#why try to talk things out and negotiate with your brother and sisters in arms when you can instead brawl and shoot one another

[blackleatherjacketz]

Hook, Line and Sinker

Eric Northman (True Blood) x Female Reader

Summary: After Eric threatens your brother to pay off a large debt, he expresses his interest in a different form of payment.

Warnings: 18+ Only!, Explicit Smut, Dubious Consent, Blackmail, Emotional Manipulation, Death Threats, Swearing, Face-Grabbing, Glamoring, Hair Pulling, Biting, Vampirism, Blood Sucking/Drinking, Kissing, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Rough Sex, Size Kink

Word Count: 2.9k+

Tags: @jessicafangirl @differentcatcat @spice-honey

Read more Eric!

Your brother had always been caught up in the wrong crowd, conning people and moving from state to state to avoid the repercussions of his actions until they finally caught up with him. You just never thought that you’d be there with him when that finally happened. You never thought that the people, the monsters that he had crossed would ever throw bags over your heads and toss you into the trunk of their car to present you in front of their ‘boss’ he had to answer to. You never thought that he’d be dumb enough to cross a nest of vampires, of all things.

This boss is much different from the image you’d cooked up in your head from beneath the black pillowcase. Although he still appears pale, cold and callous from his perch behind his desk, he isn’t that dark, brooding caricature of a vampire you expected to see. His presence is still heavy, warming your body in a blanket of unease from across the room as cropped blonde locks frame his handsome face, but there’s something else there. There’s something more in that split second that he glances your way, almost as if he was fighting the urge to take a longer look, but that could just be the trauma talking.

He takes his time folding his slender fingers together as he speaks to your brother, not even bothering to look over at him while negotiating his terms. It’s almost as if he’s bored of the inconvenience of his presence, annoyed that he even has to do any of this at all. You can tell this isn’t the first conversation they’ve about this, but figure that it may very well be their last. And just like that, with a wave of his hand, one of your captors grasps onto your brother’s arm and turns him away from you despite his many pleas and protests.

“She stays here until you come back.” He looks at you intentionally this time, eyes burning his promise deep into your soul with words clearly meant for your brother.

“What?! No! She doesn’t have anything to do with this, Eric! I was asking her for money! That’s why I was with her!” David pleads as the woman begins dragging him across the room toward the open door. “I’ll get your money, I promise!”

“We’ll see.” Eric states calmly, almost to himself as the sound of your brother’s begging fades out into the darkened hallway, muddled by his scurried footsteps.

You start to run over to the doorway, trying to see which direction they’re taking him in, to get one last look at your brother before the night swallows him whole, but you can barely move. Like in one of those nightmares you can’t manage to wake yourself from, your feet seem to get heavier with each step you take as you feel yourself being pulled back to the center of the room by your host’s words.

“If I knew David had such a pretty sister, I would have threatened him a lot sooner.” Eric starts as he busies himself by looking over his ledger, his long fingers scaling down the page before looking back up at you intently. He holds your gaze with a long azure stare, so dark and serious that you can’t bear to look away, even if you tried. “Now I see why he was keeping you from me.”

“Keeping me from you?” The phrase sounds just as odd coming out of your own mouth as it did his, your voice providing little balm over the idea.

“Don’t pretend to be so naive, sweetheart. It doesn’t suit you.” Eric stands up, moving around the desk toward you in a blur faster than your brain can even begin to register. He stops just a few feet short of you, forcing you to gasp as your muscles tighten in anticipation of what he could do to you in a matter of seconds. If he wanted to. He’s so much taller than he seemed from behind the desk, his shoulders now towering well above your eye line as he takes another slow, purposeful step in your direction. “You’re not nearly as afraid of me as you should be.”

“I’m afraid,” you reassure him shakily, still stunned in your tracks.

“Are you?” He lifts your chin with the tips of his fingers, that cold stare of his softening just a little as his lips curl into a devious smirk. “Or is it something else?”

You wrack your brain of all the vampire trivia you’ve learned over the years, trying to recall if they could read minds, or if that was just something you saw in a movie once. Is it that blatantly obvious that you’re attracted to him despite the situation your brother’s put you in? Has the gift of fear not properly disguised your complex reaction to his large size and good looks? Or is this just a lucky shot in the dark?

“It’s something else,” you hear yourself admit to him before you even decide to tell him the truth. Why did you just do that?

“I could see it all over your face the very second you walked in here.” He grabs ahold of your chin and squeezes until your lips purse, smiling as if he’s won some kind of prize for calling you out on something completely out of your control. “Humans aren’t nearly as good at hiding their emotions as they think they are.”

He chuckles and lets go of your face, turning his back to you before slowly walking over to his desk as a cascade of hormones trickles into your bloodstream. That sudden absence of his touch makes your body ache for another embrace, craving that hit of oxytocin more quickly than you’d ever anticipated from a mere stranger.

“How much does he owe you, exactly?” You attempt to reconnect, stepping toward him as he turns back around to face you.

Maybe he just wants you to ask for it… to beg for what you want in exchange for your brother’s life, but that’s not something you’ve ever done before, not something you’d ever lower yourself to do. The least you could do is try your best to negotiate your way out of this logically.

