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#Maybe the witch can make her speak English while we're here
x-nephophile-x · 1 year
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🍒📚🕷️ for fallout oc(s) of ur choosing lol <3
I'm going to just do 4 out of the 5 fallout 4 OCs, two I've had for a few years now, because I have many thoughts fkskfks. I literally made the other 2 within the last few days but I've also thought about these ideas since I first played the game so I got the Vibes, just gotta flesh em out now! This helps!!
A random sweet headcanon
Leah: Wears Danse's holotags with her own after Blind Betrayal always.
Isabela: Often does synths hair when they're waiting it out in the safehouses before transport.
Aera: Watches Gage's blindspot and often takes out things that press in too close on his right.
Danielle: Mac eventually picks up some ASL and works to learn the basics first to keep them safe out on the road. Comes in handy during the Salem Witch museum and it surprises her that hes picked it up as she can often only speak in ASL with Nick and Curie.
do they know any other languages? (if so) what are they?
Leah: Only knows what she learned in French class in highschool literally eons ago.
Isabela: Her husband knew Spanish so she learned a little here and there, knows more programming languages than speakable ones though.
Aera: She's Korean and is fluent in English since immigrating shortly before the Great War.
Danielle: She is late-deafened so while she does still speak English, she is fluent in ASL and uses it primarily pre-war.
what is / are their biggest fear(s)?
Leah: If we're not going too deep here, its definitely stingwings and no, I'm not just projecting, she dislikes them and Danse is usually a bit quicker on the trigger with them when they're out together. If we want to go deep, she very much does not respond well to Vaults; she hates the door noise and the walls make her feel cold and claustrophobic. She has A Time in Vault 81 by herself getting that damn cure.
Isabela: Small spaces. Maybe it has to do with the cryogenic freezing, she doesn't know and she doesn't try to dwell on it. She really picked a good faction to side with, y'know, it being one that lives in a tiny tunnel beneath a tiny church full of winding halls and darkness :)
Aera: Before the war, bugs. After the war, the bigger bugs. After Nukaworld, anything that has more than 2 legs, period. If she sees one more bloodworm, she might just make the Nuke in Nukaworld a reality.
Danielle: ??? Everything??? She's the only sole survivor I have who is actually canonically a lawyer (The other three are canonically all war vets like Nate using the mod that restores Fem!Sole's cut dialogue lines), and has no weapons training, has never killed anything bigger than a fly and runs out of the room to sic her husband on house spiders (Thank God no fallout has done irradiated spider enemies, honestly). I'd say the dark is her worst fear though, especially when shes alone.
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emile-hides · 4 years
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Junkensnack
What’s up I’ve been playing Junkenstein endless for two hours straight to try an memorize the boss pattern and now my brain is Junkenmush.
Anyway here’s a Junkenstein Meihem fic I’ve wanted to write for a full year.
Consider this part of Vamptober.
“A wot?” Junkenstein pushed his goggles from his eyes with the bottom of his palm, his gloves and apron soaked in blood.
“A Jiangshi,” The Witch of the Wilds repeated, slower than the first, “it’s a type of vampire zombie thing from a country to the east.”
Jamie pulled off his blood gloves, tossing them onto the table with his current specimen splayed atop, “And what about it?”
“I need you to kill it.” The witch spoke bluntly, “It’s in my territory and is honestly being a nuisance.”
“Why do I have to do it?? You got other servants!” Jamison huffed, pulling his goggles back over his face, only for the witch to pinch his cheek, tugging at him.
“Yes, but none of them have as much free time as you do. In fact most of them are busy successfully killing kings and taking over castles.” She pulled his cheek rather painfully.
Jamison whined and struggled, “Alright! Alright I’ll get right on it!!”
The witch released Jamison’s cheek, smiling at her victory, “That’s a good little doctor. You’re free to do with her corpse whatever you like~”
Jamie blinked, “Wha- Her?? You didn’t say anything about a sheila, witch!” Of course, when he turned back to the witch, she was gone. The doctor sighed and rubbed his cheek, “Dammit...” He muttered, slumping from the room to get to work on some traps.
