hiding

Well that went downhill fast...

She sat on floor outside the door with her legs crossed. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the ocean breeze brushing against her skin. She felt as if she had been sitting there forever, Izo refusing to let her in the bathroom. Something along the lines of it's not appropriate enough for a delicate flower yet. That line almost made her gag. She was no where along the lines of a delicate flower.

The door finally opened, the sent of honey and vanilla floated in the air. Izo motioned for her to enter. The massive wooden tub was filled with bubbles, the heat and steam from the water spread through the room quickly.

"Towels and a set of clothes are on the bench, take your time. These men always smell anyways, not like a bath now will do them any good." He rolled his eyes before walking out, closing the door behind him.

Alexia was secretly grateful for Izo. He seemed to know when to provide her space whereas the others didn't. She stripped off her clothes, wondering how well the water-proof bandages actually worked. She sat on the edge of the tub, dipping her foot in. Finding the water to her liking, she slid in, moaning as the hot water ran over her skin.

She wasn't sure how long she had spent in the tub, definitely over an hour. She now felt extremely clean and relaxed. She was just hoping for a slightly warm shower, but this, this just made her day. Reluctantly, she drained the tub, wrapping the towel around her as she stepped out. After drying herself, she held out the clothes Izo had somehow managed to find for her. It was a simple pair of black leggings and a flowy light grey tank top. It was simple, but she loved it, grateful a man with such a fashion sense, knew to keep things simple when it came to her. The clothes fit so perfectly, making her question who they even came from.

Her hair was still damp, her loose curls even more abundant that before. She slipped out the door, and up the stairs to the deck, Izo no where to be found. She debated whether she should remain on deck or not, settling on heading for Marco's room. As much as she didn't like being in an enemy's presence, she felt awkward being about someone's ship alone.

She lightly knocked on the door, hearing a hum to enter. She entered, crossing the room. She perched herself atop of his bed, crossing her legs.

Marco was satisfied, Alexia seemed much more comfortable than she had the first day she had woke up. She was conflicting. She wanted to hide, wanted to keep everything secret, that much was obvious. But she was so unaware of how often she let her true self slip out. Right now, she looked content, dare he say comfortable. If she were made aware or something in the environment changed, she would shield herself with her legs, trying to make herself smaller and mask her expression.

"Do you have it?" He hadn't expected her to initiate conversation.

"Have what yoi?"

"My...my mask, and my mom's cap." Her fingers started to fidget with the blanket.

"It just so happens I do." He looked at her smugly.

"Could I, maybe have them back?" Alexia asked nervously, "I mean just the mask right now, I probably shouldn't wear the hat right now... it seems to land me in trouble."

Marco laughed, leaning back in his chair. He opened up the drawer to the desk, tossing her mask out of it, onto the bed. She grabbed it, tracing her fingers over the skeletal design, a look of relief flashed across her face.

"Just do me a favor." Marco said suddenly, "Will you try to keep your mask off, at least when you're with us? You don't need to hide all the time."

"Says my kidnapper." She blurted out. She was honestly shocked that she even said it.

"Kidnapper yoi?" Marco asked, taken aback, "If I recall, if you weren't on board, you would have died."

"Which was your fault." She reminded, "I never asked to be saved..."

"So, you rather we left you to die?" Alexia looked away; her fingers stopped fidgeting. "Yoi, tell me you're not serious, you really wanted to die?"

"It's not really a bad idea, it's definitely preferable than most of my life." She started fidgeting again, "It shouldn't matter to you anyways, hostages are expendable after all."

Marco stood up, suddenly too close for comfort. His hand grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. Anger filled his eyes, making him look absolutely threatening. She wanted to shrink away from his grasp but forced herself to remain in place.

"Never want to die." His voice sounded dangerous, "Once your dead, there's no coming back. Suicide, like that, is an act of cowardice. It's laying down and quitting."

He became more aware of the deadly aurora he was emitting when she started to squirm under his hold. Alexia looked uncomfortable, and once again, scared. He removed his hand, taking several steps back, already regretting how strongly he reacted. Alexia backed herself against the wall, her knees brought up against her chest again.

"Lexi, I'm sorry." He sighed, aggravated with himself. Not knowing what to do, he left the room, leaving Alexia to her thoughts.