#last night's was much closer to my apt so it did get a little alarming

[bereft-of-frogs]

there have been 2 significant house/business fires in my neighborhood in the last week, it really is like my city heard everyone else in the northeast were having fun wildfire smoke parties and was like ‘aw we’re the only ones in the region with a clear air quality index......fomo! better change that!’

[robininthelabyrinth]

Spilled Pearls

- Chapter 12 - ao3 -

The dinner lasted until late, late enough that Lan Qiren had to make his excuses and even then only just barely got back to his room in time to fall asleep at the appropriate hour; he didn’t even have enough time to do more than remove his shoes and outer layer before his eyes had closed.

Surprisingly, unlike most social dinners in Lan Qiren’s memory, it hadn’t been awful. Most of that had been thanks to Lao Nie, whose exuberance, as he’d suspected, could carry just about any social interaction to victory. After exhausting himself in thinking of ever more increasingly ridiculous toasts and forcing Wen Ruohan to drink them – they’d switched to wine at some point, although to Lan Qiren’s relief neither offered him any – Lao Nie had turned the subject to the type of music appropriate to be played at a wedding feast, and his opinions on music were, as always, so horrifically wrong that even Lan Qiren had been lured into arguing with him.

At some point, the conversation had shifted to the subject of marriage and weddings more generally, though to Lan Qiren’s relief both men clearly considered him too young to have thoughts about his own future in that regard the way his teachers might have. Instead, they’d spoken about the origins of various wedding traditions – there were some that Lan Qiren had thought were set in stone and handed down from ancient times which Wen Ruohan could recall having seen invented within his lifetime, which was a fascinating advantage of age that Lan Qiren had not previously considered.

It was equally interesting to see Wen Ruohan at his most charming. It was not a mask that the sect leader bothered putting on very often, as far as Lan Qiren knew, and it was a mask, one that was a little loose around the edges – even Lan Qiren could tell. Wen Ruohan would say the right words a beat too late, with his eyes a little too focused and his smile a little too sharp to be believed; his quips were a little too cutting and his suggestions just a little beyond the boundaries of common decency, his cruelty and indifference leaking out around the edges of even a casual chat with people he considered friends.

But at the same time, it was difficult to deny that he was brilliant. Regardless of whether he’d obtained his superior cultivation through dark and dirty means or not, he’d been the master of his sect and about a third of the cultivation world for at least a generation already, and no one managed that without being extremely clever and more than a little ruthless.

It made for interesting conversation, if one beset with a constant feeling of danger…

“I hope you enjoyed the bed.”

Lan Qiren nearly jumped out of his skin in fright, spinning around to stare at Wen Ruohan standing just within the doorway to Lan Qiren's room – he hadn’t heard him open the door, nor close it behind him. The other man was in his wedding finery, the brilliant fiery red of his sect turned to joyous purpose, and yet there was something sinister in his self-assured smile.

“The – bed?” Lan Qiren repeated blankly, and glanced at it. “It was…fine?”

“You complained, last time,” Wen Ruohan said, continuing to stroll into the room with his hands clasped behind his back. “Too hard, I believe you said…I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Lan Qiren vaguely recalled having said something along those lines and blushed in shame. “It’s fine,” he said. “I slept deeply and well. Thank you for your concern.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Wen Ruohan said. “You and I are brothers, are we not? My every thought should be of you.”

That didn’t sound quite right.

Before he could say anything, though, Wen Ruohan clicked his tongue lightly and stood in front of him, looking him up and down. “Your Lan sect’s formal clothing is truly a masterpiece of the embroidered arts,” he said. “A brilliant sight – especially all in white.”

Lan Qiren lowered his head, embarrassed again. If pressed, he would argue that his clothing was a little more silver than pure white, so he wasn’t actually dressed in mourning colors, but it couldn’t be denied that he was much closer than most, making it a little inappropriate for a wedding. Unfortunately, he only owned the one set of formal clothes, and there hadn’t been time to commission another; there was nothing for it.

“I like it,” Wen Ruohan said unexpectedly, his hands settling on Lan Qiren’s shoulders, smoothing out the fabric. Lan Qiren looked up and was caught by that intense red gaze. “My sect colors are red and white, after all – just like the two of us. A matched set.”

His hands burned too hot on Lan Qiren’s shoulders.

“White is a traditional color for the Lan sect as well,” Lan Qiren said, and his voice only quavered a little bit. “Anyway, it’s…mostly grey.”

“White,” Wen Ruohan disagreed. “As pristine as a pearl resting in the palm of your hand.”

His thumbs pressed lightly just by Lan Qiren’s collarbone. There were acupoints there, he thought, although he was having trouble recalling which ones or what they did.

“Yes, a pearl is truly the most apt comparison,” Wen Ruohan mused. “Simple and natural, yet shining with its own luster – I’d thought rubies, to make you fit to my taste, but perhaps pearls will suit you better.”

“I have no need for jewels,” Lan Qiren said, a little alarmed. Had Wen Ruohan really drunk so much the night before that he was still intoxicated, confusing his new sworn brother and his new bride?

“And yet I may wish to give them to you,” Wen Ruohan said. “Surely you won’t deny me – after all, I need to repay you for the charming gift you gave to me.”

Lan Qiren had a sinking feeling.

“Uh,” he said. “You saw it? Already?”

He’d searched the room briefly earlier that morning for the personal gift he’d bought for Wen Ruohan, intending on packaging the bowls away in his return clothing – why hadn’t it occurred to him to simply give it away to one of his fellow disciples, or even to trade or sell it? That way he wouldn’t have embarrassed himself by giving such a simple gift amidst all the opulent luxury of the Nightless City.

It seemed, however, that it was too late for that.

“Oh yes,” Wen Ruohan said, looking amused. “A set of drinking bowls, painted with a flowing border reminiscent of vermilion birds – made by your own hand?”

“I only applied the glaze,” Lan Qiren said hastily. “There was another gift, too –”

“I have dozens of golden crowns of better make and greater utility,” Wen Ruohan said dismissively. “Such a heavy thing. If you told me that you’d picked it yourself, I wouldn’t believe you.”

“No, I did pick –”

“Without constraint? Or from a selection of predetermined choices, each one deemed ‘appropriate’?”

Lan Qiren fell silent.

“Do not tell lies,” Wen Ruohan said, rolling the familiar rule in his mouth as if tasting a wine of fine vintage. “Yes, the guan is a very appropriate gift, neither too distant nor too familiar, too rich or too restrained, perfectly reasonable yet conveying nothing, giving nothing away...I’m quite certain your brother picked it out. But you were the one who picked the bowls, weren’t you? Did you pay for them yourself?”

Lan Qiren felt certain that the conversation was leading to some sort of trap, but he didn’t know what, or how, or how to evade it. “I did,” he admitted. “With my sect allowance.”

“How many months’ worth did it cost you?”

Lan Qiren thought back, calculating. “About three?”

He’d thought to get something nice enough that he wouldn’t lose face in giving it, though naturally he’d underestimated the luxury of the Nightless City. Still, it wasn’t as though he needed the money for much, anyway. The sect supplied him with basic clothing and gear, equipment to tend to his sword and musical instruments, and even access to books; he did not buy himself too many luxuries beyond that. Other than the fees he paid for various sect purposes, it was really only the occasional trinket that caught his eye or rare books on foreign musical techniques that he purchased with his own money.

It wasn’t anything like a sacrifice, not really, but Wen Ruohan still looked pleased about it, smug and satisfied as a cat right after the hunt.

“Three months’ worth,” he murmured, and his hands which were somehow still on Lan Qiren’s shoulders slid inexorably inwards to rest on the sides of his throat. “Even assuming you were extraordinarily parsimonious, little Lan, you could only save a third at a time; that’s nine months of your life that you spent for me. Nearly a twentieth of all the months you’ve lived so far.”

What a strange way to calculate time.

It wasn’t even right, since Lan Qiren had turned seventeen in the interval and that made the interval closer to a twenty-fifth than a twentieth, but also – who thought like that, treating time like a percentage, as if it could be measured and spent like coin? Perhaps it was simply that Wen Ruohan was so old already…and perhaps that, in turn, was why he looked at him so strangely, so unnervingly –

Lan Qiren swallowed, decided he didn’t need his pride more than he needed to get away, and ducked out of Wen Ruohan’s loose grip.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready or something?” he asked, turning and pretending to fuss with his robes to avoid making eye contact. “It’s the morning of your wedding.”

“Indeed it is,” Wen Ruohan said from behind him. He was standing too close: Lan Qiren could feel his breath on the back of his head. “Tell me, little Lan – little brother. What do you think of my marriage?”

Lan Qiren hesitated.

“The truth, if you will,” Wen Ruohan added. “I would hate for the purity of our relationship to be tainted by misdirection, even if you wouldn’t go so far as to lie.”

His voice was mild and even, almost sweet, and Lan Qiren was abruptly convinced that it was far more threatening than any of Lao Nie’s rages or his brother’s ice-cold sarcasms.

“I think you made it up to distract people from swearing brotherhood with me,” he said, turning back to face his fears and sworn brother, and felt his face go red as he realized how self-involved that made him sound. But it was what he thought, and Wen Ruohan had asked him not to lie. “You made a mistake, underestimated people’s reactions, and Lao Nie yelled at you because it was affecting your reputation and mine, so you came up with a better story and made everyone else believe it.”

Wen Ruohan hummed. “What an interesting theory. You don’t think the engagement was merely kept private before being revealed at an appropriate time?”

“No.” Lan Qiren shrugged. “If I’m wrong, of course, I’m wrong. But you asked what I thought.”

“Is that why you got me a gift?” Lan Qiren, surprised, glanced at Wen Ruohan, who was still smiling. “To thank me for clearing up the mess I made of your reputation?”

“I got you a gift because you’re my sworn brother, and you’re getting married,” Lan Qiren said, bemused. “What does my reputation have to do with anything? You’re not the one making everyone gossip, and even if you were, you cleaning up something you did is only what you should do. I don’t see what one has to do with the other.”

This time, Wen Ruohan gave a little huff of amusement, and he sounded almost surprised. “Charmingly blunt.”

“You told me not to lie or misdirect!” Lan Qiren exclaimed, feeling betrayed.

Now Wen Ruohan was chuckling in earnest. “Ah, little Lan,” he said. “Someone is going to get you into trouble one day, and it may very well be me…you’re right, you know.”

“What?”

“About the wedding,” he said lazily, and put a hand on top of Lan Qiren’s head. “Both in terms of motivation and timing. You’re entirely right, except for one part.”

“What part?”

His fingers tightened, the too-sharp nails digging into Lan Qiren’s scalp and pulling at his hair until his head was forced back to look up at Wen Ruohan.

“I didn’t make a mistake,” Wen Ruohan said. His eyes were boring into Lan Qiren’s own, the pressure of his will strong, as insistent as his voice. “You were not a mistake, little Lan. You’re mine.”

“Of course I am,” Lan Qiren said, suddenly irritated for no reason he could tell. “Your sworn brother. Doesn’t the whole world know it by now?”

“Mm. I suppose they do.”

“And on that note,” Lan Qiren said, “what are the terms, anyway? I never got to see them.”

“The – terms?”

“Of our brotherhood! My brother confiscated the paper you gave me before I could look it over, and naturally I don’t remember, so you have to give me another copy. I think I’m entitled to one, since I’m a part of it, and presumably you did the drafting. Was it one of the classical oaths? Which clauses were included? Provisions? Curses? Was there any consideration of – stop laughing!”

Wen Ruohan had released Lan Qiren’s hair in order to brace himself on the wall, he was laughing so hard. Laughing with big laughs that came up from his belly and stuck in his throat, and no matter what Lan Qiren said he didn’t say one single thing in response. Lan Qiren eventually gave up with a huff and stormed out.

Let the irritating bastard be late to his own wedding, for all he cared.

[thadelightfulone]

All I Want... 25 Days of Christmas Challenge, Day 17

December 18th - Part 2

DeeDee parked in front of her apartment building and Erik pulled up beside her in his rental. He got out first and walked over to her car to help her out.  

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“A girl could get used to this kind of treatment.”

“Is that right?” He grabbed her briefcase from her. “So, where are we headed?”

DeeDee pointed forward, “This building, Apt B15.”

Erik followed DeeDee as they walked into the building. He looked at the numbers on the doors as they passed them. Even numbers on the left and odds on the right. A quick assessment let him know her apartment was at the end by the other set of entry doors.

As soon as they passed B10, Erik slowed up to let DeeDee pass him. Then he scooped her up in his arms in a basket hold. 

“What are you -” DeeDee squealed as she turned and held onto him for dear life. 

Erik never broke his stride and kept walking. He laughed as DeeDee buried her face in his neck. “You ok there?”

“You couldn’t just hold my hand again?” 

“I mean, I could have. But nah,” He stopped in front of her apartment but did not make a move.

“Erik, you can put me down now. I have to open the door.” 

“Do you?” He shifted her in his arms. He gave her two quick squeezes to her side. 

“Seriously?” She huffed and let go of him long enough to hand over her keys. “It’s the  purple and silver key, Mr. Extra.” 

Erik opened the door to her place, and set DeeDee down before they stepped inside and he closed the door.

“Take a look around, I’m gonna freshen up real quick before we go.” DeeDee took off her heels and walked towards her room.

“Sure thing. And don’t forget, you’re picking where we go. It’s your night.”

She turned back to him, “Ummm no. I am sure there are places that you want to go to since you are back. Pick one.” 

“Little Miss DeeDee.”

“Ewww, not you combining names like that.” She walked up to him and poked him in the chest. “Why are you so difficult?”

“How am I being difficult? I want to go where you want to go.”

“What happened to what the lady wants, she gets.”

Erik’s face fell and DeeDee smirked. 

“So, as I was saying, I know there has to be somewhere you want to eat at again.” She pointed a shoe at him. “The first place that comes to your mind is where we’ll go.” 

Erik opened and closed his mouth, she had him. DeeDee winked at him and bounced down the hall to her room.

He walked over to her desk and set her laptop case and purse down. He made his way around the living room. The space really spoke to DeeDee and her personality. She had pictures of various floral and nature scenes on the walls interspersed with painted wooden framed photos of her, her family and friends. From the curtains to her furniture accents, if he didn’t know purple was her favorite color, her living room alone gave it away. All the pillows on her gray couch were various shades of it.  

Erik unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down on the couch, “Maybe I should start calling her a purple faerie.” 

In the corner off to his left, he saw there was a small little potted tabletop Christmas tree decorated with silver tinsel and 3 simple handmade ornaments. Erik smiled as he looked everything over. In the midst of everything, she still had some time for Christmas spirit. 

“Actually, I’m just good with plants, but don’t have space for a big live tree.”

He didn’t realize it said that last part out loud. Erik shivered and turned around at the sound of her voice. It was so nice to hear it in person and not over the phone. It made him feel things, he never thought he would again. And they are attached to the beautiful breath-taking woman standing before him.

DeeDee had changed into a taupe and gray sweater dress. The material hugged her curves in all the right places. In her hands, she had some matching booties. 

“So, have you decided where we are going yet?” She asked.

Erik looked at DeeDee, “Uhhh, yeah.” He cleared his throat, “Yeah. Does Miss Carrie still have her spot up the street?”

“You mean, The Juke Joint?”

“That’s the one.” He stood up and walked over to her, “I remember she had some of the best gumbo I have ever had, and her seafood boils were the best, too.”

“Now, her food is good,” she scrunched her face, “but the best?” She leaned on his shoulder to put on her shoes. “Ehhhh.”

“Oh, so Dr. DeeDee cooks?” He held her hand to balance her.

“Thank you. I know how, yes. Do I cook regularly, no.” She straightened up and smoothed out the dress. “I just haven’t had the time but I definitely enjoy cooking when I can.”

“So, will I get a homemade meal before I leave?”

“Of course. Will it be from me, definitely not.” She shook her head and went to the desk to get her purse. 

“Wow, ok.” Erik laughed and walked to the door, opening it, “We should probably go, so we can get a good table.”

“Yes, we should.” DeeDee walked past him and handed him the keys. 

He locked up and held the keys out to her. 

“Good boy.” She patted his hand as she took the keys back.

“Like that?” 

“Yop,” she popped the P. 

“I see you Little Miss Dr. DeeDee.” He watched her walk in front of him, “I see you.”

DeeDee looked back over her shoulder and switched her hips, “My eyes are up here, Mr. Erik.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t even trying to look at them though.” He directed his fingers, “Gone ahead and turn back around.”

“Mister Erik!” DeeDee squeaked.

“I like the view, so sue me.” He moved his hand again. 

Suddenly, DeeDee ran for the door. He followed after her. “Girl, if you don’t -” He slowed down and watched her ass. “THANK YOU!” He yelled after her.

