𝖗𝖚𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌

Maleficent Moors love doesn't always end well

[violencetendency]

𝕸𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖊 ;; ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴀ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ

Pansexual ⋆ She/Her ⋆ Thirty-Five ⋆ Dark Fey 

Powers ;; Atmokinesis, Curse Inducement/Spell-casting, Flight 

Occupation ;; CEO of Chaneque Oil

♫ Currently Playing ♫ ;; You Don’t Own Me by SAYGRACE

☀ Scorpio ☾ Leo ↑ Scorpio 

Being the only child of the famous Mateo Chaneque meant that Maleficent grew up knowing what her destiny was. From the stories she heard he had given everything into this company and worked to watch it become something that would make care of his family long after he was gone. He’d hoped that would include Maleficent’s mother but once the sickness came she was gone before they knew it, her daughter only being four when she passed. Of course then Mateo became all the more protective over her knowing that she possessed the same magic that her mother did. After most of the fey’s had been driven out by humans her mother was protected under Mateo whom she had fallen in love with. Maleficent was one of the last of her kind and he knew that was something that needed to be protected. He did his best to help her learn to control them but Maleficent was diligent in her studies to make sure she could fill both her mother and her father’s shoes when the time came. When she turned eighteen was when Mateo revealed the truth behind what happened to the others like her, having been hunted for sport by those in power starting with Stephen who had been the same man that stole her mother’s wings. Not without putting a curse on his first born child, that they would be haunted in their sleep and one day face the wrath of his actions. Mateo had been able to save her after being left for dead but promised revenge on him. A job that would be handed down to his daughter now that she was growing stronger while he was weakening by the day. The time came for her father to take his last breath, signing the company over to Maleficent as she had been prepared her whole life for this very moment. 

His loss effected her deeply but she took all her emotion and focused it on the job at hand. She got involved in different back market businesses that her father was siphoning money into for the freedom of magic beings. Maleficent used her own abilities to help where possible and used her involvement to grow the business as well as find information on Stephen which included the birth of his child. Part of this included Morrigan who quickly became her most trusted ally. After seeing him in the alley that night she knew there was untapped potential. In return she gave him a place to sleep, food to eat, and a future at her company. He is the second in command at Chaneque as well as her eyes and ears on the Isle, as she prefers to stay put and only become involved when necessary. He being the one who delivered her the information regarding Aurora’s return to Echo isle, a moment Maleficent had been waiting for her entire life. Revenge for what Stephen did to her family had been on her mind for as long as she could remember and now it was finally coming to be. 

One of the reasons the business is so important to her is because it’s what her father gave everything up for. She watched him slave over this company to make sure she had a good future ahead of her. Maleficent doesn’t seem letting him down as even a possibility, she will make sure of it. 

Even though she doesn’t remember her mother quite as vividly she does get glimpses of her. She feels connected to her through their shared power, as if a part of her lives on inside Maleficent.

She is a firm believer that magic is not of evil but those who wield it might be. In fact, Maleficent knows she could be seen as just that but she doesn’t mind. If getting revenge for what happened to her family is considered bad then it is a brand she will happily wear. 

Morie is her closest friend, happy to take him under her wing. From the moment she saw him shape-shift she knew he was special and wanted to help him use his power to his full capacity. She has been known to have a soft spot for magical creatures, especially those that have been thrown out by the world. It’s the humans she typically can’t stand. 

There are exceptions to this, one being Colin Hopper who she’s developed a professional relationship with. He has the connections she needs into black market dealings and she can provide enough gas for his entire operation. Even though they work together doesn’t mean she trusts him and usually has Morie spy on him when needed. 

