A world of noir colors coiled around her, mixed with the tint of chill in the air and an aroma of an autumn gust. With a short amble through the gardens, and her steps meeting with the clasping sound of the stones beneath her feet, that crackled in her ears, Annaliese arrived to the gazebo, now shield from the coolness in her dark trench coat, made from the downy feel of rayon. She was not astounded to find Logan cowering next to the steps, waiting for her coming.
Behind him, within the pillars of the gazebo was an iron cast table, painted a pallid color with four chairs lolling next to the circular rim. Resting upon it appeared to be a tray, identical to the one she had used when serving Logan. Near it was a picture of some sort of beverage that had steam arousing from it. And in front of each chair was a diminutive sized cup, placed on top of plates that had a matching pattern on each; a golden rim, with light rose flowers wimbling together and vines circulating around.
"I pray to Avo your gift is not a damn tea party with you," scoffed Annaliese, meeting eyes with Logan.
"You're seven minutes late," was the first thing he let slip from his lips.
Releasing a muffled chortled, she murmured with her brow rising, "If you do know I have a job here! Besides, we had to prepare dessert considering you and your family invited a ton of fat bastard Millfield residence." After muttering something beneath her breath, she let a sigh come out of her mouth while giving a fleet look towards the gazebo. "So what is my 'gift'?"
"It is coming, I never doubted you were to be late and he is ten minutes earlier." With his lips curving upwards like a glimpse of a smile, his eyes strayed towards the stone steps placed behind Annaliese. His hand crept towards his trouser where the golden chain of his pocket watch draped down, as he retrieved the watch and flung it open.
"My gift isn't coming, I guess," said Annaliese in a gleeful tone after taking heed upon the baffled expression linger on Logan's face. "Better get back to work than, pity." She had begun to rebound back by an inch, while gradually shifting towards the wide steps that led to the outskirts of the garden.
A mere part of her could feel sadness erupting within her, as if Annaliese really did crave to stay. She had been battling how she viewed Logan ever since their first encounter. He was a man that even at his name she scowled at, he was the man who made her impoverished from his growing greed and her whole life she was educated to loath people like him, yet something fought with her to feel differently, to see a fresh view of him.
Annaliese begun to rapidly shake her head at even the thought, while her amble away begun.
Yet her feet came to a halt as she felt fingers slithering around her arm and the grasp firm. She spun around just to find Logan cowering close to her and his hand reaching out towards her. Their eyes met as Annaliese observed him with her mouth slipping open. "What the bloody hell are you doing!" she spat and took a step closer towards him to where they could feel each other's breath.
Their bodies begun to stroke and converge together after Logan reeled in closer and Annaliese's eyes locked onto his. She could feel his chest throbbing against hers, as she sensed her eyed lids fall. Her pale lips emerged out and heaved forwards to encounter Logan's.
"Ah, it seems that I am interrupting something."
The words scornful tone, drenched in a heavy mid - aged accent, twirled into Annaliese's ears and she felt herself being hauled away by a vigorous thrust. Her eyes shot open and her head shifted towards the stairs, regaining balance at the same moment.
His face was pitch pallid tone. His hair was black locks that were popping out from beneath. His pupils were consumed by a dark color. His apparel, a translucent coat with fur trimming, white pants with silver buttons running down the side, a top hat that stretched high, revealed he was businessman.
And the gun shielded away within the holster, gave another detail of who he was.
Reaver.
"Wh…what?" asked Annaliese and flashed back to Logan, while her index finger roused to aim towards Reaver. "Is that, is that the egocentric manic who you gave the industrial to?"
"Well is she not out - spoken, good for you," Reaver praised Logan, with a crackle. He came near, until he had reached the two and came to a halt. "The frolicsome are the most arousing beneath the sheets. Tell me, your majesty, who is this little minx?"
Even with Annaliese's narrowing eyes glaring towards him, Logan answered, "She is my assistant, Annaliese."
A wide smile entered on Reaver's face as his brow aroused higher. "Ah, chambermaids and naifs, they maybe foul yet do know their way around."
"This fool better not be the gift you spoke off," she growled, gesturing towards the businessman, who was situated behind her, with a swift nod.
Her fury was expanding considering she viewed Reaver as the man who murdered her brother, though she was not certain but found it to only be the most fitting, rational explanation. And for him to waltz towards her, with his miff comments and sexual sway only provoked Annaliese's temper. She restrained herself from pouncing upon him, yet the fumes forming on her face were still.
No doubt Logan being so timid at the time wasn't much comforting either.
"No, he isn't," he eventually replied, then shot a stare towards Reaver. "Where is he?"
Appearing to be baffled, Reaver was consumed by wonder for a moment before he exclaimed, "Oh yes, my dear Barry! Such an abnormal appeal, don't you agree?"
With her eyelids stretching high, her body altering into numbness, her mouth draping open and her head wimbling towards Logan, Annaliese whispered, "Did…what did he just say?" She reeled in closer towards him. "That's why you were surprised by my last name, you knew my brother."
"Barry visited during Reaver's occasional trip to meet with me, he told me he had a sister with a personality like yours," explained Logan.
Even though Annaliese forced herself to withhold a smile, he caught a glimpse of her twisting lips and a peach pink color raise on her cheeks. She quickly aimed her head down, in hopes that her grin would wane away and Logan's attention would turn away. "Thank you," grumbled Annaliese, while meeting eyes with him for the third time. "Thank you." The words stumbled from her lips as she rebounded back, catching Reaver presence. Twisting towards him, she asked, "Where is he now?"
