The day of Jackal - Part 9

 // We're getting closer to the end. She's finally facing this demon of her past, but not alone. With Alex//

 

A young blonde woman was stirring a pot of soup. Her face was swollen on its left, a nasty bruise left by the fist of the man who held her family hostage. Her hair was disheveled, and her blue denim dress was worn out. Her arms were covered in cuts, caused by Dylan's thick combat knife during what he called his "rough play". Her face was messed up: Red and puffy from a slap she had just received. A trail of dried tears and mascara stuck to her unwashed face. Her lips were dry and cut after days spent in captivity. She was shaking from head to toe, barely able to focus on the task at hand. Marina was cooking. Since Dylan Atwater took her family hostage, it was one of the few moments of respite granted by him. One where she wasn't tortured or used for Dylan's sick pleasure. The woman couldn't bear the sight of that man; therefore, she made cooking last longer than it should have.  Her husband, Tomas,  a slender brunette man, was sitting against the wall. His own face had a massive bruise on his jaw, from punches he received several times at the hands of their torturer. He was sitting there, feeling pain with every breath he took, and dread since he was staring at the man responsible for this dreadful situation. He had cried so much that the tears had dried on his face, and he couldn't produce more. Why did it happen to them? They were planning their holidays and had bought tickets abroad when this man knocked on their door with a charming smile and a thinly veiled threat. How did it fucking happen?

The man had been forced to watch his wife get brutally raped, punched, and tortured several times a day without being able to help her. He was bound and gagged; the only grace given to him was so he could go to the restroom to take a leak or when they were allowed to eat. His child, Johann, a slim brunette like him,  was, for the time being, only slapped around by Dylan. His demise was dangled on top of his parents' heads to force them to comply. Dylan fully intended to kill them all, but he did enjoy having the least effort to make for a couple of weeks. Dylan sat there, a huge beast of a man wearing a pair of khaki pants, a Kevlar chest piece on top of a black long-sleeved top. He had scars all over his chest. He had been stabbed, shot at, and whipped even during his numerous years of service, and carried proudly the testament of his work all over his body. He had salt and pepper hair, a five o'clock beard, and bushy eyebrows. He was a fit man, even as old as he was, he still cut an impressive figure. His eyes were alight with lust and delight upon watching the suffering of his victims. For him, the hostage situation was simply a moment of fun. He didn't have to do it, as a matter of fact, he simply could have found an empty Airbnb or hotel room and stayed there for as long as he needed. His bloodlust prevented him from being quiet. He wanted to have fun and decided to pick a random family to play with. 

"Oi, Marina, maybe you should be a bit faster while cooking. I might lose my temper and hurt little Johann here."

"I'm almost done. I'm almost done! Please don't hurt my boy..." -She sobbed.- "We did everything you asked of us, why are you still hurting us?" -He laughed and shrugged his shoulders-

"I do it because I can. If I wanted, I could kill you right now, Marina,  but I'm enjoying myself very much." -She sobbed harder and kept stirring the pot, now frightened for her husband and son's lives.-

Marina believed that lunatic because he didn't hesitate to hurt her son in front of her. He severely beat her husband and herself, and she knew that he was not playing games. She prayed for her son to survive this ordeal, and despite being subjected to the worst of Dylan's torture, all she did was wonder how they could help him overcome this traumatic experience. Johann had been quiet since meeting the old man at the market yesterday. He was the only adult who treated him well since /that man/ entered their lives. He replayed the moment in his head, wondering if he could have said something to that man so he could help his family. He was exhausted, his face almost sunken by the weight of his trauma at such a young age. Johann watched his mother barely walking with the soup pot and put it on the table. Johann prayed for someone to rescue them so his mother wouldn't suffer anymore.

That was when the light went off. Immediately, Johann bolted out of the dining chair and sprinted to his bedroom. He locked the door and went to hide underneath his bed. His mother started to scream, out of surprise, but also because Dylan grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. Something exploded nearby, blowing the windows into pieces and giving enough cover for Ghost and Jackal to enter the apartment unnoticed. Quickly, the Jackal noticed the screaming and crying woman held hostage by the big burly man behind her. He pointed his gun at them, and Ghost found Tomas first. He grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet. He couldn't speak, but his agitation made her shush him down. "I'll come back for your boy." She whispered while dragging Tomas out of the room and the apartment. 

"How did you know I was here?" -Dylan asked, surprised but entertained at the idea of having a fight.- "Careful, One wrong move and I kill that bitch. Is that why you're here? For this family?"

"..." Alex didn't speak. He didn't want to. Dylan walked further into the living room. He circled the table so it put a distance between Jackal and him. Alex preferred to keep Dylan Atwater distracted and frustrated. He could tell that the big man didn't like not being answered to. Dylan glanced at Ghost, who came back after she put the father to safety and set his hands free so he could remove his own gag.  The glance was brief, but enough for him to realize there were two of them. 

"Please! My son! Please! Save him!" Marina screamed. Dylan laughed and pressed his gun to her temple. "Please! Please don't shoot me!" She screamed, terrified at the idea of dying and leaving her child behind.

"Do you really think that I give a flying fuck about this woman?" -He felt nothing about his victims now that two people wanted to kill him. He welcomed the distraction and the action, but made sure to still threaten his hostage-

"I don't care." The Jackal replied, gaze stern and focused on Dylan. His voice was sharp and dry, covering the bubbly anger that lay within Alex. He wouldn't lose his temper. He never did before and wouldn't do it now, but his tranquil fury was easy to read only for the trained eye. Dylan didn't know him, so he easily overlooked the rage that animated his opponent. He mistook him for an opportunist-

"I see. You didn't come for the hostages. Your friend did. You just went along because you wanted a piece of me. Is it a hit job?" -He asked, his voice hoarse and laced with excitement-

"It's not." -Jackal declared, his voice sharp and dry. He knew by now that they were studying each other and were both waiting for the other to make a mistake and give an opening. Dylan was thinking fast, thinking about using the partner of that mercenary against him at some point. He intended to shoot her and use the distraction to kill that young man. 

While these two were studying the other, Ghost was searching for the young boy. The father told her that he was probably hiding in the bedroom, so she went there first. She walked slowly, carefully taking one step after the other so she wouldn't scare the boy. She whispered his name, saying that his father was safe and she wanted to take him out of this room and to his father. Johann didn't respond, unsure about the true intentions of that woman.  She whispered that she came to kill the bad man who terrorised his family because he hurt her family and herself when she was Johann's age. She knelt on the floor, hands up, and described the man to him, and the way he looked when he was inflicting pain on others. She talked about his scars, especially the one he had on his chest, near the collarbones that only someone who had seen him up close would notice. The young boy crawled out of the bed and stared at this woman. She was beautiful despite the scars on her chin and mouth.  He liked her hazel eyes that stood out the most. She was sincere, he could tell by the way she was staring at him, and for the first time in a long while, Johann started to cry. He had not been able to shed a tear when Dylan hurt his parents. The young boy was too traumatized to be able to cry. This woman came and brought Hope to him again. Diane's features softened, and she wiped the tears off his face with her warm palm.  The hitwoman stood up and helped him get on his feet. They still had to leave the apartment unharmed. 

