[IC] Fateful Convergence

[Vocalia]

Arlia hastily pulled herself away from Sarah with a flustered look on her face. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry! Are you alright, Sarah? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" She now switched from suffocating the silver-haired girl to energetically shaking her body, eyes wide with fear and worry. It seemed that she wasn't raised with a strong concept of moderation, but it's clear that she cared for Sarah and Nigel. Turning to Nigel with great shame, she whimpered, "Oh, what have I done? I didn't mean to hurt your sister at all, love! Truly, I'm sorry for that!"

[Daxam]

"It's...fine...really!" Sarah says as Arlia shakes her. Nigel walks over and gently places a hand on Arlia's shoulder, looking into her green eyes as he says, "It's fine, love. See? Sarah's alright and she isn't angry, are you?" Sarah chuckles lightly and says, "No, I'm not. I was just a little surprised, since I've never been hugged that...enthusiastically, before. No harm done, I assure you." Nigel smiles and says, "See? Now, let's finish our tea." Sarah gently extracts herself from Arlia's grip and says, "Here, let me go get something to eat while we drink our tea. What would you like, Arlia?"

[Vocalia]

Pushing herself back onto the couch, Arlia timidly clasped her hands between her knees and timidly replied, "A-Anything is fine with me, Sarah. Thank you for your offer." After Sarah left, she sighed and looked at her tea. "What have I done...? I've never acted like that before," she muttered, both to herself and to Nigel. Holding onto her cup, she tried to find the answer to her erratic and overt behavior, but she couldn't seem to pinpoint any particular cause.

[Daxam]

Sarah nods and disappears into the kitchen as Nigel sits down next to Arlia and wraps his arm around her, pulling her close as he says, "Maybe you're just eager to show others affection. I mean, think about it: You were never really given the opportunity to do so, so you're trying to make up for it by being more energetic about it, which isn't a bad thing at all." Smiling, Nigel looks down at his lover and gently curls his fingers around her chin, lifting her head to look into her eyes as he says, "Honestly, that's one thing I love about you. You truly are a kind woman."

[Vocalia]

Her angelic trait fading away for now, Arlia blushed as her eyes were glued to the warm, dark brown eyes looking into her now. "D-Do you really think so?" she asked, as in still in a perpetual state of disbelief. "I... I've never really had a chance to be nice to anyone before. Back in the mansion, they would lewdly ogle me, say things about me... or worse..." She shuddered as the trauma of her most recent humiliation came into her mind. Tears gently rolled down her cheeks as she looked back at Nigel. "You have seen it... haven't you? How he took me in such a crass manner... I-I couldn't forget it..."

[Daxam]

Nigel gently rubs Arlia's back and holds her close. Instead of answering right away, he leans in and brings her into a gentle kiss. Moments later, he breaks away and whispers, "He paid for what he did to you, my love. I made sure of it. Adriano is no more, so he can no longer hurt you like that again. I only wish I could've made him suffer more, but all that matters is that I'll never let you get hurt again, even if I have to give my life to keep you safe."

[Vocalia]

Wiping her tears with one hand, Arlia cupped Nigel's cheek with another and gently caressed him, whispering, "I will do anything in my power to return the favor, my love. I don't care if you are a human, a wild beast, or a demon from hell. No matter what, I will always love you and I will never leave your side. I'm your angel and to you I will be faithful until I die." Pulling him into another gentle kiss, Arlia only broke away when Sarah's footsteps could be hears coming into the living room.

[Daxam]

Just as Nigel and Arlia pull away from their kiss, Sarah appears, pretending that she didn't see anything when, in reality, she had attempted to walk into the living room the first time they kissed, only to back out. Now that they were finished, she walks around the couch and sets a tray of small muffins on the coffee table, saying, "Here we go. I made these earlier this afternoon and I must say, they aren't bad." Taking one for herself, she takes a bite and washes it down with a sip of tea before saying, "I should mention that we only have two bedrooms. If you like, you and Nigel can share his room. Either that or I could let you use my room and I'll sleep out here."

[Vocalia]

Nodding graciously, Arlia took one muffin and gave it a try before humming with pleasant surprise and then washing the sweet pastry down with her tea. "I'd rather sleep with Nigel then force you to sleep outside your bed, Sarah. I don't mind at all," Arlia replied with a calm smile, then realized what she said and blushed. "Of course, I'd only do that if it's... alright... with Nigel," she murmured and timidly turned to Nigel.