“Damn witch thinks she can boss me around...” Jamison muttered as he dragged himself though the wood surrounding Adlersbrunn. Large spike mouth bear traps hung over his shoulders, explosives clanked carelessly off his hip, the danger of setting one off no where near the front of Jamison’s mind.
“”Junkenstien, you’re an ultra smart inventor, go do menial labor tasks for me because you sooooooo owe me for that spark of life”” He mocked the witch in a silly girlish voice that sounded nothing like her, but it made him feel better.
He huffed as he came to a short clearing, glaring up at the moon, as if blaming it for his suffering, “I could be home right now. Working on Hayseed, or spending time with Hoggy. Maybe makin’ a huge Zomnic to beat the Witch to death!” Jamie broke out in a maniacal laugh, throwing and detonating one of land mines, just to see the small destruction it’d cause to the tree it stuck to.
“Damn Witch, next time I see her I’ll...” Jamison’s thought trailed off as he caught sight of movement across the clearing. Something struggling under the tree he’d blown down.
The doctor quickly rushed over to see if it was an animal, as long as it wasn’t a wild pig, it was a free meal.
But now. It wasn’t an animal. Under the tree, struggling to get herself out, was a pale girl. Her hair was long and black, pulled apart into two bunches in the back. On the ground in front of her was a tall purple hat with a talisman on it, supposedly knocked off her head in the crash.
Jamison glared down at the girl. He cared very little for the townspeople of Adlersbrunn, for many reasons. And if she was dumb enough to be in the Wilds during a full moon, then she would have ended up dead anyway.
He turned to leave, grumbling to himself, wishing he’d brought Hoggy with him. She would have made a rather convenient dinner for the picky beast.
“幫幫我!!” A language unknown to the doctor cried out from under the tree. His instincts forcing his halt as, what he assumed to be, cries for help pleaded from behind him.
“幫幫我! 請幫我!!” The girl under the tree cried helplessly, kicking her large boots as she dug at the dirt, desperate to get out.
Whatever humanity was left in Junkenstein after his countless deaths bled for the trapped girl. He groaned and whined and scratched at his scalp, hating his still beating heart.
“FINE!” He snapped, marching back over to her, “But do NOT tell ANYONE about this, you understand?!” He glared down at her. The girl’s large, deep brown eyes shined up at him, causing a flush of what he passed of annoyance to cover the Doctor’s face.
Is the Doctor secretly as strong as his monster? Did he risk blowing himself and the girl up to destroy the rest of the tree? Did they spend hours digging her out? We’ll leave that to your imagination.
However he did it, the girl was free. She cheered, “謝謝! 非常感謝你!” As she happily pulled herself up.
Jamison huffed, smart enough to realize she was thanking her. The doctor dusted himself off and began to dismiss, “Yeah, like I said, don’t tell anyone I helped ya or-”
His words caught in his throat as the girl was suddenly on him, her body pressed to his lanky form, her arms tightly wrapped around him, pulling him close. Despite the layers she clearly wore, she was cold, like a corpse. Her clawed hands gripped onto his coat, holding him in place.
Blood rushed to Jamison’s face as he froze in place, his arms pinned to his sides, unable to return her embrace.
“你聞到 可口...” She spoke lowly, her breath hot onto his neck as she pulled herself up to be more level with the tall doctor.
Jamison’s brain finally stopped short circuiting, he flailed and screeched, waving his arms and leg wildly to shake her off. Both he and the mystery girl collapsed, Jamie quickly scuttled backwards.
“Y-You’re wELCome!” Screeched from the beet red form of Doctor Jamison Junkenstein as he imploded at a distance.
The girl blinked at him, “你確定是活潑的. 好可愛.” Her giggled rung though Jamison’s ears, sending shocks of euphoria though his body.
