Cecilia doesn't stay at one place for long, not because of her nomadic patterns. Simply, because she was always needed elsewhere. And by elsewhere, she means across the globe. She had just returned from her one month trip to Berlin to settle the conflict between two individuals. Only two, and yet it caught their attention when they're halfway across the world in Colorado. What a stent in her plans. As much as she takes her job seriously, Celia would be lying if she said she preferred to travel every week rather than staying in one place for at least more than a month. Even she needed entertainment sometimes. Her idea of fun however, is quite abysmal. Not that others would know.

Though she did feel something weird tugging her along, the moment she set her foot in Evermore. Now that was a few weeks ago. Ever since she got back from her trip, she felt the same energy rousing around, successfully illuminating her confusion. A few weeks later, she finally knew what was the reason for all of that; the return of one particular fallen star that she definitely thought was dead after centuries of dead end, Atticus Thornbrook. Didn't mean everything was back to normal, of course, their relationship was pretty much still intense, like on the brink of falling from the strings that was supposed to be untouchable kind of intense. Coming back to Evermore two days ago had been a blessing in disguise. As soon as she got home, the Italian Valkyr dashed straight to her laptop, which she actually almost broke it in half because of the amount of strength she used to open it alone. To do what exactly? Book the flight tickets of course. 

Celia knew she probably should've booked the flight tickets a week ago when she bought the entrance tickets to Disneyland but she was a bit preoccupied by the cartels fighting each other the next day. Usually it wasn't her concern but they were Valkyrs so, someone had to intervene. Unfortunately for them, that someone was her. After successfully booking two flight tickets for their 6-day trip to LA, the brunette rolled over her bed in enthusiasm. Today was finally the day. Right, one problem, her partner doesn't know she was planning for this trip. Another reckless thing done by the Valkyr. No matter, Celia made sure to take care of his schedule for the entire week so that when they got back from the trip, he would still have another two days off to rest. One sleek black colored 24 inch luggage was already placed neatly next to her desk when she woke up earlier. A little over 30 minutes later, she got out from the shower and dried her hair quickly before picking out her clothes from her closet. The Valkyr preferred light mannered clothing, nothing too heavy and pompous. She likes to stay comfortable. But it doesn't mean she's a no when it comes to dressing formally.

 Preferences really doesn't matter for her. Finishing her look a few minutes later with a sheer burgundy button-down blouse tucked in high waist jeans and matched up with her mid-sleeved cardigan jacket, she pulled up her hair into a neat ponytail before grabbing her car keys and exited her apartment. Luggage, checked. Passport, checked. Shades, checked. Yeon, not checked. Rushing over to the parking lot in the basement level, she started her engine and drove off afterwards. Their flight is in 6 more hours so she should have enough time to wait for Yeon to pack things up in 2 hours or so and driving to their airport wouldn't take more than an hour. After parking her car in front of the apartment complex where Yeonseok Lee resides, she passed the security with ease after offering a smile. Of course, they'd recognize her straight away. It wasn't the first time she's been here albeit not visiting after a while, and she was sure Yeon included her name somewhere in that book of his. 

Unfortunately for her, to go up there at the penthouse level, she will need a card since that's the only way the elevator would work. A part of her huffed in annoyance because last time, she didn't need to do this. But then again, she hasn't visited in quite a while so if they upgraded anything she wouldn't exactly know. Leaning forward to the Receptionist's desk, the silver tongued female took off her shades and offered her a grin. "I'm on his list though, aren't I? It's been a while since I met him, and this is my only free time to actually do that. It's supposed to be a surprise trip for him, or else I would've asked him to come down and fetch me. Surely you can give me this one teensy favor for one-time purpose?" Her hazel hues flickered to the Receptionist's green ones and she swore she saw her gulp nervously. A few moments later, she received the card from the blushing staff and pressed the elevator's button, Celia had a smirk present on her lips when she got it, clearly happy that her attempt worked, but of course, Cecilia being classic Cecilia didn't forget to send a wink at the flustered blonde before the door shuts.

 The ride up his floor didn't take long as she fished out her phone and scrolled down the notifications. As soon as the elevator opened, she stepped out and plopped herself on the spot next to Yeon who was sitting on the couch. "Whatcha' doin?"

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To say life was hectic for the valkyr lately was probably the understatement of the century, Yeon swore that all he did lately was travel and not the fun kind of travel when you ended up exploring loads of different places and eating good food. No this kind of travel mostly consisted of constantly seeing the inside of a plane. He’d been trying to get time in Evermore over the past few months because he wanted to maintain the relationships he had there and properly come to terms with the fact that he would be leaving the place behind soon but all he had really done is constantly tire himself. From moving, to business meetings and contract negotiations he was burning the candle at both ends.

So he supposed it wasn’t a massive surprise that he’d been severely neglecting his personal relationships lately, missing dinner here and there, not getting back to people when he knew he really should and generally, feeling a little lonely because he was spending most of his time alone or working. The good news was that all the work was paying off and he was seeing some really positive responses to his ideas about choreography for the show and the New York branch of the dance company were really accommodating and happy to have him there. Some of the dancers had ever expressed their interest in being part of the project, in that sense he felt very excited and full of life but when it came to his personal life, things definitely felt like it was slipping.

