Black Heart (mxm)

Changes

Frowning, Daiya tugged at the thick leather collar that was now around his neck. It had a long, small chain leash that could attach to it, though it was unclipped at that moment, the leash hanging on one of Fin's belt loops. 

"Stop pulling on that, Daiya. It's for your own safety." Fin grumbled as he glanced up from the desk he was situated at in his personal study. 

Daiya had been allowed to come with him, but only because he kept opening the door to Fin's bedroom when the man was out. Sure, he had been ordered to stay put, but as he gained more and more comprehension with each passing day, he'd decided that not all orders were worth obeying. Especially ones that kept him away from Fin for such long periods of time. 

Lowering his hands for the tenth time that day, he slid them into his pockets and let his smile widen. Fin gave him a look in return, but it just made Daiya's heart fidget a little in his cold chest. 

There was a strong knock on the door a moment later, drawing Daiya's attention at the same time Fin spoke. 

"Get the door. That's my meeting for this hour." 

Daiya did so, letting in an older gentleman dressed in fancy, well-fitted clothing. 

"Ah, is this the zombie lad people have been whispering about since your get together?" The man said as he walked over to Fin, who was rising from his seat in order to offer his hand. 

"Yes, sir." He replied. 

Daiya wrinkled his nose slightly. The man smelled like fish. 

"Please, have a seat." Fin said, gesturing to several of his comfortable wing chairs by one of the large windows. 

They spoke of different trades, and not to Daiya's surprise, a large part of the discussion was toward the trade of fish and different exotic foods. He stood as they spoke, trying to decipher another scent that was coming from the man that seemed familiar, yet not. 

The men were delivered tea, brandy, and bread a few times throughout their meeting, that extended quite longer than the single hour Fin had mentioned and Daiya was ordered to find something to occupy his time several repeatedly. He ignored Fin's words, however, his attention fixated on the scent that drifted to his nose every so often. 

The meeting was finally winding down after a while, and it was clear that Fin had definitely favored his cups of brandy over the tea, considering the man's behavior. If there was one thing Fin enjoyed when not weighed down with work, it was a good bit of alcohol. 

Daiya watched Fin's guest slowly stand, his actions only slightly influenced by the drinks he'd consumed. He expected him to say something in terms of his intent to depart, or something concluding the meeting in general, but when he simply gave a sad smile and retrieved a pistol from within his suit-coat, Daiya's eyes widened a fraction. 

"You claim to be such a decent man now that you are no longer undead, but I will never consider you anything more than a murderer. You used to fill your dungeon with villagers for your meals!" The man yelled, his upset coming through his oddly calm voice. 

Fin was trying to blink through the alcohol that blurred his mind to process the man's words quicker. 

"You may have thought that you were doing us a favor by taking only the sick or weak from our town, but my daughter could have survived her illness. The young lad down the road a short ways might have been handicapped by trying to help people gather firewood during a bad winter and had gotten his leg mangled, but he was amazing with numbers and could have easily found himself work with management." The man yelled as he waved his gun around, then slowly lowered it to point at Fin's chest as his words died down.