#((which described someone with sensitive hearing as 'able to hear ghosts'))

[ficoandleo]

'It makes sense if you think about it. After whatever happened last year.'

Leo stared blankly into the last frame of the youtube video on his screen, leaning his chair back to balance on two legs. The corner of the library he'd tucked himself into for research was quiet enough, with even the cats rarely poking their heads by to check on him. Technically he wasn't looking into anything restricted that he'd need to hide for, but he didn't want the noise to potentially be a distraction.

'The weird thing is that there clearly aren't many ghosts around here.'

He drops the chair back down and looks through the Clash memorials. It's a lot of people. Mostly human. He tabs back over to the recent memorials made for victims of the anomalous inpatient. For a while after that there were quite a few ghosts around the campus and the ruined hospital. Leo could sometimes hear the airy, echoey whispers of their voices when he passed by. One or two were strong enough to be seen. In the days following it got quieter and quieter until the only sounds were the living. He remembered seeing students from a few different houses going to the area now and then. Kusanagi, too.

One of those students was a friend of one of the Vagastrom students--he remembered him bringing them over, convinced something was haunting the area.

Ex-Clementia then.

Darkwick was just laying damn near any ghost on campus to rest without letting them stick around and resolve their business? Even if they aren't dangerous? Kind of scummy, but probably just a precautionary measure. Spirits were a little unpredictable.

'A video would be a bad idea then. Too much publicity.' He's only cruel for no reason when it's funny. There's not really any humor in double-shotting a guy who doesn't deserve it. 'But it'd still be interesting to know what's going on there. I'd just have to find a covert way to ask. . .they might be monitoring our messages too much for me to go through YouTube.'

In person would have to do. At some point. Just another thing on his eternal to-do list! Leo stretched and groaned, listening to the pop of muscle and crack of bone and every other reaction his body gave to the movement.

If Taro Kirisaki(Zenji Kotodama, rather, using his name would probably attract too much attention) was a ghost that meant ghouls' souls were probably still intact enough to leave spirits behind, even if they weren't very strong spirits. More importantly if his ghost was still hanging out after this long it meant whatever demon he'd made a pact with hadn't come for him. That or something kept demons from coming to Darkwick, which was unlikely considering how little was really known about demons. If pact-makers did, at some point, unconsciously(?) consume their demons after making their pacts then the demons' souls probably didn't integrate with their own. Either they were neutralized(erased? Laid to rest?) or they were housed within the body and released on death. And there were no records of unknown S-class anomalies or demons appearing after the death of Taro Kirisaki. He died at Darkwick General, there would have to be a report somewhere if something like that happened. That or it was kept majorly under wraps.

And of course no one wanted to talk about The Clash so asking would be difficult right now. He needed a better rapport with the third and second years to get them to talk. But even Romeo didn't want to talk about it too much, and Leo was one of the only people Romeo trusted right now!

Leo exhaled sharply through his nose.

Why is it that everything kind of interesting was always just out of reach? It was like being edged on entertainment and knowledge. That was only fun when there was a good payoff.

Maybe Zenji would prove to be a good payoff in the end. He probably wouldn't know anything--or he wouldn't tell him anything--but maybe he would at least be entertaining.

[sincerely-sofie]

Honestly you meantioning them makes me want to see- do you have any canon designs for any of Twig's exes?

(Referencing this post)

Two of Twig’s exes have been seen here— they’re both dittos, and the only exes Twig dumped herself instead of being dumped by them. The meinfoo-ditto was uncomfortably sycophantic towards Twig and the maractus-ditto was honestly just a jerk in general who liked to psychoanalyze people in really condescending ways. However, Twig says she has six exes in this comic. While I don’t have unique canonical designs for any of them yet, I have a handful of notes on Twig’s other four exes!

Blake the Meowstic

Kind, but also extremely lukewarm. Wasn’t really enthusiastic about their relationship and just went with the flow, which wasn’t a good match for Twig.

Knows how to yodel, pick locks, and breakdance, amongst many other assorted skills. Gets bored frequently and learns the basics of a new hobby whenever this happens.

Was incredibly uncomfortable hearing about Twig’s past and felt out of his depth with uncertainty on how to respond to it. Ultimately, he broke up with her because he was so unsettled by her backstory.

Ends up in a loving relationship soon after he broke up with Twig— he’s with a very peppy Drilbur who doesn’t mind taking charge and getting low-energy responses, which he really appreciates.

Clay the Scrafty

A farm hand who enjoys gardening. Taught Twig a lot of wildflower’s regional names when she expressed a love for them and also described what areas they’re considered weeds in.

He gave Twig the wrong address to send letters to when he moved out of Verdant Village later on in their relationship. This was an accident. Twig thinks he ghosted her after she sent a letter explaining her backstory, but he thinks she just never wrote to him because she lost interest. Some poor Machoke out there got a letter from a complete stranger explaining her trauma to what she assumed was a loved one and had to awkwardly write back “I think you have the wrong house number.”

Moved on from Twig and became a well-known local comedian loved for his physical comedy acts.

Litany the (Mega) Ampharos

Goes by a name he chose himself.

Very vain. Constantly talking about himself. Refuses to de-mega-evolve despite it clearly impacting his health to be constantly in that state because he feels it enhances his looks so much.

Twig liked his enthusiasm for literature and intensified her efforts to improve at reading so she’d be able to bring up books she read personally for them to discuss. This ultimately soured her motivation to read much at all after their break up.

Was surprisingly self-aware and mature about how he dumped Twig when she shared her story with him— he said that he was startled by how much she was willing to open up to him when he barely opened up to himself, that she deserved someone with more sensitivity to their emotions than he had so that she’d get the sympathy she deserved, and then wished her well before telling her he didn’t want to see her anymore.

After he broke up with Twig, he was really rattled and started attending counseling sessions. He’s now a lot more sensitive to his emotions and has started weaning himself off his mega stone to focus on improving his health. He’s still single and doesn’t want to date again until he can totally uproot his fear of being seen as ugly.

Picket the Charmander

Twig got along great with him, and he matched her energy very well. They were two peas in a pod.

He was secretly very insecure about being unevolved and in a relationship with Twig. Her being the physically stronger one between them made him feel inadequate. Twig kind of knew something was up, but he denied it whenever she asked.

He ended up using her backstory being “too much” as an excuse to break up with her when the true reason was because she was an evolutionary stage above him. That really stuck with Twig, and she gave up on dating after he dumped her. Thankfully, Ark wasn’t someone she had to go to a singles’ meet-and-greet to find.

[tomurasprincess]

Kinktober Day 24: Monster (The Asylum)

Day 24: Monster Title: The Asylum Pairing: Mothman Shigaraki x Reader Word Count: 3.1k Warnings: Noncon, monster mind control stuff, oviposition, cumflation, belly bulges, breeding, forced orgasms, some slight descriptions of gore and blood, yandere Note: The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is a real place, although parts of what I wrote is fake, mostly the part where they close down a second time in the fic. IRL, they’re still open and doing tours. Tagging @ichor-and-symbiosis​ and @kazooli​ as two of the OG Mothura writers 👀

Sequel: The Brood

Kinktober Masterlist

You’ve always loved urban exploring, going to old mental asylums and hospitals to look around and see the decay of places that used to be so bustling with people. You especially liked the places that had tragic pasts, the ones where horrific things occurred. It sounds morbid to anyone you talk to about your interests, but it was the truth. You’ve always believed in monsters and ghosts just out of sight of humanity, lurking in the dark corners of abandoned places.

That’s why you instantly planned a trip to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum the second you heard about it. It had been abandoned years ago due to extreme abuse of patients. A historical society had moved in later, renovating the place and making a history tour of it that also did ghost tours at night.

But even they ended up abandoning the place due to the fake ghost tours apparently starting to become real ghost tours. People began to see creatures out of the corner of their eyes, something they said was much larger than a human, with wings on its back and piercing red eyes.

It was initially dismissed as overactive imaginations, people who wanted to see ghosts so badly that they were seeing things that weren’t there. Or people who just wanted to start tall tales  for attention and were flat out making things up in order to scare the rest of the group.

But then the disappearances started to happen. It was almost always young women who got separated from the tour group, although a few times it was a boyfriend and girlfriend who got lost together. The tour guides scoured every inch of the asylum looking for the missing people, but they found no trace of them. At first it was dismissed as the people getting scared and running off without telling anybody.

Until one day, a regularly scheduled tour group stumbled across the bodies. Not the bodies of the missing girls, but their partners. They were viciously torn apart, with limbs scattered all over the room. Their blood covered the walls, the floor, even the ceiling of the room. The women were alive but traumatized, rocking back and forth in a corner of the room absolutely covered in blood, none of which was their own.

They told the same tales that the rest of the people did. They were captured by a monster, around 8-9 feet tall, with large moth-like wings and red eyes. The creature was surprisingly gentle to them, they said, at least until they saw that they were with someone. The creature had become enraged, tearing their partner to pieces as they watched. They knew for certain that they would be next, their eyes squeezed tight as they waited for their death.

But the creature did nothing, simply turning away and leaving the room like they were not what the creature wanted.

Although everyone agreed that something horrible had happened to the young women, none of them believed their story. They had stayed in that room for several days, covered in the blood of their loved ones, not knowing if they were ever going to make it out. Of course they were traumatized, thinking they saw monsters. But monsters aren’t believed to exist, and so everyone began to look for a human murderer that was never found.

The asylum tried to recover from the tragedy, but it was never able to. The amount of bad press they got for having lax safety standards and not taking care of their tour groups caused everybody to stay away. Finally, having no other choice in the matter, the asylum had closed.

When you heard this story, you were over the moon excited. Not just a historical landmark, but also a place with a possible real life monster sighting. Nothing was going to stop you from going there and seeing the place for yourself.

And now here you stand, in front of the building with a backpack full of supplies slung over your shoulder. You had your phone, flashlights with spare batteries, a spare change of clothes, matches and lighters, even a rope and various other tools should something happen inside of the building.

And so, with a deep excitement bubbling up in your stomach, you find your way through a hole in the fence and walk through the front door. The first thing you see is the reception desk with various odds and ends left over from the closure. There are even still brochures describing the various types of tours and listing prices.

You walk down the first corridor you see, going past various closed off rooms that look to be basic examination rooms. There is surprisingly little decay, mostly everything still looking rather clean and intact besides a thick layer of dust and cobwebs covering everything. You’re a bit discouraged but decide to continue on to see if things get more interesting.

After all, the murders occured in the basement, and you’re not anywhere close to that yet.

Soon you find yourself in the medical ward where the patients were kept, and you instantly realize one of the reasons this hospital was so nightmarish. The rooms are even smaller than jail cells, leaving barely enough space for patients to lay down in. There are so many rooms of that exact size that you wonder how the staff could accurately take care of the amount of patients there had to be. But you remember your research, remember the fact that they couldn’t.

That was why so many brutal procedures were performed such as lobotomies, in order to keep the peace at the asylum and make things easier for the doctors and nurses. You give a quick shudder and begin to move on, feeling a strange sensation that you desperately want to get away from.

The decay gets worse and worse the closer you get to the basement, rust and decay beginning to cover every surface you see. You walk past some of the surgery rooms and feel horror at the utensils and instruments you see in them. The historical society tried to keep things as accurate as possible, and as such, they had kept most of the equipment that you would see back in those days.

You’re beginning to wonder if this is a good idea, as that strange sensation continues to worsen and worsen. You realize with a start what this feeling actually is.

It feels like someone is watching your every movement. You whirl around, shining your flashlight in every direction as you try to see what’s watching you. But there’s nothing but darkness and the decaying walls of the hospital. You shake your head, laughing quietly at the fact that you’re spooked out by a few weird shadows and an odd feeling.

You’re not going to let it stop you from your goal, however, and you continue forwards until you get to the doors of the basement. The feeling here is overwhelming, simultaneously telling you to run and move forward all at the same time. The conflicting emotions leave you off balance and light headed, and you reach your hand out instinctively when you sway on your feet. You touch a section of the wall and instantly pull your hand back.

The wall is warm, not cold like it should be. A sense of unease crawls up your spine, and you decide then and there that it’s time to go. Making it to the basement is not worth this, whatever it is you’re feeling. But then you hear a soft humming and the flapping of wings, coming from deep within the basement of the hospital.

Instead of being terrified, however, you feel entranced. It’s one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever heard, and it’s calling you. You open the basement door without even thinking about it, walking down the stairs in a dreamy haze. You don’t even pay attention to how heavy the rot here is, how the walls are entirely blackened by decay that spreads out like veins on a body.

You don’t pay attention when the door slams closed behind you, locking you in with whatever is calling you closer. All you can think about is getting to that beautiful sound, that lonely haunting call that seems to burrow deep into your brain. You walk as if you’re in a trance, turning corridors that you’ve never seen before but somehow know where they’re going.

Finally, you get to a door that is deep within the bowels of the basement, a bright red door that seems to beckon you inside. You push open the door with no hesitation, walking through and letting it close behind you.

And you finally come face to face with the creature. He is about 9 feet tall, towering over your small form. He’s not overly muscular, but he has a thin wiry look to him that says he is deceptively strong. His red eyes bore into you like they’re staring directly into your soul. On his back are two massive wings, spread to their full wing span and utterly gorgeous.

The creature makes a small chittering noise as he motions you towards him, and you follow like he’s a puppeteer holding your strings. He pulls you tightly into his body, burying his nose into your neck and taking a deep whiff of your skin. His hot breath on your sensitive skin pulls a shudder from you. and he tightens his grip as if he’s worried you’ll get away.

A long tongue pokes out of his mouth, licking at the pulse point that is frantically beating. “Mine,” he groans into your skin, sharp teeth grazing you. “Mate.” You’re lifted up off your feet before being laid down on the ground, hips in the air and face down on the floor. He rips your pants off easily, leaving your panties on as he lowers his head down. You feel a flash of embarrassment as he sniffs them like he sniffed your neck, groaning again as his tongue drags across the wet abric. “Fertile,” he whispers as he pulls your panties aside, “fertile mate.”

The haze parts from your mind long enough for you to feel a sharp flash of fear, and then his tongue is lapping at your folds and the fear is quickly chased away again. You dig your nails into the floor as you feel him work his tongue inside of you, using it to fuck you like a cock would. You gasp when he hits your cervix with his tongue and keeps going, wiggling against the barrier like he’s trying to break through it.

Something in his saliva causes your body to heat up and your muscles to loosen enough for him to batter his tongue harder against you and push through. Your scream echoes through the walls of the room, but not of pain. Instead, a fierce pleasure overtakes you as your cervix gives way to the creature’s tongue, allowing him to enter into your womb.

The feeling of this tongue wiggling around in your empty womb causes you to tip over the edge and cum around the creature’s tongue as he eagerly laps at your juices. He withdraws his tongue, causing you to let out a whine of disappointment, only to be surprised when you feel something prodding at your entrance. It doesn’t feel like a human cock at all, with ridges and bumps along the length and much thicker than a human cock would be.

You have a single moment to wonder how it will fit inside of you before it’s pushing in, stretching out your tight outer ring of muscles and causing a sharp burning in your lower stomach. You whine and try to pull away, only for the creature to let out a snarl as claws dig into your hips, causing your blood to drip down onto the pavement.

Even though there is no pain, only more pleasure, you learn your lesson and don’t try to move away as the thick cock slides even further into you. It’s so much thicker than anything you’ve ever taken before, and you’re shaking like a leaf when he finally bottoms out inside. You think he’ll start thrusting like a human male would, except that he doesn’t.

He keeps pushing, humping into you with sharp movements designed to force your cervix open even further. You squeal as the cock makes it past the barrier, burying deep inside of your womb. You glance down and let out a choked sob at the bulge in your stomach where the tip of the creature’s cock is.

“Pretty - pretty mate,” the creature says hesitantly, rolling his hips experimentally into you and drawing a groan from your throat. “Tomura,” he adds, and it takes you a second to realize that’s the creature’s name.

“Tomura,” you murmur, and the creature chitters happily at the sound of your voice saying the name. You try to think of something else to ask, maybe even to beg to be released as the haze seems to clear a bit, but Tomura begins to hum again, and you instantly smile in bliss as all of your concern fades away.

You feel something else pushing into your entrance, and it takes a long moment to realize what it is as you feel it slip up your stretched out tunnel.

Eggs. The creature is filling you with eggs. Instead of being horrified, however, you moan as they continue to move inside of you. There are multiple eggs at once, small and gooey, and they coat your insides with wetness as they make their way to your still stretched out cervix.

You feel them pass through the opening to plop down into your womb, and you cry out and cum hard, pussy wildly fluttering around Tomura’s cock. He lets out a deep grunt of pleasure as he rocks his hips against you, and you feel more eggs pushing into you. This time, a few of them get stuck against a spongy spot inside of you, and you scream out your orgasm, legs shaking and eyes rolling to the back of your head.

“Fuck, oh god, shit, Tomura - “ you babble mindlessly as more eggs push into you, “it feels so good, why does it - “

Before those eggs can push fully in, there are already more entering you, and you feel so incredibly full. They drop down into your no longer empty womb, wringing another orgasm from your tired body. The skin of your stomach is stretching, making you look bloated, and Tomura still isn’t done.

You lose track of time completely, only aware of your body twitching and convulsing as more and more eggs push up into you, settling into your womb with the rest of them. Your stomach already looks 9 months pregnant, and you can barely hold yourself up.

Tomura sees this, and he gently picks you up and lays you down on your back. “Pretty mate,” he leans and kisses your forehead, “look so good with my children. Our children.”

“Oh god, no more, please no more, I’m so full Tomura,” you whimper as more eggs push into you. “Please, so full - “

Tomura hums softly at you, and you smile with bliss as the final eggs plop down into your womb.  His movements become more savage, thrusting hard into you as he grunts and groans. The force of his thrusts has you sliding up, breasts bouncing and your belly jiggling. The feeling of the eggs moving around inside of you has you howling out your orgasm, blackness dotting the edge of your vision as you almost lose consciousness.

Finally, Tomura is finished, and his cock begins to twitch inside of you as hot ropes of cum fill you up, shooting directly into your womb where the eggs reside. You sob as you watch your stomach bulge out even more as the creature’s cum fertilizes the eggs inside. You can no longer see the dents and valleys of the eggs along your stomach, and you reach down to gently run your hand over your bloated stomach.

You can feel the eggs through the barrier of skin, and it causes your eyes to roll back at the pleasure. Tomura gives a soft, happy chirp as he places his hand over yours on your belly, rubbing it gently. He pulls out slowly, causing a mixture of your cum and his to gush out of your now gaping pussy.

He reaches down to pick you up as he walks towards a door in the back of the room that you hadn’t noticed before. You’re shocked by what you see when you walk through. It’s an utterly untouched room, still looking brand new and with none of the decay that covers the rest of the basement. There is no bed, but there is a pile of clean blankets and pillows in the corner, piled up high and in a circle.

A nest, you realize. It’s a nest. For you. He tucks you in gently, chirping again as his clawed hand runs over your pregnant belly. “Mate,” he says happily, “my pretty little mate.” He stands up and walks towards the door, turning to you one last time as his gaze narrows and darkens just a bit.

“No running. Don’t want to have to tie mate down.” He continues to gaze at you, as if waiting for something.

“I won’t run,” you say quietly, and the dark look on his face is gone instantly as he beams at you.

“Good mate, good.” And with that, he’s gone.

With his absence, some of the haze lifts and you’re able to realize the horror of the situation you’re in. Nobody knows where you are, and you’re trapped. Even if you wanted to run, you don’t think you could with how large your belly is. No escape and no help coming for you, and the creature already seems so possessive of you that he’s not going to let you easily escape.

If only you had listened to your instincts earlier, if only you hadn’t been so fascinated with the grotesque, if only you had simply chosen to stay home.

You’ve always believed in monsters. You just never thought you would find one.

✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚*❋ ❋ ❋*˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧

Kinktober: @thewheezingwyvern​, @vixen-scribbles​, @katsukisprincess​, @hisoknen​, @trafalgar-temptress​, @leeswritingworld, @burnedbyshoto​, @bakugotrashpanda​, @dee-madwriter​, @kittycatkrissa​, @reinawritesbnha​, @yanderart​, @dabilove27​, @anxietyplusultra​, @flutterfalla​, @angmarwitch​, @nereida19​, @babayaga67​, @fromsunnywithlove​, @dabis-kitten​, @bakugos-cumsock​, @yumeneji​, @the-grimm-writer​, @iwaizumi-chan​, @slashersheart​, @bunnyywritings​, @bakarinnie​, @angie-1306​, @lalalemon101​​, @videogameboiwhowins​��, @f4nficbaby​​, @tenkoshimmy​, @baroque-baby​​, @bbyspiiice​​, @thirstyforthem2dmen​​, @blissfulignorance2000​, @bluecookies02-main​

[troubatrain]

truth or dare - m. barzal

a/n: so @dembenchboys​ sent me an ask about how they wanted me to write a fic about Mat eating you out for the first time and then I absolutely ran with it. So happy Saturday here’s some straight up filth that i wrote in like a night (which I haven’t been able to do in forever so that’s exciting!!)

Your roommate’s boyfriend was an absolute idiot. Anthony was about half a bottle of wine deep, his cheeks red while tears were practically streaming down his face from laughter. He barged into your apartment a few hours ago, Mat in tow, ruining your girl’s night in with Zoe. Mat was apologetic, lounging on the couch in sweats shaking his head at Anthony who didn’t take your hints that they should leave.

“I just think we should play truth or dare if it's a girl's night,” Anthony argues, waving the glass of rose he was drinking around your couch, Zoe grabbing his hand to stop him from spilling it.

“I just think you’re an idiot,” You snap back, rolling your eyes at Zoe who was trying to tame her getting-drunker-by-the-minute boyfriend.

“I’ll play,” Mat sighs, sipping his beer and sitting up from the otherside of the couch.

“I thought you were on my side here,” You tap Mat in the arm, reminding him of the secret alliance you’d made a few weeks prior.

It was silly, but after Anthony and Zoe left you with Mat in a bar, Mat was pissed. Not at you, which he made clear after he told you about fifteen times he was mad at his teammate. But, he was so upset that Anthony invited you both out but couldn’t even bother to offer you a ride home. You told him it was fine, because most of the time Anthony was actually really kind to you, but Mat didn’t believe it. After he’d driven you home, Mat made a joke about how if you were both constantly forced to third wheel your friends, you could at least have each other's backs.

“I am,” Mat assures you, waving his hand at you and leaving over to whisper to you, “Sometimes it’s just easier to let him win.”

“I’ll play one round,” You sigh, Mat’s landing on your thigh to give it a squeeze, “Don’t get too excited.”

“I am excited,” Anthony cheers, an app with a bunch of random truth or dares literally open on his phone already, “You’re going first Y/N - truth or dare?” “Truth,” You sigh, leaning back into the couch. You hear a chorus of boo’s from everyone else at your answer, “Do you want me to play or not?”

“You’re so lame,” Anthony hollers, dragging out his words, tapping his phone to shuffle a truth question, “Oh this is a good one, tell the story of the best orgasm you ever had.”

Zoe’s eyes went wide, looking at you while you choked on your drink. It wasn’t a sensitive topic, the whole never having an orgasm thing, but it definitely wasn’t something you wanted to talk about with Zoe’s drunk ass boyfriend and his insanely handsome teammate. Your past boyfriends hadn’t always been great, and considering not one of them had ever gone down on you, it wasn’t surprised you’d never had someone get you off. You could feel the heat rush to your cheeks and before a lie could come to mind, Anthony already had you read.

“You’ve never had an orgasm,” Anthony accuses, a confused look on his face. You gave it away, nodding your head and not even daring to turn to look at Mat who was sitting next to you, “Oh my-” “Beau,” Zoe stops him, grabbing his arm to remind him to be nice with whatever thing he had to say next.

“How?” Anthony asks, his jaw still practically hitting the floor, “What kind of douchebags are you dating? Or is it-” “Tito, no one’s ever gone down on me and I’ve never had an orgasm,” You start to explain, anger boiling in you that you had to explain yourself at all, “You know what? I’m going.”

