Post by AST Jenne/Cullodena Duff on May 20, 2014 20:21:29 GMT -8
Lily's shoes clacked on the cobblestones as she ran through the streets of London, echoing off of the walls around her. The cool damp evening air was thick, and heavy, but it didn't matter to her as she ran. She clutched the sheaf of papers to her chest, and moved with all of the speed she could muster. Her dark curls had fallen from their chignon and flew out behind her as she ran, her skirts fluttered about her legs but didn't manage to trip her.
She flew by the people of London's streets, the poor and the vile. She had to get to the house, and she had to show Daniel the commission she was just offered. Excitement pulled her throat tight, and spilled out onto her lips in a dazzling smile as she rounded the corner onto their street. She hurried up the stairs and burst through the door, her heels clicking on the wooden floors.
Henri tried to greet her but she flew past him, running all the way up to Daniel's door. She stopped for a moment, and shifted the papers to one hand, freeing the other to gently touch her curls. It was a lost cause however, they were wild and unruly, and the pins holding them in place had long since fallen out.
Lily could hear Luca in the next room down, his Castrati falsetto flittering through a beautiful aria in Italian. The music calmed Lily and she brushed a hand down her skirts and knocked once on the door, opening it and entering the room.
The beautiful wood paneled walls flickered in the firelight, and Daniel stood behind his desk, staring at a canvas on an easel in front of him, palette and brush in hand. His long blond hair was loose, and he wore a strange expression.
Lily hurried forward and gently set the bundle of papers on his desk, their rustle soft in the hushed room, the muted sound of Luca's singing the only other sound.
“Daniel, you'll never believe what's happened. I received a commission, for three thousand pounds!” Lily's voice was excited and she began to pace the room, her skirts swishing around her. “They want me to design columns for one of the manor's near the palace!” She turned, and looked at him. His eyes were still on the canvas, and from where she stood Lily could see it.
Before her was a painting, if you could call it that, of a woman sitting before what looked to be a pond. She was grotesque, inhuman, the form all wrong. The colors clashed instead of melding together, and the water looks a flat disc on the canvas. It was horrible, and Lily made a small pained sound as her hand flew up to her throat, “Oh Daniel...” she let the thought trail off, grief and pity thick in her voice.
He stood for a moment longer, and finally stirred. He set the brush and palette down on top of the stack of papers Lily had set on his desk, paint slipping from them onto the sheaf. Lily made another small sound and then stepped forward, “Daniel – my contract!”
He walked calmly around the desk towards her, and as he drew close raised his arm and backhanded her across the face. Lily fell to the ground before him with a cry, clutching her pained cheek. Without a word he wormed his hand into her hair, gripping it tightly, and lifted her face to him. He drew his arm back again and hit her.
Lily cried out louder, and scuttled back away from him, fear and sorrow clogging her throat, “Daniel, please! What did I do?”
He stalked forward, beast bright behind his eyes, and with a sudden, terrifyingly quick movement, kicked her in the chest. Lily fell back on the ground, pain blossoming through her. She felt as if one or two of her ribs might be broken, and she cried out. Luca's singing faltered at that, and stopped. Daniel strode quickly to the wall and pounded on it, his voice ripped through the silence like a great and terrifying thing, “You do not stop until I tell you to!”
Luca's voice immediately picked up again, tremulous at first, and grew in strength. Daniel moved back to Lily, his steps hard and frightening. Lily scuttled back away from him, pain shooting through her middle. “Please...” she cried out, her voice piteous.
Daniel grabbed her by the hair and kept walking, dragging her behind him to the small workbench in the corner of the room. Lily tried to crawl with him, but he moved to fast, his grip like iron in her hair. He flung her forward and growled, “Sit,” the command evident in his tone.
Lily pulled herself up onto the stool in front of the workbench, a half started carving of a bird atop it. “Please, please tell me what I've done...” she turned to look at him, sorrow heavy in her features.
He roughly grabbed her face and turned it to her work. “Pick up your tools.” His voice harsh, and cold. Lily did as she was told even as a sob tore it's way out of her throat. The pain in her chest slashed through her as she did so. She felt his hands settle on her shoulders as he leaned forward and whispered gratingly in her ear, “Now work.” Lily placed the delicate chisel in place and began to carefully chip away at the soft wood in front of her.
She felt Daniel's hands slip to the collar of her dress, and cried out as he tore at the back of it, jerking her out of place. The chisel carved a deep rut into what would have been the wing of the bird, and she was jerked back again as he tore at the dress more, exposing her back. He roughly shoved the fabric over her shoulders, leaving the flesh bare.