“I-I, uhm...” He cleared his throat, stumbling back onto his feet, legs shaking, “I-It’s la-ate, a-a lady l-like yourself sh-shouldn’t be, uhm, in the woods all alone...” He stuttered, leaving his traps on bombs on the ground, “S-So, ah, ma-ay I walk you... w-well not home, b-but maybe.. t-to... my-my place?? F-For dinner a-and a safe place to sleep??”
Internally Junkenstein begged for death he would not be revived out of as his words uselessly tumbled from his mouth, forming a pile of pure vomited garbage at his feet.
The girl giggled again and got herself up once more, dusting off her outfit she smiled. Jamison’s heart pounded in her chest as the woman didn’t walk, but hopped to him.
Yes. That was a little weird. But her rosy red cheeks and shining brown eyes and sharp toothed smile outweighed the strange hop and cold skin. Junkenstein assumed perhaps she’s hurt her leg when the tree crushed her.
Taking her movement to him as an acceptance of his invitation, Jamison began to lead the hopping girl back to his home. Hopefully on the way he could find something for dinner.
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emma-nation · 3 years
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The Devil In I - Bela x OC (Resident Evil Village AU)
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“Step inside, see the Devil in I”
Summary: Aleena Novak is a 19 years old orphan who desired more than living in a village in the middle of nowhere. A talented artist with a big future ahead, she gets the scholarship of her dreams in United States. But everything changes when her twin brother, Auryk, steals an important artifact from Castle Dimitrescu.
In this adventure, Aleena will find way more than she expected.
“You’ll realize I’m not your Devil anymore”
Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x OC
Genre: Between T and M (Trigger warning for violence, blood, abuse and eventual smut)
Tag List: @nydeiri
Notes: This is my first RES fic, so I'm sorry if I mess it up a bit. English is also not my main language, so a mistake or two may happen. I hope you enjoy it :)
Trigger Warning: Language, abuse, blood and violence.
Eastern Europe - July, 2009
"If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"
Mother closed the book, placing it on the bedside table between Auryk's bed and mine. Then, she lowered herself and kissed my forehead like she did every night. Her long, blonde hair tickled my face and left a trace of her sweet lavender fragrance in the air. I giggled.
"Good night, sweetheart," she spoke.
"Good night, momma."
"Cherish your last night as a six years old. Tomorrow you will become a..."
"Princess?!"
"A seven years old girl. The prettiest girl in the village."
"Pffft," Auryk let out a displeased grunt from his bed, covering his head with the pillow to avoid listening another word from the conversation.
"And you too," mother sat by his side on the bed and repeated her nightly ritual of kissing his forehead to wish him a good night too. "You'll become the most handsome and brave warrior in this village. Do you understand?"
"I hope so. Good night, mom."
"Good night, buddy."
Mother left the room, leaving us both in the dark. However, we couldn't sleep. Not because we were thrilled about our incoming birthday party as any regular child, but because we knew our lives were about to change. Seven years old was the age every child from our village was introduced to the truth and started being trained to fight the evil that haunted our lands. Auryk and I spent minutes, or maybe hours, in silence, staring at the ceiling.
"Leena?" He was the first one to speak. "Do you believe a spell can broken? I mean, like a curse?"
"I don't know, Ryk," I answered, feeling my thoughts starting to drift away. "Maybe we're doomed after all. Or... we could learn how to love the beasts."
The birthday parties always happened during the daytime, rules of the village. We could no longer be outside after 6 PM. Mother got help from the other women to prepare the treats and organize the decorations. Auryk was disguised as a pirate and I... I was Belle, from the Beauty and the Beast.
"So, what do you think you will be getting this year?" My best friend Elena asked while we were playing with our dolls. She was about two years older than us.
"I don't know," I shrugged. Being a merchant, my father always returned home with the most unusual gifts: a magical music box, a voodoo doll that had a life on its own or a fragrance that chased away the monsters - and everybody else too. "A new book. I'm hoping for a new book."
It was only by the end of the party Adrian Novak made his entrance. That was the mystery about him. Nobody knew when he would show up, or if he would show up at all. He still had that same annoying smirk on his face. The corner of his mouth holding a cigarette. The months away made his beard grow longer, as well as his dark hair. In the sunlight, the scar above his eye was even more visible.
