forum "Place a Curse Upon My Head, Make Me Sleep 'Til I am Dead." ((OxO // Closed))

Started August 30, 2019 by @ElderGod-kirky group

tune

The key slid into the lock of her house, and Zoi sighed softly as she opened the door and slipped inside. Of course, her father was nowhere to be seen. He was gone more and more these days, and she found herself enjoying the silence ringing through the house. Her bookbag hit the floor, and she suddenly bit her lip and dashed for her room, eager to visit a certain someone again. She didn't know if she would be able to go back to that particular place again, but she was hoping her brain would pick up on her desired location and take her there in her dreams.

She changed into something different, knowing that dream Zoi wore whatever Real Zoi wore. She wanted to put herself out there a bit more. Caspian had inadvertently coaxed this want out of her, and she was glad he did. She found a pair of jeans and a striped, off the shoulder shirt, hesitated, then put the ensemble on. She fixed her hair somewhat, though that she didn't care much about, then laid down on her bed and closed her eyes.

It wasn't long before she was pulled under and transferred to the dream world.

Caspian wandered the lively streets of East Yourma. He always liked this place. Which it was relaxing at home and peaceful, Yourma, always had something going on, like there was a festival everyday. He loved it. Now in Yourma there were a lot more people, and a lot more shop stands. He liked walking through the streets looking at the shops and listening to people trying to bargain. He also enjoyed that not many people knew him around here. He saw a jewelry stand and looked over all the shinning jewels. He was thinking of buying something for Zoi, that is if he saw her again. He saw one that would looked extremely nice on her. It was two small comb like things with leaf decorations on each one. Tow gold chains connected them, and one more with pearls on it. The lady behind the stand saw him staring and smiled. "Beautiful isn't it? It's real gold and pearls." Cas smiled knowing that she might be playing him. This was a bargaining town. "Is it now?" He took a closer look. If it was real he would be able to bend it, but he also didn't want to ruin it. Behind his back he moved his finger just a bit. The tip of the leaf bent just a tad. It is real. "Alright then… how much?" After a bit of bargaining Cas got a small box and put it inside. From the corner of his eye he saw a girl, dressed a bit differently then everyone else and recognized her. "Zoi?" It would be hard to get to her, but Cas pushed through the crowd calling her name.

Zoi was looking around the crowded space with her jaw slack, eyes wide and darting this way and that. She curled her arms around herself, trying so hard not to run and hide. She had been thinking of Cas when falling asleep. If her mind was cooperative today, then he would be near here, somewhere. She just needed to find out where…

"Zoi!"

She spun around at the call, recognizing that voice—and the fact that only one person could know her name in a place like this. "Cas?" she breathed, then forced her feet to unstick themselves from their spot on the ground and walk towards the direction the voice was coming from. She squeezed through people and ducked under arms, weaving her way through the crowd to get to a friendly face. The people touching her and pressing against her body were making her breath clog up in her throat, a cold sweat breaking out, but she attempted to push the panic attack aside in favor of finding her mystery-man Cas.

Cas finally reached her and grabbed her hand. He weaved both of them through the crowd to find an open area. He found a grassy spot, where many people were having picnics, but it was less people than the street. "Hello." He smiled, looking down at her. Looking at her outfit he blushed a little, she was showing a bit more skin than last time she was here. Taking off his coat he draped it over her shoulders. His town may bit care much but he had heard of a group of kidnappers. And with so many people, he had no idea who or where they are at. Zoi was pretty, so Cas was sure they would come after her. Why did she have to show up in this town of all places? He would do anything to protect her, but she also needed to be careful. "Zoi, if anyone approaches you, don't talk to them. Let me do the talking okay?"

