r i s e n

your friendly neighborhood necromancer jackson - twenty six part of the nightmare roleplay

[vilissimus-blog]

untraditionalwitch:

Toni took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders. She felt so much tension. Mixed with anger and sadness, and more than a little fear. “I’ll figure out how to do it myself, then,” she said firmly, filled with determination. She didn’t know how, or where to even start, but she’d figure it out, she’d make it happen.

“So… you came all the way out here to give your condolences?” she asked, deciding to change the subject. She knew Jackson vaguely, he was her fiance’s friend, but they’d never really been close. He was a few years older than her, enough that they’d never spent any time together in school, and they never had much reason to hang out together outside of it.

Nervousness rolled through him in the heavy silence. He felt terrible to have to deliver the truth about the permanency of her parents’ demise, but he had once tried everything in every book that he could find, but he knew she wouldn’t listen. She would figure it out the hard way and he had to let the issue go. It was her journey and it wasn’t like anyone was around to force her to give it up; they were dead. And he didn’t exactly see the witch community keeping a close watch on one orphaned girl.

“Yes,” he finally answered and shoved his hands into his pockets once more. “I also wanted to see how you were doing. Or if you needed anything -- but you’re here, so I doubt that Vlad would leave you in need of anything while you’re his guest.” He wanted to leave, to get away from the tense atmosphere, but he didn’t want to seem rude or offend her. “Has Bennett come by to see you at all?” He at least knew that his friend survived the ordeal, and his family seemed to have survived as well. There was no reason, in his mind, that Toni’s fiance would keep his distance at a time like this, arranged marriage or not.

[vilissimus-blog]

malificusx :

It began to settle in with her that all of the blurs they had ran past weren’t people who had fallen, but were dead. Theo criticized herself for being so selfish about her night. Especially with Jackson apologizing to her about her bath. That was all so menial compared to how many dead people she’d seen just running from her house to his house. The thought did cause a bit of queasiness in her stomach. 

What exactly happened? The thought ran through her mind over and over again. All she could do for a few minutes was stare at Jackson’s hand gripping hers, and never wanting him to let go. It was keeping her focused on reality and the fact that he came and made sure she was all right, that she was safe. Still keeping her hand locked tightly around his and scooted closer to him. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and looked him deeply in the eyes. 

“Now I really don’t know how to properly thank you for saving me,” she muttered. She began to rub little circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. Concern had enveloped her though; what was so strong that it was able to kill everyone plus trap their souls? Jackson was clearly shaken by that aspect, too. 

“Please don’t worry about me right now,” she stated. “My bath and door… those are nothing.” She was still trying to process that some form of magic easily wiped out over a dozen people. The town was small enough, and now it took another hit like this. 

The fact that he wasn’t able to tap into his powers and even communicate with the dead was worrisome. “It sounds like their souls were just ripped away,” she said. She scrunched her eyebrows. “What could do something like that?” She wondered out loud, leaning back into the couch and getting lost in her thoughts. She’d never seen anything like that, or even knew what could possess that sort of power. 

From what Jackson had seen though, it was nothing short of traumatizing. Theo forced herself to shake away her ever reeling thought process and looked back to him. “Let’s not worry about that. I want to focus on you. How’re you holding up, darling?” Theo hadn’t actually seen the dead up close. He had, and from what he described, it was not pretty. “I’ll make you some tea, if that’ll help.”

No part of him could ever accept any sort of payment for rescuing her. The best reward was knowing she was safe and sound beside him. He truthfully had no idea how to answer her questions, but whatever it was sounded a lot like the Absolute Death spell he had accidentally learned and used when he was younger.

His dabbling in dark magic took a disastrous turn when his parents interrupted one of his studying sessions and he accidentally unleashed the most forbidden spell of them all on them. It had ripped their souls away completely, making any hope of reviving them and apologizing impossible. They didn’t even have a chance of an afterlife or anything; they simply stopped existing.

In this case, though, the bodies of the fallen were left nearly intact, whereas the spell left his parents barely recognizable. reliving those memories haunted him more than seeing the dead bodies of tonight ever would, because the slaughter outside was not a bloody stain upon his soul. Suddenly, he felt filthy and dangerous, and wanted to take his hand from Theo’s, but the soft circles she traced on his skin served to calm him down and bring him back to the present.

“I’ll be fine,” he promised with a small smile. It wasn’t a lie; the disturbing images would fade form his mind in time and serve as yet another reminder as to why he needed to stay on the path of good intentions, no matter what road they paved the way to. He turned slightly to look down at Theo, and wondered how he could have been so lucky to have her with him. As he looked at her, his heart skipped a beat and adrenaline began to course through his veins and take his mind over. He leaned down and kissed her, softly, surprising himself by making such a move without any encouragement.

