[Private] The Hunchback of Notre Dame (AdAstra)

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Aimee took no notice of the Parisian, she just wanted to leave before Frollo got back to the Palace of Justice. She pulled the heavy door open slightly and looked out. No soldiers. Sighing, she pulled it the rest of the way and took a step outside. She took a deep breath of fresh air before turning to Roseriya. She smiled at the gypsy. The day hadn't turned out all bad, she had met Roseriya and Esmeralda.

And she spoke to Phoebus...she wasn't going to forget about that. She gazed towards the direct of the Palace of Justice and then looked back at Roseriya. "I-I have to go", she said sadly, with a small frown. "It was nice meeting you, Roseriya, more than nice actually...". For some reason she wanted to give the gypsy a hug, Aimee adored hugs, but she had only met the girl not an hour ago.

[AdAstrα]

Roseriya smiled. "It was nice to meet you too, Aimee. Very nice."

They stood there and gazed at eachother rather awkwardly for a few seconds, neither of them knowing how to say goodbye. Roseriya was convinced, however, that they would meet again. How, she did not know; she just felt it.

"Take care, ok? Don't...well, try to stay out of trouble." She took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze; the very same gesture that her parents had often used whenever they were going to be separated for a longer period of time. Then, encouraged to leave by the sound of hooves against the pavement, she promptly turned around and started running down the street, as quickly as her crippled leg allowed.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Aimee gave Roseriya a nod just before the gypsy began to run away. She was going to miss her actually. Sighing, Aimee herself turned around and walked briskly away. Passing people didn't bother to look, but if they realized who she was they'd look a little closer. The day was drawing to a end, the sun was setting, and things were calmer than they were at the Festival of Fools.

The teenager had soon made it back, without a word from the soldiers at the entrance. They didn't care anyway, they didn't want to be the ones to tell Frollo she was out and about. After talking to Phoebus who happened to be there, she felt even stronger feelings for him. He had been sweet to her, and she had managed not to blush too early in their conversation. She had the feeling he sorta liked her back, but she doubted it all the same.

As Aimee climbed the stairs to go to her room, she considering going to find and talk to Estelle. She had not seen her since last night, but had seen evidence of her being around. Everything was always ready for her and what not, but Aimee needed a friendly face. The teenager ended up deciding against going to speak to her. A yawn confirmed she was tired and she wanted to change for bed. So, once she got to her room, she washed and changed into her night dress. She brushed her long golden hair again, taking pride in it as she usually did.

[AdAstrα]

The rain was falling heavily as Frollo briskly walked towards the Palace of Justice, the iron grey sky with its thick clouds casting a dim, silvery light on the empty street. Once or twice he gazed up at it, shivering slightly as the icy drops hit his face, but for the most part he merely stared at the ground absent-mindedly, unable to stay focused on anything but his thoughts. A chaotic day was coming to an end and although the gypsy was safely captured inside the cathedral, although Quasimodo had apologized for his betrayal...nothing was the same. Nothing would ever be the same again. Today had passed so remarkably quickly, almost as if in a dream; a daze of some sort....and yet everything had changed. Everything. As if the world had somehow been turned upside down, shaken around and then hastily put back together. At least it appeared that way, to him.

The maid was by the door as he entered, curtsying but quite obviously trying her hardest to avoid eye contact. He did nothing to acknowledge her presence; instead he walked right past her into the living room, where he sat down by the fireplace. Staring into the flames, an image of the dancing Esmeralda flashed through his mind, her expressive green eyes sparkling...the softness of her black hair brushing against his skin...

He stood up, his heart pounding, overwhelmed with emotion. What a powerful spell this gypsy had placed upon him! How could this have happened? Surely, it was all her fault? Surely he was not to blame? He had tried to resist, to shield himself from her witchcraft, but her immense power must be superior to anything, the effect it had had on him...there was nothing he could have done...

A sudden movement in the room down the hall put an abrupt end to his dwelling as he was reminded of yet another problem. Aimee. Anger towards the niece filled up inside him like a volcano about to erupt, and he walked towards her room without hesitation or reconsideration.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Aimee in her recent movements had moved from standing up to her bed. She was sitting against the wall, legs tucked up to her chest. Her mind had been wondering from one thought to another, all of which usually ended up with either Phoebus and Frollo, the two men in her life at the moment. Phoebus, the guy who had been sweet to her and she liked back, and Frollo, the abusive family member.

Footsteps. Aimee looked to the direction of the door. They weren't Estelle's footsteps. She could feel herself panicking. She hadn't forgotten the events that had happened earlier. The 15 year old felt as though she was 10 again, hiding in the bed from the monsters of the night. This time it was different, she couldn't hide from Frollo. She didn't even feel decently clothed, which was awkward even in front of Estelle. What could she do though? Cover herself with duvet?

She buried her face in her hands and prepared herself for what was going to come. But she wasn't going to back down this time. Aimee was going to argue if need be. She had broken her promise to her mother and wasn't going to break it again so easily. However, she underestimated just how angry Frollo would be...by alot.

[AdAstrα]

Frollo entered the spacious room without knocking. Lingering in the doorway for a few moments, he looked not directly at Aimee, but out the window, his dark eyes fixed on the raindrops silently forming on the glass. Then, as he stepped inside, he turned to gaze at his niece, saying nothing to begin with but making it clear just by the way he looked at her that he was not at all pleased.

Taking a few steps forward, he raised his right hand slightly, revealing a cane which he held with a firm grip. It had never been used as a walking aid, for Frollo was by no means old and frail enough to need one. Instead, it served a different purpose entirely, and Aimee must have understood this; her blue eyes widened in horror as she glanced at it.

