#please vlad raises her pay !

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Catwoman's new sidekick (dc x dp)

This is very loosely inspired by this prompt. Enjoy the blurb:)

Danny didn’t really like guns. Not the ecto-weapons his parents made, but the actual bullet-filled guns. He knew how to use them, as that was what his parents had based themselves off of to create their own ectoplasm-powered version of it, but he didn’t like them. So when he’d found one not only loaded, but with the safety off in his apartment’s garbage bin, he’d plan to take it and go throw it in the river to make sure nobody would get to use it. Danny wasn’t exactly shocked to see it, this was Gotham after all, but it was a bit of a nasty surprise to say the least. It wasn’t like it could really hurt him anymore, it seemed halfas had a sort of built-in instinct for going intangible (which had explained why the Nasty-Burger-explosion-that-never-happened hadn’t affected him despite being taken completely by surprise).

Not to mention he was already in a bad mood at the news that Vlad was in the city right now for some rich guy nonsense, which Danny was 100% sure meant the fruitloop was going to come by to bother him at some point in the next few days.

“Hello, Daniel,” came Vlad’s voice from behind him as if summoned.

“Get away from me, you creep,” Danny answered, not turning around. Instead, he started walking in the opposite direction.

“Is that anyway to talk to your unckie Vlad?” The man said with his smarmy tone. “And I came by such a long way to come see you.”

“You saw me, now you can leave.” Danny didn’t bother turning his head as Vlad caught up so they were walking side by side.

The billionaire tsked as he looked around. “It’s such a shame you live in such a poor neighbourhood. You know the offer to pay for your tuition is still open.”

“Not in a million years,” Danny answered dryly.

“You’re just as stubborn as my dear Madeleine used to be,” Vlad sighed and Danny felt the disgust twist his features into a grimace.

“Still being a creepy disgusting old loner, Vlad?” Danny snarked. “How many cats are you on, number 5?”

There was flash of anger in the older man’s eye before he smirked. “And how is dear Danielle these days, it’s been so long since she came by. I think she’ll be due for another meltdown soon.”

On impulse, Danny raised the gun, knowing full well the man would go intangible faster than any bullet and pointed it at Vlad. “Don’t you dare touch her.”

“Oh please, Daniel,” Vlad scoffed. “What are you going to do, shoot me?”

“Maybe,” Danny retorted.

“It wouldn’t change anything,” Vlad dismissed.

“Might make me feel better,” Danny said even as he lowered the gun a bit, knowing it wouldn’t do anything.

Vlad knew this just as well, and he sneered before turning his back to Danny and walking away with a parting shot. “I always get what I want, Daniel. Whether it’s through you or her.”

The gun that Danny had lowered slightly now came back up. He was so tempted to empty the stupid thing at Vlad, no matter if it would all pass through him. Before he could do anything though, a voice from above sounded.

“He’s not worth it, kid.”

Danny looked up to find the masked face of Catwoman peering down on him.

“He deserves worse than this,” Danny said, mind still on the temptation of shooting at Vlad’s intangible back. This was a deserted part of the city, it wasn’t like it would hurt anyone else.

“I promise there are better ways to make him pay,” Catwoman answered.

Danny scoffed bitterly. “Vlad’s so rich, he can pay off anyone and cover up any scandal I could think of.” And if money didn’t work, there was always straight-up overshadowing innocent bystanders.

The masked woman hesitated for a while before she called down determinately. “Look, get rid of the gun, and I promise I’ll help you make him pay.”

“Really?” Danny wasn’t too sure what that entailed but anything that would hinder Vlad was a go for him. “You promise?”

“I do,” she stated with conviction. “But you have to lose the gun.”

“Yeah, ok,” Danny said. He was going to do it anyways, but if she wanted it gone even faster, Danny wasn’t going to argue.

Selina watched as her new sidekick dropped off the gun into the river. It fell in with a splash that had something in her curling comfortably. Maybe Bruce was really rubbing off on her if she was picking up strays

But, Selina had a good feeling about this. Talking a kid out of murder had been how Batman had gotten his first Robin, after all.

[hannahmanderr]

DannyMay Day 16 - Fangs

Words: 2,122 (FFN)

Summary: A few student interns at DALV notice some odd things about Mr. Masters. The reactions vary, to say the least. (inspired by a prompt borrowed from @danphanwritingprompts: A few student interns at DALV notice some odd things about Mr. Masters. Like hell they’re gonna call him out though; this is the only paid internship in the county)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, have you guys noticed anything… weird about Mr. Masters?” Tariq asked as he slid into his cafeteria seat. The other four interns at the table looked up.

Dylan was the first to speak up. “Not really,” she said, looking back down at her lunch. “But I haven’t really seen him much. They’ve had me practically locked in those server rooms downstairs since the data breach last week.”

“They should just hire you at this point,” Linh-Nhu said as she began to peel an orange. “You’re basically doing the work of a full-time employee anyway.”

“I’m just glad this is a summer stint. I’d be a dead girl walking if I had to deal with this on top of classes.”

“Wait, wait,” Tariq interrupted. “That data breach, wasn’t it that weird ghost with the mullet that attacked last week?”

Dylan sighed and picked at her fried rice absently. “Unofficially? Yes. Officially? Apparently no. Something about having to deal with PR and all, since random CEOs from California apparently don’t buy the whole idea of ghosts in the first place.”

“You had better not be insinuating anything about Mr. Masters,” Marc said hotly, unfazed by Dylan’s woes. “Especially if you don’t have evidence to back it up!”

“Whoa, man, take it easy,” Tariq said. He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Who said I was insinuating anything? I’m just curious is all.”

“I did overhear him talking to someone named Maddie over the phone the other day,” Linh-Nhu offered. “I don’t know what they were talking about, I was just passing by his office, but I was just confused because I could’ve sworn Mary-Claire said that Maddie was his cat.”

“He’s filthy rich,” Dylan said, pointing with her fork. “Rich people always do wacky things like talking to their cats on the phone.”

Tariq shook his head. “Nah, I’m not talking that kind of weird. I mean more like, physical things you’ve noticed about him.”

Marc slammed his water bottle onto the table with a little more force than was probably necessary. “Nope! Nuh-uh,” he said, wrinkling his nose into a look of disdain. “We should not be having this conversation in the first place! Do you realize how much trouble we’ll get in if someone overhears us?”

“Please, no one pays attention to the interns of all people,” Dylan retorted. She flipped her long brown ponytail over her shoulder. “I should know. My supervisor keeps calling me Diane. Any time I tell him it’s Dylan, he thinks I’m talking about the other Dylan, and he quit three weeks ago to move to Dallas.”

“Katarana, you haven’t said anything,” Tariq said, panning his eyes to the fifth and final member of their little intern group. “Have you seen anything weird going on with Mr. Masters?”

Katarana was still staring at Tariq with wide eyes. “No way,” she whispered. Then, with much more energy, “You’ve seen it too?”

“Seen what?”

She turned her head to Linh-Nhu, who had asked the question. “Vlad Masters is freaky,” she told the table. “We’re talking major freaky vibes.”

“Will you stop?” Marc hissed. “We cannot be talking about our boss like this!”

Dylan shrugged. “Free country, bro. What’s he gonna do to us?”

“Oh, hmm, I don’t know, how about fire us from one of the most prestigious internships in the country?”

She just grinned impishly. “And go back to Delaware, where I don’t have to worry about some dumb ghost thing interrupting my commute? Or try and steal all my cereal boxes again? Sign me up.”

“Marc, just shush for a minute, I wanna hear what Kat has to say,” Tariq said, flapping a hand dismissively at Marc. The latter drew his thick eyebrows together in a deep frown.

Katarana met each of their eyes in turn. “They say you can hear him talking in his office to other people, but when you open the door, he’ll be all alone. And others will swear up and down that the room will literally get hotter when he walks into a room, especially if he’s in a mood.”

Tariq scoffed. “Yeah, the same thing happens with my mom when she finds my dad’s sports magazines lying around all willy nilly. Come on, I’m looking for the juicy stuff here! I wanna see if any of you saw what I saw.”

“Your dad still gets actual, physical sports magazines? Like, in the mail?” Dylan said, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“I’m being serious here!” Katarana insisted, completely ignoring Dylan’s comment. “Jarvis told me the thermostat was reading 80 after a conference call gone wrong.”

“Wait.” Linh-Nhu frowned as she tried to process the information. She’d grown quiet and serious just within the past minute. “Am I the only one here from Amity Park?”

“I mean, I literally just got done talking about going back to Delaware, sooo…” Dylan shoveled a forkful of rice into her mouth.

“Not me,” Tariq said. “I basically go to school in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa. And honestly, I thought I was applying to the main branch for DALV in Madison.”

“I told them I was good with either,” Katarana said, shrugging. “Anything to get out of freaking Texas.”

“I haven’t lived in Amity Park, but I’ve basically been close enough,” Marc told the group. “Grand Rapids. About an hour or so north of here.”

“Bro, in what universe is an hour up the road ‘close enough’?” Tariq asked.

Linh-Nhu simply nodded. “So none of you have experience with ghosts,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. “Because if you did, you would know that Katarana’s claims are absolutely plausible.”

“What?” Marc screeched. “There is no way someone can heat a room just by entering it! Especially our boss, who gave us these jobs, need I remind you!”

“Says the guy who tried to say he pretty much lived here,” Dylan muttered under her breath.

“Wait, seriously?” Katarana said to Linh-Nhu. “I mean, not that I didn’t believe it was possible, but it has to do with ghosts?”

Linh-Nhu hesitated. “Possibly,” she conceded, “but not for certain. Here, it’s a well known fact that ghosts tend to have an effect on their immediate external environment, especially in times of heightened emotion or power. Most make it colder - especially a ghost such as Phantom - but there have been known to be some who can make the environment warmer instead.”

“How do you know all this?” Tariq asked. His eyes shone with a curious thirst, and accusation was nowhere to be found in his tone.

Linh-Nhu blushed. “I graduated from Casper High. It turned into a hotspot for ghost activity during my senior year,” she explained. “Plus I, um, might have sat in on one of Dr. Fenton’s public lectures. Or… more than one.”

“So you’re saying Vlad Masters is a ghost?” Katarana breathed. Dylan whistled, impressed.

“Oh, no! Nothing like that, of course. But… it’s certainly possible that ghost activity could be involved.”

“Both of you!” Marc seethed. “If you don’t quit making false accusations against Mr. Masters, I’m going to report you!”

“She literally just got done saying she wasn’t making any accusations!” Dylan said, gesturing towards Linh-Nhu, who had hidden her face behind her dark hair. “Like what is your deal, man? Why go so aggro all of a sudden?”

“Well, excuse me for having a sense of preservation about this internship!” he shot back. “Do you know how hard I worked to get here in the first place? This is one of the most competitive internships in the country! I had to go through a lot to make sure I got this job!”

“We all worked hard to get here,” Katarana said as she folded her arms across her chest. “Doesn’t make you any more special than the rest of us.”

“Can we go back to the part where Mr. Masters is potentially involved in some ghost crap?” Tariq whined. “I wanna tell you what I saw!”

“No one’s stopping you,” Dylan said. “Well, other than Marc apparently.”

Marc had buried his head into his arms. “We’re so getting fired,” he moaned, his voice muffled by his sweater.

Katarana practically glommed onto Tariq. “Do you have proof he’s a ghost or something?” she asked with her eyes gleaming in excitement.

“Alright, alright,” he said. He moved his arms in the universal ‘quiet down’ movement. “Gather ‘round, kids, ‘cause you won’t believe what I saw him do earlier.”

“I don’t know. You have to have a pretty open mind to live in Amity Park,” Linh-Nhu muttered quietly, the hints of an amused smile on the corners of her lips.

“Okay, so I’m in the copy room, right? Trying to un-jam one of the printers after it ate my reports. In walks Mr. Masters, and he’s on the phone going on about some deal with the S. Culcar client. He’s like, super up in arms about it all for some reason, and it literally gets to the point where he growls into the phone!” Tariq said, waving his arms theatrically.

“Growled? Like, a dog or something?” Dylan asked through another mouthful of her rice.

“Yeah, basically! It was so weird, but it wasn’t even the weirdest thing!”

“Because things can get weirder than a business mogul growling at one of his clients?” Dylan deadpanned.

“Oh, they absolutely can,” Tariq said with the air of someone trying to create a mystery. He took a long, dramatic swig from his Dr. Pepper before continuing. “He keeps getting angry, something about a failure to find someone, or something, I don’t know. But anyway, he yells something, and he’s got his teeth all bared and stuff, like he was seriously channeling a dog or something. And I look over, just cause he’s being so loud and stuff, and he’s literally got fangs showing.”

The table was silent for a long moment. “Wait, hang on,” Katarana said, waving her hands. “You’re telling me Mr. Masters has fangs? Like he’s some sort of lion?”

“Yes! Exactly!” Tariq exclaimed with a vigorous nod. Clearly, he was waiting for a different sort of response.

“You know, some people just have really sharp canines,” Marc said, apparently interested enough in the conversation to temporarily get past his resistance to it in the first place. “Are you sure it wasn’t just that?”

“Nuh-uh. These things were bonafide fangs, all long and stuff and poking into his lip and everything!”

“Do ghosts even have fangs?” Dylan asked. “I thought they were supposed to be all gooey and stuff inside. Or something, anyway. I guess the two ghosts from last week weren’t super gooey.” 

“Ghosts can present in a number of different ways,” Linh-Nhu said, re-launching into her teacher voice. “Many are humanoid, like Technus and Phantom - the two from the ‘data breach’ you’re talking about. Some are more blob-like, others are more like animals. Really, they can take any form, as far as I’m aware.”

“Oh! Oh! What about that thing they can do where they can possess people?”

Linh-Nhu hummed. “I don’t know if that would necessarily alter a person’s appearance. Usually the ghost takes over the person from the inside to avoid detection. I don’t know much else about that, though. I suppose there were a number of students and teachers who were possessed during that first major ghost attack, but they didn’t show any physical signs, I think.”

“So then he is a ghost?” Tariq asked.

“I still think we need to wait to make calls like this until we have certain proof,” Marc said, his chin propped up on his arms lying on the table. “I might not be from here, but I’ve been here long enough to see that one couple, the… Fontaines? Finleys? I’m not sure. Either way, I don’t want to lose my job and find myself on the wrong end of one of those guns.”

“But if he’s a ghost, or possessed by one - whatever - shouldn’t we tell someone?” Katarana frowned. “Like the one ghost kid who stopped Techno-babble or whoever it was.”

Linh-Nhu laughed lightly. “I’d be impressed if you could track him down. He’s a slippery one.”

Dylan suddenly slammed her hands on the table, startling the other four interns. “I got it!” she shouted. Her voice drew the attention of a few other employees sitting nearby.

“Think about it!” she continued. “Those fancy suits, the whole white-hair-at-the-age-of-40 thing, now the literal fangs and have you seen how pale that man is? There’s an obvious answer: Vlad Masters is a vampire!”

The table fell into a stunned silence again.

“Well, at least he’s a vampire who pays his interns,” said an utterly defeated Marc, letting his head fall back into his arms.

[ladylynse]

Happy Halloween, and trick or treat, please!

I was considering asking for one of the other "duffel bag" prompts you didn't already extend, but I thought I shouldn't be a one-trick ghost who asks for the same thing over and over.

SO, instead I am going to ask for a prequel to the DP prompt "Danny returns Lancer's wallet". For whatever reason, I just like to cause Danny and Lancer trouble, and want to see Lancer's wallet in Danny's pocket. Whether that annoys or concerns Danny.

Happy Halloween! Something in between this ficlet and this ficlet it is! Since Lancer didn't know the wallet was missing in the second ficlet, I actually built this off the first one (“Danny, why do you have Mr. Lancer’s wallet?”), in italics below.

-|-

“Danny, why do you have Mr. Lancer’s wallet?”

“What?” Danny asked, not understanding Valerie’s question, but he followed her pointing finger and, sure enough, there was a wallet on top of his backpack, neatly flipped open to reveal Lancer’s driver’s license.

Youngblood was so going to pay for this.

And, okay, fine, it might not be Youngblood, even if Youngblood had been playing one too many pranks recently. It might not have anything to do with ghosts. It could be Dash or someone else acting on his orders.

Still, that did not make it better.

Danny’s parents might not murder him for real if he got suspended from school, but they would have him do his make-up work in the lab while they worked in the meantime, and that might result in him being murdered for real by one invention or another. Just. Accidentally. Which, in that light, strictly speaking wasn’t murder. What did that make it, criminal negligence causing death? That ship had already sailed.

Technically.

Not that he was going to tell his parents that, let alone any authorities.

Danny snatched the wallet off his backpack and stuffed it into his back pocket, hoping it wouldn’t seem out of place there. “This isn’t what it looks like,” he said quickly. Why did Valerie have to have such sharp eyes? Why couldn’t this be a class he shared with Sam or Tucker so they could help distract her?

“Uh huh.” Valerie wasn’t even pretending to believe him. “If Dash or Paulina put you up to this as some twisted sort of test to get invited to the next big party, they’re pulling your leg. Ten to one they tell Lancer if you don’t turn it in before lunch, assuming they’re not telling someone right now. And leaving it out in the open like that is just plain stupid. I know you’re smarter than that.”

Danny groaned. “That’s why I said this isn’t what it looks like.”

 Valerie raised an eyebrow. “Are you really going to stand there and tell me that’s a fake?”

Danny tried a smile, but judging by Valerie’s expression, it didn’t come across as one. “Would you believe me if I did?”

Valerie huffed. “They’re setting you up. I know their style. Just give it back sooner rather than later, okay?”

Danny might be set up by the living or framed by the dead, but that wouldn’t matter if Lancer caught him with his wallet and Danny didn’t have a better explanation than this isn’t what it looks like and I think I’m being haunted. The ever handy and only sometimes true excuse of ghosts only went so far, even in Amity Park.

“I promise you, I do not intend to keep this for any longer than I have to.” Danny didn’t want to keep the wallet at all, really. He’d much rather steal money from Vlad than Lancer, and Danny was pretty sure he already knew the closest thing to Lancer’s deep dark secret. Giving this back ASAP was the plan.

But if this was Youngblood and not a human’s prank, there was unfortunately a very, very high chance of the wallet ending up in Danny’s possession again. As in, after he returned it. As in, returning it a second time would be awkward, something he’d try to spin as a coincidence and Lancer might buy if he were feeling particularly gracious.

If Danny wound up with the wallet three times, he was screwed.

Which is why taking precautions would probably be prudent, even if it meant hanging onto the wallet for a little longer.

And skiving off biology to sneak home to dunk Lancer’s wallet in some phase-proof foam.

…That might come back to bite him, but if it did, that would be Future Danny’s problem. Current Danny thought it was a great idea to get Youngblood to stop doing this to him.

Assuming this was Youngblood.

If it was Dash after all, treating the wallet wouldn’t help, and there was still a half decent chance of it ending up in his possession more than once.

Eh, Future Danny’s problem. He was only going to figure out how to cross that bridge if he actually came to it. It’s not like a thorough examination of the wallet would tell him who had stolen it either way.

It…may not be a bad plan, though. If only because then he could make sure nothing had been slipped into Lancer’s wallet. Because that could be bad, depending on what that something was and how incriminating it was.

Danny couldn’t see right now how this could be Vlad’s scheme, but he still wouldn’t put it past Vlad if it wasn’t Youngblood or Dash.

“You’re not….” Valerie hesitated and bit her lip. “I mean, you guys aren’t…. You’re still okay, right?”

Danny stared at her.

“Like, your parents haven’t, uh, not gotten groceries or something when you need them, right?”

Wait.

Did she think—?

“Because if it’s money you need,” Valerie continued, her voice somehow even quieter than before despite the sudden rush of her words, “I can talk to my boss. Even if you get detention, it’s just for an hour, right? So you could start a shift after that. You could be the mascot. No one would know it’s you, so no one else will know it’s because of…this.”

“We’re still fine,” Danny blurted out. That was probably true. Jazz had gone grocery shopping last week, anyway, and barely anything had gotten contaminated since. “I should just…return this. Now.”

Valerie was frowning at him.

Great.

She didn’t believe him.

Actually, how bad that was depended on which part she didn’t believe.

There wasn’t a way to ask that wouldn’t make this worse, was there?

“So, uh.” Danny reached down to pick up and then shouldered his backpack. “Yeah. I’ll see you in math, I guess?”

“Don’t do anything stupider than you already have.”

“Can’t make any promises,” Danny quipped, but Valerie just pursed her lips and finally—finally—left, though that was more likely so she could make it to class before the bell rang than because she was finished with him.

Danny headed for the washroom instead of class, locked himself in a stall, and dug the wallet out of his pocket to get a better look at it.

Yeah, there was no mistaking it. This was Lancer’s wallet. It even contained a picture of his ‘sister’.

Crud.

Why did this kind of thing always happen to him?

(see more fics | related musing | related musing)

[theacedragon0w0]

New Hire

This is pretty much how Sage met Crystal and how they became partners

TW Abuse

Sage wiped the blood that dripped from their nose, Vlad towered over them, his face showing clear disdain for the lizard.

"Get up Sagebrush,"

Sage only nodded, they understood that being roughed up here was better than being by themselves in hell.

"You cannot afford to be sloppy, the workers here need you to be fast, strong, and above all, efficient."

"Yes sir."

__________

Sage splashed water on their face, their muscles ached by the session they had with Vlad. Skimming through the first aid, they placed the instant ice pack against their jaw, hissing at the pain.

They jolted by the sound of the door knocking but they relaxed when they saw Benji enter the cramped storage space.

"Damn, that old bastard really mess you up huh?" Passing Sage a rum and coke, which Sage downed it in one swig.

"Shit Sage, guess today's training was a blast."

"Please, the water here is more potent than what this glass has, and don't worry about me ok?"

Benji smacked their shoulder, "I kinda have to if Vlad's training makes you look like you got ran over, but I do have good news."

Sage scoffed, "I hope it's not another one of your flings that you want to show off."

"It's actually good news for you baby, a couple of the boys overheard that there's going to be another bouncer."

"Benji,"

"And She is single by the way!"

"You know that the whole 'don't shit where you eat' actually means right?"

"Listen, ever since you got here you have never stepped foot outside of this club, and I know you don't like boys given that you are the only legit chick here, so stake me for trying to get you out there."

Sage rolled their eyes, shoving the lion dancer out of the room, but they couldn't help but agree with him. "Maybe you should focus on working for your tips instead of meddling with a bouncer's love life."

"Or lack of!" Benji shouted as he sauntered away just as Sage playfully tossed an ace wrap at him.

___________

"Sagebrush this is Crystal, she'll be working with you as an additional bouncer, I am sure you two would be efficient in keeping the club running smoothly."

Sage shook hands with the sturdy woman, "It's nice to meet you."

Crystal chuckled, "Likewise, I hope you can carry your own because I am not being paid to keep you and those cat boys from harm."

Vlad tapped his cane against the hard floor, "Sagebrush here will demonstrate to you their prowess, show her."

Sage obeyed, catching Crystal off-guard and managed to get her into a headlock. Crystal tapped Sage's arm, which Sage released her from their grip.

"Heh, guess I don't have to worry about you then."

