She hadn't always been one of Doflamingo's loyal followers. Anberlyn had not always felt a certain emotion, that would be denied to all those who made the acquisition, for the blond. In fact, at one point of time Anberlyn hated the man with all of her being. At one point she was dead set on either taking his life or her freedom or to die trying.
Doflamingo hadn't always placed much trust in the maroon haired girl, though he had liked her from the beginning. To say that the project he had taken on had been easy, that everything had gone exactly as planned was a lie, but, she had turned out just how he had wanted her to. The progress of their relationship since their first meeting was quite impressive to say the least, entertaining at worst.
Yes, it had been quite a journey to get where they were today, but, according to both parties, it was well worth it.
Scowling at her puppeteer, she viciously growled the words, "It's Anberlyn. Are you deaf?" She knew full well that if she were to keep up with her current attitude that he would kill her. Though, that might have been what she was going for since freedom was now so far out of her grasp.
"Fufufu." He laughed, his smiling somehow broadening before he continued on, completely and utterly undeterred by her interruption. "Either you do what I say or I'll cut the strings and that slaver you can still see from here," He lifted a hand and pointed to the guy he had forced her to look at while reeling her in, and turned her head so that she would be reminded of her current situation. He was in full control. ", will put an end to you. And if the explosion doesn't kill you," The hand he used to point at the slaver retracted and the backs of his calloused hands stroked her cheek. ", then it'll scar that pretty face of yours and we wouldn't want that now would we?"
With a deep set frown she pointed out the obvious, "That's not much of a choice is it?"
"Then do I have my answer?" He asked, knowing full well that it was freedom that she wanted and freedom that she would not be getting if she were to agree to his terms. But it was do his bidding or die and not many people would choose death when they had even the slightest of hopes that their goal was still obtainable.
She didn't want to say yes, every part of her brain and of her heart were yelling at her to refuse his 'offer' and accept death for she had caught word of the atrocities he had conducted, of the massacres that he had partaken in and of the unspeakable, unimaginable things he had done, all the crimes he had committed with or without help. The last thing she wanted was to 'work' for a man like that. But, that smile of his, it told her that he knew just how to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, the item of desire was her, and she could not fathom why.
But, regardless of the words of her heart and of her mind, she muttered the words, "I suppose so."
"Good choice Sweetheart." He chuckled breathlessly into her ear before raising his voice over that of the still raging crowd. "I regret to inform you that Anberlyn has been taken off of the market. If you have any issues with this new, then please, feel free to come to me."
His words were like a Venus fly trap, sweet to all those who dared to ignore who the words were coming from, but dangerous to anyone who decided to take the bait.
Almost all of the audience turned to face them; half of their eyes bugged at the sight of the imposing man whose lap she had been forced to sit upon. Their reaction was comical at best, but before much else could be said or done, Disco grabbed the reigns and took control of the auction once more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see our wonderful sponsor has graced us with his presence, so let's give him a warm welcome!" He let the short applause for the blonde, who soaked it all up with an almost charismatic smile that was accompanied by a few waves and a nod of his head. When the applause began fading, the show continued on.
As it did, she turned her head towards the blonde and quietly growled, "If you want me for my body then kill me now."
Sliding his hand slowly up her bare leg he said, "It wouldn't be that bad Sweetheart. No one's complained yet."
Probably because you kill them if they complain. She mentally snapped at him.
He met her fierce glare with a broad smile.
"Then I'll kill myself." She threatened, suddenly grabbing his wrist and holding it in a vice like grip, stopping his hands accent up her thigh, already his hand was too high for comfort.
"Now now, that won't be necessary Sweetheart." He crooned the stupid pet name he had already coined her with.
"Anberlyn." She corrected once again. She hated pet names and nicknames a like. And just because the person using them to address her was a big name, infamous pirate who probably ate a big bowl of murdered babies, puppies and kittens for breakfast, did not mean that it was acceptable. Sure, there was fear somewhere within her being, but that was not something you wanted to show to a man like Doflamingo, not unless you wanted him to exploit that fear like he would exploit your desires. "That's my name and I'd appreciate it if you used it."
"Well, Anberlyn, you'll be pleased to know that I do in fact have plans for you."
Not even five minutes together and he already had 'plans' for her. Surely the plans were of nothing good, for her at least. Biting her tongue, and thinking better of a smart or snappy retort, Anberlyn turned her attention away from the smiling pirate.
Unfortunately, the only place was to look was the well-lit stage before them, upon which three shackled and crying children stood rubbing at their eyes while the audience shouted obscure numbers. After not even a full sixty seconds of bidding, the auctioneer shouted the dreaded word,
"SOLD!"
And proceeded to name who had been the highest bidder. Anberlyn made the terrible mistake of looking into the audience in the pointed direction to see who it was who had gained ownership of the children. What she saw was a tall skeletal man with deep set eyes, a beakish nose and a Chelsea Grin etched into the corners of his mouth, which was curved up into a cruel smile.
As one of the slavers came from back stage and began heading the children across the stage, Anberlyn made a move to stop them, to make it to the key holder after realizing that she had regained control of her body. But, the arm around her waist tightened and held her fast to her seat, even as one of the children, the little girl, ducked between the slavers legs and made a mad dash for any direction that wasn't back stage.
The little, pink haired girl only made it to the middle of the stage before the collar exploded and the girl fell to her knees, her eyes vacant, her mouth agape as she fell onto her back, the worst of the damage clearly visible not only to the audience, but to her brothers as well. As the pirate who had bought them shouted indignantly, the two boys surged forwards, screaming for their sister, their arms and legs scrambling for purchase on the floor as they were caught and dragged away.
