#but before i impulsively paint my room to match my impulsively bought shelf and many hooks i should.

[snowflake-of-destruction]

would you ever uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh write uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh monster scarf

Take what I wrote before getting distracted by something shiny. I’m not going to proofread it or attempt to remember how this came to be. Read more because 1) length 2) suggestive themes in one part. Warning: It’s dumb, but, I mean the whole premise is crack

It was all because of Roxas.

Those words were a perpetual reoccurrence in Axel's second life. The reasoning behind countless life decisions, good and bad, but predominantly the former since he couldn't bring himself to consider even the ones with heavy consequences if they involved the man that had breathed life and love back into his existence. In particularly romantic times, the fiery keyblade wielder would claim that it was because of Roxas that his lungs filled and emptied and he continued to exist, every exhale a tribute and whisper of the blonde's name. Such claims though were usually met with rolled eyes and uneven blotches of red that looked more like hives or fever than blushing and were all the more endearing for it, paired with a grumble that he shut up and stop being so cheesy from the object of his affection himself.

They were also paired with less life and death actions. It was all because of Roxas Axel got his head stuck in between the slots of the banister in Elsa's ice palace and had to be carved free and then wait for the remains to melt off him. It was all because of Roxas he had to keep buying new clothes, and not just because of tears and popped buttons that were casualties of overeager fingers but because ice cream once a day and sometimes more, replacing meals, was not something he could sustain and remain a rail now that he was fully human without the magic metabolism of a Nobody perpetually in his ideal state (Roxas had crowed that Axel may one day even have an actual ass to speak of, and after the redhead's subsequent, calculated pouting had been forced to show him how he appreciated what ass Axel did have now). It was all because of Roxas and his insistence on buying what was on sale, and that he knew best and paint always ended up more faded when applied to large areas than on paint chips that the walls of their apartment were such a very bright green that it scared Xion's dog, Dinah. Though it was Axel's fault partially for not questioning Roxas's knowledge when he knew full well that he'd once had to teach Roxas and Xion what paint was.

This time, it was all Roxas's fault that the scarf collection began.

What was Axel supposed to do but add a new ever present accessory to his wardrobe when Roxas ran over to a stall in the Agrabah market without even being summoned by the ever present yelling of one of the vendors trying to entice passersby and only managing to produce an intimidating cacophony of conflicting overzealous squawking that tended to repel Axel for one ( though he supposed it had to work on some people if they kept doing it) and ran back with a stretch of silken material in brilliant emerald interspersed with gold swoops and coils and clutches of blue and red flowers in busy bunches trailing through the air behind him like a banner?

"It's the color of your eyes!" Roxas had exclaimed in explanation, throwing the prize around Axel's neck, smiling brighter than the glaring sun, intensity enough to cast away every bit of grating sand and even more grating annoyance that Yensid had sent them to the desert world for the fourth time that month when he knew for a fact Sora and Kairi were both available but kept getting assigned new worlds, and keeping his hands twisted in the ends so he could use the scarf as a yoke to pull Axel's head down in order to kiss him without the need to stretch or press himself close enough enough that a simple kiss would lead to distracting thoughts and temptations not fit for a public marketplace.

Warmth settled in Axel's chest beyond even the usual warmed caramel slow melt that Roxas tended to inspire as the redhead reached up and pinched the water soft material of the scarf between two fingers and slid the calloused pads of his fingers along its coolness. "Thank you, I love it. I used to wear scarves a lot back in Radiant Garden before...." his smile turned sheepish and slightly pained in the way it still too often did when speaking even of happy memories from his first life as Lea. "Well, before." When Roxas let go, he looped the scarf a few more times around his neck, pulled to make the loops loose, and tucked the ends under. "Looks good," he said with far too much confidence for someone without a mirror and wearing a yellow and orange kurta and pants to blend in with the locals that didn't as much compliment the colors of the material circling his neck as directly contest them.

"You don't match," Roxas had done his part to inform him. The scarf would bring a pop of color to Axel's usual wardrobe of mostly black.

"I know," Axel seemed to relish the words, a smile crinkling the corners of eyes that lit in a way that Roxas could only compare to the times Axel greeted friends after long absences.

It became a self-perpetuating cycle. Axel would wear scarves because Roxas would buy them and look so immensely pleased with himself that his partner was surprised he didn't start humming. Roxas continued buying them because Axel looked at each one like it completed him.

Then it carried beyond that. Far beyond.

Roxas slacked to just taking pictures of interesting scarves he saw and sending them to Axel's gummi phone. Twilight Town hardly ever dipped below temperate, and even though many of the scarves Axel now owned were pure fashion statements, most were thicker and several of the infinity scarves were now part of woven together, braided scarf trios that increased their thickness as well as their propensity to clash hideously with whatever Axel wore, something he seemed to consider a bonus instead of a deterrent, ever the enigma, the man who considered walking outside without making sure his winged eyeliner was perfectly even a crime and was occasionally known to vainly fuss over his hair as if tending a firstborn child, but now took glee in mixing stripes with checks. Besides, Axel now owned scarves in the double digits. Roxas felt silly carrying on with impulse buying. They could be a fun fallback birthday or holiday gift now, but how many scarves did Axel really need?

The answer to the question Roxas luckily hadn't asked aloud was answered after he came home one night to see Axel cooking dinner with a scarf knitted to look like a giant strip of bacon that he hadn't seen before.

"New present from Namine?" After the artist had spent a month with Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra (an event that caused the Guardians of Light to start taking bets on whether the handmaiden had influenced the length of her stay until Namine had upset all assumptions by announcing she was moving to Todayland and then proceeded to spam Kingstagram with pictures of her with Wilbur Robinson) she'd come back with several new talents she now was very likely to send examples to her friends. They'd already been sent matching knitted beanies in sea salt blue and a set of looped potholders.

