Tea for Two (Medeia

A merry tune hummed lightly bled through closed lips. Wandering eyes watching about like a hawk in a small manner, though these eyes bore nothing like someone wanting to hunt down unsuspecting prey. It wasn't an uncommon thing for her to have to do, but sorting the thoughts in her mind as though she were rehearsing lines was a bit of a tough thing for her to do in the moment. What she couldn't see to be something simple could just be from the perspective of those whom have the need to or prior experience in doing what she was to do. Sure, she could do it, but she was also still young and the feeling of self doubt was still something some people just couldn't fully avoid. And yet, the yokai was rather adept at hiding her insecurities with the blank stare of an emotionally neutral person. It was just something adopted from a young age to use as a way to cope with her former situation, so this was something different for her to do entirely, none the less. The things trying to be sorted were meshed and tangled about in one another, some contradicting the very thought prior to it and only making her seem a little more off put from the way she needed to be; calm and focused.

But as the evening was settling in, the boredom had begun to wrap onto her mind like overgrowing weeds. She settled on a small tea shop close by that had been open rather late on these parts. Now, Sakura was far from a regular, but she was one of those types that went to the place when she was in town, and it was an admittedly subpar place for information gathering. But they had good tea, and one could never be too sure when good useful things could be found. Never once did they seem to question that she would come in alone and have a pot of tea, stay for a while, but she always did make sure to be mannerly and all.

In her usual dress, her hair left fully down on this day, something that was a little beyond her usual, but she didn’t mind. The different bits of looks: dresses, hairstyles, seatings. All of them obscured her in some way to some of the workers, which kept herself a little better hidden as well. So she sat in this shop, her pot of tea freshly placed down at a table for two as single tables weren’t allowed, but she was never the only one to do so. Though today.. there was a solemn look on her face. The type seen by a child whom lost something dear to them. For her, this was more of a sad time that a joyous occasion.

There was one particular gaze that almost seemed to hone in on the white haired girl, despite the attempt at subterfuge. A look that the staff of the tea shop were well aware of and which tended to cause them to become a little uncomfortable. For this tea shop was a regular haunt for the witch, as well as a place where Armina, her loyal maid would occasionally work when she wanted a break from the lunatics of the guild. It was a useful situation and more than once had the black haired slayer found a target here thanks to her maid’s invaluable information. It was Armina who had informed her of the white haired girl’s appearance and she had made certain that she would be in the right place at the right time. There was a uniqueness to the white haired girl that had captured Medeia’s attention and that was enough to set off her more obsessive traits.

There was much for the fallen angel to be pleased about at the moment and she was in a rather good mood. She had finally managed to confess her feelings to Jennifer and to her delight, the blonde takeover mage had revealed that she felt the same way. Medeia was uncertain as to how that would change their relationship but for the moment, just being able to get it off her chest was enough to cause her happiness. Neither of them expected a typical exclusive romance, which made things so much easier. Add to that her successful ploy with a beautiful bunny girl and everything seemed to be coming together nicely. Life was good and it would only get better tonight, hopefully.

For a while, she considered how best to go about her current situation but in the end, Medeia decided on a more forward approach and would slowly stand up and wander over to the white haired girl’s table. She would be wearing her usual desierto garb, unusual considering how cold the mountain area was but the witch simply refused to wear anything thicker. The witch was proud of her body and despite her dislike for her homeland, she did have an admiration for their style of clothing. One day she would return and show the sultans just what a mistake they had made, the moment they began their terrible treatment of mages.

A small smile on her face, Medeia would glance down at the girl and ask simply, a smile on her face, “May I join you? I have never seen you around before, my name is Medeia.”

She could not help but notice the unhappy look on the girl’s face and the witch’s mind was already working on how to use that to her advantage. Perhaps a softly softly approach was necessary, as it had been with Lola. Time would tell of course but for the moment, there would be the slightest hint of menace or deception on the face of the witch. She was a picture of sincerity and grace, her mask well and truly on from the moment the first word escaped her lips.

(519 Words)

The faint sound of the doll’s porcelain finger tapping against her cup had done nothing to bother the patrons around her. Normally, she cared very little of what it took for her to get over some things, but this was something else for her. She wasn’t one to normally wallow in the public eye over her issues, but she couldn’t seem to help herself when it came down to the day. Rather than trying to shackle herself to her home and try to ignore the day or just sleep it away, she wanted to better keep herself in the idea that maybe getting out for a change, avoiding the situation by pushing past it, but this only seemed to be feeding into the hated emotion even more. Why couldn’t she just move past it? It had been a couple years now since this happened and she went through a lot in order to cope. A mafia, friends, others who seemed to treat her like family. Yet it still hit her hard. This was hated for sure.

The day in which she finally sunk into the last few stages of her life. A time of harsh suffering for her. Everything either hurt or was numb. Her limbs were dead weight and her lungs were almost nearly always on fire. Some days she had thought it would be easier to just end it all and finally feel something happy, but her focus was always after keeping her mother happy. Through it all, she wanted to keep her smiling. In the end, she was grateful her somewhat selfish act was rewarded the way it was, but having it also taken from her was almost heart breaking. Should anything happen to her mother... well that was something she hoped could never happen.

In a snap, a voice broke her thoughts just before she could become wrapped up in her imaginative outcomes and her attention turned away from her murky reflection in the liquid in her cup. There stood a stranger whom seemed to have wanted to join her. Why her? Did she drop her guard and show the look of a rather saddened girl? Or maybe the woman didn’t wanna leave someone who looked like a lost child alone. Should she play her? Tell her she was just waiting for her mom to come from the bathroom? No, she knew her mom always left her purse hanging on the chair when she did, so she knew she would have tells to give if she lied. Besides, this seemed like a good opportunity to get her mind off of the topic and try to make something good come of this. ”U-Uh... s-sure, please.” She gestured to the seat across from her and reached over, taking an empty cup and setting it before the stranger. ”As long as your hear, help yourself to a cup.” It wasn’t much, but now she had to think of something. Well, more than just one thing right now. But, moving along with this girl’s questions should make it easier to pick up her stories.

“Thank you,” Medeia would answer politely, taking a seat opposite the white haired girl and pouring herself a cup of tea when offered the opportunity. She did not fail to miss the hesitation in the girl’s voice which instantly caught her attention. There was definitely something going on inside the young woman’s mind and it aroused the witch’s curiosity. Up until recently, she had never taken much interest in the stories and feelings of those that she met but after her experiences over the past few weeks, that had begun to change. It seemed like everyone had a sad tale to tell and it was those tales that left the door open for her. It always started so innocently but rarely ended in such a way. The angel was always thinking with the long term in mind and already a plan had already begun to formulate in her mind. She wanted something from the girl, as she always did and it was simply a matter of getting to the point where the witch could claim what she wished to claim.

