#Having a friend willing to commit treason is a blessing and a curse

[insanity6666]

Molten Hearts 1.5

An interlude before we get to the Big Guy himself.

After reaching your quarters to hide and process, a friend comes to your unexpected aid in an unexpected way.

Part 1

(Pardon if the link to the first one doesn't work I am still new to editing posts and the like)

Warnings, if any: There is alcohol, but they only get mildly drunk/buzzed.

You blinked up at the ceiling, as you had for the past hour, clutching your pillow, as you lay sprawled haphazardly upon your bed. You had stopped crying thirty minutes ago, and had gotten over the manic giggle fit around ten minutes back as the ridiculousness of the situation finally hit you.

You were proposed to.

By accident.

By Vulkan.

“Salt and Stars.” You groaned, shoving the pillow in your face to muffle the sound as it devolved into either a sob or hiccup or laugh or… something. You’re not quite sure. But it was dramatic, which you think you’re allowed to be, considering the circumstances.

How did this even happen? How did you end up married, technically, to a Primarch?

‘Oh fuck,’ You sit up, launching your pillow halfway across the room as you did, as you realise, ‘There had been witnesses. His sons had been right there!’ 

“Oh for fucksakes…!” You whined, diving into overdramatic cries as you buried your face in your hands. This was a diplomatic incident waiting to happen! What the hell were you supposed to do? How were you to explain this? To anyone? Vulkan, the bastard, doesn’t even realise the situation he’s put you in. Perfectly oblivious to the incident that’s primed like a bomb ready to go off at the slightest disturbance, and it had rested right upon your head all the way back to your quarters.

Another realisation.

Shit. Shit!

You had walked all the way to your quarters. While wearing the circlet. Oh shit. Oh fuck. Ohdeargodhadanyoneseenyou-

A hiss cut through your thoughts as a figure strutted through the doorway. Mitzi, another remembrancer recruited from your home planet, waltzed in carrying a bag no doubt laden with dubiously-acquired spoils. The shorter woman stopped dead at the sight of you, mid-panic, and announced plainly-

“Glad I got the good stuff.” 

-Before she unceremoniously dumped the contents on the bed, making a show of all she had managed to get. You also spied a bottle of something familiar, and almost cried at the sight. It was the good stuff, too. 

“I’ll get the glasses.” You say, even though you’re tempted to just drink from the bottle. However you just made a new set of drinking glasses and you figured you might as well use them now.

“Why get glasses when its already in glass?” Mitzi teased as she settled on the bed, arranging the pillows and settling in as she began to sort the food and drinks she had brought in. You quickly joined her, jumping on the bed and ruining her work to sort the packages by size and colour.

“I could make an argument for civility, but really if I take that bottle, you aren’t getting it back.” You joke with a sly smile, handing over a glass that had sections tinted so it looked like a salamander beast was weaving around the glass from within. A little on the nose, but it was mostly for practice and they turned out better than you expected. So you kept it as a personal set.

Mitzi blew a raspberry as she took the offered glass, and immediately set about pouring herself an unhealthy amount of alcohol, and handed the bottle to you. You also poured an unseemly amount of alcohol into your cup, and you both tapped the glasses together with a happy ‘cheers!’ before downing half your cups and descending upon the hapless snacks piled between you two.

Thankfully, as you both wiled your time away with good food and drink, your friend didn’t ask about what had put you in such a state when she walked in. Curious, most certainly, by the looks she kept giving you. She would ask, eventually, if you didn’t speak up, but she was kind enough to keep her curiosity in check at least for a while yet.

Something you were thankful for. It allowed you to ignore, and even forget a few times, the box sitting quietly on your desk somehow impossible not to notice, even when turned away from it. 

You giggled into your cup, refilled and emptied twice, and would need a third refill soon. Mitzi was cackling as she recounted her time confusing a young Salamander when she explained darkrooms and why they’re needed to process light sensitive photos and pictures. He had been confused on how she did that, as baselines don’t have night-vision, and trying to explain the special red lights and why she can’t use night vision goggles.

