Angel's Bow - 2
Irony for anyone that knows what a genome is?
She shifted in the bed: right arm stretching up to curl around the edge of the pillow, pulling it down to press the soft fabric to her face, legs moving until she bumped a knee into one of his own. Luna opened her eyes briefly to make sure she hadn't woken Kuja with her movements, but as always he seemed unaffected by it.
Once he was asleep not even an earthquake could wake him up it seemed. Another thing she had noticed was that he never failed to get up at a specific time. It reminded her of those muggle movies with the robotic people and how they were programmed so specifically, but those always ended up with them rebelling and slaughtering humans for their own individual freedom. In that regard she didn't see any connection he had with those fictional creatures.
Whenever he got up it was to run experiments as far as she knew. It took up all his time as he disappeared in the morning only to reappear at night.
Usually she didn't even see him leave; as he would only make her open her eyes for a moment to answer his new routine question considering this new theory of his.
Which was working quite well so far.
She hadn't had Bellatrix visit her in her dreams since she started sleeping here, but when she wasn't here... or if she knew Kuja wasn't there when she was dreaming the mad woman was the first thing to materialize. Always taunting her, torturing her, speaking about the Death Eaters and how life would be when they had won.
But they hadn't.
She knew this and the thought still terrified her. The damned woman was dead as dead could be. Molly Weasley hadn't left anything resembling a body behind when she had killed her. Just specks of what looked like dust.
At times her nightmares consisted of her inhaling that dust. As if Bellatrix had made one last curse and done it to her many scattered remains just so she could continue to terrorize people after the war. It made her nearly believe such a crazy theory when the woman deviated from her memories: calling out to her in the dark, talking about things she shouldn't know about because she's dead. Dead.
Her breathing was coming faster when a palm rested against her cheek. "Stop thinking about it. This doesn't work if you think about it," Kuja's voice floated into her mind, driving away the dark fog that had descended around it.
Luna raised her gaze to look at him, still unsure how he could do that. Pulling her out of those memories, making the loud cackle that had begun to ring in her head drown out once again. Was it because of his magic? A spell he held in his arsenal? Or was it just because she believed him when he said the dreams would go away that first night?
He certainly had that air of charisma around him. If he lived in her world he could likely talk anyone into letting him into the most restricted areas just so he could run tests for more of his never-ending theories.
His thumb caressed her cheekbone and she felt her eyes wander to the bone structure of his own face. All sharp lines and soft curves. He had high cheekbones that added to that elegant look of his. His cheeks weren't exactly full, dipping in instead of rounding out; making the curve to his cheekbone even more prominent. His lips curved into a practically permanent all-knowing smirk. The bridge of his nose was thin, a piece of him that looked easily breakable if someone could get close enough before he sent a thousand volts of electricity charging through their body. His eyes were a deep sea blue, dangerous but captivating to watch.
Kuja looked superior to anyone she knew previously and he certainly acted accordingly as well. If he wanted something he took it, no questions asked. Any complaints given were ignored. Much like when he had taken her. Though when she asked him about it he called her, 'unique,' and rather than something he merely wanted something he needed.
He still hadn't explained to her what he meant when he had said that, going about his experiments as always.
It reminded her of a child. With his full blown curiosity and many theories about everything; the way he was always asking questions through them and then looking for the answer immediately afterward. Like it was imperative for him to know every last detail of the universe.
If he went to the wizarding world she had to wonder if he would be interested in helping her find all those unusual creatures that she never spoke of any more. After all there was none of them here and Kuja seemed to know of every animal on the surface and under it. If there was one person that could help sate her own curiosity of her world he could do it. He had a sixth sense for figuring this stuff out and she was sure he would be just as curious about the creatures if he heard of them. Even if it were just to prove what some would call her 'ridiculous notions' wrong. He would probably have fun doing it.
"Moon girl, what are you thinking about?"
Luna blinked, staring at him for a second. She couldn't very well come out and say, the future. Not when it included him. For one thing it would merely stroke that already large ego of his. He also just might scoff at her for thinking that he held any sort of interest in her beyond being of use to him. "Nothing."
His long lashes touched down on his skin for a moment when he blinked. He didn't believe her. But who would? Everyone was always thinking of something. Nothing was never an accurate answer when you asked what a person was thinking. It was just the most basic way of saying you didn't want to talk about it.
"Your mind is a bottomless pit, then?' She tensed for a second as he leaned forward and wondered if he was going to drag the thoughts from her as his hand lifted so only the tips of his fingers were on her skin, tracing upward to press against the center of her forehead. "Did you dream?"
