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 Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:17 pm
A surprising reunion brings Enzo and Nerys back together. But she looks... frail, and she has been acting different, and the duke wants to get to the bottom of it.
Characters: Enzo and Nerys
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:11 pm
  
Enzo laid in the dim glow of his dorm room, the early morning sun creating shadows against the wall. The ceiling above him a dull, featureless expanse. He had been staring at It for what felt like hours, but his mind wasn’t on the old, cracked paint, his thoughts were consumed with Nerys. When he first ran into her after transferring into Utopia, everything had felt… different. Not just because of the zombies and crystalline creatures, no something about her was off, and it was obvious. She seemed so… fragile, her once bright, and playful blue eyes were distant, as if she had seen something she could never unsee.
He counted himself lucky because he had a few classes with her, so he was able to keep a close eye on her. He was able to watch her movements or see how she interacted with people, just to see if their reunion just put her off. But nothing ever changed. She barely spoke, her movements were slower—deliberate, almost hesitant, like she was afraid of being noticed.
Then the moment that haunted him the most—she had turned into ice, her entire body engulfed. Her body stiff, as if the very essence of her being had been trapped in a shard of frost. Yes, he was able to thaw her, but he genuinely thought the worst, he didn’t know if she could come back from that. He actually thought she could shatter into a million tiny fragments. What had happened to her in the time they’d been apart, it hadn’t been that long since their last normal moments together… had it?
Before he was sent to Hyouden, before everything spiraled into chaos, they had gotten close, closer than anyone Enzo ever allowed himself to get. She was his safe space, she was the only one who could keep him grounded, she was his calm in a sea of darkness. She was confident, and playful, and open. He clenched his fist, frustration building. Was she in danger? Was she alright? Had something happened to her while he was gone? He shut his eyes, could he have helped her if he never left?
Enzo rolled over onto his side, the cool sheets against his ski doing little to calm the unease the churned inside him. A knot tightened in his chest, he needed to talk to her, to find out where her head was. With a deep breath, he swung his legs off the bed, the floor cold beneath his feet. He stood, pacing the small room as he tried to collect his thoughts. He had to find her. His hand pushed through his hair, he didn’t know her dorm number, or where to even find her. Maybe after class he could grab her… pull her aside and convince her to talk in private.
Class was typical, although History had not been the same since Langali played his little trick on everyone. It was a bit traumatic, and honestly, he found it difficult to trust the professor much after. His gaze shifted to the area where Nerys sat, in between others from her kingdom. She looked unsettled, uncomfortable, something he had grown to learn was now normal for her. Finally, class was over, and they were dismissed, he needed to grab her quickly.
“Lady Nerys—” His voice was low, albeit a little desperate as he let his hand gently land on her shoulder once far enough from the classroom and their peers. He took a moment to search her expression, “—If you’re not too busy… would you mind talking to me for a moment?” His eyes were soft, a normal look when it came to the woman standing in front of him. He had to be careful and go slow, he was terrified of scaring her away, or worse making her freeze up again.
OOC: N/A Location: Hallway Company:Nerys Wearing: Fit
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Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 8:25 pm
   Every day at Utopia was a new battle. Being around the nobility of every kingdom was a new challenge that she was not sure how to navigate. If Nerys had been staff then it wouldn't be so bad. As a maid it was easy to blend into the background, to fade away from the gentry like a shadow.
But she was no longer a maid. She could no longer cling to the walls and fade into obscurity the way that she had always preferred. How could she? Now that she was part of the nobility that she normally would have shied away from. The stress of having to try had needled it's way under her skin, working Nerys up into a ball of anxiety every day. There was no way that she, of all people, could live up to the expectations of those around her.
Every class felt like proof. After the punishment she'd received for disclosing her kingdom during history class Nerys had become even more reserved. Between being able to take notes, unable to read prompts on chalkboards, or being so behind in knowing proper activities for a duchess there was no chance she would be able to keep up with everything around her. And speaking up felt dangerous, like it would be an admittance of her failure that could weasel it's way back into Aneirin's ears. As she left class the idea of her brother finding out about her asking for help and showing her weakness sent a shiver down her spine.
A shiver that was apparently noticed.
“Lady Nerys—” The voice behind her made Nerys jump. With wide eyes, she turned back to find a familiar face. “—If you’re not too busy… would you mind talking to me for a moment?” Terror seized her throat. It didn't matter that the look in his eyes was soft. That his tone was gentle. This was a moment she had been building up in her mind. Like the other shoe was finally going to drop.
"Amir-" It took a moment, but her voice was stronger than she felt when she finally responded instead of staring at him dumbly. "Of course. Would you prefer a private room or shall we walk while we talk?"
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hallway ❅ enzo ❅ outfit
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Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2025 12:25 pm
The look in her eyes made Enzo feel nauseous, it seemed like everyone had been looking at him the same way since he reunited with people he had not seen in several years—people he cared for. He couldn’t help but take it to heart, he thought they had moved past the initial shock after their reintroduction, but clearly that was not the case. Blaming her felt wrong though, so he didn’t, she had been through something, which was the whole point in talking to her. He dropped his hand, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He would have preferred to talk to her in private, but he also wasn’t sure if that was the right move.
Enzo took a step back, giving her space, “I don’t want to cause any discomfort.” He kept a steady, gentle tone, “We can walk and talk.” He began walking, keeping a slow pace, his hands were shoved in his pockets. Inside one of his pockets he was nervously fiddling with a coin, although his expression did not show it. Outside of the few classes that he had with her, he hadn’t been around her. He had not spoken to her. He hadn’t even held eye contact with her since their first meeting.
