"Ugh- yeah no- that's a real nasty one," Klarion scrunched his nose, peering over Damian's shoulder.

"Administered through the skin," the man looked up at the Witch, "so not what we're looking for."

Klarion beckoned a thick tome from the end of the table. It floated over and landed atop the book in front of Damian. Miffed, he glanced at Klarion. The Witch seemed not to have much regard for the personal space of others. Damian tended to be very much the same. Unsurprisingly, they'd left the library in a state of disarray.

"This is so much woooork!" Klarion groaned scrunching his hands in his hair.

The pages ruffled frantically, as if blown by a gust of wind. A bluish glow surrounded the book. Klarion'a magic. The man glanced at the Witchboy from the corner of his eye; Klarion's eyes were screwed shut. Then, black as night, they opened, and the pages fell still. He grinned.

"Jackpot. I knew there was a chapter in this book." The Witchboy was triumphant.

Damian was in the habit of storing information about those he encountered, building mental case files of each. Klarion, he noted, seemed to display an emotional immaturity of sorts. Perhaps that is how he kept his grave powers balanced. Or he'd grown in a sheltered environment; or quite the opposite. Klarion radiated magic- danger. He was coy, and pretty, and Damian reckoned he could make a friend out of this Witch.

Sighing, the man wondered if his mother's side was responsible for his affinity for magical beings. Or his father's attraction to danger. Either way, Damian was screwed from conception with those two as parents.

A hand rested on his chair. The ghost of an elbow brushed the air besides his head. Magic buzzed against the exposed hairs on Damian's neck. He raised an eyebrows and turned to face the Witchboy. Klarion had bent down to be at head-height with the seated man.

"So," he hissed, smirking. "You and Raven. What's the deal?"

Klarion had a habit of hanging on his fricatives. It was sinister. It suited him well, Damian thought. He turned around and raised an eyebrow, so close that he could see perfectly the red waves in Klarion's irises.

"Really now, you'd better spill the details of your of volition- I don't want to have to pry it out of you."  The Witchboy prodded. He looked to the side, around the table. "Shall I pull up a chair? Then we can have a nice little chat."

Damian answered, "If you like..." unimpressed.

The truth is, he wasn't sure where they stood.

Nestling in to one of the library's comfier chairs, Klarion clasped his hands together in his lap. His eyes were wide, imploring. It made a change to their usual piercing coyness.

"Right, let's begin with what stage of the relationship you're at. How far have you gone? Wait- you've hooked up right?"

Damian folded his arms, affronted, "I'm not disclosing anything."

Klarion raised an eyebrow and summoned a pot of tea.

"-but what if I'm fabricating affections on her part and she doesn't actually care and I'm just allowing myself to be used like some-"

Sighing, the Witchboy held his hand up, "Okay okay let's unpack this for a second. See, I know Raven, the dear thing, and this is the most serious I've ever seen her about anyone."

An eye peeped out from under Damian's hand, "Really?"

Exasperated, Klarion pinched his nose, "Listen, darling, she's obviously gorgeous, but most people hear one whisper of Daddy the Demon and run for the hills." He snickered, "Whereas you, unfortunate and equally gorgeous thing, throw yourself in headfirst."

"So what you mean to say is...?"

While Klarion's personal romantic life was a staple topic of conversation in all magical circles, owing to its sheer renowned scandal, his romantic advice was less questionable. The Witch was never one to lead by example, but could talk to save his life (and had done so on many an occasion).

"I'll pretend not to be insanely jealous, but it is my expert opinion-"

"What, because you're so promiscuous?" Damian snorted.

"Wow that was uncalled for-" Klarion set down his cup of tea. He continued, levelling fierce evil eye on the man, "- in my expert opinion...I think what you two have is genuine. That's a rare thing. You lucky bastards."

Damian hummed thoughtfully.

He looked up at the clock. Of course, in the House of Magic, time was a looser concept. Nonetheless, they'd wasted precious time. Klarion was confident that Damian had taken something from their conversation- though he reckoned it might be that he was very nosy and enjoyed gossip.

Springing to his feet, the Witchboy said, "We've poured over enough books to last me a lifetime- and I'm basically immortal."

Damian rose, "Do you think we should examine the bodies now?"

The swirling hand of the Witchboy summoned forth an abyss-like portal, "I should think so."
***

Their trip to the mortuary had turned Klarion's stomach. Overcome with a green palour, the Witchboy threw himself dramatically on to the chaise. Damian stepped casually after him through the portal, leaving behind the dingy house of corpses. He shook his head and tutted at the queasy Witch. In his line of work, a creature like him surely couldn't be so delicate- he was a demonic spirit of chaos!

Nonetheless, Damian was glad for the worn, warm, wallpapered walls of the House. So long in such a clinical space, and one so grimy, had made even his skin crawl. He pushed the stench rotting flesh out of his mind. Yuck.

"So, oh genius detective..." Klarion pulled himself up. "We've got our poison. Who's our poisoner?"

"Raven is tackling that part." Damian pointed out. He thought on it again, and continued, "You would think that in a club, the easiest way- or most obvious- would be to use a person's drink as the vector for poison..."

"Of course, because people drink at clubs."

Damian frowned, "And the intimate placement of the poison- on the neck-  combined with the distinct profile of the victims..."

"- means these were deliberately selected targets." Klarion finished. "And the poison used- likely some snake venom, not of the human world- a horrible, horrible painful death." He grimaced.

"For the ones who died." Damian pointed out.

There had been survivors. Raven was seeing to that.

"A sloppy executioner?"

Damian hummed thoughtfully. Quite possibly.

"But if the poison is what I'm suspecting...I mean that's seriously big stuff." Klarion ran his hands back through his hair. "How'd an amateur get their hands on that kind of stuff?"

Damian had been thinking of getting something to eat. He was pushed out of that comfortable frame of thought by Klarion's words. The man folded his arms.

"Why, what do you think this venom is?" He said.

There had been something dangerous in Klarion's tone when he said: 'that kind of stuff.' Some cause for fear. But before Damian's suspicions could be confirmed by the Witchboy, the room was disturbed by the arrival of a demoness in purple.

"Okay boys, I've got tea to spill." She announced, throwing back her hood.

Klarion rubbed his hands together, chuckling. Gossip was such fun.

Damian greeted her with a smile. There was no justification for the way that his heart had hammered at the sight of her, other than the dreaded, unspeakable l-word. Her cheeks were flushed, he supposed from excitement (there was indeed tea to be spilled); he entertained a hope that it was from the sight of him. He wasn't wrong.

"Wait- hold on- don't start yet!" Klarion jumped up. "I'm hungry! I'm gonna get some snacks first."

Raven rolled her eyes.

She shouted after the disappearing Witch, "Get us something too!"

"And drinks!" Damian added. He looked to Raven, "As long as it's not blood. Gods know what the food in here'll be like."

She smiled, "Oh yeah, finger soup for starters and roast human child for the main."

Chuckling, Damian suggested, "Let me guess, brain pudding for desert?"

"Ugh no way- I draw the line at brains!" She grimaced, then broke out in to a grin.

Damian smiled back, then found her eyes too intense to keep holding. He cleared his throat.

"So, you have something substantial for the case?" He asked.

Raven nodded her head, a twinkle in her eye.

"I've found the motive."

A.N:

Hiya guys, thanks for reading!
Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. I hope you enjoyed it.

Also who saw the Batman??? It was a MASTERPIECE!! If you haven't seen it already... gworl you neeeed to 😩
I have so much inspo from it. Just a beautiful work of art.

Well, stay tuned! Luv you guys!

-Bats