because she was trying to conceal her nationality for as long as she could. She was not sure what Medeia would do to her if and when she found out the blonde was from Bellum.

Lucia did not understand Medeia's obsession with her family, but she did not like it at all. She was doing her best to protect them by being as vague as she could get away with, but she suspected that time was not on her side. Sooner or later Medeia might get tired of the vagueness and start demanding more detail... Lucia was not sure how far her hostess would go to get the information she wanted, but she was fairly certain that she did not want to find out.

"I wasn't the only reason the family stayed afloat, but I was a big part of it. I got help from another sibling or two when they were old enough to be able to help, but it was still rough going. It's hard to run a household when the parents are busy doing other things." Lucia commented and stopped short of mentioning that her mother and father were alcoholics. That might come up soon enough, so she dropped the hint that her parents were preoccupied with other pursuits and left it at that for the time being. She focused on the question about how she came to become part of Luminous Rose and decided that she could answer that without any issues. There was no sensitive information that she needed to protect.

"Some time ago I was a Guildless mage living in Talonia. I did jobs here and there to earn enough money to afford rent on the hotel room I lived in. One day I wanted to improve my living conditions, so I started looking around for another hotel or an apartment complex to live in. I had gathered some brochures from a few different places and had looked through them but had a hard time making a decision, so I set them aside for awhile with the intention of coming back to them when I could make an informed decision." Lucia started off by explaining the circumstances which started her on the path to joining Luminous Rose. She was not going to bore Medeia with every last little detail, so she had told her hostess only the most important parts.

"One day I heard about a new guild called Luminous Rose that was looking for members. I decided to check it out and found it to my liking, so I joined up. I know it's not the most exciting story, but it's what really happened." Lucia summed up how she had come to be part of the guild she was in. It was not an intriguing story with hints of destiny such as seeing a rose in a dream and getting a premonition that her future was with Luminous Rose, but Lucia did not care about weaving an exciting story for something so mundane. Medeia was free to believe what she wanted.

[Post Word Count: 578]
[Lucia's Word Count: 6,286]
[Total Word Count: 11,373]

There was a slight narrowing of Medeia’s eyes as she listened to Lucia talk about her family a little more. She was attempting to read between the lines somewhat although that was rather difficult given how vague the blonde was being but the Warlord was fairly sure that there was something nefarious about her guests parents. They seemed to either have been incompetent or malicious and the dark haired mage was intrigued to find out which. Her patience was generally good but there was only so much that she possessed and a part of her wondered if she should try another way of accessing the information she wanted. Medeia had other methods at her disposal, ones that could emotionally break even the stoutest of souls and while she did not truly wish to destroy the innocent and sweet aura that Lucia possessed, there was a temptation forming.

She listened with interest as Lucia spoke about how she had come to join her guild but there honestly was not an awful lot for her to take from it. A simple story and one that any legal mage could probably have gone through. It did not interest Medeia much and so she would try and find another topic that could perhaps do a better job. She wanted to focus the conversation back onto the blonde’s family, knowing that was probably where the juicy information was.

Perhaps if she were a little more hospitable as a hostess then she would have more success?

It was a method worth exploring and had for a short time at least worked on her previous blonde haired guest so maybe there was a chance. So, with that in mind, she would gently place the brush aside and stand behind the chair, her hands caressing Lucia’s bound hands. “It must be getting a little uncomfortable sitting like that and I trust you enough to believe that you would not try anything foolish so I will untie you from the chair. I am right in believing that, yes?”

Leaving Lucia to think about the question, Medeia would then walk to the door and open it, calling out into the hall. “Armi..”

Before she had even finished, a tall, busty maid appeared in front of the witch, curtseying gently. “You called me, Mistress?”

“A pot of tea please, my dear, along with one of coffee.”Medeia replied gently.

“Right away!” The maid answered enthusiastically, before noticing the colour of the woman’s hair, which was dangling over the back of the chair. “Mistress! Is that the Silver Wolf bitch who attacked us?”

“...No.” Medeia responded, her tone completely deadpan. “Now, please fetch what I have asked for.”

