#twsttober

He heard the rumble of an engine behind him, but thought nothing of it. One of the neighbour's was likely just parking, or slowing down for the stop sign. If they wanted to ask why he looked so sad, maybe he could get a little treat out of it. Nothing prepared him for the yank he felt on his backpack, making him stumble backwards. He yelped, but the sound was cut off by a large, black, gloved hand covering his mouth as he was pulled into the van. He could feel his heart racing, struggling in the strange mans grip and biting him to call out for his brother. "JACK!"

The van picked up speed as the doors slammed shut, and the man that had been holding him around his waist dropped him onto the cold metal floor. Ace fought to stand back up, tears streaming down his face. "LET ME GO HOME, LET ME G-"

He was quickly silenced with a strong slap from the man who had grabbed him. He recoiled and gasped, his hands coming up to cradle his face as he sobbed and stumbled back until he fell back on his bum.

"I wanna go b-back to mama-" He sobbed and curled up, rocking with the motion of the van.

"Stop crying, that's enough of that shit. I'll shut you up on my own if you don't."

Ace couldn't even register what was being said to him, gasping for air and coughing until he was near dry heaving. He barely registered as the man stood up again, and came closer to him. Through tear-blurred vision he didn't see the mans hand reaching for him again, this time for his hair. His chest hurt from the gasping, the crying, but being lifted up was the last thing he remembered.

-----------------------------------------------

"This.........ola's son."

".......think.......go through.....?"

"Shouldn't have.......indebted to..."

Snippets of a conversation were barely audible to him, and honestly, they made no sense anyways. He slowly sat up, his head pounding. He sniffled and his bottom lip quivered, flopping back down in defeat, whining softly before tears started to stream again, down the bridge of his nose and onto the filthy linoleum floor he was laying down on. He tried to bring his hand up to rub his eye, but struggled against some sort of bind behind his back. He didn't know what it was, and didn't really care. Everything hurt so bad. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore it all, but sobs soon shook his tiny body, trying to keep them quiet in hopes whoever was in the other room would ignore him.

In a room away from him, he could hear the man's voice again.

".....Call you back....collect payment...."

Ace screwed his eyes shut as he heard heavy footsteps lumber into the room he was in, whimpering. He could feel the floor bend under the weight of whoever was in front of him, The mans shadow loomed over him, terrifying Ace as he curled up more and harsh sobs escaped him. He pushed his face into the floor, not wanting to look up. He felt the mans weight shift as he crouched down, screwing his eyes shut and whimpering in anticipation of what might come next.

He wasn't expecting a semi-familiar voice to speak to him gently, calloused and practiced hands undoing the binds on his wrists and ankles.

"Hey kiddo. You remember me, right? Let's getchya more comfortable, ok? You can cry, it's ok kiddo."

Ace looked up in surprise, then relieved sobs escaped him as he reached up to the man, after his binds were undone, that he recognized as one of his dads friends, seeking comfort. While he hated it when dads friends were in his home, any familiar face was a welcome one here. Effortlessly, his tired and trembling body was lifted from the ground and enveloped in a warm hug, a large hand ruffling his hair gently. Soft affirmations were uttered as the man rubbed his back softly, rocking with him side to side in an attempt to calm him down. Ace buried his face into the crook of the mans neck, his arms wrapped weakly around him as he sobbed. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol had never been more comforting. Between hiccup-y sniffles and sobs Ace managed a very strained and exhausted sounding, "I w-wanna go home", as he snuggled into the man more, caring less and less about the circumstances now that someone he knew was holding him; someone who knew where he lived, who could take him home in their big fancy car, and he could go back and just snuggle with mama until everything felt better. He relaxed into the man more, sleep starting to set in as the adrenaline and fear started to fade along with his tears. He somewhat registered the change from room to room as the man stepped down into a noticeably colder area, shutting the door behind him with a slam and making Ace flinch and sit up slightly. The man reached for a switch next to the door, and a dim light flickered to life, illuminating the space.

