-- `★ )( ｃａｐｔａｉｎ'ｓ ¹⁰⁰ ˢᶜᵉᶰᵉ ᶜʰᵃᶫᶫᵉᶰᵍᵉ | posting open

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
scarlet and vin // swindle // 763 words

He tried to refuse, but she’d insisted.

The nightmares only got worse, but she told him over and over that they would before getting better. She never told him what they were of, but it wasn’t hard to guess.

Some nights, she’d brush him in her sleep; nothing more than a gentle touch on her arm was enough to send her into a wave of suffocating panic. For in the dark of her room, he was not the figure she saw beside her. Instead, his face would change and she would see a haunting memory she wanted nothing more than to forget.

Other nights, she’d see him as he was on the day she’d been more scared than she’d ever been before, or since. Not sleeping peacefully, but still and lifeless. The fact in which that state of his had not lasted forever like she’d feared hardly held any consolation, as that was far from the case in any nightmare she had.

This night, Scarlet shot up in a cold sweat, cries escaping her through breathless gasps as she scrambled back against the headboard.

Vin had not yet been asleep. He’d taken up a rather bad habit of staying awake half the night waiting for her to wake up, as she undoubtedly would. She did not know this, but he knew he’d slept through some of her quieter fits; he knew she’d never wake him on purpose, and he couldn’t stand the thought of her being alone through the ordeal.

He was upright the instant she was. He’d learned very quickly not to restrain her when she flailed as she did in that moment. Instead, he repeated her name in a calming voice and only held his grip on her wrists long enough to slide his fingers between hers. “Scarlet,” he murmured, keeping his voice low rather than trying to overpower her own voice. “Scarlet,” he repeated, “It is just me.”

Scarlet’s first reaction was to shut her eyes tight and lash out blindly, but she soon recognized his touch and the voice that found it’s way through her protests. Tightening her fingers around his hands, she relaxed, chest still heaving as the adrenaline faded.

In an instant, the numbness faded from her and she tore her fingers from his only to shift onto her knees and throw her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his bare shoulder, her wails muffled by his skin as she burst into shaking sobs and uncontrollable gasps, tears flowing freely down her face and trapping strands of her hair in their clutches. “It was- so bad,” she rasped, unintentionally sucking in breaths between words. “It hasn’t been this bad.” She spoke rapidly, her words hardly understandable, her fingers tangled in his hair as she pulled him closer. “And you- I didn’t know- I didn’t- I couldn’t-”

Vin pressed his face into the wild curls caressing her neck, squeezing his eyes shut and tightening his arms around her torso. Seeing her like this was worse than dying himself. He directed all of his energy into remaining calm for her sake, slowly running his hands up and down her back. “Va tutto bene, mi tesoro, va tutto bene, I am here,” he whispered in assurance. “I am here.”

Scarlet stopped rambling, but her crying did not cease for a long time. “Don’t leave me again,” she murmured, her voice far higher than average. She pressed her forehead against his neck and touched a hand to his face, her breaths still choppy. “Don’t you die,” she whispered, choking on the last word.

“Shh,” he cut her off and gently pulled away, taking her face in his hands and leaning his forehead against hers. “Do not worry about that,” he insisted quietly, kissing her cheek and brushing away her tears with his thumb. “I could never leave you alone. Never again. I promise.”

Scarlet looked up at him and searched his eyes before nodding and looking back down, her face twisting with the threat of tears once more. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, Vin shifted so he leaned against the headboard, keeping her close. Scarlet tucked her head under his chin and curled against his chest as he pulled the many tattered blankets she kept on her bed over her shoulders and resting his chin on her head, keeping a rhythmic pace running his hands up and down her back and arms.

They dared not move for the rest of the night, neither expecting to sleep that night, instead staring blankly into the darkness that surrounded them.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
rose, erren, and lily // swindle // 1,018 words

It was midday and Rosemary was sitting by the sunlit window in the modest library, curled up and reading one of her favorites when the sound of the piano being played in a far-of room drifted to her. A small smile reached her lips. Scarlet had not allowed Rosemary’s mother to bring a piano into the cabin, but the villa already had one when they’d arrived. Ever since, Beth had insisted that the kids learn to play, allowing Fia to take over on the days she hadn’t felt well. She could tell it was Erren playing now, the way he played instruments growing as familiar to her as his voice.

Suddenly, the song came to an abrupt halt with the sound of sour keys being hit, followed by faint laughter that made Rosemary look up from the printed pages in her hands and narrow her eyes.

One of the voices was Erren’s, but the second was undoubtedly that of her high-voiced, chirpy younger sister Lily, called Cricket for the distinctive nature of that very voice. Suspicion was the first thing that flooded Rosemary’s chest.

Lily had proven to be far too restless to sit through the shortest and simplest lessons. Not to mention that Erren never messed up on that song. So what were they doing?

Rosemary snapped her book shut and set it on the end table, pushing herself out of the chair and rushing from the room. Rosemary lifted her skirt and scurried down the stairs, grabbing the wall to swing around the corner to the sitting room where the piano sat. She stopped immediately, cringing at the sound of her sister’s singing as Erren started the song over. It didn’t take long for Lily to get the words wrong and Rosemary narrowed her eyes. She’d heard her sister sing that song for a full day without making a single mistake.

“Oh- wait, that’s not right,” Lily giggled, a blush reaching her face as she brushed dark strands of hair that escaped her messily pinned up braid away from her face.

“That’s fine,” Erren assured her with a small laugh, flipping the pages back on the sheet music. “Just try again. That’s what practice is for, right?”

“Hey,” Rosemary cooed through a forced smile, both their heads turning to face her as she wandered into the room. “What are you guys doing?” She asked innocently.

“Practicing,” Lily answered casually, steadily meeting her sister’s green eyes with her own brown ones.

“For what, little Cricket?” Rosemary asked with a hint of accusation in her tone, crossing the room and sliding her hands onto Erren’s shoulders.

Erren smiled and craned his head back to look up at her. “Marcello talked her into being in his show,” he explained. His older cousin had been in a theatre group in town for years and had been working on a show of his own for quite a while. Though they all had their doubts of it’s success, the best they could do was be supportive.

“Is that so?” Rosemary asked, raising an eyebrow at him before looking back to her sister. “I thought you couldn’t stand the idea of theatre?”

“I had a change of heart,” Lily said with a smirk, touching her fingertips to her chest. “I’m the lead.”

“He must be short on options then,” Rosemary muttered under her breath. “Does aunt Scarlet know you used her lipstick?” She added louder, referencing her sister’s red lips.

Taken aback, Lily’s arms dropped to her sides. “I was trying to get into character,” she said defensively.

Rosemary crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. “I’m sure you were. By the way,” she added, “I thought that was your favorite song. You’ve never missed a word in your life.”

