#whichever god put this worm in my brain I hope you are pleased

[nortess]

consensual workplace situationship

[sadienita]

Maison des cartes - The Hierophant

Witch!Dami x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 3.7k

Contents: magic, kidnapping, a cage, being held captive

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~

tradition conformity

~

A suffocating blackness rushed in around you in an instant. You gasped for air in what felt like the vacuum of space as you felt something around your waist pulling you through the nothingness, eyes shutting against the darkness, not making any difference as you did. Your head felt light and woozy as your consciousness slipped away and a distant voice said “help her.”

You had no memory of hitting the ground. The only thing that let you know you did was the dull pain in your back and the back of your head and the fact that you were lying down. Your disoriented mind reached for any details to help you as your eyes fluttered open and you furrowed your brows, eyes bleary in the sunlight streaming in the window.

“I-I’m so sorry!” You forced your eyes open as fear shot through your heart at the unfamiliar voice. Your vision was blurred but you made out the shape of a young woman leaning over you. Closer in your vision swam her hand, offering it to you to help you up. You took it cautiously, trying to make sense of where you were and what was happening.

“What happened?” you mumbled, getting up slowly and rubbing the back of your head. The woman ushered you to a comfy chair and helped you sit down.

“I-I think the potion caused you to faint,” she fretted.

“The… potion…” How you hadn’t seen it until now you had no clue but there was very clearly a large, bubbling cauldron in the center of the room. You blinked at it, your foggy head still confused. You knew you had been in the abandoned house and the door was stuck. You remembered fog. How did you get here? Why did she have such a large cooking pot?

“Yes, it really wasn’t supposed to do that at all. God I’m so bad at this,” she muttered, heading to her shelf where a number of bottles with brightly coloured liquids sat. You watched groggily as she pulled on a certain small bottle and the shelf shifted, revealing a space in a wall behind where she grabbed another potion before returning to you.

“Here,” she handed it to you. “Drink this.”

You stared at the little bottle, thick looking dark green liquid was swirling slowly inside, as if moving of its own volition. A grimace tugged at your lips as you imagined what it could taste like, trying to figure out what it was, as the woman fidgeted in front of you.

“I-It’ll help… w-with the pain I mean,” you looked up at her and she gazed at you nervously. “It- It’ll make you feel better.”

You barely had any idea what was going on but you felt it was probably your best option. You didn’t know if you should trust her or not but what other choice did you have? None of this made any sense to you and your confusion still clouded your mind as you pulled out the stopper and took a swig.

The liquid tasted foul but that wasn’t what made you throw the bottle. The feeling, like a tingling or prickling as it slid down your throat, almost like it had a mind of its own, was what caused you to throw the bottle. You couldn’t manage a scream past the thick liquid as you choked it down and a warm feeling started to melt over your body.

The woman yelled something in a strange language and the bottle stopped in midair, slowly changing course and floating into her hand. As the drink went down you began to cough, barely even noticing how your pain had vanished as she rushed to give you water but you scrambled back in the chair, watching her with frightened eyes.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please just take it, it’s just water; it’ll make you feel better.”

“I-I what-”

“Shhh,” she hushed you. “Please just drink the water. I promise I’ll-” The woman froze and you heard the sounds of footsteps coming closer.

“No,” she whimpered. She grabbed you forcefully and pulled you towards what looked like a cage. “Just, sit in there and be quiet, even pretend to sleep. Just- don’t draw attention to yourself I promise I’ll let you out again.”

You didn’t have much time to react as she was pushing you into the cage, your brain clearing bit by bit and your heart starting to race. You looked back at her as she locked it and looked at you sadly. “Please,” she hissed. “Just pretend to sleep please I know you’re scared.”

You nodded slowly, holding in any and all sounds as she drew away, moving the shelves until they were in their original position. As someone knocked on the door you laid down and closed your eyes, figuring her advice was the only advice you had. You breathed slowly as you laid on the hard ground, listening intently and keeping your face even.

The door creaked open and you heard a rough, man’s voice. “What’s with all the noise?”

“They passed out from the potion,” the woman said nonchalantly. “I haven't got the formula right yet.”

“You’re not going to wake them up and try again? They can take it.”

“That’s not why I left them,” she snapped. “What’s the point? I need to make adjustments, might as well let them stay knocked out until I need them. This way they’re quiet.”

