The Snake in the Grass

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

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“Mon dieu,” The French left her lips easily, Val staring up at the painting and feeling suddenly very light headed. The painting was like being thrown back into a time warp, one that stirred the still fragmented pieces of Val’s memory; pieces that were warped not only thanks to Tarrence’s walls but the change from human to vampire. Things were fuzzy but she remembered the ache in her shoulders after sitting for hours, the heaviness of the formal court dress and the hours she spent complaining to Inx, Raphael then, she remembered suddenly with a soft gasp, about how she hated sitting for a portrait, how she didn’t even think it looked like her…

“T-thank you, darling. I…Was a different person then. Literally. All blushing excitement and a beating heart. I really have been rather pale all this time though, that is reassuring,” she smiled rather sadly up to the piece, “Everything my parent’s had before the Revolution was turned over to the new government once they were arrested, yes. And there was no one to…go back for any of it afterwards…” Val seemed to fade into the past for a moment, not feeling particularly strong enough just now to explain to Cecil that the reason ‘no one was around’ was because…her entire family ( including herself ) had been murdered.

The compliment stirred Val from the past and brought her to the present which included an adorable mortal and, reassuringly, those same strong arms around her waist. “Thank you, Cecil.” she managed along with a very quick kiss on the cheek before he pulled away, Val rather disapointed that the little moment was broken…But she vaguely remembered how pressing certain matter could be…

“It is rather nice to be reminded how it is to be alive. Even the more uncomfortable parts. Being around him almost makes me feel more alive. Makes me remember when I was…” she nodded up to the painting, placing her hands on his and pulling Inx’s arms more tightly around her waist, leaning against him with a sigh. “I think we needed him in a way. To remind us of things we might otherwise take for granted…Maybe he’s giving us another chance…”

Val leaned back and kissed Inx softly, smiling, as her lips pressed against his. “I am always in need of back rubs from you, Raphael…” another kiss, “Can I request one when we get home?” she hummed playfully before pulling back just enough to look at the zombie, her expression sobering slightly.

“You are mostly wrestling that this preztel eating mortal is male, I think, more than anything else,” Her tone was soft but observant, “I’ve known that I’ve been attracted to women for…a century at least. You are still figuring that out and…It takes some adjustment. I don’t want you push you into anything, darling.” Another kiss before she took a breath and nodded, looking back to the painting.

“It is odd, watching you flirt with someone. Knowing you might love someone other than me,“ her grip tightened and she leaned more firmly against him, enjoying the height difference, the firmness of his body. “But it doesn’t bother me some how with Cecil. I like watching you, seeing you reactions…I like seeing you smile…”

“Man, that means we gotta start buying toilet paper and shit.” Inx joked, sighing softly. “But you’re right. We’ve been together for so long I think we forgot what it was like to have a.... Human element involved. You’ve been a vampire for quite some time, and the last time there was anyone even partially human this.... I suppose, close, to the two of us, we were taking her to elementary school and going to meetings about how she kept biting the other children.” He chuckled, the slight pain of a wall not entirely crumbled in the back of his head.

He sighed at the mention that his real struggle was that Cecil wasn’t a woman, and then shook his head. “I’ve only ever really been with you, darling, I always just... assumed I was attracted to just women. That, coupled with the fact I was taught that I was supposed to only be interested in women this whole thing.... it’s a little alien, babe, and that’s not an exaggeration. I’ll get over it. Hell, I was awkward when we first met, I’m sure I can tolerate my feelings for someone I watched sing along to every song that came on the radio on the drive over. He’s a gigantic dork, I’m not sure why I’m so....nervous.” he admitted, blue eyes betraying his usually calm demeanor for clear... discomfort. “I’m afraid I’ll break the kid or something, he might be half reaper but that doesn’t make him any.... tougher.”

He let himself laugh, returning the kiss and nodding slowly. “You can get all the neck rubs you want, Valturze darling, you feeling tense~?” He teased, winking playfully and jumping as something bounced off the back of his head. “The hell- Oh dammit Cecil.” he laughed, bending down and tossing the crumpled pamphlet back at the shorter male. “You little shit, stop hiding behind the priceless masterpieces and take your pamphlet pelting like a man.” He grinned, kissing Val on the cheek and darting over to where the pamphlet had flown from, A giggling Cecil flailing in the larger’s grip.

“Val! Val help I don’t wanna die!!!!” he squawked, still laughing wildly when inx dropped him and ruffled his hair. “Aww c’mon you gotta respect how good my aim is Inx!” he argued, tucking one hand into his pocket and lacing the other in Val’s before pausing. “Oh- shit I interrupted like, a moment, didn’t I?” He questioned, rubbing his neck. “I’m sorry I uh, I can leave? I can go pee again or something.” he stammered, Inx shaking his head and nudging Val softly.

“He’s a nervy one, iddn’t he? You’re fine, Cecil, we were just thinking about old memories, right Val?”

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

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“If I don’t call you out like that, museum security will and the three of us will be kicked out! Because the two of you think one another is adorable and like to have an excuse to touch…” Val waggled her eyebrows at each of the males before nudging one elbow into Cecil and the other into Inx. It was an odd and yet enjoyable experience to watch her boyfriend flirt with someone else. Someone she was flirting with as well…This was as fun as it was odd.

It was an experience unlike any other she had ever had and that was certainly saying something after over two hundred years. As they passed one particularly curious mortal couple, Val couldn’t help but give them one of those uniquely vampire expressions that inspired both awe and fear. They scurried away without looking back, Val feeling particularly satisfied with the result as she looked up at Inx with a smile.

“You don’t have to steal it, darling. I think I would rather it be here where everyone can appreciate my beauty,” she tossed raven locks behind her shoulders with a faux sense of vanity, “Let the generations marvel at the young ‘Daughter of the marquis de La Chapelle-la-Reine.” she grinned at the thought and was about to say something more when Cecil pulled away, causing a frown to settle on her pale face at the sudden coolness of her right hand.

Holding on to Inx’s hand she tugged him towards the third member of their date, taking the moment to speak to the zombie in a low tone while Cecil was out of ear shot, “I told you that this would work out. You like him…And he likes you…And I like you both…” she rose onto her toes to kiss him softly on the cheek before turning towards the painting Cecil was standing before, curious.