Erik roared with laughter, when DeeDee flipped him off as she dipped out the door.

---

The parking lot was full when they arrived at The Juke Joint. They walked in and were immediately seated at a booth. Erik waited as DeeDee slid in first, then followed after her. 

As they looked at their menus, they heard a loud sound come from the back of the restaurant.

“Where is my baby?” A loud boisterous voice made its way closer to them, “I heard he was here.”

Erik tried to hide his laughter while DeeDee looked up in alarm.

“Oh my god, this woman.” She lowered her eyes to the table.

“Erik! Boy, where are you hiding?” Shuffling could be heard down the aisle. “Ooooh, there he go.”

DeeDee watched Erik as the voice approached their table. An older woman with silver grey hair in a long ponytail and hair net stood in front of them. Her blue and white gingham dress was covered by a white apron that read ‘Mama’s House.’ He slid out of the booth, stood up and pulled down his jacket. 

“Ooooh, lemme get a look at you. All sharp in a suit. And your hair. I remember when you couldn’t even grow a beard and wore that awful mini fro.” She looked him up and down, “This grown ass man standing in front of me. You look good baby.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

“Now now, you know it’s Miss Carrie. You ain’t been gone but a minute, but you still one of my babies. Now, give me a hug.” 

“Yes, Miss Carrie.” He leaned over and engulfed the much smaller woman in a hug.

“Lord, I always knew you would grow up to be something spectacular.” She shook her head and mumbled, “If I was a few years younger.”

Erik laughed while DeeDee groaned from her seat at the table. 

Miss Carrie looked at her, “DeeDee? Girl, why you so quiet?” 

“I didn’t want to interrupt you, ma’am.” DeeDee slid out of the booth and hugged her.

“So, you just gonna let me run on about this man and not speak. I know I taught you better.” 

“Hi Mama. And I didn’t even know you knew him.” 

“Knew him. This boy practically lived here when he was at Southern.” Miss Carrie watched her, “But how do you know him?”

“I, uh --” DeeDee wrung her hands in front of her.

“We met through Quis, Miss Carrie.” Erik interjected.

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Quis is your doctor mentor. Okay then.” She waved them both to take a seat. “Still doesn’t explain how my great-grandbaby can’t talk to me.” 

“Your what?” Erik looked over at DeeDee.

“Yeah, DeeDee’s my oldest son’s only boy’s oldest daughter. The one child I have a relationship with.”

DeeDee sighed and put her elbows on the table. A quick chirp from Miss Carrie and she pulled her arms down into her lap.

“I did not know that Miss Carrie.” He eyed DeeDee, “But you know she was telling me earlier that your gumbo isn’t the best.” 

“She said what now? Boy, everything this girl knows how to make, she learned from me.” She glared at DeeDee and pulled out her spoon, “You ain’t too old to get my spoon neither. Don’t play with me.”

DeeDee kicked him under the table and scooted away. Erik winced and leaned over to rub his shin while laughing.

“I hate you.” She mouthed to him.

“No, you don’t.” He mouthed back and winked at her. “Mama, can we have two bowls of your famous gumbo.”

“Of course, baby. You want your mix, too?” 

“Your sweet tea and lemonade? Yes ma’am.” His eyes lit up. “It’s been years since I’ve had it.”

“Great. I will be handling your table myself since you are my special guest.” She picked up their menus, “And I should put DeeDee in the kitchen for talking that mess. Better be glad you on date.”

“Mama!”

“Nah, girl. I see your dress and we know you live in them yoga pant things. This is a date and I’m happy for ya.” Miss Carrie smiled at Erik, “You did good, girl. Real good.”

When Miss Carrie left the table, Erik scooted closer to DeeDee. She pushed him away. 

DeeDee crossed her arms, “I didn’t know the good Doctor was a snitch.” She huffed.

“Snitch??? Who talks shit about their grandma, no great-grandma’s gumbo recipe? I’m surprised you didn’t get popped with that spoon.” He laughed, “You would have deserved that.”

“Shut up. And look, if I knew she named the Stevens lemonade after you, I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“Wait, she named it after me?” Erik looked at the drink menu and smiled. “I knew I loved that woman.”

“You gotta tell me about how you know her because apparently I know more about you than I really thought.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, she talked a lot during those cooking lessons.”

“What did she tell you about me?”

“Mama always talked about this lonely boy with a huge appetite. He came down south to learn about his mother’s family after his parents passed away.” DeeDee’s voice faded away. 

“No, it’s ok. It’s true.” He looked at her, “I found this place after connecting with my dad’s side of the family. It was a lot to take in, finding out I was royalty and stuff. Like real royal lineage.”

Miss Carrie quietly slipped the drinks on the table and winked at DeeDee.

“I was just walking down the highway and spotted it. Mama came and sat with me. I poured my heart out to her that day.” He grinned, “Actually, she was the first person I told after I found out.”

“Wow. And then you became regular here?”

“Yeah, I was here at least 3 times a week. I have tried everything on her entire menu. In fact, I am sure that I may have helped create a few items.”

“You did.” Miss Carrie arrived with big bowls of gumbo. She set them down along with some hush puppies and with a medium clay pot. “Here’s your rice, baby. I loved this idea you had of keeping a separate container to control how much people want.”

“Thank you, Mama.” He said. “I’m glad I could help out in any way.” He immediately dug into the gumbo.

“I know another way you can help me out.” 

Erik cleaned his mouth with a napkin and laid his spoon in the bowl. “Ma’am?” 

“Take care of this girl.”  

“Mama…”

Erik looked at DeeDee as he answered, “It would be my pleasure.”

Taglist: @teakturn​ @ghostfacekill-monger​ @shaekingshitup​ @nahimjustfeelingit-writes​ @woahitslucyylu​ @ladymac82​ @bugngiz​ @eyeknowmywrites​ @ajspencer1892​ @arafatih​ @issimplyaamazinggg​ @tchallasbabymama​ @killmonger-fics​ @beautifullmelodyxx​ @raysunshine78​ @fd-writes​ @ljstraightnochaser​ @just-peachee​ @kaleidoscopeofsoul​

[boyy-wonder-grayson]

Robin

“Hey! Could you 5 and 24 for the prompt thingy with my boy Dick, please

can I please request number 3 and 5 from the cute/fluff list for Dick?”

A/N:Hey guys this is a little drabble i came up for those two requests i had. I decided to put them together hopefully to the person that requested it would like it. I had a lot of fun writing this actually, so hopefully you too will enjoyr it!

These prompts were taken from this list so don’t forget to check it out :)

Requested: Yes

Prompts: 3- “You don't have to do that " "I know but I want to"

5-" You're cute when you're annoyed"

24-"We need a dog" "absolutely not" "too late" "What did you do?!?"

Pairigns: Dick Grayson x Reader

Warnings: none

*pic belongs to @riseofnightwing​*

Y/n entered the room quietly trying not to make wake her sleeping boyfriend. Dick’s been back from a rough mission late last night and she knew how exhausted he was so she tried not to make a sound but the ball of fur on her hands had other ideas. whimpering the little dog was trashing in her arms trying to get free from the woman's hold. Y/ tried shishing the little guy the best she could hoping that Dick wouldn't wake up. He was a light sleeper so any noise out of the ordinary would wake the superhero immediately.  she went past their shared bedroom to hear Dick snoring lightly. she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and went straight to the laundry room where she placed the little dog and everything else she bought for the pup. It was her intention to get a dog, specially without consulting Dick in such a big decision like this.  she knew he would say no right now, but the damage was already done; and no matter what would Dick say now, there’s no way that dog would be back to the shelter.  

Some days it was a blessing that her work was near an animal shelter, she knew the people that worked there because she’s been in there more times that she could remember. But today she wasn’t that sure it was a blessing anymore.  There was a sing outside that read that adoption was available for a new little puppy that arrived last week and it was the last of her litter.  apparently no one wanted the little guy because he was missing a leg. Y/n’s heart broke at the sight of the dog alone and because such stupid reason, so she did what any reasonable human would do. She took the dog home. 

She was too preoccupied with the dog that she didn't hear Dick calling for her. She panicked when she heard him getting closer to the laundry room. She turn the lights off and prayed that the dog would not make a sound. She met Dick outside the room almost running into him.

“hey babe you’re awake!” she said way too enthusiastically for Dick to raise a brow at her. She cringed at her own words and grabbed Dick’s hand trying to keep him as far away as possible from the laundry room.  

“you hungry? i’m starving” she said without waiting for him to answer. Once in the kitchen she turned around to face him and gave him her a biggest smile. “I can make you some coffee and pancakes or whatever you wa-” she was cut off by a small bark that made her eyes wide open in alarm. She tried to cough after to mask the noise. She knew that sooner or later the dog would sell her out, so she needed to address the situation now.

“Hey babe you know today i saw a sign in the animal shelter that said that there were puppies apt for adoption, maybe this is a signal that we need to adopt one” she said nonchalantly. Dick chuckled at the girls antics while he sipped his fresh coffee. 

“Y/n we talked about this” was the only thing he replied. She was tired of her negative attitude towards her. “i’m tired and we don’t need to have this conversation right now, maybe some other time”

“No, you know what we need? A dog” she said in a serious tone not giving up this time

“absolutely not” he replied with a stern look on his brown eyes.

“Too late” she replied trying not to smile at the frantic look Dick had

“What did you do!?” he asked getting up from his seat “y/n tell me you did not do what i think you did” he pointed an accusatory finger at the girl in front of her.

Well now the cat was out of the bag, or more like the dog.

A tiny bark was all the answers Dick needed to confirm his suspicions. They looked at each other for a solid second before Y/n sprinted towards the laundry room trying to outrun her superhero boyfriend, and surprisingly she won.  She picked the puppy in her hands keeping her away from Dick. 

“C’mon Dick! look at him! he’s too cute to be all alone” she pouted while holding the tiny puppy close to her face. it did nothing to wipe Dick’s hard expression. He was angry that much she could tell, but she was not backing down from this decision. The dog was staying whether the liked it or not.

“You can just bring a dog in here without consulting me!” he accused her “ we’re a couple we're supposed to take this type of decisions together” he said pinching the bridge of his nose. Y/n felt kind of guilty for bringing the dog without telling him but she wasn’t thinking of repercussions she just saw the dog and in her heart knew that she needed to bring him home with her.

 Dick saw the mess the little dog did in the short time he spent in the room. Some of this dirty socks were scattered around the room and the bag of food that Y/n bought for him was spread all over with dog food covering most of the floor. He sighed and went back to the kitchen without saying anything to her girlfriend. 

Y/n’s face fell when she heard the door closed. She wasn’t expecting Dick to react this badly, i mean he told her that he loved dogs and that he liked to have one, but now wasn’t the best time. She thought that a little early wouldn’t change much. Besides she hated being alone whenever Dick would leave for a mission, a dog would be a perfect solution.

Half an hour later Dick came back with a few items on his hands. Y/n was with the pup in the laundry room tidying up the mess the dog made, while the little guy was went running to the door to greet his other owner.

“Hey little guy” he said to the pup while scratching behind his ears. “Babe? where are you?” He called her. Y/n sighed knowing what awaited for her in the other room. Dick would probably talked with the shelter asking if they could return the dog; but what she saw made her speechless. 

There he was with the pup in his hands, and behind him a new bag of dog food and a bunch of other things, such as: a bed, some toys and a new dog collar. 

“Dick what’s all that?” she carefully asked assessing the objects. 

“Well, i figured if we’re having a dog he needed somewhere to sleep” he replied sheepishly. 

Y/n smiled at her a kissed him on the lips.

“You didn't have to do that you know?” she asked caressing his cheek.

“I know, but i wanted to. Specially after how i reacted” he replied kissing her palm. “Sorry for being a, well a dick” he laughed a little at his own pun, making the woman chuckled along with him.

“it’s okay babe, you’re cute when you’re annoyed” she replied and the dog barked making the pair laughed. 

“We’re going to need a name if the little guy’s staying” Dick said handing the dog to her.

“What about Robin?” she asked, looking back at Dick and saw his annoyed expression she bursted out laughing 

“You’re insufferable sometimes you know” Dick said walking away from them

“Robin is then, what do you think?” she asked the little dog who let out a bark

“I’ll take that as a yes then” she said kissing the dog on his little furry head.

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

Halloween Coutdown - Burn

Summary: Hilda’s classmates are beginning to pick up on her witchcraft. She doesn’t care, but the librarian doesn’t like people talking about her apprentice behind her back. Family Fights Halloween themed ficlet

Notes: 4 days until Halloween!! This chapter takes place in the 5 month skip in Family Fights. If you haven’t read the fic and want to, the link is here. If you don’t feel like it, you just need to know that the librarian is training Hilda to be a witch.

(I dedicate this chapter to the awesome @mr-hyde-and-mr-seek, who unknowingly helped me pick the theme for ths fic and who just gives my writing and me more support than I could possibly hope for. Everyday is halloween when I’m with you, fren <3)

Read it on ao3

Spooky song rec: Burn The Witch by Queens of the Stone Age

It had been years since Maven had set foot on Trolberg’s Elementary School. Before her sister had complained about it and asked her to stop doing it, she’d often pick Myra up when her classes were over. The last time she’d been there, it had probably been to walk her home.

Her own memories of the place felt more like a haze. She did remember that she’d attended that school, and that she’d had few friends and so spent her recesses in the library, and she even had some weirdly specific recollections of sneaking out of physical education to write stories in a secluded corner of the dressing room. She wasn’t there for her sister, though, much less for the pleasure of remembering her childhood years. That day, she was there to pick her apprentice up.

Leaning against the grids that surrounded the school, the librarian watched a group of children walk by her, complaining about how unfair it was that they would have classes on Halloween, and she thought about how much easier this was for people for whom All Souls Night was just another holiday. Being a witch, she had much more ease sensing the things that lurked in the shadows at that time of the year, and they were more likely to target her as well. That was exactly the reason why she’d asked Hilda to allow her to accompany her home that day, even though it wouldn’t really be Halloween until midnight.

She was probably exaggerating on her worry, but a young witch with too much power and not enough control over it was the perfect target for all the dark creatures that arose when the veil got thinner. When she’d talked about this to her, Hilda had promised not to leave her house alone on Halloween, especially since there would be no fun in trick or treating alone, anyway. She did, however, reveal that she walked to her house alone after school, and Maven was not completely at ease with that.

When she asked Hilda if she’d allow her to pick her up at school, the girl hadn’t looked like she’d wanted to comply, though she tried to hide it. Even when she accepted, she didn’t act very happy about the prospect. Maven didn’t think it was anything she’d done that had upset Hilda, since they had been talking normally just seconds before, which left her to wonder about Hilda’s behaviour.

Walking side by side with her two closest friends, Maven noticed Hilda leaving her school’s main building when she waved enthusiastically at her, now acting as happy as ever, if a little nervous. After they said their goodbyes, the trio parted ways. The girl returned inside the school, the boy left for the school’s auditorium, and Hilda ran her way.

“Hey, Mave!” She greeted joyfully. “Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon. How are you?”

“I’m fine.” Hilda began walking, taking the lead since she knew the way to her house way better than Maven did. “What about you? Have you done anything interesting today?”

“If by interesting you mean magical, then no, That will only begin tomorrow.”

At the mention of magic, Hilda glanced around, which made Maven lift her eyebrows. She’d never seen Hilda being skittish before, and she didn’t even think the girl had it in her to be.

“Are you sure everything is fine, Hildie? You seem a little bit… off.”

“Me? Oh no, I’m fine!” She assured, clearly lying. Knowing she’d been caught, Hilda was about to come up with an excuse when they heard a gasp. They still hadn’t left the school’s block, and on the other side of the grids there was a playground for the children. Inside it, a boy was pointing at her.

“I knew it! I knew you were a witch! You’re with the witch librarian!”

Hilda sighed wearily, and Maven crossed her arms. Her apprentice had told her about the boy, and how his misadventures with the Great Raven had led him to believe she was a witch, a belief that had only gotten stronger when he heard her chanting a small good luck charm before an exam.

“Trevor.” Hilda groaned. “Can you please just leave me-”

“Little child, you shouldn’t go around saying things like that!” Maven whispered with fake alarm in her voice. Hilda’s face was confused as her mentor kneeled down to the ground to get on the boy’s level. She looked around, as if making sure no one could hear her, and after noticing this Trevor got closer, curious at the prospect of a secret.

“It is dangerous to speak the way you do. Especially at this time of the year! Do you know which day tomorrow is? The real witches might hear you.”

Apprehensively, he took a step back. “T- the real witches?”

“Oh, yes.” Maven widened her eyes, trying to give herself the appearance of a madwoman. “Has nobody ever told you? No, I suppose they wouldn’t tell this to a child. Trolberg was built upon the grounds in which witches were burnt in ancient times. And every year in All Souls’ Night, they come out for anyone who even vaguely reminds them of their persecutors!” 