____________

"Wait you never been outside of this joint?"

It had been a month since the two bouncers had been working together, and they were a pretty good team, with the two taking care of any customers that were being to bold with the dancers.

Crystal patted her knees, "Alright, that needs to change, I am taking you out."

Sage's eyebrows raised, "Like, on a date?"

"Shit why not? We make a pretty good team and you deserve it, I know this burger place a couple blocks away, and I'll pay for it!"

_____________

It had been months since that date, how did this happen?

Sage leaned against the sink, their nose bridge stung with the gaping wound that stretched acrossed.

The dinner that they prepared littered near their feet, the shattered plate was also a member to the mess.

"Sage, bunny, I told you that I didn't want that shit chicken rice bake, fuck now look at this mess."

"I'll clean it up, there's that frozen steak dinner that you can throw in the microwave."

Crystal didn't respond, she pulled out the frozen dish and slammed it in the microwave. Sage's ears rung as they carefully scooped up their meal, tossing it in the trash.

They turned their head to see Crystal scarffing down the schlop, tossing the container aside when she finished.

"Hey, bunny, look it was an accident," moving Sage's chin so they could look at her face.

"How 'bout this, there's this dessert place down at the cannibal colony that is selling those small fruit pies that you like."

"Aren't you still pissed at me for trying to make dinner?"

"Look it has been a while since I’ve taken my chubby bunny out and I wanna treat her."

Sage sighed, "Can I at least wear my denim jacket? I worked really hard on it."

"Bunny I told you before, that jacket doesn't suit you, besides, you don't want it stained with the sticky sweets we'll be eating right?"

Sage looked over at the hallway closet, their denim jacket hung there, it pained them that they weren't able to wear it especially since they spent so long on the patchwork; and they couldn't grasp why Crystal was adamant on Sage not wearing it, as some of those patches were from some of the concerts that Crystal took them to.

But they didn't want to press, they can take their food being tossed aside but they would be damn if their jacket was caught in the crossfire.

"Fine, I'll get myself cleaned up."

___________________

[aimixx]

Kamisato ayato x F!Reader

masterlist

Synopsis: After an unfortunate accident while you were on your way home from work, You reincarnate as y/n Eclipse, the daughter of duke Eclipse of Snezhnaya empire, and also the fiance of Il Dottore, the prince of the empire. Y/n Eclipse is also one of the people who will get killed when Il Dottore goes on a rampage in a novel you read before, "Farewell to Snezhnaya".

"I will change my ending, I won't die like this!"

》Prologue

taglist: @nambii (send an ask if you want to be added to the taglist!)

Have you ever felt the happiness of an adult? Well, one of them is working for almost 2 years in a company that makes you stay after hours and finally your boss decides to give you a raise. This is the happiness I’m going through now.

‘Money does feel amazing indeed’ I thought as I left the office building, my mind thinking about the many things I can do now with my new paycheck. I can treat myself to a good lunch, or get a new couch for myself, but I need to pay the bills first. I can also message my friends and tell them I’ll be able to make it on the trip.

As I pulled out my phone to let them know, I took myself to another trip, and it wasn’t the beach trip.

But a trip to the afterlife.

That’s right, the last thing I saw was the driver of the car that hit me before darkness came over me.

…..

I didn’t even enjoy my paycheck.

“My lady”

I won’t enjoy delicious meat anymore.

“My lady you will be late!”

Wait, who’s that?

“My lady!”

“What?!” I spoke up as I opened my eyes. Wait. Where am I?

I looked around and saw three young women who are dressed in maid outfits, one of them looked at me with worried eyes.

“My lady please get up, you will be late for your outing with his highness.” The maid said, I sat up slowly, still very confused.

“Who are you? Where am I?” I asked frantically, the maid just stared at me and sighed.

“Did you drink before going to sleep again? I’m Nadia, and you’re Lady Y/n Eclipse.”

Y/n Eclipse??? The first character who died in “Farewell of Snezhnaya”??? The one who died on her own wedding night?

I got up quickly and ran to the mirror and I stared at myself in horror.

Shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, a pretty face. I indeed reincarnated as the prettiest character in the novel, but also the first one to die.

“Hey Nadia, when is my wedding again?”

“In 2 weeks my lady.”

Great. I have 2 weeks to escape this place.

* * *

I really wonder how people think that Il Dottore is pretty. This man is the most twisted, psychopath and ugliest person I have ever met. I don't care about how he looks, he is dangerous.

“I want to run away.” I muttered to myself as I sat admiring the gardens of the estate.

“My lady please don’t say such stuff.” Nadia said as she helped me sit down on the bench.

“His highness loves you so much, why would you run away?” Vlad, my personal knight asked, I stared at the two of them and thought of a great idea.

“Help me run away.”

“But-”

“I will make your wedding happen.”

There’s no way they will refuse this. They are engaged for 5 whole years and father still didn’t approve of their wedding.

“How will you convince my lord?” Vlad asked, I can see the excitement in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I will prepare the money needed. As for both of you, find me a safe way to get out of the empire before the wedding." I said, watching as the two of them looked at each other then nodded.

"We will do as you say my lady."

Now that this is settled, time to get my funds ready.

* * *

A few days have passed, I managed to keep secret funds and also entertain Il Dottore, acting like the real y/n and being madly in love with him. Vlad and Nadia also found a safe and secret way out of the empire. Everything is ready

There are 2 more days before the wedding and everyone's so busy preparing, so security is not that good. I checked on everything I packed and prepared the bed, then got dressed in a maid outfit and put on a wig and contacts.

"My lady, are you ready?" Nadia asked as she entered my room, I looked back at her and nodded.

Grabbing the basket that had everything we needed, we both walked out of the room and towards the back door.

We successfully made it to the carriage Vlad prepared and we got on and started to move.

"My lady, we will make it to the port and there will be a ship that will take us to the Inazuma empire." Vlad said as we made it past the walls of the duchy.

"That's alright, it's far away from this place so I'm good."

Then our journey out of the empire has started.

Freedom, here I come.

[camels-pen]

crab time

Summary: Vlad was very much starting to regret stealing the Chalice of Transmogrification.

based on @gamma-radio's prompt "Danny is a Creature and everyone is cool with it except him." and @briarlovesu's prompt "Vlad was starting to regret stealing his current artifact." and @phantomphangphucker's prompt "Danny’s having a bad day and decides to fix that… with arson"

Ao3 Link

“Dude chill! It wasn’t even that serious!”

Vlad was very much starting to regret stealing the Chalice of Transmogrification. 

Daniel skittered around, waving his open claws up and down, little balls of ectoplasm building between the tips.  

It was meant to be a small bit of fun—the theft itself and tricking Daniel into drinking from it—but where he’d assumed the boy might have been given an extra feature or two from whatever animal he’d most recently been thinking of, he hadn’t expected him to turn into, well, that.

He was a small hermit crab, hardly the size of his hand with a pitch black body and bumpy white shell, covered in a faint white aura. And his eyes were a burning bright green.

The boy had no means of communicating verbally and his writing with his claws had been only partially legible, or so his friends claimed.

“Would you quit snapping at me? I already said I’m sorry!”

The boy in the red beret had apparently used up the last of whatever was left of Daniel’s patience from the last several days. It was fairly amusing to watch, but his study and home were, unfortunately, quite flammable.

“I’m not,” The goth girl said. “You really do look cute like this.”

Daniel turned to aim a claw at her and she held up her hands. “Hey, I already said I won’t take you anywhere you don’t wanna go. Tucker’s the one who wanted to parade you around like a purse dog.”

“He’d be a purse crab, thank you very m—” the boy yelped, dodging away from the small blast shot at him. Vlad’s potted plant in the corner was starting to smoulder. “I won’t! I won’t! I promise I won’t, just please stop shooting at me!”

“So, can you tell me exactly why you have barged into my home?” The whole point of disguising it as one of those disgusting sodas from that fast food place he always went to was so that Daniel wouldn’t know it was Vlad’s doing. 

“You’re a halfa, he’s a halfa. You’ve gotta know something about all… this.” The girl gestured to Daniel. “And you’ll help if you don’t want us to go to his parents next.”

“And please enlighten me as to why I would ever care about that.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “So you don’t want Danny to have to owe you a favour in the future? 

“And what could he possibly do for me that I couldn’t just pay someone else to do?”

“Spend quality time together as uncle and nephew? Maybe play catch or something? I don’t know.” 

Vlad narrowed his eyes. “And if I say no?”

She shrugged. “I mean I wasn’t lying when I said he looked cute like this. And it’s really not a big deal if you don’t help.” Without looking she jerked her head to the side, avoiding a tiny ectoblast. “Knowing him, his powers are probably on the fritz and he’ll turn back eventually. Just thought coming here might speed things up a little.”

Vlad mulled it over. If the girl was bluffing she was rather good at it. And having Daniel in his debt certainly wouldn’t hurt.

“I suppose I couldn’t just ask him to renounce his father as my favour?” A blast stuck him square in the forehead and he yelped. “Message received,” he grumbled as he rubbed at the small burn.

“So, you’ll do it?”

He watched Daniel chase after his friend as he answered, “I’ll try to come up with something by the end of the weekend.” Vlad smirked. He already knew how to reverse the effects, but it would give him a couple more days of seeing Daniel in a perpetual state of anger. “Do try not to get stepped on before I’m done, will you?”

A barrage of ectoblasts shot at his cherry wood desk, the few plants scattered around the room, and the surrounding wooden walls. Several fires broke out all over the study as the girl grabbed Daniel and the other boy and quickly fled. A promise to return on Sunday was the last thing he heard as the door shut behind them.

Vlad was really regretting stealing that artifact.

[arjaandsimoni]

Fur and Fangs

Romania, 1461 AD

The war against the Ottoman invaders rages. Vlad Tepes the third, current ruler of the land, launched a brutal counterattack against their forces that would go down in history, allowing future generations to use him as the basis for stories of monstrous beings. However, all stories have a grain of truth within them.

In this case, in ancient Romania, several members of the ruling class were not what they seemed.

On a small farm in the countryside of this time lived the Kernovich family. They were poor farmers, having to work year-round just to scrape out their meager living… but they had each other, and they did the best they could.

They were serfs under one Lord Dimitri Renault who, by all accounts, was a terrible person. He taxed his people heavily but did not offer them protection of any sort. If they died to banditry or to the predations of wild animals he would not shed a single tear for the loss of life. He had ruled as long as anyone living could remember, though he rarely ventured outside his home. Some suspected that the original Lord Dimitri was long dead and that his descendants simply inherited the name along with his lands…

This was both absolutely correct and completely inaccurate in the worst way possible.

One fateful day, the door to the Kernovich hovel burst open, a guardsman in heavy leathers half-carrying, half-dragging a screaming young girl out of the small building. “Come girl!” he barked, “Lord Renault warned your father what would happen if he couldn’t pay!” he snarled.

The young girl wailed and screamed, tugging at her arm, but the man’s grip was like an iron vise, “NO! NO NO PLEASE NO!” she shook her head, reaching back for her family.

Her father burst from the farmhouse, a sickle in his hand he used for shearing grain, and was barred by two more guards, their spear hafts crossed infront of him. “Don’t be a fool Kernovich. If you can’t pay in coin, you pay in child! You know the law!”

The man Kernovich shook his head, “Not this! Not my daughter! NATASHA!” he shouted, trying to push past, but one of the guards smashed their fist into his face, knocking him back into the farmhouse as his wife cried and wailed inside of it, to terrified of the Lord’s retribution to even fight back.

As they did however, a furious barking came from behind the farmhouse and suddenly the man who punched the girl’s father cried out in pain. A dog had appeared, a golden furred animal that had latched its fangs into his leg, biting through even the thick leather. “ARGH!”

The girl’s eyes widened, “LUPE! No Lupe! Run! RUN AWAY!” she shouted, shaking her head frantically.

The guardsman glared down at the dog, then raised his spear. “Damned mongrel!”

“LUPE! RUN NOW! RUN!” she screamed, then her heart caught in her chest and her eyes filled with tears as the spear came down and a loud yelp echoed across the fields.

She was thrown into a waiting carriage as the guards took up positions around it, her father shoved back as he tried to stand. “Heroes die in this land Kernovich, go back inside and shut up, or we burn down the farm with you in it.” grunted one of the guardsmen, who turned to leave, climbing onto the outside of the carriage as it rolled away.

Inside the carriage Natasha untangled herself from her dress, the girl’s eyes red and her face tear streaked as she looked across the vehicle. Sitting there was a man in an embroidered robe, black with red decorations. A thin creature with pale skin and sunken eyes. “Good day to you young Kernovich. I am Lord Renault’s attendant.” he smiled at her as if he’d just picked her up to take her for tea. “Lord Renault will be having you for dinner this evening.”

Natasha looked at him, then back at her family, then whimpered, “… w-what is for dinner?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear.

The man chuckled, as if enjoying a private joke.

“I just told you child. You are for dinner.”

Romania, fourteen years ago.

Natasha Kernovich opened her eyes, gazing up into darkness once more, then reached up and pushed the lid off. It may be considered tacky to sleep in such things by the standards of more modern kindred, but after nearly six hundred years it was hard to care about such things.

She climbed out, looking not a day older than when she was taken by Lord Renault, her sire centuries gone by her own hand. She felt no shame for this, even by their standards Dimitri had been a true monster, and his actions practically demanded the attention of the hunters.

Either way, she needed to ‘break her fast’ as it were. She dressed in a wine-red blouse, long black skirt, and heeled boots along with a long black cloak, then strode across the room and unlocked the heavy cellar door that kept out the daylight, stepping into the cool Romanian evening then paused. Her haven was near the city limits, and she smelled smoke… something was burning.

“Hmm…” she frowned, looking out into the forests.

Curiosity got the better of the ‘young’ lady. A minute later she vanished into the trees.

A mile took humans a bit to walk, but for one of her kind it was a simple matter of minutes, Natasha soon arriving at a site of carnage. She looked around her, frowning, “What could have done this…” she muttered. All around her was the wreckage of what was once believed to be a shanty town by the local humans but to her people was known to be the home of the local werewolf pack.

Was being the operative word. Men and women lay around her, sometimes with not all their parts still attached. The wounds looked like they were burned at the edges, whoever had done this had used silvered weapons against them. “Hunters. I should warn the Prince, they may come for us as we-…” she started, looking down.

Staring up at her was a small puppy-like creature with golden blonde fur, the thing clearly no more than a very small child. “A survivor…” she frowned, reaching down. “The hunters must have missed you in the smoke. Be still little one, I will put you out of your misery…” she sighed, reaching for its neck… then freezing suddenly.

The dog-like creature whimpered, cocking its head at her, and she suddenly recalled another golden furred creature from her past. A being who had been her dear friend in those days of backbreaking labor on her farm, who had kept her warm with her fur on the nights when winter’s fury turned the land white for miles and miles, and who had died shortly before she had from a cruel man’s rage.

“… Lupe…” she whispered, looking down at the creature, and her hands could go no further. “… I… I cannot… you are no normal dog, you are a werewolf like them… but…” she hesitated, shaking her head, “If… the prince does not know…” she reached further, picking the puppy up around it’s middle instead, lifting it up. As she did the fur receeded, and she was looking at a toddler with a mane of shaggy blonde hair, large wolf-like ears, and a stubby tail. The girl was wagging at her.

“I risk so much by doing this… it is foolishness of the highest order…” she whispered, “So, why can I not stop myself?” she asked herself, cradling the werewolf cub to her chest as it nuzzled in and listened to the beating of her heart. It could not hear her breathing, nothing else, but the heartbeat was loud and soothing to the cub after being surrounded by death.

… except, she still was surrounded by death, and was simply too young to know it yet.

The Wulfshead Club, Tonight

It seemed like Franklin was still mustering his forces after the last failed assault, knowing now that Nelen had joined up with his transformed sister and her Vanara friend had given the Patriarch pause. He wanted her dead, but he could not simply throw Fullmoon men at them until they got lucky, even moreso as he knew full well what the warlock could do, having seen the ruins of Isolde’s former hedge gate firsthand. Because of this, it had actually been a quiet week since their return from Sicily with tales of cyclopti, ale, and excitement.

The door to the bar opened up that evening as Nelen and Dawn walked in, with one other. “HEY GUYS! Look who WE found!” grinned the Cheshire, pointing to their companion.

Rajesh strode into the bar, wearing a white button-down dress shirt and slacks, having just come from his duties with the Jaipur government. Several of the patrons raised their drinks in greeting and more than a few calls of ‘hey!’ and ‘Welcome back!’ came out.

Shaman Bond got up from his table and grinned, walking over to shake his hand. “Rajesh Barjar! Good to see you again mate! Nelen told us about that girl his sister ran off with, never would’ve guessed she was your daughter you old tiger you!” he chuckled.

Rajesh smiled, “Shaman my friend, it has been far too long. Nelen told me of your encounter with that hobgoblin in London, well done.” he smiled.

Shaman shrugged, “Eh, it was just one hob, barely even a bother really.” he chuckled as they got a booth, ordering their drinks.

A few rounds in Shaman looked over at Rajesh, “So, mate. You still collecting artifacts?” he asked.

Rajesh nodded back, “Indeed. Only through mundane channels these days I’m afraid. No more tomb raiding, my daughter comes first.” he replied.

Shaman nodded, “Good man. Well, in that case, you may be interested in something I heard. There’s an auction going up in Bucharest over in Romania next week and I heard they’ve got some stuff up on the block that’s from one of the old vampire lords that used to live around there. Some Dimitri bugger.” he nodded.

Nelen looked up, “Really… and whats he got to say about that?” he asked.

“Not much, got staked well before our time, but someone found a warehouse full of his old stuff and they’re selling off the lot. Word among our folk is that there’s more than a few relics that have some power to ‘em in there.” he nodded.

Rajesh nodded, “Hmm… I suppose it may be a good idea to take a break from Jaipur for a while. The situation is cooling down, but if we publicly leave then Clan Fullmoon has no reason to come here until we return.” he mused aloud.

Nelen nodded at that, “Yep, though that means we have to take Arja and Simoni with us of course.” he replied. “They gonna be okay with that you think? We just got back from Sicily after all…”

Rajesh nodded, “My family is used to travel for my work Nelen. She is homeschooled as well, so it is no bother. Truly I believe she relishes it. She talks of how her ancestor would go on all sorts of adventures and fancies herself as much the same.” he nodded.

Nelen shrugged, “Well, I mean, by mundane standards she definitely is. Its not like you get to have a grill out with a bunch of cyclopti in Sicily and not call it an adventure.” he chuckled. “Alright then, what's the date of this thing Shaman?” he asked.

Bucharest, Romania, one week later

Arja and Simoni walked through the city, the young girls taking in the sights with Nelen and Dawn in tow. The city of Bucharest had stood for hundreds of years and was even home to Curtea Veche Palace where the famous (or infamous depending on who you asked) Prince Vlad the Third ruled from. Whatever you believed about his actions in driving back the Ottoman Empire, none can deny that ‘Vlad the Impaler’ had left his mark on history. Whether he was truly a national hero or a cruel beast is the matter of much debate, but despite some stories… he was not a monster whatever he was.

Despite all the legends of ‘Count Dracula,’ Vlad Tepes lived and died a mortal man.

But that does not mean that such things do not stalk the streets of Bucharest… or in this case…

As the group strolled through the city a young girl and their dog rushed infront of them, the girl dressed in dark clothes that evoked a gothic fashion sense, and close on her heels were three larger adult men.

Nelen watched them duck down an alleyway, frowning… “The fuck was that about…” he muttered, then suddenly the four of them stopped as they heard a young girl’s voice scream.

“Oh hell no.” growled Arja, “C’mon, we’re not going to let someone get attacked right infront of us are we?!” she shouted, rushing down the alleyway the girl had fled through, Simoni running off after her.

Nelen scowled, “Dammit girl! Don’t just rush in!” he shouted after her, charging down the alley in pursuit as Dawn ducked in alongside him.

Further up the alleyway, Natasha Kernovich was having a REALLY bad night…

“End of the road Natasha…” said one of the men, a tall man in a loose silk shirt and jeans, fingering a long dagger. “Prince Micahel told you quite clearly; the mutt goes, or you both go…” he grinned, the other two drawing close.

Behind her a large golden furred hound growled low, its ears flat against its head. It was a massive creature with a huge mane and a long tail, looking like it’d be more at home in the woods than in the city. “I will not let you hurt Lupe…” she hissed back angrily, but she knew she was outnumbered. She may be their elder, but there were three of them…

The one to his left shook his head, “Natty come now. If you simply wanted a pet you could buy a nice dog and make a ghoul of it, but this? A werewolf? The Prince has every reason to be concerned! They are our natural enemies girl! Maybe if you’d told him when you took her in so we could take measures to control her… but now?” he shook his head, talking in a sympathetic tone that said ‘I’m the good cop.’

“Yeah…” replied a squat one on the other side, this one wearing a long duster coat and wide brimmed hat… “You had your chance girl. Prince Micahel told you to put your pet down and you didn’t… defy the prince and your reward…” he reached into his cloak and took out a crossbow, a sharpened wooden stake loaded into it, “… well, at least we’ll make sure you get to see the sun one last time…” he smirked. This one was clearly the ‘bad cop.’

Then their act was spoiled as Dawn suddenly darted between them and slashed them both across the cheeks, bouncing off the leader’s shoulders and landing between them and the other two. “HAH! Gotcha! Extremely violent diarrhea in three… twooooooo…” she grinned, then blinked, then tilted her head, “… uh… one?” she finished in a confused tone.

The two she scratched were feeling their cheeks, looking more annoyed than anything. “Uh oh…” she whispered. “That should have worked… uh…” she looked closer, noticing all the tells she’d come to recognize over the years with Nelen. “Crap… HEY GUYS! BATS IN THE BELFRY!” she shouted.

A second later bad cop burst into flames as good cop was grabbed by a tendril of blood and wrenched backwards hard, slammed into the ground as the tendril sprouted fangs all along it, then shot back with excessive force. What was left could have been called ‘hamburger’ for the brief second before it crumbled into dust.

Their leader turned around, his eyes huge as Nelen, Arja, and Simoni stood there, Nelen’s hand outstretched as a tendril of Merihim’s essence lashed around furiously at the end of it. “Got one chance Batman, run or join Robin and Nightwing down there.” he warned.

Long ago Dawn and Nelen had worked out how to communicate without tipping people off. Sounding like you’re shouting nonsense was better than the alternative anyways, and it meant either way the mundanes didn’t know what was going on until someone was a pile of ashes. Nelen had made a point of explaining to Arja and Simoni as much of their private lingo as he could.

‘Bats in the belfry’ meant ‘I have identified the persons infront of me as vampires and you may now stop holding back.’

However, “… what? Robin? Nightwing?” grunted the surviving vampire.

Simoni blinked, “Nelen, we’re in Romania. Do they even have those comics over here?” she asked.

Nelen grumbled something under his breath and said, “Lemme put it this way then: get the fuck out of here or I kill you dead.” he clarified.

The vampire glared at him, but the blood tendril clearly said magic user and he didn’t see what had set the other one on fire. The fight had gone outside his control. He frowned, then leapt straight up twenty feet and latched onto a fire escape, pulling himself up and rushing up the stairs to the rooftop and safety.

