A Young Vampire's Cohabitation Arrangements [Youjo Senki/Dresden Files]
- Thread starter WrandmWaffles
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- dresden files youjo senki
Alright one more cliffhanger to go before this crisis is concluded at least.
xbox432
Lover of Editing
Oof... Yeah, Tania is really processing just how broken her sisters are. And what makes this all worse is that if they had just noticed how weak he was, they could have turned on him. This was there chance, and they didn't take it... Here's hoping that in the aftermath of this Tania can find a way to get them some proper care. Felicia's mind was so infantile. Good lord.
Also, was that Ebenezer that just drove up? How the heck would Antonio know him? Or is that just a red herring and it's someone else with a "weathered old truck"? Is it Michael? Having the Fist of God show up would be an interesting "fuck you" to the White King.
Lastly... Wait... Is... Is Charles a Berserker? One of the people with a wolf spirit inside of them from "Fool Moon"? You did say that he was "mostly a normal human". Or was he just that pissed off? Really, either is just as likely. It's amazing how your physical limiters fall away when your instincts start screaming at you to fight.
Still... It may be a smaller hurt. But it is still an emotional injury all the same. Loosing a pet is never fun. Loosing one to a cruel parent? Even worse I'd imagine.
Also, was that Ebenezer that just drove up? How the heck would Antonio know him? Or is that just a red herring and it's someone else with a "weathered old truck"? Is it Michael? Having the Fist of God show up would be an interesting "fuck you" to the White King.
Lastly... Wait... Is... Is Charles a Berserker? One of the people with a wolf spirit inside of them from "Fool Moon"? You did say that he was "mostly a normal human". Or was he just that pissed off? Really, either is just as likely. It's amazing how your physical limiters fall away when your instincts start screaming at you to fight.
of sisters - of her sisters
Probably Slanesh's basement.
Hungry-chan is just getting all the treats tonight, isn't she?
Hungry-chan knows what she wants, now if she could only get that through Tania's thick skull...
He just brained her with a piece of his "throne", didn't he?
And after finding out how the spikey warrior came to his halls Odin laughed and laughed.
Still... It may be a smaller hurt. But it is still an emotional injury all the same. Loosing a pet is never fun. Loosing one to a cruel parent? Even worse I'd imagine.
sainen
Elder Lich
many of us believe that it's the Fist of God.
Michael Carpenter owns a truck, and seeing as Antonio was the body guard for the twins he'd have been at the Carpenter house and would know him.
plus Ebenezer wouldn't be that polite to someone working for the Raiths.
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I recall, once, being told that certain old books, such as Treasure Island, end with a cliffhanger practically every chapter, because they were originally published serially in magazines, and wanted to encourage people to buy the next issue.
... you do realize, @WrandmWaffles, that that is not actually the business model here, right?
... you do realize, @WrandmWaffles, that that is not actually the business model here, right?
20. Settling the Score
- Location
- United States
Settling the Score
Cleph de Rossi sipped his beer slowly, partly to savor the taste, but mostly using the motion as a cover for discretely monitoring his surroundings. Across the small restaurant table, Ebenezar McCoy, also known as the Blackstaff of the White Council, did something similar with his own drink (a Bud Light), though with more angry glaring across the table than keeping track of what was around him.
With his rugged looks, overalls, and calloused hands, he did not look much at all like one of the most dangerous wizards in the world. To be fair, it wasn't as if Cleph, in his pressed, bullet-resistant suit, dress pants and fedora, looked much like what one would think a wrath-eating vampire would.
Had they been at a saloon out in the country, McCoy would probably not have received a second glance from most of its occupants. If they had been at a more upscale establishment, Cleph would have likewise blended in.
As it were, settled into a corner of the historic Billy Goat Tavern, both of them looked incredibly out of place, especially sitting at the same table.
Cleph laughed internally at the confused glances coming their way from the more gormless city residents. Some even seemed mildly disgusted at sharing the same space as what looked like an old, grouchy, country bumpkin. The more canny humans gave them a wide berth, pointedly not looking at them, perhaps sensing the simmering hostility and potential for violence, perhaps using his mafia-esque outfit as springboard to jump to accurate, if imprecise conclusions.
