Blind.

She sat propped up against the cold wall, a shivering ball covered in dirtied sheets with dishevelled and matted brown hair. Her milky white eyes stared listlessly before her, unseeing. Her face looked as though it had been torn apart and glued back together, angry red scars covered her eyes and tore down to her jawline.

A passerby carelessly walked into her, “Oi! Watch where yer goin’!” He spat at her, “useless street urchin!” He huffed, before storming off.

Aynurs tiny frame pushed itself up off the floor, the sheets and blankets that had been covering her slipped down, revealing that she no longer had any clothes to call her own. Her milky skin bore more scars and burns. The once bright and exuberant woman quickly wrapped herself back up in the blankets and sheets before retreating further back into her tiny corner, her safe haven away from the cold and uncaring brutal world around her.

”Lucifer was right...I cannot do this by myself…I really am nothing.”

Aynur forced her eyes shut as tears burned behind her eyelids. Her world was now forever dark, all because of Lucifer, of the man who brutally injured her, swept her up, healed her, and showed her a world she never thought possible. He was cruel, and he was heartless, he offered the woman words of love, of tenderness - but his actions were the opposite. At every turn he seemed to harm her, physically, emotionally, even forced her to live out an entirely false life trapped in her own mind.

Despite all that, all she could see where his distant glowing crimson eyes, the suffocating visage of his dark aura, and the suffocation it caused her.

With a shiver, the blind woman gave a shiver as she wrapped herself tighter into a ball, burrying her head into the sheets.

”If both he, and lord Alkieh are right...I have nine months….nine months to live, nine months till I can close my eyes one last time…but...is that soon enough? Would it be such a sin if I were to disappear now?”

-Bunnying approved by Amari*

"Ehh?"

He stopped just short of the girl, an utterly pathetic little waif crumpled up into a ball of self depreciation. Umshaes watched as an older man dressed in thick robes and polished trinkets knocked her over, spitting insults at her. She didn't fight back, she struggled to push herself up on shaky hands as she returned to her previous position. She was a wounded creature who had given up on the world around her, waiting to die.

Umshaes frowned as he scratched the side of his cheek. Should I bother with this? The broken little doll looks like she's so lost, if she's that far gone- she should just take that final step and off herself. What a waste of space.

The brown haired girl coughed before burying her head into her cocoon.

Umshaes shrugged, deciding that he hadn't had some fun since he arrived in Alerar, and it seemed as though the Thanes had just dropped a little nugget of unpolished gold in front of him. He'd have his entertainment and discard her like all the rest. Best part was, she was a street urchin, no one would care if they happened upon her fetid and rotten carcass days later.

With a steady pace Umshaes approached the girl, he crouched down to her level. "Why are you here?"

He was met with silence.

"C'mon, let's see that pretty little face o' yours." He said with feigned kindness, reaching out to her he roughly grabbed her chin and pulled it up. Forcing her to look at him. Or, at least in his direction. "Ah." She was blind. Milky bloodshot eyes stared right through him, brimming with the wetness of tears and outlined by countless sleepless nights. Scars marred her tiny almond shaped face, as though she had a run in with a wild animal. Umshaes own eyes narrowed as he tilted her head to the side, inspecting the wounds.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you fucked up, pissed off the wrong people, and they clawed out your eyes and-” He paused, she shuffled and the dirtied sheet that was draped over her fell away from her shoulders. He chanced a look at her crudely nude figure, covered in scars and burns. She snatched it back up and covered herself. “Disfigured that body of yours…” He finished with a wry grin. It seemed she still had a little fight left after all, but how long would it last? How long till she completely broke?

Umshaes wanted to find out. It’d be his new side project, till he lost interest.

“P-please...I mean you no harm...j-just leave me be.”

Umshaes couldn’t pick her accent, she wasn’t from around here. Umshaes was well versed in a few different dialects from various regions, the fact that he was completely at a loss to hers meant she was from a small providence, he guessed a town or religious sect closed off from the outside world.

