Let's get this started

That next day, Saige had went through the clothes available to them and had picked out something that looked somewhat decent for where they were heading. They had gotten a light sweater as well that helped covering the bruises, even putting on some extra makeup to cover it. However the broken lip was harder, but they had done a pretty good job. They had been rather quiet, hearing the other flowers whisper rumors around them all morning and finally they had just secluded themselves in their tiny room, reading up on their studies. It was easier than to deal with this whole situation.
Rose greeted Callan with a smile and a courtesy, welcoming him to the Garden, but was quickly a bit dismayed at the fact that he was here for business and nothing else. The order was clear and she politely told him to wait while she had someone fetch them. Saige was soon enough grabbed from their room and dragged down to the rather nice room at the ground level, adjusting their skirt a little before being nodded to enter. They went in, keeping their eyes down. "There you are, dearie," Rose smiled in an almost affectionate tone, going to greet them, touching their cheek gently that the seraph flinched away from. They were still rather skittish, and it was clear that they were hurt somehow. "I'll leave you to it, sir," Rose smiled, leaving the two as she had a feeling that seeing what might happen now might be too brutal for her, though she did enjoy the thought of the seraph getting what they had coming. Nobody at the Garden was special. Everyone had to go through the same.
As they were left alone, Saige just stood there silently for a bit, their arms wrapped around themselves. "I'm sorry," they spoke in a broken voice, shivering a bit. They were trying just to stay brave. "I tried .. I really tried .. but he couldn't .. I wasn't .." It was hard to come to terms with all of this. And they had a feeling that after what the guy had yelled at them last night that they wouldn't be allowed to go see Romeo now. "I'll do better next time," they said, finally looking up, a few of their tears having messed with their makeup, making a faint bruise on their cheek visible. "Can I still go see my friend?" Even after all that, they still asked for it.

The daemon drew closer, eventually smudging the makeup enough to reveal the bruise, gritting their teeth in pain and frowning clearly uncomfortable with their sore lip being touched. They just wished that people would stop hurting them. But did they really have a say in that? However the reassurance made them look up at Callan with almost disbelief. But .. hadn't they failed? They hadn't been able to do what had been asked of them, and now they were left with nothing but shame and regret. Having tried to go through the scenario over and over, they couldn't think of what they should've done differently. They had tried to just relax, let the guy take control, but he hadn't been able to perform. And so he had taken his anger out on the seraph, but part of them thought it was deserved?
They were passed on to another who came and grabbed them. "Please don't grab me so hard," the pleaded softly, the bruises still hurting under the sweater they were wearing. The visit with Romeo went well. Saige felt genuinely happy to just see the lycan and work on his troubles rather than focusing on their own. Of course he asked about the bruises and smiling Saige made up a story about going out and getting into a misunderstanding with another person. It wasn't good to lie, but it was better than dragging their friend into this mess.
Afterwards they were on the ride back to the Garden. They had gotten one of Romeo's sweaters that had gotten too small for him once more. It felt like a comfort that they were able to get these now that all they really had access to was what clothes the Garden supplied them with. At least this was their own, right?

When they got back, the seraph did try to hide the sweater, but one of the flowers got to it first, practically ripping it out from their hands and tossing it up in the air. The seraph felt horrible, just standing where it had been throw up, looking at it with longing eyes. It had been their ticket to a good night's sleep. And now that and the comfort was gone. Frankly they weren't sure how long they had just been standing there, looking up at the sweater as if that would make it magically fall down into their hands again. But that was very unlikely. Taking a shuddering breath, they leaned against the wall, their body still hurting from yesterday night, but it was not going to get better right away.
Then someone appeared that made them shake. Even if he was bruised up worse than they were, it didn't take away what he had done to him. It was strange, because the letter was handed to them along with an incoherent sound. They were unsure how to understand it, but reached out, trying to heal them, but realized soon enough that it wouldn't be a possibility. The guy left, and they were left with the letter. Scooting down against the wall they just sat on the ground, opening the envelope up because it seemed they couldn't have anything anyways, so what was stopping someone from ripping this letter from them before they had even read it?

