Bugman
Queen Arya
yobo
CleverFox
ThatLostDude
Vampiretwilight
Scar and Esmeralda ~ Present Day ~ Pride Rock
Esmeralda woke up slowly as she struggled to stay awake from long periods of time. She came in and out of consciousness with no sign of being awake other than her eyes opening for moment. When she finally managed to keep her eyes open, she took everything in. Her back stung and was quite sore but she was grateful to have been placed on her stomach, not wanting to know what it would feel like to lie on her back in this state. She could also feel something slimy on her back and wondered if someone had actually attended to her and put salve on it or if she was still bleeding.
She started to sit up when she felt a large hand on her shoulder. She winced away from it and lowered herself back down onto the surprisingly comfortable bed, "Don't touch me," She hissed unaware of who the hand even belonged to.
The hand removed itself from her shoulder before hitting her on her back without remorse, "Learn you place, Gypsy, I believe that is the reason you are in this position."
Esmeralda bit her lip through the pain that erupted through her back before it faded back to a dull pain. She didn't meet the man's eyes or even look in his direction but instead allowed for her gaze to fall upon her shoulder and the extremely thin strip dark blue fabric that she wore. Someone had changed her and although she was somewhat glad to be out of the now rags she had been wearing when she arrived, she felt now as though she were the King's property. She dare not think about who it was who had changed her into the clothing and that she could only assume from Scar's personality didn't cover much. She spoke to her shoulder when she finally did, "What is it that you are doing here?"
"King Scar has ordered that a guard remain with you at all times and to alert him when you are awake," He told her in a cool and stern tone.
Esmeralda sighed, "Well... I am awake am I not?" She did not wish to come face to face with the Beast King ever again but she knew that she would have to. Sooner or later this soldier would realize that she was awake that that he was to tell his King. She had might as well get it over with rather than wait. She heard the soldier murmur something before a door opened and a second voice spoke. Then there was running and the door closing, more murmuring before a chair was moved slightly and someone sat down.
She sighed as she continued to look at the only piece of clothing she could see.
---
With the back of the chair facing front, Scar sat down, stradeling his legs on either side of the chair and rested his arms on the top of the back, resting his chin on the top of his hands. She wasn't looking at him, but he didn't care, she didn't need to. She need to only hear his voice and understand the words that came from him. He didn't bother with having her brought back to him in the room they had been in beforehand. Once he heard that the Gypsy had woken up only an hour after blacking out he came straight to the chambers reserved solely for his dancers. It was a large room, fit for the Queen herself if there was one. Lavish furniture filled the room; beds, couches, cushions, chairs... not a single inch left untouched by physical comforts. There was, however, a smaller room adjoining this one that remained practically empty for the dancers to practice their craft for him. Each dancer was dressed to match, the only difference being different shades and colors of cloth but the Gypsy was the only one in dark blue.
The dancers were absolutely given more priveleges than anyone else in the castle, including Scar's royal guards. Not a single woman was shackled, free to roam around the rooms as they pleased. They had bathing rights whenever they so wished and a never-ending supply of fresh food, water and wine to indulge in when one wasn't forced into giving up this luxury when her body began to fill out in places Scar didn't approve of. Overall he took very good care of his dancers, they were his main source of entertainment after all...
"Are you ready to play again? Or have you decided to make this easy on yourself?" He asked keeping his tone light and casual. Lifting his chin from his hands he looked down at her and with a sweeping motion of his hand, gestured to the room around them despite her not meeting his eye. "Take a look around you Gypsy. Everything you could ever want, right here. Does this not please you?"
---
Esmeralda flinched at the sound of Scar's voice behind her. All she could think of was the humor in his voice as he spoke about his sick little game. She took a deep breath and slowly sat up with a great deal of effort and pain. She looked down at herself for a moment to find her stomach completely exposed to him and one of her legs sticking out of a slit that ran from the bottom of her floor length skirt to the belt of fabric that hung low on her hips. For the first time, she took in the room. It was... amazing. Living on the streets was not a lavish lifestyle. She danced most days for money to buy food and here it was just sitting there waiting for her. The riches in the room enticed her but they did not please her. She finally brought her gaze to Scar, "No. I want my freedom. I do not see that here."
She slowly pushed herself to her feet and walked away from him, creating more space between the two of them. It hurt her greatly to move as she was but she pushed through it not wanting to be near him. She wrapped her arms around her waist as she fixed her gaze toward the other women, who seemed so happy to be held captive. None of them were Gypsies. Esmeralda was not too surprised. The Romani had fled the cities years ago, going back to the country side where they had roamed for so long. If any man or woman tried to steal a Gypsy from their camps... They would find themselves in less favourable positions. The Romani weren't always very forgiving folks. She stared at them as she addressed Scar's first question to her, "I've said it once and I will say it again, my dances are for the Gypsies... I will not teach it to your slaves, *Your Majesty*."
