Chapter 21 : Early Evening

Kianna took in a deep breath through her nose as she stretched her legs out and snuggled her face into the soft pillow her head was currently laying on. Her eyes shot open as her still waking mind registered that she was no longer in the tub with her Master. Blinking the drowsiness from her eyes, she found herself staring into the very disheartened looking face of her sister.

“...Fiona!?” she questioned as she lifted her head and took a quick look around.

“Hey...” mumbled Fiona as she shifted her eyes downward and stared into the pillow she was still laying on.

“Wha, what happened!?” asked Kianna as she realized she was now in her sister's room and had been sleeping on her bed “Where's Master!?”

Fiona had an unhappy grimace on her face as she blew a small huff of air out of her nose.

“The Master! Brought you in here a while ago...” she explained as she avoided looking at her sister “He said he had a few some things he needed to get done. ...And that he'd call us when dinner was ready.”

“Dinner!” exclaimed Kianna as she excitedly flexed her stomach muscles “Oh, that sounds good!”

Moving only her eyes, Fiona gave her sister a pointed look as a thin frown took shape on her face.

“Humph! Still feeling empty, huh!? Well that's surprising!” she mocked as she looked away again “So I guess he didn't fill you up enough already!?”

Kianna pointed her ears straight back behind her head as she gave her sister a tired look.

“Ha ha!” she exclaimed dryly as she settled her head back down onto her pillow and glared at her sister “You're such a funny, funny bitch!”

Fiona stared back at her for a moment before looking away with a blink.

“...So.” she mumbled as her face softened “...What did he say about me!?”

“...Huh?” questioned Kianna as she shifted an ear upwards to better hear her “Who?”

“Who? What do you mean “who”! Who do you think!? ...Didn't you guys talk about me?” implored Fiona as she looked back at her “Didn't he say anything about me!?”

Surprised by the look of concern on her sister's face, Kianna's eyes softened as she shook her head.

“No?” she claimed in a reassuring tone “He never said anything about you? Why do you ask?”

“...Really!?” exclaimed Fiona as her eyes tightened in question “Then what did you guys talk about!?”

“Uh, well? A little bit of past stuff?” answered Kianna with a shrug “We didn't really talk a whole lot. We just kinda got to know each other, I guess?”

“...Right. Got to know each other, huh!?” drawled Fiona as she rolled her eyes “So you guys seriously just fucked the whole time then!? Seriously!? Nothing else!?”

“Wha!? No! Not, not the whole time...” mumbled Kianna as she hid half her face with her pillow “He, also did, some other things too...”

“Like what!?” grumbled Fiona.

“...He, he took care of me!” mumbled Kianna as her ears twitched and a light blush spread across her face “And it was so amazing!”

“...Uh, took care of you, huh?” questioned Fiona “And what does that mean!? Like he got you off!?”

“No! Well! Yeah, he did... He really did... But that's not what I mean!” exclaimed Kianna as she blinked the dreamy look from her eyes “I mean he, took care of, well? ...It was my ears. ...He took care of them ...And I, kinda, really liked it...”

“...Okay? ...Whatever!” muttered Fiona as she shook her head “So he seriously never said anything about me though!? Are you sure about that!? Like did he ask you anything about me!?”

“No, Fiona! He never said anything about you! He never even mentioned you!” declared Kianna as she tightened her eyes in question “Why are you even asking if he did? Why do you wanna know if he said anything about you?”

“Because!” declared Fiona as she looked away again “I need to know what he's planning! Obviously!”

“Planning?” questioned Kianna as she arched an eyebrow “What do you mean? Planning for what?”

“For me! Dammit!” exclaimed Fiona as she gave her sister a exasperated look “What is he planning for me!? What is he gonna do with me!?”

“...Are you really still on that!” mumbled Kianna as she rolled her eyes “He's not going to “do” anything with you Fiona! He's already said that, I don't know how many times now! So just chill!”

“I don't mean that specifically!” growled Fiona as she hunched in on herself “I mean in general! I know he's got you and your bouncy little ass for that crap! But what about me!? What is he going to do with me!? Am I just gonna end up back in a cage!? Or is he going to make me his servant!? Or is he just gonna keep me as a playmate so his happy “little dark elf” doesn't get lonely!? ...Are you sure he didn't say anything!? Anything at all!?”

“He seriously didn't mentioned you even once, Fiona!” stated Kianna as her face became concerned “And as for what he's planning... I guess we'll just have to ask him?”

“What!? No! Are you crazy!? We can't just ask him that!” exclaimed Fiona as she looked back into her pillow and grimaced “No! No, I don't even want to bring it up!”

“Why not?” questioned Kianna as she furrowed her brow “What are you so worried about?”

Fiona's eyes tightened into a tired looking glare as she glanced back at her sister.

“In case you haven't noticed! Oh, dearest sister!” she muttered through her teeth “I'm not exactly your new fuck buddy's favorite person! He might be all kind and gentle to you! But it's not the same with me! In case you forgot, I'm the one whose gonna get my teeth ripped out! So I really don't want to push anything right now! Okay! I'll just be quiet... and maybe he'll just ignore me...”

Kianna was still for a moment as she mulled over what her sister had just said.

