𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 than tickling a reaction out of the witch ━━━ but that hint of a blush is a pleasant side effect , anyway . a hum leaves kaelie's lips as she listens to darcy's answer , simple enough for her to accept it for the time being . ❛ i know the feeling . luckily for you , you just made a friend that is willing to change the fates in your favor . ❜ if the two of them continue to get along , the word 'no' is not one darcy is going to hear very often . the faerie follows her lead , lips splitting into a bright smile when someone starts heading their way . ❛ with pleasure , darling . ❜ mischief gleams on her features before she steps out of the hiding spot , approaching the guard . ❛ good evening , sir ... ❜ kae purrs , positioning herself in a way that would allow darcy to slip past the male's gaze . ❛ i was supposed to meet one of your colleagues here tonight . he passed me the code , but it seems like he stood me up . can you believe that ? ❜ lips pucker into a perfect pout as she steps closer . ❛ i'm not going to get into any trouble , am i ? ❜ she adds , fluttering those long , dark lashes .
CONSIDERING THE FATES have rarely ever been in her favor , that's no small thing to darcy . the witch throws her friend a wink and a smirk as kaelie gets on her way , then subtly reinforces the glamour around herself . it's almost too easy to slip by with a distraction this stunning , and she could pity the poor guard — if it wasn't the same one who gave her the stink eye when she was kicked out last time . he's trying to impress the unseelie in front of him with his ' well , ma'am '-s and ' oh , for you '-s and ' exception '-s which are suddenly possible , even offering : " if you tell me his name , i'll give him a good , stern talkin' to about how to treat a lady , eh ? " darcy wants to kick him where it hurts for the double-standard , but instead motions for kaelie to keep talking as she steps up to him , carefully slow so as to not draw attention .
“ WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT , ” she chuckles . there's bound to be something . even though she knows they're joking . “ it will be , though it would be nice to go on a vacation rather than just to visit family in their own homes . ” she sighs at the last part . though yes , she does like her family . even if they annoy her at times . “ you could come with me for part of it . ” she offers . or all of it . “ i'll bring you whatever you'd like that i can get my hands on . ” she promises .
" AW . " IT BUYS HER TIME from the offer . just a few years ago , darcy would've jumped on this — europe ? with julie ? a dream — but that was before — ... well , before she developed an acute case of anthropophobia her reclusive tendencies . as much as she realistically knows that anywhere off-continent should be safe , safer than new york , even ; there's a pressure in her chest at the mere idea , and her throat closes up and she's feeling just a little bit sick and — her reaction is easily overplayed with a smile . " you know i'd love to . " it's not even a lie . " but with leo's kids this small , i don't really wanna leave for so long . their brains are tiny . they might forget me . " it's exaggeration , clearly , but the reason should be good enough . " plus , you've earned yourself a break from your everyday stressors . which include me . or should , anyways . "
𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 , indeed , when leopold enters the nursery to spend a much needed moment with his children . features soften in an instant as he drinks it in : the similar , soft expression on darcy's face , cece's giggles as she plays with the witch's hair ... alina's attempts to pull herself up and walk while ryella sleeps ever so peacefully . these are the moments he wishes he could freeze in time , making them everlasting . moments of true happiness . ❛ i am totally hiding . don't tell my wife . ❜ the warlock jokes , his tone quiet as he steps closer . ❛ how are you ? are the little princesses behaving themselves ? ❜
DARCY TRIES TO stifle her laugh so it doesn't disturb the sleeping child in her arms , but a low chuckle escapes , anyways . " i won't bring it up , but if she asks ? i can't just lie to the queen , you know . " her eyes are comically wide at the mere suggestion , as if she's ever had a problem with lying . ( cheating , stealing , tricking ... nothing leopold needs to know about , of course , but it's a funny face , anyways . ) the witch carefully lifts ryella from where she's almost tucked into her jacket , and holds her up to her dad . " they're behaving as little princesses do — spoiled rotten and very adorable . " the twinkle in her eye makes clear just how much she loves them , really . cece chooses that exact moment to stick a wet finger into darcy's ear , though , so she might just have to reconsider . " please take troublemaker number three so i can get number one out of my hair . literally . "
❛ a dog named cat ? AWESOME . ❜ kwame loved when things were opposites and he repeated cat's name in a coo as he scritched under their chin , mildly disappointed that they did have an owner but would enjoy whatever time he could take with the curious little puppy for as long as the woman allowed him to . ❛ i'm not sure about pets , per se , but i do love creatures of all sorts . ❜ he had feeders galore in his yard for the birds , squirrels , and everything in between and when he did return to the library he wanted to bring some with him . ❛ where did you get cat from ? anywhere nearby ? ❜ since kwame couldn't have cat specifically , he hoped there was somewhere close where he could steal get a cute buddy that looked similar to them .
