#As this dude looks at you with fangs. And teeth. And red eyes. And he definitely doesn’r wanna kill you.

[hiskillingjar]

Tentacles (Ren/MC)

this blog is a gooner safe space. sorry for the late upload, i got home from work last night and immediately fell asleep ^_^

day 9: tentacles second person. cw for anime.

"What are you doing?"

Ren let out a barked yelp at the sudden sound of your voice, jolting out of his computer chair and pressing up against his desk, shielding his computer screen from you with his body.

“What are you doing, barging in like that?!” He demanded, his pointed ears raised high and his tail shooting straight and still, glaring at you, looming in the frame of his now open door, over his shoulder. “This is my room!"

"Can you blame me?” You shrugged, not caring about his cowering form as you entered the room, your arms crossed over your chest. “I'm stuck in one house, all hours of the day, I'm gonna get bored, like a…house cat or something." You huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of your face, before giving him a considered look, tilting your head. "So...what are you doing?"

“None of your business. It's private.” He retorted quickly and coldly, still trying to keep his screen covered, a deep, embarrassed red flushing across his face as he stubbornly kept staring at you, defiant. “You can see that, can’t you?"

"Mm, yeah, I figured as much." You replied, sucking your teeth, your lazy gaze lingering on his tight body (tight with nerves and defiance) before going back to his flushed face, not totally hating what you were seeing. "Can I see?"

With the way Ren’s tail bristled and puffed up, like that of a grumpy cat, you guessed that he was trying to appear angry, or at the very least, like he was something, someone you shouldn’t mess around with.

But you were pretty bored. And you liked messing around. 

“No. I told you, it’s private." He shot back in a hiss, ears lowering quickly. “Pervert."

You let out a scoffed laugh and rolled your eyes, nodding towards the screen which was still playing the video he was watching.

"I’m the pervert? You're the one watching hentai, aren’t you?” You said, your eyes narrowing slightly. “What, you’re really too embarrassed to show me?”

An intense, mortified flush immediately shot across his face at that correct accusation, his ears lowering sheepishly, and his tail drooping down into a sad, limp sway, as he keened back against his desk, trying to hide it even more.

“Th- That’s not-” He started to protest, trying to defend himself, but he quickly closed his mouth, realizing there was little he could say.

Oh no. You didn’t totally hate that at all.

You smirked lightly, stepping forward into the warmth and the soft glow of his bedroom.

"I'm not a prude, Ren,” You murmured quietly, trying to encourage him out of his shy posturing. “Even if you try and make me out as one. I have watched porn before, even some of the lame shit you’ve watched."

Ren’s ears perked up slightly, though his expression didn’t give away anything but persistent discomfort, watching you approach and encroach into his personal space. He made no effort to move away from the desk, either, just staring at you with a conflicted expression, like he was waiting to pounce or flee, if he had to.

"Why do I find that hard to believe..." He muttered through a slight sneer, his lip curling around his fangs..

"Because you're a close-minded prick?" You suggested, raising your brow. “Who thinks I can’t possibly also be a pervert because I’m not putting out to you, twenty-four-seven?”

Ren’s ears lowered again at the accusation, his lip jutting out in a pouted frown, staring at you with an expression that was halfway between shame and outrage.

"Come on, dude, just show me.” You said, giving him an exasperated, if fond smirk, taking one final step towards him, your hands positioning either side of his skinny hips, almost pinning him down to the desk. “What are you so shy for? As long as it's not anything gross or creepy, it'll just be funny."

"Funny.” Ren pouted slightly with another eye roll, though he didn’t seem to mind you being so close to him. Maybe he even liked it a little, something you sensed as his tail worked its way around your thigh, comfortable in molding to your body. “So, you're just gonna laugh at me, then."

"Probably.” You shrugged and nodded, your honesty making him scoff. “But you're a big boy, aren’t you? I think you can tolerate me teasing you a little..."

"Haha, that's very reassuring...” Ren huffed out sarcastically, before he let out another sigh, idly biting his lip for a moment, and sank back into the computer chair, letting you get a full look of what he was watching.

"...Jesus, dude."

The screen was filled with a mass of animated tentacles, pink and fleshy and phallic, wrapped around and invading a cast of anime girls in elaborate outfits, frames changing every few seconds to a new bulging body part, a new angle of invasion, or pornographic expression to keep things interesting for the viewer. 

It was absolutely repulsive and deeply hedonistic.

And while you felt next to nothing at the animated display (and you rarely ever did with porn anyway), Ren was sinking more and more into the computer chair, his face going a darker hue of red.

"Do not." He said firmly, even though he couldn't meet your gaze.

"I'm not!" You laughed, eyebrows shooting up as the screen showed off a heavily pixeated tentacle invading another girl (with the pixels hiding the deep invasion, too). You couldn't hear the audio playing on Ren's headphones around his neck, but you knew what that sounded like. "I sure hope those school girls are of age, Ren."

"Shut up, obviously they are." He snapped back, defensive and annoyed like a teenager, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't make it weird..." He then grimaced, his hands going up to hide his face.

"I'm not making it weird when it is weird," You chuckled, idly leaning against the arm of his computer chair, still watching the screen. "Own your weirdness, dude, it’ll make you way happier in the long run."

"Ugh, I hate you…" He whined under his breath.

"You were the one who kidnapped me," You reminded him with a roll of your eyes (not mentioning that you were the one who chose to stay when he offered you your freedom). "You're not even going to talk me through it? Not going to explain your sick and twisted perversions to me?"

“…Do I really have to?” He muttered, his face still hidden behind his hands. 

"Mm...I might make it worth your while if you do," You offered, moving to perch yourself on the computer chair with him, your hands sinking down to his lap. “You get what I mean?” Ren’s breath hitched slightly and his ears shot up at the touch, his body going tense. He slowly lowered his hands to look at you again, surprised, and his face an even brighter shade of red.

You were probably being pretty bold for someone who never put out. 

But…you were bored, and you wanted attention. And this was an easy way to get it.

"Tell me," You said encouragingly, your hands toying with the toggle of his jogging bottoms, feeling the bulging heat beneath it. "I'm...genuinely interested."

A noise somewhere between a gasp and a whine left his throat at your touch, his hips reflexively twitching forwads, his tail flicking against your back as his wide eyes looked forward to meet your gaze, his mind clearly struggling to process the situation and why you were doing any of this.

“About…what exactly?” He squeaked out, his voice cracking a little bit as his face went impossibly redder.

"About, uh," You turned towards the screen and squinted at the title of the video. "Magical Girl Group Destroyed by Tentacles. Obviously."

“Right….” Ren whimpered out through another grimace (embarrassed at the video’s title, maybe), his hips involuntarily bucking up against your hand as he looked at the screen, his hands gripping the arms of the computer chair so hard, his knuckles were white. “I- It’s just…” He started to explain hesitantly, his voice a little breathless and his expression hot and humiliated. "I...ah, I like cute girls...?"

"Yeah, I figured that much out," You mumbled in a sarcastic drawl, leaning in and bringing your mouth closer to his ear and prying down the front of his joggers where his uncovered cock was drooling pre already. "Don't like them enough to feel bad about them being destroyed though, huh?"

“I- It’s just…fantasy, ah,”  He said through a strangled moan, his head falling back as he let you work, your fist gripping his cock tightly and moving up and down, working him to full and painful harness. “I’d never…mm, I’d never actually do that to someone…” His own hands gripping the arms of the chair even tighter and his hips lifting slightly to allow you better access to work with him.

"Well, yeah, it's impossible." You said with a little snort, dragging your thumb over the beading slit of his cock. "But you'd like something in close approximation, wouldn't you?"

“I- I…ah…n- no.” Ren protested between breathless gasps, his body trembling slightly and his whole expression was one of flustered humiliation as you continued to work him over.

"Don't lieeee~" You cooed, your hand moving a little quicker, working the twitching length of his cock, all the way to his swelled knot and back up again. "You wouldn't like a cute girl, tied up and helpless and begging for you to be gentle with her while you invade every hole with whatever you’re able to?"

“Th- That doesn’t count…!" He protested feebly, his head falling back against the chair again as he squirmed and rocked his hips against your touch, his breath leaving him in quiet, shaky gasps. ”That’s…ah, totally normal…”

"No, it isn’t, you little creep," You murmured softly, nestling against the soft fluff of his ears and his hair, taking in his scent. “Most guys don’t want to torture a girl until she’s cumming her brains out…maybe you’re the only guy in the world who likes this shit, ever thought about that?

A full-body shiver ran up his spine, his tail curling up against your back as his grip on the arms of the chair grew even tighter, his whole body trembling now.

“Shut up, ah, god,” He huffed, barely getting the words out between quiet moans and shuddering breaths. “Why are you so fucking a-annoyinggguh… ” 

He was losing it. And that was incredibly hot.

"You gonna come, Ren?” You teased, giving his ear a little nip. “God, I barely touched you. Behaving like a real vigrin, huh?~" 

“Don’t mock me,” He whined (complaining, not pleading, giving no vulnerability away), his body trembling even more now as you held him tighter, his cheeks flushing dark in embarrassment, though he didn’t try to move away. “F- Faster…please..” he added, his voice a pitiful gasp.

You let out a soft 'tsk' with a smug giggle, but you did as he asked you.

“God, this is so not fair…” He mumbled, his body shaking with need, his eyes tightly shut and his legs spreading (your own thrown over his leg, to make the position comfortable). “Mmh, please, please, please don’t stop…”

"So needy," You remarked, pressing closer, your free arm sliding around his shoulders "Almost too needy...maybe you should stop rotting your brain with so much porn, hm?"

“Shut up, don’t talk about it-” He protested weakly, though he couldn’t conceal the desperate trembling and whining from his voice. “God, I hate you so much…”

"Hmph," You smirked, pressing your lips against his neck. "So, you're gonna let me go, then? Since you hate me sooo much..."

“Shut up!” He protested, his head rolling to the side to give you more space to kiss along his neck, his arms wrapping around your waist and pulling you closer. “I can still hate you and want you to stay!”

"I thought so," You murmured with a smile, giving his neck another kiss. "We're really gonna have to do something about all this porn, though...aren't we?"

“Hah…ah…I’m not promising anything…” He answered breathlessly, his ears laying back as he arched his back, pressing his neck more into your kisses. “Close, ngh don’t- don’t stop…”

"No more porn for a week, and I won't stop.” You offered in a low warning tone, stilling your movements for just a second. “Okay?"

“Ah- a whole week?” Ren whined, lifting his head to look at you, his eyes wide and pleading, his hips still bucking up against your touch despite your sudden stillness. “That’s way too long, come on, a weekend, a couple of days, please-”

"A week. Take it or leave it."

His trembling jaw tensed a little, as he assessed his options.

“God, you’re awful..” He muttered with a huff, his head falling back against the chair again, his legs shaking slightly underneath you. “…Fine, fine, a week…”

"Good boy!"

[evil-vampire-official]

…wait why not?

It's getting colder the further I go... I hope it doesn't get too cold...

[plainclothesdisaster]

Red Knight Chapter 2 - Dead End

DP x DC | Dead on Main

Jason Todd encounters one Danny Fenton in the streets of Gotham and suddenly he's thrown into a world of ghosts and monsters. Will he embrace this life? Or will it just end up with him dead again?

Read on AO3 | Beginning | < Prev | Next >

---

No way Jason was going to call that number. He was busy with Black Mask. So long as there was no trouble, he didn’t need to get involved in meta business. And he certainly didn’t need help from one. He was absolutely fine.

He could have told Bruce and the others to keep an eye out, but what would he have said? Be on the lookout for a generic dude who can tell if you died? Yeah, not worth ringing alarm bells. He went back to his work.

Days later when Jason shot a would-be robber in the leg, he was totally calm. Weeks later when he pushed a rival crime boss off the back of a moving truck— definitely still keeping it together. A month later when he held one of Joker’s pawns by the head and smashed his skull to the cement again and again and again and the rage roared like an ocean in his ears— okay maybe he was missing the easy peace he’d enjoyed those first few days after confronting that stranger in the alley. He’d gotten so used to the rage that he’d forgotten what it was like to live without it.

Back in his apartment that night Jason scrubbed the blood off his hands. He didn’t think about the crumpled receipt he’d stashed in a kitchen drawer a month ago and hadn’t dared look at since.

As he laid down to try to sleep he could still feel the new weight in his chest but now an old anger clawed at it again like a ravenous beast. Uncomfortably aware of it now, like when someone reminds you you’re breathing. What had that stranger done to him?

That doesn’t mean we’re totally human either.

We’re.

Jason felt different since coming back from the dead, that was obvious. But taking a dip in the Pit didn’t make people metas. Not like that guy. Jason couldn’t walk through walls or disappear. At least he didn’t think he could.

He thought of the stranger’s— of Danny’s easy cheeky smile. Totally unthreatened. Jason’s heart twisted with rage and something else.

He pushed himself out of bed and got suited up again. No use laying here with his blood on fire. The chill of the empty streets would have to serve as a balm.

Later he’d blame his carelessness on his frazzled state of mind. But regardless of the cause, Black Mask’s goons caught him in their trap with maddening ease. One minute he was following a mark on the street, the next he was jumped from behind, tied up, knocked out.

He came back to consciousness in a small windowless room, tied to a chair with a hefty amount of rope. The sharp tang of metal and the weight of sweat hung in the air. Three goons with guns hovered over him. They’d taken his helmet but left the domino mask. So considerate of them.

“We’ve got some questions for you,” the head goon said, smiling with stained teeth.

Jason’s vision went red. Rage, rage, rage. There was no room for thoughts in his head, only the loud wailing of his anger. These goons were dead, deader than dead. Except at this rate so would he.

He felt a gun to press into his temple. He bared his teeth. Anger howled within him. The guy was talking but Jason didn’t hear their questions, he just wanted to kill them.

Then suddenly the howling stopped. A familiar quietude settled beneath his heart. It took his eyes a moment to focus and then he saw him there, inexplicably also inside the safe room, standing behind the goons. The stranger from the alley. Danny.

“I was starting to think you’d never call.” Danny smiled, all sunshine. What the fuck. How was he here?

His captors turned with a variety of shouts, guns out and primed against the new intruder. Danny didn’t react. He didn’t take his eyes off Jason.

“I didn’t.” Jason breathed. It felt like his heart had stopped.

“You’re like me. I never expected you to.” Jason caught a flash of fangs under Danny’s lips and his pulse skipped. “Good thing I was in the area.”

Then a goon grabbed for Danny’s arm. Jason half-shouted a warning but Danny was quicker. He nailed his assailant with a fist to the chest that sent him smashing back into the wall. The second thug swung his gun around and got a shot off. Jason swore it hit Danny in the leg but Danny didn’t flinch. Instead grabbed the gun and kneed the guy in the stomach so hard it lifted him off the ground. Danny turned just as the head good aimed a shot right between his eyes. Gunfire. Jason braced for the blood splatter, but it didn’t come. Instead Danny grabbed the guy by the throat and slammed him to the floor. The goons didn’t move.

When Danny looked back up at Jason his eyes glowed with that same ethereal intensity he saw before. Jason felt a thrum of energy from deep within him like a second pulse. Like calling to like.

He stared mutely as Danny rose. He should have been dead twice over. A foreign reverence leapt to the forefront of Jason’s mind, he didn’t know from where. Who the hell was this guy?

“You wanna get out of here?” Danny asked.

“Uh, yeah.”

Danny didn’t hesitate. He touched Jason on the shoulder and the ropes fell off him with the same slippery feeling he had when Danny had put a hand through his chest. He lead him through the door (literally through it) and out onto the street where a motorcycle waited.

Danny tossed Jason the keys.

“See ya round?” Danny turned to walk off. Like he’d just run an errand and not shown up out of nowhere in the middle of the night and beaten half the life out of some of the Narrows’ meanest thugs.

“Wait.” Jason stopped him. “What the hell is up with the guardian angel act? Who the fuck are you? What did you do to me?”

Danny turned back and smiled. “You want to get something to eat?”

//

Danny didn’t start talking again until they were seated across from each other in a booth at a 24 hour diner, two steaming cups of coffee between them. Jason had begrudgingly acquiesced to the offer of food. He guessed it was somewhat better than having this conversation at gunpoint. Not like that would have worked anyway, judging by how it went last time. This, at least, might get him some answers

“So, you died right?” Danny began.

Jason’s grip tightened on the handle of his mug. “You are supposed to be the one answering questions.”

“And I will! But you’re going to have to help me understand a bit too. You’re a unique case.”

Jason didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. “Yeah I died," he huffed. "Didn’t stick though.”

“How?”

Jason raised an eyebrow. He half expected Danny to know all about his death, seeing as he seemed to know so much else about him.

“A clown with a crowbar turned my lights out. Lazarus Pit turned them back on.” At Danny’s confused look, he continued: “Lazarus pit. Glowing pool? Impossible healing waters?”

“Oh is that what you call those pools of rancid ectoplasm beneath the city? I suppose that would be just enough to do it.”

Rancid ectoplasm sounded like another can of worms but that would have to wait. “Do what?”

“Keep you half alive.”

“What do you mean half alive?”

Danny took a big sip of coffee. “When I was fourteen my parents built a portal in our basement. It led to what is basically the realm of the dead. It didn’t work at first, until I went in and accidentally turned it on. The portal opened on top of me, which wasn’t great for my overall health and well-being per se. It killed me but not all the way. Instead I became half ghost.”

“Ghost.” Jason half chuckled and waited for the punch line.

Danny looked straight at Jason with those intense blue eyes, completely serious. “Ghost, specter, phantom, whatever you want to call it. I’m part ghost and you are too.”

Jason blinked. “Bullshit.”

That made Danny laugh. “I usually am pretty secretive about my whole deal but maybe I can be more lax if that’s the reaction I’ll get.”

Jason grumbled. The waitress came by and put a steaming plate of hashbrowns on the table between them.

Danny leaned back in the booth. “Okay, well if you don’t believe me— since coming back have you been stronger than a normal human should be? Faster? Get hurt less bad and heal quicker when you do?”

Jason frowned. “Side effects from the Pit.”

Danny raised a knowing eyebrow. “Uh huh. If that’s what you want to call it.” He grabbed a hashbrown and took a bite, continuing to talk between chews. “The weird thing is you should be able to do so much more. But now that I know you were doused in corrupted ectoplasm it’s making more sense.”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean more?”

Danny extended his hand intangibly through Jason’s coffee. He waggled his fingers for show.

“Intangibility. Invisibility. Flight. You should at least have basics like those.”

Basics huh. Dying didn’t magically make him able to fly, of that he was certain. Not that superpowers wouldn’t be convenient, they weren’t exactly Jason’s brand.

“But I think what the problem is is you’re running around with a half formed core. I did my best to stabilize it the last time we met but I’m not an expert in these things.”

“Core?” Why did every sentence out of Danny’s mouth have to make less sense than the one before?

Danny tapped his chest in the same spot Jason felt the now-comforting weight in his own. “Ghosts don’t have a heart. We have cores, which are metaphorically the same thing.

“Half ghost cores are weird in their own right. But yours feels especially weird. It’s like… spiky when it should be smooth. And soft when it should be hard. Does that make sense?”

Of course it didn’t. Jason wasn’t here for a supernatural biology lesson. But that wasn’t important. “And you— what you did— made it… quiet. How?”

Danny flipped his hand up on the table and suddenly a glowing green ball of energy hovered in his palm. “Pure ectoplasmic energy to cleanse out the corrupted stuff. But it’s temporary. It’s worn off since I last saw you. I think your core generates corrupted ectoplasm. And that I can’t fix by myself. At least not here.”

“Where then?”

Danny’s face turned sheepish. “You remember that realm of the dead I mentioned?” He closed his fist, extinguishing the light. Jason leaned back.

None of this seemed believable. Jason had died and come back to life, he accepted that impossibility. But all this even more impossible stuff about ghosts and ectoplasm and realms of the dead— that was pushing it.

None of it changed the fact that Danny knew too much about him, and worse, he seemed to have some kind of power that affected him. There was too much he wasn’t saying. And now he wanted to take him to a different dimension to fix something that Jason still wasn’t convinced actually existed. Yeah, no.

“Why do you even care? What do you want from me?”

Danny shrugged. “I just want to help.”

“Why?”

“Because I can. It’s hard for me to ignore someone like you. Someone like me.”

The worst part was that he seemed genuine. But Jason wasn’t so naive to think that even if Danny said he wanted nothing in return that there wouldn’t be some other strings attached down the line. He sat back in the booth and folded his arms.