“...First of all!” she began as she tightened her eyes into her own glare “You just being “quiet” is never gonna happen! So you can just forget that idea! And secondly! He's only ever been mean to you whenever you start acting like a bitch! He never said that he didn't like you! If fact, all he said was that he didn't want you to bite him! Which that should be pretty simple for you not to do Fiona! ...And he didn't even make it so you can't do it! I really don't think he wants to control you. Not like how you think he does at least.”

“Oh please! How can you be so stupid!?” exclaimed Fiona as she rolled her eyes “He's setting me up! He's giving out orders and making rules so that when I break them or fuck up he can say he's justified in punishing me! Which is what he really wants! He wants to make me suffer! That's all he really wants to do! But he doesn't want you to think he's a monster for it! So he's going to make it look like it's my fault! This is so obvious! How can you not get it!?”

“...Yeah, right...” drawled Kianna as she stared at her sister for a moment “Or! He just really doesn't want you to bite him! ...Which, I'm actually kinda starting to think he might have a thing about being bitten? ...Anyways, like I said, not biting him should be a pretty easy thing for you not to do! ...Right!?”

Fiona went to speak but stopped short as the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway caused her to go silent. Both of the dark elves turned their heads and trained their ears towards the door as the footsteps came to a stop just in front of it.

“Girls?” called Anton as he tapped on the door with his knuckles “Are you awake? ...Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

The dark elves both remained silent as they looked at each other and then back at the door.

“...Hello?” questioned Anton as he tapped on the door again and waited for a response “Are you two awake in there?”

Again the dark elves remained silent as they stared at the door.

“...Alright you little brats! I cleaned those long ears of yours out myself! So I know you two can hear me!” declared Anton as he folded his arms over his chest “But if you'd rather not answer and just stay silent from now on then I can help make that a lot easier for you! A few of your own gags should do the trick!”

Kianna's eyes went wide as she sat up on her elbow.

“We're awake! We're coming!” she cried as she pointed her ears straight upwards “We'll be down in a minute!”

“Wonderful!” quipped Anton as he moved away from the door “That's all I needed to hear!”

Smiling sheepishly, Kianna listened to him make his way back down the hall before turning to the side and shifting her legs off the edge of the bed.

“See! What did I just say!” exclaimed Fiona in a hushed whisper as she glared at the door “I told you this would happen!”

“Huh?” questioned Kianna as she stood up and gave her a perplexed look “What!? What are you talking about!?”

“I'm talking about him trying to punish us!” exclaimed Fiona as she slid off her side of the bed “You heard him! He just said he's going to gag us!”

Kianna stared at her for a moment before slumping her shoulders with an exasperated sigh.

“Whatever, Fiona...” she mumbled as she slipped on a bathrobe and headed for the door.

The dark elves entered the kitchen just as Anton was coming back inside through the far door that lead to the backyard. At his heels was Molly. The little dog gave the dark elves a passing glance as she followed close behind Anton and otherwise ignored them.

In his hands Anton carried a metal baking tray that held a pile of grilled chicken pieces and the metallic tongs used to take said chicken off the grill.

“Well look who to decided to join me!” mocked Anton as he set the tray of chicken down on a waiting potholder that had already been placed on the table “It must be my lucky day!”

The two dark elves barely even registered that he had spoken as they both became fixated on the pile of freshly grilled chicken.

Without waiting for a response from them, Anton made his way back across the kitchen and stopped in front of the oven. Donning a pair of oven mitts, he opened the oven and pulled out two glass casserole dishes before closing the oven with his foot. Carrying a dish in each hand he quickly made his way back to the table and set them each down on a waiting potholder.

Drawn forward by the aroma of the still steaming food, the dark elves both approached the already set table and stared in silence as Anton set a plate of rolls and a dish of butter down among the other waiting items.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” said Anton as he made his way to the fridge and returned with a pitcher of ice tea “Take you seats!”

The two dark elves quickly came to their senses and took their places at the table across from Anton.

“...So, how's it look?” grinned Anton as he took his seat and watched the dark elves eyes dart back and forth as they looked over the spread before them “Good enough to eat?”

“...What are these!?” questioned Kianna as she and Fiona both sniffed at the two casserole dishes.

“Well, the white pasta one is a Penne noodle bake with a cheesy Alfredo sauce...” explained Anton as he pointed to one of the dishes and then the other “And this one is a green bean and corn casserole, topped with onion crisps. ...Actually, I forgot to ask. Can dark elves eat onions?”

“Uh, yeah! We can!” answered Kianna as she leaned over towards the casserole and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner “Why wouldn't we be able to!?”

“No specific reason necessarily.” answered Anton as he picked up his plate, and taking up a large serving spoon, gave himself a generous helping of the pasta bake “Not every species can eat them though. And I wasn't sure if dark elves could or not.”

“Oh, yeah, we can...” mumbled Kianna as she watched him pick up another spoon and scoop out a serving of the casserole “We've never had this before though... It looks kinda weird!”

“It does. But it's good.” said Anton as he set his plate down and using the tongs gave himself two of the grilled chicken quarters “I want you both to at least try it. I think you'll be surprised with it.”

The dark elves both glanced at each other before quickly serving themselves helpings of each dish and then taking a piece of chicken each.

Anton kept a pointed eye on the dark elves as he poured himself a glass of tea. He grinned as he watched Kianna use the very tip of her tongue to taste the casserole before taking a full bite.