“A lot,” he answers flatly.

“How much?” You try to stand your ground, looking up at him resolutely as his beautiful features start to heat you up from the inside out.

“Fifty thousand dollars.”

“Jesus, fuck.” You utter, unaware that your brother’s habits had gotten him this upside down with the most lethal of all creatures known to man. There’s no way he’s getting out of this without your help.

“Jesus Fuck is right.” The vampire grins as he makes another move in the unspoken game that you’re playing together, reaching out to touch a lock of your hair and smelling it before laying it back down onto your shoulder. “You seem like the smart one in the family, I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that your brother hasn’t been able to pay his debt to us for some time.” He licks his lips as he looks you over, his gaze moving back and forth from your mouth down to your neck in rapid succession. “And that he’s pushed things just far enough that we’ve had no other choice but to take extreme measures.”

“Are you going to kill him?” Your heart sinks in your chest before dropping down into your stomach, straining the muscles in your torso at the thought of him paying the ultimate price for his stupidity. Sure, the two of you had fallen out of touch over the years because of his habits, but that didn’t mean that you wanted him killed over them. You just wanted this all to be over and done with. Then it hits you; you’re reminded of what your brother was doing business with… not who. “Are you going to kill… me?”

“I’m hoping it doesn’t have to come to that.” The blue in his eyes begins to shrink as his pupils dilate, escaping to the far recesses of his irises as he closes the gap between you. “It’d be such a waste.”

“But I don’t have that kind of money,” you think out loud, still trying to logic your way out of this.

“Oh, I know.” He smirks, the seductive confidence now oozing out of his pores. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t help him.” He traces his finger over the artery in your neck as it pumps a more potent cocktail of fear and arousal into your bloodstream, forcing your lips to tremble. “Fortunately for me, you were in the right place at the right time when my men picked him up.”

“Fortunately?” You repeat, realizing now that it’s too late for mundane negotiations, that it’s far too late to fight your body’s natural urges.

“You’d do anything for your brother, wouldn’t you?” Eric’s fangs suddenly emerge as he touches more of your bare skin, revealing his true nature as his chest begins to heave.

Oh God. “I’ve never been bitten before,” you whisper without pulling away from his grasp.

“Never?” He leans down and whispers into your ear, the deep musk of his cologne surrounding you in a heady haze as his thumb presses against your racing pulse. He carefully wraps the rest of his cold fingers around your neck, holding you in place as he inhales your scent. “You haven’t even thought about it? About how good it might feel?”

His words turn your insides to quicksand, his breath hot on your skin as you dare to think about his fangs sinking into your flesh. You honestly hadn’t wondered about how it would feel until just now, your mind jumping ahead to the image of him latching onto your throat and tasting your blood before you’re able to give him an honest yet quiet answer. “No.”

“Not even now?” He slides his other hand between your thighs, triggering your most human response as that moisture begins to collect beneath the fabric of your jeans, soaking through the cotton of your underwear as your body takes over. “It only hurts at first.”

“My brother will find a way to get your money.” Your last ditch effort at peace is futile at best, knowing full well that it’s only a matter of seconds before your carnal desires win over.

“Will he?” Eric releases his grip on your neck only to grasp onto your hair, tugging on your scalp just hard enough to expose your throat. “I think we both know how hopeless your brother’s case really is.” He pulls tighter, jutting your chin up toward the ceiling as he turns you around and walks you back toward his desk like a rag doll. “Maybe I should just keep you here to start paying off that debt of his. I’m sure you could be of use.”

“Keep me here?” Your view of the ceiling tiles shifts in and out of focus as he slides his hand beneath the hem of your pants, lifting you up onto his desk while sliding his fingers between your soaking wet folds. Goddamn, that feels good, oh god… he’s really good at that. But wait a minute… Keep you here? How long was that going to last? How long are YOU going to last? “I don’t want to die.”

“Who said anything about dying?” He grins as he settles in between your legs, pushing his fingers inside your eager entrance as a salacious shade of hunger washes over his face.

His bite somehow takes you by surprise, the sudden piercing pain worse than you imagined as it breaks your skin, shooting daggers up through your spine. That sharp sting only lasts for a second though, his tongue massaging your skin as it works to lap up the hot flow of blood that leaks out of the corners of his mouth, racing down your neck and onto your clavicle. His needy moans vibrate against your throat as his fingers delve deeper inside you, his thumb rubbing delicious circles into your moistened clit, flooding your senses with a deadly concoction of agony and ecstasy.

So this is what all the fuss is about.

You start to moan along with him as he stimulates your most sensitive area, only no sound bothers to escape your lips. Your breath is stifled by the intoxicating mixture of cortisol and oxytocin flowing through your veins and into his mouth, halting any complex brain functions you might otherwise have at this moment. Your fingers find their way into his hair, tightening onto his golden locks in order to hold him against you in this morbidly sensual embrace.

He pulls more of you into his mouth as your strength begins to dwindle, greedily licking the length of your neck before nipping at your chin and jawline in between hungry attempts to clean up the scarlet mess he’s made of your skin. Those tiny little nips quickly turn into affectionate kisses on his way up your face until he reaches your lips, parting them with his blood-soaked tongue.