You get up, grabbing your glass and a few empty plates that were littering the coffee table. You heard Anthony call your name, probably to apologize for striking a nerve, but you ignored him. You were moving around the kitchen frantically, cleaning to try and distract yourself from your own emotions. You just didn’t want to talk about it, talking about your sex life just wasn’t something you did often. You hear a few footsteps in the kitchen and you turn around quickly to spot Mat was leaning against the counter waiting for you to turn off the sick.

“Zoe drove Tito home,” Mat sighs, getting up and gently turning the knob to turn off the sink, “And I’m sorry he’s a dick.” “It’s not your fault Mat,” You take a deep breath, not breaking eye contact with the plate that was in your hand, “I shouldn’t have gotten so upset with him.”

“No you should have, he shouldn’t have questioned you,” Mat argues back, “It’s okay you know, by the way.”

“I don’t need validation from you about my lack of sexual experience just because you get laid all the time Mat,” You remind him, finally looking up at the apologetic man in front of you. Mat’s eyes were soft, with a smile that matched when you finally looked at him, “It could be just me.” “Or it’s whatever losers you’re dating who won’t go down on a girl,” Mat scoffs, running a hand through his hair. His mind had been blown from the second he realized why you didn’t answer Anthony’s question. But, Mat could believe never having an orgasm, but never having someone go down on you - that should have been a crime, “I bet I could get you off.”

“My first orgasm isn’t some prize Mat,” You say, walking past Mat to open your fridge and pull out the bottle of wine you’d opened a few hours ago.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Mat rushes out, trying to fix his mistake. He looks panicked for a moment, like the gears in his head were turning. He took a few steps forward boldly, taking the bottle out of your hand and pushing you against the counter, “I just mean I could take care of you if you’ll let me.”

Mat’s large hands were gripping your waist, and you could feel yourself practically melting under his touch. You look straight at his chest, watching the chain peeking out from under his hoodie shine against the fluorescent lighting in your kitchen. You knew you breathing was heavy, and you bit your lip debating it for just a moment. Mat was a good guy, and you were sure no one would ever  find out about this if you asked him to keep it quiet, “I’m not a pity fuck.”

“You were wearing blue the first time I met you,” Mat whispers, his lips ghosting overs, “I remember that because the first time I saw you I walked over to flirt with you and then Tito introduced us.”

You smile at the memory, the light blue top you were wearing was one of your favorites. It was the end of the summer, and you were holding onto the last few moments of warm weather before fall hit New York. Zoe dragged you out that night, insisting you met her new boyfriend and a few of his friends. You remember meeting Mat that night, but you didn’t know what his actual intentions in talking to you were, “Why didn’t you do anything about it?”

“Tito really likes Zoe, I didn’t want to make things weird,” Mat laughs, his eyes flicking down to your lips that were barely an inch away from his. You lean forward, throwing caution to the win and placing your lips on Mat’s. He smiled against your lips, grabbing your thighs and wrapping your legs around his waist.

“Please make me cum,” You breathe out, leaving a trail of kisses down Mat’s jaw while you directed him to your bedroom. He drops you on the bed, pulling his hoodie off and tossing it aside. You bit your lip, eyes raking over every muscle on Mat’s body that was drool worthy.

“You can stop me whenever you want,” Mat assures you, climbing on top of you and pulling you in for a kiss. Mat bit down on your lip gently, smirking when he heard a moan slip through your lips, “I could kiss you all day.”

“I assumed you’d get to it by now,” You admit, knowing everyone man you’d ever been with would have thrown foreplay out the door by now. Mat laughed against your neck, taking a break from the mark he was intent on leaving.

“This is why you’ve never had an orgasm,” Mat chuckles, picking his head up to look you in the eyes, “I’m taking my time with you.”

You smile, pulling Mat back down by his chain to meet his lips to yours. Mat’s hand snuck under your shirt, waiting for you to nod and give him permission before he tossed the t-shirt behind him, groaning when he realized you weren’t wearing anything underneath it. Mat pressed a kiss to your neck, making his way down between yours breasts. His tongue swirled your nipple, hands moving down your body to pull your shorts off. You arch your back, letting out a whimper when you felt Mat’s teeth against your skin. Mat kissed down your body, stopping when his lips hit just above your panties. He looked up at you, waiting for the green light to take them off.

“Go ahead Mat,” You breathe out, the anticipation practically killing you. Mat slipped his fingers under your panties, sliding them down your legs and throwing them to the side. He presses a few kisses to the inside of your thighs. You bite your lip, the sight of anyone between your thighs was new, let alone Mat. A whimper left your mouth when you felt Mat’s lips just above your clit, hot breath fanning over your pussy.

“You’re sure about this babe?” Mat asks one more time, a cautious tone to his phone. Something in your gut told you he was never this gentle, but the way he was handling you was just too sweet. You nod, watching while Mat flicked your clit gently, afraid if he went too hard too fast you’d either go into shock or you’d be too turned off to get you there. His tongue went flat, licking a stripe down your folds and teasing your entrance. Your hands landed in Mat’s hair, pulling on them gently while a moan slipped through your lips, “You like that?”

“Yes,” You whimper, a feeling you couldn’t quite describe overtaking your body. Sex never felt this good, because no one you’d ever been was bothered to pay attention to your body. Mat smirks, clearly pleased with himself for figuring out exactly what made you tick. He tossed your thighs over his shoulders, his tongue moving faster on your pussy while his nose was rubbing against your clit. You could feel it, the build up from pleasure while your moans became the only sound in your bedroom, “Mat, fuck, I think I’m going to-”

You didn’t even finish your sentence before your legs began to shake as your orgasm took over your body. Mat was gentle, his mouth still on you while you rode out your high, but not enough to overstimulate you just yet. You laid there for a minute, Mat pressing kisses into your stomach while you caught your breath. Even you could read the smile on his face, one that was clearly satisfied with the victory of finally getting you to cum, “You did so good baby.”

You could feel the heat rush to your cheeks at Mat’s praise, something you were quickly learning you really loved to hear, “Do it again.”

Mat smiles against your skin, a light laugh leaving his lips, “How?”

“With your fingers,” You whisper, biting your lip and looking down at Mat’s hands that were still wrapped around your thighs. Mat nods, freeing his grip on your thighs with one hand and letting his finger trace your folds, collecting the cum from the first time. He swipes it with his finger, sucking your cum right off it.

“You taste so fucking good,” Mat admits, and you let a breathy moan as a response. Mat’s eyebrows raise, “Do you like when I praise you?”

You nod quickly, pulling Mat up to meet your lips. Mat kisses were slow, but his finger that was slipping in you wasn’t. His thumb circled your clit while he caught your moans with his mouth, “Two.”

“Give a girl one orgasm and she’s already this demanding,” Mat jokes, tucking his head into your neck while he slipped another one of his long fingers in your, “You’re taking my fingers so well princess.”

“I’m going to cum again Mat,” You moan, your hips lifting off your mattress while Mat’s fingers move relentlessly in and out of you. Your hips sputtered, your legs shaking at the pleasure of your high. Mat finally slips them out, pressing a kiss to your forehead with a muttered good girl that left a chill up your spine. You looked down, the bulge in Mat’s gray sweats was prominent, a part of you almost felt guilty for leaving him high and dry like that, “Mat let me-”

“No,” Mat grabs your hand, entwining it with his and pulling it up to his mouth, “You don’t owe me anything.”

“What if I want you to fuck me?” You bat your eyelashes, trying to muster up the sexiest face you could while Mat’s brain short circuited from your question.

“You don’t have to get me off,” Mat makes his point clear, driving home the whole notion that he doesn’t want to push you into an uncomfortable situation, “I can do it myself and-”

Your free hand makes it way down Mat’s chest, running your fingers over his abs and stopping at the waistband on his sweats, “Mat Barzal I want you to fuck me.”

“Fuck,” Mat breathes out, watching you pull down his sweats and boxers in one motion, his cock springing freely from his pants. He’d been turned on from the moment he stepped in your bedroom, the idea of getting you off for the first time was just too hot for him to handle. You pumped his cock a few times, letting the precum on his dick spread. You rolled over, opening your drawer and fishing for a condom that you were thanking your lucky stars was actually in there. Mat grabs it, ripping the plastic open and rolling the condom onto his dick while you lightly rubbed your clit in anticipation, “You look so fucking perfect right now.”

“Mat please,” You whimper, a bold statement considering you’d never been one to be vocal in the bedroom about anything. Mat rubbed the head of his cock against you, slowly entering you.

“You’re so fucking tight,” Mat groans, the feeling of your pussy around his cock lived in his wildest fantasies, ones that he stored in the back of his mind so he could get through hanging out with you without getting a boner. Mat bottomed out, giving you a few minutes to adjust to how big he was. You whispered a small go against his shoulder, your lips against his skin while Mat pulled his hips back and started a slow pace in you. You gripped his shoulders, digging your nails into the muscles on his back. Mat looked down at you, pushing your hair out of your face and pressing his lips against your forehead, “I think my cock was made for you babe.”

“Harder Mat,” You moan, the same feeling you got the first two times building up inside of you. Mat took the hint, his hand snaking down your body and rubbing his thumb against your clit while he picked up his own pace. Your pussy flutters around him, and you ride out of your high while Mat tries to chase his own. His movements became erratic and with a loud groan he spilled into the condom.

The room was quiet, Mat laying on top of you while you both tried to catch your breath. You traced your finger down Mat’s back, “That was something.”

“Glad I could be your first, second, and third orgasm,” Mat chuckles, finally slipping out of you and tossing the condom in the garbage. He disappeared for a moment, coming back with a warm towel to clean you up. You winced at the contact, “I know you’re still sensitive babe but you’ve got to let me take care of you.”

Mat’s words were gentle, followed by a kiss on the inside of your thigh before he got up to collect his clothes that were thrown across your room, “I don’t want to go but-”

“I know Barz,” You laugh, knowing full well he had a morning skate the next day that if he was late for Trotz would have his ass, “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

“Listen, next time you're out with someone I can send him notes on how to get you off,” Mat jokes, throwing his hoodie back on and pressing a kiss to your forehead, “Or we can save the middleman and you can let me take you out.”

“Well I guess cutting out the middleman would be best,” You giggle, feeling Mat’s lips turn into a smile.

“So Saturday?”

“It’s a date Barz.”

[dreaminpetals]

Ik this is like the second you opened but uhh.. can I get some Naib swf/nsfw hcs? He’s a huge comfort character but he dosent have very much content kandnsksnsnsnsnsn

⛓ naib hcs ー sfw & nsfw

SFW ;;

♡ naib is a tough nut to crack at first.

♡ he's cold when you try to speak with him, but becomes an entirely different person when tasting danger in battle. he takes an absurd amount of hits for you and isn't shy about leaning in dangerously close to your lips or neck as he patches up your wounds.

♡ naib pines over you when you aren't around. he admires the way you keep fighting even when severely injured, and the fact you can taste hell without even thinking of being toxic towards your teammates or the hunter. you're a beacon of light in his life and the subject of his thoughts any time he feels like all hope for humanity is lost.

♡ he isn't sure how to describe why he feels dizzy when he sees you coming to rescue him or why the areas of skin you touch whilst healing him always burn afterwards. despite his rugged appearance and demeanour you're never rough with him, you treat him like glass which boggles the mercenary. why do you make him so soft?

♡ he struggles with seeing himself as anything other than a mercenary; a product of his homeland's endless war machine.

♡ when you tell him he's more than that ー a skilled cook, a reliable rescuer, a tease, a sweetheart, your crush ー he feels something stir in his heart. love, something naib didn't think he was worthy of experiencing.

♡ he's quite the tease once he's comfortable around you. naib kisses you so lightly that it leaves you gasping for more, or he'll eye you up and down in front of everyone just to see you freeze up in embarrassment.

♡ naib doesn't react to things much, his steeled nerves make emoting difficult, so he's all about pulling reactions out of you. pressing his hand to your cheeks and feeling them nearly sizzle under his touch always reminds him he's doing a good job of keeping you on your toes around him. it also makes him feel needed, when he sees your love for him painted on your face he can't help but give the faintest smile.

♡ he doesn't like loud or sudden noises. be mindful of that when you cuddle him. whisper in his ear about how you're so glad that he's here today if you want to see a blush tinge his scarred cheeks. rub loving circles into his hands if you want the redness to extend to his ears, too.

♡ huge show off. if you've seen his dance emote you know what i'm talking about. always flexing his muscles and dance moves around you because he knows what it does to you.

♡ in like all of naib's official art he's gobbling down drumsticks so i know he loves to cook for you and shines when you cook for him. make him a huge meal with sausages, burgers, and chicken wings if you want naib to ask to marry you on the spot. the way to a man's heart is his stomach, after all.

♡ style his hair for him and he'll wear it like that for the whole day. comfort flutters in his heart when he feels your fingers threading through his hair and tying it up or braiding it.

♡ you're eye candy to him. when you cook or you're sitting reading a book, it's common to feel a certain someone's eyes on you. he always denies that he stares, but when are his eyes not checking you out? never.

♡ when the manor holds fireworks shows he might need to be comforted. even if you're just holding his hand as he tries to maintain his composure around everyone, it works wonders for him.

♡ you ground him in reality and make him feel like a whole man as opposed to a broken one. even when you call him an absolute unit as a joke he's still so grateful for you.

NSFW ;;

♡ naib doesn't try to be rough all the time but he can't help it!! it's hard for him to be soft.

♡ his impeccable strength means that he loves to pin you against walls and hold you up as he fucks you. if one position is getting old, he flips you over his shoulder and takes you somewhere else. you can't deny that you're addicted to the way he manhandles you.

♡ he's capable of fucking you with just his eyes. when he gazes at you and licks his lips? yeah.

♡ makes a huge show of undressing himself. he looms over you as he bites his lip and slips his shirt over his shoulders, sweat glistening on his chest before you two have even done anything. he'll turn around midway through to give you a thorough look at the twisting muscles on his back as he tosses his shirt across the room.

♡ his scars have been an insecurity of his for as long as he can remember, so the sight of you getting horny and absolutely drenched with juices when you see them strokes his ego and eases his self-doubt. bonus points if you kiss them as he drills into you, it breaks his stonefaced persona and leads to some sloppy thrusts that leave you aching.

♡ into some very light knifeplay. he would have a fake blade that he traces along your skin, any laboured breaths or mewls that fall from your lips going straight to his dick. he would find your most sensitive areas and ghost the blade just beside them. he's unable to contain himself when you beg for him to just fucking touch you already.

♡ on bad days, he isn't extra rough, he just wants to be close to you. maybe you got hurt and sent waves of anxiety through his body that he isn't able to shake off despite you being safe. he protectively cages you with his body when he fucks you missionary style, resting his head in the crook of your shoulder and still staying sheathed in you even after you've both came.

♡ loves to tie you up, blindfold you, and spank you if you've been bad. teasing is naib's job, so he doesn't appreciate when you bend over a certain way as you decode with norton. each spank to your ass is fueled by envy and dripping with possessiveness. he wants to hear you promise that you'll be his forever between each breathy moan you release.

♡ naib loves to finger you. doesn't matter what hole it is, he'll slip on some fingerless gloves and rub the fabric against the areas surrounding your aching hole as his curled fingers stretch it open and make you scream.

♡ want to get a reaction out of him? pull his hair. i dare you. he lets it flow down his shoulders during sex because you like the sight, but what he doesn't know is you're yearning to reach up and pull it.

♡ if you ask him for oral, he'll drag out the process for as long as possible. your thighs will be killed with nibbles and long licks that lead to your dripping parts but his tongue never quite arrives there. when your quivering thighs cage naib's head between them, he knows he's doing an excellent job at torturing you. his half lidded eyes were made for making eye contact with as he goes down on you.

♡ his favourite act is definitely getting head. he can't control himself when your lips are wrapped tightly around his cock as you stroke him and milk him for everything he's worth.

♡ naib loves shower sex. not bath sex, but specifically pinning you to the walls of a shower as your soapy chest hits the steamed glass with every brutal thrust. his balance is perfect so don't worry about slipping. he's got you.

♡ baths are reserved for after sex. he loves to pull your back to his chest and massage you, washing off all the sinful actions you did to each other's bodies. if he's still horny, he isn't above giving you one quick orgasm in the tub before retiring for the night. naib is that guy who can always go for an extra surprise round, for better or for worse.

[solohux]

Hiya! Can i request a prompt where hux one day from the corner of his eye discovers a little girl just wandering around.- a force sensitive orphan taken in by ren. Only he diden’t tell hux who is very confused

There’s a story on board the Finalizer, a tale that is told by officers when the lights go out and the skeleton crew tends to the engines. Ensigns quiver behind their pillows as lieutenants recite the newest ghost story to them as though it’s a rite of passage into their crew, to listen to each chilling detail, get to the end and still be able to sleep.

A story of a ghost girl who wanders the corridors in a black nightgown, her white hair floating around her like an eerie fog. Barefoot, the girl can be no older than seven or eight standard years, walking alone in the cold night of the ship as though she’s in a trance. No one dares to talk to her or approach her, freezing with fear if they get too close to the lonely ghost and then falling to the ground in a deep sleep.

But Hux isn’t fearful of anything on board his ship, especially not silly stories that sound more akin to something his fellow cadets would have told each other in the dead of night to prove who was the bravest. Little Armitage always thought such tests were ridiculous, choosing to ignore his frightened classmates and, instead, bury his head beneath his bedcovers so he couldn’t hear them.

Even Mitaka, one of General Hux’s most trusted officers, claims to have seen the wandering girl. Hux had rolled his eyes and told his Lieutenant to stop drinking on the job but a tiny shiver runs down Hux’s spine once he sees the fear in Mitaka’s eyes.

The very next night, Hux’s eyes hold the same flash of fear.

He’s been working in his private office, running tests and simulations for one of his newest weapons, and time has gotten away from him. It’s late into the night cycle, leaving droids and the bare minimum crew members present in the corridors. In the silence, Hux is suddenly aware of his lone presence, succumbing to his nervousness and checking over his shoulder for any small figures dressed in black that may be following him.

But he finds nothing.

“Childish worries,” Hux scoffs, straightening his greatcoat upon his shoulders. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

He rounds the corner towards the turbolift that will take him to his chambers and the very fear that his officers have spoken of overcomes him, freezing his core, his skin, and almost stops his heart.

Just ahead, there’s a figure. Small, with long white hair. A child, no doubt, walking slowly as though lost, so light on her feet that her footsteps don’t make a sound. Hux swallows hard, rooted to the ground. His shuddering breath and trembling hands are his only company; does he reach for his blaster and stun it? Will his attack pass through her and result in his death? Hux cannot know but regardless, he reaches for his blaster and pulls it out of its holster, raising it slowly.

The child stops. She turns. Her eyes are open, shining like amber jewels, but the rest of her pale face is vacant. Truly, a ghost of these haunted hallways.

Hux hadn’t imagined that his end would be at the hands of a little ghost girl in the bowels of his own ship but as his finger hovers over the trigger, he’s certain that his death is nigh.

“Neeva!”

At the other end of the corridor, a familiar voice calls out a strange name, which gives Hux slight comfort that his co-commander may have come to rescue him, perhaps sensing his terror through his mystical Force powers. But Kylo looks as though he’s just leapt out of bed, barefoot in a casual pair of baggy pants and a loose, grey shirt and his hair unkempt. His dark eyes flick from the girl to Hux as he walks slowly towards the girl, every step careful and calculated.

“Ren!” Hux whispers loudly, scratching his throat. The Knight clearly has no regard for the ghost stories and approaches the girl without making any sudden movements. Hux fumbles to hold his blaster in the shooting position but Kylo holds his hand up and freezes the General’s moves without needing the Force.

“Neeva,” Kylo says again, only softer this time. His voice is laced with concern, eyebrows furrowed. The girl stops walking, shuddering to a halt. “Neeva. Wake up. Come back.”

Neeva? The ghost girl has a name, it would seem. Her amber eyes loose a speckle of their glassiness with each mentioning of her name as though being drawn out from a spell. Hux frowns, watching with a concoction of fear and curiosity that roots him to the ground as Kylo kneels down in front of the girl and takes her hand, reaching to tuck a portion of her white hair behind her ear.

“It’s just the Force,” he says, her hand dwarfed in his. “Come back to me.”

“D-Dad?”

Hux hadn’t remembered that he was still holding his blaster until it drops from his hand and clangs to the floor, startling him—though it doesn’t make him jump in surprise even nearly as much as the word that the girl has just uttered; ‘dad’.

“Yeah, brave one,” Kylo whispers. “I’m here.”

“Daddy!”

The girl blinks and suddenly, her ghostly aura seems to disappear as she throws herself into Kylo’s arms, holding on tightly to him. He’s whispering calming words to her but part of Hux wishes that someone were here to do the same for him; his heart feels like it may give out at any moment.

“Ren?” Hux picks his blaster up, noting his hands are still trembling. Kylo stands up with Neeva at his side, her arms wrapped around his waist and one of his hands rests protectively on Neeva’s back as though he thinks that Hux is still going to harm her but the General holds his hands up defensively once his weapon is back upon his belt. “I would very much appreciate a little light shed on what the kriffing hell is going on here.”

Kylo smiles, clearly amused by Hux’s lingering fear. “This is Neeva.”

Neeva raises her hand in a small wave, yawning but still managing to give Hux a smile afterwards. She looks like a perfectly normal seven year old child now that she’s snapped out of whatever strange Force-veil was covering her.

“H-Hello,” Hux replies. “Uh. Who is she?”

“My daughter,” Kylo says, and Hux’s mouth falls open. “Not...biological, before you assume anything. I adopted her when she was young after she was orphaned on a small moon.”

Neeva yawns again and Kylo picks her up, holding her effortlessly on his hip whilst she snuggles into him and rests her head on her shoulder.

“Daughter,” Hux parrots, shocked to the core. “How in hell’s name have you managed to keep her a secret? All this time!”

Kylo shrugs casually, “It was easy when she was a small child and I was living on my own ship. When we moved here, it began to stress her and caused her to begin sleepwalking.”

“You look amused, Master Ren,” Hux folds his arms.

“I am. Your officers have created ghost stories about her, scaring each other until they’re afraid to walk the corridors at night.”

“You have to admit, Ren, that there’s something eerie about her when she’s...sleepwalking.”

Kylo looks down at Neeva, who’s fallen asleep in his arms. “She’s strong with the Force, like I was when I was a child but I didn’t have anyone who understood me. But Neeva has me, and I won’t let her down.”

In his arms, the girl stirs and snuggles against Kylo’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck as she smiles in her dream.

“She sees you as her father.”

Kylo’s expressions turns stern, “That’s because I am. I found her when she was no more than a toddler on the streets, lost and alone. I couldn’t leave her. She doesn’t remember her parents. From what I’ve felt in the Force, they’re dead. The only things she remembers of her life before me is hunger and cold. I’m her father.”

Hux can see the passion and the love that Kylo has for this child burning in his eyes; he’d truly Ro anything to protect her. “And the, uh, sleepwalking?”

Kylo ponders, “Perhaps isn’t it isn’t sleepwalking per se but a waking Force coma. Sometimes, the Force guides her to things in the dead of night, putting her under its hold until the trance is complete. She can’t be stopped by anyone except for someone with a strong connection to her.”

“But my officers have seen her. They’ve described her perfectly.”

“Yes,” Kylo nods. “The white hair, the bare feet. But they haven’t seen her for very long. It takes a while for our Force energies to connect so Neeva may have been walking for a while, and officers may have found her before I do. I use the Force to put them to sleep before altering their memories and carrying my daughter back to her bed. The next morning, Neeva is safe and your foolish officers think that they’ve seen a real, supernatural entity.”

Hux sighs, relief lifting a weight off his shoulders, “So there is no ghost girl haunting the halls of my ship. I knew it.”

“Liar, Kylo scoffs. “I sensed Neeva’s wandering presence and found her here. When I came around that corner, I thought the ghost was you. You were so pale, Hux.”

“I’m pale anyway.”

“Paler than usual, then. Your projecting, terrified emotions nearly knocked me over.”

Hux huffs. “Well. Do forgive me for thinking that your secret, white-haired daughter was a ghost.”

“It’s alright,” Kylo closes the gap between them. “And now that you know of her existence, I need two things from you.”

Oh, hells. “What two things?”

“One,” Kylo begins, holding up one finger. “I need you to continue to keep Neeva’s presence here a secret. It would only jeopardise her safety. She’s powerful, some would seek to exploit that.”