“...Hm! This isn't bad!” she exclaimed as she chewed up the small mouthful “I like the pasta better, but this is good too!”

“Good to hear!” chuckled Anton as he took a sip of his drink.

Fiona had been watching her sister's taste test as well and with a look of suspicion still on her face she eyed her own serving of the casserole. Taking up a small amount on her fork, she took a tentative bite and began to chew it slowly.

Anton couldn't help but to chuckle softly as the dark elf's eyes went wide and before she even finished with the bite she was eating she reached out to put another scoop of it on her plate.

“This is good!” exclaimed Fiona as she ate another mouthful “Did Snotty make this!?”

“...Who?” asked Anton as he creased his eyebrows in question “Who's Snotty?”

“Oh crap!” cried Kianna as she swiveled her head towards the refrigerator and went to rise from her seat “She's still in the freezer!”

“Ugh! Just leave that bitch in there!” exclaimed Fiona as she reached for the plate of rolls and the butter “Seriously! She's the last person I want to deal with right now!”

“Wait, are you talking about Salia?” asked Anton as he looked from one dark elf to another “The shoggoth you had in the freezer?”

“...Yeah!” exclaimed Kianna as she slowly sat back down “Did you meet her already!?”

“I did.” nodded Anton as he took the butter after Fiona was finished with it “I found her the first day I was here.”

“Oh! Okay...” said Kianna as she looked around the kitchen “Where is she then? ...Did you put her back in there?”

“No, she's gone.” said Anton as he spread a thin layer of butter across his roll “I guess you could say she quit.”

“What!?” exclaimed Fiona “That bitch actually quit!?”

“She's gone!?” cried Kianna at the same time “Where did she go!?”

“Yes, she quit.” said Anton as he nodded to Fiona and then turned to Kianna “She's gone back to her actual Master. So I suppose she went to wherever he is.”

“What the Hell!?” cried Fiona.

“Wait!? Who let her quit!?” exclaimed Kianna as she turned from Anton to her sister and back “What happened!?”

“I did.” said Anton as he gathered up a forkful of pasta “Once I let her out of that jar, and she thawed out a bit. We had a conversation about you two while she cracked your laptops for me. Then she made me a sandwich, and after that she left.”

The two dark elves looked at each other before looking back at Anton.

“So wait just a second!” exclaimed Fiona “You're saying she didn't even wonder who you were!? Or why you were here!? She just immediately started to help you rob us!?”

“Didn't she even ask where we were!?” asked Kianna “And why did you let her quit!?”

“Slow down! One at a time!” said Anton as he turned to Fiona “I told her who I was and that I was here because you two kidnapped me as soon as I opened the jar. She never had any issue with helping me, and yes, she did help me to “rob” you.”

Fiona's mouth hung open as Anton turned to Kianna.

“She knew where you were, she saw you while you were locked up in the basement.” explained Anton as he took another quick bite “I let her quit because she asked if she could. And I said yes, because I really didn't need her here.”

“Are you serious!?” cried Fiona as her irises began to glow red with anger “That traitorous bitch really saw us being tortured down there and didn't even try to help us!? She seriously just took off and left us behind!?”

“Mm hm.” nodded Anton as he finished chewing a bite of casserole “Yeah, it doesn't sound like you 3 got along very well. At all!”

“No, not really!” declared Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and stared down at her plate.

“That fucking snot monster!” raged Fiona as she balled her hands into fists “I hate that bitch so much!”

“...Hm.” mused Anton as he continued to casually eat while assessing the two clearly irritated dark elves “So, why exactly didn't you guys get along?”

“Because that fucking snot ball is a bitch!” declared Fiona as she looked off to the side and fumed “And she doesn't know how to mind her own business!”

Kianna gave her sister a sideways glance before shifting her eyes to Anton.

“She was... kinda condescending.” she explained with a grimace “And it got old, really quick...”

“Kinda condescending!?” exclaimed Fiona as she turned to Kianna and gave her an exasperated look “That bitch was the most passive aggressive cunt in all of creation! We couldn't even go 2 minutes without getting some kind of bullshit snide remark out of her!”

“Snide remark?” questioned Anton as he pulled apart a piece of chicken “What would she say?”

“She, would just say things, like in passing. Mostly about how it's such a shame that two pretty girls like us didn't have any men in our lives. And that maybe we should try a little harder to find ourselves some good men. She would also talk about how dull things were without a man around. And how it was just so much more fulfilling to cook a meal for a man than it was for silly little girls... She always called us girls, and she made it sound like we were stupid...” explained Kianna as her face became more and more annoyed looking “She would also talk about how amazing her Master was. And how he was such an incredible man... Though after a while you could tell just by the things she said about him that he was kind of a total jerk to her... And I really don't think she realized that.”

“She didn't! He was! And she deserved it!” declared Fiona as she aggressively pulled apart her own piece of chicken “That monster belongs in a bottle! Her mouth, or mouths, or whatever the Hell they were! Weren't even the worst part about her though! The worst part was that the creepy bitch would follow you around everywhere you went and she would spy on you all the time! Even when you were sleeping! Do you have any idea how fucked up it is to wake up in the middle of the night and see a tiny glowing eyeball floating in the corner of your room and just staring straight at you! And then if you called her out on it she would just stare at you with those weird, freaky eyes of hers! And I swear! Whenever she looked at you and smiled, it always felt like she wanted to eat you! Or, dissolve you, or absorb you! Or however those slimy things do it! You know what I mean though!”

