~O~
I See You
Alcina had been watching Mother Miranda during the meeting the entire morning.
Salvatore had been discussing his newest creations - wolf-like men. He was proud of it as well; Mother Miranda didn't appear to be interested, but she felt they could be used more for guards around the village. It would be useful in some regard. Salvatore insisted he could control them, but Alcina had her doubts. Angie had even joked about it.
Karl looked toward Alcina and gave her a smirk. "What about you, family size?" he joked, "Got any winners for us?"
Alcina gave him a bored frown. "None that concern you."
Karl looked at Donna. "Hey, guess she's just too busy with her new plaything to think about doing any real work, huh?"
Miranda glanced briefly toward Alcina, her expression impassive behind her mask, but Alcina could see it; Karl's remark had made her think about that.
"Maybe they'll get married and create little bat babies." Karl joked, with a mocking laugh. "Wouldn't that be cute, huh? One big happy family. Think she'll run away and scream like the last one if she saw your real form?"
Alcina rose like a storm and stalked toward him, her eyes flashing yellow. "If you want screams, I'll be happy to oblige you."
Karl raised his hands in mock surrender and Miranda cleared her throat - a warning. Alcina looked toward her, gave a demur smile and returned to her seat. She was calm, but the dragon behind the bars was seething, watching Karl with bared teeth.
She returned to her castle, bristling with rage at the remarks from Karl; her mind was in conflict about Sofia and how Mother Miranda chose to look at her every passing day. But then, she began to think about how her true form would be perceived by Sofia. How would the woman react? She hated how that lingered in her mind over and over again.
Irina directed her to the library where she found Sofia squished between the three daughters as she read from a book.
"Well, what's all this?" she questioned.
"Sofia's reading a story about dragons." Bela told her, giving Sofia a small smile, "She's doing a lot better. Less stuttering."
Alcina smiled at Sofia, though she looked distracted enough. "How wonderful."
It was a nice sight to see; her daughters curled up at Sofia's side as she ready to them, giving them the attention she would have wanted them to receive. Sofia had the makings of a good mother, truly. She'd never been given a chance until now.
What a thought to have so quickly in her mind.
Sofia closed the book and rose, looking up at her. "M-May I ask...for something?"
Alcina tittered slightly, snapped out of her distracting thoughts. "Well, you may ask."
"M-My farm," Sofia said, hesitantly. "M-May w-we go?"
An odd question and one that earned a perplexed frown on Alcina's face. She didn't expect Sofia to want that, especially after what she'd endured by her father.
"What?" she said, "Whatever for?"
Sofia scribbled something down on her notepad and they all watched her, waiting for her to finish. When she held it up to Alcina, the taller woman looked down at it, reading the message out loud.
"'I want to see if my father's cheese-making notes are still there'," she read, "'I'd like to contribute to the castle if I can'."
Alcina smiled down at her, nodding her approval. She could respect that. Sofia wanted to take a more active role in their lives. It made her happy and it certainly seemed to make her daughters happy as well. In fact, she was curious about the Petrescu Farm cheese making techniques.
Such things went well with wine, of course.
O
"A decent gardener could do wonders with this mess."
Alcina wrinkled her nose with disapproval at the sight of the farm's ensnared gardens. A few goats were in their pens, letting out frightened sounds when Alcina walked too close to them. She stood there with an impatient sigh and looked toward Sofia.
"I hope this venture is worth it." she said, with dismay.
Sofia gave the front door a little push and it creaked open. She stepped inside and Alcina observed the panicked animals with a small note of disgust. It took a moment before she chose to venture into the farmhouse.
It reeked of old wood and furs, curling Alcina's nose. It was just a simple little home, made up of cheap furniture, curtains and pelts. A few curious animal figurines lined a nearby shelf and she caught herself staring at a wooden goat.
"So..." she mused, "This is where my little hummingbird was raised."
Sofia wandered to a kitchen, searched the drawers before making her way into another room. She seemed interested in several folders and Alcina found herself sniffing the air somewhat when she caught the smell of old blood in her nostrils. It drew her toward a closet.
The smell was old, but somehow, stronger.
She tapped the door open and found scratches on the inside. Alcina ran her fingertips across them, her frown deepening. There was old blood there as well and she knew what it was. She didn't even need to be told.
Her attention was turned toward the room Sofia was in when she heard a small thud. The other woman had dropped a box and was murmuring somewhat with irritation.
She stepped out of the room, noticed what had caught Alcina's attention and her eyes were blank, in deep thought.
Sofia was emotionless toward the closet for a few moments before she sighed through her nose and held up the thing she was looking for - a notebook. Alcina plucked it from her hands and leafed through the pages to study the scribbles on each one.
"Your father's handwriting was atrocious," she said, with dismay, "I expect no less from pigs, really. Still, I trust this is all we're here for?"