The man hummed. “Yeah, I guess so. Just don’t make such a racket.”

“Of course,” she said cooly. “Now can I work?”

The man let out a grunt as he stalked out of the room. You stayed frozen in your spot until you heard the woman fiddling with the lock and you warily looked up at her.

“You can come out now, I-I’m really sorry about that.”

“What? Why did-?”

“Here,” she said, a little shaky herself as she helped you out of the cage and back into the chair. “I’ll explain, just rest for a moment.”

You nodded slowly as she hurried around the room, trying to calm your heart and process what you’d heard, trying to make sense of it all. The woman seemed to boil a kettle with her hands before pouring you a cup of tea and rushing it over to you. You accepted it gratefully and she pulled up a chair to sit with you.

“I’m sorry about this,” she worried. “I wish I could do more for you.” 

“I’m still confused as to how I got here,” you mumbled.

“I…” she bit down on her lip, seeming to think for a moment. “You don’t have magic, correct?”

“Not as far as I know,” you mumbled, taking a shaky sip of your tea that tasted much better than the potion.

The woman fiddled with her cup. “Then they would have told you nothing. You’re…”  she hesitated. “Ah, a test subject.”

You froze and stared at her with wide eyes and she babbled on quickly. “T-Try not to worry. I want to keep you safe. I-I just need t-to, keep lying to them.”

“Wh-Who?”

“My family,” she muttered. “We’re all- I- Oh! I-I’m sorry I’m Yoobin, or Dami, whichever really. I- We all have magic but… they- they aren’t nice to people without magic.”

You just stared at her, trying to absorb all the things she said. 

“You’re here so we can create new spells a-and, uh, I guess you know already. Th-That potion might have knocked out some of your memory though. I’m going to try and keep you with me. You’re one of the only ones here right now but I need you the most anyway and the others…” She trailed off.

“I can’t leave,” you said quietly.

“I’m going to try,” her eyes flickered towards the door. “M-Maybe.”

“Maybe?” you questioned.

“It’s- I can’t just go. We… We do things a certain way here and even this,” she motioned between the two of you. “Isn’t allowed.”

You sat quietly for a moment, thinking. “You’re not even supposed to make health potions are you?”

She shook her head. “They can’t know. If they found out what I actually make…”

“You need to leave too,” you said, perking up.

“N-No, no they would find me. I’ll be good to you here, I promise.”

You reached forward and took Yoobin’s hands shakily. “What do you need to do, to run away and not be found?”

“I-I- I’m not sure… u-um some potions a-and cloaking spells. But-”

You shook your head. “We’re doing it.”

~

Your ability to help Yoobin was limited to be sure. You had no magical powers whatsoever and she’d warned you against touching anything unless she told you to. You were glad that she kept you near her so much. You barely had any contact with the rest of her family but they were still around from time to time to see what she was doing and as much as you hated going in the cage, and sometimes staying long when they wanted to stay with her, spying or snooping on her work, you were grateful that they left without paying you much attention. 

You did hate sleeping and you barely slept much at night. She’d apologized to you every night as she took you to what felt like jail cells, locking you up near some other non magical people who looked to be in worse shape than you were. You knew if the family started to suspect too much it would ruin all the preparation.

You still didn’t like being in the cells though. You wanted to help the others but none of you talked and you had a feeling they’d been told not to. You were always worried that someone else would come and grab you before Yoobin did. She was late to bring you to bed and early to pick you up but it wasn’t like everyone was on a strict schedule and today, like every other morning, you sat anxiously waiting for her to come.

Heavy footsteps echoed from down the hallway and you heard a whimper from a nearby cell. You squeezed yourself back on the hard bed, hoping that whoever it was wouldn’t notice you, would pass you by. Was it bad to wish that? If that harm didn’t come to you it came to someone else.

“Well well,” the voice you recognized, even if you had never looked at his face before. His frame was large but he was well put together. His hands were casually resting in his pockets and his slicked back hair, like the sly smile on his face, made your stomach turn. “Yoobin’s late today.”

You sucked back your reactions as his hands started to fiddle with the lock. You knew he could undo it with magic so why he was bothering to use his hands you didn’t know, maybe just to prolong the moment. You had a feeling he enjoyed fear.

