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aro-is-gay-af · 3 years

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The Midnight of Despair | Volturi Kings x fem!reader | Part 3

I reckon, that if you’re reading Part 3, then you know two previous ones. In case you didn’t read them yet: Part 1 | Part 2

Thank you for all warm words and praise! It means world to me.

I also love this series, folks! I need to admit, I did get addicted to it a little, so I thought it’d be great to set updates schedule. It won’t be precise, but you can expect another part roughly in two weeks time from now.

As per usual, sorry for any confusion and grammatical mistakes.

Warnings: Rape (mentioned), Depression, PTSD, Forced Pregnancy, Blood

Word count: 6200

No summary this time. Also, this one has very sweet parts in it!!!

ENJOY!

The next day, you had your appointment with the doctor. A doctor was apparently a woman and you were sure the kings were paying her something extra for the visit to be immediate. Unfortunately, she didn’t know any English, as she was a local gynaecologist. Your mates didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable in any way, so before the visit, Aro asked you, who you’d like to be the translator for you.

The ideal situation would be a woman, but you didn’t trust anyone in the castle, except the kings. For this reason, your first shot was Aro, as he had already seen your memories. There was nothing that would shock him, you also didn’t need to hide anything from him and you knew, he was the best at dealing with others. You figured it’d be an ideal solution and you had to admit to yourself that you simply wanted him to accompany you.

The whole visit took place in your room, which meant a lot of carrying the necessary equipment, but more mental comfort for you. In those two days, you managed to get quite settled in and didn't want to leave the castle. You felt safe and secured in your suite. Kings seemed to notice that, as it was Marcus, who proposed, it would be a great idea to have an appointment without the need of leaving your room.

While you both were waiting for the doctor to come, it was the first time you had seen Aro with brown eyes. He looked really out of place. You shared this thought with him, by saying you prefer when his eyes are normal. That’s what it took. Two days, to consider red eyes normal. As usual, he was polite and revealed to you that he also hated the colour, let alone the lenses.

When the doctor finally arrived, you were already a nervous wreck. Aro tried to distract you, asking questions mainly about your house in Forks and whether you had already spoken to Bella about family heirlooms. He succeeded for a while, but it couldn't last forever, could it?

The lady was extremely kind and gentle. The truth was, it was hard to hide how stressed you were about this visit. You didn't want anyone to touch you, not when you weren't ready, and this time you definitely weren't. Despite the doctor's initial efforts, you were unable to shake her hand in greeting. She only smiled sadly, as if understanding perfectly what you were going through. Aro assured you beforehand, for he had not told her anything and only if you wanted to, you should share your trauma with her.

The doctor, seeing your nervousness, decided that you should talk first. While she asked you questions, you noticed that she chose her words carefully and only then did you realise that she was also stressed, but in her case it was probably Aro's presence that made her uncomfortable. Although Aro tried not to impose his presence on her, you understood why it might overwhelm the doctor. You felt confident being in the same room with Aro, while she probably sensed danger, even if she could not rationally explain it to herself. You promised yourself that you would try to learn at least the basics of Italian before the next visit.

She needed to ask you about exactly everything since, unfortunately, you didn't have any medical records with you - neither from the obduction, nor from the subsequent visit to the doctor, where you confirmed the pregnancy. You made a mental note to tell Bella about it, so she could send your documents, along with the things she was supposed to take from your house.

Aro was great in his translator role. Of course, you were still looking at the doctor, while answering the questions, but Aro’s voice, at least, soothed your shattered nerves just a little bit. When the questions started to get more complicated or more intimate, Aro used such words as to not make you feel uncomfortable, while still conveying the meaning. The more difficult part started, when you had to describe the situation from the hospital and how long it took for the bleeding to stop. Every word seemed linked to a particular image or smell from that night, until finally, you were unable to say anything at all.

The doctor was very understanding, probably having already guessed what exactly was your weird behaviour all about. You didn't say anything directly, you only described the situation from the hospital and then told her the details of this strange bleeding after the rape. Mainly because the doctor was very concerned about it. She explained to you that it was definitely not normal, even if you had wounds inside.

The worst part, however, was the examination. You didn't even want to think about whether you would have to undress, but it turned out to be unnecessary. The doctor had a great intuition, even if she herself was under a bit of stress. You told her that, indeed, you had been to the check-up before and that was how you found out you were pregnant. And that the doctor then checked if all the wounds had healed. The lady didn’t discuss the issue, for which you were very grateful.

After the interview, the doctor told you to lie down on the bed and only pull your blouse up, high enough for your belly to be visible. You didn't feel comfortable with this, but you preferred this way to undressing from the waist down. This was the first time you didn't feel comfortable lying on that bed. You knew that once the visit was over, everything would return to normal, but it wasn’t meant to become a memory you would return to with pleasure.

As it turned out, your first trimester was long over. The pregnancy was about 14 weeks old and that would explain the slight curving of your belly. Before the appointment, you were not sure if you would even look at the monitor to see the baby, but you did. You could not deny yourself this. The room fell silent and you could not tell what you were feeling.

The doctor pulled out some kind of a strange device and after a moment, you could hear the baby's heart. You glanced in the direction of Aro, who was obviously alarmed by your face. You grimaced, too overwhelmed to say anything to him. Up until this point, you were sure that the decision, if you should terminate the pregnancy or not, would be fairly easy. Now, you were certain that nothing in your life could be simple enough.

Over the next few weeks, your day usually looked the same or similar, yet you managed to do something completely different every day. You were glad you had so much to do, because you didn't have time to think about what had happened. You didn't want to analyse it over and over again. The kings respected your choice - unless you yourself mentioned the traumatic events, not a single insinuation or implication about it fell from their lips.

Your days were filled with various activities. Every day you spent at least some time with each king in private - you knew you needed this to create and strengthen your bond. To keep you from being inundated with information, you learned something new from each of them about vampires and their lifestyle. After all, it was supposed to become your lifestyle in the nearest future. You discovered that thinking about your transformation caused you far less anxiety, than any memory associated with rape. Even after you learned that it more or less consisted of burning alive for a few days.

During your time with the kings, you tried not to show the insecurity you had acquired about your body, and yet, you were sure they knew anyway. However, the time spent with them was what you treasured most. With each of them you did something different, as you wanted to know what they like to do in their free time. Marcus, as he had promised on the first day, taught you Italian for two hours every day. It was not easy, but after a few weeks of intensive course and communicating in broken Italian, not only with Marcus, but also with the other two, you were able to maintain basic conversation.

Marcus was a great teacher, but that wasn’t the only reason why you loved spending time with him. He was the one who had the most time for you - he wasn't as busy as Aro or Caius, and besides, he had countless amounts of patience. He wasn't tired of your constant questions, not only about vampirism, but also about his past. You would often sit for hours in the library or in the gardens, which, by the way, were breathtaking. You both loved books and your only regret was that you weren't able to read most of their vast collection. Marcus assured you, you would have all eternity to do so. You could talk with him endlessly, as these conversations were truly effortless – even the most difficult topics seemed simple and uncomplicated.

You were surprised to learn about a gift of his. Your human mind was unable to comprehend it in the full sense of the word. Mostly because of this, he was the one to explain to you, what your bond even was and how exactly it worked. You have learned that after your transformation, you will feel the bond even more strongly. It is not often that one person has as many as three matches and is able to feel the bond while being human. Marcus explained to you that for now, both your mind and body are only subconsciously sensing the presence of the mates, as it’s impossible for human senses to do anything else.

It was so remarkable to you that you discussed it for hours. You also learned that the bond can be broken, as it is not forced in any way. However, this would be emotionally painful and very few vampires would choose to take such a desperate step.

One afternoon you were spending time in the garden again. You loved being outdoors, but for your own safety you did not go outside the castle grounds. Together, you decided that it would be safer to do only after your transformation. Besides, you didn't want to go anywhere. You were safe under the watchful eye of your mates and Renata, who, apart from the time spent with the kings and in your room, followed you in a constant manner.