[okletsgetnuts]

[sleeplessrose]

Aurora had never seen the inside of a hospital in her conscious memory, but it was awfully lonely to be experiencing it by herself. Not only had she been wandering off alone when she'd been nearly trampled in the sea of people trying to flee the boardwalk, but her parents hadn't yet paid her a visit, either. She hadn't been expecting them to, but it would've been a nice surprise, she thought, to have them beside her as she healed. Instead, her first visitor was an unexpected one, the woman who had been slowly but surely piquing Aurora's curiosity every time they encountered one another. She had no idea how Mal had found her here, but she couldn't deny the pleasantry of company and food other than what they could manage to serve here in such trying times. "They're trying their best," she reminded her, positive that they had more mouths to feed now than ever. "I have a bit of a headache, but I'm sure it'll fade. The food will help, too, so thank you." Though Aurora hadn't wanted to get into the politics of it all, she had to admit that everything had seemed rather unprovoked. "Is that who was responsible for all of this? Do you know ... was there a reason for all of it?"

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

Her positivity was something Mal admired in her, wondering how long she could have that outlook on life until the harsh realities of the world soured it. The fae herself had once experienced a life where she saw the world as her oyster and that everything had a reasonable purpose. That mindset was ripped from her as was her mother's wings. While it was Aurora's father that Maleficent had to thank for that, this wasn't the time to start revealing her own tragic backstory. "Doesn't mean they shouldn't also be making sure you're alright." It was a job she'd taken on herself, plotting herself beside the bed with her eggroll still in hand. "Of course, my treat." There was a lot more coming but she reserved her thoughts for after the blonde had eaten something. Instead, the conversation shifted to the very thing that had brought Aurora into harm's way which the raven-haired woman knew more about than she let on at first. It was time she knew the truth or at least, that part of it and the reality many of the Isle residences faced. "Not the individuals but the group behind it is that of hunters," she began, finishing the snack she'd snagged. "This isn't the first time and it won't be the last. They usually only want those who are different, who are... magically inclined, if you will." That was one way of putting it but from the very same curse she'd placed, she knew Aurora would understand. "This is the first time I've seen them take so many risks by opening fire with so many humans around but it shows promise for the borders opening. Something good to come of this unnecessary slaughter, I suppose." Though Mal didn't see it as quite an even trade, they needed the breakthrough.

[eizagonzalezsourcee]

[narcobarbies]

EIZA GONZALEZ via instagram for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare premiere

[sleeplessrose]

Perhaps it was dangerous, not telling her fairies where she was going, but she hardly thought any of them would permit her to accept the invitation to see the older woman's company. Aurora was simply intrigued by her, and how it seemed she'd found success against the odds in the way that she hoped to herself, if married life was as unfulfilling as she'd been warned. Even if she didn't need one, it was a good idea to begin to seek out a job, simply for the purpose of having just that: purpose in her life. It was late for a meeting, but Aurora still showed up, a bit bewildered by the security that needed to escort her inside. It was beyond impressive to her, the blonde's face in a constant expression of awe as she found her way to the main office. "No, thank you for having me," she insisted as Mal greeted her, finding a seat across from the desk. "Oh, I don't--I'm okay, thank you, though." Aurora had never had even a taste of alcohol before, though she didn't particularly want to start now. "This place is incredible," she gushed, "I can't believe ... this is all yours?"

[violencetendency]

- timeskip -

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

Things had changed. Maleficent's motives were shifting and her plan to manipulate the blonde had now taken a different form. While what initially were preparations to learn everything she could about the girl to destroy the very ground she walked on had become quite the opposite. When Mal caught word that she'd been hurt in the attack not a moment was spared, coming to her room once the sun had vanished from the sky and the waiting room had faded to only a few stragglers. There had been no sign of Stephen himself, not to anyone's surprise that he hadn't come by to visit his only child, the man not giving his time for even her. Now it was the very woman who wanted him dead that stood at his daughter's bedside. "The food here is abysmal," the raven-haired woman said while setting a sack of Chinese Takeout on the overbed table. "How are you feeling? I hear it was quite the fireworks show today." A mild way of putting the tragedy that had actually occurred; Mal still unsurprised by the evergoing war between those like her and the hunters who wanted to mount them. "Just goes to show that the hunters are the real monsters out there if you ask me," she quipped while snagging a vegetable eggroll from the bag.