Regretfully, Zoi curled her fingers around Cas's coat and pulled it tighter around her body. So many people, so many eyes on her. She still shivered with a barely-there panic attack, brought on by so many people being around her. She could practically feel their eyes on her, whispering dreadful things about her. Zoi's shoulders hunched in further, and her fingers gripped the coat tighter as she gazed up at Cas, trying to suppress that feeling by making Cas her sole focus. His eyes were so pretty, a beautiful shade of blue that she wanted to recreate in a painting. His face had a unique look to it, a mixture of angles and planes that had her fingers itching to grab a pencil and draw. She tried for a soft smile, though it came slow and tiny, and didn't last long. "You say that as if I would willingly talk to someone besides you," she said quietly, though, with their proximity, her voice was still audible to him.

A small hum escaped Cas's lips as they curled up into a smile. It made him happy that she was so attached to him, it was cute. "I guess you're right. You don't seem to like people much." He grabbed her hand and started leading her back to the streets. He already had a place to stay, one of the best since the king picked it for him. The king made sure Cas had the best. He didn't want Cas leaving his side, although Cas wouldn't mind that. He needed a break, but he was the Kings soldier, an ace up his sleeve. There weren't many people like Cas anywhere. So keeping him close was what the king wanted. "Come, I have a place we can stay and let you settle down." She just got here and she was thrust into a crowd like this, it would be overwhelming for anyone. Cas had been here many times, so he was used to it. "How did you get here so quickly. Did someone tell you where I would be?" He looked back at her, eyebrow raised. He had a lot of questions, but he wanted to continue the mystery for a bit longer.

Zoi's mouth opened, a light dusting of a blush painting her cheeks as she closed it again and ducked her head. She reached over her chest to hug Cas's coat close to her body while her other hand was neatly clasped with Cas's, somehow feeling like it fit just right with his. Her ears were soon dusted with the same rosy tint as her cheeks, and she willed her hair to fall over her face as she said, "I–It's complicated. I don't think you'd believe me if I told you." Indeed, the large crowd was overwhelming, but it was more than that. She heard whispers in her ears that were never spoken, haunting remnants of people around her during her 'real' life and her father's harsh lessons regarding her. A small part of her was aware that what she was hearing wasn't real, that the stares weren't actually there, but the rest of her was locked up and eager to curl up into a ball and hide forever, to find a place of safety away from these people. Zoi's hand unconsciously tightened around Cas's, seeking his steady presence to ground her.

"You never know, I might surprise you." Cas wasn't one to shoot anything down right away. He liked to think things through and see it it may be possible. When her hand tightened around his, he looked back slightly to see if she was okay. Her hair covered her face as she walked with her head down. He wished she had more confidence in herself. Zoi was beautiful, though he could never actually say that to her. She might get the wrong idea. A white grand building stood in front of them. It was one of the nicer buildings around here. "This is where we are now staying." We It felt weird to say that since he had been on his own for a while. But Cas also wasn't going to let her stay in a room alone, especially with everything that has been going on around here. "Sorry, but you'll have to saty in my room with me. I'll sleep on the couch."

Once again, Zoi's mouth opened, then closed again. How was she supposed to tell him that she was technically dreaming? That her physical body was somewhere far away, sprawled over her bed and sleeping soundly? And then he spoke again, and she popped her head up, blue eyes bright and curious. We. How long has it been since she was comfortable sleeping in the same building as another person, let alone another room? "N-no, you don't have to do that. I'll take the couch. It's your room, I'm just taking up space." She chewed her lip, worrying at the pink skin as she scanned the building. It was so grand, bigger and nicer than anything she's ever seen. Definitely an important person. Who am I, to be taking up his attention and time?

Cas spun around and squished her cheeks with his free hand. "Nope, not happening, sorry." He refused to let a girl sleep on the couch. Anyway it gave him an excuse to not act like the perfect Cas that everyone expected. "I'll be sleeping on the couch." He gave her a wink then let go of her face. How cute. There was something about her that wouldn't let Cas leave her alone. He felt that she needed to stay with him. Like he needed her for some reason. Walking through the glass doors he was greeted by most of the staff. He just nodded as they walked by and headed for the elevator. His room was on the third floor, last door. It was the biggest room in the hotel. He didn't need a room this big, but he can't say no to the king.

