Disengaged

[love me til death]

Characters: Anika and Syena
Prompt: Anika FINALLY finds the right Syena. Will she have learned from her firstsecond experience?  

[love me til death]

.
Anika could barely keep it together during class. After many mishaps, she finally discovered the real Syena. She could not believe it was the jerk from the first day of classes. Had he really not recognized her fabulousness on the first day? Or was he just toying with her at this point? She stared daggers into the back of his head as the class continued.

Her previous encounters had been failures but now she was sure. Sure as h*** p*****. This stone-cold man had been wasting too much of her time living rent-free in her thoughts. Anika knew she had to play this interaction smoother than the last. Mostly for fear of getting kicked out. She couldn’t afford the embarrassment of getting kicked out of Utopia for hateful acts, it would reflect negatively on the kingdom. She had spent the past few weeks rebuilding her image after a catastrophic first day.

The instructor concluded the lesson, leaving them to the end of their day and Anika quickly chased Syena out the door. He was walking too fast. ’Why do I always wear heels? They are TERRIBLE running shoes.’ She thought to herself as she attempted to quick walk after him, her shoes clinking along the way. She felt almost like a stalker chasing him after class but she knew he was impossible to corner as most functions and he wasn’t stupid enough to just open his door to a stranger like Fane had. He would probably just ignore her if she didn’t play her cards correctly.

He made his way around a corner, secluding himself from the rest of the university. This was her time. She quickened her pace, nearly running around the corner and stopping directly in front of him, out of breath. ”I… Win…” she stuttered out, trying to catch her breath in front of the tall statue of a man. She took a couple more breaths but was able to recover very quickly, straightening herself out and looking directly into the cold prince’s eyes, ”I win, Syena Maraalika. Prince of Winduria.” Anika said, feeling more determined, a glint of crazypassion in her eyes.


OOC:
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: Are you real? Really real?
Location: Outside class
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

For the last several days two gnats had been buzzing around him, seeming to try and figure out exactly who he was. It was stupid, considering they all used their real names here. Or, so far he hadn't encountered anyone smart enough to use a false name. Syena hadn't hidden his own for he had no fear of anything happening. For a school to 'promote peace' or whatever Gods forsaken plan The Peacemaker had, she hadn't actually made it possible to hide their countries of origin from each other. Not with how often people used their powers or how carefree everyone was in speaking of themselves. So what made someone want to try so hard for easily obtainable information?

But then, gnats weren't known for their intelligence.

Leaving the final class had been a relief. It was nearly impossible to maintain a soft façade when every other person in this school was an imbecile. Having a few moments to himself would be grounding. Unfortunately, someone didn't seem to get the memo that Syena wanted to be alone. The sound of heels clicking on tile resounded behind him, whoever the poor girl was practically needed to run to keep up with his pace. As he rounded a corner, his ex-fiancé darted out in front of him, blocking his escape. He had been about to turn and go another way when her words stopped him.

”I… Win… I win, Syena Maraalika. Prince of Winduria.”

Oh my. First and last names. With his title, even. Someone really thought they were doing something here. It took him a moment to remember she had put him up to some childish contest on the first day of classes. One he would have won if he'd bothered to remember it. He leveled his colorless eyes on Anika, taking in her heaving chest and the look in her eye that told him just how much he vexed her. His expression softened, too amused by whatever this was. He brought his hands up before him, clapping them slowly for her. "Ah yes, congratulations."

Letting his arms drop, he let them come to rest behind his back with his right hand holding his left wrist. Circling around her, Syena's eyes stayed on Anika's until he was behind her. Then he leaned over her, his lips hovering next to the shell of her ear to taunt her. "Now Anika dear, tell me what is is you think you've won? Your silly contest?" He pulled away from her, watching carefully to see what her reaction would be. While Syena would still prefer to be alone, at least he was getting a show for now.




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Outside Class ☁︎ Anika

 

[love me til death]

.
Anika felt something in her body sink as Syena gave her a pity clap. Was he having fun at the sight of her losing breath? She rolled her eyes at his sudden need for theatrics. The way he was looking at her felt like the way a lion looked at his prey before pouncing, She attempted to keep her cool and stay calm as he approached her from behind, unsure if he was planning on harming her at all.

"Now Anika dear, tell me what is is you think you've won? Your silly contest?"

The duchess’ face felt hot as his breath touched the nap of her neck. She lost her train of thought for a moment thinking about the possibility of what he could do next when she realized the gravity of what he said. He knew who she was, he just didn’t care. ’He knew? The whole time he knew and just pretended I was a stranger. That sick b*****d,’ She fumed, as she noticed he moved away from her. Could this be her way of getting the advantage? Was he scared of her?

”I think I won more than just a bet based on the way I had to chase you down just now.” She said with a confident smirk on her face. She started to circle him like he had circled her previously, she felt like a lioness and lion fighting over territory. She looked him over up and down, ”Is it possible you thought I was going to hurt you?” She mocked, not expecting an answer as she traced her fingers along his back. She was impressed by the fabric, it seems expensive. But now wasn’t the time for her to be won over by his sense of fashion.

