#one day he stopped visiting and as the days passed she grew hungry and weak

[badolmen]

Obsessed w the dream I had this morning about bird spies.

#ra speaks #personal #very pixar feeling but with a guardians of gahoole level of violence and cruelty #humanity like up and disappeared for no reason and a bird society quickly filled the gaps #so there’s governments and class divides that run between ‘the wild birds’ and the ‘feral pets’ #so like song birds/etc. are the respected wild birds but pigeons/hawks used in hunting are ‘feral pets’ that are less well off #worldbuilding aside the main character is a passenger pigeon #there was some human project to revive the species but after they disappeared the population couldn’t sustain itself #they canibalized their parents as they hatched bc there was no other food in the rookery and there was a cage around it #until she was the last egg laid and hatched who ate her parents bodies alone after they died #she would have died that first year if this old crow called kanuk didn’t find her cage and drop food into it #they talked and she learned about the outside world from him and he tried to figure out the mechanism to open her cage #but it required a keycard he couldn’t find #one day he stopped visiting and as the days passed she grew hungry and weak #until like this team of specialized human intelligence recovery birds investigated the research building and found her cage outside #there was this yellow crownedkinglet called martyn who found her and took her into intensive care #fast forward a few years (idk birds live longer now) and she’s part of a team w martyn and other birds to recover human data for the gov #they’re on some mission to get this thumbtack that’s a secret memory stick from these rich birds #there’s this long fight/flight scene w the cork board the tack is pinned to and the rich bird’s security thinks they’re trying to steal like #the tax documents that would implicate their employers in massive fraud when all they want is the tack #it’s a little ridiculous like there’s a bald eagle guard holding up one end and two hawk agents holding the other while the smaller birds #fight it out #one of the guards gets injured and the pigeon and the medic (a stellar sea eagle named Stella) get separated w him #they liked crashed into an abandoned sky scraper that birds haven’t renovated for themselves yet #Stella treats the guards wounds and he’s surprised they don’t kill him/leave him to die #the pigeon finds a cork board w a tack identical to the one they need to steal #so the two rejoin the fight and do a pass off w martyn who has the real tack but isn’t strong enough to pick it off the cork board #Stella crashes into the board to break it along a crack sending everything flying long enough for martyn and the pigeon to swap out the tack #and then the team scatters while the guards try and collect all the paperwork stuff #as Stella and the pigeon fly back together Stella gets a ping that tells her martyn got injured/stopped flying

[wondernimbus]

no time to die — tom riddle

pairing: tom riddle x female!reader

prompt: "i'd fallen for a lie, you were never on my side."

a/n: this was inspired by the song no time to die by billie eilish so i highly highly recommend listening to that while reading! the prompt/lyric itself isn’t in the actual text but it was based off of it eeee anyways enjoy

It should never have come to this.

She’d warned him, time and time again, that if he didn't stop, she would have to interfere. Whether he liked it or not.

He never listened, of course. He’d said the same thing he always did: that everything he was doing was leading to something much, much bigger than she would ever be able to imagine. Never quite specifying what it was, exactly, but [Y/N] wasn't dumb—she knew Tom wasn't up to any good.

It was during his fifth year that she first tried to confront him about it, only to no avail. Tom had told her not to worry, putting on that same facade of complete composure that he'd used to fool so many others into believing that he was nothing but the picture-perfect student he made himself out to be. [Y/N] saw right through it, as she'd done so many times before.

They’d first met when they were eleven and grew closer ever since. Tom, she supposed, knew right off the bat that he wasn't fooling her; it was clear in the way she looked at him, so full of doubt and suspicion, that she wasn't easily fooled, young as she was. It should have made him want to avoid her, but instead he only grew curious, and before he knew it they'd become something akin to friends, growing more and more intimate with the passing of time even though neither of them ever quite addressed it.

The two of them cared for each other, that much was certain. She wasn't sure how deeply Tom cared for her, but she knew that she would do anything for Tom. Or at least whatever she thought was best for him.

And maybe it was for that reason that [Y/N] found herself outside of Dumbledore’s study, hand hovering in mid-air mere centimetres from the wooden door as she took in a shaky breath, wondering if this was the right thing to do.

She knew Tom better than she knew anyone else, and she knew that he was getting worse, growing more distant with each passing day. She was losing him to.. whatever his plans were. He was beginning to spend more time with his so-called group of admirers (although [Y/N] knew that the term "followers" was more appropriate). What little glimmer of sanity in his eyes that always used to show only whenever he was around her was slowly starting to dim.

She wasn't just losing him; he was losing himself, too, bit by bit. And she knew she had to do something about it.

So she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" came Dumbledore’s voice.

[Y/N] took in another deep breath, furled and unfurled her fingers, swallowed, and then she twisted the knob and pushed open the door.

She’d only been to Dumbledore’s study once before, to ask him a question about homework. Such drastically different circumstances she found herself in now.

"Good evening, professor,” she said, meeting the old man's gaze from where he sat behind his desk. There was an open book in front of him—when was there not?—and what looked like a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans clutched in his hands.

"Ah, Miss [Y/L/N]," beamed Dumbledore as he held out his box of treats. "Would you like to have some?"

Rather used to Dumbledore’s peculiar friendliness, she forced a smile and shook her head. "No, thank you."

"I imagine you don't make it a habit to visit your professors as a means of enjoyment," said Dumbledore, wizened old eyes twinkling as he set down the box on his desk in favor of clasping his hands together and setting them over his book. "So what, might I ask, brings you here? Oh, and please—sit." He gestured to the plush chair across from him.

[Y/N]'s movements were hesitant as she made her way to the chair and took a seat; something that didn't go unnoticed by Dumbledore, judging from the sudden somberness that crossed his face. It was clear that she wasn't here to ask about homework, much less share a box of jellybeans.

"Is everything alright?" Dumbledore frowned.

[Y/N] looked down at her lap. She couldn't stop fidgeting.

Tom was going to suffer for this. She didn't know how, but she knew he would. But she had warned him, hadn't she? She’d told him that if he didn't stop whatever it was that he was up to, she would put a stop to it—and this was better for him, wasn't it?

She knew what Tom was capable of. To anyone else he may have looked like nothing but the perfect model student, but [Y/N] knew him. He had a certain kind of coldness about him. The dangerous kind; the one that suggested he was capable of doing terrible, terrible things.

That, coupled with the nights he spent somehow sneaking out of the castle, only to come back in the early morning with a disturbingly triumphant gleam in his eyes.. the countless reports of dead Muggles in the surrounding villages.. the young followers he'd already amassed, some greedy for glory, others hungry for cruelty, some weak and seeking protection.. his seemingly harmless talks of immortality..

And the constant talk of a plan that would bring about some sort of change in the wizarding world. Somehow [Y/N] knew that whatever this change was, it wasn't going to be a happy one.

"Tom," she breathed out, deciding to cut straight to the point as she looked up to meet Dumbledore’s gaze. "Tom Riddle. I’m sure you know him."

A brief look of realization flashed in the old man’s eyes. Shifting in his seat, he looked down at his book momentarily as though pondering over something, and then back up at [Y/N], gaze now completely serious. “Yes,” said Dumbledore. “Of course.”

”And I know that you have your doubts about him.”

A beat of silence. And then he nodded. “I do, Miss [Y/L/N].”

”He’s planning something,” she said, oddly breathless. “I don’t know what, but he’s.. he’s up to something.”

A ghost of a slight smile appeared on Dumbledore’s face. “That much I have figured out as well.”

[Y/N] swallowed. “I think he’s trying to make a Horcrux.”

A tense silence followed her words.

The weight of what she said hung heavy in the air as though a dark cloud had settled over the room. For a few seconds all Dumbledore did was peer at her through his half-moon spectacles, brows creased just the slightest bit, and then, after what seemed like an awfully long time, he let out a long, low breath and nodded.

"I wish I could be more surprised," sighed Dumbledore. "But I'm afraid I've long since had my suspicions about Mr. Riddle, and I don't doubt your words, even though part of me wishes they were untrue."

"He mentioned the word Horcrux to me once, in passing," began [Y/N], relieved at how easily he trusted her. She'd always known Dumbledore was wiser; while the other professors had fallen for Tom's spell, he had not. "Something about having found an answer to his problems—the answer being Horcruxes. something about a soul in exchange." [Y/N] paused, fists clenching in her lap. "I decided to look into it. It took me a while—none of the books in the library here hold too much information about it, but I looked through my family's library when I came home during the winter break. I found out what the word meant.. how to make it."

"And you believe Tom might be interested in—"

"In making a Horcrux, yes." Her tone of voice held a sense of urgency; she'd leaned forward unconsciously in her seat. "I know it sounds mad, but professor, I know Tom. I know what he's capable of. And I—" she inhaled, as though bracing herself for her next words, "I believe he'd be willing to kill for the sake of immortality. Saying it out loud sounds ridiculous, but Tom is hungry for power. I don't know what kind exactly, but I've known him for a long time and I'm sure I'm not just imagining it. He even has followers of his own—he calls them friends, of course, for the sake of normalcy, but they're more his subjects than anything else. He's up to something."

She was betraying Tom, she knew. She was the only person he truly trusted; it was clear just by the way he looked at her, the way he treated her like she was royalty. And [Y/N] felt just as deeply for him as he did for her.

[Y/N] loved Tom; it was why she was doing this. And if he loved her, he would understand.

There was a beat of silence as she recalled what Tom had told her, not so long ago. "Something big," she echoed, holding Dumbledore’s gaze. "Something much bigger than neither I nor you would ever be able to imagine."

—

The world seemed to be ridiculing her.

Two days after her conversation with Dumbledore, Tom took her to the Astronomy tower and confessed that he did, indeed, care for her. And not like a friend would care for another, nor the way a brother would care for his sister—no, he loved her like a man would love another woman.

Tom loved her.

But that wasn’t all he confessed. Finally, he told her of his plans to seek immortality, and along with it, power; how, in the future, he planned to purge the world of non-magical blood. He told her that his plan was already in motion.

This boy standing in front of her, only sixteen—had he murdered someone already?

The mysterious deaths in the Muggle villages surrounding the castle.. [Y/N] had her suspicions, but she’d hoped that it wasn’t him.

”We will rule the wizarding world together,” Tom told her, hands holding the sides of her face, pulling her close. “Bit by bit, we will gain power together. You will be at my side as I become the most powerful wizard of all time—and I will protect you with that power. I will make sure that no man will ever be able to touch you—“

”Tom.”

”I have never known love like the one you’ve taught me to feel,” he exhaled. “And I intend to keep it. To keep you.”

She closed her eyes, ignoring the tears burning behind them as she reached up, gently prying his hands away from her neck. “Tom, listen to me.”

He tried to hold her gaze even as she looked away; her hands gripped his own weakly. “What you’re talking about,” she began softly, “It’s.. I’m sorry, Tom, but it’s madness.”

He stared at her. “Madness.”

This time her grip on his hands did falter. Her arms dropped down to her sides as she turned to instead hold onto the railing, needing something to hang onto. “Tearing your soul apart? For immortality?” she shook her head, pained. “You can’t possibly expect me to stand by your side while you do.. Merlin knows what.”

Tom was silent, but the loving look in his eyes had died out. They were cold again. A little stunned.

“I love you,” she whispered, looking down at her hands, which clutched the metal railing as though it were a lifeline. “Just as much as you love me, Tom, I can assure you of that. But I can’t be with someone who—“

”Someone evil,” Tom cut her off. His tone was bitter. “Is that what you think I am?”

Isn’t that what you are? she wanted to say. Asking me to help you tear your own soul apart and stand by as you murder innocent people?

She swallowed, hung her head, eyes squeezed shut. “Please leave,” she said quietly. “I need some time to think.”

A few seconds passed by in complete silence. She could still feel his presence behind her—could feel the frustration radiating off of him.

“Please leave, Tom,” she repeated, ignoring the shakiness in her own voice. And then, louder: “Leave.”

She listened to his footsteps as he left the tower. And once they faded away, it was only then that she sank to her knees and started crying.

—

[Y/N] loved Tom, and it was for that reason that she found herself inside Dumbledore’s office that very same night, retelling each and every detail of Tom’s plans to the wizened old man, her voice oddly numb and devoid of any emotion.

No fear. No anxiety. Not even pain, as she stood before Dumbledore, betraying the boy she loved and yet could never have. Not with what he wanted to do.

”Thank you,” Dumbledore said once she was finished. Her jaw was clenched as she nodded, swallowed, and then—

What now?

She would go back to the Slytherin common room and face Tom again. What would she do? Take him into her arms and pretend as though all he’d confessed to her hours earlier was that he loved her, and not his horrible plans? Or would she ignore the ache in her chest and pretend as though all their six years of friendship were nonexistent?

Could she? Was her heart capable of that?

As though Dumbledore had read her mind, he said, “Miss [Y/L/N], I’m going to have to ask you to look for another sliver of bravery within you. You must continue to gain information from Tom.”

At this, [Y/N] looked up, the first few traces of real emotion flickering in her eyes for the first time since she arrived.

“Learn his secrets. His plans. Find out what horrid things he has already done and what he will do.”

[Y/N] opened her mouth. No words came out.

“I understand that it would be difficult,” said Dumbledore, tone gentle and yet at the same time authoritative; it wasn’t a request. “But as far as I am aware, you are the closest thing Tom has to a friend. It seems he trusts you.”

”And you want me to keep betraying him.”

There was an almost amused lilt to Dumbledore’s tone. “Were you planning on stopping after this, Miss [Y/L/N]?” he asked, brows furrowed in curiosity. “Did you honestly plan on walking out of this room and turning a blind eye to your friend’s dangerous schemes? I believe you and I reached an understanding the moment you asked for my help a mere few days ago: we will stop Tom Riddle, no matter what the cost. No matter if it risks your friendship with him.”

It risked everything she ever had with him. Everything she would ever have.

And yet.

And yet she loved him, and it was for that reason that she nodded and muttered, “I'll.. I’ll do what’s necessary.”

Meaning, she would betray him.

The first time she’d gone into Dumbledore’s office, she was determined. Nervous, yes, but she’d known what she had to do. But now, knowing that Tom loved her, that he trusted her enough to tell her of every single one of his plans—it changed a lot of things. Made her feel ten times more guilty than she already did.

But she had no choice. She had to stop him. She knew he wouldn’t even if she asked him to—the mere idea of it was unrealistic—so she had to find another way.

She had to trick him. To betray him.

If Tom truly loved her, he would understand.

[Y/N] hoped he would.

—

It took days before they spoke again.

[Y/N] had wanted to put off her task for as long as she could, but before she knew it, Tom was approaching her again.

It seemed he couldn’t last very long without her.

It was nighttime. She was alone—the rest of the students were at the Great Hall, eating dinner—so she had the Hogwarts courtyard all to herself.

Until someone yanked her by the shoulder, pulled her into them, and kissed her.

There was a brief moment of surprise in which she tried to push him away roughly, but then, wide-eyed and bewildered, she got a good look at him.

“Tom,” she gasped, but he kept his lips on hers, one hand on her waist and the other clutching the side of her face. The way he kissed her was almost feverish—desperate—as though he'd been longing to have this for a long time and wanted as much of it as possible now that he had it.

She thought of protesting, of pushing him away roughly and storming away, but instead she found herself relaxing into him; there was a part of her, she realized, that wanted—no, needed this as much as Tom did. So she kissed back, fingers pressing into his upper arm as she kissed him with just as much passion as he was offering her.

Warning signs flashed inside her head. Could she really do this? Pretend like nothing was wrong?

And then a thought came to her. A disturbing one, really—one that had what felt like guilt pricking at her chest as she molded her lips against Tom's own: this could work.

This was exactly what she needed to do. Pretend as though nothing was wrong, stay at Tom's side like this, grow closer to him, find out his secrets and his plans, like Dumbledore said—and then.

And then she would bring him down, in the end.

So she kissed him. Kissed him until she lost track of time; until the passion in her died out and was only replaced by a feeling of numbness, knowing fully well that the reason she was kissing him was no longer because of how much she wanted to, but because she had to gain his trust. When Tom pulled away, finally, lips swollen and eyes like dark pools of water, he leaned his forehead on hers and whispered, "I love you."

A chill ran down her spine. She swallowed and closed her eyes. It was easier not to look at him.

[Y/N] tightened her hold on Tom's arm and choked out four words that she meant fully well, and yet felt so horribly guilty for saying.

"I love you too," she told him, and hoped that he didn’t hear the trembling in her voice.

#harry potter #harry potter oneshot #harry potter oneshots #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #harry potter x reader #harry potter x you #harry potter x y/n #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic #tom riddle #young tom riddle oneshot #young tom riddle #young voldemort #tom riddle oneshot #tom riddle oneshots #tom riddle imagine #tom riddle imagines #tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x you #tom riddle x y/n #tom riddle fanfiction #tom riddle fanfic

[silentprincess17]

The Perils of Swimming

This fic is a collab between me and the wonderfully talented artist @neivaloz on tumblr! Check out her awesome artwork that accompanies this fic! I love how we inspired each other and I look forward to more!

Summary: Link agrees to go swimming with Zelda when she gets her body back. He does not think this through, because there is one major problem: he can't swim.

Read on AO3 here!

Now that the sea in Aboda Village was directly in front of him, with Zelda no longer a ghost and made of flesh and skin, her promise of taking him out to swim actually a reality and not a passing comment at Papuchia Village, Link was beginning to regret the rashness with which he had said yes.

He hadn’t expected her to actually take it seriously. In the throes of the whirlwind adventure, he hadn’t anticipated she would actively remember, let alone take it to heart- it was now... four months since they had reclaimed the Ocean Realm? Which means it was roughly two months since they defeated Malladus. Towards the end, time seemed to fuse together, and life boiled down to essentially overcoming whatever barrier was in their way at the time. First it was restoring the tracks, then obtaining the Compass, followed by the Bow of Light and finally entering the Dark Realm to fight Malladus with the Lokomo Sword strapped to his back. By the time they reached the Compass, Link had more or less lost all notion of time, as Zelda and he grew progressively more panicked with each setback and it became an increasingly hectic race to save her body…

Link had chosen to stick with his engineering, primarily. He still felt he was more of a rookie soldier who only knew how to perform vague attacks that just so happened to work out in his favour, and without Zelda’s help as a Phantom he most certainly would have failed from the get-go. With that in mind, he chose to continue with what he had trained for up until now: to pilot the trains with mechanical engineering as his mainstay. Still, he didn’t want to completely lose what sword skills he had developed, so he regularly stopped at Hyrule Castle to train with Captain Russel and his guards. (The latter was really just an excuse to see Zelda before. Or afterwards. Most of the time it was both.)

And yesterday, Friday night, was one of those times he had gone to training, visiting Zelda before he supposedly went home for the weekend.

What he hadn’t expected was for her to insist on coming with him back to Aboda Village. He would never refuse her anything, and he assumed she might have wanted to meet Alfonso, or Niko, or really just visit his hometown, and he had agreed, staying at the castle that night. Zelda had long since given him a room close to hers, as a “more convenient place to stay” seeing how central the castle was to the rest of Hyrule.

Taking all that together, it was a surprise when she dragged him across to the small beach, where the sun sparkled against the deep blue sea, unclasped her belt that had the small sash attached to it, and pulled her dress off.

He gaped, before hurriedly turning away, “Zel! What are you doing?!”

“Taking my dress off silly, I’ve got my swimsuit underneath! We’re going swimming! I’ve finally, finally, caught up with the paperwork that accumulated whilst we were on our journey, and I finished my lessons in advance this week, for this reason! I know it’s not Papuchia, but there’s always a next time!”

What? Swimming? NEXT TIME?!

Nope, he had to ignore that for now. There was the issue of surviving the first-time round.

Because the idiot that he was, he couldn’t swim!

He lived in what was basically a seaside town, and yet, he couldn’t even paddle in the water, let alone swim.

He would drown as soon as the water reached higher than his neck!

“Link? It’s not too late, is it? I know it’s a little bit later than what I originally intended for when asking you, but there was just so much reordering to do in the Kingdom. Plus, you remember the whole scribing thing we had to undertake; it all took up so much more time than I expected. And then the weather was just awful this past week whenever I had some free time...”

Oh yes, he remembered the scribing. That whole incident had happened a week after their return to the castle, where Link had stayed behind both to physically recover himself from exhaustion and his wounds, and simultaneously help Zelda adjust to the land of the living.

On the first day, she had walked into so many doors and walls he thought she might have concussed herself, she regularly forgot she had to eat, and she didn’t have any fear of heights, despite the fact that falling with a body had pretty serious consequences. Consequently, Link felt honour bound to try to help her to remember she was, in fact, Hylian, and as such susceptible to many perils that she seemed to have forgotten over the course of the long months she spent as a spirit. Plus, she was very cute, and he blushed every time he felt her grip his hand excitedly, or drag his arm towards a bookshelf, or give him impromptu hugs for helping her.

Niko had cornered them after a week, wondering where Link had gotten too. When he found the two of them nibbling on sweet buns from Castle Town, a book on maps wedged firmly on their thighs, Link’s arm resting on the panel just above her shoulders; Niko had pulled a right fit. He had fussed over Link before declaring he would now create a tapestry to commemorate the newest iteration of legendary events. And that had taken the better part of two weeks to complete, and was now referred to as the “scribing” by Zelda and him.

“Link! Are you going to change your clothes or not? That’s the second reason why I didn’t drag you to Papuchia, because I forgot to tell you to pack your trunks.” She paused, “You do have trunks, right?”

No, no he didn’t. He’d just sacrifice an old pair of cargo pants he had. It would be fine. Probably. He made a vague motion towards his house, before deciding to put the Hero’s cap on. It would hopefully hold some of his hair back, and it would bring him luck on this death quest he was about to embark on.

Why?

Why did he put himself through this?

He sighed. He knew the answer.

This was all because he couldn’t say no to her.

He shuffled back into his home, Niko popping up whilst he half-heartedly opened his wardrobe and shuffled around some more. Spirits. He didn’t want to go back out. He didn’t want to admit to Zelda he didn’t know how to swim. Worse still, he didn’t want her to think badly of him for living by a seaside town, and yet, never having learnt such an essential skill.

Niko hobbled across on his cane to Link, peering around the wardrobe door.

“What’s with the long face? I thought you’d be excited, bringing the Princess over. Yes boy, I know she’s here, everyone heard the two of you enter town. It’s a small place, Link.”

He fished out an old, half-faded blue pair of shorts. “Zelda wants to go swimming, Niko.”

Niko’s eyes widened, “What? But you-”

Link slammed the wardrobe door shut with perhaps more force than necessary. “I know.”

Niko hesitated, before he placed a gnarled hand on Link’s shoulder. “I have a question for you Link… Do you know of any of Princess Zelda’s weaknesses?”

Well, that one was easy. “She’s absolutely terrified of mice. She will literally jump into my arms, or onto my back, to escape them.” He chuckled, “Even as a giant Phantom, three times my height, she couldn’t come near one.” He hesitated, thinking back to their recent conversations on her balcony under the stars, “She’s also scared of not doing well... but I guess this is a fear we all have…”

“That’s your answer then, Link.”

Huh? Why would knowing what Zelda was scared of make any difference?

“I can see you are still confused. Let me make it clearer. Did you judge the Princess for having those failings? Did you at any point think less of her?”

He vehemently shook his head, before stopping midway as it finally sunk in.

Oh.

Niko simply tapped his cane against the floor twice, before ambling off. “I’ll make some fried chicken for you both. One always gets hungry after swimming in the sea.”

Link scrambled into his shorts, and then ran out, just as Zelda walked up to meet him. “You were gone for an awfully long time, Link. I don’t want to imagine how disorganised your wardrobe is-”

The words bubbled out, “Zelda I don’t know how to swim.”

“-at least you’ve got some… are those even trunks? Well-”

“Zelda.” He grabbed her hand, shaking her arm a little, “Zelda!”

“What?”

“I don’t know how to swim.”

She stared, stupefied. “Why didn’t you say? I would have brought my floats!”

It was his turn to gape. “Floats?”

She waved her hands in the air. “You know those things you use to keep you upright in the water.” A frown grew on her face, “Wait, does everyone here not know how to swim? That’s quite dangerous! We’ll have to change that.”

She shook her head, gently clasped his hand, pulling him along, “But that’s for later. I’ll teach you today, Link, if you want?”

He nodded, and she smiled.

“Let’s start off with paddling first, and then progress to basic kicks!”

Time flew by again, as he started off gently peddling his feet in the water, arms spread out wide, head just about jutting above the water line as he hovered, suspended in the sea, for the first time. Once he’d mastered just holding his weight in the water they proceeded onto kicks. That involved first thrashing his legs whilst gripping onto the ridge of land to hold himself in place. Then he advanced to doing one leg at a time like a proper swimming pattern. Zelda wrapped her arms around his middle, and he had a go at moving both arms and legs in synchrony.

He was surprised she could carry him, “Link, I do exercise you know. I’m not just a fluffy Princess. Being a Phantom was quite the experience.”

She heaved him higher, and he spluttered in the water, thrashing his arms a bit at the unexpected heave, “I liked being strong, and being able to help you. So, I’m going to do the best I can with my current body too. You never know, it might prove useful on our next adventure!”

He could only smile. He thanked the Spirits for giving him the chance to meet Zelda. For going on their convoluted journey. For having her as his best friend.

Soon enough, she gently let go of him, and moved to interlock her fingers with his hands as she guided him through the waves, his legs doing the measured, purposeful kicks they had practised.

He was so focussed, he hadn’t at all noticed Alfonso on the shore, until he called out to them, probably wondering what Link was even doing in the water. Zelda told Link to keep on kicking his legs as she slowly walked backwards, screamed back that he was okay and that he was learning to swim. Both of them cringed as they heard Alfonso guffaw loudly and watched as he shook his head, walking off towards the station.

“Well, we’re nearly there, Link!” She loosened her grip on his left hand, moving to clasp his wrist instead, “I’m barely holding onto you! You’re doing it! You’re swimming!”

And he gave her the biggest smile he could, as she slowly let go, wading backwards, and he swam by himself towards her, for the very first time.

Suddenly, the idea of doing this again was no longer so horrifying.

What was there to worry about when he had Zelda, his partner, his best friend, by his side?

#the perils of swimming #zelink #zelink fanfic #zelink fanfiction #the legend of zelda #loz #spirit tracks #st zelink #collab #swimming #when you say yes to the girl without thinking #link is a besotted fool and that's why he said yes without thinking #silent writes

[tchallasbabymama]

Troubled Waters Chapter Three

Hello, my lovelies, I’m back 🥰 Recovery is going well, so I started working on this chapter a few days ago, and voilà, c’est fini! I hope y’all enjoy the chapter but know I’m still working on some requests so these probably won’t be weekly updates. I’m shooting for every other week with requests in between, but we’ll see how it goes. Let me know if you want to be tagged in anything, and check out my masterlist to read my other stories and oneshots. There’s plenty of content for y’all to enjoy! As always, likes are appreciated, but your comments and reblogs really make my day.😘

Word count: 5,759

Sego watched with concern from across the garden as yawns replaced Nia’s usual morning ballads. After the third yawn stretched over her usually cheery face, he set his magazine down on the metal bistro table and interrupted her daze, “You didn’t sleep well last night?”

“No,” Nia pouted as she turned to face her friend. “I kept waking up every couple of hours and then when I finally got to sleep, I kept hearing a voice talking about ‘the thinning’ over and over. I don’t even know what that means.”

“Sounds ominous. Did you ask Celeste?”

“Of course I did,” she snapped and immediately regretted it. “Sorry, I’m tired.”

“Clearly,” he rolled his eyes and she narrowed hers before spraying him with the water hose. “Hey!”

Nia giggled and went back to her plants as she pondered the message from her dream. Sego picked his fashion magazine back up and flipped through the colorful pages. He wasn’t one for clothing around the house, but when he was in public in his human form, he liked to keep up with the trends.

A comfortable silence fell over the two of them, and minutes passed before an idea came to Nia as she stroked a large monstera leaf. “You know, mama wasn’t much help, but someone else might be.”

Sego set down his magazine again and his face turned serious.

“Plan B?”

“Plan B,” she nodded.

Sego cracked his knuckles and stood up, “I’ll get the drum.”

Nia finished up outside and washed her hands before piling a plate full of the excess sausage and grits she had cooked with Sego in mind. He wasn’t hungry that morning, so it seemed her leftovers weren’t meant for him in the first place. Nia opened the ritual by placing the plate in the center of the altar and lighting her frankincense resin. She wafted the smoke around their bodies and Sego’s drum, opening them to the spirit world as she hummed the unnamed tune that always came to her during rituals. Once Nia set the small clay pot of burning resin back on the altar, they were ready to begin.

The two friends got into position with Sego placing the drum between his legs and rubbing his hand lightly over the head to set his intentions while Nia stood tall with her head and shoulders back as she waited for him to begin. A few moments later, Nia came alive at the first strike of the drum. She let go and allowed herself to get lost in the sacred sounds, stepping in rhythm. Her feet carried her counterclockwise as her upper body snaked forward and back, being pushed and pulled by unseen forces. When her head began to tingle, she fell to her knees, triggering Sego to pick up the pace as she swayed from side to side with her eyes closed and head tilted back. Nia’s ears began to ring with a high-pitched tone that grew louder and louder until her body grew warm and her eyes flew open. She saw a swirling aura above her, and even though she had hoped to contact Bast, she welcomed unknown spirit. She figured it had something important to say since they usually just communicate through the veil. However, this one felt the need to deliver it’s message in person. Nia’s irises turned white as she parted her lips, allowing the being to enter her body. Goosebumps appeared all over her skin as the high of possession took over her, and the spirit settled into her flesh. The room went quiet as Sego carefully observed his friend. She showed no signs of danger, but he held tight to his drum, ready to banish the strange spirit if necessary.

“Who are you?” he asked, and Nia’s head quickly shot to his direction.

“I am Oma,” she spoke in a gravelly voice that unnerved Sego. Despite the chill that went down his spine, he recognized the name as one of Nia’s distant ancestors, and his apprehension waned. However, his curiosity grew as he wondered how she was able to travel to them so easily.

“What do you want?”

“To warn you.”

“Of what?”

“The realms, they are moving.”

“Moving how?”

“Closer. Space between getting smaller and smaller,” she droned.

“What do you mean?”

“The dead will walk among the living, and the humans among your people.”

“But how is that possible?”

“Bast. Her magic weakens.”

Sego’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“Well, how-”

“You cannot stop them. Worlds collide.”

“Who is ‘them’?”

Nia’s head rolled back, and her body began to convulse as the spirit prepared to leave her host.

“No, not yet!” Sego tried to stop her, “Who is doing this!?”

“Be careful. She is precious.”

“Who?!”

Nia’s mouth flew open, and Oma exited her body before disappearing back into the realm of the dead. Sego rushed to his friend and caught her head before it hit the floor, laying it softly on her altar pillow. He grabbed the blanket Nia’s ugogo had woven for her only grandchild and laid it over her shivering body. Confused by what he just witnessed, Sego returned to his drum and closed the ritual with his skilled hands striking the instrument in rhythm. The sound cleared the air, and the vibrations traveled to Nia’s passed-out form, waking her from her state. He played softer as her chest heaved, and she reoriented herself with the world. Nia sat up slowly when her breathing returned to normal, her chilled fingers clinging to the blanket as she looked to her friend. Sego nodded and laid his palms flat on the drum.

“It was...scared,” Nia spoke softly as she ruminated on the spirit’s emotions. “Who was that?”

Sego pointed to the photo of her great-great-great grandma and her sisters. His finger landed just above the shortest one, all the way on the left. Her smile was the brightest of all her sisters, and her wings the biggest.

“Oma?” Nia asked through her brain fog as she tried to piece together what had just happened. As usual, she could only remember how the spirit felt in her body. This one felt anxious and in a hurry. “She’s never spoken to me before. What did she want?”

She attempted to stand, but Sego picked her up and carried her to her bed.

“I will tell you later. Right now, you need to rest.”

Before she could even protest, Nia’s body betrayed her, and she fell into a deep slumber. She slept the day away and woke up to fragrant smells wafting from the kitchen. Sego knew she would need to refuel after what she had just experienced, so he had prepared a hearty dinner to build her strength back up. Nia dragged herself into the kitchen right as he scooped the stewed meat and vegetables over a large bowl of rice. No words were spoken as she slid into the chair and dug into her food as though she hadn’t eaten in days. Sego took a seat on the other side of the table and waited for her to finish. It didn’t take long at all, and when Nia’s body finally felt full, she leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath.

“So, what did she say?”

Sego’s face contorted into a grimace as he spoke, “She, uh...she said the human realm and the realm of the dead are moving closer to ours.”

Confusion clouded Nia’s face as she tried to wrap her mind around Sego’s words.

“But how? Bast-”

“Is weak. Oma didn’t say how or why, but her magic is failing.”

Nia’s breath caught in her throat, and she looked down at her hands, testing her powers and making them glow a vibrant purple.

“I don’t feel any different, though.”

“Maybe because your magic was gifted to you, she doesn’t have to maintain it like the veils?”

“I didn’t think they required upkeep.”

“I didn’t either, but they’re thinning somehow.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Nia thought about Oma’s message before another question entered her mind.

“Why her?”

“She didn’t say,” Sego shrugged, “but she said to be careful and that ‘she is precious.’”

“Who?”

He shrugged again, and Nia stood from the table with conviction, “We should go see my dad. Maybe he’ll know more about her.”

“It’s worth a shot,” he lisped as his forked tongue flickered out and his body melted to the floor. His spotted skin turned to brown and black scales as his arms absorbed into his torso. Nia left to grab her bag, and she returned as his legs melded together. Sego slithered up her body and draped himself over her shoulders. When he got settled, Nia closed her eyes and felt the atmosphere thicken as she transported them to the magic realm. It was much easier than it was the last time she visited over a week ago. Usually, traveling through the veil felt like swimming through water, but it felt more like walking through a downpour this time.

“Did you feel that?” she asked Sego, and he nodded lazily.

Nia walked out her front door and warded it up tight before turning around and facing her other world. She smiled at the vibrant blue sky and breathed in the fragrant floral air before taking the first step into the magical realm. Her stomach twisted with anxiety as Sego’s words echoed through her head, but she was quickly pulled from her trance when a little voice called out on her right.

“Sawubona, Nia!” Adana waved excitedly, and Nia couldn’t help but grin at her young neighbor as she played with her doll on her front porch.

“Sawubona, Adana. How are you feeling today?” she asked as the girl glided over and hugged her waist. Sego slid down Nia’s shoulder a little, and his tongue tickled Adana’s cheeks, making her giggle.

“Good!” she said proudly as her wings flapped behind her.

“Let’s keep it that way,” Nia chuckled as she booped the little girl on her round nose. “I see you’ve been practicing flying.”

“Mhm. Umama said I’m not allowed to fly higher than this yet,” Adana said as she motioned to the few inches between her feet and the ground.

“That’s probably best. You remember what happened last time.”

Adana nodded, thinking back to when her mother had to carry her to Nia’s late one night with a broken wing.

“Umama says she’s gonna teach me how to go higher when I get bigger, and-”

“Adana, dinner!” Zita called from her kitchen, and the little aziza’s wings fluttered even faster at the thought of whatever her mother had prepared for her. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Zita was a fantastic cook, and despite having just eaten, Nia’s stomach grumbled at the thought of another meal. Especially one prepared by Zita.

“Tell her ‘hi’ for me,” Nia called out as Adana quickly waved goodbye and flew indoors. Sego shook his head fondly at the little girl as the door closed behind her, and Nia was thankful for the brief interaction calming her nerves.

As a known healer to all, Nia was very popular among the residents of Birnin Umlingo, the Magic City. She returned waves and short greetings as she made her way to her father’s place, which wasn’t too far from her own. When Nia and Sego arrived at the baobab tree Amare had fashioned into a cozy home for himself, she found him lounging on a limb with a book in his hand. Amare looked up from the page when he felt someone near, and joy spread across his face at seeing his greatest creation. Both of them started to glow faintly as they laid eyes on each other, and his large orange wings spread out as he flew down from his resting spot. Amare enveloped Nia and Sego in a warm hug and kissed her cheek before rubbing the python’s head.

“What are you doing here?”

“What? I can’t come visit my old man?”

“Who are you calling old?” he playfully scolded her as he held the intricately carved door open for her to come inside. She looked around at all the human gadgets that filled his home and smiled warmly at his treasures. Nia had always loved his collection, but the books and records were her favorite. Sometimes, they were all she had during the lonely days of her childhood.

“Oh, nobody,” she played coy as she removed Sego from her shoulders and set him on the ground. “How are you, ubaba?”

“I can’t complain, especially today,” he winked.

“Because your favorite daughter is here?”

“Of course! And I have a date in an hour.”

“A date?!”

“Yes, he’s taking me to a restaurant opening in the town square.”

“Sounds fancy. Who is this mystery man?”

“I’m sure you’ll still be here when he arrives. You can meet him then,” Amare said excitedly before another thought crossed his mind. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you! I popped over to the human realm and got these.”

He held out his arm, and Nia marveled at his brand new kimoyo beads, “Ooooh, those are nice.”

“Aren’t they? Top of the line,” he bragged as he examined the new bracelet that he had almost no use for in the magic realm. “Enough about me, though. Is something up? You never drop by unannounced.”

Nia sighed and plopped down in her favorite high-backed leather chair.

“Something’s wrong, ubaba.”

Amare’s eyebrows furrowed, and his wings sank a little as he sat across from his daughter.

“What is it?”

Nia explained her dream and the ritual to him and watched as his face contorted in confusion and disbelief.

“-and then she was gone.”

Amare leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face.

“Oma, huh?” he asked, and Nia nodded. “She was a powerful medium when she was alive. I guess if she can communicate with the dead from this realm, then she can easily communicate with the living from the realm of the dead.”

Nia nodded and continued, “I was trying to reach Bast when she cut in.”

“Hm...maybe she didn’t ‘cut in.’ If Bast’s magic is failing, she might not be able to hear you wherever she is.”

“Maybe you should ask T’Challa,” Sego quipped from the other side of the room as he changed back into his human form. Nia shot him a look to be quiet, and he smirked.

“The king?”

Nia sighed, “Yeah, I forgot to tell you I saw him again.”

“Sure, ‘forgot’ to tell him,” the shapeshifter mumbled.

“Sego!”

He put his hands up in defense, “Ok, I’m done.”

“So what happened this time? Did he recognize you? I hope you gave him a piece of your mind. King or no king, nobody hurts my baby and-”

“Ubaba.”

“What? I’m just saying. So what happened?”

“A bad man tried to hurt me, but before I could do anything, he showed up. He insisted on cleaning my wounds, so I let him, and…”

“And?”

“And he saw Zita and Adana, so I had to tell him about us.”

“You what?!”

“He had questions! What was I supposed to do?”

Amare sighed. “Ok, well, what did he say?”

“He was shocked, but I think he responded well. He didn’t treat me like a freak or anything.”

“That’s good. He seems like a decent, level-headed man.”

“I don’t think he’ll tell anyone. He was-” Nia was cut off by a ringing in her head as the protective wards around her home warned her of a visitor. She could tell by the low pitch that they were coming from the human realm. “I have to go, ubaba. Someone’s at my door.”

Amare and Nia stood while Sego sank back down into his python form and slithered over. The father and daughter hugged each other tightly and said their goodbyes before Nia and Sego were out the door and on their way home.

--------

Earlier that same day, T’Challa sat on his throne and halfway listened as the council argued over trade agreements between the tribes. His attention waned somewhere between the third and fourth attempt to compromise, and his mind wandered to the conversation he had with Nia almost a month ago. He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind lately. Not just her, but what he learned that night, too. He could barely wrap his mind around magical species existing in the first place, much less within his borders.

He was jolted back into the present by a nudge on his left arm and frowned at his cousin.

“What?” he whispered under his breath, knowing N’Jadaka could hear him. The prince also had the heart-shaped herb pumping through his veins from his coup attempt a year ago, so his senses were just as enhanced as T’Challa’s.

“Quit daydreaming,” he responded, equally as low so as not to give their conversation away to prying ears.

T’Challa fought an eye roll and straightened up in his throne.

“Let’s table this discussion for next week,” he cut the conversation short. “Now, is there anything else on the agenda for today?”

“No, my king, but I have one more thing I’d like to bring up,” said the Merchant tribe elder tentatively.

T’Challa nodded for her to continue.

“There have been some strange happenings among my people,” she began. “Just yesterday, a woman wandered into the market yelling about creatures nobody had ever seen before, then she collapsed and started seizing.”

“You’re concerned about a psychotic or epileptic episode?”

“It’s not so much the episode as what came after, your highness.”

“Ok…”

“She died before the doctor could get to her...and then she disappeared before the coroner could examine her body.”

“What do you mean ‘disappeared’?” T’Challa’s eyebrows furrowed as he leaned in closer.

“The men who transported the body were found knocked out cold...and when they woke up, she was gone.”

“Sounds like there’s a sick motherfucker around here somewhere,” N’Jadaka muttered with his signature scowl on his face. “Bodies don’t just disappear for no reason.”

The king ignored his cousin and focused on the Merchant elder. “You said she mentioned strange creatures?”

“Yes, my king. She looked deranged, and she spoke of creatures with dripping claws and visible skulls...She seemed terrified.”

T’Challa leaned back in his throne, and his mind wandered to Nia again, but this time with purpose. That didn’t sound like any creature he had ever heard of before, but he wondered if she had. His thoughts were interrupted by the Mining tribe elder.

“Also, if I may?”

T’Challa motioned for her to continue.

“There have been multiple sightings of abnormally large hyenas around our province.”

“There were some sniffing around the entrance to the lab this morning, but the Dora scared them off,” Princess Shuri added. “They didn’t look like any hyena I’ve ever seen. They were huge!”

M’Baku’s breathing faltered for a moment; he had heard of creatures like that before. When he met Nia a year prior, he began to worry about the existence of other, more dangerous magical species, and now his fears seemed to be coming true. He couldn’t just come out and say it, though, especially since several of the council members already considered the Jabari to be a backward people. He didn’t need “superstitious” added to the list of reasons not to like them. However, he felt that T’Challa might be a little more open to what he had to say. M’Baku decided a private audience with the king would probably be best.

“Hm...has anyone else noticed anything strange or unusual?” T’Challa asked the room, and two more hands went up. He nodded to the Border tribe elder, and the older man cleared his throat before speaking.

“We took a man into custody yesterday for killing his wife. He claimed she was alive when he left for work, but when he came home, all that was left was her bones. Of course, he’s claiming innocence, but the neighbors say they didn’t see her at all that day, which was unusual. But, um, we’re not sure how he was able to remove the flesh so easily. There looked to be bite marks.”

T’Challa looked to his little sister, who had a horrified look on her face, and grabbed her hand in his. He turned to his other side and saw N’Jadaka’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“What the fuck kind of sick shit y’all got going on over here?” he mumbled so only the king could hear.

“I’m not sure,” he whispered back. The king turned back to the council and gestured at the River tribe elder. “And you?”

“Sightings of strange fish in the river, your highness. Human-sized, much larger than what we are used to.”

T’Challa’s eyes shifted to his right and he noticed the Jabari chief’s nervousness, despite his best efforts to mask his feelings.

“Anything else?” T’Challa asked the council, and they all shook their heads. “N’Jadaka and I will investigate these claims further and have a report for next week. Meeting adjourned.”

The council members saluted him and took their leave—all except one.

“My king, may I have a word privately?”

T’Challa looked at M’Baku knowingly and motioned for the chief to follow him. The two of them, along with the prince and princess, retired to T’Challa’s office to continue their conversation.

“What can I do for you, my friend?” the king asked as everyone filed into the room. Shuri sat by the window and looked out at the country nervously, obviously spooked by what she just heard. N’Jadaka plopped down next to her and tried to seem unbothered, but he couldn’t stop fidgeting with his lucky knife, repeatedly flicking it open and closed in his left hand. M’Baku sat across from T’Challa at his desk, and his leg began to bounce involuntarily as he waited for the king to sit down.

M’Baku cleared his throat anxiously before he began, “We Jabari have many...beliefs that the rest of Wakanda seems to have let fall by the wayside. I only bring this up because of what I’ve seen with my own two eyes, but I believe the elders’ reports. Call me superstitious, but there are forces out there that you would not believe. Even I haven’t seen everything, but there is someone who might know what to do-”

“You’re saying you believe the crazy lady?” N’Jadaka scoffed.

“I do not believe she is ‘crazy’. I believe she saw something none of us could ever imagine.”

“Ok, and her body?” The prince challenged him as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I do not know...but I know who might.”

“Who?” Shuri chimed in as she tore her eyes from the scenery.

“She lives with the Border tribe. Her name is Nia-”

“Olu?” T’Challa’s eyes lit up in recognition, and M’Baku couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You know her?!”

“She was the woman who was almost abducted a month ago. How do you know her?” the king asked curiously.

M’Baku wasn’t sure how much he could say without outing her as a non-human.

“She wandered into our territory once when we were still separate from the rest of you. She was very...odd,” M’Baku looked to the king, who seemed to understand his meaning. He wondered just how much he knew of her identity. “She might be able to help.”

“Odd how?” the prince interjected.

“It’s hard to explain,” the king brushed him off to avoid further prying, making M’Baku nod along. The chief still couldn’t tell how much T’Challa knew, but he kept his mouth shut nonetheless. “I will go talk to her.”

Shuri and N’Jadaka shared a look. They both felt like they were purposely being left in the dark, and neither appreciated it.

--------

Nia snuck back into her home in the magic realm and quickly threw on a headwrap before taking a deep breath and opening her door to the human realm. Her stomach twisted up again as she laid her eyes on the king and his guards standing on her doorstep.

“T’Challa, hey,” she greeted him nervously as she leaned against the doorframe with Sego still draped over her shoulders. Nia noticed the two fierce-looking women on either side of him look at her questioningly for her informality, but they said nothing.

“Hello, Nia,” he smiled before noticing Sego. “How are you today?”

“I’m alright. I, uh, actually just got back in from visiting my ubaba.”

“With that?” T’Challa motioned to Sego, and the python stuck out his tongue.

“Sego? Yeah, he likes to get out sometimes,” she said as she stroked her companion’s head. Nia backed up a little and opened the door wider for him, “Anyways, come on in.”

The king ordered the two guards to stay on the front porch, and they stood at attention, looking out at the village. Several of Nia’s neighbors had noticed their arrival and were trying their best to seem inconspicuous as they spied on her to see what was going on. It wasn’t often that the king came around, so the rumor mill started turning almost immediately.

Once T’Challa stepped into the familiar home, keeping a wide berth from Sego, Nia closed and locked the door behind him. They made their way over to the kitchen, and the king sat down in the same hand-carved chair he sat in the last time he was there.