He got back into Evermore over the weekend and had mostly been tied up with paperwork since then, he was so close to having a contract and his dream being right in front of him and that alone felt surreal as hell to him, it was like when you spent an entire year waiting for a vacation and then the actual passed in the blink of an eye. In that sense, he was trying to hold onto every positive part of the experience and really enjoy it while he had the opportunity. But it was safe to say that he hadn’t taken a full day off work for several months now and it probably showed, especially when combined with the fact he never slept all that well and therefore spent more time relying on caffeine than any sane person probably should.

He was dressed in loose-fitting slacks and a t-shirt, not his usual attire but it was comfortable and it wasn’t like he was planning to leave the house, he’d probably read over this contract twenty times already and yet he was still sitting here scrutinizing every word, it was important to get this right, this was the difference between creative freedom and becoming a slave to some other company who wanted to use his talents. He lifted his phone and opened his calendar to scroll through it, reminding himself how long he had to make a decision on signing it or not and pursed his lips before his eyes widened. Why was his calendar empty? He frowned for a moment and reloaded his app in case it just hadn’t initialized properly but nothing changed. Without even considering it he dialed his assistant immediately and from the moment she spoke he could tell something suspicious was happening.

“What do you mean you cleared my schedule?” he asked, his tone clearly unimpressed by the sudden change in plans and definitely sensing there was more to it than his secretary's concern for him working too hard like she said, after all, she knew for sure he wouldn’t be relaxing if he stayed home anyway. “I can’t just up and drop all my meetings every time I get a little tired Nat, that’s how businesses go under and CEO’s get voted off their board” he was doing his best to control his tone and not yell because it was clear there was something else happening here and he did understand that she was trying to do this as a favor to him and not to purposely ruin his day “Can you rearrange any of them? The theatre company isn’t exactly going to be happy to push back the read through” perhaps if he was more self-aware in that moment he’d realize how much of an insane workaholic he sounded like but alas, it was a part of who he was.

He didn’t even hear the sound of the elevator coming up nor notice Celia’s presence in the room because he was too busy debating the schedule, so when she spoke he almost jumped out of his skin in surprise “Fuck” he said loudly as he pressed his hand against his chest and tried to control his breathing “I’ll call back” he spoke as he met the gaze of his friend and ended the call, his eyes immediately narrowed “You had something to do with this didn’t you?” it wouldn’t be the first time Celia had talked her way around her his staff after all.

As soon as she plopped herself on the couch next to Yeon, the Italian crossed her legs and leaned against the soft cushion of the pillows covering her back with her glasses in her right hand. Okay, perhaps she didn't exactly lay back and watch things unfold the way she wanted them to go. The scenario she had in her head was a lot more different than what she is seeing at the moment. Things could've gone a whole different wave and she may have anticipated this, of course she did, she made sure to clear every schedule that was in her way, well… his way, so they could spend the entire week having fun and push all the stress out of their heads and focus on enjoying their immortal lives more. A vacation. She needed one. He needed one. It was a win-win situation. Or at least, it was supposed to be one. 

Now it doesn't look like one. "If we went along with the idea of a swear jar that I suggested a while back just for fun, you would've placed so much money inside it" she quipped dryly, she wasn't stupid, Celia could detect the tremor accentuating his voice, all the tone and timbre tells her she was in trouble, no way to escape this so might as well make the best of it, especially when she's planned everything. Seeing the way Yeon narrowed his dark hues on her, threatening to spill her guts open even with his intimidating stare alone, Cecilia sighed dramatically and placed her sunglasses on the glass table in front of them. Usually, she wouldn't mind nor would she give a damn about what people wanted from her, much less think about her, but this is Yeon.

 Yeon wasn't just a someone in her book of life, he wasn't just anybody. Yeonseok Lee is one of the most important people in her life and that's saying a lot considering the silver-tongued female has lived enough portion of her life over 1800 years ago. "One, no you're not gonna call back for any reasons you may think. You're only going to call back by telling your secretary that your schedules are indeed cleared for the rest of the week" she started, perching one arm over the couch and leaned closer to stare at the Valkyr in front of her, "Two, to answer your question, no point in lying anyways, yes, I did have something to do with this" she pulled out the tickets from her purse and showed it to the blond. 

"This. Come on, Yeon… you deserve a break and so do I, what's the point of being an immortal if you're just gonna suffer from a fucking brain aneurysm at the end of the day because you kept working non-stop?" It was surprising to see how easy Celia pulled the strings just to clear his schedules, and not just that, "Don't worry about the theatre… I got in contact with them and let's just say they were… enamoured. Come on Yeon, please? I rushed back as soon as my shift ended you know…" she had a pout gracing her lips, an emotion that only few can get from her, genuinely.

His stern look didn’t falter when she spoke about the swear jar, though the corner of his lips did turn up in a slight smirk “A few words of profanity never actually hurt anyone” he spoke pretty bluntly, there was only a problem with swearing if someone made it a problem. He watched the way she looked a little nervous about his reaction which pretty much affirmed she did have something to do with it. Not that the younger valkyr was surprised, if anything he probably should have guessed already because it wasn’t the first time Celia had managed to sweet-talk her way through his business “Damn it, Celia, you can’t keep messing with my staff” he glowered at her for a moment but he couldn’t stay mad for too long, if he knew anything about the elder valkyr it’s that she always did stuff for a reason.

