Of Monkeys and Scars

[Kristopher Roberts]

It had been a while since the one eyed blond human had been summoned to his Mistress' chambers. He had to wonder what it could be that she wanted of him. As of late, she had been wanting only his brother to tend to her needs. Had she finally wished to have him return to his duties even though he had been off kilter for some time?

The blond wasn't really sure what to prepare himself for, however with Mar sitting on his head and Ken about his neck, there was little for him to do about the subjects. But the blond was going to answer his Boogie's summon.

So he walked with a purpose, dodging things here and there after finally getting used to his blind side. It still took him longer then normal to reach his Boogie's door, but she would understand why, her favorite human had only one eye after all as the other remained useless in the socket hidden behind a leather patch.

Kristopher stood in front of the large bedroom door for a moment, Naelona's room had finally been fully repaired and livable once again. So it would be the first time Kristopher would be stepping foot into said room. Raising a hand, he slowly knocked on the door and after a moment, he entered.

Closing the door behind him and ignoring the ever present darkness as best as he could, he bowed from the waist, hand over his heart. "Madam, you wished to see me." stated the blond with his ever soft velvet like voice.

At first look, his Madam would notice that Kristopher didn't look as healthy as he should. Sure, he some muscle mass now but nothing over the top and he was still skinny as hell. His blond curls were messy and a shadow was under his emerald orb, showing he had been having trouble sleeping and being stressed as of late.

Who could blame him with everything he had been going through as of late. but at least he was dressed proper and wasn't too ill for a change. He was in fair health and curious to the reason why he was summoned to his boogies side once again like old times.

[Naelona Ezel]

A pale hand was what sifted from the shadows first, a pale hand followed by an arm robed in soft dark velvet, a deep shade that only hinted burgundy in the faint light. A hand that beckoned him closer and into her company. Only part of her long locks were down, a few of the higher ones clipped back along with the white strands that accompanied them, lingering in curious curls that gently turned and rested upon her back. There was something distinctly different about his Mistress, but still nostalgically the same. Very morbidly, the same.

Even the room Kristopher found himself within paid due homage to it's predecessor, save for a few small things. The furniture, carved, was a bit nicer than what she'd kept before. Newly finished rugs cradled the floor, and the legs of furniture upon them. No masks resided upon the walls but bundles of drapery, even a vase of a lone, solitary yet white flower resided by itself upon a small table. Beside it a wooden case, lacked and secure. It's contents well kept within it's polished cherry wood surface. The fingertips of her other hand resting lightly upon it.

Mar - for once - didn't scamper away nor try to bite the boy - but neither did the creature run to it's Mistress either. Instead it remained sitting upon Kristopher's shoulder, on his blind side, one greedy little paw dug a fist-full into his pretty blond hair. Coal eyes met the slave's single green one. A corner of her lips drew tight in a restrained smirk, or as it was said, as close as she came to one. As the boy looked a little worse than his best, his Madam seemed unusually well.

"Here." She summoned quietly, "I desire your thoughts upon something, dear Kristopher." Old times indeed, if only in concept this was like them. Still extending her hand to him she waited for him to approach, brushing the cheek of his blind side softly, if only for Mar to scamper across to her arm and into her possession. Naelona seemed a bit distant for a moment, looking at his eye patch. "Does it still trouble you?" The question was without explanation, though he could probably expand on it however he liked. Literally, figuratively, historically. But it was undoubted directed towards his eye - or rather - lack thereof.

[Kristopher Roberts]

Kristopher paid little mind to the room and its new look, for it wasn't of importance at the moment. What was truly important was in front of him, his boogie. Slowly, he moved up towards Naelona as he always did, welcoming the pale hand that touched his cheek softly.

He smiled softly at her before taking that pale hand within his own and bringing the back of her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss upon it. A sign or servitude and respect, as always Kristopher was very well trained in the terms of human slaves. His green eye peered into her coal colored once curiously as she promptly stated she wished for his thoughts upon a matter.

It wasn't unusual for her to ask him questions but it was always hard to answer for she had ways of asking that made him have to think carefully. The boy did not flinch when Mar moved away or when Ken slowly dropped from his shoulders like the lazy feline that Kender was at heart.

"Does it still trouble you?"

