Private Tales Am I Dreaming?

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria had been intercepted by several proctors and even doctors that were stationed at the academy. She had been on her way to see Silas before being manhandled. A mixture of disabling magics and sedatives brought the girl to her knees, her eyes blinking slowly and then shutting completely.

---

When she finally stirred, she was in her bed. The only thing she noticed was that she felt different. She sat up, clutching her head as it pounded to the rhythm of her heartbeat. Victoria pulled the covers off and stood, immediately throwing up on the stone floor.

Wiping her mouth, she slowly bent to begin cleaning it up. No thoughts went to her weapon, or her stuffie. Normally her constant companions. She walked to the door, her head spinning. Her only thoughts on finding Silas.

---

She finally made it, his door was in front of her. She knocked feebly, a soft whine of pain escaping her lips. Thoughts flooded her mind as she sank to the floor, back against the solid wood of the door. Tears began pouring from her eyes, she'd never cried before..what a weird sensation.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Usually when somebody knocked on his door in the middle of the night, it was either Livia Quinnick or Victoria Von Fleet. Both of them had different reasons they sought him out, and both of them had a very distinct way of knocking. So when Silas rose from bed hearing a rap on his door that sounded like neither of them, he was particularly concerned.

Quietly, the boy slid from his bed and dressed. If it were Vicky or Quill, he wouldn't mind, but... He didn't want to be caught off guard by whoever was waiting on the other side of the door. Once his gear was on, he padded across the room to the heavy door and clicked open the look, swinging it open with tense muscles...

"Vicky...?"

It was definitely Von Fleet, but... there was something off about her. She was slumped down to the floor, leaning against his doorframe with tearstained streaking down her cheeks. He'd never seen her cry before, never seen her show any emotion at all really.

Something was wrong.

Biting his lip, Silas knelt down and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her up to her feet. "Alright, up you go. Come on, let's get you inside, Vic. Tell me what's going on."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

The door opened and she lifted her chin to look up at Silas, her lips still trembling as tears still fell fresh from her eyes. She made no move, but when he wrapped his arm around her, she leaned in and let him help her.

She stood on shaky legs as he helped her to stand, still dazed and slightly confused as he helped her into his room. Vicky was quick to sit on the bed, her dizzy head threatening to send her to her knees.

"They did something to me Silas. I don't feel right. They took me away and I don't remember." She pressed a palm to her forehead and groaned. "I didn't have anyone else to go to for this. I'm sorry."

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

There was... a lot to take in. First and foremost, he was worried about Victoria's physical state: She could barely walk without holding onto him, and even then she nearly went back down to the floor several times before he was able to get her settled onto the edge of his bed.

Then there was her speech. 'I'm sorry?' Victoria had never apologized to him for anything in the entire time they'd known each other. Even if she'd overstepped and did recognize it, she usually just let up on him a little to make up for it, and they moved past it. That she was apologizing over coming to his room, something she did multiple times a week, had his eyes flickering nervously to his door.

"It's alright, Vicky. I'm not pissed at you. Just worried."

He'd heard rumors of the Proctors using drugs on particularly troubled students to try and keep them under control, but he'd been under the impression such efforts were outlawed with the Revolution. Either these were some bad actors who'd been driven to their breaking point by Vic's antics or...

Well, he hoped it was just the former.

"Here, some water." Silas grabbed his canteen from the nightstand beside his bed and handed it to her. "Take a minute, relax."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria settled on the edge of his bed, her hands gripping the edges as if she were afraid to let go. The world around her was different, was perceived differently. The world felt sharp, like everything would cut her at the slightest touch.

Silas offered his canteen and she took it with a grateful look. She brought it to her lips and drank greedily. She didn't even realize how thirsty she had been. "Thank you, Silas." She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and felt fresh tears starting.

It was normal, but not her normal. She felt vulnerable and small. Victoria reached for him, her fingers only managing to catch his sleeve. "I'm scared. I've never been scared before. I don't know what to do." Her lip trembled as she looked to the only person in the world she trusted. Her eyes begged for his help, though she did even know what she was asking from him. "Sit with me, just for a minute?"

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

If he was being honest, Silas was rather at a loss himself. Yeah, it wasn't the first time he'd had to calm somebody down, and he knew Vicky better than anybody else in the Academy, but... This wasn't the Vicky he knew. Whatever they'd done to her, it almost seemed to have mellowed her out. Normalized her, even.

