⠀ ⠀ ⠀ꞌꞋ ࣪ _𝑵EVER͟𝒑𝒆͟𝒓͟𝒔͟𝒐͟𝒏͟𝒂͟𝒍͟

What was that about? 

₍ ₀₂ ₎         estelle’s hands intertwine with bell’s.  rubbing each knuckle in slow,  circular,  motions.   each word whispered to bell comes out as something much more raw,  broken   &.   guttural than it should’ve been.  odette should keep her composure,   she owes bell that at the very least.  if she could paint a picture of how he looks right now,  she would.  a picture would be better.  odette could lock bell away in a locket forever,  for her eyes only.  illuminated by the moon,  unmasked.  he’s tired,  no doubt.  exhausted.  but still so handsome,  it’s a face she’s grown to adore everyday.  odette’s free hand caresses bell’s cheek,  tracing each scar through muscle memory.  odette rises,  making her way to her lover.  lips press against bell’s cheek,  then his jaw.  they find a home against bell’s pulse.  arms would find purchase around his shoulders.   lids flutter close.  
            
            
                         ⇽           ᵈⁱᵃˡᵒᵍᵘᵉ       O.S ᵎ   
             ❛͟ ❛͟     I love you.  I hope you know 
            that.   It may be hard to believe, 
            after all I was molded into the 
            shape of a lover──  I don’t think 
            I was a proper one.  Maybe this is 
            me making amends.  To you,  to 
            Adler.  You alone are my fate, I 
            would do anything for you Bell.  
            Dance with me,  will you?     ❜͟ ❜͟

───────────
            dedicated to,    ❪ @mkultrd  ❫
                 from,  odette serban.
            ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀               
            
                              act i.     OUR LAST NIGHT
                              TOGETHER.    for,       bell.
                                   ═ㅤ═ ⠀ㅤ   ⧼       0⃨1⃨.⃨      ⇽  
            
                  ﹙₀₁﹚             it’s hopeful thinking for the both of them.   odette and bell are aware of their situation.   there is no escaping this life they’ve made for themselves,  no escaping the truth.  no escaping adler.  it could be the last night for both of them after all,  odette snatched away the piece of prey adler has been hunting for years.   never  snatch  f⃨o⃨o⃨d⃨ from the jaws  o⃨f⃨  a⃨  hungry d⃨o⃨g⃨.    you’ll only get bit. odette’s lip seems to quiver at bell’s words,  their own ideal world is crumbling in front of her very eyes.  the home they’ve had for exactly one week and two days.  there’s an ache in estelle’s heart,  a tightness in her chest.  a tear falls,  then another.  it’s been a long battle,  f⃨o⃨r⃨ t⃨h⃨e⃨ b⃨o⃨t⃨h⃨ o⃨f⃨ t⃨h⃨e⃨m⃨.   a weak smile finds its way into her lips,  a shaky exhale follows.  
            
            
                         ⇽           ᵈⁱᵃˡᵒᵍᵘᵉ       O.S ᵎ   
             ❛͟ ❛͟     In the morning,  when I wake.
            You won’t be by my side,  Bell. I──
            I really can’t bear the thought of it. 
            Those sheets will still smell like you, 
            this home will still have remnants 
            of your presence.  I know that very 
            well,  yet. I still find myself thinking 
            about that  "w⃨h⃨a⃨t⃨ i⃨f⃨. "  It was going 
            to always end in someone dying, I 
            knew that.  
            
            
            But what if we had a different story? 
            A happy ending […] I wish── Well I 
            wish a lot of things. You must be mad, 
            hurt. For that I’m sorry. But I wanted 
            you to die knowing you had a piece 
            of me in your heart,  an actual name 
            to go with the face.   An actual story
            to remember.  Do you wish you had 
            a name?  A name you picked? Not 
            Bell.  Not what Adler gave you.     ❜͟ ❜͟

A SUDDEN URGE FOR A CIGARETTE PLAGUES THEIR BODY; CAUSING BILE TO RISE IN THEIR THROAT AT THE MERE THOUGHT OF IT. IT WOULD CALM THEIR NERVES, THE ANXIETY OF KNOWING HOW THIS NIGHT WILL END, EVEN IF IT WAS ON HIS OWN TERMS. THE ROOM FEELS HEAVY WITH UNSPOKEN SADNESS, TRACES OF RAGE LINGER IN THEIR STARES. HOW COULD GOD BE SO CRUEL TO BRING THEM INTO EACH OTHERS LIVES; SEPARATING THEM WHERE THE OTHER WON'T BE ABLE TO FOLLOW. HIS THOUGHTS RUN RAMPANT IN HIS MIND, SOOTHED BY THE GENTLE MOTION OF @I938-O23rd's OWN HANDS. THE RAGING STORM INSIDE THEIR CHEST STILLS AS IF GOD HIMSELF SWEPT AWAY THE ANGRY CLOUDS: IN A WAY, ESTELLE WAS GOD TO HIM AND HE WOULD WORSHIP HER VERY EXISTENCE IF HE HAD THE TIME TO. 
            
            "You have gone beyond what I expected— part of me believes that you think this will change my mind. I wish I could assure you, tell you I will stay here for (you) but I have lost who I am and I fear that it will only get worse for me."
            
            THE WORDS TWIST LIKE BARB WIRE, GETTING STUCK IN HIS THROAT AS HE BATTLES THE URGE TO RUN FROM EVERYTHING; IT FEELS WRONG TO BE HERE, THIS WAS A DINNER FOR HIM AND ESTELLE BUT WHAT DID HE DO TO DESERVE ALL OF THIS? IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS BOUND TO HURT ESTELLE, A PAINFUL MEMORY OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN. IT RIDDLES HIS ENTIRE BODY WITH GUILT BUT SHE SOOTHES HIS PAIN EVEN IF SHE DOESN'T REALIZE IT. DARKENED EYES PEER OVER AT HER, GORGEOUS FEATURES ILLUMINATED BY THE GENTLE GLOW OF THE MOON. BELL CAN'T HELP BUT SMILE AT HER NAME.]
            
            "Odette. A beautiful name; it suits you. I think I like it more than Estelle ( . . . ) though both of them sound pleasant in my head."

(   the  planned  dynamic  was  shifting  off  it's  course.  this  wasn't  the  bell  that  fought  by  adler's  side  in  vietnam.  which  made  his  uncertainty  of  bell  aggravate.  adler's  eyes  narrow  beneath  shaded  aviators,  regardless—  he  stuck  to  the  script.  )   i  need  you  sharp  and  ready  for  this  next  mission.  if  something  comes  up,  i'll  be  there  to  listen.  understand?  

I'm fine, @ofperseus, nothing to worry about. [SUBCONSCIOUSLY, ITS AN ACT OF REBELLION, THE ACTUAL BELL BREAKS THROUGH THE BRAINWASHING AND SHOOTS OFF A QUICK, SNIPPY ANSWER.] We have other things to focus on.

you  look  pale.   are  you  having  trouble  sleeping?    (    a  deceitful  inquiry.  bell's  hand  seemed  to  unconsciously  clutch  their  stomach.  adler  made  a  mental  note  with  each  time  it  happened,   including  now.     )

/     no!

["͟E͟X͟—K͟G͟B͟"͟] injured during an undercover mission. stuck in a coma for weeks before waking;   but (SOMETHING) doesn't feel right. THEY SHAKE THE FEELING OFF. They have a job to do.

ADLER'S   PROTEGE.      CALL OF DUTY.
            (COLD WAR)  written by warren.  2023.