Zoi squeaked in surprise as he spun around, and her cheeks were being squished. They instantly bloomed with a rosy blush, though she couldn't find it in herself to pull away before he let go. "I wouldn't mind…" she whispered, still flustered by his actions. And then that wink. God, what has she done to deserve someone like Cas? He was equal parts kind and considerate, and flirtatious. It confused her more than anything, but she said nothing of it as she followed him through the hotel. Once the staff came to greet Cas, she stayed close to him, still clutching his coat, though she offered a few small smiles to look not as unapproachable as she usually looked.

Cas continued to smiled as the elevator doors closed. When they were fully closed he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry about that. Being around me is going to het a bit overwhelming at times." He felt bad that she had to around this, but didn't want her to leave. "You look nice by the way. Well before I covered you up. Sorry about that." It seemed she worked hard to look good. Is she going out with someone after meeting with me? Thinking that made him a bit sad, but there was nothing he could do about it. He did wonder what the guy was like though, if it even is a guy. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Her hand still in his, he lead her to the room at the end of the hall. When he opened the door the first thing you saw was a huge window the overlooked the town. It had a beautiful view. It looked like a very fancy house.

"So many apologies," she said, looking up at him with a less strained smile—one, perhaps, that was reserved for only him. "It's alright, Cas. It's not your fault. As for the coat…" she curled her fingers around the lips of the coat, holding it around her as if in defiance to his apology, showing that it was okay. "I'm…It's been a while since I made an effort to not cover up. Still slightly self-conscious, if I'm being honest." That darn blush refused to go away, it seems, and she sealed her lips and ducked her head slightly to hide it. Darn you Cas for making me blush so much. The elevator doors opened, and she followed him into the room, letting his hand clasped in hers guide her where he wanted to take her. So trusting, so willing, it was unfamiliar to her. She didn't know how to feel about it, but she didn't need to. The view took her breath away, and she untangled their fingers to walk to the huge window, blue eyes wide and soaking up the view. I want to draw that… It was jarring, the thought. It's been forever since she's ever wanted to draw anything besides the monsters in her head, nothing but scratchy ink things on a crumpled page.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Cas said as he started to unbutton his shirt. He always had to dress so nicely. He did have a second shirt on underneath. It was plain black, and he wore black pants. His hair was now a mess, but he didn't care much. When he looked over his shoulder he saw a wide eyed Zoi looking out the window. She always seemed so surprised and in awe of the surroundings. Where are you from? He questioned, but didn't say out loud. He folded his shirt and gently laid it on the couch. Walking up next to her he realized just how small she was. He wanted to hold her. He thought for a moment and realized he left the box with her gift inside the pocket of his jacket. He looked to the pocket and slowly moved his hand inside and pulled it out, hoping she wouldn't notice.

Zoi didn't notice his retrieval of the box, too enthralled with the artistic complexities of the world around her. The window itself created the perfect format for this mural-like picture. It was as if her vision shifted the more she looked. The color, the value, the lines and planes and shapes. She reached out slightly, tracing a finger through the air. To her, she was tracing the outline of a building, committing its shapes, colors, and lines to memory. Her fingers seemed to dance through the air, reaching up high, dipping down low, twisting at her wrist and fingers slowly moving to follow the different parts she saw. To her, it was a perfect drawing, the start of a perfect painting. Oh, how she loved to paint when she was younger. She still studied color theory and blending and all the necessary skills to be an artist but never got to practice much due to school and her horrible life after her parents split. She stopped hearing the negative thoughts in her head, stopped smelling the inerasable tang of blood, stopped seeing anything but that drawing forming in her head. Her lips parted slightly, head cocked to the side as her eyes slowly scanned the area, seemingly falling into a wonderous trance. Too long. It's been too long.