It was clear that Maven had scared the boy. He was fidgeting nervously and stuttered when he spoke. Her apprentice, on the other hand, was watching her with curious eyes.

“They come… come out? To do what?”

Abruptly, Maven grasped the grids and and pulled her body forward, her face only inches from him.

“TO BURN THEM!”

Trevor began screaming and ran away with fright. Barely containing her laughter, the librarian stood up again and took Hilda’s hand.

“Let’s get out of here before he comes back with an adult and I get sued.”

They ran away to the next block playfully, Hilda’s giggles stopping Maven from regretting wasting her time on some ignorant kid. When they had left the school behind, they returned to their normal pace.

“Is that why you were worried?” The librarian asked, noticing Hilda looked much lighter now. Rubbing her neck, Hilda nodded.

“Yeah. I don’t really mind him calling me a witch. He’s a nasty person, really. I just didn’t want him to give you a hard time. I heard him calling you a witch too one day, you know, and his mother will believe anything he says. I was afraid he’d try and cause you some trouble, is all.”

Touched by Hilda’s worry for her, Maven put a hand on her shoulder affectionately.

“Don’t worry, Hildie, I don’t think there’s anything he can do against me. This sort of person already doesn’t go to the library, anyway.”

Hilda chuckled and smiled up at her.

“Yeah, they probably don’t. Was any of what you said true, by the way? About the witches?”

This time it was Maven who chuckled, thinking about the bunch of nonsense she’d come up with.

“No, I was just trying to scare the boy into being a little less unbearable. The city doesn’t really like us, but there were never witch burnings in this area. Plus, we are the real witches.”

Both relieved to know the city hadn’t, in fact, been built upon witch hunt grounds, and emboldened by Maven’s statement, the girl stood up straighter as she walked. They began trading stories about their days, the librarian listening eagerly as her apprentice told her about her classes and her friends. Eventually, though, when they were close to arriving in Hilda’s home, she restarted on their previous topic.

“I’m glad you came with me.” She said. “I’m not too worried about these creatures you mentioned, but… I did always find humans scarier.”

Looking up at her mentor, Hilda was somewhat surprised to find the utter empathy on her face.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Hilda nodded.

“I do too. Unfortunately I came to find there are humans much scarier than any monster that I have seen. There are monsters who resent witches, of course, since technically we’re humans. But to some humans, we fall in the same category as said monsters. At least magical creatures aren’t too selfishly scared of us to try and see past their prejudices.”

“That’s exactly it!” Hilda exclaimed. When she came to think of it, that was the first time in her life someone seemed to understand that part of her. “There are great humans, obviously. It’s just kind of scary to try to find out which type of human each one is.”

“And yet we keep on trying. That’s how brave we are.”

“Yeah!” As she raised her hand to high five Maven, she noticed that she didn’t seem too used to the gesture. Hilda hadn’t been either, since she grew up in the wilderness and learned about it with David and Frida, but it struck her as odd since the librarian had grown up in the city.

Soon they arrived at the building in which Hilda lived, and she opened the door.

“Do you want to come inside? Mum is home, we could have some tea.”

“Not today, but thank you.” She nodded discreetly, a small gesture that showed that she was indeed grateful for the invitation. When Hilda was stepping into the building, she spoke again.

“If anyone else gives you a hard time… please tell me about it. I don’t want you to suffer because of who you are.” Maven didn’t know what she’d do in case Hilda did tell her in the future about another mean kid. Past experience showed that she wasn’t apt to handle bullying of any sort, heaven knew. But the thought of Hilda being picked on, especially because of something that was in a way Maven’s fault, didn’t sit well with her.

“Don’t worry, Maven.” Bringing her hand to her forehead, Hilda made a signal which Maven thought was probably the Sparrow Scouts salutation. Never having been part of the group, she didn’t know for sure. “This witch won’t burn!”

They smiled one last time at each other and said their goodbyes. The girl closed the door behind her, but Maven spent a few seconds staring at the wood. Now that she was alone, she got an uncomfortable, sick feeling on her belly. It seemed that the encounter with the boy had affected her more than she had thought, and much more than it should have.

“No.” She whispered, even though there was no one around to hear her. “I will make sure you won’t.”

[master-ray5]

Fairy Tale Challenge: Miwako’s Bedtime Story

I finally got around to finishing my entry to the @fairytalechallenge​. This is one of my last few fanfictions. I have other projects which need my attention and sadly fanfiction is a bit of a distraction. Enjoy this little cute story. 

Picture source: http://fanartsailormoonbythaiartistfan.tumblr.com/post/135649421834/kunzite-his-child-he-embraced-his-daughter

Fanfiction link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13631011/1/Miwako-s-Bedtime-Story

***

First off, here is the‌ ‌guide‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌names‌ ‌I‌ ‌use‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌Shitennou‌ ‌in‌ ‌this ‌story.‌ As they are now married men, they have taken the names of their beloved wives. Jadeite=Hino ‌Taito‌ Nephite=Kino ‌Masato‌ Zoisite=Mizuno ‌Saitou‌ ‌ Kunzite=Aino ‌Shinn‌

Also, I’m using the daughters of the Senshi introduced in the “Parallel Moon” story but I will change their names. Frankly, I find adding Jr. at the end of the names was a tad lazy writing (not even addressing how the girls all look like tiny cloned versions of their moms). So the names I use will be: Minako Jr.=Miwako Ami Jr.=Mami Rei Jr.=Reina Makoto Jr.=Makino Kousagi is still the same as it fits in the style I’m going for.

O.o.O.o.O Miwako’s Bedtime Story O.o.O.o.O       Royal Advisor and Leader of the Shitennou, Kunzite had just finished a long day of diplomacy and aiding King Endymion. His wife, Lady Venus, was helping Neo-Queen Serenity with an ambassador, who was known to be very dry and boring, so his only concern for her safety was if she somehow managed to die of boredom. Despite his long day, he had managed to return to his wing of the place just in time. He had to see the other woman in his life.     He opened the door to the sitting room of his wing of the palace. Upon entering this area, he no longer thought of himself as anything other than Aino Shinn, a man like any other. He was surprised to find Hilda, the housekeeper, slumped out on the couch, looking exhausted as if she just climbed Tokyo Tower with her bare hands.     “Are you alright Hilda-san?” Shinn asked as he dropped his briefcase on a table and moved to check on the woman.     “Sir, I thought you and I had an arrangement,” Hilda began, draping her arm over her eyes as if facing the world was too difficult. “I would continue to assist with watching the young miss when you and Lady Venus worked late but in return, you promised me you would reduce said girl’s sugar intake.”     “We did,” Shinn chuckled, realizing the housekeeper was exhausted from attempting to keep track of his daughter. “She is just naturally full of energy. She gets it from her mother.”     “She is exhausting is what she is,” Hilda insisted as she pulled herself off the couch and began to head towards the exit. “I highly suggest you find a convent to send her, or else she will be nothing but trouble when she is a teenager.”     “Then she will be exactly like her mother. Good night Hilda-san,” Shinn snapped as he took off his jacket and undid his tie. He could tolerate Hilda insinuating his daughter was a handful but to insinuate she was anything more than a spirited child was where he drew the line. He knew very well Miwako was the spitting image of her mother and the energy she possessed would be one of her greatest gifts. Somewhat comfortable for the evening, Shinn made his way through the halls until he came across his daughter’s room. He knocked on the door before turning the handle and stepping in. “Miwako-chan, how are you?”      “Venus Love Me Chain!” A voice shouted before the snap of a whip slapped against the wall and inches from Shinn’s face. Before the weapon could recoil, Shinn stepped on it and kept it in place.     “Daddy! I’m trying to fight the evil guys!” Miwako insisted as she tugged at the whip to free it from her father’s foot. The comparisons to her mother were apt, as Miwako looked exactly like when Minako did as a child, even with her own red bow in her hair. Though her outfit didn’t look much like Sailor Venus, as the young girl had cobbled together a makeshift Sailor costume with an off-color skirt, part of her school uniform, and large sunglasses. “I need my weapon back!”     “That will be enough of that. Where did you find this?” Shinn asked as down looked at the whip, already knowing the answer to the question.     “In your and mommy’s room,” Miwako replied with a proud smile. “Do you have it in case some monsters show up before mommy can transform?”     “Yyyyyyyyyes!” Shinn lied through his teeth. “That’s exactly it, honey. You are so clever.”     “Ain’t I,” Miwako glowed as she continued to tug at the whip, still hoping her father would let her play with it. “Come on, let me play more.”     “Sorry my little love,” Shinn insisted as he reached down, grabbed the whip, and tugged it from her hands with ease. He vowed to find a better hiding spot for the item when he had time later. “Now, why don’t you get your pajamas on and I’ll tell you a story.”     “Really? MMMM….okay,” Miwako agreed before letting go of the weapon and rushing into the bathroom. In no time at all, Miwako had slipped into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and hopped into bed. “I’m ready.”       “So you are,” Shin began as he pulled the covers over Miwako’s legs and took a seat on the bed. Making sure she was comfortable, Shinn reached up to her hair and untied the bow on top. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl who wore a…”     “Red riding hood,” Miwako interrupted with a smile. “I heard it before. What else you got?”         “Okay…,” Shinn groaned. “There was once a selfish prince who...”     “Beauty and the Beast!” Miwako yawned. Not from exhaustion but because she was not amused. “Next!”     Shinn did his best to maintain his composure but just like her mother, Miwako had a way of pushing his buttons. “A girl trapped in…”     “Rapunzel,” Miwako answered, not giving her father an opportunity to continue. “You need to learn some new stories, daddy.”     “Fine!” Shinn hissed before taking a deep breath and managed to regain his cool. “Let’s try this. I’ll make up a story for you. Feel free to just interject any suggestions you have as I go.      “Yeah,” Miwako agreed with a smile. “That does sound fun.”     Shinn cleared his throat and began. “Once there was a lady named…”    “Mommy!” Miwako blurted out. “Make mommy a part of the story.”     “Sure why not,” Shinn smiled, admiring how much his young daughter looked up to her mother. He couldn’t help but remember how when Minako was pregnant she had been worried that her daughter would have the same strained relationship she had with her own mother. Instead, Minako was blessed as Miwako had nothing but love and respect for her. “A woman named Minako who was working as a…”     “Housekeeper,” Miwako suggested. “Like Cinderella!”     “So you want me to tell you Cinderella except it stars your mother?” Shinn chuckled. “Now, who’s not being original”     “I’m sure we will find a way to change it,” Miwako replied as she snuggled into the covers and looked up at her father with a warm expression. “Just keep going.”     Shinn shrugged, leaned against the headboard of the bed, and pulled his daughter close. “So, once upon a time, there was a woman named Minako who was working as a housekeeper for her wicked stepmother. What should we name her?”     Miwako thought for a moment before she volunteered, “Beryl?”     “Beryl?” Shinn’s heart skipped a beat when his daughter said the name. “Where...where did you hear that name?”       “Mommy said it was the name of an evil queen who once kidnapped you, daddy,” Miwako answered as she snuggled closer to her father when she mentioned the word “kidnapped.” “They must have been really bad to kidnap you, daddy.”     “You have no idea,” Shinn agreed, his heart

