hanahaki

[_Alex_]

xxx

One day, a scream rings out through the forest, high pitched and haunting and full of pain. He knows inside his bones he’s heard this scream before. Felt the longing to rush towards it years ago. But this time, he longs to let the flowers consume the one who screams, not heal their wounds and rescue them.

He let’s his instincts guide him, and he wanders into the woods. Deeper and deeper into the heart of the darkest sections. The places he avoids on his hunts, for only fools venture into these parts. The screams come at random, ringing through the woods and leading him closer to his prey. He’s not expecting the attack when it comes. He’s not expecting a small female with the markings of a skeleton and haunting antlers to burst out of the shadows and crash into his side.

They’re sent tumbling, and he reacts only on instinct. Slashing at her sides with his claws until he can hook onto her with his antlers, lifting her up and throwing her off of him. She is surprised he can tell, and he uses this to his advantage, scrambling onto his feet and preparing himself for another attack. For several minutes, they struggle against each other. Fighting with tooth and claw and antler.

And when they both pull back to breathe, they’re bleeding and hurting and still longing to rip the other's throat out. But he’s had enough of the physical fight. He reaches out with his magic and pulls at the vines and flowers and trees. Urging them to rise up and strangle her. To rip her organs from her body.

And it works at first, they catch her by surprise and entangle her. But then they begin to shrivel up and die. Turning into nothing but dust. He can see the silver grey magic radiating off of the female and into his plants. It's smooth and graceful and deadly and just as powerful as his own.

They seem to come to the realization that they are evenly matched at the same time. It's her who calls the truce first. She's older, wiser, more bloodthirsty but less willing to fight. He agrees, to bring her into his garden would be to kill it, and he does not desire to destroy all his hard work.

Together they draw up a treaty, and he learns more secrets. He learns that his garden is in her forest, the forest gifted to her by the Devil himself, but so close to the edge that she dares not venture out there. They make a pact, to stay in their respective hunting grounds. To allow each other their prey.

Eventually, the two strike up a sort of friendship. One built up on the lives of those who wander to close to their waiting jaws. He shows off his garden to her. Tells her of the dreams he hay as, dreams in which he is able to watch Chantal be ripped apart by his vines. She shows off her cave, where skulls and ribcages line the walls like art. Tells him of the nightmares she can force upon her victims. But still, they don’t trust each other fully. For each is holding too many secrets for the other to be comfortable.

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shrike is owned by myself

[_Alex_]

xx

It’s sometime in the middle of winter and still his garden blooms perfectly. There is not a single dead leaf or twig. His magic and the life force absorbed from his victims feeding each and every one of his plants. Each week, he’s having to travel farther and farther through the woods to find his prey. The cold winter temperatures too harsh for most mortals to venture out into. And so it’s a surprise, when he turns to find a mortal standing at the edge of his garden.

At first, he doesn’t recognize the mortal, and reacts on instinct. Reaching out with his magic and coaxing his veins to life and commanding them to wrap around the other. It’s not until the other simply steps over the vines and chuckles, is the figure familiar. The blue-black coat and elk’s horns racing through his memories.

He smiles then and let’s loose the hold on his magic. Hannibal is perhaps the only mortal which he cannot kill. He owes him too much. Without him, he would have never gotten held the powers he does currently. He would never have found his garden. He would never have gotten the chance to force Chantal to suffer the very same pain he had felt.

For the first time though, when he glides toward Hannibal and pulls him in for a hug, he can sense the darkness radiating off his friend and recognize it for what it is. It’s the mark of a murderer. One whose soul has been tainted beyond repair. It’s the same mark he carries proudly on his own soul.

He welcomes Hannibal into his garden without hesitation, proudly showing off the results of his years of hard work. He explains in far too much detail just how he gets his garden to grow so well. Explains how he lures mortals in and let’s his plants consume them. And he can tell Hannibal is proud in a way that only best friends can manage.

For a week, Hannibal joins him in his garden. Together they dine on the flesh of the animals that lurk in the woods and the honey sweet fruit from the apple tree. Together they reminisce about the past, about the good days they shared. And this is when he learns Hannibal is the one who he has to thank for his powers. For it had been Hannibal's plan all along to drive him into the clutches of the devil. He cannot thank his friend enough.

And on the Hannibal’s final day in his garden, the go hunting together. Traveling to the far edges of the forest until they find a suitable mortal: a small sweet lilac colored thing. And for the first time, when they lure her back to his garden, the flowers don't consume her. Instead she meets a fate that is far more twisted and dark.

When Hannibal leaves the garden, he leaves with a bouquet of flowers to gift to his wife, and a standing invitation to return whenever he feels like it.

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hannibal is owned by milo.
and used with permission