"No, I've had this for a bit," Axel had answered vaguely, and Roxas had accepted it, easily distracted by the fact that the bacon scarf and a novelty apron with a racing ketchup and mustard bottle and the caption "I relish the fact that you mustard up the will to ketchup with me" was all Axel was wearing to cook dinner.

"Xion isn't home?" he asked unnecessarily.

One burnt dinner later, Roxas found himself with his wrists tied together with the bacon scarf, whining in protest as Axel pulled away and left him lying alone and terribly neglected on the bed, muttering under his breath about blindfolds as he searched through his top dresser drawer.

"Your scarves are hanging up in the closet. Remember? I got you that scarf rack to hang them all off of." It technically had been advertised as a hanging tie rack but a tie rack wasn't something they needed.

"Those are only some of the ones from you, a few everyday ones and ones I want to display," Axel tossed out casually like the sentence was perfectly normal as he slid open the second dresser drawer down--the one Roxas knew to skip over when he was putting away clothes after his turn doing laundry because Axel had started using it for overflow from the memory boxes of old papers, WINNER popsicle sticks, and the like he kept on the top shelf of the closet--only to have it explode with multicolored material that had apparently been shoved into every nook the dresser drawer had to offer, compressed until it became spring loaded. Axel did not appear to be bothered by the comical display. "My less important scarves are in here. Might need another drawer soon." It's said absently, the blissful unawareness of the hoarder who doesn't see a problem.

Roxas constricted the muscles of his stomach in an attempt to sit up without use of his arms or hands and turned toward his boyfriend, amused.  "You have been hiding scarves?"

"Not hiding," a slip of defensiveness entered Axel's voice. "The box in the guest room is just because I haven't gotten a chance to unpack the ones Isa sent from Radiant Garden yet."

"Your old scarves?" That changed things in Roxas's eyes. He wouldn't make fun of any attempt of Axel's to regain and reclaim a happier past.

"No, the Restoration Committee had a town garage sale as a community event. I told Isa to buy me any interesting pieces and send them with the next gummi ship. I think he threw in a couple he bought too." Axel faced the bed with a bright red woolen scarf with white reindeer and snowflakes in one hand and a flimsy thing with cherry blossoms that had probably started its life as a woman's shawl in the other. "Is the mood still on or do you want me to help you out of that knot?" He gestured toward Roxas's tied hands with a flick of the hand that sent a waterfall ripple down the cherry blossom scarf.

"Mood's a little off," Roxas wriggled his wrists to keep feeling in his hands. "But nothing that can't be reclaimed. One question first though. There's a whole box in the guest room....besides the drawer and the scarf rack?"

Axel shoved scarves back into the drawer by the handful, only keeping out a thin black and blue striped fuzzy cashmere. "Nobody's using the third bedroom since you moved into mine. I don't see a problem. I'll move the box in here."

"The problem isn't cluttering the bedroom," Roxas trailed off as Axel approached the bed.

"Then what's the problem? They make me happy."

"...Then I guess I'm happy."

The decision that there was no problem just added to it. Scarves no longer confined to hiding spots were now found draped over lamps like decoration, hanging from fan blades like streamers, discarded on chairs when ones that were worn were taken off under the excuse they were just forgotten when the truth, that space to put them away neatly was limited, was apparent. They multiplied as if breeding. Roxas feared he'd have to host an intervention. Xion, for her part, was ready to co-host, insisting that Axel's collection wasn't normal. "I have a seashell collection. It doesn't take over our whole apartment!"

Intervention proved not to be necessary though. Axel got the situation under control on his own, after a fashion at least. It started with losing control entirely, and before that, a trip to Monstropolis.

[And then Axel buys a scarf that turns out to be alive and have a mind of its own. Whoops. It plays nice and docile for awhile but then starts strangling him or jumps off his neck to strangle someone else when it becomes enraged seeing so many of its fellows lying “”dead”” around the Sea Salt Trio’s apartment. They would make quick work of the scarf but it has many, many places to hide in camouflage and proves able to swap its pattern with another scarf if it touches it. Thus the hunt begins. But who is hunting who? ] 

#borndeaddd

[sapphicluxanna]

1-100 pls 🌹💕

BABE. oh my god. okay here we go, it’s gonna be long!!

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? more cereal than milk I think?

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? I love winter and everything about it, I’d rather be cold than hot 

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? post it notes, receipts, I’ve used flowers a few times, really anything that’s in reach

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? tea with a little bit of milk and honey, coffee depends on the day? typically with a lil bit of vanilla creamer. when I make my ‘fancy’ coffee at home with frothy milk on top I always top them off with a dusting of cinnamon 

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? always

6: do you keep plants? ye! I have a succulent/cacti terrarium, some sunflowers, jasmine, african violets, tomato plants, hanging planters, and a few more I forget the names of!

7: do you name your plants? not the ones I have currently

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? I love ink. I haven't been able to paint with ink in a while, but the movement of that and watercolor are just.. freeing? I dunno how to explain it.  that and drawing using ink, every mark you make is permanent and I just kinda zone out when doing it

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? aight listen. my future s/o is gonna have to deal with this a lot. shower? singing. car ride? singing. cooking? singing. y'all aint getting a break even if I sound like a dying cat

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? primarily side and stomach!

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? I cant think of many at the moment but uhhhh. hmm. a few guys and I play a game together and I run the group (in rdr2), and we don't let people join it if their horse’s tail isn't braided so we’ll hunt them down and kill them instead

12: what’s your favorite planet? neptune looks beautiful

13: what’s something that made you smile today? the fact that you wanted to know more about me

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? lots and lots of plants, kinda modern, a few fish tanks, smells like lavender and coffee

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! mars has the biggest known volcano!