She hummed and tiled her head, “Why do you say that, cheri?”

“Well I’m not sure how he guessed it babe, but I’d say I know that picture too. Though, I can say with certainty that it doesn’t hold a candle to your beauty back then, all pretty face and beating heart.” Inx grinned, winding his arms around Val’s waist, staring quietly at the painting of a woman, clearly of a higher class, especially for the seventeen hundreds. While the picture was indeed a masterpiece, Inx’s mind wandered to the complaints he’d heard the day of it’s painting, Val in fancy dress whining about a stiff neck and about how long it took the artist to even let her take a break. The sight of the picture brought back memories of pristine feathers and golden armor, and heartbeats syncing up as they watched the sun set.

Cecil was unaware of this trip through old memories, staring awestruck at the painting before glancing back at Val again. “That’s totally you, I knew it! They really did just, snatch paintings from your house? That’s kinda screwed up.” The mortal frowned, stepping back to look at the painting in full and looking back at Val. “I gotta say though, the painting has nothing on the real deal.” he smiled, leaning against Val and inx slightly, frame warm and a stark contrast to the cold temperatures of his companions- before shifting and suddenly realizing exactly how long he’d been holding the half gallon of lemonade he’d drank before they left. “I uh, I gotta use the little Mortician’s room. I’ll be right back.” He stammered, darting down the hall with a whimper.

Inx let out a short laugh, burying his face in Val’s neck gently. “I swear, if you say ‘i told you so’ I’m going to drive us home so slow there will be another revolution in the time it takes us to get back for some well earned rest.” He muttered, kissing her softly and listening as Cecil shouted an apology at someone he’d definitely plowed into on the way to the bathroom. “He’s as graceful as a baby horse and about as quiet as a car alarm.” He sighed, but smiled. “He’s alive and it’s... honestly refreshing, after so long you and I have been around stoic, stuffy, dead people, he is a nice change of pace, I’ll give him that.” he admitted, resting his chin on Val’s shoulder and staring quietly at the painting. “You’re not gonna need another ‘neck rub’ are you Miss Sang de Fonce?” he joked in a hushed tone, nodding slowly.

“But you’re right, he’s growing on me. I don’t like that he’s growing on me, because I’m still wrestling with the fact I think a mortal twenty something who eats pretzels like a vacuum is adorable and a reasonable person to form a deeper relationship with... This has to be at least a little strange to you, right babe?”

#threads #val #Mxrtuary

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

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The vampire nodded casually, purple eyes slightly narrowed, “He did. In our home in Paris. They changed the frame, so I can’t be completely sure but it…looks the same.” Val turned inwardly for a moment considering the image and the theft of the piece. Her family home had been ransacked during the Revolution, so it only made sense that pieces made it out of the city, out of France to sold or simply tossed aside. Still, it felt odd to see it here, so out of place…

She was pulled from her musing by Inx’s grumblings, familiar some how and yet still rather enduring. She stood slightly closer to Cecil, as if to protect him ( jokingly ) as Inx began to rant. A smile settled across her red lips as she said nothing and simply watched. Did she enjoy this? Yes. Yes she did.

“You don’t like it? I don’t know I think its kind of cute, seeing him all riled up over art and family history.” she grinned at Cecil, “He quiets down around modern art, less memories.” Val held onto the mortal’s hand even as he was shoved, giggling softly as she watched the interaction. It was the roughest kind of flirting she’d ever seen but, surprisingly, it was flirting. The butterflies in her stomach increased suddenly as she realized that this was actually working. Inx was…enjoying this. Even as he threatened to snap Cecil in two. That was surprising…

“Boys, boys!” Was chided between remarks but she did nothing really to stop them. Although she did keep a wary eye on the statues. “If you are going to flirt like that we need to take this outside…” Val took Inx’s hand and gave him a flirty but approving look of her own as her nose was kissed, a soft hum of approval coming from her throat.

The trio, hands locked with Val at the center, moved casually down the nearly empty halls of the museum, falling into step with one another. It was…comfortable between them. And although they had spent a handful of times at the morgue together this was different and yet easy. They did, however, catch a few curious gazes of those that were in the museum…Val wondered, to herself, what they thought of the three of them…

“Oh my,” she took a breath, catching Inx’s question, looking at the canvases that they passed, “I saw a portrait that looked rather like my great aunt. She married very well and was a member of the Bourbon court. Terrible old lady but ma reine rather liked her,” ‘ma reine’ being Marie Antoinette, something Inx would easily know. Val smirked, “Wouldn’t it be adorable to find a portrait of me? All young and innocent…This is the right time period and my father had one done…Keep an eye out…”

Val held Inx’s gaze for a moment as she leaned a little closer to him, purple eyes agreeing with his sentiment and adding. ‘I told you that it would be…’

“It’s not that I don’t like watching him get his feathers in a fluff, but people are staring. More than they usually might, I assume, at three people on the same date.” Cecil observed, nodding to the group of other patrons watching Inx’s tirade with a confused expression. “Alright, so next time we keep him to the modern art museums, the ones with the boxes and lines someone’s passing off as ‘deep.’” He joked, flushing slightly at Val’s observation that the two men were flirting. “Aw, C’mon gonna call us out like that?” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

In honesty, he had no idea he’d been flirting, it was coming easily, holding Val’s hand and whispering about old paintings, pushing Inx around even though the larger was certainly dangerous when angered. But somehow, he knew Inx wouldn’t get mad at him, and while on the drive over he’d worried that they planned to eat him after this as they had mentioned their previous outings together including... something similar, that worry seemed to fade into something much closer to comfort around the other two.

Inx smiled, shaking his head and walking along beside the other two, footsteps in equal time and echoing down the practically empty halls. “Darling if your portrait is here I don’t believe I have it in me for another heist. If only Tarrence was hoarding back then like he does now, I’m certain he’d still have your silverware from back when we met if he was.” he joked, Cecil looking at the paintings and trying to make his face stop burning. “You okay there Cecil? You look a little flushed.”

