Reaper's Genetic Legacy Experiment [Complete]

[LivvieLove]

Rules of Stubbornness: Part Two
“What’s this door?” Anne asked as she approached the last door out of the rest of the house.

Majnun had a confident look on his face, “open it up and find out.”
Anne did, and her eyes immediately filled with wonder.
“What is… what is this place?” She whispered.
Majnun leaned against the doorway, “I figured I would need to get some work done eventually. This way I don’t need to be far away if you ever need me.”
“This is fantastic!” Anne said with big eyes. She laughed suddenly, "I probably seem like a child in a candy store." She joked lightly as she looked back at her husband.
Majnun's heart fluttered with hope. Perhaps the conversation about giving her magic wasn't entirely closed. He could show her how wonderful it could be. He could change her mind. He could keep her forever.

"I need to show you something important, my heart." He whispered.
She looked over to him but he was looking forward. He snapped his fingers and a yellow flask appeared on the desk.

"What is that?" She tilted her head.
"This is a teleportation potion, my heart, and I need you to know how to use it." He walked over to it and grabbed it in his hands. "I need you to know how to use this in case there is ever a time when I cannot be there for you."
Anne looked at him hesitantly and Majnun knew that look well. She didn't want to use excessive magic. "I'm not sure."
Majnun held his hand out, "It's just for emergencies, Anne." He frowned. "As much as I would hate to admit it, you being my wife is dangerous. There are some out there who might try to hurt you for the sake of hurting me, and I cannot let that happen." He paused. "You have rejected my offer to give you your own magic to use, so please, at least let me teach you how to use this."
Anne nodded softly, "I think I can manage that."
Majnun eased visibly. "I'm glad. Now, come here."
He motioned to her and she stepped forward and into his embrace easily. He he stood behind her and wrapped her fingers around the top of the flask. "You'll want to grip it like this, ok?" He whispered into her ear. "When you want to use it you'll want to throw it hard enough so that it'll shatter, ok?"

She nodded nervously, feeling the magic shifting in the glass she held. He let go of her hand and she looked at him nervously. "What happens if I drop it?"
He chuckled at her, and placed his hand back on hers, slowly removing her fingers.
"Wait! What's-"
"Sh, just let it drop."
She gasped as she did, and the flask fell to the floor and rolled away. She let out the breath.
"Feel better?" He whispered. "You have nothing to be afraid of. Trust me."
She tilted her head and looked back at him, resting her head back against him. Her eyes were wide and searching. Majnun's hand came up and his fingers slowly slid down her jaw. He felt his mind grow quiet as he stared into her eyes, and he couldn't recall a time he ever felt more at peace in his own head. He used the hand on her jaw to guide her into a gentle kiss. He almost forgot all his hesitations from that morning as he turned her and pulled her close to him in their kiss.
His arms found his way around her back and she relaxed into him. It was then he felt it - someone had permissions to enter his sanctuary.
The air tensed around he and Anne and a man came through a portal into the room.

Anne pulled away but gripped Majnun's shoulders as she stared in shock.
Majnun knew the footprint well though, and instead he scowled at the interruption.
He pulled Anne to him protectively and Anne could see Majnun's sour face. "Quinn." Majnun said flatly.

"You are insanely hard to get ahold of, you know that?" Quinn started before his eyes got wider as they fell on Anne, who was giving him a wide-eyed look anyways. Quinn's eyes immediately became confused. "Since when do you have lady-friends?" He smirked.
Anne looked at Majnun's face to see his reaction, but Majnun simply rolled his eyes goofily at her, not even bothering to look at Quinn. "Quinn, tell me, how much do you value your sanity?" Majnun's voice was low and menacing.
Quinn held up his hands sheepishly. "Tsk, tsk. So touchy." He gave Anne a cheeky grin. "Don't worry 'bout him love. Being grouchy is part of his prerogative." Quinn chuckled. "Grumble, grumble, insanity, grumble."
Majnun turned and gave him a sly look, "it's insanity, grumble, grumble, insanity, insanity; thank you very much." Majnun slid behind Anne and wrapped his arms around her, giving Quinn a flat stare.
"Well aren't you going to introduce me to your beautiful lady-friend?" He wiggled his eyebrows at Anne.
Anne shifted uneasily, she wasn't sure how this would work out.
"Wife." Majnun stated firmly. "This is my wife." His worlds held a warning.
Quinn immediately backed up. "Apologies, miss." He smiled sheepishly. "It's habit for me to compliment beautiful women."

