#Dart x Grimm

[targaryen-dynasty]

YOU‘RE THE ONLY THING I PRAY FOR. (2/3)

Daemon Targaryen x niece!Reader

WARNINGS: none

WORDS: 2.4 K

NOTES: y��all are probably fed up with how much I’m posting today but ✨idc✨ lmao. Consider this as a little interlude before it gets steamy in part 3 🤭 tysm @arcielee for betaing this short thing.

Never before have you slept as badly as you did last night. The tea brought by Maester Mellos may have been drunk by you, but it did little to soothe the tormenting guilt you feel. You had retired to bed again afterwards, only to not be able to find any sleep at all. 

Rolling from one side to the other, you had pondered over what had happened in the sept, and who could have seen the two of you to report it to your father. There couldn’t have been any witnesses for most septas leave whenever you arrive. Besides, you’ve looked around plenty of times. It’s impossible that anyone has seen you. 

But deep down you know it was bound to happen eventually. A princess of the realm could not flaunt around the Grand Sept in the company of her uncle, let alone being claimed and defiled by him so openly without anyone witnessing. 

So, it’s not surprising that at first light you’re summoned to the Throne Room. 

The heavy doors fall shut behind you with a thud, and your footsteps are the only thing heard as you approach the looming throne. Your father sits atop it, Jaehaerys crown weighing heavy on his silver curls, and watches you with a grimm expression.  

“Y-Your Grace,” you stutter, bobbing a small curtsy with your hands tightly clasped in front of you. It’s your father’s harsh voice that has you flinching even before you’re able to meet his eyes. 

“Raise your head, child.” It’s a demand, and it’s definitely not your father sitting in front of you right now. 

Nodding, you gulped thickly as your father has never before spoken to you in such a manner, with such fury laced within his voice. The quick-tempered part of his emotions has always been reserved to the people of his council, and sometimes even your little sister stands in the crossfire. But not you, never you. 

“It has been brought to my attention that you were seen entering the Grand Sept with Daemon. Is that correct?”

Your eyes dart around before they settle on the floor, and you nod once again. Finding your voice seems to be more difficult than expected, failing as you are not even able to meet your fathers gaze. 

And the silence appears to stoke your father’s fury, knowing this is too dire a matter to be lenient with you. 

“I said is that correct?” he growls, abruptly rising to his feet. 

The movement causes you to flinch, and you raise your head. “I–yes, he-he asked if he could join me for my morning prayer,” you stammer, frozen in fear. 

Your father huffs, “Of course, he has.” 

He pinches the bridge of his nose, before he slowly but surely walks down the steps leading from the imposing Iron Throne towards where you stand. “And is that all that has transpired between the two of you, daughter?” The name falls from his lips dripping with so much venom, a shiver runs down your spine. 

His stern expression only grows darker and darker, a foreboding edge cuts into them. “Or are there other matters that you two have been up to there?” he asks, looking down at you. “I wish to hear the truth from your mouth, and your mouth only.”

You feel your throat tighten, and your body grows cold just from the intensity that feeds the tension between the two of you. “I-I… I–,” you stammer. You’re caught. 

Taking in a deep breath, you clench your hands to fists to stop them from trembling as you think about saying the next words out loud. Your nails dig into your palms, surely leaving crescent shaped marks, but this doesn't make the situation more bearable for you. “We-We kissed,” the words are practically a whisper, “and he did suggest we wed.” Looking away, you can’t bring yourself to meet his eyes, knowing there’s a rage brooding inside of him. 

“What a foolish suggestion,” your father spits out. “Must I remind you that you were to wed Jason Lannister?”

Feeling your breath grow shaky as you try to keep the tears from welling in your eyes, your gaze locks with your father’s. You’re a dutiful girl, and you would have never disobeyed your father. But you allowed your uncle to take things too far, and now you have to bear the consequences. 

“No, Your Grace,” your voice is meek, trembling as you shake your head, “I-I am aware I must wed Lord Lannister, a match made by you, and I do not wish to bring shame to the crown.”

But your father hesitates, as if the words he’s about to speak would weigh a thousand tons on yours and his shoulders. “Your lies have proven to me that you do not care for your duty to the crown,” he growls. “And I will not allow your foolish actions to further tarnish our House. You wish to go to the Sept freely and frequently? Then you shall make your way to Oldtown in the morrow to become a Silent Sister, and forsake your past life. You will be removed from the line of succession entirely as a punishment for flouting my authority.”

Frozen in stunned silence, the words do not seem real. The severity of your father’s judgement sinks into the pit of your stomach, and you take a step back as if it would give you back your ability to breathe. 

With blurry eyes, you look back at him, trying to find some sort of consolation in his, but you only see sternness and disapproval. “A-Are you serious?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper. Tears stain your cheeks, and you allow them to. “Surely you must not mean it, father.”

“I am your King!” Viserys snaps, and there’s no fatherly compassion neither in his voice nor the fierce scowl on his face. 

For all his reign your father has been nothing if not a weak king, relying on others to ensure the strength of the mighty House Targaryen. And now he decides to make an example out of your misstep, not able to afford another moment of weakness? It must be a cruel joke in favor of the Seven. 

“My mind is made up,” your father finally growls, hiding the pit of guilt in his stomach behind the volume of his voice. “This is the price of your actions whether you like it or not. You have brought this on yourself, and I don’t wish to hear any more objections from you. Begone!”

Knowing there was nothing you could do to change his mind, you just nod your head and walk out of the Throne Room, eyes downcast as the tears won’t stop rolling down your cheeks. 

You barely register who crosses your path on the way to your chambers for your mind is awash with sadness, rage and fear, and once the heavy door falls shut behind you, it all rises to the surface, claiming you like a storm. 

You kick against a nearby stool before you sink to your knees and sob into your hands. Letting out an agonizing scream, you are overtaken by rage. But there’s no will of yours to pack your belongings, not that you’d need them anyways, for a scroll you certainly have not left there lays on your bed, next to a rugged cloak. 

You grab the piece of paper, unrolling it and scanning over its contents, taking a few seconds to understand that it’s a map containing the secret passageways your ancestor had commissioned during the construction of Maegor’s Holdfast. ‘Meet me here at the Hour of the Ghosts’ is written below it, the here most certainly hinting at the point that’s hidden beneath a marked cross. 

It seems like an incredibly long time to the Hour of the Ghosts, but what other choice than waiting do you have? There’s no way for you to go, not that you even want to go outside to meet anyone. All you want to do is spend the rest of your time in the Red Keep by yourself, sulking about the mess you have brought yourself into. 

But as the hour finally strikes, you’re on your feet, silver hair hidden by the hood of the cloak. 

The map suggests that there’s a hidden doorway to the right of your bed, and it takes little effort for you to push it open, revealing a staircase that leads you into a tunnel. Though it’s almost casted in complete darkness, you pull the door to your chambers shut behind you and scurry down the stairs, following the map. 

The rage is still there on your way to the staircase that leads you out of the keep and into the city, and even in the dim lights of the torches around you, you can make out your uncle’s surprised face as you suddenly charge at him. 

If you weren’t so angry, you would have laughed. 

“Why have you told him?” you hiss, but are quickly silenced by his large hand covering your mouth. He holds you with your back against his chest, seizing your small frame and stopping you from shoving at his chest. 

“I told him nothing,” he sharply hushes into your ear, though you don’t grasp the importance of it. Your life is already ruined, and his whispering won’t make it alright again. “Viserys was informed, but not by me. I assume it was one of the leeches’ puppets. Your father summoned me last night to inform me that my services to the crown were no longer required. He has exiled me.”

You exhale into his palm, turning slightly to look at him with wide eyes. There is a menacing grin on his lips, only broken when he continues. “I am quite certain he has done the same to you, so, you can either stay here and face your punishment, or you can come with me.”

His words settle slowly, and you’re torn between following him, or facing your fate as Silent Sister. You already disgraced your House, what’s one more misstep if it can bring you freedom? 

You feel utterly helpless and powerless, for you don’t know if Daemon can be trusted. He hasn’t earned the moniker the Rogue Prince for nothing, and for all you know, he could have informed your father. But would he willingly bring himself into a treacherous position just to wed you? You’re not certain. 

Your sigh fanning into the palm of his hand is what prompts him to release your face and allow you to speak again, and the cold air that suddenly fills your lungs with his hand gone has you clearing your throat. Winding in his grasp, you turn around to face him, and as it eventually loosens, you take a step back. There still is anger raging inside of you, but you must play your cards wisely. 

The hood of your cloak is pulled back by you, exposing your full face to him. “What other options do I truly have?” you whisper, looking around briefly. “I shall come with you.”

It’s another sigh that rips itself from your chest, knowing the inevitability of your question, and your eyes flicker up to meet his. “When do we leave?”

There is a short moment of silence between you, and, as if you’ve anticipated anything else, Daemon finally replies.

“Now,” he rasps. “We must go, before anyone comes to find and stop us.”

Not giving you a chance to react, his fingers intertwine with yours, clearly sensing your apprehension as he pulls you after him. 

“But my clothes. I–”

“Everything is set,” he husks. “I have secured your mount and my own, waiting for us in the Dragonpit. We must do this quickly, no time for lingering. We will be gone by the time anyone realizes.”

Just how quickly he has made all plans and arrangements possible truly amazes you, and you can’t help but feel drawn to his dedication to the matter and the ambition which he displays. You know you’re taking an immense risk in moving with him like that, but you trust him. You have to trust him. 

Following him down the stairs, you look back at the Red Keep for a moment, and its sight makes you feel nervous and anxious. You’re about to leave so much of your life behind. At what cost? 

It’s the neighing of a horse that catches your attention, and once again, Daemon takes your hand to drag you towards it. A tall, black stallion waits for you, and you squeal the moment your uncle lifts you up as if you weigh no more than a feather, putting you into the saddle. 

He settles behind you as the horse canters along the cobblestone, heading towards the Dragonpit at a speed you have rarely ridden before. But by the Seven, never before have you felt so thrilled. 

Stopping sharply in front of the outer doors opening to the hillside, he helps you down in the same manner he’s gotten you onto the horse. The gates to the dragonpit are opened, and both your dragons stand up the moment they recognize their riders. 

Upon the sight of both beasts, your heart swells and freezes at the same time. You would have missed your dragon dearly in Oldtown, and the thought that you would almost never have ridden it again makes your blood run cold for a moment.

Silverwing is slightly larger than Caraxes, and makes a much more striking figure than your uncle’s mount, but you dare not tell him that. 

With a nod towards the dragon keepers guarding your dragons, you approach your beast, hand gliding along her silvery scales. A look at Daemon from over your shoulder tells you that he’s already strapped to the saddle of Caraxes. 

“Where are we flying to?” you shout over at him, mounting Silverwing. There is a small bag strapped to her saddle, a thick coat for you to wear draped over it, and you wonder when he’s had the time to prepare all that. 

Caraxes is on his way out of the cave, roaring and grumbling, and your she-dragon briefly spreads her wings, before she follows him and crawls out into the open, causing you to almost not hear his reply. 

“Pentos!”

Their large wings flap loudly as Caraxes firstly soars into the air with a bellowing roar, closely followed by Silverwing, breaking into the open sky. 

The Red Keep grows smaller and smaller in the distance, until you can not make it out anymore. You’re not sure what difficulties might await you in Essos, though you have never been more ready to venture to far away lands. 

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[another-lost-mc]

hiii i love your most recent levi imagine!!! if you’re available i’d love to see a continuation, it’s so cute, i’d love whimpering levi begging for forgiveness and flushed with utmost embarrassment. your om writing is my favourite fr! hope you have a lovely day <3

A/N: I think I wrote three versions of this, it really could've ended so many different ways.

LEVIATHAN x gn!Reader, 0.8k words, nsfw/mdni.

Content warnings: continuation of this scene. Insecurity/anxiety, handjobs, suggestive content.

It takes a few seconds for Levi to realize that someone's in his room, and he jerks his hand away from his cock like it burns. He doesn't yell at them to get out or ask what they want—the only sound he can manage is a pathetic little whine because he had to stop touching himself. After a few more seconds, he realizes it's only you. Ha—only you, as if that's not the worst possible scenario.

You mumble something about forgetting your phone, and he just manages to cover his lap with a pillow by the time you walk around the sofa. He's not sure how he didn't notice the plastic edge of your D.D.D. wedged into the sofa beside him. It's digging into his thigh, but he can't hand it to you—his fingers are still tacky with precum.

Something flickers across your face and it catches him off-guard. He expects anger, disgust, or maybe confusion. He's not sure why you suddenly look nervous, and you shuffle on your feet and bite your lip. What the hell do you have to be nervous about?

His cock twitches underneath the pillow and he's sweating through his shirt, and he can't stop staring at you wearing those clothes that leave nothing to the imagination. He always wondered what you would look like naked, but this might be even hotter. Your shorts are tight and they roll up your thighs slightly, and he'd bet a thousand grimm you're not wearing any underwear either. When you lift your arms, that strip of cloth pretending to be a shirt rides up even more and he gets a nice little nip slip.

You drive him crazy. You need to leave before he does something really stupid, but then he thinks about his brothers seeing you like this and that's even worse. He knows the way they look at you, and they'd probably have the nerve to say or do all the things he wishes he could.

He gets so lost in his own mental spiral of envy and self-deprecation that he doesn't even notice that you moved closer until your legs bump against his. That apprehensive look on your face is gone and he swallows around the lump in his throat when you lean forward. His mouth is cotton-dry and he licks his lips, and his eyes dart down your chest where your not-a-shirt hangs loose and fuck he feels dirty but he can't help but stare—

He jolts when your hand brushes against his thigh. This is the part when he thinks you're going to grab your phone and yell at him for being a gross pervert and storm away. That's what he expects, but that's not what happens—your fingers inch over his thigh and pause at the edge of the pillow instead. Your breathing's a little heavier now and your eyes are molten with lust, and he's never seen you like this before and he wants you so bad.

He's paralyzed with shame and need. He thinks your lips tick up into a little smile before your face becomes a blur, and there's one last warm puff of air against his mouth before your lips press against his. Your hand nudges the pillow off his lap and it falls to the floor at his feet, and he finally kisses you back when he realizes you want this. He pants against your lips after your teeth clack together, and he opens his mouth when your tongue nudges inside and curls with his. His cock starts aching all over again, but you kneel over his thighs and wrap your fingers around him. It's going to be over soon because it's too much, it's nothing like he ever imagined because it's better. He doesn't feel embarrassed about moaning into another sloppy kiss because you echo him with a needy sound of your own.

He spills all over your fingers and his cock twitches because he wants more. Your flimsy crop top makes a better rag than a shirt—you yank it over your head and wipe your hand clean with it while your eyes glance at something over his shoulder. You slide off his lap and head towards his tub. It takes him longer than it should to accept that not only are you still here, but you're half-naked and settling into his nest of body pillows and blankets in his makeshift bed. He recognizes what that dark, half-lidded gaze means and he stands up, powerless to resist you and desperate to follow. Maybe this is a mistake but fuck it—he's not going to refuse you now, not when he's already hard again and his fingers twitch with the urge to rip those dainty little shorts off you. There's so much to talk about, so much he wants to ask, so much he wants to say, but that can wait—there'll be time for talking later.

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[thinkingaboutbetterdays]

home. ( nick burkhardt x reader )

gif belongs to me

Your relationship with Alexander was complicated. There were times when you missed confiding in him, but most of the time, lately, when he popped in and out of your life, you wished he would stay away. You knew that when you started dating a Grimm that news would travel quickly in the Wesen community and reach your ex-fiancée but you hadn't expected Alex to return to your life after keeping his distance for so long.

Since you broke off your engagement, you hadn't spoken to Alexander, but since news reached him that you were dating Nick, you had seen him more in the past few months than in the six years before you met the Grimm. He would stop by when Nick was gone - asking you to pass on a message to the Grimm whose annoyance with the council and your ex was growing.

It was clear that Alexander still had feelings for you, and when he found Alexander sitting on the couch, awaiting his arrival, Nick wondered for a moment if you did too. Alex's suits cost more than he made in a month, and Nick couldn't help feeling a little jealous knowing that financially Alex could give you more, and being a Pflichttreue you would be embraced by your community again instead of shunned for dating a Grimm.

You were preparing dinner with Rosalee, waiting for Nick and Monroe to arrive, when Alexander knocked on the door. He was surprised when Rosalee answered the door but didn't show it, the Fuchsbau reluctantly calling out to you.

You sighed as you looked at the Pflichttreue, opening the door wider and raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"What is it, Alex?"

"I have a request from the council. Is Nick home?" You shook your head. "I'll wait." You turned to him when he entered and closed the door as you headed to the kitchen, sending Nick a text message before looking at Alexander.

"Since when does the council consult a Grimm?" You asked.

Alexander ignored the Fuchsbau's stare, her eyes darting between you and him curiously.

"Tea?" You offered Alex who nodded, thanking you. You sent a fleeting smile and presented him with a cup of tea just the way he liked it a few minutes later, before checking on dinner.

Monroe arrived first, and the Blutbad was unsuccessful in trying to extract information from Alex about his visit. You knew he wouldn't tell anyone except Nick, especially if he was ordered to do so.

Alexander approached the stove, advising that the sautéed potatoes needed more spices. While you were dating, Alex frequently surprised you with a lovely dinner, and knowing first-hand he was a great cook, you took his advice.

