#GUYS WE DISCOVERED A NEW HUE WHO CHEERED

[chevalperd]

day 4 of doodling ivan alien stage every day of ivan alien stage month until ivan alien stage day :3

[tender-rosiey]

I just recently discovered ur blog and let me just say...*heart squeeeeeeeeeeeeeze* SO SOFT AND ADORABLE AND WHOLESOME I JUST LOVE *squeal* HOW SOFT EVERYTHING ISSSS AHHHHH... anyway i REALLY I'm thriving for Chuuya, Dazai, Atsushi reacting and what they will do discovering Y/N is pregnant^^

❥ BSD characters discovering that their s/o is pregnant

Includes Dazai, Chuuya and Atsushi

ᴀ/ɴ: AHHHH I AM GLAD YOU LIKE MY WORK LUV 🥺 I hope you enjoy this one as well 💘 also I tried changing from headcanons to a really small drabble here :D

Dazai Osamu:

Dazai never wondered about how tomorrow will play out, he never looked forward to it. He never thought about his future unless it ended with him taking his life away. He never thought he would be committed to live let alone to someone.

But you came in and changed that for him.

First from strangers to friends, from friends to best friends, from best friends to lovers, from lovers to fiancé���s and from fiancés to husband and wife.

He never imagined being in a relationship with anyone yet here he was laying on the couch with you trapped in his arms while talking with a voice he always found music to the ears.

“Hey ‘samu..” your voice suddenly called out to him in a small tone while he tilted his head. Why did you get anxious suddenly? Did something happen? Why are you nervous? He couldn’t place his hand on whatever made you feel this way right now but nevertheless he wanted assure you.

He rubbed your back hoping it can give you a push forward and that you can tell him what’s on your beautiful mind. “...what do you think about having a baby?”

Oh. So that is what it’s about.

“It’s just a hypothetical question by the way!” you stuttered confirming his suspicions before he hugged you tightly and buried his face in the crook of your neck. “I am pregnant ‘samu..” you ended with a smile. “Thank you...thank you, thank you..” he kept repeating the same words like a chorus that he memorized by heart.

Dazai was happy, his heart is full. He didn’t take a life now, he made one. He made one with you, his beautiful wife and his loving belladonna. Eyes getting teary, he smiled against your skin. He pulled back and connected your foreheads.

“God I love you more than anything.”

He said with a tone nothing less than sincere and passionate. Had you expected this reaction? A part of you told you that he won’t like it, but another told you he will be the best father he can be and won’t leave you.

And then the mood turned 180 degrees as Dazai turned to his goofy self and started screaming “WE ARE GONNA HAVE A BABY!” And that’s how he started his mission of telling everyone in the ADA about the wonderful news.

But despite his exterior, you both knew that he was genuinely happy with it and it’s not his clown mask that is supposed to convey his true happiness authentically. That’s why what’s under the mask and behind the walls is only preserved for you.

His belladonna, wife and mother of his children.

Chuuya Nakahara:

You felt somewhat confident and more assured about telling Chuuya about the two lines that changed your entire lives.

He had been having a baby fever lately, always glancing at the babies’ isle, sometimes trying to subtly make a baby laugh and feeling joyful when it does. It was another reason that made you know he is a wonderful father.

You heard the door of your house freak open with the usual “I am home!” of your dear husband. You smiled at the sound of his voice and felt a kiss on the top of your head. “How are you, dove?” He asked before hanging his coat and taking a seat beside you.

You giggled and assured him that you are okay then held his hand. “Chuu I wanna show you something.” You carefully let out, you had been planning this for a long time after all. He squeezed your hand ushering you to go on.

You got a box and placed it on the table. Chuuya started wondering if you got him a gift. Excitedly he looked at you then back at the box slowly pulling off the top of it. He pouted in confusion when he saw a pink shirt, nevertheless he took it out and saw the writing that said “Mama Chihuahua”

He blankly stared at the shirt and let out a mocking laugh “very funny, dove.” You encouraged him to keep looking and the next thing he got out was a blue shirt with “Papa Chihuahua” he furrowed his eyebrows starting to see a certain pattern.

He subconsciously hoped it was what his heart desired for some time now.

He lastly pulled out a yellow baby onesie with the writing “Baby Chihuahua” he then gripped the shirt tightly and looked at you in complete shock and disbelief. “Y/N you are-“ “ pregnant.” You ended with a soft grin.

Chuuya hugged you tightly and cheered, “HAHA YES FINALLY I HAVE BEEN WANTING THIS!” He started peppering kisses all over your face and chuckling, it truly fulfilled what his heart has been longing for.

Chuuya held your hand and kissed the ring on your finger and vowed once again but for a different person “I swear on my life that I will protect you and our baby from everything and anything.”

His eyes held a certain look of stern and honesty. Chuuya was always a loyal man to anyone who shows that they deserve it and he was one to keep his promises.

And until now he had kept himself true to his vows, and he won’t hesitate or fail to be true to the one he made just now.

Atsushi Nakajima:

(Atsushi is aged up to 23 cause I am not letting you guys be teenage parents at 18 👩‍🦲)

Atsushi was always good with kids. It honestly reassured you that whenever you guys will have a child then it will be easy and nice for them to interact.

Despite rambling a lot about how kids are adorable and how he wants to squish their cheeks, He has never asked you if you ever wanted a child or suggested having one. Not that you were expecting him to since he does get shy quite often.

Even after 5 years of being together and being married just last year, kisses from your turn his face into a pink hue. Truly a lot of milestones have been placed in your relationship and you two enjoyed every single one of them.

Today however was a new milestone.

As soon as his eyes landed on the pregnancy test you forgot on the sink of your shared bathroom last night, he got overwhelmed. He held the test shaking and slid to the ground.

You are pregnant.

Happy tears flooded his yes as a smile cracked so wide reaching his eyes, Atsushi was strong when needed but right now he wanted to show even to no one just how happy two dashes made him be.

He stood up slowly not to wake you up and kneeled down to your bed. He kissed the top of your head, wiping his tears so they don’t fall on your face and wearily whispered “thank you...”

He held your body tenderly and a smile never leaving his face as he kept talking to your tummy hoping that even now his baby would hear him and know that his dad is already ready to welcome him with open arms.

copyright © 2020 tender-rosiey

do not copy or plagiarize or you will be reported

[thoughtsaboutshows]

OTP Prompt

@kh5160 requested 23 from the first prompt list.

“Take my Jacket.” 

This is a non-witchy AU. 

Sabrina was a little thrown off when Prudence asked her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.  She wished she could say she was pleasantly surprised, but the way that Prudence shoved over the sequined box with the champagne and calligraphy note with a grimace led Sabrina to believe the bride didn’t want her in the wedding at all.  But as the closest thing to a sister that Ambrose had, it meant a lot to the groom to have her standing up on that day.  Sabrina had begrudgingly accepted Prudence Night into their family when she’d started dating Ambrose, so Prudence could do the same by letting Sabrina into her bridesmaid fold. 

The group consisted of her sisters, Dorcas, Agatha and Leticia, and Roz.  That was to no one’s surprise as the two of them had gotten closer in college in their occult studies classes.  Ambrose’s party involved a rag-tag group of guys from Oxford including the dark and elusive Nicholas Scratch.

Sabrina had never met said friend before, though she’d heard the tales spun of him.  He sounded like an enigma, all folklore and mystery, and she wasn’t certain the man who had been claimed to be the King of Campus even existed at all.  Dorcas and Agatha however, never ceased to shut up about him, always claiming he was the king of the bedroom as well.  Both begged and prodded Prudence to be the one to walk down the aisle with him, and Prudence had had enough when she and Ambrose finally announced the pairings.  

Sabrina was convinced Prudence had done it to piss Sabrina off, to intentionally get her sisters to turn on her.  But Ambrose had a completely different reason for pairing her with this Nicholas Scratch, the exact opposite of anyone she had ever been with, and anyone she would ever be with too.  

“Cousin, he’s loads of fun and you could use some fun.”  He’d told her at the co-ed bridal shower.  

“I have plenty of fun, Ambrose.”  Sabrina said as she crossed her arms and scrunched her nose at the way her cousin scoffed in return.  

“Not enough.  I’m not saying you should marry the guy, because well you shouldn’t, but he’s the good kind of ruffle in your feathers.” 

“Are you seriously encouraging me to have sex with one of your groomsmen.”  

“Stranger things have happened.” Ambrose shrugged and laughed again at Sabrina’s glaring.  Really, she needed to let loose.

“Isn’t he supposed to be here?  Some groomsman.”

“I think he’s in Santorini.”  Ambrose said as he took a sip of his champagne and became momentarily distracted by his fiancee who was calling him over with her finger.  “Or was it Spain?  Who the Hell knows.  He’ll show up on the wedding day, tolerably sober and all will be well.  Now if you’ll excuse me I am being summoned.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes again, though she couldn’t fight the smile creeping to her lips at her cousin’s happiness.  Never in a million years did she think that her cousin would get married before her, to Prudence no less.  But as her cousin said, stranger things have happened.  The strangest?  Discovering Nicholas Scratch wasn’t so bad.

He certainly made a terrible first impression.  He’d shown up late to the rehearsal, made fun of her headband, and asked her if she was the flower girl instead of a bridesmaid.  He was the kind of handsome that she swore should be displayed in the pages of a magazine and for a moment she thought James Dean himself had been resurrected.  She was also aware that he was the kind of charming and conceited that knew exactly how attractive he was and exactly what to do to make it work in his favor.

And he was fiercely determined not to fall under his spell.  

However his clever and incessant flirting wore her down inch by inch, though she’d never let it show.  He determidly ignored Dorcas and Agatha, and begged Sabrina not to leave his side all night, and the two would joke about the different guests in the room, inserting their own commentary and guessing what conversations were being had.  She noted he stopped stuck to one drink, and when he’d passed on the wine at dinner he returned her eyebrow raise with an explanation that he’s trying to be more responsible.  

It seemed the elusive and bad boy Nicholas Scratch was not so bad at all, and Sabrina thought she may have made a new friend.  A hot friend.  She’d think only to herself.  He was the type to flirt with anyone and she didn’t see herself as special, just his bridesmaid of the week.  

He found her later leaning against the balcony outside.  Nick had been taken with her immediately.  He’d heard from Ambrose about his cousin for years, had even seen pictures.  But no image could ever capture the enrapturing beauty of Sabrina Spellman.  She was like a sunset, completely existing in a world of its own, beauty meant to exist in its own reality.  Her moonbeam curls were a hue he’d never seen before and he couldn’t help but think about kissing her red lips the first time he’d seen them.  The first time they’d been turned down because of a dumb thing he’d said about her headband.  

Things seemed to be turning around for him though in the twenty-four hours they’ve known each other.  He didn’t let her fall while walking down the aisle, she’d turned completely to him at their table and gave him her attention when he talked about his travels, and she’d even let him hold her close on the dance floor.  Even his hand drifted dangerously low in her low-backed dress, to the area of skin not exposed to the elements.  

She looked cold but content as she leaned against the balcony.  It was Fall, but Sabrina Spellman seemed the type to enjoy any season.  Her rosy cheeks and warm smile stealing away any chill in the air.  

“Hey, Spellman.”  He said as he leaned next to her.  

“Hey, Scratch.”  She responded.  

So that was a thing.  She’d never had good nicknames with anyone before.  Not Harvey.  Not fucking Caliban who was twirling his new girlfriend from hell on the dance floor.  It was the two of them, who had somehow gotten an invite, that had her sequestering herself outside for a moment.  She had thought she wanted to be alone, but when Nick showed up she realized that was wrong.  

A chill washed over her with another breeze and Nick noticed immediately.  

“Here, take my jacket.”  He said, shrugging off the rented thing that Nick was glad to get rid of.  She took it but looked at him teasingly.

“Thank you, I didn’t shiver on purpose by the way.” 

“I know.”  Nick smirked back at her.  “You wouldn't have had to to get me to do that.”  He tilted his head to the side.  “Why are you out here anyways?”

“I needed some air.”  She shrugged.  “And I was sick of seeing the ex-boyfriends.”

“What about the current boyfriend?”  Nick asked suggestively.  He knew the answer but he wanted to see how much she would flirt with him.  She’d been tiptoeing into those waters all night. 

“That spot’s still vacant.” Sabrina said with a small smile.

Nick winked at her and held up his bourbon glass for her to clink with her wine one. 

“Cheers to finding the next candidate.” 

“Cheers.”  She answered back, suddenly aware of how close they were standing, how warm Nick’s jacket was, and how it smelled of something that was so new but familiar at the same time she immediately felt at home. 

Another chill ran through the air and not even Nick’s jacket or his fiery gaze could keep her from shivering.  In fact, it was his eyes burrowing into her, begging to know more, that made her shiver in the first place.

“Why don’t we go inside?”  He suggested.

“Why don’t you take me upstairs.”  She blurted out without thinking.  She was feeling bold, and she hadn’t been drinking that much, but something about Nick was intoxicating.  She wanted to drink deeply of it, so she kept her gaze steady and sure on him and raised her eyebrows so he knew she was serious.  

His eyes didn’t break their focus on her as he leaned down and brushed that beautiful hair out of her eyes and kissed those red lips that were so damn inviting.  She melted into it and pulled him closer, anxious all of a sudden to taste more of him.  When they broke apart she repeated her request and he didn’t deny her.  

Two years later at another wedding in the Fall, with Prudence as a bridesmaid and Ambrose as a groomsmen, the newlyweds stole some time away to spend on the balcony and recreated their first kiss over and over.  Ambrose had told Sabrina not to marry Nicholas Scratch, but she was deliriously happy.  And well?

Stranger things have happened.

[shadowgeist-stars]

Vitam et Mortem: Divine Pride

A small gift for Pride Month before June ends. I probably should've come up with this earlier, but hey, I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Bridget had wanted to show Emily her new favorite part of June for years since they first began. After all the time they spent together for the last five or six centuries, she found it quite fun to introduce the otherwise reclusive Mother Nature to all the things she otherwise ignored among the mortals.

But this particular celebration wasn't just a joyous occasion for herself. Many lost spirits and even deities from all over the world rejoiced at the celebration of their own way of love and life.

From the gods of ancient Mesopotamia, to the far-flung rainbow serpents of Australia, to the hidden deities in China and Japan, to Bridget's own neighboring Loas and other divine friends in the Americas. The jubilee expressed by the immortals could only be matched, let alone surpassed, by that of the humans. Finally, all of the unfortunate people who lost themselves for the sake of their own hearts wouldn't have died in vain. All of the poor children close to that edge had something to look forward to.

"Come on, Emily, it's this way!" she called, leading her companion by the hand. "I promise you'll love it!"

Mother Nature chuckled, following the winged girl as quickly as she could. "This is the most excited I've seen you in the past few centuries. Have you met another holiday spirit?"

Bridget shrugged. "Not exactly. But I think you'll especially love it. It can't be much further now."

They stopped when they reached a crowd of people down the road.

Marching through the street was a parade of celebration. Flags of many bright color combinations littered the area. Some were blue, purple and pink. Some were pastel pink and blue and white. But a great many of the flags and all-encompassing banners -- and there were so, so many of them -- were all the colors of the rainbow.

"Bridget, my dear… what on Earth is this?"

Before her eyes, the rainbow painted itself over Bridget's otherwise black cloak. Strips of each color encircled her long cloak in luminous, vibrant hues. Shades of deep bright pink and fiery red orange sought out her shoulder cape, imitating one of the proudly-waving flags in the parade with black between each stripe. Emily soon learned exactly what it meant, as many couples in the parade embraced one another without fear or shame.

"It's a celebration of people like us," the redhead explained, no less than sheer jubilee on her face. "You once showed me how many animals are able to love in the same way we do. And according to the older gods, mortals who were the same way never had such a chance to be themselves since before the Dark Ages. Now that they have that chance again… isn't it beautiful?"

Emily did remember showing her all that. From birds of all kinds to various cats and other mammals to even insects and fish, and a whole lot more. The colors around her and the light in Bridget's eyes and all over her cloak… it truly was a sight to behold.

"It's wonderful," she replied simply. "Absolutely gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it."

They joined the parade like it was the most natural thing in the world. Following families and children greeted the two, as did many more immortals who began to appear. The children were laughing and dancing together with the other immortals, sporting their own flags.

"Lovely day for a parade, ladies," greeted a man in a multicolored tribal outfit framed with various flowers. "I'm certain I saw someone handing out Sapphic flags. Just watch for the usual, ahem… intruders."