It was a strange reaction, he thought, to want to kiss her after such an experience as this night had been, but it made him feel safe. Being so close to her drove away all of his fear from before. Kissing her cleared his mind of every dark thought and memory and he got lost in the softness of her lips and the smell of her skin. This was something he could get used to doing.

[vilissimus-blog]

untraditionalwitch :

Toni took a deep breath as Jackson said he had tried, and failed, to bring her parents back and it hadn’t worked. “What sort of necromancer can’t raise the dead?” she asked coldly, too hurt by her recent lose to consider the fact that she didn’t want to actually insult the young man. She swallowed hard and centered herself. Now was not the time to take out  “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. Thank you for trying.”

He was, after all, very young. Maybe an older necromancer, a stronger one, would be able to make it happen. She took a deep breath, setting her cereal bowl down on a side table and running a hand through her hair. “I’ll talk to Mr. Ridley. He’s had more experience, he can do it,” she said confidently. She glossed over the fact that Jackson had brought up ancient and dark magics. She was focused on bringing her family back, nothing else mattered to her right now.

“Toni,” he sighed and crossed the hallway, feeling trapped in the small space. It hurt his pride when she made a stab at his abilities, but he understood her pain. It wasn’t a comment he intended to hold against her. While he understood what she wanted, he didn’t know how to explain this in a way that she could understand exactly what he was trying to say. “Every necromancer in town has tried. No one can bring them back. I’m sorry.”

His wounded pride wanted him to tack on that Ridley was older, but not more experienced, but he refrained; she didn’t need to deal with his dwindling self esteem in addition to losing her parents. It had been getting harder to fight the growing urge to use his magic at any opportunity, and proving to her that he wasn’t weak seemed like a good one. He clenched his fists in restraint and instead told her, “There is no spell that can undo absolute death.”

[thewickedone]

Getting Settled | Gio & Jackson

@vilissimus

While walking in the daylight wasn’t exactly advisable for a vampire, Giovanna had a hard time staying in when there was a new town to explore. She did need new furniture and decor for the home she’d purchased. And sadly, as the town was so small and mostly full of those who enjoyed sunlight, that mean staying up later than she normally would, and traveling out into the morning.

She was covered as much as she could be, a large-brimmed sunhat, a floral skirt with splashes of green and orange that was just long enough to brush the dirt off the sidewalk behind her, a loose white blouse, and black lace gloves. It was a beautiful outfit that managed to cover nearly every inch of skin.

She wandered around the market, glancing into windows and over the contents of stalls, pausing occasionally to barter with the vendors. She was so glad Nightmare allowed bartering, she certainly missed it.

She stopped in front of a stand covered in vegetables, her eyes landing on a rather gorgeous bouquet of roses. “Ah, theses are lovely.”

[vilissimus-blog]

Jackson had been standing under the hot and bright sun all day long in his ridiculous black leather and wool outfit he wore when peddling his produce to the townspeople. In the outside world, he had a certain aesthetic going, one that didn’t help his necromancer image much at all, but at this point, he didn’t care. His pushcart had a wooden sign nailed to it that said FRESH VEGGIES in a dripping red paint, which looked a lot like blood, he had often been told. It amused him, really, to have people look him and his vegetables and flowers over and try to decide how they felt about it as they approached and purchased anyways.

The day was half over, thankfully, and Jackson had sold a good portion of his product for the day. The stall didn’t bring in a lot of money, no matter how much he sold, so he was always glad that a majority of his product was purchased by the restaurants and grocery store in the town, directly from the soil in his back yard. He wasn’t the only produce vendor they bought from, but he was one of their biggest, and their purchases kept his bills paid.

Just as he began to hum the tune of the opening song from Beauty and the Beast to himself, he saw something -- or rather, someone -- to break the monotony that had become his working life. The person in question was what appeared to be a young woman, though he couldn’t exactly tell, thanks to her large hat. She had an interesting way of dressing, as if she were on the streets of some Mediterranean market rather than in the middle of a forest in a landlocked state. Her outfit reminded him of the bright and flashy prints his dear Theo liked to wear, and he wondered if the two were friends.

He watched carefully as she inspected his cart, and smiled when she eyed some of his flowers. It always filled him with a sense of satisfaction and pride when his hard work was appreciated and complimented. “Thank you! They’re not just for looks; you can buy them if you want.”

