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 Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:49 pm
The water was poured, hot and steaming, into a mug.
Her wrists were bound, aching and bruised.
Desdemona shook the image from her head, frowning - she set the kettle down and rubbed at her eyes. It happened every so often. Usually snippets of her past were restrained to sleep, but it wouldn't be the first time she had gotten a taste of a memory during the day. She wasn't sure if any other corrupt senshi dealt with this kind of thing, or how they dealt with it. She hadn't yet met any to ask.
She went to grab a tea bag, then set to work gathering the milk and sugar. Didn't want to add them too early, it would take a few minutes for it to seep enough.
'Do not lie to me again.'
She shut her eyes and hummed as she waited, brushing her hair out of her eyes. There was sweat on her temple, although she didn't know why. It wasn't so hot in here. Or she didn't feel hot anyway. "I'll be right there, sorry for the wait!" she called over her shoulder. Some part of her didn't like leaving him alone in Elle's home for so long, but in the same breath, some part of her was strangely relieved for the distance. She wished Elle was home. Desdemona probably would've felt better with her there. It wasn't that Mathias had done anything to her, there was no reason for this; maybe because it wasn't Desdemona's house. It was her home, yes, but this wasn't her furniture, her kitchen, her couch, her anything. She hoped Elle wouldn't be mad that she'd let him come inside.
At any rate, it was what it was now. Just try and enjoy the company, Des, she told herself with a smile. Time to add the sugar, pour the milk, and to go present it to him. Mathias. Leucite. She began to walk with the mug, a smile already in place.
Leucite.
Leucite.
A hand on her chest - inside of her - that hand against her being, her essence - that smile - the purr of his voice as he mocked her. She couldn't even remember the words, just the violation.
Desdemona yelped as the scalding liquid touched her fingers, and the mug fell to the floor where it shattered in an impressive shower of tea and shards. She danced back from the onslaught, her hand clutching her chest out of surprise. Yes, that was why. "Oh my god, " she gasped, willing herself to look at the mess on the floor instead of him.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 9:57 pm
Mathias had moved to her as soon as he'd heard the shattering of the mug. Frowning, he knelt down and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked, voice full of legitimate concern. After all, it would be awful if she were suffering some sort of... rejection to her conversion. "Perhaps I asked too much of you during your recovery, if so I am sorry." He said gently. "Here, let me clean this up for you its the least I can do..." He said, already getting up and moving toward the kitchen in the hopes of finding something to clean up the mess. He hated being in a stranger's house - he never knew where people kept their stuff and he hated looking for it. Made him feel like he was snooping...
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:57 pm
She remembered. Not everything, but when it came to Leucite - yes, how could she have forgotten him? Desdemona clutched her burned fingers and faced the man who had loved every moment of her torment, and with minimal effort, a sheepish smile slipped onto her face. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." She wanted to vomit when he touched her. The revulsion was strong. But her resolve was stronger. "I just filled the cup too much, and before I knew it, " she choked out a laugh, extending the scalded fingers sheepishly.
"Sorry to make you get up - god, I'm so clumsy..." she groaned as she stood up, quickly gathering some of the larger shards of the mug. "Ah, please don't stress over it! I can take care of the mess!"
A lump formed in her throat, but she willed it away the best she could. More than ever, she would have given anything for Elle to be home.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:05 pm
"No, no, you hurt yourself because of me," Mathias frowned, "I could have politely declined but I didn't." He could have done a lot of things differently but he hadn't. "You're not clumsy at all - accidents happen.." He said, finally finding what he was looking for he brought the dustpan back and started to help sweep and pick up the mess. "Right now you need to get those fingers under some warm water before they blister. I really don't want to keep being the reason you're laid up and can't work." It was true though - he WAS the reason she was hurt in the first place and as much as he wanted to lie about it he had finally decided he wasn't going to disservice her in that way - if she asked, he'd tell her all about it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 9:27 pm
Almost as if summoned by the universe in response to Desdemona's distress, at the front of the one story bungalow, the door latched open and in strolled Elle.
She was dressed in her auditioning outfit. A very artificial and carefully crafted version of casual best suited to show off assets and appear presentable and malleable. However, she didn't leave the casting call with great feelings about how it had gone and when she arrived back home early, she found herself pausing and taking note of the cat sulking under a wicker chair on the porch. Pastiche usually only responded that way to guests and she had become accustomed to Desdemona, and so it took a very short amount of time for Elle to deduce someone was in her home, taking her mood from sour to outright angry.
"Desdemona, dove," She called out, eventually making her way into the kitchen to find the girl and someone else scrambling to clean up wasted tea and a shattered mug among the otherwise very tightly well kept kitchen. Elle was a baker and a tea lover, and for the vintage clad young woman the kitchen was her sanctuary.
Her eyes honed in on Mathias like a snake that had just found prey.
