Twisted Masquerade (worm/twilight)

[Hoyden]

an; I looked, and could no find any Twilight/Worm crossovers. Needless to say I don't own either setting, and as this story might show, that might be a good thing.

Twisted Masquerade

~~~~​

A deep rumble rattled her awake, the glass vibrating at the higher pitch than the deep bassy rumble that was penetrating the single glazed pane.

She rolled to put her back towards the window in a childish attempt to escape back into the land of nod, but alas, the combination of low deep tones from the truck outside, and the higher, off beat rattle of her window conspired to prevent such a simple escape.

She swung her arm out, catching the fabric pulling double duty as insulation from the elements, as well as the oft broken streetlight just outside her window.

Light spilled from the gap she had opened in her fortress of darkness and warmth, a chill spread rapidly from the tiny opening in her defences.

.... She sighed, what was the point, Mom, Emma... She had no one to share her meandering thoughts with anymore, and she be damned before she allowed any of those bitches at school to steal her beloved early morning muses.

Danny's heavy footsteps tumbled down the stairs, uncoordinated and loud, light a herd of elephants that had tripped over their own trunks.

Taylor pulled herself upright, one arm clutching her blankets to her chest, the other gripping the icy cold windowsill for leverage.

The rumbling that had been steadily growing louder suddenly cut off, her shaking window winding down from it's frantic tone to a more sedate, wind influenced bumping.

She blinked, releasing her blankets to rub her eyes in honest disbelief.

Who the heck moves over Christmas?

~~~~​

Pain roused her from her slumber, a dull ache in her neck and shoulders, almost unnoticed past the sharp throbbing of her forehead.

She turned to look at her Dad, a slight grin on his face poorly hidden at her sour expression.

'Have a nice nap Bells'

'Are we there yet' She grumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes, yuck. She felt guilty for leaving the final leg of the drive to Charlie, but she was too young to drive the rental van.

She'd still offered, and Charlie had overlooked her stealing the drivers seat after they got gas... Sometimes.. But he'd become more, more straight laced the closer they got to the city.

She suppressed a wistful sigh, she already missed her truck, her very first car, she hadn't even had it a full year. Sure it was slow, and the red 'paint' might have been more rust than lacquer. But it had been hers, a surprise gift from Charlie to go with her surprise moving in with him.

Now it was someone else's truck, no, if she was being realistic it was probably a set of spare parts at best, scrap metal at worst. Jake had promised to sell it on and send her whatever he could make off it.

Rosalie would have... Her chest felt like a heavy weight had been put upon it, grief battled anger and once again anger won out. They had left her, cast her aside, all their talk about turning her into a cape forgotten. She'd felt so foolish after they had gone, she'd actually looked up how cape got their powers.

Biting, blood, saliva, 'Venom', none of it was how Parahumans really got their powers, no, from what few bits of information she found never really spelled it out. But she half remembered a quote, buried in a article from the 90's..
'...It's like your family all died, and you just got told you have mega cancer and you've lost your job and then bam, suddenly you can fly, but you've still got cancer...'

'So, what do you think?'

Charlie probed gently, looking past her to the house they had parked in front of, a bright red SOLD sign sat overtop a sunbleached FOR SALE board.

'Bit cliche, but it does get the message across' She kept her tone as level as she could, mimicking some forgettable movie reviewer, or maybe a slightly stuffy teacher.

She held her laughter in only long enough to finish her sentence, her laughter setting her Dad off, it wasn't that funny, but it felt good to laugh.

Chuckling slightly they looked at their new home.

'Come on Bells, this lot isn't going to unload itself.'

'Tis this most magical time of the year, apparently, anything could happen, you never know.'

'Better to never know than never unpack'

It was slightly stilted, but father and daughter set about unpacking, laughing and joking as if the last seven months were far more distant.

Moving to Brockton Bay was looking good for the Swans. A new start, a new school, a no more crazy 'Vampire' capes anywhere in sight.

 

[Hoyden]

Twisted Masquerade

~~~~
​

The house was filled with laughter, laughter and suffering most dire. Four bodies squeazed onto a couch designed for two and a half, three faces peered over the object of terror for the forth.

'Daaaad, noooooooo!'

Taylor battled valiantly, but it was all for nought as the vile monster pretending to be her father turned the page once more. Her face burned as he began spinning a wild tale based on the book before him.

From it's pages a smaller Taylor was grinning outwards to the viewer, colourful sticking plasters dotted her face, and her grin was more gap than tooth. One of the tiny Taylor's arms was covered from palm to elbow in a thick white cast, dozens of messy signatures covered the supportive material.

'..and then she said...'

"Don't worry Mom, I'll do better next time"

She groaned long with the obviously misremembered quote from her younger self.

Mr Swan, Charlie, was chuckling along to the obviously tall tale. Bella, his daughter was grinning as she glanced between the book of lies and Taylor's glowing red face.

Strangely, it felt good, almost like having Emma back, or... She glanced towards the kitchen, a dull ache in her chest. It felt so much like christmas, before... From before, friends gathering round, sharing embarrasing stories about each other, Dad pulling out old photos, Mom in and out of the kitchen.
'Defying preconceptions about feminists'

Charlie was knee deep into a tale of Bella's childhood, no doubt it would be as horibly distorted as Danny had made her own misadventures in flight had been.

'.. and Jacobs cousin shrieked, "I don't wanna be a lesbanim!" and...'

The trio had finally backed off, or simply gotten bored, and her grades were steadily improving, and she had the whole winter break away from Winslow.

But it still had been off, the house too quiet, too empty... She might complain bitterly about being woken at such an aweful hour, at manual labour being foisted upon her.

But a bigger part of her swelled with joy as her Dad called her an honoury Dockworker after she stubbed her toe. Trading nonsensical 'Insults' with her Dad, as they helped the Swans unload the rental van.

Who knew that heavy lifting would cheer her up so much.

