#Cade's Manor

[silverpsychedelic]

Some random ghost dad sketches. Kyle is at it again

[thescarletnargacuga]

We've had mother and son bonding with Pomni and Cade. Now how about some father and son time? It can be silly or sad, I just really enjoy seeing the little muppet boy.

A/N: Cade deserves something nice after the last couple stories involving him in peril

REACH OUT

A HARLEQUIN AU ONESHOT

AU credit @iamespecter @tadc-harlequin-au

WARNING: none

~~~

Deep in the basement depths of the manor lies Caine's workshop. A cavernous room full of equipment for designing and engineering inventions from the mind of the puppetmaster. Everything from watches and weapons to puppets themselves have been developed in that room. Most days, Caine retreats to his workshop for solitude with his thoughts, but today he brought a little helper.

For the first time, Cade was allowed to help his dad tinker. The young puppet sat on a tall stool, waiting for his dad to give him a task. Unable to keep still in his excitement, Cade fidgeted in place, but kept his hands to himself. He didn't want to touch something he wasn't supposed to and get kicked out on his first real visit to the workshop.

Caine focused on a small actuator, using his own energy to power the tools to construct the piece. He set down one of his tools and held his hand out to Cade. "Hey, be a sport and hand me the soldering needle?"

Cade snapped to attention on the stool and looked around the workbench. "Uh! Um....the sodder needle? This?"

Caine held in his laughter. "That's a wrench."

"Oh, sorry. Is it, uh, this thing?"

Caine snorted. "That's a screwdriver. Are you doing this on purpose?" He teased.

"No! I- I can find it." Cade searched furiously for what he thought could be the tool.

Caine picked up the tool that was right next to him. "This one, champ. It's pointy, like a needle."

"Oh." Cade sat back down and crossed his arms in a huff.

Caine pat Cade on the head. "Don't worry about it. You'll hand me the next one." He went back to the project at hand. Blue electric energy flowed through the tool, creating a tiny arc and soldering small parts in place.

Cade watched his dad with wide eyed fascination. The power of soul magic so effortlessly wielded was what he hoped to one day achieve. It was the coolest thing in the world. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, son?" Caine asked without looking up.

"What you're doing. The blue light. How do you make that do what you wanted to do?"

Caine stopped, contemplating how to explain soul magic in a way Cade would understand. "Your soul magic is an extension of your will. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. I want to power these tools to help me build the actuator. So I make it happen."

"But...how?" Cade featured with his hands in confusion.

"Practice. You have to really dig deep down inside yourself and find the inner strength to mold reality to your will."

"Wow. Sounds hard."

"Sometimes it is. Like I said, practice. Here," Caine picked up a spare lightbulb from a parts box. He held it by the conductive metal and it glowed bright blue in his fingers. "This is a very simple exercise. Will your energy to flow through the lightbulb to make it glow. Careful not to squeeze it too hard."

"Okay!" Cade held the lightbulb with both hands and stared at it without blinking.

Caine watched for a moment before going back to what he was doing. He finished the actuator and moved on to another part of the project at the workbench. "Your new toy is coming along nicely-"

"SHHH!" Cade shushed dramatically.

"Sorry." Caine said, smiling to himself.

Several minutes went by. Cade narrowed his drying eyes at the lightbulb. He wanted it to work! His dad made it look so easy. He twisted and turned the bulb. He changed hands. He tried everything he could think of. "Ugh! What am I doing wrong?"

"You're reaching with the wrong part." Caine turned on his stool to face Cade.

"Huh..?"

"Soul magic doesn't come from the hands. It comes from the heart." Caine pressed his fingertip to Cade's chest. "That is where all of you lives. To use soul magic, you have to reach out."

"Reach out..." Cade stared at the bulb again, even harder. "Reach. Out."

The bulb flickered yellow for less than a second. Cade dropped the bulb from being startled, but Caine caught it.

"You did it!" Caine stood and lifted Cade off his stool in celebration. "You actually did it! That's incredible!"

"I- I did it!? Wow! Can I show mom??" Cade wiggled in his dad's arms.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Caine rushed out of the room with Cade on his hip. "Pomni, dear!! You have to come see this!"

[regoregitati0n]

I decided to restart my jam idea but with a new concept. so I wanted to start with the art assets first. I think it's much more interesting than the vampire teacher in all honesty!! (My opinion)

This one is about MC/You going to a haunted manor with two other ghost hunters, at the witching hour. (It's a pre established friendship in canon)

Unfortunately, for the two other ghost hunters , they get possessed and their personalities change completely, and you have to survive them pretty much. (They turn "yandere" when Possessed. Their eye colors change and the eyes glow)

They're both male gender

I'm unsure what the rating will be, but it will most certainly contain death/death scenes for the characters and player as well.

The two characters are Simon Honanie and Cade Baines

[bloodwiine]

closed starter for @ghcstlyhearts ( nyx ) location: the manor

"Someone's been up here," Cade cursed out, anger seeping through his voice as he noticed bits and pieces missing from his personal inventory. Lifting up his box, his eyes narrowed in disbelief, there was only one person able to get into it beside himself and that was impossible. Bringing it with him, he stepped outside of his office and headed down to the parlor, finding Nyx there. "You wouldn't have something to do with this, would you?" He accused, tossing the box into the air and using a charm to keep it from crashing to the ground.

[doitinanotherlanguage]

Reading Around the World: Italy

Viola Ardone: Oliva Denaro (2021; The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro)

Original language: Italian

Translation read: Finnish translation Nimeni on Oliva Denaro (2023) by Laura Lahdensuu

Genre: Historical fiction

Summary: In a Sicilian small-town in the 1960s, a 16-year-old Oliva refuses the advances of a man, who consequently kidnaps and rapes her in order to force her to marry him out of shame (i.e. trying to bully her into a "rehabilitating marriage"). The novel is loosely based on the kidnapping and rape of Franca Viola.

Review: 4/5. Small towns and women-centric storylines with feminist themes? Say no more, I'm in! This was a powerful novel about girlhood and growing up as a woman, and of standing up against unjust traditions. The aftermath of the real-life Franca Viola's trial ruled that rapists were no longer able to avoid punishment through marriage to their victims, eventually leading to the law about "rehabilitating marriage" finally being repealed in 1981.

Stefano Benni: Baol: Una tranquilla notte di regime (1990; "Baol: A Quiet Night Under the Regime")

Original language: Italian

Translation read: Finnish translation Baol: eräänä rauhallisena yönä valtakunnassa (1998) by Laura Lahdensuu

Genre: Satirical dystopia

Summary: In 1991, the citizens of City T. live under a totalitarian regime in a society that is ruled by cruel hierarchs who monitor their subjects and where reality is being shaped by government officials in secret underground studios. In this brutal world, the last baol wizard is trying to understand a secret about his life, and in the process gets drawn into a plot to save the reputation of a past-his-prime comedian.

Review: 3/5. Funny, exciting, weird. A fabulous satire of the modern world that also slightly scares me with its focus on control through distorted media presentations of reality. This would make an absolutely thrilling movie! Minus points for some casual sexism.

Umberto Eco: Il fascismo eterno (1995; Ur-Fascism)

Original language: Italian

Translation read: English translation Ur-Fascism (1995)

Genre: Essay

Summary: A short and intelligent essay on the fascist movement and ideology, written by a man who grew up in Italy under Mussolini's fascist rule. The essay gives a definition of fascism and lists its fourteen typical features.

Review: 3/5. A very important and necessary read now as neo-fascist movements and parties are on the rise again. Unfortunately, there's a lot I recognise from modern politics.

Lorenza Mazzetti: Il cielo cade (1961; The Sky Is Falling)

Original language: Italian

Translation read: Finnish translation Taivas sortuu (1965) by Pirkko Wass-Colussi

Genre: Autobiographical psychological fiction

Summary: 10-year-old Penny has been orphaned together with her little sister Baby. They now live with their rich, Jewish uncle and his family in a large manor in the Italian countryside. It is 1943, and there is a war raging somewhere in the distance, but the children play and go to school in the village, learning to sing fascist songs and write essays about Il Duce. Then, the war creeps closer and eventually brings along chaos, blood, and destruction.

Review: 3/5. I saw a reviewer describe this novel as "perversely naive", and I couldn't put it any better. The novel cleverly describes the world of children and the world as experienced by children, particularly war as seen through the eyes of a child. Penny idolises Mussolini and is proudly a little fascist, having very little understanding of what is actually going on in the world of adults, until it all tragically blows up in her face. The events portrayed in the novel parallel those that happened to the author's real-life uncle, the cousin of Albert Einstein. This novel seems to have some sequels, so I'm planning to pick those up in the future.

Goliarda Sapienza: L'arte della gioia (1976/1994/1998; The Art of Joy)

Original language: Italian

Translation read: Finnish translation Elämän ilo (2014) by Laura Lahdensuu

Genre: Historical fiction

Summary: Written between 1967-1976, this novel was published in full only in 1998, after the author's death, because the novel was initially rejected due to its length and its portrayal of a woman unrestrained by conventional morality and traditional feminine roles. The novel follows a woman, Modesta, who is born on 1 January 1900, through her life in twentieth century Sicily as she pursues cultural, financial and sexual independence.

Review: 3/5. This door-stopper of a novel was a gripping, thought-provoking, sightly disturbing reading experience. With around 700 pages, this novel of growth and development packs in free-love and queerness, social climbing, strong-willed women, murder, and (sort-of) incestual relationships. At the centre is a woman's pursuit of independence. I was left wanting a bit more of the political and historical stuff regarding Mussolini, fascism, socialism, and the world wars, since the novel was quite indrawn. As a sidenote: I heard that there's an Italian TV adaptation coming out this year, which I'm very much looking forward to!

[wutbju]

Dwight L. Allen, 82, of Findlay, passed away Saturday, June 10, 2023, at Fox Run Manor.

He was born Jan. 21, 1941, in Springfield, Illinois, the son of Reverend Casper and Leona (Fish) Allen. He married Ruth M. Harney on Dec. 21, 1968, and she survives in Findlay.

Dwight is also survived by his son, Titus David Allen of Findlay; daughters, Nicole Inman of Findlay and Michelle Allen of Findlay; sister, Lois Armstrong of Rockford, Illinois; and grandchildren, Anthony Inman, Michelle Inman, Faith Allen, and Cade Allen.

Dwight was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Roger Allen.

Dwight achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bob Jones University, Master of Divinity from San Francisco Baptist Seminary, and Doctor of Ministry from the International Baptist College in Tempe, Arizona. He served as a youth pastor in Normal, Illinois; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; California; Chicago, Illinois; and San Jose, California. He served as a pastor in Camino, California; La Salle, Illinois; Joliet, Illinois; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Brainerd, Minnesota; and Calvary Baptist Church in Findlay. He served as Dean of Men at Pillsbury College, Owatonna, Minnesota, and was also a bird dog scout for Chicago Cubs.

Dwight was also active in radio throughout his career, hosting radio ministries in Joliet, Illinois; Brainerd, Minnesota; and Findlay. He was the host of "Racing World" on WFIN, as well as "A Second Look at Sports" and "A Sixty Second Look at Sports," on WKXA.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, June 15, 2023, and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Friday, June 16, 2023, at COLDREN-CRATES FUNERAL HOME, 205 West Sandusky Street, Findlay. Dwight's funeral will be 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Denny Coates and Rev. Alan Carson officiating. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery, Findlay.

Contributions in Dwight's memory may be made to Samaritan's Purse Ministries at samaritanspurse.org.

[makahimetenshi]

Follow me inside the wastelands - Chapter 20  -Arthur Maxson x Female Sole Survivor Fanfic

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14242575/20/Follow-me-inside-the-wastelands

Alright people we are getting into the final stage…not final chapters because I kinda counted how much they will be and I expect ten or more…

If you are very very very delighted with one fic and want a continuation I didn’t write or post you can donate me at least $5 bucks, most of this fics have next chapters I don’t finish because lack of motivation but hey a $5 is a $5, I see a few reviews and coments that fics that are abandoned months laters receive coments of wanting to know what happends next. Here it is, I finished my handling with you all, enjoy the fic

-Arthur honey could you leave me my bathrobe and some underwear in the bathroom?

Oh gosh she was calling him honey.

She called her husband honey too.

His now pregnant woman taking a hot shower in his quarters…they were facing some issues right now…well wanting an abortion from one side and the other no wasn’t exactly a minor problem but…The situation would make him smile silly if it wasn’t for that detail.

He left the clothes there and received at the front door the donuts she asked and…the already prepared set of dosis of addictol. Since the man that bring the food was already there he asked for some Mierluks eggs omelet for dinner time, people on Croup Manor were eating them and say they were rich in protein, a total boots of energy to get in action so it was a good idea for her diet. If he didn’t say a thing maybe Nora wont throw up.

What if Cade was right and at some point of the pregnancy her cravings and taste changes and become…normal to wastelands standars? Like, she being able to eat  stingwing filet for example? Or wild mutfruit? That would make things so much easier  for both and restore her health so much…she needs to change her habits!

Truth is that he had plans to only continue as a family, the elder, the sentinel, and their baby, nothing less than that. He was mentally prepared for all the challenges a pregnancy could put in his way…but nothing less than this. He would not make accommodations this time.

Arthur wished for this to really go well.

She came out from the  shower and throw in bed looking at the ceiling, her body falling like a bag.

-Where have you been before…coming for the first test? –he dare to ask, pretending he was working, reality is that he cannot focus at all since he read  first Cade inform- 3 weeks passed since Sanctuary to that date.

-Settlement work, in fact I was around the airport some days but I was undercover –she had a new haircut, yes.

-And this last three?

-Far Harbor, until Nick came to lecture me –apparently Nora had the control of a boat to go whenever she wanted out of the land, and that scared the man a lot- I came because I know how much you sacrificed by doing that, not because of Nick smartass…

-I guess hell send me the bill

-Can we talk Arthur? –he nodded, and she patted on bed, he take a second before getting up from the chair and sitting up in the bed, she went up on her knees to be at his height and try to cup his cheeks with her hands…but he moved the head off.

-Im really hurt with what you did –she closed the her eyes and sighted, that really make the man annyoyed- all things: lie me about coming back soon, coming to the Prydwen just for the testing and leave…you could even wait to dine together and then leave if you wanted smartass! And then hide, from me, for weeks, like it wasn’t something important to tell me specifically

