#Charlotte Atteberry

[e-lisard-archive]

Two steps - one step - over the edge

Original post July 15th, 2023 (x)

Near stays still, head bowed, letting miss Charlotte soak him with the wine from her cup. “And do not let me see you again this evening, filthy bastard,” she spits out, turning around sharply to walk away.

His father, sitting just a few steps away, looks on and laughs.

“Yes ma'am,” Near obediently says, slowly standing up from where he’d been kneeling. His body protests, all bruised and battered, but he pushes through it.

“Don’t forget your orders, son.” A sneaky look at his father shows he’s not even looking at Near anymore, more interested in staring at miss Charlotte’s backside as she walks. “Remember the consequences of failure.”

“Yes, father.” Near bows, as graceful as the best of young masters, and leaves.

He ignores the way Lewis hesitantly raises his hand towards him before Blossom pulls it downward, and tries to ignore his thoughts as well.

It would be so easy - but he can’t do it. His mother wouldn’t want him to. He has all the contacts needed, thanks to his father forcing him to do his dirty work - but it would also be risky because what if they tie it back to him and figure out all the other stuff he - no, not the point, he can’t do it. He can’t kill his father, or his father’s wife, or his half-siblings.

+++

Near moves his sword to block, just a bit too late as always, so Blossom can hit him. It’s better this way. If he blocks her - which really isn’t that hard, she is awful with a sword - he’ll get more bruises than he will letting her hit him like this.

“Ha! And you’re supposedly a great hero?” She mocks, a vicious smirk on her face. Like this, she’s nothing like the proper Atteberry heir everyone thinks she is. “Then again, I don’t know what I expected from a bastard like you.”

+++

You know what, Near thinks a few days later, curled up in a ball to shield himself from his father’s kicks, maybe he can. Maybe he can kill his father, his father’s wife, and his half-sister.

[thatwritererinoriordan]

[e-lisard]

Two steps - one step - over the edge

Characters: Near Hallow, Charlotte Atteberry, Adrian Atteberry, Lewis Atteberry, Blossom Atteberry

Story: Second Chance At Life, pre-book

CW: Abuse (physical & verbal)

WC: 357

Near stays still, head bowed, letting miss Charlotte soak him with the wine from her cup. "And do not let me see you again this evening, filthy bastard," she spits out, turning around sharply to walk away.

His father, sitting just a few steps away, looks on and laughs.

"Yes ma'am," Near obediently says, slowly standing up from where he'd been kneeling. His body protests, all bruised and battered, but he pushes through it.

"Don't forget your orders, son." A sneaky look at his father shows he's not even looking at Near anymore, more interested in staring at miss Charlotte's backside as she walks. "Remember the consequences of failure."

"Yes, father." Near bows, as graceful as the best of young masters, and leaves.

He ignores the way Lewis hesitantly raises his hand towards him before Blossom pulls it downward, and tries to ignore his thoughts as well.

It would be so easy - but he can't do it. His mother wouldn't want him to. He has all the contacts needed, thanks to his father forcing him to do his dirty work - but it would also be risky because what if they tie it back to him and figure out all the other stuff he - no, not the point, he can't do it. He can't kill his father, or his father's wife, or his half-siblings.

+++

Near moves his sword to block, just a bit too late as always, so Blossom can hit him. It's better this way. If he blocks her - which really isn't that hard, she is awful with a sword - he'll get more bruises than he will letting her hit him like this.

"Ha! And you're supposedly a great hero?" She mocks, a vicious smirk on her face. Like this, she's nothing like the proper Atteberry heir everyone thinks she is. "Then again, I don't know what I expected from a bastard like you."

+++

You know what, Near thinks a few days later, curled up in a ball to shield himself from his father's kicks, maybe he can. Maybe he can kill his father, his father's wife, and his half-sister.

---

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