“Oh sweetheart…” Umshaes laid his words with a thick honeyed accent as he gently brushed strands of hair away from her face. “If only you could see...you’d understand you and I are alike, all I wish to do is help. Here - let me show you.”

He gingerly picked up her hand and allowed it to trace over his disfigured arm. She didn’t flinch or pull away like he expected. Instead, she grasped his arm as her lips quivered. “I-I’m so sorry...I did not… know...A-are you alright… I have healing magic I can-”

“No magic can heal this.” he interrupted her. Information just poured out of her like a fountain, he didn’t even have to coax it. She was a healer, that explained her recluse and passive nature. “You’ll die out here, let me help you.” Umshaes held her hand gently in his and stood, coaxing her up. “Do you trust me?”

His words were soft spoken and kind, but his eyes were alight in malicious delight. His devious grin betrayed his intentions but the little waif, so innocent and so fragile didn’t have a clue.

The girl squeezed his hand and used it to help lift her trembling form up off the ground. She faltered but he caught her, squeezing her shoulders tightly. “Your name?” Umshaes asked.

“A-Aynur…” She whispered, pulling away from him.

“Well Aynur, my name is Damien and today is your lucky day.”

Aynur offered him a smile, an earnest and trusting smile as her unseeing eyes glanced up at him. “T-Thank you Damien...you are very kind.”

Lying was too easy.

He sounded rough at first, his hands even grabbed her roughly, but his voice held a kindness Aynur longed to hear, and she couldn’t help but latch onto it. She couldn’t blame him for his initial rough demeanour, feeling his arm...it felt so unnatural, cold and calloused. Aynur wanted to ask him what had happened to him but she knew better.

Her curiosity for such things had literally been beaten out of her by Lucifer.

Damien didnt have that same hidden anger in his tone, his voice was soft and spoke of safety and comfort, something Aynur both needed and missed. He didn’t force her into an embrace he simply steadied her and allowed her to stand on her own two feet. Something Aynur appreciated.

“I… am not sure what to say.” Aynur admitted, biting her lower lip. She had already thanked him, but she was ready to curl up and let death consume her. She had no direction, no clue. Nothing.

“Well…” Damiens voice trailed off, which made Aynur all the more nervous.

“You look filthy. Let’s get you bathed and find some clothes for you. Do you have anything?”

Aynur shook her head, taking a meek step back. She had stormed out and away from Lucifer clothed but since then had sold them to procure food for herself. She didn’t have the orb, she didn’t have a clue where Alkieh was or how he was doing… it was overwhelming for Aynur.

It all came up at once, bubbling forth in hiccuped sobs as Aynur wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “N-no...I lost him. I -the orb, my - my I lost it all…” Aynur wasn’t able to fully say what was going through er mind. She wasn’t able to express the pain of loosing her ideals, her clothes, the orb, Alkieh, even Lucifer- who seemed to have had enough of her and didn’t bother to go looking for her.

“It’s ok.”

Aynur flinched then stilled as she felt a palm rest atop her shoulder, she was half expecting a slap across the face, or angered words telling her she was weak for being too emotional.

“You’ve clearly been abused. Don’t worry about that, here- take my hand and I will guide you to a bathouse.”

His voice was so soothing, Aynur knew she shouldn’t trust a stranger, that she should just go back to her tiny ball but she had that small ounce of hope that maybe, just maybe everything would be ok.

He lead her down the street, a left and a right. Aynur could hear the murmurs coming from the other people, some refering to Damien as a ‘monster’ others calling her street trash. Aynur glanced to the side in Damiens direction, was there more to his appearance than she was aware of. Her concern must have been evident in her features, as he attempted to reassure her.

“My arm is infected, you felt it. It’s cold and hard, black, jagged spikes jut out around my shoulder. I’m not exactly a friendly face. I’m almost happy you can’t see. Else I’d fear you would not let me help you.”

His words sounded sincere, but there was something slightly off with the way he had said them, but Aynur couldn’t complain. “I do not judge people on looks…” She whispered as she pulled her milky eyes away from his direction. She stumbled, but he caught her and lead her down another street. Aynur bit her lip. Loud noises. The sounds of machinery and clunking, the heat of steam blowing into her face. She didn’t like it one bit. Still, she pushed forward. For his sake.

