not ready to be found

Henry Wells Familiar [Panther] | 35 "The mirrors in your mind can reflect the best of yourself, not the worst of someone else."

[familiar-henry]

Hell in a Handbasket

[familiar-henry]

august-wynter:

He came off as too rough in some aspects, August knew it, knew his defenses ran high and his hackles stayed raised when it came to subjects he felt he had to be on guard over. Back home it was nothing short of blasphemy to disregard the purpose of a familiar, since that point he had become harsher and harsher towards the idea; it didn’t always mean to flex his anger so much. And the other man would have probably slunk back for even less of a bite to the words.  

“Sorry, man, look,” August wasn’t, contrary to a fair amount of opinions no doubt, a raging psychopath that lacked empathy..it was just a rough-edged empathy at times, “that wasn’t a shot at you or anybody else. Some people are happy like that, pisses me off when it’s taken advantage of, but…it’s not really my place to tell people how to be happy. I just…don’t get it, but I don’t think I can; the whole good side of it was never much of a thing in my existence.”

A shrug, the words seemed like a heavy confession but they honestly were not; because it was nothing but the truth and that was easier to tell in some matters than it was others. But the honesty in why he felt so strongly? That was nothing August felt afraid to voice. 

“Three,” he corrected with a glance up to their surroundings in something akin to contemplation, “Some people don’t have to step on anyone to prove themselves, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to push back if somebody tries." 

But so few people seemed to understand that; cruelty for the sake of being cruel was vile, so often people mistook self-assurance and willfulness for vicious intent or cold nature. 

"Well, that’s fine if you like getting stepped on, but if you don’t that’s really just up to you to change, isn’t it?" 

His eyes returned to Henry, even if he could never seem to catch the man’s eyes, he stopped trying to because it clearly made the other uncomfortable. And when the topic shifted back to Ellery he couldn’t help but chuckle. 

"He does have some extremely screwed up views of himself,” he agreed with a curious study of the other man when Henry’s demeanor so suddenly changed…now that was an interesting reaction, “Unfortunately he’s apparently had some help in that, from what I’ve heard. Don’t know who, but they’re already hitting a nerve with me.”

Maybe it did sound a little crazy because he barely knew the man, but what he did know was something about Ellery when it came to how unfair the world was, how icy it could be, and how the man didn’t deserve it. Playing victim did people no good; he didn’t like seeing anyone forced into it. 

“You know what the worst part is? You’re right, he barely knows me and he probably could have killed me, but it’s easier to hear the truth from someone you don’t know. And compared to other people he acts like it’s some insane idea that when he told me he was ready to kill himself to keep his power from getting out of hand I told him to get himself together and tell the people who agreed with it to fuck off. Because…who the hell deserves to feel like they’re that much of a lost cause? It’s not fair; he can get himself under control if anybody had bothered to help him." 

Again, he slipped into a passive shrug to offset the annoyance that had stirred up with the words, "People are too afraid, he’s too afraid of himself, I’m not afraid of him. He’ll be fine, he’s trying now; he’s not going to kill anyone, himself included.”  That was a line August would see to, even if it must have baffled Henry why he would even attempt to with a near-stranger. 

“Enjoy,” he chuckled again at the choice of words but didn’t test it, “Yeah, I sort of figured that one out already.” And was it his business? No, that was entirely in the realms of Ellery’s personal life and he wasn’t going to infringe on that, mostly…beyond the annoying nagging of his instincts but those were going to be an unhappy little hum under his skin regardless.

He had to draw lines, he supposed.

The half-assed apology took Henry by surprise in an entirely new fashion; it was good to hear a side to the familiar that wasn’t so defensive. The admission of the other’s past as a familiar hung heavy in the air and Henry hesitated before contributing his own opinion. “I wouldn’t say my experiences with that side have been... entirely ‘good’ either.” That was the understatement of the century. He’d been forced into a bond with a witch who was more kind than cruel and then failed him. He thought briefly of how August might have reacted in the situation; the familiar before him probably would have been delighted to see the witch die but, for Henry, a part of himself died the night as well. 

“You might not understand how people can be happy with a witch... but I don’t understand how you can live without one.” Having a witch in his life had become a necessity for staying mentally and physically stable; Henry wasn’t privileged enough to worry about his happiness in the equation. 

An odd sense of anger seemed to swell within him at the nonchalant response; August’s self-help suggestion seemed almost patronizing. The tears were forming in his eyes on their own accord and Henry wanted to curse himself for his own lack of emotional stability. How the fuck did August have it so under control??? Henry only felt well by Griffin’s side.

No response. When the topic changed back to Ellery, Henry could have sighed in relief if the tension in his shoulders wasn’t still keeping him stiff.

