ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS| LATE NIGHT
Charity had been going stir crazy in the small apartment, and without her piano or some sort of distraction, whilst Rhy’s was working she would sneak out into the crisp cold evening air to just enjoy the city at night. Her thick cream cloak encompassed her small frame, and she was particularly careful to tuck away her platinum locks, even taking the time to ensure she took paths that were out of sight. For a brief moment, on this particular night, she had considered making her way to the Theatre but it was too risky. So instead, she picked a path to the Zoological Gardens.
It had been years since she’d been to the gardens, and Good Lady she’d forgotten how fascinating it was with all the caged creatures and bright vibrant flora. Finding a quiet path, Charity strolled with a small smile, vaguely paying attention to her surroundings as she marvelled how the steam of her breath caught in the moonlight, enjoying the cool breeze on her cheeks.
Something she had been unable to appreciate, for such a long long time, was the beauty around her. It had been nearly a whole two seasons since she’d taken a single dose of opioids. A whole two seasons clean, and she felt happy. Rhy’s presence, his love, as strained as things were with Gale’s revelations and presence, it was still a fantasy come true. She had loved the man for most of her life so far, and now she could embrace that love without fear. Taking a deep breath, smelling the winter florals around her, the petite woman continued her stroll until she came out the other side.
“Charity?” A familiar voice sent a sudden chill up her spine as she stopped in the all too dim lighting of the street lamps that lit the small back street that the gardens opened onto. Glancing into the darkness, the blonde swallowed her fear with a soft sigh.
“Diaxio?! Tocking hell you scared the dickens out of me! What are you doing?” Closing the gap between herself and the taller Hoxian woman, Charity laughed and hugged her warmly. The green eyed galdor smiled in surprise, hugging her tightly before stepping back to look her over.
“I’m going out solo because my best friend up and clocking well disappeared that’s what! Where in the underworld have you been? I thought maybe something happened to you during the riots, but your father said you were taken and…geez Charity…what’s going on?” Diaxio laughed, tossing her dead straight raven locks over one shoulder and crossing her arms, waiting for an answer. The woman made a face, looking around and shaking her head.
“I uh…it’s complicated. I can’t really go into it, but I’m fine. I’m happy. For the first time since, Gods since Brunnhold I am happy.” The Hoxian smiled, though it was far less warm than before, almost impatient. She rubbed her arms against the cold and looked away for a moment before coming back to the shorter woman’s face.
“That’s uh, great. That’s just great. So, if you’re here, does this mean you’ll start coming out again?” The way Diaxio emphasised the words, Charity immediately realised what she meant, her own smile fading slowly and hands disappearing into her sleeves.
“No. I’m done with all that Xi. I’ve been clean for a while now, and I don’t need it anymore. I don’t need to feel nothing, because I feel everything now. And it’s wonderful.” Scoffing, the Hoxian shook her head and screwed up her nose.
“You’re joking right? You can’t just…stop. It doesn’t work like that. The world doesn’t work like that Charity.” Tilting her head with a frown, the blonde snorted and raised an eyebrow.
“Uh, yes I can. And I have. Surely Basil and Benjamin can live without one more slathered galdor draped at their feet.” The act of saying Benjamin’s name brought a sour taste to the woman’s mouth, and her field flexed with frustration. Diaxio tsked, running her long fingernails through her hair, her eyes narrowing.
“You had a demand Charity. People relied on you to buy big, others relied on you to deal. It’s not just about taking or having a good time. There’s a business behind it all, and you don’t just ‘stop’ because you suddenly found Alioe or some kensershit.” The Hoxian was no longer friendly with the Anaxi. Charity stepped back from the woman a little, feeling an unfamiliar slant in the brunette’s field.
“I’m not having this discussion Xi. I’m going.” Feeling concern pooling in her stomach, the petite woman turned to begin walking back the way she had come, slowing to an abrupt stop as two figures stood in her path. One was a woman, actual pistols hanging on her hips and a big wide brimmed hat covering her lanky brown hair. The other, a man, taller than she, with a familiar mop of dark hair and a slightly off kilter nose. His field was overbearing now that it wasn’t being surpressed and his grin was one of self-righteous delight. The galdor breathed his name without making a sound.
Benjamin.
