Post by carcinoGeneticist on Oct 15, 2010 0:06:30 GMT -5
Words: 3921
Characters: Aimili, Jakodi, mentions of Aimili's family
Warnings: REALLY EFFING DEPRESSING. Swearing, gritty sexuality (non-explicit, since that isn't the main point), violence, and just... Man, this made me sad to write.
Aimili was not adjusting well to her new life.
It turned out that Card society wasn't all she had initially thought it would be. There was more choice, sure, more potential for self-expression. But there was more than that, too. There was a sense of separation from the rest of the world. In a Warren, even one that was separate from her parents, there was a sense of kinship amongst the Rabbits. Beyond that, everyone knew their place. There just wasn't a question of what their responsibilities within the Warren were.
In the Capital City, however, there were almost too many options. Where to live, how to live, and as many professions as there were shapes of people.
It was too much for the ex-Rabbit to take in, and she found herself in a rapidly-growing downward spiral that she wasn't sure how she could pull herself out of. Nothing seemed easy. She had no money. No one in the city knew her, and it turned out that was extremely important when it came to finding a job. The other problem was that without a home, she had no reliable way of keeping herself clean, which meant she was a dirty mess. That meant that she didn't exactly make the best first impression whenever she stepped into a business to find a job. No job meant nowhere to live, and the cycle continued. In the backalleys of the Capital, on the outskirts of the Outer Bazaar, Aimili scraped together the most meager of lives for herself.
She just had to keep telling herself that this was better than the alternative. At least here, she had the potential to rise above the expectations of the rest of the world.
What no one had told her, though, was how hard that would be.
Perhaps that was why when the strange bipedal Heron had called out to her, she'd listened. He was of a higher rank than her, with a higher form, and even if he had the slightly rugged look of one who called the darker areas of town his home, he had a certain aura about him that drew her in. She'd been able to recognize Highland in his feathers, but the rest was a mystery - a rich golden base, with strange curling markings that reminded her almost of the wheat tucked behind her ear. He'd looked at her with pity in his eyes and kindness in his voice and taken her into his home. There had been food, conversation in which he told her that he couldn't abandon another Highland mix out in the streets. He had called her beautiful, given her access to his bathtub.
When Aimili had washed all the grime out of her coat and stepped back into the sitting room, she'd allowed herself the slightest glance into this man's desires using an ability she rarely considered and almost never used.
Even with her inexperience, she knew in an instant that he wanted her.
So she had given in. Afterwards, laying in an unfamiliar bed with a man who was all but a stranger, her mind started to wander. Maybe Card society wasn't as different as she'd initially believed it to be. After all, here she was, feeling more at-peace than she had in an age, and it was all because of the bipedal gentleman who had taken her under-wing. His shape was different from that of a Jack, but...
Maybe. Just maybe. Aimili could allow herself a little bit of hope as she pushed her nose in against the man's feathery side. His name was Archos, and he wanted to take care of her.
The next few weeks were spent in his home. He was true to his word and cared for her - not of the same level she'd known in her Father's home, of course, but it was miles beyond the care she'd been able to give herself. She had food in her belly and her coat had regained some of its old colors. But there was something else, an undertone of something a little bit darker in the Heron's eye and voice. It didn't matter. He treated her tenderly, whispered in the dark that he loved her. She believed him, because she wanted to, and because she loved him in return.
The tension, though, never faded. She'd done her best to ignore it for a while, but it came to a head when she had returned to the building she now considered home to find Archos and a man she'd never seen before waiting for her in the living room.
Both of them were looking at her expectantly. Once again, Aimili pulled at the magic in the back of her mind and focused it on the Heron she'd come to care for so deeply -- then fought back a gasp. She wanted to refuse, to tell them that they had her all wrong, but...
She couldn't. She knew that sometimes, it was a Doe's responsibility to entertain a visiting Jack. The Hound swallowed back her discomfort and gave the strange man - a rather large and frightening Horse, a jarring mix of colors that she had trouble looking at - her brightest smile. Then, she climbed into his lap and let her mind travel somewhere else while his hands roamed across her body. He left shortly thereafter, and the Heron smiled at her and brushed out her hair and told her that she was wonderful for helping him in this way, and that things would get better, and that he loved her. Again, she believed him wholly.
