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[ellissay-morningstar]

DWC-Day 1 - Casualty

Ellissay couldn't sleep. It had been some time since she had been hurried from the cabin that night and taken to an unknown location. It would be weeks after Whisper had explained that the group they had been infiltrating, a massive slave ring, had figured out Shiloh was spying on them. Months before they would be able to end the threat.

It hadn't been a good ending. There had been several losses on both sides, including a man Elu had been relatively close to. A good man, from what Ellissay could tell. Elu seemed to have blamed herself, and she had been holed up in her office for some time, not taking any visitors except her twin sister Sia.

Shiloh, of course, blamed himself. Someone had ratted him out. Somebody he thought he could trust. The man in question was in the wind. Took the money he was paid and ran. Shiloh had wanted to track him down, but Elu had persuaded him otherwise.

Ellissay, however, knew the woman hadn't let it go. Sia had gone missing for several days. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together that his sister had gone after the traitor. She didn't envy the traitorous man. Sia could be a cold, calculating killer. Her psychic abilities making her deadly even without a weapon. The truth was, the woman was the weapon.

Ellissay swings her legs over the side of the bed and slips her feet into her pink slippers, grabbing a night coat and slipping it around her, tying it at the waist. She stands and makes her way into the kitchen to pour herself a shot of whiskey. Cause why not. It could help her sleep. Her mind went over and over everything that had happened. Could she have done more? Was those deaths partly her fault.

She knew the ambush on him could have been her next. Except he had fought them off enough to thwart the attack. Of course, he had paid the price by almost dying on her cabin floor. Had they thought she was part of his operation? Did the pictures she took have something they thought she could use against them?

She had no more answers than she had months ago, which irritated her. Even after they had taken down the organization, she hadn't found the answer she sought.

She downed the whiskey, feeling the heat of the liquid as it rushed down her throat. It felt good. Relaxing. She moves through the apartment to the doors leading to a patio. She opened the doors, and the night air instantly brought goosebumps upon her flesh. She closes her eyes for a moment and inhales the salty air as it comes in off the sea.

She suddenly realizes she misses her brothers. She misses her mom as well, perhaps especially her. It has been some time since she has seen her. Maybe it was time she took a trip to find her. Get away from everything and enjoy a bit of downtime.

Whisper said she had gone off with an old friend who was trying to help her come to grips with her loss. A man she and her Aunt Elutia have known for some time. A family friend of sorts, from her understanding.

Ellissay lets out the bit of air she hadn't realized she was holding. She hoped he could help her mother. She felt she really needed somebody in her life. Apparently, that hadn't been her children. After their father had passed away, her mother had turned from them all. She knew that her mother blamed herself. It had been Eclesia, her mother, that he was trying to save when that portal had closed, leaving him to perish in the fires of Teldrassil.

Ellissay brings the glass to her lips once more. Again, there were too many questions and not enough answers. That seems to be her life lately. Questions. She sipped the whiskey this time, taking a deep breath through her nose and letting it out with a soft sigh. She should get back to bed. Tomorrow was a new day, and she was expected to be bright and early in Elu's office. Something about a new assignment. Her eyes go to the black envelope with the crimson-red rose seal.

Of course, she no longer worked for SI:7. She wondered how her mother would feel about her following in her footsteps so closely. She moved back inside, closing the doors before walking to the kitchen and rinsing the glass. She makes her way back toward the bedroom. At least now she felt more relaxed, the alcohol having worked its way into her system. Perhaps it would help her find sleep.

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[ellissay-morningstar]

DWC-Day 6 - Feelings

Continued from... Day 3 Bargain Day 4  Satisfaction Day 5 Altruistic

As the last door opened, it scraped the floor; she stepped inside to find a trembling woman huddled in the corner. "It is okay. You are going to be okay." She tried to make her voice sound soft and soothing. "I am here to help you. Can you stand on your own?"

The woman's hair was in her face, so Ellissay couldn't quite make out her features. The woman stood slowly, her legs shaking as she moved to stand up. She was like the others, skin and bones, but unlike the others, there seemed something different about her. On her wrists were bracelets that glowed a soft blue. Magical restraints, Ellissay realized, meant to keep her from casting. She couldn't tell by looking at her what type of magic it was preventing.