Somehow the idea of a normal Victoria Von Fleet upset him. As much as he had to tolerate from the wild-minded girl, she was also his friend. He knew that underneath all of that trademark Vicky that she cared about him. To see her... not herself, it was upsetting.

Without much idea otherwise, he sat down next to her as she grabbed at him, placing a hand on her shoulder as he frowned at her pleading gaze.

"Just relax. I'm right here, Vic. You can stay as long as you want."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria took a deep shuddering breath and looked at Silas quietly as he sat beside her. His hand rested gently on her shoulder and she was grateful he was there.

"They grabbed me, made me sleep. I was coming to tell you something but I don't remember what it was. I don't know how much time passed, but I woke up in my own bed."

She looked away, slowly realizing the things she had done to Silas, to all kinds of people. She killed people just for the fun of it, messes with people no matter the repercussions. She was a horrible person. The thought alone was enough to drive her mad.

A sudden change of tone, as she remembered left her lips as her body tenses. "Silas, I've not been a very good friend to you have I? Why do you put up with me?" Her lower lip trembled, she didn't deserve him as a friend. Bursting into his room, causing utter chaos, probably making him annoyed and upset. Why then, was he helping her now?

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

There was... a lot to unpack in what she said.

She was looking at him like a scolded puppy, apologizing for things that, while in isolation he considered annoying and disrupting, also made Victoria who she was. Yeah, it wasn't easy being her friend, but he'd gotten used to it, and hell, he almost liked it at this point.

To hear her renounce it like this... he wasn't sure how to feel about it. Right now, concern for her well-being trumped any regrets she was having, by a long shot. She was drugged up and scared, they could figure out what was going on in her head later.

Gods help them on that end.

"Hey now..." Silas muttered, moving the hand on her shoulder to her back, running his palm in slow, comforting circles. "You can be difficult, but you're always there for me when I need you." The last thing Silas wanted was for her to go beating herself up. Not that she hadn't been morally questionable in the past but... that was a lot of baggage for one gal. "Hell, you keep things from getting boring, that's for damned sure. So no, I think you're a fine friend. Better than an Urahil, that's for sure."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Silas began to rub her back in slow gentle circles, and she felt herself relax just a little. Her brain seemed to be constantly fluctuating from one thing to another, threatening her stability.

His words were a comfort, and she almost smiled at the end, a small flicker of movement on her lips. "You're a good friend too, you know. Thank you for that."

Victoria paused, soaking in his presence and touch. It soothed her a bit, he made her feel safe. She had never felt so violated than what had happened to her.

"Do you think I'll ever go back to the way I was? Maybe I need to track down who was responsible, maybe get them to talk." Her voice was a bit clearer now, though her eyes still looked tired and her body still shook from her experience.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

A good friend? Well, he tried. The sentiment seemed to bring a brief flash of sadness across his face, though. He'd thought he was a good friend to Vasha, and she'd vanished. He'd thought he was a good friend to Quill, and she did her damndest not to look at him in a public setting.

Would Vicky change too now? Leave him behind without giving a damned reason? No, he wanted to think otherwise. Still... there was a lingering fear in the very back of his mind. Without thinking about it too much, he pulled Victoria into a half-embrace, resting her against him as he closed his eyes and mulled over her question.

"I don't think you need to worry, Vick. The Academy has some crazy drugs, but it would take more than medicine to permanently alter your personality." He muttered. More likely, this was some kind of test or trial run, he thought. To see how she functioned under a particular concoction. Not that such a theory made him any happier about it. "They'd have to keep dosing you to make the change last."

With a sigh, he rested his chin on her head, at somewhat of a loss.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, though."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

It was as if a deep sigh went through her body. When he pulled her close, the feeling of peace and safety was unmistakable. This might not be considered an intimate moment to most, but Victoria had never been held in such a manner. She could feel her cheeks redden slightly as he rested his chin on her head.

She nestled closer, not even quite aware she had done so. Is this what normal people did all the time? She sort of liked it, which raised other questions in the confused girl.