There was another man there the next morning, and the one following that. Her life slipped into a whole new pattern.
More money entered the house, though Aimili didn't initially understand why or how. When she did, though, she put more effort into entertaining the guests. Every time, though, her mind went somewhere else. She wondered where she had gone wrong as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the grunts that filled the room. The Heron never touched her, never looked into her eyes or said sweet things to her. She longed to make him happy, wondering if perhaps she just wasn't working hard enough for his tastes.
It was that fear that kept her from complaining when two or more men would come to her a day, or when the Heron told her that she needed to leave the apartment and find people who would pay for her body without his assistance.
All the money Aimili made came back to the Heron. She never complained, even when her meals grew more meager. It was still more than she'd had before, and she shouldered her burden without complaint. One night she'd lay beneath the thin blankets in her room, lightly stroking the small dormouse she had found so many months (years?) ago, trying to quiet the sobs that shook her body. It was the only comfort she had, now. It had been months since the Heron had invited her into his room, to sleep curled against his side. She knew it was because she had sullied herself, but... she had done it for him. In all her life, the Hound had never experienced the kind of soul-deep ache that she felt now, a mixture of physical exhaustion, hunger, and absolute despair.
Something had to change.
The next day at breakfast, she approached the Heron, giving him a small smile and a hopeful wag of her tail. He'd looked confused, as if he didn't understand what reason she could possibly have for interrupting him. The look hurt, but she went ahead with her thoughts all the same: She needed money. She knew that she was making money with her body, and it only seemed fair that she should get at least some of it. That way, she would be able to buy herself something to eat while she looked for someone to bring home, and she would have more energy for the rest of the day. Silence descended upon them.
In all her life, Aimili had never experience a beating quite like the one that followed. Afterwards, he sent her out to do her job, not seeming to notice or care that she was bleeding freely and that tears were rolling down her cheeks.
The next day, he had arranged another john for her. This one had stomped on her tail hard enough to break the bone and bit the back of her neck until she'd screamed from the pain of it. Worst of all, he'd seemed to enjoy it more when she did. Aimili nursed her wounds, doing her best to clean them. The Heron had caught her eye that night, looking satisfied.
"They pay more,[/b]" Archos remarked in a casual tone, turning his attention back to his meal. "If they know they can do whatever they want. I suggest you get used to it.[/b]"
The weeks that followed were worse than Aimili had ever imagined, with clients beating her in the day and Archos showing her cold indifference at night. It was while she was licking at a terrible bite on her haunch, blood staining her fur a deep and ugly rust-red, that she realized what she needed to do. She needed to escape.
As luck would have it, the Hound had few belongings. Her mouse clung to her exposed vertebra, chittering softly at her. She put on her sock, tucked the sheaf of wheat behind her ear. It was more alive than she'd felt since that first time with the horse, and she knew she was making the right choice. If she stayed here, she would die, there was no question. She didn't know where to go, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, she would get away from here, and away from him.
Her mind set, she snuck into Archos's room, quietly gathering up a heavy bag of gold before dashing into the night.
With her Club's ability acting in her favor, she travelled throughout the night, walking until she reached the outskirts of the Capital. She would go to her Father's Warren, perhaps, and find Aleah. He would be able to help her, at least for a little while. All she needed to do was to gather up her directional bearings and head for the Highlands. From there, it would be easy enough.
The Horse that had been her first client came upon her while she paused to drink from a relatively clear stream. He had laughed and smiled at her, giving off the easy and relaxed air that she'd noticed so many Diamonds had. It was easy for her to smile back at him, tell him that she was going to find new fortune but that she would be happy to sit with him for a while and talk.
It was almost alarming how easy it was for him to strike out with a hoof as soon as she was close enough, hitting her square in the temple and knocking her out almost instantly.
Pain.
