Two very evil authors

[winter]

Fic later. Now, recs for the people who are making me write it.

First of all, I've mentioned guede_mazaka's The Black Road before. Now she wrote an extra not-quite-epilogue that shorted out my brain rather neatly.

(In return, I owe her Van Helsing angelic party fic.)

And second, the usual suspect. In the Name of, the story that'll make you see just why adore the Tanz vampires so much. Because they can, in utterly plausible ways, kick anyone's arse. No, honestly - you really, really don't need to know anything about Tanz to read this crack. But I don't guarantee sanity afterwards.

(In return, I owe her Herbert ficlets galore, as soon as I come up with enough pretentious German titles.)

In related news, I still can't decide which is weirder as OTP: Dark!Harry Potter/Stockholm-syndrome!Lucius or Herbert von Krolock/Spike. H/S is way fluffier, though. And more blood. *gives up and ships both*

Comments

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Double-whammy on the pre-emptive telepathy there :D

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

I think I'm getting better with practice.

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Definitely looks the case :D It's a good thing Dawn's room is close to, because waking up on her lonesome would have been bad. Waking up to wash the blood off, while dad goes and checs on the boys - slightly better :D

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

She is going to make that stepmother-in-law crack at Spike, isn't she? ;)

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

How could she resist? :D

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

*pats her*

BTW, off in 20 minutes or so for college. Would appreciate a snipplet to tide me over through Insurance ;)

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Catching William’s hand carelessly, Herbert yanked hard, pulling the young vampire - with an impressively girly squeak - closer to him, until he was practically draped against Herbert’s side. Draping an arm loosely over his shoulders, Herbert nuzzled William’s hair fondly.

Unconsciously, William shifted his weight, so he wasn’t pressing against the worst ribs, one hand lightly spreading on the bandages covering Herbert’s stomach.

Dark eyes slipped from one to the other and Herbert felt the approval wash over him like a warm wave. A glance told him William had sensed it as well, in some way or form, judging by the bashful grin playing about his lips.

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

Awww!

Everybody's so warm and fuzzy. Between this and the previous H/S scene, you'll need to put a major sugar warning on this chapter ;)

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

And then, we have B/V angst to contend with as well :D WHEE! All round fun!

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

Terribly so :D And then Faith and Giles arriving...

You do know it's amazing how every next chapter is even better?

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Entirely their fault! I take no credit whatsoever :D

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

“So... we’ve got a reason for being all grins,” William said happily after a moment, as Herbert smoothed his hair and kissed his temple. “Any reason you’re so chipper this morning, sir?”

Von Krolock looked towards the door with a warm look in his eyes. “We all have our reasons,” he murmured as Dawn stepped into the room, in the process of braiding her damp hair.

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

A little more of this and Dawn or not, Spike'll start looking for alien spaceships and bodysnatchers ;)

(Back in 2-3 hours.)

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Have fun :P

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

Incidentally, I'm going to strangle my Herbert. Or alice_montrose. Or both.

You in the mood for being spammed back by random Herbiefic, by any chance? :)

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Do you even have to ask? :D

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[winter]

But I'm hoping to get spammed back too, remember ;)

And gah. Trying to wrestle the first bit into behaving right now. Alice once mentioned she wanted to see Herbert's first boyfriend, and it's turning into a bit of a trainwreck...

Re: Also, reading Buffy eps:

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Mais naturellement ;) I'm just back on the machine after going to do some housework before me mammy got home from work :) I'm so domesticated.

Gah! *De-invisiblifies on AIM!*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Herbert and William both looked towards her and Herbert felt William’s surprise, felt the younger vampire look up at him, seeking some kind of answer to a question he couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“Figured you’d be checking on the walking wounded,” the girl said with a grin, as she approached the bed. Blue eyes gleamed with amusement as she looked from Herbert to William and back again. “And look at you two, all snuggly!”

“Sod off, Nibs,” William muttered, but he was trying to hide a smile as he said it.

Circling the bed to approach von Krolock, Dawn met Herbert’s inquiring grey eyes with a small, knowing smile.