“Can I get you anything?” Nia offered politely as she made her way over to the stovetop and started warming up a kettle she had filled up the night before. “I made a tea blend that helps calm the mind. I’m about to have some myself if you want in.”

“Sure, I’ll take a cup,” he responded with a smile. He watched her scoop the prepared herbs out of a jar and into two reusable cotton tea bags and place one each at the bottom of a mug. She worked in silence as she tried to calm the anxious feeling that had crept back into her bones after leaving Amare’s. Sego could feel her shaking and squeezed her just a little bit to get her to calm down. She relaxed at his hug and poured the hot water into the mugs before carrying them back over to the table. Nia sat down across from T’Challa and blew on her hot tea before taking a small sip. He did the same and smiled at the flavor. “This is delicious, Nia.”

“Thanks,” she gave a small smile back as her stomach fluttered at his compliment. “So...what brings you here?”

The king sighed and leaned back in his chair, watching intently as Sego slithered down from his perch and curled up in the corner. “There have been some strange activities around the kingdom, and I was wondering if you might know anything about it.”

“Strange how?” Nia’s head cocked to the side, and she placed her elbows on the table as she leaned in closer.

“First, there was a woman who was found dead in her home. Her neighbors saw her the day before, and her husband claims she was alive when he left for work, but all that was left was her bones,” he spoke carefully and observed as fearful recognition clouded her face. Nia couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she easily put two and two together. The thinning had begun.

“W-what else?” she asked as she leaned in even closer.

“Another woman’s dead body disappeared. She wandered into the market screaming about horrifying creatures, then she seized and collapsed...but her body never made it to the coroner,” he paused to make sure she was still with him. She motioned for him to continue, and he spoke again, “There have also been reports of abnormally large hyenas and fish, but that is less concerning than the other two.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Nia mumbled as she got up and hurried to the bookshelf. She pulled out a large leather-bound book and opened it to a page near the middle before flipping a few pages forward. When she landed on what she was looking for, she set the heavy book down in front of the king. His eyes traveled to the page and widened in fright at the image of a childlike being with a mouth as wide as its face and sharp teeth on display.

“W-what is this?”

“Eloko,” Nia answered as she sat back down. “Long ago, our queen banished them to their own part of the forest. They’re harmless if you ignore them, but if you take pity on them and let them into your home...they’ll eat your flesh in minutes.”

T’Challa scanned the page, taking in every horrifying detail he could as he attempted to calm his heart rate. Not many things frightened the unshakable king, but he was completely out of his element. His mouth went dry as he attempted to speak, “And the other woman?”

“I’m not sure, but…”

He tore his eyes from the book and looked up at her. “But what?”

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions because it’s not a common occurrence, but when bodies disappear like that, there’s usually dark magic involved.”

“Dark magic?”

“Yeah...like I said, it’s not common, but over the years, there have been a few aziza who use their gifts in ways the rest of us do not approve of.”

“Like…?”

“Like creating zombi.”

“Those are real?”

“Very,” Nia shuddered and downed her tea. T’Challa’s eyes fell back to her book, and he began flipping through the well-worn pages. It felt old like it had been passed down for generations, and he surmised it probably belonged to her family for decades, centuries even. He flipped towards the front of the book, landing on the page about aziza. He couldn’t help but smile at the much more welcoming illustration. T’Challa got lost in the description as Nia stood and went to wash out her mug, needing something to do with her hands to calm her mind. He finished reading and looked up to ask her a question, but it slipped his mind when he noticed strange markings on her back in the shape of wings. He started to ask her about the scars when he realized he had seen them once before.

“It was you…”

“What was?” she asked without turning around, scrubbing her mug unnecessarily hard. Nia heard him stand and walk closer, but kept her focus on her task.

He removed the mug from her hand and rinsed it out. Before she could protest, he spoke softly, “I said they looked like wings.”

Nia stilled as she remembered her tube top left her back exposed.

“Yeah…I remember,” she murmured without looking up at him despite their closeness.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I just didn’t think it was important.”

T’Challa smiled, “Of course it’s important! I never forgot that day…now I know how you appeared out of nowhere.”

“Heh, yeah,” Nia responded as she pushed past him to grab her tea kettle. She filled it up again, but still wouldn’t make eye contact. T’Challa looked at her, confused by her change in attitude when it clicked for him...

“You know, I wanted to see you again-“

“Then why didn’t you come back?” She snapped and he realized why she didn’t seem to like him that much.

“I did. My baba took me on a trip with him that night. We were gone for two weeks, but I came back looking for you.”

Nia paused again before setting the kettle back on the stove. She turned to face him, and he could see the confusion all over her face.

“You did?” She asked apprehensively, and he nodded in response. “I went back every day for a week before ubaba made me stop. He didn’t like seeing me so sad.”

T’Challa’s face fell and he took a step forward, “Nia, I-“

“No, it’s fine.” Nia moved away from him and his heart sank as he watched her go over to her herb pantry. She rummaged around for a while before she came back with yet another tea blend.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she began to change the subject, “have you spoken to Bast recently?”

T’Challa didn’t want to upset her more by pushing the conversation, so he went along with her train of thought.

“Uh, no. It’s been a while. Why?” he asked as he leaned against the counter, eyes tracking her as she moved to sit back at the table. Nia noticed he had been reading about aziza and smiled internally.

“The veil is thinning. That’s how the eloko got through…and who knows what else.”

“The veil?”

“Yeah, it’s like the border between realms.”

“How is that possible?”

Nia shrugged, “Only Bast knows.”

“And she’s not answering you,” he mused as he sat next to her. She wanted to move away, but forced herself to stay still.

“Nope. I tried this morning, but one of my ancestors came through and told us about the veil.”

“Us?”

“Me and Sego.”

“The snake?”

“Python,” Nia chuckled and shot Sego a look to warn him to behave.

“My apologies. So what did they say?”

“The realms of the living and dead, and the human and magical realms are colliding���they might overlap soon. That and ‘she is precious.’”

“Who is?”

Nia shrugged, “Bast, I guess.”

“But you think she’s disappeared…” T’Challa thought aloud.

“Yebo. I don’t know what can make a god disappear, though. Another god maybe?”

T’Challa’s mind wandered to his Avengers colleague, Thor, but he had no way to contact the god while he was off-planet.

“Perhaps.”

“I could try contacting some.”

T’Challa nodded as the wheels turned in his mind. “There are smaller cults around the country that worship other gods. We might be able to-“

“We?”

“Well, yes, I was hoping you would come with me. I’ll need someone with your expertise. I know nothing about all this, but you do…I need your help.”

“I don’t know, I-“

“Please, Nia,” he begged as he grabbed her hand in his. The silence was thick as they looked at each other, but neither was able to look away. “I need you.”

Nia stopped breathing for a moment as he trapped her in his puppy dog eyes. She wanted to say no, she really did…but she just couldn’t.

“Ok, I’ll do it.”

Next Chapter

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @motheroffae, @love-mesome-me, @toni9, @bribrisback, @dersha89, @impremenior, @ljstraightnochaser, @love—life—passion, @yourstrulybrii

#cecewritessometimes #black panther fanfiction #t'challa x nia #aziza #t'challa x oc #black!oc #troubled waters #Youtube

[once-upon-a-scenario]

Pretend: Overhaul/reader (Part 1)

You grew up with Chisaki Kai. Your duty is to protect and serve and care for him. You’re closer to him than anybody else in the Shie Hassaikai. The paradox is that sometimes- or maybe since forever ago- you feel as if you barely know him at all. (You still remember being overhauled.) (Part 2 coming...sometime! lol EDIT: Part 2!) Warning:  child abuse, abusive/dysfunctional relationships in general, violence, Chisaki Kai is his own warning, references to the Overhaul quirk and its gorier aspects Gosh it has been *so long* since I posted anything??? Thanks so much to anybody who’s still hanging around on this blog;;; feast your eyes on this bad boy tho, I’ve been working on it since literally last year and almost deleted it several times but couldn’t bring myself to! Here’s to hoping I actually finish it this time :,)  This fic is also on the darker side of the things I upload on this blog sooo pls do heed the warnings and read at your own risk ;-; -Mod Eve ______ “This is Kai.” The old man’s hand is warm and heavy on your shoulder. “I hope you both get along. Kai- be good to our new family.” You like the old man, the ‘’boss.’’ You haven’t been cold since he took you in. Hunger has become a temporary, rather than a constant thing, and you feel safe, there in the midst of these people with tattooed skin and sharp, strong gazes. But this boy has cold eyes. He stares at you long and hard with them as he nods, silent and unyielding. You shiver instinctively, leaning back into the shadows of the boss’ big, black coat. You do not want to get along with Kai.

__________ Kai is a strange boy. He looks at everybody as if he hates them- everybody except for the boss. He doesn’t talk much. He hates being touched. He scares you, a little, but you learn to stop flinching. Both of you want to please the boss, and the boss wants you to get along. So you do just that. You fold origami together (Kai sits and watches you make clumsy cranes and airplanes, occasionally speaking up to tell you that your corners are mismatched or that he thinks you’ve forgotten a step). You eat meals together (egg rolls are the only thing Kai eats any more than a few mouthfuls of so you give him yours; you’re supposed to be friends and that’s what friends do). You sleep on opposite sides of the same big, bare room (empty on Kai’s side because clutter makes him nervous, compromised on your side because he is also supposed to be considerate towards you). You grow together, centimeters adding up on top of centimeters over weeks, months, years, marking off your heights on the bedroom wall with a pen. Kai grows tall, lanky, pale and golden-eyed, all glass-cut chin and cold charisma. At some point, you get separate rooms, and then you see less of each other. He still scares you, in a sense. He’s always been weird, always kind of paranoid and mean and distant. In all your years of sharing a room and a childhood, you’ve never once touched him. You imagine his skin must feel cold. But cold or warm, cruel or kind, to all intents and purposes- you’re still family. You still offer him your egg rolls at mealtimes. When he visits your room, he tolerates the occasional mess. You can get along, you tell yourself, as the boss smiles at the both you through a wrinkled, careworn mouth. After all, you reflect, it’s not so hard. You can play pretend. _____ By the time Eri arrives, you’ve been playing pretend for far too long. She’s small- painfully so. Small and frightened as she curls into her blankets, eyes wide, lips trembling, the small horn peeking out of her long white hair like a tumor. Boss doesn’t often give direct orders; not to you and Kai, anyway. You’re aware that for children of the yakuza, you’ve both been dreadfully coddled. It’s all out of the goodness of the old man’s heart. Until the day he dies, he only ever enforces two orders on you. One, is that you get along with Kai. Two, is that you protect Eri. You remember being hungry, once upon a time. Hungry and cold with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. There’s an old throb in the pit of your stomach whenever you think of it, of the starvation and pain burning at your nerve endings from the inside out. You never asked to be abandoned. No child ever does. Rule number two isn’t really an order; you choose Eri, choose to love her and cherish her. It’s what the boss did for you. It’s what any child deserves. (You don’t like the way Kai looks at her.) _____ Kai has plans. You are aware of this. He’s smart and good at most things he puts his mind to; it’s why the yakuza respects him, and why you tend to trust his plans, even when you don’t particularly want to. The tired lines on the boss’ face bother you. It’s concerning, the way he often asks for you nowadays, calls you his study only to have you sit and play with Eri, watching the two of you as if he has something to say but doesn’t quite dare to. In the end, he only sighs and thanks you for sparing some time for his granddaughter. That’s nothing, you want to say, you’d do that any day, because the boss is your family and you’ve promised yourself to protect Eri, but the words die in your mouth. You wonder why Kai is never invited to these meetings. Then again, Kai is in charge of managing Eri’s quirk, so maybe he deserves a break from playtime. Time passes, and the white in the boss’ hair grows more pronounced. He begins to struggle, to grow more and more tired, the lines deepening in his forehead like furrows in a field. One late night, after dinner, he gazes at you calmly from over the desert- a slice of vanilla cake that he’s barely touched. His large, wrinkled hand rests gently on his granddaughter’s head. “Take care of her,” he tells you quietly. “Protect her. No matter what happens. That’s all I would ask of you.” You want to ask why he looks so grim, what it is you would need to protect her from, but the boss’ voice drifts off and he bows his head. He suddenly looks very small. “And thank you for your kindness towards Kai. You’ve done much for the boy. I fear, sometimes…” What he fears, you never learn, because he falls silent without finishing the sentence. “I will,” you reassure him, desperate to lift a bit of the burden that seems to rest on his broad, black-clad shoulders; gone are the days when you were still small enough to hide in the folds of his coat. You’ve got to be braver now, show him that all the trust and care he’s given you were not in vain. “I swear. Eri will always be safe with me. And I’ll take care of Kai, too.” This is the last conversation you have with him. ____ Kai calls you to his room the day after the boss falls unconscious. His golden eyes bore into yours and you feel the familiar chill run down your spine. “I’m in charge now,” he says, voice perfectly even behind the black mask that covers his mouth. “I hope that my position doesn’t change things between us. We’re still friends, aren’t we?” Despite all your years of friendship, you still can’t read Kai- it’s strange, to you, the way he spent the entirety of last night downstairs by the boss’ bed, but now talks about his promotion as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Then again, he’s always had different ways of expressing himself. Though it needles at you, you remember your promise to the boss- your last promise, the only way you could ever repay him for his kindness- and convince yourself to nod. “Of course. You can count on me.” ____ Not a day after the yakuza gains a new leader, you fail the boss. Eri looks tense as Chrono leads her off, her favorite teddy clutched in one small hand, her little mouth set in a stiff, frowning line. She doesn’t know where she’s going. You don’t know, either. Not really. Kai has a plan. You must trust his plans. You tell this to yourself over and over, the uneasiness creeping into the pit of your stomach as you watch Eri’s small figure disappear around a bend in the corridor. ____ “He wants you in Eri’s room,” Chrono informs you, hours later. “She feels more comfortable with you.” What happened? The words echo in your mind as you find your way down the corridors to the large, whitewashed room where Eri sleeps with her dolls. And there she is, sitting on the bed. There are bandages around her arms and legs and tearstains on her face. What happened? Your heart’s beating so hard you can taste it, the bile bitter on your tongue as you swallow down your panic. What’s going on? But the words won’t come out. Eri looks to Chrono, and then she looks to you. She stretches out her small, bandaged arms for a hug. She still looks halfway to sobbing. And you don’t question it. Not here, not now. You just pick her up and rock her, smoothing a hand through her long, tangled hair and whispering comforting words, because it’s all going to be ok- it must be. Kai has a plan, and you’re supposed to trust him. “It’s just her quirk,” Chrono tells you, which is vague, but that’s fine; you can work with vague for now, the way you always have. You nod in understanding and keep rocking Eri. (Her small body shakes like a leaf in your arms, and though it’s summertime and the room is warm, both her hands and yours are cold as ice.) _____ Eri’s limbs are always bandaged. Whatever Kai does with her, you’re not allowed to see- and this is fine, too, because you’re not a high-ranking member, anyway. Your quirk is weak, simple telekinesis that just about corresponds to your physical strength, and without the boss, you’re just here by virtue of being Kai’s good friend. Because you are good friends, still, even if he always has you off on minor missions and only ever summons you to occasionally babysit Eri. And Eri’s limbs are always bandaged. “Sickness,” is Kai’s cryptic explanation. “A side-effect of her quirk. We’re just trying to save her from herself.” You know Eri’s quirk is dangerous. You know it caused her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment. You suppose it’s a good thing, then, if Kai’s looking for a way to get it under control. “It’s what the boss would have wanted.” And you are very good at playing pretend, have learned how to lie through your teeth since you were old enough to talk, can fool yourself as well as you fool everybody else- It’s what the boss would have wanted, you remind yourself, cradling Eri in your arms as she dozes off. You will get along with Kai, and you will do what is best for this child. Just as you were asked to. “It’s alright,” you whisper, more to yourself than to Eri. She’s already fallen asleep. _____ “See, Eri? The bird goes whoosh!” You snap your fingers with a little more flair than is strictly necessary, and the clumsy paper crane goes zooming around the room. Eri watches with wide, bright eyes and claps her hands in delight. “I wish,” she tells you later that night as you tuck her into bed, quiet and confidential, “I wish I had a nice quirk like yours.” “Thank you.” You smile in spite of yourself. “But Eri-chan, my quirk isn’t very strong, you know?” “But it’s nice,” she repeats, snuggling under the covers, only the top of her horned head peeking out. “It makes things jump and fly. I want a nice quirk like yours.” There’s a strange note in her voice- a strained, sad sound, too sad for such a small girl. It doesn’t sit right with you. There’s something you should say, but you’re not sure what it is. “You’re a good girl, Eri,” you say instead, pressing a kiss to the top of her snowy white head and wrapping your arms around her. “Go to bed now.” “Will you be back soon?” she asks, big eyes already half-closed, the lids weighed down with sleep. “You go on so many missions...” Her voice trails off into nothingness, soft and wistful, another quiet whisper dissipating into the shadows of the whitewashed bedroom. Pity claws at your heart. “I’ll be back soon,” you promise. (This is, of course, a lie.) ____ “Again, Eri?” Kai’s voice is quiet and controlled, laced with paternal disappointment as he looks down at the quivering figure before him. Eri looks at the floor. Her shoulders are shaking. “You should know better by now. Look at how you’ve inconvenienced everybody. Chrono...me...and,” he glances at you sharply. “your dearest friend.” A beat of silence, and with a patter of bare feet against the cold floor, Eri rushes forward and clings to his leg. “I’m sorry,” comes her muffled voice over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t run again...” You watch, and as you are prone to do in Kai’s presence, you shiver. _____ That night, as she’s drifted off to sleep, you shift the bandages on Eri’s wrist. There’s dried blood underneath. No visible wound. You’re no scholar, neither are you a fighter. You know nothing about quirk science. You know even less about Eri’s ability, or how it would affect her. Maybe, maybe this is normal; maybe this is the problem Kai is trying to fix. But there’s a part of you that remembers what it’s like to be overhauled, and that part of you grows cold as you watch the child sleep. _____ (You were about sixteen when you let Kai overhaul you. Just to see what it would feel like. Just to see what he was capable of. Friends help friends practice things like that. You remember the feeling of disintegration, of flesh being pulled from bone and muscles unraveling into strings, veins dissolving around blood which sprayed into the air and your voice dissolving from your lungs with the liquid. Just like that, gone. And just like that, whole again. Kai looked down at you, sixteen himself, eyes golden as the sun and sharp as a knife. He reached out a gloved hand to help you back up. You still have no idea what he was thinking at the time.) _____ Here is a theory: You’re rarely at headquarters because most of the time, Kai doesn’t want you there. You’re told to babysit Eri because you are a rarely-seen prize- a reward for good behavior. Good behavior is when she doesn’t scream. It’s when she doesn’t try to run away. There are a thousand different things she could be running from, but as you sit across from Kai in his office, listening as he lists off your next set of orders, you suspect that the primary one is right here in the room with you. And whatever he’s doing, he doesn’t want you to know. (When things begin to make sense is when you always end up wishing that they never did.) ___ The next time you leave headquarters, you do so with a feeling of dread. Eri watches you go, and for the first time, you recognize the look in her wide eyes as terror. (Like your family once left you, you leave her behind.) ___ This was once home. You pace the floor of your bedroom, back and forth, back and forth, hands cold, heart colder, shoulders shaking. You grew up in this room- in this place. It is home. It was home. Even as you pace, you don’t know, you have no clue, what is happening to Eri? Where is she? What is Kai doing to her? Why, why, why, You remember being overhauled, the bloodstain of your remains sprayed across these very walls. Kai doesn’t want you to know. You are supposed to get along with Kai. You are supposed to protect Eri. Your hands are clammy, ribs constricting around your lungs as you stare up at the ceiling, wondering. The room spins. Your thoughts are screaming. Boss, what have we done to Eri? _____ You strike deals in the dark, fading underbelly of Japan, gathering information and tools, goods for trading, wares the criminals of this country are desperate to get their hands on. It’s all for the sake of the Shie Hassaikai. While you pass drugs to the next sunken-eyed dealer who wants to get their hands on them, you know Eri is with Kai, and your own hands tremble until you almost drop your cargo. (One of your old clients used to tell you, back when you’d just started in the business- “You ain’t cut out for this work, kid. Better run back while you still can.” You didn’t have anywhere to run back to, and when you told him that, his yellow-toothed grin sagged.) There’s a list of solutions in your brain right now- you’re good at solutions, at formulating plans and calculating possibilities. It’s why Kai trusts you with the business side of the Shie Hassaikai. But your list right now consists of dead ends, of a thousand different scenarios that all end in Kai and his molten-sun eyes, his gloved hand reaching towards your face, his quirk coursing through you and taking you apart piece by piece, and maybe this time he won’t put you together again. Not that you’ve ever known him not to- but you are afraid of Kai, and you’ve learned to trust your fear. Sometimes it’s the only thing worth trusting. (If you want to keep Eri alive, you’ll keep playing pretend.) ____ This time, when you return, Kai is there. He asks you to dinner. “Business is going smoothly. You’re doing good work.” His mask is off; it feels like years since the last time you saw him without it, and the face beneath it has changed. The jaw is sharper, the mouth thinner. This is no longer a child’s face, if it ever was at all. Rice sticks like glue in your throat as you reply, “Thank you- you’re too kind.” You hand him your egg rolls. It comes reflexively-  he no longer needs you to feed him, and there’s no boss watching over your shoulders to ensure that you play nice with each other. For whatever reason, he accepts them. (It occurs to you that you’ve never known, and still don’t know, whether he actually likes eggs or not. Whether it’s only the rolls that he eats. Whether he eats them because he enjoys the taste or just for the satisfaction of taking something else from you.) “And you’re too formal,” he says, taking a delicate bite. He smiles, a rare expression, and you wonder if you should treasure it. (Rather, you wish he’d stop.) Dinner almost ends on a pleasant note- as pleasant as it gets with Kai nowadays- but it really ends when Chrono bursts in through the doors, announcing tensely that Eri is gone again. Kai stands. You do, too, and follow him as he silently exits the room, praying that he’ll be too late. (He’s not.) But when you hold Eri in your arms that night, soothing her as you rock her back and forth, back and forth, you listen to her whisper in your ear about a boy she met, a boy with big green eyes and freckles all over his face, a boy who held her for a moment without hurting her. The story seems to shine like a floodlight in the darkness. Somebody out there has seen Eri. Somebody out there knows. Somebody out there cares. You don’t generally depend on the charity of your fellow human beings. The Shie Hassaikai taught you better, and so did Kai. But the boss taught you something a little more than either. You rock Eri to sleep and hope beyond hope for a miracle. Let the heroes pull through. Let them save your little girl.

#BNHA #Overhaul #Chisaki Kai #Chisaki Kai x reader #Overhaul x reader #Overhaul x you #gender neutral reader #scenario #Mod Eve #tw abuse #tw child abuse #tw body horror #I guess? #it's mild but it's there #because of Overhaul's quirk #Eri #bnha Eri #overhaul x y/n

[jaskierswolf]

Yes Chef

My fic for the Novigrad Exchange! For the marvelous @ohnomybreadsticks

Ship: Calanthe/Eist Rating: E Summary: Restaurant AU with a healthy dose of smut? I don’t know. I’ll think of a better summary later 😂 AO3 link to come later on!

CW: 18+ smutty time, vaginal sex, oral sex, semi-public (they are alone but in a public setting),

The kitchen was sweltering, the chefs moving around the small space in an intricate dance that only they knew the steps to. The air was filled with a cacophony of smells; slowly roasted barbeque pulled-pork, fried onions and garlic, chocolate brownies. It all wafted around the kitchen in a mess, mouth watering and delicious. For Calanthe, there was nothing better than the hustle and bustle of a professional kitchen. She had been cooking since she was a child, her own grandmother had often let her help around the kitchen and Calanthe had been hooked. There was just something so addictive about creating masterpieces out of nothing. How could flour, butter, sugar become something entirely different? A cake, soft and melting in her mouth, flavours exploding on her tongue, almost better than sex… almost. 

The industry itself attracted Calanthe like a moth to a flame. It was undoubtedly a man’s world, and that pulled her in, the need to prove herself, a competitiveness that drove her forward in life. If there was one thing in love she truly loved, it was proving that the patriarchy was absolutely shit. Whenever there was an opportunity to prove that she was better than a man, she took it, and as she grew older she learned how to use that to her advantage. It didn’t take long for her to rise above her rivals. Her ingenuity and skill in the kitchen was unmatched, and she had a remarkable talent for ruling the roost. When she spoke, people listened. 

Opening her own restaurant had been a dream come true. 

The Jewel of Cintra. 

The cuisine wasn’t fancy but it was clever. She didn’t leave her customers hungry and wanting for more, but it was posh enough that she could charge a decent amount. It was also almost entirely locally sourced. That was the hook. Her restaurant supported local businesses, and she had crafted the menu using old traditional Cintran recipes. She was determined to preserve the Cintran way of life, especially with Nilfgaard slowly taking over the catering industry with their new wave recipes that blended old Southern style flavours with that favoured by the North, creating a brand new fusion.

Calanthe hated it. Cintra had a wealth of history and it was being wiped out.

It did keep her on her toes though, she had to constantly think up new ways to stay ahead, networking at conventions and collaborating with other local restaurants and breweries. It was draining but she thrived on it, and her head waiter, Jaskier, was an absolute blessing. He could charm any customer and handled complaints without even blinking an eye. 

So naturally she was furious when he’d handed in his resignation. The idiot had been snatched right under her nose. He’d gone and fallen in love with the head chef of Kaer Morhen, a gastro pub in Kaedwan, the pair had met at one of the conventions that Jaskier had gone to in her stead. Two months later, her best waiter had announced he was moving to Kaedwan to be closer to Geralt.

And Calanthe was left to replace him. 

The applicants had all been shit. No one could compare to Jaskier, lacking his charisma and easy going attitude. Those who might have stood a chance bristled at the idea of bowing to Calanthe, men who thought they could come into her restaurant and overthrow her. 

The misogynistic pricks.

Yes, the applicants had all been shit… until Eist Tuirseach. He was infuriatingly good, handsome, suave and seemed to already be completely head over heels with her. So, she’d reluctantly hired him. 

And she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. 

“Good morning, Chef!” Eist waved cheerily as she sauntered into the kitchen. He was helping Lambert wipe down the counters before service started. Her sous chef was a talented but prickly young man, and she trusted no one else to get her kitchen in order when she had her rare days off. He’d been trained under Vesemir from Kaer Morhen, but had been eager to escape Kaedwan. His boyfriend, Aiden was her pastry chef and, when they weren’t flirting up a storm in the kitchen, they were some of her most efficient workers. 

Calanthe felt herself blush as Eist winked at her. She blamed the heat of the kitchen. “It’s almost five in the afternoon, Eist,” she shot back. 

“Ah, but that is morning for a chef.” 

Calanthe scoffed. He wasn’t entirely wrong, she was a night owl, most chefs were, if they slept at all, but she’d also seen five in the morning more times than she would have liked. Delivery days were killer, and when they had parties and events most of the team were in the kitchen early for prep. 

“How are the books for tonight, Eist?” She grumbled, getting straight to business. It was easier that way. 

“Fully booked as always, Chef. Nilfgaard wishes they could have our numbers. No one else can compare to your skill and talent, not to mention your beauty,” he said with a caddish grin.

The same smile he’d used to charm her in his interview.

________

“Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe asked as a handsome young man entered her office. He was well built, roguish in looks, and reminded her of a lost puppy. He smiled brightly at her as he took her hand, his grip strong and firm and for the briefest of moments Calanthe wondered what those hands would feel like caressing her body, rough callouses against her breasts. 

“Aye, that’s me. The Lady Calanthe?” Eist said, smirking as he cocked his head, making his tousled brown hair fall in front of his eyes. 

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, and she felt a familiar warmth at her core.

Fuck.

Of course he had to be cute. He was the last applicant and she was really really hoping it would be another idiot so she could politely decline Jaskier’s request to leave before his notice was up. She wanted to keep the young waiter for as long as she could. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she lied. “I expect professionalism in my kitchen, and you will refer to me as Chef.” 

And this was the point where most of her applicants had turned tail and run. Eist, however, blushed instead, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips, and there was a definite hunger in his eyes. “Yes, Chef.”

Calanthe swallowed. “Good, now… I have some questions, and at the end if you have any questions for me, you’ll be given the opportunity. Unfortunately my sous chef got called away on a family matter, but if you’d like a second person here, we can rearrange the interview.”

Eist smiled even brighter, adoration and lust shining in his eyes. “No, I think we’ll be just fine, Chef.”

____________

The bastard hadn’t stopped charming her since, and it was taking all her self control not to let him ravish her in the kitchen. They danced around each other and flirted like there was no tomorrow but… well, she didn’t want to give in. She knew what it would look like; the head chef and the head waiter dating. No. She didn’t want to give anyone the opportunity to question her integrity, but after months of being around Eist, she felt weak. The way their fingers brushed whenever she passed a plate over, the easy banter that made her laugh even when she was in a terrible mood at the start of the day, the disappointment she’d felt when Eist had booked off a couple of weeks to visit his family in Skellige. 

The kitchen had felt empty without him. 

And she just wasn’t as good at dealing with complaints. Calanthe had a short temper, and when people complained, she couldn’t help but take it personally. She got defensive and fought back. 

She needed Eist. 

She hated Eist. 

… Or perhaps she loved him. 

“We have a party of eight booked in at half-seven. No known allergies, should be pretty straight forward, but I’ve briefed my team and let your’s know too” Eist hummed, picking up his clipboard. “Most of the other bookings are couples and smaller families.”

“Fuck,” Calanthe hissed. “I hate big groups.”

“I have no doubt that you will be flawless as always, Chef.”

“Getting the plates out in one go is a faff that I could live without,” Calanthe groaned. “Lambert!” She barked. 

Lambert looked up from his station, his hair slicked back and his sleeves rolled back to his arms, revealing an intricate tattoo sleeve that went down to his wrist on his right arm, wolves running through the woods. He strolled over to her, crossing his arms in front of his chest, hazel eyes alert and attentive. 

“Yes Chef?”

“You’re in charge of the party of eight, I want you working with Eist and his team. No fucking around with Aiden, understood?”

“Loud and clear, Chef,” Lambert nodded then smirked. “Can we fuck around after?”

Calanthe rolled her eyes, swatting him over the head with her palm. “Behave, wolf.”

“What?” he gaped, rubbing the back of his head. “You and Eist are worse than us, and you still claim you’re not together!” 

“We’re not together.”

“Not yet, at any rate,” Eist chuckled.

Calanthe shot daggers at her waiter. “Get out of my kitchen, Eist. Before I get you for harassment.”

Eist quirked an eyebrow. “Tell me to stop, Chef, and I will, but you have yet to tell me no. One word, Calanthe,” he paused, giving her a chance to admonish him for using her name whilst they were at work, but he said it so reverently that she was too stunned into silence. “One word and I’ll stop.”

No.

The word should have been easy. 

“Don’t,” she whispered, and his face fell, heartbroken, and she could already tell he wouldn’t argue. “Don’t stop.”

She felt her cheeks burn, and the eyes of their audience were piercing into her soul. So, she cleared her throat. “Right!” she snapped. “Back to work!”

The kitchen burst into life once again, giving her the privacy to wink at her waiter. “Later?” he mouthed at her, and she nodded. 

The dinner service went by in a blur. It was busy enough that she didn’t have to think about anything but the quality of the food her chefs were serving. She’d rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in, flitting about between stations and helping wherever she was needed, supervising and delegating the tasks, running a tight kitchen as she always did. However, that didn’t stop her from feeling a little giddy whenever Eist flew through the double doors, looking like some kind of Oxenfurt actor in his suit, the server’s apron strapped around his waist. 

Anticipation curled in her gut, the heat that crept along her skin was from more than just the ovens. There was a hunger in his eyes whenever he looked at her, and she wanted more. She wondered if his lips were as soft as they looked, whether his beard would scratch against her skin. 

It was all very distracting, but if anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything. 

By the time the kitchen was cleaned up, and she’d dismissed the last of her chefs, it was past midnight. Lambert waved her off with a lewd comment and jumped onto the back of Aiden’s motorcycle, the two of them speeding off along the road. 

“So,” Eist’s voice came from behind her as they stood in the doorway, watching the motorbike drive off into the distance, and Calanthe spun round in a start. “It’s just us.”

Calanthe smirked, her fingers wrapping around Eist’s tie and pulling him in for a kiss. The waiter groaned and went willingly, their lips melding together in a slow and languid kiss, noses bumping as they explored each other’s mouths. The heat crept along Calanthe’s skin, her heart fluttering in her chest. How had she denied this man for so long? She was already soaking, aching at her core with want, and soon, she grew impatient with the pace of the kiss. Nipping at Eist’s lip, she pushed their bodies together, forcing Eist back into the kitchen and towards the kitchen counter. Another day she would love to take this gorgeous man apart, fuck him over the worktops in her kitchen, but that would have to wait. 

She made a mental note to keep her strap in the back of her car. 

She had a very good feeling about Eist.

For now he seemed content to please her. He spun them around, helping her to wriggle out of her trousers and ruined underwear before hoisting her up onto the counter. She gasped into the kiss as his fingers teased her clit, slipping inside her wet cunt with little resistance. Calanthe’s head rolled back, her hands gripping the edge of the cold metal counter. The kitchen was quiet except for the sounds of their moans and his fingers pumping inside her. It was thrilling, everyone had gone home but there was always the off chance that someone would walk in on them. She moaned, rolling her hips to force his fingers deeper inside her. 

“Fuck me, you bastard,” she gasped.

Eist just winked. “Soon, Chef.” 

She expected him to finally unzip his trousers but Eist seemed to have other ideas. The waiter fell to his knees before her, pressing kisses along her inner thigh with a soft groan. Her hands threaded into his soft brown hair, guiding him towards her cunt. If he wasn’t going to fuck her then he’d better put that mouth to good use and she was tired of waiting. Eist’s stubble scratched wonderfully against her skin, a reminder of just how strong this man was, and yet he still knelt eagerly between her legs, as if there was nowhere else he’d rather be. 

“Fuck,” she moaned as Eist’s tongue flicked at her clit, fast and feather light and sinfully good. She thrust forward against his face and he groaned, one hand gripping at her thigh, the other joining his tongue between her wet folds. His fingers pressed inside her as he continued to lick and suck at her clit, moaning as he devoured his feast. 

Calanthe’s fingers stroked through Eist’s hair as he ate her out, hips rolling against his face. She felt like she was on fire, her skin so very sensitive and every lick of his tongue had her moaning, crying out in pleasure. 

“Stop,” she gasped before she could cum. 

Eist groaned but pulled back, staring up at her with dark eyes. His lips were wet and glistening, and he smirked as he wiped his mouth. “Chef?”

Calanthe raised an eyebrow, barely able to catch her breath. “If you don’t get your cock inside me now, there will be consequences.” The waiter closed his eyes and moaned, a visible shudder going through him at her words. With a quick tug on his tie, Eist was once again standing. “If you like eating me out so much-” she purred, “-maybe I’ll have to find something else to feed you with.”

“Calanthe,” Eist groaned. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“Why don’t you show me?” Calanthe challenged.

That seemed to finally spur the waiter into action and he met her lips in a messy kiss, the taste of her own slick on his tongue. She moaned into the kiss, desperate and wanton as he fumbled with the zip of his trousers. There was a telltale rip of foil but when he pushed inside her, fuck, it felt so good. She easily stretched around the girth of his cock but he just filled her so completely.

“I’m not going to last, Chef,” he gasped, lips never leaving her’s. 

She closed her eyes. That wouldn’t be a problem, she was already so close from all his teasing before. “Get on with it!” she snapped, rocking her hips forward to the edge of the counter. 

Every thrust made her cry out, obscene sounds filling her kitchen as they both chased their release. Eist panted as he left messy kisses on her neck, nipping and biting at the tender skin. Her orgasm hit her like fireworks as she clenched around his cock, sparks flying in front of her vision. She gasped wordlessly as he fucked her through the waves of pleasure that just seemed to keep coming. Calanthe swore, the pleasure beginning to wane and her body oversensitive. Eist grunted as he followed her over the edge, his thrusts becoming erratic and desperate. She caught his lips in a sloppy kiss, their breaths mingling as he slowly came back to his senses, slipping out of her with a groan.

She pressed her forehead against his as they panted breathlessly in the otherwise quiet kitchen. One hand gripped onto his shoulders while a leg was still hooked around his waist. There was a disgusting splat on the floor as the condom fell off. Calanthe tried to keep a straight face, she really did but Eist snorted and let out a hearty laugh, his fingers lacing with her’s on the countertop. Mirth bubbled up inside her, a ridiculous giggle escaping her lips as they both looked at the mess on the floor. Soon they were both laughing, hysterically and without any restraint, their post-orgasmic bliss making the whole thing seem utterly hilarious. 

“You’re cleaning that up, Eist.” 

He groaned, capturing her lips in another kiss with a muffled “Yes, Chef.” 

Calanthe rolled her eyes and cupped Eist’s face in her hands. “You can call me Calanthe outside of work, you fool,” she said with a smirk. 

And her partner seemed to melt under her touch. Eist’s face lit up in a dopey smile that made her heart skip a beat. He took her hand in his and bought her fingers up to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. “Yes… Calanthe.”

#the witcher #calanthe/eist #calanthe x eist #queen calanthe #eist tuirseach #wolfie's witcher writing #novigrad exchange

[fromtheo-withlove]

Pt. 4 - A Reunion

Finally get to bring in a bit of comfort, I hope you guys enjoy! It’s been such an amazing experience getting to share this story with all of you. Apologies in advance - it’s a bit of a long chapter but I’m hoping it’s worth the read.

TW: prisoner shackled, emotional whump, guilt and self-loathing, mention of injuries

Tag-list: @ihaveacrushonjester @tears-and-lilies @starnight-whump

Masterlist | Previous | Next

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Even before her mother had passed away 4 years ago, Princess Aurelia had always been incredibly close to her father. She treasured the time she got to spend with him and wanted to be like him when she became a ruler herself. Stories of the adventures and bravery of his youth were legendary and he had a way of charming everyone he spoke to. And Aurelia loved him.

But after watching Bennett and Gabriel’s arrival unfold and hearing about her father’s plans for them, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to see him in that light again. He had been different since the war began, quicker to anger, quiet, but she didn’t think he’d do something like this.

He had admitted Gabriel was an innocent in all of this, yet he let him think he was going to die, left him terrified and blindfolded while he played mind games. He had even whispered to her that he wasn’t going to actually let him die, but told her that he’d make it worse for him if she was uncooperative. She just couldn’t forgive him for all of this.

“Well,” she thought, “he may be acting like a stubborn monster, but I inherited every bit of that stubbornness and I’m not backing down either.”

She didn’t have any ideas on how to get Bennett and Gabriel out of this mess, but she was determined to see them at least, take care of them as much as she could.

It ended up being relatively easy to make it happen. She sought out Robert, the head of the castle guard, and he had ultimately agreed to let her visit the dungeons while one of the guards he trusted was on duty. He had known the princes when they were young. He had even given them sword lessons for a time and had been a tough teacher, but had a soft spot for them as well. It appeared he still did.

“Aye, war is war, but those boys were good lads. It’s a shame it’s come to this. I’ve told my guards to take it easy with them, but half this damn castle is hungry for their blood. They could use a friend in this mess.”

The guard’s first shift was that night, just past sundown. She passed the preceding hours pacing her room, gathering food and medical supplies to smuggle in, and trying to mentally steel herself for the reunions she was about to have.

The dungeon was vast, spanning the length of the castle. The king had ordered the princes be kept separately to avoid conspiring, as if they posed any threat in chains, shackled down. She was worried about Gabriel, but she decided to visit Bennett first. She needed answers and she needed a clear head for this conversation.

As the guard let her into Bennett’s cell, he reassured her that the prince would be shacked down and wouldn’t harm her. She almost laughed at the absurdity of the reassurance before remembering the crimes everyone believed Bennett committed. Rather than laugh, she nodded politely and thanked the guard as he closed the door and went back to his post.

It had already grown dark outside and the cell would have been pitch black if not for the glow of the lantern that Aurelia held. Luckily, she thought, there isn’t much here to light. The cell was small – enough space to pace in circles if the prisoner wasn’t shackled and enough room for them to lay down, but not much beyond that. Bennett sat in the corner looking tired and wary, his hands shackled behind him on a chain bolted to the floor.

He was the first to speak up. “Why are you here?” he asked, his eyes mistrustful.

She didn’t blame him for such a blunt greeting under the circumstances.

“I needed to see you, talk to you. Apologize. What happened earlier, the show my father put on…. It… shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.” She slowly walked closer as she spoke, then kneeled down near him.

She raised her hand to place it on his shoulder, confirm to herself that he was real and there, but he flinched and pulled away from her reach.

“I don’t deserve your time or pity, Auri. I wish I did. God, I wish I did. Please just go to Gabriel, he’s the innocent one in all of this. And do you want to know the worst part? He has every reason to hate me and he’s probably more worried about me than himself.” He let out a bitter laugh. “You know how good he is and you’ve already heard how much of a monster I am. Just go.”

Aurelia gave Bennett a hard glance. “Benn, stop it with all the self-loathing and self-sabotage. I’m going to see Gabriel after this. Let’s not waste time with you trying to convince me to leave, unless you truly have no wish to see me.”

In truth, he desperately wanted her company and in that moment he couldn’t bring himself to lie and say otherwise. When he stayed silent for a few seconds, she continued talking.

“I came here because I wanted to see you. I’m a grown woman now, I can make my own decisions.”

He finally spoke up, more quietly than before. “I know you can, I’m sorry… You have every right to stay here, but I don’t know what to say.”

“Well I didn’t come here to throw around accusations, you faced enough of that today, but, please, help me understand how things got to this point. Did you really murder innocents in those villages? I- I just can’t believe that. I need to hear it from you, without an audience. How could the same boy I knew, the one who wouldn’t hurt a fly, ever do something like that?”

She said that she couldn’t believe it, but Bennett noticed her stumble on her words, saw the fear in her eyes at his response. He knew her doubt in him was deserved, but it still somehow hurt.

“That boy you knew was pathetic, weak, naïve. When I returned to Lianhar, I had to see that and grow up. It’s the way the world works, Auri.”

Aurelia shook her head sadly. “Your father really did a number on you.” She stayed silent for a moment before asking quietly, “Do you remember the baby bird?”

“Obviously I do… why?”

“Humor me, what do you remember about that day, Benn?”

He knew what she was trying to do, but it had been so long since he’d been spoken to with compassion and a part of him wanted it to last as long as possible. “Okay… We were probably 11, maybe 12. It was springtime. It was that time of year when it’s finally starting to get warm but the weather keeps changing. There was that crazy wind and rain storm. The day after the storm we were so excited to collect fallen sticks and build our own little fortress.”

“We never did get around to building one,” Aurelia remarked with a small smile.

Bennett paused for a moment at Aurelia’s remark, but didn’t want to dwell on unfinished childhood dreams. It hurt too much to think about. He continued.

“Gabriel was inside, probably reading some textbook. We went down to the old oaks, and there was the baby bird, almost hidden in the tall grass. He was so small, and cute in an ugly way, with his feathers still growing in.”

Aurelia smiled genuinely at the memory. “You were amazed by it, shouting at me to come over. Until you saw its broken wing. I told you there was nothing we could do, tried to comfort you, but you were so upset about it.”

He nodded. “I was sad. I think I named him Momo.” He felt the corner of his mouth creep up in a smirk, the closest thing he’d had to a smile in weeks.

“You weren’t just sad, you were heartbroken. You laid near it crying and talking to it for almost an hour.”

“Auri, I get it, I was an overly dramatic child.”

“No Benn, you were loving and hated to see anyone or anything suffering. That bird would’ve died without you.”

Bennett scoffed. “No, your memory is way off. Gabriel was the one who saved him. I just sat there like a blubbering idiot.”

“I know he mended its wing, but he wouldn’t have even known about the bird if you hadn’t refused to come inside for lunch. He did always have a knack for medicine, but it was your heart that saved the bird.”

Bennett’s slight smirk was gone. He grew silent and leaned against the cell wall, no longer looking at Aurelia. When he spoke again, his voice had hardened.

“Well, regardless, real life isn’t like that bird story. And like I said, I had to grow up.”

“So you’re saying that you did kill them? Those innocent people?”

“No Auri,” Bennett snapped, his tone more annoyed than he intended. “I didn’t myself, but what difference does it make if I held the blade or my soldiers did? I didn’t stop them. That blood is on my hands.” He finally looked back at her, eyes narrowed, “I’m sorry if that gets in the way of you reminiscing on idyllic childhood memories.”

Aurelia raised her eyebrows, but didn’t take the bait. “So was it your idea? A plan to show strength? Did you want to do it?”

“Stop, it doesn’t matter.”

Aurelia stood up. “Just answer the question,” she commanded angrily. The sight of Bennett flinching at her demand was like a bucket of cold water on her anger. She quieted. “Please Benn, I need to know. If you still have any feelings of friendship towards me, tell me the truth.”

“You’re going to play that card?” Bennett said angrily. “What do you want me to say? That I never grew out of my weakness? That I didn’t want to lead a battalion, but conceded after just 10 minutes of pressure from my father? That my men never respected me, that they resented me for not allowing them their fun? That they killed my squire and pretended he died in an enemy attack? That they made veiled threats when Gabriel visited with medical supplies? That they were ready to stab me in the back because they felt my tactics were too passive? And instead of stamping out the disloyalty or, even better, dying for my own morals, that I gave up and handed my second-in-command the reigns?”

As he spoke, the anger in Bennett’s voice began to soften, but the bitterness and pain remained. “It doesn’t matter if I didn’t want them to pillage villages or harm civilians, I took a coward’s way out and convinced myself that what they did was out of my hands. I didn’t think they’d go so far.” His voice started to break.

“I really didn’t think they would, Auri. It will haunt me for any days I have left. But I should’ve known what I was doing. A good leader would’ve avoided that bloodshed. When I was a child, I’d cry about the injustices of the world, but then I actually had the power to change things and I was too much of a goddamn coward.”

Aurelia stood staring at her friend, tears in her eyes. “So, now you know,” he whispered. “You can leave with your answers.”

Instead of turning to the door, the princess knelt down face to face with Bennett and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. The gesture broke down his last barriers, and he began to cry into her shoulder.

“Benn, listen to me. You were forced into an unfair situation from the start. You didn’t ask for any of this. You avoided innocent bloodshed for a long time. They killed someone close to you, threatened you and Gabriel. Put you in an impossible position. You do not deserve this.”

He continued to cry for a few minutes as Aurelia stroked his hair. It was better than he deserved, but he needed comfort more than he ever had and he knew there was a chance this embrace would be the last he ever received. He only regretted not being able to hug her back.

Eventually, he began to breathe more normally and Aurelia let him go.

