"What… are you thanking for?"
"That…"
There was an obvious discomfort in Dominique's voice as she looked around the yard. And as soon as she saw people starting to look at them, she quickly shook her head and looked Riley in the eyes.
"Perhaps we can talk privately?" Dominique whispered as she leaned closer to Rhys.
Rhys did not imdiately answer her. He glanced at Talia instead, only to see her quickly avert her gaze while crossing her arms — for an old woman who killed millions of people, she was starting to act like a girl.
Was he… finally getting through to her? Rhys then turned to look at the Hearts floating above Talia's head, but aside from the one he had already filled, the other four showed no signs of flickering at all.
"Rhys?"
"Hm…?" As for Dominique, there weren't initially 5 Hearts floating above her head, but there were now — with 2 of them already filled up, "Okay…
…let's talk in the Solitary Ward."
***
"Wow. This place… looks completely different."
"I had them redecorate it a bit. This is one of the most secured areas in the prison second only to the warden's quarters — we can use it for sothing else."
Dominique's amazent was more than justified. She had been put in solitary a couple of tis because of abhorrent behavior, but it was almost as if this was her first ti entering the hall since it was completely different from how she rembered it.
The grey walls were just that, grey — no more black molds and stains painting them. The sll of sulfur, excrent, and urine was also completely gone. If anything, it almost looked like they were inside a bunker.
Dominique then took in a very long and deep breath before just letting out an even bigger one,
"It doesn't sll like Old York anymore. I kinda miss it."
"Hm," Rhys only smiled in response.
"Anyway…" Dominique then let out another breath as she stood in front of Rhys and saluted him, "...Thank you for saving and my crew's lives."
"Save you…?" Rhys squinted in confusion, "When did I do that?"
"There's no need to be so humble," Dominique chuckled before lightly hitting Rhys on the chest, "You knew… You knew that Talia had the remote to our necks, and that's why you deliberately refused my offer and even antagonized us. You escalated the situation to de-escalate it…
…that's an Underworld Corps specialty."
"Right…" Rhys blinked a couple of tis.
"All of us would have already been dead if we actually tried to attack Talia that night," Dominique once again let out a heavy breath, "So, thank you, Rhys. Thank you."
"Don't… ntion it anymore."
Of course, Rhys had no idea Talia was holding the remote to their necks. In fact, Rhys did not really care for them much at all as his only goal in this prison was Talia; if they died, then they die. He didn't think of them at all during that situation.
But of course, they did not need to know that.
"I will ntion it because I owe you my life, Rhys…" Dominique then closed her eyes as she very slightly turned her head up; the huge scar on her face, revealing itself to actually still be trailing down her neck, "...Thank you."
"It's… fine," Rhys then very gently placed his hand on Dominique's cheek, and as soon as he did so…
"What the—" Dominique quickly leaned back and looked at him from head to toe. And after a few seconds, she covered her mouth and started bursting out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter; even grasping her belly as she couldn't stop it.
"Rhys… Rhys…" Dominique almost wheezed as she pointed at Rhys, "I don't swing that way, I'm sorry… I'm sorry if you misunderstood."
"That…" Rhys could really only blink a couple of tis again as he saw the Hearts floating above Dominique's head. Not only were there two filled up, the third one was actually starting to flicker.
"I lick pussy, Rhys," Dominique then wiped the tears trailing down her eyes, "I an, you're one handso guy, no kidding. Like the most handso guy I've probably ever seen — but I'm not attracted to you, at least not… you know. Don't make say it."
"..." Rhys stared at Dominique's obviously weirded-out face for a few seconds, before a small chuckle of a breath also escaped his lips, "Pft…"
And as Dominique saw him about to laugh, she also couldn't help but laugh again — their laughter, practically drowning the entire solitary ward as their loud voices echoed.
Abruptly, however, did the two of them stopped as they heard soone else laughing with them.
"Did… you hear that?" Dominique's eyebrows quickly lowered as she raised a finger. The two listened for a few more seconds, but not even a single breath that was not theirs whispered in the air, "Probably just the echo…?"
