Dec. 22: Tag, You're It: Bella, Reg, Ed, Phoebe, Kyra, Fabs

[Alecto Carrow]

▶︎ grabbed my hand, pushed me down
took the words right out my mouth
tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it...

"Bring us something strong to drink," Alecto said to the elf at Bella's door, striding past the little thing without another look. Tonight was going to be fun, and the first step of it was getting together with her partner. It'd been such a shame that ever since Bella's little cousin had joined up with them, he hadn't actually been able to do anything. Trapped at Hogwarts, with a listlessness she could imagine all too well...

The kid needed to have some fun, and who better to introduce him to the world of muggle baiting than them?

As Alecto made her familiar way to Bella's bedroom, she had to grin in her excitement. The poor boy had no idea what was in store for what would likely have been a dull Friday evening. But no, they were going to give him a treat - the muggles, despite the weather and lack of heating charms, were still boisterous at clubs downtown late into the night. It was a matter of blending in until they could find appropriate targets - likely getting the kid a drink along the way to cool his nerves, she'd hardly ever seen someone so tightly wound - and then they could stir something up. Their activity in this arena had to be constant, after all, in order to induce the right amount of fear and instability.

What was worse than an enemy the muggles didn't know existed? The fools felt the ominous change in the air, they knew something was amiss, what with the disappearances and attacks that went unexplained - but no one would dare think witches and wizards of a dark persuasion were to blame. And yet - they were frightened. It was time to add more fuel to the fire.

"Ready to go soon?" she asked as she swung into the bedroom where she'd assumed Bella would be getting ready. Spying her sitting at the vanity, Alecto smirked at her reflection as she crossed the room. "Going for the distract-so-they-don't-know-what's-coming look tonight?" she teased, leaning to give the brunette a lingering kiss of greeting. "I very much approve." The whisper was met with another nip, and Alecto laughed, fixing the other woman's smudged lipstick before making herrself comfortable on a nearby chair as she waited for Bella to finish. Biting at a rough nail, she asked, "How dumbfounded do you think he'll be?"

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Muggle hunting was always fun - but it was significantly more fun when Alecto was with her. And tonight would be even better, as they had every intention of taking Regulus with them. He'd hardly gotten to have any fun, and as he was stuck in school away from Nott girl, he clearly wasn't having any. He wasn't the type who would fool around - he was too kind for that. And while he took after Narcissa in that manner, Bella was sure he'd take after her when it came to hunting. After all, he would be training with the best.

She didn't bother to look up as the door opening, knowing full well it was her lover. They had long passed the stage of knocking on doors or waiting for invitations. And while there were occasions that called for them being discreet, this was certainly not going to be one of them. Not during a hunt. She looked up to catch Alecto's smirk as she approached, and let herself enjoy the kiss. There was something about the other woman that made Bella crave even the simplest acts of affection, and she had to keep herself from pulling Alecto down as the blonde went to sit down. She returned to looking at the mirror, running a brush through her hair. "I thought you might, although if I have my way you'll be the only one I'm distracting later tonight," she answered with a glance, a smile playing on her lips.

After all, there was nothing better than a night with Alecto after a hunt. Although if she could have things her the two of them could certainly enjoy each other for a bit before heading out. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by an elf bringing them drinks and she shot him a look before he scurried off. "

[Alecto Carrow]

"You know I'm all yours," Alecto said after a laugh, but she couldn't resist continuing in a tease, "for I don't think Regulus could handle an entire night with us." The thought of the boy joining them in this room was laughable indeed, not for the least of reasons that he was likely still as pure as his blood. While it was going to be amusing to show him the ropes when it came to muggle baiting, Alecto preferred experience to naiveté when it came to other matters of pleasure. That in mind, she met the other's dark eyes in the mirror, fiddling with the choker around her neck with antsy fingers. The impulsive woman was feeling even more so tonight, what with all of the excitement. Getting Regulus out of Walburga's home was going to be hilarious, she could just see the boy trying to do right by both his mother and his cousin.

And then they were going to open the world up to him.