O.o.O.o.O     The ringing of the bells of her alarm clock woke Minako up. It was a new device but the only reason she had been given such a high priced gift was to ensure she got up in time to get everything done before her stepmother, Beryl, awoke. With her father no longer around, Minako had become a slave to her widowed stepmother.     “Meow” Artemis called as he jumped on Minako’s bed. He was an old pure white housecat known for keeping the mice problem at bay. He nuzzled Minako in an attempt to get her to wake up.     “Oh Artemis,” Minako “How I wish you could talk, perhaps even give me a magical item which would allow me to turn into a warrior and fight for love and justice and someday even reunite with my soulmate. Oh well. I have no choice but to serve my wicked stepmother.”       Minako went to work getting herself ready for the day. She combed her hair, dressed, and put on her shoes. She made her way to the kitchen and after a breakfast of crusty bread and a glass of wine, she began her duty of servitude to her wicked stepmother. She cleaned the kitchen, prepared breakfast and made sure the tray was lined up  as she pushed it towards her step mother’s room.     She was just about to knock when she heard a voice on the other side.     “The prince is looking for a bride. I intend to use this opportunity to brainwash him,” Beryl cackled as she talked to her subordinate. “Soon Prince Kunzite will bow to me and then you will give the reward you so rightfully deserve.”     “Excellent plan my lady,” Adonis Danburite commented. He had been an advisor to the Kingdom but had become sick of the way the royal family seemed to ignore any of his advice lately. Adonis had feared for his livelihood and had decided to reach out to Lady Beryl, a woman known for her sinister ways, for advice.     “Oh no,” Minako gasped as she heard what her evil stepmother was planning. “I have to warn someone!”     “What was that young lady?” Adonis asked as he opened the door and stared at Minako with cold eyes. “Lady Beryl. I do believe your stepdaughter has been eavesdropping on our conversation. You discipline her better.”     “Your right!” Minako admitted. “I have heard what you are planning to do to Prince Kunzite and I won’t let you.”     “You have been nothing but a pain since your father died!” Beryl shouted, grabbing a vase from the nearby table. Minako ducked at the last minute as the vase shattered on the wall behind her. “And I never cared for your spinach puffs! Never! Now lock her in her room so we can go take care of the prince.”    Before Minako could make a break for it, Adonis grabbed her wrist and restrained her. With the help of Beryl, the two locked Minako in her room and left for the Castle. Minako tried to break down the door but no matter what she tried, it wouldn’t budge. Tired and discouraged, Minako fell on her bed and began to sweep.     “Oh Artemis!” Minako cried as she felt the cat jump onto the bed. “What am I going to do? The prince is going to be corrupted and I can’t do anything about it!”     “There is something you can do,” Artemis announced before he leapt into the air. In a flash of light, Artemis transformed into a man in a white suit with white long hair. “Hello Minako. I am your Fairy God Cat.” O.o.O.o.O     “This sounds too much like Cinderella,” Miwako interrupted as she shifted in bed. “Change it up a bit. Also can I have a drink of water?”     “Sure, one second,” Shinn replied as she got up, filled a cup in the little girl’s bathroom, and returned to the Miwako’s bed. “Also, did Cinderella have a Sailor scout in it?”     “No,” Miwako answered as she took a sip of the water.     “Then you haven’t heard this story before,” Shinn commented as he sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, “Now where was I?” O.o.O.o.O     “My Fairy God Cat?” Minako wondered, still shocked by Artemis’ new appearance. “I wasn’t aware that was a thing.”     “Well it is. I am here to give you the power you need to defeat your stepmother,” Artemis explained as he snapped his fingers. In the palm of his hand, the transformation pen of Venus formed. “Here, take this. Holdit over your head and shout “Venus Power.” It will allow you to become a warrior capable of defeating Beryl. Or at least help you break out of this room.”       “If you say so. Venus power!” Minako shouted as she was surrounded by a shower of light. In the blink of an eye she transformed into Sailor Venus, but not one most people knew. Instead, she wore a yellow Sack-back gown, white gloves, white stockings, and orange glass slippers. “Incredible!”     “You have become the warrior of love, Sailor Venus. Now,” Artemis clapped his hands together, getting Minako’s attention. “Point at the door and scream, “Crescent Beam!””     “Crescent Beam!” Minako yelled, A blast of energy erupted from fingertips and created a giant hole in the center of the door.     “Impressive,” Artemis complimented, seeing how strong Minako was. “Now use one of the horses in the stable and ride to the castle as fast as you can.”     “Wait, aren’t you coming with me?” Minako asked, stopping herself before she ran from the room.     “No, I’m going to stay here,” Artemis commented as he shook his head. “That way it’s easier to tell this story. Less characters to keep track of.”   O.o.O.o.O     “Dad,” Miwako whined as she tugged at her father’s arm.       “Well it is,” Shinn shrugged. O.o.O.o.O     Making her way out of the house as fast as she could, Minako saddled her horse, Bbuttercup, and rode to the castle. When she arrived, she found the place on high alert with guards at every possible entrance. As she rode up, she was stopped by a guard with a spear.     “Halt who goes there?” The soldier asked, captured by the beauty of the rider.     “I am Sailor Venus, a warrior of love,” Minako announced. “I have come to save the Prince from a wicked witch who wishes to control him for her own gains.”     “You are too late,” The soldier announced. “The witch was here and made off with the Prince’s...with the prince’s…” O.o.O.o.O     “His smile!” Miwako suggested.     “The prince’s smile?” Shinn asked, unsure of where his daughter got such a suggestion.     “Yeah, I actually asked mommy once if a witch stole your smile,” Miwako admitted, as she snuggled closer to her dad. “You don’t smile that much daddy. When I asked mommy my question, she said “its because daddy is trying to be strong to protect us and only smiles when we are around.””     “Well yeah, I guess you're right,” Shinn agreed, a bit disheartened. He had heard the comments by social media and online articles. “Lord Kunzite is so cold.” “What does a warm person like Lady Venus see in someone like Lord Kunzite?” “Instant credits to anyone who gets a picture of Lord Kunzite smiling.” Saito had made the joke once, “You have a resting angry face.” He didn’t do it intentionally. It often became focused when at work and often forgot to smile. “Daddy will try to smile more around you and your mother.”     “It’s okay daddy,” Miwako insisted, resting her head on her father’s chest. “I don't mind. I know you have to be strong because you have to protect me and mommy from monsters.”     “Your mother has fought even more monsters, little Miwako, “ Shinn lamented as he thought about how many battles his wife had fought over the years and how it seemed he could only do so much to help. Yet, through all of it, she somehow managed to keep a smile on her face. It was part of what made them so strong as a couple. Kunzite helped his wife stay focused and Minako helped her husband find joy. “I will find a way to try and smile more. Anyways, let’s see, after she heard about the Prince…,”   O.o.O.o.O     “She must have escaped to the family cabin on the coast,” Minako announced as she rode as fast as she could towards her destination. “I will make sure to save the Prince.”     Minako made it to the coast in less than an hour and dismounted the horse on a hill which allowed her to look down at the cabin. She noticed a light in the window.     “Time to bust in and save the day,” Minako announced to herself.     “I hate to burst your bubble,” Adonis growled as she snuck up behind her, grabbed her wrists, and bound them with a chain. “But you are caught.”     “Oh come on,” Minako groaned as Adonish dragged her to the cabin. Soon, Minako was kneeling in front of her stepmother who sat in a chair by a roaring fire, holding a glowing pink gem.      “Welcome dear stepdaughter,” Beryl called as she caressed the gem with her fingers. “This is what you came for. The emotions of the young prince. His youthful energy and his very happiness is here in my finger tips.”     “Give it to me,” Minako demanded as she tried to struggle against her shackles.     “What are you hoping?” Beryl asked, shaking her head at Minako. “Give this back to the prince and he will fall in love with you at first sight? Such a way of starting a relationship will only end in dirovce or having a relationship with your riding instructor     “Well I thought I would use returning his happiness as more of an icebreaker, then maybe go for tea,” Minako speculated. “Take it one step at time, might try wine tasting,”     “Silence!” Beryl roared, “I don’t care to hear about your ridiculous plans which are never going to come true anyways. Now turn to stone!”     With a wave of her hand, Beryl cast a spell on Minako causing her body to slowly turn to stone. The spell started at her feet, moved to her legs, and had soon turned her lower half into stone. It looked like she was at the end of her rope. O.o.O.o.O     “Oh no!” Miwako cried as she sat up in bed and looked her father in the eyes with concern. “How is she going to get out of this?”     “Yes, how would she get out?” Shinn wondered aloud. Truth be told he never was one for creative works. He was more the logistic one of the group. Saitou had written a few novels and Taito managed to fill an entire wing of a museum with his work as a painter over the years. Shinn’s most creative work was when he had a chance to enjoy photography every once in a blue moon. Even then, they were mostly landscaping shots and times Minako felt photogentc. He was at a loss of how to save his wife in this imaginary story he was telling. “How would you end the story?”     “Well she needs help,” Miwako decided, putting a finger to her chin like she was truly contemplating what should happen next. “Someone who could save her. Um..I know! What if Mini Sailor Venus came to help.”     “Mini Sailor Venus?” Shinn chuckled, realizing Miwako was talking about herself. “So you are going to save your mom? Sure, why not.”   O.o.O.o.O     “Hold it right there Beryl!” A voice announced from the entrance to the cabin. Standing there was a smaller version of Sailor Venus. “I am Mini Sailor Venus! In the name of Future Venus, I’ll punish you with the power of love! Catch mom!”     “Mom?” Minako wondered as the smaller version of her threw a bottle. The projectile hit her stone legs, broke, and covered her with a glimmering blue liquid. The liquid instantly turned her legs back to normal. Able to stand, Minako leapt away from Beryl and Adonis and stood close to Mini Sailor Venus. “I never gave birth to you.”     “Not yet you haven’t,” Mini Sailor Venus explained as she pulled out a key she just happened to have on hand and unlocked Minako’s manacles. “I have come from the future to not only help you escape and return the prince’s happiness, but also I have come to help to tell you Beryl’s secret weakness.” O.o.O.o.O     “Secret Weakness?” Shinn asked, unsure of what his daughter was talking about. “I wasn’t aware Beryl had a secret weakness. What is it?”     “Shiitake mushrooms!” Miwako shivered at the thought of them. “She’ll eat them and immediately pass out because of the bad taste.”     “Shiitake mushrooms?” Shinn smirked as he shook his head. “You are so your mother’s daughter. Okay, Mini-Sailor Venus, having brought shiitake mushrooms, threw one into Beryl’s mouth with a single elegant toss. Beryl, overwhelmed by the terrible taste, fainted and was no longer a threat. Wait, how would they beat Adonis?”     “Simple! Twin Crescent Beams!” Miwako cried, bouncing to her feet, and recreating her mother’s attack. “Crescent Beam! BOOM! And then he explodes into a billion pieces!”     “Okay, okay settle down,” Shinn appealed, pulling his daughter to the bed and tucking her back under the covers. “So with Adonis and Beryl defeated, Sailor Mini-Venus returned to the future and Sailor Venus returned the prince’s happiness. Back to normal, Prince Kunzite was ever grateful to Minako. The two started dating, eventually leading to them getting married, and having a beautiful girl named Miwako. The end.”     “I liked that story,” Miwako admitted as she slowly started to fall asleep. The sudden burst of action to recreate the Crescent Beam had been the last of the energy the little girl had in her reserves. Her eyes fluttered in a desperate attempt to stay open. “Hey, papa...How was the real Queen Beryl defeated?     “She…,” Shinn stopped himself as he remembered witnessing the incident through a psychic sensation despite being locked in the form of a stone. The image of Minako plunging her sword into the witch's stomach. O.o.O.o.O     It was not until years after his return, on the night of their wedding she confessed her dark secret. After making love and consummating their marriage, a dark expression crossed his new wife’s face, as she felt the need to confess to her husband.     “There’s something I promised I’d tell you when we were married,” Minako admitted as she looked down and buried her face in her Shinn’s chest, a bit afraid of how he would react. "The fight with Queen Beryl. I...I was happy I killed her. I still am and I hate that I am."     “Never feel a shred of guilt or shame for ridding the world of that monster,” Shinn answered as she wrapped his arms around his bride. “You did what you had to. We are warriors. Our hands have to be dirty so the innocent will not have to suffer under the darkness. Also, I want you to remember, there is nothing you can ever do to make me stop loving you.”   O.o.O.o.O     “They beat her with teamwork,” Shinn answered with a little white lie. It was as much of an answer he felt Miwako was able to handle. It was half true as part of how the Sailor Senshi had been able to defeat Beryl. “All thanks to your mom leading the way.”     “Hmm, Mommy’s awesome,” Miwako hummed as she laid her head on her father’s chest and drifted off to sleep. Shinn stayed by the girl’s side and gently stroked her hair. He was so lost in the moment he didn’t even hear the door open or see a familiar figure approach until the newcomer was at the edge of the bed.     “I go away for the evening only to find you in bed with another woman,” Minako teased low enough so as not to wake Miwako. “Did you two have fun?”     “What can I say she has a hold on me,” Shinn admitted, as he admired how good his wife looked in the dinner gown she had worn when she aided the Queen. Part of him wanted to have some alone time with his beloved, but he didn’t dare move and disturb Miwako’s sleep. “A power over me I can’t and don’t wish to fight. Just like her mother.”     “She’s adorable,” Minako whispered as she slid into bed and snuggled against Shinn’s other shoulder. “She’s the only woman I could ever see sharing you with.”     “That makes you a better person than me,” Shinn whispered back as he wrapped his other arm around his drowsy wife and pulled her close. “I could never share you with another man.”     “Actually there is another man,” Minako sighed as she took a hold of his wrist. She brought his hand to her stomach and rubbed it affectionately in circles. “And you’ll meet him in a few months.”     Shinn’s eyes became wide as he realized what his wife meant but he made no response. He dared not wake the sleepy blondes in his arms. Instead, the stoic man laid his head back, pulled his family close and smiled wide, feeling blessed he lived in a reality where he was able to tell them Fairy Tales. O.o.O.o.O     In “Parallel Sailor Moon'' a few things were added to the mythology of the franchise. First off the girls getting married and having kids who look a lot like them (the Juniors). It is also implied in the comic, all of the men who married the Senshi took part in Mukoyoshi (Adopted son in law”) and took the family name of their wives when they got married. Hence, Shinn would become Aino Shinn. Also, I wanted to try and recreate that family picture that exists online of Minako, Kunzite, Minako Jr., and a tiny boy with white hair standing together as I really think it’s the ending Minako always deserved in the end.       Thanks to Knowall7 for being my Beta.

[bijoulilou]

After TWK fanfic

In the tiny cove of their home, Jude lays on the couch in the wee hours of the morning. She waits silently for the sun to break through, filling the room in splendid light. Soon after she will have to feed Oak and walk him to school if Vivi can't. But that's not for some time. And what's the point of speeding things along anyway? There is no other place she needs to be.

Jude, the former seneschal of the crown and now an exile in the mortal world, went from lack of sleep and a busy schedule to having too much rest and nothing to do.

Except to plot her revenge and get back to Elfaime, with that claiming what is rightfully hers. The throne. Jude's mind starts to turn its familiar cogs along with a cold hunger that sits at the bottom of her belly reminding that ordinary food can no longer satisfy her. Many mortal things cannot satisfy her. Nourish nor sustain. Human food lacks that kind of luster she craves, it's too bland and artificial. Her sister, Vivi, tells her it's all in her head and that it's just fine. She hints that her cravings are for something else instead. Power.

The bright orange glow wakes her out of her stupor and a lethargic fog settles around her, dulling the rise of her rage and strategic thought. She finds that no matter what she does, this fog lingers more than anything else.

Vivi walks in through the door, her eyes meeting Jude's on the couch. Despite her desire to integrate herself with the mortals, Vivi finds it hard to stick to their schedule. She craves the night as most good folk do. She smiles at Jude as she tucks her hair behind a pointed ear and closes the door behind her. It doesn't make a sound, not even a creak despite her careless push. Jude narrows her eyes with jealously. What her sister does so callously, Jude has had to train and move thoughtfully.

"I can see that sleeping in is not in your nature." Jude attests.

Vivi smiles in response, the gesture aligning with her feline features. How could Heather ever think she was human?

"Could say the same for you." Vivi tosses the house keys on the coffee table, missing the key bowl entirely. She throws a paper bag at Jude, who catches it as she rises to a sitting position.

"I'm not used to it yet. Having ample amount of time." Jude rests the bag on the table and stretches to get to her feet. The leggings that she has on feel so snug in her, she has a hard time believing she wore anything else besides before this. Now she wears legging and other stretchy pants when she can. Why did she ever bother with jeans in the first place. Occasionally when it gets to hot and muggy, she'll adorn a flowy summer dress that Oak brought for her. She suspects that Heather gave it to him once she heard of Jude's predicament, but she didn't press.

Vivi frowns at her.

"How do you still have abs?" She gestures to Jude's flat but strangely toned stomach that has a scar or two adorned across. "You live off pop tarts and pizza crusts!"

Jude pulls a slouch long y-shirt that still shows off her black sports bra. She's actually gotten darker, her skin now a golden olive and her dark hair woven with highlights of red from the constant sunshine.

"I've taken up running and training with the local mothers around here. They actually offered to pay me for it. Something about a personal trainer." Jude shrugs," whatever that means. I almost took them up on it but they whipped out their phones and I had no idea how they'd pay me with that. They've given me gift cards instead." Not that she needs them. Vivi gives her glamoured means of payment. But its nice not having to depend on it and all.

Oak's up. He hears his sisters rambling and he rolls out of bed in his superhero pajamas. He finds it strange that his friends idolize men in capes and spandex, but he hates to admit how much he admires them now. He's forced Vivi and Jude to take him to the movie theaters for a three hour one that Jude instantly fell asleep to. She only woke when the female warriors appeared on screen, watching them with apt admiration.

Soon the house in motion, pouring of cereal and the steam from the coffee pot fills the room. Jude and Vivi nurse their mugs and open the paperbag to devour pastries from their favorite bakery. A certain employee there has taken to Jude and always gives them extra, she pretends not to notice. He couldn't stop stammering when she showed up with Oak in her sundress, braided hair, and new gift card. She preferred to give them something that wouldn't disappear. Vivi uses this to her advantage. As does Oak. Them make sure to take her every time.

Vivi takes Oak as Jude prepares for the day. She pulls up a map on Vivi's laptop and takes notes of places she has discovered and searched for openings to sneak back into faerie. Whatever path she finds, she knows she'll be forced to cross the water and that alone will send off red flags. Growing up she heard of a foxhole that lead underground and popped over to otherside as ways to sneak back and forth. Now Jude thinks she only heard of that in made up stories or fairytales, ironically enough.

There's a knock at the door, Jude's hand goes to her side but finds her trusty sword missing still. She rises to her feet, eyeing a wooden baseball bat that belonged to Oak.

"Who is it?" She calls. No answer, just another rapt at the door. This time a little impatient. She grabs the butter knife from the kitchen table instead, wiping the jelly on the couch as she walks closer to the door. There's a jiggle of the doorknob and then a turning of the lock and Jude quickly ducks before the door is thrown open behind the couch. Her heart is beating fast but she's prepared. She drops the butter knife for a real one that she has duct taped to the underbelly of the couch. Retrieving it carefully as to not make any noise all the while listening to the careful footsteps of the intruder. When she hears steps getting closer, she holds her breath waiting for their feet to make the book and display on her full view and she leaps to her feet. And charges. Whoever it is expects it and leaps out of the way forcing Jude to tumble forward in a graceful roll to her feet. It takes a moment for her eyes to settle and realize who it is.

"Roach?!" She sputters and moves to close the door, an unfamiliar hand stops the door and growls at her, she instinctively raises a knife to its throat hissing between her teeth.

"Whoa whoa! Step back for a moment mate, I got it here." The Roach waves a dismissive hand towards his accomplice who begrudgingly accepts and retreats slowly. Jude doesn't lower her knife and hangs the chain as soon as the door is closed. "My intention was not to alarm you." He smiles in a empathetic way. It's so unnatural for him that it comes off as a sneer.

"Well you did." Jude seethes. She points the knife at him. "Why are you here?"

The Roach is the last faerie she should be mad at, but right now she's pretty livid with everybody like him back home. He shrugs.

"That's fine. Be angry. I'm actually happy to find you this way instead of a heaping mess. I've seen the way human girls get when they get dumped. Should've know you weren't the type." He looks around and spots the pastries on the table and helps himself.

"HEY! Those are not for you!" But he already has one in his mouth when he bows apologetically away from them. "Why are you here?" She says ignoring the last bit.

"Oh," he frowns, "so the king did dump you. I think I've lost a bet on this one-"

"Stop and answer the question or I'll throw this at you. It won't kill you but it'll do damage." She warns.

The Roach sighs and licks the last bits of glaze off of his fingers.

"Was just curious about you, is all." He says it casually but Jude can't help but notice the careful manor he phrases his words. "Liliver-I mean the Bomb wonders about you. We both do, actually. We all wonder how you've been carrying on." He takes in everything, as if deciding something, "you seem to be well. In good form I take it from your reaction earlier. A little rusty but good form."

Jude lowers the knife to her side, tucking it into the waistband so that it sticks out slightly but stays secured. She gestures for him to sit and he helps himself to more food, coffee with sugar and cream. He pours the rest of the carton into a mug and swishes it around with his finger to his liking. Jude leans against the kitchen frame and watches, the last of the adrenaline settles away. She could use a run right now, to clear her head and keep her sharp. The months from lack of contact have left her duller than she anticipated l, she thought she'd be ready but clearly wasn't. She wasn't ready to have this conversation.

"How is everything? In the kingdom I mean, clearly my exile was a means for peace for the land and sea reigns."

He looks at the at the jelly for a moment before looking up to answer, "Things are not expected to stand still in your absence as they did not stand still when you were there. Politics has a way of moving along no matter how the subjects may feel about. But all in all, its liveable." The Roach smiles but it's not convincingly.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Only what you want to hear." There is is again that smile. Jude wouldn't put it past her that he was only allowed to visit with conditions in place, such as news of the kingdom and its ties to Orlagh or even Nicasia taking place in the palace.