“You know it’s first come first serve,” he drawled. “The early bird gets the worm.”

The door swung open and you felt yourself standing against your own will before something invisible grabbed you around the throat and dragged you closer. You grasped at the nothingness around your own neck, gasping as he chuckled and pulled you against him.

“And you are a worm,” he murmured. “But a good one, if Yoobin’s keeping you all to herself. Let’s see what all the fuss is about, shall we?”

“Let them go.” You couldn’t turn to see Yoobin but you could hear her icy, low tone. 

“Finders keepers,” he drawled, staring down the hallway with you in tow, still gasping for air.

You felt Yoobin’s hand grab you. “They stay with me,” she said evenly.

“You can have one of the others,” sneered. “I want to see what about them has you all excited.”

In an instant air rushed into your needy lungs and you gasped, Yoobin catching you as the man went flying. He landed with a loud crash at the far end of the hall.

“What the hell do you need them for that badly?” he growled.

“You know my experiments take days. They’re delicate and even your stupid spell could have messed them up you absolute imbecil. Don’t touch them again.”

Yoobin grabbed your wrist and dragged you behind her, moving at a brisk pace down the hallway. She squeezed it tight as a warning not to talk or in fear that he would follow. Either way you stayed silent as you made your way to her room, too shaken to collect your thoughts.

~

Yoobin helped you out of the cage, still listening intently to make sure the hallway was really empty for another moment before setting you in the chair. You quietly took the tray with willow sticks again and began carefully striping them with your shaky hands.

“They’re suspicious.” She mumbled

“Yep,” you said quietly.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “They usually leave you alone when you’re in there…”

They usually did. It had taken all of Yoobin’s protests to keep them from pulling you out to “have some fun” as they put it. They questioned why they couldn’t and complained that Yoobin was always testing things that were too delicate and that surely one little jinx, a few spells, a hex, wouldn’t hurt.

Well wouldn’t hurt her project anyway.

You had done your best to stay steady, to not show them too much emotion like she’d told you but you were sure they could see the fear in your eyes and it had only made them want to mess with you more. You had a feeling she nearly threw them out with magic but as you had gathered that was also not allowed and she had already been in trouble for doing it before.

“It has to be soon,” she said nervously. “If we wait too long…”

You weren’t sure what she was thinking, but you agreed. There were definitely more and them and you shuddered to think what they would do with both of you if they figured out your plans or caught you. She’d drawn up the plans for rescuing the others and to escape, how to get out undetected and with the last potion brewing, you knew your time was wearing thin.

“Three days,” she said, and her voice sounded more terrified than you’d ever heard it. “The potion will be done in two, that gives me time to bottle it and pack things.”

You nodded numbly. “Three days.”

~

You wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Even if it were a regular night you wouldn’t sleep. You were wide awake, anxious and nervous about the plan. You knew the others in the house slept, but some might be awake, they had odd schedules. Others didn’t trust Yoobin. You knew her plan was to stay up late in her study and wave off anyone who tried to get her to sleep, insisting she was on the verge of a breakthrough with her sleeping potion.

You didn’t know if they had left her alone. No one had come down to the cells and you figured no one would now. It had to be beyond midnight now, with a new moon tonight there was little light to see by and it only had you lost in your thoughts even more. This place seemed surreal to you, like some long dream, but it felt all too real. You’d managed to get caught up in this scheme but you had no clue if it was what you meant to do.

A very quiet set of footsteps came down the hallway and you strained your eyes, looking for a figure in the dark, and holding your gasp when moments after the footsteps stopped the door to the cell swung open and Yoobin’s head popped out of thin air. Her hand joined her, floating in space and she beckoned to you and you tiptoed out of the cell. 

Yoobin was silent and you were sure even in the low light pale as she pressed a key into your hand and motioned to one of the other cells. You followed her lead opening it and shaking awake the girl inside. She took in a breath to scream but you covered her mouth quickly.

“We’re escaping,” you whispered.

The girl nodded and followed close to you as Yoobin motioned to you to open one more cell. You did as you were told. The boy inside was wide awake and already standing at the bars. He looked young and you wondered how old he must be. The second you released him he dashed across the hall and wrapped his arms around another girl who looked just like him. The two cried quietly and you thought they must be siblings as Yoobin let out the last person and turned to all of you, pulling a stopper out of a potion bottle, handing it to you first.