The pain broke, however, giving way to a warm and welcoming darkness. Aimili remembered a childhood, the whisperings of a warm voice that she dimly knew to be her Mother's. It told her she was beautiful, that she would grow up with love and one day make them all proud. It was safe in that darkness, and she wanted to curl up in it and never open her eyes again, but a cold splash jerked her back into the world she'd been so eager to escape. Archos was looking down at her, his face set in an ugly scowl.
A hand closed around her throat, and Aimili pawed weakly against it, whimpering. "Why? Why did you try to run away from me? Don't you understand that you're mine now, you stupid whore?[/b]" The grip on her throat increased, and it quickly became hard to breathe. The canine's struggling increased in earnest, though it did her no good. "Promise me! Promise me that you'll never try such a stupid fucking trick again![/b]"
Spots flashed behind her eyelids when her eyes slipped closed, darkness crept into her vision when they were open. Air. She needed to breathe. Urgently, she tried her best to nod, to tell the man what he wanted to hear.
He dropped her and watched dispassionately as she panted to regain her breath, sides heaving and limbs shaking. "Say it,[/b]"
"I--I promise. I won't run away again.[/b]"
Of course, a simple promise hadn't been enough for the Heron, and he'd known it. He needed another way to keep the Hound secure by his side, and with her Hisstor blood the answer seemed clear. That night, he raped her, and when he was finished he locked the door behind him. With her spirit as broken as it was in that moment, she had no desire to escape, but even if she had - it was a third-floor room and there were bars across the window to keep burglars from breaking in.
Aimili rarely left that room after that night. Archos visited her nightly, and it wasn't long at all before she realized what his plan was. After a week of that treatment, he gruffly informed her that they were going on a little trip, and that if she set one foot out of line he would slit her throat and dump her body in the trash. She believed him, and walked behind him with her head low all the way to a run-down building. There was a Corvie waiting there, one who prodded at her thoughtfully, then drew a syringe of her blood and disappeared into a back room.
While they waited for the Corvie's return, she gave the Heron a sidelong glance. Archos looked... happy, for once, and that frightened the Hound. He caught her glance and gave her a broad smile, full of malice. "Don't you see, Mili? We're going to be a family.[/b]" The doctor stepped back into the room a moment later, shrugging.
Negative. In Aimili's mind, she had dodged a bullet, but she knew this was far from over. Archos was not best pleased by the news, and that night there was another beating. His attempts at creating a "family" with her began with a new vigor by night, and by day she was locked into the room. One day, she heard a female voice coming from the rest of the house, sounding as happy and as hopeful as Aimili herself must have been at one point. She wanted to scream for the girl to run, to get out before it was too late, but she knew it wouldn't do any good.
A month later, her bleeding failed to arrive. Archos noticed, and another trip to the dingy clinic was arranged.
This time, the Heron had the news he wanted.
On the walk home, Aimili's mind raced. Pregnant. It couldn't be true, but she knew at once there was no reason to believe it couldn't not be so. The bastard had used her almost nightly, with none of the potions she had taken while she had whored herself out to the streets following the act. Part of her mind whispered that things would be better if she could give Archos a child. She would be loved again, and she would have children to love in return. Even if she couldn't forgive the Heron, he would be their father, and that had to count for something, right?
...Right?
Abruptly, the Hound dug in her heels, her ears pulling back. Archos noticed a moment later that she was no longer following and turned to look at her, one brow quirked questioningly. His posture was threatening, and part of her mind screamed at her to back down.
Now, though, she was no longer just fighting for herself.
She had to consider her children's lives, too. Even if she hated their father, she had to be the best mother to them that she could. If that meant she would die here to save them from the torture of a life with the cruel Heron, then it was a path she would willingly take.
"No. No. I won't go with you.[/b]"
Aimili was surprised at how strong her own voice sounded, and her posture straightened slightly. She wasn't a powerless Leveret anymore, and even if this man had a higher rank than she did, she had more tricks up her sleeve than he might have been able to anticipate. "...Excuse me?[/b]"
There was a sharpness in his tone that made her want to cringe, but she held her ground. "You heard me. I won't go.[/b]"
His spell hit her like a herd of Ace Buffalo, knocking the wind from her and sending her sprawling. His Spade ability made him fast, far faster than she had expected, and in a flash he was pinning her to the ground. Instinct flared in the canine, and she activated another spell in her mind. She knew it had been successful when she felt his left hand's grip weaken significantly, and she used the movement to attempt to pull away.