“I’m sure Cricket’s just nervous,” Erren pointed out, gesturing to her. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but the tension growing was obvious.

Rosemary looked at him in surprise and let her arms drop to her sides. “Since when do you call her Cricket?”

Erren shrugged. “Everyone else does.”

Rosemary then looked to Lily. “You hate that nickname!”

“I don’t really mind it anymore,” Lily said, wringing her hands behind her back.

“Of course not,” Rosemary scoffed, looking around the room in frustration. “Why was I the only one that didn’t know about this production?”

“I told Marcello you didn’t want to be in it,” Lily said with a casual shrug.

“What?” Rosemary snapped. “Why?”

“Because you can’t sing any louder than a mouse!” Lily burst, her temper beginning to show.

“At least I don’t sound like a dying rat!” Rosemary shouted back, clenching her fists. “The only reason we call you Cricket is because of that awful screeching!”

“You’re named after a homicidal psychopath!” Lily countered, throwing her arms in the air.

“You’re named after mum and dad’s dead sisters!” Rosemary cried, beginning to shake with anger.

Lily retracted as if she’d been slapped. Suddenly, she turned and ran from the room. “Muuuuuuuuum!”

“That’s it!” Rosemary shouted, taking off after her. “Get back here! Lily Victoria Conway!”

It took Erren a second to process what just happened, but as soon as Rosemary was out of sight he shot from the bench and rounded the corner so fast the rug under him buckled and he stumbled, his fingers brushing the marble floor as he rushed after the girls. “Rose, wait!”

Meanwhile, in a neighboring room, Will and Beth sat side by side reading calmly, despite having heard every word. “I heard a full name, time to intervene,” Beth muttered nonchalantly, slapping a hand on Will’s shoulder without looking up from her book.

“What?” He asked, looking over at her. “Why do I have to break it up?”

“Because she gets the jealousy from you,” Beth pointed out matter-of-factly.

Will glared at her and snapped his book shut with one hand before standing and taking his time walking out of the room. “They both get the temper from you,” he grumbled under his breath.

“What was that, dear?” Beth called.

“Nothing, love,” Will responded cheerily before disappearing around the corner.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
scarlet and vin // swindle // 831 words

“You’ve crossed me for the last time, rat!”

Scarlet’s voice rang out over the clang of steel, her dagger effectively driving Vin’s sword backwards. He jumped back, eyes wide as she lashed out at him. “What are you doing?!” He shouted before forcefully backing against a rock face.

“Did it ever occur to you,” Scarlet began, striding forward steadily until their weapons were crossed between them, “that I only brought you back so I could kill you myself?!” With emphasis on the last word, she flung his sword from his grip and pressed her dagger to his throat.

“No,” Vin spat, craning his neck back against the blade. She pressed it further into his skin and his hands flew up. “I remember!” he shouted. The pressure of the steel against his neck faltered and he looked down with his eyes to see that Scarlet’s expression did as well. “You will not kill me,” he said with a small shake of his head, “because you already saw it happen once.” His words came breathlessly, chest heaving, but held no less power than they would have shouted. “And you were afraid.”

Scarlet’s face fell before she attempted to recompose herself with a grunt of frustration. “A weakness I don’t intend to show twice,” she hissed.

A breathy laugh escaped Vin. “It was not all fear,” he said quietly.

After a moment of pause, Scarlet lifted her head further and swallowed hard. “Another mistake I will not repeat,” she assured him in a cold tone, though she could not keep her voice from shaking.

“It was not weakness… Or a mistake,” he said, letting out a heavy breath of defeat.

“Yer just sayin’ that to save yer own skin,” Scarlet rasped, the anger in her gaze remaining strong.

Vin frowned and narrowed his eyes in irritation. “Why would I say that when I can do this,” he snapped, reaching up and twisting the dagger from her hand before tossing it aside.

Scarlet gasped as her grip was broken, grabbing her wrist with her other hand before looking up at him wide-eyed. Still stony-faced, Vin looked her up and down. “Why do you do this?” He demanded.

Scarlet took a step back and glared at him sharply. “I don’t know what yer talkin’ about.”

“Why do you keep pulling away?” He asked in a low voice, reaching out for her arm.

Scarlet jerked away from his touch and stumbled back a few more steps. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed, avoiding his gaze before turning away sharply.

“I know you,” Vin growled, taking a single step towards her. “It took a very long time, but you proved me right in that cave, and if I know anything-” he paused and Scarlet froze, listening intently though remaining rigid. “- I know that you attack anything that scares you,” he concluded with a small turn of his head, the hand he used to gesture with falling to his side.

After a moment, Scarlet bared her teeth and whipped around. “What do you take me for, some weak hearted bilge rat?” She hissed sharply.

“No,” he barked, steadily meeting her scowl. “I take you for human. Something I do not think you have been seen as for a long time.”

Scarlet looked away and stared at the ground with the concentration of trying to ward away the pain of his words. But, it quickly became apparent that she had no fight left in her. Not against him. She knew it was no use, but that did not mean the fear did not still linger.

“Scarlet?” He murmured, causing her sights to snap back up, her expression growing with sorrow the moment she saw him. “You do not have to be afraid,” he told her breathlessly, taking the few strides it took to close the distance between them before embracing her without hesitation. Taken aback, Scarlet instinctively wrapped her arms around him in return, pressing her chin against his shoulder.

He quickly pulled back and brushed her hair away before taking her face in his hands, hers lifting to hold onto his arms. “I do not want to hide from you anymore,” he whispered.

Scarlet looked between his eyes and suddenly felt her curls bounce against her face as she began to shake her head. “I don’t want you to,” she replied quietly before hastily standing on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

Her grip on his arms tightened when he kissed her back, slowly moving his hands into her hair. It took all the might Scarlet could muster to let go and shove him away by the chest, causing him to stumble backwards. “We tell no one.” Her voice hardened with demand, waiting for him to give her a nod of confirmation before she turned to make her way back to the ship.

Vin watched her walk away for a moment before a smile reached his lips and he scraped their weapons off the ground before following.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
scarlet, vin, and erren // swindle // 763 words

The thunder was distant, but that didn’t mean lightning didn’t light up the small house in the woods every few minutes. The flashes were easily seen in the dead of the moonless night, the rooms switching between blinding and pitch black.

Of course, this wasn’t a problem for Scarlet and Vin. They’d slept through far worse. Because of this, the creaking open of their door went undetected. The door was closed again and the soft sound of footsteps approached the edge of the bed. The figure that entered the room stopped on the side Scarlet slept on, hovering over her. Hesitantly reaching out, it placed a hand on the side of her face and leaned closer, a single word escaping as a whisper. “Mamma?”

