#and she didn't just knock the water-soaked wooden set of drawers over

[swan2swan]

Ariel: the Strongest Disney Princess

[a-serial-killer-and-an-eggplant]

The smell of bleach hung over the house, causing his lungs to burn as he finished scrubing the bathroom. He looked into the mirror that hung above the sink and gazed blankly at bruises and bumps in his skin, as if just noticing them. They'd become almost a natural part of him, so much so that he rarely noticed when a new one formed. When he was younger, maybe 7 or 8, he'd try to remember how he got each one. Keep track of which were his parent's doing and which were faults of his own clumsiness. But now it was less than futile.

He blinked and stopped staring, gently squeezing the wet washcloth in his hand, causing tiny soap bubbles and water to coat and rundown his hand. He sighed and washed away the extra soapy water before simply setting the cloth aside with the knowledge he'd probably use it later to scrub himself.

Today was a rather quiet and simple day when it came to the Baker family, although he didn't expect it to stay that way. No, with every inch of his body he believed tonight would be his last night in this dreaded house. And as long as his father slept deeply that night, he'd be fine. 

He went back to his room to change, as his clothes had become soaked in a mix of soapy water and cleaning supplies, making the fabric hug his chest. A feeling he despised to say the least. As he shut his door quietly and pulled off his shirt his hand moved to gently touch a pale burn wound on his chest. His mother's doing. He couldn't remember in perfect detail of why she'd done it, only that it'd been encouraged by her odd and in his opinion, scary friends. A few always claimed he was a demon child for how he looked. They bragged about how the lord had blessed their children with lovely bright eyes and luscious hair that was usually some pale blond.

Markus on the other hand didn't have that. He didn't have pretty eyes, or nice blond hair that layed oh so perfectly and styled nicely for when they went to church. Instead he was stuck as someone seen as nothing more than a creepy demon boy who always looked a mess and could never remember the right words for his prayer in public. 

There were times he believed it to be true, thankfully school was a different place. A worried thought hung in his mind, on whether or not he'd be allowed to go to the same school after he got out. If he did manage of course. As hopeful as he was, there was still doubt. He was fully convinced that doing this was completely risking his life. 

Every inch of him shivered at the thought of what his father would do if he got caught. An almost picture perfect vision of his own body lying mutilated in some ditch under a bridge hung in his mind. If it weren't for that fear he told himself he would've been smart enough, brave enough to tell someone, to get help. 

He sighed and sat down on the floor, digging under his bed for his comfort 'friend'. A rotted cat body named Gerald. It used to be a living cat of course, but it simply couldn't last forever. It must've been atleast 3 years that he'd kept the old thing, keeping it safe from bugs and other things in a box under his bed. He stroked the matted old furr comfortingly for a while until he heard his father home again. He tucked the cat away again and climbed quietly into bed, pulling the covers over his head with just a tiny space to watch his door through. 

For a while it was silence, minutes passed by like hours and the sun quickly fell from the winter sky. He shivered under his blanket before carefully climbing out from beneath it. He watched the floor, keeping mental note of where the floor tended to creak. He cracked open the door and peaked out, listening to the silence still, sighing with soft relief as he left his room. 

He snuck down the hall and into the kitchen, his bare feet padding softly against the floor. It felt like ice but he didn't want to risk going back for socks. He grabbed the receiver off the counter and started dialing, looking around the kitchen before focusing on the phone. As a woman answered the phone he felt his voice start to shake with worry. What if he wasn't loud enough? Or too loud? What if she didn't believe him? 

"Hello? Is someone there?" The woman repeated this twice before he managed to get a word out.

"I-I, m-my name is m-markus baker a-and, I n-need help," he whimpered. She seemed sympathetic and her voice further softened. 

"Alright, can you tell me what kind of help you need Markus?" 

"I- my dad- he- he hurts me, a-alot and I need help..." 

"Right, where do you live? we can send officers over to help." He nodded and told her his address. "Can you stay on the line Markus?" 

"I-I think so..." he decided after a moment before hearing footsteps down the hall. He panicked and squeezed the receiver tightly, hopping his dad hadn't noticed he was up. Sadly that hope was quickly fleeting as a rage filled shout filled the kitchen.

"What the fucking hell do you think you're doing?!" Markus yelped softly, and felt his eyes begin to water as he dropped the receiver. 

"I-I- I wasn't-" he squeaked before the back of his fathers hand smacked hard against his cheek. 

"I feed you, raise you, clothe you, and this is how you repay me?" He shoved him against the kitchen counter onto the floor. "I'm sick of this behavior, of this utter bullshit!" He ripped open a kitchen drawer and grabbed a steak knife. Markus tried to scramble away but his father held his hair near to the scalp, holding his head firmly in place. He stabbed the blade firmly through his left hand, driving it into the wooden counter through it. He laughed sickly as he watched his son's hand bleed. "Caught red handed, for the last damn time." 

