-Arlett-
"Why don't you head to sleep, Ari?" Miki starts, calming down from her tense mood, "It's past midnight, you were out cold for a while." Arlett looks back to her with concern, gently asking, "Are you sure? I can keep going for a bit if you would like." Shaking her head, Miki stands up from the bed, and sighs, "Didn't I just tell you? You need to rest, I can't heal you with magic." Arlett nods in understanding, pulling the blankets up to her stomach. "Don't think our night's done though, I have a surprise for you." Miki continues as she begins moving red magic around herself, "I'll show you when you head to sleep, okay?"
Arlett wants to ask what she means, but before she opens her mouth to speak, a flash of scarlet envelops her master, who vanishes. 'A surprise for when I'm asleep?' Arlett thinks to herself as she lays back to contemplate. Snuffing the lantern, the room goes dark. The faintest amount of moonlight illuminates the room in a barely visible grey light. As the blankets meet Arlett's neck, she starts to think of the surprises Miki could have planned for her while she's asleep. 'What could she want to do with me while I'm slee...' The idea trails off as she quickly stems the train of thought with a blush. 'No not that definitely not that, stupid head...' Arlett closes her eyes, now trying to do anything but think about it. Miki could still read her mind, after all.
The world around her vanishes, shifting and molding around her subconscious. Arlett finds herself in a field of shin-high grass. Her eyes jump open, faced with a greyish-blue sky, without a sun or moon to speak of. No clouds or stars or gradients, just a flat faint blue. In one direction, a forest of pine. In every other direction, the meadow continues to the horizon. Arlett looks to herself, to see that she's wearing a dress. It looks similar to the one Miki wears when she visits. the main difference is that the straps that hold the dress up are replaced by fabric that wraps over her shoulders similarly to a sleeveless top, connecting in the back. Only one of her arms has a glove, and the dress cuts off around her knees, instead of like Miki's where it cuts at her ankles.
The dress is comfy, and fits her well. A breeze dances across the meadow in a wave, as a voice comes from behind Arlett, "You should wear dresses more often, darling." Pivoting around, the dreaming girl sees a perfect image of her master, approaching her in a calm and steady walk. Her tail is swaying behind her, as her dress and hair joins the wind in it's dance of flowing waves. Miki stops just a few feet before her servant, looking directly across to her. Smiles exchange, as Arlett realizes what her master had planned for her. "Is this actually you, Miki?".
The demon smirked, raising an open hand, palm down. A gust of wind starts to surround Arlett, blowing her dress around. The warlock drops to her knees, trying to keep her dress down as she calls again, "Miki, ple-" The wind picks up, as the smirk on the demon's face widens just a bit. Arlett tries calling out again, "Master?" Without stopping her spell, Miki replies teasingly, "You know, I noticed you avoid one of the names I let you call me. Why's that?" Arlett can't catch her breath in the updraft, she can't even stand up. Miki makes a fist of her previously open hand , as the wind seems to vanish. Arlett's dress floats back down as she fixes her breathing.
Opening her eyes for the first time since the storm, the warlock is face to face with her master, inches apart again. Startled, Arlett stumbles and blurts out in a flustered and staggering tone, "M-Miki! Is this the surprise you had for me?" A clawed hand extends, and the dreaming girl takes it, regaining her composure as she fixes her hair and dress. Miki smirks in amusement, watching her servant try to clean herself off without looking too embarrassed. Clearly enjoying herself, Miki continues in her teasing tone, "This? This is just a little spell, nothing too impressive. You'll be able to do this someday, I'm sure." she starts, "But what's important right now is what I have planned for you, darling. I have a lot to tell you. About the powers you'll gain throughout our deal, and about the reason I came to find you."
Miki floats about through the air, idly rolling around in the sky as she explains, "Let's start with the reality of this deal. When we shook, we said that I would lend you some of my power, in exchange for you doing as I say when I call on you, remember?" Alrett nods, soaking up everything she's hearing. "What have I called you to do so far?" Miki adds, looking at her servant for her response. Arlett responds without needing to think, "Only for practicing using your magic, both last night and earlier tonight, right?"
Miki nods, continuing, "Right. But in truth, that isn't what I had in mind when I set that condition. I came to you because I needed someone from the material plane, and you happened to be the first person I saw who interested me. You were surprisingly willing to agree to the deal, but I'm not complaining." Memories of that night flash back to Arlett, remembering the presence behind her as she finished the commissioned painting. Miki stops floating, landing in front of Arlett and staring into her eye as she announces, "The reason I came looking for someone was for a deal. A bet, you could say." The ambient noise of grass rustling and the breeze waving across the field disappears as Miki continues, "I made a bet with someone from my world. We would each choose someone from your world to grant power, and that we would see who could have a stronger warlock.".
