Note: Altered Carbon!AU
The stars were beautiful from the view that Marlene had from her garden. They danced around the black velvet paint known as the sky; there was no moon in sight.
Wearing an off-shouldered dress, Marlene sat in the garden in a red, plush cushioned chair, a glass of the finest wine settled between her fingers. Her legs were crossed, and she rocked the top leg, humming to herself as she observed the sky and sipped from her glass.
She'd had another nightmare of being with the grounders, and after centuries of being in the Aerium, Marlene couldn't walk among them. She didn't belong there.
No. She belonged in the luxurious Slytherin House with her husband, living above grounders where Meths like her deserved to be.
A downside to immortality was that Marlene was getting remarkably bored with collecting older artifacts from the Settled Worlds, and nothing the other Meths were doing was entertaining to her.
Adultery was an option, but that was a simple, meaningless pleasure that Marlene wanted no part of. She loved her husband too much; time meant nothing if he was by her side.
There was always reading books, artifacts, any written work that she could get her hands one; except Marlene had spent a century doing that already.
Gardening was also an option for her. Marlene loved her garden. The imported flowers and trees that would be found nowhere else but, in her garden, always made Marlene feel a sense of pride among the other Meths that had stacks stuck up their asses because they wanted to show off something better than hers.
Long, pale fingers belonging to her husband slid down her bare shoulders, caressing her body gently and prying her away from her thoughts.
"Why are you like this?" he asked, his drawl low as if he'd just woken up.
Marlene tilted her head to meet his grey eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Lucius."
Lucius took the glass away from her, setting it on the stony ground next to her then lacing their fingers together.
"Don't lie to me, Marlene." His tone meant business, typically reserved for his business partners but used on her when she was being stubborn or mum.
Marlene closed her eyes with a wistful smile on her face, a soft hum sounded in her throat. "Just another nightmare," she said.
Lucius kissed her hand. "Don't fret about those grounders, darling. They're all the way down there, and you're the all the way up here." He ran a hand through her hair, and Marlene released a content sigh; he knew exactly what to do to relax her.
"It's all part of your wondrous imagination," he continued. "Come back to bed with me. The stars will be there in the morning."
Marlene knew he was right, that she was fretting over nothing. She knew where she belonged, her life above others in the sky, and no number of nightmares would take away from that fact.
A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges and Assignments) and Camp Potter
(CP) Fairy Woods - Cushion, Nightmare, "Why are you like this?"
Ice Cream Maker - Salted Caramel: Marlene McKinnon
Fishing Pond - Rod - wistful
(HSWW) Assignment #2 Philosophy Task 2 - write about someone living a life of luxury
Sophie's Tearoom: Beetroot & Cheddar Bread: (character) Marlene McKinnon
August Auction: "Don't lie to me."
Build a Monster - (food/drink) wine
Showtime: 9. Making Things Up Again - (word) Imagination
Count Your Buttons: W2 - luxurious
Lyric Alley: 13. I am who I'm meant to be
Ami's Audio Admiration: 4. The C List - write about something rare
Debate Club: Marauder Era - (genre) Romance
Insane House Challenge: Trait - Proper
Word Count: 497