~Tainted Love~(1x1)~(Fiercely Filled)~

[WitchAlchemist]

Arueyan knew it would upset Emilio if he didn't speak, but he wasn't sure of it all himself. "I don't know..it's been a confusing day..I really don't know." he said finally as he looked up at Emilio, knowing his son knew that he wasn't a liar..Arueyan wasn't lying..he just wasn't saying everything, and something that indicated that flickered in the child's expression with Arueyan meaning to.

Kaysal noted that she kept avoiding his eyes. He didn't realize why she did that and he frowned before leaning down so that his face was in front of hers. "What's wrong with you? Does my face displease you so, little Marian?" he asked with a raised brow.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Emilio frowned a bit, seeing the flicker. "You're not telling me everything . . ." he said, pouting a little.

Marian's eyes widened as he suddenly leaned down and actually turned her head down so that she was staring straight at her feet. "M-master's and slave's eyes aren't supposed to meet unless the slave is being taken to bed, the slave is in trouble, or the slave is being sold . . . otherwise, the slave is supposed to look at the ground so that the master may look down at the slave sir . . ." she said, reciting something that her previous master had forced her to memorize. Ten years with him . . . and then he finally croked . . . and she was sent to the auction . . . She still wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing.  

[WitchAlchemist]

Arueyan grimaced. "Can't I just enjoy some time with my son in peace?" he asked the other, before sighing as he saw the pouting expression. "Stubborn whelp." he muttered before running a hand through his hair. "Come with me to my room, we'll talk there." he said as he stepped around Emilio and started walking towards his room.

Kaysal raised a brow at that as he rose. "Whoever told you that is a moron of the highest order. What point is there in having you look down? I'm more interesting than anything you're likely to see on the ground." he said incredulously. He slid a curved finger under her chin, tilting her head up towards him. "Look at me, little Marian." he said softly, "I can't help looking down at you..I'm taller than you after all, but I think no less of you than if you were any grand woman parading about with all her airs. Actually. I like you better. I don't have to pretend to be socially correct." he said with a chuckle and a wink, hoping to find some spark of life beneath her slavish exterior.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Emilio nodded and then followed his father, much like when he was younger and would follow him anywhere.

Marian felt him tun her head up towards him and looked at him, like he asked her to. As he spoke to her she blinked a bit at his words before blushing heavily as her shoulders hunched up, taking a step back from him. "Um . . ." she murmured softly, not really sure what to say to him and in her moment of thought confusion, her mouth blurted out the thing that just throbbed in her mind. "Why'd you rescue me from the auction?"  

[WitchAlchemist]

Arueyan opened his door, letting Emilio in before closing it and climbing up onto his bed like any child. He patted the place beside him for Emilio to sit down beside him, and when Emilio had done so, Arueyan laid against Emilio's right side a bit, taking Emilio's right arm and wrapping it around himself.

Arueyan wanted to take advantage of every closeness he could get..particularly if he was going to lose his mind. "I don't remember much..my memory's been so fuzzy..I remember the start of the campaign..and then two months of nothing..and then I was home..and I don't think it occured to me that I'd lost something somehow..but when Julie kissed me..I felt nothing, no passion..no love..not even lust..I couldn't have betrayed your mother even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't feel lust enough to perform any such deed..and I wouldn't have wanted to..and it wasn't just that..the pride I got from seeing you was absent..the love..and I thought nothing of it because somehow it seemed natural..I didn't even realize what I was missing..but all day I've been getting these odd jolts and now I find myself..feeling..little bits..little things..but feeling nonetheless..I don't understand it at all.." he said with a sigh as he leaned his head on his son's chest.

Kaysal watched her blush heavily and his grin widened. So she could respond accordingly..good to know. "Why?" Anger suddenly edged his expression. "Because those bastards were mistreating you..they had no right to touch you like that..an innocent woman..disgusting pricks." he said vehemently.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Emilio's eyes widened. "Well . . . why didn't you want to tell me Dad? You tried to avoid the subject . . . not feeling emotions . . . that's not normal . . ." he said with a slight frown.

Marian avoided eye contact once more. "It's not the first time I've been mistreated . . ." she mumbled and couldn't help but think that she wasn't as innocent as he believed she was . . . ten years with the same master had made sure of that . . . especially since her master was a perv . . .  

[WitchAlchemist]

"Well of course it's not normal." he said with a scoff. And then he sighed and closed his eyes, feeling Emilio's warmth and faintly hearing the other's heartbeat..it was relaxing. "And it's not exactly fun to talk about, particularly when I don't understand it myself.." he said with a yawn.

Kaysal's brow furrowed. "What's the worst that's been done to you?" he asked bluntly. "If it truly makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to answer." he added. It would be nice to know so that he knew what would be a sore subject, but he didn't want to dredge up anything she couldn't handle mentally reliving.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Emilio sighed and noticed that Arueyan seemed to be falling asleep. So, he swung himself around so that he was lying in the bed and pulled Arueyan down so that he was lying down too. "You're tired . . . don't push yourself Dad." he said softly.

