[Fic] The Zoo (3 of ?)
Disclaimers: This is a series of scenes and snippets and drabbles set in a massively AU version of TiH. It seriously would not leave my brain. I own no one except Maritess, Petro, and Before. All other characters belong to their respective players and the TiH shop and its concepts and factions and all-around AWESOMENESS belongs to the triumvirate of Zoo, liz, and Maru.
Working Title: The Zoo
Characters: A whole slew of them from the Gaiaonline shop This is Halloween
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Word Count: 1,367
A/N: Yeah it's my-character-centric but events in a recent RP thread was just. AUGH so much want for more LizzyxTessxLeon interactions ;;
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"I thought I loved you, it was just how you looked in the light."
Was it really him? Or were here eyes simply playing tricks on her? A quick rub and a pinch later, Maritess confirmed that it was the vampire she met during Floresctival. In her severed form, all bodily functioned ceased, there could be no beating of her heart or the knotting of her stomach but still... there was a flutter in her chest and heat seemed to bloom on the apples of her cheeks.
Legs, sensing the change of emotional state in her upper half, turned towards the direction and promptly froze. Oh, oh my, that was one delectable hunk of undead. His stature, his form, she wouldn't mind giving him a ride and then some.
It had been so long since both Tess and Legs could agree on something. This momentary truce allowed the manananggal to merge with herself, pulling herself together until the wings and the tongue and the fangs retracted, leaving her in a form that could easily pass as a reaper. Of course the wing slits on the back of her blouse and the uncoordinated sense of aesthetics would be more than enough of a giveaway to anyone who remotely knew Tess.
But as Leoward was a visiting exchange student, she hoped he wouldn't mind her currently eccentric appearance.
"H-hello," she greeted shyly, arms folded behind her, crimson eyes tapered into slits. In this form, she could feel her heart hammering against her chest, even the sudden missed beat when she heard him greet her in return.
"Do I know you?" he asked, the fanged smile as suave and charming as Tess remembered.
"Oh, you don't recognize me with my legs, do you?" she giggled, for once not finding any offense. "It's me, Maritess. I, um, I gave you the prize I won during Floresctival."
Leoward studied her for what felt like an eternity as if unable to reconcile his memory of her with the version standing before him. Or rather, that was how it seemed to Tess. She was tempted to sever, if it would help jog his memory but then dawning realization shone in his eyes and the vampire boil was bringing her hand to lips.
She felt a delicious tingle where his mouth brushed against her skin and Tess needed to summon every ounce of her willpower not to simply swoon. A reaper who was now her best friend's boilfriend had done something equally charming during Prom. But that was nothing compared to the natural appeal and charisma of a proper vampire.
"Oh, of course, Maritess! I remember you, the prize was very... useful, thank you so much for that. I was just not expecting you to be lovelier than when we first met," he smoothly explained, looking very pleased. If Maritess wasn't utterly convinced Leoward was the perfect boilfriend, and not looking at him through rose-tinted glasses she would have realized the boil was looking very pleased with himself.
If Tess' cheeks hadn't turned beet red at the kiss, his compliment would have certainly done the job. She suddenly found herself incapable of speech, having used up all sense of coherency to keep standing and preserve what little dignity she may have.
"Why here, again? You?" she babbled dreamily staring up at him, by Jack he was a tall boil. She might actually have to sever if she ever dared to steal a kiss from him and she immediately pushed the thought out of her head. No, no, she was a proper ghoul who would do no such lewd or forward things. She would catch and keep his attention until he finally started courting her and met her family and- it took her a few moments to realize he was saying something. "H-Huh? O-oh, s-sorry, could you, um, possibly repeat that?"
Leoward closed his eyes, breathing out through his nostrils as if trying to compose himself.
O-oh no, did she offend him!?
"I said there were others who wanted to visit your school and I'm very glad I managed to win the fight for my slot."
"Y-you dueled with someone? J-just to visit Amityville again?" she gasped, her hands closing over her mouth in awe. "W-why?"
"To see you, of course. I have... something I've wanted to give you to repay you for that prize. It's nothing special, just something from my school," he fished out what looked to be a pendant. Something he easily slipped over her head until it hung neatly around her neck. "It looks good on you."