“I was worried about you…” He cleared his throat, “In Langali’s ‘simulation’. I tried to find you.” Not that it mattered, he wasn’t there for her, he didn’t have a chance to be, he had to be there for Jamal and Zahra, too much was happening. Enzo subtly glanced down to her, she looked thinner up close, her clavicle was more pronounced, and he swore he could see her spine. His eyebrows furrowed, “I wanted to apologize for not being there for you.”
That was partially true, he did want to apologize, he knew she didn’t expect him to be watching over her. Enzo put that responsibility on himself.
As they walked down the hallway, his gaze was fixated on the wall, staring at the art that was framed here and there, trying to keep his mind off of the growing stress building up inside of him. His thoughts pulled him in, why did he think she would even open up to him? She had no reason to disclose anything personal to him. He felt like a stranger, and he had to assume that is how she looked at him now. His eyes darkened, it was difficult, separating himself from his emotions. The night Enzo returned home from Hyouden stuck with him. On a whim, the duke went to town in search for the woman who—despite her icy touch—warmed his heart at one point. To his surprise when he arrived at the brothel she wasn’t there, and no one would tell him where she was. For the rest of the night he walked around town, checking the market, different stores and more specifically the apothecary for any trace of her but nothing ever came of it.
Did she know he looked for her then too?
When they came to a corner in the corridor, he took a moment and stopped in his tracks, his eyes shifted back down to her, his once flattened expression cracking into worry. “I must be honest, Lady Nerys, I need to speak with you about something personal. I am concerned for you.” He exhaled deeply then lowered his gaze to the floor and pushed his hand through his hair. Without looking back up at her, he continued, “If you still want to speak to me, I would appreciate it, but I'm not sure speaking in public is the best idea.” He dropped his hand and met her eyes again, “I don’t want to cause any stress, so if speaking in private is too much. I understand. We can keep walking, and I will speak quietly.”
OOC: N/A Location: Hallway Company:Nerys Wearing: Outfit
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 10:51 pm
The flash of hurt across his face was unexpected. So much so that it forced Nerys to look away. She didn't want to hurt him. That was never her intention. Yet, this would be the moment that her past was going to be brought up, wasn't it? He was going to mention what she was. Maybe even shout it from the rooftops. Then it would be only natural for the headmistress to catch wind of it and realize that she was a false duchess, unworthy of her place here at Utopia. It would give her brother exactly what he wanted as she was shipped right back into his hands.
The idea left her mouth dry. She felt like a rabbit, waiting for the fox to clamp down it's jaw on her throat. Yet that moment never came. Not as Enzo took a step back. Not as he told her he didn't want to cause discomfort, that they could walk and talk. Composing herself, she could only dip down in reverence and neatly fold her hands in front of herself as they began to walk.
Then he said it. That he was worried about her. Her head whipped up to catch his gaze so quickly her short hair slapped into her face and a lock managed to catch in her lipstick. "You tried to find me?" Lifting a hand to brush it off of her face, she couldn't help but parrot him. The words were soft, almost a whisper. This hadn't been the conversation she expected. Nerys was reeling, trying to get her mind in gear to have this unanticipated conversation with him. "Apologize? But -" Blinking, she thought back to that horrible class. "You couldn't have possibly hoped to find me in such a large area. It would be cruel to have expected as much from you Amir. Please don't bla-"
She'd been about to ask him not to blame himself. But he stopped and finally faced her. The words shriveled up and died in her throat. He was looking at her in a way that was wholly unfamiliar. One that left a sinking guilt under her skin. "I didn't - I don't -" Her words tripped at his statement. How did she respond to this? Pressing her lips together, she gathered herself for a moment before trying again. "Amir, I didn't ask to walk and talk with you because I am afraid of being alone with you." The statement slipped easily from her lips because it was a truth. She wasn't afraid of being alone with him. The worst he would do was sleep with her, and she was familiar in how that would go. No, the prickly of fear that danced along the base of her skull was because of what he might say in public. "I simply didn't think you would want to, all things considered. You know better than anyone else here I am not truly among your peerage."
It was a tightrope. The one that Aneirin had so perfectly strung for her to teeter across. But this was also Enzo. A man who had never been anything but kind to her. She only hoped that would still be the case. Reaching out, her hand lightly caught his wrist. "If you believe this conversation is better in private, I trust you." Color flooded her cheeks and her gaze cast down to the floor. "I just... I find I must also trust you to find somewhere we can talk. I, um, get lost here."
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hallway ❅ enzo ❅ outfit
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2025 12:00 pm
His body warmed when she sat next to him, it was so familiar in this moment, like no time had passed for him. The thought made his chest tighten. Enzo adjusted so he was facing more toward her, his arm stay put but he wanted to show her he was paying attention to her—fully. Like he always had. An argument built inside of him as she put herself down, his fingers tapped against the back of the bench. It angered him, not at her, but that he was a part of this shame. Shame she didn’t deserve. “Your past—” Hesitation stopped him, what could he even say to her? “—I’m sorry, that…I should have...” His gaze shifted down, unable to string words together. “You are still a lady in my eyes, Nerys, nothing is going to change that.” He furrowed his brows, leaving a small crease in between them, stress lines he had gained throughout the years. Enzo’s tone was soft as usual when it came to Nerys, but it was firm, he wanted her to believe him. He also wanted to say more but was struggling.
There would be other moments—he hoped—where he could tell her that it was never just about the sex for him. That he was never ashamed of her and that he wanted to bring her home. That he desperately wanted to show her off despite her background. It didn’t matter to him. Enzo also had a background, one that he was not proud of, a past that he never wanted to visit again or acknowledge. But since the war he learned that life was just too damn short.
Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he refocused immediately. Enzo nodded after she mentioned that she was common born. Yes, he knew this. He remembered the conversation like it was yesterday, after one of their more intimate evenings where he stayed and just held her. Those memories were some of his favorites, laying there listening to her soft voice, her head resting on his chest, they were just talking and those moments made some of his fondest memories.
Enzo watched her face diligently; her expression was steadily shifting to an even more uncomfortable one and it made him feel guilty for even asking. But these hard conversations had to happen if he was going to find the ******** that did this. He shook his head, his eyes lowered to her hands where she fidgeted anxiously. Without hesitation he moved his hand that had been resting on his leg and lowered it on top of both of hers. He stared at the contact, her hands were so much smaller than his, his one hand practically engulfed the both of hers. The move was so natural, so practiced, like he had done it a thousand times before.
“Nerys…” He squeezed gently, “Believe me, my time is best spent with you,” His intense gaze lifted to try and catch hers, “I want to listen, but only if you feel comfortable telling me. I don’t want to make you feel like you must do anything you do not want to.” Enzo lingered for a moment longer, unmoving, his hand felt cold against hers, like all his warmth was melting into her. His jaw clenched as he allowed his eyes to wander again, she really was stunning. It was hard to believe someone could harm such a beautiful woman. Slowly, he released his grip on her hands and leaned back again. He could feel every muscle in his arms tighten as he imagined what he would do if he had the chance to meet this coward face to face.
OOC: N/A Location: The Gardens Company:Nerys Wearing: Outfit
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 7:39 pm
The reassurance that she belonged here felt... wrong. Especially coming from Enzo's mouth. He was intimately aware of her prior profession. A commoner masquerading around as some kind of noblewoman was a disgrace on the best day. It was a death sentence on the worst. Worst of all, she didn't understand where this reassurance was coming from. Was it some kind of wishful thinking on the duke's part? He was a handsome man, it would not be hard to find a suitable match among the women who actually deserved his attention. It was hard to understand why he insisted on lavishing her with that attention.
The line of thought was cut off by the affectionate stroke of Enzo's thumb on her arm. In the grand scheme of things it really had not been that long since the last time they had seen each other. Somehow it still felt like an eternity.
“Have you been to the gardens?”
The question had her hand shifting from his wrist, slipping up to the crook of his elbow in a far more respectable stance than they had been in. "Ah, no Amir. I cannot say I have." The words felt stiff in her mouth. Like she was attempting to act. Unfortunately for them both, Nerys was not a particularly good actress. They weren't a lie, but the question felt like it had been asked in an effort to give them both an ounce of discretion. It was so far out of her wheelhouse that she didn't know how to respond even as all she could do was offer him the truth and allow him to guide her.
Despite the impressive size of the campus, it didn't take long for Enzo to lead them out to a fairly secluded bench. It almost felt like he knew it was here. What a stark little reminder that there was so much to the man before her than Nerys knew. The idea unsettled her, but not enough not to sit when Enzo offered for her to. The relaxed way he came to sit next to her would have made her giggle if she wasn't waiting for his question with anxious abandon.
The trail of his eyes down her body left her in a wake of shame. Once he had looked at her the same way in lust. Now there was only sadness in his gaze as it roved down her body, taking the extra time to trail over her gaunt collarbone and joints. The tapping on the bench was the last straw she could take to look at him, instead turning her head to examine the trees around them as he asked what had happened to her.
"Amir," Her tone was light as she first spoke despite not being able to look him in the eyes. "You should know better than anyone that I do not deserve to be called a lady. Aside from having no birthright to the title, I have done few ladylike things in my life."
The news that he had looked for her after the war was... shocking. Like she wasn't quite hearing him right. She'd always known she was his favorite, it wasn't something he'd tried very hard to hide. But the fact that she had been so much his favorite that he had sought her out? The idea both warmed her and made ice pump through her veins.
"As for what happened... It's a long story." The words felt like they were choking her, but she continued. "I am sure you know I was common born Amir. The closest connection my family can claim is that my mother was a palace maid. She left my brother to be raised by my aunt when my father had been drafted from fur trading into the war. He passed before I was born, but I was left to my aunt to be raised with my brother once I came along."
The trees she's been staring at were now far out of focus. Instead memories of the meager scraps her aunt would feed her or the times she would have to go without a meal for dropping a plate dancing before her eyes. Those had been the better nights. It was easier to starve when it was for her cousins. The memories of her brother made Nerys inhale a sharp breath.
The sharp breath and the memories had snapped her out of her little daze of memories. Dropping her eyes to watch her fingers fidgeting in her lap, she wanted to find an out. "Amir, this is not a kind story. I am sure there are better uses for your time."
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hallway ❅ enzo ❅ outfit
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2025 12:26 pm
His body warmed when she sat next to him, it was so familiar in this moment, like no time had passed for him. The thought made his chest tighten. Enzo adjusted so he was facing more toward her, his arm stay put but he wanted to show her he was paying attention to her—fully. Like he always had. An argument built inside of him as she put herself down, his fingers tapped against the back of the bench. It angered him, not at her, but that he was a part of this shame. Shame she didn’t deserve. “Your past—” Hesitation stopped him, what could he even say to her? “—I’m sorry, that…I should have...” His gaze shifted down, unable to string words together. “You are still a lady in my eyes, Nerys, nothing is going to change that.” He furrowed his brows, leaving a small crease in between them, stress lines he had gained throughout the years. Enzo’s tone was soft as usual when it came to Nerys, but it was firm, he wanted her to believe him. He also wanted to say more but was struggling.
