Having left Aurelia alone for a while, Sephiran went out to satiate other fixations. His disappearance only lasted about a day or so, and he returned after feeling content with his investigations. Aresenn was training Absinth regularly, as expected. There was still a lot of work to be done, but the former pirate had taken the responsibility seriously. Not that Sephiran expected anything less. The pieces in this game were all coming together nicely. All he needed now was the backing of his family, which he felt was coming soon.

It was late afternoon when Sephiran made his way back to Aurelia, carrying the leg of a snow hare in his jaws. He was reluctant to feed her, but understood it was necessary if he wanted to keep her alive. Along with other things. Irritation was already present in his body language, as he was also reluctant to realign her hip joint. But again, it was something he had to do if he wanted to keep her alive longer than a season. He had made the decision to do so earlier that morning, along with omitting pain-relieving herbs. He wanted to make it unbearable.

As he approached the mouth of the den, his irritation was overtaken by confusion. He smelt the herbs burning before he saw the smoke, which made him quicken his pace and barrel into the entrance. His eyes adjusted to the lighting, and he saw a pile of herbs nearly burnt to a crisp beside a sleeping Aurelia. Dropping the leg Sephiran strode forward, releasing a guttural snarl. “What is the meaning of this?” In other words, how in the hell did you do this by yourself?  

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

She had been alone for a while now, the herbs left smoldering were nearly charred all the way through. Though a faint wisp of smoke still fed the faint haze that lingered in the nearly enclosed space of her prison. While still in a horrendous amount of paint, the floral scent of whatever plant matter had been burned was at least somewhat pleasant. In the absence of a guest, she had taken the return to silence as an opportunity to drift back to unconsciousness. Unfortunately, it was short-lived.

The amethyst brute who she had come to hate barreled into the den as if it were on fire. That was an amusing thought. Gently rolling over to face him- careful to not put any additional pressure on her hip- she sleepily watched him frantically search the den. Once he recognized the source of the smoke, his attention turned on her demanding the meaning of it. An amused half-smirk spread across her expression. She had an idea of what he was looking for in an answer, but he didn’t ask it the right way. Instead, she would explain to him what it meant. “Well, dear Sephiran. It's a meditation spell- the herbs being an offering.” She said, clearly gesturing to what he had already seen for himself. It was fun though. Though her sapphire gaze remained fixed to him. “Some brute stopped by and offered to light them for me.” She would get to the part where it had been his alleged uncle soon enough. But of course, maybe they had already encountered one another.

Blinking away the thought, she allowed her grin to brighten a bit. “Wasn’t that nice?”  She prompted, awaiting whatever explosion she had triggered in doing so.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Her response to his question was far from what he was expecting. The herbs burning for some type of meditation spell, that part he didn’t care about. But when she mentioned someone entered the cave, a male at that, Sephiran’s became enraged. Rushing towards her, he unsheathed his knife and held it tightly in his jaws, snarling through the handle and attempting to descend upon her. His movement was haphazard, paws trampling over her, as he brought the blade to her throat. "You whore!" He seethed, completely unhinged by the thought of someone else entering his domain, conversing with his prize, touching her, tainting her. His mind went wild, scenarios of what could have happened playing over, and over, and over, each second feeling like hours.

Pressing the steel against her flesh, he added enough pressure to almost pierce the skin, but not yet. “You allowed a man in here!?” Accusatory, vile, enraged. Sephiran couldn’t hold back the mix of emotions in his tone. He was quickly losing touch with reality. "Tell me what happened!” The pressure behind the blade increased, creating a small cut that wept a few drops of blood. He had completely forgotten about his original objective now - none of it would matter if she had been tainted. He would have to throw her away.  

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

The physical assault was to be expected. Aurelia had certainly known him to a possessive individual. Jealousy simply fell in line with the suit, However, he hadn’t anticipated to what degree he would be at his own mercy. When he surged forward upon drawing his blade, there didn’t seem to be much forethought put into his actions- simply reactionary. Whore. She had been called worse. As she lay there feeling the edge of his knife pressed against her skin in a threat, he demanded more from her. Allowed? She wasn’t in a position to prevent anything. She looked up to him in disbelief, her own temper rising behind her depthless azure stare. “What would you have had me do!?” She answered him with a similar intensity. “I can’t defend myself! I can’t even fucking stand up Sephiran! Have you forgotten that part?!” She couldn’t see how, as that was the condition he felt comfortable leaving her on for extended periods of time. As far as he should be concerned, he left her too long.