It lasted only a brief moment, but the sight of this young child, crushed by the horrors he's witnessed and the thousand-yard stare, broke her heart. It reminded her of what she went through, the shell of the child she used to be after they slaughtered her village. She couldn't undo what Dylan did to that family, but she wished to be able to save them all. Diane grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard enough for him to feel that she was really there and was going to help him. They made their way out of the room and into the living room. Just when she turned around to glance at the Jackal and the hostage situation with Dylan, she froze upon seeing the older man. She couldn't help herself, but the terror her body experienced at the hands of Dylan came back to her and forced her body to freeze. Johann noticed she was shocked and realized, upon seeing her eyes, that this man had hurt her just the same as he had hurt him. The cries of his own mother turned his blood cold, but he had to snap that woman out of it. He tried to get her attention by pulling on her arm, but Diane didn't even register it.  Dylan furrowed his brows upon seeing that woman before him, freezing like a deer in car lights.  She seemed to know him, given the shocked expression on her face. Did they have a history? He racked his brain, trying to find where he could have met her, while being convinced that she was the one who wanted to rescue the family and not the man before him. Johann managed to pull Ghost's arm hard enough to snap her out of her trance, and she scurried him out of the apartment.  It took some time, but Dylan finally remembered her. 

"I know her! I remember now!" Dylan claimed in a dark laugh. "I remember that bitch! I didn't think she'd survive after what I put her through! Yet look at her! All grown-up now! Hey, girlie, did you come back for seconds?" -His voice boomed, barely covered by the screams of his hostage.-

"Shut the fuck up!" - Alex interrupted him. He couldn't help but swear at the man. His eyes were wide open, filled with hot rage. He tried to take a step forward, but Dylan shot him in the chest. Fortunately for him, he was wearing a bulletproof vest, so the shot wasn't fatal. It forced him to take cover behind the door that led to the kitchen. 

"Aahah, this is so rich! A ghost from the past came back to me! Can you believe it, Marina, that little girl from a remote African village survived my assault and decided to come and kill me! Ahahahah Is that why you're here, pretty boy? Did you come here because of her?"

Marina squirmed and tried to wiggle her way out of Dylan's embrace, but he held her so tightly that she couldn't run away. Desperate, the blonde woman bit his hand hard enough to draw blood to her teeth, which forced him to release her and drop his gun.  She managed to run a couple of steps forward, but he grabbed her hair and yanked it back. It made the woman fall on her ass and flail her arms as she tried to catch herself. He was about to fire his gun at her when Ghost jumped on him and punched his face. He released Marina, who didn't waste any time and crawled her way out of the apartment to find her husband and son. Diane gave him a barrage of punches, some landed, others were parried with his arm. He didn't expect to see her after watching her freeze on the spot moments earlier. Diane herself didn't know if she could, but she mustered the courage to run towards danger, motivated by the desire to save Marina and help this family survive the ordeal.  He laughed, appreciating the bravado of this attack on him. She was trained, he could tell, and the few successful punches did hurt him, but he was more experienced than her. While she hit him, she left an opening in her stance, which he used to push her away. One hard hit with his fist in her solar plexus was enough to send her flying across the living room. He had cut the air out of her chest, which allowed him to crack the muscles of his neck. 

Alex shot him and got Dylan's leg. It wasn't enough to stop the mercenary who launched at him with a spear. Jackal dropped his weapon at the impact and hit Dylan's back with his fists to make him release his chest.  The mercenary didn't let up; he squeezed Jackal's chest harder with the intent to break it and didn't flinch when Alex pummeled his back with his fists.  Dylan was heavy, so heavy that he was starting to suffocate Alex. He squeezed harder, and  Alex stopped punching him, Instead, he looked around him and noticed that the spear had made him hit the kitchen table and throw off anything that was on top of it. A bottle of wine was within arm's reach, which motivated  Alex to try and grab it.  He squirmed underneath Dylan, who managed to crack a bone, eliciting a painful groan from the Jackal.  Alex smashed the bottle against Dylan's head.  The glass tore open the skin at the base of his skull, forcing Dylan to release Alex and the Jackal to push him off of him, roll back, and hold onto his chest.  He noticed the knife near the sink and painfully walked towards it. Dylan managed to get back on his feet, and just as  Alex grabbed the knife, he punched him on the side, right where the cracked bone was. Alex turned around and tried to hit Dylan's belly, but the mercenary blocked him with his arm. The Jackal headbutted him, grabbed his face with both hands, and pushed him against his knee, once, twice, before he pushed him forward. Dylan hit the kitchen table, but his reflexes were quick enough to help him escape a punch from Alex.

Heavily breathing and still on the floor while the battle was ongoing between the Jackal and Dylan Atwater, Ghost had managed to catch her breath.  Her hazel eyes scanned the room, and she realized that Alex and Dylan were fighting in the kitchen. She tried to rise on her feet, but they refused to move. Her body was still remembering the pain Dylan inflicted on her. It still went on flight or fight mode and left her paralyzed. She put her hand on her chest, curling her fingers into a fist, and she rubbed her chest in an attempt at self-soothing. She had to keep it moving! She had to! Alex was fighting with Dylan, and  Diane could hear the noise of broken furniture, screams, and grunts. She trusted Alex and knew he was a very strong man, but she also knew that Dylan was extremely resilient and would be extremely dangerous to the man she loved. It became clear now that she was in love with Alex.  She wanted him to survive this encounter with Dylan and live with her. She wanted... She wanted... She had to! Gathering her strength, Ghost pushed herself back on her feet. She rolled her head and stroked her neck just to ensure that everything was alright.  The commotion was louder in the kitchen, and Alex fell on his back from the door that led to the living room. 

He opened his eyes just right when Diane jumped above him, fists first. Dylan didn't expect her to recover from his hit, nor did he expect a renewal of her rage, but here she was, enraged and with renewed motivation to punch his head in. Ghost screamed, throwing another punch on his shoulder and another one at his neck. He chose not to counter them so he could stab her leg. When the blade sank into her flesh, the woman screamed, but she managed to gouge his eyes with her thumbs.  Dylan screamed.  "You fucking bitch!!!" He grabbed her wrists and managed to force her hands off his face. She quickly reacted and headbutted him, unwilling to give him an inch in this fight they were having. "You are nothing! You are no one!" Diane screamed again and gave him another headbutt. Dylan painfully groaned and tried to stop her from hitting him, but she persisted and gave him a third headbutt, more powerful than the previous ones. It was enough to force him to his knees, and it opened a wound on his forehead that bled. She was bleeding from the mouth and nose because of the violence of the hits she gave him, tears streamed down her face as she was reeling from the pain three heatbutts caused. 