“I’ll be back.” Mitzi muttered between giggles as she slipped off the bed and stumbled to your bathroom, cursing as she tripped over her own feet. You weren’t sure if it was from the alcohol or it was just clumsiness… or her legs were asleep, from the weird way she had been sitting… or lying. She wasn’t sure what position Mitzi had been in, but it didn’t look comfortable.

You closed your eyes as you finished off your drink, pleasantly buzzed and beginning to lean towards being drunk, especially if you kept going. Which you would, most likely. Enjoy this levity before you donned your armour and gear and went out to the battlefield with Mitzi and the others, to record the events and witness the deeds of those who fought to protect humanity and the Imperium.

You dataslate dinged, somewhere beneath the pillows, and it took a while to dig it out but you did. You smiled when you saw it was from Vulkan, and cradled your cheek with your palm as you braced the dataslate against one of the pillows.

Opening the message, you read the ‘The preparations are taking longer than expected. Unfortunately we will have to reschedule our plans. I’m sorry to make you wait.’ he had sent, disappointed but not surprised. You expected this, really, and probably shouldn’t have offered in the first place, but you wanted to give him a moment of reprieve. He worked so hard, and always seemed to be doing something, never resting. Never making time for himself. Granted, you don’t know the truth of that, as you don’t spend all your time with him. But you would like to give him that, to carve out time to let him relax, to not be a Primarch or Warlord. Just Vulkan. A father. A friend. 

You type a quick reply, assuring him that there was no need for apologies and that now you have something to look forward to after the battle. A reminder to rest, and to be safe, you added on impulse that was probably aided by the alcohol running through your veins. 

As you send it before you can think better of it, you hear the door to your bathroom hiss open and close. You’re staring at the screen when you hear Mitzi’s curious coo, and the click of a latch being undone. You realise too late what is happening, and the warmth in your blood and haziness in your head turns to ice-cold clarity with the bolt of panic when you hear:

“What the fuck.” 

Flinging yourself into a sitting position, you see Mitzi -the fucking sticky beak that she is- holding the box contraining the cause of your crisis. She is staring at it with a blank, if bewildered, expression. As though she cannot comprehend what she is looking at. You understand the feeling, but right now you just feel annoyed and panicked as you stand.

Walking over, you quickly snap the lid shut and lift the box from your friends hands, and place it back on the desk.

Back to reality, then.

Turning to face the music, you are instead faced with your friends scream of “What the fuck is that?” that was hopefully muffled by the walls of your quarters.

“A circlet.” You state, suddenly feeling petulant. Your irritation at your friend's inability to keep her hands to herself makes your tone more snappish than you meant.

“Yeah, no shit.” Mitzi snarled, more incredulous than anything. “Who proposed? When? Why didn’t you say anything?” Her tone turned more to hurt, no doubt thinking you had been keeping secrets about your relationship status.

“Nobody-” You try, stop, and try again, “It’s not- Salt and Stars! It’s not what it looks like.” You grab Mitzi’s hands with your own, squeezing them. “You know that if I was with anyone, you would be the first to know. If you don’t find out first because you’re a terrible snoop, I would tell you before anyone else.” You speak with all the conviction you can muster, which seems to be enough as Mitzi’s hackles lower as she listens.

“Honey, that is a marriage circlet. How is that not a proposal? Or…” she looks down at the box, eyes suddenly suspicious and slightly panicked, “It wasn’t a proposal? Are you married?”

“No.” You say immediately, but you pause as you remember the events. “Maybe…?” You sigh, closing your eyes. “It’s complicated.”

“How?” Mitzi tsk’s before shaking her head slightly, “More importantly. Who?” She presses, eyes focused on you with the same kind of intensity she gets with her craft.

“Vulkan.” You admit easily, knowing that Mitzi would rather face the cold void of space than share a secret between you two. You would do the same.

