[thread] she is beautiful

[face_downcast]

Who: Cain, Emmeline, Marik
What: Taking Emmy back from Marik and bringing her to Cain's house
Where: Sohma home(?)
When: After Cain sees Ayame and child
Rating: PG-13 for Marik [subject to change]

Comments

[torn_lavender]

She was unconscious again, for which he was grateful and only partly responsible. Her ramblings had grown tedious; all she talked of was Cain. And while Marik reveled in her distress, he was sickened by her continuing devotion to someone like that British idiot.

He heard footsteps in the hall, someone pausing just outside the door. It had to be Cain. Smirking, he sat on the edge of her bed, reaching over to stroke her hair as he waited for the other to decide. Come in and risk death? Or walk away, and only lose her?

The door swung open. Risk of death it was, then. Marik grinned, wide and maniacal, and continued to run his fingers through her hair.

[face_downcast]

He was touching her.

It always amazed Cain how much it bothered him when other people touched Emmeline. Not casually, of course. Kissing her hand, holding her elbow, helping her up; all that was fine. But this, watching that person stroke her hair calmly... it burned something deep inside of him.

There was no good way to start the conversation. Instead, the noble focused on moving, getting his legs to bring him into the room as he quietly closed the door behind him again. His face, thankfully, was blank enough for the moment, eyes downcast to prevent him from seeing the two on the bed.

"...well."

[torn_lavender]

So, Cain had indeed shown up. Good. It was no fun to threaten people if they didn't take the bait.

Not that it was very pressing, he supposed. What he'd told Bakura about Malik's remaining connection to reality was true, but it was necessary to kill Cain, or even really to harm him, in order to break his other entirely.

Marik absently twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, other hand reaching over to stroke her cheek.

"I was wondering when you'd show."

[face_downcast]

He managed not to twitch. Of course, that partly Cain from not being able to move. Still, it was to be considered an achievement.

"I promised her I'd come," he replied quietly, still watching the floor. "I'm taking her home with me now. Pleasent as it would be to chat with you, therefore, I'd appreciate your cooperation in letting go of her and moving away."

...might work. Right? Wrong.

[torn_lavender]

Marik could sense Cain's irritation at his continued contact with Emmeline. His grin widened. He trailed his fingers down her throat, her collar bunching to reveal fresh bruises on fair skin.

"Do you really think it will be that simple, Cain? Ask nicely and I'll let her go? Be polite and I'll spare her life - both your lives?"

He did not intend to kill either of them. But it was more amusing if Cain believed he at least desired to kill Emmeline.

[face_downcast]

It wasn't going to break him. It wasn't going to hurt him. It wasn't going to bring him dow--

--oh God he'd harmed her and he was going to kill her and it was all his fault once again that someone he cared about was going through this--

Shaking his head clear, Cain forced himself to look at Emmeline and Marik properly. He didn't have a pistol or his cane. It figured. With the faintest shiver, he tossed his bangs back from his face.

"Everyone has a price, Marik. It's only a matter of you explaining to me what yours is."

[torn_lavender]

"A price? Me? Not as such... because what I want to do is kill her, and you, and everyone else Malik has grown 'attached' to. Nothing would give me greater pleasure."

He traced the bruises on her throat absently, pressing down at random points. She gasped, a tiny pained frown crinkling her brow, but did not regain consciousness.

"...no, Cain, I think here it comes to... what are you willing to pay me, in exchange for her life? What is her safety worth to you? This poor, innocent woman who you don't even love, though she'd die for you..."

[face_downcast]

To make the other stop touching her like that, to stop the tiny noises she was making, Cain was competely sure for a split second that he was willing to give up his life.

Collecting himself, he managed to calm his impulses and think logically about the situation. Did he wish to die for Emmeline? No. It was pointless. There was only one person in this world he was willing to die for; that person was much shorter and was bombshell blonde with a childish laugh and a charming smile.