It didn't do her a lot of good. Another sharp blow descended on her face, scaled knuckles cracking her square in the temple and making stars explode behind her eyelids. A cry escaped her, but to her ears it sounded wrong, as if it had come from somewhere else. She needed to make him angry, so angry that he would kill her and set her free from the horrible prison that had once been her life. "You stupid little bitch!![/b]" He screamed, voice cracking from his rage and rising in pitch. He gripped one of her bone fingers, twisting it hard, and Aimili yelped desperately. Twist. Pop. The digit came free in his hand and the Hound's head spun. "I should kill you for this! I took you off the streets, gave you a home! I --[/b]"
There was a flash of white, and the weight was lifted from her body. It took a moment for Aimili to raise her head, but when she did, the sight in front of her eyes made her gasp.
No. It couldn't be. But there was no mistaking the writhing tails she could see between the flashes of wing and leg. Her attention was pulled away as she scrambled to regain her footing, and she struggled with a new internal battle. Should she run? It seemed wrong to leave her personal hero alone like this, but it also wouldn't do to be recaptured after all of this. Head still spinning, the Hound started to move down the alleyway, heading for a street she knew would be busy at this time of day.
There was a sharp yelp from behind her -- from the other canine, she assumed -- a heavy and wet sounding thud - and then silence, punctuated with the occasional oddly wheezing breath.
Aimili paused, turned back.
Kory was moving away from the crumpled pile of feathers, shaking himself off in an oddly hop-skipping motion that was just as awkward as the movements she'd remembered him having. She'd never imagined she could feel so happy to see the awkward canine, but here she was, her heart feeling more full than it had in... A very long time. Slowly, cautiously, she took a step back towards the other Highlander, her head held low.
"Kory?[/b]" She whispered, licking her lips and swallowing. She glanced behind him, eyes falling on the mound of feathers. There was no motion at all. "Kory, you... You saved me.[/b]"
When he saw her getting close, he blinked, smiled that bright smile of his, and wagged all of his tails. And most of his lower body. "Miiiiillliiiiii! I thought that was yooooou. Are you okay?[/b]" He trotted over to her side, brows furrowing when he noticed the missing digit on her hand. Lightly, he pressed his nose against the stump and licking it softly. "Awwwww!! He took your finger! Does it huurt?[/b]"
It didn't. But thinking about the hurt in combination with the near-stranger's incredible kindness brought it all back, and the Hound's body started to shake. Then the tears came. "I-It's okay, b-but I... Oh, S-Suits...[/b]"
The hug was not expected. Nor was the warmth she felt in the strange Highlander's arms. It made her sob harder, and she clung to the man who had filled her belly so long ago, clung to him like he was a life raft and she was drowning. "Awwwwwww, Miliii! It's okaaay now, I promiiise! Come ooon, you should come with me, okaaaay?[/b]"
There was a time when the thought would have scared her, a time when the strange Canine's intentions had frightened her beyond belief. Now she knew that there was nothing he could do to really hurt her, and when she peeked into his desires, she saw only the need to help. She buried her nose against his shoulder and sucked in a deep breath, still trembling.
Then, she nodded.
Archos... She didn't know if Kory had killed him or only knocked him out, and she didn't want to know. She stood slowly, her legs shaking, but Kory was right there beside her to help her up, bumping his side against hers and giving her an encouraging smile. "Oh!! Right, do me a favor, okaaaay? Call me Jaaaak.[/b]"
"Jak?[/b]" It was different from the form of the word she'd known before, but... It felt... Right. "T-thank you... Jak.[/b]" He whooped and laughed and smiled at that, jumping around her in a happy circle before leading her down the winding roads of the Capital, far away from the parts she'd known during her life trapped with Archos.
Her life had changed on that day, and things were never going to go back to the way they'd been for the last two years. Maybe Ko -- no, Jak -- was just going to help her get back on her feet, but now she had the drive to really live. Aimili had been given a second chance, and she was going to be a mother.