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. “I’ve been trying to change things for you both, I swear I’ve been trying, but… my father….”

“Auri, the fact that you even visited is more than I can ask for. I’ve already accepted that I’m not getting out of this mess, don’t anger your father over something impossible.” He paused, then continued, “But my brother…. I know it’s unfair to ask and it’s probably not doable, but if there’s any chance for Gabriel, if you see any way to convince your father to spare him, please try.”

“I promise I’ll keep trying, but I don’t want to give any false hopes about the odds.”

Bennett just nodded.

Aurelia’s eyes suddenly lit up as she remembered what she had smuggled in. “I almost forgot, I brought you some food!”

“I’m not sure I can stomach it right now to be honest.”

Aurelia looked skeptical. “When’s the last time you ate?”

Bennett didn’t even bother to answer the question. He sighed dramatically. “Fine, you’re right, I need food.”

“I knew it! You always hated to eat when you were stressed out, but then you’d end up exhausted and feeling worse.”

“I guess some things never change. Like you acting like a mother hen, trying to take care of me. “Benn, wear your jacket it’s cold. Benn, eat your breakfast. Benn, it’s not a good idea to jump off the stable roof into a tightly compacted bale of hay.” I guess I should’ve listened to you on that last one,” he said with a grin.

“And I guess I should just lean into the mother hen for today – I also brought medical supplies. Your shoulder and head looked injured earlier. Can I see them?”

He nodded. “They’re from the fight when I was captured, but they’re really not bad. I’ve had worse.”

She examined the wounds for a moment. “Okay tough guy, but they’re still pretty bad. I can’t leave anything visible like bandages unfortunately, but I’ll clean them out and apply some ointment to help numb them a bit. I’ll ask Robert if he’s willing to have the guards bandage them before tomorrow night, maybe under the guise of appearances for the banquet or something.”

The mention of the banquet brought Bennett back to reality. “Do you know what your father has planned?”

“No more than you do, I’m sorry. But I do know he plans to keep you both alive for a while, for better or for worse.”

Auri spent some time treating Bennett’s injuries, trying not to think about how many more she’d be caring for over the next few weeks. She needed to take things one day at a time.

When she was finished, she packed up her things and wrapped Bennett in one more hug. “I should go see Gabriel now, I can’t risk wandering around too late and having my father discover I’ve seen either of you. I’ll come back though, as much as I can.”

As she headed to the door, Bennett felt overcome with gratitude that she planned to come back. “Hey Auri?.... Thank you.”

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Keep reading: Next

#whump #royalwhump #emotionalwhump #guilt #fear #comfort #bonding

[andie-cake]

Tag! You're It

Second DT Drabble, y'all! Just a heads up, this takes place in between chapters 18 and 19 of DTfiles, though I still recommend that you read chapter 19 before reading this.

Emma turned off the sink of the Watcher World's women's restroom, pumping out two sheets of paper towels from the dispenser. God, this place really was old-fashioned, wasn't it? If they couldn't afford an air-dryer or two, couldn't they have at least gotten one of those motion-activated towel dispenser things?

As Emma finished drying her hands, she couldn't help but feel like she was being... well, watched. Undoubtedly due to some chucklefuck's brilliant idea to have eye designs plastered throughout the restroom. Seriously, she could understand wanting to adhere to the park's theming, but this was just too much.

Still, she forced herself to disregard the weirdness of it all. She had a boyfriend waiting outside the Drowsy Town Theater who was probably worried sick about her. Maybe she should've asked Paul to walk with her to the restroom, might've quelled their worries a bit. Again, Emma shoved the thought aside. She was here for business. Business she wasn't getting paid for, mind you, but business nonetheless.

But as Emma stepped out of the restroom and into the balmy 70° air, she was met with a sight she wasn't expecting. The Blinky mascot she and Paul had encountered in the gift shop, standing mere feet away from the entrance to the women's restroom. Staring directly at her.

"Hello again~" Blinky greeted her in that familiar childlike voice. "Did you miss Blinky?"

"Not particularly, no," Emma replied in a deadpan tone, not willing to deal with more bullshit from this creep who threw Paul into a panic attack earlier. She attempted to walk around the stout purple cyclops, only for him to sidestep into her path. "Mind getting out of my way? I've got places to be."

Blinky didn't respond, simply choosing to stay frozen to his spot and wordlessly peer down at her. Emma could've sworn she heard him breathing heavily.

"Fucking move, dude!" she groaned irritably, attempting to step around him once more. Once again, Blinky shuffled into her path. "I don't have time for this!"

"Hehehehehe~" Blinky giggled. Did... did his lower eyelid just twitch? "Little Emma's getting grumpy~"

Emma froze. How did he know her name? She hadn't mentioned it during their first encounter, had she?

"Still afraid of what daddy told you~?" Blinky continued. "Still think that Blinky likes to hang around little girls?"

Emma's heart leapt into her throat, her eyes widening. "Wh-what!?" she sputtered in shock. How the fuck did he know about that!? Dad had always said it out of earshot! Not to mention that it'd been almost two decades since her last visit to Watcher World. Emma swallowed, attempting to hide her unease. "L-look, what do you want with me, man!?"

"You said to stay away from Paul," Blinky recalled, raising his arms up. "So Blinky wants to play with you instead~"

Blinky swung his arms out to grab her, and Emma narrowly dodged out of the way, stumbling to the ground. She looked around at the passing park-goers, who all appeared blissfully unaware. Had nobody seen that!? Emma looked back up at Blinky, who was slowly approaching her.

"Hehehehehehe~ Little Emmy Doll wants to play tag~" he chortled gleefully.

As Blinky came closer, Emma began to consider her options, trying to remain calm. Blinky was blocking her way back to the Drowsy Town Theater, and he'd probably grab her if she tried to charge past him. Not to mention, Paul was most likely still there, and Emma feared what would happen if she led Blinky back to him. She had no choice. She had to run in the opposite direction and hope Blinky lost track of her.

Not willing to let the cyclops come any closer, Emma rushed to her feet and sprinted off. As the distance between her and Blinky grew longer and longer, she could hear him burst into another giggle fit. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, and saw that Blinky was now giving chase, running after her on all fours like an animal. He appeared to be gaining on her, which gave her a jolt of adrenaline that allowed her to speed up a bit. God, of all the days to be chased, why'd it have to be the one where she chose to wear sandals?

Emma continued to run through the park, the sound of Blinky's ecstatic giggling growing closer by the second. She could still see the other park-goers in the corners of her vision, but they weren't doing anything to help her escape from this... thing that was clearly chasing her! If anything, they were just watching the chase play out!

Up ahead, Emma saw an opportunity to take a sharp right turn. An arrow-shaped sign pointing in that direction that read "This way to the Eye-Drop!". Emma continued to run straight for as long as she could before suddenly bolting to the right. When she glanced over her shoulder again, she saw her plan had worked. Blinky had anticipated that she would keep running straight, only to realize he had to force himself to turn at the last second, causing him to awkwardly skid to a halt. She could just barely see him tumble over as she turned back around. Emma took the opportunity to hide, ducking behind a wall and nestling herself between a vendor cart selling purple lemonade (whether it was actual grape-lemonade or just regular lemonade with purple food coloring is not something Emma was particularly concerned with at the moment) and an overflowing trash can.

Catching her breath, Emma cautiously peeked out from her hiding spot, surveying the area in case she had to start running again. The Eye-Drop, apparently a log flume ride, looked to be at the edge of the park. So unless she wanted to try her luck at climbing over the chain-link fence and escaping into the Witchwood surrounding the park, Emma was stuck in a dead end. The best case scenario was that Blinky walked into the center of the clearing without seeing her, so Emma could carefully sneak back out the way she came to go get help.

But when Emma glanced back towards the entrance, she saw that Blinky was just standing there, blocking her only way out as he scanned the area with his massive yellow eye. Emma wanted to scream. She was trapped, she was terrified, and her lungs felt like they were on fire from running. She had an idea. An idea she didn't wanna go through with lest it put Paul in danger, but an idea nonetheless.

Pulling her phone from her pocket (thank fuck she wore shorts with real pockets today), Emma tapped on Paul's contact, marked with his name and a pair of blue heart emojis. She considered calling him, but quickly banished the thought. If she called, Blinky would hear her. She just had to send Paul a quick message to let him know something was wrong, where she was, and that he needed to get to her ASAP. Thinking quickly, Emma typed up a message.

"PAUL SOS IN FRONT OF EYE-DROP"

Emma sent the message and put her phone away, praying that Paul didn't leave his phone on silent again. But just when she thought she could take a moment to breathe, the massive yellow eye of Blinky came into view, and Emma let out an instinctual scream of terror.

"Peekaboo, Emmy Doll~!" the cyclops exclaimed mockingly.

Before Emma could protest, Blinky lurched forward and grabbed her, lifting her from the ground with ease. He wrapped his bulky purple arms around her waist, pressing her back against his belly and pinning her arms to her sides. Despite how his tight grip was quickly squeezing the air from her lungs, Emma screamed as loudly as she could muster, kicking her legs out wildly as Blinky carried her out to the center of the clearing.

"No! No!" she cried, tears of fear stinging her eyes. "Put me down, please!"

"Hehehehehehe-HAAAAH~" Blinky giggled, punctuating it with a disgusting croak. "You're a squirmy little wormy, Emmy Doll~"

As Blinky stopped in the center of the clearing, he lowered Emma back down. He didn't release his grip on her, but her feet were touching solid ground again. Emma continued to scream, begging the people around her for help. But they didn't come to her aid. They just watched, with wide smiles and hungry purple eyes. Had they always been that color? Anyone who wasn't in line for the Eye-Drop or operating the ride had crowded around, presumably to watch Blinky do... whatever he was planning to do to her. Torture her, most likely. The reality of the situation began to sink in, and Emma's screams devolved into desperate cries.

"Please, just let me go!" she pleaded, hating how vulnerable and weak she sounded. She continued to try and thrash out of Blinky's grip, to no avail.

"We'll have none of that, miss!" an unfamiliar voice spoke up. "Here at Watcher World, we have a strict 'No crying' policy!"

Emma opened her tear-filled eyes to see three purple-outfitted people standing in front of her. A smiling man in a barker's outfit, a little old woman wrapped in a starry robe and shawl, and a stone-faced man in an usher's uniform.

"Wha...?" Emma huffed out tearfully. "Who-?"

"We're here to bring you to your big star turn at the Drowsy Town Theater, miss!" the Barker cut her off. "You've got a knack for this acting thing, don't you, miss? After all, you were in Brigadoon in highschool, and you fucking killed it, correct?"

Emma could only err and stammer in confusion as the Barker rambled on. She didn't even bother to ask herself how this random stranger knew about her 2003 portrayal of Bonnie Jean in Hatchetfield High's production of Brigadoon.

"Look at the poor dear!" the old woman spoke up, her voice pitying and condescending. "She's all shaken up!"

"Must be having stage fright," the Usher man said, his voice as flat as his appearance. He looked to the white-haired old woman. "Why don't you do your thing, Madame Iris?"

"Gladly, my boy!"

The old woman- Madame Iris apparently, stepped forward and raised her wrinkled, bony hands. The tips of her long, talon-like nails grazed Emma's face, sending a shiver of repulsion down her spine. The robe-clad old woman muttered a string of nonsense under her breath, and her appearance began to change. Her withered skin became smooth and youthful, her frizzy gray hair turned brown and silky, clean white teeth began to sprout out of her gums where they hadn't been before, and her robes and shawl morphed into a yellow tank top and jean shorts. Soon enough, where the old woman once stood, was a mirror replica of Emma herself.

The crowd around Emma cheered and clapped. Blinky- who still had Emma trapped in his arms, giggled in delight. Emma herself looked down at her legs, relieved to see that she hadn't somehow shifted into the haggard old woman. The woman wearing Emma's skin laughed, with Emma's laugh.

"Ah, look at me!" she cried happily, relishing her new look. "I'm a knockout! I'm as spry as a bird!"

Emma could've vomited watching this batshit old crone dancing around in her skin, running her hands over the skin of her arms and laughing in her voice. Though Emma did notice one thing off about her little spell.

"Nice try, dumbass," she spat bitterly. "My eyes are brown, not purple."

The not-Emma merely shrugged in reply. "We can't get rid of Lord Blinky's mark on us, no matter how drastically we change our appearance," she explained casually. "I'm sure it'll still be enough to fool your little boy toy, my dear~"

Emma's heart nearly stopped. "Wh-what're you going to do with Paul!?"

"That's not important, miss!" the Barker chimed in, stepping back up. "What's important is that we get you ready for your big debut at 5!"

"What the fuck does that mean!?" Emma demanded, trying once more to futilely worm her way out of Blinky's iron grip. "What're you going to do to me!?"

The Barker stepped aside, allowing the Usher to take his place. The Usher stooped down so he was at eye level with Emma, gently took her chin in his hand, and locked eyes with her.

"Aren't you tired, sweetheart~?" the Usher asked in a soft, strangely familiar voice. "Don't you want to sleep~?"

Emma felt her eyelids begin to droop, and her heart rate slow. "Puh-Paul...?" she asked drowsily.

"Go to sleep, sweetheart~" Paul- no, the Usher, no... Paul... told her gently. "Come to Drowsy Town with me~"

Emma fought to stay awake, but Paul... God, his voice was so soothing... And his hand felt so gentle on her face... So familiar, so reassuring...

She couldn't help but drift off.

#tgwdlm #black friday #nightmare time #hatchetfield #dtfiles #dt drabbles

[b1ksh88p]

Be Mine Chapter 2 ⛏

Plot: After a couple of days you gather up the courage to visit your new best friend!

Warnings: Angst

You couldn’t get the events of that night out of your mind. It all just felt too surreal. Whenever you passed your ex there were no hard feelings. In all honesty no matter what he’d do to flaunt in front of you affected you much. Your mind was only concerned with the events of that night. In all honesty you haven’t felt so jovial with anyone or anything for a long while. It was as if you’ve found your purpose or some long term something to look foreword to. You were determined to help the mysterious Harry Warden guy out. You just had to find a way to do it.

For days you’ve been stumped. Your mother always said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach...what did he eat anyway? Did he have any preferences? You wouldn’t expect him to. The poor thing had been living off of dried rations and soot water for so long he would probably be grateful for anything. But still you didn’t want to mess this up. What if he had allergies? Breaking news! Woman kills serial killer with banana bread, justice served sweet by a deadly treat! In the end you went with some homemade honey bread, fresh apples, and cool water.

Before you could start your adventure into the mine you had stopped by the florist for a small bouquet of flowers. You made sure none of them were roses and even read about their meaning before purchasing them. The last thing you wanted was him getting offended by your gestures. From here your path was set. Or so you thought. Midway there the sherif stopped you.

“Morning, where you headed dressed all fany?”

“To the mines....”

“And what’s a pretty thing like you doing going to those filthy old mines with flowers for?”

You fight the urge to tell the old fart to fuck off and put on a toothless smile, lips barely curled as you fought back hellfire. “To honor the souls lost down there.” You say as innocently as one could lie. For a moment you’re sure he’s gonna tell you it’s to dangerous for a pretty little thing such as yourself to be in the mines but he shrugged.

“You be careful down there, and make sure not to go to far!” He called out as you quickly scamper past him.

Finally no distractions. A complete foreign panic ghost through your body as you stand between the weather front. It was like standing between heaven and hell. Only someone as optimistically stupid would enter the devils lair after barely escaping its clutches. You exhale before braving the stale air. The deeper into the lions den you went the stronger your agitation continued. Without liquid courage you felt like a sheep parading onto the slaughter. Every time you tried to hum or make any sounds to distract yourself you felt like you were being stalked. With it so dark would he know it was you? You continue onward before hitting a dead end. You sigh, perhaps he had went deeper than before into some hidden part of the mines you knew nothing of. Or maybe he was avoiding you on purpose. You much rather believe he was just busy doing whatever he liked to do and would leave the flowers and gifts down here for when he gets back. When you go to turn every fiber of your being seems to freeze.

Instead of a curious shadow you see the man practically charging at you at full speed! If not for the pickaxe you maybe could’ve thought he was running to give you a hug but he definitely didn’t seem like the hugging type! You were cornered. No loose rocks big enough to harm him, no abandoned mining tools to throw. You were completely fucked. As his form grew larger you ran through every possible way this could go down. Instead of picking a cool escape plan you panic and raise the basket whilst looking away. “ITS ME THE GIRL FROM VALENTINES DAY! IM SORRY I CAME BACK I-I BROUGHT YOU STUFF.” You yell. The steps slowed to a stumble but you didn’t dare open your eyes.

“Why are you back here?” Lucky for you he didn’t sound to angry! Yes a bit out of breath, annoyed, and confused but not in a homicidal rage.

You open your eyes and tear a smile from your trembling lips. “I told you I was going to repay you! See I brought some food and some yellow flowers, and uh-“ he doesn’t speak. He’s staring at you completely speechless. You wondered if this meant he was going to make you into miner beef jerky but he seems frozen...as if he’s short circuited.

In all honesty he couldn’t believe you had came down here on your own volition. And for what? Was this more of your empathy? Nonsense, what were your true intentions. Where you a reporter? You didn’t seem drunk like last time meaning you made up your mind to come to his personal hell.

You both kinda just stare at each other. Of course to you he’s glaring at you with homicidal intent so you feel like jello. “Is it the flowers? I know they’re kinda cheesy but I thought it could help...liven up the place.” Wow you were really bad at this whole not angering the six foot miner dude.

“I don’t care about the flowers or your gifts why are you back down here.” This time he sounded stern. Best not to sugar coat anything. Honesty was the best policy right?

“Well because you’re my friend! And friends look out for each other...”

“We aren’t friends. We aren’t even acquaintances.”

Your arms drop, the basket of goodies go down with it. Usually you were pretty good at handling your emotions. It came with the reputation. But something about him got to you, struck a nerve you didn’t know was there.

“Don’t you dare.”

It was coming

“C’mon stop it...”

Oh no there’s no stopping it they were coming

“Ok ok ok....thank you. This was very....thoughtful.”

And scene.

“I know. Everything’s homemade or homegrown.” You flaunt finding a flat surface to sit down on. You put the bread on a plastic plate and wait for him to join you. Instead he just stares...relentlessly. Had he never been to a picnic...like ever? You pat a spot and he slowly finds a comfortable position to sit in. You tear a piece of the bread off for yourself and get to munching. Maybe he needed a invitation to eat. He didn’t move. All he did was stare. “You know you can eat right?”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

You flinch at his sudden hostility making things awkward. “I-I was just saying...you aren’t eating anything...” you huff.

“I’m not hungry.”

Bullshit! Full on what? Cave bugs and stale crackers? Was it about his face? “If it makes you feel any better I ca-“

“Why the hell would you care how I feel? Stop acting like you’re my fucking savior! I cried in front of you one time! That doesn’t make us friends and it sure as hell doesn’t make me not want to drive my pickaxe through your fucking throat.”

You were speechless. Everything in you was torn. The sane side of you wanted to cry and run away, but the stubborn dumbass side of you wanted to stay put. “Fine.” You stand up and dust yourself off. He doesn’t move from that spot, not even to look at you as you leave. When the warmth hit your skin you finally let some weakness show. You were shaking. Not only with fear but with frustration. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. How could you be so dull? Of course he wouldn’t like flowers and a meal. Maybe kind gestures were all in vain. You walk home with far less pep in your step as usual. At least with this chapter on your life closed you could try and focus on other things, although you’d be lying if you said he wouldn’t always be in your mind...

Harry Warden POV

Only when he was completely sure she was gone did he eat. Not hungry his ass he was fucking starving. But there was something eating at him. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time. That stupid look on her stupid little face as she walked away made his stomach turn. She didn’t even sound angry just...disappointed.

He waved it off and continued to viciously tear through everything she had provided. When he got to the bottom of the basket he was sure it was a napkin, but upon further inspection that sickening feeling returned. He unfolded the cloth and audibly groaned. She had cleaned and sewn it back to its formal glory, or at least as close as she could get to it. He could’ve possibly stomached the feeling if she had left it at that. In the middle where moths had eaten through it she had stitched a new patch. It had a little pickaxe on it. Now he recognized the stupid ass feeling.

It was guilt

#horror #slasher #slasher x reader #slasher x s/o #slashers #harry warden x s/o #harry warden x reader #my bloody valentine #angst #hes a meanie #⛏ #i really hope you guys like this #lmao next chapter will be even better...hopefully

[kindajared]

Bother Me All You Want || JotaroxReader Angst

(Sooo, this is for that anon!)

You twiddled your thumbs together as you sat on the edge of the side of the boardwalk at the Kujo’s home. Uhg, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. You were taking a break from University, it was just spreading you to thin, but all you could think about was how far you will have fallen behind. Becoming a college history professor was always a dream of yours, as boring as that sounds, it was just something you were passionate about. You didn’t want your education to last longer than it needed to, but it would. Your mental sanity wasn’t up to par these days.

 But because you weren’t busy with school, you didn’t have much to do. You could luckily spend some time with your boyfriend, though he was the one busy with school. He was extremely hard working, nearly always in his room or the library studying himself down to the bone. You knew he didn’t have time for you and it really hurt.

 Whenever you would see him around the house you would get extremely exited, but you thought other things may have been occupying his mind, Did he even think of you?

 One day, you saw him in the kitchen making himself a PB&J which was something he ate often, it seemed a little childish honestly. Something like that was usually in a sack lunch of a grade school student, but it was sort of cute to you.

 “Hey there, makin’ another gourmet meal I see.” You walked up to him, hands behind your back. Your heart was pounding, You hated that it was. You two were as close as could be, but you always felt as though you were bothering him. He looked up at you after he placed a piece of bread on top of the condiments.

 “Do you want one?” He asked you, totally willing.  He reached up to open the cabinet, getting another plate, but you stopped him.

 “No, no, that’s okay! I’ll make something myself.” You put your hand up, chest level, assuring him. You had a nervous smile on your face. You should have expected his offer, but you didn’t.

 “Are you okay, (Y/N)?” He asked, closing the cabinet, He gave you a concerned look.

 “Huh? I’m fine, don’t worry.” Another re-assurance. You gave his arm a gentle hug. It was so good to see him, felt good to touch him. He placed his other hand on the top of your head with a smile.

 “We’ll spend some time together soon, I promise.” He told you. He moved the arm that you held so that he could wrap it around you. You looked up at him.

 “No. no, you need to study.” You shook your head, “I don’t want to stop you from progressing.” You rested your head against him, “Though I do miss you.” You sighed, smiling.

 “If you say so, but I will come visit you tonight, okay?” He was trying to make sure you knew that he did in fact want to spend time with you, but you didn’t quite believe him. You pulled away from him.

 “You better get back to work, ocean boy.” You slightly teased. He smiled and shook his head, leaving the kitchen with his sandwich. You held yourself, still smiling. His warmth against you filled you with bliss. You hummed happily to yourself.

“Oh! (Y/N)!” Holy came into the kitchen from behind you. You turned to her. What a nice surprise this was. “Mom!” You embraced her. She was in fact, like a mother to you. You had been living with the Kujo’s for 2 years now. You loved Holy with all your heart. She immediately hugged you back, squeezing you tight. You were both grinning, when you pulled away she spoke.

“And daughter! Want me to make you some lunch? Did Jotaro already make his sandwich?” She asked you, at which you replied with a nod.

” Yeah, he just left actually.” You pointed to the other exit from the kitchen behind you with your thumb.

“He’s such a busy boy, isn’t he?” She put her hands on her hips with a smile, “But I’ll make you lunch if you haven’t eaten yet.” She walked past you, swinging her arms happily.

“No, no, I’m honestly not that hungry.” You insisted. She turned to you; brows raised.

“But you didn’t even have any breakfast.” She told you, concerned. She grabbed two plated out of the cupboard, “Well, I’m making you something anyway, silly.” You let out a breathy laugh.

“If you say so, Holy.” You walked to the dining room, knelling down next to the table, sitting on your knees as she prepared you food.

She walked in after a short amount of time with what Jotaro had made, you looked up at her, surprised.

“A PB&J? Well…thank you!” You didn’t want to be disrespectful.

“I know Jotaro likes them and I do happen to know that you like them too.” She told you with a smile, “If you want me to make something else, I happily will!” She went to pick up the plate. You placed your hand on hers before she could reach the table.

“Don’t be silly! I love it, I’m sorry to complain…” You shook your head, embarrassed that you would do what you did.

“It’s alright!” She straightened back up, assuring you it was okay, “If Jotaro doesn’t come to dinner tonight, I’d like you to bring it to him, alright?” She gently told you, informing you of the task. You nodded.

“Alright.” You didn’t smile. You still didn’t want to bother him. She smiled and left then, making herself something.

You began to eat your lunch slowly, honestly tired, your depressing emotions were getting the best of you. When you finished you got up and put your plate in the kitchen sink, Holy had left.

It was about 3pm, so you figured a nap couldn’t hurt. You yawned before walking back to your room. When you passed the library, you stopped for a second, wanting so badly to say hello to your lover, but you kept walking. Arriving upon your room. You entered, feeling a little weak. You shut the door behind you and knelt down to the floor, geyying under your sheets. You wiggled, getting comfortable before falling asleep.

When you woke up it seemed to be dark out, you could see by the glow of the lamps through the transparency of your room’s front wall, where your door was. You shot up, leaving your room and walking at a fast pace to the kitchen.

“Oh Holy, I’m so sorry for being late!” You let out a heavy breath, ashamed. Holy turned to you, Japanese curry in front of her.

“You’re right on time, I just finished!” She grinned, handing you a big bowl full. Jeez, that was a lot. But Jotaro was a big guy, how could you even question it. “Now take that to Jotaro for me.” She told you before preparing a plate for you and her.

You left with a quick nervous smile on your face, making your way to Jotaro’s room.

When you arrived, you decided to knock without hesitation. The door quickly slid open. Jotaro smiled when he saw you, before even looking at the food you brought him.

“Looks good.” You handed him the plate, which he took. You just stood there, pursing your lips together.

“Come in, sit with me.” You shook your head, “No, you’re-. “

“Come in, (Y/N).” He practically demanded. You nodded and followed him as he returned to his desk. You closed the door behind the two of you. He sat down at his desk and you sat on the stool next to it.

“What’s up with you?” He asked, eyeing you. You didn’t look at him, but you replied.

“What do you mean?” You acted oblivious.

“Why have you been insisting on leaving me alone?” He really wanted to know.

“Jotaro, no no…I’m sorry. I just know you’re so busy, I just don’t want to get in your way.” You looked down. You had no idea that what you had been doing was bothering him. You honestly felt shitty.

(Y/N).)” He called for your attention. He stood up and knelt in front of you, taking your hand in his own. The brim of his hat wasn’t covering his eyes so you could actually look into them. You blushed slightly.

“You’ve never bothered me, not once.” He told you, eyes darting back and forth between your (E/C) ones. You swallowed.

“Do you want me to be honest about something?” He asked you, which made your heart skip a beat. You nodded.

“You are more important to me than any of this.” He looked to the books on his desk, “I mean it.” He looked back at you with a serious look on his face. You began to tear up.

“I’m sorry…I just-.” You began to reply, but he put a finger to your lips.

“Don’t be.” His smile grew. He stood up slightly, but he was leaning down so he was at eye level with you. He planted a soft kiss on your forehead.

“Bother me all you want.”

(Does this count as angst idek...hope you enjoyed!)

#bother me all you want #jotaro x reader #jotaro kujo x reader #jotaro kujo #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #jojo stands #stardust crusader

[n0irrrr]

e m p t y / 11

shingeki no kyojin | series [various x male!amnesiac!reader] summary: [Name], an amnesiac boy awakes in a unknown place – trying to remember anything makes him have horrible headaches. Who is he? And why he can’t remember his own face? masterlist

chapter eleven training

Looking around, the taller male tries to see if anybody is watching him, and when he decides he's safe, Jean can't help himself to check out the body from his friend next to him— [Name]. He's not paying attention to him, so Jean was safe to see all the wanted. He has noticed he have matured enough, but he is taller than [Name] and stronger.

His soft skin looks nice — he wondered if it was easily to mark... his hair looked smooth, too. He wanted to smell it– remembering those days when they were kids he always thought [Name] smelled nice.

Jean's eyes could help but wander more on his body, but before he could get any lower, he noticed something just behind [Name]'s shoulder— a mark?

The two-toned haired male tries to look at it carefully, but someone came out of nowhere talking loudly, scaring him.

"Yo, [Name]!" A short guy yells, approaching both. Turning, he recognize is Connie. "What is that on your shoulder? Is that a mark?" He says, looking right on his shoulder.

"Uh? What?" [Name] asks, confused. He tries to look behind his shoulder, but he can't see anything. "What is it?"

"You don't know? It looks like a mark!"

"A mark?"

"Hmn... it looks like... a wing?? Nah..."

Someone else speaks, interested by the subject. Is a big blonde– Reiner. "It looks like... a crown." He says lowly, narrowing his eyes. He turns to see his brunette friend, who looks nervously at him in return.

"Well, possibly. It does look like it, though..." Jean speaks thoughtfully.

[Name] tilts his head, completely oblivious he had that. "I don't remember anyone telling me I had one..."

Connie raises and eyebrow, "no? not even your parents?"

[Name] stays quiet by the question, and Connie notices right away he asked something uncomfortable.

"S–Sorry! Forget that!"

"Way to go, baldy."

"Hey! I didn't think much of it!"

[Name] shakes his head, "It's alright. No, I don't think they told me."

"Well, that's a cool mark!"

"...Thank you?"

"You don't remember having it before?" Reiner asks, looking at it carefully.

[Name] shakes his head, wondering if he could remember about it– but a sharp pain in his head stops him. Grunting, [Name] places a hand on his head, trying to relieve the pain.

Everyone can see his discomfort, but is Jean the first one to ask. "Your head again?

"Yeah..."

"You have headaches a lot, uh?" Reiner asks.

"Sometimes," he rubs his forehead, but stops when he realizes something, looking at the teenagers with narrowed eyes, "but... how all of you noticed my mark?"

"Because it was noticeable!" Connie responds enthusiastically.

"...So you were watching me while I'm showering...?"

"Ah—! Well, hehe..." Connie begins to laugh, and Bertolt, Reiner and Jean avert your gaze, face blushing.

[Name] touches his mark, wondering. Who was I? He turns to Jean, who is averting his gaze, embarrassed, "can you draw it? I want to see it."

His friend just gulps, trying to act normal. "Oh, sure."

Eren just saw their interaction from far away, pouting and frowning like a child.

"You should stop watching... it's awkward..."

━━━━━━✧♛✧━━━━━━

First training was about practicing with the balance of the ODM. As he could see, Jean and Marco were doing great— but Eren... not so much. The brunette was upside down with an horrifying expression plastered on his face. It was obvious in [Name]'s eyes he was utterly embarrassed and horrified of what was just happening to him— [Name] could only watch in worry as everyone around let out snickering comments about his friend's state as the instructor yelled at him.

"Cadet Knight! It's your turn!" One of the instructors shouted, turning to see [Name] already coming his way, watching his friend in worry. He got in place, one of the cadets placing the wires on his belt. [Name] tried to not tense too much, but as soon as the cadet began to lift him in the air, [Name] couldn't stop feeling so... uncomfortable. He couldn't get used to it as quickly as Mikasa did— it was so... tight. He couldn't stop staggering around, much to his dismay. And to top things up, a migraine was appearing, making it more difficult than it already was.

Nevertheless, the teenager tried his best to not fall. But it was clear the practice was difficult to him.

"You just barely made it," Shadis spoke to him, "you better change your pathetic attempt or you are leaving along with cadet Jäeger!"

Hearing the yells, Eren, who was still upside down, looked besides him to see [Name] having trouble too. He just grew more worried about the future in the military— their future. What if one of them had to go and couldn't see each other again?! He wouldn't allow that!

I̷̡͎̱̭͙͎̠̒̎̍̌̈́ͅ ̴̨̘͍͖̘̼̲̐͑͐̃̐͘͝͝͝͠t̷̨̆̎̽̃͆͂̚o̶̧̢̥͍̗̩͓̘̫̙̮͊̀͋̂͌̇ͅļ̴̧̨̱͉͔̭̬̘͎̣̈̐͋͆̒̎͑̊̆͗̚ͅd̴̢̧͕̟̫͕̲̙̳̬͎̣̥̓͐̕ ̵̧̼͔̠͔̗̞̋̽̿͌͌͑̔̓̇̓̆̽̓y̸̭̺̖͓͉̔͂͋̅́̑̈́͊̆̚͘̚̚͝ǫ̷̛̽̿̑̈́̈̒͘͠͠ǘ̸̼͖̝̬͖̮̥͕̈́̀̀͐̂̑ ̴̧̧̢͉͍̙͓͕̙̲̻̖͊̒̾̃t̵̛̯̦̋̈́̇͌͗̿͘̚͠ḧ̶̹̭̹̱̞̗̖̻͈̟̫́̋̅̑̒͗̽̔̇̚̚i̷̧͕̜̱̓̾̿͛̔̂̍̍̒̓̚̕͝s̶̨̢͕̺̻̜̤̬̑̌̍̏̃̎̚ ̴͓̒̉͝ͅb��͎̲̜̓͊̏̈̋̊͑̈̄͑̊͜͝͝͝r̸̢̡̧͎͔̺̭̫̼̼̘͎̬̓ä̴̧͈͙̼̤͈̹͖̝̜͉̭͚̊͜ͅṫ̵̡̤̻̰̋́̓̽̕͘̚͝ ̷̢͖̭̪̮̻͇̤̦̘̩̹̅̿̈̈́̌͘͘͝w̷̧̛̱͈̫̙̲͖͉͖̲̘͓̳̉̑̔͊̅̍̿̚ā̴̡̧̻̬͖̫͇͎̃͑̽͜s̴̛̜̭̱̦̲̮͎̞̼̆̕n̷̢̧̯͙͉̫͖̠̙͙̰̙͍͐̈́̏͐̈́̆̇̑͝'̸̡̢̨̛̠̘͖͍͈̥͈̗̦̭̈́̾̾͊̄̓̚͝͝ͅţ̸͇̞̞̒͊͌̃͊̉͂̂̅̾̚͝͝ ̷͔͉̪̠͖̾̉̈͑̈́̋̐̍̓̚͜m̴̨̛ư̵̜̩̭̲̞̬͚̱̮͚̘̾̌͒̃̋̈́͋c̸̢̟̭͈̹͎̮̠͕̾͐̌̿͠h̶̦͖̟͇̻͖͓̮͔̝̖̫͔̄̓̆͒̂̀͌̊̍̚͠͝ͅ ̶̨̧͔̗̱̠̦̫͔̱̅̂ǫ̸̥̫̹̬̣̯͙̪̲͇̌͒̓͊̈́̊̽͒͒͘f̵̻͍̮̯̖̪̹̭̈́̏͒͗͗̊́̕͝ ̸̛̜̮͒͐̽̈́̈͆͌̉̐̽͝ą̶̠͎͉̟̟̜̭̜̥͓̾ͅ ̴̢̛̻͆̐̑̾̆̉̾̿̑̏͆͠͝h̶͉̞̉̏͘ę̷̬͇̟͙̬̭̹̺͉̺͖̦͖͓̓ľ̵̝̲̗̾̓͌̒ͅp̵̛̙̯͕̝̰̹͂̂̿̉̈́̈̇̒̎͘̚.̴̨̬̻̥̲̼̦̫̬̲͙͉͉͌̂̑̒̓̽̕͝

[Name] felt irritated. What was the issue with him? As it was an new thing, maybe he didn't get use to it right away...

"Don't worry, [Name]! I'm sure you will get it right next time!" Marco tried to comfort him with his precious smile, but [Name] was already in a bad mood. The frown made it quite clear.

"Well, seems [Name] didn't make it in the first try," Jean was surprised his friend hadn't made it the first time. But he could recognize the way he grit his teeth and frowned was because he was having one of his usual headaches. "Did your head hurt?"

Sighing, [Name] just nods as an answer, rubbing the back of his head. He couldn't deny hearing harsh whispers right on his ear, a voice that could have belonged to a man with a gruffly voice. [Name] didn't hear quite well what it said, but it got in his nerves nevertheless.

”Looks like Eren is having it worse...” Armin says, smiling awkwardly at his friend. [Name] can see the brunette still trying, but failing every time. It was not a great scene to see, less when everyone was looking at him in mocking way.

”Pff, and there goes “the weak have to go”, HAHAHA!” Jean jokes, laughing like a maniac. [Name] just sees him with an raised eyebrow, amused by such ridiculous behavior. Was he always this dumb?

[Name] sighs, passing a head trough his hair, ”guess I have to worry about myself...” Jean notices his irritation, and he hugs his shoulder and speaks in a weird tone.

”Heeeey,” Jean pats his head with his grin, “don’t worry— PRO Jean knows everything and you are in luck— I’m not charging you.”

[Name] snorts, “is that so? How nice of you.” Hugging his arm, [Name] rests his head on Jean’s shoulder, looking at him with a playful smile. This only breaks Jean’s facade, seeing his blush and stuttering.

Armin just sees with widening eyes and a blush, same with Marco. It’s... amusing seeing [Name] so lively, after being in a bad mood.

"I'm hungry. When is lunch time?" [Name] yawns, letting go Jean's arm. The migraine was still there, but less painful. He somehow had to bear with them as nothing else could help but a cold shower. Maybe he could go to the infirmary later to find anything.

Eren, who somehow finished his awful practice, approaches Armin but not before giving [Name] a weird look. The [hair color] haired stares at him silently, not sure what to say. It's obvious the air had become awkward— there's silence. The brunette frowns, pressing his lips into a thin line, seeming to decide not say whatever he was thinking.

"Let's go." It's the only thing he says, already walking away without Armin. The blonde waves at [Name] before leaving, sending an apologetic smile. [Name] just stands there with a frown, feeling upset once more.

Maybe I should have said something. He thinks, his expression changing to his dull usual eyes and crosses his arms. Sighing, he can't help but being angry at the situation.

The freckled boy can't help but notice the tension, and with prying eyes he looks at [Name]. "Hmn, is something wrong between you two?"

Jean snorts, "of course there is— that suicidal maniac is also a jackass."

"I want to sleep." [Name] states, already walking away. Jean grabs his wrist, pulling him back.

"No you won't! You have to eat dinner first!" Jean yells at him, “I can’t believe I have to be your babysitter!”

”I’m not making you," he pouts, "you are doing it because you want to."

The taller teenager just clench his teeth and grunt, a faint pink painting his face. This cute little shit—

"[Name]! Eating is important!" Marco says worriedly, "if you don't you will be more tired tomorrow..."

The sleepy teenager just sighed and gave in. Eating didn't sound so good when the food was that cold—he already missed his mom's cooking. When will they be able to visit their family?

The trio walked to the dinner hall, Marco and [Name] doing most of the talking while Jean just wondered.

Jean believed if [Name] lived by himself he wouldn't do anything but sleep one week if he could. That careless idiot! If I weren't here with him who would take care of him?! He knew one day he wouldn't be at his side once they graduate. The thought only upset him, squeezing [Name]'s hand for no reason. The amnesiac boy looked at him with curiosity, but squeezed back without a word.

━━━━━━✧♛✧━━━━━━

It wasn't a secret Mikasa was satisfied with how her brother was acting. She knew that day was traumatic— they lost their mother, their father was missing and they believed [Name] was gone for good, even if they didn't say it out loud. But getting angry at him wasn't justified. She knew Eren could get emotional even if he didn't admit it, but it was a clear his feelings controlled him most of the time.

"Eren, you know what you are doing is immature, right?" Armin tries to keep up with the fast speed Eren is walking— he looks troubled. Nevertheless, the blond tries to speak with in a soft tone.

Seeing his silent treatment, Mikasa frowns and speaks, "[Name] is hurt by what you are doing."

"Really?! And then why isn't he coming to apologize?!" He turns to see her angrily.

"For what?" She changes her tone to one much harsher, "he didn't leave us— did you look for him first when the colossal titan broke the wall?" Mikasa says with narrowed eyes, staring right at Eren.

The brunette shuts his mouth, not being able to answer. It was true— his first thought was his mom, not [Name]. But it was completely fine his thoughts were like that. He grits his teeth, turning to walk once more. "Whatever!"

"You will make things right— apologize. What you said to him was uncalled for."

”Eren... [Name] is here, with us.” Armin spoke, “there was a chance he wouldn’t be here— can you imagine that? You should be happy we are together again...”

The brunette grunts, looking as if he didn't care, but in reality, he certainly did. “I have more important things to do right now.”

The two friends look at each other, sighing. Eren could be a thick head when he wanted.

"Hopefully this won't be long."

━━━━━━✧♛✧━━━━━━

As [Name] was changing to more comfortable clothes, he could see Eren (with a bandage around his head) desperately trying to get help with Jean and a kid named Connie. The [hair color] haired knew that wasn’t going work at all, seeing Jean not liking Eren one a bit.

Strangely, [Name] wasn’t too bothered by his horribly practice. At first he was troubled, but he deducted with a few more chances to get used with the gear he would be fine. He didn’t feel desperate— after all, Beatrice always told him that keeping a cool head was better.

”Maybe we can try tomorrow morning before practice,” Marco smiles, looking at [Name], "you can get used to it in no time."

”I don’t think I will wake up...” He scratches his neck, “maybe after dinner... but I will have to change again... ugh.”

”I can go with you to help, okay?" [Name] looks at him and nods, grateful. "Don't worry— I will try to tell you everything I know."

Jean approaches them with a smug smirk, obviously enjoying Eren’s suffering, “he must be so desperate to look for me to help him, pfft!” He can't hold his laugh, seeing Eren's face from afar. Jean turns to the two, still with his smirk, "anyways, how about you [Name]?"

”Ah, [Name] wants to practice after dinner!”

”Really? I don’t see you that bothered, tough.” Jean looks at [Name]'s neutral face— in fact, he didn't see him as worried as others were.

”Maybe I can get it right after a few tries,” he looks at Eren again, noticing he was with Reiner and Bertolt, along with Armin. Tilting his head, blinking with his dull eyes, he proceeds, “after all, being anxious won't help."

"You must be careful with your headaches. Seems they come around in the worst times."

[Name] sighs, "can't do much about that." He didn't know how well he could handle them in the worst scenarios— [Name] hoped they didn't make him leave training.

"Everything will be okay," the freckled teenager showed a warm smile, squeezing his hand. [Name] tilted his head, feeling warm. Strangely, [Name] felt shy. His face blushed and he averted Marco's gaze, and Jean absolutely catch the strange behavior.

Ayayayay— what

"Okay," [Name] scratches his neck, still with the cryptic spark on his eyes. Jean raises one eyebrow, suspicious. Never seen that expression before— [Name] has like... three expressions. What's he thinking?! "We should go to eat now. I'm hungry."

"Sure!"

As the three of them leave, Jean can't stop thinking at the weird thing just happened. That can't be— [Name] didn't even react the way I wanted to when he kissed!

━━━━━━✧♛✧━━━━━━

[Name] noticed neither Armin nor Eren went to have dinner— they stayed with Reiner and Bertolt back in the dorms.

The amnesiac teenager looked at Mikasa, who was with other girls. Since Armin nor Eren are here... She somehow noticed [Name], waving at him with a small smile. [Name] returned the smile, waving along.

He sat down with Jean and Marco as usual, not really talking much. There was few other guys in the table, and he could only recognize Connie and Thomas, a blonde kid he saw around Trost a few times.

"Aah?" The bald kid speaks, stopping eating when he sees [Name]'s face closely. He got near [Name] from the other side of the table, supporting his hands on the wood, "never seen your eyes before!"

"I feel special," [Name] plainly says, eating his bread without much care. Jean snorts by it— since when [Name] jokes?

Connie blinks, realizing who he is, "hey! do you remember your mark?" [Name] blinks, completely forgotten about it.

"Ah, right," Jean takes something from his pocket— a folded paper. He opens it and shows it to [Name], who tilts his head to look at it carefully.

It's a simple drawing— it was a crown inside a perfect circle. No words or anything that he could recognize— just an imagine. This only made him sigh. Of course it didn't bring anything— nothing ever did.

"I don't know."

He doesn't hear anybody, paying more attention to the paper, as he touches the drawing. The touch only brings a heavy pain on his head, and there's only a strong voice speaking trough the static.

W̷͈̱͎͙͍̤͔͉̯̘̟̪͇̭͕̓̂͛̓͗̀͘̕͝X̷̢̛̖̯̰̫̌͛̾̅͂̏͘̕ ̸̨̡̡̰͈̺̻͓̩͔͚̙̅̂̈́̎͜3̴̖͍̫̪̌͛̈͊͝r̶̛̙̺̝̮̣͍̟͓̬̄̀̊͑ͅX̴̹̐̆͌̽̀̕̚͠ ̵̭̻̽͑̇̌̉̿̊̂̍̌̍t̵̥̖̼̮̙̩͈͗͛͗͋̍̌̇̄͛̍̃̋̚͜͝h̴̪̐̏̌͌̓͑̂̕2̵̠̠͇̮̰͈͇͋͜ ̸̧̡͍͙̠̦̬͕̟̻͖̟́̋͌̊̋̄̌̌͘K̸̢̨̥̘͖͙̜͎̹̜͎̰̘̈̀̽̄̎̊̐͒͜ȉ̷̭̺̝̈́̑ň̵͜g̶̺͇̮̑̾͜'̵̨͈̦̳̾̂̓̒̊s̵̢̨̝͙̜͕͙̥͕̣͔̝̤̬̒͋̂͑͒̑̈̈̓͒̀͑̂̑ ̴̲̼͚̲̘̱̫͔͍̩̰͍̓̊́s̶͓͚͐͂̐X̵̡̰͔̯̼̭̻̜̅̋̇͑͛͛͘.̴̭̹̹̳̲̩̃̾͐̓?̵̞̯̤̪̍̊̋̽͗̑͒͗̽͊̚͘͠d̷̡̘̜̯͚̱͕͍̮̹̭͆̒͐͑͛̃͗͘̕͜.̴̨̡̻̟̩̼̄̉̂͠͠

"[Name]?"

"Why does your head hurt a lot?" Connie interrupts Jean, noticing the usual pain [Name] gets. Jean just glares irritably at him.

"Migraines. I will never get rid of them, so I'm used to it."

"Wait— but how come you don't remember anything? Did you hurt your head?"

"Something like that." He doesn't seems to want to talk anymore, so he excuses himself to eat. Doesn't matter, as Connie looks like loves to talk and doesn't seem bothered by his silence. This allows [Name] to think about his now founded mark— did nobody ever see it before? Well, he didn't actually remembered someone looking as his back... was there? Frowning, he instinctively touches his shoulder, upset but happy at the same time. Well, at least I have another thing to be recognized with.