~~~~~~
​

Her breath steamed slightly in the frosty air as she huffed a box marked MISC out of the back of the moving truck, a dozen more similarly marked boxes sat waiting to be unloaded.

She blinked, peering overtop the box she was struggling to lift. No, she hadn't been seeing thins, every box she could see had the same MISC written on the side, some augmented it with STUFF, and THINGS, but they where equally descriptive on their contents.

'Ch... Dad! I think we've got a problem..'

She rested the box on the lip of the truck and waved a hand over the non-descriptive label. Swinging her arm to encompass the rest of the van's cargo area.

The world span slightly as she shifted her footing, the grippy road surface giving way to frictionless ice. A single thought spilled through her mind.

This is how I die?

'Not today kiddo'

Strong warm hands hoisted her up by her armpits, a steadying handon her shoulder remained only until she'd caught her footing properly.

Charlie had a small grin plastered on her face, nearly hidden by his mustache. She shot him an unamused glare, she could have died and all he does is grin. The small grin expanded and he started to chuckle lightly.

"Sorry Bells' He looked anything but. 'You might have had a nasty bump, but I'm pretty sure you'd have survived'

She turned to her saviour, away from her father. He towered over her, thick glasses and a head of hair that was in full retreat against some unseen foe. Limbs that looked more like they belonged to a teenager going through a growth spurt than a middle aged man.

If she wanted to describe him in one work it would be Stretched, or maybe Lanky.

'umm, Hi.' She waved a little, feeling more like a little kid than the near adult she was.

Charlie swooped in to the rescue.

'Charlie Swan, and the young lady whos life you heroically saved, my daughter Bella'

Or he was just using it as an excuse to tease her some more about her unintentional comment.

'Daaad'

She protested, a slight twist in her tone that was definatly a more childish whine.

'Danny Hebert, and the blanket bug watching from the door is Taylor.'

Sure enough a face was watching from the doorway of the house next door to Charlie's new home, a tall frame hidden underneath a fluffy looking comforter, glasses slightly askew over wide lips, a messy wave of dark hair escaping the makeshift hood her blanket formed.

They waved at each other, and shared an eyeroll at their chuckling fathers.

'Taylor'

'Isabella, but everyone calls me Bella'

'...'

'Is he always like this'

'N...Ye... He used to be... Before mom died...'

They sat on the steps upto the porch, awkward conversation, a sort of almost hug, it was felt sort of weird at first, and it took fa too long to place why. Taylor was warm, her breath misting in the air, her glasses slightly fogging up at the bottom.

She'd grown so used to cuddling upto what might as well have been statues, icy cold and unyeilding as stone. Her own breath being the only one to mist the air with fog. She shuddered slightly.

'Bella' 'Taylor'

And the somewhat somber moment ended as they both chivied into lifting and carrying boxes, Taylor in flannel pyjamas paired with dusty looking steel toed boots.

The mood had lightened as they bemoaned disorginised fathers, loudly, and in turn suffered... uggg, Dad jokes.

But, it was nice. She hadn't even unpacked and it felt like she had a friend already. Who knew heavy lifting would cheer her up so much.

 

[Hoyden]

Twisted Masquerade

~~~~
​

'Are they... Flirting..?'
'I.. I think so..?'
'I always thought it would feel weird but it's just..'
'..sort of cute'
'..Yeah'

~~~~
​

The sun had long finished it's journey across the sky, Charlie and Danny had both hit it off right away. Everyone was happy and getting along, so of course the universe had to step in to ruin everyone's good mood.

'Damn, it must had been leaking the whole way.'

It, being one corner of the moving truck the Swans had rented. It wasn't a big leak, more like a small finger sized hole, but it had gotten into Bella's bedding, her matress, sheets and blankets, all tucked away together for ease of reasembly into a bed, all rather damp and already going moldy.

'..get rid of the matress, but everything else should be ok after a run through the laundry..'

Danny and Charlie were well into their cups, and practically no where would be open to get a replacement at this hour. The solution was simple.

Movie night, a miniature welcome to the neighbourhood party. Maybe a housewarming, but they agreed it didn't really count, on account of it swiftly moving to the Hebert residence as most of the Swan household was still mostly packed away in MISC boxes, and the occasional MICS box.

Though a token attempt to cook at the Swan house turned into a very strange, and cold Barbarque, well the weather was cold, the food was pretty good, even if they didn't have buns for the burgers, or rolls for the hot dogs that had been lurking in the Hebert freazer.

~~~~​

"They mostly come out at night... Mostly.."

Christmas broadcasting got a little weird late at night, though it was closer to sunrise than sunset. Taylor had built a nest of blankets and pillows at the foot of the couch, her eyes glued to the action horror romp on screen before her. She'd not had a chance to really watch anything like it before, and was enjoying the subtle aknowlegement that she was adult enough not to be sent to bed.

Bella on the other hand was flinching and squeaking at the action on screen, a steady stream of 'no, no no no no, not that way....' leaking from her lips as the characters made classic horror movie mistakes.

She had somehow gone from the single blanket she'd been offered, to practically sitting in Taylor's lap, she'd even somehow aquired one of her arms and was almost hiding behind the younger girl as the Marines numbers rapidly dropped.

~~~~
​

A soft metalic scraping drew her like an anchor from the depths, a heavy weight wrapped around her arm, the heavily rusted steel shutters playing pretend at being eyelids creaked open after monumental effort.

