Icy Touch

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"You convinced yourself that this was necessary, this darkness. That it was the only way to survive, to grow stronger than those who hurt you."
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The bath stood before her like a lurking and prowling animal. An animal she was weary to approach, but not one she couldn't conquer. Just reluctant to do so. It was a beautiful creature with four silver clawed feet and the body made of beautiful white porcelain, or so that's what she assumed it to be made from. Or some other pricy white material, of course, her brother's wife would spare no expense. Especially when it comes to luxury and relaxation.

Her teeth worked away at the skin on her lips as she stared at the ice that had been dumped into the basin. She had watched the few servants do so at her request, bare arms folded over her even further bare chest, only a towel wrapped tightly around her waist.

They had grown used to it, it was not unheard of for the technical sister-in-law of the Madame and Master of the house to be walking about the house without any garments on. Grown used to it, but perhaps not accepted it. They were not prudes per se, but rather it was startling to see that many scars and that many markings on a woman who was a true mystery to them. At least she had manners, they reasoned, even with her inclination to lack of clothes.

Puffing out a breath, it came away in a small cloud of whiteness. Curling her lips upwards, she nodded her head in approval and moved to drop the towel to the floor. Grasping the sides of the bathtub, she slowly lowered her aching and tired body down into the depths of the ice and freezing cold water. Inch by scarred inch, her body disappeared beneath the ice and allowed a chill to settle over her feverishly hot skin. Soon enough she was completely submerged with only her eyes and nose remaining above the water. She did have to give Darcie credit, this was a big bathtub, even for someone of her size.

Closing her eyes, she soon allowed her head to fully sink beneath the ice and water. Keeping them firmly closed, she remained beneath the ice and water for as long as she could. It wasn't terribly long, this sort of situation always made her tense up and that's the exact opposite of what she wanted.

As she broke the surface, she panted and slumped back against the side of the tub. Her breaths came out in white, wispy clouds once more and she grimaced; her teeth digging right into her lips once more. Opening her mouth wide, she licked her cracked and torn up lips as the familiar taste of copper became apparent.

"Fuck." ​

Cupping her hands together, she dipped them into the ice and water before splashing the contents right into her own face. With her eyes tightly closed, she allowed the chilly droplets to drip down her face. Raking her bruised and scarred hands through her tangled mane, she slowly returned to the icy grasp of the bath. As her head was soon engulfed by the ice and water, she opened her eyes and stared into the dark depths, watching on as her knees knocked together and goosebumps rose up along her skin. Curling her legs inward, she wrapped her arms tightly about them and moved to lay upon her side, pressing her hip and shoulder against the bottom of the tub as she watched as the various ice swam around her like little fish. Closing her eyes again, she dug what little nails she had left into her skin, before dragging downwards in sharp, slow drags. Little jabs of pain would come in the wake of her own actions, but not enough to cause her to rise from the depths of the water, not yet at least.

Her head jerked to the side as a force took a firm hold of her hair and her eyes opened. No longer was she pressed to the bottom of the bathtub, but rather she found herself floating through churning icy waters and something had grabbed hold of her. Twisting about, she peered blearily in the cold and dark waters. This way and that, she turned but to no avail as each time she turned, the force would pull from the opposite direction she was looking. As she thrashed about in the waters, she felt a press against her chest and then a grasp about her wrists and ankles.

The tightening grasp around her limbs and the press of an unknown force against her chest only caused her to thrash harder. Her mouth opening and closing as unheard screams came out in only bubbles. The unseen beings that were holding tightly to her body began to drag her deeper and deeper into the icy depths.

Her eyes trailed upwards, straining against one of the invisible tethers to reach up towards the lightly ice-covered surface. Clawing at the water and coming up empty, her arm went slack as she was dragged down, down and ever deeper down. Lips falling closed followed by her eyes, her exhausted body fell still as the power to fight had already begun to fade and was being leached out of her by the tethers that pulled her.

Is this the end? Has… She finally taken the lead in our dance? I suppose it was only a matter of time. I suppose I did accomplish all that I have ever wanted. ​

A tired smile crept over her features as she soon felt weightless, the forces upon her fading as she floated within the icy expanse of water. No worries, no pains, no sorrows, and especially no sadness.

Distantly and far above her, a thudding could be heard, but she paid no mind as she was far too wrapped up in her own thoughts. The thudding continued for many moments before a cracking and then a loud bang echoed out overhead. Still, yet, no sound registered within the space she floated in.

