#Where The Wolf Bane Blooms
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The Nomads - Where The Wolf Bane Blooms (1984)
Swedish garage punks with a classic Halloween tune, quoting from a poem recited in the 1941 movie The Wolfman.
You may be pure of heart and pure of soul But you'll become a wolf when the moon is full And in the pale light of the moon You're gonna see the wolf bane bloom
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10:50 PM EDT July 31, 2024:
The Nomads - "I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time" From the album Where the Wolf Bane Blooms (1983)
Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm
★★★★
The best version of the Third Bardo garage classic that I've heard
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Amaranth
Dark!fem vampire x fem reader
synopsis: you're unaware of how obsessed Alvara is with you until it's far too late...
word count: 15.1k
content warnings: dark ish content, yandere, unhealthy relationship, brief violence
LIFE HADN’T ALWAYS been this way. You hadn’t always been running from Alvara, the wretched woman who had been pursuing you for centuries. You were a normal girl once but that was hundreds and hundreds of years ago and life had drastically changed since then becoming something that was nothing like the life you’d lived before. Life was so much easier back then, joyful even, it felt like you had a purpose, it used to be about living but now it was just surviving, and you weren’t sure how much more of this could you take. You got up from her chair and trudged towards your window sitting upon the ledge staring at the moon and the sparkles in the sky wishing you were amongst them because maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't be so lonely. You began to think about how simple life used to be and how on earth did you get into this mess in the first place.
❥ ❥ ❥
In a time long ago, you were a simple middle class woman working at a flower shop arranging and caring for flowers, you enjoyed your job and all the beautiful flowers you were able to care for and make into arrangements daily besides, it did help that you had some lovely loyal customers. Over the years, you had become quite popular within not only your area, but also further field due to the exposure from the royal family who often commissioned you for flowers with every event they held, big or small. But that might've been due to your friendship with the First Prince, Leonidas. A friendship like this was fairly uncommon as people of your social status and his own didn’t tend to mix. You had both become friends a few years ago when Leonidas had been running away from his duties and, as any upstanding citizen would, you hid him in your shop whilst everything blew over, treating him like a normal human being rather than someone to be worshipped. Since then, your friendship had blossomed and bloomed with the prince coming to your humble little shop at least once a week under the guise of buying flowers.
Humming mindlessly, you arranged and prepared flowers and bouquets for customers in a monotonous fashion, completely lost in the abyss of your mind, as you were making up the bouquet, you wondered what your beloved customer would prefer, “Miss Belmont, do you want the pink roses or the pink camellias with your bouquet?”
The older women didn't even get the chance to reply as a powerful honeyed voice interrupted, announcing herself, “Good morning, I want a bouquet of wolf’s bane flowers with whatever else you believe fits.”
You jumped slightly from her position, not expecting the interruption, you twisted around to look at the woman who had just entered your shop, you blinked owlishly before reminding yourself to smile. The woman herself was rather tall and stood proudly, her lips were plush, and pink formed in a stiff polite smile that felt odd and honestly quite disturbing. You swore her eyes were staring into your soul and you couldn’t help but stare back, her eyes were just... mesmerizing. They were such an icy blue that they reminded you of pure molten silver contrasting against darkness of the outer rings of her pupils. Her gaze was sharp and intimidating and you found yourself thinking that you never wanted to look away. Although this woman was absolutely stunning, breathtakingly so, you wondered if she ever caught the sun considering how pale her skin was, it was almost as if she’d never seen a lick of sunlight in her entire life. The only colour in her face where her lips and the pink colour decorating her eyelids, the darker colours contrasting against her pale skin tone making all of her features that much more pronounced.
The woman’s perfectly shaped eyebrow arched upwards as if asking why you hadn’t answered her yet, your shook your head slightly before plastering a blinding smile on your face.
“I am terribly sorry, my lady, I apologize for staring, I will get to you in a minute but as you can see, I am currently serving another customer so if you could give me a few minutes, I will get right to you.” She apologized trying to be as respectful as possible, she hoped this woman would be understanding enough and not like some of the other stuck-up nobles she had to deal with on a daily basis.
The tall woman chuckled coldly before looking down at you with a carefully restrained smile that screamed impatience and slight annoyance, “I do not think you understand who I am, I expect you to serve me right now, it is quite clear that I am much more important than this woman.” She sneered gesturing rudely to the poor old woman standing next to her.
“Excuse me, my lady, but I do not appreciate you using that tone whilst talking about my customers, this is my shop and so we will follow my rules. I will decide who I serve when I serve, so I suggest you either wait a few minutes or you find a new place to buy some flowers.” Although you were thoroughly intimidated by this clearly powerful woman, you kept your voice firm and steady, you'd learnt years ago that being a pushover never got you anywhere. Respect is everything. Besides, you weren't all that worried about this woman trying to sabotage your career, after all you had the royal family on your side.
The woman tilted her head slightly in surprise her lips pursed in an ‘O’ shape and her icy eyes showed amusement, it was quite clear that she was taken aback by your statement, she’d probably never really had someone below her in the social chain stand up to her before. But there was a first time for everything you supposed suppressing your proud smile.
“As I was saying Miss Belmont, would you rather the pink roses or the pink camellias?” The older woman smiled gratefully and told you her preference thanking you for your kindness.
“It is no problem at all, you are a loyal customer after all.” You replied with a sweet smile saved only for your favourite customers.
With that, you turned around and walked into the back room to retrieve the flowers before arranging them and cutting the stems until everything fit together perfectly. You wrapped up the flowers with brown paper, as requested, and tied it up with Miss Belmont’s preferred colour of ribbon which you had, of course, memorized more than a few bouquets ago. You handed the flowers to the older woman with a bright smile after receiving the cash and a hefty tip.
“I hope they are up to your standards; I will see you next week!” You waved after Miss Belmont; she was one of your favourite customers after all. You then turned to the pale woman who had indeed decided to wait those few minutes. “Now, my lady, you said you wanted wolf’s bane, right?”
“Yes, I did, I expect you to also choose some others to go along with it.” She replied stiffly, her arms crossed against her chest defensively unconsciously pushing her chest up making you look away awkwardly; you hadn’t meant to look but it’s kind of hard when they’re right in your direct line of sight.
Humming your favourite tune, you made your way into the backroom where you kept a wide array of flowers, you picked up flowers as you walked past them knowing they go well with wolf’s bane. Thinking as you went along you began to reflect on many of you noble customers and how they believed that money solves all problems in such a stuck-up manner. But you knew not everyone was like that Leonidas was a prime example of a good person who had a fair amount of wealth. It was hard to come across those kinds of people, all you wanted was basic respect from people that’s all, it shouldn’t matter your place in society. You huffed as you made your way back into the front room where the woman was standing who was now staring at you again with that deep, intense stare. The stupid stare that felt like she was looking deep into your soul. It made you uncomfortable and if you were honest with yourself, you really didn’t like it even if this woman was one of the most beautiful people you had ever had the pleasure of laying your eyes on. You hoped this would be a onetime thing and that this woman wouldn’t come back again because not only was she unnerving but she was also extremely rude.
As you were arranging wrapping up the flowers, you decided to make this encounter a lot less awkward, “did you know that that wolf’s bane is scientifically known as Aconite, quite different isn’t it?” You didn’t even look up to observe the woman’s facial expression in favour of avoiding the icy stare she held.
“I did not know that, but I suppose you learn new things every day. What is your name, woman?” She asked, her voice almost emotionless but within your line of work you had become pretty good at sensing others’ emotions and could tell that she was amused by your attempt of conversation.
“I am Name.” You replied shortly not all that interested in this woman’s name especially as she has rudely referred to you as woman.
The woman continued to stare at you as if she were expecting the question back, “you know, Name, it is common courtesy to ask someone their name after they so kindly asked for yours first. My name is Alvara if you were wondering, Lady Alvara of the house Fox.”
“My apologies, Lady Fox, I simply forgot to ask you back, I hope you can forgive me.” However, despite your apology you were not sorry, you just wanted to be over with this transaction and say what you knew the woman wanted to hear. “I hope you like your bouquet, wolf's bane is fairly odd choice, but it is a rather beautiful flower. I must advise you to be careful with it though, if you come across any dogs or wolves as it can be extremely poisonous to them, and I really do not wish for any of them to die.”
“I know they are poisonous, but I must admit you have done a good job arranging them they look beautiful, thank you.” Her tone was rather blunt, but you appreciated the compliment none the less.
“Thank you, I am glad you like them!” Although you weren't overly fond of the woman, you didn’t think there was any harm in being nice to her, especially as it looked like Alvara planned on coming back, something you weren't particularly pleased with but maybe she would warm up to you the more you interacted…? Well, you sure hoped you would.
Alvara placed the money on the counter with a smile that seemed less forced, “Expect to see me back, Name.”
And with that she was gone.
❥ ❥ ❥
AFTER THAT DAY Alvara had stayed true to her words coming into your humble shop a couple of times a week, a lot of more often than you were expecting to be honest. Alvara had become a lot more comfortable with you, her stiffness disappearing and icy look her eyes melting to a look of joy and amusement when she came to get flowers. Although your first impressions of the tall women were not very pleasant, you found that you could tolerate and be kind to her and despite Alvara’s cold exterior she warmed up to you fairly quickly often entering your flower shop with a flourish and a genuine smile.
Brushing the hair from your eyes you began to sweep the leaves and flower stems to the side of your shop planning to pick it all up at the end of the day and with a reputation like your own, you had to keep the place looking at least half decent. People expected it of you considering the royal family often bought arrangements from you for their balls and important events, courtesy of Leonidas.
You walked back behind the counter cleaning up your workspace putting the ribbons back where they belonged and tidying up the brown paper you often used to wrap the bouquets up in. It began to creep closer to the end of day when you would finally close your shop and get some much needed rest. You stretched hearing your body crack in ways it probably shouldn’t, but you were broken from your momentary worry when the telltale sound of a bell resounded.
“Hello my dear Florist!” It was Alvara. You should’ve known, the pale almost sickly looking woman liked coming in at times when she knew you were quiet because she was impatient and didn’t like sharing you attention.
“Good evening Lady Fox, what are you here for today?” You replied without the usual pep in your tone trying to not let your fatigue show, you really didn’t want to deal with Alvara’s flirting tonight, actually you just didn’t want to deal with Alvara. Despite the fact that you had kind of gotten used to her, her presence was draining and there was still that lingering feeling of discomfort when you were around her.
Alvara frowned softly noticing the change in her favourite florist’s behaviour, “are you okay, Name? You better not have been working yourself too hard, you silly girl, I told you to take care of yourself.”
“Of course, I am okay, seriously my lady, I am fine. So please, do not worry about me.” You sighed forcing a sweet smile. “Now, what do you want?”
Nothing was said between them for a while with Alvara staring at you intently her frown deepening, she was not pleased by your response she could tell something was up and although she knew she should respect your boundaries she couldn’t find it within herself to care, the tall woman knew that she knew better, she’d been alive longer than her for starters. Alvara felt an intense need to protect you and she wanted to help you with your ailment, no matter how big or small, she didn’t even care if you wanted her help or not because she would find out either way. Alvara didn’t mind using force to get her way, she was a forceful woman after all, you had to be to get into the position she was in without any man by her side and still having all of the respect from the men around her. She was a powerful woman, and she knew it.
“I do not believe you, Name, you better tell me right now, or I will make you.” Her friendly disposition from earlier disappearing to reveal a hard unwavering stubborn expression, you sighed you knew Alvara wasn’t going to budge on her stance.
“Do you really want to know?” You did not want to talk to the noble woman about your true feelings but if it meant she would leave you alone then you supposed you could tell her.
She nodded staring at you with those firm icy eyes, you felt a shiver go down your spine not being able to bear looking into her uncomfortable gaze for another second.
“Please do not be angry with me for I am simply being honest with you." You took a deep breath preparing yourself for the worst, "I am confused by you, you are so hot and cold, one moment I cannot look you in the eyes because it feels as if you are looking straight through me with such a cold stare that I physically feel shivers run down my spine. Then the next moment you are sweet and, dare I say, happy and I am somewhat free to keep eye contact with you. You are so kind with me but with everyone else you treat them as if they are dirt below your shoes!” You exclaimed eyebrows furrowed and your face pinched in an expression of distress and confusion.
“I do not understand why you have decided to treat me any different. You have changed so drastically since that first day we met, you were so cold then, rude even! I just don’t understand the sudden attitude change.” You were quieter now no longer throwing your hands around violently to get your point across. You stared at your hands fiddling with the rings adorning them, you couldn't bare to look Alvara in the face after spilling all of your feelings to her.
Alvara continued to stare at the smaller woman before her running a hand through her long hair, “I see, you are confused by me, correct?”
You looked up with a bashful expression nodding softly, an expression that made Alvara’s heart do somersaults, she knew that if her heart could still beat it would be threatening to jump out of her chest.
“Well let me clear things up for you then, I like you a lot, Name, more than I should and I think you are an incredibly interesting and beautiful person, you have interested me, and my interest is no easy feat. My respect and kindness are not something I give out freely, you have to earn it and random people I come across do not deserve it simply because they have not proven to me that they do. I would also like to apologize for my stare I do not mean to be so cold, it must be a habit, I have to keep my reputation after all and as a woman as powerful as myself being kind doesn’t always help gain you respect from men. I like to scare them into submission.” She giggled explaining the reason for her cold stare, trying to lighten the rather gloomy mood.
You laughed hesitantly, “thank you for clearing that up for me, my lady.”
“I wish you would lighten up Name, I want for us to be friends, maybe even more in the future.” She smirked moving closer towards you , eyes flicking down to your lips.
Your face began to grow hot as your eyes widened, you were not expecting such a confession from Alvara, “Anyway! What kind of flowers do you want? That is the reason you are here, right?”
“Indeed, it is, dear, you can choose whatever you want, something that is easy for you to arrange.” She requested resting her cheek on her hand staring at you with eyes dripping in adoration.
You smiled turning around to the back room shutting the door behind you and pushing your back against the closed door, what the hell had just happened in there? You decided to take a breather closing your eyes for a few seconds before pushing yourself off of the door and towards were you kept your hyacinths, deciding on gathering a bunch of the purple ones, you loved hyacinths they were such beautiful flowers and looked just as pretty by themselves as they did with other flowers.
You had just about fit the bunch of flowers under one arm as you opened the door to the front room taking a deep breath and making your way over to the wrapping paper where you arranged them and tried to ignore Alvara’s piercing gaze blazing holes into your busied form. You hummed lightly trying to distract yourself as you wrapped up the flowers.
“Here you go, Lady Fox, I hope you like them, they are hyacinths in case you did not know.” You smiled softly hoping to shoo the woman out of your shop and get some much needed rest away from everyone.
“I love it Name, especially since you arranged it for me, they are beautiful.” She stated staring straight at you, it almost felt as if Alvara was complimenting you instead of the flowers she held in her arms.
You rounded the front desk until you were standing next to the pale woman, “I am glad, now I need to close up shop, so I will see you next time you come in to get some flowers.” Speaking to Alvara made you realize how short you were compared to the taller woman, your cheeks flushed again, goddamn your stupid brain, even though you found her unnerving you couldn’t look past how attracted to her you were. It was undeniable that Alvara was beautiful it was just a shame that she made you feel so uncomfortable, the kind of uncomfortable where you felt like Alvara was watching your every move. Like a predator stalking prey, it put you on edge.