“Of course, Ren.”

“Two. I need you to continue to the rumour about the ghost.”

“Why?” Hux exclaims, wanting to put all of this behind him. What purpose could that possibly serve to you?”

Kylo shrugs, giving Neeva a little kiss on her head before turning away to head back to their chambers, “It’s funny.”

[wolffesimp]

Love You Back

--

kit fisto x you

--

SUMMARY: in the late autumn night, you find yourself sleepless at the jedi temple. what happens when kit fisto finds you outside, alone in the cold?

warnings: ehhh pg-13...kinda sugestive content? nothing explicit tho cuz i’m a child of god :) 1.6 k words...strap yo-selves in henny 

dedicated to: miss kenna, who needed more material to read. i know we both simp over the smexy ass green fish man, so here ya go dear! @hxldmxdxwn​ 

--

--

Your relationship was hidden behind the shadows of the ever approaching war. But somewhere, built underneath all the pent up emotion, there was a blooming attachment to one another. Hearts that longed to sing in harmony. Fingers yearning to caress the skin of their lover. Lips wanting to unite together as one. 

A blissful day dream it was. Your relationship was never something you could pull off. Not with the all knowing Jedi council. The watchful eyes of Jedi Masters and Knights. Had you even considered that your Master, Kit Fisto, hadn’t returned your affections? 

Never mind that! Never mind the Jedi council! Your love for him was stronger! It knew no bounds! 

But how naive you were! Dreams! Dreams! Dreams! They haunt you in your sleep and lurk in the day. It keeps you up at night, tossing and turning in your bed. A dull ache in your stomach though your belly was full. 

Mercy above, you needed to breathe! Sitting up from the suffocating bed, you glide to the shared balcony. It only made sense that Master Kit’s room was right beside your own. Opening the door noiselessly, you let out a long exhale.

The welcoming air of Coruscant hit your face. Relieving your senses, you leaned over the railing. Looking out at the nightlife, you only thought of how lonely it must be for some. A city so big that it was easy to become overwhelmed and distance yourself from those who care. Far off sounds of chatter and speeders filled your ears. No matter how many times you observed the nightlife, you never got bored. There was always an attraction; drunkards yelling in the streets, a speeder zooming by, a couple in love. 

Distraction from your Jedi Master was temporary. Somehow your thoughts always led you back to him. Kit’s handsome face and well sculpted build. His praise that was rare, but permanent in your memory. A moment that still stuck out to you drifted back into your mind. 

--

Kit’s body was close to yours. Too close. So much so that you could feel his breath against the nape of your neck. His hand was clenched over yours, which was holding your lightsaber. As he taught you a new strategy of holding the blade, you realized you were in way too deep. Yes, you are madly in love with him.

“Now, try it on your own.”

You couldn’t help but feel disappointed as he stepped away from you, letting go of your hand. Nevertheless, you repeated his same actions he showed you. A blush spread across your face as you awaited his feedback. 

“That’s it, bunny! Doing so good for me!”

Bunny was his beloved nickname for you. Sinful innuendos filled your head in a frenzy. You couldn’t bare to look at his face. Quickly, you turned away, muttering an embarrassed Thank you, Master. 

--

You looked back at the doors leading to the balcony. No lights were on in Kit’s room. A good sign. There were no sounds of footsteps. Another good sign. Assuming he was still asleep, you resumed your scrutinty of Coruscant. 

A chill ran through your body. Curse the bloody sheer nightgown you wore! But then again...it looked rather divine on you. Complimenting your curves and leaving little to imagine for the eye. The silk was of a rich blue, spaghetti straps clinging onto your shoulders. Subconsciously, you wrapped your arms around yourself. Warmth returned to your numbed arms. Perhaps it was too crisp to be outside for much longer, considering that Coruscant was transitioning into the winter season. 

You glanced up at the night sky. Unfortunately, it was too polluted to see the night stars. But you still envisioned them. A canopy of bright lights that were assumed to be thousands upon thousands of planets. It was reassuring to know that at least the planets could coexist in the sky. 

Oh, to go stargazing with your Jedi Master. How magical would that be? Strong arms wrapped around your waist. Body pressed against Kit’s, head leaning into his chest. You could almost feel the ghost of his fingers. A fantasy, it all was. With a sigh, you turned away from the sky, only now heading for the comfort of your bedroom. Freezing half way through your steps, you saw your Jedi Master. 

“Master?” you asked softly

Kit’s arms were crossed over his bare chest. A pair of loose black pants hung from his lower torso. His eyes darted up and down your body, seizing you like pray. You were disgruntled, folding your arms protectively over your chest. His tongue graced his bottom lip, meeting your gaze. 

“Bunny, it’s far too cold to be outside.”

His deepened voice- somehow it was better than the one you were used to hearing before. 

“I-I just couldn’t sleep...” you said. “too many things happening in my brain.”

“Care to explain?”

Heat coursed through your body. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a swell idea...”

“You have always told me everything. What’s so different about this?”

You are in love with your Jedi Master! That’s what is different about this!! 

Kit was now in the way of your door. Attempting to brush him aside, along with his question as well, you gave him a light push. He didn’t move an inch. Instead, he towered over you, disappointment well written on his face. What was wrong with you? What weren’t you telling him?

“Did someone hurt you, bunny? I swear to Maker if they did-”

“No one hurt me.” your face fell. “It’s just that...if I tell you it could ruin everything.”

You flung your arms around him. He stumbled back slightly, but embraced you with his own hefty arms. Burying your head into his bare chest, you accepted your fate. This was probably about to go horribly wrong. Kit sensed your unease. Normally, he was a patient man. However...this was challenging him. There was nothing more he hated than seeing you unhappy. 

“What do you mean?” he asked gently

Oh Maker, you were prepared for the worst. Luck was not something bestowed upon you. You summoned up what little courage you had left. 

 “Kit, I’m burning for you. This might sound strange, but you are the very reason I cannot fall asleep at night. I-I need you more than you’ll ever know. Your voice, your wisdom, everything about you makes me in love.”

Kit was utterly shocked. “What?”

You wondered why whoever controlled the universe conspired for your doom. 

“Oh...” you felt ashamed. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”

You got out of his grip only to be pulled back by the force. A gasp came from out of your mouth as your back hit the chilled wall. Hunger lurked in his eyes as you looked up at him. You had spent long enough with him to be able to read his coal eyes. Kit’s arms pinned you against the wall on either side of your head. It was strange for him to be dominant over you. 

“Bunny, you are my girl. Didn’t you already know that? Was I not obvious enough?”

In the luminance of the city light, his green skin was hauntingly beautiful. And his personality- Maker did you have things to say about that. The male Jedi was quiet, but knew just what to say when you were feeling down or needed an extra push. Kit was always up for a good laugh, being much more laid back than some of his Jedi counterparts. ahem, windu He could always tell how you felt, not only through your force bond, but also through his remarkable head tentacles that could somehow detect phermones. yes, that’s canon i think Kit was not only adept fighter on land, but in water too. 

You never thought you would be so close to the Nautolan, but here you were. Faces just inches from each other. Kit felt your heartbeat increase at his words of encouragement. A smile was proud on his face. 

“So you like me back?”

“Like? I love you back, bunny.”

You giggled. Your hands cupped the sides of his amphibian skin. The texture was very smooth. He leaned into your touch, arms returning back at your waist. Just like when you trained, his body was pressed against yours. 

“I love you too, Master.” 

He laughed. Tingling sensations lit up your body as he planted butterfly kisses all over you. Your forehead was his first victim. You never knew your skin could be so sensitive as he continued to explore it. Kissing both of your cheeks, he tilted his head down to gain more leverage on your neck. 

His lips graced the edge of your jaw. “Maker, I craved for your kiss.” 

You were stunned into silence. Head tilted into the wall, nails scratching at his bare back. Anyone could catch you two. He seemed to have a similar train of thought. Without disconnecting your bodies, he opened his door and guided you two inside his room. 

Once again, his lips were upon your neck. He started at the base, slowly drifting up. But he was greedy against your sweet smelling skin. 

Years after years of pining after his bunny...and this was just the after affects of finally getting what he wanted. 

There was an undeniable need for you. A burning hunger that ripped through him. He was eager to take you all in. The nightgown and phermones you were releasing most certainly weren’t helping his case. Oh, and the pleasured sounds you were making as he bit gently at your skin. 

“Bunny, you are iresistable.”

You laughed airily. Bringing him in, your lips collided together as one. If you could choose one word to describe what you felt like, it would be heavenly. You two were mated together forever, with the force freely moving about you. The bond you two held was unbreakable. 

“I love you, Kit, and I’ll say it a million times again.”

--

a/n: was i too steamy? lmaoooo idk y’all. i was so hyped about this cuz i wanted to make it like some fucking shakesperian story jesus christ i know i spelt that wrong but the dramatic theme kinda fell through. ahahaha i hope y’all liked it though :)

MASTERLIST FOR MORE OF MY CONTENT

[bisexualmikisayaka]

okay re my last post. here’s how it goes. under the cut because this is long as shit

luke is adrift in the galaxy, trying to find remnants of the old order so he can kind of have the base outlines for a new one (he’ll eschew more of it than he thinks, but he hasn’t realized that yet). holocrons in particular are super helpful because they can store a ton of stuff and contain lots of info about the jedi order or anything jedi deemed relevant, but not a lot of people know what they are, and because only force-sensitives can open them, they’re kind of hard to describe

luke, talking to some poor seller: hey have you ever encountered any. inoperable jedi puzzle boxes while you were buying stuff this guy, just trying to make some cash: ????

he runs into ezra. somehow. maybe ezra hears luke asking and is like Oh? Is This Guy Talking About Holocrons? is he perhaps... A Jedi????

it’s also a chance for me to expound on my Shielding Headcanons and why luke is never allowed to to teach it at Jedi Boarding School (quinlan has those lessons on lock but literally everybody else is allowed to do it except luke)

anyways. luke and ezra encounter one another, Ezra Comes Home

i’m actually not too concerned with this part because i have a skybridger fic in the works that details the Skybridger Encounter and subsequent Ezra Coming Home and writing it all again is... ehhh

so there’s a flash forward to when ezra’s helping out at jedi boarding school (JBS for short)

after the day is over at JBS, ezra sees luke talking to anakin’s force ghost and lamenting the fact that he hasn’t been able to procure any new material or holocrons lately

and ezra’s like oh hey i. i used to have a holocron. uh. it’s super broken though idk what to do about that

anakin’s like. oh well that’s no problem i know how to build a holocron so i can just tell you what parts to fix :) which sparks a whole discussion of YOU KNOW HOW TO BUILD A HOLOCRON?? obi wan even shows up for that part

i also have a reason as to why anakin knows how to build a holocron but it’s long and it’s kinda sad so it’ll go in the fic proper if i ever write it

so ezra has to track down wherever the holocron’s parts are with the help of luke and anakin’s ghost and determined what needs to be salvaged and what can be reconstructed, and this forces him into conversations with most of his ghost family - sabine has most of it, but one part of it is on hera’s kalikori and i like to think that zeb took part of it 

as this journey goes on luke gives the reigns to cere (his vice principal while he’s in absentia) so he can focus on this and he and ezra definitely get :) quite a lot closer :) and as they go through all of this they also sort of try to figure out what the new jedi order should be

and as important as it is for ezra to go through this process - of confronting his past, of connecting deeply with his loved ones again, and of building a future out of that (i like to HC that the holocron has vapaad on there, which he’ll be able to learn through recordings that mace made, complete with a flashback of kanan teaching him an opening kata) - it’s also incredibly important for luke for this relationship to develop

because i think that luke is someone who, post-empire, would have trouble being able to connect with people beyond his status as a hero and Sole Public Jedi. that’s a lot of pressure to put on a 20 something year old’s shoulders and i think to handle that he’d try to pull away from people and be what he thinks is the Model Jedi, and tbh obi-wan and yoda wouldn’t be a great help

but ezra - someone who can really truly understand him, his experiences, and his struggles, and vice versa - would help him leave from that line of thinking and be the best kind of jedi he can be, not what he thinks is the best jedi. you know?

plus all their new friends at JBS have their own idea of what it means to be a jedi in this new world and they can come up with something. better. longer lasting. (sequel trilogy does not exist in this fic)

the end of the fic would end with ezra slotting the last holocron piece into place, and hearing someone’s voice as it starts up, with luke looking at him and smiling 

[fallout-lou-begas]

Elevated Extras: Ranger Ghost Companion

You a Courier? If so, this might be your lucky day...if you don't mind walking a bit and your eyes are good. 

(Original sketch by @tarberrymentats / based on the OC Companion Meme by @falloutfandomeventhub / if you borrow this concept please tag it as #fallout elevated extras)

General

Name: Ranger Ghost

Location: Mojave Outpost

How to obtain: Complete the sidequest “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” then begin the sidequest “Giving Up the Ghost” to get her reassigned from the Mojave Outpost. Once freed of her assignment, she can travel with the Courier to monitor Legion activity throughout the Mojave.

Companion Quest: “Giving Up the Ghost.”

Ranger Ghost, like everyone else, is sick and tired of being stuck at the Mojave Outpost. Unfortunately, orders are orders. With the courier’s help, though, she just might be able to come down from that rooftop, but dealing with NCR bureaucracy might be a worse ordeal than Legion crucifixion.

Companion Wheel

I think we should travel together. You probably can’t tell, but that’d make me very happy. Let’s get the hell out of here.

Let’s talk about your tactics. Sure. Lecture the ranger on tactics. Go ahead. / What’re you thinking?

I want you to change your combat style. (humoring) Alright. / If you insist.

Use a melee weapon. Close combat, then. / Sure. We can hold their hands and tuck them in while we’re at it. / (Wild Wasteland Enabled) Try to remember the basics of CQC.

Use a ranged weapon. (stating the obvious) It’s what I do. / You going to spot for me? / (deeply sarcastic) Aww. Finally remembered I’m a ranger?

Be passive. Sure, give peace a chance. / Don’t go pacifist on me, now.

Be aggressive: Locked and loaded. / (mocking the company line) Right, and with “extreme prejudice.”

Enough about tactics. Agreed. Anything else? / Are we good, then?

Let’s talk about how close you’re following me. Is there a problem? / What are you...implying, exactly?

Wait here. Right. Things to do, places to be? / Holding down here. / I’ll keep watch here.

Follow me. Let’s roll out. / Finally. Don’t like waiting. / Right. Skip to my fucking lou.

Stay close to me. (sternly cautious) Define “close.” / Got it, on you. / Just don’t bump my gun.

Keep your distance. Positioning, got it. / Yeah, covering you. / (facetious concern) Don’t get lost, now.

Let’s trade equipment. Don’t get fucking handsy, now. / Just don’t hog the ammo.

(Overburdened). I’m not your fucking pack brahmin. / (exasperated) I’ve only got so many pockets.

(Sneaking). Staying low. / (wryly imperative) Quiet, now.

(In Courier’s iron sights). What the fuck is wrong with you? / (slowly, emphasizing) Watch your trigger discipline. / Don’t make me take that away.

(Courier lays mine). I’ve got my eyes on that. / You’d better have a plan for that.

It’s time for us to part ways. It’s because i’m a bitch, isn’t it. / Such sweet fucking sorrow, I bet.

I’d like you to go to the Lucky 38. Hm. Sending the Ghost to the haunted house. See you there. I’ll try not to spook the Securitrons.

We can meet again at the Mojave Outpost. (sucks teeth) Guess I’ll report what I’ve got back to headquarters. Hopefully by now they’ve got someone else watching the brahmins shit full-time.

Injured: (seething) SSShhit. / Didn’t want it like this. / (with conviction) I didn’t get off that roof just to fucking bite it.

Damaged Limb: (shout of pain) Fucker clipped me! / Sure could use a fucking medic.

Regaining Consciousness: What...what the hell happened? / (trailing off) Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck...

Death: (death rattle) / (weakly) Ghosts...can die, huh...ha...

Attributes

Aggression: Aggressive.

Confidence: Brave.

Assistance: Helps friends and allies.

Karma: Neutral.

Perks

Ghost of a Chance: When Ranger Ghost is by your side, so are the odds. In addition to gaining an extra 3% chance to critically hit, any single attack that would kill you may instead leave you just barely alive and invulnerable for a brief moment..

Drops, if killed

Ranger Vest Outfit

Ranger Grey Hat

Authority Glasses

Cowboy Repeater

Combat Knife

Iguana Bits

Grognak the Barbarian

Dialogue, Quest Details, and Ending Slides:

Dialogue

Why do they call you Ghost? What, don’t I scare you? Boo? Nothing? (beat) Well, if you gotta know, it stuck pretty quick back in basic. Not like there were many other albinos in boot camp. The all-white spooky bitch who shoots better at night? Yeah, that’s a ghost, alright. Pissed me off at first, but I came around when it started giving privates the heebie-jeebies. Just a little kick, is all.

What’s an albino? Albinism is a pigment disorder. You know, the color of your skin and hair? As in I don’t have color. Pale as a sheet.

[Medicine 35] A sharpshooter with albinism? Isn’t your vision affected? Done your homework, huh? Well, these big, bad sunglasses aren’t just for intimidation, doc. They only come off when I sleep. Sucks enough being photosensitive in the goddamn desert, but like I said. I’m a lot better at night.

What’s your real name? (the thousandth time she’s answered this exact question) If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.

Aw, come on. Curiosity killed the courier. Don’t push it.

[Speech 40] I’m just trying to understand my partner better. Then “understand” that I don’t owe you shit except loyalty. Just call me Ghost, and you’ll get that.

[Cherchez La Femme] Surely you’ve got a name to match that lovely personality. (flustered) Are you d-...I-...Yeah, I do.But you can just keep calling me Ghost. (quietly) For...for now.

What’s the deal with Ranger Jackson? Man hasn’t got a thought in his fucking head...which is why he’s such a good C.O., from the top down. He’s a nice enough guy on a good day. He’s...principled, for sure. But the man wouldn’t budge on an order from brass if it’d save his life. Stranded caravaneers get so bored and restless because of the impasse he’s overseeing that he’s started (excessive emphasis) “hiring” the rowdier ones for odd jobs off the grounds, which is why we’ve been “losing” supplies for a while. Gets shit done, I guess, but wish he’d show half that drive when bitching to HQ, but no. They tell him to sit tight, he says yes sir, and then he takes it out on us when we get frustrated at the frustrating bullshit.

Do you know Major Knight? (standoffish) Yeah. Good guy. Known him a while. Hell, he’s been at M.O. longer than I have.

What does he do? Repairs, mostly. With all the caravans backed up, we sort of have a monopoly on maintenance and upkeep. And believe me, he does damn fine work.

[Confirmed Bachelor] Is he...you know…? Is he...oh. Between you and me? Yeah. He and I are...alike. I mean, I’m the bitch everybody hates, so I don’t really give a shit, but beneath that…(thinking how best to describe him, ribbing him a bit)...accountant exterior of his, he’s really the soft, sensitive type. Needs someone to talk to sometimes. I’m that someone, sometimes, but if you get the chance...it’d do him good just to know he’s not that alone out here.

How can I best use your skills? Hard to find a way that’d be worse than all the wasted time at M.O., but I’ll make it easy for you: give me a target and let me shoot it. If it’s too close to shoot, I’m trained in hand-to-hand, and if it’s too far to shoot, it’ll never see me coming. Standard repertoire for a ranger.

What’s your opinion on the NCR? High enough to keep me enlisted, low enough to where I’ve got plenty to mock. We’re a good country, a damn good country. We’re the only real country actually left in the West. We’d be the best thing to ever crawl out of the bombed-out ruins of this war if it weren’t for all the bureaucratic bullshit, and the brass getting duller the higher you go. It’s all just song and dance and sloganeering to them out here. Whatever looks good on paper. They don’t give a shit what really happens to people out here, and if Caesar doesn’t kill us, that might. At least on the inside.

What’s it like being a ranger? Ranger training is the best, most brutal gauntlet this side of the Colorado. Hours and hours of days and days spent shooting, drilling, fighting, bringing the body to its breaking points, pouring blood and sweat just to get an inch past the wide-eye hopefuls who were always going to just wash out...and all of it just to stand on a fucking rooftop staring at ants and malnourished raiders on the interstate. I swear, if you gave headquarters a golden egg, they’d fucking cook it.

Were you at the battle of Hoover Dam? Was going to be, but believe it or not, I sat out sick. Got the fucking flu right before and was stuck at McCarran the whole time, half-lucid. Let me tell you, the whole tent of coughs and sneezes crowding around that radio, listening to the reports...when Hanlon ordered that retreat out of Boulder City, we were grabbing our rifles and getting ready to march out on foot, even if we could barely stand. We thought that was it. Of course, it wasn’t, and we cheered so loud when they radioed about the explosion that I hope Caesar damn well heard it.

Do you wish that you had been there? Of course I do. If I miss the next one because I’m stuck at the Outpost or some shit, I’m deserting with a dozen fed-up caravaneers to flank his fucking fort myself, if only for some goddamn excitement.

How do you feel about the Legion? Love ‘em. Joined the NCR because I just wanted to meet them that bad. Their new Legate’s such a heartthrob, I hear.

You’re not serious. (sucks teeth, deep sigh) Look. You saw Nipton. It was just a taste of what they do. I’ve seen good men die on crosses, and that’s a mercy compared to the good women. I hear when women sign up now, they get about five extra “are you sures?” from recruiters. Not officially, of course. Brass would never let people back home know how bad it is. But it’s just another thing that makes me glad I’m a sniper, sometimes. Engage at range. Out of reach.

What about Legion society? Do you know anything about life across the river? There’s nothing across that river. Nothing. (beat, pondering) Do you remember the Enclave War? Bitter, bloody, big explosion at Navarro? And the Brotherhood campaign out here? Even worse of a shitshow, but still, we won that out, too. But the Enclave and the Brotherhood at least stood for something. They were societies, or at least promises of one, and if things had shaken out the other way for the NCR at least something would still be standing here. The Legion isn’t like that. They aren’t “something.” They’re one big razor across Arizona, shaving everything down. And if we don’t stop them here, we never will.

What about their Legate? (with contempt) Lanius, “The Monster of the East.” Caesar must’ve plucked him out of hell or something after his first legate blew it at Hoover Dam. Word from recon is that the only reason we’re all still twiddling our thumbs there is that he’s out making friends for Caesar someplace, and he’ll be bringing them all back for a whole ‘nother goddamn jamboree soon. (tension broken by a funny thought; spoken dryly) Or should I say a Damboree. Since it’d be at the Dam.

Do you know anything about Mr. House? No. Closest I’ve ever been to the Strip has been McCarran, where I was too proud to get wasted on expensive booze in the casinos. As punishment, I got stuck with nothing to do but get shitfaced on cheap booze at the outpost. All I know is Mr. House runs the whole Strip himself, and there’s one casino, the Lucky 36 or something, that’s supposed to be all his. No one’s allowed in, no one’s ever come out. Frankly? Just strikes me as fucking weird.

Companion Quest: Giving Up the Ghost

After completing the sidequest “Eyes On the Prize” (in which the Courier checks Nipton for survivors), Ghost will remark that the Mojave’s going to hell, and all she can do is sit and watch. The Courier will reply that she ought to stop watching and travel with them, to which she’ll respond that her orders are absolute—but if the courier can change her orders somehow, she’d be indebted. The quest then begins.

= = = Stage 1: Deal with Jackson = = =

First, the Courier must speak to Ranger Jackson and convince him to consider Ghost’s reassignment. They can do this through the following dialogue options:

[Speech 80] This outpost is just waiting to be overrun by Legion. You’ll be the next Nipton unless you’re proactive.

[Speech 55; completed “Can’t You Find It In Your Heart” beforehand] Maybe I could tell your superiors about where I “found” these “lost” supplies, then.

[Barter 80] Ghost is an exceptional asset to the rangers. Stationing her here is a waste of valuable NCR resources.

[NCR Fame] There’s work to be done for the NCR out there, and Ghost is who I trust to do it with me.

[Black Widow] I’ve ways of making men come around...especially handsome men in uniform. (The Courier must then sleep with Ranger Jackson)

Note that the Courier can not simply complete the quest “Can’t You Find It In Your Heart?” as a favor to Jackson for Ghost’s reassignment. While he’ll let a caravaneer go, it’ll take more than clearing some ants from the road to get him to compromise his standing force and let go of a ranger. 