There would be other moments—he hoped—where he could tell her that it was never just about the sex for him. That he was never ashamed of her and that he wanted to bring her home. That he desperately wanted to show her off despite her background. It didn’t matter to him. Enzo also had a background, one that he was not proud of, a past that he never wanted to visit again or acknowledge. But since the war he learned that life was just too damn short.
Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he refocused immediately. Enzo nodded after she mentioned that she was common born. Yes, he knew this. He remembered the conversation like it was yesterday, after one of their more intimate evenings where he stayed and just held her. Those memories were some of his favorites, laying there listening to her soft voice, her head resting on his chest, they were just talking and those moments made some of his fondest memories.
Enzo watched her face diligently; her expression was steadily shifting to an even more uncomfortable one and it made him feel guilty for even asking. But these hard conversations had to happen if he was going to find the ******** that did this. He shook his head, his eyes lowered to her hands where she fidgeted anxiously. Without hesitation he moved his hand that had been resting on his leg and lowered it on top of both of hers. He stared at the contact, her hands were so much smaller than his, his one hand practically engulfed the both of hers. The move was so natural, so practiced, like he had done it a thousand times before.
“Nerys…” He squeezed gently, “Believe me, my time is best spent with you,” His intense gaze lifted to try and catch hers, “I want to listen, but only if you feel comfortable telling me. I don’t want to make you feel like you must do anything you do not want to.” Enzo lingered for a moment longer, unmoving, his hand felt cold against hers, like all his warmth was melting into her. His jaw clenched as he allowed his eyes to wander again, she really was stunning. It was hard to believe someone could harm such a beautiful woman. Slowly, he released his grip on her hands and leaned back again. He could feel every muscle in his arms tighten as he imagined what he would do if he had the chance to meet this coward face to face.
OOC: N/A Location: The Gardens Company:Nerys Wearing: Outfit
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Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:24 pm
The irritation in his voice made her stop breathing for a moment. Only a moment. Then he seemed to catch himself. The clumsy string of sentences that followed were the only thing that kickstarted her lungs back into working properly. Enzo had only ever been kind to her, but her body still remembered the less kind men who had come before and after him. And despite knowing him, her body was a traitor. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The hand that covered hers pulled Nerys out of her thoughts, forcing her back into the present. Back to those red, red eyes that she had always found comfort in. "I can't simply become a lady because someone wills it," There was a deep sorrow in her voice. One that was matched by the look in her eyes. "It is a birthright. One I wasn't blessed with." Slowly, she shifted one of her hands out from beneath his. A small smile crossed her lips as her fingers smoothed the crease on his brow before trailing over his temple to let her hand cup his cheek. "It's not something I am angry about Amir, I have never been upset about my place in this life." It wasn't an untrue statement, yet it still tasted like ash on her tongue.
Dropping his gaze, she could feel the well of tears stinging behind her eyes. Ones that had been left unshed over the last year. Maybe longer. "It's not my comfort I am worried about." Summoning what little strength she had from within, she met his eyes once more while ignoring the snowflakes that brushed against her own cheeks. Ones that she knew were the tears she couldn't stop. "Please Enzo, do not be angry with what I am about to tell you. I..." Sucking in a deep breath, she couldn't help the pause. Not while she was still trying to find the right words. Finally, she settled on the truth. "I cannot take any more angry men."
The statement hung between them for a moment. Silence stretching out into a new relief. One that wrapped around her like a warm blanket on the coldest Hyouden night. One that made Nerys realize that she had never actually gotten to voice the things that men had done to her. What her own brother had done to her. With that freedom it almost felt like her chest was too empty, like her lungs had too much space to breathe.
Letting her hand drop back down, she traced the places on the back of his hand where her snow had melted. Then she laced her fingers into his. "My brother was never kind to me. Hyouden is harsh, winters are biting even for those of us who cannot feel the cold. Women aren't as strong and we aren't regarded well in the first place. With our father gone, I... I was just another useless mouth to feed. I was too little to earn my keep, and women do not fight in war. I was lucky to receive scraps. If I stepped out of line or broke something I was punished." Her voice caught for a moment, giving away how she was twisting the truth to the kindest thing possible for his sake.
"When I was maybe ten or eleven, I was to work as a maid for a noblewoman. My wages were paid to my family. By then Aneirin was long gone to the war. After a year or two the family I worked for grew tired of how clumsy I was. I always broke plates or got lost." Her mouth felt dry as she attempted to continue. Still, Nerys forced herself to continue all while watching Enzo's face. As if she was waiting for him to lose his temper. "That was when I was sold to the Madam." Her small hand squeezed his as if it would help him feel some semblance of okay.
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gardens ❅ enzo ❅ outfit
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2025 10:54 am
The sadness in her voice made his body ache. She was correct about it being a birthright, he understood that. But... she could become a lady through marriage. Enzo pushed the ridiculous thought out of his head; they weren’t even a couple, they never truly were, no matter how much he wished it to be true. When she brought her hand up to him, naturally he leaned into it, embracing the coolness that radiated from her skin. He didn’t typically fall for people the way he had for Nerys, it was quick, and sudden. His eyes seared into hers, “I know you are not angry, I just believe you deserve everything good in the world.” Loving her meant allowing her to live whatever life made her happiest. It meant being there always, even if it meant on the sidelines. He knew that.
The reason they were on this bench was because something awful happened to her, and he partially blamed himself. He should have been there. The protective nature in him only intensified around Nerys, logically he knew he shouldn’t feel guilt over it, but he couldn’t help himself. It made his blood boil knowing someone wounded her in some way.