You smiled at her trying shoo the woman towards the exit but Alvara was having none of simply standing in the doorway before looking down at you, her little florist, “I hope you know that I was completely honest with you earlier, I like you a lot, more than I should. I would also like you to know that I intend for us to become friends, you do not mind that, do you?”
The way Alvara spoke to you sent a shiver down your spine, the tone of voice she used was sickly sweet and even the way she asked to be friends with you felt predatory, it felt wrong and your gut instinct told you to shove her out of your shop and never speak to her again. Your brain screamed, RUN, RUN, RUN. But you couldn’t find it in yourself to do anything but nod and agree, it felt as if something awful would happen if you didn’t just go along with it and if you were honest, the fatigue was really getting to you and you just wanted to be rid of Alvara’s heavy presence.
“Good, I am glad we are on the same page. I will see you soon, Name. Make sure you take care of yourself.” She rested her hand on your cheek in an affectionate way that you had not really experienced before, it was when you started leaning into the touch that you realised how touch starved you must be to be comforted by the touch of someone who did the complete opposite.
You pulled away ushering her towards the outside world, “have a good evening, my lady.”
“You too, Name, call me by name next time, alright?” Alvara looked over shoulder and made her way out of your humble shop not even giving you a chance to reply.
Pushing down the urge to slam to door in relief, you took a deep breath to collect yourself before sweeping things up quickly and half arseing your usual cleaning routine.
By the time you got home you were practically dragging yourself to bed resisting the tantalizing temptation of sleeping on the floor, eventually you made your way to bed where you fell in a heap.
Finally, peace.
❥ ❥ ❥
ALTHOUGH YOU HAD to wake up early pretty much every morning, you would never get used to the blinding sun from your windows waking you up; it was something that you truly hated, often times wishing you could stay in bed but alas your shop couldn’t open itself. Pulling yourself from bed you began to get ready for the day, you slid on her dress and stretched yawning as you did so feeling the bones in her back crack as it always did, you mulled over the strange sounds your back made until there was a loud rap at the door of your cottage. You rushed over and opened your door with a sweet smile that you usually only pulled out at work.
“Hello Ma'am, I have an important announcement from the Royal Family regarding the Spring Equinox, would you like me to read it out to you?” He asked politely standing stiffly, he seemed slightly awkward as if it was his first time bringing letters to people especially ones from the Royal Family.
“No, it is quite alright, I can read it myself, thank you though!” You smiled softly bringing your hand out to retrieve the letter, he handed it to you with a smile clearly comforted by your simple kindness.
Closing your door you opened the letter carefully sliding out the fancy parchment paper reading the beautiful cursive writing:
To Name Lastname,
The Royal Family requests that you make the flower arrangements for the upcoming ball…
You skimmed over the rest of the letter, reading the requirements of what you were expected to prepare, thinking of the number of flowers you would need to order if you were to do this on time, placing the letter in your leather satchel you made quick work of your journey to your shop.
After opening up shop you busied yourself with orders and customers, wrapping up bouquets and arrangements until the door slammed open rather aggressively and there stood Leonidas in all his glory. He grinned at you with his signature smile looking as jovial as ever taking long strides towards where you were currently putting out pre-arranged flowers.
“Good morning my dear Name!” He greeted, you always wondered how he was always such a pleasant person with a personality like sunshine incarnate and whilst you knew him as being an extremely bubbly and excitable man others knew him as the picture perfect prince of the Iridesiah. He was loved by everyone, nobles and working class people alike, he treated everyone with the same level of respect and that in return earned them his respect.
“Good morning to you too Leonidas, anything you were looking for in particular?” You asked politely continuing with putting out the pre-arranged bouquets.
“Oh, nothing much really,” he replied nonchalantly, “do you want some help with that?” Although he’d asked Leonidas had already started picking up the arrangements casually walking over to the right places.
You sighed shaking your head, “you really should not be helping, you are a prince you should not be doing work like this.”
The dark haired prince laughed looking back at you, “this is not even hard labour, it is literally nothing and besides it is not like you are forcing me to do anything, I enjoy helping you out.” The bright coloured bouquets were put onto display carefully as to not mess up the arrangement, you were quite the perfectionist after all.
Leonidas stared at you for a moment as you were focused on making everything perfect, he knew how hard you had worked to keep the reputation of the shop as high as it was and by just looking at your concentrated face, he remembered what he came to tell you.
“Name, I remembered what I wanted to tell you.” He blurted out, cursing himself for it he was a prince for Christ’s sake he should be used to talking by now.
Looking over at him with a relaxed expression, you smiled as if asking him to continue what he was going to say, it was a soft smile that seemed so genuine and free quite unlike the fake smiles he was surrounded with on a day to day basis. It was a nice change, a welcomed change.
“Ah yes well, you probably received the letter this morning if I am correct, but I wanted to personally invite you to the Equinox Ball. I just feel that since you are making the arrangements you should come and you are my friend after all, so I would very much appreciate it if you were there.” He rambled, words just kept tumbling from his tongue and he wasn’t quite sure why, maybe he was nervous? That’s what he assumed it was, but he found it rather strange that a human was making him feel this way, but he brushed it off simply choosing to smile bashfully at you instead.
Your mouth fell open into a soft ‘o’ shape, you would’ve dropped the flowers if it weren’t for Leonidas who caught them quickly before they hit the ground, you took a second to compose yourself blinking blankly for a few seconds.
“Oh dear! I am ever so sorry about this!” You exclaimed, a flustered look on your face avoiding eye contact with the prince in front you, “I was just very shocked that you invited me, I did not realize commoners were allowed to attend.”
He chuckled at your flustered countenance, “well there is an exception for you.”
“Me?” He laughed at your response and the incredulous expression that indicated how very confused by his actions you were, which greatly amused the young prince.
“Yes, you, and before you start worrying about what you are going to wear and such, I have already arranged it for you, I want you to enjoy yourself whilst you are there and not worry what you look like.” He reassured sending you that famous smile that brought men and women alike to their knees.
“You may even find a partner.” He teased subtly his smile changing to a stupid goofy grin, one that never failed to make you laugh. You tilted your head at him trying to scold him quietly with an unimpressed expression but failed miserably after falling into a fit of giggles.
Still laughing you grinned at him with an equally goofy smile, “you know I’m not interested in finding a partner just yet, my shop is my priority.”
His smile grew softer, he knew that your answer to the question of finding a partner has always been that your shop was your priority but at least he knew you would be attending the ball. Leonidas was just glad you had agreed and whilst you may not believe it, he treasured your friendship greatly.
“It seems my time is up Name, if I do not go back soon, they will send a search party out for me and I am not sure if I want to deal with that today. I also wanted to mention that when you bring the flowers to the place on the morning of the Equinox, I will meet you at the front and personally take you to the room you will be staying in. So, make sure to pack a bag of things you think you will need, is that okay?” He asked, he knew you would panic if he didn’t tell you what was going to happen, you liked being able to plan.
You nodded excitedly a huge grin stuck to your pretty face, “thank you so much! I cannot wait!”
With that he gave a parting smile and made his way out of your shop with a ding.
❥ ❥ ❥
IT WAS FINALLY the day; the day of the Spring Equinox Ball and you weren't quite sure if you were terrified or excited perhaps it was a bit of both. You had packaged up all of the arrangements the day before ready to be loaded onto a cart you’d borrowed from your kind neighbour; you liked to be prepared in situations like this so you'd already sent some of the larger pieces off since they were a bit trickier to transport.
As you readied to leave you picked up your trust leather satchel filled with everything you might possibly need. You began to think of what kind of dress Leonidas had decided on and yet you weren't worried, you knew you would love it especially because he’d picked it out. He had pretty good style he was a prince after all, so she trusted him on that front especially considering the fact she knew that he often helped his sister pick dresses for ball's quite like this. You had learned a lot about him that day, you smiled thinking back on it seeing how far your friendship had come since the day you first met when you hid him in your shop away from prying eyes.
It didn’t take long for you to reach your shop where your neighbour was already waiting outside sitting atop his cart accompanied by his two horses, “Good morning, young lady!”
“Good morning Henry! Thank you for agreeing to help me transport this all to the palace, I know it is quite a big job, so I apologize in advance.” You said bashfully turning towards the shop where you unlocked the multiple locks on the door.
“It is no problem at all! In fact, I would say it is an honour, it is not every day a man gets to say he went to the royal palace!” He exclaimed ruffling his hair as if it were nervous reaction before putting his cap back on.
You smiled in response as he jumped off the cart seat and walked towards you as you both began loading the boxes carefully onto the back of the cart until there was nothing left, securing the cart safely as you did so. Before you departed you made sure to add a quick sign to the window stating that the shop would not be open for the next two days, you hopped back onto the cart and went on your merry way through town chatting pleasantly with Henry.
It was safe to say that the palace was a particularly splendid sight one that never failed to amaze you no matter how many times you saw it, you especially liked the woods that surrounded it, to you, it only added to its mystical charm.
Once you had arrived the footmen began unloading the boxes, “please be careful with them, they are rather fragile!” You warned.
They simply smiled at you, “we know, my lady.”
You felt yourself stiffen in embarrassment, you weren't used to being referred as ‘my lady’, you could hear Leonidas laughing at. He walked down the stairs with the air of elegance and regality, “thank you, Henry for helping Name get here, it is greatly appreciated.”
Henry blushed a bright red and avoided the gaze of the prince, “why thank you, your highness! I- I will be on my way!” He spluttered, still reeling from shock at the fact that the Prince of Iridesiah knew his name.
Leonidas turned his gaze back to you, throwing a teasing smile your way, “you are early, my lady.”
You glared at your friend trying to mask the fact that you were embarrassed and yet failing miserably, “a lady must always be prepared.” You countered with a sarcastic smile.
He laughed jovially at your quick quip, “come on now I am sure you are wondering where your room is and what you will be wearing, I can assure you that you will be the bell of the ball. My younger sister even helped me pick out your dress, I believe she has come by your shop a few times in disguise, she’s dramatic like that.”
“She has come to my shop before??” You asked in disbelief, how had you not recognized her, one of the most beautiful and intelligent women in all of Iridesiah.
“How on earth did I not notice?”
Leonidas turned to you with an amused smile, “did you forget, my sister is as smart as she is beautiful.”
And with that the Prince turned on his heel beckoning you to follow him up the grand marble staircase of the palace, you’d never actually been this far inside of the palace, and you found yourself awestruck at the beauty and artistry of its architecture. The paintings depicting scenes from famous battles and monumental moments in history, it was stunning, and knowing you had the luxury to be in the vicinity of artwork that would surely be known throughout history was truly a delight. It shocked you how stunning the artwork was on the ceiling, on the ceiling of all places! You supposed it was to showcase their riches being able to put something in such a place as the ceiling, a strange thing to do you thought. The candelabras holding the soft yellowy light only helped add to the mystical, expensive atmosphere, you didn't think you would ever get used to being in such an expensive place.
“Are you coming, Name? we don’t have all day.” You were broken form your stupor by the unmistaken teasing voice of Leonidas.
“Ah, terribly sorry!” You apologized picking up your skirt and running up the stairs to catch up to your friend.
The two of you walked side by side down the hallways with the soft light of the candelabras to guide the way until you finally made it to your destination.
Leonidas opened the door and gestured for you to walk in, “so this is room where you will be staying the night and this lovely lady right here is Tiana, she will be helping with your hair and makeup to get ready for the ball. One of the footmen who you have met before, his name is Tom if I remember correctly, will be escorting you and showing you the way to the ball. I look forward to seeing you in that dress, try to enjoy yourself tonight.”
“Thank you, Leo, I really appreciate you doing this for me.” You thanked sending him a sincere smile.
With his hand on the door, he turned to look at your smaller form, “you need not thank me, it is what friends are for, is it not?” You did not even get the chance to reply for he had already left the room and disappeared into the confusing corridors.
With a huff you turned to Tiana with a smile, “I suppose we should get to know each other, I am Name, but you probably already knew that.” You ended with a light frown realizing your mistake in introducing yourself.
Tiana chuckled lightly, “yes, I did already know that my lady, but it is nice for you to introduce yourself regardless. Anyway, it is probably smart if we start getting you ready, I have prepared you a bath. Do you need any assistance?”
“No thank you, it is quite alright, I will be quick!” You smiled before being ushered into the bathroom where you closed the door and began to strip off your garments and dipped into the warm water of the bath letting out a sigh as you felt your tense muscles relax. Although the feeling of the warm water cascading down your back and hair was soothing, you knew you couldn’t enjoy it for any longer than necessary; you had to get ready after all and lord knows how long that would take.
You wrapped yourself in a fluffy towel and started to rummage around in your bag to find your undergarments before making your way out of the large bathroom and into the main room to find Tiana setting up hair products and makeup on the vanity.
The small woman’s head popped up as she heard the door open with a smile, “perfect, you came out just in time! Take a seat, let us get started on your hair, is there anything you want in particular?”
“No, do whatever you want, I am sure it will look amazing.” A huge smile grew on Tiana’s face as she clapped her hands excitedly and went to find the products, she needed to make this transformation possible. She began by adding many different products to her hair that you had never even head of and styled and dried your hair into a style she thought appropriate.
Tiana smiled as she looked at her handywork before starting on your makeup, she gathered her brushes as she brushed some kind of skin coloured liquid underneath your eyes and atop other imperfections you may or may not have had, blending it in until it looked like flawless skin. She picked up various other tools ranging in sizes colours and shape and began to paint with you as her blank canvas. Tiana added the finished touches and took a step back to admire her hard work.
“You look absolutely stunning my lady, you actually look like a fairy with this ethereal look you have going on.” She praised holding her cheeks as she stared at her handywork.
You stared at the person staring back at you in the mirror, gingerly touching your face noticing your skin glowing and eyelashes longer and darker, your eyebrows more tamed and shaped, and the glossy colour on your lips.
“Thank you so much Tiana! I look like a new woman, a beautiful one at that!” You exclaimed, smiling brightly at the blushing maid.
“Oh, I haven’t done much my lady, I just enhanced the beauty that was already there.” She stated smiling back, staring into the captivating eyes of the woman before her, Tiana quickly turned on her feet to open the closet door across the room. “Ah let us not dilly dally any longer and get you into this beautiful dress, I am sure you are just itching to see it!”
The closet doors swung open to reveal a gorgeous flowy peach coloured dress, Tiana gathered the fabric in her arms as she made her way over the vanity where you stood, “shall we get you into this dress then? I must admit I cannot wait to see you in it.”
You looked away in embarrassment at such an honest compliment and allowed her to help you put on the garment. When you were all fitted into the dress you looked into the mirror in awe as you saw how the fabric draped and fell perfectly over your body, it was elegant and beautiful something fit for a princess or at least someone with too much money to spare. It fit like a glove, and you weren't sure if you’d ever felt so beautiful in your entire life. You looked like an ethereal being with the way the tulle like fabric fell from the bodice and sleeves of her arms to meet at her wrists. Her hands smoothed over the bodice enjoying the feeling of the fabric beneath her fingertips and the texture of the flower embroidery spanning the bodice.
The two of you stood in awe until Tiana broke the silence, “oh my goodness me! You look absolutely stunning; dare I say like a goddess! You are surely going to steal the show tonight, my lady, there is no doubt you will be the bell of the ball. The royal siblings did a great job in picking out this dress.”