Ugggh, mouth hair, a gentle tug loosend the dark and slightly damp mass from where it was caught in her teeth. Bleh. She tucked the errant strand behind her ear and glanced to the snickering from the doorway.

Danny stood in the doorway, half hanging off a mustachoed man, or rather they were proping each other up as they failed to hold in an overabundence of mirth.

Ahh, Charlie, and so that makes the limpet upon her hull Bella, She sounded her fog horn to alert nearby ships to her presence. Her jaw stretching wide as she continued the transition from mighty steal hulled vessel to simple flesh, blood and bone.

She blamed reading too much for her overactive imagination, and thus her sometmes very odd dreams.

''G'mornin' She mumbled, wondering what hd set both of the supposidly responsible adults off. The limpet at her side finally roused as the parental gigglemonster continued it's rampage through the peaceful land of nod.

A slight tugging at her hair finally gave her the clue she needed to unlock the mysterious laughing adults. She glanced down at Bella, who had just finished spitting some of Taylor's hair out of her mouth... And tucking it behind her ear... Dread rose up in her chest, as she lifted a hand to her own skull, and traced a lock of hair looping up from the shorter, yet older girl that was still half cuddling her arm.

Bella, somewhat quicker on the uptake glanced up at Taylor, and then back to the now collapsed gigglemonster, now more gigglepuddle.

'Daaaad' They echo'ed at the now outright laughing "grown ups"

~~~~
​

She dreamed of Edward, his cold hard skin slipping from her fingers has he pried her off him. The meadow, so lovely in full daylight, looked more like a scene from a horror movie. No where to run, surrounded by a treeline that could be hiding anything and anyone.

Her arms wrapped around one of his as she clung to her only way safely home, her feet as bare in the dream as they had been in reality. It was foolish, she could never hope to keep a hold of him.

He cut her heart to ribbons with his words again, calling her a puppy, a toy to be discarded when they were done with it.

But she held on, held on even as he ran, and ran and ran. Held on as he turned into a rubber ducky, held on as a salesman offered her a plate of cheese. As a used car salesman offered her a worm that twisted in seven dimensional space and a pink elephant marched past, giggling.

A ladybird landed on the duck-edward's head and whispered. 'G'mornin' before everything faded away. But she kept holding onto Edwards arm, even if he was a rubber ducky.

~~~~
​

The giggling elephant was still giggling, as she pulled herself awake, bleh, had she been chewing on her hair again. She absently tucked the damp strand behind her ear, she'd need a shower anyway.

The giggling was growing louder, and she drew her sleep addled gaze to Charlie and... Danny? Ahh the sleepover movie night thing... Something twigged at her mind, as she looked at the warm body she was cuddled up next to. A long lock of hair looping up from her head, and behind Taylor's ear, and a look of dawning horror from the younger girl was all she needed to confirm her suspision.

'Daaaad' She groaned at her father, who was taking far too much joy in her suffering.

 

[Hoyden]

A change is as good as a holiday, so what happens if there is a change over a holiday, does the effects stack, or cancel each other out, or?

Taylor had somehow found her life flipped upside down in less than week, something had changed Danny back into Dad, something that ryhmed with.... damnit...

'Something that ryhms with Swan... Something sort of positive.. I think'

'Taylor, your internal monolog is leaking....'

'oops?'

~~~~
​

Danny had been called into work shortly after the great hair incident, a cape fight had torn up several buildings, which had collapsed into the street. Clearing rubble might not be traditional dockworker fare, but with the shipping channel blocked and the docks practically abandoned, at least it was some paying work. Disturbingly steady work at that.

Somehow Taylor had ended up directing the Swans to a furniture outlet store, stuffed in the moving truck's cab between Bella and Charlie. A bundle of freshly washed hair, stuffed inside a rolled up knitted balaclava, and zipped up tightly in a slightly oversived coat. Both of which her father had mysteriously lost many years ago. No of course she had no idea how they ended up in her wardrobe, why do you ask?

'Taylor..?'

'oh hmm, left here'

'And the no left turn sign?'

'ahhh, ummm.... ignore it?'

Charlie snorted, chuckling at her sterling wit. She basked in the attention, and most asuridly did not blush at all.

Bella, sat between her and the door stared for a moment, overawed by her intelligence, before grinning at her quick and observant..

'...and from here?'

'Oh, three blocks over that way... I think'

'...'

'Or was it this way...'

~~~~
​

Bella buried her head in her hands as Taylor came out of the Hebert house, freshly washed hair stuffed under a lumpy knit hat. A green finger of wool poking out from the fold.

An oversized coat hung off her shoulders, and had probably seen better days, but it looked warm enough for the chill that hung in the air.

Practically everything about Taylor's outfit was adorkable. Or that could have been just how she viewed Taylor colouring her perception, she'd started out a little quiet, but as soon as she discovered a shared love for reading. Well she felt like she had a better understanding of the term Chatterbox now.

It was kind of nice, not being the focus of a group of va... Crazy capes, of having a conversation that wasn't about deep and dangerous things. It was normal. Well normal'ish, Taylor had a... Weird sense of humor. She'd giggled during Aliens, and Bella still couldn't quite work out why.

Or what it had to do with Jazz Hands.

It felt like in no time at all they had become friends, though it also took no time at all for them to become ever so slightly lost whilst driving around looking for the furniture store.

'Are we there yet'

She snorted back a laugh at the exaggerated tone.

'Nearly Mr Swan, five more minutes'

She wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, struggling to keep her amusement silent, as Taylor and Charlie started mock arguing like kid and parent, with Charlie taking the role of annoying kid.