"O-oh, thank you! I-I'll treasure it," she sighed, lightly running her fingers over the surface, wondering where she'd seen the symbol engraved on it. Before she could dwell on this, she heard the vampire boil telling her he had something important to ask her.
"B-but th-this is so sudden... w-we haven't even exchanged skellphone numbers o-or squeemail addresses!" Maritess protested because somewhere in her mind, a voice was screaming at her that there was something very, very wrong. It was stamping its foot like a child throwing a tantrum because it wanted attention. And despite all the hullaballoo it was causing in the manananggal's head, it was being drowned out by the sound of ten million ringing wedding bells.
"Holy hell, woman, what the fuck are you on about?" Leoward gawked, suddenly alarmed by her words.
Oh Jack. He just used a very crude expletive! She'd definitely offended him now! Don't let this one slip away, Tess. Your parents might actually approve of this one!! "U-um, was I being presumptuous? I, I apologize," she stammered, gaze suddenly downcast, focused exclusively on rhinestones decorating the stilettos Legs had chosen to wear that day. Jack damn her lower half, why did she have to pick fishnets to go with it?
"No, no, it's my fault. I should have been clearer. I just wanted to ask you to come see how the prize you gave me was doing, that's all," the boil hastily explained, flashing a nervous smile that was strangely more endearing to her than the suave and composed one from earlier.
"O-oh? You mean it's doing well in your school?" she ventured.
He nodded, "Since it was really supposed to be yours, I wanted to return here so I could bring you back and show you. We weren't allowed to bring minipets, you see."
"I understand and again apologize for my assumptions," she chuckled sheepishly. "U-um, lead the way?" She was expecting him to offer her the crook of his elbow. Instead, his strong, muscular arm draped across her shoulder. For the second time that day, Tess nearly swooned into a puddle of undead goo. Miraculously she managed to maintain her composure on the outside, even though she (and Legs) were squealing from here to the depths of hells on the inside. She followed obediently as Leoward guided her to... a portal.
Tess blinked at first, but when she remembered how often Amityville used that method of transportation she didn't think twice when he asked her to step through.
"Ladies first," he insisted.
And after the initial disorientation of portal travel wore off and Tess solidified, she heard a boil groan, "Oh fuck. I knew I wasn't a gambling man for a reason."
"That's what? How many weeks of clean up duty you'll be taking off my hands, Before?" The smug smirk was audible in Leoward's voice.
"Leoward what-" Tess' confusion quickly turned into terror as strong, gloved hands clamped down on her shoulders.
"Hey, thanks there, Maritessa," a reaper-like boil sporting dark brown hair beamed at the ghoul. "You helped me win the bet that I'd be the first in the group to catch something. And I still have enough time to try and catch another one!"
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"Bet you can't do it before Davey catches his," Before piped up, trying his best not to be a sore loser.
"Double or nothing?"
The teal-eyed Hunter was sharply cut off when an ear-splitting shriek tore through the room at the same time "Maritessa" tore herself in half. Large, leathery wings viciously swatted at the two cloaked figures holding her, the sharp talons ripping cloth and drawing blood while her lower half skewered them where it hurt using her stilettos.
"You. You! YOU!!!" the winged creature roared, her completely crimson eyes fixed on Leon.
"Oh shit, Leon I think she's quoting Shakespear's Hell hath no fury-"
"Relax, Before. I got this," the confidence was well founded as he brought out a pendant identical to the one the attacking creature still had around her neck. The moment he slipped it on, his glowed red while hers glowed blue. "Stop moving."
Immediately, Tess fell to the floor, completely immobile. The clattering of stiletto heels caught Leon's attention as her legs came running, ready to pierce sensitive flesh and make him unable to bear future children. But with ease, the boxer scooped up the ghoul's lower half over his shoulder and was even treated to an eyeful of lace underneath that frilly skirt.
"Damn, that's not a bad set," Leon snickered. "Come on Before, haul Maritessa over to the cages."
"What?! B-but that's the bigger part!"
"You need to build up some muscle on you, now suck it up and augh-!" he hissed as something thin wound round his neck and pierced a vein. Dropping the pair of legs, he summoned Nidhogg, the teeth roaring to life as Leon's chainsaw sliced at the ribbon-thin cord. Again, an ear-splitting shriek rang through the room as blood and FEAR began to drip out of the captured student's mouth.