”I wouldn’t hurt my beloved fiance. Oops, ex-fiance.” She said her nails starting to dig slightly at his clothes. ”Or maybe, you can’t be around me because you knew you wanted me and you don’t want to disappoint Little Miss Perfect.” She whispered, letting her hand drop as she faced Syena once more. ”Well Prince, which is it?” She said with an overly confident smirk on her face as she crossed her arms demanding an answer.


OOC: I feel better now
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: YOU WILL ACKNOWLEDGE ME
Location: Outside class
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

The amused glint in his eyes died almost as quickly as it had come. Why was it that he was surrounded by people who made it their life mission to prove just how low they were? First it was Oliver. Then Lui'en came back a complete mess. Now Anika as well? The muscle in his jaw twitched as he brought a hand from behind his back up to pinch the bridge of his nose, as if it would help dull the pulsing ache behind his eyes. How had the world around him survived with these slithering worms as it's leaders?

"I am very curious what gave you the idea I'm afraid of you." Managing to keep his tone even was more of a chore than he expected. It occurred to Syena that it would be easy to swat her away like the buzzing fly she was and be on his way. Yes, it was possible the staff would see and spread gossip. Or worse, one of their fellow students. It could have been a factor in why he stood there, letting Anika circle him like she was stalking prey. But there was also a sick satisfaction in staying, goading her on and watching her react without second guessing her actions. It was like finding a new toy. And toys were to be played with until they were broken.

”Or maybe, you can’t be around me because you knew you wanted me and you don’t want to disappoint Little Miss Perfect.”

The smug look on Anika's face as she attempted to prop herself up to look more appealing crumbled shreds of resolve left in him. His palm hit the wall behind her, using his body to trap her. This was the problem with insects. They didn't know when to cut their losses and go away. Bending down, he stopped with his face inches from hers. "I have to assume you mean my fiancé." Syena was close enough he could smell her perfume, the scent curling around his head as if coaxing his headache to thrum even harder against the backs of his eyes. His free hand grasped her chin, fingers digging in more than he had originally intended, and forced her to meet his gaze. "Do not for a moment think I school my actions for that child. Nor that I want her. Have you seen the way she flits about? It's disgusting. She's a pawn to sit prettily on a throne," Syena paused, as if waiting to see the hope light up in her eyes. "Just like you were."




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Outside Class ☁︎ Anika

 

[love me til death]

.
Anika’s heart raced slightly as she heard Syena’s hand slap against the wall behind her. Was he attempting to intimidate her now? The men she had to deal with before they went into the war front were way pusher than he, but she lacked the polearm she carried during those times. He would have to do more than that to get more of a reaction out of her. The duchess noticed Syena getting closer to her, leaving less than a foot of room between the two of them. She was happy to not smell any sweat or fear as he started to close the gap between them more.

"I have to assume you mean my fiancé."

She looked away from him, disgusted by the thought. Fiancé. A title she once had and thought was silly. Now something she was seemingly bashing down doors for. Her actions would have embarrassed most but her mother always told her to follow her heart, no matter what road it took her down. Or in this case, an abandoned classroom hallway. She gasped as she felt his hand touch her chin, forcing him to look into his cold forceful eyes.

"Do not for a moment think I school my actions for that child. Nor that I want her. Have you seen the way she flits about? It's disgusting. She's a pawn to sit prettily on a throne,"

Anika felt a small smile creep up on her face. Her comment about the Princess had stung a bit. It was comforting to know he felt the same way about her that she did though. She felt a small amount of hope starting to swell inside her as looked up at the prince with something besides daggers for the first time since the start of their conversation. Was it possible there was a chance to make peace between the two of them after all?

"Just like you were."

She huffed, trying to move her eyes away in case they started to swell, ”Leave it to a prince to ruin a good thing before it even starts by not being able to keep his mouth shut.’ She thought, widening her eyes to avoid tears. The last thing she wanted him to see was her cry. He couldn’t let him think she actually cared about he thought her. Anika cursed herself for feeling the way she did. His nails started to dig into her skin, making her heart start to race more. She took another deep breath before looking him in the eye once more, hopeful he couldn’t tell what was about to potentially come.

”Such harsh words. If I didn’t know better I’d think I struck a nerve. But that would mean there might almost be a heart in there.” She managed to say as she forced out a smirk and she attempted to touch his chest. She traced out a heart where she imagined it would be if he actually had one. She cursed herself again recognizing how chiseled his pec was as she started to trace over it briefly before transitioning to playing with his shirt as a way of looking away from his intense stare, ”You know, such unkind words are shocking to hear from such a model prince. I always thought you were a fraud but at least now I have proof.” She gripped his shirt aggressively, closing the gap even more between the two, attempting to bring his face closer to hers.