-I was looking for a solution…they all really scare me –oh the nerve she was going to make him burst in anger.

-And if you find one were you going to  take it and that’s all? Without telling me? I would find sooner or later in the brotherhood files that at some point you were pregnant! –this was even worse than before!

-That’s why I asked for privacy…I know you have a lot of questions about the institute –it didn’t matter much now since they were gone but it was good to know…the level of two…three agent that Nora was…

-Yeah…

She fall on bed, looking at the ceiling, patting at her side for him to lay at his side, he did but when she wanted to grab his hand, he  didn allow it, placing both in his chest.

-When I meet Shaun again he offers me as an apology a room…some amenities to be around in the institute, you know what I did first? A hot shower and a nap on a clean bed and sheets –she was looking at the ceiling, and he look at her lips as she talked- that’s right, I take all my armor, my guns and things away for a hot shower and a clean bed. I completely expose myself in the enemy’s territory for it, I just forget when that possibilities appear in front of me.

-Or maybe it was that you worked too hard that days and your mind slip at the chance of getting a good rest.

-Nono, I completely surrender myself to that clean mattress

-Perphaps it was the fact that your beloved and lost son made you that gift and you felt comfortable enough to forget?

-Nope, I mean it. I just surrender. And then I walk around the institute and found…plants, like green plants, people well dressed in clothes without holes, the smell of clean, animals, and fresh air oh oh oh hear this out…edible food! Non radiated! Fresh! –she went up in her elbows- im gonna tell you a secret…are you ready? –he nodded- I have a deposit of only institute food, crazy right? –the mans face deformed and look at her with horror- like they come in this white boxes with the institute logo and they only have like…two years maybe, they come in this plates but I swear to you the ingredients are still fresh

-Nora! –he went up in his elbows also- is that what you normally eat!? I never see you with those!

-Of course not, I eat them in privacy, with the institute symbol is  a bit risky to do it but…yes…when im alone I take from that boxes as breakfast, lunch, and dinner…pre-war food is hard too find, so I make sure to save a goooooood stock of food for a lot of time, for now my deposit is doing good –how many more deposits Nora had around the Commonwealth? One for drugs, one for caps, one for food…an entire  vault…-is actually good for preserved boxed food, I can eat it just fine.

-But your glucose, cholesterol, weight, vitamins and all are so low…

-Well I cant pack a lot of boxes with me all the time so yeah, there’s a lot of days I don’t eat, that’s true, once im out in the field there’s no more options to me than keep looting good old canes. I do what I can

Again, he felt bad.

-So he offers you to stay with the institute…

-Yeah, because I can fill the gaps I left by killing Shauns kidnapper, Kellog, who was their useful worker on the field…Not because I was his mom…-the little joy he had in her voice left, just to be heard all plain and…sad- it sorta surprised me…and fill me with pride at the same time…that my son became a super scientist, the top of the top, the leader of an entire circle of super smart people but then he said that he was unable to think in me and have feelings as his mom…because how life turned for him- it was like being rejected- he was sorry for being unable to feel the right way about me, his mom, who he saw looking under every rock of the Commonwealth for him for an entire year –she was dead talking about this subject, no feeling, no emotion, as she said before, she cried all what she had to cry- I felt so…relieved that my boy turned into a mature man so conscious about the situation, someone who can handle emotions so carefully to be respectful but I also felt like I wasn’t important, and this whole journey was for nothing…I spend that days just sleeping in that clean bed wandering what happened to my life…

-I remember that, I took you a lot of days to come back from the institute.

-It didn’t took me, I stay there because I wanted to stay over, I was wandering if…stay with my son or come back with all the people that were counting on me…god I try so much to stay around him, to catch on some time and…Shaun couldn’t get me, I didn’t care he was almost double my age by aging naturally, he was still my son and I loved him, he used my skills and will, he would apologize, he understanded my point but…never actually cared enough, it wasn’t his business, im so sorry for how life turned to be for you mom I don’t know how to make you feel better…by that time I was silly and I think he was trying for our good

-You tried to connect with the leader of the institute knowing everything he was doing and you dare to say you are not going to be a good mother –the way he said that make the woman uncomfortable

-That’s the thing Arthur, after everything I been through i…somehow I choose to end up with nothing, I let him die, then I turn him into pieces…-after saying that she took a long pause-then I destroyed the place were he lived and work of his life, his legacy…i…I did…-this time, he put down one of his hands, and she take it- I did something awful, I gave up on his memory, because of all  the terrible things he did, but I still gave up on my son, he did awful because I wasn’t there for him and  I gave up

-I also have someone I  have to cry without a grave or  a spot for it –Nora turned her head to look at him- Sentinel Sarah Lyons, my first love

-Missing in action if I read correctly  -she babble.

-That doesn’t mean I expect the same to happen again

-Its not like I expect…but I have zero control in every aspect of my life in the wastelands and…crazy things happen –he can’t control the present and he will not control the future for her to stop panicking and hating things, its just not going to happened, at some points she is going to learn to surrender and accept things.

-There’s more of this you are telling me?

-Yes –now he grabbed her hand, pressing with the tip of his finger inside her palm

-You're going to stay around to keep telling me more about this or are you gonna disappear again? –Nora bite her tongue and  hear a knock on the door.

The man raises up and sat on the bed, how many time they spend chatting? Apparently it was dinner time now so I guess a lot.

By night, the elder throw some blankets and pillows at the  floor next to the bed, he  wasn’t going to share the bed, in fact he preferred to not sleep at all, he wanted to keep an eye on her. It break his heart that this was the actual situation.

-Arthur for fucks sake come to bed –he wasn’t going, if he was too comfortable on bed he may fall asleep.

-You are not thrust worthy –he just simply said, annoyed, and he was in his right to be.

-Don’t be ridiculous, if you don’t want me around ill just go to my quarters

-You insisted in coming here

-I know you already lock the door, come on im not going to jump off the window! –that wasn’t an actual security measure, since Nora can open locks so easily

-Im fine here

-This are your quarters, this is your bed, I should sleep on the floor!

-Im mad at you Nora! –he simply screamed, making her freeze for a bit, not expecting that at all. It was rare from him to lose his cool- you are on your right to be in pain, but im in my right to be annoyed!

This was at least…unexpected…she went up sitting on bed and crawled to the other side, were he was, she didn’t went down or anything, but put an arm down in case he wanted to take her hand from the ground.

-Im sorry –she said paying attention to his movements.

-You abandoned me. Twice –the pain in his voice make her blink, open wide her eyes.

-No, I didn’t give up on you –she didn’t want him to feel like that, it wasn’t her intention- I was trying to find a solution…

Now, he did move his head to look at her for a moment but quickly went back  to his pillow. Hiding in the softness

-There’s no solution were the three of us aren’t together, if its not  the case, then is no solution.

She said nothing, but did that night sleep on his bed. He watched her sleep, waking up between shorts periods to keep on eye. Arthur wasn’t going to be tricked again.

In the morning, he saw her waking up and getting off bed to go to the bathroom, and then go to prepare some tea for both, there was still some donuts and bread around for breakfast, so shell eat that.

-I want to pick up something from my quarters –she said giving the man a hot cup of tea, he took it, smelling before…just in case just in case…

-Ill find someone to escort you there…-the woman stared at him in silence with a killing gaze.

-Arthur its my quarters

-And? You lost all my trust to be around on your own–she grunted, buy say nothing

-Okay

She did as the man…allow her, have the permit to walk and do in the Prydwen but escorted by 4 soldiers, there was so much people they didn’t fit in the narrow hallways of the zeppelin. It wasn’t like they can take her down, he surely didn’t believe that, they were mostly around to set an alarm if anyone weird happens. In the end she just pick some clothes and holotapes…

Coming back at Arthur quarters she found him taking a nap on bed, of course, since he didn’t sleep in the hole night…it wasn’t a whim, she understand. He take the chance of the soldiers watching her during the day to sleep a bit after all he wasn’t…all robot…

Nora change to a laundered pink dress and sat on his personal desk to use the terminal, she could…send some mails, change some people perspective, look into his files…but instead, she put a holotape and watch a movie.

What the hell she was doing with her life? She felt bad horribly bad to hurt the man like that, but she also knew she was doing the right thing…for her at least…she didn’t wish to keep on this pregnancy at all…but also didn’t want him to hate her

She did in fact found a solution before, but the man found about it first and now it was too late, he was too attached.

Her cheeks blushed at the memory of his words…he say he loved her. And she did in fact, love him back. Letting the fear away to make space for that feelings to grow more and more but now there was no room for their love to bloom.

What can she expect? Of course Arthur would want to have it, he is at the top of the word, he thinks he has the best of the best to offer and provide, there’s absolutely no problem in having a son together, in fact, it was so strange this was his first…I mean he is young…but also young enough! But she did have a problem. A really deep one anybody can’t just ignore or let pass like…killing her first son is bad enough but the fact that she blasted his only memory left, like better vanish in the history than staying in this land even as a corpse...made her stomach sick.

Sometimes, she missed Shaun, it was unvenliable how her dead son haunts her from the back of her thoughts. It was so scary, like the times she did work against the institute interests and she feared coming back to the CIT ruins to not be lectured by…her son of 60 years old who released her like some kind of experiment and nothing more, how much she would be wandering around in the savage Commonwealth.

The movie keep moving forward but her eyes weren’t precisely in the screen, she was lost in her thoughts, memories and ideas. Noise, there was noise on her mind. The dark thoughts always haunt her from the back to her neck until hanging her throat, taking her breath away. Sometimes she gets so overwhelmed in her thoughts she feel like she could die…

-Nora! –something brute and harsh wake her up from her wreck train of thoughts, the man was shaking her shoulders like crazy. Nora shake her head and then look at him, from heads to toes, took a few seconds to breath before saying anything, trying to open her mouth several times in the process and just…talk

-What? –she can only say, Arthur look at her nervous inspecting all her expressions in every corner of her face.

-Are you alright!? –Nora look at the screen and the credits were already moving up in the black and white motion.

-I was…watching an old movie…-she babble low, her breath was calm and but her body stiff as a rock to move- It was Gone with the wind it’s a four hours movie how the hell im on the credits!? –she look at him and then again at the screen- did I fall asleep!?

-I wake up five minutes ago, stare at you and when I didn’t see you moving or even blinking it scared the shit out of me

-Oh –she just said, now blinking repeatedly

-Are you okay? –again, he asked, and take a sit next to her, still watching her movements.

-Yeayeayeayeah I was just…thinking…some stuff –that was strange but since she didn’t have any physical “consequence” like trembling or red eyes well maybe it was that, she get lost in her thoughts and that’s all- wanna watch the movie with me?

-Sure –he said, watching her as she take the holotape again and put it on the terminal-did you do this all day?

-I guess so, I actually wanted to finish this movie and see a musical later but I guess I didn’t pay much attention –her body was hard as a rock after staying in the same position for almost four hours, her muscles and joints hurt!

-What’s a musical?

-A story told through songs and dances, very few dialogues

-That sounds…difficult to understand and follow

-Sometimes they are, but I wanted to see people dance again, I see people sing because it’s a very human thing to do but…not dance, its like…humans forgot how to do it naturally.

-I think I managed pretty well at Sanctuary

-You had a good guide, just admit it –she laughed a bit and he smiled, only smiled.

They watch the movie in silence, this time she was actually paying attention, could see that in her eyes, she wasn’t just awake and that’s all, her mind and focus was on the terminal. It was a movie too old for Arthur to appreciate, more than historical drama it looks like sci fiction, that’s how long long ago it looks for him, apparently the elder of the brotherhood of steel doesn’t know or at least care much about U.S history from much much before the bombs dropped.

At the two hours he already wanted to die of boredom, maybe it wasn’t his type of movie after all, the protagonist lady was a little bitch…look a lot like Nora, it wasn’t like her personality at all but oh boy the hairstyles and make up did really make them look similar. Not even dreaming he imagined Nora in dresses like that ones, they weren’t a possibility, not even using the 100% of his brain power but oh boy wont she look…pretty…pretty that was the word because the protagonist was a very young lady who apparently hasn’t matured enough…or was an spoiled brat to do it so…

He sighted and lay his back on the chair, then, some words escaped from his lips.

-How did you figured out you could be pregnant? Three weeks its not a lot of time –if now their baby was six weeks that mean it was conceived on Sanctuary…at least that week.

-I was watching on my period very carefully. When it was two weeks late I came back with Cade for the test –it was too soon for her to have symptoms yet so the only thing that could give her a little idea…was time.

-Well I said to you they were never much trustworthy…-since forever, this was a possibility, he didn’t expect it so soon to happened but…he was glad it happened with her specifically-Not before and not now…

Silence, they stay in silence with the movie still running until she take a big breath and speak.

-Arthur…-he hummed to let her know he heard- I love you

He says nothing, just grab her hand even if they weren’t sitt next to each other, keeping distances but still watching the movie together.

[cuddly-dean-baby]

what fandoms/people i will write for

tag list

Updated on 14 September 2024

i'll most likely write male or gn reader, so it's fair for everyone

give me a small description of what you want. i'm down to write some lgbt+ as i'm part of the community. if you want me to write the request as a mini series, tell me also

i'll try and write smut, but i doubt it. i'll write close to it (so basically a cockblock) but i'll see how i feel about it

i apologize if the requests take long. it's either because i've been a bit busy, writers block being a pain in the ass, i've been feeling unwell, or work has me drained

~the actors who play the characters~

The Walking Dead (game and show) Daryl Dixon Rick Grimes Negan  Javier Garcia Shane Walsh

Supernatural Dean Winchester Sam Winchester Castiel Jack Kline Rowena MacLeod Jody Mills