“Nah I’m good.”

A hint of a frown flashed across Danny’s face as his response. He didn’t push any further and Jason felt a small relief. He didn’t want this to end in violence, not just because (for the first time in a long time) he wasn’t sure the violence would end in his favor.

“Thanks for the coffee,” said Jason. “I’m gonna head home.”

“You still have my number right? It’s an open offer.” Danny wasn’t great at hiding his disappointment. Jason almost felt a twinge of regret.

He pushed himself up from the booth and left.

Next >

[ruhorih4ra]

Hey! What do you mean it's not monday? ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠ heheh I'm sowy but in my defense this part it's longer.

I also noticed that I don't have a clear format (What can I say? I'm a pathetic disaster) (okay I'll fix it later).

This part it's mostly a conversation with grandma, yessss it's angsty. Takes place after part 7

Get out of my way 🌈

“Hello, I'm Lilith!”

The kitchen sank into silence, it felt more like you were being buried in the graveyard rather than sitting beside the warm oven. The four Little D.'s looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Ooh, Mc! Why are you so terrified?” “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” your scared and doubtful gaze left Lilith and turned to the Little D.'s “Y-you don't see her?” “Who?” the tiny black shadow showed incredible bewilderment. “Oh, come on! They're just trying to deceive you!! Of course they can see me!”

One thing was certain, she looked like an angel, her hair was so long it nearly touched the floor and her skin seemed smooth as silk. Although her voice was exasperated and there was a grimace on her face, she was beautiful.

“You're losing your mind, Mc.” The Little D. of wrath shook his head, wiping away a nonexistent tear. “Oh, you... You dummies!” Lilith took each cheek of the Little D. face and stretched it to comical limits. “SEE? I'M REAL!!”

“Heheh” “H-help!!” “The fridge is empty!” “Hey! Let him go!” The Little D.'s charged towards Lilith to no avail, she pushed them away with nothing more than a wave of her hand. “Mc, you don't have to be afraid anymore.”

“Mc?”

You had taken advantage of the ruckus to run towards your room as fast as your legs let you. “I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy, I'm sane. My brain is well and...” “Mc!!” You turned your face to see Lilith chasing you followed by four small black clouds. “Why are you running?!” “I may be crazy, I may be insane.”

As soon as you opened the door of your room you closed it again. You remained facing the wooden door, trying to calm your heart and the trembling of your hands. “You know I can walk through walls, right?” You heard Lilith's voice from behind.

“Aaaahhhh!!!” You turned around and for a moment she reminded you of Lucifer, hands on hip and a slight frown on her immaculate face. “You really are Lilith.” “Yes.” she simply replied.

“Hey you! Their soul is ours! You can't take it!!” “That's right! If you want it you'll have to fight!” That being said, the Little D. of wrath took the shape of Satan. His fangs grew to at least twice their normal size and his face contorted into a macabre smile. His eyes grew too long, giving the impression of slits tearing through the skin.

The Little D. of gluttony changed into Beelzebub's form, his eyes morphed to resemble those of a fly. His back hunched and his jaw hung open unbelievably wide, revealing multiple teeth arranged in a circle, as if he had several mouths hidden one after another.

The Little D. of envy took Leviathan's form, snakes came out of his mouth and eyes, while his whole body gained scales, some of them looking as sharp as a sword.

The tiny demon with blue horns changed to impersonate Lucifer, nothing too creepy, though his eyes were red, redder than you’d ever seen them before.

“W-wait!” You fell backwards, a single drop of Beelzebub's saliva met the floor and the wood screeched as it disintegrated. “Now, let's get started.” Lilith rolled her eyes, straightened up, and extended an arm. “Bring it on.”

Two hours later, you were looking at the “fight” with skeptical eyes.

“You were such an ugly kid. When you played in the sandbox the cat kept covering you up!” “Oooohh!!!” “HAHAHA!!” The Little D.s high-fived each other, they had maintained their monstrous appearance but their attitude completely ruined their facade.

“Well! You're so ugly, you've to sneak up on the mirror!” Lilith said while sticking out her tongue. “Hahah nice!” “Not cool.”

“You're so ugly your father wanted to erase you from existence!” “Dude.” “Oooooohhhhh!!!” “Too soon” The gasp of indignation that Lilith blurted out was loud enough to take you out of your meditations. “Hey! Back me up!” “Why? They started this ‘fight’ so you wouldn’t kick their ass in a real one.”

The Little D. of envy tried to put a hand on your mouth but you had already spilled the beans. “Jeez, Mc. You can be a real pain in the aaaaahhhhh” Lilith took them from the hat one by one until she had them all. “If you’ll excuse us, we need a private talk.”

She threw them out the window as far as she could, very surprisingly. “You have the arm of your brother.” “Thank you!” The room was filled with silence, neither Lilith nor you knew how to start and you were too tired to think correctly.

“Mc.” You looked at Lilith, she was struggling to find the right words. “They miss you.” You said in an attempt to avoid awkward silences. “I miss them too.” She replied. “Is that why you are here?” The lilac eyes of Lilith widened in surprise, if you squinted you could see a certain level of offense too. “Of course not! I'm here for you!”

“Ha! You say that but go on, tell me what you want me to do!” Lilith felt caged, your normal kind personality was gone and even if she could see a smile on your face, it was sardonic and fake. “No? You won't ask me to help them this time? That's a relief, last time I did I found a pair of hands around my neck and certainly not in a pleasant way.”

Lilith —who was wearing a simple and loose white dress, more fitting for a spring day than Devildom weather— seemed taken aback by your words. Her pale skin only made the blush more noticeable. “Oh come on grandma, I'm living proof that you're not as innocent as you seem.”

“Okay, first of all, don't call me grandma. Second, I came here for you. I came to help you.” The frown on your face didn't budge. Lilith sighed before speaking again. “Why are you so suspicious?”

“Oh, I don't know, maybe I’ve been attacked by little demons that want to eat my soul. Perhaps I'm on the verge of insanity and I'm only imagining the ghost of my ancestor. Who knows?” Before Lilith could reply, you spoke again, louder.

“Maybe I was replaced and betrayed by the people I love and trust the most.” Lilith's gaze followed the single tear that escaped from your eye, with her eyes still glued on it she replied. “They did not replace you.” “Of course not! They just forgot about me and found someone else to do the things we used to do!” You spit harshly.

“I-I know you're mad, but please, don't take it out on me.” Lilith sounded so sad and vulnerable that the regret was instant. “I- Sorry, Lilith.” She took a deep breath and mentally prepared to put her thoughts into words.

“I know they're stupid. But they love you, I know them and I know that-” You laughed, Lilith was relieved to find out that this time it was a genuine laugh, genuine and tired.

“Yes they are stupid. Listen Lilith... with all due respect, you knew the angels. I know the demons.” Lilith knew that she had lost the fight, she was speechless. Although she could have argued, it seemed pointless.

You slid to the floor again, you seemed resigned. When she thought the room would fall silent again, you surprised her.

“I know what you're trying to tell me, okay? I get it. They love me, they-” Lilith sat across from you, she did not comment nothing about how you didn't seem the least bit convinced of what you just said. “However, I will do this on my own. I'll find a way to exterminate this plague of Little D.'s”.

“But Mc!” “I don't need your brothers’ help, I don't need them and I won't go crying for their assistance.” You looked at your hands. “I don't need Lucifer's soft smiles to cheer me up. I don't need Mammon holding my hand through the halls of Rad.”

Lilith moved closer to you until she was within her arm’s reach. “I don't need Leviathan's chest to fall asleep after playing video games all day and I definitely don't need Satan's fingers brushing away my hair when I fall asleep in the library.”

You wiped away your tears before Lilith could try, choking back a sob. “I don't need Asmodeus to chit-chat while I fix the garden. I don't need Beelzebub to tickle me every time I’m sad. I don't need Belphegor to chase away my nightmares.”

“I-I don't need them!!” Lilith could only watch as you sob silently hugging your knees. “I'll get rid of the Little D.'s and then everything can go back to the way it was.”

“Mc, dear. You may not need my brothers but, I'm afraid they need you more than anything you could think of.”

You scoffed once more, looking at Lilith in disbelief. “Listen, I just want to prove to myself that I’m not Tinker Bell and that I won’t die from lack of attention.” You laughed by your own joke and Lilith’s confused face. “Then I’ll be fine, next time they won’t break my heart.”

“Mc...” “No! You don't understand! There are so many humans out there, so many exchange students that could take my place! And I love your brothers, and I love them so much! You can't understand how lost I feel when I think of them brushing me aside!”

Lilith bit her tongue, she wanted to tell you about the two bottles of demonus that Lucifer had emptied trying to resist the urges to kneel and ask your forgiveness. She couldn’t stop thinking about Beelzebub’s soft sobs and how Belphie couldn’t comfort his twin since he was trying to contain his own tears.

She saw Mammon’s swollen eyes and the chaos of Satan’s room. Lilith tried to caress the face of Asmodeus, to brush the frown he usually avoids and now seems permanent. She wanted to tell you about Leviathan’s violent shaking, how his brother had bitten all of his nails out of anxiety.

You thought they were sleeping, but not even Sc had managed to close her eyes. Lilith wanted to assure you that nobody could take your place, but this probably wasn’t the right time. “I understand.” You thanked her with a gentle squeeze. “But please, promise me you will ask for help if this gets too dangerous.”

You got up and took a deep breath. “Don’t worry that won’t be necessary. I’m the one who forged seven pacts, remember?”

Part. 10 ಠ⁠◡⁠ಠ

Thanks for reading!! 🩷

Taglist: @yuumaofc @kodasstar @asmolover1234 @gallantys @prefesro @urminebutidontwantyou @dearangels

[mysticshadows13]

Day 2 for @dp-crossover-angst-week-event ! I'm a day and a dollar late, you'd think insomnia would have helped with writing (it did for every other fic . except this.)

Danny stares at the crater in the ground. He's not sure how long it's been since that day, that horrendous day, but he's made a promise and he was trying to keep it. He runs his tongue over his teeth, wincing as it gets caught on the growing fang. Danny shakes his head, and starts floating over Amity Park. It's quiet, just like it's been since then and he'd run off everyone in town.

Rumbling fills the air and Danny glares over the town. There's a truck in his territory that he doesn't want here, they're not allowed, he wants to be alone. Red fills his vision and Dan flies towards the truck, getting ready to shoot at it.

Steven whistles as he drives through the countryside. This trip was exactly what he needed, just him, alone, no Gems around. Steven frowns, briefly, before shaking his head as he notices a sign up ahead. It's crooked, almost falling, and as he zooms past he sees “Par…stay away.” Steven slows down, looking around. The houses look like those picturesque houses you see in magazines, but there's something…off about the place. He stops as tears start flowing down, and he looks around: Blue Diamond isn't here, she wouldn't hide from him, but something is broadcasting loudly.

Dan hits the truck, sending it flying and smirks for a second, before frowning and heading back to his haunt. No one could have survived that, not with how much energy he had put in, and now he needs to tend to the next part of the plan. He's hovering over FentonWorks when he senses someone approaching again, and he growls. Dan flies back out, aiming for the presence, increasing his speed as he realizes they're heading for the crater.

Steven climbs out of the destroyed truck, looking it over. He doesn't know what hit him, but whatever it is must be strong to do that. Something tugs at his Gem and he follows it, heading towards…is that a giant crater. His Gem flashes, and Steven looks down into the Crater. He starts crying again, and this time he gets a shield up just as something hits him and bounces back.

“Hey! Hi, I'm Steven, it's ok, I don't want to fight!” Steven calls out, looking around. Hit after hit after hit on his shield distracts him from talking as he concentrates on keeping the shield up. There's a loud growl and a bang in front of Steven, and he opens his eyes, gasping as he sees who is attacking him.

It's a man, only a little taller than Steven, with red eyes, and…

“Is your hair actually fire, or does it just move like it?” Steven asks, noticing how the man's white hair is moving.

“What?” The man growls, and Steven sees fangs, actual fangs, and oh this dude would be so cool if he wasn't trying to waste Steven.

“Your hair! I love it, can you teach me how to do that? I might be able to do it.” Steven says. He's stopped crying now, and he notices the man's eyes have switched to green. “I'm not sure if you heard me earlier, but my name's Steven!”

“Danny. Leave Amity Park, no humans are welcome here.” Danny turns to fly away.

“What about non-humans?” Steven asks.

“I don't want anyone or anything here. Now go away!” Dan screams, the sound building up until Steven is launched back, his bubble bouncing and landing outside the sign.

[thewidowsghost]

Seeing the Beauty (Piper McLean x Fem!Jackson!Reader) - Chapter 13

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

"Wolves," Piper says. "They sound close."

Jason and (Y/n) rise, drawing their swords. Leo and the Coach get to their feet too. Piper tries, but black spots dance before her eyes.

"Stay there," (Y/n) tells her. "We've got you."

Piper grits her teeth, hating feeling helpless. She doesn't want anyone to protect her. First her stupid ankle, and then stupid hypothermia. She wants to be on her feet, with her dagger in her hand.

Then, just outside the firelight, at the entrance of the cave, she sees a pair of red eyes glowing in the dark.

Okay, she thinks. Maybe a little protection is fine.

More wolves edge into the firelight — black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleam, and their glowing red eyes look disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front is almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he'd just made a fresh kill.

Piper pulls her dagger out of its sheath.

Then Jason steps forward and says something in Latin.

Piper doesn't think a dead language would have much effect on wild animals, but the alpha wolf curls his lip. The fur stands up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tries to advance, but the alpha wolf snaps at his ear. Then all of the wolves back into the dark.

"Dude, I gotta study Latin." Leo's hammer shakes in his hand. "What'd you say, Jason?"

Hedge curses. "Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Look."

The wolves are coming back, but the alpha wolf isn't with them. They don't attack. They wait — at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit.

The coach hefts his club. "Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape."

"Coach, they'll rip you apart," Piper says.

"Nah, I'm good."

Then Piper sees the silhouette of a man coming through the storm, wading through the wolf pack.

"Stick together," Jason advises. "They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind."

Piper gets a lump in her throat. She's the weak link in their "pack" right now. No doubt the wolves can smell her fear. She might as well be wearing a sign that says free lunch.

The wolves part, and the man steps into the firelight. His hair is greasy and ragged, the color of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looks like finger bones. His robes are tattered fur — wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others Piper can't identify. The furs don't look cured, and from the smell, they aren't very fresh. His frame is lithe and muscular, like a distance runner's. But the most horrible thing is his face. His thin pale skin is pulled tight over his skull. His teeth are sharpened like fangs. His eyes glow bright red like his wolves' — and they fix on Jason with absolute hatred.

"Ecce,"he said, "filli Romani."

"Speak English, wolf man!" Hedge bellow.

The wolf man snarls. "Tell your faun to mind his tongue, son of Rome. Or he'll be my first snack."

Piper remembers that faun is the Roman name for satyr. Not exactly helpful information. Now, if she can remember who this wolf guy is in Greek mythology, and how to defeat him, that she can use.

The wolf man studies their little group. His nostrils twitch. "So it's true," he muses. "A child of Aphrodite. A son of Hephaestus. The Jackson girl. A faun. And a child of Rome, of Lord Jupiter, no less. All together, without killing each other. How interesting."

You were told about us?" Jason asks. "By whom?"

The man snarls — perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge. "Oh, we've been patrolling for you all across the west, demigod, hoping we'd be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry."

The wolves snarl in the darkness.

Out of the corner of her eye, Piper sees Leo put up his hammer and slip something else from his tool belt — a glass bottle full of clear liquid.

Piper racks her brain trying to place the wolf guy's name. She knows she'd heard it before, but she can't remember details.

Lycaon glares at Jason's sword. He moves to each side as if looking for an opening, but Jason's blade moves with him.

"Leave," Jason orders. "There's no food for you here."

"Unless you want tofu burgers," (Y/n) offers.

Lycaon bares his fangs. Apparently he isn't a tofu fan.

"If I had my way," Lycaon says with regret, "I'd kill you first, son of Jupiter. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Arcadia, with fifty fine sons, and Zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts."

"Ha," Coach Hedge says. "For good reason!"

Jason glances over his shoulder. "Coach, you know this clown?"

"I do," Piper answers. The details of the myth come back to her — a short, horrible story she and her father had laughed at over breakfast. She isn't laughing now.

"Lycaon invited Zeus to dinner," she says. "But the king wasn't sure it was really Zeus. So to test his powers, Lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. Zeus got outraged —"

"And killed my sons!" Lycaon howls. The wolves behind him howl too.

"So Zeus turned him into a wolf," Piper continues. "They call . . . they call werewolves lycanthropes, named after him, the first werewolf."

"The king of wolves," Coach Hedge finishes. "An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt."

Lycaon growls. "I will tear you apart, faun!"

"Oh, you want some goat, buddy? 'Cause I'll give you goat."

"Stop it," Jason says. "Lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but . . .?

"Sadly, Child of Lightning, you two" – he nods to (Y/n) – "are spoken for. Since this one" – he waggles his claws at Piper – "has failed to kill you, you are destined to be delivered alive to the Wolf House. One of my compatriots has asked for the honor of killing you herself."

"Who?"

The wolf king snickers. "Oh, a great admirer of yours. Apparently, you two made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough, and really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Wolf House should mark my new territory quite well. Lupa will think twice about challenging my pack."

Piper's heart tries to jump out of her chest. She doesn't understand everything Lycaon had said, but a woman who wants to kill Jason and (Y/n)? Medea, she thought. Somehow, she must've survived the explosion.

Piper struggles to her feet. Spots dance before her eyes again. The cave seems to spin. "You're going to leave now," Piper says, "before we destroy you." She tries to put power into the words, but she is too weak. Shivering in her blankets, pale and sweaty and barely able to hold a knife, she can't have looked very threatening.

Lycaon's red eyes crinkle with humor. "A brave try, girl. I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Jupiter and daughter of Poseidon are needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner."

At that moment, Piper knows she is going to die. But at least she'd die on her feet, fighting next to (Y/n).

(Y/n) takes a step forward. "You're not killing anyone, wolf man. Not without going through me."

Lycaon howls and extends his claws. (Y/n) slashes at him, but her bronze sword passes straight through as if the wolf king isn't there.

Lycaon laughs. "Gold, bronze, steel — none of these are any good against my wolves, child of the Sea."

"Silver!" Piper cries. "Aren't werewolves hurt by silver?"

"We don't have any silver!" Jason replies.

Wolves leaps into the firelight. Hedge charges forward with an elated "Woot!"

But Leo strikes first. He throws his glass bottle and it shatters on the ground, splattering liquid all over the wolves — the unmistakable smell of gasoline. He shoots burst of fire at the puddle, and a wall of flames erupts.

Wolves yelp and retreat. Several catch fire and have to run back into the snow. Even Lycaon looks uneasily at the barrier of flames now separating his wolves from the demigods.

"Aw, c'mon," Coach Hedge complains. "I can't hit them if they're way over there."

Every time a wolf comes closer, Leo shoots a new wave of fire from his hands, but each effort seems to make him a little more tired, and the gasoline is already dying down. "I can't summon any more gas!" Leo warns. Then his face turns red. "Wow, that came out wrong. I mean the burning kind. Gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. What you got, man?"

"Nothing," Jason replies. "Not even a weapon that works."

"Nothin,'" (Y/n) says. "Unless we're gonna fuckin' box some wolves."

"Lightning?" Piper asks, glancing at (Y/n) with amusement.

Jason concentrates, but nothing happens. "I think the snowstorm is interfering, or something."

"Unleash the venti!" Piper offers.

"Then we'll have nothing to give Aeolus," Jason replies. "We'll have come all this way for nothing."

Lycaon laughs. "I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, heroes. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Zeus did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me."

The flames begin to sputter out. Jason curses and drops his sword. He crouches like he is ready to go hand-to-hand. Leo pulls his hammer out of his pack. Piper raises her dagger — not much, but it is all she has. Coach Hedge hefts his club, and he is the only one who looks excited about dying.

Then a ripping sound cuts through the wind — like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouts from the neck of the nearest wolf — the shaft of a silver arrow. The wolf writhes and falls, melting into a puddle of shadow.

More arrows. More wolves fall. The pack breaks in confusion. An arrow flashes towards Lycaon, but the wolf king catches it in midair. Then he yells in pain. When he drops the arrow, it leaves a charred, smoking gash across his palm. Another arrow catches him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggers.