She looked intensely at the man before her. A man she once claimed to love and wanted to marry. Now, his grip on her was making it almost hard for her to breathe as his fingers seemed to pinch at her skin. She could have sworn she felt more than just sparks flying between the two of them, and hated that feeling. She looked him dead in the eyes, the flames in her eyes reignited once more, ”Funny how you say anyone could be sitting on the throne next to you but you're here in a lowly hallway, with me.", she said as she pulled the shirt even tighter locking her lips with his. ”Another lie, I take it?" She whispered as she backed away from the kiss, giving herself a chance to catch her breath.


OOC:
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: The only thing I hate more than a**holes and liars is myself
Location: Outside class
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

Ah. There it was. As he spoke, a small smile crept onto Anika's face. As much as she wanted to burrow under his skin, it seemed that Syena's all consuming presence had never found it's way out from under hers. They had only ever exchanged a handful of letters when they were children. It wasn't like she knew him, yet she couldn't let go of him. Even worse, the hope that hung between them from how badly she wanted him was palpable.

How pathetic.

And then it all came tumbling down, the hurt crossing her face nearly immediately after he pointed out just how replaceable she was. She glanced away, and he could feel her pulse quicken under his fingertips. What a masochist. Maybe it was for the better that Anika wouldn't become the queen of his proud nation. Frankly, there was no one quite fit to become the queen of Winduria. He hadn't met a single royal woman - including his own sister - that lived up to his standards.

”Such harsh words. If I didn’t know better I’d think I struck a nerve. But that would mean there might almost be a heart in there.” The comment got a harsh laugh from Syena as her fingers traced his chest. Almost having a heart indeed. What would he need with one? Ruling a nation had no need for bothersome things like love and affection. ”You know, such unkind words are shocking to hear from such a model prince. I always thought you were a fraud but at least now I have proof.”

Anika grasped his s**t and pulled his face so it was barely inches away from hers. She had spirit, he would give her that. But that just made it all the more fun to break her. Which gave her far more value that she had up until this very moment. Maybe he would keep her around. It could be an entertaining new hobby to watch his ex-fiancé crack underneath of him. ”Funny how you say anyone could be sitting on the throne next to you but you're here in a lowly hallway, with me." Anika pulled on his shirt again, this time pushing their lips together into a long kiss. Long enough that when she came back up for air she was panting. ”Another lie, I take it?" Syena adjusted his grip, running the pad of his thumb over the swell of Anika's bottom lip roughly.

"Those are big words from someone who has been so obsessed with me she hired a private investigator to find me. I wasn't even using a false name, Anika." Syena said with a shake of his head, an amused smile breaking out on his face. It was cute to watch her lash out when things didn't go her way. It was almost as if she didn't realize that she was a tool for his country. Had she genuinely believed they would fall deeply in love, staying that way until they were old and gray. Unfortunately for her, Syena had gone gray years ago. Lowering his voice, he continued. "Did you think I was a fraud when you spent hours writing me all of those letters? How sad that you were forced to spend so much of your time on them then. Or how about when you spent hours thinking about me after our engagement was broken? Was that when you decided I was a fraud?"

"You would do well to remember you were following me." Pulling his hand away from her mouth, he pushed back from the wall. Standing to his full height, Syena rushing an invisible speck of dust off of his chest. He then adjusted his shirt from where she had wrinkled it. Walking around with a fist impression on his chest? Syena wasn't some kind of common hoodlum. With the riffraff that had come from the other countries, he wasn't sure he would be able to say the same about the rest of the royalty at this school. It took a moment before he was satisfied that she hadn't clawed and wrinkled his clothing beyond repair. His expression was bored when he met Anika's eyes again. I have better things to do than bicker in a hallway. You can either continue to follow me like a lost puppy or not. But I don't plan to continue this." He started walking away, once again off towards his room. His pause was to see if her angry footsteps followed him.

"Not here, this is a lowly hallway after all."




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Outside Class ☁︎ Anika

 

[love me til death]

A moment passed when Anika had considered the actions of what she had done. She had promised herself to be calm this time around but instead she found herself falling into the same patterns again. She told herself she wasn’t here to chase after a man but what was she doing in this hallway? All came to a crushing halt as he pressed his thumb to her lip, hurting her slightly. She tried not to react but felt herself wince slightly.

"Those are big words from someone had been so obsessed with me she hired a private investigator to find me. I wasn't even using a false name, Anika."

Anika stood there, unable to speak. Her lip was still stinging slightly from the pressure. She noticed the sadistic smile that crept across his face, was this the true prince all along? The one she had written sappy love songs about as a child? She had to wonder what, if anything, was real between them.

"Did you think I was a fraud when you spent hours writing me all of those letters? How sad that you were forced to spend so much of your time on them then. Or how about when you spent hours thinking about me after our engagement was broken? Was that when you decided I was a fraud?"