“I do not think that I got your name, Miss?” she would ask, before placing the pot back down and taking a sip of tea, her purple eyes gazing at the girl with a curious sparkle. There was no menace in either her words nor actions and she simply gave off the impression that she was a friendly local, wanting to make friends with the newcomer. The staff certainly were not stupid enough to say otherwise, knowing full well of Medeia’s capabilities. The owner of the shop may have believed that he was running the place but that was not even close to the truth. This was the witch’s place, a rare spot that she actually enjoyed being in, compared to the rest of the settlement, which was a rather dull and dreary place. She was certain that the weather did not help matters but there was nothing she could about it. Add to that the random acts of violence that her guild mates occasionally committed in the village and Medeia wondered why anyone would visit at all.

There was something distinctive about the figure in front of her that she could not quite put her finger on. She seemed unlike other humans and that alone only caused her level of interest to increase. Medeia was always attracted to those that were different, due mostly to the fact that she had become so tired of regular humans. She could walk through a town and barely tell one from another, as though they were sheep, swallowing the rhetoric of those in charge without having any spine or will of their own. It was quite pathetic to be honest and was the sole reason why she remained in Errings Rising. They wished for an end to all of that and she had to admit that the world would be a far more interesting place if it did.

“I could not help but notice that you look a little blue. Is something wrong?” she asked, a look of slight concern appearing on her face.

(522 Words)
(Total WC: 1041)

Only a soft nod replied from the thanks she received for having been granted permission to sit down with her. She really didn’t have much to say and frankly she wasn’t the type to really try to partake in a conversation. More over with complete strangers, but today she was going to force herself. She needed to get herself out of her normal headspace for the day and this felt like it was going to be the only way she can do that. So as the strange woman sat down and accepted the offer for tea, she simply watched in a bit of a quiet manner as she filled her up and then after it was put back, she topped up her own cup and then set it back down.

Taking a sip as she was asked about her name, the thought escaped her about a name. Should she lie? Tell the truth? It was hard to say since she was more used to giving her real name to the form of her spirit and then simply going by her guild name when in the current form she was in... ”I’m sorry. My name is Aoi.” She replied, sitting up a little bit in her seat and then looking over. She held no look of deception in her eyes or voice. As far as anyone could tell, she honestly went by the name and she even gave a small smile. She cared not wanting to overdo it and sell the act too much, but it was hard in her current mood. ”And yourself, ma’am? And.. aren’t you cold in those clothes? It’s pretty cold up here this time of year and can only get colder.” Her eyes lowered to her attire for a moment as she brought that up, never minding the dress she herself wore.

It did seem though when the topic came about that this woman had known her mood was less than comforting. It did turn out she was right in her assumption that she let her guard down and for it, this woman approached probably with the hopes she would turn over and just blurt out her issues. Should she? It was hard to really say, but her eyes sunk to her cup of tea and after a moment, she raised it up and sipped from it before setting it back down and letting out a small, soft sigh. ”It’s.. just a rough time of year for me. I was hoping to just clear my head a little. This place didn’t seem to busy and figured I wouldn’t be worried about someone thinking I was some lost child. You’d be surprised how often I get asked that. I’m growing rather numb of being called it at this point. But this doll body is comforting to me, like a shield almost.” She tried to smile, but it simply slumped. She couldn’t bare to try and think this a happy feeling though she knew it was. It surely beat alternatives.

“A pleasure to meet you, Aoi,” the witch answered silkily, before repeating her own name since Aoi seemed to have missed her saying it, “I am Medeia, a regular here.” The girl’s comment about her attire actually caused a brief laugh to escape from the witch, her eyes flashing with mirth for a moment or two, admiring the girl’s candour. “Oh, the cold does not affect me much because of my links to the guild at the mountains peak. It is a spell that they cast on us to shield us from the frigid weather. I have never been one for wearing thick and woolly stuff anyway and have always preferred the attire of her homeland, a country of deserts and a far milder climate.” Medeia saw no reason as to why she should hide her affiliation as it honestly made little difference to her nor her plans. “I have to say that your lovely dress seems a little out of place as well, given the weather.”

Her tone was cheerful and an eyebrow rose when Aoi spoke about her problems, as well as revealing that she was not in fact human at all but a doll. Medeia was slightly surprised but it did not startle her as such. The witch had seen many forms of humanoid in her long lifespan and the fact that the girl was a doll only increased her level of interest further. “Forgive me if I have come across as though I was thinking of you as a lonely child. That was not my intention, I just have a habit of wanting to speak to those that I have never seen before, call it a childlike curiosity that I have never grown out of if you like.”

Aoi was clearly hurting on an emotional level and the tell tell signs were almost unmissable at this point. Medeia could help but be intrigued about the reason why although the more devious side was looking for a way to exploit it. Perhaps this doll was a little like Lola and simply wished to find someone that she could talk to and vent at. It might have sounded simple but it was something that the angel had noticed that mortals tended to do a hell of a lot. It was as if they were just unable to understand their own feelings and rather than open up, they would just hold them inside until they just exploded. It was certainly not Medeia’s way, far from it. No, she was a deity of lust and passion after all and her emotions tended to come out in a rather different way.

“Shielding you from what?” she would ask softly, “Do people mistreat you simply for being different?” They were simple questions and while they did probe a little, it was just a way for the witch to start a conversation in truth and perhaps find a way in. The look in her eye was in no way mocking though, on the contrary, she would appear to be genuinely interested, if not even a little concerned.

(515 Words)
(Total WC: 1556)

Giving a bit of a small smile as she was given the greeting, it hit Sakura that she was actually previously greeted first and the lapse of thought she just had missed it? No matter, it wasn’t something direly important as Medeia seemed to be rather kind and choosing not to bring up that tidbit of information. From the few times she’d come around, she couldn’t remember seeing a regular here, however that surely could have just been something she just missed. This was a place she used to relax and be in peace, so perhaps she let seeking her from past sights go. But as she had mentioned a guild in the mountains above the settlement, the doll’s head tilted a little. She hadn’t known a guild could exist in the mountains like this one, nor that they could extend such a courtesy to its members. ”That sounds pretty unique. Was seeing snow for the first time exciting for you?” Wait, why did she ask that? Maybe childish curiosity for someone who was raised in a desert land.

A shrug ensued from the apology that was given to her from what she was apologized for. It wasn’t like she was approached by everything from a teenager to a grown adult. Even a couple Rune Knights had asked that question. Then.. then there were the perverted ones who thought she was a sap and could be lured out. They were easy to fool, but not worth her time at all. ”It’s not a problem. I’ve learned to brush them off without really being bothered by it anymore. It’s been brought up too often to be mad at anymore. Seems to be more humorous than it is agitating.” She replied, her head shaking lightly and then taking a sip from her cup of tea.