Alternatively, Jackson’s death will advance the quest.

Kill Jackson. Similar to Cass’ companion quest, Jackson can simply be killed. However, Ghost is far less sympathetic to this course of action and will confront the Courier over the murder. If Jackson is simply killed, the Courier will either need a convincing alibi [Speech 90] to argue that they weren’t responsible or admit to the murder. If the Courier fails the Speech check or admits to the murder, Ghost will turn hostile (“Maybe you didn’t fucking think this through, but do you know what we call someone who kills an NCR ranger? An enemy of the NCR rangers. Now, eat shit.”). Alternatively, the Courier can intimidate Ghost into silence with a [Terrifying Presence] option, after which a shaken but seething Ghost will simply ask the Courier to leave the outpost and never come back. Passing the Speech check is the way to not fail the quest from this option.

Kill Jackson and frame Cass. If the Courier kills Jackson themself, attempting to loot Jackson’s body will trigger a message suggesting that they could frame Cass for the murder by splashing whiskey on the body (so long as Cass is not currently the player’s companion and is currently at the Mojave Outpost, not the Lucky 38). By adding a whiskey bottle to Jackson’s body without themself or the body being discovered in the meantime, they can successfully implicate Cass for the murder, and explain as much to Ghost. She’ll buy it, since Cass was one of the most frustrated residents of the outpost and was drunk almost all the time. Cass will then disappear from the game, and if Lacey, Major Knight, or Ghost (if the Courier left the outpost before speaking to her again) are asked, they will explain that Cass was arrested by the NCR.

Have someone else kill Jackson. A desperate, fed-up caravaneer named Paul by the brahmin pens is willing to kill Jackson for 5,500 caps. This price can be negotiated down to 4,000 with a [Barter 60] check, and 3,500 with [Barter 75]. At midnight that night, Paul will attempt to sneakily kill Jackson. Alternatively, Paul can be incensed into attacking Jackson immediately and for free with a [Hot Blooded] trait check. In either case, though, there is no guarantee that Paul will succeed, and if Paul is killed then the Courier must advance the quest another way (though they can loot their spent caps from Paul’s body). When spoken to afterwards, Ghost will remark that she saw the Courier speaking to Paul and ask if they had anything to do with it. By passing a [Speech 50] check, the Courier can convincingly lie that they were trying to talk him out of it. With either the [Black Widow] or [Cherchez la Femme] perks, the Courier can lie and say that Paul very foolishly did it to try to impress them. With [Low Intelligence] the Courier can earnestly say that they thought “taking care” of Jackson meant doing something nice for him.

Somehow allow Jackson to die. If Jackson just somehow dies in an unaccounted way, such as from a spawned-in deathclaw eviscerating him in his own office, Ghost will remark on the strangeness of the situation but won’t blame the Courier. This is a failsafe option to prevent quest breakage.

= = = Stage 2: Find a Replacement = = =

If Jackson is alive, he’ll agree with the Courier that he ought to let Ghost go, but he’s still under orders to maintain a standing force at Mojave—a standing force which includes a highly trained sniper. If Jackson has been killed, Ghost will mention that Major Knight is next in command and would be glad to give her clearance, but that he won’t be able to do so without a replacement sniper, either. Either way, the Courier is tasked with finding a suitable replacement. The Courier can ask her for advice:

Who should I look for to be your replacement? They have to be NCR, obviously. Ex-NCR might work, too, so long as they’re in good standing. Any Dick or Jane off the road is a no-go, since brass put the kibosh on officially contracting mercenaries. Oh, and anyone you get would have to be well-trained. Not necessarily a ranger, but good enough to replace one, even for a sit-on-the-shitter job like this. Only the best and brightest get to stare at this fucking road all day, apparently.

Where should I look for your replacement? If you checked out some of the ranger stations around the Mojave, they might be able to move some people around. Hell, take it all the way to McCarran if you want, or with Hanlon. If you’re going to give them shit on my behalf, by all means, go nuts. A lot of higher-ups can be greased with enough favors, anyway. Whoever you get just needs the right credentials. Legion attacks get dragged asses and twiddled thumbs, sure, but bad paperwork would set a goddamn fire at headquarters.

The following characters can be recruited as the Mojave Outpost’s new watch:

A generic ranger. By speaking to the commanding officers of at least three of the NCR ranger camps across the Mojave with sufficient [NCR Fame], the Courier can speak to Chief Hanlon to arrange for Ghost’s replacement with a generic ranger. This option is impossible if “Return to Sender” has already been completed.

Craig Boone. If the Courier has completed “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” in a way that makes Boone repentant over his past, he can be persuaded to take over Ghost’s position as a good way to put his skills to use. Otherwise, he will refuse, either preferring to stay in Novac where he lived with Carla or not wanting to be stuck as a watchman again when he could be out killing Legionnaires. If selected, Boone’s home marker will change from Novac to the Mojave Outpost.

Manny Vargas. Novac’s other sniper can be convinced to take up Ghost’s post, but only if the Courier has completed “One For My Baby,” “Come Fly With Me,” and eradicated the Legion presence from Nelson. Once convinced that Novac seems safe, for now, he’ll be willing to reenlist if paid a generous salary. The Courier can either pay Manny 5,000 caps to reenlist now, pass a [Barter 65] check to explain that it’s a provisional reenlistment and reduce their bribe to 3,000, or if the Courier has already passed the [Confirmed Bachelor] check in dialogue with Knight, they can tell Manny about the cute little major sitting behind the desk all day there by his lonesome. Once convinced, Manny will relocate to the Mojave Outpost and take Ghost’s place.

Bryce Anders. This keen-eyed ranger can be recruited to Ghost’s position if he is rescued from the Vault 3 Fiends by the Courier. Once spoken with in Camp McCarran, the Courier can explain that the Mojave Outpost needs a new ranger stationed there. He will defer to Colonel Hsu’s authority on reassignments, and with a successful [Speech 60], [Medicine 40], or [NCR Fame] check, Hsu will agree to the reassignment on the grounds that it’s a useful position still sedentary enough to not complicate the ranger’s recovery.

Little Buster. The listless bounty hunter at Camp McCarran is looking for another career path and would be willing to take over Ghost’s do-nothing position. However, the only way to recruit him is to fabricate both credentials and enlistment records by either stealing personnel files from either Colonel Hsu’s office at Camp McCarran or from the filing cabinets at Camp Golf, or speaking to Daniel Contreras, who “knows a guy” who’ll take care of it if the Courier has already acquired access to Contreras' expanded inventory by siding with him in the unmarked quest “Dealing with Contreras.”

Private Halford. The sole survivor of Camp Guardian mentions that he wants to head back home through Mojave Outpost after being rescued from the mirelurk caves, at which point the Courier can mention no one is allowed to leave through there, and ask if he’d like to take Ghost’s position there instead. At first he’ll refuse, but with a [Speech 45] or [NCR Fame] check he can be convinced that a quiet, do-nothing watch assignment would be a lot better than anything else after what happened at Camp Guardian, to which he’ll agree. He will also relocate to the Mojave Outpost after being freed anyway, getting stuck like everyone else so that the speech check can be re-attempted. However, Halford isn’t considered well-trained enough for a ranger’s job. The Courier must speak to Jackson (or Knight, if Jackson is dead) and pass a [Speech 80] or [NCR Fame] check to make a strong endorsement, or a [Survival 55] check to explain how impressive it is that he survived an attack from so many mirelurks. Alternatively, the Courier can fabricate impressive enough credentials through the options required to assign Little Buster.

Once Ghost’s replacement has been assigned to the Mojave Outpost, the Courier only needs to speak to Ghost again. She will explain that she’s been “reassigned” to open patrol across the Mojave, ostensibly to track Legion activity, so long as she does so with the Courier. She also gains an additional dialogue option dependent on your choice of replacement:

What do you think of your replacement?

(Generic ranger) For this job? Any ranger’s as wasted as any other. I almost feel bad, I doubt she’ll like that fucking roof any more than I did...almost feel bad. Doesn’t quite cancel out the relief.

(Boone) First recon is one hell of a pull. Took right to it, too, like he was already used to it. Strikes me as the...quiet, contemplative type. Likes to think. Not much else to do up there, anyway. I bet those brahmin pins have never felt safer.

(Manny) First recon is one hell of a pull. Took right to it, too, like he was already used to it. Seems like a nice enough guy, and seems to be getting along with Major Knight. Hell, you love to see it.

(Bryce) A good man. Heard about what the Fiends did to him, and after all that, he certainly deserves a break. Didn’t think of this shit job as much of a vacation before, but seems like it’ll do him good.

(Buster) Not sure where the hell you found this guy, but if (Jackson / Knight) gave the okay, then...okay. I would’ve put a goddamn brahmin in a beret up there if it could have gotten me another assignment.

(Halford) The mirelurk guy? Yeah, he seems alright. I’ve never actually seen a mirelurk, but after hearing his story, I don’t think I want to. I didn’t even know we had a camp that far up there.

Speaking to Ghost after her replacement takes her position completes the quest, and from then on, she can now be recruited as a companion. However, similar to Boone, she will only remain the Courier’s companion if they maintain good reputation with the NCR, and as an active-duty ranger, her intolerance for anti-NCR actions is even more strict.

Ending Slides

If "Giving Up the Ghost” is started, but never completed:

NCR Victory. Ranger Ghost remained at Mojave Outpost, dutifully, thanklessly, and restlessly. When the rangers there received word that the Legion had made their move on the dam, the entire outpost went silent. Waiting. From her rooftop perch, at least she was the first to see the bearer of good news come up the road. In the moment, at least, it was worth everything to be there.

Legion, House, or Independent Victory. Ranger Ghost remained at Mojave Outpost, dutifully, thanklessly, and restlessly. When the rangers there received word that the Legion had made their move on the dam, the entire outpost went silent. Waiting. From her rooftop perch, she was the first to see the NCR’s retreat, as civilians and troopers alike began fleeing through the Long 15. She was right: this whole time, all she could do was watch.

Ghost is dead. Ghost, bitterly, died as she lived...(deep sigh) at the Mojave fucking Outpost.

If “Giving Up the Ghost” is completed:

NCR Victory: When legionnaires by the score descended upon Hoover Dam, Ghost was proud to have been one of the many rangers in the battle that kicked their shit in back across the Colorado. She celebrated with the rest of them, even a smile creeping onto her face every now and then. Still, Ghost returned to business before long, as part of a squad out East tracking down the straggling remnants of Caesar’s retreating Legion.

Legion Victory: Ghost was among the many rangers who fought at Hoover Dam, but when the army of legionnaires led by the Courier, to whom she owed her very presence there, proved unstoppable, she was ultimately among its many casualties. Their advance was too sudden, too overwhelming, for a clean evacuation, and a grisly duel with a centurion trapped her near the front. Still, the Legion never took Ghost alive. She made sure of it.

House or Independent Victory: The arrival of the Securitrons at Hoover Dam was a surprise to every NCR trooper stationed there, including Ghost. Their sudden turn against the NCR, and their allegiance to the Courier, even more so. The triumph of vanquishing the Legion was short-lived, then, as Ghost joined the forced retreat, one pale face in a sea of many. 

Ghost is dead: Despite her name, there was no supernatural flourish when Ghost died. She simply died like a ranger, fighting to the end. That’s all that mattered.

(Bonus) Cass’s Ending Slide if the Courier frames her for the murder of Jackson:

Rose of Sharon Cassidy spent all of her time at the Mojave Outpost in a drunken stupor, which is why when Major Knight oversaw her arrest for the murder of Ranger Jackson, it took so long to get exonerated. By the time the alibi was pieced together and the evidence was admitted as circumstantial, the battle of Hoover Dam shifted NCR’s attention elsewhere, and the crime was never solved. For a few months in the clink, though, at least Cass got what she wanted: home, and finally away from the outpost.

[ghost-writer143]

So this is just me talking about being sensitive to the paranormal, so if you don’t like ghosts, death etc or can get triggered by it, I’d scroll.

So I’ve been very sensitive to the paranormal since I was a kid, claiming to see a “funny man” on the ceiling (which my moms claims to be her father but god knows what I was seeing), I described a dream my mom had once without knowing she had had it, once talked about how I had brothers and sisters on the other side of the world (my mom took this as heaven, I think it may be a past life), and MAY have seen a ghost (may have been a dream, may not have. It was weird tho)

All of this happened when I was fairly young, so I don’t remember anything (except for the last one, but that’s a little foggy). Once I hit about ten, this stuff stopped happening.

Then, about three years later, it picked up again. I started hearing and seeing things when I was home alone…

and then there was the choir practice and the sleepover incidents

The Chior practice incident happened during a weekend practice. Since there had been rumors that our school was haunted, a few of the other Chior kids and I decided to reenact the beginning of any paranormal thriller and look for ghosts. After recording voices in an empty bathroom, I got freaked and starting heading back to the cafeteria where the rest of the Chior and our two teachers (the only adults in the school) were taking a break.

That’s when I heard scratching.

Now, I went to a relatively old middle school, so I just thought it was rats. But then I looked over into the window of a classroom door. And I saw a tall, thin, blonde woman staring back at me. Now remember, the only adults in the school are down the hall waiting in the cafeteria. When I say I ran like there was no tomorrow, I’m not joking.

After that, besides the occasional strange sighting or sound, the activity slowed down. My friend invited me over to her house for her birthday. And, because I had been in a car wreck a few months prior and had been able to do much, I was excited to go. I may have been in a back brace, but I was ready to have fun. My friend explained to me and two others that “oh, by the way, someone may have offed themselves in my room. That’s why the ceiling fan is crooked. Also you may get sleep paralysis tonight, have fun!” I, still stupidly undeterred, wasn’t going to let that stop me from having a great time.

I went to sleep and, surprisingly, didn’t have any sleep paralysis or strange dreams. In fact, I didn’t have any dreams at all.

Of course I was the only one who didn’t. The friend who’s house I was sleeping over at saw something new. Now, she normally had sleep paralysis (which was… concerning to say the least) but what she say that night she said was something different. The other girl never said what she saw, just that she had sleep paralysis. And then there was the last girl. She saw a young boy standing next to the cot I was sleeping on. She said he pointed at me, smiled, and said “she’s my friend.” (Which, if that happened now, would be rude as fuck because I am no longer a she)

Now why did I make this long ass post about my experiences with the paranormal? Because soon after that last strange happening, My mom and stepdad moved to a different house. And the activity stopped.

Fast forward to last week. My dad, stepmom and I are on vacation. I go to sleep the first night and then wake up the next morning with scratches on my boob that look like something a cat would leave behind. Now, you might be thinking “well what if you just did that in your sleep?” And to that I say: I’m gay and I’m anxious. If you think my fingernails are that long or sharp, you’d be dead wrong. So upon seeing the scratches, I pray to god that I don’t bring anything back home with me and go on with my vacation.

Then tonight my mom made fun of my sunburn and almost instantly nearly choked on a green bean. Now could that just be that she was talking and got food stuck in her throat? Yeah, maybe.

But with my record?

Who the hell knows…

[spookyold-saintjm]

I’ll Always Come Back.

So uhh I’ve never written Star Wars before? Despite being a fan for over half my life LOL. 

It’s big-time Poe Dameron yearning hours in this house lately. If you like it let me know and I’ll try to do more sometime?

Poe Dameron x reader

Summary: Poe hasn’t come back from his mission to retrieve the map that leads to Luke Skywalker, but you haven’t given up hope that he’s still out there.

Warnings: sexual references

Word Count: 2,393

You waited. And waited. Waited for what felt like years for a single sign that he wasn’t gone forever. 

But if he was truly gone, you would have felt it, right?  

You’d had many conversations in private with the general from the day you’d confessed that something was different about you. She’d instantly known, and had shared words of wisdom and instruction on how to understand and work in balance with your still-fresh Force sensitivity.  

No, he wasn’t gone. He was somewhere out there, you just knew.

Poe Dameron was one of, if not the best pilot in the Resistance, and quite frankly, you were quickly catching up. You’d lost many to the First Order in your youth, seen far too much, and as soon as you were able you began training to join in the battle against them. You’d risen through ranks quickly, eventually being moved into one of the top squadrons in the Resistance. Your strong will and sharp eye made you a valuable asset, your quick wit made you likable.  

Those things and then some captured Poe’s interest upon your first meeting.  

You were a challenge, both in the air and otherwise, and he liked that. You were someone that wouldn’t immediately fall head-over-heels for any one-liner he could drop on you. In fact, the first night he’d sauntered over to you on a free night at the cantina, one arm leaned against the bar while you sat atop a stool beside him, you gave it right back to him without a falter. In fact, you’d hardly seemed interested at all. And it drove him crazy. 

Of course, you went back to your quarters later that evening and spent far, far too long thinking about him and what those smooth-talking lips would feel like on yours. 

It was a couple long months before he’d completely won you over, really meaning you’d finally given in one night and shoved him against a wall of the hallway leading to the conference room after a briefing. Bodies flush against each other, lips on lips, necks, collarbones, in the matter of a couple minutes before you’d both practically ran to his quarters. Fast. Quiet. 

And that was the way things had to remain; your relationship would have absolutely been frowned upon, seen as a distraction. It was one of the reasons you’d been so hesitant to make a move, so eager to find any excuse to not allow him to creep into your thoughts when you were alone and thinking about nothing more than how much you missed someone by your side, tangled in the sheets with you in the middle of sleepless nights... 

But it was more than the sex, though that was certainly something. The more you leaned about each other, both through missions together or masking your conversations as casual through through time off spent with other members of the squadron, it became more. You both realized you’d found someone to confide in, someone safe, someone who you could see yourself being around long after the war was over. And it killed the both of you to be forced to contain that assurance, that shred of hope, locked away behind closed doors, behind hushed words, ghosted touches, and glances across the meeting room that lasted a beat too long. 

Poe had most recently been sent on what was his most important mission to date: to retrieve the missing piece of the map that would supposedly lead the Resistance to Luke Skywalker himself. While the mission had been painstakingly charted and planned, it was an exceptionally dangerous one. One that Poe might not come back from. 

Of course, that was the case with any mission. The difference was that you weren’t joining him on this one. The general had asked specifically for your assistance at base in Poe’s absence, although you knew it was also so she would have more time to instruct you on the ways of the Force. You were grateful for the willing guidance from none other than Leia herself, and it absolutely wasn’t the first time you and Poe had been separated due to a mission, but this one in particular had filled you with a dark dread that you couldn’t escape. 

You’d realized why when his comm abruptly went offline. When there was zero successful contact with his ship or his droid for hours, days. When you found yourself one night, and then another, perched on top of cargo crates in the hangar long after you’d finished your work, waiting for his ship to make its descent back to base. Back to you. 

Yet another day was coming to a close. A couple of your fellow pilots had invited you to dinner, but you simply weren’t feeling up to talking to anyone that night, playing it off as need of a good night’s sleep before trudging back to your quarters.  

You stripped off your gear and took a quick shower, allowing the hot water to ease some of the tension gathered in your back and shoulders. When you finished, you changed into black jogger-style pants and a white tank before grabbing your data pad to read over any new information you might have missed during the day.  

You had finished checking reports and were preparing to settle back into your bed when you felt it. It was a tingling down your spine, a sudden, dull throb in your chest, and something more that you couldn’t describe. 

You froze, your initial reaction to scan your room for any signs of something amiss. You laid a hand on your chest in an attempt to dull the feeling, but it was already gone, as fast as it had come. Something had happened, here, at the base. But what the kriff did it mean?  

The feeling trickled through you again, and realization hit you like blaster fire straight to your gut. You were sprinting down the hallway without a second thought.  

Once you reached the meeting room you were headed for, you slammed your access card against the panel that opened the door and burst inside. 

“General—”

Leia’s back was to you as she stared down at a screen blinking with an influx of information. She turned toward you, not seeming at all surprised at your sudden presence or your informal dress as you approached her side.  

“It’s—it’s him, isn’t it?” You asked. You forced a light cough the second you acknowledged the implication of the familiarity in your question and quickly added “P—Commander Dameron, that is. I…I felt it.” 

“See for yourself." Leia gestured toward the screen she’d been staring down at when you’d entered. You quickly scanned the  message, certain words standing out in your mind more than others: Kylo Ren. First Order. Captured. Crash. BB-8. Return. 

Most importantly, he was on his way back to base at that very moment. 

“What do you need from me?” You asked the general, and a small smile crossed her face as she gave you instructions on preparing things for Poe’s return. The next few hours were some of the longest of your life, but eventually you received word that he was beginning to make his descent.  

You took off toward the hangar, as fast as your legs would carry you.  

The droning alarms which signaled an approaching aircraft became louder as you turned the corner, making the final stretch to the hangar. A few others lingering around for the evening had come to see the result of the commotion, and you hastily pushed past them with a muttered apology. When you arrived you saw that the general was already there waiting, along with a group of other pilots, officers, and others who had been around at the time the alarms sounded. 

The battered hunk of metal Poe had managed to procure touched the ground, and you felt as if your heart was going to burst straight out of your chest as you waited for the hatch to open. You anchored your feet when the commander himself emerged from the cockpit, dropping to the ground with slightly slumped shoulders, his exhaustion apparent in your eyes, but likely not to the others. When he slipped off his helmet, despite the disheveled hair and face covered in dirt and faint traces of blood, he looked like the same self-assured Commander Dameron that everyone had come to know.  

You kept walking, slowly, not wanting to make a scene of your approach. Poe was speaking to the general, his exterior stern but behind his eyes…frantic. Panicked. Things hadn’t gone as planned. Well, obviously, but there was more to the story. You knew you would find out later. Right now, all you cared about was him. 

He caught sight of you when you were still a few yards away. He had stopped speaking mid-sentence, had excused himself from the general, had waved away the medical droid that had rolled over to his side. His eyes locked onto yours as you walked towards him. 

He moved aside one of his officers and met you halfway.  

“y/l/n.” He used your last name in greeting, the same way you always did in front of others. His lips were just barely parted as he stared down at you, his eyes taking a quick moment to scan your face, the outfit you were wearing, then back to meet your own eyes. 

“Commander.” Your chest was trembling inside, your breath coming out in broken pants from running as you scanned over his bruised and bloodied face. “Wh—are you—“ 

The breath was sucked from your lungs when he suddenly pulled you in, your body thudding against his chest when he threw his arms around your frame, and you could practically feel the relief flooding his veins, and your own. His chin rested on your shoulder, and your own arms folded around him, your fingers digging into his flight suit, all of your senses taking in every part of him; Poe was here, he was okay, he was alive. 

“I—I felt you out there.” You admitted, keeping your words at a whisper both so others wouldn’t hear and because you were afraid your voice would crack if you were any louder. “I tried and tried to call out to you, to make sure you were okay—“ 

“I know,” he murmured, his thumbs rubbing small circles into your back. “I know." 

You stepped back, forcing him to lift his head. His hands drifted to wrap around your arms, just below your shoulders. You studied his face, and reached to trace your finger along the gash on his cheek.  

“Miss me, sweetheart?” he asked lowly, eyebrow cocked in amusement at the pure longing in your face as you stared up at him.  

Your gentle caress quickly turned into a light, playful tap against his cheek, your expression shifting into a playfully mocking smirk. 

“Not even in your wildest dreams, flyboy.” 

“Mm, and if I haven’t had some wild dreams about you…” He leaned into your palm that somehow hadn’t separated from his cheek, his rough lips ever so gently pressing against the spot between your thumb and index finger. You felt a chill run down your spine, and this time it wasn’t the Force talking. Oh, stars. He’d been back all of five minutes and was already driving you mad. 

You quickly shook yourself out of it and dropped your arm back to your side. “Poe, you need rest.” You sniffled, crinkling your nose for effect. “And a shower.” 

Poe chuckled. “Alright, alright. But don’t think this is over.”  

“I could never imagine you giving up so easily.”  

The two of you began to walk towards the door that would eventually lead to Poe’s quarters when you saw the general from the corner of your eye, bringing you to a screeching halt. 

She looked at you from across the way with knowing eyes. Of course she knew; you should have realized by now that you couldn’t keep it a secret from her. You’d given it away the second you’d burst into the communications room that evening, the connection that you had with him. 