“Aaaaand three for three.” grinned Dawn, turning to the girl, “Can’t say I approve of the companion, more of a cat person myself, but… uh…” she looked at Natasha’s face, then quickly backpedaled away from her, “SHIT! Guys! She’s one too!” she hissed at her.

Natasha stepped back and reached behind her, pulling her own dagger out of its sheath and hissed back herself. “Stay back hunters! I do not wish to harm you, merely to leave Bucharest! Do not stop us!” she warned.

Nelen drew Merihim back into his hand, “Dammit… thought we were rescuing some mundy kid from getting assaulted or something.” he frowned, “Shit like this doesn’t happen among undead for the fun of it… did we just piss off the local vampire leaders?” he asked, looking at her. “C’mon, out with it, why were those three after you?” he said, stepping forward…

As he did however the dog darted infront of her, growling angrily, and changed.

It shot upwards on its hind legs, its front paws getting longer and spreading into hands, and soon a very angry looking young woman was standing there… with a huge mane of golden-blonde hair and pointed wolf-like ears, her tail thrashing behind her. Her arms and legs from the elbow down were hairier than the worst body hair, and her nails were like long hard claws. “BACK!” she barked out in broken Romanian, “NO HURT! STAY BACK OR LUPE BITE! LUPE CLAW!”

Dawn hissed angrily and teleported up onto the wall above them, clinging to it with all fours, her tail fluffed out and thrashing behind her. Human shaped or not, some responses are just automatic.

Nelen took a step back himself, holding up his hands. He didn’t have any silver on him, he didn’t think he’d need it tonight… Simoni’s thoughts immediately went to her old silver dagger that wound up a melted blob of metal in her mom’s fireplace too.

“Eaaaaasy now… not gonna hurt anyone unless I got a reason to…” Nelen replied, glancing at Natasha, then back at the werewolf. “Uh… huh… a vampire and a werewolf… that’s unexpected.” he muttered.

“It is?” asked Arja, having already shifted into her vanara form, flexing her own claws.

“Yeah…” Nelen muttered back, “Vampires and werewolves get along like cats and dogs… literally when you think about it. One hisses and sticks to rooftops, the other chases its tail and barks at the moon. Seeing two of them being all pals is really rare…”

Natasha however was looking them over. Two young Indian girls, dressed casual but well, and a man who wasn’t Indian defending them, probably hired for it… and bodyguards, especially magic using ones, weren’t cheap. “Wait… you are not from Bucharest are you?” she asked.

Simoni shook her head, “No, we’re from Jaipur… in India.” she replied, something about this felt different.

Natasha looked between them, “… you will have to go back… take us with you!” she nodded.

Nelen looked at her suspiciously, “Why?” he asked, keeping his hands ready incase he needed to unleash some Hell.

Natasha stepped forward, slowly sheathing her dagger as she gently pulled Lupe back, then replied, “Micahel, the local prince, is demanding I cast Lupe out or kill her! I found her in the woods after a hunter attack, her entire pack had been slaughtered to the last and she was the only survivor… I… in my mortal days I had a dog that looked so much like her and I could not leave her… I cannot harm her…”

Lupe whined, padding over to Natasha on all fours and nuzzling her hand, acting much more like an animal than a human despite her currently humanoid appearance.

Natasha smiled sadly at her and stroked over the werewolf’s head, “I believe the attack traumatized her. Lupe is more beast than woman. Without me she could hurt someone…”

Dawn slowly crawled down the wall at this. “You… took her in after her family died?” she asked, her tail still puffed out.

Natasha nodded, “She was little more than an infant at the time…” she replied, “I believe that is how she survived. She was so small she was overlooked by the hunters.”

Dawn slowly lowered her glasses, and her mind went back to a warehouse in Michigan… “Nelen, they’re coming.” she said.

Nelen blinked, “Wait, what? Dawn, I mean I’ve worked with some decent bloodsuckers in the past but…” he started.

Dawn looked back at him and glared, “They’re coming. There’s barely any vampires in India and ZERO werewolves right? No competition. She’s barely any taller than Simoni! She won’t have to kill people to feed at her size! Let ‘em come!” she hissed.

Nelen raised his eyebrow at her, “I’m not strictly speaking opposed to the idea, but why do you care? You’re a Cheshire, to you it really is cats and dogs! You’re a cat and they’re a dog!” he asked.

“DO I GOTTA SAY IT YOU DAMN WIZARD?!” she hissed, “SHE!” Dawn pointed to Natasha, “ADOPTED HER!” she pointed to Lupe, “AFTER HUNTERS KILLED HER FAMILY! HEY, HAVEN’T WE HEARD THAT STORY BEFORE?!” she snapped.

Natasha and Lupe glanced at each other, the vampire shrugging to her companion.

Nelen's eyebrows went up as he made the connection, “OH! Oh, oh shit yeah… right… damn, shit…” he muttered. “Look, I mean… we gotta convince Rajesh of it. Civilized or not vampires need human blood to survive and…”

“Er… young blood actually…” said Natasha.

“What?” they all asked.

She coughed awkwardly, an interesting feat as she did not actually need to breathe, “… young human blood… my curse is a bit… particular…” she admitted.

Nelen sighed, “Right, great, a vampire with a specialized diet too…” he grumbled, “Okay, but how the hells do we sell this to Rajesh then?” he grunted.

Natasha looked away, “Your friend is right however, I do not need to kill to survive. I cannot promise I will not if I lose control, no vampire can… but… I cannot leave Lupe to the Prince’s mercy. He would kill her without hesitation.”

Dawn turned to face Nelen, glared, then pointed at Natasha with both hands, her tail thrashing behind her.

Nelen sighed, “Shit… fine… as soon as the auction is over we can ask Rajesh.” he grumbled, “No promises…”

Natasha paused, “The auction?” she asked.

“Yeah, we’re in town because some ancient noble’s stuff got found in a warehouse and they’re auctioning it off for charity or something. Dimitri something.” he replied.

Natasha started a bit, “Dimitri… Renault?” she asked.

“Yeah that’s the one. My employer collects rare and unusual antiquities, especially ones with a supernatural history to them.” he nodded.

Natasha thought, then grinned in a way that showed her long canine teeth, “Then, perhaps we can come to an… agreement…”

Three days later in Jaipur

A young girl named Saanvi jogged towards home. She knew she was out too late, but she was having far too much fun with her friends! Now it was nearly half past midnight and her mother would be furious!

As she ran along she saw a foreigner standing near an alleyway, a young looking girl in a red silken top and black skirt. She wondered why she was dressed so funny, then glanced at the girl’s face and saw her eyes… and froze like a mouse caught in the gaze of a cobra.

About ten minutes later she woke up in the alleyway, resting against the wall. She felt a bit lightheaded but put it down to the time. She was up VERY late after all. She got up a little unsteadily, then continued on home.

Natasha stood on a nearby rooftop, looking around at the city. A new home, Lupe seemed to really like having a jungle close by to explore too, and all it took was her sire’s old signet ring.

Most of Dimitri’s old jewelry had been lost over the centuries, melted down for the gold, but she’d plucked off his ring as the finger it rode on had crumbled to dust the day she’d put him to the sword. It had sentimental value, but for her golden furred companion it was a small thing. Besides, she was staying at their residence in the wine cellar, she could see it whenever she wanted.

Rajesh had been overjoyed to accept such a rare find, but his joy was tempered by the warning that if a single young girl turned up dead and bloodless in Jaipur that he’d have Arja set her coffin on fire after nailing it shut with her inside.

Rajesh was a good man, but he was no fool. Natasha couldn’t blame him really, she was a vampire after all. Still, she could make this work if she was careful. Sip, don’t guzzle, try to space out where and when she fed. Jaipur was a huge city and she was one vampire…

Natasha nodded to herself. She’d lost Lupe once centuries ago, she would not lose her again. In the distance she heard a wolflike howl go up, and smiled, fangs shining in the moonlight.

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[gally-hin-phantom]

Camille - aka Vlad’s Secretary

I often see “Vlad’s secretary” in fics but they’re rarely developed. One day, for my own entertainment, I scribble them a face on paper. Then with time I give them a name and a backstory too, so hnn guess I have an OC ? maybe ?

xxx

I already mentioned her in my fic but she will eventually appear more in the future

Btw if you like her, she is free to use, just credit me and tag me so I can check 👌

Information and additional art below the “Keep Reading”

—————————

Camille Lagarde

Camille is reliable, serious and is working for Vlad for years now. She is in charge of his professional and private life schedule (programming his private jet, or sending his suits to the laundry facilities for example). Camille has often difficulties and problems when her employer suddenly disappears for days (thereby she regularly babysits his precious cat), and is more than often annoyed by his immature side (though she is proud that Vlad trusts her enough to be that comfortable around her).

Even if Vlad doesn’t exactly consider her a friend (he still has abandonment issues), to him she is the closest person to that, though she doesn’t know his secrets...

She frequently takes care of the damage in his house and knows when to not ask questions.

Past

Camille is a trans woman but started working for Vlad as a man. After several years of good service, the day Camille finally decided to make her transition, passing from a male to a female secretary, Vlad slightly raises his eyebrow in confusion but didn’t treat her differently, nor give her remarks. He then secretly remade all his company’s employees badges to remove the M/F mention.

Because Vlad isn’t the type of man who cares about people sexuality, sex or gender as long as the job is done well and fast; and Camille is his most loyal, trustful and skilled secretary. Moreover he could only admire somebody who is strong enough to show their true self, something he is unable to.

That swept away her doubts, she didn’t want to be treat differently because of her transition, she was more that a sex, a gender or a label. Despite everything, she was still ‘Camille’.

Name

She doesn't have a dead name and still uses ‘Camille’ since it’s unisex.

‘Camille’ came from the Latin camillus, meaning ‘acolyte’ (young cult officiant), a boy who helps the priest in Roman religious ceremonies. Despite being an unisex French name, it was more popular for ‘boys’ 30-40 years ago, but nowadays it’s almost exclusively a ‘girl’ name. Quite fitting I think :)

‘Lagarde’ is a very common French family name in the south-west of Ariege, Hautes-Pyrenees, Gers etc. this evokes a ‘watchtower’ or ‘the one who stands guard’.

Additional information

Camille is French and often misses her country. She has a sweet tooth and her favorite food is macarons.

Each year for Christmas and her birthday, Vlad offers her a box of homemade macarons. Sometimes he brides her services (like babysitting Maddie) in exchange of a box, but will never give her his recipe despite all her pleas.

She doesn’t usually have an accent, but when she is very tired we can slightly distinguish a thick French countryside one.

Autor's notes

I like to put her design in my mind when I read a fic mentioning “Vlad’s secretary”.

Depending on the fic, depicting a male or a female secretary I imagine her before or after her transition.

The sole and only reason why she has brown eyes is because there’re not enough characters with this eyes color in the DP cast ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[five-rivers]

Beltane

Written for Ectober 2021 Day 1: Trick vs Treat. This is part of the Exhumed series.

.

Danny Fenton walked into the precinct. As often happened when he did this, all attention slowly turned to him. “Hi, Detective Patterson. Have you ever heard of Beltane?”

Patterson took a long swig of coffee through the plastic stir straw, because she felt the need to be at least a little drugged before dealing with whatever this was, and then said, “Is this the kind of thing the whole precinct needs to know about, or is it more specific to me?”

“Mm, not specific to you, but I’m not sure if everyone needs to know about it, yet.”

Despite only select members of the Amity Park police force knowing Danny Fenton had another identity, he’d become a sort of ‘ghost liaison’ for the precinct. Better him than the adult Fentons, who tended to break things even (especially) when they were being careful.

“Actually,” continued Danny, “you might have already noticed some things about it. I mean, it’s seasonal, and Mom and Dad were detecting ectoenergy and ghost activity spikes for events like this before they got the portal up and running. Although, the portal was supposed to stabilize and reduce those spikes… I guess reducing one isn’t bad?”

“Okay,” said Patterson. “I don’t really know what you’re talking about. Do you want me to go find Collins?”

“Oh, that might be a good idea.”

“Great,” said Patterson. She turned her head to shout across the room. “McGee. Go find Collins.”

“Still the new guy?” asked Danny, sympathetically.

“It isn’t like we’re a popular posting,” said Patterson, “and, thanks to the ghosts, we don’t really need new people.”

Danny nodded placidly. “I know. But it must be hard for him, don’t you think?”

.

McGee had done his job. He’d discovered the corruption in the Amity Park Police Department and plumbed its depths. The problem was that he could never, ever, report it. Even if they didn’t have a perfectly good cause for it all, what they were ‘hiding’ (and they were only barely doing that) was so ridiculous that McGee had thought he’d gone crazy at first.

Ghosts.

The whole of Amity Park was haunted. Just like it said in those touristy brochures at the front of the local diners.

He stuck his head into the break room. “Collins, Patterson and Fenton want you,” he said.

“In the normal room?” Collins asked, shoving a sugary monstrosity of a donut into his mouth.

“I have no idea. She didn’t say.”

“Normal room then. Great job, McGee.”

McGee rolled his eyes. Great job, he said. As if he’d done anything.

God. What would Halloween be like?

.

“So, it’s like, reverse Halloween?” asked Patterson.

“Well, not exactly,” said Danny. He patted Daisy, the department mascot slash corpse sniffing dog who had followed them into the small interview room, gently on the head. “Actually, there are more similarities than differences. Basically, like Halloween, we’re going to get a spike in ectoenergy. Maybe even some ectoplasmic storms. More portals. That kind of thing.” He shrugged. “Most holidays and seasonal divisions have them, you know.”

“So… we’re getting Halloween round two?” asked Collins.

“What do you bet that this is what gets McGee to snap?”

“He’s been here since December,” said Collins. “I think he’s too stubborn to leave.”

“Is he still spying?” asked Danny.

“No,” said Patterson, waving a hand. “He gave up on that, after a while. But there’s a new office bet about whether or not he’ll stay stay, or if he’ll decide to quit. We’re not allowed to join in because we know him too well.”

“Mm,” said Danny.

“I don’t actually know if I feel like I know him that well,” said Collins.

“Well,” said Danny, “it shouldn’t be as extreme as Halloween. Since, I mean, there aren’t as many religious holidays directly associated with death and stuff happening on or around May first. So. Yeah. But the thing is, there are some traditional, er, activities. Spirited activities.”

Collins suppressed a groan, and was glad that Captain Jones wasn’t available today. He and Danny could sling puns at each other for obscenely long periods of time.

“I’ve never noticed ghosts doing anything on May Day,” said Patterson.

“This is only the third year anyone’s even acknowledged that ghosts exist,” said Danny, “so I’m not really all that surprised. But the reason that I came to talk to you guys is that some of the ghosts want to do Beltane stuff. Like the fire blessings. Also, I’ve been told that some of the trees in town are secretly ghost trees, and if we don’t want to deal with another tree army, we need to do some stuff to appease them.”

“Secret ghost trees.”

“My source is very reliable,” said Danny. “Also, while I say ‘we don’t want to deal with it,’ I think we all know who’d be dealing with most of it.”

“You would,” said Patterson.

“Got it in one. Like, I can convince most of the ghosts to either do their Beltane stuff in the Ghost Zone, or somewhere out of the way. They’ll be disappointed, but I can do it. The ghost tree thing, though…”

“Can’t we just, I don’t know,” said Collins, “get rid of the ghost trees?”

“Well, they aren’t really evil ghost trees. Or even really ghost trees. They’re more… ghosts that live in trees?”

“What, like dryads?” asked Collins, raising his eyebrows.

“That’s what I said, but they’re different species, apparently.”

“Okay,” said Patterson, “so. Appeasing the trees. How many trees are we talking about here, and how are we going to appease them?”

.

“Okay, so, this is definitely a whole precinct kind of thing,” said Patterson.

“And possibly an ‘all civil servants’ type of thing,” added Collins. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where are we going to get the funding for this?”

“Oh, don’t worry about money,” said Danny. “I’ll just blackmail Vlad, and if that doesn’t work, I can get Mom and Dad to pay for it.”

“What,” said Collins.

“I think this might be a bit beyond your parents’ budget,” said Patterson, “but knock yourself out as far as Masters goes.”

“Well, I guess if it is,” he allowed, dubiously, “I could get the cults to pitch in?”

.

“This is nice,” said Danny. The sky was a bit overcast, which was a shame, but the hundreds of bright flowers and cheerful music more than made up for that.

The May Day celebration was, in Danny’s opinion, a success. At least, this half of it was turning out to be. He’d have to wait and see how the Spirit Bonfires went tonight before he could really make a judgement.

He’d only had to blackmail Vlad a little, too. It turned out that the ‘ruthless businessman’ in Vlad was ludicrously easy to manipulate, and once Danny brought up how a celebration like this one could revitalize local businesses and bring in tourism, he’d caved.

Although, that might have been the threat of an angry tree army. Vlad had definitely come off worse for wear in the last one, on all fronts.

Then, publically putting the Phantom Stamp of Approval (and Necessity Given The Potential Angry Tree Army) on the event had gotten buy-in from his fans and (sigh) the cults. The cults were, in fact, very enthusiastic about their new Holy Day. Danny had made a map of all the places they’d set up booths, and was studiously avoiding them.

Sam and Tucker were doing a walkthrough of that area, now, to check for problems and unadorned thorn trees. They’d arranged to meet up soon.

So, Amity Park was decked out in ribbons and flowers. All of the schools had gotten Maypoles and the day off of classes. Several bands, both human and ghostly, were playing in different parts of town.

It was chaotic, but great.

Danny briefly cut into the street to dodge a pair of college-age men play-fighting with tree branches (a genuinely important tradition symbolizing the battle between winter and summer), then walked through a wall to avoid two ghosts doing the same thing.

Finally, he reached Madame Babazita’s table.

“Hi,” he said, “three readings, please.”

“Three?” she asked. “Just for you?”

“My friends should get here before mine’s done,” said Danny. Was he channeling some predictive powers? Maybe. Holidays did make his powers weird.

.

“I have no idea what your reading is saying,” said Madame Babazita, after fifteen full minutes. “The cards simply aren’t speaking to me today. Also,” she held up an Uno card, “I’m not sure how this even got here.”

“That’s okay,” said Danny, “I just wanted to make sure it was the same as last time.”

.

“Hey! Phantom!” called Ember across the crowd of ghosts that had gathered in the cemetery. Most of them were fire or nature themed. “You’re in for a treat!”

Danny, who had been examining the flowers left on his grave, looked up. “I am?”

Ember draped her arm around Danny’s shoulder. She’d been a lot more friendly with him since the corpse incident. “Sure are.” She stepped up onto the surface of his memorial, pulling him up behind her. Danny shook off a brief chill and looked around.

Ghosts were streaming into the cemetery from various directions, bringing armfuls of flowers with them. Danny could see two, huge bonfire piles of flowers growing near the cemetery gates.

“Are there going to be cows?” asked Danny, who was still fuzzy on the details of the ghostly side of the celebrations.

“I don’t know,” said Ember. “When I’ve seen this done in the GZ there are. Here? Who knows. Maybe we’ll just walk through.”

Danny nodded, unworried. Beltane sure was an interesting holiday.

The last armful of flowers was placed, and every flower in the cemetery caught on fire at once. Including the ones on Danny’s grave. Danny yelped, jumping into flight. As an ice core ghost, he vastly preferred cold to heat.

This went without saying, but fire was very hot.

Ember grabbed his foot, and he almost kicked her. “You knew that was going to happen,” he accused.

“Sure did, babypop,” said Ember, grinning. “Come on, don’t you want to pass through the bonfires?”

Danny eyed the very large bonfires on either side of the cemetery gates. They were lit up with sparks like fireworks, shifting like flowers blooming and withering and blooming again. They were beautiful and impressive, and Danny felt like melting just by looking at them.

“I don’t know…” He wanted to, but… melting…

“Well, if you want to go out the other way and be horribly unlucky for the next year…”

Danny narrowed his eyes. “Is that another trick?” he asked.

Ember’s grin grew wider, and she took off towards the gates. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Danny sighed and followed her.

.

“Unbelievable,” said McGee. “Absolutely unbelievable.” He gave the elderly cultist a boost into the wagon.

“I know, right?” said Patterson. “All this property damage and a low-key kidnapping,” she gestured to the hapless late night partier who had called the police when the cult got too insistent about their message, “and they didn’t even have the good drugs?” She shook her head. “Not that we ever arrest anyone just for drugs in this town.”

“I did not just hear you say that,” muttered McGee.

“We’ll make an Amity Parker out of you yet,” said Collins, heartily, slamming the back door of the wagon. He thumbed the button on his radio. “Any other disturbances?” he asked.

“No, you’re good to come back,” said the dispatcher.

“What I don’t get,” said McGee, leaning against a nearby wall in a moment of weakness, “is why we aren’t breaking up whatever cult thing is happening in the cemetery.” They’d seen it quite clearly on their way here.

“Because those are ghosts,” said Patterson.

McGee took a deep breath. “The ghosts are having some kind of ritual in the cemetery, and you aren’t worried.”

“Not really, no.”

“I hate it here,” said McGee.

“Do you, though?” asked Collins, sounding genuinely interested in the answer.

McGee opened his mouth to snap back that, yes, he did. But…

Hm. Huh.

Collins patted him on the back.

[coaxare]

Radiohead Pathologic Megamix

LINK TO PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY Track listing w/ suggested interpretations & selected lyrics below the cut. Spoilers/context from Pathologic 1/Pathologic 2/Marble Nest combined into one suggested continuity.

Street Spirit (Fade Out) - Isidor's Letter to Artemy

Be a world child, form a circle Before we all go under

We Suck Young Blood - The Kain Dynasty

Are you fracturing? Are you torn at the seams?

Optimistic - Grief's Rise to Power in the Warehouses

I'd really like to help you, man Nervous messed up marionette

Paranoid Android - Peter Stamatin

Please, could you stop the noise? I'm trying to get some rest

The Tourist - Andrey Stamatin

Sometimes I get overcharged That's when you see sparks

Knives Out - Farkhad's Death

If you'd been a dog, they would have drowned you at birth Look into my eyes

I Might Be Wrong - Stakh and Artemy

What would I do? If I did not have you?

