#samanta larusso

Word count: ~480

The LaRussos’ Halloween party smells like money and fake magic — glittering lights, dry ice fog, and the faint scent of pumpkin candles that definitely cost too much.

Tory doesn’t belong here. She knows that. But she also knows how to blend in when she wants to.

Black lace dress, red lipstick, a silver ring she “borrowed” from a thrift store because it looked like it could do something.

And tonight, it might.

Because tucked in her pocket is a folded piece of paper — a spell she found online at 3 a.m., half-asleep, half-joking.

“To reveal what the heart hides.”

She figured it’d be a fun Halloween trick. Maybe freak Sam out. Maybe make her blush.

But when she lights the candle near the fake tombstones out back, the flame flickers pink.

Someone’s watching her.

“Didn’t think you were the witchy type,” Sam says, crossing her arms. The halo on her head is slightly crooked, and Tory hates how much she wants to fix it.

“Didn’t think you were the type to crash your own party,” Tory fires back.

Sam snorts, glancing at the candle. “What’s that smell?”

“Don’t you just love it?” Tory says softly.

“Graveyard dirt, rotting flowers, and cheap booze?”

“ yeah,” Tory grins. “Doesn’t it remind you of your youth?”

Sam gives her that look — the kind that makes Tory’s stomach twist. “I’m starting to think we had very different upbringings.”

Tory steps closer, the glow from the candle catching in her eyes. “Maybe. But maybe we’re not as different as you think.”

The wind shifts. The candle flares brighter. And for a split second — just a second — the air between them feels alive.

And when the music from inside swells again, Sam swears she hears her own name whispered in the smoke — over and over, like a promise.

Sam’s breath catches. “What did you do?”

Tory smiles, slow and dangerous. “Nothing you didn’t want.”

You wanted to know what the heart hides, right?

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Eli is a weapon, so he wasn't given much of a choice about attending the 'DWMA'. His best friend Demetri hated the idea of fighting/danger/extra gym class for no reason, but enrolled as a meister anyways because if Eli had to go then of course he was going. He couldn't stand the thought of Eli having to face down danger alone, paired with a meister who actually took the whole ridiculous 'using people as weapons' thing seriously.

Because, make no mistake, Demetri is against the very existence of this school.

For the first year they lay low. They attend class, but make practically no progress outside it towards defeating/devouring "evil souls". They fail their missions because Demetri really isn't trying to do anything but keep them both safe.

They are looked down on for this, in addition to everything else that they've ever been picked on. Mission failure becomes another thing that makes Eli feel small.

He gets frustrated.

-

Miguel is the new kid, a weapon that took a bit longer than usual to be found or to awaken.

Sam is a meister and the daughter of an instructor, Professor LaRusso, who spends his time attempting to reign in the violent tendencies of students, however counter-intuitive that may seem. He views their fight as one that is unfortunately necessary, but he worries about students becoming too swept up in the violence.

Miguel is immediately impressed with Sam and nervously considers asking her to be his meister. However he is also very impressed by another teacher, Professor Lawrence, who teaches weapon students about self-wielding.

Miguel and Eli both end up not only taking Johnny's class but attending his extracurricular sessions.

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Eli, now with a hairstyle reminiscent of blades, calls himself Hawk and becomes more agressive. And cruel. He ends his partnership with Demetri when Demetri doesn't follow suit.

Privately, they are both terrified they wouldn't resonate anymore even if they tried. That they've diverged too much for their souls to connect like that.

Hawk mainly self-weilds, transforming his fists to his blades. Miguel does the same, his blade coming out in his kicks.

Demetri wonders if he should just leave, since he hates this school and Eli has left him behind. He finds he has something to prove, though, and he doesn't want to be alone. He becomes closer with Sam and Professor LaRusso, improving his skills as a meister while also learning an ideology focused on balance.

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Other Info:

Johnny's weapon form is an ornate gold staff and he and Daniel were partners as students for a brief period when Daniel was new. Professor Kreese made sure to terminate that, however, since Johnny was part of a group of student weapons he was cultivating for his own use and Daniel was close with his rival instructor.

Professor Kreese was fired a long time ago, but was suddenly reinstated by the headmaster (Death) with little explanation.

Terry Silver is a witch who Kreese met as a student and was supposed to kill since witches are the enemy. He spared him.

Terry can use his magic to take a weapon form as if he were a weapon. Usually he'd only do this for Kreese.

Robby was not born a weapon even though his father is one. He enrolled in the academy as a meister and got close to his father's rival initially as a means for revenge, but it turned out to be really good for him. For a while.

Tory is a flame thrower.

Moon is an elegant jeweled dagger (she wouldn't have chosen this life) and Yasmine is her meister.

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Eventually Eli and Demetri have their moment where they reunite and fight together.

Meisters Sam and Robby and Weapons Miguel and Tory fight at various points in every combination and, in theory, this eventually settles. Sam wielding Miguel and Robby wielding Tory is one possibility, but they'll all be surprised to find that Sam can actually resonate with Tory and Miguel actually can resonate with Robby... So who knows how that partner situation settles but it eventually does.

Daniel and Johnny finally team up for the big fight and are honestly shocked to resonate so well.

Ah. Demetri wearing a pun t-shirt and judging other people's taste in movies. The world as it should be.

Also, seeing Hawk like this makes him so sad T__T

Sam is on fire here. Love it for her.

Hawk is... doing his season 3 Hawk thing. I enjoyed seeing it again but I'm glad he's past it.

This scene, had it been included, would recontextualize the Laser Tag fight in a way I'm not sure I like.

Basically, going from Hawk saying 'we'll give them a fight' to them messing with Chris at his job would make it seem like the whole thing was a trap.