"Not my own life," the young man managed, golden eyes tracing the injuries visible on the lady's neck. "And not my sister. Anything else, however, is subject to a barter."

[torn_lavender]

"I would not have presumed her to be worth the life of another, Cain," he said quietly, turning the other's words back on him. He knew that wasn't what Cain had meant, but it might as well.

Marik smirked as Cain's eyes followed the path of the bruises around her neck. He sifted through the Brits' memories once more, trying to make sure he hadn't missed anything particularly scarring.

Heh. "Scarring."

"Hmm, well... I don't know. What should I ask you for? What price... heh. Your eyes, maybe?" The question was sarcastic. He had no intention of taking anything as payment for her safety, except Cain's continued distress. Watching him suffer like this was well worth it. His fingers pressed down again, and she whimpered.

[face_downcast]

It was the sort of thing he could almost see himself doing... but not for Marik. No, there was a woman he'd pay his eyes to protect, to the man he did not wish to believe was his brother.

"You're being foolish now."

He didn't mean for his voice to quake so much.

[torn_lavender]

"No, merely bored. You needn't look so frightened. Her price is paid - or will be soon - as is yours, so you're... free to go, and take her with you. I was merely curious, if you'd offer me some suffering worth more than his."

Marik didn't look up as he spoke, his eyes going rather glassy as he stared down at her. She frowned in her sleep, shifting to move away from his hand, but he stopped her.

[lady_rotterdale]

She was asleep. Or she thought she was. She might not be, she supposed, giving that thing's penchant for playing with her mind.

But no. She was asleep, and waking up slowly. He was touching her bruises again, in that curious way that seemed to say he didn't understand them at all. He was talking to someone.

Cain.

Emmeline's eyes flew open, focusing first on Marik - who merely grinned and moved to stroke her cheek - and then on Cain. He didn't look injured, or tormented. He looked... well, frightened, but only a little, that she could tell. He was alive, and here for her.

She smiled.

[face_downcast]

"Then for the love of all things sacred stop touching her," Cain managed to hiss out, fingers once again twitching with anger. He could feel his entire body shaking, really. This... person? No, not even a person. This thing was abusing two very important people at the moment. One was the woman he owed the world to in many respects. The other was a dear new friend who actually understood things.

Everything precious, no matter how shallow the need, was stripped away from him.

"I'll be taking her now."

[torn_lavender]

"Why? Does it bother you?" he asked, a malicious grin stretching his lips. She was trembling under his touch, but a small smile stayed with her. She was almost too pleased to see the Brit.

Marik stepped back from her with a sigh, sweeping his cape back and bowing sarcastically to Cain. "By all means," he hissed, the look on his face looking conspicuously more evil. "take her."

Straightening, he stalked past Cain towards the door, but paused just before opening it. "Strange... you didn't ask who had paid for her safety. Or yours. ...but I suppose you'll know soon enough."

[lady_rotterdale]

[[ooc: A~nd I forgot to say, but Malik's back. You've got a new comment on your most recent post. <3]]

Emmeline watched him go, and when the door slammed shut she felt his presence leave her mind so suddenly she nearly blacked out. It didn't matter. Cain was here for her.

She could see the tension in him, had seen the anger and the fear in him before. But everything would be alright now, wouldn't it? She reached out a trembling hand to him, wanting reassurance that he wasn't another conjuration of her mind.

She desperately needed him to be real.

[face_downcast]

He'd know soon enough. Fan-bloody-tastic.

It took a moment for Cain to calm himself enough to look properly at Emmeline. Her hand, stretched out toward him, was shaking, as if she were afraid to actually touch him. For another moment he had to stare at her, half unseeing, as if he didn't recognize who she was.

Finally he snapped out of it, reaching out with a faint smile to catch at her fingers, pressing a soft kiss to them before moving close enough to bend down and kiss her forehead.

"...you're hurt badly, Emmeline."