One-shot.
Set in the anime before Saya faces James in Christina Island.
I dont own blood+
A mansion stands alone on top of a low hill far away from the city. Its pearly white columns are tainted with cracks and vines, and the big oak door at its entrance facade is greying. The driveway is hidden with wild grass, and dried leaves are scattered all around the lawn. Thirty windows line the front façade, serving as its eyes, observing as the world changed around it. Through the decades since it was built, the mansion managed to age gracefully; it has never looked more magnificent.
Among the tens of other houses the Cinq Flèches owned, this mansion is Diva's favorite. She spotted it a few months after the fateful fire at the Zoo, and had convinced Amschel to purchase the property. Few dare venture in this part of the city, so it was mostly quiet and isolated. She adored the timeless beauty of the mansion, and the peaceful detachment it lent. She made certain she spent a few days here every time she woke.
Through one of the windows, a porcelain doll wearing a pink dress can be seen sitting in front of the vanity mirror. Her long silky hair was being combed tenderly by her owner. A pink ribbon matching her dress is tied on top of her head in a half ponytail. Her long tresses bounced up slightly with every separation of the brush and her hair.
There. Almost perfect. The blue eyed girl smiles as she lays the brush down.
Amongst all the dolls sitting around the room, this held her interest that night.
It was a long-time favorite of hers just because of the simple fact that he had given it to her.
XXX
(flashback)
She had been going in and out of Cinq Flèches's laboratory for the past month performing tests as Amschel had instructed. In some sessions, they would simply extract blood from her, while in others, they'd have her intake a substance then check her vital statistics for changes. Sometimes, they would have her fight against dummies one after the other to test her endurance. The sessions were short, but they were undoubtedly boring.
On one particular day on the way to the laboratory, she spotted a crowd forming on the opposite street outside the car window. Hundreds of stalls lined up the streets selling knick knacks in all shapes and colors, people flocked around chatting animatedly, while loud music blared through the street speakers.
With a longing look outside the car window, she turned her head towards her companion. "I'd like to skip this session and head over to the fair." she said.
Fortunately, it was her light haired chevalier escorting her in this trip.
With a thoughtful glance outside the car windows, the man sighed heavily and glanced at her with an apologetic smile.
Unfortunately, said chavalier wasn't ready to disobey Amschel's instructions especially since he himself was keen on seeing the laboratory tests, and felt they were close to obtaining the results they wanted.
With a pout, Diva refused to talk nor to acknowledge him on the way and during the session at Cinq Flèches. She barely noticed he had left until he came kneeling in front of her bed after her blood transfusion.
"Please accept this as a token of my love and devotion, my queen." He said holding out a large white box with a red bow tied in front.
Inside the box laid a beautiful porcelain doll with long black hair, and black beady eyes. It was wearing a princess petticoat below a full pink gown adorned with ruffles and beads. Its arms were wrapped in long sleeved lace showing a bit of its pearly white complexion. On her hair sat a pink bow that matched the dress.
With a smug grin, she accepted his apology and his gift.
XXX
The sky is pitch black with thousands of stars littered across. Solomon hears the echoes of her haunting song as he walks through the hallway locating the room she is in. The door to her room is slightly ajar and he squeezes himself past it careful not to disturb her singing.
Diva sways back and forth facing the window while she carries the doll she had just spruced up in her arms as she sings her song. She notices the presence of her blond chevalier but continues her singing.
Finally, her song ends and she turns to face her chevalier.
"All my life, dolls were my most precious possession before I had gotten pregnant" she said while looking softly at the doll she was holding.
"I'd sing to them just as I'd sing to the babies now. They keep me company; they're always there when there was no one else." She said suddenly remembering a time years ago when she first tasted isolation being locked up in the tower at The Zoo. Stuck in that cold dark room, there was nothing else she could do to comfort herself but to sing. She would sing endlessly thinking the four corners of her dungeon were the world, and her song would be sucked in an empty void as it left the room. But one day, her voice was heard. The only person who noticed her, appreciated her song, and brought her out of her loneliness then was the same person who hunted her now.
She said we were friends. She thought as her eyes narrowed towards the doll's beady black ones.
"Diva." The man's voice shook the girl out of her reverie.
"My brothers and I deeply care for you, should you want anything, all you must do is ask." The blond offered her a gentle smile.
The blue eyed girl drops her doll on the bed and laces her fingers around Solomon's neck.
"Is that true Solomon? Will you always stay by my side if I ask it from you?" The girl said reading his light blue eyes. A slight waver of Solomon's eyes was all it took to cast Diva's doubts.
"Yes, of course. If that is what you wish." He said finally.
"Great." Diva smiled cheerily as she let go of his neck and allowed her arms to fall to her sides.
"I came to pick you up. We must prepare for your recording tonight at Christina Island lest you forgot." The man said taking the girl's hand.
At this, Diva's calculated eyes tightened and then they were relaxed again; the slight change unnoticed by Solomon. She takes her hand out of his grasp and turns towards the doll forgotten on the bed.
She realizes the man standing before her now iss not the same man who had given her the precious doll many decades ago. Though she wasn't sure exactly what had changed.
With a small grin and her back faced to him, she raises her arm and flicks her wrist to motion for the man to leave. "Give me a few minutes. I'll be right downstairs Solomon."
Soundlessly, the blond retreats behind her and shuts the door gently.
Diva reaches towards the vanity table for a pair of steel scissors, and returns her attention towards the doll. She grabs the doll and with a tilt of her head, figures something is wrong. She cuts the pink dress into shreds until doll is left with nothing to wear but its white petticoat and bits of pink cloth hanging loosely against its body.
Without the gown, the girl could see the doll's pearly white skin more plainly and decided that it too needed to be fixed. Taking the scissors she starts jabbing across the doll's skin. Her skin should always be covered in blood.
Finally, she stops. She looks at what she has done to the doll. Her eyes fall on its black eyes; her grin returns. Funny how they're so familiar. She thinks imagining the bloodshot eyes that she has become so accustomed to. A slow struggle, and the material gives in.
With a loud thud, the doll's head drops to the floor. It's black synthetic hair splayed around her.
She places the body back in its position with the other dolls in the room, and returns the scissors on the vanity table.
With a turn of her heels, Diva exits the room and heads where Solomon is waiting for her.
Perfect.
A/N: This idea popped its head 5 years ago, but it's taken me until today to finish writing it. There are some definite differences with how I imagined this to play out 5 years back, versus what it has become. Regardless, I hoped you enjoyed this side of Diva as she reflects on Solomon's loyalty. THANK YOU for reading. Let me know what you think!