I BET THE LADIES LOVE A MAN IN ARMOR [Easabelle]

Lumi leaned up against a fence, staring out into a pasture of sheep that seemed to go on for miles. Her arm had all but healed completely now; it was still a little stiff, but it didn't require a splint anymore (thank god.) Annerb Island was her relaxing spot, and relaxing she was.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and the few clouds in the sky were white and puffy. It had even become warm enough out that one didn't need to layer up; just a pair of jeans and a T-shirt were comfortable enough.

Lumi took it all in. These peaceful moments were so brief and rare in her life. She wanted to savor every second.

Eesabelle was walked down a quiet lane on Annerb's Island, Perry flew above her scouting for hurt animals to attack. Though the pair were old, they had sharp eyes and could detect weakness from far away.

In fact E noted, she could see a girl a few feet ahead looking pretty unsuspecting. It wasn't until she got closer, though, that she noticed that she recognized this girl.

It was Lumi, sister to the irritating rat that E and her husband Harmond had raised. Her eyes changed into steely-slits as she continued walking towards the pretty girl, her mind whirring around things she could do to harm her, even if only mentally.

Lumi looked up quickly when she heard someone approaching. It pacified her to see just an older woman walking towards her, hardly seeming threatening. It wasn't until she got closer that Lumi began to feel a bit uneasy. The woman had a sinister and oddly familiar expression. It wasn't as though Lumi had seen the woman before, just the expression she wore. But on whom?

"Can I help you?" she asked, unsettled. She really didn't like that expression.

"Can I help you?" Perry sneered at Lumi, flying off of his place on Eesabelle's shoulder and landing next to Lumi on the wooden fence.

"Actually, you can," the woman said coldly, looking the younger one right in the eyes. "You see, I've been looking for my son. He's about your age, looks a lot like you actually."

Her gray eyes bored into Lumi, her smile turned upwards into a slight smirk. "Do you think you might have seen him, miss?"

Lumi stared at the woman, her eyebrows rising. Now she realized where she'd seen that look. It was the same way Rene looked at her whenever he played his sick games with her. Wait, could she be talking about Rene?

No, that couldn't be. Quinn had said a man had raised and tortured Rene. Unless...that man had a wife...?

"...No, I'm sorry," Lumi slowly replied, after a silence. "I've never seen anyone like that before."

If her assumptions were correct, this could quickly become a very dangerous situation, if it hadn't already.

"Oh, you haven't, hm?" Eesabelle said mockingly, "You don't recall a certain someone who likes to stalk you?"

Her eyes opened in a sort of 'haha' kind of way. Like, 'I'm winning, what you gonna do 'bout it, hoe' kinda thing.

Behind Lumi, Perry tilted his head, waiting for her answer.

Moxie's tail began to flick anxiously. Lumi didn't know what it was this lady wanted from her. If she was anything like her 'son,' then she didn't want anything at all other than pleasure from her pain.

Lumi's face didn't change. "I...yes," she admitted, feeling there was no point in lying anymore. "I know who you're talking about. And I know what you and your husband did to him."

This was by far the creepiest family in Amelia. How could they have gotten away with the things they did? The things that they do?

"Excellent," E sneered, her eyes returning into a glare.

"It's too bad that Harmond hadn't gotten his hands on you as well, you look stronger than that fool Rene. You wouldn't have cracked like him, I'm sure of it. And we'd have an heir."

Lumi forced away a shudder. Since finding out she so narrowly escaped the same fate as Rene, she'd considered her alternative life countless times. And she was quite certain she would have 'cracked,' and there would have been two psychotic, murderous clio running around.

It was truly strange to, for the first time, feel lucky that Lumi had grown up in an orphanage that, while cold and lonely, at the very least provided her with safety and a hope of a normal life. Her psyche could survive the disappointment and neglect. It would not have fared so well under the pain and torture that it had only so far gotten a taste of, compared to what it could have gone through.

Harmond and this wife of his were monsters, plain and simple, and because of that they had raised a child to become just like them, albeit less stable and more dangerous.

"You fool," Lumi whispered. "Don't you have any idea what you created?"

"I'm perfectly aware of what the idiot turned into, thank you very much," E sneered at the Dian. The sun was in the perfect place for her full powers, something that made her very confident.

"But you would have been different. I can see it in your eyes. You have drive, Lumi, you could be so powerful..." Eesabelle's voice was still creepy, but at the same time sorta soothing.

Lumi's eye narrowed slightly, which pretty much returned them to their original size. "Maybe I could be," she replied loftily. "But I'm not willing to go through what Rene did, no matter how 'powerful' you think it would make me."

"I'm sure you're better behaved than your fool brother, Lumi. You wouldn't need as much punishment, just a little guidance. And maybe you could bring that boy-toy of yours? He'd make a wonderful addition to the family as well.

"I always wanted a daughter, Lumi." Eesabelle grinned evilly.

Lumi shuddered. This was one creeper old woman. Lumi could only imagine how bad the husband must be.

"Yeah well, I don't want to join your twisted idea of a 'family,'" she told her boldly. "And don't call Rene my brother. Maybe we have the same biological parents, but as far as I'm concerned he's not related to me any more than you are."

Was she being serious about wanting Lumi as a daughter, or was she just playing those sick mind games her son was so apt at?

The old woman didn't like the tone of voice Lumi was speaking in. She stepped forward a little and stroked the girl's cheek. She tilted her head a little then smiled, sweeter than before.

"You should talk this over with Quinn before you say no, Lumi dear."

Lumi pulled away from her touch at once. "Yeah right," she scoffed. "Quinn knows what you did to Rene. He knows what terrible clio you all are." She decided this probably was just a game. This woman had to know that she wasn't being very convincing.

She snatched out quickly and grabbed Lumi's wrist. "Don't you ever speak to me in that tone of voice. It is entirely disrespectful, you thoughtless cow," she growled, her innocent smile gone completely.

With the power of the sun she clenched her [good]arm firmly, threatening to crush it.

Lumi was surprised, and kind of reminded of those weird times that Rene would randomly get angry at her and lash out. Now she realized he'd just been imitating his parents.

Lumi's right arm had only just healed, and she really didn't want to break the left one.

"Let go," she said in a quiet yet forceful tone.