GIVEN THAT HER faithless roommate makes no sign of wanting to leave any time soon , the witch ( as per usual ) bows to their demands and kneels on the grass , watching the spectacle with a raised eyebrow and a light smile . creatures sure sounds about right . darcy examines the man for a moment , considering , but picks up on something demonic in his energy , so her reply is less guarded than it usually would be in the mundane realm . " honestly ? they kind of got me . by pure luck . " she flicks cat's ear to get their attention , but they only stretch their neck to collect more pets , and start drooling . wow . " when i moved into my cottage in faerie , they were kind of already living there , i guess . didn't seem to mind me much , and i don't mind them , so , here we are . " cat sneezes onto her hand in agreement ; the witch wipes it away on their fur , and what leaves their snout next almost sounds like a cackle . " they're a bit rude . they're also not technically a dog , i think , but yes . fae realm for strange fae creatures , would be my recommendation . i'm darcy , by the way . "
SHE IS COLLECTING HERBS when she feels it — a strange magical signature in the area , not exactly out of place or aggressive , but nothing she is used to feeling around these parts . it comes in waves but does not appear to be moving , so darcy takes her time with her harvest and then follows the energetic pull , basket swinging in her hands . the scene she comes upon is adorable . a warlock kid by the looks of it , testing her powers — and being coached by a vampire . ( sounds a bit like the beginning of a joke , and darcy can't suppress her grin . ) if she's picking up on the exercise correctly , it's probably grounding and centering — or the warlock equivalent to it , anyways . something to do with focus , concentration , and drawing energy . given the waves , it's not going too great . and , hey , the witch is nothing if not helpful . ( ha . curiosity gets the best of her , as always . ) " maybe try to sit down ? " the suggestion is offered as she steps closer , but stops a respectful distance away . " less of unstoppable force , more immovable object kinda vibe . that usually helps . "
& FOR HALLOWEEN COSIMO → @violentdesires CHOSE FOR CAMILLA :
🎃 — pumpkin picking !
IT'S THE PERFECT DAY for it , and camilla is beyond excited . the entire car ride to the pumpkin patch , she's googling recipes and carving patterns , and excitedly shoving her phone into cosimo's face every time she comes across something particularly good . she has no illusions about her artistic abilities with anything but a sewing needle involved , so the motives she saves are either really easy or grotesque as fuck . ( something she can teach the kids , and something for herself . win-win . ) actually picking the perfect vegetables is a similar process — she skips across the field , crouching here , crouching there , and slowly fills her brothers arms with thee most elite selection , if she does say so herself . a bunch of petites for the kids to practice ; one or two stereotypically perfect pumpkins to put outside the front door ; and the absolute worst monstrosities the demon can find . they're misshapen and skrunkly and a bit off-putting , and they'll make the best jack-o'-lanterns in the neighbourhood , she's sure of it . plus , her brother's face every time she approaches with one of those miscreants is absolutely golden . the last one is her favourite : it's twice the size of her head , with weird bumps and ridges all over . its texture is almost scaley , and the twine still attached to its top looks a bit like a creepy little tentacle . she's beaming as she makes her way back to cosimo with the pumpkin in her arms . " i hit the jackpot , so i'm ready to go now . "
& FOR HALLOWEEN JULIAN → @violentdesires CHOSE FOR CAMILLA :
👾 — a scare attempt !