Blinking her eyes open only to find two that mirrored her own staring at her at an uncomfortably close proximity, Scarlet jolted back and let out a small squeak, causing the small boy to jump. Scarlet sighed and slapped her hands onto her face. “Jesus Christ, Erren,” she groaned.

Beside her, Vin instinctively shot up at the sound of her cry. “What is it?” He asked hastily, bringing the heel of his hand to his forehead when he was blinded by a headrush.

The boy, no more than four or five, stood beside the bed and clutched tightly to a small blanket he’d brought with him. He jumped when the lightning flashed outside, his head whipping towards the window. Scarlet glanced over as the light illuminated the room, reflecting off the tears streaking her son’s mortified expression. With a sigh, she slowly pushed herself up. “It’s just Erren,” she assured Vin groggily and he readily plopped back down.

“What is the problem?” He asked gently, to whomever was listening.

“He’s just afraid of the lightning,” she whispered to him before turning back to the small boy and holding out her arms. He hastily ran into them and she lifted him up and placed him between her and Vin. “You can stay in here tonight, but tomorrow it’s back in your own bed, alright?” She murmured, doing her best to keep the irritability out of her tone.

Scarlet reached to pull the blankets over Erren, but the second she let go, he scrambled back up and into her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck and squeezing his eyes shut.

Scarlet paused in surprise before clearing her throat and draping an arm around him, using her other to push herself back against the wall and pull the blankets back over them both. “There’s really nothing to be afraid of,” she said quietly, but he still held fast with his head facing away from the window and resting on her shoulder. Scarlet sighed and pressed her lips to the top of his head, slightly tightening both arms around him. The next time lighting flashed, it was accompanied by a crash of thunder louder than the last. Erren jumped, bumping her lips enough to knock her gold tooth loose. Groaning, she reached up to wriggle it back into place then rested her hand on his curly head. “Thunder, too?”

He only nodded and this time she held her head up as not to repeat the incident. Closing his eyes seemed to solve the lightning problem and her mind searched for a solution for the thunder. She supposed a lullaby would do the trick, but she already knew from experience that her voice paired with any song she knew would only keep him up longer. Reaching over, she smacked Vin’s shoulder with the back of her hand, causing him to lazily look over with a silent question. “Sing something,” she instructed.

A small sigh escaped him as he shifted onto his back and folded his hands upon his chest, trying to think of something. Once he did, Scarlet recognized the words to the Italian lullaby Beth had taught them in a desperate attempt to keep the child quiet when he was younger. Of course, he only made it a few verses before his eyes closed and the words became a soft melodic hum. He then slid his hand across the surface of the bed until he found Scarlet’s, wrapping his fingers around hers.

A small smile touched Scarlet’s lips and she leaned her head back against the wall. With her other hand, she delicately ran her fingers through Erren’s hair. He only jumped at the thunder one or two more times after that, but he soon fell asleep. Soon after, Scarlet followed suit, just as Vin’s voice began to trail off into silence.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
will and warren // swindle // 963 words

Tension crackled through the air between two men as they trudged through the forest. They hadn’t spoken a word on the docks or through town, but now it was eerily quiet and Warren couldn’t help but think out loud.

“I don’t understand why we were the ones sent out here,” he grumbled from a few paces behind William.

“Neither do I, but the quicker we are the more painless it will be,” Will pointed out bitterly.

Warren raised an eyebrow. “Snappy, are we?” He asked in a bittersweet tone.

“Don’t start with me,” Will hissed.

“You could at least pretend to be happy, sunshine, it’ll make it easier for us both.”

Will clenched his jaw, biting back the temptation of foul words. “Let’s just get it over and done with.”

“Is that your attitude about everything?” Warren seered.

Will balled his fists and turned to face Warren, who stopped dead to keep himself from running into him. “Listen, sunshine, you’re quite literally the last person I want to spend a sliver of my time with so shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”

Both hands flew up as Warren casually took a step back. “Fine. Though I don’t know what I did to get you to hate me- oh, wait,” he paused, a wicked grin spreading over his face as his arms fell back to his sides. “It’s more about who I did, isn’t it?”

“Watch it,” Will warned in a low, dark voice.

“It is!” Warren burst into a humorless laugh before steadily meeting Will’s eye. “You know, before you came back she mentioned a barmy git once or twice- a real pain in the arse, from what it sounded like. Could that have been you?” He asked tauntingly, pointing a lazy finger.

“Don’t pretend that you know me,” Will murmured with a slight shake of his head. “Don’t pretend that you know her.”

“Well that’s something that can change, isn’t it?” Warren pointed out icily. “I can always get to know her better. You’re the one that left, and you can’t take back betrayal,” he said in a sickly innocent tone.

“I only stayed behind to protect her!” Will shouted, his temper beginning to boil over, his eyes narrowed with a dark glare.

Warren furrowed his brows in his own anger, raising his voice to trump Will’s. “And who was there to pick up the pieces? Me! Not you! Why did you even bother coming back at all?!”

“Because I love her!” A silence followed Will’s deafening words, the both of them surprised at the words that escaped his mouth.

After a moment, Warren merely uttered a small laugh with a slight hint of mock pity. “Well she sure as hell doesn’t love you.”

“That’s it,” Will snarled, stepping forward and throwing the first punch.

Warren, however, ducked, his curls bouncing as he popped right back up with raised brows and an obnoxious laugh. “Is that what it’s coming to?” He asked with a shrug. “Alright, come on, then,” he taunted. He took steps back as Will approached further, continuing to lash out- and continuing to miss. “You need to work on your aim- hey, that one was pretty close! The breeze tickled my ear a little.”

“Hold still, you little weasel!” Will growled.

Warren burst into another bout of laughter. “My sister could land a hit quicker than you.”

Breathing heavily now, Will stop and glowered at the blonde man. This wasn’t getting him anywhere. He wanted to play games? Fine. “You might know her body better than I do,” he admitted, “But you don’t know her mind.”

Warren scoffed and crossed his arms. “What are you getting at?”

Will’s demeanor relaxed and a smirk reached his lips. “Do you know her favorite flower? The jewelry she wears on cloudy days? The song she whistles to the birds when she doesn’t think anyone can hear?” With that, he began to whistle a quaint little tune.

“Anyone can figure those out,” Warren replied flatly.

Will shook his head. “Not with her. Which you should know if you knew anything at all.”

Now it was Warren’s turn to seethe, doubt stirring in his chest for the first time. “Why don’t you go back to your hunter cult?” Warren spat, shoving Will back by the shoulders.

“Only if you run back to the nearest whorehouse,” Will shot back, barely stumbling.

Without a moment’s hesitation, it was Warren this time that lost his temper and hit Will square in the jaw, causing him to stagger back, a hand flying to his face. Even more heated than before, he quickly straightened up and returned the strike before Warren had any time to duck.