“Ah-y-yeah fine! Oh hey look at this!” He stammered, letting go of Val’s hand and scampering away. He came to a stop in front of a random painting, staring up at it and then pausing. “Woah. Deja Vu to the max.” He breathed, turning to glance back at Val and Inx. “Hey guys? I think I found something that you’d be interested in.” he called, pointing up at the painting. “I think it belongs to one of you.”

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

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“Lucky for you, we like weird. And squishy,” Val added with a slight hum as Inx kissed the top of her head, feeling rather like a cat who was being petted in a way that she especially liked. And like a cat who was about to get a new toy…She smiled as Cecil agreed to the date, laughing softly, “I am glad that we caught you at such a good time. No other plans or relationships. Its perfect…” she wiggled her dark brows excitedly as she took Inx’s hand, taking half a step away from the zombie so she could look at him more easily.

She nodded solemnly at the mention of their ‘usual dates’, “True. Although thanks to cutie pie here, the instances of those kind of dates have gone down significantly. And maybe now they will continue to…” Val flashed a fanged smile at Cecil, considering where the three of them might go so late a night and still have fun when— -

“All night? Eighteenth century? Museum?”

Those happened to be five of Val’s favorite words in the world. She hummed excitedly and grabbed Cecil’s hand with a squeeze, the vampire doing a little hop ( very rare indeed ) as she grinned, leaning closer to Cecil and considering, just for a moment, kissing him on the cheek. But…thinking better of it. “That is perfect, Cecil, ma chéri. And I will buy you that pretzel. You deserve it for such an idea.” she squeezed the mortal’s hand before letting go, although giving him a lingering look, sobering slightly, “This date will not go bad. I won’t let it.”

Once Val had taken Cecil’s hand, she found it rather hard to let go. An hour later the trio stood in front of canvas with a particular gaudy frame, featuring a bloody recreation of a biblical scene, Val’s cool hand loosely slid into Cecil’s as she cocked her head to one side, eyeing it carefully.

“I think my father owned a painting like this once,” she frowned, stepping slightly closer, hand still linked, “In his study. Always thought it was rather…gruesome. The angel though — -” she turned away from the canvas to look for the large heavily inked former angel who was still lingering a few paintings away, “Inx, darling, come here and tell me if this looks familiar and what you think of this armor. If its accurate…”

She gave Cecil a smile and slight squeeze of his hand as if to silently say — - ‘this is going to be good’.

Cecil had been quiet for a good portion of the exhibit, cramming a good portion of his pretzel into his mouth with one hand, due to Val’s grip on his other one. He’d thankfully gotten dressed, looking rather out of place with his companions for the evening in an oversized knit sweater and his usual gloves. yes, Cecil looked out of place, but it seemed to fit, different with his messy hair and dark circles under his eyes, something too mortal to match with Val and Inx, but too close to reaper to be glaringly different. He fit, albeit oddly, but he still fit. “Wait you dad had this thing?” Cecil blinked, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and glancing up as Val called Inx, the zombie glaring pointedly at a statue bearing a placard denoting it as ‘Michael.’

“Of course he gets a statue, I work my ass off for centuries but yeah let’s give the statues to Tarrence, that’ll help with his ego, that’ll solve the fact his head hardly fits through doorways as it i- Hm? Coming dear.” He paused, walking over and peering at the painting, sticking a tattooed finger out to the point where he was nearly touching the painting. “No, it’s not accurate, where do the wings go? Despite the fact that this is a horrible misrepresentation of.... I’m not even sure who that’s supposed to be, It looks like a horse kicked Samandriel in the nose and they painted that.... but in any case, there’s no holes in the back for wings. we can’t just spawn them through solid metal, we needed something to put them through, logic, it seems failed here- and there! the sword is wrong too! this painting is inaccurate and I hate that Tarrence got a statue and I got jack shit.” Inx huffed, Cecil blinking and leaning over to Val.

“uh, does he do this a lot, because I think maybe we should take him anywhere but a museum if he does.” He reasoned, Inx frowning and crossing his arms. “Aww, chin up dead head, I think you’re special.” He grinned, clapping the zombie on the back with a smirk. “I’m sure there’s plenty of inaccurate paintings of you too, come on, we’ll go find one and you can get mad at a curator for no reason.”

Inx went to say something, but his anger defused and he shoved Cecil playfully. “You’re what, 5′10? I’ll snap you like a twig, Fouler. One motion. no more morgue boy.” he chided, Cecil leaning back and puffing his chest.

“Five feet and ten inches of pure rage! meet me in the pit, Inx, I’ll fight you in the kiddy area, I don’t give a shit.” He snorted, laughing as the larger male ruffled his hair and crossed to hold Val’s other hand. “Is this because I have cheese fingers because I do not blame you in the slightest for not wanting to hold that hand.”

“Eh, shut up.” inx laughed, kissing Val’s nose. “So babe, find anything you’ve seen before? because I’ll tell ya, this place is like the most inaccurate family photo album I’ve ever seen- also, I knew I’d been here before.” he stated, pointing down the hall. “That exhibit room is where I snatched my wings back from, no help from the humans, of course.” he stated, squeezing Val’s hand gently, and giving her a glance that certainly seemed to say ‘things are going better than I thought they would.’

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

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“P-plants don’t have feelings, Cecil, dear…”

For a moment, Val simply stared at Cecil, as if it was taking a moment for the reality of what was being said to catch up with her own tracking system. Purple eyes flicked between Inx and Cecil, although they stayed longest on the former, dark brows pressing together as she watched him, knowing how difficult this was for him. How new this was for him. That lip bite made her chest ache…

She laughed softly at Cecil’s reaction, biting her lip as she forced back another sound or a retort. This was Inx’s moment, and she wanted to allow him to get through the whole speech without her interrupting.

“Not that being gay as Tarrence is a bad thing…” she muttered under her breath with a slight smirk, amused slightly by that comment. “But, I don’t think you could ever be as gay as he is, darling.” Val added, her arm sliding around Inx’s arm with a squeeze.

It amused Val, to hear how the zombie summarized not only their situation but the current problem as well, another smile rising to her lips as she nodded in bashful agreement and then…back to the staring. His question didn’t make sense and for a moment she was unsure if he had heard the rest of Inx’s little speech.

