Somewhere Someplace

A mellow hollowness had filled the seemingly calm hall, engulfed with false quiet within which were, naturally, many whispers. New people had arrived from the behests of that doctor—preparers of the dead. The door to that dormitory room was shut, although a few still-curious juniors remained lingering near.

Shock and disbelief. Most were still parsing through their feelings and thoughts. Despite theirs being a world filled with death—a wrong cut or bad water being all it took—, they had nevertheless been left speechless from the abrupt strike… Nevermind the fear of not knowing the why.

Blossom was one of such curious maids, having been amongst the few who had lingered despite the majority's ordered dispersal. She had been left with such weird feelings; she barely even knew Apple, yet…to see such a motionless and lifeless shell… She could only wonder how Moon was doing, for some reason; she had not seen that girl since her questioning by the doctor.

Although Blossom had eventually left that scene, it stalked her mind and thoughts. And, as evening dawned, she found herself gravitating back to that very scene; that very dorm. She was returning to see if Swordstaff was there… Ironic, truly, considering his preoccupation had given her relative freedom with what to do with her time…

Yet there was nothing to do.

She wanted to see if Swordstaff…needed her for anything or if he was free to…attend to…other things now. It was her job, after all… Which, oddly enough, she was atypically focused on doing. In fact, she had already cleaned Swordstaff's messy chambers—a mindless chore, really.

"Damnation! Damnations!"

Abruptly, Blossom could hear echoing shouts. She turned a corner and saw…

Burgundy. She was bashing her foot, her heel, over and over into the corner of the wall, alone. "Damnation! Gods' forsaken damnation!" These shouts repeated in tune with her kicks. "AGH!" She was going to break her heel at this rate, let alone foot.

Yet Burgundy's attention swiftly went swinging Blossom's way the moment she noticed that pinkly haired girl's impending approach… And the type of glaring eyes she gave spoke many unspoken words…

Blossom could immediately tell what was about to come.

"YOU!" Indeed, Burgundy came stomping her way. With pointed finger, she stopped before Blossom with seething breaths. "This is all because of you! You! YOU!" Her pointed finger jabbed and jabbed; "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT! UGH!" Scratching at her head, she stormed off and away.

Blossom stood there, silent… "…my fault?" she so muttered… "The fuck did I do?" She tsked. "What a bitch…" Dismissing, pretending to be unaffected, she merely recontinued her walk, until she finally arrived within that specific hall and saw…that particular dorm, its door shut and closed.

She cautiously approached the closed door, placing her ear upon it… She could hear discussing voices, although none were discernable. They were too quiet, and the door was rather…thick. After a moment, she gently knocked…but no one replied. She knocked a little louder, though it was not quite loud enough…

For some reason, she was timid within. Instead of knocking further, she took a deep breath, in and out... She finally opened the door.
"Uhm…"

"Huh?!" And Sir Berrybottom's reactions were almost immediate; besides him were that doctor, head maid, and those recent arrivals—all wearing plague masks and strange gloves. "I thought I made it clear that none were to—" His irritated goggle-lensed eyes came swinging the door's way, only for his voice and tone to fall flaccid, as he saw… "Oh… It is you…"

Indeed, it was her. Yet Blossom remained evasive-eyed. "…sorry…" she apologized.

"No, no…" Sir Berrybottom, in a total affective flip, tried to reassure. Aheming, he turned to the confused doctor and others. "This is…my son's attendant, haha." Aheming again, he looked at her. "You are…looking for Swordstaff, then?"

"…yeah." Blossom replied, eyes still evasive and downfaced… She did not want to look at the Sir directly.

She hated him.

"He went off a while ago; I do not know whither." Sir Berrybottom thus stated.

"…alrightly." Blossom could glimpse Apple's body from the top corner of her downfacing visual field, which she then…tacitly glanced at. The face was covered; the body had been stripped… It was in the process of being…wrapped. Something sunk within. "I will look around, thanks…" She promptly turned around and departed back into the hall.

She felt strange, heavy on the inside; she tried to ignore it, however. She simply walked and kept walking…

Where could he have gone? She pondered, even though her quiet breaths remained…disquieted.

