Belladonna woke up to two things.
The blinding sunlight and scroll that was hung up on the wall, for the painting on it to dry.
Despite her headache, and her initial ignorance of her surroundings, the painting held her curiosity and as her eyelids slid shut, she opened them again to observe the painting even more.
It was a woman, in an oversized shirt, sleeping on a mat, and a lantern on the floor - a short distance from her.
It was so detailed but strange because she didn't remember painting anything last night.
She couldn't even paint!
Wait.
Waittttt...
Was that... her?!
She quickly looked down at herself, confirming that was indeed her.
This was the room assigned to Eli.
She had never been in it before, but she didn't have to. Everything in here, especially that painting, told her all she needed to know.
"By Ignas, no, no, no, no, no!"She muttered beneath her breath, as she rushed up to her feet.
It was an action she had done way too quickly, her head seemed to sway on her neck - heavy, and for a while, she felt dizzy.
Memories flashed in her mind and with each one she remembered, she cringed even more from embarrassment.
She had kissed him and begged him to take her.
Kissed him!
Begged!
WHAT KIND OF INSANITY WAS THAT?!
"Ah, Belladonna, for Ignas' sake!"
It would be an understatement to say she was mortified by her own actions, and how much pleasure they had brought her in the moment she had done them.
Where had her control disappeared to?
Frantically, she searched for her dress and searched for him at the same time. She didn't find him, which was a relief, but she found her dress, now dry and nearly folded away.
Neatly folded away!
He must be around then.
She had to get out of here quickly.
It was quiet outside, which was normal since they usually go and check the traps in the morning. Eli would usually go with them. She just hoped he had gone with them this time around.
Anyway, she didn't wait to find out. Every second she lingered here was a second of risk, so with her dress in her hands, she escaped.
Not looking back even once.
She slipped into her room, her heart racing and her hands trembling as she locked the door.
It took some seconds for her to relax.
When she finally turned back, she yelled; Her scream colliding with that of the invader.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!" She yelled, her voice still high-pitched from fear.
"WHAT ARE "YOU" DOING IN HERE?!" Jazliy threw her question right back at her and Belladonna blinked.
"This is my room?"
"Oh. Of course." She nodded, then frowned. "You!" She laughed. "Oh, oh, oh, Youuuuu!"
Confused by the sudden anger Jazliy was displaying, Belladonna became tensed.
"What?"
"How dare you lie to me about your relationship with him. I made a complete fool of myself telling him about how I think he is the perfect male to breed with. If only I knew he had his heart set on another, I wouldn't have pursued. My broken heart is all your fault, how do you intend to make amends?"
"What?" Those were too many words and Belladonna's headache wasn't making it easy for her to understand. "What?! You told him? What did he say?"
"I think you should know what he said since you are in his shirt, and have his love marks all over your neck."
That threw Belladonna back and she was about to counter that, before the memory of that and many more things happening between them, flashed into her mind.
She flexed her fingers, the feeling of them being around his arousal running through her memory at that moment.
Great.
Just perfect.
Why, oh why? By Ignas, why?
"I'm sorry, Jazliy, but I didn't lie to you. We are not together---"
"Oh, the couple's fight. From the looks of things, you will be together soon enough."
"No," Belladonna blurted.
Jazliy was being ridiculous.
That would never happen.
"This," she shifted her weight from one foot to another. This was the most embarrassing thing. "This was a mistake and nothing happened."
Jazliy waved a dismissive hand in the air. "I don't need to know. I only want my compensation. You can lie to yourself---"
"I swear my Ignas, I don't want to be with him. I just-- it cannot happen. It is all in the past now."
Jazliy stared at her for a moment, then she laughed, as if that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. She laughed so hard, she had to sit on the mat to collect herself.
"I can't even stay mad at you for lying to me. You are lying to yourself."
"I am not," her words were sharpened with slight anger.
"Whatever you say," she ended, trying to stop herself from laughing, as she stretched a small bottle to her. "I came here to give you this. I wasn't expecting you to be in the room yet, but I didn't want to go to his room to give it to you. I was going to leave it on the mat."
Belladonna stepped forward, trying to force herself from thinking of how she must look right now. Her headache wasn't helping the situation.
She had done too much last night.
She was glad he hadn't taken advantage of the moment. He was right, she would have been very angry. Even right now, she was angry; At herself though, not at him.
"What is that?"
"It will help with the headache. I'm sure it is killing you." She slipped the bottle into Belladonna's hand. "Also, I have taken care of the evidence of your presence in the storage room. GrandMami will never know, it helps that she was sleepwalking last night. You have nothing to worry about." She rose to her feet, and turned to the window from which she had come in through earlier.
"Thank you," Belladonna's words stopped her, and she turned back flashing her a smile. "I am so sorry if my actions have hurt you. I didn't mean it."
She shrugged. "It is alright."
"About your compensation---" Belladonna's voice trailed off, pulling the shirt that kept slipping away, back over her shoulder. "What do you want?"
Silence fell between them and Belladonna's heart skipped a beat.
Had she just walked herself into a trap? She had to be smarter than this.
"For you to act like my confession to your warrior never happened, and for our friendship to continue, unaffected by this."
Not a trap then.
What a relief.
Wait---what?!
"He is not mi--" she stopped when Jazliy placed a finger against her lips.
"Don't go around saying that, it will only wreak havoc." Then she dropped her hand. "So, will my compensation be granted."
"Certainly." Her voice was low.
This was a situation she was unfamiliar with. She had expected things to turn out ugly.
But this?
This was surprising!
"Ah, do not offer me your sympathy. Instead, worry about yourself and the entanglement you seem to have with the nonhuman brothers. It seems like a mess from afar but I am certain you'll fare well."
Alaris.
She had forgotten about him for that brief moment.
"Also, have you seen me? I have the perfect buttocks-" Jazliy turned and smacked her rear and Belladonna watched her, stunned. "...and my breasts are mighty distractions." She jiggled her bosom, and this time, Belladonna chuckled. "I am perfect to breed with." Slipping out through the window, she completed her words with a declaration. "I'm irresistible!"
"Use the door, Irresistible Jazliy," Belladonna said through a giggling fit.
"Never mind." There was a thud, she must have landed safely on the other side. "I just love climbing things."
Belladonna shook her head, finding the situation absolutely hilarious, while she drank the content of the bottle in her hand.
It was like speaking to a female Alaris, only that she had no dragon and wasn't trying to use her to attain any Life Gem.
As her headache disappeared, Belladonna made up her mind that Jazliy was good.
There might just be hope for a friendship that would last.
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((I think if Alaris and Jazliy were ever to meet, they would spend the whole day arguing about who was the most irresistible. Who do you think will win the argument?))
((There will be one more update today. Thank you for your patience.))