"Thanks so much, Xochipilli," Bridget thanked the stranger. "I'm sure Emily would love that."

He smiled. "Never thought I'd see the day that the infamous Mother Nature would appear here. I'll tell the others; all of your Loa friends are bound to be nearby, and they'll love hearing about this."

Emily was confused by the names. "Who was he talking about?"

"My Voodoo-related associates," Bridget explained. "Many of them like both men and women, so they'll almost definitely be sporting pink-purple-and-blue flags like those over there. Though it takes a trained eye to know who’s who with the outfits they wear.

“Xochipilli is Aztec, and one of the few gods in that group with a decent amount of common sense. Back in his hayday, he was the god of games, the arts, and flowers, as well as the patron of people like a lot of the mortals here. Really nice guy, but I wish I could say the same about some of his friends.”

Emily chuckled. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Are there others like the ones you mentioned?”

The redhead nodded. “Lots of others, all over the world. They’re all probably having a blast at parades on their home turf just like this one. Oh look, there’s the flag Xochi was talking about!”

The flag in question was actually quite darling. It had two pastel pink stripes around one that was white, with a pretty little violet directly in the center. The person beside the girl handing such flags out was handing out flowers of all kinds.

Bridget went for the flower person, taking a violet before flying up to plant it above Emily’s ear, adding on a kiss on the cheek.

The swell of warmth in her chest from the gesture caused the violet to spread into a crown on her head.

The Grim Reaper giggled. “Now it looks even prettier. It suits you!”

Emily sighed at her reaction, but eventually couldn’t help a smile. At least until she noticed the white-robed and white-winged people hovering above a different crowd. They glared at the celebration as they stood guard over the yelling people holding some… rather rude signs.

Her beloved noticed her expression. “What’s wrong?” Bridget followed her gaze, lifting off the ground a little for a better view.

Angels. And a whole lot of their own downline.

“Oh, for the love of vultures…” she muttered under her breath as she pulled her scythe out of her shadow. “Ignore them, Em. They should know by now that they can’t do much of anything without getting people upset.”

“Is that… normal of them?” asked the dark-haired woman.

“Very,” the redhead replied with a sigh, leading Emily away from the protestors. “Their minions love to say that living the way we do isn’t natural and that it’s corrupting their children. All because they like to listen to the one who commands those angels. We just call them the usual intruders. I think I’ve already told you how troublesome they are to my fellow death spirits.”

“Ah, yes. Of course.” She noticed how the blade of Bridget’s scythe shined with iridescent colors. “Hm, even your weapon appears to have gotten into the spirit of the celebration.”

“There’s a reason for that, actually.” With a snap of her fingers, Bridget unveiled a slew of visiting wandering souls in the broad daylight. So many of them floated around in groups, like the other immortals in the parade had called them here. Many bore dark scars that only occurred among souls who sought their own destruction in life. “These are all of the people in just this area who lived the same way as all of these mortals, in worlds that didn’t allow them, or hearts that no longer wanted to beat.”

Emily gazed upon each spirit, seeing the joy and peace on each and every spectral face in the procession. “This is far more than the joy of the living... it’s also a comfort for the dead.”

Bridget could see the angels daringly lean towards the ghosts from above their followers, and firmly tapped her scythe against the ground. All of the ghosts turned their attention to the Reaper, and to those she glared at. The protesters faltered, as if perhaps they had seen her standing there. Either way, they knew better than to test an emissary of death with her albeit passive army, so she’d count that much as a win. So did the ghosts, who peacefully returned to their own mingling.

Fingers found their way into soft, owlish feathers. “Where did you learn that trick?”

Bridget’s smile returned with a chuckle. “The Valkyries have shown me how they command their soldiers a few times. Angels are a pretty popular overarching reason as to why the ghosts around here have perished. It's just a matter of setting off the alarm. They know better than to trust what killed them."

A couple of the children seemed more than a bit intimidated by the parade's protesters, regardless of their dropping momentum. "Come with me, Em. Forget the angels and their little friends. This is a time for celebration."

Mother Nature was quite willing to comply, her leaf-bearing winds gently guiding the children away from the scary people like large, caring hands. As they went on with the parade, the two eventually grew more cheerful again. More immortals dropped by to meet them, such as Nibo, one of the Loas Bridget mentioned earlier; Oua Oua, a higher-ranking Loa who led the children, also said hello. Several "Voodoo" figures made appearances, really, and all of them offered nothing but coos and congratulations.

It certainly made it a far more lively experience than Burning Man, where they usually wandered about largely unseen. But oddly enough, it wasn't quite unpleasant. Emily enjoyed meeting so many wonderful divine friends. Seeing Bridget's multicolored stripes grow brighter, and her hair shining in the sun like fire, against eyes so pale silver in the daylight they almost looked pure white, was a simply mesmerizing experience.

Near the end of the parade, Emily had discovered a work of art made entirely from flowers; an entire wall of words shaped with roses of every color. Red, orange, yellow, green, even blue and purple. She used her power to grow out a bouquet of separate lavender roses, with a little help from Xochipilli. After which she gently wove each flower into Bridget's lovely wings and hair, pale and beautiful against her bright red locks and dark gold feathers. Bridget was delighted at the gift; something she knew Emily would most certainly do.

"Now you look even prettier,” she said warmly, parroting the reaper's words. “It suits you.”

The look she got in response was so full of affection… Emily could feel it taking something else from her chest aside from her breath. Bridget floated to her eye level, cupping the taller spirit's face between her hands.

"I think you deserve a thank-you for it."

With that, she leaned in for a kiss.

Emily’s heart filled with a familiar, welcoming fire at the soft and warm touch of Bridget’s lips, yet entirely new and exciting. A wild and joyful tune, yet sung in the tone of a lullaby. Miniature earthquakes rattled through her body, and she felt like she was floating. Her hands started flexing and lifting up on instinct, until they dug into the soft down between the reaper’s shoulders, pulling her closer. The flower-decorated wings swung low, the ends of the joints resting on her sides.

A moment meant to last forever.

“Ah, young love. Truly a beautiful thing.”

“It’s like something straight out of those romantic fairy tales.”

The two voices startled the two from their reverie. Bridget sank to the ground with a face as red as her hair; given the fiery heat that went from her heart to her face, Emily probably wasn’t much better.

“Lundy! Limba! You ruined the moment!” scolded Èrzulie Dantòr, batting the two men away with dark-skinned hands. “Out, out, and away, boys, before you ruin their mood any more! Shoo!”

Bridget giggled at the sight of the Loas. “I take it you enjoyed that, Emily?”

Mother Nature cleared her throat, smiling down at her sheepishly. “I suppose I did. Though I… can’t say I expected to… Will there be other parades like this in the future?”

“Of course!” She took her hand as they prepared to return to the realm they shared. “It’s an entire month out of every year that celebrations just like this will occur. Why? Do you want to go to another one?”

Emily chuckled, mustering the courage to kiss the top of her head. “Perhaps…”

To see such colors like those still lingering on the Grim Reaper’s cloak… To feel such childlike glee she hadn’t experienced in millennia… Mother Nature could hardly wait for the next adventure outside of her fog.

[queenjanai]

i got stuck after writing 4k of my fic where amaya, janai and her brother purify the sunforge together, and amaya and janai kiss for the first time there, and i haven’t published something for a while now so i decided to give you guys the first 3k words! i really hope you’ll like it, and i’ll really appreciate feedback or comments, it’s the first time i’m writing a really long one shot. enjoy!

Six weeks. Six weeks of darkness. Not complete darkness, thank the Sun, which still rose and fell each morning and each night. Still, the Sunforge was a constant reminder at the center of Lux Aurea, swirling with the hue of corruption, keeping the citizens sheltered inside their homes during the hours of light. 

Janai had a perfect view of her downfall from her chambers. Every evening, she sat at the center of her empty bed, gazing at the spot that used to shine during the darkest of nights, drifting children to sleep as their parents told them ancient stories and sang lullabies. Janai watched, clad in nothing but her nightgown, her armor hanged in her closet and her headpiece resting on top of her nightstand.

She refused every one of her advisors. She would not be crowned until the Sunforge was purified. She would not wear Khessa's crown, or move to her sleeping quarters. She had forbidden them all to call her Your Radiance. With a broken city and a throne she denied to sit upon, Janai regretted not listening more carefully during Khessa's meetings. Suddenly she was swarmed with paperwork and citizens requests and holding audiences and calculation of expenses. All of the things Kheesa knew how to handle by heart, while she was left wishing she could cut all of these problems with one swing of her sword.

Needless to say, she didn't get much sleep. Most of the nights, Janai stared at the canopy of her grand bed, wondering when the messages she had sent would arrive to the hands of Sunfire Mages, or pondering why the spells they had tried so far failed to work. Not pure enough, not the right time. Something was holding them back, and only the Sun knew what it was. She thought about her brother too, and her stomach clenched with guilt as the picture of him flooded her mind. She hadn't told him about the Sunforge yet. She hadn't told him about Khessa.

One night, after she dragged herself from her office once the candles began to die out, Janai came to the conclusion that maybe she was the problem. She threw the blanket away from herself, after hours of tossing back and forth, and stepped on the floor, her feet bare, to retrieve her sword. Torches flickered on the empty hallway, the castle so silent in this hour at night. Her destination was the balcony, the one closest to her room as well as the biggest. The coldness of the polished floor struck her in waves, but Janai didn't shiver. Instead, she continued her path forward, walking in isles she knew since the day she was born, and only stopped in front of one room. Not that far away from hers, but not on the outskirts of the castle either. A perfect place for her most cherished guest. Warmness spread across her cheeks at the sight of the closed door, much like any other door in the palace. Her hand clenched and loosened around the hilt of her sword, sparks flying at the tips of her fingers, but she turned away. She wouldn't wake Amaya to spar with her.

Amaya's first visit had been a surprise, despite the letter she had written her. Janai had sat in the room adjoined to her sleeping chamber, morning sunlight washing over her as she finished her cup of tea. It had been less than a week since the battle of the Storm Spire. She held the scroll with both of her hands, shifting it so the light would catch on the crimson wax seal, baring the uneven towers of Katolis. 

Golden Knight,

I am happy to announce that King Ezran's party has arrived safely back to Katolis. Thank you for escorting us to the border to avoid any further conflicts. We have taken the misformed soldiers and are working for a solution regarding their state. 

I've pulled most of my battalion from the Breach, as we agreed. A platoon awaits at the outpost and the new path into Xadia, to prevent infiltration from both sides. I've ordered my soldiers to interact with yours peacefully.

On a more personal note, if I may, I am sorry for the loss of your sister. The injustice Lord Viren had caused will not be left uncorrected, especially not after your aid and sacrifice. I would like to come to Lux Aurea and help - as a friend and not as a prisoner. I hope you are well.

I will be waiting for your response.

Warm regards,

General Amaya of the Standing Battalion.

Janai could not believe her eyes. Amaya certainly had her way with words. Prisoner had her smiling, and warm regards caused her to roll her eyes, despite her gloomy mood. She left her rooms feeling more cheerful than before, and Amaya's words echoed in her mind as she waited for a small window of time to write her back.

Amaya's second visit had been a miracle, as if Janai had been holding her breath until her arrival. She had waited for her at Lux Aurea's gates, along with two guards. Amaya was dressed in her usual General armor, silver and blue, with her shield at her back. Janai was so happy to see a familiar face.

Her third visit amazed her, and every time she arrived after. At first, she stayed only for half a day, rushing back to Katolis before the sun would set, but after the fifth visit or so Amaya stayed for the night, then the other. She had been in Janai's mind as she walked from one meeting to another, consulting with her advisors and asking for reports. She imagined Amaya didn't have much to do as Janai read papers and signed with her ink and quill. She came to her door each evening once her duties were done, and they shared a small supper or walked through the streets of Lux Aurea, but never too far from the castle. Janai didn't admit it out loud, though she was sure Amaya could spot it on her face, but she was wary of the city, and so were her soldiers, she told her in the first letter. Only a lucky portion of them won the prize of staying in the Breach instead of having to face the corrupted Sunforge. They paced through the courtyard between high trees and colorful bushes of flowers, and talked, and Janai's smile grew bigger with each step, and each sign she remembered correctly. Amaya would teach her between what spaces of the day she had, and even if she was mistaken it was even more pleasant when Amaya reached to correct the position of her fingers.

In her seventh visit, Amaya came riding her horse with a treasure Janai had almost forgotten about. The Sun staff. If Janai hadn't been so shocked she would have laughed at the irony. Six Primal Sources, the seventh one the humans discovered being dark magic, and Amaya came marching in holding the second thing that was stolen from Janai, not just her sister's life. The void of the Sun staff stood in contrast to every living thing, a dark spot among the bright light and shades of gold. Janai kept her eyes on Amaya as she dismounted, and Amaya gave her what was hers by right, wordlessly. Janai didn't ask. She locked the staff in her farthest closet, as if it was a caged animal. Every time she could sneak to her room, she'd open the wooden doors to find it still there. That day Amaya had introduced her to a pastry called jelly tarts, which the royal family of Katolis was very fond of. Janai took the little triangle-shaped cookie in her hand, the dough well baked and glazed at the corners, and the center was filled with a paste of poppy seeds. Amaya gazed at her with her best of behavior, which almost made Janai giggle, sitting with her hands held at her lap, waiting for Janai to be the first to eat. Janai bit at one of the corners, fearing to insult Amaya if the pastry wasn't to her taste, but trusting her judgment. It was delicious, she found out, and by the end of their talk they had finished a box that was meant for a week, well after Amaya would return to Katolis.

Janai woke up to the wind gently blowing on the lace curtains of her bed. The one at her feet tickled her whenever the breeze waned, and Janai pushed herself up to see the sunrise. Long strokes of yellow and soft pink brought Lux Aurea out of its sleep, coloring her room. She rubbed her sleep soaked eyes and moved the curtain aside, bracing herself for another day. Her hands were sore from the time she spent on the balcony last night- that wasn't so enjoyable. It did nothing to distract her, and fighting against an invisible enemy didn't sharpen her at the slightest. 

While she broke her fast with a first cup of herbal tea and a squeeze of lemon, Janai reached out to take one of the jelly tarts Amaya had brought. This time, they promised to ration themselves, and Janai had convinced Amaya to share the recipe with the cookers of the castle, if only as an excuse in case Amaya would forget to bring her own supply. The real reason was that Janai wanted to eat the cookies Amaya introduced her too even when she wasn't around, and to vary them with some of her liked flavors. Janai tilted her head back against the cushioned chair and savored the sweet flavor of the strawberry jam, taking in the serenity before her duties would catch up with her.

The morning council seemed to become duller with each passing day. Every morning she'd take her seat at the head of the table, and gaze at the faces of her advisors, tired of telling the same tales, and Janai knew they were tired of her stubbornness as well. 

"The final spells are being cast on the perimeter of Lux Aurea, as well as the main gate," one of her advisors said. She recognized him as Suri's deputy, though he was much younger than their late, royal Sunfire Mage. It was him she told, in a moment of frustration, to pick the less greedy Mage who would do their damn job.

All of her peacefulness left her body as soon as she arrived at the council hall. "How long will it take them? They've been casting spells for weeks now." It was the first sane decision Janai had commanded to be done. The citizens must have been getting weary of seeing Mages drawing protection runes so near their houses every day.

"Today is expected to be the last day," he said.

Janai settled in her chair. Her eyes burned from the lack of sleep, and there was nothing she desired more than to dismember this meeting and return to her chambers, to be alone. But no, not as long as the Sun still shined. 

"Golden Knight," spoke one of the ladies. She was only a few years younger than Janai, but smaller, with flowing brown hair and kind eyes. "I went to the city yesterday, and the citizens are worried because of the lack of reports."

There wasn't a lack of reports. Janai knew that an informer went from the castle into the center of the city, each day, to give status about the working being done and answer the people's requests. There was just nothing new to say. They might as well shout "Nothing is working yet."

"Tell them we're still searching for a solution. All of those with problems or needs are welcome to attend the weekly audience." It took all of her strength to keep her posture uptight. The lady nodded.

"Golden Knight, about the coronation-"

"No, I will not have it," Janai cut another one of them and stood up. All faces were drawn to her, frozen. "If there are no more pressing matters, you are dismissed."

All bowed to her, and Janai pushed herself from the seat in one swift move and passed her advisors by, the heels of her boots clicking against the polished floor. She had not changer her clothing, and still wore the same slit tunic with golden scales and pauldrons protecting her shoulders. A part of her longed to come back to the Breach, to sleep again among rivers of lava and smoke, on a hard ground instead of her room full of finery. 