Was this death? She wondered as her body drifted about, the actual chill and bite of the water having faded altogether and it was now a mere memory. Her fingers curled inwards, nails digging lightly into the flesh there as she soon felt a new force upon her.

This force did not drag her down, but rather upwards. It hooked its grasp around her arms and rather than the forces before, was carefully in its movements as it tugged her slowly upwards. As she and the force continued their journey upwards, her mind began to register noises. Voices mostly and the sound of pounding on the ground. The pull of the force that held onto her loosened and released only for her body to rock to the side. The icy water around her began to drain as her skin met something more solid.

Opening her eyes and blearily searching about, the sound of her teeth chattering caused her to blink slowly. Her mind was slow to awaken or shake off whatever near unconsciousness that had settled around it as the shouting voices were becoming clearer and she began to register that she was no longer alone in the bathroom.

"How damned long was she in there?"

"We don't have time to dilly-dally, Madame, we need to get her dried off, into warm clothes and before the fireplace immediately. I've sent for a doctor and Alexander as well. Marie, Aaron, quickly, help me with her."

"Will someone please close that window! Snow is starting to gather on the floor."

"Mama? What's wrong wit-..."

"Not now, Gabriella. Just… Please go back to your room." ​

She knew those voices, but she could not quite place them. Why were they so familiar to her? Was she supposed to know them? Perhaps… She attempted to wrinkle her nose as she felt various hands upon her body, grasping tightly at her limbs and abdomen. However, despite her best attempts to do so, her nose would not wrinkle and she couldn't move her own lips to protest.

"Spirit, she's freezing!"

"Patrick, we best get moving."

"Enough talking. On three, we lift. One, two, three, LIFT!"
​

Squinting, she tried to shift from the grasps upon her once more, but to no avail, as she was soon lifted off of the cold bathroom floor and carried quickly out of the room. Her eyes made out the wood panelling of the hallway of the Vauclain house, but her near frozen mind was unable to register where she was.

Confusion began to cloud her cold and tired mind as she soon found herself settled before a large roaring fire. How did she get there? Has she not just been within the hallway a moment ago?

Blinking slowly, she looked down to her shaking hands, her fingertips still an unnatural shade of blue as she felt a shiver tear through her entire body.

The sound of a door opening and closing sounded behind her, but she did not turn. Rather, she raised a hand slowly towards the flames of the fireplace. With almost childlike wonder, she watched as the flames licked upwards and some part of her, wanted to touch the fire. To feel the burn and to no longer be frozen to the bone. To feel something, anything at all.

"Seraphina?"​

Her own hand wavered before slowly retreating back to her lap where it's mate rested. Tucking them into the fabric of her robe, she did not turn or speak to the one who had spoken her name. She did not yet trust her tongue as it still felt frozen and her lips just so. She did listen though, her long since surgically rounded ears listened intently as healed footsteps approached her before they were muffled by the carpet in front of the fireplace. Even still, she did not turn as she felt a hand upon her shoulder. Her mind squirmed and shifted, trying to recall a memory, but the iciness of the bath and the consequences of it were preventing her from doing that.

"Sera."​

"Darcie…"​

Seraphina wrinkled her nose, fully, at the sound of her own voice, it came out hoarse and scratchy as if she hadn't used it in weeks. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, though began to cough as it caught in her throat. Raising her fist, she pounded it upon it and winced. Feeling Darcie's hand leave her shoulder and hearing her footfalls away, she finally turned to look after the woman. Finally, she was seeing her sister-in-law for what felt like the whole day and yet, she reasoned, had she not had breakfast with her that very morning. How strange that a singular bath could change one's perspective on the whole day.

Trudging through the pieces of her thoughts, she clicked back into the present as she observed the woman in purple and silver close the door to the sitting room fully once more. Sera tilted her head in a confused sort of matter that often reminded others of a dog.

"What…"

"I sent for tea and Marie's making soup. It'll warm you up in no time."

"I'm…"

"You don't have to explain yourself. Not to me, not to the children, not to anyone at all, Seraphina." ​

Darcie's words hit her like a firm punch to the chest and the breath left her lungs as her whole body seemed to relax as she finally began to feel the actual warmth of the fireplace and the clothes she wore. Unclasping her hands, Sera tucked them into the sleeves of her robe and turned her eyes back to the fireplace.