Having already attended to his chambers, she knew there were no signs of him there. Although, it did seem that someone had stopped by at some point; a piece of scrap parchment on his desk had scribblings of strange…gooey ink. It must have been one of his tutors, Blossom had decided to believe, considering the contents of the scribbling—could not have possibly been him.

Regardless, she had practically checked everywhere else she could imagine he could be…

Where else… Hm…

"He mentioned he's been…visiting the library lately…" Blossom mumbled to herself whilst she strolled, recalling… Indeed, that library was where that man-boy had been so often fucking off to throughout these weeks—for what cause, he never bothered talking about with her; she never bothered to ask. "Maybe there?" Indeed, she changed course. Truly, she had all the freedom in this moment, yet she wanted to end it by finding him… Paradoxical.

Yet ever a stranger day this one was; what a day this one had been.

Despite having grown up in the villages, she had never actually…seen…a dead body before.

She did not know what to feel…

Even as she tried to wander her way, her thoughts continued wondering astray, stalking her still… That colding husk, so pale and livid; those fixed open eyes, so lifeless and clouded. Several hours was all it had taken for Apple's body to become so…bleak.

That girl was a year younger than her, she realized… Huh.

Yet suddenly, out from nowhere: a squeezing grab and harsh yank to the arm. She yelped with total surprise, being pulled away.

"Swordstaff?!" Indeed, the culprit was immediately obvious. "What are you doing?!?!"

She had no idea whence he had even come, and how she had not even noticed him until now. He was dragging her towards a quiet and reclusive spot. The immediate parallels to the last time were not lost on her. She was utterly terrified, yet her terror quickly morphed…

"Hey, hey! Stop it! Stop it! You're hurting me! You're hurting me!" she loudly exclaimed, counter-pulling at his pull…

Yet the man-boy was…stronger.

"Silence." Swordstaff muttered; "Quit being troublesome…"

"I'll bite you! I'll bite you!" Blossom shouted and shouted; "I'll bite you! I mean it! I'll bite you!" Yet before she could do anything, her back found itself harshly shoved against a wall, his hand slamming right above her head… His eyes glared into her own.

She tensed and shrunk though did not whimper, her breaths shaking…

"Your 'friend'…" His scowling breaths were quiet yet pointed. "Where is she?"

"Uhm…" Blossom, trembling slightly, had to first straightened her brain out… "…w-who?? M-Miranda? Her??"

"Yes. Your friend! The blue-haired elfling!" As if Swordstaff would know the name. "Have you seen her? Anywhere?"

"…n…no?" Blossom timidly answered… "W-why?"

Yet Swordstaff did not reply. "…hm." His eyes withdrew to the side, as if thinking… "I see…" His tone mellowed, eyes relooking at her. "Not once, at all? Since this day… Since the death?"

"…no…" Blossom replied; "I don't think so…"

"You don't think so?" Swordstaff glared at her, before rolling his eyes with a sigh… "Fine. I will believe that…"

"…you haven't answered." Blossom finally looked at him straightly. "Why… Why are you asking this?" Her tone had stiffened. "What do you…want with her?"

"No, the question is…what does she want from us…" yet Swordstaff muttered, more to himself. Loosening his grip, he let her go and backed up slightly. "Either you know the answer, witch, or you are truly ignorant… Maybe you are." Shaking his head, he began to depart away.

"Uh… Wait!" Blossom, however, immediately reached. "Where… Where are you going?"

"Why do you care?" Swordstaff paused and glared.

"I've…" Blossom's eyes fell downwards slightly… "I've been looking for you…"

"What?" Swordstaff's face turned smug… "Don't tell me you've…fallen for my charms now? My…talent… Is that what you crave? You want to…finish what we were doing?" He was being so intentionally snide.

Blossom grumbled with a tiny scowl, looking him straight. "Absolutely not!" Indeed, absolutely not… Yet her eyes again fell away, a slight chatter to her teeth… "I am…" Her breaths tensed… "I am just scared…" Indeed… She was scared; this was all…scary. And despite everything he was, that man-boy was at least…strong and…magical…and…

Truly, her mind made no sense—not even to her.

Swordstaff just stood there, the smug snide leaving his face… He scratched the back of his head, his eyes drifting aside… "Aren't we all…" he merely muttered, before turning around. "Leave me be. I have no need for you." He departed off and headed away.