( this one once again got away from me , apologies hsdgfs )
AFTER SEVERAL MILLENNIA , it's not easy to get got her . camilla can count on one hand the number of things that actually scare her , and only one might might be reasonably provoked and appropriately timed in some way . ( well , two , but — she's absolutely not going there , mentally . not today . ) and his grumpiness may want some ( well-earned , in fairness ) revenge for her recent bugging — but he's not mean . at least not to her . ( she thought . ) safe to say , camilla expected some shit when he invited her over for halloween . the entrance door opening by itself ? fun , but cheesy . the eerie quiet ? empty hallways ? flickering lights ? great for the gothic castle vibes . the scratching below the antique floorboards ? at least tells her where to go , so she decides to go along with whatever practical joke this is . " hello? " she draws out the last vowel . " anybody home ? " an answer is not expected , and merely comes in the form of a squeaky door opening at the end of the hall . " ... cute . "
THE sitting room is empty and nothing seems out of place from the last time she was here . she tries a few potential candidates for jump scares — the mirror , the fireplace , a few cabinets — but nothing . the only new addition to the room is a little elf doll with a plastic head and a speaker in its wide , cheerful grin . camilla picks it up and finds a little string attached to it — upon pulling , it releases a tinny giggle , but doesn't do anything else of note . aaaalrighty . she gently puts it back into place for the next unsuspecting haunted house visitor , and moves on , guided by scratching and the occasional rumble . all the rooms she's being lead to are the same — unchanged , with the addition of the little elf doll . camilla wonders out loud if julian got them at a factory outlet or some shit , but once again receives no answer .
ONLY after a good while of this does the complete silence start to bother her — shouldn't he be bored by now ? she'd have expected more ... taunting , sort of . commentary , maybe . just something ... more . it can't be that fun to watch her waltz through his place with a frown and an attitude , from wherever her friend must be lurking . " not that i'm not happy about my own personal horror film , but this is getting boring . it's a nice try , but how about we go get some pizza instead ? " the demon waits a moment for an exasperated sigh and acquiescence to her wishes , but once again , no dice . fine . but if this was a horror movie , no one would bother waiting for the second act any longer .
THE wine ( slash blood ) cellar seems a good bet for whatever might be the next stage , though . the lights don't work here at all , and camilla moves a few steps down before turning on the flashlight on her phone . it's full — and she means full — of the creepy elf dolls . sitting on every shelf , on the floor , in between bottles of wine and blood . suddenly , one starts cackling — and then like a chain reaction , they all do . it's a creepy cacophony of squeaks , and okay , fine , camilla can admit ... it weirds her out . it's not scary , but distinctly uncomfortable in an almost exciting way . her pulse spikes ; she gets the nice tingles a good horror movie causes . on the same beat , the dolls fall silent — it makes the thump ! of the door falling shut behind her echo thrice as loud . tense anticipation runs through her ( okay , now what ? ) and despite expecting something , she is not prepared when she takes a step and suddenly something cold wraps around her ankle in the dark .
A high screech — more shock than fear , she'd insist — followed immediately by a surprised laugh , followed by : " fuck you , " directed at the sin's grinning face between the stairs .
& FOR HALLOWEEN AURORA → @wickedlvly CHOSE FOR CAMILLA :
📀 — watching scary movies !
