Spa-tted Prey (Shira)

A spa seemed like just the perfect thing to welcome the Minstrellan woman back to Fiore. Having moved back home for family matters, seemed to be the perfect opportunity to take in the sights of some places she had not been able to visit her last trip here atop the need to rest and relax from the issues she had dealt with. Thankfully, everything had turned out for the better before departing across borders and her passport did make things easier to deal with as well. Now if only her mother would choke on a prison dinner roll and die, things might be perfect in her world. Sadly, that could not come to fruition at right now, so one step at a time would have to suffice. At least there were less pressing matters in the world to deal with now that everything seemed to be under wraps and back to normal for the most part, the spa was surely the ticket she needed to keep from stressing out too much.

She entered one of the more upper scaled spa establishments and booked herself a room and some time in their springs. A large, but currently quiet season meant things would look up very nicely in terms of being free to do whatever with little issue of being bothered. Once she had gotten into her room and changed, Aristotle made her way into the springs only to feel a heavy draft of cold air. Of course, it was winter. What else would one expect? Quickly, the blonde pulled her hair up into a bit of a messy bun and then tucked a stray strand of pink highlighted hair behind her ear before slipping into the water and leaning against the side, basking in the warmth of the springs hot waters. Even the steam took away from the cold air immediately and the two in tandom created a very relaxing and breathable area.

And finally, she began to sing, unaware of just how loud she was being as her headset was not in currently from fear of water damage. They sat by her robe and towel while her accented voice filled the spring with a Minstrellan song that most would not pick up on.

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The door to the springs opened again soon enough and another woman made her way towards the heavenly water. Her missions in Lavanitir and Joya had been so successful that she’d allowed herself a little time off and frankly she was looking forward to being able to relax and unwind. That being said, she hadn’t completely let her guard down and rather than use her standard appearance, she’d shapeshifted into a far more human-like form. With long white hair and far darker coloured eyes than her own, she was satisfied that this form would do the job adequately and she had to admit that she was becoming rather fond of it. She’d felt no shortage of amusement as she’d deceived the owners of the spa and they had no clue as to just who they’d allowed into their establishment. It was quite fun in truth.

Her pleasant thoughts were interrupted as a loud but lovely sound reached her well developed ears and the blue orbs of the woman swiftly began to try and find the source. The accent was familiar to her, given just how well travelled the kidnapper was and it only took a brief moment or two for the word ‘Minstrellan’ to cross her mind. A rich and populous nation indeed and already the cogs in Shirayuki’s mind began to turn, despite the fact that this was supposed to be a holiday for her. Her profit sense was tingling and as she walked through the steam, her gaze eventually fell upon the singer, who had her back to Shirayuki.

A beautiful blonde haired girl from what she could see and the white haired woman’s head tilted to the side with interest. She was already pretty much invisible due to the amount of steam but just to be sure, Shirayuki would disappear from view and continue to move towards the singing girl. She certainly had a strong voice and the abductress smirked at the thought of whether she should summon something to deal with that or not. No, she didn’t think so. Not yet anyway. Let the woman sing for a little longer, she thought to herself.

Using her formidable skill when it came to moving silently, Shirayuki would manage to move in close to the girl and quietly kneel down behind her. Stilling her breathing in order to quieten herself as much as possible, she’d then reach out with both hands in a movement that she’d performed so many times before. One moving towards the girl’s lips and the other around her body in order to try and pin her arms to her side. She couldn’t help but feel a pleasurable tingle as she made her move, as she always did. Whether it be simply her own dirty mind or a result of her magic, she’d always enjoyed these particular moments the most.

(476 Words)
(849 TWC)

There was a bit of time where even in the silence of the spa, or rather the silence of her world currently that she felt normal. As if the spring waters had washed away all the worries of her life and all she had to worry about was not falling asleep in the water and drowning. A simple task in it of itself really when she thought about it. But that was the other reason for having begun to sing aloud. Just to keep her mind occupied away from the troubles of her life in order to just stay positive. Given how relaxed and calm she felt, that wasn’t so hard to do. And given the only reason her singing wasn’t so off key had been thanks to the headset by her person that had allowed her to hear those songs she never had the chance to hear before. She knew the words as a child growing up, reading them and signing the lyrics, but there was a whole other world to listening to it versus just memorizing it. That moment in being able to piece together the string of words to music was a wondrous sensation.

The silence that the guest tried to pull had ultimately been for naught. As nothing she did really mattered in terms of just staying out of Aristotle’s sight, all forms of movement were still perfectly reasonable for the most part. So long as she didn’t shake the ground around them, there was roughly a 99% chance she would not have been noticed what so ever. And well, she surely fell into that wide range this time. Unbeknownst to her, the one person audience had waited for the right moment when Ari had finished the song she had started when a hand clamped down over her mouth. Eyes widened drastically and she began to flail as the other arm reached around her and pinned her arms to her side. Muffled screams barely picking up over the splashing spa waters in the panicked frenzy she had been in.

What was going on? Why would she be targeted like this? And who would even be trying to do something like this in middle of the day?

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With a vice-like grip and using her considerable strength, Shirayuki managed to lift the struggling girl from the spa and up onto the side of the pool. It was the most effective way of getting a proper hold and in order to anchor herself, the white haired woman would shift her position and latch her legs around the struggling blonde’s torso. By no means was it her most graceful attempt at a capture in the end but the result was nevertheless effective. In truth, she had to give credit to the girl for struggling quite so hard, having given the shape shifting creature a little more than she’d bargained for. There was more to this charming Minstrellan than met the eye and she took great care in keeping her victim held tightly in her grasp.

No one came running as expected and honestly, it wouldn’t have made the slightest difference anyway. Shirayuki knew her own powers so well and being able to outwit and deceive any interlopers wouldn’t have been a difficult task. There was of course still the chance of the two being interrupted of course and that thought was in the back of her mind. As she pondered her options, she spent a brief moment glancing at her captive or what she could see of her anyway. The white haired woman had no doubts that she could swiftly find a buyer for such a lovely girl and she could just imagine a few of her business associates jumping up and down with glee at the opportunity.

For the moment though, there was still the matter of getting the girl out of the building and fortunately Shirayuki always had the tools for performing such a task. Such were the benefits of being a slayer, especially one with as unique a focus as hers. Aiko was a goddess who enjoyed one thing above all others, much to the amusement and delight of Shirayuki when she’d first started training with her lacrima. So much time had passed since then but the sense of enjoyment never dimmed.