[vilissimus-blog]

untraditionalwitch :

Toni froze as Jackson mentioned her parents, her expression falling from passive to sad. She dropped the spoon back into her bowl, finding her appetite had quite suddenly disappeared. “You saw my parents. How do you think I am?” she asked coldly, eyes shining with tears.

She’d watched them die, been unable to help them as the woman tore into their flesh. Her mother had given her life to protect Toni, giving the young woman enough time to flee. So caught up in learning healing magics to help people, she’d never learned how to fight, how to protect herself. That would change, though. She’d never be helpless like that again.

She swallowed hard, schooling her expression once again. She didn’t want to break down and cry, not here, not in front of somebody. “I need to bring them back,” she said after a moment, locking green eyes on the necromancer. It wasn’t a question, it was a certitude. She was going to bring them back, no matter the cost. She refused to live without them.

Guilt stabbed at Jackson’s heart as he watched Toni’s face go through several different emotional states. He understood exactly what she was feeling, though he wasn’t exactly ready to give his backstory to Toni -- or anyone. The story of his parents’ demise wasn’t sympathy worthy like hers was and he couldn’t even begin to rationalize how to sound empathetic to her situation as an accidental murderer.

“I figured this much,” he said quietly and leaned against a table in the hallway. As far as he knew, there was no one powerful enough to bring back the dead if a necromancer was unable to do it, but he didn’t doubt Toni’s ambition’ he just worried about how she would react when all of her work was proved worthless in the end, just as his had been. Of course, there as no way to advise her not to go down that path; it was a lesson she would have to learn herself.

“I wish I could help, but I tried. I tried with everyone and nothing worked. You’ll have to study some really ancient magic to find anything even half as powerful enough to do what you’re looking to do. Just be careful you don’t dabble in the dark magic; it seems promising, but it’s never what it seems.”

[vilissimus-blog]

malificusx :

Amusement settled on Theo’s face as she watched him grab for the tombstone. Of course. HGTV taught him incredibly well. She might have to have him fix her apartment up for her; it was a mess. A giggle fell from her as she brushed passed him and swiftly went down the stairs. Her mouth slightly fell ajar as she took in the basement. “Don’t mind if I do,” she replied.

The upstairs was amazing, but the basement was a whole different story. She honestly would have never thought that the house had a basement, especially one of this size. Theo instantly went to the couch and fell onto it, letting the comfort embrace her entirely. She closed her eyes and imagined she was on a cloud. A small grin was plastered on her face. This was still a leisure night, she told herself. She was still relaxing. This was going to be a good night, even if she had to make it be a good night.

With only opening one eye, she looked to find him. His face brought her comfort. This was good. Closing her eyes again, she turned over onto her stomach and patted the spot closest to her. “Come on. If we have to bunker down we might as well get even more comfortable.” With some apprehension, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her thick hair was beginning to fall out of its messy bun. She retied it into a ponytail. 

Part of her wanted to think about the night they were about to have in full, coming up with different scenarios and conversations. The other part of her kept saying to just roll with it and let things fall into place. Either way, she was looking forward to staring into his eyes all night and learning more, and finding solace in having each other as company in such an urgent time. 

“So are we going to talk about what happened?” She blurted out. Theo was never one to beat around the bush.

At least she didn’t think it was weird for him to have a hidden basement. How easily she accepted the things about him that he felt ashamed of and hid away from others only served to make his heart race faster every time he got close to her. It made him feel like maybe he wasn’t as much of the freak that he had been made to believe he was his whole life. And, honestly, he just wanted to keep sharing more of his world with her, as long as it meant she became a much bigger part of it.

He grinned as she got comfortable on the couch and watched as she lay still for just a moment with her eyes closed. He wished that he were telepathic, and that he could send this image to a sculptor. Everything she did was graceful and perfect, and the way she looked when she was still deserved to be immortalized in the finest marble or in the masterpieces of world renown painters. He was always reminded of the Victorian era classical paintings of sirens and goddesses whenever she was around and it stunned him to have her so casually sprawled on the couch of his basement.

At her request, he removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack near the door and then walked over to the couch. He only hesitated for a moment before he sat down and got comfortable beside her, wondering if he was allowed to embrace her or if that was too much too soon. He wanted to, though, even just to feel her warmth and know that she was as safe as he could possibly make her for the time being.

Her question brought him out of his thoughts and he took a deep breath, once again running his hand through his hair. It was a nervous habit, and explaining what he had seen that night made his anxiety go through the roof. But if she wanted to know, there was no point in hiding it from her; she as an adult.