He blinked as her eyes fell, “Do not worry about making me uncomfortable," There was a gentleness in his voice, a softness that only came out for his siblings, and the woman sitting beside him. Automatically, his hand came up to her face seeing her getting upset, concern growing in his gaze while he brushed his thumb under her eyes as the icy tears fell. “Nerys—” His chest tightened as her reaction caught him off guard, suddenly she was so anxious, like he was going to cause her harm. Enzo took a deep breath, “I will never be angry with you, that is a promise.” He couldn’t make her believe him, but he needed her to hear him. To truly hear his words, “I will never lay a hand on you. I will never raise my voice at you.” His hand thumbed softly rubbed her cheek, “You will never have to worry about that with me.”
Enzo dropped his gaze, watching as she traced over his hand, letting the silence linger as long as she needed it to. This allowed him to fall into his own thoughts that he needed to sort through. He had to push down the hatred he was feeling toward the person who did this, not only was his body burning up, but he needed to keep his emotions in check especially after his promise. Slowly he pulled himself from his thoughts and met her eyes when she laced her fingers into his. Her hand felt so small in his, so fragile. Enzo rubbed his thumb against her hand comfortingly when she began talking.
A few things stuck out to him, things that made him hold his breath, although not realizing he was doing so. It was her own family who did this to her? The movements of his thumb paused, only briefly—only for a second, before they continued again—more comforting circles while he digested her words. Nerys was in Hyouden the whole time this was happening? ‘Was I there…?’ Guilt once again filled his head with thoughts of impossible scenarios. How he could have stopped it, saved her somehow, taken her away from it all. Enzo refocused on her, he could tell she wasn’t being completely honest with him. Was it worse than she was letting on? “…Punished.” A low, leveled mutter left his mouth, he could feel anger building inside of him, the same anger he had felt so many times in the past, a familiar… homicidal feeling he had at war. But he hid it well, better than he imaged was possible. His face remained calm even kind.
“You were only ten when this began?” The idea that Nerys—a child, a little girl, was treated so cruelly only made him want to snap the neck of this Aneirin even more. He was her brother. He was supposed to look after her. At least that’s what he believed family should be. Enzo couldn’t help but picture Zahra in a similar situation, it was unimaginable, he couldn’t even comprehend treating her like that.
He squeezed her hand back, so that was how she ended up at the brothel. She was sold when she was just a kid. His stomach turned, disgusted at himself. Although he knew when he was with her, she was an adult, he was still there, being a part of her trauma, adding to it even. How could he not have seen this? He swallowed his lunch that was creeping back up. No wonder she reacted the way she did when she first laid eyes on him. Was he traumatizing her even more by making her talk about it? Enzo’s eyes burned and he could feel a sneaking lump growing in his throat.
Without thinking, he brought their interlaced hands up and twisted his wrist, then kissed the back of her hand. Keeping his lips pressed against her cool skin, Enzo quietly responded, “I am so sorry you had to go through that.” It was all he could think to say, there was nothing he could do in this moment to take away her pain, other than continue to listen. After a moment he dropped their hands back down, kicking himself for acting on his impulses. If he added to her trauma, that action would not have been helpful in this situation.
“Is this man who claims to be your brother still alive?”
OOC: N/A Location: The Gardens Company:Nerys Wearing: Outfit
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2025 7:35 pm
Lies were funny little things. Very often, people started out with the very best intentions. A promise was easy to give. A small assurance not to let things dip into the bad. The problem was that you couldn't always control the things you were promising. And that was when they tipped over into becoming a lie without meaning for it to be one.
Which was why Nerys knew her request was unfair from the start.
At his question of her age, she didn't know if she should correct him. But he had asked for the truth and it was all she could do to offer it to him. Biting her lip, she considered how to word it before shaking her head. "I do not remember when it started, it was something that always was. It is simply the way of Hyouden. We are fighting to survive and it is- What is it called? Survival of the fittest? Women are not the fittest. We have little use outside of making more mouths to feed and cleaning. I was born as less, but..." Her voice trailed off as she brought a hand up to brush the last of the snow from her lashes as she had finally gotten control of herself. "I was lucky."
Did she have words that would explain how much? Probably not. It felt like it would be a hurtle to explain to someone with no concept of what her early memories of home were like. To do so outside of her native tongue? It was am impossible task.
"I am no skilled worker, Amir. It was no wonder that the duke and duchess I worked for looked for any value in me that they could find. But coming to Funkazan?" Her hear tilted up, locking her eyes to his. "That was a gift. It also allowed us to meet." It was no secret the way Enzo felt about her. The other girls had never made him melt quite the same way she did. Not that she particularly understood why that was. Back when they had first met she was more playful. More confident. A small smile tugged at her lips as she was brought back to the brothel that had bought her.
Her eyes closed and the smile on her face grew. She could remember the first time that she had seen Alyasamin Alnaaeim, the beautiful main room etched into her heart. "The Madam was kind. I knew she really just saw my potential to bring in money, but she was like a mother to me. She was the first person to truly care for me when I got sick or to make sure that I went to bed with a warm meal in my stomach. She saw what I could become and gave me an education for the first time to fit that vision." Her fingers twitched, plucking invisible strings as she remembered learning to play the qanun.
A sudden thought had her meeting Enzo's gaze with a need for him to understand. "I did not take customers in the early years, please know that. The madam knew that she would get her returns in time." And the woman did. Nerys had more than made her cost within a year of being in service. "I did not mind the work either. Some of the requests were..." She coughed into her fist and averted her gaze, embarrassed as she remembered some of the things asked of her. "Unconventional." That was the kindest word she could find to describe it. "But we were protected. If we were treated poorly patrons were removed or banned depending on the severity. I was safe."