Speaking of the Breach, she was headed to bid Amaya a good morning. A smile rose on her face without knowing as she walked by guards and maids and staff of the castle, all who crossed their arms together and greeted her, their smile more uncertain than hers. She couldn't blame them, a smile was a rare sight in Lux Aurea these days.

She arrived at Amaya's chamber, and raised her finger to the unlit torch beside the door. Fire engulfed her finger as her heat being seeped into her skin there, igniting her veins. The heat was enough, and within a second a small fire set the torch alight, as well as the torch inside the room. It was a little trick that was as old as the palace itself, and happened to serve Amaya just right.

The door opened, and with it came Amaya. "Good morning," she brought her hand down from her chin and laid the other as a horizontal line before bringing her left hand towards herself again. 

"Good morning," Amaya signed back, with a smile that indicated she woke up a short time ago. Janai followed her as Amaya stepped further into the room, her eyes drifting to her blue tunic with the uneven tower of Katolis sewn on the sleeves, and her black leather breeches. Two weeks ago Amaya had opened the door to her still dressed in her sleeping clothes, a set of soft pants and a tank top. The memory of Amaya's bare arms and the fading scars that decorated them hadn't left Janai yet. Amaya took a seat in one of the armchairs. "How was your morning meeting?"

Janai delayed on her hands, remembering the words for each sign. Perhaps to someone else, Amaya's slow movements would have been insulting, but Janai was grateful for her patience, and Amaya seemed to know exactly where to pick up her pace, with words Janai was already familiar with. "The same," she shrugged. "Did the scroll you received yesterday had good news?"

The corner of Amaya's lips tugged with a smile. "Just Opeli begging me to come back before Ezran brings the kingdom into dept with jelly tarts expenses," she made the letter O and pulled her hands over her head, as if donning a hood, for the name of their High Council Cleric.

Janai laughed, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, though her worries never strayed too far. There was still so much left to do, and the coronation... 

Amaya brought her back, but not to a kinder reality. "What about your brother?" She asked. Janai felt the color fading from her cheeks, then she reddened. "You've been avoiding him." She peeked just to see Amaya, her signs more careful than ever. 

"I-" Her voice trembled under Amaya's gaze. She took a deep breath, and straightened herself in the chair. "I don't know what to tell him. It has been too long." And it has. Once she had returned with the remains of Lux Aurea's forces from the Storm Spire, Janai marched to her room, dropped on her bed, buried her face in her hands, and stared at the floor. Ori hasn't left her thoughts since, every time she wrote with her ink and quill. Whenever she tried, she couldn't find the words to tell her brother Khessa was gone, and that their greatest pride had been corrupted. Every unfinished parchment was left crumbled on her desk.

"If there is no other way..." Amaya began, leaning over, the sunlight catching over her.

"I know," Janai cut her off. "I'll send him a message today."

Amaya nodded, a gentle and hopeful smile on her face, which Janai mirrored. She couldn't ignore the faint voice in her mind being so grateful that Amaya was there, as strong as an anchor. Janai knew she had grieved herself, for her sister, then for her brother-in-law. Janai refused to let it consume her, as difficult as it was. Not when her people needed guidance the most, not when Amaya was there.

Her brother deserved the truth too. Janai walked back to her office, and allowed every emotion to flood her, guilt and selfishness alike. She missed Ori more than she imagined, her little brother, so different from her and Khessa, with his kind eyes and everlasting grin. Hatred and suspicion had made Khessa hard, for Janai it was countless battles and pride, but Ori was left untouched. Their mother used to say that Ori was the most light-touched of them all.

She sat behind the desk, dark and made out of strong wood. Light washed the room, illuminating little practicals that floated through the air. Janai took a deep breath, the blank scroll laid before her, and dipped the quill in the vail of ink. 

Janai leaned back on her chair then, feeling as if a weight has been lifted from within her chest, and watched the ink dry. Her fingers traced the surface of the desk, thinking how much quicker she finished than expected. Searching for any missing words she might want to add, Janai's eyes drifted on the black against the soft yellow color of the page, but no. She pushed herself up and rolled the scroll, then sealed it with a patch of golden wax, the symbol of Lux Aurea pressed into it.

The message needed to get to her brother as soon as possible, fast than what an enchanted arrow could achieve. Janai reached and slid a drawer open, revealing a small red gem inside. Its facets glimmered in the light of the sun, and Janai closed her fist around it.

"Nuntius Ignis." Her words brought magic into life as the gemstone crushed under the force. She wasn't proficient in spells, but remembered some from lessons she took with Ori when they were younger. Khessa was excused from those lessons, while Janai half-listened to their tutor, wishing to practice with her sword, and Ori copied each word into his notebook with dripping enthusiasm. Shards of the gem dropped from her hand on top of the scroll, and ignited when they touched the paper. Soon enough, the entire scroll caught fire, the edges of the page turning black and crumbling. The fire went out, and her letter disappeared, leaving no trace but the faint smell of smoke in the room.

Janai got to her feet, let out a long-held breath, and went to continue her day.

[kpopfanficsforthesoul]

Choices- Yeri (Red Velvet) and Nayeon (Twice:) Part Two

PART ONE

Prompt: A newly turned wolf, you find your way into a supportive pack. Still learning the ropes, the alpha and beta’s daughters decide to befriend you. However, things get a little tricky when they both fall in love with you. How will it end? Only you can make the choice...

Genre: Romance/Drama, Werewolf!AU

Pairing: Yeri x Reader, Nayeon x Reader

Author’s Note: THE WAIT IS OVER! I’m so sorry this has taken me like eleven years to write... this is honestly such a good prompt and I love being creative with it! I hope you guys like this continuation!

One thing you didn’t know the beauty of before you became a wolf was the invigorating feeling of falling asleep staring at the infinite and majestic galaxy of shining stars in the night sky. 

You woke up in a daze, the dark purple hues replaced with a light blue as the sun blinded your eyes. You squinted as you sat up, glancing over as you felt a pair of arms around your waist. A small smile crept its way onto your face as you glanced beside you to see Nayeon sleeping soundly, cuddled up closely to you. One thing you didn’t know before you got here was how cuddly wolves were. 

“Nana, wake up.” you teased, ruffling her dark black locks. She slowly opened her eyes, smiling at the nickname you had given her. 

“Did we fall asleep on the roof?” she giggled, sitting up. 

“I believe so.” you replied, rubbing your eyes. “Thanks for talking with me.”

You and Nayeon had a deep and meaningful talk the prior night. You were sleepless for days after you had found out that Yeri was your mate, and she found you staring at the sky on the roof of her house. 

You were a wreck, not being able to understand why the wolf inside you had chosen her. Not that Yeri was a bad option by any means. You were certainly captivated by her beauty, and enchanted by her maturity which demanded respect. 

“Oh god, what time is it?” Nayeon exclaimed, frantically looking around for her phone. 

“It’s 8:45...” you told her, looking down at your own phone. 

“Oh my gosh!” Nayeon shouted, frantically standing up and jumping back through the window to her bedroom. 

“Wait, what’s wrong?” you asked, slowing crawling though the same entrance. 

“The pack starts running in fifteen minutes!” she exclaimed, pulling her dark curls up into a ponytail. “Get downstairs right now and eat all the healthy foods you can. I’m sorry, I was planning on making you a nutritious breakfast for your first run with the pack... gosh I’m such an idiot...” she cursed, frantically running around her room. 

You decided to obey, not wanting to know what Nayeon was like when she was in a rush. You walked down the steps to the quaint little kitchen, grabbing some granola bars and peaches to eat. After sitting at the table for a little while, your friend’s feet came pounding down the staircase. She ran over to you, a hairbrush in her hand and several bobby pins between her teeth. 

“What are you doing?” you asked as she yanked at your hair with the brush. 

“Alpha Kim will introduce you to the pack today, you need to look decent!” she told you, brushing though several knots at once. “You’ll have to transform into your wolf for the first time and if you want your coat to look nice you’ll have to keep your human hair in check...” Once she finished grooming you, she came back around and took your half eaten granola bar away from you, taking a bite. “Go brush your teeth, your fangs should look nice and clean.”

You simply smiled and did as you were told, knowing her assertiveness was a sign of her care for you. You were very grateful to Nayeon for everything. For saving your life, for taking you in, and most of all for being your best friend. You didn’t know why, but she cared about you so much more than anyone else you had ever met. How could someone who barely knew you be this kind? Maybe she was just that selfless. 

“Y/N come on! We can’t possibly be late!” Nayeon demanded, waiting for you to follow her out the front door.

“Stop... stop!” you pleaded, deeply panting as you slowly trotted over to a lone tree stump off the running trail. You were well behind the rest of the pack, not being able to keep up with their superhuman speed yet.

Nayeon slowed down, her dark eyes meeting yours as she turned around to come over to you. “I’m coming!” the fluffy white wolf declared as she trotted over to you. 

Your own wolf had a thick black coat, which you had discovered after transforming with the pack. However you still had your glowing green eyes, which you received after meeting Yeri, your soulmate. 

“I’m sorry Nana...” you huffed, catching your breath. 

“It’s alright Y/N...” she told you, putting her white paw over yours. “But... since my mom isn’t here I’m expected to run with the pack to represent the Beta family.”

“You should go then...” you sighed, staring at the grass below you. 

“I’m not leaving you here!” Nayeon insisted, looking into your eyes. 

“Run along, Nayeon.” a calm and soothing voice demanded. You both turned around to see a blonde wolf with shimmering emerald green eyes. “I’ll walk with her.” 

“Yeri...” Nayeon replied, looking at her with serious eyes. “Are you sure? Won’t your father be disappointed?” You gulped at realization of who this wolf was. 

Yeri smirked, letting out a short chuckle before she began walking closer to the both of you. “Disappointed that I took the initiative to help our newest recuit? I don’t think that’s an issue. Besides, my four older sisters are there to represent us. You’re the only one who can represent your family. You need to run with them. Our pack is incomplete without a Beta member.” You and Yeri locked eyes for a short moment after she spoke. 

“Thank you Yeri... I appreciate it.” Nayeon told her, looking into your eyes for a moment before trotting off. 

The blonde wolf took her place in front of you, a small smile forming on her face. “You good?” she asked you with a smirk. 

“Yeah, I’m fine...” you smiled, the pungent fumes of fresh roses choking your senses as she stepped closer to you. Yeri’s scent was intoxicating. With every second it convinced you she was your true soulmate, the loveliness clouding your judgement. “Thank you for coming for me.”

“No problem!” she chimed with a glimmer in her eye. “Wolves have very different endurances than humans. It’s often difficult for new recruits to adjust to it. Let’s just start jogging for a little bit, then we’ll kick up the speed.”

“What happens if we can’t catch up with the rest of the pack!” you asked, black fur flying back in the wind as you followed her. 

“They’ll wait for us.” Yeri explained, eyes locked on the trail ahead of her. “Packs are built off of loyalty. No wolf ever gets left behind.”

“That’s a relief... sorry I’m so slow...” you sighed. 

“Don’t worry about it!” Yeri chuckled, running a tiny bit faster. You pumped your legs faster to keep up. “You’re going to get stronger each day, Y/N. I can see the strength and determination inside you.” 

There was an odd comfort in conversing with Yeri. It felt really good to hear her think so well of you. However you couldn’t ignore the fact that you both seemed to be avoiding the subject that had kept you up all night... that your wolves were pursing each other as mates. Regardless of the conflict inside you, you didn’t want to bring it up is she wasn’t going to. You two ran on for a good amount of time, picking up the speed slowly. 

“Ah...” you gasped suddenly, feeling your chest tighten. Your legs instantly slowed down, your chest going in and out rapidly as your breath grew obnoxiously heavy. 

“What’s wrong?” Yeri asked, looking over at you with concerned eyes. 

“I just... need another break...” you pleaded.

“Okay, let’s go over by this tree...” she suggested, leading you off the trail. 

You both stood in silence as you caught your breath, nothing but the sound of your panting filling the atmosphere between you. 

“What am I doing...” you muttered, staring at the pavement. 

“What do you mean?” Yeri asked, looking up at you. “We just ran for a pretty good distance, you should be proud of yourself!”

“No Yeri, I mean...” you began, gritting your teeth in frustration with yourself. “What am I doing here? I left my whole life behind to join this pack who’s shown me so much kindness... and I can’t even keep up with them!”

“Y/N...” she began, stepping closer to you. “Y/N, look at me.” Your bright green eyes locked in on each other as she continued. “You belong with us. You are not a burden! Now you are going to stay strong and finish this run because I know you can!”

A sudden determination filled your spirit which seemed to spill from the enchanting green tint of Yeri’s eyes which matched yours. Something about her trusting in you gave you so much strength as you darted off down the trail. The feeling of the wind through your fur as she ran beside you felt so invigorating and fufilling. For a good minute, it was just you two, side by side as the sun glimmered off your coats through the leaves of the tall woodland trees that towered above you. You both shared the same fresh morning air, footsteps and heartbeats matching each others as you ran on. Your instincts began to kick in as you felt yourself meeting a low level of that inhuman speed that came along with being a wolf, and you didn’t grow tired until you noticed Yeri slowing down.

“What’s up?” you asked, trotting backwards to meet her. “Why are we slowing down?”

“Because you reached the end of the trail!” she cheered, holding her arms out and as you both emerged from the forest, gesturing to the crowd of people in front of you. You realized that it was the pack in their human forms, erupting into applause and cheers with the alpha family in the center. You smiled at Yeri, the two of you transforming back into human form before walking up to everyone. 

“You did it Y/N!” Nayeon cheered, running up to you and engulfing you in a hug. 

“Congratulations Y/N, you’ve completed your first run with our pack.” Alpha Kim congratulated with a sincere and calm smile. “May you have many more with us.”

“Thank you Alpha...” you said, bowing your head slightly before him. 

“Hey Y/N...” Yeri began, unintentionally pulling you away from Nayeon. “I want to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?” you asked, following her away from the crowd as everyone began to walk back to their homes. 

“I really enjoyed running with you today...” she began, brushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear as she gave you a small smile. “Do you want me to, I mean... would you like me to train you?”

“I’m sorry?” you asked furrowing your brows. “Train me in what?”

“I mean, wolf training.” she continued. “I could teach you how to use your wolf strength and speed to its fullest, and adjust your endurance. I could also teach you about wolf customs, and what it means to be in the pack.”

“Wow, that’s really kind of you!” you exclaimed. “I would like that a lot! But... why would you want to do that for me?”

“Well it’s a win win! You get to learn about the pack and... I get to get to know you better.” she told you with a small smile. 

“Okay... when do we start?” you asked, a tiny blush forming on your cheeks.

“Tomorrow. My place. Noon.” she nodded, stepping a bit closer to you. She gave you a quick hug, stopping for a bit after she pulled away. “Do you smell vanilla?” she asked, wafting at the air before linking arms with her sister Joy and walking away. 

As soon as she had gone, Nayeon instantly grabbed your hand, giving you a warm smile before leading you back to her house.

You breathed a sigh of relief as you entered the air conditioned alpha house. It was an unusually hot and humid fall morning when you and Yeri had went out for a run together. After running a decent distance, she invited you to the house to cool off before your history lessons began. 

“I’m proud of you, I’ll get you some water.” she smiled, patting your shoulder as she walked past you to the fridge. You couldn’t ignore how healthy and toned her physique was. Her strong arms and soft abs were very visible, as she was wearing only a lime green sports bra and black yoga pants. Her long blonde hair was tied up off her neck in a cute top bun. 

You were brought back to reality as she tossed a water bottle at your face. Suddenly, you heard a loud commotion as Yeri’s older sisters came in from outside. Usually the five ran together every morning, but Yeri had diverted to run with you, allowing the rest of the girls to run some pack errands. 

“Hey Y/N!” Irene smiled as she waved to you. 

You waved back, standing quietly by the fridge. 

“So how did your run go?” Seulgi asked Yeri, hopping up on the counter and taking a bite of an apple. 

“It was great, Y/N’s getting faster and stronger by the minute!” she told her, giving you a warm smile as she said so. You tried to ignore the blush creeping up your cheeks. 

Wendy walked up to her youngest sister, taking her hair tie out and ruffling her blonde waves. “Y/N couldn’t have asked for a better teacher than our little green eyed maknae!

As Yeri swatted her sister away, you gulped as you almost choked on the water you were drinking. So Yeri’s eyes were green before you become soulmates? Maybe that’s why she wasn’t bringing up the fact. 

“You alright Y/N?” she asked, looking over at you concerned. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just swallowed too soon...” you responded, coughing in between your words. 