"Auryk," he shouted, "come here, son. I've got something for ya."
My twin brother, who had been climbing trees with his friends stop frozen in spot for a second. I couldn't tell if he hated or feared that man. Maybe both. He slowly followed father's command, approaching him cautiously.
"Hi, dad."
"Happy birthday, son," father ruffled his dark straight hair with his strong and calloused hand. "It's about time you grow up."
He handed my brother a large package. From our experience, we knew exactly what it was, a shotgun.
"T-Thank you, dad."
"I'll be spending some time at home. Tomorrow we'll start practicing."
Auryk consented. He shot me a quick glance. From our twin bond I could tell my brother was far from happy. When he blew his candles that afternoon, he didn't wish for a weapon. We wished to be a normal child.
"What did you get, Leena?" He asked once we were locked in the safety of our bedroom.
"Pencils and a drawing book. Dad thinks I'm talented."
Not really. Adrian Novak would never allow his daughter to hold a shotgun. That was, according to him, 'a man thing'.
"Good, at least one of us got what they wanted. Happy birthday, sister."
"Happy birthday, brother."
4 Years Later - October, 2013
It wasn't easy to be the weakest of the twins. Although he was born first, Auryk was the tinniest. The one who was always getting sick or getting injured. The one who couldn't hit a single fucking target when he had the alcoholic breath of his father on his neck.
He aimed for a crow, sitting still on a fence. How hard could it be? Even the eldest man from the village could do any better than that.
BANG! He shot again. And missed.
"Again?!" Adrian angered, shoving him hard on the shoulder. "What the hell is your problem, kid?"
"I don't know, okay? This gun... it's heavy!"
"Heavy? And why do you think we've been exercising for all these years, huh?! We do not live in Disneyland, Auryk. We need to fight monsters, abominations. Someday I won't be home and you need to be prepared to protect our people. Do you understand?"
Tears started forming in the corners of the boy's blue eyes. He couldn't cry. Not in front of him. Crying was a sign of weakness and he couldn't be weak. Not right now. Auryk started to think about all the things he could be doing. He thought about the ocean, as he had seen on TV and books. He could feel the warmness of the sun on his skin. The sand between his toes. His mom and sister were also there, of course - they'd carry them with him everywhere. And he would study Math and Physics. There would be no guns, no monsters, no blood, only numbers, only formulas, only theories. He smiled. He no longer felt like crying.
"I'm sorry, dad," kindness was always the answer, his mother said. "But this isn't for me, you know? I don't like it. I... Remember that boarding school my teacher mentioned? I thought maybe I..."
His words were interrupted by a hard slap on his face. Auryk could taste a small amount of blood coming out from his lower lip.
"So that's what you want? To become one of those little fancy fags? Maybe you're not my son after all."
Adrian started walking away, leaving his son alone, sitting on the floor.
"I AM!" Auryk yelled, enraged. "I am your son."
"Then prove it."
"You shouldn't take so hard on him," Savannah poured her husband a cup of tea. "He's just a boy."
"He's eleven years old, for god's sake," the husband punched the table strong enough to make it shake. "He needs to man up a bit. You should stop spoiling him."
As I left my bedroom I found my brother sitting on the stairs. He didn't have to be so close to listen to the conversation between our parents, father's voice was loud enough to echo through every wall of our small and cozy home.
I sat down by his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
"Maybe you should do it, Leena. You'd do it better, I know."
"I'm not so sure. Remember when I tried to shoot a scarecrow and almost shot that old witch?"
"Come on, you aimed on purpose! I know."
Auryk finally let out a small laugh at the memory.
"You're good at everything, Leena," he spoke fondly. "You're an extrovert, you're everybody's friend, you can cook, you can draw and paint... you're a true artist. I'm a mistake."
"You're not a mistake, Ryk," I pulled my brother closer, resting my cheek against the side of his face. "We're only at the wrong place and you know it."