Before she can ask anything else there's a knock at the door. With that the Roach rises and drinks the last dregs of his mug before pushing in his chair. His manners take her aback for a bit as he walks to the door and knocks back before taking off the chain.

"Glad to see you're doing alright, kid. Really it is." He eyes Jude with warm regard, "We really do miss you on the other side." He pauses before he says to much. "The Bomb might pay you a visit soon. No promises how soon though. Might be months from now." He waves as he opens the door.

"If it's any consolation...the feeling is mutual. Please share that." He nods and says he will. "Oh and Van?" He actually flinches when he uses his real name," I wasn't dumped. I was banished. You have to be in functioning relationship to be dumped." She clarifies as he steps over the threshold.

"Well Jude, there's nothing functional about the two of you." And with that he joins his friend who despite the bright of day doesn't stand out as he leans up against a tree awaiting the Roach's return. And with a blink of an eye, they're gone leaving Jude behind to retrude into her home locking the door with the chain behind her.

Not soon after that, Vivi comes to the door the chain no match for her. Jude is left to wonder why she even bothers.

After aimlessly wondering around and leading her fellow troupe of mothers and stay-at-home dads on her run and cool down she returns home to dress down and clean up.

Vivi suggests she visit a coffee shop with her later so that they could both pick up Oak and take him out to paint night. Jude suspected ulterior motives, the likelihood of running into Heather there being a motivational factor. Jude was still unsure about disclosing how much time she spent with Heather behind Vivi's back. Whether it was a way to pay her back for what she did for her in faerie or just Heather's kindness, she was grateful nonetheless.

Clad in short overalls with tights peaking out from beneath to hide her scar and a crop top that Heather gave her, she left the house. Vivi unbeknownst to her sister's mysterious wanderings waved her off as she read a comic. Jude took out the written directions to their next meeting place, a surprise she was told. Heather had suggested that Jude take the bus, but she waved her off. Jude enjoyed taking in the scenery and learning more about the world she was once forced to leave behind. There was a sereneness to it all, a hum to this life that was easy to get lost in.

She watched a couple at a stop light, as they smiled and giggled at one another, sharing with one another a private language that only they seemed to understand. They weren't much older then she was but Jude felt a rift nonetheless. The way they carelessly went about the day with one another is something she could never understand. How can two people aimlessly live like that, like they were the only two in the world. No consequences. No hesitations. Just open affection and smiles. Jude shook herself out of her reverie and continued following the directions.

The last bit was tricky because it lead her to a building with two menacing looking lions at the door foot of the stairs. It seemed so strange to have two ferocious marble cats greeting everyone out in the open. As she climbed the few steps, she couldn't help turn around to look at them, as if they might come to life roaring at her. The glass doors opened automatically as she neared them and a gentle woman greeted her. She was in a library. She hadn't been in one since she was a child but even then, it seemed like a forgotten musky place. It wasn't the case here. There were people huddled in groups, talking in hushed voices. Rows of computers being used with walls of gray separating them from each other. A boy met her eyes as she looked around, a sort of panic in her eyes from being out of her element. Alone.

She looked at her written directions again, looking for an indication as to wear she might be. All it said was to meet her in a section which didn't make sense until now. And then all the way at the bottom, underlined with ferocity. Do. Not. Forget. Your Phone.

Jude groaned, of course she had forgotten it. Why wouldn't she? She never needed it before! Not until now, really. She wondered if she could retrace her way back home in case Heather wasn't found until a voice broke her silent unraveling.

"Are you lost?" It was a boy. A young man really. He was tall, a little lanky with a smattering of freckles and light brown hair.

"Ah," Jude paused unsure how to proceed, "Maybe? I mean, yes. So you know where this section is?" She points hoping he'll ignore whatever else is written around it. He studies it for a while, asking permission to take it from her before proceeding. She nods and he takes it and studies it while he looks around.

"You know I just came from that section, I think I found some.." he starts muttering,"Yeah. Follow me." He leads her upstairs to a section of the library that doesnt seem to get many visitors. "I'm Gabe by the way."

Jude hesitates, "Nice to meet you Gabe." When she sees Heather there, she relaxes. "I think I can take it from here." She nods and takes back her written directions to join her friend.

Gabe nods back, "If you need anything just give me a ring at the front desk. What did you say your name was?"

"She didn't. But thanks for you help I can take it from here." Heather chimes, he pink tinged hair pulled into a messy bun sporty a shirt that said 'Whateves' on it and frayed shorts.

He smiles down at Jude before taking off, leaving Heather to curl back into her nook of the book shelves beckoning Jude to join her.

Heather asks Jude if she has always gotten this much attention, it seems to happen wherever she goes even though she thinks she blends in pretty well. People, both Male and female walk up to her to start a conversation. Leading to ask for her name and a number. Some not as forward as Gabe or as obvious as the coffee shop employee, but all-in-all surprising for someone who was used to being ignored up until recent events.

Despite the rocky start, they jump into what Heather calls her lessons. Usually they take place in a busy place like the mall or a comic shop Heather frequents. Jude preferred a bookstore, there she'd find books on strategies and bios of historical greats like Alexander The Great or Napoleon Bonaparte. Being pulled away the last second before she could find more. It makes sense why she would be brought here.

They sat as Jude collected books and answered Heather's questions about faerie. Or what she could tell her. Heather wanted to be ready if she were ever to go back there again, but first she had to face Vivi. And that was difficult alone. It was hard to trust someone who kept the truth for so long and then glamoured you to forget something so important. No matter how frightening it was, Heather still had a right to know. To remember.

Before long, Jude realised she was running out of time, she would not be able to meet up with Vivi after all. Heather volunteered to drive her to Oak's school. They gathered themselves while Heather grabbed the book that Jude just had in her hands. As they went downstairs, Heather told Jude to wait for her outside. Jude headed for the doors, but not without Gabe waving goodbye and trying to catch her eye. She did something unexpected. She waved back.

Heather met Jude at the foot of the steps, handing her the book on Alexander the Great with a receipt tucked inside.

"That'll tell you when you should bring it back." Heather instructed as she led her to her car. Jude climbed in and buckled her seat, bracing for Heather's driving as they backed out of the parking lot.

"This is great, I can have this back before it's due." Jude tucked the book into her bag, patting it proudly. "Heather, don't think I dont appreciate all this." By Heather only nodded. She was fixated on the red light.

When they made it to Oak's school, he was nowhere to be seen. The group of human children he always played with were waiting for the rides, but still no Oak. Jude gets out of the car and waves Heather goodbye. She walks up to Oak's friends who merely tell her that Oak had to stay behind after class. She walks in, remembering his room number from a rhyme that Oak always sang for Vivi to remember, and walked in to find him seated.

At the board was his teacher wiping away the last bits of the lesson. He took a startled step back when he turned to find another person in the room. Oak smirked at his teacher's distress. He apologized, his ears burning at the encounter and extended his hand to greet her.

"You must be Vivienne, his guardian."

Jude actually laughed, the sound surprising her own ears, "Actually-no. I'm Jude, his other guardian. His sister really."

"Ah," his eyes narrowed behind his big glasses," you seem a little younge to be his guardian." He rubbed his eyes as if unsure.

Her eyebrows rose up, "Aren't you a little young to be a teacher?"

With that he turned bright red, making him seem that much younger.

"I assure you that I'm not." His voice betrayed.

Jude knew she just turned 18 and that it was perfectly legal for her to be a guardian.

"Well, the reason I held Oak back today was because of something he did in class." Jude felt her the back of her neck prickle. "Or rather what he said." He then went on in detail about how Oak has always been a quiet student this far but lately has been a rebellious streak. And such a streak that other students have started joining as well. Whatever Oak tells them to they follow. Which is perfectly normal for kids to follow suit of a class clown or a leader of sorts. But Oak has never displayed such qualities.

"And the reason I kept him today is because he told me to do something." He hesitates, "I couldn't refuse." His voice trails off, hinting at her worst fear.

"What did he ask you to do?" Jude glances at Oak who looks harmless even now with his human glamour.

"It was after lunch, the kids have a free period to settle and be outside before the last half of the day. Oak is here with his friends, perfectly normal, while I'm at my desk reading when I reach over to grab my coffee." He pauses and Jude notices that his clothes have a dark stain running down his shirts and pants. "I almost spill it on myself. I remember saying that, I almost did. But then Oak comes up to my desk, smiling. He says, 'wouldn't it be funny if you did spill it all over yourself?' And then he told me to do it. But his voice was different, I felt like I couldn't refuse." Jude is silent. Not sure what to say, wishing Vivi was there to glamour this problem away. But she wasn't

Yet there was something she could do. Lie.

"What are you saying? Her voice mimicked that of those mothers she trained during the day. She was careful to sound defensive and a little incredulous at the implication that her child had done anything wrong."Oak, wait outside by the main door." Oak surprisingly did as he was told.

Once again, Oak's teacher is blushing, its evident that he is starting to doubt himself. "I'm-I'm saying that Oak--well that he, uh..." he trailed off and ultimately gave in." Nothing... No. Yes, something. I'm suggesting that Oak...hypnotized me."

Jude couldn't stop herself laughing. Out of all the things he could have accused them of, hypnotism was not one she expected. Oak's teacher looked humiliated and Jude used this to her advantage.

"I'm sorry if I seem to be laughing at your expense, but I'm actually surprised." She pauses, "My sister Vivienne just so happens to be a hypnotist. She does that for a living so it's no surprise Oak picked up on it so quickly." Then she took it one step further, "She can tell you all about it if you'd be interested. We're headed her way right now."

"Oh no, that's alright I'm all-", he gestures to his stained clothes again but this time with a small smile.

Jude smiles," Well then maybe some other time." They awkwardly look around, remembering where they are. "We better get going, we're heading to paint night or something." She waves a dismissive hand and moves to the door. He coolly follows.

"Is that tonight?" He feigns surprise, "I've been meaning to go. My roommate says good things about it. Maybe I'll see you there. Well you and Oak and your sister, I'm sure." His tone turns apologetic.

Jude has never met someone who apologizes so frequently, especially not with such a flush. She finds herself smiling again at the vulnerability. Amazed at it.

"That would be very nice. I'm Jude by the way." She extends her hand and he catches it.

"Tom. Thomas no just Tom, actually. But everybody her just calls me Mr. Cavanaugh." He grins at his lame joke but Jude humors him. She was never taught to be charming or flirt but she finds that she is doing so well.

Jude notices his dark hair and startling blue eyes, in this light he reminds her of somebody. But they couldn't be more different, complete opposites of personality spectrum. Tom was welcoming as his high yet soft cheekbones which strangely complemented his strong jaw. Jude smiled at the meek way he smoothed his clothes and glanced at her through his eyelashes. They were long but not longer than her own. An allowable length, she thought.

Tom leads her out the room to find a very impatient Oak slouched against the door. Not too happy about how the day turned out, he had hoped Vivi would have came instead to clean up this mess. Instead his too mortal sister with her clever tricks up her sleeve showed up instead and would hold him accountable. He shuddered at the thought of what that would mean. As Jude and Mr. C kept talking with the tips of their mouths turned up with relaxed and open gestures, Oak felt uneasy.

"Won't Vivi wonder where we are?" Oak asked, purposely cutting in. "We've kept her waiting, I'd be home by now."

Jude's eyes settled on her little brother, an authoritative tone that greatly contrasted with Heather's or Vivi's easy going parenting. It reminded him of Madoc's almost. Her cool voice was a feminine clone if his father's.

"We will leave soon, usually you'd be home by now if not for your new hobbies. Your teacher has been gracious enough to fill me in." She turns to grins at Mr. C. WHO DOES IT BACK.

Oak is speechless at what next happens.

"It isn't that big, well it is. You should really be careful with that little talent of yours Oak, it's dangerous in certain hands." He then quotes a superhero movie with some advice about power and responsibility. His clueless sister is obviously impressed and complements him. "Its from a-- doesn't matter. Um, I'm really excited to hear more about this gift of yours Oak, your sister Vivi sounds like quite talented as well. I cant wait to hear more about it at paint night. Thanks again for inviting me Jude. Looking forward to it."

Oak cannot breathe, everything happened so quickly, Jude has to lead him out the door with a light tug. Most of the walk is in silence. Jude starts to ask questions but Oak doesn't know how to answer. His day started out so well but has taken such a turn he starting to doubt it even happened.

"Why is my teacher meeting up with us at paint night. Why are WE going to paint night?" He asks as they make their way to their favorite table. Vivi's eyebrow shoot up.

"So much for a surprise? What gives for the spoiler alert, Jude?"

"Jude invited my teacher to meet up with us!" And in unison he and Vivi ask, "why?!"

Their sister in question shrugs, since when did she answer this way? And then takes their orders, pays with one of the many gift cards she has stashed away. She returns to wait with her siblings who question her sanity. Once their food and drinks are set on the table, she takes a sip of her tea and begins to explain.

Jude tells Vivi about her meeting with Oak's teacher. About the incident at school and how Tom/Mr. C who is never referred to as Mr. Cavanaugh, according to Oak, freaked out about the whole thing. She decided it was best to accept that it happened and deal with it than deny and try to cover it up when it happened again.

"Notice how I saw when not if!" She wags her finger like their adoptive mother Orianna would except not as delicately. Oak pouts in response.

"I'm not sure why I did it, I just felt like it." He sighs and takes a sip of his hot cocoa. Jude adds more marshmallows to cheer him up.

"Well that's why you're here. To learn to control these urges and not give in to them. You might have to take on big responsibilities one day and you can't rule without discipline."

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER FOUR

Nikki stared at her elongated shadow on the concrete as she and Kaelin walked back to her apartment. Her friend was pleasantly tipsy, and with the use of some kind of Voodoo magic, still able to walk in her dangerously high heels.

Kaelin knocked elbows with her. “See? I told you tonight would be fun.”

“Yeah,” Nikki said, and she knew she didn’t sound convincing.

Kaelin looked at her and sighed. “Really? You couldn’t even fake it for me?”

“No, really, tonight was great,” Nikki tried.

“Uh huh…” Kaelin rolled her eyes. “You know why I drag you out on nights like this, right?”

“To make sure I still know how to do the Cupid Shuffle?”

Kaelin hurried ahead and spun, walking backwards in front of Nikki, holding her gaze. “Because you’re twenty-five, Nikki. You should be out doing wild, possibly illegal, things and living your life.”

“You know, one day you’re gonna do that—“ she said, gesturing to Kaelin still stepping backwards “—And there’s going to be a giant sink hole behind you that goes straight to the center of the earth and I’m not going to tell you.”

Kaelin scoffed. “Of course you will. You wouldn’t let your best friend fall to her death would you?”

“Depends if you’re still holding my favorite sweater hostage or not.”

Kaelin smacked her head dramatically. “I knew there was something I forgot to bring back tonight. Oh well, guess I still get to wear it to work on Monday.”

“Not if I break into your apartment and steal it back.” Nikki said.

“And that would be totally justified seeing as I’ve had it for months.”

“Uh, Kae? You might wanna watch the curb,” she said, pulling at her friend’s arm.

Kaelin tripped a little and laughed. “Oops! Okay turning back around now.” She grew quiet as they rounded the corner. With Nikki’s apartment building in sight, she said, “Nikki, I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life. I just want you to be happy, and… well lately it seems like you haven’t been.”

Nikki took a deep breath. “You’re right,” she said with a nod. “I haven’t really been living so much as… existing.” She shrugged. “I don’t know… I’ve been thinking about school a lot.”

“Are you thinking about going back?”

“Maybe. I don’t have that many credits left to graduate. I could try going part time.”

Kaelin smiled, warmth reaching her eyes. “That’s good,” she said, giving her an encouraging squeeze on the arm.

Nikki ducked her head. “I just want to feel like I’m doing something with my life,” she said. “I just want to have a purpose, you know? Feel like what I do matters.”

“Hey, you matter,” Kaelin said, slowing her stride. “Degree or no degree, you’re still the most important person in the world to me.”

“What about that cute bartender at that last club? ‘Cause you two would make some adorable children.”

Kaelin laughed. “Nikki!”

“I’m serious, he was hot!” Nikki grinned when Kaelin swatted her in the shoulder and the two started walking again.

Trashcans in the alley next to Nikki’s apartment crashed together, followed by alarmed animal noises, and the two women jumped.

“What the hell was that?” Kaelin asked, moving closer to Nikki.

“Stray cats probably, or rats,” Nikki said, digging out her keys from her purse. “I’ve been hearing a lot of noises from back there lately. I think some of the local vermin have found a nice food supply courtesy of the Indian restaurant around the corner.”

“Eww.” Kaelin screwed up her face. “That’s so gross.”

“It’s Manhattan. Almost everything you’ve touched has been chewed, crawled, or defecated on by a rat.”