Ace took in the space as the man stepped down two more stairs. The entire room was made of cement, a crude window with steel bars giving the room the slightest bit more light, and the only real sight of colour as grass poked through. There was a mattress in one corner of the room, slightly discoloured, but still, technically, usable. In one corner, there was a chest of sorts, that appeared to have a lock on it, and beside it were two dog bowls. In the other, there looked to be a pile of slightly rusty chains. The room itself was not very spacious, especially with the twin sized mattress taking up most of the room. Ace noted a camera in the ceiling corner, and found himself clinging to the man a little more, squirming uncomfortably. "You're papa's friend r-right?.....so you're gonna take me home?" He looked up at the man pleadingly, gripping onto his shirt, the fear of being left in the strange room starting to gnaw at him. "Y-you just forgot something in here and have to get it....right?" he felt tears building up again in anxiety as he started to tremble. "....r-right?" Without speaking, the man untangled Ace's hands from his shirt gently, giving him no reason to try and fight him until he realized that both of his little hands were completely engulfed in the man's one. It wasn't until the man moved to set Ace down on the mattress that the tears started to flow again, but the man used his free hand to pat Ace's head. "None of this is your fault kiddo. Y'can blame your old man for this one. He fucked up big time, even got a warning too. So now I'll get what he owes....through you." He chuckled darkly, squeezing Ace's cheeks gently a few times. "And I can't wait for payment to start."

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Eleven years.

It took. Eleven years. Before the Reaper seemed to decide that life wasn't going to get any better, so he may as well finally grant him the mercy of death.

Eleven years of torture. Of pain and suffering that wasn't meant for him to bear.

It was just all so unfair. And none of it ever truly made sense to him. Which was why, when the Reaper finally came, and he learned that the transition to death may erase much of his life's memories, he shut them up and told them to proceed. Life was far too painful to remember. Nothing really worth remembering anyways. What had transpired would be enough to keep a new, different form "alive". He had been hesitant at first, but he soon learned just how much better "life" was this way.

For the first time in eleven years, he went outside. He saw other people. He didn't feel hungry, or cold. He couldn't feel pain. He could finally laugh about something.

And while part of him wished he could do more, like feel warmth, or taste something delicious, being able to forget and move on from life was better than any other sort of gift he'd ever been given.

Lady Crewel bent down to greet her tiny white pouch puppy, taking what care she could in her state to not spill the wine on the dog as she picked it up and nuzzled into it, kissing it's forehead repeatedly. Her lipstick stains negated her efforts in not wasting her wine, but went unnoticed as she hugged the dog to her and petted its ears down as she addressed one of her assistants. "I have a meeting in half an hour. Ensure that my precious doll is dressed and ready to show off the new line I'm dropping in a few hours." "Ma'am, with all due respect, Divus has asked you on several occasions to not refer to him th-" "HALF AN HOUR, HE BEST BE DRESSED BY THEN!" The attendant flinched slightly and watched as the tipsy woman walked away, going on about her meeting to some capacity. ------------------------------------------ It wasn't until she was in that blasted meeting that the little dog managed to squirm away from her, transforming silently to slip out of the conference room and into the hall. Divus sighed softly and tried to pull himself together. After all, he was meant to be a doll for his mother. A toy she could dress up and mess around with as she pleased, and discard him when her fun was over. He knew full well part of it was her trying to cope with the freak that was her son- he was no human, and nobody around him seemed to be even remotely like him. She had made it very clear very early he wasn't to transform in front of anyone. Which was why replacing her beloved pet seemed to be the only way he could hear the praise he needed to hear from her to have the motivation to carry on for another day under her red bottomed heels. He just needed to make it until sixteen. Then he could leave. For now though, he would head to his bedroom and get dressed and prepped and all dolled up so as not to throw his mother into another one of her fits. In due time, he would find a way to get even. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

