..﹗

( she settled herself beside him on the other end of the bed ,, her back facing him after a final glance at his face. she normally slept with a dagger under her pillow and her sword on her beside ,, but not this night. because she was safe. she was with victor. )

@cynicalchemist      don’t move, don’t make a sound. i’m such a light sleeper,   [ his damp hair met the smooth satin of the pillow, marking the condition for her to share the bed with him that night. ]

( blood filled her cheeks ,, coloring them a light shade of pink. she normally did not blush too much ,, but her cheeks did turn just a slight shade of pink. ) i want to sleep beside you ,, ( her hands fell into her lap as she boldly made her request ,, impatiently waiting a response. )

( him. he was keeping here. she did not want to leave. yet she stood up ,, her eyes ghosted with unrequited love ,, and she knew it was unrequited,, because victor would never love someone as imperfect as her. ) see you ... ( part of her wanted to test his patience and manipulate him to feel the same ,, part of her wanted to just stop feeling emotion. )

@cynicalchemist      then what's keeping you here ?   [ as he addressed the question, his hands moved with precision, deftly tacking the intricate patterns at the end of her skirt. his fingers danced over the fabric, a testament to his skill and attention to detail. ]

i 'm getting late ,, ( she whispered ,, yet she made no move to leave. the comfort and solace she found right there was more than she had in years. the sense of belonging she felt... her lips moved to softly brush his cheek. ) i have to go ... ( she was cinderella at that moment ,, except she did not want to go to the ball ,, because her prince was right here. )

( he would never understand why she needed to punish herself ,, he would never understand the loathing she felt towards her damaged self. the sudden warning he dished out to her hit her hard ,, triggering a synaptic connection to the dark part of her brain. the thought of finally having a set place ,, a routine in her life ,, only for him to abandon her too ,, like she had been abandoned by everyone on this earth rattled her bones. blinking back her tears ,, she pushed him away from her body ,, her dark eyes swimming with betrayal. she should have never allowed herself close to him. had he been just looking for an excuse to abandon her ?? was this it ?? he killed iris ,, maybe he wanted to be alone. ) if you wanted to abandon me anyway ,, you should have told me your intentions before i fucking fell for you. ( she was always blunt ,, always direct with stating exactly how she felt. but aria turned around and left the room ,, she left him alone like he wanted to be ,, slamming the door behind her ,, refusing to give him any chance to speak. )

@cynicalchemist       say one more fucking word and i'll throw you out of here never to come back !   [ at this juncture, his demeanor had shifted to one of intense seriousness. the frivolity of her actions grated against his patience, and he found himself unable to tolerate the childish arrogance that seemed to permeate the situation. ]

i ' m not harming myself !! ( she whimpered ,, her tone infuriated. tensing slightly at his touch ,, her skin heating up very slightly ,, she ignored her body's reaction and focused on the main problem ) i ' m teaching myself a lesson !! there ' s a difference ,, ( she emphasized ,, fists clenching around the knives hidden in her wrists,, her other around her sword. ) i ' m getting stronger.

@cynicalchemist      trust takes time, and it takes seconds to break down.   [ with a subtle gesture, victor indicated for her to depart, his attention swiftly returning to the papers spread out before him. ]   let this come to your mind first before you take a step.

you don't believe me ,, what else am i supposed to do ?? ( she was tucking in all of her weapons where they belonged,, the blades in her hair,, in her boots ,, at her wrists and her knees,, and the sword and daggers at her waist. ) i ' m just going to spar with igor,, it's not a big deal

@cynicalchemist      i don't threaten, i warn.   [ his outward demeanor belied the tumult within, his calm facade masking the storm of thoughts and emotions swirling beneath the surface. ]   if you're going to make me supervise your every move, why should i keep you with me ?

@cynicalchemist      [ her words elicited a dry chuckle from him, his lips curling into a sardonic smile that failed to reach his eyes, a stark reminder of his own unstable state of mind. ]   .. you won’t disappoint me and i’ll continue to keep you by my side.

victor ... ( what did he mean by /another/ loss ?? evidently ,, he wasn ' t going to elaborate ,, leaving aria with little choice but to speculate. the pill was already affecting her ,, calming the tempestuous nerves that savored the sensation of causing turmoil and unrest underneath her skin. ) you ... you wouldn ' t do that to /me/ if i fail at the ministry ,, will you ?? ( did iris fail him at the ministry and cause him to lose a client ?? was that why he killed her ?? aria couldn ' t help but feel daunted. if she made a mistake ... would she suffer the same fate ?? or worse ?? )

@cynicalchemist      [ the mere mention of iris stirred a volatile mixture of irritation and disdain within him, etching a grimace onto his features. he had reached the limit of his patience, his countenance reflecting the turmoil of emotions swirling within. ]   my only regret was not disemboweling her enough.

