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Victis Honor: Regulus Black (Only Self-Para's Linked)

After figuring out horcrux (It Came From Skeletons that Rattled Your Heart), stealing a horcrux (History is Something that Happens to Other People), creating a WIll (The Will of Regulus Arcturus Black), making his relationship with Bellatrix even more complicated (Things Learned Companion Piece to: Your Innocence Is Mine | Warnings: Incest | Dubcon | Sexual Content | Sexiest assumptions on consent | | | Comes sometime after That Shadowy Crack), Burning Down Grimmauld Place (We All Live In A House On Fire --which were followed by Karli's fabulous The Last Day: James and Mary Escape, and an ending of  Of Me That Quakes At Thunder), Regulus survived becoming a hostage at Remus' (Full Moon, pt. 2: Everyone Is A Moon Remus transforms in front of Regulus. Part of the Full Moon para cycle. Sequel to full moon, pt. 1: the wolf’s revenge) and ended up creating a really delightful relationship with James Potter (Wake Again and We Will Be Like Strangers). After moving into James' home after the last battle, Regulus also struck up a surprisingly intense semi-relationship with the last Prewett (A Distinction of Subject-Matter: Self-Para Meme Response to "Ship Me" Followed by Anne's flawless "Shag Me" meme response Setting Fire to Sinking Ships). 

The Ending of Regulus Black is not a happy one. The the simple fact of the matter is due to his own choices he lost all of his cousins and friends for little gain. While his relationships with James Potter and a few other Order members were stabilizing forces with the rebuilding of Grimmauld place Regulus wouldn't have felt he could stay in the locations he had found security in. While his relationship with Sirius had greatly improved, his brother had also moved in with Remus who had incidentally traumatized him. The stress and an inability to easily make a replacement social network (as although many of his previous relationships would be considered arguably unhealthy he would have highly relied on them) coupled with the inevitable, if accidental, isolation of living in Grimmauld place would have likely resulted in a successful suicide attempt. Previously passive suicide attempts occurred throughout his time with the Order as walking around Muggle London with most Death Eaters and possibly some Order Members wanting him dead and no wand is not healthy.

  Game Time: Sometime June-October depending on when Grimmauld Place would have been completed.

Set to come after: The Things You Should Steal (and posted so early so its still timestamped in the event-ish even if its mostly unrelated)

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Regulus spilled out of Dorcas' flat and hit a wall. Or, rather, he apparited some where away from Fabian's bedroom and stumbled--tripped over his own ankles and crunched into a wall he was sure was just outside Diagon Alley. It was late, closer to two am than six pm, and though there was still scotch on his breath and Fabian had seemed alright still--the party was over. And it was a party--they had had fun, in their own way. Drinking, picking up things and shrinking them. That old portrait demanding behind his long nose and atrocious hate that he be put down this instant. Regulus was sure it was yelling still--crushed somewhere in Fabian's new room and adding imaginary class that Regulus wasn't sure anyone had anymore. Not really.

He scraped himself across the bricks--on step, two. He could have rolled himself straight, he was sure, but that took effort and the tension in his limbs had returned sooner than he'd like.

Regulus still didn't know why he'd done it. The reasons hung voiceless at the back of his throat because he didn't want to make Bellatrix angry but he had wanted to do this one thing more--and it had been worth it, hadn't it?

The portrait had been an uncle. Regulus had no clue why Bellatrix had even kept it--the picture had to have been of great uncle or a great-great uncle. No one she likely knew. No one important--at least not anymore. They took it and a carpet. They took some drapes. A bed frame. Lamps. The fine old items felt like home and disaster and when they returned to Fabian's room he had thrown them down on Fabian's floors and tried to distract himself other ways.

It was late. The street lights left long shadows and Regulus wanted to apparite home but couldn't quite raise his hand, couldn't quite be bothered with it. Another few steps passed a bar that seemed to be closing. The laughter was unexpected but it shouldn't have been. Regulus had felt something building all day--the tense line of his shoulders, the sickening twist of his stomach in the afternoon. His chest ached and the laughter rolled out from his throat--clipped and high. He gasped, the laughter sucked the air through his lungs and left him wanting. He bent, the world swayed and curved with him.

The carpet had felt soft under his fingertips. The old oak furniture heavy and lacquered.

There were a hundred reasons Regulus could have given for what they were going to do, or what he thought they were going to do. If pressed he could cite the example of his older brother, the fact that he had every intention of primarily focusing on Black Family furniture which, by rights, he had a claim to. He could have mumbled something about Horcrux and the vague consideration he had given to the idea that perhaps Bellatrix had been given one--something he himself thought unlikely due to the fact the last Black to hold any Horcrux had burned it.

The truth of the matter was, however, that Regulus didn't knowwhy he had thought of it, all but told Fabian, and then decided they might as well do it. It was a stupid idea, liable to get both he and Fabian Cruciated, and, somehow, Regulus was certain that he'd be rightfully blamed for it all.

But there was a tension that he hadn't been able to shake all day. It braced across his chest, made his legs ache, and it made the thought of doing anything at all so appealing he could taste the want of it on his tongue. There were simply too many thoughts, most of them unpleasant--all of them intrusive, and he thought, for the moment, that the only way he could ever get rid of them was to do something. Even the idle reminder that he had justfound a way to make nice with Bellatrix over dueling practice couldn't quite still the nervous jitters or hesitant smile.

Breaking and entering, after all, had been the first time Regulus thought he heard genuine interest in Fabian's voice--and that was important but not in a way Regulus could name.