#i'll make a sane drawing next time so sorry

[polkadotjohnson]

Words: 13K+

Warnings: Explicit. NSFW. BDSM (heavy on the M), violent bloody vampire sex ❣ name of my high-school band

Summary: Years and years gone by, Cora receives a reminder from a past she thought she had escaped. Good? Good. There's more.

(A note to put you at ease: think carefully about whether or not I ship Vincent with Cora)

The girl wakes up and looks around, disoriented in the bleary morning light.

"You did it again."

She screams, sitting up and searching for the owner of that voice. A shadow looms in the corner. Without taking her eyes from it, she feels up her surroundings, and when her hand finds the object by her side, at once she knows it's a weapon.

"Don't you think you've made enough use of that for one night?"

"Who's there? Who are you?"

He ignites a lamp, bringing it closer to his face. "It's been a long time, but don't tell me you've forgotten me, Cora."

She blanches. "No." Shaking her head slowly, then fast, it's as if she's trying to make him disappear like a mirage. It's been years, long, long years, but she does remember him. He looks exactly the same, not a day older. The crimson eyes, the cold, calculating smirk. "No, I killed you!"

He raises his eyebrows with an amused expression. "I'm sorry, what did you just say? You? Killed me?" His gaze turns mocking. "Were you always a comedian?"

"What are you talking about? I stuck this… something like this…" She grabs the piece of wood beside her. "Right into your dead, rotten heart!"

"If it was already dead, then how could you have killed me?" He shakes his head. "Forget it and listen carefully. Whatever it is you're talking about, it never happened."

She exhales in disbelief. "How can you say that? I remember it! I remember everything. Fighting you, kis--"

She stops abruptly, blood rushing to her cheeks as he laughs heartily. "What was that? Have you fantasized about me?"

Her voice grows cold. "You wish. So stabbing you didn't kill you. Fine. Whatever. But don't tell me it didn't happen!" She raises the weapon, as if preparing to try again.

A gust of cold air rushes in front of her, and in the next second, he's holding her stake, feeling up its point with one of his nails, still darkened but not long claws like she remembered. She touches the scratches he left on her fingers and brings them to her mouth as they start to bleed. He smirks at that. "It's a defense mechanism. Whenever something happens that is too taxing for your delicate mind, you have these little… reveries. To keep you sane. Are you sane though, Cora?" He moves the lamp around, illuminating the girl she'd been cuddling minutes ago. The hole in her chest isn't bleeding anymore, but it probably did all night. While she does recoil from the sight, she doesn't scream.

"Who… who is she?"

He shrugs. "Who knows. You just seduce them and kill them. You could almost be one of us… maybe that's what you want. If I hadn't gotten here, you probably would have left in a daze, without even seeing any of this. The mechanism activated. Your mind quickly coming up with a story to put you at ease. Picking up flowers, then fell asleep in the fields. Watching the stars, chasing bunnies. It doesn't have to be that deep." He tucks the stake in his coat pocket. "Y'know, I find it really interesting, your weapon of choice. It goes hand in hand with your dreams of me." She scoffs, but he continues. "The Helsing Killer. It's what they call you, isn't it? A mysterious monster that kills people as if they were… creatures of the night. If only they knew it was just a little girl…"

"No, you're insane. You're making that up. I'll--"

"Here, I'll help you remember it." He stares her down, paralyzing her with his feral gaze as he taps a nail twice in her temple. It draws blood, and he licks it from his finger. She watches it in a daze, as an image starts to form in her mind and she can't help but close her eyes. Approaching the camp last night, making friends with the people there, drinking with them. A classic routine. Heavy emptiness drowns her. Then everything vanishes when he shakes her awake. "Forget it, there's no time right now. They're coming." Whatever trick he did juggled something in her mind, and the emptiness numbs her, stays in her.

"What? Who?" He stands up, takes the dead girl and tosses her through the tent door. Then he grabs her arm and starts dragging her outside. "No, but the sun…"

"I'm sure you'll manage a minute or two without lotion." He pulls her out and just waits, watching her reaction. She surveys the scene with shock and dismay in her eyes. The carnage is so over the top it looks like something out of a slasher flick. Clearly dead bodies scattered around, and as far as she can see, all with chest wounds. "How long has it been since your last massacre? Two, three years? You're lucky I was here this time around to sort this up."

She frowns. "What do you mean?"

He sighs. "You were just going to kill them and vanish, like last time. The incompetence of the local force was on your side then. But if you keep leaving up messes like that, don't think your luck won't run out." He douses the tent with some flammable liquid and sets it on fire.

She flinches from the sudden burst, covering her face with an arm. "What are you doing?"

Once again, he ignores her, pointing to another tent. "Grab the ones inside and bring them here." Unable to think clearly, she does so without a word. 

When all the bodies are gathered, she crosses her arms, eyes hollow and tired but now unfazed by the situation and showing curiosity instead. "Now what? Are you going to set them on fire too? Make them disappear?"

"Something like that." He closes his eyes for a moment and then someone approaches them from the woods. Three men, even taller than him and way bulkier. The grey tint on their faces suggests they too have been dead for a while. And yet they move, grabbing the corpses and taking them away.

"Who are they?"

"My cleaners. What, do you think I'd do it myself, like a peon? You really are simply… hysterical. You should clean up too y'know." He takes a discarded mirror from the ground and holds it for her, so she can see just how bloody her face is. She shrinks away from it, pushing his hand away, and he drops it with a smirk. "I'll be sure to pay you a visit later so we can catch up more comfortably." He watches the sky, the sun beaming over his unnaturally pale face. "People like you and me shouldn't be out in the daylight anyway."

She nods. "I'll be waiting. I still don't believe a single word you've said."

He smiles, and although it clearly doesn't reach his eyes, it is wide enough that she can see his long fangs. "You will."

*

Before he can take one step inside, she moves, a piece of wood in her hand, sharpened and deadly. His hand stops hers inches from his chest, his other going around her neck as he slams her against the wall. "If you ruin this shirt, we can just end this here, quick and painfully. What is it with the hostility? I've been nothing but helpful for as long as you've known me." He bashes her hand on the wall until she drops the stake.

"You're insane! This! This is all your fault!" Her voice is strained, but the hand on her neck doesn't ease up, no matter how much she tries to pry it off of her. "You're the reason for all this! The thing with my mother, then dad… whatever's happened to me, what you showed me at the tent, it's your fault!" 

He looks confused by her words, and his hand finally releases her. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" She rubs her neck, trying to soothe the angry bruises left by his fingers, although her hand is also starting to bruise. "You had an affair with my mother, and when my dad found out, she killed him. You… you had poisoned her, so I had to kill her too."

Surprise still paints his face. "Me and your mother? In a parallel universe, maybe. Not this one. She did betray your father, yes. But not with me."

"You're lying to me again. I remember. Seeing you together at night." She cringes. "Your hands all over each other. Until one day she became… she became someone else. I didn't know it then, but you had bitten her, turned her into an abomination."

His eyes visibly mock her moments before his words. "Poor, deluded Cora. You know, sometimes things just aren't what they seem. Do you want me to tell you what really happened? Are you sure you can take it?"

"Shut up!" She unearths something from under her shirt, a silver pendant apparently, and stretches her hand to touch him with it.

"Are you offering me a blessing? A baptism maybe? Let me help you with that. In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti." He takes the pendant from her hand and touches it to his forehead. "How sweet that you think you have the upper hand." He grabs both her arms on one hand, shoving her against the wall once again. She can do nothing but kick, but he just lifts his arm and quickly puts an end to that too. Suspended like that, her legs barely carry any strength.

"You don't even try to disguise what you are."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"A monster."

He leans closer to her, showing her one of his sweetest smiles. "Doesn't it feel like looking in a mirror?" With her still suspended, he moves to the living room, dropping her onto the couch.

"No, I… I don't…"

He nods emphatically. "You do. I thought you were stronger than this, you know." His nail taps her temple again, and this time she remembers it all. Not just the previous night. All the others. Every one of her victims, and the way she kills them, a stake. When he's done with the unlobotomy, all confusion has left her, her defenses are finally down, and she doesn't forget again.

She raises an eyebrow apathetically. "Okay then. I remember now. I'm a killer. Who do you think made me like this? My parents are dead because of you."

He smiles and shakes his head. "Wrong again." This time, she flusters, her eyes going to the stake once more, and he sighs. "You have a one track mind, has anyone ever told you that? Fine, I'll show you." He grabs the stake and tosses it at her, then starts unbuttoning his shirt, and she quickly averts her eyes, scarlet staining her face.

"What are you doing?!"

"I like this shirt. It was a gift." With his chest bare, he kneels in front of her. "Do it, then. Banish the monster."

Without hesitating, she does as he asked. The stake goes through his chest, but he doesn't even flinch. When she sits back, he just pulls it out, licking his own blood from it. "Do you think I'd really die from something like that? Do I look feeble to you? A weakling? Please." He chucks the stake back at her. "Things like these, garlic, sunlight are just stories, shared around the world over time to trick you into believing you have a fighting chance. And? What other executions do you have planned for me? Are you going to set me on fire? Cut my head off? Feel free to try it, but I won't be this forgiving next time."

She shakes her head in visible frustration as she watches the wound on his chest freakishly close up. "What do you want from me?"

"No, it's way too soon for that question." He stands and buttons his shirt, generously ignoring her lingering gaze. "There are so many more that need to be answered first. I want you to tell me what you think happened. On that night, the night you became a… half-self-made orphan."

She groans, pulling on her hair. "Fine! I got home, took a shower and heard them fighting. Mom was being a bitch like always. I intervened, told dad about you and went to my room. You were there. And… you… bit me. Mom killed him while I was… sick from it. Then I killed all those… I, I found you and… and…" She grabs her head with both hands, doubt starting to creep up in her eyes.

He nods, as if agreeing with her. "And then we embraced and became star-crossed lovers, is that it?" He sneers. "And really, you think I bit you? That's adorable. Tell me, Cora. Is your thirst for blood only figurative? Or is it literal, huh? Let me see your fangs."

She still looks confused, her hand going to her neck, trying to find a scar that isn't there. "N-no, I…" She takes a deep breath and tries again. "I was turning. And I knew it, in my head after you bit me, that if I killed you, I would be free. So I…"

"...Killed me? So am I just another of your hallucinations then?"

"I…" She screams. "I don't know, okay? I don't know what's going on!"

He sighs, barely containing an eye roll. "Calm down. I'll ask once again. Do you want to know what really happened? Not what your brain made you see?"

Defeated, she sighs. "Okay. Okay. Just tell me then. This great big truth that I don't know about."

"So it shall be." He strides across the room with his hands behind his back. "You seem to be under the impression that I've bitten your mother. That never happened. You've followed me around, you've seen me with her. But that was for a different purpose than you might imagine. Now pay attention because I'm only telling you this once. Your father and I, we were old acquaintances." She watches him in disbelief. "I'm sure we'll find proof of it somewhere. One day he told me of his suspicions about your mother. She was sneaky, so he could never get anything on her. I followed her around for a while, found out she wasn't having an affair. She was having several. So I offered myself as bait, seducing her wouldn't exactly take much effort, then he could take all the photos he wanted and make sure she would get nothing." He stares at her for a moment, then shifts his gaze to a point just behind her. "But unfortunately for Howard, I guess she didn't like that arrangement."

"I… I don't believe you."

"Now why would I lie? Didn't you see them?"

"What?"

He sighs. "The photos? He had them with him, to show it to her. I saw it. We even looked at them together."

"You-- what?"

With his patience wearing thin, he takes a deep breath. "I came by to check if things were running smoothly and you were kneeling by your deceased father on the cold kitchen floor while your mother bled out right behind you. You ran at me like a little feral dog, and--"

"...I killed her in the woods. Didn't I?"

His face closes "Did I say you could interrupt me?" He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down. "Listen, I don't know what your mind came up with. Very curious that even in your fantasy you were still a killer. But in real life you killed her right here in your house. With the same kind of knife she used on him." He crosses his arms and glares at her. "Even with me opening your mind you still can't remember the truth, what really happened. So you're going to tell me again, until you get it right."

"What, are you crazy? No, I won't!"

In a blink, he has her face on his hands, ready to snap her neck. But to her luck, he just stares at her. "Do as you're told."

She starts speaking at once, eyes glazing over as he pushes her back on the couch. "I… got home. Shower, they were fighting. I told dad, then my room. You… bit me. And…"

"Again."

It's even more incoherent than the last time, and when he asks her to go again, she can't even speak. Her eyes close and she drops like a ragdoll.

When she wakes up, it's dark out, but her eyes are clear.

"Again." She flinches, only now noticing him perched over the other couch like a gargoyle.

She takes a deep breath, exhaling loudly. "I got home and went for a shower. They were screaming at each other in the kitchen. When I got out, I heard them talking. Dad told her he knew. He knew everything, and he had evidence. He would file for divorce the next week, and he wanted her out of the house. She stopped yelling and started crying, but it was her fake cry, I knew it well. She was apologizing, begging for forgiveness. And then… then I heard it, that terrible sound. That gurgling. A chill went up my spine, and that's when I entered the kitchen. He was on his knees holding his neck with both hands. She had… she had stabbed him." She breathes in again, a cold look in her eyes as if she became someone else. 

"Poor old Howard", she said, taking his wallet from his pants and going for the phone. "Stabbed for petty money while his beloved wife slept upstairs none the wiser. She was so heartbroken when she found him, but there was nothing that could be done." 

Her mouth trembles. "I couldn't believe it. I knew she wasn't a saint, but to actually kill him? So… I took the chance her back was to me and did the same to her. I can still see the look of surprise on her face when she turned around and saw me. They were screaming so much they probably didn't hear me coming home. I fell by his side. He was still alive, and he tried to touch my face, but couldn't raise his arm. I held his hand and I cried. Then… then you were there. He was gone then. I ran at you and hit you over and over until you just held me while I yelled at you." She looks at him.

"Go on."

"I kept yelling that it was your fault and that I was gonna kill you, and… and then you showed me. The pictures dad was holding. They had fallen by his side and I hadn't even noticed. You told me everything. I was so sick and angry I wanted to take it out on anyone. Everyone. Wait for the police to get there and kill them too. Let them shoot me dead. And you said you couldn't let me do that. Because you promised dad… you promised dad you'd take care of me."

"And then what?"

"Then you took me to a house in the woods. Your house. Let them think it had been a home invasion and a kidnapping. You said I should wait a couple of days before I came back, say I escaped."

"What did you ask me?"

"I… asked you to bite me. Either to kill me or to make me like you. And you said no. No explanations, you just shook your head, denied my request… why?"

He looks amused. "Did you really want to look like a brat for eternity? You should be thanking me I didn't bite you."

"That is the reason?" She sighs. "It doesn't matter. I did what you said. I came back home, told the cops I had escaped. When they asked me to take them where I was being held it was when… it was when it hit me the first time."

"You forgot it all. Forged a different version of events." He smirks. "Created quite the entertaining fantasies about me. Me in your bed, biting you, kissing you. Would you like that?"

"Shut up…" She sighs. "I guess I needed someone to villainize, and you were already a monster who had just denied my request. And I think at times I'd snap and see you in other people. And then I'd kill you over and over." She opens her arms. "That's it, I guess. The whole story. Right?" 

"Do you still have doubts?"

Her expression goes from tired to frustrated. "I just don't know what to think! I had this memory this whole time and all of a sudden it turns out that's not how it happened? My mind is a mess!"

"Go look for the pictures. Even if the prints are gone, they could still be on his camera." 

She gets up on shaky legs, comes back with a dusty box. Among her father's belongings, she finds his old camera and its charger. It's all there. Several pictures of the dreadful man and her mother together, and she groans as she examines them, averting her eyes when she finds one of him kissing her. 

"Go back further."

"Huh?" She flinches as she notices him watching over her shoulder, but does what he says, going further and further into the past. Pictures of her. Landscapes. A vacation. And then she sees it. It's him again, but the other person is her father, not her mother. It's nothing out of the ordinary, just a couple of pictures of them together, her dad laughing and the man just glaring at whoever took the picture, a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Satisfied?" She nods tiredly. "Do you want to know why your father asked me to take care of you? He knew what I was, and he still entrusted you to me."

"...Because he figured someone as strong as you would have no problem protecting his daughter?"

"Because he knew something inside you was broken. He knew your little secrets. First, concerning drawings. Then small animals killed without mercy. You even kept parts of them, he found your little trophies."

She looks genuinely shocked. "I don't remember any of that."

"So it wasn't the first time. When you left my home and couldn't remember. You had forgotten before. You've forgotten every single one of your slaughters."

Tears fall down her face, but her expression doesn't change. "I'm a monster."

"Oh, you're a downright abomination. Which means you'll feel right at home."

"...What?"

"Ah, we finally reach the part where I actually tell you things you really don't know. You kill indiscriminately. When the urge comes, poor of the soul who stands in your way. But at some point, you killed someone you shouldn't have. A man from a certain family. What they call a 'made man'. And you can be positively sure this family is not happy about it."

She leans down on the couch with her eyes closed, all the fight gone from her. "So I just kill them too. Or you. Who cares about some old-fashioned mobster or whatever?"

His laugh doesn't sound amused in the slightest. "Do you think they're human? Do you think life is that simple? We're not the only extramundane creatures out there." He raises his eyebrows. "Are you afraid of dogs? Big, big dogs?"

At that, she opens her eyes again. "You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately I am. But… lucky you, I'm here to take you away from them. Me and my people, we can protect you."

"But… I can't, I have--"

"You have, what? Your whole life here? Your girlfriend? Boyfriend? They don't really care about you, and you know it. You don't even have a job. You just live off whatever it was left for you without barely even having to lift a finger. They caught scent of you this afternoon, but I did a little trick and managed to ward them off. But still, it's your choice. Come with me. Or stay here and be torn to pieces."

*

She doesn't take much. That old silver pendant she tried to burn him with. Some clothes, her laptop and phone.

*

The huge black car parked outside seems to surprise her. And the way he recklessly drives without a care for any other motorists on the road makes her think maybe she might not be safe after all.

Every now and then he catches her looking at him. "Are you really in love with me?"

She buffs. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Did you know I can read minds?"

"You can't. Why would you be telling me this now?"

"Seven, eight, nine. Seven, eight, nine. What does it mean?"

Her surprised expression doesn't last much. She's just rolling with the punches. "It's 'seven ate nine', just… something I used to do as a kid. Whenever I thought someone could read my mind, I would repeat this over and over. So they wouldn't find out my secrets."

"And you had so many, didn't you?" He smirks. "You're going to be thinking your little mantra all day now?"

"Go to hell, I don't want you in my head."

"Are you in love--"

With a groan she turns towards him "It's not that. I don't know. I can't explain. Fine, go on and read me then, maybe this way I'll know." He looks at her, but doesn't tell her what he sees, if anything. Suddenly her expression changes, and she looks even more suspicious than before. "What if you made it all up and put it in my head somehow? Used one of your powers for that?"

He glares at her, averting his eyes from the road for so long she starts looking nervous. "I said I can read minds, not write them." Then he brakes abruptly, and she flies on the seat, almost hitting her head on the windshield. "Get out. If you're going to keep being stubborn after all I told you, I don't want to deal with you anymore. My promise to your father be damned."

The mention of her father gives her pause. "Just tell me how you two met and I promise I won't doubt you again." 

"...In the cemetery." She tries to open the door but he grabs her arm forcefully. "You asked, now listen. He was kneeling by a grave, looking all desolate and desperate. I wondered if I should bite him, release him from his suffering, then I noticed he was saying something. So I listened in. It was his parents' grave."

"What were their names?"

He shakes his head with disdain. "What makes you think I would remember that?" Without looking, he knows she's even repeating her words under her breath now, trying to block any possible thought he might read. "Vince and Mary Beth. Anyway, he was… complaining about you, actually. He didn't know how to deal with all your killings, only forest animals then, he didn't want to talk to a professional and risk having them take you away from him. You know how protective of you he was. So I talked to him, asked if he wanted any help with his problem child."

"...Why would you do that?"

"Because I was bored, Cora. You try living forever. Anyway, we hit it off. He was a very open-minded person. You were growing out of your little miss murder phase, but I did say I'd keep an eye on you. Not that it'd meant I'd stop you from killing someone, just that I wouldn't let you get caught. Is that enough for your highness? Can we go?"

"Not really, that didn't prove anything. You could have… you could have gotten my grandparents names from me earlier."