The gardens were gorgeous and you wondered, who was taking care of all those magnificent flowers. You were strongly convinced that this was exactly what Eden might have looked like. You and Marcus had your favourite bench. You spent a lot of time outside, especially on sunny days. When you first found out why sitting in the sun might be a problem, you couldn't take your eyes off Marcus. He shimmered brilliantly, but your eyesight couldn't stand it for too long, because of the blinding effect. The gardens, however, were fenced off and inaccessible to the common passer-by, so you were safe to stay, as long as you wanted to.

“I asked Aro recently, if vampires can be killed in some way,” you began cautiously, not wanting to scare him away from this conversation. No one had talked to you about it, however, it still crossed your mind what state Marcus was in when you first saw him. You were willing to swear you looked exactly the same after your mother died. Now, knowing what all the mating bond was about, you were convinced that Marcus had lost someone dear to his heart.

As per usual, he smiled gently at you.

“I'm sure his answer was sufficient, my dear. What are you aiming at?” he asked, looking at you obliquely.

You took his hand in yours. With Marcus, physical contact was as easy as a conversation. He, however, never initiated any touch. He waited for you, just like he was waiting now, to reach for his hand or gently grasp his arm. The only movement he allowed himself was to stroke your hair every now and then, but only when he was absolutely sure you were willing.

“I wanted to ask what happens to the bond, when the vampire…is no longer here,” you said bluntly, not taking your eyes off him. Your understanding was unique. Marcus was gentle in manner, patient and extremely caring towards you. In no way did you want to ruin, what you had built over those few weeks.

His smile turned into one of the saddest you've seen on his face. By the time he answered, you regretted asking at all. You didn't want to cause him pain. You squeezed his fingers in your palm.

“Until you came to Volterra, I was sure that a vampire could only experience this special, unique bond once in a lifetime. I did experience it, yet this story does not have a happy ending,” he said, with utmost sadness in his voice.

Your heart ached, as you watched his suffering and grief. You had asked the question unnecessarily, but now there was no turning back. You continued to stroke his fingers, holding his hand securely in yours.

“When one of the vampires connected by mating bond dies, it does not mean that the bond disappears. It exists, but only on one side. It cannot be cherished, it cannot be repaired in any way. It isn’t reciprocated. What remains are the memories, and they are the only reminder of what the bond really meant, when it existed,” he explained in a distressed voice, slowly and carefully.

Holding his hand, you laid your head on his shoulder and sighed heavily.

“I'm so sorry this happened to you,” you whispered after a moment, feeling tears stinging under your eyelids. Even now, you couldn't imagine losing any of them and you couldn't possibly envision the amount of pain Marcus had gone through.

He embraced you carefully and gently hugged you to his side.

"Don't fret over it, cara. I've made my peace with it. However, that doesn't mean I've forgotten. I still miss her, after all these years," he said with longing in his voice, stroking your shoulder gently.

After a long moment of silence, you were in a genuinely poor condition. Tears dripped down your cheeks and your breathing quickened. Not only because of the pain Marcus must have gone through, but also because of your own yearning. You had come to terms with the death of your parents, but you missed them so much. You wanted to have them at least a little longer. Now, standing on the verge of immortality, you wished you had spent more time with them.

Marcus placed a kiss on your hair.

“Sob it out, dear. Nothing helps the soul more than honest tears,” he whispered, and you were ashamed, because you should be the one providing comfort for him. However, the memories were too fresh and you couldn't hold it back.

Once you had calmed down a bit, he handed you a handkerchief to wipe away your tears.

“I wish I could change my memories. Even if it was only for a brief moment to be able to forget that I will never see them again. To be able to forget what this…this monster did to me,” you whispered, snuggling tighter into his shoulder.

You heard his sigh and his embrace around your shoulder tightened.

“You have been terribly abused, cara. No one deserves such a fate. The most important thing now, is to get on with life. Our loved ones would not want us to dwell on their deaths,” he said, as wise and thoughtful, as ever. The hatred towards your abuser was palpable in Marcus’s voice.

“You are so good to me. I don't deserve this,” you whispered after a while, your voice swollen with emotion. He only smiled indulgently.

“You deserve the very best, dear. I've already lost one mate. I won't let anyone hurt you.”

“I’m sure she would be proud of you,” you said with compassion, after another moment of silence.

“I’m not quite certain about that,” he said, placing another kiss on the top of your head.

But you were sure. You were also sure, you would do anything to prevent Marcus from experiencing something like this again. You knew all too well the taste of grief.

You truly had little time to think about the rape and pregnancy at all. If you weren’t with Marcus, it was Caius who loved to kidnap you, so he could spent some private time with you. Caius was the complete opposite of Marcus – absolute chaos, you could say. You had no idea how the brothers even got along. You had already noticed that Marcus rarely spoke, while Caius was rather impulsive and liked to discuss things in detail. However, until you started spending time alone, you had no idea what he was really passionate about.

It turned out that his greatest passion was art. He would show you countless paintings he himself had painted throughout the centuries. He could talk for hours about types of paint and how to mix colours properly. Although you were not very good at painting, you tried to learn a little with Caius’ help. When he was alone with you, he was still abrupt and impulsive, but in a charming way. He never imposed himself on you and you discovered that annoying him was really great fun. So banter and frequent teasing were the order of the day.

You often spent afternoons and evenings with Caius. He taught you how to paint, but not only. Art history was his passion and you loved to listen to him tell stories. His voice was mesmerising and hypnotic. He also eagerly answered all your questions about vampire race. You listened about the horrible children of the moon and how Caius singlehandedly had almost slaughtered them all. He warned you that after the transformation you would be violent and impulsive, that you would have nothing on your mind but to satisfy your thirst. This frightened you slightly, but at times when things got weird or dangerous, Caius assured you that you would always have full support of your mates. You never doubted that. You knew they would help you to grow accustomed to your new life.

Caius loved every variety of art you could name. When he asked you for permission to sculpt you, you were so surprised that you made a strange sound. He said that, of course, he wasn't going to overstep your boundaries and you yourself would choose some beautiful casual attire, so he could portray your beauty in sculpture. All you had to do was dress once as he asked and stand in the right pose. He remembered every detail of your posture, including your facial expressions. Often, he would sculpt you, while you would talk about insignificant things also learning how to sculpt...well, things that didn't resemble anything. Yet, you wanted to be as good as he was.

You were in your nineteenth week, when he invited you for a long painting session. His studio was huge and consisted of nothing but breathtaking works of art. You were decorating some random sculpture that you had never seen before. Caius also loved contemporary art, so you could go wild. Taking classes with him was better, than any therapy. You could smear paint on everything - the canvas, the sculptures, yourself, and even him, because he was usually in a good mood and you could enjoy it. He never showed you even a trace of anger, and you, fooling around with him like that, were genuinely pleased and happy.

When you finished, the room looked rather bad, not to mention the clothes or your hair. Caius would never have appeared that way to the guards, let alone on trial, but with you it was different.

“I wanted to show you something,” he said, wiping the paint off your cheek.

You took his hand. Caius, like Marcus, did not invade your personal zone, unless you specifically gave permission. However, carnality and touch were important to him, and so, once you were more comfortable in his presence, he liked to show you affection by stroking your cheek or your back, and intertwining his fingers with yours, when you held hands. You didn't mind his cold skin – by now you were accustomed to it, as three of them had similar body temperature. You were the hottest here. Literally.

You walked slowly to another room.

“I didn't tell you, but I finished craving” he said, and you could hear the excitement in his voice. You smiled at him. That was the main reason why you had agreed to have yourself sculpted in the first place. You wanted to get close to him on a level, which was inaccessible to do in any other way.

“Before you show me, will you tell me as to where you even got the idea of carving me?” you asked, amused. Caius was much taller than you, you had to slightly lift your head to look him straight in the eye.