Silence followed, both men crouched over rubbing increasingly reddening marks on their faces. Warren was the first to straighten up glare over at Will with strained dignity in his posture. “If I cared to get bloodstains on this shirt, you’d already be on the ground,” he pointed out coolly.

Will cautiously glanced up at him before straightening himself. “Likewise,” he growled. “But this isn’t over.”

Warren laughed, the sound making Will inwardly cringe, not unlike every previous occurrence. “Far from it!” He confirmed. “Now- I’ll be heading back to the ship. Even you could do a task this simple by yourself,” he snarked before turning and casually walking back towards the ship.

“Fine,” Will scoffed. “I don’t want you here anyway.” He turned to briskly walk the way they’d been going before his steps began to slow and realization came over his face. Glancing over his shoulder, he shouted, “Hey!” at the sound of his voice, the figure of Warren broke into a run and Will immediately bolted after him, hardly about to let him get all her attention first.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
electra, tristan, and eli // zeta // 2,232 words

She couldn't sleep. In fact, she wasn't even positive she had slept since arriving at the desolate complex. It was a wonder to her how anyone could, but then again, she figured everyone else probably had less reasons to keep them awake at night.

Electra had wandered from her room and down to the first level, wanting to be anywhere but in a confined space. By default, Usi had lit up the floor tiles surrounding her with a dim golden glow, so she could see where she was going without being blinded. Arms wrapped loosely around her torso, she wandered to the sitting room without thinking much of it, though once she made it to the archway, she noticed another dim light and leaned forward to peek around the corner. "Eli?" She muttered.

The man in the corner jumped from the startle and snapped his red-bound book shut. "Electra?" He chimed. "What are you doing awake?"

"I could ask you the same," she groaned, walking over to the sofa in the center of the room and plopping down into it.

"Couldn't sleep," he answered, letting out a small sigh as he pushed himself out of the chair and wandered over to sit beside her.

Head leaned against the back of the sofa, she lazily rolled it over to glance at him before looking back up at the ceiling. "Same," she mumbled. "What were you reading?"

Eli leaned back and shrugged. "Jules Verne," he answered. "That one girl from your lot, she let me borrow it."

Electra paused thoughtfully. "I've never read anything of his."

Eli looked over at her in surprise. "No? You should," he told her. "Absolutely revolutionary, that man."

"A few hundred years ago, maybe," she pointed out.

"Ah," he said with a small nod of realization. "I take it you're not much of a reader."

She shrugged and shifted into a straighter position before looking over to him again. "Do obituaries count?"

He couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Coming from anyone else, concern would have been my first reaction."

"What was it instead?" She asked curiously, daring to crack a small smile.

Eli paused in thought then looked over to her. "Fascination?" He offered. "I can't quite seem to put a finger on you."

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked flatly.

He only smiled and shook his head. "No." He continued to look at her even when her green eyes darted away in the silence. "You know, you're a lot less intimidating when plagued with exhaustion."

She let out a breathy laugh and looked around the dark room. "Don't think I don't have enough energy left to slap you," she teased.

He laughed in return. "Alright, I'll make sure not to make any negative comments about your hair and outfit then."

She looked over in surprise and raised an eyebrow. "Negative?" She said with a smile. "I thought all men found pajamas and messy hair sexy."

"Mmm, not all," he pointed out.

"You think they're not?"

"I didn't say that."

"So they are, then."

"I didn't say that either."

"Well it has to be one or the other."

"Why can't I be indifferent?"

"Because all men have an opinion," Electra countered with a mischievous grin.

Eli sighed in defeat, pressing his lips together with a sigh. "Alright, you caught me," he admitted playfully. "You've never looked sexier."

She raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?" She said, holding back a smile.

"Oh yes, of course," he continued with a wave of his hand. "I definitely think more women should adopt the tangled mess look. And is that eyeliner or mascara smeared across your face?"

"Probably both," she said with a shrug.

Eli grinned playfully. "Ahh, double the sexy."

She smirked. "Man, I shouldn't even bother with anything anymore if I look this good without trying."

"Why? Trying to impress someone?" He teased.

She burst into laughter. "You wish."

His laughter died down and he lowered his voice, though a smile remained. "You know, I don't think I've seen you smile before."

She looked over at him and shrugged. "Yeah, well, don't think too much into it," she told him. "It's probably a side effect of being sleep deprived."

"Maybe you should be sleep deprived more often."

She uttered a small laugh. "Tangled hair, smeared makeup, baggy pajamas, sleep deprivation- that's a very odd list of things to be attracted to."

"I think you might have misunderstood somewhere along the line," he laughed.

She raised an eyebrow, noticing how he looked away and ran a hand through his hair. "How so?" She pressed when he did not continue.

He let his arm drop back down and he looked back over to her with a shrug. "Anything looks good on you."

She paused in surprise and murmured, "... Oh." Somewhere along the line they had ended up awfully close, and now, she was acutely aware of the space between them closing, not knowing whether it was him or herself drifting forward. "Anything, huh?" she asked nervously in a near whisper.

"Anything at all," he confirmed quietly, close enough to her that his breath stirred the black hair that fell in her face.

Then, just as he moved forward with the intention of kissing her, she jerked away and sat back, struggling to keep her breaths calm in spite of her pounding heart. Eli paused, a sudden mixture of concern and confusion settling over him. However, Electra spoke before he had the chance. "I'm sorry, I-" she whispered, shaking her head slightly. "I can't." Then, in a flash, she stood and hastily made her way back to her room.

--

The following day, Electra felt as though the engagement ring she wore around her neck could have just as well been a block of lead, the happenings from the night before weighing heavily on her mind. Eli had kept his distance, though she figured it was more out of respect for her space than anything else. He offered her a wave at one point, but she'd pretended not to notice. Regret and guilt were overwhelming her enough that sleep had been even more hopeless than before.

She stayed awake well into the following night, until only a few people remained in the sitting room, Eli among them. In the back of her mind, Electra could hear Cassy across the room groaning about how she didn't want to sleep. Then, suddenly, the room went silent when a certain sound caught their attention: the sound of the entry tube spinning in the foyer.

All at once, everyone was standing and hastily rushing from the sitting room. They were stopped by the figure of a tall, well-built, and fairly handsome man with short-cropped brown hair and eyes to match casually sauntering from the tube, focused on adjusting the cuffs on his sleeves. Once he looked up, however, he stopped and focused on a single figure in the small crowd, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Ele!"

Electra stood pale as a ghost, wide-eyed and aware of the glances the others threw at her, though her sights never left the man standing before them. "Tristan?" She nearly choked on the name.