"Maybe…" Rhys whispered. His eyes, however, were focusing sowhere at the gate of the isolation ward. And very subtly, a small smile crawled on his face,
"...Yes, it's probably just the prison, it's… incredibly old, after all."
"Now this place is suddenly creepy," Dominique shivered as she rubbed her arms, "But seriously, you thought I was into n? With muscles, scars, and short hair like this?"
"There's nothing wrong with the way you look."
"You—I didn't say there was anything wrong with it!" Dominique gasped as she looked at Rhys's face, "But… true. Do you think a woman who looks like and served in the Underworld Corps is straight? I know it sounds slightly sexist, but there's no woman in the Underworld Corps."
"Ayesha is."
"Pft, the Commander?" Dominique scoffed as she pointed at Rhys's face, "I assure you, she's licking pussy too. I've never seen her with a man or taken an interest in one, at all."
"We are actually together," Rhys said without any hesitation as she looked Dominique in the eyes.
"..." Dominique returned Rhys's gaze, "...Pft."
Only for her to once again break out in a fit of laughter.
"I didn't know you got jokes on you, brother. And wow…" Dominique then twirled her fingers as she pointed around the isolation ward, "...This place is aweso for gossip. And speaking of which… Seriously, Rhys? Talia? What's with that?"
"What's with what?" Rhys squinted.
"Seriously?" Dominique lowered her head as she looked at Rhys in disappointnt, "You are a 7-foot hunk of a man with the most handso face I have ever seen in my life, and she's literally an old hag, a witch. Stop playing gas here."
"I'm not 7 feet," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "And I am not playing any gas."
"You are," Dominique pointed her finger right at Rhys's face, "You want sothing from her, that's the only reason I can think of. I an… she killed millions of your people for fuck's sake — revenge fuck? Is this a revenge fuck? Is that it?"
"No," Rhys shook his head again, "I'm truly not playing anything at all. I want…
…I want to understand her, I truly do. And for that, I need to love her."
"So, you're just weird and into GILFs, got that," Dominique snapped her fingers while nodding, "Enough about that — what was your rank back in the corps anyway?"
"I… was just a Master Sergeant."
"I'm First Lieutenant."
"Oh…" Rhys quickly saluted and straightened his back as soon as he heard that. Dominique, however, only scoffed and waved her hand.
"Pft, none of our ranks matter. We're both technically discharged now that we're bonafide criminals," Dominique lightly hit Rhys's chest, "What did you do anyway, for you to get thrown in here — I never imagined I would ever see a Lowborn here in Typhon's."
"Well…" Rhys hesitated for a second before just smiling and saying, "...My sister made a Noble lower his guard and then killed him, mutilating him and cooking his limbs and insides before eating them. I found her and decided to take the bla for it, and also ate so of his flesh so that I could feel what my sister was feeling as well as hide any evidence that she cooked parts of him…
…there's also the fact that I am a terrorist that wants to topple the entire Arkan governnt, responsible for the violent deaths of many. And I also wanted to rule the entire world."
"What. The. Fuck," Dominique could really only stare wide at Rhys as he said all of that in one single breath,
"So, you do belong here. I an, what the fuck."
Dominique did not really know whether to laugh or be nervous as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Now I suddenly don't feel comfortable being alone with you here…
…you're a cannibal?"
"No," Rhys looked Dominique in the eyes and smiled, "I just wanted to humiliate him as much as possible. I don't think I am going to do that again."
"Okay… I'm backing off now," Dominique raised both her hands in the air, "I'll just… see up there, where there's light."
"I'm not—"
"I'm just kidding, Rhys. Pft," Dominique let out another chuckle as she walked away, "I've done worse than you — everyone in this prison is a monster, it's best you don't forget that. But seriously, though…
…let's just talk where there's lots of light next ti."
And with those words, Rhys could really only watch as Dominique's laughter very slowly faded in the distance. Rhys, however, just stayed inside the solitary ward for a few good seconds.
Until finally…
"...Topple the Arkan governnt and rule the entire world, huh?" Talia stepped out of the shadows and approached Rhys,
"Alright…
…let's talk more in my room."
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