Eternal Nightmare was, objectively, quite the depressing name for a guild. Regardless of their hopes or aspirations, one would hear the name "Eternal Nightmare" and associate it with negativity. A dark guild by nature, considered to not only be at odds with the Kingdom of Fiore but also home to some of the most notorious criminals in the land, it seemed as if it lived up to the inclinations of its name. Yet, at the same time, it was also home to individuals who could hardly be associated with evil or revolution. Criminals, sure, but it wasn't as if all crime should be treated equally by the law.

If nothing else, that was how Jove mentally wrestled with the fact that he was approaching this desolate castle of doom and gloom. Dressed in his usual business casual attire, green tinted sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, he slowly made his way onto the premise of his natural enemy. The amount of paperwork and discussions with Nobility and Royalty alike that Jove had been required to have just in order to enter this building were monumental. In the end, it was the Royal family which found reason to accept his request. Without an explanation into why they made their decision, he had been granted leave to journey onto the premise of the most famous Dark Guild in the country. And for what purpose? Simply put; to see his friend.

The Night Stalker herself, thief of all things good and appealing. Rumors stated that this woman could travel through any shreds of shadow; others said she wasn't even a person, but an omen to the rich that their hoarding of wealth had been shunned by the Gods. In reality, she was an extravagant introvert with a hoarding problem.

Having traveled with her for a few months a bit less than two years ago, he had been given the privilege to become closer to this person than most of his own guildmates. When the two traveled, they talked. When Jove found silence, Nuala often found it easy to fill the space with her own thoughts and opinions, enough to bait Jove into contributing. The two shared limited details of their own lives as well; the Knight about his family and their business, and Nuala on her series of transformations which led her down her current path of a Daemon.

At the end of it all, the two had gotten to the point that Jove would consider her a close friend. Hence why he was now here, the entrance to Odin Morningstar's home, waiting for Nuala to meet him at the door.

Nuala Nazari did not have a hoarding problem. The thief liked shiny things; sparkling gems, golden urns and priceless artwork were her cup of tea and the woman considered herself a collector – with a mighty collection to show for. Nuala occupied several chambers at the Eternal Nightmare guildhall, all of which had been happily provided by Odin, who seemed to regard her ‘habits’ with nothing but a bony smile. Of course her valuables were safe at the guild, but that did not stop her from keeping a strong lock on her doors whenever she left the premises to go and hunt for more treasures. Her most recent travels had lasted for around two years, a few months of which had been spent with someone she now considered a close companion.

Jove Augustus was nothing like Nuala. The soft-spoken Rune Knight with a mild persona and simple sense of justice reminded her of no one in particular, but she could never shake that sense of familiarity with him – not since they had first met. There had always been that aura about Jove, when the air around him felt lighter and the words came easier. Nuala found him easy to talk to, even though he rarely responded. Easy to trust, even though they were on opposite ends of good and bad. His company was pleasant, even when they didn’t do anything in particular. At first, the thief had been put off by the idea to befriend another Rune Knight, but their relationship had evolved naturally and even she couldn’t deny that it was good for her to have people of decent conscience around.

That, and Nuala clearly had an authority kink – but that’s for another time.

She had been expecting him for a few days now. After her return to Oak City Nuala had sent him a message, figuring that for some reason he would actually bother to come and see her – and to no surprise, he did. He knocked, she was notified and floated down the endless stairwell like a ghost in an empty castle. Nuala wasn’t wearing her usual drill instructor-ish attire, but an white, long-sleeved gown that complimented her spectral appearance. Since her visit to the face sculptor, Nuala’s looks had changed tremendously. She was paler now, with two-coloured eyes, silver hair and stitches all across her body. Her hair was tied up in a loose, low-hanging ponytail that hung over her left shoulder and when she opened the gates for him, Nuala wore only a hint of a smile.

“Welcome to Eternal Nightmare,” she breathed and gestured for him to follow her. After a year, Jove was all the same. With eyes weary beyond their years and a neutral smile often overshadowed his good posture and the firm way with which he carried himself, but Nuala had begun developing an eye for that. She was headed for the stairs and decided to make some small talk while they headed up to her rooms. “You took some time,” she noted, but there was no spite in her voice. “Did you take a few days off from work then?” Knowing by now how peculiar he was with his schedule and routine, Nuala appreciated that he made the time even though they both knew this was an arrangement that benefited both of them.