"Curse them!" Lycaon yells. He growls at his pack, and the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. "This isn't over, boy."

The wolf king disappears into the night.

Seconds later, Piper hear more wolves baying, but the sound is different — less threatening, more like hunting dogs on the scent. A smaller white wolf bursts into the cave, followed by two more.

Hedge says, "Kill it?"

"No!" Piper replies. "Wait."

The wolves tilt their heads and study the campers with huge golden eyes. One of the wolves steps forward, sniffing around (Y/n), and (Y/n) kneels down, stroking the wolf's ears. Piper watches as (Y/n)'s expression softens as she talks quietly to the wolf, as though missing her own dog.

A heartbeat later, their masters appear: a troop of hunters in white-and-gray winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carry bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs.

Their faces are covered with parka hoods, but clearly they are all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouches in the firelight and snatches up the arrow that had wounded Lycaon's hand.

"So close." She turns to her companions. "Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you." (Y/n)'s head snaps up, and she watches the girl, as though she recognized the voice. A possible girlfriend, Piper wonders, feeling a little disappointed.

The other hunters mumble agreement and disappear, heading after Lycaon's pack.

The girl in white turns toward them, her face still hidden in her parka hood. "We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone alright? No one got bit?"

Jason stands frozen, staring at the girl. Piper realizes that something about her voice sounds familiar. It's hard to pin down, but the way she speaks, the way she forms her words, reminds her of Jason.

"You're her," Piper guesses. "You're Thalia."

The girl tenses. Piper is afraid she might draw her bow, but instead she pulls down her parka hood. Her hair is spiky black, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face has a super-healthy glow to it, as if she's a little more than human, and her eyes are brilliant blue. She is the girl from Jason's photograph.

"Do I know you?" Thalia asks.

Piper takes a breath. "This might be a shock, but —"

"Thalia." Jason steps forward, his voice trembling. "I'm Jason, your brother."

For a minute, Jason and Thalia face each other, stunned. Then Thalia rushes forward and hugs him.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" She grips Jason's face and seems to be examining everything about it. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip — you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Leo laughs. "Seriously?"

Hedge nods like he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers — excellent source of iron."

"W-wait," Jason stammers. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barks. Thalia looks back at the wolf and nods, but she keeps her hands on Jason's face, like she's afraid he might vanish. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit."

Piper does better than that. She collapses. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if (Y/n) hadn't caught her.

Thalia rushes over. "What's wrong with her? Ah — never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle." She frowns at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?"

Hedge scoffs. "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

The wolf at (Y/n)'s feet lifts her front paws after she helps Piper back onto the ground.

"You always were good with dogs, Jackson," Thalia's eyes twinkle with mischief. She parts with Jason, and wraps (Y/n) in a bear hug. Then her gaze turns slightly angry. "Where've you been?"

The wolf at (Y/n)'s feet barks, staring at Piper.

Thalia looks at Leo. "You and the satyr," Thalia orders, "take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer."

It's cold out there!" Hedge retorts. "I'll freeze my horns off."

But Leo knows when they weren't wanted. "Come on, Hedge. These three need time to talk."

"Humph. Fine," the satyr mutters. "Didn't even get to brain anybody."

Hedge carries Piper towards the entrance. Leo is about to follow when Jason calls, "Actually, Leo, could you, urn, stick around?"

Leo sees something in Jason's eyes he doesn't expect: Jason is asking for support. He wants somebody else there. He's scared.

Leo grins. "Sticking around is my specialty."

Thalia doesn't look too happy about it, but the four of them sat at the fire – (Y/n) in between Leo and Jason. For a few minutes, nobody speaks. Jason studies his sister like she is a scary device — one that might explode if handled incorrectly. Thalia seems more at ease, as if she's used to stumbling across stranger things than long-lost relatives. But still she regards Jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler. Leo takes a few pieces of copper wire out of his pockets and twists them together.

Finally Leo can't stand the silence. "So . . . the Hunters of Artemis. This whole 'not dating' thing — is that like always, or more of a seasonal thing, or what?" (Y/n) lets out a snort of laughter, stroking the wolf's snout – the wolf had put her head in (Y/n)'s lap.

Thalia stares at Leo as if he'd just evolved from pond scum. Yeah, definitely liking this girl.

Jason kicks him in the shin. "Don't mind Leo. He's just trying to break the ice. But, Thalia . . . what happened to our family? Who told you I was dead?"

Thalia tugs at a silver bracelet on her wrist. In the firelight, in her winter camouflage, she almost looks like Khione the snow princess — just as cold and beautiful.

"Do you remember anything?" Thalia finally asks.

Jason shakes his head. "(Y/n) and I woke up three days ago on a bus with Leo and Piper."

"Which wasn't our fault," Leo adds hastily. "Hera stole their memories."

Thalia tenses. "Hera? How do you know that?"

Jason explains about their quest — the prophecy at camp, Hera getting imprisoned, the giant taking Piper's dad, and the winter solstice deadline. Leo chimed in to add the important stuff: how he'd fixed the bronze dragon, could throw fireballs, and made excellent tacos.

Thalia's a good listener. Nothing seems to surprise her — the monsters, the prophecies, the dead rising. But when Jason mentions King Midas, she curses in Ancient Greek.

"I knew we should've burned down his mansion," she says. "That man's a menace. But we were so intent on following Lycaon — Well, I'm glad you got away. So Hera's been . . . what, hiding you all these years?"

"I don't know." Jason brings out the photo from his pocket. "She left me just enough memory to recognize your face."

Thalia looks at the picture, and her expression softens. "I'd forgotten about that. I left it in Cabin One, didn't I?"

Jason nods. "I think Hera wanted for us to meet. When we landed here, at this cave . . . I had a feeling it was important. Like I knew you were close by. Is that crazy?"

Nah," Leo assures him. "We were absolutely destined to meet your hot sister."

Thalia ignores him. Probably she just didn't want to let on how much I impress her.

"Jason," she begins, "when you're dealing with the gods, nothing is too crazy. But you can't trust Hera, especially since we're children of Zeus. She hates all children of Zeus."

"But she said something about Zeus giving her my life as a peace offering. Does that make any sense?"

The color drains from Thalia's face. "Oh, gods. Mother wouldn't have . . . You don't remember — No, of course you don't."

"What?" Jason asks.

Thalia's features seem to grow older in the firelight, like her immortality isn't working so well. "Jason . . . I'm not sure how to say this. Our mom wasn't exactly stable. She caught Zeus's eye because she was a television actress, and she was beautiful, but she didn't handle the fame well. She drank, pulled stupid stunts. She was always in the tabloids. She could never get enough attention. Even before you were born, she and I argued all the time. She . . . she knew Dad was Zeus, and I think that was too much for her to take. It was like the ultimate achievement for her to attract the lord of the sky, and she couldn't accept it when he left. The thing about the gods . . . well, they don't hang around."

Leo remembers his own mom, the way she'd assured him over and over that his dad would be back someday. But she'd never acted mad about it. She didn't seem to want Hephaestus for herself — only so Leo could know his father. She'd dealt with working a dead-end job, living in a tiny apartment, never having enough money — and she'd seemed fine with it. As long as she had Leo, she always said, life would be okay.

Leo watches Jason's face — looking more and more devastated as Thalia describes their mom — and for once, Leo doesn't feel jealous of his friend. Leo might have lost his mom. He might have had some hard times. But at least he remembers her. He finds himself tapping out a Morse code message on his knee: Love you. (Y/n), who had seen the movement of Leo's fingers, smiles gently at him, also decoding the message – one of the cons of being best friends with the smartest girl at Camp Half-Blood, you learned stuff, like Morse Code.

Leo feels bad for Jason, not having memories like that — not having anything to fall back on.

"So . . . " Jason doesn't seem able to finish the question.

"Jason, you got friends," (Y/n) tells him gently, reaching out to squeeze his hand in a sisterly fashion. "Now you have a sister. You're not alone."

Thalia offers her hand, and Jason takes it in his free one. The wolf in (Y/n)'s lap nudges her hand again, and (Y/n) takes her hand from Jason's, and starts petting the white canine's ears again.

"When I was about seven," Thalia begins, "Zeus started visiting Mom again. I think he felt bad about wrecking her life, and he seemed — different somehow. A little older and sterner, more fatherly toward me. For a while, Mom improved. She loved having Zeus around, bringing her presents, causing the sky to rumble. She always wanted more attention. That's the year you were born. Mom . . . well, I never got along with her, but you gave me a reason to hang around. You were so cute. And I didn't trust Mom to look after you. Of course, Zeus eventually stopped coming by again. He probably couldn't stand Mom's demands anymore, always pestering him to let her visit Olympus, or to make her immortal or eternally beautiful. When he left for good, Mom got more and more unstable. That was about the time the monsters started attacking me. Mom blamed Hera. She claimed the goddess was coming after you too — that Hera had barely tolerated my birth, but more demigod children from the same family was too big an insult. Mom even said she hadn't wanted to name you Jason, but Zeus insisted, as a way to appease Hera because the goddess liked that name. I didn't know what to believe."

Leo fiddles with his copper wires. He feels like an intruder. He shouldn't be listening to this, but it also makes him feel like he's getting to know Jason for the first time — like maybe being here now made up for those four months at Wilderness School, when Leo had just imagined they'd had a friendship.

"How did you guys get separated?" Leo asks.

Thalia squeezes her brother's hand. "If I'd known you were alive . . . gods, things would've been so different. But when you were two, Mom packed us in the car for a family vacation. We drove up north, toward the wine country, to this park she wanted to show us. I remember thinking it was strange because Mom never took us anywhere, and she was acting super nervous. I was holding your hand, walking you toward this big building in the middle of the park, and . . ." She takes a shaky breath. "Mom told me to go back to the car and get the picnic basket. I didn't want to leave you alone with her, but it was only for a few minutes. When I came back . . . Mom was kneeling on the stone steps, hugging herself and crying. She said — she said you were gone. She said Hera claimed you and you were as good as dead. I didn't know what she'd done. I was afraid she'd completely lost her mind. I ran all over the place looking for you, but you'd just vanished. She had to drag me away, kicking and screaming. For the next few days I was hysterical. I don't remember everything, but I called the police on Mom and they questioned her for a long time. Afterward, we fought. She told me I'd betrayed her, that I should support her, like she was the only one who mattered. Finally I couldn't stand it. Your disappearance was the last straw. I ran away from home, and I never went back, not even when Mom died a few years ago. I thought you were gone forever. I never told anyone about you—not even Annabeth or Luke, my two best friends. It was just too painful."

"Chiron knew." Jason's voice sounds far away. "When I got to camp, he took one look at me and said, 'You should be dead."'

"That doesn't make sense," Thalia insists. "I never told him."

"Hey," Leo says. "Important thing is you've got each other now, right? You two are lucky."

Thalia nods. "Leo's right. Look at you. You're my age. You've grown up."

"But where have I been?" Jason says. "How could I be missing all that time? And the Roman stuff . . ."

Thalia frowns. "The Roman stuff?"

"Your brother speaks Latin," Leo says. "He calls gods by their Roman names, and he's got tattoos." Leo points out the marks on Jason's arm. Then he gives Thalia the rundown about the other weird stuff that had happened: Boreas turning into Aquilon, Lycaon calling Jason a "child of Rome," and the wolves backing off when Jason spoke Latin to them.

Thalia plucks her bowstring. "Latin. Zeus sometimes spoke Latin, the second time he stayed with Mom. Like I said, he seemed different, more formal."

"You think he was in his Roman aspect?" Jason asks. "And that's why I think of myself as a child of Jupiter?"

"Possibly," Thalia replies. "I've never heard of something like that happening, but it might explain why you think in Roman terms, why you can speak Latin rather than Ancient Greek. That would make you unique. Still, it doesn't explain how you've survived without Camp Half-Blood. A child of Zeus, or Jupiter, or whatever you want to call him — you would've been hounded by monsters. If you were on your own, you should've died years ago. I know I wouldn't have been able to survive without friends. You would've needed training, a safe haven —"

"He wasn't alone," Leo blurts out. "We've heard about others like him."

Thalia looks at him strangely. "What do you mean?"

(Y/n) tells her about the slashed-up purple shirt in Medea's department store, and the story the Cyclopes told about the child of Mercury who spoke Latin.

"Isn't there anywhere else for demigods?" Leo asks. "I mean besides Camp Half-Blood? Maybe some crazy Latin teacher has been abducting children of the gods or something, making them think like Romans."

As soon as he says it, Leo realizes how stupid the idea sounds. Thalia's dazzling blue eyes study him intently, making him feel like a suspect in a lineup. "I've been all over the country," Thalia muses. "I've never seen evidence of a crazy Latin teacher, or demigods in purple shirts. Still . . ." Her voice trailed off, like she'd just had a troubling thought.

"What?" Jason asks.

Thalia shakes her head. "I'll have to talk to the goddess. Maybe Artemis will guide us."

"She's still talking to you?" Jason asks. "Most of the gods have gone silent."

"Artemis follows her own rules," Thalia says. "She has to be careful not to let Zeus know, but she thinks Zeus is being ridiculous closing Olympus. She's the one who set us on the trail of Lycaon. She said we'd find a lead to a missing friend of ours."

"Percy," (Y/n) finishes; Thalia nods, her face full of concern.

Leo wonders if anyone had ever looked that worried all the times he'd disappeared. He kind of doubts it.

"So what would Lycaon have to do with it?" Leo asks. "And how does it connect to us?"

"We need to find out soon," Thalia admits. "If your deadline is tomorrow, we're wasting time. Aeolus could tell you —"

A white wolf appears again at the doorway and yips insistently.

"I have to get moving." Thalia stands. "Otherwise I'll lose the other Hunters' trail. First, though, I'll take you to Aeolus's palace."

"If you can't, it's okay," Jason says, though he sounds kind of distressed.

"Oh, please." Thalia smiles and helps him up. "I haven't had a brother in years. I think I can stand a few minutes with you before you get annoying. Now, let's go!"

When Leo sees how well Piper and Hedge are being treated, he is thoroughly offended. He'd imagined them freezing their hindquarters off in the snow, but the Hunter, Phoebe, had set up this silver pavilion right outside the cave. How she'd done it so fast, Leo has no idea, but inside is a kerosene heater keeping them toasty warm and a bunch of comfy throw pillows. Piper looks back to normal, decked out in a new parka, gloves, and camo pants like a Hunter. She and Hedge and Phoebe are kicking back, drinking hot chocolate, but when Phoebe catches sight of (Y/n), she stands up and comes over to give her a quick hug.

"Jackson," Phoebe says.

"Phoebe," (Y/n) replies, smiling slightly.

"Oh, no way," Leo says. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

Phoebe sniffs. "Boys," she says, like it's the worst insult she can think of.

"It's all right, Phoebe," Thalia smiles slightly. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate."

Phoebe grumbles, but soon Leo, (Y/n), and Jason are also dressed in silvery winter clothes that are incredibly lightweight and warm. The hot chocolate is first-rate.

"Cheers!" says Coach Hedge. He crunches down his plastic thermos cup.

"That cannot be good for your intestines," (Y/n) jokes.

Thalia pats Piper on the back. "You up for moving?"

Piper nods. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I can run ten miles.

Thalia winks at (Y/n). "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one."

Piper can see (Y/n)'s cheeks redden, but she can't tell whether she's flustered or just warm.

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," Leo volunteers. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it." Naturally, Thalia ignores him.

It takes Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp, which Leo cannot believe. The tent self-collapses into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum. Leo wants to ask her for the blueprints, but they don't have time.

Thalia runs uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, and soon Leo is regretting trying to look macho, because the Hunters leave him in the dust.

Coach Hedge leaps around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing them on like he used to do on track days at school. "Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo —"

"Let's not," Thalia snaps.

So they run in silence.

Leo falls in next to Jason at the back of the group. "How you doing, man?"

Jason's expression is enough of an answer: Not good.

"Thalia takes it so calmly," Jason says. "Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I didn't know what I was expecting, but . . . she's not like me. She seems so much more together."

"Hey, she's not fighting amnesia," Leo says. "Plus, she's had more time to get used to this whole demigod thing. You fight monsters and talk to gods for a while, you probably get used to surprises."

"Maybe," Jason says. "I just wish I understood what happened when I was two, why my mom got rid of me. Thalia ran away because of me."

"Hey, whatever's happened, it wasn't your fault. And your sister is pretty cool. She's a lot like you."

Jason takes that in silence. Leo wonders if he'd said the right things. He wants to make Jason feel better, but this is way outside his comfort zone.

Leo wishes he can reach inside his tool belt and pick just the right wrench to fix Jason's memory — maybe a little hammer — bonk the sticking spot and make everything run right. That would be a lot easier than trying to talk it through. Not good with organic life forms. Thanks for those inherited traits, Dad.

He is so lost in thought, he didn't realize the others had stopped. He slams into (Y/n), who slams into Thalia, and nearly sends the three of them down the side of the mountain the hard way. Fortunately, the Hunter is light on her feet. She steadies them, then points up.

"That," Leo chokes, "is a really large rock."

They stand near the summit of Pikes Peak. Below them the world is blanketed in clouds. The air is so thin, Leo can hardly breathe. Night had set in, but a full moon shone and the stars are incredible. Stretching out to the north and south, peaks of other mountains rises from the clouds like islands — or teeth.

But the real show is above them. Hovering in the sky, about a quarter mile away, is a massive free-floating island of glowing purple stone. It is hard to judge in size, but (Y/n) figures it's about half the length of a football stadium, and just as tall. The sides are rugged cliffs, riddled with caves, and every once in a while a gust of wind bursts out with a sound like an organ blast. At the top of the rock, brass walls ring the fortress.

Piper leans over, her mouth next to (Y/n)'s ear, "It's really pretty."

"Just like you," slips out of (Y/n)'s mouth.

Piper pulls away, raising an eyebrow. "That was smooth, Jackson."

(Y/n) flushes, looking at the only thing connecting Pikes Peak to the floating island – a narrow bridge of ice that glistens in the moonlight.

Then (Y/n) realizes the bridge isn't exactly ice, because it isn't solid. As the winds changed direction, the bridge snakes around — blurring and thinning, in some places even breaking into a dotted line like the vapor trail of a plane.

"We're not seriously crossing that," Leo says.

Thalia shrugs. "I'm not a big fan of heights, I'll admit. But if you want to get to Aeolus's fortress, this is the only way."

"Is the fortress always hanging there?" Piper asks. "How can people not notice it sitting on top of Pikes Peak?"

"The Mist," Thalia says. "Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it's a trick of the light, but actually it's the color of Aeolus's palace, reflecting off the mountain face."

"It's enormous," Jason says.

Thalia laughs. "You should see Olympus, little brother."

"You're serious? You've been there?"

Thalia grimaces, exchanging a look with (Y/n) – as if it isn't a good memory. "We should go across in two different groups. The bridge is fragile."

"That's reassuring," Leo says. "Jason, can't you just fly us up there?"

Thalia laughs. Then she seems to realize Leo's question isn't a joke. "Wait . . . Jason, you can fly?"

Jason gazes up at the floating fortress. "Well, sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I'm not sure I'd want to try. Thalia you mean . . . you can't fly?

For a second, Thalia looks genuinely afraid. Then she gets her expression under control. Leo realizes she is a lot more scared of heights than she is letting on. "Truthfully," she says, "I've never tried. Might be better if we stuck to the bridge."

Coach Hedge taps the ice vapor trail with his hoof, then jumps onto the bridge. Amazingly, it holds his weight. "Easy! I'll go first. Piper, (Y/n), come on, girls. I'll give you a hand."

"No, that's okay," Piper starts to say, but the coach grabs her's and (Y/n)'s hands and drags them up the bridge.

When they are about halfway, the bridge still seems to be holding them just fine.

Thalia turns to her Hunter friend. "Phoebe, I'll be back soon. Go find the others. Tell them I'm on my way."

"You sure?" Phoebe narrows her eyes at Leo and Jason, like they might kidnap Thalia.

"It's fine," Thalia promises.

Phoebe nods reluctantly, then races down the mountain path, the white wolves at her heels.

"Jason, Leo, just be careful where you step," Thalia says. "It hardly ever breaks."

"It hasn't met me yet," Leo muttered, but he and Jason lead the way up the bridge.

Halfway up, things start going wrong. Piper, (Y/n), and Coach Hedge had already made it safely to the top, and are waving at them, encouraging them to keep climbing, but Leo gets distracted. He is thinking about bridges – how he would design something way more stable than this shifting ice vapor business if this was his palace. He is pondering braces and support columns. Then a sudden revelation stops him in his tracks.