“Eric,” you’re finally able to moan, whining as his fingers slide out of your sex just in time to unfasten your jeans, leaving a trail of slick up your pelvis as he pulls them off your legs.

“You taste like a dream,” he smirks, your blood smattered across his face like a wild animal, the excess dripping down his neck and onto his chest, stirring something more primal in you than you’ve ever felt before. He can see it in your eyes as he runs his tongue across his teeth, holding his thumb against your bite in order to slow down your bleeding for the time being. “You like it, don’t you?”

You nod in silence.

“I knew you would.” He leans in close and kisses you again, letting you taste the iron of your blood until enough of it fills your mouth that you have no other choice but to swallow. It goes down easier than you anticipated, still hot and fluid down the back of your throat as Eric bites into his own lip, mixing the saltier flavor of his blood with yours. He smirks as you lean forward to kiss him back, no longer afraid as you take his bottom lip between your teeth and suck the spit and blood right off of it.

He has you now; hook, line and sinker.

Your desire for him increases exponentially as if your very life force depends on the continuation of his kiss, on the certainty of his touch. You feel that your very soul is connected to his now, tethered more deeply than you ever have been with anyone else. Your groans become louder as he lazily licks the blood off your tongue and teeth; his hunger for you only growing along with yours as you both continue to consume each other.

Making quick work of undoing his own pants, he shoves them down past his knees to reveal the evidence of his own arousal, grasping onto your thigh to make room for his hips.

Jesus Christ, he’s even bigger than you thought he’d be. Fuck. This is really happening, isn’t it?

“And to think that I was your first,” he snickers, stroking himself with his opposite hand as he spreads the remainder of your blood left on his palm over his enormous girth. He lines himself up with your dripping wet cunt, rubbing the tip of his cock up and down your length as waves of red hot bliss shoot up into your core before he pushes inside.

You cry out as your body takes him in, inch by undead inch as that rare connection between you only tightens like a rubber band pulling you two together as he bottoms out against your thighs. He only gives you a second to adjust to his size, pulling out just a little before slamming his hips back into you without mercy, sheathing himself within your walls before relentlessly repeating the motion again and again. That tingly red heat from before turns scarlet as it burns its way through you, igniting every neuron in your body as he quickens his pace, grunting as he hits that bundle of nerves inside you the way only a man who’s been alive for centuries would know how.

It’s as if he’s unlocked something within you that so many men before had tried and failed to open, expanding your pleasure throughout every tissue in your body from your capillaries right down to your fingertips. Bright, blinding lights flash before your eyes as your toes curl and your back arches, distracting you from his mouth latching onto you once again. You can feel his thrusts becoming more frantic, each pass over your slick special spot triggering another explosion of ecstasy as your muscles clench down around him, draining him of his more prized fluid as you both shake together in unison. His moans turn into groans as he drinks more of your blood, shifting into feral growls against your mangled skin as your heart rate eventually comes down from your climax.

“Fuck!” He pulls his fangs from you as he licks and kisses his way back up to your lips, a thin coat of your blood now covering you in a ruby red sheen as his come drips down your thighs and onto the floor. “I knew I could use you.” He winks before pulling out and kissing your forehead. “Only forty-nine thousand dollars to go.”

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Hiiiii!! :) I have answers to your questions and some thoughts on various miscellaneous people of importance in this world. (Aka: Sasha Wire and other Hunters that are familiar with Junos work)

Hellhounds are guard dogs. I've mentioned there are 3 known plains: Waking, fae realm, and Slumbering. Hellhounds are originally from Slumbering but are treated like pets by fae creatures. They are essentially big scary dogs with dark coats, sleek fur, and bone chilling breath. Fae creatures sort of domesticated them and frequently appoint a few to guard active portals. ("Sort of domesticated" because they still have their own agenda and their own nature.)

Can you pet them? Sure but... Say you're Juno Steel and inebriated (read: you're plastered, you're not walking straight, you're drunk) and take a seat in a park to collect your thoughts. It's night time. The town you're in has a curfew. You're ignoring it. You lie down a bench to rest your eyes. A dog comes up to you, sniffs you're face and it's cold. You pet the dog and your hand goes so numb you jump backwards and try to grab your gun but can't because of your numb hand. You watch the dog run off and you are never sure if it A) was way too big to be a normal dog or B) you're just drunk. (Rita tells you when you ask her that hellhounds in that area aren't uncommon. They're looking for lost or dead drunk souls in that park. Ben doesn't say anything and holds you tighter).

Have humans crossed over to Slumbering? None that are alive. More on this later.

What happens if it's found out who opened that portal that's been open for decades now? No hunter knows nor wants to know. (Fae know: nothing. They'll be pissed off still that it got left open but there's nothing much they can do about it)

Is it just a permanent tear between worlds? At this point- Yes. Can it be closed? Also yes, but in the past any fae that has tried were stopped by hunters. What happens if it is closed? Then whatever poor souls (monster or human) have used it to cross over last are stuck on the other side until they find a way back (ie open their own portal or ask for help being sent back)

What happens if a fae who opened a portal dies? Then the portal closes.