There was a pause before Tiana realised that she had been rambling as a blush rose to her cheeks, “a-anyway! We have to add the finishing touches before Tom gets here, you cannot be late!”
She hurried around the room picking up miscellaneous items and presenting them to you and asking you whether you liked them or not until you ended up deciding on a simple pearl choker necklace with matching earrings and some simple heeled shoes.
There was a knock at the door to reveal the tall footman, Tom, “good evening my lady, my name is Tom, and I am to be escorting you to the ball.”
Just as you were about to leave Tiana shouted at you to stop as she ran over to you with a beautiful flower crown with soft coloured carnations and hydrangeas to match the dress and a ribbon keeping it all attached.
“This will look beautiful on you my lady, may I put it on for you?” She asked with a sheepish smile.
“Of course, Tiana, I just wanted to say thank you for making me look so beautiful I really appreciate it.” You thanked with grateful smile to which the smaller woman placed the crown atop your head, careful not mess up her previous handy work before standing back with a pleased smile.
“Perfect! Listen to the Prince's words, try to enjoy yourself.” You thanked Tiana again as you turned away to follow her escort.
He offered his arm and off they went down the corridor towards the music and loud chatter, you just hoped you were prepared enough for the onslaught of rich nobles and royal families.
❥ ❥ ❥
YOU HAD NEVER been this nervous in your life, you felt like a baby deer on ice trying not to lose your footing not to mention the fact that you weren't used to walking in shoes like the ones you had been given. Your fists clenched into the fabric of Tom’s jacket in a way of grounding yourself; you’d never been to any ball as extravagant as this one, it was expensive, it was fancy, and it was full of important people. Important people that could ruin your life if you even so much as spoke to them wrong. You had no idea how you were supposed to act, you'd never had any sort of etiquette lessons, and you’d never needed them either! All you had going for you was that you might look the part and that hopefully you could just get away with just standing in a corner by yourself, preferably a corner where the food was, without having to interact with anyone whom you might offend.
“My Lady, are you feeling alright? You look quite nervous, is there anything I can do to help?” Came the comforting voice of the man accompanying you.
“Ah, thank you for asking but I am just nervous, I worry about offending people and not being fancy enough for everyone around here, they all have so much money and I am just a florist. I do not know how I am supposed to act, and it just makes me a bit nervous is all, I am not even quite sure why I agreed to come here anyway, it is not really my kind of thing. But I am here, and I might as well get on with it.” She rambled clenching and unclenching her fist in Tom’s jacket, gesturing wildly with her free arm ending with a sigh.
He stopped in front of the massive door leading to the ballroom and turned you to face him, “I understand you are nervous, my lady but, you must not worry so much, not all of the nobles and the rich who are attending this ball are crazy and obsessed with etiquette, some of them are rather humble people. You should just be yourself; you are a beautiful woman with an excellent personality to match, they will like you I can assure you of that, just flash them that smile of yours and you should be fine.”
You looked up at him with a big smile, his impromptu speech had comforted you immensely, you threw your arms around him and hugged him, “thank you so much Tom! You are ever so kind, thank you again for making me feel better I really do appreciate it, hopefully after tonight I will see you some time soon. You could come to my flower shop, bouquets and plants would be on the house.”
He laughed at your sudden change of energy, “I will take you up on your offer, my lady, now let us get going as I am sure you do not want to be late.”
With that the massive mahogany doors were pushed open to reveal the ballroom packed with people wither dancing or chattering away. Name was blown away everyone looked amazing, the women wearing dresses of beautiful bright colours and that fit them in a way that showed of all of their assets; the men looking smart and sophisticated in their suits and formal wear. Everyone was dressed differently, and they all looked absolutely stunning, Name couldn’t help but feel slightly self-conscious but reminded herself, fake it till you make it.
Tom’s breath was warm on your ear as he whispered his parting words, “this is where we part ways, my lady, I will around if you need me. Enjoy yourself.”
It wasn’t long before you were alone again, trying not to look too out of place as you stood rather awkwardly in the corner of the room, so much for being sociable. You leaned against the wall and observed everyone around her, they were all clearly having fun and wore expensive clothes but what did you expect they were all nobles. You shook your head, you needed to stop being so judgmental, besides you were also wearing expensive clothes, you might even be able to fit in considering the garment you were wearing. However, there was one thing you noticed, nobody was really wearing any light pale colours like yourself, the room was filled with brightly coloured fabrics and fabrics so dark they rivalled even the darkest of nights. Nothing like anything you were wearing, you cursed Leonidas for making you stand out, you supposed it must be so he could easily spot you.
At that point you were in a world of her own and although you were looking at your surroundings, you weren't at all focused on it until you were broken from your panicked thoughts by a honeyed voice you knew all too well, Alvara.
“What a surprise seeing you here my dear, I did not realise they invited people who are not of noble stature.” You did not mean to stare but in that moment Alvara radiated power and beauty in fact she was the epitome of it, and you were completely and utterly mesmerised. Her dress was jet black and contrasted against her pale almost white looking skin, the dress was floor length and fit her body like a glove, the deep V of the dress was bold maybe even scandalous, but she was Alvara Fox, and she could do whatever she wanted. Decorating her neck was an intricate gold choker with smaller chains attached to it falling from her neck and across her shoulder and collarbone to attach to the gold shoulder pads giving her a more structed look. She looked powerful, strong, confident and although you hated to admit it, you found her extremely attractive in that moment.
“What is with all of this staring my love? Do you like what you see?” She teased hoping to see that face you always made when you got flustered.
“I- uh, I deeply apologise my lady! I did not mean to star you just look... really nice tonight.” You hoped you did not sound as bashful as you felt and avoided eye contact with the stunning woman stood before you.
Alvara let out a loud laugh, a brilliant smile gracing her perfect face, “you are simply adorable! I am glad you think I look nice; I happen to think you look ravishing.”
You felt your face grow hot as you tried not to let your flustered expression show, “uh, I think I just heard somebody say my name, I will- I will speak to you later.”
You quickly turned on your heel and sped away trying to avoid any more conversations with your beautiful but pesky customer, all you wanted to do was eat and be ignored the entire time, but Alvara had different plans as she gripped your wrist in a tight grip pulling you back, so you fell into her cold embrace.
“Whoever is calling your name can wait. I am much more important than they are besides, I thought I told you to refer to me as Alvara, especially if we are to be lovers one day.” At this declaration your mouth fell open into an ‘o’ shape not expecting such a bold statement even if you probably should have seen it coming considering the last conversation you had with the infamous Alvara Fox.
“Lovers? “You spluttered, “but I have never agreed to such a thing-!”
A slender finger was placed upon your lips silencing her, “you do not have to agree to anything, my love, we will be lovers one day. Mark my words. Why should we wait, I am a rather impatient woman and you of all people should know, be mine?”
You looked up at the taller woman and saw the twisted adoration in her eyes, those beautiful soulless eyes holding only an iciness that sent shivers down your spine, everything was telling you to say no, to reject this woman. Despite the love, or some sick version of it, that her eyes displayed you knew something was not right, something was very inhuman about Alvara and quite frankly, it scared you. You had come to the conclusion that realised that although you found her attractive you knew a relationship with her would never work because you would always feel like the prey and her the predator.
Name diverted her eyes hating the eye contact she had just been subjected to before taking a deep breath and pushing herself out of the strangely cold woman’s embrace, “I am terribly sorry My Lady, but I cannot except your offer. I am not looking for any sort of relationship in that sense, I want to focus on my shop and my career, hopefully you will understand.” As she turned away from Alvara she grabbed her wrist once again eyes swirling with determination and annoyance holding an expression which struck fear into Name’s heart.
“I thought I told you to call me Alvara.”
“I apologise, but no I will not. You are my customer, and we will have a professional relationship, now if you don’t mind, I’m going to eat some cake.” You smiled politely shaking your wrist out of Alvara’s firm grasp and walking away confidently feeling very proud for finally standing up for yourself.
Holding a fancy plate of cake and a fork in your other hand, you escaped to the massive windows overlooking a beautiful landscape that you knew was there but couldn’t see because of the darkness that had prevailed. Yet despite not being able to see much you continued to stare out the window eating your cake imagining what could be there completely lost in thought, you placed the now empty plate on a nearby table and went back to your previous station situated at the windows. You were playing with the sleeve of your dress staring out into the dark abyss when a horrible feeling washed over you, like something absolutely awful was going to happen, you suddenly regretted eating all that cake as found yourself unable to pull yourself away from the window until you saw something, something awfully similar to a pair of red eyes…
And, in that moment, all chaos broke loose.
A piercing scream escaped your throat as the massive windows shattered by the brute force of something crashing through it, the glass left cuts all over your exposed skin as you lay in a heap.
People were screaming, shouting, doing anything they could to get out of the room safely. You lay there in a daze as you wondered if those really were red eyes you saw until you felt a crushing weight atop of you, your eyes lazily blinked open to see a man… or what you thought was a man grinning down at her with a sleazy look on his face.
“You smell reaaaal nice, I could just eat you up!” You stared at him in horror as he laughed like he’d made a hilarious joke, and it was in that moment that you realised his eyes were red and not a figment of her imagination.
“What- what are you?”
“Your worst nightmare, sweetheart.” He continued to laugh as you began to struggle in his unmoving grip, panic tightening like a noose around your throat, “no use in struggling, you are going to die anyway, angelface.” He continued to laugh maniacally as he leaned down to nose around your neck as if he were looking for something.
Tears began to fill your eyes as you continued to fruitlessly struggle until there was a blinding pain in your neck, you screamed once again this time filled with pure agonising pain. It felt like he was tearing at your neck and draining all the blood and energy from your body. You writhed in pain it was the kind of pain that was searing hot and although it was in one spot, you could feel it in your entire body, it was unbearable. You screamed as much as your voice would allow, fighting back as much as you could, trying to rid the burning sensation, scratching and clawing at anything you could. You could feel yourself growing weak, and you knew you didn’t have much time left. But if one thing was for sure, it was that you were not a quitter, and you weren't going to go down without a fight.
Just when you thought your time had come the crushing weight of the man on top of you was lifted off. You cracked open your eyes to see Alvara, she looked positively feral snarling at the man.
Everything was fuzzy and you couldn’t comprehend what was happening with everything sounding like it was underwater, the pain in your neck had become a dull ache at this point. You were trying so hard to keep your eyes open, but everything hurt, everything was just too much.
“Name!” a familiar voice shouted, “Name do not dare close your eyes, okay? Eyes on me.” He sounded desperate and you opened your eyes again to see Leonidas to which you smiled to the best of your abilities, but it probably looked more like a grimace.
You moved a shaky hand to touch the wound at your neck but was stopped by your friend, “don’t touch it, you’ll make it worse.” You knew he said something afterwards, but you couldn’t hear it. Your eyes began to close as the cold grasping at your mind whispered for you to welcome the darkness as you heard distant shouts for you to open your eyes.
Leonidas swore as he saw the damage done to you, blood was everywhere, it still wet all over your neck and shoulders. It took all of his strength to not to lap up the blood on your neck, but he has self-control unlike those other vampires who didn’t even deserve the title of vampire. He breathed in heavily trying to keep his composure as he gathered your limp body in his strong arms not even bothering to check on anyone else as he ran out of the room taking you to safety, he just hoped he had gotten there in time.
Meanwhile, Alvara was torturing the man who had dared lay a finger on her future wife, she was straddling the man punching at his face again and again blood painting her fist a beautiful shade of red, leaving the man a bloody mess and yet he continued to laugh.
“You sure are a feral one.” He continued to laugh coughing up blood as he did so.
“If you think this is feral you haven’t seen anything yet, you may think I am going to kill you but no, I will keep you alive and bring to you to the cusp of death just to do it all over again." she laughed humorously not breaking eye contact with the man below her.
"I am going to remove your teeth one by one, cut every inch of body. I'm going to burn your fucking flesh off I might even cut your tongue off. And that is not even beginning to scrape the surface of what I am going to do you.” She snarled; her eyes wild showing the true meaning of feral. He stared at her his laughter stopping as he truly understood what kind of situation he was in, he messed with the wrong vampire, and he would pay for it with his life.
❥ ❥ ❥
PAIN. BLINDING PAIN. Why did everything hurt so much, why was everything so overwhelming? Opening your eyes hurt, everything was so bright, it was as if your eyesight had miraculously improved to a scary degree. There was a strong flowery scent wafting through the air, it made you cough and your eyes water, why was it so strong and why was it affecting you so much? Something was very, very wrong and you could hardly remember what had happened the previous night not to mention the fact that you were in a bed that you had never seen before.
What the hell happened last night?
With all these questions and the fogginess in your brain, you pushed your weak body up into a sitting position instantly feeling a pain in your shoulder and neck. You hadn’t realised how weak you felt until your hand was shakily reaching for the junction between your shoulder and neck, there was a thick gauzy bandage over the area and just ghosting your fingers over it hurt like hell.
“Name?”
Your head shot up at the sound of your name, it was Leonidas, you instantly relaxed and a soft smile found its way to your face.
The prince rushed towards you checking over your entire body in a frantic frenzy, “you should not be sitting up, Name, you lost a lot of blood last night.” He pushed you back gently, so she rested against the mass of pillows behind her, a soft frown marring his usual smiley exterior.
“Yes… what happened last night Leon? I can hardly remember a thing; my brain is just so foggy.” You rubbed at your head hoping it would help you remember something, anything, but all it did was trigger a shock of pain through your shoulder.
He looked sad, terribly, terribly sad.
“I am not sure if you are ready to hear it.” He said solemnly.
“I want to know, Leon, please just tell me. I will only worry more if I have no idea what happened to me.”
He avoided eye contact looking at everything in the room but you as if he was mentally preparing himself for what he was about to explain, it made you worry even more seeing your usually composed friend look so anxious making your mind wander to the worst possible case scenario.
Leonidas took a deep breath and finally looked at you, “Okay, what I am about to tell you is going to sound absolutely insane, but you have to hear me out, do you understand?” You looked at him intently and nodded.
“Well starting off with what happened last night, you were attacked which I am sure is quite obvious, but you were attacked by a group of individuals who…” he paused for a moment as if trying to think of what to say next, “disagree with the crown and my family. Which I suppose does not explain much but I promise I will get there.”
He adjusted himself and sat closer to you and it was in that moment that you knew he was going to get to the crazy part of the situation in which he feared the kind of reaction you might have.
“I am sure you have heard of vampires before and how they are nothing but stories to keep children from going out late at night. But to put it bluntly, vampires are not just a myth or a story, they are real beings that live among us in society.”
“Are you serious? You have got to be joking, how would I not know about this if it is even true that is, I mean surely you are just messing with me, right… right?” Your words coming out of your mouth in a rapid pace, voice trembling as you looked at your friend with wide eyes full of even more questions at this massive revelation that you didn’t even entirely believe.
Leonidas took a deep breath looking at you with pity for he knew this was hard to believe,
“Sadly, I am not joking, I wish I was but, Vampires have been around for a very long time well before you and me. They helped create the system we live in today and to keep the humans who live in and around the towns safe from other creatures that wish them harm. The Royal family are the oldest vampire family in all of Iridesiah and we were tasked with taking care of our fellow vampire and human counterparts thousands and thousands of years ago. What I am saying is that I am a vampire, my entire family are, as well as pretty much the entire court. Which I know must sound crazy and a lot to take in and I sincerely apologize that this has happened to you Name, all I wanted was for you to live your life in peace without knowing.”
