Shadow (7)

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Waking up, I was... strangely comfortable, considering I don't remembering going home. The hell..?
My arms rested on top of a blanket, and my head on a nice pillow. The ceiling above me was a bit blurry and the room was dark; It was impossible for me to make out very much.
Dim, red moonlight poured into the room from a concentrated source; a small window sat on the far side of the room, covered with blackout curtains that didn't fully hide the light coming in.
Where am I?
I sat up and pushed the blanket off of me, immediately noticing the lightness of my head and shoulders. And where's my mask?
My body didn't feel fully covered either; wait a moment-
This isn't- In the place of my normal metaverse attire was my clothes from the real world, though this very much wasn't the real world. I don't feel any hint of Loki either.
I rubbed the sleep from my still tired eyes, the situation taking on a whole new level of seriousness. Clearly, something had happened; it's a question of what, though. That's something I don't want to hear again for a long time... the last few days have had more than enough of what, why, how... ugh.
For now, it's better to find out exactly where I am; my mind, despite being a bit foggy still, wasn't picking up on any kind of injury.
A quiet knock on a wooden door pulled me from my thoughts, said door opening across the room, near the window. A bit brighter of a light poured in from the opening to the outside world, I covered my eyes with my hand; too bright.
"Ah- you're awake." The same voice as before stretched across the room to reach me, a set of golden eyes accompanied it and met my own red ones. The figure shut the door and I lowered my hand, no longer needing it to block out the light.
"Who are you?" I took no care in saying it nicely; if this person (?) wanted me dead, surely they would've done it by now.
"I'm sure you know that already, don't you?" He walked across the room, coming far closer to me than I was comfortable with.
"Stay there, not another step." The words where spoken as a threat.
"What did you do to me, Joker?" The code name rolled off my tongue with ease, but sounded like poison leaving my lips.
"How cold... I did nothing; It was one of the shadows roaming around that knocked you out for me." He obeyed and didn't take another step towards me; even so, being left defenseless in a room with a shadow, a palace owner at that...
"Did you sleep well?" His ease pissed me off a bit, what kind of question was that?
"I'm asking the questions." I made sure he heard me before moving on.
"Where are we right now, and how did we get here?" That seems to be a good place to start.
"We're inside my palace, the metaverse, and I carried you here." His answer was nothing more than I asked for, and I didn't really care. He gave me the exact information that I wanted, that's not a problem.
"Why am I dressed like this?" A curious thought popped into my head which I shrugged off for being illogical.
"You broke transformation shortly after dream needle knocked you out." If I remember correctly, the metaverse attire shows that the palace owner sees the intruder as a threat. Does that mean-?
"You don't see me as a threat?" It was less a question, and more thinking out loud.
"No, no quite the opposite. I know you're a threat, but..." Gravity seemed to get heavier when he paused, reducing any efforts of movement to nothing.
"I just so happen to be more of a threat." The wight let up once he finished his sentence; this guy control gravity, good to know.
"Why aren't you trying to kill me right now?" His behaviors are off; the shadows of palace owners normally attack, and order their shadow minions to do the same. This one is the only exception to that rule as of far, and an unfair exception at that.
"Well..." He approached me again, despite my prior warning.
"Hey- I said-" Joker cut me off and took my chin gently in his hand, tilting up my face to force eye contact.
"My treasure just so happens to be sitting in front of me right now; it'd be an inconvenience if anything where to happen to you." Did he just say-?
The look in his eyes scared me a bit, sent a chill down my spine and seemed to freeze my very core.
"Unless, that is, you would prefer me to attack you again?" The way he looked at me was... wrong.
"Get your hand off of me." I swatted away his hand and looked away, not wanting to see that obsessed look anymore. Are these Akiras desires? No, that doesn't make sense. Akira wouldn't have been able to access the velvet room if he had a palace, surely. Damn it... damn that stupid old elf and his way avoiding my questions.
A quiet laugh was the only answer I got, a smile pulling at his lips.
"Fine, have it your way. I wouldn't suggest trying to leave, but you're free to wander as you please." The shadows tone was final, was he about to leave?
"I'm not done with you." I let my gaze meet his again, his expression changing to a small shock for a moment; Joker never was good at fully hiding his emotions. Somehow, I always got a glimpse of how he truly felt; that is part of the reason this whole palace thing didn't make any sense.
"You're not? What other questions do you have for me, then? I'm more than happy to stay here with you for as long as you please." How annoying...
"Tch. Personal space, learn it." He backed off and I continued. "What did you mean by treasure?" That's the only other thing bothering me, and the only thing I doubt I'm going to get a straight answer for.
"You're smart, why not figure that out yourself? I'll leave you to ponder that, do let me know what conclusion you draw though." He took a few steps back before turning on his heel, hand meeting the doorknob again.
"I'll be around if you need me, Goro, just call." His small smile was the last I saw of him before he left the room.
Are people even able to be a treasure, actually? Where's that cat when you need him...
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Words: 1118

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