"I believe....we have some things to....discuss." Frollo finally said, his deep voice calm and assertive.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

The stiller Aimee was, the more prominent it was that she was terrified. Her heart pounding against her chest at an unhealthy rate and her chest heaved up and down with quick, frightened breaths. She could feel her palms begin to sweat, that hardly ever happened. She clung onto the mattress tightly with her hands, out of fear, and stared at Frollo. She had nowhere to run or hide, she just stayed sitting against the wall on her bed, frozen to the spot.

She somehow averted her eyes away from Frollo's, and down to his hand. A cane. She doubted it was walking. She began to get panicky, because pain was different from simply being terrified. He had the strength. His voice stabbed at her and the words lingered for a moment or two. However, there was suddenly a brave and courageous spark in Aimee's eye. He was going to hurt her either way, so what did it matter?

"I doubt we'll manage to discuss how a gypsy entranced you and then made you look like a fool though", she growled back, it took a while for the words to come and she was pleased they weren't shaky, yet. While she replayed her own words in her mind and thinking of his, she came to a conclusion. Frollo was angry. Not just that though, but if she was here and she had done the slightest thing wrong, she'd be the one he'd take it out on.

[AdAstrα]

Frollo froze for a few seconds, staring at his niece in complete disbelief as her words registered inside his brain. Then, shaking with fury beyond anything he had ever felt in his entire life, he lunged at her, grabbing her by the arm and throwing her against the wall so hard she gasped for air. "You ungrateful....despicable little heathen!" he shouted, his voice anything but calm now,

"You will die young, do you hear me? You will end up in the deepest pit of hell, just like your mother! That is where people like you belong!"

He raised his hand and hit her hard with the cane, not only once but repeatedly. How many times he did not know, his state of mind could most accurately be described as dream-like at this point, as if none of this was actually happening. Once or twice a distant memory flashed through his mind, a memory he had half forgotten and did not want to remember. A memory in which a cane had been involved...except it was he who had been at the receiving end...

These images aggravated him even more, and therefore he kept hitting until he was sweating and almost struggling to stay on his feet, overwhelmed with fury. Then, he backed off from Aimee, once again gazing out the window.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

As soon as Aimee felt him grab her arm, an urge to fight him off took over her, but she was too slow to act upon it. In a split-second, she felt herself go from the bed to the bedroom wall. Her back hit the wall with a thud and it winded her, making her slide down the wall slightly. His words provoked her just enough to open her mouth to retaliate, but as soon as she caught his hand raise out of the corner of her eye, she screwed her eyes shut tightly.

Aimee didn't expect such force. So much so that she collapsed to the ground. The pain came a second after, but no sound escaped her lips. Expecting it to be over, she glanced up, just to be welcomed by another hit, a harder one. She let out a yelp, which turned into a scream as the pain didn't stop. She began to taste blood from where it had hit her in the side of her face, and she began to sob.

"Stop...please....please stop", she pleaded, groaning in pain as she lost the ability to scream. She was still telling him to stop after he had backed away, for the pain hadn't resided. Her whole body ached. She couldn't believe what he had just done. Aimee was shaking violently, her eyes were fixed on him, almost like she was waiting for him to continue. Aimee raised a hand to wipe of the blood trickling from a cut to the side of her head. She wiped it in her night dress, not caring about stains.

She realized it wasn't pulled down, too high up, she didn't know why that mattered at that point, it just did. Shakily, she put a hand on the wall to get up. She couldn't. Aimee was so weak that as soon as she applied her little weight to her legs, she collapsed back down again. The tears had run out, even thought she was hurting more now. Aimee's mind went to Frollo. How could someone do such a thing? "He's mad...", she thought while staring at him, "He's got a problem". She thought of something to say, anything. She doubted she'd get an apology. His words before he had beaten her came to mind.

"W-Whatever m-my mother did t-t-to you...I'm s-sorry", she said, it wasn't more than a whisper. "B-But please...d-don't...". The remainder of her tears came out as she clutched her sides in pain, something told her she'd be in pain for a while. "Don't...". She was unable to finish the sentence.

[AdAstrα]

Frollo stayed in the room for a few minutes, his heart was beating so fast he thought he might collapse if he attempted to move. Avoiding Aimee's gaze, he continued to look absent-mindedly out the window, the silvery light from the grey clouds making his skin appear almost completely white against the surrounding darkness. Still holding the cane, he could not quite believe what he had just done. Had he really hit her? Or just imagined it all? He glanced sideways to catch a glimpse of her, and saw her on the floor, trying to get up. It is real, he thought to himself, reaching the conclusion as the quiet, stuttering words escaped her lips. He heard them, even if she practically whispered, and for a split second his heart sank. Colette....what would she have thought?

"Whatever mother did to you, I'm sorry." He felt sick now. Nauseous. What was it? Pity? No. It was something else. Something he could not quite put into words, and therefore, he said nothing. But as he left the room, one word appeared inside his mind. A word that formed a sentence, like a voice, echoing and growing louder and louder. A sentence which he might have spoken out loud, had he not been as stubborn and proud as he was. Nothing. She did nothing.

As he walked down the hall, he saw the maid, her dark eyes widening in horror as she looked up at him. He knew she would be on her way to Aimee's room to make sure she was allright, and normally he would have given her orders not to. Tonight however, he gave her no orders at all. Instead, he continued to walk towards his bedroom where he would stay for many hours, lost in his own thoughts.