The Viper

Valentine

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS:

drug use, alcohol use, physical and emotional abuse, human trafficking, mentions of harm by weapons, implied sexual assault, kidnapping.

Back at Valeria's grand mansion, they make their way through the beautifully decorated corridors to her large library - which happened to be Valentines favorite room. Warming themselves by the crackling fire and clutching glasses filled with different alcoholic beverages, Valentine downs hers quickly - knowing she'd need it in order to get through what was about to happen.

Its a few moments before The Captain takes a seat on the leather loveseat across from her, right next to Gaz - who'd already been staring expectantly at her. Valeria sits in the large leather chair to Valentines right. Rudy and Alejandro perch on either the back or the large armrest of the chair, respectfully not looking at her.

Valentine finds herself between Soap and Ghosy, their warm bodies and cologne help her heart race stay as calm as possible. "You owe us a story, lassie." His warm hand reaches out, laying on her head comfortingly, his fingers curl and he begins to scratch her scalp. Her head lazily rolls back against this thick arm.

"Fill this and you'll get it." He smiles at her as she holds her now empty glass out to him.

"¿Estás segura, hermana?" Are you sure, sister? Valentine nods and a few moments later, Soap slides the full drink back in her hands.

"Its long, so get comfortable." She mutters into the glass before downing half in one gulp. The Captain makes a low grunting noise in his throat but it's faint. "Before I start, I just want to clarify that I didn't wake up one day thinking I'd become what I am, that I do what I do. I, like most in my field, was manipulated - forced - into the position I was given."

~

"C'mon Eve-" Valentine grips her little sisters arm, pulling the chubby five year old into their dingy bathroom. "It's wash day." Valentine uses her entire body to shove the door closed, it had been broken for a while now and it wasn't something she knew how to fix. With a small sigh, she pushes the too full laundry bin in front of it. He never came in here, but the lock had been broken for a few years now - and she didn't want to risk it.

"But I don't like the cold water-" Genevieve's fists rub her eyes hard with frustration. Her curly hair and big die eyes melted Valentines heart. It was times like this where she wished she were older so she could take better care of her. Valentine could hear the tears in her little sisters voice and she hushes her quickly, she couldn't let her throw one of her tantrums. If their father heard the noises, he'd punish them again.

"We'll use a cloth, okay? It will still be cold but you won't get as wet." Her sister hiccups but calms down - still sniffling as she undresses herself quickly. Valentine nods as she dips their last clean washcloth into the last bucket of clean water. She'd have to set it out to collect rain again. It was getting harder with the colder months approaching, but when it starts to snow she could just collect that instead.

By the time she's washed them and dressed them in somewhat clean clothes, they slowly approach the living room, backpacks on. Their father sat slumped in on the couch, white powder and jars of different substances littered their sticky old coffee table. Today was payday for lunch at school and she their father wouldn't have the money to give them. They'd be given the pb&j's by default - but Eve was allergic to peanuts.

She approaches her suspiciously still father slowly, preparing herself to be yelled at or smacked once she woke him. Just as she touches his shockingly cold body - the front door bursts open. Many large men - all dressed in black suits and shouting in a language she didn't know rush in. Eve yelps with surprise and runs to her sister, taking shelter behind her. Out of instinct, Valentine reaches one hand out to keep her sister behind her and the other grabs a used needle from the table, holding it like it were a knife. Slowly, she backs the two of them into the corner of the room. The men were fairly young as she counts six of them, their facial hair thin and bodies lean, they paid little attention to the two of them, looking at her father only.