THE REALMS Preamble: The realms are separated into four groups; the Human Realm, "The In-Between", the Monster Realm, and the Spectral Realm. In the modern world, it's a movement that has been trying to pick up popularity for over more than a few decades to try and reunite monsters and humans and allow them to live together in peace. However, due to the lack of accommodations for monsters, poachers and monster hunters, and poor stereotyping on both sides, it has been slow. As of right now, a monster who would like to enter the Human Realm has to cross "The In-Between". If they make it to the other side, they are greeted by one human guard and one monster guard and given a 72 hour pass into the human realm. For three days, they are free to roam the human realm so long as they do not cause harm of any kind to a human or domesticated animal. They are not to hunt in broad daylight, or if they must, it cannot be within the bounds of the city, (name TBD, but its similar to NYC in my brain), the portal from "The In-Between" opens up to. If they are caught hunting or causing visible or obvious harm to protected individuals, it is approved for humans to use lethal force to protect their fellow man. (Is it exactly fair? Absolutely not, but y'know neither is the law IRL lmao). They must show their license to police upon being asked, but they are not obligated to show anyone else. They must be back at the portal before their 72 hours is up, otherwise they are in the human realm illegally, and may be detained, sedated, or killed. Most monsters have a human-passing form that allows them to visit fairly unbothered most of the time in any case, and those who don't have the option to buy a potion that upon ingestion, will create the illusion of a human body, at least optically, but not in regards to any other senses. All other potions, hexed and cursed items, charms, and other tools that can be used to harm or even prank humans is to be left at the portal and will be returned (upon asking) at the end of their stay. A human that would like to enter the Monster Realm must cross "The In Between" and meet with a similar set of guards on the other side of the portal that opens into Sage Island. They are granted a 72 hour pass as well. For three days, they are not allowed to be messed with by the monsters, however provoking a monster and receiving a non-violent but threatening reaction is their own fault. If they are disrespectful, act entitled to be there, or manage to sneak weapons past security, the pass no longer gives them immunity and monsters are free to hex, curse, possess or eat the person as they please. Any weapons that humans bring with them across "The In-Between" and left at portal services will be returned, (upon asking), before their departure. If humans are late to return to the portal, they are also welcome to be eaten. There is only one registered doctor in the Monster Realm qualified to help humans, and they are located next to the portal of "The In-Between". In both cases, the visitor is encouraged, but not forced to wear a small body camera provided by portal services to capture and record any potential unjust action taken against them, though it's more heavily forced onto monsters so they cannot try to hide if they have harmed a human in the human realm. If any visitor is found to be guilty of breaking a law in the place they were visiting, it is up to the judicial system in the place where they broke the law to detain and punish as they see fit. The body camera reels are watched by an AI for suspicious activity when they are returned to portal services before the visitor is allowed to go back through "The In-Between", another reason why the visitor must be there before their 72 hours is up. In very rare cases, visitors can apply for residence in the other main realm. Monsters tend to be more tolerant of humans than humans are to them. TL;DR : Tensions are high between humans and monsters, so there are several laws in place that use lethal force upon breaking them in their respective realms.

The Human Realm

As it's likely obvious at this point, the Human Realm is where most humans reside permanently. The Monster Realm

Again, very obvious and to the point, this is where monsters consider home. It's their safe haven. The portal leading to "The In-Between", and by extension, the human realm, is located on Sage Island. With a few of the most prestigious colleges being located there, many young monsters are able to come into contact with human tourists for the first time, and tend to be more open minded and excited to meet their portal neighbours than other monster demographics, but are also more than capable of holding their own. However, should the unimaginable ever happen, humans will at least be contained on an island rather than on the mainland, especially since the portal cannot be moved.

The In-Between

The In - Between refers to the desolate, dusky, flat and seemingly never-ending landscape in between the portals- or more rightfully named, gateways to the Human and Monster Realms. This place is lawless, and almost nothing and nobody lives here on a permanent basis. The only reason for life in the In Between are travelers trying to make it to the other side- and no bounds hunting. Humans don't need a license to hunt monsters here, and monsters are welcome to do as they please with humans. For most humans, the trip across the In Between from portal to portal lasts anywhere from 16 to 28 hours, meaning they often have to make it through the night. This is partially due to the fact that vehicles are not allowed in the In Between. Even as dangerous as it is, there are very few that have chosen to reside here. There is no sun, no moon, no stars, simply a brown, dusty "sky" to match the ground. Sand/dirt storms are not uncommon, but there is no wind. Fissures often split open for no apparent reason and swallow its victims whole. Some conspire that the In Between is a living being itself, trapped in a deep sleep.

The Spectral Realm

Like in game, the Spectral Realm is where ghosts reside. Ghosts are a little bit different from most of the other monsters, as they were human their entire lives. They are the only inhabitants of the Spectral Realm; however they have free range across all other realms. The only potential drawback is that ghosts that are in the Spectral Realm are not able to be perceived by individuals outside of the Spectral Realm in any way shape or form, unless there is high energy in a certain area. Even then, it is minimal contact and tools are needed to get in contact with them. (Such as but not limited to REM pods, flashlights, Ouiji boards, etc. etc.). Some ghosts, often more "recent" ghosts or very powerful, usually negative ghosts have more energy than the spirits in the Spectral Realm. These spirits tend to live in the Monster Realm, as once they choose to cross into the Spectral Realm, or loose their energy, it is difficult to leave again and they are made aware of this by the Reaper. The Spectral Realm has no way of telling time, and is depicted very similarly to in game.

