#Danny sees imp and his eyes do the thing cat eyes do when they get the wiggles except his instinct is to rip and shred

[kizzer55555]

I just had a Thought that smacked me upside the head and insulted my mother (o.o )

You know how in DC, much like in most media, all Forces have an opposing Force? Fire to Water, Yin to Yang, Order to Chaos, etc etc. Well.....

If you ADD in DP's The Zone?

That right there? Is a Realm. An Element Of Creation. Yes, the glue, the very lining, of the Multiverse. Buuuuuuuut? What is it CONNECTING? The FABRIC? The SHELL and FORM?

What, in a word, is it's Reverse Element? Just as the Speed Force has the Slow Force. As Chaos has Order. What does the Realm of Death have?

I hear you suggest "the living world?" But! Rightfully, you sound uncertain! Because! Death is INHERENT to the so called "living world". Everything is! Order, chaos. Ying, Yang. Fire and water and earth and air! All of it! It's the mid-ground. Shared and thus balanced.

So what sits on the other side of the coin?

I? Propose? Those fffffuckin IMPS! The 5th dimensional imps, known to haunt our beloved DC Heros. Immortal. Eternal. Life unending.

Driven to cruelty and boredom by it.

They are a brilliant, distorted, reflection of the Ghosts we know! Are they not? Not every Imp so powerful as the ones we've seen. But? If, say, Overgrowth or Clockwork? Wanted to just pop in to harrass their favorite Blorbo?

What's a little veil between Realms?

Only thing STOPPING them, is themselves. The Rules. You know... the ones THEY made. Because Goverment. Kinda like the Observants. Walker. Danny and his throne.

I bet they HAAAAAATE each other.

Both have Obsessions, but gods help you if you compare them. Because Ghosts Obsess with the steadiness of the Dead. The unchanging, unrelenting, persistence. While IMPS? Obsessions like firecrackers! Shifting, changing, sticking on this or that! Maybe for a nano-second! Maybe for eons! Who knows?! Not them!

They both think the other side are FREAKS.

The single most OBNOXIOUS, Irritating, Grating, Petty, PATHETIC group of LOSERS you will ever be unfortunate enough to meet.

You think Danny hates the Joker? Is On Sight with HIM? You know NOTHING of his hatred for those big headed little balls of nasally BASTARD energy. It's like weasels and snakes.

Clark loves it. Danny keeps getting free pie. Because EVERY time that Imp comes to harrass him? *unholy staticy yowl screech* *flying tackle out of the air into a cartoonish dust cloud fist fight* here comes the normally cheerful and polite Phantom, looking POSSESSED. To claw Mxyzptlk's throat out.

Of course, the Imps refuse to give up. They were stalking their targets first. PHANTOM should leave.

Phantom shouts something that makes them gasp, deeply offended, and the nearby magic users choke on their own spit.

Yep. Clark LOVES the newest addition to the team. Best decision they ever made, Bruce. He's DELIGHTFUL :D

@the-witchhunter @nerdpoe @ailithnight @hypewinter @hdgnj

[hphmmatthewluther]

" If I had to rate my panic level from 1 to 10, it’d be pi. It’s low level, but always there. "

Name: Matthew David Luther Species: Wizard Gender: Male Physical appearance: Slightly taller and thinner than average with brown hair that falls over his green eyes. Height: 4′11′’(Year 1) - 6′1′’(Year 7) Weight/Body Type: He’s tall and thin, but has no clue how much he weighs. Personality: Matthew is sensitive to other people’s feelings and is very good at reading people, although he is constantly doubting himself. The one thing he is sure of himself in is his intelligence; he is constantly calculating and mentally notes almost everything around him. This comes in handy in a place as confusing as Hogwarts: it may take a bit, but Matthew can always put the pieces together. Date of Birth: 16th February 1973 Blood Status: Half-blood (Wizard Mother, Muggle Father) Family Info: Lucia Doherty was a powerful pureblood Ministry Witch who met and fell in love with Peter Luther, a Muggle plumber, whom she had Jacob with. When Voldemort began to rise she left and wiped Peter’s memory to keep him and their children safe, meaning he forgot about Jacob who stayed with her, but for reasons unknown Peter somehow remembered his wife and eldest son and reunited. Soon after this, Matthew was born, growing up in the Muggle world but enjoying knowledge of Wizardry. Lucia later tried to erase his memories again when the Wizarding War broke out, but Matthew found her and told her to put his father back to normal, discovering his magic in the process. Recently, things have been difficult as Peter has had difficulty finding work. When Matthew attempts to describe Thatcher to his mother, she assumes the Muggle government has been infiltrated by a hag.

He also has wizard Ancestry on his father’s side, with the famous Magizoologist Newt Scamander being his Great Uncle and Queenie Goldstein being his Great Grandmother.