“I...heard screaming. A lot of screaming. And when I went to check it out, I found a bunch of bodies. Mostly witches. Children, men, women. Whoever was doing the killing didn’t seem to care. It looked like they had all been slashed or stabbed with a knife or something, but I don’t know how they couldn’t have fended off someone attacking them -- they had magic. When I tried to revive some of them, nothing happened. It was like there was some sort of barrier around their bodies preventing me from doing it. It didn’t work with anyone and it was terrifying.”

He stopped and took another deep, shaky breath, calming himself down. Death normally didn’t bother him, but on such a scale as he witnessed that evening and being unable to save the dead on top of it, he was still reeling from the horror. “I didn’t know what to do. And when I looked at all the bodies, I was scared that you would walk out of your house and run into whoever was out there killing people. That’s why I broke your door down. I couldn’t risk anything happening to you without doing everything I could to protect you.”

It was the most he had spoken all at once in what felt like years and it felt strange to open up like that. Of course he had himself to talk to, but another person? That was rare and strange, but he liked it. It felt good to get at least some of his feelings out. He looked over at Theo and slowly reached for her hand, giving it a soft squeeze when he finally had it. “I’m sorry I interrupted your bath.”

[vilissimus-blog]

untraditionalwitch :

The night had been a long and restless one for Toni. She had tried to sleep in one of Vlad’s many guest rooms, but anytime she closed her eyes and began to drift off, the sounds of screams and scent of blood filled her mind. Eventually a spell helped her sleep, knocking her out for hours. A dreamless sleep that would let her rest without images of her dead parents tormenting her.

It was well into the afternoon when she finally woke. Still wearing borrowed pajamas, she made her way into the kitchen, grateful Vlad kept it stocked for guests, despite not needing to eat himself. She brewed herself some very strong coffee, and made a bowl of cereal, eating slowly as she tried not to think about the disaster her life had become.

When she heard her name being called, she frowned. That certainly wasn’t Vlad’s voice, and as far as she was aware they were the only ones in the house. Also, more unusual, very few people knew she was even here. Scooping up her bowl of cereal, she ate from it as she made her way towards the front door.

“Most people ring the bell before walking into Vlad’s home,” she told Jackson, blinking at the man. “He’s not really a fan of people being unmannerly, you know.”

Jackson turned quickly when he heard Toni’s voice. He squinted at her appearance, raising an eyebrow at the cereal bowl. He never knew Vlad to keep food in his home; then again, he didn’t really know Vlad very much at all. As he looked at her, he remembered why he came. He had seen her parents, dead, and no one in town had heard from her yet.

He looked back at the door and began to stammer, suddenly realizing how rude he had been. Hopefully Vlad would understand and not be too upset; he was just worried about Toni. “Y-yeah, I’m sorry about that. I needed to find you, though. I found your parents and I just --” He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“How are you? Are you hurt at all?” He knew he couldn’t heal her, but it would at least make him feel better if she were unharmed -- physically, at least. He took a few hesitant steps toward her, watching her with as gentle of an expression as he could. At least she was alive, he kept telling himself.

[vilissimus-blog]

sanguineousmaster :

He smirked in amusement at the man’s reaction to him. He supposed he should have given some warning of his approach, but this was always more entertaining to him. At his age, and in a small town like Nightmare, he had to get his entertainment somewhere.

The Necromancer turned his attention fully on him, and Vlad turned his smirk to a smile and nod of greeting. “I’ve had a lot of Council work.” He admitted. “It often prevents me from the pleasantries I much prefer.”

He let his gaze roam over the scene, taking in the tools and bucket more clearly. He knew Jackson was far more interested in plants than most people, which certainly had to come in handy in the middle of the forest. “New specimens, Sir? I do enjoy seeing your final results.”

Jackson frowned at Vlad’s smirk and shifted his weight between his feet a few times. It always made him a little uncomfortable when people caught him gardening, as he was often accused of growing plants in order to create ridiculous death potions and spells to use on the town.

“Yes, uh,” He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. He never really blushed, but compliments about his gardening always brought the faintest hint of pink to his cheeks. His garden was a source of pride for him, and having it appreciated made him feel good. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to let you know when these have grown some. What pleasantries do you prefer way out here?”

[vilissimus-blog]

malificusx :

As they ran, Theo couldn’t even grasp what she was supposed to be seeing. From the looks of it, people had fallen and were… sleeping, maybe? She couldn’t tell. Jackson wasn’t kidding when he said he ran fast. It took almost no time at all when they arrived to his house and were safely within its confines.

Theo mimicked Jackson and put her hands in her pockets, noting how nicely decorated his house was. All she really wanted was some answers, but she imagined he wanted to be absolutely safe before that would happen. She pursed her lips and slightly nodded. “The place is really nice,” she commented. At that point she had really no idea where to go, so she just began to wander. 

