Dimitrescu Sisters X Female Reader - Tumblr Posts

Shielded

[Resident Evil: Village] Dimitrescu Sisters x Fem! Reader | Bela Dimitrescu x Female Reader, Cassandra Dimitrescu x Female Reader, Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: A short fight, near-death experiences, blunt death of a major character (from the series), blood

[A/N]: This is part one of my short stories for the Dimi sisters. I'll have one for each sister individually once I can set up an outline.

Here are the continuations:

Bela Cassandra Daniela

Enjoy!

Alcina Dimitrescu’s daughters were known by those in the Village to be rather sadistic. They enjoyed torturing their victims for days, often verging on weeks, because they found the terror on their faces amusing. They never seemed to struggle in a fight, no matter how much bigger their opponent was. Even individually they were too powerful. That is–so long as they aren’t weakened first. The one downside to the experiments they had been under, performed by Mother Miranda herself, was that they couldn’t withstand any temperature “below 50 degrees Fahrenheit,” according to the Empress herself. It prevented them from being able to shift into a swarm of flies, meaning it was much harder to retreat to safety.

Ethan Winters had figured this out rather quickly. He found a small book with descriptions and photos of the experiments as they were taking place. Because of how quickly he was dashing throughout the castle in search of his daughter, Rose, all three of the Dimitrescu sisters decided it would be best to corner him so he wouldn’t be able to run anymore.

In a spare room upstairs, they managed to surround him, taunting him relentlessly as he shot at them in vain. They laughed, shoving him to the ground. The eldest daughter, Bela, stood over him, raising her sickle high above her with the intent to drive it directly into his throat with an overly-brutal force. He continued to shoot at her. She cackled darkly. “Silly man-thing. It seems you just don’t learn things quick enough. Your bullets cannot harm anyone in here.” Her sisters laughed at him with her, but before she could jab his jugular the way she had been desperate to for hours now, her attention was immediately drawn to the sound of glass shattering behind her. She whipped around to find the nearest window blown open. She gasped, turning back to Ethan and watching as smoke trailed out from the barrel of his handgun. A loud growl erupted from her throat. “You stupid man! Do you have any idea as to what you’ve just done?”

Cassandra and Daniela both ducked behind objects in the room for cover from the harsh wind now pouring into the room. Bela slashed at Ethan’s face, but she only managed to gash his arms as he blocked. He quickly kicked her hard in the leg, scrambling back onto his feet as she collapsed to the ground. She could already feel her body crystalizing, causing her movements to slow drastically. Ethan shot at her repeatedly to force her to stay in the wind. Cassandra then lunged forward from his right and swung her blade at him–though he quickly dodged and threw her down towards Bela. She cried out in pain as the icy gust began freezing her body thoroughly as well.

“You damned bastard!” Daniela shouted. She ran towards Ethan recklessly, and he countered her attack by using the grip of his gun to strike her sickle away from himself, grabbing her by the arm and twirling her around far enough to hurl her in the same spot of her older sisters. Bela managed to catch her weakly, though there was still a thud that was loud enough to cover the sound of the door opening behind Ethan.

“Enough of these games! Where’s Rose?” He aimed his pistol towards the trembling trio now practically frozen on the ground. Bela instinctively pulled her sisters into her chest, trying desperately to shield them from everything around them. “Answer me! Where the hell is my daughter?” Bela huffed as she shivered, glaring up at him through her eyelashes. Her gaze flickered behind him, a look of terror growing across her features. A loud cry rang out as a woman jumped onto Ethan and tackled him to the ground. All three of the girls recognized her–the maid they had grown so fond of. Daniela tried to crawl forward, but her eldest sister held her back. “[Y/N], no! You’ll get yourself killed!”

“How dare you lay your filthy hands on them?” She wrestled against him to keep him pinned, grasping at his gun. He writhed beneath her and finally managed to shove her off of him. Before he had the chance to aim at her, however, she was already back up and running towards him. She kicked his hand as hard as she could, sending the gun flying towards the wall. Ethan glared up at her, and they both scrambled towards it. Just before he could grab hold of the barrel, a hand stomped down onto his wrist, causing him to let out a cry of pain.

[Y/N] was quick to pick up the pistol and aim it towards Ethan’s head, not hesitating as she pulled the trigger and sent a bullet through the back of his skull.

Moments passed as she panted heavily for breath, studying Ethan’s limp body in search of any signs of life. At length, her gaze shot over to the three women on the floor a few feet away. She discarded the gun, not caring where it ended up, and ran towards them to help them stand. “Come on, let’s get you three somewhere warmer.” She managed to lead them into the hallway, supporting Bela–who was struggling to prop her younger siblings up against her shoulders. “[Y/N],” she voiced softly. “There should be a fireplace two rooms down. I’m not sure if there’s any driftwood though.”

[Y/N] nodded and steadied them before walking them into the room. She sat them down a few feet in front of the hearth, glanced around the room in a panicked manner, and growled when she didn’t spot any wood. She ran to the next room, returning shortly to bundle all three of the women up with multiple blankets she had found. Not too long after, there were pillows that supported their weight as they relaxed into the small amount of warmth. “I’ll be right back,” [Y/N] assured, kneeling in front of them. “W-Where are you going?” “I need to go get the driftwood from downstairs. I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

They didn’t have any time to respond, only being able to watch as she ran past them and left the room. It felt like hours had passed before she finally made it back. She tossed the wood into the fireplace and lit a match, flicking it into the pile and watching as a small flame slowly came to life. “Okay, hopefully the fire will grow in a moment. Is there anything else I can do to help you three heal?”

All three of them shared a look and a few reluctant nods. Cassandra turned to [Y/N]. “I-It won’t help us warm up, but…drinking someone’s blood would help us regain a bit of our strength.” [Y/N] stood there for a moment, surprised. She nodded and looked around. “You could use my sickle, but it’s in the other room,” Bela offered. The maid nodded and dashed out of the room once more. She returned briefly with the blonde’s weapon.

Sitting in front of the trio, [Y/N] brought the sharpest edge of the blade to her palm. She sucked in a sharp breath before digging it into her skin and dragging out a jagged line of blood. The scent of blood heightened all three Dimitrescu sisters’ senses. Their pupils expanded and they forced themselves to sit up. They took turns drinking small amounts, going from youngest to oldest. Daniela went first, then Cassandra. When it was Bela’s turn, there was hardly any blood left, visibly upsetting her.

[Y/N] sighed softly. “Don’t worry. I can always lose a bit more,” she whispered. She sliced another line on the same palm with a small hiss of pain and lifted it towards the blonde’s lips. Bela latched on immediately, grabbing ahold of the girl’s hand and pulling it closer. Moments later, when she was finished drinking, she sighed and leaned back into the pillows to rest. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “Of course.” [Y/N] stood, shakily placed the sickle on a table nearby, and went to the cabinet adjacent to the door, thankful to find a small roll of bandages. She treated her fresh, self-inflicted wounds quickly before walking to sit beside the fireplace so she could keep an eye on the three.

She sighed heavily, the adrenaline from the fight finally wearing off and causing great fatigue throughout her body. She closed her eyes. They snapped open, however, when she heard the girls whining and shuffling under the blankets. “What’s wrong?” Cassandra groaned. “It’s so cold,” she replied. [Y/N] turned to examine the size of the fire, finding that it was still rather small. “I’m not sure what I can do to help you warm up faster. I’ve grabbed almost every blanket I could find.” Daniela tried to sit up, but could only manage to partially prop herself up with her elbow. “We could really use your body heat. Why don’t you let us huddle against you?” Bela and Cassandra nodded in agreement, letting out small “yeah’s.”

Flustered, [Y/N] cleared her throat. “I’m not sure,” she voiced, “I think you three might need to warm up by the fire instead. It’ll provide more warmth than I ever could.” Bela shook her head and motioned for her to join them. “We’ll take any source of heat we can get. We’re so cold, [Y/N]. Please just let us do this.” [Y/N] sighed. She stood and weakly sauntered over to the pile of pillows and blankets, sheepishly crawling under the multiple layers and planting herself in between Bela and Cassandra. With a groan, Daniela forced herself to shift over far enough to lie on top of the [h/c] girl while her older sisters each leaned against her opposite shoulders.

Collectively, all three sisters sighed in relief at the sudden comfort the softness and warmth brought them. They pulled the blankets tighter around themselves and nuzzled as far into [Y/N]’s body as they could. “Thank you for…you know. Saving us,” Bela murmured. Her sisters hummed in agreement, both too exhausted to be vocal about their gratitude.

“Of course,” [Y/N] reassured softly. “You three mean the world to me. I could never just stand to the side and let something bad happen to any of you.” They all shared a smile. “And, of course, if I hadn’t stepped in, your mother would’ve had my head,” she added in a joking manner. “We wouldn’t have let that happen to you,” Daniela whispered almost inaudibly, chuckling. “But you wouldn’t have been here to protect me.” “Ah, we would’ve found a way. Believe us.”

They laughed softly, enjoying the silence that fell upon the room afterwards.

“What’re we going to do with the body?” [Y/N] asked. “Eat him,” Daniela said as though it were obvious. “You want to eat the body of a man who nearly ruined everything?” “Oh, definitely,” Cassandra muttered, smirking when [Y/N] giggled.

Loud, hurried footsteps reverberated down the hall, growing louder within mere seconds. The door of the room flew open, striking the cabinet beside it with a loud crack, and a familiar voice called out. “Girls?” Alcina asked anxiously. She quickly walked to stand in front of the group, sighing when she saw everyone breathing. She knelt down and placed a hand on Bela’s shoulder. “Oh, my poor dears, are you alright? One of the maids informed me of what happened.” The blonde’s eyes fluttered open and flickered over to her mother. “We’re alright, mother. He’s dead.” “Yeah,” Daniela added, prompting her mother to turn her attention to her. “[Y/N] protected us and brought us in here so we could warm up.”

Alcina’s head tilted. “Warm up?” A look of pure fury crossed her features. “You mean to tell me that repulsive, pathetic excuse of a man forced you into the cold? Oh, [Y/N], you should’ve let me handle things. I would have sliced him to ribbons the way he deserved.” “I apologize, my Lady, I just wanted to ensure he didn’t hurt them again. There was a bit of a struggle, so I sort of…ended things as quickly as I could.” The matriarch of the castle sighed and smiled. “It’s alright, my dear. You kept my daughters safe. I’ll forever be grateful for that.” They shared a look of understanding before Alcina stood. “Now, where did the poor man-thing meet his well-deserved demise?” “Two rooms over.”

“Perfect. Dinner will be very satisfying.” With that, she left the room and headed to the place of the attack. The sound of the door opening followed by something heavy being dragged all the way downstairs informed the women that their mother had the other maids prepping for dinner.

[Y/N] closed her eyes, letting herself relax and focus on her senses. She opened her eyes to look down and study the fatigued, lounged body language and expressions of the girls. She could smell the ash of the burning driftwood and feel the heat it provided. Beneath all of the covers, she could feel where each hand rested against her skin, each shaky breath taken by the girls who clung to her for warmth. Daniela had both arms tucked underneath [Y/N]’s body to ground herself steady as she rested on top of her torso, Cassandra’s were wrapped weakly around her shoulders, and Bela had one buried underneath her and the other resting on her chest.

[Y/N] could hear everyone’s breathing and the crackle of the fire. For a group that had just been attacked mere moments ago, all four women seemed to be at ease. In an attempt to further soothe them, [Y/N] brought her hands up to rub Bela and Cassandra’s lower arms. Their slightly tensed muscles softened in relief. She hugged them closely.

“I promise you–all three of you–that as long as I’m here, I will never let anything bad happen to you.”

There was no response, but she knew that they had heard her. She sighed. Her head fell back to lean against the pillows. The plush surface provided a softness that helped her body still, her eyelids drooping from fatigue. A soft rustling and the feeling of a weight being lifted from her chest, however, prompted her to look down. She found the youngest of the daughters gazing up at her. “Is something wrong?” She whispered softly at Daniela, who shook her head.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to ask you something,” she responded just as quietly. “Hm?” “Could we possibly come to you more often? I hadn’t realized just how much warmth you can provide. It’s really cozy.” [Y/N] was far too exhausted to blush or be modest. Instead, she simply smiled with a barely-noticeable nod. “Of course.” Daniela smiled back at her and returned to resting her head against the girl’s chest. Her mind settled once she could hear [Y/N]’s heartbeat.

Flames crackling and soft snores took the place of the silence in the room. [Y/N] swore in her heart she would never let them get hurt again, no matter what it took. She squeezed the women closer to herself and shut her eyes, whispering a soft reassurance more to herself than the others as she finally let herself drift into a much-needed slumber. “Everything will be okay.”

Shielded Dedication

[Resident Evil: Village] Bela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.1k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of torture and death, soft angst, past trauma (based on the first part of this short series), and anxiety.