NRC VS RSA

Both Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy are institutions for the most cunning young monsters to hone their skills and become both diplomats and survivalists as their lives as supernatural beings demands of them. Night Raven College specializes in hexes, curses, possessions, and illusion.

Royal Sword Academy specializes in charms, expulsion, and mind manipulation. *The dorms remain the same in regards to what they stand for. OVERBLOTS

".....You really need to stop. I-I know you said you wanted to be friends, but this is getting out of hand Rook...." Neige's voice shook a bit as he watched the peculiar man. He was perched carefully on his windowsill, his eyes glinting madly in the low light. Rook sighed a bit and stepped into Neige's room, making the poor boy tremble as he backed up towards his bed.

"Rook I'm going to have to call sec-GHHK!" Rook stabbed the knife into Neige's stomach, pushing him back against the bed and making him lay back, covering his mouth. He pulled out the knife and dragged the bloody tip lightly against Neige's face, so as not to damage the skin as he giggled. "Call them. Go ahead and scream Neige. I dare you~" Neige gasped for air as tears rolled down his cheeks, trying to put together some sort of sentence, but failing as a sturdy hand grabbed his cheeks from under his chin. "You know how I feel about you, right Neige? You know how perfect you are, correct?" Neige gave him a weak nod as he sobbed "Please don't hurt me" Rook laughed softly, bringing the knife to his lips and licking it. "No, no no Neige, I'm not hurting you~ you should see the state Vil Schoenheit is in....he's hurting. Which is why I've come here. The little...accident he was involved in....he requires surgical help immediately....and while I could go with anyone else....nobody else has hurt me quite like you Neige. While you are perfect in every way...you still rejected me of your hand in partnership. So I will simply take what I need from you....to give to the man who DOES love me! And happens to be short a couple limbs at the moment. Oh but don't worry Neige. I've tested several other subjects to ensure your beautiful body will take properly to my new love." He leaned in to kiss Neige gently. "But don't worry your pretty little head. It'll all be over soon enough dear~" Neige tried to scream, but he blacked out, only for a moment. When he came to, he was coughing, choking on his own blood as Rook held his severed tongue in his mouth, still giggling. Neige hazily watched as Rook used fishing line to easily slice through his flesh, before everything faded to black. ------------------------------------------------------------

Rook hummed softly to himself as he finished up the job, stuffing the limbs he would use for Vil's body into a bag. He took his time, knowing full well that nobody would notice the beloved popstar was missing until morning. All he would have had to have done to avoid this was said yes, even to just one of the love letters Rook had sent him over the years. But he didn't. But Rook always had backups. He would never tell Vil that though. And now that Vil had "lost" much of his body...and his life, all that was left to do was give Vil the best body Rook could come up with.

-------------------------------- A/N: lskdjfhdlskjfhlkj uhhh sorry Neige byeeeeee

