St. Peter's Asylum discussion

Lamps of every shape and size are scattered across the room. One bed is pushed up against the window-- not at all barred to let the most light in-- while the other is set close to the door in case of emergency.

Though boy and girl share this room, the colour is monotone and there seem to be no arguments about what furniture goes where. The room of Elin and Zachary is always kept very clean, very bright, and never dark.

RP here.

((Thera, ima start this now so I don't forget:3 Come hither when you get on.))

The princess entered her chambers with a small smile on her face. Honeydew gaze instinctively flickered to the bed that was not hers, but, as expected, Zach wasn't there. She herself had left early in the morning, to wander, and now the afternoon was ending and the sun slowly beginning to sink.

The very thought made her skittish, and it wasn't long before Elin found herself in the shower, rubbing dirt off her feet and the smell of soil out of her hair.

Mid-lather, Elin paused. The familiar voice melted over her like honey, and a smile lit up her face.

"Just a moment." Three gentle words, called out through shower door. She quickly finished with her hair, stepped out of the shower, and placed on her delicate robe.

The princess appeared, wet haired and scantily clad. She wore a wide smile and opened her arms for a hug.

"Mhm."

She sat her rump on the harsh mattress, kicking her feet back and forth like a child. "I went out."

A little squeal escaled Elin's lips. Presents were her favourite part of when Zachary went outside the asylum walls. Of course, it only happened once in a blue moon, but that was often enough.

Pale green eyes scanned the package for a few moments before she asked, "What is it?"

A wide smile grew, and Elin threw her arms around her prince. Little things like these were a necessity for the girl-- one not offered at St. Peter's.

Roses. Of course. She practically bathed in roses. Whatever had started it, Elin couldn't remember.

She grinned. "Of course, fair prince."

Diligently plucking the box of soap from Zachary's lap, orders were followed and Elin found herself back within the shower doors.

Five or so minutes passed. Hair now clean, and the smell of wet soil replaced by fresh roses, a satisfied Elin left the shower. The water was turned off-- cold, as usual, though she knew no different-- and within ten minutes she emerged from the small bathroom.

Curls were still slightly wet, but she had mastered the art of towel-drying. Dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt, the princess walked over to her bed and sat on her caregiver's tummy, glancing down at him.

She grinned. "Of course you do."

Elin gently scooted off of Zachary's stomach and to his side, where she proceeded to rest her head on his chest as if she would fall asleep.

"Thank you," she said rather quietly.

She honestly had very little idea as to where the entire princess charade came from. Elin had never questioned it, however. Zach's frequent use of "milady", "princess", or any of the other chivalrous terms he used made her feel special. She liked the feeling of knowing he cared.

Honeydew eyes closed, for a few moments. If she could jut stay here forever...

"Kay...."

Elin wouldn't be waking him, though, because she herself managed to fall asleep. Zachary was home. Sleeping with (no, not the nasty way) him was like being back at home.

The princess slowly drifted off into the land of dreams, a world filled with roses and princes and sunlight.

((two options: time lapse, either a happy one to dinner or a cruel one to she wakes up in the middle of the night and since they were both sleeping there aren't any lights on and you do the math. Option two, faaade.))

((option two or option one, part two?))

((XD okay. I figured as much, with the evil face and all..))

******

Later, she wouldn't be sure exactly what had awoken her. But it all seemed to happen very quickly once she returned to consciousness.

The dreamworld slowly melted away. Elin didn't resist-- the waking world was safe. It couldn't have been more than an hour...

Cotton candy and marshmallow scents of the dream were replaced by a fresh aroma of roses and the familiar cologne that Zachary wore. She always loved the smell.

Eyes slowly fluttered open, and it only took a few seconds for the change in lighting to register.

Darkness. There were monsters in the darkness. Horrible creatures that wanted to eat her and take her away from her prince. Death. Despair. Frightening things happened in the dark. Murders. Ones gotten away with, too.

The scream lasted hardly a second, and then Elin fell back down. The black seas of unconsciousness lapped around her vision, and as she saw a shadow jump towards her she blacked out.

The pale pallor left, and a flush returned to her cheeks. A slight turn of the head, and then her eyes flashed open. Elin sat up, bolting like lightning, gasping and quivering.

Knees pulled up in the fetal position, and she gently rocked back and forth. Gasps turned to sobs, and then head full of dark curls was buried amongst her knees.

Head was shook. Elin didn't think she could speak yet. The cries wracked through her chest roughly, and a few tears fell.

"It's-- not-- your-- fault."

Arguing would get her nowhere. So Elin simply fell silent, the only sound being the crying.

A few moments passed like this, and then the princess sniffled and lifted her head. Tear-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes were the only visible difference.

"I'm sorry."