His fingers drum over the driving wheel. "You asked how we met, and I told you. You're not being held prisoner here. Don't believe me? Then leave. You know I could have killed you a million times over by now if that's what you're afraid of."

"I'm…" A nearby loud howl interrupts her. She looks around at the empty plains around them. Then she takes a deep breath and locks the door, fastening her seat-belt. "It doesn't matter. Whether it's true or not, whether I believe you or not. I could never know, could I? How many tricks do you know? How long have you been doing this for? Decades? Centuries?"

He looks aghast. "I'm 27. I'm… forever 27." He starts the car again, going even faster now.

Tension dispelled for the moment, she snorts. "Do you even know what that is? I thought old people shopped at…" She stops, she has no idea where 'old people', as she puts it, shop. And the shirt he seems so protective of does look stylish, she can't deny it. He looks stylish, with his black ring, black car, black shirt, black nails. She feels like she's riding with one of those horsemen of the apocalypse she read about in Sunday school when she was a kid.

"And what about you, how old are you, 40, 50?"

He pulls her out of her musings and it's her turn to look horrified. "I'm 28!" She sighs. "Who cares. You're so weird. You're… actually, I don't think I've ever known your name."

The derisive look in his eyes vanishes before she can see. "Vincent." Is all he says.

*

"Wake up, we're here."

She jumps up from the seat looking around, stunned at the imposing structure in front of her. "I thought you were taking me to another derelict house in the middle of nowhere. But you live in a castle?"

"What can I say, being a monster pays off. Now… are you ready?" She nods and steps out of the car. "Then welcome to house Ardelean."

Love You to Death

A Cora Story

You watch them leave the car through the monitor, even though all you have to do is close your eyes whenever you want to see him. But you always feel guilty about it, even if he's more than given you permission. Sometimes you swear he actually loves being watched, despite always denying the allegations whenever you ask him about it. You know everyone thinks it's a pointless ability, but not to you, it isn't. When it manifested, you developed it fully before you even cared about anything else. It is, after all, unique.

Sebastian rests his chin on your shoulder from behind. "That's it? I'm disappointed."

"Oh, really?" You turn your head and raise an eyebrow. "What were you expecting, the actual Van Helsing?"

He shrugs. "Bigger. Scarier. Eh, cuter, at least. My brother has always had terrible taste, huh?" You punch him in the shoulder and he takes a couple steps back, massaging the bruise with a scowl. "Ow! What was that for? I was joking, kind of."

"You're a pig. Besides, you're in no position to judge anyone, not with that thing you fuck."

His playful tone dies down as he sticks a finger in your face. "Don't be a bitch. It's… unbecoming."

You raise both hands in truce. You don't like stepping on his toes, but sometimes it gets the better of you. It… that thing, is too much of a freak, even for your standards.

When you hear the front door opening, your heart flutters and your hands tingle with the need to touch him. Your mouth feels lonely, desolately craving his taste. Your body empty and hollow without him inside you.

You start to pant the moment you hear him speaking.

He stops when he sees you with a knowing smile on his lips. Your eyes go straight to the subtle bulge in his pants; he can disguise his own heavy breathing as much as he wants, but he can't disguise that, not from you. "This is--" He pauses abruptly, sniffing the air around you, and his gaze turns dark. He glares heavily at his brother.

"Wait--" Vincent shoves him against a wall without waiting for an explanation. His hands bunching up the collar of his shirt, tearing it without care.

"I swear you like being manhandled, Sebastian. It's so easy to follow the rules. No. Touching. What's. Fucking. Mine. That's it."

The girl shifts her gaze towards you and you give her a little wave with a pure and sweet smile. At least the ruckus served to calm you down a little.

Besides…

Her own smell is all over him too, and you're not throwing a fit. Not on the outside, at least. Inside, your rage at someone else even entertaining thoughts about him is almost enough to make you physically ill. You don't even need to know how to read minds, it's written all over her face. It's only thanks to your godlike patience that her head is still attached to her neck.

"It wasn't even my hands!" Sebastian looks at you as if you somehow betrayed him by letting him touch you. You ignore him.

"The reason you still have them." You like that you're both so in tune about hacking off body parts.

"Yeah, let's not go there again, too much trouble last time." Finally, Vincent releases him, and as always, Sebastian acts as if nothing happened, straightening his clothes and clearing his throat.

Introductions and public displays of jealousy out of the way, you move to the library, where Alfred brings you beverages. At this stage, he's long given up trying to get you to learn his real name, after all you did pick that up from his own boss. And even if you aren't exactly planning to become chummy with the girl, it still amuses you the way she sniffs at the cup obviously filled with blood, grimaces, then tries it anyway. Even though there's orange juice, actual tea and other human drinks right beside it on the platter.

Vincent pulls Sebastian to the side, and you know what he's going to ask, and you're glad you're not the one to give him the bad news.

"Any change with our patient?" Sebastian shakes his head, averting his eyes from him. Vincent sighs loudly. "There has to be something else we can do."

"Dracula's on it. He's flying all over Asia for the things I asked him."

The girl, Cora, you have to remind yourself, turns an amused glance towards them. "Dracula?"

"Just our acquainted changeling, Spider Monkey." You roll your eyes at Sebastian's choice of nickname for her.

She frowns, looking around. "So… you're all vampires, but all you do is sit here and have tea parties? You don't kill people?"

Sebastian looks flabbergasted. "Of course we kill people. Where do you think we get blood from, DoorDash? It's just practical to gather a bunch at once and keep stock."

"Keep… stock?"

"Yeah, why? What do you do with your victims?"

Before the conversation can go any longer, Vincent stops by your side, his eyes asking you to stand up. The moment you do, his hand finds the small of your back. His nails are still short, but they scratch hard enough to draw blood, and you have to bite your lips to stop from embarrassing yourself. "Will you get someone to show her around, Sebastian? We're going to be otherwise occupied for the rest of the day." You heave, trying your hardest not to simply bolt towards your bedroom already.

"I'm shocked you didn't start going at it right on top of my first editions." He shoos you away, and that's all the out you need. Your feet barely touch the ground as you drag him across the castle. Why must the bedrooms be so far away? The place is too big, and Vincent always says whenever you want to go back home, all you have to do is say so. You really never wanted to live in a castle. Then again, you kind of have the feeling you'd miss the dungeons. And the torture chambers.

The door locked behind you, you make to push Vincent against it, but he beats you to it. You wheeze with the blow and reach for him, annoyed that he isn't all over your personal space yet. He kisses your hand, then bites your wrist, drawing blood with not only his fangs but with his incisors too. You hiss as the pleasure surges through your body, the pain only making you more impatient. You grasp at his face with your still bleeding hand and bring him to you, your tongue blindly thrusting into his mouth, but he pulls back with a smirk. "You fucking asshole. Let me kiss you!"

Looking at him only makes it hard for you to get mad at him. The sight of your blood over his mouth always makes you irrational, and you even have to hold back a swoon. "Why so impatient? Do you have a later appointment? I still need to set the mood. Stay." The command leaves you dazed and paralyzed. He strides to the window and closes the curtains, leaving the room in complete darkness. Then he lights some various strategically placed candles, creating a warm and sensual illumination. Only after he finally lights the last one that he leisurely returns to where he's left you panting and reeling by the door. The smoldering look in his eyes makes you completely forget why you were even mad at him. He dives for your neck, biting not anywhere near as hard as you hoped he would. Then he moves to your ear. "You taste just as good as the first time I drank from you."

Accepting that getting your way might not be on the plans, you sigh, trying to control your desire. "Well, I certainly hope you don't mean that, since that first time you said I was disgusting."

He exhales with a smile. "The second time. I always mean the second time. It just doesn't have the same ring, does it? 'You taste just as good as the second time I drank from you'? Don't over-complicate things." He bites again, hard this time and you groan, carding your fingers through his hair as his fangs tear through your flesh. You rest your other hand over his throat, this way you can feel not only as your blood leaves you, but also as he swallows it. Your eyes roll back and you relish in the peculiar bliss this brings you.

When you're lightheaded from blood loss he stops, licks you clean as always, and kisses you, finally. You almost thank him. You suck the coppery taste from his tongue, languidly at first, but when strength starts to return to your body, loving becomes wanton and you bite his lower lip, your turn to claim some of his blood. He winces but does nothing to stop you, instead taking the opportunity to undo the clasps and laces of your corset. It's only when it hits the ground that you relinquish his lip, his tongue darting across the wound and healing it instantly.

His nails slither at your sides making you dance, and when they reach the curve of your breasts, he moves in to bite you again, but you clutch his hands. He stills, not trying to break free from you, still weary from the time he accidentally snapped your wrist. It healed in a matter of minutes and you wouldn't even think of holding it against him, but he never did it again. You could hold him like this for as long as you wanted, whenever you wanted. Except it's the most useless superpower in the world, since you're the one who wants to be restrained by him. "Enough with the teasing, huh?"

He pouts, but his eyes are mocking. "You used to love foreplay."

"I still do! But I'm--" desperate. It doesn't leave your mouth, but you know from his smug little smile that of course he's already read you. "In a hurry," you finish lamely.

He acquiesces with a vicious glint in his eyes. "Have it your way. You know the price."

You do, and you still remember last time, after he released you. You were nothing but a filthy, blubbering mess who barely knew where you were. You hope he doesn't forget.

Before letting him go, you bring his fingers to your mouth, sucking each one, but barely attempting to make it sexy. After you free him, he looks quizzically at you. "Why did you just slobber all over my hands?"

Thinking of anything but the source of your jealousy, you glare at him. "No reason."

You almost rip his shirt off, but he mimics your early move grabbing your hands, albeit gently. "Careful with this, it was a gift." You scoff, but settle for the buttons. But once it's off you toss it across the room as if it was personally offending you, which drags a sneer out of him. "I've been gone for less than a week. Don't you have an ounce of self-control?" 

You palm him through his pants and he bucks against your hand. "You've been leaking in your pants since you walked through the front door. You call that self-control?" Your mind is so consumed with lust that you don't even hear his reply, if he has one. You just drop to your knees, bringing his pants down with you. Then you press your face to the front of his underwear, inhaling him deeply. Your nostrils flare and your mouth waters as you get drunk with his scent, moaning so hard it is more of a growl. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to ride you or suck you off first. Now I am." You look up at him and you can tell he's done pretending. You feel hungry, but he looks ravenous. If he's already like that, there's no way he really wanted to indulge in foreplay. Every one of his words were a ruse. The one who got played was you.

"So I'm going to fuck your throat raw then, just the way you like it. And then come on your tongue, so you won't miss a single drop."

You've come a long way since that tender first time in the car.

Normally, this would be when you'd tease him a little, lick and suckle over the wet spot, maybe rake your fangs over it just to watch him tense up. But not today. Today there's no time. With his words making you shiver in anticipation, you don't want to waste another second, so you tear his underwear off him and glide your tongue around his cock, savoring every inch, every ridge, every vein, licking precome while you still can, because you know this freedom won't last long. You take him in hand without stroking, just holding him up so you can suck kiss after kiss after kiss on his balls. Smelling blood again, you look up at him and he's watching you, breathing hard and biting his lip. Maintaining the eye contact, you pull him into your mouth as far as he goes, which isn't much at all, until you relax your throat, then you can bring him all the way in. He sighs, releasing his bruised lip (once again, it heals right away) and you have a moment of temporary insanity, the vision of him so lost in pleasure feels almost like it's too much, making you yearn for him, even though he's right there, right under your hands, right under your tongue.

When you feel the feathery touch of his fingers on both sides of your face, you brace yourself. He pulls out almost entirely, keeping only the tip in your mouth. Then his fingers tighten in the back of your head and he slams back in, tearing such a loud wanton noise from you that the vibrations of your throat cause him to moan in turn. He does it again and again, increasing the pace with each thrust and it quickly gets to be too much for you; his blissed out face, the force with which he's fucking you and that noise he made… Your thighs quiver and you bring a hand between your legs to touch yourself, dearly hoping that for at least a few seconds he'll turn a blind eye. But of course he doesn't. You could have asked him for this to be just a vanilla session. Anything you want, all you have to do is ask. But you were aching so much with the unfathomable necessity to have him that it escaped your mind. Not that it matters much, your biggest desire is always to make him come undone, that's your priority. Anything else is residual.

"Give me my belt." His voice, soft and mellow, is at odds with what you see above you. The glint of mischief ever since you started doing things this way is there, sure. But it does nothing to mask the raw authority behind his eyes. And because he hasn't let go of your face, you have to paw around his feet to get the belt off his pants. "Now your hands."

It started when you asked him. To use his abilities on you during sex. His reading because you were so eager to have him prying your deepest, darkest desires from the back of your mind, to see what he would indulge in, which ones of your fucked up fantasies he would fulfill. And his persuasion, of course. But how was he going to persuade you to do something when, anything he suggested, no matter what, wild as it could be, always had you raring to go?

"Don't you have any hard nos?" He had asked you.

"With you?" You shook your head.

It would have ended there, if you didn't come up with a simple yet effective solution.

"Don't let me touch myself. I'll want to, so it'll work."

And Vincent was nothing if not an enforcer of his rules.

In total daze, you present both your arms, relinquishing your freedom in a perfect mix of willingness and dissent. He releases your face just long enough to bind your wrists with the belt, shaking them shortly. "Keep them up." Because it's his regular voice, you'll have to do it on your own, no help from his command, risking dropping them involuntarily and suffering the consequences. It makes you want to bite him.

You wonder how he'd discipline you if you did.

"Oh, I wouldn't touch you for a week or two." Why does he have to know you so well? That's really not the kind of punishment you enjoy. Maybe you really should have asked him to turn his freaking radar off. "Do you want me to?"

You consider saying yes, but knowing that he can read each and every one of your thoughts, that nothing you could possibly think stays hidden from him always gives you such a thrill that you just shake your head. Or at least you try to.

So he resumes fucking your face with twice the vigor from before, scorching your throat and hindering your ability to breathe, especially whenever he holds you up against him, your nose buried in his pubes and your heart racing while he just glares down at you. You have to relax and focus on how good it feels to be used by him. The force of his hand on the back of your head pinning you down. Knowing you're the one making him feel this good, that you're the only one who gets to make him feel this good. That's what finally lets a modicum of air into your body. It's almost like he wants you to cave, ask him to stop. But you never do.

"Always so stubborn."

With the wild pace he's kept the entire time and the composure of his voice, the only indication that he's about to come is a minor stutter of his hips. Then he's pulling out and unloading on your tongue, just like he said he would. A thumb shoved in your mouth stops you from doing much as he watches it pool with satisfaction. "Now swallow it all and you can bring your arms down."

Your arms. You can't even feel them anymore, you only have a dull notion that they exist, that they're still there where they're supposed to be, obnoxiously hot and cold at the same time. You try to swallow it slowly, to savor it as much as you can, and his warm come slides down your abused throat, igniting the state of your neglected arousal.

Before you can even move, he takes your arms on his grip, releasing the belt and massaging them deftly, then gently lowering them to your sides. They're still tingling when he pulls you up, wipes drool and tears from your face and lays your head on his chest.

Like always, he doesn't say anything, he just waits for you to relax, stroking and kissing your hair until you regain enough strength in your arms that you can hold him. You kiss his chest, nuzzling the sparse hair and holding him tighter and tighter, as if you wanted to meld your face with his skin.

There was a time when the intensity of your want scared you, it was too much. You adored him too much. But he never missed an opportunity to show you his devotion absolutely matched your own, if it didn't top it. Your obsession for one another only grew the more you connected. It put you at ease to know that if you were sick, you weren't alone in it.

He'd set the world on fire for you and you'd march right on top of it for him.

"Vincent… can I kiss you until I die?"

His hand finds your chin and he lifts your face so you can see him slowly shaking his head. "That'll never happen. There's a better question you could ask."

You think only for a moment. "Can I kiss you forever?"

He smiles. "You already do." You close the distance and do just that, kissing like teenagers, all tongue and urge and instinct, heads turning this side and that to find the perfect angle. But every angle is, so you just keep on doing it, neither willing to be the first to stop, to split up. Then he's pushing your skirt down and pulling you to the bed, and you remember you didn't come. You don't really mind all that much anyway, satisfying him is much more important to you. Your climax is quenching his thirst. He hums. "I still want you to come." His fingers scissor into you, and by the time your back hits the mattress, he's rock hard again. "No more abilities, tell me what you want."

"Make it hurt."

He grins. "I meant in general. That one's a given." Your back arches as he abruptly enters you and you dig the heel of your foot in his lower back to spur him on, consumed by the exquisite burn his large size creates every time. "Like this or do you still want to ride me?"

"Wha-- oh…" You didn't even remember your earlier idea, it didn't matter anyway, all you wanted was him inside you, where he belonged. "Just like this."

He rakes his nails across your chest, tenderly the first time, making you whimper and heave in anticipation, then harder, deeper, and you cry out when you feel your blood flowing, fisting the sheets and begging for more. With his nails clipped, he can't draw as much as normally. But it's enough that the red strands reach the sheets before the welts start closing up and he does it again, ravishing you, or maybe ravaging you just like you wanted.

His unrelenting pounding makes your vision blur with white hot pleasure as you try to match his movements, clenching around him to show him just how good he makes you feel. You want him to hurt you more, but you also want him closer. So you cradle the back of his head and bring him to your neck, which he litters with kisses. The duality of this sweet caress and how viciously he's ramming into you almost makes you dizzy, and you run your fingers up and down his back, only holding him after he finally clamps down on your neck. He puts his whole mouth into it, and you know if he pulled, he could just rip a chunk out of your neck, and while it wouldn't kill you, it's not exactly something either of you would consider a sign of affection, but it's still thrilling to think about it. 

You've accepted you're a head case a long time ago. 

Tears suddenly stream down your face, and your brain's so fogged up that you can't tell if they're just from all the longing you went through or the sheer gratitude you feel from all he does for you. You scream your feelings with every cell of your body, and his teeth ease up and he licks at the freely bleeding indents they left there while his hips slow down and he pulls your other leg around his waist. "You know, when someone transcends perfection, doubt should be the furthest thing from their heart."

He's still reading you. But no abilities are involved this time, he's just showing how much he knows you. You sigh, holding him tighter, trying to speak but failing; there's not enough strength in your tingling jaw. But he waits until you're ready, slowing down some more and stroking your hair again. "Sorry, I'm just… it's been a long week. I know I sound pathetic and needy but I missed you."

"Don't say that. It was our first time apart in years. Remember when I went back for the cats? It's when I found out the hard way the physical agony of being away from you. This was even worse. Next time you send me on a fool's errand, I don't care, I'm taking you with me." 

Regardless of the reason for your tears, you wipe them with the back of your hand, relaxing into the moment and relishing in his words. "I'm glad you missed me too."

A soft peck on your lips. A hard thrust. Over and over. You come during one of the kisses, and he swallows your silent shouts, first sucking your tongue, then your lips, kissing your chin, hips incrementally gaining speed again. "Scratch me when I come." Since he isn't anywhere near as big a fan of pain as you are, you raise tired eyebrows at him. "I want to see you licking my blood off your fingers."

His request (not an order this time) wipes away some of your tiredness and you nod, already feeling him throbbing inside you. You scratch his back bottom to top, licking your fingers one by one, and he fights to keep his eyes open and watch the show as his second orgasm hits him.

It's only after both of you considerably relax that he gets off of you but not entirely, still unwilling to separate. Half his body still pins you to the bed when he kisses your cheek adoringly. "That was lovely." He lies on your shoulder, and you almost laugh until you realize you haven't actually regained quite as much composure as you thought you had when all that comes out is a wheeze. Besides, he's right. It was pretty fucking lovely. And to help matters, he brings his fingers back inside you. You bite your lips at the sweet agony and rut against his hand. But he barely moves it, just occasionally rubbing the fingers together, snaking them in and out, and you know he's playing with his come, scooping and pushing it deeper inside you. It drives you insane and it's almost absurd how much it turns you on despite how numb and wrecked you're feeling.

When he's finally done messing with his stark fluids, he wipes his fingers on the sheets and lies down, pulling you on top of him so you can take his former position. "Are you sated for now?"

You nod. "For now. Just don't be surprised to wake up in the middle of the night with your dick down my throat. You know I like my nightcap."

"...I'm sure the only reason I still keep you around is my curiosity about what will ever come out of your mouth next."

"Um, well…" You're really not above picking any low-hanging fruits.

"No, forget it." 

You shrug, as if it was his loss that he was going to miss out on one of your marvelous quips. "So…"

"...Yes?"

"Thanks for bringing her."