“You'll pay for that mistake, my little Lily.” His voice was cold, and so unlike the man she knew. Her sire was kind, and loving, not this fearsome creature who stood behind her. “Keep working.”
Lily picked up the rough sand paper and began to rub at the rut in the wood, trying to round it out. She heard the cabinet open, and his steps as he returned. “You, like Luca, will not stop until I allow you to. Understood?”
Lily held still for a moment, afraid to speak.
“Understood?!” His voice ripped through the room and Lily jumped.
“Y-yes, I understand.” She kept rubbing at the wood with the grit, moving her hands quickly, hoping to please him.
She felt something, cool and soft brush across her back, and heard him step back. There was a strange swooshing sound, and she felt a sharp pain strike across her back. She cried out and sat up straight, and that caused the pain in her chest to rip through her again. Her hands trembled and she dropped the small square of grit. Another blow landed across her back and his voice tore through her, “Don't stop.”
She picked up the paper again and went back to working, crying out as another, and then another blow struck her back. She could feel the welts rising like fire on her skin.
She continued, working to carve the bird as Daniel lashed her repeatedly, until her back bled and the flesh lay shredded. He didn't speak further, and after a time Lily could no longer work, she just sat hunched over the bench tool and wood in hand, shaking with each blow.
After what felt like hours, Daniel finally stopped. Lily unclenched her hands and the tool and chunk of wood fell to the workbench in front of her with a clatter. A low moan pulled it's way out of her throat as he slipped his hands under her arms and lifted her from the stool. He dropped her to the floor on the rug in front of the fireplace, and knelt down to whisper in her ear, “If you try to heal this until I grant you permission, I will start again. Understood?”
Lily couldn't speak, she just nodded, her head against the carpet and whimpered. Her skirts rustled as he pushed them up over her legs, and they scratched at the wounds on her back. She cried out, but didn't move or try to heal.
She heard the familiar sound of Daniel unfastening his pants, and he slid down on top of her. Different though, was that he was not stiff with passion, not at all in fact. He lay flaccid against her. He tried in vain to enter her, and growled when he couldn't stiffen to the task.
He climbed off of her, and let out a wordless scream of rage. She heard the distinct clang of the fire poker being removed from it's stand, and felt him kneel behind her. She stirred, coming to her senses, “N-no, Daniel, please don't!” Her voice grew high with panic and she started to try to crawl away.
His hand clamped onto her shoulder, his great strength holding her in place. Without a word he pushed the poker inside of her, tearing into her, and Lily felt the blackness of Torpor claim her.
She flew by the people of London's streets, the poor and the vile. She had to get to the house, and she had to show Daniel the commission she was just offered. Excitement pulled her throat tight, and spilled out onto her lips in a dazzling smile as she rounded the corner onto their street. She hurried up the stairs and burst through the door, her heels clicking on the wooden floors.
Henri tried to greet her but she flew past him, running all the way up to Daniel's door. She stopped for a moment, and shifted the papers to one hand, freeing the other to gently touch her curls. It was a lost cause however, they were wild and unruly, and the pins holding them in place had long since fallen out.
Lily could hear Luca in the next room down, his Castrati falsetto flittering through a beautiful aria in Italian. The music calmed Lily and she brushed a hand down her skirts and knocked once on the door, opening it and entering the room.
The beautiful wood paneled walls flickered in the firelight, and Daniel stood behind his desk, staring at a canvas on an easel in front of him, palette and brush in hand. His long blond hair was loose, and he wore a strange expression.
Lily hurried forward and gently set the bundle of papers on his desk, their rustle soft in the hushed room, the muted sound of Luca's singing the only other sound.
“Daniel, you'll never believe what's happened. I received a commission, for three thousand pounds!” Lily's voice was excited and she began to pace the room, her skirts swishing around her. “They want me to design columns for one of the manor's near the palace!” She turned, and looked at him. His eyes were still on the canvas, and from where she stood Lily could see it.
Before her was a painting, if you could call it that, of a woman sitting before what looked to be a pond. She was grotesque, inhuman, the form all wrong. The colors clashed instead of melding together, and the water looks a flat disc on the canvas. It was horrible, and Lily made a small pained sound as her hand flew up to her throat, “Oh Daniel...” she let the thought trail off, grief and pity thick in her voice.
He stood for a moment longer, and finally stirred. He set the brush and palette down on top of the stack of papers Lily had set on his desk, paint slipping from them onto the sheaf. Lily made another small sound and then stepped forward, “Daniel – my contract!”