IT BRINGS HER ALMOST childlike glee to watch horror movies — any horror movie . ghosts , monsters , and plain old humanity , who are by and large the best case study of horrific behaviors , feel like a nice and inspiring docudrama sometimes . not only is she cackling like an old hag when some awful college students get encased in wax , or lost in the woods , or cursed , hunted , hacked to bits ; she thoroughly enjoys the stupidity of it all — and has a running commentary for it , too . ( aurora wanted a ' movie night ' with her — she should have guessed her aunt would talk , because that's what she does . ) it might take away from the scary atmosphere , but by camilla's own estimate , at least it's entertaining . " i mean really ! if the call's coming from inside the house ... " her incredulous tone is emphasized by expressive gesturing ; the wine sloshes in her glass as she waves her arms . " kids these days , no common sense ! hells , at least you know better . " a sudden frown , strict expectation directed at aurora next to her . " you do know better . " ( it's not a question . )
& FOR HALLOWEEN PINNIKOLAI → @pniik CHOSE FOR CAMILLA :
👽 — runaway witch cryptid hunting !
( this is probably neither what you intended nor wanted nor needed from the meme . it's just a full on one shot i'm sorry hsgdfs your suggestion just . ran away with me . enjoy ? )
CAMILLA HAS DONE A LOT for souls — lied and cheated ; maimed and killed . worse things , certainly , even if she can't think of them at the moment . she's never hiked for one before , and she thinks perhaps that's the place where she'll draw the line . boundaries , and some such things . when pik told her their favourite witch was out in the woods doing some ' spooky girl shit ' ( darcy's words , apparently , not theirs ) without her feathery attachment , for once , the demon figured , h e y , here's an opportunity ! and went to find her . camilla can count as a spooky girl if you squint , so , surely , the witch wouldn't mind . and halloween is always such a good time for deals . and the wander woods are really not such a difficult place to navigate . and a nice little stroll won't harm her . HA ! all of the above might — might ! — have applied , had her very dearest ex-brother not chosen to come with her .
THEY have been following the not-dog for what seems like hours — if camilla weren't ninety percent certain her sense of direction holds up in this place , she would assume they are running in circles . but the faerie creature keeps sniffing and puffing at smells in the air and overturned stones and loose threads in bushes , and pik keeps nodding sagely like literally anything is being communicated , so camilla trudges along with only mild complaining . the demon is beginning to think maybe darcy does not want to be found ( and the longer she listens to pik prattling on , camilla understands why ) but her plan is something along the lines of finding clues the other two don't catch , and then going off on her own . the approach yields few results , though — there's not all that many actual clues to be had , and the ones they get ( beyond cat's sniffing ) are ... weird . a loose paper with indecipherable notes every once in a while ( which pik dutifully collects ) . a foreign coin even camilla can't place ( they make a wide berth , but take it as a good sign ) . a little circle of herbs , with one singular m&m in the middle ( she thinks she's starting to hallucinate , but no ; the not-dog eats the candy and they're on their merry way . a new m&m regrows almost immediately in its place . what . the fuck . )
THIS is not how she'd planned to spend her halloween , but every time she thinks about calling it quits and turning around , there comes a wisened AHA ! from pik , and , well . she's not about to be one-upped by a thrice-damned angel . ( it's not even about the soul and darcy's potential for demonicism anymore — the longer they trudge along , there more it becomes almost solely about pissing off pik . which should be easy and nice and simple , and not a walk straight out of a psychedelic nightmare . ) every once in a while , the faerie creature hangs back and bumps into her legs , directing her this way and that . and it might be cute , if it weren't winking at her , too . so far , she's been certain that cat was on her side of the debate , but as things are going here , camilla is starting to have doubts . real , significant doubts , that increase with the amount of stones in her heels and twigs in her hair . a snap rectifies the issues almost immediately , but it's starting to become frustratingly frequent , and cami thinks she's landed in the wrong movie somehow . she's spiraling , just a little bit .