[A/N]: Here's Bela's part for the continuation of Shielded! I'm working on the stories for Cassandra and Daniela, so expect those sometime soon!

Enjoy!

//////////

Sharp, repeated pains shot their way through [Y/N]’s skull, prompting her to clench her jaw and grind her teeth together. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, her eyes screwed tightly shut. “We’re running out of maids, Cass! We can’t keep killing them for any little inconvenience!” Daniela shouted as she stepped forward to look her sister in the eyes. “We can get more! It’s not like any of them matter anyway!”

Cassandra seemed to regret her words immediately after yelling them. Her gaze had flickered over to a maid–[Y/N]--and remembered all the girl had done for her and her family. She had saved them two weeks prior from an intruder, killing off the man and bringing them to safety. She had provided warmth and blood for them to heal and regain their strength.

“Cassandra, please,” her mother warned. Her expression mirrored [Y/N]’s as she sighed. “We need to avoid punishing these maids too severely, as your sister said. There aren’t many left, and the women still left in the village are far too young or ill. Take her down to the cellars and carry out a reasonable punishment. If she’s found dead, you will never hear the end of it from me.” Cassandra parted her lips to retort something, but bit back her response with a groan. “Yes, mother,” she murmured in a much softer tone. “Daniela,” the matriarch added just as the youngest daughter began to taunt her older sister. The redhead straightened up, ignoring Cassandra, who stuck her tongue out at her and grabbed the maid nearby by the wrist. “Go with her to ensure she doesn’t take things too far, will you?” “Of course, mother.” Alcina smiled warmly at her and watched as the two pulled the maid out of the room and into the kitchen. Faintly, she heard the two beginning to bicker in hushed voices, even as they walked further away.

She turned, expecting to find her eldest daughter waiting patiently in her seat, but instead found herself alone at the table. She glanced around, eventually turning to another maid who stood anxiously by the door to the courtyard. “Did you happen to see where Bela went?” After the events that took place two weeks beforehand, Alcina grew anxious when any of her daughters disappeared without letting her know where they were headed. “I-I saw her follow [Y/N] out of the room, but I’m not sure where the two of them went. I apologize, my lady,” she said with a bow of her head. A soft sigh slipped past Alcina’s lips. “It’s alright. As long as they are together, I’m sure they’ll be fine. They seem to do a fantastic job at defending each other.”

//////////

Bela had left the room relatively quickly once she realized her family was distracted. She saw [Y/N] slip through the main doors to the dining room after hissing in pain, sparking a sense of concern which she had never felt for another person before–especially a maid. She waited a moment before swarming out of the room and following [Y/N]’s scent all the way to a hallway she often found the girl wandering in. She shifted into her solid form right before turning around a corner, allowing her to peer out from behind it and watch as an expression she adored crossed over [Y/N]’s features. This hallway held the majority of her mother’s paintings, all of which seemed to fascinate anyone who stumbled across them. But with [Y/N], it seemed to Bela that she took more interest in the pieces than any of the other maids.

She always wore a smile as her gentle gaze studied the brushstrokes and smaller details that even Bela herself had never noticed before. The blonde couldn’t help the smile that made its way across her own lips. She sucked in a deep breath, glancing down at herself to smooth out her dress and cloak, trying her best to stall for time to steel her nerves.

Softly, Bela stepped forward and strolled over to stand beside [Y/N]. She cleared her throat quietly. Her gaze flickered to the girl’s face before locking into a random spot on the canvas in front of them. “It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?” Startled by the sudden voice, [Y/N] jumped rather visibly and twirled her head to face her. “O-Oh, I’m…” She cleared her throat. “I apologize, Lady Bela, I didn’t know you were here. I figured I was alone.” Bela smiled kindly at her. “You’re quite alright, [Y/N]. I suppose I did sort of sneak up on you. I just wanted to see if you’re okay. You left the dining room in quite a hurry after all,” she explained.

“Ah, well, I promise I’m alright.” [Y/N] scratched the back of her neck with an anxious giggle, turning back to the painting to avoid eye contact. “I’ve just got a bit of a headache is all.” Bela tilted her head, her words laced with concern. “Headache? Are you falling ill?” Her question was answered with a dismissive wave of [Y/N]’s hand. “No, no, I’m alright. I just got overwhelmed with all of the noise. Plus,” she bit her tongue to stop herself from continuing. An anxious look crossed her face and she cleared her throat. “Never mind.” Bela raised a brow.

“I’m assuming your headache is also caused by my sisters and I constantly trailing after you since what happened a couple of weeks ago?”

“Ah, no, I–!”

Bela chuckled. “It’s alright, you don’t have to lie.” [Y/N] studied her gaze, terrified she might find some sign of a lie, but sighed in relief when she found none. “Well, I wouldn’t say it was a cause, but it certainly didn’t help, if I’m being honest.” The blonde delicately placed her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “I figured as much. I apologize for not doing a better job at giving you space of your own. I’ve never seen them so attached to someone before–not even our mother.”

“And I’m sure they haven’t ever barged into a maid’s bedroom asking to bundle up together before?” They both laughed quietly together as Bela shook her head. “No, of course not. I believe I can say I was just as surprised as you were to see them try that,” she responded. They shared another smile, and while [Y/N] turned back to stare absentmindedly at the painting only a few feet in front of her, Bela continued to stare, getting lost in her thoughts as she fought with herself on whether or not she should ask the question that had been burning on her tongue for over a week now.

Feeling the eldest daughter’s soft gaze still on her, [Y/N]’s attention was brought back to the woman beside her. “Are you alright?” Bela blinked, surprised to find herself zoning out. “Oh, yes, I’m fine! S-Sorry, I just…” she trailed off and fumbled with her own hands after hiding them behind her torso. “I’ve been—I want to—there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now, but I’m afraid you’ll find me too clingy or desperately annoying.”

“Bela, I could never think of you that way. As I said before, you and your family mean the world to me. I’ll do anything and everything I can to protect you all and make you happy. Please don’t feel ashamed to ask me something.”

Bela was taken aback by her words. She hadn’t expected to ever find someone so kind and selfless in her lifetime. It felt nice to be seen and welcomed and understood by someone aside from herself. That was what had drawn her to this girl in the first place: she always put others’ needs before her own, and she knew it was wrong to do so at times, but she understood because she did the same for her family. Her nerves calmed, allowing her to breathe normally and smile. “Well, I’m sure by now you know my sisters and I all crave a source of warmth, especially considering our only weakness is the frigid air.” [Y/N] beamed, nodding to show she was listening intently.

“Ever since you saved us that day and let us huddle up against you to warm up again–to let us rest and regain our strength–I’ve been finding it…very difficult to sleep soundly. My bed and its covers provide enough warmth to keep me content, but they aren’t warm enough to lull me into sleep the way you did. I-I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. You really do bring me a sense of comfort that I’ve never experienced before, and I…

“I want to ask if we could possibly do that again? Without my sisters?” Once she processed her words, her face flustered and she began to ramble. “Oh god, that’s not how I meant for that to come across at all–I apologize! I-I just meant could we sleep together,” another gasp fell from her lips, cutting her off. “N-No, that’s not what I meant either!”

She groaned and planted her red face in her palms when [Y/N] began to giggle at her stuttering. She sighed and felt her shoulders droop in defeat. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make this so awkward. I had this all planned out. I wrote a letter and everything to avoid this.” [Y/N] laughed again, though she gently laid her hand on Bela’s arm. “You don’t have to apologize, hun. I won’t lie to you—that is an awkward question to try to phrase. I’m sure I wouldn’t have done any better.” Bela blushed at the nickname, but grinned at the reassurance. She rubbed her arm anxiously once [Y/N]’s hand fell back to her side.

“So, what do you say?” [Y/N] hummed in thought, staring off into space like she did when she examined Alcina’s portraits. “I don’t know. What if your sisters or your mother find us? Won’t they be upset? I mean, they’d be for completely different reasons, but I still don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” Bela felt herself internally swooning again at the girl’s selflessness.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. My mother knows not to come into my room without permission, and even though my sisters aren’t the same, I don’t see why they’d come up. I’m usually the first to wake up each morning, so I get them up for breakfast.” [Y/N] smiled at her, and Bela wished she could kiss her right then and there. She knew, however, that she had to take things slow. If tonight went well, then she could work up the courage to confess her feelings. She failed to notice that what she was asking to do was considered more intimate than simply sharing words of pure admiration, even with how intelligent others deemed her to be. She was blissfully oblivious to how love worked–that’s something her youngest sister Daniela was more experienced with.

Her attention was brought back to the present as [Y/N] tilted her head and tapped her shoulder. She blinked, irritated with herself for losing focus so quickly when she was the one who initiated the conversation. “Are you alright?” Bela nodded. “Yes!” Her face went red and she cleared her throat, waving her hands anxiously. “Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to raise my voice or zone out like that,” she stammered out as she mentally slapped herself. She was worried that [Y/N] would make fun of her or think she was annoying, but instead, the girl laughed softly. Bela looked back over at her with a surprised expression. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to stop talking because she had already caused enough of a scene. “Sorry, Bela, I’ve just never seen you like this before.”

The noble woman’s ears perked up a bit. Her eyebrows furrowed together slightly in concern. “Is that a bad thing? I’m–I’m not annoying you, am I?” [Y/N] giggled again and shook her head. “Oh, no, not at all! It’s nice to see that side of you. It makes you seem more human.” Bela found herself smiling sheepishly. “Oh, well…I’m glad.” The two women gazed comfortably at each other for a moment, though it was short-lived. A look of pure panic crossed over [Y/N]’s features, and oh, how desperately Bela hated seeing her like that.

“Oh, I just realized I called you Bela! Have I been doing that every time? I’m so sorry for stepping out of line, my lady!” She lowered her head. Bela, though [Y/N] couldn’t see it, was hurt. Why should calling her by her name be so upsetting? Did she feel like she was obligated to do as she said merely because of her status? Bela felt herself fighting back her guilt and tears. She stepped forward, her thumb and index finger coming down to gently hook themselves under [Y/N]’s chin. She tilted her head up to look her in the eye. “Darling, I can promise you, it doesn’t bother me. Please don’t worry about formality. You can call me Bela, okay? I won’t get upset. I mean, I’m asking you to stay with me tonight for god’s sake. If I still expected you to call me by my titles, then I wouldn’t be so kind to you. You’d join the other maids in my sisters’ endless and torturous games.”

Bela then cupped her face and tugged gently enough to wordlessly ask [Y/N] to stand up properly. “You are so special to me. And not just to me for that matter–all of House Dimitrescu adores you. I can’t speak for my sisters, but I want you to drop the formality towards me. Aside from status, you are in no way inferior to me–not in importance, not in value or worth, and not in your right to be your own being. If it helps you feel any more comfortable with me, I want you to know that I actually see you as being–” she paused, a groan escaping her lips. “Ah, what did Dani describe it as when I spoke to her about this?” She wracked her brain. Her eyes visibly lit up when it clicked.

“Out of my league! That’s what it was.” She finally came to the end of her speech and fixed her gaze on [Y/N]’s. The girl still held a mix of emotions in her eyes, the same eyes that Bela had fallen so in love with, and the eldest Dimitrescu daughter was relieved to find that fear wasn’t one of them. Hoping to lighten the mood, Bela came up with a quick question. “Uh, by the way,” she started, forcing herself to look anxious. “Is that, like, something people normally say? Is it a sports thing or something? I never really know whether to take Dani’s love advice or not after reading some of the stories she reads.”

[Y/N] blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change of tone and subject. She laughed softly as Bela had hoped, allowing Bela to smile triumphantly. “No, it’s not a sports thing, but it is something people say as a form of endearment. Lady Daniela was right about that part,” [Y/N] replied, her tensed muscles relaxing. Her change in demeanor was immediately noticeable. She felt comfortable again as the casual atmosphere from before had resurfaced.

She rubbed her forearm and averted her gaze to the side. “Do you really view me as being “out of your league?”” Her gaze flew back to Bela and stared expectantly. Bela beamed warmly and nodded. “Of course I do. And I meant what I said when I want you to drop the titles. Just call me Bela, alright?” [Y/N] mirrored her smile. The movement of her nodding her head forced Bela to realize that she was still cradling the girl’s face in her hands. They flew back, driving themselves to the woman’s cloak to pick at the hem. “Ah, sorry about that!”

Even though she had told [Y/N] mere moments ago that she wanted her to be comfortable around her and be viewed as her equal, Bela couldn’t help but feel on-edge herself at how close they were. She chuckled uneasily and finally managed to force herself to glance back at the girl in front of her. “Actually,” [Y/N] started. She stepped forward and delicately took Bela’s hands into her own. She brought them up to return to where they were before. “I don’t mind. It felt really nice.” Bela felt her voice hitch in her throat. Other than when she had clung to her for warmth after the attack, Bela had never figured she’d be able to be so close to [Y/N]. It made her heart hammer against her ribs, which only worsened once she remembered the two of them were likely going to share the same bed in a short amount of time.

