Elaine just simply stared down at the sheets in front of her on her desk. She could understand the glyphs alright. No problem there. Nothing stood out to her spectacularly about them if she had to be honest. It just seemed like fables or stories of some kind. Honestly, some of them (Though not all) were surprisingly… morbid in a sense.

She had seriously considered just translating them and getting it over with. She really had. But decided to put it off. How long exactly she wasn't sure. It would depend really on what Descole would threaten to do if she didn't translate. Starve her again? Elaine had already proven she would risk it, even if the first time round she had given in after a week. The only thing Elaine could think of that she couldn't say no too was her family.

That possibility was a frightening one. There had yet to be an intentional death caused by Descole's actions (That Elaine knew of), but that didn't mean he wasn't capable. She could only hope that Descole wouldn't actually think of it himself. If so? Well, Elaine actually feared of what he could ask then.

The door creaked opened and Elaine shut her eyes as she folded her arms after taking a small sip from the teacup Raymond had given her earlier along with her breakfeast. She knew Descole would be annoyed, to put it on a very child friendly term. But she wanted to keep as much of her defiant nature up as possible. It just seemed to have… Waned a bit lately. She didn't understand why exactly. Maybe being held prisoner a year and only escaping on luck may have damaged it. It made some degree of sense.

"Tut, tut, Hawthorne. Three hours and you've nothing down yet." Descole tutted. "Don't tell me you have forgotten your job and what the glyphs mean?"

"I know what they say." Elaine mumbled. "I'm just taking my time. Not sure what you would want with fables anyway. Where do you even get these things from?"

"I acquire them through my own means." Descole answered. "Not that it really matters to you."

"You don't plan to show off 'ow you got them? I'm actually shocked." Elaine mused. "Doesn't really matter though I suppose. It was likely illegal anyway."

"It depends really on who you steal them from." Descole remarked, sounding slightly bitter. "In this case, it was taking knowledge from people who do not even deserve to exist."

"A… bit of an extreme statement to make. Even from you." Elaine noted. She didn't think Descole would be the type of person to wish for someone or something to not exist. How this was supposed to make those on the receiving end look was an uncertain to the Frenchwoman given what she has been through already by Descole.

"You'd be mistaken if you believe me to be the worst being alive, Hawthorne, you are dreadfully wrong." Elaine turned her head sharply up towards him.

"Like who?"

"None of your business, Hawthorne."

"I think it is my business."

"And what would make you think that?" Elaine didn't answer right away but with thoughts in order she did.

"If I'm translating stuff you stole, I think I 'ave a right to know who it was stolen from. If they get to you, they'll probably take me down too."

"Well that isn't going to happen because they won't find us." Descole hissed. "And I strongly suggest you translate, now!"

"Make me!" Elaine spat, starting a glaring match with Descole. If she could have seen his eyes, then Elaine would have had more confidence that she wouldn't be the first to blink or look away. Instead, she just felt some dry stinging in her eyes as she fought the urge to blink. It wasn't until the tiny bit of water building up began to leak that Elaine gave in to blinking. She scowled as she looked away and rubbed her eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you that you can be very childish?" Descole asked, a tiny smirk on his lips.

"I am not childish!" Elaine muttered. "You're the childish garçon!"

"I'm hardly childish. Unlike you, I do my work."

"When you're not manipulating people."

"I hardly manipulate. I just set the tools for them." Descole spoke passively.

"Still the same thing."

Elaine winced as Descole grabbed her hair, albeit not as roughly as the other few times he had done so.

"As much as I admitably enjoy this banter, I still expect work to be done."

"Well, I definitely don't like you grabbing my 'air!" Elaine grabbed her brown locks and tried to push Descole's hand off. After a few moments of failing that, he let go and Elaine's hand ended up swinging and hitting against the wall above her desk. She winced and instinctively held it close to her chest as her thumb brushed over the more sore areas.

"I think it's suffice to say that the puppy got her just reward." Descole was barely keeping the humour from his tone. He clearly found the incident somewhat funny in a way as Elaine growled. "That's what you get, I suppose. For having such a low guard."

"Stop, calling me puppy." Elaine's eyes narrowed. "And secondly, I do not 'ave a low guard! You… You just caught me off guard! It could 'appen to anyone!"

"Perhaps. Just, not to certain people such as myself."

"I doubt that."

"I think you'll find it's true." Before Elaine could say another word, Descole's hand slapped down on the papers on the desk.

"Again. Continue your work. I don't care if it's fables. They sometimes have something useful in them." Descole turned to leave as Elaine scowled. She looked down at the papers and grabbed a pen. She may as well go along with this. Whatever would happen, she would just have to try and get through this with as little difficulty as possible.

"And if you're a good puppy, I might give you an award."

Elaine put a hand to her face.

Why was she blushing so hard?

First of all, thank you all so much for the reviews. They mean a lot to me and I love to hear your thoughts :)

Secondly, I've had an idea.

The first is a one shot of a Teacher!Elaine/Student!Descole. I don't have much thought for it yet, but it wandered into my mind and I thought it would be pretty interesting. It'd be an AU obviously, but I'd like to hear what you guys would think of it.