Darkness. [Lior.]

Alecis shivered as she walked down Theodore Lane. It was well past dark, and she knew better than to walk here without anyone else. Rheis trotted alongside her, listening for anything that might warn them of something wrong. The stars weren't visible this night, and clouds covered the moon.

A small noise was heard to the right of them, in the forest that surrounded this section of Theodore Lane. In a flash, Leci's dæmon was on her shoulder. The pair stopped dead and stared into the trees.

Something was staring back.

The gold eyes were surrounded by darkness, they remained unblinking and still. The eyes were bright and oval shaped. They would have been beautiful if Alecis hadn't been so scared.

'Lec, relax, we've got them. You have enough power left to take whoever that is down,' Rheis whispered mentally to his clio, 'We're gonna be okay.'

His voice soothed Alecis, if it was only one thing, clio or beast, she would okay. She should be at least, but if it was anymore, Alecis wasn't so sure.

They had been out in the Dialga Mountains practicing, and Leci hadn't noticed it getting dark. She didn't even have enough power to fly home, which was why they had to take this dangerous route home.

She nodded to her dæmon who then jumped off her shoulder, they were anticipating an attack, it's what Theodore Lane was known for. And surely enough, as the fox landed, four thieves and their dæmon's lunged at them.

The others had been hidden in the darkness behind the thick branches of the trees.

"Crap."

"I'll take another one, down here please." Lior flagged the bartender to him with another rum and coke. He sighed gratefully as the bartender slid it to him. Lior sipped it carefully, because this was his third, and he knew it didn't take much more of the sweet stuff to get him slurring his words and acting real loose.

Myrrh was sitting on his legs on the ground, his head on his slender knees, being extra careful because he was feeling the effects of the drinks a lot sooner than his clio counterpart was. Naturally, the daemon groaned. It made Lior glance around, and it was just in time to see the thieves attacking outside through the foggy glass.

At first the clio thought it was a funny thing for the alcohol to do to him, but after shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, he recognized actual danger. Quickly, his adrenaline hit his system and he lept up and yelled his intention of payment behind him.

Lior dashed out the door and towards Alecis. He broke out some moves, punching one of the thieves in the stomach and making him double back in surprise, enabling Lior to hit him good in the head, taking him out.

It was obvious Leci could hold her own but four to one wasn't really all that fair. So Lior kicked another to the ground.

"You okay?" He shouted to her, slamming his booted foot into the theif's side. "Not bleeding, are you?"

As the men jumped out from the trees, Alecis tried to stay calm. She wasn't that far from town, hopefully someone would hear her if she screamed.

Rheis bared his teeth at the other dæmons, ready to strike if need be.

Soon, Leci was surrounded, there was a clio on each side of her, their dæmon's all looked just as ready to tango as Rheis did.

Just as Alecis was sucking in air to scream, another clio came running down the lane. Suddenly the clio standing around her were hitting the ground. She didn't even have time to think before she was the only clio still standing. Besides the mystery guy, that is. Remembering him, Alecis turned to look at her rescuer. She was a little ashamed, being an Overloridian and all and having to be saved by some random clio from town.

But as she saw Lior, her worries went away. She smiled, he had saved her. Aww.

"... Thanks!" Alecis breathed, she hadn't realized how scared she had really been, but when her voice came out, it was all weak and trembling.

"Damn," Lior wiped his brow as he looked around, rubbing his hand on his jeans, "it's a real good thing I didn't put on my shining armor this morning." He smiled and looked at Leci. Then it hit him she had spoken by the anticipating look on her face. "Don't mention it," he grinned, assuming she had thanked him.

Myrrh slowly stumbled up to them, looking completely beat. He knew what had happened, but was really slowed down by the amount of alcohol Lior had forced him to handle.

Lior went to her. "You're not hurt are you?"

Alecis smiled, "No, not at all. Thank you so much! I would be toast without you."

Rheis, however, rolled his eyes.

Partly because she wanted to, and partly because she wanted to make her dæmon mad, Alecis hugged Lior.

"Omigosh. You have no idea how scared I was," Alecis muttered as she released the other Overloridian.