He feels a hand touching his'. [Name] looks up, noticing is Jean. "Hey, do you want to go now? Remember you have to rest." [Name] notices Marco is watching him too, waiting to leave. Nodding, [Name] stand up along with the other two, alerting Connie who only raises his eyebrows with the sudden move.

"Hey! Where are you three going?"

"None of your business, baldy," Jean answers as they leave, hearing Connie yell something to him. Just as they return to the dorm, [Name] can hear Eren's voice in the distance. He turns to the side of the forest, seeing faint lights entering it. Where are they going...?

"[Name]?"

He blinks, entering the dorms without seeing the forest one last time.

”Your straps are loosen up," Marco kneels, tightening them and reordering them, "done!"

"Geez, [Name]. You can be so careless most of the time," he sighs, scolding [Name], "anyways, ready?" [Name] nods.

[Name] has the same uncomfortable feeling as before, but this time he's prepared. He is lifted in the air as he tries his best to relax and not trash around— but there's a gentle voice right at his ear, but not the same gruffly one. This one is kinder, and he can actually understand what it says. He blinks, surprised.

Easy— this is nothing you can't handle.

The voices relaxes him, somehow. Is as if it's singing a lullaby— [Name] sighs, using his whole body to balance correctly this time. Just as Marco and Jean said, the legs had a principal role on balancing himself right. There seems to not be another issue with the gear, as he could see. The two boys saw [Name] working better with the gear, much different than his first try.

"Look at that— seems my great teachings have worked for you, [Name]." Jean smirks, placing his hands on his hips, feeling proud.

"Seems you just had to try a second time," the freckled teenager smiles, giving thumbs up. He helps [Name] getting off.

"I wonder how we'll do in the air," [Name] says, touching the ground. He couldn't wait for the next practice in a couple of days— strangely he felt ticklish by just the thought of flying. Just remembering the first time he saw the Survey Corps using the gear made him grin in anticipation.

"Now now, don't get impatient," Jean tries to sound 'wise', but in reality [Name] thought he sounded dumb as hell, "everything in time."

"Whatever you say, Jeanbo."

"Don't call me that!"

[Name] hides his smile, "mom?"

"[NAME]!"

Marco chuckles, "I'm glad you made it— let's just wait for tomorrow!"

When they walk back to the dorms, [Name] can't stop thinking at the kind yet familiar voice from before. Would I get the answers I'm tired to look for? Hearing the voice was calming, just like hearing Beatrice. It was a weird resemblance, but spot on, somehow. I wonder what she's doing.

#attack on titan x male reader #shingeki no kyojin x male reader #eren jaeger x male reader #armin arlert x male reader #jean kirstein x male reader #reiner braun x male reader #bertolt hoover x male! reader #reader insert #male reader insert #male! reader #e m p t y #various x male reader

[little-lily-w]

Asa Emory x Eve (their story)

A/N: After two days I managed to put all the pieces together. This is a story we’ve been creating with @asa-emory-the-collector (mun is @vannahhere or @slassher-addict) It tells how their lives met and how their relationship grew. Eve is my muse. You can find her on @hisbluemonarch. 

Warnings: the ones you can expect in a world ruled by a sadist and a person who fell in love with her kidnapper. 

Words: 30k+ (and we will continue writing it). Give the story some time cuz at first we were figuring out our muses functioning together but then they become clearly defined. 

My parts are marked with “E” and Vann Vann’s parts are marked with “A”. 

Enjoy!

Eve:

You know one of my attributes as an angel is living to please you, right? Even if what you're thinking involves some sort of... knife to my disgrace.

 Asa:

Fascinating little pet…

---

*Episode visiting Jesse*

---

Eve:

*Comes running to you* Asa, one of the Shepherds is chasing me to bite me 😭

Asa:

What exactly did you do? Or did they just see you?

Eve:

 Ummm... 👉👈 I saw them and I thought it'd be nice to pet them so I went to one of them and released him from his chain... 👉👈 He seemed nice when I was doing that but as soon as he was free he started growling. Oh no, here he comes

 Asa:

You’re fine now, just stand behind me a little. Don’t do it again, they’re chained for a reason. They aren’t your average dogs.

Eve:

Thank you and... I'm sorry 👉👈 I won't do that again. Promise.

Asa:

Unless you want to get torn to pieces.

---

Eve:

Sometimes, when I spy your work on the down floor I understand why you enjoy silence. If you try to turn low the sound of the new victims' screams, you look like a paintor or an orchestra conductor

Asa:

A conductor? That’s interesting..

The story starts to have shape from here (Eve realizes she likes Asa but Asa doesn’t trust her yet):

Eve:

Can I borrow your black garment? I appreciate not having to sleep in a box anymore but I feel a bit alone in this room. 😔

Asa:

Do you want to join me? You’ll be on the other side of the room though.

Eve:

You mean me sleeping outside your room? It'd be nice. Since this place is so quiet I'd dream that I hear your heartbeat from the distance

A:

No, you’ll be inside of the room, chained to the wall by the couch.

E:

Oh my god, having a comfy place to sleep and being in your presence is such a privilege. I don't know how I could be grateful enough but I'll behave so good you'll think you have me better trained than the Shepherds.

A:

I’m not so sure about that, but sure.

E:

*sleeps quietly all night. Wakes up at the sound of Asa getting up but pretends to be asleep so she can look at him from the corner of her eye*

A:

Do you know, that your breathing changes once you wake up? 

*leans down to look closely at your face*

 E:

*Yelps at the sudden image of his aracnid eyes* S-sorry *the chain clanks with her tiny whimper*

 A:

*stares a bit long* *walks away without saying a word*

E:

*Hours pass by. From that room, nothing is audible, not even the horrible screams of the "zombies". She looks around. The chain is clean but old. She doesn't even try to pull from it knowing it's well secured, nor that she wants to go anywhere. Was it true? She spent the night in his room? Thirst and hunger start to have their effects on her but even if she is dizzy and her members become weak, she doesn't complain. The image of him sleeping so close was enough nourishment.*

A:

*walks into the room to observe your state*

Would my little bug like to eat? I’m sure you’re hungry.

 E:

*nods exaggeratedly* please *tries to move closer unconciously but the chain pulls her back and she falls on her butt*

 A:

*smirks before leaving back out of the room. Shortly comes back in with a sandwich and water*

*places it in from of you. Then watch you eat*

E:

She eats ravenously. Food always has a moist taste but it's not particularly disgusting since by now she doesn't have taste buds anymore. In her head it could be like dinner at a fancy restaurante. After all, he is there watching her and she is there watching him, his eyes, his parted lips, his knife hanging from his hips... Sometimes its shine makes her have a flash of her old life but it gets lost when she notices the butterfly design he's been carving in her forearm.

A:

He just watches her until she finish, he grabbed the plate and leaves out of the room.

He comes back in to take her out of the room, leading her to another room. He throws her in, closing the door, locking it.

E:

She sighs and sits right in the corner, hugging her legs. What did she do wrong? Is he never inviting her back to his room? At least she still has the chain attached to her neck as a reminder. Suddenly, a loud noise comes from outside and then the sound of a key. Was it him? To her surprise it's a blonde guy who locks the door back and approaches her in a heartbeat. "Who are you?!" He shushes her violently and starts pulling from the chain (1/2)

 “No, what are you doing?!” She screams at him. “Come on, we need to find a way out”. “No! Stop!” She screams again, and this time the struggle ends up breaking the chain and it comes off of her collar. “WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!” The guy then decides to step back and hide behind an old armchair. She stays there screaming babbling noes trying uselessly to connect the chain again. (2/2)

 A

Asa watches through one of the peep holes, already setting the traps in the hall and vents. They weren’t getting out of the room. He watches the boy hide behind the chair, it’s useless, and he knows that.

Tired of waiting around, Asa opens the door but remains out of sight. Hearing the movement inside of the room, he saw the two emerge from the room.

Running through the halls, the boy triggers the trap. Lucky enough, the girl trips and falls, avoiding the spears coming out of the wall. She needs to move carefully, or else she’ll trigger another trap.

Asa watches as the girl looks around, trying to make her way back to her given room.

 E:

"Asshole", she yells once again in her room. Her heart beats like she's on a rollercoaster. What if Asa saw that guy dragging her and thought she was trying to escape? She was lucky enough to avoid the trapps, mostly because he taught her about them some time ago but of course he could have set new ones and that was a high risk she wasn't enthusiastic about. (1/2)

 What’s worse is that she is now back in the room looking at the broken chain like she has lost a treasure, not even realizing she is covered in the blood that has splashed all over her face and right side from the destroyed body of that man. Her angelic features still manage to peek from that filth but they’re nowhere as attractive as they were just a moment before. “Fucking asshole” she yells again and starts kicking madly the armchair with an anger she hasn’t felt in a very long time (2/2)

A:

Asa stands in the doorway, watching the fit of anger with amusement. He waits until she feels his presence, before he motions her closer to him.

E:

The image of him surprises her like a cold shower. Stopping all action, she takes a deep breath and walks to him at his motion. ´He is going to stab me´, she thinks so she moves like she knows best: slowly and with her head down but preparing for the worst.

A:

Once she’s close enough, he circles behind her. Moving her hair, he looked at the now broken chain on the collar. Deeming it useless, he takes it off, observing the bruise.

He leaves her in the room, walking into the hall and into another room. This room looked way better than the rest, excluding Asa’s. He went to the bathroom and ran some water.

Going back to the trembling girl, he threw her over his shoulder. Weaving his way through the hall, avoiding the traps.

He sets her down in the bathroom. He waits for her reaction….

 E:

Even after he removed the item from her neck, she still didn't know what to expect but when she threw her over his shoulder, her anger has vanished; it's impossible to be angry in such a pathetic position. She always has to resist the urge to squirm, it has earned her harsh spanks in the past, not the ones you see in the movies but the ones behind the knee that make the joint burn inside the flesh. It isn't the first time she is inside the tidy bathroom. (1/2)

 Things have evolved from him throwing buckets with iced water and bleach at her to earn his trust and be left alone in this big room of the hotel. Despite that, Asa is still there watching her trembling being. She wants to scream at him that she didn’t had to do with what happened but it’s not wise to break silence at this point so she goes to the tub and puts her fingers in the water: it’s warm, and it’s then when she realizes about the blood covering her. She looks at him waiting a command

A:

Get undressed, get into the tub.

E:

A deep breath and a shaky exhalation come after that. In her lost mind, this moment of her getting naked in front of him was always a nice fantasy but god, the real situation was different, she was so fucking small before him, and the bathroom was also enormous to make her feel like an actual bug. Slowly, her fingers fidget with the fabric of her shirt before removing it, hands covering poorly her breasts not knowing if she was supposed to do that. (1/2)

 When the turn of her wasted skirt comes, she can’t stand the shame and turns her back at him. Then she gets into the tub, still on her feet and facing the wall.

A:

Sit down, look towards the faucet.

E:

She obeys, taking advantage of the position to hug her legs and cover more surface although the water is actually pretty relaxing.

A:

Asa grabs the sponge, dipping it in the water. Slowly washing the blood off, the water started to turn pink.

Instructing her to tilt her head back, he rinsed off her hair as well.

He leaves the bathroom for a minute, shortly returning, draining the water. Holding a towel out for her to step into, effectively covering her body.

Both of you leave the bathroom, but Asa is a few paces ahead. Leaving the girl in the locked room, clothes lying on the bed.

A black, long sleeved dressed and a pair of normal black, cotton underwear.

 E:

It looks like she's finally able to breathe, out of a moment that felt like eternity. Back in the bedroom alone, she notices the clothes. 'Such a classy taste'. She removes the towel, taking a moment to caress the soft fresh skin of her arms as a way to treasure the path that the sponge has created. Then she changes into the underwear and dress, the long sleeve covering the scars of the butterfly design. Too lost in adoration, she never wonders where the clothes come from (1/2)

although the sudden pain in her neck delivers her quickly to reality. The bruise is already purple and makes her unable to move her head too much. At least if she has long sleeves, he may not continue with the knife. Because even if they weren’t deep cuts, they were still as painful as the bloodish mark on her neck. ‘Am I going to sleep alone today?’ She looks down. The dress suits her almost perfectly but soon it gets a bit wrinkled due to her starting to fall asleep on the bed.(2/2)

A:

Asa enters the room to find the girl sleep, so he leaves the jug of water at the end of the table. He sits in the chair in the corner of the room, a little out of site.

Watching her sleep….

 The story evolves (Eve muse has a name and a more defined personality. Asa slowly gets closer to her)

E:

A few hours later, Eve wakes up. Hissing a little at the touch of the sheets against the bruise on her neck, she scrubs her eyes and steps out of the bed, fixing the elegant dress. As she walks a few steps, she notices Asa in the corner and jumps. ´Breathing changes when you're awake but he must not breathe at all', she thinks to herself. "What happened before... I don't even know what happened, he came here and and...", she starts.

A:

He stood up, making her go quiet, walking towards her. Putting his finger to his lips, then putting his hands through her hair.

He pulled her hair back slightly, looking at the bruise on her neck.

“Hmm, too bad.” He thought to himself.

Releasing her hair, he walked towards the door.

“Relax while you can, I have something for you later.”

He left out, closing the door, locking it.

 E:

As soon as he has his finger on her lips she shuts up, opposing no resistance when he tilts her head back. His hot breath near her neck sends shivers down her spine and she would have no problem to be bitten even if that meant an even harsher amount of pain on that spot. When Asa leaves, she stays there, trembling at his phrase; even after all this time she still doesn't know what to expect from him. Noticing the jug of water but no glass, she rapidly picks it and gulps it down her throat.

 A:

Asa returns to the room 2 hours later. Putting a blind fold on her, he throws her over his shoulder once more.

Quickly walking through the halls, he got to one of his favorite rooms. Laying her down on the freshly changed bed, he cuffs her wrist and ankles to the bed post.

“I did say I’d let you lay down the next time.” He whispered in her ear.

He walked around the room, purposely getting her nervous.

Grabbing the riding crop, he ran it down her arms.

Her stomach.

Her thighs.

Slapping it across her chest.

Then across her legs.

Right above her pubic bone.

Prepping her for what was to come next….

E:

Eve is used to being carried like a rag doll but the blindfold is something new, something that makes her feel even more vulnerable, if that is possible, with her senses hyper aware of her surroundings. When she's left on the bed, she is grateful for the soft mattress but then the cuffs come and all of a sudden she's like a gift presented with a beautiful black ribbon, unable to move and unable to speak, not because she's gagged but because she knows better. (1/2)

 Asa’s steps already make her breathing unsteady although when the crop touches her skin, a loud yelp comes out. It’s a cold sensation that quickly gets warmed with the first smacks. Painful but tingly, harsh but delicious, to the point where she doesn’t know if to writhe or curl her toes. Most likely she does both at the same time, especially when he whispers in her ear. By the time the crop stops, she’s unable to think straight and breaks silence. “Pl- please…”, she gasps agitated like a mess

—————-

A:

Grabbing a knife, Asa made very, very shallow cuts across her skin. Enough to sting, but heals easier and quicker, no pain. The crop helped her blood rise to the surface. The cuts have small dots of blood peaking through.

He wanted to mess with her. So he stood completely still next to her. After a moment, he blew inside her ear, chuckling silently.

He grabbed some ice and a candle that was burning. Dripping the wax, then dripping the cold water onto her skin. Repeating this action over and over.

He didn’t want to be too mean to his favorite pet. He grabbed the aloe gel, rubbing it all over the shallow cut marks, as well as on her neck. Uncuffing her, he picked her back up, taking her back to her room. Leaving her neck bare, he left the bucket of ice. He then left to go get her a juice with another sandwich. Leaving her once again, locking the door.

E:

When she's back on her room, her whole body is shaking and aching, not out of pain but out of the heaven she has just experienced. That's why, by the time Asa comes with the food, she has already collapsed asleep on bed, all energy she could have left was drained out of her. After a long peaceful sleep, the first thing she notices is the ice bucket although it's already melted but she picks it up and drinks it anyways. Then she notices that there's actually juice waiting for her and chuckles(1/2

She looks in the mirror of the corner. The bruise on her neck is still there although less painful by now thanks to the aloe. But what catches her attention the most are some tiny pieces of wax still adorning her pale skin. She leaves them there, not only because they make her glow but because that was the most exquisite night she could have never dreamed about. If Eve was devoted to him, now she was burning too. He could ask her anything and she would have no moral left.

A:

Asa wasn’t sure what he wanted his next game to be. For once, he had no plans, although after all of that cleaning, he was exhausted. Coffee couldn’t save him this time.

He checked in on his favorite pet, finding her asleep. He scooped her out of the bed, she stirred a little, but her breathing evened back out. He carried her to his room, laying her on the bed. Taking his mask off, he used her stomach as a pillow and was out like a light.

E:

Eve squirms a little bit before waking up. When her foggy vision finally allows her to see what the weight on her stomach is about, she has to suppress a loud yelp. Asa looks so beautiful and relaxed that at first she bites her nails to not do it but then ends up surrendering to temptation and moves her hand down to caress his hair. Luckily, he seems still asleep. After a few seconds, something on the night table catches her attention. It's a newspaper. She carefully goes through the pages,(1/2)

mostly out of boredom, but ends up stopping on one that has her face printed on it. ‘Eve case: the unsolved disappearence’ says the title. She keeps reading a bit more: 'The family doesn’t lose hope. Police has settled a team to resume the searching after some found evidence of her being alive’. Eve’s breathing becomes shaky. Her brain seems split in two: one rational part that remembers slight moments from her past and one irrational part that wants to scream. 'Which fucking evidence?!’ (2/3)

She thinks to herself. Heartbeat pounding in her head. 'Was it when I went to Jesse’s? Someone saw me? But I was covered!’. A big wave of fear appears in her stomach, contracting it and making Asa’s pillow a bit hard. “Fuck this!”,she says out loud and throws the newspaper away on the floor. (End)

———

 A:

Asa instantly woke up and wrapped his hand around the girl’s neck. The other hand pining both of her arms above her head. Studying her face, watching her intentions….

E:

The grip on her neck is so strong that she's barely able to breathe. But she doesn't care at the moment. She is scared and her eyes start watering not because of the man above her but because of the possibility of being taken away from the same man she looks up in adoration. "Please don't let them take me away" she tries to articulate with poor sound, sobbing like a mess.

A:

He knew that she saw the newspaper, she was just worried. Releasing her neck and laying back down on her. What she didn’t know is that their sources were wrong. Whether they saw her or not, it was in another state on the other side of the country. They didn’t even think that he, The Collector, had her.

He reached up and pet her head a bit, before getting frustrated. He was comfortable and didn’t want to get up. He growled a loudly before snatching his mask off the nightstand. He put it on, making sure he had everything he needed.

He doubled back to his pet and picked her up, taking her to he designated room for during the day. Making a mental note to feed her.

E:

The early hours of afternoon find Eve walking from side to side of her designated room. Heavy, nervous steps that match her worry. Family is by now, thanks to Asa's mind manipulation, a word associated with negative things. After all, if she is his property, she doesn't want to lose her owner. What would a lost puppy like her do? (1/2)

That’s why, when the door is open again and Asa is in front of her, Eve falls on her knees like a beautiful bowing with gold locks of hair covering her face. “Tell me”, she begs, “Tell me what I have to do to stay here and I’ll do it. It doesn’t matter what it is. I will”. (2/2)

—–

A:

Asa smirked at her worrying little head. He decided that he’d let her know the truth anyway since they’ve updated the case she saw.

Under the slice of pizza ((not actually on the pizza, under the plate)) was an article.

‘Missing Girl from California FOUND ALIVE’

He just watches her as she read the article.

“Just keep being my good little butterfly.” He tilted her chin up, so he could look her in the eyes.

E:

"I will", she says with a smile from ear to ear. Eve was so happy, so so happy that even if she had someone to talk profoundly about it, she wouldn't have the words to express that much joy. By the time Asa laves her there, all she can do is dance around but taking care of singing with a very low voice. The excercise suits her well after being so quiet and almost motionless in her given room. She wasn't exactly a dancer but her movements weren't clumsy. (1/2)

She moved delicately, almost like a flying butterfly. She was, instead, a very good cooker but she never had the chance to show him so. In fact, being constantly fed by him was an honor, but at some point she would like to gift him some of all that attention back. (2/2)

—————

A:

After being gone for a few days, he’s been making repairs to the hotel, which has been time consuming.

It’s been very hot the last few days as well as having severe thunderstorms.

Asa looked in the room and watched his pet sleep. Sitting down in the corner, his usual seat. He noticed the bruise on her neck was looking better, and the shallow cuts very practically invisible on her skin. She would soon be ready again for the next play session.

Soon she woke up, but she didn’t notice his maskless face in the corner….

E:

God, Eve hated thunders. She was okay with the suffocating temperatures but the loud sounds always managed to get through the majestic hotel and they made her jump every time. But what she hated the most was his absence. She enjoyed his company, his calmness, his quietude. Eve woke up, stil a bit sleepy from the poor rest she had and, scrubbing her eyes, she went to take her dress from the chair. Long sleeves with hot weather wasn't comfortable but it had been his gift and she loved it (1/2)

A moment later a thunder was heard again and, within her jump, she found Asa seating in the corner. After her yelp, she smiled from ear to ear. “Master!”, she gasped, her big black eyes widening in joy. “You’re back”. She had to resist the urge to run towards him. Instead, she stayed there, fingers dancing happily behind her back while she bowed her head slightly in respect. (2/2. - @hisbluemonarch [Eve])

—————–

A:

He had a smirk of amusement plastered on his face. Watching the girl move around the room without noticing him. Jumping at the lightening outside, he realized you were scared of the weather. But not him.

The hotel was going to be cold again in a few hours, but he was a little tired of seeing you in that dress. He’ll have to look out for something else.

He grabbed her wrist, leading her out to the hall, taking her to his room. He had some steaks delivered and we was waiting to eat. He tapped the chair across from him, telling the girl to sit. It was only one steak, but he fed her himself.

Once he finished eating he got up to go take a shower. Not really caring that she’s there. Purposely leaving the door open…

E:

Eve sat obediently on the chair. The smell of steak was appetizing enough to make her stomach growl since she had not eaten sufficiently in the past days, mostly because she was worried about him. About Asa, who could even fight death with a stare but yet he was the focus of her adoration. When he went into the bathroom, she looked around. The dishes were empty but she still felt that urge to gift him something back. She found a pen and, not wanting to mess with his papers, (1/2)

she wrote on a napkin: “May I cook for you one day?”, leaving it on the table. Then she heard the sound of the shower, steam coming out of the bathroom more appetizing than the food was. She got up and walked a pair of circles in her place, completely nervous. Oh, Eve was so tempted after how much she had missed him. But he didn’t exactly give her permission to do so and, being an enthusiastic about his rules, she couldn’t make a proper decission. Eventually, her primal instincts woke up (2/3) and she couldn’t resist it anymore. She walked to the bathroom door, covering her mouth in a poor attempt to hide her shaky and clearly agitated breathing and made a pair of steps in. The closer she got, the more shaking her members became and at one point, she thought she would explode in a million flames. The curtain was almost covering the whole picture but there was a little bit clear from where she spied. The vision was foggy because of the steam, but the skin of one arm was visible. (¾)

And Eve looked and licked her lips while her jaw fell a little open like watching a dream come true. From the distance she looked like an adorable little sheep who never thought she could be so close to the wolf. And something was certain: she didn’t care anymore if she got in trouble. In fact, she wanted to see more. (4/4) 

A:

Asa knew she wouldn’t be able to resist, and he’ll have to punish her later for it. For now though, he just pulled the curtain back, grabbing her by her dress. He pulled her forward, ripping the dress off of her, leaving her bare. 

He pulled her in the shower, bringing her in front of him, letting the stream fall on the both of them. He grabbed the soap, lathering it in his hands, washing her body with his bare hands. He felt her shaking, and smirked at the thought. 

He stood, letting the suds rinse off of her body. He then just wrapped his arms around her torso, resting his head on top of hers. Enjoying the skin-to-skin contact with someone. 

That moment was shortly lived, he turned the water off stepping out wrapping a towel around himself. He went to his room, and quickly got dressed in his typical black long sleeve. 

He sat himself on the bed, waiting for the girl to come out of the bathroom, to give her the well deserved punishment…

E:

 A second. All it took was a second and Eve's world was upside down. She was tempted but she wasn't preared to be actually dragged into temptation all of a sudden and she was left only with the possibility of whimpering while her dress was ripped off of her. She was there but she couldn't understand what was happening at first. Explanations were futile and when she felt his hands taking care of washing her whole body, she came back to reality and wondered what she could do first (1/2)

If to treasure the image of his body, if to close her eyes to retain in her memory the sensation of mixed skin and soap or if to faint right there because her legs were shaking so much she thought she’d fall. Then Eve was able to look him in the eyes and babble something similar to “I’m sorry” with poor articulation. When he wrapped his arms around her, she knew that whatever was going to come next, it didn’t matter at the moment. She was, in a way, safe, and that allowed her (2/3)

to let the weight of her legs rest, bending the knees a bit, knowing Asa’s arms were strong enough to support her. After he left the bathroom, the story was a bit different. Wrapped in the towel, she slowly walked out, looking at her toes like they were the most interesting thing in the world. My god, what did she just do…? (3/3)

A:

He beckoned her forward with his hand, letting her get close. Once she was on arms distance, he pulled her forward harshly across his knee. Pinning her hands down with one hand, he looked at the water that still glistened on her skin.

He leaned down and said one word in her ear.

“Count.”  He felt her shiver, he wasn’t sure if it was because she was still wet or because of her soon to be punishment.

Rubbing her backside, then coming down with a harsh slap. “One!” she yelped out.

By the time she got to 8 she was sobbing, but Asa spoke up that she needed to count or he’ll start over. She had to count to 30, she was red and almost blistered.

Asa laid her down on the bed, stomach down, and cuffed her wrist to the post. He left out of the room to get the riding crop again. He hit her all over her back, making her arch her back. 

This was a punishment after all..

He then grabbed some ice, putting it all over her backside, then going back over with the riding crop.

“My little pet has been forgetting her place. Did you ask if you could join me?” Asa pulled her head back by her hair.

“No!” She cried out.

“No, what?” He growled in her ear.

“No Master!” She corrected herself.

He let her head fall back to the bed, pulling the sheet over her naked form. He left her in the room stomach down, wrist still tied to the post.

E:

The nice sensation of Asa's hand on her skin vanished in a second with the first smacks. His hands were so heavy that it felt like being spanked with a hard solid material, and the fact that they were enormous didn't help either. In a minute Eve's whole backside was burning. She begged, she cried, she screamed, but he kept going. Even when the ice was there, letting her think that everything was over, he continued. By the time he had actually finished and left the room, (1/2)

she truly was a sobbing mess. Having to lay on her stomach, she was grateful for not having anything else than the sheet covering her but the grattitude was meaningless in comparison to her pain. Not only physical pain (by now she couldn’t even feel the rough cuff on her wrist) but also emotional because even if she had had the possibility of seeing him naked for the very first time, she failed him. That was a test for her and she was silly enough to spoil it (2/3)

Being obsessed with his rules, she stayed there babbling “I’m sorry” again, eyes watering and wetting the pillow. Another thunder made her jump once more; the delicate muscle lines of her back contracting in fear. Eve was about to break in tears, she pressed her forehead against the pillow to prevent it but a new thunder came in and that was the point of no return. (3/3)

————–

A:

Asa didn’t return to the room for hours, but when he got back. His pet was lying on the bed, hiccuping, no longer crying. He sat down on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair.

“Did my little butterfly learn her lesson?” He said very lowly.

She spoke as if she regretted even thinking about doing it. Apologizes spilling from her mouth, he put a finger to her lips, silencing her. He took another quick shower then released her wrists. In exchange he cuffed one of her ankles. 

He laid on the other side of the bed, still punishing her, but not quite being too harsh for now. He still was allowing her to be in his room and in his bed. 

The rain outside lulling him to sleep, the thunder never bothered him…

E:

The thunders went along all night. Eve kept shaking in a poor sleep state, wishing she could get closer to him, in need for his body heat. But something told her that wouldn't be a smart move, especially when she knew he was focused on reinforcing discipline. By the time morning came, the storm had stopped and Eve's black eyes were open and reedish.

She took a look at him but then turned her head to the other side, watching the wall. Her regret was beating his head in an unforgivable way and she couldn’t do anything but to get frustrated at herself, even angry. But this time she had nothing to kick and didn’t even want to make an abrupt move in case she got in more trouble. God, how she wished she could fix that mistake. Eve had put something clear in her mind: today she’d treat him like a king. (2/2)

A:

Asa woke up to the feeling of the cold AC, satisfied because it was supposed to reach the 90s. He looked over to his pet, seeing that she was already awake. Yet not noticing that he woke up now, she seemed in a daze.

He reached out grabbing her arm, tracing his finger over the butterfly he craved in her arm. It was healing nicely, but still had scabs.

He got up and uncuffed her from the bed. He blindfolded her, so she won’t see the path they were taking. He sat her down and took her blindfold off.

“Cook us breakfast.” He sat back in the chair to watch her.

E:

Eve walked all the way to the kitchen. She trusted Asa enough to not hesitate anymore about her path. Just grabbing his thumb (big enough for her whole hand) or laying her fingers on his elbow was what's needed to serve as guidance. With the warm sheet around her body, only a few shivers from the AC were visible on her. As soon as Asa commanded her, she felt that fulfillment in her chest again although wondering what food she could prepare to satisfy him with the ingredients that could be(1/2)

 ‘Not too sweet for sure’ she though 'but not salty either’. Eve walked around a little opening the cupboards and the fridge seeking permission with her gaze for every action. 'He’s a strong man. Most likely he enjoys a bit of a challenge. I bet spicy would be right". Eve wanted it to be the most satisfying meal he could have tasted but knew that she was limítated by the options so she went for originality. Taking a pair of carrots, flour, some sugar and, of course, ginger, she mixed it all(2/3)

together to cook a carrot pie. Once it came out of the oven, its smell was subtle but its appearance was appetizing enough. She was sure Asa had never tasted something like that and, although nervous, she had confidence in her abilities (3/3)

A:

Asa looked as she placed the dish in front of him. Eyeing the pie, he pushed it towards her.

“Eat” was all he told her.

E:

When he pushed the pie, at first Eve thought he was rejecting it so she swallowed a lump in her throat but not wanting to disobey him, she still managed to cut a portion and eat it with a shaky fork. She looked at him shyly with glowy pitiful eyes. "It was a bad idea, I'm sorry you didn't like it". She looked down again at the crumbs biting the inner part of her bottom lip.

 A:

“Grab it and follow me.” Asa said standing up. He walked towards a doorway, but turned around to wait for her.

She had to gather the sheet up, so she won’t trip over it. She followed behind him until they reached another room. He closed the door and locked it. It was pitch black in the room, she could barley see. He snatched the sheet off of her body, enjoying the gasp coming from her lips.

He turned the lights on then went into a closet. Grabbing one of his turtlenecks, he threw it at her. He took the food from her hands as she put on the turtleneck.

It stopped in the middle of her thighs, completely dwarfing her in size. He beckoned her forward, to sit next to him.

His next command was completely unexpected.

“Feed me.”

As he grabbed the newspaper…

 E:

Eve took a seat where he indicated. At first she couldn't process the order well but since Asa didn't say anything else, she didn't question it. She took the fork and got a little piece. It was still warm from the oven, she could feel it in the metal. Blowing gently on it, she moved it to his mouth with poor balance but with clear determination on not spoiling his clothes with any crumbs. The action was repeated over and over again, it was almost a maternal act, sweet, dedicated, caring. (1/2)

And there was something magical at the light brush of her fingers against his cheek every time she delivered the pie, something as warm and nurturing like the food itself. When she finished, there was a long silence filling the room. It made her a little nervous, not knowing if she did good, and her feet started to dance very slightly on the floor. It was then when she noticed his boots weren’t as shiny and black as always. She cleared her throat with innocence: “may I take care of them?”(2/2)

A:

At first Asa didn’t know what she was referring to, but he noticed her gaze. Looking down at his boots, he didn’t really care because they were going to be dirty again. He was going to let her, but he didn’t want to be barefoot in the hotel. He could leave them on, and have her sit on the floor. With her sitting on the floor and the state of her ass would be uncomfortable. He ended up just putting his feet on the couch they were on, and let her do whatever it is she was trying to do. Still reading his newspaper, glancing at her every now and then.

 E:

After asking him for a rag to use, the idea of having offered to do that task for him wasn't as nice as when it crossed her mind. As soon as the still red skin touched the floor, a little whine escape her lips. She looked up at Asa to see if she could move to a more comfortable place but finding him too focused on the newspaper was clear enough to make her understand that she was supposed to deal with her situation. She swallowed all the whining, only tiny whimpers coming out (1/2)

and with each minute that passed, she had to squirm on the floor to balance her weight trying to let some skin area rest. Eve rubbed the leather with a surprising strength coming out of her. Despite that, it didn’t result in a professional job but at least it was decent. She thought, for a moment, that the gift had been more for her to be able to have in her hands some part of him, especially the part which he made every path with. “I think it’s done, Master” she said with that familiar tiny voice, begging with his gaze to be allowed to stand up.

A:

Asa moved the newspaper so he could see her, not even paying his shoes any mind. He smirked at her and tilted his head.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?” You could hear the amusement in his voice.

Before she could explain herself, he picked her up, placing her in his lap.

“I have my next game ready for you, do you think you can handle it? Or should I wait another day for you to recover? It’s something different, you may enjoy it actually.” he whispered in her ear..

He had everything set up, he was going to show her sooner. If it weren’t for her acting out a bit the day before.

E:

A whole wave of electricity ran through Eve's body. God, the effects his voice had on her when he was that close, that low, that manly. She curled her toes slightly, fingers fidgeting with the bottom of the turtleneck as she seated on his lap. Again, another new thing she hadn't experienced before and had her heart on a rollercoaster, yet Asa was calm and determined. "I'm ready for whatever you wish, Master, it doesn't matter if it pleases me or not".

 A:

First and foremost, if you succeed I have something for you. If you don’t I’ll have a punishment for you. You have 30 minutes to stay hidden from me, if I catch you, you lose. If you set off any traps, you’re dead, so don’t hit any traps. My dogs are caged up so you don’t have to worry about them.

Once again, if I catch you, you lose, understand?

I’ll give you a two minute head start, starting….

Now!

E:

Eve was astonished at the game proposal. All she could hear was the sound of her hearbeat galloping in her ears and it took him counting till 15 for her to react and start running. Yes, she had to run because he was going to be unforgivable if he caught her and she couldn't handle another punishment like that. Maybe she should have asked for him to wait but it was too late. Too late and actually she couldn't run as fast as she wanted because she had to be alert for traps. (1/2)

The ones on that floor were easy to sort, mostly because she had observed Asa avoiding to go to certain places. But the ones after that were new because of the blindfold he always used on her. She used the best of her ability, though, and one little thing she had in her advantage was that adoration she had for him because from observing him with dedication for so long, she may have guessed where he liked to place the threads. But still, Eve prayed for luck to be on her side. Eventually, she ended up in the main hall. Tall recipients with bodies standing majestic in the centre. Only the blue from the water they contained was lightening the space. She looked everywhere; by now, Asa had fininshed his count for sure. Then something on the wall caught her attention. Lots of thick large kind of nails were half way fixed through the wall and then she saw a scroll of a thick material, most likely the onde that hided the body of a redhead that was killed a long time ago and she hadn’t met(3

She did what she could to climb to the nails, helping herself with a near furniture and stepped on them praying for them to support her. As there were four, the other two on the upper part were used by his hands gripping them tightly before she decided to pull from the scroll to be covered with the thick plastic. Then it all was controlling her breathing, hoping that for the first time he didn’t hear it with his hunter ears.

———–

A:

Asa watched as she scurried out of his lap and into the hall. Once he stopped hearing her footsteps, he stopped counting. He fixed his clothes and put on his mask, making sure to take his time. He went into the hallway and followed the path of her footsteps… He looked in different rooms, hoping she wasn’t that stupid. He went up stairs, wondering if that’s where she went.

15 minutes wasted, maybe she could win after all…

E:

Eve didn't know how much time had passed. Since she didn't hear his footsteps, she took advantage to inhale deeply a few times, the plastic over her body suffocating enough to start sweating. It was so uncomfortable. Her hands were also sweaty and she wondered how long she would last with a strong grip on the rough nails. Her feet weren't in better condition either. There soil hurt from the thin base they were on. She started to count herself "1...10...60" to have an estimated idea in her mind,

A:

Asa decided to go to the main hall where his encased specimens were. As he looked around, he noticed something was off. So he stood still and listened, he did hear something. Coming closer to the noise, it sounded like labored breathing…

E:

As soon as Eve heard him coming, she held her breath. Not sure for how long she could stand it, but her body was absolutely frozen under under the plastic. She prayed for any sort of entity to help her. Asa was there. Asa was right there, mere inches away from her and managed to dig her nails into her palms to keep still. "1..2...10...40...60... We have to be on twenty or twenty five, hopefully more", she thought.

A:

As Asa got closer to the noise, he pulled the covering back to reveal that one of his new ‘dogs’ got loose. 

Knowing he had to take care of this first instead of Eve.

Growling while grabbing the man by his collar, he drug him upstairs and strapped him to the table. He quickly went downstairs to see where Eve had hidden herself on the cameras.

Smirking at how close he was to finding her, he did applaud her for her effort. He just wish it wasn’t interrupted. 

He walked to the plastic she was underneath and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder…

E:

When the "dog" appeared in sight, she had to repress a loud yelp but Asa walking away was a relief at that moment. She took advantage to recover her breath and waited and waited. She started to think about surrendering, limbs getting weaker with every minute. But all of a sudden, Asa had uncovered her. With no time to react, Eve was thrown over his shoulder as she wondered if she actually won or if she would have to face the consequences...

A:

Carrying her back to his room, he threw her on the bed, cuffing her ankle.

Just staring at her…

E:

Once in the bed, she kept gasping a little more. Asa's eyes shined in the dim light, his whole appeareance in black was dangerously intimidating. Unconciously, she attempted to pull from the cuff on her ankle but after a second she did her best to remain still. Now it was her the one studying him, trying to see any expression under the mask that could tell her if she did right... or not. Her stomach was contracted in adrenaline and her tiny fingers were gripping the sheets, (1/2)

preparing for what was to come. But Asa was taking his time and she knew he wanted to make her like this, to bring her to the edge of nervousness. He enjoyed that. Being the hunter for that little sheep. And, oh boy, despite her situation, she enjoyed being his prey too. (2/2)

———-

A:

After a minute of staring at Eve, he took his mask off. A deep chuckle leaving his chest as he ran his ringers through his hair. 

Damn dog, he thought. 

His eyes landed back on the confused girl in the bed… wondering if he should torture her a little longer before he blindfold her…

E:

Eve looked at his face, trying to beg for mercy with her glowy eyes. "Please...", she whimpered after his chuckle, trying to end the mental torture. His fingers so close to her, so tender and so dangerous at the same time. He could caress her or spank her. He could tickle every spot or get her black and blue at this point. "Please", she whimpered once more like a lost little bird under the storm.

A:

Asa laughed at her words, which caught her off guard. Once he stopped laughing, he gave her a smirk. He saw the color drain from her face, and he pulled her towards the edge of the bed.

 He blindfolded her as he said he would. Uncuffing her, he made sure she couldn’t see. Thinking over it again, because why not, he gagged her as well, then placed her back over his shoulder. 

He left out of the room, going down a path he rarely takes. Overall, it takes about 5 minutes to get to the destination, it was a little bright from the light, but that’s what makes this all the more fun. He took the gag out of her mouth, but left the blindfold on.. 

Leaving her guessing as he walked away from her, looking at his new project that he need her to help him finish. It was almost complete…..

E:

And the little dolly went along over his shoulder, already dizzy from so many sensations of nervousness and shakiness and then the restrained senses. Her standing on her feet in this new place was something new. She didn't have cuffs but didn't dare to take off her blindfold. Asa was right there. She could feel him by his body heat but the place seemed somehow unfamiliar.

A:

Standing back up, Asa walked over to Eve taking her blindfold off.

When she opened her eyes all she saw was…

…

…

Butterflies and colorful flowers, thats when she realized she was outside, on a rooftop.

“I need some help planting the rest of these and placing rocks down in the bird bath, so they have water.” Asa had a butterfly on his finger.

“Do anything stupid, and I’ll throw you off the roof.” His eyes were dark as he spoke.

Tempted to do such act, but not to her…

E:

When the blindfold was taken off, Eve had to blink fastly to accomodate her sight to the sun rays. It had been so long since she last saw the light of day that it hurt to watch directly at it. But then she looked around. It wasn't possible. No, it wasn't. Not only marvelous orange monarchs were dancing around and surrounding them but also those were flowers. Jazmines, yellow roses, daisies and were those... violets? (1/2)

 She had to move a bit closer to believe her favourite kind was there. First thing she did was smelling, letting the perfumed aroma fill her lungs. It felt like rebirth, memories from her own garden flying in her head. She missed it. She missed it so much. And then there was Asa standing there. Eve had to look twice at him to fight the urges to go back to her garden, not because she wanted to leave him but because she wanted to do what she did best. (2/3)

Asa’s threat called her back to reality It hurt when he talked like that to her. She has proved herself many times except for that bathroom scene), yet he didn’t trust her. And Eve was a another sensitive butterfly at the moment, surrounded with colours and fragances. ´Okay´, she thought, ´I’ll do this. This is my passion. Maybe I won’t miss my home anymore´. She walked closer to him. “I’ll need some sticks or solid brunches, or something to keep that bonsai straight or it’ll bend looking (¾)

for the sun. As for that one, it’s a pothos. It doesn’t belong here. If you want it to live, bring it back inside”. Eve talked, confidence coming up her ankles. It felt good. She was, at last, back again in her sea… and with the man she wanted. (4/4)

———

A:

“You can move them if you want, I didn’t feel like it, nor care about those. Everything else you should need should be over there. If you need anything else, I’ll be back in a hour.”

E:

By the time Asa came back, the sky was getting orange and gold, typical from summer sunsets, especially after the storm of the day before. Eve's hands were full of dirt but she didn't care. Pretty proud of her work, not only she was done with what needed to be planted, she also managed to splash the leaves from the other flowers with water to help them improve and the rocks on the bird bath were also shiny from how clean she left them. Perfectly placed, ready for birds to enjoy in the (1/2)

near future. She saw Asa and tried to scrub her nose with the back of her hand since she was holding a small shovel and left a cute dirt spot on the tip of her nose. “Master”, she smiled, wishing he would find her work attractive and needing some water but Eve was not going to ask at the moment. (2/2)

A:

Lets go get you cleaned up, how much more do you need to do?

E:

"I'm pretty sure, unless you want me to move those plants inside, that my work is done, Master", she smiled.

A:

It doesn’t matter, those plants. But come on, it’s more traps up here than you think…

E:

Eve walked all the way to the bathroom, scrubbing the sweat out of her forehead and leaving more dirt on her skin in the process. She opened the door and carefully got inside: Asa was apparently not going to join her. She swallowed. Was he still mad? And, most important, did she really want to be all nervous and shaky when naked in front of him again? Yes, she wanted, but was not going to ask. In fact, that shyness was what got her in trouble the day before. Eve let the door half closed, (1/2)

hoping he’d decide to come in, but a minute later, just when she was about to undress, she got distracted with the mirror. Seeing the patterns of dirt all over her, she had a good laugh. It didn’t mind her after having had the possibility of doing what she loved but his turtleneck she was wearing was already spoiled. “He’ll get mad”, she said in a very low tone, chuckling again. After all, he had lots of the same type. “Eve what did you do?”, she imitated him, straightening her posture. (2/3)

“Wash it”, she continued, contracting her tiny bicep muscle to create a more similar pose. Eve was having so much fun that she was about to crack up but repressed herself to not be loud. “Bad pet. Disobeying Master…” she went along and lost herself in the game.

—————

A:

The giggles didn’t go unnoticed to Asa’s ears as he listened to his pet. He looked through the crack she left open. Chuckling silently at her different poses and how she tried to make her voice deeper. Opening the door more, that’s when he spoke.

“Is that what you think of me, little pet?”

E:

Eve jumped abruptly, turning around and almost losing balance. Her eyes were wide open and her legs started to tremble. She walked surreptitiously backwards, moving her hands a bit to her bum without even realizing, fearing another punishment. "I'm... I'm...", she babbled still doing small steps away, soon to reach the wall with her back.

A:

Watching her take steps back made Asa predator instincts kick in.

Slowly, Asa walked towards her, eyes getting darker with each step he took…

E:

The poor sheep didn't know what was crossing Asa's mind so since she wasn't grabbing her, she unconciously kept walking away, using her hand to lightly tap the wall for guidance, circling half of the bathroom. "S-s-sorry...", she whimpered in anticipation.

A:

Asa kept stalking towards her, until she couldn’t make it any further, so he trapped her with his arms.

“What did I tell you to come in here and do?”

E:

"T-to-to come here a-and and have a bath... and get clean ", she corrected herself.

A:

And what were you actually doing?

E:

"I was... loking in the mirror and...I was about to do it... The tub is filled, see?", she attempted to turn his attention away.

A:

So, ‘bad pet, disobeying Master’, that was a figment of my imagination? You flexing in the mirror? Deepening your voice?

E:

"No...", she looked down, unable to stand his gaze. "I'm sorry... won't happen again, I promise", she whimpered.

A:

Asa leaned in closer, making her look him in the eye.

“Get in the tub…” Asa says very lowly..

E:

Eve walked to the tub trying to recover her breath now that Asa wasn't trapping here but his presence was dangerous. She knew that. She crossed the line again having fun and she was already regretting everything. Stepping into the tub, she didn't even take off the turtleneck without permission. Just staying on her feet with a pale face.

A:

Take off the shirt…

E:

Eve did what she was told. Leaving the turtleneck perfectly folded on the floor as if it wasn't already wasted. She looked at Asa. Now she wasn't sure if having him there was a nice thing after what she did.

A:

Is there something you want to ask me, little butterfly?

Asa tilted his head…

E:

Eve thought her words wisely. "Forgiveness, Master? Please?" She whimpered again.

A:

Is that your only question?

E:

Eve looked to the floor, exhaling with a shaky breathing. A beautiful color red was blooming in her cheeks. She couldn't do it the day before and now was maybe not the context because of her mischief but she couldn't. It was too much for her to bare Asa so majestic, so intimidating, That mix of fear and burning desires. It was pure adrenaline. So she let out in a barely audible voice: "may I have the privilege of you joining me, Master?"

A:

Asa grasped her jaw, not painfully but forcefully. He pulled her closer to him, looking her in the eyes, then whispering in her ear.

“Was that so hard?”

He released her and made her look forward. Getting out of her sight, he took his clothes off and stepped in the tub behind her.