Anberlyn turned away before she could see what happened next, hand covering her mouth, fist and face pressed into the soft mass of pink feathers that covered a pair of shaking shoulders. He was laughing! She couldn't believe that someone could be so heartless as to laugh at something like that.
A rough hand grabbed her chin and jerked her head towards the stage and forced her to watch as the girl, unconscious or otherwise, was cleared none too kindly from the stage.
As he forced her to watch, he hissed into her ear, "See what comes of your thoughtless actions Anberlyn?" There was a slight pause where he allowed the guilt of causing the girl harm to crash over Anberlyn's consciousness. And when she had enough time to process that, he added, "That little girl could have been you, only no one would have cried over your lost would they?"
The girl was shaking in his arms, though of shock, anger or disgust, he couldn't tell. It's not like it much mattered anyways.
This behavior however, was not acceptable for a future member of the Donquixote Pirates. Already, she had the traits that he had every intention of cultivating her strong will and defiance, which would serve him well in the future. However, her softheartedness would need to be corrected, without a little hardening she would never survive, that's just how the game was played and she was about to become one of his many pawns. This little project was going to be quite amusing, Doflamingo could already tell.
"You're a monster." Anberlyn spat vehemently, the dark tendrils of hate taking root deep within her heart.
"Does a monster save lives?" He asked with a smile. His words were a cruel reminder that she owed this man her life, that she would be under his control until that debt was paid. In short, she was his property.
As the auctioning continued on, as more people were presented and ultimately sold before her very eyes, the thought that those people could have been her is what kept her constantly squirming in his grasp, trying to figure her way out, debt or no debt. Anberlyn never had much honor or integrity to begin with. However, the simple threats to her life and future freedom, since that's all she wanted, kept her rooted in Doflamingo's lap.
Doflamingo spoke to her in hushed tones, asking a variety of questions about things of little significance or relevance, things that he may or may not have been interested in. But, there was one thing that he was most definitely interested in and that was her devil fruit ability.
When she told him of its power, he informed her that she would be displaying it for him. He also planted the seed that if he didn't like it, rather couldn't find a way to make it useful to him, than she would be returning to the stage.
The show finally ended and as the people began getting up and walking out, Doflamingo stood as well, and setting Anberlyn down on her feet next to him; an arm crapped across her shoulders with a quiet reminder of his expectations.
According to him, she was not to run, not to use the Devils power against him, or to dare try anything 'funny'. And even though she was most definitely tempted to try to make an escape, Anberlyn valued her life and wanted, above everything else, to be free once more. And in order to be free, she knew full well that running would not result in that freedom. So, for Doflamingo and Doflamingo only, she would bend, but not break.
With the weight of the giants arm across her shoulders, Anberlyn walked out of the dim auctioning house, stepping out into the blinding light of day. As they walked, she was headed, pulled and pushed into the directions that he wanted them to go until they ended up at a quiet shoreline of a grove whose number she had failed to get a look at.
"Fuffuffuffu." He laughed, then in an extravagant manner asked, "Are you ready?!"
"Practically dying." She dryly grumbled, holding her wrists up to him and nodding at the cuffs. He was the only one who could unlock them for her. She was dancing in the palm of his hand and she knew that he knew this, his smile said it all.
When the cuffs fell to the ground, he gave her a look that told that exactly what he wanted of her, so she put her power on display, it was not as though she had much of an option.
He watched with a growing smile. To put it simply, she could change an objects state of matter, solids to liquids, liquids to gasses, gasses to solids and so on. After watching her show him these things, Doflamingo stopped the girl, grabbing her outstretched wrist and sliding his hand from the curve of her waist up her flat, bare, stomach. She squirmed in his grasp, his grin pressed against her ear.
"When I said that I didn't want you for your body, I lied Sweetheart. I'm going to put you to good use." And before the maroon haired girl could verbally or physically respond to that, he grabbed her around the waist and like a child plucks a flower, he lifted her from the ground, quite possibly saying 'hold on tight' as he did so, but, she wasn't sure whether or not that was her imagination.
Like a monkey swings from tree to tree, Doflamingo made his way across the sky, with Anberlyn holding on for dear life. Her muscular arms circled around his neck, her legs locked around his waist as they made their way across the sky, from cloud to cloud.
Never in her life had she been so high, moving so fast and the sensation was comparable to her first time on a boat, though the feeling rising in her chest could not be called sea sickness.
"I wonder, can you crystalize the moisture in the air?" He asked after some odd moments of silence, something that seemed to be unusual for the man.
"Clouds?" She asked just to be sure because the last thing Anberlyn wanted to be was wrong.
"Yes, can you make those?"
Imagine finding a solution to one of your biggest problems? Cloudless spaces were no longer going to limit him; they would not be able to chase him into patches of clear blue skies any more so long as he had Anberlyn with him.
After a moment of deep thinking, she muttered, "I suppose." In all honesty, Anberlyn had never tried to make clouds, but if it meant making this pink, feathered monster happy, then her hardest she shall try.
"Your future looks bright Anberlyn." He laughed.
"As bright as the dark side of the moon." She grumbled.
A/n: I don't know how you feel about the little future tense things at the beginning of the chapters, but I figured that if I started it like that, that I should continue that with all of the chapters. I know it breaks up the story and makes it kind of choppy, but I think that's ok.
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions and to be informed if I have gotten anyone OOC and so on. Thank you much for reading and I hope to see you next chapter.