Marvel Tony Stark Pietro//Peter Maximoff Scott Summers (Cyclops) Charles Xavier Bucky Barnes Clint Barton Doctor Stephen Strange Peter Quill Loki Laufeyson Sam Wilson Wade Wilson (Deadpool) Matt Murdock Thor Odinson Marc Spector Steven Grant Tobey Maguire!Peter Parker//SpiderMan Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker./SpiderMan Frank Castle Miguel O’Hara Hobart “Hobie” Brown Druig Logan (Wolverine) Remy Etienne LeBeau (Gambit)

DC Clark Kent Dick Grayson Garfield Logan Jason Todd Harley Quinn Poison Ivy Arthur Curry (Aquaman) Connor Kent

The Witcher Geralt

Resident Evil (game) Carlos Oliveira Karl Heisenberg Leon Kennedy Chris Redfield Lady Alcina Dimitrescu

The Umbrella Academy Diego Hargreeves Five Hargreeves Klaus Hargreeves

Detroit Become Human Connor Hank Anderson RK900 Markus Elijah Kamski Ralph Gavin Reed

The Haunting (Hill House + Bly Manor) Luke Crain Nellie Crain Peter Quint Owen 

Hellboy

Rise of the Guardians Jack Frost Bunnymund Pitch (Boogeyman)

Big Hero 6 Tadashi Hamada

Transformers Bumblebee Crosshairs Grimlock Colonel William Lennox Cade Yeager

Shadowhunters Jace Wayland Alec Lightwood Simon Lewis Magnus Bane

The Mandalorian

Twilight Carlisle Cullen Edward Cullen Jasper Hale Emmett Cullen Jacob Black

Divergent Four/Tobias Eaton Peter Hayes

Overwatch McCree Reaper Soldier 76

YouTubers Markiplier jacksepticeye Corpse Husband

Kingsman Eggsy Unwin Agent Tequila Agent Whiskey

Some Horror Slashers Jason Voorhees Michael Myers Pyramid Head Brahms Heelshire Ghostface (Billy Loomis and Stu Macher) Thomas Hewitt Bubba Sawyer Hannibal Lecter (show)

Lucifer

The Wolf Among Us Bigby Wolf

Peaky Blinders Thomas Shelby

Stranger Things Steve Harrington Billy Hargrove Jim Hopper Eddie Munson

The Sandman Morpheus (Dream) The Corinthian

The Band Ghost Aether Ghoul Mountain Ghoul Rain Ghoul Swiss Ghoul DewDrop Ghoul Papa III (Terzo) Papa IV (Copia)

Bullet Train Tangerine

Castlevania Dracula Alucard Hector Trevor Belmont

Call Of Duty Simon 'Ghost' Riley König John ‘Soap’ MacTavish Mitchell Captain John Price

The 100 Bellamy Blake Finn Collins

The Last Of Us Joel Miller

Midnight Mass Riley Flynn Father Paul Hill Sheriff Hassan

The Boys Billy Butcher Soldier Boy (Ben)

The Hunger Games Peeta Mellark Finnick O’Dair

Avatar Jake Sully Colonel Miles Quaritch

The Quarry Dylan Lenivy

[aliensandartifacts]

The night was pitch black. No stars shone in the moonless sky. Humidity made the early summer, Louisiana heat feel oppressive if the breeze stopped for more than a second. All of the windows of the manor house on the Darrow estate were thrown open. Besides the cutting edge security system, there were guards that would eliminate any threat larger than the mosquitoes that buzzed thick in the Louisiana night. Ceiling fans lazily spun, their motors adding a gentle hum to the night air. It was quiet, almost too quiet, and that had many of those who were still awake on edge. Since returning to Louisiana, things had gone smoothly without even the slightest bump when it came to putting life back in order. Not everyone was reassured by this.

Hours before, Mel had retired up to her room to try to sleep. With her position secured back at LSU, she had been going through old boxes and crates in the attic in recent days to determine if there was anything that she wanted to take with her to put in her office. There were things up there from her “father” and Ambrose. So far nothing had been found that she wanted as a reminder of either of them. Pleasant memories were few and far between to begin with, even more so after the past year’s events.

There were six bedrooms on the top floor of the manor house. The house faced South towards the Mississippi River, and Mel had the bedroom on the South-West corner of the house. Francois had the room directly across the hall from her. To the north of her room was Dontanion with Alexander across from him. Next to Dontanion was Cade and Gabe was across from him. While it might seem counter-intuitive to have her two bodyguards the farthest from her, all of the men on that floor were equally lethal and it was a rare thing for Cade and Gabe to both be asleep at the same time, and for there not to be someone else awake if they were.

A soft breeze blew through Mel’s room. The fine mesh mosquito netting over the french doors to the second level veranda that wrapped around the house didn’t hamper it at all. The intricate Scottish lace curtains of the room softly rustled against the polished wood floors, barely making a whisper. The loudest sound in the room was the echo of the frogs that were calling to one another out in the side garden fountain. Even Mel’s shallow breaths in sleep were quiet as she wrestled with some dream. The only indication that her sleep was haunted by something unpleasant was the furrowing of her brow and the clenching of her fists in the white sheets around her.

Deep male voices echoed in the dark of her mind. Voices of those who no longer walked the earthly plane and inhabited corporal forms. Now they could only torture an torment Mel in her dreams. They truly could not even do that, for their souls had been banished to places where they could no longer harm any of the living. All that haunted Mel were the memories of what had happened in the Caribbean and different variations of the situations that had unfolded there. As real and contrived events played out behind closed eyelids Mel’s mind blended reality and the dream world.

The house was falling into silence as the LaVeau brothers and the other men were retiring to their own for the night. Cade was a straggler, reclining on the couch that separated Mel and Dontanion’s rooms, reading his Kindle. Marie had retired a few hours earlier to her bedroom that was the only one on the main floor of the large manor house. There were a few other relatives that were staying in guest cabins that were located on the property. Guards had melted back into the shadows, becoming as invisible as they were silent. Then there were the mystical protections that were invisible by their very nature, except by those blessed by the gift of the LaVeau blood.

In Mel’s mind, she was not in Louisiana, in the safe confines of the manor house in Darrow. She was back in the Carribean, once more in the house on the island of Grand Bahama that had seen so much death and bloodshed in the days after her friends and brothers had gotten her away from Ambrose and Adama. The events that led to the death of Ambrose and Dominic were once more being twisted in her mind; guilt over everything that happened there, and some that happened after, causing it to be warped and even darker than those bleak days truly were. The milky eyes of the dead men haunted her as they chased her through the house of Beau’s friend that she had stayed in during her time there, the hallways lengthening and becoming a maze that they never were in reality. Mel’s steps were hurried, panic rose as she seemed not to be able to escape from the men that she had finally been freed from in life, but were now haunting her dreams.

It was into this quiet night that a terrified scream echoed through the manor house, bringing Cade off of the couch and to Mel’s door. He had barely even slowed as he threw it inward, ready to confront anything he might find there. Only years of training and his senses being on high alert kept him from falling victim to the knife that was brought downward with force and speed. When the door had opened, it was not her friend and bodyguard that Mel saw standing there but Dontanion’s father, the warlock Adama. Fear coursed through her veins and she knew that she either had to kill him or she would be dragged back under his spell again. She couldn’t allow that. An arm came up to block Mel’s that slashed with an almost blind fury, and while there was a deep gash into the muscle, it was nothing that stitches wouldn’t fix; he’d had worse. What worried Cade more was that as his eyes fixed on Mel’s face, her eyes were glazed, unfocused, and wild in a way that he hadn’t seen before. She was in the grips of another nightmare and he doubted that she was even cognizant of what she was doing or what was really going on. While he’d seen her in the grips of one before this one seemed worse than others, added to that was that someone had missed a weapon in their sweep of her room earlier in the night. It would not be a slight that was allowed to pass easily, but the matter at hand had to be dealt with first.

“I need a LaVeau!” Cade called over his shoulder as his other hand gripped her wrist and applied just enough pressure to cause her to no longer be able to grip the knife. It clattered to the floor where it was kicked somewhere behind him, rattling across the ancient wooden floors. "Mel! Come on, princess, wake up!"

Now that she was unarmed, he grabbed both wrists firmly and spun her around bringing her back up against his broad muscled chest so he had her arms pinned to her sides, without releasing her wrists that were now crossed over her chest. His own blood was making her wrists slick, but he was able to immobilize her hands. Thankfully his height, weight, and the fact she was still not coming fully conscious made him able to contain her. If she had been able to think and therefore fight back effectively, he would have had one hell of a problem; it was a big enough of one now. White he had been negotiating his way over to her bed, he’d heard others coming up the stairs and out of rooms and heading towards where he was. While the nightmares were becoming less frequent, everyone was still on edge waiting for them. Dontanion’s tall and lean form was seen in the doorway first, something that Cade was glad for. Her brothers and mother were the only ones who seemed to be able to pull Mel from the worst of the nightmares when they gripped her tightly, which was why he’d yelled for them. Just as Don started to head over, a broader frame came from behind him and pulled him out of the way before shouldering in. “Whose blood?” Francois demanded. It wasn’t accusatory; there wasn’t anyone in the house that would believe that Cade would purposefully hurt Melania, but this was not the first one of her nightmares that had gone violent and accidents happened in trying to calm and contain her. Alexander had blackened her eye once, and she’d drawn blood on a couple of people. “Mine. Someone missed a knife when sweeping her room. I’m fine.” Cade ground out, hoping that one of her brothers would calm her down soon because the strain of his muscles to keep her sitting between his legs on the bed and her arms contained was causing his injury to do far more than throb currently. “Nice lie, the last part. Don, take care of him while I do this.” Francois’ words were clipped, but his tone wasn’t chiding. It was clear he was tired and from the fact his lounge pants were on backwards, he hadn’t wasted time on details and was going to continue that. Kneeling down in front of Mel, Francois took her head firmly in his hands and forced her to look at him. Cade could tell when their eyes met because Mel stilled. The tenor of Francois’ voice dropped, his accent becoming heavier and more aristocratically French. It was old world and spoke of his long life, but it also held a deep and rich affection that was mirrored in the expression he wore as he looked at his youngest sister. Mel had often joked he was like a third father and as Cade looked at him now, that is what he looked like, a father whose heart was breaking for his child. “Ma petite chérie, calme ton esprit et ton âme. Respirez l'air de vos ancêtres. Le passé ne peut plus vous blesser. Ils ne sont que des brumes de ce qui était, ils ne sont plus. Respirez et relâchez-les aux ancêtres. Ressentez l'amour de ceux qui vous entourent. Ressentez l'amour de ceux qui sont passés et qui sont toujours. Tu es en sécurité, ma petite chérie. Vous êtes en sécurité et vous êtes à la maison. ((My little darling, calm your mind and soul. Breathe in the air of your ancestors. The past can no longer hurt you. They are nothing but mists of what was, they are no more. Breathe and release them to the ancestors. Feel the love of those who surround you. Feel the love of those who have passed and still are. You are safe, my little darling. You are safe and you are home.))”

Mel’s breathing slowed gradually and he could feel her pulse also calm in her wrists under his fingers that still gripped her firmly. While Francois had been speaking to Mel, Don had been healing Cade’s arm so by the time that Francos’ words and the spells he was weaving had broken through the hold the dream had on her, all that was left on his arm was a bright pink scar that would be gone by dawn. Cade’s attention was drawn back to the woman in his arms when she went from fighting against him to trembling then sobbing. When she saw the blood that coated both his arms and the front of her pajamas, she realized what she’d done and started to freak out, requiring Francois to once again have to calm her down. Cade’s arms loosened so the elder LaVeau could pull her off of the bed and down onto the floor and into his lap. Once more her bodyguard and friend was struck by how similar in age they appeared, their current position had them looking more like a father comforting his child.

“Go get cleaned up.” Don’s voice was quiet when he spoke to Cade, his hand lightly squeezing the other man’s shoulder.. His gaze never left his siblings on the floor, wishing that he could have foreseen the devastation his father would bring about and have taken him from existence before he’d ever laid hands on his sister. Cade nodded, sensing that Don didn’t have to be looking at him to perceive it, then slipped off of the bed and from the room. As he left, Alexander and Beau slipped in along with Marie to clean up the blood from the floor and the bed. There was no telling if Mel would sleep again that night, but she didn’t need to have to see more proof of what had happened or deal with the mess that was left. No one doubted that after Francois had gotten through the grip that fear and memories had on her, that she knew what she’d done and that more guilt was already heaped upon what she already bore, some of which was not even deserved. In the past she always had done so and it seemed to haunt her as much as other things that plagued her in her sleep. Because of what Adama had done after Ambrose had kidnapped her, it made it hard for her mother and siblings to be able to do anything to save her from the torment that her own mind was putting her through. There was a chance that anything that they did to try to save her from it would lock her into it instead. He had used powerful magic when she had been with him and Ambrose, some of which they still were unable to decipher.

After things were cleaned up and Cade had returned, he knelt down next to Mel, who was still sitting quietly across Francois’ lap with her head on his shoulder and forehead resting against his neck. “Hey, princess, I bet your brother would like to get some sleep at some point tonight.” Francois looked over at him and the two men’s eyes met in the dark. During the search for Mel and then her rescue from the clutches of the insane men who had held her, they had come to understand one another. “Why don’t we get Gabe, Alexander, and we’ll even let Beau join and do a reenactment of that long weekend from Serbia where we drank ourselves stupid and watched bad movies. I bet the couch downstairs is more comfortable than the one in that hotel.” Alexander could be heard laughing from the doorway. There wasn’t much that could be more uncomfortable than that couch in the hotel. It looked pretty and that was the only nice thing that you could say about it. Gabe came and elbowed him and jerked his head back and towards the staircase where Beau was standing. He’d talked to Cade before the other man had headed back into the room. The idea was a good one. The last time that Mel had dealt with nightmares it had been the three of them and Dez that had helped her keep them at bay in a different way than any of them had tried since they’d come home, Beau would make a good replacement for their fourth team member. Maybe instead of trying to force normalcy, they should go back to what worked the first time. They were after all going to be a team from now on, maybe they all needed reminding of it.

@talamasca74

@sniperbonesguy

@voodoobodyguards

@bayouboyvoodoobrothers

[silverpsychedelic]

Some various Cades, a Queenie and an unnamed Dreepy

[thescarletnargacuga]

Could we get a cute little one shot for Harlequin of Cade being an awesome big brother to Anya (the Jesterdoll kid) for Specter :)

A/N:AAAAAA-YOU'RE SPOILING MEEEEE!!

HALF SIBLINGS, FULL FAMILY

A HARLEQUIN AU ONESHOT

Harlequin AU credit: @iamespecter @tadc-harlequin-au

MEET ANYA and CADE

WARNING: NONE

