forum Immortality is a curse//Private with Magician//

Started February 19, 2021 by @gracehustle

tune

While Andre was delivering the laundry to the scullery maid, Marcus had gone for a pleasant stroll down to the cellar. It was a drab looking hallway with only a few lights flickering about the place, but the man wore a warm smile nonetheless and presently came to a door with a hatch at the top. Two guards stood either side of the door, keeping their composure firm as they allowed Marcus to open the hatch.
There, as his eyes lit up with glee, he saw the woman.

Marcus had been searching for Death for almost a decade of his life, and now she was finally in his home. His eyes danced over her body but she wasn’t quite Andre; she wasn’t quite as beautiful or put together, but he was happy to have her despite that.
He gently cleared his throat before speaking in his usual firm, proud tone. “Caligo Black, yes?”

Caligo was still processing her new home as Marcus approached her. She couldn't quite believe that only minutes ago she had been outside, with the warm sun on her back and hot stone under her feet. Now she was locked away again, the sun replaced with cool shade and the floor even colder still.

The guards hadn't removed the blindfold from her eyes, but she wasn't completely helpless. She had managed to shimmy the cloth away, though her restraints still pined her arms uselessly behind her back. Still, being able to survey her cell made her feel somewhat less panicked. She had gotten to a sitting position after being shoved in, facing towards the door with her back pressed against the farthest wall.

Her head whipped up when she heard her name called, the focus on her situation long gone. Instantly, she was looking at some human, who she instantly didn't want to get to know. The glee in his eyes made her feel like a prize a small child had won, and she hated it.

She didn't speak in response, just narrowed her tired eyes and tried to hold onto what little scraps of dignity she had.

“Oh this is wonderful!” Marcus’ sing-song voice echoed throughout the hallway as his eyes softened towards the woman. “I’ve heard many things about you, and although you’re not quite the individual I had pictured in my head, it’s still great to finally meet you.”

When Andre had first come into Marcus’ possession, he had been forced to tell the master little parts of his past every day until the Immortal had started expecting it and already planned ahead the things he was going to tell Marcus. That was mistake number one; he shouldn’t have mentioned the names of any other Immortal he had been close with.
Mistake number two was mentioning Caligo. Period. Marcus had a hunger for power, and with both Life and Death under his command he figured he pretty much had it all. Not that Marcus would ever reveal that to Andre.

“I’m sorry that they threw you down here.” Marcus spoke firmly. “And I’m sure you understand that the blindfold and shackles were just a precaution?”

Caligo wasn’t sure how this man had supposedly learned so much about her, but she figured whatever it was, it had to be a lie. There were very few humans still alive that she had known, and whatever tales of her were spun largely out of proportion. The only way he would know anything about her was through an immortal.

“What did Death look like in your mind?” She questioned, the same quiet raspy voice as before showing, “Something grander, blown out of the water by centuries of tales?”

Caligo looked back down to her legs as she considered the man’s next words. No one would be sorry to put an immortal in chains, though she believed that it truly was a precaution. Not many believed her when she said she would do no harm. “I understand precautions, but I don't recommend treating all of your…toys, like this. It’s not a good way to gain trust.”

“Death, to me, looked a little taller and a lot less hateful.” Marcus spoke softly. “I expected the eyes to be wiser, more tired, and more peaceful.”

There was a brief moment of silence as he considered his next words.

“I do not think of you Immortals as toys,” Marcus tutted with the shake of his head. “More like allies. The chains were only meant for the travel, I had given the orders that they would be removed once you were secured in the room.” The man hissed through his teeth at one of the guards on standby, who quickly apologised to him. “Nevertheless,” Marcus continued, turning back to Caligo. “I believe that in order to gain trust, I must treat you well. So I’d like to have you at the dinner table tonight. You’ll be taken to a new room, in which you are free to do as you like, and then you are to attend the meal. I can think of someone who may be glad to see you there.”

Caligo shook her head at his description. He was describing her before she had been subjected to pain at human hands. Time wasn't something she bowed to, but it still ran it's course, even on her.

She didn't criticize him for his ignorance though, just simply stared at her legs, barely listening as she found herself wishing that he would leave. He wasn't horrible to speak with, he was just…human, which made it much harder for her to tolerate him being around.

"You'll have to do much better than directing me to attend a meal to gain my trust…" She finally replied, trailing off when she realized she didn't yet know the man's name. It did make her curious about who was there that wanted to see her, but she assumed that it would be no more than a new buyer, maybe a cruel companion to this man.