Moving her head so that her lips were right by the girl’s ear, she’d speak in a rather calm but icy tone. “Right, Blondie. I want you to listen to me very carefully. I’m going to take my hand away from your mouth so that I can take care of you properly. If you scream, fight or do anything other than sit here then I’ll sell you to the nastiest piece of crap that I can find. Believe me, I know plenty of them. Understand?”

With that, she’d withdraw her hand but her other arm and legs remained where they were, keeping the girl firmly in place.

(452 Words)
(1671 TWC)

Despite her protesting in flailing and screaming, nothing seemed to work. This person had her pinned against the wall, their mouth so heavily clamped shut with their hand that it almost hurt. What she didn’t expect was to be pulled up out of the water with little effort almost and then further held down by this person. Whatever stranger it was had completely smooth legs, thin to an extent which eased her worry some man snuck in trying to assault her or something worse than that. Holding her down with most of the woman’s body left her with little option, but the warm breath she felt against her ear gave her something to be more concerned about. This woman didn’t know. Everything she was saying wasn’t even going in one ear and out the other because it couldn’t get in the first ear to begin with. There was nothing she could do or say currently that would let her even begin to say anything. Was she trying to flirt? Was she trying to threaten her with silence? Obviously, she didn’t know Aristotle or the chances of this woman approaching from behind and not alerting her to the prank was slim to none.

Once the hand was hesitantly removed, she kept silent. Why? Why not scream and get help? Well, she could try to talk her way out of this, maybe a summon could help her in her time of need if she felt so desperate enough to do so. But for some reason she felt she could get out of it in some way. ”M-Mademoiselle, I-I cannot hear a word you’re saying…” She was trying to speak through her shaking fear, working to try and calm herself down to speak more calm and nerve free. ”I am deaf, but there is a uh.. headset by my robes. I can understand you fully if you let me put them on.” Her accent was still slightly thick, though manageable to someone to understand the words she spoke. Trying her best to avoid using hand signing from habit was hard, but she was attempting to just make some leeway with the woman in hopes it would turn in her favor.

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There was a second or two after the girl spoke where Shirayuki thought that her hearing might have been going. Deaf? That was the last thing that she’d expected the girl to say and it left her a little taken aback. The god slayer had heard her fair share of lies over the years but she didn’t believe that she was being deceived. Why would her captive say that of all things? No, she thought the girl was being truthful although Shirayuki wasn’t quite willing to simply allow the girl to retrieve her item without taking the right precautions. What if the blonde decided to run once she had retrieved her item? What if she decided to fight? The white haired woman wasn’t concerned about the girl being a match for her but making a whole lot more noise wasn’t something that she desired, so she’d need to hedge her bets.

Placing one finger at the corner of the girl’s mouth, Shirayuki would then begin to draw across it, resulting in a tape-like substance sealing the blonde’s lips and preventing her from speaking. The girl would have a tough time uttering a word with it on and the white haired woman was satisfied that it would prevent any possible spell casting. That was what she was concerned about more than anything and without speech, it was an incredibly difficult task. Shirayuki could sense an aura coming from the girl, even if it didn’t seem all that strong just yet but she’d learned long ago not to underestimate anyone with magical power. She’d been caught off guard more than once in her early days and by now a gag was pretty much a given for any captive of hers.

Releasing her hold on the girl and allowing her to stand up, Shirayuki would then move around to the front of the girl so that they could see each other properly. She reckoned that the girl could probably read lips and it was that deduction which led her to making this particular move. The girl seeing her in her human form wasn’t the end of the world, as she had others and so she felt more comfortable doing so. Gesturing towards the gag, she’d speak.“Alright. I’ll let you get your hearing device but that tape is staying on until you do so. Trying to pull it off will get you nowhere and running won’t help you either. No funny stuff now.”

(409 Words)
(2447 TWC)

It seemed that even the would-be-captor had come to pause in her moment of inability to process what was said. It was natural to her at this point in her life. Nobody truly believed someone was disabled in some way without obvious signs. And if it weren’t for the spring water, she’d be wearing those obvious signs right now. However, that was not the case currently. Instead, Aristotle kept her head cool of the situation so that she could best determine what she would have to do yo get out of this in one piece. If that meant calmly complying with this woman in order to do so, well that was a risk worth taking in the long run. With any hope, it wouldn’t be anything to severe or worrisome to her future… but perhaps that was something better placed on whatever future events unfolded with this unfortunate interaction.

The blonde woman watched silently as the pointed finger traced across her face and just as soon as it had, some kind of adhesive formed over top, sealing her mouth shut and unable to budge a bit. ”Mmmph!” She was a bit surprised by the strength of the adhesive and one hand did raise up to touch and confirm her suspicions about there being tape over top, her hand rested as the warning over her trying to remove it came about. Frankly, she didn’t think this woman was anything less than serious and having to read her lips more than her body language, it was hard to tell for sure. Without thinking, the cursed girl began to sign several words— part of a sentence really before she realized that it was futile to do so. Instead, she simply huffed lightly into the gag at her own mistake and look up with a nod.

Understanding the plight and risk, she dared not to try and trick her. There was nothing really she could do, but there were a few thoughts in mind. Until then, Aristotle reached over to her nearby towel and robe and pulled out a headset that shaped like cat ears and a couple small lacrima speakers in them. She slid the header into her hair and on her head then took two hanging plugs into her ears, blocking them. Red lighting began to illuminate around the headset as it resonated with her magic and the sounds around her began to come in crisp and clear. Even her body began to relax some as the rushing spring water did a number to ease her current stress. Now, she simply pointed to her gag, then her hands in a prayer like pose, trying to ask to have it taken away… preferably painlessly.

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The kidnapper watched with mild interest as the blonde woman activated her hearing device. An unusual item for sure and not one that the well travelled white haired woman had seen before. She assumed that it must have cost a fair bit and that thought actually began to make the white haired woman think. If the blonde was rich perhaps a ransom would be a more profitable way of handling things? Maybe she was a daughter of a noble or something? It was a possibility and with the girl’s way of speaking, it added up. An option indeed but one that would require more information. Just who did she have in her clutches?