It had been rushed, and maybe a little extreme, going from one side of the country to the opposite, but... Right at that moment, she regreted nothing.

~~~~
​

Brockton Bay, no greater hiver of scum and villany exsisted anywhere in north america, save possibly Washington.

'Hey'

DC, Taylor was sure she'd know if her new neighbours were secretly evil cultists or something. Unless, that's what they wanted her to think.

She stealthily glanced at Bella, but was caught in her dread gaze almost instantly. She felt her feas abating... no, she had to resist, somehow had to warn the Protectorate, the President, Pete the paperboy.

The battle of wills was an epic struggle, but Bella's evil was too strong, and soon Taylor felt her traitorous lips curl upwards.

'nooooooooo'

Bella's expression twisted into an amused grin, obviously pleased her evil powers of evil had corrupted such pure innocence.

'Pure innocence? Really?'

Charlie chuckled as he offered to buy them Waffles for lunch. The cunning fiend, how had he discovered her weakness so soon.

'YES!.. Please Mr Charlie'

Taylor demurely accepted the subtle bribe, sealing her fate with the promise of waffly rewards.

'Sure dad, sounds good'

'Taylor, do you want to call Danny, and see if he wants anything picking up'

'Ahh, I... don't have a phone....'

'Here, use mine'

The words echoed to each side of Taylor as Father and Daughter both reached for the dread devices.

'No! look out!'

 

[Hoyden]

Twisted Masquerade

~~~~​

They sat, the chairs were uncomfortable, and the smell of disinfectants filled the air. Worried eyes glanced about, searching for comfort as they waited fo news.

She stared down at her hands, they still felt sticky, tacky, even though she had washed them twice already.

'I need... I'm going... Restroom'

She mumbled out after too many pauses, too many false starts. A soft hand touched her own unclean hand. Silent support offered, and with a gentle squeeze accepted.

'Swan? Swan family?'

Her heart stuttered, as Bella stood and made her way over to the woman in nurse scrubs. Taylor followed alongside, her unclean feeling fingers forgotten.

'The surgery went quite well, and we've patched up your dog. I'm sorry, but we couldn't save the eye. But she is breathing freely and her leg was a clean break and should heal well given time'

Colour seeped back into the world at the vetenary nurse gave them the good news. Mostly good news she corrected herself, the poor dog they had hit was far too thin, and her fur was a matted unwashed mess. A stray, a young stray, likely intended as a Christmas gift, one that had quickly outgrown the small young puppy phase, and had been discarded as no longer being cute enough.

Or maybe she had run away, been out for her very first walkies and chased a rabbit, or a Squirel... Maybe a pigeon. What did dogs chase in cities, well other than cars?

'Rats?'

'Bellaaaaa'

Her horrible friend who made horrible suggestions that were horrible, wrapped a horrible arm around her shoulders, Taylor leaned into the horr... ok....Fine, nice, the nice one armed hug as Bella paid the bill.

'That's... Can you really...'

'It's ok Taylor, I've got this'

~~~~
​

She hid a slight wince at the bill, her second car might well end up being as old as her first vehical. Maybe older. But than Taylor smiled, yeah it might not be the traditional way to adopt a dog, but it felt worth it.

And the Cu... They had never seemed to like dogs very much, or cats, maybe it made them hungry. She nearly smirked at that, they'd all refused to let her see them eat.. Well, she'd seen them "eat" at a dinner table, but had been told that they were just pretending to eat.

God, she felt so stupid just thinking about all the things she'd been told, things she'd just accepted without anywhere near half the rational thought she should have had.

She could almost hear them laughing at their little prank on her, cruel and dangerous as it had turned out in the end.

Leaving her in a meadow, barefoot, in winter.

She hugged Taylor tighter, feeling her warmth even through her winter coat.

'What are we going to call her, we can't jsut keep calling her Dog, or doggy, well we could but she needs a name, a brave name, an awesome name like like... Kerberos, or'

'Cthulhu?'

'Wha? No, no stealing my hat!'

'okay okay, Pirate, she's missing an eye already'

'Bellaaa, don't be a meanie.. Oooh, Rex?'

'Isn't that a boy dog name, and more importantly, why?'

'Well duh, she's king, well queen of the blind'

'... Taylor, you're a weirdo'

~~~~​

Danny stared at the wicker basket that had appeared in the living room, a mixture of his and his daughter's old shirts layered with unfamliar, but equally worn looking cloth made from a comfortable looking bed.

A brown furry nose poked out from underneath a Rainbow band T-shirt that he had coveted, but never owned. The nose twitched and snuffled in a sleepy looking manner, a muffled, slightly squeaky wuff leaked out.

He glanced at his watch, five hours... He'd only been gone five hours...

The overly adoreable muffled wuffs distracted him again, and drew his attention to the white cast sticking out slightly awkwardly from the wickerwork bed.

'Taylor, why do we have a dog bed in the living room?'

He asked, his mind flashing back to a simmilar conversation he'd had six years ago.

'Cause I don't want Lizzy peeing on my bed?'

'Lizzy?'

'Elizebeth, queen of dogs'

'Ahh, okay'

Coffee, he needed coffee. It had been many months, years even, but he remembered coffee helping to deal with his daughter's... Taylor'ish-nesses...

The now named Lizzy wuffled louder.

Coffee... Lots of coffee.

 

[Hoyden]

The Kitchen table sat overful, random knicknacks that had somehow gotten themselves bundled into the same boxes as cookware and cuttlery littered it's surface. A gun cleaning kit, three sets of screwdrivers and the TV remote where the least odd of the lot.

Though how the TV remote ended up in the kitchen box would likely remain a mystery, at least Bella could almost see a chain of events that led to it's inclusion. The bedsheet, less so.