Who would be foolish enough to leave their child unattended in the woods? The babes cry hadn't ceased for nearly an hour. Normally, Lilia preferred a challenge when it came to food. Not only that, but he enjoyed watching children play and have fun from his refuge in the trees. He found them rather endearing, and thrived off how lively they could be. But this one sounded much younger than the ones he would watch play. And it didn't seem to stop crying, peaking both his interest and concern. It didn't take him long to find the source of the sobbing, draping himself comfortably across sturdy tree limbs as he peered down at the small wicker basket on the ground. There was a bag next to it, with a piece of paper attached to the side. The basket, upon closer inspection, had the child inside of it bundled nicely in a soft, blue fabric. It's crying was starting to slow, easing into ragged, tired sounding whimpers. It wasn't until Lilia was sure the tiny being was asleep that he let himself fall to the ground and slither closer to investigate. The child had fine, silvery hair and rosy cheeks from having cried so much. Lilia felt a moment of regret for not having come checked sooner, reaching out to gently wipe the child's tears away. However, the moment he came into contact with him, he recoiled as if he'd been shot. Images flashed in his mind of times best left forgotten; memories he had repressed. It took him a moment to collect himself, before wiping at tears he hadn't realized he'd shed. He glanced at the child, stunned and almost afraid. He wracked his memory for any sort of monster that was capable of such a thing, but the ability draw up old memories was too vague to really come up with something. He debated leaving the child - clearly he wasn't equipped to care for it- but chided himself when he looked back at the babies face. It wasn't the child's fault. His eyes finally settled on the paper on the bag next to him, cautiously approaching it before unfolding it and reading the note. I didn't want to do this, I never wanted to do this. If you're reading this, I hope you understand. I would tell you everything if I could. Bear to you my whole story, how it came to this. But I don't have time. All I can ask is that you'll forgive me for asking this of you. This is was? my son. He's six months old and hasn't got a name yet. I was terrified to call him by anything in the event he passed early, or if I was caught with him. This bag has the beginnings of what you'll need to take care of him. Diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, blankets, clothes, anything I could shove inside. I never wanted to part with him, but now that I must, I hope that some kindly monster will take him in as their own. Please. This is likely my dying wish. I know you don't owe me anything...but he's just a baby. And I have no other options. So if you answer this desperate mother's plea, thank you. Thank you and may you know a life of riches and happiness and health. There was another paragraph haphazardly scribbled, but she had crossed it out. Lilia folded the note back up and peered into the bag, curious and taking note that everything she had listed, and then some, was inside. He looked back to the now peacefully sleeping child, very carefully using a clawed finger to pull the blanket down from his face. He noticed there were no repercussions, easing his nerves and making the decision easier for him. He would learn to take care of this monster, whatever he was, and raise him as his own. Warmth sparked inside of him as he slung the bag over his shoulder and held the basket carefully, rocking it slightly as he slithered back to his home. -------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hehehe, see I told nya I'd bring back some food." Che'nya butted his head affectionately against the tiny vampire, despite only having known him for less than an hour. He had climbed in through his window again, and made himself comfortable on Riddle's floor, plopping a still-squeaking mole on the floor. Riddle gasped and scrambled away from it as it struggled. Che'nya suppressed a giggle and moved to bump against the small boy gently again. "When nya get outta here, you're gonna have to learn to hunt. Don't worry. It can be scary the first few times, but I promise it's gonnya be ok. As soon as you bite it for blood, it won't feel a thing." He nudged Riddle towards the wounded mole gently, encouraging him to try it. Riddle glanced back at him reluctant, especially since hunger wasn't gnawing at him like it used to. He stared down at the mole before hesitantly starting to feast. Che'nya patted Riddle's head gently while he ate, before moving to his bedroom door. "'m gonna be right back, ok? Don't ya worry about me, I'll be back to clean you and your room up, mkay?" He gave Riddle a wide smile and wink. Despite Riddle being more than a little nervous, he found himself feeling rather "floaty" again as he indulged in the rodents blood.

Rook plays with his dead families body parts, resurrection, murder, gore, graphic images, stitches/"medical" setting, stalker, death, etc. etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

"You shouldn't do it-" "Yes you should Rook, surely he'll understand-" "You could make it GORY and disgusting and-" "Don't be so vile, death is a beautiful passage-" "He wouldn't keep him dead, that's the whole point! He kills him, he saves him, and he loves him until they're both alright to die!" "Didn't Vil say he didn't want to grow old like his father?" "EXACTLY, this way Rook has full control over how he looks-" "It wouldn't be hard!" "It wouldn't be hard!" "It wouldn't be hard!" Rook laughed to himself and flopped on his back in his makeshift lab, holding the severed arms of his late family, bouncing their hands up and down like puppets as he made them "speak". He sighed rather happily, before hugging all seven of them to his chest and rocking forward to stand up. He made his way over to the giant vats of formaldehyde he had his beloved family displayed in. He remembered when he had watched his father butcher his mother with morbid fascination. His other siblings had cowered, but given the opportunity, Rook swung the axe and was granted permission by his father to keep his mothers arm, given that he preserved it well. He had loved her, and despite his fathers outrage at her for reasons beyond Rook's comprehension, he understood his survival was dependent on remaining on his father's "good side", as it were, and did what was necessary to keep her in his life. He placed a soft kiss to his mothers hand, before returning it to its respective vat. Seeing as the rest of his mother had long since been....disposed of, the container was smaller than the others, and remained on his desk as inspiration.