“A TiVo…” the word was not immediately familiar to the vampire but it dawned slowly over her. “O-oh the television recording thing? I have one but I’ve never used it. No one’s ever shown me how…” Val felt rather stupid admitting that but it was the least of her worries. All Cecil had said to the question of a date was — - ’cool’. That was…a good thing?

She cleared her throat and pressed her hand a little tighter around Inx’s arm, “So…does that mean you’ll only go on a date with us, both of us,” Val added for emphasis, “If we have a TiVo or…?” she arched a dark brow, concerned that might actually tip the scales. How awful would it be if they were rejected. Together. She would never be able to convince Inx of anything ever again…

“Or maybe we should we go find you a plant, let you work your mojo on it and ask you out again in the morning…? When your head is clearer. This is a lot to throw on you…All at once…”

“But like, I saw a thing that said if you yelled at your plants they die so they like, have feelings right?” Cecil insisted, then shrugged. “I mean, TiVo’s not like, a dealbreaker or anything, but like, I like to record the Twilight Zone and stuff.” He reasoned, Inx blinking and staring at him silently for a minute. “Look I haven’t been on a date since High school and now I’m being asked on one with two people, my track record with romance is pretty fuckin’ weird- specifically because both of you are supernatural creatures and I am in fact a squishy mortal.”

Inx shook his head, kissing the top of Val’s head gently as she gripped his arm. “You’re shockingly okay with this, Cecil. Then again, the whole half reaper thing is probably something that makes this a regular tuesday for you.” He reasoned, Cecil shrugging his shoulders.

“I mean, I’ve always been weird, and to be fair, you two are the only people I can be around without being hyper aware of where my hands are- uh, buh- because of the life draining thing!” He stammered, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll go out with you guys, yeah, sure, why not, it’s not like I have anything else to do. Or anyone else interested in me. Or TiVo.” he rattled, punctuating that odd train of thought with a yawn. “But uh, where are we gonna go?”

Inx paused, looking over at Val. “Yeah, uh, what are we gonna do, babe? we can’t take Cecil on one of our usual dates, he would probably go to jail as an accessory to murder.” He reminded, Cecil looking a bit stunned. “I’ll elaborate later, one thing at a time there Cecil.” he stated, adjusting his jacket nervously. “First Cecil needs pants, but I didn’t think we’d get this far, I have nothing planned.” He admitted, Cecil waving his hands in the air, as if he wanted to be called on. “uh, yes, Cecil?”

“There’s an all night exhibit on eighteenth century europe at the museum in the middle of town.” The shorter male offered. “And I’ll wear pants! I don’t leave the house without pants on, but you guys did kinda, you know, break in, I wasn’t prepared for visitors.” He pointed out. “Also I’m not deaf, and you think I’m adorable, tough guy.” he grinned, sticking his tongue out. “But yeah.. museum... open... I can get a soft pretzel... That’s my only goal here, by the way, if the date goes bad I at least got a pretzel out of it.” he stated, hiding a smile and rubbing tired eyes.

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

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Her hand still pressed within the zombie’s, Val frowned slightly at Cecil, her out of use parental worrying skills suddenly piqued. “Cecil, you need sleep. You aren’t entirely mortal, but enough that this could be dangerous.” She frowned visibly and stepped up to the mortal, smoothing dark hair from his forehead before cool fingers pressed against it. The motion was so practiced and so familiar Val did not even consider it. Her hand pulled back and she eyed Cecil with a look of concern but at least he wasn’t burning up. She stepped back beside Inx, leaning slightly against him, as if she needed to feel him close. For his support and perhaps her own. “Again – you need sleep, this isn’t healthy. It’s good we came by really…Although we didn’t mean to stir you from the attempt.”

She offered him a small smile, before she looked up at the the zombie, the expression turning to a slight frown as she rolled her purple eyes. “We don’t have to tell him everything right now. Mon dieu, it might give him a seizure or something,” she gestured to the mortal and took a breath, her expression shifting slightly as she shrugged. She wasn’t ashamed but she had been caught. Val looked away with a soft laugh, “When I see something I like its always the right time. You know that.” She gave Inx a slightly flirtatious look before composing herself.

That was not ( entirely ) why they had come. There was a more noble plan. But Val would be lying if she didn’t at least acknowledge her curiosity to see under those super hero boxers. How could she not? He was cute. She was attracted. That was how this whole thing started. Why deny it now? And to Inx who – - clearly thought the same. But was much less…obvious.

“Maybe…we could hang out, some time,” the word ’hang out’ seemed slightly too modern coming from Vals cultured lips but with the smile that accompanied them it was rather enduring. She pushed a strand of raven hair from her purple eyes and shrugged, holding Cecil’s gaze for a moment longer before she looked away almost sheepishly. “Y-you are cute, Cecil. And maybe we could…the three of us…” She was suddenly, uncharacteristically tongue tied, and purple eyes shot up to Inx for help. How long had it been since she asked someone out on a date? And when had she ever done it standing next to her boyfriend?

“T-this is rather awkward….” Val managed softly to the zombie, if she could blush she would be bright red, a pale hand finding Inx’s with a squeeze as she shied away from the question, nervous suddenly.

"I'm fine, seriously, all I gotta do is buy another plant, trip over it in the dead of night and then bam, I'm back to tip-top shape." Cecil insisted, stifling a yawn into his elbow. "I don't like draining them intentionally, it feels mean... do potted plants have feelings?" He muttered, blinking and crossing his eyes to look up at Val's hand on his forehead. "I'm not sick, I just have weird nightmares, I'm fine, seriously." he insisted, then shook his head. "Oh, I wasn't asleep when you guys came in, I'd been sitting here eating cereal while I waited for my show to- dammit, I missed Twilight zone again!" He groaned, darting out of the kitchen and into his bedroom for a moment, appearing again in a ratty black sweater with too-long sleeves and both socks. "So uh, what are you guys here to tell me, again?" he questioned, Inx biting his lip and sighing softly.