At first, he smiled archly, but immediately his smile softened. He pulled at the material that covered the sculpture, so that it fell to the floor. You were simply speechless. The woman, who stood opposite to you was over four metres tall. The sculpture was made of marble and the woman looked, as if she was an actual person. There was something elusive about her. Her face, thoughtful yet serene, her hair flowing freely over her shoulders onto her back. She was clad in a fine fabric that flowed in waves down to her bare feet. She looked nothing like you and yet, you two looked exactly alike.

You had no idea that you started crying. The woman was beautiful. You could feel the power and dignity emanating from her, and on the other hand, she seemed to you as if... fragile and ephemeral. Caius had captured in this sculpture all the feelings you had been feeling, without even knowing it.

You felt his hand on your cheek, his fingers gently wiping away your tears along with some paint, which remained on your face.

“I thought I would like you to see yourself through my eyes. Exactly as I see you – without a single flaw, yet with all your imperfections. I don't want you to be unable to look at yourself, because of what this animal did to you. I don't see it. I only see you, [Y/N]. The real you. Beautiful and fragile, yet powerful, without inhibitions or scruples. Capable of anything.”

The words were trapped in your throat. You wanted to say something, but you were sure, that as soon as you were going to open your mouth, uncontrollable sob would come out. You looked first at Caius, then at the woman carved in marble, then back at Caius. He only smiled gently.

“Who we are – we decide that ourselves. No one else does. To me, you are beautiful. Pure. Never think otherwise, dolcezza.”

Without warning, you hugged him so hard, that it hurt. You forgot that his skin was different from yours. He embraced you without hesitation, even though you were all covered in paint. You wept, cuddling into his chest, as he soothingly stroked your hair and back.

Once you had slightly calmed down, you looked up at him. His blond hair looked like a halo over his head. He amazed you in every sense of the word.

“Thank you. Thank you for letting me see this,” you whispered poignantly, and then went straight back to hugging him.

“There's nothing to thank you for, my lovely [Y/N]. I would like you to accept yourself as you are. Because you are truly magnificent.”

The only person you talked straightforward about pregnancy was Aro. Was it because of his gift? Most likely, and you simply felt you could trust him. From the moment you first found yourself in his arms, the bond between you two only strengthened. Also, a memorable visit from the doctor was also significant, and then, together with him, you went through the documents that Bella had sent you. To say he was furious, was an understatement. Yes, Aro saw your memories, but the reports were written from a third-person perspective. And the other evening was really awful – you couldn't stop crying because you couldn't block out the flow of memories.

You were close with each other; close enough for you to try to overcome your insecurities, to talk about how you really felt about this whole situation you found yourself in. It was far from easy, but Aro was a really patient specimen. In the course of these talks, you discussed practically everything. You knew that every scenario had to be worked out and discussed, because there were many different options of the outcome.

Despite many conversations, you were still unsure about keeping the baby. You didn't know if you wanted to, if you would be able to raise it and then tell it that it would forcibly have to become a vampire. After the doctor's appointment, things did not get any easier for you. You heard the heart and knew that the child was not to blame for its father’s actions. You were raped, but this child had nothing to do with it.

So you waited. You waited for a miracle to decide for you or for the baby to move when you were thinking of having it removed. It’d be a sign not to do it. However, nothing of the sort was happening and fate was not deciding for you. Aro convinced you that, even if you decided to have an abortion, there was nothing wrong about it. No one would blame you for it. The only person to blame here, was the monster who raped you.

You hadn't decided what you would do about the pregnancy, but you and Aro knew what would happen, if something went wrong. For your mates, it was your health and life that came first. Aro assured you of that a thousand times over. Because of this, if anything went wrong with the birth or if there were any complications, you were to be changed immediately. Also because of this, Aro talked to you about all aspects of your transformation. He was the one who introduced you to what transformation actually looks like. He didn't scare you with the pain you were about to go through, but only gave you the facts. Facts that you needed to know.

When you weren't talking about such serious matters, Aro also loved to spend time talking to you, but about different topics. He seemed to know all your thoughts, but you were still able to surprise him. He explained to you, that the human mind was more disordered and chaotic, than vampire one and that he certainly didn't see everything. Your brain chose the memories, often associated with strong feelings and emotions, which were meant to be remembered. You were joyful about this, because you could talk endlessly and he kept finding out something new about you. And you kept finding something new about him. You knew from the first moment that he was extraordinary, and the more you talked, the more you became certain about it.

Besides, Aro adored dancing. You were not convinced about this form of activity, but it was the intimacy of this act that convinced you. In his arms, no one was able to hurt you. You felt safe and, after many attempts, quite confident in your movements. He literally beamed, being able to teach you to dance and to be so close to you. You found nothing in his eyes but the infinite adoration he had for you. When you found out the reason behind this, your heart almost broke with sorrow and compassion.

“I must confess something to you, cara mia,” he whispered, holding you securely in his arms. It was evening, you had long since been prepared for sleep. He found your long nightgown to his liking, when he came to check how you were doing and if you needed anything. You rested your head on his shoulder. There was no music, he was the one giving the rhythm to your movements, yet it was the most wonderful dance you had yet had the chance to dance with him.

“Do tell, please,” you said, trying not to lose the rhythm. You were tired, as throughout the day you sorted through the things Bella sent you from Forks. In addition, you worked with Marcus to sell your house, because you were, after all, a little concerned about what hands your family home would pass into.

“I have been bound over the centuries to both men and women. My ex-wife, Sulpicia, whom you know and, to the best of my knowledge, whom I permitted to leave, was my faithful companion, basically from the beginning of my immortality. However, until now, I did not know what it meant to have a true mate.”

He tilted you gently, wishing to look into your eyes. You continued to sway to a non-existent rhythm, completely oblivious to your surroundings. You furrowed your brows.

“Are you serious?” you asked in a whisper, not wanting to ruin the moment. The light emanating from the candles, illuminated half of his face. He smiled, and you were unable to take your eyes off his red irises.

“Yes, my dear. I have waited over three thousand years for you. I must tell you, that I could wait another three millennia, only to see your beautiful face,” he said affectionately, holding you tighter against him to stroke your flushed cheek with his fingers.

Your eyes welled up with tears and he slowly bent down and kissed your forehead.

“That's enough for today, cara mia. You must rest well. Caius has something planned for tomorrow, but he didn't want to reveal what, under any circumstances,” he said amused, giggling under his breath. You loved when Aro was in a good mood, because then you were in a good mood too. Before he walked you to bed, he wiped away your tear. You squeezed his hand in yours, then climbed onto the bed. He covered you carefully with a duvet and stroked your hair.

“I'm glad I came here,” you whispered, looking into his eyes. “I never want to leave you,” you said with force. He smiled softly at you and stroked your hair once more.

“We will always be by your side, [Y/N]. Good night, cara.”

His voice so soft and tuneful that as soon as he snuffed out the candles, you drifted off to sleep in an instant.

Apart from the fact that almost everything was going great and your mental state was in constant improvement, your relationship with Bella had severely worsened. In the beginning you talked every evening. She still couldn't understand why you were selling the house and why you wouldn't, at least, want to visit Forks. After a while, you got fed up with explaining it to her. There were an awful lot of things she wasn't happy about and she didn't hide it. She kept criticising the Volturi without knowing them and having no idea, what they were actually doing.

You loved her like a sister, but because of that, she could annoy you exactly like one. Because of her pinching remarks and your lack of patience, you called each other less and less. You didn't want to keep getting annoyed and you were tired of explaining things to her. Besides, you didn't like that she didn't say a single good word about your mates. You at least tried to accept Edward. Suddenly, what he did to her was all forgotten and you couldn't understand it. You didn't know, what was happening to your sister and your stay in Italy didn’t exactly make things better. You still hoped that once you saw each other after the transformation, you would be able to explain it all to one another. You didn't want to lose Bella, the last person you considered family.