It was quite fascinating what people picked out as unusual, such as the incongruity of a man in a pristine suit dining with a man in battered overalls. It was even more fascinating how quickly the same people moved on, jumping to conclusions based on their view of the world, rather than examining further.
To be fair to them, oftentimes there was a mundane and innocuous explanation for things. And technically, there was a rather ordinary explanation for this particular set of circumstances as well.
But McCoy was hardly normal, and as anonymous as he might be to the average human, the Blackstaff was a force even great supernatural powers regarded with some caution. Cleph could not claim quite such notoriety, but he would be guilty of false humility if he said he had none at all. Individually, the two of them had…colorful reputations. Together…
Based on the wary glances the Jili Ffrwtan (named Jill, naturally) at the bar kept sending their way, their presence in the same space was enough to make something as innocuous as burgers and beers a nerve-wracking experience.
Of course, neither of them were actually planning on starting anything here, for the Billy Goat Tavern was not entirely normal either, what with the first proprieter's association with the Tylwyth Teg. It wasn't exactly neutral ground (Accorded or otherwise), but both the Blackstaff and the elder de Rossi could be assured that if the other tried something, it would not go unnoticed.
"You know?" Cleph mused, slowly swirling his drink in a personal mockery of wine aficionados, "I can't say I ever was a fan of beer, or alcohol in general." McCoy grunted uncaringly, taking a long drink from his own bottle. "My father always told me that it was not wise for me, being hale and blessed, to drink, as I had not sorrows to forget, and risked much more in insobriety than I could gain in its ameliorating qualities."
McCoy took an angry bite out of his hamburger, holding it with one hand, his other, ringed hand ready to fire off a spell at a moment's notice. Despite his burning anger, he still said nothing, because he knew that getting a reaction was what Cleph was looking for.
"It's rather ironic, though," Cleph continued, "now that I do have some sorrows of my own, I am of such a state that alcohol is not really able to make me forget."
"How tragic for you," McCoy grumbled, "your lack of hangovers must mean so much to all the people you made money off of selling moonshine."
"I am in favor of temperance," Cleph returned, raising his glass in acknowledgement, "both politically and in the virtuous sense."
"You supported prohibition, then sold alcohol after it was made illegal," McCoy accused gruffly, "you don't get to speak about virtue."
Cleph snorted in concession. "We are creatures of vice, after all." He frowned thoughtfully. "But temperance is an admirable virtue. If only it were more common in rulership, but alas, such is the nature of things." He took a swig of humanity's second favorite poison.
McCoy's bushy eyebrow furrowed at the apparent non sequitur. "You're just trying to get a rise out of me," he growled, before tearing another bite out of his burger.
"In part," Cleph freely admitted, "since I know you aren't a man to be swayed by petty insults. I am simply fishing for any ulterior motive for your trip here."
"That's rich coming from a White Court," McCoy growled, glaring across the table at the vampire's nose (a soulgaze would be rather inconvenient).
Cleph was not offended, his kind did often take pride in deception. They were not exactly unique in that regard, though. "Given the impact you've managed to have in the past," he continued, waving his hands placatingly, "you'll have to forgive me for being…curious, at least, when I find the Blackstaff in my vicinity." Cleph set his palms down on the table, wiping the affable expression off his face. "Especially in a situation where one of my students somehow acquired your services, not to mention getting you to work with the Hellhound."
"Do you really expect me to believe that?" McCoy scoffed. "Don't pretend you care about your victims. If you were working with the Raiths, you're up to something."
"You would have me believe that all you were here for is your former student's request?" Cleph returned skeptically, one eyebrow raised.
McCoy scowled. "Doesn't matter what you believe–"
"Oh, I believe you now," Cleph interrupted with a smirk. "If you were here for something else I doubt this meeting would fit into your schedule."
"Then why bother asking?!" McCoy grit out, even though he already knew the answer.
"Had to make sure," Cleph confirmed his suspicions. "After all, wizards are subtle and quick to anger." He paused. "Well, most of them. Your line appears to lean more towards the latter than the former."
The aging wizard's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just what do you mean by that?" Hmm, that was what angered him the most? Curious.
"Fine, fine," Cleph backed off. "I will have to admit your first student did not have quite the literal explosive proclivities as you and your second student, but even you would have to admit she was quite a firebrand of a different sort."