Luna relaxed beneath his touch. "No," she replied, just like every other morning when she had woken up here.
His fingers withdrew from her skin and she held herself in place rather than trying to follow them. To feel his skin against hers once again. Instead she watched him turn away and get up off the bed, picking up the violet mantle he had left hanging off the back of a chair before disappearing out the door. It was the only piece of clothing he discarded when going to bed. Otherwise as far as she could tell whenever he took a shower he cleaned his clothes as well and just put them back on afterwards. Unless he had a ton of the same outfits stashed somewhere in here and she didn't strike him as the sort of person that would do something like that.
After a moment Luna drew back the blanket over her form and changed out of her pajamas - a loose term for the thin silk Kuja had given her to wear - and into something else just as comfortable if not more so.
If she was going to go through the day without another thought on Bellatrix she should go with him. She had checked before and he didn't lock the door leading down to what she guessed was his lab. It was obvious he didn't see her as a threat to his work, considering she was part of his work. She hadn't ever seen Zorn or Thorn enter either though, which meant she could also avoid them for the day as well.
Luna slipped the last strap over her shoulder before hurrying out the door, bare feet pushing off the stone with each step. She got to the door in just a minute and pulled it open, descending down the spiraling staircase with one hand on the rail while the other held up the hem of her dress so she wouldn't go tumbling down to lower landing.
When she stepped off she had to pause for a moment as the hall in front of her splintered off into different paths. She listened for the sound of Kuja's voice, a bored drawl at the moment coming from the far left and headed in the direction. The words getting lower and becoming distinct as she walked.
"You did something to the ship before handing it over to me, and you're going to fix it; or I'm going to fix you."
"Fix me all you want," she could hear a woman's raised voice, before it lowered and she became unable to distinguish the following words.
Luna slowed her steps, thankful she wasn't wearing shoes that would otherwise give her position away. Who was he talking to? And what did he mean by 'fixing' her? "That's all well and good, but you're the one that left him. Not to mention the form you made him take doesn't allow for him to help you even if he could get to this land mass. Which he cannot."
"He'll make another ship to come and get me," this time she could hear the woman's soft mutter.
"I'm sure your husband will continue to tinker with his toys. But I'm not asking about the ship he's supposedly making. I'm asking about mine."
Luna stopped at the open doorway, peering into the room from around the corner to see Kuja standing on a platform and below him, in a cell, was a woman. She had long golden hair flowing past her hips and was wearing a tattered dress with smudges of dirt from the cell and what looked to be ash. "Fix it yourself," the woman snapped.
Kuja didn't yell back though. He just shook his head and made a casual motion with his hand.
The floor beneath the woman began to tremble and she immediately went scurrying like a rate to the edge of the cage, grabbing onto the iron bars as she stared down at the floor. Luna stared to as the metal split down the middle, parting to show a red yellow liquid with steam warping up from bubbles that rose to the surface, popping moments later. There was a yell from the woman as she let go of the bars, her hands now a bright angry red from holding onto the metal. There were droplets of sweat running down her face and arms now and a gasp escaped Luna as she realized the substance below the cell was molten lava.
Somehow it's heat had been contained when the floor was closed but now that the floor was open - still opening - it was spreading quickly through the cell made of metal.
The form directly ahead of her shifted. Kuja's head turned, catching her gaze from over his shoulder. His eyes were narrowed into slits and when he spoke the single word came out in a mix between a hiss and a growl, "Kimi."
Oh, no.
One hand made a motion that caused the metal door to slide closed once again and from the corner of her eye she could see the woman shaking in a corner of the cell, still staring at the floor. But her own attention was drawn to Kuja's other hand, at the finger that lifted towards her and motioned her forward.
Luna took a hesitant step forward and at Kuja's persistent stare hurried forward the last few steps to his side. "Close your eyes."
Her body practically shook from the tone of his voice, but she did as told, squeezing her eyes shut as if that would be more amendable. She could feel his fingers trace her eyelashes, a numbness slipping through to her skin, but only in a sphere that encompassed both her eyes. Luna took in a shuddering breath as the skin around that became cold.
She tried to blink, to separate her lashes but it only sent a stinging pain through her in that sphere that went from the lashes and to her eyes. "Kuja," her voice nearly squeaked when she spoke; terrified of the crystallized ice surrounding her lashes to keep her eyes closed.
His warm breath flowed along the curve of her ear. "Shh, or do you want me to melt that off by hanging you over the lava?" She froze, feeling his presence move away from her a moment later. "Now, you wanted me to 'fix' you, Hilda?"