Vermillion Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Tournament of Champions; Successful Plan

Christopher was on his way back from the entrance to the Common Room of the House of Melkron, having just escorted Katherine back to her room under her Invisibility Cloak, as Katherine was far from a suitable state for the public eye. He wanted to stay there for a second round, but Katherine was afraid her roommate would arrive. It wasn't something that would discourage Christopher, but he was reluctant to push Katherine more than she was willing to accept. He was still near the entrance, pondering the plan they had hatched about how to destroy the Mallory Family's credibility when he saw a golden opportunity to initiate the first stage of his plan against the Mallory Family. Vincent Kroft Mallory had just turned at the other end of the hall, a crowd of Melkron House students surrounding him, Theodore William Cathloy and Gherardo Salvatore Catalano, plus his usual bodyguards and shelf shelves, Wayne and Kent.

A thunderous expression came over Mallory's face as soon as he noticed Christopher. "Redfield!" Vincent screamed like a little girl, drawing his wand simultaneously, running towards Christopher without worrying.

Christopher also discreetly pulled out his wand, but left it pointed at the ground. He could handle Mallory without his wand, but he preferred to keep most of his abilities in the shadows, unless the situation called for it. More importantly, he sent a mental signal to the Greengrass Ring, canceling his invisibility state, as being visible would work to his benefit for the time being. Mallory was too angry to notice, and Wayne and Kent weren't famous for their observational skills…or their mental abilities. Christopher wasn't sure about Catalano and Cathloy, but he was willing to bet they would remain silent even if they noticed, and it would be convenient to have witnesses later.

Mallory was only a step away from him, an angry expression on his face, pointing his wand at Christopher. It was a situation that demanded Christopher's attention, which was precisely why Christopher ignored him as if he were invisible, and turned to Cathloy and Catalano. "Hello gentlemen. How can I help you?"

As Christopher had hoped, being visibly dismissed as inconsequential didn't exactly help Mallory's state of mind. Vincent grabbed Christopher's collar and began to scream. "You bastard! I'll kill you if I see you near Mirabella. You'll leave her alone. Do you understand me?!"

As Mallory continued with his speech, Christopher was watching the others, to see if any of them noticed his new accessory. He even squeezed her hand discreetly, hoping one of them would notice before he needed to rely on acts that Mallory might also notice. A few seconds later, he noticed Catalano's eyes widen in shock as his gaze got caught on his ring. 'This is just perfect.' Christopher thought happily. "Oh… what did you just say?" Christopher muttered, acting as if he'd just seen Mallory. "Mirabella wants a free sample before next Saturday? Of course, let me go meet you in locker number #836 I normally use as my office." Christopher said, finishing with an eyebrow movement that left no doubt as to what he really meant. His earlier words should have been clear enough, but explaining too much was never a bad path to take when it came to Mallory. The idiot had some screws missing. Then Christopher turned away, giving him the opportunity for a perfect sneak attack.

Christopher was sure Mallory would fire the shot, though she kept her magical senses open to the case. There was always the risk that he underestimated how far Mallory would go when he was angry, and dying from a slashing spell to the neck from behind just because he misjudged the situation would be just plain regrettable. He felt justified when he sensed a Bonebreaker coming out of Mallory's wand, but thanks to Mallory's poor aim…and her poor magic performance overall, the Bonebreaker was moving toward her arm instead of somewhere. lethal.

It wasn't something Christopher couldn't help but he just continued his walk and let it connect with her arm, enough momentum to unbalance him, his fall accompanied by the horrible sound of a bone breaking. Despite the pain, a cocky, shitty grin spread across Christopher's face, glad his plan was progressing even better than he'd expected. There was only one question on his mind as he rose, how much of his power would he reveal to Catalano and Cathloy? Very little, and they defend Mallory's side of events, thinking there was no consequence to angering Christopher in the process. Too much, he risked his abilities to be known by less friendly people. A few seconds later, he decided to go with the flashy version, mainly because Gherardo Salvatore Catalano in a few years would be Lord Catalano, and impressing him would pave the way for further cooperation, an impressive reward considering they remained neutral at most events. And impressing Cathloy wouldn't hurt either. Although he was not the heir to his family, he still had significant influence in the House of Melkron, and he would be far more reluctant to support Mallory's schemes if he knew exactly who he was in danger of getting angry at. And it wasn't like he was able to keep his abilities hidden for long.

