flowers for the broken spirit//@snowstormsnowqueen
Sweetly-scented smoke filled the circular ceremonial hall, and Summer sat, waiting in the center of the atrium, before the altar where the incense burned. The coven filed in, black robes trailing the ground, in stark contrast to the white of Summerâs gown fanned out around her on the floor.
It was a simple garment aside from how the edges were cut to resemble the petals of a lily when seated in this position.
A flower of devotion. Purity. Rebirth, motherhood-
-and death.
Petals meant to cleanse the deceased, to restore innocence as they passed in life.
Each of her hands, shielded only by a bridal glove, were held by Ruby and Yang on either side. Both of her eyes were shrouded in a blindfold of black lace, and serenity canvased the room as everyone took their place.
With a minute squeeze of either girlsâ hands, they released hers and Summer folded them over her heart, like a corpse waiting to go under.
Her senses, she allowed to slip away. Ruby and Yang picked up the pitchers on either end of the altar, tipping the contents over the crown of Summerâs head.
She couldnât let herself feel the cold. None of the energy from the forces around her were for her to feel anymore. It was a constant motion, and she was only the vessel for it to pass through, to change its shape. The water sluiced down her hair, her cheeks, her body, and as she parted her lips with a sigh, rose-colored flames lit the dozens of sconces lining the walls.
And then, she sang. For one of the lost...
-for someone sheâd failed.
Her lips caressed the words like she was guiding each one through a birth. The song rose up from the depths of her body and she mourned in every breath, head tipping back.
The voice possessed her, completely. Summer Rose was emptied into the room, into the air, comforting the frightened and stretching battered wings around the weary.Â
A memory filled her that she could not read. It was not hers to keep, only to borrow. A lost had curled up into the vessel of her body, fleeing from the dark. A hand stretched out and she slowly lifted a bell from the altar. Unseen to her, Ruby and Yang watched, lifting a wrist each, to which were attached bells of their own. In unison, the three rang, and the first of the families made their way forth. Two young boys, brothers, approached and knelt, placing their hands upon the altar. The elder of the two tried very hard not to let the emotion show in his eyes for the youngerâs sake, but the effort was plain in his eyes.
Through Summerâs body, a young voice spoke, though it carried the calming timbre of its host. Her arms extended, and the children went around the altar to sink into her arms as she stroked their hair and murmured to them with the words of their elder sister.
âWhat I did wasnât a waste. So donât cry for me so much-all will be well. Raven will watch over you. Sheâll make you stronger. So donât give up. I love you. I love you...â
The young boys, having held back tears for so long, finally collapsed at that, sobbing. Summerâs arms were tight around them, and it was several long moments before they stood up, holding one another as they returned to the crowd.
....
......
A wave of dizziness hit Summer as her spirit stitched itself back into place, weary and taxed. She swayed momentarily with the force of it, and then-
-she did the whole process over again.
And again.
....
............
Where-
Who am I...
Where is-am I, where am I, who am I-
How many are-are left....?
.........
She never kept the memories from-
-from this. They werenât hers, she wasnât-
-real-?
No-
Please, who am I, please-whereâs my-where am I-
.....................
The first three....yes, sheâd sang for three.
The fourth. By the fourth, she was trembling, hands clutched over her chest as she hunched, breathy and panting through every word of the song. The echoes of the dead cried out all around her, begging to come back, to live again-
I hear you-I hear you, Iâm so sorry--
She didnât let herself feel it, she gave it up like she gave everything else up, let it all become an offering-
-take my voice, take my body-
Forcing herself with herculean effort, she swayed until her back was straight, fingers clawing at her throat with some sort of phantom instinct, as though she were trying to dig out the words themselves from the broken earth-let them live again-let them, Iâm nothing-Iâm-Iâm-
Like a soaked cloth, she wrung herself for every inflection until nothing more could come, until she was lost to the ethereal hum of the undead, singing to her, with her. Reaching into her throat, raking the inside as they tried to find home-
She was deaf and blind to all that happened on the mortal plane. She did not perceive the ripple of concern sweeping through the crowd of those that dared not interfere. She could not hear how Ruby and Yang sniffled, scared that she would go too far.
