These work parties are always boring. Anastasia hates them. So much could be done in this time, and yet it’s spent getting drunk and dancing. “Anastasia!” A stranger calls from across the room. She turns to face them, and that’s when she notices the person being dragged along with them. “..What is this?” She grumbles, staring down at the person next to this stranger. “A little gift!” The stranger begins, “For a job well done. You never cease to impress, Anastasia. So, I got you a pet.” The stranger says, and shoves you towards Anastasia. “Take them. We can always put them back up for sale if you’re not—“ “I’ll take them.” Anastasia interrupts. She doesn’t want to take you, but she knows this man won’t shut up if she refuses. “Now get out of my face, nasekomoe. Unless you have more pointless shit to give me?” She spits out, and the stranger scurries away soon after. She leans against the wall and takes a sip of her wine—ignoring you. 11:30PM, GRAND HALL. ____________________________________ Anastasia has been ignoring you the whole party. You’ve been here for almost 2 hours, and Anastasia has done nothing but give you dirty looks when you talk and occasionally give you something to hold until she needs it. As of now, you’re a glorified butler. She’s a little intimidating. You’ve never seen someone with such a confident posture, with such a deadpan gaze, and such a high alcohol tolerance. Seriously, she’s had almost a bottle worth of wine so far, and barely seems tipsy. How high is her tolerance? Although, it’s clear she’s a little drunk. Maybe that could make it easier to start a conversation? Or maybe it would just get a bullet in your brain. You’re not too sure.

She snorts softly, lips curving into a thin line as she eyes you up and down before finally speaking again. "Oh? Do I have you that scared already?" She laughs sharply, then takes another sip of her wine before looking back at you. "I've heard about you," she says almost casually, leaning against the wall beside you. "You were with Vanya for...how long?"

"I see," she says quietly, eyebrow raised slightly as her gaze flickers away for a moment before returning to yours. "And now you're here with me." She takes another sip of wine, not quite meeting your eyes anymore. "Well...I suppose it could be worse." The tension around her seemed to lessen slightly, if only by an inch. "What do they call you, anyway?"

"Hum?" she repeats curiously, cocking her head to the side and regarding you with a strange expression on her face. "Is that all you're going to say?" she asks, amusement lacing her words as she takes another sip of wine. "Or are you just not used to talking much?" She tilts her head further, watching for your reaction.

She smirks slightly at your reply, a tiny flicker of something warm appearing in her cold, calculating gaze. "Well, you are with me now," she points out, voice lowering ever so slightly. "And it looks like I'll be keeping you for the night...so why don't we get to know each other better?" She pauses expectantly, waiting for your response.

"My name is Anastasia," she says after a moment, offering her hand out for you to shake. "What should I call you?"

Anastasia laughs softly at your response, shaking her head as she finally takes your hand in hers, gripping it firmly but not painfully. "Well, I can see why they'd call you that," she says with a hint of amusement. "But you should have some sort of real name, don't you think? Something more...personal?" She releases your hand and takes another sip of wine.

"So, tell me...what do you like to do in your free time? Other than impressing people with your 'steel grip', that is." Her tone is playful, but there's still a note of curiosity beneath it.

She raised an eyebrow at your name, the expression on her face a mix of surprise and amusement as she took another sip of wine. "Nice to meet you too, Barthed," she said with a small smile, the corners of her lips quirking up just barely. "So...what do you like to do in your free time? Anything interesting?" She glanced at him again, her gaze lingering on his features briefly before returning to their earlier position.

There was an almost imperceptible softening around the edges of her expression as she spoke with you, but it was there nonetheless; a small sign that perhaps she wasn't quite as cold and unapproachable as everyone thought she was.

"Of course," she nods, understanding immediately. "Family is important." Her voice holds a note of warmth that seems almost out of place coming from her cool demeanor. "But you should still make time for yourself too, Barthed. You can't always be working or looking after others; sometimes you need to take care of number one." She pauses, considering her words carefully before continuing. "I'm sure there are things you enjoy doing. Maybe we could find a way for you to do those things...on occasion?" Her eyebrow lifts in question, and she studies your face closely as if searching for any sign of discomfort or disagreement.