“Morning, cherie,” he murmured, his hand still on William’s shoulder.

“So... you gonna tell me why you tried to kick my sister’s ass, Herbert?” she asked with mock-sweetness, even as she stepped behind his father and casually draped her arms over his shoulders.

That gesture made William start under his arm, but Herbert merely smiled.

“It was a personality clash, cherie,” he replied, though he could not help but stare as well as his father lifted his hands and threaded his fingers between Dawn’s as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Re: Gah! *De-invisiblifies on AIM!*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Resting her chin on top of von Krolock’s head as he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her fingertips softly, Dawn’s gaze was fixed on Herbert. “If your personalities clash again,” she said pleasantly. “I’ll be cranky. You don’t want me cranky.”

Both of the younger vampires, however, were watching Herbert’s father, who seemed so at ease with the young mortal’s closeness and easy intimacy.

“Think I can see someone who wouldn’t mind it,” William volunteered, shying back a little when dark eyes flicked open and locked on his face. Von Krolock’s upper lip curled slightly, baring a flash of a fang.

Dawn made a face at them both. “I’m gonna tell Buffy the same,” she said, one of her thumbs moving in a circle on von Krolock’s palm. “You guys start killing each other and sooner or later, I’ll have no one left and... well... that would suck.”

Re: Gah! *De-invisiblifies on AIM!*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

“I concur,” von Krolock murmured, tilting his head to kiss the inside of the girl’s slim wrist.

In Herbert’s loose embrace, William went rigid.

Looking down, puzzled, Herbert followed William’s stare, then saw what the young vampire had seen. His own jaw dropped, his hand tensing on William’s shoulder. If he had been surprised by the mark on his father’s throat, it was doubled at the sight of the bite-mark adorning Dawn’s wrist.

“Nibs...”

Her eyes half-closed, Dawn’s cheek was resting against von Krolock’s hair, her expression as quietly blissful as his was. One side of her mouth pulled up and she forced an eye open. “Mm?”

“You... er... got something on your wrist...”

Tilting her head to look down at her wrist, albeit reluctantly, Dawn’s smile was one of satisfaction. “Yup.”

“I cannot help but notice,” Herbert added, his voice reflecting his confusion more than he would have otherwise liked. “That you also still have a pulse...”

His father’s dark eyes snapped open, fixing him with an icy gaze that made William flinch back against his arm.

Lowering her head, Dawn brushed a kiss and a whisper against his father’s cheek, something so quiet that, even straining to hear, it slipped by Herbert’s acute hearing, her flashing blue glance telling the golden-haired vampire that was precisely what she had intended.

Scene! :D

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Turning his head fractionally, von Krolock gazed up at her. The thunderous look that had so briefly appeared was gone, replaced with a slow curve of his lips and he lifted her bitten wrist to kiss it once more.

Nudging Herbert’s ribs gently with his elbow, apparently unable to tear his eyes away from the pair, William mumbled, “I’m confused. Bit scared and all.”

“Agreed, cheri,” Herbert murmured, watching Dawn disentangle her fingers from his father’s and stroke his cheek with her knuckles.

Dawn’s face broke into a beatific smile, eyes dancing. “Then, I’ve done my job,” she said, kissing von Krolock’s temple fondly. “C’mon, sweetie. Spike can do his nurse-maid thing with Herbert.”

“You will rest?” von Krolock’s gaze was penetratingly focussed on Herbert again.

“I’ll make sure he does,” William said quickly.

Rising from the bed, von Krolock nodded approvingly. “We have repairs to see to,” he said gravely. “And when next you encounter the Slayer in such a manner, do so within her property, Herbert.”

Sheepishly nodding, Herbert grimaced. “Yes, father,” he said apologetically.

Without another word, von Krolock offered his lover his arm and they seemed to just fade out of sight, leaving the two younger vampires sitting on the bed, staring at empty space.

“What the...”

“Precisely my thought, darling,” Herbert murmured dazedly. “It appears I have a new and wicked step-mother.”