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Blossom watched as Swordstaff left her. "Stupid…asshole…" she grumbled to herself; "Literally trying to run into his arms and doesn't bother to hug… Pfft… What a terrible knight—I bet he likes being sodomized, I know it… Sodomizing butthole." She hmphed, crossing her arms with agreeing nods…

Though, relaxing, she sighed…and began to reflect…

"Maybe… I should've…" She shook her head. "No, ew, gross…" Turning around, she herself departed down the opposite way.

-||-

More hours had passed, now well into the night. The halls remained so quiet with disquiet.

Apple's body had been relocated by now; most manor had a dedicated 'death chamber' to safely store…the deceased…until further arrangements could be made, usually in the form of a segregated limestone crypt below the estate.

The body itself, of course, had underwent preservation treatment… Salted and sprinkled with preservers' ash mixed with limestone dust, thoroughly covered and tightly wrapped in a specially made ashen 'death-cloth' that was soaked in a vinegar, alcohol, and salt mixture, before being left to dry and then coated with beeswax.

It would take two or three days for the nearest Temple of Death to send their keepers for collection, thus either the day before or the day of…the beginning of Autumn's Sleep. Death's Rot worked fast and swift, apparently; they wanted to take every feasible precaution so as to avoid transporting a mess. The doctor had even injected a strange…Far Western alchemical solution…into the body directly.

Frankly, Blossom did not want to know the details; yet she was the one who had forced herself to…observe everything as it happened, Sir Berrybottom tolerating her presence as if he was more scared of her than she was of him. But in a very odd and morbid way, she was curious; she wanted to see the process, even if it…disturbed her.

After Apple's body had been removed from the scene and relocated, her prior beddings and clothing were…not even cleaned but incinerated. This was from the doctor's suggestion; he wanted everything related to her incinerated immediately… Apparently, he would have incinerated the body too had Sir Berrybottom not strictly demanded a…traditional—respectful—handling.

Nevertheless, that particular dormitory was shuddered in effect—the door locked and sealed. The junior maids to whom that room belonged, unable to even collect their belongings, had to thus sleep…in whatever other room was available.

Blossom, however, could not sleep. Swordstaff had yet to return to his chambers, despite it being well past that man-boy's bedtime. Thus, she was once again out searching for him—or, rather, she was heading for where she knew he most certainly still was… The manor's library.

Yet as she traversed through this nightly hall, only a meager candle-lamp in hand, her mind lingered on things… She really did not know why Swordstaff had cornered her the way he had hours earlier…or why he was interested in…Miranda.

Hm…

She felt weird. She knew Miranda 'had a thing' for him, but… Surely, he could not have become allured or enticed by their one and only encounter? It was creepy, and he had seemed…disturbed. Though, what did she truly know about his decadence…

Hmm…

It was irking her, these thoughts… What that man-boy could have possibly desired from her friend. If he wanted to taunt her; if he wanted to…really rile her nerves, then…

Indeed…

"Unfaithful… Pfft…" she muttered, thinking of the both of them…

Now that she thought about it, Miranda liked books too; the library was where she often tended to be…

Pfft. Blossom only grumbled more…

In a way, she knew deep within that she was being very presumptuous and intentionally naive.

Yet then she saw, entering into her view ahead, a…particular soul; one heading down her way from the direction of her…very destination. This alone signaled a flag.

"Oh… Pink?" It was Moon, who froze upon seeing her.

"…hi." Blossom, approaching, greeted.

"Hello…" Moon greeted in kind; "It has been a…time." Her eyes and cheeks were pinkly and heavy, nose still stuffy. It was clear she had been in better states.

"…are you coming from the…library?" Yet this was what Blossom focused on.

"Oh… Yes?" Moon confirmed… "That is…where I was…"

"Swordstaff." Blossom asked; "Is he there?"

"He was, yes… I happened upon him there…" Moon confirmed.

"I am…his…attendant." Blossom abruptly specified.

"Rightly, for only a few weeks…?" Moon was genuinely trying to recall the length of time.

"And?" Yet Blossom did not interpret it that way. "So what?"

"Uhm… Huh?" Moon was confused, in no state to really think.

"What were you…doing…in there, with him?" Blossom interrogated.