Nick arrived ten minutes later while dinner was kept warm in the oven, he looked at Monroe and Rosalee, and then his concerned gaze shifted to yours.

"Are you okay?"

You sent him a small smile and a nod.

"How long have you been here?" He asked Alexander.

"A couple of hours," Alexander replied with a hint of annoyance. He wanted to state that you had nothing to fear from him, as he would never hurt you. Your engagement ended due to your differences, you argued before he left to meet with the council and while you wanted to live among Kehrseite's and hold onto the Wesen way of life, Alexander always maintained that the council would never let that happen and since he was an enforcer for the Wesen council, it led to many fights when you disagreed with a decision the council had made. Eventually, after four years, you had to walk away and you met Nick six years later shortly after Marie died.

"An hour and a half." You supplied, crossing your arms.

Alexander walked a few paces, looking at the ground before meeting Nick's gaze, and the Grimm took notice of the glance you shared with the Pflichttreue. "I need your help."

"Really?" Nick asked disbelievingly. Although you had been dating for a few years, engaged for less than a month, he was certain Alex just popped in and out of his life to find a reason to see you. "I didn't know you asked Grimm's for help."

"Depends on the circumstances," Alex replied. "And the Grimm."

"Well, what do you think I can do for you?"

"The Beati Paoli. You've heard of them?"

You stood straighter, glancing at Alex who was locked in a staring contest with your fiancée, looking at Nick when he spoke. You knew the two would never get along and you had confronted Nick one night when it felt like he was interrogating you regarding Alexander and you knew both men would never see eye to eye. You knew Alexander still had feelings for you, he had confessed as much, and while you still loved him, it was a different kind of love. You had known each other a long time before you started dating, and you would always care about him - even when he was a pain in the ass.

"I have." And Nick knew Alex knew this. He wouldn't have a reason to be here otherwise, and Nick wasn't in the mood to play games, wanting to get straight to the point.

"Are you aware that the man you are after is a member?" Alexander broke the stare, moving around a few paces, stopping on your right side, and your eyes followed the Pflichttreue. 

You knew exactly what he was capable of. He was an enforcer for the council, and you had seen him in a fight more than once. You worried about him back then, a part of you still did despite the frustration you felt when he popped in and out of your life unannounced.

"Carl Herman?" You spoke up, drawing Alexander's gaze, which Nick noticed still softened with affection. 

"Yes."

"Look," Nick drew his attention as he put his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, "I don't care what group he belongs to. He's a murderer."

Despite the councils' strong stances on certain matters you knew, they would frown upon Herman, seeing his actions as being a threat to the secrecy of Wesen life.

"We don't condone what the Beati Paoli does. We also don't usually get in their way." Alexander replied.

"But you do believe that they were preserving Wesen culture." You looked at Alexander, who held your gaze for a moment. It was a frequent disagreement in your relationship. You believed Wesen could live alongside humans while Alexander worked to ensure they never knew Wesen existed.

"We also feel strongly that Wesen remains should not be put on display. It's disrespectful." You licked your lips, raising your eyebrows fleetingly before looking away from him. "And dangerous to the Wesen community."

You heard about the exhibit before the murder and were upset about it. Nick was surprised that the exhibit was actually a mummified Wesen, but knew there was nothing you could do that was within the law.

Alexander averted his gaze to Nick, "But by killing the guard, he's gone too far. The council wants him stopped," You looked at Alexander and then at your fiancée with a frown.

Nick, however, did not understand Alexander's hidden meaning. "If you came here to kill him, I'm gonna tell you right now I'm not going to let that happen."

"We know," Alexander replied, closing his eyes briefly as he turned his head to meet your glare.

"The council wants you to stop him." You explained to Nick, seeing the way Monroe and Rosalee shared a glance. "Permanently."

Alexander turned to Nick, nodding slowly. "Which is why I'm going to tell you what I know." He began, "Carl Herman will make another attempt." 

It made sense why he was so determined to give the Anubis a proper burial, being one himself.

"And you know this how?" Nick asked skeptically.

"Because he called the council and asked for help stealing it tonight."

"What did you tell him?"

"That he's violated council law by killing the Kehrseite. Which is a capital crime." Alexander explained. 

"You want me to kill him?" Nick asked with disbelief. 

"You're a Grimm that's what you do."

"He's different." You growled, walking away from Alex to stand beside Nick. "And he's not for hire."

Alexander met your gaze before walking towards the doorway. 

"I'm not going to execute him for the council," Nick told him, turning to watch as the Pflichttreue made his way to the front door.

Alex turned, "He needs to be dealt with. Soon. I believe he's going to ask Professor Gates for her help whether or not she's willing to give it." He looked at his watch, "Yes, you don't have much time. Neither do I, I have a plane to catch." You held his gaze when he looked up and knew he was lying. He looked at Nick, wishing him good luck before leaving the house.

You sighed as you looked at Monroe when he broke the silence that followed. "Was it me? Or was that weird?"

"The council has been known to hire Grimm's before." You looked at Nick worriedly, "What are you going to do?"

He sighed, shaking his head, "I don't know yet. First, I have to find Herman."

You knew the dinner was ruined and knew it was going to be a long night. You knew Alex was up to something, and intended to find out what. When Nick left with Rosalee and Monroe, you waited until they drove off before heading to your car and driving to the university.

You broke into the offices and found out where the Anubis was being held. You shined your flashlight on the Pflichttreue and he turned, sighing when he saw it was you.

"You are a bad liar." You stepped forward and held the box, preparing to help him carry it. "You really need to work on that."

Alexander smirked, carrying the Anubis to the university van he was stealing. "I will be getting on a plane once I give him a respectful send-off." 

You grunted, pushing the box into the van and turning to him with intrigue, raising an eyebrow. You rolled your eyes when he smirked and got into the van, glancing at him as he drove off.

Alexander had done extensive research into the Anubis to ensure that the mummy was given the proper ceremonial burial. Nick caught up to you both in the early hours of the morning, seeing the mummy on a wooden pyre that was burning.

He slowed to a walk as Rosalee explained what you had done. The Fuchsbau stood next to you, and you turned your head to look at the Grimm with a small, apologetic smile. He inwardly sighed, standing next to Monroe as he stood with Rosalee.

He watched as the four of you woged before looking at the burning Anubis mummy.

You walked with your arm looped with Nick's once it was over, heading to the car, explaining that you knew Alexander was lying about the plane and that you wanted to give the Anubis a respectful burial. He understood your reasoning, having seen how upset you were when you discovered the exhibit.

He turned to you with a small smile, "I would've understood if you had told me."

"I know." You placed a hand on his cheek, "I forgot sometimes how unique you are." You closed your eyes when he held your waist, kissing you tenderly. 

You pulled away to see Alexander heading to a car driven by another member of the council. You looked at Nick, who merely smiled, nodding for you to catch up with him.

You jogged over to the car, calling out to Alex, who turned, his hand resting on the open door. You sighed as you stood in front of him, blocked by the door.

"If it's any consolation, I am catching a flight in two hours."

You smiled softly, "How is everyone?"

Alexander mirrored the smile as he caught you up on his family, telling you that his mother asked about you often.

"You know, she still thinks we'll get married." He said, "For a while, I did too. But I can see that some things are better left in the past." Before you could speak, he continued, "I'm glad that you found happiness. Can't say that I didn't wish it was with me." He sent you a smile that held sadness but also revealed his feelings for you, and you knew that there was always a part of you both that would love each other but it was different now. 

"Take care of yourself."

Alexander sent one last smile, "Until the next time," and got into the car. You stepped back, watching the car drive off, waving goodbye to the Pflichttreue.

Nick approached you, and you sent the Grimm a smile when he placed a hand on your back. "Everything okay?"

"For now. I know he'll come back, and I'll want to kill him again."

Nick laughed, smiling as you leaned into him, resting a hand on his chest, and placing an arm around his back as you headed to his car.

"I love you." You met his gaze when he turned his head.

"I love you too." He kissed your cheek before opening the car door for you.

When you got home, you took a shower and were exhausted, as you laid beside him. You rested your head on his chest, and Nick wrapped his arm around you. His other hand rested on his stomach, and you smiled serenely as you held your hand against his, watching your fingers intertwine, his thumb brushing the engagement ring on your finger.

For a while, you lay in content silence, both lost in your thoughts. Nick was the first to break it.

You may have lost your old friends, but you had made stronger bonds with Monroe and Rosalee. You had found a new family, and you couldn't wait to expand it further with Nick.

"Do you ever regret it?" He asked quietly, referring to your relationship.

The Wesen community had shunned you, and Alexander was the only one from your life before Nick to talk to you. You were always adamant that you didn't care, but Nick knew that you just didn't want to upset him and kept it to yourself. He had seen how his mother reacted when he told her that you were dating and how her attitude towards you affected you, which had led to a confrontation between mother and son. Before her death, things did improve, and when you got engaged, you felt as if you had finally been accepted by his mother who had congratulated you both.

You lifted your head to meet his gaze, "Not for a second."

He smiled softly, exhaling the breath he had been subconsciously holding, and placed his hand on your cheek, holding you closer as you kissed.

Wherever Nick was, that was your home, and you wouldn't change a single thing.

[penny-the-pissed-poltergeist]

Weapon upgrades and semblance evolutions team RWBY

Ruby Rose

Crescent Rose gaining a pole-saw blade (basically making it a chainsaw scythe) and adding gravity dust for it to return to her hands plus allowing her to use it as a hoverboard when folded up

She now has nature Dust infused into her clothing, letting her grow large thorns across her body that really help up close or if she loses Crescent Rose somehow

Petal Burst gets some extra features like turning objects and people into a pile of petals for storage (though it does wear off eventually) and being able to split off her body parts kinda like the Curious Cat can

Weiss Schnee

Myrtenaster's blade can now split in the middle to reveal a thin barrel allowing Weiss to fire high precision dust shots with it of any element, The grip would be altered with a guard as well.

Weiss has an whole rainbow of dust infused into her cloths for near infinite fuel for her semblance

Summoning glyphs can now give the powers of the summons to Weiss herself, like Nevermore wings or Arma Gigas armor, even allowing it's sword to be shrunken down to the size of a parrying blade. This can also make weapons based on defeated grimm, examples being a boarbatusk battering ram or Nightmare sleeping darts

Blake Belladonna

Gambol Shroud's gun half is upgraded from a pistol to an Sub-machine gun, while it's blade has gravity dust heavily infused into it, allowing her to functionally alter it's weight at will, going from as light as a dagger to as heavy as a zweihander even mid slash

The Sheath now has an assault rifle built into it and can launch her sword out as a projectile (Yes I had her steal Adam's whole flow)

Blake can now alter the size and shape Clones including giving them mass and weight, even allowing for completely non humanoid shapes, like a giant blob of darkness only she can see out of and just... basically everything she could do in X JL part 2

Yang Xiao Long

Ember Celica now has a matching pair of knuckle dusters with "Xiao" emblazoned on one and "Long" emblazoned the other. they can also take various Dust cartridges for extra effects based on type. She can also use 100% of the dust in both of them to fire a giant laser beam. (She a brawler with golden hair who yells a lot, I had to)

Her semblance now has a second mode called "douse" that has her eyes turn dark blue and a cool wind form around her, as she calms down and slows her breathing, and her defensive capabilities greatly increase. It puts Yang into a state where time seems to slow down from her perspective and she can block attacks that should be to powerful for her to stop normally, and anything she blocks fuels Burn even better then getting hit by it would. I don't have exact times in show for evos in mind for the others, but I'd have her unlock this around Vol.4

[doc-pickles]

old friends, new adventures (nico hischier x emilia hess)

from the unless it’s you universe

Here’s my promised fic! I’ve been out of town so that’s why it’s late but I hope y’all enjoy it.

xoxo nina

“mama do we have any snacks?”

the door of the hischier house flew open as nina bounded through the door, quickly followed by a brunette.

“in the pantry,” katja replied as she smiled at the two girls. “hello emilia. good to see you around here.”

“thanks mrs. h,” emilia smiled as she caught the bag of chips nina threw her. her eyes darted to nico who sat at the kitchen table working on homework. “hello to you too nico.”

the twelve year old looked up from his papers before rolling his eyes and turning back to his work, “hi emi.”

“nico be nice to our guest,” katja scolded from her place by the stove.

“hello emilia how are you today? wonderful weather we’re having. say did you catch the game last night? riveting stuff.”

nina and emilia both burst out laughing and nico spared a smirk in emilia’s direction. their eyes met for a second before nina called her away, the two girls quickly leaving the kitchen.

“I wish you’d be nicer to emilia,” katja huffed as she made dinner. “you never know, someday you two might-“

“absolutely not,” nico cringed as he turned toward his mom. “you can marry her off to luca.”

with an eye roll katja smirked at her youngest son, “she would eat him alive. finish your homework.”

+

“right there! no not- shit nico if you break my easel you’re paying for it!”

“you say that like i don’t have the money to do that,” nico grunted as he placed the aforementioned easel in the corner of emilia’s apartment. “there?”

“perfect,” emilia sighed and flopped onto the couch that was still covered in plastic. “thanks for helping me, I appreciate it.”

“no problem,” nico grinned as he pushed another cardboard box towards the couch before flopping down next to emilia. “are you excited for your new job?”

emilia nodded and opened the box in front of them, stacking the books inside next to the couch, “kohler price is a huge publishing house which means i’ll get to work on more diverse projects. there’s only so many grimm’s fairytales that you can redraw before it starts to get repetitive.”

nico’s deep laugh echoed through the apartment as he pulled a book out of the box and inspected the cover. it’s about rapunzel, a young girl with long golden hair flowing across the cover with flowers blooming around her. the illustration is breathtaking, nico grinning at emilia’s name scrawled across the bottom of the cover as the illustrator.

“well you’re very talented,” nico held up the book as if it showed proof of his words. “but I don’t think you need me to tell you that.”

pulling another box toward him nico watched as emilia blushed deeply, busying herself with organizing the books onto her shelves in the corner, “it’s just nice to be out in the world and ready to explore you know? I mean you travel all the time for work.”

“yeah canada in the middle of winter is thrilling,” nico huffed with a smile as he opened the box in front of him. “nothing quite like freezing to death in-“

emilia looked up from her spot by the shelves and yelped as she dove on top of the box nico had opened. their eyes met and before she could say anything nico collapsed into a fit of laughter as her face turned an embarrassingly bright shade of red.

“stop! I didn’t think you’d be opening the box when I packed it,” emilia shrieked as she pushed the box into the corner of the living room.

“and you decided to pack your sex toys right on top?” nico huffed out as a wide grin spread across his face. “jesus how many are in there em? surely you don’t need all of them.”

“they all do different things,” emilia scoffed and nico raised his brows. “i’m not explaining vibrators to you hischier. some of us don’t have girls throwing themselves at our feet because we can hit a puck with a stick.”

“I do not-“

“don’t even try to correct me,” emilia smiled as she carried the box to her bedroom then came back. “when I went to that game last week every other girl I saw had your jersey on. not to mention the amount of screaming when you skated out.”

emilia grinned widely as a deep red colored nico’s cheeks. satisfaction buzzing under her skin she went to pour two glasses of red wine for them before returning to the living room.

“to your new adventure,” nico raised his glass with a smile as emilia rolled her eyes is mock exasperation. “and to old friends.”

“to old friends and new adventures,” emilia smirked as they clinked glasses.

[madamecerberusfanfics]

Can You Love Yet

Tom Riddle x Reader/OC

Ch.7 A Blow to the Head Master list

Defense against the dark arts, probably one of Rowan's least favorite classes. Though being great at defensive spells, with her wand (quite fittingly) being made of rowan wood, known for its skill with protection spells. However it's the offensive spell that has always given her trouble.

She could at least sigh in relief knowing that she didn't share the class with Tom. The teasing & ridicule would be endless if he saw her in a duel & sadly that's just what they were doing today. With the desks & chairs replaced with a long raised dueling platform for the students adorned with a blue & gold cloth.

Standing there trying her best to keep her nerves under control as her eyes fixated on the different duels unfolding before her. Pale eyes darting back & forth as the two students on the platform throw spells flew. Countering & blocking each other's attacks, the heated exchange only growing hotter till the Gryffindor finally landed a hit on the Slytherin. Knocking the boy landing & sliding a few feet on his back. The other Gryffindors cheered for their house mates victory, as he stood there with a cocky smile plastered on his face.

Time for the next duel & sadly- "Grimm!"- it was her turn. Freezing as soon the professor called her name, quickly she took a deep breath & regain her composure, stepped on top of the platform. Coming face to face with a different Gryffindor, a boy with dirty blonde hair & a determined look piercing right through Rowan.

As soon as the professor gave them the sign the Gryffindor wasted no time casting attacks. Fast to act Rowan stated to block one after the other. The blonde relentless in the on slot of attacks was slowly pushing the now anxious girl closer to the edge. Knowing she couldn't just block him forever she reflected his spell right back at him. Blocking it just as she expected, readying her wand to attack with his gourd down only to hesitate, like every time before.

Leaving herself wide open perfectly for him, as with one final spell hitting her. Sending Rowan flying back causing her head to hit hard against the wooden floors.