She could have fractured her forehead for all she knew, but it didn't matter. Diane wanted Dylan dead. She needed him to take his attention off the Jackal so he could surprise the mercenary.  Dylan laughed, confused yet amused by the whole situation. He always knew that his time would come someday, but little did he know that he would be found out by one of his little victims. Seeing Diane, so capable and determined to take his life, shocked him. How did she survive? How could she face him? His rage renewed, the mercenary, now able to reach the knife that was stuck in her thigh, grabbed it, pulled it out of her flesh, and tried to stab her. She managed to block some of his attacks and even snuck in a right hook. He didn't drop the knife and instead managed to stab her under the collarbone. She painfully screamed and tried to push him away, but he used the last of his strength to pounce on her and squeeze her neck.  He squeezed hard, enough to make her scratch his skin to blood, enough to break blood vessels in her eyes, enough to make her suffocate.  She moved her arms and started to scratch his face. She was fighting flashbacks from her assaults, as well as fighting to stay alive. She heard the sound of a gunshot, felt something warm splatter on her face, and  Dylan released her neck, and his body fell on top of her.  

She started to scream and pushed him off her body. Diane crawled away from the corpse, sat on the floor, and removed the knife lodged in her collarbone. She managed to get on her knees, eyes wide open and focused on the corpse before her. Dylan lay there on the floor, lifeless, harmless.... She screamed her pent-up rage and pain. She walked on her knees, crossing the distance between her and Dylan, and punched his chest, shaking his body. She finally could do it, unleash her pain on him, avenging the victims he caused. She yelled at him and ended up sobbing. She sobbed and shook. Alex was still catching his breath. He had managed to grab the gun he had lost during the fight. He didn't even think twice once he saw Dylan on top of Diane. He saw he was choking her, and she was struggling to break free from him, and once he aimed at Dylan's head, he pulled the trigger and shot him dead.  He walked closer to the corpse, and after a while spent watching Diane beat the body of Dylan into a bloody pulp, he knelt next to her, put the gun down, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She cried and stopped hitting Dylan's body to sob louder. It was a soul-piercing cry that came from deep within her. The one that released all grief, all pain, and everything she kept inside. Alex could do nothing but keep her close until her sobs stopped and she looked wiped her face. They had to leave, mostly because the police were securing the perimeter, and they knew the family Dylan had taken hostage would come back to their home. She stood u,p and the two of them escaped by using the exit stairs.  Finally, the nightmare was over. 

-TBC-

Jake Trivia and headcanons (N. edition)

Jake Trivia:  (From N.)

// For safekeeping! 

Death: Jake has become familiar with death over the years. He experienced it firsthand for the first time when he witnessed the death of his mother. After that, he was taken on the road with his father and brothers, and John trained his son to kill all manner of creatures who were doling out death themselves. 

He never enjoyed the killing, but eventually grew somewhat detached from the reality of death. It was a survival mechanism. The only way Jake could stomach standing over gruesome murder after gruesome murder was to distance himself from it. He stopped allowing himself to see the people behind the gore, stopping thinking about who they had been and what had been done to them. He stopped allowing himself to care because the caring was going to tear him apart. Hunting became a job, one he still does from time to time when he stumbles on a case, but more and more over the years, he has distanced himself from that world. 

Jake has accepted his own death as an inevitability. He lives life to the fullest, denying himself little in the way of his own wants and desires, because he believes he is likely to die sooner rather than later anyway. So why the hell not enjoy the ride?

Love: Jake has been in love, once (pre-Lux). It did not end well. Love is not something that he has actively sought out since. 

He believes it exists. He hasn't become so jaded that he denies the existence of love. Jake just doesn't see it as being in the cards for him. His life has been bloody and messy. It still is, still can be. It's not something he would want to drag someone into. Especially if he cared about them. 

Jake deliberately keeps relationships superficial, casual. He doesn't look for romantic love.

There are a few people in his life he can't help but care for more deeply. His brothers, Dean and Sam, he loves, complicated at their relationships are complicated. His sister-in-law, Oya. He loves them, and this feeling terrifies him. The possibility of losing another loved one is too painful to contemplate. It is a fear that hides behind his easygoing demeanor and endless jokes.

Marriage: Jake has not thought much about marriage. Simply because he long ago dismissed it as not being in the cards for him.  Never mind the legal complications: legally, he has been missing since the age of 12 and has long been assumed dead, Jake Winchester is an alias, and officially does not exist. 

Jake keeps all of his relationships with women casual. He has not been looking for romantic involvement, much less thinking about marriage. 

It has always been so far out of the realm of possibility for him that he doesn't even think about it.

Heartbreak: it takes many forms, and Jake is familiar with all of them. From the loss of his mother and his old life, the failure to save innocent lives, or having the one woman he loved betray him and smash his heart into a million pieces. Jake has been there, done that. 

As far as dealing with it? Jake retreats into silence, withdraws into himself, and does little else but sit with the pain until time dulls it enough that he can move on. It never goes away, but eventually it can be tucked away somewhere in the back of his mind.

What other choice did he have when his mother was killed and he was thrown into the back of an impala, told to deny his old identity, deny knowledge of his mother, deny everything, and soldier on? His relationship with heartbreak and pain was formed then, and his habits have changed little in the years since.

Soothing/ addiction and coping mechanisms: We are going to combine these two topics, because when it comes to Jake, you can't talk about one without talking about the other. 

Jake is a loner and has never turned to others for comfort or soothing. His mother, when he was young, but those days are long gone, and John berated that habit in him long ago. 

Self-soothing is the way to go, and Jake long ago turned to alcohol and all manner of drugs to dull the pain. 

He is an alcoholic, but masks it well. People see a singer who likes to party. No cause for alarm. He's a good time, and they move on. No one spends enough time around Jake to put two and two together, i.e., that the drinking never really stops.  

It dulls the pain enough to let him carry on, too.

Windora: "Clashing minds"

When Lux turned around to confront Frederic, the latter didn't show up. Instead, she heard a chuckle that grew increasingly loud and distant. He decided against revealing himself, which in turn would make it difficult for her to sustain her claims that she's being watched. Frustrated, she was about to leave the hallway when a night owl landed on her shoulder. She glanced at the animal and noticed it was carrying a message. She took the piece of paper tied to its claw and opened it. It was a formal message from her sire, Aurelius, requesting her return to their estate by the end of the month. He specified that her presence was mandatory as she was the reason for such an illustrious visit. "A suitor? Again?" -She growled and tore the paper into tiny pieces that floated in the wind. The only reason her father so formally contacted Lux was because she /had/ to be there. Vampire nobility was rife with protocols, and each and every move was subjected to scrutiny and gossip. Feeling a sense of obligation to her sire and a genuine desire to do right by him, Lux decided to attend the meeting. First, she would need to clear her mind and brace herself for what was to come. The past couple of months have been quite dreadful for the redhead, and she needed a distraction. So she opted for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. She wasn't well-known there and could enjoy some well-needed fun before returning to her estate. Maybe a couple of days of debauchery and intense feeding would give her enough strength to stomach the meeting with the suitor's representative.  What happened in New Orleans, however, disrupted her train of thought. 

