V. Into the Dark Night

Charlie awoke once again in a tomb of silk and pillows. This time she was joined by multiple stuffed animals of various sizes and shapes. 

Digging her way up through the pile of rabbits, huskies, possums and sharks Charlie groggily sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her bleary eyes. In her short time in Malicia’s Manor, Charlie was used to not waking up alone. It seemed like every time she came to there was someone in the room waiting for her, and this time it was no different. Her heart sunk as she realized it wasn’t Malicia, which was fine. It was just absolutely fine. She was a busy woman after all. It’s not like Charlie was looking forward to seeing the vampiress looming over her in bed. Not like she wanted to see the look on her face when she took in the changes, that the hunter hoped that Malicia would hungrily drink in her new muscles and curves just like she drank her blood. In fact, Charlie was fine that it was someone new. Just absolutely fine with it. 

Sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bed was a figure that seemed like they had stepped straight out of a fairy tale. A frog the size of a man was idly playing around on his phone for a moment before he realized that Charlie was awake. Two enormous crimson eyes flecked with brown streaks seemed to bore into Charlie’s soul. They were dressed smartly in a suit of navy plaid that paired well with their purple skin. The literal frog prince stared for a moment, mouth agape, before awkwardly shutting their gob and clearing their voice. “Uh, hi. You’re awake.” The statement sounded more like a question coming from the frog’s thin reedy voice. 

“Mm-hmm.” Charlie nodded and stretched, not trusting herself yet to say anything more. Thoughts were sticky and she didn’t yet feel like she had the mental fortitude to carry a conversation with Mr. Toad sans vehicular manslaughter. 

“There’s water, there. On the nightstand. Pills that are sealed as well so you wouldn’t think that we messed with them. Drink. It’s good for you.” The frog nodded sagely and continued watching Charlie. It was at this point that Charlie realized that they weren’t blinking. Under the watchful eye of her room’s new guest, Charlie tentatively reached out for the water. Everything felt slightly… off. Her arms were longer and for a moment she almost knocked the bottle of water off the table. It probably would have helped if she actually looked to her side, but she currently was locked in a staring contest with the amphibian and didn’t want to be the first to look away. Old habits truly died hard. 

The awkward pause filled eye contact continued even while Charlie greedily slugged down the bottle of water, accidentally crushing the plastic in her hands as soon as she was done. It was then that she realized she hadn’t taken the pills, and she wasn’t going to swallow them dry. She might be traumatized, but she wasn’t a psychopath. If she was building her identity up from square one, she had to have some standards.

“Yeah, you’re probably thirsty. Blood loss, big suck. Here.” The frog was holding out another bottle of water. “Changing like you have. It takes a lot. I’d know. My name’s Greg, by the way. He/They pronouns please. Faith said you were good about pronouns. Said a lot about you. Talks about you like you’re a wild dog. Feeds you! Means she likes you. Dog girl recognize… hmm some kind of girl. I’m here to make sure you’re okay.” 

The relief of the meds and water didn’t come immediately, but Charlie was starting to feel a little more inhuman. Enough to hold a conversation at least. “Hi Greg, it’s nice to make your acquaintance. I’m Charlie, and I guess… She/Her pronouns.” Charlie blushed and finally broke eye contact from Greg. It was one thing to tell a dream manifestation that you were a girl, it was another to say it to a real living being. 

“Faith said there was a chance that you’d be a boy. Kind of wanted another guy around here.” Greg shrugged, as if this was a normal topic of conversation to be having. “Ah, well. Not that there’s anything wrong with another trans girl here. It’s nice. To meet you that is. And that you figured your gender out. S’hard. It’s a bit of a mess. You’ve got halos, you know. They’re pretty. Catch the light like a rainbow.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Charlie paused for a moment. What would Malicia do in a situation like this? She’d return a compliment, right? That was what functional people did in a situation like this. “I like your outfit. It’s sharp. Did you put it all together yourself?” She hoped she wasn’t sounding condescending. The words flowed out of her mouth with an ease that old Charles Halberd lacked, but she still worried that it wouldn’t be read as genuine. Her new caretaker was a bit hard to read, but the corners of his large mouth slowly curled into a smile. 