Everything was black as if she was floating in a void. Soon she could recognize the feel of a ferm mattress & sheets beneath her, then the smell of herbs entering her nostrils every time she took a breath. Steering as she tried to fight off the grogginess, finally managing to open her eyes only to be blinded by the painfully bright light. Groaning as she shut her eyes once more only for the sound of clacking footsteps to assault her ears. "Oh miss Grimm you're finally awake, here." It had been the nurse, having Rowan sit up as she handed her a small glass bottle, "here love take this." & Without much thought she took it, a bitter potion that helped relieve the pain & fogginess in her head. "Thank you madam I feel a lot better" her voice, quite & grateful to the nurse. "Let me know if you need anything else love." With that she could hear the nurse walk away as the sound of her heels got further & further. With her eyes still closed not wanting to risk the pain the bright light might cause, she laid back down.

Tom had heard about the incident & as much as her was upset with Rowan letting herself get hit & injured like that. He couldn't help but feel even more angry at the Griffindor who caused the injury in the first place.

A scowl tugging on his lips as he made his way towards the hospital wing. Footsteps, quick yet almost soundless, soon enough he stood at Rowan's bed side. Unsure whether to feel pity or anger at the state she was in. With her head wrapped with a bandage, a small frown tugging at her lips instead of her normal cheeky smile. A bizarre sight to say the least, it had been the first time he had ever seen Rowan injured & all he could feel looking down at her small body was dread.

Her eyes slowly opened just enough for her crystal clear orbs to peak through her lashes. Tom made sure the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling was hidden well enough that even with Rowan's sharp perception she couldn't tell.

"Wow I'm surprised that you came to see me, keep this up & I'll start to think you've grown attached." her voice, rough & quiet as a tired smile tugged at her lips. "Oh please Grimm the only thing I've grown attached to is not going back to that hellhole." Rolling his eyes in annoyance at her ridiculous assumption. "Oh please don't think I haven't noticed Lestrange's little crush on me, Merlin knows why," sitting up slowly careful not to irritate her still sore head. " & You're strange response to it." Scoffing & rolling his eyes even harder this time only to meet her piercing gaze. They both knew her words were true but Tom wouldn't dare confess to these strange confusing feelings.

"So how did you manage such a thing I knew you were bad when it came to defense against the dark arts but I didn't think it was this bad." Changing the subject to the actual matter at hand. Making Rowan overt her gaze as her lightly freckled cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "W-well it's not all of it that I struggle with I am quite skilled when it comes to defensive magic." Trying her best to come off as proper but of course Tom saw right through it.

"Your head injury would say otherwise." Tom, quick to retort.

"It's just the offensive spells that I have trouble with." Finally admitting, her voice soft & quiet as her eyes looked back up at him through her lashes. The proper facade finally falling off only to show puer embarrassment on her deepening red face.

This had done some with in Tom another new feeling he wasn't sure how to describe. He knew it wasn't love, any of these new confusing feelings. From what he understood love didn't feel like what he was experiencing now. Only leaving him frustrated & annoyed.

Letting out a huff, "Fine!"

Rowan now looking at him wide eyed & confused. "I'll tutor you in offensive spells if that's all you really need." In a stern tone, dark eyes meeting pale orbs filled with gratitude & a smile he seemed to never get out of his head. "Very much appreciated Tom."

[rebelliousstories]

Oh Christmas Day

25 Days of Ficmas

Relationship: Sean Renard x Reader

Fandom: Grimm

Request: No

Warnings: Fluff, Mentions of Alcohol

Word Count: 1,366

Main Masterlist: Here

Grimm Masterlist: Here

Summary: There was something magical about spending your first Christmas together, especially after not celebrating for so long.

Consider Donating: Here

Ah, tis the season for stress baking. Accidentally stumbling upon the captain of the Portland police has led to an interesting twenty four days. Between going on dates, and enjoying each other’s company, she was pretty sure that Sean Renard was a dream come true.

He was a perfect gentleman; sweet, kind, and very, very handsome. It felt like winning the jackpot for her. A very lucky heel break that brought him to her, and she had been reaping the rewards ever since. And today, she was panicking about everything.

Sean had invited the fuchsbau to the office Christmas party for the police station. The thought meant so much to her, and she jumped on the opportunity to make something for the event. Even though Sean assured her that she did not need to do so, that there would be plenty of food and treats there, but still, she insisted.

Deciding on what to make what the easy part. Making sure everything was made right was the hardest part. Classic gingerbread cookies were spread out on her counter as she finished boxing them up. A knock at the door drew her attention away from the confections. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her dress out as she opened the entrance.

“Hi.” Raking her eyes over his form, she enjoyed his well tailored suit draping over him.

“Hi. Can I come in for a second,” came his ask, waving around a neatly wrapped box.

“Yeah. Yeah, of course. Come on in. I’m just finishing up in here.” Walking back into the kitchen, she heard Sean shut the front door behind him as his dress shoes padded behind her.

Grabbing the boxes that had about three dozen cookies in them, the fuchsbau brought them into the living room where Sean decided to wait. “I, um, made little gingerbread men. Thought that would be a safe bet. Whatcha got in the box there?”

Looking down at his hands, Renard chuckled. “Can’t you get a Christmas present before the party?”

“That’s for me,” she asked, set down the containers on her coffee table. Passing her the box with both hands, Sean smiled at the woman.

“Open it.”

A blush worked its way up her cheeks. Taking the package, she gently sat down on her couch as Sean stood above her. The gold of the wrapping paper and the vintage Santa drawings on it made it almost impossible for her to unwrap the present. However, another urge from Sean spurred her forward.

She started ripping the corner, and thus tore open all of the paper. The further she went, the more she started catching glimpses of what was awaiting her. A familiar shoe box caught her eye. Gasping, the woman put a hand to her mouth in shock and awe.

“How did you… you didn’t.” Finishing the task at hand, she was able to confirm that it was, indeed, what she thought.

A fresh new pair of the heels she had begun her journey with her lover, all by breaking at the start of the month. It was in her exact size, and color that she liked. Her eyes darted between the shoes and Sean, who just stood there beaming.

“When did you get these?” She still was in shock, but needed to know.

With a shrug, he responded, “a little bit ago. Figured it would make for a great little present.”

Standing as fast as she could, her arms engulfed Sean, who stumbled back just a little bit as he was nearly tackled. Chuckling at her reaction, he pressed a kiss to her nicely done hair.

“Thank you, Sean. I truly can’t believe you did this for me.” Her words were slightly muffled by his shirt, but he received them all the same.

“Anything for you, sweetheart.”

Pulling away, she pressed a kiss to his lips ever so softly as to not smudge the lipstick she had already applied. “Ready to go?”

“After you, my dear.” Sean helped her to throw away the paper, and grab the boxes of cookies as she ran to put the shoes back in her room.

There was frozen rain outside that did not make it easy for them to move through the roads. Slush coated the asphalt, causing them to drive slower than normal. Thankfully, she had avoided getting the ends of her coat, or her face and hair wet. The former by holding the warm fabric closer to her body, which shortened it. The latter was because Sean had enough foresight to bring an umbrella with him.

She had never been to the precinct before, which meant that tonight was going to be interesting. They had sectioned off several conference rooms, and open areas to use for the Christmas party, giving everyone plenty of room to work and have fun. If there was ever a time for her to be thankful to have a boyfriend like Sean Renard, it was tonight. When they came across a puddle that was too big for her to go around, or through, he simply transferred the cookies to her hold, picked her up bridal style and walked across.

It made her giggle at that show of strength, feeling lightheaded, and she had yet to consume ay alcohol. Once the danger had passed, the fuchsbau was returned safely to the ground in front of the doors. Sean took the cookies back, and opened the glass door for her to go through.

The couple followed the sound of chattering, and music. When they got in, the party was in full swing. A chorus of “captain” rang out through several men and women. Sometimes in pairs, sometimes as singles, everyone in the room came around to shake his hand, and wish him a merry Christmas.

Finally, Sean was able to break away long enough to set the cookies out at the potluck style buffet table. However, before he could return to his girlfriend, his two main detectives came around.

“Captain, hey, didn’t think you’d make it.” Nick greeted, shaking his hand heartily.

“Yeah, well, had to go get my girlfriend.” Sean replied, looking around for her.

“Well, well. Captain has finally gotten himself a lady. Where is she,” Hank asked, also beginning to look around for someone he knew not of what she looked like.

Without another moment passing, he waved his lover down, urging her to come back over. Sean could see that she was a bit uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment but that was okay. That was why he was there. Tucking her into his side, Sean began the introductions.

“Sweetheart, these are a couple of my detectives. This is Hank Griffin,” she smiled as she shook his hand. “And this is Nick Burkhardt.”

Turning to face the man, the smile was wiped from her face in an instant. Her hand retracted, and she hide herself behind Sean’s tall frame.

Whispering harshly, she kept sneaking glances up at the man. “Sean, he’s a- a…”

Renard’s arms wrapped around her as best as he could with her behind him. Nick looked a bit sheepish as he nervously scratched the back of his neck.

“I know, sweetheart. He knows about me, and now you. He’s not like the others. Nick won’t hurt you.” He tried to reassure her from his spot. Slowly, but surely, she started to come out from behind her boyfriend, cautiously eyeing the Grimm in front of her.

“Uh,” Nick began, “merry Christmas? I’m Nick. Sorry about that.”

He was apologizing to her? That was a first. With Sean holding her left hand, she offered her name and right hand for the man to shake. The entire time she was waiting for a moment before he would strike, but it never came. When she realized this, she muttered, “merry Christmas.”

“Come on, I’m hungry. We’ll see you two around.” Noticing his girlfriend’s behavior that was still very guarded, Sean thought it was best to pull her off to the food. They could try again later with the Grimm.

“You okay,” he asked.

“Yeah,” she replied, placing a kiss on his cheek.

“How’s that for a Christmas present?” Sean teased.

“Uh uh. No way you’re doing that again.”

[rainisawriter]

Cursed Ravens – Ateez (PSF #25)

Ficography

Genre: Fluff, family, adventure, medieval au, fantasy

Prompt: Create a fairytale retelling. [The Seven Ravens by The Brothers Grimm] (@flufftober)

Word Count: 7,138

Pairing: Female Reader, Ateez (slight Reader x Hongjoong)

World: Ateez

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“I refuse to wear that,” you scowled at the flowery, lace-covered dress that your mother was holding up. “It’s absolutely foul.”

She sent you an exasperated look, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re such a beautiful girl, yet you insist upon looking like a man. How will you ever find a proper suitor to marry, my child?”

You rolled your eyes at the question. “If a man cannot accept me as I am, I do not want him.”

She sighed deeply, falling onto the kitchen chair. “With an attitude like that, I fear you will never marry.”

That was fine with you. While most girls dreamed of finding a handsome, rich man to marry, you dreamed only of living a comfortable, relaxed life. People often said you were without ambition which, in a sense, was true. You had no real desires other than relaxing and enjoying the life you had.

Marriage, adventure, raising a family… it all sounded awfully tiresome.

Your mother meant well, truly, and she just wanted you to have a stable, happy life. As a baby, you had been deathly ill and they had been sure you were going to pass away. Thankfully, you recovered and grew up to be a perfectly healthy, beautiful young woman. However, the fear that you would fall ill again remained.

All she wanted was for you to marry a good man who could look after you, protect you, and pay for treatment should you need it. You were a complicated child, though, going against everything she wished.

Her gaze fell on you and she sighed again when she realized you were glaring at the dress as if it had personally offended you. “Are you really not going to wear it?”

“I would rather die.”

“Don’t say that!” She scowled, slapping her palm against the wood. Just hearing the phrase uttered had her heart racing within her chest, fear gripping it tightly. 

“Sorry,” you muttered, sliding down in your chair.

She sighed for a third time, rubbing at her temples. “If you’re not going to wear it, then take it to Mariette. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to wear it and it’s better than letting it collect dust. I worked hard to make it, after all.” She peered at you through her lashes, hoping the last bit would be enough to make you reconsider.

“Okay!” You didn’t hesitate for a second, jumping up from the chair and grabbing the dress. You were more than happy to rid yourself of it, knowing she couldn’t try to guilt trip you into wearing it if it was no longer inside the home.

Mariette lived on the opposite end of the village. She was a beautiful young woman just a year older than you who had dreams of marrying a prince and living within his castle. In order to achieve this, she worked hard on her appearance and mannerisms, acting as she believed a princess would.

When you arrived at her house, she was standing by the wooden gate, looking uncomfortable as the village boys showered her with praise, offered her gifts, and asked her to walk with them to the river. She clearly had no interest, but they were either too dumb to realize this or simply didn’t care.

“Oi, scatter!” you ordered them in the scariest voice you could muster. They jumped in surprise, whirling around to look at you only to scowl when they realized it was you. 

“Mind your own business!” scowled Butch, beady eyes narrowed at you.

“You’re in public, dingus. That makes it the business of whoever happens to hear your whiny little voice!”

His face flushed at the insult, eyes darting to the dress in your arms. “You just came here to woo her, didn’t you?! She’d never choose you over us!”

“Actually,” spoke Mariette, her voice clear like windchimes on a cool autumn morning. “I would. She’s quite nice and she respects my boundaries.”

“Unlike you lot,” you added, moving closer to them so you could smack them upside the head. Some of them just took it wince a wince, others managed to dodge and Butch grabbed your wrist.

“I bet you really are cursed. Just look at me.” His eyes scanned the baggy clothes you wore, resembling a male more than a female. “No wonder your brothers disappeared.”

“What in the nine hells are you on about? I don’t have any brothers.”

“Yeah, because they died when you were born!”

Your brow furrowed in confusion, pain settling inside your chest. What was he talking about? You felt confused and you were sure it was just him trying to catch you off guard and yet… there was a tiny voice at the back of your mind telling you it was true.

Mariette bit her lip when she saw the look on your face. Everyone in the village had heard the rumors of you and your seven brothers. In most houses, it was the morning gossip or a bedtime story told to young kids to get them to behave. They called you the cursed child, though the details of the story changed with each retelling.

No one had been there that night, after all, so they could only fill in the gaps with their own imaginations. You had never heard these rumors before for two main reasons – the adults made sure not to speak of it when you were around lest they be cursed, as well, and they had warned their kids to do the same. 

More importantly, you never paid any mind to the people in your village or the petty gossip they shared just to get through the day. It never concerned you so you simply never listened. 

Before you could further question him, Mariette rushed over to you, pulling up the hem of her dress so she didn’t trip. “What a beautiful dress!” she exclaimed, forcing herself between you and Butch. “Is this another one of your mother’s creations?”

“Ah… yeah…” you replied, feeling distracted as you looked between the two of them.

Butch scoffed in annoyance before turning and walking away, the other boys following him. You made a move to call out to him but Mariette stopped you.

“What are you doing here?” she questioned, offering you a sweet smile as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Does your mother need more silk? I believe we have some left.

“Ah, no…” you sent Butch one last look, a frown still on your face. When he disappeared around the corner, you shook your head and returned your attention to her, holding up the dress. “Mother asked me to give this to you.”

Her eyes lit up as she took it from your hands, holding it up to get a better look at it. “It’s absolutely stunning. Please let her know that I adore it.” She didn’t have to ask if you were sure about giving it away, knowing how you despised such things. 

“Yeah, I will. Enjoy it.” You offered her a wave and a half-hearted smile before turning and walking away.

She watched you, biting her lip because she knew what you were thinking. It was clear as day upon your face – you were going to hunt down Butch and demand answers. She wondered if she should have stopped you.

You ran down the dirt street, eyes darting back and forth as you looked for the male, heart racing within your chest. You couldn’t explain it, but you had a strange feeling of dread that had settled itself in your gut, feeling heavy and ominous. You didn’t like it, but you knew it had something to do with what Butch had said.

When you couldn’t find him, you headed straight for his house. As you raised your fist to knock, you heard his mother yelling from the back garden so you carefully approached, pressing your back against the stone wall.

“Honestly, Butch! Did I raise you that poorly?” she scowled, smacking her son on the shoulder.

“No, mama…” he muttered, lowering his head.

“Why would you say such a thing to that girl, hm?”

“I didn’t -”

“Don’t you lie to me, boy!” she smacked his shoulder again, making him wince. “Billy told me everything.” She motioned toward the young boy sitting on a fallen log, a grin on his lips as he enjoyed seeing his older brother being scolded.

Butch groaned, scowling at his mother. “What’s the big deal? Everyone talks about it, even you and pa!”

“Talking about it is one thing, but saying it to the poor girl’s face?” She shook her head, a frown on her lips. “I don’t want to think about what that poor girl would feel if she knew she was the reason her older brothers died.”

Your eyes widened, heart skipping a painful beat. What the hell was she talking about? You didn’t have any brothers… right?

You shoved away from the wall, running home so quickly that people wondered if the devil himself was on your heels. Your mother jumped in surprise when you slammed the door open, dropping the bowl of mushrooms she was carrying toward the fireplace.

She started to scold you for this but stopped dead when she saw the look on her face. She knew immediately what was on your mind. She had been dreading this moment for many years, having heard the rumors many times over. It didn’t matter how many times she or her husband threatened their neighbors to stop speaking such nonsense, they continued to do so.

“Darling!” she called to her husband, voice trembling. “Come here, please!”