You weren’t sure how to respond, if you should walk over to her, or simply continue on and prepare for the reprimand of your life later. You quickly glanced back at Poe, who was still, tiredly, approaching the opposite side of the hangar. 

When your eyes met Leia’s again, her expression had softened. With her arms crossed in front of her, she jerked her head in Poe’s direction, the faintest smile crossing her face.  

Go. You could almost hear her say it. You followed her command, jogging to catch back up with Poe, who had noticed your absence at his side.  

“What was that about?” he asked, looking over your head to where the general had been standing, but she had already disappeared. He looked back to you. “Are you guys doing some kind of weird Force-stuff now? You gossiping about me or something?”  

“Oh, please,” you muttered, rolling your eyes. Poe only let out a low chuckle in reply.  

Once you’d gone back inside and turned the corner, his fingers were intertwined with yours until you reached his quarters and you were promptly led over to his bed. He hovered over you, his kiss deep and slow and heavy with need, his hands braced on either side of you. 

When your lips parted, he stared down at you with eyes full of devotion. “I missed you so much.” A kiss to your nose, your forehead. "I will always come back to you, y/n. I swear it.”

You stared back up at him, your breaths already shallow. You managed to let out a contented sigh just before he pressed his forehead against yours. 

“And I’ll always be with you,” you promised, your eyelids nearly fluttering shut at the pure ecstasy of being near him again. Of knowing that the man you were now certain you loved had returned to you. That no matter what, the Force would keep you bound together. While the end of this war wouldn’t come easily, you would do whatever it took to ensure a future with Poe by your side. 

[zombriekid]

Medium [Alucard/Gender Neutral Reader]

Series: Hellsing

Summary: “…could I request where the reader uses their medium powers on a mission and Alucard begins to believe them?” victory usually tastes so sweet but not at the expense of the innocent

warning: vague mentions of violence against children

 Mediumship is nowhere near as glamorous as the entertainment industry loves to portray; it’s not all traipsing (see: trespassing) on ancient burial grounds and hurling invasive questions into the air in the hopes of something Otherworldly™ responding. You don’t often see apparitions- full body or otherwise- and it’s rare to hear much more than a single whisper, in fact the vast majority of the time your dealings with the dearly departed amounts to little more than just random surges or depletions of energy.

 This is not to say that your spirituality is weak, it’s just that… that’s what “ghosts” are- energy left behind by the living like an imprint of history, and this energy can be influenced by events, past or present, and passionate emotions, negative or positive, thus rendering any argument that they exist a hollow shot in the dark. Because you can’t prove what you (often) can’t see, not to others, especially in this day and age of technology with photo/video manipulation. And the fact that mediumship has a bad rep due to prior exploiters and frauds.

 But you purposefully leave that last bit out of the conversation cause even though He’s acting like He’s not interested, you know that Alucard is tuning in.

 Not that you can blame Him though. What else is there to do?

 From the moment your little menagerie of hunters stepped out of the Hellsing jet, absolutely nothing has happened. Nothing, zilch, nada. This might be ideal in other situations but you were promised a paycheck upon the eradication of a vampire who’s “more monster than man” and the subsequent purification of his/her hunting grounds, and goddammit you can’t let this mission stain your record! That and Mr. Tall Dark and Frightening is assigned as one of your partners.

 Well… more like you’re the one that’s assigned but yadda yadda fine details and all that.

 “So in other words…” Seras pauses with a drawn out vowel, “you feel ghosts rather than see or hear them?”

 You shrug in response before catching your boot over a pile of broken glass. It’s inevitable that you’ll trek through some before the mission’s end- hell before the night’s over because of friggin course a bloodsucker sets up shop in an old, forgotten hospital- however the less shards you have to pluck out of the soles later the better.

 “Depends. I hear Pip just fine, and on occasion he visually manifests himself for me, but that’s only cause of his connection with you. Uses your energy.”

 This seems to satisfy the young vampire for she gives you a quiet hum in acknowledgment with nothing else to follow. Silence hangs over your small group as the three of you inch down the hall, briefly turning your attention into every passing doorway and you specifically avoiding stepping on to jagged scraps of splintered wood and dusty glass; these two might be immune to pathogens but that doesn’t mean you are.

 “So you sensing energy… you mean that literally?” She asks.

 “Yes ma’am.”

 “Then riddle me this, revenant,” Alucard’s voice disrupts the conversation, chases away any semblance of peace and echoes into every dark corner of the walls around you. The fine hairs all up and down your skin suddenly stand to attention with the intrusive introduction of His baritone. It’s not as if you forgot that He’s there, or even that He’s eavesdropping, you just didn’t expect Him to vocalize His opinion. Should’ve known better, it’s friggin Alucard after all. “Do you ‘sense the energy’ of our target?”

 That’s the thing.

 You don’t.

 You can pick up both of your companion’s energies easily- Alucard’s is oppressive and dark and just plain inhuman while Seras’s is warm and jovial, but scarred, reticent, as if she has a blanket of secrets weighing down her back until she aches. That’s the best way you can describe it at least.

But there’s no other energy nearby.

 Now you’ll always be the first to admit that there are certain limitations to your spiritual sensitivity- for instance you wouldn’t be able to sense someone in the parking lot from this deep in the complex- and there are many factors outside of your control that contributes, with species acting as a major contender. After all, man eating monsters tend to amass a surplus of energy with every soul they devour, human or otherwise.

 So why can’t you feel the target’s energy? Sir Integra herself described them as “a gluttonous, beastial affront against the Lord with a deplorable appetite for children”; loss of humanity, depraved morality, the murder of kids… merely one of these would be sufficient enough for you, let alone all three, so this should have ease akin to your breathing offending Alucard in some way.

 Then why…?

 “I’m callin’ it,” Seras huffs before her boots cease their trek, which (shockingly) causes your other vampiric squadmate to pause as well. No need to single yourself out, strength in numbers as the saying goes, so you do the same. “They’re not here.”

 “I agree, but why not ask Hellsing’s residential medium? After all they’re supposed to be able to sense this thing’s energy.”

 The walls quickly sprint by in your vision as you snap your attention to the right, and you channel every poisonous thought and cutting emotion into the glare you fix the back of His head with. Alucard feels the weight, you know He does, just as you don’t need to see it in order to know that there’s a self satisfied grin stretching across His face.

 God, He’s such a petty bitch.

 Then again so are you.

 “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you could use the energy of your soul to sense someone else’s!” You spit out through a clenched jaw, but you’re not yet done. Now for the zinger. “Wait! That’s right. You can’t cause you don’t have o-”

 Cold.

 A plume of icy chill kisses your pebbling skin. Fine hairs rise. Your spine straightens. Instincts, or a sort of magnetic pull to your right. Not Alucard though. Further.

 Over your shoulder.

 A winding stairwell.

 Energy. Young. Scared. On the same floor. Your floor. The first stair.

 There’s a-

 “Murray?” You hear someone ask but you quickly shush them.

 Because there’s a ghost at the base of the stairwell in the little passage off to the group’s right; it’s not strong enough to create a perfect visual, or rather much of a visual at all, instead you’re graced with an opaque silhouette vaguely humanoid in shape. You can make out where the head and shoulders are supposed to be, though the legs dissipate below (presumably) the knees, and judging by the relatively small size you can almost safely assume that this spirit comes from a child.

 An assumption that dries out the roof of your mouth, tightens the muscles in your throat until it hurts to swallow; child ghosts have always proven to be the most harrowing in terms of purification, if nothing else because of the implications of their demise. No one cherishes the idea of dead children, after all.

 It’s in the nature of your job, unfortunately, and it’s time to get to work so first thing’s first: is this ghost related to the mission?

 “Do either of y’all know any history about this place?” You ask in a voice that practically toes on screechy, and yes you’re aware that your drawl is a touch thick right now. “A children’s hospital, maybe?”

 Seras stumbles over her words, likely a result from your behavior considering this is the first she’s bore witness to this side of your role, but she quickly regains her faculties with a throat-clearing cough.

 “N-no, it’s umm.. was just a general hospital. Mostly used during one of the World Wars.”

 Your kneecaps ache- cold, sharp, it bites at the crevices between your joints and it slinks down both shins until your toes start to feel chilly. A sort of rolling, hollow loftiness churns the pit of your stomach, and your head seems far too heavy to be sitting on such a stiff neck, and a dusting of salty tears sting the fleshy corners of your eyes. A scream tears at your jaw.

 But you don’t panic, there’s no need to because this reaction is not yours. The pain in your legs, the woozy light headedness that’s sapping your energy, the involuntary urge to sob and shriek until the lining of your throat feels like sandpaper? None of this belongs to you. This is your body reacting to the stimuli from the child’s ghost.

 Or as you like to call it: minor possession.

 “Why do you ask..?”

 A vampire with a preference for younger victims.

 “Murray?”

 The shade of a terrified kid, silhouette incomplete, and everything from your knees down plagued with an icy burn.

 …there’s no denying it, what you’re currently staring at, subsequently what’s burrowing into your bones and siphoning your energy, is a casualty of this mission’s target.

 You hear someone call your name, more specifically your first name, but with so much metaphorical cotton stuffed in your ears you can’t really determine who so you instead lift a pointer finger towards the spirit; perhaps crawling through mud would be easier. God you feel so weak.

 Seras is the first to respond.

 “Wha’ is it? I don’t see anything.”

 Through your teeth you manage to bite out: “g-ghost.” And that is perhaps the worst thing you could’ve said or done because the shrill gasp that she unleashes is nothing short of jarring, and she bounces from one foot over to the next and back again as her red eyes widen and glimmer with what you could only call excitement.

“Where?! Where is it, where do you see it?!”

 These questions gush out of her like a broken spout with many more to follow, but you can’t help but to tune them out cause this? What she’s doing right now? Yeah this is the exact reason why you prefer to tend to spirits by yourself; the fascination that borderlines fetishization that most carry with their individual worldviews often leads to disrespecting those who have long since passed. Hence your profession boggled down with money-grubbing charlatans, and entire programs dedicated to ghost hunting- ah, your apologies, you mean “paranormal investigating”. It’s distasteful, it’s tacky, and it’s downright insulting, and it etches itself deep into the lines between your brows and the downward tug of your frown.

 This… must convey your message perfectly for the young vampire’s delight gradually bleeds into something more somber.

 Maybe if you weren’t so tired you’d find it in yourself to let it go? “That’s one of our target’s victims, Victoria. Try to show some respect?”

 At least she has the decency to look ashamed, unlike her master whom you can feel the glare He levels you with behind the orange tint of His glasses. Any other time and the weight of His ire would intimidate you, but you honestly don’t care right now.

 The child’s spirit rises and bobs up the stairs, as if it’s simulating the act of walking, and with it goes the sensation of ice and pain and fear out of your joints. From beside you, on your right, you can barely make out Seras quietly saying “I think I see something.” It rounds the sharp bend in the stairwell before it continues its ascension until you can’t see- or sense- it anymore.

 And then something dawns on you.

 “I think he/she wants us to follow.”

 Alucard scoffs from somewhere behind you. “Is it going to lead us to the target?”

 A nod is all that you give Him. He in turn allows a single barking laugh to rip from His throat out of derision, judging by the sound in the way it’s meant to curl around your cheeks until they feel hot, however you’re rather confident in your assessment. In fact you’re very nearly absolutely certain that that is what’s going to happen: follow the ghost and you’ll find the target.

 Which brings you to your final conclusion, one that Seras seems to be grasping at herself. “Wait. If this ghost genuinely is a victim, then it really shouldn’t… exist per say, yeah?”

 “Yep. Man eating monsters, especially vampires, essentially absorb souls as a means to substitute what they’ve lost.” You glance at her in your peripheral. “Which means one of two things. Either my hunch is wrong and this spirit truly is an echo from the past, or…

 “My hunch is right, the spirit is a casualty, and our target’s already dead.”

 Silence picks up where your sentence ends; the nothingness of the quiet permeates through one ear and out the other, and it presses down on the bones of your shoulders until your spine shivers. There’s a tension in the air not unlike a rubber band being stretched from both ends, you can feel it in the cavity of ribcage, and though you could easily attribute the stress to the hospital’s atmosphere or the very real possibility of your estimate holding true, your instincts- built from some odd months worth of experience and adversity- place the blame on something else.

 Or rather someone else.

 Alucard.

 Because His opinion of you, and of your work, is coated in an acidic venom, and He’s very open about this with every sharp word and barbed look that He deems worthy of His time. Yet He hasn’t said anything else, hasn’t done anything else since His last outburst of sarcasm, and it makes you hyper aware of Him. As if He’s going to attack at any moment, physically or otherwise. Does He disagree? Is He biding for time until the finale where He can deliver yet another calamitous blow to your already scarred ego? … Is He actually considering that you may be right about this?

 Not possible. His pride is greater than His hatred for your existence.

 And on this dismal thought, you decide to not dedicate any more energy in to solving the enigma that is Alucard and you take a few strides towards the stairs before you mumble out a “only one way to find out.” You don’t bother waiting for your companions.

 Not twenty minutes later the three of you are provided with a definite answer to your theory.

 But you don’t gloat, there’s not even a hint of desire to. Because, after all, no one cherishes the idea of dead children.

_______________________________________________________________________

a/u: had ta repost this bitch cause i done messed up a-aron, which in turn meant tumblr pissed in my coffee and not showed it in ANY tags sooo... presto here we are again! once more with feeling: thank you to the anon who requested this, and thank you to everyone who reads <3 if ya liked my scheisse then please tickle the heart, leave a comment, and reblog it so other peeps can enjoy it too -3-

[gingerpeachtae]

Concentric [11]

masterlist

Words: 10.1k (😅)

Genres: fantasy!AU, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, eventual smut (?)

Warnings: dom!jk says hi again; some sexy times (nothing explicit)

Summary: You had been ready for the end of the semester. You had been ready to spend time away from your best friend, Jimin, and finally move on from the feelings you harbored. Yet, after your friend was forced to reveal a secret, you found yourself in a new world that was chock full of magic, war, and wonder. So, here you were, basically thrown into your own fantasy novel, with your best friend on one side, and six male warriors on the other.

A/N: 😅 😅😅 over 10k... eye- lol its a wild ride of a chapter... pls engoy!

“Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain!

“Secret!

“Secret!

“Secret!

“Secret tunnel! Yeah!”

“If you sing that song… One. More. Fucking. Time. I’m going to feed you to the next quigta we come across.”

You could just picture the annoyed expression gracing his face and you snickered to yourself. If he wasn’t holding you up by your legs, you have no doubt that he would have rubbed a hand down his face and shot you a nice glare.

“Oh, well I’m sorry that since we still haven’t found a way out from this lovely cave, I need to distract myself from our impending death where our friends never find our rotting corpses.”

Jungkook sighed in a way that could only be described as aggressive as he readjusted your position on his back. “Ugh, you’re so dramatic. Why does it have to be that song?”

“Because it’s a classic? And it fits our situation?” You leaned forward to rest your chin against your arm that was loosely wrapped around his neck. “Also, I better not hear you disrespect Avatar again or I will unleash hell.”

“Alright little human, let’s settle down and not say things we aren’t capable of.”

“Hey! I’m being serious!” You tried saying it as hard as you could, but a hint of pout managed to creep its way into your voice.

“Mhmm. Sure you are.” Jungkook laughed. “And going off whatever you’ve been singing, I’m going to say that ‘Ablatar’ thing is horrible.”

You slowly lifted your head off your arm to regard the male you couldn’t see.

Welcome to hell, buddy.

You unwound your arms, lightly gliding your fingers against his neck as you did so. The slight touch of your fingertips ghosting across his skin caused a shiver to run down his body that you couldn’t see but definitely felt. You smiled to yourself as you moved your hands lower to hover above his torso. To keep your balance, though, you had to tighten your legs around his waist and lean your front further into his back.

“Wh-what are you doing?” His voice came out breathy.

“I told you what would happen if you disrespected Avatar again…”

With that, you attacked.

Digging your fingers into his sides, you began to viciously tickle the male. Immediately, his entire body tensed up for a heartbeat before wiggling and squirming violently. All the while, you cackled manically.

“Ahh! St-stop! Y/N! Fuck-ahh-ing stop!” In an attempt to dislodge your hands, Jungkook threw his elbows out wide.

His efforts were futile, though, because you were determined, dammit. Nobody gets away with insulting the great Avatar the Last Airbender. Not in this house cave. Not on your watch.

“This… is… what… you… get!” You half-screeched, half-laughed.

With his elbows lifted, you changed course to attack the delicate flesh just below his armpits. The sensitive area made Jungkook yell even louder. Abruptly, he let go of your thighs, letting your body drop. With a yelp, you stopped tickling him and tried to blindly grab at his arms so that you wouldn’t fall on your ass.

Also, you had no idea what was beneath you and being penetrated by a stalagmite was really not on your bucket list.

Unfortunately, you didn’t manage to grasp the male’s arms in time, so you fell to the cold, damp ground in a heap of splayed limbs. Groaning, you rolled to your side and began massaging your poor bottom.

As you rubbed the tender meat that was your bruised peach, you heard Jungkook breathing heavily above you.

“That… that was mean!” He whined, still gasping for breath.

You rolled your eyes while snorting. “So is disregarding Avatar and doubting me.”

You heard him shift closer and you stilled, praying that he wouldn’t retaliate and tickle you back. You would be at a severe disadvantage in fighting him off since you were below him and you couldn’t see.

Maybe I’ll get lucky and hit him in the balls if I flail enough…

As you were mentally planning your defensive maneuvers, you suddenly felt arms snake underneath you. Then, you were easily heaved up. The action made you yelp again, which in turn caused Jungkook to chuckle as he placed you over his shoulder.

“Let me down, you heathen!” You gave his body a smack.

Your eyes widened when your hand, instead of his back as you anticipated, met the firm plumpness of what had to have been Jungkook’s booty.

“Oh, so you would rather walk around… in the dark… on your own?” You could hear the teasing smirk seeping into his voice.

You huffed before placing your elbows on his back and resting your face in your hands. “No.”

“Good girl.” He gave your own butt two gentle pats and set out walking again.

“Hmmpf. This is so not as comfortable as before, I just want that to be known.”

“Too bad, sweetheart,” he said lightly. “This is your punishment for playing around. Deal with it.”

“Ugh, whatever. Just find an exit, would you? I don’t want to look at your nasty butt for long.”

“First, my butt is not nasty. It’s spectacular. Second, you can’t even see my ass right now so be quiet.”

“Its ugliness penetrates the dark.” You began to tap your hands against his butt as if the cheeks were drums.

You had to do something to keep yourself entertained.

Jungkook just laughed and shook his head, continuing his march through the cave as he muttered about how it was at least better than that atrocious (amazing) song.

“It’s been four hours!” Tae gripped his hair and pulled it in frustration. “They should be back by now!”

Jin walked over and placed a gentle hand on Tae’s shoulder to get him to stop stressfully pacing. The younger Saeni turned and clung to his brother’s frame, who began to rub Tae’s back soothingly.

“Maybe they got lost on the way back?” Jiae spoke up softly.

Hobi scoffed and crossed his arms, the metal from all his blades clinking. “Kookie? Lost? That would never happen.”

“Hey, you don’t have to dismiss her like that. She’s just trying to help.” Jimin frowned and stepped up behind the lilac-haired girl in a protective manner.

The kiela’s spy raised a single brow. “I didn’t dismiss her. I just stated a fact we all know.”

Namjoon was quick to step between his brothers, his yellow eyes flashing with warning. “Calm down. Your bickering isn’t helping.”

Jiae turned and placed a hand on Jimin’s bicep, murmuring that Hobi wasn’t being rude and that he should listen to Namjoon.

Jimin met Hobi’s eyes over their leader’s shoulder and sighed before lowering his head. “Sorry, hyung.”

Then, they heard the unmistakable sounds of someone approaching. With a jolt, they all swiveled their heads in the direction of the footsteps, thinking that maybe, just maybe, it was their missing friends.

But it was only Suho, Mingi, and Chungha returning from their search. As the trio slowed their jogging to a walk, the kiela and Jiae still looked to them with held breaths and hopeful eyes… but the court guards shook their heads. No sign of you or Jungkook.

With a tiny yell of frustration, Jimin then looked toward Yoongi, who was lounging on the ground with his back against a tree. “Hyung, can’t you find them?”

His pink eyes slowly rose to meet the half-Saeni’s brown ones. “No… I’ve tried but I can’t feel Kook’s energy. It’s like nothing’s there.”

“The draikensu…” Tae looked up to Jin’s face, his blue eyes wide and glossy with sudden fear. “What if they-”

The eldest was quick to shush him, not wanting the worried Saeni to consider such things.

“Kook wouldn’t let any of those bastards do shit,” Hobi said with conviction. “Honestly, neither would Y/N.”

Most of the kiela nodded their heads in agreement, but Jimin ran a hand through his apricot locks. “But then, where are they!?”

“He said he wanted to take Y/N  to the cave we passed by yesterday.” The mint-haired magic user stood up and brushed off his pants.

Tae whipped his head toward Yoongi, hope dancing in his eyes, while Namjoon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before replying. “And you decided to wait until now to mention that.”

Yoongi only shrugged in response.

Namjoon mumbled a curse under his breath directed at the male before trotting over to where his mace rested on the earthy ground next to his sleeping mat. Once the heavy weapon was securely strapped behind his back, he addressed the other Saeni and ordered them to quickly gather their things.

“So, you’re telling me that there’s this creature… with red eyes and large wings… and your people call it Mothman?”

After approximately twenty or so minutes of you non-stop drumming on Jungkook’s butt cheeks and the male complaining that his rear was going numb, he finally let you return to his back. You eagerly climbed up, glad to not have to hold your head up to keep from passing out anymore.

“Mhmm!” You rapidly nodded your head in excitement and leaned your face forward, so it was closer to his. The metal of his earrings touched your neck and you briefly recoiled from how cold they were before leaning back in. “And it’s supposed to be able to fly faster than a hundred miles an hour!”

“Is that… fast?”

Oof, right. He probably has no idea what that measurement equates to.

“Yes, it’s very fast. Super fast. Like ZOOM fast!” You emphasized your words by making a weird upward slashing gesture with your hand.

“Zoom… fast…?” He whispered in a confused, yet amused, tone. “I just don’t understand why you call it Mothman.”

You shrugged and started to swing your legs, praying you wouldn’t accidentally ram your foot into a rock formation. “It’s big, grey-brown, and has massive wings. Allegedly, it’s like an abnormally large, humanoid moth. Hence, Mothman.”

Jungkook made a noise of slight disgust. “Sounds like something that should be squished.”

“Hey!” You slapped your hand against his chest. “Let Mothman live in peace! It just wants to fly around and be a happy, lil moth!”

“You said it’s supposed to be taller than Namjoon…”

“And your point?”

“That’s not ‘lil,’” he said pointedly.

You hummed, thinking, before replying. “Eh, it can be.”

“How in Illai’s name can that ever be considered little?”

“Compared to Godzilla, he’s a very smol bean,” you responded matter-of-factly.

“Who?”

“Godzilla! He’s this big, spiky, powerful lizard thing! And I mean really big. Like seventy Namjoons stacked on top of each other big.”

“Seventy Namjoons… whoa…”

You giggled at his wonderous tone. “Yup. He’s a big boy.”

“You know who else is a big boy?”

You rolled your eyes.

This guy…

You decided to mess with him a bit.

“Namjoon? I mean we are using him as a measurement tool.”

“What? No. Try again.”

“Hmmm… Jin? He’s got those wide shoulders.”

You felt him release a deep breath. “Try again.”

“Tae? He’s a sweetie pie but can probably get down to business, if you know what I mean.” You wiggled your brows, disregarding that he was not facing you.

“No.” You heard a sliver of annoyance begin to creep into his voice, making you snicker internally.

“Well, Hobi dresses like an NSFW enthusiast, so-”

“Not him.” He paused for a second before adding, “And what does that even mean?”

“Not Safe for Work.”

“What the-”

“If I need to explain what that means, then you’re probably too young to need to know my dear child,” you informed with a grin.

Laughing at his blubbering, frustrated attempts at protesting your statement, you suddenly gasped and tightened your hold on him in fake realization.