“No see Charity, we are having this discussion. Because of you, things have been a bit, let’s say…off balance. There was a circle, a working functioning ebb and flow of funds and goods. If you were some wick say, maybe it wouldn’t be noticeable. Maybe it wouldn’t matter. But galdori, well we gollies buy big and spend big.” Walking to stand behind the blonde, Diaxio smirked down at the woman as she turned to face her with a look of confusion.
“Xi, what are you doing? We’re friends. We’ve been friends since third form!” The Hoxian groaned and rolled her eyes whilst Benjamin chuckled.
“No, no we haven’t. Maybe for a while we were, but then you abandoned me in fifth form for Mister Rhys Valentin! The golden boy. Then when you two fell out, you didn’t really come back. It was different after that. I found new friends, and they gave me things you could never have given me. A life, a thrilling ride. A brilliant high. Of course, in return I had to do things for them. Little things at first, sell a bit of Crop here, peddle a bit of other things there. But then, it was about finding those poor lost souls that we could use for the cause. Poor petals with no hope left, who could get just a taste of what chemical joy felt like, and would come back for more.” Charity felt tears stinging her eyes, shaking her head and bolstering her field. A click caused her to look over her shoulder, staring down the barrel of the human woman’s first pistol, dragging a helpless sigh from the galdor.
“You did this?” Diaxio grinned, nodding and checking her nails casually for dirt and grime.
“Of course I did. Who got you so plastered on your eighteenth that you could barely stand up? Who oh-so-conveniently got you lost in the Stacks? Who paid that beggar to stick a knife in your ribs? I actually didn’t mean for him to damn near kill you, but it worked right? The nurses gave you prescribed dosages to help with the pain, and I just…added a little extra when I visited. It wasn’t that hard, you were barely conscious for the most part. Once you were back on your feet, miserable and addicted, all it took was introducing you to the Theatre crowd and the rest just fell into place.” Gritting her teeth, the Captain’s daughter glared up at the Hoxian, her small hands clenched tightly. Everything, all of it, had been because of Xi. All these years, all those times she’d nearly died. Benjamin’s…
All of it.
“What do you want Diaxio?” She said softly, blinking away tears of anger and betrayal. The Hoxian nodded at the poor excuse of a man behind them, and he moved like a compliant dog to her side, drawing a vial from his pocket and handing it to the taller woman. Smiling at Charity without humor, she held it out to the blonde.
“Take it.” Violet eyes widening, the petite creature shook her head and stepped back, feeling the hard barrel of the pistol dig into her shoulder. Diaxio stepped forward, twisting the top off and holding the small glass vial in two fingers.
“Take it, and get back to work. Or I kill you here and now.” Swallowing hard, the blonde looked down at the innocent looking container, her resolve wavering and pleading with the woman she’d thought was her friend.
“Xi please. I don’t want to. I’m clean now. Please don’t make me do this.” The woman’s green eyes flicked to the gun woman, who moved her gun to press against the back of the galdor’s skull, causing Charity to let a small sob escape her lips as she reached to take the Crop with a trembling hand. Diaxio waved her hand with encouragement, indicating the blonde needed to drink up.
“What happens when I do? What then?” The Hoxian’s smile widened into a sinister grin.
“Well, then you go and have the best fucking high of your life and probably screw the brains out of loverboy—yes your Daddy told me about Rhys being back on the scene. Just couldn’t stay away right? The doomed lovers, what a sob story. Anyway, once you come down, you’ll want it again. You’ll need it again. And you can come find me, you know where I am Charity. We’ll do business again, and you’ll be a good little dog.” The blonde sobbed, staring at the vial in her hand, desperate not to let it touch her lips. Benjamin laughed, stepping forward to stroke a gentle finger down her arm.
“Or you can come and have some fun with me, yeah? Really really keen to finish what we started that night Charity. I’m sure it’s better than—” Charity snapped her arm away from him, her face a mask of disgust. Diaxio waved at him with annoyance, coming another step closer to the smaller woman and putting her fingertips under the bottom of the vial to push it closer to her mouth.