Arguing the fact that she was indeed not a whore fell to the wayside. The rise that she had earned from him certainly brought a sense of satisfaction. What more could he do? What more could he take? Eventually there would be nothing left but her life, and she begged him to take that. He wasn’t thinking clearly- but did he ever? Perhaps he would be sloppy enough to end their game once and for all.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

The tone she responded in was laced with anger and contempt, seeping into his ears with enough magnitude to make his head spin. She was actually mad she couldn’t defend herself? Did that mean she wanted to be here? Always misinterpreting reality, Sephiran started to entertain the concept. Still, he could’y bring the knife away from her throat just yet. He stayed there, pressing the cold, obsidian blade against her skin, exhaling and inhaling deeply with each breath he took. His body entangled with rage and disdain.

With another snarl, he pressed harder, pushing the blade deeper, morphing the flesh wound into a laceration- but before the blade could cut through anything vital, he suddenly pulled away. Looming over her and holding the bloodied blade, he stared down at her with what may be the most intense expression he had ever made. His eyes frantically searched her body, looking for clues of an assault. But aside from his knife and previous injuries, there was nothing. “Aurelia,” Her name sounded like a whisper on his lips, and suddenly Sephiran dropped the blade. “Aurelia,” As he repeated he name, the blade rolled several feet away before coming to a halt. “Aurelia,” Three times he said her name, before he suddenly plopped down on top of her, crushing her with his weight.

Only this time, his upper limbs sought to wrap around her neck, pulling her into him in what could only be explained as a hug. “You are mine, mine, MINE.” He pressed his snout against her neck, licking at the laceration he just created. “Tell me he didn’t touch you.” It sounded like a plea more than a command. “I don’t want to throw you away.” And, by throw her away, he meant kill her. “I like you- I love you.” Sephiran had no real understanding of what that word meant- but he had heard it in passing during his childhood, and knew it could represent intense feelings. Was this his concept of love? "I want to play with you, forever." He squeezed her tighter, surely pushing some of the air from his lungs. But Sephiran couldn't help himself, he was so overwhelmed with emotion he was acting on impulse.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

As another one of his snarls ripped through the space between them, he pressed the blade to the point of cutting into her flesh. Her eyes began to water with the stinging sensation, though she remained still. Daring him with her unrelenting stare to do it. End it! Right here, right now! She hadn’t realized that she had stopped breathing until … he pulled the knife away. “NO!” She cried out in a gasp as the promise of death evaded her. He kept teasing her with relief, and that was the part that she couldn’t stand. Why? While the threat of imminent death had been removed, she still couldn’t manage to swallow the lump in her throat. He stood over her- looming over her like he always did. Though, with tear-blurred vision, something seemed off. She watched him, still angry, but also with clear uncertainty- even more so as he dropped his knife to the ground and echoed her name. It seemed … almost desperate.

When he all but fell on top of her, she gasped once again, twisting her hips in an effort to protect her hip from having to bear his weight and her own. Her leg hurt- but it was growing more numb by the day. However, that wasn’t what sent her into shock. As his limbs snaked around the sides of her neck to apply pressure- pulling her into some sort of embrace, he leaned in to lick the laceration that he had made. It burned, but even that didn’t disturb her as much as what he said. Tell me he didn’t touch you. It was a plea. An upheaval of emotion that she wouldn’t have believed from him had someone tried to describe it to her. She kept waiting for the punchline, but he only kept going in his downward spiral. I like you - I love you. The words made her go stiff. She heard him say it- but she didn’t believe it. This was a child’s tantrum. He didn’t want to share his toy and now that he had been forced to believe it was a possibility … it seemed his entire perception of reality had begun to crumble. He mumbled something else as he squeezed her tighter. The closeness to him made her cringe.