“...Yeah.” nodded Anton as he absently gathered a bit of casserole onto his fork “I've got a pretty good idea of what you mean.”

“She said she was just trying to learn more about us so that she could serve us better.” mumbled Kianna as she shook her head “But I think she was just a creepy person.”

“Voidlings are generally a little... off...” mused Anton as he took a sip of his tea and turned to Fiona “Since she kept talking about you needing to find a man. I'm going to guess that you never told her that you're a lesbian?”

The dark elf looked off to the side and pressed her lips into an angry, thin line as Anton took another drink.

“I did tell her! All the time! Over and over again!” growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and scowled “That dumb bitch kept saying that I just haven't met the right man yet! And that I shouldn't worry about it because when I did, I would come to my senses and finally understand what it means to be a woman!”

Anton clamped his hand over his mouth and held in his laughter so as not to spit out his drink. Turning away from the dark elves he recomposed himself before looking back at Fiona.

“Okay, that completely justifies your hatred then!” he exclaimed around a barely controlled chuckle “Wow, you've got to be pretty bold to be that condescending to a dark elf! ...I'm actually a little impressed!”

“She was a bitch! Plain and simple!” growled Fiona as she shifted her eyes to Anton “...I doubt she was that way to you though! I bet she just loved serving you since your such a man and all! I'm sure she couldn't wait to make you a sandwich! She was probably a total sweetheart to you! Wasn't she!?”

“Mm, well...” mused Anton as he swayed his head back and forth in a thoughtful manner “More or less... I don't think I'd go as far as to call her a “sweetheart” necessarily... Then again, I have met some Voidlings that were not nearly as polite as she was...”

“I can't believe she's actually gone now!” mumbled Kianna as she followed along with everyone else and pulled her chicken quarter apart “I mean, I'm kinda happy she's gone! But still its... Wait, if she's gone!? Then who made all this food!?”

“...Uh, who do you think made it!?” quipped Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her “I did!”

“You made all this!?” cried Kianna as she looked from one dish of food to another “Really!?”

“Mm hm.” mumbled Anton around a mouthful of food.

“But it's good!” exclaimed Kianna as she stared down at her plate “It's really good!”

“...Thank you?” offered Anton with a smile “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Oh! I'm not, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that!” stammered Kianna as she looked from her plate to him and back “I, just didn't know you could cook!”

“Well, all this is mostly just following recipes.” mumbled Anton as he gave himself another scoop of pasta “I am glad you like it though!”

“Yeah! It's really good!” exclaimed Kianna as she reached for the plate of rolls and butter “So are you going to be cooking all the time now!?”

“...Mm, every once and a while I'm sure I will. When I feel like it...” said Anton as he grinned down at his plate “But no, I don't plan to be cooking all the time though.”

“Oh, okay...” said Kianna as her face showed a lace of disappointment “So are you gonna get a new maid then?”

“Oh no!” declared Anton as he raised his eyes to meet hers “Why would I do that!?”

“Um... Because, we need somebody to cook! Right!? And clean!?” exclaimed the suddenly confused dark elf “...Don't we!?”

“Well, things do need to be clean, and we will need to eat. So yes, I guess we will need somebody to be in charge of all of that.” said Anton as he gave her a broad grin “But I don't think I necessarily need to get anybody new for the job. Especially since I already have somebody in mind who I think would make a pretty good candidate for it...”

Fiona grimaced and swallowed a lump in her throat as she slowly looked up at Anton. She was a little surprised, and then relived, to find that he was still staring at Kianna with a knowing grin on his face and a playful glint in his eyes. With understanding instantly taking shape in her own eyes, Fiona turned to face Kianna as well and mimicked Anton by giving her dubious sister a wide, wicked looking smile.

“Oh, okay! That's good!” nodded Kianna as her face became relieved “So, who do you have in mind then? It's not gonna be another Voidling, right!? Or anybody else whose weird, is it!?”

“Well, she is a little odd. But despite that, I think she's still perfect for the job.” said Anton as he set his elbow on the table and rested his cheek against his closed fist while his grin grew into a thin smile “You see, she's a very, very caring person. And even though she may have never done a job like this. I think she's someone who will definitely do her absolute best! And I think her best, will be more than enough...”

Kianna stared at him for a moment before a hint of nervousness began to take shape across her face.

“...Why are you staring at me like that?” she mumbled as she quickly glanced at her sister “Wha!”

Kianna did a double take as she found Fiona was smiling evilly at her as well. The still confused dark elf looked back and forth between Anton and her sister as she slowly eased herself back against her chair and laid her ears down submissively behind her head.

“...Wait?” she whimpered quietly as her eyes went wide “Do you mean me!?”

“Such a clever little dark elf!” smiled Anton “I just know you won't let me down!”

“But, wait!?” cried Kianna as her eyes darted back and forth between the two smiling faces “Why is it me!?”

“Because you're a slave girl now sweety!” sang Fiona as her eyes became mocking “And slave girls always do all the chores for, and take care of their beloved Masters!”