“Oh I’m well aware of that,” Marcus nodded to the girl’s statement. “It took me months, maybe even years, to finally gain someone else’s trust. But now he understands that I am not the heartless man he thought I was, he understands he has a restricted freedom but a freedom nonetheless.”

He continued to stare at Caligo before releasing a soft sigh as he gestured to the guards. “Be gentle with her, take her to the allocated room,” his eyes drifted back to Caligo for a moment as a small glimmer lit up his eyes. “I think I’ll leave it as a surprise, I’d love for you to see his face when the two of you see each other.” With that, Marcus walked away from the cell and allowed the guards to handle Caligo, taking her up to a rather lavish room.

(Shit, sorry for not responding sooner, I been completely spacing out on responses)

Caligo didn’t bother looking up to argue, just simply picked at her nails as she stared at the floor. Anything she had to say about freedom wouldn’t help her anyway, and she didn’t want to make her conditions worse here.

Opening her mouth to ask more about the mystery man she was going to meet, she quickly close it once more while he walked away. The guards didn’t bother clarifying anything about the interaction either, saying nothing as they helped her to her feet and led her away from the cell.

They were definitely gentler with her, she could say that, but they still treated her like a prisoner. Fittingly, since that was what she was. Led to a new room, they stopped once they reached it, opening the door to show her the new living space.

A gorgeous room sat in front of her, furnished and decorated beautifully. Even she could see that. Deep gray sheets decorated a large bed, and there was a matching chair tucked in a corner, next to a large bookshelf. There was even a small desk against the wall, and a dresser for clothes, all matching the dark grays and soft blues of the room. Her eyes widened when she took in the sight, and she was sure it was a dream, even as the guards let go of her and she was able to walk forward.

One of the guards turned to her while the other remained at his post outside the door. “If you require a wash, there is a bathing room through that door to the right.” He gestured to the mentioned door before continuing. “You will find soaps and towels already laid out beside the basin. Fresh clothes are kept within the dresser, you may wear them if you wish and I would advise that you do so as your own clothes aren’t exactly the most fragrant due to your travelling conditions. You have two hours before we take you down to the dining room, if you have any questions we will be outside to answer them.” With that, the guard closed the door and remained stood outside with his comrade.

Caligo's eyes followed where the guard pointed, but she stayed where she stood until the door closed behind the guard. Only then did she actually turn and take in her surroundings. It had been years since she had been allowed a room like this, let alone the privacy to feel some kind of calm. And as much as she knew not to fall for the facade of nice, she felt her guard drop for a moment.

Shaking her head, she cleared it of her thoughts and headed towards the bathing room, her movements cautious as she did so. Like the guard said, there was a stack of fresh towels and several soaps laid out for her, which she approached with slight curiosity. Smelling the soaps, she quickly picked her favorites and laid the rest aside, spending the next few minutes trying to figure out how to get water to fill the bathtub. The system wasn't horribly complex, but she took her time getting the water to the right temperature. All without speaking a word to herself, or even the faint voices of the dead.

As soon as the tub was filled, she stripped and slipped in, ignoring every instinct to look over herself and see just how injured she was. Instead, she busied herself with scrubbing herself clean and soaking in the water, knowing her time was ticking away.

Down at the other end of the hallway, Andre was so busy helping Marcus to look his best for the impromptu meal that asking what had been the ruckus earlier had completely slipped his mind. He bit his lower lip and squinted while steadily drawing on the master’s bright blue eyeliner, before he let out a soft breath of relief and set to work styling Marcus’ hair.

By the time they were finished, there was just little under ten minutes for Andre himself to get ready. Surprisingly, however, Marcus wanted to help him. After the Immortal had washed and changed, he found himself being forced to the vanity table Marcus had been sat at before a section of powders and products were applied to his face. “Just don’t rub your face or I’ll slap you.”
Andre knew he wasn’t joking, so he made a mental note to make extra sure that his hands went nowhere near his face.

The men made their way down to the dining room and Andre was told to wait until the guest was seated before he could sit down. Marcus turned to the nearby guard and asked for him to send for their guest, the anticipation of what would happen when the two Immortals met slowly eating away at his fluttering stomach. “I hope our guest thinks you’re as beautiful as I do, Andre.” He spoke softly, his eyes glimmering as he looked up at the other man.
“I think only you would ever find me beautiful,” Andre shook his head with a soft sigh. “I still don’t know why you think that about me, since I’m technically a slave to you.”
“Who ever said that slaves can’t be beautiful too? Now hush, our guest is almost here!”