Backdrifts - Oyun's Decision

All evidence has been buried All tapes have been erased

Morning Bell/Amnesiac - The Plague

Cut the kids in half Cut the kids in half

Scatterbrain - Dankovsky Worrying About Thanatica

I'm walking out in a force ten gale Birds thrown around, bullets for hail

Blow Out - Stakh Rubin Dealing with Isidor's Death

I am fused Just in case I blow out

Life in a Glasshouse - The Onset of the Haunting of Katerina by the Rat Prophet

Well of course I'd like to sit around and chat But someone's listening in

Kid A - Khan and Notkin's Schism

We've got heads on sticks And you've got ventriloquists

Idioteque - Khan in the Polyhedron

Here I'm allowed Everything all of the time

Treefingers - Climbing the Polyhedron

[Instrumental]

Pyramid Song - Eva Yan (P1)

I jumped in the river and what did I see? Black-eyed angels swam with me

Sit Down. Stand Up. - Aglaya Meets with Bad Grief

Walk into the jaws of hell (sit down) Walk into the jaws of hell (stand up)

A Wolf at the Door - Bad Grief Meets with Aglaya

Born and raised for the job Someone always does

Karma Police - Block and Aglaya's Dueling Interrogations

This is what you'll get When you mess with us

Just - The Continued Haunting of Katerina by the Rat Prophet

One day he'll get to you And teach you how to be a holy cow

Hearing Damage - Stakh and Artemy Part 2

Your ears are wrecking You're hearing damage

I Will - Capella Asking Artemy to Let Her Care for His Bound

I won't let this happen to my children Meet the real world coming out of your shell

Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box - Big Vlad Getting Dragged to the Termitary

I'm a reasonable man Get off my case, get off my case

You and Whose Army - Big Vlad Facing the Kin in the Termitary

You forget so easy We ride tonight

2 + 2 = 5 - The Plague Enters the Stoneyard

You have not been Paying attention

You - Nina and Victor's Relationship

You, me and everything Caught in the fire

Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors - Victor Allowing Nina to Possess Him

There are doors that open by themselves There are sliding doors and there are secret doors

Climbing Up the Walls - Simon and Georgiy Kain

Fifteen blows to the back of your head Fifteen blows to your mind

The Gloaming - Dankovsky Realizes the Nature of the Kains

Your alarm bells, your alarm They should be ringing, they should be ringing

Black Star - Alexander Mourning Katerina

I get home from work And you're still standing in your dressing gown

How to Disappear Completely - Anna Angel On the Brink of Death

I'm not here This isn't happening

There, There - Artemy Dreams of Nara

In pitch dark I go walking in your landscape

Hunting Bears - Artemy going to Shekhen

[Instrumental]

Everything In It's Right Place - Artemy Accepting His Inheritance

Everything In its right place

Faust Arp - Dankovsky Intercepts the Courier

Watch me fall Like dominoes

Reckoner - Diurnal Ending

Because we separate (In rainbows) Like ripples on a blank shore (In rainbows)

[thatoneitaliangirl]

Oh my gosh could you write a childe x reader thing 🥺🥺 I wanna just have some sweet angst with a happy outcome somehow 😔

I may have gone a bit overboard- At this point, I feel I'm literally incapable of writing anything under 1,000 words. So sorry this took so long, I had to take a break from writing to work out some things with school. A bunch of nonsense and stuff lol. You didn't specify gender, so I wrote the reader as female, only cause that's what I'm used to working with. I apologize if that's not what you wanted. I can always whip up something for ya with your preferred pronouns! But I'm not sure if I'll make it this long . . . I honestly don't know how I even did this, like this is a feat I feel. Anyways, I hope Childe isn't too OOC in this. I'm not the best when it comes to writing angst, so I hope you like it! And just as a little explanation beforehand, I read up that Childe joined the Fatui when he was about 14, became a Harbinger at 18, and is considered a young adult. So in this fic, it's assumed that he and you are at least 20 years old just so the timeline adds up and stuff. Also, despite how long this is, Childe isn't in it as much as you probably wanted- I have a tendency to write more about the reader than the characters. It's something I'm trying to break, but I was just so proud of this. I hope you like it! Anyways, happy reading!!! ^^

Childe x Reader Angst

Plot- Reader and Childe have been together for years when Reader finds out that Childe killed her sister when she was young.

Word count- 8,864 (I'm so sorry)

Warnings- Mentions of death, sadness, bad writing, possible suicide at the end(But just mentioned as a fear), swearing, and cringe 'funny' moments cause why not.

The wind blows through your hair as you sit atop a ledge overlooking Liyue Harbor. Today is your younger sister's birthday, and for the past six years, it's been nothing but a reminder of your failure. You were supposed to take care of her. After your parents passed away, you were all she had left, and she, you. But you were just a kid yourself, hardly capable of raising a child.

You bite your lip and look over at all the families walking about, having fun. It brings a smile to your face knowing at least some people can be happy on this day. She wouldn't have wanted doom and gloom to be her only remembrance. The sun in the sky is warm, beaming down on your skin. You've fought many battles for the Adventurers Guild during your time living in town, and are proud to say you've survived. Even escaped a few sparring matches with Childe relatively unscathed.

You win every time, but it's no surprise given he lets you win. That's one of the many things you love about him. He tries to put you first in most situations as much as he can with his job. And it's the little things like letting you win a fake fight that makes you feel like you're floating.

Your relationship is practically plastered on every notice board in town with how affectionate you are to each other. Not a soul in Liyue can look at you and not know you are the Harbinger's lover. But you're okay with that.

Taking in a calm breath, you hop down and glide your way to the docks below.

"Good morning, _____! Nice weather, isn't it?" You smile at the young girl as she approaches you. You've known her for a while now, and have come to consider yourself friends. She seems a bit nervous though.

"It certainly is. Are you okay, Chen?" Her smile drops and she grips onto her arms.

"Can I ask a favor of you? It's rude of me, but I'm desperate!"

"It's fine, what's the matter?" The young girl sighs.

"My brother borrowed a loan from Northland Bank last month and the payments were due two days ago. He told me he was going to pay it back . . . He hasn't been home since. I just thought that . . ."

"You want me to ask Tar?" Her eyes snap up to yours.

"Will you? Please? I'm just so worried about him! I told him not to take that loan, but he never listens to me." You put your hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"It's okay. It's no problem at all! I was just headed there anyway. I'll see about your brother for you." Young Chen sighs in relief and reaches in her pocket.

"Here, I want you to take this as payment." You shake your head and push her hand away.

"No, I could never!"

"I insist! My mother gave this to me when I was a kid," She opens your hand and places a small coin in before closing your hand around it.

"She told me travelers would give these coins to people who did favors for them and that they grant wishes! Though I'm sure that's just a children's story; I was never able to get it to work." You give the coin a look, hesitant, before slipping it into your pocket.

"Alright, I'll accept. Thank you!" You wave goodbye to Chen and head towards the bank. Childe spends most of his days there, what he does, you have no idea. It's a mystery. The most you get out of him is 'business' which, yeah, obviously you do business. But it's understandable. The Fatui are a questionable lot, and not many people in Liyue trust them.

The Qixing keep a close eye on them as well, though you're sure even they hardly know what goes down under the 'bank' façade. Sometimes Childe comes home with cuts and bruises, claiming they're from training with his comrades, and while you don't buy that one bit, you play along. No need to add to his stress. If he thought you needed to know, he would tell you. No doubt about it.

Walking up the many flights of stairs, you nod to Vlad who lets you in.

Lucky for you, the first face your eyes land on is the exact one you came looking for.

"Tar!" He immediately looks over in your direction, smiles, and dismisses the Fatui agent he was talking to.

"Well, if it isn't the most beautiful woman in all Teyvat. Come to steal my heart?" He pulls you into a hug and kisses your cheek.

"No need, I already have it," You pull away, giving him a smile.

"I actually came here to see you."

"I'd hope so! Who else would you want to see?" Rolling your eyes, you grab him by his hand and lead him to his office.

"I have a favor to ask of you," The joking atmosphere surrounding you turns heavy as you hold his hands in yours.

"As you know, today is . . . Very important to me. I was wondering if you could get off early tonight? If not, it's okay though. I don't want to trouble you or anything." Childe chuckles and pats your head.

"I know what today is. I already requested an early leave this morning, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. If we're that backed up, I'm not sure I'll be able to," Your face falls a bit, but you smile. He made the effort to try and get off early without you even asking.

He places his hand onto your face and rubs his thumb over your cheek.

"But I promise to make it up to you. If I don't get back too late, we can go up to Mt. Tianheng and watch the lights at night. I know you like to do that when you're upset." The kind smile on his face is only magnified by the gentle look in his eyes. He's always been soft with you, even before you got together.

It was always an odd sight for people to see the two of you interact before you were a couple. He always regards people with the same jokester attitude, especially those he has to keep an eye on. But when he's with you, he may joke around, but is always much more concerned for your wellbeing.

"Thank you, Tar. I really appreciate it." He smirks and laughs.

"You appreciate it, huh? How much?" You roll your eyes again and give him a kiss on the lips. Childe smiles into it and tries to make it deeper, but you pull away with his lips chasing after you.

"Easy there, tiger. Save it for later, huh?"

"So, there's a later?" You lightly smack his chest and pull away from him as he laughs.

"Get back to work, Tar." You turn to leave but stop in the doorway.

"Oh, before I forget, I ran into Chen earlier," The look in Childe's eyes shifts slightly, but you barely notice.

"She mentioned that her brother stopped by here about two days ago, and was wondering if you knew where he went after? He hasn't been home since and she's very worried."

He ponders for a moment before his eyes light up in realization.

"Now that you mention it, he did say he was headed towards Lingju Pass. Don't know what for though." He shrugs.

"Okay, thank you! I'll be sure to pass it on." You exchange words of love before you leave.

After speaking with Chen, you decided to head towards the countryside. Your conversation with her went about as well as you expected. She seemed distressed and unsure of the information you gave her, but any criticisms were held as she thanked you and left. You hope that she'll be okay and that her brother comes back. Archons know, you understand what it's like to lose a sibling.

You take in a deep breath.

The air in Liyue is unlike any other. Once you leave the city and all the warm bodies, it's nothing but gentle breezes and the smell of earth. And the occasional Hilichurl, but you can easily take out a few to preserve the peace.

Walking along a random path in the sand, you reflect.

When you and your sister were young, you would often take walks like these while your parents were arguing. Despite only being a few years older than her, you actively chose to take on a more nurturing role. But after your parents died, you realized just how hard it was to provide for the two of you.

You knew how to use a bow to hunt, but not well, and even though you had your mother's catalyst, you didn't have a vision. Sometimes just showing it off and pretending you had a vision was enough to scare off petty thieves and weak Hilichurls, but it was only a matter of time before that wouldn't be enough.

Unfortunately, that time came all too soon.

The two of you had found an abandoned campsite and you decided to rest for the night. Your sister and you were headed to Mondstadt in search of a distant relative who you believed could help you. But during the night, your sister got thirsty and you were all out of water in your canteen. So you heading out to find a lake close by to fetch some, only to return to see a dark figure escaping into the night and your sister, laying in the tent, unmoving.

You were only a few hours walk to the city.

Sometimes you wonder if you had kept going that night, maybe whoever it was would have never even crossed your path. Your cries for help were heard by knights close by and they gathered your sister. Everyone in the city was welcoming and understanding, and the church gave her a wonderful service.

But nothing could mend the hole in your heart. Thankfully, the family member was able to take you in and trained you to become a knight. But that's not what you wanted. You wanted to find the person who killed your sister. And after completing your training, you left for Liyue and gained your Cryo vision along the way.

You summon your catalyst and flip through the pages. It's strange how magic works and how everything interacts with your vision. Before you, this weapon served your pyro vision-wielding mother. After you gained your vision, all the spells changed to fit the cold rather than the heat. You sigh and close the book. Sifting through it is just going to make you more sentimental. The sky above begins to turn shades of orange and pink as the sun goes down, so you decide to head home.

"I know you did something!" A loud voice yells, not too far from you.

"Chen?" You whisper to yourself and make your way around to see her at the edge of town, yelling at a Fatui agent.

"Calm down, miss Chen. We don't know what you are referring to." She balls her hands into fists, her face twisted in anger.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! Lingju Pass? He hasn't set foot there since our father died. How dare you make up such lies!" You decide to make your way over to try and calm her down. She's obviously upset, and you know that Fatui agents aren't well versed in the ways of 'feelings.' In fact, most of the ones you've met have all been quite stoic and unconcerned.

"Are you calling the Fatui liars, miss Chen?" You stop, Childe stepping out in front of the other agent.

What is Childe doing out here?

"You Fatui lie about everything! Everyone in Liyue despises your presence here, and this just proves to me how low you people actually are. What did you do to my brother?!" She reaches up to hit Childe, and you run up to her and grab her by her arms. You know she can't hurt him, but if she tries she could get into some serious trouble.

"Chen, listen to me, you have to calm down." She looks up at you with tears streaming down her face but shakes off your grip.

"No! I refuse! He knows something about my brother, I know he does!" She looks at you with pleading eyes.

"Please, _____, tell him. Tell him to tell me where my brother is!" Chen sobs. Tears start to form in your eyes.

"Chen, I'm sorry, but Tartaglia doesn't know," You look up at Childe and are taken aback by the look in his eyes. His eyes are dead, angry, violent as he stares at Chen. He waves his hand, and two Fatui agents come from behind and drag Chen away.

"Let go of me!" She struggles as they hold her arms and pull her through the dirt path. Chen glairs at Childe, digging her feet into the ground to slow them down.

"You're a monster, Harbinger! A monster!" You continue to stare after her as she's dragged away. What just happened? You've known Chen and her brother since you moved here. What could have happened to make this poor girl act like this? You jump when Childe places his hand on your shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He wipes the tears from your cheeks and smiles his normal, dashing smile. Nothing like the look he was giving Chen just a moment ago.

"Sometimes those awful rumors spreading about the Fatui make people act irrationally." You look him in the eyes as he holds your face. His eyes are soft and caring now, just how he always looks at you.

"Do you know what happened to her brother?" You ask softly. His eyes darken a bit, but his smile never faults.

"_____, my love, are you questioning me now too? Come on, you know none of that stuff is true, right? I work at a bank, not much else to it." He answers, his voice joking, but there's this undertone you can't quite place and have never heard before. You force a smile and hug him close.

"Your right, I'm sorry for asking. I'm just so concerned for Chen and her brother. Do you know where they're taking her?" He hugs you back, tight, and kisses your forehead.

"I think you should just leave it be for now. Go home and get some rest. I should be getting off work soon, and we can do what I promised. How's that sound?"

"Good." You lean up and give him a kiss. His voice drops low as he whispers in your ear.

"I love you, _____. Don't ever forget that."

And he leaves before you can reply. A chill goes down your spine as you watch him leave, and it's not from your vision. You've never seen Childe like that before, even when he interacts with the Traveler. It made you freeze in place, made your blood run cold, and had your heart beating faster with fear all at the same time. That was Harbinger Childe, not your Tartaglia. You rub your hands along your upper arms to calm yourself. You never want to experience that again.

Taking a deep breath, you reach into your pocket to grab your handkerchief, but pull out the coin Chen had given you instead. All it does is remind you that once again you failed to protect someone you cared about. Poor Chen is scared and afraid, and you're positive that Childe's reaction did not help her any.

But as you hold up the coin, you notice a faint glow emanating from around the outer edge which turns the intricate patterns into Liyuian Characters.

'Let the truth be revealed.'

What does this mean? You remember Chen telling you the story of the coin, but it was just that. You've never heard of any coins gifted by travelers before, and it definitely wasn't a common folk tale.

You shove it back into your pocket and rush home.

The sun is almost fully down, and the stars begin to light your way as you walk hastily down the path. Once your house is in sight, you pick up the pace and run inside.

The glow from the coin is brighter now, illuminating your darkening house. How does one even make a wish on a coin?

"I want to see the truth, but I don't know how," The glow of the coin shifts and changes colors in your hands, giving off an almost mystical wave of magic you've never felt before. Whoever made this coin had to have been powerful. You take a deep breath and look at the coin with determination.

"Show me the truth!" The glow envelopes you and when you open your eyes, you're shocked at what lays before you. The dark figure that haunts your dreams at night looms over your dead sister, red-stained blade in hand and a mask over his face.

You step closer, the classic mask of the fatui on the hooded mans' face making his eyes glow white in the darkness. His stature is much smaller than yours, and his outline seems to be that of a boy. At the time it would have been easy for you to confuse him with a man, being he would have been taller than you. But now that you're an adult, you can clearly see his youth. He smirks and laughs down at your little sister's body while whipping the knife on his sleeve.

"You should never have crossed the Fatui." Your heart drops as the young boy removes his mask revealing ocean blue eyes. The eyes of your lover that you adore on the face of the person that you've despised for years. A woman appears next to him, the same woman you've seen him speak to on many occasions but have never spoken to yourself.

"Good work, Tartaglia. You've proven yourself useful to the Tsaritsa after all. But your job here is not done," Childe looks up at the taller woman, his face determined.

"The other daughter has left to fetch water. Unfortunately, there are too many knights around on patrol to take her. Dispose of the body, and return at once." Childe bows to the woman and she smiles wickedly.

"Yes, Signora. Anything for the Tsaritsa." She leaves, and Childe begins to wrap up the young girl's body in a blanket. He stops suddenly, lifting his head up as young _____ approaches from over the hill. Childe smirks, fixing his mask and hood back on properly.

"Until next time, _____." He says and begins to run.

You gasp as the light invades your sight again and you're returned to the present. Your heart is beating a mile a minute and your breathing begins to pick up. The realization is overwhelming, and the shock is preventing you from crying.

Tartaglia was the one this whole time? It can't be, it just can't! You love him, and he loves you, he says so all the time. Has he lied to you this whole time? Has he just been keeping you close to screw with you before breaking your heart and killing you? That coin has to be lying. There's no way your Tar would ever do something like that, especially to you! He tells you everything. There are no secrets between the two of you.

Right?

The clock on the wall says that it's seven-o-clock, usually when Childe gets off of work. You don't want to be here; you can't be here. How can you face him after seeing that, even if it was a lie? You quickly run up to your shared bedroom and grab your adventuring bag, filling it with few essentials.

Where will you even go? There's nowhere in Liyue where Childe can't find you. Even across Teyvat, the Fatui have eyes and ears. You just need some time to reflect, get your barrings, and confront him. If you'll confront him. This has to be some kind of joke, or lie placed by some unknown power to question your love for him. There's no way he could have-

"What are you doing, _____?" You gasp, started by Childe suddenly behind you, blocking the exit to your room.

"Tar, you scared me!" You say shakily, holding your bag close to your chest. He smiles his usual caring smile at you, but all you can see is the smirk he held while staring down at your little sister.

"Sorry, my love. I got off of work early like I said I would. Is that why you have your bag?" His ocean blue eyes dart down to your bag and back up to you again. You subconsciously grip the bag tighter, Childe noticing.

"N-No. I accepted a commission last minute." The lie slips out like acid on your tongue.

You've never lied to him before, and it feels wrong. But you have to get out of here. Every alarm bell in your body is screaming at you to run as fast as you can away from the man you love.

His brow furrows a bit with concern and he takes a step closer to you, but you take one back.

"This isn't about what happened today, is it?" He sighs and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, it's just I don't like it when people falsely accuse me of things. I kinda slipped into Harbinger mode for a sec there." He laughs, again trying to come closer to you, you step back.

"Are they false though?" The question falls from your lips before you realize it, and Childe's eyes widen in surprise.

"_____, you can't be serious? You know I would never lie to you-"

"How do I know that, Childe?" You've never called him Childe, and it shows from the shock on his face when you do.

"What are you going on about? I could never-"

"Get away from me!" You yell at the Harbinger, tears finally falling from your eyes. There's no way you could be near him like this, knowing that he could have . . .

"Why? I love you, I won't hurt you." You try to steady your breathing as he slowly inches closer, treating you as of your a wild animal he wants to tame.

"You don't love me." You shake your head, gripping your backpack with white knuckles.

"What?" The question comes out as a whisper from the man's mouth in disbelief, hoping he didn't hear you properly.

"You don't love me!" You say one again, louder, confirming what he has hoped wasn't true.

"_____," Childe tries to come closer, but you shove past him and run to the front door. Before you can grab the handle, Childe grabs you by the shoulders and spins you around.

"Please, _____," His eyes are glassy with unshed tears as he gazes into your own.

"Tell me what I did to make you think this way?" You sob, hands pushing on his chest to break free but failing. You can barely breathe as the sobs rack through your body.

"You-" Trying to get the words out only makes you cry harder as the realization hits you. All the rumors are true. The Fatui are evil, conniving, and uncaring. They kill, pillage, experiment, torture, and don't care about who they have to step on to get their way. And your boyfriend, the love of your life, the man you wanted to marry and start a family of your own with, is one of them.

"You killed my little sister!" Your hands ball into fists and punch his chest as hard as you can, but in your state, you have barely any power.

"My baby sister is dead because of you! How could you?" You managed to get out through your tears, finally breaking down in the arms of the man you've despised for years.

Childe stares at you, unbelieving. He pulls you into a tight hug, crying on your shoulder, continuously apologizing. Never in your life have you seen Childe cry. Even when talking about how much he misses his family or his country, the farthest he gets is a sentimental smile and longing. Never have you thought you'd see him cry either. It's almost enough to make you forget that he's practically admitted to the murder.

He killed your only sister. How do you know he's sincere with his tears as he holds you close and begs you not to go? You've seen him lie before, never to you, but if he kept this secret for so long, what else has he been hiding? But none of that matters right now. The man you've been searching for years for, who you wanted to kill with your own bare hands, is the same person holding you so tenderly now.

How could you forget the countless nights you've woken up from nightmares of that boy coming to kill you and finish what he stared, only for Tartaglia to wake you up and hold you close, promising that he'd protect you? Every year when you mourn your sister and confide in him about how you were going to find that monster no matter what it took, did he fear you'd ever find out and kill him?

Is that why he kept you close for so long, to make sure you'd be too weak for him with love to ever even try? How can you love someone who killed your sister? It's easy to just assume you'd hate him, but for some odd reason, a little voice in the back of your mind is telling you to trust him and love him like you always had.

Another voice is telling you to end his life with no mercy and finally bring your sister to the peace she deserves.

Gathering up your strength, you manage to push him off of you.

"_____, no," He's in a state you've never seen before, face wet with tears, nose running, eyes puffy. But, he doesn't try to pull you back in.

You swiftly grab your bag and leave the house and Childe behind.

-------------

"_____," Your cousin John calls your name, pinching the bridge of his nose. He watches as you continuously use your vision to destroy training dummies.

"You continue this and the knights aren't going to have anything left to train with." You stop temporarily to glare at him.

"I'm training."

"So it seems." He watches as you continue your 'training.'

"You know, this doesn't seem healthy. I'm no doctor or anything, but, maybe you should, like, not?" You sigh irritated and cross your arms.

"Not what, John?" He gestures to the broken wood pieces scattered around the courtyard. You roll your eyes.

"I'm doing no worse than the average rookie knight!" John nods, leaning up against the wall.

"Yeah, yeah, except no. Why? Thank you for asking, cause your not a rookie and you're upset, at what? I don't know because you refuse to tell me. All I know is that my cousin is back after being gone for three years and the-," John looks around before stepping closer and lowering his voice.

"The Fatui in town have been eying us up everywhere we go. What the hell happened while you were in Liyue?" You bite your lip and message your wrists. The tips of your fingers have begun to turn purple from the cold, but you hardly seem affected. John pats you on the back and leads you inside the knight's headquarters.

"Look, I know we were never very close, and when you lived with us, we barely spoke, but I'm here now. We're not kids anymore, _____." The two of you sit down in the library. The three years you lived with your uncle and cousin were your worst. They treated you nice, but you were grieving and took it out on them and many training dummies. It seems you've done the same again.

"I'm sorry, it's just . . ." What happened with Childe months ago is still fresh on your mind. You haven't seen him since you left that night, and you aren't sure if you want to. You're conflicted. You thought coming back to Mondstadt would help you clear your mind and help you decide what to do, but you can't, and it's frustrating.