~~~

Cade sprinted through the mansion halls and up the stairs to his shared bedroom with Anya. He burst through the door, startling his younger half sister from her book.

"ANYA, ANYA, ANYA!! THE TREEFORT IS DONE! COME ON!" He jumped up and down, pointed back through the door he nearly knocked off the hinges.

"Really?" She put down her book, careful to bookmark her page, and grabbed her teddy.

"YEAH! We have a real fort to play in this time! Come on, come onnnnn!!!" He ran in circles by the door.

Anya smiled and went to follow but Cade impatiently grabbed her hand and ran with her outside.

It was a beautiful day. Spring was in full swing and everything around the manor grounds was vibrantly green and alive with bloom. The treehouse was built on the sturdiest tree on the edge of the small forest on property closest to the mansion, in plain view of any windows.

The miniature two-story structure was built around the trunk of the tree. A wrap-around balcony offered a scenic view from all sides. It had two slides, a straight slide from the first floor and a spiral slide from the second. It had a zipline connected to another distant tree that would take them to the ground. Two swings hanging below. A rock climb as an alternative way to get inside from the ladder.

Cade let go of Anya to climb up the ladder and check out the inside. It was huge! While the inside was plain, it wasn't empty. They had play tables and chairs and toy boxes and drawing boards on the walls and a small swing inside. A short staircase led to even more space on the lofty second floor. The windows were open, letting in light and the breeze, but he saw small lightbulbs on the ceiling and the balcony.

"Woooooow..." Cade quietly exclaimed. This was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

"Eh...urg-" Anya struggled up the ladder with her teddy.

Cade heard her and helped her up. "There you go. Isn't this place cool??"