It had been centuries since Caligo had last been allowed the pleasure of choosing what to wear, and so, as she watched the bath drain, she couldn't figure out what came next. What was she going to wear? She knew enough to figure out that brushing her hair was somewhere in the order. Did she need makeup? Was her hair supposed to be styled as well?
Grabbing one of the larger towels, she wrapped it around herself and stepped away from the basin, thinking back on what the guard had said. He hadn't mentioned anything about makeup, only clothing. And so she started there. Making her way to the dresser, she quietly selected and slipped into an outfit, trying to look for something neutral and dark. Eventually, she settled on a soft purple top, and a pair of black pants, searching for a pair of shoes to match.
Once she had given up on looking for a pair, she went back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. Looking into the bathroom mirror gave her the first glimpse of herself in quite a while, and she was a sight. Her hair had grown long, and it sat in a damp mess on her head, her pale skin was only accented by the lack of sunlight she had received, and her already thin frame looked skeletal from too little food. Even so, she didn't spend much time studying herself, just found a brush, dealt with her hair and left the room. The person she saw in the mirror was too different to be herself anyway.

By the time the guards came in to get her, she had resorted to using the rest of her time to try to actively ignore the voices in her head. She went with them willingly and quietly, not putting up a fight as she was led through the halls. Walking calmed her mind, leaving it open for her to study where she was. Nothing much stood out to her. It was a home, grand and spacious, lavish even, but it didn't make a single ounce of emotion appear on her face.

As the footsteps down the hall grew closer, both Andre and Marcus held their breaths in anticipation— although both were for completely different reasons.
In Andre’s mind, their guest was someone looking to potentially buy him from Marcus. That thought scared him the most because what if they weren’t as nice to him as Marcus was? What if they abused him and his power, like he had thought Marcus would do?

Marcus was almost drunk with excitement as the door rattled and opened, and he stood up from the table with a wide grin. “I’m pleased you decided to join us,” he spoke before anyone had even entered the room. “Please, take a seat, Miss Caligo.”

Caligo outwardly showed no signs of nervousness or excitement as they reached their destination. She already knew that her new owner was there, but she had no clue who the other guest would be. It made her gut twist to be unsure of who it was, even as the doors opened and she was able to see.

Her eyes locked first on her buyer, instantly noting the excitement in his eyes. She wondered what it was for. Until her eyes traveled to the other guest and her heart dropped.

Sitting next to her buyer, was the one man who she hadn’t seen in centuries. And he hadnt changed a bit.

Andre couldn’t be here. She refused to believe it. Frozen in her spot between the doors, her eyes never left the male. He looked like Andre, dressed however strangely, and his eyes held the same look they had when they had parted ways. Still, it couldn’t be him.

“No.” She whispered, her eyes never moving from Andre’s look-alike.

Caligo wondered if he recognized her. She had changed over the years, grown thinner, her hair longer than she ever wore it, and her eyes holding what she was sure was a different look than what Andre -if it was him- would know. If he did remember her…she wasn’t sure what it would do to her. All she could do was pray it was all a dream.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Marcus asked, cupping his hand around his ear. “It’s rude to whisper you know, why don’t you share with the rest of us?”
Andre stared at Caligo as if he were watching a puppy being slaughtered. His heart rose to his throat while his stomach dropped to his toes, and despite the wide spread of food being set on the table, he no longer felt like eating.

Last time Andre had seen Caligo, he had promised himself that would be the last time the two of them were in that much trouble. He kept telling himself that it was safer for them to part ways, no matter how much it hurt him to leave her behind. Now she was here he could only assume that Marcus meant for the two of them to work together—but in what way would he use them?

Marcus raised a brow as he looked up at Andre out of the corner of his eye. “Well it seems like someone has missed you, Caligo.”

Caligo shook her head though her eyes never left Andre. No matter how much she wanted to think that it wasn't him, there was no denying that it really was.

"No." Her voice was louder as she spoke, finally tearing her eyes away from the other immortal as she looked towards her master. "I can't-I need to leave…Please. Do what you want to punish me…but I can't be here with him." Panic laced her words, panic that she was still untangling in her mind.