Still, due to their surroundings and circumstances, she waited to exchange pleasantries until after they were behind close doors.

As if encapsulating its namesake, the tower of Eternal Nightmare was ghoulish indeed. It looked somewhat alive, a protruding vein of black stone which bled an ominous aura. In some way it did well competing with the Castle below, both great and demanding of artistic appreciation. Jove had taken a step back after rapping his knuckles on the abnormally solid door, allowing his eyes to soak in the horrid beauty of the architecture. It was when the doors swung open, though, that his eyes were truly given their feast.

Standing in a spotless white dress, giving the woman an even more ethereal presence than normal, was the one he had come to see. Her appearance had changed from when they first met. Silver hair which framed her delicate features, heterochromic eyes, and what appeared to be stitching crossed over her face. One would expect a thing such as stitches to appear morbid or grotesque, yet somehow on her they added a unique sense of beauty to her already flawless face. As reserved as Jove may have come across to the world, that did not mean he was incapable of appreciating the finer things.

She issued him a quick welcome to their guild, and his face took on an almost amused grin. Something about a welcoming to the most well known Dark Guild in the country felt strange for a man of his alignment and status, and yet his mind hardly lingered. "Thank you. I can honestly say it's my first time being here." She invited him in with a gesture, and as the doors closed behind him he couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the innards of the guild and its skin. Whereas the outer walls made this tower look like a blight on the horizon, the inside held a sense of elegance and decorum that reminded him of Nobility.

Nuala made some light conversation, and Jove couldn't help but notice that there was a bit of artificial distance between them. Not oft to miss social cues, Jove responded in kind. "Forced to have some time off, actually." His words lingered in a way that insinuated there would be more to follow, and certainly enough there was. "I've officially been promoted to Captain-Commander. It's apparently custom to force those who are newly promoted to take time off after finishing the ceremony and paperwork- Quite honestly the most difficult task I've ever accomplished."

It was no secret that Jove hated complicated work, and even moreso when it was something as arbitrary as traditional celebrations and paperwork which existed simply to exist. If he was forced to work, at least let it be productive.

As they made their way up the stairs, Jove took off his sunglasses, putting them in his chest pocket with one hand while simultaneously pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. "I would have been here sooner, but there was a break in at my parents Oak office recently. Artwork they'd had commissioned for their wedding day was taken sometime earlier in the week, and so I had to make sure that there was some proper follow-up into that." The one thing he hated more than arbitrary work while on duty; Extra work while off the clock. A sigh escaped his lips, as if painfully admitting that it was out of his control.

Nuala swung open the doors to her chambers – and closed them just as quickly once Jove stepped inside. The guild itself did not bother with their companionship; there was no law against fraternizing with the military (or any laws at all for that matter), the daemon was simply a private person. Her shadowy nature aligned well with what appeared to be an almost skittish personality and even though Nuala had warmed up to the Rune Knight, she didn’t want anyone else to catch a glimpse of him. “If you are lucky, it will be your last.” Nuala told Jove truthfully and turned the keys. The guild was no place for somebody like him, but as long as he stayed inside her rooms she could secure his safety – and everyone else’s.

“A promotion? Is that so?” A grin danced across her lips and she threw him a look over her shoulder, continuously leading him deeper into her den. “I suppose congratulations are due, Captain-Commander.” A dark corridor filled with shelves of books and the occasional stone bust lead into a pentagram-shaped hallway with four connecting rooms. Nuala’s collection of riches and rarities was spread into those four rooms, and while none of them appeared particularly crowded – the thief had a knack for decorating and aesthetics – there were still a lot more things than you might find in the average household.

Nuala aimed for the leftmost room, which contained a cozy seating area consisting of suspiciously royal looking furniture and something akin to a minibar. She poured herself and her guest a glass of whiskey and handed Jove his drink. “To you,” she proposed, and drank to his honor. “I suppose that means you’ll be busier again very soon,” the thief concluded and took a seat, facing her guest while pulling her legs up and covering them with a blanket. If he was cold, she would offer him part of it as well. “Too busy to deal with petty thievery, I hope.” She flashed him a toothy grin. Nuala had always been open with Jove about her occupation, her hobbies and interests and most importantly: her intentions.