Maybe now that simple fact could bring her some joy.
Characters: Aimili, Jakodi, mentions of Aimili's family
Warnings: REALLY EFFING DEPRESSING. Swearing, gritty sexuality (non-explicit, since that isn't the main point), violence, and just... Man, this made me sad to write.
Aimili was not adjusting well to her new life.
It turned out that Card society wasn't all she had initially thought it would be. There was more choice, sure, more potential for self-expression. But there was more than that, too. There was a sense of separation from the rest of the world. In a Warren, even one that was separate from her parents, there was a sense of kinship amongst the Rabbits. Beyond that, everyone knew their place. There just wasn't a question of what their responsibilities within the Warren were.
In the Capital City, however, there were almost too many options. Where to live, how to live, and as many professions as there were shapes of people.
It was too much for the ex-Rabbit to take in, and she found herself in a rapidly-growing downward spiral that she wasn't sure how she could pull herself out of. Nothing seemed easy. She had no money. No one in the city knew her, and it turned out that was extremely important when it came to finding a job. The other problem was that without a home, she had no reliable way of keeping herself clean, which meant she was a dirty mess. That meant that she didn't exactly make the best first impression whenever she stepped into a business to find a job. No job meant nowhere to live, and the cycle continued. In the backalleys of the Capital, on the outskirts of the Outer Bazaar, Aimili scraped together the most meager of lives for herself.
She just had to keep telling herself that this was better than the alternative. At least here, she had the potential to rise above the expectations of the rest of the world.
What no one had told her, though, was how hard that would be.
Perhaps that was why when the strange bipedal Heron had called out to her, she'd listened. He was of a higher rank than her, with a higher form, and even if he had the slightly rugged look of one who called the darker areas of town his home, he had a certain aura about him that drew her in. She'd been able to recognize Highland in his feathers, but the rest was a mystery - a rich golden base, with strange curling markings that reminded her almost of the wheat tucked behind her ear. He'd looked at her with pity in his eyes and kindness in his voice and taken her into his home. There had been food, conversation in which he told her that he couldn't abandon another Highland mix out in the streets. He had called her beautiful, given her access to his bathtub.
When Aimili had washed all the grime out of her coat and stepped back into the sitting room, she'd allowed herself the slightest glance into this man's desires using an ability she rarely considered and almost never used.
Even with her inexperience, she knew in an instant that he wanted her.
So she had given in. Afterwards, laying in an unfamiliar bed with a man who was all but a stranger, her mind started to wander. Maybe Card society wasn't as different as she'd initially believed it to be. After all, here she was, feeling more at-peace than she had in an age, and it was all because of the bipedal gentleman who had taken her under-wing. His shape was different from that of a Jack, but...
Maybe. Just maybe. Aimili could allow herself a little bit of hope as she pushed her nose in against the man's feathery side. His name was Archos, and he wanted to take care of her.
The next few weeks were spent in his home. He was true to his word and cared for her - not of the same level she'd known in her Father's home, of course, but it was miles beyond the care she'd been able to give herself. She had food in her belly and her coat had regained some of its old colors. But there was something else, an undertone of something a little bit darker in the Heron's eye and voice. It didn't matter. He treated her tenderly, whispered in the dark that he loved her. She believed him, because she wanted to, and because she loved him in return.
The tension, though, never faded. She'd done her best to ignore it for a while, but it came to a head when she had returned to the building she now considered home to find Archos and a man she'd never seen before waiting for her in the living room.
Both of them were looking at her expectantly. Once again, Aimili pulled at the magic in the back of her mind and focused it on the Heron she'd come to care for so deeply -- then fought back a gasp. She wanted to refuse, to tell them that they had her all wrong, but...
She couldn't. She knew that sometimes, it was a Doe's responsibility to entertain a visiting Jack. The Hound swallowed back her discomfort and gave the strange man - a rather large and frightening Horse, a jarring mix of colors that she had trouble looking at - her brightest smile. Then, she climbed into his lap and let her mind travel somewhere else while his hands roamed across her body. He left shortly thereafter, and the Heron smiled at her and brushed out her hair and told her that she was wonderful for helping him in this way, and that things would get better, and that he loved her. Again, she believed him wholly.