Marian shifted uncomfortably . . . mostly just wondering how to word it . . . "Let's . . . just say that I'm not as innocent as you think . . ." she said finally, rubbing her arm awkwardly. To her it was the worst thing . . . but it definately wasn't the most painful one . . . and she had the scars to prove it . . . scars in places most people wouldn't see them in normal day-to-day activities . . .  

[WitchAlchemist]

Arueyan found himself being pulled down and he yawned again as he instinctively curled up against Emilio. At the words however, he shook his head. " 'Mnot tired. 'M spending time with my son." he mumbled.

Kaysal considered her words before suddenly wrapping his arms around her as he held her tightly. "Innocence is not in what's lost or been done to you. But what you have willingly done to yourself and to others..and that doesn't include when you're protecting yourself or someone else." he'd said that in case she had done some bad acts, since he doubted she would do them for the sake of amusement only.

"Being hurt as you have..that doesn't make you less innocent, little Marian..it just makes the world a little sadder." he said as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before releasing her. "Come along then. You're in sore need of clothes and food too I'd imagine.." It had just reoccured to him, so he grimaced at his forgetfulness and then pulled his cloak off, wrapping it around her. "This is yours now, feel free to do what you like with it." The cloak was a delicious shade of deep maroon, and very warm and comfortable.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Emilio chuckled and hugged his father. "I know Dad . . . I know . . ." he murmured back to him. He was tired, and Emilio wasn't about to keep him awake when he obviously needed some sleep.

Marian held onto the cloak, absolutely stunned . . . She had never been given anything to call her own before . . . not while she was a slave at any rate . . . She pulled it tighter around her before following after Kaysal. "Th- . . . Thank you . . ." she said softly, finding that Kaysal wasn't anything like her previous master or the people she had observed as a slave . . . maybe . . . he was one of those rare 'nice masters' . . .  

[WitchAlchemist]

(T__T How is Mousey holding up sleep-wise?)

Arueyan found himself being hugged and he sighed contentedly. His eyes opened for just a moment as he looked up at Emilio. They were sleepy, but something in them was alert and looking at Emilio with a sort of wistful longing and concern..and then his eyes closed and he fell asleep as he mumbled something that sounded very much like 'Love you, son'.

Kaysal nodded as they walked, having completely forgotten about getting a magick user which was what he'd come out for to begin with. "Of course..winter is upon us anyway, so it'll be doubly necessary." he said with a grimace and a chuckle.

(Yes..the elusive 'nice masters'..also known as niceius masterius'..unlike common, unnice masters..the 'nice masters' are often far nicer...*continues on* *cracks up*)  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

((I'm okay. ^-^))

Emilio smiled and cuddled him. "Love you too Dad . . ." he murmured happily and soon fell asleep, feeling very content.

Marian smiled a bit, finding it to be a rather odd feeling after not having truely smiled for a long, long time. "Well . . . thank you again . . . and . . . thank you . . . for caring about me." she said, rather softly at the end as she looked down at the ground, the smile remaining on her lips. She hoped Kaysal would always be this nice . . . and that this wasn't just some cruel trick to get her to trust him only to betray her later . . .  

[WitchAlchemist]

(T__T..*concerned* Don't lie to me, Mousey Im-Chan! *pats head and givez you a cookie* I am off for work..the last night till Sunday! *cheers* See yaz <3)

Kaysal heard that and glanced back at her, catching the smile a bit. He smiled as well before wrapping his left arm around her, pulling her a little close and being gentle since he had some suspicions regarding how her former master had harmed her. "My pleasure. I only wish I'd found you sooner, so that I could have spared you your pain." he said softly. "But it makes us stronger, I suppose..and it's done now. I won't let them or anyone else hurt you ever again, little Marian." he said with a smile, having apparently decided that as her nickname.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

((I'm not! . . . COOKIE!! ^-^ . . . Yay! See yaz! . . . *grumbles* dumb computer ran out of juice . . . *pouts*))

Marian stiffed a little as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her a little closer. However, he was gentle, so she relaxed again. And yet . . . the way he said it . . . however nice a master he might be . . . he didn't seem to want to let her go home . . . She sighed. It seemed like she was never going to get back home . . . to her little garden that had probably died by now . . . and to her mother . . . her mother . . . Gods, she hoped her mother was still alive.  

[WitchAlchemist]

(o-o that IS a dumb computer! T__T I shall misseth thee!)

Kaysal fretted what he would tell his family. None of them approved of slavery and he was a heavy advocate against the inhumane practice..and yet, here he was..about to bring a woman whose only crime was undoubtedly being beautiful..enough so that people would want to steal her and make a slave of her.."How old are you? When did you become a slave?"