“Wha, well wait a minute! You're a slave too though!” cried Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at her smiling sister “So why do I have to do all the chores and you don't!?”

“Well, I'm not really a slave girl, not like you are anyway! I'm more like... I'm like a prisoner!” explained Fiona as she tilted her head one way and then the other “And besides! I would think you'd want this job all to yourself! After all! You were just talking about how he takes care of you! Right!? So don't you wanna be the one who takes care of him too!? Huh!? Isn't he your beloved Master!? Hm!? And just like he takes care of you! Don't you wanna be his cute little maid who does her best and works her hardest to take care of him by keeping his home clean and pretty!? And don't you wanna make him happy by making healthy, delicious meals for him to eat everyday!? ...Well!? Don't you!?”

Kianna was completely still and silent as she stared at her sister. After several moments, she slowly shifted her eyes to Anton's.

Anton raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner as he smiled back at her.

Kianna's eyes instantly became misty with light tears as she laid her ears back down submissively behind her head and hunched in on herself.

“Well now I do!” she whined miserably as she dropped her eyes to her plate and began to sniffle “But I don't know how to cook good food!”

“Aw! You poor little thing!” smiled Anton as Kianna covered her face with her hands and began to sob “Fiona! Stop making your sister cry!”

“Ah, wha, wait! I didn't mean to!” exclaimed Fiona as she lowered her ears and hunched in on herself while looking back and forth between them “I wasn't trying to make her cry! Seriously!”

“Yeah, I know, it's fine.” said Anton as he gave her a pointed look “Nice manipulation by the way!”

Fiona grimaced in uncertainty and looked off to the side as she tried to distance herself from the situation.

“I'm sorry!” whined Kianna as she rubbed her eyes in an effort to clear away her tears “I wanna take care of you! B-but I don't know how to make food like this!”

“Oh, that's not a problem Kianna.” soothed Anton as he shook his head “Basic cooking skills aren't too hard to learn at all. And I can show you how it's done.”

“...You can?” questioned Kianna as she looked at him and then down at the food in front of her “But what if I mess it up!?”

“Then you'll just mess it up, and we'll try again! It's no big deal!” chuckled Anton “But I think you'll be alright. We'll start out with some easy stuff, and we can stick with that until you're comfortable and you feel like you've gotten the hang of it before we try anything too complicated. How does that sound?”

Kianna shifted her jaw back and forth as she bit her lower lip and stared at her plate.

“...Okay, that sounds good.” she declared quietly as she looked up at him “But go slow, okay! ...I really don't want to mess anything up!”

Anton chuckled again as he nodded in agreement.

“Alright, we'll take it as slow as we need to.” he assured her as he shifted his focus back to his own food “We've got all the time in the world anyway, so there's no reason to rush! This will be fun! You'll see! Plus, I think a little responsibility will do you some good!”

“...Responsibility?” questioned Kianna “What do you mean? Why would that be good for me?”

“Because being responsible for something is a good way to help someone grow as a person, and I think that a bit of growth is just what you need.” explained Anton “Learning how to take care of yourself, your home and even the people around you may sound like it's a trivial thing at first, but it's a good way to instill a sense of pride, achievement and confidence. Knowing that you can do something, even if it's something small like cooking yourself a meal, will still make you a stronger person. Because you will know you can do it.”

Anton raised his head and waved his hand over the food spread across the table.

“I made this meal. And it's good. I knew it would be. And before I even started making it I knew I could do it. And I know I can make all of this again, as many times as I want to. This is something I know I can do.” he declared as he locked eyes with Kianna “...What can you do?”

The dark elf stared back at him for a moment before dropping her eyes to her plate.

“...Nothing.” she whispered as she hunched in on herself “I don't, really know how to do anything...”

“And does saying that make you happy?” asked Anton as he folded his arms on the table in front of himself and leaned forward “Or is that something about yourself that you'd like to change?”

“No! I don't like saying it!” exclaimed Kianna as she raised her eyes and then lowered them back to her plate “...I definitely want to change it!”

“Good!” nodded Anton as leaned back, took up his fork and gathered up a bite of casserole “Then that's what we'll do!”

Kianna was still for a moment before she lifted her eyes back up to him.

“...Thank you.” she whispered softly “I promise, I'll do my best!”

“Good, you're welcome and I know you will!” chuckled Anton after having swallowed a mouthful of food “I do have a question for you though, it's something that I've been wondering about you for a little bit now.”

“About me!?” exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards “What do you want to know about me!?”

“Well, I want to know what you want?” said Anton as he planted his elbows on the table and rested his chin on the bridge made from his clasped hands “And by that I mean, I want to know what you want out of life”

“Um, what?” questioned Kianna as she blinked in confusion “What do you mean?”

“I mean just what I asked. What do you want out of life?” answered Anton as he reached out to his side and picked up his glass “What do you want to do with yourself? What are your dreams and goals? ...Basically, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Kianna was silent as she watched him take a sip from his glass.

“Well?” asked Anton as he set his drink down and rested his chin back onto his hands.

“...I don't really know.” said Kianna as she looked down and lowered her ears “I know what you mean! Like what you're asking is what kind of job do I want, or if I want to be an artist or something like that... Right?”

“More or less.” said Anton with a shrug “Do you not have anything that interests you?”