There was another man there the next morning, and the one following that. Her life slipped into a whole new pattern.
More money entered the house, though Aimili didn't initially understand why or how. When she did, though, she put more effort into entertaining the guests. Every time, though, her mind went somewhere else. She wondered where she had gone wrong as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the grunts that filled the room. The Heron never touched her, never looked into her eyes or said sweet things to her. She longed to make him happy, wondering if perhaps she just wasn't working hard enough for his tastes.
It was that fear that kept her from complaining when two or more men would come to her a day, or when the Heron told her that she needed to leave the apartment and find people who would pay for her body without his assistance.
All the money Aimili made came back to the Heron. She never complained, even when her meals grew more meager. It was still more than she'd had before, and she shouldered her burden without complaint. One night she'd lay beneath the thin blankets in her room, lightly stroking the small dormouse she had found so many months (years?) ago, trying to quiet the sobs that shook her body. It was the only comfort she had, now. It had been months since the Heron had invited her into his room, to sleep curled against his side. She knew it was because she had sullied herself, but... she had done it for him. In all her life, the Hound had never experienced the kind of soul-deep ache that she felt now, a mixture of physical exhaustion, hunger, and absolute despair.
Something had to change.
The next day at breakfast, she approached the Heron, giving him a small smile and a hopeful wag of her tail. He'd looked confused, as if he didn't understand what reason she could possibly have for interrupting him. The look hurt, but she went ahead with her thoughts all the same: She needed money. She knew that she was making money with her body, and it only seemed fair that she should get at least some of it. That way, she would be able to buy herself something to eat while she looked for someone to bring home, and she would have more energy for the rest of the day. Silence descended upon them.
In all her life, Aimili had never experience a beating quite like the one that followed. Afterwards, he sent her out to do her job, not seeming to notice or care that she was bleeding freely and that tears were rolling down her cheeks.
The next day, he had arranged another john for her. This one had stomped on her tail hard enough to break the bone and bit the back of her neck until she'd screamed from the pain of it. Worst of all, he'd seemed to enjoy it more when she did. Aimili nursed her wounds, doing her best to clean them. The Heron had caught her eye that night, looking satisfied.
"They pay more,[/b]" Archos remarked in a casual tone, turning his attention back to his meal. "If they know they can do whatever they want. I suggest you get used to it.[/b]"
The weeks that followed were worse than Aimili had ever imagined, with clients beating her in the day and Archos showing her cold indifference at night. It was while she was licking at a terrible bite on her haunch, blood staining her fur a deep and ugly rust-red, that she realized what she needed to do. She needed to escape.
As luck would have it, the Hound had few belongings. Her mouse clung to her exposed vertebra, chittering softly at her. She put on her sock, tucked the sheaf of wheat behind her ear. It was more alive than she'd felt since that first time with the horse, and she knew she was making the right choice. If she stayed here, she would die, there was no question. She didn't know where to go, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, she would get away from here, and away from him.
Her mind set, she snuck into Archos's room, quietly gathering up a heavy bag of gold before dashing into the night.
With her Club's ability acting in her favor, she travelled throughout the night, walking until she reached the outskirts of the Capital. She would go to her Father's Warren, perhaps, and find Aleah. He would be able to help her, at least for a little while. All she needed to do was to gather up her directional bearings and head for the Highlands. From there, it would be easy enough.
The Horse that had been her first client came upon her while she paused to drink from a relatively clear stream. He had laughed and smiled at her, giving off the easy and relaxed air that she'd noticed so many Diamonds had. It was easy for her to smile back at him, tell him that she was going to find new fortune but that she would be happy to sit with him for a while and talk.
It was almost alarming how easy it was for him to strike out with a hoof as soon as she was close enough, hitting her square in the temple and knocking her out almost instantly.
Pain.
The pain broke, however, giving way to a warm and welcoming darkness. Aimili remembered a childhood, the whisperings of a warm voice that she dimly knew to be her Mother's. It told her she was beautiful, that she would grow up with love and one day make them all proud. It was safe in that darkness, and she wanted to curl up in it and never open her eyes again, but a cold splash jerked her back into the world she'd been so eager to escape. Archos was looking down at her, his face set in an ugly scowl.