Wand: Cedar wood, 14 1/2 inch, pliant flexibility Boggart: Being stuck somewhere with no way out at all. Animagus Form: Sparrow. Patronus: White Stallion House: Ravenclaw, Prefect in Year 5 Quidditch Position: Chaser Academics: Took Divination, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures into Year 3 Partners: None so far (bar that one time), but the Celestial Ball is on the horizon... Closest Friends: Rowan Khanna: Matthew’s best friend, they have been close ever since Diagon Alley. They both like working on the Cursed Vaults, as well as playing Wizard Chess and Gobstones together. Rowan is always there when Matthew needs him, and even helped him with Merula when nobody else would. Matthew, in return, helps them be more confident, as he’s aware how difficult that can be sometimes. Finally, Matthew is the only one who knows about Rowan’s huge crush on... Penny Haywood: Bonding over their skills at potions, Penny is another of Matthew’s closest allies. Matthew relies on her to keep the Hogwarts rumour mill in check, especially important considering who he’s secretly dating. Matthew did, at first, have a minor crush on her, but always maintained that he wouldn’t intrude on Rowan, which helped improve their confidence in the matter.  Barnaby Lee: Barnaby and Matthew met after Barnaby wound up in the Magical Creatures Reserve on his way to Transfiguration. They both do work with the creatures in the reserve there, sharing a love of animals. Barnaby is a great deal of help to Matthew as he can always be counted on to point out the obvious solution when Matthew starts overthinking. He’s also willing to share what happens in the Slytherin Common Room and No, it definitely isn’t so Matthew knows if Merula’s ok and No he isn’t turning red what do you mean Tulip Karasu: Matthew’s only intellectual equal. When Merula tried to get Matthew framed for stealing potions ingredients he quickly deduced that someone in Ravenclaw was working with Merula. In a rare moment of confidence he declared this to his House, leading to a Battle of Wits between the two. Tulip immediately realised how Matthew felt about Merula and worked to get them together.  Chiara Lobosca: The only girl to pull on Matthew’s heartstrings before Merula. They became friends after helping to quell the werewolf rumours, and worked together to find the Cursed Vaults. They discussed the idea of them being together (and did more than discuss), but decided that they were happier as friends. Bill Weasley: Really, the one who saved the school. Bill helped Matthew out of his shell, so to speak, and consoled him when things became really tough when it came to the Ice Vault. Together, they defeated the Ice Knight and entered the first Cursed Vault together, and went on to work together more in the future. He also was instrumental in pushing Matthew towards curse-breaking. Merula Snyde: Matthew Luther’s rival in the hunt for the Cursed Vaults. For a while, she was a bully, especially towards Ben Copper, but Matthew was able to win a duel against her and made her never pick on him again. After that, while remaining antisocial, she became more tolerable, as several threats forced the two to work together. The two are very close. They’ve shared an accidental kiss, cast their Patronus together, cared for a Thestral, and defeated many evil magical beings. Recently, Matthew has realised that he had met her before, many years ago, on the day he searched for his mother. After that, they agreed to no longer be enemies, merely rivals. Matthew has come to the conclusion that he has a crush.

 Foes: “R”: The dark organisation worked to trap Jacob, thus making Matthew’s early time in school rather difficult. However, there’s more to this cabal than at first glance... Edwin the Changeling: Known as “The Bard”, he attempted to take over Matthew’s body by force, slowly moving to allow more changelings in. However, he was defeated by Matthew and Merula. Controlling, sexist, and rude to everyone around him, he appeared to have been destroyed when Ismelda Murk melted the Ice he had hidden himself in. Preston Crawford: A slimy Slytherin in Matthew’s year who seems to want nothing less than to ruin everyone’s day. Even Merula doesn’t like him, which is saying something. Erika Rath: Matthew’s only foe who doesn’t irritate him. He and Erika became Rivals as a result of being in differing quidditch teams, and this feud only worsened after Skye Parkin spread rumours that she destroyed Matthew’s broom. It’s unclear where they stand after Ravenclaw won the Quidditch Cup (especially considering she doesn’t talk much). Pets: As of Now (1987) Matthew has a pet Cat named Danny, a toad named Ribby and a rat named Jerma, and has adopted a Niffler, Porlock, Abraxan, Fairy, Thestral and Imp.

Who knows, this sideblog may go somewhere! We’ll see! Thanks to @hogwarts-misery for the template!

[watercolourferns]

The Honey Pot Part 2 - Soft Domesticity...

Marcone x Kore x Zayn | Domestic Fluffy Witchcraft | Polyam | Seeing!Marcone | Modern AU | 1608 words

Now with extra fluff! Marcone is @finally-romancable-npc‘s apprentice.

Kore is @kobresias apprentince.  I hope you like this one too OwO

A puff of air moved Kore’s fringe and she sighed, shifting Danae a bit and turning towards the middle of the bed, pulling Zayn to her but finding Marcone instead. “Hmmm…” the man sighed and snuggled against her, snoring softly. Weird, Marcone in bed but Zayn wasn’t there, being the crack of dawn? This peaked the witch’s curiosity and she decided to find out what was going on. She kissed Marcone’s exposed skin and slid out of the bed, pulling his robe over her nude figure. Kore was silent, almost supernaturally silent, when she walked; like a cat or a roaming spirit. Zayn was silent too, but his silence was different, he walked with fox steps, like someone not wanting to be heard, a remnant of his homeless days. Kore’s walking was less calculated, more fluid. As she went down stairs, she heard a noise from below, the noise of someone who is comfortable in the dark, but doesn’t want to be heard. “Zayn?” she said softly, peeking around the corner to the living room. Nobody answered and that put her on alert. Suddenly a gust of cool wind made her wrap the robe tighter around her and she followed it, determined to know what was going on.