Mitzi blinked.

And blinked again.

“Vulkan.” Her question is more a statement, but you nod anyway. “Vulkan proposed to you.”

“No. He didn’t.” You say, already exhausted by this conversation.

“He gave you the circlet. You accepted. You’re married.”

“No, Mitzi.” You sigh, releasing her hands to cover your face with your own. “We’re not.”

“How come? Don’t tell me it’s some stupid ‘symbolic’ thing where he’s not committed to you, because if it is I’m going to have to go into hiding after I kill-”

“Mitzi! Don’t even joke about that!” “I’m not.”

Both warmed and concerned by Mitzi’s loyalty, and ease in admitting she would so readily try to kill a nigh-immortal giant, you try to steer the conversation away from treason.

“Regardless. That wasn’t his intent. Nor was marriage.”

“How could that be anything but intent for marriage?”

“He’s Nocturnean, Mitzi.” You try, gently, to lead your friend down the right trail of thought.

“Yes?”

“He’s not from our planet.” You push.

“And?” Mitzi snapped, crossing her arms. You raise your head enough to level her with a look.

“He’s not from our culture.” You try again. Shoving this time. Hoping she gets the point.

“Oh, by the Skies, you care about that?”

…

‘Mitzi you dumbass’, you think as you grab your friend by the shoulders. “Our ways are not his, Mitzi. He doesn’t know what it means.”

The silence that followed was empty and heavy as your friend processed.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, shit.”

“I know.”

“You’re fucked.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to tell him?” She asked, which was the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? You groan as you rub at your temples, eyes lingering on the box that held the exquisite circlet.

“I have to.” You say quietly. “He’s going to find out sooner or later. Better that it comes from me.”

“But…?” Mitzi presses gently, knowing there's more to it.

“I love him.” You admit. “I really, really do. I didn’t expect it, certainly not with a Primarch, and I was happy to just admire him from afar, to be his friend. Then he gives me this, oblivious as you please and he looked so sad when I froze, but then he looked so happy when I accepted and what else could I do? His sons were there and I know I should have spoken up but I panicked and then he put it on my head and I tried not to say the words but they kind of slipped out but they weren’t the exact words, and I know I have to tell him but we're about to enter a warzone and I can’t talk to him about this right now because it could distract him, but more than that what if he gets mad? What if he thinks I’m trying to trap him or that I lied to him? What if he doesn’t want to be friends anymore? What-”

A hand covers your mouth, and you blink at your friend as she stares at you with wide eyes.

“Okay. I see why you were… in a state, before.” Mitzi starts slowly, because admittedly she’s not on this side of the equation. Normally, you are the one acting as the voice of reason in their duo. “From what I know of his character, Vulkan wouldn’t react like that. If anything, he’d probably feel bad for putting you in that situation. You’re assuming the worst possible outcomes, honey, and I feel like that’s unfair to both of you.” She says, lowering her hand and looking at you carefully. Her eyes tell you she’s weighing her next words.

“What if… he doesn’t mind? Sure, maybe embarrassed and apologetic, but not upset. What if, after you explain it, he’s fine with it? What if it’s the opposite of all your fears? You can just return the circlet” You both cringe at the words, uncomfortable, “and after an adjustment period you can go back to being friends like normal. Or… as normal as you two get.”

“As someone who is also my friend, I feel like that says something about you as well.”

“Oh, I know I’m weird. I also know you're deflecting.”

You grumble, annoyed that your friend knows you so well. However, she does have a point. All you have to do is get a moment alone with him, explain everything, and… give back the circlet. 

It shouldn’t hurt that much just thinking about it. It was just a gift. Nothing more. 

It can’t be anything more.

“Come on. Let’s get drunk and eat our way into a food coma. Then in the morning, we’ll help with the preparations. Then, war. And then, you find your moment with him.” The way Mitzi said ‘find your moment with him’, you can’t help but feel like she’s not just talking about explaining the situation.