"Shimmering silk threads" is a beautiful description and right on the money. I imagine that monsters are capable of sensing and visualizing the magic as it pools around them, but humans are blind to it. Perhaps some are more sensitive to it and feel physically ill when there's so much gathered in one spot. Perhaps with the right enchantment humans can see the magic blankie like monsters can.

Monster Hunters are so fucked (lol). They are hypocrites at large. The ratio of male to female hunters is disproportionate, and as consequence there is unfair treatment towards female hunters (see: the HMHA questioning Juno about Rita's organization system). Many associations dont have digital documentation and are so stuck and stubborn in their old fashioned nature. The HMHA regularly is poked fun of for its database "going digital, pansy greenies cant handle real paper work". At times like this does the association have an actual braincell and defend Rita (multiple public statements have been made, the last one something along the lines, "Our pristine digital archive will outlast our association. While the organization method illudes most of our veteran hunters, it is without a doubt a great asset. Our own Hunter Assisstant Rita is actively teaching greenhorns how to access it on their own, and she continues to make updates yearly." Dark Matters does not have a digital archive though efforts behind the scenes to compile one are being made. They are astounded how just one person could put together an archive like the HMHA's so fast, and a Rita never gives away her secrets (she trains new hunters on how to use it, not how its made))

The scars around Buddy's mouth is from "swallowing the sun". Aurinko was once a well respected name in the fae realm. The Aurinko family was one of the strongest magic wielders, and no one foresaw their kingdom falling. It was so certain that at least they could defend themselves against the hunters.

"Swallowing the sun" is a solar eclipse. In Buddy's streak of bloodthirsty revenge, her magic has flared and she's wrapped the magic blankie so tightly around her, she blotted out the sun and nearly suffocated. She's done this twice: once shortly after realizing her family and whole kingdom were wiped out and she had come face to face with an apprentice who took place in the Hunt and was appointed to full status, and a second time when Jet was turned where she mourned the loss of Jet's humanity and control slipped through her fingers. (Her sending Vespa away to hunt Jet through the wilds was exactly that, and to spare her from darkness. Vespa waited patiently for Buddy to reopen the portal and when she crossed over with Siquliak, Buddy was there frail and ready to fall over with the wind.)

Swallowing the sun as you can imagine fucking burns. Solar elf magic or not- that shit hurts. So yes Buddy's insides are a mess that Vespa and Jet are actively looking for ways to better for her.

Werewolves come in a variety of appearances, and with time that appearance may change. I imagine that its like, the more in accepting you are of the transformation, the more wolf less human it looks.

Jet looks more wolf than human. Like. Big wolf. Massive wolf. Big jowls that could've snapped Juno's neck in half (he's very lucky they didnt). Fur color is mostly brown, grey furs around his muzzle and eyes. When he's docile he just looks sad, and when he's on a "murderous rampage" (as Buddy so eloquently put) there's a frenzied look to his eyes (ya know how in canon they describe the Unnatural Disaster? Yeah- that type of look). Jet really doesn't want to kill, maim, or hurt people though when he's shifted. That's why they keep him in the Lighthouse (he asked for it, Buddy objected but Jet said it was the best thing to do other than set him loose in the fae wilds). Something in his blood though makes him behave this way. A hunters drive ingrained in him even though he hasn't been on a Hunt in years. Now it's more like a predator-prey drive.

And yes the VesBud cat mouse chase! Vespa tells people who ask about her strangely beautiful wife to piss off, but when patrons (read: passerby through CP) ask Buddy about her prickly pear of a dreamboat she tells the most romantic stories about "the fun we used to get up to in our youth" (read: all the ways she tried to kill Buddy but failed)

AND YES YOU GET IT!! Juno became a hunter without a second thought because he wanted to protect Ben. Because he was told that if he didn't he'd put Ben in danger. And so far- that hasn't happened. And ooooohhhh boy you're gonna love and hate and love the next leg of Juno's Hunt. Smth smth- a little lost rabbit, do these people really deserve to die, and "a child?"

And oh yes absolutely!!! The hunters are as I already said: so Fucked. I can say with certainty that Buddy has exacted revenge on some of the hunters that eradicated her kingdom and each time she came face to face with them, none of them remembered who she was, and each time she made it a very slow, painful, and torturous death until they did remember. She burned her image into the backs of their eyes and mind (partially metaphorical, partially literal) until all they could think about and all they could see was Her. Buddy Aurinko. (Bud did not get every last one. Most grew old and died in their sleep. Her rage still burns deep inside, but terrorizing their loved ones won't bring anything. Just another cycle of blood and loss.)