The door to the mudroom was opened, as well as the one to the backyard, whence the cold air was coming. The woman peered outside, pulling a pair of wellies on. There she saw her short lover, skyclad, arms raised to the rising sun in the tree pose, perfectly balanced on one foot. He slowly returned to his initial pose and then sat down cross legged, his breathing steady. Kore smiled and watched silently from the porch, till the dancer patted the grass next to him. “Aren’t you cold, Zay?” she said, sitting down next to him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “A little, but the cold helps me focus…” he said softly, opening his eyes. The Sparkles swarmed around them, chattering excitedly about a new flower they had found in the forest beyond their yard. Zayn smiled at them nodding, and they left bouncing around happily. “They are grateful we convinced Marcone not to fence us in… They love going out to explore…” “So it seems, my dearest. Were you having a rough night? That’s why you’re here, wonderfully skyclad?” she asked, scooting closer in case the dancer wanted warmth after all.

Zayn sighed and nodded. “I’m not 20 anymore, my body sometimes resents our… nightly endeavours,” he said chuckling and blushing. “But it’s also my mind that whirls around sometimes. Specially after outbursts of mine, like yesterday’s. I’m truly sorry Kore-” But he was interrupted by the woman’s arms surrounding him, Marcone’s cologne and Kore’s natural soft scent mingling with his spicy one as she hugged him. “It’s ok, you soft thing, stop dwelling on it. How about we go inside and take a nice cup of tea?” she said, kissing him gently.

Zayn sighed into the kiss and threw his arms around Kore’s neck, rubbing his nose on hers. “Alright, but only if I get another kiss…” he whispered, caressing her face, pushing hair off her forehead. The pale woman looked at him and obliged, pulling him closer, as if she wanted to hide him in the robe. She pulled back, cradling Zayn’s neck in her hand, chuckling softly at his starry eyes and blushed cheeks. “Was it that good?” she asked, helping him to his feet with her.

“Mhm…” he said softly, as if in a daze, smiling dreamily. “They always are, but this one… I think it’s you against the sky, you look more of a goddess than you normally do…” Kore blushed a delicate pink and couldn’t help but giggle, changing the subject a bit. “Did you bring your robe?” she asked looking for it in the mudroom.

“No, I stole yours... “ he said wickedly, smiling at her like an imp and pulling her soft, black bathrobe on, hitching it up in his arms. “One, you look so adorable in that! And two, you do realise Marcone will not fit in yours?” she said laughing “Oh, I think I make it work…” a voice said from the living room. Marcone sitting in his chair, the teal-and-lace cotton robe barely reaching his thighs, unable to cross around his broad shoulders and chest, boxers covering his modesty, a mug of yesterday’s reheated coffee. 

Both Zayn and Kore burst out laughing, the dancer claiming his lap, Kore sitting on the chair’s arm, running her fingers through his bed head of hair. “Don’t you dare burst a seam,” Zayn said smiling, kissing him good morning and snuggling against his chest. “That’s my favourite robe…”

The man laughed and held them close leaving the mug on a side table. “So what was my pretty night owl doing outside at this hour?” he asked, kissing the tan witch’s head. “Yoga and meditation… Rough night…” Zayn said, eyes closed, listening to Marcone’s heartbeat.

“Oof, yes it was…” Marcone purred, nuzzling Kore’s neck. “Marcone! That’s not what I meant you perv!” the dancer protested, blushing up to his ears. Both Kore and Marcone laughed good naturedly. Kore sliding off the chair’s arm. “I’ll go make us some tea and breakfast, is that alright?”

As an answer both male’s stomachs rumble, making her laugh softly again and nodding. “Scrambled eggs with bacon it is.” “YES! Bacon!” Zayn said happily, sitting up on Marcone’s lap, and booping his nose.

“It’s too early for booping, my moon,” the man said  pulling him close, but the dancer wiggled out of his embrace and straddled his lap, booping his nose again. “Zayn…”

“What you gonna do about it, Mr. Vintura…?” Zayn said, batting his lashes and smiling slyly at him. “Oh, you little…” Marcone growled softly, smiling back and wrapping his hands around his waist, pulling him even closer. “You are a seductive creature, did you know that? Of course you know that…” Zayn giggled and kissed Marcone, tangling his fingers in the man’s hair, pulling a little, making him groan softly. “Hey! Don’t get all hot and bothered without me!” Kore, protested playfully peeking out of the kitchen, making them both jump, which made her laugh. 

“That’s so unfair!” Zayn said, jumping off Marcone’s lap and waddling towards the kitchen in the too-big robe.