“Yes, yes! I made it all myself. This was a project, see, to make menswear for my new body. Always wanted to look good in a suit. Don’t like a lot of fabric. Feels weird. Malicia got me connected with Clarisse, she’s a Sylkweaver in the basement. A lot of legs. Scary at first. Very fluffy though. And we made it all. I’m, uh, very proud of it. I could make you your own suit, if you want? I’ve gotten really good.” Greg was moving a mile a minute now, bouncing in his seat as he pulled up pictures of himself and a drider working at an arcane sewing machine. The joy and pride radiated off the pictures in such a way that Charlie couldn’t help but smile even as three different ways to eliminate a drider ran through her brain.

“Well, I would love to, of course.” Charlie didn’t want to hurt the frog’s feelings, but at the same time she was worried that this was some sort of test. A challenge already to her womanhood, tempting her with the fineries of the masculinity that she just left behind. “But you see, women aren’t supposed to really dress like that. It does look great on you though. I would be interested in a proper dress if that’s not too boring for you. I have always wanted to try one of those.”

The frog stopped bouncing and shot her a curious look. “Why?”

It was Charlie’s turn now to shrug. “Well, let’s see, they’ve always looked comfortable. And this is kind of embarrassing, but I would kind of sort of like to catch Malicia’s eye. For the first time in my life, I like how I look, and I would love to show off my best assets, if you will.” For a moment Charlie got lost in her thoughts imagining how Malicia would react to a sight of her new chest. Charlie pictured herself in something white, with a cut to show off more cleavage than she probably was comfortable with. Enough to draw the wandering eye of a gay vampire. How it would feel to have Malicia run her hands through her hair, slowly sliding one of her sleeves off Charlie’s strong shoulders as she kissed her tenderly on that magical transformative bitemark. How it would feel to bite back, pay her host back for her amazing transformation in a hundred little displays of service. 

Lost in the fantasies for a moment, Charlie realized something… strange. The two halos hovering above her scalp began to rotate faster as she got more and more lost in the fantasy. She nibbled at her lip for a moment, before realizing that Greg was staring at her again and she came crashing back to reality. Had she just gotten lost in some kind of sensual fantasy like a harlot right in the middle of a conversation? Was it… okay? Of course it wasn’t. She was still in unfamiliar territory and needed to steel herself for the reactions to her new form.

If Greg noticed anything, he kept it to himself. Instead he just shook his head. “Why aren’t women allowed to wear suits? That’s silly. Doesn’t make sense. Mallie looks great in a suit.”

“She does? Do you have any pi- no. Get it together Charlie. It’s just… It’s complicated, okay?” Charlie wished she had something within arm’s reach to fiddle with. Her whip was somewhere in the room, but she didn’t trust herself to move enough to find it. As if reading her mind, she felt a slight tingle as her wings materialized on her back. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the soft plumes as she tried to gather her thoughts in a way that felt right. “My mom was very adamant that both genders should have a very specific dress code. Men wore pants and women wore some sort of dress. She’d probably have a conniption if she found out that there were people who didn’t identify as either. There was just something… I don’t know. Safe about it all. Appealing in a basic sense. And I know I should… question a little bit more of what she told me, but even now I feel like if I want to be anything approaching a woman, I need to follow those ideas.”

The frog scratched at his chin for a moment and shrugged. “Sounds rough. Clothes are clothes, they don’t need a whole ideology attached to them if they make you feel good. But we all have baggage. I’m sure you’ll work through it. And when you do, come to me and I can take your measurements. I’m sure I could make a suit that would really catch Mallie’s eye.”

“Ah, thank you?” Charlie was unsure if she would ever take the little guy up on his offer, but it was polite of him to regardless considering this was their first meeting. “Speaking of Mallie, have you-” 

“Greg, what the eternal hell are you doing in here? You know you aren’t supposed to be talking to the hunter. Yes, he’s becoming a monster but until we know more about him, he’s dangeroooooooh my God.” Faith pushed into Charlie’s room, an extra-large plate of spaghetti with garlic bread stacked high blocking her vision. “I thought I smelled something different when I walked in here.” 

