like her stomach has suddenly become lead. Lead which, for some reason, piranhas like to feed off of. Okay these metaphors and similes --

aren't really working to express her state of OHSHI- right now. She tries to get up, but fails. Her muscles feel like melting rubber.

spends a good minute starting half into space, half at the terrible, disgusting wreckage that used to be a gorgeous, perfect instrument. How

had this happened? He had compared its sound to crystal just a few days ago, and now...He turns to

face Elias. Now. "What happened." His voice is soft, almost a parody of soothing, but rage is trembling beneath.

hasn't ever heard that sort of tone before, but is sure it isn't good. "I-" She stumbles as she stands, "I was knocked out, and..." No, keep

it at that. If she said anything more, it might end up screwing her over.

's fists are trembling. Can't Elias see that his *piano* is *destroyed?* Can't he understand that he wants more answers than that? He

strides forward until his face is just a foot from Elias's, grabbing his wrist. "You let this happen?" he says in the same tone, then

appears to reconsider. "Yes. Of course you did. Because I had an *imaginary crisis* to attend to." His voice's volume is climbing.

nearly falls when his wrist is grabbed - what did Gilbert *do* - and feels her breath start to hitch. "I... Gilbert, he-" All those little--

safteynets supposedly put up didn't really do much good when Roderich was inches from her face and on the verge of murder.

realizes his nails are digging into her wrist. "You little *moron,*" he says, voice laced in acid. "You're working for him." He says this

as if it's fact. For all he cares, it is - rational thought doesn't matter right now. The piano is smashed, exploded into splinters.

He digs his nails in *harder.*

tries to ignore the pain in her wrist, but can't help but bite down. "I'm *not*..! He blackmailed me and then knocked me out once you left!"

She's starting to get a headache from whatever the hell Gilbert did, and Roderich was *right there* and she just didn't know what to do -

anymore.

laughs, too loudly. It sounds wrong, even to him. "You weren't. Even. *Winded.* " His face is close enough to share breath.

that this is a losing battle. "I was *knocked out*."

clamps his other hand down on Elias's shoulder, at the base of his neck. "I was *referring* to when you 'ran' all the way back from the

warehouse. Do you think I'm an *idiot?* Do you think I don't know when there is a traitor in my ranks?" He feels what control he has left

spiraling away.

claustrophobia start to well up because he's right there right fucking there and she doesn't know if she can even run if she tried or if--

that would even do any good and *damn it*. "I was *blackmailed* sir- I had no other choice..!"

done talking. He uses Elias's overall disorientation and his own anger to pull him forward, turn him around, and slam him into the nearest

wall. The funny thing is, Elias may be physically stronger than him. But he feels no doubt that he

not fight back. "Well then," he says, clasping Elias's hands behind his back, "If you still work for me, you won't mind the punishment."

cusses as she's thrown into the wall. It doesn't do much for her head and she's pretty sure she just bit her tongue. "N...no sir." She hopes

that means she still has her job, so things might not have been as bad as she first imagined.

would have enjoyed that sense of control, if he were in any state to be anything besides furious. He'll start with a simple whipping - he'll

have an opportunity to release his aggression (the piano is dead, it's *dead* ) - and see where to go from there. "Remove your shirt."

swallows. "Uh, sir..?"

lets up just enough to be able to slam him into the wall again slightly. "You heard me. For the whip."

let's out a "mmph..!" as she's slammed again. "I- do I have to, sir?"

makes a sound of derisive disbelief. "Questioning the punishment already? We haven't even *started.* " He twists Elias's wrist.

squeaks a bit in pain. "F-fine. Sir." She grist her teeth, and takes off her vest, then blouse, and there's the binding wrapped tight around

her chest, still hiding what she's sure he'll soon find out about. Her hands hover over the tight bandages, hesitant.

notes vaguely that Elias must have been wounded some point, but the bandages aren't bloody - there

is no reason to hold back. He probably wouldn't have anyway, at this point. "Those too."

starts taking the bandages off, not even bothering to try to be bashful about it anymore. "You asked, sir," she says in her own, real voice.

doesn't really comprehend what's off here for a few seconds, focusing instead on grabbing the whip and holding it taut. Then he notices

...something. Something very obvious that causes him to lose his train of thought entirely with the surprise for a few seconds. "...

You're..." He scrambles for words, caught between surprise and anger and a strange betrayal. Because everything he had thought

Elias was didn't exist anymore. "Who *are* you, then?"

looks off to the side. Why even bother with hesitancy anymore? "Elizaveta Hedervrry."