But without the other’s knowledge, the blame of Ellery’s lack of self-confidence laid with his own lover. Griffin was even harsher than August when it came to self-exploration and magic was his speciality. He tried to help Ellery in a completely different way than Henry did and he disapproved of it the moment he heard Griffin encourage Ellery to off himself. But he had been too distracted to ever bring it up, too scared of what Griffin’s reaction might be to his and Ellery’s relationship. But Ellery was still lost and it was partially his own fault. Henry can’t fix Ellery’s feelings for him but he could change Griffin’s mind.

Henry’s inhale of breath was sharp and broken, he’d been so distracted by the other’s words and hadn’t noticed the stream of tears that had fallen or his lack of air. He momentarily gained the strength to wipe the tear from his cheek, his mind whirring though he remained silent for a moment longer.

“I’m trying to help but there’s only so much I can do.” This sounded like a conversation he should be having with his lover, or Ellery, or literally anyone he knew instead of a stranger who claimed to know all about his friend’s situation. The most frustrating part about the entire thing was that August understood perfectly. “He’s not gonna kill anyone.” It was a strange assurance that Henry needed to hear, not because he feared Ellery but because he feared what the witch might do to himself. 

The guilt in his chest was beginning to feel too heavy to bear. Henry took another sharp intake of breath. August’s assumption of their relationship didn’t bring back anger, instead he found himself sighing out the large breath he had just taken, the shaking in his hands only worsened as he gripped the basket.

“You may think you do, but you don’t have us figured all out. I don’t even have us figured out.” 

[familiar-henry]

Blurred Lines [Henry&Caspian]

[familiar-henry]

cas-xavier:

Caspian gave a polite smile, hiding any signs of betrayal. “Certainly not in public, and definitely not without permission,” he half joked with deception. He certainly had no memory of the event, which certainly was convenient for continuing to manipulate the man before him. However, he had little interest in that, partially in case the memories returned - and so Caspian thought best to keep a fair distance from each other.

“Lucky we happened to meet each other at that ball, we met each other at the right place at the right time. You shouldn’t thank me.” Caspian twitched his head to the left with a frown that quickly ceased as the other trailed off without finishing the sentence. It brought a minor curiosity on who he was referring to.

“I imagine a few must be confused at what had happened at the masquerade. You may,” he nodded to the vacant chair before returning his fixated gaze upon the other. “You knew someone affected by what happened at the masquerade?” he pried. 

The vampire’s response was oddly soothing and Henry felt his shoulders droop in response to the tension leaving his system. It wasn’t easy for Henry to openly trust others and vampires were no exception. “Thank you.” He murmured his gratitude once more as he slid into the empty seat. Henry placed his book on the shared table but continued to hold tightly onto the safety of his teacup. He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt the need to thank Caspian so often but his feelings had lied with darker areas before when it came to the vampire; continued appreciate for the man who saved his life couldn’t be all that bad.

“It was more than that. You brought me to your home. You encouraged me to heal my wounds when I would have probably let myself rot. I’m not at my best when I’m... under the influence.” Henry scrunched his nose at his own words, his fingers beginning to cramp from the sheer force of his grip on his teacup. “So, I mean it when I say thank you. I don’t.. say it often.”

The admission would hopefully be enough for Caspian because Henry truly hated owing people anything. The vampire could easily hold the situation above his head at a later time but hopefully Henry didn’t have to hear/think about it after their talk. 

It took a moment to recollect his own thoughts and form a proper answer that didn’t delve too deeply into his personal life. “Yes.” Henry paused as he finally let the teacup sit on the surface. “He was directly involved with the fight. It could have been a lot worse, he just... had some mental--uh, memory loss trauma. It was difficult.”

Henry could never form a phrase for how god-awful it had been to not see Griffin’s eyes light up with recognition in the hospital; It was far worse than difficult. “Did you know anyone?” 

[familiar-henry]

Hell in a Handbasket

[familiar-henry]

august-wynter:

“I don’t have one,” August remarked when he caught the other man’s eyes drifting towards his wrist; and he was all the more certain of himself because of that lack of mark tainting his skin than he might have been with one. “Nor do I need one." 

Because he knew what it felt like to be regarded as lesser by those who held magic and it was one thing he simply would no longer tolerate. By no means did he ever plan to share the details of just how that initial bond had ended but it was a little secret that gave him strength rather than troubled him. 

It hardly meant he had no sympathy though because, in spite of his own bold nature, August held a deep loathing for others who treated his distant kin in a way that put expectations on them, that degraded them to the status of animals. Truthfully animals they might all be on some level but he saw that as an advantage; even lacking proper claws and fangs himself he had sharp prongs and hooves that even witches weren’t immune to the crushing weight of. 

It was a pity that too many like himself were taught to be fearful or docile; something August himself was grateful he had been led away from in his reckless years. 

"It’s not height or lack of it that gets people stepped on,” he countered easily as he cast a glance to the object in his hand with a sudden, carefully concealed, realization that struck him with annoyance. Ellery’s handiwork, of course, damned magic-laced food and he had put himself in a position of having to finish it. 