Going back to our bedroom, we pulled from the drawers the postcards our grandma Louise sent us from San Diego. Mom had been born in California and lived there her entire life, until she met father during one of his trips. God knows what made her fall in love with that man. Adventure? Danger? I expected better from myself when I turned eighteen. Otherwise, I'd never want to fall in love. Love could be my ruin, just like my mom's.
"Leena..." Auryk held the postcard tightly, "do you think... if he died... do you think mom would take us to nana's home?"
"I don't know, Ryk," I didn't want to think of my father's possible death. But I also dreamed of a better life. "Maybe."
"What the hell?" Father's voice in the kitchen made me jump in fear. I knew that tone. I grew up used to that. Something was wrong in the village. We had to hide.
"To the basement, now!" He emerged at the bedroom, holding a rifle. "Lycans were seen surrounding the area."
We barely had any time to react, mom came and dragged us both to the basement. Father left, carrying his arsenal of weapons as usual. There were other hunters in the village but we always knew how badly it could end. Somebody could always get seriously hurt. Or worse.
The basement had been carefully prepared for that kind of situation years before. It had a big bed, two armchairs, a heating source, some stored food and a shelf. Mom sighed and forced a smile.
"So," she walked to the shelf, "what is it going to be today?"
"Frankenstein," Auryk suggested. My brother loved mystery and horror. As if his life hadn't enough of it.
"Romeo and Juliet," I spoke. There was something about forbidden romance that always caught my interest.
"Okay. I... I'm gonna say a prayer and you two can read the books you picked by yourselves. What do you think?"
"Great!"
Mom kneeled down by the bed's side, holding a crucifix. I could join her if I wanted to, but I'd rather watch in silence. I grabbed my book, sitting on one of the armchairs and pretending to pay attention, while I tried to distract myself from the fact my father could be the Lycans' next prey. Or all of us, if they managed to break into our house.
"Leena?" I woke up hours later with my mom shaking me. "Leena?! Where's Auryk? Where's your brother, Leena?"
I had no idea. I had fallen asleep and apparently, so did mom. She checked for the basement's door, it had been locked from outside.
"No..." she tried to force it open. "No! I can't be..."
All Auryk had to do was to successfully kill and take a Lycan's carcass as a trophy to his father, right? That was what that old douchebag wanted him to do, to prove his courage, his manhood. We had his shotgun, a binoculars and a knife, that should be enough, but first, he needed a good plan.
Looking down to his hands, he had the most perfect idea. Without thinking twice, he sliced a cut through his palm, letting some blood pour on the ground. Then, he found a tall tree. He climbed it and observed. The smell of blood his trail left behind should be enough to attract a creature.
"Come on... come on..."
From a distance, Auryk could hear the sound of destruction and death. There was a battle going on somewhere nearby. Once again Lycans should have found a family or a group of hunters.
And then, he could hear it. The heavy footsteps, the screeching sounds, the sniffing. The mutant creature was only a few meters away from the tree. He aimed, but it was still too distant. He needed to move to a closer branch.
It all happened in one second. He was almost there, reaching for the spot he had picked, but his weight was too much for the tree's branch. In a blink of an eye, he was lying on the ground. His vision was blurred. His head hurt intensely, as well as his arm. It was broken for sure. He possibly had a concussion too. He tried to stand up and run but his legs wouldn't follow his commands. The Lycan was coming straight at him.
"AURYK!" His mother screamed behind him. "NO!"
Time seemed to freeze in that fraction of second. How did she manage to escape the basement? How could she have found him?
But without hesitation, Savannah threw herself on top of her son, protecting him from the jaws and claws of the monster. Auryk couldn't see much, but he could smell it. He could feel it. Blood. There was blood everywhere. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, he or his mom's.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A fast sequence of shots suggested the hunters had found them. The creature stopped moving, stopped howling. It was finally dead.
"M-Mom... it's dead. We... We're safe."
She didn't answer. Instead, he heard another familiar voice.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" It was from his father. "Savannah! Savannah!"