Regulus had power, but Alecto doubted he'd ever experimented with it, at least not in the ways that they had. He needed to see what he could really do, he needed to feel the intoxicating rush of control that she got by having something so helpless in her grasp. He needed to stop just wearing the Mark, and become one of them in deed.

A brief clatter at the door drew her attention, and she quickly rose to take up the crystal whiskey glasses - filled with Swott Malt if her nose was correct, fitting of the caliber of person who found themselves in this residence. The slim blonde perched herself on the vanity, handing one of the glasses to her companion. From her perch she had the absolute perfect vantage point, Bella's bosom hardly hidden within the lattice, and she smirked at the realization. The things you're trying to do to me. She drank happily, energy buzzing through her, and impetuously leaned forward to kiss the brunette again before too long. For someone who had once sought new partners constantly, becoming bored with them so soon, knowing that she could be content with only this woman...

The husband was only a slight inconvenience.

"We probably shouldn't be too early - want to make it seem urgent to him, hmm?" Bright eyes shone with their usual deviance as she grinned, her free hand twisting into the hair at the back of Bella's neck.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Her laugh rang out at Alecto's comment, shaking her head at the image. Regulus joining them? The boy would probably die at the suggestion. His mother sheltered the boy so much. Not that she could really blame Walburga, not with the way Sirius had turned out. A bemused smirk played on her lips as she remembered the day her idiot cousin had been blasted off the family tapestry by his mother. It had been so difficult to not laugh when Walburga had been so upset. But with Andromeda having run off with that muggle, Bella had to watch her tongue. Besides, how could Walburga say no when her and Alecto showed up on on the doorstep. With Regulus being in the Dark Lord's favor, it only made sense for him to stick by the two of them.

She accepted the whiskey glass from Alecto, sipping it happily as she watched Alecto with a smirk. It wasn't long before the blonde was leaning forward, and Bella returned the kiss happily. There was already so much energy in the air, her mind ready to play games on naive muggles. Although Alecto's offer was tempting, Bella had to laugh before leaning up for another kiss. "Don't worry love, Rodolphus won't be around for a few days," Bella added with a wink. 

"Besides, I want to see if that fiance of his is around. Walburga seems to like this Nott girl, although I wouldn't be surprised if she was more into the girl's father," Bella said with a roll of her eyes. "She's not done a useful thing, almost as useless as young Vanderhyde really. But Mulciber, she'll be useful in the future. She would have been a much better match for Regulus."

[Alecto Carrow]

While immediate denial was hardly something Alecto would call herself fond of, at least the beauty softened the blow by granting her another few moments at her lips. Bella was pulling away much too soon, leaving the younger Death Eater with an amused pout as she went on about wanting to investigate. The goings on at a house like Walburga's were things that Alecto was absolutely fine remaining in the dark about; marriage plots and the like were meaningless, if something like what she and Bellatrix shared could happen. So why all the stress? Her parents had been dissuaded from the tasks much in thanks to Amycus, something for which she'd always be in debt to her elder brother for. Their full commitment to the Dark Lord was a consuming enough task, and was doing enough to keep their family in high standings, after all...

That said, she hadn't much opinion of her own on the new recruits. All were quite awful until proven otherwise, in her book, and although she recalled both this Nott and Mulciber being quite blonde...which was which?

"Fine then, if we're making a social call too - best be off." The blonde wasn't too put out, not really; with Rodolphus gone for the week, that gave her more leave than usual to extend her stay at the Lestrange manor. She slid off of the vanity and downed the rest of the fiery Swott Malt, the fine crystal slammed down in her eagerness for something to happen tonight. If all went as planned, they'd have wetted Regulus' whistle for muggle baiting and not scared the shy lad more than half to death. They'd be back here - specifically making a mess of the comforter a meter or so to the left - before too long, having done in with their easy prey without so much as breaking a sweat. Pitiful creatures, really. It was all a matter of the food chain, wasn't it? There were hunters in all ecosystems, naturally better fit to survive than the others. For those who would argue that mudbloods and wizardkind were "all human at the end of the day," how could a natural advantage like the magic pulsing wickedly in her veins put her anywhere but the top? These vermin hunted lesser animals for sport - someone had to hunt them.

It was only natural.