Despite how hard you've tried . . . You still love Tartaglia with all of your heart. But you can't forget what he did. You could never forgive him either. You've held hatred for this man for six years now, and every waking moment has been used to devise a plan to find him and kill him. But you can't kill him; not when you still hold these feelings.

If this was his goal, then he succeeded. You know he knows you're in Mondstadt. As John said, the Fatui have had their eyes on you since you showed up. You wouldn't be surprised if they all have you listed as a threat. After all, being one of their high-ranking officer's vengeful lover with intent and reason to kill would put anyone on a list.

But, with that said, he hasn't tried to contact you. No letters, no passing of words, hell, no carrier pigeons. He's extra enough to do that. And this has caused you to feel even more upset. Cause you still love the man, and there's some hope still there that he meant what he said and he does love you and the fact he hasn't done anything is killing you.

"_____, you good?" You snap out of your daze and nod.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"You seem to be doing a lot of that lately. Please, what's going on with you?" You decide it's best to tell your cousin the truth.

You explain to him the situation. How you fell in love, what life was like for you the three years you were gone, the coin, and finding out the killer's identity. John looks at you in shock.

"Wow, that's a lot. And this is why you came back?"

"Yeah, I know. I should have come back sooner to at least visit, but," John cuts you off and waves his hands.

"No, you're fine. I mean, it would have been nice to see you, but that's irrelevant right now. You found out your boyfriend, a Fatui Harbinger, was the one that killed your sister, and you're here? Doing what? Destroying Favonius property?" You agree hesitantly.

"I mean, when you put it like that, it sounds odd."

"No, _____, odd is an understatement. Why are you here? You should be getting answers, slapping people, storming Snezhnaya! Actually, don't do that last one, that could get us in a lot of trouble."

"True," You agree.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do. Do I confront him? I mean, if he did kill her, which I'm about 90% sure at this point that he did, do I get revenge? I've wanted to for years, but I know that I could never kill him." John takes your hand in his and speaks with sincerity.

"You love him, I get that, but you can't let that get in the way of things."

"No, I mean, I literally couldn't kill him. He's a beast in battle, and could probably end me without even blinking. I've seen him take on multiple ruin guards in seconds, like, he's on a whole nother level." You sigh and put your head in your hands.

"But even despite that, I do still love him. At this point, I feel the best thing to do is to just move on. Go my own way and let him go his."

"And what about your sister, huh? Just gonna forget about her?" You look at him questioningly.

"Look, you need to at least get closure. Obviously, he doesn't want you dead, because you would have been so by now. I can't even tell you how many times the Fatui could have nabbed you, gagged you, and sacked you since you've been back."

"Gee, thanks John, that really makes me feel better about the situation." He rolls his eyes.

"Talk to the man, _____. There will always be a home here waiting for you to come back to." Maybe your cousin is right? If Childe did want you dead, you know damn well he has the power to have made it happen. But how would you even react when you see him? The only way to find out is to get it over with.

With newfound enthusiasm, you jump up from your position and slam your hands on the table.

"Alright, I'm gonna go! I'm gonna talk with Tartaglia and I'm gonna punch him at least once!"

"That's the spirit!" A series of loud shooshes sound around the library and you slowly sit back down.

"Sorry!"

You and your cousin John devise a plan over the next few days. You're still unsure about this whole thing, but with encouragement from John, you gain the confidence you need to push through.

In the end, you decide the best thing to do is to sneak out of Mondstadt without any Fatui seeing you. It's still dangerous to speak with him, and the two of you decide the safest thing is to get him unprepared and off guard. If he's not expecting you, he has no time to plan. Not that he needs a plan to kill you, he could just do it. But still-

As the sun seeps down past the hills and flatlands of Mondstadt, John and you make your way out of headquarters and down to the main part of town.

"You know what sounds so amazing right now? A tall mug of cider from Angel's Share!" John exclaims and grabs your arm. The two of you practically run towards the tavern, gaining looks from the other citizens.

"Cool it, John," You whisper yell to him as you head inside.

"You wanna actually look suspicious?" He laughs, sitting down at a table in the back.

"Sorry if I'm not good at being convincing. Dad always said acting would be my downfall."

"When would you ever have to act to be a knight?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"Right now?" Okay, he has a point. Merely minutes after you sit down, two Fatui agents walk in after, taking a table far enough away, but close enough to keep you in their sights.

"Don't worry, _____," Your cousin says, noticing your worried expression.

We'll get you out of here."

John waves his hand and gains the attention of Master Diluc as he's walking around the tavern.

"We'd like two Valberry Whiskey's please!" Your cousin asks loudly and winks. Diluc rolls his eyes and heads towards the back of the tavern, getting the 'drinks.'

It was a miracle and a half that John was able to convince Master Diluc to help you. But John said he owed him a favor. For what, you have no idea. Not even a second later, a young bard runs over to your table and slams his hands down.

"What did you just order?"

"Uh," You look to your cousin for guidance. The drink was simply a code, not an actual order.

"Valberry Whiskey?" The young bard looks at you in amazement. He's clearly drunk, but the sheer excitement in his eyes seems to sober him up enough to eagerly rush to the bar counter.

"A new drink! And Diluc didn't tell me?!" His shouts of joy gain the attention of the entire bar.

"A new drink?!"

"One not on the menu?"

"Master Diluc!"

Your cousin and you share a look as the crowd goes wild, rushing towards the front bar and to the back looking for Diluc to inquire about this new drink. The few Fatui agents that had followed you in stand up from their seat to get a better view of you and John. John grabs your arm and pulls you into the crowd, the Fatui agents desperately searching for your whereabouts.

"This way, _____." He pulls you farther and farther away from the Fatui till you feel another hand grab you and pull you out of the back entrance to the tavern.

"Hey, watch your hands, buddy!"

"Would you rather still be in there then, _____?" You smile nervously up at Diluc, who's handing you a bag and cloak.

"Things didn't exactly go as planned, huh?" The redhead smirks and crosses his arms.

"I knew that bard would be in here tonight. Drunk off his ass, he wouldn't be able to resist the call of a new drink item." You laugh, pulling the hood over your head.

"Thank you, Diluc." He gives you a rare smile and nods. You begin to walk off but stop, looking back at the tavern owner.

"Hey Diluc, what was the favor for?" Diluc sighs and pinches between his eyes.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

__________________

The journey back to Liyue is a tiring one. It seems a lot closer than it actually is on the map, but heading to the main harbor is always a task. Thankfully, you're able to make your rations last the whole trip, and as you enter the harbor in the wee hours of the night, you smile at the familiar buildings. You may have only been gone for a few months, but this was your home for the last three years.

Your home with Tartaglia . . . You pull your hood farther down your head and try to remain in the shadows. Despite the time of night, the area is still bustling with people. Merchants making deals, ships delivering goods, the whole nine yards.

You flatten yourself against a wall as a few Fatui agents walk past. The place is absolutely crawling with Fatui, even more so than usual. Could it have something to do with you? You doubt it. Harbinger or not, Tartaglia could get in serious trouble for using Fatui resources in such a way.

You carefully slide through cracks and crevises, branches and bushes, trying to stay out of any Fatui sights. Eventually, you find yourself on the outskirts of the city, not far from your shared home. It surprisingly takes a lot from you to not run straight for it. You miss your house. You miss your bed. You miss Tartaglia.

But now is not the time to get sentimental!

You still need to confront him about what he did. And depending on his answer, one of you may not make it through the night. You keep yourself stealthy as you enter the house from the back. He's not home, which is good. But the place is in disarray. Furniture turned upside down, plates smashed against walls, everything caked in dust. It's hard to believe he's been living here if he even has been.

If that's the case, you may have to go looking for him. You look around the house at the disaster. He may have been trying to look for something; maybe a clue to what you had planned or something to use against you.

With that in mind, you run up the stairs to the master bedroom and open the closet. You fear the worst but are surprised to find your sister's belongings still in place.

Surely he would have found them in here.

The bedroom isn't as bad as the bottom floor, though still a mess. The bed is unmade, with a small pile of your clothes on your side of the bed, and his clothes on the floor. All of your things, besides the clothes, are still neatly in their places. Pictures of you and him together that were once on the walls are now on his nightstand, face up and smudged with fingerprints.

"What the hell happened here?" The sound of the front door opening startles you. Could that be Childe? There's no way he's living like this!

Footsteps move across the floor, into the kitchen, into the living room, and slowly up the stairs. Whoever it is, your about to face them.

The door opens slowly, almost torturously so. Soon, the sunken and sullen face of your lover is in your view, and even faster, your on the floor with a knife made of hydro to your throat. Your hood continues to obscure your identity as Childe pins you down.

"Bold of you to break into the home of a Fatui Harbinger! What did you expect?" With the pressure from the knife digging deeper and deeper into your skin, you freeze the hand wrapped around his holding the knife, and kick your leg out. Childe falls over, dropping his weapon which shatters on impact. Before you can get your bearings, he's lunging at you again. He grabs you from behind and holds you in a chokehold.

"Your fast, but you'll never be fast enough!" You gasp for air, holding onto his arm as it's wrapped around your neck. He's trying to kill you, you know he is. All the times you've sparred with him, you knew he was holding back, but he's definitely not this time. Even so, his hold on you is weak. Weak for him, at least.

You rear your elbow into his stomach as hard as you can knocking him back and you summon your catalyst. As he said, he's faster than you, but before he can get back, you place a wall of ice between him and yourself. It's not enough to hold him back for long, but enough to catch your breath. He laughs as he can hear you choking, attempting to regain your oxygen.

"You think this little wall will stop me?" He attacks the wall with his fist, making a section crumble. Your breathing is fast, but you can't seem to gain enough breath to speak. As he crumbles your wall piece by piece, you pull back your hood and lean on the bedroom wall behind you. Finally, he lands the finishing blow and the ice dissipates in a gust of cryo magic. The crazed look of bloodlust vanishes from his face the instant he sees you, hand on your throat, and your breath heavy.

"___-," He can hardly finish his whisper as he lets out a shaky breath. With the tense atmosphere suddenly calm, you're able to regain your breath and look up at the man. His skin a pale and his eyes are dull. He has large dark circles under his eyes and he looks a bit thinner than normal.

"_____," He manages to get out, still shocked you're actually here.

"Are you okay?" You shake your head.

"You haven't seen me in months and that's the first thing you say to me?" He rubs the back of his neck and looks down, ashamed.

"I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry if I hurt you." You can hardly believe what you're seeing. He seems broken, utterly defeated. If he hadn't fought you just now, you'd assume he'd fall over with the breeze.

Looking at him now, it's hard to believe he's the same man that killed your sister.

"We need to talk." He nods, refusing to meet your eyes.

"You need to tell me the truth, Tar," He takes in a shuddering breath at your words.

"All these years, I've been beside you. I've stood up for you, I've loved you. I told you all my darkest secrets and nightmares. Not once did I ever lie to you."

Tears come to his eyes just as they do yours. He bites his lip to prevent the tears from falling. You step closer to him, dropping your cloak, and put your hands up to his face. He flinches away from you but relaxes when your palms cup his cheeks and he finally looks you in the eyes.

"Over the past few months, I've thought long and hard about what I wanted to say to you. And no matter what scenario I came up with, I could never tell if I was doing the right thing. But, even though I carry some semblance of anger, I know that what I feel for you is real. And with that, I still hold hope that you feel the same and it wasn't all just a lie."

He grabs your hands, the tears now falling one by one down his pale cheeks.

"I swear to all the Archons that I love you! I never lied about that!" You hesitate for a moment, blinking away your own tears.

"And though I don't want to, I believe you," You rub your thumbs across his face, clearing some of the tears.

"But I need you to tell me everything." Tartaglia closes his eyes. He never dreamed in a million years he'd have to tell you this story. He'd hoped that you'd live in blissful ignorance for the rest of your life with him. But the gods had another plan for him and you, and he prays that at least one of them will let him keep you. Even if that's a selfish request.

"I joined the Fatui when I was young. I was constantly trying to prove myself to Signora and the Tsaritsa that I was willing to do anything they asked me. I still am," He looks at you with regretful and sorrowful eyes as he recalls the past.

"Your parents had fled Snezhnaya when you were born, because of a debt they racked up with the Fatui. When they were found in Fontaine, it was revealed that they were working for a group of rebels intent on infiltrating Snezhnaya. It was my job to take you and your sister to use as leverage on your parents. But, your sister fought back," You release his face and look away, finding it harder to keep eye contact with him.

"I wasn't as skilled as I am now, and I panicked. But La Signora said I did a good job. I didn't know that your parents had already been killed by the rebels, and neither did the Fatui. Not until after we had left you. At that point, there was no reason to continue after you. But you were never forgotten about. And when you came to Liyue, I was instructed to keep an eye on you," Childe lifts his arms up and places his hands on your shoulders.

"But I never expected to fall in love with you." You look into his ocean blue eyes and are overcome by the warmth they hold for you.

"The day I met you, I could feel it, and I tried so hard to forget about it, but you were just so . . . Amazing, and beautiful, and kind. I never expected that from you. You never once judged me or ridiculed me, even though you knew who I was. I thanked the Archons every day that you came into my life, and I prayed that you'd never find out what I'd done."

A sob breaks through as he wipes the tears running down his face. All the years you harbored hatred for this man, you never once thought about what he could have been going through. It's true that this doesn't excuse his actions, but to know that he truly regrets what he did brings you some kind of closure. In the end, revenge would have never made you feel better. Your sister wouldn't have wanted that.

You love Tartaglia with all your heart, and in this world, it's better to forgive than to let it eat away at you any longer.

"Tartaglia," His name comes out as a whisper with your breath, but he hears you loud and clear. The fear of rejection in his eyes tells you everything you need to know as you carefully speak to him.

"I forgive you." He cries, pulling you to his chest and you hug him back. Unfortunately for him, you weren't finished.

"But, I need some time to think about this. I love you; I never stopped loving you, and I always will," You pull back and smile at him before gently kissing his chapped lips.

"I'm going back to Mondstadt, but I'll be back. You just need to give me some time." He smiles as best he can and nods enthusiastically.

"I'd give you all the time in the world if I could." He moves to kiss you again, but you put a finger up to his lips to stop him.

"Save it for later, Tar." He laughs, looking back up at you with bright eyes.

"So, there's a later?"

(A little something extra. It doesn't quite fit to be an ending, but more like an epilogue just tying things together I guess lol.)

___________________

You sigh as you sling your bag over your shoulder. It's been a good few months back in Mondstadt after your reconciliation with Childe, and you've decided it's time to go home. You've kept in regular contact with him since you've been here, writing letters to each other like new lovers. You found the whole thing quite cute, despite the circumstances. He's been regarding you with caution, taking things one step at a time, and never pushing you past any limits you set. You're grateful for that.

"You sure you wanna go back? You can always stay a bit longer, just to give yourself a bit more time to think it over." John says, arms crossed and head down. You two have grown closer over your time spent here. It's a shame to think you were so caught up in your misery to be blind to the best friend you could have had. And it's tough to say goodbye, now that you've grown attached.

"I'm sure. You don't have to miss me too much, ya know? I'll be back to visit, and I'll write every week!" John huffs.

"You better, or I'm coming over there and kicking that Fatui's ass for keeping you away! I don't care how many ruin guards he can take on!" You laugh and pull him into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you." He hugs you back, holding you tight.

"Yeah, I know." You roll your eyes and wave goodbye to the family you didn't realize you had.

Once back in Liyue, you get settled into your home with Childe. Thankfully, he cleaned up the mess he made while you were gone. He had said he was so distraught at the thought of you leaving him, he trashed the place in anger. Not anger from you, but anger at himself. He was afraid you'd think he was a monster, that he was heartless, and that you'd never want to see him again.

He was relieved when he heard you were in Mondstadt. There, he could keep an eye on you. One of the things he was afraid of was you doing something to yourself due to the pain of it all . . . If you did that, he wouldn't know how to cope. And when he received word that you had disappeared from Mond, well, he thought that fear had come true. But in the end, things worked out. You could never forget what he did, nor do you want to. It's something you have to live with, just like he does, and it's up to you to put it aside.

You know there are many things he's done that he's not proud of. Many things of which he promises to tell you when he's ready. And you'll be there to listen as he spills his heart out to you.

You take in a breath of air as you enter the harbor, smelling the salty water of the ocean and the wonderful herbs being brought in from traveling merchants. You'll never get over these smells.

"_____!" You look over your shoulder, surprised as Chen runs over to you. You haven't seen her since the incident outside of town.

"Chen! Are you okay?" She smiles and hugs you.

"I'm doing great! My brother and I have been selling a lot more of our goods since he's been back, and business has been booming!"

"Your brother?" You tilt your head.

"Yes!" She nods enthusiastically.

"He did go to Lingju Pass as Childe had said. It turns out, he had a buyer out there but didn't want to tell me in case the deal went south. I overreacted. . ." She puts her head down in shame.

"All the rumors about the Fatui got to my head, and I assumed the worst. But Childe went out and found my brother for me. Can you please tell him I said thank you? Also that I'm sorry. I really owe him one."

You pat her on the head, relieved.

"Of course, Chen." She reaches into her pocket and pulls something out.

"For payment-"

"No!" You shove her hand away.

"Gotta go! I'm late to see Tar!" You sprint off, leaving a confused Chen in your wake.

[geekgirles]

Full Disclosure

“I’m sorry for the way I used to act towards you when we were fourteen,” she admitted before softly adding, “especially when you and Danny were beginning to connect.”

Or

In which Sam and Valerie clear the air between them.

Word count: 5176

READ ON AO3

Before we go in, I just wanted to say that I hope I did the characters justice. Really, it’s all I ask because I’m still fairly recent in the fandom (as in, actively participating rather than fangirling on my own) and I’d hate to make a travesty of characters that mean so much to me. Oh, and this one-shot can take place in whatever timeline you want: you hate PP with a passion? Don’t worry, it didn’t happen. You actually think it’s a good finale? That works too. There shouldn’t be anything that indicates this story takes place in anywhere in particular other than Amity Park, so... All you need to know is that Valerie knows.

Please, enjoy!!

As an intense throb manifested itself in her right side, eliciting an involuntary groan to escape her throat, Sam was more frustrated at herself than aching from the hit. It had been two years already since Danny had the accident that gave him his powers, consequently beginning the constant battles against ghosts that made their teenaged life significantly harder, and, as they came to appreciate their lifestyle, significantly more interesting, too. Once Danny gained his ghost powers, she and Tucker took it to themselves to make sure their friend was always supported and aided when fighting his ghostly adversaries.

And with that came the injuries. 

They certainly didn’t get hurt as often or as gravely as Danny, since he was usually the one facing the mischievous spirits head-on, but they still had to get used to their own fair share of beatings. The teachers were understandably surprised when they effortlessly completed their first aid training in Health class. 

All in all, Sam was used to getting hurt. 

Which made the fact that Valerie had landed such a perfect kick that it literally left her breathless all the more humiliating.

Valerie Gray, a.k.a. the Red Huntress. Danny Phantom’s longtime pursuer and Danny Fenton’s one time girlfriend. The once popular girl was now their trustworthy ally. And, as much as Sam hated to admit it, she was thoroughly kicking her butt. Perhaps she should have expected as much from a ninth degree black belt. 

“Had enough, Manson?” Valerie taunted with a raised eyebrow. 

Getting up slowly, Sam sent her a smirk alongside a challenging, determined look. “Never.” And with that she leaped on the ghost huntress, using her momentum to connect a punch to her face. But Valerie was faster, blocking the Goth girl’s attack with her forearm before sliding her leg under Sam’s to make her lose her balance. Seeing what her opponent was up to, the violet-eyed girl quickly got out of her way, widening the space between the two to give herself some time to think up a new strategy. 

Smirking at Sam’s maneuver, Valerie appraised her with pride. “Not bad, Sam,” she said before changing her stance, ready to pounce, “but the extra space won’t save you from this.” Leaping into the air, the Red Huntress didn’t waste a moment to knock Sam to the floor with a roundhouse kick boosted by her movements. 

Even if the Goth blocked the attack by keeping her palms up in front of her face, the sheer force behind it was still enough to knock her down. That was gonna bruise in the morning, she was sure of it. Glancing up she noticed Valerie looking down at her with a smug look on her face and her hands on her hips. Sam barely resisted the urge to scowl darkly at her. Panting, she conceded, “Alright, alright. Maybe now I’ve had enough.” 

Chuckling at Sam’s proud nature, the green-eyed girl bent down slightly to offer her friend a hand and lift her up from the floor. Once Sam was at her eye-level, she looked down on her watch, now serving as a chronometre. “Five minutes. That’s a full round! Congratulations, Sam. So far, you’re the one who’s lasted the most against me.” She applauded her, but her face betrayed her. She was about to burst out laughing. 

Snorting, the Goth girl elbowed her slightly on the arm. “Knock it off! Even if I lost, I still managed to land a few hits myself.”

“Yeah...Trust me, you don’t have to remind me.” Valerie complained with a pointed look as she rubbed her lower back. Early on in the match, Sam kneed her there. Thank goodness she wasn’t tasked with unloading the Nasty Burger’s products that week. “I’m serious, though. Danny without his powers lasts a minute and a half, tops. And Tucker...well, let’s just say that taking one hit without passing out is already a victory when it comes to him.” 

“Yeah, he and Danny really should do more exercise.” The two girls laughed at that. These past two years Danny’s skill when using his powers had skyrocketed. Enemies that used to give him a hard time were now more of a headache. He didn’t even have to pay attention to the fight to get rid of the Ghost Box. Now, as Danny Fenton… He’d gotten taller, that was for sure. But he still had the nasty habit of relying on his powers a little too much, which didn’t do his P.E marks any favours. And Tucker was still far more interested in whatever his PDA had to offer than the wonders of physical exercise. 

In truth, everyone had changed during that time, if only a little. 

Sam was still as Goth and ultra-recyclo-vegetarian as always. Her raven hair was slightly longer, now reaching her shoulders, but she still wore it mostly loose and framing her face, except for the one strand she kept in a high ponytail. Her fashion sense hadn’t changed much either. She wore a black crop top with Danny’s logo on it instead of the old purple ovalーthe town began selling merchandise of its hero to attract, and basically rob, tourists. Since she created the logo herself, she made her own outfits and nobody was none the wiser. She also stuck with plaid skirts, but this time she favoured a purple and black one instead of her old black and green. But her combat boots, accessories, and make-up were sacred. Everybody knew impending doom was near if Sam ever changed even the tiniest detail in her appearance when it came to that. 

She was still outspoken and an avid defender of animal rights, individuality, and most importantly, of Danny Phantom. Even though most people celebrated the boy and thanked him for his services, there were still some who criticised him and believed Amity Park was better off before him. Needless to say, Sam was always at the front of the line in any protest to defend Amity Park’s greatest protector. The fact that he was not only one of her best friends but also her boyfriend may have something to do with it. But even if they weren’t together, Sam knew Danny. She’d always known him. She would always defend him from those who couldn’t even begin to grasp just how noble, responsible, and compassionate he was.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly when she remembered she’d just been sparring with what once was one of Danny Phantom’s greatest detractors. 

In a way, Valerie had probably changed the most out of everyone she knew while simultaneously not changing anything at all. 