Saige wasn't sure that the letter was of any comfort to them. It was brutal, and frankly they had to find a toilet, throwing up from the smell and sight of blood. It took them a while to get over the letter, but they still found themselves having nightmares about Callan forcing them to write a letter with their own blood. How he wouldn't hesitate to cut their throat if they disobeyed. And while they got more and more freedom, if you could call being in a prison freedom, it still felt so strange. They were starting to get picked on. They would call them Dandelion; a mocking name to signify that they were just a weed in a garden of flowers. Slowly they just started to isolate themselves, eating in their room, showering when most of the flowers were asleep and generally just staying away from any kind of trouble. They still walked by the pipe every day just to look up at the sweater that seemed to simply mock them the more time passed.

Rose really liked when Callan came to visit. Most were trembling in fear, but she had nerves of steel and found herself attracted to the daemon. Even if he mostly was here for business, she had offered herself up a fair few times. She was filling out some paperwork as Callan was there, finishing up some so that the daemon could take it with him. The question made her roll her eyes looking up at the daemon. "You let a weed grow in your garden .. what did you expect the flowers to do?" She reminded him. He had been the one to place the seraph here and give them special treatment. Rose had tried to keep order, but in this building it was clear that everyone was doing the same amount of work, even the house mother. "They of course notice how they aren't getting requests; how they get to go out every now and again," there was no bullshitting with her, and he had always seemed to appreciate her bluntness. It was what made her a good house mother to these flowers. "Have you grown soft, Callan?" She asked, a sly smile creeping up on her lips, folding her arms as she leaned back, looking at the daemon. She had been with him for a long time, and while she still had a heavy debt on their tab, she was steadily paying it off.

The fact that Callan reacted the way he did said it all. Rose knew that he now had a soft spot for the seraph, and she couldn't figure out why. There were flowers in this establishment that were much more beautiful than 576, and in fact she knew that Callan had always preferred her company. He grabbed her, and she looked up at him with a soft smile. She loved it when he touched her, even if his hands were rough. Never had she been afraid of his hands, even if she had had had to endure a few punishment. "I won't disappoint you, master," she spoke with a warm smile before there was a knock at the door. "Enter," she said, and she felt almost annoyed when she saw who it was.
The precious little Dandelion, a weed disguised as a flower, poking their head in, but as soon as they saw Callan was there they looked down. "Go on .. speak, and make it quick," Rose had always never been one for wasting time. Time was money, and she had to keep up with the budget they had been given. Saige swallowed, stepping inside and not closing the door. "I raised you better," she spoke and the seraph seemed to panic, closing the door right away, shivering as they were afraid what this meant when they were doing it in front of Callan. "I was wondering if I could get a new blanket?" They asked, keeping their eyes down, not wanting to meet the fury of either of them.
Rose sighed, humming as she got up. She walked over to cupboard, taking out a blanket for them before stopping in front of them with it. "Tell me what happened, since you need a new blanket already despite me giving one to you two days ago," she spoke in a harsh tone, but Saige knew better than to snitch. They knew that the flowers could be ruthless, and they weren't looking to be smothered in their sleep. "I gave it to one of the others," a blatant lie, and they shivering so much that they couldn't even sound convincing. "I .. I can sleep without one," they said in defeat, turning around to leave, still keeping their eyes down. Rose sighed, placing the blanket on their head which made them a little clumsily have to catch it. "Last time," she said. She only did this because Callan was here, if he hadn't she would've not given them anything but a lecture.
"Thank you," they said in such a grateful tone, hugging the blanket close and despite it not being the best fabric, it was clear they treasured it. "I'm assigning Daisy to you," Rose just said with a wave of her hand, "she'll keep your blanket safe." Saige turned around in confusion, looking at Rose. Was this a test? "I-I can handle this .. you don't have to trouble Daisy," they said, still looking down, "stop talking back, it was an order." Saige nodded a bit in defeat before they went to leave.
Once they had closed the door behind them Rose sighed moving over to sit down, lighting up a cigarette that she inhaled from, offering one to Callan while she was at it. "I promise to care for them, but I cannot be the one to show a preference; I'd lose the faith and trust the flowers have in me, and you know we can't risk anarchy in this well groomed garden." Rose knew what the place had been like before Callan entrusted her with this place. "Daisy will keep them company; the other girls do not want to mess with her, that is for sure."