Ellissay steps closer and reaches out to move the hair out of the woman's face. The woman recoils as if she is about to hit her. Ellissay makes a soft, shushing noise in hopes of calming her. "I am just going to pull the hair out of your eyes. Okay?" The woman nods softly at her words, and she reaches up and moves the strands before she stares openmouthed at the woman whose purple eyes seem almost dull. "What is your name?"

The woman raises her head and stares at Ellissay momentarily, unsure if she can trust her. "I…I am not sure. I..I don't know how I got here." Tears spring to the woman's eyes and make tracks as they fall down her dirty cheeks. Her body shakes with her sobs, and Ellissay reaches out, takes the woman into her arms, and holds her gently for a moment. "It's okay, it's okay, we will figure it out." And Ellissay meant it. She wasn't sure how to figure it out, but she would find somebody who could.

Shiloh had returned, and he stood in the doorway, letting her have the moment with the woman. Ellissay couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes. She usually didn't let her emotions get the better of her, but perhaps the night's events had taken their toll on her.

They would have to figure out how to get the shackles off of the woman, but that would be for someone else to figure out; Ellissay didn't have that skill or understanding.

They made their way back outside, escorting the woman to their medical and healing team. Ellissay swayed a few times, reminding herself she could use healing or medical care. Her head felt as if it might explode by now, and she felt a bit nauseous.

Ellissay sees Elu coming over. "I take it all the prisoners were released and are being taken care of?" Elu looks from Ellissay to her brother as he speaks.

Shiloh nods at his sister. "All accounted for and one extra. The last woman we pulled out wasn't in our intel. She has magical restraints on her wrists. She doesn't seem to know who she is or how she got here."

Ellissay takes a deep breath and winces. Elu furrows her brow. "You are in hurt and in pain." Shiloh turns toward her and shakes his head, looking concerned. "Go get yourself checked out. You look as if you might faint at any given moment." He pointed to where the healer and medics were checking out the women held prisoner. Ellissay starts to protest but looks at Elu and thinks better of it. She nods in understanding and walks in that direction while Elu and Shiloh continue talking.

Ellissay notices the woman in the magical restraints as she approaches the medical team. She couldn't help but feel there was something about the woman, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps she would figure it out after she got her head treated. Right now, she was exhausted and could barely think.

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[ellissay-morningstar]

DWC-Day 5 - Altruistic

Continued from Day 3 & Day 4 ... TW: Blood & Death mentions

Ellissay wasn't sure how long she had been out, long enough, she would suppose. She could feel something heavy on her and realized she was pinned down by the large man who had attacked her. He wasn't moving, so she tried to push him off with a hard shove, which forced him marginally from her. The second time, she uses her body as leverage, and with a grunt and another hard shove, she manages to push him off to the side and roll out from under him.

She just lay there trying to piece together what had happened for a moment. She breathes heavily from the exertion, dragging large amounts of air into her lungs. She tries to sit up and winces, her hand reaching for the back of her head. She winces again as she touches the area. Her head is throbbing; she furrows her brow and slightly groans. She can feel the swelling beneath her fingertips and feel the pain radiating out from it. Already, she has a headache and is light-headed.

Suddenly, her eyes go wide. The gun! It had gone off during the struggle. She looks over to the very still, large man, and it hits her he must have taken the shot. She still pats herself down to make sure that she is okay even though she only feels pain in her head. When satisfied she has no other wounds, she moves to locate her weapons, crawling across to the man who still hasn't moved. She puts her hands underneath his side and, with a few grunts and attempts, manages to push him over onto his back. She winces slightly as his hood falls back, revealing his endless staring eyes. She wasn't sure where he had been shot; blood had pooled on the floor and wet a good portion of the chest area of his shirt, and she honestly couldn't tell where the bullet had entered his chest. She looks down at her clothing and realizes it is also soaked in blood from where he had landed on top of her. It is on her hands as well, between her touching her clothing and moving his body. She wipes them as best she can on his pants before searching for the gun she had dropped.

Ellissay finds the gun, picks it up, and holsters it. She looks around, locating her dagger and also holsters it as well. Both would be easy to access should she need them, but hopefully, she wouldn't. She sways slightly on her feet as she stands, the room spinning just enough to make her reach toward the wall to steady herself. She breathes in a few times through her nose and back out. She still has a job to do and is determined to do it.