Grasping her waist, he made the both of them sit down in the water. It spilled over the side of the tub a bit, but Asa didn’t care.

“Wash me…”

Was all he said before he leaned back in the tub…

E:

Eve was astonished. She couldn't believe the scenario. Grabbing water with shaky hands, she wet her face to understand the fact that Asa was actually entering the tub naked again. She delayed a bit in responding to his order. How was she supposed to do that? How would he like it? And most importantly, how would she survive it when her body temperature had escalated to the roof? Taking the sponge and rubbing it against the soap, she managed to reach Asa's chest. (1/2)

She tried to remain calm but it was too much and she dropped the sponge many times, excusing herself every time before she actually reached braveness and started washing him properly. It was more of a caress than an act of cleaning skin but it was peaceful and she was sure it provided a warm sensation. Continuing with the rest of his body, washing with dedication even the spaces between his fingers, then the inner part of his thighs… By the time she finished, her whole face was boling.

 ————-

A:

What else do you want, little pet?

Asa finally opened his eyes, making eye contact with her.

E:

Eve looked at the man in front of her. She felt like a child in a candy store where she could ask freely although not knowing if it was going to be responded. She was tempted with everything in sight, even the slow up and down motion seemed like something she could ask for to lay her head there. But there was something else, something she was craving all those days but never had the courage to ask. "A kiss, please?" and her little black eyes shined more than ever.

 A:

Asa grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on her palm. Pulling her closer, placing a kiss on her neck. On her forehead. And lastly on her temple.

“Sit back..”

E:

Eve breathed every kiss, melting in his touch, but then it stopped and the kiss she wanted the most never came. She couldn't understand him. If this was a game or not, it didn't matter. He was there, naked in front of her, allowing her to touch him but he just wouldn't kiss her on her lips. Maybe it was too much of a tender act to ask for. And Eve sighed, enjoying what she coud get but with her heart hurting inside.

A:

Asa made quick work of cleaning her. He was getting tired and didn’t want to be in the tub much longer.

He got up once she was clean, dragging her with him. He put on some pants and laid in the bed, wondering how to toy with her next.

E:

Eve stayed there watching Asa half-naked on bed, trying to be dissembled. The few drops she still had on her were sending shivers through her spine. But this time it was new. She was concious he was enjoying having her there like a lost gazelle. once she realized that, she started looking around in an attempt to make the nervousness disappear.

A:

Go in the closet and pick something to wear… Don’t touch my mask, pretending to be me..

Asa smirked at the memory from moments ago…

E:

Eve walked to the closet, examining his clothes. Black, black... more black there, oh! black stuff in there too. She huffed, after all, she was a girl of colours, especially sky blue ones. She picked a long sleeved shirt and put it on, the big size making it go down to her thighs. But she wasn't satisfied, always having to use a manly style if he didn't bring her clothes. So she rolled the bottom part and make a knot at her waist, then picked a pair of black boxers that suited her like a short

She was pretty, actually sexy considering the context. So, with a very shy attitude, she turned around to face him and posed a little, one hand on her hip, the other resting against the closet door. Oh, well, if he wasn’t going to kiss her, he’d at least be as tempted as her.

A:

Are you trying to seduce me, little butterfly?

He smirked.

E:

"Why? Do you feel seduced, Master?", she smiled playfully, a cute crimson red on her cheeks.

A:

No, I feel tired. Come on, get in bed..

E:

Eve's smile was erased in a second, her shoulders coming down quickly with a notorious huff. She walked in big strides to the bed. At this point, she didn't care much about a punishment if that meant to have his hands running along her body. But Asa was "tired". ´Fuck that´, she thought, laying on the bed next to him and pulling the sheet up till it covered almost her entire head. But this time she didn't looked for a way to be closer to him. Eve just gave her back at The Collector and (1/2)

closed her eyes with clenched teeth. God…, she was in a hell of a mood. (2/2)

———–

A:

Asa hand quickly came to her throat, her attitude not going unnoticed. She opened her eyes to stare back at him. He squeezed his hand tighter around her throat until she started grabbing at his hands. He released her, but only so she can catch her breathe.

“My, my, someone has been really bold as of lately.”

Asa hand was still on her throat, but allowing her to breathe.

“I think someone needs to learn another lesson.”

Asa quickly pulled her up and over his knee. Giving her slaps on her already tender backside. He didn’t allow her time to recover before he cuffed her hands to the headboard.

His hands trailed all over her body, giving her slaps everywhere. He then ripped the boxers off of her, placing his hands on her thighs, exposing her. Placing his hands on her heat, she had a long night ahead of her. He edged her on until she was practically begging. Giving her what she wanted, he didn’t stop until she passed out. He got a rag to clean her up, and to clean off his hands. Realizing he wouldn’t be able to sleep, he uncuffed her. Putting the rest of his clothes on, he left the room to go punish the dog that got loose.

E:

At first the hand on her throat didn’t seem threatening enough, mostly because she was used to that action and it was more the abrupt of it than anything else. But when Asa started squeezing more, it got serious to the point she started scratching his hands. Luckily, he allowed her to breathe but Eve knew she was going to pay for her attitude.

 Before he pulled her over his knee, the idea wasn’t so bad, half of her had wanted him to react, even if it was that way, but soon her pain receptors made her well aware of how sore she still was and how sore she was going to be. His hand was something like pourring boiling water over her delicate skin over and over again till tears spilled from the corner of her eyes. Despite that, begging was just the beginning. She had a lot more to experience through the night. 

Eve cried, screamed, kept begging for mercy. She let out “Master” multiple times, whining and aching. And then, when she got what she wanted, the whole cycle started again to stop his actions. Overstimulated to the point of no return, her eyelids became heavier and heavier till all she saw was a confusing fog and then, darkness consuming her exhausted being. 

When the morning came, Eve’s members felt as heavy as a pile of rocks. She pressed her forehead into the pillow trying to wake herself up. She didn’t hear Asa? Eve turned her head to the side scanning the bed. Where was he? Had he left without saying anything after all that happened? She tapped lightly his side, her mind spinning around in questions. Why did it have to be a punishment? Was she greedy for questioning it? Wouldn’t it have been easier if he just took her when she was all nice and smiling? Why did he always have to be like that and play with her? Eve knew she wasn’t supposed to protest for her Master’s ways, after all, his will should be her most important command and Asa was never known for being loving or tender, but she still craved something, something that was easier and it didn’t cost any work. Well, at least not for her. Eve wanted to be kissed, Eve wanted to be special for him, and it wasn’t happening and she was hurt. She had had everything others would have paid for, but she just wanted his loving lips. 

 A:

Asa was in another part of the hotel, standing over a freshly made corpse. The dog that got loose, Asa just decided that he was no longer worth keeping.

Taking his time extracting each organ, placing them in a jar next to the table.

Being distracted with his pet, he’s been neglecting his other pets. Going to each of their rooms, making sure they have enough to survive. Disciplining each of them as he see fit….. 

E:

 With the next few days and his abscence, Eve was feeling more nostalgia and regret. She didn’t know if Asa was busy or if he was still mad at her, and in spite of the handprints adorning her body becoming less and less painful, they were disappearing and she started to crave him more and more picturing him in fantasies she never thought could have.

The afternoon of the third day found her eating a sandwich at her own room but suddenly the door was opened and the image of a tall muscular guy alarmed her.

“Who are you?”, she asked jumping out of bed.

 A:

Asa was tired from all of the repairs he had to do. He was ready to take a shower, and go to sleep.

First, he had to check on his pet, which he hasn’t seen for days.

Walking towards her room, he heard someone talking.

Staying out of sight, he listened…

 E:

“I’m not gonna hurt you, okay?”, the guy talked to Eve trying to calm her down.

“How did you get out? Did he let you out?”

“No, but we have to be quiet. He could surprise us”.

“Surprise us, what do you mean…? WHAT’S THAT?”, Eve’s voice went loud when she saw the thick blade the man was holding on his right hand.

“Keep quiet”, he responded with nervousness. “I’m planning to surprise him first. I could have a chance of killing him. Come with me, I’ll help you escape. If we find others in good condition, they could help us as well”.

Eve eyed him up and down. He had serious bloodish cuts all over his arms and she was sure there were more wounds underneath his clothes. But his frame scared her. He was almost as big as Asa and if he represented a danger in her mind, she had to make sure she kept an eye on him for the safety of her Master.

Taking his hand with liar fingers, they both left the room.

 A:

Watching the two leave the room, he made eye contact with Eve as she looked around.

Quiet yet quickly, Asa made his way over to them…

 E:

Both black eyes of Eve and her Master’s met each other. But the victim who escaped realized very quickly about The Collector’s presence and stood in guard position of fighting with knife on hand, pushing Eve behind him attempting to protect her. 

Eve look at both men with her heart about to explode from her chest thinking Asa could be hurt by this guy who seemed so confident and determined so she couldn’t repress her nervousness anymore and spoke up:

“No, Master, no! He has a knife!”. 

It all happened in a second: she located the thread of a trap in the wall and pushed the man towards it taking advantage of him not paying attention to her actions. But the person was heavier than she thought so she had to push with all her body, not having enough time to separate from him when the blade hidden on the wall came out. The weapon pierced the man’s stomach but got past her right side too. 

Eve managed to pull her body out of the blade, turning to look at The Collector with watery blurred eyes.

“Master… I-”

Her knees bent as blood came out of her mouth. Convulsing.

 A:

Asa came to her side, avoiding the follow up trap protruding from the ground. Putting pressure to her side, he gathered her in his arms.

Doing something he hope he didn’t regret… 

 The story evolves (Asa realizes he is liking Eve. Eve realizes she is in love with Asa).

E:  

When Eve opened her eyes, all she could see was a shiny white light. She attempted to stand up, struggling to understand her new reality but as soon as she moved her head to the left, the rest of her muscles failed her. They just didn't respond, frozen as solid ice. There was someone seating a meter away from her but it was all blurry. Her tiny fingers twitched, trying to speak without success. (~@hisbluemonarch)

A:

Asa noticed Eve trying to wake up, he slowly approached her. He noticed her eyes couldn’t focus on him.

He just spoke one word.

“Eve…”

E:

That deep raspy voice... Was it a reverie? She blinked a few times and found that slight curling up of his lips. She couldn't understand where she was or what had happened but that half-smile was something she would always be able to remember. She tried to say "Master"; in her head it came out with sound but in reality she only managed to smack her lips together with just a mere sound of an "M".

A:

He petted her hair back, away from her face. He grasped her chin, running his thumb on her lower lip. He leaned in slowly, pressing a soft yet firm kiss to her lips.

“Rest, little butterfly.” He whispered in her ear.

Asa put a necklace in her hand, the pendant was a blue butterfly.

E:

Eve woke up a few hours later, this time with clear comprehension about her surroundings. It was obvious she was at the hospital and that now she was able to remember the blade coming out of the wall. But there were two things that escaped her understanding: one, the fact that there had been a kiss with Asa that took plce right there and could have possibly been part of her imagination and the second one, that there were people watching her from the distance. 

She felt something heavy in her hand and, confused by the moment she experimented when her lips were burning in love, she hid it under the sheet covering her without looking at it, worried about the silouhettes coming closer. 

“Eve?!” a broken female voice approached her. “My sunlight”, she cried 

“Mother? Father?”, she asked, blinking to adapt her vision. 

“No, no, no, sunshine don’t move”, the older woman stopped her, taking the same seat Asa had taken hours before. “What happened to you?”, her mother inquired grabbing her hand and noticing the carved butterfly in her forearm too while the father hugged her. 

“I think I had an accident”. 

“We are not talking about this, mio caro”, the man said. “These four months without knowing anything about you? We searched for you everywhere!” 

“Yes, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I had an accident back then and I lost my memory”, Eve lied, biting the inner part of her cheek. “I had to adapt”. 

“You lost your memory? What are you talking about?”

“I remembered everything when I woke up a few hours ago. I’m still shocked”, Eve started to cry. 

“No, mia bella, don’t, it’s okay”, the father tried to comfort her so she didn’t move too much. “I can’t understand. What kind of life were you having that you had these sort of accidents?” 

“I guess it was just bad luck”, Eve sighed, flashes of Asa and the dead bodies, and the blood and the flesh and the dogs going through her mind, even the chlorine scent coming up her nostrils filling her in a twisted comfortable way. 

“There are some people here. They want to talk to you”. 

“Who?” Eve’s black eyes widened hoping innocently for Asa to be there. 

“Police”. 

“Why?”

“They want to know what happend, just like us.”

“How did they find me? How did YOU find me?”

“The nurse said that the person who brought you here told them your name and when they entered it in the system, it alarmed the police because we had made a case about a missing peson”. 

“My name? Eve Stewart?”

“Yes. But you don’t have to worry about that. You’ll come back to our home in just a few days”: 

“No, that’s not going to be possible”, Eve said, alarmed. “I… Like I said, I created a new life. There’s someone waiting for me”. 

“What do you mean?”, the mother asked, still with surprised watery eyes to have her daughter there.

“I’m… I have a… relationship with someone. He lives outside the city. I live outside the city too now, with him…” 

“But Eve…”

“I’m sorry, that’s how it is”. 

The next few days were lived just answering more questions and recieving doctos’ visits, Police closed her case and family finally accepted her decission of coming back to “her new home” not knowing much about it or about this new person although Eve tried to create a convincent story to make Asa seem like a boyfriend. 

She had a moment where she laughed about it, being alone, but it also turned quickly into sadness because Asa had not visited her nor once and she didn’t knew if he actually kissed her and gifted her that necklace or, even if that had been true, if he still remembered her. 

With the blue butterfly around her neck and a bandage that covered a large area under her ribs, she was finally told she could leave. So Eve kissed goodbye her parents, telling them she was going to catch a bus and them knowing she didn’t like goodbyes, they respected her decission of traveling alone, making her swear she was going to come back and visit them. 

Well, that was the version she gave. Reality was for Eve a totally different story. She started to walk in circles, around the main square that was a few streets away from the hotel not knowing what to do. She was a lost butterfly and for certainly, didn’t know how to manage freedom. In fact, she hated it, because the comfort she had been loking all those days was not the meds but his presence. She wanted to be held in his arms until the world disappeared but the only thing that had disappeared was The Collector. 

So, taking a seat in one of the benches, Eve put her elbows on her knees and hid her face in her palms while crying her heart out, not minding the pain of the after-surgery. 

A:

Asa was back at the hotel, fixing up a room. After a few days, he checked the tracker.

“She’s out of the hospital now.” Asa thought to himself.

Noticing her path, she was clearly down the street, walking in circles. Getting dressed in some normal clothes. Asa drove down the street to Eve, seeing her on a bench.

Getting out of the car, he walked up to her. Not saying anything until she looked up at him….

E:

Eve noticed the black boots first and then her eyes continued the way to Asa's face. She jumped off the bench, not because she was scared but because she couldn't believe it. In fact, she had to move slowly her hand to touch his face to feel it real, her eyes closing as a sigh left her chest. Then Eve brough her hand to her mouth, posing it over her lips to treasure the moment. "Is your collection complete?", she asked in a low voice.

A:

It will never be complete…

What are you doing walking in circles?

E:

"I'm uh...Honestly I didn't know what to do", she scrubbed her eyes to wipe the tears away. "I was lost... until now", she whispered.

A:

Well, are you coming with me?

 E:

"You still want me?", Eve smiled. "I'm technically a broken-wing butterfly now", she said looking down at her ribs.

A:

It’s easy to fix butterfly wings, Eve. Plus, I butterfly with no wings is still a butterfly.

E:

Eve yelped, looking to the side and biting her bottom lip hard to not keep crying. "I'm sorry, I'm a little... sensitive after everything that happened". She took a deep breath to face back at him. "If you are willing, I'll let you fix and mold every single part of me to your own taste, Master".

A:

You have to heal first, are you ready to go back to the hotel?

E:

"Absolutely yes", Eve said, a smile appearing in her face from ear to ear. "I'm a little scared about traps now, though. I know they're meant to be scary but... you know", she chuckles.

A:

Get in the car…

E:

Eve obeyed. Once at the hotel, she took a Deep breath. Everything seemed new, almost refreshing. Then she remembered her bedroom was upstairs. "Master, I asume you may like me to be in my room again although I'm still not able to walk the stairs". Eve sighed, she didn't want to start with the wrong foot but she was left with no option. And if Asa threw her over his shoulder again, her wound would be in trouble.

A:

Asa already pieced all of these small details together, which she didn’t realize. Asa picked her up, bridal style, then walking an different route, up many flights of stairs. Unlocking many different gates and doors on the way to the destinastion unknown to her. Placing her down, he opened the door to the room he’s been working on the days she has been in the hospital.

Opening the door to what would be the ‘presidential suite’. He showed her around, the 2 bathrooms, the fully stocked kitchen, the big balcony and even the Californian king sized bed in the master bedroom. The closet was full of clothes for her, mainly dark shades, with the occasional orange and blue. He also had some of his clothes in the closet.

“You should have no reason to leave this room unless I’m with you.” He turned to her.

“Each door way up here is full of traps, so don’t try to explore. No one else but me can get to you. It’s only one stair case leading to up here.” He went to the hallway, showing her the lethal traps.

“The floor above you is the garden I’ll show you how to get there once you’re healed enough. If you go to the balcony, you’ll see the butterflies.” He went to show her the balcony again.

“Try not to get on the balcony much during the day, unless you’re sitting down. At night is fine, as long as no one can see you.” He walked back into the living room area.

“The TV works, but that’s all you’ll be getting. Don’t have it too loud.” He looked at her to see if she had any questions…

E:

What Eve thought was one of the most beautiful moments of her life resting her head on Asa's shoulder while he carried upstairs, was overwhelmed once she entered the suite. She listened to every detail and instruction he gave her, looking around with her heart melting as soon as she saw the blue between the clothes. 'He selected all of this for me', she thought. The sunset was viisible from the distance through the balcony along with Aporia crotaegi butterflies enjoying the fresh daisies. (1/2)

Eve looked at the bed, comfy neat white sheets waiting for her. Seeking permission in Asa’s face, she took a sit on the mattress, soft and gentle to her body. She looked up at Asa again wanting to express gratittude but it was all too much and too new so she just whispered “Why?” (2/2)

——–

A:

“You willingly came back, that’s enough for me to know that..

I own your mind and body now.

You will be treated as such…

That can be good or bad, depends on you…”

 E:

"It's not as important to me what I recieve in exchange for my actions as what you recieve for them. If you are pleased to have me here, then what else could I ask for?, Eve said, leaning back onto the matress and trying to find a comfortable position; she couldn't rest on her right side but luckily Asa was at her left. "There's indeed something I'd like to ask you but first I have something to give you", Eve took out of her pocket a mobile phone. "I hope you can see it as another form (1/2)

of trust because this was given to me by my parents. I won’t use it if it displeases you but you have to know that they are expecting me to contact them from time to time. I had to lie to them and I know they represent trouble in your eyes but if you kill them, you’ll be taken away my soul and then I won’t mind dying because I know there’ll be no butterfly you could appreciate". (2/2)

————-

A:

Call them now, let them know you’re home safe but you can’t talk, you’re going to rest… Then give me the phone…

E:

Eve called her mum, the sweet voice of the woman was a caress to her ears. Eve tried to provide calm to them, reassuring them that she was safe and that she was going to take care of herself although it all was very brief since she knew Asa wouldn't like her talking too much. "Yes, mum, I'm home. Yes... I'm with that boy I love", she smiled looking askance at The Collector since the lie she told her parents was actually half-true. Then she handled the phone to Asa and her eyelids (1/2)

got heavier and heavier until she was consumed by a profound sleep state. (2/2)

———-

A:

Getting the phone back, Asa eyed the number, putting it in his memory. Letting her fall asleep on the bed, he looked at her.

Watching her sleep for a few minutes before he left the suite.

Letting the dogs out on the lower floor, making sure all the security defenses are still up. 

It took a minute to do his rounds throughout the hotel. When he got back, Eve was still sleeping. 

He got inside the shower, his muscles were sore from the heavy lifting inside the hotel. Getting out of the shower, forgetting the towel, he walked to the closet to put some sweat pants on…

E:

Eve squirmed a little, opening her eyes to see Asa walking in his glory naked state to the closet. She bit the sheets to not make any sound just so she could appreciate how the lines of his back muscles moved when he changed into his pants. Unwillingly, a sigh escaped her lips. That man was a Roman god, and she was sure not even the ancient authors could have described someone as him.

A:

“Whenever you are hungry, you’re free to cook.”

Asa turned his head, smirking at the girl under the sheets.

E:

"Thank you", Eve whispered blushing like strawberries. "I think...", she had to clear her throat to regain composure "I think I'll leave that for the morning if Master is not hungry". Eve stayed silent for moment, fidgeting with the butterfly pendant in her neck. " May I ask how you found me? You knew I was walking in circles..."

A:

I have my ways, little butterfly. Once again, you’re mines, always have been.

E:

Eve smiled. There was something twisted about him talking about her like property that felt almost charming. She kept quiet for a few more seconds, hesitating about expressing what was dancing around her mind. "You know? I had a dream when I was at the hospital. I don't if it was a dream because you gave me this necklace in it and then I had it in my palm but... before that I was... You were...You k...", Eve shook her head, (1/2)

“No, forget about it. It’s impossible. I think I was a little confused after surgery, it’s impossible that you…” she kept blabbering (2/2)

———–

A:

Asa got closer to her, grasping her chin.

“Impossible that I wouldn’t do what, little bug?”

Asa smirked at her..

E:

"...kiss me", Eve whimpered, melting at The Collector's touch

A:

If that’s the case, how’d you get the necklace?

E:

"I don't know...", she swallowed. "Maybe that part was created by my mind", she sighed. "Don't mind me, Master".

A:

"Hmmm.." Asa ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

He leaned in closer, his lips barely touching hers.

"Go get me some water, with ice." He whispered on her lips.

 E:

"Yes..., Master". Eve had to fight with all her strength to be able to separate from him. With a little more effort she managed to ignore the pain at flexing her belly to get up. She walked to the fridge and took some ice from the freezer, putting the cubes inside a glass with water.

Even though she was shaking like a leaf at his burning proximity, she managed to deliver the glass to him. "Do you want me to serve you some drink with this, Master?"

 A:

Just water, then come lay back down. Where are the medications that the hospital gave you?

E:

"I bought none..., I got out of the hospital and came here They said I could use pain meds if I needed them and that I had to change the bandages every day cleaning the area with antiseptic.", Eve went to the bed to lie down again. "I'm okay with the pain, it's not too much. As for the bandages..." Eve stopped talking, bringing her hand to cover them, ashamed of revealing the appearance underneath it.

A:

“You think I haven’t seen a wound before? I’ve decapitate people, this is nothing. Let me change it, and I’ll give you something for the pain that’ll help you sleep like a rock.”

E:

Slowly, Eve moved her fingers away, letting him do. She turned her head to the side, focusing on the pillow, not daring to look at it. "It's not what you saw on others. It's what you see in me. I'm hand in hand with vanity now but... this is not pretty anymore. I'm not...", Eve stopped talking again. She was never a ffriend of shallowness but there was an overwhelming feeling of shame inside.

A:

Asa continued to change the wrap on her side making sure to carefully clean it.

“You think, I never been stabbed.” Asa stood to show her the stab wound on his side. He showed her the ones on his back that already healed but you could still see.

“Yet you still marvel at me, you don’t notice all these scars. If you do, you don’t care.” Asa went to grab a shirt to put on, as well as the medicine he was going to give her.

“A butterfly with no wings, is still a butter fly. Now, open your mouth.”

Asa held the glass of water and the pill…

E:

Eve smiled. That was a refreshing confident air. It was all she needed. If he didn't care, she wouldn't either. Obediently, she opened her mouth to recieve the pill. At this point, Asa could give her anything and she wouldn't even mind watching what it was. "So... this will make me sleep like a rock?", she asked, getting comfortable under the sheets again. "I hope I'm able to wake up before you disappear", she whispered barely audible to herself.

A:

“Yes, you may sleep until the afternoon, so it’s a chance I won’t be here.” Asa sipped from the water.

He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers,letting the ice cube cool her lips, then fall into her mouth… 

E:

Eve's mouth fell open; she had to pay attention to not choke on the cube but at the same time the surprise seemed to have attacked all her senses. She looked at Asa while licking slightly her lips which by now felt all tingly. After a moment, sleep was coming to get her. "This is good for you. From now on, I'll always be speechless", was the last thing she said.

A:

Asa smirked at her comment, she did have a point. Although, Eve doesn’t talk a lot. Shortly after, Eve was sleep, and Asa laid down next to her. He didn’t grab her, or lay on her, due to her wound, so he let her be. It was a little hot anyway, due to the AC not being on in this room. It should be cold in here come morning.

E:

Eve woke up by the afternoon as Asa told her she would. Luckily, she felt rested eough, although still experimenting typical discomfort of the after surgery. She looked to the side, Asa was not there. Her stomach was grumbling. She got up and walked to the kitchen stopping for a moment to contemplate the glass with a bit water from the melted ice cubes.

FLASHBACK: It was a rainy night, with a similar temperature to the current one. Eve was running along the desert streets, escaping from Tomas, the man who used to be her boyfriend many months ago. He had called her to talk after stalking her with calls, leaving notes and rotten flowers at her door and even unexpected visits which used to turn violent quickly and required help from neighbours. Eve didn’t want to worry her parents so she always lied to them and this time, she thought innocently, if she talked to him and tried to be kind, he would stop. But he didn’t, and even when she gently told him to stop, that the relationship was over, he insisted and began to grab her arms to shake her. He even took her umbrella and threatened to hit her so by the time he let go of her for a second and she managed to run away, all of her clothes were spoiled by the rain. She kept running and running till she lost sense of where she was, looking everywhere for someone who seemed friendly to talk to or ask for help but find no one. Afraid that Tomas could be chasing her, she saw the abandoned hotel and decided to hide inside till the morning came. To her surprise the back door seemed lock but after pulling from it with all her strength, it complied and she got in. All of a sudden, an alarm went on so iimagining that there would actually be people inside she fearfully called out: “Hello? I-I don’t want any trouble. I’m just lost. Is anybody there? I just need a phone, please”, she kept walking along the corridor. (

 A:

*Flashback*

Asa heard the alarm going off, something he wasn’t expecting. Checking the cameras, he saw the girl looking around, poor thing don’t know what she just got herself into.

Asa went to her location, baiting her with noises. Eventually she turned around and saw the tall man wearing all black, including the black mask. She started to talk, but the words went unprocessed to the behemoth’s ears. Reaching up to one of his traps, he threw it at her ankle. It turning her upside down, she started to scream out. Asa pushed her to one of the rooms.

Asa looked at the cameras again, seeing a man running down the street, looking around, with a closed umbrella. Locking the doors up again, he went to go find the new part of his collection. Drugging her, Asa took her down, and threw her inside of a blue box….

 E:

End of flashback

Eve looked inside the cupboard for something to eat. There was some past and luckily, some tomatoes in the fridge so she decided to cook what she liked the most: italian food. Waiting for the sauce to be done, she lost herself in the aroma of the herbs, especially in the fragance of rosemary.

FLASHBACK: An hour later, she woke up inside the blue box and of course, all she noticed first was darkness as well as a suffocating heat from lack of oxygen. She started to cry hugging her knees to find comfort for her fear. What happened? Who was that man? Since she was already broken by Tomas, she didn’t scream again. She just stood there saying pitiful “Hello” and begging to be left out of the box with a tiny voice. “I just want to go back home”.

 A:

 It’s been 2 weeks since his newest piece came to his door.

Asa answered her cries with a kick to the box, effectively silencing her.

He had to track her down, to see where she came from.

After hacking the street cameras, Asa saw her running from the man with the umbrella. Looking into her address, Asa found out she lived alone. Yet a missing person report was made for someone of her description. 

The main suspect was Tomas Little, witnesses saw him chasing after her. Police has been looking for him, but he hasn’t been found yet.

Eve Stewart; born June 20th, 1994; lives alone; likes to garden; close to her parents…

Asa reviewed over the missing persons report and his own findings. Until a certain smell hit his nose.

Looking down at the box he was sitting on, had a mildew smell coming from it. Then it dawned on Asa, she was wet when she arrived. 

Gathering some bleach and water in a bucket, unlocking the box, he dragged her out of it, he threw the contents of the bucket on her. Not forcing her back in the box. He locked her in a room….

E:

End of flashback

Pasta and sauce were cooked so Eve took two plates and served the food. She turned around to look at the door. Was he not coming back? She was starving but didn't want to eat without him so she stayed there fixing the bay leaves to make it seem as a decent decoration.

A:

 Asa purposely let the time go by, and before he knew it, it was the afternoon. Heading up the flights of stairs, entering all the pass codes. He entered the room to the pleasant smell of food. It was perfect timing because Asa was hungry. Walking over to sit down, he looked at Eve standing over the two plates.

He started to wonder if she even heard him enter the room.

“How do you feel?”…

 E:

Eve smiled like her favourite person came in, well, he was actually that. "I'm... ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ starving", she said, taking one of the plates and walking to him. She extended one arm but keeping her gaze down in respect to see if he accepted the offering.

A:

Asa grabbed the plate from her, waiting for her to sit down. He started to eat, but the look on Eve’s face was amusing to him at the moment.

“What is it, little butterfly?”

E:

"I'm...", Eve realized she was forgetting to eat while watching him so she picked up her fork and started playing with the pasta while trying to hide her smile. "I don't know, sometimes I can't believe I have you so close. It's like having Shakespeare in front of me", she giggled lightly and shook her head to avoid the blushing.

A:

“Ironic.” Asa said smirking at her, knowing she hasn’t looked through the room yet.

E:

Eve looked up at him, not wanting to question what he said to mantain the silence while they ate but with a clear intrigued expression.

A:

Asa waited, wanting her to find the little gift on her own. Asa continued to eat, but once he finished he asked her a question.

“Do you want to go to the garden today?”

E:

"Oh, that'd be lovely, Master", Eve's eyes widened with enthusiasm, eating the few bites of food that remained on her plate.

FLASHBACK: It's been an hour since she was locked in the room. She walked around it, trying to find a way out, pulling from the wooden boards fixed on the walls without avail . A moment later, the door was abruptly opened to reveal The Collector's image. Eve walked backwards, scared and intimidated at his presence. He looked like Mars itself even though she would have the god of war so close. Eve ended up in the corner of the room, hands behind her back, trying to disappear through the wall, unable to speak and with her heart about to explode from her chest.

—————

A:

Pushing the girl into the blue box, he pushed it to the lab. Setting up the lab table, making sure the straps were durable.

He snatched her out of the box, quickly putting her on the table. Strapping her in the spread eagle position. He wasn’t going to muffle her, he wanted to hear screams.

She was a special catch, mainly because he didn’t have to catch her at all.

Getting his knife, he started to carve into her forearm. Asa made sure not to cut any arteries. 

After screaming her lungs out, the girl eventually passed out. Asa finished the carving, wrapping it, so it didn’t get infected. This wasn’t a pet he wanted to kill right off… He put her back in the room from before, along with her blue box…

She was still passed out, but he left her stale bread and water for when she gets up….

E:

End of flashback

Once in the garden, Eve had to seat in a chair to be comfortable and avoid the pain from her wound but it was still enjoyable to have sunlight directly on her pace, its warming touch was a caress to her heart. She spent most of the time watching Asa working on some gardening stuff, wishing she could be working again or at least lean down to smell the violets. But her nostalgia went away when butterflies surrounded her, especially when a precious yellow one landed on the tip of her nose(1/2)

Eve stood up slowly to not scare it and, giggling slightly, she walked to Asa. “Master, look”, she showed him as an angelic painting that came to life. (2/2)

A:

Asa looked over at Eve, admiring the butterfly on her nose.

Yet those words stuck out to Asa….

FLASHBACK:

Asa brought Eve back to the lab, leaving her box behind. He was looking at her carving, seeing if he should add more detail to it. She probably would never notice the detail, but As decided to add some details to the wings. Putting a 3 on one and a E on the other, making it follow the outline of the wings. When he finished, Asa realized she wasn’t vocalizing her pain.

“Master, look! Behind you!” She whimpered weakly.

Asa looked over his shoulder to see the door opening up some. Someone was trying to crawl away while Eve as being tortured. 

Asa turned to look back at the girl, did she really just tell on someone. That’s a first, someone to actual do it, without him telling them to.

Abby was obedient, but she never cared if she saw someone out of their box. It’s been one too many times she has been caught lingering the halls with someone trying to escape.. ((RIP Abby, that bitch got on my nerves.. YoU’rE aLL gOnNa dIeE..))

Just when Asa thought Eve couldn’t get any more special…..  

E:

Eve was almost dozed by the pain. In a way it was better because she didn't have the energy to scream. At the same time, something started to intrigue her about The Collector. There was method In his craziness. He wasn't a mad sadist who wanted to see blood everywhere. Asa was selective with his designs, even with people. To each canvass, each drawing. She stayed for a while looking at him, examining his mask, his clothes, his knife by his hips. It was sinister, yet fascinating.

Eve didn’t even know when alerting him about the victim escaping crossed her mind but she diid and at that moment, something clicked inside her. Once The Collector was back to the butterfly, she tried to move her head closer to his arm, forehead touching slightly the fabric of his jumper. It was cold but fresh and clean and it suited perfectly her exhausted being.

End of flashback

The sunset was already visible in the sky, and the temperature became cooler. A slight breeze made her rub her arms wishing Asa was finished soon to go back inside. Her legs were cramped all the way up to her knee due to the lack of excercise and being seated all afternoon in a chair didn’t help either. Yet, she didn’t complain, she just tapped the floor lightly with her toes to see if the cramps disappeared and to warm up the rest of her body.

 A:

Asa just got finished with setting up the different water stations for the butterflies. Looking over to his pet, he noticed the goosebumps on her arms. Standing tall, he stretched his arms above his head. His back let out a loud but relieving pop.

“Come on, lets go. It’s getting late, and I need to change those bandages.”

E:

Once more comfortable inside, Eve went to the wardrobe to grab a black sweater Asa had left between the new clothes. She looked into the mirror, checking happily how this one was her perfect size although wearing her Master's shirts was still warmer. She lie down on the bed pulling up the bottom part of her garments to allow him to change the bandages. "Is your back sore, Master? I can massage it if you desire".

A:

I’m going to go take a hot shower, if it’s still tight, I’ll let you. Do you want me to run you a bath? It’ll have to be shallow because of your bandages.

E:

"Oh, yes, please, Master, that sounds lovely. I'd die for a bath", Eve smirked sweetly at Asa. "Well, not literally".

A:

Hmm, you’d die for one?

Asa smirked. Then turned to go to the bathroom, running the water in both the shower and the bathtub.

E:

Eve took off the sweater, now useless and replaced by the comfortable steam that came out of the bathroom. She walked closer to the door to watch Asa running the water but, lesson learned, didn't come in till invited to.

A:

Asa watched the girl stand in the doorway, he waved her inside. Carefully helping her into the large bathtub. Once she was situated, Asa took his clothes off and stepped into the shower…

E:

Eve already knew she wasn't supposed to run after surgery but when Asa took off his clothes, her heart felt like she was fighting to be the first place in a marathon. She still wasn't able to avoid blushing every time she saw him like that even though she already knew every detail of his nakedness. She tried to control her breathing to get back to a steady pace.

A:

Asa got in the shower and turned around. Looking through the glass to his pet. He only said one word.

‘Focus.’

E:

Eve blinked fastly and came back to reality. She took the sponge and started washing her body taking care to not wet the bandages. Then Eve continued with her hair and once finished, she was in trouble when attempted to stand up. Not wanting to bother him, she tried to push herself up gripping the sides of the tub but ended up sitting again and hissing at the pain.

A:

Asa heard the water splashing, hearing the sponge drip with water. Then he heard the rubbing of skin trying to get traction.

Turning around, he had to wipe the fog off the glass.

“Sit down.”

Asa squinted at her, but he doubt she could see it. He finished his shower and stepped out. He grabbed a towel wrapping it around his waist. He drained the water from the tub and grabbed a towel for Eve. Scooping Eve out of the water, he dried her off, then threw the towel on her head.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Asa got dresses in a black tank top and black sweats.

“Get dressed.” He told her when he noticed she was still standing there with wet hair.

E:

Eve went to the closet to pick one of the blue dresses and put on the black sweater she had left on the bed. She was frustrated, unable to move properly or do simple tasks such as walking stairs. She almost felt like a baby who didn't have to be fed because her two arms were still functioning, yet Asa wasn't complaining about doing everything she couldn't do on her own. Eve went to the bed to take a seat and let out a small sigh. She was owing him so much that she didn't know how to pay him.

A:

Asa grabbed the blow dryer from the bathroom. It was wireless, so he just lugged it out of the bathroom with no hassle. Turning it on, he blew the warm air directly into her face. 

Running his fingers through her hair, to get rid of the tangles. He blow dried her hair until it was flying all over the place and she looked like she’s been electrocuted. Asa was doing this on purpose, he thought it was funny. 

Eventually he handed her a brush and a rubber band, letting her do as she pleased with her hair.

“What else do you want to do tonight?”

E:

The warm air was so welcome on Eve's hair, not to mention The Collector's fingers running along it erasing her coldness. Eve furrowed her brows, looking up at his face to find out what he was actually doing when blowing air directly at her face. Once seeing in the mirror, she started laughing at the Tina Turner aesthetic he had created. It felt so good she forgot her recent past mood. Brushing it with dedication, she let the blonde locks fall down to her shoulders creating a sensuous wave at the side of her face, putting the band around her wrist to not lose it for later and, especially, to not look down on it coming from him. Then she heard his question. It was a dangerous ask, not for him but obviously for her. She had dreamed so much about kissing him again, even being bitten by him, that being honest with her answer was hard. “I… I’d like to alleviate your back if you still feel it sore, Master”.

A:

What I meant is, what do you want to do that don’t include me? But if you want, there is some oils in the bathroom.

E:

"Oh! Um...". This was new. All of her plans and wishes have always included him mostly because being part of this world he created made him her only company and her favourite one. "I've always wanted to read Romeo and Juliet for a hundredth time. But I don't think you have it here".

A:

I understand why you haven’t looked around, but it’s in this room. You find it in 1 minute, I’ll read it to you. If not, I’ll just go watch TV, not nothing to punishing, hmm? I’ll let you stand up first, then the timer will start…

E:

Another game. He always managed to come up with ideas even if she was in recovery. Yet Eve was fascinated by it, it was a form of adrenalinic recreation she had become addicted to. She scanned the room. Tempted to go to the book shelf but that would have been too predictable and what he was expecting her to do: to search in all the books to lose time. So no, she decided to look in the most unexpected places: the wardrobe, the fridge, but she already knew them till finally she found something peeking from the upper part of the kitchen cupboard. “I think I found it, Master, but I can’t reach it”, she chuckled. “It’s there and I can’t believe it’s actually there”, Eve pointed with her index finger smiling and anxiously waiting for him to grab she adored the most (2/2)

A:

Smirking at her reaching for a book, he went to the kitchen and pulled the book down. Only to reveal it to be ‘How to Kill a Mocking Bird’. 

Eve face fell once she realized it was a decoy.

Asa grabbed her hand, pulling her to the bed, where she once was standing. Opening the night stand draw, revealing the book she wanted. He handed her the book, and helped her get comfortable in the bed.

“Next time, I’ll read to you.” Asa patted her head.

Asa went to the TV, turning it on, watching the news, as always…

E:

Eve's jaw fell open, her smile was erased in a second. She got under the sheets pouting although Asa couldn't watch her since he was focused on the TV. At least she had Shakespeare's book so she first caressed its cover, glad that it was in her hands. After 20 minutes, she was already immerse in the reading and sighing silently at the way Romeo expressed himself.

A:

Asa was done watching the news, so he turned around to see what is pet was doing. 

Watching her eyes move across the pages, he took the opportunity to sneak up on her. Very slowly moving closer to the bed, he launched himself forward, letting a growl escape his lips. Effectively scaring the shit out of her. Smirking at her reaction, Asa offered to read to her. 

Although she was still recovering from the heart attack. Making Asa chuckle, he waited for her answer…

E:

Eve brought a hand to her chest feeling it bounce underneath it. Once she recovered her breath, although still shaky, she handled the book to him. "Y-yes, please", she gasped.

A:

Asa took the book from her, and began at the beginning of the page she left off on. Pulling her close to him his plan was to lull her to sleep. 

He wasn’t going to be sleeping long, he had to get up and tend to other things in the hotel. 

As soon as she was sleep, he pried her sleeping form off of him, and went to sleep himself…

E:

Eve woke up the next morning, the light of sun entering the room from the balcony. She scrubbed her eyes a little, noticing Asa was still asleep. She slowly moved her hand towards his pillow but stopped a milimeter away from his hair, not daring to touch him without his permission but wanting to be as close to him as she could. He wasn't soft while sleeping but his image was the one of a warrior who was taking a rest. Eve bit her bottom lip admiring it like a painting. All of a sudden, Asa opened his eyes and growled at her scaring even the last lock on her hair. “Nooo”, Eve whined in protest when she was able to speak and pulled the sheets up to cover her entire head, getting away from him to the edge of the bed.

—–

A:

Asa felt the hand lingering near his head. He wasn’t the one that wanted to be touched without permission. Rolling over to his back, he spoke to Eve.

“Make something simple to eat, I have to do some more repairs.”

E:

When the night came, Eve had hidden Giacomo, the snowball kitten she found in the balcony, inside the bathroom. She was worried. Although she had given some canned fish to it, she didn't want Asa to find out, unsure if he was going to let her keep it or... if he was going to harm it. Eve knew sooner or later he'd find out but till she was able to make a proper decision, she left him inside the tub and prayed for her Master not to see him when he came back and for the kitten to be quiet.

A:

Asa came into the room, knowing Eve was hiding the cat. Just to see how she would react, and respond to the situation.

“Go run me a bath, hot water.”

E:

"A... a bath?",Eve asked nervously but tried to avoid making it notorious. "Yes... sure, Master". She entered the bathroom and surreptitiously closed the door behind her. Taking the kitten out of the tub and looking around just to figure out what to do, she started shushing at the animal like he was a baby to make him remain silent. Eve turned the hot water on while she thought and finally decided to hide the kitten on the elastic band of her skirt, covering his head with the shirt she had on but of course when she came out of the bathroom, her body was rigid trying to hold the kitten in place. “It’s ready Master”, she smiled forcefully, a drop of sweat running down her forehead. (2/2)

A:

Asa ignored the lump in her shirt, to see where she’ll hide the cat next.

Asa stripped and got in the tub, but leaving the bathroom door open, so he could see Eve.

E:

While Asa was in the bathroom, Eve started hissing. The little kitten was scratching her belly in an attempt to come out. Worried about the animal could scratch her bandages, she looked around again and, coming out of bathroom sight, she hid the snowball inside the cupboard, leaving it a bit open so he could breathe and scrubbing her forehead in an attempt to calm down. Her plan was to hide the baby inside the tub again once Asa came out.

A:

Asa looked in amusement, watching Eve keep looking towards the bathroom. Asa heard the cabinet in the kitchen open. The thought made him chuckle.

He got out of the bath, wrapping a towel around his waist. Going to the closet, he put on his sweats and tank top. Watching Eve closely…

“Have you changed your bandage already?”

E:

Eve yelped at the sight of Asa surprising her but cleared her throat to keep composure. "Y-yes", she lied. If she had to remove her shirt, he'd find out she two scratches. "Are you going to stay here tonight, Master?", she asked, her head turning to the side to watch if any of the kitten's paws peeked out.

A:

“Where else would I go?”

Asa turned to see what she was looking at, he saw the cabinet slightly ajar. Smirking, knowing that’s where she put the kitten. He slowly walked to the kitchen to see if she’ll say anything.

E:

"Uh... Umm..." Eve babbled, getting in Asa's way till she ended with her back against the counter. "I-If you want to eat something, I-I can cook for you. You must be tired", she said, her voice quivering.

A:

Is there something I should know about, pet of mines?

E:

She giggled nervously. "N-no, Master...". Then Giacomo let out a tiny meow from inside the cupboard and Eve immediately sneezed in a poor attempt to cover the sound. But after a mere second she realized sooner or later he'd find out so she sighed and said "Wait, Master...", she took a deep breath. "Yes, there's something...". Eve opened the cabinet door and took Giacomo out embracing him towards her chest to protect him from any reaction Asa could have."I'm sorry, I just wanted to keep him safe"

A:

“Keep him save from what?” Asa tilted his head at Eve.

E:

"Just look at him", Eve replied with tenderness in her voice, petting the snowball's head. "I couldn't leave him out. He is a baby, he wouldn't survive the streets. If he came outside this room, he could have getting hurt and... I didn't know if you'd like him", she whispered that last part.

 A:

“If I wouldn’t like the cat that I picked out?”

Asa arched his eyebrows at the girl.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me before I make up my mind?”

E:

"What?", Eve said with wide eyes, astonished. "You picked this cat?", Eve chuckled relieved. "I can't believe it. So this means I can keep him?", she moved her head closer to Giacomo and planted a kiss on his head. Then remembered Asa's other question. "Oh..., yes, the bandages", Eve came back to reality in a second, gulping. "I-I... haven't changed them", she whispered again.

A:

Asa took the little kitten from her hands, placing it on the ground. Asa grabbed Eve’s neck, slowly apply pressure until he noticed her gasping for air. He waited purposely, waiting for her vision to start to fade from her, until he leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear.

“Don’t lie to me again.”

He released the pressure, but held her up so she won’t fall on the ground.

“Go change your bandages, unless you want to get an infection.”

E:

Eve coughed, inhaling air quickly to fill her lungs. Her life was in Asa's hands, a clear demonstration by his action, yet she had granted herself the privilege of lying to him. Once she recovered balance again, she started to change her bandages as he told her. Not saying a word, she got under the sheets. Giacomo followed her, climbing up the bed, and she embraced him in her hands although looking at Asa to see if he approved...

A:

Asa didn’t want the cat in the bed, the look on his face made that clear…

E:

Immediately, Eve put the cat on the floor, taking care of making him staying there. She pulled the sheets up and rubbed her neck slightly. Asa had left a bruise for sure but she didn't complain. She turned onto her left side avoiding to face him and closed tightly her eyes. She didn't have anything to say to him and she was sure that if she looked at him again, she'd cry. Once again, she misbehaved when he came back. She started to think if it wasn't an unwilling act of protest for missing him so much but there was nothing she could do.

——-

A:

Asa looked at Eve upset, but didn’t really care. He did not want fur all over the bed. He laid down, feeling his spine relax from being hunched over all day. It didn’t take him long to go to sleep, he was going to take advantage of it while he could. Considering he knew he would be up in a few hours.