When Callan grabbed a second blanket did Rose feel a bit snuffed. What was so special about that damned seraph. They were nothing, even if they could heal people, so could seraph tears and other remedies like it. What was the daemon plotting and why didn't he just keep the seraph close if he truly wanted them for themselves? Saige finally looked up at Callan, their eyes filled with fear, and yet there was a clear gratitude mixed in. They could barely find their words but bowed their head rather obediently, "thank you," the soft whisper left their lips, hugging both blankets close to their body. Rose noticed the strange exchange, and she knew that the daemon had a soft spot for the seraph right then and there. Normally he would've perhaps insisted on not wasting resources on someone who couldn't just fend for themselves.
As the seraph left and they sat down on the couch, Rose hummed at his orders nodding, "have I ever let you down?" She smiled, because she knew that had never been the case. Reaching over she touched the sleeve of his shirt gently, adjusting it a little, but mostly as an excuse to touch him. "Are you sure I can't offer you some comfort? Or perhaps one or two flower while you are here?" Rose was not afraid of offering something up to the man in charge of it all. He owned them all fair and square, and she had an affinity for him that seemed unmatched. Of course she couldn't kid herself in that he would ever see her as anything but a pass-time, but she was happy as long as he was close to her. The threat to weed out the Garden made her hum, sucking lightly on her cigarette, leaning her head against his shoulder, "I know you won't," she said, looking out into the room with a slight worry to her face, but it wasn't something he could see the way they were sitting.

Saige had made it back to their room, the flowers around them mocking them as they went. Dandelion, Dandelion, Dandelion. It seemed like a curse word at this point. A way to degrade them and clearly state that they were less than. Inside their room they hid away one of the blankets in the small cupboard they had been supplied with that fit some clothes. They still kept an empty hanger for the sweater, and that was when they realized they hadn't been to see it today. It had become a habit, like a good luck charm or a way to motivate them to keep going.
They got out of their room, heading towards the pipe where it was situated, and they sat down against the wall, turning their head upwards to look at the sweater dangling so far out of reach for them. They wondered how much dust it had collected at this point. "I'm sorry," they muttered softly as if actually talking to the sweater, but the sweater had become a symbol. The freedom they would never have again, so far out of reach that not even a ladder would be able to reach it. Just sitting there a few flowers passed by with crude remarks. How they weren't even that pretty and that they deserved to be put in their place. Saige had learnt to ignore it by now. It was the beatings they worried about. Pulling up at their long sleeve they looked at a few bruises that were starting to fade. There were even a few burn marks here and there from both cigarettes and curling irons. Sighing they just looked up at the symbol above.