Blinking the tears away, she decided that this was way more than what she had bargained for. “It was your uncle, Rhazien.” She announced breathlessly. Before he took it as an accusation of Rhazien having been the one to take advantage of her, she continued without waiting for his recognition. “He came looking for you, but didn’t stay. He implied that he was going to get the others and would be back … whatever that means.” She was certain it would mean something pretty important to Sephiran. She tried to push him away and then to prop herself up against the wall. She wanted space. She wanted distance from her captor. She wanted to snake a paw up to her neck and apply pressure to ease the pain. Though whether or not he denied that or not, she continued. “He lit the herbs for me in exchange that I would call you when he wanted me to.” Aurelia recounted while looking away from him. Psychotic maniac she could handle. This … “That was all that happened.” The girl finished, just wanting to put this event behind them.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Sephiran hadn’t noticed her outcry when he pulled the blade away, unintentionally teasing her with the release she craved so badly. His mind had spiraled far beyond the games he typically played with her - for the first time since they met, he was vulnerable, but not in the sense she was hoping for. It was nothing more than a temper tantrum. The phrases that flowed from his lips resonated from a distorted sense of reality - but to Sephiran, it was his reality. The words were more real to him than anything else at this moment- more real than the soft plush of her pelt, the metallic taste of her blood, the herbal perfume that clung to her body. This love, affirmation, obsession…. whatever it may be. It was real.

Squeezing her tighter, he felt her body go stiff in his embrace. Was she overwhelmed by emotion too? The thought brought a smirk to his lips, his head pulling back so he could look into her eyes. Tears? It left him confused - were they from his confessions, or how hard he was pinning her down? Perhaps a combination of both? Either way, Aurelia was quick to blink them away. Sephiran waited for some type of reaction - needed to hear her say she hadn’t been tainted. Be pure for me. But the response she gave was so unexpected, Sephiran was let in complete and utter shock.

Rhazien? Did she really just say Rhazien?

Taking a step back, Sephiran looked like he stumbled away in shock, finding the wall against his side. It allowed her to sit up and prop herself against the wall, which he didn’t protest. “What?” He said, completely in disbelief- the shock amplifying when she went on to explain the information Rhazien wanted her to deliver.

Auriga, Cifarelli, Yarrabelle. Was it really possible they had come looking for him? And that Rhazien wanted Aurelia to summon him?

It sounded like something his uncle would do- always cryptic in his words and actions, wanting everyone to try and guess his next move. So far, everything seemed to check out - there was no other explanation for the knowledge Aurelia had suddenly gained. And yet, there was a part of Sephiran that didn’t believe her, because it seemed too good to be true. Without warning, he suddenly rushed forward, wanting to stand directly in front of Aurelia who was propping herself up against the wall. “Tell me,” Reclining onto his haunches and placing a paw on the wall beside her head, he used it to balance himself and lean forward towards her face. “What did he look like? Smell like?” Rhazien was distintable, both in appearance and smell. If he had really been here, he would be easy to describe. "Who did he have with him?" Sephiran just needed more convincing, because if it was true, he knew his uncle would never touch one of his playthings.

Which meant Aurelia might still be pure.  

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

As she tried to push him away, he staggered back- obviously not from the force she applied. It seemed her words startled him to some degree. He was just feeling all sorts of emotion today. As she propped herself up on the wall, she took her free paw and tucked it against the cut across her throat. Pulling her paw away, she could see the glisten of blood soaking her charcoal grey fur. With a grumble of annoyance, she pushed the back of her paw against the fresh injury to try and pressure it to clot. He demanded more information in a single word- What? Though she continued on in her explanation without any need for further prompting.

Suddenly, he rushed toward her once again- in which she sank back into the wall, tucking her chin to the side as she clenched her eyes tightly waiting for another impact. But as his paw struck the wall beside her head, she chanced a look in his direction. Even with her explanation, he seemed desperate. He answered her with questions of his own. What did he look like? What did he smell like? “He was dark, off-black and black-“ Aurelia tried to answer him but was cut off with another question. “Nobody, there was nobody else-“ But that time she cut herself off. Narrowing her gaze, she held his eye contact a moment before moving on from the reassurance he demanded of her. “You know what, take it or leave it! That’s what happened, if you don’t believe me that’s your problem! I’ve never blatantly lied to you.” Not that she felt the need to justify herself. She had begun getting used to the egotistical maniac. This frantic nonsense he kept spouting off was getting old far quicker than she could have ever anticipated.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Flinching before daring to peer up at him, Aurelia was once again pinned between the beast and the wall. Being this close put Sephiran in her crosshairs- she could easily lash out and try to bite him if she wanted to. Though, a physical retaliation was the last thing on his mind… and likely, the last on hers as well. Dark, off-black, black.. It was Rhazien alright. Sephiran couldn’t help himself, he interrupted and asked another question. Nobody, there was nobody else- His ears pinned back, frustration welling inside of him. Why did Rhazien approach her alone? Why wasn’t he with the others? His head was still spinning, trying to wrap around the information. He even missed most of her retaliation, given he was so lost inside his thoughts. And the expression on his face acted as a window to his inner turmoil.