Suddenly, Cassy's voice piped up above the silence. "Suddenly I'm really tired." There were murmurs of agreement as the others shuffled towards the stairs. Cassy pushed Eli forward, as he was the only one besides Electra who hadn't moved.

"Who is that guy?" He whispered over his shoulder.

"Her dead fiancee," Cassy muttered back, urging him to move faster.

As everyone made their way up the stairs, Tristan's smile remained and he began to take long strides towards Electra. Once she could bring her limbs to move, she did the same, breaking into a run and throwing his arms around his neck just as tears began to brim in her eyes. He readily returned her embrace, squeezing his eyes shut and murmuring into her hair, "I missed you so much."

Pulling back, Electra's eyes searched him frantically, her shaking hands running along his face. "Where have you been? Are you alright? What happened? Were you hurt? Captured? Tortured? Lost? I-"

"Ele, slow down," He laughed, gently taking her face in his own hands. "I'm fine, I've been totally fine."

Electra stopped and abruptly snapped her mouth shut. "Fine?" She asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yes, fine," he assured her. "I just had some important military things to take care of, that's all."

Electra retracted her hands and took a step back, her expression becoming stony and cold. "This whole time you've been fine?"

Tristan smiled, but his eyes were puzzled. "Yeah- what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!" She snapped before bursting into humorless laughter and running her fingers through her hair in disbelief. "I thought you were dead!" She snarled accusingly. "They told me... That you were dead."

He frowned and shrugged helplessly. "I didn't really have control over that, Ele." He then took a step forward and tried to reach for her again. "It's alright, I'm back now."

She smacked his arm away and his expression became that of hurt, pulling his hand back. "Our baby..." Electra whispered.

Tristan's face instantly lit up. "Baby?" He asked excitedly.

Electra nodded slowly, her expression blank. "A girl."

"I have a daughter?" He asked in disbelief, crossing an arm over his torso while the hand that belonged to the other flew to his face to hide the smiles. "They never told me- where is she? What's her name?"

"She's dead," Electra rasped, staring at the floor so she didn't capture the memory of his following expression, walking past him to head for the stairs herself.

"What?" He asked, his voice merely a whisper. "What- Ele, wait." She stopped at the command, but did not turn around. "What happened?"

Electra stood rigid, clenching her fists at her sides as anger began to build up in her chest. Suddenly, she whipped around to face him, the words that escaped her laced with blame and pain. "You want to know what happened?" She shouted, gesturing sharply at him. "I killed her! I killed her before she was even born because I didn't think I could do it alone!" At this point, hot tears began to spill over and roll down her face. She marched forward and shoved her hands against his chest. "You were dead! Never coming back! You left both of us!" She hissed through clenched teeth, shoving him again and both surprised and frustrated when he didn't bother to fight back. "It's your fault!" Her voice cracked on the last word and she was reduced to a whisper, head hanging. "It's your fault."

"Ele," he murmured pathetically, "I'm sorry, I just thought that-"

"Thought what?" She snapped, looking back up at him, the rage back in her eyes. "That you could disappear without a word, come back after two years and everything would be fine?!"

"Yes," he insisted, nodding desperately. "What happened doesn't matter- we can always have more. I knew you'd wait for me because I'm the one you wanted to marry. You were going to marry me. I love you," he insisted, reaching up to caress her face.

Electra scoffed in disgust and and smacked his hand away. "You're not the man I wanted to marry," she spat in a low voice, then shook her head. "I don't know who you are." With that, she turned sharply and walked away with long strides, eager to be anywhere but there.

"Ele, wait!" Tristan cried, but she did not stop. "Wait!"

Without slowing, Electra pulled the chain from around her neck and dropped it onto the ground with flat click, wiping the tears and smeared makeup from under her expressionless eyes as she ascended the stairs.

She was glad he was smart enough not to follow. She was absolutely done. His memory had been holding her back for far too long; keeping her from things she wanted. She'd been plagued by guilt and grief for two long years, but no more. The man she loved once was dead and always would be.

Suddenly, she burst through one of the room doors in the second story hallway, slamming it shut behind her.

Eli looked up, startled, having been standing near the lamp on the bedside table at the edge of his room, reading the same book he had been the night before. "Electra?" He asked in genuine surprise, snapping his book shut and placing it on the small table. He simply stood as she made her way towards him. "What happened? Is everything alright? Are you- wow, ok," he mumbled as she shoved him against the wall and crushed her lips against his.

Despite his initial shock, it didn't take long for him to give in and kiss her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. Being as they were the same height with the heels she wore, it was easy enough for her to turn things around and push him down onto the bed. Heavy breaths escaping them both, she slipped off the leather jacket she wore and tossed it clear across the room, the collar of her shirt dangerously low, especially since one of the sleeves had fallen from her shoulder. She pulled the hair tie out of her hair and shook it out with her fingers before meeting his eyes again. "I'm all yours."

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
constance and harlan // swindle // 1,429 words

Just wanted to note that Constance and Annie
are the daughters of Rosemary and Erren, and
therefore, along with their two brothers, the
grand-children of Scarlet, Vin, Beth, and Will.

A young woman trudged bitterly up the steep incline towards the smoke on the hill that she’d always hated. Though really, she hated all the hills. Living in rural Ireland, they got old quickly. However, once she reached the top, her previous fatigue was gone in an instant and she bolted through the grass towards the familiar smithing forge. Once she reached it, she slowed and casually knocked on the archway as she walked through.

The deafening metallic clang was brought to an abrupt halt as a tall, soot-coated man looked over, his dark blonde hair short and messy, both on his head and his face. “Constance,” he greeted in surprise, looking around nervously. “What are you doing here?”

“Calm down, Harlan,” Constance said, entranced with a trinket hanging on the wall. “No one is around for miles. At least, not from what I saw.”

The man relaxed a little, but quickly became frustrated when he realized the project he’d been working on had cooled. Giving up, he tossed down his hammer and pulled off his leather gloves. “You know you’re not supposed to be here,” he told her, wandering over.

“I couldn’t stay away,” she insisted, looking over at him with a sly grin.

“That’s the problem,” he said seriously. “If Annie knows you were here-”

She scoffed and returned her attention to the wall ornament. “You’re not going to tell her, are you?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then what’s there to worry about?” She said cheerily.

Suddenly, small voices could be heard just outside the forge and they both went rigid.

“I thought you said there was no one for miles,” Harlan snapped accusingly.

“I said there wasn’t from what I saw,” she corrected.

“And you didn’t think to check behind the hill?” He hissed. “Where the house is?” She merely shrugged and he groaned, shoving her out the other doorway. “Just stay out here until they go back,” he said with a sigh.

“Right, I’ll stay back here,” she said sarcastically with a nod. “As if it would help any. Those girls couldn’t keep their mouths shut if their lives depended on it.”

