173An Offer He Wouldn't Couldn't Refuse
Right After Death Masks
The last few days had been slightly crazy for one Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden: chasing a mythical shroud, dueling a vampire noble, stopping the damned Nickelheads from kicking off the Black Death, Chicago Boogaloo, a dead Knight of the Cross giving him his sword (seriously, who thought he was a good idea for a custodian?), oh yeah, not to mention his half-vampire ex(?)-girlfriend popping into his life again, demonstrating why they'd never be able to get back together, and then disappearing again to who knows where. And on top of all that, now pasted on the door to his apartment building, was a notice marked 'CONDEMNED' in bright red letters. He was officially homeless, just when he had a rather urgent coin-shaped problem he needed to bury in his sub basement.
Great.
At least his landlord hadn't gone through his things yet. Apparently, someone had the good grace to stall for him, though the weird look he received was a bit confusing, he had thought his landlord (now former) was already quite used to him by now—
There was someone in his apartment already.
Harry tensed, hand settling on his blasting wand. The door was undamaged, and Mister wasn't making a fuss like he should—wait a second…
He opened the door slowly–Oh no. Inside his apartment, crouched down and softly humming as she stroked the oversized gray cat (Stars and Stones! That was cute) was one of the most physically attractive woman Harry had ever met, only rivaled by women who arguably weren't exactly women at all. Hearing him entering, she stood smoothly and turned to face him—Damn! How did she suddenly get so tall?. His landlord's reaction made much more sense now.
"Ah, welcome back, Mr. Dresden," greeted the young Raith, curtsying slightly in greeting, despite wearing dress pants and a UChicago jacket, both looking a few sizes too small–damn it! Harry tore his gaze away from the unnaturally beautiful woman. Come on, don't stare at the sexy vampire college girl!
For that was what she was, a vampire of the White Court, a dangerous predator that fed off of emotions and the life force of their victims. Yet, she still had a soul. And was also surprisingly good at housekeeping.
"What are you doing in my apartment, Tania?"
Her head angled slightly, a strand of hair slipping free of her ear, drawing his gaze down to her pale neck– "So you have decided to cease calling me 'Candy'?" the girl (remember, she was younger than she looked!) inquired archly. Harry winced, that had been pretty rude of him, "You're not exactly bite-sized anymore." Ah, shit, did he just call her fat? Him and his big mouth. The walking wet dream showed no sign of offense though, instead merely quirking an eyebrow at him. "That would mostly depend on the size of the mouth, no?"
…Harry could never tell if she actually understood the innuendos she tossed around casually, or if it was just a result of living with other Raiths. "Sorry, I still shouldn't have called you that in the first place."
Tania sniffed, somehow managing to avoid sounding condescending, tucking her stray bang back behind her ear–How much of that was deliberate? She made to speak, then paused, eyeing him suspiciously, "Please tell me you are not going to begin referring to me as 'Buffy'." He snorted, despite his best efforts, "Buffy the Whampire! Hah!" Said vampire glared at him with all the disapproval a youth hearing dad jokes could muster. What? White Court Vampire took too long to say.
"If you must refer to me with a pet name," (Stop it woman!) she continued, shaking her head slightly, either in disgust or exasperation, or both. "I would prefer you called me 'Candy', rather than," her face morphed into a grimace that radiated both haughty disdain and youthful disgust, "Buffy." Huh.
"Uh…Buffy," she pouted at him—he clamped down his mental defenses, but, as usual with her, found nothing pressing against his mind, "...you do know that 'Candy'..."
"Is a common stage name employed by professional titillators?" the altogether too pretty girl finished nonchalantly. "Really, Mr. Dresden, you must be aware of my family's business dealings." He was, but...
"You would rather be called a stripper name than a TV show character?" A character that she shared more than a few similarities with, in fact. Tania's face twisted into a scowl, managing to look both petulantly cute and haughtily offended.
"I am not a delinquent," she declared. Harry stared blankly at her; a stripper wasn't a delinquent? "At the very least," added the strait-laced Raith (and hadn't that been a surprise?), "a professional titillator is gainfully employed, in a certain sense." That…was a very Raith way of looking at things.
