#(Bela's throwing stones while living in a glass house with that line about)

[thebeladimitrescu]

Flower || Closed RP

Continued from here @donnabeneviento-doll When the veil shifted Bela felt as if she had accidentally violated the other woman’s privacy by even glimpsing that small amount of her face- as comely as what little she could see was. Thankfully she did not look away or react, as far as she knew, in any way that would indicate having seen anything. The witch did not know why Signora Beneviento hid her face. She had never asked. It was none of her affair and to pry would be unseemly. If one day the witch unintentionally overheard the answer in conversation, well, that was neither here nor there. 

The corners of her mouth tipped upwards slightly. “That sounds interesting.” Bella was mostly sincere. It certainly was not an activity they engaged in at the castle so such a thing would be novel for a time. Still, the witch had her doubts that the villagers were interesting outside of their rare moments. The ones that had been brought to the castle were often uncultured, insipid cattle. How interesting could conversations concerning things horribly common and dull be? With that said, it might make it easier to know who was worth having. Not that she would dare to outright ask mother for anyone specific to be brought. It would have to be an extraordinary circumstance and even then there would likely be nothing for her in it. Daniela and Cassandra broke everything they touched regardless of its value- especially if it interested her it seemed. She loved them, but they were also insufferable at times.  “We certainly do not have a radio at the castle.” Or at least as far as I am aware. Mama might... “There is an entire world of information I am missing out on.” It was a pity she had to tread so lightly when it came to associating with Heisenberg. He was clever and could likely build her a radio. Such a skilled machinist likely could provide her with a wealth of knowledge that could not be found within the castle library. All of the lords had some talent or insight to offer, but instead they engaged in frequent bouts of infighting. Well, mostly Mama and Heisenberg did- with poor Moreau eternally on the outs. Signora Beneviento... to be honest, Bela did not hear that much about her except- well, nothing that the witch put much weight on. Sometimes, perhaps, Mama could be a bit snobbish. Not by much. Slightly. “That sounds sweet though, about what showing people what they miss.” Bela’s smile was gentle, a shadow, but she wondered if the illusions were truly born of sweetness or were they a means to another end. What did Signora Beneviento eat? Did she eat people? Children? Not that Bela was judging her for it if she did. The witch worked primarily with the test subjects in the dungeons and the slowly exsanguinating maidens in the cellar. 

[hekate1308]

Whole New World

More of my siren!Cas AU. Enjoy!!!

With more and more people starting to accept magic as a part of life, it slowly starts seeping into many aspects of real life.

Or maybe it would be better to say that people finally notice it.

Bobby, of course, slipped over the barrier shortly after reconnecting with Dean and meeting his now-husband and his friends. He did it effortlessly, and he can even say that it brought him luck; suddenly monsters from all around Sioux Falls bring their cars to his shop. And they’re usually pretty decent and eager for a chat.

He’s even grown used to Crowley showing up out of the blue because Dean and Cas are having a date night and he’s bored.

Fishing has become rather... different. The merfolk that showed up and scared his no-longer friend away keep appearing, apparently rather happy to have a human who likes fish as much as they do to talk to; sometimes they even bring him some so he barely has to do anything anymore.

All in all, life has become more colourful and he doesn’t mind one bit. After all, he’s even got his boy back in his life.

He’s also pretty ecstatic when Dean calls him one day and tells him he and Sam have found each other again. He always hoped they would reconcile, and soon enough, the boy lands on his doorstep again as well.

True, Bobby starts to have second thoughts after a while, simply because Sam never talks about anything magical happening to him; and he’s suspected for quite some time now that this is a thing that happens when one gets close to monsters and accepts them for what they are.

But soon his worry about Sam is swallowed by his worries about Crowley. The demon looks worse and worse every time he shows up.

He isn’t sure if he should talk to Dean about it or not; the last thing he wants to do is worry his boy; but if push comes to shove –

Luckily, one evening when Crowley zaps over, he looks back to normal.