"Why do they have a bridge?" he asks.

Thalia frowns. "Leo, this isn't a good place to stop. What do you mean?"

"They're wind spirits," Leo says. "Can't they fly?"

"Yes, but sometimes they need a way to connect to the world below."

"So the bridge isn't always here?" Leo asks.

Thalia shakes her head. "The wind spirits don't like to anchor to the earth, but sometimes it's necessary. Like now. They know you're coming."

Leo's mind is racing. He is so excited he can almost feel his body's temperature rising. He can't quite put his thoughts into words, but he

knows he's onto something important.

"Leo?" Jason says. "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, gods," Thalia says. "Keep moving. Look at your feet."

Leo shuffles backwards. With horror, he realizes his body temperature really is rising, just as it had years ago at that picnic table under the pecan tree, when his anger had gotten away from him. Now, excitement is causing the reaction. His pants steam in the cold air. His shoes are literally smoking, and the bridge doesn't like it. The ice is thinning.

"Leo, stop it," Jason warned. "You're going to melt it."

"I'll try," Leo says. But his body is overheating on its own, running as fast as his thoughts. "Listen, Jason, what did Hera call you in that dream? She called you a bridge."

"Leo, seriously, cool down," Thalia says. "I don't what you're talking about, but the bridge is —''

"Just listen," Leo insists. "If Jason is a bridge, what's he connecting? Maybe two different places that normally don't get along—like the air palace and the ground. You had to be somewhere before this, right? And Hera said you were an exchange."

"An exchange." Thalia's eyes widen. "Oh, gods."

Jason frowns. "What are you two talking about?"

Thalia mutters something like a prayer. "I understand now why Artemis sent me here. Jason—she told me to hunt for Lycaon and I would find a clue about Percy. You are the clue. Artemis wanted us to meet so I could hear your story."

"I don't understand," he protests. "I don't have a story. I don't remember anything."

"But Leo's right," Thalia said. "It's all connected. If we just knew where—"

Leo snaps his fingers. "Jason, what did you call that place in your dream? That ruined house. The Wolf House?"

Thalia nearly chokes. "The Wolf House? Jason, why didn't you tell me that! That's where they're keeping Hera?"

"You know where it is?" Jason asked.

"Something's wrong," (Y/n) realizes, watching as Jason grabs Leo's coat. (Y/n) goes to step back onto the bridge to help, but Piper pulls her back.

"Don't," she says. "You might make it worse."

Then Jason and Leo start scrambling up the bridge. (Y/n) grabs the boys' hands, pulling them onto the floating island. When they turn, they see Thalia backing down the bridge as it crumbles.

"Find out where the giant is keeping Piper's dad! Save him!" she shouts. "I'll take the Hunters to the Wolf House and hold it until you can get there. We can do both!"

"But where is the Wolf House?" Jason shouts.

"You know where it is, little brother!" She is so far away now that they can barely hear her voice over the wind. Leo is pretty sure she says: "I'll see you there. I promise."

Then she turns and races down the dissolving bridge.

Leo looks back down. The top of Pikes Peak floats below them in a sea of clouds, but there is no sign of Thalia. And Leo had just burned their only exit.

"What happened?" Piper demands. "Leo, why are your clothes smoking?"

"I got a little heated," Leo gasps. "Sorry, Jason. Honest. I didn't —''

"It's all right," Jason says, but his expression is grim. "We've got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a goddess and Piper's dad. Let's go see the king of the winds."

. . .

I found my sister and lost her in less than an hour, Jason thinks miserably. As they climb the cliffs of the floating island, he keeps looking back, but Thalia is gone.

Despite what she'd said about meeting again, Jason wonders; she's found a new family with the Hunters, and a new mother in Artemis. She had seemed so confident and comfortable with her life, Jason isn't sure if he'd ever be a part of it. And she'd seemed so happy when she'd found (Y/n), and so set on finding Percy. Did she ever search for me like that?

Not fair, Jason retorts. She thought you were dead.

He could also barely tolerate what Thalia had said about their mom. It was like she'd handed him a baby – a really loud, ugly baby – and said, Here, this is yours. Carry it. He doesn't want to carry it. He doesn't want to look at it or claim it. He hadn't wanted to know she had an unstable mother who'd gotten rid of him to appease a goddess. No wonder Thalia ran away.

And then he remembers the Zeus cabin at camp – the tiny little alcove Thalia had used as a bunk, out of sight from the glowering statue of the sky god. Dad isn't much of a bargain either, Jason thinks, understanding why Thalia had renounced that part of her life, though he's still resentful. I can't be so lucky. I get stuck holding the bag – literally.

The golden backpack of winds is strapped over his shoulders, and the closer they get to Aeolus's palace, the heavier they get. The winds keep struggling, rumbling and bumping around.

The only one who seems to be in a good mood is Coach Hedge. He keeps bouncing up the slippery staircase and trotting back down. "Come on, cupcakes! Only a few thousand steps."

As they climb, Leo, (Y/n), and Piper leave Jason in his silence. Maybe they can sense my bad mood. Piper keeps glancing back, worried, as if he were the one who'd almost died of hypothermia rather than she. Or maybe she is thinking about Thalia's idea. Jason doens't really understand how they were going to save Piper's dad and Hera, and he isn't sure if the possibility had made Piper more hopeful or just more anxious.

Leo keeps swatting his own legs, checking for signs that his pants are on fire. He wasn't steaming anymore, but the incident on the ice bridge had really freaked Jason out. Leo hadn't seemed to realize that he had smoke coming out his ears and flames dancing through his hair. If Leo started spontaneously combusting every time he got excited, they were going to have a tough time taking him anywhere. Jason imagines trying to get food at a restaurant. I'll have a cheeseburger and—Ahhh! My friend's on fire! Get me a bucket!

Mostly, though, Jason worries about what Leo had said. Jason doesn't want to be a bridge, or an exchange, or anything else. He just wants to know where he'd come from. And Thalia had looked so unnerved when Leo mentioned the burned-out house in his dreams — the place the wolf Lupa had told him was his starting point. How did Thalia know that place, and why did she assume I could find it?

The answer seems close. But the nearer Jason gets to it, the less it cooperated, like the winds on his back.

Jason keeps catching (Y/n) glancing back at him, as though trying to find something to say.

They arrive at the top of the island. Bronze walls march all the way around the fortress grounds, though Jason can't imagine who would possibly attack this place. Twenty-foot-high gates open for them, and a road of polished purple stone leads up to the main citadel — a white-columned rotunda, Greek style, like one of the monuments in Washington, D.C. — except for the cluster of satellite dishes and radio towers on the roof.

"That's bizarre," Piper mutters.

"Guess you can't get cable on a floating island," Leo says. "Dang, check this guy's front yard."

The rotunda sits in the center of a quarter-mile circle. The grounds are amazing in a scary way. They are divided into four sections like big pizza slices, each one representing a season.

The section on their right is an icy waste, with bare trees and a frozen lake. Snowmen roll across the landscape as the wind blows, so Jason isn't sure if they were decorations or alive.

To their left is an autumn park with gold and red trees. Mounds of leaves blew into patterns — gods, people, animals that run after each other before scattering back into leaves.

In the distance, Jason can see two more areas behind the rotunda. One looks like a green pasture with sheep made out of clouds. The last section is a desert where tumbleweeds scratch strange patterns in the sand like Greek letters, smiley faces, and a huge advertisement that read: watch aeolus nightly!

"One section for each of the four wind gods," Jason guesses. "Four cardinal directions."

I'm loving that pasture." Coach licks licked his lips. "You guys mind —"

"Go ahead," Jason says. He is actually relieved to send the satyr off. It would be hard enough getting on Aeolus's good side without Coach Hedge waving his club and screaming, "Die!"

While the satyr runs off to attack springtime, Jason, Leo, (Y/n), and Piper walk down the road to the steps of the palace. They pass through the front doors into a white marble foyer decorated with purple banners that read olympian weather channel, and some that just read ow!

"Hello!" A woman floats up to them. Literally floated. She is pretty in that elfish way Jason associates with nature spirits at Camp Half-Blood — petite, slightly pointy ears, and an ageless face that could've been sixteen or thirty. Her brown eyes twinkle cheerfully. Even though there is no wind, her dark hair blows in slow motion, shampoo-commercial style. Her white gown billows around her like parachute material. Jason can't tell if she has feet, but if so, they don't touch the floor. She has a white tablet computer in her hand. "Are you from Lord Zeus?" she asks. "We've been expecting you."

Jason tries to respond, but it is a little hard to think straight, because he'd realizes the woman was see-through. Her shape fades in and out like she is made of fog. "Are you a ghost?" he asks.

Right away he knows he'd insulted her. The smile turns into a pout. "I'm an aura, sir. A wind nymph, as you might expect, working for the lord of the winds. My name is Mellie. We don't have ghosts."

Piper comes to the rescue. "No, of course you don't! My friend simply mistook you for Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal of all time. It's an easy mistake."

Wow, she's good, (Y/n) thinks.

The complement seems a little over top, but Mellie blushes. "Oh . . . well, then. So you are from Zeus?"

"Er," Jason starts. "I'm the son of Zeus, yeah."

"Excellent! Please, right this way," she leads them through some security doors into another lobby, consulting her tablet as she floats. She doesn't look where she is going, but apparently it doesn't matter as she drifts straight through a marble column with no problem. "We're out of prime time now, so that's good," she muses. "I can fit you in right before his 11:12 spot."

"Urn, okay," Jason says.

The lobby is a pretty distracting place. Winds blast around them, so Jason feels like he is pushing through an invisible crowd. Doors blow open and slam by themselves.

The things Jason can see are just as bizarre. Paper airplanes of all different sizes and shapes speed around, and other wind nymphs, aurai, would occasionally pluck them out of the air, unfold and read them, then toss them back into the air, where the planes would refold themselves and keep flying.

A creature flutters past. She looks like a mix between an old lady and a chicken on steroids. She has a wrinkled face with black hair tied in a hairnet, arms like a human plus wings like a chicken, and a fat, feathered body with talons for feet. It's amazing she could fly at all. She keeps drifting around and bumping into things like a parade balloon.

"Not an aura?" Jason asks Mellie as the creature wobbles by.

Mellie laughs. "That's a harpy, of course. Our, ah, ugly stepsisters, I suppose you would say. Don't you have harpies on Olympus? They're spirits of violent gusts, unlike us aurai. We're all gentle breezes." She bats her eyes at Jason.

"'Course you are," he replies.

"So," Piper prompts, "you were taking us to see Aeolus?"

Mellie leads them through a set of doors like an airlock. Above the interior door, a green light blinks.

"We have a few minutes before he starts," Mellie says cheerfully. "He probably won't kill you if we go in now. Come along!"

. . .

(Y/n)'s jaw drops. The central section of Aelous's fortress is as big as a cathedral, with a soaring domed roof covered in silver. Television equipment floats randomly through the air – camera, spotlights, set pieces, potted plants. And there's no floor. Leo almost falls into the chasm before Jason pulls him back."

"Holy —!" Leo gulps. "Hey, Mellie. A little warning next time!"

An enormous circular pit plunges into the heart of the mountain. It is probably half a mile deep, honeycombed with caves. Some of the tunnels probably led straight outside. (Y/n) remembers seeing winds blast out of them when they'd been on Pikes Peak. Other caves is sealed with some glistening material like glass or wax. The whole cavern bustles with harpies, aurai, and paper airplanes, but for someone who couldn't fly, it would be a very long, very fatal fall.

"Oh, my," Mellie gasps. "I'm so sorry." She unclips a walkie-talkie from somewhere inside her robes and speaks into it: "Hello, sets? Is that Nuggets? Hi, Nuggets. Could we get a floor in the main studio, please? Yes, a solid one. Thanks."

A few seconds later, an army of harpies rises from the pit — three dozen or so demon chicken ladies, all carrying squares of various building material. They go to work hammering and gluing – and using large quantities of duct tape, which doesn't reassure (Y/n). In no time there is a makeshift floor snaking out over the chasm. It was is of plywood, marble blocks, carpet squares, wedges of grass sod — just about anything.

"That can't be safe," Jason comments.

"Oh, it is!" Mellie assures him. "The harpies are very good."

Easy for her to say. She just drifts across without touching the floor, but Jason decides he has the best chance at surviving, since he can fly, so he steps out first. Amazingly, the floor holds.

Piper follows, then (Y/n), and then Leo.

Mellie leads them towards the middle of the chamber, where a loose sphere of flat-panel video screens floats around a kind of control center. A man hovers inside, checking monitors and reading paper airplane messages.

The man pays them no attention as Mellie brings them forward. She pushes a forty-two-inch Sony out of their way and leads them into the control area.

Leo whistles. "I got to get a room like this."

The floating screens show all sorts of television programs. Some Jason recognizes — news broadcasts, mostly — but some programs look a little strange: gladiators fighting, demigods battling monsters. Maybe they're movies, but they look more like reality shows.

At the far end of the sphere is a silky blue backdrop like a cinema screen, with cameras and studio lights floating around it.

The man in the center is talking into an earpiece phone. He has a remote control in each hand and is pointing them at various screens, seemingly at random.

He is wearing a business suit that looks like the sky — blue mostly, but dappled with clouds that change, darken, and move across the fabric. He looks like he's in his sixties, with a shock of white hair, but he has a ton of stage makeup on, and that smooth plastic-surgery look to his face, so he appears not really young, not really old, just wrong — like a Ken doll someone had halfway melted in a microwave. His eyes dart back and forth from screen to screen, like he's trying to absorb everything at once. He mutts things into his phone, and his mouth keeps twitching. He is either amused, or crazy, or both.

Mellie floats towards him. "Ah, sir, Mr. Aeolus, these demigods —"

"Hold it!" He holds up a hand to silence her, then points at one of the screens. "Watch!"

It's one of those storm-chaser programs, where insane thrill-seekers drive after tornados. As Jason watches, a Jeep plows straight into a funnel cloud and gets tossed into the sky.

Aeolus shrieks with delight. "The Disaster Channel. People do that on purpose !" He turned toward Jason with a mad grin. "Isn't that amazing? Let's watch it again."

"Urn, sir," Mellie says, "this is Jason, son of—"

"Yes, yes, I remember," Aeolus interupts. "You're back. How did it go?"

Jason hesitates. "Sorry? I think you've mistaken me —"

"No, no, Jason Grace, aren't you? It was — what — last year? You were on your way to fight a sea monster, I believe."

"I — I don't remember."

Aelous laughs. "Must not have been a very good sea monster! No, I remember every hero who's ever come to me for aid. Odysseus — gods, he docked at my island for a month! At least you only stayed a few days. Now, watch this video. These ducks get sucked straight into —"

"Sir," Mellie interrupts. "Two minutes to air."

"Air!" Aeolus exclaims. "I love air. How do I look? Makeup!"

Immediately a small tornado of brushes, blotters, and cotton balls descend on Aeolus. They blur across his face in a cloud of flesh-tone smoke until his coloration is even more gruesome than before. Wind swirl through his hair and left it sticking up like a frosted Christmas tree.

"Mr. Aeolus." Jason slips off the golden backpack. "We brought you these rogue storm spirits."

"Did you!" Aeolus looks at the bag like it's a gift from a fan — something he really doesn't want. "Well, how nice."

Leo nudges him, and Jason offers the bag. "Boreas sent us to capture them for you. We hope you'll accept them and stop — you know — ordering demigods to be killed."

Aeolus laughs, and looks incredulously at Mellie. "Demigods be killed — did I order that?"

Mellie checks her computer tablet. "Yes, sir, fifteenth of September. 'Storm spirits released by the death of Typhon, demigods to be held responsible,' etc . . . yes, a general order for them all to be killed."

"Oh, pish," Aeolus says. "I was just grumpy. Rescind that order, Mellie, and urn, who's on guard duty — Teriyaki? — Teri, take these storm spirits down to cell block Fourteen E, will you?"

A harpy swoops out of nowhere, snatches the golden bag, and spirals into the abyss.

Aeolus grins at Jason. "Now, sorry about that kill-on-sight business. But gods, I really was mad, wasn't I?" His face suddenly darkens, and his suit does the same, the lapels flashing with lightning. "You know . . . I remember now. Almost seemed like a voice was telling me to give that order. A little cold tingle on the back of my neck."

Jason tenses. A cold tingle on the back of his neck . . . Why does that sound so familiar? "A . . . um, voice in your head, sir?"

"Yes. How odd. Mellie, should we kill them?"

"No, sir," she says patiently. "They just brought us the storm spirits, which makes everything all right."

"Of course." Aeolus laughs. "Sorry. Mellie, let's send the demigods something nice. A box of chocolates, perhaps."

"A box of chocolates to every demigod in the world, sir?"

"No, too expensive. Never mind. Wait, it's time! I'm on!"

Aeolus flies off towards the blue screen as newscast music starts to play.

Jason looks at Piper, (Y/n), and Leo, who seem just as confused as he is.

"Mellie," he says , "is he . . . always like that?"

She smiles sheepishly. "Well, you know what they say. If you don't like his mood, wait five minutes. That expression 'whichever way the wind blows' — that was based on him."

"And that thing about the sea monster," Jason says. "Was I here before?"

Mellie blushes. "I'm sorry, I don't remember. I'm Mr. Aeolus's new assistant. I've been with him longer than most, but still — not that long."

"How long do his assistants usually last?" Piper asks curiously.

"Oh . . ." Mellie thinks for a moment. "I've been doing this for . . . twelve hours?"

A voice blares from floating speakers: "And now, weather every twelve minutes! Here's your forecaster for Olympian Weather — the OW! channel — Aeolus!"

Lights blaze on Aeolus, who is now standing in front of the blue screen. His smile is unnaturally white, and he looks like he'd had so much caffeine his face is about to explode.

"Hello, Olympus! Aeolus, master of the winds here, with weather every twelve! We'll have a low-pressure system moving over Florida today so expect milder temperatures since Demeter wishes to spare the citrus farmers!" He gestures at the blue screen, but when (Y/n0 checks the monitors, she sees that a digital image is being projected behind Aeolus, so it looks like he's standing in front of a U.S. map with animated smiley suns and frowny storm clouds. "Along the eastern seaboard — oh, hold on." He taps his earpiece. "Sorry, folks! Poseidon is angry with Miami today so it looks like that Florida freeze is back on! Sorry, Demeter. Over in the Midwest, I'm not sure what St. Louis did to offend Zeus, but you can expect winter storms! Boreas himself is being called down to punish the area with ice. Bad news, Missouri! No, wait. Hephaestus feels sorry for central Missouri, so you all will have much more moderate temperatures and sunny skies."

Aeolus keeps going like that — forecasting each area of the country and changing his prediction two or three times as he gets messages over his earpiece — the gods apparently putting in orders for various winds and weather.

"This can't be right," Jason whispers. "Weather isn't this random."

Mellie smirks. "And how often are the mortal weathermen right? They talk about fronts and air pressure and moisture, but the weather surprises them all the time. At least Aeolus tells us why it's so unpredictable. Very hard job, trying to appease all the gods at once. It's enough to drive anyone . . ."

She trails off, but Jason knows what she meant. Mad. Aeolus is completely mad.

"And that's the weather," Aeolus concludes. "See you in twelve minutes, because I'm sure it'll change!"

The lights shut off, the video monitors go back to random coverage, and just for a moment, Aeolus's face sags with weariness. Then he seems to remember he has guests, and he puts a smile back on.

"So, you brought me some rogue storm spirits," Aeolus says. "I suppose . . . thanks! And did you want something else? I assume so. Demigods always do."

Mellie says, "Urn, sir, this is Zeus's son."

"Yes, yes. I know that. I said I remembered him from before."

"But, sir, they're here from Olympus."

Aeolus looks stunned. Then he laughs so abruptly, Jason almost jumps into the chasm. "You mean you're here on behalf of your father this time? Finally! I knew they would send someone to renegotiate my contract!"

"Urn, what?" Jason asks.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Aeolus sighs with relief. "It's been what, three thousand years since Zeus made me master of the winds. Not that I'm ungrateful, of course! But really, my contract is so vague. Obviously I'm immortal, but 'master of the winds.' What does that mean? Am I a nature spirit? A demigod? A god? I want to be god of the winds, because the benefits are so much better. Can we start with that?"

Jason looks at his friends, mystified.

"Dude," Leo says, "you think we're here to promote you?"