The rest of the world seems greyed out to Arlett, who's taking in Miki's announcement. She's adopted a more serious face than she had in a long time. "And so here we are, I'm training you, they're somewhere out there training their own servant." Miki continues, "I'm thankful you're not too demanding or difficult about this deal of ours, most humans tend to be." Many questions jump to Arlett's mind, but she decides to keep them to herself. Miki stops her explanation abruptly, tilting her head in a curios manner. "Go on, ask away, Darling." Miki encourages her servant, "You have a certain look when you want to ask questions."
Arlett nods eagerly, taking a breath before she starts her curious stammering. "How will you decide who wins the bet?" She starts, fairly sure she already knows the answer. Miki responds quickly, "Last warlock alive." It's to the death? It's what Arlett expected, but it still gave her a chill when she heard it aloud. "How long do we have?" She continues, less sure of the answer her master will give to this one. A moment passes as Miki closes her eyes to think. "He's a chaotic one, for all I know he could have sent his servant to hunt you. We agreed to pick one person in this settlement. Erith, was it called?" Arlett nods, a little unnerved at the realization that she could be being hunted as she sleeps. Miki continues, "We decided to have you both hunt each other. Makes it a bit more fun to watch, and it also tests dedication. Luckily..." Arlett puts a foot back as she leans away from the demon's now approaching eyes. "I'd say I got pretty lucky. You seem to like me. Why's that, darling?" Miki teases.
"Did you have other servants before me?" Arlett blurts out a question that caught in her throat. It didn't make any sense, but it hurt to feel like just another person in her master's games. There was an ache that started rising since Miki mentioned that she came to Arlett over a deal and not because she meant something. It shouldn't be there. This wasn't some fantasy where she could be a hero or have an adventure about herself. It's just reality. 'Get out of your head. Stop thinking like that, Ari.' She kept repeating this in her head as Miki answered, her master's tone a bit more curious than with the other questions, "No, actually. Everything I know about all this business with trading service for power? About how the deals typically go? Just what I've learned from books, scrolls, or stories. I'm new to this whole thing, just like you."
Arlett feels herself wash over with relief. 'No you can't feel this way, stop. That doesn't mean you're special, you're just the first of many.' Arlett looks up at the demon's face for the first time since her rambling in her head. Emotionless, the expression on Miki's face matches that of the dream's landscape. The entire world is grey, the sky now white. Arlett's mind goes blank as a hint of fear creeps in. 'Can she still hear my thoughts?..' She thinks to herself, unintentionally standing as still as stone.
Miki lets out a sigh, as she starts slowly walking towards her servant. Her footsteps make no sound, even as they tread though the tall grass. The distance is closing. 'Master, please don't think I meant-' her thoughts cut off as any air she had escapes her body. Miki stands before her, scarlet eyes peering down at the comparatively powerless soul of Arlett. "Kneel." Miki whispers demandingly.
Without any hesitation from either body or mind, Arlett drops to her knees, still looking up at her patron. "Good. Now, grovel." Again, no resistance, Arlett's on her hands and knees, looking to the ground between Miki's stockings. The grass is much shorter now, enough so that the dirt can be seen underneath. A spark of magic comes from above her vision Arlett, but before she can process it, a force is pushing down gently against her servant's head. "Why did you take the deal?" Miki asks in her terrifyingly comforting voice.
Memories of last night's meeting flood Arlett's mind, as she splits her focus between answering and keeping her head up against the pressure Miki's exerting. "I..." a moment of thought passes, "I had my fortune told. That I would have-" her words are cut off as the weight increases behind the magic keeping her down. Her arms give out as she turns her head, her cheek getting pushed into the dirt. She catches a glimpse of the force, Miki's magic hand is pressed to her servant's head. "Go on, I'm waiting." Miki whispers down to her. "I was told I'd have an ally in the devil, and then you appeared with a deal." Arlett continues, "It just clicked in my head, it must have been about you."
Miki hums curiously to herself before responding, "Is that all it was?" Arlett barely managed to nod between the pressure and the ground. "Ari," Miki starts, lifting her magical hand from her servant's head, "What did I say about lying to me?" Making her way to her knees again, Arlett stutters a sentence, "I-I didn't lie, I swear.." Miki tilts her head, "Oh really? Then what about everything you did, or even thought about, that was more than just making an ally of me?"
Arlett's mind searches through her memories to find what her master means by this. Miki sighs again, leaning down to be not even an inch from Arlett's face. The two can feel each other's breath, with the servant's being hasty and panicked. "You didn't need to start feeling for me, darling. That wasn't part of the deal." Miki teases with a smirk. Arlett's face turns a bright red, as her mind jumps to everything that might have gave her away. No way she can admit it, she didn't even really know it herself. "I-I don't, it's nothing like that."
Miki stares at her servant with a mischievous glare, "So, you don't like me? I don't believe you." She starts, "But it isn't enough to just call you a liar, I'm going to prove it. I've been casting a little spell to get you to do as I command, so don't try and resist it. You've been good for me so far, but if you try and resist, you'll fail." Miki raises a finger, "Stand." Immediately, she does. Miki's smirk gets even more devious, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you enjoy doing what I tell you."