Anya looked around with a smile. "Yeah! We could have so many tea parties up here." She pictured filling one of the toy boxes with her dollies and bringing books up to read in the swing by the sunshine.

"Heck yeah, we can! And we can race down the slides! And- oh my gosh, a zipline!! I've always wanted one of these!" He ran to the drop point on the balcony and grabbed the rope with a small wooden circle seat to ride down. "Hey, Anya, you wanna go first?"

Anya squeezed her teddy and stepped back. "No, thanks."

Cade shrugged. "Okay. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" The zipline was everything he hoped it would be; fast and fun all the way down. The cord widened to a slow stop before his feet touched the ground. "THAT WAS AWESOME!!" He shouted back at Anya, watching him from the balcony. "YOU SHOULD TRY IT!!"

Anya nervously looked at the long line down. "....no, I'm okay." From her vantage point, she saw a large lumbering figure emerging from the shade of the trees. She gasped. "CADE!! LOOK OUT!!"

Cade spun around to see Kingr coming out of the forest, covered in twigs and loose leaves. "Uncle Kingr!! Look! We have a tree fort now!" He jumped up and down as he excitedly pointed at the new playhouse.

"I see! Good for you to have such a strong fortress at such a young age." Kingr beamed with pride.

Cade's eyes narrowed mischievously. "Bet you can't get us inside!" He sprinted away and scrambled up the ladder, giggling the whole way.

The invitation to play caught Kingr off guard but he gladly accepted. "Oh, can't I?" His four arms snaked out from his back as he encroached in the kids' fort.

"Hide, Anya! He's gonna get us!" Cade rushed inside to go to the second floor.

Anya smiled and playfully screamed as one of Kingr's hands tapped along the edge of the balcony nearest her. She ran along the circling balcony, only to be stopped by another hand crawling at her. She ducked inside and went upstairs with Cade.

They both screamed and squealed and laughed as Kingr's hands playfully followed them around. He eventually got both of them, gently holding one in each hand and reels them down to him. "Gotcha."

"No fair, Uncle Kingr!! Your arms are too long!" Cade struggled against the light grip on him.

"You dared challenge me. Of course I'm going to use all of the assets at my disposal." He chuckled. "Who made this marvelous structure anyway?"

"Z did!" Cade answered. "They said they would do it, and they got it done so fast!"

"Have you thanked them yet?" Kingr arched a brow.

Both children looked sheepish. "No..." Anya said quietly.

"Then that is your next mission. Operation: gratitude." He looked around and spotted Z coming out of their residence. "There they are, go say thank you, but don't get too close. They can't see you if you're underfoot." He released them and Cade immediately bolted towards Z. Anya followed at a walk.

"Z! HEY, Z!" Cade waves his arms to get the massive puppet's attention.

Z stops and looks down at the comparatively tiny child. They weren't going to move an inch until they were sure Cade and Anya were clear of their footpath.

"Thanks for AWESOME TREEFORT!!" Cade fidgeted in place, still having way too much energy to burn.

Anya caught up. "Yeah! We love it!"

Z nodded. "I'm glad you like it." Their heart warmed from the admiration for their work. A constructor's pride that she could never quite deactivate.

"Did somebody say TREEFORT!?" A voice surprised them.

"JAX!!" Cade and Anya cheered at the sight of their favorite playmate. Cade immediately goes in for a tackle, only to be caught and hoisted onto Jax's shoulders. Anya runs in to hug his leg. Jax pats Anya on the head before scooping her up in his arm.

"What kind of trouble are you squirts getting into today?" Jax took long legged strides towards the treefort. Kingr had moved on elsewhere.

"We defended the fort from Uncle Kingr!" Cade raised his arms up in victory.

"Impressive!"

"I wanna go down the slides." Anya said quietly. "Will you go with me?" She gripped the lapels of Jax's coat.

He could never say no to her, especially when she gave him such baby doll eyes. "Of course. Which one do you want to do first?"

"The...the big one that spins around."

"How brave." He encourages her with a smile. "Chompers here can race us down the other one."

"YEAAAAH!!" Cade kicked his legs with excitement.

Jax's flexible body noodles down the slide with ease. Despite the spiraling slide being higher up, they beat Cade to the ground several times. When Anya had the courage to go down the slide alone, Jax waited at the bottom to catch her. "You did so good!" He cheers for her as he lifts her up in the air. She giggles and reaches out to him for a hug. He holds her close and squeezes warmly. Anya gives him a kiss on the nose with her teddy bear. A part of him heals in that moment.

"Oh boy! Snacks!!" Cade suddenly says and runs at Gangle, approaching with a tray of refreshments.

"Hello, young sir Cade." Gangle greeted with a gentle smile. She lowered the tray and let him take his choice of snack and drink. "Are you having fun?"

"THE BEST!!" He tossed the snack in his mouth and monched it loudly.

Anya joins and takes only a drink. "Thank you, aunty Gangle."

"You're very welcome, young miss Anya." She raised the tray back up and offered it to Jax. "Would sir Jax care for a snack?"

"I already do." He winked.

Gangle nearly dropped the tray, her mask flushing with flustered patterns. "Oh, my... Not in front of the children." She whispered.

Both Anya and Cade were completely oblivious to the conversation, enjoying their refreshments.

"I'll take one." Pomni grabbed a finger sandwich from the tray and popped it in her mouth.

"Oh! Of course, Madam Pomni! Have as much as you like."

"You really don't have to call me that." Pomni said through the food in her mouth. "We're friends for fu-" She spots her kids watching and clears her throat. "-for crying out loud."

"I insist!" Gangle asserted her stance. "You are the wife of the Master of the Manor! It's only proper."

Pomni rolled her eyes and popped in another mini sandwich. "Whatever you say."

After Cade finished his snack he wrapped his arms and legs around his mother's leg. "Play with us!" Anya joined him, grabbing Pomni's other leg. "Yeah!! Pleeeeeeease?"

"Fiiiiine, since you asked so nicely." Pomni smiled and tried walking with both kids clamped to her shins. It was slow and awkward but she was making progress to the swings under the treefort.

"Welp, looks like I've been replaced." Jax chuckled and put an arm around Gangle. "How about you and I go see what there is to eat in the pantry."

The tray clattered lightly as Gangle's hands shook. "That- that sounds like a wonderful idea, sir Jax." The patterns on her mask rorschached wildly on her cheeks as she left with him.

Pomni alternates pushing Cade and Anya on their swings. Cade insisted on going higher with every push, Anya was happy with a light swing.

Ragatha and Caine were having tea in the garden, watching Pomni and the children. Ragatha poured him a cup and he sipped it without adding any alcohol. He sighed contently. "I don't know about you, but I feel like we won at life."

Ragatha smiled, looking at Pomni and Anya. "I couldn't agree more."

Bubble hovered nearby. "Congratulations to you both for fucking the Harlequin and winning." He sniggered.

Ragatha spat her tea. "BUBBLE!!"

"I WILL DEACTIVATE YOU IF YOU DON'T LEAVE THIS INSTANT!!" Caine blustered at the moment being ruined by his snarky butler.

[stickyfrogs]

Someone has Barry-caded the entrance to Pobblebonk Manor with Special Rocks!

No one will enter!

[theoriginofgossip]

Dearest reader,

It seems that while not much has changed for some around town, there are a few with quite a bit of news to share. Starting at the top, while Remy Snowbury has clearly been avoiding the soulmate season activities, our other heiress Josephine Tate seems to be unable to obtain an escort to any activity despite quite a bit of trying. She made plans for multiple events but was seen showing up alone to every event.

Speaking of events, while many were engaged in activities surrounding the circus last night, it appeared there was a small wedding on the other side of town. Curious indeed. I suggest you ask Valerie Green if you want more details-- and no, she was unfortunately not a bride. Someone needs to get on that. We all know she would have been too stunning to send on a private ceremony. 

Savanna Rowland and Alec Wilder seem to have gotten over their interest in other people and have been seen together acting very intimately and were even spotted doing the soulmate scavenger hunt together- and we all know that the people you decide to participate in soulmate season activities with are those that you hope to be potential soulmates. The gossip on that seems to be confirmed by the way Savanna hung all over him as if to show the whole town they were official, and the fact that they have been seen cuddling together inside Alec’s business. However, we all know that our esteemed Olympian is married and has been seen chasing Dylan Wilson since shortly after his arrival back in town, and those two were seen together in the café after hours. Though it is to be noted that he did reach out to Savanna first. This could mean bad news for his marriage-- though perhaps not, because Savanna has also been seen spending the night at Snowbury Manor with Remy himself, and they’ve been seen walking together late at night and we all know everything is of import at this time of year-- many would ask for a divorce based on these kinds of rumors, especially knowing that this is the second time he’s been involved in rumors about cheating and we still have our suspicions about him and Dylan. Meanwhile, despite talking to people about being on the road to recovery, alcohol was delivered to Nouveaux Rouge over the weekend. Don’t worry about him though, noble townspeople, because I can assure you that things are looking much brighter for him now than they did then.

Speaking of a brighter future, it looks like Saber Bellerose has finally gotten over her last scandal and has moved on from a teacher to a librarian. Clearly, this woman has a type. She has been seen with Jonah Carrol on multiple occasions, including what looked to me to be a date at the circus in which she won him more stuffed animals than he could carry while they laughed and ate fried food. They were then seen disappearing off into the dark of Miss Bellerose’s home, and they did not appear again until well into the next afternoon. I can even share a bit of a secret with you, dear readers-- Saber has called them official. 

This might be nothing, but there is no such thing in a town like Snowbury-- Jameson Reynolds was seen together with Cade Webster. Of course, they were at the circus and were soon joined by Sabrina Warner so it could be completely unrelated to soulmate season.

Snowbury newcomer Ruben Dario has been seen working harder than anyone else in town. Perhaps there might be those that argue different, but he has been seen riding his bicycle away from the grocery at all hours of the night. I’m not sure he sleeps. In other newcomer news, we do have a few new faces but nothing of mention has happened with them. So we would like to cordially welcome Mykel Reid, Diana Geum, and Bridgette Huffman to Snowbury.

[clansayeed]

Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ― Chapter 11: The Auction

PAIRING: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Nadya Al Jamil) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ⥽

While struggling with nightmares of lives she’s never lived, a shadow from the past looming over her city, and the proposed idea that her life may just be a little bit too weird to handle alone, Nadya makes sure to tell herself that everything is perfect just the way it is. If only. When the self-proclaimed King of Vampires (and Maker of her sometimes-girlfriend and always-boss, can’t forget that little tidbit) Gaius Augustine returns intent on claiming Manhattan as the throne that was promised, she and her friends find themselves forced into the task of saving the world. But with millennia-old vampires and an Order of hunters on their heels as well as allies hiding catastrophic secrets at their backs… it won’t be an easy task. Too bad destiny didn’t exactly ask for her input.

Bound by Destiny II and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the Bloodbound series and spin-off, Nightbound. Find out more [HERE].

*Let me know if you would like to be added to the Destiny II tag list!

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

The Amulet is one bid away, but they aren't the only vampires willing to pay whatever cost. Valdas and Isseya have their own ideas about ensuring Gaius' victory... or is it their own? It's hard to tell.

[READ IT ON AO3]

Taylor reaches the pair of vampires before the rest of them can make it down the stairs.