Now the questions seemed to be feeling more direct. It was hard to tell that she was being asked or not with more personal information, but she simply let it slide. She wasn’t in the best of moods and really it wasn’t too big of a deal to set herself with the information set in stone. ”Well, when your body is slowly rotting and shutting down from the inside out and there’s no cure, it brings about a lot of harsh mental effects. But.. thankfully my mother and I were able to find a man, a mage in particular who had been a masterful puppeteer. He gave me a body originally and I’ve been able to find a replacement from friends I made over time. Crafted, actually.” She looked down at her own body and it pulled a smile to her face. A keepsake from her friends whom she would refrain from mentioning.

”I do have to ask one thing from you, Miss Medeia.” She brought her attention back, her eyes meeting to the strangers own. ”Was there another reason you picked me to talk to?” She looked around for a brief moment and then returned her attention to the woman. ”I don’t mean to seem to spiteful sounding about it, but I had to ask. I hope you understand.” She was trying to keep to a certain personality. Something more natural and yet different.

“I am not sure if exciting is the word that I would use but it was certainly beautiful,” Medeia answered in response to Aoi’s question, “I first saw it during the holiday season, where the locals had decorations up and everything. I had never seen anything quite like it before and I still remember the sight fondly. It is just a shame that it only happens once a year.” She would smile for a moment, as though she was feeling a moment of nostalgia. It had been a rather unexpected question but she had simply answered naturally without any real thought about it. Was her answer truthful or simply a deception? Well, that was something that would simply remain unknown.

Taking a sip of her tea as Aoi spoke about how often she had been referred to as a child and while also sort of accepting her apology, Medeia’s expression simply remained one of understanding. The witch would never simply put up with such a state of affairs and anyone stupid enough to call her a child would have soon be taught otherwise. They would simply find themselves at the mercy of her magic, slowly sinking into a pool of quicksand, with no hope of escape or rescue. Such was the fate of those who upset the slayer or at least those who did not attract her attention. The peons of the world, who were simply beneath her. “You handle it better than I would, as I find being called a child to be quite insulting,” she would say simply, a brief shrug of her shoulders to match the white haired girl’s.

The tale about her background was intriguing and Medeia listened with interest as Aoi spoke about her past. The uniqueness of her tale was enough to convince the witch of what her next move was going to be. This girl had passed the test that the angel tended to set for those who her maid considered to be worthy of her attention. Her eyes would briefly sparkle with interest as her obsessive nature began to climb to the surface. She wanted this girl with her, no matter the cost or sacrifice and although she continued to look serene on the outside, it was a rather different story on the inside.

She was about to give her opinion on Aoi’s tale but girl’s last question and comments caused her to pause and resulted in her briefly falling silent. Her instincts were telling her to move now and she saw no reason to doubt them. Holding the girl’s gaze for a few moments, Medeia would then briefly lean in towards the girl and say, her purple eyes starting to pulse with magical energy, “Yes, there is a reason why I picked you to talk to. You see, I have taken quite a liking to you and when I take a liking to someone, I cannot help but get a little obsessed. I had to talk to you to make and now that I have, I am certain that I have made  the right decision. Now, my dear, relax and close your eyes.”

The moment that she stopped speaking, Medeia would begin to sing, a soothing melody that only the strongest of mages could truly fight. For Aoi, it would be an almost impossible task, if Medeia had sensed her magical aura properly.

(563 Words)
Total WC:2119)

It was refreshing to hear the story of this woman’s perspective of having seen snow for the first time. She seemed to keep her attention solely on her as she was given the opportunity to happily speak about it. Giving slight nods towards Medeia as she had come to be explained of her experience, she had found it interesting. ”Yeah.. the mind can be a very strange thing too.” She raised her arm just enough and then set it down on the table with her palm up. ”I haven’t been able to feel anything in much less than 3 years now, but when I think back on my memories of my old human body, on those days when I could still call myself human... I can still feel that first snowflake landing on my arm. How cool and soothing it felt as it melted onto my arm.” She shared a small portion of her own story, looking solely at her own arm for a moment before she pulled it back and off of the table.

This was good. Letting herself vent was something that seemed to slowly let her breath and again and after some time, she began to feel a lot more at ease. It was slowly becoming a mentally assuring idea that she take her spirit form and reach for those goals she sought out. Maybe it was time to reach out. Get back with those which she had to leave behind and reforge the bond in which they shared. But the idea of being called a child was always a rather insulting thing that she managed to quell with time. It made things much easier on her to do this kind of thing for sure. ”It used to, but like I said. I can be called whatever someone wants to call me, but at the end of the day, I am my own person and nobody can change that.”

The feeling of self assurance was both a truth and a lie. Something to tell herself to keep to the script. Aoi, a solemn doll who couldn’t really do much for herself and then Sakura, the future idol of Fiore. She’d get there with time. It wasn’t until this moment, this woman than she gave this doll a name and it’s own identity, sewn in with her own history as well as others which would be kept away and filled with the sand of lies. Something of a rough road paved anew. Now though, it seemed as though Medeia was trying to get somewhere with having now met the doll and very much so she was enjoying the idea the more she sat with her. Why though, that was for the question she asked.

When she began to reply, her eyes could not seem to pull away from the eyes of the woman across from her. The pupils of what life held in them were quickly fading out as she was beginning to quickly be overwhelmed with a feeling of sleepiness. ”Wh-What is..” She muttered to herself as her eyes began to grow heavier by the second and then the words slowly getting harder to understand only being able to hear the word “relax” before her body almost collapsed onto the table. Since she was a very light bodied doll, it didn’t make much of a noise at all. At the same time, she felt like dead weight, unable to wake up or even expel herself from her doll body in hopes she could keep from the sleep. But all was useless.

With a soft smile, Medeia would simply watch the sleeping doll for a for a few moments, unable to fight off the urge to stroke the beautiful white hair of the doll. It had all gone so perfectly and now she had another beautiful girl in her grasp. Her mind was already coming up with possible scenarios that she could play out with her new captive but there was no need to rush. She had all the time in the world to decide and there was the matter of delving into the mind of her new plaything first. Judging from the girl’s words, it seemed that her family was what was most important to her and that knowledge was what caused one specific plan to come to the forefront of her mind. A simple one, yet probably more effective than any other. This would be an enjoyable game and one that could develop in so many ways. For now though, it was simply a case of starting the next stage off.

Standing up, she would walk around to the other side of the table and gently hoist the girl up onto her shoulders in a fireman's carry. Medeia was by no means the most physically imposing mage but her slayer powers did give her some additional strength and the girl was rather light. As she headed towards the door, a couple of members of the public would approach her, looking concerned but the witch easily eased their doubts, explaining that she was well versed in the magical arts of healing and that she would be able to aid her fallen friend, who had suddenly become ill. The staff said nothing about it, knowing full well what was happening although a tall purple haired figure soon approached and helped ease any tension. The woman gave Medeia a knowing smirk and the angel gave her a small smile in return, silently thanking her maid for the assist.

