(ACT 01) Touch me not

“I was told she is a melancholic soul.

She is like the sun to night,

A momentary gold

A star when dimmed by dawning light;

The flicker of a candle blown

A lonely kite lost in flight—

Someone once had flown”

—Lang Leav

. . .

A shadow passed over his face.

“Well, that one came out wrong…” Alastor muttered. But he quickly recovered, smiling easily again, “So? What should I call you?”

“Proserpina,”

Was he even listening?

He raised an eyebrow at her, “So… I take it you were named after your mother? Well, no surprise there. Hades was known to be a good husband, after all. That’s sweet.”

What the hell, what the actual f— Proserpina bit down on her lip hard before she says something particularly offensive... why does everyone keep assuming that Queen Persephone is Proserpina's actual mother, or they are the same being—which they were most certainly not just because they were both goddesses of the underworld?

Sometimes, Proserpina wished Hades had named her something else rather than naming her after his wife. She can already feel a blooming headache just thinking about her unoriginal name.

Proserpina visibly exhaled for a moment, before she grudgingly answered: “No. My… name it’s… my real name is Winters Veil though I am now referred as Proserpina on the night I became a goddess.”

“Winters Veil…” Alastor repeated slowly, as though he was tasting, was savoring her name on his tongue. She stopped herself from shivering at the absurdly pleased look on his face, “Huh. Well, then, Winters,” a boyish grin curled his lips, “…you have enchanted me.”

A pleasant shiver danced over her spine at the desire in his eyes, a fuzzy, fluttering feeling making her feel light and airy... but just as swiftly, a sense of dread filled her at once, along came the ice-cold realization that Proserpina had no business here, not anymore, especially responding to the advances of the man in front of her.

Alastor Nyx, like the other men of his kind were most probably celebrating some sort of event and he had just left a bunch of nymphs and a guaranteed revelry for the night with them.

He would expect sex from a woman.

He said so.

He implied that he had wanted to. With her.

Which she could never give to him… even if she wanted to, which she most certainly did not—without disaster... so why was her gaze wandering and descending down to his chest?

Proserpina quickly willed her gaze to bolt upwards at that, her cheeks no doubt completely flushed red no thanks to her pale skin, internally relieved when she found his gaze was still stuck to her.

Or not…

Her clothes were obviously drenched and sticking closely to her skin and Alastor was staring so hard at them as if he personally wanted to rip her clothes off of her, if his twitching claws were any indication. Proserpina did not know if she should be flattered or horrified with the way he was looking at her right now. More so when she realized that Thanatos had suddenly grown eerily silent.

Since when, she no longer knew…

Now, she felt alone.

Not really... just with an unfairly attractive werewolf right in front of her who so obviously wanted her. No, for real, where the hell is Thanatos and his condescending voice when she needed the distraction the most?!

Nevertheless, Proserpina unsheathed his vessel, the sound making her wince internally, “Leave... or I'll make you wish you had.”

“Not happening.”

Proserpina suddenly felt the most childish urge to stomp her foot in frustration at that, “Why?”

Why is it always the stubborn ones?!

However, at Alastor's eerily determined expression, an idea suddenly crossed her mind, one that was so ridiculous it hardly warranted another second thought. But… but... could it be—just to be sure… if it was possible…?

She gulped, regarding him a bit nervously.

“I... I'm not... I'm not your mate, or anything, right?” Proserpina asked, already dreading the answer as soon the words left her lips. Please say no, please say no, please say no, please say no gods this is... this is not what I wanted, oh gods no, fates please–

But Alastor quickly shook his head at her, causing Proserpina to let out a visible sigh of relief, making him grimace, something like regret and sadness in his eyes. “Nope. But I wish.”

“…Pity.”

When Alastor tried to take one more step again, Proserpina promptly summoned one of her cursed daggers instead of striking him down with the already-unsheathed Thanatos.

This man (werewolf) was annoying her yes, but Proserpina was not that much of a cruel god enough to actually kill him just because he was stubborn and did not know the meaning of I'm not interested.

Wait.

Maybe he wasn't used having such advances turned down?

...somehow, that annoyed her even more.

Without another word, Proserpina aimed for his jugular, which wouldn't kill a being like him since the dagger is not meant to kill.

The dagger was a farewell gift from the son of Hypnos, the third demigod.

If used properly, it would simply paralyze the body, render it helpless after a minute the blade remained stuck in their body which would give her enough time to use her shadows to leave without the werewolf following her.

She'd lift the enchantment as soon she got home.