He then walked to each of his six siblings, depositing their limbs back into their respective vats, admiring his handiwork with each one. The first to go had been his brother, the one just a year older than himself. Rook was rather tired of his whining, and how he tended to make their father angry towards everyone and not just himself. Rook tapped the glass and giggled, his brothers tongue floating freely, away from the rest of his body. He had been such a sweet and innocent soul...he was typically the one Rook assigned the most voice of "reason" to. The next had been his second eldest sibling- his oldest sister. She had reminded father a little too much of mother. Rook had been fascinated, eager to take the scalpel to her face, delicately peeling away the skin until only the muscle was visible. It's hard to resemble anyone when you lack facial features. He loved the way it felt, like she was watching his every move, watching every experiment he ran, and she could do nothing about it from the vat her preserved body floated in. She would often chide him, but ultimately she just wanted him to be happy and he appreciated that. He hummed as he returned her arm to her as well. Each of his siblings were lined up in the order he and his father had killed them. One had their entire circulatory system on display, another, the digestive system, and the other had half of their body left untouched, and the other half sliced open as if to examine a cross section of the body. Finally, his eldest brother was displayed next to his father. His eldest brother was not harmed, save for the arm Rook had cut off...and the axe through his head. Rook returned the last arm in his hands to his brother, before turning to his father. His father had no visible marks. He was completely in tact. But Rook decided that if he was going to loose everyone anyways, it only made sense to get rid of the man who made him do it. There were sometimes slips in his mentality, where what he had done would overwhelm him and he would try to join them. But he had gotten better at combating those...episodes. Despite the families perception of him, Rook was not close with his father. The effort he put into impressing him never paid off. It was funny to him now, but when he was little it hurt. But of course, back then he couldn't use electricity to simulate movement in a corpse. And now he could. He had collected various parts from monsters over the years, harvested their DNA, and worked relentlessly to perfect regenerative cells, preservative qualities, venom, and many other traits all to benefit his end game. When he found someone who was worthy of being his eternal partner, in both life and death, he would be able to keep them alive. Thankfully, he already found that person. But they were in the public eye so much that trying to court them would be far too difficult in the current state of affairs. Thankfully, Rook didn't care if he was dead or alive when he got him. If everyone else believed he was dead or missing, then he could keep the celebrity all to himself. -------------------------

Vil woke up to a blaringly white light, his limbs like lead as he tried to block his vision from the blinding light. The circular light was turned off quickly, as Rook's masked face leaned over him. He tugged his mask down, revealing his grin, before he leaned down and kissed Vil's forehead gently. Vil recoiled slightly in surprise, before relaxing just slightly once he realized who it was, groaning softly. "Rook?....what happened?" Rook moved away slightly, sitting in his spinny stool like an excited toddler. Vil slowly sat up, registering the hospital gown he was wearing, closing his eyes a bit and pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to think. "....what happened?" "I believe the more important question dear, is how do you feel?" Vil shot Rook an unamused glance. While they hadn't been close, over the past few months Vil had found the eccentric man's energy rather invigourating and uplifting - dealing with the loss of his father, and coming to terms with the fact he was an orphan had been difficult, but Rook always seemed to be exactly where he needed him, and knew exactly what to say. However it was that fact exactly that blinded him to the blatant red flags radiating off this man. However, that man at the moment looked absolutely giddy for reasons Vil couldn't fathom. The glance didn't last long, however, as Vil caught sight of his hands- stitches lined near every knuckle, along his wrist, up his forearm- panic started to set in as he pushed up the sleeve slightly, not registering any pain and moving faster to check the other side before looking at Rook in disbelief and fear. "What h-happened to me Rook? Please just tell me, why am I covered in- w-what happened to my body, where is my body, or makeup removal wipes, just tell me this all comes off and we'll be fine-" "Oh it all comes off alright-" Rook giggled, gently taking Vil's hand and kissing the back of it gently, before splaying his fingers over his own hand and simply pulling one off, the stitching making a horrid noise as it came undone. Vil flinched, but realized he didn't actually feel anything. Despite that, he started to tear up, not pulling away as Rook just started to sew his finger back on, humming gleefully. "I couldn't let you join your dear father, but your body....mm...it was horrifically mutilated dear Vil. I won't get into details. But I hope you find the proportions appropriate. I tried to honour your original body best I could with the substitutions I could find of your oh so loyal fans." Rook let a tiny giggle slip out at the look Vil gave him. He finished sewing on his finger before shifting the lights in the room and helping Vil sit up more. Had there been contents in his stomach, he would have thrown up at the vile scene in front of him. Dozens of people in various states of dissection and decay in front of him. It was clear some had been there for weeks, their bodies bloated and discoloured. That didn't stop him from bringing his hand up in front of his mouth in disbelief and disgust, but he wasn't given long to dwell on his feelings as Rook picked him up with ease and carried him beyond a set of intimidating looking doors to a room full of green and blue vats of liquid.