“Yah, since you did so well today, you two deserve a treat.” Joy suddenly said, plopping a large cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and red sprinkles in a glass container down on the counter. You and Yeri both scrambled over to it, gasping at the sugary goodness. 

“Ooo, what kind is it?” you asked, taking the lid off. 

“It’s Red Velvet.” Joy responded. “It’s our favorite. Mrs. Peterson gave it to us as a thank you for helping her with yard work.”

“You two go ahead and eat all of it, I can’t eat anymore cake!” Irene whined, walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch. “We get so many each day!”

“We’re the alpha daughters!” Yeri exclaimed, cutting out a piece for you. “This is supposed to be a perk. 

“Well you two can eat it while you’re teaching Y/N about wolf stuff.” Seulgi retorted, flicking Yeri on the forehead before jumping off the counter. Wendy and Joy followed her into the living room to watch cartoons with Irene. 

Yeri rolled her eyes before picking up the cake. “Sometimes I question if I really am the youngest one of these girls.” She looked at you before leading you up the stairs to her bedroom.

“Your bedroom is so nice!” you told her before sitting down on her large canopy bed with the softest silk sheets you had ever seen. 

“Awh, thanks!” she said, sitting down next to you with a couple books in her hands. “Shall we get-” she stopped midsentence, leaning closer to you suddenly. She took took a deep whiff of the hair by your neck. “Hey, what perfume do you use? It smells amazing!”

“I’m not wearing any perfume...” you laughed, leaning back on your arms. 

“Oh... how do you always smell so good? You have such a strong smell of warm vanilla... it’s intoxicating to me.” she giggled, flipping open the pages of her book. “Let’s start with origins of the werewolf...”

You bit the nail of your thumb, feeling anxious at the mention of your scent. Nayeon said that was one of the signals of soulmates. “Wait, Yeri...” you interrupted, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Can I ask you something first?”

“Sure, what’s up?” she asked in response, setting the book down on her lap. 

“Why... did you want to start training me?” 

“Well you’re the omega and I wanted to help you...” 

“Yes, but I know omegas come in all the time. What makes me so special that you came for me in the woods on my first run?”

Yeri stopped, looking at the ground for a moment as she twirled her thumbs together. “Do you want me to be honest with you Y/N?” 

“More than anything.” you told her, looking into her shimmering green eyes. 

“When I was running at the front of the pack with my sisters, it was like... this is going to sound insane...” she put her head in her hands before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking over at you, “it was like I felt something calling out to me in the back of the woods. Like... like something was wrong. I could sense your distress for some reason... which is crazy because that usually signals that we’re...” she stopped, looking at the ground again. 

“That we’re what, Yeri?” you asked, putting your hand over hers and leaning in closer. She glanced over at you, squinting as she looked in your eyes. 

“Y/N, what eye color were you born with?” she asked suddenly. 

“Brown.” you responded briefly. Her eyes went wide as the realization hit her. 

“So when you came to the pack your eyes turned green... I smell strong vanilla whenever I’m around you... and there’s a deep connection between us...” she began putting the pieces together before looking at you. “Are we soulmates Y/N?”

You nodded slowly. Yeri gasped before throwing her arms around you in a tight hug. You hugged her back, holding her tight. 

“So like, what’s my scent?” she asked, pulling away and wiping her tears that threatened to spill a small tear. 

“You smell like fresh roses, misted by a newborn rain.” you told her, smiling. “It happened the second I locked eyes with you. Our wolves chose each other.”

Yeri smiled before giving you another hug. You didn’t know where this was going, but you wanted to cherish every second you had with her.  All you wanted to do was get closer to her. 

“Incorrect!” Yeri exclaimed, hopping off the log you were both sitting on and pointing at you with a big grin on her face. 

“What are you talking about?” you yelled back, kicking your feet in frustration. Yeri was quizzing you about wolf history in the woods. It had been about a week since you had both recognized that you were soulmates, and from then on you were with each other non stop. After all, your wolves were drawing you together. 

It was the early stages of winter, autumn disappearing in an instant. A fresh layer of snow lay of the ground and the cool air nipped at your cheeks and nose. 

“You got the question wrong! The first legends of werewolves originated from ancient Greece!” Yeri laughed, clapping her mitted hands together. “That means I win!”

“Ugh, come on Yeri!” you whined, throwing your head back in frustration. “Don’t make me do it!”

“I’m sorry Y/N, but you know what my prize is!” 

You groaned, hopping off the log and turning your back to her. You clenched your fists, waiting for the impact. And then, the snowball hit the back of your head, knocking you off balance. 

“Hey, that was too harsh!” you complained, facing her again.

“Oh yeah, what are you gonna do about it?” she teased, putting her hands on her hips. 

“You’ll find out Kim Yerim!” you threatened. You shrieked a war cry before running towards her. She yelled running away from you. You suddenly transformed into your wolf to run faster. Yeri saw this as you caught up to her, instantly letting her blonde wolf take her place on the snow covered trail. You felt the cold air pumping through your lungs, and suddenly you jumped on top of Yeri, thowing her to the ground as you both began to wrestle each other. Giggles escaped both your lips as you pinned her to the ground.

“Say uncle!” you demanded, pushing her face into the snow.

“No, never!” she retaliated, squinting at your impact.

Suddenly, you heard someone clear their throat from behind you. You both glanced behind your shoulders to see Nayeon standing on the trail, arms crossed with a scowl on her usually cheerful face. 

“Nayeon?” Yeri asked, pushing you off of her. “What are you doing here?”

“Is it a problem that I’m here?” Nayeon asked with a cold chuckle. “You two have been spending all week together...”

“What’s up Nana?” you asked her, transforming back into your human form. Yeri did the same as Nayeon softened at the mention of your nickname for her. 

Nayeon walked up to you, grabbing your wrist and pulling you closer to her. “Sorry Yeri, but I’m taking her back now. After all, she is staying at my house.”

“I see.” Yeri muttered, looking at the ground as she brushed a blonde curl behind her ear. “How’s your family?”

“My sisters are home but I have yet to hear from my mother. Please tell the alpha and luna that I said hello.” Nayeon responded curtly. She gave a cold glance to Yeri before walking off down the trail with you.

“Bye Yeri!” you said, waving behind your shoulder at her as you were pulled away. She gave a short wave, saying nothing before walking back to her house in the opposite direction. 

Nayeon held your hand as you both walked in silence to your house. 

“Nayeon...” you said suddenly, looking over at her. “What was that about?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, all the coldness in her melting away now that you were alone. She squeezed your hand and gave you a warm smile before walking on. “I haven’t seen my Y/N in days. And my sisters are home, so I want you to meet them!”

“Alright...” you nodded, walking on and deciding not to argue. The truth was, you did feel bad for not spending time with Nayeon in a while. You cared about her so much, and had not forgotten all she had done for you. 

After a short walk through the woods, you both arrived at the familiar two story house that belonged to Nayeon. To be honest, you didn’t even know that Nayeon had sisters, you just wondered why there were so many extra bedrooms upstairs. Maybe it was because you hadn’t been talking to her for the past week. You kicked yourself for neglecting the girl who had saved your life. 

“Girls!” Nayeon cheered, cupping her hands around her mouth as she walked in through the front door. She laced her fingers with yours, sending a warmth through your body as she led you to the kitchen. There stood eight beautiful girls, some tall and some short, some with dark hair and some with light hair. All their eyes landed on you as Nayeon let go of your hand and gestured to you. “Sisters, I’d like you to meet Y/N!”

“It’s so nice to finally meet you Y/N!” one with long brown curls and the brightest eyes you had ever seen cheered as she walked up to you. “I’m Jihyo. Nayeon may be the oldest, but I’m definitely the strongest in our family!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever Jihyo...” another one with blonde hair and bangs scoffed as she hopped off the counter to greet you. She looked at you with her large dark eyes. “I’m Momo, the most skilled member.”

“Skilled doesn’t make you smart!” the girl with short black hair sneered with a slight smirk, lightly hitting Momo on the shoulder. “Y/N, I’m Mina. Don’t hesitate to come to me when all the other girls become annoying.”

“We are not annoying!” one with curly light brown hair cried, reaching into the cookie jar. “I can’t help it I’m the cutest one!” She cupped her hands around her face with a cute smile.

“Oh, give it a rest Sana!” the tallest one teased, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m the jewel of us all. ‘Tzuyu, the gorgeous maknae...’“ she smiled, immitating a news anchor. 

“Oh my gosh, you and your big head...” another girl said, her arm wrapped around one girl’s waist, who gave an approving nod. “Chaeyoung and I work as a team. We know how to get things done for mom, unlike the rest of you who just sit in front of your vanities all day.”

“Hey Dahyun, you two wouldn’t get anything done without me, the charismatic one!” the last girl chuckled, who had short hair and a clear smile. 

“Jeongyeon, can we please get back to welcoming our new member?” Nayeon pleaded, gesturing to you again. You had remained silent throughout all of this, smiling at their playful sibling rivalry. 

“Oh, right...” Jihyo giggled, gesturing for the other seven girls to gather around you. “Welcome to the Beta family Y/N!”

“It’s an honor to meet all of you! I promise to contribute to all of the hard work we must accomplish.” you said, bowing to them with a slight smile. 

“I’m sorry my younger sisters turned your greeting into an ego game...” Nayeon scoffed, glaring at the eight girls around her. 

“So like, who’s she staying with? Do we finally get new roomates?” Sana exclaimed, looking up at Nayeon with a bright smile. 

“I call Chaeyoung!” Dahyun demanded, the two wrapping their arms around each other. 

“You can have her. I want someone who doesn’t snore. Mina?” Tzuyu asked, linking arms with her older sister. 

“No!” Nayeon exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “We’re all staying in the same rooms we’ve had since birth. Jeongyeon with Momo, Sana with Jihyo, Mina with Dahyun, and Chaeyoung with Tzuyu. And since I’ve always had my own room, Y/N will be staying with me.”

All the girls groaned and whined, stomping their feet and scowling. They then all dispersed, walking around the kitchen in different paths as they were before, You giggled at all of them. Each looked a bit different, but you could tell they had the greatest sisterly bond in the world. 

“So, why were the eight of you gone all at once?” you asked, leaning against the wall.

“Well, our mother is off on a mission right now. As Beta, it’s her job to negotiate with neighboring packs and as second in command, maintain order within the pack. She called us in for back up about two weeks ago, and Nayeon, being the oldest, volunteered to stay home with the pack to keep things in order.” Jihyo explained, examining the fridge. “Hey, I think we should make Y/N a Beta family welcoming dinner, what do you guys think?”

“That’s a great idea!” Momo cheered, hopping off the counter again. “Jihyo and I can make some noodles, while Sana and Mina make the salad...”

“Dahyun and I will make dessert!” Chaeyoung announced, walking over to the pantry.

“Tzuyu, you and I can make the side dishes!” Jeongyeon cheered, patting the maknae’s shoulder.

“And I will keep Y/N company while you all make dinner!” Nayeon cheered, leading you up the stairs to her bedroom. 

“Wake up sleepy head!” a million different voices shouted at you in different pitches. You grumbled, opening your eyes to see the bright and cheery faces of eight girls over you.

“Well this isn’t how I thought I’d wake up.” you giggled, rubbing your eyes before putting your hands behind your head. You stretched, yawning a little bit. The girls all laughed at your sleepy antics.

Sana put her hands on your shoulders, giving you a light shake. “Y/N, come on it’s time for breakfast!”

“Yeah Y/N, you need to build up your strength for the big run today!” Mina told you, brushing a hair away from your face.

“Big run?” you asked, sitting up a bit.”What do you mean?”

“I thought we told you last night?” Chaeyoung said, scratching her head before glancing to Dahyun, who shrugged lightly.

“Oh no love, all I remember from last night is you all shoving one hundred different kinds of delicious foods down my throat.” you replied cheekily, making all eight girls giggle.

“Y/N, the pack is running all the way to the Emerald Forest today!” Jihyo exclaimed, putting her hand on yours. “We only go every quarter of a year since it’s such a long run.”

“Yeah so you better come with us and eat!” Tzuyu told you. “You have to try the cinnamon rolls I made! They’re the best thing on the table!”

“No way maknae, my egg tarts are to die for!” Momo retorted, slapping her sister on the arm.

“I think we all know that my maple brown sugar oatmeal is the best. It’s filling, and sweet.” Jeongyeon said cheekily, causing the girls to go into a riot about who made the best breakfast dish. All eight were yelling at each other, playfully hitting each other and pulling each other’s hair. You erupted into a deep laughter at all the commotion, your giggles floating over the quarreling.

A loud, high pitched whistle broke through the turmoil. Everyoen silenced, glancing behind them to the doorway. Nayeon stood with her arms crossed, impatiently tapping her foot and glaring at her younger sisters.

“I thought I told you all to get dressed, not to pester my sleeping Y/N!” she exclaimed, walking closer to the group. You bit your tongue, holding back from laughing at the scene that played out in front of you.

“Relax Nay, I got it under control!” Jihyo grumbled. “Sana-”

“I don’t care what you were all arguing about, just head downstairs and start filling your plates!” Nayeon demanded, pointing her finger to the door. The eight younger girls groaned, mumbling about how unfair their unni was. Tzuyu turned around before she walked out, blowing you a kiss before Nayeon ran over and pushed her out.

“I am so sorry about them...” Nayeon laughed, sitting on the edge of your bed.

“Awh don’t worry about it Nana, it’s nice to have people to talk to. They really are such nice girls.” you replied, sitting up in your bed. “How come you didn’t tell me there was a big run today?”

“I’m sorry, I forgot about it too. I seem to have a million things to think about with my sisters home. Not one of them knows how to do laundry properly, so I was doing laundry all night!”

You giggled, getting out of bed and walking over to the vanity to put your hair up. You patted on some lotion before walking into the closet to get dressed. “So maybe you can settle the argument for me. Who’s breakfast dish is the best?”

Nayeon chuckled, getting up form the bed. “I love anything those girls cook for me. However, I have to say, Tzuyu’s cinnamon rolls are amazing.”

“I can’t wait to try them!” you exclaimed, spritzing some perfume before emerging from the closet. Nayeon’s back was to you as she was putting on her shoes.

“Just don’t tell her how good they are. That girl doesn’t need a bigger hea-” Nayeon stopped mid-sentence, mouth dropping open as she looked at you. You were wearing a breezy mint green floral dress with a pastel pink silk scarf and some two toned flats. You blushed a bit before addressing her.

“What, too loud?” you asked, snickering a bit at her shock.

“Nothing, it’s just...” she blinked in disbeleif, shaking her head. She walked closer to you, taking you hand in hers and rubbing her thumb on the back of it. “You’re so beautiful.”

You smiled for a moment, feeling a dig in the pit of your chest. Everything felt serene when you were with Nayeon. She was like your rock. She made everything feel calm and peaceful.

You came back to reality, shifting your weight towards the door. “Come on Nana, let’s go eat.” you uttered softly, tugging her hand. She caught up with you, ruffling your hair as you both ran down the stairs.

“Woah Y/N, our Yeri must be a pretty tough trainer!” Irene commented, running slightly behind you, her wolf’s red fur flying back in the wind.

“Someone’s getting super fast!” Seulgi joined in She ran next to her oldest sister, her wolf being a light caramel brown just like her hair.

You had to admit, you had been picking up a lat of speed very quickly. When Yeri was your running partner, all you ever wanted to do was train. In fact, she was running right next to you right now.

“Don’t give me the credit unni, Y/N is a fast and disciplined runner.” The blonde wolf responded, giving you a smile. Your heart warmed at Yeri complimenting you. For a second, you thought you heard someone groan behind you, but when you glanced back, you only saw Nayeon and three of her white furred sisters.

The pack halted at a beautiful silver river in the middle of the Emerald Forest. The air was crisp and fresh, and a glittering sheet of pearly white snow crunched under everyone’s paws.

“Everybody drink up!” Alpha Kim declared, his grey coat glistening in the sun. “We’ll take a half hour break to enjoy the forest before running home!”

You trotted over to your new Beta family of nine snow white wolves. Your own black coat stuck out from the rest of them. Nayeon gave you a smile before nodding toward the river. “Y/N, the water here the freshest you’ll ever taste!”

You leaned down, slurping up the icy cold water. It was refreshing as it dripped down into your tummy. The river was cold, but not yet frozen over by winter.

As your lungs readjusted, you looked over to the other side of the river, locking eyes with your green eyes soulmate. The blonde wolf noticed, smiling at you and winking. It was crazy, but you could smell her rosy scent again, even all the way across the river.