“Your place looks like its out of a magazine,” she said. It was so homey in here. Theo was always used to keeping things almost barren, like she wouldn’t be leaving too much when she would skip town. Jackson had truly made a home for himself, and it was so him, also. The air smelled of spices that made her comfortable; it made autumn images pop in her head, and think of hot tea and cool nights. She turned to him and smiled. 

“Thanks for saving me,” she said. Honestly, he could have just called her and begged for her to come over to his house, but the fact that he wanted to be absolutely certain of her safety spoke volumes to her. He came for her. Most guys wouldn’t even think twice about that. She closed the distance and embraced him, not even concerned with the urgency of the situation. “It means a lot.” 

She held on for a few more seconds and pulled away, wandering further into his house. 

“Let’s go get settled.”

While she looked around, Jackson stood still, watching her. He was afraid to move, worried that he would frighten her. He was also nervous about having anyone in his home, as it had been several months since anyone had visited and he hadn’t dusted in three days, which was practically criminal when living alone with a barely real job. He continued watching her, and ran a hand through his hair when she complimented his house.

“Blame that on HGTV,” he muttered. Before coming to Nightmare, he was an avid fan of home improvement and decorating shows, and once even aspired to become an interior decorator. He could hardly believe that his life had come to living in a hidden town in the mountains and selling vegetables under the name of Rasputin. But whenever he looked at Theo... He couldn’t help but feel like he was somehow meant to live the strange life he did in order to find her.

As she hugged him, he felt all of his nervousness and fear leave his body, replaced by butterflies in his stomach and a warmth in his heart. He held her tight, thankful that she had been at home rather than out doing anything else when the killing had happened. “Don’t mention it. I couldn’t live with myself if I hid away and left you behind.”

He let her go when she pulled away and watched carefully as she wandered again, but then remembered that they needed to go downstairs. He walked over to the bookcase and glanced at Theo, wondering how she would react to his basement entrance as he reached for the pedestal with a small sculpted tombstone resting upon it. He lifted the stone and replaced it as the adjacent shelf opened like a door. “After you?”

His basement was as nicely decorated as the rest of his home, except smaller and not as lived in. The main area had a comfortable living room and dining area and behind a half wall was a small kitchen. There were five doors in the space; a plain white one led to a bathroom, and the pale yellow led a bedroom. The other three were made of solid oak and were rounded at the tops with intricately designed black hinges. These specially made doors led to what Jackson referred to as “storage areas,” but each of them were locked and he kept the keys on him at all times.

“Make yourself at home.’

[vilissimus-blog]

In the day following the attack, Jackson had helped in the effort to move the dead bodies from all over town to the hospital for identification purposes. He and a few other necromancers tried their best to revive the fallen, but none of their efforts succeeded, which was a depressing thought to him. The only time he had ever seen something like this -- well, it wasn’t anything he liked to talk about, necessarily.

As he helped identify and chart the suspected cause of death, he mourned every single person that he came across, even those he didn’t know. But when he found himself standing over a couple, he took a deep breath and sighed heavily. Toni’s parents.

He didn’t know Toni very well, but he knew that she was an only child. He hadn’t seen her among the dead or found her name on any of the charts that he had been glancing at, so he hoped that she was still alive. When the leaders of the search called for a break, Jackson decided to find Toni. He had been around her enough to know what the energy of her soul felt like and that was all he needed to use his power to track her down -- if she were still alive.

The spell was a high powered one, but he learned it from his father and it was one that had come in handy more than once. It created a hazy purple glow in his vision, unseen by anyone else, like a trail, leading him from where he stood to where she could be found. The only drawback to using it was that his eyes became a dark purple until he dropped the spell, but no one was focusing much on a man keeping his head down and walking through hoards of mourning and confused people.

His search led him to a location he wasn’t expecting: Vlad’s house. He dropped the spell and with caution, approached the door and opened it, finding it strange that it was unlocked. But, this was important. Once inside, he called out, “Toni? Are you in here?”

[vilissimus-blog]

malificusx :

A smile spread across her face when he kissed the top of her head. God– was she a teenager again? “Of course I’ll go,” she said. Her voice was weary, though. Between his overly worried expression and the warning bells ringing through the town… It must be insanity out there– whatever was happening. “I’ll be right back.” She ran into her room and grabbed her backpack, still prepacked, but not knowing how long she’ll be at Jackson’s– a thought that, even in these circumstances, brought butterflies to her belly.