He sighs. "You better be thankful. She's obnoxious and bratty." He lifts up a hand in front of your face. "Do you see this? I had to cut them because I knew I would've ripped her throat off if I hadn't." You can't say you're not happy that he did it, given the amount of finger action you got. Always worth it whenever he does it, even if it means he can't scratch you as hard. "What a strange request for an anniversary present. You obviously had much less trouble with mine."

You eye the discarded shirt next to the window, wishing you had managed to destroy it. "What's the point? You hated it. I'm sorry, I should've put more effort into it. They're not exactly on the same level."

He cradles your head, fingers wandering on your hair. "That's not what I care about. You could've gotten me nothing but words and I would've cherished it. And I didn't hate it. I just said it was a different style from what I was used to."

"Because… you have… none…" You thought it was simple enough, black linen, no frills, no laces, nothing out of the ordinary. Except the bright blood-red buttons. And a tiny, infinitesimal detail of crimson silk on the collar. It looked good, it was a perfectly good shirt.

"Is that bad?" He brushes the hair from your face and you do the same to him, vaguely wondering about whoever gave him his last haircut ever. Sebastian, likely. Hopefully. You gave yourself yours, and you're really glad you still like it.

"You're just so…" handsome. Gorgeous. Excruciatingly beautiful. "Attractive that it just feels like a waste not to doll you up a little to accentuate those morbid good looks." He seems taken aback by the compliment. They're not usually how you show your affection, you prefer expressing yourselves more… physically. "You can toss it, I'm not going to be one of those people who wants to control what their matched freaks wear, that's ridiculous."

"Drama queen. Didn't I wear it for an entire week?" And he stopped the girl from ruining it with her little stake, too, as you saw it. 

"Ugh, gross. It's probably rank too." You almost get up to smell it, to rub it all over yourself and wear it to sleep, but you're just too comfortable.

"...I'll wear anything you want, as long as it isn't too much like…"

"...Me?"

You're presented with a rare sight… he looks like he regrets his words, or at least not thinking before saying them. "It's not the same. Everything looks good on you. You're… striking." He kisses your jaw. "Breathtaking." Then your neck. "Pulchritudinous."

"Okay, I thought you were trying to save your ass but that last one's just an insult, isn't it?" No wonder you don't usually do compliments.

"I would never insult you. And you should read more. So? You still haven't told me why you had me bring her here. Revenge? That would be like stepping on an ant that bit you."

Why indeed. "Hmm… I… Honestly? I don't know."

"You. Don't. Know." You're happy you can't see the look on his face.

"I'll figure it out, I swear. I just… I had a feeling she should be here. And hey, if I can't think of anything, we can just have her for dinner."

"And since when do you eat your problems instead of solving them?"

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing." You stroke his hair, thinking back on everything you saw when they were together. "Tell me about that story you came up with. Made yourself look like some sort of unsung hero. Is that like an unfulfilled dream you've always had, or…"

He sighs. "It was your idea. No persuading unless strictly necessary. So I had to entertain myself and create an interesting story to tell. The only thing I had on my side was her selective amnesia which came up while I was studying her. Then it was all a matter of mixing up fact with fiction. At least tell me you enjoyed some of it."

"I did, I did. But mostly because I had no idea you were such a good actor." You speak in a loud, grave voice that is absolutely nothing like his. "I said I could read minds, not write them. That was Oscar worthy."

"Rewriting memories? Do you really think I can?" He licks your neck and you shiver. "And you watched the entire time, didn't you?"

You don't think you'll ever understand the full extent of his abilities, and you honestly have no idea how he got her to remember things differently than how they happened. So you ignore his question about memories and focus on the other thing… which makes you feel like you got caught doing something wrong. "No! I… maybe…"

"Good. Why do you think I was putting on such a show? Announcing the house like that? I knew it was something you would like."

It's not that he doesn't mind you using your ability to watch him. He wants you to. "Okay, fine. I didn't miss a single second. Loved that, by the way. And your illusion game was great too. The picture with her father? I wish I had a copy of that. What was that face?"

He thinks for a moment, trying to remember what you're talking about. "Just reflecting my mood at the moment. She got so much on my nerves it took all I had not to knock her out and just get it over with it."

You chuckle, wondering what you would have come up with if he had just showed up with her passed out over his shoulder like a caveman. "She was always strong against you, huh. Even now."

"Freak. I just know Sebastian will want to study her, so if you do have plans for her, I'd suggest you be quick."

"Yeah. Sorry the reunion wasn't as interesting for you as I'm sure it was for her."

"Interesting?" He nibbles your ear and your skin prickles instantly. "I didn't even remember she existed until you reminded me. I didn't know her name until I read it out of her."

That stuns you for a moment. "She killed you."

"And you gave me life. That's much more memorable in my opinion."

Why did you let her do it? Is the question that is never asked. Because deep down you know. He didn't tell you he had to feed when you took him home after bringing him back either. He went out in the sun, back when it was still dangerous. But you also know he's not like that anymore. In every way possible he's stronger now. 

You kiss your favorite spot on his neck, proud of yourself for being at least part responsible for that.

If you hadn't convinced him to come back when Sebastian finally requested your help hunting down his hand-clone-golem thing, you wouldn't have even heard of his advances with all the research he dedicated his whole life to. It surprised you Vincent was willing to go through with it, but you knew he trusted his brother in some capacity.

True immortality. Unlocking of dormant abilities. No more weaknesses. Silver, sunlight, stakes were all a thing of the past. You were actually invincible now. Eternal. 

Not that you missed the sun. Grace cried a little and you pretended you didn't see.

Of course it wasn't something he'd offer to just about anyone, just those he deemed 'special', and of course you got him to realize your friends were very much special. 

It makes you cringe whenever you think about it, but no matter how much you hate the word, that's what you are, all of you. The elite.

You kind of want to get up and get a cigarette, but decide you don't want anything interfering with his scent. So you lie your head on his chest instead, not really trying to hide the fact that you're sniffing him like a dog. It reminds you of something. "When do you think she'll find out there's no such things as werewolves? Hey, what if we dressed up and played pretend?"

He pets your hair, your back, your ass. Fingers dip in, but not much. You can feel his claws have grown back to normal, and you may like pain, but internal bleeding is not really your idea of fun. "I haven't thought that far ahead. We'll come up with something interesting. And since you wanted her here, you're in charge of babysitting so she won't kill anyone. She's the sloppiest serial killer I've known. Even if her killing sprees only come around every few years, it's nothing short of a miracle she wasn't caught the other times, and I'm not wasting any more billy's on her."

You almost ask him what he saw, when he asked her if she loved him, but it would be inconsequential either way, she's just a fleeting presence in your lives. 

All of a sudden, you're tired of talking about the girl, feeling like you just got another pet. "Yeah, yeah, I'll keep her in line. Now…" You let your own hand wander, from his chest to his quickly rising erection. Maybe neither of your thirsts were as quenched as you thought. "My goodness, that's quite a loaf! But how ever shall it fit my oven?"

He pulls you to properly sit on him, and you waste no time getting him inside you. "Did you know your fantasies veer from violently psychotic to absurd and utter nonsense?"

You ride him hard, loving the amused look on his face. "I have no idea what it is you imply, master. I am but a poor Argonian maid."

His hands roam your body at leisure, cupping you before his thumbs brush over your nipples faintly, then he pinches with his knuckles and pulls you down. "Whatever the hell that means." His kiss matches the speed of your hips, rough, anxious, euphoric. His fingers are still pinching you and you moan loud while sucking on his tongue and impelling yourself onto him, egging him to go further. He twists and you squirm, deciding instead to slip away from the sweet torture so you can lie flush against him, just to savor the feeling of his skin on yours. You're barely moving anymore, leaving for him to do all the hard work, which he does with no complaints. He thrusts up into you, while taking hold of your ass with both hands and bringing you down to him. It surprises the both of you when you come first, although you're still shuddering when he catches up.

*

You wake up to soft splashing sounds. And while you too want nothing more than a warm bath right now, you still have some preparing to do. You grab the phone and press the kitchen extension.

"Ten minutes." Some of the candles have burned out, so you set others in their places and light them. Then you divest the bed of the gory sheets, hoping you'll manage to keep the clean ones in that state at least for a few days. Black or not, they still get pretty vile all caked up in dry blood and every other substance and fluids the both of you subject them to.

You stand by the bathroom door, watching your love serenely. Without opening his eyes, he moves to make room for you in the bathtub and you don't waste time joining him. With your back against his soap-slick chest, it takes all your strength not to start purring like a cat.

He pours soap into his hands and starts lathering you, and you can't resist a low moan, humming softly and continuously for as long as your breath allows. When he reaches your thighs, his hands go back up, bringing yours to do his work for him. He guides your fingers inside yourself and you lie back on his shoulder, kissing his ear, sucking the lobe into your mouth and exhaling hard against it, loving how quickly it raises pinpricks on his skin. His knuckles brush against you too, almost making you cry with the gentle caress. You moan regretfully. "As much as I really love where this is going, we don't have time. I did, as it happens, have a later appointment."

"Oh?" He kisses the back of your neck, hands still working you. "What could possibly be more important than coming your brains out?"

You grin and push his hands away from you, immediately mourning the loss. "I know you said you weren't disappointed when all I got you for 10 years of unholy union was a shirt. But it's okay if you were. It was a decoy." You turn your head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Did I get you?"

He holds your waist, raising you up so he can turn you around properly. "You? Managed to keep a secret from me?" He pulls you so you can lie on his chest. "I'm so proud."

"Oh, you have no idea how stressful it was keeping myself from broadcasting it like a neon signboard." Even if he doesn't keep his abilities active all the time, you didn't want to risk it. "I had to keep thinking about that damn shirt to keep it hidden. But it is time, and I can finally rest." 

If only he knew what else you hide. 

You leave the bathtub, reaching for your bathrobes. He takes his from your hands, but hangs yours back on the hook, instead taking a towel and drying you fully while standing behind you, breathing in your ear, his voice smooth as silk. "Stay like this for a moment. You look… like a dream."

You thought the ball was in your court for once, but he manages to swipe the rug from under you with just an action, a sentence. "I--I… I…" You blubber and fumble your words, but can't say anything, it's like you've forgotten how to speak.

"What's that? You're speechless? The world must be coming to an end." His hands slide from your neck to your shoulders, then your back and waist, finally landing on your stomach. One goes up and the other down, and you feel this could very well be the beginning of your actual downfall into insanity as he breathes your name over and over in your ear. Then he whispers, "Wanna try that again?"

"Sh-shut up…" Your legs are getting weak, and you vaguely remember you were supposed to be doing something, what was it again? Oh, right, melting in his arms.

"My, my. Over a decade of debauchery. Every shameless exchange. Every obscene act. Every filthy, absolutely nasty situation I've put you in. Every wicked, degenerate thing we've done, and this is what flusters you?" The hands that were teasing you seconds ago positively torment you now.

You shudder, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "You… you just caught me by surprise, alright? Besides…" Without turning around, you sneak your hand into his bathrobe, playing his game and running the tips of your fingers over his unsurprising erection. "Don't you prefer when I look like a nightmare?"

He hums. "How so?"

"Y'know." You give him a tug, but release him and turn around so you can look him in the eyes. "When I'm covered-- when I'm splattered in you from head to toe. Or when I'm so broken I can barely speak, but I still find a way to beg for more." You shrug. "Like that."

He does that breathless little swoon that is your absolute favorite reaction you can get out of him. "A tough choice. Good thing I can have both." He gazes at your neck and absently shakes his head. Then he reaches into the cupboard where you keep your… fun stuff, takes the red velvet collar but puts it back and decides on the black leather instead. It's thicker and covers up more, so it's less temptation for him. You hold your hair so he can clasp it around your neck. "If I drink any more from you today, you'll get anemic."

You laugh. "I'd probably just pass out. It builds up anyway." 

You know he's not reading you, so you allow yourself to think about it. What it would be like.

If he drained you of every single drop of blood in your body. You can't die, so… what would happen?

You think about that a lot.

And you know he's not interested in causing you any harm that won't be healed quickly, so you keep it to yourself.

Your dirtiest, guiltiest little secret. The one you always keep locked up from him. He'd be really proud of you for that one too, if only the thought itself wasn't such a huge disappointment.

He kisses your neck over the collar and your hand over the black shining band. Then he takes your bathrobe and dresses you finally. "I believe I was promised a gift?"

"Oh, shit! Your gift! I hope it didn't coagulate." You take his hand and quickly pull him back to the bedroom, ignoring the way he staggers, thanks to his not-so-little problem.

As you'd hoped, the billy's finished setting everything up, just like you told them to. You pull a chair so he can sit down on one end of the small table and take the other one. On the table, there is only an uncorked bottle, two wine glasses and the dead flower vase arrangement you wasted more time on than you care to admit. You pour him a glass and he smirks. "Interesting."

"Can you guess what it is with just a sip?"

He tastes it as if it was actually wine. "Politician?"

"Wow, you're good. Go on."

After another sip, he gives you a lopsided smile, raising his eyebrows amusedly. "President?"

"If you can guess the country, my body is yours to do with as you please for eternity. Oh, wait, it already is."

He smiles, finishes the cup and refills it, filling yours as well. "Don't tell me you got so bored waiting for me you decided to start a war just for the hell of it. I'm not sure if I even want to know the country."

"Bored? I was miserable! And don't worry, I put a plant in his place. As long as he doesn't forget to recharge his hologram thingy, everything will be okay. Plus, we get to control a country whenever we want to. It's not my favorite, but I'm sure we can find fun stuff to do."

He shakes his head, drinking casually now. "Just minutes ago I said I was proud of you? That was nothing compared to this. This is… this is the most insane gift someone's ever given to me. You are completely deranged." He takes your hand and kisses it. "Thank you." He thinks about it, then adds, "I really did like the shirt, though."

You smile and decide to taste it, finally. It's not exactly the good stuff, ordinary at best. Then again, that's not really the point. But you only finish your glass because you know he'll admonish you if you don't. It makes you hungry for foods you actually like.

"We haven't hunted in a while. And I was thinking about going to France."

He nods. "I could go for French. Any particular reason?"

"One of my favorite bands is in Paris for the weekend. We could go see them and maybe later get lost in the catacombs?"

He pours the rest of the presidential blood to you both. Well, there's more in the cellar, but you think you're done with it after this. He drinks it and glares at you until you finish yours. "Come here." Without a word, you stand up and walk the couple of steps around the table, stopping beside him. He lifts his arm and you heave a little, sitting on his lap. You love it when he asks you to do that probably even more than the act itself. His hand grasps your waist and you put an arm around his neck. "We haven't desecrated Notre-Dame yet, have we?"

"It was on our to-do list last time, but we never left the hotel room, remember? I swear the couple we drank on the way were up to their eyeballs in some sort of aphrodisiac shit. Not that I had reason to complain, it just cut our visit short. Poor maids, though."

"Paris, then." With his hands sneaking into your bathrobe, you're not even sure how much of your insatiable lust you can blame on aphrodisiacs. "The perfect way to finish this year's celebration. Let's just… not try to top the presents next year, okay?"

"Aw, really? I wanted a king for next year. Do you think those taste good?" You move his bathrobe from his shoulder so you can plant a kiss there.

"Don't even think about it. Besides, I have the feeling most royal families haven't been human for a long time anyway." He stands up, scooping you up in his arms. "Well, while your gift did satiate me, I think I'm going to eat something else now."

With the way he drops you on the bed, divesting you of the bathrobe and finding his home between your legs, you forget all about asking what was that about the royal families. "Bon appétit, monsieur."

Fin

Part 1

Part 2

Part... 4?

Bottom line is, they fuck a lot.

To every other Vincent fan out there, I wanted to apologize for his characterization. I was mad at myself for making him domesticated and defanged in the previous story. Then I remembered this whole thing started out as a Twilight parody/silly comedy anyway, you only have to read the first paragraphs of Inamourada to see. The Latin, Vincent being a vegetarian. I am way too ridiculous and juvenile to write anything serious, even though he deserves it. Besides, this is supposed to be that 'living vicariously through fanfics' thing, and I want nothing more than eternity with him, love and be loved by my vampire, be that domestic and cliche as hell or not. So I wanted to apologize for his characterization. At first, not anymore. 

I have no idea if this is in any way confusing, makes sense to me because I know what's happening. I know the Cora part might be hard to follow especially with the many rewrites it went through. So please don't hesitate to ask about anything, loose ends and cryptic shit, something that didn't make sense. Just know I might not have all the answers. Yet.

London After Midnight title again. I gotta stop that. No, but they're Vincent's band! (thoughts of Lestat rockstar just popped in my head...) Not that it matters much, since they're never gonna die anyway. If you think they're too op now blame David, I just turned them into Count Crowley vamps.

From Count Crowley: Billatombia. Psychic slaves. The walking corpse. They appear human but are far from it. We call them "billy's" for short. He's like a zombie except that he's under the control of his master.

I'd like to dedicate this to @accidentally-in-fictional-love, @kidinfandom and @verylightsheep for inspiring me, giving ideas and locking me in that basement with a gun to my head, no food and water until I finished this. Thank you all. I assume you know which's which. Sorry for dedicating such a dirty story to you.

[zooliminology]

Update/What's in the Future

[Hey guys, you probably have noticed that this is going to be likely the longest dry spell of real Zoolim content in a while. I apologize for this. Life has gotten in the way of a lot of things.

-I'm an art student in college, and last semester I didn't take any art classes so I was basically free to do whatever, but this semester I've taken three studio art classes, which are all very intensive and in honesty I would not recommend it! If you're a studio art student stick to 1-2 studio art classes a semester so you don't go insane please! I'm currently absolutely SWAMPED with work right now. -The Golbo video and the video that is imminently due this Tuesday (that i am writing this post about instead of working on) are the results of my New Media class. Considering the ten thousand million fucking art assets I have to draw for these it's been very time consuming (still want to do it though.) -A lot of life things have happened to me recently, not to be super personal but a family member of mine is sick and my living conditions are not the absolute Best, so it's been taking a heavy toll on my health.

All of these combined, especially the studio classes part because I've been bled dry of creativity energy relating to zoolim basically, has caused this dry spell basically. My hopes are that after the semester ends (which is soon) I'll be able to work on things more. I feel bad about not working on it more but I have to draw things other than zoolim to literally stay sane because it's a lot.

So I guess that leaves us with one question: what's in the future?

Well, a lot of things... maybe? I'm a little dry on entity ideas right now but i have a few, and I'd like to revisit some entities more and expand on them. And while I enjoy the videos and the non-entry ideas I have for material, I would also like to continue the 'traditional' paintings and entries. So I hope I can work on that alongside other things! I also have more ideas for videos, but considering how I have to do nearly all of the work, aside from the narration (thanks Darvinos) any video production will likely slow down dramatically after the semester is over. Until my next New Media class at least, but IDK if it will let me make the same shit.

I also have some deeper lore and a story semi-figured out, along with characters (you ever wonder who's taking the pictures? not the same person who's writing the captions!!!) but they would be hard to implement in this tumblr blog organically, so maybe they'll show up in some videos. I've thought of asking more people for help for this purpose, though I'd need to work out completely how that would work, and the moment that zoolim becomes more than some backrooms world i work on mostly by myself will become scary.