That in mind, Alecto held her hand out to her partner, fingers wiggling in excitement until the brunette clasped them tightly. With a shared smirk and destination in mind, the pair spun wordlessly into nothingness...

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Making a social call to her Aunt’s house wasn’t fun, but at least Alecto was appeasing her. If Walburga hadn’t royally f*cked up with Sirius, perhaps Bella wouldn’t have to get involved. And yes, Annie had run off with a mudblood but both herself and Narcissa had turned out perfectly. They were a higher class of pureblood, as was Carrow, and surely their opinion on the dim witted blonde was worth something. Nott had made an impression at their annual dinner, with her late arrival, but that was about the extent of knowledge she had. Her only other information had been from Mulciber, and had yet to be of any usefulness. Bellatrix stood, clasping Alecto’s hand with her own, and before long they were standing outside of Grimmauld place.

She let herself in, no point knocking for family, her heels and voice echoing down the hallway. “Regulus! Your favorite cousin is here!” Oh, this was going to be brilliant fun. The night her and Rodolphus had taken Rabastan out had been brilliant, and surely with her lover and her cousin it would be just the same. At least this time her other half actually enjoyed the task, as opposed to simply doing it to make her happy. “Walburga, we’re taking Regulus out!”

[Deleted]

Walburga's evening was unceremoniously disturbed as a familiar tone shattered the calm within their home. Bellatrix, what are you doing? The woman composed herself before exiting the parlor to find not only her niece but also her niece's companion in the hall. Kreacher was scurrying after the pair of them, muttering something about manners and their lack thereof, but she sent him away with a sharp wave of her hand. She turned her cold eyes on the girls, containing a sigh; one would hardly know that either of them were from good families with the way they presented themselves. "Bellatrix," she asked, contained calm, "what is this all about?"

It was true that her son and her niece now had more in common than they ever had, what with sharing the same honors and agendas, but an unprompted visit was out of the ordinary. Especially this late into the evening. It was hardly proper for Bellatrix to barge into their home as if she owned it. And what was this about taking Regulus? That was absurd. All too soon, Walburga shortly heard her son's footfalls on the stairs behind her. Of all the times in the world to be prompt, boy. He was doing everything she needed him to, from wooing a lovely girl to partaking in the Dark Lord's wishes - he surely did not need whatever it was his cousin wanted to throw at him.

[Regulus Black]

You only have a few days to find her Christmas present.

    You could ask Mother.

But Regulus cringed at the thought, hopeful that his mother's taste in gifts was different enough from Wyn's that she'd be no help. The seventh year was restless, laying on his back in his childhood bedroom, occupying his hands with repetitively tossing a ball up and letting gravity do the rest, while his mind worked on conjuring up something spectacular for his beau. Even if their relationship had begun as a knowing charade, the partnership was real, and it was going more smoothly than Regulus had expected at the start. Bronwyn deserved something to wow her, and it could be something as beautiful as she was, or something for their future home - but it had to be personal...

As he hadn't yet come up with something satisfactory, Regulus was genuinely all for the distraction that came in the form of his cousin's call.

Amused at the surprise of her visit, and her holler of declaration that he was leaving with her, Regulus chuckled to himself, slipping on shoes and coat and taking his wand as he left his room. His path down the narrow stair crossed with Kreacher's, the elf grouchier than usual at the arrival of unexpected guests. He sent a short-lived sympathetic smile the creature's way and grinned anew as he swung around the banister at the last step.

"What's it all about? Mother," the lad scoffed playfully, quickly lying on his feet as he took in the ensemble, "Bellatrix and Miss Carrow are obviously here to take me out for a preemptive birthday celebration. Ladies, you're much too kind." While he sincerely disbelieved that that was their intention, seeing as that'd never happened before and his birthday was weeks away, was there a need to further worry his mother? Better to pretend that they were off to the pubs together than...whatever it was Bellatrix and Alecto had in store for him. For if it was only his cousin? Yes, perhaps it would've been a social call only. But given the hour, their dress, and that she'd brought the other Death Eater...We're out to do business, aren't we? He looked between the women with a contained thrill, curiosity almost getting the better of him in the moment. While he'd been involved with the Death Eaters for quite some time now, being at Hogwarts meant that his opportunities to participate were, in a word, lacking. And from what he'd heard from Wyn and the other young recruits...tonight would be something to remember.