Gah! He was letting her distract him! "So I ask again, why are you in my apartment?" Mister, of course, chose that moment to butt his head against the young whampire's leg, demanding more attention.
"Ah, a moment please, Mr. Dresden." She bent down gracefully to heft the oversized, thirty pound cat into her arms. Harry looked around his apartment, to check if she had done anything else to the place and definitely not to avoid admiring how well she filled out her clothes.
He cursed under his breath for not previously noticing a number of neatly organized and labeled boxes, presumably filled with some of his belongings. "Why is my stuff in boxes?" he asked, shooting her a quick glance.
"I noticed your apartment building had been condemned when I came to feed Mister here the other day," she replied, long (finely manicured?) fingers expertly caressing the purring cat in question, "As I unfortunately have no way of contacting you while you are on one of your more involved cases, I thought it best to organize some of your belongings to make moving out more efficient."
Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "And what made you think I would be fine with you rummaging through my things?" He really didn't have much grounds to complain, as–
"Surely you remember me being the one keeping your dwelling actually livable while you were grieving?" Tania shot back, eyebrow arched. Good point.
She smirked, a corner of her mouth tilting up delightfully, a glint of either amusement or understanding in her eyes. "Obviously, I did not touch any of your more…sensitive items." Was she talking about?... "I have not moved anything from your laboratory, of course. It is generally unwise to tamper with a wizard's tools." Oh good, that's what she was talking about…wait. Her smirk widened slightly. "Though you should probably get that sorted quickly, lest the officials become even more suspicious." Okay, yeah, that was probably a good idea.
The slightly flustered wizard glanced through the neatly packed boxes, definitely not stealing glances at his knockout guest as she bent over to set Mister back down on the floor. As typical of the neat-freak siren, everything was clearly labeled and accounted for…including some rather raunchy magazines…shit. His eyes flicked back to the smirking succubus, who stood patiently, hands clasped behind her back, in a way that vaguely reminded him of Murphy. He quickly turned back to the boxes, trying to focus on ensuring she hadn't lifted anything from his stuff, rather than his young friend(?) finding part of Bob's collection.
"My sister would be quite delighted to learn that her products have found their way into such esteemed hands," commented the prim and proper succubus, and once again catching Harry in the constant whiplash that was talking to the strangely pure yet entirely shameless girl.
"It's for a friend!" …That was not going to convince anyone.
Tania just nodded innocently, and he could not tell if she actually believed him or was just going along with it. "If…" she coughed into her sleeve, "your friend would be interested in acquiring more of such material, I am well acquainted with numerous suppliers," she added helpfully (not at all helpful!).
"No, that's fine, Buffy," he waved her off, more frantically than was really safe for his dignity. Hell's Bells, how was it worse when you couldn't tell if the soul-sucking monster actually wanted to eat you, even when she was so matter-of-fact about her nature?!
On closer inspection(not that kind!) Tania actually looked slightly embarrassed, cheeks dusted a bit pinker than usual, and eyes flicking to the side briefly instead of trying to meet his gaze–looking both this innocent and mature should not be possible! "What did you do?" he demanded, feeling slightly bad for raising his voice at the young gir—vampire!
"Ah.." she shifted slightly (her eyes were up there, Harry!), "I may have accidentally helped create your homelessness issue." What? The young White Court searched his expression, before hurriedly continuing, "I had noticed some significant sanitation problems in this building on several of my visits, so I filed a complaint with the City." Harry's face blanked in disbelief, oh right, Tania was quite a stickler for human laws, despite her nature and her family's…skirting of them (no, don't think of her in a short skirt!). "I did not expect the City to condemn the whole property though!" she added quickly, "I was merely hoping that some of those issues would be corrected."
Harry sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand, "It's fine, Tania, this isn't your fault." Her eyes glinted in annoyance and she fully straightened–do not think about what's under her clothes!