[sleeplessrose]

"Oh, I don't care about anything business-related," she clarified, though that might've been true for other people who were willing to suffer through marrying a stranger. It might've been worth it for that reason, had she held any interest in anything like that, but all Aurora wanted was to please her parents, for them to welcome her back into their lives. "It's quite complicated, and has to do with family things that I wouldn't want to burden or bore you with," Aurora explained, hoping the woman would accept the surface as an answer.

It was admirable, for her to have committed so much to her work instead of a personal life. Aurora felt like she had the exact opposite issue, never having kept a job and her entire future riding on who she was going to marry. "Well, I think the best life would probably have a balance of the two. But, I don't think you need romantic love to be happy--I just mean something else that fills your soul. That's what I thought marriage might do for me, but, if I'll have to grow to love him, then, perhaps, I'll fill my time with other interests, or passions." At least, that's what she'd been telling herself, in the time since she and Phillip had to part.

[violencetendency]

- timeskip -

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

Perhaps it was risky bringing her enemy's daughter into her place of business but other things were at play. She'd been peeling back layers of understanding to see if Aurora possessed the same vicious nature as her father. That's how she determined the girl was a victim all the same, having not suffered a loss of physical wings but her ability to fly. Maleficent had determined now that she wished to open an opportunity up to the blonde. What future might await them after this meeting was unknown but she knew this would act as a starting point. Many of her employees had gone home for the night besides those guarding the entry points, including escorting her guest into the office. The raven-haired woman got to her feet, moving around her desk like a snake in the grass so that she could formally greet her. "Welcome to Chaneque Oil. Please, make yourself comfortable," she said while gesturing for her to take a seat. "Thank you for coming by. What do you want to drink? I usually finish my day off with a brandy myself." Mal had already made her way to the bar cart to prepare a glass for herself along with whatever her guest requested. "I make sure it's always stocked, you never know what kind of drink the day calls for."

[ladiesofcinema]

EIZA GONZÁLEZ Met Gala (May 6, 2024)

[sleeplessrose]

Aurora was beginning to see what the other woman was getting at, but she still struggled with what she was meant to do when it came to defying her parents like that. She didn't even know them that well anymore to know how she was supposed to tell them that she wouldn't be doing precisely what she had been told what to do from when she was born. If she wanted to have any kind of relationship with her parents, this was what she had to do. "If that's what their parents decide, I suppose so," she suggested, though each defense she had was getting less convincing.

She couldn't help but laugh a bit at the remark, finding it rather comedic that she had just been to an engagement party that her aunts thought was for a pre-determined match. "Business advantage, I think. So that we can take over what they've started and combine resources to make it even more successful." At least, that's how the fairies had described it to her when she'd begun to question her parents' motives. "Have you ever been in love before? I'm sorry if that's ... you don't have to answer that, if it's too personal," Aurora blurted, before retracting her question as she'd forgotten her manners.

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

Maleficent wished it was so easy to open one's eyes to the truth but after years of being told one version of the story, it becomes difficult to believe another. She knew the unveiling of what lay behind the curtain could bring about chaos but their daughter deserved to know. There was blood on her parents' hands and she could see clearly now that even Aurora wasn't safe from them. In fact, the blonde had her wings clipped too as she was forced to participate in their narrative for her instead of her own. Mal gave a deep exhale at the words she couldn't agree with. "I think that's not for anyone else to decide but what do I know?" A tight smile formed to keep the true thoughts to herself.

