A little bit psycho [Bjorn/Fenrir]

[Deleted]

TRIGGER WARNING

June 2026

Breeding was something that the Nightshades learned form a young age. Fenrir had been breeding and selling occamy had been a passion project of Fenrir for quite some time. Unfortunately needed a new breeding female. Their last litter would be the last, so he had to act quickly. He had to get a new creature to mix up the breeding pool. He reached out to the black market, seemed as though there wasn't one readily available. But he had finally messaged a captain of a ship who often smuggled creatures, and the family had worked with before. And when we say that Fenrir had messaged, it had all been through his trusted maid, Meredith. Once his latest group had been born, Fenrir started to act. discarding the older creatures he waited for the eggs to hatch. Keeping one of the young males of the latest litter, he had sent out his other occamy to be sold, keeping their silver eggs. Though he was confident that a few eggs went missing. Guess he better amp up security.

Selling off the hatched offspring he wasn't keeping, he had finally made arrangements for a new beast. Now he would just have to wait for his replacement. Fenrir wasn't the most patient of Nightshades. He had to find ways of entertaining himself. Using his legilimency to ensure that it was really working, or just for fun. He enjoyed seeing them feel the pain of his mind reaching into there and tearing out what he wanted to find. He also worked on mixing new poisons, testing them on their prisoners. His experimental project that had been going on also didn't seem to be going well. Either he toxic creature would kill each other, or if they successfully got impregnated, they would often die from the strange abomination growing inside of them. Often times it was due to the foreign poison. The intention of breeding the creatures to create a stronger toxin didn't seem to be successful. So, he worked on combining an the harvested poisons of each creature and combining them into a lethal mixture.

The Nightshade main house was hidden in Russia. It's location protected. They had very few unexpected guests, and only a small amount of expected guests. For whatever reason, people usually wanted the Nightshade's to come to them. The mansion covered in gold, but still looked overgrown and unkept. The glass and gold shone beautifully in the sun, contrasted by the vines overtaking the walls. The inside was impossible to navigate if you didn't work there, even regular visitors still found themselves easily lost in the labyrinthian mansion. The rules of the house meant that no guest should be left to wonder without a Nightshade member, or more commonly an employee of the family. Once their guest was placed in one of their sitting rooms. Arriving in the sitting room, they were left there until the Nightshade they were there to see arrived. Each sitting room held their own perks, and clearly announced how the family felt about you. Those close with the family would know about this, but those who visited less were ignorant to this fact. Some of their regular groups that they worked with, refused to enter the house. Not that the grounds were any safer. But, it was often considered to be a wise decision.

Getting new creatures smuggled to them wasn't a process that could happen quickly. But in time, he got word that he had a visitor here to deliver some items. One of wish item was a cage containing a small female Occamy. The crew and captain of the Jolly Rodger refused to step foot into their mansion. That meant that he would be required to meet with the man outside. Not a problem. A bit of an inconvenience, but it was still admirable that the man had a healthy fear of their family manor. From the information he had received form his ever observant shadow, it also sounded like the man had brought a number of other treasures that may interest the members of the Nightshade family. Because he was expecting something, he had agreed to take care of all the business that was required with the man. That arrangement had been agreed upon through Meredith, naturally.

Making his way down to the entrance, Fenrir saunters through the mansion he called home. The front door was opened for him as he stepped out into the cloudy fresh air. He approached the man, flashing a unsettling grin at the man who didn't seem exactly pleased that Fenrir was the one who hade come out to do business with him. He spoke in his native tongue "There seems to be more than we asked for, Krok" He haughtily observed. "Anything worth out money?" The Nightshades were impossibly rich, they could purchase anything at any price, but that didn't mean they would. And it was a common thing that happened. The ship captain often brought items that he thought they may be interested in.

@bjorn

[Deleted]

June 2026
@fenrir

Those that only knew Bjorn's reputation and didn't know the man personally would accuse him of being a reckless and fearless man. Those that knew him though? They knew that Bjorn was an astoundingly cautious individual. He may look like a brute but his mind was far from one. He weighed all options and risks before making any decision, and he was the sort to make contingencies for his contingencies. It was why he was successful in his line of work. Bjorn was also a man that knew his limits and capabilities well and intentionally refused to put himself in a situation that would reveal his own weaknesses or shortcomings.

