• PM To Join • If Only I Could Give You More...(Malcolm)

[Faith Augustin]

A woman with sense? Faith didn't know about that but she didn't argue with Malcolm's son's fiancee about that. Of course, she wasn't the fiancee of the son in front of them - this was a confusing place, Faith decided and so she smiled at Elyna and watched, concern on her face for the woman who said that she didn't intend on staying "But, Mistress, it's raining so hard. You'll get soaked to your skin. Have some soup? I can fetch you dry clothes, Mistress?" she asked, and then frowned "I mean.. ma'am. Can I fetch you dry...." she was going to finish the sentence but then Malcolm almost literally flew at the man Marcus.

Like a demon possessed he moved and the two of them fell out of the door and landed with a crash. Faith's heart fluttered as she saw him move so. So full of anger and rage and just so damn passionate in what he did. But she didn't notice the flutter (although she would focus on it later) in the moment, she was too shocked to do anything but let out a gasp of surprise. The two of them were fighting, the woman who Faith thought might be sad (she couldn't recall why) was shouting for water and really, what was the point of that? It was already pouring with rain, the pair of them were soaked and Malcolm was on top of his son and pounding... pounding.... pounding his face.

Faith stood, for a moment, totally torn. She wanted to support Malcolm, she wanted to be the best slave

wife
lover
mistress

that she could be. But he would not really want to do this to his son, she was sure and so she made a decision. Stepping forward, calmly, she spoke to Elyna. "They are already wet. Water won't help" she said and she stood next to where Malcolm was atop his son and she waited until the moment that his head was in the right place, at the right angle. Because then, she would put her slave training to use.

As a child, in the slave school in Athart, if they wished her to move quickly, the Owners had grabbed them by the ears and twisted until they moved. The pain was absolutely unlike any other and Faith waited until Malcolm's ear was available to her and then she would aim to grab it and yank. Her aim was to pull him the hell off his son and, whether she managed that or not, as she attempted the move she shouted. "GET OFF HIM!!"

Would it work? She had no idea. But she figured that it was more likely to than shouting about the soup. She hoped that one of the two of them managed it, anyhow. Because actually. That was damn good soup if she did say so herself.

[Malcolm]

Malcolm couldn't tell if it was satisfaction or horror that flooded his form as his efforts were rewarded with the painful cracking sound of his son's nose. Adrenaline had taken over and the beast had won out over the man. With bloody knuckles he paused, why wasn't Marcus fighting back?
It was then Faith decided to make her move, yanking the man away from his son by his ear. Malcolm turned on the woman like a cat with tail set underfoot, and struck her backhandedly, pushing her aside to return to the bloodied form on the street in the storm. Silently he knelt beside the man, watching the rain dilute and wash away the blood on his face. Scared to touch him, Malcolm reached out slowly and just as the pad of his thumb caressed the man's cheek, a familia voice saw him flinch and just about jump out of his skin.
"Marcus!" Vanessa cried, not grey and old as she should be, but young, younger than even he dared to remember.
Time seemed to slow down as she moved towards her son, and mesmerised by her golden mane, the knight found it tricky to look away, pulled between past and present once more. When his gaze finally fell on the figure before him, it was not a man but a boy, limp, soaked, and unmoving. The shrieking sound Vanessa made at the sight of her boy left the man's chest feeling completely hollow, as if someone had reach in and torn out all of his innards.
"Marcus?" Malcolm shook the boy, long and lanky, seven or eight, if that. "Marcus!" He scooped the child up and kissed his cold face, clutching icy fingers.
"What have you done?" Vanessa screamed at him. "Malcolm! What have you done?" She cried, beating his shoulder with closed hands.

