#from Jezebel to Queen and Mommy

[starlooove]

The problem with a lot of y’all is that u sure do listen but you don’t comprehend or understand and it makes u make the same mistakes in the opposite direction

[hcrryofwales]

𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐐𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄  /  𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘,  𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐎𝐅  𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒.

crownshqs  challenge  iii  /  character  study. word  count  :  2.8k   /  point  count  :  30.

001.  describe  your  characters’  relationship  with  their  mother  or  father,  or  both.  minimum  word  count:  150.

harry’s  relationship  with  his  father  is  notably  strained,  their  tumultuous  ties  are  well  known  and  vastly  talked  about  in  the  english  court  and  likely  whispered  about  in  foreign  courts,  as  he  blames  edward  from  his  mother’s  departure  from  london  and  for  publicly  ridiculing  her  by  parading  his  jezebel,  isabel  of  york,  around  court  as  though  she  were  its  consort.  his  mother’s  final  years,  ravaged  by  illness  and  neglect  and  humiliation,  preyed  upon  his  young  mind  for  years  and  his  last  memories  of  her  have  soured  his  relationship  with  his  father  and  his  second  wife.  his  bond  with  his  mother,  although  highly  idolised  in  retrospect,  was  strong  ---  though  they  saw  each  other  seldom,  he  was  a  mama’s  boy  through  to  his  core  and  thus  his  memories  of  her  seem  sweeter  than  the  reality  was;  his  mother  was  indeed  quite  ill  for  most  of  his  life,  plagued  by  guilt  and  grief  over  the  death  of  her  third  child,  and  her  ability  to  truly  love  her  children  in  a  healthy  manner  was  compromised  by  the  acrimonious  and  eventual  public  collapse  of  her  marriage.

002.  what  are  your  characters’  most  prominent  physical  features?  what  is  a  feature  that  they  are  most  insecure  about?  what  are  they  proudest  of?

the  hair  is  obviously  quite  prominent,  even  if  to  his  chagrin.  it’s  symbolic  more  than  anything,  a  nod  to  his  joint  heritage  ----  the  braganza’s  fair,  coppery  colouring  (  as  his  mother  was  a  natural  red  head,  though  it  faded  throughout  the  years  )  and  the  plantagenet’s  strawberry  roots  (  noticeably,  edward’s  beard  retains  the  scarlet  tint  of  his  youth.  )  his  height,  especially  in  medieval  europe,  is  also  prominent.  harry  stands  at  an  imposing  6′3  /  190 cm,  and  is  considerably  taller  than  that  of  his  contemporaries.  this  is  likely  the  feature  he  is  most  proud  of  (  but  lbr,  he’s  an  english  king,  he’s all  about  his  #thicc  and  shapely  calves.  )  i  wouldn’t  say  that  he  is  particularly  insecure  about  anything,  most  things  that  come  to  mind  would  be  considered  attractive  by  medieval  standards  ---  namely  his  pasty  white  skin  and  the  inability  to  grow  a  considerable  beard.

003.  how  vain  is  your  character?  do  they  find  themselves  attractive?  what  is  their  worst  flaw,  and  are  they  aware  of  it?

i  would  say  harry  is  fairly  vain  ----  more  so  arrogant,  though,  and  that  neatly  ties  in  with  his  greatest  flaw.  he  thinks  too  highly  of  himself  and  assumes  those  around  him  are  of  the  same  mind.  it  isn’t  entirely  his  fault  though,  he’s  been  born  and  bred  to  view  himself  as  the  best  thing  since  sliced  bread  as  the  next  god  appointed  king  of  england.

004.  what  is  your  character’s  ranking  on  the  kinsey  scale?

3  out  of  six  /   bisexual,  equally  heterosexual  and  homosexual.