For a moment nobody said anything, the only sound audible in the room was the fierce bap-bap-bapping of Faith’s tail against anything unlucky enough to be in its radius.

Charlie shrunk under the gaze of the wolf. “H-hey Faith. It’s me. Charlie. The one who uh, probably smells.” She lifted her arm for a second and took a tentative sniff. “Do I smell different? I can’t really smell myself here. Especially now that you brought in that delicious meal.” 

Faith took a moment before responding, instead cleaning the various ‘good luck’ cards off the side table so she could set down Charlie’s supper. “You smell completely different, trust me. I almost thought I had the wrong room for a second. Before you were all oiled leathers and three day old french fries. Now.” The werewolf took a sniff of the air. “Greg get outta here, you’re messing with the good girl smell.” 

“Hey! I want to talk with her. She’s not a hunter anymore so I get to chat with her. She’s nice. I can tell.”

“Get outta here, gremlin. Scram. Mallie says she wants limited interaction so we don’t overwhelm the hunter when he-uhh she wakes. I don’t even know how you got in here in the first place you little monster..” Faith made shooing motions at the frog and, after being coaxed by more flappy hands and the start of a growl, he eventually hopped out of the room. “Jesus Greg. Love the guy, but he is horrible at listening to directions. Where were we? Oh yeah. Now you smell just… clean. Fresh. Like bright sheets straight out of the drier. You smell like the squeaky shine of fresh wine flutes ready for the first pour of champagne.”

“Seriously? I find it hard to believe that I smell like that, even if it is known that a werewolf’s sense of smell truly dwarfs that of the average human.” Charlie thought about her hunting lessons and how much her grandpa stressed staying upwind of a werewolf. Her grandpa was adamant that if they got one whiff of you their teeth would be on your throat in a second. She then thought about Faith’s fangs nibbling on her neck, and again couldn’t explain why she felt all tingly. Charlie could feel her halos dip and vibrate, each motion accentuating the new feelings stirring within herself.

“Yeah, it’s pretty unique. You’re actually giving me this weird bubbly sensation in my nose, which is something I’ve never experienced before.” Faith swiped at her snout with her big fuzzy paws and took another long smell that led into a small giggle fit. “Hmm, it tickles too. Weird. It’s not often that I’m surprised by a scent, but you’ve been nothing but surprising. What even are you? An angel?”

“Not re-”

“Her species is known as the Host, although I can see where you came to that conclusion. Hard not to, right? The wings, the whole ‘do not be afraid’ glow she’s got going on. The aura of safety and power with the might to level armies right in the hands of a zealot that I barely knew before handing her the keys to impossible power.” Malicia stood stock still in the door clutching an odd collection of bottles to her chest. “Gracious demons in Hell, what have I done?” The vampiress stalked into the room, lacking the typical grace and poise that Charlie had begun to associate with her. She looked battered, tired, and for once, her purported age. A week ago, Charles would have taken joy in seeing a monster of such power in this state, but now all Charlie could think was how this was probably her fault. Another sin to add to the list. She was making Malicia worry just by being herself.

Charlie had to say something. “I’m so-”

“Shush Charlie, I just… Faith, take the booze for a second. Don’t know if we’re celebrating anymore.” With a wag of her tail the werewolf awkwardly snagged the jumble of bottles. With empty hands and a trembling lip, Malicia turned her full attention back to Charles. “Did you pick this intentionally? Did you go for the actual honest-to-God nuclear bomb of the monster world because you were going to, what? Use it against me? The people that I love? I trusted you, slayer.” 

“Woah, Mally, what the eff? You’re catastrophizing, babe,” Faith said, taking her eyes off the various assortment of liquor to cast a concerned gaze at the mistress of the manor. 

