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Would you believe that? That maniac was [i]laughing[/i]. But of course! If someone had something to laugh about in this situation, Aïtana would assume it'd be Catarina. Her facial expression slipped into one that clearly read 'you serious?' but would not offer the belief that she'd be phased much by it.

[color=fab900][i]Throw at me what you like.[/i][/color] As much Aïtana had wanted for Catarina to just slap her, scream at her, threaten her with torture and get the cruel waiting phase over with, the woman was smarter than to think she could crack Aïtana with such standard villainous behavior. Instead, Catarina indulged herself in mimicking Aïtana's way of conversation. She stayed calm, slightly amused. She threw jabs at her, called her [i]boring[/i], tried to insult her with meaningless words. Catarina played the game Aïtana had raised between them. She could recognize and respect that. Catarina let Aïtana decide how to go about it, in this moment at least, and gave her that bit of control. She was smart. She showed Aïtana just how helpless her situation was. Not by force and not by threads. By [i]flirtation[/i].

If Catarina wanted to call her [i]darling[/i], so be it. It boiled Aïtana's blood a little but she was far from letting that affect her. The first anger rose and then lifted as she cleared her head. [color=fab900][i]It's just a word and it has no meaning in her mouth. She means to take a rise out of me. She thinks she found something that pokes at me and so she uses it to show her dominance. Pathetic, but fits her style just fine.[/i][/color]

As Catarina walked behind her and touched her scarred cheek, Aïtana's head drove to the side a small [i]fraction[/i]. It was the automatic response of her body. The wall that screamed [b][i]DO NOT TOUCH[/i][/b]. However tiny and miniature her movement had been, she knew immediately that Catarina had noticed it. You didn't go to play such a game of touch to then miss the one reaction you were looking for. Aïtana could scream at herself for that failure. With Catarina's arm around her neck and her chin on her shoulder, it took a lot within Aïtana to not move away as much as possible. She equally waited and feared for that moment that their cheeks would brush and she would be forced to feel Catarina's skin against her scarred one. But the moment didn't come. Instead, Catarina made a show of running her hand over the same spot again. This time Aïtana didn't flinch. But she felt the familiar acid in her stomach crawling up her throat. That swirling sensation inside her belly that made her feel like throwing up.

The world tipped and with a way too soft [i]thud[/i] Aïtana landed with her back to the floor. [color=fab900]"Uff!"[/color] The coalition tensed up her back muscles and she felt how the back of the chair dug into her bones and skin uncomfortably. She would have muscle pain for days after this. [color=fab900][i]The fancy carpet helped.[/i][/color] Her first bitter thought was to spit on the carpet again. But that would make her seem childish and unresourceful. It'd be a little [i]'fuck you'[/i] but nothing more.

So Aïtana looked Catarina into the eyes with apathy as she continued to romance her with words. The assumption on Catarina's part about Aïtana's reading happens amused her but she would not let a stray comment like that reveal any emotions on her face. And she would certainly not counterbalance Catarina to her liking. This weak attempt to gain information on her, however small, would not rouse Aïtana to share a single word.

And what was this bit about books? [color=fab900][i]Way to redirect a conversation.[/i][/color] Was she supposed to be impressed? Did little Catarina want a pet on the head for having a signed edition of some romance novel? [color=fab900][i]How ridiculous.[/i][/color]

Catarina's words finally found their end with a question. One that could've meant to challenge Aïtana. But it was to no avail. [color=fab900]"Is this villain's tactics 101? Is this the beginning of a corruption arc or are you trying to get me to save you - you know, [i]deep deep[/i] inside?"[/color] She let the words sit for a moment, unsure why sarcasm was still her go-to. Catarina would just feast on it. 

[color=fab900]"You and I are alike. We are alike in the sense that we both choose our actions ourselves and are to blame for them. But those actions surely look different. I never called you a monster, Catarina. Monsters are tale-bound mystical creatures that come out after dark. You're just a human. You're responsible for your actions."[/color] If she was looking for a heart-to-heart about the painful mistakes in Aïtana's past, she was bound to wait for eternity.

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