Majnun tilted his head a little closer to Anne's ear where he gently addressed her. "Anne, this is... my priest," he sighed saying it. "Quinn." His voice became darker and firmer. "Quinn, this is my wife, Anne."
Quinn smirked, "so you're the reason the Mad God threw away sense and reason." Quinn paused. "Wait, he never had any to begin with, that was MY sense and reason you threw away." He laughed. "What did he do to you, my dear? Did he trick you? Tempt you? Offer you all the goods in the world?"
Majnun flicked his wrist and Quinn flew back and hit the wall roughly, dangling in the air as he gasped. "Hey! Hey! Mercy, master! Mercy!"
Anne gave Majnun a look, "Majnun, let him go."
Majnun scowled, but let go of his hold on Quinn who fell to the floor gasping. "Beautiful and merciful? Majnun, I think I'm going to need to quit this job to worship your wife instead." Quinn gave a cheeky smile. "You don't pay me enough for this."
Majnun laughed dryly. "You're alive, aren't you? Let's call that payment."
Anne looked back and forth between them curiously, a question in her eyes that she wasn't sure how to speak.
Quinn opened his mouth to speak but Majnun silenced him with his hand, looking down at his wife. "Yes?"
Anne looked at him sheepishly, "what, exactly, is a priest?"
Majnun smiled at her, "a thorn in my side, that's what."

"Hey!" Quinn frowned, "I'm a good looking thorn at the very least." He made a face. "If I may..." He tilted forward. "I am a follower of the Mad God. I carry out his orders and in exchange receive enhanced magical abilities." He paused and his face became a smirk. "You could say I'm an extension of him... so if you ever get bored... or lonely..."
Majnun made a soft gesture of his hand and sent Quinn to his knees. "What was that Quinn?" He asked sharply.
Quinn gasped, "I TAKE IT BACK!"
Anne leaned back further into Majnun, feeling uneasy, and he tightened his grip on her protectively. He let go of the force he had on Quinn. "That's your final warning." Majnun said sternly.
Quinn pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off like nothing. Anne wasn't entirely sure what she just witnessed, but it seemed nothing broke this man's spirits. "So the rumor is true," Quinn smiled a resigned smile as he tipped his head. "The Mad God has actually fallen in love." He shook his head. "I thought Charlotte had too much crazy blood to drink."
Anne felt her heart lift a little and she looked up at Majnun sweetly and found him gazing back at her. "You're not stupid enough to come all the way here to harass my wife, Quinn, so what do you want?"
Quinn dramatically shook himself off and cleared his throat. "I have reports for you, sir."
Majnun bit his cheek with annoyance. "Really? You're interrupting my time with my wife for reports?" His voice had gotten higher as he spoke and he scowled, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. Anne watched the change with sympathy and concern in her eyes.
"I wouldn't if it weren't important." Quinn shrugged.
Majnun sucked in a long breath but nodded. He looked down at Anne and smiled, moving to whisper in her ear. "Why don't you go draw a bath and rest. You've had a long few days."
Anne hadn't realized how good that actually sounded until he said it. She nodded softly. "Will you come to find me after?"
"If you want me to, absolutely. I shouldn't be long." He pressed his lips to her forehead and they parted, Anne walking quietly out the door and closing it behind her.
Quinn burst out laughing the second she was gone. He was absolutely hysterical. "You-!" He pointed and laughed harder, trying to get a breath. "She's-?" He laughed again. "You're all twisted up, mate!" He bent over at the waist, clutching his stomach as he laughed. He finally calmed down and wiped his eyes while his master scowled firmly at him. "She's made you soft!" Quinn smirked. "By the gods I don't think anyone will believe me when I tell them that the Mad God has up and gone sane!" He shook his head, "it's almost brilliant. I think you become predictable and then you go and get married." He laughed. "And MEAN it."
Majnun crossed his arms impatiently. "Every moment of mine you waste now is a moment I'm taking off of the end of your life." He scowled.
"Op! He's back!" Quinn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Your wife will make for an excellent shield to hide behind when I anger you. Completely understandable though, with eyes like that it's not surprising that your face goes gooey when you look at her."
"Quinn, you should realize that your shield is not here any longer, and that you're about thiiiis close to being buried alive." Majnun held up his finger and thumb to show him a small amount.
"Aw, come now! You wouldn't pull an Adessa on me, would you? You're no Goddess of Betrayal." Quinn laughed, "you're no goddess period." He sassed. "Has that sap been unburied yet?"

