everything i wanted- DNF Fanfiction

~ Black Mambo 2 ~

This chapter has several triggers such as
⚠️ Cutting, scarring, torture, drugs, psychological abuse, kidnapping ⚠️
If you do not wish to read it, I will provide a less detailed chapter summary at the end. I also recommend listening to the title song for the immersion.

Nick gasped, choking slightly on the cloth that was tied around his mouth. He looked around panically, groaning as he felt a hot spot on the back of his head. He hung his head down as he felt a river of blood run down the side of his neck. He looked around slowly, the ringing in his ears slowly subsiding.

Nick blinked several times, his eyes eventually adjusting and focusing on a modern record player. He saw a hand place a vinyl on the track, slowly lowering the needle. The track that was played was stringy and eerie. As it progressed, it felt like being high without the use of drugs. Nick looked up to see the stature of a man but his face was shadowed with darkness. All he could hear was quiet whistling to the song's tune.

"Slow down, it's a science." The man began to sing, walking towards Nick, "He's been waiting to bring you down. Snake-eyed, with a sly smile. He can hold you and shake you, child." Nick grunted, whining in confusion. The man pulled the cloth from his mouth, allowing Nick to breathe properly since his nose was clogged with blood.

"Hello Nick." The man's face came into light finally. "C-Clay? What..." Clay walked around to the back of the chair that Nick was sitting in. He whistled the tune of the song as it continued. Nick looked around frantically, "What is this? Some sort of sick joke?" Clay clicked his tongue several times, "Of course not." He pulled a small knife out of its sheath, studying it. Nick's breathing ceased for a moment.

"You know I took a picture that night. When you tried to sell George. I was initially going to show it to the police and with the nasty bruise that you gave him a couple days ago, it's perfect evidence to put you away for a little while. To make it to court, at least." Clay pressed his finger into the tip of his knife, drawing a pin-point of blood. Nick cringed but Clay seemed emotionless as he hummed the song.

"Slow down, it's a science." He repeated the verse quietly, "He's been waiting to bring you down." Clay pressed the point of the knife into Nick's forehead, dragging it down across the bridge of his nose. "Snake-eyed, with a sly smile." He continued to sing as Nick protested and struggled against his restraints, "He can hold you and shake you, child." Clay pulled the knife away from the shallow cut that ended at his jaw.

The cut copied the cracks of Clay's many vases that he repaired, going across the whole of Nick's face in a jagged diagonal. "I stopped a hobby of mine for a little while. It's called kintsukuroi, or kintsugi. It's a Japanese art form of repairing broken things with golden paint." He walked over to a table with a few paint brushes and a bottle of golden paint.

Clay picked up one of the brushes and the bottle, dipping the tip into the paint, "It's a metaphor for embracing one's flaws and imperfections. Isn't that neat?" He smiled as he traced the cut on Nick's forehead, making the brunet huff in pain. "My bad. The paint has acetone as well as several other chemicals that can burn an open wound." Nick groaned as he looked Clay in the eyes, "Fuck you."

Clay chuckled as he set his tools down for the knife again, "Courage won't do anything for you here, Nick. You can stare me down all you like but I won't stop. Not until I fix you. I can be obsessive like that." He cut another incision from the first, branching off down Nick's left cheek, "This one drew quite a bit more blood." Clay grabbed a paper towel and dabbed up some of the blood.

Nick spat in his face, gritting his teeth. Clay grabbed another paper towel and wiped the saliva off of his nose, "Well that was gross. Guess I had that coming, being so close to your face." Clay's smile suddenly dropped as he launched his hand at Nick's neck, choking him. He watched as Nick struggled to breathe and his face turned red.