“I’m not catastrophizing, I am reacting to catastrophe. Big difference, puppygirl. I’ve read the scattered accounts and half-burned heretical tomes. Hosts are symbols of great change. Leveling the playing field between powers. Toppling dynasties. The kind of thing that makes my dad shit bricks. The kind of power that leads to preventative strikes.“ Malicia’s hair whipped through the air, thrashing this way and that with every word. “Every single person in here is in danger because of her. Because as soon as daddy D. knows that we have a Host here, I’m assuming he’s going to send Death. Do you want an honest to God Reaper barging in here, summoning hundreds of sickles to carve through the weaker monsters in the castle? Floating around acting all pompous while calling me by my deadname? Because it will be a bloodbath and not even the sexy kind. Game over for our precious little way of life. My whole polycule wiped out because-”

“Then I’ll fight for them.” Charlie whispered, shocking herself as the words spilled out of her mouth.

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll fight for them.” Charlie responded, louder this time. If it was to convince Malicia or herself of her own conviction, she wasn’t sure. “That’s what the Host is supposed to do, right? Protect the innocent. Tip the scales in favor of those who have been ground into the dust for years. I’ve spent my time wrongfully persecuting people just for existing. It would be nice…” She paused, wiping a cold tear that leaked out of the corner of her eye. “It would be nice to think that I’m not just some tool of violence. That I could take the pain that I suffered through, the training that I was given, and use it to stop more blood from being shed.”

“That’s nice to say Charlie.” Malicia sighed. “But there’s so much we don’t know about you. It would be a leap of faith for me to trust you with the souls under my care. Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re nice and I can’t wait to get to know you better. If you even want to stay, that is. But now I don’t even think I could reign you in without things going too far.” 

“Then I’ll make a promise.” Charlie scrambled out of bed, flailing her longer limbs as she worked slowly to extricate herself from the tomb of fluff. A small part of her, the part growing louder and louder as she reveled in her new body, smugly noticed how both of the monster's eyes widened as they soaked in the full extent of her changes. There would be time to see just how interested they were later though. First she had to prove her worth. “Vampires are big on promises, right? You said so yourself. It’s deep magic that seeped into stories and myth. I can promise to protect you all. Please.” 

“Charlie…” Malicia looked like she was about to say more until Faith rested her hand on Mallie’s shoulder, closing the gap between the two of them the werewolf turned it into a full embrace.

Gently, Faith leaned in, nuzzling her snout into Malicia’s neck. The furry woman softly murmured in Malicia’s ear, quiet and intimate. “Let her cook for a second, Mal. She needs this as much as you need safety. Give her a little bit of trust and I am sure she’ll pay it back. We owe it to her to give her a chance.” Charlie probably wasn’t supposed to hear that, but her new body’s senses were supercharged and she couldn’t help but feel like she trespassed on a confidential moment.

As she stood and pondered just what the right thing to say was, Charlie felt a tug at her core. Her mother had once described magic as “squeezing every ounce of potential out of human mana while bending it to your will.” In his brief lessons with her, he had felt similar sensations as he tried to learn the most basic of spells. But the way she spoke about it never felt right to him. Moving mana felt like trying to drink concrete through a paper straw. The source of magic came in stutters and stops as he barely was able to conjure the most basic of fireballs much to his mother’s constant disappointment. Charles Halberd had a well of mana that was never able to be fully tapped. 

Maybe the problem though wasn’t with Charlie’s effort, instead maybe the issue was with how he related to his body. Standing there, shifting her weight slowly back and forth while her body bounced in reaction in a way that brought great joy to the former hunter, she could sense that her body was instinctually trying to use magic. New feelings and urges that she could not understand compelled her forward, knowing that this is what both she and her new nature desired. The words lined up behind her teeth, ready for her to loose the seal and let her promises out on the world. With a combination of improv and instinct, the energy of the Host spoke through her. 

“I, Charlie, standing here nameless and houseless, pledge-”

Faith gasped, seemingly recognizing the spell. “Oh my God.”

“Charlie! Wait! Do you know what spell you’re…” But if Malicia said anything else, Charlie didn’t hear. Her own words pounded in her ear, drowning out the world around her.

“-to adopt and protect the house of Malicia Tepes and the people within it. To do everything in my power to keep them safe from external threats. To bring comfort, empathy, and support for the plights of those within. To listen and love, and to be loved in return if found worthy of it. With sword and heart, I bind myself to thee. So says Charlie Tepes. May my word be my soul.” Upon finishing her proclamation Charlie’s wings spread to their full extent, energy crackling and sparking off individual feathers. 