So you talked less and less or not at all, and when you did, you avoided difficult and sensitive topics. It was not like with Bella at all and it made you anxious. You were at ease with each other, almost always, and you didn’t get why she was so bitter and hateful towards your knew, chosen life. Especially, because partially your presence right then, in the trial chamber, was the reason for her to be alive at all.

Shortly after Caius presented you with your sculpted self, you were to spend the whole day together, the four of you. These were the days you loved the most. Although you cherished the time spent with each of your mates separately, the presence of all three put you in an ecstatic mood. You usually spent your afternoons like this – there were still a lot of things to do and solve, and a lot of trials to carry out.

Being in Volterra for so long, you learned a lot about the existing laws and how to enforce them. You knew that kings were not flawless, but it was logical to you that keeping the entire vampire world in line, required some sacrifices. Some greater than the other ones.

You usually sat down in the study, where you had ended the very first day, at a round table. You listened to the discussions and arguments, but also just spent time with your mates. You often sat on Aro's lap or tried to calm Caius down, when he became too agitated.

You were extremely excited since the morning, because they promised you a whole day outside. It wasn't often that all three of them wanted to spend time with you in the gardens, so you couldn't restrain your exhilaration. However, there were also days, or rather moments, when, under any circumstances, you could not leave your room. Such a moment was to occur today, after breakfast. You slept for a long time, almost until eleven o'clock. When you ate your breakfast, it was Renata who informed you that it was time to eat. Of course, you knew what it was about.

The only situation, in which you could not leave your chamber, was at lunchtime. Not yours, though, but the lunchtime of all the vampires, who inhabited the castle. For your own safety, usually for about two hours, you were not to leave and to occupy yourself with whatever you wanted. The only two hours, in which Renata or anyone else was not around you. Not many people knew about your stay in the castle and because of this, the kings decided that Renata should eat with the rest of the company.

You did not consider it strange in the slightest. Of course, you tried not to think about the fact that people would die, but you knew that they were chosen at random. Which meant that they could just as well have been run over by a car or they could have died in a fire. You did not think about it. You were just enjoying your two hours of freedom. Sometimes you sunbathed on the balcony, prepared your outfit or just played on the computer. These were little things that still reminded you of being human.

This week, when Renata told you that she would be gone for a while, you were already enjoying a long soak in the bathtub. The home spa was one of the favourite things you and your mum liked to do together. You poured hot water into the tub, applied a mask that you had prepared yourself with a few ingredients and relaxed.

Since you had no idea when, you were no longer afraid to look in the mirror. Sure, your body shape was far from ideal, but at least you weren’t terrified to look. You weren’t terrified to acknowledge that, yes, your body was raped, but you were recovering from it. And that you started to think that your body didn’t cause any of this.

After some time you spent in the bathtub, you felt a little dizzy. It wasn’t exactly a good sign, so you figured it’d be wise to get out of the tub. When you rinsed yourself off with clean water, you stood up, and that was the moment of terror. The room immediately started spinning, like you were on roundabout for the last forty minutes. You felt nauseous, but there was nothing near you to which you could cling to. You managed to step out of the tub, on the marble step, and then you felt it. Pain, excruciating pain, suffocation. Streams of blood went down your legs and before you fell onto the ground, you could only see white marble floor all covered in sanguineous blood.

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unfortunate-stranger-losers · 4 years

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All Those Things They Couldn’t Say - A Runaway Baudelaires AU

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Chapter Forty-Eight - Quigley’s Escape

Bertrand did manage to get the door shut right as the caravan started tumbling, so at least they wouldn’t fall out of that. But neither of them were in the mood to celebrate that, because both of them were absolutely horrified.

“Beatrice!” Bertrand screamed, racing as best he could to the window. He looked through just before the caravan got out of sight of the car; it was still speeding along. “Beatrice!”

Quigley screamed, and as the caravan wheel hit a rock, it jolted, and he fell, sliding down the floor and landing with a thump against the wall. He let out a cry, and Bertrand managed to pull himself out of his fear for a moment to race to his side, pulling him to his feet.

“What do we do? What do we do?” Quigley asked.

Bertrand tried to breathe slow, but it was a bit hard with everything going on. Beatrice, his Beatrice, his wife… she was still there, she was still there, she- she cut the rope- she-

“We have to get out of here.” Bertrand finally said. He looked down at Quigley’s terrified eyes, and knew he had to pull himself together, keep it stable just for a while, just keep anything more from happening to him. He took a deep breath, and then looked around the caravan. It had a table, several cupboards…

“Hammocks. Get the hammocks.” he said.

Quigley nodded and raced to the hammocks, jumping to knock them down. Bertrand ran to the cupboards and threw them open, grabbing whatever sticky food he could find. He shoved it all into a pot and grabbed the nearest utensil- some kind of spatula, but he didn’t have time to complain or even find something else- and he started stirring it all together.

Quigley got the hammocks down, and called, “What now?”

“We need to tie them into a drag chute. Do you know what a drag chute is?”

Quigley nodded. “But I can’t-”

“Then pour this.” He handed the pot to Quigley. “It’s sticky. It won’t stop the wheels, but it’ll slow us until the drag chute is ready. Pour them out that window, back there, the way we’re falling.”

Quigley nodded and ran to the window, managing to push it open and pulling himself up to pour out of it. Bertrand started tying as fast as he could, remembering the knot that Violet had excitedly taught him how to make when she was seven and going through her pirate phase. It was supposed to be sturdy, and by God did he hope it was.

He ran to the other window, and reached through, ignoring a glass shard that scratched against his arm. He tied one end to the side, and then another, and gathered the middle in his arms. “I’m going to throw it out! Once it’s out, grab whatever you think might be useful, and we’re going to jump out this window!”

“Is that safe?”

“It’s safer than being here!”

Bertrand tossed the chute, and then grabbed a nearby box- a chess set, looked like- and started pounding at the glass shards still remaining in the frame, trying to get as many of them out of the car as possible without them hitting the chute.

After a moment, he tossed the set to the floor, and then ran to Quigley, who had a bundle of items he’d hastily grabbed in his arms. Bertrand glanced towards the kitchen, and quickly grabbed whatever food jars he could find, before saying, “We’re as slow as we’re going to get. We’re going to jump on three. Are you ready?”

“If we wait until we’re ready,” Quigley shook, “We’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”

Bertrand gave him a sad smile. “One… two… three!”

They ran and leapt at the window, Quigley first. They both fell onto the dirt ground, rolling slightly as they hit. Bertrand felt pain jolt throughout his body, but as he sat up, he was thankful to see that they’d gotten out just in time, as the caravan immediately skidded off the edge of a path, falling down a cliff.

He turned, rushing over to Quigley, who was curled up around what he’d grabbed. He knelt beside him, dropping the food and helping him sit up.

“Are you okay? What hurts?”

“Everything… but, like, what’s new?” Quigley groaned. He huddled against his items, before turning to Bertrand with teary eyes.

“It’s going to be okay.” Bertrand said. He glanced around, and said, “We’re in the Mortmain Mountains. We can…”

“What about Beatrice?” Quigley asked, shaking. “She’s still-”

“I know. I know.” Bertrand tried to keep his voice from breaking as he put his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “But she knew what- she knew what she was doing. What’s important is we get you safe.”

“N-no! We all need to be safe! I’m not more important than you!”

Bertrand bit his lip. “But you’re our responsibility now, which means we do have to put you first. You’re here because of us, and we won’t let anything more happen to you.” He sighed, and then scooted back. “What did you grab?”

Quigley hesitantly dropped his items onto the ground, scanning them. “Two coats, a sweatshirt, a knife, a ukulele and… I think this is a handmirror.”

“Okay.” Bertrand sat down, eying the items. Carefully, he took the sweatshirt, folding it and tying the sleeves together into a handle. “This can function as a bag for a short trek. I have some food, get a coat on. You may have noticed it’s cold.”

“Where are we again?”