“You know Kore’s right? You do look like Baby Yoda when you walk like that,” Marcone said, poking Zayn’s cheek ever so gently, making him pout. “I do not…” the dancer said, climbing onto a stool with the man’s help. “You do too,” Kore said, serving the scrambled eggs on plates, moving the bacon so it wouldn’t burn up. “Jasmine? Chamomile? Oolong?” “Jasmine for me, please, mi diosa,” Zayn said, grabbing the plate she was handing him and then the cutlery, pushing Jawahir’s fruit bowl to the side. “Where’re the babies?” the woman asked, passing Marcone his plate, putting a plate of bread rolls down too. “Jawy and Irin left when I opened the door earlier. Danae must still be snoring in bed…” the dancer said, drenching his scrambled eggs in ketchup and mustard, smiling happily. “That’s… a bit… ugh…” Marcone chuckled, shaking his head as Zayn began to eat. “How your stomach stands that much acid I’ll never know…” “Id my debenth-” Zayn started, then swallowed. “In my defense, I drink a ton of milk too, I guess it balances it out, no? A chinga- That’s hot!” he added, exclaiming as he tried to eat the bacon. Kore placed a pair of mismatched mugs in front of them, Zayn’s teal with purple flowers, Marcone’s dark red with white arabesque motifs. She grabbed her own, a gray mug with a foggy forest painted on it, and sat on another stool, inhaling the smell of her tea. “So, without the pot we’ll need to use the jar,” Kore sighed, pulling her teaspoon of honey and drizzling it on her rolls, then putting it in her mug. “I still don’t understand how I didn’t see anyone taking it away… It was so cute, too. A little beehive and next to it a teddy bear… His name was Marc, too…” Zayn sighed, using a teaspoon as well. “I hope that whoever has it gets sick to their stomach when they use the honey in it…” “Wait, the teddy bear was named like me?” Marcone said, blushing softly. “That’s… an honour…” “He was as adorable as you, and I found the pot by chance, like I found you… My swan pin is called Kore,” the dancer shrugged, continuing to eat.

Marcone inhaled his tea, blushing violently, coughing. “I-dear… uh… alright…”

Zayn chuckled and passed him a napkin, finishing his eggs afterwards, leaving the bacon and the rolls for last. “I’m surprised that Danny hasn’t come down after smelling the bacon…”

But as if he had summoned her the dog came scrambling down the stairs, toppling over the last step, picking herself up and trotting to them, tail wagging. “But of course, the best girl has arrived!! Here, Danny, my dear,” Kore said softly, placing a plate of bacon and eggs for her to eat as well. “You two spoil her, you know?” Marcone said affectionately, looking at the dog eating to her heart’s content. “That’s why she’s fat…” Danae looked up with a baroo and gave Marcone an offended huff, spraying bacon at Zayn’s feet, then going back to eating. “No, queen, you’re not fat, you’re just fluffy!” Zayn laughed, cleaning his feet with a napkin.

[plaguedparadox]

Whispers in the Dark - Chapter Twelve

Roses

I sat on my bed holding with the two similar watches, one that was the DA’s and one that I didn’t even remember receiving, as far as I could remember it was a friend that gave it to me but it felt like it just appeared out of nowhere. It looked identical as if it was trying to replicate the actual antique but all the scuffs and wear was manufactured into the design. Someone tried to recreate the DA’s watch for whatever reason but the way it was powered was different.

I much prefer wearing the DA’s old watch, though I should probably just start calling her belongings mine considering everything, as it worked a lot better despite being a little slow but that could be chalked down to its age.

I was busy focusing on the watch because I was trying to avoid walking out and being bombarded with questions from Mark, Arin and Danny. Apparently, I was practically out of it when Mark and I arrived. I was acting as if I was someone completely different but I couldn’t remember. I just remember following Celine and then waking up to Ace curled up by my side.

The sound of a door opening and closing let me know that someone had walked in, most likely Mark as he knew me better so wouldn’t feel as inclined to be polite. I gaze up at him to see him looking as if he’s lost in thought. “Why didn’t you tell me about them?” Mark’s baritone voice sounded out, sending a chill down my spine with how cold he sounded. The lack of warmth in his voice felt wrong but I understood why he was acting like that, I kept something big away from him but I at least hoped that he would have taken it similarly to Sean when he did eventually find out.

A sigh left my lips as I looked down at Ace who was curled up in my lap, purring slightly while rubbing his head gently against one of my hands. I had a feeling he could feel that I was nervous. “I didn’t know how to tell you. Sean only found out because he showed up out of the blue.” And I think I dropped myself in it with that sentence.

“Sean knows?!” Mark whisper yelled at me, making sure that the Grumps didn’t hear him. He groaned in frustration before sitting at the edge of the bed. “I can’t believe this… They can’t be real!” He exclaimed, pushing his hands through his hair as he tried to comprehend the situation.

Ace took this chance to jump off of the bed and transform back into Anti. “Oh, we’re real, laddy. And your buddy there is friends with a good number of us.” Anti stated, smirking proudly at Mark’s shocked face. “Now, are you gonna behave and be like Sean or are you gonna be a problem for my little Songbird?” He asked, getting in Mark’s face slightly as he said that before backing away with a rather aloof look on his face. “Either way, you know now. Can’t change that.”

