Headache || Wriothesley

1

The fortress of Meropide was silent, save for the rhythmic click of Y/n's shoes echoing against the cold, gray floor. 

Y/n's gaze swept across her new surroundings, the cold, unyielding walls of the Fortress of Meropide closing in around her. This underwater prison, notorious in Fontaine and home to exiled criminals, was now her world.

At least for the time being, anyway.

She was sent here by the Iudex Neuvillette to work with Wriothesley, a man she'd never met and frankly, wasn't too keen on meeting.

Their mission? To stop a secret rebellion brewing in the prison. She had no idea why she agreed to it. Maybe it was the Iudex's hypnotic eyes, or maybe it was the fact that he had rubbed her ego to the point where she would blindly follow him into a burning building. 

She was part of The Fontaine Research Institute, for crying out loud! Her expertise was in machines and energy, not babysitting a bunch of unruly convicts. But here she was, about to dive headfirst into prison politics. If nothing else, it would make for an interesting chapter in her memoirs - "The Time I Played Nanny to a Bunch of Convicts."

"Miss Y/n?" A voice called out, causing Y/n to turn around. Standing before her was a tall man with disheveled dark hair and a black cloak with striking red fur trim.

"Yes?"

"Welcome to the fortress," the man said, extending his hand. "I am Wriothesley, and this is where you will be spending most of your time from now on. So please, let me know if there's any way I can assist you."

Y/n eyed the man suspiciously before replying with a curt, "Pleasure."

Seeing she did not take his hand, Wriothesley pulled back, folding his arms across his chest. "I hope your journey wasn't too unpleasant. Most of the procedures we had you go through were to ensure the safety of the inmates."

"Yeah," Y/n replied dryly. "I get it."

It was clear that Y/n wasn't exactly thrilled about this whole ordeal. But then again, who would be?

"Right." Wriothesley cleared his throat. "Well, then. I'll give you a quick tour and show you to your quarters."

As they made their way down the corridors, Y/n couldn't help but notice how eerie everything seemed. The halls were dimly lit, with only the faint glow of the green phosphorescent coral lining the walls to guide them. There was water dripping down from the ceiling, and she noticed it was thick and murky. She shuddered as she remembered she was actually under the ocean.

Wriothesley glanced over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow. "You know, you're not the sort of person I thought Neuvillette would send," he commented, turning back to the hallway.

"Oh? And what sort of person did you expect?"

Wriothesley chuckled. "I suppose a more... seasoned individual. Someone who knows what they're doing."

"I know what I'm doing," Y/n snapped.

Wriothesley paused and turned to look at her. His blue eyes were piercing, and he seemed to be studying her intently. He took a deep breath and continued walking. "So, you're a scientist," he said. "What is your area of expertise?"

"Energy," Y/n replied. "Electrochemical energy and machines."

"Ah," Wriothesley nodded. "Very useful."

They walked in silence for a few moments.

"Hey. I won't be sleeping in an inmate cell, right?"

Wriothesley grinned mischievously as he led Y/n down a dimly lit corridor. "Well, about that..." he began, pausing in front of a heavy iron door. It was rusted and worn, with a small barred window at eye level. "Here we are. Your quarters."

Y/n stared at the door, her mouth agape. This couldn't be her room. There was no way. "You're kidding."

Wriothesley shrugged nonchalantly, biting his lip to hide his grin. "I'm afraid not. It's all part of the Meropide experience."

Y/n stared at him in disbelief before turning her attention back to the cell. She approached it hesitantly, peering through the barred window. The cell was small and damp, with a thin mattress on the floor and a bucket in the corner.

Y/n felt her blood boil as she glared at Wriothesley. Just as she was about to protest, Wriothesley burst out laughing.

Her shock quickly turning into annoyance. "That wasn't funny, Wriothesley," she snapped.

"Oh, my apologies," he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "That was cruel of me. I've had the guards prepare a special room for you. Please, follow me."

Y/n narrowed her eyes at him before following him down the hall. He stopped before a door and knocked. When there was no response, he pushed the door open. The room was small and cramped, with no windows and only a single, narrow bed.

Y/n wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Wriothesley admitted. "But don't worry, we've made sure to keep it nice and warm."

"Great," Y/n muttered, stepping inside. She sat down on the bed, which creaked under her weight. "This is... cozy."

Wriothesley chuckled. "Well, it's not the Hotel Debord, but it's better than a cell."

Y/n crossed her arms, her annoyance evident. "And who put you in charge of room assignments, Wriothesley?" she asked, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Did they run out of decent rooms or is this part of your 'welcome to Meropide' prank series?"

Wriothesley raised an eyebrow. "As the administrator of this fortress, I'm afraid I have to make do with what we have," he replied. "But don't worry, Y/n. You'll get used to it."

"Can't wait," Y/n retorted dryly, flopping back onto the creaky bed. This was going to be a long assignment.

"I'll leave you to get settled," Wriothesley said, stepping out of the room. "Please, make yourself at home."

With that, he closed the door, leaving Y/n alone in the dark, damp room. But before she could stand up and take a look around, Wriothesley's head poked in through the door again. "Oh, and Y/n? I didn't request assistance. I'm only tolerating you because Neuvillette sent you, and out of respect for him, I'm willing to cooperate. So you'd best watch your tongue and do as I say if you don't want any trouble. Are we clear?"

Y/n was taken aback by the sudden threat. What was this guy's problem? She'd barely even said anything and he was already giving her the cold shoulder.

"Crystal," Y/n bit back, shooting him a glare. "And hey, didn't anyone ever teach you anything about privacy?"

"I'll knock next time," Wriothesley replied before promptly shutting the door.

Y/n scowled, staring daggers at the door. 

With a sigh, she flopped back onto the bed, trying her best to ignore the faint smell of mold emanating from the sheets. This was going to be one heck of an assignment, and it was only her first day.

"Fantastic," she muttered to herself. "I'm stuck in an underwater prison with Mr. Congeniality himself. This is going to be a blast."

Y/n's first night in the Fortress of Meropide was anything but peaceful.

Despite the room being warm and relatively dry when she'd arrived, by morning it had turned cold and damp. She would bet a million mora that Wriothesley had given her this room on purpose while he was probably tucked away in some cozy, dry room wearing his fluffy teddy bear pajamas. 

Just the thought of it made her shudder.

Great.