“Drink this,” she whispered. “It’ll make you invisible.” The others looked wary but you drank the liquid readily, sweet and strangely warm as it travelled down your throat before your body faded into the shadows. The others slowly took turns drinking and one by one disappeared as Yoobin cast incantations over you to quiet your footsteps.

“I’ll lead,” she said. “Follow my feet. If I stop, you stop. Okay?” Yoobin took a deep breath before covering herself. Her feet were the only things even a little visible as she made her way down the hall.

The basements were quiet and dark. The air seemed to chill you, though maybe that was just your fear. You worried that the others were left behind but you had to trust they would follow. You heard Yoobin’s quiet whisper, telling you all to remain silent at all times before turning a corner. 

The house seemed like a maze but Yoobin knew it well, leading you until you came to a large staircase. The house above seemed just as dark and she led the group silently up, charming the door to move silently as she let you all out into the house and started down hallways.

Light from rooms cast shadows as she moved you through what must have been servants quarters. The hallways were narrow and long and only the slight sight of feet let you know that you weren’t wandering aimlessly on your own. Every little sound made you jump and you swallowed down every single fear that rose inside of you, hoping that this would work.

You were sure you heard a floorboard creak under one of you. Yoobin’s feet didn’t stop, and neither did yours until a door just up ahead swung open and Yoobin’s heels disappeared.

One of the men you had only seen once stepped out of the room, his eyes scanning the hallway slowly. You held your breath, afraid to move even a hair for fear that he would know, that he would hear or see something. 

You suddenly wondered what could make the potion wear off.

The man raised his hand and opened his mouth but at the same time, some things seemed to fall within his study.

“Damn poltergeist,” he muttered before stalking back into his room.

Yoobin’s feet reappeared and you followed them. The corridors turned quiet and darker as you moved to the outer edge of the house. Floors creaked but no one seemed to hear, too far from where people were sleeping or working late into the night.

You had no idea how long it was that you moved but you were still surprised when she opened a door and the cool night breeze hit you. Yoobin’s head appeared and she motioned to move, quietly asking if everyone was out before closing the door behind you all. You stood in the dark and watched anxiously as she cast a spell on the door. You knew she had to erase traces of what you’d done, how you’d left. 

“We’re not done yet,” she mumbled. “Follow me.” Yoobin’s head was uncovered as she led you through the dew-wet grass and into the forests. She said they weren’t the safest but they were the easiest option to get away before you could really travel.

As you trekked through the forest and the sun started to peek over the horizon the potion began to wear off. You managed to see outlines of the others and then see their faces properly. It was a relief to see no one was lost and Yoobin smiled back at the group with relief as you kept moving, her casting incantations every so often to hide your footprints. No doubt they would have realized by now that you were gone, and for as tired as you were you were happy to be away from the house, though the thought in your mind of how to get home was still there.

As day fully broke and sunlight poured over the land you chattered with the others, a sense of joy over all of you as Yoobin led you up a hill overlooking a village. She stopped at the top and reached into her bag, pulling out an old hat and placing it on the ground.

“This will take us somewhere far away,” she said. “We’ll be safe, just give me a moment.” You watched her as he cast the spells she needed before standing and stepping towards you.

“You know I couldn’t have done it without you.” she said.

“You did all the work!” you said “I-I just-”

Yoobin shook her head. “I never would have been brave enough. I would have given up without you there.” She hugged you. “Thank you.”

You couldn’t help hugging her back. “Thank you, too.”

When she pulled back she sniffled slightly before turning to the hat. “Okay, everyone take hold to it.” You all did as she said, the last pair of hands grabbing the hat and wind suddenly whipping around you, making it harder and harder to breath as you lost all sense of land under you. Your head felt dizzy and your eyes slid closed as your fingers slipped from the hat.

~

rebellion

~

“God,” you muttered, sitting up from the floor. You rubbed the back of your head as you looked around, your eyes recognizing the dark living room. The card caught your eye and you let out a strangled yelp as it turned 180 degrees before disappearing in a puff of smoke. In its place a torn piece of sheet music sat as the smoke cleared and you cautiously took it between your fingers as you stood up.

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