He asked an honest question. She wanted to reply but words seemed to fail her. All she felt was red-hot rage for her time wasted. She wanted an apology for embarrassing her. For wasting her time. For never acknowledging her after. Bringing up the letters was a cruel move of his, the only proof their engagement ever existed in the eyes of many. Something she used to brag to anyone who would listen to her. When they stopped coming and it had been called off, she said she didn’t care. And initially, she didn’t but then, she reread the letters. It could have been the fact she no longer had something and someone else did. But she chose to believe that she did care, even though she would never tell a soul this weakness.

"You would do well to remember you were following me."

His voice rang in her ears like a cruel emperor. The pressure from his hands and body getting off her, she felt lighter but heavier at the same time. ’Wait, I wasn’t done.’ she thought as felt her neck, finally able to fully breathe. He stood tall above her, it made the gap between them feel even wider. It was clear he wanted nothing to do with the duchess now that he had a princess to look pretty next to him. She had convinced herself there was more but clearly she was wrong once again.

I have better things to do than bicker in a hallway. You can either continue to follow me like a lost puppy or not. But I don't plan to continue this." That was fair. Arguing in the hallway was sure to be discovered by someone soon. She had failed the confrontation and embarrassed herself in the process. Anika felt the tears start to creep up again but forced them down for the most part, a few tears sliding down her face. She sniffled slightly and wiped her face before hearing him call out, "Not here, this is a lowly hallway after all."

She wiped her face and under her eyes, attempting to process it all. What game was he playing? Did he like the idea of her following him around like some stalker? ’Get a grip Ani.’ She told herself as she fought the urge to slap herself back into reality. She took a deep breath and stood tall, she was better than this. Everything in her brain was telling her to turn around but there was something telling her to follow.

”I’m not following you.” She called out, trailing behind him, ”The shortcut to my room is this way.”. Normally interactions like this wouldn’t make her nervous but she found herself fighting the urge not to panic or sweat. Something about the overly cocky and confident prince she was now chasing after, made her feel like it was worth following. She hated the feeling and hoped it would go away. She quickened her pace, remembering how she had gotten herself in this situation to begin with.

She had finally caught up with him, hiding the fact she needed to catch her breath again. She felt embarrassed that she constantly needed to play a game of catch-up with the prince with her at a disadvantage. Was it possible for her to ever get the advantage? She looked over at the prince, was he telling the truth that her feelings really didn’t matter or was it just a front to save face? ”Was I ever real to you?” She attempted to keep her confidence but was sure she failed.

She felt her voice almost whimper as she asked. She was tempted to stop him in the hallway and demand an answer but knew the rooms were close and the possibility of running into someone they knew was coming closer. ”It’s actually better if you don’t answer. Your attempts at bruising my ego today were embarrassing.” She attempted to save face, her tone changing from the previous whimper into a confident sneer. If she didn't have the upper hand here, the best thing she could do was fake it.

"Honestly, the only way you could go lower is if you started making fun of the way I look. But I would know that's a lie." She managed to fake a laugh. She looked him up and down, pausing at his

show spoilerhide spoiler

and looking him back in the face as they walked. She didn't want to be a coward but was prepared to make a run for her chambers in case things got too out of hand, noting there were just a few turns away.




OOC:
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: The only thing I hate more than a**holes and liars is myself
Location: Outside class
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

”I’m not following you." Syena's only response was a small, harsh laugh as he continued down the hallway with his ex-fiancé in tow. They both knew that her assertion was complete horse-s**t, the proof was in the quickened tap tap taping of her heels on the tile as she struggled to match his pace. Why waste the effort to call her on it? "The shortcut to my room is this way.” Anika's lie was hollow to his ears. It was obvious if you threw crumbs to a pigeon, it would follow. And throw a crumb he had. If anything it was reassuring that she was just as predictable as he thought she was.

”Was I ever real to you?”

Now if only she could walk with him silently. The way Anika's voice came out as a cracked whisper after all of her bravado was almost sad. His lips twitched into a frown for just a moment as he glanced down at the proud woman beside him. So proud she was trying her damnedest not to look winded from trying to keep up with his gait. Not to mention the emotions that had crossed her face when he'd pinned her to the wall just moments before. Could it be that Syena had assumed she was stronger than she truly was?

”It’s actually better if you don’t answer. Your attempts at bruising my ego today were embarrassing.” Sounding stronger now, she seemed to preen herself beside him as they turned into the dorm hallway. The men's dorm hallway. Ah yes, a shortcut indeed. "Honestly, the only way you could go lower is if you started making fun of the way I look. But I would know that's a lie."

"You would know all about bruising egos, wouldn't you?" His voice was hard even to his own ears as he spoke. The letters had been a shot in the dark based off of Anika's actions at the school so far, but it had seemed like they had dug into her far more than he expected. But why? They both knew she had stopped sending him letters after she had hit puberty. Syena had been the starry-eyed idiot who continued to send her updates about his studies and dreams for the future - their future - for months after she stopped replying. And here she was acting like he had been the one to stop sending her anything.