As the girl begged to have the gag removed, Shirayuki tilted her head as though she was pondering whether to do so or not. Her captive did look awfully sweet as she almost prayed to her to remove the tape although that had never ever clouded the mind of the abductress before. A beautiful captive was always the ideal target for her and allowing her emotions to get in the way had always been a disaster in the past. Business first, emotions later. However, she’d given her word that she’d remove the girl’s muzzle and although her promises weren’t exactly something that she always kept, she decided to at least humour her victim for the moment. She could always seal her lips again if needed, as well as every other part of her body. Such was the power that Shirayuki wielded.

Stepping forward, Shirayuki would approach the blonde and place a finger under the girl’s chin, raising it so that the two women were looking each other in the eyes, her currently dark blue orbs honed in on the other woman’s pink ones. “I’ll take it off but remember what I said before about behaving. I have far more restricting materials than tape in my arsenal and I can assure you that you’re not going to like having those binding you. I want to know who you are and where you got that expensive hearing device from.” There was particular emphasis on the word expensive and a glint in her eyes which probably said more about Shirayuki’s motives than anything else she’d said so far.

Only then would she place a single finger on the centre point of the tape, resulting in the material melting away to nothing and allowing the girl to speak.

(407 Words)
(3405 TWC)

The suspense she was left in not having the tape removed from her lips and being unable to do anything about it. What got to her for the moment was seeing that the white haired stranger simply tilted her head when she tried to plead through the gag to have it removed. Though she couldn’t do much but to hand sign and make more obvious, universal type of signs in order to convey the message she was trying to make, it seemed for a moment to either be unfamiliar to her or that she simply didn’t know if she could believe what Ari was trying to say. If this woman was any kind of professional, it would make sense. Rather, when you’re facing potential crimes, it would make sense that you take al precautions to assure you won’t have anything fall back against you or any loose ends leading back. Perhaps that was her downside for having the mother she did and giving her insight to the world in which she left out.

Feeling her head being pushed up by the woman’s finger until they met with one another, her eyes settled right in with her potential captors’ while she remained still to her words. Not for a moment but to blink did she ever stop staring at the woman, trying to determine how true to her words she could be in threatening her with. She seemed to be the type to hold true to her word, but the blonde knew never to test the patience of a criminal in any extent. ”My.. My name is Aristotle. Aristotle Lambros.” She paused to take in a breath of air and exhale, wanting to relax herself as much as she could. ”I originally came here from Minstrel under a um.. a VISA in order to participate in a trial for the Dagger Corperations experimental devices to help the deaf to hear again.” The entire time she had explained, her hands were moving, signing about the same speed in which she was speaking. ”Also, I want to thank you, madam. Most people try to speak slower to deaf people and it honestly makes things much harder to understand. I can read lips exceptionally well… as it’s basically a necessity.” She smiled, almost delighted to have still been treated somewhat normally despite the way they had met. But that was just how the cursed girl tried to keep herself far away from that thing she called a mother.

”The device uses these plugs to register the users damaged inner ear and uses a mix of lacrima and magic to circumvent that and albeit replace it. Though it does have a limited time window of usage, like a battery. I’m not so reliant on it, but it’s been.. a blessing to be able to hear.” Her demeanor became more up upbeat and for her, normal. Almost as if she weren’t almost kidnapped a moment before. ”And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with, Mademoiselle? Surely you would want to be addressed properly should someone see you here, no?~”

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Curiously watching as the blonde woman not only spoke but performed sign language at the same time, Shirayuki couldn’t help but try and pick up a few words of the latter. She was pretty good with languages in general, a necessity in her line of work and although sign wasn’t one she knew at that point, the white haired woman was able to pick up on the basic gist of how the language of the deaf worked. Something to look into further down the line perhaps when she had some free time. Up until now it hadn’t proven to be a language that she’d required but her encounter today had swiftly proved her wrong. Even at her age, there was still much for her to learn, much to her own slight annoyance. Her opinion of herself was always so high and to get a kick in the ego was more painful for her than a punch in the stomach.

The device aroused her curiosity just as greatly and she was able to understand the mechanics of it well enough. Naturally, her mind shifted towards just how valuable such a device would be to the right buyer but somehow, it didn’t quite sit right with the kidnapper and as well as that, it would be a hard sell. Hearing devices weren’t exactly the most greatly desired items and the market for such would be niche. There was of course also the possibility that the item contained a tracker of some kind, given its experimental nature. It wouldn’t have surprised her, considering the quality of the Dagger Corporation's work, a name she’d heard more than once in the past.

What was most surprising to the abductress though was just how well Aristotle had taken to the situation. The blonde didn’t seem to be in the slightest bit afraid or angered which was definitely unusual. Her captive was talking to her as though they were acquaintances and she had to take a minute to ponder just why. Was she incredibly forgiving? Did she not understand the situation properly? Or maybe the girl had simply been through so much already that she’d overcome her fear? All of those were possibilities but Shirayuki had the feeling that it might have been the latter. To go through life without the ability to hear wasn’t something that she could possibly understand but surely it must have been traumitising to say the least.

“I must admit that of all the words you could have said, ‘Thank You’, were the last ones that I expected to hear.” Shirayuki replied with a wry smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Aristotle. I go by the name of Shira but if I’m honest, the fewer people who know my name the better. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, what I do isn’t all that nice nor popular among the people but it’s a living and one that I’ve become rather good at over the years.”

Looking over the beautiful woman for a moment, she’d then add, her smile growing just a bit. “I’ve never met anyone who has responded so well to being grabbed by me.”

(525 Words)
(4445 TWC)

She had to admit, the fact that this woman was thrown off by her politeness and her more upbeat goings on had made her giggle a bit it was true really. In her “awakening” of sorts from her more ruffian teenage years, she had come to learn it was more uplifting to put smiles on peoples faces and it helped to put one on her own as well. It brought her that from the first time she had ever helped a young child find their parent. She didn’t want to at first and in fact the child wouldn’t listen to her had frustrated her. In the end, the way that the parent thanked her and treated her for it sparked something in her that made her want to do more. To shy away from going down the cursed, doomed path that her birth giver had come to leave for her in the wake her abhorrent crimes.