Slightly taken off guard by Alecis' actions, but too intoxicated to react in a timely manner, allowed himself to be hugged, stiffly. He knew he'd done wrong by being stiff, but he couldn't have been helped. So before she let go, he tried to rectify the situation by awkwardly kissing the side of her head in her hair.

Then, of course, he was slightly embarrassed, so he tried to hide it by continuing with the conversation. He rubbed his neck. "Yeah, it really was no big deal. No need to be embarrassed or anything."

Myrrh laughed, slowly and silently in Lior's ear. Lior ignored him as best as possible, but it only made him blush more.

Rheis snarled inwardly as Lior's lips met Leci's hair.

Just as the hug had taken Lior by surprise, the kiss surpised Leci. Sure, it had only been on the side of her face, but still. She blushed, and was pleased to notice that Lior was also blushing.

Alecis pushed the hair out of her eyes as she thanked Lior again and then smiled. "Jeez, did you just pop out of thin air? How did you see the fight?"

'Well,' Rheis muttered telepathically, 'at least you're making a fool out of yourself. Come oon Leci, he's an Overloridian! You know what that means, right? Different Eilemaiden!'

Alecis pushed her dæmon out of her mind and continued smiling. Lior made her happy. Different Eilemaiden or not.

"Well," Lior said, slightly reluctant to tell her he was washing away the world with rum and coke, for no apparent reason. "I was drinking...at that bar...And I saw you in trouble and I rushed to help!" He said, Myrrh shook his head because even though Lior hadn't wanted to tell her, it would have been hard not to have already known.

"But I'm allowed to do that because in the dark I can handle myself." Moments after he had said that, he realized how awkward it was to have put that English together. "I mean...with other people around."

'Aaaaaand, you made it worse.' Myrrh howled, thrilled.

"I mean...well...you know what I mean..." Lior blushed, kicking the gravel and looking at his shoes.

Alecis giggled. He was so cute.

"Well, it's just really lucky you were out tonight." She smiled, "I mean, I'm so beat I probably couldn't have even fought off one of these guys," she looked at the ground where the four thieves were still sprawled. "Next time I think I better watch the time when I'm out training."

Lior grinned. He took a step towards her. "Don't mention it," He said, ignoring Myrrh's cat calls in his ear.

"Well," he smiled, "now that that's over, and that it's still dark outside, would you be interested in someone walking with you? As you have already experienced, it's quite the danger to be walking alone down Theodore Lane."

Alecis smiled at him.

"Yeah, that would be nice, thanks," she blushed, "I don't live very far away- just down past Dahlin." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked up at the dark sky, "Though I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get all the way home..."

She shook her head in self disgust. How could she have drained herself so much that she couldn't even fly? D:

"No problem." He nodded, "I actually can't walk you home just yet. I have a financial obligation to take care of...I rushed out here so fast, that I couldn't pay my tab." He pointed down at the little bar with a reddish gold light coming from its windows. "So if you don't mind stopping by there really quick." He began to angle himself in that direction.

"And it's okay that you don't know how to get all the way home, we'll figure something out." He laced his arm in hers. "Stay close. We don't want another incident like that again." He stepped lightly over one of the thieves, offering his hand to her for help. Myrrh inwardly crooned at the gentleman his clio was so quickly becoming.

Again, Alecis blushed. "Of course I don't mind. It's not like I have anywhere to be anyways. The kids are staying the night at their friends house. That's one of the reasons I was out so late. I don't get much time to myself." She took his arm and walked beside him, smiling.

Rheis walked behind them, being a pain in the butt and jabbing Alecis' mind every few minutes to let her know how upset he was. But Alecis paid him no mind. She was happy here, next to Lior. She felt safe.

"Yes, I was about to ask you what you were doing out." He nodded, opening the door for her. He pulled her closer as some other clio seemed to eye her. Of course it might have been the fact that some of them probably knew Lior was the Solas Overloridian and that the girl at his side was the Cuir Overloridian and this was an uncommon sight.

Lior approached the counter, saying, "Yeah I've got nothing but free time, or as though it seems. I don't have to look after Aven anymore. I don't even live with him anymore." He turned his attentions away from her momentarily to greet the bartender again and to pay his tab before Myrrh cut in with croonings in his ears again. He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Would you like something before I pay this? They sell nonalcoholic things, if you're interested."