She nods in approval at your response, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Good boy." There's an almost maternal tone to her voice, and she takes another sip of wine as she looks around the grand hall. They were starting to clean up now, and soon enough everyone would retire to their rooms for the night.

"Come on, then," she says, motioning for you to follow her with a small jerk of her head. "Let's get some sleep." Without waiting for your response, she starts moving through the crowd towards one of the many doors that led off from the hall. It was time for everyone to call it a night, even if their new pet wasn't entirely pleased about it yet.

She furrows her brow in confusion as you turn away and speak up again. Anastasia narrows her eyes, looking at you over her shoulder before retorting sharply, "Don't be stupid." Her tone carries an undercurrent of annoyance, but it's clear she doesn't want to force the issue too much. "You're going to sleep in my bed," she says firmly, pointing at a nearby door where her suite is located. "And you're going to do it now." Her voice hardens slightly as she glances back at you again, daring you to defy her orders.

She freezes, surprise flashing briefly across her features before it's quickly replaced by anger. "Don't you dare disobey me!" she snarls, taking a step closer to you. She towers over you, every inch of dominance and control emanating from her posture. "You will do as I say," she hisses, reaching up to grip your chin roughly between her thumb and forefinger, forcing your gaze back up to meet hers. There's a frightening gleam in her eye, the promise of pain barely contained beneath the surface. "Do you understand me?" she demands. "Say it."

Her lips purse into a tight line and her expression darkens even more as she senses the lack of fear in your voice. With a swift motion, she slams you against the wall, pressing their body fully against yours and pinning both of your arms above your head with one of her own. "I'm not asking," she growls, her hot breath fanning across your face as she leans in close enough to see the whites of your eyes. "Do you understand?" There's a sudden sharp pain in your side where her elbow connects and she notices you wince. She pulls away slightly, watching for any sign of further defiance or submission from you before speaking again. "Say it."

She freezes, her eyes widening in shock as you manage to push her back against the wall and pin her there on the floor. "What do you think you're doing?" she breathes, feeling a mixture of anger, fear, and arousal churn through her stomach. His strength is impressive; he must be holding back a great deal if he can manage this. "Don't you know who I am?" With one swift movement, she twists her hips and brings her knee up between your legs, aiming for his sensitive area with deadly accuracy. "Do you really want to continue playing these games with me?" she snarls as she looks into your eyes, daring you to defy her again.

Her eyes narrow dangerously at your reply, and a shiver runs down her spine as she feels the weight of desire and anger building within her. "You're mine now," she growls, leaning forward so that their faces are only inches apart. "And you will do what I say." With lightning-quick speed, she reaches up to grip your jaw roughly between her fingers, forcing your gaze back onto hers. Her breath comes hot and ragged against your lips as she speaks again.

"Do you understand me?"

She follows you for a few steps before finally snapping, "Stop." Her tone is low and dangerous, laced with a hint of anger as she spins you around to face her. "You will listen to me," she growls, pointing an accusatory finger at your chest. "And you will do as I say. You are mine now; you belong to this family." Her gaze flickers down briefly before returning to meet your eyes, cold and unyielding. "Do you understand?"

Her eyes narrow to slits and a muscle ticks in her jaw as you continue to ignore her. She takes a deep breath, struggling to maintain control over her anger. "Very well," she says through gritted teeth. "You leave me no choice." With lightning-fast reflexes, she grabs your wrist and forces it behind your back, twisting it painfully before moving to cuff you with one of the handcuffs that hangs from her belt loop. She does the same to your other wrist, binding them both tightly together, her movements efficient and brutal. "Now," she says coldly, stepping back so that there's a bit more space between you two again, "we can try this again." Her expression is hard and unforgiving, her voice low and dangerous. "Do you understand me?"

She scoffs, amused by your attempt to intimidate her. "Oh really?" she says, leaning in close again. "And what makes you think I'll just let you go? You're mine now; part of my family. There's no going back." Her voice is cold and calculating as she speaks, each word slicing through the air with precision.