“Not really...” mumbled Kianna as she shook her head “I looked into a few different things when I was in college, but the more I'd think about something... it was, nothing really felt right. Like, back then, I just couldn't really see myself as anything, or with anything! Like, with a business, or as a lawyer... I don't know, I just didn't really like those ideas after I thought about them more. So, no, there was never really anything I wanted... Before...”

Anton arched an eyebrow as he watched the dark elf look off to the side and nervously bite her lower lip while she reached up and touched the blood gem on her collar.

“Before?” he repeated as he tilted his head to the side “Did that change?”

Kianna looked at him and then down at her plate as a light blush spread across her face.

“Yeah, kinda!” she mumbled as she shifted her shoulders back and forth “...Cause now I really want to learn how to cook some food! ...So I can see you eat it!”

Anton pressed his forehead against his closed fists as he began to chuckle uncontrollably.

“Well!” he said after recomposing himself “That should be a pretty easy goal to complete! And one that I can promise we'll definitely get done! No matter what it takes!”

“...Really!?” implored Kianna as she lifted her eyes to his and grinned “Is that really a promise!?”

“Sure, its a promise!” smiled Anton as he rested his chin back on his clasped hands “And I don't care if we have to go through a hundred ruined meals to get there! It'll all be worth it when I get to eat something that you've made!”

“Hey! I'm not gonna ruin a hundred meals!” stated Kianna before looking off to the side and lowering her voice “...Just maybe one or two!”

“That's the spirit!” laughed Anton “Confident, but realistic! I like that! We'll go ahead and get started right away with some simple stuff... Like, for example, I noticed you've got a few boxes of macaroni and cheese in the pantry. That's something that's simple enough to make, but is still a good introduction to cooking as a whole. So I think we'll start with that. How does that sound?”

“Okay! That sounds good to me!” declared Kianna as she smiled at him.

Anton grinned back and nodded before going still as he watched the dark elf look back down at her plate for a moment before starting to eat again.

“...And what about you?” he asked as his eyes drifted over to Fiona “Aside from murdering me in my sleep. What is it that you want?”

Fiona had been in the process of devouring her food but upon registering that she was being spoken to her eyes widened and immediately darted to Anton's.

“...Me!?” she questioned as she looked from him to her sister and back “Nothing! I'm good!”

Anton narrowed his eyes as he let loose a heavy, frustrated sigh through his nose.

“You really need to stop trying to lie to me Fiona!” he declared as his narrowed eyes evolved into a full glare “You are not very good at it!”

Fiona's eyes continued to jump back and forth between him and her sister as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

“I, um!” she stammered as she looked down at her plate “...I don't want to answer that question! You said you were fine with that as an answer, right!? Well! That's my answer then! I don't want to answer!”

Anton was silent for a moment as he seemed to assess her.

“...Alright.” he mumbled as he cocked an eyebrow “Can I at least ask why, you don't want to give an actual answer?”

“...Huh?” questioned Fiona as she glanced at him and then back down at her plate “What do you mean!?”

“I mean, why don't you want to give me an answer?” repeated Anton “Is it because you think that what you want is inappropriate? Or is it illegal? Or embarrassing? ...Or is it something else?”

Both Anton and Kianna went still as they watched Fiona fidget uncomfortably.

“It's not, illegal...” began Fiona as she closed her eyes and seemed to deflate “I just don't want to talk about it... So, please, just, leave me alone! Please!”

Kianna's face softened and became sympathetic looking as she let her eyes drift away from her sister. Anton's however, hardened in unabashed irritation.

“I swear, Fiona! You are so difficult in the most ridiculous of ways!” he declared as the dark elf hunched her shoulders and looked away from him “I don't even know what to do with someone who is as frustrating as you are!”

Fiona's face scrunched up before going soft as she let out a silent breath.

“I'm sorry...” she breathed quietly “But what I want isn't going to happen anymore... So there's no point in even talking about it...”

“...I see, hm.” mused Anton as he looked away from her “Well, this is actually pretty disappointing. I was expecting you to be much more interesting than this. But it looks like I was wrong.”

Fiona wore a miserable looking grimace on her face as she let her head dip down even further.

“I'm sorry...” she whispered while tightening her hunched shoulders.

Anton nodded slowly as he looked back down at his plate and began to finish off the last of his meal.

The table went silent for several minutes until Kianna raised her eyes and gazed at Anton.

“Master?” she said as her ears rose and fell in a slow, nervous manner “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.” said Anton as his eyes met hers “Ask away!”

“...What are you going to do with Fiona?” asked Kianna in an almost emotionless tone.

Fiona's eyes went wide as her head shot upwards, she quickly turned to her sister before locking on to Anton.

Anton nodded slowly as he closed his eyes and cradled his chin in his hand.

“That, is an interesting question...” he sighed as he looked back at the dark elf in front of him “Before I give you an answer though. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Uh, no!” said Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards “You can ask me anything!”

“Alright, well then... If you were me...” said Anton as he let his eyes shift to Fiona and become locked with hers “What would you do with her?”

Fiona's breath became trapped in her throat as she stared back at Anton. Her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as they became alert to what her sister was about to say.

“I, I would! ...I don't know?” stammered Kianna “I mean! Obviously, I would just keep her around!”