E:

By the time Asa came back, Eve was smiling like always although with clear dark circles under her eyes from the sleep deprivation of the night before. "Master, good evening", she said, yawning a little.

A:

Movies again?

Asa smirked at her, hearing the infamous movie when checking in on her earlier that day.

E:

"Oh, I was looking for an old one but I came across The Conjuring. I'm not watching a modern movie again". Eve looked to the side at the sound of Giacomo meowing. The kitten started to pee in the corner of the room so Eve was quick to take a rag and bleach to clean it. She looked at Asa not wanting to be demanding but spoke anyways: "Master, I think he needs a litter box and some cat food".

A:

“I guess I should make it clear that you are free to move around the suite.”

Asa moved towards the pantry in the suite, opening the door. On the floor was a litter box with a big bag of litter inside of it. Next to it on the ground was the bottles and milk needed to feed the kitten. On the other side was cases of canned cat food.

There also was a little bin of small cat toys and a blue collar…

E:

"Oh!", Eve chuckled at the fact that she has ignored there was everything the cat needed so near. But what caught her attention the most was the blue collar. It was perfect, not only for the kitten, but for her personal taste too, "Come here, caro mio", she called the animal and put the item around his neck. "Now you are cute snowball blessed with a fragment of sky", she said in regards to the color blue. Then stood straight again, realizing she felt no pain lately while leaning down.

A:

Asa noticed her not wincing when bending down. Although it has been a little while from her injury, she still wasn’t completely healed.

“I’m hungry, once you finish tending to the cat, make us burgers and fries.”

E:

After placing the box in the corner and some proper food and water for Giacomo, Eve walked to the kitchen and washed her hands dedicately. Once the meat and the potatoes were being cooked, she turned her head to the side, watching the wardrobe in the distance. She wasn't as scared as yesterday now that Asa was there but she was still very sleepy and balancing in place to stay awake. A nice aroma of tasty food took over the suite. Eve served the fries and the burgers on two plates not minding the hot drop of oil that splashed on her hand because she was used to that happening when cooking. Walking to Asa, she delivered the plates to the table, grabbing two glasses with water for the meal to be complete.

——

A;

“Have you ever seen, As Above, So Below?”

Asa don’t remember how he came across the movie, but he found himself watching it. It was rather interesting, the concept of the movie.

E:

"No, I haven't", Eve answered shyly. "It sounds like a religious movie". Eve furrowed her brows. Asa didn't seem like the type who watched those type of movies but she was interested in him sharing something of his personal taste.

A:

I think you may like it, Asa managed to put it on the TV.. smirking knowing she may not like the movie at all..

E:

A while into the movie, Eve started to cover her face with the hamburguer bread, pretending she was eating. All those people underground awoke a claustrophobia she didn't know she had, not even when locked in a box. 'Another night awake', she guessed.

A:

Asa almost laughed at her attempt to hide her face. The movie wasn’t that bad, he could’ve shown her Terrifier, the movie that catered to his sadistic side on another level.

E:

When the movie ended, Eve was more than ready to stand up and walk away from the television. "May I take your plate to wash it, Master?", she asked.

A:

Sure.

Asa smirked at his spooked pet.

E:

Once Eve finished with the dishes, she checked on Giacomo. The baby was already sleeping on a cushion on the floor. She petted her head for a second before changing her bandages for the last time of the day. Then she walked to the bed and got under the blankets, silently pulling the sheets up to cover her entire head praying for the light to stay on.

A:

Asa purposely turned the lights off…

“What are you so afraid of?”

How Eve answered his question determined his actions for the night….

E:

"It's pretty ridiculous considering they don't exist but... I can't get that witch from The Conjuring out of my head...", Eve talked against the sheets, still hidden. "Will you make fun of me for it, Master?", she whispered.

A:

Asa nodded at her reply, but not for an answer.

“No I won’t make fun of you. But I will question your logic about it….

You share a bed with a sadistic, serial killer, and won’t lose any sleep.

Yet, you let a movie keep you up at night?

I must not be a threat to you, hmm. Is that it?”

Asa was in close proximity to her face, he could practically feel her breathe, but he got no closer….

E:

Eve let out a shaky breath. She knew Asa was close but that was not the reason behind it. Taking account of what he asked, she realized her own words could have been percieved as lack of respect for him even though it wasn't her intention. "I'm... It's different", Eve answered, moving the sheets down to look him in the eyes. "I know you are dangerous. As lethal as a venomous scorpion, but I can't help but melt for you", she whispered shyly managing to keep her gaze on him.

A:

I think you just need some sleep…

Asa saw the panic in her eyes, yet the adoration…

E:

"That's easier said than done", she chuckled nervously, her eyes redish, open like two big plates in the darkness.

A:

I know all too well butterfly…

Asa scooped her up in his arms, allowing her to lay on his chest. Since he couldn’t lay on her due to her wound…

E:

As soon as Asa had her between his arms, Eve sighed relieved. It almost felt like a heavy bag was taken off of her shoulders and in spite of her wanting to stay awake just to keep feeling her Master's chest going up and down with each breath, she fell asleep almost a minute later.

A:

Asa slowly moved Eve off of his chest due to her slobbing. He took his shirt off, going without it because he didn’t feel like getting another one.

Being careful of her side, he draped an arm around her. Eventually Asa eyes grew tired, and he went to sleep.

E:

Eve woke up the next day but unfortunately, Asa wasn't by her side. Despite that, she felt really rested and somehow, the image of Batsheeba witch was quickly replaced by her Master's strong arms. After feeding Giacomo, she went to the bathroom to have a shower. She had picked one of the orange dresses Asa had left in the wardrobe, this time wanting to take a break from blue. It looked almost vintage on her, with delicate tiny buttons at the side and for that, she loved it, So Eve was getting dressed when suddenly, a black moving item next to the tub caught her attention. She leaned down, grateful for being painless, and noticed it was a tarantula, possibly looking for a way out. She took it in her hand, already knowing it wasn’t venomous since Asa’s books were full of aracnids information and brought it close to her face to examine if it wasn’t hurt. “How did you get in here?”, she started talking. “You are not supposed to be here. You are going to be in trouble”.

A:

Asa heard the water running when he entered the suite, so he went to to kitchen. Getting something to drink, he heard Eve speak, but not towards him. He slowly stalked to the bathroom, knife in hand…

Pushing the door open slowly, once he saw no person. He was disappointed yet relieved….

“What are you talking to?”

E:

Eve yelped at the sudden sound of Asa. She turned around, the tarantula was now on the crook of her neck and its little frontal legs were resting on her cheek. "I'm sorry, Master. It was this little guy. I think he was looking for you", she smiled pointing at the spider she had on with her eyes.

A:

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, it may not be lethal, but it leave you paralyzed for a few little while…”

Asa got the spider off of Eve, looking to see how it got out of it’s encasing. Going back to the study area of the suite, he put the spider away.

“You may want to make sure your kitten hasn’t gotten bit. Something that little could go into cardiac arrest from such bite.”

E:

Eve yelped. How did that information escaped her mind?! As soon as Asa mentioned him, she ran out of the bathroom, merely avoiding to push Asa by accident when passing by. Giacomo was all happy finishing his meal but Eve picked him up anyway to examine him. After checking every single bit of white fur, she hugged him close to her chest, kissing the top of his head many times, relieved.

A:

Hmm, either way, do you think you can manage a little things on the garden? Few weeds that needs to be pulled, but nothing too big.

E:

"Of course, whatever you wish", Eve replied excited about working in the garden again.

A:

“Don’t overwork yourself.”

Asa lead Eve upstairs to the rooftop garden.

E:

Eve walked upstairs slowly but steady. She felt no pain but without the possibility to do excercise, she was already tired when they reached the garden. Luckily, what she needed to do was not that hard. Seated on the floor, she was able to pull all the weeds, leaving the plants all clean again. Eve appreciated the time alone. Although Asa was her favourite company, she had time to talk to the violets, something she may not have done if he was present out of shame.

A:

Asa watched Eve talk to the plants. Supposedly, it helps the plants but Asa still found it amusing. He remembered why he came up in the first place. Placing the kitten down, it clumsily made it’s way over to Eve….

E:

Eve felt the soft hairs on her ankle and looked down finding Giacomo there. She saw her hands dirty but couldn't resist the little kitten so she picked him up, kissing his nose many times. "You missed me, mio angelo?", she talked sweetly to him but then remembered the animal was in the suite before. "How did you get here?", she got alarmed at the thought of the kitten getting hurt in his way to there.

A:

Asa slightly chuckled at the thought that Eve didn’t notice him. Eve was often clueless…

E:

Eve was so lost petting the cat and talking sweetly to him that when she finally saw Asa a few meters away, she got confused for a second: "Bab... Master", she corrected herself immediately, yelping at her mistake.

A:

Asa raised an eyebrow at Eve, debating if he should let that slide or warn her.

Not feeling like disciplining her, he leaned down, holding the back side of his hand to the ground.

The kitten made its way out of Eve’s grasp and into Asa’s palm.

“Let’s go, you need to clean yourself up..”

E:

Eve followed Asa back to the suite, watching Giacomo so calm in his hands and, for a moment, she saw a bit of resemblance with herself. There was something charming about him, almost hypnotic. She went to the bathroom to run a warm bath, noticing the orange dress was of no longer use, at least for the moment.

A:

Asa sat the cat down in the bed Eve failed to realize was there. He then turned to the kitchen, not really minding what Eve did in the moment.

Asa put a pizza in the oven due to simplicity.

Eve emerged from the bathroom as Asa laid on the bed, face down….

E:

Eve got out of the bathroom changed into a simple black dress. The smell of pizza was enticing and she knew it was already cooked so she took it out of the oven. She was about to serve it in two plates but the picture of Asa caught her attention. "Master", she whispered. "Are you okay?"

A:

“Yes”

That’s all he said, exhausted from moving people filled boxes throughout the hotel that day. His muscles ached, but he was used to it by now.

Getting off the bed, he turned around, kicking his boots off, he saw Eve had the pizza ready, so he got up to sit at the table…

E:

Eve was delivering the food when she saw Giacomo sleeping on a new pet bed next to their bed. It was impossible to repress a smile from ear to ear so she left the plates on the table and taking a seat in front of Asa, she genuinely said "Thank you".

A:

“No need to thank me, you just didn’t see it.”

Asa ate his pizza in silence, once he finished he ran some bath water. Going to the cabinet in the bathroom, he located the Epsom salt, and put some in the hot water.

Stripping off his clothes, the hot water felt soothing… He made sure he got all of his work done today because he knew he had to plan something else……

E:

Eve heard the water running but she took a deep breath to avoid temptation. She didn't want to end up sore again at least if being painless was the only thing she could granted for herself as a birthday present for the next day. Eve chuckled a little sad and walked to Giacomo. "He is not going to remember, is he?", she talked to the kitten, petting his head.

A:

Asa heard Eve talking to the kitten, but not really caring to listen to what she said. That’s when he summoned her to the bathroom.

“Eve…”

E:

Eve gulped. She turned her head to the side to look into the bathroom direction, her hand failing to keep petting Giacomo. Walking to it, she stopped at the half-open door, moving her foot precisely for it to be considered outside. She turned to the side too, not wanting to look inside remembering past punishments and with a shaky voice, she asked "What do you wish, Master?"

A:

Put a sheet and a towel on the bed, and light a candle, you can pick which one…

E:

"Um..., sure Master". Eve walked away of the bathroom to put the items on bed. Giacomo was curious about her movements but Eve was even more intrigued about the request. She went to kitchen to look inside one of the drawers for a candle. Long ones, colored, aromatics... She ended up picking a small one with flowery scent, sure that it was rose fragance, and left it on the night table, nervously trying to find a proper position for it.

A:

Asa got out of the bath, wrapping a towel around his waist. Watching Eve fumble with the candle.

“If you can’t decide where to put the candle, you really won’t be able to decide what to massage first… ”

Asa smirked at he got in the bed, laying down on his stomach. Towel still wrapped around his waist….

E:

"It's perfect there" Eve let out, leaving the candle in a second with no more interest in it. She bit her lip watching Asa's back still with a few drops of water running down his spine. Rubbing her hands together to make sure they were warm, she placed them on each scapula, properly letting both skins connect. Then she started doing soft circles with her palm but quickly using her knuckles to apply pressure. Asa's back muscles were so contracted that she was amused at him not complaining in a daily basis. Eve moved down using her thumbs at both sides of his spine careful not to press any disc and then ended up at his sacrum, kneeling at his side to be able to apply harder pressure. After that, she stopped although not abruptly. She gently moved her fingers to his head, finishing with a soft circling to his temples.

A:

Asa wanted to fall asleep while Eve rubbed his back, but the neat freak in him wouldn’t let that happen.

Once she finished, he put on some shorts and put away the sheet and towel. Making sure it wasn’t nothing else that needed to be done. He went back to the bed, wrapping an arm around Eve, going to sleep.

E:

Eve woke up at the sound of "O mio babbino caro" playing in the distance but the song sounded almost robotic. She wanted to get up to inspect but Asa's arm was keeping her in place by its weight and by its hypnotizing effect. The song lasted around 20 seconds and then she turned to the other side to see if he had noticed, realizing the pressure on the wound was no longer as painful as before. She wanted to check if he had woken up, his eyes were close but Eve knew sometimes he liked teasing her. Despite that, once she looked at him, she forgot about the song. “Oh god”, she whispered at the beautiful picture of him holding her. What a way to start her birthday.

A:

Asa was still tired, but his body wouldn’t let him sleep any longer…

“Go put another dress on, I need you to do something today, but you have to look presentable.”

Asa didn’t have to open his eyes to know that she was awake. Probably sensed the confusion on her face as well….

E:

Eve was more than intrigued at the request. She got up, already missing being by his side, and went to the wardrobe to pick something. If it was a special day, at least for her, she'd make it special so she obviously chose a blue dress with sort of long sleeves. She brushed her hair, fixing the necklace around her neck and put on a pair of black shoes. Smiling, she stood by the wardrobe door wanting to ask him if he liked the look but the song started playing again for another 20 seconds.

A:

“I’m going to throw your phone off that balcony.”

Asa groaned, as he got up himself. He got dressed not paying any attention to Eve much I until he was ready.

He blindfolded her, then picked her up.. it’s been a while since she left the suite…..

E:

Eve giggled nervously. "It's because today is...", she said while he was carrying her downstairs but stopped before ending the phrase. If he didn't mind or remembered it, it wouldn't do any difference if she told him.

A:

Asa kept Eve blindfolded when placed her in the back of the van. Closing the doors, he got in the driver’s seat. Driving to the nearest McDonald’s he picked up breakfast for the both of them.

Driving to his destination, he handed Eve the bag with food. Taking her out of the back of the van he took the blindfold off.

“Call your phone when you’re ready, if not. I’m getting you at 9 tonight.” Was all Asa said.

He got back in the van and drove away….

E:

The kidnapping

Eve was silent all the way. She quickly realized she was in the van but never dared to remove her blindfold. She didn’t mind it either. The fact that Asa was driving to an unknown place with her awoke her curiosity but she enjoyed it like she could: smelling the chlorine impregnated in the vehicle, hearing the noise of the city and being grateful for the AC.

After Asa took the blindfold off of her and let her get out of the van, she looked at the bag in her hands and smiled. She thought they were going to have breakfast right there, which was a bit strange, but then realized the surroundings were familiar. She looked past him and the bag almost slipped off of her hands at the sight of her parents’ house. 

Asa’s words were very clear in her mind, though. If she didn’t call before 9…, she didn’t want to risk anyone getting hurt or murdered. Eve watched him leave. What does this mean? He clearly has to remember my birthday. But he didn’t say anything. Well, he never does.

Meeting her parents was an emotional moment. They both missed her and neither of them were expecting to see each other. They shared a tasty meal and asked lots of questions, which she had to lie to their replies in the majority of cases. 

Once the reunion was over, Eve called Asa to pick her up, arranging that he was going to do so a few streets away. She convinced her parents to not accompany her, not wanting Asa to be seen to avoid more questions and trouble. She walked the streets and waited like he told her. Suddenly, a white van, similar to Asa’s one stopped by. Confidently, and wanting to be quick, she opened the back door and got inside. 

She didn’t had time to get out before the van accelerated and unluckily, the scenario inside the vehicle was not what she expected. Tomas Little and four other men were there and her ex-boyfriend was fast to grab her and pin her down. 

“You really keep being a distracted little sheep”, he commented, covering her mouth to muffle her screams and holding her struggles with his own weight. “You put it easier than I thought. What the fuck were you thinking when you opened this door? You little little dumb sheep”, he continued, gesturing one of the other men to bring the tape, putting it on her mouth and around her wrists and feet. “I’m not complaining, though. I love it when I don’t have to work”, he started palpating her body. “Hm… no phone. What? I can’t understand you with that thing on your mouth. How did I find you? It’s your birthday sweetheart. Of course you were going to be visiting your parents. Don’t worry, the party has just started. Happy birthday, my little sheep”, Tomas said, kissing her forehead.  

 A:

Asa was just a block down when he saw Eve disappear into the van. He already knew what to expect. So slowly he followed behind the van, yet staying a good distance behind.

Typing on his phone, he looked up the car information. To which he came to the conclusion he already had.

Tomas Little was a very stupid boy.

 E:

The van stopped and Tomas tried to throw Eve over his shoulder but failed. One of his “friends” helped him took her inside and carried her to the basement. Eve kept trying to scream through the tape but Tomas took out a knife and brought it close to her face. 

“I’m going to take this off. Don’t make me hurt you. But if you scream, I will”. 

Eve nodded yes with her head, taking a big mouthful of air when the tape was off and looked at Tomas with watery eyes. 

“Wow”, he commented, tilting his head to the side. “I thought you were going to scream”.

“It’s not productive now that we are in here but I don’t think you know the value of silence”, she replied. “Besides, where are we, Tomas? In your own house?”, she chuckled. 

“What’s so funny about it? No one is going to hear you here”. 

“You are so dead. You don’t even know”. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Nothing”, Eve said looking to the side, not wanting to bring up Asa into the conversation. 

“Leave us alone”, Tomas ordered to the men. 

 A:

Asa watched as Tomas pulled up to his home. He remembered the location, going back to his hotel. Gathering all the equipment he needed, he headed back towards Tomas house. Making sure to bring a box as well…

E:

“Why you look so upset?”, Tomas asked, leaning down to be close to Eve’s face. “We are together again”. 

“That’s what’s upsetting me. How many times do I have to tell you that what we had is over?”.

“I can have you again”.

“Like this?”, Eve sobbed. “It’s my birthday for God’s sake. You are ruining it”.

“Ruining it? What were you panning to do?”, he inquired but Eve didn’t respond. “Ohh, that’s it then. Someone was waiting for you. That’s why you don’t live at your pretty little house anymore.”, Tomas clenched his teeth and grasped her chin forcing her to look at him. “Who is the moron expecting you to come home to?”

Eve’s chest was bouncing with anger too at his lack of respect. 

“That moron is the one who is going to gut you and your friends when he finds me, you fucking idiot”

Eve spat his face for him to release her. Her terms were surprising too because she was never the one to insult other person. Unluckily, Tomas didn’t take that well and hit her face with the back of his knuckles, violently throwing her to the floor at the impact. He moved on top of her, pulling from the neck part of her dress to rip it to the side. 

“You think I’m scared of your stupid boyfriend? I’ll take care of him too. He is no one, you little dumb sheep. I am your boyfriend and I will always be”, he kissed her mouth and grasped her breast while Eve squirmed. “I just have to remind you of it”. 

Tomas was about to rip her dress in half when he saw the butterfly scars peeking through out the fabric of the sleeve. 

“What is that?”

 A:

Asa approached the house, and amusingly enough, the back door was open. He closed it, making sure to lock it.

Leaning down, Asa took the leashes off the dogs. He followed their lead, until one stopped and stared. Asa gripped the knife in his hand, turning the corner to see two of them sitting on the couch.

They were talking, but the words went unnoticed to Asa’s ears. Tapping the dog on it’s back, it charged at the two men. Effectively going for the throat. Asa waited for another one to come, to see what was happening.

The boy shouted, but was shortly lived when Asa pierced his throat.

Asa finished the two men on the couch before he let the dogs lead him to the basement door…..

 E:

“Who did that to you?”, Tomas had asked, moving the sleeve upwards, disgusted at the sight. Eve couldn’t cover it because of her tied wrists but kept struggling to be released. “WHO?!”, Tomas yelled. 

“Him. And it’s part of our intimacy”. 

“INTIMACY?!”, he yelled again, his face horrified. “Do you call this intimacy? What the fuck is going on?”

“It’s a design because I’m special for him.”

“Oh, so you let this idiot cut you? Is that it?”

“I never criticized the lion you got tattoed in your hip bone even though you made it striped like a tiger because you don’t have a single idea about wild fauna”. 

Tomas repressed his wish to hit her again. 

“Okay. So you like being cut as a form of love”, he turned his head to the basement stairs. “Mario, come here”, he called the man who was watching the basement cover. 

Once the man came downstairs, Tomas instructed him to hold Eve down while he used the knife to cut her dress. Eve couldn’t move even if she wanted but the purpose of Tomas was to cut her skin too, perfectly carving his two letters, “TL”, under her right collarbone.

Eve screamed in agony while he broke her flesh, blood appearing quickly on the cut lines. 

“This is fucked up”, Mario commented.

“You shut up. I don’t pay you for your opinion”. 

Once Tomas finished, both men released her. She was sobbing like a mess, lost in the contemplation of the wall, with the right side of her blue dress now stained in red.  

“Now you are loved. Loved by me”, Tomas said. And he was about to make Mario go look for a bandage when they heard noise outside. Paying attention, they realized there was a fight upstairs and that the other men were screaming. 

“What the fuck?”

The noise made Eve blinked and come back to reality with a tiny smile. Tomas noticed it and leaned down again towards her. 

“What the fuck is going on?”

“He came for me”, she replied, tears running down her cheeks. 

“Who’s your fucking boyfriend?” 

Eve smiled showing her teeth. 

“The Collector”. 

Tomas walked away of her.

“FUCK, FUCK!!!!”, he started gasping. “Mario, how many bullets do you have there?”

“Five”. 

“You better use them well or we are going to be fucked”. 

Eve started laughing. 

“You, come here”, Tomas said making her stand on her feet still with her limbs tied together. Using her as protection, he moved the knife to her neck, waiting for Asa to find them, realizing he had made his own trap. 

 A:

Asa heard the panicked voices coming from the basement and knew they’re in there. He smirked, but knowing he had to be precise for his next move.

Asa grabbed his bag, pulling out his infamous trigger wire. Attaching it to a knife thrower he made for impromptu break-ins.

Opening the door to the basement, he listened to their reaction.

“Go check it out.” A hushed voice said.

“No way, I’m not going up there.” The other one said.

Asa peaked around the corner and he saw their feet. Noticing how Eve was close to one of them, it’s a chance he was holding her, that had to be Tomas.

Asa whistled but held his hand up, the dogs came to him but stopped.

“Shit did you hear that?” Mario said.

Asa liked creating suspense, so he got up, jumping out of a back window. He turned the power to the house off. It would only stay off for 5 minutes. Then entered once again, quickly yet silently.

He listened out for them, Asa eyes were used to seeing in the dark, it wasn’t completely dark though.

Asa made some more noise to lure Mario out of the basement.

“Okay all of us are going up. She’s going first, move it!” That was Tomas.

Asa saw them coming up the stairs, he was right in front of them, but they didn’t see him. Asa saw that Eve had some blood on her, which made him growl a bit.

Mario fired a shot right in front of them, but missed.

4 shots.

As they approached the doorway, Eve movement halted.

She felt the wire on her leg.

Carefully she stepped over it without Tomas noticing.

“Go in front of us.” Tomas said.

As Mario got in front of them, Eve felt him trigger the trap, so she fucked, managing to get out of Tomas trap.

The knife was lodged in Mario’s head, coincidentally the lights came back on, on impact.

Asa was right in front of them, Eve being ducked, Asa pushed Tomas down the stairs…

 E:

Eve kept laughing at their desperation, not matter how angrily Tomas gripped her arm. Once she heard Asa’s whistle, she took a deep breath. They didn’t know but it was obvious for her that the dogs were waiting and she prayed for them to differ between her body and the rest. 

When the lights went off, Eve calmed down. It was the opposite of their reaction but it meant that Asa was determined to get her and god, how she loved his suspense. Despite that, she stayed alert, sure that the Collector had designed one trap nearby if not more. Somehow, it was like playing Hide and Seek, so her mind switched into a calculated one. 

She felt the wire and silently chuckled, a mannerism she got from her Master. Stepping over it with confidence while the two men were shitting in their pants and Mario was shooting to the air, it didnt take long for the last one to activate the trap. 

Once Tomas was pushed. his knife flying off downstairs too, Eve looked at Asa with the lights back on. He was so powerful in his black clothes that she smirked relieved and attracted to him. 

She stood there, wanting to hug him, but looking at the floor in respect. 

 A:

Asa looked over towards Eve, noticing hey hands tied together. He grabbed her hands, slicing through the rope, he set her arms free.

Turning his attention to the man getting up in the basement. Asa matched down the stairs, reaching a hand out towards Eve. Letting her know that he wants her down there too.

Tomas stood with the knife in his hand, he was spitting words at Asa, but Asa wasn’t paying attention. When Tomas went to swing, Asa swiftly dodged it. Smirking at the small man.

When Tomas swung the next time, Asa grabbed his wrist twisting and pulling him forwards. Taking his forearm in both hands, he smashed it with his knee. His arm made a loud popping noise, music to Asa’s ears.

Tomas held his arm in agony, Asa leaned over him, watching his face.

Asa stood and whistled for the dogs to come to the basement. They say, both on each side of Eve, watching Tomas.

Knowing he could walk out, Asa went through the front door so he could get the box. Bringing it back to the basement, he didn’t put Tomas in it just yet.

He kicked him around the floor, and made him stand. Tomas tried to swing, but he was too weak to do so. Asa shoved him in the box, before he got the chance to close it, he heard Eve speak.

“Master, may I do it?” She asked.

Something Asa wasn’t expecting, so he stood back and gestured for Eve to do so…..

 E:

It was the first time Eve felt confident next to Asa’s dogs. They were there, watching, making sure Tomas remained still and, in a sense, that Eve was protected. 

The boy stood whining on the floor, talking to Eve, begging her to stop what was happening. But she moved her index finger to her lips, commanding silence. 

Once Asa was back, of course she couldn’t resist locking that bastard inside the red box. She had been gentle many times in her life before. He had abuse her kindness and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She wasn’t going to be gentle anymore.

With The Collector’s permission, and seeing that Tomas’ hand was trying to peek out the box, she smashed the cover against his fingers two times, breaking a few tiny bones before Tomas screamed and brought his fingers inside. 

With the boy locked properly, she looked at Asa taking a deep breath. She wasnt healed properly yet but at least, she felt satisfied. 

A:

“Don’t over work yourself, butterfly.” Asa smirked at her.

Asa pushed and manage to get the box up the stairs. He placed the box in the trunk, and helped Eve inside the van as well. Handing Eve the blindfold, she did it herself.

Asa drove to the hotel, going through the underground garage. He put the box in an empty room, wanting to deal with Tomas tomorrow, when they both would have more energy….

 E:

Eve was left by Asa inside the suite while he went to take care of Tomas. What had happened? She had been so tense that now all the adrenaline accumulated was starting to have its effects on her. Yet, she tried to remain calm. She went to run a bath for herself, using the sponge many times to scrub her skin. Tomas' kiss and his hands on her coming like violent flashes to her mind. She shook her head, not wanting to pay attention to the disgust she felt. The cuts were not bleeding anymore but they still hurt. She took time to wet her face, letting the shower wash everything away and she felt sure enough that she was recovered. But when she got out of the tub and her reflection in the mirror caught her glance, she started to tremble. Walking closer to the glass, she moved the wet hair out of her collar bone, revealing the scars. They were horrible. Bloodish lines forming the letters of the man’s name she hated by now. If the surgery scar worried her when it came to Asa’s opinion, the meaning of these letter was three times worse. Tears started to fill her eyes, running down the slight bruises on her cheek. Eve had to touch the wall to support her weight for a moment but eventually sat down in the corner, hugging her knees. She brought her forehead to them too, trying to muffle the sound of her crying, not wanting Asa to come in and hear her. 3/3

A:

Asa made his way up to the suite, ready to take a shower, eat, then sleep.

When he entered the bathroom, he saw Eve in the ground. He already knew what was happening. He kneeled down beside her, stroking the top of her head.

Asa got up and turned the shower on, stripping out of all his clothes. He got in and washed himself quickly. Stepping out wrapping a towel around him. He scooped Eve up of the floor, taking her to the room. He put some food out for the cat, while he made the two of them something light to eat.

Giacomo joined him on his journey to the room. He handed Eve the grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Asa looked at her collar bone, noticing the pinkish lines. Indicating they weren’t deep, so Asa grabbed the aloe.

He also grabbed the property bandages to place in her side as well.

“I have good news and bad news.” Asa spoke.

Eve turned her attention to Asa.

“Good news is that, those lines won’t be there long. Bad news, I had to reschedule our dinner reservations for tomorrow. Unless you don’t want to go anymore….”

E:

Asa handled her the soup but Eve wasn't eating; instead she was playing with the spoon. Then his words caught her attention. Bad news weren't bad news at all. She was so happy at what she heard, yet so surprised too, that she started crying again, bringing her hands to her face to hide her puffy cheeks. "Yes..., I...", she babbled, unable to articulate properly. "I just wanted to spend time with you.", she let out very sweetly.

A:

“Well first we have to take care of your ‘boyfriend’. Then we’d have until 8:30 tomorrow… Or do you have other plans?” Asa teased.

He took their bowls to the kitchen then climbed into the bed. Grabbing Eve, tucking her head underneath his chin, he held her with both arms.

As Asa relaxed, he realized his arms were a little sore. Ignoring it, he went to sleep…

E:

Despite her concerns, Eve was quick to close her eyes. Asa's chest always had that effect of putting her to sleep in just a few minutes, his warmth like a shelter for the storm. The next morning found them both still in bed. Eve woke up and squirmed a little in his arms, pressing her forehead tighter to his chest. She didn't want to get up. She was still tired and most important, she felt comfortable and safe. The idea of Tomas being still alive in the hotel moved different emotions in her.

There was fear but there was also a big curiosity. At least she wanted to be present when Asa dealt with him. Eve looked up, finding Asa’s face with eyes closed. She observed him for a few seconds, with loving eyes lost in his features, and she spoke with a very low voice: “Do you know, that your breathing changes when you wake up?”, she smiled at the slight joke of repeating his own words, realizing how much fullness he represented for her heart.

——

A:

“Well of course I’m awake, you’ve been tossing and turning for the last 13 minutes.” Asa kept his eyes closed.

After a minute of debating, Asa got out of the bed. Getting dressed in his normal ‘Collector’ attire.

“Do you want to go now, or come get you on 10 minutes?”

E:

Eve got up, walking a bit around the room to stretch her muscles, especially her arms after the events. Once The Collector was dressed in his attire, she had already changed into a classy sleeveless black dress. Then he spoke. Go where?, she thought, but of course if it meant going with him, the place didn't matter. "I'm ready", she replied intrigued and fiixing the blonde locks of hair.

A:

“You want to torture Tomas in that?” Asa arched his eyebrow at Eve.

E:

Eve yelped, delaying a moment to react. What did he just say? She was supposed to torture Tomas? Eve's brain process her ethics on one side: she always considered herself a good person yet the day before, it felt like poetic justice when she broke his fingers. The ex who stalked her, hit her, humiliated her, ruined her birthday, cut her... Eve smirked at Asa in slow motion. "You are right, there's something missing, Master", she moved the butterfly pendant out of her dress, letting it show over the fabric. “Now I feel absolutely gorgeous for the occasion”.

——

A:

“You’re insane.”

“Let’s go, and be careful. I put new traps out, throughout the whole building.

 E:

Eve followed Asa all the way down to the lab, paying special attention to follow each and every one of his steps at the idea of new traps nearby. It was a glorious thing in her mind that she wasn't blindfolded although she would have wished for it to hold his thumb as guidance. When the scenario of the lab was in front her, the smell of chlorine products was much stronger than the one in his van. The memories of her being tied in that same steel stretcher were cut by the red box in the corner.

She looked at Asa to see what he was planning on doing, sure that Tomas was inside of it.

——-

A:

Asa went over to the wall of hanging instruments used for his sadistic torture. Making sure Eve was next to him, telling her to pick out what she wanted. Asa was yet to get Tomas from the room. He was going to once Eve was ready….

E:

Eve's jaw fell a bit open when she saw the hanging instruments. They were so neat, so shiny that the handles of many of them reflected the lab. She raised her tempted to touch them, imagining how good the cold metal would feel, but refrained herself. Being a woman of classy taste, she went for the small delicate ones. "I like that one", she pointed at one particular silver scalpel in the corner. "And this one too", she pointed at some pilers. "But what is this one for?"

A:

“It’s for pulling off small parts.”

“Do you want me to go get him?”

E:

"Oh"; Eve smiled, she loved learning new things. "Yes, please, Master".

A:

Asa left the room, pushing the box to the lab they were in. Kicking it, Tomas made a startled sound. Opening the box quickly, Asa drug him out and punched him in the face.

Effectively dazing him, Asa strapped him to the lab table. Stepping back, Asa looked at Eve.

E:

At first, Eve breathing became agitated at the sight of her ex. It was real. He was strapped to the table at her mercy and somehow all the fear she could have about seeing him again was vanished by Asa's presence by her side. She seeked permission in his face to take the instruments she mentioned and then stopped for a second to look at The Collector. "Master, do you have one of your recorders here?"

A:

Asa pointed to a corner in the ceiling, but then tilted his head.

“Do you want something hand held?”

E:

"Yes, please", Eve replied watching Asa leave the room a moment later. She looked at Tomas, he was clearly dazed, not only by his punch but also with clear dehydration signs. "Eve...", he murmured the best he could. "Eve what is this?". "The end of the birthday party you started", she answered still keeping distance from the stretcher he was on. "Eve, please, don't do this. You were a nice person. I made a mistake. Please.. I'm sorry!", he sobbed. But Eve's eyes were of a darker shade.

“Shut up. You talk too much and it annoys me”

—-

A:

Asa entered the room, already knowing Tomas said something. Handing Eve the camera, he walked to Tomas. Grabbing his throat, Asa choked him.

Not letting him pass out, Asa smirked at his poor attempt of a threat. Asa then gestured to Eve, she could take over while Asa watched.

Torture and restaurant scenes not narrated.

Isolated red riding hood scene

E:

*waits behind the suite door with her home made custome* "Boo!" (~Eve)

A:

“You’ve been busy I see.” Asa smirked.

E:

Eve smiles: "But grandmother! What big eyes you have!"

A:

Asa snarls, but only to better help her set up for the next line.

E:

Seeing he didn't object anything, she continued: "But grandmother, what big ears you have!"

A:

“You can’t even see them, butterfly.”

Asa broke character briefly, before continuing to walk inside the suite.

E:

Eve giggled at his comment, seeing he was being nice in his own way. She posed again in character. "But grandmother! What big teeth you have!"

A:

Asa turned towards Eve, slowly stalking towards her…

E:

She removed the hood, letting the rest of the blanket rest on her shoulders. "And that's the end, I think. I don't have any more lines". She giggled a bit nervous at Asa walking towards her.

A:

Asa grabbed Eve’s throat, but not in a threatening manner. He tilted her head up to look her in the eye.

“I’ll show you a big, bad wolf.” Asa said lowly.

E:

Eve yelped, swallowing against his hand. "I-I... um... This is the part were she called for help, right?"

A:

“No, this is the part where you feed the big, bad wolf.” Asa released her, taking his mask off.

The story evolves (First fight.  First time together. Eve is completely healed from surgery. Asa starts to train her)

E:

"Master, I'm forced to notify you that you have a big debt. I've done the maths and it turns out you owe me 120 kisses"

A:

Oh really? How did I accumulate such debt?

E:

"Oh, you see, I estimate that you give me one kiss a month but I need one kiss a day. I've been here for 6 months but let's say I'm generous and only count 4 of them. That leaves us a total of 120 not given kisses."

A:

And how many of those days did you have a bed?

E:

"So no kisses for Eve.

But if someone else kissed me, you'd get mad. That's what I don't understand", Eve sighs.

A:

Did I say that?

Don't test me, butterfly.

E:

"Well, let's say I've been in the suite for a month and a half, that's 45 days. And there weren't any kisses here", Eve stops for a second. Is she really putting up a tantrum towards something like that? "It doesn't matter. You're still not going to do it because you know I want that. So I understand. I'm going to try to not want that anymore ".

A:

Asa approached Eve slowly, not appreciating her tone. Grabbing her jaw, and part of her neck, tilting her head back. He leaned down, giving her one of the 45 kisses she requested.

He leaned towards her ear and spoke with a very calm voice.

“Lay on the bed, stomach down…”

E:

 The charming feeling of the kiss ended sooner than expected. At his command, Eve gulped.

"Umm...", she hesitated for a second but obeyed anyways. "I can't be sorry for speaking the truth. When I start hating your kisses, that's when you are going to kiss me. But you know what? That's never going to happen. I'm never going to hate them. So... I guess, punish me", she said very lowly, a bit of resignation in her voice.

A:

“What else have I done that you hate besides punishment? Because from the way you talk, you think I want you miserable. It sounds as if you are being a bit ungrateful to me. I suppose you’re fine with being back in the old room. Your first room, with your box. As long as you get your 44 kisses…. Is that what you want? Trust me, I’m willing to oblige in a pet that’s obedient. ”

Asa pushed her head down into the mattress, speaking viciously in her ear.. waiting for her response…

E:

In a way it was a good thing that Asa pushed her head into the mattress because Eve closed her eyes tightly and despite that, a few tears spilled from their corners. "I...", she felt dizzy, confused, not knowing what to say. Asa didn't want to kiss her and at the same time he had brought her all these facilities and offered her good moments so she couldn't understand. She didn't want to go back to a box yet she didn't want to wait for eternity for him to be inspired and kiss her. And also he was getting angry and that wasn't even the point of what started as a joke. "I don't know!", she exclaimed breaking in tears. "What do you want from me? I'm giving you everything that I am, that I have, and I enjoy doing so. But I too feel that it's not enough for you. You don't know how much that hurts. I lov... I-I...", she turned her head to look at him with a puffy face. "Do whatever you want with me. I'm always going to feel yours even if you put me back in that box, even if you ignore me for the rest of your life. Or even if you kill me right now".

 A:

Asa grabbed her head, planting his lips to hers once again.

43...

He released her with a slight push on the bed, leaving the room. If he had punished her, her last option she stated may not have been to far, from how he was feeling.

 E:

He left. He always leaves. Nothing was ever going to change.

Eve pulled the sheets up, covering her whole head, turning into a phetal position. She was so sad that she didn't even have strength to keep crying. Remembering what brought her comfort when she was a child, she started to sing very low.

'Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo chiaro

Lì anche la notte meno oscura

Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere

Come le nuvole che volano

Pien d'umanità'

After half an hour tears have dried on her cheeks and she was already falling asleep.

A:

Asa came back to the suite, at who knows what time. He was covered in blood from head to toe. The slam of the door jolted Eve awake. He took his boots and mask of by the door, considering they are dripping in blood.

"Clean this up.."

Asa didn't even spare a glance at her as he walked to the bathroom.

Taking the blood soaked clothes off he took a long shower. After 45 minutes, Asa left the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

Grabbing her jaw, like always, he just stared at Eve's face.

"Don't make me mad again, Eve..."

E:

When Asa came out of the bathroom, Eve had already washed his clothes. God, they were a bloody mess and she knew he had taken out his anger on someone else but at this point, her head was too dizzy to really care.

When he spoke to her and she felt his touch again... that was another story. Her brain became fully awake again.

"I'm sorry, Master. I'm being sincere here, I feel really ungrateful. I just wanted... it doesn't matter now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm really sorr-"

A:

Asa got tired of her rambling, giving her another kiss to shut her up.

42..

"Why don't you show me how sorry you are?" Asa said against her lips.

E:

A little yelp escaped Eve's mouth. Was he meaning what she was thinking? She looked at him with curious black eyes but after a few seconds she couldn't resist it anymore. This time Eve was the one kissing him, her shaky fingers coming up to caress his hair. She was already fascinated because she had never had the possibility to appreciate how good his features felt to the touch of her palm. She barely stopped kissing him to gasp for air but, as a moth to the fire, Eve moved onto his lap, hands coming down to his bare back, grateful for him not complaining. His sore muscles, the rough texture of his skin, the scars... it was all like a map in braille.

Soon her own body betrayed what remained of her shyness and her hips started to move for touch. She only had the time to let out a little moan before she was pinned to the mattress...

A:

Asa lost count for how many times she came undone, but there was one thing he did know.

"27.." he whispered on a tired Eve's lips.

Hating how the room looked, Asa cleaned up a bit before he put some clothes on.

Looking at Giacomo, he was starting to get bigger and may need another bed soon. As well as a scratching post...

Asa wasn't a cat person....

 E:

Eve woke up the next day after a profound sleep. She was exhausted and full of energy at the same time. She was used to fights when it came to Tomas but this time she was the one claiming something. Despite that, her ex-boyfriend could never be as fascinating as a lover as Asa was and she felt that in every inch of her skin.

She got up, alone once again, and hold Giacomo in her arms. He was notoriously heavier but as fluffy as always. She kissed the top of his head many times. There was happiness but there was also a big feeling of guilt, somehow familiar now, that came every time she displeased him.

Leaving Giacomo on the floor, she started to cook, noticing how hungry she was. Oatmeal cookies. That was a good idea. She knew he loved them and thought it was a way to start the day with the right foot. Once they were ready, she placed them on the table and went to the bathroom to wash her teeth, taking time to practice lip pressing against lip to inspire her to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the week.

A:

Asa came back to the room, he needed to grab some salt. Only to see Eve in the mirror…

“What are you doing?” He said.

Before Eve could even say anything, he just put his hand up to stop her from talking. It didn’t matter why she was doing it.

“Take Giacomo to the roof with you whenever you’re done with whatever you’re doing. The traps are deactivated. To the roof, not to this floor so don’t go exploring. I need to go do something in a few, and I’ll be gone for a while.”

 E:

Eve spent the afternoon in the garden, taking care of leaving the flowers as possible, watching Giacomo every time he got too close to a plant to avoid damage... and more trouble. "Little snowball angel", she said lovingly to him while petting his back. She sighed, inhaling back the fresh sweet air of the garden. "What a day, caro mio".

A:

Asa spent the day cleaning the lower levels and the fumes from the chemicals tend to get throughout the vents.

Seeing the redness to Eve’s face, he frowned a bit.

“Why didn’t you use sunscreen, or at least go back inside?”

 E:

"Um... I just wanted to obey you and stay here. I'm sorry...", Eve touched her nose, it burned a bit. "It'll be okay", she said a little distant and went inside, passing by him, to come back to the suite.

A:

“Don’t touch your face, and go to the bathroom.”

Asa grabbed Giacomo because he was still trying to get in the dirt.

 E:

Eve opened the bathroom door, leaving it open while she cleaned her hands. She stayed there, though, looking at Asa leaving Giacomo on the floor. "What do you wish me to do here, Master?", she said with low enthusiasm.

A:

“Just stay right there.” Asa told her.

He went to the kitchen to get the aloe out of the refrigerator. Cutting it up and open, he went to the bathroom with it. Slathering the cool substance on her face, especially her nose.

“Run us a bath..”

E:

Eve let him do, controlling her breathing in the process. Then she turned both taps on, taking care of the water temperature being nice to the touch and after the tub was filled, she looked at him back again, making a step backwards to allow him space. "Ready, Master..."

A:

Asa came back to the bathroom and stripped his clothes. Climbing into the tub…

E:

For the first time, Eve turned around when he undressed, placing her hand at both sides of the sink to repress the urge to look at him. She stood there, silent and nervous...

A:

“Are you going to stand there until the water get cold, or are you going to get in?”

E:

Eve took a deep breath and turned around. She walked to the tub, stepping in, realizing she had not taken her dress off. "Sorry", she whispered, flustered for being so clumsy and took the wet garment off, leaving it on the floor. She looked down at the water, suddenly the most interesting thing in the room.

A:

Asa looked at her amused, wondering how long she’s going to keep this up.

He picked her up, turning her around, so her back was towards his chest. Grabbing the loofah, he started to wash her back…

E:

Eve let out a shaky breath, not realizing it became a moan. She was already burning, Asa was like an unforgivable fire, yet she tried to keep still, not a single word escaping her mouth, playing with the water with her fingers in a very subtle way to not focus on how he was melting her

A:

Asa smirked behind her, she was slowly breaking. Placing a kiss on the back of the her neck.

“Turn around..”

E:

Eve didn't know where she got the strength to turn around. Her limbs felt weak, shaky. It was like being in hell and heaven at the same time. But she did although not looking at him. "Should I... grab a towel, Master?"

A:

Go ahead…

E:

Eve was as quick as a plane to get out the tub and wrap herself in a towel. She grabbed the dress twisting it and washing it carelessly with a bit of water and left it hanging there before almost running out of the bathroom.

A:

Asa watched Eve move frantically…

Asa got out of the tub and got dressed. Asa was starving, so he went to the kitchen. Cooking some chicken Alfredo.

“Come over and eat..”

E:

Dinner was silent for Eve. She regained some of her composure and was again quick to take the dishes and do them in the kitchen sink. In a way, it was a great activity because she was giving her back at him and she could get her attention into scrubbing with the sponge.

A:

Asa came from behind her, trapping her between him and the sink.

“You can’t act like this forever…” Asa whispered in her ear.

He then moved to the bed, laying down, getting ready for bed…

E:

Eve almost jumped when Asa trapped her. He was always so unexpected, honoring his spider-nature. She sighed after he released her, knowing all too well that she couldn't keep up his game for too long but that was more exasperating. She gave Giacomo some food, trying to buy time, but she knew she had to sleep sooner or later. Eve walked to the bed, placing herself unnder the sheets but stood right in the edge of the mattress.

A:

Asa waited for Eve to fall asleep before he for so himself. He just laid still in bed waiting….

E:

After a little while, Eve softly turned her head to the side. He seemed asleep and his breathing was very quiet so she surreptitiously moved the sheets down and get up to lie down again but this time on he floor. Not that it was a very appetizing option but her head was still spinning around in circles and she felt unworthy of sharing his bed after how mad he got the other day and she thought that was the place pets should use to sleep. Because she was just that in his eyes, just a pet.

A:

Asa felt the bed move, it sounded as if she settled on the floor. Shifting his weight carefully, he looked over the side of the bed. Staring at her laying on the floor.

“You want to know something?”