He approaches with an authority one wouldn’t expect to see from someone as human-looking as he is.

“Is there a problem here?” He doesn’t look at Valdas when he speaks — it’s immediately clear he couldn’t give less of a damn what the man has to say. He only cares about Cadence.

Taylor reaches out and places a tentative hand on the taller man’s arm. “Cade, are you okay?” But he doesn’t get an answer.

When Valdas recovers from the shock of being interrupted, he doesn’t come out on the other end nearly as caring as he’d sounded before. “This doesn’t concern you, halfling.”

But Taylor’s the type to take anything, whether it ‘concerns him’ or not, and stick his nose in it regardless.

“Back off, man. I think it’s pretty plain he doesn’t want you around.”

“He doesn’t know what he wants. Get out of my way.”

“Touch me and see what happens.”

With a scoff the vampire reaches for Taylor’s shoulder, and Nadya almost trips in her haste because she’s seen the way Valdas can get when he’s angry. But even the barest touch and she watches in startled awe as Taylor’s shoulder… sparks? Whatever it is it gets Valdas to back off.

“First one’s a freebie. Next time I’m gonna let my trigger-happy boyfriend up there go to town.”

So behind him Valdas watches, uncharacteristically silent as he takes in the sudden ease Cadence feels at the presence of his friend. As Nadya and the others push their way through to the bar she sees the barest shadow of doubt in his eyes before it vanishes without a trace. Replaced by cool nonchalance and an all-too-familiar smug smile.

Only it’s directed a little higher than Nadya’s glare.

“Adrian, you’re looking well.”

Anger flashes over Adrian’s face and he actually draws his fist back ready to swing. “Don’t,” and when Nadya grabs his elbow she knows if he really wanted to she would have just been hurled along for the ride but thankfully it’s enough to stop him, “he’s just baiting you.”

“If he thinks he can just stand there and get away with kidnapping you —”

The smallest furrow creases in Valdas’ brow. “Did I not ensure her safe return?”

“You think that justifies it?!” Adrian practically roars. Around them more and more guests and eager bidders turn away from their conversations and card games to watch the unfolding events.

But if she doesn’t get to yell right now neither does Adrian. It’s only fair.

Taylor gives her a panicked look. “You guys need to cool it or they’ll kick us out.” Calm him down or something, his eyes scream. And in this Nadya hates it — like really really hates it — but she has to agree.

“We can’t risk it Adrian, please.” Because there’s no question as to why Valdas is here; why Isseya is probably somewhere slithering in the shadows. Which means they need a game plan, like, yesterday. “Please, Adrian, come on…”

But Adrian is still tense under her touch. “He’s not worth it.” Though that she says loud enough so more than just the vampires can hear her. “He’s too pathetic for that.”

It would have been nice to see him look anything even on the spectrum of shamed but Valdas just quirks his brow slightly. “Tactful as ever, Miss Nadya.” Then, voice lowered slightly; “You look in good health.”

“Yeah, no thanks to you.” She darts a quick look behind him. “Where’s Isseya?”

“Why do you care?” Valdas asks, genuinely surprised.

“Because she has a funny habit to trying to kill me.”

“There needn’t be any bloodshed tonight — or ever again.”

“You two are the ones who keep resorting to violence.” She can still feel a phantom of the pain where she’d all but been dragged by the hair…

Valdas chances half a step forward; Nadya refuses to trust the false regret in his eyes ever again. “I told you, Nadya, that going forward my acts will not entirely be of my own will.”

“Like I’m supposed to believe you; like you haven’t lied to me over and over again?”

“Perhaps, but where words can lie I’ve found that memories have no choice but to reveal the truth.”

What — does he want her to look into his head again; to push Adrian aside and take his hand and see some hidden truth? No way.

Nadya’s brow furrows, resolute.

“If you were really worth trusting you wouldn’t need to lie at all.”

The vampire’s sigh weighs heavy on his shoulders. He doesn’t get the chance to lie to her again.

The clanging of a gong rings high over their heads and echoes through the center of the club manor-house. Now they really need to get going. Nadya jerks her head for Lily to help her pull Adrian back. Eventually — a little too late in her opinion but better late than never — he eases up. The sharper edges of his eyes seem to smooth out.

He shakes his head as if clearing a fog. “I’m sorry, I just…”

“We’ll talk about it later.” But despite her smile Nadya taps him with the back of her hand. “And we are talking about it later, Adrian.”

It’s a threat as much as it is a promise. He’d better believe it.

“C’mon, Cade,” Taylor tries to coax the man forward with a little push; and Nadya’s pretty sure she’s not supposed to hear the next bit but she’s too close not to catch when Taylor mutters under his breath; “what’s up with you lately, man? You’ve been like this for a month now…”

“It’s nothing.” Cadence replies just shy of a whisper.

“It doesn’t feel like ‘nothing.’”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t go poking around in my emotions.”

“I can’t help that. You’re like a bullhorn in a church.”

They almost make it to the stairs — and a waiting, arms-over-her-chest doesn’t-know-yet-if-she-wants-to-hug-him-or-strangle-him Katherine. Almost.

“It was not my intention to cause you such distress… Cadence.” Valdas calls at their backs; he says the name like it’s acid on his tongue but every other word is sincere enough to make Nadya’s heart hurt in an odd way.

She’s pretty sure if it weren’t for his friends practically forcing him forward Cadence might have actually turned back. Even if only for a moment.

But the only one who does is Lily — and that’s just to give him a finger Nadya doesn’t approve of. But this once she’ll just keep her mouth shut.

Before they get back to Isadora, Lily holds her behind from the others. Adrian is too lost in his own thoughts to notice. Taylor throws them a raised eyebrow, but it’s all good.

Thankfully, her best friend keeps her voice to a low level. The fae with his black box is still skirting around the edges of the booths. They must have something to do with the auction. “Firstly, you make some bonkers friends.”

“You know you’re my friend, right?”

“My point stands.” And yeah, fair, Nadya will give her that. “Second, if Gomez is here there’s no doubt Morticia is somewhere nearby. But what if that means…”

Thankfully there’s no Addams Family analogy equivalent for the hellspawn of all evil that is Gaius Augustine, but Nadya presses a finger up against Lily’s lips anyway. “Don’t… don’t say it.”

On some level all of them probably had that same thought during their miniature confrontation. It’s inevitable.

Lily kisses her finger aside. “You know what I mean, though?” And she sneaks glances about as subtle as the hulking Minotaur stomp-stomping his way across the bar floor down below.

“Yeah, I do. But I don’t think he’s here, Lil’.” I would have felt him.

All the way across that long long table where he couldn’t be denied. No matter what he looked like, Gaius didn’t seem the type to see an event as splendorous as this and find himself content to hide away from the spotlight. “It’s his scene, but I think if he were here we would have known it by now.”

“What, we’d be on our knees worshiping him or something?”

Nadya laughs dry and humorless. “No — we’d be dead.”

They arrive back to the booth in time for the lights cast off from the chandelier to glow a rich white-blue. Isadora unfurls the ever-changing parchment of lots and bids and states the obvious; “It’s beginning…” And suddenly there’s a whole new kind of tension hanging around the exclusive vampire club table.

The first lot is a statue that the auctioneer claims is made from solid ruby. It definitely looks that way, but while the prices jump higher and higher, the bids coming in faster and faster in the pursuit of the luxurious, Nadya can’t fathom who would want it — or why for that matter.

It sells for twelve and a half million dollars to a stone troll wearing, of all things, a cape. She looks like she’s made of pure rubies, herself.

From where he’s perched leaning against their booth, Nadya notices Taylor looking a little paler than before. “You okay?” she whispers.

He nods and tugs at his collar. “Yeah, just thinking of how quickly I could pay off my student loans with that kind of money.”

“Preach.”

Lot the second is a brightly-polished sword. When the goblin offering closer looks comes around their way Nadya can see her reflection clear as day in the flat of the blade… if her reflection were that of a much younger girl with close-cropped hair and the weight of ages pushed deep into the sunken parts of her face gaunt with starvation.

“That’s mine…” she mumbles, and almost finds herself reaching out for it before the goblin snatches it away in yellow-skinned clutches with a sneer.

“To look! Not to touch!”

Nadya yanks her hand back as if stung. Isadora isn’t interested in the blade and waves him off, but she’s too good not to have noticed her little exchange. Not like she’s hiding anything though — after all the woman’s been inside her head. She knows the parts of the story Nadya carefully left out.

Wow, the bids scrolling by on the parchment Adrian watches ever-vigilant sure look fascinating…

The sword sells for 3 million and an added black flame candle to a fae with green tones in their skin. Lily watches the unlit candle trade owners and hands with wide eyes. “You think if we light it we’ll summon Bette Midler?”

Nadya shrugs — at this point anything is possible. Taylor grins and leans in conspiratorially.

“Black flame isn’t so hard,” he whispers with a mischievous grin, “it’s actually a type of fae fire. Remind me to show you before you guys book it back to New York.” And judging by the way Lily’s looking at him she’ll hold him to it — like a ‘literally will not get on the plane until she sees it’ kind of deal.

Lots three-through-five she forgets; obviously they weren’t memorable things. That or whatever’s in the little cocktails an attendant keeps bringing around packs a harder punch than she thought.

Lot six is rusty iron nail and that’s when things start to get weird.

“Sixty!—Seventy-five!—Three hundred!” calls out the auctioneer with barely a breath between them.

And these are in the millions.

Nadya still can’t figure out what’s so awesome about something that looks like it rolled under the shelves at a hardware store when it just becomes a repetitive game with the same two players.

The auctioneer goblin raises his aging, sickly green hand and a hushed silence falls over the entire club. “It seems we have our first bidding war for the night…” And he looks way too gleeful for Nadya’s comfort.

“If the bidders would join us down on the floor, come come…”

She looks to Isadora and Adrian, already in intent discussion about which lot the Amulet could be based on how much people have already thrown out. Cadence might as well be asleep and Katherine…

Katherine shakes her head. “You don’t want to see that, Nadya. Trust me on this one.”

Thank god Lily’s just as confused. “What’s so valuable about a friggin’ nail?”

“It’s what the nail does,” murmurs Cadence; and surprises them all by doing so, “it’s a cursing nail. Old magics banned in New Orleans and likely not practiced outside of the birth places of their magical foci. Whoever takes home the nail takes with them the ability to curse anyone they wish unrepentant.

“The curse could be something as simple and clean-cut as death, or something as vengeful and specific as the cursed person losing everyone they hold even the barest affection for.”

Down below and graciously out of sight comes the screech of breaking glass; the crowd roars and laughs in bloodthirsty delight. Nadya’s really glad she didn’t go watch at the railing, now.

“But if it’s banned here, how can they sell the nail?”

“It’s the act of the magic that’s banned; but the curse can be put in place anywhere in the world. Unfortunately it’s like Lily said…” he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “there’s nothing illegal about a simple nail.”

Nadya watches as a silent and haunted look passes between the city locals. Katherine jerks her chin towards the other side of the balconies and Taylor barely offers Nadya a smile of farewell before he’s racing away like the Devil is chasing him.

“Lot six for a generous six hundred and thirty!”