He would, yes, but he was going to have another little discussion over the matter later with the witch.

“You wouldn’t be curious if somebody threw a tree at you? Granted, first I was mostly pissed off and ready to punch him in the face but…he’s an idiot but I don’t think he’s purposely dangerous…just lost.” August tipped his shoulders in a shrug as he sat there, looking for all the world unconcerned about the matter. “He’s got some screwed up opinions on how to deal with things though; seems to run rampant in this city.”

But, attention back to the other man, eyes flickered over him once more; it wasn’t just the gaze of predators that marked them, oh no, it was the sense of them that was just as strong and burned brightly under the tangled hints of their human self. There was something to this one, strange familiar; something curious.

“Because if I’m wrong he’s lying to me about avoiding people like you and me like a plague because of a little magic.” Flat, his tone, and to the point, but it slipped away with a final bite of that muffin and a slow breath. “So, reasonably, I’d like to think he’s not lying and give him the benefit of the doubt. Not that he’s told me much, nothing personal if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Not that August would have cared about what sort of personal business Ellery carried on with the other familiar, mostly…maybe just a small twinge of territorial instinct was nagging at him.

Henry cleared his throat and practically choked on his own breath at the other’s harsh remark. It only took a moment of struggling to inhale normally again before he was apologizing. “Of course you don’t need one.” Any normal familiar could obviously be happy, healthy, and confident without a witch but each time Henry met another individual of his species, he began to think he was far from the norm. He fought the urge to glance down at his own, unmarked wrist and instead tightened his hold on the basket, eyes blinking anywhere except the other’s wrist. It wasn’t often Henry was called out for his wandering gaze but if anyone had been staring at his wrist he’d certainly feel uncomfortable. Henry supposed the man’s tone was well deserved on his part. 

After another tense moment, Henry shifted on his feet, glancing briefly at the other’s expression as August contemplated the muffin. “... I suppose you could believe that there are only two kinds of people- those who get stepped on and those who do the stepping. All other traits aside, I think I’d... still be one that’s stepped on.” 

Even if it was metaphorical, Henry felt oddly vulnerable admitting to such a thing in front of a stranger. He resisted the urge to add that August would most likely fit into the later category, for manners sake. 

“No, not purposefully dangerous.” Henry made an effort to remind Ellery constantly that he wasn’t the extreme dangerous monster he believed himself to be. Just from this one accident it was obvious the witch could cause damage but he was lost; Henry’s only hope for their friendship was to point Ellery in the right direction. Where that direction may be is... lost as well.

“He’s got screwed up opinions of himself too--” The words slipped out carelessly with an eye roll but Henry instantly caught himself from spilling any more information, tension high in his shoulders as he glanced at the other’s reaction. It was interesting to hear that Ellery told August he avoided familiars; he often tried to convince Henry that he should avoid him but each time he assured the witch that he was no danger to him. Henry was probably more dangerous to Ellery at this point.

“I just find it strange that he would tell all of this to... someone he had almost harmed.” It was his second nature now to be hesitant when trusting other people and Henry wasn’t about to tell August the entire history behind Ellery and his relationship. “It’s complicated. But he’s... not lying. He thinks he’s dangerous around familiars. I choose to... enjoy the better parts of him. The parts that don’t throw trees at strangers.” 

[familiar-henry]

Full [Henry&Ellery]

[familiar-henry]

ellerytanninrp:

What wicked torture it was that the familiar was both his source of comfort and agony. The smaller man stepped into bathroom with the warmth and vitality of a fire on a cold night, and Ellery drew away even as his heart ached to lean closer. But he’d seen what horrible things listening to his heart could bring forth, and the witch was quick to shove away the bone deep longing he felt to reach out and draw himself to Henry’s chest. 

Incredible. He was anything but. 

The sourness of his own disgust sat heavy in his mouth, a cloying badge of shame that the witch wore with all the pride of someone who knew they deserved it. 

He couldn’t look the familiar in the eye, even as soft fingers gripped his chin, tenderly wiping the sick from his skin and the tears from his cheeks. His heart ached all the harder for the kindness in Henry’s actions, the unspoken forgiveness for all of the pain he’d instilled on the innocent man. 

“I shouldn’t be here.” Ellery insisted, his voice a rough croak in his abused throat as he drew his legs up to his chest in a knot of misery, putting yet another barrier between himself and the familiar he’d hurt. A few more stray tears trickled down his cheeks and the witch swiped them away furiously. “I shouldn’t be allowed around familiars at all. I’m… I’m dangerous.”

Henry could feel the other’s hesitance with each movement he initiated. Ellery was attempting to lean away from his fingers as if they might burn him but the flame continued to entice him. It took all of his strength not to forcefully grab Ellery’s chin when the witch brought his knees up, pushing his hand away and creating a barrier between them. It was painful for the witch to stay but it would be so much worse if he left now. Henry wouldn’t let Ellery believe that he was some kind of monster who only dined on familiar flesh. The witch had basic needs that sought him out for relief and Henry could never be upset at Ellery for helping himself.