Mark gulped and backed away from Anti to the point he was sitting next to me by the headboard. “Anti, calm down.” I mutter, my gaze now back to the watches in my hands. I clipped the older watch onto my wrist and placed the replica back on the nightstand, not caring too much if I had to lean over Mark to reach it. “Mark is my friend just as much as you or Sean, so I won’t let you harm him.” I state, my attention now on the imp as I spoke to him.

The imp huffed slightly before transforming back into a cat and running over to once again curl into my lap. My hand instinctively went to start petting his head as it always did.

We sat there for a while in the quiet while Danny and Arin provided ambience with them finding my games, a couple of Arin’s outbursts and Danny’s following laughter did cause laughter from me and Mark to escape but apart from that we were silent.

Once the Grumps quietened down, I turned to look up at the American next to me. Mark was fiddling with his hands rather nervously and his gaze kept shifting between me and his hands making his nervousness much more apparent. “Are you okay?” I ask softly, taking his hands in mine to grab his attention even more. “You seem nervous about something… is it to do with why you were crying?”

The man next to me nodded his head gently, a small blush on his cheeks as he kept his gaze away from me. “I just… I fucked up. Badly and I… I don’t know how or if I could ever fix what I did…” His voice would have been barely audible if I were further away but luckily I was leaning pretty close to him. “I… Fuck, I shouldn’t even be allowed next to you.” He stated, confusing me because I couldn’t really think of a reason why he shouldn’t be allowed near me. “I’m sorry.”

A small moment went by before I felt a soft pressure against my lips. Just there for a few seconds and very light but I could swear that my lips were tingling once he pulled away. I looked around the room rather confused before resting my eyes on the man who kissed me, he was looking off at a corner almost as if he was waiting for me to do something. Does he think I’ll hit him? My thoughts questioned as I brought my hand up to his face. Mark flinched slightly before relaxing into the hand that was gently stroking his cheek.

“I’m not angry, more confused than anything…” I mutter before a bang in the front room catches my attention. I let Mark know that I’ll be right back before rushing off to see what the noise was about.

A small sound of struggling happened before I heard: “Mark, what the hell?!” come from Arin’s mouth as he glared up at the ego that stood in front of him. Mr Tall, Dark and Brooding glared back at him for a moment before resting his eyes on me. Arin looked between us confused while Danny held a growling Chica back. “Y-You’re not Mark, are you?” The grump asked, only receiving a cold smirk in reply.

The demon made his way over to me, his dark aura growing to cover me as he stood just a few steps away. “Why is he here?” Dark spoke out, his voice distorting and echoing in the way it does when he wants to be intimidating, it had a completely different effect on me, however, and I was worried he knew that. “Have you not listened to my warnings? I will protect him from Wilford, sure, but I will not allow him near you in such a manner.” He hissed, closing the distance between us.

“Dark, leave her alone.” Mark spoke out from his place at the doorway catching the demon’s attention. Dark growled lowly at the YouTuber before pulling me into his chest. “I’m not going to hurt her. I would never-” He was cut off by Dark’s very loud laughter. “What’s so funny?”

It took a moment for the monochromatic man to calm down his laughter, his hand gently patting my hair as he glared at the man in front of him. “Oh, don’t give me that bullshit! I know who you are. You don’t care, you never did!”

“And you do?!” Mark exclaimed, stepping closer to us.

Their voices began to drown as a headache crept up on me, causing me to screw my eyes closed as I fought the pain. The ringing sound that Dark’s aura produced made the situation worse, as flashes of pain crossed my forehead and stung my eyes. Small whines of pain left my lips but the two were too busy arguing to notice and the Grumps most likely couldn’t hear anything over the ringing sound of the black shadows covering us.

The darkness and ringing and the pain and a soothing voice pulled me into the veils of unconsciousness and away from the shouting, unintelligible voices.

The forest around me was calming, the blue hue of the night sky coated the area and made a typically calming location all that much better. The smell of petrichor and the scent of cherry blossoms in the air helped with the peaceful atmosphere.

I was taken out of the peaceful atmosphere as arms wrapped around my waist alerting me to his presence. The blue hue of the surroundings had already told me who it was so I wasn’t worried. “Hello again, Sunshine.” Damien’s voice purred slightly as he pulled my back against his chest. “I felt this would be appropriate considering what you were going through. Celine was ready to send things flying at them but I didn’t want them alerted to her presence.” He explained, nuzzling against my hair gently. I thank him and turn in his arms and hug him tightly.

The two of us stay like that for a while, something I’m sure that Damien was happy for.

The sound of something that sounded like mumbled words in French sounded out, causing me to pull away slightly and look up at the mayor. He stopped what he was mumbling before giving me a shy smile and began singing an unfamiliar song in French. The warmth in his eyes and voice, as well as the loving look on his face, was surely the reason for my face flushing heavily which the man just had to point out.

A thought crossed my mind and caused me to speak. “Do you know what they’re arguing about?” I ask softly as the man looking down at me stroked my cheek. Damien’s smile dropped slightly and nodded, but said he didn’t want to get into it and how the argument devolved into something childish but his sister would only tell him so much. Her anger was higher than her amusement at the situation.