((Kay. Nighty night.))
A sniffle, and a nod. Slowly, she unhooked her arms from in front of her knees and laid down beside Zachary. Eyes didn't close yet, though.

Scares like this were never good. That's all it was. A scare. She trusted Zachary wit her life, with her darkest secrets. Elin knew Zach did his best. All of this had been shoved upon him. No one ever asked what he felt.

A small sigh. Princess. More like the ghost of the princess, haunting the prince. A burden.

That's all she was. A burden.

Hours passed, and Elin gazed at her nightlight. If only she could really be Snow White. Everything would be perfect then.

Everything...

The sun rose, and green eyes still gazed at the nightlight. It was morning.

Slowly, Elin turned her head to look at Zach, her prince, the haunted prince. Pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek-- not aware he was awake-- she gently climbed over him and stepped onto the cold tile floor. A small shudder.

Pale hand reached for the pulley-chain that hung from the single lamp on, and the lightbulb blinked out. She stood for a few moments, hands dancing around the various lamps and lights, and then walked to the bathroom. Showering was a morning and night necessity.

Elin took her sweet time in the shower, washing away the memories of the night before, and the thoughts.

Thirty minutes, or so, passed, and then the princess emerged. A slight from was her expression.

"Hi."

Elin glanced down, and found herself by her bed. Clothes identical to those before, now tainted with a scent of roses.

A shrug. "I guess."

Quiet. That was unusual for the princess; she was always the talkative type.

Elin sat down on the hard matress, and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I just try not to think about it, you know?"

At first, she remained unmoved and not meeting his gaze. But slowly, Elin softened and rested head full of dark curls against his shoulder.

"I just wish..." She stopped. The princess didn't need to go there.

Her prince knew her too well. Far too well.

One arm snaked across his abdomen, and the other reached behind his back and locked with the other around his waist. The ghost of the princess kept the flighty prince from disappearing anywhere.

A gentle press of ruby-red lips against his cheek, and then Elin's head fell back to his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

The words went miles. Not just for the night before, but for the week before, or a month ago, or even further back after that. The two words covered every incident from the time they began.

Why us? We didn't ask for this...

Elin sighed.

"But..."

But it was. It so was. If she hadn't been so afraid, if she hadn't demanded to live a normal life... Everything that had happened was because of her influence, or lack thereof.

And Elin couldn't let that go.

"No, they won't!"

Elin sat up rather quickly, pulling away from Zachary ever slightly. A few sparkling tears dotted her honeydew gaze as she shook her head.

"Nothing will get better, Zachary. Don't you get that?" A sniffle, and her live began to crack. "I haven't gotten better yet. I won't get better. Ever."

She looked down with a sigh, dark curls falling in her face to hide her expression. "You need to realize that, because it's ultimately your decision. Zach... You........ You don't have to do this."

A sniffle, and a few tears fell.

((XD Okay.))

((shall she already know?))

A confused, saddened, angered and hurt princess sat atop her bed, fresh out of the shower once more. The scent of roses lingered in the air around her-- a smell she'd never forget, unfortunately, and her wild black curls were unusually tame.

Arms were crossed. Legs were swishing back and forth. Honeydew gaze met Zachary's as he walked inside the dorm room.

"Fine."

A short, curt word. She had to try and be civil, at least make an attempt.

Elin stayed stick-straight, not reacting to her prince's return with anything more than a glance from her peripherals.

"I'm fine," she repeated.

A sigh. Elin took a breath, attempting to calm herself. She didn't want to bring it up, or talk about it. She just wanted to ignore it.

"It's nothing," she repeated for the third time. "Can we just leave it at that?"

A sigh, and a sideways glance. "How was your day?"

The question seemed so fake. Of course she knew how his day was. He had been out snogging his newfound love-- how could it be anything less than great for him?

"Oh?"

A simple question. A test. How much would he spill? How much dis he want her to know?

A slight itch of disappointment. He was trying to hide it from her.

"Refreshing because she was there?" A quiet confrontation. One that could almost have gone unheard.

Finally, Elin turned toface Zach. Green eyes met blue with a saddened look.

"You think I'd drop that low?" Elin looked hurt once more. "Of course I haven't been spying on you. But you aren't the only person I know here."

She looked up at him from underneath dark lashes, a glance that usually earned sympathy. "Why?"

Elin looked down, biting on her bottom lip. She refused to meet Zachary's gaze, and instead repeated her question: "Why?"

A dark look, but a nod. " I assumed as much."

The sadness was gone, or at least gone enough to be hidden. Now the princess was angry and hurt.

"And I'm not sure I'm okay with it. Did you ever consider my feelings on this?"

[yes. I know she's being such a hypocrite:3]

"You never led me to believe otherwise." Tone changed to match his, cold, stiff and frozen. "You never complained, never mentioned wanting to leave. You could have left, Zach. But you didn't."