Here she was, dressed in an exquisite red sequin dress with a plunging neckline that went down to her navel. Her red hair was arranged in a beautiful, high, large bun, with a few strands tickling her nose and the back of her neck. A gold necklace wrapped around her gracile neck and plunged into her breasts for a more dramatic effect. At her feet were a pair of black stilettos, and at her wrists was clasped a diamond bracelet, which complemented well her black wood sun ring she wore on her pinkie, as it was customary. Her jaw was clenched, her eyes intensely staring at the guest before her. A pale vampire, dressed in a sharp midnight blue suit, was talking to her sire. He was a member of the Fingore family, one of the rapidly growing vampire clans that wanted to become a part of the Adora family. He was handsome, uncanny even with his long blonde hair that teased his shoulder blades, his white brows, and deep blue eyes. He was holding his cane, using it to point at things without looking at them, namely, Lux, when he was talking about her. His blue eyes were laser-focused on Aurelius, Lux's sire. A tall black man with short hair, dressed in a cotton shirt with lace sewn in the collar and cuffs, black pants, and leather shoes.  Lux was closely listening to them, her pointy ears fluttered as she heard them discuss the marriage proposition. 

"My only concern, dear Aurelius, is that your daughter sometimes tends not to control her transformation. We would like for her to work harder on concealing her tail and claws and never reveal them when she's in our presence."

"I hear your concern, dear Albert, but would you be so kind and explain to me why my daughter's true face is such a problem to you?" -Lux's heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists onto her dress. Albert pointed his cane at Lux, acting as if she weren't sentient-

"Of course! We haven't seen her true face, so I can only speak on hearsay and rumours. The streets are saying that she looks like a half-baked vampire with her tail and bat-fangs, a sure sign of devolution among the vampire community. They are also saying that the claws accentuate her beastly appearance, and I personally believe that claws on a vampire belong to the past. Our elder vampires might have been powerful, even more so than us today; they were also ugly as sin. We cannot suffer to have her to appear like a beast in our presence. It would taint our reputation, and we can't have it."

Lux held onto her dress tighter, as anger was slowly suffocating her. Albert kept talking, but the redhead was already lost in her thoughts. They took her back to New Orleans, to Jake. She sought refuge in the memory she had of that wild encounter. Jake was unlike any human she had encountered before. He was strong and powerful. His body told the story of a man who had fought the supernatural world before. It was covered with deep scars that told a story of resilience and strength. He was fun. Oh, by the Unholy spirit, was he fun! Blood rushed to the cheeks and darkened them in a deep blush. She remembered his passion, the joy, and the excitement he felt upon spending time with her. The pleasure he got from making love to her. She remembered the way he made her feel that night. Sexy, desired, and beautiful. Yes! Beautiful. Jake never recoiled at the sight of her true face. He never attached negative words to her appearance, like Albert and the rest of the Vampire world did. He didn't ridicule her for having a tail, didn't spit in her face for having bat-fangs. He didn't ask her to hide herself to be more palatable for him.  He embraced it all. 

He embraced her fangs, so much so that he called her hot with them on. So much so that he kissed her on the lips several times, without hesitation. He wanted to feel those claws on his skin, to let them tear apart his flesh the more he was pistoning into her. He wanted to feel her tail on him, wrapped around his arm when they fell asleep, wrapped around his neck or his cock as they were fucking. He wanted every part of her. He desired every part of her. Unlike her peers, Jake never thought of her true form as ugly or scary. He welcomed her, and at this very moment, this simple thought was enough to quell her anger. It was enough to help her contain herself and not pounce on this weaker vampire to do quick work on him. It was enough to help soothe her broken heart and calm the fast pace with which it was beating. Rejection stung, being called ugly and undesirable bruised her ego and tore away at her self-confidence.  Being treated like a thing rather than a person irritated her so much that she wanted to stand up and leave. Doing so would cast a bad light on the family and hurt her sire. She couldn't cause him more trouble than she already had, so Lux swallowed her anger. She furrowed her brows and fought tears that threatened to run down her cheeks. 

Flashbacks of her night spent with Jake resurfaced while Albert kept arguing about how it would be best if Lux played a more submissive role within their family. He was advocating for his son, Gabriel, to take her place as the heir to the Adora family and to have her pushed to the sidelines so it would benefit everyone. Lux was aware that the only reason they weren't shunned by society was the reverence held for the Adora family. It was one of the most ancient vampire lineages, ergo, one of the most powerful as well. To shun them would mean they could become enemies, and they have been a handful of them; it was enough to make the entire vampire society tremble. Not to mention that they could still have allies among the other 4 top families, which would disrupt the natural order. Lux was aware that preventing it was necessary, and a misplaced anger could cost them more than taking abuse as she was.  She glanced at her father, who seemed to be calm and welcoming of their guest's words, but whose anger was visible to any keen eye. Aurelius was fuming at what Albert was saying. Since he turned Lux, he always cherished his daughter and protected her from harm's way. She was more than capable of handling herself, but he always protected her in situations like this one, when protocol demanded he be the one to speak with the guest, to reprimand them if need be, and to host the guest to the best of his abilities. 

"I heard you and I heard you well, dear Albert. I believe that it is now time for /me/ to speak. First of all, regardless of how you feel about my daughter, I believe that you should have had the decency to treat her with respect and not use certain words in front of me. You insulted her, therefore, you insulted me. Second of all, you never once addressed my daughter. For someone who wants to marry into the family, I believe you should have tried to at least get to know Lux. She is an exquisite vampire, far more well-rounded than most of our peers. She is well-read, well-traveled, and extremely knowledgeable. She is funny as well, and you deprived yourself of the chance to see for yourself. Thirdly, she's not a thing to be tossed around and discarded once she is of no use. I refuse to match her with someone who doesn't have a shred of respect in their bones. I am indeed looking for a suitor for her, but I am looking for one who has values and qualities I fail to see in you. /Dear/. /Albert/! So I suggest you leave my estate and don't come back unless you've issued a sincere apology. Off you go!" 

Aurelius's voice was booming, and his eyes turned red as he allowed his anger to burst a bit so his guest would take him seriously.  Jake's face came back to her mind, his infectious smile, the adorable grin that graced his features, it made her lip tremble as she wanted to go back to him. She wanted to see him. In a moment of pure vulnerability, the vampire wanted to be comforted by the strong arms of her human lover. Was he even her lover? Would he even want to see her again? Confusing thoughts crossed her mind, and she rubbed her temple with her fingers while an ashamed  Albert excused himself and left the living room. Lux's eyes were shifting from left to right, and she couldn't focus on what was happening because Jake's face came back to her. Her body shook, and she wished for Jake to come and comfort her. She wished for him to make her forget the pressure she was feeling at the moment. She felt tears fill her eyes and pinched her lips together to prevent herself from crying. She only met him once, and already, he was the face she wanted to see again. Already, he was the person she needed to have by her side.  Albert left, and Aurelius noticed his daughter on the verge of crying.  He sat next to her and gently grabbed her hand. 

"My rose, look at me. I am sorry you heard what that swine said about you."