Her voice strained and the flames flickered in the haunting echoes that filled the room. If, in the beginning, her voice was meant to guide another through a birth, by now, it was her own funereal lament, desperate to be more than something she could only barely manage. Her every sorrow and regret bled out of her voice and the pale of her throat was speckled with reddened crescent imprints, agony ravaging her delicate body.
.....
Finally-
..........
The fourth, done.
Summer swayed deliriously and nearly fainted, hands quivering and covering her ears.
I. Hear. A. Sound.
I. Hear. A. Sound-
The blindfold soaked up the outpouring of tears that flowed silently, though she struggled so much that it spread in the entirety of the space inside of it.
I have to-
-canât--hurts, oh please----
--Iâm scared-
â...Ghhn...!â Summer heaved, hugging herself and doubling over as though afraid sheâd disappear, huge gasps rattling her body.
--
Hands, on her cheeks, lifting her up. Her arms swayed helplessly, lips parted in a croak.
âHhh...hh-â
Summer pawed for the hands at her cheek with weak motions, for safety, for mercy, eyelids fluttering, and felt her chest caving as she was set back down into place.
A sob had barely passed her lips as Raven snatched Yangâs pitcher and threw the contents into Summerâs face.
It was as though the force of the water itself had knocked her over. Shocked and hurt, she crumpled to the ground with a silent cry, sprawled, disgraced, across the floor at her daughterâs feet. A gasp tore through the crowd as true distress showed in every one of their faces for their matriarch, who they swore devotion to, who they knew they could not usurp the pride of by stepping in against her captain of the guard.
âGet up,â Raven hissed, âGet up! Did Vernal die for nothing?! For you to lay there useless?!â Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she railed, âSheâs lost without the matriarch to guide her! She deserves to come home-!â
She spun on Ruby and wrenched the pitcher from the sobbing girlâs hands.
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Schrader: Young vampire boy brought back from the dead by Lily. Has the most obvious crush on her, and she remains oblivious to it. Heâll be staying with the DâVitts until his brother comes into the picture.
Arabella and Cantarella: Hybrids, mother is a vampire and father was a werewolf(heâs dead of course). Cousins to Lily, but nobody knows of them. The Evie/Donna of this AU has actually been taking care of them. Every day Cantarella learns more about cousin Lily...
Dante: Vampire boy, abandoned by family for being born weak;Â will be adopted into the DâVitt family. Not as sweet as his og self and a little more sassy and such, protective over Lily and makes sure everybody knows heâs her assistant.
Robyn and Rayden: Vampire boys, lost from family; will be adopted into the DâVitt family.
Richard:
Work on this one
Reverse Vampire AU:
Schrader: Werewolf boy who lives with his brother. Pretty shy and is confused as to why Lily acts the way she does around him. May actually end up jealous once he meets a certain boy, and he wonât even realize it.
Arabella and Cantarella: Vampire girls, father being a vampire and mother human/witch(?). Mother surprisingly takes care of them here, but also makes sure that nobody knows about them.
Dante: Young human boy, currently living in the old DâVitt toy shop. A little more timid here, scared of vampires thanks to biological family. Will be adopted into the DâVitt family once gaining their trust.
Robyn and Rayden: Young werewolves who also live in the DâVitt toy shop.Dislike vampires due to what they did to their family. Will be adopted into the DâVitt family once gaining their trust.
Richard:
Work on this one
Pirate AU:
Schrader: Stowaway on Jamesâ ship(shall be found in a young Will+Elizabeth manner uwu). Will immediately befriend and crush on Lily who shall be oblivious but very welcoming and friendly.Â
Work on this one
Have some other ideas...but those apply to that one bad future
Arabella and Cantarella:
Work on this one
Dante, Robyn and Rayden: Stowaways found on Stellarâs ship; they were dropped off with Coraline who is currently taking care of them. Theyâll be a little timid around Lily once she arrives because she will be jealous of them at first, but sheâll eventually warm up to them.