The knight, undeterred by her nature, had stayed. She could only speculate on his reasons, but Nuala had a few good guesses: after all his life seemed rather boring and the night stalker was the opposite of that. When he spoke about his parents' office suffering a break in recently, a frown crossed her face and she quickly took a sip from her drink, eyeing him over the edge of her glass. “Huh,” putting her glass down, the thief tried to recall the events of the previous week. She had been active all across Oak City, mostly to re-establish this as her territory after her two year long absence. “Well, lucky for you, you have gathered the favors of a master thief and I’ll be happy to help you relocate your parents' precious belongings,” she said, offering him the back of her hand in a zestful, princess-ish manner as means to close a deal.

“No discounts, by the way.”

Nuala had a way of talking which properly demonstrated her minxlike persona. This could be perfectly demonstrated in the way she stated even the simplest, most mundane things; at least, when stated to the right person. Jove felt the full effect of this ability as she threw her eyes over her shoulder, a cunning grin upon her lips as a congratulations was given. The smallest of smiles found its way onto Jove's lips, and he simply shook his head at the action. It was this exact exact behavior of hers that had so often pulled upon the strings of his imagination whilst they were on travel.

As he found his way deeper and deeper into her home, he found his gaze bouncing on different objects hung on the walls or placed upon shelves. Once one stepped through the door of her room, pretty much anything they would see could be considered high class. Jove reminded himself that he wasn't on duty, and that him and the thief had reached a sort of understanding which meant that as far as he cared or was concerned all of this had been purchased by her. Hell, there might have legitimately even been a chance that she hadn't resumed thievery since returning to Fiore; perhaps she'd actually stayed clean since her arrival?

Jove accepted the whiskey gratefully, raising it with a head tilt. He had taken the seat next to hers, lightly draping the blanket over his own lap as well as he took a sip of the amber liquid. Of course it was top-shelf liquor, something to be expected in her presence. He had made an offhanded comment about how he couldn't afford to look for thieves, outside of this special circumstance, even if he wanted to. Yet as she spoke, and his eyes scanned the room, he slowly came to a stop on something rather familiar.

"No discounts, by the way."

"That's it."

The words would bring silence to their conversation, and a tension thick enough to feel. Slowly placing his glass on her coffee table, of course ensuring he used a coaster as to not damage the wood, his hand drew back from the crystal and pinched the bridge of his nose. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he moved the blanket off of him and walked over to a painting which had yet to even be hung up, sitting on its side. Placing a hand on it and gently tilting it to the side, he read the signature on the top left corner for confirmation.

"Well. We found it." As always with Jove, it was nearly impossible to read him. Anyone who looked at him would see an ironclad fortress in which emotions could neither enter nor leave, and which human expression seemed long lost with time. For someone who knew him better, though, the cocktail of bewilderment and amusement was quite obvious. He turned to her with a strained smile, and yet a genuine chuckle escaped his mouth. "You must have already stolen it back for me. What a precious angel you are."

He would allow the painting to sit back in its previous position, walking back over and grabbing his drink. Deciding to stay standing this time, Jove would take a slightly deeper swig of the alcohol this time, keeping it in his left hand as his right found his pocket. "I guess I won't have to introduce you to them now, at least."

Nuala’s eyes followed Jove’s gaze and with a sober look on her face she took a big sip from her glass. The thief believed in coincidences as much as the next person and when Jove mentioned his parents’ missing artwork and their estate here in Oak City, she had already counted two and two together – still, part of her couldn’t help but hope that the Rune Knight simply wouldn’t notice. It was a pretty painting and she would absolutely hate to give up on it for free, especially considering the trouble she went through to retrieve it in the first place.

Nuala cringed when Jove picked up the painting and inspected it, silently cursing herself for not putting it away sooner, and even though his expression was as unreadable as ever, she never once felt threatened or worried about what he might think. If anything, the thief had grown weirdly comfortable around the knight and if he wanted to scold her, he most likely would without ever making use of any of his authoritarian  powers. Over the past few years Nuala had learned that in order to avoid the law, one simply had to befriend those who enforced it. In the end, humans couldn’t help their bias and she didn’t blame them – everyone had favorites after all.