“Rival wolves!” someone shrieked, interrupting your thoughts. Everyone in your pack glanced up to the top of the hill, seeing fifty dark wolves running towards your pack. Fear struck in your heart as you glanced at Nayeon in desperation.

“Everyone, prepare to attack!” Alpha Kim shouted, starting a howl that all the wolves replicated.

“Y/N, stay in the middle!” Nayeon demanded, leading her sisters into a protective circle around you. All nine girls took a fight stance, prepared to defend you who didn’t know how to fight yet.

Your first thoughts went to Yeri. You made panicked glances around at all the wolves fighting. You finally found your blonde mate, who was currently fighting off two wolves. You took comfort in the fact that she was the strongest of all her sisters as both wolves cowered to her.

Nayeon glanced back to you. “Y/N, stay sharp!” she demanded. “We’ll protect you.”

You looked back over to Yeri after nodding to Nayeon. Yeri was helping her sister Joy, who was kneeling and examining her bloody paw. The redness seeped into the pure white snow.

A giant, burly, menacing black wolf was creeping up behind Yeri. Neither her or her sister seemed to notice, only focusing on Joy’s wounded paw. As you caught the eye of this menacing wolf, you noticed that it was the same pair of glowing yellow eyes that met yours the night you were turned into a wolf.”

“Choi Joomin!” you exclaimed, remembering Nayeon’s words about him being a well known assassin from a rival pack. Without another thought, you sprung out of the circle formed around you, sprinting towards the scene.”

“Y/N NO!” Nayeon cried in desperation behind you.

Nothing else was in your mind other than protecting Yeri. You quickly leapt in front of her, meeting of the eyes of your former attacker, who was mid-pounce. When the blow hit you, everything went black.

Author’s Note: OH MY GOSH! I finally wrote the second part to this story!!! I am  SOOOOOO sorry it took me this long! You guys deserved this long ago. I’m eternally grateful for your patience. Thank yous so much if you came back to read this. Thanks to quarantine, I’ll have plenty of time to HOPEFULLY finish this story. I love you all, stay safe.

All my love,

Marie <3

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Three: Pestilence (Ignis x Reader) Chapter Eighteen

A/n: It's been 6 months since I've updated this and I deeply apologize for that🥺. You may or may not see a change in my writing style because I can't really tell if it's changed some. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Love you all!!! •••••••••••••••••••••

After three hours of exploring Altissia, (Y/n) and Ignis found themselves resting by the fountain. They continued chatting until Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio rendezvoused with them after their very own excursions around the beautiful city. The trio began questioning the two left and right, wondering what the couple had done in their absence.

"So how was the date?" Prompto pried, eager to know the answer.

Pestilence lifted her head and met the blonde's gaze. "I wouldn't classify it as a "date"."

"You're tellin' me the two of you did nothing romantic?" Gladio asked. "Talk about a wasted opportunity."

"We simply traversed the streets of Altissia to see what all this city had to offer," Pestilence said.

"Did you guys even hold hands?" Prompto questioned.

"No," Ignis simply replies.

"How boring," Noctis muttered.

(Y/n) pushed herself off the rim of the fountain and crossed her arms. "Regardless of what we did or didn't do, Ignis and I enjoyed our time together. But now since everyone is here, we should depart for First Secretary Claustra's estate. You've a negotiation to attend, Noctis."

The soon-to-be king groaned. "Don't remind me..."

"We best make haste," Ignis said as he stood up. "Keeping the first secretary waiting would be ill-advised."

The Horseman walked away from the fountain with the boys close behind. The raven-haired boy was puzzled as he followed her. "You know where the estate is?"

"Ignis and I passed it during our stroll through the city," she replied.

The retinue walked through the streets of Altissia. They weaved around corners and through a few pedestrians to reach their destination. Once they arrived at the large estate, Noctis was escorted inside while the others were forced to wait outside by the front gate.

A few minutes passed and everyone, minus (Y/n), were startled when a girl they were unfamiliar with appeared out of nowhere. She had blonde locks and emerald eyes that glistened brilliantly in the sun. A smile graced her face as she stepped toward Pestilence. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but there's something I need to talk with you about."

"I'm shocked to find you here in Altissia, Famine," (Y/n) responded. "What could possibly be the issue?"

Famine looked around at Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis before whispering in her sister's ear. "Can we talk in private?"

"Of course." The snowy-haired girl glanced at the others. "There's a matter of great importance that I must attend. I will rendezvous with you all back at the Leville." Before the boys could respond, both girls vanished in the blink of an eye.

Gladio looked over at Prompto, noticing how he was staring at the spot Famine once stood. "What's with the dreamy-eyed look, huh?"

The marksman's cheeks were dusted a light crimson. "N-Nothing!"

<---------<<<<<

At the docks, Famine and Pestilence scanned their surroundings. When they saw no one else was around, they casted their gazes toward the calm, gleaming water. The golden-haired girl clasped her hands behind her back, her jade eyes still focused on the beautiful scenery. "I'm glad I found you so soon, Pestilence."

"What is this about?" (Y/n) asked.

"Death and War discovered some disturbing information about the empire while searching for their targets," Famine stated. "They plan to attack during the rite."

"I'm not surprised," the ivory-haired girl sighed.

"Our sisters will be here tonight. All of us are putting aside our hunt to provide help."

"Good, because this city is going to need all the help it can get tomorrow. Hopefully King Aeshema wouldn't mind our intervention."

Famine nodded. "He'll understand. He may be the daemon king, but he isn't cold-hearted. There's also something I wanted to ask."

"What is it?" (Y/n) inquired.

A smile bloomed on her sister's face. "War told me something quite interesting. Is it true you've become close to this Ignis fellow?"

Pestilence locked eyes with her. "It is. Are you going to tell me I should sever my ties with him, too?"

She shook her head. "Oh, no! I'm actually happy for you, Pestilence. After what happened to you, I think you deserve happiness. I'm glad you were able to find someone."

"War may not agree with us, but we all deserve happiness regardless of our role as the Four Horsemen."

"I understand why she sees love as a burden," Famine sighed. "After all, she was betrayed by the man she loved."

"Yes..." (Y/n) muttered. "But I pray she forgets the past and lives for the future. It took me 80 years to realize that all thanks to Ignis."

"Then I should let you rejoin him and the others," Famine giggled. "I'll join Death and War when they arrive in the city. We'll do everything in our power to help."

"Thank you, Famine."

(Y/n) vanished in a puff of smoke. A few seconds later, she appeared in the boys' hotel room. Her sudden appearance caused Prompto to fall off the bed with his camera in his grasp. He cried out in pain when his body landed on the hard floor. "My apologies, Prompto," she said, helping him off the floor and back onto the bed.

He rubbed the back of his head with a faint smile. "It's okay, (Y/n)."

Pestilence's gaze traveled over to Noctis, who was playing on his phone while relaxing in a comfy chair. "How were negotiations with Camelia?"

"I think it went well," Noctis answered unsurely, looking up from his phone. "Where'd you run off to?"

"Famine arrived in Altissia a short while after we did. Apparently, Death and War will also be joining her soon. They will be providing aid tomorrow during the rite."

"Guess this means we don't have to fill you in."

"No," she replied. "I'm already aware of the empire's plan to strike. We'll do everything in our power to aid you and the citizens of Altissia."

"We're gonna need all the help we can get," Noctis said.

(Y/n) strolled past the raven-haired boy and toward the balcony. She leaned against the railing, peering up at the sky. The sun was setting and the sky was painted with hues of orange, red, and yellow. A gentle breeze traveled through the city, her snowy locks blowing around her. She could hear the faint sounds of rushing water and the cheerful voices of children playing in the streets.

A sigh of content escaped Pestilence's lips as she continued to admire the scenery. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, vivid images of her previous life flashing through her mind. The feeling of a hand on her shoulder startled her, the images evaporating as her eyes fluttered opened. Looking to her right, she saw Ignis. She noticed his hair was wet and no longer in its usual style. From his appearance and scent, she could tell he just got out of the shower. "I was wondering where you were."

"I've been informed by Noctis of your siblings," he said. "We will indeed be needing assistance."

"I shall aid you and the others in evacuation details," she stated. Her eyes returned to the beautiful sky above, admiring the many colors. She fell silent for a minute before speaking up. "Raiden and I discussed Altissia being our destination as we escaped Galahd. Our dream was to start a new life together away from my mother and Edric. Unfortunately, our dream never came to fruition."

Ignis listened to her, silently moving his hand from her shoulder and placing it over hers as it gripped the railing tightly.

"I must thank you, though," she said, catching the advisor off guard.

"How so?" He inquired.

"If I hadn't met you, I'd still be blaming myself for his death. For 80 years, I believed I was the reason behind his downfall. But now, I know Edric is to blame." She unlatched her hand from around the railing and turned it over, threading her fingers through his. "I've been drowning in sorrow for years. You were the one to bring light to my darkened world and I cannot express how indebted I am." She squeezed his hand gingerly, smiling up at him. She stepped closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Ignis welcomed her warmth and remained still as they both stared at the setting sun. They remained close to each other until (Y/n) suddenly released his hand and stepped away from him with wide eyes. Her head snapped to the left as she developed tunnel vision. "Impossible..." She walked to the other end of the balcony, staring off into the distance. Before Ignis could ask about her sudden change in demeanor, she disappeared.

<----------<<<<<

(Y/n) appeared in front of a stairwell leading underground located near the first secretary's estate. She looked around, noticing the streets weren't as busy at night before descending the stairwell. Her bare feet padded against the tile as she walked down the set of stairwells.

Reaching the bottom, the Horseman's eyes narrowed as she spotted the draugr in front of a large painting. She noticed its lower body had regenerated and growled in annoyance. As she took a few steps toward the monster, she realized it hadn't detected her as it continued to bang its decaying fist against the portrait of a woman cladded in a red dress. Baffled, she circled around to see what it was trying to do.

A gasp escaped (Y/n) as something emerged from the painting. The draugr backed away as a chadarnook crawled out and revealed itself. Pestilence summoned her chakrams and went to attack her primary target but froze when she saw the undead warrior create a void of darkness and entered it, vanishing within seconds. She clicked her tongue in frustration as she turned her focus to the daemon.

The ivory-haired girl gripped her weapons tightly as she charged toward the chadarnook. Before her blades could slice through the daemon, she was flabbergasted when it suddenly disappeared. She immediately looked around for it, wondering where it could've gone. She couldn't sense it like the monsters from the Inner Sanctum, making it more difficult to locate.

All of a sudden, (Y/n) felt cold fingers wrap around her ankle and yank her off her feet. A cry of shock emitted from her throat as she fell to the floor and dropped her chakrams. She turned her head and saw the chadarnook dragging her toward the painting with a sinister cackle. She gritted her teeth as she conjured her chakrams. They vanished from the floor and reappeared in her hands. Before she could swing her blades, a dagger pierced the daemon's arm and it howled in pain as it released the Horseman's ankle.

Pestilence stared at the dagger before it dissipated. Looking toward the stairwell, she saw Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis. The blonde had taken a snapshot of the daemon before lowering his camera and summoning his pistol, shooting the enemy. Gladio and Noctis charged at the chadarnook with their swords and attacked. (Y/n) was surprised by their sudden appearance that she didn't realize her close proximity to the daemon until she was helped up by Ignis.

She thanked him before tossing her chakrams and slicing the assailant. Ignis conjured his daggers and joined Noctis and Gladio in close combat. Pestilence caught her weapon's before switching to her staff and casting a fire spell. The flames engulfed the chadarnook, causing it to wail in pain. Prompto and Ignis finished off the daemon before the blonde cried out in victory.

The boys dispelled their weapons as they turned their gazed toward the Horseman. Ignis was the first to question her. "What is the meaning of this, (Y/n)?"

Pestilence ridded herself of her staff and combed a hand through her slightly messy tresses. "The draugr was here, but I was too late. It awoken the daemon residing within the painting and vanished." She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "This game of cat and mouse is becoming unbearable. That's beside the point, though. How did you find me?"

"A few people were complainin' about a ruckus from downstairs," Gladio said. "Figured we find you down here."

"I must apologize for my sudden disappearance," (Y/n) stated. "I was frightened the draugr was killing innocent people and couldn't bear the thought."

"Are you injured?" Ignis asked, his eyes raking over the girl's body in search of any injuries.

"Uh-oh, Mama Iggy is making an appearance," Prompto chuckled.

"Or maybe it's just he's worry about his girlfriend," Gladio commented.

The Horseman ignored their comments and shook her head. "No, I'm all right." She turned her back to the group and faced the stairwell. "Let's return to the hotel. You four should get some rest. It's been a long day."

"(Y/n)," Ignis murmured the girl's name as she walked up the stairs and disappeared.

"C'mon, let's head back." A yawn came from Noctis as he stretched his arms. "I'm about to pass out..."

"Me too," Prompto said, yawning right after his best friend.

The royal retinue left the basement and headed back to the Leville, which was only a few minutes away. When they entered their hotel room, Noctis and Prompto flopped down on one of the beds and closed their eyes, falling asleep within minutes. Gladio crawled into the other bed with his book in hand, not as tired as his friends and deciding to read before going to sleep. Ignis, who was the only one not in bed, searched for (Y/n). He checked the balcony before leaving the room and heading to the lobby.

On one of the plush couches in the lobby, Ignis located the Horseman and approached her. She sat with her legs crossed, staring at the painting hanging on the wall. She stretched out her arms, placing her hands on her knee as he sat down beside her. "The draugr knew a daemon was residing in the portrait, but how? Not once did it attack that monstrosity before deciding to withdraw. I fear as though it is being manipulated by another being."

"Is it possible for such an atrocity to be controlled?" Ignis questioned.

"Monsters from the Inner Sanctum are highly intelligent. While they are unable to speak, they are able to understand human speech. If someone were to offer it a deal it can't refuse, it's possible they are controlling it. It's the only explanation that explains its actions tonight."

"For now, we should focus on tomorrow," the advisor stated.

"Yes, you're right." (Y/n) uncrossed her legs and adjusted her position. She sat on her knees, her body facing Ignis. She reached her hands out, cupping his cheeks in her palms and tilting his face upward in order to gaze into his jade eyes. She leant down and pressed her lips against his, gently kissing him. It was a short kiss and when she pulled away, her lips hovered just a few centimeters away from his. A smile blossomed on her face as she continued to gaze lovingly into his eyes. "You should get some rest, Ignis."

"Yes, well..." The tactician became lost in her eyes for a few seconds before returning to reality. "You are quite a distraction, (Y/n)."

The Horseman giggled at his words. "I would loathe being the one to prevent you from sleeping."

"On the contrary, you are a welcomed distraction."

Her smile widened. "As much as I would love to continue this, we should part ways for the night." She dropped her hands from his cheeks and stood up. "I hope you sleep well, Ignis. I will see you in the morning."

He nodded. "Yes. Goodnight, (Y/n)."

[metamorphicrocky]

prompt: A.V.A and H.U.E make a bet on the possibility of Ash and Little Cato becoming a couple in the future or just stay as friends.

ohh this was a fun one. thank you for the prompt and I hope you enjoy it!!

HUE had learned during his time as the Galaxy One's AI that people are...odd. Their relationships are complicated, and their feelings dictate everything. Logic honestly holds very little importance when dealing with relations. Gary's interactions with others have shown him that.

Now, HUE has a body. It can be fun. He is no longer in control of a ship, so AVA frustrates him with her deliberate attempts to mock him. They have a strained relationship, HUE thinks. It reminds him of Quinn towards Gary, at the beginning of her stay on the Galaxy One. But what that means for AVA and HUE's relationship is up for debate.

Along with a new ship comes new crew members. HUE has come to like Fox and Ash, and Clarence is still a puzzlement to HUE even after a couple of weeks aboard the Crimson Light.

There are two groups among the ship: HUE's friends and the original members of the Crimson Light. The relationships between those two are very complex, constantly changing as they encounter more obstacles throughout their journey. Gary has come to an almost-stalemate with Clarence, everyone loves Mooncake, and Nightfall and Ash have bonded some.

There has been a new development on the relationship front, HUE has noticed. Little Cato and Ash have gradually been spending more time together ever since going to Serepentis. And not just time together, but alone time.

HUE has caught Little Cato and Ash walking into Ash's room frequently, and it has only become more common as the days pass. He does not know what they do while in there, but he is very curious to find out.

Now, HUE stands in the bridge, watching as Gary guides Little Cato through the various controls for the ship. Little Cato does have a good grasp on how to fly the ship, but Gary thought it would be a good idea to teach him the more intricate aspects of controlling the Crimson Light.