Once the mage and her victim were out in the open, she would grow a pair of purple wings and head for the guild castle, immune from the cold and easily able to deal with the winds. She had no plans of informing either the aces of the guild mistress of her capture and did not even through the front entrance. Instead, she flew around the back of the castle, having to smile for a moment and the beauty of the building, before flying in through an open window and landing softly on the carpeted floor. The open window had indeed been her own, such was the preparation that she had gone through before starting the game. She could have used the guild dungeon for this but Medeia wanted a more personal touch and besides, the witch had everything she needed in her room.

Placing the sleeping girl on the bed, Medeia would then mutter a few words and create a set of purple bindings, before rolling the girl onto her front and getting to work. Her hands would go about their work with the skill of an expert, tying the girls wrists, arms, legs and feet in seconds, cinching every knot to make sure there would be no escape for the girl. Her bonds were not excruciatingly tight but enough to keep the girl where the witch wanted her. With a grin, she would then head over to her bedside cabinet and pull out what seemed to be a purple coloured collar, which she would then proceed to place around the girl’s neck. A special toy of hers and one that she had only just completed. It had a purpose and one that Aoi would soon understand all too well very soon.

When she was satisfied with her work, Medeia would roll Aoi on her back and speak, looking down at her from the side of the bed, “All right Doll, you can wake up now.”

(653 Words)
(Total WC: 2772)

In the moments before her falling asleep, she attempted to do everything she could to push it off, but nothing she tried could seem to work. Her body felt nothing, so trying to stimulate it to jolt it awake was impossible. Her next option was to eject herself from the doll body in hopes it didn’t get to that form as well. Her body however was too weakened by the hypnotic state to do anything relating to her magic and so she was stuck there, forced into a sleep she didn’t want or even need while the last thing she could see was the smirk and the look on the woman’s face as she closed her eyes and then fell to the table where she was now unconscious on.

Now nothing felt right to her. She could still hear in a muffled sense to that she was asked why she picked Sakura up. So she was no held in her arms, laying against her back like a piggy back style? It was hard to tell and her body refused to really move either, so trying to decipher that was impossible. This truly was the first time this was happening, so to learn this now was almost as informative as it was terrifying. Still, she couldn’t be killed and her guild was so adept at information gathering that this was bound to get back to them. She would be found, but she didn’t want to be the burden that was so easily picked on. But instead, here she was, being carried off somewhere under the guise of a sick child going to be tended to by someone whom was supposedly her guardian or parent.

After some additional time, she felt as though things were only getting worse. An ironic statement given her condition, but a voice spoke through clear as day and her eyes mystically popped open. The burst of light, which normally would have been blinding was Nothing to the slayer. She shook her head a little and attempted to move, but her arms wouldn’t budge. Wanting to move her legs, the same thing seemed to follow suit. The girl had picked her head up a little as well as her legs to see the purple ropes coiled around them and then dropped them back down with a heavy sigh. Great... ”Wh-Where am I? Why do you have me tied up?” She began to question. It was something to buy time, but nothing she even tried to do was working. Pushing herself from the doll body, bending the light to her will. Nothing. Just who was she dealing with?

“You are in the castle of the Errings Rising guild, not that anyone else knows that besides you and me,” Medeia answered with a slight smirk, “In my private quarters to be exact.” She would briefly look the bound girl up and down, the gentle and understanding look that the witch had shown in the shop replaced by a slightly more playful and mischievous one. “You fell victim to my sleep spell you see, a powerful tool of mine that has caused many beautiful creatures to fall helplessly into my arms. There is no need to feel ashamed or guilty about falling for my little trick, as you are not the first and will certainly not be the last. I am afraid that you let me get just a tad too close to you and sadly you have paid the price for that.”

Taking a seat on the bed beside the bound girl, she would chuckle slightly at the girl’s second question and answer in a matter of fact tone, “What did you expect me to do? Leave you free so that you could simply run off as soon as you wake up? That would hardly be a good move on my part, would it? No, it is important that you stay like that, just for now while we talk things out. There is nothing you can do to escape this situation so you might as well just accept that fact. If I hear the sound of ropes snapping, I will simply tie you even tighter. If you scream, well, this room is soundproof so there is not much point in doing that and if you try to use your magic then that little device of mine around your neck will stop that from happening. You are completely at my mercy, to do what I wish with you.

There was a slight undercurrent of menace to every word that she said as her darker and honestly real side began to emerge. Her kind and caring facade was fading away, to be replaced by her true self. Still, she was still not overly threatening yet and she made no actual action as to harm the girl. No, that was not her aim. She was looking for something else.

“You are the victim of a little game of mine, my dear,” Medeia continued, turning her purple eyed gaze towards the girl's again, “You see, that tea shop is actually a simple front and its real purpose is for me to find suitable targets that I can toy with as I see fit. I have never cared much for humanity as a whole and so my most loyal supporter spends time finding those who she believes will pique my interest. You certainly fit that category, my dear. Yet what should I do with you now? Should I keep you tied here and allow the animals in this guild to play with you? Decisions, decisions.”

There was zero chance of that happening as Medeia would not trust those in the guild with anything, let alone her new source of amusement.

(517 Words)
(Total WC: 3289)

The very words uttered from her lips of the name Errings Rising brought a small look of fear to her. She heard all around Crocus and Rose Garden over their symbol etched into the Rune Knights building, the massacre of the settlement even, much less what was done in other countries as well under their name? Just what was available to her at a low level within her own organization was enough to have struck the fear of god into any normal person. But what did Sakura have to really fear? She could feel no pain.. physical anyway. Being stuck within the doll body was probably the safer of the two options here in this moment. But still, there was a look she gave in reveal of this town. She did fear the thought of being captured, but nothing more than that. What was to come was nothing as bad as others could have it.

When she was bringing about points from her question, she couldn’t help but laugh a little at them. If she had done any research into the physical limitations in which Sakura had, she would know physically, she was as big a threat as a lifeless toy. The fact she had to be bound by this woman spoke volumes to her own weaknesses. ”Really? You feared me enough to tie me up? Someone who can’t lift up certain books because they’re too heavy. I’d be lucky to reach your door knob and though I can’t fly, I’m a doll for Pete sake!” She snarled, rolling her eyes and trying to calm herself back down.

Normally, Sakura was one to remain still under pressure, but there was something about having revealed much about herself only to have it turned on her and placed into a situation much like this one. Stuck in a soundproof room, her magic sealed to her use behind some kind of thing placed around her neck, her arms trapped behind her back and her legs essentially immobilized 100%. The inability to move her limbs freely was truly a burden at times and this one surely took the cake. ”Good luck with some of those, sweetheart. You won’t be able to have that much fun with me.” Figuring she could tempt her captor with be notion that taking her was a fruitless effort in hopes she could be let go was risky, but she did feel the chance was worth it.