Majnun shrugged, "I don't know, nor do I care." He sighed, the Goddess of Betrayal buried her own son alive with a nasty curse. He remembered looking at the handiwork himself with minor delight. Majnun dug into his head, what was that sap's name? He remembered it was ironic. Calamity? Terrible? He felt a laugh bubble up in him. Tragic. That was his name. The Tragic Clown. He shook his head. Buried alive until someone else makes him their problem. He laughed out loud this time, letting insanity seep into his voice. "Perhaps I will bury you alive like Tragic. You're lucky you haven't been cursed yet with how arrogant you act."
"I have a beautiful and merciful master! And her husband is a lunatic, but I guess he's ok too." Quinn made a wild gesture before rolling his eyes. "I've already been cursed, don't you remember? Or has she made you go senile as well as soft?"
"Being a genie is hardly a curse these days." Majnun shrugged.
Quinn sucked in an angry breath. "HARDLY A CURSE?! That was MISERABLE! CHAINED to that STUPID lamp! Agh!" He threw his fists into his hair before rubbing his wrists tenderly as he grumbled. "Hardly a curse. Pfft. You try sitting in a lamp for all eternity. Can you say neck cramps?"
Majnun rolled his eyes. "Can we wrap this up? What's the blasted report you have for me."
"Alessandra is banging down my doorway day and night. Kai has disappeared without a trace, leaving your son in Charlotte's care. And there was one other thing... Oh! Yes! Malice is up to something fishy and has had his nose where it doesn't belong."
Majnun's eyes narrowed. "How do you know?"
"Because MY nose is always where it doesn't belong, and if his is too, then it gets cramped and one of us gets outed. Him, of course, not me. I'm too good at my job for that." He shrugged nonchalantly. "He's been digging into some artifacts or... something."
"Or something?" Majnun said flatly.
"What? They had food there, I wasn't paying attention. The women were dressed very... nicely." Quinn looked off into the distance and smiled.
Majnun pinched the bridge of his nose. "Keep me posted."
"What would you like me to do about your previous wives?" Quinn asked expectantly. "I can't keep staving off Alessandra. She's like a rabid dog." He frowned, "except rabid dogs are kinder."
Majnun chuckled, "I thought you liked women who threw themselves at you."
"I do, I just prefer that the women aren't armed with the intent to kill."
"So, regularly armed is just fine?" Majnun laughed.
"Of course!" He grinned. "I love a challenge!"
Majnun shook his head. "Is that all?"
Quinn snorted, "is that all?" He mocked. "I nearly died from Alessandra smothering me and you act like it's no big deal."
Majnun had a smug grin, "death by being smothered by a woman? Isn't that your first choice of death?"
Quinn hissed through his teeth. "Second."
"Of course." Majnun nodded. "Before you go, tell me about what you've found on Malice."

Anne finished getting dressed into the new pyjamas she had. It was so different being in the unfamiliar house, yet at the same time it felt like home. Anne ran a brush through her hair and smiled thoughtfully. Majnun was so reluctant to associate his mortal self with his current self. She wondered if it would be worthwhile to ask him about it in more detail. She loved him without a doubt, yet she felt like she had a lot she needed to learn. She thought about the flask she held in her hands: the sheer power behind it. What if she messed up? Would he be angry with her? She wasn't magical. She wasn't special.
Insecurities creeped into her head. Perhaps he will grow tired of her and move on if she doesn't get the hang of all of this magic. She didn't want to change though. She wanted to be loved as she was... for the mortal that she was. She wasn't born with a gift... she had no right to take it from someone else. The world is all about give and take in Anne's head. If she got the gift, then surely she was preventing someone else from getting it. She wasn't sure she could feel ok with that.
Anne twisted her fingers through her hair as she was lost in thought. She remembered how Majnun looked at her in the study, how he introduced her. He certainly wasn't ashamed of her right now. She remembered how bewildered Quinn had seemed by the idea of Majnun being in love. Her heart warmed. The insecurities she had were ridiculous, and she knew it. Her mind continued to recall the fun she and Majnun had that day. How he offered to point out every brick, tile, and panel that was hers. The way the fire wanted to be blue. She was living the most enchanted life, and she loved everything about it.