With the decision made, Christopher dropped his wand from his hand, but he made no attempt to catch it, giving no indication that he was in the least bit of pain. He could see a satisfied smile on Mallory's face, a surprised one on Cathloy's, and a disappointed one on Catalano's. Then Christopher smiled arrogantly. It was a smile a fish saw just before meeting its end between the sharp teeth of a shark. He raised his hand and a sudden wave of magical pressure moved down the hall, strong enough to shake even the spectators. Wayne, Kent and Mallory ended up crashing into the wall and then falling unconscious. He opened his palm, his wand flew back, then turned to Cathloy and Catalano.

"So…gentlemen." Christopher spoke in a perfectly mild voice. "I'm sure you witnessed Heir Mallory's cowardly attack on Lord Greengrass, right?" Christopher said, casually showing his ring. Cathloy's jaw drops in shock, while Catalano nodded in confusion. "I'm sure you'd be happy to grant a minor benefit, keeping what you saw here a secret, unless I call you to testify, right?" Christopher added, extending his power to make sure they understood it wasn't something they could ignore without consequences. Not only would they be harming the newly revealed Lord Greengrass, they would be harming a wizard who only displayed a frightening amount of power and control in a casual way.

Catalano was the first to recover and nodded in panic. "Of course, Lord Greengrass." Catalano said calmly and eloquently, showing no sign of his earlier shock, displaying impressive adaptability.

Christopher was impressed and made a point of paying more attention to the future Lord Catalano. Christopher nodded, then began his walk to the infirmary, his mind already occupied with the letter he was about to write to his newfound cousin.

-ooo-

Larissa Celeste Mallory, born Greengrass, climbed the steps of the Sorcerer's Meeting, her mind in a state of wreckage, trying to make sense of the shitty situation she found herself in. Earlier today, as she was busy preparing for yet another tea party she was about to offer at Mallory Manor, she received a very ominous letter, sealed with a personal secrecy she hadn't seen in a long time, the personal seal of Lord Greengrass , sending shivers of fear through her body. No one was supposed to have access to that particular seal before Vincent achieved emancipation and took the reins of the Greengrass Family like Lord Greengrass.

However, no matter how bad the apprehension, Larissa melted against the absolute fear she felt almost immediately after reading the letter. The new Lord Greengrass was informing her that her son attacked him while he was on his back with a potentially deadly curse, without any acceptable statement or provocation. The possible ramifications of this were enough to freeze his blood, in light of the Greengrass Family statute. The Greengrass Family respected sneak attacks and other underhand methods, but only if they were successful, with failure severely punished. So the new Lord Greengrass invited her to a private lunch at the Sorcerer's Meeting, to discuss his stupid son's inappropriate behavior. To make matters worse, he signed the letter as Lord Greengrass and nothing else, clearly intending to keep her uninformed and in the dark in the process, therefore to keep her off balance. She didn't like to admit it, but the tactic was working perfectly, mainly because of her son's idiocy, forcing her to act in a hurry, not allowing any attempt to advance the meeting while gathering information about Lord Greengrass's mysterious apparition.

