[Something New 3/3]All's Fair in Love and War

|| After the previous night's adventures, Chava had for one decided to take a rest and spend a day alone in her own home, without wandering about for any new adventure. Frankly, last night had been enough excitement to last her through that day, her mind swirling and fogged up with a million thoughts at once. Though she hated it for long periods, right then rest on the couch in front of the fire was good enough for her, a blanket curled up to her chin with some warm tea in hand. The young woman breathes in slowly, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. She couldn't help, but reply last night's scenario with Lucedio, and how much worse it could've been for her or Damien. It was clear his brother was very powerful, but at the same time, there was no doubt in her mind that Damien could overpower him, and would end up higher than the other in the end. The fact that Lucedio might even want to kill her didn't bother her, as she hadn't been afraid of death in a long time. And she was confident enough in her abilities to stay alive, even if it is maybe just so. A sigh escapes Chava's lips, bringing her tea up to her lips to take a sip. Before Damien had left last night, he had said his decision was made. She would find out that day if he decided he would seek her out. She vaguely realized that's exactly what she was waiting for, but she wasn't about to get anxious about it. Either way worked in her mind; though her own feelings were still somewhat at a loss to her. Either way, she ought to find out soon. Her eyes close once more, sinking into her couch.

|| The day had been long, and yet the more he thought, the more he was sure about his answer. He wanted to take one extra day to be even surer because not that long ago he was conflicted on the matter, but he figured he'd had enough time to think. He gave a slight sigh as he walked up to the door before him. He leaned slightly on his left foot, before rapping on the door with his knuckles. He wasn't sure if Chava was even home, but he figured that if there was no answer, he'd knock one more time, before walking off.

|| Brown eyes flicker up, her chin perking upwards at the sound of a knock on her door. She pauses for a moment before answering, knowing who it was behind the door, but never being able to be too careful. Noiselessly, she curls her small blanket around her and slips to the floor, padding her way over to the door and peeking through the crack. Her eyes narrow to get a better look, and she was sure then that it was Damien, just waiting for her to open up. A small smirk on her face, she pulls the door open to him, greeting him with a small bow of her head. Her hair was a mess, and she looked as if she had just gotten out of bed, but frankly, she had not a care in the world, she never had. Disheveled had become one of her signature looks. Chava opens the door wider to allow him entry. "Damien. Yes, I thought I'd hear from you soon. Come in." She closes the door behind him before slipping back to her seat on the couch, sitting on the far end crossing her legs together, her eyes watching his movement. "How are you feeling? Physically and otherwise?" she questions, concerning the encounter with Lucedio.

|| A grin appeared on Damien's face as the door opened, and he nodded in greeting. "Hello, Chava." He strides into the place at her invitation, moving over towards the seating area. "I would have shown up sooner, but I had to figure out where this place was first." He chuckles lightly, taking a seat on the couch next to her, his back against the armrest. At her question, he gives a shrug stating. "Physically, I am fine. I am glad to know I can still brew a good potion." He pauses slightly his thoughts briefly going over the former day’s events. "Mentally, I am the same as ever, though I am still very much confused." He shifts his eyes back to her, having glanced off to the side in his thoughts, "Though, I told you yesterday that I have my answer. You see, Two nights ago, I first thought of our first conversation, and came to the conclusion that I am best with someone beside me, be it a friend or more. Then, yesterday I came to a conclusion on the matter of which I situation it was. Whether I didn't mind or enjoyed." He was intentionally drawing the conversation on, not out of nerves, but rather he wanted her to ask what conclusion he had come to. "And I reached my conclusion during that event."

Chava quirks a brow and listens as he speaks, resting back against her seat. She nods every so often, finishing up her tea and getting up to set it down. "Oh?" she questions, wandering past him to her small kitchen. "Would you like anything?" She asks first, staying in the kitchen a moment waiting closer to the couch, resting her elbows on the back and hunching forward to see him. Her eyes peer at him with a glint of amusement, holding off on asking for only a few moments. "Well, I'm certainly glad you've thought about what I said. I've found very few actually do that," she chuckles. "I've been thinking quite a bit as well, and rather confused, as well. But... I am curious," she muses, a smirk curling her lips. She leans back on the arm of the couch, her eyes not leaving him. "What conclusion have you come to, then, after all?"

| Damien shakes his head at her asking if he would like anything. "I doubt you'd have anything I'd like." He says with a slight grin. He turns his gaze towards her, before saying, "Those people must not have enough brains to think then." He smirks slightly at his joke, before tilting his head at her admission of confusion. "Interesting," he muttered to himself. "Well, as you know, I came to the conclusion that I am best when with someone beside me." He pauses here, his eyes trained on her, "Yesterday I came to the conclusion of enjoyment."