She turned to him, her chin high, "I... will dance for you as you wish but my dances will die with me."
---
He remained in the chair, resting his arm back down on top of the other and just looked upon the Gypsy girl thoughtfully. His eyes looked her over once, twice, three times before he met her gaze, mentally congratulating himself for the choice of dress design he had created for his dancers.
"You don't give a *pet* freedom." Scar replied, practically spitting out the word but her remained otherwise calm. If anything she was only bringing him more amusement causing his normally blackened eyes to lighten into a soft brown shade. He had been putting up with girls like these for far too many years to let her words irk him... there were ways around it.
"Well now, it seems you still haven't learned your place here in my kingdom. I'd be more than happy to remind you." Sitting up a bit on the chair, he brought in his lower lip into his mouth and gave a short whistle, gaining the attention of the guard standing watch at the doors. "Bring the whip, the willow one. Leather is too soft." He ordered the guard who in turn nodded and left the room. Scar, smirking, turned his attention back to the Gypsy. "How many times this time do you think?" He asked sounding genuinly curious.
---
She exhaled sharply through her nose when he called her a pet. How badly she wanted to be free of this disgusting man. To put on him all the ill tortures he had put on herself and the many before her. She was not sure that any of it would sit well in her stomach though. Esmeralda had killed once before. She had drove a kinfe between a man's ribs that turned into a fatal blow but she had done so in self defense. She viewed that differently to actively seeking out and enjoying the pain of others. She tore her eyes from the women on the other side of the room and was curious as to how many lashings they had recieved or witnessed. Maybe they had given in to him quickly, glad to dance in exchange for a lavish lifestyle that he offered them. That almost disgusted her as much as Scar did. Giving up their freedom for material possessions.
Esmeralda took a deep breath was he questioned her again about how many lashings she believed she would remain conscious through. She glared at him, "I will not give you the satisfaction of playing your sick game with you," She walked over to him before she turned and lowered herself to her knees. She placed her hands against the bed and prepared herself. She hoped that her being so compliant in this part of the game while refusing the other would make it all a little less enjoyable for him. However, she believed him actually curious in seeing what all it was that she could withstand... Whether she played the game or not, whether she fought him or not, he was going to enjoy himself because, "You're a sick bastard," She said speaking to the floor as she awaited the next lashing.
---
Watching her as she put herself on the floor at his feet, waiting for the beating that she knew was to come, Scar shook his head no and got up and out of the chair. Grabbing onto her wrist, he pulled her back to her feet forcefully and turned her around so that her back was to him.
"Not yet." He snapped before moving his hand from her wrist to the strap on her shoulder that kept the bra-like top on her chest. Sliding it down her shoulder with a gentle touch, he moved his hand to do the same to the other side, the fabric practically falling to her feet with the support no longer there. "No sense in bloodying up a perfectly good outfit." He explained with a cold snicker and then with his hand to the back of her neck, forced her back down onto the ground on her knees. The soldier had returned by this time, handing Scar the willow whip he had asked for. With his hand still on her neck he pushed her forward onto her hands with her already marred back exposed to him entirely.
"Last chance Gypsy." Scar warned, flicking the whip forward a foot or so away from her face so she could hear the cracking sound it made in the air.
---
A gasp escaped her lips when she was suddenly pulled to her feet. She looked at him confused for a moment before he turned her away from him. She felt his callused fingers on her shoulder again as he removed one strap of her top and then the other before removing the garment entirely and allowed it to fall to the ground. She brought her hands up to cover her chest and she huffed a little at his comment. She lowered herself to the ground as he applied pressure to the back of her neck and listened as footsteps approached him and heard something exchange hands, the whip no doubt. Her hands dropped in front of her when he pushed her forward onto them but she snaked on arm up to keep her decent while the other remained on the ground a moment after.
When the whip cracked next to her ear, she flinched away from it slightly, however, his words infuriated her as he continued to toy with her. She looked over her shoulder, "For what? To beg for mercy," She spat at his feet before turning back around, "It disgusts me that you think that Gypsies are the kind of people to beg on their hands and knees."
---
Scar took a few steps and squatted down beside her, using his free hand to brush her hanging hair behind her ear a bit so he could see her eyes.