005.  describe  your  character’s  happiest  memory.  minimum  word  count:  150.

his  happiest  memories  are  all  rooted  in  his  childhood,  and  with  his  lady  mother.  the  welsh  countryside,  the  fierce  sun  drawing  out  the  freckles  on  his  cheeks,  reddening  the  tint  to  his  skin,  warming  his  limbs.  queen  eleanor’s  fingertips  upon  his  shoulder  blades,  working  into  his  developing  muscles  and  broadening  width,  her  touch  often  soothing,  at  other  moments  used  to  stay  him  and  keep  him  from  lunging  out  at  one  of  lord  warwick’s  sons  for  stealing  his  lance  and  capturing  the  dragon  before  him.  lady  isabel  neville,  wife  to  the  earl  of  shrewsbury,  is  there  too  with  her  young  step  children,  yet  ----  ignorance  is  bliss  and  childish  innocence  conceals  all  sins,  so  he  is  nothing  but  glad  to  see  her. 

as  festivals  are  planned  and  banquets  underway,  the  king  has  asked  the  nevilles  to  greet  queen  eleanor’s  portuguese  relatives,  and  harry  is  told  by  his  mother  that  he  will  soon  meet  the  woman  who  may  one  day  preside  as  consort  beside  him,  but  she  assures  him,  quells  his  immediate  displeasure,  in  a  way  that  his  mother  only  could,  by  telling  him  that  she  would  remain  by  his  side  throughout  it  all.  

and  that,  with  her  hand  on  his  shoulder,  puts  him  at  peace.

006.  is  there  one  event  in  your  characters’  life  that  they  would  like  to  erase  from  their  past?  why?  minimum  word  count:  200.

there  are  plenty.  his  mother’s  death,  isabel’s  coronation,  the  date  that  an  envoy  from  rome  arrived  on  english  shores  to  announce  the  pope  had  agreed  to  legitimise  his  half  -  brother  alexander,  the  day  of  edward,  his  full -  brother’s  death,  the  day,  even,  that  he  was  made  prince  of  wales  and  styled  as  his  father’s  true  heir.  they  all  tie  in  directly  to  the  humiliation  queen  eleanor  received  at  the  hands  of  the  english  court,  the  constant  scorn  she  was  subjected  to  as  rival  to  the  clever  and  wry  dowager  of  shrewsbury.

he  regrets  these  days  --  chiefly  --  because  he  believes  he  could  have  done  more  to  protect  those  he  loved.  harry  harboured  plans  to  avenge  his  mother  by  granting  her  the  title  of  queen  mother  upon  edward’s  death,  and  yet  as  we  now  know  that  day  never  came  and  his  hopes  were  miscarried  by  eleanor’s  death  in  1452.  since  then,  he  has  been  in  a  constant,  frenzied  war  with  himself  --------  unsure  if  he  fears  his  mother’s  replacement  or  alexander’s  place  in  the  line  of  succession  more.  harry  has  grown  manic  in  wanting  to  prove  himself  as  edward’s  true  heir  and  thus  condemn  the  nevilles  and  their  fitzroy  scions  in  the  public  eye,  by  securing  an  alliance  with  the  recently  crowned  trastamara  pope,  having  been  enraged  with  the  pomp  and  circumstance  they  were  bestowed  by  his  father  for  numerous  years.

007.  let’s  talk  favourites!  what  is  their  favourite  colour,  food,  and  season?   what,  in  a  modern  setting,  would  be  your  character’s  favourite  song?  

his  favourite  colour  is  likely  a  toss  up  between  red  (  a  rich  red,  the  scarlet  hue  of  a  burgundian  wine,  the  stain  of  fresh  blood,  darker  than  crimson  )  or  a  stately  blue  that  oozes  with  cool  regality  and  pairs  well  with  gold  trim.  anything  that  displays  the  wealth  of  the  crown.

008.  can  you  define  a  turning  point  in  your  character’s  life?

the  day  isabel  was  crowned  as  queen  in  westminster  abbey,  harry  shed  the  skin  of  a  boy  and  began  to  genuinely  work  toward  being  king.