The Nightshades were one particular business partner that Bjorn was always very wary to work with. That didn't stop him, of course. But they were a family that was on a different level. One wrong move around them and someone would get hurt, minimum, likely killed. One thing Bjorn had going for him was a lifetime of his own personal experiences, and the experiences of his father. This wasn't a connection he made, after all. It was one from his father's era he'd continued.

Still, that didn't mean he was particularly happy when he got a message from one of the Nightshade's loyal dogs about an Occamy. Not an unusual request for them. He did quite a bit of magical creature smuggling for them. He didn't ask any questions what it was for, as he didn't care. That and this was a no questions asked business.

It had taken some time to acquire the creature, but Bjorn never failed. Then came the journey to Russia to deliver the creature. He knew where the Nightshade mansion was, of course. An excessive waste of money if you asked him. The amount of gold on the mansion would make most people gawk. But then there was the fact that the mansion wasn't actually well kept, as if the Nightshades couldn't even care less if it crumbled around them. It was a terrifying level of wealth. Wealthy enough to show off like this, and wealthy enough to not even care about their investment after. Bjorn had been in the mansion once in his life, when he was a boy. He'd sworn to never enter again after seeing one of the gargoyles come alive and attack someone. His father had explained to him that the mansion was a death trap for any unwelcome visitors. While he knew he was considered "welcome" he knew that status could change without warning. He'd never risk that chance of being completely in the Nightshade's mercy. Though that didn't mean the forest around the mansion was safe either, but at least he could do something about the acromantulas that called the trees home.

There had been a wrench thrown into his plan though. Deva, who had been staying close to his side since the fire at Hogwarts had refused to stay behind on this trip. As much as he wanted to force her to stay behind he would never use physical force to stop her. But he'd given her very, very strict rules. Don't leave the cabin for anything. Don't open the door for anyone. Keep the curtains closed. Then, as an extra precaution he'd even left Ri locked in the cabin with Deva and ordered him to not let Deva out of his sight or let any of the Nightshades see her. Call him paranoid but when you were dealing with Nightshades? Well, your paranoia was probably the only thing that would keep you alive sometimes. Because it wasn't paranoia, it was inevitable.

They'd arrived just after noon, and Bjorn had kept the ship at a safe distance from the mansion, for quick escape if needed. Most of the crew was ordered to stay on teh ship, where only Bjorn and two of his crew left to conduct the business. This was the first time coming to the Nightshades since Luthien's death and he didn't like not having her at his back. But he'd make due. He'd brought the occamy, of course. Along with a few other goods that the Nightshade patriarch had requested when he heard Bjorn was coming to the mansion. Then, they'd also brought a few other goods the Nightshades might take interest in. After conducting so much business with them, Bjorn knew what sort of goods they preferred so he always made sure to bring them out for inspection when he stopped. The Nightshades were always wiling to take a few extra treasures from him.

The goods were left in the open area in front of the mansion, a sort of... neutral ground. Bjorn sat on one of the crates, knees spread and elbows on his knees. The mansion's large doors opened and...

Shit.

Fenrir Nightshade stepped out. If there was anyone that could be classified as the most psychotic and dangerous of the Nightshades it was this bastard. Immediately Bjorn's guard went sky high and his gaze quickly moved, searching... searching... There she was. The shadow. If you knew to look for her, you'd spot her but if you didn't she had an unsettling skill in being unnoticed. Never far from the redhaired Nightshade. "In my experience you Nightshades are always looking for something worth your money," he answered slowly, also in Russian. He stood up then, stepping away from the crates. "I also know you lot hate getting left overs. You don't pay me to bring you the scraps, you want first pick." He finished with a smirk, motioning towards the goods. Despite the dangers of working with the Nightshades he knew that they would always pay extra if it meant purchasing something from his wares before anyone else even got a look. They were a selfish and entitled lot.

[Deleted]

TRIGGER WARNING

If there was one thing you never let the Nightshade family know, it was your weaknesses. Once they knew it, they owned you. They would use your weaknesses to their advantage, and twist the knife while it's in. Because of this there were many groups who were cautious when working with them. The Jolly Rodger had always been a lucrative business partner. Though the family often saw them as doing the menial grunt work, and they reaped the rewards of their partnership. With every partnership that the Nightshades were apart of, they always made sure to watch closely. Any wrong move, and it would give them license to react.

