#Speed Paint - Vampire Girl

[aklaustaleteller]

Might Fancy You

Y/n went from fearing Klaus, to studying in his studio, to then throwing Shakespeare insults at him while chasing after him to put paint on him; he'd started it. But what happens when she ignores his one warning and he has her cornered in a flash?

Warnings - few mentions of blood and some kissing. Word Count - 1.8k

I told you I'll have part two out in two days and here it is! You can read part one here, and well, I hope you enjoy both the parts!

“And you are?” Elijah asked the girl standing in the doorway of the mansion, clutching onto so many things that he worried all of it was going to fall out of her trembling hands any time now. 

“Um, I’m here to meet Klaus?” She said, an awkward smile pulling up the corners of her mouth. “He’s helping me with an art project,” she continued when the original didn’t say anything.

But he did raise an eyebrow at that, making her even more nervous and bunch up her shoulders in a defensive shrug. “You know what? I’ll just leave,” her voice made a few tumbles as she turned around and began walking out the door she’d just come in. Her guard was high up because she had no reason to believe that this vampire wasn’t going to drain her of blood then and there for stepping onto his property without any permission. 

“Y/n!” She heard a voice call out and she flinched, her heart trying to make up for the missed beat and speeding up as a result. 

“Y- yes?” She stuttered, slowly turning to face him, fearing what’s to come. How stupid had she been to ask a goddamn original to help her out with some- some school work! 

“What did you say to her, Elijah?” Klaus glared at his brother on seeing his new friend so shaken up.

Elijah only turned towards him in a slight confused daze. “I simply asked her who she was,” he said, walking away from the scene to probably his reading chair, leaving as nonchalantly as he could’ve killed her. 

A smile creeped up on Klaus’ mouth, a chuckle rumbling inside his chest at how easily she’d been frightened. It was almost bordering on endearing. 

“C’mon love, follow me,” he urged her as he walked up the stairs, coming to halt when he didn’t hear her move. “Y/n?” he called her, looking back at her from midway up the stairs. and coming to a realisation that she might genuinely be scared of him. 

“I think I’ll go,” she said, looking very close to passing out. “Forget I asked you for anything.” She didn’t even look him in the eyes and turned back around to leave and get away from this mansion as fast as she could.

But of course, Klaus stood in front of her just as she turned, almost sending her heart flying out of her mouth. It was strange, to witness this completely new side of the girl who ferociously bit right back at him the most creative insults he’d ever heard in his long life.

“Why are you so suddenly terrified of me?” Klaus asked, his face creasing in confusion as his eyes showed her specks of hurt that could very well just be the mossy-green of his eyes deceiving her. “What happened?”

“I- I don’t know maybe the sense that you’re an original who could rip me to shreds or drain me of all my blood right here,” she stopped herself like she’d done something insanely stupid and – ”finally knocked at my brain,” she trailed off very softly, almost as if cautious of making him angry.

“Y/n- love, you know I’d never do that,” he mumbled, cupping her face and almost flinching when she went stiff. “I mean I could do that but I never would!” he reframed his sentence when she narrowed her eyes, for some reason, desperate that she understood him.  

“What do I have to believe you wouldn’t?” 

“Because I do not have any reason to,” Klaus reassured her, not saying that maybe because he fancied her a little, just because this wasn’t the ideal moment for a confession like that. 

Y/n didn’t say anything at that. Standing still and looking into his eyes, searching his face for any signs of underlying betrayal but she didn’t find any – not that she expected to, he is a thousand years old after all, surely he’d know how to disguise his motives.

And yet, when Klaus grasped her arm and led her up the stairs, she let him. 

“I see you brought all of your stuff,” Klaus chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood as he took a million things out of her hold, placing it all on the rug and smiling when he saw her setting up the canvas for him. He could get used to this very easily. 

“I did, it’s my work you are doing after all,” she said softly, slowly coming out of her shell. “I didn’t want you to waste your supplies on it,” she continued. 

“I wouldn’t say this is wasting anything,” Klaus proposed, thinking that maybe this would be the topic for their discussion today, slight banter even? 

“I wouldn’t either,” she agreed with him, catching him a little off guard. “But the school people will tear this apart and throw it in the trash before I could ever get to it.”

Klaus shook his head at that, preparing the paints and the brushes. “And why would you want to get to it?”

Y/n had managed to make herself comfortable on the floor a couple feet away from him, her papers already scattered on the floor of his studio,  and Klaus only hoped that they could do this more often after this day.

“Well, I wouldn’t want it go to waste… you see? Maybe hang it somewhere in my house when it’s purpose in school is served,” she shrugged nonchalantly, taking the cap off of a pen by her mouth and Klaus wanted nothing more than to rush over to her and cup her face to kiss her. 

Which reminded him that she was quite fastly transitioning back to her usual self around him. He smiled at that, the scary thrill in his heart that had come at the thought of her fearing him slowly fading away. 

Neither of them said anything after that, getting to their individual works in silence. The soft sounds of Klaus’ brush against the canvas, mixing colours on his palette and rinsing the brush rid of the previous colours filled the room along with sounds of Y/n flipping her book, turning the pages in notebooks and changing pens. 

The sun peeked in through the windows, the lighting constantly changing as the clouds drifted calmly through the sky. 

While painting, Klaus began to worry about this girl who was so engrossed in her homework that she hadn’t moved once. He worried that she’d gotten so serious and quaint that she might just tumble into sadness. All that to say, he missed her laugh a little as well.

He tuned to just look at her while he was sure that she was unaware. Her hair was tied up, circular glasses that had a coppery rim slipping lower and lower on the bridge of her nose until she had to fix them. She looked cute, Klaus caught himself thinking.

Her lips were resting in a faint pout as she focused, her fingers picking at them while she jottled down something in her notebook with her free hand. His hand ached to trace its fingers over the highs and the lows of her face. The little frown that had formed inbetween her eyebrows made her look all the more cute and Klaus found himself walking over to her, his feet functioning on a mind of their own. 

He bent down to come face-to-face with her as she was sitting, and he almost cooed at the fact that she still hadn't quite registered the close proximity at which he was in front of her. Raising up his hand, he booped her nose – getting the very reaction he was hoping for.

She looked up at that, slightly startled, only to catch Klaus’ eyes widening a little themselves. 

“Why did you do that?”

“Uh, because there was something…” he panicked, his eyes frozen on the spot he had gotten yellow paint on her nose. “I removed it though, don’t you fret,” he smiled, brushing over his pants as he began to stand up straight. 

But she passed him a glare then, clutching the bottom of his henley to stop him. “Klaus,” she began. “Did you remove something or put something there?”

He shrugged at that, focusing back on the canvas and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her getting up. 

“Klaus.” She said his name with an underlying warning. She brushed her own finger over the very spot he had touched, and saw the paint.

“Everyone’s entitled to act stupid once a while, but you really abuse the privilege,” she was walking closer to him and Klaus knew exactly what was about to commence, making him cover his head with his arms when she pressed her hand against the paint on the palette. 

He howled with laughter when she dragged her hands across his neck, twisting and turning to get away from her. Still laughing at the insult she threw at him because it was a bloody good one, Klaus swiped his finger across her collarbone, earning a whine from her as she began chasing him around the studio. 

Stopping to catch her breath, she began shouting at him – “thou crusty batch of nature!” But laughter slipped past both of their mouths before they could even contemplate what she’d just said. 

“No way you just threw a Shakespearree insult at me,” Klaus laughed, standing on the complete other side of the room, opposite to her.

He feigned a growl when she began walking towards him, red paint almost drying on her palms. “Take another step, and I can’t be held responsible for my actions,” Klaus whispered loud enough for her to hear. 

And she ignored his warning, just like he was hoping she would. Watching her creep up closer and closer to him, Klaus felt a smirk pull up a corner of his lips. 

In a flash, Klaus had her pinned against a wall, her wrists held above her head in his hands. His face tilted to the side lightly, his eyes focused on her mouth as he felt her gaze on him heating up her skin. She tipped her chin forward, her lips not quite meeting his’, making him close the gap between them and connect their lips. 

Lips moving in a perfect sync, Klaus brought one of his hands down to snake it around her waist, her mouth opening with a gasp at the sensation and giving him the chance to kiss her further. The back of her head met with the wall behind her as they kissed with a passion that felt too heated. 

Detaching their mouths, both of them took in heaves of breath, Klaus pecking her lips once more before releasing her wrists. She was looking into his eyes, searching them for something and Klaus couldn’t help but smile at her, her lips very lightly swollen, looking like they’d just been kissed. 

“Think I might fancy you a tad,” he grinned, laughing out loud when she grabbed his face to kiss him again, making him lose his balance only for a second before he was cupping her face ever so gently.

"Never realised I wanted to hear you say it so much,” she let slip a breathy chuckle, looking into his eyes before kissing his lips once more. Lord, it was addictive – he was addictive. 

[gunraekae]

having an off day 2

Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais

>ikemen vampire

>mansion residents (+bonus) x reader

>a/n: the second half of your off day. here is how your morning and early afternoon went.

Leonardo da Vinci

While Leonardo isn’t necessarily your responsibility to awaken (he could really be anywhere in or out of the mansion, it’s far too much effort for anyone to find him and urge him to eat. Let’s not forget he’s an immortal vampire, he doesn’t even need to.), a small and guilty part of you tends to seek him out anyway. He’d done a lot for you when you first stumbled into the mansion and has acted as one of the main components of your support system since then. 

It was nearing noon and after you’ve awoken Napoleon, Leonardo was surprisingly awake and in the library. Perched upon one of the oak armchairs by the window, the sunlight streaming through the glass painted him in a glorious light – reminding you of the timeless beauty the purebloods possess. He looked like he was in one of his own paintings, and you would be a villain to disturb that. 

Still, his vampiric senses had a lower threshold than the others and he could sense your presence (or really, smell your blood) before you even opened the library doors. 

“Surprised I’m up so early, cara mia?” The husky rumble of his baritone voice always sent pleasant shivers down anyone’s spine. His golden eyes, brightened by the sunlight, peered above the book he held in one hand straight at yours. 

“I suppose.”

“Hmm… come closer will you?” His wolfish eyes narrowed in disdain at your lethargic response. Reluctantly, you follow his command and sit across from him at the window. He discards his book, leaning on his knees to get a better look at your morose disposition. A displeased hum, then he places a finger under your chin to move your face even closer to his. 

“That won’t do. Such an emotion dims your eyes.” His artist-eye grazes over your face, observing your downturned lips and your swollen, teary eyes. A knowing smirk, and he settles back on the armchair. He leans on the armrest, the slouching figure alluring in his own charm. 

“You’re a smart girl. You can guess what’ll happen next, can’t you?” His handsome smirk grows at your knowing sigh. 

“Just don’t throw me over your shoulder this time.” 

“No promises, cara mia.” He huffs as he rises and moves to your side. With a motion for you to raise your arms, he at least carries you princess-style as he speeds to the mansion’s exit. 

It’s not entirely unpleasant being in Leonardo’s strong arms, and you find the warmth almost soothing to your turbulent thoughts. He takes you to your signature spot: a small dock on one of the more solitary ends of the Seine river. He wants to give you the princess treatment, so he’ll slowly row the two of you down the water. 

On the romantic boat-ride through the Seine, with Leonardo’s golden eyes trained on your face and giving you his full attention, it would be quite difficult to resist confiding in him. In your lowest moments so far, he’d been nothing short of comforting — holding you in his arms when you were afraid during your first night, sleeping outside your door for the following week, and whisking you away from your chores to dispel the unhealthy façade you kept up. 

In fact, a small part of Leonardo is ecstatic that you felt safe and comfortable enough with him and the other residents that you could freely express your more negative emotions with them (but hopefully mostly with him. Forgive him, he can be a bit possessive). 

However long it takes you to quell the darkness in your mind, Leonardo is there to receive anything you throw at him. He can wrap you in a warm embrace and caress your back, offer you wise advice to your problems, or just listen to your thoughts. Whatever you need most, Leonardo will give it to you. 

Leonardo hopes you’ll always run into his arms any time you have problems and allow him to fix it, like he does with machines. That being said, he doesn’t mind seeking you out and literally carrying you away from your responsibilities to ease your torment. Wrapped in his big, strong arms and shielded from your worries, it’d be difficult not to feel at ease with this loveable dork. Anything and everything you ask for he’ll deliver, and if you don’t know what that is, he’ll give you a familiar experience that comforted you in the past. There isn’t much that fazes him with his long years on Earth, but just the teary sheen over your eyes is enough to twist his heart in painful knots. 

Isaac Newton

Lost in his bustling mind and distracted by an equation he couldn’t quite solve last night, he unfortunately only caught Theo’s grumbles of “pouring his own damn coffee,” and your departing figure to the kitchen. He thought nothing of it, believing Theo was just being his usual insufferable self and holed up in his study for the day.

If you weren’t responsible for delivering lunch to him, he’d have never caught wind of your off-character today. So when your voice behind his door lacked its usual lively pitch, he wanted to bash his head open for not noticing it during breakfast. 

When you entered his study you quietly placed the tray on one of his tables, wishing for an easy escape from his calculating rosy eyes. At your quickly retreating figure, the swirling worries in Isaac’s head scolded him for his indifference and how that coldness definitely would break your heart. He grasped at your sleeve and pulled you with more force than he intended, landing your entire upper body on his lap. (You’ll have to forgive his awkward execution, he really means well.)

“I’m terribly sorry mc! I didn’t mean to do that.” He bristles and helps you regain your composure. “Actually, I did intend to pull you closer. I want to apologise as well for not noticing you sooner. I should have been the first to seek you out.” While he does mean what he says, he finds that maintaining eye contact is a bit difficult and from his blushing ears, you can tell he’s just nervous. 

“The first? Isaac, you don’t have to do anything.” Similar to him, you felt ashamed that he felt obligated to comfort you. Isaac, upon noticing that, wildly shook his hands in firm rejection of that implication.

“Not at all! You’ve always been there for me mc; defending, accompanying, encouraging me. Perhaps it’s even a bit selfish, but seeing your smile is the highlight of my day. Without it, I find I’m in a bit of a bind, as you can see.” He gestures for the messy scrawls of that damn equation he can’t seem to solve. 

“I hope you won’t let Theo’s boorish manners bother you. And I hope you won’t mistake my foolishness for indifference either. I want to be here for you, mc. I’m not like Napoleon, so I admit this doesn’t come easy to me, but I want to be close to you.” Isaac rises from his chair to move closer to you. 

Despite his rapid pulse, his trembling hands find yours and squeeze them gently. “Please tell me all that ails you, all your frustrations, and stresses, and allow me to do for you what you’ve always done for me.” 

His sincerity is touching. Isaac sits you down on one of the seats by his table and offers you half the sandwich you made for him. Whatever you indulge Isaac with, he eagerly accepts. He can’t help the fascinated gleam in his eyes at the unfiltered emotions in your expression — in fact, his heart actually warms at being able to do this for you. 