E:

Eve let out a little scream at the sudden picture of Asa, bringing her hands to her mouth as she jumped. She stood lying down, though, calming down after a few seconds and looked at him. "What, Master?"

A:

Guess how I got the idea for my collection?

E:

"I have no idea, Master", she whispered.

A:

Well, let’s just say, one day. A little boy’s father decided to murder the whole family, all except for one.

The little boy..

E:

Eve yelped and her eyes went watery. Gulping down, she moved her nails to the mouth, nervously scratching her lip. "And what... what did the little boy do?"

A:

The little boy grew up and decided to take after his father, study Entomology. Also have a hobby of killing everyone but one person. That one person becoming apart of his collection. With a few exceptions of course…

E:

"Why are you telling me this, Master?", Eve asked with a low voice at the fatality of the story; now sitting on the floor, goosebumps visible along her arms from its coldness.

A:

Why not? Now get off of the floor, even your cat doesn’t sleep on the floor.

E:

Eve got up and moved again to the bed, covering herself again with the sheets letting out a little trembling till her body temperature went back to normal. She looked at him with soft inquiring eyes. "Can I tell you something now?"

A:

What?

E:

"I'm never going to harm you. Not only because you are much bigger and stronger but because even if one day I had the possibility, I'm not going to do it", she paused, love was shining through her black eyes. "And I'm sorry for making you mad yesterday. I just wish you'd give me the chance to make you happy as a woman and not just as a pet from your collection. I'd still call you Master, though. I know you like that", Eve let out a tiny chuckle shrugging her shoulders in a shy way.

 A:

I already know that, you’ve been given multiple chances to kill me. You just haven’t realized it because that’s not your intensions.

And I’m also aware of that, but what you want is asking a lot from me.. You’ve asked me things before, not demand, now 32, kisses..

I feel offended that you’d rather sleep on the floor, but I’ll choose to ignore that for now..

Regardless, you know how to ask for things in the right way,

E:

"You don't owe me anything. You never did but honestly the kisses demand is over. If you ever wish to do so, then you know I'll be happy about it. If not... I'll just have to press lip with lip together like you saw me doing in the mirror. As for the floor matter.... I felt sort of unworthy. I'm actually relieved that you stil allow me to sleep here”.

A:

I’ll consider it….

If I didn’t want you sleeping here, you’d be back in your old room.

E:

Eve let out a tiny smile before she closed her eyes, ready to sleep. The next day she woke up with The Collector not there so she had breakfast with the oatmeal cookies she did the day before before deciding to throw the rest away since they weren't too tasty by now. A few hours passed by and she started to get bored so she chose to play with Giacomo, motivating him to learn a new trick of standing on his two paws. She was surprised at him learning so fast (mostly because the cat was interested in the piece of food she was raising in the air). Then she looked around and accidentally found a tiny camera she hadn't noticed on the roof.

Not knowing if he was watching, she still moved Giacomo to that angle and like a circus introducer, she did a funny mimic, making the cat stand on his paws a few times and clapping before blowing a tender kiss to the camera.

A:

Asa was indeed looking at Eve through the camera although, the one she was looking at was a decoy camera. Either way, it was amusing looking at her trying to train Giacomo.

Little did she know, Giacomo knows how to bite and scratch at someone’s eyes and throat. You’d be surprised how many times Asa took Giacomo without Eve noticing. But he’ll let her have her innocent moment.

 E:

By the time Asa came back to the room, Eve was already waiting in her circus compere position. "Welcome to Catland, the place where cats walk like men!", she said funny. "Today's entertainment: the amazing Giacomo". She called the cat towards her and grabbing a piece of his food, she moved it up in the air for the cat to stand on his two paws. "Applause, please, the beast has conquered mankind". She said and did a little jumping to celebrate the animal.

A:

Asa gave her and the cat a little applause, but soon after Asa squatted down.

He held his arm out in front of him and muttered a simple word.

“Go.”

Giacomo ran towards Asa, quickly running up his arm. Giacomo started to claw at Asa’s face, as well as trying to bite.

“Down.” Asa said.

Giacomo hopped down from Asa, then made his way back over to Eve. Rubbing his fur against her legs.

“You know it was fairly easy to train him. I could train you, if you want.. it shouldn’t be no harder than Giacomo. Considering you’ll have a weapon and can understand me. ”

E:

What was Eve being happy and proud at her Master's applause, soon changed into a giant surprise. When did he train Giacomo? And more intriguing: HOW did he do it? "Master, you always have an az up your sleeve", she complimented him but then realized about his offering. "Umm...", Eve looked at Asa not understanding. "W-what do you mean? You training me to... to fight?", she giggled, feeling herself ridiculous, fighiting was never proper of her. "Well, it could be interesting".

A:

Well, it could be more so defending yourself, but yes you could say it that way. It’ll take time, but as long as you stick to it, you’ll be fine.

E:

"Oh...", Eve replied. She was always a woman of constancy so she was intrigued. "And when are we starting?"

A:

Whenever you’re ready, but not today, I’ve been doing a lot today.

#asa emory #the collector #asa emory x reader #the collector x reader #the collection #slasher #asa emory x eve #the collector x eve #spiderdaddy

[cursedserpenthq]

(summer bishil, 33, woman, merperson) Blimey! Is that (BRIAR BRANDO)? (SHE) is the (CARPENTER) on the Cursed Serpent and has been onboard the ship for (TWO YEARS). Legend has it they are (QUICK-WITTED & PROVOCATIVE), but don’t get on their bad side, because I hear they’re (INFLAMMATORY & HEDONISTIC). Aye! Stop staring! (BRIAR) has their (FLINTLOCK BELT PISTOLS) out! (ooc: dea, pst, 24, she/her, rape/sexual assault)

THE CURSED SERPENT

After devoting several decades to living amongst her merfolk colony, conflicts of interest led to her choosing a more landbound existence. She found it easy to blend in with the lively energy Westburgh, having observed and the behaviours and dynamics of humans as well as the amount of traffic which crosses through the city. However, eventually, she found herself getting restless and in desire of a profession which would sufficiently satisfy her mind and body. She developed a fascination for metalsmithing and carpentry, shadowing masters of each field in exchange for fetching them supplies. Her good looks allowed her to barter fares for goods to a significantly lower amount, which paid off the space she took up. Otherwise, she kept a low profile and wore deliberately unflattering clothes, keeping her hair tied back and her words few; altogether generating an attitude aligned with a masculine demeanour that blended in better.

Time passed and eventually she grew restless in her apprentice positions, having understood what needed to be done multiple times over. Unfortunately, when Briar’s impatience flared an unfortunate event was soon to follow. Since her departure from the sea, she was careful to neglect using her sonic abilities — it was merely coincidence that the local lead carpenter happened to one night wander past the city limits and slip into a watery grave. With an open position, Briar seamlessly filled it and kept customers pleased and impressed with the speed and precision at which she worked.

Briar heard rumours of the Cursed Serpent throughout her years in Westburgh. Their reputation and the obstacles they’d surmounted preceded them — each one singing louder to Briar’s disobedient scallywag heart. To be a part of such a group always sounded enticing, although she was less interested in the prospect of being at the sea’s mercy for a prolonged period of time. Since leaving her colony, she harbours a hatred for the sea. The idea of swimming or being underwater to hear the voices of her kind leaves a sour taste in her mouth and a white hot anger under her skin. But, once again, she began to grow restless in her city-bound existence that followed the same rhythm everyday.

Considering life aboard a ship meant commanding the waves rather than falling beneath them, she reasoned with herself that it seemed a safe enough distance to submit to her heart’s longing for piracy. Soon, the siren call of adventure, prosperity, and infamy beckoned her over the edge. After following the trails of gossip, Briar found the Cursed Serpent and boldly pledged herself as the carpenter they needed to truly succeed in the rough times ahead. It remains her highest goal to maintain truth in the statement.

Briar enjoys being of aid and service to whatever the ship demands. She has a hungry work ethic and ability to juggle projects, likely to fly under the radar for stints at a time as she works in her preferred space — below deck. In the aftermath of storms she has remained acutely aware of any issues on board, and tends to stay an active member on deck taking initiative on repairs or reinforcements when others venture to shore, restock at ports, or find a rare moment of sleep. Briar mostly likes doing her own thing, but will readily take on tasks when asked. She works at an incredibly rapid pace without sacrificing perfectionism.

Briar fits right in with the lifestyle of a pirate with her rowdy attitude and hedonistic desires, likely to stir the pot whether she intended to or not. She finds it keeps things dynamic, and enjoys witnessing others as work almost as much as she likes bothering them. Although she likes the crew for their attachment to the Cursed Serpent, she has remained emotionally distanced and wary of everyone. Only shallow bonds have been formed with fellow members, in her reluctance to divulge much about herself nor interest in being close friends with anyone. At the end of the day, she wishes to find the Jewels more than anything else. Lives lost or injured along the way is inevitable collateral damage, hence her disinterest in growing too fond of anyone lest they be lost to the larger goal. Accordingly, in the face of any tragedy, she does not dwell in gloom or disappointment. Three modes govern Briar, at any given moment — rage, sardonic humour, and impulsivity.

The Captain’s death unnerved her, making the mistake of deeming him better than other humans for the kind of ship he ran and the notoriety he was responsible for. Briar deeply respected his leadership and intelligence, never in disagreement with the calls he made. His death had Briar, for the first time, considering him weak and tactless for not avoiding the final hit that killed him. It made her feel bitter. Human mortality was a heavy burden to live with and, with more dangerous waters likely ahead, above all else it frustrated her to think the Jewels may be harder to access without his level-headed order and discretion as the crew’s compass.

SECRET

In her spare time, on the down low, Briar likes to work on developing unique weapons. With a specific interest in fire and ignition; grenades, hand cannons, and other explosive projectile matter are her predominant under-development works. Most prototypes are too dangerous and volatile to work on in an enclosed space whilst active, and although it sacrifices swift progress, she ensures her materials are kept dampened until satisfied with her design. She remains confident that her awareness of the elements on board could curve any potential malfunction issues, but also knows better than to waste materials. In the meantime, she stocks up on ideas and their necessary frameworks as she awaits the day she can assemble something and put it to real use.

Briar was exiled from her merfolk colony for repeatedly breaking the law, branded for repeated fraternisation with a sorcerer that supposedly put her colony in jeopardy. Even though she claimed she was careful, travelling a great distance each visit, the relationship was deemed reckless for both the act itself and the (literal) dangerous waters she tread in the process. As a result of the mark bestowed upon her, Briar exclusively wears long sleeved shirts —  high collared or tightly laced at all times, at the bear minimum. Even on sweltering days. She would say it’s for protection from any shrapnel or splintering that she may encounter during her work. Due to the painful treatment her colony put her through despite her efforts to explain herself, she is very wary of other merpeople until she learns where their allegiance lies. Merfolk wandering in disguise amongst humans make her paranoid that her cover of normalcy may be blown. She is only sympathetic for outsiders, whether by force or choice —  she wouldn’t hesitate to help another in true and dire need, as it’s what she would have wished happened to her in her initial castaway phase.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

ALLUDED APPRENTICE: Someone that wishes to learn more about carpentry. Briar didn’t like the idea of company at first, and was by no means interested nor in possession of the patience required to be a teacher. Initially it was purely through absorbing continuous examples of her at work from a distance that they were able to pick up a few things. Only when it became obvious how observant they were did Briar willingly begin to divulge a few techniques or skills that would enable better execution. Occasionally, she’ll make a game out of it and challenge them to making something in a limited amount of time. She’s far more critical than likely to praise anything they come up with, but she’s grown to appreciate having someone to share with and bond over her enjoyment of crafting.

CHARRED CAMARADERIE: Briar’s abrasive manner sometimes gets the better of her for its lack of discrimination. Anyone in her line of sight is fair game to rub the wrong way, even if that entails disrespecting someone ranked above her or twice her size. She doesn’t care much for rules and order, at the end of the day far more willing to be selfish if it means survival. It’s her unyielding audacity that this person can’t help but somewhat respect, yet they don’t want her to give her the wrong idea that she has any power in her beliefs. For the sake of order, no matter the weight of their personal opinion, they always make sure to shut down any instigative remarks she makes. Inwardly, she finds it both challenging and commendable that someone dares to keep her accountable and under some measure of control. At the heart of this dynamic, there is deep respect that goes both ways. However, on the surface, one wouldn’t be able to tell. It’s a lot of bickering and empty threats — a game of baiting and entrapping until one side concedes… until next time.

ALL THE FIXINGS: chock it up to plain clumsiness or one too many drunken stupors, this person is always causing bumps, scrapes, and breaks upon the ship’s materials as well as their own possessions. Briar fixes the result following each incident, no questions asked. It’s an explicitly need-to-know basis. The only thing she asks for her services is for there to be an exchange of some sort, which varies on her mood. Sometimes payment is as simple as a coin, other times a bottle of booze, or — for an undisclosed yet ongoing project — some pilfered gunpowder. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule goes both ways.

ANYTHING ELSE

Intended to play the assisting role in Lachlan Rhodes’ Guardian Angel WC.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Forever a Family

Heavy angst

TW: Death, suicidal thoughts

———————

When Joan got the phone call at rehearsals, she didn’t really know how to react.

“Miss Joan Meutas, I am sorry to inform you that Bessie, Maria, and Maggie have passed in an accident.”

“...Oh, that’s terrible.”

Then she hung up and went back to practicing Get Down on her keyboard.

People handle the news of loss in different ways. Joan’s was immediate denial. If she didn’t stay on the line, if she didn’t hear anymore information, then it wouldn’t be true. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

There was a gentle touch on her shoulder and she looked up to see Jane staring down at her with worried eyes. She hadn’t even realized she was crying.

“Is everything okay, love?” Jane asked.

“They’re dead,” Joan whispered.

After that, Joan was sent into a spiral. She still didn’t really believe the news until the bodies were brought back to London and she saw for herself that her bandmates, her family, were really gone.

Maria died instantly upon impact with the truck that hit the car. The airbag broke her neck when it blew out, at least giving her a painless death. Bessie, who had been driving, got impaled straight through the stomach by a sheet of metal. She didn’t last long, but Maria was still alive when the ambulance showed up. Unfortunately, she would later die from severe head trauma on the way to the hospital.

The sight of their bodies never left Joan, even though that evening had been a blur. She remembered collapsing and throwing up, nearly choking because she was sobbing at the same time. Then she remembered jumping up and trying to grab them, trying to hug them or take their hands or rouse them, but she couldn’t get near.

That’s when it really hit home.

Joan was all alone.

Going home to an empty house that evening was...surreal. Joan looked through the dining room, the kitchen, the living room in sheer desperation, praying to see the other three waiting for her.

But they weren’t there.

They would never be there ever again.

Joan slept in Maria’s room that night. She curled up under the blankets, clutching her stuffed lamb close to her chest. All at once, the grief and pain and loneliness hit her and she began to scream and wail. She cried until her voice blew out and she could only mewl and whimper uselessly.

She didn’t fall asleep. She blacked out from exhaustion, crying as she fell unconscious.

—

The house was silent when Joan woke up. She rolled out of bed and trudged downstairs to find the ground floor empty.

That’s right...

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry again as she padded across the hardwood floor to get to the kitchen. She took her medicine, but didn’t get any breakfast. Even if she was hungry, she didn’t want to eat.

While walking to the couch, Joan heard meowing coming from the upstairs hallway. She crept up the steps to see Tippy-Toes meowing at Maggie’s bedroom door. She could only watching for a moment as he pawed and scratched, waiting for the woman to open up so he could play with the strings on her guitar. They liked making music together.

But it would never happen again.

“She’s gone, Tippy.” Joan said quietly, moving fully into the hallway.

The black and white cat looked at her before meowing again, scratching further at the door.

“Tippy,” Joan spoke again, “Tippy, stop. She’s gone. Maggie’s gone. Didn’t you hear me?”

Tippy-Toes doesn’t listen. Maybe he doesn’t even understand. Maybe he does and is denying it just as much as the guitarist.

“Stop, Tippy!” Joan cried, tears exploding from her eyes. “She’s dead, Tippy! Maggie is dead! Maggie is dead and she’s never coming back!!”

The girl’s knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor. A fresh wave of tears hit her and she sobbed loudly as Tippy-Toes’ meows pitch higher and higher. She cried with him until their wails turned into a full on death rattle that could probably be heard all throughout the neighborhood. The pain just grew and grew as the cacophony continued.

Tippy-Toes stops, eventually, but Joan doesn’t. He doesn’t understand as well as she does, but he knows something is wrong. He trots over to the girl and lays down next to her head, purring into her hair.

Together, they lie there, unraveling through the grief and misery.

———

It’s been a week since the deaths and Joan hasn’t come to any rehearsals or any shows. Most of the production team understands, but even they lose their patience for a girl suffering from loss after awhile. Some of them have considered her getting fired, which makes the queens angry if they overhear the plans.

The queens are the only ones who really care. They hurt from the deaths, too. Especially Aragon, who mourned her dear friend for awhile, but knew she had to stay strong for Maria. Anne, too. Cleves struggles with the loss of her girlfriend, but tried to act like she was okay.

Joan, however, couldn’t do it.

By the eighth day, the six queens decided the girl has had enough space and went to visit her. The door was unlocked when they got there- not exactly a good sign.

“Joan?” Jane called out into the dark house.

“Hey, Joan, it’s us!” Anne said next.

“We brought food!” Katherine added.

No answer.

The queens were half expecting the house to be a total mess, but it was actually very tidy. Nothing was broken or out of place. It was just very quiet and none of the lights were on, so dull grey light from outside was the only thing illuminating the rooms. Tippy-Toes, among many other cats, was asleep on the couch.

“Joan?” Jane tried again.

“Is she even here?” Cleves wondered out loud.

“Let’s look for her.” Aragon decided.

Cleves was the one who eventually found the girl. She was in Bessie’s room, huddled in between her many bass stands, just staring at one of the legs of the bed. She didn’t even raise her head when Cleves entered the room. It’s almost like she was...dead.

Six people surrounding the poor girl was way too many, so only Aragon, Parr, and Jane stayed inside while the others were sent out into the hallway.

“Joan?” Aragon called out, “Are you okay?”

Of course she wasn’t okay; what kind of question is that? She didn’t even look okay.

Joan was wearing plain black shorts and an oversized T-shirt (it was Maria’s). Her hair was a complete mess, tangled and matted, her eyes were bloodshot, and all the color was leached from her face. Her arms were littered with picked open scabs. She looked more dead than alive at this point.

“Joan?” Parr tried, hoping to rouse the music director. “Kid? It’s Cathy. Jane and Catherine are here with me, too. The others are out in the hall. Can you say something?”

Joan didn’t even budge. The only thing that was moving was the slight rise and fall of her chest when she breathed, but even that was hard to notice. Her being completely unresponsive made the three queens in the room with her even more scared.

Did she even realize they were there?

“Joan,” Parr extended a hand and set it on the girl’s shoulder. “Joan. Come on, hun. Say something.”

If Joan even felt the touch, she didn’t react to it. Parr drew her hand back to her side and looked at Jane and Aragon with a terrified expression.

“Darling,” Jane tried. “We-”

She stopped because she noticed Joan eyes snap over to her immediately. The rest of the girl’s body didn’t move at all, but her just looking at them was a good start. Jane smiled softly.

“Hello there, darling.” She said warmly.

Slight light returned to Joan eyes. She raised her head a little, staring intently at Jane.

“Bessie?” She called out in a weak, but hopeful voice.

Jane’s smile disappeared. She frowned pitifully.

“No, love. It’s Jane.”

All at once, Joan mood dropped. She curled further away and buried her face back into her knees.

“Bessie,” She whimpered, “Mum...”

Jane’s heart aches for the poor girl in front of her. Watching her silently cry for her other mother figure broke her even more.

The third queen slowly inched closer until she could squeeze Joan’s shoulder comfortingly. At that simple touch, the girl completely collapses into Jane’s arms, shuddering and shivering. Jane immediately pulls her into her lap and holds her protectively.

“I’m here, darling, I’m here.” She whispered in her ear.

Joan thin body was soon wracked with sobs. She clung to Jane for dear life, burying her face into her chest and just trying to imagine it was Bessie holding her, shushing her, telling her it was okay.

But it wasn’t.

It wasn’t okay and it wasn’t Bessie.

A wail of pure agony and grief ripped free from Joan’s throat. Her nails dig deep into Jane’s back, drawing blood, but the queen can’t care. It’s impossible to care when she was holding this poor, broken girl in her arms.

Joan cried herself out eventually. When she does, she blacks out from exhaustion.

She hopes she never wakes up.

———

Stepping into the theater didn’t feel right the next day. Not without Maria or Maggie or Bessie. This place felt so alien. Being there was wrong.

But Joan pushed forward with whatever courage and strength she could manage. She ignored the whispers, the stares, the coos of pity, and strides towards her dressing room. She passed the stage manager, who watched her hike up the stairs with an expression that was a mix of agitation and relief. Although she didn’t look back to make sure.

Whatever strength she had melted away when she stepped into the dressing room. Gazing around the space made her think back to all the things she and the other three ladies in waiting did together. All the fun conversations and dorky antics.

All the things that would never return.

“Joan?”

There’s a gentle touch on Joan shoulder and she whirled around to see Parr and Aragon standing there.

“Good to see you here, love,” Aragon said with a soft smile. Her eyes are still flickering with deep sadness for her dear friend, but she’s finding closure.

Joan wished she could do the same.

“Hi,” Joan whispered and her voice is so soft and weak. “It’s, umm...” She dips her head and hunches her shoulders in.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Parr said. “Don’t speak if you don’t want to. You’re still shaken up. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Joan nodded, feeling guilty. She shouldn’t be acting like this when Aragon and Anne and Cleves were probably closer to the other ladies in waiting. What gave her the right to think she deserved such a long break?

Without realizing it, Joan is stepping forward and hugging Aragon. The queen doesn’t even hesitate to hug her back, holding her tightly in her warm, strong arms.

“I miss her, too.” Aragon whispered, unintentionally fueling Joan’s guilt. “But Maria would want us to be strong for her. She’s watching over us now, you know?”

“Can you...talk to her?” Joan asked softly, almost sounding like a small child asking a silly question.

Aragon is quiet for a moment, tightens the embrace, then pulls Joan back by the shoulders so she can look into her eyes.

“Not really.” She said, “But I pray to her every night and I just know she’s listening.”

“Can I do that, too?”

“Of course.” Aragon smiled slightly, “I’m sure she would love that. They all would.”

Aragon and Parr had to leave to the stage to get ready for the show, and Joan dreaded having to play without her bandmates.

She wept during the first introduction.

She wept during Heart of Stone.

She wept during the intro in the MegaSix.

What if they hate her now in the realms beyond?

That thought hit Joan like a sledgehammer near the end of the show, causing her to falter with her playing.

What if they curse her name?

She doubted they would, they were too kind for that.

They had given her everything and in return she had let her guard down for the last and final time. She should have gone to that meeting. She should have died, not them.

After the queens exited and the deps for the band, now the all-star cast members, started to walk off, too, Joan stayed rooted on her stool. Some audience members stared at her, raising their phones to see if there was an extra act.

She brought a hand to her gut, closed her eyes, and imagined what it would be like to find absolution in a blade. Plunge and drag and drag and drag until there was nothing left of her but shredded flesh and blood, but that would not be enough, not for her. It would not give her jet family back. It would not give her the shouts and the laughs and the boisterous cries at all hours of the morning and night. That was not what her family would have done if it had been her that had been broken in that car.

But she wasn’t strong as them.

Because at least they would have had each other.

She had none of them.

Joan didn’t really how loud she was crying until her shaking breath hitched so high it sounded like a squeak. She blinked through the haze of tears and scrubbed her eyes with her sleeve. Several audience members are still lingering in the house, watching her, so she dashed off and gathered her things, not bothering to change out of her costume. Jane called after her, but she didn’t answer.

Joan walks those streets, shocked by how the world keeps running and running while hers had stopped its run not so long ago.

She walks and walks, slower and slower as she is about to reach her destination: she doesn’t want to be there alone, she doesn’t want to accept that it happened, and that there is no one waking her up and telling her that it’s all a nightmare. But she’s there and, for a moment, her breath gets caught in the throat, a bundle of emotions that are finally finding their strength to come up and be heard.

She doesn’t want to be there.

The autumn leaves are dancing around her, a warm breeze is trying to offer a comfort that it seems to be invisible and unpalpable. There can’t be comfort. There can’t be reassurance. The pain is still too loud, the wound is still too raw: her heart and her soul aren’t ready to accept that there is a reason for what has happened; her mind is still trying to distinguish between reality and fantasy, between the soothing effect of a false illusion and the harsh truth of a world deprived by its most beautiful voices.

“Why?” She wonders but there is only silence replying her and that lack of words is an absence that stings more than she can accept.

“Why?”

She has wondered for too long but still nothing has come up and maybe it will never be answered because sometimes life is like that, a storm in the middle of a summer day and its lingering residues following her for weeks and months. Maybe one day she’ll stop asking herself that but, for now, it’s just all she can think about, over and over again.

It doesn’t make sense.

Nothing makes sense and it has been like that since she got that call, just a few words that had stumbled down her life and shattered it. She can still hear them in her ears, she can still feel the way her own heart had stopped beating as a black void had started to envelope her. She still feels like she’s down there, trapped in a nightmare that no one knows how to stop or break.

It doesn’t make sense.

There is regret in her steps. There is a baggage full of words that should have been said and things that she should have done. Maybe, if she had done them, nothing would ever happen.

Joan wishes she could go back in time. She wishes there was a way for her to erase all those tiny mistakes she’s made, all those times she wanted to reach out but, instead, turned her head away because it still hurt. Her friendship, her family was- is still- the most important thing and, yet, she let it slip away in fear of what the world would have said. Her image is everything and, yet, what is left now? There’s no image to defend, there’s nothing left because their death has destroyed everything.

So she wishes. She wonders and wishes that there was a way for her to save just a few lives.

Their lives.

There are still tears in her eyes. She wants to believe it’s because of the cold and the wind but it’s just a useless alibi. She lets them fall, not ashamed anymore because there is no one around to watch her. But she feels like a hypocrite, she feels like she doesn’t have the right to cry that loss because she could have done so much to prevent their absence.

To prevent their death.

She knows it’s the truth, no matter how many times people keep telling her that she’s done nothing to cause the happening. She knows it’s the truth, no matter how many people try to explain how, sometimes, she can’t save everyone. That bad things just happen to good people.

“I’m sorry.”

She knows it’s too late.

She knows that it’s useless because they’re not there to hear that word.

Maybe they’re listening, like Aragon had said. Maybe they’ve been watching her down from heaven, because that’s where they are now, those tortured souls hidden behind a smile and an endless laugh. She remembered it. She remembered Maria’s sweet voice, how it always went directly to her heart and pulled strings that never hurt. She remembers how Bessie’s face would lighten up, bright eyes that shone like daily stars. She remembered how Maggie’s laugh made her feel better, especially those days when the world was so set in destroying her balance and sanity. Sne was addicted to their laugh, their smiles, their voices. She craved them in ways that were so deep and powerful that, after a while, she stopped asking herself what magic they held. She turned to them, she made them laugh over and over because she was selfish, she was in pain and only that laugh, that smile, that voice could save her from the deepest and darkest waves.

Regrets don’t leave Joan, not even now that she’s standing in front of the consequences of her ignorance. It’s her fault. She kept telling herself as if this admission could absolve her sin. It’s her fault because she promised but it was always so easy to forget about it: there wasn’t never the need to- she has always been the one that needed help the most. She has always been the one fate had chosen to deal bad cards: her past, her family, those accusations and those stupid decisions.

And, God, they were always there when those were brought up from her first life. Bessie’s comforting words, Maria’s gentle touch, Maggie’s light hearted jokes to make her smile. The way they would come out and defend her, even when it meant to be the target of hateful attacks. The way they would just…be there in ways that were difficult to explain to the world that had never seen them in private.

Why didn’t Joan do the same for them?

Why didn’t Joan come out and defend Maria when all those voices wanted a piece of her soul? Why didn’t Joan come out and be there for Maggie, not only when those cracks in her voice were so out for everyone to hear and judge? Why didn’t Joan let Bessie know that those voices weren’t true?

Why didn’t Joan let them know that they were the purest souls she’s ever met?

“I’m sorry.”

Joan was sorry. She could have done more. She could have told them more. She could have spent more time with them instead of burying herself in work and sometimes not even speaking a word to them for a day. She could have said “I love you” more.

She should have known better.

Joan should have known better, but she didn’t. She didn’t want to face the truth. She didn’t want to realize that her superheroes might be needing a hero themselves and she was too afraid or too busy to be up to the task.

She depended on them and now she’s lost.

Alone.

Joan hears a whimper and realizes it’s herself. She hiccuped and struggled to breathe for a moment. She unlocks her phone as she fishes her keys out of her pocket.

It’s too late, but she remembers a picture she once took of them all. Maggie asked her to send it to her, but she never did.

The Unholy Trinity...and Bessie

Joey: Here’s that picture.

After a moment of loading, a selfie of Joan, Maria, Bessie, and Maggie pops up. Maria, beaming, has her arm slung around Joan’s shoulder, who was holding the phone and sticking her tongue out like a cat, and Maggie is at her side, grinning. Bessie was flashing bisexual peace signs beside Maria, smiling lovingly because of the deep affection she had for her girls.

Joey: I hope you guys like it.

Joey: Don’t worry about replying.

#it’s so cute :) #uwu #six the musical fanfic #six the musical fanfiction #six the musical #six ff #six fic #six fanfiction #catherine of aragon #anne boleyn #jane seymour #anna of cleves #katherine howard #catherine parr #bessie on the bass #maria on the drums #joan on the keys #tw: death #tw: dark thoughts #tw: suicidal thoughts

[ashleyswrittenwords]

How to be a Queen [Part 20]

Summary: Princess Zelda is at a loss. Her handed royal responsibilities have begun to weigh heavily on her and she is eventually backed into a corner. Live a life she loathes or run away from everything she’s ever known? Navigating life is hard, and Link forces her to learn that she doesn’t have to do it alone.

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Part 1

How To Be A Queen

In total, it amounted to three months of attending war cabinet meetings to make my presence known.

The first month spent shadowing the men with the decorative swords before running off to my uncle’s room to make sense of their terms. At first it was intimidating, they paid their respects in short bows yet didn’t acknowledge my being for the long duration of each gathering; ranging from two hours to an entire day. It was as if they were hoping if they hadn’t looked at me, I would disappear into the background.

The room was a matter in itself. If a stranger to the castle had no prior knowledge and mistakenly walked in, its purpose would make itself known immediately. To glorify a place known as a war room would be as to what it was known as and was. It was a recessive area of the castle, tucked down underneath any luxuries I had come to know. Maids and servants were replaced with decorated officers and veterans. The doors were forbidden to remain propped open, even on the most humid of days, and nothing inside was ever to be divulged. This was the only hall of the castle untouched by renovation for it was the place where every war began, and every war ended. The war room was Hyrule’s trigger.

Walls dripped in colors of ancient Hylian war paint; red, black, and gold. Weapons of all kinds were decorated, gilded within a frame. Their owners ranged from daring knights to heroes of old. In the center was a table that spanned the length of the room with intricate carving of legends, although on top was the most important piece. It mirrored an old map on the wall, but this one had black pawns to represent all potential threats. They stood like towers against the terrain with wooden carvings to imitate cavalry and foot-soldiers. Red pawns mirrored these dolls, which stood east of the Gerudo sands.

By the month end, I had every rank of command memorized and each division under each admiral written neatly in a leather-bound book.

It took two weeks for the admirals to meet my eye. The evenings were brimming with careful studies, and once Impa returned, I stole her sleep as well to fill in the gaps of political history that were closed off to me as a child.

Three weeks of my questioning went by until they recovered from the fact that a woman was speaking; an additional week before they had the gall to answer their high princess.

The creases under my eyes were deeper and a newly returned Anju complained about the amount of stress I was putting myself under, but – goddess – the feeling of autonomy was a welcome one. As far as royal propriety went, I was free to do what I pleased and choosing to be included was one I picked easily. Though, this newfound freedom came with its own restraints – its own guilt.

Father was becoming scarcer. With the making of amends between us, he drew more distraught over Uncle Nathaniel’s decaying health. Rarely would I find him outside his bed chambers or his study. Soon, I was asked to bring food to his room, so much so that it became apart of my newfound routine. Most of the day was split between Uncle and his war cabinet. In some sense I was his liaison and he was my mentor. Though, I hoped desperately he would continue to be once he overcome this illness.

My evenings were visiting Father. Some days were better and he would change into proper clothes, others were darker and he hardly had the strength to get out of bed. The latter where I would eat supper in his room and watch over him, hoping he would finish his meal.

Tonight, I suspected, would pose to be darker.

Uncle’s cough was raspy and guttural and his nurse withdrew the spoon of stew. Once it subsided, she fluffed the pillows that propped him up to a seat and scooped a spoonful again. I thumbed the pages of my book between my fingers, distracting myself with the rough texture.

Finally fed up with the doe eyes he was giving the women, I let out a noticeable sigh. “I don’t understand it,” I said once he looked away. Truly, the nurse was beautiful and at last he has found a woman to dote on that wasn’t twenty years younger, but did this flirtation need occur with his niece present?

“Trust me, little one,” his voice was weak and didn’t carry the volume it once had, “If I knew my brother’s mysteries… well, I dare to think I would solve the secret to life itself.”

His light laugh sloped into a coughing fit.

“Dear Tressa,” he put a light hand on the nurse’s arm who smiled warmly at him. “Would you mind fetching me a bed warmer? I fear I will catch a chill.”

She set the stew on his nightstand and excused herself. I took the chance to take her seat as he looked at me with a face that seemed a decade older than when I left the castle. My heart sunk with fear for him.

“You were but a child when your mother passed, and I suspect you took notice in your father’s absence during that mourning period,” he stopped to smooth out his night shirt as if it were his formal wear, “Rhoam is an intelligent man. He holds pride in his crown, as any king of this great country should, but there is a price to pride. Gold is as beautiful as it is blinding. It will confuse you when you lose focus and drag you down. His way of closing off is a form of this.”

I sat with a strained expression that made him pressure me.

“Between your condition and, and Father’s,” irritation sank into my voice, “I feel this is my fault for leaving. Somehow… somehow a punishment of sorts.”

He watched me fold my hands over themselves, “It is not.”

Uncle Nathaniel waited until my hands stilled, “It is not because of you.”

“But-!”

“I won’t hear it,” the sternness in his voice was not what a sick man would possess, and it silenced me. “What you did with that boy was invaluable, Zelda. Did you meet people?”

“Y-yes.”

“Did you face struggles?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have fun? Find beauty in your country? Find beauty in your people?”

My smile wobbled, “Yes. I did.”

“Then your only regret should be that you hadn’t been gone longer.”

I nodded, folding my hands once more in my lap and leaving them.

We let silence fill in and he eventually sighed against his pillows, “It is more than Rhoam has done. You will find that every action in these suffocating walls have their own set of consequences. Without the right people around you-” Uncle stopped and lifted his brow at me, “The throne will pull a veil over your eyes.

“When Mariam died, it did just that. Grief subdued him and the whispers of his advisers wormed in. Fear of a calamity. Fear that he would lose not just a family, but a kingdom. With all the good intentions the priests had, they forced Rhoam to abandon values your mother upheld for him.”

I pressed him, “What do you mean?”

“He was harder on preventing Hyrule’s vulnerabilities from showing. Our pacts with neighboring regions were nullified in effort to create a semblance of self-sufficiency. With that created new problems that he didn’t acknowledge,” he hardened and swallowed dryly. I saw frustration in my uncle.

“The rural Gerudo tribes,” I said suddenly, dread burrowed into me. “Father caused the food shortages.”

My uncle’s eyes left me, but a thin smile met him, “Yes. I remember, years ago when I traveled, going to the far reaches of the desert. The people there were kind, amiable. They saved me from dehydration at a small oasis they build their villages around. I was introduced to their culture, their norms.” When he looked up, the smile gone. “Twenty years later I would be ordering the slaughter of their people.”

A moment strained and I witnessed the anger in his eyes. Slowly, it devolved into remorse and then resolve. “Zelda,” Uncle Nathaniel said, “These people are not primitive. Stereotypes be damned, every man who was there knows that.”

“I-I was under the pretense that they were fanatics, that they-”

“They are a scorned and abandoned people. Try going hungry for months on end,” he sighed, but his anger was present. “Seeing children shriveled up on the side of roads and passing mourning women. Hungry people grow desperate and whoever can bring comfort to that and create the confidence I saw on that sand…”

He grew quiet and looked on to the window where the sun was high. Somberly, he declared, “I fear such a man.”

  When the day drew to a close, I had surprisingly found Father in the parlor of his chambers. I returned his polite smile when I placed a plate of meat and vegetables before him and sat on the loveseat across from him. The hearth between us glowed warmth.

He bookmarked his novel and put it aside, “You’ve been busy today.”

“I keep myself busy,” I said, glancing up to him.

We ate in silence where he would make the occasional comment about the food and I would agree. Once we finished, I let him know about my day. It was something that I hadn’t done for years and within the last couple months has become the norm. As happy as it made me, I wished it was born of different circumstances.

Another new routine between us was reading through requests, filtered by Impa the day before. I picked them up from the cushion beside me and began reading them to my father. He sat silently, sometimes asking me to make notes on responses.

“King Dorephan has written condolences for the general and sends his prayers,” I said, going for the pencil.

“Write back saying great thanks and how we hope for the best,” he paused, “Then give kind regards for the Zoran prince and princess.”

When my writing stilled, I looked up to him. My fingers sealed the envelope with the letter inside to draw out a reply later when Impa was available. “Father,” I started, “May I ask something that is out turn?”

My father blinked in surprise but nodded. “Please do.”

“Why haven’t you seen Uncle Nathaniel?”

There was a beat of quietness that settled as he thought, “Somehow, I suspected you would eventually ask me something to that effect.” He readjusted in his seat and brought his hand to his beard. He breathed in slowly, then out like he did during stressed conferences. “I’m afraid for him.”

I tilted my head in confusion and he took notice.

“The physicians keep saying that he will be on the mend in a matter of weeks. It’s been almost four months, now,” he frowned, in his words were distress. They grew taunt. “It is startlingly similar to what they said about Mariam.”

At that, I looked away and to my skirts. “Oh.”

“I know it’s selfish. It’s just… false hopes are more difficult to lose.”

“Father,” I shook my head. “I understand how you feel, but he asks about you often.” I trailed off, trying to give voice to my feelings and shake off my old fears of overstepping. “I do love you very much and I perhaps if you saw him, it will lift your spirits as well as his.”

The lines in his face were deeper than I remember, then he laughed a laugh that reminded me much of his brother. “Will it quell your worries if I see him at noon tomorrow?”

“Enough to stop me from pestering you further,” I said, warmth growing in my chest at his smile.

“Very well then,” Father glanced at the clock. “I trust you to look over the rest of those papers there for me, Zelda. I must retreat to my bed.”

The warmth grew to the blossoming smile I tried to repress at his words. He trusted me.

“Thank you, Father.”

Promptly, I bid him goodnight and once he was in his bedroom, I took leave as well. In my head, I ran through the list of notes he had given me, nearly running into a servant in the hallway.

“Your Highness, my deepest apologies,” he said, bowing shortly.

“It’s no matter, sir,” I nodded politely.

“May I inquire if the king is in commission? Reports for him and the general have just arrived.”

“I’m afraid he has retired for the evening,” I replied lightly, “But I am working with him and his cabinet to alleviate the workload. I can take them off your hands.”

As I stacked the ribbon tied pile of letters underneath my current load, a question took hold of the tip of my tongue, “Um, sir, does there happen to be anything requested to me?”

“Nothing for Her Highness. This is mostly correspondence with the front lines,” the servant bid me a good evening and ran off with piles for the admirals. I stood there for a moment, disappointment ebbing. I carried on through the halls and heard no footsteps behind me. It wasn’t as if I should have been expecting it, though it was the first time I had someone this month. Father had been somewhat right about how false hopes hurt.

I tried pushing the plaguing thoughts away, only for him to return to them. I wasn’t foolish, I knew where my former knight attendant was. I took small notes when his unit was discussed in the war room. He couldn’t be in immediate danger and I kept reminding myself that no war had been declared.

There would be war, though. Today the Gerudo aristocracy had requested reprieve at Hyrule Castle. Rebels were launching attacks on the borders of their capital and Hylian troops were mobilizing. They were proving to be more strategic than our opponents in the Uprising, leading the war cabinet to suppose that we were in for a far longer fight than ever before.

“By the goodness of Hylia, where did that come from,” Impa said, ripping me from my worries. She stood outside my chambers and opened the door for me as I approached.

“The messengers from the desert had come in when I left Father,” I laughed, somewhat incredulous myself. “And honestly with the state Uncle Nathaniel is in, I’d like to at least go through it for him.”

Impa continued staring as we continued to the hearth of my bedroom. Pillows and cushions riddled the floor as well as a small coffee table to write on. I threw the stack on the bed and Impa pulled some of the ties to my dress so I could slip into something more suitable for the floor.

“That little maid will kill you if you’re up for long,” she chided, making me laugh once more.

“Yes, I do think she will.”

We got to work quickly, reading through and sorting the parchments from level of importance. The most important meant that they needed to be answered and delivered first; for example, Father’s letter from King Dorephan. The second level varied from requests for assets by noblemen to simple reports from officers; these didn’t need immediate response and typically waited a day on this table. The third level was littered with letters that need no answer at all yet still could yield value to Father – or more commonly now, myself. It was incredibly monotonous, but it proved to be efficient.

“Chief Gor Coron wants King Rhoam’s consideration to betroth you to his son,” Impa mumbled. “Again.”

I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh, “He’s a very sweet boy, but he’s also fifteen.”

“Do you think it requires a reply from the Crown?”

“I vote for fourth pile.”

“Fourth pile it is.”

The fourth pile – the fire – was everything that His Majesty didn’t need to mind at all.

I placed a letter a lord who couldn’t gather an audience with the king into the second pile. Impa handed me the opener and announced she was going to chase down a kitchen maid for a strong pot of coffee. I had barely acknowledged her declaration by the time she had left. With the opener in one hand and the next envelope in the other, it slid across the paper cleanly. At least through this I got the pleasure of hearing the straight tearing of paper.

Absently, I wondered what time it was as I scanned the paper and stopped abruptly. The handwriting was scratchy and precise, resembling one that had been sitting under my mattress for months. My knees drew up to my chest from my relaxed seat.

General Nohansen,

In the hopes that this letter finds you well, I write to you my routine update of the state we’re in.

Currently, we’re stationed at the coordinates given by Admiral Fierlin the month prior. Gerudo Town is only ten leagues from our camp. My contacts within have alerted me that every tenth night there is some form of attack within public places on the outskirts of the city. Obviously, they are organized and deliberate. For weeks, at your request, I have pushed the Gerudo officials to request protected travel from their capital to our own…

The letter derailed into specific numbers about supplies and increasing men still arriving.

…Again, in regards of your health, we all pray to Hylia for your steady recovery. Until then, I’m at your disposal as usual.

Cpt. Forester

 I read his letter thrice before putting it down.

Mechanically, I let it fall into the second pile so that I would remember to share it with Uncle the next day. For whatever reason, it hurt worse each time I read it. I knew Elian had delivered my letter. He was at the castle last month, doubling for a messenger. Goddesses, I had spoken to him and asked if he had. Even then, my heart pleaded that he hadn’t. Surely, because Link would have written back.

Maybe… I was misled.

Impa opened the door with a maid in tow. She placed a tray of coffee on the table beside the mess of papers, poured the pot of coffee in two cups and quietly left. The older woman sighed, sitting cross legged on the pillows before taking a sit. As she did, she watched my silence to the letter sitting neatly at the top of the pile.

She swallowed the bitter liquid, “Zelda.”

My heart tried to steer my mind. “Yes?”

“You’re upset.”

I went to shake my head, “No—I.” I laughed quickly to cover my uneven breath, “I’m simply tired.”

My hands went for a new envelope and the letter opener. Impa repeated my name.

The curved blade of the opener missed the slip of the envelope, making me curse to myself until it made it in. He hadn’t even referenced me. Inelegantly, I retched it upward. The tear ended halfway down the envelope and hands stilled my own at my wrists.

“Zelda!” she said, carefully taking the letter opener from me. By then, I was reduced to shuddering gasps and spilling tears against her. “Af… after everthing-” A wail that fell to a sob escaped, “Three months of…  of nothing!”

Nothing of his condition or his whereabouts. How many letters has he bothered to send while I waiting patiently for anything from him? What has changed so drastically? I wasn’t so dull to forget that at the end of the day he had a job – we both did! Still, it didn’t stop me from thinking about him at night. It hadn’t not worried me when his commanding admiral made passing comments of bomb threats. The feelings I had thought we shared were still present and very much alive in my heart.

Then, in other bouts of his silence, it made me irrevocably angry. After all, he had left.

And, perhaps, that was it. That was all there was to it. The note he left at the inn had no remarks about wanting me to write to him. There was nothing to be said about wanting to see me again, not in the way I wanted to see him.

We sat there as she smoothed out my hair and whispered my name among shushes. It could have been hours or the entire night, but eventually I came to. Exhaustion overtook me and I slumped in my seat. Impa pulled away, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind my ear.

“I know you are grieving for much right now,” she said, “but you cannot lose sight. Whatever… whatever transpired between you two – I won’t inquire.” Impa looked forlornly at me with ruby eyes, “You should understand that what happened in your reprieve from the castle mustn’t continue.”

My stomach dropped at the thought. I saw his face from the inn, one of longing and regret. The feeling of heated cheeks when he’d look at me. His smile at my silly comments. I saw my ring in his hand and the resolve in his eyes and the callous of his fingers. The tender needs of a man who could put up a stone front so convincing that you’d thing he had lived his entire life without speaking a word and break it down just as easy – just for me.

Then, I saw the letter addressed to the general.

“With your coming of age and the current state of the Crown, Zelda,” she pulled my attention again. “You should consider the possibility of assuming the role of acting Queen of Hyrule.”

I sat quietly, neither confirming or negating her. It had been a thought that seemed more imaginary than plausible, but now Impa gave it life. Six months ago, I would have laughed at the notion and chalked it up to an implausible prediction; now it felt startling.

“I have,” I sniffed, brushing my wet cheek with my nightgown sleeve. “If my country needs me, I will not run from it.”

#i think this is the earliest ive posted a chapter #htbaq #how to be a queen #loz #zelink #zelda #link #legend of zelda #fanfiction #zelink fanfiction #ashleyswrittenwords

[roses-ruby]

Desperandum Victum Chapter 2

Jimin x Female Reader

Genre: Demon AU, Angst, Fluff, Smut (future chapters), Mature, Slow Burn

Warnings: The story will get really fucking dark, including themes of incest, cannibalism, rape, murder, slavery, gore, yandere, religion, and way more oof. This chapter has mentions of violence and gore at the end.

