[indent][indent][indent] [table] [row] [sup][h3][b][color=2e2c2c] ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ [right]▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[/right][/color] [/b][/h3][/sup] [/row][row] [cell][color=2e2c2c]______________________________________[/color] [right] [img]https://i.imgur.com/vz3gTHR.png[/img] [/right] [/cell][cell] [color=2e2c2c]__________________________________________________[/color] [color=2e2c2c]__________________________________________________[/color] [sup][h2][center] [color=black][sub]L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N[/sub][/color] [color=95AA71][sub]L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N[/sub][/color][center][sub][sub][url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ef/ce/1f/efce1f7be01b2bd5bf69ab5354597457.jpg][i][sub]♖ o u t f i t ♖[/sub][/i][/url] [/sub][/sub] [/center] [/center] [/h2][/sup] [center][color=gray][sub]-- M A R E K ' S A F T E R P A R T Y --[/sub][/color][/center] [center][color=gray][sub][sub]I N T E R A C T I O N S :[/sub][/sub][/color][/center] [center][color=gray][sub][sub]M E N T I O N S :[/sub][/sub][/color][/center] [/cell] [/row] [/table] [/indent][/indent][/indent] [indent][indent][indent][indent][indent] [img]https://i.imgur.com/eHHlypM.png[/img] [/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] [indent][color=gray] [I]Zarai began to sneak out of her room at night when she was twelve. She'd stay within the estate borders and often wonder about her home's large empty halls. Her bare feet silent against the wooden floors like a ghost roaming the halls. She enjoyed the quiet and stillness of the halls during the night. There was something peaceful about it, being the only one awake at this hour. Like it was just her existing. Alone. It wouldn't take long for her to find her feet carrying her out to the pond in the gardens. Despite Puerto Vira's warmer weather, the air remained cold and harsh during the night much like the rest of Varian. [/i] [color=202020][sub]"Should we wake her? She's burning."[/sub][/color] [I]Tonight was colder than usual. The fireplace in her room had been fed enough wood to keep her room warm and toasty throughout the night and her maid had aired out a few furs for her that morning. She'd seen frost forming on the edges of her room's window before she snuck out wearing only her nightgown. She didn't understand why she had chosen tonight to sneak out, she could have very well stayed in bed sleeping under a bear's fur instead of being greeted by the biting wind when she stepped outside. [/i] [right][color=282828][sub]"Duh, you idiot! But you do it, she's all covered in— of fuck she stinks."[/sub][/color][/right] [I]She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, fingers digging into the thin fabric of her nightgown as she approached the pond. With only the light from the full moon illuminating her surroundings, Zarai stared down at her reflection. Blue eyes, blonde hair, narrow nose, and full lips. The spitting image of her mother. People would always compliment her resemblance to her mother, telling the twelve-year-old that she'd grow up one day and be just like her. [/i] [color=303030][sub]"Oh gods, it's in her hair too."[/sub][/color] [I]Zarai had been happy to hear those words. Her mother was the most beautiful and kindest person she'd ever met and if Zarai would one day grow up to be like her it would be like a dream come true. And yet, why did her mother always look at her with a glint in her eyes and empty smiles? She had convinced herself that it was her imagination, and would feel guilty after imagining such things about her mother. The glares, the comments, and the harsh criticism all of it was in her head. Her mother loved her, Zarai was sure, in her own unique way. [/i] [right][color=383838][sub]"Is... is she crying?"[/sub][/color][/right] [I]Her cheeks felt wet and cold, and her vision blurred with the tears now free-falling to the dirt underneath her. She didn't try to stop them. She let her arms fall to her sides and her shoulders relaxed before letting out a sob. It felt freeing to let go and finally let herself cry without fear of upsetting her father. She didn't have to be perfect right now, she could just cry and let it out. Let everything be swallowed up by the cold winds and the dark of night.[/i] [right][color=404040][sub]"Yeah, maybe a dream? What ever it is we should wake her up. Party won't last all night."