Sakura quickly became a little intrigued in the idea that she left some sort of subservient person in the town and more specifically the shop despite everything going on. While she wanted to commend her for keeping away from the radar so much, she had to wonder why. ”Wait Wait.. you would leave someone the chance to be arrested that was connected to your guild out in public? I can’t tell whether to be impressed or appalled.” The bound doll just rolled her eyes before the thought came public. Being thrown to the wolves of the guild who would try to do god knows what? Honestly, the probability she would be left be was better left to staying with Medeia... as much as it pained her to say so. ”N-No! Miss Medeia... please... keep me. From the other guild members I mean! I would rather be here to play with you than anyone in this place.” She tried to reel her in on that, unsure if it would work, but if it got her a chance to get home to her mother, it was worth a chance.

3650/3500 words

“Fear? Of you? I am not sure quite how to respond to that, my dear,” Medeia answered, amused by the notion, “I am well aware of the differences between us, both in terms of strength and magical prowess but you have come to the wrong conclusion. I just like to be thorough and I would be lying if I said that binding your beautiful doll body did not give me the slightest tingle of pleasure too. It is well known among these halls that I have some rather peculiar habits, especially with other females. I suggest that you get your facts straight before speaking, Aoi because I have a fondness for using people’s words against them, in the most literal of senses.”

The girl’s defiance certainly was appealing and Medeia did have a certain admiration for it, however, she had found that such traits tended to fizzle away once she had found their weakness. In truth, she already had a suspicion as to what that was already and it had come straight from Aoi’s mouth during their talk at the tea shop. Her smile widening slightly, she would clamber onto the bed and take a seat behind the bound girl, before lifting her up and placing Aoi on her lap. The doll was so light and barely weighed anything so it was no struggle for the witch to move her into the right position. Aoi’s words about having her fun caused Medeia to laugh out right and she would lean in towards the girls ear and gently whisper, “Oh, I think that I will be able to have my fair share of fun. I have a hunch that you are hiding a secret regarding this body of yours and I am starting to wonder if your words about it being a shield have more meaning than they appear to be. Maybe this doll’s body is like a comfort blanket for you, hmm? A defence from being able to feel anything perhaps? Am I getting warm?”

She would start to toy with the doll, running one hand through her hair, treating her exactly as a young child would with their favourite toy. It was a curious sensation for the witch although she doubted that Aoi would feel quite so thrilled with the situation. The girl’s comments about Armina simply caused Medeia to shrug, “There is no chance that my maid would be captured by idiotic humans and she has more than enough strength to handle herself. She is my most loyal of companions and comes from the heavens, rather than the earth, as do I. That is why I have so little value for humanity, my doll because I come from a world beyond it. I was born in Desierto but I have become so much more over time. I am now an angel of lust and passion.”

She would simply raise an eyebrow at the sudden subservient tone as Aoi pleaded with her and simply placed one hand gently around the doll’s throat, her tone momentarily becoming dark indeed, “You fail to realise something. I am not giving you an option, merely something for you to think about. Also, I believe that you should consider the life of the woman who is closest to you because if you persist in trying to play me, then I will play with her and force you to watch. Do not underestimate what I am capable of, my dear because unlike most angel’s……”

The hand around Aoi’s throat would briefly loosen although it would still be easily seen by the girl, before it would briefly turn purple and become a claw, with five razor sharp nails, “I am not one who is holy, I was thrown out of the heavens and I am sure that you can begin to understand why.”

(638 Words)
(Total WC: 3927)

(My WC for Job 1: 3927/3500)
(Sakura's WC for Job 1; 3650/3500)
(Total WC for Job 1: 7577)

Her body tried to struggle in the bindings that were prepared for her, but the notion itself was useless. Her body could still only move up to its own limitation and it seemed as though she was bound in ways that immobilized the ways in which she could even move to begin with. Then came her cocky little speech over her having known that she was much stronger than Sakura was. More over, she was seeming to have enjoyed tied her up in the first place, taking some sick enjoyment of the whole ordeal and it bumped her the wrong way. Yet, she refused to try and thrash about like an angry child. She needed to control herself and just await a time to go when it was presented or god permit an offer for it.

She was right however. She needed to refocus her words into a more reasonable manner. But that was hard to do once she watched herself being picked up, pulled back and then onto Medeia’s lap. From there, she could see the mirror across from them and the view alone of her being tied up on this woman’s lap, her hair being caressed, and most of all, her unable to do anything about it was demoralizing for sure. It wasn’t until she heard the woman in her ear that she looked over to see she moved up next to it. Sometimes not feeling a thing had it’s downsides. In that whispering voice, she spoke calmly began to speak a theory of her. Bringing up her earlier talk about her doll body being a shield. Instead of reacting, she just looked over her shoulder slightly. She gave no reply, no real emotional or physical reply. She was right in some senses.. but others she was wrong...... was she? ”You would imply I had the ability to change that, and you’re wrong.”

Good. She was beginning to keep to her normal ways and it could work in her favor if she could just keep herself collected and relaxed. While being lectured about the maid whom she had working in the shop, she did remember seeing her a couple different times, one of which she could recall the maid having asked about waiting her table. The maid never really pushed too far forward with asking, but in information gathering, it could be hard to gain your information from one target without them catching on if you approach them with certain questions. Perhaps that’s why Med had come to her specifically today.

The cool temperament didn’t seem to last very long. She was doing fine until... that came to be. There were a number of things in which she could bare under any circumstance to put herself through, but her mother’s life or safety was the Achilles’ heel to her. The one person she tried to keep hidden from the world she was immersed in as much as possible. But here she was, practically feeling blackmailed over the safety of her mother in return for compliance or just overall complete threats. ”Y-You leave my mother out of this!” It was bound to be something to come to light sooner or later, but she didn’t want this... she wanted her to be kept safe. ”Alright alright... you have me. Please, just.. just leave her alone.” The look of frustration and defeat in her gritting her teeth and averted her eyes from the mirror or even herself. She was hoping to avoid this, but now she was going to have to play her game.

“Am I wrong or are you simply trying to deceive me?” Medeia would ask in response to Aoi’s comments about her doll body being a shield, “I find it difficult to believe that you do not have a way out of that body of yours. I begin to wonder perhaps if you are simply a ghost rather than an actual being at this point, a spirit in an animated body. You said yourself that the puppeteer was able to channel your aura from one vessel to another and I cannot help but be curious as to whether you have developed a way to do it yourself. It would be an awfully convenient tool at times I bet.” It made sense to the witch although it was still speculation at this point but perhaps it was another way to crack the girl’s rather formidable armour of calmness that she had surrounded herself with.

It seemed that she had struck a nerve when mentioning the girl’s mother and there was a slight glint of triumph in the witch’s eye. Family could be such a weakness at times and it definitely appeared that the girl’s was here. “I will do precisely what I wish with both you and your mother,” she replied coldly to Aoi’s outburst and pleading, “I cannot say that I particularly like your tone either and I think that perhaps I should send my beautiful maid out into the world and have her play around with your mother in my stead. I am sure that my loyal companion will come back with all of the details although Armina does have a tendency of going too far sometimes. She has been with me for a long time and she has picked up many of my tendencies. Once she returns from the shop, maybe she will be open to showing one or two of them with you?”