“So, what was it, then?” Bobby asks after he’s poured them both a glass of the good stuff. “And don’t tell me you didn’t –“

“I was dying” Crowley says so matter-of-factly he has to repeat it to make Bobby understand.

Then he gets the whole story out of him.

“let me repeat that. You cold-blooded bastard were so stubborn you’d rather die than look for the company of other demons.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed” Crowley replies simply, “But I am not exactly the most friendly of beings.”

He laughs.

Not everyone can just let things be, of course. Now and then, he wakes up to graffiti around the junkyard, how he’s a monster lover and all that stuff, as if they haven’t been around for as long as humans, if not for longer.

Oh well. He’ll grow used to it.

And if he gets too annoyed, he can always move near the boys.

Bela’s working on a story in Vienna when she notices the little girl. There is nothing strange about her, except for the fact that she’s crying and now and then asking people for help but they only shake their heads and move don, looking either scared or confused.

This can only mean one thing.

There’s a supernatural explanation for all of this.

It wouldn’t be the first attempt of – may it be magic, may it be fate – inviting Bela back in. She’s grown used to it.

But somehow, this feels more momentous than the other situations she’s found herself in.

Must be the surroundings. America’s culture is all over the place, a mixture that wasn’t allowed to grow for centuries but rather forced upon the land; Europe’s is, if not older, than more consistent; and it’s only logical that Vienna, that city in love with death and yet celebrating life, that city who could celebrate Mozart and yet throw him in a pauper’s grave, is tired of her walking the line.

It’s all or nothing, now.

She thinks of the monster she’s met. She thinks of Dean and Cas, of Crowley and Gilda, of Charlie and Benny, and all the others having carved out their own home in a non-descript suburbia paradise that has no right being as idyllic as it is.

She thinks of hobglobins going through her sock drawers, of boogey men living in her cupboards, of banshees dramatically storming into her office and asking for help. All this could happen, and all this most likely will happen if she takes the step.

A few moments later, she leans down and asks the girl, “Hallo. Wie heißt du?”

She sniffles. “Mizzi.”

The traditional nickname for Maria, she realizes. She’s never been gladder that she’s fluent in German.

A few questions later, it becomes obvious why the other people ran.

Mizzi is looking for her pet basilisk.

“He’s called Sebi, and he’s really nice! Only everyone’s scared of him because of how he looks!” she wails and Bela does her best to calm her down.

Of course. The city where a stone basilisk is considered one of the sights to see when visiting the first district.

Naturally basilisks are pets here and not nuisances.

“I’m sure we’ll find... Sebi. Where did you see him last?”

Yes, she reflects as she follows Mizzi through the small streets, she definitely crossed the threshold now. She can see several shops that carry magical items, and a vampire brushes past her.

Fittingly enough, Sebi has hidden near the basilisk house, and Mizzi squeals when she sees him. “Sebi! I was so worried!” She hugs him close and even Bela has to admit it’s an adorable picture.

After that, she accompanies her home, and her mother is so thankful she offers her coffee.

“Have you...” Bela begins, then pauses a moment, unsure of how to proceed. “Have you had Sebi for long?”

“Two years now” she answers. “We were rather boringly normal, but you know how children are. Mizzi brought him home one day and decided he belonged to us now. And really, she’s utterly safe when she’s walking around with him. Most people don’t want to come near him.”

Bela nods.

“What about you? You must have had some exposure to creatures, if you were so willing to help.”

“Yes. My... best friends are a siren and his human husband.” It sounds almost stranger, coming from her lips. Friends. She’s never really had friends in her life.

“Oh, we rarely see any sirens around here. Maybe because we don’t really have an access to the sea.”

They chat some more and then she leaves, not without being cuddled by Mizzi and Sebi beforehand.

That night in her hotel room, she starts looking for real estate near Dean’s and Cas’ place.

Maybe it’s time to find a place to call home.