And she was important to him, had been from the moment she walked into his life 8 years ago, she had been the one that was there for him and made sure he knew what he was going through, reminded him that he wasn’t alone and he always had someone to turn to, a part of him kinda wished she’d been the one to turn him and not some randomer who turned their back on him and never even tried to make contact. Her stern voice had him pressing his lips together and watching her suspiciously “For a week?” he spoke his voice clearly showing both his shock and annoyance at the interruption “I can’t just drop my work for a week, don’t you know I have a major deal in progress, this could change everything Ce” he bit his tongue catching himself in that mode, the workaholic mode than he never knew how to let go.

He quieted deciding to hear the brunette out, she wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble pointlessly, after all, his eyes fell on the paper in her hand and his lips parted in surprise “Disneyland?” he spoke softly and then chuckled slightly “We always say we’re gonna go to Disneyland, have a few days as kids, we must have said it at least 8 times in the last year alone” it was kinda their sanity check, that when all the crazy got too much, there was something to look forward to and while neither of them had ever been, it seemed like a dream both of them wanted to fulfill. Her pouting made him grumble softly “You quite literally picked the worst week of all for this” he spoke and then bit his lip “Which I guess also makes it the perfect week for this” he sighed defeatedly.

“Alright you’re gonna spill every damn detail, starting from what you told my secretary, you know I hate surprises” he shook his head a little, the dates on these said tomorrow which meant she was planning for them to leave tonight and Yeon wasn’t sure exactly how he was going to turn his work brain off right now.

Cecilia couldn't refrain herself from rolling her eyes at the blond Valkyr sitting just next to her when she decided to saunter into his place like she owned it, well technically she was granted access to come visiting anytime she wanted, Yeon's words, not hers. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, Yeon" she grumbled and shook her head at the male, perching her hand over the couch and turning her body around to the side to face him clearly so she could talk to him and perhaps, coerce and persuade him into agreeing to this trip that she had single-handedly plan since a week ago and had been waiting for this day to blast their vacation off. And when Cecilia Laterza wants something, she usually made sure to get them. One way or another. She'll be damned if Yeon ends up ripping the ticket in front of her which doesn't sound like something he would do but still, the possibility was high considering it takes a really… Really out of the world person to even hold anything above him. 

Even to her, Yeon was a difficult man to get through. The only times she ever got her way was because of their bond together, which meant she would often pout her way into his graces. The way he glowered at her got her sighing and covering her face momentarily before leaning forward and laid her head on the couch, "Honestly, I don't even want to mess with them, Yeon. But that's pretty much the only way I'll ever get through your organization. Your work schedule is crazy, dude." And believe her, she was not exaggerating. Sometimes it worries her on how much of a workaholic the younger Valkyr can be. "Are you telling me if I hadn't worked my way into those things, you would actually even think of having a day off, much less a week vacation outside of Evermore and NYC?" She knew she had a point there, Celia always made sure to keep herself updated with what he does, it wasn't nearly as hard as her other things to do in her semi-occupation outside doctor's coat. He is special, and unfortunately, much to her dismay, she hated that she couldn't be there for him all the time, or tell him everything. 

This was going to kill her and it was already slowly eating her up inside but his happiness is what matters. The Italian female wasn't about to let him jeopardize his own health, despite Valkyrs being totally immune from any diseases, which also doesn't really cordon off deprivation issues. "I know you have a major deal going on, I didn't just bother your staff. I went to your associates as well. You'll be surprised to see how persuasive I can be, Yeon" Talking her way into anyone's good graces, it was almost a given talent for her hence the nickname Silver Tongue. She sunk her teeth on her bottom lip, waiting for his reaction to Disneyland and it felt like the whole world was either cracking down or the opposite. "Work with me on this, Yeon. It's been a shitty week, I can't surround myself with the ER anymore due to the cases keying in only this month alone. All of the blood makes me nauseous." Obviously, that wasn't what she meant but with her bloodlust history, she had to keep herself controlled. 

Celia took a deep breath before starting the moment he demanded an explanation from her, "Pushing off the fact that I wanted to get out and I don't wanna go to Disneyland alone, I tried to ring your secretary a week ago which didn't really go well because I was directed to a voicemail for queue instead. I was offended" she grumbled and hit him with a pillow on the side, "I'll tell you everything so please go and pack your stuff while hearing" she chastised and shook her head, "Back to the story, I went to your office to meet with your secretary personally and told her that you were slowly working your head off the rails and turns out your good secretary also cared for you the same way I do, good choice by the way, pretty too, those green eyes can stare you down."

She pressed her lips into a thin line before breaking out a sheepish grin, "It's not her fault alone of course, I may or may not have… distracted her while she was busy sorting out your schedule." And by distracting, even the Valkyr didn't need to tell for Yeon to get the idea, he knows her too well to begin with, especially when she even described her appearance. Before she could continue, she narrowed her hazel hues at the blond and eyed him scrutinizingly, "When was the last time you fed?"

Okay perhaps she did have a point, he had always been terrible at being able to put things down, whether it was the need to read a book all the way from start to end without stopping or ended up binging an entire series of a television show, he was the kind of person that once he started he didn’t want to stop and work was probably the worst culprit of that for him. There was always a project to finish, a routine to perfect, a contract to read and review, there was no end to work which is exactly what made it so easy to get completely sucked into “My work schedule is crazy because I have a lot of things I want to achieve, important things” he shook his head slowly “It’s only going to be so long before people begin to realize I’m not aging and then what?” he sighed softly, he definitely felt like he was against the clock when it came to his company and what he got to achieve with it “So no, I don’t think about damn vacations because I’ll have years of them down the line” he pressed his lips together realizing he was raising his voice “Sorry, I know it’s not your fault this is my reality” he nodded slightly “And that you’re trying to help, in your own intrusive way” but she was right, getting him to take a week off was pretty much impossible.