Word Count: 10,129

Summary: You’ve had a traumatizing hard life and you move to a new town for new beginnings. But what if this town was hiding secrets of it’s own?

A/N: Sorry I’m late, this was supposed to be out hours ago but I just got home and don’t know how to use the fucking queue. This was originally due weeks ago, but I redid the story 3 times because I didn’t like how it kept turning out hahahaha wrote over 34k words and for what??? Anyway, last boring chapter I promise! Shit’s about to hit the fan ya’ll. Unedited, sorry, let me know of you find any mistakes!

Buying an old house was perdition disguised as a home.

Jun scoured through the wires of the electrical system. FallHaven weather circumstances were something he was cautioned about beforehand. Days consisted of hard-hitting heat, while the dusks were frigid and aloof. The outdated HVAC wiring had made the temperatures of the self-contained rooms a roller coaster, never knowing how severely the ventilation of said room would get tropical or glacial. Behind him, beyond the croaking and crickets; laid his back-porch barrier, it’s paint chipping from the fractured foundation. He previously spent $1000 to fix the asbestos grit around the house, and just yesterday he made a call to confirm the rumors of lead paint. Never has he regretted anything more than not contacting a house inspector prior the move.

Closing the chaotic cabinet of cables, Jun huffs, patting the few beads of sweat with the bottom of his tank top. He’ll ask uncle Alp about it in the morning. Maybe he should start a fire tonight. Taking a few steps to his back door, he opens it and squints at the hallway’s light. Locking the knob, he turns around, treading into the hall leading into the living room, before he stops in front of your decrepit door.

Right after you stepped into the house, you shut yourself in your room. Not responding to any of his inquiries or pleads. The hours had passed on in silence, and the house seemed too lonely for the night. Your food was left untouched on the table. Wanting you to come out, he had made your favorite stew with the produce he bought today. Its rich spice had glided throughout the capacity. He knew it was fruitless, and he tried to be patient, but his mind glimmered with hope that you’ll come out your door in any moment, drool at the side of your mouth, ogling his food like a bear ogles at honey. He chuckled at the image.

But it didn’t come true. You hadn’t come out. You hadn’t even made a sound, and that to him was worrisome more than anything. As someone who always had a comment on everything, much to Jun’s displeasure, to see you so mute reminds him of those days. The worst fucking mistake of his life. A nightmare that often visits him still, making a nest in his subconscious like a fatal tumor. And then there’s the wounds on your wrist.

Jun wasn’t an impatient man; high off his own ego plenty to break down your protective barrier. It was something he had to teach himself, just like most of the things in his life, coming from a place where you don’t learn anything from anyone, but see it all anyway. Yet his intolerance for desolation splintered the shield that was his reasoning. He grew up this way. A string of impulsive verdicts-results of mental burdens, dissociating him from himself. They could only lead to tragedy and he’s had abundant amounts of that serving. So instead he’ll pride himself in being cautious, especially when it comes to you.

Staring at the imbedded wooden material, he starts fretting about your bruise. The color is probably richer and unusual. You hadn’t even let him look properly, and there’s no aid in your room. Biting his nails, he contemplates urgently of what to do. Teenagers are impossible, he sighs, you were much easier to handle when you were a kid. Not to mention cuter.

That’s when it hits him. He’ll sing that song you love, just like he used to when you were a kid! Yet he cringes as soon as he thinks it. It’s been a few years, and you were way older now. Still, it worked before, it worked during that nightmare. He soundlessly pleads with the god you believe in.

Quietly clearing his throat, he hums almost inaudibly. Can’t believe I’m getting warmed up for this, he reflects. If you don’t come out subsequently, he’ll die of grief or shame. Whichever hits him first. Pacing back a bit, away from your heavy door, he slowly begins to sing,

“Somewhere over the rainbowww-,”

…

“Waaa-y up high”

“There's a land that I heard of once, in a lullaby…”

“Somewhere over the rainbowww-, skies are blue,”

…

“And the dreams that you dare to dream…”

“…really do come true…”

A second passed. Then 10…eventually 30.

2 minutes had passed.

He looks down, dejected. Despair coursing his veins, he lets out a heavy breath; he didn’t want to go through this once more.

The lock clicks open!

His head jumps up to face the door being pulled in and your timid figure walking out. He wants to cry and give you a huge hug; wrap you around in his arms with love and comfort, but he doesn’t have the heart to scare you again, so he just stands there as you do too. You stare at him with meek eyes, the dark bags laying just beneath them pull at the strings of his heart.

Pulling his thoughts together he softly speaks to you,

“Hey”

He’s not sure what to say though

Does he question who that lady was? Does he ask about your wrist? Or dinner? Should he drop the topic and make a joke about something entirely different instead? Which option would make you open up? He’s as naïve as he was 3 years ago.

“Hi” you whisper

“Listen I know you don-”

“I don’t know” you interrupt Jun, “I don’t know who that lady was and I don’t want to”

“I’m gonna talk to some people about her tomorrow, someone should know” he cautiously puts his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it slightly in comfort, “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let her come near you again”

You stare at the floor, not saying a word while Jun analyzes even the tiniest twitch of your nose

“Can I look at your wrist, princess?”

Shutting your eyes, you tense your shoulders. It’s all right, it’s just Jun you think, as you bring your wrist into view. The both of you were examining the purple blue hues around the skin together. Jun touches it lightly with his digits making you flinch, so he backs up before marginally trying yet again. Making contact with your cold casing, he shudders and averts his head before he grabs your fingers in his own and tugs your hand back down. He can’t come to terms with it still like a run-away, and it’s the one thing he deters from. How much of a coward he is.

“Jun-”

“Sorry, yeah I know,” He knows better than anyone, that’s what he said. But he doesn’t know when you make his way into his chest and wrap your arms over his trembling limbs. Doesn’t know he needs comfort more than you. Doesn’t know why you still trust him. Doesn’t know when you’ve grown up so much.

“Jun” you stifle in his shoulders, “It’s alright now, I’m fine. My wrist. My wounds…it doesn’t hurt, I don’t feel anything”

“I’m just sad,” He feels your tears on his shirt as you let out a choked sob, “That nothing has changed within 3 years. That I’m still so weak…she could’ve done anything”

“No, no, no!” Jun holds you protectively, “nothing is gonna happen to you…not when I’m around”

And you weren’t.

His evil mind brands the painful statement of his truth as he secures his senses and holds you tighter.

“…I just want to forget today Jun…please. I don’t want to talk about it again. Not when we have so much to look forward to”

“Anything…”

Just like him you don’t want to go through this again. You scarcely survived last time, and its misery expanses through your blood, the evidence on your wrist. Adversity is what you were doomed with, you were aware-made peace with it long ago. And so, like any survivor would; you did what you had to do to move on. Block out the pain and smile. Even if it kills you.

Removing your face off his torso, you wipe your tears with your fist.

“Did they find Mojo?”

“Mojo? …Oh, the dog? They did!” Jun laughs helping you wipe your tears, “He was found barking at a fresh beef jerky station”

Thank God he was safe. For some reason you assumed the old woman kidnapped him. Found barking at beef jerky huh…that sounds delicious.

 “I’m hungry” your lips form into a pout and you pat at your lowly rumbling stomach and Jun gives you the biggest grin

“Excellent” he says while fiddling his fingers together like an evil cartoon character “Let me go fix your plate and grab the first aid mwahahaha”

You’re extremely confused with his demeanor and make it known by scrunching your face in half confusion and half disgust

“Did you poison the food?”

“Ahahaha…no,” He starts stepping away towards the kitchen, “Some things just work out according to your plan”

“Like the lullaby?”

He stops in the middle of the hallway as the expressions on your face’s switches with each other “I didn’t know you were still so soft Junie”

“Shut up”

“And your voice! Have you been sneakily practicing Mr. Sinatra?”

“M-m-maybe you sh-should go to bed without food!” He stutters with a red face and his hands on his hips

That shuts you up as you give him a ‘Hmph!” and pass him on the hall into the dining room. “Whoa!” you gasp as you notice the clock, “11:41 already”

“WHAT?!” Jun shouts rushing into the room and witnessing your comment “You have school tomorrow! This isn’t good,” he grabs your plate at the table and speeds to the microwave

“Does this mean I get to stay up till 2?”

“NO!”

_

The weather was frosty these days, tickling you through the ruffles of your tight purple dress. You skipped amongst the inner lining of the wooded area, close enough to see the highway through the shrubs, holding tiny rocks in your fist. You weren’t fully clothed for the temperature, short sleeves and loose tights making your tiny limbs tremble for a good 20 minutes; you wanted to go home. Instead you distracted yourself by picking up little bits of the earth.

“Don’t get too close to the water” you hear from behind. Twirling on one leg, you observe the petite woman towering on the upper side of the ditch, glaring through your soul. She stood by one of the large dead trees, her arms folded across her chest.

There are shadows under her eyes, stiffening the complexion of her pale skin. She stares down at you with her flooded pupils. Her fingers scratching at her arm through the warm jacket she wore.

“The water…don’t get too close” She repeats in the familiar fatigued tone. Her scarf seems to be suffocating her neck, and the padded jacket made a sleek noise every time she made a move. You can spot her steady breaths in the bitter air. For a moment there’s nothing but silenced stares shared between you and her.

That vanishes as soon as a large black car passes by. She whips her head into the direction of the street she’s near, as her breath comes out in a speedier rate. You also turn away from her stature, focused on finding more rocks. They lead into the mini creek in the end of the ditch. Walking up to the creek, you squat to watch your reflection in the water. It was better than your small mirror, you think, fixing your beanie and wiping the stray hairs irritating your face.

“Hey! What did I tell you?” you once again turn to find her figure in your direction once again. There was a hint of anger in her pupils, she appears like she’ll walk up to you any second now until you hear another voice.

“It’s you right?” The stranger wearing all black paces up to her, he seemed scary – you couldn’t see his face by his hood covering, but he was taller than her and you were scared for her.

“Nice place you picked, asshole” She grits at him, having completely forgotten about your presence, digging into her purse feverously

“Come on, it’s a dead road sweetheart. No one comes around these parts” he laughs at her annoyed attitude.

He makes eye contact with you, and you sense your heart skip a beat. “Cute kid” he smiles at you.

The woman gives you a quick glance from her rummaging, “You’re scaring her” she returns to her digging

“Aww why? I’m not a bad guy,” he gives you a wave as she snorts

She gets out a bunch of money, you don’t know how much, it’s all stuffed and crumpled in her hand. Giving it a glance over, she shoves it into his chest. You watch him sigh, and mildly remove the cash from her fingers. He straightens out the bills and begins counting them.

“You’re short” He says, folding the notes and fitting them into his back pocket. “15 milligrams only”

“15?” she shouts before noticing her surroundings, and harshly whispers “You gave me 30 for this much last time”

“That was last time sweetheart, price’s changed”

You gawk as she leaps at him, her palms clutching the sides of his hoodie, having you seal your tiny rocks into your own palm. “P-Please – don’t do this” she spits out “It doesn’t – it barely works anymore, it hurts, it hurts so much – everywhere I-I can’t”

He pushes her off him, into the ground making you stand up straight as heat fills your bones. “That’s not my problem, don’t spit on me bitch” he yells as she heaves on the scattered dead leaves. He watches her struggle a bit before taking a long breath, “Shit, I didn’t mean that…I’ve already been having a bad day, don’t just jump up on me” he messes with his hoodie

Dragging her up to her feet, he takes out a petty clear bag, filled with white powder. Her neck’s bending towards the ground, she refuses to look up at him, which gets him rowdier. He pulls her arm up and crams the bag into her hand.

“You want more? Get more money” he sneers, “Sell that kid” he points at you

“Or better yet, buy her a jacket” he finishes, stomping away with his hands in his jacket’s pouch.

You watch him leave as the freezing wind picks up again. She doesn’t move a muscle facing away from your view. Having the alarms in your head pacified by the lull of the forest, you return your gaze to the creek. There’s a shiny rock in the center of the stream, which makes you squat out of curiosity once again. It’s shimmering the light of the sun, which you were sure was covered by fluffy clouds when you stepped outside. Your face turns up, as you make direct eye contact with the ball of glaring fury. Squinting at the flares you bring your small fist up to protect your sight.

At that moment you hear the crunching of leaves by your rear, a voice deeply surrounding your passive frame –

“What did I tell you about the water”

_

Sitting up in your bed you stare off into the corner of your messy mattress. The lining seems to be ripping from the sheet due to your endless fluster. You’re deep in your thoughts, not being comprehensively conscious to the morning chirps of blue jays – their high-pitched revenue placating you to doze off. In brief, you were still perplexed by your dream. It’s been a long while since you’ve thought of her.

Saturday was finally here. The rest day for a million chores, sunny and bright for your pleasure. You think back on the week, which has been smooth sailing minus a few unintentional mishaps. It's been an easy couple of days, if you take away your anxiety and the few occurrences where you’d look over your shoulder to make sure no elderly lady was following you. Yesterday you almost peed yourself when you ran into the neighbor lady. It was a coincidence, you didn’t know she’d be standing right in front of the entryway as you opened the door to leave for school, and she didn’t know you’d scream right in her face. Long story short, after you screamed, and she screamed, and Jun scolded you; she gave you some lemon meringues. The reason she was at your house. They were so delicious, you’d become fond of her.

Jun had been dropping you off to school these days. It was cute at first, until you realized all he would talk about was his favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies. Since almost all of them made you fall asleep, you weren’t exactly a fan. You didn’t heed to anything as soon as you caught other voices though, most likely students indicating the school building was near, so you booked it. Registering him running after you with a ‘Hey wait up’, you dashed into the gates and onto the platform leading inside the school. You were going to ignore him the whole way, but you had to feel guilt-ridden and twirled about to see him waving goodbye. Smiling, you return the gesture only to regret it as soon as he shouts

“Have a good day! I love you princess!”

-at the top of his lungs. That’s it. You were going to kill him. Spotting some students staring at you, the source of the weird old guy yelling, you sprint into the building with a muffled scream.

That was yesterday, and sadly he’s still alive and well.

Today was your officially your first church visit, hopefully to become a certified member of FallHaven Baptist Church. For some cause, you couldn’t deny you were nervous; the church had a bit of an intimidating exterior. Well at least you’d finally get to buy new shoes for school.

Speaking of school, you had made friends! Or well, Candance and ‘a’ friend. Her name was Jasmine, and she was the nicest red head, a complete package of glasses and freckles. She came over to ask if you were okay when you had a terrible headache on Wednesday. Afterwards you noticed her in a few other periods, which wouldn’t be odd considering there are 60 kids in senior year. Jasmine joined you and Candance for lunch since then. Maybe you’re becoming a bit too attached to both too quickly, fault of only your own social awkwardness. But you knew they’re both great people, as well as members of today’s church.

You feel guilty for even thinking this, but you hadn’t had a run-in Jimin around after the strange incident on Monday. Sometimes you’d spot him talking to a pretty girl in the back of the class. Or well, she would talk, sitting right on his lap while he looked out through the window. His guard would stand behind him without an expression and you found yourself growing even more interested in his world. It’s not that you had feelings for him, you knew yourself and that was impossible. You tried but you couldn’t get Jimin out of your head…or that look in his eye. His aura was magnetic, and you were drawn to him by an invisible force. Is Jimin also a member of the church? He must be, everyone else is. Then again Jimin wasn’t like anybody else, not with those enflamed locks and sharp abyss eyes.

Knock Knock

You break from your thoughts as your door speaks, “Heyyy~ you up? We’ve got to leave in an hour” Jun hums in a hype tone.

Listening to the tune in his voice reminds you of Monday night, how you were swept in his large arms and you could smell his soft oceanic scent – rosemary and a hint of musk from his burdens lingering his neckline. His uncovered skin was on your lips, your torso swallowed by his. You turn a bright red, clenching the sheets around your fingers before you choke a shout

“I’ll be out in a minute”

“Alright, breakfast is on the table” He responds and finishes walking away. Taking a huge sigh, you wake yourself by smacking your cheeks, swinging your legs off the bed and stretching your rigid physique. It’s going to be a long day.

The walk to the Church was a good 20 minutes. Jun had insisted today, no matter how many times you begged him not to, to conversate about how Casablanca was the greatest movie in American cinema. You didn’t know why he knew every character’s name by hand, but that was another mystery of the Fabulous Jun. Letting him talk to his fulfillment was the best option, sighting how he sulked the tiniest every time you interrupted him.

By now, it should be obvious that Jun doesn’t have a car. Ironic, seeing where he works. It’s another reason why you moved here, everything was meters from each other. The town’s population was about 2100 folks from what Uncle Alp told you, and that number seemed so miniscule compared to the busy city. You think Jun was the most excited to move here, he was never much of a people’s person and the somber skies, reticent road gave him comfort. Your poor lone wolf.

“And that’s why Rick doesn’t believe in god”

“…Wait, what?” You turn to stare at him, the sentence your ear caught far more interesting than the pebble you were kicking with your feet.

“Weren’t you listening? I was just explaining the bane of existence Rick Blaine has to deal with!”

“Jun, we’re literally walking to church, would you please knock it off with the jokes?”

“Come on” He winks, “We’re going to be Christians in a good hour, can’t I have my fun while it lasts”

You roll your eyes to hide a smirk, ready to leave him behind once again when you spot huge white gate tubes from the corner of your eyes.

As you come face to face with the front gate, you stare at the gigantic structure known as the church. The white bricked building made the holy edifice seem even holier. The place was built like a palace, complete with a royal entrance pathway you walk through with Jun. Each side of the pathway had an endless field of grass, containing some of the most colorful flowers on earth.

“Not bad” He whispers

As you walk up to the building, you notice the gray bell tower on the right side of the roof. You wonder which lucky fellow gets to ring that bell. Once you get inside though, is when even Jun becomes speechless.

The interior stretches for a mile, the chapel big enough to seat the whole town. A warm aroma sifts through the wood of the benches, and you feel like you can stay in this golden-lit room forever. Stained glass was at every corner of the room, letting through the light the images wished. At the altar resided a large organ piano, candles decorating the pillars of the organs, burning an intense flame for it’s visitors.  Above the piano stood the crucified Jesus, the pain sculptured on his face an intimidating reminder for anyone that comes across the his eyes. The chapel seemed decorated. White flowers adorned the benches of the sanctuary, and people seemed to be polishing the walls. A set of people were on a ladder, pulling up a decorative banner. You spot Joan at the right side of the room, by a small statue of Mary, chatting with 2 strangers that seemed to be closely heeding her words.

“Joan,” Jun calls out to her, and when she turns to him, he waves. She says her farewell to the strangers and comes your way. You wish there was someone else who could show you around, but alas luck was not on your side.

“Welcome, we have been patiently awaiting your arrival” Joan smiles, walking up to you with her hands held together

“Are the preparations for us? You shouldn’t have!” Jun jokes

Joan gives him a swift gaudy chortle, making you squint. That bad gag sure made her happy. Actually, everything seems to make her happy.

“We are getting ready for the arrival of one of our most cherished facility members. He will be attending our sermon tomorrow, you two have arrived on a marvelous period for the town” She gleams

“He sounds like someone special…has he been gone somewhere?” You question

“Yes, he has been lending a hand to the victims of the tragedy in Samaria in the beginning of the month…he has currently completed his concerns on the town and is returning home. His family is holding a ceremony for him tomorrow to reward his efforts”

You and Jun offer sympathetic glances.

The fire in Samaria had been circulating on television for weeks. In the beginning of the month, a local well-loved priest in the small town of Samaria had shut in worshippers during mass and torched the statue of Jesus on the cross in the front of the altar. 300 lives suffered grave deaths, including his own. It was said spectators could hear the vibration of children screaming through the blaze from a hundred miles around, as firefighters tried to tear down the bolted doors. Not a single survivor.

“We would love to be here tomorrow,” Jun smiles

“And we would love to have you. Now please come this way,” She extends her arm toward the inner hall on the right, “Our Archbishop is quite excited to meet you”

You follow Joan along the hall, her heel’s clacking echoing around the assembly of the broad interior. The ceiling was caved outward and dispersed among the hallway to the very end. It was the biggest building you had ever been inside, and your neck ached as you pressured your marveled gaze upon everything. The church had a dim, golden color and you walked along indoor pillars; each pillar encompassing a soft light fixture and a holy cross. Every column had a large brown door.

“Um, Joan, I read on your brochure this place has a confessional? As far as I know New Testament Christians don’t believe in the confessional method.” You see Jun’s expression out of the corner of your eye at your question. He was dazzled at your knowledge. Heh, how insulting.

“You are absolutely right, ___” She turns her head a bit and you spot her pleasant expression beyond her blonde tresses, “Actually, we are the only place of worship for many for around a thousand miles. This Church is also famous for its beauty. Everyone becomes enraptured with it, like you have,” She laughs as you blush. When did she catch you in amazement? “Members of our family come from far and wide to seek refuge in our humble Church, and therefore to ease their souls, we offer a great many sources for all kinds of our relatives. Including Protestants and Evangelist. We also offer everyone a place at the Holy Communion, baptized or not .”

“That’s…amazing. And so kind.” You awe. This was great, I mean you still wanted to be baptized along with Jun. New beginnings and all, but it’s great that you’re Church is so open hearted.

“Are there any problems because of this? Like do any leaders from those other tribes get upset?” Jun casually ponders, while you elbow him for asking something so insensitive…and did he just call them tribes?

“Au contrair!” Joan giggles, “We have the Vatican’s blessing, and many devout religious leaders visit our Church with boundless respect” She stops and turns her body toward the right side of the hallway, while you both have a clear view of her face. She smiles way too much. “So yes, our “tribes” get along well”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to be rude” Jun mutters, scratching the back of his head

“Oh no, I didn’t take your words for offense, Jun” Joan steps closer to the wall, hidden from your sight by a pillar “This is our Archbishop’s office” She knocks on what you believe is a door.

You hold your breath as the door glides open, the slight creaking at the hinges relaying it’s ancient age.

Out steps a sharply dressed tall old man. He embodied a tan-colored suit, edges ironed to perfection and not a fringe out of place in his off white head of hair, combed perfectly neat to the right. There was a handkerchief poking out from his front pocket and a brown bow tie adorning his collar. You couldn’t recognize any signs of fatigue and barely that of aging. The facial format of his appearance communicated passion and vigor, the wrinkles around his clear coffee eyes were soft and fresh, while the lines of his mouth were welcoming. Nothing but his hair gave away his age, not even a sun spot adorned his porcelain skin. He had the same stretchy smile on his features like Joan.

“Are these two beautiful souls our new neighbors?” He spoke in a harmonious tone of voice. You could sift the aura of a dominant charisma emitting from his stature from every word.

“Yes, they are!” Joan replies, “They want to become members of our Church, isn’t that wonderful, Robert? This is Robert,” She directs her words at Jun, “the Archbishop and eldest head of our Church”

They both stare at you, practically illuminating holy lights out of their asses, temporarily blinding you and Jun.

“Yeah, It’s nice to meet you, sir” Jun steps up and held out his hand; which the pastor, who you notice is taller than Jun, encompasses in both his palms, for an extra friendly greeting “My name is Jun and this is my sister, we just moved here last week, looking forward to joining your lovely Church, if you’d let us”

“This Church is open to any soul submitting himself to God” Robert speaks, rubbing Jun’s hand with both of his own, to which Jun uncomfortably laughs

“And you” He turns to you as you slightly startle, “Are you willing to submit your being to the high and mighty, little lamb?” He lets go of Jun’s hand and faces you. As do Jun and Joan, which irks the anti-attention personality in you.

“Um yes, I’m ___” You offer him your hand, which is easily taken in both of his own again. You immediately feel his warmth traveling through your arm from contact of his fingers, as he glides it over your casing delicately. It was as if he was a furnace. Goosebumps arrive on the affected area of the skin.

He pauses just a bit suddenly, and you watch his eyes open a bit further through his big smile, the corner of his lip turning downward. The chocolate of his iris had become darkened until it was an endless black, staring through your outer layers. You felt naked even with your clothes on, and it frightened you so you slowly pull your hand back. Trying not to make a rash movement.

Yet as soon as it came, it was gone.

He pulled your hand towards him again, and the blank gaze had dissolved into the familiar sweet caramel expression – not giving you a chance to react. You look at Jun and his relaxed expression, neither of the other two noticed your discomfort. Which was rare for Jun.

“Joan, You’ve done right by bringing these two here. I can tell they’ll fit right in and bring much fortune! You both are official FallHaven Baptist Church members”

“Oh wonderful!” Joan claps in celebration

Robert puts his arms in the air, his fingers and head raised towards the sky, “I can feel it already, the lord sending a message through me.” You stay still and watch as Joan immediately pulls out a wooden cross from underneath her blouse, bringing it up to her lips and chanting something under her breath. Jun takes a step back.

“He wants me to do it as soon as possible, he wants it done immediately. Yes Lord! For I am your humble servant! You both,” He turns back to you, “Will be baptized at tomorrows communion! Praise the Lord!”

“Amen!” Joan shouts, a bit out of breath and you notice how much her pupils dilated.

“Alright then boy,” He lets go of holding you under his intense gaze and rotates to Jun while you discreetly rub at your hand through your extra-long sleeves.

“Why don’t you and I have a little chat about some grown up stuff, while Joan gives a sort of tour of our holy house to the little lamb here” He puts his hand on your shoulder to refer to you and you stiffen immediately

“Sounds good” Jun raises a eyebrow at you “You alright with that?”

Alone with Joan?

“…Yes”

“Oh small one,” Robert slightly rubs his thumb around the back of your shoulder, “You’ve done so well by accepting Jesus. No longer will you grieve alone, for he will be by your side. He’s made it clear to you, he has!”

“I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord! And that’s you!” He raises his finger into your face, his voice dominating through the walls of the hallway, echoing off the corners of the roof “You’re born again!”

“You’re free from your suffering!”

_

Walking down the left hallway on the second floor, you marvel at the glass ceiling, the cloudless sky letting in all the wonders of the world. Through the golden hues, you watch as Joan struts in front of you in the glittering hallway, occasionally detailing the authenticity of paintings and figurines decorating each side of the walls. So far, you’ve had the pleasure of seeing the study, the confessional also known as the reconciliation room, and the bell tower.

She displayed the charisma and pride of an honest church member. Bragging about many key aspects the large shelter provided. In total, the cathedral could serve up to 2000 worshippers at a time. It wasn’t the Jubilee, but it was still an amazing feat.

There were a few things you had learned already. The youth bible study met up twice a week after school. Classes for certain instruments and vocal lessons were also available. You signed the roster immediately after seeing the name of the person that led the group. Sunday mass lasts an hour after sunrise, led by the Archbishop and called for by the large bell tower. For those who miss it, there’s a make-up held by one of the priests and a deacon in the evenings. On Easter, mass lasts 3 hours with additional services including altar calls and extra hymns led by the youth group. It was so surreal, you were now actually apart of a community and you were going to do things with them…like a family does. For so long, it’s been just you and Jun. Speaking of him, you muse on how touchy he’ll get at you coming home late, or how cranky he’ll be in the early mornings for mass.

You let out a soft chuckle imagining his furrowed eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth flipped downside in a strong pout. Joan steps up to a door and you follow close behind, she pushes it open and turns to you.

“This is our Biblical library! The 4th largest in the world!” She pleasantly brags about the brightly lit room, where you have to keep your jaw from dropping. It finally made sense as to why this church was as big as it was.

Your eyes glaze over the giant cherry wood shelves, towering over the lax white chamber, straining your neck to the clouds. They pushed on for miles, one shelf after the other harboring hundreds of books. It was a bit intimidating. There were tables containing a few busy bodies lingering the maroon carpet in the front, and everything was vast and silent. At the front desk, there was a lady with a pointy nose which her bifocals rested upon, reading a blank brown covered book and whispering to herself inaudibly. She covered herself from head to toe with a black veil wrapped around her figure, a tunic like dress connected to a bib at the neck-line. A nun.

“Sister Haggith” Joan leans in to whisper to you, “She oversees the library and everything that comes with such a task. She knows every nook and cranny of this place, including each book and it’s location. Sister Haggith is an amazing woman, and another trusted member of the board”

“Wow” You gasp, “Is she from the monastery?”

“Yes, she has been with us for 21 years. Actually quite a few of our sisters have work around town. Have you gotten the chance to visit your school’s infirmary?”

“No, not yet. But I’ll be sure to check it out,” you tell her and she replies with a smile.

In the corner of the room, one of the clear glass cases catch your eye. Inside the display case was a worn out piece of khaki paper, looking about 100 years old. The paper was thin and fragile, torn the slightest at each of the ends. There was something written in shrill black ink, but you were too far away for it to be anything but blurry.

“Um, may I ask about that?” You shyly point at your object of interest and Joan follows your line of sight.

“Oh!” She chirps “The scripture of Nathanael”

When you give her a confused look, she leads you toward the stand with a ‘come with me’. Next to the  display case were a few other ones, containing more ancient objects. Another that caught your eye was an extremely rusted dagger.

You examine the tabloid carefully, now that you were closer, you could easily read the paper. Or not? The writing wasn’t in English.

“What does it say?”

“It’s in Hebrew” Joan answers, “It was given to us by an angel from the heavens. He identified himself as Nathanael”

She bends down and reads a sentence off the paper, “thy fate lies in the conscious of thy choices; of thy wilt to serve the mighty”

Immediately your mind rushes toward what Candance had told you; about the tower and the famine and the ‘great warning.’

“It’s true” you accidently whisper out loud

“So, you have been enlightened?” Joan asks

“Yeah…I think…” You grin awkwardly

“There is no need to worry, there’s quite a few fables made about the tower” Joan giggles, “The reality is simple though. 120 years ago, our town was made up of devout Christians, filled to the brim with their love for our father.” She looks toward the ceiling happily, “They were refugees of the south, unbinding from their laws and wars, seeking a place to start over. However, we were new to this land. We settled into it’s foundation in the beginning of that year.” Her tone suddenly deepens and she slowly brings her head back down, “And you see, sometimes foundations become barren. Sometimes they crack. Then comes the drought”

For the first time you see Joan frown. That one word has her staring deep off into space, no longer a silver of light in her eyes. She stands there, glaring a hole through the white wall, and time slows around you both as you shift uncomfortably at the heavy atmosphere. You much rather have her creepily smiling.

“The drought” she whispers “That summer, the heat…the sounds of battle cries over the horizon…so endless, so suffocating. Oh how bad the drought was” she closes her eyelids as she shivers slightly. “We prayed and prayed and prayed for the bad drought to go away, on our knees till they bled, till our mouths were dry and our eyes felt that they would fall off. Oh bad drought go away, Oh Lord save us! And it happened” She raises her arms up into the air and open her eyes with one sudden motion, as you watch with astonishment

“Just like he promised! A miracle, a great mercy! He came down to us, he saved our damned souls!” the corners of her eyes well up, as she breathes heavily into the air practically yelling each syllable, “We-

“Joan!”

You both jump as a stern voice interrupts the silence of your small corner. There you spot Sister Haggith, quiet and still, her intimidating aura making you feel small. She appeared out of nowhere.

“You are being too loud, child. Shall I remind you of what a library is?” She speaks, staring through Joan as someone insignificant and you can feel the lady beside you straighten herself.

“Y-you are correct. I am so sorry” she takes a handkerchief out of her blazer’s breast pocket. She dabs  sweat from her forehead with her fabric and turns to you. You notice how dilated her pupils are again, and you find yourself worrying for her.

“I-I am sorry, the moral of the story is that angel Nathanael saved us from the drought and laid down ground rules, which are written in the scripture. Alright, we should get on our way,” Grabbing your arm, she commences to walk away from the displays, around the woman who hadn’t moved an inch and toward the large doors as you wince.

You make a grunt of disapproval which has her peeking back and letting go of your arm. As you both step out of the library onto the foyer of the hallway, she treads quietly in front of you, until you both are once again in the chapel.

She turns around, and looks at you with apology.

“I am sorry, once again for my behavior. I get deep into my feelings about our lord, but a library is no place to behave that way.”

“No, I didn’t…think anything…”

“Is your wrist alright?” She questions suddenly

“Um-what…”

“You seemed like you were in pain when I held your arm,”

“Oh yeah,” You bring your arms up and pull down your sleeve to revel a thin layer of bandage around your wrist.

“My goodness,” Says a shocked Joan

“Oh no! It’s not what you think! Jun is just easily suggestible, and it’s just on until the bruise vanishes”

“Bruise?” She says, even more worried than before

“No – I mean yes, I ran into a small accident, but it’s no big deal really!” You flail your arms around in denial, trying desperately to mend her concern

“There you are!” A familiar jolly voice interjects you

“Robert!”

“Jun!”

You both shout in unison, a wave of relief unapologetically obvious in your voices.

“You ladies have a grand time?” Robert asks as he walks up to you and Jun trails behind with a wide grin

“Just wonderful” Joan answers, her blinding smile re-embellished on her features

“It was great, I learned a lot” You reply, taking a peek at Jun and his suggestive expression. He was holding in a laugh.

“Now that’s what I like to hear ‘round here!” Robert laughs out loud, “Me on the other hand loves this goofy fella” He pats Jun on the back

Jun jokes back at the senior, “Not as much as we love Thanksgiving dinner” he winks

You pale at the horrendous joke, while Robert cackles louder and pats Jun harder as he holds his abdomens with his other arm, seemingly in better spirits than in the morning. Joan covers her mouth and lets out a tiny giggle as well, while you make a strange ‘ha ha’ sound.

“See, see, what I tell ya, he’s goofy!”

Jun looks at you with accomplishment while you subtly roll your eyes at his ‘charm act.

“Alright then, I’ll see you both here in the early morning! Your baptism will be right in front of the chapel, after the service!” Robert informs you

The four of you exchange a few other pleasantries, and before you know it you’re on your way home with a slushy and a new pair of shoes in your hand.

“I didn’t know there were so many cake varieties before!” You chirp, marveling at the cake shop you had stopped by in the mall.

“Well I for one, am excited to try out this new electric hand mixer” Jun takes out a box from his shopping bag of said item, “Always wanted one of these”

“$4 bucks says you break on the third try” You squint your eyes, teasing the tall boy next to you

“And where will you get that money?” He asks as a matter of fact, making you ‘hmph’ in return

“…Do you like the church?” Jun questions

“…I do” You return, looking at his expression for something hidden. You just could never tell what he was thinking.

He smiles, “Robert’s quite the character, huh?”

“Yeah, Robert’s…something”

As you’re discerning, you make a turn at the intersection just to trip over one of your shoes and fall onto the pavement. Thank god your drink was almost empty, you think as the slushy falls by your side. You catch your body on your hand and knees as your bag slips out of your hand and into the ditch on the side of the sidewalk. Jun shouts your name as he bends down to check on you and you let out a curse watching the bag roll down the patchy green hill, toward the canal. Quickly, you get up and run after it while Jun runs after you, still yelling your name and telling you to stop.

Before your bag goes anywhere near the water, a long silhouette halts the object and picks it up with one hand. When you get closer you recognize the figure to be a young man, wearing a white suit. Your running ends and you stand a feet away from him, when he turns to look at you, taking away your breath for a good minute.

In the serenity of that afternoon, when the sun was at it’s highest and the nightingale sprung it’s chorus; the water reflected the colors of the rainbow and the winds softly whispered through your body, you met an angel.

“Hi, I’m Namjoon. Is this yours?”

He hands you the bag you had already long forgotten about. You stare at him, as motionless as a feather while you watch his face turn to one of confusion.

“Yup, that’s hers! Thanks man!” Jun breaks you out of your daze as he takes the bag from his fingers.

“Um, yes. Thank you so much!” You splutter, embarrassed              

“It’s nothing” He smiles and your jaw drops open

Dimples.

“Bye the way, you took quite a fall back there. Are you alright?” He asks

When you fail to answer, Jun nudges you, breaking you out of your daze for a second time.

“M-more than! I don’t feel any pai-ow!” You grab your wrist and remember your injury. It feels suggestively worse than when you first got it. It couldn’t be that you sprained it…could it.

“Shit, I knew it was just a matter of time!” Jun shouts, grabbing your wrist to take a look himself

“Owwww, don’t pull it!” You whine tugging your arm back

You play tug of war for a bit, before you feel someone else gently grab your wrist and you both freeze. Namjoon opens your sleeve, and places his fingers on your wrist. He delicately presses down a few times,

“Does it hurt?”

“No,” and it didn’t. All the pain had evaporated just like that while a strong warmth spreads in place of any discomfort. Namjoon concentrates on your bandage, and it appears as if he could see through it, which makes you subconsciously draw your arm back. He couldn’t notice it, could he. While you stare at him, Jun’s head awkwardly angled to the side slides into the corner of your eye.

“I’m glad, must’ve been temporary” Namjoon says, releasing your hand and backing away, “Are you both new in town?”

“Yes, we just moved in a week ago!” Jun responds

“And how do you like my town?” He asks, putting his hands in his pockets.

“It’s been well, the house is old so adjusting’s a bit tough but we’ll get the hang of it”

“Where did you both move in from?”

“One of the inner cities from the north”

Namjoon becomes silent. “The one where they…uh…I-I’m sorry”

“It’s no big deal” Jun thwarts his worry, “Everyone’s reaction is the same, so we keep it hush-hush, but yeah”

“We’re town-folk now” You add

Both men look at you for a moment before they laugh.

“That’s right” Jun says through a gummy smile

“Of course,” Namjoon pipes in with his dimples

“We should get going, I need to make a few arrangements,” Jun shakes Namjoon’s hand as they exchange names, “See you around Namjoon? At the pub maybe?”

“Maybe, but not there,” Namjoon chuckles, “I’m still in school”

You and Jun look like a fish out of the water. I mean, he looks so mature? So wise? Which high schooler could be this angelic?

“So maybe I’ll see you around” He winks at you

You feel your legs give out but you hold still to not further your humiliation “H-how-”

“Every kid at FallHaven high wears those” He points at your shoes “Which grade are you in”

“S-senior year”

“Me too! Hopefully we’ll be class buddies”

“But I haven’t seen you around before?” You say

“I’ve been on a trip, just returned today. Monday will be my first day back”

“Wow! This is so cool cause she doesn’t have a lot of friends but you look like a popular guy, Namjoon! Take care of her! Hey come on over after class sometime and I’ll make you my famous choco-“

“Let’s go!” You push a rambling Jun, red-faced at his blabbering

“Wait, I’m just talking to the nice young ma-”

“Jun, we’re leaving!” you shout at the older boy

“B-bye, see you at school” You shyly shout back at Namjoon through the idiot’s screeching. Blushing harder when he waves a goodbye with an amused expression

As he leaves your view, you thought you spotted someone running up to his side, but maybe you were mistaken.

“I like him!”

“I get it Jun, you’ve said it a hundred times” You giggle at the child-like expression on his face. As you take one step after the other, almost at your house, Jun wouldn’t stop talking about the encounter with Namjoon. You liked him too. He was such a gentleman, so much class. School was going to get so much more interesting. Wait…Why was everyone at your school so good-looking. What’s up with that. How’re you going to survive being surrounded by hot people? Especially that one guy,

“Jimin”

“Who?”

It takes you a second to figure out you’ve said his name out loud, and when you take your eyes off the ground, Jun is glaring a hole right through your face.

“W-what?”

“Who’s Jimin” He questions with his breath in your face

“Nothing, go away” You avoid him

“First you’re a blushing mess in front of Namjoon, and now you’re whispering a name of a boy I never heard about?”

“I-I wasn-”

“I guess it’s time to tell you this” He looks ahead suddenly, his features hardened and serious

You watch him breathe through his nose, and blink slowly and you find yourself becoming nervous “Tell me w-what”

“The moment has come” He stops walking as your right in front of your house and puts all his focus on you, which in return makes you gulp.

“Princess…” the wind picks up and you gaze at him with goosebumps on your skin

“When a man and woman fall in love, sometimes they get these urges to become one, now what those are-”

“Say one more word and you won’t be able to pee standing up again”

_

You were making your bed after setting up the alarm clock Jun had bought you. It was time to sleep for tomorrow’s big day and your teeth were chattering just thinking about it. That and it was really cold inside the house. Uncle Alp had told Jun he would talk to some guy he knows, but so far you haven’t heard anything further. Hopefully it would be fixed by the end of next week. You don’t know how many more nights you’ll have to survive sweating through your house in the middle of the day and becoming a frozen statue on your bed at night.

In the mall, before you had lunch, Jun reminded you a hundred times to get a heater, but guess who forgot. Honestly you did it on purpose so he’d take you shopping again, but he doesn’t need to know that. What you didn’t like about today was Joan calling Jun by his name. I mean, adults call each other Mr. last name unless they’re close, right? Especially respectful ones like ‘Joan’ but here she was “hahaha Jun this hahaha Jun that.’ Ok, maybe you were being a bit mean. You felt really bad when Joan got yelled at by that elder lady. There is something about the old people in this town that freaks you out. Learning more about the town was a good thing. You were gonna revisit that Scripture and see what else you can find out about FallHaven. At least there’s no cannibalism.

You walk by your closet and take off your dress. It was when you were changing into your pajamas that you notice your wrist. The bandage was still wrapped around it but it didn’t hurt. It hadn’t hurt all day. Curious, you remove the tape and unwind the white ribbons off your wrist. Your heart beats a bit louder as it clears itself off your skin.

You let out a gasp.

Smooth, clean, no signs of staining or any discoloration. Twisting your wrist around, you decide to give it a flick. And still, no pain, no ache.

This morning, you had opened up the bandage to find a light purple bruise. Then just a few hours later…it vanished? Something wasn’t adding up. You recall how the pain had disappeared when Namjoon had touched it. Could he have somehow healed you?

Did people like that exist?

But then again. Those marks were still there. The reminders of your hell still scarred into your vision. If he had healing abilities…wouldn’t he have healed these? Definitely. So he’s not a healer, just a very good-looking boy. But then…where’s your bruise?

Argh, it was giving you a headache. Either way you won’t need this stupid bandage anymore, you think as you stand up and throw it in the dust bin. Shutting your door closed, and lights off, you cheerily skip onto your bedside and jump onto the springy mattress. Lying in bed and wrapping the covers around yourself tightly, you close your eyes in hopes to doze off into a new bright and sunny day. Today was over, and you and Jun were safe. In the end that’s all that mattered.

_

Bzzz Bzzz

It’s fully dark when you regain conscious and there’s something light knocking into your face. With your eyes closed in discomfort you swat away at whatever’s bothering your slumber.

Bzzz Bzzz

You sigh, as you fan yourself. Why was it so hot? Did Jun get the heat to work again? You kick off your covers, but then realize that there’s nothing to kick off. There was nothing covering your body but your pajamas.

Bzzz Bzzz

“Fuck” You sit up in your pitch black room. Turning to check the time, you spot 2:57 on your clock. That’s when you see a little black dot fly into your view, and you work quickly to stamp your hands together. It works because you feel something between your palms. Hesitant to let go, you move your arms away from you and open them up.

“Ew what the-”

You say at the sticky black goo encasing both your palms. Examining in through the moonlight, you stare at the icky gunk on your hand as the curtain from the window brushes your shoulder.

Wait, what?

You whip your head toward the missing glass above your bed in horror. Why was your window open?

Who opened it?

Before you know it, you’re breathing heavily and you turn around into your dark room once again. The quiet no longer giving you a sense of calm, instead replaced with the terror of reality. Someone broke into your room, the alarms go off in your head, and your sense of rationality goes flying out the open window. It’s dark, but you can make out most of the furniture in your room. And that’s where you see it.

In the corner of your room, by your dresser stands a long, bulky dark shadow, the recognition had you tightening your fingers on your sheets.

At this point your hyper ventilating as tears stream down your face.

“W-who” Is all you manage to make out, closing in on yourself to protect your body from any potential harm.

Bzzz Bzzz

There’s a minute that goes by before the shadow moves closer, and this time there’s buzzing surrounding you. You look around the room and it’s filled with tiny black spots rummaging the shadows, you choke on your sobs, as the buzzing grows louder. One of the black dots land right on your hand. The moonlight exposing the common fly. Yet there was something off about it. You shoo it off, covering your ears with your hands, you shut your eyes tight as you fall over, face first onto the bed; trying to drown out this nightmare. Every second the buzzing becomes louder and unbearable and you feel the shadow right on your back.

Then it stops.

No buzzing

No shadow

No flies

You peek out from your hands staring at the spot once occupied by the thing when you feel something brush your ear

“Don’t be scared”

A deep, gruff voice is all you hear before your back is being plowed open by what seems like a claw. You scream out at the feeling of your skin being ripped open on your back. Something attaches itself to your spine as you cough out blood in the middle of your deafening shrieks. Writhing on bed as the shadow holds you down, you scream and whimper out your lungs. Flies cover your face and drown out your own ears until you can only hear your internal damnation. Years of deeply buried memories come swelling up, and you claw at your mattress for some sanity.

You feel every rip and tear of flesh, every drop of blood pour from your back, every nail of the claw digging into the deepest corners of your body,

and in that moment, you wish for death.

You wake up with a loud gasp, as tears stream down your face. Turning your eyes at every inch of your room, your hands rapidly move across your body. There’s no blood, no opening, no trace of any violence. Turning to face the window, you find it shut and barren. Shivers run up your body from the cold room. Which calms you down the slightest. Sweat pours through you like an open drain, your pores still living in your nightmare. You check your clock, the 3:00 am glares back at you in bold red. A dream.

Just a dream. You slow your heavy breathing wrapping your arms around your torso, yet there’s no end in sight for your tears.

You’re about to calm down when you feel it. There’s bile crawling up your throat, you’re aware of the suffocating substance littering your esophagus. Falling out of bed, you crawl your way out of the room. You drag your body with your hands, barely making it over the toilet. It doesn’t take long – just one groan and you’re disgorging today’s contents into the toilet bowl. Everything’s chaotic and wet, saliva attaching the last bit of your vomit to your mouth. Coughing out the last fillings of your insides, you spit into the putrid bowl, before flushing away any trace of retch. Grunting, you crawl back towards your room, there’s absolutely no sensation in your legs. You tremble as you make your way back into your mattress, pulling up the blankets on your sore limbs.

It was just a dream. You aren’t gonna tell Jun because it’s over. It was a dream. Some hellish nightmare born from the uneasiness of your past traumas and changes you aren’t comfortable with. You’re safe. There’s no shadow, there’s no monster. Dad’s not here. Jun doesn’t need to worry because of you. It’s over.

You shake like that for another hour or two, it feels like someone is smashing a hammer into the side of your skull, before you somehow pass out on your bed.

#Bts #Park Jimin #Jimin smut #Jimin angst #Bts smut #Bts angst #Yandere jimin #Yandere bts #mp;dv