( legs crossed ,, the brunette was playing with a stray strand of hair between her fingers ,, waiting for him to elaborate ,, averting her gaze to her lap. she was calm at the moment ,, the medicine he had given her helped her for a longer period of time than her own potions did. she did not trust herself to speak ,, lest she ruin it. whatever it was. )

@cynicalchemist      a wise decision,   [ his gaze bore into her with an intensity that betrayed his understanding of the risks involved. he was well aware of the dangers they faced, having navigated treacherous paths before. ]   risk is inherent in our pursuit, i’m giving you one last chance before you accept.

i want to be on your side ,, ( she declared ,, without second thought. she was doing this willingly ,, selling her soul to the devil incarnate. ) i want to work with you. alongside you. ( she wanted to join him in his mission. )

( the pill slid down her throat easily ,, she didn ' t even have to try to swallow it. she choked on air slightly , suddenly lacking the strength to push him far away from her. she was shaking ,, sobbing ,, hands curled into fists ,, slumping against the first thing she could find which happened to be another tree; no ,, aria did not even have the strength to hold herself up. she was reduced to nothing ,, too humiliated to look at him ,, hugging her knees and burying her face between them. ) l-leave. ( that was all she said; the great aria dumbledore was weak and nothing else. she hated the way she lost control ,, she hated how she had given him the upper hand. she hated that she was unstable and damaged. )

@cynicalchemist      [ as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her, he remained remarkably composed, a contrast to her rising anger. with a few deft wand movements, he effortlessly deflected the objects she hurled his way, his movements precise and controlled.
            then, in a surprising turn of events, he closed the distance between them, his lips meeting hers in a sudden, unexpected kiss. in one fluid motion, he pressed the pill against her tongue with the subtlest of movements before pulling away, leaving her stunned by the abruptness of his actions.
            there was a calculated efficiency to his movements, a testament to his skill and cunning. in the midst of her emotional outburst, he had managed to assert his control, leaving her with little choice but to swallow the pill he had offered. ]

( the scoff was made obvious ,, sliding out of her throat involuntarily. ) you ' ve licked it. it ' s in your mouth. i can ' t take it. ( she felt betrayed ,, he would do this so she has no choice but to suffer ,, while he was playing games with her ,, having the pill in his mouth. it was so close ,, but out of her reach ,, a mirage ,, nothing more than a hallucination. the gesture reminded her so much of the way albus used to play with her as a child, slipping potions into her food that would make her hallucinate and see her father and lose control. and the potion would wear off , leaving her utterly humiliated and in tears. she felt like this now. she felt like an experiment. the sudden flashback to the trauma that plagued her for days caused her to shake violently ,, the sword she held falling into the grass with a thud. ) STOP !! ( she was yelling ,, stamping her foot on the ground ,, throwing whatever she could find at him. the clothes from the clothing line , a piece of wood ,, a dirty plate ,, until she grabbed the kettle from the fire and flung it at him ,, burning her hands in the process and howling in pain. this sort of panic attack happened quite frequently ,, mostly during the night. but not so bad. because now ,, she was crying ,, in pain ,, both physical and mental )

@potentiavoluit    VILDANNNNN ILYSM <333 cheers to our epic connection !!!

( that did convince her. she believed this to be her legacy ,, her destiny. aurelius dumbledore had supported gellert in killing albus dumbledore, but failed,, and aria would make sure she would succeed. for now ,, she was convinced he actually cared about her )

@cynicalchemist      it was you who came to me after all these years,   [ a sense of serenity and tranquility that seemed almost out of place in their current surroundings. ]   if anyone should have doubts, it should be me.

( it would take more than his words to be the cause to letting her guard down ,, but he was going in the right direction. she swallowed thickly,, gulping ,, before she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye with a scoff. ) the same reason as everyone else ,, to use me

i’ll always serve you,   ( as  she  mumbled  against  his  lips, a  wave  of  conflicting  emotions  surged  within  her. though  outwardly  she  appeared  hypnotized  by  his  charms,  inwardly  she  struggled  with  a  sense  of  unease. while  she  relished  the  intimacy  they  shared, a  part  of  her  resented  the  notion  of  serving  another  man.
            despite  her  reservations,  she  found  herself  drawn  deeper  into  his  embrace,  unable  to  resist  the  magnetic  pull  he  exerted  over  her. )

@pureglam      [ as her fingers danced teasingly over his tie, he allowed himself to lean ever so slightly into her touch. his movement subtle yet deliberate. it wasn’t to convey admiration for her appearance but rather to demonstrate his own power over her, even in her most confident state. his hand ventured boldly to caress the soft skin of her inner thighs, it was a silent assertion of dominance, a reminder that he held the reins of their interaction firmly in his grasp. ]   it doesn't matter what i think, tonight you will serve someone else, not me.

( despite  victor’s  teasing  words, which  might  have  offended  others, she  remained  undeterred. she  knew  him  better  than  anyone  else, understanding  the  game  he  played  and  refusing  to  back  down  from  the  challenge  he  presented.
            instead  of  taking  offense, she  saw  his  words  as  a  mere  invitation  to  engage  in  their  familiar  dance  of  wit  and  charm. with  a  twinkle  in  her  eye, she  met  his  teasing  remarks  with  a  playful  retort, her  words  laced  with  a  subtle  allure  that  only  served  to  tempt  him  further. )   admit it victor,   ( she  began, a  sly  smile  playing  at  the  corner  of  her  lips. she  reached  out  to  playfully  toy  with  his  tie, her  fingers  tracing  the  sleek  fabric  with  a  teasing  caress. )   you would have sold your soul to meet me there..