The nerve.

Between the pulsing headache that had sprouted at the base of his skull and the irritation that this harlot was acting like Syena had been the one to cut contact, his muscles tensed. At this point it might have been smarter if he had gone to the training room. At least there he would have been able to release some of the energy that felt like it was crackling beneath the surface. Instead he was stuck with the source mere steps from the door to his room. His eyes were dark, considering the options for him at this point. Flexing his hand into a fist and releasing it slowly, he fixed a dark stare at Anika.

Stopping suddenly, he watched Anika take a few extra steps before noticing. The extra seconds had given him the time he needed to school his features and tone, gently leaning his shoulder up against the door of his room to look down his nose at her. "And do you intend to continue down the men's dorms? How odd that your room would be down this hallway." A king must be a pillar, it was something the lessons he'd been taught over the years had instilled in him. Yet this ant affected him. And that bothered him. "Or are you finally ready to admit you were following me?"




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Outside Class ☁︎ Anika

 

[love me til death]

Anika felt herself tempted to interject but was surprised by the sudden shift in tone. He seemed stone cold, his walls were too high for her to ever be able to join him. She hadn’t remembered saying anything bad in her last letter to him. He was the one who had stopped replying to her all of a sudden. It went from dreams of them living their life in Winduria and solving the world’s problems, to radio silence in months. It felt like only a short time later when she had been told the news that her engagement was no more and the prince didn’t even have the courtesy to tell her why.

He had no right to throw stones in a glass house himself. This whole interaction had been a waste of time, he wasn’t the prince he had claimed to be. He never was. The person that she had fallen for was a fabrication, a lie she told herself. She tried to hide the hurt on her face as she continued walking, not realizing he had stopped. Anika looked up at his face, he looked quite pleased with himself, the complete opposite way she felt. He was probably happy with how terribly this had gone for her the interaction was over as well and that p***ed her off.

"And do you intend to continue down the men's dorms? How odd that your room would be down this hallway. Or are you finally ready to admit you were following me?"

Anika looked around, had they made it to the men’s dorm hallway already? The walk seemed like it was going forever and now that it was over she didn’t want it to end. She didn’t know why but there was something preventing her from leaving. She felt torn between two voices; one telling her to go and the other telling her to stay. She wondered if she left did that make her a coward or was that protecting her from any more heartache? How much more embarrassment could she take? She was caught red-handed following him and then tried to force her tongue down his throat. The whole interaction was a mess, she had no control over her actions whatsoever.

The duchess couldn’t stand to look at him anymore. His face was an all too kind reminder of how much he had changed since they had spoken. Anika remembered the brown-haired boy with a kind smile who would write her multiple times a week, and now? He was cranky gray-haired pain in her a** that didn’t know love if it bit him in the a**. He faked kindness to everyone but deep down she knew what he was. She was grateful she could see it up close so that she wasn’t stuck on him for the rest of her time here.

”Following you? Keep flattering yourself with that thought if it helps you sleep at night.” She rolled her eyes, attempting to avoid looking at him. Instead, she looked past his shoulders, noting the door behind him. His room? Her heart started to beat faster. She cursed herself for thinking about it. She hated how she still thought about his lips pressed against hers, even if it was for a short second. It was too childish of her to think her plan for her body would work at all. Clearly, he saw straight through it and hated what he saw along the way.

Anika felt herself deciding between her brain telling her to leave and her heart telling her to stay. She felt frozen, unable to decide for herself, still unwilling to process everything that had occurred in the past hour. She had embarrassed herself too much to gain any control, so why was there a voice telling her she should just hand over any control she had left to the man in front of her? But she just couldn’t do that, he upset her too much.

She looked up at his face, feeling her heart start to beat faster. His face looked overconfident, she felt tempted to remark his s**t-eating smirk but decided to take a pause for the moment. Why did he care where she was going? He was just trying to rub it in at this point but she couldn’t give him the satisfaction, ”I may have lied about the shortcut but I still have places to be.” she lied once more, ”Why, do you have another way of wasting my time or do you want to try and attack my character once more?” She huffed, crossing her arms as she faced him.

He had some nerve acting like she was the problem here. He was the one taunting her, baiting her into a fight. Why did she have to bigger person all the time? It was exhausting. "At least offer me a drink if you're planning on continuing to treat me this way." she remarked, not realizing she had said the thought out loud. She had meant it as a joke to herself but now it was out there, she had to wait for him to taunt her mistake once more. The best she could do at this point was stand strong and keep her head held high.



OOC:
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: The only thing I hate more than a**holes and liars is myself
Location: Outside class
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

For all of her posturing, Anika was extremely easy to read. Even if she was a bit stubborn. As much as her words were trying to tell him that she wasn't affected by him, the look on her face said otherwise. Uncertainty. It was written all over her features as her gaze flicked from his bedroom door to his face and back. Did she expect an invitation? Or was it more that she was hoping for one as she tried to rebuff him and lie that she had other places to be? Whatever it was, her desire was palpable. And Syena chose to believe it was a desire for him.