“We’re here.”

Damien forced her to stop, placing an arm out in front of her. “Wait here, I will get a female attendant to help you.” He chuckled, and Aynur could feel his fingers dance over her shoulder. “Wouldn’t want me to see anything now, would you, little Aynur?”

Aynur quickly shook her head.

“Good. Wait.” He added, his tone almost commanding.

It was a few minutes till she heard footsteps approach her. The first to speak was a feminine voice. “If you come with me Miss Aynur, Damien has paid for your care.”

Aynur wasn’t sure...this was all so much, so much kindness, consideration, and a man she did not know had paid for her aid. Aynur startled glanced up at Damien. “A-ah...I have..I have no way to pay you back. I-”

“Oh hush.” Aynur felt him push her toward the bathouse. “No good deed goes unpaid. Offer me a story later.”

Aynur felt a little more relieved to hear his words. “R-right. Of course!

As she was lead into the bathouse and down a corridoor she could hear the lightheated chatter of other women, feel the prickling warmth of the humidity in the air, and smell a variety of scents and lotions. “T-Thank you so much miss…”

Holy shit this is too fuckin’ easy. She’s like a little lost lamb, where the fuck did she even come from!?

Umshaes thought as he watched Aynur disappear into the bathhouse. He hadn’t lied about that, this was indeed a decent establishment. However, a few of the patrons and workers were less than decent people. The place was one he frequented often for his own ailments, they not only specialised in a relaxing bath but in oils and scents that eased the mind and gave one a sense of floating. Drugging via oils and scents was not an uncommon practise here, but one very well hidden.

He sat lounged across a faded brown couch, his fingers idly pulling at the stuffing that was bursting forth from the seams of a cushion. It looked unsightly, but it was comfortable. Umshaes took a long drag of his pipe, bi-coloured eyes lazily glancing over the waiting area. It was a small alcove opposite the reception counter; where a neatly presented half elf lady stood talking to another guest, who glanced in his direction then quickly looked away. Her disgust did not go unnoticed.

“Tch.”

He blew out a plume of smoke, thankful for the release it provided. With each breath it was as though his pounding headache eased, if only for a few minutes. “What to do, what to do…” He mused as he continued to pull stuffing from the lounge. He had Aynur, and as he sat there they were cleaning her, fixing her hair, and giving her a luxurious experience. She’d come out feeling refreshed, refined, and she’d no doubt be drowsy and all too willing to spill every little detail of her dreary and pathetic existence. Umshaes wondered what to do with her afterward, if she had no real use he could just toss her into some of the machinery. That’d grind her up real good.

Umshae glanced over at the oncoming presence of the girl, who was being guided by one of the bath house staff. Now that she had been scrubbed up, she didn’t look half bad. She didn’t look half good either. Umshaes pushed himself off the lounge and stretched, cracking several bones in the process.

“Feeling better, Aynur?” He asked with a forced jovial tone. He reached out to take her hand from the attendant, giving her a gesture to say he had control of the situation now.

Aynurs eyes stared listlessly before her, “mmm….” Her voice was airy, “y-yes. Thank you.” She stood silent a minute longer before turning her unseeing gaze toward Umshaes. “How do I...uhm…” She trailed off and her tiny, freshly shaped brows furrowed in confusion. “What was I saying?”

Umshaes grinned. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. “Oh?” He feigned shock, “Silly girl, don’t you remember?” She shook her head. “You promised you’d give me your company.” Umshaes stepped in, wrapping an arm around her lithe waist as his good hand cupped her chin to tilt her face up toward his. He gave her a predatory grin. “A hot tea, and a long chat. You promised me. Remember?”

He waited as he watched her mind process the new information. Her eyes struggled to focus and even in the blind milky whites he could see the haze of the bathhouse clouding her mind.

“Y-yes. Alright. Let us go.” She said finally.

“Of course…” Umshaes said in delight, stepping away as he lead her out the gaudy bath house and into the busy streets. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership.”