Kaelin pulled up short. “The fact that you just said that with a totally calm voice is upsetting.”

“What can I say? I have nerves of steel.” Nikki winked. Looking back at Kaelin while she unlocked her door, she said, “I’ll call you tomorrow okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll grab lunch and then go buy you a bunch of rat traps.” The trash cans clanged again and she added, “In bulk.”

“Goodnight Kaelin,” Nikki called, stepping into her building.

“Goodnight,” Kaelin drawled, continuing down the street to hail a cab.

Nikki waited until her friend was inside and driving off before closing the door.

* * *

To every Hunter, gifted or not, patrolling alone was like hoping to get struck by lightning. It was dangerous and not a sign of mental stability. But for Griffin the thrill was addictive. And the only life he was risking was his own, so he didn’t really see the problem.

However, the longer he was out, the more he was starting to think all the Vampires in the city decided to stay in that night and play Scrabble. He’d canvassed the entire Lower East Side without a single incident, and he contemplated stepping over the territory line into the East Village, hoping to provoke a few Vamps out of hiding.

Six months ago he would’ve been alarmed by how comfortable he was with that idea. But that was then.

The dogs gave an interested huff from inside their cage, alerting him to an unseen presence.

Guess tonight won’t be a loss after all, Griffin thought, slipping around the corner, into the shadows of an alley.

Pulling one of his semi-automatics from his holster, he maneuvered through the darkness in silence. His gaze swept along the sides of the buildings, checking fire escape landings, window ledges and behind dumpsters. The dogs stirred, aiming him to the far end of the alley, back towards the sidewalk. If Vampires were walking the street, he’d need to draw them towards a more secluded area away from civilian eyes.

Griffin ducked into a dense block of shadows, pressing his back against cold brick. The click of high heels drew closer, accompanied by two female voices, chatting softly.

The dogs rushed the cage door, clawing ferociously. He winced as pain lanced up his skull. Closing his eyes, Griffin drew in a full breath and straightened his spine. The dogs stayed locked in his head.

Fuzzy beginnings of two shadows crept along the ground, and the voices were louder. His finger itched as it hovered over his Glock’s trigger.

The footsteps halted and a woman laughed. “Nikki!”

That was all he heard before the dogs went berserk. They bit and tore at his mind, battling to free themselves. Trapped in a white haze of agony, Griffin fought to keep himself quiet. His knees went soft, and he thought he’d collapse onto the rough gravel. But his legs held, and so did the cage.

He glared angrily into the dark. Alright Cujo one and two, you trying to give me brain damage?

In pain and half blind, Griffin backed away a step and knocked against a pair of metal trashcans. Two startled cats hissed at him, offended, and ran off.

Shit.

“What the hell was that?”

A woman glanced into the alley, and Griffin thanked God a hundred times over that she couldn’t see him.

“Stray cats probably, or rats…”

Griffin’s breath froze in his chest. He recognized that voice... She sounded like the barista from that morning.

She crossed in front of him and the dogs leapt against their cage once more, making Griffin’s head feel close to splitting. She was digging in her purse for something, and looked down the alley… Making eye contact with Griffin.

She couldn’t see him- he knew it from her neutral expression as she continued searching her bag- but somehow her gaze met his dead on, and it made his heart trip.

Pulling a set of keys out, she continued talking with her friend as she moved out of sight. Only then was Griffin able to breathe.

…For about three goddamned seconds.

The dogs growled, this time spinning in their cage towards the ledge above him. Something was scaling the building at an inhuman speed, scraping against the brick. Griffin tipped his head just in time to see a pair of boots disappear onto the roof.

He rolled his eyes. Of course a Vampire would make an appearance with a civilian who could possibly ID Griffin a couple yards away. Of course.

“Goodnight,” he heard Nikki’s friend say, and her footsteps faded.

A nearby fire escape rattled, and he watched another Vampire push open a window and crawl inside. The main door clattered shut and Griffin stared across the street as more Vampires were birthed from the shadows. A male and female crossed the asphalt and blurred up the front of the building, gone in the time it took him to inhale.

Nothing about this made sense. Vampire packs went after easy kills away from witnesses. They didn’t pull a Mission Impossible in Hunter territory just for fun. And they were going inside Nikki’s building…

The dogs howled, furiously gnawing at every lock Griffin had secured them behind. Sucking in air through gritted teeth, he went around the back to the service entrance and waited until his gift settled enough for him to focus. Adjusting his grip on his gun, he tested the door handle. Unlocked.

The narrow corridor was empty, as was the stairwell, and Griffin cursed to himself. She must have already made it up a few floors. One of the polished brass mailboxes hadn’t been closed all the way, and he hurried to read the name. Anderson, Nikki. Apt. 5D.

Top floor, corner apartment. No wonder the pack had focused on the roof… it was the fastest route to her.

Griffin bolted up the stairs, praying he caught up to Nikki before the others. Rounding the corner on the fifth floor, he caught a glimpse of her dark auburn hair just as the skin at the back of his neck began to itch. He was being followed.

Her keys were already in the deadbolt when he called out to her.

“Excuse me!”

Nikki turned, bewildered.

He offered a tight smile, pulling to a stop a few feet in front of her. “You’re really not gonna want to go in there.”

Angry hissing sounded behind him and the dogs snarled back.

Griffin spun, aiming his weapon. The hallway was crowded with Vampires, fangs extended and irises blanched, warping their human faces into demonic masks. Several peeled their lips back, teeth shining in the harsh florescent light as they growled like jungle cats.

Griffin smirked. “So which one of you had the bright idea of coming onto my turf to feed?” He stared at the dark haired brute in the middle. “I’m guessing it was you, huh princess?”

“Get out of our way, Hunter,” one of the females snapped.

“I’m sorry, did you skip your Boundary Lines 101 class? ’Cause you should know you’re in my neighborhood now.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, inching forward. “We can change that.”

Griffin aimed his gun at her chest. “Now don’t get too cocky, Vampirella. You might bite off more than you can chew.”

She hissed but took a step back. Griffin’s smirk broadened.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” he said, looking to the one he assumed was their leader. “You came into my territory with the intent to feed. I should put a bullet in all of you, but I don’t wanna wake the neighbors. So I’m giving you thirty seconds to get the hell out of here before I finish you.”

The male eyed him. “You can’t prove we came here with ill-intentions.”

“Oh yeah, ‘cause I’m really worried about having inculpatory evidence when I take the stand.” Griffin cocked one eyebrow. “So what’s it gonna be? You leave now, or tomorrow morning they’ll be sucking you out of the carpet with a Dirt Devil.”

“You’re outnumbered.” The male grinned, flashing his fangs. “Eight against one. Those aren’t good odds.”

Griffin laughed. “Those aren’t even the worst odds I’ve had this week.”

Nikki took a half step towards Griffin. “Excuse me, what the hell is going on?”

Keeping his stare forward, Griffin said, “I’ll explain in a minute. Just… stay there.”

“You better listen to him cupcake,” another male sneered. “We wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Griffin moved closer, putting himself between her and the others. “Hey sugar plum,” he mocked. “How about you shut up and pay attention to the guy with the gun?”

“You won’t kill us without cause,” the lead male said. “Hunters don’t break code like that.”

A cold chuckle rippled out of Griffin. “I think you’re a little confused. See, you’re using present tense,” he said. “You should be using past.”

For the briefest of moments, the pack looked collectively stunned.

Griffin tightened his grip on his gun. “Now, I’m not going to tell you again. Leave, or I’ll make you leave.”

“I’d like to see you try,” the petite female said. She leaned forward, preparing to jump, but she wasn’t looking at Griffin. She was staring at Nikki.

Griffin pulled the trigger, bullet hitting the female in the shoulder a few inches from her heart. It was a warning shot, but not just for her. It was for the whole pack.

The female shrieked, pressing her palm to the gushing wound.

“I’d think twice before doing that again,” Griffin told her. “’Cause next time I won’t miss.”

“What the fuck are you people doing?” Nikki shouted from behind him. “Are you insane?”

Griffin had to ignore her. “Leave. Now.”

“You just made a huge mistake,” the lead male snarled through his fangs.

“And you’re making an even bigger one by sticking around.”

“Okay, I don’t know what the hell kind of fun you think you’re having, but you people need to go back to wherever you came from, and quit screwing around in my building.” Nikki yelled louder, waving her arm out.

No one moved.

Frowning, the leader started whispering to the other male beside him, with the injured female interjecting angrily. The only way to tell they were speaking was the slight movements of their lips, their voices inaudible. At the end of their discussion, the first male leveled his stare on Griffin and smiled.

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Hunter. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again very soon.”

Griffin curled his lip. “Can’t wait.”

On the male’s orders, the pack blurred down the hall, disappearing around the corner.

Griffin blew out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, lowering his weapon. When he was certain the pack was gone, he holstered his Glock and turned towards Nikki.

And was met with a can of pepper spray aimed at his eyes.

“Whoa!” He ducked away from the nozzle.

“Who are you?” Nikki yelled.

Griffin raised his hands in front of him. “You mind pointing that elsewhere? That stuff stings like a bitch.”

“Who are you?”

“Okay, take it easy—”

“Don’t tell me to take it easy! Who the hell are you?” She motioned to where the pack had been moments earlier. “Who were they? What did they want?”

Griffin arched his brows. “Which question do you want me to answer first?”

Nikki scowled at him. “What’s your name?”

“Griffin O’Connor,” he said.

Nikki stared in confusion, but quickly a light of recognition appeared. And then she just looked pissed.

“You’re that guy. You came into Rush this morning…”

Her glare could’ve melted plastic.

“Are you stalking me?”

“What? No.” Griffin shook his head, offended. “Look, this… this was purely coincidence.”

“You come to my work, and then you show up in my apartment? That’s one hell of a coincidence.”

“Yeah, believe me, I’m just as baffled as you are.”

“And who exactly were those people?” She asked, jerking her head towards the end of the corridor.

Griffin frowned. He wasn’t sure how well she would take the news that Vampires were real and that they wanted to eat her. And he really didn’t want to tell her with pepper spray aimed for his corneas.

“Who were they?” She repeated.

“I’d really like it if you’d put that down,” he said, pointing to the can. “Like I said, it stings.”

“I’ll put it down once you tell me who the hell those people were,” she said.

“Alright…” Griffin took a deep breath. “They weren’t people.”

Nikki stared, blank-faced for a moment, before rolling her eyes. “Okay, that’s it,” she said. “Get out.” She pointed down the hallway.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Get out of my building.”

Griffin blinked. “You’re… throwing me out?”

“Damn straight.”

“I tell you they weren’t people and you’re throwing me out.” He coughed out a disbelieving laugh.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” she told him. “I’ve had it up to here with crazy people butting into my life today. Now get out!”

“You- you saw everything that happened, right? You saw what they looked like, what they could do,” he said. “Hell, you even saw me shoot one of them. And you think I’m crazy?”

“Look, I’m sure you’re a nice person when you’re on your meds, but right now you’re just pissing me off. So if I were you, I’d leave.”

“What the hell did you think all of this was?” He threw his hand out. “Some kind of abstract performance piece?”

“I’ve heard the community theater does a lot of weird stuff,” she said, half shrugging. “So how about you go find your little acting buddies, okay? I’m sure they’re worried about you.”

Griffin laughed. Loudly. It bubbled out of him in manic waves.

“What’s so funny?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nothing,” he said, still chuckling.

“Good. You can get going now.”

“The thing is…” He cleared his throat. “I can’t.”

“What?”

“I can’t leave,” he said, sobering. “This wasn’t a stunt. It was real.”

Nikki sighed. “Oh for Christ’s sake… Just leave me alone,” she yelled. “Go home, or back to the institution or wherever the hell you came from, and forget you know me!”

Griffin didn’t yield. “I can’t do that.”

“Fine. Then I’ll remove you myself.”

His head jerked up in surprise. “You’re gonna what?”

“You heard me. I’m removing you from the premises.” Adjusting her aim with the pepper spray, she nodded her head to the side. “Start walking.”

Griffin held his hands up in surrender and turned. “Well this is a first.”

“Why do I doubt that,” she muttered, following him.

“Look, I know what you must be thinking,” he said. “But I’m not the bad guy here.”

“Oh really? The man with the gun isn’t the bad guy?”

He stopped and swiveled around to face her. “If I was, I would’ve tried to kill you already. And that wimpy can of pepper spray wouldn’t have stopped me.”

Nikki held his gaze and felt completely exposed again, just like she had that morning.

Steeling herself, she shook her head. “So you’re not a murderer. Good for you. You still need to leave.”

Griffin frowned in thought and nodded. He continued walking, staying silent until they reached the entry way of her building.

“You can call me crazy, that’s fine. I’ve been called worse, actually,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “But how are you gonna explain away what you saw?”

Nikki paused. “People do weird things to themselves all the time. Dental work and freaky looking contacts… That’s all that was.”

Griffin turned slowly, facing her again. “Uh huh,” he murmured. “And the rest?”

She swallowed the expanding swell of panic rising in her throat.

Blurred… those people had blurred away from them. Not run or sprint… blur, at inhuman speeds. The outlines of their bodies had faded, turning them into hazy forms of color. And the noises… people couldn’t growl like that.

Fake, she told herself. It was all fake…

Griffin’s eyes skipped over her features, evaluating her. His voice was gentle as he said, “You’re lying to yourself… Aren’t you?”

Nikki bit the inside of her lip. Fangs… she thought. They had fangs. And he shot one of them and it didn’t even knock her off her feet…

The tentative hold she had on her conviction slipped. She lowered the pepper spray to her side.

“What were they?”

“You’re not gonna like my answer,” Griffin said.

“I don’t care.” Nikki shook her head. “Just tell me.”

He waited, searching her face again. Satisfied with what he saw, he inhaled deeply and opened his mouth.

“Vampires.”

The word hung in the air between them. Nikki wanted to laugh, to call him insane again and walk away.

“Vampires,” she repeated, voice sounding weary in her own ears.

“I know,” he said. “I’d think it was a joke too… If I didn’t live it.”

He said it with chagrin, dipping his head, and Nikki took the chance to evaluate him this time. He didn’t exhibit the obvious signs of lying. He was calm, gaze unwavering, and he wasn’t flushed or sweating. So either he was a sociopath or…

He was telling her the truth.

Trust him! The voice of the woman on the subway platform echoed in Nikki’s head. Trust him! It’s the only way to survive!

“You don’t happen to hang out with homeless people do you?” She blurted out.

Griffin arched an eyebrow at her. “Um… No.”

Now he was eying her like she was the crazy one.

Nikki sighed, waving a hand dismissively. “Never mind,” she muttered. She refocused, staring up at him. “What did you mean by ‘if I didn’t live it’?”

“You mean the gun didn’t give it away?” He asked, glancing down to where his holster was peeking out from his trench coat. “It’s my job. I hunt Vampires.”

Nikki felt the color drain from her face. “Of course you do.”

The front room of her building was too small. Its yellowing wallpaper and grimy tile floors were creeping towards her, threatening to crush her. She closed her eyes, tried to breathe, but she smelled only must and decaying drywall and she couldn’t stand it.

“I need some air,” she gasped, pushing past him out onto the sidewalk.

Griffin followed, hovering a safe distance away like he thought she might puke.

“I know this is a lot to handle,” he said. “I wish you hadn’t seen what you did tonight, really I…” He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

Nikki placed her hands on her hips, staring at the ground as she inhaled.

“Okay…okay…” she muttered.

When her head was clear, and she was positive she wasn’t going to pass out, she glanced up at him.

“So what do I… what can we do? I mean…” She looked to the sky as if it would give her an answer. “They’re gone right?”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Griffin said. “They probably doubled back and snuck in.”

From the way the dogs were growling, probably was more like an actually.

Nikki’s eyes widened as she glanced up at the building. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“Great, that’s just… great.” She glared at the top row of windows. “They’d better not be going through my underwear drawer.”

Griffin laughed in spite of himself.

Nikki folded her arms over her chest. “Okay. So, do I wait out here while you go… Take care of that?” She gestured to the door behind him.

“Uh…” Griffin looked over his shoulder. The thought of leaving her unprotected made his insides twist. “No. No I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Alright. So what now?”

Griffin gaped, unsure. “Huh?”

“You just said you saved my life… from Vampires,” she said, exhaling roughly. “You’re the White Rabbit in this situation, so tell me, am I following you?”

It was a long moment before he could answer. “It’s a dark tunnel to go down.”

Nikki’s gaze didn’t waver. “I can handle dark.”

Griffin didn’t doubt that.

“Okay,” he said, taking a step forward. “Right now, the safest place for you to be is with me and my friends.”

“You mean the people you were with this morning?”

Griffin nodded. “They’re Hunters too. We can protect you while we figure this out.”

