Trick Or Treat!

🎃Trick or treat!👻

--@oh-no-another-idea

Trick, trick, trick!

Trick or Treat!

Thank you for the Ask, @avoidingcertaindoom!

This is from my victorian fantasy WIP, Enchanted Illusions!

(Context: In this scene, Harriet Sharppe, the main character, confronts Liam Arloway, a snobby noble who had been working with the villains, and who had attempted to kill her cousin, Vincent, days before. Luckily, she counts on a little help from the story's resident dark mage, Augustus Grimmure to even the odds)

Liam circled around her, a faux-friendly demeanor to him as he attempted to convince her that his words were reasonable. At this point, Harriet had resigned herself to waiting until he was done rambling - though she was getting far more worried with every step this wannabe noble took toward her. His condescending tone and practiced smile had a way of getting on her nerves, Harriet knew Liam was counting on it.

"Listen, Harriet" Liam had started "Augustus Grimmure is a dangerous opportunist, known for stabbing people in the back once he gets what he wants. His kind doesn't listen to reason, especially when it comes to the Dark Arts. You can't trust him, if you come with me, we can pretend none of this ever happened."

He reached out a gloved hand towards her, expectantly. This offer came with a hidden demand - that she and Vincent would be quiet about what they had discovered. That she would let the Hemlock Society continue their crooked work without facing the consequences for what they'd done. Not a chance.

Harriet pushed his hand away.

"It is funny that you of all people would say this, Liam" She took a step closer of her own this time, squaring up to him. "So far, he has given me far more reasons to trust him than you ever have. Augustus may be many things, but he is not a fool. And he is not a traitor. We have a mutual understanding, and as long as one of us is winning, so is the other - he won't betray a good investment, and I won't lose the only clue I have. I know him. I don't know you."

She continued, tapping his tie with a finger, emphasizing her comment. Liam scoffed, but before he could continue, Harriet pulled a letter from her pocket. A letter addressed to him, from his superiors at the Hemlock Society - detailing how he was to kill her cousin, Vincent. She'd read it all.

"All I know about you is that I saw you, not Augustus, talking to Sir Garissen's spy after the assembly. Curiously enough, that's the same night an attempt on Vincent's life took place. The same night my friends found this letter." Harriet sidestepped him, walking out of the corner he'd backed her into moments prior, holding the accusing letter for the fraud to see.

"Tell me, 'Liam', if you have nothing to do with the events that took place, why is it you looked so surprised when my cousin showed up - alive and well - to the masquerade the next day? Because you're the one who would've murdered him the night before and now, your credibility was on the line. So you came after me."

There was a knowing moment of silence, as Harriet stood her ground, glaring, waiting for the befuddled Liam to pick up the courage to answer.

"... Fair point," Liam said with a fatalistic sigh, pulling out his rapier and pointing the blade at her. He looked almost apologetic - if it wasn't for the crooked smile on his lips. "Look, I really wanted to do this the easy way, Harriet. Tsk, tsk. It's a pity such a beauty as you went about poking her nose where she doesn't belong. You should've taken my offer."

With that, he moved to strike, a manic glint to his eye, as the blade lifted high. And stopped, just before he could do so. Behind him, an arm was hooked around his chest, keeping him in place.

"No. You're the one who should've stayed in our lane, pup" A new voice whispered into Liam's ear, a dangerous smile on sharp lips as a pocket knife pressed itself against the gentleman's exposed neck. Liam froze. "Drop the sword."

The bejeweled rapier fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Oh, Augustus, old pal! We - we were just talking about y-you!" Liam scrambled to come up with an excuse, going silent as Augustus pressed the knife harder against his untarnished skin, drawing a line of blood. The noble's confident facade crashed and burned, as his eyes searched around desperately for a out, voice shrill, as Liam attemped to sound casual.

"Quiet," Augustus told Liam, nails digging where he held the man's shoulder. He looked up, ignoring the noble and turning towards Harriet."What do you say, darling?" Augustus asked, voice soft, almost playful, no longer the venomous whisper he'd directed at the cowardly nobleman before him. "Should I dispose of him? Pretty please - this scoundrel is a waste of good fortune."

Liam went pale, torn between struggling and freezing in place - it was clear he was regretting his previous treasonous intent, now that the tables had turned. As if, only moments before, Liam's intentions hadn't been even more murderous - he would have killed her without a second thought, despite all his advances to court her at the royal ball. And he would have killed Vincent even more thoughtlessly.

Even so, Harriet shook her head, arms still crossed over her chest, ignoring Liam's presence for the moment.

"No, dear. But thank you. I think there's no need for that specific solution just yet." She answered, "Do you still have that contact in the constabulary?"

Augustus nodded, curious, still holding Liam in place with a vice grip. "Yes, I do. Whatever do you mean?"

Harriet pondered her options for a moment, before speaking up, placing the letter at a nearby table behind her. Liam dared not try to move, though his eyes glared murderously at her. If this man was not arrested, he would surely follow them, to finish the job. She suppressed a shiver, mentally reminding herself to get someone to replace the mansion's locks soon.

"We'll leave an anonymous lead, on their doorstep then. As for him -" She continued, eager to get out of this warehouse as soon as possible. "I'm sure he'll be fine waiting for the police to arrive. The gossipmongers will love to learn the truth about what their beloved nobility is up to, once this fraud is exposed."

Are any on my dash brave enough to do nanowrimo? I'm considering it but am not sure. It's a big, scary commitment and I'm not good at any of those three words. However, if there's anything I've learned it's that things are less scary with the buddy system.

Trick or treat!

Thanks for the tag!

Trick and treat! 🎃

You can share something of your own, and choose/let me know in the post what you want me to share from my WIPs (which I'll then post in the next reblog)!

Happy Halloween!

'Revenge is bad' to YOU. i love when a character destroys everyone who wronged them. i love when they get to bite and maim and tear and rip and scratch and kill. Sorry ur catholic about it but i'm different

Trick or treat! 👻

~ @tabswrites

Treat! 🎃

Have five random facts about the cast of Tales of Wilted Flowers:

When Niven Fenrith was younger, he had once dreamed of becoming a musician of some kind - being talented in many kinds of musical instruments and being a very good singer. But then life (a.k.a. spoilers) led him to become the underappreciated assistant to a politician instead.

Lorelai Wildwood loved sneaking around in her childhood mansion's hallways, which had many secret passageways and hiding spots. Also, due to the fact her father had once been a knight, she learned sword fighting and archery very early on - a hobby she adored. These abilities prove rather useful in the story, especially when the King's soldiers are after her.

Arista's family history is a mystery to everyone around her, something that is deeply intentional on her part, but not due to her vampiric heritage - rather, because of who the human side of her family is. She pretends not to know her past because explaining it would be even more complicated. (Keep an eye out for this fact, it ties into a really important plot twist later on in the book's story!)

Ahren Ellara is actually the adopted ward of Faellyn's paternal uncle, but when their House was destroyed, Ahren was the only relative to survive along with her. Over time, their relationship became more like siblings than cousins, because they were the only family each other had to rely on.

Micah Rook adores most kinds of animals - cats, dogs, snakes, anything (: - But is terribly afraid of any kind of bird (from seagulls to ducks and even pigeons, it doesn't matter, they will freak him out and he will run away screaming). It gets to the point where it is comically hilarious, especially since he is really trying to keep up the "tough pirate/rogue" persona - it all goes out of the window when a bird sees him and he sees the bird.