You gaped at your friend processing all of the information you had just been given, it was almost too much for your scrambled brain, “so you are a vampire? What- what about the people that attacked me, are they humans, vampires or whatever else they possibly could be?”
“Yes, I am a vampire and the man from that group who attacked you was also a vampire, we call his specific type a rogue as they don’t believe in protecting humans and think that the monarchy should be abolished so they can take over in our place.” He explained.
“I was bitten by that- that rogue...? Does that- does that mean I am going to become a vampire?” Tears welled up in your eyes threatening to fall down your face, what did this mean for you and your flower shop?
Leonidas put his hand atop your own and directed a soft look your way, “you were bitten by the rogue, yes, but we are not sure whether you will turn yet or not, your case is different to anything we have ever seen before and even our best doctors are not quite sure what is happening. I know must be horrible to hear but you are in good hands I can assure you and I will be here every step of the way; I promise.”
At his words the dam holding your tears back finally broke as your body shook with soul wrenching sobs, to which Leonidas immediately got up from his position beside your bed and pulled you into his embrace letting you cry it out.
❥ ❥ ❥
THEY STILL DIDN’T know what actually happened to you, just that you weren’t a vampire, but that you weren’t a human either. They ended up deciding that you were a hybrid of vampire and human where whilst you did need blood to survive, you didn’t have to rely on it and could eat normal food and gain nutrients from it unlike actual vampires.
Lost in your own thoughts arranging flowers and unpacking supplies you hadn’t even noticed a new presence in the shop.
“Hello there, darling Name.”
You nearly jumped out of your skin at the sensual voice you knew all too well, “Alvara! Oh, my goodness, you scared the life out of me.” You placed your hand on your chest hoping to calm your racing heart, you huffed trying to fix your frazzled composure.
“So, what exactly brings you here? Flowers or just companionship?” You teased, hand on hip as you sent a smile Alvara’s way.
She looked a bit thrown by the teasing of your usually flustered self, but she quickly caught her composure and smirked back, “since when did you get so flirtatious, my darling? I like it.” The sensual tone and intense gaze made you immediately melt, you turned away quickly pressing your cool hands against your face hoping to cool it down.
Alvara let out a melodious giggle at her darling’s reaction, “but to answer your previous question, I am here for a bit of both, I require some colourful flowers, I trust you to pick out something nice. Besides I have missed our little conversations and more importantly, I have missed you.”
“Oh, that is rather sweet of you to say, uh yes…” You lost your train of thought as you got lost in Alvara’s icy blue eyes and although they unnerved you to an alarming extent, you couldn’t deny how beautiful they were or how there was such an intense pull to her like a moth to a flame.
You snapped back into your thoughts with a shake of your head “anyway! I suppose I should get those flowers for you then.”
Although you tried not to act awkward and flustered Alvara just seemed bring it out of you whenever she opened her pretty pink lips. Why did this woman have such a hold over you, but why did she also scare you? You wondered what it was about Alvara that made you feel this way. You took a deep breath and tried to focus on choosing the perfect set of flowers humming as you walked about the back of the store picking and choosing things as you did, creating an image of how you were going to arrange them in your head.
You came back into the front room trying to avoid eye contact with Alvara for the time being, giving yourself a mental pep talk as you arranged and tied them all up. You huffed proudly looking at your handywork before picking it up and finally looking up to see the amused smirk of Alvara.
“I hope it’s colourful enough for you, I added all of my favourites, so I do hope you like it.” You rambled out with a bashful smile painted across your face.
Alvara leaned forward, so that her hands were pressed up upon the bench that separated them not breaking eye contact for a second. “You really are the cutest little thing I have ever had the pleasure of setting eyes on, my dear Name.” You stood there stiffly, not being able to break your gaze from that intense stare of the vampire in front of you, trying to stutter out a curt and hopefully not awkward thank you.
Alvara finally broke the eye contact with an amused shake of her head, stepping away from the counter and finally allowing you to breathe again.
“I have a proposal; one I have made before but that is beside the point. I do hope that you agree to it, for your sake and mine.” The underlying threat sent a shiver down your spine the kind of shiver that reminded you of the time you first met, goosebumps rose upon your skin as Alvara made slow purposeful steps towards you. “I am sure that you have noticed my fondness for you, my darling, I believe I have made it quite obvious and although I do realize that you have rejected me before I am not the kind of woman who takes no for an answer especially when it concerns something that I want. So, I would like to propose the idea of you being mine. Which I know is quite blunt, but you see, I have been alone for a very long time, most of my existence in fact and whilst I have chosen the life of solitude I long for a partner whom I can spend the rest of my life with.”
You wanted to move, to get away, but your limbs would not comply, it was as if Alvara’s icy cold stare had you frozen, the anticipation of the woman approaching you had the hair on the back of your neck rising. It wasn’t long before you were face to face, closer than you would’ve liked. Alvara smiled as she laid her cold hand atop your face stroking it in such a loving way it startled you.
“I know that you are aware of my power within the kingdom and that I am a ruthless woman but do not let that scare you, my darling, because I can assure you that I would be the most generous lover, a lover who would protect and treasure you, treat you exactly how deserve to be treated. So, I ask you again, be mine?” Her voice held such a sense of power and conviction that it made you want to agree, but you were hesitant, something was telling you that something was not quite right here, as it always had. There was a danger, a warning, in her words. It was possessive and quite frankly terrifying, a feeling that you often felt around the ice-cold woman, nothing of a warmth and security that you associated with love.
The fear snapped you out of your frozen stupor as you pulled Alvara’s hand off of your cheek and took a step back, creating a much-needed distance between them. “I am terribly sorry, Alvara, but I just cannot accept your invitation. You are a lovely woman, and anyone would be lucky to have you as a partner, but I am not your person, I am not your future lover. I have told you before that I am not interested and, sadly, that has not changed. I am simply just not interested in any kind of relationship; my flower shop means too much to me and I would much rather focus on that. I hope you understand, but I think you need to leave now.”
A dark shadow fell across the woman’s face, your blood went cold as you saw the change of expression and suddenly you felt that you were in great danger.
“You really are a funny one, Name, you really think that you can say no to me, I told you I do not take no for an answer. You will accept me because if I can’t have you no one can.” Her voice was level and calm, but it did not hide the cold anger it held as she closed the distance between you. “That little speech of yours will not deter me, my love, I always get what I want.” Alvara tugged you closer to her as a strong arm curled around your waist and a hand gripping the back of your neck as she pulled her darling into an aggressive yet passionate kiss. You tried in vain to pull away from the bruising kiss, but Alvara would not budge instead deepening the kiss much to your dismay biting the lips of your aggressor in hopes of pulling the leech off of you.
Alvara pulled away, blood smeared on her bottom lip as she laughed cruelly, “you really are full of surprises, oh god I love it when you squirm in my arms.” She giggled intensely as she licked away the blood on her lips keeping that dreaded eye contact with the object of her twisted affections.
“Get out of my fucking shop.” You heaved, huffing with unrestrained anger.
She put her hands up in mock surrender, “now, now, darling, I think you should take a deep breath.”
“Shut up, just shut up.”
“Mm, I like this feisty side of you, Name.” She purred, starting to take a step closer to but you decided enough was enough and armed yourself with a sturdy wooden bat.
“I will not say it again, get out of my fucking shop.” Your voice was hard and red hot with anger.
Alvara hung her head and chuckled quietly, “I will leave but only because you asked me so nicely.”
You did not reply instead choosing to stare the vampire down, not putting your weapon down until Alvara had left and that you were sure you were safe. The wooden bat fell to the ground with loud clutter as the dams broke and loud sobs fell from your lips, you covered your mouth and cried and cried. Emotions of anger, fear and disgust clouding your mind. You found yourself curled on the floor hugging your body close in a way to comfort your broken psyche, you really should’ve listened to yourself when you thought that Alvara was bad news, but it was too late now.
❥ ❥ ❥
THAT DAY WAS only the start of your personal hell. After what felt like years of torment from a particularly icy woman you had decided to move away from Iridesiah and although Leonidas had told you he could protect you, you both knew that Alvara was a powerful woman, she had said so herself, and that she would not go down so easily.
You had taken to moving around every 10 years or so which in grand scheme of how long a vampire lives for, is a very short of time. All you wanted was a simple peaceful life where you could have a flower shop quite like the one, you had before all of this madness, and so the cycle of running and hiding began.
It was starting to become tiring this whole running thing, you had no place to call home, no constant in your life because of that god forsaken woman. Yet despite this you always managed to get away, again and again, you slipped through the cracks. Although you were constantly being hunted, long ago you had decided that you wouldn’t let that stop you from doing what you wanted and going where you wanted. You were your own person, and you wouldn’t let Alvara dictate her life, not now and hopefully not ever.
Looking out the window, you observed the miles and miles of lush green that surrounded your temporary abode, it was most certainly your favourite place you’d ever lived, surrounded by nature and flowers was where you belonged. Sure, you missed the company of others, but you couldn’t have any sort of partner, platonic or not, for you did not want to subject them to this life, a life where their every waking moment could be their last. You’d learnt that the hard way, when Alvara said if she couldn’t have you no one could, she sure as hell meant it.
You sipped from your mug of piping hot tea curling up into a ball as you thought about the past, about the woman who claimed to love you.
It had been a long time since you’d been around so many people, it was a slightly odd feeling but one that you found that you’d missed. The loud chatter of people all around you was comforting, you were truly enjoying yourself, listening to the street music and dancing around with the locals, it had been a long time since you’d felt peace like this. If only every day you could be surrounded by people who held such warmth and kindness to them, the rich scent of food only added to your sense of peace and comfort.
Walking around the market stalls and trying new food, talking to new people, and looking at all they had to offer felt like a dream, it was truly the best day you’d had in a long time, if only it could last forever. But alas, that was not the way things were planned, they never stayed peaceful for long, not when a certain someone was watching your every move.
“That necklace would look so pretty around your throat, my dear.”
Your whole body went stiff. Every fibre of your being screamed for help, screamed for you to run, for you to get away from the very person whose body was wrapped around your own, pulling you away from the crowd and into an isolated alleyway.
Alvara placed a kissed upon your neck hugging your smaller body to her own, “you have no idea how much I’ve missed you, your body, your scent, everything about you.” Her face was buried into your neck, placing kisses all upon your neck and shoulder, laving her tongue over the supple skin.
That very action caused you to break out of her terrified stupor, you jerked your elbow back into Alvara, catching her off guard so that her tight grip around your waist loosened, and you were free to escape.
You gasped for air as you felt life being breathed back into your veins, you felt the need to run, to escape, it was the only thing on your mind, a one-track thought.
You raced through the streets, stumbling, and pushing past people left, right and centre, you didn’t have time to feel sorry for the people you were pushing past, for you could not be caught by Alvara. A woman so determined, so ruthless, that if you were ever truly caught, you would never have the chance to escape again. You knew Alvara was hot on your tail, she was a general for a reason.
You came to set of stone steps, you didn’t know where they led but you didn't have the luxury of time to think or plan or anything for that matter all you could do was run and hope for an escape route to appear. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and you didn’t know how much longer you could run for, you hoped that these stairs would lead to an escape one where Alvara could not follow.
Vines and trees pulled at your clothes tearing your skirt and shirt in the process, drawing your precious blood, you heard a snarl behind you that was unmistakably Alvara’s, you forced your tired limbs to move faster with the mantra of don’t look back, don’t look back, running through your head. Escape was the only option, you could do it, you’d done it before, this time wasn’t any different. Yet the cold grip of fear had set it’s sights on you and you couldn’t help but wonder if this time would be different, what if Alvara managed to catch you this time because surely she wouldn’t let you go, she’d been chasing you for this long why would she stop now.
You tried not to let these thoughts take control you had to focus on getting away, on getting home, or rather the place you’d fortified to keep yourself safe from Alvara. Until you came to a stumbling holt, beholding the cliff face with such a drop you felt her stomach churning at the sight alone. A dead end, the only way you could get away would be to jump, a terrifying feat but one you would make to escape the woman coming up behind you.
“There’s nowhere left to go Name. Give up won’t you, I’m beginning to tire of our little game.” Her voice was raised and slightly breathless from the earlier pursuit.
You laughed but there was nothing humourless about this situation, “you think this is a game, this is my life, Alvara, and you won’t let me live it because of your sick fucking fantasies. Accept that I will never be yours, just accept it.” Your voice trembling with barely restrained anger, tears began to well up in your eyes, emotions you didn’t like to feel taking over your body.
“Just- just let me go, Alvara, for the love of God please. Just let me have peace.” Tears fell from your eyes, you were just so tired, voice wobbling with defeat.
“You know I can’t do that Name, dear, you were mine the moment I set eyes on you and my belongings, my possessions, I never let them go. I would never let you go; you mean so much to me-” She moved closer, hoping to catch you off guard.
“That’s fucking bullshit! You don’t love me, you don’t care about me, you just want to own me, and I won’t let you.” You let herself fall backwards, down the side of the cliff and into the deep blue abyss.
You heard Alvara scream your Name but all you could do was smile, you were successful, you were free, but there was that lingering thought at the back of your mind asking yourself how long you had left? How long could you really keep running?
Today would be a risky day, that much was clear, but you hadn’t seen Leonidas in hundreds of years, and you missed your friend dearly, it had been hard to see each other due to Leonidas’ kingship and your own predicament with Alvara.
You hummed a tune as you dolled yourself up for the event ahead, you arranged your hair and such, pulling on a beautiful silky dress to match. You smoothed the beautiful fabric enjoying the feeling beneath your fingertips, you didn’t know what would happen tonight but all you could hope for was peace, it was the only thing you had ever wanted. You slipped some shoes on and grabbed your bag before making your way out of your beloved home and into the unknown.
❥ ❥ ❥
YOU GRINNED, ENJOYING the company of the people around, enjoying the company of others, a feat you didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy often. The music, the chatter, the noise, it was beautiful, and you felt herself bask in it, you had missed this.
“Name!”
You turned at the warm voice, a voice you had dearly missed, “Leo!” You threw yourself into his welcoming embrace not caring about others who would surely judge you for such a careless action especially one regarding the King of Iridesiah.
“Name, I have truly missed your company, it's wonderful to see you again. How has life been treating you?” He asked pulling away from their tight embrace, hands resting on your arms.
You smiled softly, yet despite its softness it held an overwhelming sadness to it, “you know it’s the same old, same old, running and hiding. But don’t worry about me I can handle it; I’ve handled it for the last few hundred years.”
His eyes mirrored the sadness in her smile, “I wish I could do more for you Name, I really do, but it really isn’t so simple. If I were to try and protect you, she would overthrow me and that would have disastrous consequences.”
“Oh Leo, of course, I know this, I know you cannot do anything to help. I’m sorry for bringing it up, we should be happy, we should treasure our limited time together.” You wiped the brewing tears from your eyes not letting a single drop fall, this was supposed to be a happy reunion, you should be enjoying yourself.
Leonidas smiled at you placing a comforting hand on your cheek, allowing you to nuzzle into his palm enjoying the moment of affection. “I know something that will cheer you up, how about we get you some cake?” You smiled a beaming smile at the offer, as the two of you talked for hours over cake and other delicacies that were on offer, but soon he would have to leave your side and be the King again, he promised to return later on the evening and left you with a parting hug.