Cas couldn't help but smile. He was beginning to notice that she would go off into her own little world. He played with the box in his hand. He didn't want to bother her, but the longer he had it, the more nervous he was getting. So instead he took it out. And stood behind her. He did want to touch her without her consent. "Zoi, I got you something. Is it okay if I put it on." His voice came out weird, but what was a guy to do when a girl makes him nervous. "I thought it would look beautiful on you. So I bought it in town." (Sorry it's short.)

(it's okay)

Zoi blinked, Cas's voice slowly pulling her out of her haze. "Oh," she said softly, as if just registering she had slipped away into her mind. He was behind her, she realized, and he sounded…off. She didn't know how to describe it, but it was different. "Oh, yeah, it's okay," she added, turning her head slightly but not a whole lot, like she wanted to look at him while simultaneously wanting to keep it a mystery. She reached up slightly and took a strand of hair, curling it around her finger. Her hair was so long, falling to mid-thigh. She's never been allowed to cut her hair as a child, even by professionals. Now that she was older, she still didn't really cut it. Trim it, but never cut.

He gathered up some of her hair and clipped the hair ornament on. The chains hung and complemented her hair color beautiful. The two leaves went down to the middle of her hair. It was beautiful, she is beautiful. "There, it looks nice." Again he grabbed her hand and took her to the bathroom to see. "I hope you like it." Cas couldn't help but smile. The excitement he felt right now was something he hasn't felt in years. He thought back and couldn't even remember the last time he felt like this. Had he ever felt like this? There was a sinking feeling creeping up, something felt off, but he pushed it down. Right now he wanted to just focus on Zoi. "If you don't like it, you can be honest." He let go of her hand when she was standing in front of the mirror. He really hoped that she would like it.

She mutely followed him when he grabbed her hand once again and took her to the bathroom. She hesitantly reached up to brush her fingers over the strange object, cool metal meeting her skin as she did so. She tilted her head and dropped her hand, waiting until Cas pulled her in front of the mirror and let go. Zoi put her hands on the sink counter, leaning forward with round eyes as she tilted her head this way and that, getting a good look at the ornament Cas had placed on her head. "It's beautiful," she whispered, not realizing she said that out loud. She leaned in more, standing on her tiptoes now. The coat had fallen by now, though the article of clothing went unnoticed by her as she admired the golden leaves and the delicate chains.

"I'm glad you like it." Cas smiled. Those words made him extremely happy. Her clothes were a bit different from the clothes here, and there was a festival tonight. Cas thought he should take her shopping and take her to the festival. It would be fun, but because she didn't like people much, maybe she wouldn't want to good. "Hey, theres a festival tonight. Music, food, lights and performances will be there. It's fun, I've been there before. Would you like to go?" He didn't want to stay in the hotel all day, plus he thought it might be good for her. He picked up his jacket that fell on the ground and set it on the sink counter. "We can go shopping and you can look around. Their clothes are made from nice cloth, though most people here wear colorful clothes. If not that's fine, I just thought it would be fun."

Her first instinct was to say no, that she'd rather stay in and avoid people, but… Zoi flicked her gaze up Cas, still looking in the mirror. He might not realize it, but he was the only person to have ever made her feel safe and comfortable. He indirectly urged her to make an effort to get out of her shell, to live life the way it was meant to be lived—not in fear, but with fun. So when she opened her mouth, the words were soft and hesitant. "I think… I'd like to go." The thing about Zoi's voice was it was always soft. It rarely rose to a yell or even a louder tone, like she was afraid of what would happen should she raise it. Perhaps a heavy hand or a counter corner. But there was also that soothing undertone, that sliver of untouched innocence and kindness that had yet to be relinquished.