Chava pauses at his last words, watching him for a moment, before turning her back on him to walk into the kitchen, settling her glass into the sink. This was more so to hide the smirk creeping up on her lips again, and perhaps to keep him on hold and in wait of her own reaction. After another moment's pause, she clears her throat pulls the glass away and turns back around, still smiling, but now more gently. She finds herself back in her original seat, resting her back on the opposite armrest from him. "Well," she muses. "I won't lie. I'm glad you think as such. You see, I'm rather in the moment, therefore my own reaction to your statement clears up any confusion I had on my part." She chuckles, a faint shade of red tainting her cheeks, though she tries to hide it. "Of course this is where I explain that that feeling is mutual. Lovely to have that cleared up," she smirks almost knowingly.

|| A brow raises as he watches her turn away, curious as to what she was thinking on the matter, given her admitted confusion. He taps his fingers on his legs, as he patiently waits. When she returns he notes her smile. "If I helped clear up your confusion, then I am glad to help." His brow raises again as she speaks further. He stopped his tapping, the corners of his lips twitching into a slight smile. "I see."

Chava pauses again and steadies herself for a moment before getting to her feet, moving towards him to press a small kiss to his cheek near the corner of his lips, finger under his chin. "Hm. Curious. Glad it's figured out. But the question is, what to do now with that information, yes?" She quirks a brow, settling down to sit right next to him. "Either way, I'm right by your side to help you out should you need it," she smirks slyly. "Frankly I want to make sure your brother never shows his face again."

|| A smirk spreads across his face at the kiss on his cheek, though he furrowed his brows at what she had to say next. "Yes, that is a question, though I am glad to have you at my side." he frowns slightly at the mention of Lucedio. "Well, he won't stop until either one of us is dead." He brings his hand up to rub the bridge of his nose before adding, "Though, his priority would be those I care about. At this point, namely you and my sister." he pauses slightly, a distant look in his eyes before saying, "I don't think he knows about her though, just you." He grins slightly as his thoughts lead him to an end result, "Though if last night is anything to go by, we might get a temporary reprieve from him."

Chava tilts her head at his words, a low hum sounding from her throat. The thought of it was enough for her not to tease him over his admittance of caring about her since it meant her life was on the line as well as his. Nevertheless, she wasn't scared. "People have had trouble killing me in the past. One succeeded though," she admits rather vaguely, without elaborating. If he was interested in knowing he would ask. "I'd like to see Lucedio try to kill me," she snorts before her brow quirks upwards at the mention of a sister. She hadn't realized he'd had any family left. "You have a sister?" she questions, peering curiously at him. "Since when? Lucedio doesn't have to know about her. It only gives him more targets, and that's not good," she blinks.

| Damien chuckles lightly at her mention of people trying to kill her in the past, though immediately stops, a curious look on his face when she mentioned that one succeeded. "How did you come back?" He had heard of no means to come back from the dead, so he was curious in case it was something Lucedio could learn that he'd need to prevent. "I have no doubt that you'd hold your own against him, but he's crafty. I wouldn't be surprised if he changed his hair and eyes to match me, just to land a sneak attack." He chuckles lightly at her question of a sister, before giving a quick nod. "Back when I was in my first year I was adopted. That man apparently eventually had a daughter." he pauses slightly before muttering to himself, "Of course it was long after I had run away." he shook his head at Chava before saying, "I'm not intending on letting Lucedio find out about her. Luckily she's in the safest place she can be." he grins widely before saying, "The Dagger Manor."

Chava purses her lips at his question, trying to figure out how to word it in the best possible way. The memories of Decoy came flooding back into her brain, all of his illusions and tricks, kissing her one day and the next meeting sticking her own knife between her ribs. She scrunched up her nose in distaste. A vague thought came to her that perhaps Blake had left in search of Decoy to kill him, but she quickly shakes the thought away, not wanting to dwell on it too much. "Well, I suppose saying he succeeded is a little misleading," she snorts. "His name was Decoy, and he was a master of allusion. I ran from Blake one day and stumbled across him, and he killed me, a jab to the torso and then lodged in my heart." Chava shudders a little, remembering the pain that did feel very real. "Misleading, in the sense that he didn't actually kill me. It was an allusion, so I felt the full effects and pain of death, and Blake thought me dead, but I wasn't." The woman shrugs, unsure if that made sense; it was the only way she knew how to explain it. "I still have a scar." She adds a small smile to the end of her statement as if to make light of that terrible situation as if near-death were no big deal. She moves on, still rather intrigued by the thought of his younger sister. "She'll be safe then, I'm sure of it. Lucedio can focus on me for her sake. I'd like to think because of Decoy I can spot allusions and crafty tricks well, but it's always been a weak spot of mine," she sighs, before nudging Damien gently with her elbow. "You're worried?"