[Y/N] certainly didn’t help the foreign feeling as she leaned into Bela’s palms and closed her eyes. Had anyone come by at that very moment, they would’ve seen just how red the cold, stone-faced, sophisticated daughter’s face had gotten. The crimson blush flustered itself all the way up to her ears. This girl made her go weak in the knees. She had always imagined she’d despise the feeling, but after realizing her feelings, Bela couldn’t be happier to feel so smitten.

She felt herself falling harder for the girl each time she even crossed her mind. Around [Y/N], Bela never felt as though she had to be proper and hard on herself all the time. It was never hard for her to find comfort in [Y/N]’s presence and finally give herself a break she knew she deserved.

Finally, after taking a moment to regain her composure and clear her throat, Bela spoke up again. “So,” her voice cracked. She cleared her throat more aggressively and followed it up with a hum to ensure it wouldn’t break again. “Shall we–ah, I don’t want to phrase it horribly again. Should we–” “Retire for the night?” Too worried she’d say the wrong thing again, Bela simply nodded. [Y/N] giggled, bringing another smile to the blonde’s face, and nodded. “Yes, that sounds great right now. My head is still killing me.” “I won’t let it kill you. I’ll fight it off until it leaves you alone, even if it’s to the death.” “Bela, hun, it’s just a headache.” They laughed together softly. After a few moments passed, [Y/N] tugged on Bela’s hands and led them down to wrap themselves around her waist. Bela stiffened. [Y/N] placed her hands on the taller woman’s shoulders, closing her eyes and letting her forehead rest against her own.

“I know what you were trying to say though. I think it’s sweet.” Bela felt herself relax after a moment of processing. She couldn’t bite back the smile that made its way to her lips. She leaned into [Y/N] and the embrace, closing her eyes as well and allowing herself to focus on her senses: the sound of the light breathing they shared, combined with their heartbeats, the smell of [Y/N]’s scent, and the feeling of being held by the one she cherishes most. [Y/N]’s skin felt like clouds beneath Bela’s fingertips. The warmth radiating from [Y/N]’s body lulled her into a state of bliss that she had felt each time she had the chance to hug the girl.

Oh, how she wanted this feeling to last forever. She promised herself that she would find a way to gather her confidence and confess how she felt in an attempt to secure this feeling.

“Bela?” Her eyes shot open to find [Y/N] gazing up at her tiredly. “Are you ready to head up for bed?” She smiled yet again, realizing, as she steadied the two of them, that they had been swaying. “Yeah, I am.” She leaned forward and fully hugged [Y/N], squeezing her tight before leaning back. “But you look exhausted, and I don’t want you to have to climb up the stairs. I don’t want my sisters to bother us either, so–” She leaned back even further before crouching down swiftly. Her left arm hooked itself behind [Y/N]’s knees and pushed them forward, allowing her other arm to catch her. She swept her up off of her feet and tossed her up high enough to carry her in her arms.

[Y/N] yelped at the sudden motion. Her arms flew up in a panic to wrap themselves around Bela’s shoulders, desperate to stop herself from falling. She looked up at the woman now holding her and blushed as Bela laughed softly at her expression. “I’ll just fly us up there, alright?” [Y/N] nodded, watching and listening as the lower half of Bela’s form dissolved into a swarm of flies. She whimpered as they began to rise off of the ground.

Bela squeezed her gently against her torso, prompting her to look up at the woman who was now inching forward. “Don’t worry. Like I said, I won’t let anything hurt you. You’re safe.”

After moving a bit further to gauge [Y/N]’s reaction, Bela picked up her speed hastily. Before the frightened girl could even take a moment to fear the action of flying through the air for the first time, the two of them had already made it up to the second floor. They continued down the seemingly endless hallways until they landed a few feet in front of Bela’s door. [Y/N] had figured she was going to be put down before entering the room, but she was proven wrong when Bela had opened the door and placed her down on the bed. She turned just long enough to close and lock the door before turning back to [Y/N]. “We should be fine. I just had to hurry so my sisters wouldn’t stop us and pester you.”

Still trying to comprehend the fact they were now all the way upstairs, [Y/N] could only nod with a bewildered expression on her face. Bela grinned nervously. “Ah, sorry. I forgot you haven’t moved that quickly before. I didn’t even ask if there was something you’d like to change into.” She flew herself over to her wardrobe and picked out two different outfits, hiding in the closet for a moment. She emerged with a pair of white silk pants on, accompanied by a dull crimson red tank top that had been readjusted into more of a crop-top or bra. She placed down a set of black cotton shorts and a gray long-sleeved shirt that was clearly going to be oversized on the girl.

“I don’t really have anything that’ll fit you, I apologize. I hope these will work. They’re the smallest ones I could find.” [Y/N] nodded and smiled. She picked up the clothes as she stood. “It’s alright. I think it’d be weird if you had clothes that would fit me, considering how much smaller I am compared to you.” Only a few feet away from the closet door, [Y/N] froze and quickly spun around on her heel. “That’s n-not what I meant! I’m sorry–I really hope that didn’t come across in the wrong way!”

Reminded of how she was just moments ago, Bela couldn’t help but find herself chuckling quietly. “No, it’s alright. I know what you meant, I promise.” A sigh of relief sounded from [Y/N], who then turned around again and momentarily disappeared into the closet. Bela blew out the candles that were lighting up the room and climbed into her bed. She snuggled up underneath her covers, being sure to be the one closest to the door. Flipping onto her back, she sighed and stared up at the ceiling, completely unaware of the smitten, dorky grin she had.

The thoughts and realizations already beginning to swarm her mind were short-lived, interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open, followed by the soft whisper of her name. “Bela?” She sat up. Her breath was taken away by the sight of [Y/N]’s soft skin being illuminated by the moonlight seeping in through the window.

Standing there bashfully, [Y/N] donned the pair of shorts that Bela had provided for her, though she wasn’t wearing the shirt. The blonde’s golden eyes spotted it tucked in the crook of her elbow. She had no shirt on, only wearing a bra, which revealed so much of the body that Bela was so desperate to hold. Unable to speak, she could only stare. “I-I couldn’t really wear the shirt. It was really uncomfortable since it kept slipping off of my shoulders. I hope you don’t mind if I sleep like this.”

When she was met with absolute silence, [Y/N] swallowed the lump in her throat and began to back away. “I-If it makes you uncomfortable, I can go change–” “No!” She jumped at the blunt volume. Bela seemed just as surprised with herself. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell! I just,” she rose from her bed and walked to stand in front of the smaller woman. “You look perfect like this. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable.” Her hands found themselves picking at each other in front of her torso, itching to hold [Y/N]’s.

“You really think so?” “Of course I do. Then again, you look perfect in everything.” [Y/N] blushed. Her free hand trailed up to pick at the shirt tucked under her arm. “O-Oh, um…thank you,” she whispered almost inaudibly in response. Bela fought a war in her mind to find something to say to lower the tension, but was brought back to her senses as [Y/N] took her hand and tugged her over to the bed. She crawled onto her side–the side that had been left undisturbed–and slid under the covers. She stuffed the shirt underneath her pillow. “Could we go to bed? I’m exhausted.”

Bela grinned and nodded as she joined her. “Of course.”

Once the two of them were settled, the tension returned–for Bela, anyway. She readjusted herself so she could lie on her side and face [Y/N], whose back was facing her. She studied her for a moment, watching her breathe in and out. She wondered if she would ever have the luxury of getting to wake up to [Y/N]’s peaceful face. She often found herself fantasizing about seeing her features so tranquil, partially highlighted by the light of the morning sun to emphasize the parts of her that Bela adored most–her gentle eyes, perfect nose, soft lips that she ached to one day kiss–

“Are you alright?”

Bela jolted and felt her eyes shoot back up to focus her sight again. “Huh?” [Y/N] was now twisted in a way that let her glance back at Bela comfortably. “I felt like someone was watching me, so I looked around, but it was you staring at me. Is everything alright?” Embarrassment overwhelmed Bela. She internally scolded herself for losing focus yet again.

“Oh,” she began. “Yes, I’m alright. I just…have a question is all.” Piqued with interest, [Y/N] rolled over onto her other side so she fully faced the blushing woman beside her. “Oh? What is it?” She had known she was going to have to ask sooner or later, even though she had hoped her recollection of the night of the attack would get the question across without being so blunt, but Bela was still terrified that she’d ruin this moment by asking what she wanted to.

Not allowing a single moment for herself to back away in fear, Bela blurted out her question. She was thankful that her fatigue was helping her feel too tired to be as anxious as before.

“Could you hold me while we sleep?” [Y/N] was quick to smile. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest. “Of course. C’mere,” she whispered as she held out her arms. Bela instantly buried herself into [Y/N]’s chest. She tucked her arms between the two of their bodies and let her face nuzzle into the girl’s partially bare breasts. If she hadn’t been so numb from her exhaustion, [Y/N] would have found this embarrassing. Bela would have as well. The two of them didn’t mind, however, and instead found comfort in the close contact. [Y/N]’s arms wrapped themselves around the blonde. Her left hand slid up and began to stroke the soft blonde locks that were sprawled out across the pillow.

A low hum rumbled in the back of Bela’s throat and chest as she began to drift in and out of consciousness. As far back as she could remember, Bela had never felt this safe and comfortable before. It was heavenly to feel so secure.

The feeling of fingernails softly scratching her scalp and the spots behind her ears would have been enough to make Bela’s eyes roll into the back of her head if they had been open. She couldn’t quite explain why it felt so good, but she certainly didn’t have a problem with it. Somewhere deep inside of her, she had the hidden craving for physical affection. She wanted to be held and cherished, caressed and comforted. She longed for someone who would welcome her when she needed someone to lean on, someone who would remind her to take breaks and take care of herself when she was too busy buried up in paperwork to remember, someone who wouldn’t use her for her status, someone who wouldn’t find her clinginess an inconvenience. She wanted someone who could prove they were dedicated as much to her as she was to them.

Her eyes fluttered open as she pondered whether or not [Y/N] was that someone.

“By the way, I think you look perfect in everything as well. I meant to say it earlier, but I was worried I’d make you uncomfortable. You’re perfect in my eyes, inside and out, and I really do want you to know that. I love you, Bela.”

Her heart flipped as she beamed ear to ear. She closed her eyes again and wriggled her face further into [Y/N]’s soft, warm skin. [Y/N] was that someone, she was sure of that after reflecting on the past two weeks. It just needed to be confirmed by those three words she had been dreaming of hearing for centuries–the ones she wanted to utter in reply to the woman she loved most.

“I love you too.”

Shielded Tranquility

[Resident Evil: Village] Cassandra Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.07k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Blood, threats, handling a small panic attack, mentions of torture, suggestive dialogue, language, soft angst, and fluff.

[A/N]: Here's Cassandra's part for the continuation of Shielded! I'm working on the story for Daniela, so expect that sometime soon! Bela's part can be found here.

Enjoy!

//////////

Faint laughter rolled down the crumbling hallways of the dungeon linked to the kitchen, softly rumbling its way past cracked bricks and snapped planks that littered the cold and rugged stone floor. Having noticed just how overwhelmed and stressed the majority of her fellow maids were, [Y/N] offered to assist them with the most anxiety-inducing task: cleaning out the remains and partially-dried bloodstains in each cage. After working with House Dimitrescu for so long, most maids and visitors–who later became victims–grew accustomed to these scenes.

The reason so many of the maids grew frail and hesitant with every action they took while on the lowest floor of the manor was because they were never sure if their predators would join them, taunt them, and ultimately torture them relentlessly, laughing at them and mocking them heartlessly as they took their final, strained breath. No matter how many times they were reassured by the head matriarch of the castle known for the bloodshed and lack of mercy, each maid felt their heart sink to their stomach each time they heard they were being assigned to work downstairs.

Knowing this, and wanting to help her coworkers feel at ease while working, [Y/N] made sure to crack jokes at every given opportunity. She kept a smile on at all times and forced herself to appear as though she had no concern for the potential punishment or death any one of them could receive at any given moment.

The maids, even those among them who had been fortunate enough to survive and work under one of the Four Lords for years, found themselves astonished at her carefree attitude. Although they weren’t sure how genuine she was being towards them, they couldn’t help but feel their own anxiety flicker away with each grin and pun sent their way. Within an hour, they had all begun to share jokes and laugh. They convinced each other to stay as silent as possible, but after a decent amount of time that lacked scolding from one of their employers, it was becoming much harder to stifle their giggles.