She gets her bearings and moves toward the cell block. Each door is closed only by an outside latching mechanism, which she assumed kept it locked from the inside but gave easier access from the outside. It didn't take her long to figure out how to open it. Inside was a scene that was one of horror. The woman looked like skin and bones, and her hair was matted and so dirty she wasn't even sure what the color was. She hears footsteps behind her and immediately turns, dagger suddenly in hand, ready to fight again.

Shiloh holds up his hands. "Hey, it's me, Shy. I thought you could use a hand. Fighting is all but done out there. Those alive ran, but we will ensure the law knows where this place is now. They will be caught soon enough." Shiloh nods at her and looks over her shoulder at the woman. He shakes his head, his usual smile a grimace. You can see the look of horror in his eyes. "Let's get her out of her. I will take her to medical, and you can finish opening the doors. I will return as soon as I make sure she is in good hands."

Ellissay begins to protest that this is her job, although she knows he is just being his usual generous self. She felt she was letting the team down by not finishing her part. However, another bought of dizziness threatens to overtake her, and she nods at him, sighing heavily. "Okay, okay."

Shiloh moves to pick up the frail woman, who instantly pulls back away from him. She couldn't hear what he said, but suddenly, he had the woman in his arms and hurried back down the hallway. Hopefully, he had a better sense of direction than she had.

…to be continued

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[ellissay-morningstar]

DWC-Day 4 - Satisfaction

( ...Continued from here. Trigger warning for blood mention.)

Ellissay was outside the secret compound. She hid in the shadows, her black leather helping her blend into the night. She, of course, wasn't the only one. The Crimson Rose had a complete crew hidden around the area, ready to go at her command.

The thing was, it had taken them weeks to find the place. Hidden inside the side of a mountain, it was almost entirely concealed from any onlookers. The doors were made of natural stone that blended into their surroundings, so much so that they had been overlooked more times than they would have liked to admit.

Ellissay crouched down, holding her breath. Her chest had a knot in it that made it hard to breathe. This wasn't even close to her first mission, but her nightmares had made her weary. And since their last mission hadn't gone entirely according to plan, they had lost a man; her dreams seemed almost prophetic. The strangest part was nobody really talked about his death. And then there were all the unanswered questions she had been left with.

Her attention returned from her thoughts, and she noticed the signal. They moved closer. The plan was to blow the doors up and get in and out. Elu and her crew would lure as many out of the compound as possible, and Ellissay would go in and rescue those held prisoner. Their intel said there were a handful or less.

Ellissay slowly moved forward, staying as much in the shadows as possible. She heard the explosion, and then, of course, all hell broke loose. A slight cough leaves her as dust fills the air, and she can hear rocks raining down. The goggles she wears not only allow her to see in the dark but also protect her eyes. Already, she could hear gunshots, weapons clanging, and people shouting. She, though, stays on target. Get in, get out, save as many as possible.

She works her way inside, keeping close to the wall. Though a gun was at her right side, she held a dagger in her left hand. She hoped to make as little noise as possible. The whole inside smelled dank; water droplets cascaded here and there down the stone walls. The smell was almost overwhelming. She could feel her stomach turning over as she tried to hold its contents down.

It didn't help that the area felt like a maze. Turn right, then left, another left, again right. Thankfully, there seemed to be little to no security. Of course, they most likely felt they didn't need any down here since. First, you would have to know the place existed. Then you would have to get through the guards outside, then pray you didn't get lost down here.

Focus, Ellissay. Just because you haven't run into anyone yet doesn't mean you won't. She takes a soft, quiet breath, lets it out slowly, and keeps pushing forward. She never saw the man until he was right on top of her.

He is dressed like her, entirely in black, his head hooded; making no sound, he lifts her off her feet by her neck. She struggles at first, panic setting in from not being able to breathe. Then she remembers the dagger in her hand and slices at his wrist. The metal makes contact with cloth, then flesh, the sharp blade slicing easily through almost to the bone. She knew she had hit her target when he dropped her to the floor. It gave her a moment of satisfaction.

She gasps for air and scampers backward away from him, trying to put some distance between them so she can grab her gun. Her hand goes to the holster to realize -it is gone! Her weapon had somehow come loose during the scuffle. Her eyes dart around, trying to find it, and she sees it behind the man who is bleeding but still coming at her.

Ellissay moves to stand, still feeling slightly light-headed from the lack of oxygen just seconds ago. She at least still had the dagger. Already, she could see the man slowing down as blood flowed from the wound, dripping almost continuously onto the floor. She still can't see his face, nor is he making any sounds, not even a grunt or groan. It was a bit unnerving.