Notes on other people in this au:

Sasha Wire: Junos childhood friend, a Hunter associated with Dark Matters. She attended one of their academies and graduated top of her class. It hasn't been easy for her. Like I mentioned with Vespa, Hunter Associations have turned into a Boys Club of sorts. Sasha fought for every achievement and her letter of recommendation. She showed great tenacity and courage and when presented with an opportunity to get ahead, she always took it. Sasha was teamed with a small group of hunters for a Hunt. They and the other teams were hunting a siren out at sea. While other teams wrecked their boats and had to be rescued (few were, most drowned), Sasha's team didn't wreck. Her teammates were nonetheless compromised by the sirens call. It lures people showing them what they love most. Sasha saw Annie. Sasha reached out to her sister lowering her spear, took her sister's hand, and plunged the spear into her chest, a coldness to her eyes that her teammates will never forget as they awoke from their trance. "My sister is long dead." Now identifying herself as Hunter W, she doesn't talk about her upbringing in Oldtown (tho she was there when DM took control of it and claimed jurisdiction from underneath HMHA). Personally she isn't one for the Boy's Club. She's looking to dismantle it from the inside out. Sasha wants to make the world a safer place for humans (eradicate all monsters) and the first step towards a safer world is restructuring the twisted, corrupt politics of Monster Hunters (pro-criminalizing the use of monster magic). Sticks mostly to work that takes her away from where she's likely to run into to Juno (ie she works mostly at sea)

Little Annie Wire: died to a monster attack out there in Oldtown during a "Test of Bravery". Sasha and Annie both entered the abandoned high school together. It was decommissioned a few years prior because too many kids weren't graduating. Sasha and Annie were meant to spend the whole night inside the building and emerge the next morning with the sunrise. If they succeeded, Annie would be allowed to join them on bigger ventures, Sasha had bragging rights that her sister was tougher than all of them (her, Juno, Mick, and Ben). Monsters had gotten inside the high school and trashed it. When Juno, Mick, and Ben were inside earlier scoping it out there were none they came across. The sisters entered that night. They stayed in the cafeteria sleeping on the floor. Sasha woke up to her sister's terrified screech and sprinted down a hallway, chasing after her as a monster dragged her, its claws hooked into her ankles. Annie wailed. Sasha tripped and watched in horror as the monster dragged her little sister through a portal. She watched as the portal closed. The morning came. The sun rose. Sasha Wire stumbled outside alone. She collapsed into Ben. He and Mick half carried half dragged her home. Juno was uncomfortable by Sasha's distress and equally lost, Mick worked to jurryrig a barricade around the school to ensure no one else got in, and Benzaiten gave a beautiful eulogy. (The Wire family moved out of Oldtown and Sasha came back to visit during the summer. At some point she stopped coming back altogether. Benten never forgot and worked hard to establish the community center to keep the kids from getting into similar trouble. He wanted to work with Mick to put at least one big roof over all of their heads. That dream shattered the day Oldtown was lost to Dark Matters.)

Kanagawas: a family of elite hunters, these are the hunters that own the everlasting portal into the fae wilds. They apprentice hundreds of promising youth a year, and have an uncanny mortality rate. There are rumors circulating in Hunter circles that the Kanagawas keep monsters in cages like Dark Matters.

Cecil: lost their arm to a monster while on a Hunt in the fae wilds, made a whole big deal over it, still milking it years later. Despite being so stupid ridiculous Cecil was an okay Hunter. Found their calling in entertainment. Now writes scripts for shows about hunters (bad scripts, bad writing, cheesy cliche and people eat it up bc they don't understand how truly gritty the work of a hunter is) Knows Juno through Cass, was absolutely smitten with him from the start and begged and weeped to Daddy for Juno to stripped of his title and become an apprentice (Daddy refused). Is the reason people rumor that the family keeps monsters, because despite what happened (losing their arm), Cecil still gathered Hunts to capture monsters and produce entertainment (ie Jaws of Death). Cecil works closely with scientist "studying monsters" (read: creating chimera. Have you ever seen Fullmetal Alchemist? Yeah. Like that.)

Cassandra: if Cecil was an okay hunter, Cass is an exceptional one. Quick as a whip, sharp tongue too, and doesn't back down from a challenge. Cass has participated in her fair share of Hunts. She's crossed over far more than Cecil. Has personally trained over a hundred hunters and seen to the graduation of three dozen of them (the others died). Cass met Juno when he was Hunting the dryad and she watched him kill it. She attended his celebration party and personally congratulated him, gifting Juno with his shotgun. They made an alliance together. Cass introduced him to the rest of her family and he never forgave her. She's always trying to get him to join her on Hunts (he refuses) and he's always trying to get her to spare more guns (she refuses). The two are thick as thieves and the rare Hunts where they did team up together were phenomenal (Cass insists that Juno take the credit and pay out. Together they've hunted: manticores, cockatrice, baby hydra, and rat kings.)

M'Tendere: one of Jet's oldest friends. A fellow hunter left in the dark about Jet's transformation. When Jet never responded to their calls and no reports came in on his last Hunt, they assumed the worst and began mourning. Ceased hunting, turned to drinking, and when they brushed death one evening, became obsessed with opening a portal to the fae wilds, and when they succeeded, they crossed over and didn't return for months. M'tendere came back with the idea that there are other realms to be explored. Other plains of existence not yet tracked. Has since been trying to find a way to open a portal to someplace not the fae wilds.