He pressed his lips together and sighed. “So don’t be seen,” he instructed.

As Constance disappeared around the corner, Harlan turned back around just as two eleven year old girls, obviously twins, bounced into the shop. “Hey,” he greeted with a small smile, kneeling to their level as they rushed up to hug him. “What are you two doing here?” He asked curiously.

“Mamma said you forgot this,” one of them said, taking a step back and holding out a small tool.

Harlan took it and smiled, kissing her head. “You came all the way here to give me this?”

“We had nothing else to do,” the other said, folding her hands behind her back with a shrug.

“Well that was very thoughtful, Ashlin,” he said with a smile before straightening up.

“What are you working on, da?” The other asked curiously.

“It’s a surprise,” he told her.

“Ohh,” she said, then promptly grew bored with their conversation and went to look at something else.

Harlan glanced over only to lurch forward and jer her away from the embers in the corner by the arm. “Einin,” he said with a sigh. “How many times have I told you to stay away from there?”

“I lost track at eight,” she admitted casually.

“So why- nevermind,” he groaned. “The two of you can’t play in here, you know that.”

“But there’s nothing to do back home,” Ashlin whimpered.

“Why don’t you help your mother with something? I’m sure she could use it,” he said seriously, met by a collective groan from them both.

“Fine,” they agreed.

Harlan watched them carefully as they walked out of the door. “I love you,” he called after them.

“Love you too,” they called back before taking off into a run.

Meanwhile, Constance leaned against the outside wall of the forge. She was listening intently to the conversation inside when an outside voice made her jump.

“Auntie?”

She looked over to see a small boy staring up at her and let out a breath, offering a smile as she kneeled before him. “Sheamus Bree,” she scolded playfully, “what are you doing away from home?”

The red-haired boy looked away nervously and rocked back on his heels. “I followed Ashlin and Einin,” he murmured.

“Does your mamma know you’re gone, Shea?” She asked seriously, arching a dark eyebrow over her pale blue eyes.

“... No…” He answered hesitantly, avoiding her gaze.

Constance sighed, though a small smile remained. “Well I need you to do something very important for me. Can you keep a secret?” He looked up with sudden interest, nodding listening intently. “Don’t tell your mamma I was here, ok?” She said. “Can you do that?” Shea nodded again and she smiled wider. Looking up, she noticed two blonde forms bouncing back down the hill, then she looked back down at her nephew. “There go your sisters,” she said, nudging him along before standing. “Better catch up so you don’t have to go home alone!”

Shea looked over his shoulder before taking off after the two girls, short legs scurrying to catch up.

Once the three of them disappeared over the hill, Constance swept back into the forge. Harlan looked up, then back down with an air of disappointment that she hadn’t left. “I can’t keep doing this, Constance,” he said in a low voice.

“Oh, sure you can,” she said with a playfully dismissive wave of her hand.

“No, I can’t,” he insisted.

“What are you afraid of?” She asked with a pout.

He sighed heavily and turned to face her, leaning on the tabletop. “You know just as well as I do that Annie doesn’t approve.”

“Of course she doesn’t,” Constance pointed out. “But I’ve never exactly been one to obey the whims of my sister. She’s just being overbearing.”

“With reason,” he snapped, gesturing to her bound arm.

Constance looked down and sighed dramatically, holding it up. “This was your fault.”

“Of course it was!” He shouted sarcastically, throwing his arms in the air. “You’re having me do all these crazy things- I don’t even know how to include any sense of safety!”

“Speaking of which,” she said excitedly, pulling a crumpled piece of parchment out of her pocket. “I have a new idea.”

“Oh no,” he groaned, “No no no-”

However, his protests were ignored completely as she marched forward and shoved the thing against his chest.

He took it in his hands and met her satisfied grin with an unamused scowl before hesitantly unfolding it. “This is insane,” he declared.

“Oh, come on,” she said, practically bursting with excitement. “You know you have just as much fun with this as I do.”

Harlan looked back down at the piece of paper he held, his expression obviously conflicted. “Does there really have to be two?”

Constance merely nodded eagerly and he groaned, slamming the plans for the double-bladed staff onto his work bench. “I can have it done in a week- maybe two.”

Constance squealed and rushed up to throw her arms around his torso. “Thank you thank you thank you you’re the best brother-in-law ever!”

Harlan simply patted her head, but couldn’t help but smile, glancing over at the weapon plans laid out before him. “This is crazier than your blade bow idea,” he muttered.

“Oh, by the way,” Constance added, jumping back and looking up at the man. “I broke most of the arrows for that.”

“What,” he sighed flatly. “How?”

“... I shot them at rocks and they bent,” she mumbled.

“Just… Bring them in tomorrow,” he gave in.

“Ok!” She agreed, giggling to herself as she turned to leave the forge, though was stopped by his voice once more.

“Seriously though,” Harlan said, pointing a finger at her. “Don’t tell Annie. I very nearly had to sleep outside when she found out about the dagger rings.”

“My lips are sealed,” Constance declared, sauntering backwards towards the doorway.

Harlan hesitated before lowering his hand. “Alright.” He then waved her away. “Now shoo. I have to finish this order before I start on anything new.” He looked up at the doorway, expecting a smart remark, but Constance was already gone. Waiting a few moments, he glanced around and picked up the crumpled parchment once more, allowing his own excitement to finally show with a small smile before putting it back down and wandering back to the project he’d been working on before he’d been so rudely interrupted.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
ezekiel and cassy // zeta // 1,009 words

It was fairly early in the evening, half the unit retired to their quarters and the other half denying the need to do the same.

Ezekiel walked briskly along the second story balcony, hearing the faint echoes of the voices below. His pace remained steady until a different sound made him pause. Stopping in his tracks, his face twisted with curiosity as he took a few steps back towards the cracked door in which the soft sobs were escaping. Peeking through the opening, he saw a flash of Cassy sitting at the edge of her beg with her head in her hands. A wave of concern washed over him and after a moment of standing there, conflicted, he gently pushing the door open and hesitantly walked inside. “Cassy?”

The blonde’s head snapped up, curls bouncing and brown eyes wide before she rushed to wipe the tears from her freckled face. “Zeke,” she sniffed. “What are you doing here?”

“The door was open and I heard you…” He trailed off, gesturing to the door before letting out a small sigh. “I’m sorry. I’ll go if you want me to, I just-”

“No,” she said with a quick shake of her head. “It’s fine.” She scooted over a little and patted the spot next to her.

Ezekiel pushed the door closed and wandered over, sitting gently beside her. “May I ask what’s the matter…?” He asked carefully.

