[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0j3MgDx.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/PgDMy1Z.png[/img][/center] [h3][color=white]Unknown Location, White Pine[/color][/h3] [sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Asterion ([@The Savant]) [b]Interactions:[/b] Vincent ([@Estylwen])[/sub] [hr] [indent] Isabella’s eyelids opened and closed like the wings of a restless butterfly, each blink uncertain and shaky as the world turned in a dizzying swirl around her. Overhead, the flickering light hung, expanding and squeezing with each breath she took while the air around her smelled with the sharpness of blood. Her blood. Her breath hitched as she adjusted to the dizziness, Isabella’s head tipping forward slightly before she forced herself upright. Slowly, her crimson gaze roamed the room, taking in the shadowy figures at the edges, the glint of rifle barrels trained on her, and the polished shoes of the man who now stood before her. Bound to the chair like a fallen queen, with crimson droplets seeping from her veins and her midnight-black hair cascading around her shoulders in wild disarray, she centred herself by breathing deeply before finally looking up. [color=#800000]“Vincent,”[/color] the woman cooed, her voice as smooth as silk despite her predicament, [color=#800000]“You certainly have a way of making a girl feel special. I must admit, it has me a bit….[i] breathless[/i].”[/color] A playful grin danced across her lips. Isabella’s eyes then wandered over the cold metal tubes that drained her life’s essence, her smile growing. [color=#800000]“Though I must admit, the décor leaves much to be desired. Perhaps a bouquet of roses would liven things up? Or would that be too on the nose?”[/color] Isabella tilted her head back against the chair, her long, delicate neck exposed, trying to appear casual as if she were simply admiring the ceiling. [color=#800000]“So, you want me to play the villain and bring down Kairo, and in exchange... what do I get? A simple promise that we’ll be 'even'? Oh, how incredibly generous of you!”[/color] Her voice dripped with playful sarcasm, each word rolling off her tongue like honey, sweet and intoxicating but also laced with a bitter tang. In an instant, her bright smile evaporated, however, leaving behind a cold gaze. [color=#800000]“Darling,”[/color] she purred, her voice dripping with sweet menace, [color=#800000]“I didn’t scrabble and scrape my way to the pinnacle of Nocturnia’s shadowy empire just to hand out favours like candy at some parade. Especially not for men who naively think that tying me up and draining me is a clever way to cut a deal. I crave something [i]far[/i] richer than a mere pat on the head or a dull paycheck, you see.”[/color] Vincent's crimson eyes stared right back at her, wholly amused in her carefree-ness. It was to her own doom, after all. He merely smiled slightly, leaning back to adjust the cuffs on his sleeve. [color=bd4abd][b]”My dear Bella, I would never dream of merely kidnapping and draining you to be enough to win you over.”[/b][/color] His gaze flicked from the cuff to her. [color=bd4abd][b]”However, you must realize that I can change your mind in an instant. You should be grateful to me, in fact, for giving you the illusion of choice here. It's not a ‘deal’, we're cutting, my sweet. You are my doll, and you will do as I say.”[/b][/color] He grinned wolfishly. [color=bd4abd][b]”So, I want to hear you say, ‘Yes, Mr. Vincent. I'll get right on that.’”[/b][/color] He shrugged, one eye closing in a wink. [color=bd4abd][b]”Or you'll see this little game get real [i]real[/i] fast.”[/b][/color] Isabella’s eyes narrowed just a hint, a flicker of icy amusement dancing within her ruby-red stare. [color=#800000]“Your doll? How charmingly presumptuous,”[/color] she teased, her tone dripping with allure. Leaning forward as much as her bonds would allow, she locked her gaze onto his. [color=#800000]“But tell me, if you genuinely possess the power to sway me in an instant, why engage in this elaborate ruse at all? Why not simply wave your fingers and bend me to your will, as you so desire?”[/color] [color=bd4abd][b]”...Calling my bluff, are we?”[/b][/color] Vincent said, a dark tone entering his voice. [color=bd4abd][b]”I was hoping you would.”