Noticing the mirror herself, Medeia would place one hand around the doll’s head and forcibly move it so that the girl was forced to look at it. “Why are you so disgusted about what you see, my dear? Is this not the function of a doll? To be played and toyed with by their caring and loving owner?” Her tone was almost loving for a moment and her other hand would briefly touch the collar around the girl’s neck, “You are my marionette now, Aoi, to be used and manipulated in anyway I see fit. If you behave yourself then I will treat you will, if not, then it will be your mother who will suffer. Now, I am going to ask you something and I want a straight answer. Are you going to resist or are you going to accept your fate? No clever words or deceptions, the truth now.”

There was nothing that the girl could do at this stage but Medeia still took some amusement and pleasure out of asking anyway. Aoi had come across with an attitude and the witch always found it stimulating to watch the ego’s of those she claimed to shatter and break.

(516 Words)
(Total WC: 4443)

Medeia’s meddling with her abilities was starting to get closer and closer to the truth. She couldn’t really try to deceive her for much longer on this subject, but she was still able to. Should she? Definitely. If there was knowledge that she had a look that could experience feeling, she could only imagine how much more insufferable this kind of situation could be. Instead, she had to stick to her guns and come up with something that could convince her otherwise. ”I.. I used to.” She started, taking in a breath and then exhaling. ”I used to have this wolf spirit a ways back and she and I could go in and out of my body freely, however she and I were able to get separated after about a year together. I haven’t been able to leave this body since, but... it was nice to have been able to feel things on my own again. Well, without help that is.”

A small sigh left her mouth, showing a look of regret in seeing that she couldn’t leave her body. What she had used the idea for was this thing around her neck that had made her unable to leave the body now. But with the denial of leaving her mother be, the woman began to flaunt the threats on her mother quite mockingly. Knowing Sakura couldn’t do anything made her frustrated and then looked up to the woman over her shoulder. The look of rage and fury in her eye met her eyes. However, she quickly softened the look in her eyes. It showed genuine feelings of defeated and submission. ”I-I’m begging... please leave her be. I’ll do whatever you want. I... I don’t want her involved.” Her voice was slowly calming, but it still held notes of anger and grudge.

As her face was pulled to the mirror, the slayer was forced to look upon herself while it was flaunted in front of her from the way she was bound and seated on the woman’s lap. A living toy whom was being claimed in this very moment. At first, she was prepared to say something, but it seemed to stop as Medeia had begun to speak once again. Her hand albeit played with the purple looking choker on her neck as she began to explain the circumstances of what was going to happen, hanging her mothers safety over her head. The look of surprise and worry filled her face while she still had been looking in the mirror, then made a loud sigh, lowering her head with a nod. ”Medeia. I give in.. I’ll do what you wish, I promise...” Biting her tongue, she refused to bring up her mother once again. If she could keep from the topic, maybe she could end up getting her to forget and get to leave.

“Sounds like something that we should investigate,” Medeia would whisper into Aoi’s ear after hearing her tale about the wolf, “Perhaps if I tinker with the collar a little, I can allow you to take on a spiritual form of your own. I am sure that there are many sensations that I could help you discover and feel for the first time in ages, my pretty little doll.” Did she truly believe in the story? Well, it was possible, although in truth it did not matter all that much. If Aoi had been telling the truth then perhaps her offer might sound strangely beneficial and if she had lied, well, now she had something else to worry about. It was a victory either way for the witch and a smile crossed her lips at the thought.

She noticed the look in the girl’s eyes as she mocked her mother and for a moment, Medeia gave her a look in return that could have turned the stoutest of men to quivering wrecks. Still, it clearly showed that Aoi was still capable of feeling emotions and that was enough to keep the black haired angel interested. She had found a way in through the girl’s defences and now she could make progress. All she said in answer to Aoi’s pleading was one sentence, “Whenever you feel like saying something stupid, remember my warning because I will not say it again.” Her words were as cold as ice and the look in the eyes matched that description. She meant every syllable.

Medeia could still detect a hint of anger in the girl but that seemed to vanish as her previous threats seemed to finally take hold. The witch could see the look of worry in the girl’s eyes, a look that was clearly genuine and it was then that the angel was certain that she had won this little battle of wills and finally broken the girl’s resistance against her. It was the obvious ending to this anyway and Aoi had fought with a stubborn but she was over her head here, against an experienced opponent. It seemed that the girl had played her last card, with nothing else left to play. After hearing the girl seemingly give in to her, Medeia would simply return to playing with the girl’s hair for a few moments, although there was an unmistakable smile on the witch’s face that could easily be seen in the mirror.

She would then speak once more, her eyes gazing into the mirror so that she could clearly see Aoi’s face, “There, that was not so difficult, was it? If you had simply just said that to begin with then I would not have had to resort to threats. The rules are quite simple, my dear. If you behave yourself and follow my instructions then neither you nor anyone else will be harmed. There will be occasions when I will have you accompany me on missions and I expect you to fight with your full strength and to follow my commands. If you act properly, I will grant you more and more freedom as time goes on but if you start misbehaving, then we will go back to square one. Any questions?” There was a slightly smug tone to her voice as she spoke that last sentence.

(557 Words)
(Total WC: 5000)

Investigate? The thought of her looking into something that would be earth shattering, maybe something that if she didn’t already have the innate ability to now that she may have offered to willingly do things for this woman in return for it. But instead, this was the scenario and it wasn’t going to go well if she didn’t come up with something. But alas, why mess with the truth? ”N-No. I-I don’t want that...” She sounded almost afraid, but surprised at the same time. ”P-Please, don’t get me wrong. The thought is- is- b-but I couldn’t. I I can’t. I can’t face the fear of the pain again. I don’t want that, I don’t want to ever go through that again. Please, please don’t...” The look of fear wracked her mind.

The look in her eyes of a traumatized child was genuine. Despite her spirit form and already knowing the sense of feeling, it was a rare thing for her to use in the first place. It wasn’t meant to be a real pick and choose. It was a luxury that she didn’t want to afford to squander. That look even in the mirror terrified her. She knew she felt this way, but she didn’t ever express this as something to worry about. Her life was carefree until she returned to Fiore and frankly, now that she was back she was beginning to regret it. Aside from the invitation to join, this had been one slowly down hill battle she didn’t want to go down any longer. ”I... I understand, ma’am...” Finally, the fearful gaze sunk back to that of the defeated state she carried before.

After that of her angered look, that intimidated glare back did little to really squander her hopes, but frankly, they were crushed by other things. It didn’t seem to be anything to her now but to just sit there and let this woman play around with her hair while she sat on her lap unable to do anything. “You are my marionette now, Aoi, to be used and manipulated in anyway I see fit.” Those words replayed in her head again and again as she just stared on in the mirror. She didn’t want this to happen, but she knew what she was complying for. To her, if this was a sacrifice that Sakura had to make, she would surely be there to take whatever bullet had to be taken. ”No, Miss Medeia... I have no other questions... Just.. when will I be able to go home? Well, go to my home.” She refused to try and be tricked into thinking she was being kept forever, but knowing she would have to keep playing along until she could go home. It was all she was capable of doing right now.