Majnun moved quietly, not wanting to disturb Anne's thoughts. She always had a dreamy look on her face when she was thinking. The way her fingers twisted through her hair idly; the whole scene made him feel like he was missing a piece of himself, and that piece was her. He had never let himself get so close to someone before. Most people couldn't tolerate his insanity anyways. Anne wasn't most people though. She never tolerated him. She accepted him as he was. She saw right through him. She always had. In his hand, he conjured the crystal daffodil of hers before he gently approached her and wrapped his arms around her, placing the flower down in front of her on the dresser.

She jumped at first before relaxing and laughing from the initial surprise.
"I'm sorry that took so long." He whispered into her hair. "I hope you weren't waiting for me for too long."
"Is everything ok?" She asked with a bit of concern.
"Of course, just some boring reports from the other gods. That's all."
She continued to look at him with concern, "how about for you?"
He smiled warmly, "you need not worry about me, my heart."
"I do though." She responded with persistence.
"What about you," Majnun changed the topic. "How are you feeling?"
Anne smiled at him, "today has been incredible, Majnun. Being here makes me happy." She leaned her head back against him, and he sensed the 'but' coming on. "But are you sure you'll be ok with me as I am?"
Majnun's brow furrowed at her, "is this about earlier?"
She nodded. "I'm not magical, or special, or anything like that. Will you still feel happy with me like that?"
He turned her around to face him and he searched her face. He stood for a long minute trying to find the right thing to say. It had to be meaningful. "You are special, Anne." He paused. "You're the only woman I have ever, and will ever love." His hand brush her hair away from her face. "You are so important to me that I want you to spend the rest of eternity with me, by my side. That is the only reason I want you to have magic. I do not want it for the sake of the woman I'm married to having magic, but so that I won't ever need to lose you."
Anne looked at him with her bright, violet eyes; a soft smile pulled at her lips, "and you said you don't do romance." She whispered.
Majnun pressed his forehead against hers. "You change a lot of things about me."
She brightened at his words. "I love you." She whispered to him.
"And I love you, my heart." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers gently. It was a feeling he wasn't sure he would ever get used to, but at the same time he loved it all the same. He pulled away slightly and trailed a kiss on her cheek, then her jaw, and finally where her jaw met her neck; she tilted her head slightly as he moved. He paused. "I have never done anything like this before..." He was almost nervous. "But if it is something you wish... then I will try."
Anne couldn't find the words at the moment, so she only nodded.
Majnun hesitated, taking in a long breath before he nodded as well.

It was the first day of their life together, and Majnun wanted nothing more than to spend every day for all eternity just like that.

She made his empty life full. He would never be the same again, and he knew it.

That night as she slept in his arms he went against Anne's wishes. He would never survive losing her. He traced a soft symbol into the back of her neck, breathing protection onto her. He put everything he could into this spell, because she was everything that ever mattered to him. No man nor magic could take her from him without getting through that spell first. He could not risk her for anything, and if that meant he had to beg for her to change her mind for years straight he would do it.
He could be stubborn too.

[KRae]

Such a beautiful chapter! Tragic Clown - we've come full circle.

[oshizu]

I know you are a profound fan of Quinn, but have trouble understand how he (and no one else) gets away with talking to Majnun like that.
Have you written another story starring Quinn that I have yet to read?

Who could have guessed that the most romantic chapters of your saga would feature Majnun?
I just love him more and more!

Your settings are so intricately crafted! I was surprised to notice a trellis of wisteria in the kitchen!
Truly a moving pair of chapters.   (Does Majnun realize the link between the Tragic Clown and...gets momentarily confused...oh! It's Mary who forges that link!)

[LivvieLove]

Such a beautiful chapter! Tragic Clown - we've come full circle.

