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*musebox

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[The Handmaid had finally achieved her only goal after millenia--she'd finished her job ane been released from her contract, and the Condesce had killed her. She'd thought it would be a relief. She hadn't been expecting an afterlife, but even nothing would have been better than serving Lord English.

Unfortunately, nothing had changed. In fact, she didn't even know she was dead. Her life just replayed over and over and over again, and she still longed for death. She listened to Doc Scratch ramble on about the other ancestors, repeating himself until she had the stories memorized and they became mind numbing. Of course, when she didn't listen carefully enough, or Doc Scratch just thought she wasn't, he would punish her. His favorite trick was teleporting her onto the Condesce's ship until the lack of air made her pass out. Unfortunately, immortality didn't mean that she was immune to the adverse affects of his punishments, just that she couldn't die from them.

Lord English was much less elegant, and much harder to please. If he wanted her unconscious, he would simply slam her against a wall and choke her until her head swam and her lungs screamed and her only thought was of air. He wasn't nearly as picky about leaving marks, either, but after centuries of such treatment, she'd learned that allowing it and fighting back as little as possible often made him relent more quickly.

But the worst was when she was trapped in Doc Scratch's mansion, when Lord English had no use for her at the moment. She would pace, impatient, listening to the little puppet ramble on and on and critique her manners and patronize her endlessly. Unlike in her childhood, she no longer shows her rage so openly--there's no point. But in the mansion, all alone, with Lord English and Doc Scratch both off doing something assuredly stupid, she paces the rooms and daydreams about ripping the entire place apart.]

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[IT IS THAT EASY. In fact he makes a point of not just... changing the setting the way they can here, instead letting them walk quite purposefully through the empty corridors and out the door. As easy as that. His voice is soft, and desperately fond]

You can go anywhere you want now, Coleta. You need only believe it. [Where would you like to be, my dear?]

[Anywhere. Anywhere but here. Actually, her happiest memories all take place on Alternia, with him. She presses against his side as they walk, tightening her grip on his hand. She had no idea it was possible to miss one person so much.]

What do I do?

Think of the place. Believe you are there. It's uh... hard the first, few times, but you can do it.

[Reassuring smile!!! Although it becomes teasing pretty quickly as he remembers]

Uh... maybe you ought, to tell me where it is, also? So that we do not... lose each other again. [Squeezes her hand and the reassuring-ness is back! He is not going to think about how long it's been nor how hard his heart would break if they were separated again. The important thing here is her finally gaining her own freedom]

[She hesitates, leaning against him a bit uncertainly. It's so, so hard to remember, and he'll be disappointed in her if she can't do it, won't she?]

Do you remember that... Field by the river you used to camp in?

[It's vague--she can picture it in her mind, but can't put a name to it.]

[...oh god. He's suddenly reminded of how long ago that was. It's sort of awful to realize he's been dead for that long!!! So yes, it takes him a good long time to think back that far and remember. Once he hooks onto the right memory though, he's pretty sure he knows what she means]

Yes. I think so.

Can we go there?

[She says it with the air of someone not quite believing she'll ever get what she wants.]

Dunno. Can we?

[Teasing!!! It's obvious he believes in her completely and absolutely, but he has also set this out as a challenge. It's important to him that she does this on her own...!]

[She frowns, looking completely uncertain. She has no idea what exactly he means by "wishing", and she doesn't totally believe this will work, anyway. But she tries, picturing the location in her mind and focusing as hard as she can on her longing to be there, to be anywhere but here.]

[...okay. There may be some help from him here. The first time is always the hardest! It had taken him something that felt like sweeps to figure it out, so he... slips his hand out of hers and wraps his arms around her shoulders, holding on as he helps push them away from this... awful place, and into the field she had mentioned]

[Everything falls into place sort of strangely. First there's the trees, then the grass, then the sky. Then the sound of the river filters in, and the night wind starts blowing and the grass gains texture and feel. There is very little doubt this is a dream as everything slowly slowly settles into place]

[For a second she's too distracted by his arms around her to really look at where he's taken them. She's missed him, and having him here again just makes her realize how badly. So she just sort of buries her face in his shoulder for a moment, still not completely convinced that this isn't a hallucination.]

[Well he is... p okay with just standing here and holding her, just... breathing and looking down to her and feeling her there, for real and actually in his arms again. He cannot believe how long he has gone without her, fucking hell. Never again. He's just... vowing that to himself right here and now. Never again]

[Eventually, he does murmur: ]

We're here. [But he won't let her go until she moves to look around]

[She pulls away after a few moments, keeping her arms wrapped around him. And... Oh.

The mansion is gone. And she doesn't care at all if it's a dream, because at least it's not Scratch's terrible mansion. And if he's right, they can't reach her here. Look! There's actually a very slight smile on her face.]

[AAAAAAH that smile is literally the best thing he has seen in forever and he actually can't help but to cup her cheek and pull her into a kiss all of a sudden]

[Jeez, Summoner, give her some time to adjust! No, she is totally okay with this, and kissing him back pretty enthusiastically.]

[Sobs he missed this!!! Slides an arm around her waist, pulling her close again. He does pull out of the kiss before it gets... too far though! He doesn't go very far but he just... he needs to say this hhhhhhggghghkjsf]

I missed you.

[She sighs contentedly, clutching at the back of his shirt and pressing close.]

I missed you, too.

[That seems so inadequate, compared to the way she felt, but she's never been good with words.]

[Guh! He just... loves her... so much??? Having her here makes everything so so much better he just can't even put it into words at all. He just... holds her as close as he can, shivering a little for how... fucking perfect everything is now]

You're safe now... [He'll make sure of that 8'>]

[She nods, nuzzling against his neck and sighing contentedly.]

I know.

[She honestly can't remember the last time she was this happy!]

[Ahhhh it makes his heart swell that she can say that. That she can acknowledge that she is finally safe. Finally free. He hates that they had to die for it to be true, but hey... they have longer here then they ever would have in life]

[He is just sort of overwhelmed with good feelings, and before another moment's passed he leans in and returns to kissing her]

[She relaxes against him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him back. She's starting to think that even if this is a hallucination, she doesn't care.]

[He'd probably be thinking the same thing if it hadn't been for the sweeps upon sweeps of time he'd spent in this... strange little afterlife. He knows this is real. It's all real, and he cannot believe how long it has been or how much he has missed her]

[He slides his hands down low against her hips, feeling the all too familiar texture of her dress as he pulls her even closer. It has been a long damn time...]

[She smiles against his lips, just slightly. It has been a very long time, and she is totally 0kay with this, so she presses flush against him and kisses him just a bit more fiercely.]

[Ah yes sugoi. Lets his hips kinda roll against her just slightly, deepening the kiss even further, nipping sort of playfully at her lips]

[She's starting to blush just a bit, but she tightens her grip on him, half wondering just how long he was sitting there, trying to get her attention. His teeth against her lips makes her heart skip a beat, and her claws dig into his back lightly.]

[This time it hadn't been long. But there had been so many times before, hours he had spent watching and waiting and her never seeing him... He has always been the possessive sort, but after all of that? It is worse now then it has ever been]

[So before too long, he breaks the kiss, leaning back slightly to touch a finger against the top button of her dress]

May I...?