A hand closed around her throat, and Aimili pawed weakly against it, whimpering. "Why? Why did you try to run away from me? Don't you understand that you're mine now, you stupid whore?[/b]" The grip on her throat increased, and it quickly became hard to breathe. The canine's struggling increased in earnest, though it did her no good. "Promise me! Promise me that you'll never try such a stupid fucking trick again![/b]"
Spots flashed behind her eyelids when her eyes slipped closed, darkness crept into her vision when they were open. Air. She needed to breathe. Urgently, she tried her best to nod, to tell the man what he wanted to hear.
He dropped her and watched dispassionately as she panted to regain her breath, sides heaving and limbs shaking. "Say it,[/b]"
"I--I promise. I won't run away again.[/b]"
Of course, a simple promise hadn't been enough for the Heron, and he'd known it. He needed another way to keep the Hound secure by his side, and with her Hisstor blood the answer seemed clear. That night, he raped her, and when he was finished he locked the door behind him. With her spirit as broken as it was in that moment, she had no desire to escape, but even if she had - it was a third-floor room and there were bars across the window to keep burglars from breaking in.
Aimili rarely left that room after that night. Archos visited her nightly, and it wasn't long at all before she realized what his plan was. After a week of that treatment, he gruffly informed her that they were going on a little trip, and that if she set one foot out of line he would slit her throat and dump her body in the trash. She believed him, and walked behind him with her head low all the way to a run-down building. There was a Corvie waiting there, one who prodded at her thoughtfully, then drew a syringe of her blood and disappeared into a back room.
While they waited for the Corvie's return, she gave the Heron a sidelong glance. Archos looked... happy, for once, and that frightened the Hound. He caught her glance and gave her a broad smile, full of malice. "Don't you see, Mili? We're going to be a family.[/b]" The doctor stepped back into the room a moment later, shrugging.
Negative. In Aimili's mind, she had dodged a bullet, but she knew this was far from over. Archos was not best pleased by the news, and that night there was another beating. His attempts at creating a "family" with her began with a new vigor by night, and by day she was locked into the room. One day, she heard a female voice coming from the rest of the house, sounding as happy and as hopeful as Aimili herself must have been at one point. She wanted to scream for the girl to run, to get out before it was too late, but she knew it wouldn't do any good.
A month later, her bleeding failed to arrive. Archos noticed, and another trip to the dingy clinic was arranged.
This time, the Heron had the news he wanted.
On the walk home, Aimili's mind raced. Pregnant. It couldn't be true, but she knew at once there was no reason to believe it couldn't not be so. The bastard had used her almost nightly, with none of the potions she had taken while she had whored herself out to the streets following the act. Part of her mind whispered that things would be better if she could give Archos a child. She would be loved again, and she would have children to love in return. Even if she couldn't forgive the Heron, he would be their father, and that had to count for something, right?
...Right?
Abruptly, the Hound dug in her heels, her ears pulling back. Archos noticed a moment later that she was no longer following and turned to look at her, one brow quirked questioningly. His posture was threatening, and part of her mind screamed at her to back down.
Now, though, she was no longer just fighting for herself.
She had to consider her children's lives, too. Even if she hated their father, she had to be the best mother to them that she could. If that meant she would die here to save them from the torture of a life with the cruel Heron, then it was a path she would willingly take.
"No. No. I won't go with you.[/b]"
Aimili was surprised at how strong her own voice sounded, and her posture straightened slightly. She wasn't a powerless Leveret anymore, and even if this man had a higher rank than she did, she had more tricks up her sleeve than he might have been able to anticipate. "...Excuse me?[/b]"
There was a sharpness in his tone that made her want to cringe, but she held her ground. "You heard me. I won't go.[/b]"
His spell hit her like a herd of Ace Buffalo, knocking the wind from her and sending her sprawling. His Spade ability made him fast, far faster than she had expected, and in a flash he was pinning her to the ground. Instinct flared in the canine, and she activated another spell in her mind. She knew it had been successful when she felt his left hand's grip weaken significantly, and she used the movement to attempt to pull away.