”Merci, madam Shira. If I may say so, that tape was quite strong. Frankly, I could not have seen myself getting it off without taking my own skin along with it.” In jest, she had laughed a little aloud from it. Was she trying to mock the woman? Gods no. But she was just trying to get a smile more to her face if she could help it. Getting one just for her sunny disposition was a good start, but she could do more! ”Well, everyone does something for one reason or another. It’s safe to say you have your reasons and you are entitled to them. Whether your captives agree or not is frankly not my business, I digress in saying I don’t personally approve. Though much worse alternatives do exist, I suppose…” Quickly after she ended her sentence, the blonde cleared her throat, looking away in a thought of trying to change the subject as quick as she could.

”My papa is a higher ranking member of the Minstrellan army. He had taught me a lot about situational awareness and hostage scenarios should it happen. More much so due to being deaf, he had to be sure I would likely be targeted easier.” Again, signing as she spoke throughout everything, she quickly set them to the sides of her body with a light groan of self frustration. ”Im sorry if the signing is distracting. It’s a hard habit to break when I’m using these and don’t have to convey being deaf.” There was something that began to bug her while they had been talking. Why did she seem to? Surely she could have just slipped away with her and there would have been no way of knowing until she didn’t return from the springs hours later, but that was a great window of opportunity.

”So, Mademoiselle… I have to wonder why you stopped kidnapping me? Or for that matter Wyatt you plan to do knowing I know the things I know? Killing me is an option, however I have my suspicions that’s not so much your style. Human trafficking and intimidation seems to be more of your forte, wee?” She was giving Shira a look. The kind you give when you know you have dirt enough on someone in order to get a little more down to business.

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Every word was given the attention it deserved and Shirayuki truly was sizing the blonde woman up somewhat. She was so friendly and almost oblivious to the danger that she was in. Her words were as sweet as honey and the white haired kidnapper couldn’t help but find her charming. However, her experience over the the long years had hardened her to the point that she wasn’t quite so easily led and her eyes narrowed in a shrewd like manner. The cogs were still turning in her mind and she did require a solution to the predicament that she was now in. Her natural instinct was to simply go through with her normal procedure and swipe the girl but could she truly sell her, knowing what she did but then again. How much did Aristotle truly know? A name and her current appearance. Both of which could be changed?

The rather amused look on her face faded over time though as Aristotle not only spoke about her family but about just what Shirayuki was going to do with her. The look in the pink eyed girl's eyes had become far more serious and focused, enough to give the kidnapper pause for thought. So there was some steel beside the girl’s sweet persona after all  The Abyssal Fleet mage was unimpressed by the threat and an eyebrow soon rose. Of all the cards the woman could have played, this was most likely the worst. The blonde was no threat to Shirayuki either physically or magically and there was no doubt in the dark mages mind that she could simply wrap the woman up and escape the building with no issue. What was she thinking?

Stepping forward once more, she’d stop mere inches from Aristotle, her tone icy cold. “What makes you think that I’m not still going to take you? Perhaps I was just curious about your device and wanted to see how it worked? I could tie you up, carry you out of here and sell you to the highest bidder without any effort. That’s what the plan was when I grabbed you and you’re only giving me more reasons to do so.”

She’d raise a hand and place it on the girl’s cheek, her touch as cold as the look in the white haired woman’s eyes. “You’re beautiful, Aristotle, I know that I could make an absolute fortune from selling you. So, let me ask you one more question, do you think it’s clever to threaten me? You’re treading on awfully thin ice and that’s one element that I know a lot about.” The seriousness of the situation had well and truly returned.

(444 Words)
(5435 TWC)

Surely there was more to it than this. She went through this effort to drag the girl from the spa water and tape her mouth shut, then go back on it just to learn about some headset? No, she could have done that from anywhere. Hell, she didn’t even have to bother asking and simply discarded it as some expensive headset for playing music. Instead, she took the time to leave herself exposed and open to a stranger like Aristotle. Admittedly, she did have that effect on people to be a little more trusting when they met, but that was more of her charm than her luck of the draw. Today maybe both were playing into this.

But something ticked when Shira began to speak. Normally, her patience was everlasting. This woman on the other hand was not so much even pushing against it. No, she was cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. Through nerves of steel she simply remained still as she listened to her try and defend her position and saying she could just have easily walked away with her without so much as another thought. Not only that but that she was only seeming to be pushing more for it. ”Then what’s stopping you? You can’t tell me a big bad girl like yourself is getting some cold feet around me of all people, are you?~” She flickered a smirk, her eyes gleaming got a second during her taunting comment. She was trying to provoke her a little more, get her to slip up and give away something she didn’t want to. But would it work? That was the hard part.

As the hand graced her cheek, the chill caused a shiver down her spine. It also made her real or that she was here completely bare without so much as a thought. But more over, she had listened to the last of this woman’s cold threats. ”Let me tell you one thing.” She paused, smacking the woman’s hand away before beginning to move closer to her face. ”You don’t threaten me. You aren’t intimidating to me. You’re just a bitter, lonely person trying to fill some kind of hole and if it’s not purely for business, you cast them away under that guise. But don’t think sweet talking me or trying to act motherly towards me will get you anywhere.” Frankly, she may have bit a bullet of her own in the moment. The way her cheek was caressed brought flashbacks of her mother doing the same and she wanted to perish the thought and the memory. Some things can try her patience, but anything involving her cuts right through every time.

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There was a flash of irritation that passed across the kidnapper’s face as the blonde continued to fire back with her own taunts. She was bold, bolder than most and Shirayuki couldn’t help but admire Aristotle for it, given the circumstances. That, however, was not enough to thaw the annoyance and growing anger that was building inside the blue eyed woman. They were both seeming to be getting under the skin of the other at this point. Did Aristotle actually want Shirayuki to take her? Did the woman truly want to have her freedom taken due to her own big mouth? It was an unusual situation but one that Shirayuki had dropped herself into. The more time passed, the more she began to realise that she should have just ignored the blonde’s requests and just abducted her like normal. She’d made an error in being civil and now she was in a bit of a pickle. That being said, there was a part of her that was actually enjoying all of this, as strange as it might seem.

The blonde was most definitely pushing her luck though and as she slapped Shirayuki’s hand away and Aristotle stepped back in, the white haired woman would latch an arm around the pink eyed girl’s bare waist and pull her back in so that they were nose to nose. “Really? Is that what you think? That I’m an ancient old matron who does this for some company? I hate to break it to you but you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t put my hands on the merchandise after capturing them and my interest in my captives is purely financial. I’m not a harem gatherer, Aristotle and I don’t have a hold filled with slaves who worship my every move. I grab them, I price them and I sell them. That’s it.”