They all had disturbing to look at creatures in them, but Vil's eyes settled on a vat in the very center of the room, nothing but arms and legs in there. Ones that were wearing his clothes....and looked as if they had been hacked off haphazardly. Rook set Vil down gently on the desk in front of the main vat, before walking closer and pointing excitedly to them. "Now in case you happen to die- again, at least, and I'm not able to salvage you, I can regenerate you. I will regenerate you if I must. But for now you're in a form where you can no longer feel pain. No longer will you grow old. And you'll never die without me with you!" he giggled. Rook turned to admire the limbs set in the preservative, rambling on about something or other, but Vil had pulled himself together enough to recognize he shouldn't stay. He knew to move quietly and quickly, especially with Rook seeming so enamoured with....the parts of him he could keep. Thinking about it that way made it feel so wrong though. Vil gave himself to take a deep breath, trying to give himself a character mindset to slip into rather than trying to deal with this himself. After a moment, he found that despite his disgust, he was able to pick through the bodies until he found a relatively fresh one, whispering an apology under his breath as he undressed them, throwing their clothes on, and someone else's hoodie on top. He didn't care for fashion, or comfort, he just needed to leave. He found himself looking over his shoulder before testing the entrance door, which opened fairly easily. He had no real plan, just to get out. ----------------------------

Rook knew Vil was leaving. Of course he did. He watched it happen in the reflection of the vat. If he were to take a guess, Vil was going to dress himself before running as far as his new body could take him. While he almost regretted not putting a chip in him, it would only make the chase more fun...more fulfilling when he finally got his beloved back. ----------------------------- Vil stumbled into a gas station out of the pouring rain hours later, grubby, tired and disgusted with himself. He kept his hood pulled over his head enough to hide his face to ask the clerk for the bathroom key. As he waited, his attention went to the TV, where a reporter gave him the news Rook refused to give him. Apparently, over a month ago he had gone missing. And apparently it was only in the last two days that his old car had been found, nearly blown completely to pieces and well off the road he had taken with intentions to go to a shoot. Police presumed him dead already. The shock and fatigue began to wear on him as he realized just what Rook had done. He shakily accepted the bathroom key, letting himself into the filthy gas station washroom, slipping down to the floor in a whirl of emotions. He let hearty sobs wrack his body - this...new...borrowed one, laid on his side and let the fatigue wash over him, passing out on the disgusting bathroom floor. He could figure out the rest in the morning. -----------------------------------------------------

A/N: god I'm tired wish me luck on my exam today

"How long have you had him on a restricted diet? He's not all that old Carlotta, are you sure it's safe to try something like that on someone so young? Even if you do, it's not a very good testing pool to only have one subject, a proper study would enta-" "It doesn't matter Evelyn. The point is, I cannot keep wasting my time on synthetically making blood for Riddle. He's gotten to the point where I'm finally going have to take the risk of letting him consume animals blood, but I need you to curate the diet for the pigs I plan to use. I've already located a great farmer who said he'll raise and take care of them for me so all I have to do is come by to pick it up. The pigs can't be too fatty, and they cannot have a high glucose diet. In addition-" "Carlotta-" "Do NOT interrupt me Evelyn, that is very unbecoming and rude. Since you had something so important to say, why don't you go on and spit it out."

The younger woman shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "The diet you've suggested so far for the pigs will result in a terrible quality of life for them, and will likely shorten their life spans by quite a bit....they...if the farmer listens to you they might even....cannibalize each other." She stared down at her clasped hands. Dr. Rosehearts had always been an intense woman, but she had been the woman she needed in order to get the motivation to go to vet school. However, she also somehow felt that Evelyn was eternally indebted to her, and demanded her input and participation on every new idea that struck her, morals be damned. It wasn't even so much her opinion she seeked- Carlotta just wanted someone to tell her she was doing something right. She wasn't even related to Evelyn, but she felt terrified of defying her. She couldn't help but feel bad for the boy who shared a roof with her. She'd only seen him once or twice- he was always in his room sleeping or studying- despite being only about six years old in human years. Dr. Rosehearts just scoffed at the young woman. "I couldn't care less about their quality of life, so long as they don't anything they're not meant to- like each other- and stick to the plan I have for them, then my son should be perfect and set for life so long as he only eats from them for the rest of his life." Evelyn took a steadying breath. "....yes, but if the pigs are ill, chances are your son will fall ill as well." "Well that's where you come in. You'll be nursing them and ensuring they remain as healthy as possible so I don't have to waste my time synthesizing blood." By the time Carlotta had finished her sentence, Evelyn's eyes were on the tiny redhead boy clinging to a blanket and small stuffed animal as he rubbed his eyes. "Synthesizing blood?