A sigh left his lips and he ran his hand through his hair before his head picked up and his eyes seemed to light up as if a bulb just went off in his head. He threw a large grin my way before excusing himself, saying he’ll be back in a moment and running off leaving me in the meadow rather confused.

My surroundings began to warp and shift into what seemed to be an old-fashioned restaurant and Damien stood off to the side by a table for two looking immaculate as always. A chuckle left my lips as I walked to his side and let him pull my chair out for me and let him help me tuck my chair in after I sat down. Damien quickly sat down in his chair and gave me his amazing beaming smile.

“I figured that because we couldn’t have a date all those years ago we can have the next best thing now. I don’t know how to manipulate your dream realm to conjure up some food but well… We don’t need food to make a date good, we have each other after all.” His words made my cheeks blush and confirmed to for me that Dark’s silver tongue came from him as Damien certainly had a way with words.

The date went by swimmingly despite the lack of food and most other things that happened on dates. But Damien made sure he took every opportunity he had to make me blush whether it be from his words or simple motions like holding my hand, after a few hours I was a piece of blushing putty in his hands and after our restaurant date we laid peacefully in the meadow coated in thornless white, blue and orange roses.

I laid next to the mayor with my head on his chest, wishing I could hear the heartbeat of this angel in human clothing while said man was busy playing gently with my hair as he muttered sweet nothings. I could only imagine the things this man would do if he was still alive.

A happy sigh left my lips as I snuggled into his chest more, a happy sound left Damien in response and his arms proceeded to wrap around me tightly. “Oh, how I wish we had this… I’d dreamt of this so many nights when we were still studying that it’s rather bittersweet that we have a version of it now. After we both died.” He sighed out, his arms tightening slightly as he thought aloud. My hand almost immediately reached up to stroke his cheek gently, trying to calm him down.

Damien looks at me as if he was grateful for the gesture before making the pair of us sit up. “Do you want to know why I call you my Sunshine?” He asked, chuckling to himself after receiving an almost immediate nod from me. “It’s because you light up my life. Seeing you always brightened my day and when I met you it was as if I had gained something I didn’t realise I had been missing for so long, it was if I had spent eternity in a dark cave not knowing the feeling of the sun on my face or its light. I knew practically instantly that I loved you, that I was in love with you. And obviously, I still am.” He explained, his eyes shining with a happiness that nearly stole the breath from my lungs. “Well, that and I thought it was a nice match to my childhood nicknames which always revolved around my love of the moon. Heck, Will used to call me Moon before he left for the military.” He chuckled out, his hand once again on my cheek pulling my face closer to his. “Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I hope we can have this again soon, my love.” He muttered, his lips brushing mine in such a tempting manner, before laying me down on the meadow floor.

I didn’t want to go but as darkness surrounded us to the point as the only thing I could see was him, I knew I’d be back very soon. We’d both make sure of it.

When I awoke Dark was leaning over me asking if I was okay. He seems genuinely worried. I looked around to find that I was still in the living room, Arin and Danny were no longer in the flat or were in my bedroom but I doubted that, and Mark was being held back by Sean at the other end of the room. I look at Sean and then at the demon holding me to him as if to ask why he was there, my voice being lost once again. Dark quickly explained in a mumble that a fight broke out and Anti teleported Sean there to try and keep Mark calm.

Anti stood off in one of the corners of the room, keeping an eye on things from a distance. I shift away from the silver-tongued demon a small bit and beckon the glitch over. Anti was quick to shift into Ace and run over, leaping onto my shoulders and hissing slightly at his rival. Sean also made his way over, helping me up and guiding me over to a now calm Mark.

We stood there awkwardly for a moment before I pulled the dark haired man into a tight hug before pulling out my phone and opening the soundboard app. I played several clips to let him know it was probably best to leave before guiding the sad looking man over to the door. I sigh silently before giving him a small smile and playing a clip of his outro as I kissed his cheek. Sean, being the helpful bean he was, was quick to grab Chica, put her on a leash before following her master out.

Ace left in his typical cloud of green smog and left me alone with Dark. The monochromatic demon was quick to be by my side but backed away when I glared at him. I, in full view of the man, texted Gracie asking if she wanted to get coffee before staring the demon in the face as I put on my favourite jacket and leaving the flat.

As soon as I got to the local cafe I was pulled into a booth by the one and only Gracie. She had five different cups in front of her and a very concerned look on her face.

Asking Gracie for coffee had always been a code between us. It usually meant that I was once again mute and needed time away from something and luckily for me, Gracie would always agree to help. That and it meant she could head to the one cafe that would give her free drinks and the woman was addicted to caffeine despite my constant nagging at her about it. She would come here normally but she lived twenty or so miles away and she, like my current roommate, was lazy. Well, when her job let her be.

“So, what’s up?” She asked, her usual bubbly voice reminding me of an anime character almost. I make the shape of a heart with my hands then throw my hands up in the air in frustration. “Romance problems? That’s new. Well, it’s not new, it has just been awhile… but you know what I mean!” I nod and hold up three fingers, knowing that she knew what it would mean. Her jaw dropped slightly before she went back to drinking from the disposable cup she had in her hands. “How’d you land three guys?” I throw my hands up to show that I didn’t really know before allowing my forehead to rest on the table, groaning silently to myself.

