Unbreakable

Chapter 30 Dinner

Chapter 30 Dinner
Cytherea pov
The sun was setting, and Cytherea was sitting outside the dinner room that was set up for them. Cytherea was wearing a yukata that one of the staff picked out for her. From the stitching in the cotton fabric, she could tell there were flowers embroidery on it. It was soft and light weight, which she appreciated. The last few days were starting to weigh on her, so it was nice to wear something like it. Cytherea found kiseru in the room she was sitting outside the paper room smoking it. (94) She was enjoying the sweet tasting tobacco smoke filling her lungs. It gave her a nice buzz, which she was going to need for the proposal she had for Eustass. The men were coming through the courtyard, and she took a big pull of tobacco. Ready to start the next part of her plan.

Killer was walking up with Heat and Wire through the calm little garden. Cytherea couldn't see all the details, but with what she could, they seemed out of place. With the little stream running among the quiet tree and the flowers. She smiled sweetly at them, and Wire and Killer gave a little greeting to her and walked inside. Heat sat next to her and nodded slightly to the kiseru quietly asking "can I bum that?" She hands the skinny pipe over to him as he takes a pull. Heat lets out a big puff of smoke, feeling the evening air with the smell of sweet tobacco. The rest of the crew came up all laughing at joking with each other. Gig comes up to Heat mid laugh at something someone said and ask Heat, "Where did you get that? I thought you said you ran out of smokes earlier." Heat shrugs off the question and hands the pipe back to Cytherea. She makes eye contact with Gig and takes a deep pull. Then let's out a ring of smoke towards Gig's face. Circling his surprise expression, when he realized it was hers. He starts to stumble on his words as his heart quickens. She simply smiles and holds out the pipe, saying, "I don't mind sharing, but it's mostly ash now. There is more inside if you want to repack it." Gig nods quickly and takes the pipe rushing past the two of them.

Cytherea giggles again at the interaction. Heat just sighs quietly, asking her, "Do you just enjoy torturing the crew?" She turns her head slightly at him and puts on an innocent smile, asking,"I have no idea what you mean." Heat sighs again and points to her half opened chest. "That's not how you wear that. Killer already threatens the crew if someone touches you again. Now you're just asking for it." This comment pissed her off quickly. She turned to the man and whispered harshly to him "No I am not. I do not control anyone. These men make their own decisions. The way I dress does not give them permission to touch me. I dress for myself, and no one else. If you think otherwise, that's on you. Trust me, I was wearing a lot more when I was raped for the first time. What I wore has nothing to do with that monsters choices." She didn't realize she leaned so close to his face. His heart raced, and he was leaning away from her. She sighs and quickly retreats away from him. The tension is thick between them. Yet Heat didn't leave; he just sat quietly next to her as the gentle breezes shifted their hair. Cytherea, anger quickly passed as she studied the man next to her. His heart rate went down a bit, but he was rubbing the back of his head, not looking at her as if he was trying to figure out what to say to her.

She says quietly, "I don't know how to tie this thing. Never put one on by myself before." A small blush crept to her cheeks as she admitted the small truth. She could tell at that point that Heat didn't mean to offend her. He was just trying to help her in his own way. The dreadlocks man mumbles, "I know how to tie it if you want. It's not much different from other things I've worn." She nodded and waited for his direction. Heat was silent, but he was patient with her as he adjusted her yukata. As he finished up the last bow, he said quietly, "You are right, it shouldn't matter what you wear around us. You are part of the crew. If anyone tries anything without your permission, that's their fault. Not yours. Sorry for saying otherwise." Cytherea smiles and looks over her shoulder at him. Heat was one of the power houses of their crew, but at that moment, the poor man looked so upset. She gives him a gentle smile, matching his quiet voice saying "no, I should apologize. You were looking out for your crew. It's not really something you worry about. So I understand you not knowing my point of view. So, thank you for seeing it." He nods and tightens the sash around her waist. He starts to walk away, but she grabs his hand, silently asking him to stop. She reaches into one of her small buns she had in her hair and pulls out the flower. She didn't know what kind it was, but it smelled sweet with a tone smokey scent, so she picked it. Cytherea places it behind Heats ear and smiles at him gently. Then he walks inside, leaving him in stunned silence. (The flower she gives Heat is a blue poppy that is said to represent imagination and higher thinking. In my head Canon of Heat, he knows what flowers mean)