"I had to hold back, Father. I had to hold back while he was insulting you." -Her voice trembled, and she shook her head. He cupped her cheeks and looked into her crimson eyes.-

"I know it weighs on you, daughter.  I don't mind being insulted, but what I won't tolerate is for you to be insulted, especially in front of me." She closed her eyes and allowed some tears to roll down her cheeks and onto his fingers. As typical as vampires, she was crying blood. He squeezed her cheeks tightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know you're frustrated, Lux." -She didn't even notice that the weight of these comments made her tail retract, as if she wanted to hide from her maker.- "But rest easy, I will always fiercely defend you. You would never have to worry about these assholes."

"he insulted me, called me a monster, a devolved vampire... All I could think about to calm myself down was the human I met in New Orleans. He saw my true form, and he never recoiled in disgust or fear. I don't know why, Father, but he was on my mind throughout the whole visit of our guest. All I could think about was the warm welcome he gave me, when this sleazebag couldn't even afford to look at me. It's a pity that I will never meet that human again, but he gave me something that even my peers weren't able to. Respect."

"One thing I am certain of, my Rose, it's that if you remember someone, you would search for them. I will patiently wait until you introduce me to that human you spoke so highly of today."

"Father! I told you! It was a one-night encounter. I would never see him again. I am too busy investigating to fancy seeing a human again. Besides,  no matter how much I do fancy him, I could never bring him into my bullshit. I would never let him watch me get insulted by prospective suitors, or to have to see how small I am in this society despite my title." She furrowed her brows when Aurelius wiped off the bloody tears. "I wonder, Father, what would happen if one of the suitors happened to respect me? Would you entertain their request for my hand? Would you... Marry me off to some stranger?"

"Ahaha, is that doubt I can hear in your voice, little sparrow? Have you forgotten that I do not force anything on my precious children? You will marry the soul of your choosing. We have to meet with suitors as is the protocol, but the best someone who respects you can get from me is allyship. Don't you fret, Lux. If you fancy that little human so much--"

"Please, Father! I am not considering anything with that human. He is special, yes, I mean..." -She shook her head and wiped out the fresh tears that rolled again on her face.- "Forget about it, I depart tomorrow, but I know you'd like to have a father-daughter night. Let me slip into something more comfortable, and we will have dinner, together with Alceste if that little Ogre is around." 

She managed to hide her confusion and press a kiss to her Sire's wrist. He patted her cheek and watched as she stood up and left the room. Lux was blushing, her heart was pounding against her chest as she thought about Jake. After one night? How come this human was filling her mind with the memories of that night? Previous to that visit, she was plagued with memories of their night together, of her moans, of his groans, of the taste of his blood. These memories, she could expect. What she didn't expect was to imagine his embrace when she was at her most vulnerable. What she didn't expect was to think about his kisses, his smiles, and his comforting presence when she was at her most vulnerable. What she didn't expect was to think about him when she was visited by a guest who wanted his son to request her hand for marriage. All after one night? Did that mean she wanted to find him again? No! She didn't! She couldn't! Could she? 

-TBC-

Trivia and headcanons: Lux edition

• Lux's age has never been specified, but she's currently over 2000 years old. 

• Jake is the love of her life. She is loyal to him, so do not try to seduce her, do not try to trash Jake in front of her, and do not even try to insinuate that he is not loyal to her. 

• Windora is the ship's name.  

• Lux's true vampire form has claws, a tail, and bat fangs.  

• Lux is infertile, and it can't be reversed due to her vampirism. She's made her peace with it rather quickly. 

• Fighting turns her on. That's basically what happened when Jake and she were alone for the first time. They had a fight. 

• She is multilingual due to millennia spent traveling the world.

• She considers her Sire, Aurelius, like her father,  and the second vampire he sired, Alceste, to be her brother.

• Lux loves showing Jake off. She's smitten over him and loves how clever, cunning, fun,  and skilled he is. 

• She calls Jake "Puppy", Aurelius "Father", and Alceste "Ogre" (it's endearing)

• Jake calls her "Madam", "Miss Adorable", Aurelius calls her "My rose", and Alceste calls her "Miss Bites-a-lot" (it's endearing)

• Jakes is one of the very few (her father, her brother, and her Renaissance late lover as well) to not be grossed out by her true form.

• Lux feels extremely self-conscious of her true form. She's comfortable in it; that's not the problem. It's the social stigma that comes with it that became a core belief that her true form is to be hidden away and too off-putting to be shown in public.  

• She has a white inked tattoo of a rose on her neck. 

• She never sired a vampire, mostly because she doesn't feel the urge to do so and, like her father, prefers to give humans the freedom of a well-informed choice. Upon learning what being a vampire truly entails, most people give up on the idea. 

• Despite Lux being of the high nobility, she struggles with being respected by her peers. They consider her appearance to be a disgrace when she's fully transformed and urge her to keep a semi-vampire form, which is more palatable for them. They do envy her position, wealth, and power, and want to marry her to gain access to it.  Lux rejects all suitors because she refuses to become a tool, and she knows they're not asking for her hand out of love for her. 

• She has to hold back on her anger so much when she's in the vampire society that she lashes out when she's with humans. 

• Lux doesn't remember her human life, except that there was so much pain in it, she was willing to die to become a vampire. Aurelius saved her "life" by killing her and turning her into a vampire. 

• Lux regrets her vampirism, not because she became a monster, but rather, she resents immortality because she watched people she cared about die of old age or human diseases, and she remained just the same. 

• Lux is, at her heart, a true switch. However, since she hasn't met her match, she usually is quite dominant.  Jake might help her reveal that submissive side of hers. 
• Lux is very straightforward. She would be very honest about what she wants and what she feels. Her honesty sometimes brought her troubles, especially when she talked back to the members of the High nobility. 

• Lux had a child when she was still human. Unfortunately, during a raid in her small town, that child was murdered in front of her and her fate was to become a "whore" for the invading tribe. She would have been subjected to torture and rape which, coupled with the murder of her child, achieved to make her lose her mind. She killed the murderers and escaped from her town. She walked aimlessly, begging for death to come to her when she met Aurelius. She asked him to kill her and make her forget about her child and her life as a human when she came back as a vampire, which he did. 

• Lux is not used to tenderness. The only people who treated her like that, before Jake,  were her father and brother, and her late lover Paolo. Most people are either aggressive or requesting her to be aggressive, which she indulges. 

• Lux tends to scratch Jake's back when they have sex. Depending on how she does it (with or without claws), it can either fully heal by the morning after, or she can leave them there if they're superficial.  

• Lux is a rather possessive creature. She's also exclusive. Jake is hers, and she is Jake's, no one else, no matter how hard they try, would ever get her attention.  While she's not suffocating like most possessive people are, it manifests in her showing Jake off, wanting others to look at him, admire him, and desire him, but refusing that anyone takes it too far and touches him inappropriately. Jake can handle these people, so she wouldn't intervene, but she would always fuck these scents off of him. Always. 