| Damien taps his fingers on his leg listening to her tale. "I see. Then, I don't have anything to worry about in that regard." He pauses slightly before nodding his head slightly, "I could not possibly imagine what that pain must have felt like." He gives a slight grimace at the mere thought, before raising a brow at what she said concerning his sister. "She may be safe now, but I'll have to check over the home. He might know a way in that I don't. It was the Thorne family home before I re-purposed it." At her mention of illusions, he hmms in though as if planning something, before a slight frown takes control at it being a weak spot, no doubt disappointed. He gives a shrug before nodding in answer to her question. "I'm always worried when it comes to Lucedio." The most important part of that that he didn't say was that he was only really concerned when it came to Lucedio and those he cared about. If it came down to just him and Lucedio it wouldn't worry him at all. Either result would put an end to the torment that Lucedio caused.

Chava sighs a little at the look on his face, unsure what to say or how to help at that moment. She knew it made it harder for him to have people he cared about because of Lucedio, but caring wasn't exactly something that could be helped, even harder now that Lucedio had already met and targeted her. But need his brother to know more? The fewer details he knew the better, she thought. Chava reaches up to press a kiss to Damien's temple, her thumb brushing against his cheek. "Despite your worry, consider it a good thing you don't have to do it all alone. Two pairs of eyes to take watch cover more ground than one. And I'm not entirely helpless, I'm learning combat," she grins. She knew she was better with her wand; it was her knife that she needed more work with. "I can help protect your sister too," she grins. "And there are so many ways to use Lucedio's own tricks against him."

| Damien snakes an arm around her, taking some small comfort in her words. "I noticed. You had your spells handled." It was something he admired in her, being able to hold her own against Lucedio since he was able to use some powerful magic proficiently. He was quite the opposite. Any spell he used took energy to cast, so enough spells and he would be winded and unable to do anything. "Though I'm more of a stab someone in the back type of person myself," he says with a slight grin. If there was one thing he prided himself in beside his puns, it was his ability with a dagger. Wands be damned. "I do thank you for offering, but there are plenty of wards around the Manor to protect it." At her mention of using Lucedio's abilities against him, he gives pause. "Actually," He starts. "I think I have an idea for that."

Chava gently leans into the man, resting against him as he speaks. She gave a rather proud smile, happy that she was able to accomplish something that could actually be useful in the future, with the threats facing them. She was a top student back in her Hogwarts days, Head Girl at that, and was expected to do great things in the future until her mind had taken a dip in the darker parts of the world. Even throughout her more psychotic episodes, her wand-work stayed the same for the most part. All her knife had ever been used for was to clumsily try to stab Blake, and to be used against herself. But, it worked well this way, as Damien was great with a blade. That was all that mattered. She quirks a brow at his last words, looking rather eager. She holds her head up and smirks at him. "An idea, hm? Do tell," she muses.

He grins slightly at her smirk before, chuckling lightly. "I'm honestly surprised I hadn't thought of it before." he pauses slightly, turning his gaze towards her, "Perhaps because I lacked any substantial ability in magic, and thus I didn't consider magic an option." He ponders this for a moment, realizing that perhaps he'd been a fool for choosing solitude, despite his weaknesses. He was somewhat glad at Chava for making him realize this. "The one thing I thought I couldn't use against Lucedio, I just realized that I can." He smirks at her slightly before adding, "With the right talent." He chuckles lightly before elaborating. "From what I've seen, every time he uses that movement ability of his, he requires shadows. Even when moving there are always shadows in between where he disappears and appears." He stopped here, letting Chava think on the answer a bit, though he knew it was quite an easy answer to come to.

Chava nods slowly, wrapping her brain around the idea, despite her brain not being what it used to be. "If he doesn't have shadows he can't move as such," she quirks a brow, biting down on her bottom lip. "Well, actually that shouldn't be hard at all. The right setting and the right spell could get rid of that ability of his, at least for the most part. Nothing can be guaranteed with magic, and it depends on what level of skill he has with a wand." She scrunches up her nose. "But I can charm a place to not allow apparation either. There are a million possibilities," she chuckles. "If we can get his wand away from him." Magic allowed for the possibility of a great many things, including the allusions and crafty tricks he played up. "Without that, he may be perfectly ordinary in a fight, but of course, you know him better than I do. Those are just ideas. Did you have something else in mind?" She felt she was going on a tangent.