Sorry that this post is a big ramble, I hope yall understand and I swear the Longlegs video will come out pretty soon, it will be worked on again right after I post this lol. But please take care, and thank you for all the support you've shown me so far. It truly does mean a lot to me. I've said it several times but I'll say it again, I never imagined this shitty little art project about weird goobers in the backrooms would get so much attention lol.

ok end of post]

[queen--kenobi]

Elayna x Wylla is my new OTP

OKAY LISTEN I'm actually having some Thoughts about them because their relationship and dynamic would be so fucking wild

(Also holy shit this got long I'm so sorry)

Like. I think they'd only be in each other's social sphere at first because of Abby. And it'd be that weird dynamic of "you're my best friend's cousin/my cousin's best friend so I'll play nice" but I think Elayna's def judging Wylla for being a Northern girl who's not a Stark (and therefore not seen as politically relevant). And Wylla is judging Elayna because she's clocking that Lannister influence (both in terms of look and personality) the minute she sees Elayna. But! They both care about Abby so they're cordial because neither of them wants to put Abby in a weird position

That being said, the first time they interact without Abby there it's... tense. Maybe they're both a little meaner than they should be. I think Wylla wins first round but Elayna wins the next. Third ends in a draw. Fourth is weird because I feel like they've both realized the other is smarter and more perceptive than they thought, and like. Idk Elayna doesn't like Wylla but also respects Wylla for holding her ground? Because lbr Elayna can and will hate someone but respect the fuck out of them if they can hold their own against her

Honestly at some point they probably just start going at each other not because they actually hate each other but because it's sort of their routine and it's weirdly fun when neither of them is in a vicious mood. Plus the more time they spend around each other, the more they kinda ease up on earlier assumptions. A lot of tension that still lingers is Wylla being blunt and Elayna being rich girl mean. Eventually I feel like they'd reach an understanding but not without both of them having breakdowns because the longer they know each other, the better they can zero in on the other's weak spots

NOW. Aemond becomes a point of contention, and that nearly makes shit go completely and irreparably sideways. Especially once Aemond realizes both of them have a thing for him? Sorry Aemond girlies, but that man is absolutely pitting them against each other. He's not used to having women be interested in him but having two? You can't tell me he wouldn't get a power trip over watching them fight

Ironically, Tymon is the one to put a stop to it because Tymon points it out to Elayna. Which is a very weird moment in their relationship because Elayna and Tymon have been fighting for years now. Make no mistake, Tymon isn't pointing it out for Elayna's sake but for his. He cannot have a nemesis who debases herself, especially for another man, because that's not a good look for him. It's not because Tymon actually still cares about Elayna in his own fucked up way. And make no mistake, Elayna only realizes what was going on because she compared Aemond to Tymon. It's not because Elayna actually kinda still cares about Tymon's opinion as a "friend" bah they're not friends

Which I think. I think once Elayna has had this realization she a) doesn't want Aemond anymore because of this and b) has let herself become a bad person because of all this. This leads her to talk to Tyland (which btw their relationship is in a really fucky stage hehehe), and Tyland gives Elayna the very sane and reasonable advice of go talk to Wylla.

Elayna about pitches a fit because that's not what she wants to hear but it's what she needs to hear. She absolutely acts like it's a punishment because she's never in the wrong. After several weeks she goes and comes clean to Wylla

I'm gonna be honest I don't think it goes over well buuuuut it actually saves things because they at least know where the other is. And they slowly and very painfully begin repairing things

...Abby is absolutely the one to nudge Wylla into talking to Elayna btw

This is absolutely where Elayna and Wylla start to become an actual thing I feel like? Like in my head when things are super toxic they absolutely have toxic yuri vibes but lmao they're fighting good luck getting either of them to even admit oh hey, I find her hot

I honestly have no idea how they would even get together but I can say Aemond probably isn't happy with this? Idk I feel like them being friends forces him to make a choice in his head? Well that and by that point I think Elayna has told Tyland she's ready to take their betrothal seriously. I think it doesn't have too much of an effect on Tyland and Elayna’s relationship? Because in my head they had a talk about their marriage being a lavender marriage fairly early on, and it does change things some because they're both attracted to the other. I think so long as Elayna comes back to him at the end of the day, Tyland is mostly okay with it. He's just sorta accepted the "this is my wife Elayna and her partner Wylla" and it's certainly a waaaaay better situation than "this is my wife Elayna and her partner Cerelle who is also my niece please don't examine this too closely I don't like thinking about how weird this is"

[m-to-z-andbackto-m]

About Me! (MasterPost???)

Hi! I'm MZM I a lil' silly sometimes-

MZM are my irl initials used as an online name, but I genuinely think of myself as "MZM" sometimes!

Other Names: The nickname "MZ" is a little personal, I'd prefer if you don't use it, "Zizi" is for close friends only, respect that too pls :D

Queer Stuff:

🖤🩶🩷🤍🩷🩶🖤 ???

(ACTUALLY I'M HAVING GENDER CONFUSION SO IT'S Mainly She/Her/He/Him But I don't care what you use)

🖤🩶🩷🤍🩷🩶🖤 ???

💙🩵🤍💛🧡

AroAce Spectrum 🫶

🧡💛🤍🩵💙

March 28th 2007 - 17 Years Young GOD HELP I'M ALMOST AN ADULT

DO NOT SUPPORT/AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH/PLEASE AVOID:

Racism, sexism (misogyny AND misandry), homophobia, transphobia, aphobia, faithism of any kind, ableism, you know what, prejudice/discrimination in general, keep that to yourself and move along buddy.

Offensive and disgusting "jokes", look, I like dark humor as much as the next person but there is a line and I guarantee you have made someone uncomfortable and they just didn't say anything, set boundaries with your friends, people, or just don't make certain jokes.

Proshipping (As in shipping that's incest, pedophilia, non consensual, etc...) (Also I'm aware of the original definition, but words change, English is weird and I'm sorry)

I'm a (somewhat) sane multishipper and I will not cross that line. Fiction Or Not.

Realistic Gore, Children/Babies Screaming/Crying, Disturbing Things In General (I Get Paranoid)

Directory Thingy

# MZM Rambles A Lot - My Rambles (Consist of mainly me nerding out about characters, fandoms, etc... But open to other topics) + Responses To Reposts And Reposts Accompanied By Text (Basically Any Text I Post)

Currently working on tagging my art

Art Trades And Requests Closed!!!

Commissions will open as soon as I make a reference sheet and figure out payment methods :/

Fandoms I'm Familiar With: UTAU/UTMV (UnderTale AUs/Multiverses) 🫶, TMNT (A little 1987, mostly 2003 and 2012, some 2007, 2014/16, and 2018), VenomVerse, Spiderman (Mostly the animated content but I'm catching up on the Marvel movies to prepare for Venom 3 💪), FNAF, The Owl House, Amphibia, Steven Universe, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, etc... because we'll be here all day if I go on- 😭

(Remember, love the content/concept, not problematic creators)

Interests/Hobbies/Things I Do: Art/Drawing, Animation, Cooking/Baking, Sewing, Learning To Use Watercolors

I Dabble: Voice Acting, Music (As In Singing), Literature

Extra activities I have done/tried but don't/can't do regularly: Roller And Ice Skating, Ceramics, Embroidery, Have an unfinished plushie head in the basement, probably some other stuff

A Little More About Me: Sometimes I feel extra childish, bare with me, I'll understand if you need some space, I can be overstimulating sometimes

Don't be rude, literally, just scroll past what you don't like, keep interacting and you'll get more of it, then you're a masochist at that point

Some More Stuff I Like: My Friends <3 (Duh), Animals, Mythology (+ Creatures), 80's/90's shows I watched for some reason instead of normal cartoons 😭, Cartoons In General (including a few unpopular ones) 💕, Cultures (Religion included but I'd rather not talk about it), LOTTA QUEER STUFF 😊

~Other Socials (In Order Of Activity + Links If You Click Name)~ (Where did my links go???)

Discord (Maybe I should make a server at some point...)

Tumblr - You're Here! :D

YouTube - ꧁Lazy MZM꧂

Quotev - しᎯⲍႸ ⲘⲌⲘ

I was gonna put Amino but I rarely use that mf-

And others I either forgot about or don't use

Just to be clear, sometimes, or, well, a lot of the time, I think randomly and process things differently/weirdly, please be patient with me and tell me if I need to reword something 😭

[let-them-read-fics]

Blackpink HC / One Shots: Enemies to Lovers, College AU (2/2)

Requested: Yes

Warnings / Misc. -- Bickering, Rivalry, Fluff

A/N: Hey everyone! This is the second half of the request, featuring Rosé and Lisa. If you want to see the first part, with Jisoo and Jennie, click the link below. I hope you enjoy!

Click for Jisoo and Jennie

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Rosé

Park Chaeyoung: The girl who hung with the wrong crowd.

Your problem lied more so with the people she associated with than her herself. You couldn't wrap your head around why such a kind person like her would spend time with the class clowns and bullies, and to make matters worse, she would stick up for them as well.

She spent most of her days in either the art or music room, creating the masterpieces that her brain came up with.

But as soon as school was over, she'd be hanging out with them again and getting into trouble. For instance, because of her talents, they would invite her to go with them and graffiti various hot spots around town. She never vandalized any monuments or landmarks of importance -- she typically stuck to bridges or abandoned buildings -- but after getting caught with them multiple times, it was inevitable for her to be held accountable.

She was given a week's detention to make up for her actions

You, coincidentally, had a teacher that absolutely loathed you for no reason at all. No matter how good of a student you were for him, he didn't care; he had a vendetta against you for some reason, and he patiently waited for the opportunity to ruin your day.

You came in literally 10 seconds after the bell rang, putting the breakfast sandwich you stopped to get on the way into your mouth so you could open the door. He was standing at the front with a smug grin on his face, and you already knew what was coming.

You were also given an ungodly sentence of a week's detention.

Turning Point

"If I see you on your phones, I'm taking them." The monitor informs before sitting at the desk, reclining in the chair and putting his feet up soon after. You sigh and lean back in your seat, attempting to find a way to pass the next two hours without getting in trouble. Your eyes scan across the room, eventually landing on Rosé, where she sits a couple rows away from you. Sunlight is streaming in through the window next to her, its golden rays peeking through the breaks in the clouds above to shine on her. She looks gorgeous as she doodles away in her notebook, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear when it falls in front of her face.

After waiting on the monitor to fall asleep and sending one last glance to double check, you quietly stand from your seat and go sit next to her.

You barely know each other, but she's your only hope of remaining sane and occupied.

"Hi," you greet, looking into her eyes.

"Hi," she copies, a tiny smile forming on her lips when she notices your impressed expression upon gazing down at her paper. You have to hand it to her -- she's really talented.

"You're really good," you compliment, still admiring the artistry. Seeing as how you're looking down, you fail to notice the blush that works its way to her cheeks. Coming from you, the simple remark meant a lot to her.

You spend the rest of the day making small talk and getting used to one another, leaving detention later with the hopes of sitting together again.

----

The Next Day

"Hi again," you whisper, glancing over your shoulder to ensure that the coast is clear. The monitor is out like a light, with his mouth hanging open and an obnoxiously loud snore coming out.

"Hi," she giggles, watching as you dive into the floor for cover when the man shifts in his sleep. You thought he was waking up, and if he finds out you moved seats, he'll definitely have something to say about it.

"The coast is clear, cadet," she nods like a soldier, assuring you that it's okay to move back after a minute.

"That was close," you breathe out in relief, glad to live to see another day.

You share a laugh, though it has to be hidden behind your hands and kept a minimum. It's cute though -- like a little secret between the two of you, only for you to know.

"What're you drawing today?" You ask later, laying your chin in your palm as you gaze down at her work. Her reply comes out stuttered at first when she feels your leg innocently brush against hers under the table.

"D-dalgom. My friend's dog." She manages out, mentally smacking herself for looking like a fool.

You smile, thinking she's adorable. "I bet it'll be great," you encourage. She grins back as her eyes scan over your face, committing the memory of you to heart. She's always had a thing for you, ever since the time you were paired up in Biology last semester, so she's been enjoying detention more than she thought she would. Seeing you makes the time go by faster, though ironically, she wishes it would slow down a bit.

You make her feel appreciated for more than just what she's capable of producing, and the divide between you and her friend group is blaringly obvious. They like her because of the rush she can help them achieve; you like her because of her.

That thought persists in her mind for the rest of detention, and before she knows it, the monitor is releasing you again. She bends down to put her notebook in her bag when a thought pops into her mind: she wants to ask if you want to go to the park with her. When she's done zipping her bag up, she looks back up at you, only to find you on your phone, talking to someone.

"Yeah, mom. I'll stop by on the way home. So milk, cereal, ramen, and paper towels, right?"

She watches as you wait for a reply, tucking the phone into the crook of your neck as you move to write the list down on a spare piece of paper.

"Alright, love you, too. See you later." You hang up before looking back at Rosie. She looks a little down, and you have no idea why.

You pause for a moment, silently psyching yourself up for what you're about to ask. "This is gonna sound really strange, but do you want to come with me to the store?"

Her heart's pace increases at that, happy to know that you want to spend more time with her, just as she does with you.

"Actually, yeah. That sounds like fun."

You grin at her before spinning around and doing a little celebratory dance, which wins you a strange look from the monitor. You stick your tongue out at him before grabbing her hand and rushing out of the room, hearing his disapproval shouted after you.

--

"Milk?"

"Check."

"Ramen?"

"Check."

"Cereal?"

"Nope."

You nod at her words, now reminded of what you were forgetting. You push the buggy towards the aisle of cereals, gazing around in wonder at the huge selection. Rosé is just the same, eyeing all of the options like a kid in a candy store. After grabbing your mom's favorite kind, you decide on one for yourself and bring it back to the cart. Rosie scoots her leg over, making room for them beside where she sits, reclined in the cart.

You grin when you see her eyeing a box of fruit loops. Huh; fruity. Go figure.

You wordlessly grab the box and hand it to her, feeling your heart melt when she looks up at you like you hold the key to the universe.

"Thank you, Y/N."

"No problem, Rosie." You say, putting your hands on the bar as you begin pushing the buggy again. "Now, I say we see how long it takes to get to the paper towel aisle. My last record was 30 seconds."

She looks at you, clearly impressed, with her eyebrows raised. Without question, she pulls her phone out and gets the stop watch feature ready to go.

"3...2...1... GO!" She shouts, commanding your legs to start pumping as you race down the long strip of store before you. A couple kids dart out of the way just before getting smacked into, quickly turning around and cheering you on as you charge forward.

Her giggles fill the air as you drift around a corner, shouting apologies to the lady you almost bumped into.

"Sorry ma'am!"

A few seconds later, chest heaving and legs sore, you come to a stop in the aisle, dramatically collapsing in a heap next to the buggy. Rosé checks her phone as she reaches down to poke you.

"22.18 seconds, champ," she declares victoriously, smiling when you magically regain enough energy to stand up and celebrate.

"Woohoo! Team Y/S/N (Your Ship Name) for the win!"

She laughs along at that, joining in on your celebration, but she's blushing like crazy on the inside.

-----

The Last Day Of Detention

Ever since your trip to the store, you and Rosé have grown closer and closer. You traded numbers and text occasionally, though nothing beats having her all to yourself for 2 hours straight with no distractions. She feels the same; when she's in class, she can't wait for the bell to ring and signal your reunion. Part of her wants to get in trouble again, just to see you more often.

So, as you'd expect, it's really no surprise that you're sat right in front of her again, telling jokes and asking about her day. You've grown a bit more bold with every step closer you've taken towards her heart, and now you reach down to intertwine your fingers with hers.

She happily accepts, even bringing your hand up to her lips to press a kiss to the back of it. She smiles against your skin after it, making butterflies take flight in your stomach. She's got you wrapped around her finger, and you don't even try to fight it anymore.

The sound of the classroom door opening alerts you, making her lower your hand. She doesn't let go of you, though, and that fact warms your heart for some reason. The squeaky hinges groan out again as the door opens wider, revealing about 4 or 5 people from the friend group that she hangs out with. They motion for her to sneak out with them, but she just shakes her head.

"Come on, Rosé!" They whisper-scream, offering her a way to freedom. Little do they know that she'd take this imprisonment over freedom any day, so long as you're by her side.

"No! Get out before he wakes up!" She whisper-shouts back, eventually convincing them to leave.

"Why didn't you go?" You ask once they're gone, toying with her fingers as your hands rest on the desk.

"Because I like spending time with you." She admits, letting her defenses down.

"I was hoping you'd say that," you smile, letting her know that you feel the same.

The Fallout

After detention, the two of you walked out of the school, hand in hand

"Would you maybe, I don't know... wanna go to the park with me?" She asks nervously, glancing up at you.

"You read my mind, Rosie." You smile at each other and head towards the parking lot.

You started hanging out more, and she distanced herself from her old crowd

You encouraged her to enroll in your school's art program and show her work that way

"You're really talented; it deserves to be seen."

Your support meant the world to her, and she never failed to let you know

"Thank you, Y/N. Having you behind me means the world to me."

At one of her art shows, where she was tasked with unveiling a new piece that she'd been working on for months, you got the biggest surprise of your life.

She created a mural of you, all decked out with every color of the rainbow, utterly gorgeous

She lit up when she saw your reaction

"This piece is titled 'Mine', which I hope the girl in it will soon be." She says into the microphone, looking at you with hope shining in her eyes.

You nod your head with a smile and walk up to her, pressing your lips to hers in a kiss that was long-overdue. She wraps her arms around your waist, pulling you in closer with her sweater-padded hands and kissing you again and again.

The crowd claps for you, happy to see such an ending.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Lisa

I couldn't choose between these two gifs so enjoy both for the price of one ^^^

Lisa Manoban: Cocky, smug, and self-assured. The dancer knew she was hot shit, and she wasn't afraid to show off.

You're all for people being confident and happy with themselves, especially when they're talented, but something about Lisa always seemed to rub you the wrong way.

Whether it be her lack of a filter or the arrogant swagger that she naturally exuded, you weren't sure. People wanted to either be her or be with her, but you fell into neither of those categories.

She always left you frustrated in one way or another, whether it be from her teasing or her witty comebacks

The teachers loved her, as did the students. She was the class clown, so her position was pretty sacred in the grand scheme of things

You, on the other hand, irritated her for other reasons. You were the only person she couldn't get to crack; you never gave into her charms, and it infuriated her to no end. She wasn't used to not getting what she wanted (as childish as that may seem) and having you, one of the most attractive girls at school, turn her down? Well that was a massive blow to her ego.

You weren't afraid to say your piece, and that both pleasantly surprised and upset her.

She constantly tried to flirt with you in class, but you knew it was all for the attention. She just wanted to make her friends laugh, which they always did.

"Y/N, come here babe. There's an empty seat next to me," she coos, batting her eyelashes as you walk in the door. It's a free day, so everyone is sitting with their friends, wherever they like.

"I'm good," you decline, deciding to sit against the wall beneath the large window of the classroom.

"Oooo, denied," Lisa's friends laugh at her this time, chuckling harder when she sticks her middle finger up at them.

"Yah, shut up," she says, nursing her bruised ego as she turns around and opens her phone.

You smile as you continue working on the homework you cracked open, scribbling an answer down onto the notebook paper in front of you. Your fingers glide over your textbook in search of the definition of the term you're on, and Lisa secretly watches from afar. Without realizing it, she grins when you light up upon spotting the answer.

Sometimes her flirting does work, though, and you turn into a blushing mess

*whistle* "Damn, Y/N. You're looking fine today," she exclaims, fanning herself. You worry that she doesn't really mean it, but when her eyes remain on you a second too long to just be friendly, you blush. She's taking in all of you, looking impressed all the while.

"Right back at you, Manoban." You wink, sitting down in your seat across the room. She lightly blushes back, though she does a good job of concealing it.

Considering you share a couple classes and the class sizes are relatively small, it was pretty likely that you'd end up paired together eventually

You weren't happy about it, especially not after the way she had acted that week. Her cockiness had been at an all time high as of late, leaving you frustrated and upset. She was so full of herself; all you wanted to do was wipe that stupid smirk off her face.

"Y/N, you'll be paired with Lisa," your photography teacher informs, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose.

"But Mrs. Ta--"

"Pairings are final," she cocks her head at you, persuading you to give in. With a sigh, you respond, "Yes ma'am," and attempt to ignore the sound of Lisa's friends high fiving each other in celebration.

The Turning Point

"My parents are gone for the rest of the week..." she says, holding the door open for you as you carry in your equipment. A hint of suggestiveness lies in it; she's alluding to exactly what you think she is, and you push her shoulder upon realizing it.

"Knock it off, Manoban."

"Okay, okay," she chuckles, listening to you for once. The surprise is clear on your face.

She leads you towards the backyard, where you set up one of your highest power cameras and turn it on. You have to create a gallery of different photos, all under the same theme. You both agreed to do a time-lapse of the sunset, and take pictures of the stars after.

Once she makes sure that the timer is set correctly and that the auto shut-off feature is enabled, she motions for you to follow her back into the house. You do, and she leads you into the kitchen.

"Do you want a snack?"

"Sure, do you have any ramen?"

She nods, quickly busying herself by bending down and searching through the cabinets. After she finds it, exclaiming a pleased, "Aha!", she tells you to go get comfortable in the living room.

Three minutes later, from your place on the couch, you begin to smell something burning. You scramble up and rush to the kitchen, only to find Lisa running around like a headless chicken, attempting to put out the small fire she started.

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO BURN RAMEN?" You shout, though your tone isn't angry. You're just very shocked, and loud about it. You push her away from the pot, albeit gently, and get the flames to go down relatively quickly. You turn the burners off and put the pot in the sink, leaning against the counter to recover from the adrenaline rush.