She dressed comfortably, not entirely caring about looking nice for Jackson. She felt as if that would be too much and not her. And, plus, they were hiding out in his basement. What would she even dress up for? Clothes aside, she still grabbed her makeup. Her clothing sense didn’t have to be perfect for a night in, but her face definitely needed to. She tossed the two cosmetic bags into her backpack and grabbed another change of clothes and her toothbrush, just in case.

The eerie feeling of her taking off and leaving the town washed over her as it had so many times before. There was a fighting urge against it. That was new. She guessed she never made connections or relationships in the other towns. This place was different. 

She threw her hair up into a messy bun as she walked from her room back to the living room where Jackson was waiting. “Ready?” She asked. The backpack was slung across her shoulder, and her boots were tightly laced, just in case they had to run. She grabbed for his hand and dragged him out, still making an attempt at shutting what was left of the door. “I don’t want anything to get stolen,” she joked. 

The thought of being so close to actually seeing what was happening outside began to fill her with dread. If Jackson, sweet Jackson, would kick down her door to make sure she was safe, then it must be bad. 

“So are we just gonna book it when we get out there?” She asked, pointing at the door separating them from the rest of the town. 

It pleased him that she agreed to go with him. He didn’t know what he would have done if she had refused. Perhaps he would have learned to patch up a door right then and there and stayed with her at her own house, his safety be damned. It was curious to him that not much time had passed from their first kiss to now, yet he felt so attached to her. It pained his heart to imagine her being hurt.

While she packed, he paced around her living room, impatient and on alert. Magic stirred in his fingertips, ready to launch a bolt of lightning at any intruder that would kill them immediately on impact -- unless they were somehow protected by other magic. It had been years since he so freely let his magic flow through his veins, especially with a dark spell such as this one. He would have been afraid of himself if it was not out of affection for the siren shuffling about upstairs, getting ready to run with him to his safe hiding place.

Once she reemerged, he smiled at her, letting the magic fade back into his blood so he could safely touch her skin without harming her. “Yeah, I’m ready,” he grinned again and let her lead him outside. He felt bad about the door and with a wave of his free hand, he placed a ward over the door. “Don’t go running in there without me, alright? Anyone who tries to break in will have much of their life force drained. Enough to make them go seek a healer instead of your belongings.”

He felt a little ashamed in explaining the spell. It was dark magic, and not many people in Nightmare were fond of it. But whatever he could do to fix his mistake until the nasty business going on outside was sorted, he would do it. “That was the plan, yeah. I’m glad you wore sensible shoes, because I run really fast.” He squeezed her hand tightly and looked around into the night. He couldn’t sense anyone nearby, but that didn’t ease his mind enough to make him want to take a leisurely moonlit stroll.

After they stepped off of the porch, he bolted for his house, which was just down the road, and didn’t stop until they arrived. He was absolutely out of breath and he felt bad for dragging Theo so harshly, but at least now they were a door and a spell away from safety.

Once inside, he flicked on the lights and let go of Theo’s hand. He cast the same spell that he used at her apartment around the perimeter of his own house, hoping that none of his very few friends would attempt to come looking for him. Once that was finished, he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and looked hesitantly over at Theo. He felt uncomfortable using magic around her and worried she would want to run screaming rather than stay with him. “Don’t get too cozy just yet. I’d feel more comfortable downstairs where we’re hidden.”

[itscoldout]

[maliificus]

Between the wolves howling and what appeared to be some sort of rager happening in the town, Theo wasn’t about to investigate and trouble herself with whatever was happening outside her apartment. It was her day off, for crying out loud, and all she wanted to do was relax. So, in an effort to detach herself from the loudness, she grabbed her phone and headphones and waltzed into her bathroom where her bathtub awaited her. 

It was a claw-footed tub and, honestly, the only reason she fell in love with the apartment. She ran the water, making sure the heat was perfect. Then, she added bubbles and oils. If she was going to relax, it was going to be perfect. And that meant she needed the bottle of wine waiting for her on her counter. She quickly went and poured herself the most obnoxiously large glass she could think of. Serving and bartending was a thankless job, and her only consolation was the wine. With the wine on the ground next to the tub– because of course she brought the entire bottle with her– she slipped her clothes off and got into the water. The warmth and silkiness from the oils kissed her skin and made her feel amazing. 

There wasn’t a lot of days she spent just to herself, so she decided that after her bath she would do a home mani-pedi also, just to really top this perfect Saturday off. She put her headphones in and leaned her head back, letting the music drown everything around her out. She couldn’t help but smile just thinking about the good that’d been happening lately. She finally felt as if she didn’t have to run anymore…

BANG.