Your father appeared from the bedroom, looking at her confused. “What’s wrong?” When his gaze fell on you, he instantly paled. “Sweetheart, what -“

“I want the truth!” You demanded, eyes narrowed at your parents.

The two exchanged a look, having a silent discussion on whether or not they should play dumb. They had been keeping this secret for nearly eighteen years and they were tired – tired of lying and tired of living with the guilt.

“Have a seat,” said your father softly as he sat at the head of the table. Your mother sat to his right, hands in her lap and a frown on her lips.

You sent them a suspicious look before slowly doing as he asked, settling down at the opposite end of the table and folding your arms over your chest. “Is it true? Do I really have brothers? Am I cursed? Did I kill them?”

“Of course not!” cried your mother, her eyes tearing up as emotion flooded her. “You are not cursed, my child, and you are not responsible for what happened to your brothers.”

“So I do have brothers,” you breathed out in disbelief, leaning forward. Your hands trembled against the table. “How many? What were their ages? What happened to them?”

The two exchanged a look before your father stood up, approaching the fireplace. He leaned up onto the tips of his toes, pulling a large, leather-bound book from atop a shelf before returning to the table. He brushed his hand across the cover, eyes turning glassy.

“Before you were born, we had portraits painted of them. Here,” he breathed out, sliding the book toward you.

Your hand shook as you slid it closer to you, slowly opening the cover. On the front page was a portrait of a young boy, grinning proudly. Your eyes fell to the text beneath the painting. “Seonghwa, first-born, age eight.”

“He was my little boy,” cried your mother, bringing a white cloth to her eyes. “He always helped me look after his siblings or helped me with chores.”

You turned the page, seeing two boys in this painting. They were sitting on stools beside one another, the boy on the left much taller than the other. “Yunho and Yeosang, second and third born, age nine.”

Your dad grunted bitterly. “Though they were twins, they couldn’t have been any different. Yunho was a wild child, always full of energy and constantly getting into trouble. Yeosang, on the other hand, was more level-headed. He spent most of his time trying to keep his twin from getting into trouble.”

Another page, another portrait. He was sitting on a stool, his small body seeming to curl in on itself as he peered around the giant teddy bear he was hugging. “San, fourth born, age 8.”

“What a shy boy, he was!” cried your mother, a sad smile on her lips. “He clung to me as if I were the only thing keeping him alive. He was such a sweet boy, too. Whenever someone was upset, he would offer them his teddy bear and let them know that everything would be alright.”

The next page featured two boys. The shorter of the two was standing, his arms around the neck of his taller brother, cheeks squished together. The taller boy was sitting on a stool, trying to push away his brother. “Mingi and Wooyoung, fifth and sixth born, age 7.”

“Those two were absolute chaos,” your father shook his head disapprovingly. “Wooyoung seemed quite hell-bent on tricking and pranking everyone he met. The amount of people I had to beg forgiveness from because of him…”

Your mother chuckled, patting his arm. “But he was a brilliant child, much smarter than the others his age. And our beautiful Mingi, oh the other children adored him!”

“Especially the girls,” replied your father proudly. “Though he only seemed interested in drawing or reading.”

You turned to the next page, finding a portrait of a tiny boy who stood in front of the fireplace, a blank expression on his face. “Jongho, seventh born, age 5.”

“That boy,” sighed your mother, bringing a hand to her face. “He had no fear and would do whatever the other kids dared him to, no matter how dangerous it was! Despite being the youngest, he was also the strongest, defending his older brothers whenever they found themselves in trouble.”

Your father laughed loudly, a sound that boomed throughout the home. “He’s the only five-year-old in the world who faced down a fully grown grizzly bear and scared it away!”

“I wanted to ground him for the rest of his life!” huffed your mother before her expression fell, her voice soft. “He was the most excited to meet you, you know. He was excited to finally be an older brother and I know he would have been an amazing one.”

The rest of the book contained portraits of you at varying stages of your life. Unable to hold back any longer, the tears flowed freely from your eyes, shoulders trembling. To think that you had seven brothers and never even knew… and to see the album filled with portraits of you, but so little of them.

It hurt.

“Oh, sweety,” your mother shot up, rushing over so she could throw her arms around you.

You clutched onto her dress, trying to control your sobs. “What ha-happened to t-them?”

The two exchanged a sad look.

“We’re not sure…”

“What?”

Your father stood, moving to lean against the fireplace, watching the fire as it danced beneath the cauldron. “The truth is… we’ve always dreamed of having a daughter ever since we were children ourselves. Yet, no matter how hard we tried, we kept having boys.”

“Don’t get us wrong,” added your mother softly, rubbing your head. “We adored our boys and we would do anything for them, we just wanted a girl, as well.”

“After seven boys, we finally had you…” He looked at you with so much love yet so much pain that you had to look away. “We finally had our daughter, but… but you were sick. You were so small, so frail, we were sure we were going to lose you. We sent Seonghwa to the river in order to collect fresh water for you and, of course, the others wanted to help so they followed him.”

“What happened?” you questioned softly. 

“An hour passed yet they did not return,” he explained, eyes narrowed at the flames. “I knew they had gotten distracted, they always did when they were together, so I cursed at them for not taking it seriously, wishing they would be turned to ravens for their misbehavior. I begged whatever deity I could think of to heal you and…”

Your mother’s hold on you tightened and she nearly spat the words. “We had a young woman living with us at the time, helping us to care for the boys. She said she could heal you, for a price, and we agreed. We never would have if we had known that… that…” her anger dissipated into sobs.

Realization hit you hard, eyes wide. “The price was my brothers… are… are they dead?”

“No!” replied your mother quickly. “I can feel it in my heart. My boys still live!”

“When we agreed to her deal,” your father continued. “You were healed and I heard the sound of flapping wings in the yard. When I ran to the window, I spied seven ravens flying away toward the mountains and a bucket of water spilled on the path…”

“They were cursed by that witch,” she cried angrily. 

“What became of her? Where is she?” you sat up, looking frantically between your parents. “Surely we can convince her to break the curse!”

“She’s dead,” said your father, his eyes darkening. “When she refused to bring back my boys, I flew into a rage and I beheaded her.”

Hopelessness filled you with this information, but it was quickly replaced by determination. You shot up, eyes burning. “I will find them and I will find a way to break their curse.”

“Sweety, you can’t-“

“I can and I will,” you told her, giving her a reassuring look. “Someone has to!”

The two exchanged a weary look, having a silent conversation with each other. He nodded, making her sigh deeply.

“Fine, but at least wait until morning. It will be hard to reach the mountain at night,” she all but begged you, hand on your shoulder.

You reluctantly nodded. “Okay.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“I packed you some bread, it should be enough for the journey so long as you spread it out. There’s a waterskin, as well, and a blanket in case you get cold.” Your mother held out a leather bag, biting her lip with worry.

You took it from her with a smile, placing the strap over your head and across your shoulders. “I will be fine, mother. I promise to return with my brothers.”

She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes as she threw her arms around your neck, hugging you tightly. “Oh, my brave little girl!”

You hugged her back, hoping she wouldn’t catch on to how terrified you actually felt. You had never left home before and now you were going off on your own to face god knows what in order to save brothers you had never even met before. Could you even do this? You had no idea, but you felt as if you had to at least try.

When she finally pulled away from you, your father took her place in front of you. “Here, I want you to take these.” In one hand was a large dagger and in the other was his family’s ring. “Listen, my child. This journey will not be easy and you may be forced to do something you rather would not. You must return to us, do you understand?”

Your fingers curled around the handle of the dagger, surprised by the heaviness of the steel. Though you didn’t feel confident in the promise, you agreed nonetheless, not wanting to worry them more than they already were. “I will.”

He slipped a black rope through the ring before securing it around your neck and pressing a kiss to your forehead, his beard tickling your skin. “Go well, my child, and do not let fear win over you.”

“Thank you, father, mother. I love you.” You smiled at them before turning and leaving the house. 

The sun was just beginning to peak its head over the treetops, the sky alight with orange and red, matching the leaves that covered the ground. The chill in the air was beginning to fade as the sun warmed the earth and by the time noon arrived, you were drenched in sweat.

It felt as if the sun was beating down only on you, its harsh rays trying to cook you alive. With most of the trees bare, they offered little shade to shield you. 

You fell onto a tree stump with a groan, wiping the sweat from your forehead before downing half the waterskin. You felt sluggish, energy running low from the sheer heat that you had been battling all morning. Had it always been this hot? Did it just seem worse because you’ve been trekking through the woods? You didn’t know.

You leaned your head back to look at the bright blue sky, eyes spying a bright red bird sitting on a branch high in the sky. Its head and wings were a faded yellow, black eyes staring directly at you.

You shifted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. It felt as if this bird was staring directly into your soul, as if it could read your thoughts and see what was in your heart.

Shaking your head, you forced yourself up and continued your journey through the woods. You had to keep stopping every twenty minutes or so to recharge and you even tried to use a giant elephant ear plant to shield yourself from it, though it did little.

By the time the sun rose, you were exhausted, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep. You kept going, though, using the bright moonlight to guide your way. 

Much like the sun, the moon seemed to have it out for you, as well. Its streams of light felt like ice against your skin and you couldn’t control your shivering no matter how tightly you held yourself. You pulled the blanket from your bag, bringing it tightly around your shoulders before continuing on.

The blanket offered you neither comfort nor warmth.

The night was eerily silent, save for the crunch of twigs beneath your feet and the chattering of your teeth. You bore it as long as you could, deciding to stop for the night only when your eyes grew heavy. You found a hole at the base of a thick tree, curling up within it, blanket wrapped tightly around you. With the cold, it took a while before you were able to fall asleep.

Just two hours later, you were ripped violently from sleep, though you weren’t sure what had done it. You laid there unmoving, straining your ears for any noise, yet the forest remained silent. So silent, in fact, that it made your ears ring. 

Where were the crickets? The night birds? The frogs? It felt wrong.

“I smell the flesh of man,” cackled a female voice, echoing through the trees.

A chill went down your spine and you sucked in a breath, body tense.

“I smell your fear, child of man,” the voice cackled again, the sound of snapping twigs echoing loudly. “Come out, come out wherever you are~“

Your heart raced within your chest so loudly that you feared she would hear it. You slowly pulled the dagger from your bag, gripping the handle tightly. You tried to slide farther back inside the hole, but you were already up against the wood and could go no further.

Should you run? Should you hide? Fear gripped your heart, hands trembling lightly. You tried to focus on the words your father had spoken to you, but it was hard when the fear was so tightly wrapped around you.

“I found you~” A horrid face appeared in front of the hole, making you scream. Her face was long, full of wrinkles and warts. She was grinning widely, showing off sharp, inhuman teeth, many of which were broken or missing. Thin strands of white hair fell from her nearly bald scalp, framing her face.

When she reached out to you, her fingers long and boney, you acted on instinct, swinging the dagger at her. The blade sliced across her fingers, making her jump back with a loud screech. You took this chance to run, leaving behind the bag and the blanket. 

The moon was hidden by thick, grey clouds which made it hard to navigate. Various stars dotted the velvet sky, but they weren’t bright enough to light the way. A cry left your lips when your foot caught on a thick root sticking out of the ground, sending you face-first to the ground. You winced in pain, feeling a stick jabbing into your chin.

“You should be more careful dearie~“

Your gaze snapped behind you, seeing the woman slowly approaching. She was incredibly tall but looked sickly thin almost as if her skin didn’t even exist. Feathers clung to her body in odd places, resembling a bird during its molt. 

You swallowed hard, scrambling to get up but she pressed her foot against your back, shoving you back against the ground. The thick claws on her foot dung into your skin through your shirt and you clinched your teeth. 

Something caught your eye and, when you looked up, you caught sight of a small red blur shooting toward you like a rocket. You squeaked, ducking your head just before it reached you. It was the bird from before, its wings tucked against its body as it raced toward the woman.

She screeched in pain when the bird hit her square in the chest, the force so great that she ended up stumbling backward. The bird turned its head toward you and you heard a male voice within your head.

‘Run!‘ ordered the voice and you didn’t stop to question it, doing as it ordered.

“No!” screeched the woman, trying to grab you as you jumped up but the bird attacked again, keeping her occupied so you could escape.

You ran and ran until you couldn’t run anymore, legs giving out beneath you. You managed to grab a hold of a nearby tree, sliding down it as you tried to catch your breath, a stitch in your side.

There was a flap of wings before the red and yellow bird appeared, lowering its body to the fallen log in front of you. For a moment, the two of you just stared at each other and then the bird spoke, his voice seeming to be within your head.

‘This forest is not safe. No child of man should be here, especially not one so young.’

You shifted, folding your legs beneath you as you peered at him curiously. “You can speak. How can a bird speak? Have I lost my mind?”

He chuckled, ruffling his feathers. ‘You are sane, fear not. I am no bird, I am simply taking the form of one.’

Your eyes widened in surprise and you scrambled toward him, making him jump in surprise. “Please help me!”

‘The hag has been taken care of, you do not need to worry -‘

“Not that!” You shook your head. “I’m looking for my brothers. They were turned into ravens, you must know them!”

‘Your brothers, turned to ravens?’ he inquired curiously and you nodded. ‘Yes, I do know where they are. The seven ravens reside within Glass Mountain.’

A smile came to your lips, shoulders relaxing. “I’m going the right way, then. I’m so glad.”

He observed you for a moment before flapping his wings and taking off into the sky.

“Ah, wait! Come back!” you cried, jumping to your feet but he was already gone. With a frown, you sat back down against the tree, hugging yourself tightly. There were still a few hours before the sun rose and you felt exhausted, so you decided to try and get some rest.

You brought your knees to your chest, folding your arms over them to act as a pillow. Exhaling slowly, your eyes slid closed, sleep wrapping around you and pulling you into the darkness. 

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

‘Wake up child of man.’

Your eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to remember where you were. As you unfurled yourself, you winced at the stiffness in your muscles. Your body was sore, a mixture of the poor sleeping position and the attack from the hag.

‘Good morning.’

Your gaze snapped to the bird and you found yourself smiling. “Good morning… ah…”

‘Is something the matter?’

“I never asked your name,” you frowned. “I’m sorry for being so rude. And after you saved me, too!”

He chuckled. ‘My name is Hongjoong.’

“Hongjoong,” you repeated with a smile, holding your hand out to him. “Nice to meet you! And thank you for saving me last night.”

He looked at your hand curiously for a moment before lifting his wing and placing it against your hand. 

You gripped it gently, giving it a shake. “Nice to officially meet you.”

‘You, as well. I brought you something.’ He shifted to the side, pushing a key toward you with his leg. ‘If you wish to enter Glass Mountain, you’ll need this key.’

“Thank you!” You smiled brightly, making his heart pick up speed.

Hongjoong had lived for many decades yet he had never seen someone quite as beautiful as you. He loved your smile and wanted to ensure that you never lost it. ‘You still have a lot of ground to cover, child of man.’

“You’re right.” You pulled yourself to your feet, slapping both of your cheeks to wake yourself up. With a renewed vigor, you turned to face the mountain, looming menacingly in the distance. “Wait just a bit longer, my brothers. I’ll be there soon.”

Hongjoong flew into the air, landing on your shoulder as you started forward. He had always told himself that he would not interfere with the affairs of men, yet he had the strong urge to protect you and look after you. Perhaps he would come to regret this, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn away from you.

‘I shall accompany you for the rest of your journey.’

You smiled, reaching up to pat him gently on the head. “Thank you, Hongjoong!”

Warmth filled his body. ‘Of course.’

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

It took another day and a half to reach the mountain.

You were exhausted, sore and starving. You really regretted leaving behind your bag, wishing you had your mother’s bread or, at the very least, some fresh water. Despite the pain in your body, you chose to focus on what was in front of you. Your brothers should be on the other side of these large metal doors.

Taking a deep breath, you lifted the key to the lock only to pause, your hand trembling lightly. You suddenly felt wracked with nervousness. What if they hated you, blamed you for their curse? The thought made you want to cry.

Hongjoong lightly bumped his head against your cheek, hoping to give you some comfort. You smiled at him, feeling a bit more at ease as you slid the key into the lock and twisted it.

The towering doors creaked as you pushed them open, slipping inside. Rather than a cave like you had been expecting, it looked like the inside of a house, though it was made of stone from the mountain. It was cold inside, making you suppress a shiver, folding your arms over your chest for warmth.

“Excuse me, miss. Can I help you?”

You blinked, glancing around for the sound of the voice.

“Down here, miss.”

You lowered your gaze, seeing a tiny creature with pointed ears and big eyes. His hair was a mess of white-blonde hair, freckles resting across his nose. “Oh my god, you’re adorable!”

The creature’s pale skin darkened at the compliment and he bowed. “Thank you, miss. May I inquire as to what you seek here?”

“I’m looking for my brothers, the seven ravens.”

His already large brown eyes grew incredibly wider. “The masters’ younger sister? Oh my, Chan won’t believe this!”

You glanced around what looked to be an entryway. “Where are they?”

“Oh, I’m afraid the masters are out at the moment.”

“Oh…” you frowned, making the small creature panic.

“Ah, please don’t be sad, miss! The masters should return soon! You’re welcome to wait in the dining room.”

“Thank you very much,” you bowed to him before heading toward the large archway to the left where the dining room sat. There was a small wooden table in the middle of the room, places set for seven.