“Ah, is that so?” She asked innocently and pulled her legs up against her chest; she cozied up on the couch, pulling the blanket further over her body and occasionally nipped on her alcohol without actually taking a full sip. When Nuala saw the look he was giving her, she almost snorted. Jove tried so hard to loosen up, but she could tell that there were parts of him that still struggled with this – with her – with all of it. “Well, it’s a good thing you got that promotion then,” she eventually responded with a confident smirk. “That way you can afford to buy it back.” There were times when she truly couldn’t tell if he was annoyed with her or not, and while he definitely sounded sarcastic at this point, Nuala was also known to push boundaries – so she did.

“It’s 2 Million Jewels then,” she said and slowly rolled over until she lay comfortably on her side, with her legs still pulled up against her chest and her eyes watching him mockingly. “Cash, of course.”

For someone as aloof and hard to grasp hold of as Nuala, she was really quite possessive. In his short travels with her, he had noticed that she had a knack for deciding things would be better off with her. It were as though a switch would flip in her brain which would determine she liked something, usually an object, and that by liking it she would thus be the best possible owner for it. He hadn't talked with her in order to identify whether this was true, but something in his gut told him that she was currently having an internal struggle due to that very same possessiveness. She had likely already decided the painting hers, and his insistence on returning it to his parents likely sparked an internal conflict for her.

As if physically embodying this very conflict, she seemed to have cocooned herself. Knees to her chest, blanked covering her fully, and alcohol to soothe her worries. It was amusing, almost as amusing as her joking about the need to buy back the artwork. A dry laugh escaped his lips, though the upwards curl of his lips and relaxing facial muscles betrayed him and admitted that he was, in fact, amused. "Oh I can, can I?" There was a genuine curiosity laced with his tone, accepting her little game. "Truly quite generous. I cannot remember the last time a close, personal friend allowed me to buy back my own possessions." He had closed the distance between as she had collapsed sidewise on the bed, still withdrawn into her cute little shell. "You're too sweet."

He sat on the couch, a few inches away from her rump and feet, and crossed a leg over his knee before bringing his glass of amber liquid closer. Taking a sip, letting out a content sigh, he looked down at her mischievous gaze. At this angle, it were as though she were just barely peaking past the blanket. He enjoyed the fact that she was quick witted, and despite his own perpetual silence she was able to enable banter between them. Should he not respond she would even be able to maintain it herself, emulating a non-existent back and forth of word and wit. In this instance, at the very least, he felt he could contribute."Who knew one of the best thieves in the world was able to act like this. Maybe I should write it into your file?"

“I’d go bankrupt if I played favorites with all of my friends,” the thief said matter-of-factly and offered Jove an apologetic smile. “Sorry.” For what it’s worth, she seemed genuine about that. If his parents cared so much about that particular painting, surely they wouldn’t mind spending a few coins on bringing it back into their possession. “But surely you didn’t come here just for that, did you?” From her curled up position, the woman yawned and stretched out her limbs until her legs hung comfortably over his lap. She was relaxed on her couch and his presence didn’t bother her as much as it probably should.  Nuala had long let her guard down around the Rune Knight and decided that Jove wasn’t a threat to her life.

He could–probably would–backstab you if given reason and opportunity and despite how fussy he appeared to be when it came to his work ethics and principles, Nuala didn’t put it past the blonde to become unethical as long as the end justifies the means. That type of wildcard behavior was something she had come to notice around Rune Knights in particular and while she wasn’t an expert on politics and moral grayness, the silver-haired woman couldn’t help but wonder about what consequences such behavior would bring with it eventually. Still, a painting–be it his parents' or not–didn’t seem reason enough for him to ruin his relationship with her. She was more valuable than that, or at least that’s the standard to which she regarded herself.

She had yet to see him become fully unhinged, but Nuala could be patient.

The rogue was pulled out of her thoughts when Jove mentioned her file and in typical Nuala fashion, she took that opportunity to lightly kick him in the side. “If you do that I’ll break into your office and strategically mix up all of your files so that you’ll never be able to find a single piece of information ever again,” she daemon threatened with a sweet voice. If he knew her well, he’d also know better than to put her past this.

“How long are you staying anyways? Do you have more business in Oak?”

"You make a good point," he said to her as she made her comment about favorites. Her legs had slithered their way over his own, and his palm relaxed itself upon her knee. "Sounds like you should only play with me then." The words were forward, at least for him. His eyes had jumped from her thighs, her eyes, and the road between.