The stare she had been leveling at him seemed to hollow. Any hint of a smile slipped from her face. Her eyes glazing over like she was staring through Enzo instead of at him. "Until he found me again." Her fingers tightened against Enzo's, unable to answer his question outright. "He is why I am here. Why I am paraded around with a title that is not mine." Finally her eyes returned to seeing, looking far more haggard than they had at the beginning of this conversation. Her voice dropped down to barely more than a whisper. "I am, and have always been, his toy. He waits for me to fail, for someone to learn of my past, so that he may..." Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Partly because of the horror of it all. But also because she honestly didn't know what he would do, only that it would not be good.
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gardens ❅ enzo ❅ outfit
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 1:35 pm
Enzo watched her as she spoke, at first halting, weighed down by the gravity of confession. Then more fluid, as if the wounds filled the more they were bled out. Her story unfolded in front of him, and he listened to every syllable, not with pity but with the gravity of someone who understood that this was not something he could fix. When she called herself “lucky,” something in his chest twisted; it was not the word he would use. But if she did think of herself as such, it was far worse than he had imagined.
When she mentioned that Funkazan was a blessing, he paused, not knowing what to say. He supposed it made sense, considering what she was put through with the duke and duchess in her early years. But the guilt lingered. Enzo stared back into her icy blue eyes, filled with a whole life, secrets, and emotions he would never understand, no matter how bad he wanted to. She was being honest and open as she felt comfortable, but at points, he knew she was holding back. But it wasn't his place to dig deeper, he cared too much to do anything that might hurt her. His feelings for Nerys never budged; despite their time apart, she was always on his mind. So, when he noticed a smile on her lips, though small, he couldn’t help but feel glad that the terrible ones did not overshadow her memories of their time together. That, at least, brought her a little bit of joy.
The story she told wasn’t a clean one. There was no victory hidden in it, only a jagged kind of survival, a brittle line from girlhood to now, stitched with pain, silence, and adaptation. When he looked as she recalled her time with the Madam, a smile still set on her face and her eyes closed, he was filled with many complicated feelings. One being, he was relieved that there were times that brought her true happiness, the other… the other was fury. Not at her, never at her. But the world that shaped her this way. At the men who looked at her and saw a resource instead of a human being.
Nerys looked at him again, this time with a different intensity that was not there before. He swallowed down the anger and instead focused on her hands—her soft, cool hands, which only ever brought him peace.
A heavy breath escaped him, it was drawn out, like he had been holding it in this entire conversation. At least the Madam waited and was not one of the people in Nerys’ life who took her childhood away without a second thought. A sense of relief overtook his emotions; the anger was there in the pit of his stomach, no longer at the surface. Even when he learned she did not mind the work. As long as she had been protected, at least there was that.
So, she was Safe then. But there was still the current, and just as he started to ask himself what happened between then and now, he watched her disappear—too much emotion compressed into a little space. Enzo was familiar with that stare. Her brain was trying to protect her; it was trying to do a task that he could only imagine must have felt impossible to her. Naturally, he squeezed her hand back, trying to keep her grounded. Trying to keep her present in this reality and not the one her brother stole from her. Her eyes were tired, similar to what he saw the day he ran into her again. Enzo reached up with his free hand, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. He lingered for a second, thumb gently pressing just beneath her jaw where he could feel her pulse.
“You are not his toy. You are not his failure waiting to happen.” He knew his words were just that—words. That she would not believe him, no, the trauma was carved too deeply into her. Enzo drew closer, hesitantly at first, he didn’t want her to feel trapped, but he wanted to offer himself like a shelter. A silence settled between them while he slowed his many racing thoughts. He was looking past them, momentarily staring into the distance, “Nerys,” His voice came out rougher than he expected, so he swallowed and cleared his voice, then returned his gaze in hopes she would look at him. “He will not hurt you again. I will not let that happen. I will be here, no matter what.”
He would kill him first. Slowly. Perhaps take his eyes and shove them down his throat.
Now knowing what had come before, what she had survived to even sit here with him, it made sense. Her reaction. The freezing over. The timidness. He wanted to pull her into his arms and not let her go. He wished he could promise protection, but he couldn’t always be around; life didn’t work that way, and he didn’t want to lie to her. Enzo shifted again, trying to keep her gaze. Her expression was still distant, her body taut with invisible tension. “You will not fail.” His face softened, “I will do my best to keep your identity hidden, but if anyone did learn of it. It is not who you are. It is something, yes, that served you at the time, but you are far more than that.” Enzo leaned back slightly, giving her any space she needed, but his hand remained on hers. “Remember that day at the apothecary? I had no idea what I needed. But you knew exactly what to give me.” He knew his words remained miles away, but he continued, “You are intelligent and caring… and from what I remember, those girls relied on you, and you made sure they always had what they needed.”
Enzo shook his head, gathering his thoughts, “But more than that, I know your heart. You are not a woman who fails. I don’t care what he says.” He wanted to push her for more information on his brother, but it wasn't the right time, not yet, not when she was so raw with emotion, "What do you need? I will do it."
OOC: N/A Location: The Gardens Company:Nerys Wearing: Outfit
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 9:43 pm
It was hard not to lean into the feeling of his fingers on her skin. The way that the warmth danced over her skin as his fingers shifted a lock of her hair back and his hand came to settle under her chin. So, so hard. Which was why she didn’t stop herself from letting her eyes flutter closed and pressing her cheek into his hand.
Next came Enzo’s insistence. A beautiful lie that he attempted to offer to her. If only convictions could make pretty words true. Slowly she let her eyes open, the smile on her face full of knowing. Knowing that he was offering her a dream. But dreams were fickle things, full of the wispy tendrils of smoke that were too hard to grasp and hold tight. One that already seemed too tenuous as her body recoiled on instinct from the sharp rasp his voice took as her name dripped from his lips.