Gracie and I had a small back and forth for a little bit before she was being called back to work. We parted ways but not before promising another camping trip soon as our last one was interrupted by Sean’s worrying.

The walk back to the flat was a slow one as I was allowed to collect my thoughts. I was in love with a dead man, was sexually attracted to a demon and might be in love with him and I had feelings for a man who was already in a happy relationship. What has my life become? I think to myself as I pretend to not head Celine giggling at my woes.

It could always be worse, dear Aurora. Celine cooed jokingly as she followed me home. Aurora was something she called me because of Damien’s nickname for me. That and she liked the sound of it, so she called me it.

When I got back to my flat I found it rather empty. Ace was still gone and Dark must’ve left shortly after I did so it was really quiet. A quiet little flat. I grew so used to the noise the egos brought that I now hated the silence, or at least silence because no one was there. A silent sigh left my lips as I placed my jacket back on the coat rack and made my way to my room to collect my journal before stopping at an odd sight.

My room was neatly made up as if no one had been in it. Everything was well organised, there were no clothes hanging out of my drawers or wardrobe, all pictures were perfectly straight and the bed was properly made. But that wasn’t what got to me. What got to me was something laying gently on the pillow.

A bouquet of blood red roses laid there. 12 beautiful red roses with a note.

For my only Sunshine - D.

[365footballorg-blog]

The buzz, the dog and 'life-changing' chances - FA Cup first-round preview

Media playback is not supported on this device

Muddy pitches, tin-foil cut-out cups and widespread potential for first-round shocks – yes, the FA Cup is poised for another possible “life-changing” weekend for many, as English Football League clubs enter this season’s competition.

From seventh-tier Metropolitan Police to League One leaders Portsmouth, 80 sides know they are just two wins away from a potential big-money third-round draw.

At least six clubs from outside the English Football League will reach round two, but a further 20 non-league outfits will be hoping to join them by beating league opposition.

Among the remaining 14 all-EFL ties, two-time winners Sunderland travel to Port Vale as the Black Cats make their first appearance in round one since 1987.

But who is “lapping up” a possible giant-killing, who will be mindful of avoiding an upset and who is hoping a dog can help inspire them into round two?

FA Cup first-round fixtures[1]

‘You ain’t nothing but a hound dog’

The lowest-ranked side left in the competition are seventh-tier Hitchin Town, who have reached this stage for the first time in 23 years and will host National League Solihull Moors on Sunday.

Manager Mark Burke was playing for the Canaries the last time they featured in the first round in 1995, in one of over 700 appearances he made for the club.

“It’s historic and the town have come out for us,” he told BBC Three Counties Radio. “The community have got right behind us and we’re expecting a sell-out, with 3,500 people here cheering us on.”

Hitchin’s former Luton, Leeds and Watford midfielder Matthew Spring, who has featured in the fifth round at Arsenal for Leyton Orient, added: “I can see the excitement in the lads and that’s good enough for me – even seeing some of them nervous.

“If they [Solihull] come here and don’t fancy it and we have a good day, you just never know – that’s what we’re hoping for, that we can spring a surprise.”

Media playback is not supported on this device

The hosts will also hope their lucky mascot, a dog called Elvis who is a regular at Hitchin games, can boost them on Sunday.

And the tie will be played at the Top Field ground exactly 147 years since the same venue staged a Hitchin-based side’s game on the first day of the inaugural FA Cup on 11 November, 1871.

Quiz: How well do you know the teams in the first round?[2]

Read more: Haringey Borough eye AFC Wimbledon giant-killing[3]

More history for Maidenhead

The old Hitchin FC were one of eight teams to play that day. Another of those, remarkably, is also in action this weekend, on another ground that hosted one of the opening ties 147 years ago.

National League Maidenhead United – managed by a former cup winner in ex-West Ham United midfielder Alan Devonshire – will host Portsmouth in Saturday’s 12:30 GMT kick-off.

Their York Road ground was where they beat Marlow in the first round in 1871, when just 15 clubs entered the now-world-famous competition.

Saturday will see them host a former FA Cup winner for a third time, with Pompey following Old Etonians and Oxford University in travelling to Maidenhead, who themselves lost at 1987 winners Coventry[4] last season.

Yet the Magpies, who are making their 10th first-round appearance, are bidding to reach round two for the first time.

FA Cup first round: How to follow the action on BBC Sport[5]

Watch: The best goal from each round of the 2017-18 FA Cup[6]

Met Police cause upset in fourth qualifying round[7]

‘You can feel the energy’ – Hampton & Richmond’s ‘biggest game’

Monday’s eagerly anticipated tie will see Hampton & Richmond Borough host League Two Oldham, in what is being described as the National League South outfit’s biggest ever fixture.

Former Charlton and Bristol Rovers striker Chris Dickson, whose first goal for the Addicks came in the cup against West Bromwich Albion in 2008, is among the hosts’ more experienced men.

“You just get a buzz. For the last few weeks we’ve been told not to talk about it and literally everyone wants to talk about it!” the 33-year-old told BBC Radio London.