It was inevitable that a few tears escaped your eyes; while it did sink his heart, Isaac seized the opportunity to be closer to you. In a surprising show of boldness, he tucks a strand that obscured your face, behind your ear. “Thank you, darling, for showing me this side of you.” He murmured intimately. 

“Isaac, you’re—”

The confidence that deluded him in that moment quickly dissipated at your surprised face. “I apologise! I’m not sure what came over me then.” Perhaps it was because it was just you and him, and he found your presence far easier to relax in than anyone else, but he found it in him to laugh. 

“You’re really a wolf in sheep’s clothing sometimes.”

“You can blame my teasing on yourself. After all, you’re the reason my new life is more hectic—” Isaac chuckles “but I can’t say that hasn’t made it so much happier.” 

After supper, Isaac timidly approaches you in the kitchen. “I’ve set up my telescope out in the yard tonight… Would you care to join me?” 

Laying on the soft grass with Isaac was incredibly soothing, the picturesque night sky splattered with the many shining stars, unpolluted by the 19th century Paris city. Isaac would focus the lens on specific constellations and allow you to view them through the telescope. While you admired its brightness, he’d excitedly tell you about each one. Eventually, the day’s fatigue would catch up to you, and Isaac, noticing it, would seat himself a little bit closer to you, in hopes you’d lay your head on his ready shoulder. 

Finally, soft peace had settled on your hardened features. It was during moments like these with you that Isaac envied the artists’ talents — they could capture this moment for eternity and he only had his memory to keep the sight in his mind. In spite of that regret though, a part of him was proud that it was him who could witness this adorable sight. 

While extremely awkward in execution, Isaac’s heart breaks in two at the mere thought of you feeling upset. This is worsened when it takes him longer than the others to notice it — couple that with his less-than-stellar social skills, and he’s bound to mess up in the process. But his sweet intentions shine through his small, affectionate gestures and his eagerness to listen to you. It’s quite adorable how happy he feels that he can finally return some semblance of what you’ve done for him. He’d provide his room as a safe space, but he’ll also gladly bring his telescope and stargaze with you in the courtyard. If you doze off, he’ll offer his shoulder and feel blessed that you shared your day with him, the feeling even sweeter knowing that it was him you chose to spend the evening with. 

Jean d’Arc

Part of your evening routine was to meet with Jean in the library after supper and practice writing. Tonight, despite your mood, you felt it would be far too cruel to abandon poor Jean, who found it hard to spend time with others; it was only through these sessions that you could foster a connection with the elusive man. 

Jean was extremely blessed that your radiant presence was in the library for him tonight. Napoleon had informed him earlier of your despondent spirits. Initially, it spurred an almost murderous glint in Jean’s eye at whoever had caused you suffering, but with Napoleon’s clarification, his rage on your behalf settled into a thorny discontent.

Of all people to suffer torment, why did it have to be mc; his radiant angel? The kind soul who ensured that night-after-night, she found time to teach and accompany him? It was because of your beautiful self that his chest was not as heavy with the weight of his sins everyday. And yet, you also had to endure these torturous emotions, despite all that you’d done for him. It truly did not make sense in Jean’s mind. It should be monsters like him that suffer, not angels like you. 

So Jean resolved it within himself that he would do all that he could to alleviate the weight in your heart and fight the shadows that dared to dim the brightness in you. 

Unbeknownst to you, after his work he wrote a letter that communicated his sincere appreciation and sheer affection for you, far better than he could verbally. He wrote of his sadness that a person like you, who cared so much for others and always put themselves last, suffered behind a smile. He longed to one day be as expressive as the writers (he never thought the day would come that he’d envy the likes of Arthur or Dazai) so that he could comfort you directly with words instead of having to convey all his sentiments through a letter. 

Safe to say that when Jean handed you his clumsily penned letter, tears immediately rushed down  your face at his touching sincerity. Jean grew alarmed, blaming himself for causing you further distress. You stopped him from kneeling on the ground for repentance and instead, wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders. 

“Thank you Jean. You’re much kinder than you think.” Jean would be a touch flustered, but would wrap an arm around your shoulders to offer you the comforting embrace he only dreamed he could give you. And yet, here he was, finally able to offer you at least a semblance of peace in small payment for all you’ve unknowingly done for him. 

It was absolutely unfathomable to Jean that such a radiant and kind person like you had to suffer some of the torturous thoughts like he had. It felt wrong that God would allow those thoughts to plague your brilliant mind; so Jean, aware of his shortcomings in this department, would absolutely try his best to fight your demons for you. Words were extremely difficult for Jean to convey, but he’d try to make you proud by doing so in a letter. Your brightness prevented him from succumbing to the haunting shadows of his past. His sheer devotion and protectiveness for you would be revealed in that letter, but if you needed him to support you in-person: whether by embracing you in his strong arms, punching out your frustrations on his sturdy chest, or burying your face in his neck to block out the world, Jean would do all of it for you. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The day had stretched on, and while most of your heartache was eased from the residents’ efforts, insomnia purged your rest nonetheless. You knew that remaining under your warm blankets would change nothing of your predicament, so perhaps a short walk (by the mansion’s standards) to the kitchen for a glass of water would arouse drowsiness back in your hazy mind. 

On your way, you passed by Mozart’s studio. Tonight he played a more serene song, the soft notes floating through the air and quelling some of the remaining despair in your head. You didn’t mean to, as you knew that Mozart hated to be disturbed while practising (really only for the men — it was difficult to be upset at you), but you lingered by his ivory doors. 

Suddenly, his song ceased. “Come in, mc.” Startled at the fact that he heard you, and even more at recognising you from what little sound you made, you were compelled to follow his command. 

Mozart was always a vision to look at: the moonlight streaming through the gap in his window was reflected in his alabaster locks. Awaiting for you, his deep purple eyes were unreadable as it scanned your figure. If you looked even closer, there was a discernible trace of worry that twisted his brows. 

“What was with you today?” Not one to mince words, Mozart hit right where it was sensitive. 

“It’s nothing of concern.” Mozart huffed indignantly. To you this resembled his usual shortness with you, but inside, he was deeply envious at the fact that you opened up to everyone except him today. Wanting to remedy that inconsistency, he rose from his seat and advanced towards you. 

“Liebchen.” He insisted as he reached for your hand. 

“You have enough to worry about, Wolf.”

“And I want you to be one of them.” As opposed to his usual rough manners with you, he softly stroked your knuckles. Since he knew that it would be difficult for you to dredge up and unearth your worries once again, he settled for providing you a small piece of comfort for the night. 

Mozart gently guided you by the wrist to sit beside him before his grand piano. 

“Would you like to try a duet I drafted recently? I haven’t been able to complete it because I had no partner—” he trailed his fingers from your wrist to your hands to unclench them “until now.” He delicately intertwined his long fingers around yours and gave your hand a loving squeeze. Then, he carefully guided your hands down to the piano keys. 

He slowly taught you a small part of the song, and within a few tries, you were quick enough to match the tempo he had in mind. Your attempt at the duet together went as well as expected, the discordant notes completely altering the softly romantic song to a playful one instead. 

To your surprise, a loud chuckle burst out of Mozart. “How clumsy,” he said, his eyes squinting in unadulterated affection. 

If you confide in Mozart of your lingering disturbance and your insomnia, Mozart will guide you toward the bedroom connected to his studio. Mozart had to fluff up the unused pillows but urged you under the covers anyway. He’d leave the door open and play the most soothing lullaby on his piano to quell your sleeplessness. 

Mozart is rather brusque and difficult to approach — painfully aware of that, he knew he wasn’t the first you’d approach, as much as it hurts him to admit that fact. Still, when the opportunity arose later that night with just the two of you, Mozart jumped at the chance to ease your pain. He’d try to cheer you up in his own way, but ultimately does what he knows best. He doesn’t play for anyone at all, and while many of his songs are dedicated to important historical figures, he documents a few pieces solely to you and caters to whatever you need most at that moment. Tonight, he plays an improvised song of yearning: he imagines a quiet man, unable to properly express the depth of his love for his dearest one, humming this soothing lullaby to send his suffering love to slumber. 

Bonus: William Shakespeare

Unfortunately, Will is physically and figuratively out of the loop with the happenings in the mansion. Your off day being one of the most regrettable events that he missed out on. 

He longed to have witnessed the harsh colours of despair taint your lovely visage and have been the man to lift that darkness. 

He yearns to have been the loving angel to embrace you while your tears wet the earth. He imagines that black roses and blue violets would grow from your tears that watered the ground. 

He longs to have been the dashing knight that whisked you away from your responsibilities and brought you to a secret place that only the two of you knew about. The intimacy of being the only one to witness your vulnerable side was tragically enticing for him. 

How fortunate the mansion residents were to bear witness to all the mesmerising dimensions you had. Capricious Fate has tricked him yet again in this instance as he can only hear about this event from Vincent. How tragic was he that he had only his imagination to provide him inaccurate images of your tainted beauty that day. 

While he knew this day had long passed, he couldn’t stop his longing fingers from scribing a letter to you, urging a visit as soon as possible so that he may offer a belated gift of comfort and perhaps, selfishly, indulge in your presence. 

He’d deliver a bouquet of those blue violets, carnations, and chrysanthemums to you (thanks in part to his vampiric benefactor), coupled with an expensive gift of several rings (so that you may imagine it was his fingers intertwined with yours) and a floral perfume that matches the flowers. 

Bonus: Vlad

After your boat-ride with Leonardo, the two of you idly strolled about town. Leonardo quickly left to purchase a box of cigarillos from a foreign vendor, the limited stock too alluring for him to pass up on. You insisted on waiting on a nearby bench, a little ways away from the busy stand. 

“A storm is brewing behind those lovely eyes. I wonder what caused it and what incompetent ward has allowed it to continue.” Vlad’s sweet voice sounded right beside your ear. You jumped, much to his amusement, but the underlying protectiveness under that pleasant expression was marked by you nonetheless. 

“Has he been overworking you?” 

You hastily quell the accusation Vlad threw in the air. 

“I wonder what could be the cause of those dark clouds in my darling’s eyes.” Vlad sighs in stark concern, lifting a hand to your temple gently massaging it. 

“I wonder what worries your pretty head.” He moves that same hand to your forehead and smooths the wrinkles there. 

“And I wonder what caused these soft lips to frown.” He trails his fingers from your head down to your cheek, and finally on your lower lip. The delicate way he handled your face felt as if you were a newly bloomed flower that was too sensitive to nature’s forces and required Vlad’s devoted care. 

There was both gentleness and a stark possessiveness with how familiarly and easily he glided his fingers across your face. It seemed he longed to touch even more of you, but found restraint and settled in tucking your hair away from your face instead. 

“If you stayed in my castle instead of his mansion, you won’t know any misery or work.” He longingly stroked the ends of your hair and eventually trailed his fingers to meet with your hands. Upon closer inspection, Vlad laments the dryness from cleaning products on your hands. He lovingly strokes your knuckles before lifting them to his lips kissing each one. 

“Cara mia, I don’t have to beat this guy to get him to back off, do I?” 

A painful expression overtook Vlad’s sweet face, and with great reluctance, he backs off as per Leonardo’s request. 

“Such brutes he houses. No wonder my flower has withered in their company.” 

Before Leonardo could provoke him further, you led him away from Vlad, whose eyes longingly followed you until you were out of his sight. 

Bonus: Charles-Henri Sanson

While waiting for Arthur to pay for his gifts for you, you sat on a bench outside the busy store. A pair of familiar lilac eyes brightened at the sight of your figure. He bounded over to you like a loving puppy reuniting with its owner. This unfortunately startled you as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders from behind. 

“Mc! It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you. I really really really missed you.” He murmured while nuzzling his face into your neck. To your relief, he reluctantly released you from his hold, only to sit right next to you. 

Only when he could take a closer look at your expression does his cheerful face crumble. He tenderly cups your face and mourns the wistful spirit of it. “My poor mc, what happened?” 

You shook your head, unable to meet his worried eyes. This breaks Charles-Henri’s heart even further as he wishes he could take whatever was bothering you and replace it with his love instead. In that thought process an idea springs into his head. 

He takes your hand, and after squeezing it, places it near his heart. “I want you to channel all your sadness into this hand and give it all to me instead.” His silly charade breaks you out of your stupor, and since you don’t have the heart to reject his sweet lilac eyes, you relent and play along. 

“Good girl. Now, I’m going to channel all my love for you in my hand and place it in your heart. Ready?” He places his hand on your chest and playfully scrunches his face as if he was straining. “Mmmm… there! Did you feel my love enter you?” 

Ignoring the suggestive statement and the even more suggestive position you two were in, his hopeful face was too innocent to reject. 

“Yes, I think I felt a little bit of warmth enter me just now.” 

Charles-Henri’s face lit up in adorable joy. 

“Whatever you’re going through, I know you can overcome it. You’ve healed the darkness in me, and many others’ and we owe you for that.”

“Thank you Charles.”

A satisfied hum left his lips as he leaned even closer to you.

“I love you so much mc—”

“You can scamper off now, Sanson.” Arthur’s annoyed voice sounded from behind you. Charles willfully ignored him as he continued to squeeze your hand. 

“I hope you can feel my love whenever you’re sad like this—”

“Leave, old boy! Can’t you see she’s had enough of you?” 

“Come visit me and the others at the church soon!” Almost comically, Arthur drags Charles away by his collar. He turns around and waves at you. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but a small smile reached its way to your lips at Charles' cute antics. 

thank you once again for taking the time to read my writing. there were a few I wasn't too satisfied with, but I hope you liked it nonetheless.

leave a like and/or a reblog if this was a fun read for you. despite its self-indulgence, I hope this comforted you a lil bit.

have a wonderful day my love <3

[princessanonymous]

When Night Comes

Platonic Yandere Vampire

Previous Part | Next Part

First Chapter

Trigger Warning: A bit of gore and death. (Y/n) ain't ok guys.

21. 𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

(Y/n) had thought she would finally be safe. She had thought she was free. 

As the night of the blood moon unfolded, everything spiraled into chaos. She shouldn't have left her guard down, yet she did. Her lapse in vigilance sealed her fate and that of so many others.

That night, she had looked out in the sky, painted in a deep, foreboding shade. Under the ominous shade of the sky, the moon gleamed brighter than ever, casting an eerie red glow. Its deep shade of red was unlikely to go unnoticed. She had slept that night, feeling as if she was finally free ; a momentary respite. Dorian would surely give up now. It was too late, he wouldn’t want to wait three other months, would he? His infatuation must have dwindled by now, he would eventually forget about her. 

She closed her eyes, feeling peaceful and relieved.

Until screams shattered the tranquility, pulled her out of slumber. Panic coursed through her entire body as she quickly rose, recognizing the sounds of pain and struggle from outside her room. A part of her already knew who the attacker was. A sinking realization gripped her — he had found her.

She placed a chair below the doorknob as a makeshift barricade even though she knew it would only buy her seconds. True to expectation, the door knob moved shortly after. Her defense stopped the vampire, though she was aware it was just a matter of time until he would brute force his way in.