• In this universe, only powerful vampires use "vampire magic": which actually entails: "metamorphosis" into smoke/ animals like cats and bats, "glamour" which hides any vampiric features to the human eyes, "telepathy" which can only exist between a sire and his progeny, "persuasion", which can only work on lesser vampires/ humans.  Otherwise, they rely on witches and other magical creatures to cast spells. (Their day-walking rings are gifts from witches. Only the highest nobility have them, which allows them to daywalk without burning into a crisp. Lux has access to all of this. 

• Lux couldn't care less about human lives. She wouldn't go out of her way to save them. She also wouldn't actively try to destroy them. She usually refrains from hurting humans and has several favourite blood bags (at least, before Jake, she had plenty of them). However, she reviles hunters and would always make sure they're dead if they ever came to her. 

• Lux yearns for love. She won't say it out loud, but she wants to be loved for who she is, regardless of her vampiric nature or anything else. She yearns for sincerity and for someone to find beauty in her whole being. 

• Lux has three loyal and willing blood bags, one of them being a beautiful blonde woman named Kelly. These people belong to the wealthy human society and are devoted to Lux. They would all regret it when Lux claims she wouldn't drink from them, unless there was an emergency (and Jake can't feed her, for some reason). One of them, Alessandro,  would be resentful and openly jealous of Jake. He would let him know that he shouldn't have access to such a privilege and would misunderstand Jake and Lux's relationship as being purely based on a kink, rather than them having genuine feelings for each other. While she's certain Jake would put him in his place and she would let it happen, she would also talk to Alessandro and berate him for badmouthing Jake and treating him like dirt, and a repeat offence would be the last he'll ever do. Needless to say, it would calm the man down. 

•  Lux loves to bite Jake. It's both kinky, as in " blood play" between the two of them, and something they both share, their love language of sorts. She bites, and he gives himself freely. 
• Her vampirism gave her red eyes and black sclera.  She can also grow a tail and claws when she's fully transformed. Her hair turned red after she turned into a vampire. All these elements make her stand out in the vampire society.
• She heard of the Winchester brothers' exploits, but by the Winchester brothers, it's only Sam and Dean Winchester. She's not aware of Jake being a Winchester just yet. 
• She wraps her tail around Jake's arm when they fall asleep. It's a way to show affection, and a way for him to know she feels safe. 
• As time will go by, she might be more comfortable in her true form with her tail out (and claws only coming out when they're fucking for example.) 
• Lux lashes out at people when she's upset. She would always hiss and bare her fangs as an indicator of her state of mind. 
• New Orleans would hold some importance in Lux's mind because that's where she met Jake.
•  It would take some time for her to admit that she can't get enough of Jake and wants to stay with him forever. She will come and go and try to forget him with other blood bags and other lovers, but it will never be the same. They are not Jake. So she would always come back to him. Eventually, around the 5th time, she would admit she doesn't want to leave him. 
• Lux is well aware of her beauty and extremely confident in herself. The only time she might not be as confident would be with her true form, given the heavy weight the vampire society placed on her shoulders to keep it hidden. 
• Immortality made her feel like her life was meaningless. She doesn't want humans to experience the same thing as she did and would discourage her lovers from becoming vampires. She doesn't want Jake to die, but she's well aware that it's part of Life and she should enjoy and cherish every moment she has with him. 

• Lux enjoys greatly to watch others salivate over Jake. She loves to watch them twitch and groan and try to get into his pants, with him not giving in to their desires. He flirts, she can see it, but she also knows he's doing it because of her. Lux loves that her man (or arm candy in that situation) makes others want to have a piece. It turns her on so much that he's desired and even more that she gets to wash those scents off of him when they're alone again. 
• She is obsessed with Jake, literally obsessed with him.  She thinks he is the most fascinating human she's ever met. (on top of being extremely handsome and sexy!)
• Lux is insanely rich; it's a perk of being 2000 years old and a vampire. She mostly gets away with it by pretending to be her own descendant. In the 21st century, she played heavily into the conspiracy theories that claimed she was a clone, rather than anything supernatural, to keep curious minds away from the truth.  So far, they all eat up the lie of the strong genes in her family. 
• She tends to become silent and shoot a very intense look at the person she's upset with when they belong to the vampire nobility. Otherwise, she's very straightforward and would bash your head in if she is angry with you. 
• Lux is an extremely powerful vampire, but she is vastly underestimated by her peers, which often leads to their demise at her hands. 
• Lux is very cute when she blushes. Very few things can truly make her blush like a first-time bride: Tenderness. Romantic gestures. Genuine compliments.
• Lux's true appearance is reviled by the entire Vampire society. It's mostly due to their ignorance and the fact that contemporary vampires now have common traits. (two long canines they call "fangs", paleness, white sclera. and no tail) 
• There are 5 big families in the Vampire society.  Lux Adora belongs to one of them.  On top of it, she's also the descendant of one of the original vampires. 
• She is all over him, all the damn time. Her hands love to explore him, touch him, and tease him. So she would always be touching that man! He turns her on so much! 
• Lux can relate to Jake's solitude. She doesn't know his past but has noticed that he was always on his own, even when he was surrounded by people. 

• She is loyal to Jake. Do not try to seduce her, do not try to trash Jake in front of her, or make her believe that he is cheating on her. She knows he's loyal, and she knows he won't even entertain looking at someone else. She doesn't either. They chose one another! 

• She is shameless and would have zero care in the world about being seen in an "embarrassing" position in public. She could walk naked among humans if she so pleased.  Things are a tad different when she's in the vampire society, where protocol, customs, and the harsh punishment for straying from the rules brings. 

• Lux loves reading romance. She always has a book within reach so she can use it for escapism. 
• Lux isn't clingy, however, she is very cuddly. Vampire society can be rather cold and distant; therefore, she tries to compensate for her lack of love by loving someone else with all she has. The only exception is both her father and sibling, who retained their warmth. 

• She blushes,  her ears flutter, and she frenetically wags her tail when she's embarrassed, aroused, or scared. 

• She obviously would have a hard time connecting with Jake's family. They would all see her as a legitimate threat (and would be right to. She doesn't blame them).  Maybe, after some time and after they realize that it's serious and Jake is happy with her, perhaps Oya would be more open to them as a couple. 
• Aurelius would need some time to assess Jake, but as soon as he is certain the Winchester actually loves his daughter and wants her happiness, he would welcome him without any hesitation. Alceste would joke a lot about the pairing, mostly Jake's ability to handle his sister, given how much smart talk she gives him. Both would be very welcoming of this pairing (because both want Lux to be happy.) 

• She does have a Berserk button. Do not threaten her Father, brother, or Jake. 
• Lux is a great cook; she always tries to give a good time to anyone who stops by her place. She prefers hearty meals to fancy ones, but can do almost anything she wants.

• Red is her favorite color. She always looks stunning when she wears it. 

Hayley trivia and headcanon (Hayley DDBA edition)

• Hayley is currently 25 years old. 

• Matt Murdock is the love of her life. She is loyal to him, so do not try to seduce her, do not try to trash Matt or Daredevil in front of her, and do not even try to insinuate that Daredevil is not loyal to her. 

• Matee is the ship's name.  