”Why, do you have another way of wasting my time or do you want to try and attack my character once more?” Her feisty attitude was back, as if she was trying to mask her desperation under a brave face. How unfortunate that he had already seen through it. "At least offer me a drink if you're planning on continuing to treat me this way."

It was hard to say if the comment or her posture after it was what surprised him. On the one hand, she had essentially asked him to get a drink with her. On the other, she seemed to fold in on herself as if she knew he would comment on it in some way or another. Syena could have commented on how many men she must have invited herself into their rooms with. Or on what a lush Anika sounded like in the moment. Instead he brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "By the gods, you will be the death of me." His voice was quiet, the softness behind it betraying him. Though there was a weight to his words as he felt part of his resolve crack. It had certainly been a long week indeed.

Bringing his hand down from his eyes, he first looked to Anika before glancing around them to make sure that their were no lingering eyes for what he was about to do. Satisfied they were alone for the moment, he pushed off of the door. One hand snaked around Anika, rooting itself firmly against her lower back as the other pushed the door to his bedroom open. "A drink I can manage." And with it maybe he could finally get some answers that had long haunted him.

Closing the door behind him, he decided it was better not to think about what the optics of an engaged man pushing another woman into his bedroom would have looked like to anyone else. Or how it would look trying to get Anika out of his room later. His mind, however, decided it wasn't particularly interested in listening to what may or may not be best for him and decided to run through every scenario as he led his ex into the unimpressive sitting room this school offered with their dorms. It was a far cry from his personal sitting room in the palace, but for now it would do.

"Sit." He removed his hand from her back to gesture loosely at one of the plush sofas before them. "If you want a mixed drink you will need to call for a servant, otherwise what do you want?" Syena chose not to look at her as he glided past towards a counter that had a few decanters sitting on it with glasses. Picking one with an amber liquor, he poured himself a what he would consider a reasonable drink. Downing it, he poured himself another before placing both palms on the counter and leveling a hard stare at the wall.

This was a mistake. Having Anika in his room was vulnerable. Stupid. This was something Oliver do and make a complete fool of himself. Syena was better than this, and he knew it. Anxiety prickled between his shoulder blades, hating himself for being so curious he would compromise himself like this. He had so many questions. Yet when he opened his mouth, only one tumbled out. "Why are you here Anika?"




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
bedroom ☁︎ Anika

 

[love me til death]

Anika heard small mumbles as Syena brought his hand to his face. She couldn’t hear actually what was said but could tell he was peeved by her comment. She braced herself for what was next, him slamming the door in her face ending the interaction between the two of them but instead, she was met with an invitation. She felt a hand touch the small of her back, pushing her into the now-open door.

"A drink I can manage."

Anika felt a sense of relief and discomfort overcome her at the same time as he quickly closed the door behind him. Was he embarrassed to be seen with her this much? Or was it the threat of them potentially being caught together that led to this decision? Either way, she was determined to finally get some answers instead of watching him tiptoe around whatever issue it was that he had that led to him cutting contact with her. When she was younger she feared the death of her mom was too much to share with the boy but they had shared everything with each other at that point, he made her feel safe. Then, he stopped replying. It wasn’t just her ego he bruised all those years ago. But she wasn’t going to tell him that. Not after the way he had been treating her.

Anika sat down as he commanded, responding with a disapproving look at the tone of his words. She perused the liquor he had in front of her, noting the drink he had poured for himself and immediately downed it. There was a small comfort in knowing this interaction was just as uncomfortable for him as it was for her. Even if that did hurt her ego slightly. She looked over the assortments he had to over, wanting something strong to cancel out the pain and discomfort she was feeling, eyeing the second drink he was making for himself. ”I’ll pass on the mixed drink for now, unless you’re offering me a witness to whatever attempt at reconciliation this is. Make me a double of whatever you're making, light ice.” she commanded, making herself comfortable on the sofa before looking over at the man staring at the wall. He seemed tense, was the thought of being in the same room as her that disgusting? She needed a drink more than ever now if she was going to continue being here.

Instead, she was greeted with an unprompted question. Why was she here? She kept asking herself that over and over but for now? She would answer with the same about of feeling she was sensing from her ex. ”Why am I here? You invited me in just now. Remember?” She rolled her eyes to add to the act. She knew she was playing coy and that wasn’t the answer he wanted. But exposing herself so quickly felt like a trap, especially when she had already been so vulnerable already.

Did he seriously want her to recount over how she had hired a private investigator to find him after she couldn’t find him herself? He really did seem to get off on her embarrassing herself in front of him. Well she wasn't going to play that role anymore. This afternoon had not gone at all like she had hoped. Every time she tried to make a grab for control he pulled it out from under her. The worst part of it all was she still was hoping he would turn out to be the sweet kind boy from all those years ago. Instead, she found herself faced with a twisted p***k that seemed to be amused by her misery.