"Doll," Dorian's voice oozed sickeningly sweet. "I know you are in there."

A surge of fear paralyzed her momentarily. Foolishly considering hiding under the bed, she dismissed the idea as impractical. The window seemed her only escape, but the second-floor fall carried its risks.

"Let me in, dear," he insisted.

Stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, she hesitated. "(Y/N)," he snapped loudly and threateningly, "If you do not open this door now, you will regret it, young lady!”

She looked out the window, her heart beating rapidly. Outside, he began counting down, leaving her with no choice. She struggled to open the window; her hands were trembling and her vision was blurry. She had to get out. She could hear his voice, and she knew he wouldn’t remain patient for much longer. When "one" resounded, the window finally yielded. Simultaneously, the vampire burst through the door. She jumped out, but her landing was flawed — a sharp crack resonated through the night as her left leg met the ground. 

She cried out as she clenched her leg. Pain seared through her, yet the urgency to escape eclipsed it. She couldn't forget the danger following her. She fought against the tears and dizziness to run away as fast as she could. Every step was agonizing and the burning sensation didn't leave.

Despite her efforts, the Duke's supernatural speed prevailed. Capturing her effortlessly, she found herself back in the monster's clutches. Sobbing, she pleaded, "Let me go! I hate you, I hate—" Her words were cut short as he yanked her hair with a brutal grip.

Angry and bloodstained, he presented a menacing figure. Red eyes and sharp canines accentuated his fury. "You foolish girl," he spat out the words with venom, the hatred dripping from each syllable. 

With a cruel and relentless grip, he seized (Y/n) by the hair, the strands entwining around his bloodstained fingers. Her desperate screeches and uncontrollable sobs echoed through the night. As they arrived at the nunnery, he released his vice-like grip on (Y/n), who crumpled to the cold ground like a broken puppet. Her body convulsed with sobs.

"Look at it !" He ordered, his wrath clear to see. His command cut through the chaos, compelling her to witness the gruesome aftermath — a massacre.

It was a carnage. In front of her, there was nothing but death, the bodies of the nuns scattered around. The nuns lay dead, most decapitated, their kindness repaid with brutality. 

Red.

She only saw red. Everything was red. Her own hands were red. Red from the blood of these kind people that had let her stay with them.

"This," he said with scorn, "is mortality. A disease. An uncontrollable fate that comes to all humans. A parasite that has followed humanity for far longer than any of us could comprehend. Death comes for all. All except us. Do you now understand why I want to turn you ?"

He leaned down to her level, cupping her face in his hand softly, a stark difference to the strong grip he previously held on her hair. His eyes, bright red, and looking intensely at her, seemed to pierce through her entire being. “I want you to become something greater. Something far more powerful. Something Eternal.”

She sobbed uncontrollably, because there was nothing else she could do. She was helpless next to this being, overwhelmed by the carnage before her. At her reaction, his eyes grew colder and he stood up. "We are going home," he ordered after some time. She offered no response, and he simply carried her, the pain of her broken leg hadn't subsided either.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lips during the entire journey, feeling an intense need to erase these images out of her mind.

With the vampire's speed, they arrived rapidly, the journey being a rapid blur of emotions and feelings. And once he quietly brought her to her room, once she was put in bed with care, once she thought everything was over, the vampire's fangs sunk deep into (Y/n)'s neck.

A scream echoed in her throat as two burning rods pierced her. Venom surged through her veins, scorching and annihilating everything in its path. As it reached her heart, her consciousness desperately attempted to cling to awareness amidst the excruciating pain. The room blurred, voices entered, and her eyes snapped shut. Darkness enveloped her, a cruel embrace as the transformation took hold. ☾ Killian's miscalculation unfolded like a haunting prophecy. In underestimating Dorian, he had unwittingly paved the way for a relentless pursuit. Dorian, fueled by an unyielding determination, had seemingly uncovered the whispers of a girl surviving a vampire assault, finding refuge under the protective wings of a nunnery.

As Killian roamed the shadows with his heightened senses, the cry of pain reached his ears, emanating from the girl's room. The realization struck him like a cold gust, sending shivers down his spine. 

She had been turned.

┉┈◈◉◈┈┉

It was mentioned in the last chapter that word of mouth had already been traveling about her situation, wasn’t it ? Dorian doesn’t like gossiping, but he’s willing to listen to any rumor to find her. ;)

[sidekick-hero]

Grow back your sharpest teeth, you know my desire

(steddie | wc: 548 | explicit | cw: vampire!steve, blood sucking, dub-con | written for @steddiemicrofic's prompt charm)

Vampires are commonly known as vile leeches without souls, morals, or compassion. They know only one emotion: hunger.

At least, it's common knowledge among Eddie's kind, because hunters know things civilians don't. Civilians are little more than sheep waiting to be slaughtered by the big bad wolf. If it were not for people like Eddie.

One particular big bad wolf has been a thorn in his side for months.

It started when Eddie decapitated another creature of the night that had a tendency to attack and kill pretty young girls. Girls like Chrissy, who barely survived because Eddie came to her rescue at the last second.

When he took her home that night, she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek in thanks before running into her house. Her lips were dry and warm and a hint of her perfume had caught Eddie's nose, so he couldn't really be blamed for his wandering mind.

It had only taken a second, but a second was all it took for someone with superhuman strength and speed to pull him into the woods behind Chrissy's house.

Eddie thought he was fucked.

And he was, just more in a biblical way.

They call it compulsion: a charm that strips a vampire's prey of any free will.

It didn't take much: a look into dark hazel eyes, their red gleam giving them an otherworldly look. A few words spoken in a whiskey-smooth voice, cooing at Eddie as a cold hand ran along his cheeks, down his neck, over his pounding pulse. A sweet smell, like a honey trap, fogging his senses.

It put him under a spell, will-less and pliable for the vampire to do as he pleased. Before Eddie knew what was happening, his hands were clawing at a tree, the bark leaving marks all over his body from the way the vampire's violent thrusts pushed him against the tree again and again and again.

"Aren't you pretty? So eager, so willing to take it. Giving it up for me so easily when you killed one of my kind just minutes ago."

And Eddie? Is sobbing, begging him to stop, only that the words coming out of his mouth are "yes oh God yes please more, harder, fuckfuckfuck, GOD" in an endless litany of profanities and pleas.

And then the vampire bit him, right where neck meets shoulder, and Eddie came with a scream, painting the bark that was still rubbing against his sensitive skin, mixing intense pleasure with pain. He felt himself clenching down on the delicious length inside him, milking it as the vampire milked his veins.

When he pulled out, Eddie felt his spent leak out of his hole, and cold fingers pushed it back in. "Keep it warm for me, darling. I'll put more in next time."

And by God, he did.

Eddie doesn't know how, but the vampire keeps finding him, keeps fucking him, the hold it has on Eddie powerful and unbreakable.

He learns his name is Steve, has moaned that name more times than he can count, but not tonight.

Tonight he's ready.

He lifts the amulet and faces Steve. "This ends here and now, your spell is broken."

Steve smirks. "Oh, baby, it was all you. I never put a spell on you."

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

EVE (PARADISE LOST)

1.) I recognise how insane this submission is because this was written in 1667 and so attitudes towards women were obviously very different. But misogyny has always existed, no matter the time period, and so I think it’s fair to pick up on it. Although Milton somewhat avoids painting Eve as the wicked seductress, she is nevertheless presented as inherently inferior to Adam - her ‘virtue’ and 'passion’ are supposed to be an equal counterpart to Adam’s intellect but Milton’s clear resentment of Eve shines through. She is vain from the beginning - enamoured with her own reflection until she meets Adam. She is Adam’s subordinate and readily accepts her place in the hierarchy below him, until she meets Satan. Women seeking power and knowledge is therefore inextricably tied to the fall of mankind. Her attempt for some kind of independence away from Adam (going to tend the garden away from him) is also presented as the primary reason she succumbed to Satan because Adam is needed to protect her. Eve (the mother of all women) therefore creates the assumption that women are weak and easily misled away from men. The description of her eating the apple is very sexual - perhaps reflecting the anxieties of men at the time of being cuckolded and therefore dishonoured by their wives. She is the ultimate disobedient, dangerous wife. Her reason for sharing the forbidden knowledge with Adam, rather than keeping it for herself, is because she is worried she will face the wrath of God and be replaced with another Eve. So it is her jealousy that brings them both down. (It is all a lot more complicated than this so Eng lit people don’t kill me) but yeah poor Eve.

CORDELIA CHASE (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER/ANGEL THE SERIES) (CW: Pregnancy)

1.) (downs an entire bottle of vodka and slams it back on the table) SO. CORDY. Cordy started off as a supporting character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At the start she was your typical high school mean girl character, but as the show went on we got to see more depth to her character: her insecurities, her courage, her capacity for incredible acts of kindness. Then after the third season she moved into the show’s spin off, Angel, where from the beginning she was basically the show’s secondary protagonist. Her and Angel were the two mainstays of the show’s main cast, she gets the most episodes centered on her out of all the characters aside from Angel (and yes, I’ve checked), and we really got to see her grow from a very shallow and self-centered and kind of mean person to a true hero who was prepared to give up any chance at a normal life to fight the good fight while still never losing the basic core of her character. There were some… questionable moments like the episode where she gets mystically pregnant with demon babies and things got a bit iffy like halfway through season 3 where the writers seemed to run out of ideas for what to do with her outside of sticking her in this romance drama/love triangle situation with the main character but overall, pretty good stuff right? THEN SEASON 4 HAPPENED. In season 4 she gets stripped of literally all agency and spends pretty much the entire season possessed by an evil higher power, and while possessed she sleeps with Angel’s teenage son (who BY THE WAY she had helped raise as a baby before he got speed-grown-up into a teenager it was a whole thing don’t worry about it) and gets pregnant with like. the physical manifestation of the higher power that’s possessing her. it’s about as bad and stupid as it sounds and also is like the third time cordy’s got mystically pregnant in this show and like the fourth mystical pregnancy storyline overall (you will be hearing more on that note in other submissions I’m so sorry). after giving birth she goes into a coma, in which she remains for the rest of season 4 and the first half of season 5. SPEAKING OF WHICH DON’T THINK SEASON 5 IS GETTING OFF SCOT FREE HERE. yeah so in season 5 the show just FULLY starts trying to erase cordy’s existence. she gets mentioned ONCE in the first episode and then never again until halfway through the season where she wakes up, helps out Angel for a bit and encourages him in his fight against evil, and then goes quietly into that good night and dies so it can be all sad and tragic. I’d call it the worst fridging of all time but even THAT feels generous because the whole point of fridging is killing off a female character so a man can be sad, and after Cordy dies basically no one’s even sad about it because the show immediately goes back to pretending she never existed. she is not mentioned ONCE in the two episodes after she dies. in the whole stretch of time between her death and the end of the season she gets mentioned exactly four times. again, I counted. anyway the fun twist to all of this is that all of this happened because the actress who played cordy got pregnant before season 4 and joss whedon was so pissed off about this affecting his plans for the show that he decided to completely fuck over her character and then fire her and write her out of the show. so cordy’s a victim of both writing AND real life misogyny!! good times!!

2.) OH SO MANY THINGS they menaced by giving her terrible hair cuts, making her seem like she’d get together with the guy she loves (and who loves her back) but instead she was killed and when she was brought back, she got possessed by an evil entity who used her body to give birth to itself. afterwards she was in a long coma and died. her character was so throughoutly assassinated

3.) She got demonically pregnant TWICE - there was this real sense of a womb/ability to get pregnant as like, a place for evil to get in. She got positioned as femme fatale and evil mother. The actress basically got fired for being pregnant, and when she agreed to come back for a single final episode she specifically said they could do anything but kill off the character. Guess what happened

[heartfullofleeches]

Just a random ramble about Cholly. (Also couldn't remember the pronouns so I stuck with He/They since I think I remember those being used but I apologize if it's incorrect!)

My brain is filled with Cholly for some reason and I just imagine them wearing the goofiest halloween costumes. Like the classic ones but having a silly gag. Vampire costume would probably involve them being caught having "blood" on his mouth but he pulls out tomato juice. Frankenstein (I know thats the doctor but for simplicity sake I'm calling the monster that) costume would be normal except he shocks himself with electricity. Unlike Frankenstein however, he shows that skeleton and black border cartoons use as he is zapped. Although his body is a mystery with how they can contort themself so those bones are just for show I'm pretty sure. Ghost costumes would definitely result in him being able to float while wearing it. Like it's just a white sheet over their head but when you pull it off he stays hovering in the air for a second but looks down and falls upon realization he can't fly. I feel like a mummy costume would just be him using toilet paper to wrap up people. He may wear it and then spin it off and wrap another person with it OR instead just pull it out and wrap others. Idk my brain is rotting and I think of the stuff cartoon logic can be applied to and Cholly just fills my brain perfectly.

Sorry if I bothered you with this! Just wanted to ramble a bit about Cholly :D

Never apologize when it comes to rambling about Cholly. I wholeheartedly advocate for more. You don't understand how much I love this goofy toon and would ramble about them daily if I didn't feel I was dumping too much about them at one time. They are so bby girl and such a delight to write for. (For future reference Cholly literally does not care about what pronouns are used for them as they are simply Cholly) For the Ghost costume I could see them doing a gag of drinking "poison" (maybe paint thinner?) and actually "dying" to become a ghost. (They'll be fine so no worries). Still throws on the sheet to spook their darling when the time comes. Probably throws it over their shadow instead and stands behind Reader, transparent and floating a couple inches off the ground. Uses their new abilities to peep on them before missing being able to touch Reader and hoping back in their old skin. - "Whatcha think of my new look?" It's certainly a look. Not the most original, but still quite cute. The trace of the rabbit's pointy ears stick out like a sore thumb from the sheet they wore. You could already imagine their cheeky grin, and the twinkle in their eyes hidden behind those big black circles cut through the blanket. You couldn't wait to see it. "Looking great, Cholly- just one little thing." The Ghost tilts their head, cloth bunching up just enough for you to make a grab at it with zero issue. "What's that?" "I already miss your pretty face." Lunging for the sheet, you yank it off their head in one fell swoop. Your speed surprises even you which boils to confusion as the dust settles. They aren't there. You've seen a number tricks from the colorful character, but there was always some trace of their presence life behind. You look to your right, then your left. "Cholly?" "Still right behind ya, Doll." You spin on your heels. It takes a minute for your eyes to pull away from the blank wall behind you and instead train on the head poking through it. Cholly waves, elbow propped on thin air and hand rested beneath their chin. Watching the quickness of your chest increase, their smile grows. "Hiya, Gorgeous~" You scream. Cholly snickers, eyes shut with the violent bounce of their shoulders. They let a surprise, elated gasp as their eyes widen beneath the see through lense of their kids. "Wow! I can see you even with my eyelids closed! Ghost life just keeps getting better and better." You march over to them, reaching out only to touch solid wall. "Are... are you...?" "Dead?" Cholly scoffs. "Pfft- Course not!.. I mean I am a ghost, but it's a toon thing. I can change back whenever I want to." You let out a sigh of relief. "Good..." "By the way.... If you ever need a hand in the shower, I could lean two. Missed a couple spots while you were in there earlier." "Cholly!" "Think I hear the stove runnin'. Better go catch. Catch ya later, Gorgeous." Bringing their hands up to the sides of your face, you feel the ghostly imprint of their lips upon yours. Only downside to their new form was they couldn't kiss you with the intensity and passion brew inside them whenever in your company. They wink as your brain redirects from the sweet gesture back to the topic of their little peeping session, and fazes out through the wall before you had the chance to chew them out.