The idea of fleeing from a monster left a bitter taste in her mouth but she didn't really like fighting someone unless she absolutely had to. And from what she can tell, Alastor doesn’t seem to be the malevolent type of creature she’s so used to hunting down… “Stop right where you are, or I swear I will plunge this thing into your neck, Alastor Nyx,” Proserpina warned.

Frustratingly enough, Alastor didn't stop right where he was, leaning in even closer, as if taunting her, “You would not do such a thing, dear goddess, not when I mean you no harm?” he all but purred the question, his warm breath wafting pleasantly across her chilled skin.

Proserpina did not answer.

She was not fooling around.

At the hostile look on her face, Alastor's expression suddenly turned impatient, as if he couldn't understand where her caution was even coming from. He took one more step–

She struck.

“What the hell!” Alastor bellowed, sounding more surprised than hurt that she actually followed through with the threat, scowling down at the blade embedded beneath the flesh of his collar bone.

At the very last second, Proserpina had decided to change her aim.

Moving backwards, a few feet away from Alastor, she reminded him coldly, “I told you not to come closer.”

Alastor growled and grabbed the hilt, trying to get the dagger off of him, but it seemed impossibly hard to do so… she made sure it remained stuck. “Seriously, Winters? What the fuck? Get this thing off me! It stings!”

At hearing her name, the corner of her lips quirked. Wait a minute. Why are we on first name basis already? She schooled her features quickly at that, “Why should I?”

“Because. Winters…” Alastor suddenly started to walk towards her again, apparently planning to ignore the dagger and the blood steadily dripping from his wound, “...by the end of this night, the two of us will be sharing a bed and you'll feel silly for stabbing your new bedmate.”

With an exasperated sigh, Proserpina began walking backwards into the shadows, intending to escape through it now, “Whatever you say, mate.”

Despite the pain he was in (because surely that should have hurt), Alastor suddenly smirked, looking strangely and annoyingly endeared, “This thing really stings like hell, you know, but it's also kind of flattering.”

“Excuse me?”

“You unsheathed your sword, but you didn't use it against me. You stabbed me but you chose a dagger that hurts but isn't sharp enough to even kill—which means you don't really want to murder me. Damn, you could be into BDSM for all I know and okay, you know what, that’s actually freaking hot…” Alastor suddenly paused in his rant. Now, he was looking at her weirdly, “Wait a minute... is this how you flirt in the underworld?”

Proserpina immediately composed herself, “I have never flirted before. And no, I do not engage in such depraved practices.”

“Well, that makes sense!” Alastor sassed, sarcastically pointing at the dagger still stuck to his flesh, “Because this hurts, like… really, really hurts.”

Proserpina rubbed a hand over her face, her patience already running thin… to be fair, she was surprised it even lasted long, “Very well… if I remove it, will you please just leave me alone?”

It wasn't really in her nature to torture another being... not unless they had it coming, of course. Besides, even if she did remove the dagger, the effects would still take place after being embedded in–

Alastor snarled, “Leave you alone? Forget it. I'll do this myself.”

With that being said, he suddenly grasped the hilt of the dagger before pulling it out of his skin in a vicious manner, never mind the wound or how much that would have caused him pain.

Stunned, she stared at him with wide eyes as he threw the bloody dagger aside, eyeing it with distaste before slowly turning to look at her, almost menacingly, smug and triumphant. And... and... it didn't even take a minute stuck in him, Proserpina realized, keeping her jaw clenched to keep it from gaping at him.

Alastor resumed his advance on her once more, licking his lips as he stalked closer, barely giving a wince at his wounds, gaze never faltering. He looked like he wanted to eat her alive.

Without thinking, Proserpina took a step back, internally debating if she should summon the dagger back into her palm and try again. If she can't paralyze him, she'll slow him down at least with a hit on the leg, this time.

As if sensing her thoughts, Alastor said: “I believe I've earned the right to be in your company… as well a kiss from you.”

Despite herself, Proserpina made a sudden sound of frustration, “As if you'd be satisfied with a simple kiss?!” she snapped, “You expected to have sex with me and for the last forsaking time, it will not happen–!”

“But you want it too, don't you?” Alastor interrupted, smirking.

It was the same smirk he had on when she first laid her eyes on him; his victorious, smug, ever-knowing smirk that completely caught her attention—enraptured her—to the point that she had basically lingered instead of just striking down her prey.

If Proserpina had attacked instead of lingered would have things been different?

Does it even matter at this point?

...I'm in trouble.