“Why?” asked Anton as he shifted his attention back to her.

“...Uh!?” chirped Kianna as she suddenly found herself under scrutiny “...What!?”

“Why would you keep her?” questioned Anton as his face remained stoic “What is she good for?”

“...What, what do you mean!?” asked Kianna as her voice became laced with a thread of uncertainty.

Anton was silent for a short moment before he continued.

“She is aggressive, conniving, unruly, disobedient, mouthy, and to top it all off, she is a liar.” he said as he stared into Kianna's eyes “She is a selfish, thieving, hateful, greedy being who is also dangerous. As she has made it abundantly clear that she is seeking vengeance against me. And if she were able to, I'm sure that she would indeed take my life.”

Both of the dark elves remained completely still and silent as they listened to him speak.

“And yet, despite all those negative traits, she is apparently quite fragile. Since as I've seen so far, dark elves like her appear to be prone to episodes of panic when bound in certain ways. This is an unsettling unknown that can make punishing her very touch and go. As I now have no idea as to just how stable her psyche actually is. I could potentially damage her permanently without even realizing it. This certainly takes away from her appeal as a trainable slave, if as a dark elf she can even be trained at all. On top of this she also displays an ingrained phobia that makes her all but useless for sexual pleasure. So with all this against her, what is she good for?”

Kianna was still and silent as she stared back into his unblinking eyes.

“...She can't be used as a sex slave. She doesn't know how to use any of her powers or abilities, in fact she doesn't even know if she can even use them at all. So not only is she useless as a bodyguard or guardian, she isn't even loyal enough to be trusted with such a position. She would make a poor servant at best, and her attitude and unwillingness to please would make her a terrible steward or hostess. She apparently has no ambitions of her own, or at least not any that she's willing to share. So she has no depth or interest factor. And beyond tormenting her, there is nothing about her to make her entertaining or appealing in any way.” explained Anton in a dry and straight forward tone “So, why would you ever want to keep her?”

Kianna's eyes began to go misty as she blinked and looked down at her plate.

The room went quiet for a moment before Anton spoke again.

“...And there is actually another factor to consider as well.” he said as he shifted his gaze back to Fiona “...Her immense value.”

Fiona's eyes widened even further as Kianna's head shot back up.

“She is one of only two captive dark elves in all of existence. And once she is fully registered, this fact alone will give her an immediate high market value. Then there is the fact that not only is she a female, but she's a gorgeous one. And since she is naturally appalled by men,” said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at Fiona “I suspect that she is also technically a virgin. At least in the sense of having been with a man... Which means that she'll likely sell at literally any price you might ask for.”

Fiona's face paled as an expression of stark horror marred her features.

“So taking all of that into consideration.” said Anton as he turned back to Kianna “Why in the world, would you ever keep her?”

Kianna was trembling as she stared wide eyed right back at him. Struggling to keep herself from hyperventilating in panic, she lowered her ears submissively as she fought to control the tears that were forming in her eyes.

“Please!” she begged through her clenched teeth “Please don't do it! She's my sister! Please!”

“She has betrayed you in more ways than one.” said Anton in the same dry tone “She's stolen from you. Left you to suffer. Convinced you to become a criminal, and is ultimately responsible for your enslavement. She may be your sister but she isn't mine. And I asked you to give me a reason to keep her as if you were me. So, give me a reason, Kianna. If you were me, why would you ever keep her?”

Kianna opened and closed her mouth several times as she went to speak. Turning to Fiona, she sobbed loudly as a look of painful sorrow spread across her face.

“...Give me a reason, Kianna” said Anton in a soft, quiet tone “Any reason.”

“Please!” cried Kianna as she slammed her fists down on either side of her plate and hung her head over the table “I'll do anything! Just don't do this! Please don't do this!”

“...Just give me a reason.” repeated Anton calmly “Why would you keep her?”

Kianna sniveled quietly as she slumped over the table and slowly shook her head.

“...I can't!” she whispered miserably “...There is no reason! ...I'm sorry, Fiona! I'm sorry!”

Fiona's eyes had gone distant as she sat breathless and completely motionless.

Anton was silent as he watched Kianna break down in front of him.

“Do you see this, Fiona? Do you see all the pain that you cause her?” he asked as he turned to face her “The suffering that she's going through right now is all because of you. Its because of all the poor decisions that you make, and the terrible person that you choose to be.”

Fiona laid her ears back submissively as she blinked and met his eyes.

“She loves you more than anyone else in this entire world... And yet, she still can't give me a single reason why I should keep you...” continued Anton as he gave the dark elf a disapproving glare “That is your fault, Fiona. And I want you to understand that.”

Fiona was still for a moment before her eyes shifted to her sister and then fell to the table in front of her.

With a sigh, Anton shifted his attention back to Kianna and gave the sobbing dark elf a thin smile.

“Alright, that's enough now, Kianna.” he soothed as he let his aura spread outwards and fill the area with a calming essence “I only asked you for a reason why I should keep your sister. I never said that I wasn't going to. So you have no reason to be crying like this.”

“What!?” exclaimed Kianna as her head shot up and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards “You're not gonna get rid of her!?”

“Of course not.” said Anton as he folded his arms on the table in front of himself “I never said I was going to.”