It was then that she went on the verbal attack herself. “Oh, don’t tell me, your mother abandoned you and you hoped that I wanted you for a daughter? Is that what you thought this was? I’m flattered, Aristotle.” She fell silent for a few seconds before adding, her head moving so that she could whisper into the girl’s hearing device, the woman’s tone becoming more silky. “I confess that the thought of keeping you is starting to appeal to me though. You’re not like those I normally capture. You have spirit and there’s a spark inside you that I find quite appealing.”

She did her best to keep it from her expression or tone but the blonde’s mention of mothers had angered the kidnapper, more than her insults had. Shirayuki knew all too well what it felt like to have a bitch for a mother and even now, after centuries had passed, the hatred she had for her mum was as strong as ever, a hatred that was well and truly shared. The two kitsune despised each other with a passion.

(491 Words)
(6375 TWC)

This interaction had gone completely different from the moment that they began to talk like normal people. What made this so odd was how much of a boundary she had in pushing this woman without her simply making her stop and being unable to move any longer or say a word. Was she just trying to be safe about her options should someone approach? That couldn’t be it… she would probably just as easily take them as well without a second thought and leave that as it was. But what she didn’t seem to expect was the way the abductress had pulled her in, pressing her body against her own. The grip that held her waist up close was extremely tight and the way Shira had gotten up into her face meant she got under her skin to some degree. That was for sure, however not enough it seemed to simply shut her up and end this conversation.

The look in Shira’s eyes when she spoke told volumes of how annoyed she had gotten from the blonde. The way she spoke of her simply referring to people as merchandise and objects was demeaning as much as it reminded her of her own mother and it boiled her insides a little hearing it. Holding it down however didn’t last very long as the woman continued on. She decided to go on the offensive this time and she had tried to claim that Aristotle had mommy issues and had looked to the white haired woman as her potential replacement. Her eyes widened, but not in the way of surprise. No, the deaf woman snapped. The sound of a harsh, loud slap rang out in the spa area. A red mark bright on Shira’s right cheek from the slap to her face, she had continued to speak. Her body was shaking with anger that she was trying to keep suppressed, but it wasn’t really going as well as she planned it to go.

Finally, Aristotle hit her patience limit. Replaying the taunting comment in her head, the blonde gripped the collar of the clothes of her would-be-captor in her hand and her free hand began to seep a dark aura. ”You listen here! That thing did not abandon me nor do I ever want anything to replace that chienne! She is dead to me and I will k- … I…” Something ticked in her head in that moment. That word. That threat was not her. Was the curse starting to seep into her head? Did her mother leave some kind of deep seeded thought from growing up that she could justify resorting to this? The aura in her hand faded and quickly the woman shot up to her feet. Worriedly pacing back and forth every few steps before turning around and pacing the opposite direction. ”I’m not like her. I won’t be like her… I can’t do it!” She began to repeat it over and over, eventually speaking only in Minstrellan with those words.

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Chienne - bitch

She’d pushed the woman to the brink and beyond, resulting in a rather forceful slap that struck the kidnapper hard. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, not only by the action itself but just how powerful the blow was. The white haired woman’s head was knocked back slightly by the strike but she didn’t take a single step back, as strong as she was. Feeling the sting of the blow, Shirayuki would briefly place a hand upon her face, her cold hand working as an effective ice pack and dimming the pain. Yet, before she could truly reply with an attack or insult, her robe was rather suddenly grabbed by Aristotle, her patience seeming to be well and truly gone. The white haired woman’s eyes never left her during her outburst and the shapeshifting kitsune was utterly stunned by what she heard. They were words that Shirayuki had spat in the past and for just a few seconds, she felt as though she truly could understand the blonde’s pain. That hatred flowed through her too.

Yet, the pink eyed woman then seemed to regret her words and start pacing up and down, berating herself for what she’d just said and done. It was completely bizarre but gave Shirayuki the time she needed to pull herself together and think. There was obviously a dark streak in the beautiful woman, one that she seemed to be almost frightened of and one that she seemed fully intent on burying. The blue eyes of the abductress followed her as she paced, a thoughtful stare and a sign of the woman’s mind turning. Her previous threat regarding taking the girl for herself had been one made in the midst of her anger but after what she’d just witnessed? Shirayuki had never taken anyone for her own sake but then again, had she ever bothered to actually talk to her captives before? No, she just wrapped them up and threw them into a cell. She was superior to them and they were as she’d uttered before, just merchandise to her.

That wasn’t the case here and although the kidnapper cursed herself mentally for allowing herself to feel like this, the truth was black and white. She wanted this woman. For her.

“I don’t know what she’s done to you but I know what it’s like to hate your own mother.” She eventually said, although she had no idea whether the pacing woman could even comprehend her words at that point. “I’ve got no more time to spend discussing such things with you here though. I’ve never done this before but just this once, I’m going to take someone for myself. You.”

Tapping into her magical powers, she’d unleash what would look like a long roll of cloth in the pacing woman’s direction. Soft to the touch but incredibly difficult to escape from and if her attack was successful then Aristotle wouldn’t be able to move much at all, with her limbs and body tightly bound by the material.

(502 Words)
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What was she thinking? How could she let herself get this wrapped up with the past to let it affect her enough to get angry? And even more than that was she had showed part of her magic, one from which she hated deep down. If she used used it too much, she could turn into the other past women in her mothers side of the family afflicted by this curse. Driven mad by power and by proxy passing the line down from generation through generation without a foreseeable end. That had to stop. It had to stop no matter what she had to do to get rid of it. She couldn’t bare the idea of having children either at this rate and the haunting fact of becoming like her was so taxing on her mind some days sleep was a harsh mistress in it of itself. Usually needing to be bleached out by sunshine and happy thoughts or just simply listening to the night itself to bring about a much more relaxing time to the disabled woman.

