The Darkest Price

Dedicated to NightDreamer92

To my bestfriend, Nightdreamer92, who has put up with me for the past 4 years with my random mood swings that I swear I'm like a pregnant woman at times... And no I'm not pregnant. Happy Be-Lated Birthday~!! And sorry if it stinks, I tried my best, and that all we can ask for.... right?

Feliciana Lumiere sat patiently at the edge of her seat, half listening to what her best friend Kyrielle Raifu was talking about with Haidee, about some Japanese cartoon or another. Something Feliciana was able to keep up, other times the young Otakun munchkin was in too much of a ramble that even she, Feliciana who as been her best friend since she can remember, would get lost when Kyrielle flipped through English a Japanese so flippant.

Yes Feliciana felt ticked when that would happen, trying to rack her brain for the word that was said in the foreign language sometimes to come up blank and just try to follow whatever other conversation Kyrielle would continue on. Lucky for Feliciana, well lucky now and not back then when it had first happened, when she was kidnapped and brought to the fortress in Budapest and she found the love of her life, she found someone that would get along well with her Otakun friend. Haidee, although at first they started somewhat on the wrong side, mostly because Strider had told her to stay away, we now very good friends; then again all the girls in the fortress were nice, funny, and fiery, except saved a few harpies and Demon possessed warrioress.

"Kichi~!" Kyrielle waved a hand in front of Feliciana's face, using the nickname the Otakun had given her. Claiming that Feliciana was too long she had shorten it to Kichi, which Kyrielle said was the same since both names meant "fortune/luck" and "happiness" and thus Feliciana was dubbed as Kichi from then onwards. "Kichi, you're not paying attention no mores." With a pout her already large mismatched eyes got larger, giving Feliciana the puppy dog eyes that no one, not even Sabin (at times), could resist.

Feliciana looked over at Haidee, silently asking for a clue as to what was it that she missed, or if at least it was important, the roll of the eyes confirmed it wasn't. With a small twitch of her lips Haidee put a hand on Kyrielle's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze to get her attention. "Kyrie, I think maybe we shouldn't make any plans for tonight." The blonde said softly, looking between the two other women. "Perhaps Strider already has something special planned for her."

Hearing this made Feliciana's ears pick up and twitch slightly at the sound of the warrior's name, a dark scarlet hue quickly spreading through the sun kissed cheeks. Oh what delicious, naughty things came to mind at how that sounded; perhaps she had been spending a bit too much time with Anya. Feliciana fidget slightly on her seat, feeling her hands starting to clam up, her body heat rising in temperature, and her mouth going dry. Always, no matter where she was at, the sound or thought of his name always brought this reaction. The only thing worse than suddenly becoming a mini personal volcano, was when she was near him, worst when he would look at her with those beautiful, azure colored eyes.

Feliciana could just feel their pull, her breath caught in her throat as she would begin to fall through the vast endless blue skies that those eyes reminded her of. Frozen and rooted to the spot that she would be standing on, twice it had nearly gotten her killed and twice had it been that he would jump in and get the blunt hits or bullets. Her heart soaring to the Heavens only to be brought back down harshly with the truth that she had become and hindrance to him and gotten him hurt. Not wanting to find out if third time was the charm to get him or her killed, Feliciana had decided that from that day forward she would not go on missions for the Items with him. Perhaps it was running away, but she knew when it was to cut her losses and get out of there, pride and honor be damned at that moment.

"-ost her again...."

Haidee's melodious voice made Feliciana come back from her thoughts and focus on the 2 women sitting with her at the bar stool of the kitchen. Shaking her head Feliciana blinked several times and looked at her two friends. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Feliciana said with an apologetic smile "Could you please repeat that?"