" IS this a trick ? " the mumble leaves her another hour into their hike . they have now started to collect any antique buttons they come across ; camilla helps , just for something to do . " am i about to be almost-murdered again ? please , please tell me i'm about to be almost-murdered again . " maybe it's a divine lesson . pik would never let her hear the end of it , but she's finally starting to understand the value of repentance , because this is shaping up as a very nice candidate for limbo . she'd have to bring it up with zion . if it makes her want to break her own brain , it should do wonders on lesser sinners . right before she can voice her thoughts , there's a light between the trees . finally , finally ! the witch is in sight . her former do-goodie brother's still here , unfortunately , and she's feeling a little too cranky by now to be properly charming , but . step one : accomplished , at least .
( ... ha. )
THE not-dog goes wild with joy , and sprints towards its not-owner , halting obediently by the stone-circle the witch has set . camilla observes it for a moment — the magics swirling around her are impressive , for a human . she doesn't seem to notice them just yet , lost in quietly chanting over a cauldron , so the demon attempts to position herself favourably and come in with a dazzling greeting — but the dog barks twice once the chanting stops , and most of the magic around the circle dissolves as darcy picks it up and goes straight for pik , without even a glance in her direction . ... nice . cool . what was she here for , again ? her brain has clocked out after all the walking .
" OH sweet , i've been looking for those . " despite the dog's wagging tail , witch and angel manage to exchange their charges — darcy gets a stack of loose papers and a batch of buttons , and pik a handful of immediately grumpy not-dog . at least the almost-bite makes her laugh for the first time in hours , and only then does the witch finally pay attention to her . ( she's a princess , hello . this is most undignified , and she has an itch to make her bow for the trouble ... but her limbs hurt . her brain does , too . it's all most disconcerting . ) darcy herself seems no worse for wear , despite having been out here even longer than them ; she cheerfully takes the batch of buttons camilla hands her with a happy " hi ! " , completely in her element .
THE buttons then go into the cauldron and melt almost immediately ; darcy pours the molten metal into a form , then seals the circle from the outside and dusts off her jeans . " that'll need a week or so , for today i'm done . we can go home now . " after all that — to turn around with nothing to show for it ? camilla cannot suppress the defeated sigh ... and doesn't miss the angel's smug little smile as they catch up with their charge , nor the witch's bouncy gait as she passes her . it's the faerie gremlin creature's fucking wink again that does her in .
( CAMILLA is a step away from impulse-killing them all and calling it a day , or at the very least resigning her post , but , yeah — that girl's going to make a great demon , if she's that good at dealing significant psychic damage via hike . in fact , camilla's rather sure they all deserve to go to hell , actually . what the fuck do you mean , ' what a nice bonding day it's been ' ? )
𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 , but cosimo ends up nodding his head anyway . he firmly believes that his son would , in fact , recognize his aunt : her face may be different , but her essence is not ... and yet , it would feel wrong to disrespect her wishes in this moment . ❛ something strong it is . ❜ at least for now . the archangel moves to the small table that displays various liquors and he pours his sister a glass of bourbon , mismatched eyes staying on her figure . ❛ interesting choice . ❜ he finally comments , voice staying quiet . neutral . ❛ was she the first one you came across , or ... ? ❜