"D-Dad..." Auryk tried to speak, but the words got lost along the way. "I... I..."
Adrian lifted him by his jacket, holding him inches above the ground.
"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED YOUR MOM, YOUR STUPID BASTARD!"
"I..." tears streamed down the boy's face, his injured brain trying to process what had just happened. "I'm sorry.'
After he was thrown back to the ground, he was hit with a hard kick on his stomach. He turned his head around to notice a small figure hiding behind a tree, watching the whole scene in pure horror.
"L-Leena..." he muttered.
"This is all your fault, Auryk. You're a disgrace to this family."
And then, he passed out. Rumors said he was unconscious for days or maybe weeks. When he woke up, he wished everything had been a nightmare.
Present Days - July, 2021
Nobody mourned Adrian Novak when he died. Not his children. Not his village mates. No human being would ever feel any sympathy for a man who abused and blamed his eleven years old son for his mother's death. It had been two years since Adrian left this world and I couldn't feel any more free.
"Hey," I left another message on my brother's voicemail, "in case you've forgotten it's our birthday today. I'd like to have my twin home, you know? Call me when you get this message."
It was useless, I knew. Auryk would only pick up his phone when he wanted to. Or when he was too drunk. God knew where that guy would be at that time, probably waking up at some girl's bed or getting some rest from... working.
After grabbing myself a cup of coffee, I checked the door's mat. Bills, bills, newspaper and... California Institute Of Arts? I remember having an argument with Auryk about this matter at some point. He wanted me to fill the application and send them my portfolio. I insisted we had no money, not even to pay for the tuition. I won - I always win every argument by the way.
"Your damn son of a..." I placed the envelope on the kitchen's table. I was a coward, I confess. However, I didn't know which pain was worse - to be sure I wasn't good enough or to be sure I was, indeed, but I'd never have money to leave that hellhole. Anyways, I decided to leave it alone. I had more important things to do.
My morning routine: to go to the middle of the woods and do some training. My father used to say fighting wasn't a girl thing, but I was no regular girl. And never in this life I'd allow someone to tell me what to do.
After running, climbing and doing a set of push-ups, it was time for combat training. Travelers from abroad taught me some different set of moves, I'd like to think I created my own fighting style. I was also very good with knifes, daggers or any kinds of short blades, they were useful during a close distance combat. My shooting was a work in progress, once or twice I'd miss the center of my handmade targets.
Then, like everyday, I'd go back home, shower and follow to my shift at the village's pub.
"Hiya, Leena," Gustav greeted me when I arrived. "I heard today is a special day... the day a little girl..."
"NO!" I stopped him. Gustav was my best friend. We had known each other since we were children and somehow, he liked to make my birthday a special - and embarrassing - event.
He placed a handmade fairytale-like book on the table. There were some edited pictures, mixed with some messed up drawings about my birth and childhood. He called it 'The Princess Who Carried The Light'.
"God, you're soooo stupid..." I rolled my eyes and moaned, before wrapping him into a very tight hug. "I love you, you know that?"
"I know. You'd probably marry me, if you weren't into girls."
We laughed together, as Olga, our boss emerged from the kitchen, bringing a cake with nineteen candles.
"Here's to another year," the older woman opened a wrinkled smile, "make a wish, my darling."
I fell pensive for a moment, besides having my twin brother back home, safe and sound, what else could I wish for? California, that scholarship, a new life... that's for sure.
"I wish for... a new life, a new adventure," I pronounced aloud while blowing the candles.
"Careful," a male voice spoke behind me, "words have power, little sister. You may get what you want."
"Ryk!"
I jumped straight to my brother's arms. I could swear that in only a few weeks he had gotten a little bit taller, and stronger too.
"I wouldn't miss my own birthday, right?" He smirked. "So, where's the cake? Please, chocolate... tell me it's chocolate."
"Your silly boy," Olga spread some icing on his nose. "Of course it's chocolate, as you love. And with cherries too."
Auryk responded with a satisfied smile. Olga and her husband, Kristoff, were those responsible for taking care of him after the Lycan attack, years ago. They sort of adopted him like one of their biological children.