To make matters worse, she was not able to ask her son any questions about the event. Vincent would definitely inform Mathias, like a puppy on a leash, and he would insist on joining the meeting, something she didn't want for three reasons. First, because Mathias tended to be very strong in any kind of negotiation, a tactic that rarely resulted in success when he encountered anyone other than his lackeys or the usual cowards he was normally dealing with. She still happily remembers the lesson Mathias took in trying to show off his "Superior Thoroughbred Status" in Álvares. Considering the possible implications of his actions, there was little chance of Lord Greengrass belonging to this group, Mathias was strong politically, but in matters of magic, Mathias was a lame excuse, where even an average 7th grader could overtake him. After all, the new Lord Greengrass was literally risking his life just by letting the Mallory family know of his existence, Larissa wouldn't be stupid enough not to think she wasn't going to the booby-trapped lion's lair. Second, because Lord Greengrass asked for her, and only her, and she didn't want to risk her wrath unnecessarily. Third, she thought sadly, pulling her outer robe tighter, were the clothes she wore under the robe. It was an unpleasant option, but she wasn't above showing a little meat to distract people if it would allow her to occupy an advantageous position, although she rarely had to rely on that. She was aware of her status as one of the most beautiful women in Hiperion, the beautifying rituals she performed in her teens really were worth the money, and a sudden smile and a careless inclination to show a little skin had saved her more than a situation. She saw no reason why this should be any different, especially since this new Lord Greengrass was probably a young man, definitely no older than thirty-five. Otherwise, he would be eligible for his lordship while the Mallory family was distracted by the aftermath of the Blood War, getting his lordship without a problem.

-ooo-

Larissa stopped in front of the wooden door and took a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, then knocked on the door. "In between." a familiar voice said, but Larissa couldn't place it. She walked into the room, her eyes growing in shock as she saw the room's only occupant. Christopher Bharash Redfield. She wanted to think it was a joke because he didn't have enough Greengrass blood to matter, nor was he old enough to be eligible for the landlord in the first place. Still, she wasted no time arguing, because Redfield's left hand was gently resting on the table, the Greengrass Ring clearly visible. While it was possible to fake the ring, it was impossible to fake the subtle tug of familial magic connecting with the magic of its core.

"Why don't you get a chair and sit down, Larissa." Christopher said, patting the chair beside him. He was grinning widely, smugness oozing from his shitty grin.

For a second, Larissa said nothing, trying to assess the situation in her mind. She felt most of her panic dissipate, Redfield wasn't as bad a guy as Lord Greengrass's. Young, brash, unaware of the finer details of the Social Culture of the Magical Nobility, inexperienced when it came to matters of the flesh, making him quite vulnerable to female manipulations, her female manipulations. Even because Christopher called her, of course. She knew of the rivalry that he and his son share, although it was much more on Vincent's part than Redfield, his son clearly didn't know the meaning of staying under the radar in everyone's eyes and clearly that was part of it. rivalry. Larissa felt a spark of anger at Redfield's smugness, daring to try to manipulate her into something petty in the schoolyard, but she didn't let her face show any of it. Redfield would learn his lesson soon.

Since the table already held some refreshments, there was no need to call Rosemary one more time, so Larissa locked the door. She didn't want any random bystanders for what she was about to do. She walked to the hanger and pulled off her robe, revealing the tight little black dress underneath, something she'd picked up from a shop in Crocus. No matter how much distaste she felt for the new bloods with their clumsy ways, trying to destroy centuries of tradition, she couldn't deny the attractiveness of fashion. She never saw the almost obsessive point of rejection her husband advocated. She turned and noticed Redfield's hungry gaze locked on her long legs, occasionally gliding toward her bust, visible through an attractive cleavage. She walked over to the seat Redfield pointed to, a deliberate and excessive sway of her hips. She made sure to accidentally rub the sides of Redfield's body as she sat down, knowing it would turn her brain to mush. "So Christopher." Larissa started in a seductive tone. "I can call you Christopher, right?"

"Of course, Larissa, you can call me whatever you want." Christopher said, throwing his hand over her shoulder. "After all we are a family."

