Journey To Hellspost (TXT X READER)

22

The others had long since fallen asleep, but the rogue couldn't find herself having the same pleasure. The stubbornness of dwarves was not something she had expected to face that day. The dwarrowdam she had met had insisted on dressing her up in a plethora of dwarven gowns, insisting that she had to be stunning for dinner. She braided the rogues hair with precision and cinched her corset so tight that she wasn't even sure she could breathe anymore, let alone reach to untie it. While the others lie in comfort, she opted to stand by the window sill, her eyes stinging as she forced them to remain open.

"Do you not plan on sleeping?" Beomgyu asked, his voice raspy with the remnants of sleep.

"I do not think I could possibly sleep with comfort in my attire," she told him, turning to face him. He slept at the foot of the bed. HueningKai, Soobin, and Yeonjun all shared the bed and Taehyun lay by the fire place.

"Could I be of any assistance?" Beomgyu asked, rising to his feet.

"Is there any spare clothing in the wardrobe perchance?" She asked, her voice barely growing above a whisper.

"Let me check," he hummed, moving to the wardrobe that sat flush against the wall. It's doors opened without a single creak and it seemed bigger on the inside than it did the outside. There was a pair of dwarven robes on the inside, but they seemed too wide and short for the rogue. However, Beomgyu figured that they were better than her current attire, for sleeping in a ballgown could not be an easy task. He pulled them out and handed them to her.

"Could you possibly," she began before hesitating for a moment and shaking her head to end the question she had planned to ask. "Never mind."

"No, it's alright. Ask me what you wish," Beomgyu insisted.

"Could you possibly assist me in unlacing the corset?" She asked after a moments hesitation.

"Of course." He tried to hide how flustered the question made him.

She turned so her back was facing him and he made quick work of it, pulling at the end of the knot that bound her in the corset. She raised her hand to her chest, holding the top up as he looped his fingers through the tightened string, loosening it and allowing the rogue to breathe once again. Each time he reached for a new tight length of lace, his fingers brushed against her back with an intentional carefulness.

She nodded a quick thanks and disappeared behind a dressing screen. The clothes were nowhere near her size. The shirt swallowed her figure and the trousers stopped at her mid calf. The only evidence that remained of her previous attire was her hair, braided meticulously.

"Are you going to unbraid your hair?" Beomgyu asked.

The rogue bit the inside of her cheek. Her hair. Thinking about it again made her eyes sting with tears and she wanted to cry. She wasn't exactly sure if it made her feel better to have her hair braided in such a fashion. She only nodded, sitting on the floor and beginning to fumble with the braids.

"Let me," Beomgyu offered, placing his hands on hers, allowing them to fall to her sides. He gently undid the braids, combing his fingers through her hair, sure to untangle any strands without causing her pain.

She closed her eyes as Beomgyu's hands ran through her hair gently, afraid that if he broke off a single strand, the rest of it would break too. The gentle calm that had fallen over the two rocked her into a gentle sleep and her head lolled from side to side as she sat uncomfortably.

Beomgyu gently grabbed each of her shoulders and pulled her so that she lay down, allowing her to close her eyes and fall asleep. He observed her with a gentle smile as she peacefully slept, before he too, fell subject to the calm that lay over the room.

-

  Soobin had often travelled to the mountains north of Eboncross and he found himself enjoying the company he found there. He hadn't thought it possible, but he enjoyed the company even more in the mountains to the east. There was a careless happiness that rest upon them and as he walked through their market looking for a new trinket to keep, he couldn't help the smile that lifted the corners of his lips.

  (Y/N) had woken early and decided to go with him after having received a more suiting pair of clothing, a more casual dress with the hem undone.

  No matter where he looked, the dwarves smiled at him, a smile that was genuine. That is why he loved the dwarves. A close race of fun loving people. It was much better than either of the race he belonged to. Or perhaps he liked them because they accepted who he was without question. He enjoyed it.

  He and (Y/N) strolled in silence, side by side, eyeing the stalls with the trinkets they had to offer. Nothing had caught Soobin's eye yet. Well, it would be false to say that. Everything had caught his eye. He just couldn't decide what to take back to his home.

  "Soobin," the rogue started. "I think..." she paused for a moment, looking at him. "I think I would like to wear jewels in my ears too."

  Soobin's eyes widened in pure surprise. She had never mentioned it before, but he could tell that she was not one to easily scorn her heritage. He had seen her looking to the jewels in his ears, but he had never thought the look to be one of adoration.

  "Are you sure?" He asked, stunned.

  "They've already been pierced," she joked subtly in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Why not adorn them with something precious?"

"I did not think something like that would appeal to you," Soobin commented, still stunned.

"I am not one to indulge in purchasing precious items, but I have always had an interest in modifications," the rogue nodded. "When I was younger, I received a tattoo."

"What?!" Soobin blurted out. He was lucky that the marketplace was so lively or else he would've drawn the attention to himself in his surprise.

"Well, you see, I had nothing to carry with me throughout my life. I have been robbed of any childlike innocence I used to possess. I'm not sure how much longer my cloak will last either. I wanted something of permanence so I took some ink and a sewing needle and I gave myself a tattoo. It was quite excruciating, but I do not regret a single thing." As the rogue explained, she pulled down the collar of her shirt and angled her head to the right, exposing her collarbone for Soobin to see. Right over her heart were messily scribbled letters. It was obvious she had written them upside down. 'Alive', it spelled.

  She had found that word fitting. Not necessarily surviving, nor thriving. Simply alive. She needed nothing other than that.

Soobin wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed the slightly faded ink yet. It was easily visible and now that he'd seen it, he couldn't forget about the ink that permanently stained the rogues skin. He had seen much more extravagant tattoos on other people, drawn by some who have dedicated their life to their craft, but hers was obviously done in a desperate attempt to feel some sort of permanence.

  "If you do decide you wish to wear jewels like mine, I hope you'll allow me the privilege of giving you your first pair," he smiled, looking her in the eyes.

  If he had the financial means to allow her to do whatever she wished, he would have bought her the most precious jewels with the most lavish cuts, but he was in no position to do so. Soobin had never been materialistic, but in that moment he wished he had his coin pouch so he could purchase a small gem to adorn her precious ears as they healed.