To Drown in Sand

Fights so dirty but you look so sweet Talk so pretty but your heart got teeth.

Glass walls shot up in random patterns as a black blur zoomed around or into them at different intervals. Gentle green eyes masked the impassive slate grey gaze of the player as she deftly drew new dead ends on her data pad. Carisimmi's kind smile looked almost cruel under the shadow of her hime cut bangs. She floated high above the maze, a goddess creating her world.

Touch Me entered the previously empty space, miles of open area morphing into something unsettling before his very eyes. With everything that had happened within the guild from Victim to Tabula, it was harder than ever to get Carissimi to interact with anyone. They were letting things slide and doing what they could to appease, worried about her relapsing like she did last time. Blue Planet had given her an empty room he was going to use to create a botanical garden. She'd wasted no time turning it into a garden of the deadly variety and placed it under Sephiroth's keep.

The way she cooed and coddled over the young incubus as he explored his new space both broke and soothed their hearts.

Momonga was always lenient with his best friend but after word got around of the altercation between Carissimi and Tabula, he finally put his foot down. Tabula was suspended from the Guild for a week with a month's probation. The brain eater was also forced to relinquish the secret cavern he'd excavated for his NPCs to Carisimmi. For too long Momonga had let his friend do as he pleased and the fact that he was now enforcing an order put a strain on their relationship.

Tabula left Yggdrasil soon after.

Carissimi had tried to comfort the lich but she knew it was pointless. She blamed herself for the soured friendship and locked herself away in her room, both IRL and in game. Today was the first Touch Me would speak to his sister directly since her self imposed exile, Dez having DMed him that his sister had left her room. He was grateful to the shadow demoness for being there for his sister even though it stung how close they were.

There's so much he wants to say but the words seem to fail him as he stares at the avatar's back. He wants to ask her to come back to the manor where she's safe and can get help. Wants to tell her that she can't keep relying on the game to make her happy. He wants to tell her that everything will be alright. But he can't. He can't break another promise to her.

"Carissimi..." He starts but stops, shaking his head as he rethinks everything he's ever said to her. "Sara... I love you." His avatar hugs her and in the real world he can feel the warmth of his tears rolling down his cheeks. "I love you and you will always be my precious little sister."

Carissimi says nothing as she watches Dez hit another wall and scream as Karma hunts her down.

___________

Terror was a look he'd learn to see in his very existence.

His terrified expression was reflected back at him infinite times over as he wandered through the maze of mirrors. He didn't know what was worse: being able to see the exit but never able to reach it or the sight of his own pain looking at him from every direction. Time meant nothing to a man who had no future to look towards. The fear in his eyes went well with his embarrassment and fury.

A large white ribbon tied in an intricate bow rested mockingly against his throat as an elegant silver lock glinted daintily in the low lights. Teeth marks, scarred over and pink peeked out from beneath the river with every breath. He was marked and collared, days narrowed down to being a mere "pet". That damned demon child! Her eyes haunted his every nightmare.

Lashing out, he aimed a punch at his reflection.

A chill passed down his spine as he met those cursed eyes looking back at him over his shoulder.