Each woman had grown comfortable enough to let their guard down, though one by one, they grew tense again and gasped as a familiar figure prowled past them, accompanied by the overwhelmingly strong smell of blood, sweat, and something rotten. Confusion riddled each maid’s face as the middle child, Cassandra Dimitrescu, paid no mind to them, not even gracing them with a single glance in their direction. Instead, she lurked forward with a smirk on her face. She had clearly just gotten finished with a hunt, which was evident from the way warm, wet, fresh blood had been splattered over her lips and gradually trickled down her jawline and throat. It seeped into her cloak, though it didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. Likely the same blood that enhanced her wicked grin also drenched her tattered gloves and sleeves. Wherever she was going seemed to be more important than cleaning up after herself.

Then again, she tended to prefer keeping a wild appearance. She was thrilled when others feared her and viewed her as unhinged. It helped accomplish her desire to be intimidating and in control, which satisfied her even further each time she toyed with her prey. Knowing that her wicked, sadistic glare would be the final thing so many of her victims saw was addictive. Being feared was one of the most important, exhilarating things to her.

Her sickle dangled loosely from her belt, rocking and thumping against her hip with each sauntered movement. Strangely enough, it didn’t seem it was what she had used. The silver still gleamed effortlessly under the dim lighting from the candles burning punily against the walls. It seemed as though the blade had been sharpened recently, which only added to the bewilderment pouring throughout the entire level.

Pure terror and a feeling of helplessness riddled through the women’s bodies as they managed to shuffle closer to the wall and watch from the corners of their eyes as Cassandra continued to glide towards her target–which they quickly realized was the woman providing them with their only sense of comfort: [Y/N].

The maids closest to [Y/N] noticed her presence far too late to warn her. They instinctively stepped away and bowed their heads to both show obedience and to avoid potentially making eye contact with the cruelest daughter of Alcina. [Y/N] noticed their sudden change in behavior and tilted her head in confusion, never once twisting around far enough to see the woman mere inches behind her. Cassandra’s emergence from the stairs instantly became known to her, however, as cold, damp, strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her backwards far enough to lean against the partially-solid body of the taller woman now standing directly behind her. She yelped, puzzled at how she hadn’t heard the buzzing growing louder or noticed the tension returning to the room. A shiver crept through her body upon feeling the blood begin to seep into her uniform, once warm in the body of the victim, now frigid against her skin.

Before she could turn to face her, Cassandra’s strong jawline and chin, doused in thick blood, planted themselves into the crook of [Y/N]’s neck. Her voice hitched as the woman’s hot, staggered breath caressed her ear. She could feel everyone’s eyes on the two of them, as well as the sensation of a slick, crimson red substance instantly bleeding through her white cotton shirt-collar and streaming across her shoulder, all the way down to the skin just above her right breast.

She could feel her heart hammering against her ribs so violently, and given how enhanced Alcina’s daughters’ senses became after the experiment they unwillingly participated in, she was sure Cassandra could hear it as well. Her anxiety spiked immediately once she realized neither Bela nor Daniela were down here with her. She never had to fear what would happen around Cassandra as long as they were around to keep her in check, but now she was down here on her own. Thinking as quickly as she could, she did her best to remain calm and prevent the other women in the room from getting hurt. She took a sharp breath in and turned her head to peer at Cassandra through the corner of her eye.

“Lady C-Cassandra, what are you–” “Hello, [Y/N]. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Why’re you down here wasting your precious time with these pathetic maids? You weren’t assigned to work in here.” [Y/N] swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She didn’t mind having to stand up for herself, but as a child, she had been forced to learn how to defend others after learning of the other kids in the village bullying her younger sister. She knew the other women who worked here were too terrified of the heads of the house to put their foot down, but she wouldn’t allow herself to stand aside and let them be thrown around and treated like they were worthless. In her mind, it would feel like she was letting her sister get hurt–like she would let her down. “Lady Cassandra, please. I’m no better than the other women here, and you know it. I’m a maid just like the rest of them, and none of them are in any way inferior to you or your family.”

A dark, forced cackle erupted from Cassandra’s lips as her fingertips dug into [Y/N]’s clothed skin. “Oh, you really do amuse me, my little maid. You know very well these pathetic, shoddy women mean nothing outside of their work. And even then, they can all be replaced.” She lowered her voice so only [Y/N] could hear her and tugged her closer. “All except you,” she husked with an impish smirk. A shudder jolted down [Y/N]’s spine. Before she had a chance to send back a retort of her own, Cassandra continued, instantly changing the subject.

“Aside from that, you still haven’t given me a reason as to why you’re down here. You weren’t assigned to clean out the cells, so why have you gone against orders? Don’t make me repeat myself again.” She turned her head, allowing her bloodstained, needle-like fangs to graze against [Y/N]’s soft, warm, tempting skin. “You know exactly what will happen.”

[Y/N] found herself suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. Cassandra was one who tended to put on a facade around others–especially those she deems to be lower than her–but her mask would periodically falter long enough to show her more sensitive nature, in which she always seemed ashamed of. “I didn’t go against any orders, Lady Cassandra. I was told–by your mother–to take the day off and do as I please, so long as I don’t interfere with her work. That’s why I’m down here: I’m doing as I please, which is helping the other women down here so they don’t overwhelm themselves with such a daunting task. I’m in no way interrupting your mother’s work. I hope that answers your question.”

The maids pinned to the sides of the, now dead-silent, halls held their breaths, mortified at how bold [Y/N] had been as she spoke to Cassandra–the sister known to be the most sadistic, aggressive, and short-tempered of the three. They feared they’d watch their friend be torn apart right in front of them, limb by limb. Rigid as boards, they shared silent looks with each other before a mocking laugh bellowed deep from inside Cassandra’s gut. Their eyes shot back to the two women secluded from the rest.

Cassandra cackled once more at [Y/N]’s remark, audibly growing annoyed with how confidently she was biting back. She sighed, gripping the smaller woman tightly by her right bicep and twirling her around to look her in the eye. “I suppose it does, maid. I just hope you haven’t made any other plans. You’re coming with me,” she sneered as she yanked her back towards the staircase leading up to the kitchen. She glared daggers at each maid this time as she passed them. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she stormed up in a swift movement fueled by her wavering pride. “Let this be a warning to all of you. No one speaks to me this way. If you’d like to be drawn to the most horrendous pain you’ve ever experienced, then by all means, be my guest and follow her example.”

Mortified gazes trailed after the two as they vanished through the arched doorway and up the stairs. The maid closest to where they left strained her ears in an attempt to hear anything further.

Once she knew they were both out of earshot and sight, Cassandra softened her grip on [Y/N]’s arm as she led her up the stairs in the main den. “Lady Cassandra, where are you taking me?” The brunette sighed and waited until she found a secluded room where there were no other maids stationed. She tugged her forward before practically slamming the door shut and locking it, flying over to the other entrance leading to the adjacent room and doing the same. At length, she spun around on her heel and glared down at [Y/N] with furrowed brows. “Why the hell would you speak to me that way in front of them? Do you know how humiliating that is for me? How difficult it makes it to maintain some sense of intimidation and control?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “No, of course you don’t.”

[Y/N] sucked in a shaky breath to steel her nerves. She stood up straight, strained her features to mirror neutrality, and steadied her voice to appear confident in herself. “Lady Cassandra, it wasn’t my intention to upset you. I just don’t enjoy watching how ashamed you and your sisters make my coworkers feel each time you speak to them. I’m sure they’d do much better while working if you treated them with the respect they deserve.” Cassandra laughed again. “Respect? You really think those lowly maids deserve respect? Even with how worthless they are?” Irritation overwhelmed [Y/N]’s senses. She stepped forward with a look in her eye that Cassandra had never seen before. It enticed her. “Listen. I don’t care what you say about me, or even what you say about your sisters. You know very well that they’ll have the courage to fight back, and so will I. But I will not stand by and watch while you degrade those women who are too terrified to speak up for themselves. They may not have your respect, but you sure as hell have theirs.

“I may be speaking out of place here, and you may very well have my head for it, Lady Cassandra, but it seems to me that I’m the only one here who will stand up for what’s right, and I won’t apologize for it. If you showed any decency towards the people who worked day and night for you, you would know better than to constantly berate them at every given moment. Any child who was taught basic proper manners knows that.”

Stunned, Cassandra only stared silently at the fuming woman in front of her, her mouth slightly agape as she blinked. After a moment of the two women staring awkwardly at each other, [Y/N] sighed heavily and took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head down to gawk at the floor beneath her as if it were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. She cleared her throat.

“I apologize, Lady Cassandra. I didn’t mean to go that far. I’m just so sick of seeing you hurt others like that. I care about those women so much, and I don’t want someone else I care about to be the reason behind their suffering.” Another sigh slipped through her parted lips. “I suppose I should’ve expected this, though. After all, your family is known for being merciless towards those deemed even less valuable than the dust on the bodies of those you toy with and torture. Those that are unwillingly brought into this world with dreams and ambitions of their own, only for it to be taken away over several grueling hours that you seem to enjoy.”

The seconds that followed felt like hours, both women at a loss for words. [Y/N] continued to avert her gaze and stare at different objects decorating the same room that grew heavier with tension. Cassandra, however, couldn’t tear her eyes away from [Y/N]. She had always known the woman wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in, but she had never heard her grow so aggressive and insulting. It piqued her interest. Aside from her sisters, Cassandra wasn’t used to anyone talking back, even to defend themself. She felt herself going to war inside her mind, desperately racking her brain for something to say.

“Just…” she started in a hushed tone. “Just call me Cassandra, for god’s sake. I think you’re already aware that you’ve earned my trust. You know I don’t have it in myself to hurt you, especially after you defended my sisters and I when that disgusting man-thing broke in a couple of weeks ago.” It was [Y/N]’s turn to be surprised. She had never heard Cassandra speak so calmly, even when she had rested against her after the invasion a few weeks prior. She cleared her throat. “But that’s…that goes against everything I was taught. I mean, you know I don’t think of anyone as superior or inferior, but I do know how important it is to show respect. It’d feel so improper to address you that way.” Cassandra sighed, though it shifted more into a low growl that rumbled in the back of her throat.

She stepped forward. “Oh my god, why are you–ugh! You’re so damn annoying!” “What…?” She stepped closer, prompting [Y/N] to cower back a bit and begin to trail backward. “You heard what I said, god dammit! You’re annoying! God, this is disgusting. I’m disgusting. I never wanted to feel this way–especially about you!” “Lady Cassandra, wh-what are you talking ab–”

“I hate you, okay?” She finally shouted. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, the hue beginning to flush her face matching the blood still dripping down her chin. She began to pace back and forth in a panicked manner, her gloved fingernails digging into her scalp. “I hate the way you make me feel, I hate the fuzzy feeling I get when I so much as think of you, I hate how beautiful and selfless you are, I hate how you’re afraid to address me casually, and I hate how you always make me feel so good about myself!”

Processing the words and replaying them over and over again in her mind like a record player, [Y/N] could only watch in a daze as Cassandra continued to walk around in frantic steps. At length, the troubled woman halted her movements and buried her face in her trembling hands. She heaved, wishing she could shrivel away at that moment. She had never imagined she’d be so vulnerable around anyone. In her mind, any emotion aside from anger or sadistic pleasure was weakness. How had this young maid managed to break down her walls in such a short amount of time? Surely saving her wasn’t enough to make her fall into such shameful vulnerability.

Oh, how desperate she was to drown away in her own puddle of shame, far away from everyone and everything that could see how pathetic she felt.

“But, Cassandra, why does that seem like it’s such a bad thing in your mind?” Unwillingly, a pained sob tore through Cassandra’s lips as she once again clawed at her hair. Her lips curled up as a rough laugh followed soon after. “Because I don’t deserve it! Any of it, dammit! You should be afraid of me!” Her eyes screwed themselves tightly shut as another cry erupted from her throat, which was growing raw from the hysteric weeping.

She couldn’t hear anything over the sound of her own sniffling and sharp gasps for air. The feeling of two warm, gentle hands firmly taking her own made her visibly jump, recoiling back and nearly spiraling into the nearest wall out of shock. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” [Y/N] whispered reassuringly, holding her hands up in front of her shoulders, palms facing towards the terrified woman. “I need you to breathe, alright? Just breathe. Here, give me your hands. If it’s alright for me to hold them, of course.”

Cassandra looked down as she panted fearfully, wrestling with her conscience to come back to her senses. Her golden eyes flickered back and forth between [Y/N]’s hands offering themselves to let her hold and the girl’s soft, yet stern, steadied gaze. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

Hesitantly, Cassandra found herself stepping forward at a painfully slow pace before outstretching her arms far enough to rest her hands in [Y/N]’s. She looked back up at the one trying to calm her down.

“Breathe, okay? Take three deep breaths, and then we’ll go from there.” She had to take a moment to understand the words, but Cassandra eventually nodded. She attempted to take the first one, though it came out in a strangled manner. “Hey, just look at me. Breathe with me, alright? We’re going to breathe in for three seconds, hold for three seconds, and then take the same amount of time to breathe back out. Got it? In three, hold three, out three.”