"Okay, so if you hit this button here, it cuts power to the engine for a couple of seconds. If we're ever being chased, you could just do that to stop quickly and then they'll come right back on to do whatever cool move you want," Gary explains.

Little Cato's eyes widen, and a look spreads across his face that Gary once described as "lighting up." HUE can understand that term, looking at how the young Ventrexian's face splits into a wide grin, his excitement shining in his eyes.

"Woah," Little Cato gasps. "Can you teach me how to do it?"

Gary smiles. From HUE's understanding of the term fond, he comes to the conclusion that Gary feels that way in the moment. The blond quickly ruffles the boy's hair, shoving him out of the pilot's chair for a quick moment. Gary sits, and Little Cato is about to sit on his lap when he stops, catching something out of the corner of his eye.

HUE looks towards the entryway, the place where Little Cato's attention is focused, to see Ash, quietly urging Little Cato to follow her. The boy opens his mouth for a second before closing it with a nod and turning to Gary.

"Actually, you can show me later. See ya, TB!" Little Cato shouts, jogging out of the room to meet an awaiting Ash. They quickly disappear, and HUE is left to wonder.

HUE walks towards Gary, who began fiddling around with the ship settings. "Gary, do you know what Ash and Little Cato have been doing lately?"

Gary turns to HUE and shrugs. "They're just hanging out, I guess."

"I can see that, Gary. But do you know specifically what they do when they are together?" HUE questions.

The blond cards a hand through his hair and blows out a breath. "No? Does it really matter?"

"Aren't you curious?"

"Teenagers are very strange, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing things people shouldn't walk in on," AVA says.

HUE crosses his arms. Of course AVA had to interject.

"From what I have seen of interactions, I believe that they are just very good friends," HUE says matter-of-factly.

"Please, kids their age can't be just friends."

"Oh, are you willing to bet on that, AVA?" HUE challenges.

She pauses for a moment. "Sure, why the hell not. Stakes are winning the title of the ultimate AI."

"It is on, dawg," says HUE, crossing his fists together.

HUE notices that Gary is watching them in what seems to be exasperation, a feeling HUE knows awfully well from his time attempting to control Gary. Gary sighs and shrugs, shaking his head incredulously. "You guys are ridiculous."

HUE shakes his head. "No, but I am going to win. Prepare to hear my huzzahs!"

And so it begins, a challenge that leads to both AIs stalking two children for the sake of bragging rights, as Gary has to point out every time he catches them in the act. Which has been quite often in the past few days.

HUE has discovered that Ash and Little Cato have never been caught with expressions similar to how Gary would look at Quinn, or Nightfall to Gary. And he has never seen an expression similar to anything Clarence is capable of making, which is a relief on all ends.

To be honest, this challenge has been more difficult for HUE than anticipated. For as much time as he has been watching emotions and relationships grow, he has had very little time to infer and theorize because of his previous all-knowing nature. It has proven to be yet another disadvantage of his corporeal form.

The two AIs combined have gathered countless pieces of evidence, currently yet to be categorized as to being in favor of HUE's or AVA's theory.

The first day of the bet, Ash and Little Cato talked nonstop for four hours and twenty-seven minutes. The topics were random at best, and they could not decipher any meaning out of the conversation. Gary claimed it to be teens just acting like teens.

From that point on, Ash has taught Little Cato how to paint nails. They have had intense discussions that involved one of them crying. Hugs have been witnessed along with movie marathons and yelling matches.

When the two are around the other members of the Crimson Light, they will whisper things to each other from time to time, causing the other to laugh. Looking at their expressions, HUE does not know what emotions are there other than being happy, which is indicative of several possibilities.

So, there is a multitude of evidence, yet no clear answer as to who the winner is.

Currently, HUE and AVA are reviewing the footage and notes gathered throughout their search so far. HUE has been tasked with organizing it into categories as AVA judges him, as usual. What a helpful AI she is. HUE steps back to survey the evidence, and he is only left more confused.

Relationships are much too complex for logic, HUE learns once again. All of their interactions could have several different meanings, but none can be simply chosen due to lack of context and greater knowledge.

"Oh, this will never be solved," HUE complains out loud.

"That, we can agree on," AVA says.

HUE hears footsteps in the hallway behind him and turns around to see Gary and Little Cato walking together. Gary catches HUE's gaze and then notices the conspiracy board behind him and stops, staring at it in shock and clear confusion. Little Cato looks to Gary, then looks to where his adoptive father is looking, and has an even more confused expression on his face.

"Are you for serious right now, guys?" Gary asks emphatically. "You've actually been doing this?"

HUE and AVA both stay silent, the answer not needing to be said.

Gary rubs a hand down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose, an act that he has been doing with a greater frequency as of late. He waves his hand around aimlessly, trying to articulate something that is unknown to him.

"Okay, I'm ending this right now," Gary says, then promptly steers Little Cato away from HUE and AVA.

The two AIs wait in silence until Gary pops his head through the doorway a few moments later. "HUE wins. Don't do this again, okay? It's like, mega creepy." Then he disappears behind the entryway without any hesitation.

"Huzzah! Take that, AVA!" HUE cheers, putting both of his fists up in victory.

Silence follows, HUE's arms still in the air.

"This was a waste of time," AVA sighs. "I guess you win, HUE."

Well, if HUE has learned anything from this, it is that he has a lot of work on in terms of understanding relationships. And that watching pictures burn is a slow process.

[infiniteshawn]

Puppy Love | Part 5

2.6k of a bit of angst but lots of fluff

You sat in front of your computer screen, learning everything you possibly could to make sure Shawn was suitable for the Cameron House. Letting him down again would certainly destroy every chance of getting to know him at this point, and you weren’t sure if you could handle that.

You read the description on their website, discovering that they were in search of a younger artist who performed predominantly acoustic covers. Testing your luck, you pulled up YouTube in a new tab and searched Shawn’s name.

A ton of results popped up in no time, some having already reached thousands of views. Your heart broke a little, remembering that you were the reason he couldn’t do this anymore.

Your shaky hands clicked on the first result, a video taken just sixth months ago at the Horseshoe.

Your screen went dark, gradually illuminating as a stage lit up. Shawn stood in the middle with an acoustic guitar in front of a few other band members. There was a pianist, a drummer, and a guy with a bass guitar. You watched as Shawn stepped up to the microphone stand, exhaling softly as the bass guitar began with a little riff. Before you knew it, the piano had joined in and Shawn was bopping his head a little, singing the opening lyrics to Amy Winehouse’s version of “Valerie.”

It soon became a little more lively and upbeat that the original, and Shawn’s hips began to sway with the music. A smile uncontrollably crept up on your face as you watched his fingers strum the guitar, a rosy hue on his cheeks as he sang his heart out. The drunken crowd was cheering him on as he sang over their chants, a desperate rasp finding his voice and carrying throughout the chorus. Your head bopped along as your eyes remained fixated on the screen, mesmerized by his on-stage energy. He was so good.

The white lights on him grew a little dim and his hips slowed as song came to an end. As the pianist played the final few notes, Shawn darted to the side of the stage, setting his guitar down and returning to his spot. The lights slowly transitioned into a deep red, completely changing the atmosphere as he placed two large hands on the microphone that was still resting on the stand. You wondered what he would do next, furrowing your brow as you could see the video was only half-over. He stood before the crowd, head hanging low as the piano continued its interlude, soon transitioning into the opening notes of “Back to Black.”

Your stomach dipped as a smile erupted on Shawn’s face, looking up at the crowd as he began singing in a lower voice than before. You could feel your mood changing, quickly changing from a happy excitement to a hungry, lustful passion. Your eyes raked over his body as he moved against the microphone stand, slowly swaying along to the sensual melody.

He wore skinny jeans and boots as usual, accompanied by a button-up that hung open at the top. Now without the guitar, you could see his thin middle and broad chest, shirt tight over his bulging arms with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hands gripped the microphone for dear life, causing the veins in his forearms to protrude and ultimately fuck you the hell up.

His jaw was defined in the dim crimson light and you could just make out the sweat dripping down his temples, thanking your lucky stars for the highly defined quality of the video. His cheeks were even redder than before, eyes shut tightly as he hit every note perfectly. The song was sultry and he was owning it, and you were absolutely fucked for him. How the hell was this your first time seeing him perform?

His hips loosened up a bit as the song neared its bridge, and you’d never wanted to become a microphone stand more in your entire life. His rendition was beautiful and his movements fit perfectly, causing a heat to shamelessly grow between your thighs as your lustful eyes focused on the vein in his neck. Before you knew it, the song was ending and he muttered a low “thank you” into the microphone, stepping off the stage as the video stopped. This boy had you shook.

Navigating back to the Cameron House’s website, you concluded that he was definitely suitable to perform there. You scrolled to their “Contact Us” section, emailing them a link of the video you’d just watched and giving them Shawn’s information. Satisfied with yourself, you finally felt as if everything was going to be okay, and it was probably safe to give him a call.

It rang a few times, a nervous feeling growing in your stomach as you wondered if he was asleep, ignoring it, or debating picking it up. Geoff had said he was really into you, which was either a lie, or Shawn was fighting a mental battle with himself over his pride.

“Hi, you’ve reached Shawn. Sorry I missed your call, please leave a message!” played in your ear as you swooned over the sound of his voice, unsure of what on earth you were going to say. Beep.

“Uh, hi, it’s me. Um, I know you deleted my number and you’re probably still mad, but uh, I need to talk to you. So, um, if you could call me back, that’d be great. Sorry, again, for everything,” you said a bit shakily, hanging up and tossing your phone down on your bed as soon as you were finished. Your fingers ran through your hair as your mind ran wild, desperate to fix what you had with Shawn.

You got up and ready a little later than usual, thankful to have Fridays off. Your hair draped over your shoulders in loose waves as you applied a little more makeup than usual, hoping to remind him of how much he liked you. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Your phone buzzed as an unknown number lit up your screen.

Hey, it’s Geoff. Apartment 819, remember? I’m not gonna be there but I told him I was coming over so he’d be awake and stuff. Good luck, kid.

You smiled, instantly typing a response.

Got it! Heading over soon, I’ll keep you posted.

You shovelled some breakfast into your mouth and took Chloe around the block, bringing her back home before setting out toward to Shawn’s building.

The sun warmed your face as the air chilled the tip of your nose, putting you in a good mood as you walked down the street. It was midday, so people were out and about, sending you smiles and waves as you passed them on the sidewalk. You took your sunglasses off and folded them up as you stepped into the vestibule of his building, thankfully slipping in behind someone else who’d been buzzed up.

The lobby was cute and modern, tempting you to sit down and collect your thoughts before facing Shawn. You decided against it, heart beating heavily in your chest as you stepped into the elevator and selected the button for the eighth floor. The mirrored walls allowed you to run a few fingers through your hair as you gave yourself a little nod of approval in an attempt to boost your own confidence.

Its doors slid open and you stepped out into the hall, turning left to go eastward. You felt your breath getting a little shaky as you straightened out your jacket, walking by a few front doors until you stumbled upon the one that read 819. Inhaling sharply, you decided to just go for it, firmly knocking on the door with your knuckle three times.

“Come in!” a voice called, making things a little better for you because he couldn’t really turn you away.

You slowly pushed the door open, calling out “Shawn?” to warn him that it was actually you entering his house, completely uninvited.

You slowly poked your head around the large door, stepping inside to see an empty kitchen and living room. His puppy came racing toward you, jumping against your knees as you leaned down to give her a little scratch. You froze in place as you heard heavy footsteps coming from one of the rooms, only to be greeted by a shirtless, tired-looking Shawn with grey sweats hanging low on his hips. You couldn’t help but eye his body, taking note that he was totally fucking ripped. The sweats hugged him in all the right places, showing the slightest bit of bulge and revealing the “v” of his lower abdomen.

“Oh, shit, I thought you were Geoff,” he said in a shocked tone, crossing his arms as he stood at the opposite end of the kitchen island.

“No, uh, not Geoff,” you spoke, unable to meet his eyes as you looked out the large living room window. “I need to talk to you,” you said a little desperately, eyes finding his in the bright kitchen. You stared into his honey orbs for a few seconds too long, noticing how hurt they looked at the sight of you. His lips were slightly parted, forming a bit of a frown as he reverted his gaze.

“I got your message,” he said sternly, standing up a little taller. “I didn’t call you back.” Your heart broke a little as your face fell.

“Shawn, just hear me out,” you pleaded, maneuvering yourself around the angled counter and stepping in his direction. “I realize you’re not at the Horseshoe anymore, but there’s an opening at the Cameron House and I think you’d be perfect.”

His chest fell as he exhaled, pondering what you’d said. His eyes found yours again as he uncrossed his arms and spoke flatly, “I don’t want it.” You took another step in his direction, now only a few feet away from him.

“Shawn, ple-“ you started, but he cut you off.

“No, I don’t want it. How can I even know if you’re being serious? How do I know your boyfriend didn’t send you over here to dangle it in my face?” he said angrily, shoving his massive hands in his pockets.

“Shawn, no,” you pleaded, shaking your head as he took a step away from you.

“You don’t understand, I was so close,” he spoke firmly, looking away and blinking a few times. He took a moment to collect himself, talking with his hands as he spat, “I was close to being fucking signed, and now I have to start over again. It took me so long to get that position. And you knew! You knew and you didn’t tell me. I liked you so much,” he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. Your heart fell again, noticing that he’d said liked rather than like.

“Shawn, he’s not my boyfriend, we broke up ages ago. And I realize you lost it and I’m trying to fix it, I don’t know what to d-“ you spoke, but he was trying to butt in. “No, let me finish,” you said firmly, causing him to fall silent and re-cross his arms. “I realize that I fucked up and I’ve already apologized so many times, I even researched you last night to make sure this new gig was suitable because I know I wouldn’t be able to handle letting you down again,” you felt a lump forming in your throat, and you knew you only had a few more seconds until the tears would spill over. “And to think, t-to think I’d ever want that asshole more than I want you,” you paused, eyes pooling with water as tears began rolling down your cheeks, “is just fucking rude, and you’re so wrong,” you tried to keep going but were overcome with emotion, frustration taking over as he wasn’t hearing what you were saying. “I just, I don’t know what more you could possibly wan’t from me!” you yelled, shoulders slouching a bit as the sobs began to escape your lips. Before you could process what was going on, Shawn had closed the space between you and pulled you into his arms. Your face was pressed against his bare chest, tears wetting his skin as he hushed you and rubbed your back with his strong hands.

“Shhh, it’s okay, honey I’m overreacting,” he spoke softly as you tried to compose yourself, the heat from his body making you even warmer, “I’m so sorry,” he said, voice laced with realization.

"I don’t know what you want from me, Shawn,” you said quietly, tears continuing to fall as you felt helpless.

His strong hands moved from your back to your shoulders, slowly pulling your face from his chest as he cupped your cheeks, forcing you to look at him. His features were much softer than before, graced by a little half-smile, glossy eyes, and a loose curl hanging on his forehead.

“I only want you,” he whispered softly, pulling you closer and planting the softest kiss on your lips. His mouth was warm and smooth on yours, innocently kissing you as you melted in his arms. Your hands found his abdomen, pressing against his warm middle as he pulled away from your face. Your eyes fluttered open to be met by his soft chestnut gaze staring back at you.

“But you’re mad at me,” you whispered, inches from his face.

“No, I’m not. Baby, it doesn’t matter anymore,” he said quietly, “I like you so much.”

This time it was you who leaned forward, pulling him in for a kiss by the back of his neck. His hungry mouth moulded to yours as you pressed your body against his, parting your lips to welcome his hot tongue. His hands moved from your cheeks into your hair, attempting to pull you impossibly closer as he inhaled through his nose, deepening the kiss and releasing a soft moan.

You knew it was time to stop, pushing off his chest and separating yourself from his wet lips. He broke into a smile, kissing your forehead and stepping away.

“I should go,” you said softly, reaching for his hand one last time. “You’ll look into it, though?”

He nodded with a smile, a soft “yes,” escaping his bright pink lips. You gave a little nod of approval and turned on your heel, looking back at his giddy expression before disappearing out into the hallway.

Breaking into a smile, you continued toward the elevator and stepped inside, more-than-satisfied with how things went. As the doors began to close, you jumped at the sight of a large, tattooed hand forcing them open again.

Shawn popped around the corner with a lazy smile, a little shaken from running after you.