The smell of food flowed from the kitchen, rubbing against your nose and making your stomach whine and ache. It felt as if you hadn’t eaten in ages! You frowned, resting your arm over your stomach in a poor attempt to soothe it.

‘Are you okay?’ worried Hongjoong, tilting his head at you.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” You gave him a reassuring smile as you settled down on a chair sitting in the corner. “Soon, I will be reunited with my brothers. I just hope…” you stopped yourself short, swallowing nervously.

‘Hope what?’

Your lips parted, but you couldn’t bear to speak the words allowed; I hope they don’t hate me.

A group of tiny elves exited the kitchen, each one carrying a plate full of food that made your mouth water. They placed the dishes on the table before filling the silver goblets with sparkling water.

You tried not to look at the food, but it was as if your gaze was glued there. When the elves left the room, you swallowed hard, slowly standing up and approaching the table. You bit your lip as you stared at the grilled fish on the plates. Surely they wouldn’t mind if you just took one bite, right?

You slowly reached forward, picking a small piece of fish from the first plate. It tasted heavenly, melting in your mouth, but it wasn’t enough so you moved on to the second plate, stealing another small piece. This continued until you had sampled a piece from each plate.

Now feeling thirsty, you reached for the goblet in front of the final plate. You had intended only to take a sip, but the thirst you possessed was too great and you ended up downing all but a single sip. 

There was a sudden, loud chorus of wings flapping and, in your panic, the goblet caught on the ring. It fell from around your neck, the metal clinking as it fell into the goblet. You weren’t sure why you felt the need to hide, but you found yourself running back to the corner, hiding behind the wooden divider.

A second later, seven ravens came flying in through circular windows at the top of the wall, circling the room a few times before landing on the table, ruffling their wings.

“I’m so hungry, I could eat an entire river full of fish!” cawed Yunho, hopping over to his plate. He didn’t notice the missing piece and began pecking at it without a care in the world.

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes as he inspected the plate. “Someone has eaten from my plate.”

Curious, the others inspected their own plates before cawing in agreement. Seonghwa leaned down, sniffing the food. “It was a child of man.”

“My goblet is empty,” noticed Jongho, grabbing the side of the cup with his beak. The goblet tipped over and the ring spilled out onto the table. “What is this?”

The ravens gathered around the object, the older boys immediately realizing that it was their father’s ring. How had it gotten there?

Hongjoong glanced at you, realizing that you were frozen in place, clearly overcome with anxiety. He ruffled his feathers loudly, making a sound somewhere between a caw and a squeak.

“Who’s there?” ordered Jongho, hopping forward so that he was between his brothers and the divider you hid behind. “Show yourself!”

Hongjoong pecked your cheek gently. ‘Go on, child of man. It is time to meet your brothers.’

“I’m scared,” you whispered back, hands clenching around your pants.

‘Fear not, I am with you.’

His words comforted you greatly, giving you the confidence you needed. Taking a deep breath, you slowly stepped out from around the divider, gaze sliding across the seven ravens sitting on the table.

“Who are you?” demanded Jongho, ruffling his feathers in an attempt to be intimidating. “How did you get in here?”

“I, uh… well…” you shifted your weight from foot to foot, trying to find the proper words but you were overwhelmed with emotion. These were your brothers. Your older brothers that you had never met before, your older brothers who didn’t even recognize you.

Tears gathered in your eyes and, despite trying to hold them back, they slid down your cheeks. Before you could stop yourself, you rushed forward and threw your arms around Jongho’s small body, sobbing into his soft, black feathers.

“W-What are you doing?!” he cried in alarm. “Release me at once!”

“Good job, Jongho,” scoffed Wooyoung, wing against his hip. “You made her cry.”

Hongjoong landed atop the table beside you with a chuckle. “I gave her the key.”

“Hyung!” cried Mingi happily, hopping over to the colorful bird and bumping his head against Hongjoong’s. “We were wondering where you went.”

“Sorry, I had business to attend to.”

“Will someone please get this child of man off of me!” 

“I’m sorry,” you sniffled, pulling away from him and rubbing at your tears.

San frowned, hopping over to you cautiously. “Please don’t cry, it’s okay…”

Seonghwa picked up the ring, carrying it over to you before dropping it onto the table. “Tell me, how did you come by this ring?”

“It’s our father’s…”

“Our?!” chorused Mingi and Wooyoung, all of the ravens staring at you in surprise.

Seonghwa stared at you for a moment before gasping, your name coming out in an exhale of air. “Is it really you?”

You nodded, looking at him sadly.

He didn’t hesitate to throw himself at you, wings spread in an attempt to hug you. “Oh, my beautiful baby sister! How long it’s been!”

You hugged him back, careful not to hurt him as you fought against a fresh wave of tears.

“Baby sister?” Jongho tapped his foot against the wood in confusion, the memory slowly resurfacing as he, too, spoke your name. Without a moment of hesitation, he threw himself at you, settling on your shoulder and nuzzling against your neck.

Yeosang and Yunho exchanged a look before gleefully calling out your name and tackling you. One by one, each raven made their way over to you, hugging you as best they could.

You had always felt loved by your parents, but that was nothing compared to the warmth and love that you felt from your brothers. Despite having only just met each other, the love you shared for each other was pure and untainted.

Hongjoong felt his body growing warm, white light encasing him and the ravens. In a sudden flash, all eight of them returned to normal in a flash of light and smoke.

The curse had been broken.

The combined weight of the boys was too much for you and you cried out in surprise, falling onto the ground with a huff. They fell on top of you, knocking the wind from your lungs.

“We’re human again!” grinned Yunho, holding out his hand to inspect it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt his fingers. 

Wooyoung threw his arms around San, laughing gleefully at the fact that he could finally hug his brothers again.

“I’m so sorry,” you cried, looking between them. “You were cursed because of me, I…”

Seonghwa smiled softly, resting his hand atop your head. “No, little sister, you broke the curse. Thank you for coming for us.”

Jongho nodded in agreement, turning toward Hongjoong. “Thank you for watching over her, hyung.”

You followed his gaze, eyes widening at the beautiful man sitting atop the table. His eyes met yours and he smiled softly, bringing warmth to your face. 

He was breathtakingly beautiful, with rich brown eyes and hair the color of crimson. His ears were pointed, various earrings dangling from them, and his skin was without flaw.

You swallowed nervously, managing to pull yourself from beneath the pile of boys. You struggled to maintain eye contact, heart racing within your chest. “Thank you,” you breathed out.

“For what?” he wondered, tilting his head to the side.

“For saving me. For guiding me here and giving me the key. And… for watching over my brothers. Thank you, Hongjoong!” You bowed to him, making his eyes widen and butterflies erupt within his stomach.

Why did you have to be so cute?

He slid off the table, resting his hands on your shoulders so you’d stand up straight. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m happy I was able to help you, child of man.”

“Are you… also not a child of man?”

“Afraid not,” he replied softly, the tips of his fingers brushing against your cheek. The warmth he felt there made him happy, knowing he was the cause. “Even elves are not immune to the curse of a witch.”

“An elf,” you breathed out in surprise. “That explains why you are so beautiful.”

The compliment caught him off guard, cheeks dusting with pink. “You… find me to be beautiful?”

“Unbelievably so,” you admitted. “And so very kind.”

“You are, as well.” His tone was genuine, hand resting against the side of your neck. “You are brave and strong, unlike any child of man I have ever met before. I knew from the moment I saw you wandering through the woods -“

“Oi, just kiss her already!” called out Wooyoung with a grin, earning a slap from Jongho. “Oi, what was that for?!”

“You ruined the moment,” he huffed, arms folded over his chest.

Seonghwa chuckled at his younger brothers, eyes sparkling as he looked fondly at you. “Shall we return home, little sister?”

“Yes, please!” you replied tiredly. “I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed again and to eat mother’s potato soup.”

Mingi whined at this. “Mother’s soup… it’s been an age since we tasted it! Hyung, let’s hurry home!” His fingers gripped the sleeve of the eldest’s shirt. 

He nodded. “Let’s go home!”

The boys cheered happily, heading for the large stone doors. Your hand slid into Hongjoong’s, unable to meet his gaze when he sent you a confused look.

“Let’s go home,” you told him softly.

His fingers threaded through your own before he brought your hand to his lips, unable to hold back his smile. “Yes… let’s.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> General Taglist: @asterhaze, @mrskenpachizaraki

[benoitblanc]

gonna ask you the same question you asked me because i'm curious about what your answer will be! 😊 So, top 10 quotes from books/shows/movies/etc that live in your brain rent-free?

i'm going to throw in some poetry and shakespeare because i am That Bitch, lol

"the brothers grimm- lovely fellas, they're on my darts team. according to them, there's this emperor and he asks this shepherd's boy, how many seconds in eternity? and the shepherd's boy says, there's this mountain of pure diamond. it takes an hour to climb it and an hour to go around it. every hundred years, a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the diamond mountain. and when the entire mountain is chiselled away, the first second of eternity will have passed! you must think that's a hell of a long time. personally, i think that's a hell of a bird." (doctor who 9.11)

"rebellions are built on hope." (rogue one (2016))

"to the world we dream about, and the one we live in now." ("living it up on top" from hadestown)

"lord, what fools these mortals be!" (a midsummer night's dream by shakespeare)

"it was awful, being at war with you." (goliath by scott westerfeld)

"here is the deepest secret nobody knows- here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life, which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide. and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart: i carry your heart. i carry it in my heart." ("i carry your heart" by ee cummings)

“a truth should exist; it should not be used like this. if i love you, is that a fact or a weapon?” (”we are hard” by margaret atwood)

"it's funny: the day you lose someone isn't the worst. at least you've got something to do. it's all the days they stay dead." (doctor who 9.11 was NOT fucking around)

"i love nothing in the world so well as you. is not that strange?" (much ado about nothing by shakespeare)

"the truth is out there, but so are lies." (the x-files 1.17)

bonus 1: “900 years of time and space and i’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.” (doctor who 6.00)

bonus 2: literally the entirety of the book thief by markus zusak

bonus 3 which i promise is my last one: "i believe in peace, bitch." (good omens 1.06)

ask my top 5/10 anything!!!

[roboticsstuff]

"Personified!Cars x Personified!Warrior cats x Grimm" (Grimdark/Friendship/Crossover)

Summary: Antpelt distracted The WGP racers for Freddy to escape the factory, but a little error Antpelt bumped into Miguel before he logged out.

...

"Seeing is believing..."

...

"Freddy!"

Freddy's eyes widened as he and Antpelt took a look out the window of the abandoned factory. Freddy looked concerned as he watched where they were going.

Freddy sighed. "Aw man, Lightning is gonna lead them straight to your hideout..." Freddy said in a dreadful tone.

Antpelt chuckled as he looked at Freddy. "No they're not... That's why I marked my territory." Antpelt said as he faced at the window again, and smiling.

Miguel knew something was wrong. He was looking for Freddy as he looked more confused than ever. Antpelt chuckled mirthlessly as he smiled his teeth sharpened than razors. "You can see it's totally freaking them out!" Antpelt pointed it out, while nodding.

Freddy backed away from the window, his pupils smaller than pinpricks as sweat dripped down his face. He tugged on the collar of his shirt as he swallowed his anxiety. "It's freaking me out." Freddy said as he felt his life threatened as he started to shake.

Lightning told Lewis and Jeff to look on the other side of the factory and he teamed up with Francesco, while the others went out for a search. Antpelt the nodded as Freddy's eyes darted at the wild man as he made a creative idea.

"Starclan, please tell me he is not thinking, what I think he's thinking..." Freddy prayed in his head as he looked panicked

Antpelt then took off his suit vest but left his shirt on as he turned to the unconscious Snowtuft. "Yeah, but this might be the opportunity we need." The criminal said as he went over to Snowtuft.

Freddy then looked at him as he looked worried. "Opportunity to do what?!" Freddy asked while raising an eyebrow as he followed Antpelt.

"Antpelt, if they find out that you or Snowtuft is here-" Freddy began but got cut off. "They're not gonna Snowtuft or me." He answered as he took off his suit vest, leaving his white shirt on.

More coming soon... Stay tuned...

[beignetconmiel]

When I read this chapter i wanted to edit a bit this page. So yeah

[pushingdaisies1]

ᴏɴᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇ - ɪᴀɴ ɢʀɪᴍᴍ

Paring: Ian Grimm x Reader (Art director of Mythic Quest) Authors Note: -> Soooo.... hi! As you can see , I may have died again. Some things didnt go as planned which is why I couldn't do the winter prompts. I’m holding out for next year to actually do them , since the idea seemed vv fun. Speaking of next year , I wanna try experimenting with writing for more fandoms - also I want to get a better schedule with writing. While in my down time , I decided to binge watch Mythic quest and that's how this was created. I hope you all enjoy , and I'm planning to post another request I got as a new years treat. It involves Critical Role (￢‿￢ ) Summary: You would never deny that Mythic Quest helped you a lot. Never forgetting your good time friend Ian asking you to head the Art team. But now , it all felt incorrect. As if there was more for you in the vast world of video games. After you got a job offer in New York for someone whos looking for a Creative Director , your gonna have to break it to your now situation-ship Ian Grimm. Content Warning: In general , just arguing but also not really? Feeling empty/unwanted with your current position. Ian being sad which you know will get some tears flowing. Other than that I think that's all , as always let me know if I should add anymore. Time for the teary eyed angst my friends!!                     ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵ ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵ You were somewhat done packing. Shoving your bags with the leftover stuff at Ian’s compound. Holy shit this was a lot. You would have never expected in a million years to be leaving this all behind. It didn’t help with the emotions flooding through you during the process. As if you were betraying the family you had stuck with for so long. But you didnt know if you could stay with Mythic Quest any much longer. You wanted to embrace your potential and this was the only way. It was a huge mix of feelings , regret and hope being two of them You had hope in them , and now you just had to have hope in yourself. Right when you finished putting all your lasting items away , the front door opened. It was Ian , your circumstances coming to full front realizing this was also his house. He stood in the door way , stopped in his tracks. Everything around you got ice like cold. From looking down into your suit case , you couldn't help but look up at him. He genuinely had the face of being paused in time. More so shocked than mad. You had shame written all over your features , immediately looking back down to your half-open bag.

Stopped in his tracks , his eyes darted around the place. The things you had set up before now gone. Your “pizzaz” seemed to have been stripped from the walls. His eyes felt like they were burning a crater in the back of your head. Finally after this gut churning silence he said something.

“What… what are you doing?” He spoke , almost above a mutter. You could tell his tone was a little shaken but of course that couldn’t be crystal clear. “I’m packing since my flight leaves pretty soon.” You mumbled. “Flight? Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? What the fuck?” He questioned you. His burning temper slowly rising in him.

“Look , hold your horses! You know how I mentioned someone getting in touch with me?” You said trying to calm this situation down. Right now you were up from the floor , your possessions now packed and ready. You couldn’t dare to look him in the eyes. While you were thinking , Ian could recall a conversation you both had over breakfast. You didn’t really mention who exactly  , but you went on about how excited you were with what the mystery person had proposed to you over e-mail.

“Yes… how does that literally play with you up and running off?!” He almost wheezed. In his state of mind everything was just firing off on cylinders. The argument with Poppy and now this? How fucking more could his day get worse. He was so tired , and now this was hitting him so soon.

“It plays a big part actually.” You murmured. Ian almost glared at you , but he was only so confused. His silence in return lead you to ramble on. You explained that a gaming company up in New York was looking for a Creative Director. They had saw your work on Mythic Quest and other projects in the past and were firm in you being a great Creative Director for them.

“Thats great and all but… why? I mean after so long , you promised to stay.” He groaned. You could clearly feel the pain in his words. Each one piercing your heart more and more. “Thats why I was hesitant at first. I loved Mythic quest since the day you wanted to create it. But I can’t keep waiting around to finally be taken seriously.”

“What do you even fucking mean?! I take you seriously, everyone does.” Ian pleaded. “Oh really? You know how many times you have dragged the art team to handle your personal problems. Like the whole shirt debacle you and Poppy had?” You ranted to him. “Don’t forget the times you’ve needed me to create shit on a dime!”

Ian just stared at you blankly , not finding any words to say. “You don’t get it , if I take this so much could change for me!” Your words were desperate, not wanting to leave this relationship sour. “I would have control over a lot of things , I could finally say what I want to do creatively..”

Over and over you listed reason after reason. “It’s not like I could go back and change it all anyways.” You mumbled just a little. “Excuse me?” Ian said in response , sounding immensely offended. “Well I did accept the position and I did give in my resignation to David.” You explained. “Why didn’t you tell me!” He almost shrieked again.

“BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK YOU’D CARE!” You yelled back. Ian really was looking like a sad puppy , this was all so sudden. You really didn’t want to start yelling but there it was. “I didn’t really think that you would give two flying fucks.  Most of the time you seem fine without me so I didn’t really expect it to make a difference , much less a huge one.” You coldly remarked.

Ian still looked at you blankly before choking up just a little. “Fine , I can’t stop you now.” His tone was almost as if you were walking on ice. His words cracking , his vulnerability being forced behind closed doors. “Look , I’m never not gonna be grateful about what I got to do with Mythic quest.” You tried to patch the derailed conversation up.