You ended up venturing on towards the ballroom deciding on dancing to the beautiful jazz being played, moving your body to the rhythm letting it take over, relinquishing control to the beautiful symphony.
That was until your peace, your enjoyment was cut short. You felt the cold presence of a woman you knew all too well, her muscled arms snaked their way around your waist, constricting your movement.
“Fancy seeing you here, my dear. Rather bold of you to turn up to an event like this, knowing that I would be here.” She giggled, tracing soft circles onto your exposed flesh, the very flesh she dreamed of biting into.
“I didn’t come here for you, Alvara.” Your voice barely above a whisper.
Alvara spun her darling around, keeping her arm firmly wrapped around your waist, faces mere millimetres from each other, “god I love the way you say my name.” Her voice was desperate and breathy, it was so strange to hear her sound so vulnerable.
She moved her lips towards to your ear, “I would give anything to hear you moan it.”
Your eyes widened by the bold statement, ears burning with embarrassment, you were used to Alvara’s cold nature not this desire-stricken woman before her. It almost seemed as if a dam had broken, as if Alvara had finally had enough, enough of their so-called game.
“Let me go Alvara.” You felt so defeated, so useless, so hopeless. You didn’t know how much longer you could handle these feelings.
She placed her hand upon your face, “you know I cannot do that my darling; you are mine; you will always be mine. I have loved you for hundreds of years and that love has never wavered, in fact, how does the saying go? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Tears dripped down your face, revealing a scared darling doe behind, “you don’t love me, you wouldn’t be hurting me if you truly loved me.”
Alvara gripped your face harshly bringing your faces closer together with a snarl, “don’t you dare question my love for you.” Your eyes locked eyes for a few intense seconds before she loosened her grip and wiped the fallen tears away from your face.
“Aren’t you tired? Why must you keep running my dear, when you can just give in. I can give you the love that you desire, I can show you the world's greatest pleasures, I am a generous lover my darling Name. You would want for nothing under my care, you would have a home, a lover, a partner. You would no longer be alone. You don’t have to run anymore, Name. Please, be mine?” She caressed her darling’s face trying to convince you to finally give up and fall into her awaiting grasp.
“Just say yes, that’s all you have to do, Name.”
You stared up into her eyes, lips trembling as you fought to keep your composure. It had been so long since you went on the run, what even was the reason why she couldn’t even learn to love Alvara? You could hardly even put your finger on the exact reason, did you even have a reason? Was it even worth all this pain fighting against a woman who would never quit, a woman who would never stop chasing you even if it was to the ends of the earth? Would it be so bad to give into Alvara? Would it really be that bad? You would finally have peace, a home, a constant in your life.
“Okay.” Your voice was soft, defeated and broken down.
A huge grin grew upon Alvara’s face, “Oh Name, I’m so glad you’ve finally come around. I have been waiting for this moment for too long, you have made the right choice that I can assure you. Let’s go home, I shall take great care of you, I promise.”
With her arm still around your waist she guided you toward the exit, you looked back hesitating for a moment as your met eyes with Leonidas, his own eyes widened filled with shock, fear, worry, but he could do nothing. Even though he was the king, holding all that power still wasn't enough, he couldn’t even save his best friend from the greatest monster of all.
“Come, my dear, we must make up for lost time.”
And with that your fate was sealed, you just hoped it would be peaceful.
#dark content#yandere x reader#yandere vampire#yandere monster#dark fic#yandere x female reader#yandere fic#original character#dark imagines#monster x reader#horror#teratophillia#yandere imagines
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I cannot over explain how much of a crime it is that Daisy and Basira don’t even have like a goofy ship name like Daisira or something so I am here to coin a name for them AS THEY DESERVE.
My idea is definitely more in the alley of the ship names PrivateEye and Teaholding, and’ll probably be changed at some point, but for now I’ve (at least temporarily) decided on the name “Wolfsbane”, and the reasons behind this are:
Wolfsbane is well known for being a poison. Merely touching the species could lead to loss of sensation in the areas of your body where contact was made (I could ramble about the symbolization that could be found in the roots being the most dangerous parts of the flowers to touch, but I’ll spare you) and they are deadly enough to have been used as a form of execution in Rome. They were also put on the ends of spears and arrows by the Greeks to kill wolves, and many believed them to be a major weapon against werewolves. This reminds me of the inevitability of Daisy’s downfall and her death at the hands of Basira, and the fact that she was doomed by the narrative from the very start.
Even so, wolfsbane can also symbolize protection, from wolves or in general (as a tattoo of wolfsbane generally means). It’s usage against wolves and werewolves can be related to the two’s relationship helping to keep Daisy at least relatively human for a long time, with Basira’s presence giving her a little extra push against the hunt in times such as when Daisy had tried to kill Jon and Basira had stopped her. Or, alternatively, when Basira was the one to save Daisy from continuing on as the beast she would later become.
They grow in rocky mountainous areas, which I personally relate to the blooming of something dangerous, but beautiful, amidst harsh, unwelcoming ground; something I imagine with their relationship. These flowers aren’t the type of beauty that one would expect, either, similarly to the fact that the relationship they have is different than most. I interpret their relationship more like partners back-to-back in battle, willing to die a thousand times for the other, rather than the typical sweet romance with honey-laced words (not saying that the members of more typical relationships wouldn’t die for one another all the same).
And, a more basic reasoning: the prefix “Wolf” relates to Daisy’s being a member of The Hunt and her transformation into a beast during the season 4 finale, and “Bane” relates to both individuals and their tendencies to become disliked for keeping to themselves and eachother, and for never backing down from a mission or a goal.
Keep in mind that it’s very late where I am and I’m not exactly the most lucid atm so this may make no sense— I just couldn’t wait to ramble about these two because they don’t get enough ramblings
(This image isn’t my own art, it’s a botanical image I found of the plant)
Have I thought way too deeply into a simple ship name? Yes. Do I have any regrets about it? No.
#tma#the magnus archives#tma spoilers#tma daisy#tma Basira#tma daisy x basira#tma wolfsbane#it feels so weird using my own name for them idk how I feel about that yet#anyways yeah i can’t get over these two#they devastate me but like in a good way#and their relationship is so unique too#I can’t get it off my mind#did the sight of a small portion of a drawing that showed these two trigger this?#maybe#thank you artist for the inspiration#also doubt anybody’s gonna see this but idc tbh#I can suffer in brain rot zone on my lonesome#with wolfsbane and teaholding#also some of my facts might be inaccurate#I just did a quick search ngl
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What Dating a Wolfman! Billy Loomis would include:
Note: I've been doing a lot of Werewolves, so here's an HC for my Scream AU Billy where he and Stu (Wink wink)are the Woodsboro Werewolves and your his lady.
Smut Mentioned Minors DNI
He's more hairy during Autumn cause his curse is focused around the Autumn moon and bloom of Wolf's Bane during late summer to late Autumn
Mood swings during Autumn, one minute, he's chilled, and the next he's pissed off.
He may infect you with the Lycanthorpy he has if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, or he done it on purpose (He did it to Stu a year prior)
Don't squeeze his scared left shoulder. It's always hurts when the nerves randomly acted up their.
During autumn, he can change at will when the Moon is out. Depending on which phase the healing process is either strong or weak. Bandaging his wounds would definitely be a plus in his book
Hair, Hair Everywhere on the floor, the hallway, Even in the closet. HOW DOES IT MULTIPLE?!!!
Billy will be napping one minute the next he's on his feet again. He actually fell asleep in class once or twice
Cuddling time is personal napping on you time. Hearing your heart beat as he sleeps while a movie plays
Taking notes on them Werewolf films, especially the classic ones The Wolfman, An American Werewolf In London and The Howling
Always pop painkillers when he's going to transform. (Helps with the pain.)
Comes home bloody from hunting in the Woods with Stu. (That gif shows what he does when he gets home.)
Definitely can be a dick when his mood is grumpy, but if he's like that with you. You're getting your slipper to let him know you mean business
(NSFW) He gets horny at some points during his hunting. He's hard when he comes home to wrek havoc in the bedroom.
(NSFW) He's not stopping till he had enough of your pussy. It will be a mess down there from the mix of your juices and Billy's cum
(NSFW) He's not hesitant to fuck you I his Wolfman form, he's Big but not too big to tear your holes into one big one. (A trip to the ER if that would happen)
Yeah, he's definitely sleeping with his friend as well as you. (If you're ok with a 3-way relationship)
Like the other Werewolf slashers, Billy's definitely eating portions of food during the Autumn days due to his metabolism is in overdrive due to his Lycanthropy
Is OK with bathing by himself to clean last night's activities, but a surprise couple bathing is a win in his book
Speed is doubled, and you'll be outrunned when you go on a jog
Woken up to the smell of his ranced morning breath is something you'll close his mouth up cause of it
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where it began…
what it became…
Arik Bane is lost. On the run from a tragic past that still haunts her, the royal wolf shifter is trapped between two paths: to rise above or disappear. Fate nudges her toward the answer one snowy night when she saves the life of an omega mage and finds her heart bound to a path she least expected.
Ember Snow carries the weight of the world on her fragile shoulders. She's an omega with royal blood, a perfect pawn in a dangerous noble's quest for power. The night she tries to escape this fate, she falls into the arms of a fierce alpha wolf who saves her life with a mate-mark, tethering their souls.
An unexpected bond blooms as Arik and Ember find solace in each other's arms. But when family burdens and royal treachery crosses their paths, the pair must choose between their desire for what lies ahead and their allegiance to what came before.
Must Arik and Ember let fate slip between their fingers or will their fated love defy all odds?
Read now 💕
#sapphic fiction#wlw books#sapphic books#female alpha#ff omegaverse#g!p#sapphic romance#gl omegaverse#sapphic reads#wlw reads#wlw romance#wlw fantasy
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okay, hear me out
Pity maiden for your folly To venture in these woods alone Mercy lives not in the holly No compassion from the stones Your fear brings tears like summer rain (Oh mother father where are you?) They beg for me to ease your pain (I'm cast adrift what should I do?)
Thine eyes betray confusion Am I friend or am I fiend? Pardon me for this intrusion And I'll show you what I mean I've come to claim a heart from thee (My heart is broken can't you see?) Your final kiss belongs to me (Your scarlet kiss will set me free)
Playing the obedient daughter Brought you where the wolf bane blooms Sacrificed in sacred slaughter 'Neath the pale light of the moon Your form lies wreathed in ruby red (The crystal snow my wedding bed) A scarlet halo round your head (The scarlet halo of the dead)
sorry for the long post, but like....
tell me this ISN'T shuake
song name: wolf song, by omnia
#persona 5#p5#akechi goro#goro akechi#p5r#persona 5 royal#{ ♡ } nao : p5r . . .#joker p5#joker p5r#joker persona 5#akira p5#akira p5r#shuake#akeshu#akechi x joker#joker x akechi#Spotify
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a flower left for gunmar. a warning. a threat. the flower had two meanings. Monkshood. a warning to be cautious and a declaration of hatred. the deep purple blooms seemed to mock the Underlord from where they sat upon His Throne.
"Wolf's bane."
He'll examine the flower briefly, then crush it in his palm.
"How original."
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Moonrise
As you settled low and the moon rose high, I saw you again,
Your glowing skin and hair spun from the finest gold,
Against better judgement, I followed you again,
Although I knew not to trust the fae of old.
You were a faery king, telling tales of your reign,
I drank them in, for I was nothing but something to hold.
Never had such a bewitching creature dug so deep into my vein,
For you were made from rays of light, and I simply marigold.
You, who were my sun, and me a melancholy mortal,
A bud not yet to bloom, I had wished you'd carry me cross the threshold,
To the land where bell-tipped shoes danced late into the night,
And creatures of the earth lay under the sky on nights ice-cold.
Yet you, my darling drop of sun, with words laced with wolf's bane,
And your touches that burned sweetly against my skin, the effects unforetold,
For as the dawn's light split the sky and your hazel doe eyes left mine,
I was left with a bitter aftertaste, lonely and unconsoled.
-GDS
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TEEN WOLF REWRITE
CHAPTER NINE: WOLF'S BANE (Part 3)
Stiles Stilinski x Reader Liz Bloom (eventually)
Word Count: 3333
Warning: Swearing, Violence, Angst
Posted on: 4/2/22
"Did you get the picture? Scott asked us through Stiles’ phone, talking about the picture he sent us of Allison's necklace. After Danny and Lydia had cracked the mystery for us of the 'who' that sent the text, the three of us were now at the 'where', parked outside the Hospital in Stiles' Jeep. Lydia left after saying I owed her and Danny left happily, no questions asked.
"Yeah, we did, and it looks just like the drawing." I answered, staring at the screen of my own phone at the picture Scott sent us of Allison's necklace.
Despite Stiles' phone already being put on speaker, Derek still grabbed Stiles' hand that was holding it and held it close to his mouth, unintentionally pulling hard enough to hurt.
"Hey, is there something on the back of it? There's gotta be something— an inscription, an opening, something..." Derek said to the phone to Scott while Stiles repeatedly muttered a quiet,
"Ow, ow, ow, ow..."
And while I may still have been a little angry at him, through the backseat I gently grabbed Derek's hand that was holding Stiles' awkwardly bent arm, easing his hold of him to a more comfortable one.
"No, no, the thing's flat. And, no, it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it, nothing. And where are you? You're supposed to be here. You're first line." Scott reminded Stiles; his voice heard along with the noise of a crowd in the background.
"Where the hell is Bilinski???" We all heard Coach yell through the phone.
"Man, you're not gonna play if you're not here to start..." Scott told him.
"I know. Look, if you see my dad, can you tell him... tell him I'll be there, I'll just be a little bit late, okay? All right, thanks." Stiles said to him before hanging up the phone.
"You're not gonna make it." Derek stated.
"I know." Stiles answered.
"And you didn't tell him about his mom, either." Derek added.
"Not 'til we find out the truth." I told him. I looked at Stiles and said, "Coach's not gonna let you play for a while anymore if you bail."
"I'm already bailing." Stiles huffed, annoyed, as his hold on the steering wheel tightened.
"You can still make it." I pointed out, and he shook his head 'no'.
"No. It's too late. We're already here. Let's just go."
"Derek and I can handle this. Go. Your dad's gonna be disappointed—" I said, but was cut-off by Stiles' frustrated scream.
"I KNOW!"
Everyone in the car was silent as I took a moment to myself, reeling my tears back in. I wasn't going to cry, not now, and not ever, for anyone.
"Let's just go." I said quietly, afraid my voice would betray me.
“By the way? One more thing..." Derek said to Stiles, looking at him.
"Yeah?" Stiles asked and Derek answered by slamming his head against the dashboard of his car. I squealed, covering my mouth with my hand as Stiles groaned in pain.
"Oh, God! What the hell was that—" Stiles was saying, to which Derek cut him off, saying irritably,
"You know that was for. Go." Derek said, pointing at Stiles’ door and when he didn't move, his hand still massaging the forming bump in his hand, Derek said it again a little louder. "Go!"
Stiles got out of his Jeep, helping me out right after. I wasn't sure exactly why Derek did what he did, but I knew a part of it was because of me. And I admit, it did make me feel better as I tried hiding my grin from Stiles. I gave Derek a quick smile before shutting the door closed.