Her pacing ceased once it seemed Shira piped up after the slap to her face. It seemed her strike jarred her more than she anticipated and it. And it came to no surprise she would start off trying to play like some connecting soul. ”Oh, merci, Mademoiselle. I didn’t know how to act before knowing I had your understanding in my personal plight.” Her comment oozed sarcasm, placing her hands at her hips and glaring angrily towards the disguised woman. ”For your information, I have no mother. I disowned that trash years ago when I found out what kind of deplorable monster she truly was. And I will stop at nothing to be nothing like her!” She had albeit lost it at this point. She wasn’t making much sense to even herself at this point but to vent her frustrations. She’d never been able to as it was something she kept down for years and years. But something about Shira drove her to basically explode.

As the white haired woman went on, she decided to pick up the conversation elsewhere… something that Ari never bothered to agree to. Instead, she felt a strange white cloth latch onto her and begin to tightly wind around her until she couldn’t move anymore, falling to the ground as she struggled to move. ”What- What do you think you’re doing!? Let me out of this right now!” She demanded, squirming about like a fish out of water trying to escape the silk binds.

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A smile crossed Shirayuki’s face as she watched Aristotle helplessly struggle against the cloth that bound her. The blonde would have a very difficult time escaping from it. If she did? Well, the white haired shapeshifter had far more restricting materials at her disposal and they certainly lacked the comfort factor that cloth did. Despite how irritated she’d become with the woman, Shirayuki didn’t feel like punishing her with anything else. Not yet anyway. Frankly, this was all rather new to her. A captive just for her? What a novelty. Still, she’d made her decision and she was rather looking forward to exploring this new role.

“I’ll do no such thing.” She said, her tone not quite as angry sounding as it had once been. This position was one far more to her liking and as she made her way across to the bound blonde and kneeled down beside her, the smile on her face grew. “This was always what was going to happen and I advise you to get used to those bindings, sweetheart. You’re going to be seeing a lot of me in your future and I’ll tell you now. Until I trust you enough, I’m not going to let you out of my sight. You intrigue me, Aristotle and that’s not something I’ve felt towards anyone for a long time. There’s so much about you that captures my interest and you have such adorable sides to you, both the sweet and the sour. I look forward to seeing a lot more of both. I admit that I’m a little excited by it all as you’re the first one that I’ve ever claimed for myself.”

Glancing down at the woman’s bound form, Shirayuki then raised an eyebrow. “I suppose I’m going to have to find you some clothes, unless you want to leave here wearing nothing but your skin. Luckily for you, I’m pretty good when it comes to fabric but I’m certainly not going to do any work of that kind here. This is what’s going to happen. I’m going to take you to my room and do it there. No one will see us due to my invisibility powers and as long as you keep that big mouth of yours shut, it’ll go without a hitch.”

Naturally, she wasn’t going to simply trust Aristotle to keep quiet and that was when she leaned down over the girl and prepared to silence her again. “The tape’s going back on until then and if you try and make a sound then I promise that the next gag you wear will be far more uncomfortable than tape. Am I clear?”

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The bindings felt as though they were not budging a single bit despite all the squirming and fighting she had done. What made her so weak to being able to break out of such simple cloth? Or was it that this woman’s magic was that strong that she couldn’t break through it? Whatever the case was, the helplessness settled in rather quick and her fighting began to settle until Shira had come closer. Slowly, Aristotle tried to worm away with the fear settling in momentarily until the blue eyed woman knelt down. For the first time in a long time, she felt afraid for her life. Was she going to be sold off and never to be heard from again? Just what did this woman have in store for her future? But it didn’t seem to fully come to the fears that were brewing in her head. Being told she would be kept for herself had been a surprisingly settling feeling. And yet, despite that, she had felt more afraid for this nearly as much.

”I am not a pet! You cannot just claim me like property, you know. Whether I am bound and gagged will make no difference!” She replied, trying to act as though she still had the position and ability to tell her what to do, but in the back of her mind, Aristotle knew she was helpless to whatever this woman had planned for her. Though, she had to wonder if she could perhaps see some bright side in this. She mentioned having the same hatred has her own mother as the blonde did for her birth giver… why not try and play on that? Surely she could see the issue with that and maybe it would all be ok in the end! ”Madam, wait! I.. i want to say for one thing! I… i need your word you will not let me be like my mother. I will not be some cold, power hungry witch who would use her own family for her own gain! Just… just please promise me that! I want nothing more than that at this point.” Despite her need to try and get into Shira’s head, Aristotle had sincerity in her voice. Desperation even.

It wasn’t until the moment that her captor had mentioned the lack of clothes did she realize that she was still completely naked, sans the bindings around her body. She offered to make her some clothes, however not until they arrived at the woman’s home. With the promise of invisibility, nobody would see her and honestly, so long as that promise was kept to her, she would be allowed to do whatever she chose. ”Tape aside, my lips are sealed, Madam Shira… as long as you do not break my promise, I will do whatever you want.” She sounded like she was defeated really. Tired of running from her emotions and her fears. Once the tape would be applied, she wouldn’t say a word or even make a sound really. In fact, the entire time she would be taken away, the blonde wouldn’t make a movement but to adjust herself to be a little more comfortable.

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Aristotle’s stubborn refusal to accept the inevitable didn’t ruffle Shirayuki’s feathers all that much. They both knew what the situation was and the blonde woman was threatening her with an empty gun, so to speak. The white haired kidnapper was going to take her and that was that. The blonde’s next words, however, made more of an impression and the shapeshifter gave them a bit of thought. Aristotle’s mother did sound like a complete piece of crap and frankly quite similar to Shirayuki’s own mother, who’d attempted to force her to become the perfect daughter or at least what the old bitch thought perfect was. Shirayuki’s purpose was to inherit her mother’s thunder demon slayer powers and to pass it on to her own children. She was supposed to become a kitsune of virtue, one that followed her mother’s word to the letter and become a carbon copy of her. Complete bullshit and that’s what Shirayuki had finally said to her kin. Thank you, fuck you, bye. She’d decided to forge her own path and had been doing so ever since. The final insult? Having the lacrima of a goddess implanted within her which in the eyes of her mother was the ultimate insult.

She was still pondering over Aristotle’s words when the blonde spoke about remaining silent and before gagging her captive again, Shirayuki spoke. “A long time ago, I had a choice to make. I could either become what my mother wanted me to be or I could decide for myself. I chose the second option and I haven’t regretted it for a second. If you want control over your destiny then you have to grab it by the throat and take command otherwise it’ll own you. I’ve seen for myself already the darkness that is inside you and I don’t need to be a genius to guess that your mother’s got it too but you know what the difference is?” She paused, leaned in closer and smiled. “She’s a bitch and you’re not. You’re a peppy and stubborn little firecracker who I’m going to have a blast with. End of story.”