“The Mortmain Mountains. I’d guess Mount Fraught.” Bertrand narrowed his eyes. “There’s- the only thing close by is a VFD Headquarters, which would be about a day’s travel on foot.”

“I thought you said we shouldn’t go there.”

“No, but they’ll have food and supplies.” Bertrand said. “Either I’ll sneak in and get some, or you pose as a neophyte and get what we need. Once we have supplies, we can probably find a way out. Once we’re out, we can find the children, get you all somewhere safe, and…”

He looked over, and his face fell slightly. He was finally getting a good look at Quigley, and it wasn’t good.

“Is something wrong?”

“How long have you had a black eye?”

Quigley looked at the ground. ‘That… that was yesterday. After the hospital.”

A fury rose in Bertrand, but he pushed it down. He leaned forwards and hugged Quigley close to him, and Quigley swiftly pressed himself as close to the man as he could, clinging to him tight.

“You were very brave.” Bertrand said. “You still are. You’re a brave young boy, you know that?”

“I- I-”

“And we can’t thank you enough, for trying to save our Violet.” Bertrand pulled away, trying not to cry, and instead wiping a tear from Quigley’s cheek. “You have been so brave, every step on these horrible… these unfortunate events.”

Quigley took a breath, and then smiled a little. “My- my parents used to say, that sometimes what- what might seem like a series of unfortunate events may, in fact, be the first steps of a journey.”

Bertrand smiled sadly. “Our instructors used to tell us that. It might be one of the few things they got right. Just keep your chin up, okay?”

He slowly picked himself up, before gathering the items in his makeshift bag. He and Quigley threw on coats, and then Bertrand held his hand as they started down the slope.

They walked through most of the day, until the sky was starting to grow dark in the evening air. They weren’t planning on stopping to sleep, as they knew they needed to get there as quickly as possible, but Quigley interrupted their long silence with a question.

“Can you say the poem again?”

Bertrand smiled. “Tell you what. I’ll say the poem again if you sing yours.”

Quigley gripped his hand tighter, shivering as snow blew into his face. “It’s- it’s just a song we used to sing on long car trips.”

“It’s Lewis Carroll.”

“Yeah, when Isadora was a baby that’s all that would calm her down, reciting Carroll stuff. Or so Mother said.”

“Well, let’s hear it.”

Quigley brightened a little, then sang under his breath as they kept going.

They eventually reached a frozen stream, as the sun was setting, and Bertrand started following that, knowing that the headquarters would be at the center of where the streams met. Quigley swung their arms, brightening up a little as they moved along.

“One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back!”

Bertrand stopped, then, holding up a hand. “Do you hear anything?”

Quigley stopped, too, instantly stiffening. He thought. “Some kind of buzz. Maybe snow gnats. They live in the Mortmain Mountains and tend to sting for no reason at all.”

Bertrand smiled. “You read a lot about the mountains?”

“No, but it was the only interesting book I found in Dr Montgomery’s library while I was waiting for Jacques.” Quigley said. “It also had secret codes for a VFD headquarters, would that be important?”

Bertrand stopped, and then turned and stared at him in shock. “It absolutely would. How did you expect to get in?”

“Oh, I just thought we were going to go through a window.”

Bertrand opened his mouth to respond, and then stopped again. “The sound’s getting closer. And… slower.”

Quigley listened, too. “It doesn’t sound like bugs now. Running footsteps, slowing to a walk- I bet they’re walking on sticks or rough snow patches. Maybe it’s someone who can help?”

Bertrand shook his head. “As much as I’d like that, I don’t think there’s anyone in these hills who could help. Unless it’s False Spring already.”

“Not for a few days, I don’t think. But then again, I’m not sure if I’ve got the date correct.”

Bertrand squeezed his hand, peering over the snowy ground. Then, quietly, he said, “Quigley?”

“Yes?”

“Stay behind me.”

Quigley unquestioningly obeyed, though he did press himself against Bertrand's side in a kind-of hug. He whimpered slightly, and Bertrand tried to steady himself as best he could.

Then two figures emerged around the bend in the path, and stopped, staring at them.

“Well,” said a man with a beard but no hair, “This is a surprise.”

“Would you look who it is?” said a woman with hair but no beard.

Bertrand stared in rapt horror, and then he said, “Run.”

Quigley grabbed his arm, and Bertrand leapt across the stream, dragging him across the snow. They heard a sharp whistle, and Bertrand cursed, pushing Quigley into a mess of trees.

“What’s going on? What-”

“They have eagles. They’re sending the eagles after us.”

“Eagles?”

“Big ones. Listen to me.” Bertrand knelt by him, putting hands on his shoulders. “If those two-”

“Who are they?”

“Arsonists. Terrible ones. You cannot go near them, do you understand?” Quigley nodded. “Okay. If they’re here, VFD Headquarters has already burnt. Meaning they won’t expect us to go there. It’s at the center of the mountains, but if you can find a cave with a-”

“Vertical Flame Diversion?”

“Yes, use that. I will meet you there.”

“You’re-”

Bertrand shushed him, then grabbed his arm and dragged him into a bush. They held still as they heard a bird call, and then a swooping above them.

“I am going to direct them away from you.” Bertrand said. “But I have the knife, so I’ll at least have a bit of a defense. You need to get to the headquarters. Wait there for me.” he waited a moment to see if the eagles had passed, and then pulled them back out. He shrugged off the makeshift bag and handed it to Quigley. “There’s food there. Wait until you run out, if I’m not there by then, assume the worst and find your way into a town, go to the police.”

“I don’t want to leave you, too!” Quigley cried.

Bertrand bit his lip, and then gave Quigley a quick hug. “I don’t want too, either. But you need to be safe. Please, please promise me you will get to those headquarters and won’t turn back for me.”

Quigley took a deep breath. “Only if you promise you won’t die.”

Bertrand tried very hard not to cry, but nodded. “Promise. Now go.”

Quigley already had tears streaming down his face, but he nodded as well, and then he took off, and Bertrand ran in the opposite direction.

#asoue #asoue netflix #a series of unfortunate events #runaway baudelaires au #asoue fanfiction #all those things they couldn't say #the slippery slope #mine #my fanfic

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mysamcedesmadness · 6 years

Text

Steerio Hearts Stuff & Stuff

White Devils and the Demons They Serve (Chs 15-17)

I was gonna do two seperate posts, but you two are the ones who do most of the reading and y’all actually read EVERYTHING, so I figured, even if it’s as long as a chapter, y’all would’ve read it anyways.

@sweetiedee85

Stevie can’t even sniff his fingers with Bukowski breathing down his neck. What is Bukowski up to with Cheerio?

I. Am. Still. Crine. Over this comment. That is all. (Because, you just found out in Ch 17 what Bukowski was up to.

But I guess it’s the devil you know versus the devil you don’t.

Even though this is regarding Tesla, this is actually a fantastic summary of most of the characters in this story, hell - in the series. People often accept what their life seems to be instead of fighting for what it can be. That DEFINITELY happens in the context of having a mental illness, because everyday life can be overwhelming enough, so taking extra risks and chances are sometimes astronomical.

What’s sad is they would rather do that than come see their child. Time is more value, and we see they don’t care enough to spend any with her.

The Robinsons are the worst. I just have no other feedback of them for right now. Radja more than Champ - but they are a team and that team should’ve included their daughter and never does. In fact, I have a little arc that involves Radja coming up shortly and yes, she’s just the worst in it.

But then those dang nightmares and training haunting the poor guy. I know it’s something he struggles with even after their married. He has triggers, and they usually lead to him growing and learning something different about himself and the way he views things. It seems that this is only the beginning of that journey.

Stevie sometimes suffers from psychosis, so he’s forgotten a lot of things that he’s been exposed to, because his brain was just unable or unwilling to process the trauma - much like his breakdown after Mary died. This is why later he still has repressed memories punching him in the gut and why it’s important to him to be a realist. He seems like an asshole a lot, for “Just being realistic,” but he knows himself (particularly after he’s out) and he just wants to make sure he’s trying to assess things normally and naturally, so that he doesn’t unintentionally wind up in a state of psychosis... Now, WE know that sometimes, it’s going to happen, anyway. But, these glimpses into his episodes are here for me to try to explain why Stevie is such an “asshole,” OUTSIDE of his racism. That’s a completely different issue which I’d never justify. Lol.