"Alright Cecil, I need you to bear with me here, and not do that thing you do at the morgue where you zone out and then try to act like you were listening when I know for a fact you were thinking about Tony Stark naked or something-" Inx paused as Cecil rolled his eyes and insisted that it was 'either Hal Jordan or Catwoman, usually' and then continued. "Now As you know because I'm pretty sure you love horror movies more than the sensual touch of another person, Normal zombies don't have wings. and while I'd love to regale you with the specifics of where mine came from, I am going to leave it at the fact that at one point, long before you were even a thought in the universe's mind, I was an angel. Now that's only important because I can see the strings of fate."

Cecil held up a hand, Inx going quiet. "Wait so like, you're here to warn me that I'm gonna like, die, or something, right? that's what's happening? because if I'm gonna die I kinda want it to be a surprise so I'm not freaking out in the days leading up to my demise-"

"No! no. Christ, Cecil shut up for a few seconds and listen to me, will ya?" Inx sighed, Cecil nodding and miming zipping his mouth shut. "Like Val said, you're easily the cutest human she's seen in a good century, and there is a reason for that. For some reason, fate decided that two people trapped in an endless loop of forgetting to pick up the drycleaning before dawn wasn't enough, and so, even though I've only had one string since the eighteenth fuckin' century, a new one just happened to pop up. Right when you did. For both of us. So Val is trying to ask you on a date, and I'm trying to come to grips with the fact I might be as gay as Tarrence." Inx grunted, taking a deep breath as Cecil blinked, trying to process everything that had been said before he asked one, adorable, innocent question.

"Oh. Cool.... do you guys have TiVo?"

#Val #Mxrtuary #threads

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

fracturedportrait:

“This has nothing to do with Tarrence!“

Was the hissed reply through clenched white teeth as Valturze followed her boyfriend through the first of two doors they had no right opening. And yet…here they were. Driven on by curiosity, a hint of desire and, so it seemed, fate. "You are the one who told me about the red string. Off handedly, but still. It was bothering you. You are curious, I know you are! Tare just made it clear that…we need to see this through. See if it is a fluke…” She shrugged, the leather of her jacket creaking as she watched Inx break into Cecil’s apartment ( in a romantic way? )

“If this doesn’t work, if that red string – - evaporates or something we will go home,” she took his hand and squeezed it, holding that blue eyed gaze for a moment, ignoring the apartment around them to make this point. “We will watch whatever you want, I promise. But we need to know, darling. We need to be sure. I need to see this through and I can’t do it without you.”

Her sincere purple gaze lingered on the zombie for a moment longer, still holding his heavily tattooed hand, before she looked away. The apartment was rather…unimpressive and yet she was fascinated to see such an intimate space. Such a mortal space. And strangely, Val felt almost comfortable. Despite the mess, which in the back of her mind caused a cringe to run down her cool spine. But it was Cecil’s mess and that meant something. What exactly she wasn’t yet sure…

“I want to see him and – -” she was half way to the small bedroom when their intended target made himself known. Val laughed, in surprise more than anything, at the sight of Cecil all boxers and cocoa puffs. A wry and approving smile settled on red lips at the former and a little shudder at the latter. The sugary scent burning her nose and reminding her oddly of Circus.

“I would have come sooner but the sun –” she made a vague gesture, a smirk with a roll of her eyes. “The night is our time. You can appreciate that, no?” French accented smoothed out the words, the smile on red lips and the slight sway to her hips helping that along even further.

“We apologize, Cecil. We aren’t here to rob or eat you,” she held his gaze and made sure that last part was heavily emphasized. Stepping up to Inx, she gave him a look that was part pleading, part encouraging as she took his hand. “We were in the neighborhood and well, we wanted to…check in. See how you were. And speak of things,” a sly smile there, a flick of purple eyes that took in Cecil’s exposed skin. A look Inx could easily recognize, “Not work related.”

She moved carefully closer to the mortal, bringing Inx with her by the hand, turning on just enough of her vampire charm to calm him. If such a thing worked on a reaper halfling…

“There is something we would like to ask you— don’t we, Inx, darling?” She turned to look at the zombie with a squeeze of his hand, “An invitation of sorts…”

"You were hanging out with bony-ass earlier before this idea popped into your head!" Inx whined, the zombie crossing his arms and giving a bit of a jolt as Cecil spoke up, the latter still eating his cereal and swinging his feet absently just off the floor. He wasn't wearing his gloves, and his apartment was covered in dead plants, to an unfamiliar observer these two facts would seem disconnected, but to Inx, the explanation to this situation wasn't as simple as someone with poor botanical skills. "Oh, Cecil. we thought you- thought you were asleep." he explained, trying to ignore the fact that even wearing one sock and the stupidest underpants Inx had ever seen, Cecil was still rather....cute. Not like a puppy, or Circus (even though both were certainly the cutest things Inx had for reference,) but more like Val had been 'cute' when he met her in the circus.

"Nope, not asleep, haven't slept in like, three days. Running off fumes and auditory hallucinations. Not exactly the best way to spend my evenings but uh, sleep is eluding me in a way I care not to elaborate on." Cecil stated, sticking his dirty bowl in the sink and stretching out, popping his back and the string from Inx's finger was once more very clearly attached to Cecil's chest, just as the string attached to Val connected to the mortal. Cecil seemed a bit confused, arching a brow and frowning slightly. "Wait, if you're not here to ask me for food or to steal my stuff, why are you guys here? S'not like we hang out or anything." He pointed out, looking as serious as someone dressed like he was could manage.

As Val nudged inx, insisting that the two of them had something to ask, he jumped, sputtering slightly and looking down at the other being. "Well what are we supposed to do? tell him everything babe? That feels like something a lot longer than a dude who's been up for two days living on cocoa puffs can deal with." he pointed out, arching a brow at the vampire's facial expression as she examined Cecil. "Babe, really? He's eating kid cereal and wearing superhero boxers I'm- okay fine it's adorable but is this really the time, Valturze?"