"Would it honestly be so bad Silas? No more wakeups in the middle of the night, no random fires or acts of chaos. Maybe people would like me if I stayed like this. Maybe it would be better." She was confused, and didn't know what to think. Did Silas really like her off the wall crazy side? If she went back to normal, she'd never be held again. She bit her lip hard as she again began to think about everything all at once.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

The way Vicky sank into him... it was strange, how it made him feel. Silas had never thought of Von Fleet in that way, but... having her pressed up against his chest, nestling into him like he was some bastion of safety felt almost right. He supposed when he thought about it, nobody really knew him as well as she did. It made sense why he felt that connection.

Still, even if he'd suddenly decided he wanted that kind of relationship with Victoria, it wasn't right to do it when she was in a drugged stupor. When she came down from whatever they'd pumped into her, she'd be back to her emotionally unavailable ball of chaos that he'd grown used to.

Even if she didn't seem to think that was best.

"I guess... I guess I don't really care how it is that you act." Artesto admitted, holding her close to his chest. Had she always been so damned warm, or was it part of her condition? "You're my friend, Vick. I'll be here for you whether you need a hug or an accomplice. That's just how it works."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria tilted her chin up to look at him. She was fast learning to truly appreciate him, because she hadn't in the past. She hadn't taken time to really look at him. As he pulled her closer, She could feel heat across her pale cheeks again.

She turned her face to bury it against him, her arms wrapping tight around him. It was a moment she wanted to hold onto for a little longer.

She answered him, voice muffled by his chest. "I don't know why I chose you, but I'm so glad I did. You mean the world to me Silas."

The moment would quickly be ruined by a furious knocking on the door. Victoria clutched Silas, fear quickly taking over again.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

If you'd told Silas a week ago that Victoria Von Fleet would ever in a hundred years make him blush, he would have thought you every bit as wild-minded as the woman herself. Here he was though, heat rising to his cheeks as she pressed even tighter against him, burying her face against his bare chest and saying things he'd never imagined hearing from her.

She was right, to an extent. This wasn't the Victoria he knew, but... he also didn't think it was merely whatever drugs they'd given her talking. When she spoke so affectionately towards him, he believed her. Maybe these feelings had been inside her all along, and Von Fleet just didn't know how to express them?

Artesto wasn't a doctor, and right now taking her to one seemed like a bad idea.

"Vicky, I'm..."

Silas didn't get to finish his thought before a loud rapping came from his door. His head snapped forward, jaw clenching as unsavory possibilities quickly started accumulating in his mind. Had a Proctor seen Vicky come in here and arrived to scold them? Had somebody come to take Victoria away for more morbid tests? Perhaps the most horrifying possibility of all-- Had Livia decided to visit?

Somehow it was the latter possibility that made him shiver most.

"Stay right here, I'll take care of it."

Silas slowly rose from the bed, and padded over to the door, leaning his body against it carefully. After another bout of knocking, he called through.

"Yeah, who is it?"

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria was petrified by the possibilities behind that door. She didn't want Silas to get up, the comfort he had given her fading as he stood to deal with the disruption. Panic settled on her face, her features paling even more as she shook. They found her.

She made herself as small as possible as Silas confronted the insistent knocking. Each rap on the door made her shrink even more. Silas called out and the knocking stopped.

It was quiet for a moment, and then a terrifying screech of wood and metal as the door was pulled from it's hinges. Silas would be confronted by a surgeon, a nurse, and one of the newer proctors that Victoria didn't even know.

The nurse pushed past Silas and marched up to Vicky, grabbing her roughly by the arm. "We've been looking for you everywhere, you're sick and need to return to your room."

Victoria tried to pull away, but her grip was like iron and she was unceremoniously pulled from the bed. She looked to Silas, still hoping he'd be able to save her, fear painted all over her face. "I don't want to. Please." She pleaded with the nurse, still trying to pull away. "Silas, I don't wanna go."

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Fucking Kress, his door!

It was probably the worst case scenario, getting his door ripped off of its hinges to reveal a bunch of doctors he'd never seen in the Academy before, and an unfamiliar proctor leading them around. There wasn't any doubt these people had taken Vicky the first time, and apparently, they weren't done. Before they had a chance to enter, Silas poised himself in the doorway to block them.