I do wonder if Tesla wants this footage. I doubt Bukowski has any good in him so is it his self need to have every part of Tesla in his grasp, under his control? Will she be somehow grateful he’s gotten this back? Idk but just the thought makes me sicker.

Tesla does NOT want this footage, wants no part of this footage, was alarmed by Bukowski and Stevie even MENTIONING this footage, and has absolutely no need for this footage. This is primarily about Bukowski’s control, and also his fetish. He enjoys watching. He enjoys knowing things. It makes him feel powerful to know things and to be able to see things. She MAY be grateful that he’s gotten it, but honestly, she’s still suffering from the damage of the event. She knows that it has already been done, and whether or not there is footage, she’s already suffered and has to live with it. Be sick, be very sick. It’s meant to be deeply sickening.

Anyway, Stevie is out of control lol threatening Derek was un called for. We know at this point she’s the one exception to that word, and that’s recent so I wasn’t surprised when he said it. I thought Cheerio would at least consider turning down Stevie’s offer but nope lol She just as toxic in love as him, and she sees beyond his training. I doubt I could have it in me.

Stevie is often impulsive in his decisions, but sometimes, they’re premeditated. Sometimes, he thinks things out, knows that his decision isn’t great and does it anyway. He gets so much better about this as he ages, but Teenage Stevie is deeply territorial and no matter what he says, he feels like he owns Cheerio.

And, no ma’am. I can’t relate to her, in that regard. A chick called me “Kunta Kinte” in 2007. I tried to beat her with a beer bottle in her own trailer, had to get dragged out of there and brought home and I still will call her a bitch, if I see her today.

Angelwings

Ok... Who is Bukowski even using to make Tesla (Ally) jealous? I mean agh.

This had me cracking up SO HARD. You would be surprised the kinda pink dick pandering out there on the innanets. Whenever I had a successful porn blog, right here on Tumblr, I seen some shit. And there are folk less attractive and less charming that can somehow manage to get little sex games going with people, especially if they’re in a fetish niche (which gingers are).

ok so Tesla told her to have sex in the shower? If she's in the bathroom they accept verbal... side eyeing and looking all squinted eyed trying to imagine how they WON'T get caught.

This is because the orderlies won’t generally just burst into the bathroom while a resident is in the shower if the resident seems fine and is willing to peek out and show their face. They’ll only barge in if the resident seems off (trying to pretend that they’re fine) or is not responsive. They want to value their privacy to a certain extent, but not to leave them vulnerable, if they somehow got hold of a weapon or something.

It just goes back to what Stevie says to Sam. He has to constantly battle with his thoughts. At least he does that.

I touched on this a little bit with Dee. Stevie HAS to do this, to make sure that he keeps himself grounded. His triggers are so dynamic that they literally take control of his mind, for a time. He wants to not have to experience that, and he never wants to hurt the people he loves because of some type of break.

Hmm so Dani is trying to work at a library. That's kind of perfect. Hope she gets it and keeps up her therapy and stuff. It always makes me upset to see any hospital release patients before they are ready. I really hope Dani can transition back into society.

Oh, no - she’s not trying to work at the library. The library is one of the few places that poor people can have access to the Internet and by this time, even though the story is set for several years ago - a lot of the jobs and such are available to apply online. Dani would most likely apply online, because she knows that she might appear to not be normal when going in to get applications and people might “fire before you hire” her upon seeing that she’s not very normal. Sorry, I didn’t explain that. I know that the Texas Workforce Commission has access, but I didn’t feel like researching how unemployment works in Ohio, so I just went the library application route. Dani’s story isn’t over yet, so you’ll definitely find out how life went for her.

They function as a community, one for all and all for their cause. People can do anything when they work together even create monsters and killers.

People who lead abusive lifestyles often see their behavior as normal. Hence arguments TO THIS DAY of “My mom beat me and I turned out fine” or “People are this way because they don’t get beat enough.” Contrary to the cases upon cases of research and information that hitting children only causes trauma. Now, generally - children of abuse do NOT turn out to be killers and horrible criminals. Some go on to be kind humans and productive members of society... But even those generally have to address the trauma that was caused by their toxic environments.

Inevitably we know the fate of the hospital but in the other stories we never hear of the other characters. I hope they get the help they need wherever they go.

I have stories plotted out for most of the ones that we know. It’s gonna be a moment to get to some of them, but I’ll try not to drop the ball, completely.

Stevie was angry with Bukowski for hurting his Bust it Baby- learning so much. I had to look that up. That is Cheri by every definition if not now then later. She is well on her way. That exchange was cute the way Cheri acted.

Bust It Baby Pt 2 was ONE OF MY FAVES in the club. (Telling my age, now. LOL) But, THEY would have been teens/kids around that time, so I didn’t feel bad referencing that mug. Bwahahaha. Cheri DEFINITELY becomes all of that for Stevie. But, yeah - she was a little bashful about it being said in a group setting.

Even Tanisha had to tell him about himself with Stevie. It's like Stevie was punished for all the children, well Mary got to Stacey but Sam was golden. Some couples should not procreate.

I think it took a while for Dwight to comprehend that just because Stacie and Sam ‘turned out okay,’ that didn’t MEAN that he had been blameless in helping to shape Stevie the way that he did. He never saw himself as having anything against Stevie, because he loved him as much as he did the others (or so he thought - he just wasn’t CLOSE to him). And Mama T was able to see that Dwight’s not being close to Stevie affected how he handled him, whether or not he did love him - which she believed and trusted that he did, but she needed him to get that STEVIE needed to believe and trust it.

This Entire Review: I Have a Lot of Responses, Love

Bukowski is blinded by crazy. Any half decent individual would see red flags. DANGER! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! What an idiot. Poetic justice would be if Tesla killed his awhen he drugged and kidnapped her or whatever his chosen crazy decides to do. I just don't see him living after he knocked on that door.

Unfortunately, Bukowski’s time is not yet up. But, he has definitely poked a bear by reaching out to Max. Stevie making deals in an institution with a demon eww. Stevie has his number already, is he blinded by the vajayjay?

Stevie is blinded by both the caviar and his inability to access, the way that he would like to. He’s a teenage boy trying to squeeze quickies in all day in between heavily monitored times. That argument between Stevie and Cheri was like imagining popcorn pop. You know the explosion is coming. When it does your like damned that's some Good popcorn! I kept saying Oh, and scrunching up my face like Stevie's next words are gonna get him smacked and then he did it. He said the ultimate, ONE word that is complete Taboo in anger no less. *SMACK* ! Round two lol!

Stevie often feels attacked when nobody is attacking him. I blame Dwight for this, because Stevie spent most of his life feeling like he had to explain and defend himself, to the point where his mentality is paranoid and he thinks that he has to fight whenever a conflict or challenge arises. Cheri is not a violent person, but whenever she gets angry (Teenage Cheerio) will lash out, because she’s in a position where she can’t just go to the spa or have a smoothie. She’s relaxed more later because she has the freedom to simply escape for a moment. Here, she’s a caged bird. Cheri is hella patient with him and I get it. I have had to explain blackness to other races, as if EVERY race and EVERY culture and EVERY class does not have their own innuendoes and humor. Even his Arian idiot family. Like the lady at work told my coworker with at straight face 'Don't all y'all like fried chicken? I said what did you do? My coworker said I took a deep breath and saidNo! And what you just said is considered racist. Of course she asked how? My coworker said she just walked away. I probably would have a. been patient and broke it down, or b. said ungh hungh just like all y'all like caviar and filet minion. Just would depend on my mood but Cheri is time enough for Stevie. Most of how she handles Stevie I agree with.