Strings and Things || Valturze & Cecil

“I cannot believe I let you convince me to do this.” Heavy boots crunched in fallen leaves and warm breath showed in cool evening air, Inx’s broad shoulders slumped as he tried his best to avoid looking down at his ring finger. “I’m telling you, it could totally be a fluke, Darling, my sight of strings is still shoddy and- and when have we ever taken Tarrence’s word on anything?” He moaned, coming to a stop in front of a small apartment complex with a sigh. He’d denied the presence of the second strand tied to his ring finger for a long time. He’d ignored it when he first discovered it, and ignored it even further when Val seemed to have an identical one, especially when it led to a perpetually tired, twenty-something who spent his working hours talking to dead people and feeding those dead people to other dead people.

So it was safe to say, that this October evening, was rife with Inx’s special brand of denial, even as he jimmied the lock on the apartment complex and held the door for Val. The interior was clean, if not small, but this wasn’t their destination, the apartment on the second floor however, was. He climbed the stairs and walked to the door, hand pausing by the doorknob and fingers twitching.

“Val really, we should just go home, I mean, I’m straight I don’t know what this thing is thinking-” he pauses, gesturing to a strand of red in his vision that only he can see. “But it’s wrong. We should just go home and watch a bad horror movie, or something.” The zombie insisted, but with a short glare from Val, he resigned to picking this lock as well, and stepped inside. “Well, it looks exactly like I expected a 25 year old Reaper halfling’s house to look; a veritable disaster area.”

The apartment was messy, covered in dirty laundry and magazines, a TV playing Science-Fiction theatre in the next room. Inx sighed, shaking his head. “You know Anael was just as messy, must run in the family. Valtur-Valturze do not go in there and wake him up!” he whispered harshly, frowning at the Vampire as she walked toward the bedroom.

“Kinda hard to wake me up when I’ve been awake, sitting on this counter in one sock and my boxers ever since you guys walked in. I thought I was being robbed. You guys aren’t here to eat me, are you?” A voice questioned, Cecil spooning cocoa puffs into his mouth and staring at the pair with a slight frown, bags under his eyes and green lantern boxers crumpled from tossing and turning. “But I don’t keep any dead people parts here, I’m off work and uh, not a serial murderer. Normal people knock, by the way. It’s like, nine at night, guys, what are you doing in my living room?”

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“If your preference is ‘bratty alpha girls’ you better just get used to me because that dating pool is incredibly small – -” there was an odd tone of satisfaction in her low smooth voice, noticeable over the hiss of the shower. She was not only the brattiest female alpha in the city, but also the only one. She had made sure of that, personally. It didn’t matter if the competition was over land, drugs or even her fellow alpha, Val had worked hard to eliminate anyone who might get in her way. The latter being motivation in particular. Not that she’d admit to it…

She stepped into the small cubicle and shuddered as the cold water hit her pale form, cursing as she realized the faucet was turned all the way towards ‘hot’ and still freezing. Val pulled the frosted glass door semi closed just as Inx joined her in the bathroom, unwrapping the tiny complimentary bar of soap with a frown as he spoke.

“I didn’t realize there was more to tell about that dream. I mean, unless you last longer in your dreams than you do in reality. I suppose it has to be improved upon from reality, right? Otherwise it wouldn’t be worth dreaming about,” she chuckled at the insult that was subtly thrown stepping under the water with a shudder as it warmed up, if only slightly. She hummed in response to his question, tipping her head back and rising out her raven hair, arching out her chest slightly, knowing that the light from the window in the small stall silhouetted her naked form perfectly. And that he could see. “You wouldn’t dare come in here and ‘talk’ it out of me. You are wearing jeans and you put that stupid piercing back in…”

The roll of her purple eyes could be heard even without being seen. She ran her hands through her hair and turned away from the chilly water, looking for the shampoo. “You ended up in my dreams because you were laying right beside me snoring loud enough to wake the dead,” she muttered, fussing with the cheap plastic cap, “Maybe I dreamed about finally putting a pillow over your face and ending all of this– - ah fuck!” The cap shot off the top of the bottle and over the partition that separated the shower from the rest of the bathroom, the alpha nearly dropping the shampoo. She took a frustrated breath and stuck a wet hand out from the crack in the door,

“Can you please hand me that on your way out?”

Although her hand beckoned more than it did shoo him away. Val was nothing if made of contradictions.

“Don’t I know it.” The other alpha muttered, reclining against the bathroom mirror and rolling his neck to gaze over at Valturze, still tired and mildly sore from the night before, but he’d weathered knife wounds and bullet holes (often by the hand of this particular alpha’s father,) so he’d find it in himself to tough it out. If only to continue getting on Val’s nerves, picking and goading until he got a reaction, usually nonfavorable.

But as he’d decided some time ago, the fighting was easily worth the magnetism that led to angry sex in motel rooms, alleyways, and on one occasion, the back of a police cruiser, tacking indecent exposure onto their public intoxication charges and leading to a very drunk Inx screaming jokes about his penis at their arresting officer. Not exactly a shining moment on his criminal record, but definitely worth listening to a judge ask if he did, in fact, shout twelve different dog-based innuendos while complaining that his dick had been left to the elements.

“Please, I dare you to find someone who lasts half as long as me, especially with your nitpicky ass bossing them around. You know how hard it is to keep it up when I’m listening to you gripe?” he chided, standing from his place on the sink long enough to check his appearance, and no, a shower definitely wouldn’t kill him. His hair was tangled, the very visible mark of the pool cue that had smacked him across the face the night before when he kicked off with a rogue in the bar while Valturze drunkenly cheered him on spanning the length of his cheek and certain to bruise. “An’ yanno what, on second thought, I look like shit, scoot the hell over, I’m gettin’ a shower too.” He smirked, kicking out of his jeans and catching the errant shampoo cap before shaking his head and sitting his glasses on the sink.

“Well now I ain’t wearing jeans, and you wouldn’t smother me, no matter how much you hate me you know that without me around you wouldn’t be nearly as active in your sex life. You hate everybody else in this city just as much as you do me, and besides, if I wasn’t the best you’ve ever had, then why on earth do you keep coming back to me? Careful Val, you might end up making people think you actually like me.” he chided, sliding out of his boxers and stepping into the shower behind the other alpha, sticking the cap in her hand. “Here.” He smirked, sticking his head under the water and shaking off obnoxiously.