[deangirlsstuff67]

Payback

Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: teasing, dirty talk, face riding, throatfucking

Summary: You've had a crush on Dean ever since the boys save you from the werewolf, who happened to be your boyfriend at the time. Sam is like an older brother to you and well Dean is the best eye candy a girl can ask for. You'd never cross that line... would you?

-------------------------------------------------------

Sam stayed behind at Bobby's to do more research that he enjoyed and have some time off. It was a simple vampires nest, Dean and you could handle it.

What you weren't expecting was with Sam gone Dean amped up his flirting and teasing. Hand sitting too high on your thigh, leading you into a room by the small of your back, or the sexy winks he sends your way.

You're now back in your shared motel room. Dean was nice enough to let you shower first. You head was swimming in lust, you forgot to bring your clothes into the bathroom. Now you have to walk out in front of Dean in nothing but a towel and soaking wet.

Damn it.

Deep breath in to steady my nerves before opening the door. My eyes zero in on my bag, refusing to even look at Dean. God what he must think.

You barely hear the whispered 'fuck' that came from his direction. You turn to run back to the bathroom but stop dead in your tracks when you see him sitting up right and staring at you.

Your eyes are locked on his face as he scans your body up and down. Heat rises to your cheeks when those beautiful green eyes linger on your breasts.

Finding your voice finally, "Dean..."

It's barely above a whisper, but he hears you and drags his eyes up to your face. Licking his lips, he sends a soft smile your way, "you're fucking beautiful y/n."

Well fuck. What are you supposed to do with that. Biting your bottom lip, your thighs clench as a new wave of desire runs through your body.

Dean gets off the bed, making his way towards you. The close he steps the farther you back up. Within a couple steps your back hits the wall and he has you caged in between his strong arms.

"I'm trying sweetheart, but right now I want to lick every inch of you perfect, wet body."

Fuck. More slick runs down your thighs at his words. It's like a slip and slide down there.

Feeling brave, you let go of the tiny towel that barely covers your body. It slips down your frame, Dean's eyes following the path of new exposed skin. You wrap your arms around his neck and drag him down for a kiss.

Fireworks explode behind your eyes, feeling his lips on yours. You take over and back him up until you're both falling onto his bed.

-------------------------------------------------------

Rough carpet burns into your knees where you kneel in front of the oldest Winchester. He's strong hands are tangled in your y/h/c hair as he drives his cock deeper into your tight throat.

Drool and tears smear your face as he takes his pleasure from your mouth. Looking down at you with desire swimming in his irises, "you're gorgeous with my cock in your mouth y/n."

His thrusts speed up, get sloppy before you feel his cock twitch in your throat. Then your mouth is flooded with salty cum as he releases into your mouth.

Breathing heavy, you wipe your mouth clean and stand up. Dean takes you into a needy kiss, groaning when he tastes himself on your tongue.

Before you know what is happening, he has you on your back, thighs around his shoulders as he is thrusting his wet tongue into your waiting heat.

Dean made you incredibly horny. You think a little payback is needed. He needs to be just as desperate and horny as you are.

Wiggling away from his naughty mouth, you stand up. Confusion paints Dean's face as he slowly rises from his knees. You don't allow him to talk before you shovel him back onto the bed. His head bounces softly off the mattress, you're crawling up his body.

Dean starts to see what's happening as you place your knees on either side of his waiting face.

Dean sends you a sexy smirk before you lower your pussy onto his warm, wet mouth. You don't know it yet, but this is about to be you new favorite ride.

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Taglist:

@syrma-sensei @yvonneeeee

[not-krys]

[Repost] Hold My Hand - Thea

Part of this set of WIP Wednesdays

Raw, unedited writing, Introvert vs Extrovert, Thea does cuss someone out in French (which is machine translation, so if it's wrong, sorry, not my fault)

------

"Thanks for coming out with me today, Isaac." Thea smiled back at her companion, "I really appreciate it."

Isaac looked down at the street, unsuccessfully at hiding the pink on his cheeks.

"Sebas was busy with chores today, so he couldn't come. And Theo's always busy with selling paintings." She chattered away. "So, thanks again. I don't think we've really had a chance to spend time together yet, have we?"

Isaac said nothing. Thea only grinned more.

"Let see. We ordered Leonardo's cigarillos and some more fruit to be delivered later. We got the different brands of blue inks for Mozart and Arthur, since they like using blue ink in their work, but not the same one at Mozart's insistence. It's a little silly, if you think about it, all this fuss over different brands of ink. Not even the same specific brands each time either. One time I got them mixed up and neither of them seemed to notice. It was kind of funny, when I told Sebas about it."

"You…" Isaac mumbled.

"Hm?" Thea stopped and looked back at Isaac, the blush stronger on his face.

"You… talk a lot."

Thea laughed softly.

"Sorry, forgot you're not much for talking." She put her hand on her hip. "If it bothers you, just tell me to shut my pie hole. No hard feelings on my part, I know I talk a lot. My dad Liam complained about my chattering all the time. Only for Papa Beni to swoop in and starting chatting with me too, just to get on Liam's nerves."

"Dad? Papa?"

"They're my fathers. Well, they took in my mom and me when we had nowhere else to go. They're not my dads in the biological sense. just practically raised me from the ground up. They were all friends when they were young, my mom, Liam and Beni. They refused to let their friend be homeless."

"They… they sound nice."

"I wish you could meet them." She smiled, "Well, if they can get over me time-travelling to the past and meeting famous figures of the past that have been turned into vampires first."

Isaac didn't say anything, letting the freckled girl chatter on as much as her heart desired. He didn't like that she prattled on so much, but he knew he wasn't great at starting conversations (or keeping them going, really), so really, the fact that she didn't seem bothered by him being quiet at all was both relieving and a little unnerving. Not that she ever ignored him, she was attentive when he had something to say, but still, he should be contributing to the conversation more, surely?

The crowds were getting denser, Isaac noticed. Thea was tall, but it didn't bode well if he lost her in the crowd. Would Theo come after him if he lost her? Would Arthur? The thought irritated him.

He then heard the sound of screams of horses and fast spinning wheels. Of course, someone was speeding through the street when there was high foot traffic-!

Isaac reached out thoughtlessly, grabbing a hold of Thea's warm hand, just as the careening carriage turned the corner, narrowly missing the girl, thankfully only blowing back her hat. She whipped her head around, looking angry at the fleeing vehicle.

"Hey! Slow down, asshole! Il y a des gens qui marchent ici, connard!"

Isaac flushed pink, embarrassed.

"Honestly," Thea huffed, "the nerve of some people! It's only gonna get worse when cars start getting mass-manufactured. Man…"

Isaac was still too stunned to speak, looking stupefied at their still joined hands.

[anin13]

Shumori · Chapter 2

TW diabolik lovers, basically, lol but nothing too harsh this chapter

Shu stretched himself and got off the sofa after about 3 rounds o 5 more minutes. He heard the lecture upstairs was beginning to subside, and it would be a pain if Reiji came back for round 2, which he absolutely would, as he was the vampire equivalent of a morning person. The oldest Sakamaki brother wasn't quite awake yet, so he stared at a familiar painting above the fireplace, lost in barely existent thought.

Their old butler figured they'd love to have reminders of their childhood from the demon world in the human world and snuck it into the transportation means. It was good intentions.

-Us kids aren't supposed to be here at night, with vampires and all that lurking around this forest; it's getting late, let's go back to town!

The irony, Edgar, is that as long as I'm here you're safe. I am one of them. Would we be friends if you knew?

-Oi, SHU! Reiji won't stop ranting, climb your ass into the limousine already!

A red haired vampire with slit pupils in his bright green eyes interrupted his daydream.

Ayato Sakamaki wasn't a fan of school either but he had a look about really needing Reiji out of his hair; Shu would do the "good action of the day" for himself and Ayato while he was at it.

He'd do the hygiene routine in vampire power speed; although it was tiring to do such a trivial thing with said abilities, he did feel grateful there was at least that perk to being unable to die in his case, as things like making oneself presentable were such a drag.

While Shu was contemplating the painting, the limousine was being held hostage by a family of four: While it was not their pride and joy to say, Ruki, Kou, Yuma and Azusa Mukami were expert thieves due to a tragic fate; nobody even cared to notice their massive car was gone at the Sakamaki mansion, it was almost a boring outcome.

-Yuma... isn't this going to... endanger Eve? We are... supposed to protect... that girl from dying... she is important... -Azusa Mukami looked at Yuma's progress under the limousine, not understanding a thing that was going on with that piece of machinery, and why it was so noisy. Were cars really supposed to sound like that?

-This isn't about that little piglet's safety, Azusa, it's about making a statement!!! -Yuma yelled with his index finger almost on Azusa's face, but still lying on the floor under the car- those damn aristocrats aren't getting any subtlety from me!

-What if we approached in a friendly way, and then SNAP, when they least expect it, stab their backs with the thorns of roses? -Kou Mukami smirked. He wasn't into physical combat or direct confrontation despite so many people silently wanting to beat him up at the idol agency, as his eye of truth told him.

Totally for no reason, though.

-I'll tell ya somethin' I learned when out hunting; -Yuma retorted- most creatures, even some humans, can sense or smell bad intentions, and these guys are vampires. They'll immediately smell a hidden thing. So a bold entrance is more effective.

A rainbow smoke cloud left the car engine. What was Yuma doing..?

-Ruki, -Kou turned to Ruki, pouting- why did you approve of this reckless plan? This terrorism is not much like you, and what about the Masokitty's fragile body?

The older brother looked into the dark night awaiting them and replied,

-There is a chance Eve doesn't actually like to live as some vampire's personal snack; it could be that she'll see us as potential saviors if we attack the Sakamakis and threaten to take her away.

-But Ruki... Eve seems to be a masochist... -Azusa looked at him in disbelief.

-And if that is not the case, as she seems to be pretty smitten by that "Subaru" person, we still make a statement on our capability. He hasn't awakened yet, or we wouldn't have been sent.

-Don't worry about her safety, it is already in negative numbers around them. Yuma will make sure the accident isn't lethal for humans, too. Or he'll be punished.

Yuma delivered the final wrench turn on the car.

-Yeah, yeah... -he rolled his eyes but felt a tiny shiver in the stomach

-Oi Ruki, be glad you are the only aristocrat I or my supreme mechanics skills wouldn't lay a hand on... -he got out from under the car covered in soot to look at his oldest adoptive brother- you are our brother, remember you're more one of us than one of them.

The limousine was in an argument like so many times before. Laito was teasing Subaru about wanting to sit next to Yui so bad, and Subaru turned red and yelled about it not being true and not caring who she's next to.

Laito then laughed and claimed in that case he'd sit next to her and have a very tasty breakfast if he really didn't mind, but Reiji cut him off to tell him to stop the impertinence, as she was someone else's prey.

Yui contorted her face and hid it behind her hands, mortified, and Kanato yelled, on the verge of tears, about Teddy feeling bad with all their racket. Ayato was fed up and told everyone to shut the fck up, which resulted in Reiji telling him to watch his language, and...

Meanwhile, the myth of the guys who hunker down and wait in the dark in highways to rob some car was about to come true. Yuma had insisted he needed to supervise his masterpiece.

Despite hating standing on a windy, dark cliff in the middle of nowhere in a school uniform he felt out of place using, being able to smell the exact number of people who hadn't organized themselves to go to the bathroom in time and released themselves on the highway instead (hadn't they been sent to a first world country??????), he had to admit it was best to know the results.

What he saw next was absolutely spectacular...

Shu couldn't listen to music in peace and informed the rest they were spoiling it, when suddenly the car did a somersault, crashed into a tree and exploded in a blast of colors.

The vampires disapparated into the the highway that led to school just before the tree was hit, and Subaru took Yui with him. She looked pale and ready to panic, but the others seemed to be only mildly shocked, as if this could happen every few months like a small leak in the bathroom pipes.

An accident like that surely wouldn't kill them, but she was glad Subaru was caring and fast enough to get her to safety.

-What happened?

-Maybe it was those guys up there -Laito pointed to a cliff overlooking the highway from a dark forest.

-Eve -a voice said, and Yui recognized it from an unsettling dream.

-What a drag -Shu muttered, but wasn't one of those faces a bit familiar? The really tall, muscular one? It was too far, he couldn't see it properly.

-It seems like they are also vampires! -Laito said

-However, they are not purely vampires like ourselves -Reiji observed- besides, the limousine was driven by a familiar, they cannot go insane or be bribed and crash in this most hideous way. This was deliberate.

-So we have ourselves a declaration of war! How exciting! -Ayato said with a bright smile and pumped up.

Reiji called another limousine, but they went back home instead.

Yui was upset about the accident or terrorist attack and went to Subaru's room to tell him. Subaru wasn't so surprised it happened, as his bastard of a father had made enemies in every dimension he'd set foot in. So they occasionally had to dodge attacks, but it was now worse because a human could certainly not do that! how was he supposed to protect her?

Yui's worry wasn't eased at all at the news, but changed the topic and told him about the voice she'd heard in her dream and how it had echoed at the cliff.

She sometimes seemed to have dreams that came true or were connected to reality, she told Subaru. Did he know if it was something related to Cordelia's heart?

-No, that woman had no intuition whatsoever, that I know of. Maybe it is something you have? Geez, believe you're special, for once...

-Even so, it's been bothering me. I don't seem to predict good things. But I don't want to ask Reiji or the others, it's embarrassing; they'll only laugh at me and then say it's my fault if anything does happen.

-I'm not sure Reiji would care, but my mom knows about those things. Since we didn't go to school... -Subaru averted his eyes and hesitated- do you want to visit her with me?

Yui smiled. She was so happy Subaru wanted her to spend time with Christa, even if the reason was rather bleak! She had never had a mom, and Christa had always been so lovely to her.

-If you are okay with it! -she beamed

Subaru grunted but offered his hand to take her to the castle in the demon world. And told her, speaking of dreams, of the misadventure he and his brothers had at their coming of age ceremony.

His father had induced them all unaware, into a collective dream while they still had the bodies of children. Transported them to a ghoul-infested wasteland. The creatures had attempted to eat them.

They were supposed to find some forsaken forbidden fruit they never found. They passed the test of survival, but not the test their father had been more interested in, it seemed.