“...But!? But you!?” stammered Kianna as she blinked the tears from her eyes “You just asked why you should keep her!?”

“Mm hm, yes, I did ask you for a reason why I should keep her.” agreed Anton “But that's all I said. I never told you that I wasn't going to keep her.”

Kianna was silent for a moment as she slowly got her breathing under control.

“But... you just! All those things!” she stammered as she shook her head in confusion “All those things you just said! You said you needed a reason to keep her!”

“No. Again, I only asked you to give me a reason why I should keep her.” said Anton as he shook his head “I never said that I needed one, or that I didn't already have one.”

“Wha, well then what's your reason!” exclaimed Kianna.

“The same reason I do anything really.” said Anton as he shifted his gaze to Fiona “Because I want to.”

Fiona tightened her flattened ears together behind her head and hunched herself further down as Anton grinned at her.

“She is an absolutely terrible person. But I'm going to keep her around anyway.” said Anton as he turned back to Kianna “I want to, and that really is the only reason I need.”

Kianna was completely still as she stared back at him.

“...You're so mean!” she whined as she hung her head and let her ears hang limp “You're so mean!”

“I know, and I'm sorry!” chuckled Anton “But all of this was for a good reason, Kianna, it really was!”

“What good reason!?” cried Kianna as she brought her head back up and pointed her ears straight upwards “All this! This! Why!? Why did you say all those things! And make it seem like you were gonna get rid of her! ...That was so messed up, and really scary!”

“I know, I know! And I am sorry that I worried you! I really am!” said Anton as he nodded apologetically “But this was all very important!”

“Why!?” questioned Kianna as her eyes became probing.

“Because, everything I said about Fiona was true.” explained Anton as he looked back at the second dark elf “And I wanted her to see that truth. And to fully understand it.”

Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat as Anton's eyes bore into her own.

“So, in regards to your question of “What am I going to do with her?” the answer is simple.” said Anton as he turned back to Kianna “I'm going to make her face the consequences of all of her actions. And I'm going to treat her in the ways that I think she deserves to be treated.”

Kianna was still for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

“...Okay.” she mumbled while still nodding slowly “...But you're seriously not going to get rid of her though? Right!?”

“No.” answered Anton “Not unless she gives me a good reason to at least.”

“Oh thank the Gods!” exclaimed Kianna as she fell into the backrest of her chair “Thank you, thank you so much!”

“No... no, rather than get rid of her. I'm going to have some fun with her instead.” mused Anton as he looked back at Fiona and smiled at the nervous dark elf “And now, whenever she finds herself being mistreated, teased, tormented or even bullied. She'll understand why.”

Fiona gulped again and tightened her ears together behind her head.

“...Yeah, that actually sounds good!” mumbled Kianna as closed her eyes and plopped her head back against her chairs headrest “She really is a total bitch. And she does completely deserves all that!”

“Oh, well! I'm glad you agree!” smiled Anton as Fiona whimpered miserably “Very glad indeed!”

Kianna let loose a heavy sigh as she let her head roll forward and looked down at her half eaten meal.

“This has been such a long day!” she complained as she took up her fork and began to finish off her food “It feels like it's already been almost a year, or even more!”

“It does, doesn't it!?” chuckled Anton as he followed her lead and began to eat away at his second piece of chicken.

The table went quiet for some time as both Anton and Kianna continued to eat while Fiona, having completely lost her appetite, merely stared down at her plate in silence.

“Well, ladies!” said Anton as he set his empty glass down and went to rise from his chair “I cooked! So I think it's only fair for you two to put away the leftovers, and clean up this mess!”

“Uh... okay!” exclaimed Kianna as she looked down at the food still spread across the table “Um, how do we? ...What do we do? With everything?”

Anton began to chuckle as he stood up and stretched while rolling his head along his shoulders.

“There are storage bowls with lids in that far cabinet over there.” he explained as he pointed across the kitchen “Put each of the different foods in their own bowl and then set them in the fridge. There's enough here for lunch tomorrow so that works out perfectly. When you're finished with that just wash all the dishes and set them out to dry. Then you're done for the night!”

“...Okay! That sounds easy enough!” said Kianna as she looked back and forth around the kitchen before looking back up at him “...What are you gonna do now?”

“I've still got a few things to unpack and set up in my room.” explained Anton “So I'm going to go try and knock that out before it gets too late. If you need me for anything, I'll be upstairs.”

“Okay!” said Kianna as she eagerly got up from her seat and eyed everything on the table “I think I've got this though!”

“Oh, I have faith that you do!” teased Anton as he refilled his glass with tea “I know you'll show these dishes whose in charge around here!”

Kianna made a triumphant fist as she smiled threateningly down at the dishes on the table. Anton chuckled again as he turned to leave the room. He stopped just in front of Fiona as he took a small sip from his drink.

“Everything that was said about you tonight is true, Fiona. I really do have every reason in the world to get rid of you.” said Anton as he stared forward through the archway that lead out from the kitchen “I highly suggest that you make it your goal to change that.”

“...Okay.” whispered the cowering dark elf “...I will.”

“That's good to hear.” nodded Anton as he continued on his way out of the room “Goodnight then, Fiona.”

“...Goodnight.” whimpered Fiona as she clamped her eyes shut in a futile effort to hold back her tears.