009.  is  your  character  an  early  morning  bird  or  a  night  owl?  at  what  time  do  they  get  most  of  their  work  done?

neither.  he  wakes  up  at  an  appropriate  hour,  or  whenever  his  dalliance’s  husband  splashes  him  with  water  and  kicks  him  out  of  their  bed,  though  generally  retires  quite  late  as  he  is  expected  to  host  within  court.  i  would  say  most  of  his  work  gets  done  later  at  night,  as  opposed  to  the  early  morning  or  midday,  as  this  is  when  the  majority  of  his  public  duties  and  outings  have  drawn  to  a  close.

010  a.  what  other  character,  a  npc  or  someone  apart  of  the  rp,  is  your  character  completely  real  with?  who  knows  them  best,  has  seen  them  at  their  most  vulnerable,  knows  their  innermost  and  basest  fears?  

if  anyone,  probably  lianor  montagu,  and  yet  in  any  of  his  relationships  he’ll  tend  to  hold  back.  lia’s  understanding  is  unquestionably  greater  and  deeper  than  anyone  else,  but  she  certainly  doesn’t  know  everything  and  he  has  carefully  built  a  wall,  a  divider,  between  himself  and  others  to  avoid  being  picked  apart. 

011.  is  your  character  a  neat  or  messy  person?

i  think,  left  to  his  own  devices,  harry  can  be  a  bit  of  a  messy  person.  he’s  so  used  to  servants  picking  up  after  him,  all  eager  to  please  him,  that  it  doesn’t  cross  his  mind  to  keep  things  tidy.  that  isn’t  to  say  he  would  live  in  a  complete  pigsty  if  he  went  without  maids  and  attendants,  but  it  certainly  wouldn’t  be  the  most  organised  of  spaces.

012.  does  your  character  have  any  irrational  fears  or  phobias?

like  the  majority  of  his  contemporaries,  harry  fears  illness.  the  english  court  moves  from  palace  to  palace  to  flee  from  all  traces  of  it,  yet  having  contracted  something  akin  to  the  sweating  sickness  when  he  was  a  boy,  and  having  lost  his  mother  to  disease,  harry  has  developed  a  strong  phobia  of  infection  and  thus  limits  his  royal  outings  to  affluent  areas,  where  the  threat  of  plague  is  relatively  subdued.  likewise,  harry  will  not  receive  those  who  are  unwell,  and  will  not  sit  at  the  bedside  of  dying  relatives,  out  of  fear  of  catching  something. 

moreover,  harry  fears,  perhaps  more  than  anything,  anonymity  and  failure.  it  is  his  utmost  desire  to  preside  over  england  as  king  and  usher  in  a  glorious  era  for  his  kingdom.  standing  in  the  way  of  that  is,  obviously,  his  tentative  marriage  alliances  and  his  half  -  brother’s  induction  into  the  line  of  succession.

013.  does  your  character  have  an  underlying  passion  or  trait  that  influences  all  aspects  of  their  life?

of  course.  i’ve  touched  on  it  several  times  but  wanting  to  exceed  his  father,  in  light  of  the  shame  he  put  his  mother,  sister,  and  himself  through,  in  all  aspects  is  a  hugely  important  guiding  force  in  his  life  and  something  that  influences  --  or  at  least  should  influence  --  his  character  and  decisions. 

014.  what  might  your  character’s  ideal  romantic  person  be?

someone  who  understands  him  so  fully  that  he  doesn’t  need  to  explain  himself.

someone  who’s  beliefs  and  underlying  goals  and  desires  match  his  own  ---  that  their  personal  philosophies  align  with  his;  that,  when  disagreement  rears  its  ugly  head,  it  isn’t  over  something  deeply  critical  to  either  of  them.

someone  with  patience,  understanding,  and  an  understated  resilience  who  can  soothe  him  when  he  gets  overworked  or  his  temper  flares.  

someone  who  can  withstand  the  burden  of  his  infidelity  and  wandering  hands.

someone  who,  when  his  eyes  stray  or  his  mind  becomes  transfixed  on  matters  of  state  or  militaristic  pursuits,  can  ensure  that  his  realm  is  run  smoothly  and  will  act  as  an  upright  representative  at  his  side.

also,  whilst  i’d  say  he’s  probably  more  sexually  attracted  to  men,  women  tend  to  fill  his  emotional  needs  better  and  he  does  cling  to  them  more  as  a  result  of  some  pretty  keen  #mommy  issues.