With a snarl, Leon tried to staunch the bleeding in his neck as he grabbed Tess by her hair, bodily dragging her along the ground. "Before, hurry up and haul ass!" the boxer growled.
Working Title: The Zoo
Characters: A whole slew of them from the Gaiaonline shop This is Halloween
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Word Count: 1,367
A/N: Yeah it's my-character-centric but events in a recent RP thread was just. AUGH so much want for more LizzyxTessxLeon interactions ;;
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"I thought I loved you, it was just how you looked in the light."
Was it really him? Or were here eyes simply playing tricks on her? A quick rub and a pinch later, Maritess confirmed that it was the vampire she met during Floresctival. In her severed form, all bodily functioned ceased, there could be no beating of her heart or the knotting of her stomach but still... there was a flutter in her chest and heat seemed to bloom on the apples of her cheeks.
Legs, sensing the change of emotional state in her upper half, turned towards the direction and promptly froze. Oh, oh my, that was one delectable hunk of undead. His stature, his form, she wouldn't mind giving him a ride and then some.
It had been so long since both Tess and Legs could agree on something. This momentary truce allowed the manananggal to merge with herself, pulling herself together until the wings and the tongue and the fangs retracted, leaving her in a form that could easily pass as a reaper. Of course the wing slits on the back of her blouse and the uncoordinated sense of aesthetics would be more than enough of a giveaway to anyone who remotely knew Tess.
But as Leoward was a visiting exchange student, she hoped he wouldn't mind her currently eccentric appearance.
"H-hello," she greeted shyly, arms folded behind her, crimson eyes tapered into slits. In this form, she could feel her heart hammering against her chest, even the sudden missed beat when she heard him greet her in return.
"Do I know you?" he asked, the fanged smile as suave and charming as Tess remembered.
"Oh, you don't recognize me with my legs, do you?" she giggled, for once not finding any offense. "It's me, Maritess. I, um, I gave you the prize I won during Floresctival."
Leoward studied her for what felt like an eternity as if unable to reconcile his memory of her with the version standing before him. Or rather, that was how it seemed to Tess. She was tempted to sever, if it would help jog his memory but then dawning realization shone in his eyes and the vampire boil was bringing her hand to lips.
She felt a delicious tingle where his mouth brushed against her skin and Tess needed to summon every ounce of her willpower not to simply swoon. A reaper who was now her best friend's boilfriend had done something equally charming during Prom. But that was nothing compared to the natural appeal and charisma of a proper vampire.
"Oh, of course, Maritess! I remember you, the prize was very... useful, thank you so much for that. I was just not expecting you to be lovelier than when we first met," he smoothly explained, looking very pleased. If Maritess wasn't utterly convinced Leoward was the perfect boilfriend, and not looking at him through rose-tinted glasses she would have realized the boil was looking very pleased with himself.
If Tess' cheeks hadn't turned beet red at the kiss, his compliment would have certainly done the job. She suddenly found herself incapable of speech, having used up all sense of coherency to keep standing and preserve what little dignity she may have.
"Why here, again? You?" she babbled dreamily staring up at him, by Jack he was a tall boil. She might actually have to sever if she ever dared to steal a kiss from him and she immediately pushed the thought out of her head. No, no, she was a proper ghoul who would do no such lewd or forward things. She would catch and keep his attention until he finally started courting her and met her family and- it took her a few moments to realize he was saying something. "H-Huh? O-oh, s-sorry, could you, um, possibly repeat that?"
Leoward closed his eyes, breathing out through his nostrils as if trying to compose himself.
O-oh no, did she offend him!?
"I said there were others who wanted to visit your school and I'm very glad I managed to win the fight for my slot."
"Y-you dueled with someone? J-just to visit Amityville again?" she gasped, her hands closing over her mouth in awe. "W-why?"
"To see you, of course. I have... something I've wanted to give you to repay you for that prize. It's nothing special, just something from my school," he fished out what looked to be a pendant. Something he easily slipped over her head until it hung neatly around her neck. "It looks good on you."
"O-oh, thank you! I-I'll treasure it," she sighed, lightly running her fingers over the surface, wondering where she'd seen the symbol engraved on it. Before she could dwell on this, she heard the vampire boil telling her he had something important to ask her.