“Don’t even think of letting that Seventen know any of this, not a word of it. If you so much as breathe it, I will make sure you disappear for good. Do you understand Charity? It’s not a game, this isn’t some neat little tale you can go tell Rhys so he comes riding in to save the day. You can buy and sell, without taking if you must, but if you stop again…if you try and come ‘clean’ again…then I’ll let Benjamin finish what he started and leave you in the aquaducts to rot like a piece of meat too old for market. Now, bottoms up Charity!” The Hoxian helped guide her hand, tilting the small sip of liquid into the D’Arthe’s mouth, whilst Charity trembled with anger and shock and fear. She swallowed with a gagging sound, stomach churning as she turned to wretch into the grass, sobbing when nothing came up. It was too late now, it would already be seeping into the small blood vessels in her throat and stomach. Straightening, she glared at Diaxio with red rimmed eyes and a clenched jaw. The Hoxian took the empty vial, licking the rim with a smile, before tucking it away in her pocket. From behind her, the pistol was removed, and Benjamin moved to rest his hands on her shoulders heavily, his breath too hot in her ear.
“That’s a good girl. Did you want an escort back home? I could…come and keep you company.” Charity tore away from him, her violet eyes glittering with horror and disgust.
“Get away from me you clock stopper.” Already, the opium had begun to ooze through her veins, giving her a strange sense of broken depth perception. She stumbled back from the trio, reaching up to hold a hand against one of the bare winter branches of the trees that dressed the gates by the exit. Diaxio watched the blonde, her hands now deep in her pockets.
“Off you pop Charity. I’ll be waiting for you at the Theatre.” The woman’s voice followed her as she turned to flee into the gardens, Benjamin’s laughter chasing her heels.
“Gods, Gods, Gods.” Charity whispered to herself as she ran along the path, heart racing in her chest and drugs pumping through her body at speed. Her vision wavered and wobbled, and she held her hands out as she passed by the plants and cages. Breaking into the street, the blonde staggered, slowing to a walk and leaning against the stone wall of the nearest building. Pressing her head back against the cold stone, she closed her eyes and whined a soft cry. The world was a spinning, tilting mess, and her body had begun to feel like she was floating. Dragging herself from the wall, Charity stumbled along the cobblestone road, desperate to get back to the apartment before she completely lost her senses.
The familiar shape of the dsoh shop was a welcome relief, causing the blonde to cry out with delight. She grabbed for the hand rail of the stairs that led to Rhy’s home, tripping on the first step and holding herself up on hands and knees. Clamouring to shaky feet, the pianist crawled her way up the staircase, dragging herself upright and tugging keys from her pocket. It took many goes to get the key in the hole, turn the lock and fall into the apartment. Picking up the keys where they’d fallen to the floor, Charity kicked the door shut behind her, laying on the hardwood and panting. She felt a million miles above her body, and so suddenly light and carefree. Laughing softly, the blonde unclasped her cloak, shrugging out of it where she lay. Good Lady it was hot in here. It reminded her of Gales forge. She laughed again. Gale, she looked just like her brother. Rhys. Rhys was her brother. The galdor wasn’t a galdor.
“Bells and chimes, gotta get up.” The heavily intoxicated woman muttered to no one, kicking off her boots and climbing to her feet with great difficulty. Once upright, she began to strip out of the fine high throated mauve dress she’d worn, pausing to turn the lock in the door before letting the fabric pool at her feet. Stepping out of the material, she walked through the lounge, removing her undergarments along the way with a languid almost ostalike liquid grace. Entering the hallway, Charity bumped hard into the wall, laughing and reaching to pat the inanimate object gently.
“Sorry.” She apologised with a giggle, before dragging her hands through her loose platinum locks and striding naked as the day she was born into Rhy’s bedroom. Her field ebbed and pulsed, porven with the effects of the Crop. Jynx chirruped at her at his spot on the linens, rapidly jumping away as the petite creature fell into the bed. Groaning, she rolled and wriggled, moving up to the pillows and tucking one under her head. Across pale skin, goosebumps rose in defiance to the chill that filled the unheated room, but the blonde burned up. By the Lady she was on fire.
Kicking away all the blankets and sheets, the unclothed woman rolled on her belly, curling a leg under her with a sigh. Her eyelids felt heavy, oh so very very heavy. She hummed something under her breath, a sonnet of some sort, drifting further and further into a state of drugged unconsciousness. It had been frightening at first, and horrible, and unwanted.
But oh, it felt good. It felt so deliriously good.