Yui had never heard of the possibility of those collective dreams... it sounded complicated. Suddenly it occurred to her, wasn't Christa also a powerful vampire who had the exact same blood as Karl-Heinz, and probably similar abilities?

[cybercookiepainteralmond]

Miraculous undead

A scream rings out, she feels an agonizing pain in her throat as the splash of blood falls down her mouth, her eyes open from the nightmare of the night she became a Marinette wakes to yet another day of her "life" as she dresses in a blue turtleneck, purple jeans and brown boots and gloves, she puts on a red scarf and a motorcycle helmet before grabbing her bag and heading downstairs. She passed her parents Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain, who give her a hug as Sabine says

"Marinette, are you sure you still want to go to school?"

And Tom adds in "We can try to homeschool you if you'd like."

The concern in their voices obvious as they clearly just want to make sure she's doing ok after the incident last month.

"Mamman I'm going to be fine, Chloe's been a good help, and if things get too much she'll be there to stop me."

Marinette says with a voice that says she's clearly anxious but is trying to do something to manage it .

She walks to school, trying to make sure she doesn't draw attention as she sees an old man in a Hawaiian shirt about to get hit by a car, she rushes to help him using an unnatural speed, her helmet lost as her skin starts to burst and she screams in pain, quickly getting into the shade and making her way to school that way after making sure the old man was safe. Her rather roundabout route means that once she gets to school she's late for class and rushes only to find that the seat next to Chloe that the two had planned for her is reserved for someone else, she's forced to sit next to the new girl who introduces herself as Alya and comments

"You look kinda pale, are you sick?"

With an obvious curiosity that Marinette isn't sure she likes being so close to someone who doesn't realize how dangerous she is as Alya notices how cold her skin is and Chloe thankfully butts in and says

"Hey new girl! Buzz off!"

And Marinette is forever grateful for the intervention as the teacher finally arrives. She introduced herself as Mdme. Bustier and gives a wary look to Marinette, clearly she knows about her condition. The next few hours pass as a normal school day might, Chloe laments that Marinette couldn't meet someone named Adrien who's supposedly her childhood best friend. Marinette is barely paying attention as her hunger is getting harder to ignore, Chloe notices and asks

"Need help with it?"

While rolling her sleeve back, the burning agony of hunger causing Marinette to briefly bare her fangs before pulling Chloe's wrist to her mouth and biting down, drinking the blood that wells up to the surface until Chloe manages to get her attention to stop her from taking too much. Marinette looks away shamefully as she gently wipes a little blood from her lip, Chloe applying a bandage to her own wrist to prevent bleeding out as she says

"You don't need to apologize, I'm volunteering because I genuinely want to help."

They hear a gasp as the two realize that Alya had seen this and instantly tries forcing questions about being a vampire on Marinette, who clearly doesn't want to talk about it. Thankfully they're saved from that problem as a giant stone Goliath attacks the school and they run, Chloe dropping Marinette off at her home after lending a hoodie to protect her from the sun. Once Marinette is home she heads to her room, thankful that she convinced her parents that painting her windows was a much cheaper option than digging a basement. Once she takes in the sight of a strange box on her desk, she opens it to find a pair of earrings that once she touches out pops a humanoid little bug plushie looking thing that says

"Hi"

and Marinette can't help but hiss in fear, before shouting

"What are you!?"

In terror, the bug thing says

"Names Tikki, I'm your kwami little vamp. I give the power of creation through those earrings."

Marinette just stays quiet for a minute while she processes what she was told, she's surprisingly taking it well while Tikki asks

"Are the humans downstairs your familiars or something?"

To which Marinette quickly denies and says

"Those are my parents!"

While absolutely horrified by the implications of Tikki's question Tikki quickly asks

"Like a cover family or?"

And Marinette just says

"Parents, parents, I'm 14"

and Tikki asks

"How long?"

Having understood what happened before saying

"You know what, doesn't matter right now, we need to team up with the holder of the black cat ring and stop that stone villain."

As Marinette starts denying it Tikki says

"We can argue about this later, right now we have a job to do, just say 'Spots on' to transform, I'll give you an outfit to protect you from the sun"

"Spots on"

To be continued

Next

[felixsfishnets]

JUST THIS ONCE - CH. 2 (18+) E

Xander x Spike

The aftermath of Xander and Spike's... confrontation, how things played out differently in the finale of season 6.

AO3 link for chapter 1 and tags

Xander caught himself running his fingers over the fading mark on his neck. A habit which he had formed since the wound had been inflicted upon him.

In moments where his thoughts would get away from him, his fingers would drift up to his neck and slowly circle the now faded pink bite marks. Spike had never reappeared after dumping Xander on the porch of the Summers’ house. Thankfully that gave him the freedom to concoct what ever story he’d liked without having to worry about lining up the details with the vampire. Or worse yet, telling the truth. He’d told his group of concerned friends that a bunch of vampires jumped the pair in the alley and Spike was forgiving enough to save Xander, even after dealing him a few solid blows moments earlier, and leave him somewhere safe.

Buffy wondered why Spike didn’t stick around to make sure that Xander was alright, but when he reminded her of the fight that had broken out mere moments before, she understood.

Unsure why he felt the need to defend Spike, to make him look like the good guy in this story. Xander knew he couldn’t exactly tell the truth. Not now, not like this. It would be too messy, raise too many questions. Mostly it would just make the night’s events real, permanent, like the wound on his neck.

The girls had all been kind enough to back off, believe his story without much question and let him process. Dawn had given him a glass of water and some chocolate when he awoke.

"For the blood loss," she smiled hopefully. "And the comforting factor."

Willow had gently removed his shoes and his jacket from his battered form. Buffy had thrown a blanket over him and Tara was burning some healing incense. They were surprised of course, and a bit confused. Normally, Xander would be pissed, ready to hunt down the vampires who had attacked him. Dismissing Spike even after he had saved his life, excusing his mercy as a way to get to Buffy. But they knew something was off when he seemed distant. He was all mumbles and glassy eyes.

Willow had departed from their circle around the couch to fetch some medical supplies from the bathroom upstairs. As she opened the cabinet under the sink, the front door of the Summers’ home burst open. There was yelling and then… Gunfire. Five shots.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang. Bang.

Bang.

By the time she had reached the bottom of the stairs she caught a glimpse of the familiar black van speeding away. When she turned towards the couch, she saw her friends collapsed into a heap. Blood painting the walls and soaking into the carpet.

What happened next was a flurry of magicks and grief and rage. Jonathan and Andrew had escaped the Witch’s fury but Warren was not so lucky. It was Xander who had managed to pull his childhood friend from the brink.

When he saw the gun, he dove in front of the girls to protect them. The first bullet caught him in the shoulder. Dawn had been hit in the leg, Buffy in the chest and Tara in the stomach.

Willow had seen, thought she had seen, her friends murdered. Her family ripped away from her in an instant. But when Xander had caught up to her, wobbly and with one arm in a sling he talked her down. They’d all be fine. He’d joked about how she needed a bullet wound to match theirs.

Then, Giles had arrived from England unexpectedly. Willow’s outpouring of dark magic had alerted a local coven who had sent him. He took Willow back to that coven with him, kicking himself for leaving them so selfishly. Determined to see the girl regain control.

Tara joined Willow at the coven when she was healed up well enough to travel. She felt responsible for pushing Willow to quit cold turkey instead of helping her regain control. They spent their days with the coven meditating and communing with the Earth. Deepening their understanding of their power.

That left Buffy, Xander and Dawn in Sunnydale to recover and pick up the pieces of their shattered group. Buffy recovered the quickest, of course, mortal wounds and being close to death were no stranger to a Slayer. Especially Buffy.

Xander was almost grateful for the distraction, how it took his mind away from alleys and bleach blond vampires. Nobody had mentioned the night they found him on the porch since. He threw his energy into Dawn and Buffy, fixing up their house, dropping Dawn off to school, patrolling, grocery shopping. What ever he could do, he was always there for them. Though he still had trouble looking Buffy in the eye.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Thranduil and Josie Part 75- Fuel

Summary: Raven bursts into flames and sends them shooting straight for hopeless Haldir. Marius hydrates the firebug. Raven spews foretelling threats. Jo and Haldir have a small heart to heart chat. The noble Marchwarden still carries a torch for her that nothing can extinguish. Josie updates Thranduil on the info she learned after the morning's gathering. Yandere Thranduil comes out to play. A sweet little sex capade takes place. The next morning comes. Haldir and Legolas enjoy the snow. Josie has more ominous dreams. One in particular has her begging Thranduil for them to leave asap. Garrett shows up still in a mood over the painting. He just couldn't stay away from the Queen. They have quite a long informative talk as he tries to help the disconcerted lady of light. Garrett departs a happy vamp.

Warning-*SMUT* with some accentuating dirty talk.

*Angst*

"This is for my father!!!" Raven screamed as she became a human flamethrower and sent jet fire fueling at Haldir.

Your shield was faster than a speeding bullet as it encased Haldir fully. He sheltered his face as the flames showered off of your impenetrable light.

You could see Marius as he stood behind her cooking up some magic of his own. Water........ fire's weakness.

"It is time for you to cool down nuisance!" With that said, he doused the water over her like a tidal wave.

Her red heat turned to cool blue as she desperately tried to fight the liquid enemy but her power was diminishing. Down she went to the floor on her hands and knees soaking wet with electrical sounds zapping off of her. All of her magic became water logged, literally.

Marius towered over her gloating with his dexterous win. "Some people fight fire with fire. I find water to be more efficient. In your case...salt water."

"Looks like the drowned rat got served her own rat poison." you snickered as you thought of her threat to Louie. "I warned you that if you ever tried to hurt Haldir, you would answer to me."

With the little energy she had, she weakly laughed and leered up at you.

"You did nothing but shield him! If Marius was not here, you would have weakened because you're weak! and your precious hero would be burnt toast as we speak." She turned to Haldir with a wicked grin. "Maybe you'll get the girl after all. Her own husband left her here to fend for herself which speaks volumes on how much he really loves her."

"Let's go. You know the rules for when you have your episodes!" Marius snapped and picked her up.

She tried to struggle away but had no strength. "You can lock me in the dungeons all you want but it will not change the inevitable. You're all in for one hell of a surprise. You my sister will soon know of true suffering and loss. For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore. Nameless here for evermore." Raven cackled as Marius swept her away.

You then threw your arms around Haldir. "Please tell me you're alright! I did my best to protect you."

He smiled and squeezed you tight. "Yes. I am fine. I could feel the heat but it was tolerable. You saved me again...looks like you are one up on me now." he chuckled. You began to sob. "Hey. Jo." He kissed your head and made you look at him. "Talk to me."

"I have made such a mess of things. Raven was right. If Marius hadn't been here, you'd be dead right now. I can't even fathom the thought of that...and Thranduil...she was also right...he just left me here. And Garrett....what he must think of me now..."

"Ok first of all, did you forget about this?" He pulled out the emerald pendant from his tunic. "It would have obstructed the fire just as your shield did. It's of vampire origins remember? And what is one of the things deadliest to a vampire? Fire.... and Jo...I have to side with Thranduil here, I am sorry. What were you thinking having that painting done? Since when do you care as to what he thinks of you? And....I...I observed you earlier with him. Your little vampire waltz in the sky per se."

You let your arms fall from him. "Well then you didn't spy long enough. I almost fell down a large flight of stone stairs if you must know and he saved me from that. And...the painting...I don't think I owe you any explanation." you huffed.

"I kind of think you do. He left me for dead remember?? But you definitely owe Thranduil one."

You knew he was right but didn't want to argue. "Can you just walk me to my room please. I need to find him."

On the way, Haldir was unusually quiet. Something else was bothering him. "So...do you want to tell me what you were really doing with Raven since you're so curious about Garrett?" you said with a hint of sarcasm.

He stared at the floor as you both kept walking. "I guess it won't hurt to tell you now since she already tried to make good on a previous threat. She attempted to recruit me into conspiring against you and Garrett so she could have him to herself."

You peered up at him in confusion. "Why would she ask you? She hates you. I don't get......oh." You did get it. "She tried to make you think you and I could...."

"Jo, she knew about us...and I swear. I never complied. I would never do that to you. I flat out refused and she damn near choked me to death. I did not care about me but she threatened to hurt you if I said anything to anyone. Jo...her little sob story in the sitting room this morning, it was all an act. She admitted it and she gloated about it. She's a cold blooded killer Jo."

"Yeah...I'm beginning to see that." You took his hand and kept walking. "I know you would never have went along with her schemes. It's not who you are and I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

He glanced down at you. "I would die first. I told her that too."

You then stared at the floor too as you walked. You didn't have to say anything. He knew you felt the same way about him. Arriving at your door, you pulled him into another hug. "I am so sorry for everything Haldir. You have risked so much for me and still continue to do so. Please don't ever leave." Your grip on him tightened as you thought about Raven's oblique words of suffering and loss.

"You should know by now you are stuck with me." he grinned sweetly. "Glenn- hi. (Go now) Fix things with Thranduil." The pain in his eyes was agonizing to see as you lightly smiled, opened your door and watched him uprightly walk away.

Thranduil's scent lingered in the room but he was not there. You lit some candles and placed them around a large white fur rug in front of the fireplace, then sat down with the book you found in the library and waited for him. Garrett told you that you shouldn't tell anyone about it, but you knew you had to tell Thranduil. If Caroline was capable of killing one man you loved, then she was certainly capable of killing another. And Raven rendered her words as seemingly prophetic. Not to mention, she told you someone will die.

You never heard your stealthy husband come in but his delicious aroma alerted you to his presence. He gave you a cold glance and headed straight to the wine table.

You kept your gaze on the fire. "You left me there....unprotected..." you whispered with a sniffle.

Thranduil knocked back the drink and poured another. "Seems you had sufficient aid when I arrived." The yandere side of him rang loud and clear in his words.

"But not when you left..... She tried to kill Haldir....." you bluntly noted.

The sound of his chalice slamming down startled you. "Is...he...." Thranduil actually seemed genuinely worried which shocked you.

"He's fine. Thanks for asking." you piped and sniffled again as your nose was running from the tears you were harboring. "No thanks to me though. Raven tried to torch him. All I could do was shield him which worked but it wouldn't have lasted. So Marius saved him. Some kind of water magic and then he took her away. Haldir said the pendant would have shielded him too, so really, my power did nothing." You slammed the book on the floor and brought your knees to your chest, burying your head in them and began sobbing.

A refreshing lilac scent mixed with sweet grapes brushed over you as his soft hand laid upon your shoulder. "You are still acquiring all of your power. I know it is frustrating but it will all become efficacious when you are ready to fully embrace it. Something so compelling cannot be exacted."

You lifted your head and turned your drenched eyes to see Thranduil kneeling beside you as his sympathetic orbs wandered about your face. "Thranduil...my mother made me kill my father...." Your horrifying words sent you into a bawling mess. He quickly cradled you in his loving arms.

"My love....how do you know such a thing?"