Sofia nodded her head.
She dared a glance back at the room, her features blank once more. Alcina didn't smell a trace of fear in her pulse. But there was a sadness in Sofia's eyes that she couldn't get over.
"What troubles you, darling?" she questioned. "Do you not feel rage at the sight of this place? That it is the home you had suffered most?"
Sofia sighed quietly through her nose. She looked up at her with a sad smile. "No."
"No?" Alcina frowned, perplexed.
"Not...angry," Sofia attempted the words. She glanced down at the book in her hands now, sighed once more before looking up at her. "J-Just sad."
"Hm," Alcina laughed quietly. "Well then. Let's not dwell in this God-forsaken place for much longer. Come along."
They ventured back outside, though Sofia only lingered a moment before making her way to the pen where the goats were kept. Several of them bucked slightly, backing away at the sight of Alcina approaching; their eyes were black, but wide with fear. They knew what she was. Sofia comforted one of the many goats with a few gentle pats and kisses to its head. It made the older woman wrinkle her nose.
"I'm not kissing you until you bathe after that." she said, with irritation.
It earned a little giggle from Sofia, though she tried to stifle it.
She eventually rose, retrieved a rope hanging from the fence and wrapped it around the goat's neck. She tugged to get it to follow, but it didn't move.
"Eve." Sofia told the animal. "Come."
Alcina raised her eyebrows, amused. "You named it Eve?"
Sofia nodded her head. "Yes. A-After Eve from...th-the bible."
"How...charming."
It didn't move, so Sofia sighed, reached down and picked it up while they returned to the castle.
"Two goats." she told Alcina.
Alcina looked back at the goats with dismay.
O
"Can we eat this goat?"
Sofia shook her head anxiously as the three Dimitrescu daughters circled the two goats in the castle pens. She gestured to it, then to her notebook.
"M-Making cheese." she told them.
"Oh, right," Bela said, eyeing the terrified animal, "You want to make goat cheese. Your family is famous for it, mother said. Do you think you can?"
Sofia glanced down at the notes, then nodded.
Cassandra wrinkled her nose when one of the goats let out a terrified sound and rushed as far from her as possible. "Are they doing that all the time?" she snapped. "Disgusting animals."
Sofia turned to the two goats, giving one of them a few pets to its head.
"I'm hungry." Cassandra complained, "I'm getting a bite below."
"Me too." Bela agreed.
The two ventured back to the castle and Daniela lingered, kneeling at Sofia's side. It took a moment before Irina approached her and smiled at the goats.
"Aww, aren't they adorable!" she said. "Are they from your farm?"
Sofia smiled, nodding her head.
"What are their names?"
Sofia pointed at the goats. "Eve. And L-Lilith."
Daniela looked at Sofia. "The goat with her little goats." Off of Sofia's look, she grinned at her. "Sorry. Old habits die hard."
Sofia managed a small smile in response. The joke didn't seem to bother her, but she looked distracted anyway. Her hands caught Daniela's attention and she noticed the little scars on them as she paged through the book of notes. It was her first time noticing them after knowing Sofia for so long.
"How'd you get those, anyway?" she asked. "Did they bite you?"
She laughed, but Sofia wasn't. Irina wrinkled her brow as she noticed the scars. "You got them from barbed wire, right?"
Sofia looked at her, then nodded. "Yes..."
The two women at either side of Sofia looked at each other briefly.
"Papa..." Sofia eventually said. "I-I made...wire wrong. M-Made me..." She closed her eyes with a sound of frustration.
"Hey, it's alright," Irina assured her. "Don't talk about it."
Sofia gave her a half-smile in return. Daniela put her arm around her now.
"Poor little broken goat." she sighed. "You know, you're much stronger now. And you're better. You have mother to make it all go away."
Sofia smiled shyly in response.
Meanwhile, Alcina was studying herself in the mirror of her bathing chambers. She was stark naked, observing the marble texture of her arm. Two maids had been waiting for her to finish, one holding an enormous robe in hand.
She could feel the creature within her twisting, sleeping in its cage. It was a creature that Sofia shouldn't fear. She feared nothing from her; but Karl's words began to bother Alcina the more she thought of them. He was insufferable and disgusting, but he knew what to say to edge away at her insecurities.
That form was a thing of great shame and pride all at once.
Would Sofia feel the same?
Alcina gestured with one hand and the maid quickly came over to provide the robe for her. She sighed and turned, strolling out of the chambers.
Mother Miranda's words still tormented her.
O
Sofia didn't expect that Alcina would want to go for a walk out in the forest.
She was writing something down on her notepad when they arrived at a clearing. Alcina was distracted, pacing around her before looking down when Sofia offered the pad to her.
"'You seem nervous'." Alcina read, "'Are you okay'?"