“Yeah don’t I know it” he grumbled as he glanced over at her, seeing the way she was pouting at him and then sighed “They don’t give you that ridiculous nickname for the fun of it” he commented again though it was clear he was still unimpressed by the intrusion so close to the end of the contracts for the theatre but he was slowly realizing that he was acting like a bad friend and probably had been for a while now if she felt like she needed to do this in order to get some of his time “Yeah part of me does question your sanity, working in a hospital given everything” he was good at controlling his bloodlust and he had trusted people for it, he survived on only a few drops because that was all that he wanted.

“Man I can be a terrible friend sometimes can’t I?” he commented, finally calming down a little when she showed him the reason for the need for a week off and she was right when she thought this was something he wanted to do, it was something he’d been thinking or rather promising himself he would do for a long time. Never happened because he didn’t know how to take a break but it seemed like today he would learn. “Fine” he grumbled as he got to his feet and led the way to his room opening the closet and scanning his eyes over the sets of clothes he tended to keep for his trips, he could make a few alterations and work with this “You’re damn lucky I travel enough and don’t have to think too hard about packing this” he stated as he listened to her continue the story, placing a few things into a small suitcase he deemed good enough for a light pack week clothes.

“Damn it, I don’t want to hear about you fraternizing with my staff” he sighed as he grabbed the essentials he always kept packed in his business suitcase and transferred them over to the new one before continuing to place things into the bag, albeit a little dramatically because he was still annoyed about how all of this came together “A few days ago” he commented with a narrowed gaze back at her “Believe me I can be grumpy for reasons other than a lack of blood” he placed the last few things into the bag “We’re going to Disneyland?” he spoke it skeptically trying to win himself over to the idea of a break.

Celia knew it was hard to get Yeon to agree with her on this, especially when it involved his work and god knows what a big workaholic the blond Valkyr can be sometimes. Scratch that, not sometimes, every time. That's how far she would go to describe Yeon's working ethics. At some point, Cecilia admired that about him since she was also influenced the same way when it comes to working hence her profession revolves around the medical field almost all the time unless she needed to go and carry out a few side jobs from basically being Gideon's second-in-command. But she knew it wasn't healthy, even for Valkyrs such as them, she was more worried if he neglected his own feeding patterns as well because exercising regular patterns are needed to ensure a proper go-through period whenever any problem pops up. No one else was going to do this for him except her so why not? 

The Disneyland trip had been in their minds for god knows how long already, it being their 'getaway' fantasy whenever they lay back and huff in exhaustion from work. Both their work required rigorous training in their respective areas and department but at least Celia only had to deal with her bloodlust and helping others, paperworks usually stressed her out so she tries to fix her way through it. She couldn't fathom how he could work that way. "Yeon… I know you want to achieve important things and I know that we don't always have a lot of time when it comes to staying" Of course she knew that, she's been moving here and there for centuries, she couldn't stay longer than a decade or two without looking ageless though she imagined now in Evermore, it is quite possible. There were also plastic surgery and the likes. People can buy into that excuse. Watching him scowl at her caused the Italian born female to flinch slightly, had it been anyone else, literally anyone else, she would've put them in their place on the spot. But not him. Not Yeon. 

"You may think you don't need those vacations right now and you might be right for all I know… but I say you do need one. And you know I don't prod for fun or without any good reason" Her voice grew stern and her words were firm as she narrowed her hazel hues at him, when Cecilia wanted to be serious, she can. It doesn't mean she likes resorting to that when it comes to the blond Valkyr. "Let's be real for a second here, no one would have the guts to intrude your schedule if it's not me. Have you met you? Polished and pretty but scary like hell. You can actually eat someone, pun intended." A small smile came across her as she heard the way he pointed out her nickname wasn't given for the fun of it, she earned it purely from her effort albeit perhaps not as respectfully but nevertheless, it was still a skill she had shown immense talent for. 

"You wouldn't be the first to question my choices to work in a hospital, nor will you be the last, but if you must know, I've been a healer all my life, Yeon. You know every Valkyr died before becoming one right? Well I died from Tuberculosis while tending to my war patients" she shrugged, it was a painful memory for her but it pretty much explains why she is adamant on becoming a doctor, "So there's your reason. It's an exercise to control my past bloodlust issues anyway." Mundane blood usually works better when she wanted to ignore, it's really her Volakiri's blood that she knew she would not be able to help herself with. When he said he was a terrible friend, Celia shrugged and nodded, "Yes. Yes you are a very terrible friend. You know when a friend comes to visit you and plan a whole week of vacation for you, you at least offer them a drink" she huffed and made her way to the kitchen to go help herself because that's the way it's always been with them both. "You can pack in less than 20 minutes so why are you acting like it'll take you an hour" she rolled her eyes as she came back with a glass of vodka around her grasp, it is such a Cecilia move to be drinking in daylight. 

"So I can hear you screwing some girl… sorry girls, and have to wait for a whole 15 minutes because we were supposed to have dinner together and you can't hear me putting small details about how hot your staff is? Come on" she shook her head and chuckled, "Oh I don't doubt that you can be grumpy for reasons other than the lack of food. I was asking for myself since I haven't fed yet, but you know I wanted to be considerate enough for you" she showed him a pearly grin before nodding at his skepticism, "Gosh Yeon, would I lie to you and say we're partying in Vegas instead?" She paused for a moment before turning back to glance at him with pursed lips, "Actually that's not a bad idea but definitely when you're free or else you'd kill me. Come on" she gave him the tickets just so he could see the authenticity of it, "I'll give you one favor you can use whenever you want. A Cecilia Laterza favor card, okay?"

