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It had been…A painfully lengthy day.
Arlecchino was up all night after attempting to steal the gnosis by force and now she had just finished a meeting with the archon and chief justice only for that to drain her energy as effectively as a starving vampire.
She just needed to blow off a little stress and deliberate with her partner…in crime.
There were few and far ways inbetween to contact Sandrone, the most effective and reliable one being through the Katheryne system that Sandrone had masterminded in order to gain crucial intelligence for the harbingers. It also helped with planning on how to most efficiently obtain the gnosis in the nation.
So there she would go.
“Ad astra abyssosque. Welcome to the Adventurer’s guild.”
“Heartstrings.” Such a stupid codeword—but even if someone were to trigger it every once in a while, it just records a few seconds of time before it is sent to their master. “Meeting, 7pm, Hotel Depord. I’ll tell the staff to send you to me.” She smirked as Katheryne rebooted and snapped back to attention. A wordless way to say, message received.
She did have to update her on the state of things with the gnosis sure—but she needed her presence for…personal reasons as well.
Arlecchino walked into the hotel, not even caring to watch the sunset tonight. She retreated to her suite and felt as her burdens laid on top of her in the bed–still heavy in her mind as she put an arm over her eyes; her other splaying to her side.
There were such high expectations placed on her—and she was terrified that the prophecy would hurt her precious children.
She just needed something to keep her from thinking of it—for just five minutes, or all night. A knock on the door, her saving grace.
“I got your message.” Sandrone entered the room quickly and shut and locked the door behind her. She had a fan to cover her face but discarded it while entering since there was no need for that here.
“You’re here.” Arlecchino said—walking toward Sandrone to meet her in the middle.
“God, you look rough.” Leave it to Sandrone to be painfully blunt at all times. It was refreshing even in her deathly fatigue–just to see her face was enough.
“Sandrone.” Arlecchino smiled as she held Sandrone’s palm with both of her hands–clasping it as she got closer to her.
“What is the meeting about..?” Sandrone questioned as Arlecchino put her arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. She already was starting to question the motives behind calling this.
“The gnosis but let me get to it.” Arlecchino took a deep breath of the shampoo that she used in her hair. Jasmine and vanilla—very soothing to her weary soul.
“Mhm.” Sandrone even had a smugness to that. “Tell me, is this what the Knave calls a serious meeting?” Sandrone said—using her hand to wipe off a bit of dust from Arlecchino’s shoulder.
“Let me get to it.” Arlecchino had a sternness to her voice as she leaned down to kiss Sandrone’s neck—salaciously leaving remnants of yearning along her collarbone.
“Can I at least sit down?” Sandrone traced circles on Arlecchino’s back as her feet ached from walking in heels all the way here. “I had quite a walk.” The moment the transmission was received—she had to depart immediately to make it to the hotel on time for this pathetic display of a “meeting.”
“Of course, doll. Allow me.” The Knave swept her off her feet in a princess carry, the layers of her skirt adding ample volume to her figure.
“Hmm.” Sandrone grabbed her face—she saw those eye bags and the general light leaving her eyes. “This won’t do.” Sandrone adjusted herself on the bed and beckoned Arlecchino to come to her.
“What won’t?” Arlecchino asked her, kneeling by her side and looking up at her from the foot of the bed.
“You look terribly tired.” Sandrone started to play with the wefts of the Knave’s hair—her fingernails leaving gaps between the hairs.
“Do I now?” Arleechino’s head naturally fell into Sandrone’s lap as her arm went across Sandrone’s shins and rested on her outer thigh.
“Mhm. You aren’t even trying to put up an act to hide it.” Sandrone sounded so awfully sure of herself—for right reasons as she was correct. “I’ll forgive you for wasting my time just this once.” Sandrone took out her hairpiece and started to finger brush her hair out with deft fingers.
“I’ll discuss it once I am ready.” Arlecchino let out a conserved breath when she felt her hands tenderly removing stress with each wad of hair she brushed out.
“Then take your time.” Sandrone felt as Arlecchino idly caressed the fabric covering her outer thigh—then got herself comfy on the bed, before settling her head back in Sandrone’s lap.
“Promise to not kill me if I fall asleep?” Arlecchino asked her as she snaked an arm around her waist and gave a gentle squeeze to her.
“That is asking a lot of me.” Sandrone said, pushing some hair out of Arlecchino’s face. “But fine, I promise your life until you wake.” Arlecchino nodded as she closed her eyes and felt herself become victim to this siren’s spell as sleep is to the freezing. Her humming was the final nail in the coffin as her exhaustion finally took her like a riptide.
Sandrone felt each soft hair, humming a lullaby her brother once sang to her. She felt all but lost in the tide of Arlecchino’s breathing as it had its own sort of soothing property to it.
Sandrone smiled as she looked at her face.
Those lashes gracefully laid on her cheeks, her slightly parted red lips and not to mention how much she yearned even in her sleep. Arlecchino’s arms still held Sandrone in an embrace as she slept—Sandrone could not tell if it was protectiveness or just plain neediness.
Either way it was nice, even if it was a waste of a meeting.
She could excuse it this time.