"Now, Mr. Dresden," she retorted archly, "I will not have you waving off such a great inconvenience so casually. A wizard's home is his castle, no?" Her head tilted inquiringly, the rebellious bang falling free from her ear–a vampire should not be this cute! "Of which, I have inadvertently deprived you," she continued, without waiting for any confirmation from him, "therefore, as an apology, I feel compelled to either cover the cost of your stay at a hotel while you seek a new residence, or to offer you the use of part of my own residence for the duration."
Wait, what?! Harry blanched.
This was a trap, it had to be.
Tania must have drawn the wrong conclusion from his reaction, plowing on with her proposal, "My current residence actually comprises of a combined townhouse, there should be enough space to store your more esoteric items, as well as places to secure the more sensitive things."
Harry stared, had she planned this whole thing so she could enthrall or entrap him?
"That also means there is enough space that you do not have to come in close contact with me if you did not wish!" added the now slightly flustered Raith (that must be a rare sight).
"What do you get out of this?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. It wasn't to charge him exorbitant rent, he doubted that amount of money would matter to her. Would she need to have him nearby to feed on? Maybe, but this seemed like a lot of work for that, she should have no problem finding willing participants, and never seemed to be Hungry whenever they met… She had also made no move to seduce him the past couple years he'd known her…had she?
"Well," she shuffled her feet slightly, before settling back into proper posture, "It would give me easy access to you if I required your help with some less mundane matters, particularly regarding how to avoid being eaten by vampires."
A flash of guilt filled Harry, remembering how pale she had been when they had first met. "You've been attacked again?" It was sadly unsurprising, as inhuman as they were, a pretty young woman was still basically catnip for quite a few spooky (and mundane) predators, though no White Court with any sense would go after her.
Tania made an elegant gesture of uncertainty (is she doing this on purpose or not?!). "I seem to be a rather tempting target, though I have managed to come through mostly unscathed."
Damn it! The Red Court Vampires probably were going after her for leverage against Lord Raith! And their current state of war with everything good and holy was mostly his fault. He really should have kept a closer eye on her, especially after she spent so long trying to smack him out of his funk after that clusterfuck of a ball. Wait…
"Hasn't your father assigned a few bodyguards for you, at the very least?" As much of a monster as Lord Raith was, leaving his youngest daughter unguarded was a pretty big oversight. The unusually mature girl glanced away from him, biting her lip uncomfortably. No, bad Harry!
"I had assured father that I would be able to handle myself," she admitted contritely, eyes flicking to the floor, not doing anything as base as mumbling though, of course. Tania let out a breath, "I underestimated the dangers present in this world." Her head tilted slightly in thought, the other rebellious bang now also framing her face. Harry, no!
"I believe my sire intends for this to serve as some sort of object lesson," speculated the rebellious(?) young succubus, "and for me to come running back to him as if this was merely some petty youthful defiance." Her arms tensed, and Harry swore he could hear her bones creaking as her hands clenched behind her back (it was probably just the jacket).
"I will not give him that!" She declared quietly, "and I will find a way to pry my twin out from under his control." Wait, twin?! Damn it! That wasn't what he should be focusing on. Tania's eyes flicked up to his, electric blue eyes live with resolve and—
Ah, crap.
Crackling blue filled his vision and he was somewhere else.
An idyllic countryside, a peaceful, orderly estate, rent asunder by artillery and bifurcated by trenches.
Darkness chokes the sky, oily smoke blinding the air, cut through by rays of light.
A child, lost in a world dull and uncaring, A Monster in human skin, rending flesh from bone with wicked abandon.
Fight! Kill! Eat! That is the goal of Life! Is there no rest to be found? A cold world, of numbers and lonely exchanges,
Venom or Pitch, which shall flow through your lips? Neither, I choose Fire.
Harry Dresden returned to himself, breath heaving, Tania Raith stared back at him, wide eyed, both of them struck dumb by their Soul Gaze. Eyes were said to be windows to the soul, and that was doubly true for Wizards. This wasn't the worst one Harry had Seen, but of course, even in a Soul Gaze, Tania made no sense! Her Hunger was sated but she rarely fed. Blood drenched her hands and yet they were clean. She cared only for herself and for others. It was like she was two different things at once, perpetually torn between…the two.