The green eyed boy blinked a few times, pondering upon the meaning of the question as he stood before his Master. Feeling uncomfortable suddenly, he averted his eye as old habits went. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she was asking and her staring only increased his feelings of being disfigured.

"If you are inquiring if it pains me, then yes, sometimes it does. However if your asking if it bothers me, then it does as well my Lady. But I am growing used to it at my own pace. I can walk in a straight line now and avoid pieces of furniture." He responded carefully, making sure to include he as doing fine even if he had issues with his eye. He wasn't going to lie to her anymore if he could help it at least.

He offered her a small troubled smile then and shook his head. "But it is nothing to be concerned over. I will soon be back on par." His hand awkwardly brushed over his patch, his newest habit since the lose of his eye. "Although," he paused, running a thumb over the back of her hand, loving her soft skin. "If it troubles you to look at, I will find a way to cover it better to make you more comfortable."

It was nice to be near Naelona again, he had missed her and it was showing. It had been so odd not being able to be near her for a long time, doing her task and helping. But now that he was back with her, in her life again...he felt more at ease as if something was returning to normal. Some since of stability that he so desperately needed as of late.

[Naelona Ezel]

He was as gentle as ever, and there was little she could say against her slave. Sometimes she was harsh to him, even cruel but he was still gentle with her. It seemed a part of his nature, perhaps such was of the fragile boy who didn't break. It never slipped the might the trait very well could have been beaten into him. But this was a child who should've died a dozen times over but still took breath. The soft kiss by his soft lips did little to contradict it. The little child that kept losing things, but still clinging onto life.

"If you are inquiring if it pains me, then yes, sometimes it does. However if your asking if it bothers me, then it does as well my Lady. But I am growing used to it at my own pace. I can walk in a straight line now and avoid pieces of furniture. Although, If it troubles you to look at, I will find a way to cover it better to make you more comfortable." Naelona made a soft clucking sound, brushing her thumb across his eyebrow, and the edge of his patch. "If it made me uncomfortable, I would have removed it." She assured in her own.. disturbing way.

Naelona watched the boy for several moments, not minding the contact. "You say you are fine, yet you still cannot see." Removing her other hand from the top of the closed box, Naelona shooed off Mar who scampered to her room, reaching to touch Kris' hip about where the height of tables were. There were bruises, she was sure. With a frown she lifted the patch, looking at the scarring that was hidden beneath it with a distance scowl. Handiwork of her father for a menial mishap. Not that she might've not done much less herself, but this was her slave. Not one that belonged to the Ezel family. There were reasons she disliked roses.

"I do not wish for my slaves to be half blind." Sighing the boogie patted Kris lightly, glancing to the chair behind him before resting her hand heavily upon his shoulder. "Sit." The command was icy in comparison to her earlier tone, as the eye patch was pulled from his head and Mar returned from her bedroom with a glint of something long and metalic within his sharp maws. Naelona had already made up her mind. She would put an end to this shortly.

[Kristopher Roberts]

His name was never used during this whole conversation and that in itself made Kristopher careful on what he did or said to his Madam. When she never addressed him this usually meant she had something on her mind or she was mad with him. But at if she didn't use his middle name, Allen, then he was perfectly fine for the time being. The use of his middle name always ended badly. That was when she was tired of him or down right furious, it was always a warning to let him know he was on thing ice.

"If it made me uncomfortable, I would have removed it."

How disturbing, it was so disturbing in fact he had to think of other things to keep the mental images from coming into his little mind on what that might of meant for him. What she would do if she truly found his appearance uncomfortable. His thin lips pressed together from the thoughts and pressed harder when her hand bruised his hip.

His Madam would be correct, he would indeed have the imprints of many table corners digging into his skin and leaving sharp and deep bruises against his body. He always had some trouble judging the distance of them still. But he had gotten better, he didn't lie about that. He wasn't stupid enough to lie to Naelona. Not anymore. He made a promise never to lie to her again in order for him to return to her side and away from the boogies that held him before. Naelona was heaven compared to them.

"You say you are fine, yet you still cannot see. I do not wish for my slaves to be half blind."