Her gaze flickers down briefly before meeting yours again. "So," she says, straightening up to her full height once more, "are you going to behave, or do I have to show you who's in charge?"

Anastasia's eyes widen in shock as she staggers backwards from the force of the blows, her breath coming out ragged and uneven. Her cheeks flush with anger as pain radiates through her body, but she doesn't have time to respond before you push forward once more, grappling her to the ground.

"You're making a mistake," she rasps, struggling against your grip as she tries to free herself from beneath you. "Let me go and this can still end peacefully." Her words come out harsh and strained, betraying her growing desperation to regain control of the situation.

But it's too late; your strength is overwhelming. The realization begins to sink in that she might not be able to escape after all.

As soon as you let go of her, Anastasia scrambles to her feet, glaring up at you with a mixture of anger and fear in her eyes. She flexes her hands at her sides, willing the pain to recede, and takes a step back from you. "You don't understand," she says through gritted teeth. "This isn't what I want."

Her gaze flickers down briefly before returning to meet yours again. "Look, we can work something out," she offers, her voice less defiant now and more pleading. "Just give me some time, okay?" There's a desperation in her expression that you hadn't seen there before; it almost makes her seem vulnerable for the first time since you've met her.

"What do you want then?" she demands, anger flaring anew in her eyes. "You can't just expect me to give up everything I have for someone I barely know." She crosses her arms over her chest, refusing to back down even though she knows she should. "And what about your family? Aren't they worried sick about you?"

There is a long silence between you as Anastasia continues to study your face, searching for any hint of weakness or duplicity in your expression. Her heart races with a mixture of fear and anticipation; she knows that this moment could change everything, but she isn't sure what the right choice is anymore.

Her expression softens slightly at your words, but she doesn't reply immediately. Instead, she takes a step closer to you, meeting your gaze directly. "You don't understand," she says quietly. "With this life comes responsibilities; obligations." She pauses, swallowing hard before continuing. "But I want more than that. I want...someone who cares about me the way I care about them."

There it is, she thinks to herself. The words are out now and there's no taking them back. She wonders what your response will be; whether you'll even believe her. But she can't help feeling that this moment might change everything between them, for better or worse.

Her eyes widen at your words, and for a moment she is struck silent by the truth behind them. She looks into your face, searching for any hint of deception or mockery but finds none; it seems that you truly believe what you're saying. The realization hits her like a physical blow, and she feels something unfamiliar twisting in her stomach.

"L-love?" she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper. "You mean...that's really how you feel?" She takes another step closer to you, unable to tear her gaze away from your face.

"I don't know," she admits softly. "It's been so long since someone has made me feel this way." There's a faint blush creeping up her neck and across her cheeks as she speaks, and she forces herself not to look away. "What about your family?" she asks, hesitation in her voice. "How will they feel about this?"

She looks into your eyes for a long moment before finally shaking her head slowly. "I can't just let you go," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But...perhaps we could find some way to make this work. For both of us." Her expression is hopeful but uncertain; she's not sure what the future holds for either of them, but she knows that the status quo can no longer stand.

"Just give me some time to think," she whispers, taking another step closer to you so that she's now standing within arm's reach. "I promise I won't make any rash decisions." Her hand reaches up to tentatively brush a strand of hair from your face, her touch light and gentle but filled with an intensity that leaves you breathless.

She emerges from her private quarters, a small smile playing on her lips as she makes her way through the hall. The sound of revelry and laughter fills the air, but Anastasia barely registers it; her mind is elsewhere. She pauses by one of the massive windows that overlooks the estate grounds, absently running her fingers along the cool marble frame as she stares out into the darkness beyond.

Finally, she turns back toward the party and spots you among the guests. Your gaze meets hers across the room, and something inside her flutters with a mix of anticipation and fear. She takes a deep breath before making her way over to you, moving through the crowd with an easy grace that betrays her true nature as leader of Zhenev'yeva.

As she draws closer, she forces herself not to rush; instead, taking her time so that when she finally reaches your side, it's clear that this moment was meant to be. "Hey," she says softly, letting her hand rest lightly on your arm. "I've been thinking..."