"You are, then?" Aeolus grins. His business suit turns completely blue — not a cloud in the fabric. "Marvelous! I mean, I think I've shown quite a bit of initiative with the weather channel, eh? And of course I'm in the press all the time. So many books have been written about me: Into Thin Air, Up in the Air, Gone with the Wind —"

"Er, I don't think those are about you," Jason says, before he notices Mellie shaking her head.

"Nonsense," Aeolus says. "Mellie, they're biographies of me, aren't they?"

"Absolutely, sir," she squeaks.

"There, you see? I don't read. Who has time? But obviously the mortals love me. So, we'll change my official title to god of the winds. Then, about salary and staff —"

"Sir," Jason says, "we're not from Olympus."

Aeolus blinks. "But —"

"I'm the son of Zeus, yes," Jason says, "but we're not here to negotiate your contract. We're on a quest and we need your help."

Aeolus's expression hardens. "Like last time? Like every hero who comes here? Demigods! It's always about you, isn't it?"

"Sir, please, I don't remember last time, but if you helped me once before —"

"I'm always helping! Well, sometimes I'm destroying, but mostly I'm helping, and sometimes I'm asked to do both at the same time! Why Aeneas, the first of your kind —"

"My kind?" Jason asks. "You mean, demigods?"

"Oh, please!" Aeolus says. "I mean your line of demigods. You know, Aeneas, son of Venus — the only surviving hero of Troy. When the Greeks burned down his city, he escaped to Italy, where he founded the kingdom that would eventually become Rome, blah, blah, blah. That's what I meant."

"I don't get it," Jason admits.

Aeolus rolls his eyes. "The point being, I was thrown in the middle of that conflict, too! Juno calls up: 'Oh, Aeolus, destroy Aeneas's ships for me. I don't like him.' Then Neptune says, 'No, you don't! That's my territory. Calm the winds.' Then Juno is like, 'No, wreck his ships, or I'll tell Jupiter you're uncooperative!' Do you think it's easy juggling requests like that?"

"No," Jason said. "I guess not."

"And don't get me started on Amelia Earhart! I'm still getting angry calls from Olympus about knocking her out of the sky!"

"We just want information," Piper says in her most calming voice. "We hear you know everything."

Aeolus straightens his lapels and looks slightly mollified. "Well . . . that's true, of course. For instance, I know that this business here" — he waggles his fingers at the four of them — "this harebrained scheme of Juno's to bring you all together is likely to end in bloodshed. As for you, Piper McLean, I know your father is in serious trouble." He holds out his hand, and a scrap of paper flutters into his grasp. It's a photo of Piper with a guy who must've been her dad. His face does look familiar. Jason is pretty sure he'd seen him in some movies.

Piper takes the photo. Her hands are shaking. "This — this is from his wallet."

"Yes ," Aeolus says. "All things lost in the wind eventually come to me. The photo blew away when the Earthborn captured him."

"The what?" Piper asks.

Aeolus waves aside the question and narrows his eyes at Leo. "Now, you, son of Hephaestus . . . Yes, I see your future." Another paper falls into the wind god's hands — an old tattered drawing done in crayons.

Leo takes it as if it might be coated in poison. He staggers backwards.

"Leo?" Jason says. "What is it?"

"Something I — I drew when I was a kid." He folds it quickly and put it in his coat. "It's . . . yeah, it's nothing."

Aeolus laughs. "Really? Just the key to your success!" Aeolus then looks at (Y/n). He waves his hand, and a photograph flies down, falling into the daughter of Poseidon's hands.

(Y/n) chokes back a sob as she studies the photo. It was a picture of herself, Percy, and their parents, Sally and Paul, and Percy's arm is wrapped around Annabeth's waist – and everyone looked happy.

(Y/n) clears her throat, and shoves the picture into her pocket, she aggressively wipes at her eyes and Leo, Jason, and Piper avoid her gaze.

Aeolus shrugs it aside, "Now, where were we? Ah, yes, you wanted information. Are you sure about that? Sometimes information can be dangerous." He smiles at Jason like he's issuing a challenge. Behind him, Mellie shakes her head in warning.

"Yeah," Jason says. "We need to find the lair of Enceladus."

Aeolus's smile melts, "The giant? Why would you want to go there? He's horrible! He doesn't even watch my program!"

Piper holds up the photo. "Aeolus, he's got my father. We need to rescue him and find out where Hera is being held captive."

"Now, that's impossible," Aeolus says. "Even I can't see that, and believe me, I've tried. There's a veil of magic over Hera's location—very strong, impossible to locate."

"She's at a place called the Wolf House," Jason says.

"Hold on!" Aelous puts a hand to his forehead and closes his eyes. "I'm getting something! Yes, she's at a place called the Wolf House! Sadly, I don't know where that is."

"Enceladus does," Piper persists. "If you help us find him, we could get the location of the goddess —"

"Yeah," Leo adds, catching on. "And if we save her, she'd be really grateful to you —"

"And Zeus might promote you," (Y/n) finishes.

Aeolus's eyebrows creep up. "A promotion — and all you want from me is the giant's location?"

"Well, if you could get us there, too," Jason amends, "that would be great."

Mellie claps her hands in excitement. "Oh, he could do that! He often sends helpful winds —"

Mellie, quiet!" Aeolus snaps. "I have half a mind to fire you for letting these people in under false pretenses."

Her face pales. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"It wasn't her fault," Jason says, "But about that help . . ."

Aelous tilted his head as if thinking. Then Jason realized the wind lord was listening to voices in his earpiece.

"Well . . . Zeus approves," Aeolus mutters. "He says . . . he says it would be better if you could avoid saving her until after the weekend, because he has a big party planned — Ow! That's Aphrodite yelling at him, reminding him that the solstice starts at dawn. She says I should help you. And Hephaestus . . . yes. Hmm. Very rare they agree on anything. Poseidon agrees . . . Hold on . . ."

Jason smiled at his friends. Finally, they were having some good luck. Their godly parents were standing up for them.

Back towards the entrance, Jason hears a loud belch. Coach Hedge waddles in from the lobby, grass all over his face. Mellie sees him coming across the makeshift floor and catches her breath. "Who is that?"

Jason stifles a cough. "That? That's just Coach Hedge. Uh, Gleeson Hedge. He's our . . ." Jason wasn't sure what to call him: teacher, friend, problem? "Our guide."

"He's so goatly," Mellie murmurs.

Behind her, Piper poofs out her cheeks, pretending to vomit.

"What's up, guys?" Hedge trots over. "Wow, nice place. Oh! Sod squares."

"Coach, you just ate," Jason says. "And we're using the sod as a floor. This is, ah, Mellie —"

"An aura." Hedge smiles winningly. "Beautiful as a summer breeze."

Mellie blushes.

"And Aeolus here was just about to help us," Jason explains.

"Yes," the wind lord mutters. "It seems so. You'll find Enceladus on Mount Diablo."

"Devil Mountain?" Leo questions. "That doesn't sound good."

"I remember that place!" Piper says. "I went there once with my dad. It's just east of San Francisco Bay."

The Bay Area again?" The coach shakes his head. "Not good. Not good at all."

"Now . . .''Aeolus began to smile. "As to getting you there —"

Suddenly his face goes slack. He bends over and taps his earpiece as if it were malfunctioning. When he straightened again, his eyes are wild. Despite the makeup, he looks like an old man — an old, very frightened man. "She hasn't spoke to me for centuries. I can't — yes, yes I understand."

He swallows, regarding Jason as if he had suddenly turned into a giant cockroach. "I'm sorry, son of Jupiter. New orders. You all have to die."

Mellie squeaks. "But — but, sir! Zeus said to help them. Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hephaestus —"

"Mellie!" Aeolus snaps. "Your job is already on the line. Besides, there are some orders that transcend even the wishes of the gods, especially when it comes to the forces of nature."

"Whose orders?" Jason says. "Zeus will fire you if you don't help us!"

"I doubt it." Aeolus flicks his wrist, and far below them, a cell door opens in the pit. Jason could hear storm spirits screaming out of it, spiraling up towards them, howling for blood.

"Even Zeus understands the order of things," Aeolus said. "And if she is waking — by all the gods — she cannot be denied. Good-bye, heroes. I'm terribly sorry, but I'll have to make this quick. I'm back on the air in four minutes."

Jason summons his sword. Coach Hedge pulls out his club. Mellie the aura screams, "No!"

She dives at their feet just as the storm spirits hit with hurricane force, blasting the floor to pieces, shredding the carpet samples and marble and linoleum into what should've been lethal projectiles, had Mellie's robes not spread out like a shield and absorbed the brunt of the impact. The six of them fall into the pit, and Aeolus screams above them, "Mellie, you are so fired!"

"Quick," Mellie yells. "Son of Zeus, do you have any power over the air?"

"A little!"

"Then help me, or you're all dead!" Mellie grabs his hand, and an electric charge goes through Jason's arm. He understands what she needs. They have to control their fall and head for one of the open tunnels. The storm spirits are following them down, closing rapidly, bringing with them a cloud of deadly shrapnel.

(Y/n) grabs Piper's hand. "Group hug!"

Hedge, Leo, (Y/n), and Piper tried to huddle together, hanging onto Jason and Mellie as they fall.

"This is NOT GOOD!" Leo yells.

"Bring it on, gas bags!" Hedge screams up at the storm spirits. "I'll pulverize you!"

"He's magnificent," Mellie sighs.

"Concentrate?" Jason prompts.

"Right!" she says.

They channel the wind so their fall becomes more of a tumble into the nearest open chute. Still, they slam into the tunnel at painful speed and go rolling over each other down a steep vent that is not designed for people. There's no way they can stop.

Mellie's robes billow around her. Jason and the others cling to her desperately, and they begin to slow down, but the storm spirits are screaming into the tunnel behind them.

"Can't — hold — long," Mellie warns. "Stay together! When the winds hit —"

"You're doing great, Mellie," Hedge says. "My own mama was an aura, you know. She couldn't have done better herself."

"Iris-message me?" Mellie pleads.

Hedge winks.

"Could you guys plan your date later?" Piper screams. "Look!"

Behind them, the tunnel is turning dark. Jason can feel his ears pop as the pressure builds.

"Can't hold them," Mellie warns. "But I'll try to shield you, do you one more favor."

"Thanks, Mellie," Jason says. "I hope you get a new job."

The aurai smiles, and then dissolves, wrapping them in a warm, gentle breeze. Then the real winds hit, shooting them into the sky so fast, Jason blacks out. 

Word Count: 12090 words

[engelfeather]

This is chapter 9!! I couldn't add a title here (sos)

"You're hungry?" Angel tilted his head, confused. How could he already be hungry so soon. Sure, he was small, but he had eaten a day or two ago. He didn't need to eat so soon, that would be bad. But the growling noises coming from Xavier's stomach didn't just concern him, but also creeped him out. Seeing Xaviers cheeks go red and him covering his stomach with his arms, indicated to him that he didn't seem to enjoy this noise either.

After another deep breath, Xavier nodded, his stomach was causing him serious discomfort now. "Yes, I'm hungry. Starving even! Can't you.. I don't know.. give me a breadcrumb or something?? Ehh..heh- if you want of course" He gave an awkward smile, hoping he didn't anger the giant, seeing how deeply he seemed to be staring into his soul.

"But you just ate.." Xavier flinched at Angels sudden words, but, mostly irritated, answered "No.. I am seriously hungr-" he got cut off."

You just ate."

Angel repeated, furrowing his brows.

"I ate like two days ago!"

Xavier responded annoyed now, with a hint of fear in his voice. He didn't want Angel to break more of his bones or.. do something worse- "So? You still have like.. a week until you're allowed to eat." Allowed!? A week! He couldn't wait a week for a bit of food! So in the most polite way he could muster up, even adding a friendly smile into the mix, he asked "Are.. you not allowing me to eat for a week..to uhm... Torture me or something?" This seemed to surprise Angel "Huh? Did I say that? No. Your body wouldn't allow that! I'm helping you out here with your.. strong urges to eat I guess- I think you should get that checked out by a doctor" he whispered the last part, leaning in close doing so.

Xavier tries to push Angels face away, his hands merely sinking into his soft fur. God damn it. Why does his body also have to be squishier than a damn sponge

"What-.. what the hell is that even supposed to mean! I.. I'm literally trapped here-! Why would my body even need a week to be able to eat again? ....how many times do you think we have to eat in a week-" Angel was slightly surprised at Xavier's more loud exclamation, considering recent events, yet he rolled his eyes and responded in a sarcastic tone "Well surely it's every day almost every hour, with the way you're acting. Oh please.. you'll be fine for another week or so." Xavier looked at him dumbfounded.

Was this guy serious?

"sigh, yes. Yes I do. Normally three meals a day with some snacks on the side.. if I can afford that." He mumbled, he would just be honest, hoping he wouldn't use this info for some personal twisted use. He shivered at the thought of him capturing humans, just to let them starve. As much as he wanted to believe that no one would do that, he trusted this giant to perform such a cruel act. Looking back up, he expected a sadistic smirk, but was instead met with curious eyes, like some child that just found a shiny rock. Great. Now he was downgraded down to a shiny rock.

Angel gently wrapped his hand around Xavier, who was still floating mid air and placed him on his pillow. Patting the humans head, definitely not to play with his hair, he laid down on his stomach. With his hands on his cheeks and his legs propped up, kicking them in the air, he asked "You actually have to eat that much? That sounds.. overwhelming. Sad.. oh you sad, sad creature with your weird anatomy." Xavier shot him an annoyed glare, which he found quite amusing.

A small growl from Xavier made him hug himself again. He whined to himself, quietly, he just wanted a piece of food. Could this giant not ask questions later? With gritted teeth, he spoke "Yeah yeah, I'm pathetic, I think I got that so far. Can you please just get me something to eat." Angel, noticing the impatient tone in Xavier's voice, sighed deeply. If this meant the little dude wouldn't die, then he'd oblige. "Very well, it shouldn't be too hard to get you something to eat. I'll be right back!" With that, Angel quickly got up and ran out of the room, as if to quickly get away from a bomb that was about to explode. A few, agonizing, minutes later, Angel returned to Xavier, who was now curled into a Ball, clutching his stomach tightly. In a soft tone, he said "Dont worry, I got you something to eat.."

Opening his hand, he dropped a pile of large leaves in front of Xavier. At first he thought, maybe these were leaves used for a salad, though upon further inspection, Xavier realised that this was grass. Plain, simple grass. Was this some stupid joke?

Looking up at Angel however, only revealed that not only was he serious, he seemed to desperately want to watch Xavier eat this grass. As if he was some hamster trying to eat, with their owner watching over them, constantly awing at how adorable it was. At least now he wasn't a shiny rock anymore..

"...A- Angel, uhm.. what the hell is this? Do you think we eat grass or something?" With big, awaiting eyes, Angel nodded, pushing the grass blades closer to Xavier. "I tried plucking the best ones for you.. they all look the same to me though, so I'm sorry if this isn't up to your standards." Xavier tried to find a mocking tone in Angels voice, yet only seemed to find genuine care, which he found somewhat unnerving. "Err..it's nice that you're trying to feed me the good type of grass, I guess, but.." he gently pushed the grass away from him, "We humans don't eat.. grass." Angels mouth widened, a small gasp escaping his lips, surprised by this. "You.. don't eat grass? But I thought.. you did. I mean.. some of you had small patches of grass outside of your house... I thought you ate the grass from there."

Xavier shook his head in disbelief, did this guy know nothing about humans? Considering he seemed to only visit his world to torment the people there, that seemed to be true. "Those are gardens.. yes, some plant vegetables or fruits in their gardens, but they don't have them to eat the grass from there." Angel seemed to be genuinely upset by this and took away the grass. He let out a small snarl "I only wanted to help. What do you eat then, human." Xavier responded in a more friendly way, lest he anger the giant.. again. "Well, all sorts of things.. fruits, vegetables, meat and, yes, even things that are cooked, fried or what not." Angel stared at him, as if he had just revealed some dark secret humans had, before bursting out laughing, causing Xavier to flinch and stiffen up.

"You- hah.. you eat meat!? Hahaha! Look at your scrawny form! As if you could hunt animals! That's something I'd love to watch, watching you run around and fail to hunt even the simplest animals! You can barely even catch up to animals like rabbits and you're telling me you eat meat!" Xavier frowned at the mocking comments being made about him, not that they were necessarily wrong, but at least he didn't chase after helpless people that were barely a dusk speck compared to him.

His stomach grumbled again, seemed like he wasn't the only one who was annoyed by Angel. "Can you not give me some of the left over curry? Unless you already ate everything..-" Angel stopped laughing and went back to staring Xavier down. "No, I threw it away after you landed in my food. No offence, but I don't want your dirty germs all over my food."

As if you care about cleanliness.

Xavier thought, side eying Angels dirty room. With a heavy sigh, he looked back up to Angel "Could you.. perhaps cook me something?" Angel looked away, finally averting his gaze "I don't have any food right now.. I mean.. I only buy food when I want to cook something, so currently I have no food available.. ehe-" In a dramatic fashion, Xavier let himself fall on his back. "But.." Angel said slowly, "I could go out and get some food.." Xaviers mood lifted slightly, he could wait a little longer if that meant he would get some dinner soon. "However, you're coming with me. I am not getting food you can't eat in the end. That would just be a waste of product." Well there went his good mood. "Come.. with you? Outside where other giants like you are? ....no thanks. I'd much rather stay here." the giant placed a finger against his chin "You're not wrong.. I don't need them to know you exist, not that they run away screaming or something.." Angel mumbled.

Xavier thought Angel misspoke "Wait what? 'Run away screaming' why? Why would they do that" Angel nervously chuckled and looked away. Tripping over his words, he answered "Ehh.. Ehe, let's just say, they ...well uhm.. f.. fear you guys. Your whole world to be precise. Honestly anything that isn't from their world. We.. err aren't allowed to exit our world either. So it's best if no one finds out about your existence here." Xavier just looked at Angel as if he just told the most obscure and bizarre story ever. "Are you fucking with me right now?" Angel raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. "No, I think both of our clothes are still on, unless..~ nevermind.." "What..?" Xavier, uncomfortable, scooted away slightly "No, that's not what I meant, weirdo- I meant.. how on earth are your people afraid of us!" Scratching the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact, Angel answered in a whispering tone "Well.. lets just say.. they have a different image when thinking of a human" Xavier's curiousity was peaked. "Different you say? Why, what do they think when thinking of us?"

"Let's not waste any time now! We...heh We don't want ya starving any further haha! Here let me hide your scent for you" He quickly grabbed Xavier and rapidly began licking him from the bottom to the top. Xavier thrashed around, trying to push away the fleshy muscle to no avail. Seemed like the giant was done with the conversation.

With a hefty sigh, Xavier let Angel lick him. If it was to taste him or to actually hide his scent, somehow, he couldn't tell, maybe it was both. After Angel was done, he tried to rub off some of the saliva with his sleeve, whilst kneading his chest fluff, with his other hand, to loosen it slightly. "There.. now you're all ready!" He lowered Xavier into his fur, squishing his fur together to prevent his new passenger from slipping down. Walking towards the door, he opened a small closet, where he grabbed his keys and a jacket he put on. Pushing away some of his stuff that laid around in there, revealed a small hidden drawer in the closet. Quickly he unlocked the drawer with a key and pulled it open. The object inside caused Xavier to flinch.

There, laid a gun with swirled rose-golden and white engravings on it. Whilst Xavier was clutching Angels fur in nervousness, Angel, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind, happily taking it out and viewing it. With a shaky voice, Xavier asked "Why- why are you taking that out. We.. we are just going to run some errands, right??" Angel gave a small nod "Yes, of course. But ya never know what could happen. I'm just making sure we'll stay safe, why, do you not own a gun?" Xavier wondered in what kind of neighborhood Angel lived in, where it was that dangerous, that he had to take a gun with him. Shaking his head, he answered "No. Why would I? I'm not American." Angel looked at him irritated, but didn't answer. He just shrugged and hid the gun in his chest fur, causing shivers to run down Xavier's spine.

Angel hummed as he walked down the streets with his company safely secured In his fur. Even if the human was tiny, the warmth radiating from his body made him shiver ever so slightly. He enjoyed it, he enjoyed every moment being near the human, feeding off of his energy and short temper. It amused him, in a way even made his day. In fact, a part of him enjoyed teasing the tiny more than torturing him physically. Screams were fun, but the ability to control every part of someone, to stop them from speaking further or choosing what they had to eat, simple things like that, made him feel even better. He was in control of Xavier's every action and he knew it. It's not like the human could put up a fight against him. The psychological torment gave him such a thrill. He grinned, his tail swishing around behind him. Looking down, he saw how Xavier looked around frantically, flinching every time a person walked by. How adorable.