The moment was crushed by the sound coming from her apartment. Theo let out a swear word, a bit  frustrated by the lack of relaxation she can apparently never receive. She jumped from the tub and grabbed a towel. Water got everywhere. She ran into the living room and was shocked to see her door splintered and Jackson standing there. His face was contorted in concern, but Theo just pointed at the door.

“I don’t think I’ll be getting my deposit back, now,” she said. “Are you literally busting down my door because you wanted to see me? You could’ve just called, you know.”

[vilissimus-blog]

Relief washed over him in waves that would have pulled any unsuspecting person under. “Oh, thank god,” he sighed and hurried over to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight and placed a kiss to the top of her head. When he couldn’t find her moments ago, he worried that she was among the undiscovered dead bodies in various parts of town that he had a terrible feeling existed. As he held her, he could hear a warning bell ringing in town, which only made the dread and terror stronger in the pit of his stomach.

He finally let go of her and stood within arm’s reach of her, keeping his hands on her shoulders. It hardly phased him at the moment that she was in a towel. “I’m sorry. There’s just... Something bad is happening out there and I got worried and when you didn’t answer...” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re safe, and I’m sorry about your door. I’ll fix it for you.”

It was a half promise that he would fix it; he wasn’t much for construction, but he was more than able to pay someone to fix the door. He went to the window and looked outside, making sure it was still clear of any sort of threat. Once he was certain it was safe, he turned back to Theo. “Go get dressed and pack a bag or something. I’ve got a basement at my house in case things get worse and I think it would be safer there. -- I mean, if you want to.”

He didn’t want to sound like he was ordering her to come with him; he just wasn’t used to trying to protect anyone aside from himself and his garden. But he did hope that she came with him. That would make all of this so much easier to deal with if he knew that she was safe beside him rather than fending for herself and getting hurt. If she died from whatever was happening, he wouldn’t be able to bring her back and he couldn’t imagine not seeing her every day anymore. “But be quick about it. I don’t know what’s going on out there right now.”

[vilissimus-blog]

the blood lord

@vilissimus

He didn’t quite know why he was out tonight. Nothing interesting, like the full moon, was going on. But he found himself unable to stay within his home this night. Instead, he wandered the streets of Nightmare, checking on his precious town and doing whatever needed to be done around. It was busy work, and something below him, but it was something he did now and then when he found himself restless.

He’d reached a part of town he knew better than most. Away from the chaos, bar and diner. It put him closer to the forest, and the mountains. It took him away from the racing sounds of blood being pumped through living veins. Of course, not everyone was busy in the center of town, and he soon found himself approaching another.

Jackson was someone he was almost happy to see. Almost. The Necromancer was one that he’d found interesting from his arrival in Nightmare. Unique would be the easiest way to describe him, but it wouldn’t do the man justice. There was just something about the young one that had Vlad’s skin crawling. Necromancers could be dangerous to most vampires– not Vlad, but others. Jackson, however, might have potential against Vlad is he wasn’t so damned skittish. 

“Jackson,” his voice touched the darkness and spread around like a spilled drink. He let a smile form as he stopped. “What brings you out this fine night?”

After being cooped up at home all day long, Jackson was more than happy to get out and take a moonlit stroll. He had a small shovel and a bucket with him and was looking for interesting and wild plants that he didn’t have in his garden at home. He had collected enough samples to keep himself busy for most of the following day and decided that was a good enough start and that he could head home.

He had just come out of the woods when a voice behind him pulled him from his thoughts. He jumped and dropped his bucket, shouting and turning quickly, holding the shovel as if it were a weapon. When he realized that it was only Vlad, he sighed and lowered the shovel and began to retrieve his plant samples.

“Gardening,” he admitted as he scooped his new plants back into the bucket. “How about you? I haven’t seen you out and about for a few days, now.”

[vilissimus-blog]

It had been a very confusing night for Jackson. First, while he was sitting on his couch and reading, he had been knocked onto the floor by a peculiarly strong burst of magic -- one that was more powerful than anything he had ever felt before. Then, after he had shaken the heavy feeling of dread from deep in his gut, he began to hear screams.

It started out with just one our two, which wasn’t unexpected. He assumed a nervous citizen had crossed paths with one of the wolves, which were currently howling away in the woods, making it impossible for him to even try to sleep. But then the screams became louder and more frequent.

He wasn’t much for heroics, but the screams were so bloodcurdling that he couldn’t help himself; he had to investigate. Even though he knew someone out there needed help, he still made sure to put on his long black jacket and a scarf, not that he was particularly cold, but because he wanted to stall, fearful of whatever situation he would walk into.