Too puzzled about what she was feeling, Cassandra nodded again and did as she was told. She watched as [Y/N] began to breathe in slowly and held up her left hand to count to three. Shakily, she followed her example, and after a few attempts, she had finally managed to take three deep breaths. “Good,” [Y/N] whispered. She began to kneel down into a sitting position, gently tugging the trembling woman with her. Once seated, [Y/N] squeezed Cassandra’s hands in her own.

“I want you to focus on your five senses, alright? We’ll take it one at a time. First, tell me what you can feel.” Cassandra’s hands twitched uncomfortably, tingling from being numb. After taking a second to muster her strength, she curled her fingers far enough to grip [Y/N]’s hands. She blinked, eventually closed her eyes, and let herself focus. “Y-Your hands. I f-feel your hands in mine.” “Try to describe them for me.”

She stammered, struggling to properly form the correct descriptive words. “Uh, s-soft, warm, and…” She squeezed her grip again. “They’re smaller th-than mine.” “Good, you’re doing great. Now tell me what you can hear.”

Her brows furrowed together tightly as she strained her ears, trying urgently to push past the rushing sound of ringing. “I–I can hear my v-voice, and our heartb-beats.” “Good. What can you smell?” She inhaled deeply, failing to notice that her breathing had already returned to normal. “Your scent, and, um…the ashes in the hearth. I-I think there was a fire going recently.”

“Taste?”

“Blood. I, well, you can see why. I forgot to wipe it off on the way up here.” Cassandra felt herself smile tiredly as [Y/N] chuckled in response. “Yeah, I know. You’re almost done. Now you just need to tell me what you can see. You might want to open your eyes for that, though.” Cassandra let out a snicker of her own before she let her eyes flutter open. Having to take a moment for her vision to adjust from being blurred from her tears, eventually her eyes focused on [Y/N]’s. She couldn’t see it herself, but her pupils–which tended to slit themselves as if she were constantly preying on something–were blown.

“I can see you. I see your gaze, your smile, and–” she paused and nervously glanced down. “And the bloodstains I accidentally left on your waist.” [Y/N]’s smile grew wider. “You did great. Do you feel any better?” Too uncharacteristically bashful, Cassandra could only nod as she stared at the ground beneath them.

“I’m glad. Now, why don’t we get you to bed? You look exhausted.” As if on cue, Cassandra felt herself yawn, her hands slipping from [Y/N]’s and rising above her head to stretch. “Actually,” she murmured while rubbing her eyes, “could we just sleep in here? Kind of like how we slept that night, but just you and I?”

[Y/N] froze for a moment. “Are you sure? I don’t want to overwhelm you. I mean, I’m sure you’d like some space and privacy while you rest.” Cassandra didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest about keeping each other company, which was very out of the ordinary for her. “I’m sure. We’d just need to get the fire going again and gather up some pillows and blankets. I could go grab those if you wouldn’t mind getting some of the spare driftwood and lighting it up in the hearth.”

The two women, although they experienced different reactions to the proposal, both internally felt the mutual urge to be near one another. Neither one of them were sure what their relationship was, but they both craved a more intimate, romantic connection, though both were too afraid to make the first move. Cassandra’s fear was her pride being crushed because of her phobia of dealing with rejection. [Y/N]’s fear was the thought of ruining what it was they already had established, feeding on her linked dread of being despised and abandoned.

After realizing that Cassandra was already half-asleep, [Y/N] could feel her hesitation begin to fade. She sighed at length and nodded. “Alright, I can do that. I’ll be right back. I’m not sure how many pillows or blankets are up here though.” Cassandra shrugged and stumbled onto her feet. “I don’t know either, but I’ll see what I can find. Hurry up though. I’m about to collapse, and I don’t want to do that in this cold-ass room.” Finally, [Y/N] giggled again. “Alright, alright. Fair enough.” She hoisted herself back onto her feet as well and headed towards the door leading out into the main hallway, unlocking it and beginning to head out.

“Oh, and [Y/N]?” She halted her steps and peered back into the room. “Yes?” Cassandra gazed at her gently. “If you so much as breathe a word about any of this to anyone, especially my sisters, I’ll have your head,” she threatened emptily with a smile. [Y/N] paused before laughing. “I was honestly waiting for a wink or something with that last part.” Cassandra couldn’t help but roll her eyes as [Y/N] left, though she also couldn’t bite back her smirk. “Yeah, that’ll come later on,” she mumbled under her breath. She turned to the sofas lining the far wall, drifting towards them to retrieve the throw pillows propped up against the armrests and the soft, red cotton-weaved blankets folded neatly in the center of every other cushion.

//////////

Flames began to crackle loudly as they grew in the hearth. A soft light illuminated the room, casting wavering shadows throughout the room, which brought attention to the only highlighted spot shielded from the darkness. A few feet in front of the base of the fire, [Y/N] and Cassandra had bundled themselves together under layers of blankets and on top of piles of pillows. Similar to what she had done two weeks prior when recovering from the attack, Cassandra had huddled against [Y/N] as closely as she could. Her nose had nuzzled itself into the girl’s neck, allowing her to effortlessly breathe in her scent as she rested.

They had both stayed quiet for a while, watching the fire grow larger, though [Y/N] eventually broke the silence. “Hey, Cassandra?” The fatigued woman leaning against her, clinging to her for warmth, hummed almost inaudibly in response. The lack of clarity in the noise was caused by the lower half of her face being buried underneath the covers–as well as how she had positioned her head to bask in [Y/N]’s aroma. “Hm?” “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you come looking for me earlier when I was downstairs?” Cassandra huffed and yawned. “Because I was originally going to ask if we could come upstairs and do exactly what we’re doing right now. I just lost my temper, so things kind of took…a turn,” she slurred out sleepily.

“Ah.”

Silence fell upon them again. Several minutes passed before either one of them spoke. This time, it was Cassandra who broke the hushedness. “I cannot tell you how tempted I am to bury my face underneath your shirt.” [Y/N] coughed, attempting to stifle the sudden choking on her spit. “I-I’m sorry?” Playfully, yet tiredly, Cassandra smacked her shoulder. “Not like that, you dork. Well, not yet anyway.” Again, [Y/N] had to prevent herself from choking. “I meant because you’re really warm, and having your shirt over me would keep the heat in. I’d probably fall asleep there and never come out.”

“C-Cassandra, what the hell are you even talking about?”

“Honestly? I don’t even know anymore. I’m exhausted. I probably won’t remember half of the things I’ve already said once I wake up. It’s a nice thought though–I’d get to be close to you, I’d be warm, and your shirt would block out the sunlight so I can actually sleep in.” [Y/N] smirked, playing along. “Yeah, but then you’d have to hear all the weird noises my stomach makes 24/7.” Cassandra hummed out a small laugh, already on the verge of falling asleep. “Ah, I’d say it’s worth it.”

The two smiled, the tranquil setting returning comfortably this time. As Cassandra began to dream, [Y/N] reflected on all that had happened so far. Although she knew it wasn’t necessarily a permanent issue, her mind kept wandering back to the arguments and insults. It began to eat away at her consciousness.

Afraid Cassandra was still upset from her unintentional outburst earlier, [Y/N] desperately grasped at ideas on what she could possibly say to lighten the mood. She squeezed Cassandra’s shoulders to pull her closer. “Y’know, next time you get angry and I can tell you’re about to have a completely different mood or reaction, I’m going to yell “plot twist!” like I’m solving some kind of crime in one of Daniela’s corny mystery books, and then carry on. You think your sisters will be confused?” Cassandra, although she didn’t understand why she was asking, chuckled breathily. “Oh, definitely, but I will be too.”

[Y/N] grinned. “Yeah, but then that means I win.” Cassandra’s head perked up a bit to face the woman holding her. Her eyebrow raised as the gears visibly turned in her brain. “Huh?” [Y/N] beamed down at her. “I win because I managed to switch your attention to something else. That way you’re not entirely upset anymore.”

Finally, after a long moment of thinking her exhaustion was rendering [Y/N] as incoherent, Cassandra laughed and yawned. She let her head fall back gently to return to its resting spot on [Y/N]’s chest. She sighed as the familiar heartbeat behind the girl’s ribs filled her ears.

“You’re so stupid. I love you so much.”

[Y/N] froze, surprised that Cassandra was the first one to say it. Eventually, she felt herself smile in a tired, smitten way, before leaning her head back against one of the many pillows they were both propped against. Her head then tilted far enough for her ear to come into contact with Cassandra’s soft brunette locks. Her fingertips dug lightly into the blankets they shared and pulled them further around themselves, then driving further up and finding themselves scratching softly at Cassandra’s scalp, prompting her to purr in response. Pure bliss flooded both women’s senses. [Y/N] could feel her eyelids beginning to droop from exhaustion. Listening to the way her body begged her to rest, she finally closed her eyes and let her tensed muscles relax.

“I love you too.”

Shielded Devotion

[Resident Evil: Village] Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.01k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of blood, torture, punishment, Cassandra being her sadistic self, arguments, insecurities, death, and anxiety.

[A/N]: Here's Daniela's part for the continuation of Shielded! This is the final part for this short series. Bela and Cassandra's parts can be found here.

Enjoy!

 Rushed, hurried footsteps echoed their way through the halls, the sound of rough heels clacking against the floors making their presence known. A soft hiss of pain slipped past [Y/N]’s lips as she desperately searched for a secluded room to unwind in, a constant jabbing pain making her head throb at each small sound. It was hard for her to conceal her pain. She was trying her best to get away from everyone. The maids were running about the main floor, frantically trying to clean up every inch of the rooms, tidy and set up the dining room table, and prepare dinner all at once. And although [Y/N] was typically one to offer them help without hesitation, she couldn’t bring herself to intervene. The day had been long enough–all she wanted to do was rest.

First thing in the morning, several maids had rudely awoken her with their shrill screams as they raced to safety down the hall, desperately trying to avoid all three of the Dimitrescu sisters, who taunted them as they chased after them. She hadn’t figured out what had caused the audacious awakening, though she was too irritated and exhausted to bother finding out. She figured she would have been used to all of the cries of agony after willingly being there for so long, but it always seemed to startle her in more ways than one.

The girls had agreed to try and keep things away from her, due to them not wanting to disturb her, though it seemed that sometimes that promise had slipped their minds. She often found herself jumping and trying to calm her racing heart after hearing shrieking throughout multiple rooms of the estate. No matter how many times she tried to consistently brace herself for anything that could be deemed as unexpected, she always found herself being caught off guard with each and every loud noise, whether it came from an unfortunate man, woman, or something shattering.

As she drowsily got up to get dressed and ready for the day mere moments after the familiar screaming, Bela and both of her younger sisters began to knock loudly on her door. They asked repeatedly in whiny voices if they could come in and spend some time with her, begging her to join them for breakfast. She groaned, still only half-dressed as she hobbled over and cracked the door open far enough to peer at them. Before she could politely deny their offer, Daniela and Cassandra had shoved the doors open, striking her harshly–one hit her against the forehead, and the other cracked her against the chin. Bela yanked the two of them back by their cloaks, instantly scolding them for being so reckless. She tugged them back into the hallway and forced them away from the door while mumbling an apology for the intrusion.

She managed to finish pulling the rest of her clothes on before heading down to the kitchen to ice her head. After sneaking around each corner to ensure no one else was around to bother or hurt her, she wobbled all the way back upstairs into her bedroom, then into the bathroom that was connected to it, rummaging through her medical cabinet to find bandages. She hadn’t realized it until she was getting the ice, but the girls had pushed the doors open with enough force to cut and bruise the skin they had struck. She had bled all the way downstairs, and then all the way back upstairs. She felt like collapsing right then and there from the pain and fatigue.

She felt like she had stared into the mirror for hours after sticking the bandages on. She could only grimace at the dark, heavy bags underneath her bloodshot eyes. That, mixed with the swollen bumps already bruising beneath the bandaids, prompted her to let out an annoyed sigh. How had she gotten so tired? How long had she looked so…pathetic? She couldn’t help but let her mind wander back to the night she had protected all three Dimitrescu sisters two weeks prior. She wondered if that had been where this had all started. Surely she had looked exhausted beforehand, but she never felt that way–not as often as she was at that moment.

She had to refrain from slamming the medical cabinet closed again, instead begrudgingly counting to ten as she rubbed harshly at her weary eyes. She splashed frigid water onto her face before leaving the safety and security of her bedroom. It took every ounce of strength to tear her eyes from her bed, which was screaming for her to lie back down and get the rest she knew she needed. The same mattress that was usually too rigid and cold for her to get a good night’s rest seemed so welcoming and soft. “You have to get through the day. If you do, that bed will feel even more comforting than it would now,” she repeated to herself, struggling to muster up any form of motivation.