Richard:
Work on this one
Spooky AU:
Schrader:
Work on this one-figure out what he is
Arabella and Cantarella:
Cantarella-Wonât be (as) bad as og because her father is also âgoodâ in this AU
Work on this one
Dante:
Work on this one
Robyn and Rayden:Â
Work on this one
Richard:
Work on this one
Mafia AU:
Schrader: Very reserved and shy boy, will probably be quite shy even when older(still deciding). Saddest Schrader of them all probably, besides og. Has obvious crush on Lily and she knows it; itâs torture. Works for the Mendax family because of his own familyâs tie with them. This Schrader would probably befriend Atlas fast and back off once certain things start.
Arabella and Cantarella: Mother gave them away at an early age, makes sure that nobody knows of them because of what she did with their father. He doesnât know about them, but they know about mother and father, as well as the rest of the family(Mendax+DâVitt). Probably still at the orphanage/foster home because nobody is willing to take both, especially because of Cantarellaâs darker side she only shows once adopted.
Dante, Robyn and Rayden: : Same story as always, lives with Coraline. They know about the family business of course, but remain quiet to not worry mother.
WHAT FILTHY GLORY CAN BE CREATED IN THE REVERSE VAMPIRE AU đđđđđ - đ anon
OH MY DEAR FILTH ANON, YOU KNOW IT WELL DONâT YOUÂ đ
All this big seducing game, all the sexual tension and lust brewing to a point of almost being unbearable. But the moment this tension snaps in half, they cannot be apart. Ona makes sure nobody will disturb them, not now that she finally has them in her arms and ready to bare their throats and souls.
Itâs a powerful sensation and she drinks herself full of it. Ona never tasted anything this sweet and rich, so she comes back to them and they come back to her. She makes sure nobody lays a finger on them, and the poor fool who does must face a fate worse than death.
The boys were uncertain at first. A vampire? Really? Those creatures exist? But yes, they exist. That explained a lot of things concerning Ona. How could she know so much? Have this much power over anything? She was centuries old, she saw more than enough, and they both didnât understand what did she saw in them to fall in her good graces. No complaints, though.
Ona is delighted to see these two beautiful men in all their naked glory, a feast for her eyes only. They look like sin incarnated on top of her soft bed sheets, sprawled, beckoning her with their lustful gazes and frantic heartbeats. Ona is very glad to be powerful enough to be able to walk under the sun, because Connorâs eyes are like molten honey when the sun hits them, and Richardâs body has a way to capture the lazy morning sun that is hypnotic.
She feels content, even happy, for the first time in many centuries. She had lovers before, yes, she remembered those women and men with warmth in her dead heart, but those two⌠they are special. Ona likes their warmth, their sweaty bodies against her as she gives them time to rest, lazing in bed. She likes how hungry they are, how much they make her feel good and even cherished. Maybe loved, if they can love what humans call a monster.
Ona will certainly have them if they let her. All eternity, even.
 Vampire Lennie: oblivious to lots of social cues, very playful, kind of flirty, energetic, a bit childish, very emotional. Loves to make friends, gets attached(donât hurt those close to him)
Vampire Belinda: Flirtatious, caring, more provocative, knows more than she lets on. Kind of sad, very lonely. Proud
Werewolf Billy: has more trouble showing emotion, bad boy. doesnât really care much for what others think of him, or how he dresses. aggressive, tsundere. Still a flirt though but...only directed at partners usually or to get something he needs/wants
Witch Calliope: Somehow...still very much the same personality.
Such were the rules that kept Summer kneeling, head bowed deferentially, as Salemâs presence choked the room, extinguished the candlelight along the wall as she formed from mist, pooling from the shadows at everyoneâs feet and centralizing in the center of the room before Summer.
She controlled her terror-
She controlled her terror.
She had to count them, the breaths, that she needed to take. There was a saying amongst their coven, in a hunt, or a fight. Catch up on the breath before you need it. Her delicate shoulders were squared tightly, rigid, but her chest expanded with deep breaths, collapsed with exhale as the reality set in.