"Awesome." He looked over at her and scanned her clothes once more. "Though we'll have to get you more appropriate clothes." Even Cas was planning on wearing festive clothes that they sold around this time of year. Though usually he wouldn't wear this kind of thing, he thought it would be fun. And with Zoi by his side, he knew it would be. Is this a date? His face turned bright red just thinking about it, Zoi was a cute girl, and he liked her, but he hasn't known her long and wanted to take things slow. Who knows, maybe they are better as just friends. "You want to go shopping?" Cas wasn't worried about money, he had plenty, so Zoi could get whatever she wanted. Plus he was going to pay to play games and eat lots of good food.

Zoi bit her lip, noticing his red face in his reflection in the mirror but not knowing his train of thought to create such a blush. Maybe he has a girlfriend he's planning on meeting up with… she thought, feeling her heart sink at the probability. That's strange. She never felt that before, and it was slightly confusing. She tilted her head while mentally shaking it, considering his question and his comment on her clothes. "Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked, though there was a hint of something jovial in her eyes as she met Cas's gaze in the mirror. Looking at him through the mirror was less daunting than directly facing him. "Even so," she added with a ghost of a small smile, "I wouldn't mind a shopping trip. It's been a while since I've done that."

"Nothing is wrong with your clothes. I think you look good." Cas looked away and cleared his throat. Why can't I be cool around her? "Anyway, it's not like that. Like I said, there are some bad people around here, so I'd rather you dress in something that shows a little less…. skin." He looked over at her and couldn't help but look her up and down. She was beautiful and he was starting to like her more, still though, he barely knew her. He walked out of the bathroom knowing that she saw him look her up and down. How embarrassing. He put his jacket back on and fixed his hair. "Alright, let's go look around. See if you like anything."

Zoi's cheeks heated up when she caught him looking up and down her body, and her eyes fell before she could see him walk out of the bathroom. "…Oh," she breathed, then tried to smother how flustered she was with a tiny smile aimed at Cas—once she located him. "That makes sense." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, admiring the ornament on her head for a few seconds longer before joining Cas. She stood slightly off to the side, out of reach but still in a way that kept them both in each other's line of view, as if she didn't want to be caught off guard and didn't want him thinking she was sneaking around him. Zoi nodded in acknowledgment of his last statements, eyes crinkling some in a hidden smile.

Cas walked to the door, but not before grabbing his wallet. Money wasn't a problem, so he hoped Zoi would just pick whatever she wanted without holding back. He was excited to see her try stuff on. People crowded the halls, getting ready for the festival. They wore many colors it was almost hard for Cas to see where he was going. "Zoi, I want you to stay close to me." How she did that was her choice. Hold his hand grab his clothes, he didn't care.
(I imagine the clothes like this https://pin.it/tblxu3raruntg4
https://pin.it/xxtakekv47ppag sorry it's short.)

(it's okay)

Zoi made a small noise of surprise when she saw the crowded halls, and she barely even registered Cas talking before she latched herself onto him, her hands grasping the sides of his shirt as she pressed probably a little closer than she intended, her arms partially wrapping around his waist. She felt a hint of embarrassment at her actions, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to get separated from Cas, and she definitely didn't want to get lost in this sea of color—however beautiful it was—and people. Zoi tried her best to be far enough away from him that she didn't hinder his stride as they walked, but she quickly learned that the throng of festive people was probably doing more hindering than she was. Still, she didn't want to be a burden, so she hesitantly backed off of him without letting go.

People greeted them with smiling faces. The kids pulled their parents with excitement for the festival. It was still pretty light out, and the festival didn't start till sun down, so they had plenty of time to shop. The main room was even more crowded. People from all over cane to this festival, and this hotel was the nicest, so it made sense that people would come stay here. "We're almost out." He led her through the crowd finding the best route through. Once out the doors it was much more open and less stuffy. The breeze felt nice, but it was definitely going to get a lot cooler when the sun goes down. So a warm outfit would do best. "Alright to the shopping square." It was a bit of a walk, but it was a seller town. Many stands stood out on the streets with a variety of things to sell. So, you were always looking at something amazing. "If you see anything at any of the stands just tell me."

….