"Leave my…former students out of this," McCoy bit out, the sudden spike in rage simmering back down into more comfortable annoyance.
Interesting…
"Far be it from me to be inconsiderate of your feelings," Cleph hedged, drawing a disbelieving snort from his interlocutor, "but your apprentices have rather gotten themselves wrapped up in our politics. Not to mention your very…reasonable grudge." One of the White King's men monitoring them from a different table stilled in attention. People skilled at controlling their physical tells often had such obvious emotional ones.
"They aren't my students anymore," McCoy countered with a grimace. "Their actions have little to do with me." That may be a lie.
"Most certainly," Cleph acknowledged. "There comes a time when a child or student has to be responsible for their own actions, but that does not kill the parent or teacher's instinct to intervene should something serious happen."
There was another sharp spike in anger, and Cleph frowned. Did the Blackstaff see le Fay and Dresden like surrogate children? Or were they actually his offspring?
He hadn't expected that. How ironic.
McCoy narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the vampire across the table from him with a canniness that belied his silent rage. "Your kind don't tend to help your spawn just because they are your spawn." It really was no surprise that this wizard in particular was the one chosen to hold the Blackstaff.
"Of course," Cleph nodded, "for those with wealth and power, it can be tempting to view even offspring as mere pawns." He smiled wistfully, knowing full well that was not what his interlocutor meant. "Though for my kind, children tend to be…rebellious."
"And how many of them have you put down to stay on top?" McCoy growled in accusation.
"I have buried one son," Cleph answered evenly, letting his own anger seep through, "but I do not cull my own children." So far, that had fortunately not been necessary. Turns out human parenting techniques had merit even when applied to vampires. Who knew?
"But others' children are fair game?" McCoy snarled.
"Call it a gamble," Cleph shrugged, "a gamble that my children might no longer need to live bound by the chains of their elders." He wouldn't pretend that he wouldn't prioritize his own sons and daughters, and he knew McCoy would likewise favor his own people.
McCoy snorted. "Right. And the power vacuum has nothing to do with it." He took a swig of his beer.
"I was here first," Cleph grunted in mock petulance. "Stupid Mario."
McCoy choked on his drink, his anger momentarily wiped away by surprised, grudging amusement. It was a start.
♤♤♤♤
Harry watched entranced as Tania slammed into Lord Raith, ruthlessly exploiting the opening the old vampire's arrogance had created. It really wasn't the time for it, but the grunting caveman part of him was stuck between running to help her and staring as her beautiful form flowed with deadly grace, smoothly weaving past her opponents blows almost like it was a dance–
"Pfeil!" He aimed his staff, sending a dart of force through one of the slumped bodyguards' hands, drawing a gasp of pain from the enthralled man as the gun he had tried to train on Tania's back fell to the ground along with several of his fingers. As uncomfortably sexy Tania trying to kill a monster was, Harry wasn't that easily distracted.
Lara took advantage of his lapse in attention to struggle again, thrashing about in her bindings.
Harry snarled, ignoring the building pressure at the base of his skull as he tightened his grip even further, the metal wire slicing deep into the bound vampire's flesh, drawing out more off-human pink blood and eliciting a frustrated howl. The silver glow was getting brighter, and Lara's features were sharpening–almost elongating in a decidedly inhuman way, the deliberate, calculating gleam he had seen the previous day replaced with a wild, panicked, and dead-eyed look, desperate to help her sire.
If this was what the old vampire's eldest daughter was reduced to…Harry forcefully suppressed the thought of what might have happened to his mother, as well as Tania's.
Lara twitched again, and Harry slammed his staff into her gut, the sudden flash of rage from his mother's fate almost spurring him to plant a bullet through her skull, but Tania didn't want her sisters dead–Lara was as much as a victim of Lord Raith as any other, as monstrous as she was herself.
Instead, he wrapped part of the wire around his wrist, reached down, clamped his burned hand around Lara's throat, and squeezed, biting down the pain lancing up his arm.
She–her Hunger rather–shrieked in pain and fear, her body thrashing in animal terror. Harry let go and stood back up, leaving her shivering with burning red fingerprints wrapped around her neck.
Lara would have understood the threat of magic–her Hunger understood the Bane, the touch of which forced it to retreat internally, no matter how much energy it needed–
"Kill her!"