She didn’t even catch who won.

Maybe that’s for the best.

“Next up we have here a modest luxury to be certain, very pretty very heavy but don’t let that leave you wanting — lot seven, the famed Amulet of Nero.”

Nadya grasps Adrian’s hand on instinct.

While the auctioneer starts talking up the history of the Amulet, the same goblin as before comes around with a heavy wooden case, the lid propped open and the Amulet resting inside. Large and gold with a pendant piece probably half the size of Nadya’s fist; she has no trouble recognizing it at first glance.

It’s hers. Well — Gaius’, but also hers in a way. It calls to her in the same way the sword did and then some. The dark red center stone catches the light and reflects it across all their faces but she feels it like a siren song. Like she wants the light all to herself.

What Nadya didn’t expect was the way it holds everyone else captive as well. Well — everyone but Katherine. She gives it a glance and that’s that but the vampires? They’re transfixed.

With a greedy grin glinting on pointed teeth the goblin strides away to show it off to the next booth of potential buyers. The moment the Amulet is out of sight the effect is immediate; a held breath released across the booth that leaves the humans meeting eyes with the same kind of confused understanding.

“Okay… you guys felt that, right?” Lily asks, and Nadya hasn’t seen her this flushed since she was alive, “Please tell me that wasn’t just me because there is nothing I own that would match that thing.”

Isadora clears her throat and visibly shifts where she sits. Clearly never a woman out of her own control, having it happen twice in the such a short amount of time has her ill at ease. “No — there is a powerful energy to the thing. At least we won’t have to worry about confirming its authenticity.”

“Which means the Trinity know it’s the real deal, too.” Nadya says. She doesn’t want to, but ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. Trust her — she’s tried.

Adrian runs a hand over his mouth; his expression hard to read and Nadya doesn’t like not knowing what’s going on his head for this long. Frankly he’s been acting strange ever since they touched down in Louisiana but now isn’t the time for her to start up an argument about that. Once they have the Amulet safe and in hand, though…

“Are you ready?” When he doesn’t look up Nadya nudges his shoulder with hers. “Adrian, if this is gonna be too much —”

“Double the starting bid.” He says instead; and Isadora nods in agreement.

That answers that, I guess.

The auctioneer starts at fifty thousand. Isadora scribbles their bid down on the bespelled parchment. Not a breath after—

“Three million.”

The pen breaks in her grasp. Wordlessly Adrian pulls one from his breast pocket and all but shoves it at her.

Awesome. Really just… super great.

Three million. Then four. Then six — ten — one hundred. Every time the number goes up even the slightest bit—bam—a number almost unreasonably high. But there’s no question as to who’s to blame.

But as she watches the Trinity alone in their booth on the far side of the floor it becomes more and more obvious that their calm is nothing more than a ruse. Sure they rest against the richness of Persephone like they belong but their drinks are untouched, the tension enough to deter attendees and attendants alike. Nadya has a feeling you don’t need to be psychic to feel the energy coming off of them in waves of approach and die.

One thing’s for certain: the Trinity’s tactic of throwing larger numbers out of left field works quickly to deter anyone who might have a passive interest in winning. While all the other lots had taken up decent chunks of the passing hours, the Amulet of Nero is already halfway to one billion dollars in under ten minutes.

Isadora bumps up their bid by a meager million. Immediately Nadya looks across the way again.

Isseya and Valdas whisper together, heads lowered and in an intense debate. If she didn’t know any better she might even call it an argument — one that obviously can’t be that bad since it ends in a firm kiss pressed to the vampiress’ forehead.

She eases herself out of the booth shortly after. Turns back and lets one last longing look pass between them before disappearing around a roped-off doorway — and deeper into Persephone’s depths.

Really, Nadya tries not to let herself dwell on the whole thing. After all even vampires have to go powder their noses, right? But then Valdas rolls up his scroll and sets it aside. The auctioneer doesn’t call out a counter to Isadora’s most recent bid.

“In an unprecedented turn of events a bidding war has… been requested,” he says instead, and its obvious his scaling lips curl around the words with no small amount of confusion, “but does the opposing party accept?”

Valdas abandons the booth as well. Nadya is so trained on his every step that she doesn’t feel her body being moved until Adrian is gently pushing her aside; face set grim and determined.

“Adrian…”

But he barely spares her a look back. “Everything will be fine Nadya, I promise.” But there are no promises, not here. Not when there are two thousand years separating him and Valdas and not one of those in Adrian’s favor.

“The bidders will be joining us on the main floor, if they please.”

Nadya nudges Katherine’s leg under the table. “Kathy — quick — what’s back there?”

The Nighthunter follows her eyes to the doorway Isseya had vanished through. “Just the rest of the club,” she answers (unhelpfully), “party rooms, play rooms, bedrooms; that sort of stuff. But it looks closed off for the auction.”

“And what happens to a lot once the bidding is finished?”

“The house keeps it until the end of the night. Gives people time if they bid more than they have on them.” She looks Nadya over with a frown. “Why?”

The two vampires reach the opposing staircases at the same time.

“I suppose there’s nothing that could sway you?” asks Valdas.

Adrian scoffs. “And if I gave you the same offer?”

“I would say yes.”

There’s an unrepentant honesty that almost—almost—makes Adrian falter. It’s brief, and maybe you wouldn’t even notice it if you didn’t know him very well. But Nadya does.

He can do this.

The least she can do is be just as brave. “I think Isseya’s gone to steal the Amulet while everyone’s focused on the fight.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Isadora demands and all but kicks them up on their feet. “Go, I will keep an eye on Raines, make sure he doesn’t get himself killed. Try and do the same.”

Finding Isseya ends up being easier than they expected. All they have to do is follow the trail of blood and goblin bodies and it’s like breadcrumbs right to her. Through the winding maze of Persephone, down some back stairs and through a literal giant metal vault door just chilling at the end of a corridor like it has any reason being there at all.

The vampiress stands the picture of serene in the center of a bloodbath. The club had spared no expense on guards and she had cut through them all without so much as a snag in her dress.

It’s telling that Nadya isn’t the least bit surprised by any of this. She’s come to expect brazen violence from the likes of them.

Katherine’s the one with the stake but its Cadence who puts himself in front of them. “Give us the Amulet and no one has to get hurt.”

She looks up with a raised eyebrow and a deadpan frown.

“Okay — no one else.”

The Amulet’s golden chain is wrapped around her clenched fist. She could easily carve a path through them all; leave no human, vampire, or Nighthunter left standing. But instead she lets the Amulet hang at her side and stares at them all in disdain.

“I don’t know how he can stand the sight of you.”

There’s no question to whom she is referring, and judging by the way Cadence raises his chin defiantly he knows it just the same.

“Feeble, weak, a bleeding heart…” her words catch in her throat, “but it’s our hearts that are bleeding. And you stand there regardless; an abomination. You don’t care. Nobody does.”

Nadya feels both Katherine and Lily reach for her, try to stop her, but she bats them away. Approaches to stand beside Cadence and the weight and burning rage of the eyes that snap to her is a pain she’s become familiar with by now.

“Please…” Though it would help if Nadya knew what she was even asking for.

Isseya barks a humorless laugh. “Pathetic — the first chance you’re given and what do you do with it? You grovel. I should expect nothing less of a human but maybe… maybe some part of me hoped you would understand. You’re the only one who could.”

Which, okay, now she’s a little insulted. “I’ve been trying to understand, Isseya. I’ve been trying to understand from the beginning. But you guys sure don’t make it easy, do you?”

Baiting the unstable vampire probably isn’t her smartest move. Not that it stops her.

“I just don’t get it.”

“Color me surprised…”

Surprising even to herself, Nadya shakes off her hesitation and fixes Isseya with a stern glare. “Why are you doing this, why are you helping Gaius? You obviously hate him, you don’t need to be a vampire to see that. That whole night he treated you like dirt; you and Valdas both. Why—Why even set him free?”

“Because he is the Godmaker. And we’ve exhausted all other options.”

“Options for what,” asks Lily, bewildered, “world domination?”

“For getting back what we lost.” Isseya fixates on the Amulet, entranced by the way the gemstone catches the light as it comes to a lazy halt.

But Nadya isn’t having it. “Nope, not good enough. I tried to help you — I met with him that night because I wanted to help you. If you think the evil vampire jerkface is your ‘only option’ then that’s just because you keep betraying anyone who might actually want to help.”

“You speak to me of betrayal?”

She flings a hand outward and Nadya feels Katherine tense behind her, ready to spring into action. But no attack comes; just the Amulet of Nero dangling awkwardly from her grasp and an accusatory finger pointed at the vampire beside her. “You stand beside him and dare to speak to me of betrayal?”

Before Nadya can even process what to say to that, a strange look catches in Isseya’s eye. She rolls her wrist and undoes the hold she has on the Amulet’s chain to let it hang on one finger. The world’s most dangerous offering.

“Screw the Godmaker, screw our debt. I’ll give you the Amulet right here and now — with but a single demand.”

Nobody steps forward because nobody trusts that.

Still… Nadya can’t not know. “And that is?”

“Fix him.”

The Trinity vampire nearly chokes on her words; so thick they’re practically in a different tongue and they may very well have been at first. But the disgust written in every inch of her skin radiates of hurt; of loss. Nadya doesn’t want to but she can feel the sting of Isseya’s tears in her own eyes.

“Fix him,” she repeats, “because you are her. You’ve found his memories before and you can do so again.” The Amulet sways with her trembling hand. “Do that, little Bloodkeeper, and we have no more reason to help him, no matter his wrath. He cannot take more from us than we have already lost.”

Shame burns in Nadya’s cheeks when she feels the weight of Cadence’s focus on her. Fear and confusion and anger coming from all sides and she wants nothing more than to fall on the ground and try to bear the brunt of it all without breaking on the inside.

But how exactly does she tell the grieving woman she has no idea what to do, or how to do it? Probably with the same personal responsibility and defeat with which she’s going to have to tell everyone she had a chance… and couldn’t take it.

“There’s nothing to fix, crazy bitch.”

Katherine doesn’t give Nadya the chance to find the right words. She launches the stake over Nadya’s shoulder but it goes wide, too wide, and collides with the wall a few inches too far from Isseya’s head.

Isseya who glances down as the wood clatters to the floor and rolls near her heels; utterly and painfully useless. “What a pathetic weapon.”

“But a decent distraction.”

One second Cadence is there and the next he isn’t; he’s across the room and drops down to swipe Isseya’s legs out from under her. She falls and it would be comical if Nadya wasn’t familiar with what she could do when angered, which means Katherine gets little resistance when she flings an arm out as a gesture for Nadya and Lily to keep back.

And as expected Isseya recovers too quick; grabs Cadence’s exposed ankle and pulls him hard enough to lose his stance and land prone beneath her.

“Don’t make me do this, Cyn’!” she snarls and struggles to hold him down. With a grunt the man wrenches an arm free and grasps her lower jaw in a bone-breaking hold.

“How… dare you!”

Something snaps and Isseya cries out in pain, giving Cadence a chance he doesn’t waste to hurl her away and into the back wall with brute force. Her collision isn’t pretty; large cracks forming in the wall and brick dust kicking up around the fighting immortals.