Another flap of her wing dislodged two feathers and Charlie realized that the ritual wasn’t over. The feathers hovered in the air for a moment, floating on a breeze of their own, until they began to warp and shift. The larger of the two stretched and warped for just a moment, reshaping itself into something representing the new bond that Charlie was undertaking. An item that Charlie had seen before, and in her heart knew she had longed to try. Something that looked incredible on other women but was locked away in the longing pit of her heart. 

A choker. A simple blindingly white choker. Nothing ornate or fancy. A small loop of the same white material at the front was the only ornamentation. 

Once it had finished its transmogrification the feather choker shot out and wrapped itself around Charlie’s neck, consuming itself into one permanent band of fabric. Ever so soft, clinging to her neck with a permanence that already felt comfortable. An irremovable reminder of Charlie’s oath. Physical evidence of her dedication to protection. Proof that she was safe to be around. 

Charlie shivered as she ran her fingers over the material, already marveling at how she had lived her life without its embrace. 

The other feather compressed in on itself, wrapping over and over until it forged itself into an elegant white ring. It gleamed in the light of Charlie’s glow, reflecting the room in the curve of its metal. Charlie watched as Malicia wide-eyed and slowly lifted her right arm, holding out a finger towards the snowy feather ring. Something inside the angelic girl told her that if Malicia did not want to agree to the bargain, then the ring would vanish on contact. If the binding vow was unreciprocated, Charlie’s choker would dissipate to ash. It would be awkward, but understandable. Charlie was a rabid dog, after all. It’s not like someone like Malicia would… would… 

Charlie’s train of thought was instantly derailed as the ring flew across the room and settled itself on Malicia’s finger. The pledge was accepted. Charlie was accepted. She had a new home! A new space to call her own. And monsters to meet, oh my gosh there were so many people she probably had to introduce herself to. So many people who would only meet Charlie, the protector of the house. She could cast off Charles Halberd the Slayer for good, shedding herself of the curse of her family and instead embrace her new life. 

Folding her wings away, Charlie became aware that Faith had been repeating variations of “Oh my God. Oh my GOD. Oh. My. G O D.” for the past minute and didn’t seem like she would be stopping any time soon. Charlie also took in the look on Malicia’s face, after her speech was done Charlie was unable to meet the vampiress in the eyes out of sheer nerves.

Peeking up, Charlie was taken aback to realize that she was blushing. The mistress of the dark. Dracula’s insidious daughter. Charlie’s savior. She was gazing at the pure ivory white ring around her finger with her mouth open. 

“You. How did you know how to cast a Vampiric Oath of Binding. That’s… That’s…” Malicia, eyes wide and hands flailing stopped right in front of Charlie. So close that the taller girl could lean over and kiss her should she want to. And Charlie very much wanted to. 

“That’s the vampire equivalent of a wedding vow!” barked Faith. “And you accepted! You always said you would know who the perfect match would be! And here we go! She didn’t even know what she was doing, and now you’ve tied your fates together. Oh! Oh my God! You met, what, a few days ago? This is probably the most lesbian thing I have ever seen. Gay. You bitches are irrevocably and completely gay.” 

“W-wedding vow??” Charlie took a step back, stammering and filled with what most scholars of the field could accurately describe as gay panic.

“Technically, CeeCee, it’s a Binding Oath. You can use it for so many different situations, like…” Malicia stopped for a moment nibbling on her thumb. “Well, no, at this point, it’s predominantly used for romantic vows. It's very intentional. I don’t even know how you made it work.” 

“I… But… I… Girls? Marriage? Romance?? Girls in a relationship. Girls taking care of other girls? I’m girls?” Charlie’s wings wrapped around herself instinctively, attempting to hide herself from the mischievous grins of the other women. “I’m girls and like girls and we are now bound by… Oh my God.”

Even overwhelmed in the moment, Charlie took deep satisfaction knowing that her parents would absolutely hate every choice that she had made. And not just that, but Charlie’s decisions made herself happy, even if those choices meant that she was now in the clutches of at least one ridiculously attractive monster.