During lunch, Cassandra and Bela had gotten into yet another huge argument over something minor, in which Daniela somehow got unwillingly dragged into. As things began to escalate rather rapidly, the youngest daughter–known for behaving childish at any given opportunity–had taken a handful of what remained of the dish in front of her and hurled it violently at Cassandra, who froze before angrily swiping the muck off her face, growling loudly, and lunging herself at her sister. Bela did her best to restrain her, seemingly feral and unhinged, sister while their mother, Alcina, could only watch with a heavy groan as she remained seated in her designated chair and rubbed her eyes tiredly. [Y/N] was eventually brought into the room to step in between the two younger siblings and convince them to calm down as Bela pulled them apart. Alcina had requested her specifically after several years of seeing how well she was able to tolerate the three.

[Y/N] had let her guard down eventually, though it was quickly spiked back up. Cassandra, being as stubborn as she was, didn’t want to be the one who had lost the argument–and full-on fight. Just as [Y/N] was moving to step out of the room, Daniela had heaved her back to stand in front of her like a human shield. Before she had the chance to ask why she had done that, Cassandra had thrown another handful of food heftily in her direction, though it was clear by her reaction that she was aiming towards her baby sister’s face. It splattered against [Y/N]’s instead, making the entire room go silent in surprise. Cassandra gasped silently and stepped back, snarling a bit as Daniela began to cackle. Bela could only groan in pure annoyance.

Upon her mother’s orders, Bela led [Y/N] out of the room and into the nearest restroom to wash her face off. She flew back upstairs and retrieved a clean pair of clothes for her to change into before returning to the dining room to attempt to get her sisters under control. After temporarily succeeding, Alcina tasked [Y/N] with cleaning all three of her daughters up separately. The four of them spoke to one another as the young maid helped bathe them and comb their hair.

Bela vented about how she wished her sisters could act a little more mature, and how she wished they didn’t drag [Y/N] into everything they possibly could. It was a breath of fresh air to hear that [Y/N] felt the same way, both of them laughing as she cracked a small joke about being used as a human shield.

Cassandra whined about how “bratty” her younger sister could be, always acting childish and making things worse. [Y/N] did her best to reason with the middle child, explaining that things wouldn’t have escalated if she hadn’t jumped at her. After a while of trying to defend herself, Cassandra sighed and agreed that she shouldn’t have reacted so poorly.

Daniela couldn’t help but laugh each time the image of [Y/N]’s face covered in food that had been unintentionally chucked her way flashed through her mind. She pouted, however, when [Y/N] scolded her gently. “You sound just like Bela sometimes,” she mumbled, though she ultimately admitted that she may have acted a little ridiculously.

A few hours before dinner, [Y/N] had finally convinced herself that she needed, and deserved, a break. She couldn’t think of a specific place where she’d be alone, mainly due to her head feeling heavy with pain. She wandered through each room, searching for somewhere secluded where she wouldn’t have to deal with any of the other maids or the Dimitrescu sisters.

She slipped through the large doors leading from the dining room to the foyer. For a moment, the other maids in the den seemed to be calm enough for her to stay put, but things began to escalate at the sound of one of the plates falling to the floor and shattering back towards the kitchen. She groaned, already aware of where the situation was headed. Within moments, faint, distant buzzing began to roar. Soon after, [Y/N] didn’t have to strain her ears much to hear a struggle–one of the maids, likely the one who had dropped the plate, was crying out desperately, repeatedly sobbing out apologies. Three pairs of feet stomped their way into the dining room, and then out to the den, the doors flying open and slamming against the walls. [Y/N] and the other women in the room jumped at the sound, all twirling around to stare in uniform surprise.

“Cassandra, let her go, for god’s sake!” Bela hollered as she chased after her sister. Cassandra, being as aggressive as she is, had grabbed the maid roughly by the arm upon learning she had been the one to drop the plate, yanking her out to throw her out. “No, she can’t just get away with that without some form of punishment! Otherwise, the maids wouldn’t be as cautious with our belongings as they are,” Cassandra retorted. A growl erupted from the back of the eldest daughter’s throat. “Cass, seriously! For one thing, the closest entrance to the dungeon is back there,” she sneered, her hand flying to the side to point towards the doors the two had just bursted through. “And for another, we’re already running out of maids as it is. We don’t need to just keep slaughtering them at every inconvenience.” Her golden eyes snapped towards [Y/N] before returning to the two in front of her.

Cassandra parted her lips to snap back at her older sister, but the familiar sound of her mother’s heels clicking closer from upstairs halted her thoughts. She froze momentarily before clearing her throat. Both she and Bela watched as Alcina descended the stairs partway.

While any other woman living in the castle would have received a cold, piercing glare from the matriarch, Bela and Cassandra only got one of pure exhaustion and slight annoyance. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a short sigh. “Girls, please. I don’t want to hear the two of you yelling so frequently. What happened?” Bela stepped forward a bit and silently cleared her throat before replying. “I apologize, mother. This maid accidentally dropped a plate, and Cassandra’s first reaction was to try to punish her. Although I’m sure you know how her “punishments” tend to go. I was trying to stop her from doing so. We didn’t mean to make a commotion.” Alcina glanced between the two women before her gaze finally landed on the trembling woman still being held in place by Cassandra’s tight grip on her arm.

“Bela is right, Cassandra. We can’t afford to lose any more of our staff. Leave her be–I’m sure she didn’t mean for it to happen.” Trying to desperately say something in defense of herself, Cassandra stammered. She glanced at her sister, then up at her mother, and then down to the maid still in her grasp. She sighed, her shoulders drooping slightly in defeat as her hold on the woman’s arm dropped. She bowed her head towards her mother. “Of course, mother. I apologize. It…won’t happen again.”

Smirking in satisfaction, Bela glanced to try and search for [Y/N] again, only to be met with the blank space where she was just moments ago. A look of confusion crossed her features, though her attention quickly returned to her mother once more.

//////////

“Dear god,” [Y/N] groaned, rubbing her temples as she wandered further into the castle. It was no surprise to her that the one time she tried to find time for herself, there was more commotion than usual. She walked sluggishly toward the library. Bela and Cassandra were still down in the den, so Daniela was likely somewhere remotely close to them. In other words, she’d be alone in the quietest room available. Wincing slightly at the sound of the door creaking as she pushed it open, [Y/N] continued to move further into the room. She let out a small sigh of relief at the silence that filled the large space. It brought her a sense of comfort, and she could already feel her headache beginning to fade.

Her feet led her toward the nearest bookshelf, allowing her to reach out and graze the dusted spines of the books with her fingertips. She could feel the small creases and dents in the leather covers. “I guess reading could help me calm down a bit.” She circled the shelves for a moment, eventually finding a book that seemed interesting enough. She slid it out from its place on the wooden surface and sauntered to the center of the room, just under the skylight, allowing her to see the print and cover with ease. With a small flick of the wrist, the front cover of the book flipped open. She caught it in between her left index finger and thumb.

Slowly becoming absorbed in the book, [Y/N] failed to notice the distant, familiar buzzing in the room growing louder. It swirled around above her head, encircling the area like a vulture stalking its prey. As she flipped the page she was on to carry on with the next chapter, cold, gloved hands planted themselves on her shoulder and rocked her back and forth jerkily. “[Y/N]! How kind of you to visit me! Wanted to find a nice book to bundle up with, hm? How domestic of you,” Daniela cooed from behind her. The redhead leaned forward and let her bloodied lips graze [Y/N]’s ear. “Might I ask what story you’ve chosen to read, my precious little kitten?”

[Y/N] couldn’t help but jump slightly at the sudden presence of someone else. She twirled around too quickly and nearly stumbled backwards onto the floor. Daniela caught her, however, using her right arm to wrap around the girl’s waist, and her left hand to grasp her wrist. She stepped closer, smirking widely. “Oh, careful now. I’m flattered you’re falling for me, but please don’t hurt yourself in the process. That would be no fun,” she teased. She pulled [Y/N] upright onto her feet, though her hands remained where they were. “L-Lady Daniela! I apologize–I wasn’t…I didn’t know you were in here as well.” The redhead raised a brow, still grinning. “Oh? Where would I have been otherwise? You know very well this is where I spend most of my time.”

“I-I know that! I just figured y-you’d be down with your sisters,” the trembling girl replied shakily. Daniela playfully rolled her eyes. “I don’t follow them around all the time, you know. They don’t have me on a leash.” Her mischievous smirk returned as she once again leaned towards [Y/N]. Her face was merely inches from the other woman’s, allowing [Y/N] to feel her hot breath against her skin, as well as the cold blood from the youngest Dimitrescu sister’s lips splattering against her own. “Though, I will admit, I would absolutely love to see you on a leash.”

Now entirely flustered, [Y/N] stammered as she struggled to find something to say. Daniela couldn’t help but cackle at her reaction. She finally pulled back a bit from the girl, her fingers on the hand still holding [Y/N]’s wrist trailing up to her shoulder, then back down to her hand to slip the book out and examine it. “Now, what is it that you’re reading?” She hummed, tilting her head as she flipped the book around properly. She popped the cover back down and read the title, another smile reaching her lips. “Ah, you’ve chosen one of my favorites! I knew you loved me, but so much so that you take the same interests as me? How endearing!”

She turned the book over and read the back cover, then flipped through a couple of the first few pages, before closing it and returning it to [Y/N], who unsteadily reached out to grab hold of it again.

“I’m sure you’ll love it. Almost as much as you love me, princess,” Daniela murmured. She took [Y/N] by the wrists and tugged her forward. “Say, why don’t we read it together? We can cuddle up on the sofa while you read it aloud! It’ll be so romantic,” she swooned, twirling herself and [Y/N] around for a moment. “L-Lady Daniela, please–!” “Oh, don’t be such a buzzkill, [Y/N]! Just call me Daniela, alright?” “A-Ah, alright. Could you–um–stop spinning me around? I’m getting a little too dizzy.” Daniela faked a look of hurt as she halted her movements. “Aw,” she whined. “You’re no fun.”

Daniela then swarmed herself around to stand behind [Y/N] and wrap her arms around her waist. She let her chin plant itself on the smaller woman’s shoulder before nuzzling her crimson-red smeared face into the crook of her neck. “It’s been so long since I’ve read this one. Will you read it to me?” She asked, giving a pouty lip with pleading eyes, even though she knew [Y/N] couldn’t see her expression from her standpoint. “Pretty please? I promise I won’t bite.” Her pointed canines, which she liked to refer to as fangs, then grazed [Y/N]’s soft, warm, tempting skin. “Well, not yet anyway,” she husked out in her trademark tone. Her warm breath panted against her with each word.

A chill ran down [Y/N]’s spine, making her visibly shudder with an equally shaky sigh. “I-I…I don’t know, L–” She cleared her throat, remembering the woman’s words just moments before. “Daniela. What if someone sees? Won’t they be…I don’t know, disgusted?” Daniela’s head perked up as she frowned. “Excuse me? What exactly is that supposed to mean? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” “What? No! It’s the opposite, actually…I figured you’d be embarrassed to be seen with me. That’s why I keep getting so anxious when you flirt with me the way you do. I know you kind of do it with everyone, but I’m worried you’ll be made fun of if it’s directed towards me.”

Daniela’s frown deepened. She stepped back to stand in front of [Y/N], gently cupping her face in her clothed hands. “Why on earth would I ever be made fun of for something like that? You’re an incredible woman, [Y/N]. Anyone who thinks otherwise is nothing but a fool.” Her left hand trailed up far enough to stroke the girl’s hair, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear.

Although she kept on a protective and calm facade, Daniela could feel her blood boiling underneath her skin. She knew that soon enough it would start to seep through her tone and begin to make itself known, no matter how hard she tried to fight it back.

“Has anyone told you the opposite? Was it one of the maids? One of my sisters? Oh, I’ll crush them for speaking so lowly of you. I’ll torment them nonstop and make their lives a living hell–” “Daniela, no one said anything. No one in this castle anyway, nor this village, as a matter of fact. I’ve just always,” she hesitated, taking the moment of silence to suck in a harsh, staggered breath. “I’ve always thought so lowly of myself. Ever since I was a child, I’ve put myself down left and right, always believing there was something I could do or say to be better. I was terrified of people thinking I was worthless. I still am, actually. It didn’t matter if they told me I was doing far more than enough–I kept telling myself that I was doing too little for them. I convinced myself I wasn’t worthy of love of any kind. I believed I had to have a reason–or some way to prove that–I deserve to exist.”

Daniela, although she tended to find this kind of thing an opportunity to be romantic, like in the stories she read, could feel her heart breaking into pieces at the thought of [Y/N] being so insecure of herself. How could such a wonderful, kind woman believe she had to have a reason to exist? How could she think she wasn’t enough? It befuddled her.

What was even more surprising to her was just how much she cared for this girl. She had never felt like this for anyone else before–even though she pretended to love everyone she flirted with. Had it been any of the other maids, she wouldn’t have even taken a single second to talk things through and try to comfort her. She would’ve toyed with her before leading her to her demise. With [Y/N], however, it was entirely different: she would light up when she smiled or laughed, she’d tear up upon seeing her angry or in pain, and she’d feel the overwhelming urge to rip anyone to shreds if she found out they were the reason behind her sorrow. The thought alone made her seethe.