Stiles was already a few feet ahead of me, making me jog to catch up.
"Hey, wait!" I yelled, grabbing his arm to make him look at me. I grabbed each side of his face, pulling him down slightly to get a better view of his head. I felt for his bump with my thumbs and stopped when he winced, pulling away from my touch by grabbing each of my hands in his.
"Ow! Liz, I'm fine." Stiles complained, and I rolled my eyes in answer.
"'Ow, I'm fine' doesn't mean your fine. In fact, it usually means you're the opposite of ‘fine’." I snarked at him but surprisingly, it melted his expression from a frown to an affectionate smile.
"What?" I asked him sharply, getting even more annoyed by his reaction, which only made him smile more.
"Here I was, thinking you hated me. And then you do this." Stiles said softly, surprising me, before I decided to mask it with a blank expression, ripping my arms from his hold.
"I don't... hate you. You just won't talk to me." I told him, my voice low, and his smile vanished into his former expression. Thankfully, I didn't have to stare at it for long as a call from my phone startled the both of us from each other's gaze.
"Hello?" I answered, not bothering to look at the Caller ID as I took a guess as to who was calling me.
"Are you guys just going to stand there or what?" Derek sassed and I rolled my eyes, hanging up on him and pointing my middle finger at Stiles' Jeep, knowing he was there, watching me.
"Come on." I told Stiles, walking towards the entrance of the Hospital. We tried looking for Melissa where we usually see her, but she wasn't there. Nobody was. The hospital almost completely barren, with the occasional nurse and wandering patient, maybe a doctor every now and then. But other than that, it was quiet. Disturbingly quiet.
"Yeah, I said I can't find her." Stiles said to his phone, presumably talking to Derek. Stiles saw me looking at him and put the phone on speaker.
"Look, ask for Jennifer. She's been looking after my uncle." Derek told us and we walked towards Peter's room, knowing where it was, courtesy of Scott.
"Yeah, well, he's not here, either." I said out-loud as I was the first to reach the room to see it empty of any living soul.
"What?" Derek asked through the phone.
"He's not here. He's gone, Derek." Stiles said to him when the realization hit me the same time it did for Derek.
"Oh, my God..." I muttered, fearfully grabbing Stiles' hand and slowly backing away from the door. The visions I saw when my phantom spirit—as Stiles called it— touched the Alpha, came flooding back to me like the wall that was keeping it in— collapsed.
"Guys, get out of there right now! It's him! He's the Alpha! Get out!" Derek yelled just as I looked to my right to see Peter leaning against the wall, staring at me with a smirk on his half-burned face. I squealed in fright, jumping away from him, my back hitting Stiles' chest.
"Hey, there Tinker bell." He greeted, waving his fingers at me before his eyes landed behind me to Stiles, whom had encircled his arms protectively around my body. "And you must be Stiles."
I turned around Stiles' body, with his hand still in mine, to run away from Peter when I was met with the sight of Nurse Jennifer on the other side of the hall.
"What are you doing here? Visiting hours are over." She told us, a bitchy grin on her face, knowing she had us trapped. I always did find her creepy, but whenever I would bring it up to Melissa, Scott, my dad or Stiles? They'd always look at me weirdly. Well, who's weird now! Ha!
"You... and him... You're-you're the one who— Oh, my— and he's— Oh, my God, we're gonna die." Stiles sang fearfully, and I slapped him hard on the shoulder, making damn sure it hurt.
"We are NOT going to die!" I barked at him as I looked back and forth between Peter and Jennifer, not sure which of them were the bigger threat. I knew Peter was the Alpha but Jennifer? I had no idea what the hell she was.
Thankfully, Derek was there to elbow her in the face, enough to make her pass out and fall to the floor. As she lied there, passed out and unmoving, she reminded me of doll a girl might leave on the floor, it's limbs in awkward positions and seemingly unanimated with just one blink away to tell you that they're not. Creepy.
"That's not nice." Peter mockingly scolded him, making Stiles and I turn to look at him instead. "She's, my nurse."
"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people." Derek said to Peter, turning his head to face us, then saying "get out of the way."
I listened, quickly flattening myself against the wall and separating myself from Stiles as he buffered, looking between the two.
"Stiles!" I screeched.
"Oh, damn..." He muttered, flattening himself against the floor and crawling to where I was standing. Why do I love this boy again?
"You think I killed Laura on purpose? One of my own family?" Peter said, advancing from his spot towards Derek, and Derek growled, his eyes glowing blue as he ran and attacked Peter. Or at least tried to, anyway. Stiles dragged me down onto the floor with him just before Peter slammed Derek against the wall I was leaning in, just a few seconds before.
Due to Stiles' intense panic molding with mine, my body went into autopilot as it followed Stiles' example of crawling on the floor. He slightly bumped into me when he got too close to Jennifer, and upon a closer look, I could see the blood on her doll-like face pooling out of her nose.
"Eugghh!" I expressed, turning the other way from it and hiding behind the counter of one of the nurses' stations. After taking cover behind it, I sat up from my crawling position, listening in to their fight.
"My mind, my personality, were literally burned out of me. I was being driven by pure instinct." I heard Peter say as his voice got closer and closer to where we were. I looked over the counter just as he stopped by Jennifer's body, dropping Derek whom he'd dragged against the floor by his neck as he walked. He kneeled, taking a set of keys from her pocket as Derek stood up again.
"You want forgiveness?" Derek asked, hitting Peter across the face. Peter retaliated by pulling him closer and slamming his head against his.
"I want understanding." He told him before kicking him way across the hall.
"Do you have any idea what it was like for me during those years?" Peter said, but distracted by a sound, I turned my head around to see Stiles flopping on the floor like a fish, trying to get a better look; then deciding against it when he saw Derek's current state. I shook my head at him, rolling my eyes, and turned my attention back to the two as Peter started talking again.
"Slowly healing, cell by cell. Even more slowly coming back to consciousness. Yes, becoming an Alpha, taking that from Laura, pushed me over a plateau in the healing process. I can't help that."
Derek stood up and tried punching Peter in the face, left and right, but he caught his hand, bending it, breaking it, as he continued to talk.
"I tried to tell you what was happening. I tried to warn you."
Peter threw Derek's body over the counter, shattering the glass. Derek landed on the ground, beat up and bloody.
Anger boiled in my veins upon seeing him like that— seemingly both helpless and weak—done to him by his own flesh and blood; by his uncle; his supposed family.
Peter stared at me, a smirk on his scarred face like he was mocking me; egging me on to do something I knew I wasn't supposed to do. But logic flew out of the window a few months ago. As if driven by instinct, I quickly stood up and grabbed a computer monitor—the first thing I could get my hands on. I ran to him, despite Derek and Stiles telling me 'no', and I smashed the monitor against Peter’s head, knowing he would let me; just to show me how pointless it was.
But it only made me angrier; and that anger? I felt it travel to my hands.
I pushed Peter back, successfully, and I huffed an excited little laugh, cheering internally as I watched him stumble back and fall to the floor. And then I saw my hands.
They glowed with a faint, purple light before quickly disappearing that I had to wonder if what I saw was actually real. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to contemplate on the matter as Peter slowly stood up, making me step back.
I expected him to be pissed, but he only gave me a maniac smile before quickly—too quick for a human— walking over to me. He grabbed me by the nape, his nails—his claws—scratching and slightly digging into my skin as he seemed to think something to himself, staring me in the eye.
"NO!!!" Stiles bellowed, running towards us, but Peter only swatted him back like a bug, his back hitting a wall before sliding onto the floor. I couldn't really see him but I suspected he was still conscious, although dazed, as I heard him mutter to himself,
"No. No, no, no, no..."
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Elizabeth. I really didn't expect you to be this... powerful. But don't worry, " he said, using his other hand to graze my cheek with the claw of his pointer finger, "Not only does this make things better— it will also make things more interesting. For me, you-- all of us, really."
"I could show you just what I mean—right now. Reveal to you the truth; Tell you what you are. I know you've been asking; wondering. Starting to remember things you don't understand. It's so juicy, too. Believe me, I so want to tell you." Peter told me, his claws pressing dangerously hard against the skin of my neck, just enough to hurt but not enough to pierce through skin. “Not yet”. He sighed, before dramatically saying, "Alas... The time is not yet to be. All in good time, though. All in good time."
I expected him to dig his claws against the skin of my face— my neck— scratch and tear it into pieces like tissue paper, but all he did was let me go. Just like that. We both stared at each other, my confused face silently asking his blank look for an explanation I knew he wouldn't give. Instead, I was given a smile, before being brutally backhanded in the face, hitting me so hard I passed out even before I hit the ground.
"So, you're coming to the game tonight, right?" Jackson asked, his voice distant and faraway but somehow, at the same time, close and near. "You have to! We win tonight, we're in the semi-finals. It's not because of Scott, right?"
"I was thinking it might be a little weird..." Allison said, in the same weird sound of voice as Jackson's.
"Jackson! This little text? Not funny." Lydia said, sounding really upset.
Patronizingly, Jackson replied, "no, I wasn't trying to be funny. I would have put a "haha" at the end of it; and see? There's no "haha."
"What the hell is this?" Lydia asked, and again in his patronizing tone, he replied,
"Well, Lydia, in preparation for some big changes, I've decided to drop some of the dead weight in my life... And you're just about the deadest."
"That one— that's Jackson." Allison voice cut through, ending the previous conversation.
"Holy hotness. Oh, if I was in high school again... or maybe just a substitute teacher..." Kate's wondered aloud.
"You are sick."
"What are you looking for?" Kate asked, though this one seemed to be another conversation entirely.
Allision sighed, saying, "I don't know... Something. Anything. Why he would want to kill us."
"Allison said that she's seen you talking to him. Don't you think that seems a little disconcerting, Scott? You talking to an alleged murderer?" Mr. Argent's voice asked Scott.
"Why are you talking to me like I've done something wrong?" Scott asked defensively, to which Mr. Argent replied,
"Have you?"
"What do you want, Allision?" Kate asked.
"I want to feel powerful." Allision answered.
"It's the bite that does it, isn't it?" Jackson asked and hesitantly, Scott answered,
"Yes."
"Well, I'm gonna give you a chance to give me what I want. What's three days, huh? Seventy-two hours? That's all you get, Scott. Seventy-two hours." Jackson declared.
"Chris, remember how we were talking about a second Beta? A younger one?" Kate's whispering voice, said.
"Yes." Mr. Argent replied, equally as quiet.
"Can you get turned by a scratch?"
"If the claws go deep enough, maybe..."
"Wonder how deep those went." Kate asked.
"There's Hunters. Werewolf Hunters. There's a whole family of them." Scott explained.
"Derek, you have to give me a chance to explain." Peter's voice added in. "After all, we're family."
"Do you know what ‘Argent’ means in French?" Jackson asked, and answering his own question, he said, "It means silver"
"The necklace the girl was wearing. That's the symbol on it. I asked her about it— she said it was a family thing. You find the girl wearing that necklace, she's your arsonist." Mr. Harris' said, confusing me as to how he was involved in this ordeal.
"You don't have to be psychotic to be a killer." Kate said, her voice: sharp, before softening back to her usual tone of voice.
"You just need... a reason."
"Murderer." Mr. Stilinski corrected. "Arson happens to property. This girl's a murderer."
I gasped, waking up, only to find myself restricted by a seat belt in Stiles' Jeep.
"Well, look who finally woke up. Just as we'd strapped her in, no less. Talk about perfect timing."
I looked to my right to see Derek, holding my hand and touching my shoulder. Derek looked at me with concern while Peter, standing just behind him, stared at me with a carefree smile on his face.
The cold breeze of the night, as it wafted onto my face and body through the open door, slowly lulled me back to sleep that I had to try my best not to let it.
"Liz... " Stiles whispered, his hand gently holding my other one in his. I turned my head to look at him, to see his face pulled into a stressed frown, and his eyes, red. I pulled my hand back to hold his cheek and felt it dampen with tears. He leaned against my touch, closing his eyes and holding my hand with both of his, as if to keep it there, forever.
"As much as I hate to break this lovely scene, Derek and I have plans with our dear friend, Scott. Which, I'm afraid, means we're gonna have to see the ending of this movie another time. Derek?" Peter said, calling for Derek's attention. Derek looked at me apologetically, pulling his hand back from mine and closing the door to my side of the car.
My hand fell from Stiles' cheek, but he still held it in his when I turned to look at him in question.
"Derek and Peter?" He asked me, but I simply stared at him, waiting for him to explain. He sighed before he did, telling me, "They've... decided to team up."
"What?"
"Yeah. I guess Derek trusts him now. And forgiven him. Even though Peter killed his sister—his niece—which, of course, is just so fucking fucked up." He rambled, letting go of my hand to start the car, saying, "We have to go to the school. We need to get to Scott, right now."
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“People always want to know how it is done,” Simon said. They were skimming their fingertips over the labels on the large, ingredient-laden shelf, searching for something specific. “They think that it must be some sort of spellwork or a trick from something else when you make it, but it’s really not that difficult. Of course, not that I would tell. If I told everyone then there would be no business- aha!” There, found! Simon hauled the large glass jar off of the shelf, aided by a stepladder so they hadn’t had to climb the shelves themselves. Again.
Prize in hand, they deposited the jar on the countertop, causing the register drawer to rattle.
“I think that I can trust you, though, so here it is – the secret is the smallest pinch of the wolf’s bane.” Simon was careful as they handled the mentioned plant, picking a few of the dried leaves and blooms out with gloved hands. These she deposited into the mortar in front of her and, after replacing the large jar of the supply on the shelf at her back, began grinding them into crumbly, soluble bits. “It lowers the natural defenses, see, creates enough space for everything else to really settle in and do as it should. It is tricky though, because if you put too much you risk causing a sort-of allergic reaction. Itchy, cannot breathe- Porque no. It is bad. That is why I make sure to –”
“Excuse me?”
Simon jumped slightly, and faced the voice. They found themselves looking at a person who was, presuming by the handful of products they were holding, a patron of the shop. Simon remembered them entering earlier, but for some reason thought that the shopper had already left. They straightened and dusted their gloved palms on the apron tied over their clothes.
“Sorry, I forgot you were here. Hello! Is there something you need help with, or are you ready to buy?” Simon asked, stripping the gloves off their hands and laying them to the side. The patron opened their mouth, but paused to blink at Simon quizzically.
“Weren’t you… Weren’t you just talking to me? About how to prepare…whatever that is?”
Simon pulled a frown. Had everything been overhead? They hoped not.
“No.”
The stranger eyed her.
“Who are you talking to, then?”
“My visitor.” Simon gestured politely to the counter of the store, indicating the gratuitously large, round toad sitting in a small bowl of water on top of it. It blinked slowly at the both of them, and if not for that could have resembled a stuffed and mounted creature. “He was sitting in front of the door when I walked up, and it was dry out, so I assumed he needed to take a break from his journey, wherever that may be.”
“...As one does.”
Aware of the condescension in the shopper’s tone, Simon nevertheless nodded, unperturbed. It was quite a natural assumption, whatever this shopper seemed to think. Toads had journeys of their own, got tired, needed a bit of company while they rested. Far be it for Simon to be rude to a weary traveler.
“Did you need something?” Simon asked again. The shopping skeptic held up their gathered supplies.
“Just to pay.”