Xavier looked around, his heart was in his throat. These creatures seemed to come in all sizes and forms. Some even towered over Angel, whilst in the corners of the streets he could see people his own size, if not slightly taller. They seemed to be waiting for.. something. Squinting his eyes, he tried to see what they could potentially be waiting for. There, a small platform lowered to the ground, with the tiny folks stepping on them, getting lifted into the air. Following their ascent upwards, he noticed long tubes spanning across the houses, with these smaller people running through them. That was definitely one way to get around, whilst also not risking getting stepped on. It didn't seem that any of the giants seemed to mind them though, which surprised him slightly. Though perhaps, if Angel had some kind of powers, so did they. Meaning they weren't as defenceless as he was. Just his luck..

Swallowing hard, he tried to somehow back away from a giant that passed them. Luckily they were too busy talking to someone on the phone, however their loud laughter rumbled through his ears, hurting his sensitive ear drums Glancing up, he saw how Angel seemed to be amused by his suffering. He frowned, averting his gaze quickly. He wouldn't cater to his amusement. With another giant passing them, he groaned, displeased with his current situation. Trying to lower himself into the fur, Angel chuckled slightly, using a finger to press him down. He glared at him, trying to whisper a curse up to him, though was met with a mouthful of fur, which strangely tasted like marshmallows.

Gross.

With a sigh, he spat out the fur and gave the biggest pout he could muster up, making sure Angel knew that this wasn't funny to him. So what if that only made it funnier, the giant already knew he hated this, why hide his emotion.He continued his pout until his mouth ached, making him stop. Though it seemed that not only he stopped, but so did Angel. With a shiver running down his spine, he heard the dreadful words.

"We're here."

Previous chapter:

[vlovebug]

Valentine headcannons because I can.

turning and after (I can't find why he was turned so I'm making my own way) and general

(I'll be honest some of these don't make sense but neither do I)

(I'm taking things from other vampire movies and applying them to monster-high vampires, mainly The Little Vampire ( 2007), all Hotel Transylvania movies, and some things from redacted audios ( yes I pulled this card so what)

he was turned only because of that old vampire dude (I forgot his name but he was the bad guy that was in charge of the vampire heart thing) needed a soldier and he had a magic core, so he was chosen with his mom

he had his magic core (power core or something) before his turning.

old vampire dude taught him that stealing love was the only right way to get it.

he was forced to train in many ways. ( fighting, torture, self-defense, etc)

at first, he refused to drink any type of blood because he was disgusted with himself, so he only went off love but that soon changed as he wasn't getting enough.

he was told if he didn't do something right, he would be starved ( cruel)

he struggled with his strengths for a long while, breaking things and bending them without warning. because of this, he has to keep a very good hold on his emotions ( news flash, he can't do that very well)

his fangs would cut his lips and tongue constantly so they had to put stuff on his fangs to protect his mouth ( modern stuff includes foram and just hiding his fangs in his gums)

he has to make himself look more human when going out ( fangs back into gums, sunglasses, something longsleeved or something that covers his skin from the sun rays, he will also just make glamors( magic covers) over himself if he's feeling lazy)

he can heal himself and others if needed (I've seen vampires be able to do that so all vampires that learn it can do it)

all vampires' eyes do that thing where the pupils shrink ( predator stare), some do it on purpose and some only do it when threatened.

his eye color can go from red to pink depending on if he drank blood or went off love. his eyes are pink 80% of the time

he can make illusions but depending on the size it can only last so long.

he can fly ( more like float but it is kinda of the same thing)

all vampires have bat forms ( we know this where am I going with this?)but they can also have a pair of small bat wings and tails on their forms at all times ( kinda like a hybrid of sorts, this is only the case if they get their bat form and go through a transformation ( vampire puberty )

he makes bat sounds (I love bat sounds, they itch my brain)

he likes putting his hair in styles his mom used to wear in BC ( or was it AD?)

he has daggers hidden on his person at all times because of monster/ vampire hunters

he likes to make fun of and torture hunters

he artistic

15 languages ( both verbal and nonverbal)

he can't sing but boy can he hum

has had his core touched and he punched the shit out of the person that did the touching out of shock.

he doesn't use his arms or hands in fights often because he likes kicking people

cries blood instead of water

has a pet reptile ( haven't decided which one)

has a HUGE soft spot for animals ( less for flying monkeys but he still loves the nice ones)

absolutly hates tomaotes, apples, bellpepers, anything with a bad texture, smell, or colour ( same)

we know he has a sweet tooth but I think he wouldn't like dark chocolate (I'm just giving him more of my traits at this point)

he bites ice cream and then whines when it hurts his teeth from the cold

he accidentally locks himself in places you wouldn't expect ( expert in finding spots that get you stuck 🤝)

in the comic thing, he's not seen till he's ready. based on that I would think that He is really hard to find when he doesn't want to be seen and can hide his presence ( how does that work? We will never know)

He can't spell nor remember easy words but can somehow be completely fine with large words ( ah yes another of my problems given to my comfort character)

he has a heart on his chest ( did I say this already?)

hes flexible as fuck ( military training ?)

he teaches spelldon and others he knows stuff that they wanna learn ( if he knows how ofc)

he never lies ( after the movie ofc) because he knows the truth will only hurt more with lies.

can be protective when with people

Mom friend ( mom friend)

( if they become friends) Draculaura tottled his car once and he's banned her from driving his car ( I would too)

can braid hair like no other, you need to fix your hair? he's there with a hair tie ( only if you tell him the can ofc)

I'm done, my brain is fried and I'm losing my ability to spell.

[egipci]

Bourbon Street Parade

They drove down to New Orleans looking to buy some hex bags from an old connection, but they were out of luck. A little girl, no older than eight years old, appeared in front of the door wearing green fairy wings, in her hand a magic wand with curly plastic ribbons coming out the end of it. She ran the ribbons through her fingers and looped them around and made a motion as if snipping them and craned her neck back and said Old Al was dead forever. Dad rubbed his eyes with the flat of his palm, his mouth down-turned, his jaw clenched. She stretched her arm out and pointed her wand towards the river. She said you better look for some other guy but watch out for all the phonies.

Thanks, Dean said, and held out his family-size bag of tootsie rolls. She shook her head. He wagged his eyebrows and rattled the bag like, you sure? This is the good stuff. Two for five at the gas station this morning but he was already down to a third of a bag and this made him feel very generous. Again she shook her head. He made a show of unwrapping a candy and throwing it into his mouth. She gave him a disgusted look and took off.

O-kay, he said. He scraped the taffy coating his teeth with a fingernail, struggled some to get out what was stuck between them while he thought carefully about touching Dad’s elbow or offering some other comfort. He swallowed, fake-chocolate taste thick at the back of his throat, and looked at his dad and Dad sighed and slapped his shoulder and said let’s go and started walking down Conti, leaving the car behind, always knowing what to do, walking fast like he did in huge strides that you had to jog a little to keep up with him for five, six blocks, past blow-up ghosts in front of homes covered in mesh cobwebs and kids inside them screaming, the street narrowing in, the sidewalks getting busier. Out of nowhere Dad crossed the street and there was a beep and Dean waved his hand at the guy behind the wheel and there were startled angry apologetic looks exchanged and Dean turned again looking for his father and caught sight of his turning left on Bourbon and called out after him and rounded the corner, his hand on his dead phone heavy and useless in his pocket, his eyes trained on Dad’s shoulders, so far behind him now and between them fat Batman in gray suit and hard plastic cowl, Michael Jackson who couldn’t moonwalk, Dolly Parton with foam tits and cowboy hat, chick waddling in mermaid tail, sexy nurse, squad of stormtroopers, preacher raging into a microphone, Ghostface, Black guy in a shoulder-length brown wig and beige-colored bathrobe, three little kids drumming on upside-down buckets, vampire with plastic fangs and red running down her chin and down her neck and her sternum artfully between her boobs, innumerable sweaty costumeless midwestern couples drinking liquor in plastic cups, murder victim with axe sticking out his head, scarecrow, Neo in leather duster, sorority girls in heels, fun-loving gay dudes, Pennywise and closely-related generic clown, a second and third Ghostface, beer sweetness in the air and gumbo and a big manly hand on his ass squeezing and Eagles cover band singing the full moon is calling the fever is high and the — corner of St. Ann where Dad turned right and disappeared into one of the courtyards or up into the rare green aurora flashing over the Mississippi a hundred yards away with its sewage smell, leaving Dean forever with his candy and choices to make like does he go back where he came from or does he walk miles up and down Decatur for the ghosts to watch and laugh from their balconies or does he ask for a phone to please call my dad and even worse than that the humiliation of asking where are you where should I meet you why would you leave like that should I go back to the car?

But then he heard the shouting. A large-sounding, murderous-sounding man was cursing insanely. His voice echoed and spilled out into the street. Dean pushed in a narrow metal gate that led into a poorly-lit path that led into a creole courtyard just as Dad turned the corner on his way out and said found you and just as Dad turned the corner Dean made some embarrassing girlish sound and threw himself back against the wall, gasping wildly, his heart rabbiting, hopped up on high-fructose corn syrup, threatening to bust out through his ribs. Pressed his hand to his chest to keep it in place. Whatever misery Dad saw on his face made him grin wide and sharp. Across from Dean he leaned against the wall. Only three feet between them now. But Dad tugged on his jacket, pulled him closer. Dean tripped over his feet, into Dad's chest, held on to Dad's arms for balance. Dad said, Here you go, laughing. He held a cloth pouch in his hand, tried to fit it in Dean’s right pocket but found it full of candy wrappers. He tsked as they fell soundlessly to the ground and said, gonna make yourself sick bud, slow and deep and pitying, teasing, hot in that eye-prickling way. He pulled Dean’s jacket open and left the pouch and its mysteries inside the inner pocket then his hand on Dean’s chest.

I was right behind you, Dean said, belly swirling with taffy and four whole months since he’d last had Dad’s hands on him.

I know, dude.

I found you.

I know, Dad said, huge careful hands cradling Dean’s skull. He said hey come here, and his hot open mouth was on Dean’s skin and his beard scratching and his teeth and he tilted Dean’s face up finally and then there was nothing for it. Dean closed his eyes.

[atsadi-shenanigans]

Feeding Alligators 19 - Bite Night

Astarion spills a little secret.

On AO3.

Astarion lurches back and onto his feet. Says something you can’t understand because you are rationing your last dirt potion. But this seems pretty goddamn important, so you reach for your bag without breaking eye contact. His gaze follows your hands, and even in the dim light from a dying campfire, you can tell his whole frame tenses. And then sags—less than an inch—when you pull out the potion bottle and unstopper it with your teeth.

Still tastes like ass.

“What the fuck,” you say.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Astarion says. He’s back up another three paces or so, hands still held up.

It looks like a man looming over you with his mouth fucking open. Are bath salts a thing here? Is he some kind of serial killer?

“What’s it look like?” you say.

“I wasn’t going to hurt you!”

“So, what, you just spend your nights breathing on us while we all sleep?”

“No, no. Nothing like that.” His usual smirk and swagger are gone. They’ve left someone with his ridiculous, poofy hair and the frilly ass shirt and the scaredest aura you’ve seen in a long, long while. When you don’t scream or try to kick him—his eyes track to your hands again—he continues. Winces. “I just needed a little, well, blood?”

You’re not sure that translates correctly. Then you’re not sure you heard it correctly. Because it makes no damn sense. Not at all. Gale is the cook, and you’ve never seen Astarion fucking around with potions—you’ve never seen Gale fucking around with blood in his potion brewing, but you brain makes that jump anyhow.

“Why?” you drawl.

He blinks at you. Seems a little taken aback, almost sheepish. Both at himself, and at you, for some reason.

His gaze darts behind you, to the rest of the sleeping party. He swallows visibly. “I…might have neglected to mention something about me. Not anything momentous! It’s just well, I might happen to be a…what’s the best way to put this. A vampire! Haha!”

The laugh comes out as this bright, theatrical giggle. Dude might as well be flashing jazz hands to go with it.

A vampire. Like…like fucking dracula? If it translated correctly. If your brain hasn’t started bleeding in your sleep as the worm hits some vital artery and this is the last, bizarre hurrah delusion as your cerebral tissues wither and die of oxygen deprivation.

“A vampire,” you say to see if it sounds like bullshit out loud and yep, sure does.

“Yes.” He still wears that fake smile. One that morphs as you watch. Twists into nervousness. “I’m not some monster, though. I feed on animals: boars, deer, kobolds. Whatever I can get. I’m…just too slow right now. Too weak.”

Boars. Like the one y’all found on the road two days ago. The one he just left there for anyone to see.

…you could have sworn he was smart. He couldn’t come up with half the shit he’s said to you without a touch of clever. But that seems so…amateur hour.

Then again, you come from a world with fifty-seven new murder podcasts a week, so there’s that.

“So like, ‘drink the blood of the innocent’, honest-to-god actual vampire,” you say. “That’s a fucking thing that exists here?”

“Gods have very little to do with it. Do you not have vampires in your realm?”

“No. Not, I mean. There’s people who call themselves that? But they just dye their hair and wear dramatic makeup and I think some of them actually do lick each others’ blood, but that’s how you catch hepatitis, so…”

It’s his turn to stare all baffled at you. He starts to open his mouth.

“They’re not like,” you say and gesture to him. “They’re just pretending.”

Red eyes and pale skin. You’d thought he was albino. Some kind of fantasy albino that could bask under the sun, because this is a whole different plane of existence and what the fuck do you know?

Looking now, he’s not the same type of pale, though. He’s more corpse-pale. And in the low firelight, as he’d loomed over you, you had spotted, you realize, a set of fangs he’s until now kept hidden.

Man is a fucking vampire.

“But you know what that is?” he says. “What I am?”

He keeps checking behind you. He was on first watch (…that explains so much right now; he always took first watch). Considering he’s kept the entire thing hidden until you caught him, you know, with his fangs over your neck, and considering the way his body language screams, you’re guessing he expects a strong, negative reaction.

“Maybe we should talk about this closer to your tent?” you say. “Y’know, out of earshot?”

It’s the second time he’s ever dropped his “smug bastard” look in surprise. At least that you’ve seen. His mouth even flaps a couple of times before he recovers and slides the Goblin Man persona back on.

“Yes, of course,” he says, sweeps one arm out to indicate “after you.” Seems to consider how vulnerable this leaves you and he sort of freezes. Must not like the idea of you at his back, either.

Well. He’s had plenty of time to slit your throat since you met. And he rolled back when you woke up, instead of lunging and pinning you and ripping your throat like some 30 Days of Night motherfucker.

You climb to your feet (fuck fuck! The burn! Why does your fucking scalp hurt??) and stagger past him like an arthritic grandma.

His footsteps follow a second later. You hear footsteps, which means he wants you to, so that’s likely a good sign?

You stop next to his tent, just at the edge of the dim glow of the embers, and give him the best look-over you can manage in the gloom.

“My people got all kinds of stories about vampires,” you say. “But they’re just stories, and a lot of them don’t match each other. I been saying we don’t have monsters or magic or all that. Just humans and other animals.”

“No monsters? At all?” he says. “How…quaint.”

“None,” you say. “So you’re gonna have to explain to me what this all means, and I’m gonna ask around later to make sure it all checks out.”

“Ask?” His voice goes hard and his entire frame snaps into harsh angles.

“Gale. About history. Monsters and such. I don’t know shit and everyone knows it. No one’ll find that weird.”

He watches you for a breath. Two. The muscles of his jaw work. Then he sighs all harsh through his nose. “I suppose that’s to be expected. Fine.”

And he explains. A “vampire spawn”, not a “real” vampire. Some fuckface named Cazador. He gives no details about his life, no emotions, only what you might call a wikipedia summary of what, exactly he is. But you can imagine a lot of horror around the words “puppet” and “slave.” You can imagine a lot.

“We’ll be in the swamp tomorrow to ambush this meeting you’re so curious about,” he says, moving on like he didn’t toss a psychological grenade into your lap. “If I need to fight, I need to get my strength up. And, well. I’m too slow to hunt at the moment. One too many ambushes, lately.”

“How often do you need, um, blood?”

“Oh, most days animals are just fine. I hunt most nights, but I can go much longer in between, if I need to.”

The tadpole shivers in your brain. You flinch, and notice Astarion do the same. It’s trying to mind whammy y’all. The connection flows between you, and you catch a sliver of cracked and quivering memories, of—

no no NO.

Of fear.

You slam it shut so hard the both of you stumble.

Fear. No.

Terror. The man is scared absolutely shitless right now. And he can go longer in between meals the way a human can technically survive a few days without water. You’d felt starvation chewing through his gut, an icy thing made of teeth chewing, chewing, chewing at him.

“Fuck!” you say and clamp a hand over your mouth.

None of the others stirs.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” you whisper shout. You’d felt it for less than a second and it had damn near turned your brains to scrambled eggs. You’re not even sure how the man is capable of standing upright, let alone using facial expressions and gesticulating.

A snarl tugs at his lips, even as his facial muscles twitch and you watch in real time as he smooths his expression out into a pleasant neutrality.

Motherfucker. This, he…this is so fucked up.

“At best I was sure you’d say no,” he says. “More likely, you’d ram a stake through my ribs.

You’ve demonstrated to god and country tonight that you literally do not possess the upper body strength to pull that off. Nor do you have a stake (he’d been watching your hands so carefully).

“No, I needed you to trust me. And you can trust me.”

“You put a knife to my throat the first time you saw me,” you say.

His smarm bleeds over him like a drop of water touched to a smear of paint. “Well, darling, it was quite a day. I’d been abducted and infected once already. I’m sure you can appreciate having a healthy amount of caution.”

He’s not wrong. If you’d found any weapons on the butthole ship, you probably would have pointed one right back at him. Had he not tackled you to the ground, anyway.

It was a fucking day.

You glance back to the others. Gale curled on his side with his toes peeking out. Shadowheart bundled into a ball with only her long ponytail to indicate she was anything more than a lump of bedding. Lae’zel on her back with one leg kicked up, for some reason.

“Have you bitten any of us before?” you say.

He makes a sound, one part smug, and one part wistful. “Darling, I’m good, but I’m not that good. You’d have noticed if I spent the night devouring you.”

You roll your eyes. “So what stopped you?”

“It seemed ill mannered to bite without asking. Present instance excluded.”

So he could have, but didn’t. Whether he’d actually considered it rude, or some other reason he’s not telling you (getting caught), y’all’ve been laying your necks out for the taking for days. He hasn’t been pulling a dracula and draining one of y’all slowly. He didn’t slaughter his way through camp in a feral blood rage.

And yes, you’re pretty sure part of that is the reason he’s tagging along with y’all anyway: security in numbers. Still. He can control himself, present instance excluded.

“Yeah,” you say. “Yeah, you been trustworthy so far. Mostly.”

“Thank you,” he says. For the first time tonight, the tension laced through him seems to genuinely crack and give. You think that’s the end of it, and almost turn back to your warm bedroll. But then he makes a hesitant gesture and you stop. “Do you think you could, ah, trust me just…a little further? I only need a taste, I swear.”

A taste…?

Oh.

Ohhh.

“My blood,” you say like a clever person.

“Not all of it! Just enough to get me back to top form. For whatever we find tomorrow.”

The vampire wants to drink your blood. That’s…

“Um,” you say.

Focus. You need to focus.

That hunger. Your own middle still shivers from the memory, and you’d only brushed his thoughts for a moment. You know hunger. Or thought you did (it seems a mewling kitten in comparison to the thing Astarion is carrying around). You wouldn’t wish it on anyone. And you donated blood back home on the regular. It’s just blood, right? Your body will make more, and the guy could use it.

But vampirism is a bit different from a sterile needle, and it has side effects in all the movies. You take a breath.

“Two questions. One, is this in any way, shape or form, going to result in killing me now or in the future?”

His face does something complicated before he answers, “Not at all. I don’t intend to take any more than you can handle.”

Your stomach flutters. This is batshit (ha). Surely y’all could bring him something still kicking in the morning? Go hunting for him?

You fold your hands so he can’t see them shake. “Second question: is this going to, in any way shape or form now or in the future, turn me into a vampire?”