The blond averted his eye(s) from her then. Now he was uncomfortable. Naelona didn't like the fact he was half blind. Hell, who didn't? He was surprised Augusta even put up with it half the time. But with Naelona pointing it out, it made his heart stop and drop to his feet. Did this mean she was going to trade him off now that he was handicapped? Was she going to send him away to the Labyrinth because he would no longer be any good for anything. No, he wouldn't let that happen, he would prove he was still worthy to live and be in her service!

He made no response in his patch being removed from his head, even though he wanted to protest and tell her to leave it be. He never liked anyone looking at it, not even his Fiancee. But for the sake of trying to keep his life in tact and thinking, he let her take it away without any restraint. He even sat when she told him too. Like a good pet, he sat up straight and tall, leaning it the care like it was a second skin.

His green and pale eye turned to glance at Mar. He too had noticed something shiny being in the creatures mouth. His gut then gave him that feeling of something bad was about to happen or a sudden change. He wasn't sure which but he was filled with anxiety and dread.

"I understand." He said softly, hand reaching up to touch the useless thing in his socket.

[Naelona Ezel]

Naelona regarded the boy silently as he sat - knowing he would jump to follow any command she gave him. He still sat straight, still, awaiting whatever might befall him. An epitomy of obedience and faith. Servitude and understanding of his place. After so long of going back and forth, fighting and trying to instill the worthwhile traits into his young soul, she'd finally achieved what now every boogie aquired. A slave that not only did as told, but desired to as well. Who not only had his Boogie's heavy hand as reason, but their own personal causes as well.

It was one thing that - if anything - had garnered at least a little piece of favor in her worn soul of a heart. Replacing the patch upon his other eye, blinding him, Naelona reached for her familiar as Mar hopped upon her shoulder and dropped into her hand the metal piece it'd been carrying. A very small blade, a sort of razor. Soft clicks echoed in the room as the small cherry wood box was unlocked. Subtle rustling as whatever had been packaged securely within was removed with care.

"I understand." Had come his quiet, calm reply. "No." Naelona intoned coldly, brushing his hand away from the scarred remains of his eye. "I don't believe you do." Setting each leg on either side of him, Naelona knelt upon the chair, the cloth of her dress brushing against him. There was a sharp intake of breath, as hinting at some sudden pain but Naelona didn't move away. Kristopher would feel warm drops upon his face, and two sharp points of nails moving his eyelids back as the warm liquid dripped in.

Looking down upon the boy, Naelona took the item and held it to her stinging hand, before holding it over Kristopher's blind eye. A small dried orb with a writhing tendril at the end, dripping red as it wiggled above his face, dangled from her fingers. The root-like end curled and flickered across the ruined organ, and Naelona pressed against the slave to discourage movement as suddenly the tendril took root - burrowing and pulling itself into the space that was his useless eye. The tendril threading within the socket as the eye before it was shriveled and consumed. The orb absorbing the clear liquid, plumping to look very much like an eye itself. It's amber patch of color tinting darker, gaining hints of oncoming hues of red by the second when Naelona let go of his eyelids, letting them shut as they probably wanted to do.

Dropping the small blade she pressed her hands against his arms, willing the slave to be still until it was finished. Willing his shining trait would hold through, that he was still obedient as always all the way until the end. After some moments, she removed the patch from his good eye, letting it fall to the floor uselessly.

"Open them, Kristopher." Came the quiet command, a soft palm resting upon his cheek, her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. It was no painless feat, she was sure, but so was the price for a gift like this.

[Kristopher Roberts]

"I don't believe you do."

Kristopher was seriously confused now. Especially seeing as she reapplied the eye patch to his eye. However it wasn't his bad one, but his working one, thus blinding him from whatever she was about to do. Kristopher didn't like that, he didn't like the feeling of being unable to see what was going on, it just made him even more nervous then he usually was when something like this was going on.

He felt Naelona take position above him. It was odd, so from this point he knew he wasn't going to be disposed of, but what was she doing pulling back his eye lid? Something warm dripped into his pale eye then, staining it a redish-pink color. He tried to blink but was unable too. Though the human remained still in his seat with his head tilted, he couldn't help but speak. "Madam?"

