Zackary took the knife and sighed. “It’s just… how I do things, okay? My arm is the most valuble of my body parts, after all. The most vunerable… Why I do it?” He looked up at her. “I wouldn’t want to stab this into you, nor your son. It’s my burden, I should carry the forever mark.”
Juliet snatched the blade back, "No." she growled firmly. There were two things that Juliet Ghuard hated most: People treating her like she was helpless; even if she very well was., and handouts. Call it her pride, but this felt so much like a handout. She held the blade away from him. "Your arm looks disgustingly butchered. You're giving my son and I a safety we could never attain on our own for the price of nearly nothing, and this is your burden?" She shook her head and pointed to his arm. "Those contracts? Those were burdens. This isn't going to be. I'm not afraid of getting cut." And she wasn't. Lord knows she had suffered worse things. She honestly didn't know why she was stopping him. She should've been glad to stay out of harm. But… it felt wrong. Juliet felt she owed some type of penance for what she had demanded of him. He would be protecting she and her son for the rest of their lives.
Zackary snatched the blade back in a surge of anger. She really didn’t understand. Each contract he took had some type of burden. Protecting one one hell of a burden. Not to mention, the scars were a keepsake of his, reminding him of who he was.
“Look. I’ve been doing this for over thousands of years. I know, this contract isn’t going to be a burden, but I stil want… to preserve it. And it’s just how I go about things. If you want a blade and a mark on your child, fine! Hurt him, and hurt yourself. But I’m not going to let you do that. It is my duty to protect you. I stab this knife so it hurts me and it damages me. If I were Human, I’d be dead after a few seconds. Do you want this on your arm?” He asked fiercely, pointing to a particularly bad and fresh stab in his arm.
"Does it look like I care!?!" she roared, her fists clenching. Let him do what he pleases she chided herself. Crossing her arms she looked him up and down, pushing down the sea of things she wanted to spew at him. "Fine." she spat. "Do what you want. Just get it over with." Perhaps she was being unfair, but her pride had been wounded, and it made her see red.
(Some major goreee)
“You’d care once it’s done,” Zackary whispered, with that, and with two swift motions, Zackary had cupped a good bit of blood in his hand. He knew it’d heal over soon. Next he needed his wings.
He tossed away the knife and sighed. “Look. I’m going to let my wings go. They’re big. Really big. Don’t get frightened by them, please.”
She raised a brow. 'As long as it doesn't ruin my livingroom." She muttered, though her voice shook. The blood in his hand almost made her gag, such an amount. Just to think, if she had kept on running her mouth, that would've been her blood in his hand. She silently grew grateful that he had denied her offer.
Zackary nodded and crossed the living room. “I’ll try my best,” was really all he could offer. His nickname was Wings, after all. He kneeled on the ground and shut his eyes, willing for his wings. Wishing for them. Requiring and telling them of their cause. They uncurled slowly from his back. And there was a good reason for his nickname. They were huge. If they unfurled out all the way, they might be around sixty feet. They were angelic yet black, but this didn’t deny the face of his wings, which were tipped with gray and white. The joints were a dark, dark red, making his feathers look like knives. His wings shivered as they gently touched the ceiling of the room. Zackary was impassive to the massive weight of his wings, somehow, and didn’t move from his kneeled pose. He kept his hand under the jab wounds, making sure no blood escaped into the carpet.
“Come here,” He finally spoke.
Sariel raised up her arms, and looked at Avilasa as she moved around. "So, what type of customer was that?" She asked, making sure to keep the same even tone. I have a pretty good idea of it, but it's better to hear her say it. The woman thought, her gaze unwavering.
Avilasa looked at the woman sharply. "I swear, if you go running to the police, I will kill you…" She stepped up to her and started feeling down the intruder. "I sell poison and my services. Mainly killing. I've been doing this for a while, but I've gotten plenty of narrow escapes from the police. It's insanely annoying." She scowled as she went down the dark clothed girl's sides.
Those wings…. Juliet's blue eyes grew wide. They were beautiful. She jumped when he spoke. How was she suppose to get around them? she narrowed her eyes as she took in the size once more. They were humongous. She took hesitant steps forward, her eyes on those wings. Can I touch them? They looked like knives, but surely they would hurt her for real. She reached a hand out but thought better of it.
Zackary looked up, his wings twitched towards her hand. “Take two feathers.” Now that she was closer, she could identify spots where feathers were missing.
“They won’t hurt you. They’re soft. Very.”
She was listening to him, her hands moving towards the feathers, yet they strayed. She ran a soft hand over a spot where the feathers were missing. He wanted her to pluck his feather? His beautiful feathers. She shook her head as tears clouded her vision. Just do it and get it over with, you can apologize later, Julie! It's almost over. She told herself as she pulled one feather, and then another. They were so soft. Lips trembling, she looked at him.