In her eyes–as well as her sisters’–it seemed obvious that she was more than enough. She wished she could find a way to prove to her that she had already done so much and already deserved the love she received.

“Well, while it’s relieving to know I won’t have to punish anyone for treating you poorly, it certainly hurts far more to hear that you think of yourself that way. [Y/N], you’re perfect the way you are. You’re selfless, kind, charming, and beautiful inside and out. I couldn’t believe that you were real at first because I was only used to the characters I read about in these books being so flawless. They always wear it with pride, but you seem to be ashamed of it, and I cannot for the life of me understand why.

“For heaven’s sake: you saved my sisters and I from dying! I think that clears any idea that you aren’t worthy of love. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now, telling you just how much of an amazing person you are. Is all of this cheesy? Possibly. But it’s all true. Plus, you should know me by now: I absolutely love a good cliche. Especially one that’s so true and well-deserved.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment, wordlessly talking even further to one another. [Y/N] studied the redhead’s gaze in search of any sign of a lie. When she found none, she sighed gently and glanced down at the floor between them. “Well, if you’re sure you wouldn’t mind, then…I suppose reading the book together wouldn’t hurt.” Daniela’s eyes lit up, sparkling under the dimmed light of the glass roof. “Where do you want to sit?”

She squealed, jumping up and down slightly as she took [Y/N]’s hands into her own. “Ah, I knew you’d agree to it! Feeling quite romantic, aren’t we?” She gave a teasing, knowing look, entirely smug as she leaned forward once again. [Y/N] blushed, laughing nervously. “I wouldn’t say that. I just…want to make you happy is all.” Daniela felt her own face growing warm. The blush dusting her face nearly matched the same shade of red as the blood plastered over her face, dripping down her chin and neck and seeping into her cloak.

“O-Oh…” Her lofty grin shifted into an embarrassed, lovestruck smile. “Well, I guess we should find somewhere comfortable then.” Her teasing tone returned. “You wouldn’t want to keep me waiting, would you?” [Y/N] beamed at her. She giggled, making Daniela’s heart flutter. “I guess not. Where do you usually like to read?” Daniela excitedly grasped [Y/N]’s free hand in her own before tugging her over to the sofa adjacent to the large double doors. She gently swept the smaller woman off of her feet just long enough to prop her up against the armrest of the sofa.

Over time, as she got further along in the book, [Y/N]’s voice began to clear and steady itself. She put more emotion into the words as she read them aloud, bringing the characters to life, in a way. Used to fidgeting with something as she read, she found herself letting her hand reach up towards Daniela’s head. Her fingertips grazed the shaved part of her head and scratched at it for a moment before sliding over to rake themselves through her soft red locks that were partially sprawled across her chest. Daniela hummed in content, smiling and yawning as she was lulled into a feeling of security and bliss.

[Y/N]’s headache had long disappeared, much to her relief. There were no longer any throbbing pains throughout her skull, making her wince at every turn. She could finally rest as she read the story both to herself and to the woman on top of her torso. It brought her a sense of comfort–feeling the weight against her chest mixed with the slight source of warmth. Her eyelids drooped as they scanned each phrase. She could hear her words beginning to slur together as she struggled to fight to keep her eyes open.

Daniela’s eyes, even though they were already closed, felt heavy. Both the sound of [Y/N]’s heartbeat mixed with the low rumbling vibrations in her chest as she spoke helped her feel at ease. She had already reread the book multiple times, but she wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to be this close to [Y/N]. After she had been saved a little over two weeks ago from the attack of that wretched man-thing, Daniela had found herself craving the woman’s warmth and touch. She had fallen in love with her long ago, far before the attack, but after seeing just how far the girl was willing to go for her and her sisters, the feeling of devotion and adoration had only grown stronger.

As she began to doze off further and further, all while huddling closer to [Y/N], Daniela searched her brain for something to say before passing out. The corners of her lips perked up into a small smile as she yawned. “Your voice is so beautiful and soothing, honey.”  She paused, seeming to think for a moment. “Honey…your voice is like honey. Sweet and smooth.” [Y/N] stopped reading to glance down at her. She chuckled softly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. “Oh, um…thank you, Dani. That’s very sweet of you.” “Not as sweet as you are.” Another soft laugh slipped past [Y/N]’s lips, which in turn made Daniela’s weary smile grow wider.

“You’re a very sweet woman as well, Dani,” the smaller woman whispered. As she turned back to the book to continue where she left off, another small sentence came from Daniela, making her freeze and blush. “I love you, princess.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat after a moment and shuddered. She could only stare for a moment, waiting until the redhead fell asleep entirely. The sound of deep, even breaths finally confirmed that she had fallen asleep after several minutes. At length, and with a sigh, [Y/N] smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her head. She turned back to the book just long enough to fold the corner of the current page she had been reading. Closing it softly as to not make any loud noises, she stretched her arm over slowly and placed it on the floor beside the sofa. She then let the same arm lift itself back up to drape itself around Daniela’s waist.

Her eyes eventually fluttered shut, her chest rising as she sucked in a deep breath before releasing it through a heavy sigh. She could hear Daniela’s breathing mixed with her own heartbeat. The room was entirely silent otherwise, though it was comforting to the two of the women. The smell of the blood still lingering on the redhead’s face wafted slightly through the air. It combined itself with her perfume and shampoo, which [Y/N] was able to smell because of how close the woman’s head was to her own.

Her nails scratched lightly at the silky fabric that made up Daniela’s cloak, tracing random patterns as her mind wandered elsewhere. She could feel Daniela’s torso expanding with each breath she took, each warm breath that met the skin of her collarbone with every exhale, each little twitch that came from the woman’s hand or leg whenever something happened in her dream.

A silent yawn forced itself past [Y/N]’s lips. Soon enough, one of Daniela’s sisters or one of the maids would come in and shake them awake to let them know dinner was ready. She didn’t mind, however. As much as she had thought a moment like this would be uncomfortable and forced, it seemed genuine and comforting. Until that moment, [Y/N] hadn’t noticed just how exhausted and worn out her body was. She smiled tiredly, already partially unconscious.

“I love you too, Daniela.”

General Headcanons

[Resident Evil Village] Dimitrescu Sisters x Female Reader || Bela Dimitrescu x Female Reader, Cassandra Dimitrescu x Female Reader, Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 4.37k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: None.

[A/N]: Just general, personal headcanons I have of how the girls would be with their partner, as well as just general traits I think they would have. I'll probably add onto this over time when I think of more headcanons.

[A/N] #2: Image credits for Bela and Daniela belong to trippykatsuki on TikTok, and image credit for Cassandra belongs to DigitalZky on NexusMods.

Enjoy!

All

General

I wholeheartedly believe the three of them have fangs–I mean, they’re essentially cannibalistic vampires, so they’d need sharper teeth for tearing and draining/drinking blood (in an easier way)

Definitely love heat, considering their weakness

Will huddle up against each other, their mother, or their partners if they feel even the slightest breeze

Anyone close to them that provides body heat instantly becomes their personal hot water bottle, especially during winter

Y’know how they can control their individual flies / small groups of their flies?

I can totally see them indirectly letting certain ones buzz louder when they get excited or cheerful over something

It’s essentially like they’re purring / vibrating with joy

Like, compliment them? Gift them something they were wanting? Make them feel special in any way?

They’re purring buzzing

Definitely competitive with one another

They’re siblings, after all

They 100% bicker constantly, but they love each other dearly

When they have someone in their life romantically, they all develop this kind of possessive/overprotective tendency. By that, I mean they don’t like to share their lover. They refuse to allow any kind of addition to the relationship–no way will they let a third person become a part of their relationship with their girlfriend

[Individual preferences under the cut]

Bela

General

She’s known as the most cold, levelheaded of her sisters

However, I am a firm believer that she is the most touch-starved of her sisters

She’s constantly seeking praise and approval from her mother, but since she’s held to such a high standard, I get the feeling she worries about not doing enough

Because of this, she’s often buried in paperwork in her study, away from her family

Daniela definitely gives everyone in her family hugs whenever, but that’s all the physical contact she’s likely used to receiving in an affectionate manner

Don’t get me wrong, Alcina absolutely holds her and comforts her physically when she needs it–especially if she and her sisters have barged into her room to ask about sleeping in her bed with her at night–but Bela would probably try to handle her emotions on her own

Doesn’t swoon over fancy gifts, but isn’t against them either

She appreciates them, just worries there’s no practical use for them

Aside from craving physical affection, she undoubtedly loves words of affirmation / praise

Saying the right thing will make her feel all mushy inside, regardless of how well she’s able to hide it

She’s become an expert at winning arguments after having so many with her sisters

You will not win an argument against her

She’s patient and thinks things through, even if it’s something trivial

It’s hard to get her riled up, unless, of course, her family is brought into it in a way she deems as threatening

She’ll still seem relatively calm, but you’d be able to tell when something really got under her skin

She kind of, like, bristles in a way that only those closest to her can notice

Loves all kinds of forms of art

Reading provides a way for her mind to focus and calm down, as well as give her something to bond over with Daniela

Reading also comes in handy when she’s trying to research something or find a way to make something easier

Sketching and painting allows her to spend more time with her mother and be more like her, and it’s clear just how much she admires and loves Alcina

She is 100% a mama’s girl

Sketching specifically gives her a way to visualize things, such as new equipment, experiments, measurements, etc., and it allows her to do so on any surface in front of her

Crafting and sculpting helps connect further with Cassandra, who is more than happy to share tips on creating and designing weapons and small sheaths to fit them in

Designing the weapons on paper is another way she gets to incorporate her sketching skills, as well as fulfill her need to plan things out ahead of time

She loves anything that helps her grow closer to her family

It’s a bonus that those activities also help strengthen her mind

I find her to be the type who loves music. I think she’d know multiple instruments, considering how long she’s been alive, and she’s definitely written her own sheet music on more than one occasion

Willing to try anything more than once, so long as she deems it to be calming or practical

Overall, she loves spending time connecting with her mother and sisters, but it can be hard for her to when she spends so much time working alone in her study

Romantic

Relating to what I said above, I honestly think Bela’s the most inexperienced with romance

She understands how it works, and she knows what’s important for a relationship to be healthy, she just never took much of an interest

Instead, she spends most of her time improving her skills and working under her mother, preparing herself for when she takes over the family winery

You’ll have to be patient with her in the beginning, as she’s not sure what to do with the more physical side of things

Yes, she is touch-starved, but it will still take time for her to adjust if you’re one who likes to cuddle or hug a lot

It’s not really that she’s shy about it, she just isn’t used to it

Once she does finally grow comfortable with it, she’ll start initiating touches herself, albeit very slowly: holding hands when walking around in the garden, linking arms when taking a stroll in the village in the warmer seasons, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek or lips when she feels the moment is right, pulling you into a hug when you want/need it

When she gets even more comfortable with physical touch, she’ll start progressing her boldness: cuddling up together in bed or on a sofa when reading, her kisses and hugs will linger and feel more loving and passionate, and she’ll even hold you and / or spoon against you when sleeping at night

She’ll also find that she loves to do smaller motions such as caress your face, stroke your hair, or trace random patterns on your arms, back, and shoulders

She’s a patient lover, and will do whatever she can to make things work

Slowly, she’ll learn how to get better at expressing her emotions instead of trying to work through them all on her own

Please pull her away from her work more often–poor girl needs to get some sleep

Maybe tell her there’s something you want to try out in the garden or the village like having a picnic or even just visit a friend for lunch

She’ll be stubborn about it, telling you how she needs to finish her work, but if you press her long enough, she’ll give in under the condition that it doesn’t take away too much of her time

So long as she enjoys the evening, however, she won’t be upset with how long she was away from her work

She’ll even thank you the majority of the time

She may accidentally find herself scolding you the way she does with her sisters, but once she catches onto her actions, she’ll quickly draw back and apologize, shifting her tone to speak to you properly

By this, I mean she’ll go from nagging you about something you said or did as if you were a child, the same way she treats her sisters at times, to sitting down with you to talk like rational adults, instead seeming more concerned than annoyed

Speaking of her sisters, she’ll definitely back you up if you somehow find yourself arguing with one of them

As long as you aren’t completely in the wrong, anyway

But sometimes she backs you up just because Cassandra and herself got into an argument recently, or because she just wants to get under Daniela’s skin and tease her a bit

She’ll show interest in your hobbies and might even dabble in a few herself if she hasn’t already

Might even drag you into the room when she’s spending time with her sisters so you can pick up their hobbies as well

She loves learning anything and everything about her partner

Definitely the type to research whatever her partner is interested in / passionate about, so she can share more about it with her and show that she genuinely cares

Dates with her appear simple, but each little factor is carefully planned, including what kind of flowers may be used, what meal is prepared, and even just the color of the outfit she chooses to wear

In short, she absolutely loves and adores her partner, would do anything for her, and is constantly making mental notes on every interest or compliment thrown her way. It takes time for her to get adjusted to the more intimate sides of a relationship, but with patience, she’ll be the kindest and most understanding partner one could have

Cassandra

General

She comes across as aggressive and sadistic to everyone outside of her family, but her sisters and mother know she actually has a much softer side. She just doesn’t like to show it

To me, she comes across as someone who feels like she has to protect her family from any potential threats, ultimately deeming herself as the defender

Still, the sadistic part of her is no joke. She loves to toy with her prey and taunt them all the way up until their dying breath

It thrills her

She and Daniela definitely cause mayhem together, much to Bela and Alcina’s dismay

They’ll often play pranks on their older sister together, laughing hysterically when they both run away from the eldest when she gives chase

When Alcina is scolding her and Daniela, they’ll listen silently, promising to not repeat whatever they pulled

When Bela is scolding them, however, they can’t help but snicker and mock her when she turns around, all in good fun of course. They love Bela and look up to her, but they’re all still sisters, and they don’t try to hide it

As said above in Bela’s section, I–along with plenty of other people in the fandom–believe that Cassandra designs and creates her own collection of weapons

The ones she’s proudest of will end up being displayed on the walls in her room, and the rest will stay in the armory for her to try and improve on later

As well as the groups of weapons in her room, she also keeps collections of her trophies from each of her hunts: skulls, teeth, bones, antlers, etc.