Before Aristotle could reply, the white haired woman sealed her lips again, leaving her to muse over what the shapeshifter had said.

With no further need to hang around, she’d then return to her feet, before picking up the blonde without the slightest amount of trouble and activating her invisibility spell. Just like that, the two would blend into the background and the white haired woman wasted no time in moving on. It was child’s play in fairness and Shirayuki expertly made her way through the spa’s corridors, silently carrying her bound captive without raising even the slightest amount of suspicion. It felt wonderful to be able to do such a thing and boosted her ego tremendously. The humans around her didn’t have the slightest clue and soon enough she reached the exit of the building and waited for the doors to open, before slipping out into the street and away.

The trip back was rather dull but fortunately her ship wasn’t all that far away, close enough for the shapeshifter to easily be able to carry Aristotle without the slightest amount of trouble. Fortunately, the blonde was rather light, which helped tremendously and soon enough, she’d find herself stepping aboard her vessel and after finding the first crew member she came across, she’d state while still stealthed. “Alright. I’m back with a guest. Get ready to set sail. We’re going home.” The crew member jumped a mile which brought a smile to her face but without waiting a moment longer, she turned and headed for her cabin, where she could finally get some privacy.

A minute or so later, she arrived at her rather lavish quarters and kicked open the door, before finally undoing her spell and placing Aristotle on a rather expensive couch. She’d then push the door closed, before locking it and turning to her captive. “Here we are. My home away from home.” She’d spared no expense in decorating the place and with a wave of her hand, the gag would be painlessly removed from Aristotle’s mouth, allowing her to speak freely.

(700 WC)
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It was safe to say that when the blue eyed woman got closer, she quieted down a lot. Her body didn’t freeze out of fear, but more out of realization and expectation. This woman wasn’t going to hurt her now. If she had, she would currently be in a much more painful situation right now. Until then, she would do her best to just abide by Shira’s rules and directions in order to keep to her good side. It wasn’t hard really until it would involve things that she may find uncomfortable. However that would be yet to find out if she would even be bothering to involve the blonde in such actions currently or not. With any hope, she would be spared of such a life with the promise she hoped to keep. But what would Shira have to say to her that seemed to be so important as to say now rather than at a later time when they were in a more safe environment for the blue eyed woman?

Well, the story told to her was one she didn’t expect. Though she had no chance to say a word, she was left to silently stew on that story and the advice given. What she had already known was that this was Aristotle grabbing life by the throat. She was tackling life with joy and optimism and it felt like a high she never came down from until today. Then again, maybe that was a lie. She did have her low days and they hit like a brick, however she did everything she could to minimize that and rid herself of it. A fruitless one at that. Instead, it probably saved her life in the long run and for that, she was thankful for. Despite the idea that this invisibility didn’t work, the entire trip showed her that this power was very real and it was nice in the end until she realized that quite frankly, it wasn’t all that impressive to the deaf woman. When all was said and done, she hated magic. Mostly her own, though that didn’t really say much given what she grew up with.

When they arrived on a ship, she listened to Shira give directions while still invisible to a crew member that quickly fell to the orders given. It was a nice ship honestly, given that she’d never been on one that floated in the air. The sea was another story. When she came to a room that the door had been kicked in by the captor herself, she was in awe of the luxurious room in which she lived. Even as she was set down on a rather comfortable couch, she shifted around and then leaned back to relax herself before the tape was removed from her mouth rather painlessly at that. ”Mon Dieu, madam. This is far from what I expected your quarters to be like. But dry much impressed I am!” She started off, sighing lightly and then nodding to herself. ”You do realize that my life currently prior to our meeting was me living the life I wanted… or so I thought. In truth, I think I was running from my past and you made me realize that. I hope that our future endeavors will give us both the answers we are looking for.” She smiled, brightly. A close-eyed smile at that despite her current situation. She felt a peace with this and found the light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to this future and whatever it held.

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Mon Dieu - my gosh

“I’ll tell you this much. It sure won’t be boring.” The white haired kidnapper replied with a smile. “I’m constantly receiving job offers and most of them are pretty good at getting the blood pumping. Not every job I do involves capturing people and I’m not going to lie to you and say that I haven’t done some pretty violent things in my time. I’m sure by now you’ve realised what I am and if this ship hasn’t made it obvious to you then I’m not sure what will. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t walk around with an eye patch and peg leg though, they’re not quite my style.”

With that being said, she’d approach the couch and take a seat beside the tied woman, before continuing on. “You said before that you don’t want to end up like your mother and I’ll do whatever I can to stop that from happening but I honestly don’t think you have anything to worry about. I don’t want to see you lose that spark and cheerfulness. That’s what drew me into doing this in the first place and perhaps you weren’t wrong when you said that I was suffering a little from loneliness? A pirate’s life is one where you have all the freedom in the world but you can never let your shields down. You never quite know who to trust and you’ve no idea how many friends I’ve had who’ve tried to stab me in the back. It’s a dog eat dog world.”

“I’ll promise you this although I won’t blame you if you’re reluctant to believe me but I’m not going to push you into anything. If there’s a line to be drawn then you stand up and tell me. I don’t expect you to abduct, pillage or take lives if that goes against what you stand for and I’m not some evil old bitch who’s going to force you to do such things. My rules are incredibly simple, Aristotle. Don’t betray me and don’t let the darkness win. Simple enough?”

Shirayuki felt surprisingly at ease, despite the fact that her shields were dropping. She’d probably said more to Aristotle in the short time they’d known each other than she had to anyone else. There was just something about the blonde, a vibe she gave out that made the kitsune feel at ease. A part of her thought that she might be being played but was there any point in Aristotle doing that now? Weren’t they passed that point? Either way, she had to admit that it was nice to be able to speak freely.