The emotion in his next smile you can identify. Bitterness. His chin drops, casting even the faint shine from the embers out of his eyes and leaving them dark.

“I’m a spawn, not a real vampire, darling. My bite won’t do anything more than sip from that precious neck of yours.”

Okay. Right. Questions answered. You think he’s telling the truth? You hope he’s telling the truth. Sweet baby jesus on a pogo stick, this is the stupid idea. Stoopid with two o’s.

“Can you pass on any other diseases you might have?” you say because you still have a handful of braincells trying to do their job.

“That’s three questions.”

You stare.

He grins all fake; you’re learning to recognize it.

“D’you want my blood or not?”

He actually slouches as he rolls his eyes.

 “Alright, fine. Not that I know of.” He holds one finger up to silence the next question forming on your lips. “I can experience side effects if I feed on something rancid. But as I’m dead—technically undead—I can neither catch nor spread mortal diseases.”

…sounds logical. Also sends a cascade of biology questions churning through your mind. Maybe he’ll let you ask, later? This’ll probably increase your standing with him, if no one else, and that’s a step towards proving you aren’t a total drain on camp resources (the fucking irony). Besides, it’s not your first donation, even if the form and function are vastly different (are they, though?).

You roll your head onto your shoulders. Shrug a couple of times to loosen the tension. Say, “Okay then.”

He actually backs up. Not a full step, just a surprised sort of shuffle. In the gloom, the dead fire paints his shocked expression in shades of orange and red.

“Really?” he says, and even he can’t hide the genuine surprise in his voice. “I…of course. I’ll not take one drop more than I need.”

You’re doing this. Good god, you’re doing this.

He seems to psyche himself up, too. Straightens and gives his shoulders a wiggle. His chin lifts, mask slides back into place. He says, “Let’s make ourselves comfortable, shall we?”

Previous - Index - Next Chapter

[eashmo]

Bloodlust part 4

-family reunion-

Warnings: fluff and small smut scene because vamp eddie is forever a horny mf.

A/n: bit longer chapter. picture by me also Max is present, but she's blind (might later write her having hidden abilities as well)

The smut scenes have been making me pass away a little because vampires in general are 🥵😅...... I need a boyfriend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dusty-bun to you copy? It’s Hellfire. '' I snickered in my walkie. As Eddie was nuzzling my neck, i could feel him smile against my skin from hearing my codename. he gave me that codename.

“Baby you're acting like a giant cat. Are you sure you're a vampire?” I giggled when he playfully bit my earlobe. “You smell good, I can't help it.” he chuckles, inhaling my scent. 

“y/n, i told you not to ever call me that.” a voice on the other side of the walkie sighed.

“I'm sure Suzie-poo will understand. We sort of have a situation.” 

“What kind of situation?” Dustin sounded worried. 

“Just a situation, bring everyone to my house. Over and out.” I said quickly. I'm throwing my walkie on my dresser. Turning towards Eddie, one hand grabs my waist, and the other pulls my chin up, giving me a desprate kiss. I grabbed his bottom lip with my teeth, causing him to make a low growl. 

~you're such a horny monster~ I say in my mind. He flashes his fangs in a wide grin “told you i can't help it, especially when you are standing there looking like a 5 course meal.”

I scoffed while looking down at what I was wearing, his hellfire shirt,  and short sleep shorts. My hair looks like a rat's nest…. I look like a hobo. 

“A very sexy hobo.” he chuckles. 

“Eddie,” I whined.

“Baby” he mimics my whining. He grabs my arms as he falls on top of my bed, taking me with him. I straddle his waist. “We have time for a little quickie.” he says with a smirk. He pulled me down for a kiss, but I stopped him. He looks at me with worry. I gave him a mischievous grin. ~your going to have to catch me first.~ i said in my mind when i got up and started to run out the bedroom door. I looked back quickly to see him stunned, but he quickly ran after me with a grin. 

Of course, it didn't take him long to just appear in front of me because of his vampire speed. I couldn't even make it to the last step on the stairs. He scoops me up in his arms “You’re so cute. Thinking you can outrun me,” his comment made me pout with a huff. 

He lays us on the coach. His body hovered over mine. I was still pouting. “Now we can't have that pout, can we.” he says before he starts tickling without mercy. I was screaming and laughing so loudly that we didn't notice a group of people breaking down our front door. Then voices made us freeze.

“ What the hell!” the group shouted.

I looked over Eddie's shoulder with wide eyes. ~it's time for the family reunion, baby~ i told him. He gets up and pulls me up with him. His back was still facing them. I walked around him to stand in front of the group.

“Guys why the hell are you armed?” I chuckled.

“Well Dustin said you were in trouble, and we heard screaming.” Steve says, trying to see the so-called threat that was behind me.

“First off Dustin, really?, I told you it was a situation, not a code red, and second, the situation is actually a surprise.”  I said to them,

~ Eddie, you can turn around now~

Eddie turns around, and everyone drops their weapons in shock.

“Eddie’s back,” I giggled. 

“I'm back, guys.” he grins with fangs and all. 

The kids instantly tackled him. And I was right, Dustin was crying. Steve, Robin, and Nancy still stood there in shock. I laughed at them and pushed them into the group hug.

"H-how," Dustin asked. i got up and kissed Eddie on the forehead, allowing him and the group to catch up privately.

"demobat Venom," Eddie replies with a small smile.

"DUDE! you're just like Kas." Mike yells.

this caused Eddie to give a full body laugh. which i haven't heard in so long it made my tear up a little.

"i guess i am." he says.

"When did you get back?" Lucas asks.

"Last night."

"This is freaky." Steve says.

"Speaking of venom, why isn't Steve a vampire?, he got bit as well." Nancy questioned.

"Don't know. I guess I was more compatible." Eddie shrugged.

"this fucking fascinating, what abilites do you have? can you turn people?" Dustin yells.

"Dustin language." i screamed from the kitchen. i can hear him huff.

"Well, so far i can walk in sunlight, control my age, i'm faster, stronger, can move between this world and the upside down freely, i can only read y/n mind and my saliva can heal wounds so i guess my blood can as well."

"i don't wanna know how you discovered that part." Robbin smirked. i laughed at her from the kitchen. confirming her suspicion more.

"and no i cant" Eddie says.

"Why can you only read y/n's mind?" Max asks. she looked at him with pale eyes. which caused Eddie to frown.

"soulmate thing." he casually tells her. both me and her smile at this.

"Max, did vecna do this to your eyes?" he asks her.

with a cough, she replied with a "yes"

"i promise if he ever comes back, I'll make sure he pays." he tells her as he gently touches her hands. She flinched slightly due to the sudden contact, but she relaxed instantly when she realized it was him.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"Is anyone hungry? i can call for pizza, and does anyone want a movie night tonight?" i shouted as i finished up cleaning the dirty from Eddie's Pancake extravaganza this morning.

a bunch of "im starving" and "im down for a movie" could be heard from the living room, causing me to smile and shake my head

I might have gone overboard with the ordering, but it's a good thing i did because the little gremlins shared 4 whole pizzas. Steve, Nancy, and robin scarfed down 3. geez guys, do you even eat at home? i said to myself, causing Eddie to chuckle. Me and Eddie shared a pizza. Steve picked it out back to the future. “I still don't get this movie,” he says.

Snuggling up to Eddie on the couch, I looked around and sighed happily seeing my “family” was back together again. The only ones missing were the Byers, El and Hopper. They still live in California. I need to call them tomorrow and tell them the news. 

~when they leave wanna take a bath with me?~ i asked Eddie in my mind. The light from the screen illuminated his face, allowing me to see him smirk.  “I would love to.” he whispers in my ear, causing me to shiver. After the movie, everyone did a big group hug and departed. 

“Ready?” I grinned as I ran up the stairs to my bathroom.

“Most definitely.” with a matching smirk running after me. 

dull fingernails grazed the insides of my thick thighs, his lips trailed my shoulder up to the crook of my neck. I bit my lip to stop a moan. My head falls back onto his shoulder, allowing more excess to my neck. His fingers reach the  soft hair between my legs. His fingers teased my entrance, making me squirm. 

“B-baby please.'' I whined. getting impatient. He plunges two ringed fingers into me instantly, making me gasp. I start to grind on his fingers. Desperate to have them go deeper. His other hand grabs my left tit, rolling my nipple between his fingers. My arms fall back around his head, gripping his hair. 

~bite me~ I moan in my mind. He licks a spot on my neck and then plunges his fangs into my skin, causing me to scream his name in pleasure. His fingers thrust faster within me as he fed off me. “I'm about to cum.” i moaned 

“Cum for me kitten.” he said as he licked the blood that had fallen down my shoulder. I felt like I was losing control of my body. I didn't have the energy to fight it. I gave in. Letting out a shaky breath, my whole body became tense. whimpering at the sensation. The Aftershocks made me twitch against his body.  

“Fffuck...” I groaned, coming down from the ecstasy. one last moan fell from my lips when I felt his tongue healing his bite while he removed his fingers from me.

I turned to face him. My blood in his mouth and down his chin. My legs now straddle his waist. Kissing him, tasting my blood as we intertwined our tongue. I slowly moved my hands occasionally digging my nails into his skin down his chest to his rock hard cock. I gripped his cock causing him to make a low moan. But he stopped me from doing anything else.

“Tonight was all about you, kitten.”

“But I want to return the favor.” I pouted.

He chuckles “next time, baby girl” one hand pulls me into a passionate kiss. his other hand pulls the tab to drain the tub. He helps me out of the tub and wraps me in a big fluffy towel, giving my nose a quick kiss before wrapping a towel around his waist. After we brushed our teeth and got in our sleepwear, i started to yawn uncontrollably. 

“Tired, baby?” he cooed.

“Mmhmm” 

“Let's get you into bed.” he pulled back the covers, allowing me to slip into bed he then followed after me. Bring me to his chest once we settled. 

~i love you~

He smiled down at me to say it back, but I was already asleep. He grinned as sleep overtook him quickly.

Previous Chapter

Part 5

Masterlist

2023

Taglist: @ali-r3n @gvf23

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Fic title- Of Savage Daughters and Sharpened Teeth

The day started like any other Sunday. Midoriya Izumi had finished her run, busy cooking breakfast for herself and her running partner Kirishima Eika. Iida was making his breakfast as he required a different style then the other two. Most of their class had come down, gathering simple cereals for breakfast or gulping down protein smoothies. Tsu had switched the news on, and Yaomomo was discussing a study session. 

 Then the news station went to static and a group of five masked men where on screen. The class froze, staring at it as the men moved to show four people tied to chairs. The oldest was a mutation Quirked person, her hair looking like ribbons and possessing skin that looked like fabric stitched together. She looked to be passed out, slumped in her chair. Next to her sat two younger teens, perhaps even preteens. Both had blue hair and eyes, and both were awake with gags in their mouths. They struggled against their bindings.

 The one that made everyone feel their stomachs drop though would be the youngest. A little girl with snakes for hair and thick glasses around her face. She looked to be crying from what the class saw.

 “Mama! Mommy!” The child cried.

 “Shut up,” one of the men said. “Hello Japan! We have some guests with us today that we’re dying to introduce to you!” He motioned to the tied up people.

 “Meet All Might’s weaknesses.” Cackled another. “My Quirk allows me to bring children from the future to the present! These are the children of All Might!”

 Izumi’s stomach twisted but then she saw it. The two middle children paused to exchange looks, and the youngest paused.

 “G’mpa Might?” The youngest child asked, looking highly confused. 

 The men all fell into silence.

 “… DUDE!” One of the men shouted. “You said you brought All Night’s future kids!”

 “He must have a child already!” The one who spoke about bringing the children forward said. “My Quirk connected to the kid’s Quirk then!” 

 Izumi’s stomach turned to ice. Connecting through the Quirks? 

 She looked at the four children, and her heart ached. 

 “All Might-sensei has a kid?!” Asked Ashido. “Those are his grandkids?!”

 “Midoriya-“ Todoroki looked to Izumi in worry. Normally she’d complain she wasn’t All Might’s secret love child. However she couldn’t then. Not when she held One for All, and not when a villain had connected to a Quirk to bring those kids here. 

 A masked man who hadn’t spoken yet rifled through the youngest’s coat pockets on screen even as the class worried. He pulled out a small wallet, a green one that Izuku barely made out the word ‘Froppy’ on it. Opening it he grabbed an ID card.

 “Midoriya Noriko. Quirk: Medusa,” the man read off. 

 All of 1A’s heads snapped to Izumi. She didn’t respond, staring at the screen. The little girl sniffed, a frown spreading across her face.

 “You’re all mean!” She shouted angrily. “Imma bite you!” She bared her teeth and her teeth were shown to be sharpened, looking very dangerous. The snakes in her hair hissed, all baring their fangs. The man stepped back quick, as the twins shook in muffled laughter.

 “Like your brats of siblings,” muttered the man whose Quirk brought the kids, rubbing his arm. “Anything else?” He asked the man with the wallet.

 “A picture.” The man with the wallet pulled the photo out and turned it to the other and thus the camera. They’re close enough to it that it’s obvious what the image is of.  An older version of Izumi, with an undercut and a much broader pair of shoulders, stood next to the red haired form of an older Kirishima. They’re grinning and dressed in their hero uniforms, Kirishima’s hair much longer and her entire body just bigger in muscle mass. The oldest tied up person stood next to them in a UA hero uniform, grinning as the middle children stand there, holding the youngest with a grin. Noriko held a sign proclaiming ‘just adopted!’ 

 “Holy shit,” Kirishima said, eyes wide as she stared at the screen. She looked to Izumi who didn’t look back, eyes locked on the photo. A family in the future. A family at risk…

 The door to the dorms opened and Aizawa hurried in, followed by All Might and Present Mic. They didn’t turn off the TV, just checked on the students. 

 The entire class was freaking out. Not just about the kids on screen but also because of the fact two of their classmates apparently were the parents of the hostages!

 “So they’re like… none of them have super strength,” one man said. He walked over to the two gagged children and dig through their pockets. He didn’t come up with anything and he scoffs. “Where’s your identification brats?”

 “They have their damn gags on. And don’t take them off they bite.” The Quirk user said. He went to the oldest, digging in her pockets to pull out a wallet. This one was blue with Iida’s hero uniform helmet on it. He opened the wallet to look through it. “ID- Midoriya Tomoe. Quirk: Strings. She’s got a preliminary hero license… Raggedy Ann? Intern ID for… Hawks?” 

 “Strings? What the hell kinda Quirk is that?” The one with the wallet asked. 

 “This one.” Croaked out Tomoe, yanking her head up, she dropped her jaw, exposing sharp teeth and the strings that led from the sides of her mouth exploded from her body. Five flew towards the men and pierced them, causing them to scream in shock. Then they stopped. The Quirk user stiffly put the wallet back into her pocket and then moved behind her to untie her. The others went to the other three to untie them. 

 “Oh! A mutation mixed with a mental component!” Izumi said, watching the screen. Kirishima just looked relieved while the rest of the class shuffled around. 

 Once the kids were free, they got out of the chairs and the five men sat in them. Or four did. The fifth walked to a wall and then with a hard whack, knocked himself out. The two middle children removed their gags before one scooped up the youngest for a hug, Noriko crying as the other went around and began tying up the men. Tomoe helped with that. When they were secure, the strings detached from the men and Tomoe’s mouth became restitched.

 “What the fuck?!” The man with the Quirk shouted. He looked around in confusion as Tomoe lifted a hand to rub her jaw.

 “Fuck that huuuuuurts. Ugh, I need to wear sleeveless shirts. Using my arm strings would have been better.” She grumbled. 

 “Didn’t Hawks tell you to build your jaw muscles?” Asked the twin holding Noriko.

 “Hawks-Sensei can shut his chicken mouth.” Tomoe grumbled. She walked off camera. “Come on One, go and break into the Commission system.”

 “Can’t you?” Asked the twin not holding Noriko.

 “No, this is the old system. Come and be terrifying. Two has Noriko well in hand.”

 “Ah yes, leave your poor brother with the baby.” The twin holding Noriko said.

 “Of course.” Tomoe called. “Us ladies can deal with this, watch the baby.”

 “And that’s on living with terrifying women, even if One is sometimes a guy.” Two said to Noriko who giggled. 

 The news came back, as they heard One call about shutting down the camera to Tomoe. Izuku simply stared at the screen for a second longer, as the reporters tried to come up with something.

 “… want to go on a date?” Kirishima asked. Izumi whipped around to stare as the rest of the class gasped.

 “Oooh yeah Kiri, claim your woman!” Ashido caller, even as Bakugou sputtered in rage. Izumi’s cheeks warmed.

 “Umm well…” Kirishima laughed. “I was going to ask soon anyway cause you’re super heroic and cool and… yeah.” She rubbed the back of her head with a blush. 

 “I uhh… I was going to ask you out soon… hopefully to.” Izumi said with her cheeks mimicking Kirishima’s. 

 “Really?!” Kirishima beamed, showing off her sharp teeth- the teeth their children would have and god was that a Quirk or did they go looking for it or- “Man I’m glad I held out hope! I think everyone thought you like Bakugou or Todoroki!”

 “Oh god no,” Izumi shook her head fast. “I’m gay.” Kirishima grinned, offering her fist.

 “Same!” The redhead laughed and Izumi gave her a fist bump. 

 A very interesting start to a relationship.

Notes: Story would continue on with cute moments and fluff. And the kids come meet their moms.

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

"Get back here, you bastard!" Cesar snarled, chasing his prey. He was hungry and he witnessed someone make a severe fuck-up. He didn't want to think about it more than he already did, opting to focus on what he was trying to do.

He was careful to follow them discreetly until they were alone, but they heard him accidentally kick a rock and now there's a chase.

Lucky for Cesar, he's done this before and he knows how to catch his victims. No, targets. Prey. Thinking of them as victims makes him feel guilty.

With a pounce, he landed on top of the person. He lifted them off the ground, put a hand over their mouth and latched onto their throat with his teeth and began feeding. He nearly jumped out of his skin when they went limp, but not from the body.

"C-Cesar?!"

Shit.

He was so focused on following this person, he wasn't listening for another set of following footsteps. He took his mouth off the throat, blood dripping out of his mouth and down through his split chin. His white button-up and red bowtie were now stained with deep crimson. He dropped the body as he looked over his shoulder, panicked. He turned around to face the woman who caught him in the act.

"Sarah, I–I—" Cesar tried to speak but he just devolved into messy stammering; he was searching for words he just didn't have. He retracted his fangs and brought his chin together to make speaking easier. Finally, after what felt like forever, he found words. "P–please don't be scared of me! You know I'd never hurt you! …R-right…?"

"I–I… I'm calling Seth!" Sarah blurted out and began digging through her pocket to grab her phone.

Cesar's eyes widened even further. He shook his head frantically, reaching palms with splayed fingers in Sarah's direction. "S–Sarah, no! It's a full moon tonight and the sun's been down for an hour!"

Sarah stopped, seeming to ponder his words.

"Look, I know you want comfort right now and I can't provide it but please, just… don't be scared of me. I–I'll do anything…!" Cesar lowered his arms to his sides, keeping them in an open position. He was desperate, he didn't want to lose their friendship; not over something that couldn't be helped, at least.

His eyes teared up when Sarah took half a step backwards.

"Cesar…" Her voice had a low, wobbly warning tone.