A soft smile brightened Henry’s features, his eyes boring into Ellery’s own. He normally hated eye contact but the glazed orbs that glanced back at him only encouraged his actions. Ellery could put up all the physical barriers in the world but his eyes invited him in, whispering a different story.

“Don’t you understand, El? This is exactly where you should be.” Henry reached forward to peel the witch’s hand away from the grip on his knees, lacing their fingers together slowly. He made no move for more contact, testing limits as more tears fell down Ellery’s flushed skin. “Your body needs to release your excess magic. A familiar’s job is to help their witch. Naturally, your magic seeped under my skin because we spend the most time together.”

Another wave of guilt rose in Henry’s chest though he was too selfish to let Ellery go completely. He was probably causing his friend more harm by allowing him to have a temporary familiar instead of none at all. “You just gave too much. But you’re still learning.” His lifted his hand from Ellery’s own, curious as to whether the witch would reach for the contact again or fold in on himself even further. “I won’t let you give up because of one mistake.” 

[moonlitxgargoyle]

Anonymous [Kane & Henry]

[familiar-henry]

xoharex:

“I work at a bar, what do you think?” Though in his opinion it was never good to insult the owner of the establishment you spent your free time in, he apparently didn’t share that view with a few of the sanctuary’s inhabitants. Including this one, so he thought, so he nodded as the familiar said he’d be a moment, taking the opportunity to finish his drink and contemplate how alcohol had affected the man to the point he remembered practically nothing from their encounter, now that was still strange to him, but it didn’t appear the familiar was lying so perhaps Kane could forgive him.

“Well I would never have guessed.” Kane teased, though his eyes narrowed a little, suspicious as to the real thoughts and opinions of this man. It was strange, but in a way he had met two familiars that were split in two. Devoss with what seemed like a personality disorder, and now this one, with selective memory loss. “You should hold back from the beer then my friend, it clearly inhibits your ability to well, hold back.” he smirked a little “You definitely made it clear you don’t like me, it’s just a good job you gave such a bad impression yourself, or I may have been offended.” But nobody cared about the opinions of a drunken worm, and that was how Henry had come across.

“I work at a bar too. I don’t receive many insults.” Henry hadn’t thought over his own answer as it slipped from between his lips; his tone was much more accusing that he’d meant for it to be. His memory was clearly gone from the night the two of them had met but that didn’t mean the blame for the argument automatically fell on the witch. “Sorry.” Henry squeezed the bridge of his nose absently, his eyes sliding shut for a moment. “It’s been a long night.” It was no excuse to be directing his anger towards a stranger who clearly was not on good terms with him.

“It sounds like it was a moment... or night of weakness.” Henry briefly recalled his desire to get shit faced before it had actually happened that night. Alcohol served to erase certain pain but only momentarily and it seemed to have caused more turmoil than he’d meant for it to. “It’s not the beer. It’s the whiskey.” For some reason the word spurred the memory of the man before him chewing on an ice cube the night they’d met. “I remember you drinking whiskey too.” It was a small victory though nothing to celebrate as Kane went on to explain the night further. Embarrassment flushed his cheeks yet again as Henry creased his brows in concentration, trying to remember his drunken actions. “Well I don’t... find myself disliking you right now so... my apologies for expressing it in such a way that night..” 

[familiar-henry]

blu-dev:

“Ah, shame…I would love to meet another with a bond”. Devoss could never see himself bonding with a witch. He was too explosive and independent. Also, it would cut into his time messing with Caspian. The familiar nodded his head, “Yeah, I am. It might always be that way with me. I have yet to meet anyone worth my time. If that makes sense. Do you like it down here? I was born here, so I do not know what the upper world is like. I heard it’s bad”.

He kept his questions quick fire, doing his best just to seem young and curious. “I’ve only heard of the husks, but I’ve never seen one”.

Henry resisted speaking the truth about his first bond at the other’s interest; biting his tongue seemed like a better option than risking a panic attack. His wrist was beginning to feel too empty just at the mention of bonding and Henry tried to steer his focus to Marvin instead of the offer Griffin had given him the day before. “It makes sense.” Henry lied. He’d only spent his younger, poorer years as an unbonded familiar but the majority of his life had been spent with the witch who bought him from the slave trade. He didn’t understand how anyone could simply say they hadn’t found someone worth their time when Henry had been struggling to please the first witch he’d met after his bond was broken.  Though he hadn’t pleased them. Or the next. Or the next. It wasn’t until Griffin came into his life that he allowed himself the full pleasure of pleasing. 

.... though he had given in to witches during several of his darker moments in the sanctuary. Listening to Devoss made Henry believe that maybe his will wasn’t as strong as he had previously thought.