” I’ve never blatantly lied to you!” But that statement, he did hear. Blinking several times, Sephiran continued to stare into her hardened gaze. Silence overtook the cavern, the snowstorm raging in the background but here, all they could hear was their heavy breaths and heartbeats. “If you believe your death pact to be true-“ He leaned in closer, gaze alit with maniacal wanderlust. “-confess to me that you'll be mine forever.” If she never lied, now was the time to test that. A short pause, before he impulsively added. “-and in return,” He didn't outright say it, but his eyes glanced down to her leg. I'll fix it.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

To say that she was exhausted jumping through hoops for him was to say the least. She had warned him that she wasn’t a dancing girl. Yet here she was, answering questions over and over- asked to repeat herself as if locked in an interrogation. But of course, that’s what this was. She watched him as his mind reeled. It seemed that he wasn’t even paying attention. Only picking out the details he wanted to hear, and it just added fuel to the fire that burned within. Though, one thing that did seem to catch his attention, was the reassurance that she hadn’t lied to him. It seemed he was finally venturing down a different line of thought, even if his unhinged desperation remained entirely visible to her.

He wanted to hear the promise come from her own lips. She had told him once before of the ceremony he had run away with- he had forced himself on her in doing so. But it didn’t make what happened any less true. “As your souls are bound, destinies align ... For the journey of life, paths intertwine. Never doubt, the moon will rise … the bond endures to the day of demise.” She recited the incantation from memory, but in common tongue. It was simple to recall, having witnessed the ceremony as it had been properly conducted on several occasions. Though the spell was just tradition. The sacrifice was what sealed the deal, pretty words or not. It’s how he had stolen her. Physical being notwithstanding. Her sapphire gaze remained hardened as he maintained his eye contact- staring back at him as the silence filled the den. “Until death’s sweet embrace do us part.” She answered him a little more forwardly. It was a passionate vow, backed by hate and resentment over any kind of affection… but it was still a vow.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Reciting a vow he didn’t quite understand, Aurelia heeded his command and provided the affirmation he craved. It was like dousing a flame with water- hellfire dissipating into a simmer, but the lingering smoke was potent enough to suffocate. The hatred in her eyes, the resentment in her words- for most, it could have been suffocating. Sephiran picked up on it all, and yet he didn’t care. So long as she admitted her fidelity, he was convinced he could pry her shortcomings out. Beatings, pillaging, mutilations, reward systems… he had seen it all in action as a child, lived it even. It was no surprise he resorted to the same behavior when trying to mold his plaything into the perfect doll. He maintained eye contact with her for several moments… to the point of it becoming uncomfortable. Not really for him, but likely for her. Swirling with the impetuosity in his eyes, was a spark of infatuation. But, it quickly resolved when his mind lingered back to his offer. Whenever she finally ripped her gaze away, Sephiran was quick to begin the process of realigning her hip. He didn’t hesitate to use a paw to shove her back down, planting it on her shoulder and using his weight to slide her down the wall she was propped on. Maneuvering her roughly, he wanted her to be laying on the opposing side of the injury, so he could access it more easily.   "Aurelia" & "Sephiran"

Even after the outburst that she had just endured with him- the outcry of unstable emotion- she had expected something ... more, when she answered his request with the vow he had asked for. But the blank stare as he maintained it caused the fur along her neck to prickle. Aurelia remained still for as long as she could tolerate it. Blinking, while awaiting his response. The thought crossed her mind to try and prompt something from him, though for some reason, looking into his soul through his dual-colored gaze ... she balked. Flicking her ears in an instant, she remained tense, but glanced to the side of him for a brief moment. But in that moment, she was displaced with the sudden force as he guided her to the ground. Between Sephiran and the wall of their den, she lay on her side. Watching intently- but a note of uncertainty present in her features.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