M'tendere has been somewhat successful over the years. They are the one who coined the terms Waking and Slumbering and they are the one who first hypothesized about Slumbering. M'tendere observed the behavior of hellhounds and concluded that their nature is unlike that of fae. Too different to have originated from the fae realm. They've taken on apprentices and those apprentices have courageously crossed over to Slumbering from open portals, but upon doing so the portal collapses and they haven't returned. It's too unstable for a journey. M'tendere is certain they can do it though. No matter the cost of life, they'll see this through. (They really want to know what happened to Jet. They can't let this go until they do, and once they find him, they want to bring him back. Exchange places. Jet in their eyes is a far more worthy hunter than them)

Alessandra: met Juno when she was newly appointed as a Hunter, Juno hadn't yet lost his eye. She was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Juno was interested in working with her and brought this up with senior hunters of the HMHA, but was advised against it, "It's terrible when you die and leave behind family. It makes it worse when you abandon a partner." She's made quite the name for herself on her own. Taking on jobs with critical precision and logical planning. Considers herself lucky that she doesn't work with Juno because of his reckless attitude. (I haven't thought much on her but I like to think that Alessandra comes to her senses unlike Juno and realizes the real danger she's put herself in, and decides to stop hunting and settle for a sweet domestic life with a hot babe)

I promised to deliver my thoughts about my monster hunter juno au and well, here you are @one-joe-spoopy (@esquemeencanta i got a feeling you'll wanna see this too so here ya go)

To recap from my last post: Juno is a monster hunter. Rita is his right hand lady. Ben is alive. Vespa is human. Rita is human. Juno and Ben are human. Buddy is an elf. Jet is a werewolf. Peter is a changeling.

I also mentioned last post about how changelings work but to recap: changelings are the abandoned children of fae. They are exchanged for a human child and live out their lives until they return to the fae realm or rip of their human parents face.

!This is your obligatory gore and violence warning!

there are different realms, most notably: Waking (where all the living are), Fae (elves, changelings, nymph and dryad, and ofc fae), Slumbering (the place where dead and lost souls wander). There may be others but so far Monster Hunters haven't found a way to cross over to them. Not yet.

Nureyev was found as an abandoned child in the streets of Brahma. Mag (human) took interest and took him in. He trained him to be a thief. Eventually, Peter turned on him and ripped his face off. His instincts had kicked in and he was starving. He had always been hungry, nothing could satisfy him until he held Mag's face in his hands. New Kinshasa monster hunters chased him out of New Kinshasa and hunted him throughout Brahma. He met Slip while on the run

Slip is a monster sympathizer. He sides with Petya and believes in a free world where no more blood is spilled. He turns a blind eye to Petya's bloodlust and has helped him in the past secure meals. Together they've traversed across Brahma to Saraswati and there Peter was cornered by monster hunters. He was captued, drugged, and released for a hunt. He ran back to Slip and in his confusion hurt him, causing Slip to fall unconsious. He was found and recaptured but not executed. They took Slip from him despite his efforts to fight back. For a time Peter wasn't sure if Slip would survive... Slip has since recovered but is wanted by monster hunter associations in Saraswati, Brahma, and New Kinshasa for his betrayal to humanity.

Peter works for monster hunters to evade monster hunters to keep Slip safe. His "Keepers" are a monster hunting duo that are rumored to keep monsters in cages. No one knows about Peter because anyone who did is dead. Either bc Peter ripped their face off or bc the Keepers eliminated them personally. Peter is their most prized possession. The Keepers are the monster hunters that found and recaptured Peter in the first place. They are the ones that took Slip away to be taken care of.

So Peter takes out other monsters bc he's told to. He also takes out Monster Hunters, eliminating his Keeper's rivals. Blood covers the path he's walked. He is very tired of living like this chained to them, but they're withholding Slip. So long as Peter works for them, they ensure Slip is safe. And so long as Slip is safe, that's all that matters to him.

Juno, meanwhile, was a punk turned cop. He worked alongside Puck Falco for the hcpd. A case led to an arrest of a 76 year old monster hunter who babbled things about the apocalypse and how they're all doomed if they let monsters run rampant. While in their custody the monster hunter is killed by a monster and sharpshooter Juno shoots the monster down. He's awarded and recognized and approached by Hyperion Monster Hunter Association, the HMHA. He's told its more high risk high reward than cop work. He wasn't going to accept the offer until they name dropped Benzaiten. "His life will be hell if you don't take this offer Steel. Monsters got their own hunters out there. And if we can find him just by a quick check on you, they'll find him too. It's all about exchange. Eye for an eye. Blood for blood."

Juno becomes a monster hunter to protect Benten. He resigns from the hcpd leaving Puck without a partner, and Rita follows after him. He tells her it won't be safe and he tries to urge her to go back to Puck to the hcpd but she insists that "ain't no one seen the potential in her like he has. And ain't no one taken Rita as seriously as him. And ain't no way she letting him do this dangerous stuff alone, he needs someone for back up and she's just the right Rita for the job."

Juno begins monster hunting. Benzaiten is endlessly worried for Juno but Rita always covers and soothes those fears "he's okay. I'm his back up and so far we've done great together"

Juno as a cop used regular bullets. Juno as Monster Hunter uses special silver bullets bc silver is known to burn and kill most monsters. He's armed with a pistol always but also owns a shotgun and sniper he breaks out for special jobs. He doesn't love his job, but it does indeed pay better than being a cop. He's content with his life and rather reckless.