”I think the bigger question is “Why did you invite me in?” For such a cold, callous man, I wouldn’t figure you someone who cared for much company.” She said coldly, still hurt from the previous rejection. Anika was determined to put on a brave face through it all but she wasn’t sure how long she’d last. ”It seems like maybe I am wrong though. A pleasant surprise in all this." She forced a fake smile as she jokingly patted the seat next to her on the tacky sofa, Well, won’t you come sit? Don’t forget I’m still waiting for my drink. I am your guest after all.” She looked at him pretending to be innocent, knowing full well her cocky smile was showing underneath.



OOC:
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: Why am I here?
Location: Outside class
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

For a moment, Syena felt frozen. The tone she took when ordering her drink had him gripping the countertop so hard his knuckles were turning white. Yes, he had pulled Anika into his room against his better judgement. Even offered to pour her a drink. And yet she ordered him around like he was common. Like he was the help. Was she so insufferable that she wished to take even his status away from him? As if she hadn't already taken his dignity? Finally he seemed to wake his limbs, only to down his second drink like the liquor would chase away the taste of how she was treating him. Then he busied himself with fixing her drink and pouring himself another.

”Why am I here? You invited me in just now. Remember?”

Why had he ever expected a woman so stubborn to provide him with the answers he wanted? Anika continued on, as if she was oblivious to the effect she was having on him. Even going as far as reminding him she was a guest. At the sound of her hand patting the sofa next to her, his grip on his glass tightened. It took every ounce of strength in him not to smash the decanter, the glass, anything he could get his hands on just to settle the tempest that this Gods forsaken woman stirred within him.

"Don't ******** with me Anika. We both know you know what I meant." The comment tumbled out of him as a growl, his composure fracturing further by the second now that they were alone. The alcohol wasn't helping, but getting through this encounter without it simply would have been an impossibility. Too many old feelings were bubbling to the surface. Ten years of scorn that had been left simmering for far too long meant he was ready to boil over at any second. Yet she still provoked him like she was the one with reason to be upset here.

He took a deep breath, as if getting clean air in his lungs would clear his mind. It didn't work. Instead her perfume was clouding his judgement further. "Were you curious then?" He laughed, the sound harsh and hollow. Once upon a time he would have chosen to believe that Anika had something come up entirely out of her control that forced her to end their engagement. Time sitting with his thoughts had morphed that into thinking she had simply become disgusted with him, with the vulnerability he had shown her in his last few increasingly frantic letters. "Come to see what happened to the boy you left behind? Or did something not pan out just right in your pretty little life and you hoped I might take you back? I can only imagine your shock when you learned I was engaged."

Walking her drink over to her, Syena waited until she had begun to take it before placing his free hand onto the backrest to lean down over her. He was ignoring his instincts, the little warning bells going off in his head. This wasn't right or proper. This wasn't what a perfect prince would do. What a perfect heir would do. The only solace he could find as he let his face hover before hers was that at the very least they were in private. The only one who would see him break would be Anika, and she already knew so many intimate truths about him that it was barely worth his time to worry about. Or, it should have been.

"For all of your blustering about almost having a heart, you should remember who it was that reached into my chest and ripped it out." As he spoke, his lips brushed against Anika's with the movement. His voice had grown cold, a gravel in it that he just couldn't shake. How infuriating that all these years later, this damnable woman still had such a grip on him. If she hadn't chased him down like a lovesick puppy everything still could have been fine. Ignoring her had been easier than he thought. But how could that continue when she was in his room, drinking his liquor and sitting on his couch? "You didn't want me."




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
bedroom ☁︎ Anika

 

[love me til death]

.

"Talking."

Syena's immediate tone shift shook Anika to her core as he cursed at her attempt to rebuff his question. It seemed like he was doing everything in his power not to punch a hole in a wall but Anika wanted to see him lose control. She couldn't let go and run just because she was slightly scared by his demeanor towards her, he really wanted to hurt her he wouldn't have invited her into his room? He had to have a reason for getting this upset, especially when he was the one that had abruptly called off their engagement after leaving her letterless for months.

It was hard to see reason though when whole face seemed to be nothing but disgusted by her presence. Anika still couldn't understand why he had invited her in, everything about her seemed to upset him. If he had planned to kill her, bringing her to his room was an idiotic decision. The duchess thought he was smarter than that, but this interaction was proving her wrong in more ways than one so who was she to know.

"Were you curious then?"

Anika was taken aback by his laugh. Did he think it was funny to play with her feelings like this? The duchess felt embarrassed she had thought she was anything more than a toy to him. He had even said that she was just someone to sit pretty on the throne but she still felt like he was lying when he said it. She realized now that this was nothing more than a sick dream of hers for him to be wanting her. She couldn't explain why she still wanted him at this point as he continued to berate their entire relationship.