She let out a small laugh and looked up, blinking the tears away. “You may,” she muttered before folding her hands in her lep and hanging her head. “I just… Miss my brother,” she said with a scoff and a shake of her head. “I can’t believe I just left without a word.”

Unsure of what exactly to do, Ezekiel simply put a hand on her shoulder. “We all had to leave someone behind,” he said quietly.

“At least you were brave enough to go back for your sister. I swear, I wanted nothing more than your courage...” she said before her face twisted in sorrow and tears threatened to resurface. She struggled to regain herself enough to speak words, though her voice raised considerably and her lips trembled. “I didn’t even ask to say goodbye.”

The second she broke down again, all hesitancy immediately left Ezekiel and he impulsively wrapped both arms around her and rested his chin on her head when she leaned into his chest sobbing.

“It’s just so… Stupid,” Cassy rasped once her breaths calmed enough. “How does the twin of an alpha not qualify for their stupid experiment?” Anger began to replace the sadness in her tone. “Who do these stupid people think they are? They’re just so-”

“Stupid?” Ezekiel offered, leaning back just enough so she could see his smile and ultimately mirror it. “That’s why we can’t give in,” he reminded her in a low voice, meeting her gaze with an air of seriousness. “We have to resist what’s expected of us. Especially when it comes to who we were assigned to,” he added in a murmur, the words escaping his throat about as easily as a fishing lure.
“Right…” Cassy said, pressing her lips together as her eyes darted away from his, though she was still acutely aware that he had not yet let go of her. “But-” she said, then quickly cleared her throat. “Nevermind.”

“But what?” He pressed, curious.

She paused before looking back at him. “What if-” she began hastily, before biting her lower lip and cutting herself off.

Ezekiel let out a small laugh. “Cassy, you don’t have to-” He froze mid-sentence when he found her lips suddenly pressed against his. When he finally brought himself to move, it was only to retract, avoiding looking at the immediate regret that flushed Cassy’s cheeks. Pulling his arms back and reaching up to nervously grip the back of his neck, he cleared his throat. “I should… Probably go.”

Cassy merely nodded, wringing her hands together as he stood and made his way to the door. She only looked up when he opened it, watching as he slipped out and it clicked shut once more. She waited numbly for a few seconds before slapping her hands against her face and falling back on the bed with a frustrated squeak escaping through her clenched teeth.

For the next few moments, she was intent on muttering curses to herself under her breath before slamming her arms down beside her and noticing something lingering in the corner of her eye. Her chest filled with dread before she shot back up and looked over to see Ezekiel standing dumbstruck in the doorway, offering her a crooked smile when she looked over before stepping inside and closing the door again.

“Forget something?” She asked with a sigh. “Like the rest of my dignity,” she muttered under her breath.

“Yeah, actually,” he said, running a nervous hand through his hair. “I forgot… My jacket.”

She didn’t even have to look at him to respond. “You’re wearing your jacket.”

“... Right,” he mumbled. “Must have been something else, then.”

“Like?” She pressed, looking around.

He sauntered towards her, pretending to search the surrounding area. “Ah! There it is,” he said, pointing in a random direction.

Cassy glanced over to where he’d indicated then pinched her brows together. “I don’t see anyth-”

In her distracted state, Ezekiel took the few moments to walk closer and reached forward to gently turn her head towards him before leaning down to kiss her.

Cassy drew a sharp breath in surprise, instinctively reaching up to touch his hand with her own. The moment she gave in and kissed him back, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet and then closer to him by the waist.

Cassy let out a small laugh and pressed her hands to his chest, smiling up at him. “What made you change your mind?” She giggled.

A wide grin spread across his face as he leaned his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes, merely shrugging. “I wanted your courage.”

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
will and beth // swindle // 1,164 words

Much to everyone's surprise, Beth had been thrilled when her eldest daughter had shown interest in horsemanship. With rosemary's birthday fast approaching, Beth was eager for the excuse to bring home a new horse. Though Will highly suspected the horse was more for her since their own were growing old, he played along and trailed her to the marketplace.

Beth was buzzing with excitement the whole way there, only to be disappointed once they actually arrived at the stables- well, it was more like a poorly fenced field crowded with horses she only hoped had seen better days.

"What is this?" She demanded, gesturing to the scene.

Will glanced around in confusion, oblivious of the source of her growing anger. "A pasture...?" He offered.

Beth simply scoffed. "A pasture? All the grass is dead and it's totally packed!" She exclaimed. After a moment, she began to storm off. "Where's the owner of this place, I'm gonna-"

"Woah woah woah," Will called, lurching forward and snagging her arm. She stopped only to whip around and glare at him expectantly. "You can't just barge up to someone and tell them how to run their business," he pointed out, exasperated.

"Why not?" She snapped.

"Because," he sighed in irritation, "You'll just get sent away. Or dragged away, as the case may be," he added under his breath.

"So?" She began to argue but stopped suddenly, a look coming over her face that Will had learned to associate with dread. "You're right," she admitted before looking at him with a mischievous grin.

"Oh god, this can't be good," he mumbled.

"Follow me!" She said, though she didn't wait for him to listen, grabbing his forearm and dragging him towards the bushes that skirted one edge of the pathetic fence. She paused, however, when a sad looking horse stuck his nose over the fence and she couldn't help but stop and gently touch his nose.

"Beth," Will said, glancing over his shoulder behind them. "Beth," he repeated a little more urgently.

"What?" She asked distantly, giggling as the horse nuzzled her hand. She whipped her head around, however, when voices behind them grew closer. Suddenly, she found herself being ushered in the bushes, stumbling forward before crouching on the other side.

Will knelt beside her and both of them looked through the branches at the group of horses. "So what exactly is your plan?" He asked, a ring of curiosity in his voice.

"A jailbreak," she answered, meeting his surprise with a sly grin before looking back towards the sluggish creatures.

"You mean just for one, right?" He asked nervously.

She only scoffed before changing the subject. "Let's get that one," she said, pointing to the corner of the dead field.

Will followed her gesture with his eyes, finding that she was pointing at a weak foal curled up in the corner. "That one?" He hissed in disbelief. "It looks like it's dead." He was proven wrong when it stirred. He looked over to see Beth looking at him with a look that said, you were saying? "Well, I mean, it will be soon!" He argued. "Just look at it! We can't bring it to Rose only to have it die..." He trailed off in defeat when he heard Beth stand beside him, slinking away from the cover of the brush and he scrambled to follow.

He hurried to catch up and she slowed near the gate, keeping a careful eye on the owner of the 'business'. "You wait here," she whispered as she approached. "Open the gate when they stampede and then come find me without getting trampled."

"Stampede? Beth- wait!" He tried to argue, but gave up with a heavy sigh when she only bolted away. Will remained nervously standing with a hand on the gate, looking between the owner and Beth and attempting to keep track of both. After a moment of thought, he wandered to the other end of the gate so he'd be closer to where Beth was without having to cross a river of frightened horses.