015.  describe  your  character’s  hands.  are  they  small,  long,  calloused,  smooth,  stubby,  dexterous  or  clumsy?  do  they  wear  any  jewelry  and  would  they  wear  polish  in  a  modern  setting?

his  fingers  are  long  and  lean,  knuckles  slightly  reddened.  his  palm  is  wide  and  flat,  able  to  stretch  across  a  woman’s  bodice  with  ease,  and  his  grip  is  both  strong  and  dexterous.  he  uses  his  fingers  to  expertly  win  at  chess,  alert  his  stewards  of  his  needs  with  a  brisk  snap,   and  employs  his  hands  liberally  to  gesture  as  he  speaks.  the  pads  of  his  fingertips  are  calloused  and  worn  by  years  of  equestrianism,  jousting  and  fencing,  though  they  are  neatly  trimmed,  splattered  with  freckles,  and  generally  soft  to  the  touch,  adorned  with  an  emerald  heirloom  worn  upon  his  pinky  finger,  and  other  jewels  to  flaunt  the  plantagenet’s  vast  wealth  that  correspond  with  his  attire.

016.  how  does  your  character  smell?  what  is  their  favourite  scent?

whilst  he  prefers  clean,  crisp  scents  (  citrus,  particularly  oranges,  sharp  colognes  and  spicy  fragrances,  a  hint  of  mint )   on  a  day  to  day  basis  he  smells  earthy.

he’s  well  known  for  his  athleticism,  and  thus  quite  a  bit  of  his  time  is  spent  on  horseback,  darting  through  the  english  countryside,  weaving  through  woods  and  bathing  in  the  fresh  streams  that  course  through  his  father’s  lands.  hence,  his   personal  scent  verges  on  earthy  and  woodsy.

you  may  also  smell  ale  or  wine  upon  him,  or  the  lavender  soaps  that  his  footmen  supply  him  to  rinse  his  hair  with.

in  a  modern  verse,  his  favourite  candle  would  be  sandalwood,  and  he  would  wear  a  classic  cedar  chest  cologne;  a  slightly  spicy,  musky,  amber  and  vanilla - like  woody  aroma. 

017.  how  would  your  muse  describe  their  religious  beliefs?

in  the  eyes  of  the  public,  harry  will  be  a  consummately  catholic  king,  and  it  is  vital  that  his  future  wife’s  beliefs  correspond  with  his  own.  religion  has  long  been  a  tool  used  by  the  kings  of  england  to  appease  their  people,  but  indeed  ------  harry  is  a  spiritual  individual  and  regularly,  by  choice,  attends  service;  though  his  conduct  may  or  may  not  align  with  the  principles  mapped  out  by  scripture,  as  he  believes  rulers  are  allowed  to  float  above  them.  harry  knows  that  his  lady  mother  would  roll  in  her  grave  were  he  to  abandon  the  faith,  and  like  the  rulers  who  have  come  before  him,  he  believes  that  he  was  culled  and  hand  selected  by  God  to  claim  the  throne.

018.  what  rules  does  your  muse  live  by,  if  any?

harry  lives  by  the  rule  that  there  are  no  rules  ------  not  for  the  heir  to  the  english  throne.  he  believes  his  birthright  entitles  him  to  act  and  do  as  he  pleases,  and  he  has  little  hair  on  his  tongue  in  lashing  out  against  those  who  could  stand  to  crush  him,  having  no  fear  simply  because  he’s  his  father’s  son.

019.  does  your  muse  overshare,  or  are  they  more  private?

within  his  inner  -  circle,  harry  has  a  penchant  to  overshare  and,  well,  complain.  but  with  those  whom  he  is  unfamiliar,  he’s  a  closed  book,  and  one  that  may  seem  delightfully  intriguing  to  avid  readers.