"Good afternoon. I don't believe we've met. So I hope you have an excellent excuse for wiping up wasted tea in my kitchen."
frayedflower Omg I am so sorry for the wait
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:50 am
You hurt yourself because of me... - in the back of her head, Desdemona wondered if he'd rationed his gleeful torment in the same way. If she'd only told him the truth, he wouldn't have had to hurt her. Wouldn't have had to -
She opened her mouth to say something to him when the door opened; her expression didn't change, but her heart all but soared, even as she went to the sink to stick her stinging fingers under cold water like he'd said. She hadn't actually done much damage, but if she was going to stick to the story of it being the tea, she had to commit to it. Did it really matter now? Elle was home, like a breath of fresh air! Although her poor mug; Desdemona sorely wished she hadn't shattered the mug.
"It was my fault, " she still supplied the excuse without missing a beat, her eyes averted sheepishly. It was earnest, but Elle also knew her better than Mathias did; she could explain everything later, but now, "He's Mathias, Leucite. He came to check up on me and I went to go make tea and then I burned myself and - I'm so sorry about the mess, Elle."
Still - she didn't quite look at him when she talked about him.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 10:25 pm
Mathias stood up slowly, dusting his hands off on the sides of his pants (a bad habit from usually having an apron or smock on from painting - damn artists) before giving Elle a rather chagrin smile. He honestly felt bad, and like his gut had warned him, she seemed none to please by his invasion into her home. But he couldn't let Desdemona clean up the mess all on her own - not when it had been his fault.... A lot... of Des' problems in regard to her physical injuries were technically his fault... and Mathias did feel guilty about that - not that he would have admitted that as Leucite. What made it worse was he was now being glared at by a very, very pretty woman and that made a part of him lurch in a very unexpected direction. As keen as he was on Amenthes - he was still human - and the fact that Elle was dressed to impress... Well it worked. "I'm sorry, Miss." Mathias said, trying his best to mind his manners and keep himself from sticking his foot halfway down his throat like usual. "I... came to check up on Desdemona here because I was one of the Spec. Ops. Officers assigned to her interrogation and I wanted to see how she was holding up... Offer any assistance or training she might want, the usual." "She did tell me you were out - but she failed to warn me that her hostess was quite beautiful - and I do apologize for the tea... and the cup. I should have declined but I thought it would be impolite to turn down Desdemona's offer for refreshment while we chatted. The fault is entirely mine." He bowed slightly, then, turning to give Desdemona a weak smile as he tried to shift the blame to himself. It was the least he could do - really.
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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:44 am
"I do pride myself on being a well prepared and considerate hostess towards my guests, However, a hostess tends to be the one serving the invitation," Elle countered dryly. "I don't recall extending one to yourself, lieutenant."
Elle had only been a captain for a few months, but to be capable of pulling rank on someone was delightful as it rolled off of her tongue.
"I've read the reports. Did you perhaps consider that it would be impolite to impose yourself without proper considerations and permissions? Interrogation is an ugly subject for anyone, much less someone who had once been on the opposite side of things."
Elle had spent a lot of time cooing and apologizing that Desdemona had been hurt in a distinct effort to build up a report. It had been a measured and intentional action to build some sort of bridge of trust, to casually ignore her hand in the New Years operation while gently stroking the hair of one of its victims and promising they would no longer be hurt in such a way, to promise her care and protection.
It was why the mention of Leucite's name brought an almost stony cold to her tone, suddenly feeling like her efforts to build such things between herself and her charge was being tread on, in addiction to her clean kitchen floors.
"Your judgement in this matter is best left for a more private discussion between the two of us, unfortunately," And then her attention shifted, "Dove, there are rags for cleaning in the linen closet, third shelf. Are you alright?" She nearly purred in a soft tone, reaching for Desdemona's hands to inspect them for injury.
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 11:59 pm
Desdemona tried to pretend that she was following, smiling where it was appropriate, averting her gaze as she saw fit. But truthfully, most of what they said slipped right past her. On some level, she was already chiding herself for her reaction - it was too much, really. Logically speaking, it shouldn't have bothered her so much. They had been enemies. Could she say as she was now that she would have treated any of the those from the Order any differently had she been in his place?
... but she had a reason. What reason did he have to sneer as he violated her essence? Was there even a reason? Did there have to be? - could they really expect her to be rational about the way he smiled as he snapped her wrist? He was literally the stuff of nightmares standing before her, and the most vivid invocation of a life Desdemona did and didn't want to remember.
Even though her stomach was churning in the most unpleasant way, the girl still smiled as Elle addressed her. Even if the words had rolled off her, Elle had clearly been defending her. That was enough to bring some sense of solace. She had to try and focus on that, something to ground herself more throughly in the moment. She allowed Elle to take her hands with no protest at all, laughing weakly as she said, "I'm fine, just a little scalded and a lot mortified. - I'm so sorry about your cup." She made sure to add a little extra emphasis to that; Elle kept such a beautiful home after all.
Subtly, she squeezed Elle's fingers, and her hands shook in the softest of ways no matter how hard she tried to steady them.
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