[/sub][/color][/right] [I]A branch snapped behind her. Zarai wiped back afraid to have finally been discovered but only turned to see one of the cats running past the bushes. She returned her attention to the still water before her only to see her reflection extending a hand to her. Zarai didn't jump back nor did she make a sound, she only stared at the hand. [/i] [color=404040][sub]"Okay, uh... Luz right? She said that was her name. Luz? Wake up!"[/sub][/color] [I]Her reflection called but its mouth didn't move. The voice was muffled like they were speaking from another room but it was clear enough to recognize what it was saying. Wake up? Zarai's brows furrowed, she was awake.[/i] [right][color=484848][sub]"Luz? Can you hear us? Wake up!"[/sub][/color][/right] [I]She looked around trying to find the source but it seemed like it was coming from all around her. It was clearer now and louder than before. She opened her mouth to ask who it was that was messing with her. Demand that they stop their little prank and go away but no noise came from her lips. [/i] [color=505050][sub]"Hey, lady, can you hear us? Hellooooo?"[/sub][/color] [I]The reflection. Zarai looked at it again but now it was back to normal mimicking her movements again like it should but the voice didn't go away. She knelt by the pond, her hand hovering over the still waters. [/i] [right][color=585858][sub]"Hold on, I got an idea."[/sub][/color][/right] [I]Her reflection moved with no warning, its hand wrapping around her wrist before pulling her down into the freezing water. Zarai gasped trying to pull back but a force continued to pull her further down into the depths of the pond. She cried and screamed but the only sound she could hear now was herself being drowned. [/i] Zarai gasped loudly when cold water hit her face. She opened her eyes to be greeted by two blurry figures standing over her surrounded by colorful lights. [color=95AA71][i]It was a dream...[/i][/color] She groaned, cursing under her breath at the lights as if they had offended her, and closed her eyes again. She wanted to go back to the pond. To the cold water and the muffled world that had surrounded her. It was numb at least. Here, everything hurt. It hurt to breathe or move, it hurt to hear and it hurt to exist. Above her, one of the figures sighed loud enough for Zarai to hear. [color=silver]"See? She's not dead, and it looks like she is not a half-wit. I think. Happy?"[/color] [color=silver]"Not really. She's in a bad shape."[/color] [color=silver]"No shit. She fought a guy twice her size and then passed out in her own— don't even want to think about it again. It was nasty."[/color] [color=95AA71]"Shut up... Please."[/color] Her voice was low, but she could sense that the two people heard her well enough. There was a "tch" from one and the other didn't say anything but soon enough she was left alone. When she realized that, Zarai opened her eyes once more to see herself laying on a few chairs pushed together. One of her hands rested on her stomach while the other hung on her side, knuckles gracing the dirty floor below her. She tried to remember why and how her poor decision-making wound her up here beat up like some , and smelling like one too. Fists, insults, choking, they all came in flashes only lasting milliseconds as the memories of the ring rushed back into her head. She winced in pain at both the memories and the sharp pain that shot up when she moved. [color=95AA71]"Fuck."[/color] Her fingers moved up to her face, fingers lightly touching the now swelling split lip then up to her right eye where she could tell her vision was going blurry. Her face would be swollen for the next two or three weeks. Questions would be asked by some and her mother—her mother was going to kill her. Zarai would rather stay here for the rest of her life than go back to the guest house and face her. The mere thought of it sent chills throughout her body. [color=95AA71]"Agh!"[/color] She protested when something sharp twisted in her stomach. It only lasted seconds but she was left gasping quietly for air while she tried to relax her body but it hurt to even do that. She turned her face to the side when she heard some poor bastard crying, she recognized him from the trip here. One of the Sultan's kids, and next to him was Anastasia. Something about seeing them in a similar state made her feel like she wasn't alone in her suffering. But it was too painful to look again and the chills were starting to make her body tremble. Her best option now was to lie and suffer quietly, bearing herself for the sharp pains and twists in her body that wouldn't allow her to back to sleep. [/color][/indent]