“Figure out what exactly?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I’ve been doing this for a long time, and that-” he jerked his thumb over his shoulder “-was a first. Whatever reason they had for following you, I can guarantee it isn’t good.”

Air rushed out from between Nikki’s lips as if she’d been knocked in the gut. She dragged her hand through her hair, brushing it back from her forehead.

“Well at least you’re not trying to sugar coat anything.” She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I respect that.”

Griffin took another hesitant step towards her. “I actually don’t live too far from here. I’m about six blocks that way.” He motioned down the street. “We can go there and talk.”

“What about…?” She wiggled her finger at the top corner of the building.

“They know better than to try anything at my place. Vampires can be stupid, but generally speaking they’re not quite that idiotic.”

“Oh. Good to know.” Nikki cautioned another glance at her tainted home before sighing. “Okay. After you, Van Helsing.”

Griffin smiled. “You sure like your literary references, huh?”

“Hey, I read,” Nikki said, smirking as she fell in line next to him.

They didn’t speak for two blocks, but Griffin caught her looking over like she wanted to ask a question. After the fourth time, he broke the silence for her.

“What?” he asked, a crooked grin playing at his lips.

“Nothing,” she said, tearing her eyes away. She waited a moment, biting her lip, and then gave in. “It’s just… why didn’t you leave?” When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “I mean, that took a lot of effort to convince me. I can’t imagine you go around doing that sort of thing every day, especially if it jeopardizes your, um, secret identity?”

“I’m not Batman,” Griffin interjected.

“Okay,” she relented. “Well, what I’m saying is, you could’ve saved yourself a lot of trouble by going ‘oh well, her funeral’ and walking away.”

Griffin shook his head. “I never could’ve done that.”

“Why not? You risked getting blinded by my wimpy pepper spray.” She mocked his word choice. “And you marked yourself as a loon in the process. You didn’t have to do all that just for—”

“I couldn’t have left in good conscience knowing you were still in danger.”

Nikki stared at him as they walked. “You would’ve let me yell at you all night, if you’d had to,” she said. “Wouldn’t you?”

“Probably. At least until you called the cops on me.”

“Believe me, I thought about it.”

They grew quiet again and Nikki found herself scanning doorways and roof tops, looking for anyone who might be following them.

“You can relax.” Griffin interrupted her thoughts. “They took off a long time ago.”

She frowned. “How do you know?”

Deciding it was best to wait before explaining his extra Spidey-senses, Griffin tipped his head, saying, “It’s something you learn with the job.”

“And, how do you even have this job?” Nikki asked, lifting an eyebrow. “I don’t remember Vampire Hunter being an option at the college career center, but then again, maybe I just wasn’t looking hard enough.

He chuckled. “It’s kind of a complicated process.”

“Perhaps you can work it into the conversation somehow.”

“Sure,” he said with a nod. “And I think I’ve got a Vampire Hunting for Dummies book lying around somewhere. I’ll dig it out for you.” He cocked his head and grinned.

“So you slay the undead and you’re a comedian. You’re quite the multi-tasker.”

Griffin beamed. “I try.”

Nikki was a few steps ahead when she realized he had slowed in front of a tall brick building with no windows.

“Wait, this is where you live?” she asked, craning her neck as she stared. “No offense, but this kind of looks like a warehouse.”

“That’s ‘cause it was.”

“Oh.” It was all she could think of.

Pulling his keys from his pocket, Griffin headed up the three cement stairs to the door, and stopped. “I’m gonna apologize in advance,” he said, turning the lock and opening the door.

“For what?” Nikki frowned, following him inside.

A woman pacing in front of the kitchen table with a phone pressed to her ear stopped midsentence when she saw them. Relief was quickly followed by annoyance.

“Never mind Tasha, he just walked in.” She hung up and shoved her cell into her back pocket. “Where the hell have you been?” She asked, looking to Griffin.

He scowled, shutting the door behind them. “I went out for a walk.”

Lisa’s gaze bounced between Griffin and Nikki before she gestured to the other woman. “And what, this one followed you home?”

Griffin opened his mouth to counter but Nikki beat him to it.

“I’m gonna choose not to be offended by the dog reference and instead take it as a compliment on my shiny, well-groomed coat,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Lisa flushed. “Sorry. It’s, uh, been one of those days.” She offered Nikki her hand. “Hi, I’m Lisa.”

Taking it, Nikki nodded. “Hazelnut latte, no whip,” she said. Glancing over Lisa’s shoulder, she smiled at the guy sitting at the table. “Hey there triple red eye.”

“Hey!” Boz waved enthusiastically.

Lisa eyed her for a moment. “You’re the barista from this morning.”

“Sure am.”

Boz stood and came over to shake hands. After he introduced himself he stepped to the side and Nikki caught the approving, well done sir, nod and wink he gave to Griffin.

“Oh my God,” Griffin muttered, chin falling to his chest. “No, guys, she’s not-”

Nikki shook her head. “We didn’t-”

“We’re not-”

“I know about Vampires,” Nikki exclaimed. The resounding silence made her cringe, and she lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “That could have come out better,” she muttered.

“Um,” Boz started, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Sorry, how do you…?”

Nikki looked to Griffin. “You wanna take this one?”

Lisa’s glare was back and laser-point focused on Griffin. “You went patrolling?” It was more of an accusation than a question.

The light in Boz’s eyes dimmed. “By yourself?”

Griffin slid his arms from his coat and hung it by the door. “Yeah,” he said. “But before we get into it, we need to talk.” He glanced at Nikki and said, “I think we have a problem.”

Lisa pressed her lips into a thin line. “Only one?”

Griffin ignored her. “A pack followed Nikki into her apartment tonight. And she lives in our territory.”

Boz sighed. “Ah, crap.”

Forcing a more compassionate expression, Lisa gestured to the kitchen. “Why don’t you come in and have a seat,” she said to Nikki.

She cleared off the magazines spread over the table, making a place for her. Nikki pulled out one of the straight backed chairs and sat down, glancing around the large front room in wonder.

If Griffin hadn’t already confirmed it, Nikki would have assumed the place had once been a warehouse. Exposed pipes and brick were visible above the wood cabinets in the kitchen, and the nearest corridor was comprised of the same brick and drywall. A staircase curved up the right side of the room, leading to a half open-air hallway, its wooden banister polished from hands continually running over its surface. Despite its size and simplicity, the house was warm and inviting.

“Would you like something to drink?” Lisa asked, tossing her magazines on top of the fridge.

Nikki tilted her head towards the gurgling auto-drip. “I could probably use a cup of coffee,” she said, and Lisa nodded.

Griffin stood at the coffee maker, pouring his own cup, and Lisa skirted around him to reach the cabinet. He didn’t acknowledge her. His frigidity was worse than his anger. It seeped into her bones like frostbite. Lisa forced herself to look up at his unyielding profile.

“You didn’t leave a note,” she whispered. “We got back and you were gone. We didn’t know where you went.”

His response was to sip from his mug, staring at the grocery list stuck to the cabinet door in front of him.

“We… I was worried,” she said.

“I already told you Lisa. You’re off the hook. You’re under no obligation to keep worrying about me.”

“Griffin, that’s not--”

The force of his gaze made the words die on her tongue. She stung wherever he looked, liked being snapped with a rubber band. But it wasn’t the resentment that made air lodge in her throat, it was the flash of something underneath it- something broken and devastatingly ragged.

“Not now, Lisa.” Griffin turned away from her and strode towards the table.

She stared after him, watching as he took his seat next to Nikki. Clamoring for emotional footing again, Lisa stepped over, handing Nikki her coffee.

Boz swung his chair around, straddling it. “So, you wanna take it from the top?”

“I was out when I saw a pack go into Nikki’s apartment,” Griffin said. “They didn’t look like they were just prowling for a meal. They were focused… on her.” He glanced at Nikki over the rim of his mug.

“Were they aligned?” Boz asked.

“I didn’t get a good look at their wrists to check for ink, but I’m fairly certain they were. They knew about territory lines. They just didn’t care.”

Lisa settled into her seat next to Boz. “How many?”

“Eight,” Griffin answered, eyes glued to the opposite wall.

Boz whistled low between his teeth. “That’s a big pack.”

Nikki frowned. “There were only six in the hallway,” she said, glancing over at Griffin.

He paused, lowering his mug. His gaze was soft as he said, “Eight, total.”

She didn’t have a chance to ask what he meant before Boz spoke.

“That’s a big pack just for one woman.” Boz blinked at Nikki. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

Griffin leaned forward on his elbows. “They must’ve had a reason for going after her,” he said. “Packs don’t stalk their victims into buildings where they can be seen. Snagging her while she was still on the street would’ve been easier.”

Boz hummed, propping his chin on the back of the chair. “You’re kinda dressed up…” he cautioned, motioning to Nikki’s outfit. “Did you go out tonight?”

“Yeah, I went out to a couple of bars with my friend,” Nikki said with a nod. “Is that important?”

Griffin tilted his head, catching her gaze. “They waited until you were absolutely alone before zeroing in. Which means they didn’t want any witnesses, even drunken ones, who might report you missing.”

“This is starting to sound less like a thrill seeking meal, and more like an attempted kidnapping,” Lisa said.

“And they didn’t give up anything useful?” Boz asked him. “A slip of the tongue, or tapping out their plan in Mores Code?” When Griffin shook his head, Boz shrugged. “What about any stereotypical clichés like, ‘give us the girl’ or ‘we’ll be back’?”

“There was a definite ‘we’ll be back’ vibe when they left, yeah,” Griffin said.

Boz’s mouth twitched. “Oh. Goodie.”

“Have you thought maybe this is some kind of retaliation?” Lisa’s tone was sharp, her stare focused on Griffin.

Nikki could practically hear his skeleton creak in protest as all of Griffin’s muscles tensed. Boz straightened, brown eyes wide as he looked between his two friends, but his face was neutral. As neutral as one could be in the pulsing hot silence.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Griffin asked, grip tightening on his mug handle.

“It was only a matter of time before an Alpha caught on and decided to do something about it.”

“So this is my fault now?” He snapped.

“I’m not saying you’re at fault,” Lisa said, leaning forward. “But actions have consequences.”

“So does inaction,” Griffin countered. “What was I supposed to do, just sit around and watch the body count go up?”

“Of course not. But Vampires take the Codes very seriously--”

“Yeah, because it’s an endless supply of loopholes.”

“And those loopholes keep them alive.” Lisa’s voice was raised, fingers jabbing into the tabletop. “We should have been better prepared for what could happen when we started threatening their lifeline.”

“We were careful.”

“Not careful enough. Did you really think we’d be able to start hunting in their territory without an Alpha getting pissed? We played with fire and now—“

“Lisa we get it,” Boz cut in. “Look, what happened can’t be changed, so hopping on the shoulda-coulda-woulda train isn’t gonna do us any favors.”

His words were the bell ringing an end to that round of a fight. One Nikki was sure had been ongoing for some time, given the instant temper flare ups.

Boz rolled his shoulders and spoke again. “Okay, so speculations aside, I guess now we focus on how to deal with the situation at hand.” He nodded to Nikki.

She cupped her hands around her mug, shifting in her seat. “Sure, yeah, let’s handle my… situation. But could we take a minute, or five, and in that time how about we backtrack a bit because I’ve still got a dozen or so flashing question marks floating above my head that I’d really like to get rid of.”

Griffin turned to face her. “Sorry,” he said with a decidedly calmer tone. “You’re right. We should have explained everything first before we jumped into… the rest.”

“Yeah. That would be helpful.”

Boz grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Awesome, I love Q and A sessions.”

Nikki looked around at the trio. “Okay, how about we start with this Alpha guy you keep talking about. Who is he?”

“Manhattan has an Alpha Vampire,” Griffin explained. “He’s effectively the boss of all Vampires in the city, if they’re aligned to him, which the majority of them are.”

“Think of him like Don Corleone, only with less marinara sauce,” Boz added casually.

“And aligned Vampires have to follow the Codes- the rules that were set up for Vampires and Hunters.”

“And one of those rules is not feeding in your neighborhood?” Nikki asked.

“Right.” Griffin nodded.

Boz angled himself towards Nikki. “New York is split into territories. There’s Hunter territory, Vampire territory, and No-Man’s land. Vampires are banned from feeding on our turf, and if they break code they’re killed. But within their own boundary lines and No-Man’s land, they have free reign.”

“Free reign? You mean it’s okay for them to feed at all?” Nikki’s lip curled.

Griffin shook his head. “No, it’s not okay.”

“But we’re outnumbered,” Lisa interjected. “The population ratio between Hunters and Vampires has always been in their favor, not ours. At best, that makes patrolling difficult. But it’s impossible for us to be everywhere at once.”

“The Codes were supposed be a safeguard,” Boz said, looping his arms around the chair back and lacing his fingers together. “An attempt at coexisting without much conflict.”

Nikki frowned. “But it didn’t work.”

“If anything it made being a Hunter more difficult,” he said. “Vampires would still cross over and feed in our territory, but unless we caught them in the act, our hands were tied. That’s how it was for Hunters for decades.”

Lisa leaned back in her seat. “And then things changed.”

Nikki took a long gulp of coffee, hoping the caffeine would improve the speed at which her synapses were firing. She was a fast learner but she was having to remold her entire world paradigm. And that kind of thing required a second cup of coffee.

“Guys, let’s fast forward through the history lesson for right now,” Griffin said. “We can have study hall later.”

Nikki cast a thankful glance at him. Dropping her gaze, she noticed the line of tattoos on the inside of his wrist again.

“You said aligned Vampires have tattoos,” she started. “Are they like yours?”

Griffin ran his thumb over the markings. “Sort of. They have theirs on the left wrist, and it’s a different design.”

“So why do you have those?”

Boz extended his arm, tugging up his shirt sleeve. “To show that you belong,” he said, exposing the tender skin that bore a similar line of symbols.

Lisa followed suit, flashing the inside of her wrist. Hers were the same two markings as Boz’s, but Griffin’s was longer by one character.

Nikki leaned closer to Griffin. “What do they mean?”

Griffin looked down at his wrist. “They’re a language, like hieroglyphics.”

He stretched his arm across the table for her to see and pointed to the first symbol- a plain black dot.

“This means I’m a Hunter.”

His index finger slid to the next; something that reminded Nikki of an archery bow with two dots on the outward curve.

“This means I’m part of a group. The dots count the number of people I’m with. ”

He paused, staring at the middle symbol- a semi-circle with two lines dashed through diagonally on one end and two dots on the reverse side at the other end. It’d been a long time since he’d explained its meaning to anyone, and he still dreaded it.

“And this…” He swallowed. “Is the mark of a Seer.”

Nikki frowned. “A what?”

“A-”

“A Seer,” Lisa interrupted. “He can read people’s subconscious. Emotions, memories, dreams… Anything that’s below the teleprompter surface of your mind, he can see it.”

Griffin’s shoulders tensed and he stared at a spot on the table so intently it was like he was trying to bore a hole through it with willpower alone.

“So, is that why you’re a… a Vampire Hunter?” Nikki asked.

Griffin nodded. “It’s a big part of it, yeah.”

Nikki glanced at Boz and Lisa. “Are you guys… Seers too?”

Boz laughed. “Lisa? A Seer? She can barely read billboards, let alone interpret a person’s subconscious.”

Lisa glared at him. “You’re not funny.”

“I’m hilarious and you know it,” he said, dismissing her with a wave.

“So it’s just you,” Nikki said, looking to Griffin again.

“But he’s not alone,” Boz added. “There are others.”

“Boz,” Griffin sighed.

He gestured obscurely. “I mean there are other people with abilities. Not necessarily like yours… Well, there’s Mother Mary, but she’s not a Hunter— anyway, you see what I’m getting at.”

Nikki squinted at him. “Is this like the X-men or something?”

“Oh man, I wish!” Boz grinned broadly. When he was met with blank stares his face fell. “I like the X-men.” He shrugged.

“So, there are other Hunters who are… special?” Nikki asked, unsure of her word choice.

Griffin nodded, glancing up. He lost his staring contest with the table.

“We don’t have to get into all of that tonight,” he said. “I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

Nikki considered it for a moment. Hitting pause on the ‘Vampires are real and there are Hunters who kill them’ talk probably wasn’t a bad idea. She could use a night, or a year, to digest everything that had been thrown at her. But…

“No, that’s okay,” she heard herself say. “Might as well just get it all out there now while I’m still lucid and not huddled in a corner somewhere, rocking back and forth, muttering to myself about monsters.”

Griffin smiled, but there was still a shadow in his eyes that made Nikki’s chest tighten.

“Alright,” he started. “Well, there are different kinds of abilities. There are Seers, Telepaths, Empaths…” He started counting off each one on his fingers. “Then there are Psychics and Mediums, and Veil Walkers-”

“Veil Walkers?” Nikki repeated. “What does that mean?”