Harry looked up just in time to see Tania intercept Natalia's ax as it swung down towards Inari, the blade biting into her shoulder in a spurt of pink blood even as Tania caught the handle and tried to rip it away–
Lord Raith hurled the better part of the broken throne at the both of them, heedless of friendly fire, the impact sending both of his daughters crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs and spilt blood.
No!
Fire bloomed out from Harry's staff as he howled, almost blind with rage. Hot flames burst over the old monster.
Lord Raith remained arrogantly unmoved.
True to Eb's warning, the fire did not burn him, and the old fucker laughed, which was fine, Even if his pride meant he could not show weakness, he still needed air, so he could not endure forever.
It was a good enough distraction.
Keeping the stream of fire going with one hand, Harry snatched up Lara's spear with the other, the pain in his injured hand almost making him fumble it.
Cutting off the fire spell, he switched the weapons between his hands, holding his staff in his burned one and drawing back the spear with the other.
He reached for all the power he could muster, and pushed.
Harry lurched forwards with a furious shout, hurling the spear towards the flames. His magic answered, stronger than he expected, launching it faster than his eye could follow.
There was a wet squelch, and pink blood and flesh burst through the air as the spear nailed Lord Raith straight through the chest. For a second, the old monster stared wide-eyed, a strangled, wheezing sound of pain escaping him.
Take that!
Harry had only a moment of satisfaction before he was slammed into the ground again as someone tackled him from behind; Lara had gotten loose!
They rolled across the floor. Harry tried to shake her off, but fatigue darkened the edges of his vision. Even if the spell hadn't taken so much out of him, he wouldn't have been able to match her strength. As it were, the only thing keeping her from completely overpowering him was how she flinched from their contact.
The amount of skin her outfit left bare worked against her, with Harry's blind flailing leaving angry red marks across her marble flesh. But Lara did not relent, finally pinning him faceup, arms trapped to his sides, her hands firmly clamped around the cuffs of his suit.
Her gaze was still sharp and filled with feral desperation, but Harry thought he saw a flicker of the confident and composed woman he had met yesterday.
"As reckless and foolish as your mother," Lord Raith coughed, doing his best to sound unbothered by his injury–he could still heal so fast?! "So confident in your own power, not realizing the futility of your struggle." His voice was not as steady as it had been, and his breathing sounded labored.
Harry glanced upwards, seeing with dismay that the hole in the old monster's chest was closing. Hell's Bells! Just what did it take to put him down?!
Tania was still stunned, blinking rapidly, eyes unfocused, a wicked pink gash cutting across her temple–
Where was Murphy?!
"How fitting that the same arrogance will be your downfall." The White King stepped closer, feeling secure enough to taunt his foes. For all his air of confidence, his front was soaked with pink blood, and Harry could see the same animalistic madness in the old vampire as he saw in Lara, not that it would help Harry much at this point.
His eyes flicked frantically around the room, and Lord Raith chuckled at his desperation. "Did you really think you could play my children against me?" he mocked.
Inari had dragged her friend off to the side, still clutching the dazed young man protectively. She wasn't feeding on him, but her eyes were still silver, so her Hunger was still in the driver's seat.
"You thought you could take what is mine with no consequence?" the old vampire continued.
Did Thomas get free? Harry searched for his brother, eyes flicking over towards the other side of the cave.
His blood ran cold at the sight.
Karrin had freed Thomas, but she was now pinned under him, turning gradually paler as the vampire kissed and drained her, the angry wounds visible on his back slowly closing.
Shit.
"They are mine to do with as I please," the old monster continued, striding over to where Harry was restrained, his injuries already healed, even if it clearly cost him. "And now, your life is mine as well."
Elisa stumbled to her feet and moved to flank her sire, injured knee having had time to recover (that took longer than he expected). Her eyes were crazed and hungry, and for a moment, her gaze zeroed in on Lord Raith's bleeding back, before flinching away and eyeing Harry like he was a piece of tasty meat.
The old monster was getting weaker. Harry could see the tension in the vampire's frame, visceral desperation obvious under his poised facade. Even his 'loyal' daughters noticed. But that would all be meaningless if killing him and Thomas would break the curse like Bob's information implied.
"Pfff!" Harry scoffed, reaching for any little spark of power he had left. "She really hit you where it hurt, didn't she?" He smiled, despite the pain and imminent death. "How much does it suck, not being able to feed?"