Of coruse, she didn't answer him and this made him want to move but once again he resisted the urge too for a moment. When he felt something touch his face that was in no way a hand he shuttered and tired to move his head slightly to the side, which only gave him an even creepier feeling. Something was touching his eye! His movement was quickly discouraged by his boogie. His hands clinched the arms of the chair until his knuckles went white. Luckily for him, when the older Ezel had attacked his eye, he had destoried most of the nerves and so only he could feel was sharp pressure being appiled. He squirmed a bit in the chair and grunted.

The feeling was seriously uncomfortable. Then a shot of pain moved through him from his socket. The blond bit his tongue, trying not to try out by the sudden pain he was feeling, it was as if something was wrapping itself around his nerves and ripping them out. His jew clenched tightly as a thin line of blood flowed from the corner of his lips. Sure, it didn't hurt as bad as when his body was being attacked by rose bushes but it still hurt like hell. The muscles in his neck bludged for a moment before returning to normal as the pain that had suddenly came subsided.

His body tensed and feeling rather violated by whatever had touched him, he closed his eye as soon as Naelona released him. Pure red human blood flowed out of his eye socket and down his face at a slow pace, like bloody tears. It wasn't because of some wound, but from a fusion and the nerves having been touched, his old eye being---eatten?

"Open them, Kristopher."

Breathing hard, the blond opened his eyes. He opened both, one eye looking very healthy and green while the other was bright red like the fresh blood that came from his socket. He didn't say anything for a long moment as he was trying to gather his wits and make his pulse slow down. Naelona was right, it was by no means painless, but it hurt less then what her father did too him.

"Wh--what happened?" The blond was dazed and confused, unknowing that his once wounded eye was switching. The pupil was moving but not focusing on anything right away. It was still merging with his body and slowly, the dark side of his vision was clearing in a blur which made him shut his eyes from a sudden head ache.

"Good god, my head feels like its splitting open." He whimpered out.

[Naelona Ezel]

Leaning close Naelona sniffed the air by his face for a moment, before licking the worst of his blood-streaked cheek. Following the lines as Mar returned with a handkerchief - two of them to be exact. Taking one Naelona wiped her slave's face clean, from his eye to the edge of his mouth. Once satisfied, she looked down upon her own bleeding hand, a nice cut in the flesh of her palm - before wrapping that as well.

Watching his eyes there was a faint smile for a moment as Naelona looked from green, to red, to green again. "Wh--what happened?" Once she was done tending to her hand, she rested her fingers upon his cheek, brushing in a calming manner. The female boogie didn't answer him, watching instead the eye as it twitched and tried to adjust to it's new home.

"Good god, my head feels like its splitting open." Nae chuckled softly, motioning for Mar to give her the patch, which she replaced about Kris's head and recovered his healing eye. "It isn't." She assured him. "You're quite alright, Kristopher. It may hurt for a while, but the pain will go away in time." Cradling his head to her chest she pet his hair. And before she forgot, she reached over and shut the wooden box. In ways Naelona had lied - Kristopher might very well not be alright after this. The eye was an eye of a boogie, in a human eye's place. It was in the nature of every fiber of a boogie's being to consume such flesh, but hopefully her blood was enough of a mediator so it wouldn't try such a thing.

"Rest for a while." She soothed, wishing her hand would quit throbbing, though knowing she might need the injury again if things did not go well. "You may lie for a bit, if you'd like." Nae offered her slave. She'd take him to her room, of course. Where she could keep a close watch upon her favored slave. Climbing off the chair, she took his hand in her uninjured one, keeping her other gingerly to her side. "Come."

[Kristopher Roberts]

"It isn't. You're quite alright, Kristopher. It may hurt for a while, but the pain will go away in time."

It wasn't? Well, that was a good thing to know then even though he still hurt. But he nodded softly at her in understanding. Once his eye had been covered once again he reached up and touched it gently, confused on why his head was feeling funny and cracked open.

Slowly he licked his own lips for a moment, not caring that his Mistress was licking up his blood. He was used to such things happening and thus a normal thing for him. He lifted his hand to rest on Naelona's arm for a moment to steady himself in the chair. "What happened?" he asked. He had felt his eye through the patch, he knew it was still there but he had no clue what she was doing to his eyes.

"Rest for a while. You may lie for a bit, if you'd like. Come."