“This game will always be the game that helped my career tremendously. Everyone will always be like a family , or nice close-knit group of weird strangers.” Trying to chuckle through the bleakness right about now. “But I have a bad feeling staying here any longer won’t turn out well. So I’m making my exit now.” You finished off.

“Please , let me try more. I never meant to make you feel so empty.” Ian was right about to begging. He felt so pathetic , he didn’t want to lose you at all. This was right out of his worst nightmares. Surprisingly has those , thought not so surprisingly in the end.

“You’ve tried enough already and what’s done is done. I’ll never regret anything I did with you or this company. Don’t ever fucking think I hate you.” You looked him right in his eyes. He looked so tired , never expecting to come back home to this news. He did a nod back to you in response , making sure not to show any tears. Walking over to the front door , you looked up more at him.

You took in his face for the last time. Using your other free hand to cup a side of his cheek. He’d let it happen , immediately sinking into your somewhat comfort. “This is in no way to raise your ego but… I believe in you Ian. I have for a good eight years. I know you guys have this without me.”

The guilt in his voice was clear now as he replied. “Does this mean your gonna say ‘fuck you’ to everything?” You couldn't help but snicker a little. “No of course not! I’ll always be a text or call away. I could never give this all up completely. This has became apart of me I’d never let it go.”

He chuckled , his laughter feeling bitter. With one more kiss of your palm you heard the honk of your lift outside. Taking a breath in , you brought him into a hug. More like a side hug but hey it worked. “Make sure you tell everyone I bid them my farewells.”  Ian nodded and you both parted from the hug. “God it sounds like your dying.” This made you both share one final laugh. “Take this as my almost figurative death from this game. Hey , maybe do a fake funeral for me leaving.” You brought up.

He did a little bitter sweet smirk. “I could probably get that rolling.” He was holding on to strings. He wanted to show his love for you. Embracing you in a full hug , kissing your face all over. But he was helpless , biting his time for too long. Another honk came from the car waiting.

You sighed , getting your stuff in hand ready to leave finally. “Oh don’t forget to tell Poppy I said goodbye , as well as good luck.” Ian nodded , “You should probably head out before they ditch you. You sighed once more , heavier for a more comedic effect. “Yeah your right..  well then this is goodbye.”  Again , one last final look was shared between you two. Following that you closed the door behind you as you headed to the car waiting. Ian couldn’t help as soon as you left to burst into tears. He felt this pit growing inside him. What were these big emotions? He hated them , god this all sucked.

Words of shame rang through his head , he had lost you. After so long he had finally lost you. He had fucked this all up so hard. He felt hopelessly guilty about the situation. He wanted to try and fix it but like you said to him , he couldn’t at all. Which is what pained him more.

Your brain cleared out once your driver started moving along. Sitting in the backseat , your thoughts felt like white noise. Ringing and ringing constantly. It was all so overwhelming, it just encouraged the floodgates to burst right open.

It made you feel small , but enough was enough. Changes had to be made and you were proud of yourself somewhat. You didn’t really know what tomorrow would end up being like. But now you had to be hopeful for tomorrow. There was no going back. It was now or never , you were happy with just that.

Grounding yourself to reality in the backseat of this randos car , the tears stopped flowing. You had to keep your head up , you can’t sink into the deep depths of sadness now. Which led you to be a weird kind of excited. Everything felt really heavy , but you could feel it was all gonna be lifted right off from you soon enough.

Finally you were gonna be able to breath once more.

[mammonshuman92]

- It Takes Two - Pt.3

(Mammon x GN!MC)

Warnings: Angst to fluff, mentions of drunkenness and being taken advantage of, implied seggs Notes: S/N = succubus name (too lazy to come up with one and that hoe don’t matter lol) also, if it’s garbage I’m sorry lol thanks for reading!!

“Absolutely not.” Satan deadpanned, arms crossed as he scowled at his brother.

“C’mon, Satan. This is important!” He insisted, unwavering under his younger brother’s glare as they bickered back and forth in the fourth born’s doorway.

After seeing you in the kitchen and finally being able to talk to you, to simply be near you, for the first time in over a week, he was too excited to fall back asleep. Instead, he used that time to come up with the brilliant plan he was currently rushing around to execute. If Satan would just cooperate, that is.

“Look, I just need to borrow it, okay? Just for today, then I’ll give it back.”

“Do you remember what happened last time a bangle like this was used in this house?”

Mammon shuddered lightly at the memory of the punishment he and Satan had received for putting the last truth bangle on Lucifer, just for him to destroy it in a matter of seconds.

“I’ll never forget it.” He promised, expression going blank as he unwillingly reminisced. He shook his head lightly, as if clearing his thoughts and coming back to the current mission at hand, “Doesn’t matter though, I for real need to borrow it.”

“No.” The blonde demon stated once more, attempting to close the door on his brother. Mammon put his foot in the doorway and placed a hand on the door. Satan sighed, becoming quite irritated. It quickly dissipated upon seeing his brother's expression.

Naturally, they all knew what was going on. At this point, who didn’t? But to see his brother now, the shell of the man he usually is, a desperation in his eyes he’s never seen before, was a little alarming to be honest. And you, seeing the way you’d been handling everything was far more painful to watch; for all of them. Because of this knowledge, and the level of agony that can be read in one’s eyes; Satan relented.

He sighed heavily and opened the door all the way, stepping aside and motioning for his brother to come in. 

“Just so we’re clear, I’m doing this for MC.” He clarified.

It’s not as if he was lying, but he’d rather spend an entire day bonding with Lucifer than admit he misses the old Mammon.

-

Mammon was fidgety the entire day as he impatiently awaited for the perfect opportunity to set everything in motion, just as he’d so ingeniously planned. It would absolutely prove to you that he’s telling the truth, put all the rumors that have been circulating to rest, and get the succubus to confess to her part in all of it. All he had to do was wait until his last class of the day, Seductive Speechcraft; the only class he shared with you and the succubus both.

You had an oral assignment due today and had to pair up randomly, stand at the front of the class and seduce your partner. He hadn’t been too concerned about the project because well, he had you. It’s not like he hasn’t seduced you before, and vice versa. Not to mention that no one else would dare pick you as a partner since it was a well known fact that the two of you are together. ...Were together.

Thinking of your relationship in the past tense made his heart ache.

He was practically bouncing in his seat with how restless he’d become. You were here in this class, just a few tables behind his. He tried to casually turn back and steal a few glances of you, but every time he did, you looked away. The permanent red rings that seemed to adorn your eyes now were like a knife to the gut. 

His plan had to work. It had to. He couldn’t go on much longer, knowing the kind of pain you’re in. The pain he caused. 

She caused.

“Mammon.” The professor called, gesturing for him to come to the front. He jumped up from his seat, nearly running to the front.

This is it. It’s time to get MC back.

-

“S/N.”

The room erupted in whispers, everyone turning to look at you. You sank down in your chair slightly, feeling as heat flooded your face. Embarrassment, anger, pain and probably a dozen more emotions surged through you. Asmo, who was sitting next to you, reached out and placed his hand on your arm that was resting on the table.

How does this count as proving his innocence? I should’ve known better. I’m such an idiot..

She stood from her seat slowly, turning back to look at you, a smug smile on her dumb face. You swallowed hard, the stinging in your eyes a warning of the tears that were to come. A few colorful words quietly slipped past Asmos’s lips as he gently squeezed your arm, giving you a sorrowful look.

She pranced to the front happily, Mammon’s face mirroring hers, making your stomach churn harshly.

If I lie and say I’m going to the bathroom, I wonder if I can sneak off to the HOL...

The professor nodded to them, signaling they could begin whenever they were ready. Mammon nodded, reaching into his pocket as he turned back toward the succubus. He fished out a bracelet of some kind. He gently grabbed her hand and slipped the bangle on her wrist. She giggled and looked at it in awe. You could feel the bile rising in your throat, as the hole in your chest grew, making you certain it was visible on the outside.

“I got ya this unique bangle. I hope it brings ya as much happiness as it will for me.” Her brows furrowed slightly at his words, unsure of what he was implying. She shook it off quickly, turning her heart eyes back to him.

“When I first saw ya, I thought you were insanely beautiful and I knew I had to make you mine.” He began. 

“It didn’t take long for you to win me over, using your charm and pretty words to reel me in.” He said, smiling at her. Her face was flushed as she soaked up the words that were tearing you apart.

Mammon dropped the hand that had still been holding hers from when he slipped the bracelet on, “But, that’s all it was, huh? Charm and pretty words.” Your ears perked up at the slight change in his tone.

“What?” She questioned, a look of confusion replacing her infatuated one.

“You only wanted me for what ya could get outta me. Grimm, clothes, jewelry. When I realized that, I broke it off.” 

“How is this considered seducing?” She griped, crossing her arms over her chest, lips contorting into a pout.

“Be patient, the best part is coming up.” He beamed at her.

“Where was I? Oh, right!” He began, turning his gaze on you, the class following suit. You sank a little further into your chair. 

“Fast forward a few hundred years and now MC and me are together and couldn't be happier. Like, I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. But, for some reason you hated that, huh?” She glared at him through narrowed eyes. “Yes, I did.”

She gasped, throwing a hand up to cover her mouth; shocked by her own words.

“Why?” He pressed.

“Because MC has become so popular. Like, they’re just a stupid human. What’s so great about them that they get the attention of every high ranking demon in all of the Devildom?” She blurted out, eyes filling with horror as she realized she couldn’t stop the words, the truth, from spilling out like word vomit.

Whispers could be heard once more throughout the room, eyes darting back and forth between you and them.

“Is that why ya confronted MC after school last week?” He continued.

“Yeah. I wanted to hurt their feelings, knock them down a peg. Let them know that they aren’t that special just because they have what I had first.” She gasped again, shocked by how easily she was spilling her guts.

“What is going on?!” She hissed at him as she nervously looked around the room at their fellow demons, and you, staring at her.

The corner of his mouth pulled up slightly, “Oh, did I forget to mention that that bangle makes the person wearin’ it only speak the truth? Must’a slipped my mind.” He scoffed lightly, tapping his forehead a few times.

Oh my Diavolo.. the truth bangle..

Having remembered when you and Levi borrowed it from Satan to put on Mammon because of that game of Levi’s you got stuck in, you were fairly certain you knew where this was going. A small feeling of hope blossomed in your stomach.

With eyes as big as saucers, she desperately clawed at the bangle like some feral animal caught in a trap.

“Only the person who put it on can take it off.” He informed her, another smirk on his face.

 Her head snapped up to look at Mammon, who was already staring at her. He leaned in, his words only meant for her ears.

“Time to pay for what ya did.” He whispered venomously, causing her to recoil slightly.

“Movin’ on.” He leaned up quickly, shooting you a glance before continuing. A look you’d seen many times before.

That was his ‘I have an ace up my sleeve’ look.. He’s definitely up to something. You thought to yourself.

“Let’s talk about last week at the club. Tell us what happened.” He said, walking the floor around her. The way he was talking to her was as if he were a talk show host trying to pull the latest tea out of his guest.

“I went with some friends, but decided to snoop in the VIP lounges to see if I could flirt my way into some free drinks. And I found you in one of the lounges, clearly drunk off your ass. Oh, and you were whining about that stupid human.” She rolled her eyes. The look on Mammon’s face, the bubbling anger, didn’t go unnoticed by you.

“Okay, I’m gonna have to stop you for a moment. I don’t really see how this fits into Seductive Speechcraft.” The professor chimed in.

“It’s gettin’ there, I promise.” Mammon assured him. The professor eyed him curiously, then nodded.

“Alright, so after ya found me in the VIP lounge, what happened next? Tell us everythin’.”

She shook her head wildly from side to side in protest of continuing, knowing she would be doomed if the truth got out, but the bangles magic was too strong.

“I tried talking to you, but you kept being an ass, once again, whining about the human.” She scoffed, “ Then, I sat down next to you and started flirting with you, whispering in your ear and stuff, then you jumped up. But, you got really lightheaded from the quick movement and sat down again. You were very, very intoxicated.” She explained, panting; becoming physically exhausted as she tried to fight the bracelets magic.

So far everything is just as he said. Which means the next part is..

Sweat beaded on her forehead and her face paled as the words that revealed her for what she was started to come out.

“I thought that since you were so wasted you’d give in to me, so I climbed into your lap. We started making out and it was getting pretty hot, pretty fast, but then you kept saying their name over and over and over. So I went along with it. You were so wasted you didn’t know what was going on, you were going to ruin me on that couch, thinking I was them and I wasn’t going to stop you. You were almost mine again, but before anything good happened the human and Asmodeus walked in and ruined everything.”

She clapped her hands over her mouth as tears began welling up in her eyes. Everyone in the room was staring at her wide eyed and whispering. D.D.D. 's all over the room were snapping pictures and recording video of the chaos. She was ruined.

Mammon quickly grabbed her hand and slipped the bracelet off her wrist. The succubus ran from the room red faced and in tears after outing herself as a jealousy fueled, manipulative predator.

You were shell shocked.

Everything was true. Every bit of it. He didn’t betray you, break your heart. Even completely out of it, all he thought about was you..

You’ve spent the entirety of the last seven days believing the one person you’d fully trusted with your heart, the only person you’ve ever loved so much that they just felt like home, had completely stabbed you in the back and broke your heart.

But he was taken advantage of when he was in a bad way, and he was innocent.

“So… you’re not going to do a Seductive Speechcraft presentation? Because although it was entertaining, your little show doesn’t count.” The professor interrupted the commotion, looking at Mammon expectantly.

Mammon turned to you and motioned for you to come to him. Like the love struck fool you were, you obliged; eagerly rushing to the front of the class. He reached for your hand as soon as you came to him, cradling it softly in his with misty eyes as he looked at you.

“Mammon, I-” You began but was quickly interrupted when he put his finger to your lips, shushing you.

“Hang on, MC. I got somethin’ I really need to tell ya, okay?” His expression was serious yet soft. 

“You are the most important thing to me in all the realms. I don’t care that you’re a human and I’m a demon. That don’t matter to me. I’ve never been happier in all the millenia I’ve been around.”  His bottomless blue eyes bore into yours as he fiddled with your fingers nervously. 

“I swore to ya that I’d never do anythin’ to hurt ya, and I meant it MC. I didn’t want her, and I still don’t. You’re the only thing I ever want for the rest of my life. I love ya, MC. And I’ll spend every day provin’ it to ya.”

With tears streaming down your face you threw your arms around his neck, smashing your lips to his hungrily. His arms wrapped around you tightly, holding you as close as possible as your lips moved together desperately.

“Although it was odd and took you entirely too long, I guess I’ll give it a B+. ..Ok, that’s enough, break it up. Hey! Do I need to get a hose?”

-

Devilgram was quickly flooded with pictures and videos of S/N’s multiple, embarrassing confessions, effectively putting to rest all the rumors that had been circulating as of late.

After being scolded heavily by the professor and even more so by Lucifer for your very public display of affection, the two of you locked yourselves in his bedroom.

“Thankfully Satan let you borrow that bangle.” You were sitting up against his headboard while his head rested in your lap facing your belly, arms wrapped around you snugly refusing to move even a centimeter.

“Mhmm.” He hummed sleepily as you carded your fingers through his hair, ever so slightly scratching his scalp with every pass. It’s the most relaxed he’s been in what feels like eternity.

“Probably made spilling your guts in front of everyone a little easier, too.” You teased lightly in regards to his tsundere tendencies.

“I wasn’t wearin’ the bangle.” He stated, matter-of-fact.

“What?” Your hand paused in his hair.

“Ya talkin’ about all the stuff I said to ya back there? Yeah, I wasn’t wearin’ the bangle. I don’t need to be forced to tell ya how much you mean to me. Not anymore.” He pulled you down onto the bed, causing an outburst of giggles from you, until he was hovering directly above you. His hand rested softly against the side of your face, his thumb tenderly stroking your cheek; his sapphire eyes overflowing with love and adoration.

“Since the first time ya smiled at me, the first time ya said my name; Hell, even from the second I saw ya, it’s only been you. I would go to the ends of time or destroy an entire realm single handed, if it means you’ll always be mine; if you’ll always love me and stay by my side. Till my heart stops, it’s yours.” 

Feather light fingertips trailed down the side of your face to your jawline. His thumb reached up to wipe away a lone tear that you let slip at his words, as he wrapped his arm underneath your body, pulling you to him until you were completely flush to his body. His lips met yours softly, lovingly; sending electricity through your veins.

The rest of the afternoon, and part of the next day, was spent making up for lost time. 

And, as for what happened to S/N, aside from being publicly humiliated with her reputation in shambles, as it should be;  let’s just say you know a certain book worm of a demon who loves curses and hexes, especially minorly inconveniencing ones, that was willing to teach you a few new things. 

Who knows? Maybe she will enjoy finding crumbs in every pair of shoes or socks she will ever wear.

- fin -

~ taglist ~

@harujkookie

@snxpe-lxve-blog

@ithinkimdekubutreallyimdenki

@maybe-nott

@bandaged-despair

@bokuto7stan

@aliackerman

@lebetha

[tomurasprincess]

A Caged Dove Part 2 (Shouto Todoroki x Reader)

Summary: You are a princess from a smaller territory within the kingdom, summoned to the castle to meet with the heir of the throne in the absence of your parents. You think it will simply be a routine trip, until you realize that Prince Shouto has his own plans for you. Whether you agree with them or not.