Malcolm awoke from sleep sweaty, breathless, and confused. He looked around the dark, unfamiliar room he found himself in, and sat up quickly, leaving himself dizzy. The dream had seemed so real that the man struggled to recall what reality he had stepped back into. How old was his son? Why wasn't Vanessa beside him? Who were those strangers?
Slowly the man's sense returned to him and carefully he set his head against the pillow once more with his right arm crossed over his face, relieved that it had all just been a strange, terrible dream. For a time he would lie there in the dark, wondering if he would ever resort to such violence against one of his boys, even on Elyna's behalf. He thought of her then and hoped Benjamin was on his way to help.

[Elyna]

Knocked aside by Faiths attempt to take control of the situation, and then Malcolm’s defense against the dark-haired woman. Elyna rolled across the damp cobbles and climbed back to her feet. Seething with anger she looked up in time to see a young woman, frantic and charging towards their group. Elyna would never know how she recognised the blonde, but her instinct told her that this was Vanessa. She knew it as a fact and her heart sank with fear. Rain flattened the hair to her skull and left her shoulders dripping water to the street. A few careful steps back towards the house and she managed to retreat.

The Skyrider peered between the crowding faces, the dark-haired lady, Vanessa, Malcolm cradling his child in his arms. Overwhelmed Elyna did what she did best; the woman turned on her heel and fled through the dark streets, out into the storm, kicking up puddles as she went skidding over the cobbles and flatter stones worn down by ages. Fingers outstretched blind in the dim light as she struggled to see.

[Faith Augustin]

In the waking world, Faith would never consider doing what she had done here. She would never. But here, in this place, Faith was free. Free to pull Malcolm away from hurting himself so dreadfully. Because she knew (or she believed she knew) that, in hurting his son like that Malcolm would only be hurting himself. Because... If he was going to kill his son, he would have to do it in a cold rational moment not in anger. She genuinely believed that she was helping him by pulling him away.

And, of course, she pulled him away the only way she knew how.

As she did, even though she had been careful to go the opposite side of the Sad Lady, said Sad Lady fell and rolled just as Malcolm turned and backhanded her. She felt the impact of his hit and she felt herself fly backwards, the impact of his strike jarring her and sent her spinning. Faith had been hit more than her fair share of times, she had been struck in all sorts of ways.

But the feel of the back of Malcolm's hand on her hurt her in ways that she was not really able to explain. She hurt in her face where he hit her, but that he would do so? That hurt her in the very core of her being. She knelt in the mud and the rain, feeling the water pour down her back and front and sides and she watched as the only man she would ever love knelt there, his son in his arms and his...

....oh that was his wife, the woman he loved. And the Sad Lady, she turned and ran away?

If I was his,
I would never leave
I would never run
Except towards him.

Faith lifted a shaking hand to her mouth. As she did, she fell forward into the mud and, in her bed the slave let out a moan of confusion and she sat up, wondering just what it was that had left her feeling so very out of sorts. She had been dreaming, she knew, but she couldn't quite remember what. So, she curled back up in Tristan's bed and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

[Anomaly]

Review: Completed!

I'm Anomaly, and I come bearing gifts in the form of a thread review. The thread has been thoroughly combed and all participants have been alloted their rewards, listed below. If you can't find your name, please see the closing comments at the end of the post. Thank you!

Faith

Skills

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5

Knowledge

Malcolm: Mistook you for Cara
Cara: Malcolm's Household Slave
Elyna: Very Emotional
Malcolm: Has two sons, Marcus and Vaughn

Other

N/A

Notes

Full marks! No major or disruptive hiccups! Well done.

Malcolm

Skills

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5

Knowledge

Faith: The Venoran Slave

Other

N/A

Notes

Full marks! No major or disruptive hiccups! Well done.

Elyna

Skills

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5

Knowledge

Animal Husbandry: Breaking up confrontations with water
Vanessa: Was a beautiful blonde when younger

Other

N/A

Notes

Full marks! No major or disruptive hiccups! Well done.

Closing comments: Hah! It was nice to see Malcolm caught off guard in a dream, although it took a turn for the worse. It was enjoyable, and confusing in a good way. I love this kind of drama.

Lastly, if there are any questions or concerns about your review, send me a message as soon as you're able so we can sort it out if need be.

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