With a shrug Bella hauled the sheet and toothpaste out of the box and froze, sweat started beading her brow and her hands felt clammy. No, she was sure she'd... Charlie would never....

A soft voice whispered, a false voice that felt so real.

Don't be stupid Bella.

It was like a knife through her chest, it hurt, she knew it wasn't real. But it hurt so much she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Don't be stupid Bella.

Her fist shook, the offending cloth clenched tightly in her fist, and a haze covered her thoughts. No!

She stomped into the living room, the plastic clatter behind her barely registering as she marched to the feature fireplace.

Don't be stupid Bella.

No!

She wasn't seeing the living room anymore, instead she was back in Forks, being manuvered to the passenger side of her own car.
She was shopping with her normal friends, when a polished silver car pulled up beside her.
Being told what to do, where to go, practically what to think.

Orange flickering broke her mood as the lump of cloth caught alight.

'yowch'

Bella tossed the burning bundle into the fireplace and suddenly a weight she didn't know she had been holding seamed to lift from her chest.

She glanced at the mostly unpacked living room, and resisted the temptation to sit and watch. If she didn't watch then she couldn't change her mind.

'Knowing my luck, I'd just end up bruning the house down trying to put it out'

Besides, she had a bed to assemble, and a wardrobe to unpack and fold.

~~~~​

'So not our dog?'

'Sorta, well if you want to be technical it's Bella's dog, but Lizzy is totally our dog really'

'So it is our dog?'

'No, it's our dog, errr. Our me and Bella not you and me our. Did that make sense, I think it makes sense but it doesn't sound right, does it?'

Taylor watched Dad's face twist in confusion, before a wry smile spread over his face. A real smile, another real smile. She'd almost forgotten what they looked like on her Father's face, or how her own face felt as she smiled back automatically.

'Ahhh, clusivity. Annette would always bemoan having to explain exclusive we whe... Ahh, I'll tell you when you're older'

Danny's face had turned slightly pink suddenly, like he was checking his temper, but... Oh... It was like when he wanted to make sure she'd had.. Ya'know. That talk... the... yeah... and... oh... oooooh....
Taylor felt her own cheeks warm.

'Hey look a distraction'

She waved regally towards the window and froze... No... Bella..

Smoke was pouring out of an open window of the Swan's house. A slight flicker of orange visible in the mass of smoke.

She didn't even remember standing up, but she was already racing up towards a front door, her shoulder lowered as she charged the inferno. A distant voice was calling out to her but she didn't, couldn't, stop.

'Bella!'

~~~~​

She stared at the frame she had assembled after bolting the legs and head in place. A small smile touching her lips. She'd done it all by herself, she leaned back to take in her work and her smile faltered slightly.

She rustled through the instructions to the diagram of the complted frame. Her eyes darted between the frame she had built, and the drawing in her hands. Her head tilted sideways slightly.

The frame remained sitting at a slight angle, the bottom slightly higher than the head. Bella stared.

'How? Why?'

She was sure she'd followed the instructions to the letter. A whispy voice mocked her, his voice, the voice of a child pretendin to be an adult, reprimanding but lacking authority.

Hmm, Mr Hebert should be back by now, he had said it was a short job... Wait... Did Charlie.. She knew she hadn't called about the little bump... Or the dog... Oh...

ooops

Well Taylor could explain... No... She shook her head, leaving explaining upto Taylor felt, well it didn't feel like the very best idea. She had a weird mental image of Taylor telling an increasingly distraught Danny about a mad car chase, gunfire, explosions and helecopters. Maybe a princess in there somewhere too. It would be a fantastic story no doubt, but, not a very reasuring one.

Someone knocked on the front door, a single hard knock followed by a desperate shout. Yeah, it sounded like Taylor had messed up explaining to her Dad.

'Coming, I'm coming already'

She half shouted, half mutted to the repeated banging of the door.

'Hold your...!'

Smoke billowed into her face, grey and billowing making her cough as her eyes started to water.

Smoke... Smoke means fire... Fire.... Fire!

She threw herself down the stairs and wrenched the front door open as smoke continued to billow out of the living room and into the rest of the house. The door stopped suddenly as the chain caught and prevented it from opening further. Bella felt like her fingers had all become thumbs, sweaty jittery thumbs, as she tried to work the chain loose.

'Bella!'

She tumbled backwards as she saw stars, pain exploding from her forehead. The world span and something jabbed her gut, knocking air from her lungs.

The world span again and her back felt cold and damp, warm lips covered her own and.... Taylor was blowing a raspberry on her face, her eyes full of panic.

'Taylor.... What are you doing?'

'The kiss of life?"

'... You do know that doesn't involve actual kissing right?'

'...'

'...Taylor'

'I'm so glad you're okay'

 

[Hoyden]

The building loomed out of the early morning mist, too early, it was practically yesterday still. Hmm, if it was yesterday then couldn't she just go back to bed and come back tomorrow, maybe at a real time, rather than this obviously made up hour.

'No'

Stupid TV, tv had lied to her, abused her innocent trust and... something...

'youth?'

Yes, her innocent and youthful trust. How dare it, well she'd show that dumb glass box what-for, she'd go to the library and read all the books... Ha, that would teach TV not to mess with her like that ever again.

'I'm not sure that's how it works Taylor'

Shuush, I'm doing a big internal monologue.

'...'

Where was I, ahh, she stared at the community centre with dread, her companion seemed utterly oblivious to the horrors that lurked inside, even our intrepid hero knew only the barest details of the number of horrors that might lurk within these walls. Art, pottery, First Aid, Fire safety, and the worst of all, drama club...