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? stupidly basic, but chicken parmesan 

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? I’ve always wanted to impulsively dye it some shade of blue just for a few weeks

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. I got ridiculously drunk off tequila at a house party and was given my first mojito, thought he picked leaves off the tree out back and threw them in so I dug them out and threw them around the yard in disgust. I have a very vague memory of this but they always give me crap for it

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I have a couple! one is my bujo where I keep lists of things like self care ideas, favorite movies and books, quotes, friend stuff, etc. another I use to draw in and like to recreate van gogh sketches, others are private 

20: what’s your favorite eye color? y'all ever really see brown eyes? oof

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. I don't have this?

22: are you a morning person? I could be if I woke up next to the right person

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? netflix binging, reading, aquarium shopping, walks with my dog in the woods, making stupid pancakes, and league with a babe

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? it takes time for me to trust people, so probably all my life at some point with a girl. as for family? no

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? I’ve locked myself outta my place a few times and had to go through the window

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? several pairs of sandals and slides!

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? just regular mint?

28: sunrise or sunset? watching the sunset on a blanket in the grass with a girl I care about 

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? her voice gets a lil louder and she talks fast when she's excited about something and its flipping adorable

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? yes. 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I love fluffy socks and patterned socks and ones with dinosaurs and stuff and I love socks so much, don't sleep in them though

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. we played a drinking game based off how we did in a split screen game, one drink for every kill, got v drunk that night 

33: what’s your fave pastry? I love baclava but I’m horribly allergic to walnuts

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? I still have it! my dad went down to south carolina a lot and I was, and still am, very much in love with alligators. I think I was six or something but he came home with this giant garbage bag and was moving it like there was an animal inside and when I opened it, it was a giant stuffed alligator. he's currently sitting on my bed, but seems a lot smaller now

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? I really wanna get into using thicker paper for letters with pressed wax seals and pressed flowers 

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? I don’t really focus on individual bands too much tbh, I bounce around a lot within genres. anything happy and country atm

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? I’m tryna keep it cleaner, better habit to make myself get into 

38: tell us about your pet peeves! people smoking around me (I don't care that you smoke whatever, I just ask you don't do it around me bc it makes me feel sick), a group of people that takes up the whole sidewalk going incredibly slow, people that cut me off in traffic without turn signals, people who f around in the tsa line and don't get ready then stand there for ten minutes taking everything off for the scanner and hold us up, “there” and “their” and “they’re” misuses, etc. jeez, didn't realize I had so many and that's not even all of them

39: what color do you wear the most? blue?

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? I love my claddagh ring, my mom and sister both have the same one and we all match. currently not wearing it bc it was like 100 degrees F then other day and it burned my finger?????

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? asoiaf!!!!

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! I like this lil coffee shop about half an hour away, every drink has an individual and funny name and the workers are nice 

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? I honestly can’t remember, but I could really go for this right now

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? uhhhh it’s been a bit? lotta stressors recently 

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? I try to, should've listened to them regarding some stuff and I didn’t 

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. what do you call a blind dinosaur? a do-you-think-he-saurus.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? broccoli

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? santa and the dark, no on both accounts now 

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? no, I just use apple music 

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? I dunno about odd, but I keep seashells and shark teeth I find on beaches 

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? somebody to love

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? uhhhh I’m bad at keeping up with when these come out but probably the “wait was anyone going to tell me ___ or was I supposed to find out in this ___”

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? I haven't seen these sorry!

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? my dad

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? I honestly cannot think of this right now

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? when they get excited about something, when their eyes sparkle a bit in sunlight, when they’re touchy (only certain ones), compassion, weird hobbies and interests, etc

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? it’s an experience. listen with headphones on high or don't listen to it at all

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? I guess I’d be the wine mom bc I don't drink heavily too often with my friends cause I’m usually the dd, vodka aunt would go to my friend S cause hell she puts that shit away fast

59: what’s your favorite myth? I love greek mythology

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? sappho

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? a lil cat bank that grabs a coin with its paw and drags it into the box and a potato, respectively 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? not usually

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? I kept all of my books on a shelf before the move but idk what imma do with them now bc I have no room for a bookcase so they're kinda messy rn

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? pale blue and cloudy

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? a friend who moved away a few years ago, I miss her 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? oooooh. hmm. lots of blues and pinks and purples with lil twisty brown vines?

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? I love them, 10/10, perfect. 

68: what’s winter like where you live? we either get 3 feet of snow overnight or a dusting, there’s no in between

69: what are your favorite board games? I cant remember the last time I played a board game??? I liked the game of life and monopoly when I was a kid 

70: have you ever used a ouija board? nope

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? whatever happens to be in the cabinet!

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? I have the memory of a goldfish

73: what are some of your worst habits? letting people get away with things they've done to me, being too lenient with people that make me uncomfortable, etc

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. they’re such a good friend and we have enough years built into our friendship that we can go a few weeks without talking and be right where we left off. they’re kind and caring and ready to help people when they need it 

75: tell us about your pets! my cat is an 8 year old lil grump, but he gets so freaking affectionate and lovey too. he knows when I’m anxious and will come up and sit on my chest and purr. my dog’s a ball of jumping energy, she's always excited and happy, she’s only 2 so hopefully she’ll mellow out. then my clownfish are flipping adorable even though they try to bite my fingers when I’m working on the aquarium 

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? unpacking and socializing with family

77: pink or yellow lemonade? pink lemonade 

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? I don't care about them really, but the facebook minion memes passed around by moms gotta stop

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? one of my exes surprise got me flowers sometimes, while the relationship just didn't work that was a cute action 

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? they’re kinda beige-ish? I just moved here and I don’t wanna repaint them

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. hmm. one of my friends’ eyes are like the leaves on the forest floor, an assortment of greens and browns blended together with the occasional fleck of gold when light filters through the trees

82: are/were you good in school? I’m okay? In high school I was in honor classes and stuff and I've made the deans list a few times in college so far, but honestly I think I’m just average. I have a lot of issues with math and it’s why I couldn't go into one of the fields I was considering. I get overwhelmed quickly

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? tbh I don't look at this kinda stuff but I know kesha’s rainbow was good?