Rita does not know of the horrors Juno faces in the field. If she did she'd be clutching her pearls and asking him what happened next. She knows its dangerous work but she doesn't have the blood on her hands. The HMHA raised a brow at Juno for bringing her on board, but they didn't question it any further when that was Juno's only condition he wanted to be met

Monster Hunting culture works so that hunters can take up job offers that are posted through their affiliated association, alternatively they can be hired by a third party. Going on "Hunts" is a group effort and usually involves senior hunters from an association capturing a monster, caging it, riling it up (prodding it with weapons, taunting it, starving it, etc) and releasing it to be chased after for sport. Greenhorn hunters frequently get injured or die during their first Hunt. All hunters participating have the opportunity to capture the monster or kill it. Either way they're celebrated. If a greenhorn hunter is the one to successfully kill or capture the monster, they are honored with a feast and recognized by either graduating from the Academy (this is what happened to Sasha), completion of their apprenticeship, or offered a position as part of the association (this is what happened to Juno. He was first approached to join, participated in Hyperion's Hunt, and was the one to kill the Hunt's monster (a gnarled dryad that was more forest than nymph))

Miasma is an eldritch abomination. A non newtonian fluid that solidifies liquid tentacles into sharp points that pierce Juno's skin and poke out his eye. The only way to stop her was to blow her up and contain her in a jar. Juno lost his eye and couldn't walk for months but Ben took care of him and Rita helped out. As soon as he could though he was back on his feet taking on job posting

Ramses O'Flaherty approaches him with an offer of a new eye and job. Juno accepts both (the eye is an organic eye enchanted by monster's magic. Juno is indifferent to having it, but other Hunters look down on him for it. They call him a crooked hunter, a dirty one at that behind his back) the requires Juno to act as a bodyguard. O'Flaherty is running for mayor and worried about being assassinated by monsters for his policies (he believes in a free Hyperion, rid of all the monsters, rid of even its Monster Hunters. Juno questions why hire him then and O'Flaherty asks why work for him if he wants to take away Juno's job. They're at odds sure, but Juno wants to be paid and O'Flaherty wants the peace of mind). Each task Juno is assigned by O'Flaherty, someone dies. Their eyes are scratched out, the tongues clipped, faces torn clean off. Juno thinks it's the Piranha and shoots them dead. Juno uncovers the truth and finds out it was O'Flaherty. O'Flaherty is a monster. He hired Juno to protect him from monster attacks, to keep his hands clean. Jack Takano is the first changeling Juno comes face to face with and never knew it until it was too late. He died starving but Juno buries a silver bullet in him for good measure. There's no reward or pleasure in it. He gets rid of the enchanted eye (gouges it out himself and nearly dies a second time losing an eye) and looks for different work. OldTown falls. A new hunting association moves in, NewTown Monster Hunter Association (NTMHA) and they're backed by Dark Matters. HMHA is not.

Shortly after theres a job posting for an upcoming art gala security. Some of the art on display and for purchase is art by humans. Other pieces are ancient "artifacts" belonging to monsters (humans don't know what they're actually for) Ben insists that he not take the job offer considering how his last venture as bodyguard turned out but alas. Juno doesn't know what's actually good for him or when to quit. He takes the job.

Juno arrives at the gala hours early to monitor set up. There's going to be a lot of elite socialite in attendance. There's a lot of hunters also on security like Juno. The gala starts and Juno is watching the front door. Benzaiten Steel enters the gala in a beautifully tailored suit hanging off the arm of a hot date. Junos stomach drops out from underneath him but ofc tonight should be safe. There's so many hunters in attendance. They'll be safe...

And there is so so so much more but yea know this is already a lot so I'll tuck the rest away for later ^-^

[andyreigns]

HOCUS POCUS(Sebastian Sallow x Y/N) - Chapter 2

Masterlist

Before I start I have to clarify that English is not my first language so, sorry for any errors or inconsistencies.

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-Yes! We'll be roommates!- Poppy walked in, followed by Leonora and a blonde girl she didn't know.-

-Hi, I'm Adelaide Oakes. Poppy and Leonora told me about you.- Adelaide approached YN to say hello-

They all began to store their things in their respective beds and closets. And Leonora took out a scroll.