I don’t. It’s not my job to bear the burden of educating people who (if they gave a fuck) could access resources to educate themselves. I made those mistakes when I was younger, and that shit was nothing but additional emotional labor added to the constant processes I had to go through, throughout the day in my black ass skin. I watch racists getting beat up for being trash on YouTube all the time. That’s handling that I agree with.Lol. Now there is no way in hell any man would not take Derek's behavior as a challenge or threat. I felt like he was trying to purposely show Stevie he could reach Cheri in a way Stevie could not and do things with Cheri that Stevie could not just to put it in Stevie's face then try and hide behind a smile and laughter like he didn't have an agenda. Even if he doesn't like her like that he KNEW Cheri was with Stevie. He should have acted accordingly. I think Derek was trying to be sneaky. Yes Stevie is a jelly monster and he is territorial and possessive but that is Stevie. Like Mason calling Cheri Ri Ri then correcting himself in front of Stevie. Mason is not deliberately trying to poke the bear. He calms all that down in front of Stevie and Stevie eventually learns that Cheri has to have other friends. I don't think that was Derek's mind set, befriend Cheri and Stevie. He just liked having the attention sounds like from everyone, in a mental hospital. Stevie is not stupid. Cheri is a little Naïve I think, especially when she meets Max. To me she made a couple mistakes with that. Trust no one. Describe new people in addition to looking up tags.

This is highly problematic, in my opinion, for many reasons, all of which - I’ll respectfully address. Firstly, any man or person in general that takes the friendship of someone else with their partner as a threat is toxic, and possibly abusive. Control and possessiveness are not key points of love. They are key points of obsession and obsession is almost always dangerous when it involves people as the object.

I don’t think that I wrote anything to indicate that Derek was in any way trying to challenge or compete with Stevie, so that feeling seems to be some internalized antiblackness or at the very least, sympathy for the devil - in this case, that’d be Stevie. Because HE was wrong and he reacted. There is nothing wrong with a black kid getting attention from people or trying to impress or please people, so I’m not sure why that would be considered poking the bear or purposefully trying to upset Stevie.

They are ALL in the mental hospital, and while Stevie definitely isn’t STUPID, he certainly is psychotic. He’s not always right. Even his instincts are frequently off, at this juncture of his life and it isn’t the responsibility of a black boy, who is here for his own mental health to coddle Stevie and think about all the ways that he may or may not be offending him by being generally friendly to everyone around him, which is literally all Derek does in this chapter. I only wrote him making jokes and being jovial, up until the point that Stevie threatened him, out of paranoia, after being told multiple times that he shouldn’t bother with it.

And Cheerio is definitely naive, but that also doesn’t mean that she should have had all the answers as to why not to suspect everybody that she met. She did her part to try to keep herself safe, and of course, Max would have had avenues set up as to not tip her off. He’s been trained to deceive. Saying that she made some mistakes sounds a little bit victim blaming to me, especially considering that she followed the rules that were given to her, and whenever she was abducted, she was run off of the road and taken. She hadn’t met up with him in the woods, or something.

She was extremely paranoid (affecting her mental state and her peace of mind), because of everything that they had told her and she had no way of knowing that someone who’s information came back clean was someone else. I feel like this must be stated - Max doesn’t just LOOK like Max Giardi when he greets her. He’s not going up to her looking like somebody that she could Google and she’s just put her thumb in her butt and calls it a coincidence. He’s tactical. He purposefully entered her world. He wouldn’t do it in a way that any normal person would notice that anything off, much less someone that he would presume has been told to look out for him.

Bonus Face Claim:

Ashlee Brian as Derek (Originally a dance crew member in “The End of Twerking” episode.

#Steerio Hearts Stuff & Stuff #Notes #My writing #Replies #AU Glee Fanfiction #FCs

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sufferthesea · 6 years

Text

The Price of Rule-Breaking

Chapter 2 of Leather and Lace

Words: 2.471 Pairings/Warnings/Rating: Remus x OC, Sirius x OC / Violence, bodily harm, blood / Teen Part 1 | AO3 | FFN

The next morning Goldie sat over Catlin, inspecting the damage done. She looked considerably worse, though Goldie wouldn't outright say that. A series of long cuts ran across her face, her nose was bloodied across the bridge, her eye was swollen, and there were bruises all across her face. Catlin had also showed that the dog had bit through her coat and managed to puncture the skin on her shoulder.

“You need to go to Madam Pomfrey,” Goldie said, pushing Catlin's hair out of her face to keep it away from the blood. “What if that dog has rabies or something? And what if you did break your nose?”

“I have a fat lip,” Catlin said, delicately touching her mouth. “And a black eye. But I tried to clean the blood off and it hurt too much.”

“I'll walk you to the hospital wing.” Goldie helped her friend stand and led her through the Hufflepuff House, out into the hallway and towards the hospital wing in the castle. They kept their cloaks closed tight and hats pulled low, shuffling along beside other students who were heading to their classes.

The two girls passed by a group of rowdy Gryffindor boys who were all laughing and jostling each other. Goldie managed to get a look at them and nearly stopped in her tracks. Three of the boys she recognized from the night before. It was the one with the glasses – James, wasn't it? - the one with long hair whose name was something like Sidious or Deciduous, and then a shorter, heavier blonde boy. Quickly turning her gaze away, Goldie hurried past them and towards the hospital wing. She wondered if the boys had seen the animals last night. It didn't matter – she couldn't confront them without admitting they'd also snuck out after dark and she wasn't going to do that.

Goldie brought Catlin inside, guiding her to the Matron who rushed over, pulling the girl's pointed hat off her head.

“What happened?”

“She tripped and fell,” Goldie said, saying the first lie she could think of.

Madam Pomfrey took off Catlin's cloak and noticed the bite on her right shoulder. “What's that?”

“A dog bit her,” she said, this time not lying. “I think it was a stray.”

“Come,” Madam Pomfrey said, leading Catlin by the other shoulder. She looked at Goldie, “Thank you for bringing her in. You can go to class now.”

“Can't I stay -”

“No, she'll need to rest. There'll be plenty of time to see her once she's better. Go back to your class, please.”

Goldie watched as her friend was carted off. Huffing, she turned on her heels and left the hospital wing, carrying Catlin's hat and cloak.

Pomfrey set Catlin down on a bed, cupping her face in her hands and looking at the injuries. “These look old – the blood's dried. How long ago did this happen?”

“N-Not too long ago,” she fibbed. “Maybe an hour …?”

“You can be honest with me, dear. It doesn't matter much to me except for treating that bite.”

Catlin would've blushed in embarrassment if a lot of her blood wasn't dried on her face. “Last night.”

“We'll get you fixed up,” Pomfrey said, “then you can get some rest.”

Goldie sat in her Potions class, twirling her quill in her fingers. She was supposed to be taking notes but she couldn't stop thinking about last night. It seemed so surreal and it could've easily been a dream if Catlin's injuries hadn't proven it real. She wondered how Evelyn was doing. She was the only one in their friend group in Slytherin, so she was away from any immediate news about their battered friend.

“Miss Hope,” Slughorn said, gaining the attention of the girl. “May I ask why you have an extra robe and hat under your desk?”

She looked down, as if she didn't know they were there. Then, smiling innocently at the teacher, she said, “In case these ones get ruined in class today.”

“Oh.” He hesitated, thinking it over. He turned back to the rest of the class. “Very good. Perhaps all of you should bring extra robes … in case they're ruined. Of course, if you're doing your Potions correct, there's no reason your robes will be ruined.”

Biting her tongue to keep from saying something sassy, and relieved that her lie was so easily accepted, Goldie slipped back into her daydream and wondered just what those boys were doing out that night.

Evelyn sat in the library, textbook open and parchment half filled with important notes. She was waiting there until Goldie met her there after her Potions class, which was pretty routine – except for the events that happened last night. She scribbled another note about a group of magical aquatic plants. She felt a little guilty because she'd had to cancel two of her tutoring sessions with her housemates since she intended to sneak into the hospital wing to see Catlin. But she'd decided it would be fine if they missed one day and she could make it up later.