"Oh, uhm…" Moon had a shift in posture… "I was, well…" Yet her breaths paused; she was becoming nervous. "Reading, obviously—it helps… But…we talked a little, and…" She paused again, eyes drifting… "Sorry, I am too…exhausted for discourse; this has been…a terrible day… Please excuse me." She quickly walked off.

"…" Blossom stood with silence.

Moon…technically was a 'friend', right?

Hm. A presumptive scowl emerged on her face.

-|-

There she stood, frozen; staring her down was a set of double doors.

Truly, she hated those doors; that library… Yet with an exhale, she mustered herself to open it; she stepped in as the door shut behind. Although her light was dim, she immediately spotted within this vast yet concise collection of shelves and books…a spot of light emanating from the center tables.

She proceeded past a few shelves, making her way until she saw seated upon a table's chair… "There you are…" Indeed, there he was…

And he had been focused. His breaths let out disturbed grumbles. "…what are you doing here?" Swordstaff immediately interrogated his arriving attendant whom he had, as he so remembered, not requested for.

"What are you doing here?" Blossom, however, counter-asked, standing herself behind his chair; her shine-blue eyes peeped down at the book—one amongst a stack of many—that was opened before his sight.

"Reading." Swordstaff, ughing with acceptance of her presence, returned his eyes to that opened book. "A skill you lack."

"…" Blossom just looked at him… "I read faster than you."

"No, you don't…" Swordstaff was actually correct for once; he was objectively a faster reader than her. "I have read books all my life from this library, in both current and older tongues…"

"Wow… Impressive. I'm impressed. Shame that you don't comprehend anything." She sneered at him… "Because you are stupid. So stupid and…horrible and dishonorable and retched and…ugh!"

"…" Swordstaff turned his head and looked at her, not even provoked… "Oh, what are you on about?"

"HRRM!" Yet Blossom smacked him atop his head, not harshly but certainly not gently. "You just love—love—fucking a girl's friend! Was that what you were going to do? Hmm? If I knew where Miranda was! Fuck her and make me watch like…like you did to Moon?! And I know you fucked her again! Why else would she have been here with you?!"

"…" Swordstaff was…confused. "…seriously, what are you on about? Out of all the times you could've picked, now is—"

Grumbling away, Blossom smacked him again and again, each becoming harsher and harsher. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU! DON'T EVER CORNER ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU FREAK!"

Swordstaff had enough of this. "That's it!" With an intense grugh, he snatched Blossom's wrist and gripped it firmly with a twist, standing up. "That's enough of this!" His squeeze tightened as he, with such a glare, pushed her with his walk until her back hit a shelf. "You are being beyond insufferable! Why did you even bother coming here if you were going to be worse than useless?! I have no idea how much time we may have before—"

Blossom, however, very suddenly bit his gripping hand.

"AH!" Swordstaff recoiled back in pain, letting her go; he grasped his bitten hand, the bite having left a clear bleeding mark in the skin. "WHY YOU LITTLE!" In a fit of pain-induced rage, he punched her in the face hard enough that she fell down, after which he proceeded to kick her…over and over. "YOU MADDENED BITCH! THAT FUCKING HURT!" With one final kick to her gut, nearly making her puke, he took a step back as the pain-induced rush simmered, his breaths cooling…

Trembling, groaning, and coughing, Blossom remained down where she was. Bruised and with such stinging pain, she sniffled as she sat herself up, her jaw shaking as her breaths hiccupped. Tears started to drop even though she wanted them to not…

Indeed, clenching her legs, she let loose a terrible…horrible sob; she broke down completely.

Swordstaff, breathing in and out, stood where he was… Despite being everything he was, he was…in slight shock of himself. He had left a far too visible bruise on her face, one not easily healed. That was not good. "Here, let me—"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Blossom, however, recoiled back such that she nearly tumbled over the shelf behind her. "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME! DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!" She was not even screaming as much as shrieking… Hyperventilating, her sob only became even more horrid.

Although Swordstaff could sneer at such a pathetic sight before him, he was, in fact, disturbed… This was not a reaction he had ever seen in a girl, let alone her.