He rose slowly, his wings curving so that they were wrapped around her, too. They shivered behind her, but they warmed her back.
“Don’t cry,” Zackary softly said, smiling a little. It softened his handsome face tremendously. “It’ll be over soon.” He walked closer and pulled his hand out from under his arm. The one with the ton of blood.
“Dip the silver tips in my blood.”
She stepped closer as his wings wrapped around her. She gave a shaky breath and nodded. She looked at the silver tips of the feathers and then slowly dipped them in the blood. She looked away as she took them back out, blood dripping on her carpet.
This is morbid… she shuddered.
Zackary wiped his own blood on his jeans and grabbed the feathers tipped with his blood.
“Alright. Ready?” He looked at her steadily, his gray eyes hidden in emotion.
"For?" she panicked, backing away slightly. "What are we doing?" she asked as his wings stopped her, blocking her escape. Her eyes flicked to the blood he'd wiped on his jeans and back up.
His wings curled around her. “Don’t be afraid. I’m just going to brand you with my mark. Well, you and your son, but I’ll be taking his pain, since I’m bound to portect him.” He gave her one of the feathers. “I’ll let you do it, though. Hold the feather to your right shoulder, on your back. Make sure it’s touching your skin. It’ll burn a little, but not for long.”
Juliet just stared for a moment. Her heart pounded so loud, she was sure he could hear it. With shaking hands, she raised the feather to her right shoulder and touched her skin. The burning was bearable, though she shut her eyes to calm the panic that fought inside of her.
Zackary waited a few moments, which felt like hours. “Okay. You can take it off, now.” He pulled his shirt down and rested the feather on his shoulder, but he bit his lip and took it. The burning subsided and he lifted off the feather.
“The contract has been sealed. You and your son are branded with my mark.”
She nodded, her breath catching in her throat, she stumbled back and turned from him, clutching her stomach. You are NOT going to throw up! Its over she scolded herself. She fought to catch breath, clutching the feather in her hand. "Okay…okay…" she whispered more to herself than to the demon at her back.
Zackary pulled his wings away, stepping closer. “You should sit down. I’ll make you something to eat.” His wings twitched forward again and nudged her forward to her chair and sat her down. “I’ll go grab Qhuinn, okay? You steady yourself. I don’t want a mess to clean.”
Juliet wanted to protest but she could hardly speak, unless she wanted to retch all over the floor. She shook her head. "Don't…touch him." she managed to say. "Leave him."
Zackary sighed. “You have to learn to trust me. It’s my duty to protect him. I have to go up there and check on him. I’ll bring him down here, okay? I don’t want him getting hurt.” His wings shook out and curled up tightly again, disappearing. The feather in her hand tickled her skin, and his blood crusted over.
(i'm not sure where to jump in rn)
(oh we’re just taking over this rp, are we?
sorry)
(nah it's fine
plus i don't have anyone to make a contract with yet)
She dropped the feather and narrowed her eyes at him. She the looked away. Focus on getting you cool back and then you can yell she decided. She looked towards the closed curtains, taking in their obsidian black color, finding calm in it.
Zackary turned and carefully went upstairs, stealthily creeping into the room. He walked over to the crib and smiled warmly, lifting up the child in his strong arms.
“Hi there, Qhuin. Aren’t you a cutie?”
Qhuinn saw the strange man once more, taking his gaze from the small stuff lions, monkeys, and elephants. He blinked as he was raised from the crib and squealed. He blew a raspberry in his delight, clapping his hands together, spit falling from him mouth to his bib. He then placed his hands on Zackary's face.
Zackary beamed happily. He loved children. They were just do cute and slobbery! “You’re such a cutie!” He repeated happily, booping his little buttoned nose. “So cute!”
Sariel raised up her arms, and looked at Avilasa as she moved around. "So, what type of customer was that?" She asked, making sure to keep the same even tone. I have a pretty good idea of it, but it's better to hear her say it. The woman thought, her gaze unwavering.
Avilasa looked at the woman sharply. "I swear, if you go running to the police, I will kill you…" She stepped up to her and started feeling down the intruder. "I sell poison and my services. Mainly killing. I've been doing this for a while, but I've gotten plenty of narrow escapes from the police. It's insanely annoying." She scowled as she went down the dark clothed girl's sides.
Smiling a bit, Sariel kept her head up and continued to scan the room, looking for small details that she may have missed. "I don't quite think that would work out, you killing me." The blonde said, her arms still up and out of the way. "Narrow escapes from the police." Sariel echoed, her tone dull. Suddenly, a bit of life came to the woman's silvery eyes as she finally looked at the brown haired girl in front of her. "I can help with that, if you'd like I can get you out of it entirely." As she was patted down, Sariel managed to keep herself calm. This was the first time she had gotten even remotely close to making a deal.