“Alrighty then.”
Simon rang up the customer’s purchases, calculated their change, and wished them well on the rest of their journey for the day. As the door closed behind them, the toad stirred slightly, finding a more comfortable place to sit.
“Some people,” Simon said indirectly to her guest, “they really do think they are the center of everything, yes?” She pulled her gloves back on. “Where was I?”
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1:06 PM EDT September 23, 2023:
The Nomads - "I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time" From the album Where the Wolf Bane Blooms (1983)
Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm
★★★★
The best version of the Third Bardo garage classic that I've heard
File under: Swedish Garage Punk
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C sees C
Zayne clicked his tongue as he checked his watch. The waning rays of the sun and the dimming of Piltover coincided with every second ticking closer to 6:00 PM. Corina asked all of her employees to work two hours longer this day, and the Piltover Enforcers needed to be given their signal. Zayne looked left, then right as he walked outside of the blooming factory. Past the greenery and the foliage, he took a step outside where a rat scurried across his boot. If he was as soft as a Piltvan then maybe he would have jumped in shock but nah, Zayne was used to far worse conditions than a greenhouse and mice.
Zayne rolled his left sleeve back, exposing his metallic cybernetic limb. He had to blink and squint from the sudden ray that reflected into his eyes, and in that moment, he swore something darted past him. Zayne looked behind him to find- nothing there. Other than the artificial lights of the greenhouse humming with energy and the vats of fertilizer being pumped throughout the complex. With a shake of his head, Zayne refocused on his tasks at hand.
With a twitch of his thumb, Zayne’s hextech crystal clicked to life in his ear.
“Rat to Dog? The big C remains. Mice scurrying to alternate corners in 10.”
A harsh buzz was followed by, “Roger. Begin in 10.”
Zayne clicked his thumb again, let out a sigh of relief, and looked all about to make sure no one was around. He could swear there was something just, in the corner of his eye, but no matter what, no matter how he looked, Zayne saw nothing. Even when his goggles locked on, zoomed in and identified the spewed remains of a liquid in a nearby alleyway to most likely be vomit.
With another sigh of relief, Zayne clicked his thumb again. “Sheriff? 10 until the War Storm. Do as you will.”
A smooth, soft click was followed by, “Thank you. In and out in-”
A hand came over Zayne’s mouth. Something pressed into the base of Zayne’s spine, and another hand picked the earpiece out, and in Zayne’s voice, the presence said, “Sorry, you need to wait 5. Guard schedule changed. I’ll tell the En’s storm to hold for another 10, else you’ll lose your chance.”
Zayne wanted to react in some way, but he felt his body go utterly limp- whatever martial arts this was, Zayne could not lift a limb. He also knew that the hand wrapped around his mouth certainly looked human, but was anything but. The way the fingers bent were not like a human’s, to be able to wrap so perfectly around his face to mute him completely and allow Zayne to breathe only through his nose.
A pause. “Are you sure?” the headpiece asked.
“Yes, Sheriff. Positive.”
Another pause. “We can’t miss this chance to lose C. Are. You. Sure.”
In that instant, Zayne knew that this person was toying with him. The hand flexed ever so slightly, straining Zayne’s jaw. He could feel his bones bend, and if the hand bothered to clench, Zayne knew it could crush his entire skull with pathetic ease.
“Ten thousand percent, and three quarters, Sheriff. Trust me, Sheriff.”
Zayne’s eyes went wide. How the hell did this ‘guy’ know Zayne’s dumb joke?
“Alright. 10 it is” The comm line went dead.
The presence asked, in Zayne’s voice, “May you please call your Wardens? I wish to ask them to arrive in another 10.”
Zayne’s mind raced, but his thoughts turned to pain as the hand on his jaw squeezed again.
“I honestly would love playing with you a little more, seeing how you are actually aiding my Sheriff, but I have business to attend to and we’re in a rush. I do not like violence, but today is a very personal day for me and I simply cannot be late,” the presence continued. “Do as I say, and no one gets so much as scratched. I promise you."
The hand released Zayne’s mouth, giving him the chance to spit back, “And how can I trust you?”
The presence turned Zayne around, and as Zayne’s turned paler than death, under the dimming rays of Piltover’s sun, the presence simply asked, “Do you have a choice?
---
Corina caressed the petals of her wolf’s bane flower that was exposed to an open window and to the sun, fully knowing that so very soon, the Enforcers will be arriving and her master plan could be enacted. It took some time, oh yes, but a single stroke would remove those pesky officers with ease, and then she could bring forth into Piltover-
“Miss Corina? Ma’am? May I have a word with you?” Zayne asked.
Corina turned around, her metallic nails clicking. The hum of electrical lights above flickered, Zayne with his hands in his pockets, standing between two rows of planted Noxian oleander. Corina smiled at him and beckoned him to her.
“Yes, Zayne. You may approach,” Corina cooed. “What is it you wish to discuss?”
“Well, a coupla things,” Zayne admitted as he walked forward. His right hand came up and caressed the poisonous petals of the flowers. “First and foremost, guess you know what I’m doing here, huh?”
Corina’s fingers clicked. She could feel the toxins from her suit’s canisters course through the tubes and fill the chamber of her fingertips. “No, do tell, what are you doing here?”
Zayne smirked and waved Corina off. “Playing coy? Come now.” His voice changed almost entirely- now slightly higher pitched but far more relaxed, with just a slight Demacian accent as he twirled and skipped underneath the flickering lights. “I know you’re pretending to be ‘C’, Corina. No reason to play games with me.”
Corina blinked, unsure of what just happened. “Pardon?”
“I said there’s no reason to play games with me. If this were a game and I were playing chess or some other alternate ‘intelligent’ game, you’d be playing connect four and failing to count to three,” Zayne continued with a chuckle. He threw his right hand out and batted one of the more annoying oleanders out of his way.
Corina realized just then that not only were Zayne’s mannerisms off, but the fact that he was touching Noxian oleander that she genetically bred herself, and did not react with violent itching or wheezing, or collapsing to the ground in paralyzed agony, was slightly off. “You’re not Zayne, are you?”
“And you have managed to count to two! Your intellect shocks me!” Zayne laughed.
Corina collected herself, furrowed her brow and pointed a finger at Zayne. “Do watch your tongue, cur. You may have caught me off guard at first, but please, do you know who you are talking to?”
Zayne snorted and raised his right hand up in mock apology. “You are correct. Please forgive me, Corina Veraza the Chembaron- my deeper apologies, I mean Corina, the Mastermind of Chembarons and Zaunites.”
“Thank you. Now, what do you want?”
“Back to 1, huh? You ask questions but not the right questions.” The light flickered, Zayne’s goggles reflecting the light every little which way in the dimming room. “Let me answer your question with a question: What do you think I am here for?”
“If you were Zayne, then to raid my cultivair with Piltover’s Wardens and that daft Caitlyn. But you are not, so- honestly, you can be here to make a deal with me or to kill me. The former being far more plausible than the latter.”
Zayne clenched his jaw, took in a deep breath, and responded, “I’m sorry to say but the former is far less likely than the latter at this rate. And the latter I would daresay, is not something ‘up’ in my priority list. No, I’m here to take back what is mine, and to take something so very dear of yours.”
Corina raised an eyebrow. “Oh yes, you are here to take my magnum opus? Please, as though I would let you. I have investors that are interested in it, and if you wanted it so badly, we could have negotiated a price at a better time than this. Is that all?”
“Your magnum opus? Which one?” Zayne pointed behind him just as the electricity shut off for nearly a full two seconds. When it flicked back on, Zayne’s smile was just an inch too wide- a few teeth too many. “Your ‘magnum opus’ in your office? A glorified weed according to your own documents that would cause severe bodily waste leakage if consumed, a so very crude joke for a crude mind. No, no no. I am here to take back my reputation, and to take Meiraxa.”
Corina’s body went cold. Her actual magnum opus, the one that could in fact eliminate the Zaun Grey, named after her sister, a fact no one alive should know. Corina brought her hands up and was about to unleash her full fury when she took a moment, thought, and smiled. “Since you know so much about me, may I ask who I am speaking to the corpse that will be fed to my children?”
Zayne snapped his fingers, brought out his left, very human arm, and clapped at Corina. “Excellent! You counted back to two! Bravo!”
Corina’s rage cracked her stoic mask, but she said nothing.
Zayne continued to speak, this time in Corina’s exact voice, “You finally did your best to recognize an ant’s existence! Have you finally noticed how damn quiet it is in here? Your guards went home. Have you been too distracted to see the time? I changed it when you weren’t looking so you wouldn’t be ‘panicked’ about being time efficient. Who am I?”
Zayne pointed at himself, bowed, and said in Zayne’s voice, Corina’s voice, that Demacian voice, and a multitude of other voices in horrifying unison, “I am C. The C. You took what is mine, and so I will take that back and more.”
Corina paled.
“You took my moniker because you thought it’d be easy to lead Caitlyn here into a trap, kill all of the wardens in a single stroke, and have more freedom to pursue your stupid, selfish desires in Piltover like the so very good ecologist you are,” C continued. He laughed and wagged a finger at Corina, speaking in his Demacian voice again, “Which, I could appreciate! Imitation is the purest form of flattery-”
Corina clicked a button on her palm, and the bed of oleanders nearest to C exploded, sending wood splinters and plant matter everywhere. The detonation was small and controlled, but it was more than enough to utterly annihilate a human at point blank range. The lights flickered, the smoke parted, and Corina stumbled backwards, eyes wide with fear and disgust.
Flesh slurped, skin ripped, bones creaked and cracked, and Zayne reformed in front of Corina under the strobing light of failing electricity above. He cracked his head to realign it, which made each vertebrae of his spine crack one after the other like a macabre xylophone.
“C the Mastermind, your genius plan is to blow up people. I truly envy the stupid, you have such easy expectations to meet for yourself,” C muttered, rolling his eyes. “As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, imitation is the purest form of flattery, but you tried to take my credit, for my acts. Imitation is one thing, plagiarizing is an outright insult.”
��How are you alive?”
“By continued breathing, I thought they taught you that in school. No matter,” C waved Corina off. “So, before you get any more bright ideas, please do not try to kill me again, and do listen to me. When the Wardens come, I want you to give them a note, and to tell them you are not the real C, absolving you of my crimes.”
Before Corina’s fingers could twitch, Zayne’s arm lashed out, splitting apart at the seams with sickening, wet slurps, and with serrated fangs, wrapped around Corina’s hand. Corina felt no pain, but saw the severed pipe that fed the toxic ammunition into her weapon flop about on the ground.
“Please pay attention, you have only 2 minutes and twenty seven seconds left before your bombs go off.”
“I haven’t se-” Corina started, then felt one of her fingers break and something slip into her palm as the rest of her fingers were forced to wrap themselves around it. Corina bit her lip to stifle the pain as best as she could. Years of scarring from science experiments gave her an excellent tolerance of pain.
“I apologize for the brutishness but you just do not shut up. I programmed your bombs to go off on a timer rather than by your kill switch. I had to give you the one bomb to see if you were truly stupid enough to try and kill me,” C crowed. He reached into his chest, pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from his literal ribcage that parted and gave him access to his empty body cavity, and placed it on the ground in front of him. “On your knees, write down your apology and to absolve yourself of the title of C, and we’re done here. The longer you take, the more likely this won’t end well for you.”
“On my knees? Like some common whore? Do you think-?”
“A common whore has more sense than you, a common idiot,” C shot back. “In one day I have undone your idiotic master plan and taken even your Merixia under your nose. The only contest here that is left is the contest of patience, and I am admittedly close to losing that one.”
Corina had enough. She had enough toxin in her fingers, and she knew that he could not break all of them in time to stop her from enacting another one of her kill switches. Corina pressed a button that would cause a canister on her suit to fire forward and cover C with a flesh eating toxin, only to have it shot mid-flight and shattered before it could cause anyone any harm.
Both C and Corina looked up overhead at a window, and there was Sheriff Caitlyn, looking down her sights, aiming her rifle at both of them.
C blinked. Utterly distracted by this, Corina ripped her arm free and ran away from him as Caitlyn called out.
“C and Corina, surrender yourselves and you will not be harmed,” Caitlyn called out. “You have one chance- surrender peacefully!”
Corina stumbled away, gasping and wheezing, her arm shuddering.
C looked up, smiling and laughing. “She came. She actually came. Do you see this, Corina? Caitlyn recognized me. I thought she had gotten rusty. I am glad I did not have to escalate, but how did she figure it out? Ah, wait, Zayne never says positive. It’s Zaunite slang he uses, or a two syllable word for his small mind. Nor does he ask to trust him like that. It’s trust me, followed by some animal metaphor, like a whump on a shroom hunt. It slipped my mind. I can’t believe it, without her, it slipped-”
The bombs went off. Ripping through the factory, Caitlyn caught sight of C laughing as he slipped into the fiery green hell while Corina ran the other direction. Caitlyn had to slide down from the window to avoid the explosion of glass shards, cursing under her breath. So close to get two birds with one stone. She knew that Corina posing as C would get him to surface, his ego could not take imposters. Though Caitlyn may not have caught C, the wealth of information gathered from this one event alone was almost worth the loss. And while C will resurface, Corina would not if she got away now. So close to her target, but Caitlyn took a moment to look down the alleyway to make sure the knocked out Zayne was peacefully sleeping, and saw the lights of the Wardens’ vehicles speeding on their way.
If C had not changed the time for the Wardens’ arrival, this evening would have been absolutely catastrophic. The death toll would have been in the dozens for their officers, both good and bad. Caitlyn had wanted to capture Corina before the Wardens arrived, but it seemed that C had alternate plans in mind. The only reason she was delayed was because Zayne had to be found first, taken care of and supervised. Thankfully, backup for Caitlyn had arrived in time as well.
In fact, about backup, as Caitlyn circled around to the back of Corina’s factory, she soon heard an all too familiar voice yell, “Boom! In the face!” followed by a a shriek of surprise and a loud thud.
Caitlyn came across Vi hoisting of Corina onto her shoulder, Corina who was handcuffed and limp.
“Vi, you did not strike her, did you?” Caitlyn asked.
“Nah. I was going to but she just fell forward and passed out at my awesome sight.” Vi gave Corina’s shoulder a little pat as she continued, “Who knew this wallflower back at hq was C, huh?”
“That would be because she’s not C,” Caitlyn answered. “C was in the factory.”
“Wait- really?” Vi looked back at the now violently on fire, emitting smoke clouds of a variety of chemicals, factory. “Well shit. Guess he’s dead.”
“I highly doubt it. C has escaped worse. But now to find his next target-”
Caitlyn stopped herself. She bent down in front of Corina, looked down at the criminal’s hand curled into a fist, saw the purple and white pollen that stained Corina’s skin, and Caitlyn’s eyes dilated.
“Vi, drop her right now.”
Vi did not question Caitlyn, but she did not drop Corina.
“Vi?”
“Uh...Caitlyn...” Vi’s voice lowered, she whimpered, “I- I can’t- move.”
“Noxian oleander poisoning. Who knows what Corina did to it to make it work this fast. Damn it.” Caitlyn had to take a gamble.
As Caitlyn put on a pair of surgical gloves from her satchel her mind raced. This was an interaction between C and Corina. Corina was destructive, C was not for the most part, despite the contorted expression of absolute fear that remained on Corina’s face.