He realized he was being unreasonable after a while, the way she explained how she understood that he’d been trying to achieve a lot in the short time he actually had was appreciated “I just don’t want to get to 10 years time and regret not working as hard as I possibly could, you know?” he spoke the words softly as he looked back at Cecilia, he had definitely been a man on a mission for the past few years and every bit of success only made him strive for more. He was that kind of driven person who couldn’t stand to be doing nothing and so having to face the reality that he might have to start again in several years really bothered him “Maybe Evermore is different but eventually someone is going to realize I’m not aging and then it’s game over, I’ll have to hand head of the company over to someone else” he pursed his lips, he really hated thinking about that because he didn’t want to sound ungrateful for the second chance he’d been given.

She was probably right though, driving himself into the ground was probably going to end up being counterproductive to the goal he was trying to reach in the end and that would equally lead him to later regret the decisions he had made. Plus he had friends right here right now and not all of them would be around forever. Nor would they keep waiting for him if he continued to neglect them. “I know, I know, I’ve been going overboard lately” though the lately was probably easily replaced with the word always because he just didn’t know how to stop. “Well true, people know better than to interrupt my schedule because it’s tightly packed for a reason” he shot her a look but then eventually sighed softly “I’m not that scary” he added with a frown “At least not to people I actually give a damn about” which included her and the relatively small group of friends that he kept around him.

“You’re bold, I’ll give you that” he commented as she explained her logic for wanting to continue working in a hospital, he had decently good control, even if he did say so himself but even he knew better than to put himself around blood and wounds consistently “It’s walking a dangerous line, that’s what it is” he commented pretty bluntly as he looked back at her and shrugged his shoulders slightly “But if it’s what makes you happy and you think you can handle it, who am I to judge?” he smiled, he would never get in the way of someone and their dreams, after all, all he ever did was try to chase his own and to tell someone not to would be completely against everything he stood for. He sighed softly when she agreed he was a bad friend “Well you know where the liquor cabinet is and there’s blood in the fridge if we’re talking about that kind of drink” he simply rolled his eyes at her while continuing to pack when she called out his packing time.

He was still grumbling when she talked about the fact that she had to wait for him while he was busy with a few girls, okay, maybe he did have adventurous bedroom habits that weren’t everyone’s tastes “Admittedly, my assistant forgot to add it to my calendar and I thought I had the night free and I finished up quickly just for you” he bit his lip and sighed “And I bought you a bottle of whiskey to apologize which you drank up no problems” he narrowed his eyes at her as he finished packing the case and zipped it up. Didn’t need a passport or paperwork for this trip thankfully. “I mean I wouldn’t put it past you to wanna go to Vegas” he commented bluntly but his comment had more been him allowing himself to get a little excited, the buzz of which she had managed to kill with one comment. He took the ticket she offered out to him and allowed a small smile to cross his lips “Those are rare” he spoke at her offer of a favor.

“But you are unfortunately right, I do need a break so” he eyed her for a moment and then did his best to push down all the annoyance and put himself into vacation mode “You couldn’t have given me 24 hours notice to let me get into vacation mindset?” he shook his head dragging his case into the lounge with him before going over to the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of scotch and downing a large mouthful of it, he then smiled mischievously “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this”.

Pursing her lips lightly at his answer, she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and tilted her head slightly to the side and press her lips together to sigh, "And that's all fine too. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make the best of your time while you still can, Yeon. It's only natural for you to want to do that. I understand how you feel, I do" she murmured faintly and soften her eyes, she hated seeing him being upset in general but seeing him looking so discouraged and sad just throws her off the edge and balance. Yeon had been her younger brother figure for almost 8 years if she counted correctly, to say she cares for him deeply would be an understatement. "I just want you to also remember that you do have a life outside work. You may say you don't but I don't buy that. You have a life, Yeon. You have people who care for you. I care for your well-being and happiness. Gideon cares for you. Even your Volakiri cares for you. Just remember, you're fucking important" she grinned wryly, despite her physical appearance and the way she may carry herself most of the time, Celia could be quite tomboyish and laid-back around the blond Valkyr.

Simply because she didn't need to emphasize any feminine self around him. He knows her and she knows him. "Let me put it this way" she started and turned to face him while sitting in a cross-legged position, looking all enthusiastic, "I'll make you a promise, Yeon. I'll make sure that you would not need to hand over your company if you don't want to. Whatever you want, you know I can make it come true for you." She coughed and cleared her throat once he shot her a look upon saying people knew better than to mess with his schedule; yes, his working schedule. As if he had another one outside of that. "Don't look at me like that" she rolled her eyes at him and scowled playfully, a scoff escaped her when he stood on his ground and grumbled about how he wasn't scary, "Oh? Try saying that with a straight face and tell me people are not shriveled up whenever you meet their eyes."  Then comes the next pending sentence that got the Italian brunette grinning with pride swelling in her chest, hey getting a place in Yeon's grace list was not easy. Period.