In terms of appearance, just like Sam, she’d only modified her look slightly. She cut her long, dark brown curls so they now barely reached her shoulders instead of cascading down her back. According to her, long hair just got in the way with her suit. She originally wanted to get an undercut, but her dad almost had a cow so they compromised with short hair for now and leaving the undercut for when she was a little older. The huntress still favoured spaghetti-strapped yellow t-shirts, but now she completed her outfit with dark blue jeans or shorts (depending on the temperature) and white sneakers. She also dropped the headband due to her hair, but she kept the earrings. 

The most obvious change, though, was that she was now an ally rather than an enemy after Danny Phantom’s head. Sam feared for the worst when Valerie found out her ex boyfriend was the very same ghost she’d vowed to destroy (could she really say she and Danny were exes, though? Sure, they went on a few dates and they genuinely liked each other, but Valerie pseudo-broke up with him right when he was about to ask her to make things official... Ugh, the wonders of the teenaged heart... Always bound to give her a headache. This is why she preferred her Goth indifference...most of the time). As much as they wanted to trust Valerie was going to be sensible about it, her track record wasn’t the best, forcing them to keep an eye out in case she decided to send her more positive opinion of Danny Fenton to Hell and shoot him with her ecto-bazooka. 

Thankfully, one day Valerie just sat down with them at lunch, and when Danny tentatively asked her if they were okay, she just smiled and said, “We’re okay.” So they ate lunch in peace...until the Lunch Lady showed up and they had to send her back to the Ghost Zone. At least that time the Red Huntress was there to help them out. Ever since then, the girl sometimes fought alongside them, but for the most part she did her own thing. 

And that was something about Valerie that hadn’t changed; her hatred of ghosts. Valerie was still hellbent on getting rid of all the spirits that haunted Amity Park, with half-ghosts being the sole exception ーexcept for Vlad, Valerie held a huge grudge against him for having used her as his pawn; not like the team could complain, they all hated Vlad, after all. And that made her ruthless, determined, brutal… More than once Danny had tried talking her out of her grudge against the paranormal, explaining to her that, albeit not as numerous as the troublemaking ghosts, there were still some that just wanted to be left alone. But Valerie would not budge. She believed all ghosts lacked the humanity and self-control necessary to resist whatever crazy obsession that tied them to our world and would eventually attack. 

To Valerie, ghosts were ticking bombs. 

Seeing as, so far, most ghosts they faced were malicious or seriously causing trouble, Tucker suggested they just let her be, but the moment she actually targeted an innocent ghost (say, Wulf), then they would have to get serious with her. 

All in all, Valerie was their friend. A friend who had agreed to help her train so Danny wouldn’t have to worry so much about her safety when they were out fighting spectres. Not like he really needed to worry, she could take care of herself, but the more prepared they were, the better. And Valerie was helping her with that, and yet, the air still hadn’t been completely cleared between them. 

As much as Sam would’ve loved cutting to the chase, a part of her still wasn’t prepared to address the elephant in the room. “Not gonna lie, Valerie, I wiー” she stopped mid-sentence. The last thing they needed was to have Desirée roaming free around Amity Park just because she hadn’t been careful with her words. Clearing her throat, she went on. “I mean, I would do anything for your fighting skills. You must have every ghost shaking in their boots...or whatever they have to shake in.”

As Sam sat down on the floor of her family’s private gym, which Valerie still couldn’t get used to being in, the green-eyed girl made her way to the other side of the room far away from  the training tatami, where a middle-sized fridge was located. Pulling the door open, she grabbed two water bottles before going back to Sam. “Yeah, what can I say? I am pretty awesome.”

“And don’t forget modest.” Sam replied sarcastically. 

“Girl, when you’re as good as me, you don’t need to pretend to be modest.” She joked as she handed Sam her own water bottle, which she accepted gratefully, before sitting down on the floor next to her. “Believe it or not, though, I became a ninth degree black belt long before I started hunting ghosts.” She looked at the floor, a pensive look on her face, “...we couldn’t have afforded the classes otherwise.”

Sam did her best to suppress the urge to do a spit-take at her words. Valerie almost never brought her financial situation up. The most she used to do was remember Danny why she hated him back when she still was after him, but the topic was dropped altogether once the secret was out. Looking around her ridiculously lavish house, Sam felt like facepalming herself. How could she have been so insensitive as to remind Valerie of the life she lost?! 

“Valerie...I-I’m sorry. I should’ve told you to meet up at the park to train, but I…”

“Sam, don’t.” The huntress cut her off with a stern tone. “Don’t apologise. You have nothing to apologise for.”

“But it was insensitive of me toー” Again, she was interrupted by Valerie, who silenced her by raising her palm up in front of her.

“Please, let me talk. You don’t have to apologise for anything because you’ve done nothing wrong. I’ll admit, it’s a bit paradoxical finding out that while I was mourning my losses you’d been hiding the fact that you’re stinking rich all along. But I’m not offended by it. Actually, I think I understand.”

“You do?” The Goth girl asked in disbelief, her eyes wide open. 

The African-American girl just shrugged. “I think so. I didn’t realise it until my so-called friends kicked me out of the group, but having money attracts a lot of fakes and shallow people. People who’ll only be there when it’s convenient for them and who’ll throw you away like a used tissue the moment you have nothing else to offer. I know that better than anyone…” When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see Sam smiling kindly at her, doing her best to get out of her comfort zone and offer her some comfort. She returned the smile. “Bottom line: you want real friends, so you never talk about your money ‘cause you don’t want to attract the wrong people. I get it.”

“You really do.”

“And I guess I’m also flattered.”

Sam blinked slowly at her. “Wow, Valerie. It usually takes a lot to take me by surpriseーwith the ghost fighting and allーand yet, here we are!” 

The huntress just chuckled softly in response. “What I mean is that I understand that it takes you a lot to let people inーand quite literally tooーbut you still invited me. That means you must trust me, if only a bit.”

Sam couldn’t help but blush at her earnest words. It was true, wasn’t it? She trusted Valerie. She would have never invited her to her house if she didn’t. And, now that she thought about it, Valerie had to trust her too if she was willing to show her vulnerable side to her. Somehow, the thought made her smile. Knowing she would have to bring up uncomfortable topics soon, the violet-eyed girl decided to alleviate some of the tension first. “Well, I’m glad you could at least get your black belt first! Otherwise we would be in for a major asskicking from some ghosts.”

That comment actually made Valerie laugh. “Oh, hush, you flatterer! Or I’ll tell Danny his girlfriend has been hitting on me.” She could only snort when Sam gasped in fake shock. “Seriously, though. I personally would love to be as genre savvy as you are. I mean, you always know what to do or have some obscure knowledge about whatever we’re facing. From the Fright Knight’s legend to how to train your dragon ghost.”

Sam merely shrugged with a lazy grin on her face, “What can I say? Obscure knowledge sort of comes with being a Goth.”

The two girls started snickering after that. As their laughter died down, Valerie noticed Sam’s smile fading from the corner of her eye, concerning her. “Sam? Is everything okay?”

“Valerie...I’m sorry.” 

That took her by surprise. After a few seconds of shock, the Red Huntress rolled her eyes good-naturedly before gently nudging her friend with her shoulder. “C’mon, Sam. I told you already. You don’t have to feel sorry for inviting meー.”

This time it was Sam who cut her off. She shook her head. “No. No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m sorry for the way I used to act towards you when we were fourteen,” she admitted before softly adding, “especially when you and Danny were beginning to connect.”

One would think that a semi-professional ghost huntress would have seen it all, and honestly, so did Valerie, but she was genuinely shocked at Sam’s apology. The shock didn't last long, though. “Are you seriously apologising for that? Sam, that was two years ago!”

Of all the things she could be apologising for...She just had to pick that one, didn’t she?

Sam groaned, frustrated and clenching her gym shorts with her hands. “I know it’s been two years, but that doesn’t change that I wasn’t the most pleasant person in the world to you for reasons that weren’t...completely pure.”

“So what?” Valerie insisted. “Neither was I for the longest time! You and Tucker were right when you called me out during Pariah Dark’s attack; how could I expect to be treated like one of the group when I used to be such a brat to you? You still eventually forgave me.” She pointed out.

“You don’t understand…” Sam whined as she rubbed her face with her hands. “While it’s true that part of my animosity towards you came from how you used to treat us, and another good chunk came from your eagerness to vaporise one of my best friends,” the Red Huntress actually had the decency to blush embarrassedly at that, “I really, really disliked you because I was...well, I was jealous. Plain and simple.” 

There. She’d said it. After years gritting her teeth and burning with envy whenever Danny and Tucker (mostly because of Danny, obviously) drooled over Paulina or any other pretty girl, she had finally admitted she was mostly jealous instead of simply not understanding what the fuss was about. Hanging out with girls more often, namely Valerie and Jazz, instead of only spending her time with the guys had really helped broaden her horizons. Especially when it came to her opinion on other girls. She was proud to say she was finally moving on from her “not like other girls” phase. 

Even if Danny’s crush on Paulina had driven her nuts more than once, it was his budding romance with Valerie that truly pushed all her buttons and caused her deepest insecurities to rear their ugly head. Even if dating her was dangerous, Danny still wanted to be with her! He was willing to throw caution to the wind if it meant they could be a couple. And he was so protective of her when Technus attacked… As much as Sam hated to admit it, as much as she wished (to Hell with Desirée) she could ignore it all and just focus on protecting Danny from being hunted by his new girlfriend, that hurt.

That hurt a lot. 

Albeit annoying, Danny’s crush on Paulina was safe. Paulina only liked Danny Phantom. Danny couldn’t really get closer to her as his alter-ego without putting her in danger, and Danny would never put an innocent person in danger. And just like that, Paulina became unattainable. But Valerie…

Valerie liked Danny Fenton. She and Danny often just wanted to have a normal life, away from ghosts and burdens that no 14-year-old kid should shoulder. Even if the Red Huntress wanted to kill Danny Phantom, Valerie genuinely liked Danny Fenton. Despite the danger, she was closer than Paulina. And despite their close bond, she was closer to Danny than Sam herself. Because Valerie wasn’t afraid to admit her feelings, unlike her. 

In fact, hadn’t Valerie put her job before her love life, Sam knew without an ounce of a doubt that she and Danny would still be together. Because she had been too afraid to tell Danny how much he meant to her sooner. 

Yes, she had been jealous of Valerie. 

She had been jealous of the attention she received from Danny. She had been jealous of the fact that they went out on several dates and nothing could embarrass them or ruin their little moment. She was jealous because it would’ve meant things would change. 

But most importantly, she was jealous of Valerie’s guts. 

And she finally confessed it.

...which made what Valerie said next all the more jaw-dropping. 

“Yeah, I know.”

Her jaw hanging low and eyes as wide as saucers, Sam slowly turned her head to look the huntress dead in the eye. “You know?” She asked, completely flabbergasted. 

Valerie snorted. She actually snorted at her question! And while Sam was looking at her with the most comically astonished expression on the face of the planet, Valerie just regarded her with a coy smile. “No offence, Sam, but it was kinda hard to miss. I think only Danny wasn’t aware of it.”

Sam had nothing to say in response to that. 

“Besides, didn’t I tell you before I even started going out with Danny? When you like someone, if you don’t make a move, somebody else will. What did you think I was referring to other than your feelings, chess?”

“That...is true.” The Goth admitted quietly. 

Seeing her usually outspoken friend acting so despondent all of a sudden didn’t sit well with the green-eyed teenager. She sighed, “Look, Sam. I understand that you were...difficult because you were jealous. I can’t deny I once or twice acted petty towards you because I was jealous, myself. But even if I hadn’t decided to just stay friends with Danny, I don’t think we would’ve worked out in the end.”

Not for the first time that day, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last time either, Valerie had taken her completely aback. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Sam insisted, “What are you talking about? You two are the best ghost hunters in Amity Park, you guys would have been the ultimate power couple!”

Leaning back on her elbows, the Red Huntress sent the Goth a smirk, “Ah, but you’re forgetting I would’ve had to know Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom were one and the same first. And I…”, for the first time since their sparring lesson began, Valerie found herself hesitating, “I don’t know how I would’ve taken that.

“Sure, I really, really liked Danny, but I had spent far longer hating his ghost half. Ever since the Cujo-related incidents I blamed him for the turn my life had taken. And even when I was growing fond of Danny Fenton, his actions as Danny Phantom still drove me nuts! I mean, he literally unmasked me right before my dad! He forbade me from ghost hunting until I got that upgrade in my suit. Could I really put all that aside in favour of having a relationship with him?

“That’s why it took me so long to face you guys once I learned the truth; I was trying to make peace with it all. I figured I could learn to forgive Danny, maybe even trust him with my life...but never with my heart again. There were too many imbalances between us for me to be comfortable in a relationship with him...and you guys are honestly better together anyways.” She winked at the ultra-recyclo-vegetarian.

“You really think so?” Sam could feel the heat making its way to her cheeks the moment Valerie nodded at her question. “I-I mean!”, ugh, how she hated stuttering!, “Danny’s always been super important to me...obviously! And we’ve always done our best to be there for each other and have each other’s backs, but there are times when I can’t help but wonder if perhaps we’re just making a mistake and we were better off as friends…” She finished with a defeated sigh. 

At the sensation of an arm wrapped around her shoulders, she turned to look at Valerie. “Sam, trust me. This is no mistake. You’re one of the very few people who understand there’s no difference between Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom; they’re both Danny and you’ve always known that and done your best to show him just that. And unlike Paulina or me, even if you hadn’t known his secret from the beginning, I’m willing to bet my right arm that you would’ve accepted both sides of him equally either way.”

At her words, Sam could only smile warmly, “You really think so?”

Valerie returned her smile. “I know so.”

Still replaying Valerie’s words and organising her own thoughts in her head, Sam turned to face her, one hand resting on her lap and the other on Valerie’s shoulder, “For what it’s worth, I still think that after a, very understandable, initial bump in your relationship, you two could’ve made a great couple too. I meant what I said when I told you that, if Danny liked you, then we would only have to make room for you at our table. I can’t think of any girl I would be willing to do that for but you, Val.”

Valerie almost gasped at Sam’s words, but she recovered rather quickly, “Thank you, Sam. That means a lot coming from you.” Resting her own hand on top of the one on her shoulder, she winked mischievously at her, “And don’t worry; I don’t go around stealing my friends’ boyfriends.”

The Goth girl snorted at that. “Glad to hear that.”

They remained like that for a moment, just enjoying the comfortable silence that had settled between them and their secret understanding. They were friends. They had similarities and differences. But that would never change the respect each felt for the other. 

Finally, getting up from the floor and dusting herself off, Valerie broke the silence, “Come on, there’s still many moves I haven’t used to kick your butt.” 

Sam smirked at the challenge, “Oh, you’re so on!”

................

The Fentons’ Emergency Ops Centre had, ironically, become their safe haven. 

Whenever they wanted to enjoy some alone time before they had to part ways or a ghost attack took place, they would simply climb up the roof and enter through the door leading to it. Although Danny could just phase or fly them there if they were really pressed for time, which was their usual way of getting there because they were always pressed for time. 

The Ops Centre was really just an excuse to spend some time together, really.

It didn’t matter what they did. Sometimes they would make out because they were a couple and couples made out with each other, didn’t they? Especially when said couple consisted of two hormone-driven teenagers. Maybe if they’d been a pair of octogenarians, the fuss of the relationship would have been elsewhere. Like how incredible it was that they’d survived that long in the first place.

Other times they just talked about nothing and everything at the same time. Sort of like what they usually did, but without Tucker. Sam would often talk about the latest hideous monstrosity their parents had intended she wore ー”Oh, you’re laughing now! But trust me, Undergrowth had much better fashion sense than my parents!”ー, or how rapidly the poles were melting and nobody was doing anything about it, or how her latest poetry reading went ー“Kwan’s getting better, actually. This time he wrote about the new scabs he got during the last game”ー, and how they could defeat the villain of the week who was somehow harder to beat than the previous one because, really, they always got harder to beat. 

And Danny would recall his parents’ latest shenanigans, or Jazz’s newest psychological experiment with ghosts that she was sure was going to work because it was just flawless; or he’d warn her about the food in his house ー”I know you don’t eat meat anyways, but don’t open the fridge. The ecto-weenies are back and this time they’ve brought BBQ sauce.” He would also complain about the workload of homework Mr Lancer had assigned them; sometimes because he didn’t think he’d have the time to finish it all, and sometimes he just didn’t know where to start because what the Heck is irony anyway? Didn’t anyone realise that what they often called irony was actually more of a paradox? How could they be teaching something wrong in English class?! And, sometimes, in those rare moments where Danny finally realised, only to forget his lesson all over again the next day, that he could count on her, Tucker, Jazz, Val ーand his loved ones, damn it!ー and confide his deepest secrets, he would open up about how being Danny Phantom was taking its toll on him. How being famous was more often than not more suffocating than flattering. How he was getting tired that his enemies only ever came back, or became stronger, or multiplied. How he feared, no, how he felt it was never going to end until he was 100% dead and not just 50%... He even still had trouble understanding what truly happened to him the day of the accident. 

And maybe they just would never know. 

And then, there were days like today. Days where they would just stay in silence, watching Amity Park since the makeshift observatory his zany but genius parents had built all on their own. Because, sometimes, watching the sunset in silence with that special someone was just enough. 

While Danny leaned against the railing, Sam was sitting on top of it, enjoying the soft breeze blowing around her and caressing her skin. “Today I trained with Valerie.”

Perking up at the sound of her voice suddenly breaking the silence, Danny turned his head slightly in her direction. “Oh?” He let out, “How did it go?”

“I managed to last a full five minutes and land a few serious hits myself.” She stated proudly. 

The ghost boy whistled appreciatively, “Five full minutes! Now that’s impressive.” He sent her a sly look and a smirk, his admiration turning into amusement, “And how many hits did you cushion?”

Curling her lip in annoyance, Sam muttered, “The fact that I’m even sitting here is a miracle in itself.”

That had Danny snickering like crazy, before a sharp pain in his arm stopped him, “Ow!” 

To his surprise, instead of a smug Sam as he expected, he found his girlfriend gingerly rubbing her arm, a pained expression on her face. “Okay,” she panted, “that was so not worth it.”

“Here, let me help.” Gently resting his fingers on her arm, he used his ice powers to send a chilly sensation across her limb, effectively alleviating the pain. “Anything else I should know about? Did the training turn into a battle to the death?”

“Actually, we talked things out and we finally buried the hatchet.” She said seriously.

Danny furrowed the brow in confusion. “Uh, Sam? I was kidding. And I thought you already did that when she found out the truth about my powers.”

Chuckling softly, Sam could only roll her eyes with a smile on her face as she leaned close to leave a tender kiss on his lips before whispering, “Clueless.”

[lindyloosims]

Before I could take my place, Elena grabbed hold of my hand, “Shawn, I...need to...speak with you!” She begged me.

“Elena, for someone who doesn’t care whether Shawn lives or dies, you’re certainly showing a lot of concern for him!” Grayson scoffed, “Have you found a conscience dear?”

“You’re a vile little leech Chambon, if Ms Alvarez wants to give her progeny moral support, then she is entitled to do so!” Vlad was standing up for us again, he truly despised Grayson Chambers.

“I told you, it’s gonna be okay, Elena...”

“No, it’s not I...you must understand that when I agreed...please just...it’s not too late to end this before it begins!”

“Elena, I have to get Hallie back...and the baby! I promise, nothing will happen to you, I’ll keep you safe!”

“No, Shawn you don’t...you can’t win this! You can’t trust him, I...can’t...please don’t do this, please!”

She threw herself into my arms, “I agreed to this long before I realised...just how much you mean to me! I know you better now and I realise that when the time comes...”

“Elena, agreed to what?”

Suddenly she kissed me, we’d kissed a few times but it was usually in the heat of an aggravated moment. This kiss was different, like she was saying goodbye, I’d already told her that I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her, this thing she was hiding...why couldn’t she tell me? I let her kiss me, thinking at the time that Hallie was under some kind of glamour and wouldn’t know or notice...I was wrong about that!

“Ah, so it’s like that is it?” Grayson’s evil laugh echoed around the dance floor, “You see Genevieve my dear? I tried to warn you, I told you not to trust him! He is a fickle little wretch who has no qualms about cheating on you, the mother of his offspring! He doesn’t want you darling, he only wants the child! You see that now don’t you?”

“Yes, I do!” Hallie sniffled.

“Do not pay any mind to this wicked creature little Hallie, he knows he will never compare to young Bradford in any way, shape or form. Chambon, you aren’t even half the man or vampire that Bradford is...you cannot compete with greatness!” Vlad talked about me with pride, I felt honoured. I hoped that once I had beaten Grayson, Hallie would snap out of whatever spell he had her under.

“Elena what was that for?”

“For luck, if it’s good enough for Grayson...I just want to say...when the time comes, don’t feel bad. You are not to blame, and I know you will think you are...but you’re not! Please know that I am at peace, I have made my bed! It is a mother’s duty to protect her child...when it’s over, be happy! Marry Hallie and raise your daughter together, live...for me! Maybe in our next life, we...you’re right, it’s all going to be alright! I love you Shawn Bradford!”

“This is all so very touching, shall we proceed?” Grayson smirked over at me as Elena stood next to Lizette and Toni on the side lines. Hallie looked angry and devastated all at once, at the time I wasn’t aware of the circumstances surrounding her newfound devotion to Grayson Chambers...life is not black and white...there are always shades of grey and I was about to learn that lesson the hard way!

<Previous_Next>

[ladylynse]

So I was reading your lucifer stuff when idea popped in my mind. What if lucifer and chloe are going on new case, The dead body is 14-15 years old black haired boy.

While they're trying to understand what heppend, Ella (after taking pictures ) walking around the place, searching for clues when suddenly the same dead boy ( but in opposite colors, white hair, green eyes...) showing up in front of her, floating, point at the body and says: "hey! You found my body! Now, can you move so I can please climb back inside?"

(she's the only one who can see him ofc. And lucifer, but he's busy with Chloe)

Honestly, this is a fun idea whether you take the weird episode as canon (ie Ella can see ghosts) or just canon-adjacent (ie the story she's writing with that plot is not drawing on personal experience).

If this is an Ella who regularly sees ghosts, then she'd probably try to shush him and explain--through his protests--that even if she had the power to clear the scene of all personnel, he couldn't just climb back into his body and expect to come back to life. It doesn't work like that. She's sorry, he's dead, and she'll try to help him cope with that somewhere that's not here, but there's no going back, so could he please just wait for her quietly until she can get away from all these people and talk to him in private?

Danny, who is absolutely Done with the whole situation, doesn't think this is terribly different from what happened with the Fenton Ghost Catcher in the past, even if his other half is lying on the ground instead of talking to him. Being dead has never been a big deal to him because he's always been able to go back. It doesn't click for him that maybe Ella's right, that maybe this time, he can't. So what if he has a weird memory gap about what happened? This has Vlad written all over it. He can figure this out.