| Damien's fingers tapped against his legs excitedly as he realized something. "If I remember correctly," he started, with a slight smirk, "No wand is quite like the best matched." He slipped his hand into his robes, before bringing out a wand that was most surely not his own, given that his wand was near his dagger, "And I have Lucedio's original wand." Lucedio had left it behind when Damien was rescued from the old shop. It was knocked out of his hands during the fight, and Damien picked it up the day after. He was in no shape that day to do anything.  "And perhaps we can use this against him." He tilted his head before saying, "A large light spell would probably suffice for his ability. We'd just have to keep him in the light. Easier said than done though." He shook his head at her question before saying. "Any and all ideas are helpful. Although I should probably warn you about something," he says, before giving a slight pause. He wasn't entirely sure whether there was anything they could do to defend against what he was about to say, but he decided it was better to know, "He can, and probably will, change his appearance to match mine. The thing to warn about though, is that he's spent years in my mind. He knows me almost as well as I do." He frowns at that as if it was something he didn't want to admit, "So, just be careful on that front."

|| Being told that Lucedio didn't even have his original wand was something of a breakthrough to Chava, and she broke out in a grip, gripping Damien's arm. The possibilities truly were endless in this case, as Lucedio's Magic would be very clumsy on a wand that wasn't his own. Chava had kept her own since the beginning, and knew then that this could not be as hard as she previously thought. Get rid of the shadows and bombard him with spells. With both Chava and Damien there as well, it was bound to do some good. "This is perfect!" she laughs, but the sound instantly starts to fade away at his word of warning. He had mentioned this earlier, but she hadn't given it any real thought. It wouldn't be the first time it happened to her either, someone pretending to be someone else she cared about to get at her. She bites her bottom lip, shaking her head. "I've never been good with allusions," she grumbles, sinking into herself. "He'd try to kill me through that?" A sigh escapes her, willing her mind to keep thinking of some ways to avoid this. "Is there anything that only you might know? Anything I could ask or say that might alert me as to whether or not it would be you or him?"

|| A sigh escaped Damien's lips as he nodded at her question."If it would harm me physically or mentally, he'd do it. It doesn't matter to him." He pauses slightly thinking about her question. Was there anything Lucedio didn't know about him? After a brief moment, a twisted smile appears on his face. "He doesn't know about my ... cannibalistic nature." He frowned slightly at that word, before deciding he'd have to come up with something to say other than a cannibal. "So, there's that. I'm not sure of much else." he taps his fingers against the sofa, his mind a whirl of ideas as he thinks. "Another thing I can think of is that he doesn't pay attention to details with things he considers beneath him. Daggers for example." With this, he withdraws his dagger from its sheath, making sure to keep the hilt visible. He points to the gray and red gem. "For example, the color of this gem is another thing you could ask."

Chava furrows her brows, training her eyes on the dagger. Would that be enough? Would Lucedio be able to assume a color? It seemed likely if he knew Damien as well as he said. The woman sighs a little, resting her head on his shoulder. "He hardly knows me," she furrows her brows. "How is he to know how important I may be? How is he to know what I even am to you?" She scrunches up her nose. Even she didn't know that entirely. "What if he doesn't target me because he doesn't know those things? It would be taking a risk, on the off chance that I might mean something to you." She shakes her head and releases an exasperated sigh. "I’m sure I can figure this out. I can figure out it's you. I should be able to." In truth, she had no idea what he might be capable of or how well he could trick her.

|| As if sensing what she was thinking, Damien shakes his head. His finger moves to hover over the gray of the gem, saying. "In case you're wondering. He could guess gray." He points his gray eyes, before adding, "But never red. As far as he's concerned I hate the color. In his mind, I'd associate it with him, after all." He tilts his head at her questions before shaking his head again. "Knowing that you know me is enough. If he knew I cared about you, then the reward would far outweigh the risks. He's all about causing me pain." he holds up three fingers lowering each one as he speaks. "Physically, Mentally, and Emotionally." With all fingers down, he replaces the dagger in his sheath, having forgotten about it for a moment. He then snaps his fingers as if he had a breakthrough in this discussion. "It works the other way, too." he started with a slight grin. "All you'd have to do is ask about things I know of you such as the illusion thing..." he trails off, his face growing slightly darker in realization. "No, that wouldn't work. I forgot I had a terrible memory."