[Daxam]

Nigel blushes and rubs the back of his neck, clearing his throat before he says, "A-actually...it's more than alright, love..." As if now finding his confidence, he takes Arlia's hand in his and says, "It's perfect." Sarah, looking at her brother and his girlfriend, can't help but think back to the times she and her boyfriend would nap cozily together under the trees of the park. Shaking those thoughts from her head before she could feel sad again, she stands up and says, "Let me go find a spare set of pajamas for you, Arlia. I don't expect you to sleep in those jeans."

[Vocalia]

"Really, I don't mind sleeping in these jeans, Sarah, but, if you insist, at least let me help you make the bed tonight. It's the least I could do," Arlia replied, a vivid blush on her face as she looked at Nigel with a smile. It was as if her day was becoming better with each passing moment after she was rescued from that dreaded mansion. "I couldn't thank you both enough. I promise I will return the favor!"

[Daxam]

"There's no need, really!" Sarah says, chuckling softly before finishing her tea. Standing up, she says, "I'll return with your pajamas, Arlia." That said, she disappears into her room. Nigel sighs and rests his head against Arlia's, saying, "As for me, all you owe me is your love. That's all I could ever ask for, my dear." Smiling, he pecks her lips just as Sarah returns, carrying a set of light blue pajamas with a button-down top. "Here you are," she says, handing Arlia the clothing. "This is the spare set of pajamas I have for laundry day, which we did yesterday, thankfully. As long as you're here, feel free to use them."

[Vocalia]

"I know I'm just repeating myself at this point, but thank you. Thank you so much," Arlia replied and graciously accepted the pajamas, finding the soft fabric to be comfortable to the touch. She knew that this was an important step in starting her new life and she was determined to ensure that she didn't disappoint her hosts. Finishing her tea, Arlia looked around for the bathroom before closing the door behind her and changing into pajamas given to her. She then came out with her folded clothes and smiled at the two siblings.

[Daxam]

Nigel smiles back and stands up at the same time as his sister. "Well, I have to go into work early tomorrow," she says, "so I'm going to turn in, now." Walking up to her brother, she gives him a hug, then moves over to Arlia, giving her a hug, as well, despite what had happened, earlier. Breaking away from the embrace, she says, "Now, remember: As long as you're here, you're welcome to anything in our home, so you don't have to ask, okay?"

[Vocalia]

"Y-yes, thank you. I'll keep that in mind..." Arlia replied, still astonished at how open Sarah was to her, and silently swore not to inconvenience her and Nigel more than she already had. "Have a good night, Sarah, and I wish you nothing but the sweetest dream tonight," she said, looking genuinely happy and at ease after suffering for as long as she could remember.

[Daxam]

Sarah smiles and disappears into the bathroom to shower and change. Nigel gently curls his hand around Arlia's and leads her to his room. Opening the door, he reveals a tidy, but rather sparsely furnished room with only a bed, lamp, and dresser, on top of which sat a picture of him and Sarah. "Well," he says, shutting the door behind Arlia, "here's my room. Make yourself at home, my love."

[Vocalia]

"Grazie..." Arlia timidly replied and began to acquaint herself to her new room for now. Even though it was nowhere as luxurious as her old room, she would rather live in it any day. She also noticed a picture of him and Sarah sitting on top of the dresser, gently taking the framed photograph to look at them both. "You and your sister share such a close bond, I'm almost jealous. My sister and I never had a chance to take a picture together lest our enemies turn our life upside down and tear us apart."

[Daxam]

Nigel, who was about to sit down, looks at Arlia, and suddenly decides that sitting down didn't really matter. Walking over to Arlia, he gently takes the photo from her, sets it back on the dresser, and wraps his arms around her waist. "I wouldn't worry too much, love," he whispers, resting his forehead against hers. "Now that you're free from your father, you could find her and make up for the lost time." Smiling, he gently caresses her cheek and adds, "Besides, I would love to meet your sister, especially if it makes you happy."

[Vocalia]

Smiling softly, Arlia pressed her forehead against that of her beloved. "I'd love to see her too... There are so many things I'd like to do together with her. Now we're both free from that perverted bastard's grip and she no longer has the Medicis to fear." She looked up at him with a bemused chuckle and said, "I wonder what she's up to. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live a life like her. When we saw each other last time, she talked about dealing with assignments and trying to stave off quite a number of infatuated men during study hours. I could hardly blame her. After all, we both have the same look and her intellect is something to behold, not to mention her kind and innocent heart is a seemingly inherent trait."

[Daxam]

Nigel raises an eyebrow and chuckles, saying, "Now I think I have to meet her if she looks like you. Just when I thought life couldn't get better, I hear there are two gorgeous women in the world." Smiling, he brings Arlia into a gentle kiss before saying, "I only kid, of course. You're the only woman for me, my love, no matter what."