The demon starts to slowly walk in a circle around Arlett, who's shaking in her dress. Fists clenched, she has no idea how she'll make it out of this tormenting dream. 'Miki is in control of everything, even whether I wake up or not.' Arlett realizes, 'Why does she do this to me? Is she enjoying making me ache?..' Miki stops circling, now standing behind her servant. "I said I'd prove you're a liar, so final warning. Admit you have more reason than a deal to serve me." Arlett can only think of one sentence, thinking it over and over and over, 'what's she going to do to me?'
What feels like forever passes before a gentle touch presses against Arlett's back. Five claws gently making their way along her spine, from top to middle, and still going. "You're arching your back, Ari. I win." Miki breaks the silence, her tone a confident tease. Her claws have left Arlett's back, who's turning to the demon while trying to fix her posture. Sure enough, her back was arching without her even noticing.
"It just tickled! That's all it was, I couldn't help it if it tickled me!" Arlett blurts out as an attempt at explaining. Miki takes a step forward as her servant stands upright again, pointing her finger at Arlett's face. "You're blushing, so I win." Miki states with her iconic grin. Arlett opens her mouth to defend herself, but Miki cuts her off, "Don't try to blame it on your bed being warm. Those blankets weren't worth half the cloth they were made from. So go on, why are you blushing from my little demonstration?"
Arlett only now realizes her body shaking. It's so surreal, to be being tested in this way. Her mind starts to ponder like it always does, trying to find answers, 'Why am I letting this happen?' 'Why did I accept the deal?' 'Why is Miki doing this to me?' 'Why won't I wake up already?' Her vision grows fuzzy, her patron turning to a vague silhouette before her. Adjusting her feet to balance herself, she tries to muster an answer, "I-I... I didn't... wasn't.." her mind is more flustered than she.
The silhouette approaches slowly. 'How did I start feeling things like this so fast? And with her?..' Anxieties start to creep in. The world around her and the demon starts to fade to black. Aches in her head, balance fading, Arlett starts to mumble aimlessly. Without any control. "Please don't be mad, I don't know the answer, Miki please don't go, I-" A panic sets in. Not a sudden rush of fear and adrenaline. A quiet, drowning panic. The red and black silhouette is all she can see. Her arms feel numb. Her heart grows louder and louder. A storm kicks up in the now abyss black world of her dream. Eyes watering. Eyelids too heavy to lift back up. Everything starts to fade. And then, a warmth. Two arms, ending in familiarly gentle claws. An embrace. Relief. Comfort. Safety.
Miki moves a hand to the back of the recovering Arlett's head, pushing it softly into her collar. "It's okay, I'm right here. You're okay, we're both okay." Miki sounds sincere. For the first time in their knowing each other, the demon made contact with her chosen one for the sake of nothing more than comforting her. She would never tell Arlett, but it was true. Miki continues, using the calming voice she used on their first night meeting. Only this time, no terror. Just Miki's calming, serene, otherworldly whispers. "You don't have to answer my questions tonight. You don't need to admit to anything. Okay, darling?"
Still held against Miki's collar, Arlett nods. "I'll get you to say it some other time," The demon continues, "But for now, there's so much for me to tell you, and I'm worried we won't have enough time before you get confronted by the enemy. You're really talented. Gifted, even, when it comes to using my magic. The stories I've heard about having warlocks always call souls like yours 'one in a million'." Miki peers down, seeing her chosen one's hands trembling. "You can hold me back, I won't be mad, Arlett." Without a second of delay, Arlett's arms wrap around her patron, almost tight enough to catch Miki off guard. Not quite, but almost. The embrace lasts for a long while, but by the time the two step apart, it felt like only a few seconds.
Having calmed down, Arlett is looking up to her master, who's put on her smirk again. Less mischievous this time, much more relaxed than before. "Are you sure that was okay?" Arlett softly asks, holding her arms to her center in a subconscious hope of keeping Miki's warmth around her. "I'm really sorry, you probably had something more important planned than taking care of me-" it hits Arlett that she actually embraced the demon she thought would only ever be there for strictly business. Magic training and tasks. But suddenly, in a dream, she was comforted when she broke from the pressure.
Miki sighs, interrupting her servant's train of thought. "I love the way you're always asking questions," Miki starts, "but it was nice to see you all small and quiet like that." Arlett's heart jumps, even she can tell her face turned red. Surprisingly, though, Miki doesn't say anything about it. Instead, she puts on her usual smirk and tone, "I hope you know this isn't my actual body. Nor is that one actually yours. It's all just made of dreams. You were held by a dream of my body." Miki starts to explain, as the warlock starts eating up every word. "I want to spend time to get to know you, but I haven't been able since we're kinda on a time limit. My point is, I'd like to have more to this than just the deal. Maybe, just maybe, if we get enough time to ourselves, I might let you hold the real me." Miki winks as the world around the duo regains its colour.