As promised, Daisy soon enough showed up at their side. She was a tall woman, long blonde hair and built rather robust. They were sure anyone here wouldn't want to fight her. Daisy felt almost like a silent shadow, watching over them at every twist and turn, and the beatings slowly started to subside. Of course the flowers were always thinking of new ways to torture them, and one day when Saige had gone to see the sweater it was gone. They later found it in their room, smeared in dirt and substances they wouldn't even dare to think of was. But it was there and down from the ceiling.
They took it with them out to the shower, sitting down as they started to scrub the fibers clean with their hands and some soap that was available to them. Of course it wouldn't get the stains out, but it would at least not smell nor be dirty. Saige was just crying silently as they cleaned, Daisy walking in and seeing the ordeal she just nodded before leaving. The seraph was afraid that something horrible was going to happen, but they kept their head down and soon enough found out that Daisy had found the ones behind it all. The flowers were taken to Rose's office, reprimanded and then subsequently punished, but it seemed to only aggravate the other flowers more. How could this seraph be so perfect that they didn't have to work and reap all of the benefits as if they were some sort of saint. Saige hadn't asked for this and when the daemon came to visit again, Rose had arranged for them to see Callan in private.
They had been given an office to meet with him in. Well office was perhaps too nicely put, as there were a large bed and a couch along with some chairs. Saige wondered what was going to happen. They had done everything asked of them, not even kicking up a fuss about Daisy. They had just silently gone along with it. The only thing that Rose had reprimanded them of was the sweater that she had found ugly. But Saige kept wearing it, cleaning it themselves as they weren't risking it getting ruined more than it already had. In fact a few holes had started to appear in it, but luckily it had been where the stains were worst, so they were at least gone now.
They were sitting patiently, wondering if Callan even had the time for this. He seemed like such a busy man. Saige was wearing a short pleated skirt, some dark knee high socks along with the sweater. Even if Rose had told them to take it off, they kept it on. If the daemon wanted to have something to punish them about, then it might as well have been the sweater.

Saige wasn't sure what to say as Callan entered, but was it a surprise to see them here? They at least looked somewhat irritated, or perhaps it was just how they usually looked and Saige hadn't ever really studied his face well enough. Pulling their sleeves down they looked away as well, avoiding his gaze at all costs it seemed. Was he the one behind having a bodyguard on them all the time? "Physically no," they just replied, because that seemed to be what the daemon asked for. Why would he even care if they were being bullied? Gritting their teeth they just looked down at their hands holding onto the sleeves of the sweater as if that would protect them from anything. They had hoped that all this bullying would've simply subsided by itself by now, but it seemed unlikely the more time passed. "I'm sorry I'm causing you so much trouble," they finally said, looking up at them with regretful eyes. There seemed to be something very genuine about those brown-green eyes today.
There was a light knock on the door and Rose stepped in rather calmly, "you have a visitor," she said before a tall slender man entered, a stern look on his face. He smiled at the seraph who had frozen in place. While they normally looked to Callan with fear, this man made them look terrified if not horrified that he was there. "Aran," the man said almost as a greeting, but their tone was almost cold. Saige just sat there perplexed. The man looked to the daemon, nodding politely, "state your price," he said calmly and Saige looked down, their shoulders trembling in fear. How had he found them?

Saige was pushed forward, but stumbling they fell to their knees in front of the man, not looking up. However it was clear the man now leaned down, grabbing the seraph's chin, holding it firmly but with a possessiveness to it. Saige looked to the man, their eyes filling with tears as he made up his mind. "Do you really think you're worth that much, Aran?" He asked in a cold tone, studying their face before letting go of them, almost tossing them to the floor. "I guess I'll have to pay the price .. we can add it to your tally," he said, Saige laying on the ground, completely in shock about what was going on right now. The man stepped closer to reach his hand out to a formal greeting. "Gideon," the man finally introduced himself politely. "Perhaps we should discuss transaction while Aran packs their bags?" Though he doubted that the seraph had anything to their name at this point.
Saige looked to Callan, but it was more a look of betrayal and defeat than one of anger. The daemon had done so much to protect them, and now he was just selling them off? They felt a hurt in their chest they hadn't felt in a long time. Their breath started to hitch and Gideon gritted his teeth, "Apologies, they were never good at surprises," they said coldly, gesturing for Saige to leave the room.