Thank you so much!
Indeed we have!  Hopefully that will make more sense in coming chapters.

I know you are a profound fan of Quinn, but have trouble understand how he (and no one else) gets away with talking to Majnun like that.

Majnun is... unique, @oshizu. Yes. That's a good word for him. The theme I try to instill in him is that he is... well, chaos. He loves challenge and disruption and change. Out of pretty much all of the other gods and goddesses, a few things are generally expected of followers: servitude and devotion.
All of the gods except for Majnun, that is. Most gods only take on followers who are similarly-minded people, but Majnun likes the challenge (clearly). The more opinionated or challenging the person, the more Majnun likes them.
Don't get me wrong though, Quinn can come after Majnun every-which-direction and that's fine, because at the end of the day (and this is important) both Quinn and Majnun know who will win if a challenge ever becomes serious. EVERYONE who follows Majnun knows it's ok to challenge the master so long as you don't take it too far or step out of line, because Majnun will put you back into place, painfully (or sometimes he won't, depends on his mood). Most people are foolhardy, and will challenge him thinking they're being tough and will run with their tail between their legs when he challenges them equally back (a good example of this is Mania when it's revealed that Alec loves Mary and has gotten her pregnant oh so long ago). Quinn rarely backs down. That's why he's a priest and not just a follower.
Given this, it's also important to note that while Majnun loves followers who are unique and chaotic like himself... those who challenge HIM; however, he will NOT tolerate anyone going after Anne. Majnun will jab back when Quinn takes shots at him, but he harshly and swiftly shut down Quinn the two times he went after Anne and made her uncomfortable.

Sorry, lengthy explanations are lengthy.

Have you written another story starring Quinn that I have yet to read?

There isn't a story I've written about Quinn... yet.
More will be revealed in further chapters.

Do you honestly think I could let my favorite character go away without a story? Absolutely not. He's getting a very interesting one, and it's going to branch off relatively soon (compared to what's left in this legacy). That's all I'll say on that.

Who could have guessed that the most romantic chapters of your saga would feature Majnun?
I just love him more and more!

Your settings are so intricately crafted! I was surprised to notice a trellis of wisteria in the kitchen!
Truly a moving pair of chapters.   (Does Majnun realize the link between the Tragic Clown and...gets momentarily confused...oh! It's Mary who forges that link!)

Thank you so much for your awesome comments! I love when people ask me questions (clearly) because it gives me a chance to express all the crazy stuff that goes on in my head. =) I really appreciate the compliment on the house. I should just post pictures of the house sometime. I put a lot of effort into combining Anne's personality with Majnun's.
Does Majnun know about the link?
No. He does not. He doesn't have a High Priestess at this point in time (and doesn't pick up Mania until... well... later, I'll say). He cannot actively see the future or anything, but he gets inklings to important things. So no, Majnun currently knows nothing about that aspect of the future. He's too preoccupied being in love with Anne anyways to care.

Hopefully that answers your questions! Feel free to keep them coming!

Also, if anyone has any questions regarding the world, I'm always happy to answer them (spoiler-free) if anyone is curious. @mpart and I have actually really fleshed out a lot of lore for all different lifestates (genies, sirens, vampires, werewolves, nymphs, spirits, etc. etc. etc.), most gods and goddesses, the way magic works, the way curses work... you name it! Feel free to shout them out! If the question is spoiler-esque in nature (or would need to have spoilers in order to fully be explained) then I'll either use a spoiler tag or I'll just express that I can't answer that without giving stuff away. =3

[Long-winded response over.]

[oshizu]

Thank you for your explanations. No, they weren't too lengthy.

And please no explanations under spoiler tags--I don't want to spoil my reading experience in advance and a spoiler tag is waaay too tempting!
But that's just me...

And yes, I love house-tour chapters!

[LivvieLove]

Thank you for your explanations. No, they weren't too lengthy.

And please no explanations under spoiler tags--I don't want to spoil my reading experience in advance and a spoiler tag is waaay too tempting!
But that's just me...

And yes, I love house-tour chapters!

Alright then! It's been decided. Any questions that have answers that may contain spoilers must be done through PM. No need to tempt those who would rather not be spoiled!