Larissa was a little flustered, finding Christopher's voice a little too calm for her liking, but she ignored it. She wanted to push Christopher's hand away, she didn't expect him to be so aggressive, but she didn't want to shoot him anytime soon. 'After all, how much trouble could a boy cause, a boy not even in his twenties?' Larissa thought. "You mentioned an accident my son caused. I was so sad when I heard that, and I'm sure Vincent would extend his apologies as soon as I spoke to him." Larissa said in a husky tone of voice, deliberately putting her chest out, creating a deep view of her cleavage. "We can solve this problem quickly, right?"

"I don't know, Larissa." Christopher said, then his hand began stroking Larissa's arm gently.

Larissa gritted her teeth in anger, annoyed at her smugness, and gave her shoulder a little shake, expecting Christopher to pull his hand away in her subtle rebuke, but Christopher kept his hand moving despite that.

Christopher kept talking. "A Bonebreaker spell is not something I would call an accident, right?"

And just like that, Larissa's earlier panic returned in full force. Apparently the situation was worse than she imagined. It was one thing to use a schoolyard spell to deal damage, which always gave the attacker leeway, but a combat spell was a clear case. As Lord of the Greengrass Family, this gave Christopher the right to expel her and Vincent from the family. It would be bad for Vincent, resulting in a significant loss of prestige, power and influence, but it was nothing compared to his own disgraced situation. It would be an absolute disaster. She had no illusions about her marriage. It was little more than a business deal, and the most tangible thing she brought to the table was her connection to the Greengrass family. She was also an accomplished duelist and a shrewd politician, but she also knew her husband consistently underestimated her abilities in both dimensions, or women in a more open field. The fact that she was neutral in terms of the conflict between Mussolini and Oakbar didn't help matters either, creating a barrier that prevented him from fully trusting her. If she lost her connection to the Greengrass, Mathias would be rid of her almost instantly, and she knew too much about the Mallory family's operations for divorce to be an option. And most importantly, she had no family to protect her.

Ronald, Evelynn and Lanna were the only ones left of her family. Evelynn wouldn't help in the hole she was in, and even though she was free, Larissa never had a good enough relationship with her older sister to expect to be protected from another of Mussolini's loyal dogs. Although she still kept secret communication with Lanna even after her expulsion from the family, and would no doubt try to help, she didn't have the power to protect her from Mathias. The only one who could help her would be Ronald. But Larrisa didn't know if she could ask him for help in this situation. Before the war, when she thought he was supporting Oakbar's side, they tried to communicate, based on mutual respect. Larissa ignored her pseudo-ban from the family, and Ronald respected her neutrality. Still, knowing that Ronald supported Mussolini all along came as an unpleasant surprise to her, as if he was lying to her about something so fundamental, what else she could trust. An image that solidified after he angrily tried to kill Redfield, just as Evelynn would. And he never tried to contact her once he was free, something he should have been able to do through Mathias easily. So Larissa didn't think Ronald would be a viable defender if she suddenly became Mathias' target. A look at Christopher's face revealed an extremely confident face, showing how badly she'd assessed the situation. Christopher seemed fully aware of the implications of her implied threat and how badly he managed to corner her without even lifting a finger. It was clear that no matter his choice, he would be the victor in a sense. Either she would reject it and die, all without his fault, or she would agree to his wishes.

The first wasn't an option, she didn't want to die, not like that anyway. She needed to convince Christopher to keep her as part of the Greengrass Family no matter what, something Christopher was apparently all too well aware of. Whether Vincent stayed in or out didn't matter much, after all, he would still be Heir Mallory, granting him a certain degree of protection. She was under her control, making her feel helpless in a way she had never faced before. Then Christopher returned his gaze to her eyes, holding her prisoner. Suddenly, her amused expression turned serious, and a surge of power hit her, permeating the room at a magnitude she'd only experienced twice, once with Mussolini, once with Oakbar, the result of an attack that left several of her dead students. And while her power didn't have Mussolini's burning fury, or Oakbar's cold rage, it felt more like a warm blanket, its intensity and power no less.

Larissa finally understood how truly hopeless her situation was...

In this situation, Larissa almost welcomed Christopher's hands, one caressing her stomach while the other roamed her legs. At least Christopher had a price on his mind in exchange for keeping her in the family. Still, the realization didn't stop her from freezing in shock, leaving Christopher free to explore her body as she pleased. It had been a long time since she felt the touch of a man. Her husband never did after Vincent's birth, and despite her frequent hidden escapes to Crocus, she was never tempted to try anything with a normal man, the lack of magic was something repulsive to her. She did her best to resist as Christopher's hands explored her body, after all, her fate was between his lips. But then things started to get out of hand quickly. Despite her best efforts to keep her eyes averted, her gaze dropped to her parted lips, wondering how aggressive Christopher would be if she placed her lips on them. And even when she managed to keep her gaze away, her gaze dropped to Christopher's crotch, delighted by the size of the tent built up there. His fingers traveled slowly down her side, leaving a glimpse of her breasts, still covered with her dress, and reaching the edge of her lips, leaving an electrified trail behind. Her mouth opened without conscious thought, and her finger slipped inside. Her lips closed around him. A wave of anticipation coursed through her body as her tongue touched him. Something in her mind clicked and she made a decision.

Larissa slid her hand up to his crotch, her mouth falling open in shock at the feel of her size. Seeing it didn't prepare her to feel it. A smile crept across her lips, perhaps convincing her new Lord wouldn't be as difficult a task as she had originally thought. Excitement rose inside, making her hands shake in the process. "Is there anything I can do to make you forgive me, my Lord?" Larissa muttered, trying to hide her sudden enthusiasm.

"Now that you mention it, it actually exists." Christopher said, his smile getting even wider, his tone husky enough to send shivers through Larissa's body.

Larissa gave up her attempts to control her shallow breathing like a lost cause, like an arousal she'd never felt before gripped her mind, somehow born of her total loss of control. She leaned forward and captured her lips, still carrying the scent of the wine they'd been drinking moments ago. As she expected, her tongue assaulted her mouth instantly, exploring her flesh with great fervor. She pulled away, her tongue lingering on her lips in disbelief. It had been a long time since shed kissed anyone, but even the best she tinhad had in her admittedly limited experience was eclipsed compared to what she acaboud just received, filling her with a pleasure she nuncad never felt before. Even the best sex she'd had paled in comparison to that kiss.

"Stand up." Christopher ordered with a cold look of contempt, and Larissa was halfway there before even processing the request. "Good girl." Christopher said, and an emotion surged through Larissa, her smile widening slightly, though a part of her mind froze in shock. Never before had anyone commanded her with such contempt, and she had never really thought it would cause anything but a burning, deadly fury. "Take off your clothes." Christopher said, and Larissa's hands immediately shot to the zipper, only to be stopped by a movement. "Take it easy dear." Christopher added with a small smile.

Larissa blushed as if she were just an innocent teenager who had been reprimanded by her lover. Still, a small rebellion immediately grew within her. If Christopher wanted a show, she'd give him one, one good enough to blow her mind. As the daughter of an Old and Noble House, she was classically trained in dance, a repertoire she carefully honed during her escapes to Crocus. She began to sway to imaginary music, her movements careful, controlled. She waved her wand once and the zipper began to open in its own breach, dragging slowly. Christopher's eyes were fixed on her body, but his expression was calm. But she wanted him crazy with excitement. She set her wand aside and accelerated even more. And a moment later, she turned and leaned forward, displaying her panties, a red, almost invisible garment that she'd picked out at a store called Victoria's Secret, and perked up to hear Christopher whistle in appreciation. Her dress slid further down, and she reached up to create just enough coverage for her perky breasts, then she turned and resumed dancing, her dress slipping even lower with each step. Her heart pounded with excitement as more of her flesh revealed itself under her gaze.

Then Christopher raised his finger and beckoned her closer…