Pairing: Prince Shouto Todoroki x Reader Rating: T+ for this chapter, but E+ for future ones. Chapter Warnings: Yandere themes, obsession, suggestion of forced marriage, murder Series Warnings: Noncon, dubcon, breeding, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stalking, yandere Word Count: 3.1k Note: Fairy Tale AU. (Still more Grimm than Disney). First part was my event entry into the @bnhabookclub, a group I am so happy to have joined. This series is actually something that I am really proud of, and I’m glad that it seems to be getting such a good response. I hope you all like part 2! Thank You: To @thewheezingwyvern, who continues to discusses this idea with me for hours, albeit with less screeching now that I’m actually posting. Woman, I really appreciate your help. @jojosmilktea​, thank you again for making the gorgeous banner for me! I am but a humble peasant compared to your banner making, and must bow to the queen.

One || Two || Three || Four || Five (Finale)

You are being led to your assigned bedroom in the Todoroki castle, a large extravagant room unlike anything you've ever experienced back at your own home. The ceilings are tall and vaulted, with a gorgeous ornate fireplace along the back wall. A large four-poster bed dominates the space itself with a canopy hanging from all four posts. When you step into the bathroom, you notice the large claw foot tub in the middle of the room, and you find yourself immediately wanting to use it.

It has been a long day, and you were barely able to fix yourself up for the meeting properly. A fact that is unusual, considering the nature of this meeting. The royal family sometimes take days to meet with guests, even ones they summon. Having an immediate meeting with him left you off balance and feeling very unprepared for the meeting.

And as for Prince Shouto himself, you really don't know what to make of him. On one hand, you can see the Todoroki royal bearing about him, the kind of manner you would expect from the heir to the throne. On the other hand, you see something in his mismatched eyes that you do not like. Something dark and possessive. It worries you in a way that you cannot explain, but there is nothing to do right now but play along.

Play along and hope that Prince Shouto will come to his senses, drop this madness. You are no fit companion for the heir to the throne, no future queen to sit beside him. There are far better options for one such as him, and you do not want the kind of responsibility this will lead to. You just have to prove to him that there are better options for him. Or at worst, wait for your parents to return from their trip and explain that you do not want this. Even the Todoroki family, as powerful as they are, cannot ignore the right of noble parents to refuse a match.

You sigh to yourself as you go to bed, hoping a better answer will come to you in the morning.

~~~~

You are woken up gently by someone calling your name in the distance, and you blearily open your eyes to see a handmaiden standing beside your bed. You realize quickly that it's not your own that you brought with you on this journey, and you instantly inquire about that. "Excuse me, but where is the girl from my household?"

"I am terribly sorry Princess, but I was summoned here to take care of you for your rendezvous with his Royal Highness," she gives a deep curtsy to these words.

"You are dismissed," you say gently, "I would prefer to use my own handmaiden. She already knows exactly what to do in order to get me ready for such a big event."

The handmaid's face turns panicked, her eyes flicking about as if she's worried that someone will hear what you said. "I am terribly sorry Princess," she whispers, "but I must be the one to do it or I could face a reprimand."

You recognize the word reprimand the way it's intended, the hidden meaning behind it clear. She will be punished, most likely severely, if you don't allow her to finish this task. Refusing or failing a task given to you by the nobility can have horrible consequences, even with the kind hearted royal family.

You give a sigh as you roll gracelessly out of bed. "Alright then, you may assist me." At your words, the panic leaves her face and she gives you a bright smile. What kind of punishment would make her so scared, you wonder, her fear being so intense that it makes you worried.

You shake your head before realizing that there is nothing you can do for her and that there is no way to find out. She seems too timid to get any real answers out of. You allow her to lead you to the bathroom with little complaint as she helps get you out of your nightclothes and into the bath. She helps you with every aspect of cleaning your body, of washing your hair, picking and laying out clothes for you. Then she assists you with putting on every piece of clothing before applying your makeup and fixing your hair.

By the time she is done with all of this, you almost feel like going back to bed. Taking this much time to get ready every morning is exhausting, and it's not something you need to do back home. She leads you to a full length mirror against the wall of your bedroom and encourages you to look into it.

What you see almost takes your breath away at the woman staring back at you. You are in a gorgeous, floor length ball gown, a dark red color with traces of silver swirling through the pattern. The jewelry is all silver, rubies inlaid in every piece in such a way that it almost looks like drops of blood woven into the metal itself. Your hair has been kept long, but with braids here and there that have been wrapped around the back of your head like a crown. You have never worn such finery in your life, never looked so beautiful. The perks of being courted by a prince, you suppose.

"Thank you, you did a wonderful job," you compliment the handmaid. "And I suppose it's your job to take me to Prince Shouto, as well?" You realize what you called him as soon as the handmaiden's eyes get wide and frightened, and you belatedly realize that you don't know if he gave you permission to call him that outside of being alone with him. You decide you need to confirm that one way or the other when you meet him, lest you get yourself in trouble.

The woman wisely chooses to ignore your possible slipup, merely nodding at you as she motions you through the door. You walk through several long, empty corridors, as you quietly take in the sights of the palace. You have never been here personally, but you have heard the stories, and it truly does live up to the reputation of splendor. Maybe a bit too much splendor, you laugh to yourself, as you can't imagine living here regularly.

Finally you reach your destination, an open air courtyard within the palace gates. It is surrounded by beautiful flowers of all different types and colors, and a large cherry tree in the middle of the area. It's under the tree where Prince Shouto stands waiting for you. He is in his full prince regalia, his suit jacket and pants black with silver accents here and there. An elaborate sword hangs at his waist in a gold scabbard. You glance up at his face to see him already looking at you, a small smirk gracing his face as he notices your attention.

You make your way slowly towards him, stopping at the acceptable range for a noblewoman of your station. But Prince Shouto does not seem to care about such a thing, as he immediately moves even closer to you, the distance between you bordering impropriety. This is the distance a husband and a wife would be from each other, you think in alarm. You try to take a step back, but he simply grabs your wrist and pulls you closer, wrapping one arm around your waist. He takes one slender finger under your chin to tip your face back so that he can stare into your eyes.

Your heart is pounding as you're frozen in indecision. Nothing about your training tells you how to react when a prince ignores all manner of modern decency to pursue a lower class noblewoman. Your eyes dart back and forth, a pathetic plea for help as you know no one would dare go against the Crown Prince.

He lets out a small growl that brings you back to attention, and you find yourself gazing into his eyes at the heat that lay in them. "Look at me, Princess," he whispers, "and no one else."

Your eyes widen at his possessive tone, and you try to think of a response until he suddenly pulls away completely. His face is back to his neutral look, and it's as if you never saw the darkness, the fire in his eyes.

Before you leave the garden with him, he reaches up to pluck a blossom from the tree right overhead. You give him a questioning look before he reaches down to tuck it into your braids. You reach up to gently touch the flower in your hair, before giving a slight smile at the rather boyish gesture. He smiles back at you and offers you an arm, and left with nothing else to do, you take it.

The next few hours are pleasant, if nothing more than idle chit chat. You take a pleasant stroll through the gardens as he explains the castle grounds. You occasionally drift into castle drama with one noble or the other, but never anything controversial. To your surprise however, he seems very interested in your own opinion on various political issues. Even when you two disagree, he listens to your opinion and even modifies his opinion when he finds you made a good point. This is rather pleasant, you think to yourself. Maybe your instincts were wrong after all.

"I am delighted that you agreed to go on this date with me, Princess."

You inwardly roll your eyes at the statement, but bite back a retort. You both know that you had no real choice in the matter.

"It has been rather pleasant, Prince Shouto. I am surprised, however, that you take my opinion into consideration. I am not as familiar in the area of politics as you are, as my own territory is small."

"You again do yourself a disservice. You are quite well read, and even in this talk we have had today, you have proven yourself to be a rather quick learner. Anyone who reads as much as you do must be. It is a surprise you have had no one court you before me."

"Thank you, Prince Shouto, that is very kind of you to say. That means quite a lot coming from you, someone who has been groomed for politics and ruling all his life." As you say this though, something strikes you as odd about what he said. "I'm sorry, but how do you know that I read a lot? Or that I haven't been courted."

He smirks as he shrugs his shoulders in a distinctly un-prince like fashion. "Oh, it is simply known. Many people talk about the Princess who would prefer to read in her library over getting married."

"That is not entirely true, Prince Shouto. If you don't mind me saying, of course," you hastily add. "There was one who wanted to court me, a local noble in my territory. But something happened to make him drop everything, leave the country."

Prince Shouto's gaze turns dark, almost murderous. "Is that so? Are you talking about the foolish noble who tried to run to the country of one of our enemies? He tried to steal something from the crown, was found guilty of treason and was swiftly executed."

You stare at him in horror as you try to reconcile his words with the friendly, sweet man who had wanted to marry you. You thought you had loved him, was looking forward to a life by his side. For him to be convicted of treason, to be dead, it left you speechless.

"I - I did not know that," you say quietly. "How did you know?"

"It is my job to know what's going on with my country," he says impassively, "and what's going on with people who try to take what's mine."

The wording of this strikes you as odd. Stealing from the crown was a capital offense, but the prince seems to take it almost personally. As if it was an attack on him directly. You shake your head and chalk it up to one of the many strange facets to Prince Shouto.

He takes you to an unknown building on the last stop of the tour and leads you down a long corridor until you reach two huge double doors. He pushes them open, motioning you inside. As you walk through the door, you can't stop yourself from letting out an audible gasp.

The room is a library, although that is a poor description for the vast beauty of this place. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line every wall, with tables and chairs in the middle for sitting and reading. On the far side of the wall sits a little reading cubbyhole, similar to what you have at home, for when you want to hide away from the world and immerse yourself in a book.

You forget all sense of manners as you rush away towards one of the bookshelves, turning your back to a prince in a shocking breach of decorum. But as you turn back to apologize, you don't miss the way his face is flush with pleasure at your enjoyment.

"Please continue, Princess," his smile turns sharp, "this room is for you, after all."

"What, what do you mean this room is for me?" You ask in confusion.

"As my wife, this library will be all yours."

Your eyes light up a bit at the thought of all of this being yours, although you're still slightly confused by his statement. But you decide to take his comment about continuing at face value, and you walk hurriedly to the first bookshelf you see before gently running your fingertips along the shelves. They are full of books that you love, all of the classics and nonfiction, the romance and the horror. You wander through the whole library, checking every section and simply breathing in the smell of old books.

But you notice a disturbing trend as you go through the library, something that becomes more and more obvious as you look around. This is not a complete library by any means. But the genres, the books that are missing, are all the ones that you do not like. You glance at the classics section, and notice all of your favorite authors are here, and the few who you dislike are conspicuously missing. The same with some of the nonfiction. Whole genres of books are missing, entire sections of authors.

As you get to the back section of the library, things become even more chilling. An entire bookshelf, full of all the books you have wanted to read but could not for one reason or another. There are classic first editions here that you could not buy even with a year's worth of your family's salary. Some of these are even books you had piled up by your bed, waiting to read.

You whirl around in horror as the dawning realization hits you, and you come face to face with Prince Shouto. There is a gleam in his eyes that makes you understand that he knows precisely what you just realized. "What is the meaning of this," you try to make your voice come out strongly, but instead it comes out in a low whisper.

"I told you," he wraps an arm around you as he pulls you flush against his body, "this is going to be your library." His smile turns dark as he adds the next part. "When you become my wife."

When. Not if. No room for argument. No wiggle room. Just an absolute statement from the heir apparent of the Todoroki Empire. "You said you were given permission to court me," you try to say reasonably, "but saying when makes it seem like it is already decided. When my parents return from their diplomatic mission, I can always make them withdraw their permission."

He laughs outright at that, a motion that you can even feel being pressed so closely against him. "Ahh, my poor naive little princess." He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear that has loosened from your braids. "You assume that you'll even be given a chance to talk to them."

It feels like your heart falls all the way down into your stomach. "You can't keep me prisoner here," you try to say, but it sounds hollow even to your own ears. You are within the Royal Palace, in the arms of the Crown Prince. If he doesn't wish for anyone to see you, excuse after excuse could be made. And his family is so well loved that every single one of them would be believed.

You are trapped. Completely and utterly trapped. You can see no way of escape from this no matter how hard you try, and your breath begins to come out in short gasps. You can feel the walls closing in on you, as if you're being placed inside a cage from which you cannot escape.

If he notices your panic, then he gives no indication. He leans forward and kisses the top of your head. "I promise you, being married to me will not be so bad. You'll have everything you've ever wanted." He pulls you in for a heated kiss, his tongue deftly sliding into your mouth as he kisses you deeply. His hand comes to the back of your head, cupping it firmly so that there is no way out.

When he pulls away, your cheeks are slightly flushed, and you gasp for air. "Prince Shouto, please ---"

"There is a better word you can be using now, you know," he interrupts you.

A better term? You don't know what that would be as your mind struggles to keep up with everything that is happening. You try to slow your mind down, try to think of what he could possibly mean. And it finally hits you. You glance at him and see his amusement as he motions for you to go on.

A tear rolls down your face as you whisper the damning words. "Prince Shouto, my - my husband."

He smiles in sheer contentment at hearing those words from you, words that he's longed for ever since he first laid eyes on you. "Ah, now there's my good princess," he whispers as he kisses away the tear from your cheek.

A good princess, you think bitterly. You will not be thought of as a good princess when you free yourself. You only wish you could see the look on the prince’s face when he realizes his caged bird flew away.

~~~~

Tags: @burnedbyshoto, @shoutogepi, @thewheezingwyvern, @animewh0re, @dee-madwriter, @lildreamer93, @katsukisprincess, @yaoyorozuwrites, @redbeanteax, @kittygonyan, @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-love, @daedaep69, @heyybrittannia, @mimikarasu, @groovydreamertrash, @hisoknen,  @hoefortodo, @mhafanfics19, @oktamaki, @daringbanshee, @otaku-explosion, @hellomary16, @vanillaicebaby, @theravencawsatmidnight

[musasabino5]

Give me some ideas about Grimm x Dart!

I wonder that whether Grimm did “お姫様だっこ” when he rescued Dart or took him down from the stone pedestal, just like he did with Seth in volume 5.

(Sorry l can’t explain well in English.)

[sondepoch]

Hogwarts, Basically (Solomon x Reader)

When you finally leave RAD, the last thing you expect is to be whisked off by Solomon to a human school of magic. What you expect even less is for the white-haired mage to become your dormmate, and to be forced into a life of spells, potions, and wizardry. But what you expect the least is to find yourself pining after the sorcerer, reduced to something akin to a lost puppy, staring at him in longing at every chance you get. Or, correction: What you expect the least is for Solomon to feel the same way.

~Oneshot

MASTERLIST

At the very beginning, Lucifer warned you: stay away from Solomon. Never trust the shady sorcerer. Keep your distance at all costs, and do not interact.

But you never listened.

No, you were convinced that you knew better. That the white-haired mage had good inside him, that he wasn't a demon in human skin with an agenda more suspicious than Diavolo's own. For an entire year, you believed in him, and the two of you stayed by each other's side the whole time you were in the Devildom.

You have so many good memories with him.

The two of you pulled pranks on Asmo. Downloaded TikTok onto Lucifer's phone. Ran a scam where you auctioned your souls off on D-Bay and kept the Grimm. You egged the student council hall on April Fool's day, and you even shared your food with the guy.

So many good memories.

So many tainted memories.

If you had known where it would land you, you never would have allowed yourself to get close to him.

"I fucking hate you," You grumble, darting forward and flopping onto your bed the second Solomon opens the door, groaning as you burrow your head in your pillow. It reeks of magic, much like everything else in this godforsaken place, and you're entirely sick of it, but you're too exhausted to even care right now. "I can't believe you fucking did this to me."

"Oh please, you're acting like this is the end of the world." The mage closes the door, and you hear the sound of shuffling as he puts his books away for the day, taking off his school jacket. His actions are innocent enough, but you're certain he finds amusement in your state, and the very thought fills your lungs with even more resentment toward your current situation.

"It is the end of the world," You grumble in protest. "I'm supposed to be relaxing right now. Playing video games with friends. Hanging out at a club. Wasting time on twitter, sending celebrities stupid pickup lines. Not doing more schoolwork at another fucking school of magic."

Solomon laughs lightly, a warm sound that you wish you didn't like.

"Technically, RAD wasn't a school of magic," He tells you.

"Oh, who fucking cares? This school is! You've kidnapped me and dumped me in Hogwarts, basically, and I hate Harry Potter!"

"How unfortunate for you, then." Solomon grins boyishly as he rolls your body over, eyes twinkling with mirth as he gazes at your utterly unamused expression. "Relax. You'll begin to enjoy your time here, once you get used to the course load. I dare say you might even find it fun to learn about our magical heritage."

"When pigs fly, Solomon," You quip back, opting to ignore the fact that your potions teacher told you that your end-of-year project would actually be to create a solution potent enough to give farm animals wings.

You sigh grumpily and roll over, closing your eyes and relaxing quietly as the sorcerer pats your shoulder, quietly telling you not to nap for too long, so you have time to finish your homework later.

You ignore him, for the most part.

