One Shots - The Arcana

Muriel - Alone together (Female Reader)

A cold night drifted over Vesuvia and it's outskirts. The forest let in spots of moonlight over the greenery and brambles across the ground. The darkness encased in the woods kept most people away. Well, except for the few that wandered inside. Mostly it was curiosity that drew them in, but for a solem couple it was the desire to be alone.

An example of this was a beastly man named Muriel. He was once a famous gladiator, forced to murder even the most innocent of men. He despised the late Count, and left Vesuvia and the residents' heads for what seemed like forever. That is until an unexpected visitor stumbled upon his little hut. Sort of...

Inanna pawed at the door of the hut, whimpering. The wolf ran in circles around the door before trying again until the door creaked open. Muriel towered over the wolf, confused. He opened the door to let her in, but she refused. Inanna continued to bark until Muriel caught on to why.

Lying in a patch of forgotten wild flowers was a girl. She almost seemed to blend in with the greenery as she slept. Her lashes were long and her skin was fair, even without makeup. There were dark circles under her eyes, showing signs of insomnia. Her chest rose and fell slightly, as if it hurt to breathe.

Inanna tugged at the edges of Muriel's clothes, showing him the way to her. He knelt down beside her and examimed her sleeping face. She seemed almost as if she was in pain. Muriel was drawn to the growing spot of crimson on her side. He warily slid her shirt up just enough to see the bleeding wounds inflicted by something...or someone. Muriel looked up, realizing the girl was lying just under one of Asra's protection charms. She was just out of harms way.

A feeling of pity, or maybe sympathy, washed over him as he picked up the woman and brought her into the little hut. This seemed to please Inanna, because she jumped ahead of them into her cozy home. Muriel laid her close to the fire on a blanket of animal furs and quickly began cleaning the blood from her wounds. He ended up slipping off her shirt and soaking it n a pot of water, the blood dripping off into the matching maroon waters. After a few minutes he hung it on a stray nail in the wall to dry.

While Muriel concentrated on her wounds, He didn't seem to notice those lashes flutter open. First her fingers curled, then she began to lift herself up. Muriel looked up at the first sign of movement and placed a careful hand on her shoulder, slowly pushing her back down. That's when she noticed the sudden pain in her side. "Nngh...w-who are...what's your name?" She mumbled. She winced as he traced the gash with his finger before getting up to find a bandage.

"...It doesn't matter. You'll just forget..." He sighed before kneeling back down next to her again. "Well, I'm (Y/n) if that makes a difference. So mister..." She waited until he mumbled out his name. "Alright, Muriel...care to explain where we are and if you could, what happened..?" She started to get up again before groaning, reluctantly falling back down. "Not sure...I'm guessing something attacked you. I found you outside and thought I'd help you. After this, please go away."

She bit her lip as he tightly wrapped the bandage around her torso. He took her hand and helped her sit up. (Y/n) looked down at the man's work, suddenly realizing what was missing from ber body. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked around. "So...did I have a shirt before you brought me in or-" Muriel interrupted her before she could finish. "It's still drying. You wouldn't like the feeling of blood when it sticks." He stated. (Y/n) nodded, looking into the fire. "I don't."

Her eyes fluttered as she attempted to stay awake. Of course the insomnia would catch up to her now, while she was vulnerable in a stranger's home.
Muriel walked to sit next to her, following her gaze. "I'm so tired..." She whispered, almost inaudible. Still the quiet man heard. "You can, um, sleep here if you want." She laughed to herself. "I don't know. You seem like someone who prefers to be alone, not bothered by someone like me." (Y/n) smiled softly as her eyes fell further. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him as the fire cracked in front of the two of them.