It's kind of a long one. -Velvet
Sir Tyki Mikk didn't bother to announce his arrival. Looking fine and elegant in tails and top hat, he simply walked through the locked door of Star's cell, saying—
"Get up. Put this on." Heels sounding on the stone floor, he walked over to the table and laid a puff of long fabric on the chair. At first, Star ignored him but then she noticed that the fabric was a very expensive-looking gown and a cloak.
Tyki stared at the untouched food on the table.
"You look like a skeleton." He tipped the plate at her by its edge, bunching the table cloth, as he slid it in her direction. He let it drop with a sound clunk. "Eat something."
"I'm not hungry. Go away."
"What fun would it be for me if I did that? And what kind of host would I be if if I just let my guest go achingly hungry without protest?"
Against the wall, Star forced herself into a sitting position.
"So you're just here to amuse yourself. At my expense," she said.
Tyki spread his arms. "Of course I am. An Exorcist desiring a Noah? That has to be amusing to prove that there's sanity left in the world. Now, let's get out of here. Hurry, come on, get those skin and bones up, girl. We're leaving."
The thing Star was worried about was if the Noah Family tried really, really hard to kill her, they'd likely succeed. She'd play along.
Until she had her escape planned.
"At least put the cloak on over that ghastly uniform," Tyki said, tossing it over to her.
The gate let them out in a very clean alley off a busy European street on the side of a large building. Wearing the fine, flowing cloak over her battered Exorcist uniform, Star followed Tyki down the alley. He was carrying the gown in a long staid pink box under his arm. Obviously, it was box the garment had come in and she'd watching fold it meticulously and return in to it's confines after she refused to change into it.
They turned right around the corner and walked along the side of a huge luxurious hotel. Star was surprised when they went inside.
Tyki spoke with the attendant at the highly polished bronze and marble front desk. Shortly after, another liveried person came out and greeted them by sweeping a deep bow.
"Lord Tyki Mikk, we are so very honored to have you and your guest this evening. Please follow me," said the concierge. He escorted them to a secluded alcove in the shining, lavishly furnished dining hall. Inside of the alcove, there was another heavy curtain at the back instead of a wall. Star heard a quiet sea of murmuring on the other side. The dress box was laid on a chair against the wall next to the first curtains.
"The Earl just lets you guys splurge at fancy hotels like this?"
"Money is no object," Tyki waved a hand absently.
"There's no need for this," Star said. She looked around and tried to ogle the clean, sparkling place that smelled like money and privilege. "I preferred the dungeon tower room. It was more honest." I refuse to act like a tourist, she thought. It was hard, when she was prone to getting excited in places like this.
"Enjoy the niceties without such a fuss," he said.
"I'm not fussing, Noah."
Food was brought to them and it smelled delicious but Star wasn't in the mood for anything. Not escaping. Not eating though her body and Innocence was hungry. Tyki ate while she watched. After listlessly observing his flawless table manners for a few minutes, she waved her finger at the box on the chair.
"That gown isn't going to fit me when I'm done eating." If I eat at all. Could she trust anything he offered her?
Besides if she ate, she'd become a threat again. This Noah might try to kill me at the first sign of my Innocence regaining its power… And if my Innocence regains its power…
Star would hasten the end of her time in this world.
"I got several sizes in range for, shall we say, 'curvy' women, like yourself."
"You managed to find dresses in my size?" Energy flagging even further, she forced herself to give him the most sardonic look she could muster.
Tyki shrugged. "Fat people need clothes, too. Just ask Lord Millennium."
"I am not the shape of a big balloon dressed in a festooned top hat nor do I have the face of a deranged, demonic clown for a mug." It seemed pointless to argue about the fat part or needing clothes. Gahhh, I don't even have it in me right now to care how he sees me! Star thought.
"My apologies, my lady." Yet Tyki still seemed amused by something. "You should have seen the seamstress's face."
[ Several hours ago
At the seamstresses shop
The seamstress stood by gaping as Tyki selected several dresses that the European standard considered "hefty" sizes. Without so much as batting an eyelash, he had the seamstress's shop girl pull the gowns and box them for him.
Her gowns were not things paupers could afford but this gentlemen dressed so finely could certainly afford them. It wouldn't do to allow him to deliver dresses from her shop to his wife, acquaintances, or family members that didn't fit or would come off as…unflattering. Naturally, the seamstress assumed that the gentleman's choice in size was mistaken and came to his aid.
The seamstress edged forward and stood a step behind and beside him as he continued to look through the dresses with the shop girl attending him.
"Pardon, sir. I am the proprietor of this establishment and I hope that my selections meet with your pleasure and approval."
"They'll do," said Tyki.