"It's all there...in that evil black book." You pointed at the blank covered hardback laying at your feet. "I found it in the library. I was looking for Ashmole 782. Someone threw this book in the fire and Gar.....it wouldn't burn. I opened it directly to a spell that uses Belladonna and it triggered a suppressed memory."

"Deadly nightshade." Thranduil whispered. "Yesss. I know of it and it's many capabilities."

"An old woman claiming to be from our church brought what she said was red clover syrup to the house and said my father asked for some for his tea. Since he always drank it, I thought nothing of it. He slowly became sick over the next few years and doctor's diagnosed him with cancer. How could they not see it was poison???" you cried into his chest.

"The deadly liquid is full of trickery. Especially when black magic is combined with it. My sweet girl, you could not have known. Please do not blame yourself. Does Caroline know that you have remembered?"

"No...he...I decided she shouldn't know because who knows what she will do if I confront her. Look what she has already done. She's a live wire just like Raven. God Thranduil...Raven lied. It was all an act about how sorry she was for what she had done to those children. And she has it bad for Garrett. She brought that painting out on purpose because she's jealous of me. And....she made indirect threats when she left, saying I would suffer a loss like no other. She tried to make Haldir conspire against me to help her get Garrett and.... Thranduil...I'm scared! She's a monster just like our mo...her mother." you said with angst. If she is the reason your father died, you would no longer consider her your mom. You pretty much already didn't because of everything else. "And Lestat...he seems like another loose canon. He looks at me like I'm something to eat....god...bad analogy."

"Yes it would be best to keep this information between us until it can be proven, although it already seems to be. In fact it may be best to not confront her at all while we are here. When the storm settles, we will depart and never look back if that is what you desire."

"It is...I just want to go home...with you. I wish neither of us would have ever came here."

"Are you certain of that? You seem quite content with the company you have been keeping." Normally, you would have thought he was referring to Haldir, but it was Garrett.

"Thranduil...that wasn't planned. Garrett just happened to be there when I was headed to the library."

"But the painting was planned." he confidently stated.

"It was...yes..I...Thranduil, he took me out of the forest when the orcs were coming, and brought me here and he went back to help Haldir and your son so they could get here safely as well. I...I tripped earlier on the stairs and he saved me from severe injury to myself and our daughter. The painting, I was just trying to help him in return. I..."

"Do not sit before me and defend such filth. Do you think those minute things make up for what he has done? Do you think he did any of that for me? It was all for you which you are well aware of so I do not want to hear anymore of this."

"Minute?? That is nice to know you think of me or your child in such a way. And...you told me you should have let me turn. My god...did you mean that??"

"I think you know me well enough by now to know I speak only as I see it." His tone was bitter and spiteful. You were flabbergasted...and hurt.

"I...I suppose I deserved that."

Thranduil hated the fact that he felt bad. A conscience was something he did not possess. Until you. No one could ever have such power over him. No one could ever...has ever... made him feel things the way you have. The Elvenking also hated the fact that he spoke something he didn't mean when he said he did, because he always means what he says. Nothing more, nothing less. You and his child were not in the least minute to him, but indeed the most important and irreplaceable treasures in his life. His very reason to breathe, to even exist at all. Of course he did not wish you had become one of the dead. He would have lost you forever and Leann would not exist. Thranduil concluded he must heal the pain in your eyes that he inflicted. Little did he know that you were thinking the same thing about him in that moment.

"Jospehine I..."

"Thranduil I..."

You both simultaneously spoke the same words, then lightly laughed. He raised his hand to your face and softly wiped your tears from your cheeks with the back of his hand. First one side, then the next in one gentle slow stroke each. Oh this man knew what he was doing. Making you melt into a pile of mush with just one endearing gesture. One that was all his own and spoke of his feelings for you when he had no words or simply just could not speak at all. He slowly moved to sit behind you, then tilted your head back with his hand.

His hot candied breath grazed over your cheekbone. "Do you know the things I desire to do to you right now?" His words and the "fuck me" way he said it drove a shockwave right down your spine and into your walls making them quiver. He began placing intense passionate kisses over your jawline and stopped at your ear. "My entire being aches for you. One being a very prominent entity all of it's own." With that said, he arched his hips against your backside and gently grinded his inflexible arousal up and down your lower back in slow rocking movements. Your head remained back in his grasp as your mouth hung open exerting shallow pants to his very welcomed advances.

"Thranduil!" your mouth softly spoke in a deviously craving manner. The hand he held under your chin smoothly slid around your throat and his other slithered it's way under your dress and up your thigh, coming to a stop at your inflamed clit. "Ahhhhhhh!" you squealed and stiffened as two of his fingertips teased and tormented your protruding sensitive bud. Instinctively, your hips began slightly rocking against his fondling fingers. Down they slid without warning into your entrance as you both groaned at the ease of entry.

"Show my fingers what you want." he moaned as they were knuckle deep inside you and his thumb remained upon your clit caressing it in fast circles. Your core reacted urgently and you brought 2 of your fingers atop his and pushed them all inside of you at full sheath. Thranduil certainly did not expect that as his heavy gasp tattled on him. You took control and guided his and your fingers in and out of you in a steady invigorating rhythm. Spasms kept waving through you as you forced his fingers to curl on each withdraw. You were doing exactly as he requested and he was intoxicated by it. "Tell me...do you think my cock would feel better?"

Oh god...you almost released. Scratch that. Here it came..."Thran...Thrand..Thranduil!!!" You thrusted yours and his fingers vigorously inside of you, then pushed them all the way in and stopped moving as you screeched and jerked in one intense orgasm. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh ahhh ahhh feel me my King." Feeling yourself pulsate against both of your fingers was mind blowingly kinky and sexy. The last time you ever got yourself off was in Rivendell when your King had his impaired memory and it had felt so fucking good, you had to bite your own hand so no one would hear you.

The sound that crawled out of his throat was a cross between a vulnerable whimper and a lion's growl. He removed his fingers and nibbled your earlobe. "Do not move." He stood up and removed all of his clothing. You knew this as you saw pieces of them flying across the room as you glanced to the side. He then knelt down behind you and clutched the end of your dress. "Lift up." You picked yourself up onto your knees and he whisked the dress right up and over your head, then flung it through the air. "Stay still." He took one step forward on his knees and rested his firm body flat against your backside with his flaming solid heat slipping between your inner thighs. His palms creeped up your stomach to your breasts and encased them with his fingers sprawled out like spider legs, then he made small nibbles from the nape of your neck up to your ear. "Do you feel that?" His whispering words taunted. Heavy twitches rode through your thighs and tickled your clit from his lengthy stout limb that you could see peering far out beneath you as you looked down.

"Y..y..yess. Very much." you stuttered as your hand fit perfectly around his peeking member.

He jerked at your grip and quickly"T slid his staff back to where his head poked at your entrance. "Do you want my cock?"

"Mmmm hmmm. P...Please." You brought your hands behind you and ran them up his muscular thighs causing him to thrust only the tip inside of you. He groaned and laid his face on your shoulders as he now gripped your hips.

"Do you want some, or do you want all? My cock begs for all. Will you deny him of his desires?"

"Never. I want all. Please...Thranduil....I...."

"You what?" One of his hands glided up your side and found your dangling hair. He gave it a sturdy tug which pulled your head back. His lips hovered next to yours. "I can't hear you. You will need to tell me so I can instruct him. Would a fast hard fucking do the trick? Or maybe a slow soft fucking would be more enticing?"

"God Thranduil just fuck me. Please...." You could feel him grin from ear to ear at your dirty command.

"Yes my Queen. As you wish." The palm of his hand rode up your back and halted between your shoulder blades, then he swiftly pushed you forward onto your hands and spread your legs with his knees. You were panting with anticipation of his penetration. He placed the head of his throbbing cock inside you, then brought his hands to your hips and squeezed. With a firm yank, he thrusted inside of you. Your drenched walls took him in fully as you yelped in delectation. Uncontrollably, he dropped onto your back unleashing an aching long grunt. He teased a few pumps and then pulled his saturated cock free which is what he intended. "Now watch." You maneuvered your body enough to see him but stayed in position. His fingers wrapped around his massive girth and he began stroking his slippery rod. Slow and steady he paced with his eyes on you and mouth slightly open. Faster and faster he pummeled and you could hear the slickness of the beating he was administering upon himself. The head of his cock was becoming an angry red as he panted heavily and then he thrusted his hand down to his base and intensely released. Moan after moan went in sync with the multiple shots of his warm cream up your back.

He took your dress from the floor and wiped your back off. You found this comical as maybe it was a shun at the sex sniffing Lestat since the clothing all belonged to him. "Come to me...Lay down." He sweetly ordered. You laid upon your back on the furry rug and Thranduil mounted you. The way the fire's light shone upon his face and his long strands flowed over his sculpted body was an image you would never forget. Placing his hands beside your shoulders, he leaned down and kissed you deeply then traced the tip of his tongue over the entirety of your lips. "Do you want more or do you wish me to stop?" Was that a serious question, you thought. You yanked his mouth back to yours and delved your tongue inside, entwining it dangerously with his. His question was answered and he had enough of the foreplay as he rammed into you with one hard push that took your breath away. You were insanely wet and he indulged his cock in every ounce of it, sliding all the way out and rapidly back in over and over. "Jos...Josep...Ahhhhhhhhrrrggg!" Thranduil collapsed onto you in hard release. Your legs wrapped tightly around him as you unraveled with him. His movements slowed and then he began careening deep grinding thrusts which instantly snagged your sweet spot again. Your hips bucked like a horse as your eyes rolled back. No sound came out of your wide open mouth as your nails scratched down his sweat laced back. Thranduil's mouth hung open over yours as he expelled his essence and hot moaning breaths into you. As he rolled to your side, he pulled you snug against him. "I...I love you my sweet girl. Was...this too much for you? Did I come on too strong. I...I..know I am not usually like this....I did not mean..."

"Hush my King...This...was all so perfect. I understand what happened here and I...Thranduil...you have nothing to prove to me. No one is going to take me away from you. Im am yours a cin are sab-. Forever an all -o anand. Im mel cin yandere Thranduil more than nin own cuil. So ha was written. So shall ha always n-." (I am yours and you are mine. Forever for all of time. I love you yandere Thranduil more than my own life. So it was written. So shall it always be.)

He kissed your forehead and off to dreamland you both went in front of the crackling fire.

A dream you had almost forgotten about came flooding back in the early morning hours, the witching hours to be exact. After 3am. Except this time, Thranduil wasn't encased in enormous tree roots. He laid motionless upon a bed of leaves with his eyes wide open.

You knelt beside him and took his ice cold hand into yours. "Thranduil!!" your scream echoed. He didn't move nor blink. His eyes were fixated and glazed. You couldn't speak, only cry.

The King was dead.....

Six loud chimes tolled from the annoying clock in the hall sending you shooting straight up in a gasping panic.

"Thranduil!! Noooo!" Your eyes darted all around the empty room as your heart began racing, until your eyes caught sight of a note laying on his pillow.

"I did not wish to wake my sleeping beauty with my kisses. I will return shortly my love."

You closed your eyes letting out a sigh of relief as you held the note to your lips, breathing in his scent that was imbedded in the paper. 'Tap tap tap....tap tap tap...' sounded on the frosted over window that allowed only the daylight to be seen. You jumped with a small peep escaping your lips. All you could think of was Raven and all her Poe quotes and how you had seen her before outside, just floating there peering in at you. Quickly you threw on your robe and creeped towards the continuing sound. You turned the lock on the window and hesitantly pushed it open. "Caw caw caw! Caw caw caw!" There sat your faithful feathered friend, the crow. He come trotting right up to you on the balcony ledge as if he were struttin his stuff on the catwalk.

"It is you! Hello there. Why have you come? To warn me?" you asked because of his 3 consecutive taps and caws which symbolized death. He cawed once for yes. "I..I heard you once before. In the forest before the orcs came. But...you cawed 7 times. I did not understand that. What have you come to warn of?" The crow then cawed 3 times. Your heart dropped as you gulped. The bird had always been right with his warnings. "D...death? Is...someone going to...die?" He cawed once again for yes. Then he cocked his head and belted out 3 caws, paused and shouted 3 more....then a single one.... 7. "Seven again. What does that mean??" A balcony door opened just down the way and startled your friend off into flight. "No wait!" You then heard Legolas' distant laughter, then Haldir's as they appeared on the terrace from their chambers. Their laughter ceased as they saw you.

"Jo? What are you doing outside so early and in this weather?" Haldir called from the stone snow filled patio.

You were too cold to chit chat in your slinky about what you just encountered. "I...I couldn't sleep. What are you both doing out here as well and so chipper at that?"

Up came Legolas looking all around for his guardian, and so were you as he had not surfaced yet.

They both chuckled. "We are elves my Lady in case you missed that. And we love snow." The prince merrily stated with a devilish grin.

"Yeah Santa's elves in the North Pole. Where's your pointy hats and shoes with bells?"

"Ha ha Jo. We pretty much got the North Pole part though." Haldir joked.

With that said, one by one they leaped over the balcony's edge with cheerful shouts into a snow drift that must have been 3 men deep. You shrieked in disbelief as you threw your hands onto the railing, leaning desperately over it searching for them as they disappeared into the powder.

"Haldir!! My god are you both crazy?? Where is he???" you reeled in panic as your heart skipped about 10 beats.

"Over here Jo!" Haldir snickered and whipped a snowball straight at you, nailing your hand. You jumped and squealed in utter shock. He and Legolas howled in laughter and began belting snowballs at each other.

"Ha....fucking ha! Glad that amuses you." you snarked with a playful grin. It was like a breath of fresh air to see grown ass elves playing like children without a care in the world. Speaking of breath and air, yours was quite apparent. It must have been way below zero. "Have fun kids. I need clothes."

"No you do not." Haldir roared in laughter. You shot him an eye roll and Legolas blasted him in the face with a snowball.

"I find no humor in that statement. Apologize to the Queen!" Legolas dictated.

Haldir shook his head vigorously to clear the splattered snowball and glared at the Prince. "I will not! Jo knows of my humor and that I meant no disrespect. In fact, I respect no one more than her. Not even you oh pristine Prince." SPLAT! The Marchwarden retaliated by nailing Legolas with a fastball before he could duck and then Haldir disappeared beneath the drift with a hearty laugh.

"Where for art thou oh heavenly Haldir??" Legolas sneered as he packed a snowball so firm that you would hate to be on the receiving end. Thank god the two competitive infants didn't have their weapons.

Haldir popped up in the distance behind Legolas. He placed his thumb and forefinger in a circle between his lips and sounded an ear piercing whistle. Legolas flipped around and fired the rock like snowball at him. Haldir dove sideways as the ice ball missed him by just millimeters. "You got to be quicker than that whippersnapper!" Haldir proudly bragged.

"Oh you two, I'm going in." Not a one of them paid you an ounce of attention as Legolas continued going after his guardian. You threw your hands up in the air. "Ok then...nevermind." Back inside you went wondering where Thranduil could possibly be. You suspected he went after some food for you both. To pass the time, you slipped into the warm bath and relaxed. So much so, you dozed back off to sleep and the bad dreams found you again.