Ah, Hell.
The young woman was pale, probably unnerved by whatever she saw in his eyes (at least she didn't pass out). And yet, he watched as her fists unclench and lips purse, gaze remaining locked on his, a glimmer of hope leaking through her cracking composure.
"Please consider it, at least, Mr. Dresden, I feel that you are the only person I can turn to about the less than mundane who would be entirely truthful." Her voice was mostly steady, but he heard a slight waver, and he could see her twitch, hands now held loosely at her sides. She was scared, maybe of him, maybe of the dangers that she had quite recently discovered, maybe it was a fear of her father, or what she might become.
Harry had seen all that and more, when they locked eyes. Childhood fears of isolation, buried under her surprising maturity (in more than one way), a desire to care and be cared for, smothered by deliberate cynicism. And probably most importantly, he had seen the potential for a monster, and a chance for something good.
He was screwed, wasn't he? He had never been able to say no to a pretty face asking for help. Maybe he should, no, he definitely should not agree. He did not have to live with her to help her. But Damn it, she needed someone watching her, not just for her safety, and he knew that she had few options. Harry knew Thomas Raith, who was not as bad as he expected of a fully-fledged White Court, but after what he did to Susan, Harry didn't think he was up to the task.
Besides, she saw into his soul, and did not flinch. Harry did not have the cleanest hands in the world, and most people who Gazed into his Soul saw something that scared them, one even passed out! How, then, could he turn away someone who could stand to see his own darkness?
"Is there space for my lab?" Tania's eyes brightened, and she smiled beatifically–Oh wow…
"Certainly, there is too much space for my residence alone, in truth."
This was definitely a trap, maybe not one set by her, but it was definitely a trap. "You said there was a place to store some more dangerous things?"
The teenage (college aged!) vampire tilted her head teasingly. "Of course, you do know of my family, correct?" It was a good thing she didn't smile like this very often, wait…
The coin burned in his pocket as he searched for deception in the succubus offering to take him home. The timing, his apartment being condemned, it couldn't all be coincidence, could it?
Hell's Bells. He really needed to bury this thing.
"Would you happen to know where I can get some concrete?"
Tania grinned, and Harry wondered if he should regret his decision. "What degree of discretion is required, Mr. Dresden?" the vampire purred, red lips curved in amusement. Her immediate increase in confidence when mafia things came up should really stop him.
"Whatever you need to keep something really buried."
The young Raith smiled, and having seen into her soul, Harry was pretty sure it was genuine. The hooray I got what I wanted type of smile, but not the evil, I have you now kind of smile.
"No enthralling people or draining them dead around me." It took him embarrassingly long to mention that. He really should have asked more about this a long time ago. Maybe he didn't really want to know, it was hard to think of her as a monster.
Tania frowned seriously (still cute, somehow), "Of course, I would never do such a thing to people, it is a colossal waste!" That was…probably the best he could expect. Harry just nodded.
She offered him her hand. "I look forward to a fruitful relationship, Mr. Dresden." She…wasn't expecting him to kiss it, was she?
"At this point, you can probably just call me Harry." He replied reflexively. This was such a bad idea, on so many levels…
He shook her hand.
Tania winced (did he squeeze too hard?).
He quickly let go of her hand, and they both stared at the red rash spreading across her palm. The mark of the Raith's Bane: True Love.
Harry chuckled, "Still using that like a mood ring?" She nodded abashedly, face flushing scarlet. It was kind of adorable, a White Court vampire using their Hunger to figure out how to people, instead of any of the other superhuman feats they could achieve(what was it? 'Enthralling others is reprehensible and a sign of poor social skills!').
Tania opened her mouth slightly, then closed it, before smiling brightly. "Congratulations on finding True Love, Mr. Dresden."
…Fuck.
And that was basically how they ended up roommates.
Thanks to TacitSoliloquy, ReadHead, Obloquy, Half-Baked Cat, and others on the Tanya Writer Discord server for their help with brainstorming and editing.