 "Glad to hear that. It couldn't have been easy to get a spot in that heart of yours" she quipped, a coy smirk playing around her lips, "Bold is one of the words people actually use to describe me for centuries, Yeon. I'm Cecilia Laterza. That name actually means something to most." A seductress who could charm you into falling into a pit but once crossed would be your indefinite downfall. She doesn't tread well with ungratefulness, anyway. One of her rules. "Life is dangerous in general, dude. I've lived enough portion of a lifetime and if I keep on being afraid and reject the thought of it, what's the point? I need to get over my past with the bloodlust. Can't run from it forever, right?" It wasn't known by many but to those who knew, Cecilia was one of the earliest to experience extreme bloodlust, to the point where she couldn't stand to be close to her own Volakiri. Though no one was brave enough to bring it up fearing that she'd snap. Celia came back with a bottle but scrunched her nose up at the talk about blood being stored in the fridge, "No offense but I prefer taking from vein, not to worry, Marcus is in LA somewhere."

 She may have high standards but Celia was big on consent too, her feeding sessions are only secured to people she trusts and for Marcus and his brother being one of her friends for almost a century, it doesn't feel as foreign. "Finished up quickly? Really? Tell me you at least got them off before anything" she jested, it feels like there were no filter when it comes to them. "You said the bottle was a peace offering and I recalled perfectly well that I said I would reconsider it" she narrowed her hazel hues on him scrutinizingly just the same before shaking her head. "Those places need the perfect mood and I am not feeling Vegas season. Maybe in a few months when I actually want to end up with a massive hangover." The Italian Valkyr shrugged and chuckled softly, "Yes, very rare. Aren't you a lucky lad hm?" Though it was clear everyone knew she would kill for him, much less do anything else.

 "Admittedly I forgot I had the trip planned until my intern told me my shift is over and asked about the vacation trip I was taking. That was about 3 to 4 hours ago so…" she fiddled with her fingers and grinned sheepishly, "Sorry." She got up from her seat and stretched out her limbs and patted his cheeks a little too excitedly, "Better believe it. Come on, I am actually hungry for more than just blood, I want to grab something at the airport first at least." Celia threw a pillow towards him and ushered for him to get up.

He looked over to the hand that she placed against his shoulder and let out a long sigh “Sorry, I know I’m being unreasonable” he spoke it softly, he was aware his addiction to work wasn’t always good for him but it was very hard for him to let things go at times and he knew he sometimes worried people close to him in the process of it all, something he really didn’t want to do to Celia because she was incredibly important to him. Her pep talk did help to calm him some though, she was really good at those, always had been and she had been the one to pull him out of his shell when he first arrived in Evermore 8 years ago. They knew one another in a way that was hard to describe but it was special somehow. “I just don’t really know how to dial it down, you know me, once I set my mind on something, it's pretty much impossible to think about anything else” even when he was at home he was thinking about what he would do the next day at work, it was a never-ending cycle and one he knew he needed break eventually.

He looked back at her with a curious gaze, she always had this way of getting past any walls or personas he put up and going straight to the vulnerable side of him that he didn’t like to show anyone, not even Han. “You’re impressive Cee, but even you can’t make everyone who’s seen my face forget it” he chuckled softly as he looked back at her, he was grateful for the sentiment and for her understanding how he felt on this particular topic “Besides I don’t think that you’d see it as a bad thing that I’d be forced to take a vacation” he gave her a look that asked her to tell her any different before shaking his head a little “Okay I might be a little scary when I’m CEO me or professional dancer me but I’m not scary” by that he meant as a person he was pretty approachable, or he hoped that was the case, he bit his lip a little “Or maybe you’re right, maybe I do scare people off” his mind went to one particular person who pushed the friends and friends only cards lately who sometimes had Yeon wondering if he did something wrong, something he wasn’t used to even considering.

He smiled when she spoke about the honor of being important to him, naturally he lifted one hand to press against his chest and nodded “Contrary to many people’s belief, there is a little room in there for others” not a lot, if he was honest, he knew a lot of people but not many managed to forge a connection with him that made him care deeply for them. Though that number was certainly rising in the past few months, more and more people managing to mean something to him. He’d be worried if it didn’t make him feel so elated. “That name enjoys saying her own name way too much” he teased back to her with an amused shake of his head. He looked back at her at the mention of bloodlust, not something he’d ever worried over because he preferred to just take a few drops from strangers or use blood bags “You let yourself get too personally attached to it, that’s your problem” he had seen it time and time again which is why he was determined to keep it as a transactional thing rather than a personal connection

He rolled his eyes at her when she spoke a bit too nosily about his bedroom encounters “Are you really questioning my ability to perform?” he raised his brows for a moments, Yeon was nothing if not gracious when it came to the bedroom, he wasn’t selfish with his pleasure because he found just as much in knowing what he could bring to others. “Just went a little harder is all” he smirked and shrugged his shoulders “Alright, remind me to consider whether I want to apologize next time” he grumbled with a roll of his eyes. “Yeah I’m still coming down from the hangover from hell last weekend so let’s keep it light” he wrinkled his nose, alcohol was good for getting a buzz but it was easy to go too far and somewhere like Vegas pretty much revolved around being drunk and who knows how much money an intoxicated millionaire could waste.

“I mean how can argue with a favor card of such caliber” he spoke it in a slightly mocking voice and grinned slightly before listening to her talk about the plans she had made “How…?” he was actually lost for words that she could plan something like that and then completely forget about it, as someone who had a schedule for making his schedule he wasn’t sure how people functioned “That’s actually kinda impressive, to forget that you were planning to go to a different damn country” he eyed her suspiciously as she tapped against his cheeks and after moving the pillow she launched at him he grumbled a little as he got to his feet and grabbed his suitcase to drag behind him as they headed towards the elevator, he pressed the button and waited for it to come up before climbing inside “What time even is the flight?” he rubbed at his eyes, he was definitely hoping he could get a nap in on the plane if he was going to fully enjoy today.