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? ye! I want a small humpback whale on my left inner wrist, they mean a lot to me and I finally got to see one in person just last year. then I have some scars on my thigh I’ve been tossing around the idea of getting a tattoo to cover up, but idk if I would or what I would get 

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? no sorry! I always wanted to when I was younger but I got psyched out by guys who would say they're not for girls who I never took advantage of the comic shop a family friend owns 

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? I dunno what this is and I’m too tired to google it but imma guess its about music? to which I say I’m v bad at keeping up with everyones stuff 

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? the princess bride, star wars, lord of the rings, the sound of music, indiana jones (NOT crystal skull, it sucked), jurassic park, and a lottttt more. 

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? impressionism, post impressionism, and expressionism 

89: are you close to your parents? ish. 

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. I absolutely loved st. malo in france. I need to go back. it’s a giant walled city on the water and it’s just beautiful. I sat and watched an artist on the street for a while and bought two of his paintings afterward, gotta figure out where to hang them in my new bedroom. the air smelled amazing, it rained a lot when I was there but I still loved it and I wish I’d had more time to really explore than I did

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? I wanted to go to sri lanka to see my family but I don’t think it’s gonna happen, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for pennsylvania cause reasons 

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? cheese is life

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? I braid it overnight and wear it down during the day!

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? my dad a few days ago 

95: what are your plans for this weekend? I think I’ve got another family party to go to? feel kinda done with my fam rn though

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? I literally just installed 2 years worth of updates this morning, so yeah, I procrastinate updates quite a bit 

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? idk what the first thing is but the others are scorpio and slytherin!

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? oh wow I can’t remember, but imma say yes? I wanna hike with my dog at some point 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. somebody to love, la mer, and some others

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years into the future. I hope that future me is happy and comfy with someone she loves surrounded by their plants, aquariums, pets, and love. 

#this was #so long #youre adorable ily #lack of emojis due to typing on my computer #oof #answered

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER TWELVE

Nikki inhaled the aroma of fresh bread as they walked up the second flight of stairs to Amsterdam’s apartment. The deli Griffin had said the Historian lived above was the same one she bought bagels from at least once a week, and she tried to ignore how her breath caught at the realization of how closely the Underground bordered her world.

“How old did you say he is?” She asked, looking up at Griffin who was a few steps ahead of her.

“I’ve never actually asked,” he said. “But he mentioned King Henry the Eighth’s eating habits once, and how awful Marie Antoinette’s wigs smelled during the summer, so that would put him at around-”

Nikki halted, hovering her right foot above the next stair. “He’s at least five hundred years old,” she said, trying to ignore how her stomach fluttered.

When she was at NYU she’d taken courses on medieval history, and read dozens of books about the monarchs and their constant ebbing and flowing of power and glory. She’d even snuck into a few art history lectures, and listened to professors discuss the development of portraits and painting techniques. She had sat, hunkered down in the back row, staring up at the projector screen as the professor clicked through slides of British, French and Italian royals in furs, jewels, and pale tights, and tried to imagine what a single moment of their lives would have been like. Amsterdam didn’t have to use his imagination. He had been there.

“I feel like I’m meeting a living piece of history,” Nikki said. “Er, well, an undead piece of history.”

“I’m sure he’ll be flattered to hear how impressed you are by his age,” Griffin said, smiling.

“Wait,” Nikki said, stopping again. “He’s a Vampire.”

“Didn’t we already go over this?” He arched an eyebrow at her.

“You didn’t tell me if there’s anything I should or shouldn’t do around him,” she told him. “Vampires are predators, so should I not make sudden movements? Should I put my hair up- No, wait, that’ll expose my neck…” Her hand lingered over her collar bone as she fretted.

Griffin laughed and the sound echoed in the stairwell. He shook his head, continuing up the steps.

Nikki scowled. “What’s so funny?”

“When you meet him, you’ll know exactly why I’m laughing,” Griffin said, still chuckling.

In moments they stood in front of a wood stained door with polished brass numbers nailed at eye level and matching brass knob. Griffin lifted his loose fist and rapped his knuckles on the door in quick succession. A muffled bark made Nikki start, glancing up at him in surprise.

“He has a dog?”

“And a cat,” Griffin said. “He has a soft spot for animals.”

Before she could comment, the door opened and the youthful face that greeted them made Nikki’s jaw slacken.

Amsterdam stood a few inches shorter than Griffin, but his frame was still well-muscled and lean. His broad shoulders tapered into narrow hips and long legs, and his build reminded Nikki of a professional swimmer. His green and gold plaid shirt and tan corduroy trousers fit him so well Nikki was convinced they had to have been tailored. Gorgeous hazel eyes stared out from a strikingly handsome face topped with thick hair the color of ink.

Nikki had expected a middle aged man in tweed with crow’s feet and a bald spot. Not the college junior that stood before them.

“Griffin,” Amsterdam greeted happily, extending his hand. “It’s so good to see you again.”

Griffin clutched the Historian’s hand and smiled. “How’ve you been John?”

“Very well thank you.” He nodded. Turning his gaze to Nikki, his grin broadened. “And you must be Miss Anderson.”

“Nikki,” she corrected gently, reaching out with her own hand. When Amsterdam took it in his, she noticed the change in body temperature. It wasn’t unpleasant- more like he had just come in from outside on a particularly cold winter day.