“Oh no, I’m ruining your shower. Whatever is Val going to do?” He smirked, hissing softly as hot water struck raw scratches along his spine. “Dammit, alright, next time you claw me up like this, I’m gonna take you to a vet and get you fuckin’ declawed.”

#threads #biker!AU #Val

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“I am not a puppy– -” she pushed her nails a little more firmly into his chest for that, purple eyes narrowing before she pulled back with a dark look. Now that he mentioned it, her right hip and ankle ached and she remembered breaking a heel. Val pouted slightly, a perfect impersonation of the puppy that she wasn’t. Val looked up at him with a growl, “Who is going to get suspicious? One of your other sluts? They’ll just think you are sleeping around on them, which you are,” she pointed out with an arch of her dark brow, “But they won’t know its me. Unless you are fucking some…CSI bitch.”

Satisfied with that, Val settled back against the mattress, watching with a smirk as he donned his glasses. She almost forgot about his less than stellar eye sight. It made her rival a little more human some how. Less of the enemy and more of the man she had just purposefully spent the night with. He was adorable really with those– - no. She struck down that thought before it could blossom.

She kissed him once more, fitting herself carefully against him, her smile starting to curl as he gave into her. “We’ve never had shower sex,” she reasoned licking her lips as the thought started to take shape. Damn it. It was her own fault, she had asked him, bullied into saying it and now…

Did she regret it? No, but tomorrow she might, when her Father asked her to do some petty crime or act of defiance against the Undertakers and she remembered how he looked beside her, all tousled hair, flushed tattooed skin and those damn glasses. That wouldn’t stop her of course, but she might…hesitate. Carry a little guilt. "That reminds me I do feel like I have grime all over– -” she stretched out and against him, arms moving over her head, grazing the chipped wooden headboard, “Its from falling on the pavement and on to you. Although the sidewalk was probably cleaner."

With a sigh, she rolled away from him, ”Excuse moi…“ falling from her faded red lips as she moved, hips swaying toward the bathroom. She picked up a pillow ( half ripped apart ) and tossed it at him, "If you have somewhere to go you can leave, Tatters.” she said that but her eyes didn’t. The threat didn’t come off as it should have. Val give him a lingering sneer before she vanished into the dimly lit room, the door only half closed as the shower hissed to life.

“I told you already, the omegas aren’t what I’m interested in. I like a challenge, not a bitch that’ll roll over and beg at me.” Inx reminded, sitting up and popping his shoulder. “Though maybe I should change my mind, if my preference turns out to be bratty alpha girls without control of their fingernails, I might be fucked out of wearing white for the rest of my life, which is a shame, considering half the shirts I own are white.”

He laughed, nodding and pulling his shirt on, looking around the room for his labret piercing, no longer in his lip and likely pulled out the second he returned. The metal bothered him when he was drunk, and like his glasses, it was regularly misplaced or simply tossed somewhere when he decided he no longer wanted to deal with it. As Val disappeared into the bathroom, insisting that he should leave if he had something to do (As if he had somewhere better to be) he laughed, shaking his head. “That’s why it was a dream, Valturze!” he called, pulling on his jeans before pausing, shedding out of his shirt once more and following her to the bathroom, seating himself on the sink with a smirk.

“Aw c’mon, princess, you ain’t got a problem with me until you sober up. And you don’t have a problem with smellin’ like me either.” He teased, piercing found on the side of the sink and carefully cleaned before he slid it back into place. “Besides, you didn’t even lock me out, so clearly, you know you left long before I got to the best part of that little dream of mine.... And as for you, Val, I held my end of the bargain up. So tell me, how did I find my way into the things that make you shiver in your sleep? Or do I have to come in there and ‘talk’ the answer out of you?”

#threads #Val #Biker!AU

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“The sidewalk got in my way— -!” was the grumbled response as heavily inked arms moved around her waist, arching her chest delicately forward with what was almost a pout. “Fine, I won’t. But don’t think I have all the time to waste romping around with you in what are probably dirty sheets…” her nose wrinkled but she didn’t seem phased. Although she really was missing a meeting with her father this morning, laying beside her arch rival instead.

The quip about the rap sheet brought a chuckle to her lips and for a moment a genuine smile of delight as she imagined Inx walking home in broad daylight essentially naked. “I’m glad you are comfortable letting it all hang out because I’m not telling…” she trailed her fingers down his chest, over what little skin was still unmarked, pressing down just enough to see a faint red line.

“You put a lot of credit in your own dreams if you think its going to get me hot and bothered all over again. Its probably very one sided and includes some obscene costume— - was I a sexy nurse? Or a cop?” her words included some bite but not as venomous as there might have been. Perhaps it was just her hang over, but she couldn’t muster the hate that she had the night before. That and it bothered her he was on to her. Whatever they talked about Val knew they wouldn’t be talking for long. She needed something for the road.

Val lifted her shoulder against his lips and rolled closer, nipping at those same lips with a soft growl. “I always get what I want,” she smiled in a way that made that statement very truthful. Inx called her ‘princess’ for a reason. “I’m starting to think you don’t want to tell me because you are embarrassed…”

“The sidewalk was minding it’s own business, it was the drunk puppy in heels who fell down on her own accord.” Inx argued, laughing and shaking hair out of his eyes. “Oh, so now sleeping with me is a waste then? That’s certainly a change of tune from last night.” He teased, growling softly under his breath. “woman, what did I tell you about scratching me? I can’t be running around with your nail marks all over me, people get suspicious.” he reminded, the exact taboo of the situation once again hanging in the air.

He was the alpha of her rival pack, her father, on numerous occasions, had tried to slaughter him, the dispute becoming so aggressive in recent months, that Tarrence had to come back to provide further support to the Undertakers. The man dropping out of college to re-assume his position as Inx’s right hand. It was dangerous what they were doing, and they certainly weren’t doing this because they loved each other. This situation had spawned out of a mutual hatred for one another, attracted to one another like fire to kindling, desperate to consume and destroy the other, to be victorious.

