48 Hours (Kris/Naelona)

[Naelona Ezel]

Resting there Naelona said little, and was content with Kristopher's agreeance with her points. Still she didn't trust Augusta. Unlike Kristopher, she wouldn't trust him as far as she could throw him - and considering her aversion to contact - that wasn't very far at all. The boy had been bad news since the start the other year, it was a pity she hadn't just taken a reason and gotten rid of him then.

"You are right on those matters, but she would of killed me soon enough if you hadn't stolen me from her. Augusta could do the same to me now, but I don't believe he would. He has a heart unlike my mother...she...only wanted her drugs, she never wanted me to begin with...but Augusta does. And I think you do as well..." Naelona froze in her place and didn't move, and didn't speak. Maybe it was how he worded it, or maybe just the slave's tone, but something to his last statement urged her to draw him closer much like he'd done only moments before.Kristopher was a slave, a slave that belonged to her, so want? Of course she'd want. But want was a desire, desire want an emotion, and emotion was irrelevant and irrelevancy had to place in the proper thinking existence..

"At this time? Often either asleep, in the Fun House working or with his Master. Either of those three." His voice struck as distant for a moment, and Nae's breath - though subtle - struck uneasy as she pulled at the blankets to be a bit higher about them. Her pale shoulders were too cool for this morning light.

"Naelona?" Once again his soft voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Why have you kept me alive all these years?" The boogie made a half note of amusement, it was all too simple a thing. "I had a bet. You're my eldest, you possess value. Why do you wonder?" That was the nutshell answer, the same she'd always told to all. Kristopher was a belonging, her belonging, prized through years of cultivation and work. A product to be marveled and serve as an example to others. A winning product of a bet that ended.. several seasons ago.

She listened quietly, and allowed her slave the time to speak. It started as a simple questioning, and ran to outlining nearly every thing she'd ever done for him. There were others - true - but he had reaccounted the main ones. At the soft touch of his hand she quickly turned away as if it burned with a shiver, pressing against his chest to sit upright, and away from him. Feeling the cool air about her body than the warmth of his and soft blankets.

Naelona had owned Kristopher for a long time, and he'd only been a very small portion of her much longer life, but an important one. It was difficult to forget the early times of when he was still a small child, having to hold onto him during the night so he couldn't run away, while terrified of the contact that the squirming child was suddenly going to morph into some boogie-eating beast and consume her before dawn. Even now she still could not stand contact, and any forced from another person would surely draw her terror, and her ire if not eventually break her altogether - but here she was easily cozied up to slave who sometimes couldn't be kept close enough.

Sitting there upon his lap, Naelona refused to look at him, her arms prone to a shiver now and then but more from the question than the cool air. From her days with Anolean, to Syeira's death, to arguing with her father, to leaving home and becoming the cold logic-ridden being she was - all the way to slaves and betting for a past-time. Kristopher Roberts was a far end result of a long history, if only a small chapter of whatever her life would come to be. Not all his points could she label as things that were 'needful' to be done. Several of them didn't require her at all - yet she intervened. And he was right - she had other slaves. Both more able-bodied, stronger, and healthier that Kristopher. The little blond slave with curly hair, who was even more gentle than she.

There was only one consistent answer to all she had done, and Naelona didn't have a way of explaining it. She took his face between her hands, leaning in close and kissed his lips gently, hesitantly, keeping it short so he hopefully couldn't catch on and 'play along'. The gestures were fine, but looking back something about such 'compliance' bothered her. Lightly biting her lower lip, she finally looked to him, glancing from one red eye to the green. Her hands held a slight tremor to them, looking conflicted as she brushed his hair aside, petting it lightly. "I had to."

[Kristopher Roberts]

"I had a bet. You're my eldest, you possess value. Why do you wonder?"

It was the casual answer he always got when asking some question about himelf and to why she kept him. However, this time it was not what he was looking for and so he sighed softly. He decided not to press the issue any further seeing as he was not going to get an answer it seemed. But he couldn't help but to ask, he had always wanted to know why she just didn't get rid of him. He knew she was somewhat obsessed with him, though he didn't think that was what saved his ass all these years.

"So, that is it, is it." he said softly and closing his eyes once again, he relaxed into the bed and let himself settle out for a moment. He felt his mistress pull away and shudder, or was it more of a shiver? He wasn't really sure but it did catch his attention. Opening his two colored eyes he looked towards her, "Madam?" he asked with concern, pondering if he upset her or worse.

He watched her for a long moment, pondering on this sudden reaction and once she settled into his lap, he raised a blond brow at her. His head was tilted to the side slightly to the right. He might of looked lost as well, much like the little child he used to be. Although, he was grown now and no longer the frightened little child. He had changed a lot over the years, grown more resiliant against pain and used to beatings. He accepted his life here with little complaint minus the ones about him wanting to have a life and be with his lover.

He had gotten to the age of wanting, one they both might never thought he would reach but he had. He wanted some freedoms, he wanted to go out in the world and see things with his own eyes. He was allowed too, it wasn't a privildge and he knew at any moment, he would be back in Naelona's room, with her all the time. Living for her like he used too...and if that came...what would he do about his lover, Augusta? Would it even matter then, if he became violent like a boogie?