'Really?'

A shudder ran through our hero's well proportioned frame, she had only suffered under the dread club once, but she would fight tooth and nail to avoid such a fate once again befalling her. She gazed to her loyal Sidekick, Bella, and knew deep in her heart of hearts that she would sacrifice at a moments notice to avoid such a fate.

'Sidekick? Why am I your sidekick'

For she knew her trusty Sidekick was already corrupted by the Drama club, she had seen a well leafed copy of Romeo and Juliet in her lair. But a hero must strive to redeem their fellow man, even such despicable villains as... Actors....

'... You do know you'd fit right in with the Theatre club crowd don't you?'

'No, that can't be, it's impossible!'

'Search your feelings, you know it to be true'

'Nooooooooooooo'

~~~~​

Bella listened to the fire safety lecture as stoically as she could manage, though she found herself torn between boredom and red faced shame to be made to sit through it. She glanced at the small group that were getting the same lecture as her, most of them looked younger than her, early to mid teens. She sat towards the middle of the room, a room than seemed divided based on outfit colours, red and green on one side, red and black on the other. With the occasional extra scruffy looking teen forming the middle section which she'd found herself standing out somewhat in.

Thankfully there were no questions or tests, the lecturer looked almost bored as he ticked their names off at the end of the session. Sort of a weird way of doing things, but then, it did make sure everyone on the list had actually attended all the way to the end.

'Oi, you. Yes you'

'err, yes?'

'Don't let us catch you back here or it'll be straight to juvie for you, got it'

'What? No that not..'

'What, you think just cause you're white you'll get away with it? Think your precious "Empire" will help you out? Pah. I don't think I like your attitude'

~~~~
​

'Now I understand why they didn't just promote from within when Chief Dwyers retired'

'Thanks Dad, I just.. Taylor isn't in too much trouble for.. You know...'

'Jumping on Officer Rosenburgs back?'

'...Yes..?'

'Don't worry about it, he was more worried about accidentally accusing his New boss's daughter of being a Neo-Nazi, we agreed it was for the best if we all just pretended this whole incident never happened'

'And the noodles?'

'Never happened'

 

[Hoyden]

She awoke to a strange sensation. Her nose was twitching, almost lifting her from her bed. It tugged at her face, pulling her unresisting body from it's fluffy crypt. She stumbled slightly, her nose barely holding her upright as she drifted through the doorway.

Whatever it was, it was coming from downstairs. The kitchen. What could it be, her legs joined her nose in carrying her onwards, until at last she saw an impossible sigh before her.

'Impossible, really?'

Yes, for before her stood Danny, father, Dockworker, hero to all who strive to stevedore. And before him lay open a rare tome of magic most wonderous. It's pages open to a most powerful enchantment.

'Is she always like this?'

'Yeah... She wasn't for a while... But yeah, this is pretty normal for her'

Hmm, our faithful hero had lost her train of thought for a moment, distracted by the massive ham before her.

'It's a rolled shoulder, and raw.. No pinching'

The MASSIVE HAM before her, and Danny, her father, in a frilly apron, being aided by the new head of the town watch, the ever cheerful Charlie Swan. As they prepared n epic feast together.

Lizzy watched fom under the table, her damp nose twitching, awaiting even the most meger of crumb to fall unto her domain.

'I've already fed her'

Lo, she looked as if she were naught but skin and bone. But the two supporting hero's of our tale stood firm against aiding in her plight.

Our stoic hero glanced about, seeking her loyal sidekick. The lady Bella, daughter of Charlie.

'She's probably still sleeping, she had a rough night'

Ahhha, and so our hero set forth, determinded to awake sleeping beauty from her enchanted slumber.

~~~~
​

Alice, Rosalie and Esme stood around her, at first it felt like they where protecting her. Keeping the dangers of the world at bay. But slowly she noticed them turning her other friends away, subtly at first, before becoming more overt as her other friends tried more and more to reach her.

The protective bubble they kept her in slowly twisted, iron bars appearing, keeping not just other out, but her in. She called out to her friends, come come save me. Help me. But her voice was mute, and one by one her friends turned away. She was trapped, the cage shrunk, becoming manicles around arm and leg. She could hardly breathe. She had to.. Had too...

Her cheek vibrated, a cold feeling as a green squid monster broke her chains, and blew and wet sloppy raspberry on her cheek.

'Ahhh, sleeping minion, you are awake at last. I feared I might have had to truely give you the kiss of life'

'wha... Taylor, what... what is that on your head?'

'Hair?'

'No, the green thing'

'Ahhh, my cthulhu hat that I totally didn't steal off my dad'

'Stolen hat.. right..'

'Not stolen hat'

The slightly younger girl bounced on my, now properly set up bed, as if she where five years younger. Was this what having a little sister would feel like? Why would anyone find this.. No, she could see this becoming bothersome in next to no time. But for now... It was kinda nice.

'.. And so we've got to go and save Lizzy from starvation... and defeat the massive ham'

'I thought it was a rolled shoulder?'

'MASSIVE HAM'

Well it was only a few days until school started up again, maybe Taylor would calm down by then. Or maybe she was just warming up to return to the drama club or something. No... She couldn't get more.. More Taylor'ish. No one could be a bigger ham than she currently was.

'Challenge accepted'

'But.. That wasn't... And she's gone'

~~~~
​

Charlie and Danny were laughing, A couple of beer bottles stood open. But... It was less about trying to hide at the bottom of the bottles, and more... Social lubrication. The Roast was in the oven, veggies chopped and waiting to boil, steam and bake as needed.

