"This is why your still here. You're delusional! There is no such thing as monsters and magic." A door slams, a small girl cowered in the corner of a large, white-walled room. Her jacket arms were tied behind her, leaving the small girl in a perpetual hug. She hated this leathery jacket, it hurt her skin.

“Now, baby girl.” The child jumped; she hadn’t noticed anyone had come in. A man in a long white coat was sitting in front of her. She wiggled away from him, back pressed into the soft wall. 

“Now, now sweetheart.” He whispered, reaching out to brush hair behind her cheek. The girl shied away from but the doctor only chuckled. “Child,” he hummed, hand sliding down her arm slowly. “You’re going to be staying with us for a while now, let's be friends, shall we?” He hummed softly, smiling slowly at the small female.

Those 3 years changed the small girl. She quickly grew from a child to a woman, even if her body was still young. She wasn’t changed in her beliefs in monsters, but she was changed in her belief in humans. She had no faith in humans, especially men of authority. She avoided men, every chance she got. In school, she was quiet and violent until she met a frail girl in middle school. A girl who couldn’t stand up for herself, a girl who was bullied for her striking features, the only girl that didn't she away when scars came to light during a 7rh grade pool trip.

After that, the girls were inseparable. You never found the Arian without her guardian. Attached at the hip would be an understatement. Due to her living conditions the guardian often found herself towed off to the Arian's home because, in reality, the small, damaged girl had a damaged home. Vanessa didn’t have a family worth showing off. In the beginning perhaps, but once she’d been released from the hospital, she’d entered a broken family. Her mother overworked herself and her father was an abusive alcoholic.

When holidays came into the picture, Vanessa was at once taken in by Eloise. The Arian showed her what a good family looked like, as well as she could. At least what a loving mother was. Her father was consumed by work, showing his daughter with gifts as his show of affection. Until the accident. When the girls were just starting high school, Vanessa had been practically living with Eloise unofficially. She spent far more time with the Arian than at her own residence. Her father, having a moment of clarity and her mother, having two days off in a row for the first time in 4 years, wanted to take her to dinner, “make up for lost time” as they called it.

Dinner had been miserable, they adults had fought the entire time, insulted the waitress and Vanessa was the one to leave the tip in the end, grateful to Eloise who had predicted a similar outcome and slipped her some money against her wishes. But on the highway heading home, tragedy struck.

Wrong place, wrong time found the guardian in need of a savior. A hijacked plane went rogue, the piolet's last attempt to save his passengers landed the plane on the highway. In his delirious, near-death state, he’d done perfect, almost. All for the exception of the two cars who had been in the wrong place at just that exact moment. One shoved off the freeway by the nose of the plane and one crushed by the wing.

Her car was the latter, and the guardian, torn by class and metal, broken boned and scared from seeing the mutilated and smashed bodies of her parents, passed out. She fell into a coma, the doctors declaring that trauma caused the action. And when she came to, she was no longer Vanessa Maria Levrone; she was now Vanessa Maria Charmain.

Eloise’s father had adopted her after discovering her lack of living kin. For him, it was a business move: by adopting the sole survivor of the epic plane crash, his value rose in society's eyes. Vanessa was a charity case. Then, six months later, his fame skyrocketed. His daughters were kidnapped after a tryst at the mall and held for ransom.

As far as the public’s eyes went, it was due to the cooperation of Charmain industries and local police forces that saw the two daughters home. In truth, it was the work of the damaged guardian, unafraid of her own demise, and solely out to protect her princess from ruin. No one would touch the knight's lady and Vanessa made sure of that. From assault to...unsavory torture, Vanessa took it all, and when their captors thought they’d used the young woman up to her full capacity, they reach for the princess, but the knight was smarter.

It was then she struck, battered, bloodied, and used, she incapacitated their captors, and got them away through unsavory means that lead in a broken arm full of glass. None the less, the knight rescued her princess, then laid low and victimized when the police arrived. Had she left an anonymous tip of their locations? Well, no one asked questions and she never volunteered the information. Why? Her princess was safe after all.

But this brought on new trouble for the guards. In light of the capture, her father declared his daughters were too precious to be left on their own. After all, however, could two frail girls protect themselves from the dregs of humanity. So, a bodyguard was hired, then a second, and a third. Each coming and going within the span of six months, no longer.