However, the lure of soothing your pending heartbreak -and your nerves for the upcoming battle- was too strong for you to think more on it. Instead you went straight back to your spot, and decided to forgo your glass and just chug it straight from the bottle like an uncultured heathen.

The future is uncertain, and you will face this trial eventually, but you feel lighter now that you have spoken your troubles, and more prepared with Mitzi’s guidance. Tomorrow will come with duties and dangers, but tonight you enjoy the simple revelry of good food, good drink, and good company.

***

@incrediblethirst, @kit-williams, @beckyninja, @bleedingichorhearts, @jaghatai-khock, @pluvio-tea, @moodymisty, @thethronezone, @iluminatka16 Hope you enjoyed the Interlude! Hope you're ready because I'm not! Up next up is Vulkan's POV, so we'll see how well we do. I make no promises, beyond the fact it will be adorable (probably).

Until next time!

(Also if anyone does or does not want to be tagged pls let me know.)

[velvetwarfare]

omg recent events has me excited to finally deep dive into the topic of ✨ obsession ✨ concerning betty

So!! Here’s a fucking lore dump for you lovely freaks.

Vampiric obsession is one of my favorite traits to portray because it’s simultaneously a blessing and a curse to have a vampire select you as their muse.

- Vampiric obsession can manifest on just about anything. A person, an object, multiple people, etc. Once they latch onto it, it’s essentially going ‘my precious’ . If someone fucks w said object or people, they are more than likely going to die in a very tragic manner.

- Vampires are TERRITORIAL, VICIOUS, AND ADDICTS. What’s theirs is theirs. They will rate whatever they want whenever they please and they will fight bloody tooth and nail for their ‘property’. Nosferatu in particular are all of these — just amplified.

That’s what Betty is. A nosferatu strand. Nosferatu are uncommon and defective for the most part — as most vampires are more tame and human in nature, as opposed to the nosferatu who resemble animals and depend on their feral nature.

So. Think of a mama bear protecting her cubs. A dragon hoarding her gold. Now think of said bear mauling several people limb from limb. A dragon scorching whoever dares to touch her gold. That’s how Betty’s obsession functions.

- “Love turns into hungry obsession, while friendship becomes bitter jealousy. In place of emotion, vampires pursue physical symbols of what they crave, so that a vampire seeking love might fixate on a young beauty. Ones fascinated with power and control may seek to create a vast host of thralls. Others surround themselves with art, books, or sinister items such as torture devices or trophies from creatures they have killed.”

- Having her as an obsessed ally is a blessing because she’s going to be willing to do just about ANYTHING for approval and love. The chances of her committing treason is very low. She will kill for you — friend or foe, it doesn’t matter. She’s willing to drop someone at a single moment’s notice if her muse deems it necessary. You now have your own person attack dog.

Should the muse own her soul, they by proxy also own the beast. The beast will not attack the muse and acts as an even worse body guard. Congrats.

- But this also comes with the consequences.

It’s obsession. She’ll get envious very easily of other people. Might start saying ‘you’re mine’ and get extremely defensive over it. Very clingy, very attached, overwhelming.

It’s common for her to want to mark her muse up — masked as sexual appetite, she just wants to brand them as her own and feel the satisfaction of securing that property. Muses are both seen as property and a person.

- She’ll remember you in every life. Obsessions need to be personally broken — she has to choose to let the muse go. Killing her will not do it in.

Think of Strahd from curse of strahd. His obsession with Tatyana literally extended to all of her reincarnations and he attempted to woo each one — and murder anyone around her that tried to keep her from him. That’s the best source you’ll get for vampiric obsession and how Betty’s mindset works. The only way he broke that obsession was by either making that mental decision to let her go or get killed permanently.

But hey! If you’re a lover of hers and you like that sick shit, you got someone who’s going to spend eternity with you and will always stay loyal!