-Tomorrow we have defence against the dark arts, sorcery and transmutation.- Leonora sighed. -We will have to see another demonstration of Sebastian Sallow's ego.-YN tilted her head curiously-

-Watch out YN, Sebastian will surely try to target you, like he does everyone else- Leonora turned to YN

-Well, being the son of two Hogwarts professors, Sallow has always been very spoilt. Plus, his sister, who is just as brilliant as he is, is also playing along. Not to mention Ominis. - Poppy spoke while arranging her clothes

-He simply has too big an ego and tries to feed it by making every girl he meets fall at his feet - Leonora laughed-

-Has he tried it on you?- YN asked her amusedly and the three nodded-

-Although, he doesn't try much with the Hufflepuffs, really. I heard him talking to Ominis once. "Hufflepuffs are too easy and don't stand out at all"- Leonora made inverted commas with her fingers

-Now, it is true that in Hufflepuff, unlike the other houses, we have all sorts of people. So our house is not just about one thing. Helga Hufflepuff took in everyone who could not get into the other houses….- Adelaide began-

-So there's a greater diversity of people. - YN ended

-Exactly, and that's why a lot of people think we do not matter. The Slytherins in particular strive for wealth and power, they are ambitious. So to meet with people from a house that is not characterised at all…- Adelaide shrugged her shoulders-

-And do you really think he will try something like that with me?- TN laughed-

-Sure. So be careful. -Leonora crossed her arms.

Leonora, Poppy and Adelaide talked to YN about school and their past years. They talked about Peeves, Headmaster Black, Garreth Weasley's potions and tricks to keep from falling asleep in History of Magic class until it was time to go to sleep.

The next day, they waited for Arthur Plummly to arrive before going to the great dining hall for breakfast, and then left. Arthur sat down in the large dining room and looked at the timetable.

-What electives have you chosen, girls?- asked Arthur- Me, Care of magical creatures and Arithmetic

-Arithmetic? How boring. I have had enough of History of Magic. - Leonora spokeup - I chose Divination and Ancient Runes.

-What is wrong with Arithmacy? I also chose Arithmacy and also Ancient Runes. - Adelaide stood next to Arthur to show her support for Arithmacy - You, Poppy, must have chosen Care of magical creatures.

-Sure! And the other is divination. And you, YN?

-Care of Magical Creatures and Divination - Poppy did a little leap of joy -

-Are not you interested in ancient runes?- Asked Adelaide.

-'I have literally been surrounded by antiquities all my life. Too much is that I am forced to visit History of Magic.

-And how is that?- asked Arthur-

-My parents are archaeologists. My brothers and I've spent our whole lives travelling from one place to another, accompanying them on their excavations and investigations.

-Wait, your last name is Bennett, right?- Adelaide asked and YN nodded- Your parents aren't James and Rosa Bennett, right?- YN nodded- I've read your study on magic in ancient Egypt about 100 times! And the book about how the Chinese emperors negotiated with the sorcerers and witches of the time.

-Don't remind me how often I heard my father say. "Maybe those people were very cruel, but at least they didn't separate the Muggles from the wizards" and then hear my mother say: "There is evidence that it was nothing friendly, they enslaved them or blackmailed them"

-YN i'm sorry to interrupt, but I think your brothers are looking at me.-Arthur touched the shoulder of YN and nodded to the other tables

YN looked around and sure enough, Jennan and Mark were looking at Arthur from time to time.

-Don't worry, they always do. They're a bit protective of me. You're lucky my other brother and sister have already graduated. - YN continued to eat breakfast as if nothing had happened, but she didn't calm down Arthur.

After a while, she had to go to the first class. Defence Against the Dark Arts. When she arrived, Sebastian was fighting with Leander. Anne and Ominis didn't even pay attention to how commonplace these situations were. In the middle of the hectic duel, one of Sebastian's spells hit the dragon skull hanging from the ceiling. Fortunately, Professor Hecat managed to stop it before it fell on Leander.

-You are still good enough to tear each other to pieces in your spare time - Professor Hecat put the skull back in place properly - I get new students every year, but I only have one skull of a black hybrid. It was a reminder of the great clandestine raid of 1878, which rings a bell. Now, you may wonder how an old lady like me was able to single-handedly take down the largest ring in East Gales and live to tell about it. Wisdom. - YN she smiled, for her family knew better than anyone that knowledge is power - wisdom knows no age. Today we will discuss a spell that has saved my life from dark wizards more times than I can count. Levioso.

-Levioso? A levitation spell?- Leander asked sceptically, but in the twinkling of an eye Professor Hecat lifted him up with levioso, leaving Leander helpless-

-The effect of surprise weakens any enemy. Can you defend yourself, Mr Prewett? No?- Professor Hecat left him on the floor again. - 'Let us practise the spell. -Professor Hecat cleared the classroom and each student stood in front of a mannequin to practise the spell

Sebastian, Anne and Ominis did it the first time, while the rest needed more than one try. YN also needed a few tries, but he got it right.

-If you need help to catch up with the grief, you can ask me for help - Sebastian turned to YN -

-No, thanks.- YN looked at him for a moment and then turned back to the mannequin-

-Sure? I'm the best duelist. And you've just arrived at Hogwarts. We could go to Hogsmade and I could catch up with you. - YN looked at Sebastian and then eyed him up and down with a raised eyebrow

-Oh, really? That's what you do? That's it? Do girls fall for that?- Anne and Ominis began to pay attention to the conversation of YN and Sebastian when they heard this

-If you come to Hogsmade with me, I'll show you what girls like about me.- Sebastian laughed nervously.

-It was nice to meet you. Goodbye. - YN returned with Poppy and the others -

-Has the new one rejected you?-They heard Omini's laugh and Anne's laugh.

-Wait. - Sebastian followed YN -

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The Bennett brothers surprised: