beast and the harlot | harmony

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

her plagues will come all at once

as her mourners watch her burn

February 14, 2028
Harmony Vector

What an exhausting day. Archie arranged the stack of files on his desk neatly as he removed one more from the top. The important thing was the pile was far shorter than when he’d begun that morning. And overall, speaking to parents who thought their children were perfect in every way was a far better experience than whatever occurred at that Valentine’s Day festival. At least that day, he was grateful for a packed schedule. Mumbling to himself, Archie jotted down some final notes on the previous student. They weren’t in any of his courses for Arithmancy or Cursebreaking topics. However, they were in his house. Not only did Archie have to prepare and speak about his LIFE students but the ones at MAGIC as well.

And it wasn’t to say that he hated the holiday, per se. Hate was such a strong word, and Archie rarely used it, though a short list existed. For many reasons, Archie had pushed relationships to the bottom of his priority list a long time ago. This arrangement with Esther was ideal in his mind. Fortunately, it worked out for her as well. With an exhausted sigh, he closed the file and placed it on the stack behind him. He pitied the professor with a small social battery for all the meetings arranged that day. The following file wasn’t thin but wasn’t full of documents either, though as he opened it and stared at the name, it shouldn’t have surprised him either.

‘Vector’. Archie would never not pause at seeing his name on a student's document. Although, this one was for his youngest half-sister and the youngest Vector child. And before Archie could process what this meant, his office door opened. She was tall, elegant, and beautiful, yet Harmony also had the privilege of eliciting nothing but negative feelings from Archie. The sociable, charismatic, and easygoing man had nothing positive to say about his stepmother. Though he supposed her one, or rather three positive contributions to society took the form of his youngest siblings. Still, Idele was in his house, so this couldn’t be avoided. He cleared his throat, offering up a polite smile. ”Harmony.” With a hand, he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. ”Please.”

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[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

feb 2028

THE WHOLE COMPLEX REEKED OF NEW PAINT, barely covering the stench of age and old magic. Harmony's heels clacked noisily along the hall, but she dare not appear to admire the modern architecture between soft, ancient columns. She had always hated Hogwarts on principle. Too good for it, her mother had said. So why on earth she allowed her children to walk its halls was beyond her. Perhaps it was just to avoid any more crying about the whole façade. So, on principle, Harmony would not be found admiring the paintings along the walls. No matter how often they called out towards her.

Charming a bug eyed house-elf to charter the way for her, Harmony found her way out along the buildings to her appointed room. Another farcical enterprise in her opinion. She had no patience for it, but the owl had come in plenty of time to make arrangements for her attendance. An ugly, doughy-faced professor telling her how well her children were doing. She found it insulting, because why on earth would they assume she didn't already know? Harmony knew the pace with which each of her children breathed, never mind an antiquated score on an old piece of parchment. But, lest people think she cared little for her children, she attended every meeting with a petulant impatience.

"Is just in here, missus," The house-elf squeaked. Waving a long, spindly arm toward the closed doorway. A plaque on the door read, Vector, but she dare not pause. Nodding once, she pulled a knut from the deepest recesses of her pockets and handed it to the house-elf. She ignored its answering protestations by opening the door and walking inside. Letting the door close firmly behind her to cut off the house-elf's helpless wailing. What was it with the walking pillow cases and accepting a rusty old Knut for services rendered? Midge took silver nowadays, and nothing less.

Inside, the room was large and breezy with open windows. Harmony took no notice of the particular décor. She was more interested in the man behind the desk. Octavian Jnr. 'Archie' Vector. In the shadow of the bright windows, he could almost pass for his late father. The thought sent a shiver of disgust down Harmony's spine. But she kept her beatific smile in place, wondering how she might've gotten so unlucky that the man-child himself would head the meeting. As if she needed another reason to doubt their professional opinion.

"Well, if it isn't the son nobody asked for," Harmony greeted him, a teasing lift of her brows accompanying her swaying hips. She approached the appointed chair with a lackadaisical ease. Internally, she despised the act of sitting because she had been told. Especially by him. The tension layering the room, not even the February breeze could ease it. Harmony used the toe of her glossy heel to pull the chair's leg out, before she turned and sat in it with a soft sigh. "Now, who might I owe for this sublime professional pleasure?" She asked with a sharp tartness. Her mouth closing firmly as she lay both elbows on the arms of the chair and crossed her hands delicately in her lap. One leg crossing over the other, for an added appearance of primness. 

octavian archimedes vector jr.

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

her plagues will come all at once

as her mourners watch her burn

February 14, 2028
Harmony Vector

And how could Archie forget the age gap? Harmony was only four years older than Archie, his father’s eldest child, yet the Octavian Sr had somehow deemed it appropriate. But, like a multiplicative number series, the age gap between his father and his other wives had only increased each time. Harmony happened to be the last—the survivor of them all. That fact wasn’t lost on Archie and Nova but was an unspoken topic. Mainly not to upset their Aunt Decima, the only mother the two had known. Perhaps deep envy and resentment existed in Octavian Jr that some of his half-siblings had their mother while he did not.

His face remained neutral, despite how her words slipped past his armor. Archie’s eyes passed over her features and the large ring she still wore on her finger. Often he wondered if this was the ring his mother had also worn. Momentarily, his jaw clenched. Long ago, a young, angry teenage Archie often verbally fought with his new stepmother. He hadn’t understood how someone young enough to pass for an older sibling could now be his new stepmother. At least Nova and the twin’s mothers had a more adult presence.

So, for now, he ignored the unsolicited comment about his birth. ”Well, as you know, these annual meetings are a formality.” And Merlin willing, they would not have much to discuss. ”Idele’s Professors tell me she is doing quite well. As a Head of House, I’m made aware of any issues involving my students.” Archie began, opening and skimming the first file. There were small notes here and there, but nothing Archie felt compelled to report and nothing he wouldn’t discuss with his younger sister. Closing that one, he opened the next one. The name ‘VECTOR’ stood out once more. ”I’m happy to report Alan is receiving outstanding marks in Arithmancy.” Archie emphasized the subject while still beaming with genuine pride. ”Looks like he’s his father’s son, after all.” It was known the family had a knack for the subject, regardless of what his stepmother would acknowledge.

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[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

feb 2028

THE SEAT WAS CUSHIONED, BUT STILL WILDLY uncomfortable as Harmony sat back. Unnaturally still as she maintained her cool composure. She understood it wasn't the type of serenity that calmed other people, but rather seemed to put them on edge. Her otherness giving her a preternatural stillness. As if she were a predator, laying in wait. "Personally, I find them utterly ridiculous." She drawled, shifting her hands deliberately. Crossing and uncrossing her fingers in a display of absent boredom. "I am quite certain there is nothing you can tell me that I do not already know." And it went without saying that Harmony was not just talking about her precious children.    

It was an undermining tactic. Harmony wanted Octavian Jnr. to know that she thought little of his opinion - professional or otherwise. Her sly eyes blinking with a slow, dismissive flick. Lashes casting shadows and mouth still smiling flatly. She looked as if she were not listening, but on he went. His voice one of manufactured order. Maintaining what little shred of control he had from across the desk. He looked like a boy in his father's pressed robes. Fiddling with his parchment, and squaring his jaw in what Harmony presumed was supposed to be a handsome composure. It was handsome, she supposed, but it lacked edge.

"Idele is doing great." Harmony corrected, her smile lifting ever so slightly. "Better than fine." As if she meant to correct his records. "She's clever and stubborn, and she will excel as I say so." Harmony's words had a clipped finality to them. She would not hear any criticism from the-boy-who-would-never-be-King. She leaned forward slightly, shifting in her chair to scoff delicately as she looked out of the window and onto the craggy mountains in the distance.

"Was it your father who set up the nationally recognised tutor?" Harmony asked without expecting an answer. "Oversaw additional curriculum, acquired ancient Arithmancy texts for expertise study?" Harmony fluttered her lashes, head tilting as if she did, for a moment, expect an answer. "No." She replied to herself, her fingers flexing just a little. Enough to bleed her knuckles to a pale, bloodless white. "Alan is my son," Harmony said stiffly. "Fate... genetics... inheritance... pshaw." She rolled her eyes, giving Octavian a long, pitying look. Did he think himself kind for the comparison? It was offensive. 

octavian archimedes vector jr.

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

her plagues will come all at once

as her mourners watch her burn

February 14, 2028
Harmony Vector

It was all Archie could do to remain civil. The corners of his mouth turned up into a forced grin. Of course Harmony need not be informed of the happenings in her children’s lives. She was the epitome of the hovering mother and puppet master. Merlin knew Archie could never adequately explain the envy deep in his soul at how his father had pandered to his last wife and children, but at least Archie never fell under the thumb of his stepmother. But, as always, Archie maintained his composure up to his posture. When his father had introduced his new wife to his children at the time, Archie couldn’t have been more than fifteen, and over the years, he had learned quite a bit about dealing with Harmony Vector.

”She excels of her own accord.” Archie found himself correcting his stepmother. ”As does her brother.” The Vector children were a large but intelligent bunch. There had been no doubt that Octavian Sr was brilliant, but merely the disappointment of how he used his gifts followed the name around. At least here, Archie felt he could put his foot down. How many parents stomped into his office demanding to know why their child could only achieve a Poor or even Troll grade in a subject? As if it didn’t all begin with the student? From what Archie saw in his youngest siblings, they were all determined to succeed regardless of Harmony’s contribution to the matter.

Archie avoided narrowing his eyes at her condescension. Such rhetorical questions were silly and obvious. And he felt how they poked and prodded him behind his easy-going exterior. Very few got such a rise from Archie; he was not known for his temper. ”My father only wasted the gifts he was given.” Archie stated rather flatly. The gift of a brilliant mind, and one for numbers at that. The gift of his charm and personality. The gift of his children…all of them. That alone was enough to burn resentment in the pit of Archie’s stomach. But such anger always existed when witnessing the pain of others rather than oneself. It didn’t appear that any Vector children would waste what they inherited.

”That being said—“ Archie shuffled Alan’s folder underneath another. ”Perhaps you could speak to your son.” He opened the last folder labeled ‘VECTOR’. ”Leonhard’s marks are acceptable. However, he lacks discipline.” The last file was remarkably thicker than the other two triplets. From what Archie had been told, it appeared the apple did not fall far from the tree as Leonhard used his skills much as Octavian Sr. had done. The reports regarding his troublemaking were beginning to stack up.

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[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

feb 2028

THERE WAS ALMOST A GLEEFULNESS TO THE exchange for Harmony. As if a very dark, very terrible part of her enjoyed the discomfort of the charged exchange. How stiffly Octavian Jnr held himself, like a bow string pulled horribly taught. One wrong passing comment might land a killing blow. It was thrilling, really, waiting to see whose composure would crack first. "And I presume you consider yourself to have set the opposite example." Harmony drawled with a gentle lift of her brows. "Quite the man, hm?" And her smile was as condescending as it was beautiful.

In a vain attempt to pry his own way under Harmony's skin, or so she suspected, Octavian made a poor attempt at criticism. It landed poorly though it landed all the same, for Harmony considered a snipe towards her children as a cheap, barely considerable shot. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she cast a look heavenward, as if to garner some hidden strength from the fresco on the ceiling. "I do not know what you mean," She told him plainly. "I speak with my son more often than you ever spoke with your father." Harmony's lips curled cruelly. "I don't expect you to understand the meaning of a healthy parent and child relationship, it is... foreign to you, I suppose."

Straightening in her seat, Harmony leaned forward and placed a gentle, sharp nailed palm on the polished oak as if she were reaching out to Octavian. "You're still hurting... I can tell..." She smiled thinly, her brow pulling together in an expression of sweet sympathy. "But if ever you try and use my son's individual learning experience to get under my skin again," She was out of her seat now, her eyes narrowing, that sweet expression melting into one so cruelly cold that it seemed to bring the temperature in the room down a few notches. "I'll make sure you never teach another class again, do I make myself clear?" She reached forward, her hand clasping tight to Octavian's sharp, scruffy jawline. Her fingernails digging in to keep him in place. "You look just like your father when you try to be cruel, Octavian." Nostrils flaring, her expression sharpened with revulsion. "It does not suit you." And then she let go, leaning back and settling back into her seat as quickly as she had broached the space between them. 

octavian archimedes vector jr.

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

her plagues will come all at once

as her mourners watch her burn

February 14, 2028
Harmony Vector

Easygoing, amiable, friendly, patient—Archie felt none of those traits as the words left Harmony’s mouth. But it was always like that with her, wasn’t it? Two people staring one another down while circling around an invisible center—it was an old American Wild West duel, and both were convinced their quickdraw was the best. And the fact that she was entirely correct only fueled the bitter flames in his stomach. “I never presumed such a thing.” Nor did Archie leave victims in his wake. Children longing for love and grieving, as they were left.

While Archie was accustomed to Harmony’s typical taunts regarding his relationship—or lack thereof with his father, it didn’t lessen the sting. In these moments, Archie felt it a miracle that Idele was as kind and good-natured as she was considering her lineage. Archie and Nova stood a chance under their Aunt Decima’s guidance. ”Perhaps not in traditional terms.” He countered, regarding his Aunt as the one true parent in his life. Though it didn’t matter how many times Archie repeated that mantra, it never filled the void his father left behind.

Cruel. The word pinched more than the nails in his jawline. Archie wrestled his face away, standing as his chair legs scraped against the floor. Goosebumps formed on his arms as a chill ran up his spine. Octavian Vector had been a cruel man. Aunt Decima would never say it, but Archie had always seen it in her eyes. Most of them inherited the same blue eyes. “You’ve got some nerve.” He pushed through gritted teeth. His brow furrowed in anger, not only at the invasion of his space but the threat against his career. But even as his nose flared with a forceful sigh, he knew well enough she had friends in high places. Friends in the right social circles, and her family money.

Only a woman scorned by Octavian Sr. could understand the pain in Archie, Nova, and the twins' eyes—a pain Archie had shoved aside quite successfully, or so he thought. Which made the tenuous relationship with his stepmother a fragile one. “It's in his eyes,” Archie spoke directly, ignoring the lingering pain on his face. The boys looked quite alike but fraternal triplets would still be distinctive. Leonhard was intelligent and crafty. “How often does he lie to you?” Taking a small step forward, Archie placed both his hands on the desk and leaned forward. He remembered the first time he caught his brother in a lie—the strange feeling of déjà vu he felt. After reviewing some of the write-ups from other Professors, it hit him—he sounded just like Octavian Sr. ”How often does he lie to his friends—perhaps a girlfriend?” The path his younger brother walked was one they all saw as doomed. Well, most of them.

”Cruelty is delighting in the suffering of others.” Archie finally corrected. ”Perhaps you can relate?” Despite his immense dislike of Harmony, Archie would never wish ill on his youngest siblings. ”But you’re their mother—I suppose you know best.”

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[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

feb 2028

THE DENIAL LANDED FLAT, AND HARMONY MADE no effort to believe him. Her brows lifting and her mouth pouting in an expression of quiet disbelief. Though she appeared almost polite in her lack of rebuttal, Harmony preferred it that way, attempting to maintain the upper ground. Harmony had not intended to allow the meeting to devolve as it had, but she hadn't expected to be faced with Octavian Jnr, either. She was acting a little rashly, pushing the boundaries of propriety in a way that would have had her mother vicious with disapproval, but there was something about Octavian Jnr that brought forth the very darkest parts of her personality.

"Right," She clicked her tongue carefully, looking almost thoughtful as she replied to Octavian's 'unconventional parenting'. "The aunt..." This was said with a slight curl of her mouth, showing her distaste and opinion of the old bat that needn't be elaborated on. The smirk did exactly what she wanted it to. "What a blessing," She drawled, the sarcasm as sharp as her smile as she crossed her arms and gave him a long, needling look.

Perhaps it was a step too far to reach into Octavian's space in the end. Her voice no louder than normal, but twice as edged as she narrowed her eyes at him, the desk the only thing stopping her from attempting to wrap her hands around his neck. He wrenched his face from her grip, and she let him, hand coming to lay flat on the desk as she rose to meet his glare head on.

"My sons don't lie to me," She refuted, but it was spoken a little too quickly and she found that he had suddenly pulled the reigns back toward himself. His height gaining on her as he stood from his own seat to lean toward her threateningly. It was almost too familiar, her heart ticking angrily, like a cage bird behind her ribs. "My sons don't need to lie to me," She added, almost like an afterthought, but he had laid a thought that would niggle at the back of mind until she spoke with them personally.

From this angle, Harmony had to tilt her chin now to catch Octavian's eye. Posture stretched as she refused to give ground, sharing far too much space with a man that she despised on principle alone. "I suppose you must be an expert then, Octavian." She said, dropping the 'junior' purposefully, to land a blow as a last resort. "You wear it better from this angle, it almost suits you, just as it suited him." The compliment was cold, a curl of disgust on Harmony's face as she recalled the coldest of her late husbands blows.

"You're right." Harmony said finally, gathering her breath and her hammering heart as she straightened and removed herself from Octavian's polluted space. "I am their mother," She smiled thinly, but it wasn't quite as sharp as she'd have wanted it to be. "I do know best." She crossed her arms and drew in a sobering breath. Harmony allowed a beat of silence to seal the tension in the room, noting that Octavian didn't look quite as composed as he perhaps hoped he was. "You think I'm some kind of monster," She said with a careful tone, pinched at the month. "But I just care about my children." 

octavian archimedes vector jr.

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

her plagues will come all at once

as her mourners watch her burn

February 14, 2028
Harmony Vector

The tone in which Harmony spoke about his Aunt brought more fury than anything else so far. Decima had done nothing but clean up after her brother’s messes their entire lives and stepped in when his two eldest children needed a home. She was the real parent for Archie and Nova, and he’d be damned if he was going to let this narcissistic harpy of a woman speak ill of her. But their conversation was escalating and Archie felt it slipping from his control every moment that passed. He didn’t like that feeling, which was one of the real reasons he left a potentially lucrative career with Gringotts in the first place.

But more than anything, he didn’t want Harmony to be right. However, he felt the rush of the small win—her reaction to what he’d said about his younger brother. Nothing Archie spoke was false, and it gave him chills to see how this young man was slowly morphing into another Octavian Sr. ”Not yet.” He calmly added. They were teenagers, and no teenager on Earth existed who shared everything with their parents or would ever cede what little independence they had in this world.

A wave of rage passed over him, and Archie used his height to tower over this woman. ”I’m not him.” Archie pushed through gritted teeth. He was not that man, nor would he ever be. To suggest such a thing was beyond insulting. Decima had raised him better than that. Nurture would overcome anything nature tried to decide for him. ”You only hate him because you couldn’t see what kind of man he was before it was too late.” And this was true of all his late wives. Archie, Nova, and his twin sister’s mothers. Harmony was the lone survivor, but he supposed everything had to come to an end at some point.

But this little meeting had ceased to be about his younger siblings anymore. Merlin, when was the last time Archie had been so riled up like this? He was not one known for a temper or anything of the sort. ”One doesn’t have to think when they know.” Archie spoke much calmer but not as unfazed as he wished to be. ”I care about my younger siblings—all of them. Unlike your late husband.” There wasn’t a need to refer to his father because, despite Archie’s given name, he was not him. And he hoped that the other Octavian Jr would also find his own path in the world. But Leonard? Well, that was where Archie’s concern lay.

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