She finally managed to stand, but now his attention was on her again. He was a good bit taller and noticeably larger than her, but strangely enough, he seemed to have no weapons. She guessed he was the weapon.

Her throat was sore, and her breathing was a bit shallow as she moved to run toward the guy. At the last minute, she attempted to bound off the wall and behind him, hoping to grab her handgun. Once she had it, she could persuade him to open the cell doors. She would free the prisoners and lock Big John in one of the cells, and whatever happened after that would be out of her hands.

Except it didn't go that smoothly. The air once more left Ellissay's lungs as his hand swung out, his arm hitting her square in the chest and knocking her to the ground. Damn, that was going to leave a bruise. She couldn't move for a moment, and this time, she had lost the grip of her dagger. So now she was not only on the ground but also weaponless.

This really wasn't going as planned. Alright, girl, get yourself together before you end up rat bait. She lifts her head to find the man. She sees what looks like him trying to bandage his still-bleeding wrist as he sways slightly. His shoulders slump, and his movements seem slowed, most likely from the blood loss.

Her eyes dart around to try to find a weapon, any weapon. Then she saw it, her gun; at the same time, his head lifted and turned toward hers and then to the firearm. They both suddenly move, her movements slightly quicker than his own, but his stride far better. She winced in pain and dove for the weapon at the same time as he did. She wasn't sure whose hand was where or which had a finger on the trigger in the struggle. She heard the gunshot and felt them both crash to the floor, her head hitting the stone hard enough that light exploded behind her eyes. The sound echoed off the walls, and then there was nothing as her world went black.

...to be continued

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mentions @the-crimson-rose

[ellissay-morningstar]

DWC-Day 2 - Pastel

It had been a while since Ellissay had gone out to any event. But looking everywhere, she could see that love was in the air had taken over. And though she didn't have a love of her own. She couldn't help but get into the spirit as red and pink hearts decorated the towns, and the event carried on through the weeks.

The dress she held up was pale pink. A color she didn't wear often, but she rarely dressed up anymore, either. Work took up most of her life. She shrugged and thought, why not after months of nothing but hot black leather and weapons? Dressing up sounded particularly fun.

She took her time getting ready, letting the hot shower water cascade down over her head and across her nude form. She used a soft floral soap and lathered her body, inhaling the sweet, clean scent as she scrubbed. She took her time for once, washing away not only the dirt and sweat from her skin but also some of her worries. She could feel herself relaxing, her muscles relaxing, even her mind taking on a much calmer tone. It was enough a part of her didn't want to leave that small sanctuary. However, she would be late if she stayed much longer, and besides, the water was starting to cool down.

She reaches for the towel and steps onto the bath rug, the water on her feet soaking into the material. She drags the towel across her still-wet form and dries off from head to toe, only softly patting her silvery-white hair. She wrapped the towel around her and headed to her bedroom, where she had laid out her attire on her bed. She had laid a matching pair of panties beside the dress, and she would put these on first, slipping into the pink thong. The dress had built-in support for her breasts so that she would skip the bra for tonight. Finally, she steps into the dress, shimming it over her hips and slipping her arms in the sleeves. The dress fit perfectly because she had had it tailored, spending more gold on it than she probably should have. But after she slipped on her shoes and looked in the mirror, she knew it was worth it.

She moves through the necklaces on her desk and finds a set of pearls her Aunt Elutia had given her many moons ago on her birthday. They shimmered softly in the light and would pair perfectly with the dress. She fastens them around her neck, pulling her hair out of the way for a moment before letting it fall back into place in soft waves around her bare shoulders. Finally, she reached for a pink bottle of perfume and dabs just a dot on each wrist and the pulse of her neck.

Stepping back, she takes a long look in the mirror and then smiles. "Not too bad," she says to herself. Her heels tapped softly on the floor as she made her way to the living area, picking up a matching satchel containing some money she would spend while she was out. She slips it around her wrist and grabs a set of keys, locking her door on the way out. She wasn't sure where the night would take her, but a part of her didn't care. She needed this. Ellissay needed to enjoy life for a bit. Already, she could hear the music coming from down the street and see the hearts decorating the area. She could smell various scents, including what she felt were baked goods. Maybe there would be cookies or cake, perhaps even candies. She couldn't wait to find out. There may even be dancing, wouldn't that be nice?

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