"Oops?" She asks more so that says, with a growing smile evident in her voice.

You shake your head and chuckle despite yourself, turning around to face her. "You can order a pizza now to make up for that." You point a finger at her, grinning stupidly when she presses the tip of hers to it.

"Your wish is my command, princess."

Thankfully you're already walking away as she says that, so she doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing you blush.

---

"Lisa, I can't keep going." You groan out, sweat dripping down your face. The pizza you ate earlier is giving you a stomache ache, paired with the physical activity you're doing.

"Y/N, just a little longer, we're almost there," she huffs out, keeping her movements steady somehow. You're a mess by now, so you don't understand how she's still going.

A couple minutes later, the TV in front of you lights up, saying, "Awesome moves! You win!" as you collapse to the ground in a heap.

Why you agreed to play Just Dance with her after eating is beyond you.

"Good job," she compliments, grabbing your hand to high five herself with it.

"Yeah, yeah," you roll over, catching your breath.

She lays down beside you as you recover, telling jokes to hear that laugh that she loves so much. She prefers yours over anyone elses, so it's always such a reward when she gets you to crack up.

"We should probably head up now," she notes, realizing that the stars will be coming out soon. You agree, and she carefully helps you up.

"Here, I'll carry you," she turns, bending down so you can get on her back.

"Lisa, you can't carry me," you brush off, feeling insecurity bubble up again like it always does when you're offered a piggyback ride.

"Y/N, I promise that I can. Trust me," she reassures, looking into your eyes sincerely.

"Alright," you sigh, standing onto the couch to get on easier.

"See?" She asks, sliding her warm hands up your thighs to keep you secured against her. "I've got you, babe."

You tuck your head into the space between her shoulder and neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.

"I'm gonna punch you if you drop me," you whisper, feeling her laugh against you.

"Fair enough."

-----

Later, On The Rooftop

"Careful," she instructs, outstretching a hand to help you climb out the window. Her camera hangs around her neck, and she takes the cap off of the lense once you're both safely sitting on the roof.

"Wow," you sigh, gazing up at the sky in wonder. Her house is far enough away from the city that you're rewarded with a gorgeous view of the stars, unburdened by the industrial fog that hangs over the cosmopolis.

"It's beautiful out here," you say, looking back at her. You tense up a bit, not expecting her to already be looking at you.

"Sorry," she laughs at herself, looking away once she gets caught admiring you.

"It's okay," you reach down and gently squeeze her hand, making her blush lightly.

"Let's get started," you conclude, pointing at the camera. She nods, knowing that she'd never get the assignment done if you didn't step in to tell her to (considering she'd rather admire you), and she points the device to the sky.

After snapping a few pictures, she lays back in order to get a better vantage point of one of the star systems. She hands it to you after she's satisfied with her work, and you take your turn with it.

She notices that you keep brushing your hair out of the way when it falls in your face, so she decides to help you.

"Here," she says, saddling up behind you. She gathers your hair up, running her fingers through it to neatly pull it up for you. Thankfully she always keeps a spare tie on her wrist.

"Thanks," you smile, snapping another picture. The simple act warms your heart; she's being selfless for once, and helping you without even being asked. It's a refreshing change of pace.

"You're welcome." She chirps, sitting back down beside you.

-----

Later, In Her Bedroom

"Oh, I really like that one!" She says excitedly, pointing at the TV. Her phone, which is connected via Bluetooth and automatically receives pictures of her choosing from the camera, is displaying some of your best shots.

"Yeah, you did really well with that. I think we might beat everyone else if we use that as our cover piece."

Your compliment makes her momentarily shy, and she quickly realizes how much she loves your praise.

The two of you continue like that, reviewing the different pictures and choosing your favorites. She always finds ways to compliment yours, noting your technique or the filter you used, and it always makes you smile. She's different than you're used to, and it's throwing you for a loop, pleasantly surprising.

---

Lisa steps out of the room to go to the bathroom a few minutes later, leaving her phone connected to the TV. A ding sounds out across the space, pulling your attention away from the stack of notes laid out before you. Your eyes dart up to the screen, reading the text message that appeared at the top of it.

Austin ⛓: "Dude, did you get into her pants yet? We're literally betting over here 😂"

You blink a few times as their words sink in, making your chest hurt. You were really beginning to believe that you had been wrong about Lisa; clearly, though, your instincts were right.

Feeling betrayed, you shove your folders back into your bag and stand from the chair, willing yourself not to cry. The sound of the sink turning on lets you know that she's almost done, so you hurry your movements and make your way towards the door. She steps out into the hall just as you exit her room, looking at you with wide eyes.

"Woah, woah, woah, what's going on?" She asks with furrowed brows, approaching you. One of her hands lands on your arm, and you shrug it off as you brush past her without another word.

"Y/N, did I do something wrong?" She asks from the top of her staircase, watching as you walk towards her foyer.

"Why don't you ask Austin?" You bitterly call over your shoulder as you turn the knob, slipping out the front door. She hangs her head upon registering your words, realizing what must've happened. She makes a mental note to give him hell when she sees him again.

Tears sting your eyes as you exit the house, wrapping your jacket tighter around yourself. You should've known something like this would happen. The chilly night air bites at your skin, stealing more of its warmth away with every step you take. The temperature doesn't change your mind, though; you're upset, and you'd rather freeze out here than be face to face with her right now.

"Y/N, wait!" She calls after you, blasting out the front foor. Her footfalls sound off behind you, announcing her rapid approach, but you don't turn around. Realizing this, she darts in front of you, keeping you from walking any further.

"Please, don't go. He's an idiot, Y/N."

"He might he an idiot, but that doesn't take away what he said," you scowl, clenching your jaw. "Betting? Really, Lisa?" You ask quietly, hurt evident in your voice.

"It was a stupid thing they tried to convince me to do. I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop them from talking once you and I were paired up. That's not what I want, though. I'm not just in it for that."

"How am I supposed to believe that? This is your M.O., Lisa."

"It's different with you, I don't know why." That's a lie; she knows exactly why you're different than anyone else she's flirted with in the past.

You stand there before her, silently weighing your options. After seeing the pleading look in her eye, her dark orbs full of sincerity, you relent. "Just take me home. We'll work on it another day," you compromise, allowing her in just enough to take you home, but not enough to stay at her place any longer. You're still weary after a text like that, and you will be for a while.

"Thank you," she breaths a sigh of relief, clasping her hands behind herself as you begin walking back to her house. She notices you shiver on the way, and she slips her jacket off without hesitation to cover you. Neither of you have to say anything; one glance from you is enough for her, and she's content knowing you're warm.

The Fallout

From there on out she was always honest with you and actually spoke out when her friends tried to do something stupid

She still remained the charming class clown that she naturally is, just getting rid of the not-so-nice parts of herself

You slowly let her regain your trust, little by little

She did nice things for you on the daily, whether it be holding the door, carrying your books, or offering to buy you some lunch

"Morning, Y/N. Wanna grab some breakfast?" She asks, moving her head to the side towards the café at the center of campus.

"Sure," you smile, laughing when she celebrates.

She invites you to her dance perfomances

When she goes to championships, you're always first on her list of invites

"I want you there." She declares, handing you the flyer.

"You've got it," you decide, knowing there's no where you'd rather be. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

At said championship, she won the highest title and claimed victory for your school

You joined the rest of the team on the stage to celebrate, congratulating the solo dancer on her achievement.

"I'm so proud of you, Lis--"

She suddenly kisses you, clearly high off her win. She pulls back when she realizes what she just did, a worried look on her face.

"Shit, I'm sorry." She looks between your eyes, attempting to gauge your reaction.

"Get your ass back here," you order, feeling butterflies take flight when she eagerly presses her lips to yours again, wrapping her arms around you to spin you.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" She mumbles against your lips.

You squint, pretending to think about it. "Maybe... or maybe not."

Her subsequent gasp is quickly muffled by your kiss, which she can't seem to get enough of.

[buckybarnesdiaries]

bucky barnes x reader. masterlist.

part 1 — part 2 (soon)

a / n. this is a series of 15 mini-drabbles to celebrate the 500 followers' milestone, based on one word for each story. this first part contains 8, and the next one contains 7. it was supposed to be posted one story per day, but by that way, it'd take me to last an eternity to post other works / requests.

words. 1.533.

warning, tags. none, just a bunch of fluffy and cute situations with bucky.

join my tag list.

necklace;

It was the first time since you started to date that Bucky had to leave for a mission. Neither of the two of you knew when he'd be back, and that got you worried than ever. You were conscious of what he did for a living when you met him, but you couldn't help but feel scared. Next to the front door of your apartment, Bucky left his backpack on the floor, leaning to cup your cheeks on his palms and kiss your lips tortuously slow.

“I'll be okay, (Y/N)”. He murmured keeping his eyes closed.

“You better”.

Your hidden threat made him giggle. The soldier felt goosebumps bristling his skin as your fingertips toured his neck blindly, just to put in place the chain of his necklace. But soon, Bucky stopped your moves to take it off from him and place his dog tags on you.

“I'll come back for them”. He promised, fixing his pale blue orbs on yours, holding your hands to bring them to his lips and place fond kisses on every knuckle of both. “I love you, don' forget it, okay?”

“I won't... How could I, Buck?”

eclipsed;

Bucky was sweating, still not believing he was about to get married to the love of his life. He was on the altar, waiting for you and surrounded by all of your friends in common. Steve had had to help him with a panic attack he had suffered while dressing up, thinking that maybe you could change your opinion at the last moment. He couldn't blame you. But all those doubts vanished at the second you crossed the huge, heavy doors of the church. Your beauty eclipsed him, wearing a white lace wedding dress and seeming like you floated over the floor. Just like an angel.

His heart jumped. His oceanic eyes got covered in tears. A giggle escaped his lips, stretching a hand towards you, still praying it's not a dream. And you noticed the tension and the nervousness running his veins, leaning forward to kiss his cheek with all the love you felt for your future husband.

“Can't wait to say yes”. You whispered into his ear, causing Bucky to lace his arms around you and embrace you tight and tenderly. “I love you, James, from now and forever”.

sunset;

After his most recent nightmare and walking all grumpy from one side of another around your house, you decided to cheer him up only like you can do. With reluctance, you managed to get him out of your apartment and drag him to your car. Bucky was like a child, cross-armed, lips puckered and frowning annoyed. He tried to hide the fact that he had another nightmare to not worry you, but you weren't stupid.

Thinking that glimpsing the beach throughout the large front window would make him feel happier, your boyfriend just reclined himself on the seat, causing you to roll your eyes. That mood changed as soon as Bucky was sitting on the sand, between your legs, tho. His back was resting against your chest and his neck was wrapped by one of your arms, watching fascinated the sunset on the horizon. He wouldn't recognize it, but he felt much better hearing the waves crashing into the shore, while you stroked his scalp tenderly using the tip of your nails.

“You're welcome, grumpy mummy”.

clingy;

You didn't want to drink, but Sam and Sarah wanted to celebrate that the family business was picking up. On another occasion, you wouldn't mind, but Bucky was there. So, when everything started to spin around, you lead your clumsy steps to the edge of the harbor, having a sit there and let the soft breeze help you.

“Stop”. You heard from behind.

“Uh?”

“You're stealing my antisocial personality”. Bucky chuckled, taking a seat by your side. “What's up? Why are you here all alone?”

“Truth or lie?” You asked tilting your head towards him, raising both eyebrows.

“Truth”. He scoffed as if it wasn't obvious.

“I'm too clingy when I'm drunk”.

“Can't see the problem there”.

You chuckled, shaking your head inevitably, causing him to pucker his lips with a funny grimace.

“What?”

“Tru—”.

“Truth”.

“I've been all night wanting to rub your beard”.

Bucky exploded in loud laughter, not believing your words until you put your hands on his jawline. “God... It's so soft”.

His laughs increased, causing you to burn in shame. “No more drinks for you, ma'am...”

But the fact was that he turned to you, so it could be easy to caress his face.

safe;

Bucky was deadly tired on the sofa, warmly cuddled between your arms. A while ago, he stopped to pay attention to the movie, turning his back to the TV to hide his exhausted expression on your chest. You placed the cozy blanket over your bodies, making sure it covered both of you, being aware that tonight you'd sleep there. You felt sorry just at the thought of waking him up, seeing him peacefully breathing and his face more relaxed than the last few days.

Shutting off the TV and stretching an arm above your head, you turned off the small lamp on the auxiliary table close to the sofa, before getting comfier by Bucky's side. Your boyfriend purred delighted, still sleepy, as your fingers got tangled on his hair and started to scratch his scalp slowly, urging you somehow to place a leg over his waist, so he could settle between both a little more closely.

“Feel better?”

“I feel safe”. He replied in a low breath, to exhale the sweet scent concentrated on your neck.

“You're safe, James. You're at home”. Your calmed tone made him sigh, snuggling you strongly.

stay;

You snapped awake because of some knocks on the front door. Tossing the sheets to a side of the bed, you grabbed the gun under your pillow. It was stupidity. If somebody wanted to kill you, that would be the last thing they'd do: knock the door. You walked slowly, step by step, through the main hallway aiming to the door, more than ready to shoot your assailant.

“It's... Bucky”. You heard from the other side.

Sighing in relief and closing your eyes for a split second, you left the weapon on the dinner table in the living room. Not doubting on opening the door, you couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when you noticed the reddened mark around his left eye and cheek.

“Can I, uh... stay tonight with you?” Bucky inquired, licking his upper lip ashamed, bowing his eyes down to his boots covered in dust.

“C'mon, Sergeant”. You invited him to walk in, using such a sweet tone, while holding his cold hand.

He looked like shit but felt much better when his arms got wrapped around your waist and middle-back, hiding his face into your neck. Kicking the door shut, you embraced him tighter to your body.

notebook;

You were lying on the opposite side to Bucky on the sofa, but keeping your legs tangled. It was a rainy evening with nothing to do and you decided to start to read the book you bought last week. Your boyfriend was silently doing something in a notebook. Maybe writing memories, maybe doodling, you didn't know. But the third time you caught him staring at you, you had to ask.

“What?”

“Uh... nothing”. He whispered focused on the paper in front of his eyes.

“Whaaat?” You kicked his right leg with your bare foot causing him to chuckle.

“Nothing!” Bucky replied using the same playfully tone of voice.

Putting the book on the coffee table, you sat up to lie on top of him, cuddling between his legs and resting your head on his chest. Glancing to the sketch of yourself he was drawing, you raised your heart-eyes to his. It was such a piece of art. The drawing and Bucky. Both.

“I learned in Romania. It kept me sane sometimes”. He confessed, leaning to place a kiss on your forehead. “I want to remember you forever”.

marshmallow;

“Truth or dare?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes, leaning on the table just like you did, challenging him. He was trying to read your mind to figure out which were your intentions.

“Dare”. He answered firmly.

“Put twenty marshmallows in your mouth”.

The soldier stared at you in silence, watching him lick his inner cheek and push it with the tip of his tongue. He nodded his head then, grabbing the plastic bag without losing eye contact, to start to place —one by one— the sweets into his mouth. In less than thirty seconds, he looked like a squirrel with his cheek swollen. Bucky squinted at you again, triumphant.

“Hold on, I need to capture this moment”. You laughed, catching your phone to take a picture.

When the flash went off, he spitted a marshmallow like a shotgun. And you couldn't help but laugh.

“C'mon, Bu—”.

You didn't finish the sentence, being hit by another marshmallow slightly wet because of his saliva. Your grimace turned into a funny disgust, grabbing it back to throw it to his face.

“You're like a five years old in a body fos— STOP!” You ended up giggling as he spitted you the third one.

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[one-boring-person]

Just A Babysitter. (Part Four.)

The Lost Boys x reader (mostly Laddie x reader)

Warnings: none.

Context: (Y/n) and Laddie go to the Boardwalk to spend some time together, whilst Michael and Star get intimate in the hotel.

A/N: I'm sorry this is so short, it's more of a filler part, really. I'll ty and get a better part up later.

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight

Laddie is practically bouncing off the walls when I tell him the next night that we're going into Santa Carla by ourselves, no Star, no vampires, just the two of us, the youngster spouting nonsense about going to buy comics and candy, hoping I'll take him on some of the rides Star normally won't let him go on. With a bright smile, I assure him we'll have fun, though I am confused as to why Star doesn't want to come with us; I did ask her to join me, but she declined me almost as soon as I said anything.

My answer arrives as soon as I hear the familiar sound of someone entering the cave, the footsteps only newly familiar to me: Michael. As he lights the room, he catches sight of Laddie and I leaving, instantly coming over and stopping me with a harsh grip on my arm.

"What the hell did they do to me? What did you do?!" He accuses, voice laced with horror and fear, as well as panic.

Pulling my arm from his grip, I give him an odd look before replying.

"It's not my place to say." I reply, sourly, pushing past him with Laddie in tow, knowing Star will most likely work her magic, in whatever way that is. All I know is that Laddie does not need to be around to find out, and neither do I.

Exiting the cave, Laddie and I ascend the steps, shivering a little in the cool night air as it swirls around us, the raging water somewhere below us loud in the otherwise quiet night. As we emerge over the top of the cliff, I allow myself to laugh when the young half-vampire races over to where my motorcycle is hidden, reaching up and trying to push the bike forwards.

"You won't get very far with the brakes still on." I call out to him as I join him, kicking out the stand and releasing the handbrake so he can at least try to push it. A surprised gasp of pride leaves him when the motorbike moves, though I don't tell him that it is, in fact, me pushing the vehicle onto firmer ground, not him, knowing full well that the Triumph is much too heavy for him.

"You wanna ride up front for once?" I offer him, smiling when his face lights up. Climbing onto the bike first, I settle myself before reaching over and picking the little boy up off the ground and placing him in front of me, brushing some of his long hair out of my face. Directing him to hold onto the unoccupied areas of the handlebars, I make sure he's secure and start the engine, chuckling when he jumps a bit from the sudden vibration - my bike feels a little different to the motorcycles the boys ride.

"Ready?" I question him, revving the engine for emphasis.

"Yeah, let's go!" Laddie encourages, excitement evident in his voice.

"Ok, you better be holding on!" I warn before throwing the bike into gear, starting off at a relatively slow(ish) speed until we hit the road, where I push it up. In front of me, Laddie screams in joy, enjoying the new perspective he's getting from riding in front of the driver for once, delirious cries of exhilaration escaping us both as we thunder down the main road. Thankfully, there aren't many other vehicles driving around, giving us mostly free run of the flat expanse of concrete, allowing me to make the ride more interesting. I keep the speed at a controllable high, making sure I can easily brake without giving us whiplash should I need to, though I manoeuvre the bike in a slalom in any case, whooping with the boy in front of me as we go, my chest pressing into his back as I try to make us as streamlined as possible.

Too soon, the bright lights of Santa Carla come into view, prompting me to slow down as I take the first turn into town, trying my best to obey the traffic laws I don't care about, not in the mood to be pulled over tonight. In record time, I manage to skip all the traffic lining the streets and pull up on the Boardwalk, turning the engine off when I finally find a safe spot to leave the motorbike. Climbing off, I help Laddie off, only to have to catch him again when he falls, his legs shaking from the thrill of the ride. Grinning, I lift him onto my back, carrying him further into the busy area with some ease.

"Where do you wanna go first?" I question him, looking at him over my shoulder as he glances around, eyes wide and impressed as always.

"Comic book shop, please!" He requests, pointing over my shoulder at the Frog's store to my right.

"Okie dokie, let's get going." I agree, heading over towards it, Laddie holding on tight as I go, his fingers gripping the front of my leather jacket eagerly. Upon entering, the two boys who run the shop, Edgar and Alan, give us a suspicious look, though they don't come over, instead just allowing us to look around at the comics on offer. Letting Laddie down, I go over to a particular one which catches my eye: Vampires Everywhere. A chuckle escapes me at the name of it, knowing how true the statement technically is as I take it with me, flicking through the pages briefly as I continue to browse, joining Laddie when we've both picked out three or four each. I take them over to the checkout, where I hand them to Edgar, who is manning the till, his brother currently guarding the comics outside the vicinity of the shop. As the boy comes across Vampires Everywhere, he looks up at me, eyes narrowed.

"Are you aware of the bloodsucker problem around here, too?" He asks, voice a little gruff for a young kid.

"The bloodsucker problem?" I question him, playing it off as a bit of a joke.

"Yeah, Santa Carla ain't the fairy town everyone makes it out to be." Edgar informs me, drawing a scoff from me.