"B-but th-this is so sudden... w-we haven't even exchanged skellphone numbers o-or squeemail addresses!" Maritess protested because somewhere in her mind, a voice was screaming at her that there was something very, very wrong. It was stamping its foot like a child throwing a tantrum because it wanted attention. And despite all the hullaballoo it was causing in the manananggal's head, it was being drowned out by the sound of ten million ringing wedding bells.
"Holy hell, woman, what the fuck are you on about?" Leoward gawked, suddenly alarmed by her words.
Oh Jack. He just used a very crude expletive! She'd definitely offended him now! Don't let this one slip away, Tess. Your parents might actually approve of this one!! "U-um, was I being presumptuous? I, I apologize," she stammered, gaze suddenly downcast, focused exclusively on rhinestones decorating the stilettos Legs had chosen to wear that day. Jack damn her lower half, why did she have to pick fishnets to go with it?
"No, no, it's my fault. I should have been clearer. I just wanted to ask you to come see how the prize you gave me was doing, that's all," the boil hastily explained, flashing a nervous smile that was strangely more endearing to her than the suave and composed one from earlier.
"O-oh? You mean it's doing well in your school?" she ventured.
He nodded, "Since it was really supposed to be yours, I wanted to return here so I could bring you back and show you. We weren't allowed to bring minipets, you see."
"I understand and again apologize for my assumptions," she chuckled sheepishly. "U-um, lead the way?" She was expecting him to offer her the crook of his elbow. Instead, his strong, muscular arm draped across her shoulder. For the second time that day, Tess nearly swooned into a puddle of undead goo. Miraculously she managed to maintain her composure on the outside, even though she (and Legs) were squealing from here to the depths of hells on the inside. She followed obediently as Leoward guided her to... a portal.
Tess blinked at first, but when she remembered how often Amityville used that method of transportation she didn't think twice when he asked her to step through.
"Ladies first," he insisted.
And after the initial disorientation of portal travel wore off and Tess solidified, she heard a boil groan, "Oh fuck. I knew I wasn't a gambling man for a reason."
"That's what? How many weeks of clean up duty you'll be taking off my hands, Before?" The smug smirk was audible in Leoward's voice.
"Leoward what-" Tess' confusion quickly turned into terror as strong, gloved hands clamped down on her shoulders.
"Hey, thanks there, Maritessa," a reaper-like boil sporting dark brown hair beamed at the ghoul. "You helped me win the bet that I'd be the first in the group to catch something. And I still have enough time to try and catch another one!"
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"Bet you can't do it before Davey catches his," Before piped up, trying his best not to be a sore loser.
"Double or nothing?"
The teal-eyed Hunter was sharply cut off when an ear-splitting shriek tore through the room at the same time "Maritessa" tore herself in half. Large, leathery wings viciously swatted at the two cloaked figures holding her, the sharp talons ripping cloth and drawing blood while her lower half skewered them where it hurt using her stilettos.
"You. You! YOU!!!" the winged creature roared, her completely crimson eyes fixed on Leon.
"Oh shit, Leon I think she's quoting Shakespear's Hell hath no fury-"
"Relax, Before. I got this," the confidence was well founded as he brought out a pendant identical to the one the attacking creature still had around her neck. The moment he slipped it on, his glowed red while hers glowed blue. "Stop moving."
Immediately, Tess fell to the floor, completely immobile. The clattering of stiletto heels caught Leon's attention as her legs came running, ready to pierce sensitive flesh and make him unable to bear future children. But with ease, the boxer scooped up the ghoul's lower half over his shoulder and was even treated to an eyeful of lace underneath that frilly skirt.
"Damn, that's not a bad set," Leon snickered. "Come on Before, haul Maritessa over to the cages."
"What?! B-but that's the bigger part!"
"You need to build up some muscle on you, now suck it up and augh-!" he hissed as something thin wound round his neck and pierced a vein. Dropping the pair of legs, he summoned Nidhogg, the teeth roaring to life as Leon's chainsaw sliced at the ribbon-thin cord. Again, an ear-splitting shriek rang through the room as blood and FEAR began to drip out of the captured student's mouth.
With a snarl, Leon tried to staunch the bleeding in his neck as he grabbed Tess by her hair, bodily dragging her along the ground. "Before, hurry up and haul ass!" the boxer growled.