Caitlyn did not know the full extent of that meeting, but knew the pair exchanged some combat, or at least an explosion, but she needed to trust her read of C’s psychology. Caitlyn reached over to unfurl Corina’s fist by trying to pull free a finger. Caitlyn’s hand brushed against Corina’s thumb and immediately noticed the digit was tightened into an iron grip. However, Corina’s fore finger was broken and loose. This meant that though it hurt Corina, Caitlyn could pull the finger free from the stiffening grip and reveal a single vial stuffed in Corina’s palm.
As Caitlyn pulled the vial free, a note wrapped around the glass fluttered to the ground. Her eyes scanned it quickly, the message was short, but the weight of its words struck her like a ton of lead. Caitlyn uncorked the vial, gave it a quick sniff before she took out a spray cap from her satchel, jury-rigged it to fit on the vial with some tape, and sprayed Vi’s arm down.
Vi’s arm slowly, and with great effort, lowered.
“A solution of 90% rubbing alcohol, with a bit of soap and water, to at least remove the pollen and the urushiol oils of the oleander. We’ll have to have the doctor look you over, but this should help for now,“ Caitlyn explained.
Vi actually laughed and gave Caitlyn’s shoulder a soft, knuckled tap with her good arm. “Crap, Cait, you really have a gadget for everything, huh? Thanks.”
Caitlyn smiled, but did not answer.
That note on the floor, that read, “The only time I will give instead of take, a gift from one old friend to another. Hope to see you soon. -C” was a promise Caitlyn knew C would keep. Yet, Caitlyn could not help but notice that C’s methods were escalating. There were no casualties this time, but would there be next time? Even an accidental one? How did C know that Corina would escape the factory if she was doused with a potent enough oleander that it caused nearly instant paralysis in Vi?
The game was afoot once more, and more dangerous than ever.
#Caitlyn#C#Corina#League of Legends#Fuck Corina/Not-Zyra#Also I know the technical term is Piltovan but ever since a certain Sheriff#but ever since a certain Sheriff blog brought up#how that sounds like ovary#Piltvan sounds better#Fite me
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Jaskier (the bard named after a flower)
Read it on AO3
Jaskier means buttercup. Familiar was the small, stubborn plant found along roadsides and in meadows. As if dressed up, it shone in a bright yellow between the pale daisies or the puny grasses. Before the young bard, who followed him out of a tavern to the end of the world and had just that name, Geralt had not paid any attention to them.
It had taken Geralt some time to ask himself for the first time why his companion had chosen this name as his own. He had plucked off a single stalk because it had grown together with the wolf's bane. Wide-open was the chalice, gracefully formed from yellow curved leaves that shimmered in the sun while Geralt turned them in his hands. As the flower slipped from his fingers, slowly sailing to the ground, the question also disappeared from his mind again.
Not until on a night that stretched over their heads like a black cloth decorated with thousands and thousands of pearls that the witcher had managed to bring the question over his lips. For a split second, Jaskier's facial expression slipped away, but a blink of an eye later he smiled. A sad smile that resembled more a grimace and did not reach his cornflower-blue eyes.
"People remember it better," he had simply claimed, "Short and memorable. No one appreciates musicians with a long name."
They were loose words. Anyone would have been satisfied with that answer. The short twitch in Jaskier's hands, the way his fingers restlessly ran over the wide ring on his left hand, Geralt revealed that there was more behind it.
"But why Jaskier?", he checked once more, felt the heavy heartbeat next to him under the starry sky, intoxicated and full of uncertainty. The witcher did not receive an answer. Instead, Jaskier only reached for the opened bottle of wine, the sweet and sour taste which was still on their tongues and which wrapped their senses in cotton wool.
"More wine, Geralt?"
---
Geralt often thought back to that evening. Mostly of her conversation before that, of the jokes, of the smile Jaskier had given him and which covered him in daylight even in the darkest hours of the night. Only after his question did it fade away, as if dark clouds had slid in front of the sparkle in his iris. He had not succeeded in pushing these shadows aside that night. Only the next morning, when the sun climbed up the horizon sleepily, did Jaskier blink between his long brown lashes.
Their breakfast had consisted of leftovers from dinner and blueberries, whose sweet juice had welcomed the beautiful day as much as the birds' emerging chirping. As if he had dreamed of the strangely tense mood at night, Jaskier was awake and alert. Lively and loud as always, despite the alcohol.
Geralt couldn't remember every detail, but he knew he didn't want to see Jaskier's sad face again, the way his shoulders bent under the load like the leaves of a flower threatening to break under the weight.
But there were things that Geralt could not prevent. Every flower faded at some point. Slowly time robbed them of the color of their blooms, let them wither and eventually the wind would carry them away into nothingness. Forgotten and that after only too short a time. Jaskier would not fare any differently. During their time together Geralt had realized that the human body seemed fragile like glass. A simple cold, a wrong step, a wound could make him splinter and the shards would bore deep into Geralt's heart. Into his much too soft heart, which lay in Jaskiers fragile and mortal hands. Desperation devoured him over the weeks, the closer Jaskier came to him.
Until he knew no other way. That day on the mountain, far from civilization, between rocks and softly whispering grass, Jaskier had looked again like the flower whose name he carried. Like a flower that had been stepped on too often, suffered too much, and which at some point looked like the muddy ground with torn blooms and leafs. Every color had disappeared from Jaskier's face when Geralt's words hit him like kicks. The glow in his eyes went out, while tears rose in them. With a feeling as if a rope had been pulled around his chest, Geralt remembered the sound of Jaskier's last words, which he whispered muffled before turning away. Even his favorite instrument had been stolen from him by the witcher.
In return, Jaskier took Geralt's heart with him that day. If he had believed that he would not have to bear the pain if the bard disappeared from his life, Geralt had been mistaken. He felt empty and burnt out. Like a lump of coal whose energy had evaporated, the cold took over. He was incomplete, where he walked and stood. His thoughts hung on the bard, with the name of a flower, while Geralt did his daily duty without anyone waiting for him after the hunt or sharing his bed. Jaskier's scent, a mixture of pinewood and honey and something very own that belonged to him completely, evaporated from his things and his mind, was blown away, no matter how hard the witcher tried to keep him safe.
With every morning Geralt woke up alone and realized that it would go on like this for the rest of his days, he wanted to scream but he couldn't make a sound because he thought he was drowning in the cold of the loneliness that lay like dust on everything.
Until that day when their paths crossed again.Unspectacular, unexpected as if the cunning fate of Geralt wanted to play a trick that evening.Like the breeze on a warm summer day, the familiar voice welcomed him as he pushed open the door to the tavern and saw Jaskier.
He laughed, he sang. He didn't appreciate Geralt's agonizing hours not one look, while the blue eyes flashed across the room and followed the clapping and dancing of the crowd. Only his pulse told the witcher that his presence had not gone unnoticed. Meanwhile, his gaze rested on Jaskier, greedily grasping every detail as if the bard could vanish into thin air at any moment and disappear forever.At the same time, the shame was boiling in Geralt. For all the angry words resting on his chest and squeezing the air out of him like an ugly animal. Guilt weighed on him and the question if Jaskier wasn't better off without him, had more joy in a real-life without mutants, gnawed at his entrails.
But more burning was the desire under his skin. The longing for the bard, for his petty touches that brought butterflies to life in his stomach area. The desire to kiss him spread the wings in his heart suppressed everything and filled him with ease. There was nothing he wished for more than to run his tingling fingertips through his dark brown soft hair, to look into the blue eyes that were more intense than Geralt remembered and reminded him more than ever of fallen pieces of the sky.
He want Jaskier, at his side, as long as fate gave them and if he had to let him go, he wanted to hold his hand until that moment, knowing that never again would a flower attract his gaze like Jaskier.
All this was stronger than Geralt's cowardice. So his shaky legs followed the younger one, who had finished his performance and was heading for the back exit until suddenly they were facing each other.The blue doublet's fabric glittered in the dancing candlelight as Jaskier raised his head and tensed his shoulders as if preparing for a thunderous storm that was about to hit him at any moment.
"Jaskier..-", Geralt began, in a rough voice."What is it, Geralt?", Jaskier replied violently and crossed his arms in front of his chest. With this, he could not hide the trembling of his fingers.
"I..-", Geralt produced, indecisive as he could pronounce what he felt. How sorry he was could hardly be put into words, just as he felt. Ashamed, he lowered his head, fixed the worn-out floorboards on which various footprints were visible.
"Do you know why Jaskier suits me so well?", the bard asked out of nowhere. Abruptly Geralt looked up and when their eyes met, the fire cast soft shadows on the younger one's face. His eyes spoke of pain and shimmered moistly as he continued.
"Buttercups are useless," he said, almost spitting out the words, "You can tear them out as often as you want, but they always grow back where you don't need them."
The first tear made its way across his cheek, mysteriously reflecting the light before Jaskier wiped them away in anger."My parents were right, weren't they? It fits," he said bitterly, turning to leave. Without hesitation, Geralt grabbed his arm, held him tight.
Startled, Jaskier looked at him. More tears rolled, hanging on his lashes as he looked down, unable to look into the eyes that reminded him of splinters of amber."That's not true", Geralt croaked. His heart was beating up to his neck, "I need you."Doubt and shock were visible on Jaskier's face. He bit his lips for a moment when Geralt's hand was already in his neck.
Goosebumps trickled over his skin as he ran his fingers carefully through his unruly hair.
"Buttercups still glow at dusk", Geralt whispered, "They are poisonous and are therefore rarely eaten", he continued, with every word they came closer to each other.
"They do not displace, they do not grow over, they protect when they are close to other plants."With his thumb, Geralt wiped away the last tear, as timidly as if Jaskier could break under the touch.
"They can be found even in the darker swamps", Geralt said, while they stood there leaning forehead to forehead. Jaskier trembled all over his body, his fingers clawing into Geralt's shirt. He became dizzy from the proximity and the scent that enveloped him. He breathed in deeply.
"They give light and hope," he whispered. Warm, hectic breath brushed against his throat. For a second he sank into Jaskier's eyes of the deep shimmering blue that made him forget everything.
"And they are beautiful."With these words he bent over, his hand still on the bard's cheek, sealing her lips in a kiss.He tasted salty tears and hot embers, the surprise and all the colours of this world and every fibre in his body trembled. Carefully they breathed through his nose before Jaskier pulls him closer.His lips curled into a smile, the first in a long time, as a warmth spread through him as if someone had dipped him in hot water.
He only dared to breathe as they parted tentatively, hearts pounding, drunk with happiness. When Jaskier smiled at him, embarrassed and with a twinkle in his eyes, Geralt knew that spring had returned to his life. But what did he care about the other flowers?
He had found his. His only and favorite one.
#jaskier#geraltxjaskier#geraskier#geralt x jaskier#fanfiction#geralt x dandelion#imagines#buttercups#behind jaskiers name#geralt is soft
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Bran Stark Appreciation Week - Day 5 - Magic / Politics
The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The giants are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the western hills have been slain, the unicorns are all but gone, the mammoths down to a few hundred. The direwolves will outlast us all, but their time will come as well.
Leaf is talking about magic to Bran however I think her quote about the direwolves - the sigil of House Stark- "outlasting" or in other words "surviving" absolutely foreshadows George's intentions for Stark restoration.
(The comment about their time coming as well could also absolutely hint at a Westeros in which feudalism is eventually abolished, to be replaced with a more equal system. The Starks as much as I love them, are still part of a feudal, classist system. It doesn't mean that the Stark name will disappear however.)
Anyway, Bran ruling Westeros in place of Daenerys - the direwolf outlasting the dragon.
Furthermore, Tyrion's thoughts also support Stark restoration -
He remembered their godswood; the tall sentinels armored in their grey-green needles, the great oaks, the hawthorn and ash and soldier pines, and at the center the heart tree standing like some pale giant frozen in time. He could almost smell the place, earthy and brooding, the smell of centuries, and he remembered how dark the wood had been even by day. That wood was Winterfell. It was the north. I never felt so out of place as I did when I walked there, so much an unwelcome intruder. He wondered if the Greyjoys would feel it too. The castle might well be theirs, but never that godswood. Not in a year, or ten, or fifty.
The castle of Winterfell is significant undoubtedly, but it's arguable that it's the godswood where the true power lies. After all, it is the place from which the "gloomy castle" was built around. Without Winterfell's godswood, you cannot hold the North.
Regarding the castle itself, Theon thinks of Winterfell almost as a living entity after capturing it, a living entity that rejects him -
"He dared not risk having them on the wrong side of the moat, should the castle rise against him."
Winterfell wanted him dead.
Theon's thoughts in particular is significant because he thinksit even after Bran has yielded to him - it's foreshadowing his eventual loss of the castle, to it falling in Bolton hands, to returning to the Starks once more -
One day there would be Starks in Winterfell again. - Bran Stark
Bran Stark - A Northern Prince, King in the South
1. "There's not been a direwolf sighted south in two hundred years.
I see one now."
2. She lowered her leg to stand on two feet. "Father, will Bran come and live with us?" (In the South)
Not for a long time, sweet one. He needs to win his strength back."
3. He could see the whole realm, and everyone in it - the whole realm meaning 6 kingdoms.
But the old wolf's dead and the young one's gone south to play the game of thrones.
"You are only a boy, I know, but you are our prince as well, our lord's son, and our King's true heir."
Robb went South & did not return, however his true heir will replace him. As it's been pointed out before, the melting flakes in Robb's hair foreshadow his demise, yet the idea of Starks not surviving in the South is not a hard and fast rule when both Sansa and Arya defy it & Arya's direwolf roams the Riverlands, establishing a great pack. Thus, in a contrast to his namesake that travelled to Kingslanding and thus died, Bran will not experience such a fate in the South -
When dawn broke over the city, the dark red blooms of dragon's breath surrounded the girls where they lay. "I dreamed of Bran," Sansa had whispered to him. "I saw him smiling."
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Blood and Chocolate 2007 is a quite different werewolf movie. More or less it’s not a typical horror movie. The werewolves are portrayed here are shapeshifter nomads. Their leader Oliver Martinez who sticks to the old world traditions. A beautiful young wolf woman played by Agnes Bruckner who decided to rebel against her wolf tribe by having a live affair with a cartoonist played by Hugh Dancy. The tribe doesn’t sit well with her discretions. These wolf creatures resemble the ones shown in 1981s wolfen .not the Lon Chaney Jr or American werewolf of London variety. The title blood and chocolate in the title referred to the young wolf woman who works at a chocolate shop in modern day Romania . A place I would love to visit someday. Along with Transylvania where the legend of Dracula came from. Aka VLAD the impaler. I know somehow a morbid fantasy but as a lover of gothic horror and legendary monsters from the past. It’s something I believe in. Even a man who’s pure in heart, and says his prayers by day, may become a wolf, when the wolf bane blooms, and when the autumn moon is bright. This poem is from the original Wolfman 1941 starring Lon Chaney JR.A must see classic werewolf movie. That also stars Bela Lugosi, Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Ralph Bellamy. So what do I think is the best werewolf movie?well the wolfman 1942 ranks number one. Also blood and chocolate, the howling1981,American Werewolf in London 1981, Werewolf of London 1935,I was a teenage werewolf 1957, and probably the Jack Nicholson one called Wolf. In 1994.but as I said earlier blood and chocolate is a very unique werewolf movie for the modern era. With a touch of mythos.
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