Like mother, like son, he said?
Lord Raith stilled, a flicker of hesitation in his demeanor, before rage boiled in his eyes and he snarled. "Empty words, wizard! I am protected from magic, a Death Curse will do nothing!" Lara shifted on top of Harry with a sharp intake of breath.
"They will eat you alive," Harry declared. Even if Tania didn't, his hold on the others was weakening.
The old vampire scoffed. "They would not dare!" His words rang hollow, given Tania just did dare. Not to mention all the other things out there that would jump at his weakness.
Lord Raith crouched down so Harry could see the gloating, triumphant smile stretched across his silvery features. The old monster did not dare look him in the eye.
"I. Own. Them."
"You Do Not."
The voice was quiet, but carried through the suddenly still cavern. The soft thumps of footsteps heralded the entrance of someone unexpected.
Harry blinked, angling his head towards the newcomer, even as Lara kept him in place.
Was that…Michael?!
There was a moment of confused silence.
Lara twisted around sharply to stare at the interloper, allowing Harry to see the Fist of God stride into the heart of Raith territory like it was a casual stroll through his own backyard.
Harry frowned. On second glance, Michael was dressed in work clothes, not his armor, and Amoracchius was nowhere to be seen. Not that Harry wasn't happy to see his most dependable friend, but he felt the cold grip of fear crawling up his throat, unsure what Michael was trying to do coming unarmed.
Lord Raith laughed uproariously. "This was your plan, wizard?" Apparently he was equally clueless about what Michael was trying to do. "You have no business here, Knight," the old vampire scoffed, "there are no Denarians here. If you leave now, I might be generous enough to spare you."
Michael ignored the White King, instead meeting Harry's eyes around Lara's torso, fatherly concern, quiet resolve, and an edge of solemn chastisement flickering in his gaze.
Harry felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't taken up the coin, but in a way, Lord Raith was wrong. Michael wasn't here to smite him, was he? Otherwise he would have brought the sword…
"Oh, but you must have known that, mortal," the old vampire spat, all trace of congeniality gone from his voice, "why else would you have neglected to bring the Sword? You know you have no power here." There wasn't much that his kind hated more than being ignored.
The Knight of Love glanced up at the White King, regarding him almost as an afterthought. There was a flicker of amusement in Michael's cool blue eyes, before they hardened.
"Let. Them. Go."
Michael spoke softly. And yet, the words reached every corner of the Raith Deeps.
It was more than just wind; there was a weight to them that Harry couldn't really describe, and he found himself dumbstruck, part of him boggling at a mostly normal human so confidently making a demand of a vampire lord, another part almost convinced that Lord Raith would actually acquiesce.
"You dare make demands of me?!" the White King boomed, his face a rictus of rage. He pointed a finger at Michael. "Kill him!"
Harry flinched, afraid for his unarmed friend–
No one moved. Michael stood undaunted.
Harry blinked, eyes darting between the Raith sisters still conscious.
Lara was stiff, her glowing marble flesh making it evident her Hunger was still very much aroused, but her eyes were no longer dull, instead darting around the room wildly, before finally settling on her father, a predatory gleam growing in those silvery orbs.
"Go fuck yourself, old man."
Lord Raith's head snapped around in shock.
Elisa blinked, surprised at her own words. Then realization swept over her face and a vicious glint flashed in her eyes.
"How dare you defy me!" the old vampire snarled, striding menacingly towards his suddenly defiant daughter. "I am the King–!"
He flinched as something struck him in the face. Harry blinked as a white piece of stone cut a line across Lord Raith's cheek.
Droplets of pink blood pooled around the cut, which did not immediately heal.
Harry's eyes flicked to the side, where Inari and her friend seemed to have been shaken awake. Did one of them throw the rock?
There was a beat of silence, broken by a thump and the skittering of rubble as Tania threw the remains of the throne off of her and sprang to her feet, a beautifully manic grin spreading over her face. Natalia stumbled to her feet a moment later, visceral hunger twisting her face.
Lord Raith's bravado only wavered for an instant, but that was enough.
The bracelet on Harry's wrist burned, snapping his attention away from the pure lust radiating off of the Hungry vampires as they circled their weakened patriarch. Even Thomas left Murphy, sensing bigger prey.