If this isn't an Ella who is used to seeing things no one else can (since presumably she wouldn't have twigged to Lucifer's reaction if he hasn't actively disengaged from the conversation with Chloe to follow up yet, and perhaps he hasn't even noticed that she can see the ghost, because he'd know Danny was a ghost, and therefore didn't think there was any rush), it would take her longer to realize that no one else is reacting to this, and she wouldn't be able to hide her own reaction. Thankfully, no one else is really paying attention, too focused on the work at hand. But there's this.... Spirit. Ghost. Lost soul. Who hasn't moved on, gone on to what's next.

I mean. Yes. She's heard stories about ghosts. Everyone's heard stories about ghosts. And being the subject of a crime scene isn't exactly the definition of someone being able to rest peacefully. But this would freak her out, be enough to have her clutching her necklace and whispering a few prayers. She knows the biblical stories of people being raised from the dead, knows exactly that that is what this ghost thinks will happen if he just settles back into his body--because it's definitely the same boy, even if death has somehow shifted his colour scheme--and knows that this is a golden opportunity to get some insight as to what happened because she could ask the victim if she could just make her mouth form the words, but this is just....

This isn't supposed to happen to her.

And there's definitely no one here with what she'd call saintly power, no one who could help the boy in a way she can't. (Ella's ignorance as to Lucifer and family would continue for a while longer if I were writing this fic. After all, why should she question it even when she finds out he can see the boy, too? Lucifer made a vague comment about it being a family trait, and honestly, for all she knows, it does. She's not about to introduce a ghost to her family to find out if that's the case with her, too.) But he doesn't look like someone who wants to listen to her say encouraging words about having faith that whatever is coming next for him will be better than what he faced here on earth. He looks like he's five seconds away from flying through her and trying to go back into his body and is only not doing that because there are too many people around, too many questions that would be asked if that same body got up and started walking and talking like he clearly thought it would.

How can she convince him he'll just pass through it now, like he is everything else, without letting him try and face that disappointment? How can she prepare him for that disappointment, to cushion that blow? How are you supposed to tell someone they're dead?

Danny wouldn't be amused, arms crossed, waiting for her to start listening to him because she's the only one he's been able to get a reaction out of so far, even if he's pretty sure he caught someone else's eye earlier, too. That guy is definitely next if she doesn't help, but she looks like she has the certification to be here and Fancy Suit Guy doesn't even if they aren't ushering him away from the scene like they are everyone else, so she'd have more power than him. If only he can convince her to listen.

Sure, it's weird that no one else can see or hear him--he's not invisible, and even if he were invisible, he's not inaudible--but he can figure this out. It's probably not some weird new power; it's gotta be because of how he was split from his body. He doesn't know how that happened, exactly; he wouldn't have spent the last however long searching for his body if he did, and frankly he'd have expected to find himself searching for his other half instead of lying in the middle of a crime scene, but whatever, he'll figure this out and fix it.

(He'd become a little more worried once he realizes that he's apparently intangible even when he wants to be intangible. Which means he can't even contact Jazz to let her know she doesn't have to freak out, let alone put Sam and Tucker on the case to see if any ghosts know what's going on. And, oh, crud, what is he going to have to do to convince Ella to keep them from contacting his parents once they find out his identity? If he shows up at home after being declared dead, they'll try to kill him all over again--probably even if Jazz breaks down and tells them his secret, if only because they might not believe her without some sort of proof.)

Cue Ella working on this case as much unofficially as officially, with Danny's snarky comments and death glares at Lucifer because they somehow got off on the wrong foot. (It is entirely possible that Danny may be under the impression that Lucifer is not an angel but is very much possessed; red eyes are a sign of being overshadowed, after all, and Vlad would find a way to try to control this situation once he realized it had spiralled sideways on him, because of course it's Vlad even if he's not reacting to what should be some very pointed jabs. Who else would pick the guy in the expensive suit and not, y'know, the detective in charge of the case, solely because he's convinced he can manipulate her just as easily without having to overshadow her?)

(more like this | the other DP/Lucifer stuff)

[aestheticaxolotl]

V.I.L.E Headcanons

- Graham “Crackle” Calloway grew up in the poorer slims of Sydnee Australia where his parents struggled on a day to day basis to provide food for their 4 kids, Graham, being the oldest son felt the absolute need to help his parents provide for his three younger siblings. Doubling down in school, and getting the best grades he could (B’s and low A’s) and then diving into work as soon as he got out. -Graham started with small odd jobs until he got a part time gig with a rather cranky old electrician who had no love for anyone in his life. But he took Graham on as an apprentice because the stupid kid wouldn’t leave him alone. To his chagrin, the kid took to the job like a house on fire. This became important when he joine V.I.L.E -Tigress came from a troubled home to say the least. Her mom was an alcoholic and her dad was a blue-collared working class man who would gamble and chase after his dreams while squandering all the families money She resented her parents for these reasons and acted out as much as she possibly could, whether by robbing small stores or beating up younger kids on the play ground

-She started out trying to make a quick buck to help her momma pay the bills, not because she was showing kindness to her mom, but because the land lord had threatened to kick them out one too many times, and kept making lewd comments and suggestions that even Tigress would not allow her mother to take.

-El Topo’s story isn’t the happiest, seeing as his mother moved into America when he was very young, unable to afford to bring her husband and son with her at the time. Of course, El Topo’s father was not keen on being left behind and took his 12 year old son, attempting to smuggle him into America. Sadly, this would not end well seeing as El Topo’s father was shot and killed, and he was placed in foster care, unable to contact his mother.

-El Topo got out of the Foster care system when he was 18 and was homeless for a long time. He lived on the streets in Georgia, the last place his mom was having known working. He did everything he could to find his mom and was devastated to learn that his mother had moved to New York, remarried and had a daughter.

-Le Chevre’s mother died giving birth to him in Paris, France. His father being left alone to raise their one and only son, they had married young and had a baby younger, leaving the young father devastated and entirely loving of his young son. Le Chevre’s young life was full of music and love. His father worked as a caretaker in a French Theater, working up with the lights and the set pieces.    -Young Le Chevre wasn’t as fascinated with the acting as he was with being high up and above the actors, it gave him a feeling of power and meaning while his father proposed that he take lessons to play instruments for the plays. HE did for about a week to please his hard working father, but took the gold star in thievery. To this day he still leaves large amounts of money on his’s father’s doorsteps as thanks for such a wonderful upbriging.

-Dash Harber grew up with a love of fashion and the stylistic life of the rich and famous. His parents, both very wealthy and distant from him, showered their son with gifts and money for doing nothing but existing. His parents ended up sending him away at the age of 15 (At his request) to his aunt “Cookie Booker” so that he could have a better, proper upbringing. 

-Through his ‘Aunt Cookie’, he met the Dear Countess Cleo, who he took a major liking to the Countess, having a childhood crush on her. Cleo found the young gentlemen quiet endearing and took him under her wing, giving him the life he had know that he’d desired at a very young age. This came to bit him in the but when he started working for V.I.L.E. His parent identifying him during a caper and he had to go into hiding for quite a while. (His parents minds were wiped after this incident, as far as they are concerned now, they never had kids).

-Paperstar’s mother was a prostitute in Japan, and gave birth to her from an unknown father. Paperstar was devoted to her mother, even if she was not devoted to her daughter. She was usually there when her mother brought a man home, covering her ears when ever, what her mother called ‘Business work’, started.

-Young Paperstar started stealing from the men who her mother brought home when she was seven, doing this for many years before one man noticed and turned both Paperstar and her mother into the police. This enraged her mother and she disowned Paperstar, leaving the girl alone and vengeful, only wanting to look out for herself. (She might have killed her mom too, I’m still thinking on that one)

-Mimebomb was born in Ireland with their twin brother. When they were young their parents moved them to France. This is where they saw their first ever Mime, their mother had stopped at a shop and 3 year old Mimebomb had wandered off and stopped to watched a man with paint on his face act on a street corner. They realized they were lost and the Mime just... Scooped them up to help them find their mom and twin brother. This REALLY enforced in them that Mimes weren’t scary or freaky. (Their WHOLE family disagrees to this to this day)

-Spoiler, Mimebomb grew obsessed with Mimes and this really worried their parents. They sent him to a Psychologist, one Professor Maelstrom who was doing freelance work. Maelstrom found the phenomena rather interesting and kept track of Mimebomb for a very long time, it was Maelstrom who brought Mimebomb to V.I.L.E and showed them what their true calling was.

-Boris and Vlad.... I don’t have much for them but what I do have is rather... Boris and Vlad grew up in a very unwelcoming community. Russia at the time was very hostile towards outsiders and while their parents (They are not related, family friends in my eyes) had both of them in Russia, they were still not well accepted by their community, often bullied and beaten bloody by other kids, who forced them to clean up the mess after they finished beating them.

-This horrible childhood instilled a rather off form of PTSD and OCD in both of them that leads them to see every mess that a V.I.L.E operative made was something they had to clean up. Somehow, it was their fault and they had to fix and clean and pretend nothing ever happened.

-Cookie Booker is the Aunt of Dash Haber, she ADORES her Nephew and spoiled him rotten when he was a child, basically taking him in when he asked her too. She took great care to raise him the best she could, never having been able to have children herself, an event that let to her husband leaving her and marrying another woman.

-Cookie was also the woman who introduced Countess Cleo to Professor Maelstorm, a very monumental occasion in V.I.L.E history.

-Neal the Eel was just Neal as a kid. His mom and dad were performers in a Circus, a Magician and his Assistant. He used to adore the circus and wanted to be part of it as a contortionist/escape artist. He was bullied for his hypermobility ( similar to double-jointedness, but if it is progressively more serious it can create more problems for someone.) Causing him to end up resenting his upbringing and parents.

When Neal was 16 he began to break IN to prisons and then BREAK BACK OUT with a TON of the criminals inside. This quickly put him on V.I.L.E’s radar and they decided that they really wanted to recruit him. They made the offer and he vowed that he would never be seen as a joke like he was with the circus.

-MooseBoy was not the brightest kid in school, often picked on for being slow or stupid when he was really just a friendly kid with dyslexia. He almost flunked out of school and would have if not for this dorky looking kid who called himself “Otter”. Thus, a tense and rather abusive friendship formed.

-Otterman was the only reason that Mooseboy was able to graduate Highschool. They were a team, he was the brains (Still is) and Mooseboy the brawn (Still is). HE hated the fact that he was smaller and weaker and really took it out on his partner. Their first crime together was breaking into the school and stealing the principal’s desk on a dare.

-Spinkick and his half sister Flytrap have the same father, and different mothers. Their father lived a double life with his paramours only six miles from one and other. This affair was discovered by their moms and the two women ended up murdering their children’s father and then (unironically) falling in love with each other.

-Flytrap and Spinkick’s mothers moved in and the two kids were forced to get along, they ended up really caring about each other and watching each other’s backs and defending each other in school. Their mother’s never got caught by the way, just think about that.

-The Troll never had friends as a kid and met all his good good friends online, including Player (Plot twist?). Player and Troll got along like peanut butter and jelly, becoming a tag team in learning to hack and work with the internet system. The Troll became invested in trying to figure out how to lock down security systems like banks or Jail facilities (Seeing as his father was put in jail for robbing a back and killing a man who tried to stop him).

-This took Player aback and he began to back away from his friendship with The Troll. This didn’t matter to The Troll, he managed to shut down the security system where his father was being kept. This ends sadly due to the fact that his father doesn’t escape, but ends up dying in the break out. This caused him to draw back from people and remain in his room for a very long time.

Thanks for reading my ramble about V.I.L.E Operatives, I’ll be posting one for the Faculty soon!

[noladyme]

My Only Sunshine - Chapter 1

Liv is as human as they come – faults and all. After a dark experience in her past, she is determined to live life on her own terms, and never let anyone claim her as theirs again. This becomes an issue, when she meets a 1000-yearold vampire, who is dead-set on claiming her as his own.

TW: Blood

It was a warm night, and I was wearing my favorite summer dress, seated on a velvet couch, in an old house.

“Well, miss Sunday. Thank you very much for coming all the way out here to speak to me. I’ll go over your resumé one more time, but I think I’ve heard all I need”. The dark-haired, pale man gave me a friendly smile. I knew better than to reach out my hand for him to shake, and simply got up to stand, and nodded at him. “Thank you, Mr. Compton”, I smiled. “Just let me know if there’s anything else you need… So, interview over?”. “Interview’s over”, he said. “Good! Calling you Mr. Compton was getting weird!”, I laughed. “Well, you did insist”. “It was a job-interview. It was only proper”, I shrugged.

Bill Compton walked me to his front door, and I was about to say goodbye, when he halted, just before going for the doorknob. “There is one thing, I wanted to ask you; and seeing as you’ve been so forthcoming with me, on everything else…”. The vampire narrowed his eyes at me. “What?”, I said. “Why did you decide to apply for the position as my day-person?”, he asked. I smiled embarrassedly. “Honestly… I need the money”, I said. “I’ve been hoping to pay down my student loan, but taking up extra shifts down at Merlotte’s just isn’t cutting it”.

“That’s not what I meant”, he said. “You just don’t strike me as the type of person to take a job for a vampire”. He raised an intrigued brow at me. “Not enough fang marks on me?”, I chuckled. The vampire chuckled, and it seemed that if he’d been able to blush, he would have. “You’re offering a good salary for what seems like an easy job; and one that I can do while still staying on with Sam. The fact that you’re a vampire doesn’t really matter to me”. “Why not?”, he asked. “Why should it?”, I retorted. “Some might say it’s dangerous to work for one of us”, the vampire said. “You’re no more likely to hurt me than any other vampire around – or human for that matter”, I said. “Besides; Sookie speaks highly of you, and I trust her”. “Well, she speaks highly of you as well”, he said.

He seemed to think for a moment, before coming to a conclusion. “If you want this job, it’s yours”, he said. My jaw dropped. “Really?”, I asked. The vampire confirmed it with a nod. “Thank you, Bill. You won’t regret it…! One thing, though… Day-person? Can’t we call it… secretary? Or assistant?”. He chuckled warmly as he opened the door for me to leave. “Please come by tomorrow. I’ll have a list for you with some things I need handled”, Bill said, as I went down the steps of the porch. “8 pm?”, I asked. “That sounds perfect”, Bill said. “See you then”. He handed me back the “resumé”, which I’d written on the back of a paper placemat from Merlotte’s. As I took it, I got a slight papercut on my finger. “Shit”, I muttered. Bill smiled slightly. “Would you like me to fetch you a band-aid?”. “Nah…”, I said, and looked at the trickle of blood. “You hungry?”, I teased. “I think Sookie might have a problem with me feeding from a friend”. “Alright”, I shrugged.

I began fishing my car keys out of my bag, and cursed to myself, as they fell from my hand, and landed in the gravel on the ground. I was about to crouch to pick them up; when I felt a gush of wind, and suddenly stood nose to chest with a very tall man. I had to tilt my head back to look him in the eyes. They were bright blue, and had a sharpness to them. “Hello”, he said, a cheery mischievous tone to his voice. “Hi”, I said, and went to pick up my keys again. The man – vampire, I realized – held them out to me, before I even so much as bent over. “Fuck, you’re fast”, I gasped. He put the keys in my outstretched hand, and grabbed my wrist, to look at my bleeding finger. “When I want to be”, he smiled. “Bill, who is this? Introduce us”.

Bill stepped of his porch, and walked warily towards us. “Eric Northman… This is Liv Sunday”. I found it hard to break eye contact with the tall vampire, mostly because he was one of the most handsome people I’d ever met. “Liv”, Eric said. He dragged out the sound of my name, pronouncing it Leev. “Yours…? She smells… pure”. I managed to look away, and turned my gaze to Bills face instead. His jaw was clenched. “My assistant”, Bill repeated, put a hand on my arm, and went to stand half way in front of me. The tall vampire let go of my wrist. “Off limits”. “I’m a big girl, Bill", I said. “I can speak for myself". “Yes, she’s a big girl, Bill", Eric smiled. “Let her speak for herself". I frowned at the tall vampire, and shook my head. “That means you too, Vlad", I said. A grin ghosted his face.

Eric leaned his head forwards, and burrowed his eyes even deeper into mine. “Liv… You’re interesting”, he said. “Please. Tell me more about you”. “Eric!”, Bill growled. “Why have you come?”. “To discuss matters surrounding the conference. It is election year, after all”, the other vampire replied, never taking his eyes off mine. “Now stop interrupting my conversation with… Liv”. The vampire-testosterone was heavy in the air, and I swallowed hard. “Maybe some other time”, I said. “Oh come now…”, Eric smiled, his eyes digging even deeper. I frowned at him. “I said no!”, I sneered. The tall vampire seemed taken aback, and Bills eyes widened. “Ok… I’m just gonna go”, I said.

Bill followed me all the way over to my car, and held the door for me as I climbed in. I opened the window to let some air into the cabin. “Drive safely now”, Bill said. “See you at 8 tomorrow. I’ll give your regards to Sookie”. Eric smiled at me. “It was nice meeting you, Liv”, he said. “Until next time”. His intense gaze made heat pool in my lower stomach, and I had to consciously tell myself to put the key in the ignition.

I drove home to my one-bedroom rental feeling happy that I’d nailed my job interview; and stirred from meeting Eric. I supposed he always had that influence on people; Bill probably just turned his mojo down, because he had Sookie, and didn’t need to impress people in the same way. Bill was the second vampire I’d met that I’d actually spoken to, since they came out of the coffin. Eric was the third, so I didn’t have much to compare him too; but I read magazines as much as the next person.

When I got inside, I took a cold shower; trying to shake the meeting out of my system. Before I climbed into bed, I checked my messages, and saw that Sookie had sent me a text, congratulating me on my new side-gig with Bill. I sent her one back, thanking her for hooking me up with the interview.

Sookie had been a good friend every since I got to town. I’d been down on my luck since leaving San Diego; but Bon Temps had been good to me so far. I had a waitressing job at Merlotte’s, on top of the one I’d just gotten with Bill – taking care of the things he needed done during the daylight – and some good friends in Sookie and Bill; and even my other boss; Sam. I’d even go so far as calling Sookies brother, Jason, a friend – even if he did try getting me into bed with him, whenever he could. I think the fact that I was so fervent in my dismissal of him, made him have some weird kind of respect for me. I was happy – settled, even. The last thing I needed was some blonde hottie trying to get in my pants; it didn’t matter if his name was Jason Stackhouse – or Eric Northman for that matter.

---

I slept in the next day, as my meeting with Bill had been quite late – or should I say, early, as I’d not been home until 3 am. My shift at the bar was a slow one, which was good for Terry, who was having one of his bad days in the kitchen. All 6 hours dragged along in a manner so boring, it was a relief when 7 pm. came along, and Arlene came to take over from me.

Arriving back at the Compton house, I was met in the door by Sookie. “Hey, Liv! Come on in!”, she grinned. “Bill’s in the living room”. “Is it your night off, Sook’?”, I asked. “Uh huh”, she said. “Bill’s taking me to dinner”. We walked into the living room, where Bill was waiting, with a somber look on his face. “Liv… I would like to apologize for Erics behavior last night”, he said. “He didn’t do anything wrong”, I said. “It’s not the first time someone’s flirted with me”. “Eric Northman flirted with you?”, Sookie chuckled. “And you didn’t end up with your legs around his waist?”. I mock scoffed. “I am a lady”, I said. “I tend to throw them around a man’s neck first”. Sookie punched my shoulder. “Slut!”, she grinned.

Bill looked very seriously at the both of us. “This is no laughing matter, ladies. Eric glamoured you!”, he said. I shook my head in confusion. “He didn’t…”, I said. “I saw him… He was using his glamour on you”, Bill repeated fervently. “I really don’t think he did. At least I didn’t feel anything happening”, I tried again.  “Jeez… I worked for you for five minutes; and you’re already acting like my daddy”, I said.

The vampire looked confused, but Sookie broke the tension, by reminding him they had reservations. “You’re right, of course; sweetheart”, Bill said, and took a piece of paper from the coffee-table. “I made this list for you. On the top here is making an appointment with an electrician. I’ve been having some flickering lights in the kitchen. Of course, I don’t use it much, but I do want it working… Then there’s this case of TruBlood O-neg. The all-night supermarket won’t be getting another shipment for at least a week, and I can’t…”. “Honey? We’re late!”, Sookie sighed. “Where are you going?”, I asked. “A place in Shreveport. Ky-auntie”, Sookie smiled. “Chianti”, Bill said. “And you’re right. Let’s go”.

We all left the house, and walked to our respective cars, when I remembered something. “Hold up!”, I called out. I ripped some of the paper from the list, and quickly wrote down my phone number with an eyeliner from my purse. I ran over to Bill with it. “Here. You never got my number. Just in case anything else comes up”, I said. “Thank you”, Bill smiled. “Any big plans for you tonight?”, he asked. “I have a date with my neighbor’s cat. At least I think he belongs to my neighbor. He might be a stray… We eat tuna together on Thursdays”, I sighed. “I thought you were allergic to cats”, Sookie said from inside the BMW. “Our love is complex… and I take pills”, I said. “Go on now. Have fun”.

I waved them off, as they drove away; and got into my own car. It stalled a few times, before finally starting up, and I could drive home – just in time for my date with Mr. Whiskers. He was only mildly annoyed when I came out the back door 3 minutes late, with his bowl. “Sorry I’m late, honey”, I said. “I had a vampire to tend to”. The cat wailed at me, and attacked the tuna like it hadn’t eaten in weeks.

I lit a cigarette, and sat down on the steps, leaning against the screen door, reading a magazine. Some of my neighbors were having a party, and I enjoyed the music coming out of the window. It was a warm night, but not many mosquitos around. I was happy to be left alone from the little bloodsuckers, when my phone vibrated, and I found myself summoned by a large one. - Need you in Shreveport asap. Bill

I frowned at the phone. - I’m your day person. Nights are off limits.

- Fangtasia. Be there in an hour.

- Remind me to ask for a raise BOSS!, I replied; stomped out my smoke, and went back into the house to look up the address of whatever the hell Fangtasia was. Google let me know it was a vampire bar. Dinner must have been over quickly, and Bill had probably taken Sookie for a drink. I looked down at the attire I was currently wearing, and decided that if Bill insisted on being a jerk-boss, I’d be a jerk employee; and show up in cut off shorts, and ABBA t-shirt – that was fifty sizes to big, and hung off my shoulder – hopefully embarrassing him in front of his friends.

I cursed at Bill all the way to Shreveport. “Stupid vampire, ruining my date with Mr. Whiskers”, I muttered to myself, as I parked my rusty car next to a flashy convertible on the parking lot of the bar. There was a line down to the door, going all the way around the corner of the building. A blonde woman with a bored expression on her face stood at the entrance, turning away anyone she didn’t see fit for entry. I sent Bill a text, letting him know I was outside, and had no intention of waiting in line. He’d have to meet me in the lot.

I leaned against my car, kicking at a stray paper cup on the ground, when a cold finger poked my shoulder. I looked up into the face of the blonde woman. She was striking up close. “Liv Sunday?”, she said, sounding as bored as she looked. “Yeah?”, I said. She gave me an insincere smile. “Follow me…”.

