[Action, forward dated to after the shadow event]

[sternefacade]

[He was in trouble. He knew it. There was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide, and he could never disobey.

So he waited for her. He waited for her to call, and he waited for her to punish him.]




((OOC: This is for Grace and Brera only. WARNING. This will be... oh god I don't even know. It's going to be intense, there's going to be physical and psychological torture involved, and it's not going to be pretty.))

Comments

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

You don't like that, do you? Letting someone else get close to her like that?

[Oh, that hit a sore spot.]

He can't possibly care about her like you do. Can he?

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He won't answer. But his shoulders are tense now, too, as if he's keeping himself under control very deliberately. Because, of course, that's exactly what he's doing. His eyes flicker up to look at Grace for a brief moment before returning to the floor.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[A rebellion, no matter how small, needed to be squashed. Eliminated before it grew.]

Answer me.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

No, I don't like it.

[His answer is quiet and controlled. He straightens his back, relaxes his shoulders, and looks up at her, deliberately calm.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Don't hide things from me.

[She's calm, always composed, but the way she says that sentence. It's sharp and cold.] I don't want a controlled answer and you know it.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[His eyes narrow.] It's the truth.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

You know how jealousy works, don't you. How it creeps through the system and how your entire being burns.

[She only smiles.] I want you to close your eyes. When you do, Ranka is here, by your side. You only feel her touch but you know it's her.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He hesitates, but an order is an order. His eyes close.

Ordinarily, he's not one to imagine things. But under her orders he can tell Ranka is there, sitting next to him, her hand on his shoulder. Because she is there. He knows she's there.

If some part of him realizes that this is only because Grace ordered it, that part is in the back of his mind, and he has bee forbidden to recognize it.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[Even if he can't see it, her smile only grows. Ranshe...Ranshe would be turning in her grace; if she had been buried, that is.]

You feel her hold you, hear her telling you it's alright. For the moment, she's forgiven you.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[Ranka hugs him, leans her head on his shoulder, and says quietly, "it's okay, Brera-san. I forgive you."

Brera's fist clenches slightly and he ducks his head. He doesn't deserve this.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Even if you don't believe it, it's Ranka. You have to believe it, even if it's not true.

[He twists and turns in reaction to something in his own mind. Incestuous bastard... Oh, well.] Let yourself lean back into her arms, let her hands run through your hair, massage your shoulders... This is the moment you want, isn't it.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[His breath hitches. This... isn't right, somehow. He's not sure why.

It's not that he doesn't like it, but... it's not right.

It's only making him confused.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

She wants you to relax. To enjoy this... For now, it's exactly what you want. You need this.

[Yes... The confusion is predicted; the turmoil. For now, it needs to be eased. So it can be brought up in full force later.]

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He's still so tense. He can't... he doesn't know what he's supposed to do.

But... Ranka wants him to relax.

So he has to try.

Slowly,

slowly,

he begins to relax.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Lay down, she's holding you. [She has walked behind him, laying down a folded up blanket where (if Brera were to lay backwards) his head would be. It's only there to increase the illusion even if all his senses are under her control.]

It's only you two, this is all you want. Her to hold you like this, caressing your hair, your face, your chest. She talks to you, asking you if you like it, if you're alright.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He lies back, his head resting on the blanket, his Grace-fueled imagination seeing it as Ranka's lap. She's running her fingers through his hair, speaking to him quietly, touching his face.

He wants to like it. He wants to run away. He wants to stand up and ask why, what's going on, what's the purpose of all this. He wants to go home.

He doesn't know where home is.

He doesn't know what home means.

The closest to home he can be is here, with Ranka, and he doesn't know why.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[She says nothing, for a few minutes, gauging his reaction. If he continues to fight it, she will correct him. She is patient. It will work.]

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He shifts slightly, uncomfortable in more ways than one. There is still an appalling sense of wrongness about this that he can't seem to shake, no matter how hard he tries. He tries to get more comfortable. He tries to ease his breath. He tries to relax. He tries to listen to Ranka.

But none of it is quite right.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Relax.

[He was not comfortable, at ease yet. That was not conclusive to her desires. She would force him, if she had to.]

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[An order. His breaths slowed and deepened, his muscles began to relax, and he settled into his position more easily.

His thoughts began to untangle slowly as his body relaxed.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

This is what you want, what you need. Just you and Ranka.

[For now, she will let him dream disillusioned. More the pity for when she wakes him up.]

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[Just him and Ranka. That's all he ever needed, was them together just like this. He would be with her, he would protect her, and they would be... happy.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Yet, you want to hold her, yourself. To run your fingers through her hair, to feel her.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[It's true. He does want it. In his mind, she's there in his arms, he's holding her, gently playing with her hair, comforted by her presence.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

But...she doesn't trust you, does she?

[It was time to break the illusion.] Sh struggles.