Niether had had much call to put on a big meal in far too long, and had dove into a shared holiday meal with reckless abandon. It was so sudden, so fast. But, it felt great to just let loose for a bit. To let go and just enjoy life a bit.

Bella and Taylor were chattering away at each other, sneaking small treats to their dog. How that would work in the long run, neither had any idea. But that was ok. That could be delt with later.

'I was thinking of getting a bike to drive to school'

'Really Bells?'

'Cool, could I ride on back with you'

'What did I say about bikes Taylor'

'But Bella is a girl, so it's ok right. You said "No riding bikes with boys until you're thirty" and Bella you are a girl right?'

'...'

'I mean it's cool if your not, but then.. wait I slept with a boy... nooo.. Dad help help, I don't want to have Bella's baby'

'...'

'Has she been at your beer of mine?'

'Both I think'

'Ahhh'

'Woooo!'

 

[Hoyden]

...
Cold sunlight?
...
No, the chill morning air had awoken... No..
I... I woke up a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off. A chill shiver... No...

It's the first day back at school today. I.. I'm nervous. So much has happened over the last few days... It almost feels like a dream. A dream I'm just waking up from.

I'm a little nerous. Things had been getting better before the break, and... I think I'm getting past her betrayal. I still don't know why, but... I think...

Our mighty heroine's head rose, hope filling her heart. Yes, this year things would be different. Better. She'd pull her grades back up, and maybe join that drama club... No, too far, her poor deluded sidekick had put such strange ideas in her head.

Her, the mighty hero, join drama club. No she'd never fit in there. The poor peons would be blinded by her brilliance if she ever deigned to return. No, it was for their own good that she stayed away. Yes, that was the reason. Nothing to do with being scared. Nope.

'Taylor, you don't want to be late for your first day back a school. You offered to show Bella the office remember'

Sage advice from the wizened old sage, forsooth, avast. To the bathroom!

'.. I'll pretend I didn't hear that..'

Hmm, to the shower, clear the way, hero coming through!

~~~~
​

Edward was staring at me, watching me sleep fom two inches away, his cold wet nose nuzzling under my chin. Then he licked my mouth, whining slightly, like a wounded puppy.

The dream disolved, but the wet nose and tongue remained.

'Lizzy, get off, down'

The one eyed bundle of fur and love understood completely, and snuggled closer. Her wet tongue making another pass over my nose and mouth.

'Bleh, you're as bad as Taylor'

Furry ears perked up, and Lizzy scanned the room for her other, crazier mommy. A slight whine leaking out as she couldn't find her.

'Come on, lets get you downstairs and fed. I'm sure she'll be over soon. She better be over soon'

Lizzy wasn't a heavy dog, but heavy enough that carrying her downstairs had her out of breath. Thankfully the poor thing was able to hobble to her food bowl on her own. Glancing at it's lack of filling and back to her with a look of forlorn betrayal.

'Hang on, just give me a minute you daft thing.'

Breakfast was soon had by all, well, by her and Lizzy. Charlie had already gone into work. The house felt cold, empty. Lizzy suddenly perked up, hobbling over to the back door, wuffling happily.

'Lizzy, we don't have time to play right now. I've got to get to...'

The back door handle jiggled and rattled.

'Who.. Who's there?'

'... No one?'

'Taylor, I'm pretty sure no one has ever fallen for that'

She unlocked the door and swung it open, a crouching Taylor appeared, bent wire in hand.

'...'

'I can explain?'

'...?'

'I wanted to make sure you were up and awake so we could catch the bus and not be late and and and I couldn't just pick the lock on the front door, someone might see and call the cops and I didn't want to get arrested again so I came around back but movies made it look so easy but but they lied to me again!'

'... And why didn't you just ring the doorbell like a normal person Taylor?'

'... I didn't say it was a good explination...'

And then Lizzy broke the standoff, by doing what all dogs do after they've eaten.

~~~~
​

The bus juddered along, the road feeling more like a rough country trail, than paved asphalt. But that was normal, this side of the bay was never the focus of the rolling urban renewal that seemed to be constantly ongoing downtown. The roads were full of potholes, and the potholes filled with, well whatever the locals could find to stuff in them.

Dad told me it wasn't always like this, once, long ago. Before the strikes, the streets got fixed, and people traveled from here to the highstreets, and from their fancy homes to lords market over here.

Winslow slowly drew nearer. It's facade worn, but still showing signs of it's glory days long past. It was a massive building, bigger than even Arcadia, and once had many more practical classes. Wood and metalworking classes, a small mechanics shop. Everything you'd need to prepare teengers for life working on and around the docks.

Now, now it was gang territory. Shared reluctantly between all three major gangs in the city. Graffitti littered the walls, inside and out. Knives were banned, but also a common sight. And bullying...

Bullying was a fact of life.

~~~~
​

Winslow looked like it had stepped out of movie, something near appocaliptic. The walls were covered in graffitti, often painted over top, dafacing other, older tags. Weird bearded snakes, swashstikkas, and... Dollar signs?

She followed a strangely subdued Taylor into the building, a foul smell lingered faintly in the air. Like the floors had never been mopped after a trashcan had been uptuned. Her stomache turned slightly. What sort of school had she landed herself in. How could a school get this bad?

She got a few funny looks, her clothes clearly nicer than most of the other highschoolers, she wasn't the most stylish, but her wardrobe was clearly bought at higher end stores than most of the other students.

It was strange, she'd gotten used to stares when she was with... With any of them, but this ws just like the early days, back in Forks. The new kid. Transfering in mid year, again. But something was different.

This didn't feel as welcoming, more, assessing. Like she was being sized up. Like a fresh piece of meat tossed into the lions den.

'Here'

She almost didn't recognise Taylor's voice, it was, it was so quiet. So... So lifeless. Like all the joy she normally pumped into the world was gone. It felt wrong. Why? She didn't seem the sort to hate school.

'Ok, I'll see you at lunch? Do they stagger the lunches here?'

'...no.. I don't think so...'

'OK good, see you'

*Rat-tat-tat*

A pinched face woman stared down her nose at me. A sour look on her face.

'Yes, what is it. Come on I don't have all day'

~~~~
​

The stench grew worse as I made my way towards my locker. Had the janitor forgotten to empty the bins over the break? Then I noticed the looks. Bella had distracted me, kept me from really noticing, but....