's expression of surprise quickly slides into one of disgust. "One last betrayal then."

shoots him a glare. "Would you have hired me otherwise?"

laughs bitterly. "Obviously, that was a mistake.

doesn't think she deserves this sort of treatment. "I've been working for you for six years. *You* promoted me to your second-in-command.-

This has been the first major incident to happen and- and what was I supposed to do? He threatened my job with this, because I knew you-

wouldn't want me as an employee, and then what would I do?" Damn it, she fucked up. "Use my salary to pay it off, and let me still work for

you, and you'll have enough money for another piano." After all this, she couldn't lose her job. She just couldn't.

sort of at a loss, but he's angry enough that he can focus on that and ignore the other parts. "You think your little mistake is going to

disappear, just like that? Now, obviously I can't be as severe as I had wanted to - physically -

because your body can't take it. But there *will* be punishment, and do you really expect me to trust you as my second anymore?"

whips around. She was *not* going to stand for that, not after all the work she's done. It wasn't as if she took on work less physical than-

any of the other men aboard the ship, and she was pretty sure she could beat him in a fight if she really wanted to. "Then let me earn that

trust back, *captain*, but don't think for a second that just because I'm a woman that I can't handle something."

scoffs, still trying to keep her to the wall. "Well you certainly didn't handle *this* well. My piano is *dead.* Because of you."

knows this conversation will go nowhere, other than in circles focusing on her recent let-down. "Then have me pay for it, punish me, just-

*just get on with it*. Treat me as you would any of your other men. Treat me as *Elias*, because I haven't changed."

tightens his grip on the whip. "It goes against my every instinct to harm a lady, I'll have you know." He shakes his head.

"It's a good thing you haven't acted like one." And he brings it down for the first lash.

screams, caught off guard at first. She's able to stop the sound halfway through, clenching her fists. "Being a *woman* has *nothing* to do

with who I am."

brings it down again. "Quite frankly, I don't *care.* All I know is that you have proven far, *far* from what I

thought you were." And his piano is destroyed. But he'll deal with Gilbert for that later.

nearly yelps again. "What did you think I was, then?"

considers, emphasizing each trait he lists with another lash. "Trustworthy. Brave. *Honest.* Incorruptible-"

He pauses as a disgusting thought overcomes him. "I suppose he seduced you, didn't he?"

nearly whips around to face him. "*What*? No! You think he *could*? Because it's disappointing that after all this time you could doubt

something like that."

the back of her head a cold look. "I didn't think he could blackmail or overpower you, either." Another lash.

the blood start to trickle down her back. "Oh, and because I completely trusted that you'd be completely fine with me being a woman."

she seems to be in far too little pain if she's still talking like that. Admittedly he may have softened up a bit due to learning her

gender, but...he ignores her last words and focuses on putting a bit more effort into this.

the muscles in her shoulders start to quiver, but does her best to hide any telltale signs of pain.

simply continues. Despite his rage, he does feel a bit of guilt peeking through - he's whipping a woman. Usually only the most uncouth of

society resort to that. But does Elias, or Elizaveta, even count? Her crime was a man's crime. And she, as incredulous as he is about it,

is holding her own. "You're making it harder for yourself like this," he says as a test.

lets out a cool, even breath in an attempt to keep her voice from shaking. "Would you rather have me have a conversation with you? I thought

you abandoned that idea."

frowns with a frustration he doesn't quite understand. "I meant your refusal to admit to the pain. It must be "

hurting your body more than you pretend.

doesn't know how she's supposed to reply to this. "I'll start screaming once it starts to hurt." It's a challenge. It's a desperate, last-

minute hope to gain some respect.

doesn't know how to respond to that, so he keeps up the lashes - only harder, now.

eventually, gives into the pain. The scream, for some reason, doesn't sound quite like she meant it to. In fact, it sounds more like a

whimper.

, while still furious, is beginning to temper his anger with other thoughts, such as the fact that he is *whipping a woman.* Strangely

enough, she's taken it well - it took as long for her to make a sound as most men would. He gives her a few more, because he's certainly

still *angry.* Then he slides a gloved hand along its length, removing the blood. "Put on your shirt."

wraps herself back up quickly because, well, she'd like some support even if it's not to conceal her breasts, and tries to slip the shirt on

as easily as she can with the blood now sticking to it. She puts on the vest, as well, for decency's sake.

waits until she's finished before speaking. "I want you to stay in this house until I've decided what to do with you. Do you understand?"

nods. "Yes sir." She says it as if it's confirming he's still her boss.

honestly doesn't know what he's going to do with her. But there's still Gilbert to deal with, and for now, that

takes precedence. "I hope he realizes he's started a war," he muses to the air.