“But now that it’s come round, you can just feel the energy. It’s everywhere at the moment. Everyone wants to be a part of it. The lads are going to lap it up.”

The Beavers produced one of the shocks of the fourth qualifying round as they won at National League Eastleigh, but their league form has dipped since, with two defeats and a draw in their subsequent three games.

Manager Gary McCann added: “I’ve been very much in the doldrums after the last few league games, with three really disappointing performances. Admittedly, the distraction of the cup played its part recently.

“We wanted more. But all that’s done is open the mindset up into what side we’re going to pick for Monday. They���ve left the door open, I’m afraid.

“Speaking to certain people in and around the football club, they’ve been quick to tell me this is the biggest game in the club’s 97-year history. I don’t think it’s a game you need to motivate for.”

The prize they’re all playing for

<!–

If a lower-league club can pull off a shock – or multiple shocks – the financial rewards can be vast and long-lasting. Just ask League Two leaders Lincoln City, whose dramatic 2016-17 run has helped fund their new £1.3m elite performance centre.

Speaking as the 12.3 acre training-ground site opened, vice-chairman Roger Bates told BBC Sport: “The television money and the prize money have gone a long way towards underpinning what we’ve done here.

“It’s fair to say that, without that cup run, this would have been a challenge. The progress we’ve been able to make gives us a real sense of pride.”

Chief executive Liam Scully added: “The support we’ve had from the city and the spirit of football is ultimately why we all work in this game, for stories such as this that we’re living right now.

“This has all been achieved by six crazy months in a sense, by what was a relatively small non-league club at the time. To see us where we are now, averaging 8,500 gates, is phenomenal.”

Lincoln overcame Guiseley, Altrincham, Oldham, Ipswich, Brighton and Premier League Burnley before losing to Arsenal in the last eight, playing nine games in that run including replays.

The Imps knocked out the Clarets with a late 1-0 win at Turf Moor[8] in February 2017 to become the first non-league side to reach the quarter-finals for 103 years.

One of the stars of that run, forward Matt Rhead, added: “The FA Cup can change your life. We didn’t have a training ground at the time – we were training at parks, fields, wherever we could find. Now it’s somewhere that we can all call home.”

Lincoln host Northampton Town on Saturday, with £36,000 up for grabs for first-round winners this term after total prize money was doubled for this season to £30.2m.

What about those wanting to avoid a shock?

<!–

Those scanning the first-round fixtures for possible shocks will likely look for three things; a lower-league side playing at home, a higher-ranked side enduring a poor run and minnows who are extra motivated.

At Saturday’s tie between Ebbsfleet United and Cheltenham Town, all three arguably apply. The National League hosts have a new boss in Garry Hill,[9] after Daryl McMahon’s exit by mutual consent on Wednesday.

Hill’s new side face a Robins outfit which is yet to win under manager Michael Duff in his nine League Two matches so far.

“It won’t be easy. In the pyramid, they’re not that many players below us,” Duff told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. “The players are fully aware of where we are and what we need to do.

“It’s a tough game but we’re not focused on them. The spotlight is on us, from us. They’re got lots of good players, but we’re looking at ourselves at the moment.”

Grand gestures

Media playback is not supported on this device

Whatever the results this weekend, one club’s set of fans have already been made happy.

Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter is paying for the match tickets for every fan making the 416-mile round trip to Southport for their match.

The fixture is one of six all-non-league ties (all times GMT):

Chesterfield v Billericay (Sat, 15:00)

Southport v Boreham Wood (Sat, 15:00)

Sutton United v Slough Town (Sat, 15:00)

Torquay v Woking (Sat, 15:00)

Hitchin v Solihull Moors (Sun, 12:45)

Weston-super-Mare v Wrexham (Sun, 12:45)

How to follow the action with BBC Sport

BBC Sport has all of the first-round action covered on television, radio and online, starting with the tie between Haringey Borough and AFC Wimbledon, live on BBC Two on Friday (19:55 GMT).

Saturday’s Football Focus on BBC One at 12:05 will come live from Metropolitan Police FC, with presenter Dan Walker joined by Dion Dublin and Matthew Upson.

You can watch highlights from Saturday’s games on the BBC Sport website and app from 17:15, while Sunday’s FA Cup edition of Final Score from 12:30 will show the goals as they go in.

Highlights of the weekend’s ties will be shown on BBC Two from 17:30 GMT on Sunday, and the draw for the second round of the FA Cup will be broadcast live on BBC Two and online on Monday from 19:00.

Watch all of the latest FA Cup highlights and reaction here[10]

References

^ FA Cup first-round fixtures (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Quiz: How well do you know the teams in the first round? (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Read more: Haringey Borough eye AFC Wimbledon giant-killing (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ lost at 1987 winners Coventry (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ FA Cup first round: How to follow the action on BBC Sport (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Watch: The best goal from each round of the 2017-18 FA Cup (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Met Police cause upset in fourth qualifying round (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ 1-0 win at Turf Moor (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ new boss in Garry Hill, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Watch all of the latest FA Cup highlights and reaction here (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

The buzz, the dog and 'life-changing' chances – FA Cup first-round preview was originally published on 365 Football