I'll never enjoy it here, you convince yourself. As much as you love spending time with Solomon, you don't have it in you to completely change your life and begin studying magic, irregardless of how much the teachers at this school want you to. Ignoring the sound of scribbles as Solomon begins his own homework, you tell yourself that the mage is wrong, that all you need to do is flunk out during this first semester and then you'll be returned to your normal life in your home country.

What you don't expect is for Solomon's words to be proven true.

One week into your time at the academy, you've just begun to grow used to the course load. The students at school stop raising eyebrows at your face, and as you begin to grow accustomed to the school, it becomes accustomed to you.

Two weeks in, you've already fallen into a loose rhythm.

By three weeks, you've developed what a less apprehensive person would call "friends," and by four weeks, you're genuinely giving your studies your all, learning spellwork and enchantments with an almost-passionate fervor.

By the time the month has ended, you've actually forgotten your plans to flunk out.

And though you're surprised by your change of heart, the never-fading smile on Solomon's face makes you suspect that he predicted this from the start.

You glance up at him from your textbook, momentarily halting your note-taking to study the way the enthralled light never fades from his eyes, even as he glances from book to book while continuing to draw a summoning circle for his demonology class, somehow looking pleased even as he cross-checks his image.

You groan.

You've found yourself glancing up at Solomon more and more often in these past few days, distracted from your own studying by the way his hair falls over his forehead, or the way his chest sometimes peeks through when he undoes the top buttons of his dress shirt, or the way he sometimes bites his lip cutely when going over a particularly difficult passage. Hell, you once spent five minutes staring at the sorcerer's hands, because they looked oh-so-soft as he took notes on the book he was deciphering.

The first few times, you convinced yourself that it was merely because of how eye-catching he was. And that was a fair enough excuse. After all, the colors of this academy are black and gold—Solomon's pale skin stands out against the dark fabrics of the uniform and the even-darker furnishings of your dorm room.

But after catching yourself gazing wistfully at his lips a few too many times, you were forced to confront the truth.

You have a crush on the aggravating, annoying, sassy, difficult, handsome, cute mage.

But that's not even the worst part.

You think he knows.

A warmth creeps onto your cheeks the moment you begin to think about all the instances where Solomon has caught you staring at him over these past few weeks. There are almost too many examples. Early in the morning, when his hair is all messed up. Right after breakfast, when his lips have changed color to whatever potion he drank. On your way back from school, when you walk back to the dorm together. During homework sessions like these. Right after he steps out of the shower—oh, he's caught you gawking at him far too many times after returning from the shower. (You tried to play it off by saying that you were merely studying his pact marks, but you know he knows the truth. His abs are loosely defined, but they're there, and you want to lick them so bad it hurts.)

"MC?" Solomon calls, and you blink.

Fuck, you think, suddenly realizing that you were staring at him while you daydreamed about him.

Add one more to the count, you think with an internal groan, silently wondering how many more times the sorcerer will catch you staring at him.

"You good?" He questions, and you can see the smirk he's trying so hard to fight off his face.

"Uh—I'm going to the library," You blurt, opting to avoid the sorcerer's gaze as you grab your jacket, looping your arms through it with deftness despite how utterly befuddled your thoughts are as you escape the room. You don't have your books with you, or your library card for that matter, but anything is better than responding to that all-too-playful question.

You flee before Solomon has a chance to say anything else, all but running to the stairs and sauntering on down until you're outside the dorm building, the air crisp in your lungs as you inhale sharply.

I'm such a mess, you think to yourself, the lingering warmth on your cheeks beginning to cool as you fold your arms and walk in the direction of what you hope is the library. A few people crossing you nod their heads in greeting, quick smiles thrown your way as you return them, but no one stops to converse with you, and you're left alone to debate your affections for the sorcerer.

You sigh, trying to sort out your thoughts.

Solomon must harbor some affection for you, you know that.

After all, he's spent far too many nights explaining foreign concepts to you, calmly navigating you through the waters of magic where he could have simply directed you to a tutoring board.

Moreover, you've seen how he behaves with other students here at the academy. No matter who has come to your dorm, be two kids it for a group project or a single friend in preparation to summon a demon they're interested in, there's a barrier of cool distance Solomon maintains with everyone else, one that simply seems to disappear around you.

Distance, you think, recalling the awkward way Solomon avoids physical contact with others, using sorcery to do things as simple as handing a glass of water to a guest. With you, though, you've both only grown closer, once-awkward pats now having turned into comfortably leaning on each other whenever one of you is tired. Last week, Solomon even ran a hand through your hair, and though he blinked afterward in surprise, as if he hadn't meant to do that, there was an undeniable feeling of closeness to his actions, something which others would hardly expect to see from him.

Another sound of frustration spills from your lips, aggravated at your situation with the sorcerer. The two of you are closer than others, but still not close. More than casual friends, but hardly intimate. Beyond nothing, but not yet something.

You kick a rock lying on the ground, watching it sail into the grass as you brood over the fact that Solomon is more confusing than the history of magic.

And you might brood some more, maybe even consider confessing your affections to the sorcerer in question, if not for the fact that you randomly look up and the building that greets you is not the school library.

You blink, abruptly turning around to check the way you came, but it is also a road that you've never seen, never heard of, and certainly have never navigated.

"Fuck," You mutter to yourself, realizing your predicament.

You're lost.

***

In your dorm room, Solomon is growing increasingly frustrated over the summoning circle he's been instructed to sketch. His fingers are supposed to be tracing the emblem of Mephistopheles, but it's so similar to Barbatos (and he's so used to drawing the summoning circle of Barbatos) that he keeps messing up at the end and has to restart all over again.

Or at least, that's what he tells himself is the cause for his repeated failures.

Solomon is hardly dumb—he's well aware that the reason for his utter inability to focus right now is caused solely and explicitly by you, and that this would not be happening if he weren't worried for your whereabouts.

But at the same time, there's nothing he can do about the fact that you're already gone, or the fact that he just messed up again on this seal.

A frustrated groan leaves Solomon's lips, inwardly cursing himself for driving you from the room. 

After all, he really needs to get this assignment done.

Then again, it's not like he would be doing much of a better job if you were still here.

The sorcerer can never find himself fully able to focus around you, eyes always drawn upward to study you. It feels like if he casts his gaze away for too long, he'll miss something—the way your eyes light up every time you understand a concept, the way your eyebrows furrow every time you don't. It's the little things he tries to pay attention to: how you silently nod your head at the end of every sentence you read to the way you aimlessly fumble with your blanket whenever an assignment bores you.

Solomon is positive that he's successfully picked up on every one of your little quirks, by now. At a single glance, he can tell what subject you're studying by the way you're sprawled out over your bed, and if he looks a little longer, he might even be able to tell how good a mood you're in based on the way you tap your pen against your notebook. Give him enough time, and he's even picked apart how the way you kick your feet in the air relates to how nervous you are for an upcoming quiz.

Yeah, Solomon really hasn't been doing too well in his school, with how much he's been focusing on you.

Of course, you don't notice it at all. No, Solomon cast a spell long ago which makes it look like he's studying diligently even as he gazes absentmindedly at the way you run a hand through your hair when you're tired, making it incredibly easy for him to catch all the little glances you've been giving him these past few weeks.

Does he feel guilty for watching you watch him?

Absolutely.

Does he think about removing the spell?

All the time.

Does that mean he will change anything?

Most definitely not.

The look of shock on your face every time he casually "catches" you staring at him is too attractive for him to stop, especially since the immediate state of fluster it induces is so amusing to watch.

But that doesn't stop him from regretting calling you out just now, because while he's pretty sure you know your way around the campus, he's also well-aware that whenever your head is in a jumble, you lose all sense of awareness.

I'll wait, he decides, rapping his pencil against the outline of the sketch he's working on, reaching for a ruler. I need to finish this assignment, anyway.

But then ten minutes turns into twenty, and by the time Solomon is done with his assignment, the hour is over, signaled by the four loud rings from the grandfather clock on the ground floor.

The mage glances at your empty bed, set just six feet across from his, and he frowns.

I'll wait a little longer.

But one hour stretches into two, and two stretches into three, and nearly four hours have passed by the time the sun sets, and Solomon is pacing back and forth in the dorm, glancing at the door every time he turns, in hopes that you'll walk through it.

Fucking hell, he thinks to himself, grabbing his academy jacket as he flips his book closed and shoves it onto his desk.

He isn't going to torture himself any longer like this.

Hell, he'll confess if that's what it takes to bring you back, because right now, he's going crazy cooped up in this room and there's only one thing that's going to calm him down.

Shoving his keys into his pocket, he yanks the door open, all final hopes of you standing on the other sides crushed when he sees the almost-empty hall, and the questioning eyes of students wondering why he's heading out when it's so close to curfew.

He huffs in exasperation, slamming the door shut as he walks out, long legs carrying him in the direction of where he suspects you got lost.

He's really fallen for such a troublesome person.

Then again, Solomon adores even that part of you.

***

You've never been so relieved to see a clump of white hair.

Or, well, maybe you have—you know, given that Mammon has saved you more than a few times from Lucifer's wrath—but you've never been so relieved in the human world to see a familiar, fluffy clump of white hair.

"Solomon!" You exclaim the moment you set your eyes on the mage, sprinting forward to capture him in a tight hug. He stiffens at the contact, and you inwardly note that this is probably the closest you've ever physically been to him, but you don't care. Maybe it's the instincts that were drilled into you after being surrounded by demons for a whole year, but you had seriously begun to think that you would die out here.

"How on earth did you get here?" Solomon asks incredulously, gazing at your surroundings.

"I, um." You suddenly feel embarrassed. "I got lost, and then I sort of just picked a direction and walked."

"You..." Solomon pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation, unable to even bring himself to repeat your words back to you. "You do realize that that's the worst possible thing you could have done, right?" The mage shoots a frown your way. "Do you even know how far off-campus we are right now?"

You ignore his words off with a smile, following him gleefully as he shakes his head in disapproval. "Then isn't it wonderful that I had you to come find me?"

You laugh, the sound filling the otherwise empty night, missing the way Solomon fights off an instinctive smile at the sound.

"If you turn tail and run away every single time I catch you staring at me, we're going to have an issue," The sorcerer mutters, more under his breath than to you. You ignore his words, neither wanting to nor knowing how to respond. "Your crush on me is only going to bring more trouble to us, if things continue on like this."

And that gets to you.

(And though you don't know it, the sorcerer is equally mortified by his statement. He certainly hadn't wanted to confront you like that.)

"You know?!" You exclaim, eyes round in horror. You always knew that he must have had his own suspicions, but for him to just come out and say it? You stare at the man with a mouth agape, raw embarrassment warming your cheeks for the second time today.

"Ah, yes," Solomon comments lamely, wincing when he hears how his words must sound. "I mean, ahem, I would actually, erm, consider myself, goodness look at that goose, to harbor similar sentiments.

"You...what?" You ask suspiciously, partially confident that Solomon just confessed but at the same time confused whether his words mean what you think they do. "You like me?" You ask hesitantly, watching the mage's expressions carefully.

"'Like' is such a strange word," Solomon begins. "One might consider it to be an expression of indifference, whereas another would—"

You cut the mage off with a sharp elbow to the stomach and a pointed glare, warning him to stop being around the bush.

"Fine," He mutters, shooting you a sulky glare. "Yes. I like you, okay? Are you happy now?"

A warm smile blooms on your face as you hear the sorcerer say those words, savoring the beautiful pink that swells on his usually-pale cheeks as he averts his eyes and crosses his arms.

"Yes, that does make me happy," You muse, grinning. "For how long?" You probably didn't have to ask that question—but Solomon's evident embarrassment makes it impossible not to milk this situation for all it's worth.

"Since...the Devildom," He mutters, the pink on his cheeks surging with even more prominence.

You blink at that.

The Devildom?

That's even longer than you've liked him!

"Wow," You confess, eyes slightly round in wonder. "I...I had no idea, this whole time."

"Yeah, I...kind of made sure of that."

"What do you mean?" You pause in your walk to glance at the man standing next to you. "How'd you stop me from figuring it out?"

"I, uh," Solomon scratches the back of his neck, glancing away sheepishly. "I may have used magic."

Wow.

Well, that—

Yeah, that was entirely expected.

A huff leaves your throat, and you cross your arms dramatically as you saunter ahead of Solomon, not bothering to acknowledge the fact that Asmo once warned you that, if Solomon ever started liking you, this was exactly the sort of thing he would do.

You pause, glancing right and then left as you approach a crossing, completely unsure of which way to go but unwilling to reduce yourself to asking the sorcerer from help. Not when you can feel the waves of apology radiating off him.

"Are you mad?" He asks when you stop, and the hesitant inflection of his voice only makes you fall for him more because of how annoyingly adorable you find it.

"Maybe," You respond, deciding to keep him in suspense. "But you can make it up to me."

Before Solomon can ask how, you walk in front of him and turn around such that you're facing him, one arm on your hip as you send a confident smirk.

"Given that we both like each other, see..." You trail off, standing in front of him with a devilish grin on your face as you wait for him to piece together what you're hinting at.

You see his eyes widen, the moment of realization dawning in his eyes as he understands what you're asking him to do.

Solomon doesn't hesitate much after that. He barely spends a single moment preparing himself, and then one hand is reaching for your cheek while his lips pull closer, and you savor the sight of his eyes closing as he presses his lips to yours, and then your own eyes are closed, basking in the feeling of warmth as you grin and lean into the kiss, lifting your own arms to his neck, looping them around to play with his hair the way you've thought about so many times.

Something about the situation is undeniably blissful, undeniably comfortable, and undeniably right as you both kiss, and the very notion that you could have ever been so hesitant about doing this makes you both laugh, the two of you smiling and giggling into the kiss like fools.

You lean back slightly, pulling away to beam at the sorcerer with a proud smile, but Solomon chases your lips, dipping his head forward and halting you from going further back by snaking a hand around your waist. Not at all minding this development, you grin as he turns the kiss passionate, slipping his tongue through your lips with a determined force you can't help but be turned on by, and then the lightheartedness of the previous moment is replaced by a sudden passion for more of this, more of the feeling of Solomon's mouth against yours, more of him.

You bring your hands to his chest, pushing him backward and onto a bench that could not be more conveniently placed as you press his body down onto it, and he doesn't bother commenting on how you're wrinkling his shirt when you grab fistfuls of it and straddle his lap. Or maybe he does try, but you'll never find out, because seconds later your lips are back to being pressed against his and everything else in the world disappears.

"Fuck," Solomon whispers, gasping when you part for air, his fingers just about to slip under your shirt as he caresses your waist.

"Yeah," You respond, knowing exactly what he's talking about. When your eyes dart from his flushed neck to his eyes, the look he gives you is nothing short of sinful.

Seconds later, the two of you are kissing again—because really, Solomon can't look at you like that and not expect you to immediately throw yourself at him—and his fingers really do squirm their way underneath your shirt, the feeling of his touch almost electric as his fingers grip your waist firmly.

And then it really doesn't matter that you're both still in public, that you're straddling Solomon on a public bench and that it's almost well curfew, because holy fuck you've both wanted to do this for way longer than anyone should have to wait, and now that you've started, nothing will pull you apart.

Bonus:

From his lovely little cloud in the heavens, Simeon cheers, a warm smile on his face as he watches his two favorite humans give in to the attraction that has always been painfully obvious to him.

He hums peacefully, internally wondering how he'll go about collecting his money from Lucifer, now that he's won their bet about how long it would take for the two of you to grow intimate—but his bliss is short-lived as he watches you tug Solomon's tie off, a light gasp leaving both his and Solomon's lips, though for two very different reasons.

"No!" Simeon cries, gasping dramatically with a hand over his chest as he realizes what is happening. "You're in public! In public!"

He moans in distress, falling to his knees as he sends a prayer up to Father for you both, his horror widening as he catches sight of buttons popping off your shirt as Solomon slips his hands underneath it, both of you starved and desperate for more contact than your clothes can provide.

"Little lambs!" He wails in horror, and all the other angels stop what they're doing for a moment to wonder what has their Simeon in such a twist, nearly every angel in the heavens listening to the sound of his utterly defeated whimpers that follow as he crawls back into bed, trying his best to forget the unholy sight that now plagues his mind.

"Forgive me, Father," He murmurs, fingers darting from his forehead to his chest, then right and left. But then, he thinks of a better prayer: "Forgive them."

Bonus bonus:

Centuries later, Simeon will reluctantly (and drunkenly) recount this tale to Asmodeus, who will immediately cheer in support. The fifth-born will claim to have always sensed the unspoken sexual tension between the two of you, and has always been an ardent supporter of "giving in to temptation," regardless of how public one's surroundings may be. After hearing Simeon's story, he'll order another round of drinks for the bar, paying for it himself in honor of everyone's two favorite humans, the demon cheering both your names loudly and downing a shot before promptly passing out on Simeon's lap.

MASTERLIST

Word count: 4.3k

Notes: Fun fact: originally, the academy that mc and solomon are at was supposed to be RAS - the royal academy of Solomon - just like RAD, but solomon was the headmaster (and there was a corresponding RAM run by Michael in the Celestial Realm) :) Not fun fact: I’m also working on a diavolo fic right now and it feels like every word is a breath of air being ripped from my already asphyxiated lungs :)

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I do not own the rights to Obey Me! or any of the characters within it.