"Hey, you guys can't just fucking waltz in here like--"

The proctor roughly shoved Silas aside, pushing Artesto to the wall as the trio beelined to Victoria, dragging her from his bed and pulling her towards the door, kicking and screaming for his help. They were saying some nonsense to her, but Silas didn't even make it out through the seething anger building in his chest. It was one thing to fuck with his friend, but it was another to do it right in front of him.

"She's not goin' anywhere, assholes." Silas growled, surging forwards with speed he hadn't realized he'd built up, vibrations carrying him across the room in less than a second and colliding with the nurse, sending her back against his window, and freeing Vic's wrist in the process.

There wasn't any time to delay, the other two would be after them in mere moments-- Silas quickly scooped Von Fleet up, dashed out of his room and turned down the hall, practically flying out of the dorms and across the sparring field. "You're alright, they ain't getting their hands on you tonight, Vick. I promise."


Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria continued to try and drag her feet, feeling the bruise already forming under the nurse's iron grip. She didn't think to use her abilities, didn't even know if they would work. Her eyes sought escape, pleading as tears fell, looking at the one she relied on always.

Faster than she could follow, she was ripped from her captor, and in Silas's arms. She clung to him, burying her face against his neck as he rushed her from the room. She could feel the vibrations of his words as she held to him tightly. All she could muster was a murmured thank you, still shaken from what had just happened. She was lucky she had gone to find Silas, he would have never known the danger she was in if she hadn't.

"You can't keep me safe forever Silas, what am I going to do?"

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas could only give a brief shrug as he sped the two of them out towards the walls of the Academy. He knew of a safe place the two of them could hide out for the rest of the night, and they could go to one of the Proctors they trusted in the morning.

"We'll figure it out. Whatever they did to you, I have a hard time believing it was sanctioned. We can go talk to a Proctor tomorrow, one that we know better." He assured her, his own brow furrowing with thought. Nothing about this added up, and one way or another, Silas was getting answers tomorrow. "For now, don't worry. I'm staying with you tonight. Nothing is going to happen to you on my watch, Vic."

Not many people even remembered the old caretaker's shack nestled in between the storage sheds on the far end of the field. It was an old rundown little place, but somebody had taken the time to keep the inside clean enough. Artesto assumed it was a member of the previous class, but he couldn't be certain...

Either way, He skidded to a stop in front of the shack, hidden in the moonlit shadow of the weapon's shed so well that you could barely see it unless you stood right up against it. He gently eased Victoria back onto her feet and reached out to open the door. "C'mon, get in."

It wasn't as nice as their dorm rooms inside; The dim light of a lantern on a barrel that Silas took the time to light was the only brightness in the room, and the mattress next to it was almost more of a cot than a bed. The lion's share of the shack was tools, gardening implements, and old cans of food. There was a small wash basin and a furnace, both neither looked as though they'd been used in quite some time.

"I doubt they'll find us here." Silas let out a sigh of relief, sitting on the edge of the bed and resting his arms on his knees. "Fuckin' assholes. Can't believe they'd try to hurt you right in front of me."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria continued to gold him tightly, her face still burrowed against the heat of his skin as he carried her. She couldn't even see the blur of the landscape, so focused was she in seeking his comfort.

She found reassurance in his words, and she trusted him to keep them. He was the only person in the world she would trust with her life. Even before, she always knew she could count on him. He made so much effort to tolerate her, she hadn't even earned it, he gave it willingly. Perhaps that's why she chose him, why she would always choose him.

He slid to a stop and she raised her head, blinking slowly as he set her down gently. The shack was more than sufficient, who would seek them here? She looked at Silas, a small smile on her lips. "Thank you, again." He held the door for her, and she eased inside, waiting for him just inside the doorway.

He lit a lantern, and she studied the shack. It wasn't much to look at, but that didn't matter. Victoria sat beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. "I wonder if maybe they aren't even with the academy. I'd never seen them before." She paused, looking at her bruised wrist. "I don't want to think about it for a moment, is that okay? I just want to sit with you."

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas slid to the side to give Vic as much room as he could as she sat down next to him, flinching only a little at the warmth of her head on his shoulder. He hadn't seen them before either, and while one of them wore the outfit of a Proctor, it wouldn't have been the first time he'd ever heard of one being procured by an outsider.

If they weren't with the Academy, it wouldn't take long for them to be found out. Vel Anir may have been historically lax with human rights, but they meant business when it came to security. Whatever they wanted with Vicky, they'd have to go through him and the rest of the damned city to get her. He'd make sure of that.