When he admitted that he was being unreasonable, Celia sighed heavily and pursed her lips, she really didn’t like seeing him in such a state, he deserved to go out there and enjoy his life instead of being cooped inside simply because the lethargy was catching up to him due to his intense working schedule. She tried her best not to nag too much though, keeping it at the same line that screamed sister instead of a mother, it wasn’t as if she wanted to pass off as one, anyway. All she ever wanted was to care for the male before her. It’s been 8 years now that they’ve known each other yet she still couldn’t shake him off this habit, but the Italian Valkyr knew why Yeon did what he did, she understood that after building this empire of his, it was going to be hard to let go of it. It was the reason why she didn’t end up judging him what he’s done and what he’s currently doing, whatever the male wanted to do, he should be able to do so without anything stopping him. After all, wasn’t he given a second chance? 

“I’m not asking you to just ditch everything on the spot, even though I am basically asking you to do that right now by messing with your schedule and fraternized with your secretary secretly without letting you know, but the point is” she paused and gave him a reassuring smile, “It’s okay to take a break, sometimes. I hope you know that, okay?” She rubbed his back soothingly and chuckled when he said she couldn’t possibly wipe their memories off, “I may not be able to do that, sure. But there are definitely other ways to make sure you get what you want, you know. I know how much you love your work, the empire you’ve built, it’s magnificent, Yeon. So believe me when I tell you that if you wish to stay, you’ll find a way. I’m sure of it. Nothing is impossible, remember? You told me that.” 

The moment he defended himself by saying he wasn’t scary, Celia had to cover her mouth and stifle her laughter because honestly, judging from the look etched on his face while seeing him say those words, was pure humor, “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” she pointed out coyly and snickered in response before stretching out her limbs casually, “It’s okay. People find me scary too, sometimes. I only get to worm my way around 5 out of 7 when I really want something. Then they get to see the other side of me and scamper off.” Sad, but she wasn’t about to dwell on it any longer. Life is too short to make of it. “Then I’m positive you can handle that on your own too, make a room there for others, and keep them there. If they’re right for you, they’ll stay.” If not, what’s the loss? Celia narrowed her hazel hues at him when he teased her, “That name has been going around for centuries, Yeon, and contrary to your beliefs, I am actually quite popular for it” she huffed and crossed her arms as she feigned offense. She wasn’t called a drama queen for no reason. 

The talk about being personally attached to people made her sigh, “I know. I can’t help it. Gid tells me off every time and I always seem to go back on the same route like a rebellious teenager trying to defy her father. It wasn’t intended though… but you’re right, maybe I should try your way.” The brunette scoffed when he talked about his ability to perform, “I’m not doubting it. How can I” she rolled her eyes and shook her head, “I’m just wondering if they didn’t feel a bit rushed is all, I’m sure you’re a very gracious lover under the sheets, Yeon” Sulky Yeon really was amusing to her, it was rare to see him like this it actually made the Italian grin in amusement, “Can you really sulk with me for a little longer than a day? You know I’ll try to worm my way back into your good graces, right?”

 She slapped his shoulder playfully when he narrowed his eyes at her again, “Don’t judge me. I’m a busy woman, I forget a lot of things until I needed to remember it. Mind you, I just got out of a 16-hour-shift.” When asked what time was the flight, she fished her phone out from her pocket and hummed, “Should be at 4 or something. We have 4 more hours. Enough time to get to the airport and have our lunch first. You can also nap at the lounge. Look at those eye bags, are you gonna be a panda now?” Of course, there weren’t any eye bags, she was just exaggerating for the sake of it.

He looked over at her and grimaced slightly at the way she said not to ditch everything on the spot and then corrected the fact that was exactly what she was asking him to do “I do know that, I just lack the actual will to do so” he laughed softly as he looked back at her and gave a slightly smile “I’ll try” he spoke softly, well he was taking a break today for a full week so he guessed that was a start, maybe one day a reason would come along that made him want to drop everything and just get away but he didn’t foresee that any time soon, he got too much passion and drive from his work and he felt like he’d be a little lost without it. “I’m trying not to think about the looming deadline too much but the more time that passes the more I do worry” he didn’t want to accept that for some time he was going to have to be a backseat driver but he knew that was the eventual reality he would face. “Using my words against me much?” he teased with a smirk. 

He sighed slightly, he was arguing he wasn’t scary but the more he thought about that the more reasons he could find that might imply he was, he didn’t like the idea of scaring off the few people he actually liked being around and now he’s worried he did exactly that. It wasn’t like Yeon to doubt himself so much which probably said a lot about those people he cared for. “Alright, I get your point” he grumbled a little frustrated and nodded slightly “I don’t try to be someone that makes people run from me though” unless they were asshole CEOs, those people he was perfectly happy to be seen as a scary dragon too. He looked up at her for a moment as she spoke about making more room in his heart for others, that had always been tough for him because he was scared if he relied on people too much that eventually, he couldn’t stand to lose them “And what if they don’t stay?” he asked softly as he looked down to the hand pressed on his chest for a moment and sighed gently.