I might just grab some pictures now... perhaps after I finish up essays.

[mpart]

It was SO much fun getting to be a part of the folklore. Every little detail we worked out, especially the power hierarchy. I couldn't make my characters too powerful, something I'm still learning is key to writing. XD I loved the chapter! I love Quinn so much. I'm starting to sound like Felix.

[Magpie2012]

Shizu, it was actually Agnes that forged the link with Tragic. If they hadn't gotten together, there would be no Reaper's to speak of...

Anything you want to share about the lore will be added bonus, Liv!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9720 using Tapatalk

[LivvieLove]

It was SO much fun getting to be a part of the folklore. Every little detail we worked out, especially the power hierarchy. I couldn't make my characters too powerful, something I'm still learning is key to writing. XD I loved the chapter! I love Quinn so much. I'm starting to sound like Felix.

We're not even done yet! XD We have made excellent progress though, and you're slowly getting there! Half the fun is the journey.
I love Quinn... and embrace your inner Felix!

Shizu, it was actually Agnes that forged the link with Tragic. If they hadn't gotten together, there would be no Reaper's to speak of...

Anything you want to share about the lore will be added bonus, Liv!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9720 using Tapatalk

Agnes married Tragic, but what @oshizu might mean is that Mary was the one that reconnected the magic from that generation perhaps?

And thank you! I wouldn't even know where to start, haha!

[oshizu]

Erm, either I'm not being clear or I've completely misunderstood:

By marrying Alecca, Mary connected the Reaper bloodline (tracing back to the Tragic Clown) to Majnun's Keeper bloodline.  Yes? No? Lol.

[LivvieLove]

Erm, either I'm not being clear or I've completely misunderstood:

By marrying Alecca, Mary connected the Reaper bloodline (tracing back to the Tragic Clown) to Majnun's Keeper bloodline.  Yes? No? Lol.

Nope! That's exactly right!
I think magpie thought that you meant Mary was the reason TRAGIC was part of the line. Or something.
Confusion. Confusion.

Mary's marriage to Alec Trebo (aka Aleccas Keeper) is the link between the two lines, but the REAL link is Eveline, as she's the two bloodlines converging.

[Tiamet]

Ye gods and little fishes, Liv, I spent most of yesterday re-reading this whole thing and I'm still blown away!  What a great read!  Can't wait to find out what's going to happen next!

[LivvieLove]

Ye gods and little fishes, Liv, I spent most of yesterday re-reading this whole thing and I'm still blown away!  What a great read!  Can't wait to find out what's going to happen next!

Oh my goodness! It's Tia! Hello there! Thank you so much! My meandering little story took quite a turn didn't it? Heh, I'm glad that you enjoyed it thus far! I've got big plans for it! Majnun has taken the wheel, and we're all doomed. XD

[oshizu]

 Lol, no! If excitable Felix took the wheel, we would be doomed!
When Majnun takes the wheel, we manage to stay alive but at the expense of our hearts and minds.   
Is that a kind of doom as well?  I would gladly sacrifice my heart and mind to hear more about Majnun and his madness. It might be too late for me already...

[LivvieLove]

Lol, no! If excitable Felix took the wheel, we would be doomed!
When Majnun takes the wheel, we manage to stay alive but at the expense of our hearts and minds.   
Is that a kind of doom as well?  I would gladly sacrifice my heart and mind to hear more about Majnun and his madness. It might be too late for me already...

Felix at the wheel is... "Oh look at that! I LOVE that!" "Oh! Over there! I LOVE that!" "WAIT --- WE MISSED SOMETHING I LOVE!"
Hehe. I now call days when I'm feeling happy about everything "channeling my inner-Felix" days.
Majnun at the wheel is... chaotic and scary, well, need I remind you that he taught Eveline to drive once?

"Ok now dear, you're doing great. Just swerve left -"
The car hit something and rolled over the top of it with a large thunk.
"What did I just hit?!" Eveline called. "Is the car ok?!"

"Don't worry, the car isn't ours." Majnun smiled, "ooh! Now make a quick right turn... that woman called me a crazy old man yesterday!"
Eveline hit the curb.
"WOO! TEN POINTS!" Majnun shouted as he put his hands up in the air.

I think I've made my point. XD