Chava growls a little, rather annoyed by Lucedio's eagerness to bring Damien pain. Why did he care so much, what brought this anger into him? It annoyed her but intrigued her all the same as to the origins. "I'll try my best," she mumbles, fully aware her own life was in her hands. That didn't bother her in the slightest, but rather it was the fact that if she was killed by Lucedio, it would be done in some effort to hurt Damien. She could only assume now, of course, that would, in fact, pain Damien to some degree, and that was certainly something she didn't want to happen. "Don't worry about it, Dami," she smiles gently. "Be confident in my abilities. Even if I were to die, it wouldn't mean Lucedio wins. I've got faith in you after all." The woman smiles and nudges him as if to convince of this, her death not being a big deal in the long run anyway. She meets this point by tugging on Damien's chin, pressing a kiss to his lips.

| Damien raises a brow at the growl, a slight smirk appearing on his lips. He nods at her statement. "I know you will." Where once Lucedio knew everything about him, he was now limited by having his own body. And so, it seemed to Damien that new information could always be used, if it could be remembered. He frowns at her little speech, especially the part about death. As far as he cared, he'd seen enough death at the hands of Lucedio. "I'm not letting anyone I care about die." He said, noting the kiss, but not doing anything regarding it. Another topic and he might have, but to Damien, the current topic was just too serious. "The only two people who can die anymore are Lucedio and me." He reaches over, placing his hand on her cheek, giving a slight, but mournful, smile.

Chava pulls away from him after only a second, a frown at her lips. She wasn't to be trying that again, she noted. It was sweet, really, that he felt as strongly on this, on her not dying, but she couldn't say she understood. She had been through death once before, she was sure she could handle it again if need be. She would have given in to his touch, however, had it not been for his next few words. If she wasn't to die, she wasn't about to let him die either, and she considered his statement very poor word choice. She growls again and pulls herself away from his touch, moving towards the kitchen as if she had something to do there. Which she didn't, and she ended up awkwardly standing there near the sink with a small scowl at her lips. "You're not dying either," is all she says, feeling rather strongly on this position of hers. If he thought she was going to allow him to be killed, he had another thing coming.

|| A sigh escaped his lips again, as he watches her move off into the kitchen. At her words, he lets out another sigh. He stands up from the sofa, moving over towards her. To Damien, this was more than just a 'who dies, who doesn't die' thing. He wanted to make sure that those he cared about were never harmed again. And, the only way that would happen was if either he or Lucedio were dead. That's why he had to limit deaths to just him and Lucedio. "And I'll try my hardest to not die." He started, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But if that's what it comes to, then that's what it comes to." He leans against a wall, keeping his gaze trained on her. "I may be done running, but I'm not fighting for myself."

Chava swallows hard, avoiding his gaze for once. Her own death was easy enough for her to talk about and handle, but the death of any other she managed to care for was not a pretty subject to her, not with her mental instability. It only served to make her upset. She crosses her arms as if she were a child that wasn't getting their way. How did he plan on trying his hardest not to die, if he wasn't even going to try so hard to fight for himself? She faintly wondered if her presence made this harder on him. "If you aren't fighting for you, then I will," she whispers, unrelenting on this. "I'm very stubborn, you know." The ghost of a smirk starts to form on her lips again, almost as if she were challenging him to try to test her stubbornness on this stance of hers, or any stance. "I’m not afraid of my own death, so I can fight solely for you if you refuse."

|| It was hard for Damien to say anything to this for almost a couple minutes. But finally, he nodded, saying "I can accept that." He tilted his head but bit himself to stop what he would have said had he not. He knew that if he said for her to only let him be up close and personal in a fight, she would think more of it than combat tactics. He gave a sigh, before smirking slightly. "I know you're stubborn. Far more stubborn than I" He admitted. While Damien was certainly stubborn, his stubbornness ended far earlier than Chava's would. "So, I will concede here. We're very much alike in that regard. We'll be fighting for each other, rather than our own sakes." With a quick glance at the clock, he realizes their conversation should probably be pulled to a close soon. "I should probably head back to the manor." He pauses here, tilting his head before adding as a joke. "Besides, it's far too early in our relationship for me to ask to stay." He gives a slight wink at this. Knowing that the conversation of death had tensed them both up, he figured he should end that with some humor at the very least. Placing a finger on her chin, he gently turns her to face him, before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. With that he walks towards the door, saying only one additional thing. "You're welcome to visit anytime."

Chava was grateful for the acceptance of her stance, as she was ready to press further on the manner if need be if the situation called for it. She instead breathes a sigh of relief, rather thankful. Glancing at the time as well, she urges him towards the door, as though she knew she would end up seeing him again. She meets his joke with a laugh, shaking her head. It was the kiss that took her by gentle surprise, but a good kind and she returns his kiss before pulling back, a genuine smile tugging at her lips. "As are you," she responds to his last remark, before waving after him as he exits the house. Now, time to think, and to plan.