✧*̥˚ {𝔊𝔢𝔫𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔫 ℑ𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔠𝔱 𝔒𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔰 & ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔬𝔫𝔰} *̥˚✧

𝖂𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖑𝖊𝖞 ☕︎

!!! WARNING !!!
Mention of self-harming behaviour, substance consumption and mildly sexual references

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𝖂𝖍𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖕𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖙? 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖔𝖝𝖎𝖓𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖇𝖔𝖉𝖞, 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖈𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖓𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖒𝖊—𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝕴 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖑 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚?

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There was a knock on my door, quiet and subtle. Seven knocks in a rhythmic pattern. My eyes slowly opened. A Guard.

I slipped out of the tattered covers of my bed and padded over the cold metal floor, stretching my numbed arms. The mattress wasn't exactly poor quality, but it was much harder than my one back home, bordering on outright uncomfortable.

Home... I was beginning to forget what it looked like after having been faced with the bronzes and browns of the Fortress for so many years. That said, there wasn't exactly ever a dull day in the prison beneath the waves, I thought as I opened my door.

Most exiles didn't get such privacy, I knew as I stared with tired eyes at the Guard in front of me. I had known for a long time. It was only a few years ago when the Guards stopped barging in for random inspections and left me to my peaceful sleep—as peaceful as it could get down here, anyway. Over time, the sound of the ever-functioning machinery stopped being a nuisance and became my lullaby—my starlit path to the realm of dreams each night.

Those golden eyes pierced me with distrust. He did not speak, sunglow hair fluttering lightly on a phantom wind—or perhaps whatever steam the machinery happened to be grinding up tonight. I leaned on the doorway as he stared at me, meeting his gaze with a cat-like grin that almost caused him to flinch. "Little late to come kiss me goodnight, Ielmini."

This time, he really did flinch. "You and your nonsense..."

I angled my head, the grin fading slightly. "So? What is it you want?"

"His Grace called for you."

I straightened, my smile quickly replaced with a solemn expression. "What does he need?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss these things out in the open—and this matter happens to be particularly important." He inclined his head to the corridor. "Let's go. I'm to escort you there."

"I know how to find my way around the Fortress, Officer Ielmini," I drawled, staring at the long nails that adorned each of my fingers. Not quite as long and sharp as they were during my time as a criminal—but longer nails tended to be a nuisance when doing physical work, anyway.

Ielmini gripped my arm and hauled me out of my room with a huff. "Just because His Grace has granted you partial freedom for your help does not mean I nor any of the other Guards trust you."

He let go and I dusted myself off, before grabbing a rather drab-looking jacket from a coat-hanger by the door and pulling it on. It was more of a long nail I had found and hammered into the wall, but it served its purpose. With one look from Ielmini, the two of us began to walk, the metal flooring clanging beneath his boots. My bare feet made no noise on the ground whatsoever—like a feline padding silently on the ground.

We didn't talk. My feral smile made sure conversation was dissuaded. It wasn't as if I had anything against Ielmini—but he hated me. And that was fun to play around with. We entered an elevator that would take us down to the Administration Area—and while I usually loved to tease and jabber on, the elevator was one of the few places that silenced me. It just wasn't a very social area, I thought as I picked at my nails.