“Oh, I know who you’re talking about! It’s Yoongi! He radiates big dick energy.”

With a long, sharp inhale that signaled he was at the end of his patience with you, he slowly let the air out of his lungs. “I’ll give you one last try.”

You hummed, pretending to think hard before lifting your shoulders and dropping them. “There’s nobody else that comes to mind.”

“You really love being difficult, don’t you?” Jungkook huffed, which made you laugh, the sound echoing off the cavern walls.

“What can I say?” You teased, sending a puff of air to the back of his head to ruffle his hair. “You’re just not ‘big boy’ material Coco.”

“That’s not what you said before your first sparing match.” The males voice was laced with knowing.

It was your turn to protest; whining that for the last time, those were Tae’s words, not yours.

He only made a skeptical noise in response.

You opened your mouth to defend your honor more, but instead squealed in happiness when you saw a small dot of white appear far in front of you.

“You really think they’re okay?” Tae asked his mint-haired brother while brushing his damp locks out of his face.

Luckily, the rain had let up to the point where it was only drizzling now. It wasn’t enough to make Yoongi bother to convert the magic shield he had placed over the camp into individual ones for each party member as they made their way to the cave, though it was still enough to get their clothes and hair a little wet.

The magic user turned to look at the grey-haired Saeni, who was usually so aloof and exploding with joy, but now filled to the brim with worry for you and their youngest brother. Dark eyebrows drawn close together, sharp blue eyes downcast, hands fiddling with each other. Yoongi knew that both you and Jungkook were extremely close to Tae, so he could understand why the male was worried sick. The older Saeni took in Tae’s wilted appearance and sighed before subtly waving his fingers. They briefly glowed a light, mint blue as his magic placed an invisible barrier over Tae’s head that kept the lazy rain off and sent a gentle warmth down.

To other magic users, it wasn’t the most “responsible” or “proper” use of his magic. They would have thought it was below them to do such a thing, but Yoongi didn’t give a shit. He just wanted his little brother to feel better. Even if it was only by a little bit.

“Like Hobi said, they wouldn’t let anything happen. To themselves or each other.”

Tae looked at is brother and gave him a small smile and nod, really hoping those words were proven true.

Yoongi then saw a blur of orange walk up beside him and waited for Jimin to ask yet again.

“Can you try just one more time hyung?”

Yoongi knew it was useless. He had already tried to locate Jungkook through their kiela bond numerous times and each attempt came back empty. But he nodded and did it again anyway. Hands glowing once more, Yoongi closed his eyes and concentrated. Trying to focus in on his brother’s energy and location… but got nothing. Not even a whisper or a trace. Releasing the air from his lungs, he opened his eyes and looked into Jimin’s brown orbs, not saying anything. Just shook his head slightly. The apricot male groaned  in response and ran a hand through his hair, averting his eyes from Yoongi’s sorry ones.

Jimin’s chest began to heave in panic as he began to spout out how he had told Y/N to stay behind because he was worried something like this would happen.

“Hyung!”

Yoongi’s head snapped up toward Namjoon, who was gesturing at him to come to the front of the pack. Leaving a panicking Jimin to be consoled by the others, the mint-haired Saeni jogged forward to meet his leader. As he approached, his eyes widened as he took in the mass of fallen rocks.

“That’s why you can’t feel him, right? Your magic can’t reach that far underground.” Namjoon said tentatively.

Yoongi nodded. “Well, what the fuck are we supposed to do now? Dig those idiots out?”

Namjoon shook his head as the others finally arrived at the collapsed entrance, gaping at the massive pile of rock.

Crossing his arms and walking up to the crumpled entrance, Jin asked the group whether anyone saw another opening that might lead into the system.

When no one spoke up, the eldest released a deep breath and fixated his dark eyes on one Saeni. “What do we do Joon?”

You were practically vibrating as you neared closer and closer to that patch of light.

Please, please, PLEASE be a way out.

Jungkook’s back was comfy and all, but you wanted light for fuck’s sake.

As you got even closer, you were able to make out that it was an opening in the ceiling of the cave, letting in a beam of soft sunlight as well as a tiny waterfall of rainwater.

With a gasp, you pushed at Jungkook’s back and wiggled out from his hold until you were on your feet.

“Y/N!” The male called after you as you went to rush forward.

He shot an arm out and grabbed your wrist, stopping you before you could run ahead and possibly hurt yourself. You still couldn’t see directly in front of you, after all. You could only see that beam of freedom.

“Jungkooooooook!” You whined as you tried to yank your wrist away.

When that didn’t work, you began trying to simply drag the Saeni with you.

The male planted his feet firmly on the cavern floor and tugged you back to him. “Y/N, stop! You still can’t see properly, am I right?”

Throwing your head back with a groan akin to a temper tantrum, you replied, “Yes, you’re right, but what does that matter? It’s right there. Let’s go already!” You reached out and grabbed his hand holding your wrist with your free hand and tried to pull him along again.

“It matters because there’s a bunch of fucking holes in the floor between us and the exit. So, unless you want to enjoy a natural, underground slide, I suggest you wait patiently while I lead you.”

At his words, your body stilled as you pictured yourself taking a plunge down into the rocky bowels of the earth.

“Mhmmm, that’s what I thought. Now, hold my hand and waist and follow me. Slowly.”

You let Jungkook move in front of you then did as he instructed; slipping one hand into his and interlocking your fingers while the other fumbled against his torso until it settled on the tiny curve of his waist. Without a sound, Jungkook reached down with his free hand until it rested over yours lightly touching his side. He gently curled his fingers so that you were forced to grip onto the fabric and straps underneath your palm. Satisfied that you had a firm hold on him, he reminded you to stay close before taking a step forward.

He weaved around all the holes and protruding rock formations, though to you, it just felt like mindless wandering. But, minute by minute, that beam of light came closer and closer. It was basically taunting you.

Come here, baby. I’m ready for you!

Within the next thirty seconds, you were finally ten feet from the light. Squinting, you reckoned that the opening was about eight feet above you. Not very far, but way higher than you could jump up to. Then, you were plunged into brightness.

With a yelp, you quickly squished your eyes closed and threw a hand over them for good measure. “Ah, fuck. MY EYES!”

“Stop being so dramatic and come here so I can hoist you up.”

You peeled your hand away from your face, keeping your eyes tightly closed. Then ever so slowly you opened your lids, still squinting a bit. You were going to mouth off to Jungkook for his comment. He didn’t know what it was like to be in complete darkness then thrown into a ray of fucking sunshine suddenly, but when you saw his good-natured smile you just had to smile back. Crouching down a bit, he let you put one foot into his cupped hands while your arms went to his shoulders for balance as he easily lifted you up.

“Don’t drop me Coco.” You warned the male.

“For Exia’s sake, I’m not going to drop your ass.” He huffed and rolled his green eyes before his expression morphed into a pout. “And why aren’t you calling me Kookie?”

You looked down at him in confusion, tilting your head to the side but being careful not to knock into the rock beside your head. “You… told me not to call you that?”

A blush took over his face as he stammered out, “Y-you don’t remember?”

“Remember what?” You breathed out as you slowly eased your head up and out of the opening.

Hissing at having a full barrage of light attacking your eye balls, you squeezed your eyes shut again until you felt like you could peek out without dying. With your eyelids half-closed, you settled your hands on the ground by your head and told Jungkook to give you a boost up as you pushed with your arms. With an awkward squirm from your lower body, you heaved yourself all the way out of the cave and on to the forest floor. Rolling over to your back, you took in a deep breath and let your limbs splay out. Seconds later, you heard a grunt and you looked back to the opening in time to see Jungkook pulling himself out of the cave. Taking after you, he flopped down on the earth beside you, though unlike you, he wasn’t breathing heavily from exertion.

“I, uh, said you could call me that, but you were really sleepy at the time. It was right before the first quigta… I guess you were more out of it than I realized, but um, yeah, you can call me Kookie… if you want…”

“Wow. I don’t remember that conversation at all, I must have been totally out of it.” You laughed and lolled your head to the side to meet his eyes, but he was staring straight at the sky. “Honestly, I’m kinda partial to Coco at this point, but I guess I can pepper Kookie into my vocab from now on…”

“Okay.” He tried to say it nonchalantly, like he didn’t care one way or the other, but you didn’t miss the tiny smile that teased at the corners of his lips.

Cute.

Your eyes widened at the thought and you quickly rolled your head to look up at the sky and leaves too.

You are not going there, Y/N. You are not going to think he’s cute.

It was one thing to think he was hot and attractive, but cute? That shit was borderline crush territory and you most definitely did not want to go there. You already received verbal confirmation that he wasn’t attracted to you, so you did not need yet another useless pining situation on your hands. You sat up suddenly, which caused Jungkook to turn his head toward you questioningly. You just pretended to crack your back before standing up and looking at the scenery around you. All you could see was an endless green forest that was collecting and dripping rivulets of rainwater.

“Where are we?”

Jungkook sat up and rested his forearms against his knees, taking a look around as well. “No idea.”

Fantastic.

Yoongi froze when he felt a slight nudge of Jungkook’s energy on the edge of his magic. He had been randomly turning the magical radar on and off since they left the collapsed entrance, but he swore he felt something right before he turned it off again. Though he didn’t want to say anything until he was sure because he didn’t want to give the others false hope. As the rest continued walking ahead to try to find another opening into the underground system, Yoongi slowed his steps with a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he let his magic flare up yet again. Fingers glowing, he reached out with his mind to search where that nudge came from.

Then, all at once, it was as if Jungkook appeared like a marker on a map. There was no mistaking it now. He must have resurfaced.

Yoongi found his brother.

He sucked in a breath, mint hair rustling as he whipped his head up, petal pink eyes shining. “Wait, guys! I got him! I feel Kook!”

You hummed your favorite song as you walked through the dense forest, brushing branches out of your face and tilting your head to follow the occasional bird that flew by.

You heard a series of laughter erupting to your right. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tae, Hobi, and Kookie still running around the group and weaving between trees as they played their version of tag. You say their version because instead of a gentle shoulder tap to switch who was “it,” those boys were straight up tackling each other into trees or on to the ground.

Boys will be boys, I guess.

Yesterday, after popping out of the ground like a flower and Jungkook replying that he had no idea where the two of you were, you started to wonder if you would ever find your way back to the others. Fortunately, they found you.

Illai knew how far you traveled while underground, so you could be anywhere at this point. You started to picture your Tarzan-esque future with Jungkook and shuddered at the thought of the male doing the Tarzan yell while swinging through the trees. It was such a disturbing thought that you broke out into a somewhat deranged laughter. The image of Jungkook yelling as he swooped through the trees in a loincloth being too much for your chickpea brain to handle at the moment.

“You good?” You heard the subject of your thoughts ask you curiously.

You deeply inhaled through your nose and let out a few hyperventilated breaths as you tried to calm yourself down and rid your brain of those mental pictures. “Hooooo. Okay, yeah. Just thought of something I never want to think of ever again.” With one last big exhale, you looked toward the male. “How are you not worried about finding the kiela?”

He maintained his lazy posture, just shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands briefly. “Eh, by now Yoongi should be able to find our location through the kiela bond. Might as well just wait for them here.”

“Just… wait… for them?”

He hummed his confirmation, which made you plop back down on the ground. No point in standing if you’re just going to be waiting around. A cool breeze rushed past your face as you did so, causing some of your hair to tease your cheekbones. You brushed it back in place before laying down on your back. You squirmed slightly as the cold, damp ground seeped into your clothes, but with the sun shining down on you, you couldn’t find the shits to give.

“How long do you reckon until they get here?”

“Meh, I’m not going to worry about it. They’ll get here when they get here. Let’s just enjoy the quiet while we still can.”

It took them about three and a half hours, at least you think. You really had no clue no long you and Jungkook had been laying down, motionless and soundless. If anyone had been watching from afar, they probably would’ve thought you two were dead as hell.

All you know was that after a phat minute of waiting, you suddenly heard an elated yell consisting of you and Jungkook’s names. You raised your head with a groan but was suddenly squashed back down by a tall boy with grey hair.

“T-Tae?” The male looked up from where he was smushed against your chest and you saw his big, boxy smile that you loved dearly. “TaeTae!”

You threw your arms around the male and smothered him with cheek kisses.

“For Exia’s sake, you’d think you were long lost lovers or some shit.” You heard Jungkook grumble.

His voice made Tae wiggle out of your arms and run to latch himself on his brother. “Kookie!”

You smiled fondly at the two Saeni hugging each other when you yanked upright without warning and pulled into another bone-crushing hug.

“I was so worried!” You felt Jimin bury his head into the crook of your neck.

You rubbed his back soothingly, trying not to giggle. “I’m alright, Slim Jim. Kookie took good care of me.”

You looked up and locked eyes with the green-eyed male and smiled, though it was quickly knocked off your face when another body slammed into you and Jimin with a cry.

Stumbling back a bit, you grunted but didn’t even bother looking to see who it was because there was only one other person in the kiela who would have jumped on you like that.

“Hi there, Hobi.” You gasped out while laughing and trying to keep your balance.

“Hey, kids. Glad you’re safe and all that nice shit.” You heard somewhere over your left shoulder.

You snorted. “Thanks, Mr. Sparkle Hands. Glad you found us and all that nice shit.”

Finally, Jimin and Hobi released you and went over to greet Jungkook. You saw them grasp each other’s forearms before pulling into a bro-hug.

Why do so many guys hug like that? Is it instinctual?

You chuckled as you observed their reunion. Out of the corner of your eye, you caught sight of two males standing on the outskirts, watching everything unfold with relieved faces. You turned and walked over, smiling and nodding at Jiae and her guards as you passed them on the way.

When you were a few feet from Namjoon and Jin, the latter surprised you by reaching out and tugging you into a short hug, voicing how he was happy that you and Jungkook were okay.

You pulled back and grinned at him. “Thanks, Papa.”

The raven-haired Saeni sent you a smile back and nodded once before leaving to go see his youngest brother. After Jin stepped around you, you turned to Namjoon and did your best to mimic the forearm grasping hand shake thing with confidence. The Saeni just lightly laughed and pulled you into a brief hug as well.

“Hopefully you didn’t run into too much trouble,” he said with warm yellow eyes.

You just shrugged and looked over your shoulder, eyes landing on the male with light green eyes and burgundy hair before murmuring, “It wasn’t too bad.”

Nobody had wanted to walk anymore after that, so you had decided to just set up camp where they found you and Jungkook. You had settled down on your mat (Jimin had grabbed and carried your things while Tae had taken Jungkook’s), feeling exhaustion take over your body and mind. It had been a long and eventful day, to say the least. With Tae on one side of you and Jungkook on the other, you had been ready and eager to get a good night’s sleep. That plan had been thrown out the window maybe two hours later, when Jimin woke and began freaking out about how he felt something strange. His outburst effectively roused everyone up in an instant. After speaking with Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jiae, they all concluded that he was feeling a pull toward a draeva, something he had obviously never experienced before. Once informed of that news, you had too much excitement flooding through you to go back to sleep. There would be no more mindless wandering!  And maybe you’d be able to find his father’s draeva fast, since Jimin had a vague idea as to which direction to go in.

And that’s how the group was travelling now. After completing your morning training with sluggish movements, everyone had packed their things and set out with Jimin acting as the compass.

Your eyes darted over to where Jimin was walking with Jiae, her three guards trailing directly behind them like hawks circling overhead.

Geez, they really need to relax. Let loose with some drinks or get laid or something.

Although Jimin was trying to pay attention to Jiae and be involved in their conversation, you could tell that he wanted to play with his brothers. The way he glanced over every time one of them screamed in joy or frustration with a longing look on his face was a dead giveaway if you’d ever seen one.

With an amused shake of your head, you walked past the guards and began strolling next to them, giving them both a small wave when they saw you approach.

“Why don’t you go hang out with them, Slim Jim? I can tell you want to.”

His face flushed, and he ran a hand through his hair as he stammered, “N-no, it’s fine. I really don’t want to.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yes, you do.”

“But I don’t want to leave Jiae alone…”

The lilac-haired girl began to defiantly say, “I’ll be fine! You don’t hav-”

“She won’t be alone, dummy. I’ll stay with her.” You tilted your chin in the direction the boys were running. “Now hurry up and go.”

He sent you a grateful look and ran off to join his brothers, who screamed in elation at his arrival.

Those boys… You thought as you watched them act like fools.

Adorable fools, but still fools nonetheless.

Jiae giggled at them then turned her eyes on you, her pale blue eyes bright and wisps of her lilac hair flying in the breeze. “Thank you, Y/N. I kept trying to tell him I would be fine by myself, but he wouldn’t listen!”

“Yeah, he can be a stubborn pain in the ass like that sometimes.” You laughed before giving her a serious look. “But if you do want to be alone, just say the word and I’ll yeet myself outta here.”

She was quick to hook her arm through yours, tethering you to her. “No! I’ve been wanting to talk to you actually…”

You sent her a half smile and nodded, already knowing why. “About Jimin.”

Because why else would you want to talk to me?

Her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head with a tiny grin. “Nah, not about that tangerine head. We really haven’t gotten the chance to know each other yet, so I was hoping we could, you know… get to know each other finally.

You stared at her, looking to see if she was telling the truth. When you saw that her face was genuine, you blinked at her a couple times.

Huh… really wasn’t expecting that.

“Sure, I’d like that,” you said.

So, you talked. Everything from describing your childhoods and the first time you both met Jimin, to how annoying it was to always be “prim and proper” around court officials at the palace. Eventually, the conversation morphed into what your favorites were. Fruits, words, plants, hobbies, and other things. She was easy to talk to, funny and sweet. You don’t think you could become super close with her, like you were with Jimin and Tae, but you could see yourself being friends with the girl. You could see why Jimin liked her.

All of the sudden, she smirked at you, a wicked glint erupting behind her eyes. “Who’s your favorite member in the keila?”

Because the gods of Illain apparently liked to make your life difficult, she asked at the exact fucking time Tae, Jimin, Hobi, and Jungkook ran past you, shrieking like people who werejust told they could stop by McDonald’s on the way home. Having their dumb heightened senses, they heard her question through their screams and came to screeching halt, their game temporarily forgotten as they looked at you expectantly.

“Go run along children.” You tried to shoo them away.

Jimin laughed and looked at his brothers, raising his chin as he met their gazes. “It’s obviously me, guys. I’ve known her the longest and I am her best friend after all.”

You locked eyes with his soft brown ones.

Try me, bitch.

“It’s TaeTae.”

“Yaaaaaas!” The grey-haired Saeni yanked his headband off and began swinging it around in victory with a boxy smile overtaking his face.

Jimin’s face, on the other hand, dropped in exaggerated shock and disappointment as he clutched at his heart. “Betrayed by my own best friend. How could you!? You wound me!”

Hobi merely shrugged, not very surprised by your answer nor the other’s reactions.

Jungkook narrowed his eyes and looked between you and Tae a couple times before huffing and stalking away.

From your left, you heard Jin’s voice shout out, “Yah! How could you, Y/N!? No more food for you!”

You froze as his words reached your ears. “WAIT! Papa, I’m sorry! You’re the best, I swear!”

“It’s too late now, little scorja!”

“Fuck,” you murmured under your breath.

You knew Jin was joking, but you wouldn’t put it past the male to not whack you with one of his spoons later that night.

“You know,” Jiae leaned over to whisper in your ear. “I really thought you would’ve said Jungkook. You two seem really close.”

As she pulled back, she wiggled her light purple brows at you.

The insinuation of her words made you cough as you felt heat rush to your cheeks. “Ah, uh, no. Nothing there. I mean, yes, we are friends… good friends, surprisingly. But nothing more!”

She gave you a look that implied that she didn’t believe you one bit but didn’t press it further.

CAN THESE PEOPLE STOP THINKING THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON BETWEEN US!!??

It’s kinda making it harder to ignore-

You were snapped out of your thoughts as Tae cried out behind you. “Ow! What the fuck, Kookie!? You didn’t have to hit me that hard!”

You rolled your eyes and chuckled to yourself.

Boys will be boys.

Two days later, you found yourself staring at a skinny, yet super tall tree gently swaying in the wind as sunlight filtered through its green leaves. You wouldn’t call yourself a tree expert by any means, but it looked like a birch tree. The white, paper-like bark had the same flashes of brownish-black running up the trunk that you’d seen on white birch trees on Earth.

This was the tree that Jimin was drawn to, his father’s draeva. You watched as your best friend slowly approached the tree with bated breath. It all seemed too easy.

You hadn’t run into any draikensu along the way. You had been wary when you passed through a village at the base of the mountain you were currently on, thinking that there might be a spy or draikensu follower lurking in the shadows. It didn’t help that it felt like someone had been watching you all afternoon, so you voiced your concern to the Saeni. The kiela had assured you that those people were peaceful and of no trouble. You still weren’t able to shake the feeling but did your best to ignore it since the boys said it was all okay.

Jimin’s inner compass had proven to be reliable. He felt a steady pull in the same direction over the past couple of days as your traveled. Occasionally, you had run into problems when there had been a body of water or other obstruction in the way, but for the most part, it had been a pretty standard GPS situation.

I wonder if he got a “you have arrived at your destination” message when they reached the draeva because he had stopped really abruptly.

Overall, though, there had been absolutely no trouble. It just felt like there had to be some catch. It shouldn’t have been this easy. It was never this easy in the books or movies.

Jimin paused, looking up at the limbs rocking back and forth high up in the air before looking back at you and the others. “What, uh… what am I supposed to do?”

“Maybe find your father’s handprint?” Jiae suggested.

He nodded and turned back to the draeva, inspecting the branches and walking around the trunk with a concentrated face.

After a couple trips around the tree while murmuring to himself, he stopped and said, “I can’t find it. I’m gonna have to climb.”

You opened your mouth to tell him to be careful as he placed one hand on the trunk to steady himself. Your words trailed off as he just stood there… not moving.

You heard Namjoon whisper, “Ah, so that’s what it is…”

You were going to ask what he meant, when suddenly, Jimin gasped and his back straightened like a rod. You called out his name and went to move toward him, but Jungkook was quick to stop you by wrapping an arm around your waist and tugging you back.

You glared at him over your shoulder. “Why di-”

“Shhh, just wait.” He had a soft smile playing at his lips as he kept his eyes pinned on his orange-haired brother.

Your eyes moved sideways to look at the other Saeni. They all had similar, knowing expressions on their faces. You turned back to look at your friend, who’s shoulder blades were now shifting below his clothes as black smoke drifted out from underneath his hand to curl and dance in the light breeze.

What the…

You could see Jimin begin to breath heavily as more smoke poured out between his fingers.

What the fuck is going on!?

“Oh…” You heard Jiae delicately say beside you as a shudder ran through her body.

You thought you saw her eyes glow slightly.

Your eyes bugged out when Jimin slowly removed his hand from the white bark. Left behind was a mark in the exact shape of his hand, like it had been burned into the wood. Chest rising and falling rapidly, Jimin kept his gaze on his hand as he turned back to the group. When he finally lifted his head, he was smiling so hard his eyes were squished closed. Small tracks of tears ran down his cheeks and dripped off his jaw.

“It’s not my father’s… it… it’s mine. My draeva.”

You were sitting next to the fire in the middle of village, watching from the sidelines as Jimin still celebrated with the others.

“My draeva.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his brothers rushed forward and tackled him in giant group hug. Even Yoongi joined in. They all tugged at his shirt, and he laughed joyously as he yanked it off over his head and turned around. Right between his shoulder blades were three concentric circles. His draeva mark.

You felt a tear slip down your cheek.

Jimin looked over to where you, Jiae, and the guards were still standing in awe, and he ran over and scooped Jiae up in his arms.

“Can you feel it? The connection?” He asked in a hopeful voice as he buried his head in her lilac hair.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. “I can feel it.”

He sobbed into her hair, but it was a cry of pure happiness. He let go of her slowly and turned to you, his grin almost splitting his face in two.

“Y-you found your draeva… Jimin, I’m… I’m so fucking happy for you!” You launched yourself into his open arms, squeezing him with everything you had in you.

A loud cheer roused you from the recent memory. It was dark out, but the moonlight was bright enough for you to see that even the locals were in on the celebration now. You wondered if they questioned why Jimin was receiving his mark so much later than usual. If they did, you were sure one of the boys would conjure a quick lie to explain why.