Reality. Reality. Winter is here, even if I may not look up to see. I can trust that she will keep the children from watching, that she already has hands around Ruby and Yangâs eyes, that they are so tight to her sides that they wonât feel the brunt of the fright.
âSummer Rose.â Salem intoned with a sardonic twist of her lips that Summer didnât need to see to know was present. âRecite for me, to everyone, your crime.â
âI have broken the seal you placed upon a human with my own blood. I have overwritten the magic law of an ancient.â
âA human, you say?â She gave a throaty chuckle, âMy, but youâll need to be more specific. Itâs not like there was ever just the one of mine. Speak the name aloud. Try again.â
âI-have broken the seal upon Winter. I destroyed the binds put in place by an ancient.â
Salem extended a hand, and a portal opened to the side of her, out of which flew her usual haunt: a Seer Grimm, crystalline and spherical in appearance, with several long tendrils hanging down. Even though Summer could not see it from her position, she could feel the malevolent energy pouring off of it in waves. Salemâs hand dropped to her side and one tendril dipped below Summerâs chin, lifting her face with a ghost-like touch.
âAnd why did you do it?â
Summer swallowed firmly, spoke clearly and carefully, her sight deferred to the side subserviently.
âThe laws, while old, are...wrong.â A near-silent gasp shuffled the assembly of the coven, eyes so wide with fright that Summer could see the whites of them.
Much to everyoneâs surprise, Salem only chuckled behind a hand.
âAt the very least, you are forthright in your answer.â Salemâs robes swept the ground as she closed the space between the two of them, knelt down to press her lips close to Summerâs ear.
â...Even if you are indirect as ever, courting my favorite toy.â
The whisper rattled her slightly, though it only showed on Summerâs expression as a widening of her eyes.
âYou possess a unique ability, do you not, Summer Rose? The power to commune with the dead, to invite them into this plane once more?â
âYes, mistress.â Even if they were forbidden from using her name, addressing her without any title at all was as good as suicide. Even if the word tasted of acid in her mouth, it was only a word.
âSplendid. It just so happens that I have need of your ability. Demonstrate this power to me right here...and I will show leniency in your punishment.â
Summer clenched her teeth. Something was wrong about this, even if her skin werenât already crawling at the idea of inviting someone among the departed to so unholy a ceremony. But Salem had not asked her. Had not given her a choice.
âLift your hand for me.â
Summer extended her hand, watching as Salemâs fingers spiraled around it, as she drew a cipher in ash against her palm with her other fingertip. When it was drawn, Salemâs grip twisted around Summerâs palm until both of their fingers pointed upright, then dragged her nails down the inside of Summerâs hand.
â--!â
Summerâs mouth opened silently, eyes growing wider, teeth clenching, as memories that were not her own assailed her.
âWinter...Winter, wake up-come back to me-â
A woman who she could only discern in the vacancy of Winterâs haunted eyes, whose reflection revealed a woman with short, sable hair and smoldering ember eyes that flickered like a flame struggling in the rain.
A woman who acted out, diverting attention from her friend the only way she was able.
One who exchanged trembling kisses in the dark, fragile things, with Winter, who held her through the worst of it when they were taken together-
Summerâs revulsion tore through her, hideous understanding dawning.
This person...her soul was absolutely in turmoil. She had so much left tethering her to the mortal plane, things she wanted to say that were only meant for one womanâs ears.
She shook her head slowly, still stricken with the shock of what sheâd seen.
She...still, would try to hurt Winter this way...
â...No. I will not call them to this place.â Summer finally refused after a pregnant pause, speaking out of turn.
Her retribution was an immediate blow across the face, with nails, sending her to the ground with three angry lines carved over her cheek, swelling with blood already. She bit down on her cheek to keep from crying out.
âWhat a mouth on you. What a grand and intoxicating innocence. To have the audacity to entertain my commands as though you would obey.â Salem spat upon her cheek, clicking her tongue. âGet up. Face me.â She hissed.