Kristopher did not complain as he stood as soon as she let him. He took her hand and stumbled forward slightly, his other hand rested over his patch. He held it gently as if he was afraid his eye would suddenly fall out of its very socket if he didn't.

"Im confused..." He admitted, looking dazed as a change was happening through his body. "I don't feel right." Was he getting ill? Oh god, he didn't need to get ill right now! He had so many things he needed to do and to get done. But laying down sounded like a wonderful plan and so he let his boogie lead him to her bed if that is where she choose to take him. From his side he could hear a animal move. It wasn't Mar, Mar wouldn't be the type to weave between his legs. Looking down a little, he saw the fur of Kender and smiled tiredly, "Ken.." He chuckled at his feline that followed after him magically it seemed.

He then looked back at his madam, "I should be fine...in a few minutes...I don't know why I suddenly feel so odd..." His voice was apologetic as always.

[Naelona Ezel]

"Shh.." Naelona coaxed, hushing the boy. What had happened wasn't exactly important for him to know. "I was just righting my father's wrong." and it was all she was going to say on the matter, too. What exactly she'd done, Kristopher didn't need to know. Just that he'd be able to see again. Though an eye of one of her own race, but an eye none the less.

Wrapping her arm about his back to steady him Naelona led the way back to her room, and to her bed. That too looked very much like the old one, and of all the replaced furnishings it looked most like its predecessor. Dark sheets and comforter, deeply shaded pillows that hinted at having a touch of violet.

"Hush now." Was all Naelona would say to any of his protests, complains, apologies, or anything else that crossed his lips other than sheer compliance. "Give yourself some time to adjust." Helping him sit upon the bed, and putting his feet upon the sheets Naelona hesitated a moment at sight of Ken, before picking up the feline in her arm, coming to sit next to Kristopher and nudging him so he could lean against her as a pillow and she could pet his hair while he rested, placing his pet beside him despite the bewildered looks from her familiar.

Pulling shadows the room darkened, and the boogie held the boy close. "Rest." She murmured in the dark. "I'll take care of you." A promise his well being probably depended upon most often than he was aware. Obedience only carried so well in keeping a slave alive here..

"Look wisely, when you awake."

[Kristopher Roberts]

"I was just righting my father's wrong."

Righting her father's wrong? How could she right his wrong? His eye was gone, his face disfigured with scars. He didn't see how she could right his wrongs but he didn't bother to try and correct her, it would be useless. So he merely remained silent, moving at a slow pace with his hand still attached to his head.

"Naelona..."

"Hush now. Give yourself some time to adjust."

Adjust? Adjust to what? Once again he was as lost a new born baby. But he wouldn't be that way for long. No indeed, once he was up and moving he would find out what was going on. He sat down on the nice bed and leaned against his boogie as she wanted him to do. He closed his eye(s) and let out a soft sigh.

He wasn't listening to her now, he was far too tired. Tired out of nowhere but he was going to rest just like she said. He felt Ken rest on his lap and he ran a hand down his cats fur. He did this until he finally found sleep, restless but yet still sleep.

"I'll take care of you, Look wisely, when you awake."

Look wisely? Look at what? He wondered as he finally went out. He would stay asleep likes this for around five hours before he would finally stir and somehow, he would awaken to find his head resting upon Naelona's lap and the feline he owned laying over his Master's shoulders.

Go figure, Kender liked Naelona but hated Augusta.

He blinked a few times before looking up at his Madam, curiously and sleeply.

[Naelona Ezel]

A few moments become minutes, became hours. But for her, time was time, and it passed all the same. Even long after Kristopher fell asleep, Naelona pet his blond curls absently. It took a while, but eventually her fingers wandered over to the cat, holding still at it's tentative sniffs at her fingertips before being able to pet the small thing.

Eventually, once she was sure nothing worse would happen to the boy, she rested against the wall and the pulled shades gradually relaxed as she gradually fell asleep, absently brushing fingers across the feline that'd found a comfy place upon her shoulders. Mar - for that matter - had long scampered off.

By the time Kristopher finally came to, one hand still lay nestled in his hair, while her bandaged one lay in her lap beside his head. The boogie seemed to have a bit of a frown as she slept, leaning in a nook between where the wall and headboard met. Even as he blinked, and looked to her, she made little notion of waking from her apparent sleep.