Cesar was suddenly knocked down onto his stomach, teeth sinking into the nape of his neck. Cesar screamed, his mind dragging him back to the moment he got his first bite. He could tell he was getting drained. He started to lose consciousness, feeling incredibly weak.

~~~

Cesar snapped awake, quickly looking around the room he realized he was in.

Oh… It's my room. So then… was that just a nightmare? My neck feels funny…

Someone knocked on his closed bedroom door.

"Hello?" Cesar's voice came out scratchy; his throat was apparently raw.

"Hey, Cesar. Can I come in?" Seth asked through the door.

"Yeah."

Seth opened the door and walked into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"...Strange. My throat's raw and my neck is like… numb."

"Yeah, the numbness is from the Lidocaine ointment. Sarah said you were screaming pretty loud. You're lucky she found you, you might've died…" Seth sniffled, breaking eye contact; the thought clearly pained him. "Please be more careful next time you're out, okay?"

"I will. By the way, where's Sarah…?"

"She's taking care of a simple investigation not too far from here."

"Ah, okay. Can I talk to her when she gets back?"

"I'll ask her. Now, you should probably try getting more sleep. Do you want any water or anything first?"

"No, thanks. Goodnight Dad." Cesar said with a slight sigh.

"Alright. Goodnight Cesar." Seth said with a little nod before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Cesar closed his eyes to return to sleep but he struggled. Did Sarah tell Seth his secret? He wished he asked how long it'd be until Sarah comes home.

I'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

OOHHHH /pos

The monster dudes. The guys

[obsidiancreates]

AU Where Stede Is Just Inexplicably Yolked, Dude: Part 9; Pinned The Wrong Leather Daddy To The Mast There, Stede

He should've known not to do it.

He should've known not to watch Ed train Bonnet in swordfighting.

Last time The Revenge tried to drown him on Bonnet's behalf, so why would this time be any different?

But he didn't want a repeat of the last time. He didn't want to hear moans and groans and squeaks and think for weeks that Ed actually fucked (or was fucked by) Bonnet until an offhand comment told him otherwise. He wanted to make sure Ed didn't get himself stabbed again just for a useless fuckin' flirt move that doesn't even work.

And he had watched as they trained. As Bonnet sloppily fumbled his way through the moves and stances. As he made a mockery of Izzy's favorite form of fighting.

And the next thing he knew the boat rocked just as Ed convince Stede to charge at him no-holds-barred and-

"WHOOPS!"

"ARG!"

And now Ed is peering at Izzy's side and nodding.

"Good job, man," Ed says, slapping Izzy on the shoulder. "Moved just in time."

"You really should stand up there when we're doing this," Bonnet has the gall to say, pointing up at the wheel. "It's a safety hazard."

"It's a pirate ship," Izzy spits through gritted teeth. "Everything's a fuckin' safety hazard."

And the twat has the audacity to look around like he wasn't fully aware of that. "Well, it shouldn't be. I had it made with the kids in mind. What about it is unsafe exactly, Iggy?"

"Izzy."

"Whatever."

"Well." Ed looks at the sword and flicks the end. "Better pull it out, mate."

Bonnet blanches. Izzy feels similarly about the idea.

"Um, I don't think so, actually. I'll find Fang instead."

"What? Come on, you've got those fuckin' arms, man. You can yank it right out, one pull."

"I didn't with you."

"Yeah," Ed says with a huffed laugh, eyes shining, and Izzy wishes the sword had struck through a little higher and a lot more lethally. "But that was because you didn't wanna hurt me, yeah? Izzy'll be fine, right Izzy?"

"Fuck off," he growls. He begins tugging on the handle himself, but fuck, the sword is in deep. Stupid Bonnet and his stupid full-force charge-

"Here." Ed pulls out a knife and put the handle in Izzy's mouth. "Bite down."

"I don't need that, Captain."

"I'm sure he doesn't, Ed."

And if Izzy isn't mistaken, that is... a slightly jealous gleam in Bonnet's eye.

Well.

"Actually," Izzy grunts, grabbing Ed's arm and yanking the knife back out. "I'll take it, Ed." He bites down on it while looking Bonnet right in the eye.

"Alright. Let's get this over with then."

And Bonnet grabs the sword handle with one hand-

SCHLORP!

Izzy's teeth leave a very visible indent in both side of the knife handle.

"See man? Wasn't so bad." Ed takes his knife back. He doesn't even look at Izzy because he's staring at Bonnet wiping the blood off of the sword using a fancy silk handkerchief.

But Bonnet is frowning at the knife in Ed's hand and Izzy's bitemarks on it.

So Izzy really won this rou-

"Maybe you can pin me next," Ed not-so subtly whispers as he reaches to take the sword from Bonnet, who goes brighter red than the blood.

Fuck.

Now Izzy is disgusted and still bleeding out.

[korgbelmont]

Part 1

Callum and Sarah begin their work to find the creature killing people by order of Regildr. But as Sarah plans to begin Rose's training, things get in the way.

Written in Present Tense

Warnings: Blood, Death, Swearing

Word Count: 1244

Notes: Title made on cooltext.com

Stepping out of the bar at kick out time, the man heads down an alley as a shortcut.

Stranger - Help me...

The man looks at the hooded stranger.

Man - Are you okay?

The stranger looks up and the man sees the glowing red eyes. In a flash, the stranger grabs him by the neck and pins him. Wings sprout from the strangers back and the thumbs of the wings pin in his shoulders.

Stranger - Forgive me.

Four fangs extend from the strangers canine teeth and he sinks them into the man's neck, drinking every last drop of blood. Releasing the man, the stranger removes his wings from the man's shoulders and wipes the blood from his chin, licking it all off.

On the roof of their building, Callum takes a starting position with his feet against the wall. Pushing off, he leaps into the air at the edge, and lands on the roof of the next building. Looking back at his building, he takes the same position and pushes off again and lands on the roof of his building, where he finds Sarah and Rose joining him.

Sarah - Having fun?

Callum - Just trying to get an idea of my limits.

Sarah - Well, while you do, we're gonna fly around. See if we can find something. And get in a bit of training at the same time.

Callum - Have fun.

The two Valkyrie take off and Callum watches as they fly. Looking down at all the people around, Rose looks to Sarah.

Rose - It's still weird we can't be seen when flying, but seen as other people when on the ground.

Sarah - Magic's weird like that. To be honest, I often thought about maybe visiting my family or maybe friends, help give them closure. Even though I'd be seen as someone else.

Rose - Did you?

Sarah - No. I decided to just try and focus on getting myself restarted here once I got assigned.

Rose - And now you have a chance to leave.

Sarah notices how Rose looks down.

Sarah - We haven't decided on that yet. I agreed to find the creature and train you. Nothing more than that.

Both of them then feel a pull and Sarah sighs.

Sarah - Guess you're getting that lesson sooner than I had hoped.

They follow the pull and soon land in an alleyway. Finding the body, Sarah kneels down preparing to pull the soul, but stops when she notices the wounds.

Sarah - Shit.

Rose - What?

Sarah - When I came to get your soul, Hrild was looking over a body that had these exact wounds. This was killed by whatever it is Regildr wants stopped.

She takes the dead man's hands in hers and they soon glow. Getting to her feet, Sarah pulls the soul from the body.

Man - What... What's happening?

Sarah - I'm afraid you're dead.

Man - No! I can't be! I'm talking to you!

Sarah - I collect souls. But before I can send you to your afterlife, I need to know how you died.

Man - I saw a dude who said he needed help, but then he attacked me. He had fangs like some kind of Vampire! And wings.

Sarah - Can you remember what the wings were like?

Man - They were... bat like.

Sarah - Thank you.

Sarah takes one of her swords and opens the gate to allow the man to pass into his afterlife. The gate closes and Rose looks to Sarah.

Rose - What now?

Sarah - We head back home. And I'm sorry, I didn't walk you through how to do all this.

Rose shrugs with a smile and the two take off to head home. As they fly, Rose points over to a row of houses.

Rose - That's where I used to live before. Spent my entire life there.

Sarah - Good childhood?

Rose - I was happy. We always used to go to the zoo on my birthday.

Sarah - My family did the same for a couple of mine. Followed by a movie of my choice at the cinema.

Rose - Where about did you live?

Sarah - An apartment building on the edge of the city.

They continue to talk about bits and pieces from their lives before being Valkyries as they continue to fly.

Having made himself a sandwich, Callum returns to the roof to keep an eye out for the two Valkyrie's. Even after all this time, he still can't believe that he and Sarah got a second chance, even if it is under their circumstances. He takes a seat on the edge, watching people go about their daily lives. However, he notices a hooded figure turning down the alleyway across the road. Closing his eyes, he listens and tries to focus on the stranger.

Stranger - Must... feed...

Curious, Callum jumps down into the alleyway before heading across the road and down the other alleyway. There he finds the stranger stumbling.

Callum - Hey, you alright?

Remaining cautious, Callum stays where he is as the stranger turns. Callum sees the blazing red eyes of the stranger.

Callum - Vampire, right? Me too.

Stranger - Not Vampire... more.

Callum - An Ancient? I heard about them.

Stranger - Must... feed...

Bat like wings sprout from the stranger's back, and Callum steps back.

Callum - Look, we can help--

The Stranger flies at Callum and he flits out of the way, skidding to a stop.

Callum - Okay. Maybe not help you. Didn't know we could get wings.

The Stranger hisses at Callum, and he noticed that he has four fangs rather than two like an Vampire normally would.

Callum - You...

Callum raises his fists, ready to fight. This creature is driven bloodlust, and there's no telling what else this thing could do.

Callum - I'm sorry, but you need to be stopped.

Stranger - Forgive me.

The Stranger flies at Callum, fist in front. Callum catches it and the Stranger throws his other fist, which Callum catches. The Stranger flies up and throws the Vampire on a roof. Callum's eyes turn red as the Stranger dives at him. But before he gets the chance to throw a punch, the Stranger is intercepted. Rose lands by Callum, handing him one of her swords as Sarah and the Stranger crash down. The Stranger pushes Sarah off of him and hisses at the trio. Sarah draws her blades, ready to fight. But behind the Stranger, she notices how the sun is coming up and looks to Callum. Her attention is brought back to the Stanger though as he hisses and takes off.

Having managed to make it back to their apartment in time, the three of them take a moment to catch themselves and regain their breath.

Callum - You okay, hun?

Sarah - Yeah. You?

Callum - All healed up from any potential bruises.

Sarah - At least we know what we're up against.

Callum - Yeah.

Rose - Where did it go, though?

Callum - Probably looked for dark. It has a lot of Vampiric characteristics. But the bloodlust is what drives it.

Rose - Do all vamps have wings?

Sarah - No, that's a first.

Although it would be breakfast for most people, they get their dinner on the go, all wondering what kind of creature it is that they just encountered.

[athletic-hotties3]

SCOTT X YORK

pt.3

Scott looked at himself carefully in the mirror and then back down at his body. He stood there naked in his dorm room with a band of red silk around his throat, a cheap party city devil mask on his face, and a thick red plug with a hexagonal base wedged deep into his ass. Looking back up at the mirror he watched a reality much different than his own. In the mirror he was shown to have jet black hair, fangs instead of normal teeth and his eyes glowed a deep red. He wore a tight fitting leather crew neck that stayed a red leather material until just below his nipples where it turned into a red mesh. Next were his red athletic shorts that were so tight his jockstrap could be seen through them. His outfit was completed with red shoes, a pointed tail that came out of the small of his back, and red skin.

Scott nervously gulped. While this costume turned him from debate team nerd to sexy demon, he was nervous that he would actually be walking around naked. Like what if he was the only one to see the costume and everyone saw him with his cock out and a plug in his ass... there was only one solution.

"Hey Alex? I think I might make the party tonight.

But I'm a little nervous." Scott said on the phone.

"What are you nervous about? It's just a party and if you don't like it then you can just leave." Alex suggested.

"It's about... my costume." Scott gulped.

"Dude you will be fine. Everyone is going all out and it's Halloween so it would be even weirder if you showed up without one." Alex encouraged

"But it's just... it's just a little revealing." Scott bashfully admitted.

"Dudeeee finally." Alex moaned.

"Alex what?" Scott responded confused.

"You haven't gone out all year and I was wondering if you were a prude or something." Alex joked.

"Can you just tell me if this looks good? I'm sending you a pic." Scott asked.

"Sure bro." Alex said.

Scott snapped a selfie of him in his dorm. It was hard to get the whole outfit in but from the angle he took it from you could see pretty much everything.

Nervously he hit send.

"Dude that looks sick as fuck! And hey your gonna be pulling people in that outfit tonight so don't expect to be standing in the corner alone." Alex

"Wait really?" Scott replied.

"Yea! And how did you even get your skin to be that color?" Alex asked.

"It's magic LMAOO." Scott responded.

"Ok fine don't tell me your secret. I'll see you there." Alex said before hanging up the phone.

Scott let out a big sigh of relief. Looking in the mirror one last time he grabbed a jacket from his closet and headed out the door.

As he walked down the campus streets he could feel the cold night air on his skin. Especially his cock which was now swinging free and bare in the air. Scott passed a puddle and looked at his reflection just in case and in fact did see that he was still wearing his tight shorts brought on upon the magic choker he was wearing. He hugged himself, shivering from the cold in his debate team jacket as he arrived on the front lawn of TRI PHI.

He could hear the music blasting from inside.

What Alex said was in fact not a lie. People were wasted on the lawn. Some collapsed, some running around or playing games. Some groups were dancing and others were just talking. But one thing they did have in commons were they were all in costumes.

Scott walked up the front steps and to the open door of the frat house. He peered inside to see crowds of people partying. His first step inside he felt the sticky crunch of the frat floor.

"Aww fuck. My shoes." Was Scott's first thought.

Then it occurred to him that the shoes he was wearing was of the magic so it didn't matter.

His second thought was how the hell is going to find Alex in this place? He ended up searching most of the party. Well, searching is an overstatement he really just walked around. Some people looked at him like he was crazy and others looked at him like he was their next meal. An hour of searching had passed and Scott was just about to give up and go home when someone bumped into his back.

Towering over him was a man in all white. He wore a white mask, and a white leather harness that held angle wings on his back, white leather pants, and white shoes.

"Woah! My bad dude." The angel said turning around.

"Scott!!" The man said giving his friend a hug. "It's me Alex!"

"Oh hey!" Scott said hugging his friend back.

"The outfit looks even better in real life Scott! I can't believe the nerd I met in math at the beginning of the year would show up to the party wearing this!" Alex exclaimed.

Scott blushed a deep red on his already red skin.

"What do you think about my outfit?" Alex said cheekily.

"I like it! It looks..." Scott thought about what he was going to say next. Yes he thought Alex was hot as hell but he never made up his mind if he pictured him in a sexual way.

"You can tell me I know I look hot." Alex grinned.

"Ok fine you look really hot." Scott agreed.

For a second it looked like Alex was blushing.

"Hey I'm glad you came I need to show you something follow me." Alex said grabbing Scott's wrist and moving through the party.

The pair passed drinking games in the kitchen, dancing in the main area to eventually reaching the base stairs.

"Come on dude." Alex said pulling Scott up the first step.

"Wait why are we going upstairs Alex. Is this some sort of fucked up hazing thing?" Scott said resisting.

"Scott. I promise it's not some hazing thing." Alex replied with a devilish grin on his face.

"Fine ok." Scott said running up the stairs beside his friend.

The two entered Alex's small room. Alex closed the door behind the two. Scott looked around the room, spinning, to see the sports posters on the wall, the empty bottles of beer and textbooks on the desk, then Alex's bed in the corner.

"Hey what did you wanna show me?" Scott asked.

Suddenly a pair of lips collided with Scott's. His body was shoved up against the wall of Alex's frat house room.

"What are you doing Alex?" Said Scott between breaths.

"I wanna show you how fucking hard you make me in that outfit." Alex said taking Scott's hand and shoving it onto his crotch.

Scott squeezed his hand to feel Alex's surprising large boner in his pants.

Alex started taking off Scott's debate team jacket.

"You really like it?" Scott asked.

"Why don't you get on the bed and I can show you how much I like it?" Alex ordered.

Scott ran over to Alex's bed and jumped on the mattress.

"Flip over." Alex commanded.

Scott flipped over on to his stomach and alex took his large hands and gripped his waist. Suddenly alex pulled back forcing Scott's ass into the air.

Alex took his hands and pulled hard down on Scott's pants causing them to rip in half. Now he was just left in his jockstrap, mask, shoes, and shirt.

"Hey! What the hell?" Scott complained looking back at Alex, now getting on his knees, positioning his face level to Scott's ass.

"Look I'll let you borrow a pair of pants." Alex said annoyed.

"Now what do we have here?" Alex said pulling on the pointed tail.

Scott let out a moan. For him it felt like alex was pulling at the plug in his ass.

"Woah dude. What did you use for this. It seems like it's really on." Alex continued to tug on the tail causing Scott to main even louder.

"You good dude?" Alex asked.

"Yea it's fine it just feels really good." Scott responded.

"Yea it seems you like it." Alex said chucking before taking his hands and spreading Scott's cheeks.

Alex locked his lips this face disappeared into

Scott's ass.

Scott could feel Alex's tongue work around his hole. He let out a pleasurable moan and arched his back. Alex continued to swirl his tongue on the edge of Scott's hole, eventually his lips making contact with it as well. He continued to pull at his demon tail while he was eating Scott's ass. Scott's toes curled as Alex moaned into his ass, clearly enjoying himself.

Slowly Alex stood back up and Scott looked back to see why.

Alex was standing at the foot of the bed slowly unbuttoning his white pants. Flopping out of the fly was what only could be described as the biggest cock Scott had ever seen.

"Woah that..." Scott said nervously.

"A lot? Yea I get that a bunch." Alex said chuckling.

"You think you can handle it?"

Scott thought for a second. There was no way he could pass up this opportunity. As he looked at Alex's cock more, leaking precum, he noticed that his own was the same. A massive tent of wood sprouted in his jock. He hadn't been realizing it but he had been grinding it against Alex's bed this entire time.

"Yea i got it." Said Scott, a wild grin spreading across his face.

Alex smiled then took his cock and slathered it with lube. His thick member glistened in the moonlight from the window at the side of his room.

Scott flipped over and raised his legs above his head.

Then Alex learned over and out his way onto Scott. His cock pressed up against Scott's tight hole, then with a slow push, it entered.

Scott closed his eyes and let out a loud moan. It felt like chaos down there. Good chaos, but still.

Scott kept pushing in. It almost felt like there was no end, until Scott felt Alex's pubes on his ass.

"Is that ok? It's all in." Alex asked.

"Yea that fucking feels great." Scott replied, squinting his eyes, trying to focus on the large cock that was now inside him.

"Ok I'm gonna start thrusting just tell me if it's too much." Alex said as he started to pull out.

"Wait!" Scott yelled.

Alex stopped.

"I wanna see your face take off your mask." Scott asked.

Alex chucked and took of his angel mask. Of course it was Alex underneath, but as Scott looked into his eyes he saw a wild hunger in his eyes.

"Ok you can continue now." Scott said.

Alex started to pull out until the tip of his cock was the only thing left inside.

"Fuck it." Alex said.

He firmly thrusted into Scott's hole. Scott's head went back in pain and pleasure. He let out a wild moan that was quieted by a kiss from Alex. Then Alex pulled out again and then once more back in.

The pattern of thrusting in and out continued.

"Aww fuck your hole feels so good my darling."

Alex moaned as his cock thrusted in and out of Scott's hole.

"My darling?" Scott said. The phrase catching him off guard. The only other person that has called him that has been....

Scott looked up at the ceiling to see a mirror that he hadn't even noticed when entering the room.

His first thought was of course he had a mirror above his bed. Then he noticed the towering figure thrusting into him was no angel but a muscular figure. He had slick black hair and long horns that protruded from his head. Most importantly it had a deep red skin.

"You!" Scott said moaning.

Alex chuckled menacingly.

"Hello Scott. Long time no see. You enjoying our deal?" The demon said thrusting in and out of Scott's hole. Scott looked away from the mirror and back at the real life image of Alex still ducking him in his angel costume.

"Don't act like you don't like it. I can tell you like it by the precum that's pooling on the tip of your cock and how it seeps through your jock." The demon said though Alex's mouth. It even sounded just like Alex.

With a large thrust Alex slammed inside of Scott once more and Scott let out a large yelp.

"Tell me you want me inside of you. Tell me you want my cum. Tell me you want me to cum in your hole." York, the demon, begged.

"Please... I- i-" Scott said in an uncomfortable moan between thrusts.

"I know you can" York said between gritted teeth.

"I want you inside of me York! I want your " Scott said before a hard slap was sent across his face.

"Not to me. Say it to your friend Alex. And look at him while you say it." York responded.

"Fuck me Alex! Fuck me hard! I want your cum inside me!" Scott yelled.

Yorks cock started to expand at the base like a balloon. With one final thrust the base expanded into a giant knot inside of his hole.

Scott started to pull back away expecting another thrust but his hole wouldn't expand that far, it had squeezed down at the very base of yorks shaft and couldn't pull away. He could feel thick hot cum pulse through the knot in York's cock and shoot out of his head far into Scott's body. With one final pulse Scott arched his back in a wave of pleasure. His toes curled and his face turned red. A thick strand of cum squirted through the fabric of his jock into the air.

"Fuck me Alex!" Scott yelled.

Suddenly the door to the room bust open.

Standing there in a all white angel costume was Alex.

Scott look in terror and embarrassment at the sight locking eyes with his friend.

Alex looked at the scene in terror as well. Not because of Scott, but because he was watching a direct clone of himself fuck his friend.

At that Scott blacked out.