I stealthily checked my reflection as I passed another classroom door. Nothing I could see was standing out. Just a normal dull grey hoodie and track pants. Frumpy, concealing. But nothing I hadn't worn before. What?

The smell was even worse here, a gaggle of students were gathered around my locker. Great. What have they done now. Well it can't be too bad, I didn't leave anything in my locker over the break.

Emma stood nearby, despite the horrid stench. A small part of me wanted to lash out, to make some comment about her and bathing.

'What the fuck did you just say'

Oh, and there's the troglodite. Ready to pounce at her mistresses command. Dance puppet, dance.

Oww, lockers are hard, and noses are soft and squishy. Who'd have thunk it.... Why's the ceilling to my left, shouldn't it be up... Owww... What... Oh god... No... No no no no no no!

~~~~
​

#Callout report - Winslow technical highschool - January 2nd, 2011#
#Officer Rosenburg J.j. FOS#
#I'd been swinging past Winslow for the new chief, showing the flag so to speak, when an ambulance with full lights and sirens pulled into the school.
I notified dispatch that I would be investigating a possible incident at Winslow and approached the ambulance crew.
Upon confirmation of an incident I returned to my car and notified dispatch of an incident, and my intention to enter Winslow high.
Upon entering the school the nature of the incident became obvious.
A student was covered in refuse and being pinned by the jannitor, whilst another student was wrestling with faculty over a small object, that I identified as a cell phone.
A large group of students were watching the inncident. Multiple cell phones recording the altercation.
I announced my presence and told everyone to stay were they were.
The faculty that had been attempting to seize the student's cell phone attempted to order myself off the premises.
When I failed to comply with her verbal instructions she approached and attempted to coerce cooperation with threats and implications of bribes.
I proceeded to use the minimum posible force to restrain the suspect.
Additional units arrived on the scene, and escorted the suspect to my patrol car.
I briefed Detective Dexter, who took charge of the scene, and proceeded back to the station to complete the arrest of one Blackwell C.
​

 

[Hoyden]

She stared down her nose at the middle aged, mustachioed man before her. The subtly higher floor level behind her desk putting her a few inches higher than the nominally taller man before her.

'I must insist on taking jurisdiction, the BBPD is not equiped...'

The uniformed man snorted softly before talking over her.

'Do you think I'm stupid, I might have come from a small town, but even I can see ass covering. I don't know who you are trying to protect. I don't care. No one reported use of parahuman powers, no one was wearing a mask. So unless you can point me to a cape being involved, I'll have to treat it like any other crime.'

She ground her teeth, finger itching towards the panic button under her desk. The nerve, to interupt, to dare to challenge her, in her office. Her city!

Just one push and she could have him thrown in M/S containment, until she could dig up some dirt on him. Oh yes, he was a cop in Brockton bay, of course there would be dirt.

'No, well it was good to meet you Director, but I have work to do, as I'm sure you do as well'

He stood, and turned without waiting for her to dismiss him, without showing her the proper respect. No. Unacceptable.

'I didn't say you could leave'

He turned slowly as she pushed the hidden button.

'Director, the PRT is a Federal agency charged with responding to "Parahuman" threats, you have no jurisdiction on..'

Two PRT agents in full gear interupted the obviously corrupt cop, heavily clamping the man in each shoulder.

'Full master/stranger confinment, now'

He stared, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'Make no mistake, we'll find whoever is lining your pockets, whilst we confirm you really are who you claim to be'

He spoke, barely above a whisper as her two loyal minions dragged him away.

'You're insane'

~~~~​

Alice twitched violently as the vision faded, blood spilling down her chin as she momentarily lost grip on the young buck she'd been grappling.

'Alice? Sugar, can you dial it back a might touch'

Jasper looked up from his own kill, worried by the emotions pouring off his mate. A heady swirl of anger and contempt darkening his eyes.

'Huff, it's Charlie. That, that, bitch!'

He flinched at her cussin', even after all these years he still found a woman swearing to be jarring. Even running through highschool more times than he felt was needed hadn't cured him of his old fashioned values. But his mate had calmed slightly, pushing away the negative emotions he struggled with.

'She's going to lock him up, lock him up for doing his job. Then she's going to dig and dig and dig until she finds something to pin on him.'

She huffed again, anxeity leaking through her false calm. A soft growl rumbled in his throat as her mood tugged at his psyche.

'I have to talk to Carlisle. We need to move quickly, she's going to find something. She's going to find us.'

His world spun as his mate's words sunk in. She wouldn't be so nervous about the family being noticed, the rise of parahumans had made for an easy cover for all sorts of minor slips. They'd even leaned into the rumor they where secrectly capes once or twice.

No, the way Alice said us felt bigger. Not us as a family. Us, as in vampires.

As one they turned towards the hunting lodge the family had moved to, and blurred away. Their bloodless kills left for the wolves.

****

#AN; So it's been a while. Sorry about that. Sadly the happy fluffiness is taking a walk, and the grim derp is popping in for tea. But never fear, for Alice is a shipper.