“Trust me, not a single part of me finds nurses or cops hot. especially not cops.” He rumbled, propping up on his elbow long enough to grab his glasses, muttering something about losing his contacts at the gang house. He pushed them on roughly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re a brat, you know that? I’m not as weak to your charm as you think, princess, that might work on the other boys but I’m not a lovesick puppy.” he reasoned, the statement undermined as he lazily returned her kiss. “If you really, really must know, I suppose I can tell you.... oh I’m embarrassed now?” He smirked, arching a brow.

“You’re getting impatient, flustered even, I can tell. You’re not getting your way, and that drives you absolutely mad.” He smirked, popping his shoulder with a grunt. “I’ll give you a hint, just because I think it’s cute how mad you’re getting that I won’t tell you. For some reason, in my alcohol-induced slumber, I thought it was a good idea to think up an early morning round two during your usual ‘I have to get the stink of Undertaker off of me’ shower. You were pissed that I was there, defeating the purpose of your ‘scrub off the inx’ trip, but you changed your tune rather quickly.”

#threads #biker!AU

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Her nose wrinkled but she didn’t pull away as his hand ran through her disheveled hair, tangled black strands falling over pale shoulders. “And by ‘right place’ you mean literally laying next to you, while you dreamt? And ‘wrong time’ being coming here straight from the bar across the street piss drunk?” she nodded in agreement, chin still resting on his shoulder, Val pressing herself against him now, letting the sheet slip so she was exposed, cool body and soft flesh. “Just knowing I made it into that thick skull at all is a triumph.”

Purple eyes glimmered and she rolled them at the mention of her father. “What Papa Coffin doesn’t know won’t kill him. Well— -” she eyed Inx with a laugh, leaning in to nip at his neck with her lips, “You could I suppose. But you might be in my pants, but not in my head. If I dreamt about you, its because you didn’t do your job.” A final nip before she laid back against the rumpled sheets, stretching like a cat in the pool of weak morning sunlight that cast a warm glow over her naked skin.

“You aren’t going anywhere until I hear that dream. I’ve hidden your keys and your pants,” she smiled relaxed with a sigh, “Now talk.”

“The bar is a whole block away, and I carried you the second half because you fell down and then decided to sit there and complain about the sidewalk for five minutes.” Inx reminded. “I’m amazed we made it here under my own devices, we were both too drunk to function.” The alpha hummed, looping long arms around Val’s waist as she pressed closer, kissing her lazily and shaking his head. “It was a fluke, don’t get used to it, Valturze, I’ve got more to think about than a pretty Coffin broad going down on me, so don’t get comfortable in that ‘thick skull,’ alright?”

His tone was teasing, eyes gentle but edged with the reminder that he wasn’t a friend, not really. What they had here was self-serving, for both of them. “You say that like I won’t walk home with a half-chub in no pants. I will, indecent exposure would be the nicest charge on my rap sheet.” He smirked, watching her stretch before doing so himself, arms covered in colorful ink, legs slowly filling up with hours in a tattoo chair. The tattoo dedicated to his mother the only one on his chest, but with the rate he was filling up, it wouldn’t be alone for long. Even at this point, he was a stark contrast to soft, unmarked skin and raven hair, a pack leader and the younger alpha of his rival clan. He knew it was foolish, this situation, but he couldn’t help himself. Something about her attracted him, just as much as it should have repelled him.

But his attitude had yet to fade, laying a lazy kiss to Val’s shoulder and smirking down at her. “You really are set on getting this out of me, aren’t you princess?” He teased, a brow arched and a smile pulling on his lips. His own bite mark stood in purple on Val’s shoulder, low enough that she could cover it up, but dark enough that it gave him some small sense of pride. for a while, the Coffin heir wasn’t her dad’s perfect successor. She was his, until that mark faded out. “Why should I tell you? don’t want you getting all excited and making them charge me for another night.”

#threads #Val #biker!au

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She frowned at him, sitting up on her elbow and making sure the ( hopefully clean? ) sheet stayed around her chest for the time being. “I wasn’t making fun of you,” a slight bounce there was he flopped back down, the alpha nearly loosing her grip on the sheet. “I just…I was surprised. That’s all. I didn’t realize I had made it so fully into your subconscious.”

Her frown dissolved into a smile and Val slid closer to him, kissing his shoulder with a soft press of teeth. “You tell me yours and I will tell you mine.” Her tongue lapped at the slight depression in tattooed flesh and her chin rested against him. “We have a whole two hours until check out, don’t you want to get your money’s worth, Tatters?”

"eh, shut up.” Inx smirked, pushing his hand through her (slightly messy) raven-hued hair, moving stray strands out of her face. “You haven’t, By the way. Gotten into my head that is.” he insisted, stretching out and hissing softly at the warmth of her tongue over still-sensitive skin. “I think you’re cute, and banging you means I get to piss off your old man, so that’s a two part win for me. But the fact of the matter is you’re still a Coffin, I’m afraid you gotta earn your right to be on my mind 24/7. More than likely it was the fact you were in the right place at the wrong time.” he rumbled, his own hair tangled and dirty, hanging in messy strands around his face.

He’d headed the Undertakers for a while now, promoted to leader as soon as he could ride a motorcycle and command a room. He was messy, required a smarter right hand, in the form of his older brother, a (former) law student now the second most powerful Undertaker in the city. “I could just take off, call the next two hours the portion of the room you paid and not feel bad about it at all.” he smirked, still playfully tight-lipped about what he’d dreamed up. “I’m not alone then huh?” he smirked, shaking stray hair from his face once more. “Well then darling, if you’re in my head, what does that have to say about you, if you were foolish enough to let me get into yours? I don’t think old man Sang De Fonce would be too happy about that.”

#threads #Val #Biker!AU

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I had a sex dream about you last night. -Kickdrumbitetobone

send me, “I had a sex dream about you last night,” to see how my muse responds – - accepting!( kickdrumbitetobone )

“– -Shut up.”

Was her initial response, sharp and too cruel even as she laid beside him in a tangle of sheets in one of the cheapest and worst motels in the city. But also one of the most discreet. Sitting up, Val realized that he wasn’t kidding. Slowly, the other alpha forced herself up onto one elbow and stared down at Inx. “Oh…You are serious?” a soft laugh, devoid of humor but full of shock followed, purple eyes wide, “Well go on then. Tell me.”