[Alecto Carrow]

If they didn't want intrusions, they should ward against family too, Alecto thought with a smirk of glee as Bellatrix let them into the property belonging to the noble and most ancient House of Black. Not that one could tell, by the looks of things - sandwiched between a few muggle townhomes, the space was hardly fitting for Orion and Walburga's status. Had they fallen on hard times? Made poor decisions with their funds? Gambling problems, perhaps? While she and Amycus only lived in a little flat of their own, so she couldn't truly consider herself better - she was so often spoiled at the Lestrange manor that it felt as though she was. And if Bella could make demands in this house, she could too. And so it was with a smug air of superiority that Alecto considered the skittering elf and the austere woman of the house as she beat Regulus to the entry. Only just, however - Regulus was quick to listen to his cousin, and Alecto pounced onto his story.

"Regulus, quiet, stop that at once!" she plead teasingly. "You're going to spoil all of the surprises for yourself if you guess correctly! And where's the fun in that?"

It was all too entertaining to witness Walburga Black's internal struggle with the situation. It was plain that she was none too keen on letting her precious darling depart with Bella and herself, but what was a woman like her to do? How could she back up her demands? What threats could she possibly make to the likes of those in her parlor that would frighten them into submission? There were all pure of blood, to be sure, but even within their society, there was a ladder to climb. The Blacks, save Regulus, had so far chosen to remain on the lower rungs by their lack of involvement in the cause. The boy even seemed to understand this, as he'd come down to meet them fully dressed for an excursion. She still stood by her original thinking, that he really did not know what was coming but could be pressured to rise to the occasion, but felt her estimation of him rise a notch. He'd wasted no time in following Bellatrix's summons, and as he made excuses to his mother, the energy rippling off of him was palpable. He wanted to join them, and that was half the battle with the usual squeamish recruits.

"We'll have him back by sunrise in one piece, Walburga, on my honor."

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix could tell in her Aunts tone that Walburga was not pleased with them barging into her house. But did she care? Absolutely not. Walburga and Orion may have been supportive of the Dark Lord and his work, they were sympathizers - too afraid to join the actual fight. She was quite glad that Regulus seemed to be fine, despite how Sirius had turned out. Walburga was questioning her, but before she could give an answer Regulus was down the stairs, launching into a wonderfully convenient lie. While the boys birthday wasn’t until next month, it was believable enough that they were doing this before Regulus had to return to school. She gave a laugh as Alecto chimed in, “Auntie, you wouldn’t deny him an early birthday celebration would you? It’s not every day that one turns 18,” Bellatrix said with a grin. If Regulus didn’t want to join them, he wouldn’t have answered her summons so quick. Tonight would be fun, and it would be a good learning experience for him.

Walburga didn’t seem like she was going to give in and let Regulus come. Bellatrix personally felt that, at 17, Regulus didn’t really need her permission. “He’ll be in our sights at all times, I promise Auntie,” she chimed in after Alecto’s words. It seemed like it was going to work, and Bellatrix smiled as Walburga relented. “Come on Regulus, let’s go have a fantastic birthday outing,” she said as she looped her arm through Alecto’s, turning them around and heading out of the house. Once outside the door, she held out her other arm to Regulus, giving him a grin. “To muggle London we go, hold on deary, ” she spoke, before the three of them were twisting through time and space with a loud crack. Only a few seconds later they were in a dark alley in muggle London, loud music to be heard from the bars on the street, muggles walking by the alley paying them no mind. Bella laughed gleefully, taking a few steps down the alley. “Are you ready for some fun?”

[Regulus Black]

Regulus had always been a glutton for currying favor with influential folk. He hadn't hesitated to accept Slughorn's invitation to the Club, he'd brown-nosed enough Heads to have a few blind eyes thrown his way on rare mishaps, and he'd always been Bella's favorite cousin. Not that there was much competition, seeing as she and Sirius had been at odds since his infancy, or so it seemed, but he'd never turned away her doting hand. That said, he knew a few things to be true in this moment.

