1character | Trapped at the Crossroads (50 Sentences: Original Character/Original Work)

Character: Original
Fandom: Original
Theme set: Alpha
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Manipulative behavior; threats of blackmail; very brief innuendo
Notes: Crossposted to

whatif_au

#01 - Speak: "You wanted to speak with me," I asked, as soon as his secretary had closed the door discretely behind me; I knew she'd be going on her way, as the entire office block was closing for the day; that meant that the discussion I was about to have was strictly after-hours.

#02 - Touch: "I did," he confirmed, the ghost of a smile touching his lips as he motioned to a chair in front of his desk; "please, have a seat."

#03 - Memory: "What a surprise," I responded, sitting down; "I wasn't aware that you had any memory of me working for you."

#04 - Vanilla: "Perish the thought: That I'd forget the woman who always smells like coconut and vanilla when she walks by," he grinned a bit.

#05 - Chocolate: "I've been known to smell like chocolate, too, on occasion," I commented; "but I doubt that you called me in here to discuss my taste in shampoos."

#06 - Ways and Means: "Quite right; I called you in, as a matter of fact, because I've heard...certain things about you; from what I understand, you have ways of piercing through to the core of my business dealings."

#07 - Belief: I frowned a little, answering: "It was my belief that those dealings were meant to be above-board; I wasn't aware that the digging I was doing was confidential."

#08 - Linger: He slowly circled the chair I was sitting in, lingering for a moment directly behind me.

#09 - Luminance: "For the most part, yes," he said; "but there are certain aspects of it that don't necessarily belong illuminated, on public display--unlike you, if you'd be willing to drop this little investigation of yours."

#10 - Ornament: "I think I get your drift," I murmured, standing and heading for the door: "Tone things down, and I get 'promoted' to your personal ornament--or am I jumping to conclusions, here?"

#11 - Coup de foudre: Like lightning, he was in front of me, blocking my path to the exit.

#12 - Archway: "Don't be so hasty," he purred, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear; "you can pass through that door, back to ordinary; or you can go through the archway of a great and lucrative destiny."

#13 - Fate: I pulled away; "I hardly think fate has anything to do with this situation," I responded firmly, "so my answer is no."

#14 - Pulse: His hand now reached out, clutching my wrist, his thumb pressed firmly to the pulse point; he smirked as he felt it begin to race.

#15 - Envelope: "There are ways to change your mind," he whispered, his other hand motioning to an envelope that rested nearby, on his desk.

#16 - Cold: "What's in that envelope," I mumbled, suddenly feeling my blood run cold; my digging had found evidence that he wasn't opposed to stooping to such low tactics as threats and blackmail.

#17 - Need: "I think you could use a stiff drink," he suddenly decided, stepping over to the wet bar that stood against the wall; "I've got everything you need right here; join me, please."

#18 - Drunk: "I'll pass," I responded; "getting me drunk might get you what you want; I prefer to remain sober."

#19 - Mask: He smiled a bit more widely, the expression resembling a mask.

#20 - Rose: "So the rose prefers to keep her thorns," he murmured; "or perhaps you're a butterfly who's trying to protect her wings; that's perfectly fair."

#21 - Two: Nevertheless, he proceeded to prepare two glasses, as though he expected me to take it, after all.

#22 - Fresh: "Suppose I took a fresh approach, then," he suggested, setting the drink he'd intended for me on a coaster, as he took a sip of his own.

#23 - Bribe: "If you think you can bribe me," I started.

#24 - Error: His smirk widened still further; "Then I doubt that I'd be in error; everyone has a price."

#25 - Appetite: "I don't have an appetite for anything you could offer."

#26 - Refrain: "Nonsense," he chuckled; "I'll find the way past that exterior of yours; I'm sure to find the very thing that'll make you refrain from nosing in any further."

#27 - Family: "I have no family for you to threaten," I warned.

#28 - Grieve: "No one you'll grieve for, or to grieve for you, if something were to happen," he murmured, taking that in; "I see; that's one weapon effectively removed from my arsenal."

#29 - Vapor: For a moment, he looked almost as though he was going to have what the old-timers once would have called the vapors, so bothered did he seem by the loss of one potential threat.

#30 - Tea: "Shall I make you some tea," I mock-soothingly offered.

#31 - Medicine: "You'll need medicine more than I will," he muttered; I could practically see the gears grinding in his head as he thought.

#32 - Moth: "You thought that I'd be the moth, and you'd be the flame," I told him, turning again to the door; "but you either underestimated me, or overestimated yourself."

#33 - Perfect: "You're not leaving here tonight," he warned, "until I find the perfect solution to the problem that you present;" again he blocked my path, herding me back to the chair.

#34 - Rope: Once I was sitting down again, he reached into his pocket, withdrawing a few thin lengths of rope.

#35 - Wind: He wound them around my wrists and ankles, securing me to the chair, before pulling back with a cocky smile.

#36 - Crossroads: "You're trapped at the crossroads now," he murmured, "between success and total disaster."

#37 - Summer: Before I could protest, he clapped a hand over my mouth, the skin feeling hot as a summer sun.

#38 - Candy: "There's no point in crying out for help," he whispered, leaning close, his smile as sweet as poisoned candy; "you know there's no one in the building but us; the janitorial staff won't show up for a few hours, yet."

#39 - Photograph: Taking his hand from my lips, he slit open the envelope he'd pointed out to me, and spilled its contents all over the floor: A cluster of X-rated photographs that had clearly been doctored, the faces in them all altered to look exactly like me.

#40 - Spoon: "Cooperate with me," he continued, picking up one of the photos and shoving it under my nose, "or I'll spoon-feed the damage this will cause your reputation to everyone I can; I already have copies saved to my hard drive, and it'll only take a single email attachment to crush you."

#41 - Forest: Between the ropes binding me, and the faked photographs, I felt lost in a forest, trapped, powerless.

#42 - Mirror: "I wish I had a mirror," he chuckled against my ear, "so that you could see the look on your face...all the money on Earth couldn't buy how deliciously wrecked you look right now."

#43 - Smoke: He had me in a corner; he knew it, and he knew that I knew it; unless a miracle occurred--and I didn't believe in miracles--my reputation, my career, everything, would go up in smoke.

#44 - Shine: "But see the silver lining shining under this cloud," he added, resting a hand familiarly on my shoulder; "play by my rules, and you'll be sitting pretty--even prettier than I think you happen to be sitting, right now."

#45 - Balloon: There was nothing I could say to burst his balloon; nothing I could think of to counter his maneuvering.

#46 - Vine: The hold he had on me was wrapping around like invisible vines, like unbreakable chains.

#47 - Butterfly: "The butterfly's without her wings, the rose without her thorns," he purred; "I think this is what's commonly known as Checkmate."

#48 - Gloves: "I think I'll take that drink, after all," I muttered, "now that I know what you're like when your gloves are off--that is, if you haven't drugged it."

#49 - Venom: Grinning, he went and retrieved the glass, holding it to my lips; I wanted to change my mind, and recoil from it as though it were filled with venom; but his hand snaked through my hair, holding me still.

#50 - Remain: "Not to worry," he whispered, tilting the glass to let me drink; "I don't need to resort to that sort of thing...for now, however, the ropes binding you will remain--at least until I'm fully convinced that you've come to see things my way."