“Nikki,” he repeated her name with a melodic tone and she felt a slight blush reach her cheeks. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I bet he does alright with the ladies, she thought.

Amsterdam released her and stepped to the side. “Please, come in.” He gestured with a wave.

Griffin was close at Nikki’s shoulder as he followed her into the apartment, angled between her and John. He blinked as if in a daze, and checked himself, moving a few inches back, despite the quick unhappy snarl the dogs made. John wasn’t a threat, even if his body was responding as if he was.

“May I take your coats?” Amsterdam offered, holding out his hands.

Nikki pulled off the denim jacket she borrowed from Lisa, and handed it to him with a quiet ‘thank you’. Griffin did the same and took off his holster as well. The Vampire wasn’t a fan of guns in his house.

Amsterdam took their garments and stored them in the small closet by the door. Turning, he gave Griffin a concerned once over. “It looks like you’ve had quite a morning,” he said, eyeing the cut above the Hunter’s eye.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Griffin said.

John scented the air, inhaling in fast breaths through his nose. “You’ve broken a rib,” he said.

“What?” Nikki gaped.

“It’s not a big deal,” Griffin said.

“A broken rib is a huge deal,” Nikki countered. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because-”

“Because Blooded Hunters heal faster than other humans,” Amsterdam interjected. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you hadn’t mentioned it,” he said to Griffin. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, that’s alright,” Griffin murmured.

“Exactly how fast is faster?” Nikki asked, glancing between the two men.

John gave the air another sniff. “His body is doing an excellent job of healing itself,” he said. “I would say by this evening he should be fine.”

Nikki’s eyes popped. “Broken bones heal in a day?”

Griffin shrugged, and she was almost irritated with how casual he was acting. “A day, maybe two? It just depends.”

She blinked. “Depends on what? Your exposure to Kryptonite?”

He laughed. “Usually it depends on whether or not the bone is re-broken in another fight.”

Nikki fought the urge to groan, and instead briefly massaged her temple. “Wow, that’s…” She trailed off, unable to finish the thought. “Okay, well, now that I know you’re eventually going to be fine…” She turned to look at Amsterdam, who was watching them with amusement.

“Would you care for some coffee?” John asked, stepping towards the kitchen. “I’ve just made a fresh pot.”

So Vampires drink coffee. Good to know.

“That would be great, thank you,” Nikki said, offering a smile.

Amsterdam moved almost silently into the other room, and at first Nikki thought it was another Vampire characteristic until she saw that he was barefoot. She only saw two pairs of shoes by the front door- black Chuck Taylors, and brown flip flops. Again, not what she thought of when the word ‘Vampire’ was used.

“Caesar, come greet our guests,” Amsterdam called from over the dinette bar.

A large golden retriever stood up from his spot on the floor beneath one of the windows and trotted across to them. Nikki crouched down, opening her hands for him to sniff.

“Hi there,” she said smiling at the dog and scratching behind his silky ears. “Aren’t you a handsome guy,” she cooed.

Caesar lifted his head and licked her chin with a long lap of his tongue before padding over to Griffin. The dog nuzzled his hand and sniffed him heavily before leaning into his shin gently.

“Hey buddy,” Griffin whispered, running his fingers through Caesar’s soft fur. “Long time no see, huh?”

Nikki stood up from her squat and turned to truly take in the surprisingly large apartment. The walls were paneled wood painted butter cream yellow, but most of the color was blocked by floor to ceiling bookcases that over flowed with volumes of books. There were also smaller shelves pushed up against the walls that were too small to accommodate the huge library style behemoths that took up most of the space.

The entire place was just one large room except for the bathroom and a dinette bar that separated the kitchen from the rest of the apartment. On the far side four great windows looked out over the neighborhood, with gauzy drapes tied back with similar ribbons of fabric. Leather couches and armchairs were arranged in a group around the stone fireplace and television. A round oak table was covered in books and newspapers from all over the world. Tucked away in the far right corner of the room was a queen size bed with a white mesh curtain hanging from the ceiling, as a kind of divider, secluding it from the rest of the living area.

Nikki wandered to one of the large bookcases, her eyes growing wide as she took in all of the leather bound volumes. She breathed deeply, taking in the rich scent of paper and wood polish. It was difficult to control the impulse to reach out and touch a particularly well kept first edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales sitting on the shelf in front of her, and she took a half a step back just in case her fingers betrayed her direct orders.

“Impressive isn’t it?” Griffin’s voice said behind her.

She turned; unaware of how close he’d been until she nearly knocked into him. Faltering, she glanced up at him. “Oh… Yes,” she nodded, looking back to the books. “I’ve never seen so many first editions. And they’re all so well taken care of.”

“And this is only part of his collection,” Griffin said, gazing over her head at one of the top shelves.

“The rest is in a climate controlled vault in the basement. Well, apart from what you have, Griffin.” Amsterdam said, appearing next to them with two mugs of coffee.

Nikki hadn’t heard him come into the room and she clamped her jaw shut so she wouldn’t yelp with surprise. Instead she smiled, hoping it didn’t look as awkward as it felt.

Amsterdam held out a mug to her, handle outwards, and grinned. “I hope it’s to your liking,” he said, nodding to the coffee.

“Thank you,” she said, cupping her hand under the bottom. She smiled at the Garfield print curving around the ceramic. “Wait, did you say Griffin has some of your collection?”

“Only the books I thought would be most beneficial to him,” the Historian said, handing Griffin the other mug with a Snoopy and Woodstock design on the side. “Maps mostly, and a few volumes on the Codes and Vampiric laws.”

“Remind me to rummage around your place when we get back,” Nikki said, looking to Griffin and sipping her drink.