The look on Medeia’s face remained unchanged as Aoi seemed to fall to pieces at the witch’s suggestion although she was smiling inside. There was no mistaking the look on the girl’s face and any sign of subterfuge seemed to be well and truly gone at this point. The white haired doll was being completely truthful and that was what caused the angel to ease up slightly on the tone of menace in her voice. Truthfully, she did not like to take on a hard approach with those she captured and preferred a softer touch. Why? It was an instinctive trait of hers. She was after all, a being of lust and pleasure, not one of anger and wrath. The bound doll was a toy of hers but that did not mean that Medeia would treat her poorly. It was all about control and the witch was at her happiest when her playthings were agreeable, rather than argumentative.

“Yet you are missing so much by being unable to feel,” she would finally say in answer to girl’s panicked words, gently embracing Aoi’s tied up form from behind, “Life is such a cold and empty place without them and I cannot imagine what it must be like for you to not feel any sensations. You honestly should consider my offer, my dear, as I desperately want to help you regain what you have lost.” Her voice sounded rather gentle and the look in her eye shared the same sentiment, however, her mind was already considering the possibility of doing it anyway. What choice did the girl have and Medeia was curious as to see just how Aoi would respond to being in a more susceptible form. “Besides, your illness was one of the body. You have escaped from it now. Do not let it cause you to fear your own feelings going forward.”

Her body language was becoming softer again, now that the girl had conceded to her and there was little trace of her darker side at this point. She would start to hum lightly, before reaching over to her bedside cabinet once again and opening the draw. For a moment, it might have seemed as though she was pulling out another magical device but the truth was that it was simply a hairbrush, which she would then proceed to start using to brush the doll’s hair. Gentle and tender, the witch would quite cheerfully take care of the doll’s lovely locks although she did briefly pause when Aoi asked her a question.

“My dear Aoi, I am not in the habit of keeping my girls forever,” she said honestly, “I capture, I have my fun and then I let them go again. When I refer to this as a game, I mean what I say. You see, life for my kind is endless and I will walk these lands for eternity, never to die. Can you understand just how lonely that can be? I am lucky to have Armina, who is angelic as I am but we both feel the need to expand our horizons from time to time, thus our games.”

Pausing briefly, she would then smile into the mirror, “You will go home when the time is right and I am ready to let you go. Play the game, my dear and you will one day be able to leave this place.” Smiling, she would briefly lean around and kiss the doll on the cheek softly, before returning to brushing the girl’s hair. Was she telling the complete truth? Possibly.

(594 Words)
(Total WC: 5594 Words)

Medeia seemed motivated almost to give her a body to which she could feel again with. She didn’t want her to know about the spirit form she could already freely take, but in the same moment she still feared using it at times as well. She logically knew it couldn’t happen again, more over that she never had to worry about that disease hitting her again, but... there’s always that fear in the back of her mind. What if? What if by some miracle of chance that her body would slowly give out again and eventually that too would die off? Being forced to never use that body again. As many times as she tried to keep her mind focused, the idle moments where it lingers off into things she attempts to avoid.

”I...” She sighed a little, her eyes looking over to the mirror to see her being hugged was unsettling, but it was also desired even. But.. she didn’t want it from Medeia. She didn’t want this while in this situation, but if she didn’t have to feel a thing, than she could endure it. ”I did have a time since then.. when I could feel. It was something I had dreamt of since being in this body that I could do, but now? I can’t. I can’t... I can’t put myself through that whole thing again.” She looked down toward her lap for a moment, wracked with sadness and even the sight of fear in her eyes. ”You’ve said you were an angel, right? So I take it you’ve seen your share of those who died and had suffered? Take a moment and think of how much they suffered. Much like them, there were days where it was so bad you wished and prayed for death because it would make it stop. I can’t do that again. I can’t, so again I plead to you to not.”

It felt a little strangely relieving to let this off of her chest. Never once had she let these types of emotions out, letting them go. Despite her seeming alignment she was in now, this angel was still being one in some ways. If anything, it seemed to make her feel a little more at ease despite what was happening. While she was content with her life right now, those thoughts would probably always float in her mind from time to time and she couldn’t think if she could ever get over that. ”Miss-” She stopped at the beginning of going to ask a question once she had seen her finished rummaging though a drawer for something only to show it to be a brush which she began to use on her hair. While she was humming happily from doing this, she paused to the question she asked and thinking of it, she tried to pay attention to it all. She did this more often than not it seemed and the way she seemed to be with wanting things she couldn’t normally have.

”Wait.. so you mean to tell me... that if I don’t seem to die because of my body... you’d eventually try and take me for good?” She knew her mother wouldn’t sadly be around forever. If she planned to wait until that day or even some time after for a time to grieve before picking her up for keeps... Would she? She would hope not, but it was hard to say for sure. ”I mean... I don’t know if being in a doll’s body means I won’t ever grow old and die myself. I know the ups and downs of it, but that.. that still brings me to ask you if that’s the case... That my life is just going to dwindle down to you eventually taking me in like a piece of a collection?” Frankly, she hated to refer to it like that, but that’s the way she saw it to be and just like that was how she was going to relay it.

”But so long as I am here...” A heavy sigh left, giving in to her own defiant streak and knowing why she was doing this, she looked up to the mirror at the reflection of her captor. ”Then this game of yours can begin.”

"Suffering is a part of life," Medeia answered matter of factly, "All beings go through it at some stage, both mortal and otherwise. I myself spent what felt like an eternity bound to a chair by my angelic kin, just for being me. They believed that my nature was unholy like and since they could not kill me, they instead banished me to the earth. It was only when the bearer of this form freed me that I was able to live once again and now I exist as Medeia. So believe me, I know exactly what it feels like to live in a state of helplessness and fear and I have vowed to myself that I would never be in that situation again. So, through all that suffering, I came out with a stronger lust for life and a far harder view on life. By shielding yourself, you are only hiding from your true nature, my dear Aoi. I am beginning to think that it is necessary for me to free you from that form, for your own sake.”

Her tone was even and for a few moments, she said nothing more and simply continued to brush the girl’s hair, finding it quite pleasurable. Medeia had a fair amount of experience doing it, as Armina was constantly pestering her about doing it although her maid was usually rather more forceful in her requests, which she usually ended up in a far tighter situation then Aoi found herself in. The witch had expected to have been asked a question but it seemed that the doll had second thoughts and so she simply continued with her task, although the angel’s mind would briefly glance to the collar, pondering how to adapt it to the girl’s needs. This was not going to be a pleasant situation but call it a sick desire to see the girl suffer or a genuine concern for her doll’s well being, either way, Medeia was almost certain that it needed to be done.