While her sisters eyed their sire like a piece of meat, Tania's gleaming eyes locked onto Harry's, shining with triumph and burning with barely restrained desire. Her breaths came in heaves, and Harry's position gave him quite the view, as her battered jacket did little to hide the shape of her bouncing chest. Harry glanced up as quickly as he could, only to see Tania's eyes shining with amusement.
Stars and Stones…her sisters really had nothing on her.
Almost preening under his gaze, Tania eyed her vampiric sisters. Their Hungers flared, but Harry found he could barely focus on anything but Tania. Distantly, he noticed Elisa and Natalia seem to back off, while Tania and Lara shared a meaningful look. There was something there, but Harry was far too distracted to figure it out right now.
Whatever it meant, Lara stood, stalking towards her father, her cowed demeanor falling away as her clothes did. That left Harry free, but he hardly registered that, attention still locked on Tania's starlight eyes (and definitely not the other beautiful parts of her).
"What are you doing?!" the old monster barked, his control finally slipping. Harry would have laughed, if he had any breath to.
"Succeeding you, Father." Lara pounced.
Thomas and Elisa followed suit, and the weakened old man was cast down among the remnants of his throne. Natalia was not far behind. Even Felicia weakly scrambled towards him, leaving a trail of pink blood and gore behind her. His children had drained much of their reserves too, but they could feed, and Lord Raith could not.
"Harry," Michael's call broke Harry out of his shocked stupor at the reversal and he scrambled up into a sitting position, blinking up at the older man, pointedly not looking behind him no matter the sounds he could hear. "Are you alright?"
"What was that?" Harry gasped, his remaining strength seeming to leave him now that he was out of immediate danger.
Michael smiled, glancing up slightly, before nodding and turning towards Inari. A pair of familiar arms snaked around Harry from behind and Tania helped him stand to his feet, pressing herself against his back in a really distracting way.
"Are you ok–?" Tania shoved another metal strip into his mouth and closed his jaw around it, elegant fingers lightly cupping his face. He felt energy jolt through him, but all that really did was give his body enough strength to break out into shivers as he came down from the adrenaline. Tania kept him steady.
"Pops?" Inari looked up at Michael, curling in on herself, looking absolutely miserable.
"Inari," Michael knelt down in front of her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get you out of here. He will not hurt you anymore."
Inari hugged one of her knees, looking down at the floor and rocking herself back and forth, her other leg laying limply on the ground. "But…I…" she shuddered, burying her face into arms. "I almost killed Charles!"
Michael squeezed her shoulder. "But you did not."
"We should probably leave," Tania interjected, trying to get her twin to focus.
"Not gonna take your pound of flesh from dear old daddy?" Harry snarked, feeling the shakes receding. He didn't stand on his own quite yet.
Tania snorted, her breath and loose hair tickling his ear and neck. "I already have," she purred, before shifting Harry fully upright, offering him staff with one hand, while pressing him against her more firmly than strictly necessary with the other. "Can you stand?"
Harry pulled away from her, a bit reluctantly. "Yeah." It was nice, but they had other things they needed to do.
He turned, searching for Murphy, doing his best to avoid looking at whatever freaky incestuous things were happening around the broken throne. His bracelet helped, but even not being the target of the Hungry Raiths, he was having a hard time not thinking about the things Tania could do to him–
Karrin was over by where Thomas had been chained. She had partly picked herself up off the ground, but was now staring blankly towards the pile of vampires. Her jacket was open and her shirt was torn.
Crap.
Harry hurried over to her, using his staff a bit like a crutch. The life energy batteries were keeping him going for now, but he had taken enough hits today that he knew he was going to crash hard.
"Murph, come on, we need to get out of here." He shook her shoulder, but she didn't respond.
Hell's Bells, Thomas and the ex-Lord Raith must have shook her up bad.
Harry hauled her to her feet, turning away from the very distracting noises. Karrin blinked and started, swaying on her feet in a daze. "Harry?" she whispered questioningly.
"Let's get out of here," Harry encouraged softly, pulling on her shoulder and dragging her towards the cave entrance. It seemed very wrong to see Murph so pliable, but it at least made it easier to get her to safety.