“Will you go on a date with me?” he asked quickly, eyes wild with excitement. “Tomorrow, please?” he pressed, an expectant look present in his eyes.

You laughed, stepping closer to his still-shirtless self, “Of course, Shawn.”

His smile grew as he leaned in once more, planting a soft kiss on your lips. You could feel him fighting a grin as his mouth pressed against yours, soon being pulled away as he stepped out of the elevator entrance. The doors began closing as a deep blush erupted in your cheeks.

“I’ll call you!” he yelled as the doors were almost shut, only allowing you to see one of his eyes and a thin portion of his body, causing you to laugh as the elevator descended.

Relief washed over you as you left his building, soon realizing he was playing no games as your phone lit up with an incoming call from Shawn.

a big thank-you to @achinglyshawn for helping me plan this one out! go show her some love!

[xanth-the-wizard]

Random Wilderness Encounters (1d100)

Here’s a complete list of my Wilderness Encounters (#1-5)! After this I’ll be posting Random Town Encounters. If you guys want other environments let me know! (Ocean, Island, Mountain, Underworld, ???)

[1] A friendly stray dog appears, when asked to speak the dog has a lot to share [2] Materializing out of thin air, a magician appears claiming one of the party members is their long lost cousin. Surely this must be a mistake? [3] The sky above turns into a strange hue, birds begin flying in strange patterns in response [4] Copper sign on a large oak tree warns of a dangerous beast that hunts in the area [5] Strange traveling merchant appears selling exotic fish and unique magical spices. They’re desperate for loyal customers, surely this won’t be the last the party sees of them [6] There is a shift in the aura, the party have crossed into a large-scale summoning circle [7] A faint tune is heard, a pleasant and somewhat familiar whistling. But only half of the party can hear it [8] The trees appear to be sickly, covered in an acidic substance. The source of the infection lies deeper within the woods. It is hungry [9] Ruins of an abandoned town lie before you, only a few decades old. What awaits within the shadows? [10] A strange marketplace is stationed near a spring, all the merchants seem to be friendly but you can’t help but feel like something suspicious is going down… [11] The temperature drops to an insanely low degree almost immediately. Destroyed trees and earth lie ahead covered in ice crystals and blood [12] A carriage rides toward you in the distance, the driver smiles and waves. As they pass by, a tied up body wriggles and falls out of the carriage [13] Pointed plant spurs shower the party attaching to their clothes, they are difficult to remove and grow in size very rapidly [14] The aroma of baked goods floods your nose, it’s rich and enticing. A colossal sized monster is baking goods in a makeshift oven near a river [15] Goblins camping on a hill loudly argue about a dishonest game of cards. Looks like their betting pool is full of interesting treasure [16] Forest spirits glow and awaken as the party enters their domain. The spirits offer a safe way through the forest as long as they promise not to steal any of the enchanted flowers within [17] A wounded Minotaur rests against a tree slipping in and out of consciousness [18] Blessed by a beautiful night, the party gaze upon a shooting star. It glows brightly, increasing with size as it makes contact with the earth itself not too far away [19] Travel is pleasant until the party notices their packs seem to be lessening in weight [20] Twin travelers, no more than 6 years of age, approach the party lost and scared. They refuse to let anyone open up their knapsacks [21] A band of muggers attack the party, they are completely drunk and can barely hold a dagger [22] It seems you’ve stumbled onto the hidden base of an Alchemist, strange abominations infused with Chromatic Orbs guard the premise [23] “Huh. That’s weird, did that plant just move or was it just me?” [24] While scavenging for food, you stumble upon an adorable but frightened rabbit. Every time it sneezes it changes forms, starting with Owlbear [25] An abandoned grain mill provides some convenient shelter for the night. Inside the mill the party discover a complex mechanical endoskeleton, the rusted metal gears creak uneasily [26] Nearby, a crowd has gathered around a clay golem without a master. The crowd watches, enchanted as the golem paints masterpieces. The paint has a strange property… [27] Two Monsters are locked in combat, bloodied and breathing heavily. It seems their glorious duel is one of honor, maybe bet on a winner? [28] A Dragon flies overhead holding onto a hoard of gold and treasures. A sudden change in direction causes a piece of their treasure to fall [29] Dozens of fish with human legs crawl out of a lake. This school of peculiar fish seem to be on a mission [30] Rock music is heard in the distance followed by bouts of cheering, strange aromas fill the air. It seems you are approaching a Music Festival [31] You’ve wandered onto the premises of a camp for young Wizards. A Wizarding tournament is taking place and things get very dangerous, very fast [32] A cobblestone bridge stretches across a deep ravine. An Orc guarding the bridge demands you pay the toll, fortunately it is very small. After crossing the bridge you simply cannot remember where you are or where you’re going- Oh, a hey! A bridge! (And repeat) [33] A Mage stands in front of an unfinished tower. Upon seeing the party, they ask for assistance [34] A few hundred feet ahead, a strange house on wheels attached to two horses is parked on the side of the road. The house is somewhat destroyed but a sign on the roof is visible, “The Legendary Vagabond’s Sensational Creature Exhibit” [35] The ground below rumbles as a Monster emerges catching one of the party members in their teeth [36] In the center of the forest clearing, an abandoned field of flowers sway. These strange flowers are growing out the decayed body of a Dryad [37] A wild chicken jumps out of the bushes, it’s beak covered in blood. Surely this chicken is no threat, right? [38] Seated beside the river shore, an ethereal creature weeps. They reveal themselves as a Demigod with daddy issues [39] Hungrily, a non-traditional Chimera stalks the party. The beast is stitched together poorly [40] Inside the log of a fallen tree lies a poorly concealed treasure chest full of stolen loot. I’m sure nobody will mind if we take it? [41] Mysterious beasts occupy a dark hollow inside a hill, they want to play a bizarre game with promise of a grand reward [42] A sleeping Cyclops presents an awkward obstacle for the party, sleeping on the path. Nothing seems to be waking them and going around them is dangerous due to the environment [43] A nearby earthquake collapses the ground, revealing some glowing ore [44] Rotted flora is everywhere, upon further inspection this rot spreads out for miles [45] Wonderful! A village! Oh and everyone here is so nice… New mayors? Oh no, you must be mistaken! Oh, you’re certain? Well then [46] Lightning strikes the ground creating a dimensional rift. Certain conditions must have been met for this to have happened. Why not investigate? [47] Faint, indescribable sounds are heard from every direction. As you leave the dense foliage you discover beasts and Monsters of all types in cages. Welcome to the zoo [48] Little miss spider sips on some cider, eating her curds and whey. Along came the party, all powerful and hearty who scared miss spider away… You guys should probably apologize [49] A few tattered shacks sit beside the open road, nothing of interest is found within. The only thing to note is that they seem to be breathing… [50] Something straight out of Monster Factory is now stalking the party. Are they friend or foe? [51] A poet down on their luck bumps into the party. Did I mention they’re a Beholder? Let’s hope somebody can inspire this beast, or else [52] Just outside the village a group of angsty Bards are practicing their instruments. Their music is loud and dangerous, they don’t seem to understand a thing about Bardic magic [53] The coolest wizard you’ve ever seen dogsleds past your crew, spraying them with glittering ice. Did I mention it’s summer? [54] Just ahead, you see a ruined castle covered in moss and vines overlooking a quiet lake [55] Looks like a small creature has found its way into someone’s pack. This menace has eaten all of your rations and drank all of their booze! [56] YUCK! A swarm of bugs have gotten the best of your party. Fortunately, only one of you was bitten. Unfortunately, it looks like now they’ve developed a new, very unfortunate allergy [57] Blistering heat has rendered your whole party sweaty and exhausted, movement is quite difficult. I sure hope some baddies don’t show up right now [58] The unluckiest member of your party has their luck turned around, they found a precious jewel lodged in the dirt. They feel inspired [59] The unluckiest member of your party continues their trend of haplessness, they find a precious jewel lodged in the dirt. It whispers to them at night, haunting their dreams [60] After a hearty sleep the party awaken to find that they’ve been sleeping on top of a buried tomb [61] A large scale battle is taking place, bodies everywhere. Wait, this doesn’t seem to be a battlefield but a serious LARP session [62] Rusted weapons have been lazily discarded into a sunken pit. As the party approaches they discover this heap of weapons is actually somebody, or something’s collection [63] A drunken Necromancer attempts to impress the party by casting hazardous spells [64] Arrows fire at the party from behind. Someone’s been hired to take them out [65] For the past few hours you’ve felt as if someone has been watching you from afar. A Druid has been tracking your party. Outsiders are rare in this forest [66] A group Merchants are completely lost. Neither of them can remember anything from their past [67] Religious statues are placed haphazardly around the area, nothing is out of the ordinary until the sun goes down [68] Dozens of animated skeletons are exercising and doing some really intense yoga [69] Beside a babbling brook, a young cow drinks alone. They’re irresistibly adorable [70] An uneventful day of travel, the weather is calm the trees are- THUD! WHAT THE- The party leader has bumped into something invisible [71] All metal objects are intensely pulled toward an unknown source. Steel weapons and armor don’t stand a chance [72] It appears resting on that rock was quite the mistake. The stone rumbles and animates, grumpy and combative [73] Meditating on floating chunks of earth is a powerful looking Monk. They claim to have been awaiting the party’s arrival. The Monk issues a challenge, a test of strength [74] You’ve somehow stumbled onto a delightful Toad farm. Do you think a Witch lives around here or is there just a Toad enthusiast in these parts? [75] The morning sun stirs you awake to an unexpected scene. You and your friends have been tied up and kidnapped, seated in the back of a caravan. It smells oddly of pickled vegetables [76] A fishing contest is being held at the lake. The grand prize is a shockingly large sum of currency [77] It is a moonless night, travel is nearly impossible. As the party decide to sleep for the night, glowing is seen in the distance. When investigated the glowing creature is seemingly friendly and it attempts to guide the party through the night [78] Forest fairies are holding a festival for their gods, they invite the party to join [79] ACHOO! The pollen in the air is really strong… Wait… Are those trees growing or are we shrinking? Of course we’re shrinking! Why wouldn’t we be shrinking!? [80] In order to pass through this forest unharmed you must answer the goddess’s riddle. Unfortunately for the party she speaks a dead language, they hear only strange whispers [81] A group of Goblins attack! After giving them a good licking you run into them again. And again… And again. Maybe we should just make peace with these dorks [82] Introduce the most ridiculous NPC and have them stuck in some quicksand. Really let their character shine through, whether they are stupidly entertaining or horribly unbearable [83] A strange light glows in the distance on top of a mountain. Is this a sign of good fortune or something much more sinister? [84] A lone child plays the flute in the forest, they appear almost ethereal. It is a haunting melody [85] Shattered Gargoyles sit in an overgrown garden, a treasure chest lies among the rubble [86] Pick your favorite Cryptid and make them canonical to your world. Have the beast stalk the party for mysterious cryptic reasons. And yes, the Loch Ness Monster is an excellent choice [87] The forest clearing leads to a crystal clear freshwater lake. In the depths of the water something terrifying is waiting to be discovered [88] Two hyper intelligent, talking rabbits stop the party in their tracks. All they request are some books to read [89] A tree, twice as tall as the others appears to be growing… Weapons? (All of those are cursed, of course) [90] Next to the road, a group of Archaeologists are taking dirt samples. They’re convinced they will find some buried artifacts in the area. They are willing to pay a ridiculous sum of money if you give them some assistance, just as long as you keep this whole thing to yourselves [91] Resting through the night was very pleasant for the party leader. When they attempt to greet their comrades, they have found themselves in a bed a long ways away from their resting point [92] Dried up lake beds and decaying trees among a field of animal bones. You have reached the outside of a Necromancer’s circle [93] Orcs with a sense of humor attempt to prank the party. Their prank is perfectly harmless, it involves just a little bit of bottled unicorn piss [94] Travel is impossible on this moonless night. Unfortunately, sleeping until morning does not solve the situation, nighttime persists indefinitely [95] A colorful formation on the side of the mountain piques your interest. Inside lies the abandoned home of a giant and it is full of unique treasure. Let’s just hope something else hasn’t taken residence within the forgotten halls [96] Tons of bubblegum covers the roads, it is awful to travel through. The source of this mishap is a young Wizard with a sweet tooth [97] Crashed into the side of a plateau, a metallic construct with strange markings and glowing lights. Surely this isn’t an actual extraterrestrial? [98] While foraging for food, the party find a path of mushrooms leading into a dense Fungal Forest. Rare and undiscovered fungi grow within [99] The most obnoxious bard in the world joins the party at their campfire. They claim to be weak and in need of good company, offering booze to win them over. Did I mention this bard is an infamous necromancer on the run? Yeah, that might be important to know [100] Have you ever heard of the Adventure Zone? Well, Taako, Magnus and Merle have suddenly found themselves into your campaign. They are completely lost

[xcamay]

Hi everyone! First, let me apologize for the small delay..! To tell you the truth, I had 4pages for a Halloween fic (set in the Aqours as parents AU), but I finally changed my mind and started working on a new semi-Halloween-related fic yesterday, but it got late and I was tired and my baby cat Nola kept climbing on me to get my attention because she just wanted me to lie down in bed so she could sleep too ... And so I gave in, haha, and decided to write the last scene of this fic this morning. I really, really, really (...) really hope that you will enjoy this new AU just like I've been enjoying working on it for the past few weeks, and just like I enjoyed writing it yesterday! It's an AU that I hold very close to my heart, and I really wanted to share it with everyone so, now, I just have to pray that you will all like it a little ... :’3 Before I forget, I would like to thank @my-idol-you-chan and another friend (Entropy! I’m sorry I don’t remember your tumblr name :c) with all my heart for proofreading me, but mostly for giving me their opinion on that fic! (And for encouraging me to publish it, even if they don’t know that)

I'm kinda getting off the beaten track, as it's an AU with µ's and A-RISE. So ... No YouRiko this time, guys! :') I still love them dearly, don't worry. But I'm going to shower you with TsubaHono, EreAnju, NozoEli, RinPana, KotoUmi and NicoMaki as much as I can with it!

Warning → this is a specific AU which can have some OOC characters once in a while. I'm not fond of, um, OOCness, but it'll be needed for a few scenes sometimes here, and I'm pretty sure you'll understand why when you know what this AU is (I won't say it, I want you to discover it while reading hehe~). Oh and, despite that once-in-a-while OCCness, please know that I'll do my best to stick to all the girls' real personality! Maybe except Tsubasa, Erena and Anju, seeing as the anime didn't give many scenes with them and, so, very little detail ...

Thank you for your time, and I hope you’ll enjoy! And ... Happy Halloween, I hope you didn’t spook too many children and that you got a lot of sweets~

(Oh and! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIN-CHAN♥)

October 31st, 07:02

“K-Kotori-chan, I-I’m sorry I’m late!”

“There there,” Kotori chuckles as she pats her panting co-worker’s –and new friend– head, “It’s all right, Hanayo-chan. We’re still on time, don’t worry.”

“B-but won’t our mentors be mad at us …?” Hanayo finally straightens up, and Kotori is surprised to see that the young woman’s cheeks have a rosy tint –did she run to get here?

“At worst, it’s the first time we aren’t here at 7AM sharp since we’ve started working here.” Kotori offers her a reassuring smile as they both walk toward the entrance of the building, “I bet we’ll be fine, Hanayo-chan.”

“Yeah …”

“And I can’t wait to see what’s planned today!” the amber-eyed girl cheerfully goes on, clapping her hands while displaying a wide smile, “I wonder what they do on Halloween, here!”

“I-I’m curious about that, too …” Hanayo lightly scratches her cheek, wincing a little, “I mean, they told us we can’t dress up for the occasion, so … Do they really do something?”

“We’re going to find out!” Kotori smiles but, as soon as they reach the doors, she stops and turns to look at her friend, the worry slightly distorting her features. “Hanayo-chan … Are you okay?”

That simple question catches the brunette off guard, who lets out a surprised ‘Eh?’.

“I mean, you still seem a little bit … Stressed.”

Hanayo instantly looks away, as if she were feeling very ashamed. She gulps and shakily sighs, “I … I never know what to expect here, even if it’s part of our job … But I do like it here, though!” Her expression is now a resolute one, which makes Kotori smile.

She knows how sensitive Hanayo is, and she clearly remembers their first day –the day they met– here, at the psychiatric hospital : before starting, they were in a room, which became their classroom day after day so their instructor could teach them the basics and some procedures ; and Kotori took a seat next to that nervous and shaking young girl. She was twisting her fingers, and sometimes went very pale during the doctors’ speech. Especially when they talked about the criminally-insane patients, who are kept in the forensic ward.