Why? Because the supposedly frail and simplistic daughters were anything but and took a great deal in the challenge presented to them. So began the game, who could run the guard off quicker. Their bag of tricks never seemed to end, and with the guards being under strict contract, they would face a Niagara Falls sized lawsuit, were they to tell tales of anything that happened behind the Chairman Estates’ gates.

Which brought the girls to their current record, many years later as their lives existed mostly on the estate, their “father” declaring college too dangerous for the girls and declaring most of their classes be online, only allowing them to attend university under the eyes of a guard. They went to campus 4 times a week for 3 classes they both mostly shared.

They had their own section of the estate that was connected to the main house by a breezeway. The main floor was where they lived. An apartment set up with their bedrooms on one side, next to each other, a kitchen, living room, and an office room for their classes. Upstairs was a fully outfitted gym. Every piece of equipment the girls had wished for, including a sauna room that sat over top of their sunroom on the main floor. This room was basically Vanessa’s greenhouse room, her only real passion outside of jewel crafting.

Currently, their record stood at three months, the newest guard unable to handle any of their antics, especially when the spider’s got involved. This found both girls celebrating their victory together, in their own odd ways.

Vanessa hung from the metal bar, sweat slithering down her back as she worked slowly, rep after rep. 

“48...49...and...50.” 

She hissed out and kicked the foot stand into place, coming to rest on it for a moment, her arms extended into L shapes as she panted softly. She reach out for her water bottle hanging from the side of the large piece of equipment.

“You know, this newest stunt could have really gotten Mr. Estem hurt, Ness.” A calm voice called out making Vanessa groan in irritation.

“So what Maria.” Vanessa snapped back, peering at the head housekeeper through the steel bars of the pull-up machine. “Isn’t it the bodyguard's job to put their life on the line for Eloise? If they can’t handle a few spiders then what use are they?” She replied taking the towel that hung on one of the support bars and wiped the sweat off the handgrips. She dropped down from the foot stand and whipped off the leather before flipping it back up into place. The older woman chuckled and padded forward, a new towel in hand as she whipped Vanessa’s back. Vanessa sighed in irritation.

“Calm down Ness, you know you’ll feel sticky if I don’t. All I’m saying is that stunt you pulled could have caused her to fall down the stairs. Is that very nice? Now, where is my lady Eloise?” The grey-haired woman asked stepping around and holding out Vanessa’s bottle to her. She rolled her eyes taking it and downing a few mouthfuls. 

“Shouldn’t you already know that you old witch?” Vanessa snapped. And it was at that moment, just as she finished her statement that she heard the faintest whistle. She leaned to the left a fraction, her hand snapping up to catch the offending projectile, a slipper.

“Stop being rude to Gatha!” the clear, high voice snapped out. Vanessa turned her head just enough to see Eloise stepping out of the sauna room, a towel wrapped around her torso, her pale, fair skin glowing a bit in the rays of light the sunroof’s window let fall in. 

“She’s just cranky because you're right, Housekeeper. What can we do for your love?” the sweet, bell-like voice called as she came bouncing up, grabbing Vanessa’s arm lovingly. Her thin, porcelain arms wrapped around Vanessa’s right arm, holding the appendage to Eloise’s chest.

This was just how they were if they were out in the public eye more, they may have even been mistaken as lovers at some point. Well, truth was, they simply were as close as non-related sisters could get. They shared everything, including an undying love. 

“Well, in light of this latest failure, your father is at a loss Lady El. So, he has decided, until he can find a suitable guard that you cannot slip, scare off or whatever else it is that you two cook up, your mother’s guard will stand in place. He has made arrangements for someone to take over for Victor seeing as your mother is...how did he put it...easier to handle.”

The way Gatha said the last made both girls snicker to each other. “Now, he is currently on an errand, says two young woman half-clad is not something a man should see so freely and decided to take off something important.” Gatha hesitated before continuing. “And well...because of your mother, he knows the truth, about you I mean Vanessa.” her tone grew a little quieter at this.

Vanessa’s eyes narrow as the nimble fingers around her arm tightened suddenly. “Which parts, the part of my supposed psychosis, or-” her words were cut off by Gatha’s soft sigh.