With that, Armina would curtsey again before dashing off down the corridor.

Medeia would audibly sigh and with a shake of her head, return to her captive, awaiting her answer.

(475 Words)
(11848 TWC)

After telling the story of how she came to be a member of Luminous Rose Lucia could only wait to see how Medeia reacted to it. Her hostess could choose to believe it or she could choose not to. As it turned out the other mage went with the first option, which was good because there was nothing she could do to make the story more interesting and no secrets for her to give up. Not everything in the blonde's life was a riveting tale of her beating the odds to score a victory against a powerful opponent.

Lucia listened as Medeia made an offer to her, an offer that would see her untied provided that she not try anything unwise. The blonde blinked. She did not get what kind of person Medeia took her for, but she supposed that the Warlord who deceived others was wary of being deceived herself. Once again that opinion was something that she kept to herself.

The Luminous Rose mage was about to answer when Medeia walked away and out of the blonde's sight. The blonde did not like those moments, but she had no choice but to hope for the best. The Warlord verbally summoned someone and that someone arrived before their name was even finished... judging from the sound of their voice the person was another woman. That set Lucia on edge because she thought she and Medeia were the only two people in wherever they were, but that was obviously not the case. The blonde quickly recovered from the unexpected surprise and wondered if calling for the other person had been a warning of sorts to give Medeia what she wanted without further delay or deal with someone who might not be as patient and restrained as her hostess.

Lucia heard the request for coffee to be made along with her hostess' tea and was not sure what to make of that. She was not sure why coffee was being made because she was not sure if she wanted to drink it. It might have a special ingredient like poison and the blonde did not want to die by poison a second time, but there was a slim chance that the coffee might be perfectly safe and Medeia was not going to try to kill her using her favorite drink.

Once she heard the Warlord make her return Lucia had an answer ready.

"I'm not going to try anything, Medeia. I told you before that I wasn't going to fight you and I'm not going to fight you now." Lucia calmly replied. Medeia could take that statement however she wanted, but the blonde was telling the truth. She had submitted to Medeia without a fight to buy Talonia's safety and she was not going to go back on her word now.

[Post Word Count: 470]
[Lucia's Word Count: 6,756]
[Total Word Count: 12,318]

The answer to her question sounded honest enough and Medeia saw no reason to think it was a lie. Where could Lucia even go at this point even if she did try and escape? That would of course come after having defeated the Warlord herself and while Medeia knew that the blonde was somewhat strong, she suspected that the advantage was hers, as it was with almost everyone she met. No, the Luminous Rose mage was sensible enough to know when she was beaten and that more than anything was why the witch was willing to untie her. As long as the blonde remained so then Medeia was willing to be too.

So, she undid the bindings around the woman’s wrists, leaving Lucia to do as she wished with her newly found freedom. Medeia would comment at that point. “Forgive my maid, my dear, Armina is always eager to meet any guests that I bring here and she has taken a rather nasty attitude when it comes to blondes. She was beaten rather badly during our last encounter with a mage, you see and she was forced to go through a rather painful process to become whole again. Neither she nor I can truly die but we pay a price for it. Even now, she is not quite herself and I am unable to take her with me on every outing. Her mind is still not all there.” Whether it was ever there was probably the question that needed to be asked.

“Feel free to walk around a bit if you wish.” Medeia added after a moment or two. “These quarters of mine might be a little more lavish than you are used to but by all means make yourself at home while you are here.” She was more willing to play nice at this point, figuring that playing the role of the joker or a villain would probably get her nowhere at this point. The Warlord had learned a fair bit from her encounter with Leona and was slightly more self aware than before. There was no need to act like a tyrant, not unless she was pushed anyway.

Her eyes would never hover away from the blonde’s form for too long though, fighting back the temptation to scoop her up into her arms. Lucia was beautiful, despite what the blonde woman herself said and the innocent aura that she expressed was alluring beyond belief. How she managed to have kept it after what had been a seemingly tough childhood was quite inspiring in truth.

(426 Words)
(12744 TWC)