Amsterdam turned back to the dinette bar where he had placed his own mug- A bright red one with Calvin and Hobbes dancing around the circumference. “Please, have a seat,” he said, inclining his head towards the cluttered table.

Nikki chose the straight back chair across from the Historian and settled into her seat, careful not to spill her coffee. Griffin sat next to her and leaned back, still favoring his side.

Amsterdam shuffled a large section of papers into a stack to clear a part of the table, and just before he sat, a black and grey striped cat leapt down from the top of the nearest bookshelf, stretching its back after the successful landing.

“Cleopatra,” Amsterdam chastised with the scowl of a disappointed parent. “Not on the table,” he said, scooping her up with one hand and setting her down by his feet. The cat meowed in protest before lazily prowling towards a sunny spot under the window.

Shaking his head, John looked back to the others. “Now, what was it you had to show me?”

Griffin lifted his mug to his lips and tilted his head towards Nikki. “You’re looking at her.”

It took a moment for John to understand. “You?” He asked, his dark eyebrows popping to his hairline.

“I’m afraid so,” Nikki said, biting the inside of her lip.

“I’m more accustomed to analyzing manuscripts or documents,” he said. “Not human beings.”

“Well I’m not accustomed to any of this, so I guess we’ll get through it together,” she said, tracing a pattern on the handle of her mug.

John’s smile was sweet and understanding. “Yes we will,” he said with a nod. “Alright, where to start…” he murmured to himself. Retrieving a yellow legal pad and ball point pen from under a stack of loose papers, he made a quick notation at the top. “I take it you’ve been made aware of the Underground and Griffin’s… role?”

“Vampires exist, so do Hunters, and I’m apparently one of them,” she rattled off. “A Hunter, not a Vampire. No offence.”

He smiled again and shook his head. “None taken.”

“She’s the target of an Alpha, John,” Griffin said, his tone somber. “We need to know why.”

The Historian frowned. “Alphas rarely make such an effort to eliminate one human, unless they’ve wronged them somehow.” He looked to Nikki questioningly. “Not to place blame prematurely, but have you ever been involved in anything... illegal?”

“Not unless you count cutting class to go smoke in the girls’ bathroom in high school,” she said with a light smirk. She noticed the surprised lift of Griffin’s brows, but he didn’t comment, and she tried not to chuckle.

“No, I don’t believe I would,” Amsterdam said.

Nikki shifted forward in her seat, cupping her hands around her warm ceramic mug. “I only found out I’m a- a Blooded Hunter this morning,” she said, aware of how strange the words felt in her mouth. “But I was attacked last night. And before then I think I was stalked… twice.”

Griffin sat up, the beginnings of a scowl tugging at his features. “You didn’t tell me about that,” he said.

“I didn’t think it was relevant,” she said. “I just assumed it was a coincidence, but now with everything that’s happened, I don’t think that’s the case.”

Amsterdam made another mark on the paper that looked like a date and glanced up at Nikki. “Why don’t you start with when you first thought you were being stalked,” he prompted.

Drawing in a tight breath, Nikki nodded and told them everything. She started with the businessmen in suits staring at her on her way to the subway. She explained about her migraines, and the medication she’d been prescribed. She told them about the homeless woman who had cornered her to ramble about wolves with white eyes and someone she should trust, with a lion’s heart and eagle’s wings…

“Holy shit,” she blurted, mid-sentence. “She really was talking about you.” Nikki stared at Griffin as if seeing him for the first time. “A lion’s heart and an eagle’s wings… She was talking about a griffin. About your name.”

“You must have run into Maggie,” Amsterdam said, continuing his notes. “She’s the only Veil Walker in Manhattan.”

Nikki felt a pang of guilt. “I thought she was just a crazy homeless woman.”

“Homeless, yes,” Amsterdam said. “But she isn’t crazy. She can communicate with the other side, with people who have crossed over. Sometimes they come to her specifically to deliver a message, which is what it sounds like she did.”

“You brought her up last night, while you were still threatening me with pepper spray,” Griffin said, smirking over the lip of his mug. “You asked if I hung out with homeless people.”

“That was when I thought this was all some kind of elaborate prank,” she said. “Or that you were a murderer. You can’t exactly fault me for not being a hundred percent trusting at the time.”

“Your encounter with Maggie does give us another clue,” Amsterdam murmured, rereading what he’d written. “It certainly suggests this was premeditated.” Sipping from his cup, he nodded to Nikki. “Please, continue.”

Settling back in her chair she started where she’d left off. She described seeing the same businessman outside of her apartment building, and the continuing migraine she felt throughout the night. And the bruises on her abdomen.

“Bruises?” Amsterdam interrupted.

“They, um, showed up one day,” she said, wincing at how unbelievable her explanation sounded. “I know it seems impossible, but it’s true.”

“Don’t worry, after everything you’ve gone through, I’m inclined to believe you,” Amsterdam said. “Would you feel comfortable showing them to me?”

Nikki nodded. “Sure,” she said, standing up. Her fingers trembled at the hem of her shirt, but she brushed away her nervousness and lifted the fabric up to her bra line. She waited for the concerned expressions, or even mumbled curses at how bad her torso looked, but the two men only blinked at her.

“Um, Nik?” Griffin said, scanning his gaze over her stomach and then up to her face. “What bruises?”

Nikki looked down at herself and gasped. Her once mottled flesh was back to its smooth paleness. She ran her fingers over her abdomen, inspecting herself. Even the new bruises that had formed the night before had disappeared, leaving behind unblemished skin.

“They were there,” she said, shocked. “They were… They were awful. Dark purple, and they covered…” She shook her head. “I don’t understand…”

Amsterdam wrote at an impossible speed, scribbling line after line of notes. “I believe you Nikki,” he said as he wrote. “I think this may have something to do with your new found gifts.”