His mind had been drifting, just as Henry hoped it wouldn’t, but the other’s admission caused his eyebrows to raise. “This sanctuary is far better than anything on the surface. People take it for granted.” He assumed Devoss probably had on multiple occasions, considering the familiar was born underneath the water. “If I could wipe my memories and give them to you- I wouldn’t. No one should live to witness the world crumbling around them.” 

[familiar-henry]

Full [Henry&Ellery]

[familiar-henry]

familiar-henry:

ellerytanninrp:

This wasn’t the first time Ellery had woken to the sound of Henry whimpering between the labored heaves of his chest. He was caught in the claws of a nightmare, and the witch was well practiced at moving closer, using the length of his body to curl around the familiar, comfort him into wakefulness. Half asleep himself, Ellery smoothed his fingers over the familiar’s crumpled brow, soothing them down to circle around his arm with a gentle shake. 

Keep reading

It all happened so quickly. Ellery’s words were muffled behind the cotton in his ears and Henry couldn’t understand their meaning even if he tried. His attempt to sit up again was halted by warmth spreading through his stomach and rising quickly up his throat. The heat only grew more intense and Henry tensed halfway against the headboard as he held his breath and pressed his heels into the mattress. He was unconsciously putting space between them if only to encourage Ellery to leave him alone; the witch didn’t need to watch him struggle with his own demons.

Just as the warmth began to burn, an icy touch instantly soothed the pain. With his eyes squeezed shut, Henry began to believe the events were unfolding all in his mind. It was impossible that such a gentle touch could dismiss the gut wrenching pain of being too full but his toes slowly uncurled and his eyes fluttered open just as the room filled with light and the pain dissipated.

In a flash, the magic that had somehow been pulled from beneath his skin was blooming into golden flowers on and around the bed. And it was exactly that- magic. Henry didn’t understand how his pain had been turned into such beauty; he didn’t understand how enough magic had been buried inside of him to produce that; he didn’t understand Ellery’s apologies. 

His breathing had stabilized and Henry’s limbs were no longer wracked with pain though he somehow still felt paralyzed. He believed it was due to the distance that was suddenly between them and Ellery’s sobs that filled the heavy silence. His eyebrows furrowed tightly as he focused on the other’s features in the darkness, clearly confused by the whole situation. Ellery had helped him; Why was he so guilty?

Just as Henry shifted his hips and his feet flatly landed on the hard wood floor, Ellery was running past him into the dimly lit bathroom. The heaving sounds traveled into the bedroom and everything suddenly clicked. The last time he had been in such emotional distress, as Ellery was now, he had used the witch for his own selfish needs as a familiar. He had opened Ellery’s eyes to a brand new way of living and had been forced to deny him. 

Ellery was using him now to grow stronger and healthier as a witch. 

Instead of disgusting or even scaring him, the thought made more warmth rise to his cheeks. A familiar was supposed to be the one to accept a witch’s excess magic, to make sure his witch was cared for. The fact that Ellery had been doing it non consensually was a bit of a concern but the witch might not have even realized the full effect of it until now.

Ellery didn’t need to feed into any dark thoughts so Henry was quickly standing and pushing his body forward until his cheek pressed against the half opened bathroom door. “El.” 

His voice was warm, comforting in a sense as he pushed the door fully open, not waiting for a response. A mess of limbs lay on the bathroom floor, curled over his toilet and Henry clenched his own jaw in disapproval. His instincts took over any other thought and Henry was kneeling beside the witch, carding his fingers through his hair without another moment’s hesitation.

“You are.... incredible.” It was the best word Henry could use to describe the emotions he had felt as the magic flowers filled the room and to explain his feelings toward Ellery’s actions. He grabbed for some toilet paper, his hand moving down to sternly grasp the witch’s jaw and turn it up towards him as he wiped the other’s lips clean. It was strange, looking down on Ellery when it was always the opposite position. He dropped the tissue into the toilet and reached across to flush, letting his thumb gently rub circles into the other’s jaw as his eyes never moved from Ellery’s own.

“I used you first.” It was enough. The witch needed to know that he was forgiven and no worse of a person than Henry thought of himself. “And I’m not able to heal you.”  

“But you healed me.” 

[familiar-henry]

Full [Henry&Ellery]

@ellerytanninrp

Along side a witch, Henry’s reoccurring night terrors accompanied by anxiety usually disappeared. But as of late, the opposite seemed to occur. His struggles didn’t return at full force, though he began to mumble in his sleep, sweat more profusely, and wake with a pounding heart. With the added stress from working more hours, taking care of others, and the talk of bonding with Griffin, these actions weren’t entirely unanticipated. The uncommon feature was their repeated occurrence when he slept near Ellery.

Their friendship had blossomed into something fantastic, far better than anything Henry could have dreamt up, and at least once a week Ellery made himself comfortable in his apartment. The nights were usually spent with platonic cuddling, watching movies/tv, and lots of sweets. By the end, Henry always passed out on the couch with Ellery’s fingers still curled in his hair and woke the next morning in his bed, the witch spooning him from behind. 