"Oh!" The woman exclaimed taking a closer look at Ryk's forearm. He had gotten a tattoo. I hadn't been informed of those news either. Apparently, my brother had more secrets than I could even start to imagine. "This is... new. It seems like my kids are really growing up."
"And only now you noticed that, Olga?" Gustav joked.
Olga shook her head, grinning at herself and returned to the kitchen. The customers were starting to fill the pub. I stared at Ryk again, wondering what other secrets my brother could be keeping.
"So, what does that mean?" I pointed to his newly gotten tattoo, a strange and ancient symbol it seemed.
"Protection from the evil. This is what we need the most in our lives, especially in a place like this. What reminds me -" we turned around, taking a small box from the pocket of his jacket. "Your gift."
I took the black velvet box from his hands, it contained a golden necklace with a magenta gemstone as pendant. My blue eyes drowned themselves in the stone. It had a mysterious glow. Something hypnotizing. Something magical.
"Whoa..." was everything my mouth could pronounce. "And I bought you an Astronomy book."
Auryk stood up from his chair and went behind me, taking the necklace from my hands to wear it around my neck himself.
"This is supposed to protect you from any supernatural and inhumane beings. I won't lose you to them, Aleena. Not like I lost mom."
"Ryk, I... I can't even thank you enough."
"You don't have to. Just... stay alive."
First, I was overflowing with happiness. It either had to do with the fact my brother was home, alcohol, or both. Also, Olga should thank me. Most of the costumers of the day only stopped by the bar because of me. They absolutely loved me and knowing it was my birthday, they had to come and see me. A few of them even gave me some extra tips or a small gift, which was even greater.
"Okay, party girl..." Auryk helped me to get inside of the house as I tripped over the door mat. "Time to go to bed now. Don't you think?"
"Come on, Ryk! Have some spirit! You're home, Olga gave me the day off tomorrow, I earned some money..."
"You told Mrs. Hansen you secretly had a crush on her daughter during Middle School, you danced on top of a table, you're gonna get a hangover..."
"Party pooper!"
I threw myself at the couch. Auryk stood in front of me with arms crossed, looking like a father about to give his child a lecture.
"What?!" I yelled. "It's not like you've never been drunk before. Remember when you stole Adrian's..." I started to laugh, remembering the episode.
"When you were going to tell me about this, Leena?" He showed me the envelope. The Art Institute envelope. The one I had been struggling to open.
"Oh! I forgot. My bad, I didn't open it myself yet. I probably didn't get in anyways."
"You did."
I did?
"It's not like we have money to pay for my tuition. Also, how are we supposed to move to California, Ryk? I work at a pub and you..."
"I've gotten more than enough for that. You know that getting out of this place has always been the plan, since we were children. Leena, I've done some big jobs those last few months. I have the money to grant us a comfortable life in California."
"Smuggling, Ryk!" I raised my voice, saying aloud the information that was supposed to be a secret or not. "You've been stealing to grant us this life."
My brother stared at me in silence. I couldn't tell if he felt offended or embarrassed about my words.
"I'm getting out of here, whatever it takes," he ran a hand through his dark hair. "And you are coming with me. In two weeks, we move to United States for your enrollment."
"But..."
What I was trying to protest against? Leaving the village and starting a new life with my brother was everything I always dreamed.
"Look, I promise you," Auryk placed both of his firm hands on my shoulders, "once we settle down, no more smuggling."
"Okay," I sighed. "We leave in two weeks then."
There was a loud knock on the door. Being drunk as I was, I figured out I should have forgotten my purse at the pub. Or it could be a neighbor with some very stupid emergency.
Auryk opened the door and there was a strange looking man standing there. We wore sunglasses and a hat, behind his back he was carrying a giant hammer. According to the rumors and stories I heard from my parents, that was one of the Lords of The Four Houses, Karl Heisenberg.
"Auryk Novak?" He asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Come with me, kid. You've gotten yourself in big trouble."
50 notes · View notes