Yeon had always been good at the no attachment thing which he supposed linked back to the fact he didn’t have many close friends, lots of people he could invite to parties and enjoy dancing and singing with but not many he would want to talk about his past with or spend an afternoon alone with. “It seems I have a problem with caring too little and you have one with caring too much, maybe we need to switch” he laughed softly but he gave her a soft gaze “I’d hate to see you lose your caring side though, it’s one of your best traits, even enough you do really well at hiding it” he let an encouraging smile cross his face “Just maybe don’t make the people you feed on the people you care about?” easier said than done he was sure but feeding definitely complicated things a lot. When she rolled her eyes at him when he accused her of suggesting he underperformed he couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction “Well a rushed night is better than no night at all” he winked and laughed, it was all mutual one time things for him, he didn’t take it too seriously. The way she said about him sulking with her made him let out a long-drawn sigh “No, that’s my problem, you know you’ll get away with anything” he continued packing before following her out towards the exit and grabbing his passport before locking up the apartment.

“I mean I’m not judging I am actually impressed someone can be so insanely unorganized” he shook his head in an amused manner and glanced over at her, well at least she had left enough time to not be rushing around in the airport, he’d done that a few times when running late or sudden changes in schedule popped up. Complete nightmare and not the way you wanted to start a relaxing vacation. “Uh excuse you, I look better than ever” he jested back at her unimpressed by her comments on his tiredness as they headed down the elevator and he let the receptionist know he would be away for a while and not to grant access to his suite. Once they got outside he flagged down a taxi and when it pulled up he hopped in the back, asking them to take them to Evermore Airport and then relaxed himself against the seats “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this” he spoke with a laugh “Did you actually plan anything or are we going into this totally blind?” he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

Judging from the expression Yeon was wearing the entire time Celia was chastising him tells her that it wasn't his intention to make it like that and she understood that, at least she likes to tell herself that she does, indeed, understand the entire thing. Though it wasn't as if the female wanted to intervene every time in his life, the last thing Cecilia wanted to do was to give Yeon a bitter reminder that she's there to babysit which is not the case at all. "Trying is all that matters now then. I know it's hard but then again, what's easy these days huh?" she reassured him with a wry grin, a part of her was glad that he had grown up so much for the past 8 years, his growth never ceased to amaze the Italian. She never doubted him, of course, but anyone could take a look and still be taken aback by how the evolution phase blows. "We're immortals, Yeon. Time is a big thing to be thinking about even for us. Immortals get to live a long time yeah, given that they don't die recklessly from other causes" And by other causes, Celia meant being killed, she was sure the other male got the message clearly, if anyone knew her way with words, it was him.

 "It's perfectly natural for you to worry. Though studies stated that thinking too much will lead you to your death faster, I beg to differ. Perhaps you can start by not keeping it to yourself alone." That was a big thing to be asking for but she wanted him to know that she's there, always. "I may not be there physically the entire time… a factor that I unfortunately need to foresee. But I'm always here with you. You know that. If not me, I'm sure you have people you can talk to. Don't keep it to yourself, nothing is impossible for Yeonseok Lee, anyway." She had a wry grin adorning her lips when he said he never intended to be someone who chased people off, "No you don't. But I don't intend to be someone who chases other Valkyrs off either. You're not that bad, don't worry. But you do have that kind of intimidating aura around you that some people mistook to be the opposite" she patted his shoulders assuringly and shook her head, "That's fine too. Sometimes we need a little edge like that. But just be careful not to push those who are close to you." Celia knew the price of that and of course, she wasn't about to believe that the other male had no other friends he keeps close. He has them, but it is his choice to show it or not. 

"If they don't stay, they don't" that sounded harsher than she intended it to be, but there was no point in dwelling on such thoughts, as such Yeon prefers honesty, "But if people are smart and they see how much you're worth, they'll stay. You'll know then, sometimes people don't need to be there physically for them to stay, they can be thousands of miles apart and that doesn't mean they left. This kind of talk is a bit difficult to comprehend but once you experience it, you'll know." She has no doubt that he would experience it in the future. A chuckle escaped her when he pointed out that perhaps they needed to switch, "Maybe. But I'm fine with caring too much. Because you know I won't care for others this way. I only care for selected people. Others only see me as what they've always seen; manipulative, ruthless, tactless. And that's fine, because the people close to me knows exactly how I am" she made a point to keep her gaze fixated on the other Valkyr, delivering the message across that he is one of those people who will ever get to see her vulnerable side. 

"Truth is a matter of opinion, anyway. You can't change people's perspective. Just your own." She will make it a reminder to stop feeding on people she cares about, he did have a point there. "Noted. Next time I'll try not to feed on people I will see another day." No problem. He wasn't wrong though, a rushed night is definitely better than no night at all. "I know I'll get away with anything, that's my charm, Yeon" she cooed teasingly. Celia shook her head and rolled her eyes in feigned offense upon hearing his words regarding her organization, "Yeah well, at least I still got to you in time for you to rest before the flight." Knowing her, she'd drag him along even if they only have an hour left. "Yes yes mister I-look-gorgeous-even-if-it's-my-funeral, you look good. No one will deny that. I was just being caring, you know the kind of trait you said you liked about me? Yeah that one."

 When asked if they were going in blind or if she's planned anything, Celia scoffed and narrowed her hues at him, "I'm not an amateur, Yeon. Jeez… The hotel was already booked, once we get there, there will be a ride waiting to take us to our accommodation. I also reserved us a place for dinner. Tomorrow we'll start the journey. Though I haven't planned… that one yet."

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