• Hayley's body is covered with scars

• Hayley is infertile due to the rigorous training and medical experiments on her.  It can't be reversed. She's made her peace with it rather quickly. 

• Her weapon of choice is a katana she carries on her back. She has to because she never knows when the H.A.N.D. will attack. 
• Hayley is a decent cook. She learned a lot during her youth and can perform well.
• Hayley is a switch. Her standard would always to be a bit dominant.

• Hayley has a huge Afro. If she were to straighten her hair, it would reach her knees.

• Hayley tends to scratch Matt's back when they have sex, which is something she loves to see the morning after. (She's smug about it.) 

• She also never lets up. especially when she has things to ask. Hayley is stubborn, and even Matt knows better than to try and swerve her.

• She doesn't fear death. She doesn't mind risking her life to save others. However, she doesn't want to lose Matt. 

• Hayley thinks of herself as a monster and can't accept that she deserves a second chance.
• Hayley is severely lonely. 
• Matt calls her "Lee" when he's affectionate with her, or "little bug".
• She has worked with Elektra and holds a lot of respect for her. She can also relate a lot to her. 
• She is a very stubborn woman. She is determined to help others even when they don't want to. 
• The H.A.N.D. is after her, mostly because they don't like the fact that she's escaped them. 
• Hayley doesn't believe in second chances.  However, she's been influenced by her friend Melania and Matt's strong belief that people deserve at least another chance at life, to show that they can become better. 
• She calls Matt her "little devil". 
• Hayley has a white inked star tattoo on her left wrist.
• Hayley has brown skin with grey eyes. 
• She is a very stubborn woman. Her determination is so intense that she never gives up, and it takes a lot to make her change her mind. Especially if someone she loves is sick or injured.
• She survived the "blimp" and tirelessly worked harder to protect the weak and needy during those 5 years.
• Hayley has never been loved before, therefore, she has no idea that something so beautiful exists or that she's worthy of being loved. She only saw her value as someone who could be used or a valuable asset because that's the only way she was raised. With Matt, she'll discover love, its magic,  and its growing pains.
• To combat solitude, Hayley drinks, dances, beats up abusive spouses, and fights.
• Hayley has only heard about Luke Cage. She doesn't know very well what his whereabouts are, but she made sure to keep in mind the existence of that superpowered individual.
• She has encountered Claire Temple, the Night Nurse, once as Widowmaker. Claire patched her up.
• Hayley also encountered Iron Fist. He is actually one of the top donors to the Shelter.  She knows there is more to him as she can sense his chi. 
• She smells like Jasmine. A scent Matt would quickly become fond of.
• She is a beautiful woman and an uncanny beauty. She makes sure to downplay her attractiveness by dressing plainly.
• She has met Jessica Jones briefly when the latter investigated the disappearance of a woman who used to be a client of the shelter. Hayley worked with Jessica and managed to help solve the case without Jessica realizing she was a vigilante.
• Matt doesn't like the idea of someone else sweeping Hayley off her feet. Still, he will play it cool and pretend he's fine when jealousy rears its ugly head.
• Hayley is very cuddly when she's sleeping next to Matt. 
• She can relate to Matt as both had ties to the H.A.N.D., both are orphans, and both are vigilantes.

• She would get along well with Frank because they both see the world in the same way. 

• Hayley loves reading. She always has a book within reach so she can use it for escapism.

• Hayley's only "friend" would be her colleague at the shelter, Melania. a middle-aged blonde and rotund woman who gave her a second chance at life by helping her get hired at the shelter. 

• Hayley has worked for the Belgian secret services as an infiltrator of the H.A.N.D. Needless to say that the horrors she read about/ covered up/ enacted on behalf of Belgium tainted her soul. 

• She has finally started to feel pleasure when having sex with Matt. 

•  Hayley isn't clingy, however, she is very cuddly. She didn't grow up in a very loving house and therefore, tries to compensate for her lack of love by loving someone else with all she has. 

• Her body is covered with faint scars, only one is deep enough to leave a trace and is located on her shoulder blades. She tells the story of a bike accident to whoever wants to know, but in reality, it was her master who inflicted it on her, as a punishment for helping another captive orphan like her. 

•  Hayley is in excellent shape and could give Daredevil a run for his money if they started to fight each other.

• She tends to intensely stare when she's under pressure. 

• In truth, Hayley tried to kill herself but couldn't bring herself to go all the way out. She thought her skills could've been used for something good and decided instead to atone for her sins by saving the weak and needy. 

•  She always struggles not to kill the people she fights. 

• She connects with Daredevil in ways she can't really explain. There is definitely something between the two of them. Something that makes her want to see him again and talk to him, hold him in her arms, comfort him. 

• She loves beating up abusive spouses. It's the way she found to repent for the deaths she's responsible for.

• Hayley's true accent only comes back when she's shocked or when she feels safe. 

• Hayley is not against having a family of her own, but given her past, she's not sure she can ever become a mother, let alone be in a relationship
• Blue is her favorite color. She always looks stunning when she wears it.

Trivia and headcanon (Hayley DDBA) : Sex // Anger // Addiction and coping mechanism

Sex: Hayley enjoys sex. She is very in touch with her sexuality and would never shy away from it. She loves exploring it and tries and find new ways to find pleasure. She knows what she wants and what she hates, and would always seek pleasure wherever it is. Before Matt, sex was usually used as a way to manipulate her targets or blow some steam off. She didn't find it as pleasurable as when she was doing it on her own. Matt changed that for her. He helped her access her vulnerability and find genuine pleasure in sex. 

Anger: Hayley can control her anger. She was trained by the H.A.N.D. to be as efficient as possible, and that entailed being able to control her emotions so nothing could transpire. Only the trained eyes and ears could actually notice when she's angry. Matt could because he can hear heartbeats. However, when Hayley lashes out, you better not be on her path or she will obliterate you. 

Addiction and Coping Mechanism:  Hayley is addicted to pain. She's an assassin who derives pleasure from self-mutilation/ pain from her injuries. She's also addicted to his cum, to his taste, to everything about Matt. She's addicted to him. Through and through. 

When she's under stress, she tries to drown those feelings with alcohol or a fight. Usually, she would also beat up abusive spouses within an inch of their lives. 

Trivia and headcanon (Hayley DDBA) : Marriage // Heartbreak // soothing

Marriage:  Hayley had never considered marriage before she met Matt. She wasn't even sure that someone would ever want her to begin with.  She enjoyed reading romance novels because they allowed her mind to escape her reality as an assassin. However, since meeting Matt, the desire to get married resurfaced, stronger than ever. Could they get married? Hayley isn't sure that she could have a happy marriage, not because they wouldn't work hard to make it happen, but because Life would always come and fuck shit up. The H.A.N.D. would always try to kill her for deserting their ranks, and they would always come after Daredevil for attempting to destroy the organization (and nearly succeeding).  