Carlotta seemed to freeze up in her seat, her lips pressing into a thin line as she gripped her armrest until her knuckles turned white. Evelyn glanced between her and the boy, unsure really what to do. "Mama, you said I had real blood starting when I was three cen-taur-ies old....right?" Riddle seemed to wake up a bit more, his hair still sticking up a little as he rubbed his eye. "Cuz you promi-" "BACK to your room. You're not supposed to be awake yet Riddle." Her tone made both Evelyn and Riddle flinch, but Riddle started to tear up. "B-but you promised I was big enough when I w-was th-" Carlotta gave Evelyn a fake smile as she stood up. "I'll be a moment." She felt like she was meant to step in, but couldn't bring herself to do anything even as she winced as Dr. Rosehearts grabbed her sons wrist hard, causing him to sob as he was dragged back to his room.

As promised, she was back a few moments later, her sons cries no longer heard unless she really listened for it. She sighed and sat down, shaking her head. "Honestly, children are just too nosy sometimes." Evelyn looked away from Carlotta, uncomfortable. ".....is it true?....you told him he got real blood when he was that age?....you know that's....well I know you know, but...that's when kids are supposed to switch over gradually to start building their immune systems and give them access to the real thing so they can start hunting and getting the nutrients they need without...lab precision." She looked down at the floor, but she could feel Carlotta's eyes burning a hole in the top of her head. Before she could let her intimidate her out of saying it, she finished her thought. "The way you feed him now, and the way you want me to help you feed him in the future, is going to keep him malnourished." Carlotta had never evicted someone from her home faster, before making her way to her own blood supply and indulging herself in her guilty pleasure. --------------------------------------------------------

Riddle sobbed quietly into his pillow, not wanting his mother to hear, but he could smell the blood she was drinking from where he was. It was so unfair. He had been so excited all those birthdays ago, because he was finally moving up in the world. He knew, from his reading, that he was meant to have the synthesized blood to make sure he didn't have exposure to anything his body couldn't handle. Around three centuries, he was supposed to have had rodent blood mixed with the synthesized blood, until he was drinking strictly rodent blood. And at five centuries- well the list went on, and he knew it well. Of course he did. His mother made him read all about that, and maths, and science and world history and alchemy and hexes and curses and all manner of things instead of letting him do...anything else. But apparently not even the one thing he thought she had given him was true. "Whyyyyy you cryin?" Riddle startled and suppressed a small scream into his pillow, clinging it close to his chest, panting and terrified at the head and hands poking out from under his blackout curtains. The purple haired boy frowned, and turned his head upside down, further startling Riddle by accident. "What's wrong? 'm just curious. Meowybe I can he-" Riddle threw the pillow too gently to really do anything to the boy, but didn't want to call his mother into his room unless he really had to. When the boy just smiled at him after the pillow, he relaxed a little, not feeling like he was angry. "Y-you have got to go.....you g-got to go before my mama hears you!" He whimpered and curled up as his stomach grumbled. Che'nya tilted his head to the side, his ear flicking a bit in response. "I'll be back little vampy, don't nya worry 'bout good ole Che'nya!" The boy seemed to disappear, leaving Riddle to wonder if that interaction had really just happened or not. A few minutes passed, and he decided to try to sleep again, whimpering softly as he laid back down. However as soon as he got comfortable he heard a bit of a scuffle outside his window and the purple head of hair popped under his curtain again, something in his mouth. Riddle watched, bewildered, horrified and fascinated as the rest of the boys body assembled slowly in his room, before the boy spit out the rat he had in his mouth unceremoniously, it still twitching on the ground, "You know how to eat it, right?" Riddle looked down in disgust at the animal for a moment, before instincts took over. He was just so hungry. In seconds, all that was left of the rat was the pelt and dehydrated husk of what it used to be, and little Riddle panting as he realized just how good and filling the rats blood was compared to whatever his mom gave him. Shakily, unsure, he handed back the remains of the rat, looking up at Che'nya pleadingly with a few tears in his eyes. "I'll getchya some more little vampy. Don't worry. You're not gonna go hungry anymore." ----------------------------------------------------------