"You don't have to beg." He told her quietly. "Not if you play nice and do what it is I have to say." He moved his hand from her hair to touch gently at her bare shoulder, running his finger along the skin, his eyes on his hand as he moved his finger back and forth slowly before letting his black orbs settle back on her.
"Teach the other dancers Gypsy, and I'll leave you be. Refuse me, and I'll make an example of you yet." He said, his voice getting harder and threatening. His other hand moved forward, flicking his wrist a bit so that the tail end of the whip was lying out on the floor in front of her, showing her what it was that he would embed into her flesh if she didn't comply.
---
Goosebumps rose along her skin as he ran his fingers over her shoulder. Esmeralda let out a ragged breath as he spoke to her, his voice not matching the seemingly tender movements of his hand. Her eyes lowered to the ground when she heard the whip hit the floor in front of her. She stared at it for sometime before looking back at Scar. She looked into his dark eyes and brought up her courage again. She spat in his face, her jaw tense, "Do what you will."
She turned her head away from him, "There is nothing that you can do to me that will make me teach them."
He could be tender, she had seen it in him... For just a moment. However, she had more pride in her than to ever think of teaching Gypsy dances because she wanted his tenderness. She casted it aside from her head and brought up all horrid things he had done in the incredibly short period they had been together. Slapped Marguerite so hard that she bled, he had choked her, forced her to dance, he had a man whip her and, when that wasn't good enough, he whipped her himself. Now, after just waking up from the torture he had done upon her he was going to do it all again. Her eyes hardened as she stared ahead of her awaiting the whip.
---
The moment she spat on his face his free hand shot out and grabbed her jaw, thumb on one side and the other four fingers on the other. His hold on her was so tight that her lips were forced open and pushed outwards a bit.
"You *will* teach them." He replied in a cold whisper. "I've only just begun." Tightening his grip on her even more before he pulled away, Scar stood back up and used the back of his arm to wipe her spit away. He moved back behind her and rolled his neck around his shoulders, rewarded by a few cracking sounds that brought immediate release to his tightened muscles. Drawing the whip back, he flexed the muscles in his arm and hailed down the whip onto her back, cutting the flesh where it had been left unmarred with deadly force. He pulled his hand back again and let the strip fly back down onto her back, brushing up against the cut that he had given her the previous time knowing that the skin surrounding the laseration would be at its most tender.
Two more times and the Gypsy finally collapsed, though for good measure Scar let down the whip on her back once more. As two soldiers scrambled to collect her off the floor, Scar handed the whip off to a third.
"Find me another Gypsy, I don't care if it's male or female, young or old. Just get me one. If she won't break by her body, then I will break her by her mind."
Taking the whip, the solder nodded and hurried off. Scar took a moment to look back at the Gypsy as the soldiers hoisted her up onto a bed after wrapping her wounds (so as not to get blood on the sheets) and sneered. She would break for him. This he was certain of.
---
Rapunzel ~ Present Day ~ Earth
Peter slides down quickly, swaying back and forth on the run. He notices that on this particular run there are jumps and logs to do tricks on. He goes toward one of the jumps and ramps up it, doing a flip as he does. He lands safely and leans forward, increasing his speed. He shifts side to side and he speeds up, going down the slope faster. He does this with a smile and skids to a stop once he is down at the bottom of the hill. He immediately gets back in line for the lift and keeps going again.
After his fifth or sixth time, he pulls up next to a stop next to Rapunzel. He looks over her shoulder to see what she is drawing before saying, "You should ride down. It is fun. Come on!"
---
Rapunzel gasped when Peter's voice piped up next to her. Luckily, she had been inspected how the light was hitting the lake below and wasn't in the midst of drawing anything to accidentally run her pencil across the page. She looked up at Peter to seem him looking over her shoulder at her sketch book and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She shook her head, "I haven't got a board or boots... and I don't know how to... I'll ride down the chair lift," She said with a smile. She'd probably be the only one but she wasn't going to walk down the mountain while people were doing crazy tricks all around her. Besides, it was an awfully long way down.
She smirked at him, "Although standing on the front of your snowboard from there to here was fun... I don't think it would be entirely safe to do it all the way down the mountain."
She flipped her pencil over and erased some of the shading of the lake to make it look like the light bounching off of it. She caught sight of her fingers and saw the beds of her nails had turned purple at some point. She stood and grabbed her coat off her snow chair and pulled it back on before she closed her book and put it back into her bag, "I should probably get back down to the lodge anyways... Before I get hypothermia..."
She played with her braid after she pulled her bag back onto her shoulder, "Enjoy the rest of your snowboarding," She said with a smile.