His attention was temporarily drawn to the still hanging receiver as he let go of Markus' hair, hanging up the line as he ripped the blade out again, making him sob harder. 

A loud pounding hit against the front door, startling them both. The knocking continued, policemen announcing themselves as they banged on the door. He gripped the knife tightly as it burst open. Almost instantly guns were drawn by two officers while a third officer motioned Markus over.

He was hesitant, but as he watched his father stand motionless at gun point, he ran over in a heartbeat, clutching his hand tightly, tears still stinging his cheeks. The officer looked over his injury cautiously before leading him out to get medical help. 

He glanced back through the door as his father was cuffed. He was glaring, much colder and more hatefilled than he ever had before. It all left his emotions in a blur. Adrenalin, fear, relief, everything was mixed together until he didn't know what to feel.

"Hey," he looked back at the officer, who smiled comfortingly. "You'll be okay now kid," he nodded slightly as he helped him into the police car. "Try to stay awame hntil we get you to the hospital okay?" 

"Y-yes sir...: he nodded quietly, holding his hand tightly against his chest. It burned more than he'd ever felt before, but he tried to assure himself that it would get better. And under his breath he began to mutter to himself. 

"I'm going to be okay"

[wrathfulspark]

@xreznikovx

As Elidi turned in her arms Tamryn stopped short in order to not knock them both off balance. Her eyes scanned over the witch’s face fondly as she spoke, lingering upon her lips as she said the words be alone though her gaze was lifted to meet her partner’s gaze when she felt Elidi’s hand cup her cheek. While making eye contact she leaned her head into her lover’s palm affectionately yet the look on her face turned to stern when the witch spoke of no longer wanting to tell her for not wanting to ruin the moment. The she wolf gave her a look and leaned her head back some as she arched a brow,

“You think of it as ruining moments, I call it deepening them. If what I told you could not ruin that moment, then I don’t think anything will ruin this one. However you can be selfish for as long as you want with me, I am patient when it comes to you. Specially in this moment.”

Feeling Elidi rest her forehead against her own the Alpha tightened her hold to bring them closer together. Her eyes intently focused on the witch’s face as she lingered in the moment with her for as long as was needed. Remaining silent she watched with that typical wolf like nature about herself as she let Elidi break the embrace and lead her onward. She kept her focus on the woman who held her affections entirely the fact she was willingly letting Elidi lead her by the hand was a sign the dominant Alpha placed the witch above most others. She rarely let someone take any sort of lead over her, yet with Elidi she was more than willing to trailed along through the night.

 Being pulled from her thoughts of how Elidi looked leading her by the hand the wolf met her partner’s gaze and furrowed her brow upon hearing the quick spoken apology. Before she could react or question she was pulled in and transported elsewhere.

 Once the reached the location Tamryn’s normally regal stance faltered as she felt the alcohol and the teleportation spell clash with one another in her being. Once she gained her barrings and realized the familiar scent of Elidi’s home the she wolf regained what composure she could though she was feeling the bottle she drank a lot harder now. Following in step with the witch Tamryn slumped back onto the swing with her, her yellow hues glowing in the darkness as she lost the ability to control that aspect upon the disorienting feeling of the spell mixed with her own intoxication. She turned her torso to face Elidi on the swing before she shook her head somewhat,

 “No, it was fine, and its charming that you felt that place was not up to my standards. I prefer this setting in honesty, It smells like you and the things you like which is far more appealing than the scents that bar and its outside area accumulated.”

As the gazed at one another the she wolf let out an affection whine before moving closer to the dark haired woman by her side. She remained focused on Elidi as she sat back and began to speak, as the witch spoke of her past Tamryn could picture her in her rookie years, a fond smirk formed to her lips as she listened, picturing how cute Elidi probably looked in a uniform though she fully appreciated the way the woman dressed for her line of work now. It was still a tempting thought to have in her silent admiration.

 Her fond smile faded to a serious expression as the story took a darker tone, Tamryn sat upright a bit upon hearing how injured she had gotten, though she didn’t get defensive, she had no right to be in that moment given she didn't even know Elidi then. Still the red head listened with interest and concern upon her defined and drunken features. She kept silent as she usually did when it came to Elidi telling her about her own history. It captivated the she wolf to be told such deep parts of the woman's past, parts she knew were not shared with others given the witch’s personality of not being so forthcoming when it came to her past and herself in general. It was one of the many reasons Tamryn valued their relationship. It brought them both to a levels they shared rarely with anyone else.