She led me to the entrance of the bar, and a burly doorman lifted the red rope for us so we could walk inside. A song with heavy bass was leading some scantily clad dancers on podiums, and the air was heavy with cheap perfume and sexual frustration. The blonde led me to a table, and waved over a black clad waitress. “Order whatever you want on the house. Ginger will sort you out”, she said. The waitress smiled brightly at me. I shook my head. “No, I’m here to meet Bill”, I said confusedly. The woman rolled her eyes, and walked away. I would have given her the finger, if I wasn’t worried, she’d bite it off. “What can I get you?”, the waitress, Ginger, asked. “The most expensive thing you have that isn’t blood”, I sighed. “Long Island Ice Tea, coming right up!”, she grinned, and walked away; tugging at her tiny top as she did.

I took my phone out of my pocket, and saw I had a new text from a number I didn’t know. - Hello Liv. This is Bill Compton. I would like to extend my gratitude to you for accepting the position as my assistant. I’m writing this as Sookie is powdering her nose; as to not interrupt our evening together. Could I please ask you to add to the list, that I need to get in touch with a florist who knows where to get some sunflowers? Sookie likes them. Thank you very much.

I was deeply confused at this point, and not a little worried. If Bill hadn’t been the one to summon me to Fangtasia, then I was currently in a strange bar, surrounded by vampires, without a companion; just sitting around like a delicious crab leg on a buffet table. Sure, there were humans around, but they all seemed more focused on getting the attention of vampires, than helping me out, if needed be. I texted Sookie. - What’s Bills number? I think someone texted me, pretending to be him.

She responded quickly. - Who? Are you ok? Where are you?

I wrote back. - No idea. I’m in some place called Fangtasia.

I was still holding my phone, when Ginger returned with my drink, and set it down. She seemed about to say something to me; when suddenly she bowed reverently. “Master…”, she said, sounding like she was having a strange sort of orgasm.

I looked up, and saw that Eric Northman was standing by the table, with the blonde female vampire next to him. He gave me a slight smile, and sat down across from me; relaxing against the backrest of the chair. “Jag är inte din budbärare, bare för at du vil knulla en liten människa!”. The blonde seemed annoyed, but I didn’t understand her words. “Slapna av, Pam. Det här är annorlunda”, Eric said. “Fika på hende, då. I don’t give a shit. Just don’t ask me again”, she snarled. ”Pamela!”, Eric said firmly. “Leave us”.

“What’s up her ass?”, I muttered. “Pam doesn’t take it up the ass; she gives it”, Eric said matter-of-factly. I narrowed my eyes at him. “You texted me…”, I said. “I did”, Eric said. “Go away, Ginger”. The waitress backed away, her eyes still on the floor. “Master. Yes, master”. I raised my brows. “Wow…”. I met Erics eyes hesitantly. “Why am I here?”. “Because I wanted to see you…”, he said. He dipped a finger into my drink, and licked it. “Don’t drink this. Someone put drugs in it”.

I swallowed hard – a sudden flashback striking me, taking me to a place I didn’t want to go. “Liv?”, Eric said. “What?”, I snapped. The vampire seemed taken aback. “You’re very brave”, he said. “I don’t know what you mean”, I muttered. “Speaking to me like that… and the text you sent me back, when you thought I was Bill. You obviously don’t know a lot about vampires”. I shrugged, trying my best to seem at ease with the conversation.

“How did you get my number?”, I asked; pushing the drink away gingerly. “I’m not listed”. “I flew over Bills house, as you wrote it down”, Eric said. “I have very good eyesight. You used a .01 Ultra Black eyeliner”. “That’s kind of creepy”, I said. “You’re a flying, creepy guy”. Eric laughed heartily, the sound coming from deep within his chest. “You’re funny”, he said. “It’s like you have no sense of self-preservation”. “Well, I figure you didn’t go through all the trouble of flying over Bills house to get my number; just so you could kill me”, I said. “At least… I hope you didn’t”. Eric looked towards the bar, at the tender behind it. “Chow, get her a fresh one. Make sure it’s drug free”, he said, so quietly, I almost didn’t hear it. I realized the bartender must be a vampire as well; that was the only way he’d be able to hear him. “You don’t have to… I’m fine, really”. “It’s no trouble", Eric assured me. “This is my bar after all. It’s in my interest to keep the patrons happy". “I’m not a patron…”, I said.

Eric ignored my words. “Your t-shirt… I like it”, he said. “I’m related to the blonde, you know…”. “You’re Swedish?”, I asked. A fresh drink appeared in front of me, and I looked at it hesitantly. “It’s safe”, Eric said. “Yes, I’m originally from Sweden…”. “So, you were speaking… Swedish, before?”. Eric nodded. “You name, Liv; it’s actually the Swedish word for life”. “Huh…”, I muttered. “I always thought it was kind of geriatric”. Erics eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. “Quite the opposite… It suits you. You seem full of life”. I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and took a sip from the straw. The drink was delicious. “And… when are you from? If you don’t mind me asking”. “Are you asking how old I am?”, Eric smiled. I blushed, and took a second sip. “I am a little over 1000 years old”.

I choked on my drink, and suddenly, Eric was next to me; gently patting my back with one hand, and holding mine with the other. “Are you alright?”, he said worriedly. “Yeah, I’m fine”, I croaked. I looked up into his eyes, and saw true concern. “Really”, I smiled. Eric sat back down on the chair opposite me; still holding on to my hand. His own was cool, but not cold. I guessed he’d recently fed.

I bit my lip. “Are you really 1000 years old?”, I asked in a whisper. “Yes”, Eric confirmed. “I was a Viking”. My eyes widened. “Like with the… pillaging, plundering and… raping?”, I said. Eric smiled smugly. “I didn’t need to rape to bed a woman; or a man for that matter”. “Huh…”, I said; and took a deep sip from my drink. “Well, you do have that tall, blonde and handsome thing going for you”. He ran his thumb over my knuckles. “You find me handsome?”, he said. “Every person in this room finds you handsome”, I retorted; rolling my eyes. I looked towards a nearby table, where a young woman with obviously dyed black hair was starring at us. When her eyes darted towards me, she looked like she wanted to scratch my eyes out.

“Tell me about you…”, Eric said. “Why?”, I asked. “Because it’s only fair”, the viking-vampire said. “In the last ten minutes, I’ve told you my age, occupation, sexual orientation; and I’ve saved you from getting drugged". I was painfully aware that Eric probably had a million different ways of getting what he wanted from me, but for some strange reason, I didn’t think he’d use any of them. Not yet anyway. None the less, I still didn’t see his reason for wanting to know. “I meant, why are you asking?”, I said.

Eric played absentmindedly with my fingers – or maybe not so absentmindedly; as he seemed to know exactly where and how to stroke my fingers in a way, that sent signals straight to my core. "You’re interesting“, he said. “And Bill interrupted me before I could finish my glamour on you, to get you to tell me". I chuckled softly. “You didn’t glamour me", I said. “Of course I did", Eric retorted. “Sorry, but I think you have little too much faith in your own abilities“.

He let go of my hand, and sat back straight in his chair. For a long time, he didn’t speak, just starred at me, before his pupils suddenly dilated, and a tranquil and yet almost flirtatious expression spread over his face. “Liv…”, he said softly. “Tell me; what’s your favorite sexual position?”. My jaw dropped. “That’s absolutely none of your business!”, I growled. Eric looked completely confused, and even paler than his usual pasty shade. He furrowed his brows, and moved his head forwards; almost crouching in his chair, as to reach my eye-level. “You want to tell me, Liv", he said, his voice alluring. Abso-fucking-lutely I wanted to tell him; but not under our current circumstances. As it was, Eric was being completely inappropriate, and I had no intention of continuing our conversation. I stood up. “Thanks for the drink. Now, if you don’t mind, please go to hell".

I walked towards the door, and made it halfway through the crowd, when suddenly, Eric was standing in front of me. He looked almost enraged, and towered over me menacingly; starring into my eyes so hard, I could almost feel it physically. “Liv. You want to tell me about yourself", he boomed. “I want to go home!”, I hissed, trying to pass the imposing vampire. He moved slightly, making me have to brush against his chest with my shoulder. Eric’s hand was suddenly on my upper arm. I froze in place, as he lifted my hair slightly, breathing in my scent. “What are you?”, he asked in a low voice, his cool breath sending annoyingly pleasurable shivers down my spine. I looked up into his eyes again; and jumped a bit, when his fangs popped out. The deepest, darkest part of me wanted to put my finger to one of them, and see how sharp they were.

“Eric!”, Bills voice boomed over the music. Sookie came out from behind him, walked straight up to the 6’4 inches vampire, and hit him over the shoulder with her purse. “Looks like that’s two dates you’ve ruined tonight”, I said. Eric smiled. “But ours was going so well”, he said; his fangs retracting again. “This wasn’t a date…”, I said. “This was you tricking me into meeting you”, I hissed. “You had another date tonight?”, he asked, darkness ghosting his face. I gave him a sarcastic smile, and pulled my arm out of his grasp, stomping out of the club, past Pam. She looked amused at the situation, and stepped back to let me get to the parking lot.

With shaking hands, I opened my car door. Bill and Sookie weren’t far behind me. “I am very sorry, Liv”, Bill said. “Had I known there was a chance Eric would…”. “Forget it, Bill”, I said. “I’ll take care of the things on your list tomorrow. Right now, I just want to go home… I’m sorry I ruined your date”. “It’s not your fault”, Sookie said earnestly. “Do you want us to follow you home in Bills car?”. “No, I’ll be fine… Just, go salvage whatever you can of your night”, I said. I gave Sookie a half hug, and nodded at Bill.

Eric was staring at my car, as I drove away. I saw him exchanging a few words with Pam, before he went back inside Fangtasia.

---

I had the next day off from Merlotte’s, and after I – once again – slept in, I had plenty of time to take care of my errands for Bill. When I got back home from having dropped of a case of O-neg on his porch, I texted him the info of an electrician and a florist who could help him out with his other requirements.

My mail had arrived while I was gone, and as I got ready for a night of serving beer, I looked through the bills and catalogues; finding among them an envelope without sender. Inside was a picture of a young woman in a seductive pose, wearing very little. I recognized myself immediately. It had been taken my last night at my old job at Sugar and Spice – a night I didn’t remember much from, due to a drink I should never have accepted. I almost fell into a kitchen chair, and shuddered. I put my hand to my chest, remembering the wound I’d earned that night.  

He’d found me. I wasn’t surprised. Though my number and address weren’t listed, if Thomas wanted something, he’d get it; he had a way of talking himself in to things. Either that, or he’d use brute force. The thing that made me confused, was the fact that Thomas wasn’t even supposed to remember me. I was supposed to be just another dancer he’d taken pictures of, at the club.

I was startled when my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up, when I saw it was Sam. “Hey…”, I croaked. “Hey, Luce’… I’m really sorry to ask you this, but Coby has the mumps, and Arlene needs to…”. “You need me tonight?”, I asked, almost hopefully. I didn’t want to be alone. “You’d be doing me a big favor…”, Sam said. “I’ll be there”. “Thanks, cher’. I’ll give you tomorrow off instead”, he replied in a relieved voice. “No problem what so ever”, I said. “I’ll be there in a few”. I hung up, and hurried getting ready for work.

Merlotte’s was full of people; which was pretty typical for a Friday night. The tips would be pretty good, and I wouldn’t have to be alone with my thoughts. Sookie handed me a clean apron, and I tied it around my waist, avoiding her gaze. “You seem out of sorts”, she muttered, as I tied up my hair in a bun. “Seem? Or are you listening in…?”, I said. She looked suddenly sad. “I’m sorry, Sookie… It’s been a hard day”. She smiled a little. “I can’t read you as well as I can some other people, you know”, she said. “Whatever comes through, is usually just colors and emotions. But they’re pretty intense, so I try to avoid them”. “Why?”, I asked. “I don’t know”, she shrugged. “It’s just like that with some folks… Makes it easier to be your friend, though”. I squeezed her hand, and walked out to take some orders.

Hoyt and Jason were nursing beers in a corner, and I walked over to check on them. “Everything good here?”. “Much better, now you’re here”, Jason winked. “You know, I saw your car out back. It ain’t looking good. I’d be happy to give you a ride, when you clock out”. “I’m sure you would, but I’m not in the mood for crabs tonight”. Hoyt laughed heartily, and Jason smiled and shook his head. “Any food for you gentlemen?”, I asked. “LaFayette has some gumbo cooking tonight”. “Sounds good. Hoyt?”, Jason said. “Two bowls, then”, Hoyt smiled. “Coming right up”, I said, and took their order to the serving hatch; winking at LaFayette in the kitchen.

For the next few hours, I pushed away all thoughts of possessive men, and focused on earning my wages. Bill stopped by to give Sookie a kiss, and thanked me for my help so far; leaving me another list. “Just some time next week, will be fine”, he said. “You’re welcome to text me, Bill”, I said. “I dislike using the keys to type”, the vampire grumbled. “I prefer the old-fashioned way of writing”. “Did you use a quill?”, I asked, giving him a sly smile. “Just a no. 2 pencil”, he retorted. “And once again; I’m sorry…”. I groaned. “Please, stop… Nothing happened. I’m perfectly fine”.

Sookie gave me a slight look, which Bill caught immediately. “You’re not. What is wrong?”. “Sookie!”, I sighed. “Sorry! You’re pretty much radiating fear, honey”, she said. Bill looked at me earnestly. “I will do my best to keep you safe from Eric”, he said. “I don’t want you to worry about him”. “I’m not scared of Eric… No more than the next person, anyway”, I assured him; and walked towards the bar, to grab a tray of beers. Sookie followed me there. “What, then?”, she asked. I clenched my jaw. “Could you give this to Jane Bodehouse? I’m gonna go take my break”, I said.

I almost ran out the back door, and lit a cigarette. Sam was putting a bag of trash in the container, when I got there. “Everything alright?”, he asked. “Why is everyone asking me that?”, I almost snarled. Sam seemed taken aback. “Sorry… I’m just… It’s been a day”. “We all have those”, Sam said. “You want to talk about it?”. “Not really”, I said.

Sam scratched his head. “How’s it going, working for Bill Compton?”, he asked. “Fine, so far. It’s an easy gig”, I said. “Don’t worry, it won’t get in the way of my work here”. “I know. I just worry about you, is all”, he said. “You’ve had a strange look on your face all night”. I sighed deeply, not wanting to give away too much. “I got word from an old… acquaintance”, I said. “I’d hoped to avoid it”. “Ex?”, Sam muttered. “Not really…”. I swallowed hard. “Sam… If I… If some day I don’t come in to work… It’s not because I’m playing hookie”. “That sounds ominous…”, Sam said. “Just… I like this job. Bon Temps”, I said. “I’m happy here. So, if suddenly, I’m not around… I didn’t just skip town, ok?”. Sam walked up to me, and put a hand on my shoulder. “Liv, talk to me. What’s going on?”. Sookie stuck her head out. “Sam, we need to call Jane’s son again. She’s passed out on the pool table…”. Sam rolled his eyes, and went back inside, leaving me to smoke in peace.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I had a text; from Eric, of all people. - When can I see you again?

I rolled my eyes. - How do I know you’re not watching me now?

The reply came within seconds. - You don’t. But I’m not. Do you want me to? I decided against replying, and went back inside – chiding myself for indeed wanting that.

When I got back home, I collapsed on my bed fully clothed – but not before having checked to see if all windows and doors were safely closed and locked. Even without A/C, I’d rather sweat than risk someone coming into the house while I slept.

My phone vibrated, and when I saw who was calling, I picked it up. “What?”, I said. “Why haven’t you replied to my messages?”, Eric said. Loud music was thundering in the background. I looked at the screen of my phone, and saw that I had multiple unread texts. “Because I was working. And because I didn’t want to”, I said. That last part was a lie. “What are you wearing?”, he asked. “A leather garter belt, and a top hat”, I sneered. “Really?”. I could hear his smile. “No. Goodnight, Eric”. “Read your messages”, he managed to say, before I hung up.

I more or less had to pry my eyes open to read the messages the vampire had sent me. - I’m not used to have my messages ignored. Well, get used to it, I thought. - I could come by your job. Just say the word. - I want to see you soon. When? At least he was asking, and not telling me. That was a step up from what I was used to. - Please. That one must have hurt. I sent him a message back. - I’ll let you know. And if you insist on texting more than a teenage girl, I’ll reply like one. Ttyl lol rofl xoxo

As soon as I’d dropped my phone on the bed, I smacked my forehead. I’d written xo. That thought kept me awake for hours, and I didn’t fall asleep until the sun was almost up again.

---

As soon as I woke a little after noon, I rushed out to handle Bills errands. He’d given me until the week after, but as I saw the picture sent to me laying on my kitchen table, I didn’t want to spend a moment longer in the house. I even called Sam to ask if he was absolutely sure he didn’t need me at the bar; but he all but told me that if he saw me anywhere near Merlotte’s, he’d throw me over his shoulder, and carry me home, so I could enjoy my day off.

A little after sunset, there was a knock on my door, and I was slightly startled to see Eric on my small porch. I swallowed hard. “What are you doing here?”, I asked. “I was in the neighborhood; and thought I’d save you the trouble of texting me, when you’d be able to see me”, he said. “Besides, I don’t want you driving that rust bucket all the way to Shreveport again. It’s a death-trap”. He looked towards my car, in the driveway. “You can see me now”, I said. “Wonderful”, he said, and once again dug his eyes into mine. “Invite me in”. “No…”, I said. He once again looked confused. “Why can’t I glamor you?”, he asked. “I don’t know… Maybe you’re impotent”. Eric barred his fangs; making me jump slightly. He looked dangerous. “Not nearly”, he said. “You shouldn’t test me”.

Not wanting him to think he’d scared me too much, I took a hesitant step out of the door, putting less than a foot between us. Eric smelled like nothing I’d ever encountered before. It was crisp, and yet warm; like expensive aftershave and salt water, with an undertone of something I couldn’t define – something musky.

“I don’t understand why you keep wanting to talk to me”, I said. “I get it, I’m human. Blood and sex, and all that… But you have a club full of willing participants to whatever it is you wanna do”. Eric nodded. “I know. It’s infuriating that I feel the need to be here”, he said. “But I think I found a fix for it”. “Oh?”, I croaked, doing my best to ignore the fact that a man, that looked more or less like a GQ model, was currently reaching out his hand to stroke my cheek. As his fingertips touched my skin, my breath hitched. “Yes. See, when I have sex with a human, I usually bore with them pretty quickly”, Eric said. “I thought we should just get it over with, so I can move on”. I took a step back, and my back hit the screen door. “I don’t want to have sex with you!”, I lied. “Of course you do. I’m a very good lover”, Eric smiled. “Now, invite me in, and I’ll undress you”. “Shove it up your ass!”, I said. Eric raised a brow at me. “Well, it’s been a while, but I’m up for it if you are”.

I scrambled to open the screen door, and get back inside the house. My body was screaming at me to give in to the sensation in my lower belly, but I told myself that I had to persist. “You should… go now”, I said. Eric stepped closer to me, and I felt his firm chest against my back. “Why?”, he asked, sounding genuinely confused again. “You’re… imposing”, I croaked, and turned to meet his eyes. They were piercing mine, sending tingles down my spine. “Stop trying to glamour me” “I’m not. It doesn’t seem to work on you”, he said; a hint of regret in his voice. “Though I wonder… would you let me test a theory?”. “What theory?”. Eric smiled. “Just humor me. Pam?”.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, when the blonde female vampire suddenly stood next to Eric; and hurried over the threshold, so neither of them could reach me. “What the hell?”, I said. “Yeah, Eric. What the hell? I’ve been waiting behind that tree forever. In my new Jimmy Choo’s”, Pam said. “Be nice, Pam”, Eric said. Pam drew her lips back in an insincere smile. “Hello, Liv. I am very glad to see you”, she said. “Happy?”. She looked out the corner of her eyes at Eric.

Eric gave her a look, and something unspoken passed between them. Pam seemed to shrink in front of me. “Liv, I would like you to let Pam try to glamour you”, he said. “What? No!”, I exclaimed. “I want to know if it’s…”. “Just you?”, I said. For the first time, Eric wouldn’t meet my eyes. I took a deep breath. “Fine. But I’m not coming outside”. Eric nodded. “Pam, try to glamour her. But don’t ask her to come outside where we can reach her”. He was trying to make me feel safe – it was almost endearing.

Pam took a step forward, and looked deep into my eyes. Her voice was soothing. “Liv… You want to invite Eric inside. You want to have sex with him”. I shook my head. “No… Not happening”, I said. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. “You… want to invite me inside… Have sex with me”. “No thank you”, I snarled. Pam stepped back, and began laughing. “What the actual fuck?”, she guffawed. “What are you?”. Eric stepped in between us, his back to me. “Thank you, Pamela. You can leave now”, he said. “Eric! She’s…”, Pam began. “Now!”, Eric growled. She disappeared as fast as she’d come.

Eric stood there for a moment, not turning to face me. I was about to close the door, when he spoke again. “I’m making you mine… And getting you a better car”. “The hell, you are", I sputtered. He spun around with wide eyes. “You’re saying… no?”, he asked bemusedly. “I’m not anyone’s; let alone yours”. Eric chuckled at me. “I just claimed you”. “Well you can shove that claim up your ass, as well”, I proclaimed. “You wanted me to tell you about myself”, I said. He didn’t respond, simply stood still and never diverted his eyes from mine. “I left San Diego to get away from a guy who couldn’t take no for an answer… I’m not about to throw myself into the arms of another one who does the same”, I said. “This… guy”, Eric said. “Did he hurt you?”. There was an angry edge to his voice. I looked down, and crossed my arms in front of me. “He did… It’s over. But only because I ran away”, I said. “He… It doesn’t matter. I just don’t want that again”.

For a long moment, he just looked at me; making me swallow to wet my dry mouth. “Alright”, he finally said calmly. “Are we finished?”, I asked, almost in a whisper. “We’re finished”, he said. “For now”. Eric lowered his head, looking earnestly at me. “As long as you say no to me, I won’t do anything”, he said. “I will not force myself on you, Liv”. “Why?”, I asked, genuinely surprised. “Do you want me to? I don’t mind playing games…”, Eric smiled. I shook my head. “Never mind. I thought we were having a moment here, but it’s gone”. I went to close the door in his face. “Liv!”, Eric said; his voice imposing. I halted, and looked at him again. “I don’t know why… But I will not”.

He turned around, and walked down the steps from my small porch. I took a deep breath, before running after him. He heard me coming, and turned around. “Thank you… For at least kind of taking no for an answer”, I said. I tugged at his jacket, to get him to lower his head, and I got on my toes; placing a kiss on his cheek. Once again, I was surprised to find his skin not icy, but simply cool; and I let my lips linger for a moment.

I was about to turn back, when Eric put both his hands on my shoulders, and looked me square in the face. I could tell he wasn’t trying to glamour me. “Be mine”, he said. My breath hitched, and everything in me screamed say yes!. “N-no, Eric… No, I can’t do that”. Eric looked as if I’d slapped him. My phone vibrated, and I took it from my pocket, looking at the screen. “It’s Bill… I have to take this".

Erics face dropped, and he let go of me. “Goodnight, sunshine”, he said, and walked away into the darkness. “Eric!”, I called after him. “I regret picking up your keys for you”, Eric replied, his back still to me. “I would have loved to see you bend over”.

---