Bellatrix, or Alecto by proxy, would embellish  his feeble excuse.

His cousin had reason for being here.

There was no way he could tell her no.

His mother would have to get comfortable letting him go at some point.

While he didn't much enjoy the slights given to his mother by the other women, from storming in and demanding his presence to the effort it took to stop from openly mocking her, Regulus understood his place. And he had to hope Mother wouldn't cause a scene, that one day she too would realize there were people even she could not say no to. She had been proud when he'd received his Mark - was that hard-won pride truly so forgotten? Recognizing the thinning of her lips, the slight tremor that shook her, Regulus put his amused smile away and laid his hands on her bony shoulders, bending to look her in the eye. "Would Bella allow anything to happen to me?" he asked quietly, feeling that he didn't even know the lengths to which his cousin would go to ensure his protection but knowing they were long. The rage he'd felt boiling up within her was hardly cooling, but the curt shake of the head was all he would receive as acceptance.

Regulus kissed her worry-lined forehead and joined the others without a look back. The thrill of the unknown was upon him, and who was he to deny it?

He jostled through the Apparition to land with Bellatrix and Alecto in an alleyway. Muggle London, Regulus reminded himself as he adjusted the collar of his coat against the chill. But why? Were they here on orders of their Lord? Or with something special, of their own volition? And Bella was giddy, laughing as she sauntered towards the music speaking of fun. A chill that had nothing to do with the weather shimmied down his spine, but the lad smiled, following her with leisurely steps, hands pocketed. "Of course I am," he replied, hoping it was true, that their tastes of "fun" weren't so different. "What sort of fun are we talking about?"

[Alecto Carrow]

Alecto turned on a heel at the boy's forced cool-calm-collected response, shooting him a flurry of exaggerated motions to sum up the hours to come. She let out a laugh as she completed the turn, slowing her steps as the three combined with the muggles killing time with cigarettes and attempted flirtations. This was part of the job she loved. While it wasn't as though she was acting in an official capacity, she felt it was her duty to toy with the new recruits. Someone had to bring them up to speed, to rid them of childish expectations and test their capacity for what their future work would entail. Bellatrix had taught her more in this way than Meadowes ever had in his role as her mentor - thrown into situations, expectations given, held accountable, that was what would teach Regulus more than anything that could be done inside an office.

"Tell me, sweetheart - have you ever been hunting?" The blonde fell into her usual spiel, inspired by her early outings with Bella, without care of being overheard; what muggle could put a stop to what they were about, anyway? "Tonight, we're going to see just how much of a viper you can be." Ticking attributes off on her cold fingers, she continued. "We're hunting at night, so that's a point for you already. Like a viper, we'll rely on camouflage, and kill as if we've got venom of our own. Strike - and follow as they wander unknowingly into a slow death. Apex predators, all of us under the Lord," Alecto bragged, not giving a damn that snakes weren't truly on top of the natural food chain, for she was doubtful that Regulus knew the difference, seeing as he'd admitted to lack of falconry experience. And even if he did, the boy seemed like too much of a people-pleaser to dare contradict her.

Now, where to begin? She looked up the street and down before taking Bella's hand in hers and leading towards a dingy music hall. A small group of unsuspecting muggles waited in queue outside, the sounds of a live band filtering out into the night. "Let's see how you measure up, hmm?"

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Oh, the fun they were about to have. Her wand secure in the sleeve of her otherwise revealing dress, knife secured to her ankle if she wanted to have some real fun - Bellatrix was well prepared for the night. Her and Alecto had gone on these hunts many times, starting when Alecto had been new to the cause. Her other half had taken to hunting quickly, eager to please and ever so good at it. Bellatrix didn’t know if Regulus would be as up to the hunt as Alecto had been, but there was no harm in trying. This sort of thing would be expected of him once he was done with his schooling, surely there was no harm in breaking him in now. Still, she could detect a tone in his question that had her worried. She had promised Walburga no harm would come to Regulus, and she would keep that promise. But it would be unfortunate if the boy couldn’t hold his own tonight. Would he do it just to please her? Perhaps, but only time would tell.