"Lingering the front entrance with that crony of his, Alfred," retorted Reaver, while a muffled scoff was released.
Gawking back towards Logan, Annaliese's thick brow sprung high with question consuming in her eyes. They scrunched closer together as she asked, "Alfred? Your butler, the one with the unibrow, the really small one with black hair."
Logan nodded.
"Officially my butler who I generously vended after a confounded trek with a small town on a lake and a bargemen," chirped Reaver, memorizing his eventful history. "But the details escape me."
Though caught in wonder, she ignored the businessman's comment and exchanged a pore with Logan. After a swift minute, Annaliese pardoned herself and dashed off from the gazebos and into the rest of the gardens, abandoning the two men. She did not want to spare anymore time with Reaver and his eccentric stories, yet she did regret her choice of leaving Logan.
She altered into fumes around him, and though most times they were forced, she felt that emotion pass at the moment. Her overflowing gratitude for him currently was conquering her view on him and the man he was.
"Hmm, she is filled with spunk, which does make excellent maid material," commended Reaver, shaking his head at a gradual pace, "and when taming that fury within them they alter into your loyal subject, it really is too wonderful." Perceiving Logan cowering to his side, he begun to circle around and persist on. "Much like her brother, though it consumed my enlarged patience and dedication, along with my whip, he became one of most ideal servants. Yet Alfred never made that a thrive, nor did Carruthers, or Stanley." Halting in wonder, Reaver begun having his finger patter against his lip. "Or Lyle in that circumstance, thankfully I ended their folly."
He shot a pore towards Logan, who was stationed exactly in place.
With his eyes gazing out to the open, Logan appeared to have all the interest surrounding him ceased. Not even him breathing could be detected. Just like stonework, he remained still.
"I'm sorry am I uninteresting you, your majesty?" Reaver asked from behind.
Logan shifted his head, taking a glance of the man.
"Ah, that revolting minx seems to be appealing you." A wider smirk lingered onto the businessman's face as he approached closer. "Shame, your majesty, I thought you never settled."
"Is that what you think about her?" questioned Logan.
"My dear majesty, if I was to be witnessed with such a women, people could only imagine my standards have slipped," Reaver retorted. "Those ghastly, impaired teeth, her blemished nose, oversized ears, engorged body…" Before he even finished a full sentence, a scoff slipped from Reaver's breath and he begun to cringe, while shrieking, "Simply vile."
Producing an malice glare, Logan turned to look at him.
Swiftly sensing that wraith growing in his majesty, Reaver stood down for only a moment. "Quite amusing, your majesty, but I somehow recall the time you first encountered Barry." He directed a smile that revealed schemes and evilness in it, while he muttered, "And if I do remember correctly, which I always do, his last name made you wince. Perhaps because it lacked flair, or you reminisce that you have heard it before."
"Do not go there, Reaver," cautioned Logan.
"Oh I wouldn't dare! Though I am certain that your candid characteristic would admit to that dear Annaliese if you were to have a source that made you knew her before, don't you agree?"
"If I find that I must tell Anna of that night, I will find the moment." Logan stared at Reaver for a timid moment before he demanded, "Until than, you do not speak of it to her."
"Excuse me," Annaliese hissed, on the verge of hauling passbyes against the wall just to venture through.
With a swift pace, her amble was short and in minutes she was beneath the frame of the doorway to the front entrance. Her eyes wandered through the room, where only an irrelevant maid was cleansing the floors from daily grim, the oak railing was being mended and polished for a vivid color by a crew - cut built male assistant and two guards were stationed on each side of the entrance doorway. Their position was identical to the armory they cowered next to.
Though she spared heed on them or any other detail within in the room, all she was in search for was that petite figure with gloss orange hair. And once her fleeting looks caught a the blurring glimpse of what doubtfully was, Annaliese felt her feet fly her across the room to the staircase where he lingered.
The illuminative glow of a afternoon sun, that pierced through the window, shadowed down upon him. The reflection made his hair more vivid and his dark red trouser and navy overcoat more lighter appearing. As he curved his head, peering over his shoulder, he exposed to her frown wrinkles altering on his forehead and discolouration from past sun exposure. But he was still him.
He was still her brother.
And after his pore locked onto her, he spun around so he was aiming straight towards her.
She came to a sudden halt, thriving to restrain her smile and gleaming eyes.
They were a diminutive distance from one another, yet Annaliese still saw his mouth gradually open and whisper, "Annaliese."
With the awareness of tears building within her eyes, Annaliese dashed towards him and wrapped her arms around his slender waist. The scent of him, a mixture of pine and inexpensive soap, danced into her nostril and all she could do was grin. And downy feel of his skin throbbed against her neck. She could barely speak, the lump expanding in the back of her threat made it too much of a thrive, though she finally uttered, "Barry."
*Hysterical crying* Good gosh...that was horrible! Ugh, I suck at writing.
But yah, Barry and Annaliese have reunited! Wait, did you guys actually think he was dead? Hmm, that would have been an interesting twist wouldn't it, because you guys would have all thought yeah he's going to be alive and just be Reaver's butler because that's how the game works, but then I would pull this one over you head and you would have all gasped and be like Holy Jesus! Crap!
Oh right, I changed the summary and rating of this for the moment considering I was hoping more people may notice it, so fingers crossed right! Not that I don't love your guys reviews and follows, I mean you guys made me not depressed and a little confident! :) So thank you! And thank you for all those who review too, I love reviews and followers and favorites, *hint, hint*! Lol, so hope you somehow enjoyed this chapter :)
Bysies for now my loves =)