[Gift] Through The Darkness Bye Candlelight

Darkness was something he was used to. 

He walked through cold stone corridors in the dark. Heavy boots echoed on the path below him as he sneakily went about his late-night work. 

Viktor always worked late. It was the only time he could work - really. 

“Where are we going?” A voice asked beside him, and Viktor’s green eyes moved to stare down at the creature next to him. He had such a peculiar voice. It was shrill, and monotone yet had a certain distortion to it. As if his voice box was from a completely different creature than himself. Igor was his companion or rather a ‘helper’ of sorts. 

“We’re going to the lab, Igor, we have the order to fulfil, and you know how Caleb is when we don’t get things to him on time,” Viktor told the succubun, who nodded in return and skipped to keep up with Viktor’s long legs. 

Igor rarely took his doll form, preferring to wander around in his bun form, barely stitched together and occasionally letting off a zap of static as he shuffled around. 

Viktor, on the other hand, preferred to be in his doll form, tentacles spreading out to hook and wrap around anything and everything he needed to do his job effectively. 

Now, his tentacles wrapped around a candelabra while another lit it with a match. Each candle illuminated the dark stone tunnel that they descended into. Just one of the many secret tunnels Caleb had built in his ‘facility’ over the years. 

Caleb was an eccentric individual. To say the least. He ran The Order. A church that took full advantage of anybody who dared step foot into its halls. 

Pathetic, Viktor had always thought. 

Oh, he disagreed with everything Caleb stood for. He disliked organized religion and disliked it even more when it targeted young, innocent and vulnerable individuals. 

But. 

Caleb was his benefactor. He paid him to do his work. He funded his projects. He gave Viktor all the supplies he needed. 

So who was he to argue? 

“Viktor,” Igor said softly to him, snapping the scientist from his dazed state. The purple succubun looked at Igor and then at the candles. Two had gone out already. 

“Right,” he replied and lit them again. He had to stop doing that, spacing out. 

The pair finished their journey in the darkness. Lit by candlelight. He had full access to lights and equipment in his lab, but the old building they were set up in made it impossible to tether lights through the caverns and tunnels below. 

“I don’t like candles,” Igor said, and Viktor glanced down at him as they neared the large wooden door. He frowned and opened it.

“Why not?” he asked in response. Igor shrugged.

“They burn things, don’t they,” he told him, and the pair started to ascend the stairs toward Viktor’s lab. 

“You worried about getting burned?” Viktor asked him, and Igor nodded. “You won’t get burned Igor. It’ll be fine.”

Igor nodded, not really feeling that confident from Viktor’s words but followed him anywhere. He staggered behind the scientist now, watching his silhouette climb the spiral stone stairs. Fire illuminated the passage in front of them as flames danced destructively from their wicks. 

Fire was beautiful, he had to admit. But part of him feared the strength behind even the smallest flame. He kept his mouth shut this time, not wanting to piss off or annoy Viktor. 

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Viktor went to unlock his laboratory door, but it was open and the lights were already on. He swore to himself and handed Igor the candelabra before pushing open the door to see Alabaster and Caleb waiting for him. 

Caleb was sat in Viktor’s chair, one leg crossed menacingly over the other, while Alabaster sat on the edge of the table, legs kicking. He had a smile on his face and waved as Viktor entered. 

“Caleb, didn’t think you’d be here so late,” he said to him as he glanced up at the laboratory lights. His tentacles reached out angrily, preparing for some kind of fight, and Caleb’s did the same. 

“Well, you weren’t picking up my calls…we’ve run out, I need another batch tonight,” he told him. 

“Tonight, I deliver on Wednesdays; it’s Tuesday, Caleb. You know how I am with schedules,” Viktor told him. 

“I don’t care, get it done,” Caleb hissed now standing. 

He looked at Igor who gripped the candelabra tightly. 

“Do it now, or I’ll take away your little pet, I know you don’t fear me Viktor, it’s an annoying trait of yours, but get my shipment ready or I will burn that little thing to a crisp,” Caleb chittered and Viktor bared his serrated fangs at him. 

“You hurt him and you’ll never get a drop from me again, Caleb, then where will you be, all alone because who in their right mind would follow you,” Viktor seethed and Caleb narrowed his eyes. 

“The morning Viktor, I want it by the morning,” Caleb warned. “Alabaster, lets go.”

“Aye aye sirrrrrrrrrr,” Alabaster called jumping off the table and running off after his boss. “Byeeee Viktor, Igor.”

When the door closed Igor looked at Viktor, he was pissed. He clenched his fists and his tentacles curled and wrapped around himself, running up his neck and to the corners of his mouth. He laughed softly at first. So softly. 

But it soon ran into a continuous loop of menical laughter.

“Viktor…” Igor said and the man’s turned around and slapped the candelabra out of his hands, knocking the candles to the floor. They caught immediately on the papers and boxes that were strewn all over the lab.

“Ahhh, Viktor the lab!” Igor shouted. 

Igor yet out a yelp as fire lapped at his arm.

“Viktor, you promised I wouldn’t get burned!”

Viktor’s eyes softened and he looked at what he’d done. He frowned and quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher, putting out the fire and going to Igor. 

“Igor I’m so sorry are you alright?” he asked him. 

“No, I’m not…you need to do the work, for Caleb, or…or he’ll do something worse,” Igor said and Viktor nodded. Of course, he had to do the work. He had to. So he could keep doing his projects.