The wait was strung out by the tension, an eternity seeming to have passed by the time he saw the slightest stir in the back of the herd. Then, a sharp sound echoed among them and a few reared, riling up the others. Another sound snapped through the air and Will scrambled to unlatch the gate and swing it open just as the rumble of hooves began and horses flooded the entry, knocking him to the ground when they shoved the gate right into his chest. Heart racing, he scrambled to his feet and backed up a safe distance while scanning the field for Beth. He saw her crouched beside the foal and ducked under the fence, avoiding horses as he rushed to her side. "Alright, come on," he pressed impatiently, looking up at the sound of angry shouts already coming from the direction he'd last seen the owner.

Beth looked up at him, oblivious to the angry voice from where she sat on her knees and stroked the dark brown foal. "Carry it," she instructed, her tone caught somewhere between a plea and a demand.

Will's head snapped down to look at her wide-eyed, chest already heaving with breathlessly. "What?" He asked, but she showed no sign that she was kidding. "That's a horse!" He exclaimed, pointing at it.

"A small one!" She argued, standing to stare a at him expectantly.

Will tried to resist, but pressed his lips together in defeat. "Fine," he gave in, kneeling in an attempt to shift the dying creature into his arms.

"Quickly now," Beth insisted. "We don't have all day." Will bit back a sharp remark as he pushed himself to his feet. They both looked over when the angry voice grew closer and seemed to be speaking words that were directed at them, visible now that most of his inventory had gone. "Run!" Beth shouted with far too much joy in her voice for his comfort, a wide smile on her face as she bolted off and he did his best to follow.

They didn't stop until they had disappeared into the treeline, leaving the yelling voice far behind. By the time they began to slow, breathless laughs escaped them both and Will slumped onto the ground and against a tree, the small horse in his lap. He looked up at Beth as she wandered over and plopped beside him, her attention on the creature he held, stroking it's head. Will's smile grew looking at her, the free spirit he fell in love with showing through the paranoia and sickness that had plagued her for years. "Happy now?" He asked.

She looked up at him and her smile widened, her green eyes bright with adventure. "Yes," she murmured before letting her head fall lazily onto his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Of course," he whispered before leaning down to kiss her head before resting his own upon it.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

__________________________________________________________________________
erren and rose // swindle // 954 words

Things were unusually quiet in Rosemary's room as she sat at her vanity and attempted to brush out the day's snarls from her hair. Erren had taken up a habit of ending the day in her room, more often than not rambling absentmindedly about his day while she prepared for bed. Other times he would simply collapse and fall asleep sprawled out on the covers until she kicked him out. That night, however, he did neither. Instead, he sat silently at the end of hr bed, elbows resting on his knees and hands wrung madly together as he focused too hard on avoiding her gaze.

Rose glanced at him in the mirror and frowned. "Is something wrong?" She asked lightly, though a chime of concern sounded in her tone.

"Hmm?" He looked up, obviously having been in deep thought a moment before.

"It just seems like there's something on your mind," he continued in her soft voice, pulling her hair over her shoulder to work on a particularly stubborn knot.

"No," he said with a too quick shake of his head, then drew a breath. "Well- I don't know, I've just been thinking..." He trailed off, reaching up to grip the back of his neck as he always did when he grew uncomfortably nervous. Then he let his arm drop back down with a heavy sigh. "We should just go," he said flatly, his gaze sweeping the floor.

Rose let out a small laugh. "Go where?" She said in a light voice, attempting to brighten the mood just a little.

"You know what I mean," he insisted. "We should leave. Just go. Anywhere but here."

Rosemary's attempt at a smile faltered. "You mean... Leave the villa?"

"Leave Italy!" He corrected, making a sweeping gesture with his arms.

Rosemary scoffed and yanked on the knot in her hair, her movements growing more hasty with building frustration. "We can't just leave," she pointed out.

"And why not?" He said innocently, pushing himself to his feet and running his hands through his hair as he paced the floor at the end of the bed. "We can't say forever. Why shouldn't we be able to explore and live a life of our own?" He said, though it sounded more like he was ranting to himself than trying to convince her.

"Erren," she groaned, twisting her arm at an odd angle in an attempt to reach tangles at the ends of her long hair, "we can't go. We can't just leave everything behind!"

"We'll have to at some point," he insisted, then added in a quieter voice, stopping to watch her struggle with a sigh. "I know you don't want to stay here forever."

Rosemary pressed her lips together before grunting in frustration and throwing her hands to her sides. In the mirror, she noticed the figure of Erren approaching and soon felt him behind her. He ran his hand down her arm and took the brush from her hand, gently running it through her dark hair. "You always talk about leaving, but you never do," he murmured quietly. "Why not?"

Rose fought the urge to slump in defeat and avoided meeting the reflection of his eyes. "Everyone would be upset with us if we just left," she mumbled.

"Maybe for a little while," he admitted, then paused to reach forward and place the brush on the vanity before separating strands of her hair into three. "You can't live your life skirting around everyone else's feelings," he murmured softly, weaving a loose but elegant braid into her hair. "Sometimes you have to think about your own."

Rosemary's face fell and she sat in silence. It had always made her happy to make others happy, but lately it had been achieved only at the expense of herself and had begun to take it's toll. As Beth grew sicker, her sister grew older and more defiant and it was her having to play mother. Naturally, Lily did not take kindly to her efforts and more often than not Rosemary had been reduced to tears by the end of the day. She knew she didn't have to step up to the role, but she could hardly help herself. She refused to admit that her overwhelming sense of responsibility might just be an excuse to stay within the familiar holds of what her life had always been. But Erren had figured it out. He'd been trying to free her from her own bonds but they both knew one miss-step could send her crumbling like a weathered stone. At the same time, he was afraid the stress of staying might do the same.

With a small sigh, Erren let the braid drop against her back, hardly bothering to tie it as it was long enough to stay put at least for a little while. He wrapped his arms around hers and kissed her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder. Rosemary smiled and reached up to lightly grip his arms, leaning her head against his and gazing into the mirror. "I just..." She began before biting her lower lip.

"I know," he mumbled, pressing his lips to her shoulder. "Don't worry," he insisted. "Someday it'll be easier."

Rosemary paused for a second and looked at him in the mirror. "Will you stay tonight?" She asked quietly.

Erren groaned and buried his face in her neck. "You know I shouldn't."

"But will you?" She pressed.

"Yeeees," he mumbled reluctantly, tightening his grip around her ever so slightly.

A smile touched Rose's lips and she stood from her stool and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist and tiptoeing just enough to give him a quick kiss. "Someday," she murmured. "I promise."