You were walking through Lesta's dark hallways and heard loud heavy moaning. The closer you got, the voices became familiar. You ended up at Garrett's room and knocked. The door opened and there stood a bare naked Raven with a grin on her face. Garrett called out. "What's going on?" His voice...it didn't sound right. Confused maybe.

You peeked around her and there he was in all his glory sprawled out on his bed at full attention.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." You were stunned and more so appalled. "Garrett! Don't so this..."

"I win. You lose sister." she wickedly laughed. You ran off and found your mother's room.

"Mama?" you whispered through the door that was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, you saw Thranduil in evening attire reclining on her bed in a seductive manner just staring like he did in the other dream.

You turned to see your mother with her blood red robe hanging open just enough to tauntingly reveal her breasts.

She then walked to the table and poured a drop of the red clover syrup into a glass of wine from the same bottle the old woman had given you. She carried it to Thranduil. He took it and began to drink. "Noooooooooooooo!! Thranduil don't!!!!" you screamed but your cries went unheard. His glass then slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. Caroline gave a menacing laugh and the door slammed shut in front of you, echoing all the way down the halls. You began banging on it while screaming his name.

You heard chains and spun around releasing a fearful squeak. There stood your father bound so tight he could not stand in what appeared to be a dungeon.

"D...Daddy?"

He slowly raised his head and looked you directly in the eyes. "Help me."

Then someone called your name from behind you.

"Josie...." The deep voice was unable to be seen as your head jerked to the sound. You took a few steps towards the blackness. Emerging from it were glowing eyes.

They belonged to a shirtless Lestat. You tried to run away but he was upon you before you could even take a step. Pinning you against the wall, he spoke against your mouth. "Looks like they have all forsaken you. I would not. Take one taste and you will see." His licorice rooted breath delved inside your parted lips. Whatever he was doing to you, you were helpless against.

"Lestat....p..please..."

"Please what? Do you want to taste me?"

Your tongue began to slowly poke out of your mouth as your body trembled. His tongue slithered out like a snake and touched the tip of yours. They locked. Frozen from the hot and cold connection. You began to panic. A growl rose from his core and he then pressed his lips passionately over yours. It was like ice water swam down your throat but it felt soothing, like menthol. As his tongue romanced yours, you felt yourself sliding up the wall. You opened your eyes and you were both floating. Giddiness consumed you as the deep kiss intensified. Lestat's voice formed in your mind. "Imagine what else my tongue can do to you." He began gently kissing your neck and chest leaving you intoxicated by his touch. No fear of him biting you existed in the erotic moment.

A feeling of falling tickled your stomach. You found yourself standing on the ground again staring at his pale ice sculptured body as he stroked your arm and looked you over in a caring manner. Placing your hand on on the back of his head, you pulled him against you and he took your breast into his mouth as his arms cradled you. His cool saliva and twirling tongue on your mamilla sent pulses into your walls.

Your body became weak and limp from his energy but you were very aware of what was occurring. The dominate vampire slowly laid you upon the ground and canoodled you.

"Do you want me Josie?" All you could do was mumble in which Lestat perceived it as a yes. Bringing one hand behind him, he glided his fingers up your dress and began massaging your clit with his thumb.

You woke up splashing about the bath water in the middle of one acute orgasm. Coughing and gasping, you frantically climbed over the bath's edge and fell onto the floor. "Thranduil!!!!" you managed to shout.

The chamber door hammered shut. "Josephine!" Thranduil came running in to find you huddled on the bathroom floor shivering and crying. He immediately dropped to his knees and pulled you into his arms. "My love, what has happened?"

"Thranduil...I want to leave here!! Please! Something bad is going to happen! I'm so scared. I don't want to be alone again." you gasped and sobbed into his chest.

"My sweet girl. You are not going to be alone? I am right here. I will not leave you." The King lovingly said as he kissed your forehead.

"Thranduil..you don't understand. Raven...she said..."

"Enough about that succubus. I will not let her or anyone harm you. I will die first."

"Stop it, don't say that! My dreams...they...something is going to happen! You of all people know they come true!"

"Shhhhh. Hush. I do not discredit your dreams. I promise you, we will leave the moment the storm subsides. You will never make it down the mountain in these conditions. The snow is already slowing. We can make an attempt after the masquerade ball that's in a few days."

"Wait, what? What ball?"

"Raven informed myself and Legolas when she came to our room. Lestat is hosting it and is requiring our attendance. I am sorry. It had slipped my mind with all that has happened."

The mention of Lestat and his demand of it turned your stomach into knots. "Oh god...Thranduil...I..I don't want to...."

"My girl...I have brought us food. Please go eat and relax while I indulge myself with a bath. Just remember I love you and it will be alright." He helped you to your feet and handed you a robe. You did as he asked and went to eat.

You had no appetite after that fucked up dream. A few bites of crackers and some fruit is all you could manage. You got dressed and briskly towel dried your hair, then went onto the balcony to see if Haldir and Legolas had killed each other in their showdown. They were gone and all was silent and still. Thranduil was right, the snow was subsiding. You sat down in the snow and decided to make snow castles like you did as a child to try and distract your thoughts. You felt a presence behind you and then smelled him.

"Garrett?" you gasped and quickly stood up. He was not there but he was letting you know he had been. He obviously didn't want Thranduil to see him. You anxiously skimmed your eyes over the forest borders and then you saw him gaping at you.

You spun around and headed for the front doors. Out you went trekking through the knee deep snow to the forest's edge where you saw him. "Garrett! I know you know I saw you. Please come out. You're obviously ready to talk to me or you wouldn't have came. Please Garrett. I'm sorry."

His treacle smell swam up your nose, You turned and there he stood peering at you with his red defensive eyes. "Thank god." you said as you threw your arms around him.

"It's too cold for you out here." was all he said and whisked you into the air, carrying you back to the front doors. "After you." Garrett moved aside and opened the door like a gentlemen.

"I...I was worried you wouldn't come back....after..." You placed your hand on his.

"Oh...that. You're speaking about after you forced me to see myself when you knew I did not want to?" He yanked his hand from yours.

Garrett was clearly still angry and very hurt. "Garrett. God I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to show you the beauty I see that you're afraid to look at...." He didn't know what to say to you calling him beautiful again and stared at you for a moment.

"If you are still angry with me, which...you have every right to be...then why did you back come to see me?" you asked with a worrisome smile.

"Beats the shit outta me...For the un-life of me, I just cannot stay mad at you. I had time to think about it and calm down some. I know you never meant for me to see it without warning."

"No, I most certainly didn't. Raven's jealous ass has become a serious problem. After you left, she tried..."

"I know. I spoke with Marius this morning. Josephine, I...I never would have left you there alone with her if I had known what was going to happen... but...Thranduil showed up and...well...you had him, Legolas and Haldir...even Marius...you didn't need me."

"Hey...you do not have to explain. You were extremely upset and needed to be alone. I'm ok...obviously."

"Yeah well...I didn't know he was going to just leave you alone like that. How could he do that?" Garrett reeled in disbelief. He was truly pissed off at Thranduil.

"Why does Thranduil do anything he does? He knew Haldir and Marius were there. I'm sure he figured they would keep me safe."

Garrett began to laugh and shook his head in astonishment. "So you're telling me your husband who loathes vampires trusted his pregnant wife to be left alone with one... one that is a stranger and also with a weaponless Haldir....oh yeah and with a psychopathic arsonist that you had just met only hours before and has proven to be bat shit crazy. It doesn't matter what he does, you'll always defend him."

"I'm not going to stand here and discuss my husband with you or listen to you trash talk him."

"Right...like he does me but we both know you don't defend me when he does." You looked down at the ground feeling guilty because he was right.

"Garrett...you know I couldn't if I wanted to. Thranduil has every right to feel the way he does...and he's already bent out of shape over the painting...or that I healed you and set you free...or that I even associate with you at all. What am I supposed to do?"

"I know....you're right. I'm sorry. If any one's bent out of shape right now, it's me. That painting has me all fucked up in the head right now. I wanted to go back and burn it but Selene stopped me."

"Selene? She's still hanging around? and....she stopped you?" What a shocker it was to hear that considering they despise each other.

"I know right??" he chuckled. "She told me I would later regret it because.... you had it made for me. I don't know. I guess she realizes I'm not the one who tried to knock off her strayed wolfman. Think she kinda likes me a little. And I think she kinda likes you and wants to make sure you're safe after what you did for her. Is...Is it true? That you almost turned her human again?"

"I...I don't even know honestly. I was only trying to heal her from the dead man's blood, but something happened and then my power forced us apart. God, I have no idea what I am doing Garrett. All this power and it seems so useless because I don't know how to utilize it. All I can ever manage to do is manipulate the weather, use my light and shield, or muster up a fireball here and there. I need that book Garrett. Ugh!"

"Oh yes, I recall the fireball very well. Put me straight on my ass.....but Nahhh. You're a natural, little one. A full blooded witch. You'll figure it out. You don't need some book to show you who you truly are. I have great faith in you because you're one determined little hot redhead. I...I meant...hothead." Garrett corrected with a light playful grin.

You giggled. "Well....thank you Garrett. That means a lot that you believe in me so much. So....what was it like for you when you first turned? Were your powers simple to use like riding a bike or did you also have to learn them??

"It was the worst day of my existence. I had no idea what was happening. Definitely not easy peasy lemon squeezy. The flying part was the hardest. Cannot tell you how many trees and buildings I crashed into. My equilibrium was all fucked up. Same with the speed factor. Made me dizzy as hell. And then there was mind control and the telekinesis thing. I practiced on Craven. Needless to say, he had no patience for being thrown through windows. I just couldn't focus...so I tried something that kept me calm in my other life....music. I was able to obtain my 78's record collection. Craven had one of those gramophone players so it was like the syrup to my flapjacks, my favorite food ever. Swear I could have lived off if it." Now you knew why Garrett smelled of molasses.

"Anyways...Once I started playing all the songs I loved, it became easier to concentrate because I finally had some inspiration. The more I practiced, the better I became. It was quite comical hearing Craven yell 'SHUT THE HELL UP' from clear in another room. Vampire hearing, ya know. Sensitive like a dog's. I used to rock out and sing so loud...but it did the trick. You should try it. I got it, how bout this? 'Earth, air, wind and fire, give me that power I desire!!'."

"Did you really just bust out 'Fuel' by Metallica as a witch chant?"

"Sad but true." he smirked. He answered your question with another Metallica song. You smacked your hands over your face. "Oh dear god....I am so fucked."

"No you're not. You are building a fire and everyday that you train, you add more fuel. And at just the right moment, you light the match..... Wish I had my stuff here. I'd let you borrow it but it's all back on Devil's Island. I could maybe help you practice. Or ask Lestat. He's into music too. Sings with some band."

You couldn't believe how much he had revealed to you just now on his human years. Usually the reserved King Garret would change the subject or completely clam up.

"Yeah...I'll pass on that thanks......Soooo...What if I could...heal a vampire? Would you do it? Become human again? I recall our conversation over the campfire in Mirkwood as you said you'd give anything to feel your heartbeat again."

His eyes lowered. "That was before all this. Besides...there's nothing there for me anymore in that life...and I wouldn't even know what to do with myself after being accustomed to this lifestyle for so long. I kinda dig being your own personal superman and scaring the shit outta the evil people that I feast on. Speaking of...Josephine...you're not safe here. I could fly you out of hear so fast. Just say the word."

"You know I cannot leave without the others. Believe me, I want out of here. I don't think you're safe here either after the dream I had."

"What...that Thranduil chopped off my head and displayed it on his trophy exhibit...or better yet, used it as a bullseye in his archery range?"

"Worse..."

"Uhhh what could be worse than being sliced and diced by an elf besides just being plain sliced and diced?"

"Sleeping with the enemy. I saw you in Raven's bed while she stood naked at the door flaunting herself."

"Ahhh hell no....not happening. Nope. No way. I'd have to be drunk as skunk or high as a kite and even then, I feel I would need much much more persuasion like threatening to incinerate me.....to put it simply.....fuck no."

"That's just it though Garrett...in the dream, I think she drugged you...and...my entire dream was so fucked up, but then again, they always are. My mom was doing shit to Thranduil, I saw my father again. He was in chains asking me to help him...and Lestat...well never mind on that. I just want to forget it but something tells me I won't be able to. Anyways...I should be going before Thranduil ends his bath and finds me gone...so...the painting. I take it you do not want to keep it? It's so beautiful. The way Marius' work always tells a story makes it that more captivating. I love picture stories. His use of the mirror with you was brilliant. I can just ask him to keep it..."

"No...I....I want it. I mean...after all...you just called me beautiful for the 3rd time now." he slyly grinned from ear to ear.

"I called the painting beautiful."

"And I am in the painting. In fact, I AM the painting."

"Fine, you win. Does this mean you forgive me then?"

"On one condition."

"Ok?"

Garrett turned his face and tapped his cheek with his index finger wanting a kiss.

You laughed. "Really Garrett?"

"What? You gave me one in the library." he confidently reminded you.

"Alright ya big baby." You stood on your tippy toes and went to kiss his cheek. Right at the last minute, the trickster turned his face and you planted a kiss right on his lips. "Garrett Lee!" you reeled and smacked his arm.

He triumphed in his victory with a crafty smile. "That's my name, don't wear it out. Talk soon." Then, the waggish vamp vanished with great alacrity.

You couldn't help but smile and then trotted off back to your room in hopes the King was still in the bath. As you whisked around the corner, the last thing you expected to see stood right in front of you like in your dream.

Lestat....

@redeemer46 @mirkwoodwarrior

Masterlist

[moonandstarlightsposts]

Коханий Місяць

Happy birthday, Moon! Today, you're a special girl on her special day! Well, you're always a special girl but today, you're EXTRA SPECIAL!😍

So this my birthday present and uh, writing this makes me realise that I ain't as slick as I thought I am😅 but I hope you'll enjoy it either way. 

(Also, pardon the title. I had to use Google Translate T.T)

-

His family and friends never realised it but Hudson is as observant as he is anxious underneath his DJ persona.

When you’re on the microphone, you’ll have the audience's attention. But the battle that comes with it? Holding it. Because when you’re under the spotlight, it’s your job to entertain the mass - gauge their reactions, understand what they want and don a personality that eases them. Perhaps that’s why despite his introverted nature, his classmates and parents never stop praising him for his showman persona. 

“Damn, Hudson! I didn’t know you were such a funny guy! I busted a gut laughing at your jokes when you hosted that Energetic club.”

“Serves you right for underestimating Hudson, Jackson. Why do you think he’s the poster boy for D.A.M.N?”

“Give me a break! Hudson’s so quiet sometimes; I didn’t know he was the DJ that y’all were talking about.” 

“Even a guy like him needs downtime. Isn’t that right, Hudson? Yeah, see? Anyway, are any of you losers going to that Vampire Prince’s party?” 