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A more confident smile and nod started off the woman’s words. Happy to know she was more on board with how things were going to go, Aristotle had refrained from speaking Shira began to speak about how her career essentially began to work. Something immediately pinged in her mind of some things she may or may not have done and they weren’t bad things. Genuine curiosity poked the blonde’s brain during the time that her kidnapper spoke. However, Shira wanted to speak and so she wouldn’t interrupt her for something that could just as easily wait until the end. Maybe she would say something and then the blonde could compact that into one group of questions. While she listened, she couldn’t help but tilt her head looking over the woman trying to imagine her with the peg leg and the eyepatch. Even a parrot hanging on her shoulder. She was right… not her style. ”Maybe once you untie me, I could draw you a picture like that.” She offered, making a seemingly silly offer, but one none the less.

When the white haired woman took a seat beside her, the deaf woman habitually attempted to move over a little bit to make some room for Shira. She went on to assure her that she wasn’t going to change her or lead her down a path that would make her like her mother. She may have to overlook some things that Shira did, however if she didn’t do them herself, would she truly be able to remain pure of this curse? Hearing her admit that she was right in that she was lonely enough to choose to take Aristotle for herself like she had, it didn’t bother her at all. In fact, it felt flattering. That she could be the kind of person that she could continue to be and maybe help to turn Shira into a better person. That would be the true challenge, but one she was excited to work with. Perhaps she could turn this pirate’s life around for the better. Only time could tell really.

”It does mean the world to me that you aren’t going to force me to do the things you do.” She started off, beaming with a smile still for a moment longer at least before it seemed to fade a little. ”I want the same from you then as well. I don’t want to follow you about only to be converted slowly or worse off.” With a light pause, she would think about something in her mind before letting out a huff of air, as if she had just contemplated with herself in letting this go before actually speaking it. ”You have to promise me then… that if you see what you say earlier today happening that you will stop me. I don’t care if it hurts. This is the kind of thing that… i deep down am afraid of. My ancestors have either given in freely or lost to it over time. I do not think ifs anything I can stop on my own will alone.” Her tone was low, showing she was truly concerned about this.

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There was a brief chuckle from the shapeshifter as Aristotle offered to draw her as a more stereotypical pirate. The less she looked like a stereotypical pirate the better in her opinion and there were certainly quite a few of those types among her guildmates. She’d admit that she did kind of stuck out compared to the others, as graceful and dignified as she appeared but that’s what gave her the edge. She could go where they could not and blend into a crowd without any trouble whatsoever, invisible or not. The shapeshifter adored her magics, both of them and was to this day still trying to discover a third although up until now, she’d yet to find it. Something to look forward to though, she thought. Returning to the matter at hand, she’d gently shake her head. “I appreciate the offer and I’m sure you’re a lovely artist but I could do without a parrot on my shoulder, even if it would only be on paper. I wouldn’t mind posing for you as I am though, as I would love to see your work.” She said it partly in jest but Shirayuki was rather fond of art, even if the reason for her acquiring it was usually financial. Sticky fingers and all.

The conversation became a little more solemn after that and Shirayuki mused over Aristotle’s words. There was genuine worry in the woman’s tone regarding her falling into her family's ways and the white haired woman couldn’t help but wonder just what the bound woman’s kin had done. Shirayuki was content with her own status as a criminal and she certainly had a strong stomach when it came to more serious crimes but there was something so ominous about the way the blonde spoke. If they were going to come to trust each other then the truth would have to come out sooner or later and with a sigh, she moved a little closer and spoke in a rather more tender voice. “If I feel the darkness stemming from you again, I promise that I’ll wrap you up so tightly that you won’t be able to do anything but wriggle. I told you already. I don’t want you to become some dark and twisted monster, fuelled by anger and fear, a clone of your mother and ancestors.”

Shirayuki took a breath and chose that moment to return to her normal form. Her hair shortened, her eyes grew brighter and her kitsune features appeared, nine long white tails and a pair of large fox-like ears on the top of her head. If words were not enough then perhaps revealing her true form would be enough to convince the blonde of her sincerity?

“I give you my word that neither what I do nor your inner darkness will corrupt you and if I fail to keep to it then by all means tell everyone you see about me. This is me, without a mask or disguise. My full name is Shirayuki Shinden and this is my promise to you.”

(509 Words)
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She had to admit, that was a very tempting offer! Frankly, Aristotle never really did any live modeling for her drawings, so to do one would be a very great treat! An elated smile, almost a twinkle in her eye as well beamed from the mention of it and the thought of doing so. It was an amazing thought to be able to have this go as happily as she thought and hoped so! Maybe this kidnapping could be a blessing in disguise, and the more she was able to chat with her captor, the more it made her feel more secure being under her thumb in such a way. Nodding along, Ari even let out a little giggle as her smile even more grew. ”Magnifique! Drawing is something of a mini passion I have. If it will put a smile to your pretty face of yours, I would love nothing more than to have the honor of you modeling for me, Mademoiselle!”

There was a moment as Shira had gotten closer to the captive blonde that she felt an air of worry. She’d never been held captive aside from the big of exercises that her father drilled into her growing up, but there was something about this helplessness that seemed to also comfort her when around Shira. The blue eyed woman was both strict, but soft in some ways that made it easy to trust her. Perhaps the issues they shared in common helped with that, however in this current moment she was feeling rather worried. It wasn’t until those words of assurance passed into the headset and into her ears, seeing them with her own pink orbs that showed her she meant what she said. Shira would become a guardian of sorts to help assure her that the goals she wished to reach could come to fruition. That she could rid herself of this blight forever. But for that to truly be something Shira would need to see… she would have to know from whom she came from.

But not now… not for a while. If she saw what true kind of monster she could become, would Shira be inclined to continue supporting her pure cause? Or would she want to push her down the path of darkness? She couldn’t risk it. Not yet. Not until she knew how truthful she was to the cause of this.

What unfolded next had surprised her. With a huff from the kidnapper, Shira’s form changed before her eyes. Long, white, fluffy tails has sprouted behind her, extending out like a peacock. Two fox like ears appeared on her head, twitching lightly as she had watched them. The look on the blondes face was that of a child on Christmas morning. ”Merveilleuse!~ You look so wonderful, Madam Shira!” She couldn’t help herself, nearly squealing from the adorable kitsune. Claiming this form, giving her full name was a sign that she was promising to what she could believe to be her fullest extent. ”Then I, Aristotle Lambros, will follow you to the ends of the earth, Madam Shirayuki. So long as that promise is kept, I will assist you in your tasks.” Feeling it only fair to give a full name in return, she vowed to stay with Shirayuki. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to go anyway but her own way. At least now, she had someone to lean on for help.

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