"'Course that's okay." He muttered, wrapping an arm around her in a small half hug. "You've had a long night, Vic. You should try and relax. I'm right here, ain't nothing happening to you as long as I have legs."

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria was slowly realizing how much Silas truly meant to her, even before. He was always patient with her, guided her on better paths. He made her want to be better, to make him proud of her. While the unstable part of her was usually unreasonable, he found a way to bring out the better side to the chaos.

As they sat, she learned more about herself and her feelings than she ever had before. She didn't even know she had feelings. Most of them were centered on the boy that sat next to her.

She waved her hand idly, not even sure if her abilities would work anymore. Her eyes widened as what normal would be a black ring on the ground, a burst of colors came forth instead. Instead of her normal rotted and demonic looking dogs, instead a larger than average Doberman appeared, other than its size, it looked normal.

The dog too a protective stance at the door, and Victoria looked at Silas, a bit of wonder in her eyes. "Look, it's different."

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

"Yeah." Silas grinned as he leaned back onto the bed, resting on his hands as he looked over the comparably ordinary-looking dog, considering Vicky's usual pet. "It's not leaking black slime and tryin' to hump me. Not a bad change of pace, though I've almost learned to tolerate that terror pooch of yours."

Jokes aside, the drastic change in Vicky's magic was bizarre. Drugs that altered the mind were one thing, but for her magic to follow suit? Those quacks that had come after her must have been dabbling in uncharted territory, and that made the whole situation even grimmer if that were possible.

"Hey Vic..."

He didn't turn his head to look at her as he spoke; this was a question he had always dreaded asking, but if this change was temporary... well, now was the time to ask it.

"Why me? You've always said you don't like people in general, but... from the first time I met you you've gravitated towards me. I guess I'm just... morbidly curious as to what makes me different?"

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria remained seated, digging a toe into the settled dust on the wooden floor. She glanced over at him, a small smile onbher lips on his commentary regarding her nightmare puppies.

"They only like you cause you're my friend. Otherwise they'd have tried to bite you by now. I wonder if I'll ever be able to use my old magic again." She frowned as she thought about her predicament, so many unknowns and fears running through her already messed up mind.

Silence stretched on for a moment until he questioned her, he would have never asked her before now. He would have never gotten a straight answer. She picked at her nails as she she looked down, she thought carefully before responding.

"You've never left me out. At least as far as I know. You've put up with me, and even before I knew that I was a lot. You never treated me differently than anyone else, and you helped me change a little. I guess it was just natural to cling to someone who didn't treat you like the plague because they were different. "

She didn't speak the part of how he was making her feel now, they were new feelings and scary feelings. Maybe one day, but not today.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

It felt both bizarre and humbling to hear the kind of praise towards his character that Vicky was speaking. Silas had never really thought of being around her and dealing with her endless supply of mischievous energy to be anything more than the ordinary, but a moment of reflection would cause him to realize that she was right: He was really the only one put any effort into being around her.

It was a revelation that surprised and saddened him.

Even before this sudden personality change, Silas would never have said Von Fleet was a bad person. She was misunderstood and had her fair share of behavior quirks, but she rarely wished to hurt people just for the sake of hurting people. It felt like everybody just assumed she was completely insane because they didn't want to try and understand her.

She wasn't crazy. Not really.

"Yeah... well, it's their loss. You can be a handful, but you've pulled my ass out of the fire too, y'know?" Silas slid a hand over and placed it on her leg, smiling warmly at his friend. "You're a hell of a friend to have, and that just means more for me, yeah?"

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

With a puff of air, Victoria plopped backwards on the bed to mirror Silas. She turned towards him, even as his hand rested on her leg. It was warm against her flesh, and she felt another blush color her cheeks, so she buried her face in the crook of her arm to hide it. She would always be glad he was around, the one constant in her life. She hoped he would always be there, but they would grow up, and he would want things that she couldn't be a part of.

"I've always got your back Silas, because I know you'll have mine. Even if tomorrow comes, and I'm back to how I was before, you'll always be the most important person in my life. I know I'm not usually great at expressing things, but at least now you will know." She was muffled from covering her face, but she assumed he'd get the gist of what she was saying.

Silas Artesto