She nodded in understanding at the explanation of what brought forth this marriage. There was motive in everything even making your child marry someone they didn't love. "Interesting that they think that marriage was a business arrangement of that sort." She figured any relationship with only that basis wouldn't end well. Still, it wasn't her place to say her opinions so outright, there would be time for that later. "And that's what you want, I assume? To take over and grow the company? You don't really need a man to do that though, do you?" Just because it was their dream for Aurora didn't mean she needed to agree. Mal had experienced something similar but she had been able to take over on her own and expand where her father couldn't. "It's quite alright," she assured her with a more genuine smile than the one she had on before. "I have been, yes. Only once but now that seems like forever ago. Since then I've only been comitted to my work." That was something that she never had to worry about leaving her.

[sotohpecnerefer]

Eiza González

[sleeplessrose]

If Mal had been born to take over her family's business then, surely she could understand that Aurora had been told that she'd been born to advance her own's status by marrying whoever they'd chosen for her. "Well, I think this is what I was born to do, from my understanding," she countered, the only argument she really had for what her parents were forcing her into. Not that it was right, but she trusted her parents enough to think that they knew what was best for her. Surely they wouldn't have chosen anyone who they didn't think she could find eventual happiness with. "Being your own boss must be exciting. It must be nice to be the one giving orders instead of taking them," Aurora commented.

She supposed the older, wiser woman had a point. Aurora did believe that she deserved her own kind of happiness, but the form of it had shifted since she and Phillip had faced the truth together. "Well, the problem is, it's ... the person who I'd fallen in love with, he's in the same spot as me. Except, with someone else. His father is making him do it." This was the first she'd spoken about it with anyone other than Phillip, not even her fairies having heard the full truth since she'd been too sad to speak on it at home. "So, I suppose, if I can't be happy, and neither can he, at least I can fulfill what my parents wish for me, and I can wish he finds happiness doing the same."

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

It was as Aurora spoke that she unraveled the very thing that Maleficent was getting it. That was precisely why she understood why the blonde was trapped and it wasn't for the right reasons. "You said it right there, I am the one making orders. My hand is not forced," she repeated. If she had chosen another path she believed her father would've understood but the loss of her mother gave a different motive. That was when she knew she wanted to take over the company and turn it into something else entirely. She'd turned Chaneque Oil into what she wanted as well as developing her father's dream further. "I don't think anyone is born to be married to someone they don't love, do you?" It wouldn't matter what reason it might be for, she couldn't find any that was fair to the girl. That was the precise problem with her father.

The woman gave her a confused look and even looked around as if to see if anyone else noticed the strange coincidence though they were alone. "You've got me be kidding, is that so? What're the chances of that?" She hummed thinking now that it was obvious but leaving it to the girl to find out for herself. Whether it was from her or when she was walking down the aisle. What mattered was the principal of it all, their daughter deserved freedom to love who she wanted. "Does everyone marry off their children these days? What is it they expect to get out of it all anyway?" She asked with an arched brow while swirling her champagne in thought.

[sleeplessrose]

Aurora simply nodded at the woman's answer, unsure of what to make of her occupation. In truth, she didn't even know entirely what her parents did for a living, nevermind what working in oil actually meant. Perhaps there would come a time when she had to make a decision about what she wanted to be, but, until then, she was still too locked away to have any chance at a real job. Even if she was able to have a more public life, she didn't know what she would even want to do with it yet. "Do you enjoy it?" Aurora asked, hoping she wasn't pressing too much into personal details that she would be considered rude.

This was the first time anyone had shown her any sort of sympathy for her situation, beyond what she and Phillip had discussed. Except, then, it was more of a shared understanding that they were both going to be heartbroken given what they had to do. Aurora gave the woman a shrug, trying not to think of him while she was so vulnerable while being asked how she really felt about all of this. "I can't be with the person who I really love, so, I suppose, if I have to have someone else, at least it'll make my parents happy," she admitted. While she couldn't understand why her parents had done what they had, at least she could live knowing she was doing what they thought was best for her. "I'm simply happy that I had the experience of falling in love, on my own terms, before I have to do it on someone else's."