Just because she doesn’t want to live her life almost exclusively surrounded by monsters, it doesn’t mean that she’s going to allow discrimination to happen on her watch; Sarah has been steadfastly refusing to showcase any works of art that depicts them as despicably or only ready to be slaughtered, although she has accepted several life-like pieces the monsters who now and then drop in assure her are not demeaning in any way.

Say what you want about Pickman, he was a genius. Even if no one knows what happened to him in the end.

There are those who frankly deny monsters entry to their shops. Sarah knows better. She’s not ready to take the step and live with magic every single day, she doesn’t think she ever will be, but she can meet and greet monsters with a smile on her face, as she would every citizen.

One day, a family of phoenixes drops by, and she serves them because her employees are a bit apprehensive when it comes to monsters. Foolishly so, if you ask her.

They leave a generous tip.

She goes home smiling to herself.

Donna is sunbathing, smiling when she hears her boyfriend singing. He’s currently driving his boat around the lake, as he loves to do. Sometimes he thinks he would even if he wasn’t a selkie.

“Hello, are – oh, hello, dear.”

She opens her eyes to see the selkie Dean has taken to call her “maybe mother-in-law.” “Hello Shelly.”

“Donna. I hear he’s singing again. He does that a lot, these days.”

“He enjoys it” she says.

Shelly looks at her and shakes her head. “Oh no, my dear. The God of the seas smiled upon us when you picked up his coat. He was very lonely, before.”

She blushes.

“But I better not gush about this too much, I can see I’m embarrassing you” she says, stroking her hand. Donna soon learned after meeting Tobias that it’s a comforting gesture amongst selkies, not to be taken as condescending.

“It’s just a little too early to talk about marriage in human terms” she replies, although she has been thinking about moving in with Tobias for a while now. But they have all the time in the world.

“Cas!” Dean calls out. “Bela sent us a postcard.”

“Where from? She rushes about so much, I never know where she is.”

“Vienna. I thought she was trying to be funny, but read this.”

He passes him the card; Cas frowns a little as he sees it depicts the basilisk house in Vienna, but when he turns it around, there’s a single sentence.

See you soon, neighbours. Bela.

“Think she’ll ever lose the “u”?” Dean asks.

Cas shakes his head. “She’s British, Dean.”

“Still... if she wants to go native, she’ll have to try harder” he says lightly, even though he is beaming at the thought of another one of their friends moving near them.

Cas kisses him and the discussion comes to an end for a while.

Gilda has long since grown used to the stares. Unlike Cas, she’s never been able to hide who and what she is – there’s simply something magical about her, an aura that lets people know.

She doesn’t mind. And as long as the flowers in the shop she works at thrive, she’s more than happy.

There is a fair share of asshole customers, of course. Most days, she gets ignored once or twice when she offers help, or someone throws a snide comment her way. As if she cares. Things are better than they used to be, and she knows they will only improve. She has to believe. She’s a fairy, a creature of nature itself; and nature itself is good. There has to be good in the world for her to exist.

And so she pays no heed to the two young men who are purchasing flowers for their girlfriends and giggling behind their backs over her gown one day.

Until an older woman says sharply, “What’s so funny?”

They leave quickly after that.

“You pay them no mind, dearie” she tells Gilda as she sells her a cactus, “They’ll all learn in time, you’ll see.”

She has long given up acting surprised by her son. Crowley has always followed his own path, and for a demon, he’s turned out rather well, if she says so himself.

Still, she didn’t expect to see him collecting mandrake roots one early morning. “Crowley? What are you doing here?”

“The same as you, Mother – I’m working.”

“I can see that” she replies. And even more. Ever since the Winchesters decided to save his life, he’s been looking better and better, utterly comfortable with his place among them, and not scared to show his vulnerable side if need be.

“Bela Talbot is moving into her house by the end of next week, and I know several other monster families are interested. We need stronger protections.”

Crowley, always thinking of everything. “I could help.”

“If you wish to” he say slightly, as if they don’t have a bitter history of arguments.

Dean and Cas changed a lot by moving here.

“First of all, you don’t want to pick young ones...”