Henry still hadn’t fully explained their close relationship to Griffin but it didn’t feel wrong until his nightmares returned. It was the early hours of a new day, darkness still shown behind his curtains, when he began to turn in the sheets. It had never gotten bad enough to the point of waking Ellery but tonight was different. As his chest now faced the witch’s, Henry felt a shudder rise up his spine and a cold sweat break out over his forehead. Subconsciously he questioned why being closer to the witch felt worse.

As Henry lay half asleep he felt overwhelmed, slowly swallowed whole by a creature in his dreams. His breathing became more ragged as he rolled over once again, most likely rousing the witch with his erratic movements. His voice was silenced in his nightmares as he attempted to scream and thrash against the powerful force that held him down against his will. It wasn’t until a strong arm grasped his bicep that Henry fully woke from the sleep, pushing his weight up with trembling arms and struggling to keep his eyes open.

As he shifted his hips away from the man crowding his space he felt a sting. His chest heaved with every breath; there seemed to be too much in the small amount of space inside his body and... Henry felt undeniably... full. Like every hole had been stuffed with cotton and his skin had to accommodate the intrusion. After a moment, his strength gave out and he felt back onto his side, facing away from Ellery.

“I--dunno what...” His breathing didn’t seem to stabilize even as Henry pushed through his fuzzy thoughts to focus. Was he still asleep? “I feel so... much.”

[familiar-henry]

blu-dev:

Damn, there goes his chance to be nosy. Still, Devoss just smiled, and pretended to be okay with it. “Ah, that’s a shame, perhaps another time then. Well, I’ve heard a few…I heard of one coming to the city to escape a life of sorrow…There is one who had been broken so badly, they forgot who they were, forced to walk in a new place unknown to who and what they were”. 

The familiar still wanted more information though. He needed to know more about Henry. “So, I know it’s a bit rude to ask, but are you an unbonded familiar? I’ve seen a lot of them here, so I was just wondering if you were one of them?”

The thought of not knowing your true self reminded Henry of the moments in the hospital where Griffin had been at a loss for memories. Sure, not remembering the pain of his past would be monumental but... forgetting the love he had just begun to feel in the sanctuary would ruin him. “At least the sanctuary is made for new beginnings.” People often seemed to forget that the world above water was nothing but sorrow; no matter how bad Caelestis got, it could not compare. 

Marvin seemed to slow as they spoke and Henry quietly praised him. The dog glanced up at them both with a crooked grin and he returned the smile with much less intensity. After a moment of silence, the question instantly caught him off guard. Henry focused on continuing the same pace as they walked and controlling his breathing. “No bond.” It was too painful to experience the memories of the bond mark disappearing from his skin but still, Henry idly rubbed the lack of mark on his wrist. “So, then... are you one of the majority?”

[moonlitxgargoyle]

Anonymous [Kane & Henry]

[familiar-henry]

xoharex:

“I’ve had worse, believe me.” He’d given worse too, thought the familiar’s attitude had been a very annoying one, and one he would not forget in a hurry. Even with this well mannered man in front of him, he now knew the thoughts rattling round in the familiar’s head. He didn’t like witches. In fact he seemed to hate them, and himself for being so weak around them.

“I threatened too, but then, if I kicked everyone out that insulted me, I doubt I’d make any money.” he replied and gave a small chuckle. He didn’t much care for the familiars antics but knowing he barely remembered them, that was rather amusing, he couldn’t deny it. “At least I find you in better spirits today.” Which was a little ironic as the spirits had lead to his mood the other day. Alcohol was the devils work, or so they say.

Henry’s shoulders seemed to shrug even further at the other’s slight attempt at forgiveness. Clearly his drunken slurs hadn’t been too awful, though he could not recall any of them. “You’re insulted often?” Maybe the witch had been a dick to him first that night. Before he could worry himself even further, Henry caught sight of his table where his customers were entering the beginning stages of restlessness. “One moment.” His voice remained polite as he left the man in the hands of the second bartender. Henry found that he walked to the table and back with urgency, scribbling down the order with great speed and sending it off to the kitchen. His curiosity was getting the best of him; Henry wanted to curse himself for allowing the witch to hold his attention during other aspects of the job.

He attempted to compose his excitement and worry momentarily before he was, once again, across from the stranger. “What were you saying about better spirits?” Henry cleared his throat of the anxiety that seemed to be rising. “Oh, right. I- I usually don’t drink. It often.. doesn’t... bring out the best in me.” 

[familiar-henry]

Blurred Lines [Henry&Caspian]

[familiar-henry]

cas-xavier:

“Henry,” Caspian stated plainly, his brows furrowing in almost surprise to see the man in front of him. So it would seem that he did not remember anything that had happened, fortunate for him. However, he still would have liked to avoid meeting him in the off chance that his memories may return, at least in glimpses - and that was bad enough. 