Alecto was quick to launch into an explanation, and Bellatrix smiled at her lover as the three of them stepped into foot traffic of the night. She was especially pleased to hear phrases she’d taught the woman herself. Talks of being a viper, of striking. Of being an apex predator, which caused Bella to conceal a laugh behind her hand as a cough. She didn’t know much about the food chain, it was a waste of time to learn. But she was almost positive snakes weren’t at the top - as much as they should be. What mattered was that the three of them were at the top of the chain tonight.

Alecto took her hand, and Bella followed to the dingy music hall. It was the perfect spot for them to hunt, and she gave her companions hand a squeeze as they approached. Muggles would be there, enough to form a queue outside, but it wouldn’t be so packed that it would be hard to control them. “Excuse us, we’d like to get inside if that’s alright with you sir,” Bella said to the man in front of the door, batting her eyelashes. He looked to the line, and back to the three of them with a grin directed more towards her chest than her face, before he moved to let them inside. She ignored the complaints of the muggles in line, walking in with her head held high. The live band wasn’t terrible, in her small opinion on muggle music, but she did roll her eyes at Alecto with a nod to the band. Turning to her cousin, she gave him a grin as she leaned closer to him to whisper. “Now, you pick our target for this evening. Go on, you’ll do well.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

But try to understand - try to understand -

Try, try, try to understand, he's a magic man, Mama...

They were too few and too far between, nights like these. Not ones where heat from eyes and lights were on her and the girls she shared the stage with, those happened often enough. But with three youngsters at home, it took a miracle and a half to get both Phoebe and Edgar to come out, even if it was to one of her shows. Well - a local show that Your Favorite Band was a part of. And with their latest break-up six months behind them, she'd yet again stopped writing furious-lovesick-broken-nostalgic songs about Fabian. Whoever said third time's the charm hadn't met the commitment-phobe Kyra was prone to falling for, but Heart sure knew the type. The ones who you could swear you met in a past life, who your family warns about but you can't bring yourself to run away from...Got too real for him, though. Remember, if real's what you want, find it somewhere else.

Her sisterhood with Liz and Phoebe was real. Her bonds with her bandmates were real. At least half of the "sh*te" the government and the crown refused to acknowledge as real, was real.

If romantic love was meant to be lasting, she hadn't found the right partner for it yet. But Kyra felt that she had her friend back, and that rounded the prior miracle and a half up to two.

As it was, their list of originals-to-covers was nearing its end, and her mates had been good sports over the last while of enjoying the other acts as they waited for her and the others to get onstage. While she didn't expect the old married couple to get so trashed that they'd have to kip at hers or the Prewetts's instead of drive back to Waltham Forest, it wasn't horrible to have set that as a secretive goal - Greg and Imogen had to be sleeping over with the kids anyway - who knew what the remainder of their night would bring!

[Fabian Prewett]

Six months ago he’d made a stupid mistake.

A really big one. One that his friends hadn’t let him live down since then.

Six months ago, he’d ended his relationship with Kyra Thatcher. His made it more than just a few months relationship with her. The could have been something real for once relationship. Except for the very big secret he had kept from her, which for once wasn’t about magic, not entirely. When they’d gotten together this time, he’d been the one to tell her about magic. To show her a whole year in his world, to show her that Nessie was even more amazing than she could have ever believed. To show her Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade. But he had omitted one very big fact - that she’d learned all this before. Three years prior. And when talk started of them moving in together, he’d panicked. His options were to tell her, which would have ended their relationship. Or to be the one to end it.

So he had ended it. And altered her memories for the second time.

He hated himself for it. Fabian felt that, by showing up to her show tonight, he was a terrible person. They had seen each other in the six months since things ended, but never alone. Always with his brother, her sister, with Edgar and Pheebs. But Phoebe and Edgar were going, and it was difficult to hang with them both outside of their house. And just like every time he had seen her since then, his heart ached. He missed her, but he knew this was for the best. His world was getting more dangerous every day it seemed. Pulling himself back to reality as the song ended, he cheered with his friends, knowing he couldn’t focus on his feelings. They were friends, good friends, and that was what he needed to remember. Downing the last of his drink, he reached out to give Kyra a hug when she approached. “You were great up there, as always. Let me buy you a drink, yeah?”