“Isn’t that exclusive for his and his partner’s friends?” 

“I mean yeah, but Hudson shared the same classes with his partner when they were an Electro Energetic. He can totally invite us along too.”

“Could you, Hudson?”

And that’s the downside when you’re under the spotlight. The ‘fame’ that comes with the package. The pressure and anxiety that Hudson has to deal with as he navigates through uncomfortable social circumstances never fail to leave him exhausted and weary at the end of the day. While Hudson appreciates his friends and classmates, he wishes that they wouldn’t try to use him to get into special events like the party. For goodness sake, he only said hi to that Electro Energetic once! 

(Hudson remembered they were a Latent Humanborn. Unsure and a little bit intimidated the first time they step inside their class. Something in Hudson compelled him to greet them in hopes they would feel a bit better.)

His ‘popularity’ and career aside, Hudson mostly keeps his head down; hoping to graduate with full honours and with little drama as possible. Make his family proud. Maybe even… experience one of those cliché romance tropes too. 

Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?

So it’s with that mindset Hudson decided to just… wander around Dahlia for a while after his classes ended for the day. A few of his friends invited him to watch the cheerleaders at the Earth Elemental practice but he just shook his head. 

“I’ll pass. Send my regards to Hux and Xavier though.” 

His friends let him go easy enough and Hudson went on his mini adventure. The streets of Dahlia paint a familiar scene as soon as he steps out of the bus. Empowered and Unempowered folks mingle about, busy with their day. Standing amongst the crowd, the aimless Hudson allows the rushing passerby to direct his journey. Hoping to come across something new within the city. The sights and excited chatters of strangers carry him to a lot that Hudson has never seen before. There’s something new and exciting in Dahlia and Hudson could kick himself for his ignorance. 

A cat café. Hudson was a lost man before, but now? Now he has found his sanctuary!

The building nestles between a pet store and a veterinary clinic. Very appropriate that Hudson couldn’t stop the glee building in his chest. He could already spot a sassy-looking Calico basking near the large window. He watches the cat yawn and Hudson immediately zooms inside with speed that would give a Vampire a run for their money. 

“Hello, cutie! Where have you been all my life!? Oh god, you’re so fluffy and soft!” Hudson coos as he scratches the Calico’s neck. The man honest to god squeals when the cat purrs as loud as a motorboat, leaning into his warm palm. It’s only when it tucks itself for a nap did Hudson reluctantly backs away to survey the café.

The warm, earthly interior tone reminds Hudson of his parents’ summer cabin. Sturdy wooden walls with pieces of friendly artwork on them. There’s a study area on the left; jars of candies line up beside a row of electrical outlets so customers can charge their laptops. A plush-looking sofa, two couches and a spinning armchair are provided in the lounge to unwind. Entrances to the bathrooms for both humans and felines can be seen peeking at the far end of the building. The speakers above him softly croon gentle R&B beats. All in all, it’s a pretty cosy place; perfect for studying or playing with kitties. Both for the ultimate experience! 

An assistant notices Hudson hovering over the rules and regulations of the café. He slides in to help the Energetic settle in with some food and coffee. As soon as Hudson rests on the armchair, however, a pale orange marmalade cat scampers over and immediately loafs over his lap. Hudson had to apologise to the other customer over the kettle-like shriek that escaped his mouth. And when a poofy black cat perches over his chair, Hudson could’ve swooned. 

“This is it. I can die happy now.” Hudson sobs and buried his face into the purring bread on his lap. All is right in his world. 

“Castiel! Stop claiming every new man that comes in. I raise you better than this” A voice startles Hudson from his reverie and he immediately pulls his face up. 

Hudson’s breaths were stolen from him as the most gorgeous young woman he has ever laid his eye upon hurries over to the lounge. Her expression is apologetic and Hudson has to internally stomps down the urge to comfort her. The other cats who were sprawling on the couches and warm floor barely pay them any attention.

“Sorry about him,” The woman continues, oblivious to Hudson’s primal brain switching to SIMP MODE. “He’s super friendly but has a bit of an attitude. A dangerous combination. He’s been going around greeting new customers by sitting on their lap.” 

The cat in question chirps in confirmation and snuggles deeper into Hudson. The picture of indolent. It takes an embarrassing while for Hudson to reboot and reply, “No, no; it’s cool! Um, h-he’s quite a distinguish boy. Castiel, right?” 

The woman is Unempowered - Hudson can’t see her Aura - yet her chuckles are magical. Like music to his ears. “That he is! Bad news though? He knows it so he expects people to spoil him.”

“O-Oh. Does the café allow customers to bring their pets?” Hudson asks, anything to keep the conversation going. 

“Oh yeah. As long as your cat is well-behaved and collared. Cats need to socialise too, you know. And since mine doesn’t seem to be getting up anytime soon, is it alright if I hang out around here?” 

“Of course! I’d love, uh, I mean - it wouldn’t bother me.” 

Hudson’s heart skips a beat when the woman smiles widely and thanked him. She makes herself comfortable on the couch, between a Sphynx and a Persian, and runs her fingers through the latter. The two exchange names before diving into polite conversations. Hudson shares his life as a university student, entertaining her with stories about mundane shenanigans with his friends while keeping Covert in mind. In return, she talks about how she and her family often travels around until they settled in Dahlia a year ago. The cat café quickly became one of her favourite spots in the city. 

It’s nice. Being able to talk to someone without any expectations weighing on him. Hudson can’t point his fingers at why he feels so at ease with this woman. Time slips by the longer they chatted. But not wanting the unknown chemistry to sizzle out, Hudson shyly asks if she would like to have lunch with him after Castiel hops off to chase after a few cats playing in the corner. 

“The shop is actually across the street,” Hudson explains, not wanting her to think that he has any ill intentions or anything. He continues to fluster when he realises that she’s smiling fondly at him. “It’s a simple sandwich shop. U-Um, are you alright with it?”

“Fine with me, handsome - ” Hudson squeaks like an excited hamster. “ - you can recommend what’s good.” 

There’s no way this woman doesn’t have any magic. It just doesn’t make sense how easily she sweeps him away! His eyes take in her every detail - intensely and obsessively; never missing one thing that she did. From how cute she scrunches up when the sandwich’s sauce smeared the tip of her nose to her deadpan stare when screaming children are left unattended by their parents, Hudson is able to read her like an open book. Is this what’s like falling in love? Is Hudson falling too fast? His head spins because he never felt anything like this before! 

God, it feels like his heart is in this woman’s hands and it both excites and scared him. And this is only their first meeting! 

And when evening is fast approaching, Hudson could faint right there and then when she passes her number on his napkin and winks. 

“I had fun today, Hudson. Don’t be a stranger now, OK?” She sweetly bids him goodbye. Inside the pet carrier, Castiel meows Hudson in acknowledgement and off the pair went. Hudson returns home in a daze, and his parents' curious eyes follow him all the way to his bedroom.

As he lies on his bed, it’s strange, but he can’t stop thinking about the woman from the cat café. His new friend/crush. An absolute cutie who rolled the dice and gained maxed points on charms. His face flushes just thinking about her now! Hudson rolled to his side and pressed close to the pillow; both scared and excited about these emotions bubbling inside him.  

The full moon outside of his window watches Hudson struggles to sleep that night, that woman’s beautiful smile eventually follows him into his dreams. 

Time passes on quickly after that. 

Despite how Hudson craves her daily, both were just too busy with their lives that they could only hang out once a month. So he treasures every second that he’s with her; be it on the phone, sharing ridiculous memes until late in the evening or those rare instances that their plans align and the two could meet in the city. 

And when they meet up, Hudson learns something new about her. And he falls hopelessly harder for her every single time. 

Her dual-coloured hair - platinum blonde and fairly golden - mesmerised him when she jogged from the bus stop. His fingers itched to run them through her bouncing curls as they had lunch. 

“Hudson? You alright?”

“W-What? Oh shit, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to stare. You just, um, have really nice hair.” 

“Aww, you’re very sweet, Hudson. Actually, can you look left for a sec?”

“Yeah sure, but what are you - sjcnaskjbf.” 

“Hmm, you’re also very cute Hudson. You know that?”

Poor Hudson could only squeak helplessly as she teases him after that innocent kiss. It was a good day for everyone involved. 

When they meet up the month after, she invites him to her farmhouse and Hudson was delighted to be introduced to her animals. The barn cats eagerly weave through his legs the moment the front door swings open. Castiel is among them, chirping in greeting before dashing towards the potato garden to make a mess out of it. Sometimes Hudson envies the life of a cat. But when his crush brings him to her bedroom so she could teach him how to play Valorant together, all he could think about is how he wants this. A friend that he vibes with so well and a lover that he could imagine spending the rest of his life with. 

And it’s when the moon is about to make her appearance in the evening, Hudson finds out how greedy of a man he is when it comes to this woman. How he wants more of her time - her wicked grins when the two of them won a match, her patience when his anxiety suddenly becomes too much and her hugs that ground him from the world. 

So really, it didn’t take long for Hudson to prepare an unforgettable day for the two of them when a new month comes along. A quick breakfast at the cat café, a tour around Dahlia on foot and when evening falls and they enjoyed a fun dinner, Hudson confesses with his heart pounding against his ribcage. 

“I-I like you! I like you very much!” The words came out like a flood but they came straight from his heart. A little cheesy but for the first time in his life, Hudson wants to be honest with someone and in return, with himself. Wants to package everything he’s feeling right now into a box and hands it to this beautiful woman. “I’m so grateful that Castiel jumped on my lap because I got to meet you and I… I fell in love with the moment you smiled at me. You, um, have a pretty smile! I love your smile and I love you.” 

Hudson never knew anxiety like this before; romantic confessions are a lot harder than what the movies show. The wait is maddening but a soft kiss on his lips chases away the jumbled thoughts and Hudson melts when giddiness envelops him. And when his friend - girlfriend too! - slowly pulls away, her eyes glazed with love and happiness. 

“No fair, Hudson. You beat me to it. Naughty boy…” She says lowly, smirking when it earned a whimper from Hudson.

The second time they kiss - after her own confession - she’s the one who initiated it and Hudson gives himself completely to her. The woman who lights up his world once every full moon. 

“Thank you for coming into my life, Moonlight.” 

[madreesatelvanni]

Apologies for the delay, dear readers. I'd have written sooner, alas, Aratron and I have been making our preparations for our tri-annual trip to Necrom. The visit itself is a formality, mind you. Yet, in our preparations, one of Aratron's experiments escaped its cage and we had to spend a few days chasing the stinky little vvardvark down.

Do not ever introduce intellect fortification potions into a vvardvark's diet if you wish to keep it as a pet.

But perhaps it was for the best; during our rests between chases I could take my time and relax with The Locked Room. Seeing as we are dealing here with a work of fiction rather than a political treatise, we shall be shifting our focus away from rhetoric. Instead, we'll be looking towards characterization, as well as setup and payoff. Once again, we shall be analyzing only a handful of passages, to keep things brief.

Our first stop is to analyze the first three passages of the book.

"Yana was precisely the kind of student her mentor Arthcamu despised: the professional amateur. He enjoyed all the criminal types who were his usual pupils at the stronghold, [...] They were always interested in simple solutions, the easy way, but people like Yana were always looking for exceptions, possibilities, exotica. For pragmatists like Arthcamu, it was intensely vexing.

"The Redguard maiden would spend hours in front of a lock, prodding at it with her wires and picks, flirting with the key pins and driver pins, exploring the hull with a sort of casual fascination that no delinquent possesses. Long after her fellow students had opened their test locks and moved on, Yana was still playing with hers. The fact that she always opened it eventually, no matter how advanced a lock it was, irked Arthcamu even further.

"'You are making things much too difficult,' he would roar, boxing her ears. 'Speed is of the essence, not merely technical know-how. I swear that if I put the key to the lock right in front of you, you'd still never get around to opening it.'"

The opening here gives us a strong choice of words to mull over regarding characterization. Yana is immediately singled out from Arthcamu's typical stock, labled as a "professional amateur", and always seeking "exceptions, possibilities, exotica". In short, Lyttumly paints the picture that Yana is taking these classes for the love of lockpicking as an art. She has no intention of breaking and entering into anything.

Further, Lyttumly makes some very specific word choices in regards to Yana's age. While he never gives an exact age for either Yana, Arthcamu, nor any of the other students, he introduces Yana as a "maiden", and from then on is always referring to her as a "girl". Our protagonist is not an adult, either she is a child or she is a teenager. Regardless of which, she is always "flirting" with her tools with a "casual fascination", and always opens her locks eventually, "irk[ing]" her teacher. Not only, then, is Yana painted with a playfulness, but she is shown to be a prodigy. Yana is very good at what she does.

Yet, Arthcamu nonetheless is frustrated with her. His focus is wholeheartedly on the time spent on a lock. Thus, his ire. I have little to say about the third paragraph on its own here. Though, I will say, think of what else Lyttumly may have said instead of "roar". "Yell"? "Scream"? Neither convey what "roar" does. To roar is primal. To roar is to express a deep rage from within. Arthcamu is at his wit's end here.

On to setup & payoff, we'll take a look at the fifth paragraph of part two. After Arthcamu traps Yana in a cage with a slumbering vampire, Yana gains the inspiration to trick Arthcamu into the same cage under the guise of testing her "unpickable lock," further sweetening the deal by telling him that she'd leave the class soon after.

"'I need to leave now,' called Yana from the other side of the door. [...] It's getting dark, and even though you aren't able to unlock the door, the vampire might be less proud about using the key to escape. Remember when you said 'If I put the key to the lock right in front of you, you'd still never get around to opening it'?'"

The payoff is subtle and easy to miss; Arthcamu certainly did. But Yana here is giving Arthcamu a hint as to the key's whereabouts. It's only when Arthcamu fails to open the lock and the vampire attacks him that he takes notice of the key around its neck.

It's important to take note of the cyclical nature of this narrative. Arthcamu berates Yana for taking her time, decides to trap her in a deadly time trial. In revenge, Yana devises an unpickable lock, traps Arthcamu in the same trial. When brute force fails, Arthcamu makes an attempt at Yana's casual style of lockpicking, and still fails. The narrative loops around itself in such a satisfying manner.

While not all narratives need be so cyclical, always bear in mind the importance of setup and payoff. On that note, Aratron and I have taken to calling the vvardvark "Yana", in honor of the character. The little creature's escape artistry has become somewhat endearing, and Aratron hopes to study Yana's capabilities.

[catjoska]

Drawing of Gothetta from School for Vampires🦇🍷

[edgarejart]

Vampire Slayer

My coworker has been notoriously listening to true crime podcasts when I came up with this illustration. I know that I originally wanted to do this illustration for a prompt from the private Krita group… I honestly don’t remember what that prompt was. But I knew that prompt tied in nicely with my coworker’s obsession with true crime… so yeah, that’s how this “Vampire Slayer” true crime illustration came into being.

Narrated art timelapse video can be seen @ https://youtu.be/H0bFkx5JIns

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