He wasn’t in his usual mindset the night of the masquerade. Filled with lust and confusion over Devoss led him to take it out on the familiar before him. But he discovered it wasn’t the same - he wasn’t the same. It was a one off, and one he no doubt would regret should Henry ever remember what he had done. He had glamoured him to submit to him against his will, fucked him savagely behind the masquerade building, and nearly drained him to near death. He couldn’t allow himself to be in that situation with this stranger, or any stranger ever again. Though he knew deep down - that was who he is, and his nature; no matter how much he wanted to live a subtle, discreet life in the sanctuary in order to stay where there was enough food for him to live. Ever since being near Devoss, he had slowly fallen off his rationality and calm streak - and fell into one of chaos, and reckless violent behaviour. 

“I suppose they have,” he smiled politely, maintaining his mask he held to the world, “and what do I owe this pleasure?”

The other’s voice was as charming as ever and Henry swallowed around the awkward lump in his throat, gripping his teacup with more desperation. “I saw you across the room. Like you did that first time we met.” His lip twitched upward minutely as he blinked over the rim of his glasses, briefly meeting the other’s eyes. “But I’m not suspicious that you’re going to bite me anymore.” 

It was a small step towards thanking the other for his actions the night of the ball but Henry found that he still wanted to know the whole story. “Unless I should be.” Though he offered a breathy laugh, it was clear that his features were wary and his trust was still not fully placed in the other.

The mixture of alcohol, high emotions, and glamor had led Henry to his demise that night but he had yet to recall any of the events correctly. It might be rude to blatantly ask for the details but the familiar wasn’t very good at small talk. “I wanted to, uh- properly thank you. For helping me... that night.” If Caspian’s previous explanations rang true than Henry owed his life to the vampire. “If you hadn’t dragged my drunk ass out of there I probably would have been the one to... to lose my short term memory like...” He didn’t give away his witch’s name so easily, finding it difficult to discuss the events he had experienced after the masquerade and the damage control that had followed for weeks. “Can I sit?” 

[moonlitxgargoyle]

Anonymous [Kane & Henry]

[familiar-henry]

xoharex:

“Yes.” he said with a nod, chuckling as to be fair, all they had done was converse, but then, they also argued, aggressively so. It was abundantly clear the familiar remembered absolutely nothing, even as he stared at him, nothing seemed to come back.

“Yes I am.” he agreed and smiled “And you are a very bitter familiar.” he smirked as the man finally started to put the pieces of the night together. “You were rude, and it was lucky you weren’t kicked out. You should thank me for that, but I’ll let it pass.” he teased and sipped at his drink again, he’d of preferred hard liquor but the more he drank, the more of a taste he got for the raspberry majito.

The single word lifted the tension in Henry’s shoulders and the familiar practically slumped over the countertop in relief. He didn’t drink often because it always led to foolish decisions and broken pieces of a night unremembered. Henry found that he was genuinely surprised by his less than drastic actions around the witch while he had been drinking. But his pride only lasted an intake of breath before the costumer called him a bitter familiar.

The rough voice of the witch rang in his ears and Henry recalled the hurt he had felt before going to bed that night. With the other’s attitude towards him, he didn’t have to remember to know that he had most likely unleashed his anger on the man without encouragement. “You should have kicked me out.” Henry kept his voice from wavering as his fingers gripped the washcloth tightly in his hands, stilling his previous actions. If the witch were to be a rude, drunken mess there was no doubt that Henry would have kicked him out of his establishment. An apology was quickly climbing up his throat at the other’s tone but the story from the night wasn’t fully explained and Henry wanted to remember it all before he blamed himself. “Why didn’t you?” 

[lhzthepoet]

There’s a boy standing in the sky, right in the middle of the stars. He’s all power, dripping down his chin, crackling at his skin  And he’s got a way of walking, like he’s been alive for all the time in the world.  You can feel the way danger clings to him. It’s in his eyes, the roll of his shoulders, In his lips. He looks at the sky like he could swallow it up. He says he’s a monster But I wonder If he is a monster Why does he taste like hope?

and feel like light despite all his dark // L.H.Z (via lhzthepoet)

[moonlitxgargoyle]

Anonymous [Kane & Henry]

[familiar-henry]

xoharex:

Definitely not the same familiar, this one was laughing, and seemed not to take his mention of poison seriously, which had to be a plus, Kane wasn’t sure he wanted to die yet, though he wouldn’t say the prospect scared him anymore, he liked to live.

“You don’t remember?” he asked and smiled at the familiar, taking the drink and a sip. A little too fruity for his liking, but it wasn’t too bad, so he nodded and drank. “The Red Mill. You were there just the other day, we had a lovely conversation.” he teased.

Henry perked up slightly at the other’s question, focusing his attention once again on the customer before him instead of the table. He allowed his gaze to scan Kane’s face for a moment and those eyes seemed to devour him almost instantly. He stared back down at the countertop, swallowing around a lump that seemed to form with each word the other spoke. He remembered going to The Red Mill but he didn’t remember anything after his third whiskey.