For once, Sephiran fell silent while he worked, unable to conjure up the smug comments and insults he usually taunted her with. Choosing to focus on his task instead, he placed his paws on her hip similarly to when he dislocated it- one on her inner thigh, and the other placed on her outer hip. It was warm to the touch, ridden with inflammation. Feeling around until he located the head of her femur, he applied pressure to ensure the anatomical landmark was correct. Once he got a thorough outcry from her, Sephiran would shift his gaze back to hers. He didn’t give any forewarning. His paws suddenly jerked, causing her femur to twist and shove upward, popping it back into the socket with a sickening crunch of bone grinding against cartilage. It was a gut-wrenching sound, loud enough to make anyone nauseated but for Sephiran, it sent pleasure crawling up his spine. "Aurelia" & "Sephiran"

As he began to manipulate her leg, she bit her lip with the sudden flash of pain. While it had grown numb over time in its dislocated state, the movement caused a searing discomfort in her dulled nerve endings. While she flexed her nails into the ground, she actually made the effort to resist fighting him. While he certainly wasn't being gentle as he aligned her femur to the correct placement, his method of handling the injury felt different. Calculating, almost. Even still, she was very familiar with the process of popping a joint back in place. It was something that had to be done, but she couldn't help herself from shaking with the anticipation. As he begun to apply pressure to force her leg back into its place, she couldn't help but cry out. And in one fluid act of strength, Sephiran drove her femoral head back into its socket. She screamed with the violent sensation. Though immediate relief washed over her as the strain was lifted. "Oh gods," Her voice somewhere between an exasperated sigh of relief and a moan between heavy panting- a sign of her stress. She attempted to prop herself up to look at her leg, flexing her toes on that leg to test out her mobility.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Her screaming. It was deafening, high-pitched, drenched in agony and pain. Sephiran loved it. Wanted to hear more of it even. But given the intensity of their interaction, he refrained from doing further damage. Which, said a lot about his current state of mind. ”Oh gods,” She was nearly breathless, moaning and gritting her teeth. Trying to collect herself after the gut-wrenching pain that coursed through her leg. Now that the nerves weren’t so compressed, the numbness should start to subside. But the inflammation, which irritated the nerves and brought on the pain. That would peak over the next couple of days. This was only the beginning. “Stay off of it for a few days.” He instructed, still holding the limb in his paws, watching as she flexed her toes out. His pelt was still bristled, eyes watching her facial expression, savoring the pain in her eyes. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel closer to her. He couldn’t help but feel a connection. Too bad it was just obsession and grandiosity. “Don’t leave this territory... unless, you want to be hunted down?” He set her leg down, allowing herself to get a better look at it. His lips were pulled back into a hard, thin line. One that gave weight to the threat he was about to spew. “We don’t want them all to be broken.” And by we, he really meant her. Because even if he popped all of her legs out of their sockets, he could still fuck her as much as he wanted. So, did it really matter to him? Not really, so long as she was his to command. With a sigh, Sephiran slunk down beside her. Pressing himself against her frame, wanting their warmth to entwine. In truth, he was tired. And all he wanted to do now, was sleep next to his plaything- like a child with their teddy bear.   "Aurelia" & "Sephiran"

With each labored breath, Aurelia could feel the weight of her situation bearing down on her. Her chest constricted with every inhale and exhale, as if there was a vice squeezing her lungs. His words lingered in the air like a daunting task ahead of her- stay off of it for a few days. The thought alone made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. A few more days. It seemed like such a small amount of time in the grand scheme of things, but for Aurelia, it felt like an eternity. She had already spent what felt like ages trapped in this forsaken den, what would be a few more days? She let out a sigh of reluctant acceptance and lifted her gaze from her toes to meet his intense, piercing stare. She knew she had no choice but to obey his command, no matter how much it pained her soul.

A cold and foreboding sensation, akin to icy tendrils, slithered its way down her spine as Sephiran's threat loomed over her like a dark cloud. The intensity of his piercing gaze sent shivers through every nerve in her body, causing them to dance with fear and discomfort. As she sat there, unable to move due to the pain from her dislocated hip, she felt trapped in more ways than one - both physically by her injury and mentally within the boundaries set by Sephiran's will.

Aurelia's mind was racing as she tried to come to terms with her current predicament. The pain in her leg was almost unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the pain of being trapped under Sephiran's control. She was a prisoner in her own body, unable to move or escape. And as he lowered his body onto the bed next to her, she could feel his warmth enveloping her. She hadn't even realized that she had been holding her breath until her chest began to ache with its absence. And as he moved toward sleep, she continued to stare- trying to wrap her head around what their future was going to look like.

-End Thread-

"Speech"

Code by Shelby