The other occupant of the room pursed her lips as she leaned against the door. Darcie sighed and stepped over, retrieving the quilt from the top of the couch and soon settled down beside the larger woman she called a sister-in-law. Wrapping one of Sera's shoulders with the blanket, she leaned up against the Avant's side and placed the other end of the quilt around her own shoulder. Not saying a word, she set a hand upon her leg and gazed into the fire. A soft noise of surprise came from her as she suddenly felt the press of Seraphina's head on top of hers and she shifted her ocean eyes up to the Avant's.

"I don't… Know if I can do this…"

"Do what exactly?"
​

Instead of giving a straight answer, Sera slid her left hand from the sleeve and gestured weakly to the house around them before pointing at the fire directly.

"You were trying to…"

Silence.

"Sera, please talk t-...."
​

Darcie clenched her jaw, not allowing herself to finish her sentence as she had not, moments ago, said that Seraphina did not need to explain herself. As she opened her mouth to speak once more, she turned towards the door as a knock came, followed by the door itself opening. The voice of her husband and a familiar Shi becoming apparent.

"It's still polite to knock, you know, Kai."

"So? It's your own house!"​

The duo of Alexander and Kai entered the sitting room, pausing in their conversation as they spotted the seated figures on the floor. The Bloodcast Knight frowned as he gestured to Kai to close the door as he approached his wife and sister. Sitting down on the opposite side of Seraphina, he looked questioningly towards the Avant before his eyes trailed to his beloved.

"Sera?"

"I… Didn't mean to…"

"...What do you mean, you didn't mean to?"
​

The normally calm and level headed man frowned, his voice rising in volume and tone growing angry. The message that the runner had given to him and Kai, finally registered with him. He examined the woman he called a sibling more closely, finally taking in the prominent dark circles around her eyes, the torn but no longer bleeding lip and the bruises lining her collarbone.

"What… What did you do?"

"I was… so tired, brother… I'm still so tired…"​

The once normally rumbling voice of the giant of an Avant came out in a hushed whisper. She was afraid, afraid of herself, of her own actions, but above all, she was afraid of the anger and disappointment she could hear in Alexander's voice. Tears pricked at the corners of her vision as her hands came slithering out of the fabric of her sleeves as she grasped a hold of the man's coat.

"Please… Don't hate me, please… Don't turn your back on me…"​

It had come all crashing down upon her in that very moment. As she sat with and around some of the people who loved her so very much, the pain and anguish that she had been carrying on her shoulders for so many years was finally being let go. Pressing her face into her brother's chest, her hands went slack as sob after sob wracked through her exhausted, bruised and ice bath battered body. The intensity of her tears merely grew as she soon felt Alexander's arms wrapping tightly around her followed by Darcie's and then finally Kai's.

The trio that embraced the large Avant exchanged varying looks: confusion, sadness, worry, and finally acceptance as they tightened their grasp on Seraphina. The little group remained like that, with the largest of them wrapped tightly up in the warmth of her own clothes and robe, but also the grip of her family's arms.

Over time, Sera's sobs did subside as she slouched against Alexander's chest, breathing deeply or as deeply as she could as with every other breath she took, she would hiccup. Lifting her head from where it was pressed, she looked to the trio of faces that studied her carefully. Trying her best to force a smile onto her features, her voice came out, a bit unsteady but certainly louder than before.

"Thank you. All of you… I love you guys."

"We know, Sera. We love you too."

"Mmhm."

"Think nothing of it, darling. Your family at the end of the day. You would do the same for us."​

Once more, Darcie's words seemed to resound the most with her and she felt an inner warmth as she hugged the trio tighter. The tiniest of laughs escaping her as she sniffled and swiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"S-spirit… I'm such a mess."

"Our mess."​

Kai chimed in, grinning toothily at her as she released her hold and leaned back. However, she soon leaned forward once more, patting Sera's shoulder.

Alexander and Darcie shared a look as they too released their holds on the large woman. A look that spoke more words than either could exchange in that moment. But in the end, the message was simple: we will not speak of this, not until she's good and ready.

As the group of four settled into the sitting room, awaiting the doctor Darcie had sent for, Sera seemed to be slowly but surely returning to normal. And over the next week, she remained within the Vauclain house at the orders of both the doctor and Darcie, herself. Most of the time was spent far away from the room where the events of her near-freezing death had occurred and prepared for the journey to the war front that was coming.

She was no longer afraid of the icy touch of death, for she had floated through the water and come out: near frozen and quite close to death, but breathing and clinging onto life. Death was no longer a thing she feared, but rather, perhaps, it was death who would begin to fear her.