Besides the three rings now imprinted on his back, Jimin didn’t appear to be any different physically, but there was definitely a change in him. Maybe it was the way his eyes seemed more alive, the amber flecks in his irises vibrant. Maybe it was the way his skin seemed to be perfectly clear and glowing. Maybe it was the way his breathing seemed to come easier. Or the way he seemed more sensitive to sounds and touch. The way he seemed to be finally and entirely be who he was meant to be. Like he was previously missing a part of him and he hadn’t realized it.

In a way, it was true.

You tried to smile as you watched him excitedly converse with Jiae, there heads close together as their eyes drank each other in. You felt a pang in your heart, but not because of them being together. If you were being honest with yourself, you hadn’t felt any negative emotions when you saw them side by side for the past couple of days. You only felt happiness… for both of them. Maybe getting to know Jiae was the final hurdle you had needed to let go of your feelings for your best friend.

But was it even love if I got over it so easily?

You shook your head at yourself. You truly did not know the answer to that question. It had felt like love. At least, it felt how you thought love was supposed to feel. The way your heart would pound, and your breathing would quicken.

Or was I just in love with the idea of being in love with my best friend?

Maybe Jimin had been right. You needed to stop reading smut online, specifically best friends to lovers smut. There was no chance you were going to stop with the tentacle fics. That shit was just too nice.

You peeked at the unofficial couple again and saw Jiae tuck some of her hair behind her ear, giving you full view of her extended elf-like ears. Then, you felt another twang of hurt course through you. The discovery of Jimin’s draeva made you realize just how different you were. How entirely human and normal you were. You would never have elf-like ears or heightened senses and abilities, you were just… you. Human and normal and different from them. Looking at his squished eyes, you couldn’t help but think how he looked like he belonged here. With a sharp inhale, you realized that was the reason for your hurt.

You felt like you were losing your best friend.

You didn’t blame him in the slightest, though. He found a girl, his connection to Illain, and his brothers were all here. There was no reason for him to come back to Earth with you at the end of all this. Maybe now you would be the one to see him only a few months out of the year. He wouldn’t be with you all the time anymore. You felt your throat choke up and tears begin to form in your eyes. You blinked rapidly to keep them at bay, but the urge to cry just kept building and building and building. You fisted your hands and dug them into your thighs as you continued to think of a life without a constant Park Jimin. Switching tactics, you glared straight into the fire beside you, hoping the light and heat would simply burn away your tears.

It didn’t.

You dropped your head into your hands, trying your damn best to will away your sadness. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, for fuck’s sake.

Be happy, you dumb bitch! You scolded yourself, but it only made you feel worse since it wasn’t working.

You didn’t think he would, since he was too wrapped up in the festivities, but you didn’t want Jimin to see you like this. You didn’t want him to look over and see you wallowing in your tears. With one last look in his direction, you inhaled deeply before standing and walking off into the darkness of the tree line.

You fisted your hands as you stalked further into the dark. All you wanted to do was shut your eyes and walk in a silent oblivion, but you didn’t think you could safely navigate the forest that way, so you instead let the soft moonlight guide you through the trees.

You walked and walked and walked, every once in a while, stumbling in the dark. You kept going, just needing to get away and be alone. You kept going until your felt like you could finally breath. You stepped through a pattern of branches and entered a meadow-like clearing. The moon supplying just enough light that you could make admire the tall grass and wildflowers dotting the landscape.

“You had to walk fucking far, huh?”

You whipped your head to the side to look over your shoulder at the sudden voice, body tense as you loudly gasped. You relaxed when you saw it was just Jungkook standing there with an annoyed yet concerned face.

“What are you doing here?”

He took slow steps toward you, like he was worried you would run off if he moved too quickly. “I followed you.”

You gave him an “are you serious?” face because no shit he followed you.

When he didn’t say anything else, you groaned and crossed your arms. “Then why did you follow me?”

By now he was directly in front of you, his mouth slightly downturned. “You looked upset. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

You sighed and looked away from his eyes, focusing on the open clearing instead. “I’ll be fine, I just needed to clear my head.”

He studied you for a few moments, observing the heaviness of your breaths and your clenched jaw.

“Hit me.”

You turned back to gawk at him. “What?”

“You obviously have something on your mind, and you need to work off some steam, so hit me.”

You opened and closed your mouth a few times, completely thrown off by his words. “N-no! I’m not going to just hit y-ahhh! What the hell!?” You had to jump backwards to avoid his fist aimed at your gut.

Immediately and automatically, you fell into your fighting stance. Feet planted on the ground but still light on the balls of your feet, legs shoulder width apart, and arms raised with fisted hands.

An exact mirror image of how Jungkook was now standing.

“Like I said, you need to work off some steam. What better way to do that than sparing?”

Does he ever think of anything besides fighting?

You were silent and still for several heartbeats as you debated his offer.

To hell with it. Just go punch him.

You inhaled and narrowed your eyes, readying your limbs. He noticed the slight change in your demeanor and smirked before initiating the fight with a kick.

You don’t know how long the two of you went at it, exchanging hits and blocking attacks. It was a pleasant surprise to you that you managed to land a hit on Jungkook numerous times. Either he was going easy on you, or you had just gotten that much better.

I hope it’s that I’ve gotten better.

And you thought it surely had to be that because with every hit you landed, brief shock and awe would flash across Jungkook’s face.

You were sweating, hair sticking to your skin. You didn’t have the best vision, either. It being nighttime and all. But you applied every note Jungkook had given you about fighting with obscured vision. You listened, paid attention to the shifts in the air, and relied on your instincts.

You were somehow holding your own against the one and only Jeon Jungkook.

That made pride bubble up inside of you.

But that was your mistake.

You got confident and forgot, just for a moment, how good Jungkook was.

How he was the best.

You reached a little too far with your attack.

Your balance shifted a little too much to one side.

He took advantage of that slip up.

Dropping below your arm, he sent a leg out and knocked you down.

In an instant, he was above you.

You were going to be pinned.

Making a split-second decision, you lifted your arm and rammed your elbow into the side of his jaw.

He reared back ever so slightly, and that flinch let you grab him by his straps and roll the two of you over.

Now it was you hovering above him.

You were straddling his waist, breathing heavily as you leaned down over him. One hand wrapped around his throat while the other held down his shoulder. Your eyes traced over his pinned figure, taking in his straining muscles that, for some reason, were allowing you to hold him to the ground. Your eyes went up past his heaving chest, beyond his large, rough hand wrapped around your wrist at his throat, past the smooth expanse of his neck, and further than the sweat plastering his burgundy hair to the sides of his face. Up until you locked gazes with his peridot-green eyes. If it were possible, the intensity of his stare made you breath even harder. He was looking at you in both shock and surprise, but it was the pride burning in his eyes that quickened your breaths. The pride… and something else. Something dark and angry and lustful. It danced at the edge of Jungkook’s expression. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, as if he was trying to calm himself down or control himself.

Is he mad that I clipped him in the jaw?

Adrenaline was rushing through your veins as you gasped out, “I… told you… I would… beat… you… someday.”

Jungkook didn’t bother to open his eyes. “You only won because I let you.”

Probably, most definitely true.

With a pout, you let go of his throat and shoulder and moved your torso upright, yet doing so inadvertently caused your hips to roll against his lap. Before you could register what you just did, Jungkook’s hands shot out and gripped your waist. Hard.

You gasped as he forced your hips down, making your core press directly against him. You looked back up to his face to see his eyes open once again, but with a sinful glint overtaking his expression. The veins in his neck were prominent as he lustfully glared up at you. You might have been the one on top, but his appearance signaled that he was about to be the one in charge. Ever so slightly, you felt him thrust up into you, the action eliciting a tiny whimper to escape past your lips. Jungkook groaned at the sound, eyelids briefly fluttering closed before he locked his gaze on you again. Digging his fingers into your sides, he did the motion again and again and again. Each time just a little more forceful than the last. 

With each second that passed by you could feel his bulge growing underneath you. 

And with each upward rock of his hips, he made sure to hit the very center of you perfectly. 

The sensations left you lightheaded and gasping for air, though you were doing your best to quiet your moans. Much to his displeasure.

“I want to hear you, sweetheart.” He forced your hips down as he sent a wrecking thrust upward.

You mewled, sucking in more air harshly. Whether it was his words, his commanding aura, or his actions, you had no idea. Maybe it was all of it, but whatever it was, you liked it.

Loved it.

“More,” he demanded.

Your mewls finally changed into breathy moans as you began to meet every one of his thrusts with a roll of your hips.

“More.” He growled.

There was no way you were going to deny him. Not when he was making you feel like this.

“J-jung… ngh… Jungkook-ahhh.”

“That’s it, sweetheart.” His voice was deep and raspy and utterly addictive. “Be loud for me.”

“Mmm. I want… ngh… more!”

“So needy,” he remarked roughly.

He used his tight hold on your waist to quickly flip the two of you over so that you now laid underneath him on the soft grass. Completely at his mercy. With rattling breaths, he let go of your waist to slip his hands to your legs and wrap them around his torso. The angle allowing your core to once again be pressed directly to his front.

The sweet sensation was too much, but at the same time, not enough. You moaned his name and arched your back, wanting more, more, more. You felt drunk off him. Off his weight on top of you. His hands sliding against your body. His intoxicating scent. His dominating presence. Off his everything.

After securing your legs around his waist, his hands drifted up your thighs and past your hips and chest until they settled gently against your neck. He lightly stroked your skin, making you inhale sharply as waves of pleasure wracked your body.

“J-jungkook. Please.” You desperately tried to pull him down to you fully, but he resisted with a tsk.

His green eyes were completely blown out and they bore into yours as he peeled our hands off him and pinned them to the ground beside your head. “You need to be patient, sweetheart.”

He leaned down and ran the tip of his nose from the base of your throat all the way up to your ear, lightly sucking at the delicate skin up there. You moaned and writhed beneath him as he continued nipping just below your jawline. The cold silver of his earrings dragging against your skin made you shiver. The scorching trail of his hot tongue made you pant.

You were about to release another sweet moan as he ground against you, but the sound of a twig snapping made you cease all actions.

“Is that… oh, shit! Run, hyung! Abort! Abort! Abort!”

IS THAT FUCKING TAE!?

Jungkook, who had also frozen at the sound, slowly turned his head in the direction of the panicking voice.

“You idiot! I think they heard you!”

HOBI!?

With wide eyes, you shoved Jungkook off you and quickly stood up while tugging at your clothes and running your fingers through your hair. When you rose to your feet, you saw Tae and Hobi trying to backtrack out of the clearing.

Jungkook, stood up as well, an absolutely pissed off expression consuming his face. “What the fuck are you two doing?”

The two Saeni yelped and sheepishly turned around to face you. As subtly as you could, you inched away from Jungkook so that you weren’t so close together.

Tae had the audacity to act surprised. “H-hey, Kook. Little scorja. Crazy seeing you guys out here!”

“Again, what the fuck are you doing?”

Hobi just let Tae take the heat, and you could see him start to slowly take a step back toward the tree line.

Tae just pouted at Jungkook’s question. “I was just looking out for my little scorja-”

“She’s not yours.”

Tae ignored Jungkook’s interruption, just smirked slightly. “-because the last time you followed her alone, you yelled at her.”

Okay, maybe we all should just calm down and then give ourselves concussions, so we can forget what was just happening.

Also… WHAT THE FUCK WAS JUST HAPPENING!?

You laughed nervously. “I’m, uh, just gonna let you two duke this out. I’m gonna leave with Hobi!”

You went to take a step forward, but Jungkook grabbed your shirt and pulled you back. “I’m not letting you leave this time.”

That made Hobi stop his quiet exit. “This time?”

Tae gasped. “Wait… has this happened before!? Are you two together!?”

Realizing what he said, Jungkook let go of you and even gave you a tiny push away from him, his green eyes wide with sudden panic. “Hyung, come on now. As if.”

Excuse me?

“Oh, Kookie, you come on now. You can’t lie and say that Y/N isn’t a beautiful girl.”

“Guys…” you tried to get their attention.

I appreciate the sentiment Tae, but I really don’t want to hear his answer.

“I-you-she-she’s human and it was nothing. We were just sparing.” He avoided looking your way.

Annnnd that’s why.

You stared at him, unable to comprehend anything that just happened. Why did he do that? Why did you go along with it? Why would he do that if he didn’t find you attractive? Why would you go along with it when you knew how felt toward you? Why did he say it was nothing? Why did that suck to hear? What in the everlasting fuck is going on inside of his stupid head!?

Hobi and Tae didn’t say anything else, just blinked and looked back and forth between you and the burgundy-haired Saeni next to you.

It was painfully quiet for the next several seconds until Jungkook mumbled to you. “Don’t be late for training in the morning.”

Then, he left in a hurry; walking into the trees without a single glance back.

previous [10] — next [12]

[lovemesomesurveys]

1. When was the last time someone saw you naked? No one does.

2. If you could bring someone back from the dead and spend an hour with them, who would it be and what would you do/say? My grandmother. I’d just love to be able to spend some time with her again, hear her voice and her laugh, hug her, and tell her I love her. 

3. What is the greatest loss you’ve endured? Losing my maternal grandparents and my dog, Brandie, to name a few.

4. How would you describe your current mood? I’m having a flare up and I’m tired.

5. When was the last time you did something you were embarrassed by? Who knows. That’s not an uncommon occurrence. 

6. What was the last thing you lied about? I don’t recall.

7. Where is your favorite place to have sex? Virgin here, but I’m pretty sure a bed would be perfectly fine.

8. What is your earliest memory? I have some vague memories of preschool.

9. Do you ever drink or get high alone? No. Or at all anymore.

10. What type of a drunk are you? I feel like it made me annoying and chatty. I also ended up feeling sad and lonely later on.

11. What song (or a few songs, whatever) means a lot to you and why? There’s several.

12. When was the last time you revealed your feelings for someone? Were they accepted or rejected? A few years ago when I told Ty how I felt. He told me liked me, too. Nothing ever came of it, though.

13. What was the reason behind your last visit to the hospital? When a friend was in the hospital a few years ago.

14. How do you tend to deal with a breakup? I go through the motions. 

15. What is the “worst” drug you’ve done? Are there any you will never try, or any you want to try? I’ve only smoked weed. That’s the only thing I’ll ever do.

16. What is something you’ve done that you truly regret? I have a lot of those...

17. What does it mean to you to be a good person? Do you feel you are a good person? So, according to some Google searches here are a few qualities of a good person: Honest, empathetic, loyal, cooperation (works well with others), authenticity, creativity (in the sense that you’re openminded and think outside the box, creative in coming up with solutions), passionate (do things wholeheartedly, give it your all), resilience, sensitive (compassionate and sensitive towards the feelings, struggles, and needs of others), and insight. Based on this, I think I possess some of these qualities and fall short/lack others.

18. What is your philosophy on life/how do you generally choose to live or conduct yourself? I just...keep going.

19. Do you view animals as being just as important as people? Why or why not? My pets are family. As far as other animals, while I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, I still believe they should be treated in a humane way and with compassion. There’s no reason to be cruel, such as abusing them or keeping them in harsh conditions. 

20. When was the last time you were up all night and why? For most of this year I haven’t been going to bed until like 7 or 8AM. On a few occasions it was a little later or I ended up staying up the whole day somehow. I don’t know wth is wrong with my sleep schedule, but it’s really off track. For someone who is always tired, I sure don’t sleep very much.

21. What is the worst thing you’ve done to yourself? What is the worst thing someone else has done to you? Neglect myself and ignore things, not take care of myself like I should. I’ve caused a lot of problems that way. As for someone else... use me, play with my emotions, made me feel like trash.

22. What is the most personal thing you’re willing to reveal? I don’t know. I share a lot in these surveys.

23. What made you stop talking to the last person you cut out of your life? I was/am a mess and pushed everyone away, completely withdrawing and distancing myself. I just cut myself off from everyone outside of my family. I’m not even close with cousins that I was very close with throughout my life anymore. 

24. Is there a situation or person you haven’t been able to get over/forgive? I dwell a lot on my mistakes and regrets. I’m harsh and unforgiving towards myself.

25. Who was the last person to yell at you? Did you yell back? No one yells at me.

26. Where did your last injury come from? It’s been awhile since I’ve had any injuries. Not any new ones, anyway.

27. What are some kinks or turn-ons you have, if any? I don’t have the experience to really know, but I feel like I’d be super bland haha.

28. What are you like during arguments? I shut down pretty quickly.

29. What is the worst thing you have said to another person? Probably not saying anything at all and completely ghosting my friends who totally did nothing to deserve it.

30. Where do you like to be kissed? Lips and neck.

31. What is more difficult for you, looking into someones eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someones eyes when they are telling you how they feel? Looking people in the eye, especially during serious conversations, is really hard for me. I give eye contact, but I look away or down and fidget with my fingers or something in my hand. I also have a very hard time expressing myself well.

32. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry. WHY were you angry? Do you still feel the same way? Blehhh.

33. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You have enough time to make ONE phone call. Who do you call? What do you tell them? My mom. I’d tell her I love her and to tell the rest of my family I love them, too.

34. You are at the doctor’s office and he has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? What do you do with your remaining days? Would you be afraid? My parents and brother would definitely know. I don’t know how I’d go about telling other family members. I would be an absolute mess, but I’d spend all that time with my loved ones, sharing memories, telling them how much I love them, thanking them, telling them anything else I want to say to them. I’d also be doing a lot of praying.

35. You can have one of the following two things. Which do you choose? Why? Uh, what are the choices?

36. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late even once more, you are fired. Do you take the time to save the dogs life? Why or Why not? I absolutely would. I can’t swim myself, but I’d try to find help and call 911. I’d make sure they were rescued.

37. Would you rather be hurt by the one you trust the most or the one you love the most? Uh, I’d rather not be hurt by anyone if possible.

38. Your best friend confesses that he/she has feelings for you more than just friendship. He/she is falling in love with you. What do you (or did you) do/say? My best friend is my mom...

39. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give up one year of yours. Do you do it? Why or Why not? Can they have more than just an hour?

40. Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend? No.

41. Does love = sex? Not always.

42.Your boss tells your coworker that they have to let them go because of work shortage, and they are the newest employee. You have been there much longer. Your coworker has a family to support and no other means of income. Do you go to your boss and offer to leave the company? Why or Why not? I mean, as of now I still with my family so if that were still the case in this scenario, then I’d be okay because I’m fortunate that my family can provide the necessities. I wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to afford food and things like that. I don’t have kids to worry about either like this person does. I also receive disability. In other words, I would be okay and be able to look for something else in the meantime if need be.

43.When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you felt regardless of how difficult it was for you to say? Who was it? What did you have to tell the person? I had a serious conversation not too long ago with my mom with some things I was struggling with. It’s difficult for me to express myself and how I’m feeling with anyone, no matter how close I am to them. I just struggle with what to say. I feel like I don’t explain or get my point across very well. I also don’t like the focus and attention one. I don’t like discussing serious things about myself. I also don’t want to burden people with my problems or worry them. I downplay things or keep a lot to myself, so for me to open up like that it takes a lot.

44. What would be (or what was) harder for you to tell a member of the opposite sex, you love them or that you do not love them back? Telling them I love them, but telling them I don’t would be hard as well because I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone.

45. What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up? Why would it be hard to lose? I’m gonna go with something not so deep and serious and say coffee. I really do need my coffee, though. I don’t want to have to go without it.

46. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them. Who were they to you? My mom.

47. If there was one moment and one time in the last month what would you change and why? How my doctor appointment went last month. I had to meet with a new doctor who I don’t like and I wish the appointment went better. I wish I was able to express myself and explain things better, but I just felt intimidated and uncomfortable. I thought of a lot of things I wanted to say after the fact. I wish I could be a little more assertive.

48.Imagine it is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear someone walking around outside your window. WHO do you wish was there with you? Good thing I’m never alone at night cause I’d be freaking out to say the least. Good thing I have a dog, too. In this hypothetical situation, though, I’m not sure why my family isn’t here, but I’d be calling 911 and my family right away. 

49. Would you give a homeless person CPR if they were dying? Why or Why not? I don’t know CPR. I would try to get them help right away and call 911.

50.You are holding onto your grandmother’s hand and the hand of a newborn that you do not know as they hang over the edge of a cliff. You have to let one go to save the other. Who do you let fall to their death? What was your rationale for making the decision? I hate these questions. 

51. Are you old fashioned? In some ways.

52. When was the last time you were nice to someone and did NOT expect anything in return for it? I like doing things for people because I want to.

53.Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a broken heart, or never loved at all? Why? True love.

54.If you could do anything or wish anything, what would it be? I’d have good health.

55. What was the last thing you ate? Ramen.

56. What kind of guys are you usually attracted to? Personality is the most important thing.

57. What’s the stupidest thing that’s happened to you that ended a friendship? Some middle school drama.

58. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve had sex for?

59. What reality shows do you watch? Catfish, The Voice, Teen Mom OG, Teen Mom 2, KUWTK, Total Bellas...

60. Post a video of yourself here: No.

61. Where do you work? I don’t.

62. Have you ever gone up to a car thinking it was yours and tried to get in it? I’ve gone up to cars thinking it was mine and reached for the handle, but thankfully quickly realized it wasn’t my car. lol.

63. Where do you buy most of your clothes? Boxlunch and Hot Topic.

64. If you were very intelligent and had the capability to have any profession, what would you like to be? I don’t know.

65. What’s your most irrational fear? I have plenty.

66. How many radio stations do you listen to? It’s been a few years since I’ve listened to the radio. I only listen to Spotify for music, even in the car.

67. What kind of music do they have?

68. Would you rather go to Greece or Hawaii? I mean, both would be amazing.

69. Musicals: Yay or Nay? I like some of them.

70. What are the next concerts you’ll be going to? Who knows or even when that’ll be an option given the state of things. I miss going to concerts, though. It’s been over 10 years since my last concert.

71. What was the last conversation you had with your best friend about? About the episode of Ratched we had just finished watching last night.

72. Are you one of those people that LOVE to hug others? No. Not to say I don’t like hugs, though. However, I know people who hug everyone, even if they’ve just met, and that’s not me. 

[emospritelet]

Homecoming - chapter 17

95: “What do you want from the New Year?”

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] [Part 14] [Part 15] [Part 16] AO3 link

This is a moment of family calm before - something

x

It was a relief to step out of the salon into the corridor, and Ogilvy sighed as Doc closed the door behind him. They had left Lady Tremaine to drink her tea, having questioned her thoroughly about her experiences with what she called her ‘otherworldly visitor’. He fell into step beside Doc as they walked back towards the west wing where their rooms were situated.

“A strange tale,” said Doc, in a neutral tone.

“Indeed.” Ogilvy glanced around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “Did you feel anything in the room?”

“Can’t say that I did. You?”

“No.” His mouth flattened. “We’ll need to check the bedroom. Perhaps we should take Alice; she’s displayed some sensitivity to spirits.”

“Agreed. I think we’ll wait until after the party, though.”

“Definitely.”

There was a moment of silence as they crossed the main landing.

“So,” said Doc, as soon as they were out of earshot of passing servants. “Langfell still stands.”

“Only to be expected, I suppose,” said Ogilvy, with a twist to his mouth, and Doc eyed him with sympathy.

“I realise it’s the last place either of us want to visit,” he said carefully. “But I think it might be useful.”

“No, I agree,” said Ogilvy, in a flat tone. “I think we should take Belle. You never know, being back in her old home might spark something.”

“Indeed.” Doc ran his hands over his waistcoat, patting his belly the way he did when he was thinking. “Shall we go now?”

“I was thinking we could go tomorrow, instead of joining the hunt,” said Ogilvy, and Doc nodded approvingly.

“I daresay that would be a more productive use of our time,” he said. “I’ll mention it to Thwaites. We can borrow some horses, should make the journey a little easier.”

He rubbed at his temple, and Ogilvy put a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright?”

“Damn visions,” grumbled Doc. “They seem to come more frequently now that Belle is back in our lives. Not saying they make any more sense, mind you.”

Ogilvy smiled, squeezing his shoulder.

“Well, it was always thus.”

“Indeed.” Doc patted his hand. “I think I’ll go and lie down, see what comes to me. Something tells me the evening is going to be a long one, and if anything momentous is going to happen, I’d like to have a little warning.”