020.  is  your  muse  a  gossiper?  are  they  more  likely  to  argue  with  their  fists  or  tongue?  what  does  their  voice  sound  like?

whilst  he  does  heed  talk  around  court,  and  is  likely  aware  of  courtly  happenings,  i  don’t  think  he’s  all  that  interested  in  spreading it,  beyond  idle  talk.  there  are  far  more  important  matters  for  the  prince  of  wales  to  attend  to,  and  if  one  gives  over  to  gossip  there  is  usually  no  end  to  it.  

harry  is  more  inclined  to  fight  with  his  fists,  but  this  should  not  lessen  the  obvious  prowess  of  his  tongue  ----  he  can  spar  with  either,  and  yet  the  fierce  lashes  of  his  tongue  are  generally  reserved  for  isabel. 

he  has  a  standard  english  accent  and  his  voice  is  quite  low  and  melodic,  with  certain  welsh  twangs  here  and  there  from  his  upbringing  in  ludlow.

021.  is  your  muse  a …  pessimist  or  optimist …  lover  or  fighter … believer  in  happy  endings …  believer  in  love  at  first  sight?

somewhere  in  between  a  pessimist  and  optimist  ---  a  realist,  with  lofty  aspirations  for  himself.  fighter.  not  a  believer  in  happy  endings  (  but  a  believer  in  the  endings  one  deserves,  the  endings  one  fights  for  )  and  a  believer  in  lust,  not  love,  at  first  sight.

022.  what  sense  of  humour  does  your  character  have?

a  boyish,  slightly  dry  humour.  he’s  fond  of  crass  jokes  and  will  often  make  them  himself,  yet  his  sense  of  humour  has  been  known  to  get  him  in  a  world  of  trouble  with  his  advisers  and  foreign  royals.  blame  it  on  a  slip  of  the  tongue.

023.  what  bad  habits  does  your  character  have?

gambling,  drinking,  womanising...  you  name  it.  in  a  modern  verse,  he’d  definitely  be  more  likely  to  dabble  in  recreational  drug  or  tobacco  use,  but  since  that’s  fairly ...  limited  and  /  or  outlandish  in�� medieval  europe  i  don’t  think  it  would  present  much  of  a  problem  and  he  wouldn’t  be  at  risk  of  addiction.  also,  vapes  don’t  exist  in  1455  as  far  as  i  know,  but  you  know  if  they  did  he’d  be  smoking  that  tutti  frutti  !!

024.  how  does  your  character  feel  about  growing  old?

there  is  a  sense  of  opportunity  to  growing  older,   though  there  is  also  fear.  growing  older  means  becoming  king,  amassing  power  and  loyalty   -------   but,  though  he  may  be  king,  rulers  are  too  made  of  clay  and  subjected  to  mortality  as  any  other,  and  this,  without  a  doubt,  is  among  his  greatest  fears.  

the  idea  of  dying  without  achieving  anything  is  troublesome  to  harry,  and  much  of  his  desire  to  wed  stems  from  the  notion  that  his  heirs  and  daughters  will  carry  his  legacy  into  another  lifetime,  that  they’ll  be  used  as  politically  influential  pawns,  that,  if  he  should  have  a  son,  there  would  be  no  chance  for  his  half - brother  to  inherit  the  throne,  and  this  ultimately  soothes  his  apprehensions  to  a  certain  degree.

025.  does  your  character  prefer  adventure  to  safety  and  security?

adventure,  certainly,  although  as  i  have  touched  upon  before,  adventure  for  harry  is  not  the  same  for,  say,  a  noble  or  a  lesser  member  of  court.  there  will  always  be  a  safety  net  beneath  him,  so  while  he  may  leap  and  bound,  there  has  never  been  any  fear  that  he  would  fall  and  thus  it  cannot  be  considered  entirely  dangerous  or  even  adventuresome,  perhaps  more  calculated  than  anything.  thats  privilege  babey  !!