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

If only she knew. That continued to go through her mind before her mouth spoke. The girl appeared as much of a victim of her parents as everyone else, Maleficent adjusting her frame of view with the information she'd been gaining. Things were shifting but she believed it could be for the best if she maintained her path. Perhaps they weren't all that different after all. "As much as one can," she spoke with a laugh beneath her words. A smile had almost crept onto her face but she kept it at the edge of her lips to not get too carried away. "I took over from my father, it's what I was born to do, and who can complain about being the boss." That was true, revealing small parts of herself to a girl who had been her prey. Things were changing and she wanted to reveal the truth for her to decide where she wanted to stand. That was when Mal would know what to do next.

A thoughtful hum came through as she listened to the blonde talk. It hadn't been unexpected that Aurora was forced into this marriage. In fact, it made sense for a man like Stephen to refuse to see any other way of being besides his own. There was no question he wanted the same control of his daughter as he did Mal's own mother. "Why must you make them happy? Does your happiness not matter just as much?" These were questions she knew were bold to propose but wished to open the girl's mind to another way of being. "This doesn't have to be your destiny," she said turning so that her demeanor could show the power she held. It was unusual but Mal wanted to help free her, regardless if she'd been part of her captivity. Her mind would be open now and the curse would give her another way of finding her path. Tonight, Aurora would sleep restfully. "It's your life, no one else should tell you how to live it."

[sleeplessrose]

Aurora cautiously nodded her head at the woman, letting out a breath as she felt her heightened senses lower aa bit. "What is it that you do?" she asked, curious to hear the answer herself. She'd been mysterious and cryptic from the moment that they'd met, but something in her told Aurora to trust her. She wasn't even sure the fairies would let her out to go visit--they were always overly questioning when she went out into town, especially when they had been making sure that she hadn't been spending secret time with Phillip.

"Not really, no," she admitted quietly, though from what Mal had told her, Aurora wasn't sure how much she wanted to know about the man who she was supposed to marry. She would have an entire lifetime of having to deal with what kind of person she was stuck with forever--perhaps ignorance was bliss for the time being. "I think people can learn to be happy. Making the best of a difficult situation to find some semblance of it is the only path to peace, sometimes, isn't it?" At least, that's what she had been attempting to do since her parents had locked her in the forest. Not that she wanted a lifetime of it, but she'd survived this long.

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

Maleficent hadn't given much of her identity away to the girl, preferring to lurk from the shadows, until now. It wasn't time to reveal her hand but the moment was coming. The blind would soon see the truth of the world, what her father had been hiding her from. Mal wouldn't sugarcoat the truth of what she already deserved to know. It was what made them not all that different. "I work in oil, someone has to make sure things keep running around here," she replied simply even though she'd kept most of her personal information quiet until then. This wasn't anything she hadn't felt comfortable sharing since growing her place with Aurora.

"I'm sorry they have treated you as if you are something to be given away so easily." Mal could see it in her eyes, knowing her happiness would not follow her father's hand. These were decisions a man shouldn't be making for anyone, especially not his own daughter. Politics were better left away from men for this exact reason, Mal knowing this is what they did with such power. "You don't really believe that, do you?" An eyebrow raised over her dark eyes as she shifted her gaze back to the girl beside her. "It's no one's decision to make but yours. The truth shouldn't be hidden from you at least, and then you should be able to make your own decision with that knowledge. If they trusted you then they would see you'd be able to make the right one all on your own," Maleficent replied with a softer, more understanding tone than usual. Aurora had been controlled enough, even her own hand in the matter, and it was time she saw the world for what it really was.

[archivist-goldfish]

[femalestunning]

EIZA GONZÁLEZ photographed by Oleksii (2024)

[sleeplessrose]

Aurora's confusion only grew, both with the restatement that someone was following the woman, and that she somehow knew about an engagement that had been supposedly kept tightly under wraps. "Are you ... do you mean right now? Are you safe here?" she blurted, looking behind and around the two to be sure that there was no one in immediate view who looked particularly dangerous. Then again, she supposed that the best kind of stalker was probably one that was hidden somewhere, out of sight, as she turned back to the woman. "You're not in danger, are you?" Aurora asked, equally for her own concern and the other's.