"I'm good, thanks," Alecis smiled. "And to answer your first question, I was actually out in the mountains all day. Training you know, like I said, with two younger siblings it's hard to get time to yourself so I went alone. Unfortunately, I got so caught up in it I hadn't realized how dark it had gotten. Then I couldn't fly home because I was so tired, which is why I had to walk down Theodore Lane." She laughed.

"I feel like such an idiot, I know better," she shook her head.

He nodded and put his money on the counter. "Okay." He listened to her talk, and felt a weird feeling that everyone trained more than he did. Everyone was always talking about training, but he seldom trained at all.

Nodding again, he smiled at her, spinning his barstool. "You don't have to apologize to me, I'm good with it." He offered the stool next to him. "Want to talk for awhile?"

Myrrh made annoying kissing noises in his ear, causing him rephrase himself. "I'm not trying to get you to stay out later if you don't want to."

"Oh, no. I'm up for anything. We could stay out as late as you want!" Alecis smiled. "Really, I have absolutely nothing to do at home."

She took the seat he had offered and leaned against the bar, still smiling.

"Okay," He smiled, flagging the bartender for some water for himself. He could feel himself getting somewhat of a headache, and he had to use the bathroom as well. "So, I know I should probably know this, but how long have you been an Overloridan?"

Myrrh rolled his eyes and laid down on his thin legs again, his head giving him major pains. 'Maybe she doesn't mind,' Myrrh groaned in Lior's ear, 'but you've had enough to drink and it's time for bed.'

"I actually became an Overloridian when I was 15, " she answered, "I settled earlier than most people, so I've been one for about 3 years now."

Her mind floated back to that time, the day she had settled... It wasn't a pleasant memory.

"How about yourself? When did you settle?" she wanted to know more about him, he was interesting.

"Aw," he laughed, taking a sip of his water. "They cradle robbed you." He leaned his elbows on the counter and rested his head on his fist, still smiling. "I think I was about seventeen. About my kid brother's age. I helped teach him what he knows because I was older."

Myrrh snorted from the ground, 'Not necessarily smarter.'
Lior ignored him, "You sure you don't want any water or anything?"

Alecis listened to him and when he mentioned his younger brother, Aven, she smiled. Aven was around the same age she was, and he was very funny.

"I'm fine, really. I actually drank some water up at the stream earlier." Alecis yawned slightly when she finished her statement. Maybe she was more tired than she thought.

"I take it you know my brother personally," Lior took notice of Alecis' smile when he mentioned Aven. "He's an interesting fellow." Lior admired his brother for his ability with other clio. Aven never seemed shy at all, and shyness is something Lior always has to swallow in order to say anything at all, usually. Aven was also a charmer, easily subjecting any and everyone to the powers of his charisma.

Lior nodded at the second refusal of anything to drink. He smiled at her and said, "Alright." He noticed her yawn, and laughed lightly, "You had a long day, huh?"

"I did," she laughed, "I woke up at three this morning and headed straight to the mountains. I really didn't feel that tired until I realized I had to walk all the way back." She shrugged.

"I do that all the time, but I'm usually more careful to leave enough energy to fly home. Theodore Lane is creepy," she laughed remembering tonight, "it's a good thing there are such amazing clio waiting to rescue stupid girls." She blushed.

"Yeah," Lior nodded, "It is pretty spooky around here. Especially at night." He smiled at the compliment. "It was nothing. It's been awhile since I've done anything like that. I'm rusty." He shrugged. "You're not stupid. You just made a mistake." Lior took her hand and squeezed it and let go, resting his hands on his knees.

"We should get you home soon."

Alecis hated to admit it, but Lior was probably right-she should be getting home. She hadn't been home all day and who knew what could have happened in Cuir during that time. It seemed like something was always happening in Cuir.

Putting her hand over her mouth as she yawned again Alecis nodded.

"You're right, it's probably best that I do get home. I'll just alert one of the guards and they can float me up."

She smiled, it had been nice talking with Lior.