Where did he get off saying that she left him behind? She was the one that was so coldly left, after she had bared her saddest thoughts to him. Things she was now too proud to say. Where the hell did he get off thinking he was the victim? He was the one now flaunting his engagement in her face. He was the villain no matter now much he wanted to whine and cry about it. Clearly the past years had a terrible toll on him, leaving him nothing but bitter. She couldn't entirely blame him after meeting his air-headed fiancé, she knew conversations between the two were surely skin deep. But still, he didn't have to take his failed engagement out on her.

She took the drink from his hand, downing it immediately. She needed more than alcohol to get through this conversation but was sure that Syena lacked the drugs or the balls to give her what she really wanted. His face was so close to hers, she could smell the fresh alcohol on his breath. It seemed like that was the only thing the two seemed to have in common in this conversation. She felt her whole body shiver in anticipation as waited for what lies he was going to say next.

"For all of your blustering about almost having a heart, you should remember who it was that reached into my chest and ripped it out."

Now that his lips were brushing against hers as he spoke it was hard to believe he was lying. But how was that possible? It wasn't. His cold, seemingly frustrated voice was just a disguise to make it seem even more like he was the victim but Anika was wiser than that to be gaslit in this day and age. She didn't need this. She didn't need him. She was leaving. She let her glass go on the couch and prepared to make her escape when she heard,

"You didn't want me"

She stopped all plans of escape. "Excuse me? she felt her breath get hot as her lips nearly touched his as they spoke. Attacking her character was sure fire way of pissing her off, no matter how much she wanted to him to close the gap between them. He was wrong in more than one. "I didn't want you?" She resisted the urge to laugh but instead looked up at him intensely, a sick smile on her face.

Didn't earlier call her a stalker? She couldn't understand his games. She had thrown herself at him less than an hour ago and he was the one to rebuff her. Where did he get off? "You're right. You disgust me. Looking at you reminds me of the naive girl I once was. The girl still waiting for your letter. The one waiting at the door. The idiot that ever thought you cared." she growled, feeling her body get hotter and hotter. She couldn't handle it anymore. The gap between the two needed to be closed. "I hate you." she hissed, inching her body closer and pressing her lips against his again. The smell of liquor and oak filling her lungs, intoxicated by the feeling she needed more. She needed him.


OOC:
Wearing: If looks could kill
Thoughts: The only thing I hate more than a**holes and liars is myself
Location: Syena's Room
With: Syena, the real one  

[Kumako Shock]

"Excuse me? I didn't want you?" The sick grin that spread across her face was enough to tell him that he was right. She hadn't wanted him and now that everything wasn't going her way she was back to try to stake her claim on what was no longer hers. Meeting her comment with a scoff, Syena let her continue. "You're right. You disgust me. Looking at you reminds me of the naive girl I once was. The girl still waiting for your letter. The one waiting at the door. The idiot that ever thought you cared."

Something in what she was saying didn't quite add up, but his thoughts were starting to become muddled. How was she waiting for letters when he sent so many? Or was she waiting for the letter with the words she was hoping to hear instead of his desperate, scared ones? That must have been what she meant. He'd kept writing her a letter a week for months after he received her last letter. Clearly she was justifying herself.

"I hate you."

Ah. There is was. The words were like a knife to the gut, and he hated that Anika had this effect on him. She'd wrestled his control away from him more than fifteen years ago. Trying to get it back was proving impossible. Not with how passionate and argumentative she'd become. Almost like she knew what she was doing to him, she pressed their lips together again to twist the knife further in. Even worse, he fell for it.

If ever asked, he would blame it on the alcohol. Syena's better judgement was on break for the afternoon, apparently. That must have been why he pressed into the second kiss she'd leveled on him today, bringing his free hand up to thread roughly into the hair at the nape of her neck to pull her into him. It was a poor choice to put his cards on the table like this, but he wasn't ready for this to end. Instead he pulling her up into his arms, straightening his back so that she wasn't bent at such an odd angle as he forced her to stand.

Gods she tasted like the liquor he'd given her and spice. It was enough to make his head spin. Catching her lip with his teeth, he bit down so she would give him access to her mouth. More. He needed more. Anika had been his once, and it was becoming easier to remember that he'd never wanted her to stop being his as their mouths moved together. The hand that wasn't cupping her head slipped around her waist so that he could turn their bodies around.

Breaking their kiss left him panting, searching her face to see if she was as affected as he felt. It was like every teenage dream he'd had about her had twisted to come true in the worst possible way. Finally, a laugh rumbled in his chest as he slumped down onto the sofa where she had been sitting without breaking eye contact with her. The hand behind her neck slipped out of her hair and down her arm as he sat, only for Syena to pull her palm to his mouth as he spoke. "Well then Anika," he paused, pressing his lips into the center of her palm and speaking into it. "Come and show me how much you hate me." A wicked grin spread over his face as he bit into the tender flesh at the base of her palm.




▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
bedroom ☁︎ Anika