"There is no one in the world who calls this place a fairy town. But no, I wasn't aware we had one. I thought that was the next town over." I respond, shrugging my shoulders in mock concern.

"Well it isn't, so you better make sure you and you're kid are protected against them when they come knocking."

"Ok, I'll make sure my brother and I are appropriately prepared for this. Thank you." I say, giving him a tight smile before paying and leaving, Laddie trailing behind me.

"Right then, where to next?" I ask him, smiling down at him as he considers my question.

"Can we go in there?" He points at a little store selling trinkets, some of the wares already catching my eye.

"Sure, let's go!"

Going over to it, we start browsing, eventually buying a couple of small things before the cycle is repeated, again and again, until we are forced to buy a bag to carry it all in, the money David and the boys have collected from victims over the years finally coming in useful. I manage to get a small something for each of them, as well as a tonne of new stuff for Laddie, who needs to experience some sort of humanity before it is taken from him. By the end of the night, he has a new leather jacket, a bracelet, some figurines and some badges and patches to go on the coat, whilst I've come out of tonight with a new necklace depicting a striking scorpion.

After hours of browsing and going on the rides, we find ourselves back at my bike, eating a portion of fries between us as we watch the crowd become thin, both of us in a good mood after the time we spent together. I notice that Laddie has started yawning more frequently, though, so I quickly make the decision to get home before he falls asleep on the ride back, binning the empty packaging and helping him back into the front of the bike.

"Lets get home, hmm? We can show Star and the boys everything we got." I encourage him, smiling when he grins excitedly, quickly breaking off into a large yawn as he does so. Climbing up onto the bike, I start the engine and swiftly peel off into the traffic, going as fast as I dare in order to get home at a decent time. The roads are mostly empty again, but the drivers that are present are unbearably slow, so I try to overtake as much as possible, nearly spinning off course when a lorry looms up out of nowhere, Laddie screaming out in pure ecstasy at the dangerous turn of events. From his reaction, I deduct that he's been listening to Paul a little too much, taking on the happy-go-lucky vampire's attitude with ease. I smile at the bought, knowing Paul will be happy to have another adrenaline-junky in the gang, though I doubt Dwayne will be too pleased after trying his hardest to teach the young boy the safer perks of being a vampire, despite often ignoring his own advice.

Within fifteen minutes, I've pulled up outside the cave and hidden the bike, lifting Laddie into my arms as I realise he's just as exhausted as I am, his eyes drooping closed even as he tries to fight the sleep off, at least until he's shown off his new stuff. Carrying him down the walkway, I grab the rest of the stuff and enter the familiar confines of the sunken hotel, quickly looking over at the bed in the corner of the room, swiftly finding it still occupied by both Star and Michael, though the latter has sat up and is eyeing his hand in amazement. At my arrival, he looks up, blue eyes finding me with ease as I shift Laddie's weight in my arms, trying not to interrupt anything especially not Star's sleep.

Awkwardly, I shoot Michael a quick smile in greeting before going to sit on my armchair with the half-vampire in my arms, cradling him against my chest as we wait for the boys to return, Laddie keeping his eyes open as much as possible whilst we do so. After a couple of minutes, though, I notice he has fallen asleep against me, clearly exhausted after the night out, even if it hasn't been a particularly strenuous one. Smiling to myself, I rock him a little, happy that the boy is around to keep me sane, uncaring of whether or not Michael is watching me from across the room, his curious gaze not completely unnoticed, though I do look up to stare him down as I finally register the loud laughing of the other boys returning home, evidently having just fed. None of them come into the main room, most likely going straight to their sleeping positions, a quick look at my watch confirming this to me, my own tiredness catching up to me as I make the decision to get some sleep.

Standing carefully, I take Laddie over to his cot, where I tuck him in after removing his new jacket and his usual shoes leaving all of his new stuff beside the bed as I bid Michael a good morning and excuse myself to my own room. As I enter, I notice someone is sat on the bed, his lanky yet short frame sprawled across the space lazily as he waits for me to recognise him, his face just visible in the light from the other room.

"Marko? What're you doing here?" I question, smiling a little as I pull off my jacket and boots, removing all my jewellery as I go.

"Well, I heard you have the others some attention last night, and I wanted some, too." The vampire responds, his grin almost audible as I sigh and shake my head, knowing full well that I can't refuse him.

"You know I'm always open to giving you attention. You don't have to wait until you want to make even with the others." I point out as I slip into the bed, pulling the covers over us as he moves to wrap me in his arms, spooning me with his head resting just behind me, his frigid body temperature radiating through his jacket and into me, though the duvet helps to keep me warm. Humming in contentment, I draw small patterns onto his hands as I try to lull myself to sleep, enjoying his presence immensely.

"God, what would I do without you guys?" I muse, my eyelids drooping closed as my voice softens, the chuckle that resonates behind me only serving to make me fall asleep faster.

He goes to reply, but I don't register it, my mind not quite with it as I allow myself to drift off in his arms.

Part Five

[talesofsonicasura]

Diamonds and Voodoo

Brothers and Bandicoots

This was rewritten when I discovered that the document had been nothing but a word salad. This one should be much better!

Taki-Taki returns to Morioh in order to fulfill a particular agreement. Sadly, all she got was her dad walking off, two brothers with daddy issues, egotistical assholes and bandicoot urine on a landmark. Oh joy.

"Yes. I would like to confirm this very information to the Speedwagon Foundation. Apparently defeating Angelo merely revealed a new part of the going ons in Morioh. Something that could only be trouble for everyone living here and maybe even further." Spoke Jotaro Kujo, the man currently on the phone in his hotel room.

Pictures of a now deceased Angelo's mugshot with a report paper taped to the back, another picture of a disembodied hand on a table set with breakfast for one, and a small booklet that read Morioh City's Report. The man could only stare at them with pure concern.

/I wasn't born with this power! No, it was given to me by a man in a student's uniform. He appeared in my cell one night. I was so scared that my balls were in my stomach. In his hand was an ancient bow and arrow, it had to be around 100 years old. Next thing I knew, he shot the arrow into my neck. Saying the reason I survived and got this power because my soul was so strong. If you kill me, then he'll come get you too!/

Information the man had given just before Josuke and Taki-Taki trapped the psycho in his current stone prison. It did answer quite a bit of questions stemming from an incident that happened 10 years ago. One which was entangled in the tragedy of the Joestar bloodline that started over a mere century ago. The blood feud between the Joestars and Dio Brando.

It begun when the Joestar Matriarch, George Joestar, had brought in an orphan boy after this boy's father passed. That boy was Dio Brando, a child whose immense hate turned him into the most vile and dangerous person in the history of mankind. Poisoning George Joestar, ruining the life of George's son Jonathan, becoming a vampire and then stealing Jonathan's body.

Those were some of the key facts amongst a lot of the vampiric bastard's sins. Jotaro then side eyed something at the far corner of the room, a picture frame whose photo was obscured by the distance. Sadness, and rage going through the ocean blue for a few seconds before fading. He turned his thoughts to something else.

"With the Arrow somewhere on the loose in Morioh, it won't be long until the town becomes a horror show. There's also that woman, Taki-Taki Bandicoot, I'll be keeping an eye on her. I don't trust her." His thoughts going back to his previous encounter with the greenette as he looked down on the table.

There were highly detailed sketches of her, Lani-Loli, Toxic and Quill, each marked with key details depending on the individual. The drawings were so accurate, it could be mistaken for a printout if it wasn't for the fact they were made using color pencils. Strangely there was one more sheet next to them but it was blank except for two simple words.

Crash Bandicoot.

"Come on Dad! We're supposed to see Josuke and his dickish nephew today!" The Wumpa Islands, a pair of three tropical islands found somewhere in the ocean near Australia. It was a home to all sorts of peculiar creatures, mystical areas hidden in every place wrought with all sorts of danger and full of mysterious magic. It was also where the infamous Bandicoot Clan made their residence.

N.Sanity Beach, which could be found on N.Sanity Island was a spot for the clan members to enjoy fun in the sun activities. A bunch of floaties with a tube one shaped like a purple dragon next to a volleyball net, a small bar set with seats for 5 and various drinks from non-alcoholic to a few different alcohol, a couch with a makeshift roof made from cloth, and strangely a fridge and TV on the sand.

Taki-Taki, currently by the couch, was trying to put a large hoodie on some... thing? Someone? It or he from the pronoun used stood around 4'7 in height, what wasn't obscured by the large jacket was a pair of blue jorts, red tennis shoes, orange fur covered legs and part of a orange furred lean stomach with yellow at the center. Distressed gibberish coming from the neck sleeve almost if the head was stuck.

Lani-Loli was merely watching the little show alongside another floating mask. This mask looked exactly like the small charm Taki-Taki had given Ryohei but larger with more details such as a goatee made of leaves, larger feathers that were funnily taped on the back, and was alive from the eyes and mouth both curved in a 'seriously?' look. There was no doubt that this particular mask was Aku-Aku.

With a strong tug, the hood finally came down over the large head of a...bandicoot. The almost cartoonish looking bandicoot had large ears, bright teal eyes with hints of innocent insanity, a brown mohawk of hair, a yellow muzzle and large brown bushy eyebrows. His hands were four fingered and covered by fingerless brown gloves.

"I don't know what's funnier: The fact two sane people are meeting Crash or about to learn that he's an actual bandicoot." Lani-Loli mischievously chuckled. Taki-Taki only said that Crash was her father but not about him being BIOLOGICAL. The greenette is actually adopted and the only human of a family consisting of bandicoots, living masks and other oddities.

"To be fair, she has been listening to my advice about being limited to her origins. Although from what I heard about your last encounter in Morioh, caution should still be advised. This is a whole new world we stumbled upon and there are rules to follow." Aku-Aku's deep, powerful and wise voice sent a clear message to everyone.

None of them had much knowledge about Stands but do know the consequences of their own powers, the mystical energy they wield known as Mojo. It was an ancient source of magic that not only fueled voodoo but all branches of sorcery. Something that could cause unimaginable damage if abused.

Mojo was what made Crash who he is, the powers that Lani-Loli and Aku-Aku have, and what Taki-Taki is learning to master but also the consequences if abused that made creatures like Quill and Toxic. Creatures with great power but have the potential to cause devastation if they run amok: Titans.

If that Stand granting Arrow is being constantly misused and what powers a Stand could potentially manifest, Morioh wasn't as safe as it should be. And there might be its own Titans lurking in the shadows. For now, their true nature needed to be limited whenever visiting the town lest the situation could become worse.

Who knows what kind of horror can manifest if Mojo mixed with a Stand?

The Higashitaka household was a bit offbeat nowadays. Due to the recent 'stroke' that the older matriarch had suffered, the aura of the home for the family of three was a bit rugged. Ryohei had been laid off of his work for a bit as both his employers and fellow officers were worried about the man's health. He was what kept the force happy and ready to go.

Thus he was stuck at home being looked over by his daughter Tomoko and grandson Josuke from time to time. Taki-Taki was currently standing by the door with her father Crash next to her. Her face was obscured by the large hood of his jacket. Lani-Loli and Aku-Aku were currently hidden in Taki's jacket so they wouldn't be seen.

She knocked on the door politely despite how loud it sounded. "Hold on!" A woman's voice fires back in an instant. In a few seconds, the door was opened by a young woman who both father and daughter could guess was Josuke's mother. Josuke definitely got his soft face and beauty from her but Ryohei's kindness was there too.

Her hair was violet and short, eyes a similar baby blue to Josuke but more fiery, she was slim though there definitely was some muscle hidden by her yellow shirt and dark jeans. "Hello! Are you Josuke's mom? He does have your looks and you do look a bit like Mr Ryohei." Her odd deduction had the purplette surprised for a moment.

Then hearing her father's name was enough to put two to two together. "You're right, I'm his mother Tomoko and Ryohei is my father. Are you by chance Taki-Taki Bandicoot? I heard about you from my dad and son. Dad was right about you being adorable. Whose this with you?" Her voice, although soft and kind, held a ferocity behind it. Josuke's fiery temper had to come from someone.

"This is my dad, Crash. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I couldn't get home for a few days. Josuke let me stay here until I got back but under the condition that he had to talk about my stay with pops." Tomoko easily remembered her son mentioning that when she had gotten back home later that day.

Although she couldn't help but look at the figure that was Taki's father. There was not a single facial feature to make out due to the darkness of the large hoodie he wore but it was his hands that drew flags. Was the orange section part of the gloves and did he lose a finger in an accident? The hands were very odd and that orange part had a texture that looked more fur than leather or latex. Still...

"I'm sorry to say but Josuke had left for school today. Luckily he should be out by now. He attends Budo-ga Oka which isn't that far from Angelo's Rock, the new landmark which recently popped up." Taki-Taki immediately knew what she was talking about. It was near the place where that adorable turtle in the makeshift pond lived at. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

The Haunt House, an eerie landmark of sorts located near the recent Angelo's Rock. This large home could be recognized from the various broken windows that were either without glass or boarded up haphazardly, old paint that chipped away from even the gentlest of breezes and the vine covered gate with the tilted door marked by a 'No Trespassing' sign.

It was called the Haunt House from the feeling of being watched or the eyes of something watching in the shadows of the window whenever someone walks by. Police often patrolled the place for squatters due to these particular sightings and reports. Coming to the backyard strangely enough was the hoodie form of Crash Bandicoot.

From the glimpse of marsupial's green eyes and lack of companions, it was clear that he was lost. He let out a rumble of pure gibberish obviously annoyed. 'Maybe I should've stayed at that rock weirdo… Then again, Taki probably might not be happy to know I no longer have to go.' Crash let out an impish chuckle. Just because he was evolved doesn't mean he stopped 'marking his territory'.

'Dad, I need you to stay here with Angelo for me. If Josuke still isn't at school, then he'll most likely come through here to get home. It shouldn't take long for us to come back.' His daughter's words echoing in his head.

He felt a bit ashamed for not listening. It just he wasn't used to standing in one place for so long if it didn't involve napping. The bandicoot had a silly smile thinking about a nice snooze in his hammock after a nice slice of Wumpa Fruit pie. The little daydream was popped by the sound of soft skittering that hit his large furry ears.

Crash looked up before tilting his left ear towards the creepy house. The sound had to be somewhere in the upper levels from how it reverberated through the walls. Whatever made it was too big for an insect or small cat to do. Spying an open window with the least amount of boards, the bandicoot giggled to himself as an idea came. Little claws popped from the marsupial's fingers with a simple flex before he leapt onto the wall. Once the talons had a good grip, Crash climbed up the house wall and slipped in through the empty window pane.

"Motherfucker!" "Language!" Heterochromia eyes could only glare at the currently shivering stone convict. Taki had gone over to the school Tomoko mentioned after requesting her dad to stay put. Sadly, they couldn't find any sign of Josuke and looking for Jotaro was impossible without the pompadour prince's help. After visiting the little turtle in the pond, the greenette and her mask companions backtracked to the landmark.

Yet, her mutant bandicoot father was nowhere to be found and a foul smelling puddle was now present on the rock's lips. Normally something as gross as this got her laughing but at the moment the witch doctor was just annoyed. "Guess we were gone for a bit too long. Patience isn't something Crash normally has these days." Lani-Loli said while looking at the wet spot in distaste.

None of them should be surprised that the bandicoot would wander off somewhere. Luckily or disgustingly, there was a scent that could be used to find their lost marsupial. The witch doctor went into her jacket pocket to pull out a small vial that contained a soft luminous blue liquid. Taking off the small cork, Taki downed the tube's contents in a single gulp.

After placing the empty glass tube back in the pocket, the witch doctor then reached into the dinosaur skull she wore. Her hand pulled out a small peculiar object that was hidden in her bone headwear. It appeared to be a fang of some sort but was too thick, too large, and oddly too sharp to belong to any normal animal. Lani-Loli and Aku-Aku exchanged looks then quickly getting a few feet from Taki before she devoured the tooth with gusto.

In an instant, her eyes narrowed into slits and tattoos blazed to life in burning blue. She suddenly hunched down as if in pain followed by the sound of beastial snarling. The statue could only stare in perpetual terror upon the morphing shadow that started to cascade over him. Tears pouring from the frozen orbs from the sight of what could only be best described as a monster.

A distorted scraping noise ripped through the ominously quiet neighborhood before it was quickly followed by the sound of shattering pavement. This ruckus came from the front of Morioh's Haunt House for a battle was being waged at its steps. One of the fighters was Josuke whose uniform was dirtied up a bit along with a few scratches on his face. It was the least of his worries though.

Standing in an defensive position was another teenager around his age and size, a male Stand User from the bright fiery blue aura that flared his form. He had the look of a punk, shaved black hair that looked gray with a mini pompadour which sat at the mods, his eyes that seemed to only have impish pupils alongside a thin but large X-shaped scar or line pattern on his head.

The punk wore a modified blue gakuran with multiple gold pins shaped like money symbols on the fabric. "I won't say this again. Okuyasu Nijimura, you better let me through you bastard! Koichi isn't part of whatever bullshit your up to!" Josuke snarled at his opponent with hot daggers in his baby blue eyes.

The now named Okuyasu merely let out an impish chuckle before speaking with a rough and ruggish voice. "Sorry pal but you'll have to go through me first! Come closer and greet The Hand!" Almost on cue, a white hand with two bulbous baseball patterned protrusions on the palm came from behind the teen's head. The pomp prince quickly jumped to the side as the appendage swatted at his previous position instead, the 'No Trespassing' sign.

Alarms bells went through his head upon noticing the sign wasn't destroyed but it wasn't the same either. The text looked...too short almost if something was missing or had disappeared. It then clicked upon another glance of the item. "That sign! It used to say 'No Trespassing' but now it only says 'No passing'! Your Stand scraped the 'tres' away!"

Josuke's deductions caused his opponent's smile to grow malicious. The spectral arm next to the young man transitioning into something larger. In seconds that limb had fully materialized its true form, a white humanoid puppet outlined by blue armor bearing gold money symbols. The puppet shared a similar build to his master, its colorless hide sharing the same hardened texture of the armor, and his head was held in a white pail bucket that obscured part of its yellow lined eyes and the almost expressionless lips.

"That's right Josuke! My Stand can scrape away anything that it's right hand touches before closing the missing space together. I don't know where it goes or even if it still exists anymore but I do know you'll be sure to follow!" The Hand then scraped the air as a green tear rips right through the dimension. It immediately shuts closed in seconds as the purplette soon found his opponent in front of him at the same time.

He had used the created tear to close the distance between them. Okuyasu held his fist back almost about to speak when… the sound of whistling flew over their heads as a blast of glowing pink had sent Josuke's attacker airborne upon striking his Stand in the chest. The pompadour prince only had the time to blink before a pair of animalistic heterochromia eyes looked back at his.

What stood before had to be one of Taki-Taki's creatures, nothing could have been as odd or mystical like they strangely were. However this one felt off in a familiar sort of way. The creature looked like a bipedal almost anthropomorphic fox. It was monstrous with spindly long arms paired with black paws that held sharp claws, limber and lean build that was perfect for predatory stealth, the face was foxish but could be mistaken for a coyote or cougar from the longer ears and snout, and there were large purple parrot feathers on its back in a leafy plumage manner.

The off signs came from the tattoos around its arm that looked too much like Taki-Taki's, the greenish short hair on its head and the dinosaur skull… It immediately clicked on what or who had just defended his bacon. "Holy shit. Taki-Taki, is that you?" His query being answered upon a large prickly tongue licking his face courteous of the 9 ft beast that once was a human girl.

Josuke's face turned beet red and he honestly couldn't say if it was in disgust, embarrassment or touched by the sticky dog kiss. "Josuke?!" He whipped his head to see Lani-Loli flying over to the two but immediately stopped from the sound of hyena/wolf growling. Eyes were on the now standing Okuyasu who then looked flabbergasted by the new faces.

"What the hell?! Is one of those things that scrawny munchkin's Stand?! Or some sort of monster? No matter, The Hand will scrape you all out of existence!" His Stand manifesting once more with the right hand ready to erase even more space. Sadly, he didn't anticipate what particular creature the greenette was.

Letting out a loud hyena-like cackle Taki threw a large but fast pink orb of energy straight from her hand. It was a glowing magenta torpedo that clipped through the side of the Stand's right wrist in seconds. Okuyasu howled in pain from a chunk of his right wrist exploding outward almost if his body was mirroring the Hand's injury.