[kindofchaoticgood]

Goddamn Right, You Should be Scared of Me

(based off the bar scene in X-Men: First Class)

“Keep ‘em coming,” Jezebel of Hearts waved drunkenly at the barkeep, her garishly red lipstick smeared on the rim of her glass.

“Calm down,” Ginny Gothel ordered, taking a sip of her drink and making a face (that had definitely not been a vodka cranberry). “Everybody’s staring at us, and not in the good way.”

“Fuck you,” Jezebel retorted, swigging the dregs of her drink. “We’re celebrating you tonight, you bitch, you could at least be grateful-”

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to her drink, already tuning out the rest of Jezebel’s tirade. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of gleaming silver as a girl with metal braided into her hair leaned over to give her order to the barkeep, and her eyes tracked the movement of the wires in the girl’s hair, wondering how good those wires would look in her hair.

She must not have been as subtle in her staring as she thought though, because the girl turned and gave her a wry smirk. “See something you like?” she asked, propping a hip up against the wooden counter.

Heat rushed towards Ginny’s ears, but her mouth had started speaking without permission of her brain. “Where did you get those?”

“These?” The girl touched the wires and grinned. “They’re only pretty from a distance, trust me.”

“Are you even listening to me? Gin-” Jezebel had finally noticed that Ginny wasn’t paying attention to her, but her ire disappeared instantly once she saw the girl. “Oh hey, pretty lady,” she drawled, flashing a seductive smile.

A slightly incredulous smile tugged the corners of the girl’s lips upwards and she raised an eyebrow at Ginny, as if to ask: is she serious? Ginny gave her a helpless shrug and raised her glass to take a drink. Something about the girl was nagging at her, she looked familiar but Ginny couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before . . .

“I’ll pay for her drink,” Jezebel told the bartender, who let out a grunt and shoved a glass full of dusty-looking amber liquid at the girl.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. “That’s generous,”

“Well, I’m in a magnanimous mood tonight,” Jezebel replied airily. “After all, we are celebrating!”

“What are you celebrating?” The girl asked, taking a sip of her drink. Ginny squinted at her. That voice, where had she heard it before?

Jezebel leaned in conspiratorially. “You know that stupid Anti-Hero cult that was going around a few weeks back, with all those morons who were trying to convert people to good?”

“Oh, yeah, I think I heard something about that.”

“Ginny here cut and strung up one of those little suckers,” Jezebel smirked, taking a drink from the glass that the bartender had refilled. “He was the last remnant of that stupid club, and now they’re all gone, so we’re celebrating.”

“Huh,” the girl murmured.

Ginny shrugged. “Somebody had to do it.” She tilted her glass back and finished her drink. “What brings you here?”

“Nothing so interesting,” the girl replied nonchalantly, lightly flicking the glass with a turquoise nail. “I came here to have a drink to honor my little cousin because some bitch sliced him up and hung his body up all over town.”

Jezebel froze and Ginny tensed up, but the girl just smiled and downed her glass.

Ginny pulled out her ever-present knife from under her skirt, but her strike was sloppy, and the girl deflected it easily. She slammed Ginny’s arm down on the table and pinned it down, pulling the knife out of her hand and studying it.

“This is a nice knife,” she proclaimed, as Ginny struggled under her grip. “I’m pretty sure this is real silver.”

“Fuck you,” Ginny sneered at her, eyes flashing. “You wouldn’t dare do anything to me-”

The girl’s eyes hardened. “Don’t be so sure,” she warned softly, before plunging the knife into Ginny’s hand.

Ginny let out an earsplitting howl; more out of shock than immediate pain. Had this bitch really just stabbed her in the hand?

Around her, people were starting to stare at them, but most of them were turning away in disinterest. After all, this was the Isle of the Lost; bar fights were a dime a dozen in this place.