CAMILLA DOWNS the glass the moment it is pressed into her hand ; there's something almost ... a little guilty about the gesture . a few seconds pass until she manages to meet her brother's eyes , however briefly . " yes . — no . " the girl was the first one who ... fit . " kind of . " except not really . the crying had called to her ; the familiarity had hit her all at once , and ... it's not like she'd been thinking clearly at the time , for fucks sake ! agitated eyes press together , fingers clutch the glass so hard she's surprised it doesn't splinter . " i — i needed ... she was there , and she was lonely , and i — " she , too , was a lonely , lost thing , who for the first time since creation felt so scared they were reduced to basic instincts : a vessel , a body , a life . safety . home . family . ( a lonely , lost thing who just wanted their mother . ) camilla's jaw works , a little defiance in her despair , but quiet — quiet , because cosimo is hurting , too . the demon may feel off , but at least she does not have to look upon her new vessel . she makes the throat swallow . " i found her . and she — she reminded me of her so much , i just couldn't ... "
𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 camilla gives him her best version of a side-eye , threatening to call violet and isabella . ❛ go ahead . call them , if you must . waste your precious time with me . ❜ julian taunts , finishing his sentence with an equally exaggerated sigh as she bumps her head against his chest . ❛ so you are trying to hurt me , hm ? i hope you are prepared for my terrible revenge . ❜
though his joke might be described as such ... it is hardly a good one , but the hybrid never claimed it was . hazel eyes roll as she guesses hell's newest nightmare and jules shakes his head . ❛ no , silly . it's ... a walkie talkie ... ❜
THE TRULY TERRIBLE joke makes her laugh so hard , there's tears in her eyes . ( and a very inelegant snorting noise . ) it's less the joke , and more the delivery — and the fact that it's this grump , of all people , delivering . it takes camilla a good minute to calm herself before she can speak without hiccup-ing . " that is the worst joke i have ever heard . " she loves it , so much . " you're being demoted back to knight . any king worth his salt will have their jester's head for something like this , believe you me . and i will call bells to tell her as much . " still , no move for the phone . it might have entered the void under her bed , at this point , but she's quite comfortable where she is , anyways . " and if your time is so preciously short , i'm sure you have better things to do than plot revenge against the truly innocent . "
SHE RARELY PAYS ATTENTION to routines like this ; physically , camilla is queuing to grab her morning coffee — mentally , she's already sitting on her balcony with the newest vanity fair and the pieces for isabella's new dress spread around her . the shop , the music , the various jackets before her all blur together into one big , unimportant background . at least until the jacket at the counter next to her speaks up to order , and the voice sends her reeling . a voice she hasn't heard in over a year ; since a short phone call prompted by an even shorter resignation letter when she was already halfway to new york . she'd meant to stay in contact but — shit happened , and she's still dealing with the fallout , and she both wants to run away and throw herself at sav's back and not let go .
THE demon doesn't do either . her breathing stops till it's her turn to order and she notices there's no air for the words . an awkward cough delays the inevitable , but no , wait — camilla asks for her usual , and no head turns in her direction in surprise . her voice is a whole three notes higher , and she stands almost a foot taller , and her hair's a little blonder than it's supposed to be , and her face is not her own . ( there's no recognition to be had , here , and it rips open the old wound all over again . ) how do you greet someone you missed when the person they missed is no longer there ? trick question : you don't . you follow them as discreetly as possible , mulling over your words , hovering around corners like a bad pi ( she used to be good at this job , damn it ) to just try and glimpse why he's here , if he's okay — and figure out what in hell's name to say before she gets discovered .
the demon’s caviler stance on the matter is distressing, is the thing, but a shaking chihuahua is apropos. the way she says pet really not helping. a glimpse at the bunny as she places it on her shoulder, twitch of their brow before she twirls. the animal looks content enough, but [ . . . ] they keep remembering who’s holding her. a slow exhale, the angel relaxes, shoulders lower, was getting nowhere. so very easy to agitate ? this one goes to camilla.