He walked calmly around the desk towards her, and as he drew close raised his arm and backhanded her across the face. Lily fell to the ground before him with a cry, clutching her pained cheek. Without a word he wormed his hand into her hair, gripping it tightly, and lifted her face to him. He drew his arm back again and hit her.
Lily cried out louder, and scuttled back away from him, fear and sorrow clogging her throat, “Daniel, please! What did I do?”
He stalked forward, beast bright behind his eyes, and with a sudden, terrifyingly quick movement, kicked her in the chest. Lily fell back on the ground, pain blossoming through her. She felt as if one or two of her ribs might be broken, and she cried out. Luca's singing faltered at that, and stopped. Daniel strode quickly to the wall and pounded on it, his voice ripped through the silence like a great and terrifying thing, “You do not stop until I tell you to!”
Luca's voice immediately picked up again, tremulous at first, and grew in strength. Daniel moved back to Lily, his steps hard and frightening. Lily scuttled back away from him, pain shooting through her middle. “Please...” she cried out, her voice piteous.
Daniel grabbed her by the hair and kept walking, dragging her behind him to the small workbench in the corner of the room. Lily tried to crawl with him, but he moved to fast, his grip like iron in her hair. He flung her forward and growled, “Sit,” the command evident in his tone.
Lily pulled herself up onto the stool in front of the workbench, a half started carving of a bird atop it. “Please, please tell me what I've done...” she turned to look at him, sorrow heavy in her features.
He roughly grabbed her face and turned it to her work. “Pick up your tools.” His voice harsh, and cold. Lily did as she was told even as a sob tore it's way out of her throat. The pain in her chest slashed through her as she did so. She felt his hands settle on her shoulders as he leaned forward and whispered gratingly in her ear, “Now work.” Lily placed the delicate chisel in place and began to carefully chip away at the soft wood in front of her.
She felt Daniel's hands slip to the collar of her dress, and cried out as he tore at the back of it, jerking her out of place. The chisel carved a deep rut into what would have been the wing of the bird, and she was jerked back again as he tore at the dress more, exposing her back. He roughly shoved the fabric over her shoulders, leaving the flesh bare.
“You'll pay for that mistake, my little Lily.” His voice was cold, and so unlike the man she knew. Her sire was kind, and loving, not this fearsome creature who stood behind her. “Keep working.”
Lily picked up the rough sand paper and began to rub at the rut in the wood, trying to round it out. She heard the cabinet open, and his steps as he returned. “You, like Luca, will not stop until I allow you to. Understood?”
Lily held still for a moment, afraid to speak.
“Understood?!” His voice ripped through the room and Lily jumped.
“Y-yes, I understand.” She kept rubbing at the wood with the grit, moving her hands quickly, hoping to please him.
She felt something, cool and soft brush across her back, and heard him step back. There was a strange swooshing sound, and she felt a sharp pain strike across her back. She cried out and sat up straight, and that caused the pain in her chest to rip through her again. Her hands trembled and she dropped the small square of grit. Another blow landed across her back and his voice tore through her, “Don't stop.”
She picked up the paper again and went back to working, crying out as another, and then another blow struck her back. She could feel the welts rising like fire on her skin.
She continued, working to carve the bird as Daniel lashed her repeatedly, until her back bled and the flesh lay shredded. He didn't speak further, and after a time Lily could no longer work, she just sat hunched over the bench tool and wood in hand, shaking with each blow.
After what felt like hours, Daniel finally stopped. Lily unclenched her hands and the tool and chunk of wood fell to the workbench in front of her with a clatter. A low moan pulled it's way out of her throat as he slipped his hands under her arms and lifted her from the stool. He dropped her to the floor on the rug in front of the fireplace, and knelt down to whisper in her ear, “If you try to heal this until I grant you permission, I will start again. Understood?”
Lily couldn't speak, she just nodded, her head against the carpet and whimpered. Her skirts rustled as he pushed them up over her legs, and they scratched at the wounds on her back. She cried out, but didn't move or try to heal.
She heard the familiar sound of Daniel unfastening his pants, and he slid down on top of her. Different though, was that he was not stiff with passion, not at all in fact. He lay flaccid against her. He tried in vain to enter her, and growled when he couldn't stiffen to the task.
He climbed off of her, and let out a wordless scream of rage. She heard the distinct clang of the fire poker being removed from it's stand, and felt him kneel behind her. She stirred, coming to her senses, “N-no, Daniel, please don't!” Her voice grew high with panic and she started to try to crawl away.
His hand clamped onto her shoulder, his great strength holding her in place. Without a word he pushed the poker inside of her, tearing into her, and Lily felt the blackness of Torpor claim her.