“Is that all we did? Converse?” Henry’s stomach churned at the thought of sleeping with someone other than Griffin. He didn’t remember waking up with a sore ass and this guy didn’t... seem like the type to bottom. It was a far stretch to the truth but Henry couldn’t let himself hear that he had fucked someone else. “You’re a witch.” The realization dawned on him and a shudder ran up his spine as he reminded himself of his own selfish weaknesses when it came to the other species. Now he wouldn’t be surprised if his self-deprication had led him to sleep with another witch just to feel slightly better in the morning. 

[familiar-henry]

blu-dev:

“Perhaps he doesn’t like the leash?”. Devoss moved to Henry’s side and gestured for him to walk. He wanted to learn more about the familiars of the city. Who was bonded, who wasn’t, and who would be a threat if something happened. So far, he couldn’t gather anything from this familiar. He would just have to dig more. “So, how did you come to live in this underwater city? I always find the stories of how some come here to be really interesting”.

Henry considered unleashing the pup for a moment but he was surprisingly struck with the fear that Marvin might never return. Perhaps that was how his mother felt when he would sneak away as a child and run for miles as a panther. And because of his lack of awareness he really hadn’t come back. Now that he had Marvin, the thought of losing him was too much to bear and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the leather. “Perhaps.” His voice was soft, though he still felt rigid at the thought of his past; Devoss’ question only created more tension in his shoulders. 

“Mine’s not very interesting.” His life above water was quite literally the last thing Henry wanted to talk about though he tried to let the other down easy. Some people might take his lack of response as rude. “We could talk about the interesting stories you’ve already heard instead?” 

[familiar-henry]

Blurred Lines [Henry&Caspian]

@cas-xavier

It had been weeks since Henry had time to relax in his favorite corner of his favorite cafe with a favorite book. He spent his time wisely, attempting to free his mind of any reality beyond that of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ as he sipped from his cup of tea. It wasn’t until noon when the entire sanctuary, or so it seemed, crowded into the space and the bustling around him became too distracting. He still longed for a better piece of mind than his book offered but his dreams were only crushed further as he spotted a familiar face across the way. 

Caspian was still nothing more to him than a stranger, though after helping Henry escape the fight at the masquerade ball he wished for them to be more. Most of that night, if not all, was completely wiped from his memory... which usually happened when he mixed his own emotions with alcohol. The events that led up to the morning of waking up in Caspian’s bed, even dressed in the other’s pajamas, were explained but still blurry. Henry’s focus that day had been on reminding Griffin of who he was so the details of his own night could come later. And he supposed now was as good of time as any.

A long sigh escaped his lips as Henry placed the waiter’s tip on the table, marked his page, and grasped the teacup tightly while he hesitantly brought himself near the vampire. His fears regarding the species had calmed slightly because of the other’s gracious actions but suspicion still nagged at the back of his mind. He hardly realized he was in front of Caspian until his thigh lightly bumped the table’s edge.

He inhaled deeply when the other still didn’t look upward, taking a step out of his personal space to gather his thoughts. The last time he spoke to Caspian in this cafe, he was harsh and judgmental but things had changed and, whether Henry liked it or not, he was a different person than he was when they first met. 

“The tables have turned, it seems.” He offered a small smile, making eye contact somewhere around Caspian’s shoulder, his cheeks flushing the moment the other looked up.

[moonlitxgargoyle]

Anonymous [Kane & Henry]

[familiar-henry]

xoharex:

The new tone was unexpected, and Kane chuckled to himself at a rather more relaxed version of the familiar he met just the other day. Clearly, the alcohol had not mixed well with the rage and bitterness boiling inside the familiar, and today he was sober and working. Professional perhaps, or he didn’t remember Kane, but he was pretty sure he was unforgettable, even if that was just his ego talking.

“Q? That’s not even a name, it’s an Initial.” he replied and rolled his eyes a little “Sure, but surprise me, as long as it’s not poison.” he smirked and leaned back in his seat “Tell me, Q, how long have you worked here?”

Henry raised his eyebrows at the other’s exclamation, a warm chuckle slowly leaving his lips while he set an empty glass onto the countertop. “If you have a problem with it then I guess you can call me nothing instead.” He teased the customer lightly, far more friendly than the night he had verbally attacked him. His memory hadn’t resurfaced yet though the voice in the back of his mind was becoming more insistent that he knew the man. “Not poison. Got it.” He attempted the task at hand, choosing to make a raspberry mojito since he had gotten impossibly good at it, considering it was Griffin’s favorite. 

As he poured the vodka and reached for the mint leaves, he mulled over the question. “A few years now.” Henry was grateful to have gotten the job in the first place since he had zero experience beforehand. He glanced over at his table before pushing the drink in front of the man. “And where do you work?”