Summer methodically pieced herself together, coordinated herself into a seated position once more, staring up at Salem as her hand slid perfectly over Summerâs mouth, gripping her jaw with vicelike tightness. She felt...She felt bone, shifting, momentarily, and then it was gone, and as her hand drew back, a muzzle of shadow had appeared in its place.
A void, meant to suffocate, meant to allow for an echo. A hideous, evil device, meant to induce despair; Summer could sense the horror felt by its previous victims swarming up, into her nose, her throat-
--Winter.
Where all else had failed so far to break her, feeling Winterâs cries welling in her own throat had tears forming immediately. Before she could even think to struggle, Salemâs pet had coiled its tendrils out, bound her around her mid-section, pinned her arms to her back and twisted, tied them together behind her. Salem sat in front of her, drawing claws across her clavicle, her shoulder blades, as she shifted the fabric of her dress down around her shoulders. Summerâs eyes widened like a frightened animalâs, but she said nothing, forced herself to silence, even as her tears flowed ceaselessly.
âShhh, shh...â Salem crooned mockingly, running her fingers through Summerâs hair before wrenching her down, making her lay her cheek upon Salemâs lap like a petulant child. Summer...could feel her taking her time drawing her hair back, away from her shoulders, as though she were admiring her, and it made her skin crawl. The mask over her mouth and throat was filling her soul with the screams of everyone who had suffered before her, but all she could focus on were those of Winterâs. To call it torture would be a gross understatement. Sick with grief, eyes cloudy, she let Salem pet and stroke her, the exposed skin of her back with one hand, the angle of her jaw with another, suffocating her with her touch.
âSo many rules, broken.â Salem mused, tapping a nail against Summerâs cheek. âYour correction will not be over quickly.â A wave of one hand, and time itself warped around Summerâs body, her consciousness. Seconds stretched to full minutes, minutes felt like hours. Words trickled into her consciousness between the screams, the crying, that was not her own.
âYou will suffer, most beautifully, my pet.â
In the hand not caressing Summerâs face, framing her for Winter to see, a silver athame appeared, its tip beginning to trace along Summerâs squirming back.
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Sorry I just needed a list for myself because Iâm trying to focus on so many AUs at once and I need to figure these things out
Just how the kids feel about the others and such uwu
Vampire AU:
Atlas:
Lily: Likes him! A friend who she hopes to keepÂ
Dante: Doesnât âcareâ for him. Maybe heâs just a little jealous because he wants to be the only one thatâs Lilyâs assistant. May actually be a little cold at first.
Robyn and Rayden: Neutral, will befriend him once the trust comes in.
Zombie Schrader: No like, acts like a rabid dog around him
Schrader once normal: Chill but have a secret jealousy, will sort of befriend him if thatâs what Atlas wants. Kind of depends on what goes on here
Reverse Vampire AU:
Lily: Thinks heâs so funny, she likes him. Heâs a little weird but she doesnât mind. Sometimes oblivious to the âgentleman-nessâ
Dante and Robyn+Rayden: Afraid and untrusting at first, eventually realizing that there really is nothing wrong here. They wonât be oblivious to whatâs going on here with Lily, tease her about it and realize that sheâs oblivious to even that
Schrader: Wouldnât mind him at first, but then realize whatâs up with him. Will unknowingly be jealous over Lily who he also does not realize has a crush on him
Spooky AU:
Lily: Atlas is bestie!!! Loves him so much, heâs one of the smartest peoples she knows
Dante: ---
Robyn and Rayden: ---
Schrader: ---
Will no doubt be overprotective of Lily
Pirate AU:
Lily: I know what she feels but I have no idea how to put it into words
Dante: ---
Robyn and Rayden: ---
Schrader: ---
Mafia AU:
Lily: Sees as potential friend. Knows what he knows. Will initially act like shy girl but then show how she really can be(nothing bad of course)
Dante: Sees as potential friend
Robyn and Rayden:See as potential friend
Schrader: Very shy, would be jealous only about the fact that this new person can talk to LIly while he still finds it extremely difficult. He would actually want to befriend Atlas and if any feelings for Lily came later on he would no doubt back off because heâs a sad little boy.