[/b][/color] He shifted in his seat, procuring a phone. He quickly pressed the FaceTime for a contact. It connected almost instantly, and his voice drawled. [color=bd4abd][b]”Get on with it.”[/b][/color] He then turned the phone so Bella could easily see from her compromised position. She would see a dark room and two shadowy figures throwing a hooded man on the ground, into the spotlight. His hands were tightly bound behind his back, and a moan of pain escaped him. Then the beatings started. Vincent held the phone steady as Bella was forced to listen to every punch, kick, and slap that the men wailed on the prone figure. If she listened carefully, she would notice something. Vincent was watching her eyes for it, waiting for her to recognize, yes, that those cries of pain were oddly familiar. One of the men finally removed the hood of the victim, and Bella saw who it was. Mathieu. A pause, before Vincent's chin jerked. [color=bd4abd][b]”I didn't say to stop, did I?”[/b][/color] And the raw, agonizing beatings resumed before Bella's eyes. Isabella's sly grin wavered when the hood was drawn away from Mathieu, revealing his battered face. A gasp escaped her lips, and for a brief moment, her ruby eyes glimmered with an unexpected emotion: fear. [color=#800000]“Mathieu,”[/color] she murmured. The intensity of her gaze flickered back to Vincent, her cold demeanour shattering into fragments, each piece reflecting her desperation. [color=#800000]“You’ve proven your point,”[/color] she declared, her tone trembling with barely contained rage. [color=#800000]“But this ends here... right now.”[/color] In an instant, the careful, cool Isabella vanished, replaced by a fierce older sister ready to go to any lengths to safeguard the last person she held dear. [color=#800000]“I’ll bend to your will,”[/color] she said, her declaration tasting like ash mixed with blood, [color=#800000]“but if you so much as brush your hand against him again, I promise you’ll suffer a reckoning that will haunt your nightmares.”[/color] Either way, Isabella was sure to make the man pay. Vincent smiled, turned the phone to him, and crooned, [color=bd4abd][b]”Okay, that's enough.”[/b][/color] And the sound of beatings stopped. He disconnected the call, glancing back over at Bella, taking in the sweet expression of her face. [color=bd4abd][b]”Of course, my dear. As long as you cooperate, your precious one won't be harmed.”[/b][/color] [color=bd4abd][b]”Of course,”[/b][/color] He gave the phone a little wiggle. [color=bd4abd][b]”That will change if you give me a reason to believe you're not being sincere with my requests…”[/b][/color] He gave a closed-lip smile as he pocketed the phone. [color=bd4abd][b]”Regardless, LO'm looking forward to a fortuitous business relation with you, Bella.”[/b][/color] [hr] Soon, Bella found herself standing on the streets of Nocturnia, her blood returned to her, and Vincent gone without a trace. Though she couldn't help shake the feeling of being watched… [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0j3MgDx.png[/img][/center] [h3][color=white]The Red Rose Lounge Parking Area, Highfair[/color][/h3] [sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Emilia (NPC)[/sub][hr] The muted hum of Highfair's nightlife throbbed like a distant heartbeat, muffled by the tinted windows of Isabella’s sleek black car. Inside, the amber glow of the dashboard illuminated her sharp features, casting a ghostly red hue that danced across her face, hinting at her intentions. Emilia, her trusted lieutenant, sat behind the wheel, her expression hard but questioning. [color=#800000]“Everything set?”[/color] Isabella asked. Emilia nodded, her eyes flicking to Isabella’s face, searching for answers. [color=#000000]“Word’s already spreading. Kairo’s people will catch wind soon enough. You sure this is the way to go?”[/color] Isabella leaned back, her gaze fixed on the cityscape outside. [color=#800000]“We’ll give Vincent just enough to keep him satisfied. But Kairo… he might be an ally, if he plays his cards right.”[/color] [color=#000000]“And if he doesn’t?”[/color] Emilia pressed. [color=#800000]“Then he’ll burn, just like Vincent wants,”[/color] Isabella said simply. [color=#800000]“Either way, I’ll make sure this doesn’t end with Mathieu as collateral damage.”[/color][/indent]