"The Snipe, a predatory beast that hunts its targets with high speed projectiles and is a close range fighter's worse nightmare!" Lani-Loli spoke while watching the green haired beast pounce at the off guard teen. Her feet instantly knocked the air out of Okuyasu's chest which forced his Stand to vanish from the lack of breath. He could only look up at the large drooling teeth of the angry beast that currently had him pinned down in fear.

His eyes quickly shut almost if waiting for the end only to scrunch his face in confusion by a soft touch. With a small peek, the young man was greeted to the sight of the large monster's forehead gently pressed against his own. A strange sensation going through his mind in a second before it- no she looked back at him with sympathy.

Taki then looked over to Josuke and Lani-Loli before the feathers on her back started glowing in strange patterns. The purplette was confused by the odd signals but the Quantum Mask knew what it meant. It was a sign of Morse Code Taki had developed for this form. "Josuke! Heal him, this guy isn't your enemy! Apparently he has a reasonable story behind this attack! Something involving his father!"

Lani-Loli's words made Okuyasu's eyes widen in realization. "You...went through my head? You saw the 'thing'." That last word practically quivered in silent despair and sorrow. Taki merely nodded her head before getting off the teenager. She quickly stalked towards the Haunt House. The harsh stench of blood hit her nose full force which turned a small crawl into an urgent run.

Her predatory eyes immediately ignored the man in the darkness for the childlike teenager that was slowly dying on the ground. He had short well groomed silver hair, light almost pasty skin and wore a plain green gakuran but his blue eyes were slowly becoming lifeless from the nasty arrow wound in his neck. Taki knew he would die if he wasn't treated.

"How curious. You the child's Stand or perhaps belong to-" The female Snipe growled before nonchalantly tossing a blast of pink at the unwanted pest. The man must've scurried out of the way from the sound of wood exploding to chips. Knowing there wasn't going to be an interruption, Taki reached for one of her feathers and plucked it off her back.

Holding the item in hand, she let out growls that sounded close to a chant as the piece of parrot plumage began to glow a soothing green. Taki crushed the feather in her hand as it broke into verdant stardust before pouring the powder over the large gouge on the boy's neck. The large wound immediately glowed a vibrant emerald as it steadily shrank. In seconds, the large gash was gone and the young man's eyes regained its vivid color once his breathing had steadied.

He blinked once more before blue eyes settled on the large beast hovering above him. A normal reaction to the sight was to scream but instead he felt his neck and noticed that his injuries were completely gone. Taki definitely knew he was a calculative and reasonable type since he put two to two together. "You...saved me." Despite the youth in his voice, the slight baritone was enough to solidify that this was a teenager and not a child.

"Koichi!" Josuke bursted into the house alongside Lani-Loli and oddly a determined Okuyasu who was following from behind. The punk looking teen no longer had any rips on his clothing or flesh, almost if everything was returned to their previous state. "Big brother, you need to stop right now! These guys can help us! Help d-" He was cut off when Taki quickly got in front of him.

Multiple tiny holes manifesting on her hide and feather plumage as if she was hit with bullet rounds from a tiny minigun. The puncture wounds weren't deep enough to draw blood since she wasn't human at the moment but… they had enough strength to disfigure a normal person like blood swiss cheese.

Taki snarled at the attackers, no, attacker to be precise. The ones to fire the barrage of nasty tiny bullets was an entire shooting squadron that consisted of toy army sized men. Same military clothing but the faces covered in white taping, eyes just beady red headlights and a thick flame of blue around them.

When the witch doctor like this, the number of magic she could use was limited but made difficult spells like mind reading or healing very easy. Okuyasu's memories told her what exactly she was dealing with. The platinum blonde teenager slightly older than Okuyasu, his older brother Keicho and his Stand, a mini army known as Bad Company.

"Big brother…" Was all the younger brother could say upon realization that the attack was aimed for him. Taki gave the three human males behind her a look. 'He's mine.' None of them said a word of disagreement. Knowing what was about to happen, Lani-Loli took it upon himself to get Josuke and his two accomplices away from the approaching battle.

The three humans and mask vanished in a sudden puff of wispy blue smoke. Taki-Taki's sharp nose told her that her friend had taken them to the higher floors of the house. A safe place which made the monstrous witch doctor happy for they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. She then turned her head to snarl viciously at Okuyasu's older brother.

"I can only guess that little mask has the power to teleport others. No matter, it won't take long for my Bad Company to find them once I finish you off. Then your friends will be next." Keicho's threat was backed further when a swarm of mini helicopters manifested in the air. "Fire!"

The Snipe quickly sprinted into a run as the mini army fired their payloads in the form of raining bullets and mini missiles. Wood chips, glass shards, and furniture stuffing erupted in a trail that hounded the quick Taki-Taki, avoiding the deadly miniature ammunition with impressive. She leapt onto the ceiling fan and flung herself into the air whilst throwing another blast of pink energy from her claws.

A large chunk of soldiers and a few helicopters exploded into magenta tinted flames from a successful hit. However, their owner didn't seem to suffer any sign of damage despite the destruction of his soldiers. "Sorry but my Bad Company is a remote Stand. Destroy all the soldiers you want, you can't harm me!" Keicho's words caused even more miniature men to manifest but these ones were operating tanks now!

Taki knew she couldn't fight here with so many weapons aimed at her hide. She would run out of steam before her opponent did. An idea then clicked into Taki's skull which propelled her to make a quick turn. She tossed a few more explosive shots at the tiny army as she ran. Every bullet was a bullseye as even more of Bad Company's soldiers went up in magenta smoke.

Her opponent quickly caught onto what the larger puffs of smoke that slowly filled the room were. "A smokescreen?!" Eyes looking to find the obscured beastie that ran up the stairs and he quickly glared. "After it!" Multiple tiny helicopters manifested to hound their fleeing target as the blonde followed in pursuit.

On the top floor of the Haunt House, Josuke was currently glaring daggers at a certain blue mask. The sounds of an explosive scuffle happening under his feet and a set of blue spectral chains that kept the door of their current location shut. "Lani-Loli, let us out!"

Despite the pompadour prince's demand, the Quantum Mask only shook his head in nervous defiance. "N-no way! You'll be either swiss cheese from gunfire or human flambe by blasts of Mojo! It's suicide!" Lani-Loli fired back with force despite his slight stutter. Of course, the mask flinched when Crazy Diamond manifested with a snarl on his face.

The only ones not getting involved in the potential scuffle was Okuyasu and Koichi who sat on the bed at the opposite side of the room. In the silver haired teen's hands was a yellowish pale egg with green stripes but also radiated a faint verdant aura. A Stand or Stand Egg that had manifested from Koichi's throat once getting into the room.

"I don't care if Taki can become one of those beasts like Quill or Toxic. She needs backup if her opponent's an army!" The large armored Stand clenched his fists as if ready to let loose a punch any second. "That's enough!" An aged voice immediately had the three teens raise their guard to the point even Okuyasu's The Hand manifested next to his master.

Coming through one of the half sealed windows was Aku-Aku whose appearance made whatever fight in either Josuke or Crazy Diamond vanish. "Aku! Where were you?! First Crash went puff then you go awol on us!" Lani-Loli was quickly hushed by a single look from his companion. Glowing yellow eyes then looked at the other members of the room.

"I had a feeling you were in quite a pickle so I went to find Crash first. He's somewhere in the house on the top floor waiting for you. As for Taki-Taki, her opponent is about to walk right into her 'tripwire'." Aku spoke as his gaze fixated on Josuke and his stand. The pompadour youth speaking up in confusion. "Tripwire?"

The tiki-esqe mask nodded in response at the inquiry. "Correct. Snipes are powerful long range fighters especially in confined spaces like this. Their biggest advantage isn't their ability to blast opponents with magic." A smirk then crossed Aku-Aku's face as if knowing the outcome of the ongoing battle.

Taki-Taki continued her trek up the house as Keicho and his forces relentlessly pursued the female. Every time a soldier or copter was in sight, the greenette blasted it with a pink energy shot before she took the chance to flee further. Her running however came to a halt once she reached a mostly clean room. Not a single shred of furniture or anything to hide the witch doctor's large form in sight.

"Got you now." Keicho's voice echoed through the room for hundreds of small soldiers filled it in seconds. Tanks slipping in from the vents, helicopters pouring from the open windows, armored humvees riding up from the stair railing and their owner walking in from the staircase. Taki-Taki wasn't to blind to the fact she was boxed in.

"I'll admit you're quite the fast runner and a nasty sniper. Sadly, this is the worst place for something as large as you. However, my Bad Company can thrive throughout our home base. I suggest you be a good beast and stay down." The older teen deviously chuckled as he stared down at the beast. His laughter quickly died in seconds when he noticed Taki-Taki was now smiling. A smile that revealed razor sharp fangs in a cunningly vicious way.

"It's the ability to set traps is what makes the Snipe a very dangerous Titan to fight."

Bits of pink began to lit up in sections of the room. Her opponent's eyes flickering to the source before they expanded in pure horror. Each light was coming from one of his soldiers in every group. Not even the quadcopters, tanks or humvees were unaffected. The horrifying part was the lights were blinking and were becoming faster per a second. 'Checkmate.'

The house shook hard as a loud explosion ripped throughout one of the floors, smoke tainted with hints of sparkling pink came pouring from the broken windows. In the large mist, the sound of coughing growls turned into pained ones as the large beast obscured shrunk in the purple haze. The remainder of the colorful screen filtered out as the now human Taki-Taki looked down at her fallen opponent.

Keicho was unconscious, bruises and burns covering his face and arms, platinum locks singed slightly black while billowing bits of smoke poured from the strands of hair and his uniform was charred with multiple holes through it. "The Phantom Bomber, a nice Snipe technique which lets undetectable bombs get planted on the enemy. The more collected in one spot, the bigger the boom." She walked over and hoisted the teen on her shoulders without a hint of strain.

Climbing up the stairs, the greenette could hear the voices of her friends from above. With some pep in her step, Taki ran up the stretch of stairs as the unconscious Nijimura brother shook and bounced. It didn't take long for heterochromatic eyes to stare back at a pair of baby blue. Everyone but her father was gathered outside of one specific door.

That door having the sound of familiar babble from behind its wooden threshold. "Taki-Taki! You're okay?!" Josuke looked ready to hug her if he didn't catch sight of Okuyasu's injured brother slung over the greenette's shoulder. "Big brother!" The teen quickly rushed over to his sibling. "Don't worry. He's alright albeit beaten up. Plus, his ego needed a nice kick so common sense can walk back in." The witch doctor chuckled, smiling with her tongue out.

Before anyone could go through the door, a particular situation needed to be handled first. A soft gold aura from Crazy Diamond enveloped the wounded platinum blonde in its soothing embrace. Wounds and damages done to both flesh and clothing vanished in seconds as the teen slowly woke up.

Keicho looked at all the faces surrounding him before he settled to glare at the woman who was the large beast from earlier. "You're lucky I'm a merciful person and you care about your family more than you let on. So, how long has your dad been cursed?" Taki-Taki's words surprised everyone but Lani-Loli, Aku-Aku and Okuyasu for obvious reasons.

There was a reason why the Nijimura brothers, well mainly Keicho, were using the Stand Arrow to create Stand Users. It was for the sake of their father. From Okuyasu's memories, their father had gotten into 'bad' connections with Dio. A deal of sorts that had more consequences than the man had thought. Upon Dio's death, bits of the vampire's flesh that were implanted in their dad had triggered a transformation of sorts.

A being unable to speak and unable to die that skittered through the halls of their home like a mouse for years. "Are you capable of giving him his eternal rest? We've been searching for someone that could extinguish that mindless 'thing' who used to be our father." His plea shook with pure desperate hope and sincere sorrow.

Reasonable for spending years in a house with a monster that was once your father, especially one mistaken for being mindless. "Have you noticed something odd about your home right now?" The question from the witch doctor was enough to widen the eyes of both brothers. It was the lack of skittering from something large that constantly moved through the house.

"Your father isn't mindless or gone. He's still there." Taki-Taki then opened the door to the room. Everyone was greeted to the appearance of a particular marsupial talking to an odd kappa-like creature. The being had thick green skin, slightly deformed from the lumps on his body such as the head or fingers, what appeared to be a beak for a mouth and wore worn clothes such as a white shirt and black shorts.

This had to be the Nijimura brothers' cursed father but what was strange is that he was showing a hoodless Crash something. An old photograph from the slight yellow coloration that showed a man and two very familiar young children smiling at the camera. The two were conversing in unintelligible babble but both clearly understood the other.

"That's our old family photo… He was searching for the photo of what he used to be…" The fact from Okuyasu's lips was enough to paint the picture for them. Despite the vast deformity, their father still remembered them, of their family before it all went to hell. The other oddity in the room finally hit everyone unaware of it.

"What's with the giant animal? It looks like an eastern barred bandicoot...if it was a living mascot costume." Koichi's question was paired with him pointing at the large marsupial. "Seriously dad? If you want to make friends then tell us instead of going into some rando's house after peeing on a town landmark."

The comical looks of eyeballs about to pop out from their sockets and jaws dropping to the floor made the greenette wish that she brought a camera seeing everyone's face. It was even funnier that the pompadour prince's hair looked ready to pop from the intensity of his utter shock. Surprisingly, Josuke was the first to get his speech back.

"T-that's your dad?! H-h-how?!" Now that done it for the greenette began laughing upon the purplette's insinuation. "Hahahaha! I'm adopted silly. Crash raised me ever since I was a baby that got washed ashore on his island. He may be a 'mentally challenged' wacky bandicoot but he's still my dad!"

The marsupial walked over and hugged Taki-Taki before placing a hand on her back. His pose and chest puffed up proudly practically screamed 'Yep, that's my daughter.' Strangely enough, it did make some sense about the young woman's oddness. Both Taki-Taki and Crash carried that same energetic weirdness to them.

"Aw. Such a sweet moment. Sweet enough to make me puke!" An unrecognizable male voice immediately had eyes facing the front. Part of the wall was charged with frantic electricity as if something was inside the wiring. It was easy to tell it was bad news from Keicho's sudden grimace.

One of the power outlets immediately exploded outward in large yellow bolts of electricity. The malevolent energy crackling as it began to form into a near physical entity. This new form resembled a bright yellow kappa from the beak and near egg shaped dish on its head with a long spindly lizard tail, thin almost featureless body and sparks of electricity crackling from its skin.

However it was the items it had that drew up red flags for everyone. In this being's clawed fingers was an ancient bow and arrow. The same ones no doubt capable of granting someone a Stand. "Oh no! Is that the Bow and Arrow, the one you guys have been talking about!?" Lani-Loli's cry made the electrifying entity smile maliciously.

"Guess who's Stand has fully awakened Nijimura? I honestly thought nothing would get you to drop your guard of the Arrow but I guess that chick and her friends was just enough! It was almost easy to snatch it with my Red Hot Chili Pepper's power!" The platinum blonde could only growl at his careless mistake. He was too caught up in his pursuit of powerful Stand Users to realize this kind of outcome.

"Do you really think your capable of wielding the Arrow's power? Your Stand has only just awakened after all! There's no way you can wield it properly!" Keicho hissed while the blue aura of his Stand began to flare up. The enemy Stand or Red Hot Chili Pepper merely laughed before aiming his glare on the blond.

"So naive. My Stand's powers had grown while you were busy. After all, you did say those with a powerful fighting spirit can manifest equally powerful Stands. Here let me show you!" It was quick as a bolt of lightning. One second Chili Pepper was at the socket and the next he was about to punch Keicho's chest. Only if a spin of orange didn't jump in front of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' range.

The Stand merely continued its charge only to cry out in shock when a twirling fist hit his face alongside a glare that were both from Crash Bandicoot. Chili Pepper was smacked back inside the electrical socket from the marsupial's Tornado Spin technique as Crash stood protectively in front of the older Nijimura Brother.

"Lani-Loli!" Aku-Aku's cry wasn't missed as the two masks quickly went into action. Both of them focused a bit of their magic that was quickly released in the form of a violent bluish stream. The shot struck the power outlet as the yellow electricity that threatened to return was shoved back inside the wiring so hard that the sockets literally exploded.

A scream of 'You'll pay for this!' followed until the leftover sparks crackled into nothing. "You saved my life… Why? Why help your enemy?!" Keicho questioned whilst staring at the orange bandicoot. Crash mere made a bunch of hand signals before smiling with a thumbs up. It was sign language.

"He said 'No family should mourn for a death that could be avoided.' Sure you tried to kill me, shot Koichi, created an army of Stand Users and tried to shoot your brother's face but you were only being a big jackass so your family didn't have to suffer. Your lives are already messed up as it is, you don't need it to become even worse."

The older teen who didn't expect the response widened his eyes before he subtly began to chuckle. "You all are insane." The sentence only made a stupid grin pop on the father and daughter duo's face. Everyone's attention was soon back on the blown power outlet.

"I fear that this situation has escalated into unimaginable levels. Creating a cure to the Nijimura matriarch shouldn't be difficult for me to find. However, that Bow and Arrow needs to be recovered as soon as possible. I could only fear what kind of horrors it could create in the hands of that fiend." Aku-Aku's warning wasn't lost on anyone.

Things were only to get more dangerous from now on.

I hope this was much better than my original script! There will be changes to some of Part 4's plot mainly that some deaths will be averted like Ryohei's and Keicho's. I honestly felt it was a dick to kill Keicho instead of using the chance to give him some character.

Taki-Taki's Beast Out ability has made an appearance. This lets her transform into any non-human creature whether it is a familiar or by consuming particular materials with a special potion. Kinda like N Brio's potions but more refined. Her magic is mostly restricted along with speech for particular Titans but she gets access to two powerful spells that can be set on a specific form. Her Snipe form having Mind Read and Advanced Healing Magic.

Crash deflecting an electric Stand like Red Hot Chili Pepper isn't so farfetched if you take the Cortex battle in the first Crash game. He's also more of a forgiving person when you take into consideration his interactions with Cortex in both Twinsanity but also some flashback tapes I heard about in Crash 4.

And Jotaro having trust issues is normal considering how many bad encounters he had with Stand Users especially in Part 3.

Until next time folks! Enjoy this Crash Bandicoot 4 Rap by JT Machinima.

[ppbpencilcrayon]

Amnesty Sylvain Theory(?)

Ok so I was relistening to some amnesty episodes, (mostly 28 and 32 because I love making myself cry apparently) and I had some thoughts. I dont event know if the information I'm basing this theory off of is even 100% accurate but I'm gonna try to make this as understandable as possible because it's just gonna be me rambling for a couple paragraphs. I'm on mobile rn so I don't think I can put a keep reading thing so sorry, this is gonna get long.

Oh yeah and spoilers for up to episode 32

So here's what we know so far and I apologize if I'm getting some of these wrong.

Sylvain, the entity, is missing

Aubrey can hear the thoughts and memories of Sylvain's Interpreter who I cant remember the name of at the moment

Sylvain is missing because a while back some humans went to Sylvain and broke off pieces of the crystal

Aubrey can interact with the crystal, but instead of giving her energy like it does to other Sylvans, (is that the term? Or is it silphs? I cant remember) she gives energy to the crystal

The Flamebright Pendant has been passed down throughout Aubrey's family and is made of the Sylvain Crystal

Aubrey thinks her powers were what caused the fire the night Ned and Boyd robbed her house

Aubrey met Magic when she was trying to revive Deputy Dewey

Dani told Aubrey that recently she realized that she felt at home when she was with Aubrey

Naturally when given this information, some people have come to the conclusion "oh, Aubrey might be Sylvain" but I don't think that's the case. I'm gonna try and go over my thoughts on that and try to be coherent because my thoughts are very scattered as I type this. One big thing that I keep going back and forth on is how Dani told Aubrey that she felt like home. And she even specifies, not sentimentally, literally. There's probably a good couple of ways you could interpret that, but the way I've seen people interpret it as is "Subconsciously, you remind me of Sylvain". But that also doesn't make sense. When Dani is expressing her worries about which side of the gate to land on, she mentions that part of the reason she was having such a hard time with that decision was that Sylvain no longer felt like home.

But here's where my little theory(?) (and I put a question mark with that bc honestly I'm still not sure about it) comes in. What if Sylvain is in the Flamebright Pendant?