The truth was, as close as they had become, there was a lot that they kept from one another. It wasn't due towards the obvious factors such as their guilds nor their professions. Rather, it was the same thing which drew them to one another which kept them so far apart. There was an aloofness that Jove had to him which often kept aspects of himself hidden. His past, his inner thoughts, his emotions. He did not hesitate to allow them to shine through, yet he never addressed them directly. Nuala too, for her own reasons, kept the intricacies of her life at bay.

It was the acceptance of that distance which nullified it completely.

He leaned towards her, his hand lightly squeezing on her knee as he did so. His other hand had reached for her face, going at a relaxed pace which further demonstrated the comfort the two shared with one another. His fingertips found themselves, gently, to the stitching upon her cheek. "We've been together for long enough that even I notice these things." His words were quiet, and as his fingers brushed upwards, his palm came to rest on her cheek. "I can tell that you're coming undone, Nuala." He meant her stitching, of course.

His eyes sought hers out, and even if she avoided his gaze, he allowed himself to remain locked onto hers. He kept quiet for a moment, giving her a chance to respond if she chose to. "I brought you a gift. Something that, I think at least, will help. If you'll let me?" The chances of her saying no far outweighed that of her saying yes.

Despite that, he was not pleading with his eyes. He was not begging her to let him in. He was not using emotional weight to sway her decisions. He trusted that she would let him offer, despite any anxiety she may or may not have about the situation, and he trusted her to understand the intent and answer truly.

Nuala scoffed and scrunched her nose. Their little argument was getting lost in between technicalities now, but that was neither here nor there. “I’m not supposed to be playing favorites with anyone, y’know–” the daemon mumbled, satisfying her urge to have the last word no matter what. In reality, if Jove really wanted the painting back, for his parents’ sake, she was willing to part with it – money or not.

“It hasn’t been all that long,” the woman said and jerked when he squeezed her knee, the sudden movement surprising her. “You are still very young, y’know. Well, I suppose in comparison to me all of you humans are.” She said it in such a matter-of-factly manner that it became questionable why she’d brought it up in the first place. Then Jove started reaching for her face and poking into her stitches and the daemon decided she’s had enough. With no small amount of bite, she started snapping at his fingers with her teeth until she eventually caught some and bit down hard.

“Stop poking me,” she complained, but there was no real heat behind her words.

Between the two of them, Nuala was most likely the more touchy one – the one who was more accustomed to touch and the one who was more likely to approach the other (which is why she was threatening to eat his fingers if he didn’t stop that). Jove, on the other hand, was much more modest (always had been, really) and the fact that he didn’t hesitate to point out obvious flaws showed her that the human had grown much too comfortable around her. It was her own fault really, but Nuala wasn’t quite ready yet to admit that.

He stared at her intensely and she eventually stopped fighting him, slowing down and furrowing her brows in response. “Well if you think I need help I suppose I should at least give it a try.” Besides, she also really liked receiving gifts. Expectantly, Nuala reached out with her right hand and made a grabby motion.

Oh, you're not the one supposed to be playing with favorites? Jove snarked internally, cocking an eyebrow in silence as she dramatized her conversation with the member of law enforcement. Against his will, and despite his better judgment, he allow himself a smirk at her behavior. "If only the world could see the Night Stalker now," the Knight teased. "Truly frightening." He spoke with the same monotonous vibrato as always, and yet it seemed as if time, as well as the white haired criminal, had worn away a little bit at his edges.

"Yes yes, I'm very young." His thumb ended up between her teeth as they clamped down hard. He grunted in pain, though it was obvious that it was more of a mild discomfort than anything. Wincing in surprise, he suddenly turned his body inwards until she relaxed his jaw. Pulling his hand back, his palm found its way back to her as she reached out, her actions far too cute for her national title.

Withdrawing his hand from her skin, he took out two potions. He handed her one of them, the name of it written in cursive on the bottle. "I was told that it was quite a natural process. You just drink it, and you pretty much figure the rest out instantly. I figured I'd do it as well... Just in case you were otherwise nervous." His actions were rather short sighted to be honest, something that didn't quite fit his persona. While being fused with Lucifer made him slowly accept a small bit of the pride and made him more determined in his work, his time with Nuala made him a bit more spontaneous.

As she would grab the potion from him, he'd remove the cap of his own and lift it to her in a cheers. "Just a personal preference, but please remain as a woman. I rather like you that way." And with that, he downed his potion in two large gulps.