Nothing but Mar sitting at the end of the bed, glaring death and betrayal at the cat and his mistress, ever moved once the boy stirred.

[Kristopher Roberts]

Blinking once more, Kristopher slowly sat up, using his arms for support. He raised a hand to his locks and smoothed out the unruly hair. Then pinched the crown of his nose softly. At least his head no longer felt like it was splitting open. He felt much better, however slightly tired still.

He yawned softly and looked towards Ken, Naelona and then to Mar (which he frowned at). Slowly he lifted a hand and thought about waking her, but he decided against it. Instead, he lowered her to the bed to allow her to sleep comfortably. Ken looked up at his blond master, stood up and streched out before the feline easily jumped up on his shoulders and wrapped his body around the blonds neck like a scarf.

"Man..." He muttered to himself as he stood from the bed and moved about his madam's room. He rubbed the side of his face and came to a sudden stop as he noticed a long body length mirror. He stared at it for a long moment and then glanced at Naelona. She didn't seem like she was awake. Chewing on his lower lip, he decided to go to the mirror and stand before it.

His hands touched his eye patch, then hesitantly they reached up and undid the strings that kept the patch attached to him. When the patch fell away. The boy couldn't say a damn word. He looked on in shock and confusion at the red eye that rested in the once useless socket. What was even more shocking...is that he could see out of it.

Startled, he leaned forward and grabbed the mirror on either side and peered closure into the mirror. "No way..." He muttered to himself, staring at the strange eye that wasn't his...he never had a red eye before...it had always been green. So why did it suddenly turn red? Why in the seven hells could he see out of it?

"The nerves and retina where totally destroyed...everything was..." he said to himself.

[Naelona Ezel]

The moment Kender left his Mistress, and the annoying slave boy got off the bed Mar was by Naelona's side, with a hiss and annoyed screech towards the two. Burrowing itself within the blankets just Mar's fuzzy little head shown above the edge of the sheets, glaring another look of death at the boy and his cat.

Naelona frowned in her sleep, moving just enough to bop Mar over the head for making all the noise. The monkey looked up at her with a hurt look before settling down where the sheets met her lap. For all intents and purposes it probably looked as though her hand had fallen upon the monkey, as she gave no other sign of stirring when Kris glanced back at her.

The first conscious thought into the boogie's mind (aside from swatting the annoying screeching noise) was the stinging in her palm from swatting Mar. It was still tender, and curling her fingers lightly, the next thing to notice was that Kristopher was no longer asleep on her lap. That got Naelona to crack open one eye, and stir slightly bringing her to the last point - her neck now had an awful crink to it.

"No way..." In the quiet room the words almost sounded too large to her ears. Blinking Naelona searched for the source of the sound, eyes settling upon her blond slave who seemed a bit enraptured at examining his new eye. The boy's old eye probably didn't evil exist anymore, but for the moment she declined the thought to tell him such.

"The nerves and retina where totally destroyed..everything was..." Rubbing her neck Nae sat up with a weak smile. "Do you like it?" She asked, disturbing Mar from his rest once more to get out of bed herself, coming up to stand behind her slave, looking with him upon his eye in the mirror. If her father destroyed - she could at least restore.

[Kristopher Roberts]

He looked on in shock and awe at his --new-- eye. He wasn't sure how to react to this sudden change. He rand his fingers over his face, the scars where still there but the eye was different and changed. Chewing on his bottom lip, he tilted his head to the side, moving the curls out of the view of his eye.

"I don't understand..." he whispered to himself. His medical mind told him this wasn't possible in Wonderland to gain a new eye all of a sudden. Especially, from a boogie monster. He was so fascinated by this that he didn't hear his Madam move from the bed until she was behind him.

A look of realization came to his face as well as startlement as he let his curls fall back over the eye. He looked at Naelona's reflection. "Do you like it?" He wasn't an idiot to say no, he loved it but wanted to know why he had the eye...but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I do." He replied, staring at his Mistress. "I'm just not sure how...or what to think to be honest." It was easy to tell that he was thrilled to have a working eye and just didn't know how to express himself or anything for that matter. But he knew this was something big, Naelona didn't give gifts out like Santa Clause. That was for sure!