Heartbreak: Hayley never fell in love before she met Matt. She couldn't allow herself to dream of a different life, and still doesn't think that she deserves to be loved after all the bad things she did. She's extremely pessimistic and distraught about her past. Outside the romantic aspect of her life, she had her heart broken several times by the H.A.N.D. First, they made her kill her dog. They made her fight to the death the friends she made while she was growing up, and she was also forced to have sex in part of her training. Since she met with Matt, she wished she had earned intimacy and sex differently than how the H.A.N.D. taught her. 

Soothing: When Hayley becomes angry, very few people can actually soothe her. Her anger stems from fear and pain. She usually fears losing Matt and her friend Melania. She fears their deaths at the hands of the H.A.N.D. She also fears being rejected, and usually lashes out instead of crying. She would only be calmed by the soothing presence of Matt and Melania. When they are not around, and she has to deal with her emotions on her own? Oh, she beats people up.  She struggles with not killing them, but always beats them within an inch of their lives. When she doesn't kill, she fucks or she indulges in hedonism and alcohol. It doesn't help her feel better, but at least it can quell the rage and fear. She can also fight or train. She seeks pain to distract her mind. 

Trivia and headcanon (Hayley DDBA) : Crying // Secret they won't talk about

Crying:  Hayley doesn't like to cry in front of others. She would always try to isolate herself so she could cry alone. It was first due to the way she was raised. As an assassin, she should keep her emotions to herself. She associated her tears with weakness, and only a handful of people saw her cry and lived to tell the tale. Matt would be the first to see her cry, the first to comfort her, and the first to encourage you to keep crying. She feels safe with him, and therefore, she could be vulnerable with him. 

secret they won't talk about: Hayley can't bring herself to tell Matt about the crimes she committed for the H.A.N.D. Unfortunately, the targets were indiscriminately selected, and she had the blood of innocent people on her hands. She is traumatized and ashamed of these deaths because she knew it was wrong. She's especially ashamed and plagued with nightmares for the deaths of the children she was responsible for. 

Trivia and Headcanon (Lux): Crying// Secret they won't talk about.

Crying:  When Lux cries, she cries blood. She doesn't like to be vulnerable in front of anyone and would only show her tears to loved ones. The last time she cried was after the death of Paolo. She would not hide her tears from Jake because she doesn't want to hide anything from him. She would first not admit she's sad, but would quickly want to be comforted by him. 

secret they won't talk about: Lux doesn't want Jake to know that she's both being coveted (for her title, her name, her lineage) and treated with disdain and contempt by the high nobility. She doesn't want him to see her in such vulnerability when she's treated like a god among humans. Obviously, Jake would witness it first hand. 

Trivia and headcanon: Lux: Sex// Anger// addiction and coping mechanism

Sex: Lux enjoys sex. She is very in touch with her sexuality and would never shy away from it. She loves exploring it and has been for the past 2000 years. She knows what she wants and what she hates, and would always seek pleasure wherever it is. Unfortunately for the vampire, the 20th century has been dry. She encountered really bad lovers who left a sour taste in her mouth. She is yearning for someone who can break her spirit and make her feel pleasure like she never had before. She wants to be manhandled and to turn her partner into her private fuck toy. Jake seems to be the perfect candidate for it, and she knows she will have fun with him. Perhaps he can match her freak. Perhaps he can make her lose her mind and give her the fucking that would turn her into a needy slut. 

Anger: Lux can control her anger. She has to when she navigates the vampire high society. Her anger bubbles to the surface, and only a keen eye could actually notice it. Usually, when she's angry, she would bare her fangs,  her tail would wag violently, and she would become violent. You better not be in her way because she would obliterate you. Only a few people can calm her down. Her father, her brother, and Jake.

Addiction and Coping Mechanism:  Lux is addicted to blood. Obviously, she's a vampire, so of course, she would be addicted to blood. She's very sensitive when it comes to its taste and can tell the difference between good blood and bad blood. Jake's blood is exquisite, so she is clearly addicted to it.  She's also addicted to his cum, to his taste, to everything about Jake. She's addicted to him. Through and through. 

When she's under stress, she tries to drown those feelings with alcohol or a fight. If it doesn't work, she would have sex, and if it doesn't work, she would go on a killing spree or just fight. 

Trivia and headcanons (lux): Marriage // heartbreak // soothing

Marriage:  In vampiredom, marriage is a serious matter. You can't marry anything that isn't a vampire, let alone a human - the weakest species-. If you get yourself attached to a human being, to the point of considering marriage, you have to turn them into vampires, or else, the union is doomed to fail and rejected by your peers. Lux only considered marriage once, with her human lover Paolo. She wanted to turn him into a vampire, but he always refused, preferring his humanity to eternity without his soul.  It never occurred to her mind to marry after Paolo died. She never fell in love after him -until she met Jake- and isn't thinking about it. However, should she want to get married, she would not do it under vampire laws. She would marry in a human courtroom and would live with her significant other until they die.  It is a serious matter to her. while she never thought about marriage since Paolo's death, she's been proposed to several times by other vampires. Her Sire always respected her choice because he knew that Lux wanted to be loved instead of used; She knew they wanted her status and the prestigious name of her family rather than her and didn't want to give up her freedom to her suitor's whims. 

Heartbreak: Lux had her heart broken into pieces so many times. Starting with the day she turned into a vampire. Her old life was traumatic, so much so that she doesn't remember a lot of it and avoids any memory that could trigger the rest. She also had her heart broken when her human lover, Paolo, died, murdered by a jealous human. She was so heartbroken that the vampire tried to walk into the sun to die. On a different scale, the reception to her true form by vampires has been a source of pain for Lux. Many consider her to be a runt (half-baked vampire)  or non-orthodox looking ( Claws? a tail? without wings and without horns to complete the look? Bat-fangs, rather than the typical vampire's longer canines?) What many fail to realize it's that her physical appearance comes from the ancient blood that coursed her veins, and that her being a direct descendant of that elder vampire. Even Lux doesn't know about it and simply considers her appearance to be monstrous and disgraceful when presented in public. The other vampires, especially the elders, very often request that she present only as a semi-transformed vampire, with her bat-fangs being the only disgrace they can suffer from her. So she doesn't expect people other than her Sire and brother to actually care about her and see no problem with how she presents herself. She hides that discomfort with a bold attitude, but expects disgust when in full transformation.

Soothing: When Lux becomes angry, very few people can actually soothe her. Her anger stems from fear. She usually fears losing her father (or Sire) and brother. She fears their deaths at the hands of his enemies in the royal court. She also fears being rejected, and usually lashes out instead of crying. She would only be calmed by her father's embrace or her brother's quips. When they are not around, and she has to deal with her emotions on her own? Oh she kills. She breaks her own rules about not going after innocent humans and kills anyone who crosses her path.  When she doesn't kill, she fucks or she indulges in hedonism and alcohol. It doesn't help her feel better but at least it can quell the rage and fear. Jake can soothe her if he sings to her. his music truly makes her feel. She has access to emotions she thought were long dead. it would calm her. It would make her cry maybe. it would make her hope. If Jake hugs her, she would also calm down. If he makes her feel welcomed and accepted, she would be calmer. She dreads the day he sees her as a monster. She dreads the day he will die too.