“Everything child. Lady Ranaya told him everything. Among the staff and family, he and I are the only ones who know.” She said, head low. Vanessa grit her teeth, the bottle taking the brunt of what her jaw couldn’t exercise.

“Hey, that’s okay though.” Eloise chimed in, leaning away slightly so she could look at Vanessa. They were basically the same height, Vanessa having the Arian by an inch or two. “That just means that he won't be as annoying right? Look, he obviously trusts you enough to leave us up here alone right! This could be a nice break! Look I know you don’t get along with him, but we can try right, feel it out like you always say.” Vanessa stared into the sparkling blue eyes, her expression flat as she read the emotion reflected in the colored orbs.

“I suppose…” She muttered after a few moments. This gained a childlike squeal from Eloise as she jumped up and down. Vanessa’s free hand shot out, bottle forgotten, and clattering to the ground as her hands gripped the escapist towel around Eloise’s chest.

“You know better than that.” Vanessa scolded with a smirk as Eloise blushed and grabbed her towel. “Thank you, Gatha, we’ll be down in a few minutes!”

And she was towing Vanessa off into the little changing area they had, equipped with a shower similar to the one you’d find on a beach. Growing up together gave neither girl reserves toward their bodies, which was why they stripped so easily before each other, ducking under their respective faucet heads.

“Hey, this could be good Nessie, and come on Victor is super hot. I think having a buff hot guy that could easily pass as a mafia boss at our side could be perfect!” She gushed. Vanessa rolled her eyes.

“It’s the beautiful ones that are the most messed up,” Vanessa growled, finger’s trailing over the scar around her neck.

“Okay, but this isn’t the hospital, this is home.” Eloise declared as Vanessa ducked under the faucet to rinse her hair. Hands were suddenly grasping her own and she was pulled into the cool embrace of Eloise. “It’s you and me, here and now Ness.” She whispered and leaned away, she held Vanessa’s hands as she smiled childlike at the dark-haired guardian.

“So, cheer up! Victor has been with the family for years! You just don’t like him because he challenges you.” She was smirking now as she ducked back under her own faucet. They stood less than a foot from each other anyway.

“There is that, but as I said, I don’t trust attractive,” Vanessa said simply. They finished washing up and after a quick run through with their dryers, Vanessa made quick work of Eloise's hair, braiding it into a crown with practiced hands as Eloise returned the favor by taming Vanessa’s dark mane into a bun.

Clad in colorful beach towels they girls took the carpeted steps quickly that lead into Vanessa’s room. The girls were similar enough in size that Eloise could wear Vanessa’s jeans if they were bootcut or boyfriend cut and since Vanessa was pretty much ripped, her normal size as big enough to compensate for Eloise’s chest size, however, the woman still dressed to the 9s when they weren't staying home. Both of their closets had a mixture of the girls’ attire though, never knowing whose room they would be changing in.

They appeared in the living room then, Eloise in a floral and ruffle blouse, pleated, thigh-length skirt, and heels, with Vanessa in polar opposite attire of black boot cut jeans, converse, and a band-t which she wore a black hoodie over. Eloise went for her purse as Vanessa looked around, contemplating getting something from the kitchen. It was then that a note on one of the support beams of the living room caught Vanessa’s gaze. She walked to the bar as Eloise gathered up their belongings, stashing them in her purse.

Ms. Vanessa and Ms. Eloise, in light of the new arrangement, made today, I have gone to collect something of importance and will be waiting out front when it is time for the gala. One of my men will accompany you to the dress fittings and bring you home. If you need to visit somewhere else, don’t hesitate to ask. -V

Vanessa looked up from the note as Eloise read it over her shoulder. “Well look at that.” She hummed in an I told you so tone as Vanessa dropped the note into the waste bin in the kitchen. “Told you he wouldn’t be so bad.” She grinned. Vanessa rolled her eyes making her way to the kitchen.

“Well, let’s get going then shall we?” Eloise asked Vanessa, who was pulling the pant’s leg of her jeans up to adjust the strap for her calf knife, securing it a bit more comfortably.

“Do you have to take that? It’s a dress fitting Nessie. Do you really wanna scare the poor ladies?” Eloise whined.