She nodded, giving her a careful smile. It was the first time Sofia had ever seen such a look on her face. Alcina was a vulnerable woman behind closed doors, but she never saw her nervous. She was worried about it.
"Yes, well, there is something I'd like to show you," Alcina told her, "Something I've never shown a single person save for Mother Miranda."
Sofia blinked, a bit astonished.
"You are aware of the forms we're gifted with," Alcina continued, licking her lips, "The Four of us, yes?"
Sofia nodded her head.
"And..." Alcina smiled hesitantly. "How ugly and terrifying they can be?"
Again, another nod from Sofia.
"I'd like to show you mine." Alcina let out an uneasy laugh. "Will you indulge me?"
Sofia frowned somewhat. She looked down at her notepad and scribbled something down, which made Alcina shift somewhat on her heels. She hadn't expected the hesitation at all. She would have thought Sofia would just be fine with it.
When Sofia was done, she approached her and held up the notepad. Alcina glanced at her face, looking for doubts before she looked down at the message written.
YOU DON'T SEEM COMFORTABLE SHOWING ME.
Alcina laughed weakly. So that's all it was. She was concerned for her mental well being. That granted her some relief and the dragon behind the bars was hopeful.
"Darling, I would not offer if I didn't want to," Alcina reminded her.
Sofia nodded, though she still seemed concerned.
"But you may want to step back."
Sofia did as she said and took a few steps back from her. Alcina gestured for her to go further and Sofia blinked, surprised. She didn't argue and took a few more steps back, giving Alcina enough space that she thought was needed.
Alcina shut her eyes, took a deep breath before she sought the creature within herself. It was repulsive and she'd kept it in the cage for a long time since her first transformation. But it was a part of her, a symbol of what she was. A dragon.
Sofia would see it.
She looked up, finding Sofia was watching her with a mixture of curiosity and worry - concern for her well-being, but no fear to be seen.
So she sought it. She pulled the creature from its cage.
The initial part of the change shot pain down her spine; scalding fire through every nerve in her body that drew a sharp grunt from her lips. Sofia looked uneasy by the noise, reaching for her. But Alcina raised one hand.
"It's alright!" she breathed, through a thick hiss. "This is part of it."
Another sharp pain, lancing hot agony through her veins. She forced back a groan as she watched Sofia's confused, horrified expression.
"Stop..." Sofia begged. "Hurting...yourself."
But Alcina couldn't halt the change if she truly wanted to. Her wings were already spreading from her back and Sofia could only stand there, watching with wide eyes as her body underwent the agonizing transformation before her.
O
"Hilda."
Hilda's arms were around Alcina's larger shoulders, comforting the woman as she wept into her neck. She patted her back with two hands and sighed quietly through her nose.
"I know, Mistress. It's alright. Hilda is here..." she said, gently.
Alcina was trembling. "I...I don't understand. She told me such words."
"They do." Hilda replied, with another sigh. "They always do, don't they? But it will pass, won't it? These things eventually do."
A quiet sob and Alcina held onto the older woman.
Sofia had been staring up at her, eyes wide and jaw parted.
Alcina's body was fused to the vast, towering shape of her dragon form. Eyes covered its body, teeth gnashing in metallic-like screeches. Her hair was gone, her body a mass of white flesh and muscle. Her head resembled a terrifying skull, eyes bright yellow - nearly glowing. The eyes covering the spine and sides of the dragon wriggled wetly, focused only on Sofia.
Sofia stared up at her, shocked by the sight. The dragon lowered itself as far as it could go; to make itself look as welcoming as possible. Its wings folded, its tail curled against its body and Alcina watched her with a pain in her eyes.
"Sofia?" she growled, her voice heavily distorted. "Are you afraid?"
Sofia blinked once. Twice. Then, she shook her head.
Alcina let out a breathless laugh in response. Tension left her form and she watched Sofia attempt to climb up to her torso. The dragon scooped her up gently in its claws, brought her up to where her torso was fused. She found comfort in getting as close as she could to her.
"No. Not...scared." Sofia said, reaching up to cup her cheeks. She seemed to marvel at the little dips in her skin and head.
"Why?" Alcina questioned, "Why aren't you afraid?"
Sofia ran her hands to the little stumps were Alcina's arms were missing. She was fascinated and of course she would be. Such things were curious to look at and there was nothing wrong with that. There was only wonder in her eyes, no disgust or fear.
"B-Because..." Sofia eventually smiled at her. "I see you."
Alcina stared at her, taken by the words. She didn't even rebuke her when hands were at her cheeks and a chase kiss was placed at her lips.
The dragon melted, curling into the ground with a low, rattling purr.
I see you.
Of course, you do, darling. Why did I doubt?
The dragon trilled, drew comfort in her love and acceptance.