By the time he had found the source of the noise, the screams were fading into shouts and sobs, and as he got even closer, he could see dead bodies all over the ground in the neighborhood that several witches in town populated. Being a necromancer, he ran towards the bodies, crouching down over the first one he came across. He looked to have been stabbed several times, and his body was pale and drained of blood, obviously, as all of it was seeping into the dirt around him. The dead man was familiar to him, as he frequented the produce stall that Jackson owned, but more than that, he was a father. He had a wife and four children. There was no way that he could let him stay dead.

He placed a hand on the man’s chest and shut his eyes momentarily, letting his power flow through him, and when it should have left his hand and entered the man’s body, something stopped it. It was as if for some reason, his power was confined to his own body, and he didn’t understand it. It was similar to his attempts to resurrect a victim of the sickness that had been going around. He didn’t want to believe that this was a related incident, so he got up and began trying to resurrect any dead body he saw -- women, men, children, the elderly, anyone. But any person that had died by some sort of stabbing incident could not be raised.

Fear filled him. Whoever had killed these people and made it impossible for them to be raised was gone, and he had no idea where they were hiding. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Theo all day, which was strange, since he knew it was her day off. This sent adrenaline coursing through his veins and he jumped to his feet and ran, not stopping until he reached her house. Once he jumped onto the porch, he began to bang on the door, loudly shouting her name.

“Theo! Are you home?! Open up!” After receiving no answer, he stepped back and kicked the door as hard as he could, right at the door knob. It took two kicks before the door opened and he stepped inside. He called for her again, fearing the absolute worst as he looked around. “Theo?!”

[vilissimus-blog]

malificusx :

A feeling washed over her that sent her adrenaline screaming. Her heart began to beat quickly, she had to look away from him for just a moment. She fiddled with her fingers, twiddling her thumbs and thinking about the thought that just popped in her mind. It was crazy. He might look at her crazy, but it was just something she needed to know. It was as if she needed an affirmation that her feelings were real.

“Jackson,” she started. There was a slight shake in her voice. “Kiss me. No questions, just do it.”

He had a thousand and one questions flowing through his mind at the moment, but if she didn’t want any of them, he seemed to have no choice but to kiss her – not that it hadn’t been on his mind the entire time he sat with her. As his heart beat in his chest so hard that he worried it would fly out, he leaned forward, his breaths becoming shakier the closer he got to her. Briefly, he wondered what kind of perfume she wore as he placed a shaky hand on her cheek and kissed her.

If his eyes were open, he would have seen stars. Her lips were so soft and warm and he knew a little about what to do, but he was vastly inexperienced compared to any other man his age. He felt like he was dreaming the entire thing and his only hope was that he wouldn’t wake up for a while.

[vilissimus-blog]

malificusx :

The way her stomach rolled as he spoke shocked her, honestly. This entire situation shocked her; she’d never imagined finding someone like him when she came to this town. When she found out about Nightmare, she’d heard that other Sirens were here, along with other magical misfits who didn’t really fit in the ‘real world’. 

His honesty and shyness spoke to her, too. She’d never really met someone with such a genuine soul like Jackson. He seemed so attuned to his surroundings, so aware of nature and beauty. He was quiet, but it wasn’t a flaw in any sense of the way. If she were to put it any other way: he comforted her. He made her feel calm, and she really didn’t even know him that well. 

“The universe wanted us to meet,” she said. “Can’t you feel it? This is right.” She rested her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands. “I probably sound crazy right now… I’m not sorry about it though. It’s this gut feeling I have. You and I… whatever this may be– considering it’s the first date and whatnot– y’know…” she took another breath. Her tangents were unbelievable today. “This is good.” 

The implication of the universe wanting the two of them to meet like soulmates did was astounding to him and made him nauseous -- in a good way, if that were possible. Part of him that enjoyed negativity tried to say that she was lying and that she wanted to trick and destroy him, but his heart believed everything she told him because he felt the same way; it was just harder for him to put it into words like she could. For all the books he read and the education he had before coming to the town, Jackson was a very learned individual and knew three different languages, but he lacked in actually communicating with other individuals. He supposed that a reclusive nature would do that to someone.

“I’m not sorry either.” His smile could have been seen for miles, and he felt so elated to be with her that he couldn’t help the laughter that escaped. “I understand what you mean, and I feel it, too. I’ve been feeling that gut feeling. It’s why I left you flowers for so long; I just couldn’t really think of why, as if the thought had evaded me somehow. I...really like you.” And getting to know her even more would only increase that feeling. He was certain of it.