Inari tried to stand, but her leg collapsed from under her, sending her falling into Michael's chest, where she started sobbing uncontrollably. "It hurts!" she gasped.
"Let's get you to a doctor," Michael assured her, helping her stand. As he pulled her up, Inari caught a glimpse of what her family was doing.
Harry watched as horror and disgust twisted her features, before she buried her face into Michael's shoulder with an anguished cry.
Tania went to her twin, wrapping her in a hug from behind and holding a bloodied nail near Inari's face. "Here, bite this."
Inari turned her head towards her twin, eyes flicking down towards the nail, before looking back up at Tania questioningly.
Michael nodded, and Inari tentatively bit down on the nail. Her eyes flickered silver, before her face tightened in pain as her leg twitched and reset, a keening wail bursting from her chest, muffled by Micheal's shirt.
The sound snapped Murphy out of her fugue. And her gaze snapped up towards Inari, who slumped against Michael, shivering in pain and shock at what had just happened.
"Is she ok?" Karrin whispered. Harry wasn't sure how to answer.
"I don't know."
The silver in Inari's eyes faded, and she looked nervously at her twin. "What's gonna happen now?" she asked hesitantly.
"We'll get you out of here," Tania murmured soothingly.
"Harry, Karrin, do you need help?" Michael asked quietly, looking over the two of them as they approached. "You are injured, and she is injured in spirit."
"We're good enough to walk," Harry replied. "Enough to get out of here." He glanced over his shoulder. The sight of the Raith dogpile was both disturbingly alluring and incredibly revolting, but at least Thomas seemed to be fine…physically.
It was disturbing to see his brother like this. Harry didn't think he'd ever be the same, but that wasn't a fight he could help with right now.
Michael frowned, before nodding. "I see. Come on, let's get you all home."
Inari mumbled an assent into his shoulder, before stiffening. "Wait, what about Charlie?" She slipped out of Michael's arms, her legs still unsteady, but she managed to stand on her own.
Her friend was laid out on the floor unmoving.
"Charles!" Inari rushed over, almost collapsing on him. Tania's eyes widened and Harry cursed–
"Huh? Wha!" Charles startled awake, eyes blinking blearily. Inari burst into relieved tears, causing her friend to jerk up in concern. "What's wrong?!"
Inari let out a choked sob and snatched her friend up into a hug. "You dummy! There are better places to sleep than on the ground."
A flash of confusion passed over the young man's face and he patted Inari on the back reassuringly, before squinting at Harry over her shoulder. "Anyone know where my glasses are?"
"Ah," Tania bent down and retrieved the spectacles in question. "Here they are." She stepped over to her twin and her friend and handed him his eyesight back.
"Thanks!" Charles put on his glasses, then froze upon seeing the Raith pile Harry was pointedly not looking at. "...What the fuck?"
"Language!" Inari cut in chidingly, before breaking into hysterical giggles. "But makes perfect sense."
"Can someone explain this to me?" Charles continued blankly, staring unbelievingly at the scene, still patting Inari gently on the back. "Uh…maybe somewhere not here?"
"Yes…" Tania agreed, glancing over shoulder with a twinge of disgust. "That would be wise."
And so they left, Michael helped Inari and Charles to their feet, and the pair stumbled out of the cave, leaning on each other for support. Murphy seemed to have mostly snapped out of her fugue, but now she just looked like she was about to be sick.
As the rest of the group exited the cavern, Tania paused, before turning around and removing her jacket and what was left of her shredded blouse.
For a moment, Harry almost thought she would join her other siblings, but she instead draped her jacket over one arm, bent down, and wrapped Hayek's remains in what was left of her blouse.
She straightened and turned, her silky hair and still luminescent alabaster flesh moving in a sinuous, almost otherworldly motion, the only thing keeping her modesty a torn sports bra. Her shimmering eyes glanced up, sadness rippling through the glimmering pools, and Harry found his mouth was dry.
Tania was beating herself up again.
Harry walked over to her and slid an arm around her in a comforting gesture. She shivered at his touch and leaned into him, letting him walk her out of the cave, cradling what was left of her small, spikey friend in her arms.
"I think he knew exactly what he was doing," Harry murmured in Tania's ear. The little guy always seemed smarter than the average hedgehog.