A hushed giggle caught her attention. She looked over to see four boys – Gryffindors – huddled around a table, talking hurriedly in low voices. She looked back at her textbook, trying to concentrate.

“What do I do with it?” one boy asked.

“Return it,” offered another boy.

“I can't. I don't even know who it belongs to.”

“So turn it into a teacher. Say you found it in the halls,” came a third voice.

“Right, like they'll believe that. No student just loses their wand inside the castle. They'll think I stole it!”

“What? Stole it and then returned it to a teacher? Sure.”

Evelyn's head snapped up and she stared at the boys. It was then that she realized they looked familiar. One boy had messy hair and glasses, one had blonde hair, and the other had shoulder-length hair. A pit formed in her stomach when she remembered why they looked so familiar. They were the boys from last night – plus one other. The last boy had disheveled light brown hair and scars running across his face, over his nose. She hadn't seen him last night but she wondered if he was the one they were looking for. What was his name? Regis? Ronald? Ricky?

But what really concerned her was this conversation about a wand. She was sure it was Catlin's – it had to be. Who else would've lost their wand the same night as her and be conveniently found by the boys they'd seen skulking around?

A chill ran up her arms when it dawned on her that it was possible those boys had seen everything – the Whomping Willow, the stag, the dog … and Goldie's use of magic on an animal.

Before they noticed her looking, she turned her attention to her textbook and hoped Goldie's class would end soon. She didn't want to be alone with these boys any longer than she needed to be.

After a particularly boring Potions class in which she had to quite literally bite her tongue to keep from receiving several weekends worth of detention for pure sass and backtalk, Goldie met Evelyn in the library. Unfortunately, the boys were still there so she couldn't voice her suspicions, but as she rolled up her parchment she made a subtle gesture towards the group. Out in the hall, she leaned close to Goldie as they walked.

“You saw those boys? They're the ones we saw last night!”

“I know. I saw them this morning when I was taking Cat to Madam Pomfrey.”

“I overheard them talking and ...” She paused when a group of first year Ravenclaws walked by. “And I think they have Cat's wand.”

“What?” Goldie exclaimed, far too loudly. Several people looked over at them in surprise. Hurrying down the hall, Evelyn continued.

“Yeah, they were trying to figure out what to do with it or who to turn it in to.”

“Are they really going to turn it in?”

“No. They didn't want to admit how they found it.”

“Good. It would've gotten Cat in trouble too. We have to figure out how to get it back from them. We could ask.”

“No! We can't admit to them that we were out there! Even if they already know.”

“Do you think they saw us get attacked by those animals? And the tree?”

“Maybe. I guess they didn't want us to know they were out and that's why they didn't help. I mean, we saw them but they don't know we saw them.”

“Okay.” Goldie paused and they sat on a bench in an alcove of the hall. “Let's figure this out. Those boys - they're Gryffindors right?”

“Yes.”

“And you're Slytherin and me and Cat are Hufflepuffs. So there's no way we're getting into the Gryffindor common room. Hmm … We need to steal the wand back, preferably without them knowing.”

“We can jump them,” Evelyn joked. “Or I distract them and you grab it off of them.”

“Yeah, except I don't know who has it.”

“The little blonde guy. He's the one who said he found it and didn't know what to do with it.”

“Okay, good! So we'll just find out a way to get the wand from him, return it to Cat before she starts her classes and we'll be golden!”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Goldie looked down the hall. “I don't have any classes until late. What about you?”

Evelyn shook her head.

“You want to sneak in and see Cat?”

“Of course,” Evelyn said. “We can tell her our plan.”

The girls stood and headed for the hospital wing, eager to share their news.

Goldie and Evelyn stood beside the bed, looking down at Catlin. She looked a bit better, though she was still badly bruised and her nose was bandaged.

“How are you doing?” Goldie asked, then changed the question. “What's the prognosis? Are you gonna make it?”

Catlin smiled weakly. “Worse than we thought but better than I hope. Wait … Reverse those. Maybe … I don't know.” She took in a deep breath and winced. “When I ran into the tree I broke my nose and fractured some ribs. There's no way to tell if the dog had rabies, so … She's given me tons of potions and now I'm on bed rest until I'm better. At least until I can walk, you know, without passing out from pain. Also, she said I have a concussion – so that's fun.”

“At least you're alive,” Evelyn said, reaching out and patting her leg. “It could've been worse. You could've been taken out by a tree. That's worse than being stomped to death by a deer.”

“Yeah,” Catlin agreed, “when I said I was a 'tree hugger' that's not what I meant.”

Goldie grinned. “You're fine – you still have a sense of humor. It's once you lose that when all hope is lost.”

“So,” Evelyn said in a low voice, “we have some important information.”

“What?”

The two healthy girls sat on either side of the bed.

“You know how you lost your wand?” Evelyn asked.

“Yeah ...”

“We think we may have found it.”

“What? Where?”

“That's the problem,” Goldie said, sighing. “You know those boys we saw last night?”

“Yes …?”

“We think they have it.”

“Oh great.”

“But we're gonna get it back,” Evelyn assured her. “We're trying to figure out a way to steal it from them without them noticing.”

“Well what house are they in? Maybe one of you can sneak in and -”

“Already thought of it,” said Evelyn. “They're in Gryffindor.”

Catlin groaned, “So there's no way we're getting in there. Do you have any classes with them?”

“I'm not sure,” Goldie said. “We'll keep an eye out. But at least we know who has it!”

“Plus,” Evelyn interjected, “I heard them talking and they're trying to figure out who it belongs to so they can return it.”

“That's good at least.”

“True. Uh-oh … I think we need to go.” Goldie pointed down the room. “I think Madam Pomfrey is coming. She won't be happy if we're in here.” She stood. “I'm glad you're feeling better. How long do you think you'll be here?”

“She said maybe a week. She just wants my ribs to heal a little before I go to classes – and to make sure I don't work too hard with my concussion. She also said I can't fly for a couple of months!”

“We'll try to visit you again,” Evelyn said as she stood. “Do you want us to bring you anything?”

“Snacks,” she said, saying the only thing she could think of at the moment.

Evelyn sighed, “Hufflepuffs … If I manage to sneak any snacks out of the kitchen, there may not be any left by the time I get back here.”

“Let's go,” Goldie said. “We'll see you later.”

Catlin gave a short wave as the girls slipped out of the hospital wing. It was a little scary to think that those boys had her wand, but there was really nothing she could do. She half wished she hadn't gone out that night, but at the same time she knew once she was better she'd mark on the map where the Whomping Willow was (which was more than accurately named) and they'd all go out again. They were determined to get inside the Shrieking Shack at least once before they graduated – even if that was still years away – and see these ghosts that everyone talked about. No matter how scary or violent or break-the-rules-to-get-a-glimpse it was, they couldn't help but investigate a good ghost story. At least now she could brag that she got these injuries from ghost hunting. Even if ghosts themselves didn't cause them, she did technically get them on the hunt.

Madam Pomfrey arrived with another bottle of potion and beef and potato pasties. “I got you something from the kitchen,” she said, setting the pies on the table beside the bed. “Mostly because this potion is particularly nasty. If you drink it on an empty stomach – well, you won't have much of a stomach afterward. Eat one pie before and one pie after. You should be just fine then.”

“Thank you,” Catlin said cautiously.

Pomfrey left and Catlin picked up one of the meat pies. Eying the bottle of potion warily, she took a bite of the pie. Was this worth it? Was a broken nose, fractured ribs, a black eye, busted lip, concussion, and several months of recovery – not to mention the possibility of detention or being expelled – worth getting a slight glimpse of a ghost that wasn't benevolently haunting the castle halls? She took another bite and smiled even though it hurt her nose.

Yes, it was. It was very worth it.

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