She wanted to cry and scream, run to Andre and run away from him. She hadn't seen him in hundreds of years, but the loneliness had gotten comforting. Seeing any of the Immortals, especially him, was tearing apart the lies she told herself about her past. It brought up memories she didn't want to unpack, especially not over dinner around Andre and Marcus. Not if the most recent ones involved Andre leaving without hesitation or reason.

Caligo's hands trembled as she waited for an answer, her heartbeat speeding up as she glanced between Andre and Marcus, unsure of who to watch closer. Both were watching her, and it was just adding to her panic.

“Permission to leave?” Andre asked Marcus, although he wasn’t really looking for permission. He was already bracing himself to get up and go.
“If you must, but Caligo must stay here.” The man waved him off dismissively. “I suppose you can eat later.”
Andre marched out of the hall, closing the door behind him. Despite feeling like he was about to throw up, and that the floor was slipping out from under his feet, he leaned against the closed door to listen in on the conversation as much as he could.

Marcus sighed as he stared at the woman across from him, tapping his fingertips on the tablecloth. “Now why would you have a reaction like that? Andre hasn’t told me much, if anything, about his past with you but it must have been bad if you started freaking out like that.”

She watched with full focus as Andre left the room, and yet, she didn't feel any different once he was gone. Her heartbeat was still high, and she still felt like she wanted to cry, but at least Andre was out of the room. She sighed heavily, forcing herself to walk towards the table.

"It's…our past is complicated," Caligo stated, pulling out a chair and sitting down before her legs crumpled beneath her, "It's best to leave it at that."

She closed her eyes, dropping her head in her hands while her mind reeled. Why was he here? She knew it had been years since she had seen him, but it was still too soon. Her stomached twisted and growled while she sat there, adding to the unease she felt.

The last thing she wanted was to tell their past, but it was going to come up, with or without her compliance. Marcus didn't seem to know anything, she could only assume Andre truly hadn't told him anything. It was good to know that. Even if he had abandoned her when she was so close to breaking, and even if he had stolen all hope of freedom from her captors, he still had standards for privacy. Lovely.

Andre had been the last Immortal she had seen in three-hundred years. She had run across him during the revolution, when he was on the side of the rebel's, and she had been enslaved by the English. It was a point in her existence when she truly didn't want to exist, and she had begged him to help her. Being himself, he did help a little, but when she asked for help to run away, he drew a line in the dirt. Getting her out was an impossible task, and he realized it would ruin everything he was helping fight for. So he left her, believing she would find a way out without him, claiming she was strong enough to break free. Yet she didn't. And it broke her.

"What has he told you about our past?"

“From what he has told me that I know involved you specifically, he walked away when he knew you needed him the most. He didn’t say why, although the look in his eyes spoke more than his words.” Marcus stated, staring pointedly at the woman. “Of all that I had him tell me, his facial expression and tone changed only when he mentioned you. He tried to shut himself down when I pressed on so in the end all I have been able to confirm is that yourself and he have a bad past together—a very small point in the large map of things I have come to assume.”

She grimaced and nodded not daring to meet Marcus' eyes, "Our past hasn't been all bad…but I'm not over what he did. It's not the first time, and I'm far from perfect either." Caligo picked at the seam of her shirt, finally meeting his eyes, "If it's possible, I want to eat at a separate time from him. At the very least don't force me to interact with him." Even in her bad physical state, it seemed she still had some desire to speak up for herself, even if it seemed that she would follow what she was told no matter if it violated what she wanted or not.

There were many more things she wanted to say, but she held her tongue. Going into their past would make her cry, and she knew asking to stay away from Andre would be impossible. It was clear even to her that if he had both Life and Death in his hands, Marcus was planning something with both of them.

Marcus’ lips twisted in frustration for a moment before he nodded. “I suppose I can allow that. On one condition— my sister is coming to visit, I want you to be her handmaid during her time here.”

Loud sirens rang in Andre’s mind almost instantly. Marcus’ sister wasn’t a very nice woman, if anything she was worse than her brother in more than a few ways. Caligo was going to be worked to the bone while Andre’s services seemed like a dream in comparison.

"Deal."

Caligo agreed without hesitation. If all she had to do was work as a handmaiden in exchange for what she asked, she was being handed a deal on a silver platter. His sister couldn't work her that hard. And even if she did, she was a god, she could handle it. "How long is she here for?" She guessed the woman would be here for a few days, maybe a week at most. Anything longer than that seemed improbable. Caligo's eyes ran over the table of food while she waited for an answer, her appetite reappearing as things seemed to go better.