Ok, yes, I know, it's a bit of a reach bc for most of amnesty the flamebright pendant has been locked in the back room of the cryptonomica, but hear me out. (I would like to emphasize, there's a whole bunch of connections I'm just kind of bullshitting with no data to draw from so you might want to take this with a grain of salt)

My main reasoning is that if memory serves, Sylvain went missing the day the crystal got broken, so who's to say that she(?) didn't get trapped in one of the shards? And that shard hadn't just been providing the Little Family some luck, but also a little bit of magic that got passed whenever a family member passed the pendant down to their descendant? That could be why Aubrey's powers manifested that night specifically, not just the danger, but because her mother gave her the pendant. She wasnt wearing it, but maybe all it took was Mrs. Little vocalizing that, yes Aubrey was the next owner of the pendant. Then even after Ned took the pendant, that magic was still fairly linked to Aubrey, just not as strong.

The real question is, why would Aubrey's magic suddenly reactivate again at some random magic show? Mama. Mama, who is constantly working with the former inhabitants of Silvain. Mama, who has probably been to Sylvain multiple times. Whatever piece of sylvain is connected to Aubrey might be able to sense that? So her magic sparks again and she's brought back to Amnesty Lodge where there's even more Sylvain energy because not only is the gate right there, but Aubrey, without even realizing it, is closer to the pendant than she has been in years. So now that the connection between Aubrey and Sylvain is stronger than, probably ever, she's now starting to get more access, more control, over her powers.

Why does Aubrey have access to Alexandra's(?) memories? Maybe because they both have fairly strong connections to Sylvain, they have some amount of connection with eachother by association? (Another interpretation could also be Alexandra is Sylvain and Aubrey is the new interpreter?)

With the crystal stuff, I feel like maybe Aubrey is drawing her powers directly from Sylvain? And while the crystal is the battery, Sylvain is the energy source. The crystal only has so much energy to give out before it's drained, but Sylvain was its constant source. So that could explain why instead of giving energy, the crystal takes from Aubrey. (Of course this could be the crystal's reaction to all humans, we just dont know since Aubrey is the only one we've seen touch the crystal so far).

And finally, when Dani tells Aubrey she literally feels like home. I know what I already said but there's something else I didn't mention. The thing that Silvain provides that all of its inhabitants require to stay sane. Everywhere Dani has been, everywhere she has called home, as had that one specific similarity. It had to, or else all of the sylphs stuck on earth would have long gone feral. Whatever energy is given by the crystal and the springs by Amnesty Lodge. Dani also mentioned it was a recent thing. Aubrey getting her pendant back was also a relatively recent thing.

(Also I feel like they're gonna find some way to bring Sylvain back bc it would make sense that the big loose end of "where the hell did Sylvain go" is something that got tied up at the end and this seems like a good way to do it)

Congrats you've finally made it to the end of this absurdly long post. Next time I go on desktop I'll edit this and add that keep reading option.

TLDR:

[echoes-of-realities]

be my fire in the cold (and I'll be waiting by the mistletoe) - 2/25

* * *

[Fanfiction] // [ao3]

[Previous Chapter] // [Next Chapter]

Chapter Summary: Rachel still doesn’t quite understand what an understudy is despite the fact that she is one; Brittany gets caught blushing far more often than she’s used to.

Chapter 2: there were sweeties and chocolates and toys and lights

//

The matinee goes far more smoothly than most people thought it would, but it’s not that it went well that surprises Brittany, it’s that people thought it wouldn’t. She doesn’t really make it a habit to listen when the company gossips, partly because there’s always a lot of mean gossip surrounding her and Mike and Tina since they’re all principals and Brittany just prefers to ignore it all, and partly because Mercedes always keeps her well informed anyways, usually when she’s changing Brittany into her costume or helping with her hair and makeup and Brittany has no choice but to listen. She when she hears people marvelling at how well Santana’s handled the show, despite the fact that she was literally only hired two days ago, she’s more than a little surprised that people are surprised.

She’s comfortably close with Quinn and Artie, not enough that they seek each other’s company outside of the show, but enough that she doesn’t mind having lunch with them between shows. And it’s because she doesn’t mind having lunch with them that she knows Santana Lopez is more than qualified to run the show, maybe too qualified if the copy of her resume Artie snuck them was anything to go by; and beyond that, she knows that Tina and Mike trust her completely, so she was never too worried about the change in production stage manager. Based on the complete and utter surprise of most people as they file into one of the larger rehearsal room for a quick meeting, Brittany realizes that she’s in a minority.

She spots Mercedes and Sam giggling together and blushing, so she heads over to them and collapses onto the floor beside them. None of the children are at the meeting, they’re all getting lunch with their parents and friends before the show at five, and though the meeting isn’t mandatory for the teenagers, there’s a couple of them gossiping in a corner. The entire rest of the company and all of the department heads, along with most of their departments too, are squished into the room. The mirrors lining the walls make it look like there are even more people than there actually are, and Brittany knows how nerve-racking it can be to stand in front of so many people with the mirrors multiplying them tenfold, but Santana looks calm and collected as her and Quinn break away from the small team of stage managers and stagehands in the corner to address the room.

It’s a typical meeting, and they go over some minor changes that Santana’s suggested to make backstage less congested during a couple scene changes, and despite the slight grumbling throughout the company, who like their routines perhaps too much, Brittany finds herself nodding along. They’re all changes that Brittany can easily see making the flow backstage so much smoother, and she briefly wonders why they haven’t always been doing it, but then she remembers their old production stage manager and how absentminded Holly can sometimes be and she’s not all that surprised. Their old production stage manager was a little all over the place, to say the least, and while Holly is an amazing director, but she doesn’t quite have the focused, meticulous, mechanical brain needed for stage managing. It’s refreshing to have a production stage manager that, despite having stepped foot in the theatre for the very first time about forty-eight hours ago, obviously seems to know what she’s doing.

The topic changes as Santana and Quinn address some of the dance corps, and Brittany finds herself tuning out of the conversation in favour of staring at Santana. She should probably be paying attention, but Santana does this cute little furrowed brow thing when someone interrupts her and Brittany kind of wants to smooth it out. She also talks with her hands a lot, and Brittany finds her eyes drawn to the movement of her arms as she gestures around or fiddles with her notebook. She’s completely lost to admiring Santana’s quiet grace in her movements when dark eyes catch on hers suddenly and something jolts up her spine, starting near her tailbone and tingling up towards the base of her skull as she sits up a little taller. She thinks maybe Santana’s just scanning the crowd and Brittany happened to see her when she glanced in Brittany’s general direction, but Santana’s eyes linger unmistakably on hers and it makes heat crawl, hot and prickling, under her skin until she’s pretty sure she’s blushing all the way down to her bellybutton. It’s been a very long time since Brittany got caught staring at a pretty girl, and she desperately pretends that her complexion doesn’t allow everyone to see exactly how fiercely she’s blushing.

Mercedes nudges her with her arm, smirking deeply as she glances between Santana and her, and Brittany curses herself for getting caught staring not just by Santana, but by her best friend as well. She’s pretty sure that she hasn’t felt this embarrassed to be caught staring at a girl since she was only questioning her sexuality in high school, and it doesn’t help that she knows that Mercedes is going to give her the third degree and relentlessly tease her as soon as they’re alone in her dressing room before the evening show. Mercedes continues to smirk at her even as Brittany resolutely refuses to acknowledge her; the worst thing about this is that she won’t even be able to escape from her best friend’s teasing after she leaves the theatre considering that Mercedes’ bedroom is about fifteen feet from her own.

She refocuses on the conversation as soon as she feels like she’s not about to burst into flames and Santana is asking if there’s any questions. Quinn winces beside her, as does half the company, while the only person who ever has ‘questions’ shoots her hand into the air, almost before Santana finishes talking. A wave of stifled groans goes through the company as Santana points at Rachel, whose arm is ramrod straight; Brittany’s been in ballet for almost as long as she’s been walking, and even her posture isn’t as straight as Rachel’s arm when she has a question.

“Yes, I was wondering if you have given any thought to changing the cast lineups to include more of the under-appreciated talent in this room. I would be willing to offer—”

“I’m sorry,” Santana interrupts, looking politely annoyed, “You are?”

Rachel draws herself up with an affronted air, and this time the company doesn’t try even hide their collective groan. “Rachel Berry, Marie’s understudy. I’m sure you’ve heard of me already.”

Santana glances at Quinn in barely concealed confusion, but Quinn just widens her eyes and subtly shakes her head.

“My talents, and I am sure you must be well aware of them, are wasted unless I am on stage in the spotlight,” Rachel continues without prompting. “My star shines too bright and it is a misuse of my talents to keep them hidden away in a lowly understudy roll—”

“Do you— Do you know what an understudy is?” Santana asks, her bewildered tone completely betraying her polite expression.

“Of course I know what an understudy is,” Rachel says haughtily, “As I’m sure everyone here knows, I was on Broadway in the prestigious revival of Funny Girl.”

“Yeah, for like a second,” Brittany mutters. Beside her, Mercedes and Sam snort and choke back their laughter.

Rachel continues to ramble, and Santana continues to look adorably baffled before she finally blinks out of her daze. “Look,” she interrupts loudly, waiting until Rachel awkwardly trails off, “I didn’t do the casting, I have no clue how well you dance, but I trust that Holly casted the correct people for the job, and I’m more than certain Tina’s earned her spot. And besides that, I have nothing to do with Tina’s ability to perform on any given day, and unless she calls in sick or injured, you will not be going on as Marie. As is standard of any understudy.”

“Yes, but—” Rachel starts. Brittany meets Tina’s eyes across the heads of people, and the pure, unfiltered annoyance in them as she rolls them at Brittany makes her bite down, almost painfully, on her lip so she doesn’t giggle too loud.

“No buts,” Santana says, her voice slowly growing more curt and clipped, “this is how shows are run. You are the understudy, you only go on if the principal cannot. Shows have done this for like, literally, a century. And I don’t know why you don’t know this, or why you seem to think I don’t understand how theatre works and will just put you on whenever you feel like it. But I have a feeling you aren’t going on unless Tina comes down with the bubonic plague.”

Rachel continues to argue, starting to criticize Santana’s running of the show and her experience, and as Rachel starts to move on to Santana’s personal character, Brittany can tell Santana is starting to lose the calm, collected exterior she’s had all meeting. Brittany leans back in her chair and surveys the room, sensing the rest of the company starting to shift around and glance at each other, and waiting for her opening. Sure, she hates Rachel as much as the next sane person, and she’s usually really good at just zoning her out, but she forces herself to pay attention to whatever is coming out of Rachel’s mouth because Santana’s far too cute to lose her temper in front of the entire company on just her second day.

The next time Rachel takes a breath to continue her rambling, Brittany tilts her head and dons her practiced look of confusion. “Does anyone else hear that? It sound like a cat getting its temperature taken,” she calls, just loud enough to be heard by the company, “All I can hear is screaming.”

There’s a small wave of chuckles that go throughout the room, and a small wave of oh it’s just Brittany being Brittany eye rolls too, but it shocks Rachel enough that she stops talking, her mouth freezing half open. Quinn takes the moment to quickly clap her hands together and dismiss everyone, and Rachel’s complaints are lost to a crowd of people quickly standing and trying to escape the room.

Brittany barely notices, because Santana’s amused and relieved dark eyes have landed on hers, and Brittany’s stomach flips over as Santana offers her a small smile, mouthing thank you across the room.

Santana has dimples and her nose scrunches up when she smiles, and Brittany’s pretty sure she’s already a goner.

//

The evening show goes even better than the matinee, and though there’s some slight confusion at the top of the first act, by the time intermission rolls around the backstage traffic is far less congested than usual thanks to Santana’s suggestions. Brittany can’t help the touch of smugness that colours her smile as she heads back to her dressing room while she listens to the gossip, which has changed from how surprised everyone is with Santana not completely failing to how impressed they are with her improvements. Sure, it’s not like the changes were Brittany’s own ideas or anything, but she feels like one of the only people who never doubted Santana for a second, and she’s proud that Santana’s proved them all wrong in less than twelve hours.

As soon as she reaches her dressing room, Mercedes is already there waiting for her. She helps Brittany out of her costume and tiara, before carefully unpinning her hair even though she doesn’t have to, while Brittany fights to peel her bodysuit and tights off, tossing them in the general direction of her tiny closet before carelessly peeling off the tape around her toes and dunking her feet in the bucket of ice by her couch. She hisses at the instant relief, and Mercedes just laughs and shakes her head.

“I gotta drop Sam off at his apartment a little early today,” Mercedes says, “Do you want me to swing around and pick you up after?” Brittany nods quickly; she ices her feet after almost every show, but the cold never fails to shock her body and steal her ability to speak. Mercedes tosses her the sweater she wore to the theatre, and Brittany quickly pulls it over her head, shivering as the cold seems to creep along her veins. Mercedes starts to head for the door, but suddenly stops and glances back at Brittany with a wicked smile. “Don’t think you’re getting out of talking about what happened at the meeting today, Britt-Britt,” she teases. Brittany groans and, despite the cold, she feels heat crawl under her skin again. Mercedes chuckles at her and waves her goodbyes as leaves, leaving the door cracked open. As soon as she’s gone, Brittany leans forward for her phone, quickly lighting it up to check her messages. There’s a couple promotional emails and a notification from instagram, but nothing from her mom, and she has to remind herself that no news is good news.

Movement from the hallway catches her eye and Brittany glances at the door, only spotting a flash of black as someone walks past. She briefly hopes it’s Santana, partially because she wants to talk to her and congratulate on the shows today, and partially because she wants to feel that same bright lifting feeling she did last night when she showed up in her dressing room doorway, but mostly because she has something to give her.

As soon as her teeth start chattering she realizes that the ache of cold has been replaced by the numb feeling that means she probably left her feet in the ice too long, and she quickly draws them out to dry them and pull on her warmest pair of socks. She takes her time wiping her makeup off and slipping into her comfiest and most worn pair of sweats just as she hears a knock at the door. She calls her invitation and hears the door creak open as she turns to greet her visitor, fighting down the flash of hope that curls beneath her sternum, which proves fruitless when she sees that it is Santana standing there just like she hoped. She’s wearing a cute leather jacket, a red scarf looped loosely around her neck, looking ready to head home for the evening, but what really catches Brittany’s attention is the small smiling playing on Santana’s lips.

“No banging shoes tonight?” Santana asks in lieu of greeting.

Brittany grins. “Wasn’t on the schedule,” she replies with a teasing shrug, “I didn’t work them too hard tonight.” Santana grins and hovers in the doorway, and it’s only then that Brittany notices the notebook in her hands. “You doing notes tonight?” she asks.

Santana starts a little and blinks away her surprise, seeming a little surprised by the notebook in her hands for a moment before she recovers. “Oh, god no, I just came down to see Tina quickly,” she laughs, “I barely had time to breathe during the show, let alone focus on doing any notes.” She holds up the notebook with a small smile. “Tina just gave me this in celebration of my first official show. It’s kind of a tradition.”

Brittany grins. “That’s cute,” she says. “It must be nice having people at the theatre you already know.”

Santana nods and her smile turns fond and a little nostalgic. “Tina and I were roommates all throughout college,” she explains, “And then she started dating Mike in our third year, and they’ve been nauseating adorable and loved up ever since.”

“They’ve been dating for that long?”

Santana laughs, leaning against the doorframe. “Oh yeah. If you think they’re bad now, you should have seen them when they just had crushes on each other through our second year. Adorable? Absolutely. Annoying oblivious? Definitely.” Brittany giggles. Tina and Mike are the most stable couple she knows, inside the company and out, but now she kind of wishes she could have known them before they got together. “They’ve been my best friends ever since,” Santana says, and though she rolls her eyes a little Brittany can see the fondness crinkling her eyes and tugging at her lips.

“That’s sweet,” Brittany says.

Santana shrugs a little and brushes it off with an embarrassed, “Yeah, well,” before straightening up a little. “Are you heading out soon?” Brittany barely has time to blink before Santana gets this bright, breathless, wide-eyed look and she starts talking again. “I mean— Because I’m on my way and Tina’s already gone so. I figured I’d check with you and— You know, see if you needed company,” she finishes lamely.

Brittany’s not quite sure if there’s a more adorable person on the planet, and she quickly assures Santana that, yes, she was just leaving too. She gathers her coat and shrugs it on, tugging a hat over her ears and sliding into her sneakers before heading to the door, collecting her wallet and phone from the coffee table on her way. Santana takes a step backwards down the hall to let Brittany out and she dig her keys out of her jacket pocket so she can lock the door.

She’s just about to turn the key when she remembers the whole reason she was hoping Santana would stop by in the first place. “Wait!” she says suddenly, shoving the door back open with a little more enthusiasm than strictly necessary, the sound of the doorjamb protesting the harsh movement echoing throughout the dressing room. “I have something for you!”

Santana watches her curiously from the doorway as she rummages around on the vanity in the dark until her fingers close around what she was looking for. She quickly crosses the room again, and Santana steps out into the light of the hallway while Brittany hides her tiny gift behind her back. “I, uh, saw this today and I got it so, um, so you have something to remember your first official show by,” she rambles, quickly biting onto her lip so more words don’t escape her as she hands the gift to Santana. It’s a tiny plastic figurine she saw through a toy shop window that morning on her way to the theatre, a flat circle of painted snow with the Sugar Plum Fairy dancing in the middle, surrounded by Marie in her white nightgown and the Prince in his soldier uniform. She’s pretty sure it’s supposed to be an ornament, but she cut the ribbon off so now it’s just a simple figurine.

Santana takes it carefully from Brittany, as if it’s made of fragile glass and not toylike plastic. Her fingers trace delicately over the dancing fairy and Brittany suddenly feels heat crawl and creep under her skin. Usually she’s not this prone to blushing, if anything she prides herself on making others blush, but Santana must have some innate connection to the blood vessels in her cheeks because they always seem to be super aware of her presence.

“I know it’s— Kind of dumb or childish or whatever,” she mumbles. She’s always been told by that too many people that, even if she is a principal dancer with one of the most prestigious dance companies in North America, but she understands how important it is to rediscover how to have fun; life’s far too hard and messy and cruel to take yourself too seriously, and Brittany’s found that sometimes the only thing you can do is have fun and laugh. But people have made her feel insecure about it for so long, all the way back in middle school when having sleepovers and playing pretend with her little sister suddenly wasn’t cool anymore, that it makes her nervous to drop her caution around people other than her sister or Mercedes or Sam because they almost always disappoint her.

“No,” Santana says quickly, shaking her head sharply, and when she glances up at Brittany her eyes are shining and bright with something Brittany can’t name. “It’s perfect,” she whispers, “Thank you.”

The heat in Brittany’s cheeks continues to prickle her skin, but as she kicks one foot behind her other she already knows it has less to do with nervous embarrassment now and more to do with how bashful-giddy she feels when Santana directs that smile at her. “You’re welcome,” she murmurs, “You deserve to remember today. You did amazing.”

Santana’s eyes never leave hers even as her smile widens and she whispers her thanks again. Brittany feels too much all at once and fumbles with her keys before quickly turning to lock her door, finding Santana’s eyes still on her when she turns back around. “Shall we?” Brittany asks, gesturing down the hallway.

Santana nods quickly, finally glancing away to look at the figurine in her hand before tucking it carefully in her jacket pocket.

Brittany finds it really easy to talk to Santana as they head out of the theatre, and the earlier heat creeping under her skin starts to fade as they navigate the halls. Santana can make Brittany laugh really easily and Brittany kind of really, really likes that, but Brittany quickly finds that what she likes even more is making Santana smile, because Brittany’s never felt more accomplished than when her deadpan makes Santana’s dimples crease her cheeks, and even better than that is saying something that makes Santana toss her head back as bright carefree giggles spill forth from her.

The make it to the front lobby far sooner than Brittany wants to, and as soon as they step out into the chilly air, her phone buzzes with a text from Mercedes telling her that she’s here just as a dark SUV pulls up. “That’s my ride,” Brittany says. They both pause, still smiling at each other, until Brittany shakes herself out of her daze and whispers a quick bye as she heads for Mercedes’ SUV.

“Hey,” Santana calls just as Brittany’s hand lands on the handle of the passenger door, “Thanks, for today. You know, at the meeting.”

Brittany feels something warm and bright and fond curl in her stomach. The feeling isn’t something she’s ever really felt before, but it reminds her of camping with her parents to celebrate the first time she ever won gold a competition, when she would huddle closer to the fire until it would feel like its warmth was blooming from within her cheeks and and chest instead of from the fire itself. “You’re welcome,” she murmurs, and despite the rush of the city around them Brittany feels a little bit like it’s just them on the sidewalk for a moment. “Goodnight, Santana,” she says softly.

Those dimples crease Santana’s cheeks and makes Brittany’s breath hitch just a little. “Goodnight, Brittany.”