“To be honest, I’m a little vague on the details,” Griffin said. “I know they’re able to communicate with people who have died, like Mediums, but they lose themselves in it. People I know who’ve seen a Veil Walker say it’s like they have delusional schizophrenia.”

“And they’re Hunters?”

“No. Most are nearly incapacitated by what they can do,” he said. “They can be good resources for information but they aren’t very effective Hunters.”

“Oh and don’t forget the Telekinetics we heard rumors about,” Boz interjected.

Nikki frowned. “What?”

“You’ve seen Carrie, right?” Boz said. “You know…” He wiggled his fingers strangely. “And stuff goes flying.”

Nikki took in a very long, steady breath. “Okay, so to summarize, Vampires exist. They like their rules, but only when those rules benefit them. You guys are part of a super secret society, complete with matching tattoos, that hunts Vampires. And some of the people in said society can do metaphysical Jedi mind tricks and that’s actually a good thing. How am I doing so far?”

“We should put you in charge of writing our Wikipedia page.” Boz smiled.

“Great, okay, but… How doesn’t anyone know about this stuff? Everyone just thinks Vampires are myths or masturbatory material—“

A shocked laugh exploded out of Boz and he ducked his head. “Sorry, continue,” he said, clearing his throat.

“How has no one noticed a ton of corpses showing up with bite marks on their necks?”

“Vampires don’t actually leave bite marks,” Griffin answered. “Their saliva contains enzymes and proteins that speed the healing process. Which means when they bite someone, the skin heals without the trace.”

“But I’m sure there would be suspicion when people got to the morgue mysteriously exsanguinated.”

“They don’t drain their victims either,” he said. “That would be like someone drinking a gallon of tomato juice. Unless a Vampire is injured, they only need about a pint of blood each time they feed to survive.”

“But you said they kill people…”

“They do.” He paused, holding her gaze. “For fun.”

Nikki’s throat went dry.

“They won’t kill their victims from feeding on them. They’ll take what they need, and then kill them because they can.” He leaned forward, pressing his forearms into the table. “A Vampire is strong enough to crush bone and rupture organs with their bare hands. You saw how fast they can move.” Nikki nodded, and Griffin continued.

“When you’re turned, you’re not the same person you were as a human. That darkness we all have in us is woken up and made stronger, and once it’s fed it’s nearly impossible to control. Eventually you’re not feeding the beast because you can’t stop yourself, you’re feeding it because you like it. Power like that is addictive, and when it gives so much in return… No one wants to deprive themselves of that.”

A chill ghosted over Nikki’s arms. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she let the weight of Griffin’s words settle under her ribs.

Trying to keep her voice even, she said, “I guess going home really isn’t an option for me, is it?”

“It’s too dangerous,” he said. “We don’t know why that pack targeted you. They may have moved on by now, but if they see that you’re alone they’ll come after you again.”

She sighed, looking down at her empty mug. “Great. That’s just… great.”

Griffin wanted to comfort her, to tell her she had nothing to worry about, but the words wouldn’t come. And even if they did, it would feel deceptive. He was in no place to guarantee her anything.

When Nikki glanced up, the intensity was identical to when she’d found his stare through the darkness in the alleyway. The sapphire blue was enough to stun him.

“You’re absolutely sure if I walk out that door, they’ll find me again?”

Griffin nodded, unable to look away from her. “There are thousands of Vampires in this city, and they’re hard to spot, even with ink on their wrists. They look human, and if they’re a month out of their transition they can go out in the sunlight. Day or night, no matter where you went, you wouldn’t be safe.”

“Which is exactly why you should consider staying with us,” Lisa said. “At least until we get things straightened out.”

A weight settled under Nikki’s sternum, pinning her where she sat. She watched Griffin for a beat longer before glancing away.

She inhaled, looking around the table. “Well, you don’t look like you’re going to murder me in my sleep.”

Lisa smiled at her. “We’ll take that as a compliment.”

[ecotone99]

[SP] Powerless (An Excerpt)

The House was bigger than my own, by far. I knew at once I didn’t like it, even from the back seat of my dad’s tiny car. I grimaced at its high chimneys and wild garden. There was something deeply foreboding about it, something that my father was either refusing to see or hadn’t noticed. At this moment he was fiddling around with something in the glove compartment. After a moment of silence, he turned in his seat to face me.

“Well? What do you think?”

I turned back to The House, noticing that the large, front door had a brass knocker in the shape of a dragons head.

“I don’t like it,” I replied, simply.

“I knew you would say that, but you’ll learn to love it.” He couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice. “It’ll be…easier. There’ll be lots of other kids, just like you.”

Just like me? Hardly. I twisted a strand of my curly, brown hair around my fingers.

“It’s too big,” was all I could think of. My father laughed softly.

“Yes, your mother thought so too. But you’ll get used to it, she knows that deep down.”

We fell into an awkward silence. I knew he, like me, was thinking of the horrible incident this morning, when my mother had grabbed me just as I was heading out the door, and screamed that she didn’t want me to go anymore, she didn’t want the family to split up at a time like this.

I gazed back out of the window, watching two younger girls come skipping round the corner. When they got closer to The House they sped up considerably, breaking into a run and only stopping when they reached the opposite corner.

“This place is too conspicuous,” I complained. “It stands out a mile.”

“Mm-hm?”

He’d gone back to fiddling in the glove compartment. I tutted loudly and he looked up again.

“Here. From your mother.”

He passed me a small package, containing several sheets of fancy writing paper and three different coloured pens.

“I think she wants you to write to her,” he said with a smile. “She obviously doesn’t trust the phone lines.”

I smiled lightly, trying to look grateful but not really feeling it.

“Well come on,” he opened his car door and prepared to exit. “Let’s get it over with.”

Easy for you to say. I reluctantly followed lead, making as much a fuss as I could. My father got my cases from the boot, promising to bring the rest of my stuff over the next few days.

“We don’t want to make it too obvious you’re going away for long,” he’d explained.

The tall, iron gates that locked out trespassers from the grounds were ajar. A bronze plaque on the gate read:

The House. Miss Goldie.

I rolled my eyes. The House? Such an original name.

“Do you want me to come in with you? Or…” he had paused in the middle of the path.

“I think I’d rather go in myself, then I won’t feel worse about leaving,” I decided. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but couldn’t think of any other way to put it. He seemed to understand though. He passed me my cases and gave me an awkward hug, negotiating around the cases in my hands.

“Good luck,” he said, “and…and I’ll see you soon. Ok?”

I nodded, not really believing in what he was saying. He stood for one more moment then gave me one last hug and left. I waited until the drone of the car engine faded before I turned to the door. I had to put down my cases, to reach up and use the dragons head. I waited a couple of minutes before someone came to the door. It opened a millimetre wide and a suspicious eye peered out from inside.

“Who’s that?” said the person belonging to the eye.

“It’s Caree. Caree Simmis.”

The door slammed shut then was opened wide again by a large, smiling woman. She had wild, red hair and a friendly, ’mother-goose’ kind of face. She pulled me, swiftly, inside, closing the door carefully behind her.

“Welcome, welcome,” she muttered, leading me to a large sitting room. It’s decor was the exact opposite of the outside appearance. It reminded me of a grandmothers house, not my own grandmothers but someone’s. She sat me down on a comfy, chintz armchair.

“Tea, water, juice? I’m afraid I don’t have any coffee, no one likes it here.”

“I’m ok thanks.”

“Was your journey alright? You found the place ok?”

“Yeah it was fine.”

“I was so worried that you where turning up during the day, usually they come at night. It’s more discreet.”

I felt foolish at that. It hadn’t occurred to me that turning up at night was an option. I tugged at my suitcase to distract me from my embarrassment.

“Oh, your cases,” said the woman, noticing the fidgeting. “I’ll get Michelle to take them up to your room. We’ve had to put you on the top floor I’m afraid. The bottom’s full, due to popular demand, you see.” She stood and called upstairs. A moment later, a tall, gangly teenager appeared at the door. She too had red hair, that was obviously untamed. Unlike the woman though, she had hers lay loose around her shoulders. She was really quite pretty.

“Could you take Caree’s cases up to her room please? And warn the rabble that dinner will be on the table in a wee while. Oh,” she turned back to me, “I’m Miss Goldie, but some of the kids like to call me Auntie Goldie. I don’t mind it if you do.”

I nodded, adamant that I would avoid calling this woman ’auntie’ at all costs. The tall girl had lifted my cases and had now turned to Miss Goldie.

“Shall I take her up with me?”

“Why not? It would certainly save me from climbing all those stairs,” she stood and beckoned that I follow. “You can go up to your room and get settled just now. I’ll introduce you properly at dinner.”

I forced a smile and followed the tall girl out of the room and up the tall flight of stairs.

“I’m Michelle by the way,” she said.

“Caree,” I replied, hating my name.

“Yeah, I know. You wouldn’t believe the fuss Miss Goldie’s been making over you. I’ve heard nothing but your name for two weeks.”

I blushed.

“Don’t think you’re anything special, though,” she laughed. “She makes that much fuss over all the new kids. Saying that, you’re not really a kid are you? You must be, what? Fourteen? Fifteen?”

“I’m sixteen, seventeen in January.”

“I’m eighteen. Just turned it last month.”

“Right.”

We continued to climb the stairs. On the third floor, we passed a green door that was slightly ajar. A small face was peering through the crack, watching us pass with very little discretion. On noticing this too, Michelle kicked the door closed with her foot causing the person on the other side to cry out in outrage.

“Oh shurrup!” Michelle snapped, continuing on the ascent. “Shouldn’t be spying any way!”

“Wasn’t spying!” came the angry voice of a small, freckled, slightly tanned boy, with very short, blonde hair and a strong glare; he had stepped outside of his room by this point.

“You were too! Now go do something useful! Go help Auntie Goldie with the dinner, will you!”

The small boy glowered at her then glanced at me. His eyes grew wider.

“Who’s that?” he asked, openly pointing at myself.

“New girl,” Michelle called from the landing, “And it’s rude to point!”

I forced a smile at the boy, who continued to stare, then hurried after Michelle. She had already reached the top floor, and was waiting at the brown door on the right hand side.

There were only two rooms on this floor, mine and whoever occupied the second on the left hand side. That door was painted pitch black.

“That’s Colin’s room,” Michelle said, watching me. “But you can meet him later, come on!” She pushed open my door and I entered my new bedroom. It was very small, much smaller than my old room. There was a dingy bed, pushed up against the wall under the window. A small wardrobe stood against the right wall and there was a writing desk against the left. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling and Michelle flipped the switch, casting a dull, orangey light into the dusty room. The floorboards lay bare and the old wallpaper was peeling at places. There were no curtains on the window.

Michelle dumped my suitcases on the dusty floor and strode to the bed, flinging herself onto the creaky mattress and surveying the room for herself.

“So? What do you think?”

I let my eyes sweep over the dull features of my tiny room. I shrugged.

“It’s ok.”

“Ok?”

“Well yeah…I mean, it’s great.”

Michelle eyed me suspiciously before exhaling. “Look, I know this place isn’t exactly luxury living, but Miss Goldie tries her best, you know? You can do up the room how you like it. Most of the rest of them already have. And you can bring in furniture from home and stuff. You’ll be fine. They all are, when they get settled.”

She gave me a reassuring smile which I did not return. I was feeling lousy at her mention of ’stuff from home’. I may have lived in quite a small house, but my room was much more welcoming than this. However, I knew better than to begrudge Miss Goldie’s help so I ran a hand across the desk and nodded.

“This is pretty cool. I’ve always wanted someplace I can write.”

“Great.”

Michelle rose form the bed and crossed back to the doorway. She stood just inside it, leaning against the frame, her arms crossed. And there she stood, watching my every move as I unpacked all my meagre belongings.

Because of the spontaneous decision to move to The House, I had only been able to pack essentials, with the promise that my parents would bring more later in the week. I hung my clothes in the wardrobe, which still looked pathetically bare. I then placed my photo’s and writing presents from my mother on the writing desk. Then, I moved onto my books and hygienic products ect. Michelle then found it apt to quiz me on all my possessions.

“Where did you get this?” she asked, holding up a seashell alarm clock that I had just placed on the writing desk.

“It was my grandmothers. I took it from her house when she died.”

“Why?”

I frowned, feeling annoyed.

“Because I wanted it. Something to remember her by, I guess.”

Michelle replaced the item without further comment.

“And what about this?” She examined the front cover of one of the first books I had unpacked and thrown, unceremoniously, into a drawer of the desk.

“It’s a book,” I replied.

“I can see that! But why Narnia? Isn’t that, like, a little kiddie book?”

“I don’t know. I like it anyway.”

Michelle raised her eyebrows then threw the book back into the drawer. I finished unpacking the last suitcase and stowed it, on top of the others, at the bottom of the wardrobe. Michelle had moved away from the door frame and was gazing at each of my photos.

“Is this you?” she asked with a smile, bending to look at a particularly embarrassing photo of myself with my grandparents.

“Yep, that’s me. Stupid picture, I know but…” I let my voice trail away. I had always hated that my mother framed the photo of naked, baby me with my grandparents all laughing in the background as I pulled my nappy onto my head and grinned into the camera. But when I was packing to leave it felt strange to leave it behind.

“Why do you have this picture if you find it stupid?” Michelle asked, picking up a different one.

“It’s the only photo I have of my grandparents.”

“Are they all dead?”

I nodded, realising that Michelle’s sharpness and no-nonsense tones were going to really irritate me during my stay. I yawned, pointedly, hoping it would be enough to get her to leave.

“Can I ask,” she began moving towards the door again, “what do you have?”

I opened my mouth to reply but couldn’t form the words. I knew exactly what she was referring to, but still found it an awkward subject all the same.

“Gene Z3,” I joked, wondering if it would be enough. Not so. Michelle rolled her eyes and glared at me.

“Yeah but…what’s wrong with you?”

I glared back at her. I was definitely not becoming friends with this girl. I had half a mind to ask her to leave, but just answering would be as equally affective.

“Sight,” I replied. “I’m a Seer…or at least in that category.”

“So…you can see the future and…”

“Not…really. I can see the present…things that are happening just now. And I can’t really turn it on and off. It comes randomly, you know? Like a sneeze or-”

I stopped talking abruptly, sensing that she had already lost interest. Her eyebrows had gotten narrower and narrower as I had spoke.

“So, what’s your…thing?” I asked, hoping to make her feel as uncomfortable as I was. As it was, she just shrugged and examined the thumbnail on her right hand.

“I don’t have one. No one in my family does.”

“Oh…” I tried to refrain from further questioning but doubted she would have done the same. “No one does? Then how come you-”

“Miss Goldie’s my aunt. I came to help her at The House cause I thought it’s be easier than a summer job. I dropped out of school last year and became a full time worker. Guess I’ve gotten attached to this place.”

I nodded, then feeling that I may as well keep going, “And Miss Goldie…she isn’t…?”

“I just said no one in my family has the Gene, didn’t I?”

I nodded again and a tense silence unfolded. I was glad that Michelle broke it.

“Well, I’d better get going. Miss Goldie’ll need help with the dinner. It should be ready pretty soon so I’ll let you know. You share a bathroom with the third floor gang…located on the third floor. It’s the bright blue door.” and with that she was gone, slamming the door behind her. She didn’t seem too angry but I could tell I’d touched a nerve.

Well so what? I thought. Serves her right for snooping in my business.

As I turned back to the room I felt an overwhelming surge of loneliness sweep over me. My eyes began to water and an all too familiar lump rose in my throat. Before I could stop it, tears were streaming from my eyes blurring my vision and blocking my nose. I simply stood there, ashamed of this sudden well of emotion and not sure that I should stop it. Taking deep breaths, I furiously wiped the tears from my eyes, strode to my new writing desk and flung myself into the chair. It was only when I sat down that I noticed the tiny, square mirror, propped up against the wall behind the desk. I pulled the mirror towards me, wiped off the dust using my sleeve and examined my reflection. The skin around my brown eyes had gone red with the tears, even more visible on my pale skin. I sighed, heavily, and tried to relax myself. I didn’t want to have to meet the rest of the house looking like this. I turned my attention to my hair, which I had left loose and sighed again. It had been straight this morning but my aggravation seemed to have made it frizz slightly. It was also tangled now, as easily as it happened and curly at the sides. There was no point trying to fix it. I pulled it up into a loose ponytail, with a bauble from around my wrist and prepared to check it in the mirror. I didn’t have time to even move my hand though, when a scream from downstairs made me almost fall out of my chair.

“DINNER YOU LOT! HURRY IT UP!”

I recognised Michelle’s voice and felt my stomach congeal with nerves. I waited until the clatter of footsteps on the stairs below me faded away, then I rose from the chair and prepared myself to meet the rest of the freaks.

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