“What you mean is.would releasing you simply be a way of allowing me to capture you again at a later time?” Medeia would answer after the girl finally managed to get what she was trying to say out. “Did I not just say that once our game was done then I would let you go?” Her tone was not quite so cheerful now, “I would have thought you would have relished the fact that our little play date was only temporary but you have the nerve to say that I am not a woman of my word? That I would come for you again and drag you back here? I am insulted by such an accusation and perhaps I am going to have to be a little sterner with you for the time being. In fact, maybe I might just not let you return home at all and I will instead leave you bound and in the dark as I was, with nothing but your fears and worries to comfort you. Is that what you want?”

Inside, Medeia was smiling and there was a twinkle in her amethyst coloured eyes. There were many ways that this game could go.

(536 Words)
(Total WC: 6130)

The doll listened on to the next portion of a story that was told to her. One of an example of suffering all her own. Confined to a chair... much like Sakura. Unable to move from it... much like Sakura. Others taking pity or just avoiding you because of it... just like Sakura. In some ways, she felt bad for what this former angel went through, truthfully. If that is what turned her against them, than that was more of their fault, not her own. ”You know... you and I are a lot alike in that way... ” At this point, hiding things away seemed pointless. Of course, her spirit was to be confidential. Her mother’s safety held to the highest priority. But in there still... she couldn’t sit there and judge someone who endured like she did.

”But I AM suffering still. It may not be in the same way, but I am. I suffer with a normal life. Be it a doll body or one given to me... it’s not mine. It’s not something I can feel like me again. I.. I can never be me again.” She looked away from the mirror once again, taking the moment to push further out these suppressed feelings. ”You and I are alike in that sense. You were bound to a chair. My muscles would not move so I was forced to be in a chair for half of the life that I lived. It may not have been that long to some... but half of an ENTIRE lifetime no matter the length is still a lot... having to be cared for day in and day out... I don’t have to burden my mother for that any longer and.. and if it’s the smallest thing like reaching a shelf, that’s fine! I would take not being able to feel, to reach a shelf or anything than to go back to fearing that any moment I could be struck again by this or even worse...” Her attention turned back to the mirror now, watching her continuing the brushing. ”When you were free from that chair... was it not like you were given a second chance? To do things on your own? Your way? Would it not be like tying me to a chair to make me endure that mental strain of paranoia again? I love my life, even in this moment now because I’m able to do what I want!— maybe not at this particular moment, but I digress.”

With a loud sigh, getting everything off of her chest, the threats poured in. She wasn’t phased by that so much... but she was for other reasons. She may not have to worry about her mother, but.. all of those that she knew in Hidden Blades seeing her suddenly going off the radar like that? Not good for her or anyone really. If anything, it could cause MORE harm for her mother than anything. ”You don’t have to be any particular way with me... just tell me what you want from me and I’ll do it.” The look in her eyes was a mix of defeat and a sudden fire, but this fire was not one for resilience or resisting. It was determination.

The witch remained oddly silently as she listened to Aoi speak, continuing to brush the gil’s hair, musing to herself and deciding not interrupt her mid flow. It was difficult not to see the similarities between them and the witch made no effort to dispute that. Oh, there was a clear difference, being that Medeia was imprisoned rather than paralysed by illness but that was a relatively minor detail. She could understand the helplessness that came from being unable to do anything for yourself. The witch was unable to see, speak or move during her imprisonment and hell would probably be a fair description of what it had been like. It had left its marks on the witch mentally although Medeia had come out of her predicament with a far stronger desire for pleasure and lust, which had been the primary reason why she had been locked away in the first place. Those who had placed her inside that cell had made one grievous error. It was supposed to have been a way for her to change her ways. Had it? No.

When she did finally say something, her tone had again lost its menacing and threatening nature, replaced by a more neutral one, “I actually feel sorry for you in a way, my dear. To have escaped from one prison, only to find yourself stuck in another. It is a cruel and harsh fate for someone who is undeserving. I could lecture about how tough life is but we have both experienced enough to already know that, all too well. I agree that we are similar in some respects but to be afraid of your own emotions is something that I will just never understand but I suppose that is expected. To me, emotions and feelings are the most precious sensations that any being can feel, regardless of status and to find someone who feels nothing is unnatural to me. You have constantly begged me to not try and help you but I find myself compelled to anyway. Every impulse in my body is saying to do just that.”

There was no deception in her words and she simply spoke the truth for the moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, “When I was released from the chair, I felt as though I was awakening from an everlasting nightmare. I opened my eyes to see a figure in front of me, the one that is holding you at this very moment. There were no words between us, simply an expression of passion that I had been robbed of for so long. It is my natural instinct, I desire to feel the deepest of emotions, both my own and others and perhaps that is why I find myself becoming more obsessed with you. You are different from those that I have met in the past. Your emotions are locked away, hidden from me and that thought is continuing to cause the gears in my head to turn and plans to formulate in my mind.”

She paused for a moment and looked into the mirror, pausing her brushing, “You are unique, my dear Aoi.”

(524 Words)
(Total WC: 6654)

It took a lot in her at this point for her to hold back on going off on her. Having begun to grit her teeth right after the first sentence was never a good sign, even for Sakura. Pity was something she always detested, and here it was. Flaunted in her face and in a way where she seemed to feel it justified by saying it was something that she and this woman were similar. It wasn’t as though she were wrong about it, but the way she seemed to go about it was the way that got to her to begin with. ”I want to make one thing clear... if you force me into a different body by any means, I will never obey you.” That rekindled fire began to flare up now, showing in the anger in her face and eyes. ”And if you ever lay a hand on my mother, I will make sure I never give you any cooperation what so ever. Even if it means spending eternity in darkness.” It mattered not to her what happened to her, but she was surely not going to be stepped on because of a threat and some little rope tricks.

While she was regaled with another tale of Medeia’s personal venture with her newly obtained sense of freedom and feeling, she tried to convince Sakura that she would feel the same way if she were granted that very same feeling. In no way did it feel like she would get anything out of that in which could convince her she was right. In her heart, the doll knew she was doing what was best for her and wouldn’t let this person ever change her mind. ”But we’re not the same at all! I was freed from my prison long ago, and in this doll body I am happy! I don’t care if I ever have physical feeling again, I still can hug my mother, walk to places, run when necessary. I can eat and drink without help at all. It’s all I ever wanted, and if the price for that is just to not feel anything, I’m ok with that. I’ve accepted it and I’m not afraid of it. In my mind, I can still feel these things and to me, it’s enough.” She began to smile now, feeling at a virtuous point of true happiness. ”Please understand I don’t mean to disrespect you.. but I feel if I don’t speak my mind, I’ll just get walked on like a piece of paper on the sidewalk.”

In the moment of the bit of brushing that Medeia was doing, she watched her pause in order to sit there and tell her that she was unique. From the sound of things... she was rather contradictory with that. ”But you realize that if you took me from this body, I cease to be that unique person you sought out, right? Surely you of all people could see that.” She replied, trying to hopefully trip her up mentally and convince her she was right. If it would work was up to Medeia, but there was still hope.