When Elidi seemed to reach the end of her story Tamryn took it all in for a moment, just as she was going to speak her hand was lifted to the back of her lover’s neck. Her focused gaze dropped to where her fingertips touched, she remained in her silence until Elidi seemed to turn away upon mentioning that her eyes used to be brown. The  Alpha glared softly at her and tilted her head, again about to interject before she was silenced once more with a kiss. Exhaling softly into the kiss she gripped the sides of Elidi’s face and pulled her deeper into the kiss as if to make a silent statement before letting her pull back to speak, letting  her head fall back against the swing she growled softly in protest,

 “You do not ruin our moment   mon chéri, we are too headstrong for things such as this to ruin any moment we find ourselves in because what we feel is stronger than whatever it is we’ve gone through in the past. I love your eyes as they are now. When they glow and how intensely blue they are naturally. What happened to you is not something to be ashamed of, you were given great power, sometimes with that comes great sacrifices.”

She sat up once more and reached up to brush her thumb fondly over Elidi’s eyebrow scar as she let her eyes scanned over her lover’s face before locking with her gaze affectionately,

“Your scars, all of them are gorgeous to me. They make you the woman you are today and I am extremely in awe of that woman. I always appreciate what you tell me and no one else. I value you Eli, for everything you are and stand for. There is close to nothing you could do or say at this point that would sway my interests or affections for you. Telling me these things only makes me fall deeper into whatever this is we are creating together.”

Soothed by the tender words spoken by Tamryn, the regret departs noticeably from incadescent hues. The corners of her lips rose impassioned by the redhead, adoration reflecting strongly across her features. A light breeze tossled their hair accompanied by the faint smell of rain, a telling sign of her blithesome spirit. Her hand moved to stroke along Tamryn's cheek, digits stroking underneath her chin before softly speaking, "Misericordia, amor? Mi corazón solo puede soportar tanto."

Elidi stood from the wooden bench, her fingers entangled with the alphas as she coarsed her into standing. "I hope it doesn't frighten you when I say, I hope we are creating something everlasting." Temperant lips pressed to the fair skin along Tamryn's temple. "I know we both have skeletons in the closets but you are right. I don't think there is anything you could utter that would sway my feelings at this point. One in the same. I'm relieved to hear the same sentiments from you." Elidi wavered, bright optics searching the other women's gaze, desiring to convey her emotions properly. "With that being said, I am a formidable opponent now, least to those I find reprehensible. Beside all my competency, I will use the best of my judgment to keep us both out of harms way." She raised their intertwined hands to her mouth, pressing a kiss along Tamryns's knuckles. "You have my word, Querida."

Appeased by her own response, Elidi guided Tamryn to the backdoor before leading her in the living room. Warm lights switched on once they entered the witches home, candles dimly lighting. The house seemingly came to life as its owner returned. Once Tamryn took a seat, Elidi excused herself from the alpha, heading into her bedroom.

Alone in her room, the witch approached her dresser, sliding the top drawer open. Inside the chest lies two black boxes atop her folded garments. There isn't a second of hesitation as she reaches to grab them both, switching the lights off as she exits the bedroom.

Faced with the alpha perched upon her couch, a smile stretched across pinkened petals, swayed by the sight of the redhead bathed in the orange glow of the candles. Least she get distracted, Elidi closed the gap between the two women, sitting on her knees adjacent to Tamryn on the couch.

The lid is opened to one of the boxes, grateful she grabbed the correct bracelet as she turns the item over for Tamryn to see. The piece of jewelry is near gold in color, wire wrapped with a single crystal embedded in the center. Underneath the clasp is hidden inside an intricately fashioned rose. "This is your bracelet." Elidi began simply, wetting her lips suddenly nervous with the act, "I've enchanted it with the very best of my abilities, and soaked it in crystal infused waters to seal in my magical properties."

Removing the bracelet from its container she held it openly in her palm. "I've designed it so we may secretly alert one another if we are in danger or not. The feat is unintentional, so if you don't wish me to know your true emotions, I wouldn't adorn it. It will track your heart rate even, knowledgeable of when pain is inflicted upon you, to signal me, and I'll come find you." Her gaze rises from her palm to meet Tamryns, "To inform you, the bracelet will warm up. The hotter it is, the higher the danger or pain is. It should not burn you, if it does I will alter it."

An unsettled blush dusted across her cheeks, hues averting from the redhead. Hopefully Tamryn would be pleased with her gift, an offering to secure their bond even further. Certainly a high amount of effort was placed into creating it, recollections of burning her fingers pass her mind, recalling when she drew the opposite properties of the black cohosh out. Her favorite part in creation had been the infusement, selecting an assortment of crystals and herbs was always exciting, bountiful with the options she owns.

She found herself stammering, causing her skin to redden further, "T-the crystal is Kyanite, a popular stone in protection and I thought it fitting, seeing as the colors seem to reflect our own." She spoke softly now, eyes focused on the gemstone in her hold. A blue stone with flecks of orange mingled amongst the cool color. "Additionally no soul can remove it from your body, that is a power belonging only to you, and if somehow the spell is broken, my own crystal will shatter."

Blushing still, Elidi met Tamryn's gaze, her expression unusually demure. "As long as I'm alive Red, the spell will remain in tact just as well."