She frowned, but said nothing, instead leaning her head on his shoulder, her velvety hair tickling his neck as she tried to get the irrationality out of her system.
They had done it.
AN. Thanks to @Sunny @Darath @Half_Baked_Cat, Zulie the Lich, Vista of the Burning Heavens, @Abhorsen @ScarletFox and various other people who helped proofread this chapter.
Hooray for Valentine's Day
- Location
- Leeds
Harry try not to be horny in appropriate situations: Difficulty Impossible.
Don't blame this on cavemen.
Apparently so does Incest.
E: Now that we have established that Love > Evil. And also Incest > Evil. The next logical test is to see if Incest can conquer Love, thus allowing us to establish a hierarchy.
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I take it back, you are not overly cruel at all. You ended without a cliffhanger this time.
Evil also wielded Incest
- Location
- Leeds
So are we to conclude that Incest is on the Neutral alignment?
But is it lawful, chaotic or True Neutral?
Pretty sure it would be against the law in most countries
- Location
- Argentina
Anyway, that spiky dude is getting into some form of heaven.
- Location
- Canada
Quick note: Greater > Lesser (it can be remembered by the wider side of the 'arrow' being larger than the smaller pointy side). At least I assume those signs above are ment to be the other way around?
- Location
- Leeds
Shit, crocodile eats the bigger one. You're correct. I never get that right the first time.
Winged One
Not the Simurgh
- Location
- definitely the ground
- Pronouns
- They/Them/It
Legit would not be surprised to see him as a team mascot for some Einherjars when they show up. Though they'd have to teach him how to use a tiny glock.
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- Location
- Somewhere
This made me grin
Now I'm hearing this with them re-grouping after all of that chaos and tension lol
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbMVTF4Wfdc
- Location
- Piney Woods
Something that I've been thinking about after a reread:
What has happened with Harry's dreams? Back in the OTL Leah protected Harry and his dreams on the Nevernever side of things. The mirror of his home was basically a beautiful place inhabited by a terrible monster that only attacked you if you stepped on it and got stronger the more you fought it. (hint hint). Now he has moved and he did it probably when Leah was bound by Mab and treated for Nemesis infection. That give us two questions: what the heck has Mab done on the other side to protect Harry (because she must carry out Leah's responsibilities) and what will the NN mirror of Harry and Tania's home look like?
From the DeRossi perspective it looks like Tania got away from Papa Wraith and went to them to basically get adopted/protected. All while asking Cleph to keep the secret the fact that she had become a full Wampire. From Lara's perspective at the end of this book it looks the same but now she is having to wonder how much of this coup' is Tania, Harry, and Cleph(+Eb). Because of course one of them is manipulating the others (in her mind).
Will probably crosspost this on SB when the thread opens back up.
What has happened with Harry's dreams? Back in the OTL Leah protected Harry and his dreams on the Nevernever side of things. The mirror of his home was basically a beautiful place inhabited by a terrible monster that only attacked you if you stepped on it and got stronger the more you fought it. (hint hint). Now he has moved and he did it probably when Leah was bound by Mab and treated for Nemesis infection. That give us two questions: what the heck has Mab done on the other side to protect Harry (because she must carry out Leah's responsibilities) and what will the NN mirror of Harry and Tania's home look like?
From the DeRossi perspective it looks like Tania got away from Papa Wraith and went to them to basically get adopted/protected. All while asking Cleph to keep the secret the fact that she had become a full Wampire. From Lara's perspective at the end of this book it looks the same but now she is having to wonder how much of this coup' is Tania, Harry, and Cleph(+Eb). Because of course one of them is manipulating the others (in her mind).
Will probably crosspost this on SB when the thread opens back up.
- Location
- United States
Oh right, I was wondering why you didn't post this there, lol.
- Location
- Argentina
I think they don't have mirrors and basically groom each other? Tanya is too paranoid about any nasty things that could use the mirror and Harry probably didn't pack it with his things as he was busy with the coin.
'Mirror' as in 'counterpart', not 'reflective surface'.
- Location
- Argentina
I think that with Tanya's money, Dresden raw power and Bob knowledge, they warded their house as much as they could. It may not have the protection of the Carpenters House but it probably comes darn close so it would be harder to sneak inside Harry's dreams now.
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- Location
- United States
Well, unless you're Lash, Tania, or Elaine.