There’s a clatter… and Nadya catches sight of a red shine out of the corner of her eye. The Amulet.

Before she can rush to grab it though, a strong hand pulls her back by the shoulder. Katherine’s expression is grim-set and trained on Cadence with an uncomfortable stillness. She doesn’t let up on Nadya.

“Kathy, what are you doing? We can get it — it’s right there!”

“Too close,” comes her reply; barely a whisper, “wait it out.”

What it is isn’t clear until she, too, focuses on the fighting vampires. Tension rippling off both of them, Isseya’s dress torn and covered in debris. Yet Nadya’s never seen such a wild look in anything even remotely human. Not even when Vega was hunting her down like a lion to a gazelle.

No, not quite right. She’s seen it before — just not through her eyes; not as herself.

A wide grin blooms slowly around the woman’s fangs, blood between the spaces of her teeth and dribbling wetly from her mouth. Different than all the other times she’s seen that particular look of maniacal delight… Nadya is quickly forced to come to terms with the fact that she’s seeing, for the first time in decades, pure joy lit in Isseya’s face.

Though she has every chance to tear Cadence away from where he pins her just slightly off of the ground, instead a tender hand caresses his cheek.

“There you are… beloved. I’ve missed you so much.”

He waits. Or… she’s waiting. The tension is enough to make Nadya want to choke but no one is doing anything.

“We thought we’d lost you,” the tips of her fingers leave powdery stains over his bottom lip, “but you can come home…”

“Cade.”

It’s like Katherine’s voice breaks him from a spell. He jerks away from the other vampire’s touch violently, forces himself back and watches in a twisted form of grief as she slumps to her knees.

“I —” she’s crazed, she’s distraught, she’s still the enemy but the way he looks at his hands and doesn’t understand why they are red from brick dust — he would never have hurt her in his right mind, “— I didn’t… I’m sorry.”

The Amulet’s chain crunches under his shoe; Cadence bends swiftly to pick it up and secure the pendant. With every step he takes back, away from her; a little more light leaves Isseya’s eyes.

Slowly Katherine pries the Amulet from him and hands it off to Nadya. Like their win doesn’t even matter — all her focus is on her friend. “It was the cage all over again, Kathy.” He whispers.

“I know,” but she doesn’t sound any less certain than he does, “but… we’ve got it. We gotta go.”

We gotta go.

Adrian.

It’s against her better judgment that Nadya glances back one last time before they close the vault door; the only thing they can attempt to keep Isseya from following them back to the auction.

She sees the woman stand and try to brush the stains from her dress. She sees her toe off her broken heel. She sees her glance up and meet Nadya eye for eye.

Lily helps Cadence shoulder the door closed. The echo of metal sliding into place chills her to the bone.

Twice now Nadya has inadvertently been the reason Adrian ended up injured so severely he couldn’t immediately heal. Which is, in her opinion, two times too many.

“What do you mean he forfeited?” Lily demands, and manages to look at least a little sheepish at the glare her tone gets. “Not that it totally, you know, makes every bit of ass kicked less worth it.”

Adrian glances at her through a purpling eye. “Thanks… I think.”

But even what hoarse whisper he manages seems to be too much, so Isadora answers in his stead. “He gave a rousing good show, Raines too,” she meets his glare with a bemused smirk of her own, “though the violence certainly went on much longer than necessary. But when the crowd came to understand the staggering difference in strengths they quickly lost interest.”

She rests a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “It seems to me he battered you within an inch of your life so you couldn’t get up.”

Off to the side, Ryder cracks his neck. “Yeah, you’re a lot heavier than you look.”

Nadya fiddles with the Amulet of Nero deep in her jacket pocket. “Then Valdas just… forfeited?”

“Well it was either that or finish the job.”

And she’s glad that wasn’t the case. She pries one hand away from the pendant and reaches out to where Adrian lay, prone and aching, across the short back seat of Isadora’s limousine. “It wasn’t for nothing, but I’m still so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he rasps, and manages to lift his hand enough for her to grab it, “like you said… it wasn’t for nothing.”

“Just be glad Vera was able to get the house to call an intermission before they put two and two together.”

Taylor leans back in his seat and rests his head on Ryder’s shoulder. If only that alleviated some of the worry in his eyes. “If that Isseya chick killed as many goblins as you say the Council is gonna be called in to deal with it.”

Lily frowns. “But we locked her in the vault. Practically pulled a Batman and handed her to them on a silver platter.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.”

The occupants all look her way, and with no small amount of worry Nadya recounts the sight of Isseya able to stand on her own two feet right before the door closed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was gone by the time they even found out what she’d done, or what lot was missing.”

Adrian shifts and winces in pain. “That kind of strength… would definitely be enough to knock down a brick wall.”

And yet Cadence held her back like she was a rag doll. A thought Lily and Nadya both share in uncertain glances.

Ideally she wants to follow Katherine and Cadence into the night, off to where they secreted away while everyone (read: Nadya but loudly) was fussing over Adrian’s wounds. But he needed to heal so they could leave for New York as soon as possible, and that meant returning to Flechette with Isadora.

The woman glances out of the tinted window by her head to watch the French Quarter pass them by. “Relish your victory, however temporary,” she says with a sigh, “and ensure that it is made permanent when you return home.”

Nadya’s grip tightens on the Amulet so hard the metal bites at her skin.

“We will.”

[mischiefarchive]

ABOUT THE CHARACTER. 

i. introduction :

･ﾟﾟ･｡ ( tommy martinez, cis male, he & him ) — 𝒉𝒐𝒈𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 ARCADIUS ‘CADE’ YAXLEY, the ELEVENTH year SLYTHERIN student ! i hear that the TWENTY-ONE year old is known to be ENDEARING and ADAPTABLE and also very CALLOUS and SELF-SERVING. however, if you ask me, the fact that they are a HALF VAMPIRE and leaning towards the side of the DEATH EATERS is a lot more telling.

TRIGGERS MENTIONED: blood, abuse, confinement. 

ii. musings workshop :

half vampire traits.

APPEARANCE.

mildly exaggerated fangs 

paler skin 

look human 

STRENGTHS. 

heightened senses 

greater physical resilience 

longer lifespan 

WEAKNESSES.

sensitive to the sun/daylight & garlic

wooden stakes 

blood lust 

fun facts.

he has an older half brother named corban. 

though he doesn’t feed from humans, he enjoys blood lollipops as well as blood wine, a creation of his. 

he doesn’t care much for others, though he’d never say it outright, he feels as though most are beneath him, purebloods included, though he knows better than to voice that thought aloud to purebloods. 

he enjoys living a life of luxury and has built a brand of himself, taking on his own version of an influencer within the wizarding world. 

he loves making a scene, flashing his riches, and using them to his advantage.

Biography 

The Yaxley family was a close knit family, one that by all means gave off the persona of the perfect pureblood family. With doting parents who birthed not one but two perfect boys, or so it seemed. Everyone seemed to envy the family. But what goes on behind closed doors is a much, much darker tale. Vidar Yaxley, Arcadius' father was raised on the family motto of; tough love hurts, but it's good for you, a motto he later instilled within his own family. It started with his older brother, Corban. Any time either stepped out of line, they were punished. From spankings to lashings, obeying his parents was law. At an early age, the two brothers were only allowed to play and spend time with a certain group of approved children. Otherwise, they were locked in the house, given lessons on dark magic, spending countless hours learning to recite spells, duel, both with one another and on an array of targets. They were both potential heirs, but of course, only one would be right for the title and they had to fight for it. Both had to be strong, grow thick skin and carry the name and family with pride.

And as far as both Yaxley brothers knew, they were as pure as could be, unlike the mongrels that filled the street. Expected to exude a "too good for the likes of you" persona. Poisoned with these ideas, Cade has always been pretentious and haughty, sometimes far too much so for his own good. It’s rumored that if he was to view himself in the mirror of erised -it’ll be an image of a golden crown sitting on his perfectly groomed hair. But all of that changed as Cade reached the age of seven. It began with his skin paling and a constant migraine-like headache pain that shot from his jaw area to his head, worsened when the summer months rolled along.

Keeping him sheltered and locked up in the house, Vidar only allowed for trusted healers to come and test him, until the worst was revealed and the truth of Cade's mother, Kjersti Yaxley's affair came to life. Not only had she slept with someone else, but a VAMPIRE at that. This boy that Vidar had raised as if he were his own flesh and blood was an abomination, a reminder of his betrayal, but still he refused to allow the wizarding world to find out. After releasing his rage and fury on both Kjersti and Cade, Vidar began a new kind of training for Cade. He was no longer in the running to be his heir, of course, but now he could be trained into becoming a weapon. It was better this way. The last thing he wanted in the papers was a story of how his wife had an affair on him with a monster, it was one thing for a man to have an affair, but another thing entirely for a woman to. It was despicable. He'd have become the laughing stock.

Once Hogwarts came around, Cade was appreciative of the break from his father and the nightmare that was his new home life, he even enjoyed being around his brother again. The two got along while in school, after all, they were the only two had lived through what they had. Their relationship remained strong well into Cade's fith year. But, it was truly Cade's third year that had started the shift, the change in him and distancing from his family. It was during a visit in Hogsmeade, that Cade crossed paths with a man that carried a vague familiarity to him, someone he was almost drawn to. That man, later turned out to be his real father and a vampire, someone that would be able to show him the ropes of how to handle his urges, how to deal with all that came with being a half vampire. It was almost too good to be true, or so it felt, but Cade started to learn a lot about himself through his visits with Magne Blanc. He started to believe he wasn't a monster at all. But, in time, it would be revealed that he was just as bad, if not worse than Vidar.

It was a gradual transition, but in due time, Cade changed from boy with a prince like complex to a dark, moody boy. At first, it was brushed off as being teenage boy behavior by professors and his parents, though still punished at every outburst by Vidar. But then came the day when Cade announced he was leaving the Yaxley Manor and instead live with his father.

Now, years later, he's put both families behind him and lives on his own and has once again returned to the mindset of having a prince like complex, only this time it was of his own doing. He would show both where they went wrong in creating a true monster out of him. Cade is now living his life for one person, and one person alone and that is himself. Everything is a bargain and unless there’s a personal benefit - you can forget about it.

Personality:

A prince complex is one of many ways to describe Arcadius Yaxley. He's, however, a king in his mind and a king does not converse with peasants. That's right, peasants. Though he will never openly show it, deep down, he doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, unless of course, you're a pureblood or connected and someone that will help in his rise to power. He will throw threats where he deems fits, but more so than that, Cade will manipulate people into his puppets, his minions. He never quite learned that humans had feelings, not ever being shown love in a traditional sense, how could he have? Those that know him, and know him well, can catch those glimpses of evil sparkling in the depths of his emerald eyes.

He throws money at his problems. It does the job, why worry when he's swimming in gold? The value of gold, while important, seems endless with him. His haughty air inflates his arrogant demeanor. He will only get his hands dirty if he absolutely must. But if he can, he definitely prefers to order someone else to take care of the problem. His attitude has been groomed since childhood. But what can you do when you've been brainwashed all your life to think you were entitled to everything and anything?

iii. other info :

slug club, prefect, vice president of slug club.