He shook the thoughts from his head as he looked at Naelona, forgetting all of his troubles. "Naelona..." He said her namely softly, putting a hand on her fair head and pulled at her hair gently with his fingers, it wasn't to harm her at all. He accepted the kiss as he always had but did not act on it, his eyes just stared at her for a long while.

"I had to."

"No, you never had too, you merely choose to spare me, for whatever reasons it might be." He assured her, looking at her softly. She had given him so much and what did he give her? Nothing but a headache it seemed anymore. He chuckled softly then, "You adore me, don't you? Much on the same level as Augusta feelings for me. You just don't understand them, do you?" He did not poke fun at her, nor did he belittle her in anyway. It was a simple statement and that was it. If she wanted to drop the subject he would honor her wishes as he always had. But for now, he just wanted to talk, talk to her about this and the future ahead of them.

But he could tell what it did too her, and so he changed the subject back to Augusta. "I promise, if he ever hurts me in anyway...I will come to you. With or without Mar. But Naelona, if I do come to you in pain either physical or that of a broken heart, I must ask a favor of you then," Asking the favor of a boogie, how frightening.

"Please, do not harm him. You may yell, scream, and everything else. But I ask you not to strike him. Jounhin does that well enough for him. If does anything, it will be my fault because I chose to stay with him, knowing fully well that he could hurt me beyond repair."

"Please, forgive me for my boldness tonight, but I feel that I can be honest with you and I will, much like I promised to be." With that, he hugged her to his form, if she wanted to leave him, she could. He wouldn't stop her at all.

[Naelona Ezel]

Kristopher did have many freedoms now, and several Naelona had questioned, and fewer still had she actually revoked. As far as she was concerned to anyone's inquiry - he had earned them. The freedom he had with his time, what sort of work he did, who he accepted (or refused) work from, even where he could sleep at night. He was very free, as far as slaves went, very privileged. And considering Naelona's former reputation, in the proper light it probably did little than to boost his own.

But if anything - no matter how slight - gave her reason to think he would be safer here, with her. She wouldn't hesitate to confine him once more to her quarters, and her quarters alone. It'd been done before on more than one occasion, and she would not hesitate to make it happen again.

"Naelona.." It was a sweet sound that favored the ears. "No, you never had too, you merely choose to spare me, for whatever reasons it might be." His words didn't have the immediate affect he desired, as Naelona turned to a frown. But she did have to.. she didn't understand it, no, but she couldn't let the slave be either.. he valued too much, so much time, to much effort.. he was a treasure. "You adore me, don't you?" He went on. "Much on the same level as Augusta feelings for me. You just don't understand them, do you?"

Naelona's frown grew and she sunk into her shoulders. Did she adore? Just another sign of that all-encompassing illness so much of the population was afflicted with. An epidemic that affected both slaves and boogies alike. She strove (and still did) not to become one of them. Emotions were worthless little things that only caused trouble. They warped the mind, affected reason, and strayed the hand, but Kris' words gave her reason for worry. It felt as some hole and opened in her chest. How was it again? That the ill cannot diagnose themselves? She hoped she wasn't ill, she didn't want to be ill, ill was a lack of health which brought death - but what else could she have been these past couple months?

The boogie didn't answer her slave, her mind too much of a jumble for it. His words had done something to her soul, and she wasn't sure what it was nor if she liked it. In truth she didn't understand it, she didn't understand any of it. But he was still very much, right.

"I promise, if he ever hurts me in anyway...I will come to you. With or without Mar. But Naelona, if I do come to you in pain either physical or that of a broken heart, I must ask a favor of you then," Naelona then looked to her blond slave, slightly curious. "What is it?" He'd never asked for much. "Please, do not harm him. You may yell, scream, and everything else. But I ask you not to strike him. Jounhin does that well enough for him. If does anything, it will be my fault because I chose to stay with him, knowing fully well that he could hurt me beyond repair."

The thought of Kristopher being harmed 'beyond repair' was unacceptable, but call it a moment of weakness, Naelona relented. "Alright." Her voice sounded small, less than usual. "I cannot vouch for what obscenities I may bring upon his ears and those of his relatives and ancestors, but.. I will not strike him.. save for one condition." Naelona looked the boy straight in the eye as though it would help him to better understand. "But understand, should he lay but one hand on me." Her tone was serious. "I will not relent." She would not strike first, but nor would she be struck.

"Please, forgive me for my boldness tonight, but I feel that I can be honest with you and I will, much like I promised to be." Leaning into his hug, it took a moment for Naelona to return the gesture, and bury her face into his neck again like a child wanting to hide. She wanted very much to refute Kristopher's earlier words about her, but in this state, couldn't. The cold hearted Naelona Wonderland knew just wasn't in this morning, and so clung to him instead.

"..I knew them, once." Nae started in a whisper, backtracking their conversation just a little as after some moments silence, her thoughts got past the shock and finally caught up. "When I was young, I knew what they were as a child. Joy, want, hurt, fondness, sorrow.. I knew them until an age, and Anolean probably recalls, but now they are nameless. I cured myself of it long ago." It would be new news for the boy. Anything before she'd stolen him, she rarely spoke of. A bit of her stubborn resolve still showed through. "But about you.." Tapping his chest, she may have had a cure, but call him a constant infection. "I cannot."