Gideon seemed to agree to those terms, not really caring about the money it seemed, but he clearly didn't like the notion of being without Saige for another night. However he nodded, agreeing to the terms and taking the phone. Afterwards he walked out, grabbing onto Saige and pulling them in close, "you'll be home soon enough, my Aran," he whispered in their ear and Saige seemed unable to fight back. They were left standing in the hallway, slumping down to their knees in defeat. They were shaking still, crying as well, and as the flowers passed them by it was like their words meant nothing anymore. All of the horrors they had endured had nothing on this man. Gideon. A man they hadn't dared think about since they left home.
Rose came over to Saige, helping them to their feet and inspecting them. A part of her felt surprised that the seraph had reacted that way, but she had also been the one to accept the man to come and inspect them. She knew that Callan would rather want the money than some useless brat who would never make their own worth back. All the troubles would soon be gone and Rose could have her garden back to being free of weeds once more.

Saige didn't like this one bit and as the daemon dragged off with them, they felt so hopeless. They were not even sure why they weren't fighting back. Maybe because now it truly didn't matter. If Gideon had found them, then they might as well give up right away. Perhaps this was Saige's destiny. To never own themselves, and only belong to others. Once they reached the car they looked towards the exit with longing eyes. The order they heard, but they reached a hand out towards it, almost as if they wanted to touch the sunrays. They got in the car, and the seraph moved over, making sure to not take up too much space before pulling their knees up under their chin. They were trembling still, squeezing around their legs just to feel somewhat grounded. Their gaze was locked to the floor of the car, silent and just trying to come to terms with their fate.
As the car started to move they couldn't even find it in themselves to cry. It was like they had ran out of tears. They needed to figure out a plan. How to go about everything with Gideon. Make sure he wouldn't lash out at them too badly, though they expected it wouldn't change anything no matter what the seraph made plans for. "Are you happy .. to be rid of me?" They finally broke the silence, but then again Callan didn't owe them any explanation. Saige could understand the logic in selling someone as worthless as they were. All of the things Gideon had once told them rushing back to their head, making their eyes a little vacant.

Happy? No, Saige was far from happy. But saying that out loud wouldn't make sense. The daemon was right, business was business and they had originally not been planned to be with Callan either way. They felt their breath hiccup a little, leaning their head against the window next to them, closing their eyes as they felt it was all happening so quickly. The notion of the daemon being biased made them hum, "I'm sorry I took you for granted." They spoke softly, but also with much regret. If he felt like it was bad with Callan, then being with Gideon would be worse. They knew it. Callan at least had some sort of kindness to him, but Gideon was another story entirely. "I suppose there's nothing I could do to make you change your mind," looking out the window with an apathetic look in their eyes. Who were they kidding? Of course Callan would always pick the money. You're a waste of space. Saige shook their head, covering their ears as to not hear anything. The last thing they needed was to think there was any hope. No. They would have to go back to the dark room. They didn't like the dark room. The trembles reappeared and they tried just to block out all of the bad memories. "I'm sorry."

When the car stopped they were a bit surprised, looking to the house with confused eyes and yet they knew this was their last night under Callan's care. Was there truly anything they could do to stay with him? It was strange thinking that the daemon now was the lesser of two evils. Getting out of the car, they simply followed keeping their head down. Entering they took off their shoes, but only stepping into the living room, not sitting down anywhere. The way the daemon reached for the kit made them a little worried, especially because it seemed that their hands were shaking. What if he got hurt?
Something instinctive just took over for the seraph, moving over to sit on their knees in front of Callan. They reached out for the needle gently, not saying much but clearly wanted to help even if they didn't understand. If the daemon entrusted them with the needle they would gently feel around for a vein, finding one quite easily and helped the needle into it. They knew a thing or two about needles, at least from the few lessons they had had at a hospital when they had been out training for their education. "It's alright," they comforted him softly, taking the needle out, placing a piece of cotton over the tiny puncture and holding it in place so the daemon wouldn't bleed. They leaned their forehead down, placing it against his hand, closing their eyes as they focused on healing him up. That was the least they could do, right? "I'm still yours for the night." As if that was a comfort to either of them, but it at least was to Saige. Any night they wouldn't have to spend with Gideon was a good one. They had realized that now.