The Nightshade family had started their business arrangements with Bjorn's father, and once the now Captain had taken over, their arrangements remained. Had it not, it could have made an enemy of the family. They didn't exactly enjoy being told no. If they were told such a vile statement, they would likely lash out and ensure that they didn't work for or with anyone else. In recent times when that had happened, the patriarch had sent Fenrir to deal with the fall out. Needless to say, many kept their agreements once made with the Nightshade family.

The main industry of the family was experimental creature breeding, so they needed a creature supplier. Someone who could smuggle any creature they desired, and get it to their manor. The servants could take it from there. Bjorn was one of their best and favorite suppliers. He didn't ask any pesky questions, and got them their requested creature within a reasonable amount of time. In any illegal career, it was best to learn to keep your nose clean and out of anywhere it didn't belong. Trying to figure out the dark secrets of the Nightshade family would spell certain death for anyone who dared to start digging.

The Nightshades were a wealthy family, and they loved to flont it, though they didn't care too much about the state of the garden, or for their halls to be void of cobwebs. First off, the maids and servants had better things to do, and secondly, the gardeners kept mysteriously disappearing. Not that anyone cared to look for them. They figured the dark creatures on their land got to them. And if not, then the children had.

Fenrir knew that Bjorn had come inside the house only once. While the young man found joy in watching the gargoyles maim a living creature, it appeared as though the young pirate was traumatized by it. It really did show the difference in the two families. The house was designed as a ploy to ensnare their enemies. Many of which walked into their trap ignorantly. Many of their guests were welcomed in for business, but the attitude of the family could change without warning. And if that happened, you were sure to perish.

As always, the ships captain had anchored his ship at a distance form the mansion. That didn't matter. Was there a chance that some Nightshades, or even their servants would still poke around the ship? Absolutely. If you were in business with the Nightshades, it was expected that they would constantly look into your life. Their spies were everywhere. Though it was common for the captain to leave most of his muscle on the ship, it was a safe choice, brining only the bare minimum to help with the business side of things. The less that went with him, the lower the potential casualties were.

Before the arrival of the captain, Fenrir was given a list of items that the patriarch had ordered from the man as well, he was put in charge of ensuring that they got what they were expecting. They weren't a family to pay for damaged or undelivered goods. He was sure to memorize the list, and ensure that Meredith knew it as well, she would be the one to make sure that the items were actually there. He'd help with the quality control though. They also often purchased extra from him, as long as they liked what he had brought. It also wasn't a secret that they would pay handsomely for anything they liked.

Walking out, there was a distance that Fenrir had to go, everything had been set up on a more neutral ground. He moved, having a few strong servants behind him to assist in bringing their soon to be purchased goods back to the house. Fenrir wasn't one for menial physical labor. Bjorn sat down while he waited. The Nightshades were well known for making their guests wait until they were ready. The family had wealth beyond imagination, and didn't really care where they threw it. But the moment that someone tried to steal or swindle them, they would be swiftly dealt with.

Fenrir had a reputation, one that he reveled in. When he was involved, everyone knew that they meant business. Normally the jobs his family sent him on were of the murderous or the mangle, and disfiguring kind. He knew that he was psychotic, and anyone who dealt with their family knew his reputation. Fenrir confidently moved towards the pirate caption, he grinned maniacally as he saw the man searching. Anyone who had dealt with him personally, knew that he never traveled alone. Fenrir had a very easy to miss shadow. But, if you knew to look for her, you'd find her. His shadow. The woman who was always there, never too far from her beloved master. When dealing with Fenrir, it was important to not take your eyes off of him. That would give him the the chance and perhaps the reason to attack you. But if you kept your eye one him, it allowed his shadow to move anywhere she wanted, completely overlooked. It really was a lose lose for those Fenrir dealt with. Those kind of odds were what the young man loved.

Finally reaching the man, Fenrir noted the extra stock. "I'll see if there's anything that catches my eye." He stated, not looking at the merchandise, but the other men that Bjorn had brought with him to the meeting, his head tilted up, actually looking down his nose at the crewmates. The man continued stating that these were first pick items. That was how the family did things. They never picked up scraps, not even their own. If something had outlasted their enjoyment of it, they'd much rather dispose of it rather than pass it to another. He turned his gaze back to the captain, his face moving back to business. "Let's see if you don't disappoint." He then moved to take a look at the products that the man had brought, first observing that Occamy that he had asked for. "Seems in good condition, is she young?"

@bjorn