❛ ❛ [ . . . ] if you’re involved, dear sister, then yes. ❜ ❜
well, they always did background checks. but not to this extent, no. so, camilla was proving to be an exception here. ❛ ❛ if these animals were merchandise [ . . . ] sure. i promise you, though, since i arrived, not one of these fluffly little beasties have been sacrificed. ❜ ❜ because they know that ? guess they’ll claim that they know that. her last question catches them, a tilt of their head, small shake, too. ❛ ❛ i don’t [ . . . ] work here. ❜ ❜ the others called them a volunteer ? whether that meant they worked there [ . . . ] they weren’t keeping up, honestly. ❛ ❛ but i do know what you have to do before you can take a pet home, and i’m guessing you’ve done none of the things that you have to do. ❜ ❜
HER VOICE KICKS UP a notch , loosing the subtlety of her ( well-intentioned ! ) mocking as she asks : " so you're saying i'm special ? why , thank you . " the sunny grin now carries obvious hints of amusement at pik's expense , and her mask of naivity is see-through by now . for most . still , their floundering is adorable , and it tickles her to no end that she manages to get a rise out of them like this . ( turnabout is fair play — how nice to be the high and mighty one for once , in a world where the customer is king . )
" SO what i'm hearing is , there is a procedure to follow — which you do not preside over . " her nose scrunches up into a small frown , and this time it is the bunny that mimics her actions , curled against her shoulder . camilla absentmindedly begins to search the store for anything to feed it — it deserves a little treat . despite turning her back on the agitated angel , her voice carries without problem . " then — and this is not purely hypothetical , i would like to confirm : all i have to do is find an actual employee ; tell them , say , i would like to purchase this adorable little pumpkin for my nephew and niece — " oh , the truth really only is fun when ( she thinks ) it won't be believed . " — get the necessary enclosure , food , blah blah blah ... and bob's your uncle ? correct ? "
𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 than a display of faux modesty to fool the king , but this is not about camilla's stance on hell ━━━ that conversation is reserved for the future . dark eyes linger on her angelic smile , head tilting to the side . ❛ naturally . ❜ they echo , gaze dropping to the demon at her feet . ❛ the punishment must fit the crime and i grant your request to obtain the information that is required for a complete trial . i strongly advise you to tell her the truth , ciaran . if you fail to provide answers , the princess is allowed to gather them through the means that are necessary . ❜ he looks back to the blonde then , humming . ❛ do you want the honors , or should i ? ❜
THE ORDER BRINGS a bright smile to the demon's face . sanctioned free reign , essentially , is exactly what she's been hoping for , and she inclines her head in thanks — before an upset ( and upsetting ) gurgle disrupts her moment of gratitude . annoyance sneaks into her eyes and is directed at the picture of misery in her grasp , clearly stating ' wait your turn ' , as ciaran seems to pick up new spirit to struggle at the sentence . camilla's eyes narrow as she considers for a moment , then adjusts her grip ; free hand fists into hair , while the one twisted in his neck withdraws . ( a bit more tissue flicks off , some blood spatters , and — there it is ! a tooth flies . it's the small joys in life . ) the rotten thing's scream echoes to the chamber , and pitters off into a sad wail when camilla maneuvers them to their knees in front of the king . " i've had my turn . and as much as i'm looking forward to inflicting due punishment ... " their neck is drawn back till she can see the hatred in their eyes , and camilla draws her lips into a pout . " i'd like to see how interrogations are properly conducted in our new order . " it'll make more of a point , for starters and — as much as her fingers itch to continue their ministrations — she does not trust herself to stop in time . know thy limits , and all that ; it would not do for ciaran to give out on her before she gets what she wants to know .
𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 . purposely . aurora was normally blunt , but she recognizes the pain her aunt already holds . she does not wish to add to it more by sharing the gruesome details of her dream . at least for now ; if camilla pressed ? she'd share . ❛ i've practice more since doing it with you and papá — ❜ an early lesson on being safe in case a demon came for her ❛ — and i've narrowed it down to probably two minutes . three tops . ❜ far quicker than a mundane or warlock ( being celestial owed to that ) or since the last she's practiced with her aunt . ❛ want me to do one now ? ❜
A PROUD SMILE sneaks onto her face at that , no matter the context of their current situation . worry still churns in her gut , but camilla also has to actively suppress the urge to pinch her genius niece's cheeks for the accomplishment . ( you don't do that to teenagers lest they grumble and grouch , says the parenting book she read . the blurb of , anyways . ) a bit of praise is always good for future motivation , though : " perfect progress , then . " the demon considers their position ; considers the path ciaran is taking . then she leads them down a different road and ports them ahead a few hundred steps at a time till they reach another ally , by the back exit of a club . camilla points to a passage by the right of it , magic emanating faintly from the metal closing it off , but dormant at the moment . " now . below the gate there , please . "