Not wanting to seem pushy, the seamstress delicately hazarded a guess as to the reason behind the mystery of the measurements of the gowns he was choosing. "Is she with child, perhaps? Oh my good sir, are you and your wife expecting? The maternity gowns are—"
"Not at all, madame. My…friend isn't with child."
The seamstress frowned in utter confusion.
"Are you expecting your lady friend to…fill out soon (read: gain weight real quick like a swollen balloon)? These are our largest sizes," said the seamstress.
"Very soon, in fact, madame," Tyki replied cordially. "As soon as I feed her..."]
"Ha ha ha," Star said dryly, chin resting on the heel of her hand. "I can only imagine how that must have gone. Glad I wasn't there."
"It was a humorous diversion. Shopping for lady's garments," Tyki said.
Tyki finished his meal and rose. He parted the curtain on the back wall with the back of his gloved hand and stepped through. Star peered beyond the high-backed chair there, over the alcove wall, and out into the red rows of a theater. The sounds Star had heard was the opera's formally clad audience. From way up here in Tyki's theater box, they were all fine suits, fancy gowns, coiffed hair, and sparkling jewels.
"If you won't eat then come here. Watch the opera."
"There's only one chair," Star said. Silently, Tyki took off his hat, coat, and gloves. Then he removed his ascot and unbuttoned his shirt. "And you just got awfully casual in dress for someone who puts on such grand airs."
To which she got no reply. Tyki just sat down in the alcove's grand butt palace and crossed his legs, ankle over knee.
Star frowned at him then glared. Gripping the heavy chair she'd been sitting in by it's arm and back, she drug it from the table. Star's thin arms shook and strained. There was still food on the table and she was looking at it now while she was sweating from exertion.
"If opera isn't to your liking, we could go to the ballroom for a few turns."
"Ha," Star panted. "Yeah, I'll be doing a lot of dancing in my current condition. Besides, I don't dance."
"Then come here."
"No." She huffed in pain with every breath as she stood beside the chair she'd managed to drag into near his own. Star shoved the cloak she still wore off her arms.
Tyki grabbed her around the waist and yanked her into his lap. The cloak slipped off as Star fought to break Tyki's hold on her arms. His hard touch was like steel and bruising in her current state. Tussling with him wasn't easing the pain.
"Let me go."
By the delighted and annoying grin on his face, Tyki relished in her fighting against his body. But soon he grew impatient when she wouldn't hold still in his arms.
"Stop struggling." When Star turned into his body and kneed him in the ribs, Tyki grunted. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Stop. Or I Will. Rip. Out. Your. Heart. Understand me, girl?"
Star slapped him. Hard. For an instant, Tyki was stunned, eyes wide, face turned in the direction the force of her blow had sent it. Star hauled her hand back and swung again but he grabbed her firmly arm before she closed in.
"How many more times were you going to hit me?" Though his tone vaguely suggested he was amused again, his eyes waited for a serious answer, which Star gave him.
Star caught her breath. She rattled off—
"One for the general. Daisya was a rude little blowhard but one for him too. One each for Nine's team. One for Allen's arm and almost killing him. One for what you did to Lenalee in Edo. One for each of the—"
Bowing his head in disbelief, Tyki let go of her arm, leaned on the armrest, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Alright, alright, alright."
"No, because I can go on—"
"I get it."
Feeling too comfortable sitting on him, Star rolled off his lap onto the floor. On a sudden rush of strength and power, she propelled herself away and skated in a low crouch toward the alcove wall.
Tyki stood quickly, tensing for a fight.
"Innocence, activate!" The phantasmal red and gold flames of her Innocence surrounded her. But it was only for an instant before the power flickered weakly and died. Star's heart seized tightly in her chest, drawing a breathless gasp. She collapsed onto her hands and knees.
Standing beside his chair Tyki relaxed and straightened. With any threat of attack gone, he stared down at her remorselessly.
"Looks like you still can't use your Innocence, pet. I'll bet you burn your body weight to fuel that Innocence of yours. So it has to be the boy's. You should have eaten earlier. You might have stood a chance."
"I take it by 'the boy' you mean Allen Walker." Star put a hand to her chest. Her view of the plush red carpeting faded in and out. It's getting harder to stay conscious. Pushing my Innocence was a bad call…
Dismissing the line of conversation, Tyki turned and walked back inside the alcove. He easily lifted the chair she had struggled to move that few feet into opera box and took it back to the table for two.
"Put on the dress. Then let's go back to the table. I'll have the concierge bring you a hot meal."
Star crawled over to the chair he had occupied, then stopped to catch her breath again.
"Why would you let me eat? You know how my Innocence works."
Over his shoulder, Tyki gave her the sweetest smile with the most devilish look of those golden eyes.
"Because I trust you to behave yourself," he said.