Quite the hunter was the most she'd heard about the man she was supposed to marry. The fairies hadn't told her a single thing about him, but, given what little she knew about her family's history, it made sense to know that it was probably for an advantageous reason. "Where did you hear that from?" She hoped not to sound too desperate, giving herself away. "It's quite sad, how many of these arrangements that are happening lately--it's true. I hope they're all happy, of course, in the end."

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

Mal wondered if anywhere was truly safe for someone like her. The curse only shows Aurora a glimpse of what it's like to have powers beyond their control. This wasn't the life that the woman had chosen but she wouldn't take any of it back. Power wasn't given to just anyone and Mal refused to let hers go to waste. This was a gift, one that she wanted to use to free those like her. "They're everywhere but I think we're safe out here," she mused, looking at their surroundings before back into the eyes of Stephen's only child. Aurora was beautiful, that much was obvious, but did she have the same blackness in her heart that her father did. That was the question Mal wanted to get to the bottom of. "Perhaps you could visit me at my office sometime and I can tell you all about it. I wouldn't want them to come after you too."

Either the blonde was a better actress than she looked or she hadn't been warned of what the world could do to her. Mal was the least of her worries, Aurora's father being a danger far beyond her power. "Don't tell me they haven't told you anything about him?" The woman feigned surprise, knowing very well that they'd keep simple details from her. "He's well-known, respected, though I'm not sure what that says about one's character if they're willing to hunt people," she commented bluntly before moving from her own feelings on the matter. "Can anyone be happy if they're forced into something?" It was a question the girl probably didn't want to hear but Mal thought it was worth posing for her. Aurora needed to think about what she wanted, that would be the first step to showing what her father blinded her to.

[sleeplessrose]

Knowing that this was likely her last night with Phillip ever made things all the more difficult, but Aurora was trying to push through to enjoy it while it lasted. It was getting harder as the night went on not to think about how she was getting closer to having to say goodbye. The few moments she had alone were spent trying to hold back tears, hoping that she wouldn't just burst and have to pull herself together before finding him again. It was easy to ignore everyone else and focus on the one person who mattered when she was virtually anonymous, until, of course, the only woman who knew her seemed to find her again.

"Someone's following you?" Aurora blurted, suddenly worried for the woman for a moment before what the brunette said next registered with her. No one knew her secret besides her aunts, but they wouldn't have told anyone--they always kept to themselves, anyway. Caught off-guard, Aurora shook her head at the woman, choosing the path of denial. "You must have me mistaken. I'm not engaged," she fibbed, holding up her ring-less hand.

[violencetendency]

༝༝༝ ⚰ ༝༝༝

If only the blonde knew the half of it, Maleficent watching her back for as long as she could remember. There were always people following her or at least the stench of fae that she left behind. It was Aurora's very own father who hunted her kind for sport and stole a most precious life from her. In due time she would come to see the actions of her bloodline that had brought her to the crossroads she was at. "Indeed and it's so awful, isn't it?" The raven-haired woman met the eyes of her prey, looking at her instead of through her. She wanted the blonde to know that she didn't flinch from her statement. Even if it wasn't the truth that the girl knew yet, it would be the future that she'd find when the time was right. "That's peculiar because I've heard that you're betrothed and to quite the hunter too," Mal hummed through pursed lips. "Perhaps it's someone else." There wasn't any use in trying to explain things now. It would all become clear in time and she would be there when that day came the same as she was tonight. "A shame how they marry girls off these days, does no one believe in love anymore?" She asked before turning her gaze back to the sky, planting seeds to begin a conversation about the male half of the equation.