It didn't do her a lot of good. Another sharp blow descended on her face, scaled knuckles cracking her square in the temple and making stars explode behind her eyelids. A cry escaped her, but to her ears it sounded wrong, as if it had come from somewhere else. She needed to make him angry, so angry that he would kill her and set her free from the horrible prison that had once been her life. "You stupid little bitch!![/b]" He screamed, voice cracking from his rage and rising in pitch. He gripped one of her bone fingers, twisting it hard, and Aimili yelped desperately. Twist. Pop. The digit came free in his hand and the Hound's head spun. "I should kill you for this! I took you off the streets, gave you a home! I --[/b]"
There was a flash of white, and the weight was lifted from her body. It took a moment for Aimili to raise her head, but when she did, the sight in front of her eyes made her gasp.
No. It couldn't be. But there was no mistaking the writhing tails she could see between the flashes of wing and leg. Her attention was pulled away as she scrambled to regain her footing, and she struggled with a new internal battle. Should she run? It seemed wrong to leave her personal hero alone like this, but it also wouldn't do to be recaptured after all of this. Head still spinning, the Hound started to move down the alleyway, heading for a street she knew would be busy at this time of day.
There was a sharp yelp from behind her -- from the other canine, she assumed -- a heavy and wet sounding thud - and then silence, punctuated with the occasional oddly wheezing breath.
Aimili paused, turned back.
Kory was moving away from the crumpled pile of feathers, shaking himself off in an oddly hop-skipping motion that was just as awkward as the movements she'd remembered him having. She'd never imagined she could feel so happy to see the awkward canine, but here she was, her heart feeling more full than it had in... A very long time. Slowly, cautiously, she took a step back towards the other Highlander, her head held low.
"Kory?[/b]" She whispered, licking her lips and swallowing. She glanced behind him, eyes falling on the mound of feathers. There was no motion at all. "Kory, you... You saved me.[/b]"
When he saw her getting close, he blinked, smiled that bright smile of his, and wagged all of his tails. And most of his lower body. "Miiiiillliiiiii! I thought that was yooooou. Are you okay?[/b]" He trotted over to her side, brows furrowing when he noticed the missing digit on her hand. Lightly, he pressed his nose against the stump and licking it softly. "Awwwww!! He took your finger! Does it huurt?[/b]"
It didn't. But thinking about the hurt in combination with the near-stranger's incredible kindness brought it all back, and the Hound's body started to shake. Then the tears came. "I-It's okay, b-but I... Oh, S-Suits...[/b]"
The hug was not expected. Nor was the warmth she felt in the strange Highlander's arms. It made her sob harder, and she clung to the man who had filled her belly so long ago, clung to him like he was a life raft and she was drowning. "Awwwwwww, Miliii! It's okaaay now, I promiiise! Come ooon, you should come with me, okaaaay?[/b]"
There was a time when the thought would have scared her, a time when the strange Canine's intentions had frightened her beyond belief. Now she knew that there was nothing he could do to really hurt her, and when she peeked into his desires, she saw only the need to help. She buried her nose against his shoulder and sucked in a deep breath, still trembling.
Then, she nodded.
Archos... She didn't know if Kory had killed him or only knocked him out, and she didn't want to know. She stood slowly, her legs shaking, but Kory was right there beside her to help her up, bumping his side against hers and giving her an encouraging smile. "Oh!! Right, do me a favor, okaaaay? Call me Jaaaak.[/b]"
"Jak?[/b]" It was different from the form of the word she'd known before, but... It felt... Right. "T-thank you... Jak.[/b]" He whooped and laughed and smiled at that, jumping around her in a happy circle before leading her down the winding roads of the Capital, far away from the parts she'd known during her life trapped with Archos.
Her life had changed on that day, and things were never going to go back to the way they'd been for the last two years. Maybe Ko -- no, Jak -- was just going to help her get back on her feet, but now she had the drive to really live. Aimili had been given a second chance, and she was going to be a mother.
Maybe now that simple fact could bring her some joy.