And, indeed, this was no squirming fear. This was something else. His instincts were telling him that…she was dangerous in this state. She might be much weaker, but she had nails and teeth and…sheer adrenaline. She had already bitten him; there was no telling what she could do if he tried anything further…

"I hate you… I hate you… I want to die… I really want to die, just kill me already… I hate this so much!" Blossom thus sobbed and cried. "Someone just…kill me already…"

Swordstaff…backed away, silent only because he had no idea what to do. He just…returned to his chair and…took a seat, himself trembling slightly from…his own distraught. He tried to…wait this out, yet Blossom's collapse just did not seem to end.

Her words rambled on and on, her sob only becoming more terrible…

"Surely," he was going to turn and look, "you've had enough of this display—"

"SHUT UP!" yet Blossom tearfully shrieked; "I WILL GUT YOU WITH A KNIFE AND EAT YOUR ENTRAILS! I KNOW HOW TO USE A KNIFE! I WAS TAUGHT! I CAN GUT YOU LIKE A SQUEALING PIGGY!!"

"…" Indeed, dangerous. She was dangerous.

Swordstaff would not utter another word. He could only be glad that the library was isolated from where…most would be at this hour, thus none could hear this commotion.

-||-

It was finally quieter now… Blossom was still tearful and sniffling, though she was no longer horridly crying. "I am…in pain…" she muttered aloud… "you hurt me…so badly… I am in…pain… You hurt me…"

"…" Swordstaff…cautiously glanced… "You…bit me…"

"…I'll bite you again and again and again…" Blossom was…becoming aggravated again.

Nodding his head, he simply turned away… Though, he tsked somewhat. The pain in his bitten hand… He stroked the spot, yet also…looked it… "All of this over a…mere bite…" Indeed, he recognized; it was not…that horrible of a wound.

His retaliation was…disproportionate, he realized, even if he…had just reacted in the moment. Indeed, rightful retaliation aside, the consequences were a visibly beaten attendant and horrid banshee shrieks that terrified even him… If anything, it made him feel weak—to have lost himself over a bite.

Blossom sniffled… "I'm sorry…please…don't hurt me…"

"…I won't hurt you…" Swordstaff…replied; "So as long as you learn to—"

"But all you…do is hurt me…" Blossom so said with a change of tune… "If anything, this is…this is nothing…compared to what…you've done to me…already—in bed… Disgusting, bleh! Freak!"

"…" Swordstaff was silent…

"All you want me to do is cry and scream, begging you to stop if not beg for more—but I never do… I never do… I never…give you your sick perverted…anything!" Blossom snifflingly shouted.

Swordstaff hissed in effect, having again lost his patience. "What do you want from me, then? Hm?" He stood up, now becoming frustrated himself. "To not hate you? To not detest you? To not feel that you are a curse upon me?! Hmm??" he yelled; "After this pathetic display? I hold you with no regard other than…than…" Yet…his voice…ultimately fizzled out, seeing her…state.

"…" Blossom herself was quiet… "…can…you…just stop? I'm not…going away…" She finally looked up at him… "I'm…your attendant no matter…what either of us want…" Her eyes struggled to retain contact… "And I'll only…respect you if you…respect me… If you…protect me and…and… I don't know…" She really did not. "But we can't keep doing this! I'm so tired… We'll always be stuck together…"

Swordstaff eyes drifted aside, his breaths perhaps…actually introspecting. "…this is tiresome." Indeed, he himself felt…similarly. His eyes shifted to his still-open book; his attempts to uncover… "We have more…important things…on hand; the fate of this very house…" He sighed as if his senses had returned… "We have no choice…but to help each other, I did say this…earlier…" He turned to relook at her. "I should make better use of—" Yet his voice abruptly paused mid-sentence, eyes seeing…

"Heh…" Blossom, as if herself having realized, grinned so…strangely; her strained eyes looked into him. "You know, Swordy, I can help you… My blood is so precious—your daddy needs me, and he knows it. He…fears losing me like…a princess at stay; I can probably get away with…a lot of things…" There was something sinister in her face. "I can help you…get back at them; your daddy, fucking…Billhook…" Saying that…name made her want to puke… "Heheh… It'd be funny to spill tea on his crotch… Or maybe say something ugly, like who gave me this bruise…" In a turn, she was now threatening him.

Swordstaff…realized, in this moment, what should have been obvious from the beginning… Hiding within that girl was neither a sheep nor wolf, but a serpent whose venomous fangs were eager to bite. "Heh." He smirked, so very intrigued. "This… This may actually work after all, you and I…"