Elin still refused to meet his gaze. "How could I know what you wanted? I'm not a mind-reader."

The princess froze. For a last, aching moment, honeydew gaze fleetingly met that of blue before the door was shut between them.

The life seemed to drain from her. She had never argued with her prince, not once. She wasn't used to it. And the one time her voice was actually raised, she lost him. And she might not get him back.

Elin knew exactly where he would go of course-- to Penelope. He probably wouldn't stay here for long; he'd go home for the first time in nearly ten years.

A sniffle. Was this it? Was she to live her life alone?

Sniffles slowly progressed into silent tears, and she slowly fell down against her pillow.

((You read my mind:3))

************************************
It could have been weeks, or it could have been months. Elin didn't keep track of time, not since her prince had left her. There were a lot of things Elin didn't do anymore, not without her prince.

She had been assigned a nurse. She didn't know him. He wasn't the same, he wasn't Zach. But he still tried to bond with her. She wouldn't let him. The princess chose to ignore the nurse.

He was the only one allowed inside her room nowadays. He brought her a tray of food every day, and took it away the next. It was full of food every time. Elin refused to eat. 

It was probably better that no one got to see inside her dorm, however. It would have scared the common, everyday patient. Or even person.

Walls had holes. Elin had begun to get angry. She took whatever she could find and threw it. 

The majority of her furniture had been removed.

The dank scent of old roses lingered in the air, though it was obvious that it had not recently been used. Even the princess herself had changed.

Even through the thickest of sweaters, her bones could be seen. Her ribs stuck through all clothing, and the sallow cheeks and bags under her eyes showed her lack of sleep. 

She didn't sleep very often, either.

Black curls were a ratty, tangled mess, frizzing around her head in knots. Who knows the last time it was brushed? Lips were a ruby red-- she bit them often and they bled almost constantly. Nails were bitten down-- she had developed a bad habit of biting her nails as well, when the nurse tried to get her to stop with her lips.

The nurse constantly tried to urge her to shower, to move, to do something. They thought he could replace Zach.

They thought wrong.

But, something inside Elin told her she had to prove Zach wrong. She had to survive on her own, somehow. Lights were always on, and Elin hardly moved.

Safe.

***

It was approximately midnight. The nurse had just come by, and asked Elin to turn her lights off.

She ignored him, and threatened to throw something at him when he went for he light switch. He left and surrendered.

They would never get it. He didn't get why she needed them on.

Lifeless, pale honeydew gaze flashed around the room once more, resting upon each lamp. Only when she was done did she finally return her gaze to her bedsheets that she sat upon. 

As her gaze left, a bulb began to flicker. Then it went out. Followed by another. Another. Another. Another.

Five total, in a matter of seconds. The room grew increasingly darker as they continued to die. Over half were gone already.

A few minutes passed, and by the end of three, a shaky Elin registered two lights-- the one over her head, and her nightlight. They had to both survive; the nightlight wasn't always enough for her.

Hands flew to cover her eyes. Maybe that would make it okay... It had to. She couldn't faint.

Zach's departures now made sense. He had constantly replaced the bulbs, before they died. What else what there that she didn't know of, that she didn't know how to do?

A slight whimper escaped her lips as she peeked from between her fingers.

Pitch black, except for from the right.

The scream lasted a few seconds this time, and her only registered thought was, I need him.

The princess fell back against her pillow rather gracefully. Hands were linked over her bosom, and her head rested upon the pillow. Had she seemed healthier, she could have been Snow White herself.

As honeydew gaze fluttered shut, the light behind Snow White flickered out as well.

Not even nightlights last forever.

[OMG DO NOT MAKE ME CRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How beautiful!]

((IS SHE GONNA DAI? I DUN WANT HER TO DAI, SHE HASN't RP'D WITH HADA YET! XD Lol, I'm so selfish.))

[IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!]

It was taking longer than usual. At first, there was no reaction. Nothing visible. One would have wondered if it worked. Could it fail?

Then, slowly, a pink creeped upon her sallow cheeks. Lips regained slight colouring.

Everything returned slowly, achingly, and maybe ten minutes passed before a slight turn of head full of ratty black curls.

A few more moments, in which Elin regained herself. She moved like a foal as it tried to stand for the first time, unsure and wary.

A hand brushed through her ratty, dark curls, and at first it didn't register. Green gaze was half open, half shut.

And then it hit her.

With a shaky gasp, Elin had no hesitation to throw her arms around Zach's neck and cry into his shoulder.

Elin didn't speak; she didn't even know if she could. How long had she been out? How long had it been? Days? Weeks? Months?

The princess continued crying. It conveyed everything: her fear of what had happened, her thrill that Zach had returned mixed with the anger towards herself for making him come back.

"I'm-- so-- sorry," she managed out in between sobs.

[ <333333333333333333333

You have fans ;)]