“So I can heal fast, just like him?” She asked, nodding towards Griffin.

“Yes, I think so,” Amsterdam said.

“But what caused them in the first place?” Nikki asked, lowering her shirt and sitting back down.

“That, I’m not sure of,” Amsterdam said.

Nikki sighed, feeling the burden of defeat drape over her shoulders.

Griffin pressed his forearms into the edge of the table, and leaned forward. “Mary said you might have records,” he said. “Maybe some kind of registry or list? Something we could look over to try to find some answers?”

Amsterdam frowned, first in thought, and then deeper. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but Hunters were notoriously secretive. Not many records survived, if they were taken at all. And you know what happened when a Hunter King or Queen passed away.”

“I’m sorry,” Nikki started, swiveling her head to look at them both. “Did you say Hunter King or Queen?”

Amsterdam glanced at Griffin. “You didn’t tell her?”

“I wasn’t really sure how,” Griffin admitted with a shrug.

“To tell me that you people have royalty?” Nikki asked, arching her eyebrow at him. “You couldn’t have slipped that into the conversation last night?”

He tried to hide his grin behind his coffee cup. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks,” she muttered, but there was no heat in her words, and Griffin broke into a brief smile that flashed teeth and reached his gaze.

“So who are these Kings and Queens?” Nikki continued.

Amsterdam was silent, but his stare said everything as he locked his hazel eyes on Griffin….who was trying unsuccessfully to shrink down in his chair while seeming to be enthralled by the corner of the table.

“You’re a King?” Nikki exclaimed.

“It’s just a title,” he said. “I’m not royalty, I’m just…” He trailed off, looking shy. “I’m the most powerful Blooded Hunter in the city.”

“Hunter traditions are much different from normal hierarchies,” Amsterdam explained. “They decided their leaders based on abilities, not bloodlines or family succession.”

“Then what’s with the name?” Nikki asked. “Why call them King or Queen?”

“It was the only translation that seemed to fit,” Amsterdam answered.

“Translation? So Hunters have their own language?” Her gaze flicked to the tattoo on Griffin’s wrist. “You mean like that?” She gestured to the markings.

“That’s part of it,” Amsterdam said. “But remember what I said about Hunters not really keeping records? Well what little they did keep, they used multiple languages at once, melding together any that they knew into their own bastardized version. It was to keep their secrets safe in case anyone found their documents.”

Nikki paused, reminded of what spurred the topic change. “You said something happens to documents when a Hunter King dies,” she said.

“They’re burned,” Griffin responded. “And those ashes are used to make the ink we use for our tattoos.”

“Literally taking their secrets to the grave,” Amsterdam commented.

Nikki stared at the line of symbols on his skin. “That sounds… Intense. And not exactly sanitary.”

Griffin shrugged. “It’s tradition.”

Inhaling until her ribs ached, Nikki blew out the breath and nodded firmly. “Okay, well that tradition probably means we won’t be able to find anything about who I am or what I can do.”

“Could you describe the rest of what happened this morning at Mary’s?” Amsterdam asked, holding his pen over the paper.

And so she did, in detail. She told him about the pain before she fainted, and that she had been certain she’d been on fire when she woke up. She told him about her eyes, and how fast she ran after that pulling sensation that yanked her across several city blocks.

“Hmm.” Amsterdam leaned back in his chair, reading his notes. “This is definitely a challenge.”

“Like a Rubix cube kind of challenge or something worse?” Nikki asked.

Amsterdam lifted his gaze to hers and held it for a beat. “A challenge I promise to do my best to overcome,” he said.

Working the inside of her bottom lip between her teeth, Nikki nodded. She stared down into her mug, absently noticing the decreasing level of coffee, and trying to remember when she had drank so much of it. A strong gust of air rustled a lock of her hair making it tumble into her eyes, and when she glanced up to push it away from her forehead, Amsterdam wasn’t across the table any more.

Only the sound of something heavy scraping against wood gave away his location behind her. Twisting in her chair, she swallowed the gasp that almost catapulted from her throat and squashed it into something similar to a hiccup. Griffin, however, continued to sip from his mug, completely unfazed.

Amsterdam turned at hearing the noise and dipped his head apologetically. “You’ll have to forgive me,” he said, picking out several books. “When I’m at home I tend to forget to restrict myself to a more human pace. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll make an effort to move slower.”

“No, that’s okay,” she said, ignoring how her voice hitched. “It doesn’t bother me. You just happen to be the first Vampire I’ve been around who wasn’t trying to kill me.”

The smile that curved Amsterdam’s lips was tinted with sadness, and Nikki felt a fresh knot tighten behind her ribs.

“I am a bit of an anomaly,” he said, stacking two more books in his left hand.

“Griffin said that you’re neutral?” Nikki asked, feeling braver. “What does that mean exactly?”

“I’m not aligned with an Alpha,” Amsterdam explained as he walked back to the table at a slower pace. “I never was, even when I was a Newborn.”

When he set the volumes down on the table top, Nikki caught sight of his unmarked left wrist. She leaned forward a fraction, looking at the Historian. “Can I ask why?”

“I felt the practice was archaic,” he said. “Trading your body, your servitude, for relative safety in the shadow of a dictator… It wasn’t how I wanted to spend my immortal life.” His expression grew distant for a moment before he continued. “When Vampires only keep the company of other Vampires, they incite more cruelty in each other. They become beasts.”

Nikki thought she was starting to understand why Griffin trusted the Historian so implicitly. John might have been a Vampire, but a bloodthirsty monster was the furthest thing from his true nature.

Silence enveloped the room briefly as Amsterdam finished laying out the books he’d collected.

“Thank you for helping us John,” Nikki said, her words soft like cotton.