They strode on, parting ways when they reached their rooms, and Ogilvy was unsurprised to find Hatter waiting for him. The man seemed to have a sixth sense about when he would be needed.

“Going out, sir?” he asked. 

“I thought I’d join Alice and Miss Marchland as they dodge snowballs from the children,” he said.

Hatter nodded immediately, going to the wardrobe, and ten minutes later Ogilvy was walking around to the side of the house, where the sun still shone brightly on the thick layer of snow. He followed the sound of excited squeals and shouts, spying the small figures of Nicholas, Ava, and another young girl crisscrossing the snow-covered lawn. His greatcoat, hat, scarf and gloves kept the cold from him, but he still rubbed his hands together briskly, white breath billowing from him as he approached Belle and Alice and their snowman. They had found stones for the eyes, mouth and buttons, and there was a waxy evergreen leaf, which looked a little too fresh to have fallen naturally, in place of a cravat. 

“Ladies,” he said, bowing his head a little. “I see you already have a gentleman to keep you company.”

“He doesn’t have much conversation, but he’s an awfully good listener,” said Alice, and giggled as he sent her a flat look. “How are you, Papa? Did you solve the mystery of Lady Tremaine’s ghosts?”

“Not yet,” he admitted. “Perhaps we’ll make some progress tomorrow. Doc has a headache, so he’s gone to lie down and rest.”

“I hope he’s well enough to attend the party this evening,” said Belle.

“Oh, I’m sure he will be,” said Ogilvy. “I’ll send Hatter to check on him later.”

A snowball whizzed past his ear, and he rolled his eyes as Alice and Belle chuckled.

“I see you’re wearing the children out,” he said. “That seems an excellent notion to me.”

“They’re certainly enjoying themselves,” said Belle, still patting the snowman’s head into shape. “I think it’s the first time Lucy has been able to run and play with children of her own age since she got here.”

“Ah, that’s the Mills girl, is it?” He glanced around. “Well, I’m glad they all made friends. It’s good for Nicholas and Ava to mix with other children, too.” 

“Indeed it is,” said Alice briskly, dusting snow from her gloves. “But Lucy’s aim is terrible. I think I’ll go and show her how it’s done. Perhaps we can team up and beat the twins.”

She hurried off, calling out to the children as she ran, and Ogilvy chuckled as she dodged a snowball and stopped to scoop up snow and form her own missile. The children scattered like quail as she threw it, but the snowball caught Nicholas on the backside and made him shriek in excitement. Ogilvy shared a grin with Belle, and she dropped her eyes, still smiling as she smoothed the shoulders of the snowman.

“How went your conversation with Her Ladyship?” she asked, and Ogilvy wrinkled his nose.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “It’s not clear how much of her tale is her own impressionable nature exaggerating what might simply be the noises of an old house.”

“What did she describe?”

“A coldness in the room, and knocking in a pattern of three,” he said. “After that, some moaning. It started in September, then there seems to have been a lull before it began again at the end of October. She says it has happened at least once a week since then.”

“The same three knocks, and a moaning noise?”

“She says there’s now some evil laughter, as well.”

“Any corroborating evidence?” she asked briskly. “Points of view other than hers? Trusted servants, perhaps?”

Ogilvy tried to keep the smile from his face at her pointed questions. You always could see to the heart of the matter, my love. Gods, how I’ve missed your mind, your wit. Grounding me, keeping me focused. 

“No one else appears to have heard the noises,” he said. “She mentioned the housekeeper thinking that the room was far colder than usual, but I’m not sure how much store we can set by that, or to what extent the servants humour their mistress’s notions.”

“Indeed,” agreed Belle. “I could certainly ask Ivy what she has found out from talking to the maids, though.”

“And I have no doubt Hatter will have an opinion, too,” he said. “The servants will speak more freely to them than to myself and Doc, I suspect. If what Lady Tremaine says is true, and the ‘visitations’ are targeting her specifically, there may be a more human motive behind it all.”

“Someone trying to scare her, you mean?” asked Belle. “Yes, I had wondered whether that could be the case. From what I’ve seen, she seems to have somewhat strained relationships with most of her husband’s family.”

Ogilvy hesitated, thumb feeling the band of his ring beneath the glove as he glanced at her.

“She did mention one other thing that Doc and I thought we might look into,” he said. “Stones were taken from the outer wall of a nearby castle. Langfell Castle. It’s a ruin now, apparently, but she said a noble family used to live there. I understand that they were named Beauchamp.”

He was watching carefully, or he wouldn’t have seen the tiny crease that appeared between her eyes.

“A ruined castle?” she said. “Why would that be relevant?”

“I’m not sure it is,” he admitted. “She told us a tale of a ghostly presence there, a rumour amongst the servants. Doc and I were planning to take horses up there tomorrow, while the others are hunting. Perhaps you’d like to accompany us.”

“Of course,” she said at once. “If we can be sure the children are settled.”

“Well, they seem to be getting along well with Miss Mills,” he said. “No doubt they can spend a few hours playing together while we look at the castle.”

“Her Ladyship said that the hunt will set off at eleven,” said Belle. “Perhaps we could see them off, and then leave ourselves.”

“Agreed,” he said. “I’ll inform Doc. I daresay he could use the exercise and some good cold air to blow away tonight’s excesses.”

Belle giggled a little, her eyes sparkling.

“I’m hoping that the party won’t go on too late,” she said. “Although I look forward to the dancing. Mrs Mills says that everyone of note in the area is attending.”

“I can seek refuge in the library, in that case,” he said with a grin.

“Escaping the chattering hordes?” she said teasingly. “Is this one of those occasions where only champagne will see you through?”

“It may even take some whisky,” he said solemnly, and she giggled again.

“I suspect I might choose the library over the ballroom, at some point,” she said. “Perhaps you’ll find me there.”

His grin widened.

“Then it will be a very pleasant evening,” he said. “A perfect way to welcome in the New Year.”

It was hard to tell, with her cheeks already pink from the cold, but he thought she was blushing a little. She bit her lip, eyes gleaming, and ducked her head a little, looking up at him through dark lashes.

“And what do you want from the New Year, Mr Ogilvy?” she said.

He could feel his smile grow soft, and his eyes caught and held hers.

“Peace,” he said quietly. “After all these years, I want peace.”

Belle’s breath seemed to catch, a sharp little inhalation as their eyes locked. He could feel their connection, their bond, the tug of her soul upon his. He prayed that she could feel it still, and he kept his gaze fixed on hers. Her breathing had quickened, he could hear it in the air, and he wanted to step closer, to touch her, to take her in his arms and taste her kiss. Instead, he let her see him, let her look into the depths of his soul, hoping that an errant spark from the blazing fire of his love would catch and burn inside her. Belle was staring, blue eyes wide and clear in the winter sunlight, but then she blinked, and the spell was broken. She looked a little flustered, teeth catching on her lower lip in that way she had, and he remained still, allowing her to collect herself, to gather her thoughts.

There was silence for a moment, but for the chirps of birds and shouts from the children. Belle glanced up, and he followed her gaze to where Alice and Lucy were squatting behind a snow-covered bush, each popping up in turn to throw a snowball at the twins before ducking back down again. Nicholas and Ava had amassed a large pile of snowballs and had taken refuge behind a tree.

“It appears the battle lines have been drawn,” Belle observed, her cheeks still flushed. “I’m not sure which side I favour.”

“Alice is a crack shot,” he said. “I’d wager on her winning, unless the twins do something sneaky. Which I wouldn’t put past them.”

As if she had heard him, Ava took advantage of Alice and Lucy being out of sight to race around behind them and pelt them with snowballs. Nicholas then joined in from the front of the bush, and Ogilvy and Belle burst out laughing at the resulting shrieks.

“At least they’ll all sleep well tonight,” remarked Belle.

“Hopefully well enough that they don’t come and disturb your rest,” he said, and she smiled.

“I don’t mind. As I said, it’s reassuring that they come to me for comfort.”

“I’d like to think the children are good judges of character,” he said, and she smiled.

“Is that why they came to you?”

“Oh, I can’t take credit for that,” he said. “Alice found them. They’re not the first I’ve fed and housed. Just the first to stay more than a few days.”

“What became of the others?” she asked and he gave her a wry smile.

“Made off with some of the silver and were no doubt too scared to come back.”

“Oh.” Her face fell. “I’m sorry.”

Ogilvy waved a hand.

“Don’t be. Alice felt guilty after the first of them, but as I told her, lives are more important than possessions. Silver can easily be replaced.”

“That’s a very magnanimous attitude.”

“Well, as vulgar as it is to mention it, I’m very rich,” he said dryly. “I can afford to be magnanimous.”

She smiled at that, her face lighting up, and he felt his heart clench at her beauty. He glanced around at the children again, and saw that Alice was running over, cheeks pink with cold and breathless with excitement.

“The little buggers surrounded me!” she complained, and Ogilvy clicked his tongue.

“Really, Alice!���

“Sorry, Papa, but Ava hit me right in the bloody face!”

Her accent came through strongly, her years of fine living forgotten in her indignation, and he bit his lip to keep from smiling.

“And here I was thinking it would be the twins that taught Miss Mills some exciting new words,” he said.

Alice stuck out her tongue, then blushed and clapped her hands to her mouth. Ogilvy sighed, shaking his head.

“And she wants you to teach her etiquette, Miss Marchland,” he said. “I trust you’ll be staying with us for some time?”

Belle was trying to hide her own smile, and Ogilvy grinned.

“Well, I’ll leave you to enjoy the snow,” he said. “I’m afraid my feet are like blocks of ice already, and if I’m to survive this evening’s entertainment, I really ought to thaw them out.”

Alice leaned in to kiss his cheek, and he kissed her back, nodding to Belle with a smile as he touched his hat.

“Until later,” he said, and walked back to the house, snow squeaking and crunching under his feet.

x

Belle stayed out in the snow until the cold seeping into her grew too much to bear. Fortunately, the children appeared to be tiring, and so she called to them, leading them back to the house for a change of clothes and hot cocoa. She decided to eat luncheon in the nursery with them, and Alice joined them. Once the meal was over, she let them play together in the nursery, ending the day with a story before they ate their supper and got into their night things. Lucy seemed a far happier child than she had been that morning, and bid them a cheerful goodnight as her parents came to put her to bed.

She had missed Lady Ella’s arrival, and heard about it from Ivy when she came to help Belle dress. The best of her secondhand evening gowns had been aired and pressed, a pretty thing in a soft gold colour that she had wavered before buying, worried that it was too fine for someone in her position. Now that she was wearing it, she was glad she had decided to make the purchase. The warm gold was perfect with her colouring, and she watched as Ivy expertly twisted her hair up on top of her head and secured it with pins. Her neckline looked a little bare, with no jewellery to adorn it, but that couldn’t be helped. She had new gloves in ivory silk, and a pair of shoes that were already pinching her heels a little. The faint sounds of music were drifting up from below, and she could feel a tickle of nerves in her belly.

“Have the servants mentioned anything about Lady Tremaine and her ghosts?” asked Belle, and Ivy looked amused.

“All but the youngest kitchen maids think she’s hearing things, Miss,” she said. “Mrs Timpson didn’t say as much, but she didn’t disagree.”

“Have they seen or heard anything strange in the house?”

“Not that they mentioned to me, Miss Belle,” said Ivy. “They said the castle’s haunted, though. A ghost-witch, the cook said. Not sure they weren’t just trying to scare me with that one.”

“Her Ladyship told the Professor and Mr Ogilvy the same tale,” said Belle. “We’re going to visit the castle tomorrow.”

Ivy shivered.

“Rather you than me, Miss.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it,” said Belle. “I’m not saying that I believe there’s really a ghost there, of course, but it’s not every day one gets to see a ruined castle.”

“The Professor does like his old places,” said Ivy, pushing a last pin into place. “I’ve got some darning to do for Miss Alice, so I’ll sit in my room and keep warm, if it’s all the same to you.”

Belle giggled, and turned her head this way and that to admire the style that Ivy had created.

“Thank you, that’s wonderful,” she said. “I suppose I’d better go down.”

The music was louder out on the landing, the sounds of chatter and laughter drifting up to meet her as she clutched at the skirts of her gown with one gloved hand, the other resting on the banister. The entrance hall of Willowbrook Grange was brightly lit with what looked like hundreds of candles, with fresh greenery and red ribbons draped around the panelling and the scent of pine in the air. She imagined that it was the way the house had bid farewell to every year for the past two centuries. 

Belle paused, her heart thumping, one hand clutching at the smooth marble of the banister as a strange feeling of déjà vu swept over her. For a moment it was as though she had been snatched back in time a hundred years earlier, and she half-expected to see gentlemen in black breeches and white silk stockings, and ladies in empire-line gowns with soft curls at their temples. A heavy sadness seemed to weigh upon her, an inexplicable, overwhelming grief, as though she was filled with tears.

“Miss Marchland?”

The Professor’s voice made the images in her mind vanish, and Belle took a deep breath, letting it out as she felt her heart slow and that terrible sadness drain out of her. He was dressed for the occasion, white tie and waistcoat beneath a black coat, but for the strangest of moments she had half-expected to see him wearing soft woollen felt and animal skins, with his face covered in swirling tattoos. I must be more tired than I thought. Imagining the Professor with a tattooed face! Whatever next?

“Are you well?” he asked anxiously, blinking at her behind his glasses, and she forced a smile, pushing the strange images from her mind.

“Quite well, thank you,” she said. “For a moment there I felt a little faint.”

“Then here, take my arm,” he said, offering it to her. “I daresay it’ll be a long night. Best to take things slow while one can.”

“Thank you.” 

She put her arm through his and they made their way down the stairs, following the sounds of music and laughter.

“How are you?” asked Belle. “Mr Ogilvy said you were lying down with a headache.”

“Oh, I’m well, thank you, my dear.” He patted her hand comfortingly. “Tired from all the travel, I suspect. These things happen, but I’m well enough this evening.”

“I’m very glad to hear it.”

“I can’t see me dancing much,” he added. “Though perhaps you and I might take a turn, if there’s something not too energetic.”

“I should be delighted,” she said. “Only if you think you’re well enough, though. Don’t exert yourself on my account.”

“I’ll see how I feel once we’re in there,” he said, and smiled at her. “I think tonight might be a time to observe others from a quiet corner. And possibly have a glass of wine or two.”

Belle returned the smile.

“An appealing choice,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I attended an occasion like this. I’m not certain whether I should be excited or nervous.” 

“Yes,” he said absently. “I know the feeling.”

They had reached the ballroom, and Belle could see beyond the tall double doors that the room was already busy with strangers in fine gowns and glittering jewels and starched white shirts. She took a deep breath, and the Professor glanced across at her, patting her hand again as he gave her an encouraging smile.

“Come now,” he said. “Let’s get a drink. With the New Year comes new opportunities, and new challenges. Something to be celebrated, not feared. Shall we?”

She returned his warm smile, feeling a little easier, and allowed him to lead her into the ballroom.

[peachpeachtea]

Region base leaders/apprentices

I briefly mentioned the leaders and their kiddos on the last post so we’re gonna get into them now here we goooo (excuse the old art on my part i dont have time to make new refs--also all artists/contributors will be tagged accordingly) 

Lark Base--Base Leader, Cadi--Apprentice, Marna  Cadi: She’s the youngest of the 6 base leaders stationed in Asnia (At 20), and the most temperamental. She values hard work and independence, and despises it when people try to coddle or underestimate her abilities. While she runs a tight ship, she tends to be brash, LOUD, and impatient overall,--she’s self assured and very much carries her pride for everyone to see. Her partner is a Dubwool, Clementine, and in her spare time, Cadi has a herd of Wooloo that she takes care off and is v e ry protective over--she often spends nights taking care of them and making sure no trespassers startle the sheepies (and if she catches anyone they get whacked with her staff at BEST--her neighbors aren’t unaccustomed to hearing loud, Galarian swearing in the middle of the night). On that note: she has a really bad sailor mouth. 

Marna: Similar to how Cadi is the youngest of the leaders, Marna is the youngest of the current apprentices in the region. She has a curious nature, and is a bit of an energetic busy bee, who rarely has time or patience to sit down/relax--she’s constantly working on something or another, whether it’s helping Cadi do paperwork (see: doing it for her because Cadi is incapable of filing decent paperwork and Marna cannot stand disorganization), or working in her normal duties. Her work ethic is, in a word, unreal, and that’s one of the reasons why Cadi values her so much as an apprentice and friend. Marna tends to be a bit picky and stuffy, but she thrives in her work and loves helping people. She’s the one to ask the most questions/the one to have the most answers. She’s also loves birds!! Swablu, Cirrus, is a testament to that. She loves him and he can usually be seen perched on her head sleeping. 

-------- Cypress Base--Base Leader, Hades--Apprentice, Lethe  Hades: The leader of the north mountain base, Hades is a confident transman who leads with a rather cool head. In his past he was a very feared individual known as "Hel, ruler of hell" due to his grip on the gang life of the region. He's done things he's not proud of and would likely never talk about. A skilled climber and dedicated to his job and training of his partner Drednaw Cerberus-- he's just a supportive dad figure. Has known Russell for many years, and as mentioned, is a sort of father figure to Lethe. 

(Hades and his art belongs to @edwardsbraid btw!)  Lethe: The least energetic of the apprentices, Lethe is a troubled but soft hearted boy who didn’t intend to become a Ranger at all--he was living by himself with no income for years, on account of having no parents to speak of (abandonment issues ahoy)--his recommendation to the academy was a complete accident, but the school had free boarding and it gave him a purpose, so he took the opportunity while he had it. While he loves what he does, and has made two good friends out of this, he’s struggling to come to terms with his issues and struggles to keep up with his peers.  He tends to be a trouble magnet, so the plot hammer will not be kind to him umu. He’s a bit indecisive, timid and an easy crier, but he genuinely loves pokemon/people and wants to be of use to everyone somehow. He’s not much of a logistical thinker but he’s definitely not a push over physically, which comes in handy--he has no partner pokemon for plot reasons that i will reveal later. 

---------- Red Oak Base (Base is still in development so this portion is likely to be updated in the future)--Base Leader, Bridget--Apprentice, Alex

Bridget: Bridget- A senior base leader with a strong sense of morality and an attitude to back it, she has no trouble rearing in even the most stubborn of rangers. Only the most confident and worthy are able to perform an apprenticeship under her and are expected to take over all Union duties alongside the Base Leader role. In times of peace and outside of work, she enjoys quiet days in her cottage with her trusted Luxray (Queenie) and looking after her Granddaughter Fraise. Her base is integral to communications between the south and north sides of Asnia Rangers, because geographically it’s in the exact center of the region (and her area has the best weather of the two sides). This is typically where all the leaders and apprentices meet up for important meetings and such. 

  Alex: Bridget’s apprentice and a stubborn lad--he and Bridget are often bickering with each other. He’s a dumb little hothead who likes to challenge people and bicker with his mentor. He and her fight like siblings and poke fun at each other’s age (he calls her Granny). Will do things just because someone says he can’t (IE try to lift a log twice his size just because someone said he couldn’t), eagerly and affectionately combative. Possibly has a crush on one of the other apprentices but umu thats a topic for later. 

(Both Alex and Bridget belong to @humanblt​!)

--------- Willow Base--Leader, Russell, Apprentice-- Hestia  Russell:  A former violent tempered and loud mouthed delinquent, used to be Hades literal partner in crime and has been his close friend for many years--eventually, after some personal events that i’ll get into later, Russell got tired of his crime sprees. He has since turned over a new leaf and is a quiet, amicable young man who wouldn't hurt a fly--he’s determined to get as far away from his past as possible, to the point where he dropped his real name and decided to go by Russell. He refuses to hurt people if the need isn't dire, and has been labeled as a weenie for his pacifistic behavior/even temper. While soft hearted, he can be stern, and isn’t afraid to be tough when needed. Dearly loves his town and his new life as a peacekeeper. Terrified of ghosts/creepy places (ironic because he works in the spooky part of Asnia--the local ghost types like to pick on him). Usually seen helping old ladies across the street and chopping fire wood--very sensitive about his age and scarred face, and cries when someone points out a gray hair. Has a Corviknight, Cobalt, who is usually perched at the top of the base. In charge of keeping people out of the deeper part of the woods behind his town. Has a long term crush on Carys and clams up when she's around.

(art done as a collaborative by me and  roseheart-exe)  Hestia: Hestia is a cryptic but very sweet and dedicated girl from regions unknown. She often gives off the vibes that she knows more than she lets on, and often speak in riddles or vague non sequiturs. Locals tend to be unnerved by her general disposition, comparing her to a “ghost, at best”. She hates fire, is creeped out by dolls of any sort, and is easy to startle, despite her best efforts to appear calm and collected. Hestia tries to be kind and amiable, and loves her few friends very deeply, but she’s incredibly stubborn and refuses help when she needs it. Her upbringing made her a firm believer in self reliance. She dislikes people who pry or ask too many questions, and worries over others constantly. She looks up to Russell as a mentor and is especially close to him. Her Pokemon is a Lampent, Chandelle (Chandy). She’s never seen without her hat or her lantern, which glows very dimly--she’s very possessive of them and avoids questions regarding either. Incredibly difficult to make her cry: some people are convinced she can’t. Very sensitive, feelings hurt easily--May or may not be pining after one of her base colleagues, who we will get to in another post. Tends to go “Teehee” when dodging questions or lying. Cadi’s current greatest enemy, because Hestia wanders at night and has accidentally startled her sheep on multiple occasions. 

------- Seabream Base--Leader, Ripley--Apprentice, Melanie  Ripley: Ripley: A beachside base leader!! Very beautiful, but also very terrifying to many. She broke a man’s arm once, and while the context has been lost to time, the reputation she got from it remains strong. Isn’t afraid to flex her reputation when it suits her. Has a mermaid-esque beauty that has earned her a fan club. Her base members are her family, and she is a fierce mama bear when it comes to protecting them. Has a Sharpedo, Shin. Became close with Hestia after a few plot related happenings. 

(Ripley and her art belong to @nimikyu​!)  Melanie: A bright and upbeat former lounge singer working under Ripley, loves nothing more than making people smile and smiling in return. Incredibly patient and impossible to piss off, and loves writing letters to her friend in Pinnate base and sending her little gifts. Tends to be a bit oblivious when not working, often described as having her head in the clouds. Takes her job more seriously than she lets on, and works incredibly hard to meet her Leader’s standards--she admires Ripley more than anyone--Melanie also is incredibly popular because of her former status as a singer so she gets way more attention that she bargained form--but she’s an entertainer at heart and tourists love her, which is why she’s in charge of them/in charge of making sure they don’t wander places they shouldn’t. Has a Wingull, Rio, who sometimes delivers her letters. Makes necklaces as a hobby. 

------- Pinnate Base--Leader, Carys--Apprentice, Rudy  Carys: Cadi’s older sister--A mild mannered, surprisingly strong young woman from Galar. Much calmer and levelheaded than her baby sister, although, sometimes she's too calm, and can come off as overly-relaxed and airheaded. An incredible swimmer, she also works part time as a life guard in her spare time. Cheerful and smiley, eager to help, spends alot of time with the local kids/local elders. (Not to say that she doesnt have a temper, because if you set her off you'll be subjected to Cadi 2.0). Tries to offer help to her sister often, only to be vehemently refused over and over. Can beat all the sailors in her town at arm wrestling, wears sunscreen on her face to encourage others to do the same. Runs a very tight ship and values teamwork and bonding. Has a Swampert, Johanna, who helps keep an eye on the weather/preform water rescues. Vocally skeptic about the supernatural, as an important side note. 

(Fantastic art done by @bastart13​ !! check their art out its gorgeous)

Rudy (bio will be updated periodically)!: A bit of a no nonsense, kind of moody boy--He has alot of respect for Carys in particular because he tends to be blunt and she's the only one who isn’t phased by it and doesnt let it affect her opinion of him. He reminds her alot of Cadi, so she's used to it and knows how to handle the teenage angst. Has a Sandyghast, Gobi! Sometimes Gobi loses their shovel and has a little flag instead. 

(This little man belongs to @liimonpriince​)!  And that’s the gist for all the major protags--supporting cast will come next, and then we’ll get to the bad guys :)