As soon as she realized what she had done her back went rigid. Eyes darting to the ground she could feel the new bead of cold sweat that was dripping down her spine. ”A-amir, I…” Nerys’s voice trailed off, the apology drying her tongue as her heart seemed to beat like a rabbit’s. One that was caught in a wolf’s trap. The Nerys of years ago knew that Enzo was no wolf. Not with her, at least. Yet, the woman who says before him now could not seem to shut the reaction down.
Ice swirled over her fingers as she sucked in a deep breath, attempting to will herself to calm down. Thankfully, her panic wasn’t enough to prevent herself from listening to him. Nor was it enough not to pity that he truly could not seem to accept the truth. Why was it that the nobility of other kingdoms were so willing to stoop to her level? There was nothing about Nerys that made her special. She was not blind. She did not have the beauty or confidence of the amazoness who stalked down the halls like she owned them. Nor did she have the figure of the woman who seemed more comfortable wearing as little as she could with breasts so large. None of it seemed to make sense.
”Why?” She finally croaked out, looking up to Enzo with wide eyes. His words about wanting to protect her, how she was not who her background said? They were just pretty things that he felt the need to tell her when she was clearly not doing well. She knew what she looked like. She was small, brittle. Like an uneven snowflake just before melting. ”You offer me pretty words like they cost you nothing, Amir. You tell me I am not my past, yet you are part of that past. A past, might I add, I am not ashamed of. I-“ Her eyes were searching the back of her hands like they had the answers written on them. It would have been nice if they did. Not that it would help much, considering she could not read. ”I do not understand.”
She breathed, trying to find something to center her. Grasping out for some kind of tether that could keep her grounded from the whirlwind of fear and confusion that seemed to permeate her being since she started at this school. ”That day in the market I simply remembered what you had said you needed. I followed a list I could not read, one I would have been asking the merchants for help with while praying that they did not add on who knows what for more money without you. I was just a convenient body that would not run because I had nothing to run back to.” Her throat felt tight as she finally looked back up at him. ”I have done nothing but exist, I don’t deserve such praise and even if I did? All I have done in my brother’s eyes is fail.”
Suddenly her eyes dipped back down. For a moment, silence hung between them. When she finally did speak, Nerys's voice grew quiet, the building hysteria that had started to infect it seemed to die out in an instant. The question of what she needed rattled her more than she realized when Enzo had first asked it. ”That is too big of a question. I… I simply don’t know how to answer.”
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gardens ❅ enzo ❅ outfit
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 7:50 am
 
Enzo’s hand remained steady beneath her cheek, though inside, a tempest roiled. The softness of her skin beneath his fingers was a cruel reminder of how fragile she was, how fragile they both were. There was the fleeting comfort of proximity, but the distance between them seemed impossible to bridge. When her eyes fluttered open, the smile she gave him was heavy with knowing, knowing that his words, his promises, were as delicate and insubstantial as smoke, impossible to hold tightly.
His thoughts churned beneath the surface, a storm of hope, doubt, and fierce protectiveness. He wanted to tell her everything, the truth of how deeply he cared, how every small fracture in her armor made him ache to shield her. But words felt fragile, as if spoken too loudly they might shatter the delicacy of the moment.
He had wanted to protect her, to shield her from the shadows of her past, but as he watched her recoil at the sound of his voice, the sharp rasp when he spoke her name, he realized that his presence alone wasn’t enough to ease her pain. She was a fortress built on years of survival, walls constructed from fear and mistrust, and no matter how much he wanted to break through, she wasn’t ready. His gaze shifted to the ice swirling around her fingers; worry clouded his thoughts, ’Please don’t freeze on me, Nerys…’ It scared him. The last time that happened he thought she died, and what if she still could? What if she was just lucky he was there to thaw her body?
Her question of why, simple yet devastating, echoed in his mind long after she spoke it. Why did he offer her pretty words? Why did he insist on protecting her, on believing she was more than the sum of her scars? To Enzo, Nerys was not just a brittle, small woman, but someone fiercely alive beneath it all. Someone worthy of more than pity or convenient protection.Yet, he struggled to accept the truth she carried about herself, the harsh judgment from her brother, the sense that she had done nothing but exist, that she deserved no praise. Those words tore at him. How could she see herself so dimly when every fiber of his being wanted to lift her up, to give her the strength to see her own worth?
Enzo’s chest tightened as he reflected on the gulf between them, nervous he was overstepping or offending her, when all he wanted to do was the opposite. “I do not think you should be ashamed of it…” He, too, was tied to that past she claimed without shame. He knew that, perhaps, that was why he clung so desperately to his dreams and promises, even if they were fragile. There was hope, a hope that she might believe in a future that wasn’t defined by pain or failure.
But hope was a dangerous thing when someone like Nerys was so uncertain of what she needed, so lost in the whirlwind of fear and confusion. Her response to his question was a stark admission of vulnerability that cut deeper than any rejection. Enzo realized that no matter how much he wanted to fix the situation, to be the answer to her silent questions, the truth was he didn’t have all the answers either.
Silence was no comfort either. He drew in a breath, then glanced down at her, searching her face for any sign of encouragement or retreat, “You say you don’t deserve praise. Maybe you don’t believe it yet, but I see you. The real you, beyond the past, beyond the pain.” His voice faltered for a moment, thick with emotion, ”You’re not just existing. You are present. You being here proves you have some fight in you, whether you know it or not.””
