Interlude(Garden of Eve - 2)

Petals scattered about the floor, pink, blue, white. All the colors of the rainbow, all made with the brush of a feather, with the blood of the summoner.

Her blue hair matted to her forehead, sweat running down her face as she turned and faced Eve, her face expressing her deepest thanks.

Yet Eve, in all of her sympathy, could not bring herself to smile, even with the death of the would-be abuser. As even she was not that naive to think that this would be the end of it.

Even if they had died, there were still suspects, people that knew his last location and would come looking. It wasn't some harmless slaughter like she had inflicted upon the underlings sent by Lilith.

No this was a random person, associated with who knows what. Eve grit her teeth, a sigh echoing through the room and eliciting a yelp from Charlotte.

She thought she had done something wrong. But she had not.

"Don't worry about that." Eve said to no one in particular, addressing the room, even if it was obvious she was talking to Charlotte.

There was a pause in the noise, even the ticking of the clock seemed to fade to silence as Charlotte slowly sat up, placing her fingers upon the petals she had created, across the feather she had used.

But Eve didn't care much for that, merely turning her gaze to look directly into her own. Inflicting upon Charlotte the importance of her next statement.

"I will be going out, do not follow, do not leave this room, and do not answer the door. No matter who it is."

Charlotte nodded, gulping and burrowing herself into the covers, her eyelids heavy. 

And it was no surprise that soon after Charlotte started to snore softly, already asleep. As while Eve didn't know what had happened before, only what had happened when she had intervened, it was still quite obvious that she was exhausted.

The door clicked open, before once again locking. But that was not enough. Eve had taken a liking to the girl, not only her ability but her personality, that meek enthusiasm of hers was quite cute.

So she thought she might keep her for a bit.

A smile lit Eve's face, tiny as it was, for the duration of her journey.

Down the stairs, through the doors and further through the city. And as night passed through the town.

The days businesses closing and those who came to experience the moon coming out. It was quite easy to find the biggest gathering.

Of those that could not fit in, of those that still had habits left over from their time on Earth. 

She blended in, taking a drink from those that offered, purifying it with a touch of her hand, making sure that no poison ever touched her system.

Eve was led further into the night life, further into the biggest crowds, and into a mansion. Brought together with magic and a bit of puppetry.

…

…

…

Eve found herself seated on a chair, her hands daintily held together and her head placed against them.

She watched as sweaty bodies rubbed against each other, flushed and drunk. Always against one another, and when they parted.

Well they found another partner. It was an experience that came from some dark fairy tail, the calm before the storm.

Their strings were being pulled, even if they did not know it. Eve recognized her craft.

Yet it begged the question, how? It had been, what, two weeks now since the start of this game. No could it even be called a game now. 

But either way, whether it was a game, or a true life. Less than two weeks had passed, and LIlith had already found her way into high society.

Into enough money to start manipulating the player base. It was interesting, it was a curiosity, but most of all it was infuriating.

Eve stood from her chair, her own face flushed by her own design. Many a hand tried to take hers, trying to dance with the beautiful angel, only to be disregarded with a polite refutation.

Then there was another, a sharp eyed individual, his gaze, lustful as it was, lingered among those unaffected.

A glint in his gaze, beyond the perversion, it was sharp. Too sharp.

But that was all it was, sharp. It may have had some suspicion, some caution. But as all the others were, he was puppeted.

His true intellect could not be shown with such strings placed upon him.

And as if to confirm her conjecture the man's eyes went blank before an infuriating smirk lit his face. His eyes glowing with purple light.

He waved before once again going back to his previous behavior. There was a moment when Eve sighed. 

Between then and when she left, Eve found herself staring at the ceiling. At the opulent chandeliers and the flames they held.

Her footsteps hurried, cold air hitting her front as if to welcome her to the night. To the beginning of their true fight.

And so, disregarding the cold, as even then it didn't bother her. Not with her trait. Nature loved her, she was beloved, oh so beloved.

One foot after the other, until Eve reached her destination, a place not many knew and that she could say for certain that Lilith did not know.

It was a secret of hers and hers only.

With a creak the door opened, giving light to the flames within. Glowing orbs of power floated by, inspecting her and finding Eve to be up to par.

It was only for the love of nature that she was let below the ground. And through various passageways. All until she made herself comfortable upon a couch. 

Her eyes closed and Even meditated for a moment. Then after her moment had passed opened her eyes to an orb. It was different from the ones above ground.

It had lost its shine and was given a dull luster. But that would not fool her, as he grasped it in her hand and infused every drop of mana she could muster.

A grunt echoed from her lip as it lit up with power, only to grow dull once again.

But her purpose had been fulfilled, and she had finally registered. Into the start of her plan, to both conquer this floor and to take Lilith down, once and for all.

…

…

…

Once again Charlotte found herself bunched against the blankets, yet this time she was not alone. She peaked to the side and burrowed herself deeper for it.

Eve, the one to save her from that horrible situation had opened the covers, waking her, and then unceremoniously plopped down next to her. 

She even still had her clothes on, Eve hadn't even bothered to change into a nightgown, or anything similar.

And it was the first time that Charlotte had ever slept with another person, not a man, nor a woman.

So she was nervous, nervous enough that she barely caught any shut eye. Patiently waiting for the morning sun to come up and for an excuse to leave.

But eventually the sun had come up, and with it Eve stirred, her arms clinging to Charlotte with a vice grip.

"Oh… sorry." Eve apologized, her voice tired and haggard. But it was to be expected after all, she had just woken up.

"I hope… that I didn't bother you too much?"

Charlotte stood up, slowly so as to not disturb the warmth the blankets gave too much. Then she broke the seal and got up.

The cold air burst against Charlotte, her hands reaching up and shivering against her arms.

"You didn't bother me, in fact it was… um… quite nice to have someone care for me so much."

Charlotte looked away, blushing up a storm.

'Did I really just admit that!' Her thoughts were in a panic. Trying to come up with any excuse to leave the room.

And eventually she found one, all in a towel as she hurried to the bathroom and turned the hot water on, letting the steam wash over her and warm her cold body.

Meanwhile Eve just chuckled and dressed once again, though this time in clean clothes. There was no need for her to wash today. Not when the both of them were going to be getting dirty.

After all, hunting was a rather… hm… let's say dirty experience.

Eve knocked against the door to the shower, letting the steam waft and hit her. Then after a moment a frazzled Charlotte opened the door, clutching the towel to her naked body.

"Here, I'll lend you some clothes, we can go find some more later today, or you can go and get your own from your room, whatever suits you."

After that Charlotte dressed herself, dried her hair and they were both ready.

"Where are we going?" She asked, her voice nervous. As usually by this time Charlotte was not out of the city, never, she was in buildings, practicing her arts, or selling them for a living.

But as she looked to the feather, how drenched it was in ink, and the paper she held. It was quite obvious that she wanted to keep them.

No matter how much she knew they would go for.