Given the startled and gracious look in his eyes, Nikki was sure he understood the implication in what she’d said. That she didn’t see him as a beast.

Amsterdam nodded once, tearing his gaze away from hers and clearing his throat. “If there are any answers about what you are, they might be in these,” he said, gesturing to the books in front of him. “However I can’t make any certain guarantees.”

Griffin reached out and touched the soft leather cover of a smaller tome. “What’s this one?”

“A journal I found while traveling through Vienna,” he said. “It was actually written by a merchant who had been stranded for some time before being aided by a tribe of nomads.” John’s mouth quirked up in a smile. “He had no idea they were Hunters.”

“Does he talk about them?” Nikki asked.

“Quite a bit actually,” Amsterdam said. “He was, ah, rather enamored with their Queen.”

Intrigued, Nikki slid the book closer and opened it to a random page. She frowned when she saw it was written in German. “Damn,” she muttered.

“Can’t read German?” Griffin asked, finishing his coffee.

“Nope,” she said. “French, Italian, and a little bit of Portuguese, but not German.” Glancing up, she chuckled at Griffin’s evident surprise. “My mother was very adamant about her children knowing more than one language.”

He blinked. “I’ll say.”

Nikki shifted her stare back to the other books spread in front of Amsterdam. “You said Hunters blended languages?” She asked. “Do any of those have French or Italian in them?”

Already engrossed in a passage, Amsterdam nodded. “Yes, those do,” he said, waving vaguely to two thicker books to his left.

“Great,” Nikki said, downing her coffee and reaching for the closest volume.

The Historian’s head jerked up, realizing what she was doing. “You’re going to try to translate them?”

“Heavy on the try,” she said, opening the cover.

Griffin shifted in his seat to face her. “Nikki, we don’t know what we’re looking for,” he said. “And reading through books written in mangled languages could take hours.”

“Do you have anywhere else to be?” Nikki asked, leveling her stare on him.

He smirked. “Not exactly, but-”

“Good,” she cut him off. “Then pick a book.”

“Nikki, as much as I appreciate the offer to help,” Amsterdam started. “Griffin’s right. Translation could take days, and even then I’m not sure we’ll find anything useful.”

“I know, I just…” She inhaled steadily through her nose, before releasing it. “My life has been turned upside down,” she said firmly. “So if there’s anything I can do to gain some traction again, and maybe find a little equilibrium, I’ll do it. Even if that means reading bastardized Italian until I go blind.”

The two men exchanged knowing glances that bordered on proud, before Amsterdam nodded. “If you’re sure.”

“I am,” she said. Turning, she eyed Griffin. “So, do you know any languages other than English?”

Amusement flickered in his gaze as he fought the grin threatening to break across his face. “Yo hablo Espanol,” he said. Jerking his chin towards Amsterdam he added, “Oh, and if you’ve got anything in Irish Gaelic, I’ll take that as well.”

Nikki couldn’t help but stare at him, and Griffin arched an eyebrow.

“What? Did you think the name O’Connor was just for show?” He asked.

She rolled her eyes, but still found herself smiling as she passed him a book. “Here,” she said.

Nikki watched as Griffin leaned back in his seat, maneuvering his limbs into a more comfortable position and gently opening the hardcover. He looked at home, nestled amongst bookshelves with a worn volume in his hands. The same hands that had been covered in blood a couple of hours before.

But this Griffin- the one whose nose wrinkled when he reached a particularly daunting passage- seemed more at peace. There wasn’t the same itching tension underneath his skin or the deep creases of a frown etching into his face.

Griffin’s eyes lifted from the page, and Nikki felt that rush of exposure again, but this time it didn’t make her shudder.

“What?” He asked, the corner of his mouth drawing upwards.

Praying the heat blooming up her neck wasn’t visible, Nikki shook her head and stared at the first line of her book. “Nothing,” she murmured.

It took more effort than she expected to keep her attention focused on the words in front of her.

* * *

As if Kaelin’s day wasn’t creeping up her worst-day-ever list already, her landlord called to say there was an issue with her plumbing and she was needed back at her apartment immediately. Picturing a great flood worthy of the book of Genesis, she’d told her boss she needed to take off, and after arguing with Jim, the team lead for the advertising proposal, for fifteen freaking minutes about it, she was finally out the door.

By the time she had made it back to her building, she was stress-sweating worse than a hung over grad student about to defend their thesis. Please just let her shoes be okay. Please just let her shoes be okay…

Wrenching the key in her deadbolt and throwing open the door, Kaelin stumbled inside, spilling the contents of her purse all over her perfectly dry cream colored carpet.

“Son of a…” She muttered, kneeling down to start scooping everything back into her bag. “Tom?” She called, figuring her landlord had probably let himself in considering the emergency. “I’m sorry it took me so long. Please tell me it’s not that bad. It can’t be that bad, right? C’mon Tom, lie to me if you have to.”

There was no response, and she tossed her client files back into her bag with a frown.

“Tom?” She yelled a little louder. Maybe he couldn’t hear her if he was buried shoulder deep under her bathroom sink.

Something blurred past her right shoulder, slamming the apartment door shut and flicking the lock. Kaelin gasped, turning to stare in shock. A distinctly human shadow darkened the floor nearby, and she whipped her head around.

Silver stiletto heels pressed into the carpet and Kaelin arched her neck, frozen where she was on her hands and knees. Long blonde hair tumbled over the stranger’s leather clad shoulder, framing her beautifully terrifying face.

“Sorry,” the woman said, with a voice cold and sweet like peppermint candy. “Tom’s not available right now.”

Tilting her head, a slow, predatory grin spread across her face, and her canines elongated into pearlescent daggers. Kaelin wanted to scream, but it was lodged in her throat, choking her.

The woman’s ice blue eyes blanched, just before she lunged.

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