Enzo retook her hand and tightened ever so slightly, an unspoken plea for her to hold on, and he swallowed hard, “I don’t have all the answers. I don’t even know if I can fix what’s broken. But I want to be here for you. To be someone you can confide in, to feel safe with.” A vulnerability that surprised him overtook his tone; his words hung in the air, fragile and tentative, “You are not what your brother says you are. A failure? That is him. He is the failure Nerys. Not you.” He waited, heart pounding, hoping she might hear him, though in truth he did not expect it to happen. She was struggling, and this would not be solved with one conversation.
All he could do was remain steady and patient. A promise not just to protect but to wait for her, and just be there while she found her own path out of the darkness. Was that was the truest form of love? An unwavering belief in someone even when they had stopped believing in themselves. He gently flipped her hand and pressed his thumb against her palm to trace small, calming circles. Doing his best to try and convey the sincerity in his touch. No pretty words, no fragile lies. Just a steadfast presence, an unspoken vow to be there through every broken moment.
His brows furrowed as he studied her expression, “You don’t need to answer me today, tomorrow, or even months from now. But know, if that day comes, I will be there in an instant.” He needed more information, but patience was key. What he knew was that her brother was alive and in Hyouden. Would it be a call for war if he killed him with his bare hands? Maybe it would be worth it to free her from his grasp. "I am deeply sorry for upsetting you, Nerys." Finally, his eyes fell to their hands, "It was not my intention."
OOC: N/A Location: The Gardens Company: Nerys Outfit: Wearing
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2025 7:47 pm
On a chance, Nerys glanced up. The deep red of Enzo’s eyes had seemed to follow her gaze to her hands, watching the swirling tempest of ice as it tried to overtake her flesh. As she battled with her own demons, his eyes seemed to watch the dance of ice versus her willpower. At first she thought it might just be curiosity, a need to understand a new power when confronted with it for the first time. Looking closer, the fear in his eyes was evident. Following his gaze, she took a moment to question why he would fear her armor. It wasn’t like he knew how it had been the very thing to make her childhood beatings worse.
In a slow, delicate movement, she lifted a hand and flexed what she could of her half-crystalline fingers. Then Nerys’s eyes drifted from her fingers to meet Enzo’s eyes once more. â€Does it bother you?†The question lingered between them for a moment, the petite woman hesitating before continuing. â€I cannot help it. My power it… It reacts to emotion. The fact that I am able to fend it off now is a testament to…†She trailed off, pressing her lips together and feeling her ears burn at the admission. What words adequately described what was between them? They were a service worker and her client. A duke and a false duchess.
And yet they were also so much more.
Maybe that was why his impassioned plea felt that much more personal. Why part of her wanted to believe him that she could become more. There was little she had done to earn it, but maybe she was allowed to find a home where she didn’t have to make herself small just to survive. The way his hand wrapped around her freezing fingers took her back to a time when she had the most freedom she had ever known. Filled her with a longing she didn’t know how to explain.
Once again Nerys had to disappoint her Amir. With a small smile and a shake of her head, she gave a soft laugh. â€I am sorry, Amir, but I am only here because Aneirin won a title in the war. I didn’t have a choice. I was sent here.†Her brows were pulled into a look that seemed to ask for forgiveness without words as she spoke. Though the more she thought on the matter, the more the furrowed. â€However,†she started, her voice suddenly far more breathless. â€I do not know if I think that was a bad thing.†A small smile cracked her lips, this one more hopeful than any other smile she had offered him so far. â€I have found that the places I am given the least choice in going are the ones that I enjoy being in the most.â€
Her fingers twitched, the ice seeping back into her own skin slowly as her hand thawed enough that she was able to give Enzo’s a small squeeze. â€I am not asking you to fix anything, that is too much to ask.†Her voice was soft, a gentle chiding that didn’t reach her eyes as she brought the hand he was not holding up to swipe her thumb softly across his forehead, as if she were tracing a wound long gone. â€I am still scared. I have seen what the nobility of my country do with things that have passed their usefulness. I have seen how some treat people with my past. I’m not foolish enough not to be scared. But, so far, I have been surprised by many of the others here. I expected -†Her voice cracked before she could continue the thought. Her gaze once again grew more distant as she realized what she had truly been expecting.
She’d been expecting her brother.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, Nerys pulled her hand back to her chest. Not so fast that it looked like he had burned her, but like she had suddenly realized that softly stroking someone’s forehead might not exactly be acceptable behavior. â€I wish more people agreed with you.†It was the only reply she could find to calling Aneirin a failure. Considering how he’d become a duke, it felt like Enzo might be the only one who saw her brother’s cruelty for the flaw it was.
There was a silence that stretched between them. At home silences had been oppressive. A looming force that told Nerys that she had done something wrong. They were a vast expanse that had her heart rate picking up and fear slinking down her spine. The horrible moments that hung in the air before she was lashed out at. This silence was none of those things. It was patient and gentle. Like the man before her would wait until the end of time for her mind to wrap around the things he considered an ultimate truth. Most importantly, Nerys could breathe while she waited for him to speak again.
With no proper response, she was forced to ignore his insistence that he would be there. Even if it did make her fingers flex with want. What could she possibly say in response? Apparently, nothing. Instead she shook her head. â€No. My Amir, Enzo, I’m sorry for upsetting you. I… I knew my past would not settle right, yet I told you anyway.†She watched the hypnotic trail of his fingers over her wrist - a wrist that looked so tiny in his grasp - as she tried to formulate her next thought. But the way he was holding her, soothing her, was distracting. Letting her brows knit together once more, she didn’t look up as she breathed out her next question so quietly it was almost a whisper. â€Have I always looked so small next to you?â€
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gardens â… enzo â… outfit
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