Then there was a click and Ginny turned her head to see Jezebel pointing a pistol at the girl. “Drop the knife,” Jezebel ordered, her hands steady and eyes hard. “And we’ll forget this ever happened and you can live for another day-”

The girl looked at Jezebel’s pistol calculatingly for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay.” She tugged the knife out of Ginny’s hand, causing her to let out a cry of pain.

Ginny’s eyes were swimming, but she could vaguely see Jezebel lowering the pistol and reaching for the knife but the girl had taken off one of her bracelets and was uncoiling it –

The girl snapped her wrist and a silver wire arced towards Jezebel; minute razors wrapping tight around her neck and drawing blood. Jezebel collapsed like a puppet to the floor and Ginny could only watch in horror as the last vestiges of life left the daughter of the Queen of Hearts. She tried to grab for the knife, but the girl was faster, grabbing it back and slamming it into Ginny’s hand again. A choked out scream escaped her lips, but still, no one gave her a second glance.

“Who are you?” she demanded, voice breaking.

The girl gave her a cool look, reaching over to Jezebel’s body to untwine the wire from her neck. “My name is Uma Triskelion.”

Ginny gaped at her for a moment. “Shrimpy? You’ve got to be-”

Uma’s ringed hand smashed across her mouth, and blood welled up, leaving a coppery taste on her tongue.

“It’s Uma,” the girl spoke to Ginny as though she were particularly slow. “But we’re not here to talk about me.” She leaned forward, dark eyes as cold as the abyss. “You killed my cousin like a dog. Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you?”

 *****

 Ginny was running faster than she ever had in her entire life and the tall grass whipped at her legs as she ran, but it still wasn’t fast enough.

“Come on Gothel!” Harry Hook called mockingly behind her, his voice echoing off the trees. “You’re going to have to run a bit faster than that!”

She could dimly hear Uma’s laugh over the sound of her labored breathing, but the growls and the barks that followed her were like thunder in her ears.

She sped up, but a sharp stitch burst into life on her side, and she grasped blindly in the air, her hand finding a tree to brace herself against.

Almost immediately, an arrow flew straight into the tree, and would have impaled her, had she not yanked her hand away at the last second.

“Christ, I’m beginning to think you want to get dragged off by the hellhounds,” Uma sighed, lowering her bow.

Ginny ran faster, but she was beginning to feel woozy from blood loss. Her hand was bleeding freely, and thorns and rocks kept stabbing into her bare feet. Meanwhile, the hounds chased after her, their barks low and menacing.

She tripped over a twig and tumbled into a small creek, arms spinning wildly as she tried to balance herself. As soon as she regained her footing, she set off again, hearing the hounds splashing in the water behind her.

Just when she thought that she might be able to make it to the outer edge of the woods, another arrow flew through the air, this time going through her shoulder.

Yet, she still continued, clutching her shoulder and running on.

But then an arrow went through her calf, and Ginny went down, though she still tried to desperately claw herself forward.

One of the hounds appeared out of the darkness, red eyes smoldering unnaturally. Ginny tried to push herself back, but the other hound was behind her, a low growl rumbling in its throat.

“Good job, boys,” Uma cooed as she and Harry walked up. She knelt down and petted the hound closest to her. “Mommy is going to be so happy when she sees what you brought her!”

“What?” Ginny asked, her throat closing with dread.

Uma turned towards her, smile predatory. “You didn’t really think that I was just going to let you go, did you?” The hounds were shuffling closer to Ginny and the look of fear on her face was invigorating Uma. “No, my uncle and aunt have something very special in mind for you . . .”

All the blood drained out of Ginny’s face. “No . . .”

“Oh yes,” Uma laughed. “Did you really think that Hades and Persephone wouldn’t have an interest in the girl who killed their only child?”

Ginny stared up at Uma, eyes pleading. “Please . . . mercy. I’ll do whatever you want, I swear, just please-”

“It’s too late for that,” Uma said coldly, as the hounds approached Ginny, their brimstone breath fanning across her face. “You should have thought about that before you killed Hadie.”

The last thing Ginny Gothel saw was the gaping maw of one of the hellhounds, right before it leaped upon her.