Re: Gah! *De-invisiblifies on AIM!*

[winter]

For most people, Mass was over when the priest gave his final blessing, but Tibor thought the putting away of all the paraphernalia was one of his favourite parts. As he carried the bell and the censer to their storing places, his footsteps echoed in the small church. He felt close to maybe not God, but certainly the saints and blessed ones, alone after Mass like this.

Almost alone, he thought ruefully, as he heard bright, infectious laughter. Father Peter was talking to the one other person who stayed behind after Mass. Tibor ducked his head to hide his own smile before they noticed.

“I really liked the Ruth parallel,” Herbert von Krolock said. He was perched on the balustrade separating the altar from the pews.Normally Father Peter would chastise anyone attempting such sacrilege, but Herbert had a habit of getting away with things.

“It took me a long time to come up with it,” Father Peter admitted. “I’m glad you’re such a devoted listener. It does a young man credit to be versed in theology as you are.”

“Oh, it’s all Father’s fault.” Herbert laughed again and winked at Tibor over Father Peter’s shoulder. This probably meant ‘stop staring and get on with it so we can go’. “He’s interested in it – after the last Encyclical came out, he made me translate it into German as an exercise.”

“I thought your Father-“ The priest sounded unsure, since the Graf had a mixed reputation in the village.

“He still has faith,” Herbert said softly, leaning in as if to confide a secret. “I’m hoping that one day he’ll make his peace with the Church. I’m working on it.”

Tibor shook his head. The avoidance of Mass, just another in a long list of peculiarities, would have made the lord of the castle hated a long time ago, if not for Herbert’s golden-haired presence in the first pew of the village church, every Sunday without fail.

Re: Gah! *De-invisiblifies on AIM!*

[winter]

No sooner did he lock the silvers cupboard and tugged off his altar boy shirt than he heard the soft thud as Herbert jumped off the balustrade.

“I don’t want to leave, but Father wanted me to check up on the horses on the upper meadow today,” he announced. “Tibor, you want to come? Maybe this time you’ll be able to stay in the saddle for once.”

“I guess so.” Tibor said, then turned around and gulped.

Herbert was standing in front of the altar with his back to the priest. A stray ray of sunlight fell through a panel of blue glass, turning the pale gold hair silver. Now that only Tibor could see his face, Herbert’s expression was no longer angelic. The tip of a pink tongue flicked out over a full bottom lip that was curling in a wicked smile, and Tibor had to concentrate hard to remember to breathe.

“God be with you, boys,” Father Peter said placidly.

Re: Gah! *De-invisiblifies on AIM!*

[winter]

They did go on the rocky path to the upper meadow, Herbert steering his horse at a slow trot and Tibor straining his long legs to keep up, but they veered off into the forest as soon as they were far away from the village that they could be sure they were alone. They were closer to the castle than Tibor would have liked, but Herbert never paid attention to that.

And Herbert, Tibor thought as he watched the other boy gracefully dismount, always got what he wanted.

There was a moss-covered tree trunk in the small clearing, and Herbert sprawled on it as if it was a four-poster bed. He patted the wood beside him. “Come on. I haven’t seen you for a week, and you look beat.”

“It’s almost harvest time,” Tibor muttered as he sat down. “We have some sunny fields that had to be harvested early. Imre’s been on my case, so I haven’t spent much time with Father Peter.”

“Imre’s an idiot,” Herbert pronounced, though as far as Tibor knew, he had only met Tibor’s older brother once. “I should have come down and rescued you, but Father had guests staying.”

“From Vienna?”

“Nah. Transylvania.” Herbert grinned, tossing his head back to expose his neck to the afternoon sun. He was always pale, as if he didn’t get to do that often. “They brought new books, so Father buried himself in the library and I got fencing lessons. I was too tired after that to ride down anyway.” He shot Tibor a look from under his lashes. “I missed you, darling.”

Tibor flushed. “Don’t call me that!”

That just drew another laugh, and Herbert wriggled on the tree trunk until his head was resting in Tibor’s lap. He frowned when Tibor’s hands didn’t touch his head. “You’re tense, liebling. What is it?”