I don’t think she’s as restless as her younger sister Daniela, but I do still find myself picturing her constantly fidgeting with something, whether it be her dress, her necklace, or even her own fingers

Because of this, I feel like she’d pick up other hobbies that would sort of force her to slow down and focus on specific motions

Crocheting, knitting, sculpting (as mentioned above), picking up some sort of instrument, etc.. These help her steady her hands and prevent straining them

It’s not that she’s anxious, she just has built up energy–specifically during the colder months when she can’t go out to hunt and channel her anger

I mean, during the whole sequence in the game where they drag you into Alcina’s chambers to determine what to do with you, she’s moving around the entire time, likely because she’s excited about how they’re going to deal with Ethan

She’s kind of swaying side to side in the cutscene

I do know, though, that she can still herself when she wants to. It’s hard to hunt living prey if you’re constantly moving around

I know during the gameplay, when you’re fighting her, she definitely might seem reckless, but there are two reasons for that: for starters, she’s trying to kill the player after being exposed to her weakness, meaning she wants to end things quickly before she’s able to retreat to safety

Two, by that point, the player already has killed Bela, and in some instances, they’ve already killed Daniela. She’s no doubt enraged that she wasn’t able to defend her sisters, as I said at the beginning. She’s furious at Ethan, and she wants to tear him to pieces

Even so, she still managed to stay coordinated and calculates her movements

She still has some sense of restraint, which is clear from the way she seems to stalk Ethan here and there to determine which direction he’s headed in. This way, she doesn’t lunge at him and put herself in a far more vulnerable position

She wants to make her mother proud, and she wants to defend her family, so when she finds that she wasn’t able to protect her sisters, she more than likely feels as though she failed on both accounts

Ultimately, she’s still very outgoing and sadistic, but I can definitely see a much softer side to her: one where she feels responsible for the wellbeing of her family, and then feels as if she failed when she can’t live up to those standards that she put on herself

Romantic

Contrary to what the majority of the fandom seems to think, I actually believe Cassandra would be an excellent partner

She is sadistic, yes, that’s obvious. However, as I explained above, she has a softer side. If she finds that she’s grown to like someone, especially romantically, that feeling of defensiveness seeps into her relationship as well

Not really one to initiate physical touch beyond holding her partner or pressing a quick kiss to her lips, but she’s also not one to shy away from it by any means. She’s down to try pretty much anything you’d like, unless it involves adding someone else into the mix

She’s definitely a possessive partner in certain aspects, and by that I mean she wants the relationship to only involve her and her lover. Not open to the idea of poly-relationships, but in all fairness, neither of her sisters are either. They’re all loyal and devoted to one special someone, and they all expect their partner to be as well (they only want your eyes on them--no one else)

On a different note, she loves dragging you into the pranks she pulls on her sisters

When Daniela is involved as well, things get more chaotic, and even though Bela makes sure you get dragged into her lecture as well, you and her younger sisters always end up having a good time

It’s one way that you started getting closer to both Cassandra and Daniela, which made both of them happy. Cassandra because you were getting along with her family, and Daniela because she essentially thinks of you as another sister–aka, someone to get into shenanigans with, but also someone new she could love as her own kind

Cassandra definitely might find it hard to pick up on certain cues, but so long as you let her know what you’re comfortable with and what you’re not, she’ll respect it

Don’t want her holding or kissing you during certain times, such as when you’re upset? Just want to be left alone? She’ll respect it, but she always makes sure you have what you need–after an hour or two, if you’re still wanting space, she’ll slip into the room momentarily to give you water and maybe something to snack on or fidget with. She’ll ask if you’re feeling any better and listen intently before heading out again

She’ll do this every hour or so until you’re ready for her to be near again

When you do let her close after calming down, she’ll do whatever it is you need: hold you, listen to you, offer words of encouragement, crack a joke, anything

She won’t push your boundaries, but she’ll keep an eye on you at all times until she’s sure you’re in a far better mood. She wants to make sure you don’t relapse into your sorrow

If you do, she’ll make sure you’re still taken care of until you’re better

She isn’t shy about linking arms or leaning against you/letting you lean against her around others, even around her sisters, who definitely tease her for it

When in bed, however, she strikes me as the type who likes to sleep on top of her partner for two reasons: one, because your body heat helps lull her into a deeper slumber, and two, because, again, she wants to protect her loved ones. She feels that lying on top of you gives her a better way to defend you at night

An added bonus of sleeping like this: she gets to listen to your heartbeat all night long, another sound that greatly comforts her

When winter comes, she’ll light the hearth in her room before bundling up with you under the blankets for an extra source of warmth and softness

During times like those, when you two are alone in her room, she’ll happily talk about her trophies and self-made weaponry she’s decorated her walls with. After some time talking about the knives she keeps on her desk, she’ll even offer to teach you how to create one of your own and use it to defend yourself in case she’s not around

Overall, she’s a very understanding partner, it just takes a bit of extra communication for her to know what you may or may not need. She’s very devoted to you, and she’ll essentially become your defender as well, though she’s not afraid to show affection towards you so you know she’s proud to be seen with you

Daniela

General

Daniela is absolutely the wildest of her sisters in terms of energy, but she also can be the kindest and friendliest of her older siblings

She gets along with people really well, but she still definitely has a more sadistic side to her personality, hence the reason she’s likely the one who brings the most maids down into the cellar for punishment

Not necessarily because she’s easily set off, nor because she’s overly reckless, but because she really enjoys causing chaos, which she partakes in with Cassandra most of the time as a strange way of bonding

Messiest of her sisters in terms of how she punishes the maids, as well as how she eats, talks, and thinks, but she still comes across as the sweetest of the three

Like most younger siblings, she looks up to her older sisters, especially Bela

She tries to be like them in some aspects, which I’ll elaborate on, but she also likes implementing parts of herself into things as well–essentially putting her own spin on things she’s been inspired to do or try

When I say she tries to be like her sisters, I’m talking about her mannerisms: how she holds herself in the presence of certain people, how she stalks and takes care of her prey, how she speaks to the maids when they’ve made a mistake, etc.

This can be seen in the actual game itself, but someone has already described it really well, so I’ll link it here

However, she definitely does put her own spin on things, whether it be physically (how she moves around the room before striking), verbally (how she speaks to others, aka, her flirty tone), or emotionally (the tone she uses when trying to achieve something)

An obvious hobby of hers, based on gameplay anyway, is reading. She locks herself in the library to read very often

I can definitely see her writing her own stories and possibly even her own poems, though. I also feel like Bela has tried out poetry as well, so this would be something else that the two of them could bond over as well, on top of reading

She loves when she gets to spend time with her family, especially her sisters, so whenever she sees an opportunity where she can bond with them, she takes it–even if it just means sitting in the same room as them for a certain amount of time

A social butterfly, Daniela isn’t afraid to greet strangers or try to strike up a conversation with someone when she goes out into the village to shop for new books

Granted, she tends to freak some people out, considering her family’s reputation and how energetic she can come across as, but nevertheless, she still is more than happy to talk to others and get to know them

Although she is very outgoing and likely a bubbly person, she definitely has moments where she wants to be alone. It’s either because she wants to escape from an argument she may have gotten into with her sisters, has gotten overwhelmed when someone else is arguing loudly, there’s too much noise nearby, or she just wants to take some time to herself to read

Often, disregarding the colder months, she can be seen at the Duke’s shop looking for new books

Her room definitely has shelves with those books in case she doesn’t feel like moving to the library or wants to read in the comfort of her bed, but I can see her having other things as well

Has a section of one of her walls dedicated to letters, photos, or drawings she’s made or shared with her family, all of which have small notes to recall where they originated from

Another wall, the one where her study is kept, is littered with the poems or rough drafts for stories she’s written recently. There are also likely a couple of books there for her to reference or gain inspiration from while writing

Out of all of her family, I feel like she has the broadest taste in music. Next to her desk, tucked away in the corner, she has a record player she purchased one year from the Duke, as well as a small collection of different records that she switches between randomly. She’ll often play certain albums while reading or writing, just so there’s some sort of noise in the background if it’s been a particularly stressful day

Romantic

So, Daniela definitely may struggle with certain boundaries in a relationship, but it’s because her love language is absolutely physical affection–she loves to hug, kiss, and cuddle with her partner at any given chance

If you’re the first one to initiate any form of intimacy–kiss her on the cheek or lips, lean into her for an embrace or to link arms, even something as simple as linking your fingers together when walking around or sitting together–she’ll completely melt

Like, a full on cheesy grin with a slight blush creeping up to her ears

She just looks so proud

However, with a little bit of time a patience, she’ll finally find ways to cope with having to give you space as well

It’s not necessarily because it’s the end of the world for her if she can’t touch you somehow, it’s just that she’s used to being close to you all the time, so she’ll have to adjust when you ask for some space

When you’re wanting to be alone for a bit, she’ll busy herself with writing you a letter or note of some kind that she can give to you once you’re ready for her to be close again

She’s absolutely the cuddlebug in her family: she’ll cuddle you whenever, so long as you’re comfortable with it

She’ll cuddle you when reading, when listening to music, when talking, and 100% cuddles with you when the two of you are asleep

I can see her finding any cuddling position suitable–she just wants to be close to you in one way or another

She, like her sisters, loves warmth and is drawn to your body heat

And while she can easily hear your heartbeat from a mile away, she still loves to press her ear up against your chest whenever to hear it directly next to her

On top of the cuddles, she also loves to hug you, no matter the reason

You’re sad? Hugs. You’re happy? Hugs. You’re confused? Hugs. Doesn’t matter what’s happening, she just loves hugging you

She also really loves being able to kiss you, all under the same circumstances as above

Out of the three of them, Daniela is definitely the most touchy and emotional one

However, she knows when she needs to be the reliable one. She knows there’s a time and place for her affection, emotions, and overall attitude

You’re her rock, and she wants to be that for you as well

You keep her grounded when she starts to get too overwhelmed, and she loves that you do so much for her. She wants to return the favor, even if she’s not entirely sure how

She’s fully capable of being the partner you need

She knows there’s more to a relationship than just pure romance–it takes time, patience, understanding, communication, and so much more–and she knows things won’t always be easy like they are in the romance novels she tends to be drawn toward

However, she’s also willing to stick it out and stay by your side

She loves you so much, and she wants to give you everything. She wants to give you the world, no matter the cost.

Ask anything of her, and she’ll do everything in her power to get it for you

She’s aware that sometimes she can be a bit much to others–in terms of her outlook on things and her level of energy–but she just hopes you’ll stand by her with pride the way she does with you

You, like her family, mean everything to her, and she just wants you to be happy and feel loved and appreciated

In short, Daniela is a very touchy partner, one who constantly wants to be near you. She loves spending all of her time with you. Even when you ask for space, she’s doing something for you: she’s pulling strength from the time spent on her hobbies to write you a poem or letter that she hopes will cheer you up even more when you let her near you again. She can be patient and strong when you need her to be. Without fail, she’ll always find a way to make you smile and laugh. You’re her world, her lover, her family, and she’ll do anything for you

Wanted to take a small break from posting three stories per character to come back to these three and show them a little more love. I haven’t been seeing much content for them since the fandom has already kind of died, so I just wanted to add this here until I fully come back to them. As of now, I still have eleven more people I’m wanting to write for, so it’s definitely going to be a while.

I liked writing this as a little breather though, so I may do this again in between characters (there are a lot, please bear with me).