“That’s good Hanayo-chan. Let’s go, then?”

Partly reassured by Kotori’s ever-present smile, Hanayo nods her head and they both walk into the building, the excitement making their hearts flutter.

“Ah! Koizumi-san,” Hanayo holds a shriek back when she hears a voice calling for her, stopping dead in her tracks, frozen “Minami-san. You two are here,” the voice goes on, and the two friends turn on their heels.

In front of them stands a navy-haired woman, with amber eyes, clad in a white blouse, a cream-colored top and classic jeans : the doctor Sonoda Umi. As soon as Kotori sees her, her face brightens.

“Good morning, Umi-chan!”

Without a second thought, a bright red hue dusts the usually so composed doctor, who then stammers :

“R-right … G-g-good morning, Kotori-san …”

Some patients who are already walking down the corridor curiously look at them, others shoot them a weird look ; while Hanayo decides to stay silent, even if she does her best to fight her growing curiosity. She finds herself giving a polite and shy smile to every patient who happens to look at her.

“So, it’s Halloween today Umi-chan,” Kotori begins, her hands linked behind her back, “Will something special happen?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Umi shakes her head, furtively glancing around them, watching everything, “But we did plan activities related to Halloween. Speaking of, Koizumi-san,” Hanayo’s ears perk up at her name “Could you go see the patients who haven’t been checked on yet, and who have to take their medication today, and see if they want to come to this morning’s activity?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Here are the patients,” Umi hands her a notepad, before offering her an encouraging smile. “Um … K-Kotori-san and I are going to get everything ready, so we will wait for you.”

“H-hai!”

Pressing the notepad against her chest, Hanayo slightly bows before walking away. She doesn’t dare look back, or glance over her shoulder, fearing that if she does so, they will think she is too unsure and scared of doing that simple task all alone. And they certainly have already left, anyway. Gathering all her courage, Hanayo reads the first name on the sheet of paper … and she lets out a long and relieved sigh. Hoshizora Rin. Her firm favorite patient ; the one she gets along with very well, and the one who always makes her days brighter and brighter. She is well aware of the fact that she shouldn’t get emotionally involved with any patient –the therapists insisted on that point on her first day–, but she’s … She is human, right? So, she can’t really help it.

Before she knows it, Hanayo is already standing in front of the door leading to Rin’s room. After knocking twice, she slowly opens it, a smile illuminating her face. It grows wider the moment she sees the short-haired ginger sitting in her bed, loudly yawning, and rubbing the sleep off her eyes with a bent and closed fist –just like the paw of a cat.

“Good morning, Rin-chan,” she gently greets the patient, her tone of voice as soft as possible, as to not push her so early in the morning.

“Nyaaaw …” Another loud yawn and, at the sight of the nurse that she holds close to her heart, Rin starts kicking the cover on her legs, trying to get out of the bed as quickly as she can. “Kayo-chin, you’re here! Morning, nya!”

“Did you sleep well, Rin-chan?” she asks, letting the girl give her a quick hug –even if she knows that she shouldn’t.

“I did! I even had a dream about you, nya!”

“R-really?”

A soft and touched smile paints Hanayo’s lips as Rin, with her wild gestures, begins to relate everything in detail. It is about the two of them, some cats, a bridge over a river … Hanayo smiles and nods her head several times, still amazed at the fact that Rin has such a good memory.

“And you know, you know, the two cats who got to their feet –or should I say paws?–, they suddenly–“

“R-Rin-chan,” Hanayo carefully interrupts her, a warm and friendly smile on her face, “I have to check on other patients, you know …”

“Oh,” Rin pouts, disappointed, “… Oh but I know, nya! Can I go with you?”

“You should put your clothes on, first,” the nurse chuckles, stealing a glance at the notepad –next patient : Kousaka Honoka–, “And you have to go and take your medication, too.”

“Oh, right. Nya …”

“B-but we’ll see each other later!” Hanayo is quick to reassure her, causing Rin’s chartreuse eyes to glint, “S-Sonoda-san wants you to participate in a new group activity, and–“

“Will you be there, Kayo-chin?”

“I will. I didn’t attend a lot of group activities, so I’d love to–“

“Yay!” Rin cheers, bumping a fist in the air, “I’m going to get dressed, and I’ll see you there, nya!”

“D-don’t forget to take your medication!” Hanayo hurriedly says, earning a nod from the girl before she closes the bathroom door behind her.

Heaving a small sigh, the brunette leaves the room, knowing that she can trust Rin on putting her clothes on alone. She soon reaches a new door, but does not have time to knock that it’s already opening. She blinks, surprised, when she comes face to face with a girl who isn’t Kousaka Honoka.

“A-ah, good morning, Tsubasa-san,” Hanayo greets the chestnut-haired girl, quite unsettled. She is about to ask what she is doing in Honoka’s room, but then she remembers : these two are always together. So much that the staff and other patients nickname them ‘the lovebirds’. Director Nishikino even allowed the staff to not separate them and let them visit each other whenever they want to –‘They are each other’s medication, after all’, she once said.

“Hello,” Tsubasa says with a polite smile, “Honoka-chan is still sleeping, don’t wake her up, please.”

“But–“

As if she had anticipated what Hanayo was about to say, Tsubasa shakes her head and interrupts her, her voice gentle, “I’ll bring her her meds, and I’ll make sure she takes them, don’t worry. You can go on and see the others.”

Kira Tsubasa. As responsible and as caring as ever –especially when it comes to Honoka. She would do anything for her, and always makes sure that the smile she cherishes so much never vanishes from her joyful ginger’s face.

“Thank you very much, Tsubasa-san. Oh! Before I forget …”

“Mh?” Tsubasa lightly hums, stopping herself from taking a step forward.

“Sonoda-san is organizing something this morning. Would you like to come?” And she hastily adds, “With Honoka-chan, of course.”

“We will be here,” the emerald-eyed girl assures with a big smile –despite not spending much time with the lovebirds, Hanayo heard that they were fond of group activities, and especially the ones led by the doctors Sonoda, Ayase, Toudou and Nishikino.

Toujou Nozomi.

Hanayo gulps as she reads the patient’s name. To tell the truth … Toujou Nozomi scares her, a little. It isn’t the kind of fear that makes you freeze right on the spot, that makes your heart beat loudly in your chest –so loudly that it’s the only thing you hear–, no ; it’s mostly the kind of small and short-lived fear that you don’t know how to deal with, because you never know what to expect with her. And that, that stresses Hanayo out.

Toujou Nozomi suffers from borderline personality disorder, and she experiences bad mood swings.

Most of the time, she is a kind, considerate and happy woman, with that mysterious and spiritual aura around her. But last week put her through hell : because doctor Ayase Eli didn’t show up at work, as she caught a nasty strep throat. Her absence ravaged Nozomi’s heart and mind : she felt abandoned.

Luckily, today is supposed to be the day doctor Ayase comes back. And, hopefully, Nozomi will be fine again and will start taking her medication again. Indeed, she stopped taking it the first day Eli wasn’t here. As if it could punish her. And, more importantly, as if it could magically drag Eli here so they could see each other again. If it were possible, Nozomi would have been reassured, and they would have avoided that week full of mood swings, swearing, tears and screams.

“Please, be okay,” Hanayo whispers to herself, eyes closed, “Please, please, be okay, Nozomi-chan …”

“YOU ABANDONED ME!”

The holler startles Hanayo, who slightly jumps and freezes. Her purple eyes are widen open now, and they widen even more –if that’s even possible– the moment she sees the blonde-haired doctor in front of a closed door.

“A-Ayase-san …?”

Hanayo is surprised to see dark rings under those intense blue eyes. Doctor Ayase is still recovering, it seems.

“Hello, Hanayo.” Eli smiles at her, before wincing. “Eh, I guess Nozomi is still mad at me …”

“OF COURSE I AM! MORON!” Nozomi’s voice echoes in her room, but also in the corridor.

Eli lets out a weak chuckle, before looking at Hanayo again.

“Don’t worry, she’ll stop screaming in a few minutes.”

“I WON’T!”

“I’m taking care of her,” Eli says while ignoring the screaming patient on purpose, “I know what Umi planned. I’ll bring her, it’s just going to take me five minutes to be forgiven.” Another chuckle, and she knocks on the door. “Nozomi, just listen to me–“

As Hanayo walks away, a small and amused smile finds its way on her rosy lips –and even more when she hears Nozomi yelling again :

“ELICCHI, YOU DUMB IDIOT!”

The last patient on the list is not hard to find. Actually, even a newbie would be able to find such patient in a second before struggling to know who is in which room.

Yuuki Anju was admitted a few days ago and was placed in one of the two seclusion rooms, in which she has been staying ever since. Usually, every new patient ends up with a room, just like everyone else ; but Yuuki Anju completely withdrew into herself, which makes her … Literally out of reach. She does not speak, does not look at whoever enters the room to try to talk to her, and barely eats. The only time Hanayo heard the sound of Anju’s voice was the day she got admitted, against her will. Some security guards put restraints around her wrists and brought her here, while she was thrashing about, crying and yelling at them to let her go.

Just thinking about it saddens Hanayo.

And the young nurse already feels defeated : trying to interact with Yuuki Anju is a battle that she has already lost.

Standing in front of the door, Hanayo can’t help but glance through the square-like glass window on it –a distinctive feature of a seclusion room is that small window which allows the entire staff to know what’s going on inside. Today, just as usual, there is nothing alarming going on : Anju is here, sitting on the poor plain bed –the only furniture in this room–, tightly hugging her knees against her chest. Just as usual. She is motionless, her chin stuck between her knees and her gaze never leaves the tiled floor. Just as usual. She seems exhausted, and her lilac eyes are dull. Just as usual.

How heartbreaking …

Hanayo inhales sharply and, the moment she grabs the door handle, too many questions start flooding her mind : what is she going to say? A simple ‘hello’, and then wait for an answer which will never come? Or is she going to try to ask something interesting that will make Anju want to speak, for once? … Is she just going to give up a few seconds after passing the door, or will she succeed?

“… Good morning, Anju,” the brunette speaks once she has stepped in the room, a feeling of uneasiness creeping up and sending shivers down her spine –no answer–, “I, uh– I … I’m Koizumi Hanayo and–“

Still no answer.

“–Um, I’m a nurse here …”

The more she talks, the lower her voice becomes, slowly dying down. The lack of reply is not helping her, either. The lack of everything is discouraging : she wasn’t even able to elicit a single thing, not even a sound, a wince or a rictus. Nothing. And it has been like that since they threw her into that white room.

“I … I guess I’ll see you later …”

Hanayo discreetly sighs as she carefully closes the door behind her. What a failure … But at least, she got to check on her and she now knows that there is nothing out of the ordinary. As sad as it’s going to sound, Anju is still the same.

“Ah, Koizumi, I finally found you!” A voice suddenly breaks the young nurse’s train of thoughts. She looks up, only to see doctor Toudou’s piercing but intrigued azure eyes. “Did you talk to Anju?”

“Talking is a big word, Toudou-san,” Hanayo sighs while staring back at the ground, as if she were feeling guilty.

“… I see,” Erena says after a short pause, before she rests a sympathetic hand on the chestnut-haired girl’s shoulder. She slightly squeezes it. “Don’t let yourself get worked up, Koizumi. Let me take the helm, and go meet up with Minami and the others. They’re waiting for you.”

“All right.” Hanayo straightens up a little, and offers her superior a tiny and shaky smile. “Will you try to talk to her, Toudou-san?”

“Yes, I will. I’ve been trying since she got here, and I believe my efforts will pay off, some day.”

October 31st, 08:45

The way Kotori and Umi set up the room makes Hanayo smile the moment she shyly enters. There are six tables, all arranged to make a U-shape, which allows the patients to see and look at each other. Speaking of, all the patients she saw earlier are here : Rin, who excitedly waves at her ; Honoka, all dressed and smiling, her chair glued to the one Tsubasa is sitting on –there is absolutely no space between them. And, finally, Nozomi is also here, and she seems to feel better. Her kind and motherly smile is back, her turquoise eyes twinkle … She and Eli certainly made up, and it’s the best thing that could have happened to Hanayo today. Six other patients are here, and so there are two chairs left –maybe the others will be here soon.

Umi is quick to strike up a conversation, greeting everyone, before going on with a kind smile. At first, she asks what today’s date is, and earns a cute pout from Honoka who got the month wrong –but not the weather– (“Eeh, but I swear it’s December, it’s cold outside!”), before she agrees with Udo, a man in his thirties.

“Indeed Udo-san, it is October 31st.” She nods her head and smiles, “Which means that it’s also Halloween today.”

Rin calmly raises her hand, but her wide smile gives away her enthusiasm, “Can we have candy, then?”

Umi lightly chuckles, “No, no candy.”

“Aww,” Honoka and Rin both pout, eliciting a giggle from Tsubasa.

“But I heard that the doctors Nishikino and Toudou want to do a cooking workshop with everyone in the afternoon.”

With only one sentence, Umi was able to bring a wide smile on everyone’s face –and Kotori can’t help but silently admire her for that. She would have loved to compliment her mentor, but she knows that it would have flustered her to no end, and she wouldn’t have continued :

“I know that you all like to paint and draw, and that’s why I wanted you here today. A few weeks ago, the watercolor painting was a success, you all had fun with that, so I decided to do it again today. With the colors of Halloween, of course!” As she says this, Umi places in front of each patient two plastic cups filled with clean water, one fine brush, one watercolor paper and a plastic palette with orange, black, brown, dark green, red watercolor paints, helped by Kotori and Hanayo. “I can give you other papers if you need them, but I’ll leave you this one for now. Remember to be creative! I am eager to see what you’re going to do. You can paint something real like a flower or else, or just go with something abstract.”

A few more words, and she finally lets them begin.

Honoka immediately picks her brush before she leans toward Tsubasa, almost making their heads touch, whispering, “Say Tsubasa-chan, what can I paint?”

The emerald-eyed girl turns to look at her dearest friend, their noses ready to brush due to their proximity –and they don’t mind ; it even feels more than comfortable, for them–, “I don’t know. Isn’t there something you’d like to paint?”

Honoka glances at the paper, suddenly lost in thought. She only looks back at Tsubasa the moment the latter places her hand over hers, “It will come naturally, Honoka-chan.”

“… You!” the ginger suddenly exclaims, happily beaming.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you! I want to paint you Tsubasa-chan, because I love you!”

While Tsubasa’s sparkling eyes considerably soften and show all the love she has for Honoka, Hanayo’s heart melts as she hears their conversation.

“I love you too,” Tsubasa whispers back, resting her head against Honoka’s.

“I just don’t know how it’s going to look like when I finish it, but well …”

“Just do your best, Honoka-chan.” She smiles and combs her ginger locks, before focusing on her own blank watercolor paper.

“I will!”

A soft smile graces Hanayo’s features, but it soon disappears when she looks at Kotori, who is discreetly nodding toward Rin. Rin, who is completely engrossed in her painting –and she is progressing very fast. Sliding behind her chair, Hanayo ever-so-slightly leans over her shoulder. Her lavender eyes widen, and she feels her heart breaking. In the middle of Rin’s watercolor paper is an orangey cat, whose eyes have a lighter orange color, whose pupils are barely visible, whose dark brows are furrowed, whose mouth is open, black, and it seems like Rin did her best to leave two white triangles to represent the cat’s fangs. It seems like the cat is raging mad, and hissing.

“Say, Kayo-chin?”

Hanayo instantly freezes –Rin hasn’t even looked up from what she’s doing, wetting the paper under the cat’s head, plunging her brush into the orange spot on the palette, before letting the orange paint spread, slowly drawing the cat’s body–, and the nurse’s heart plummets in her stomach. She feels bad, very bad ; she feels as if she is invading Rin’s privacy.

“Wh-what is it, Rin-chan?”

“Will that thing stop, one day?” Rin asks, her eyes fixated on the cat she’s currently painting.

If it’s even possible, Hanayo’s heart breaks even more. Rin is the type of patient who is very conscious of her condition. She knows that has something, and she knows that it’s the reason why she is temporarily living here. She knows why she must go to the medication room every morning, and why she must take her daily medication.

She knows that she suffers from dissociative identity disorder. And, as surprising as it can be, one of her alters –and the main– is a cat. And it is haunting and hurting her.

“R-Rin-chan …” Hanayo whispers, sadness written all over her face, “Of course, it will stop …”

“Right nya!” Rin twists her upper body a little and offers her friend a rapturous smile, “That’s why I’m here!”

“Indeed …”

“Thank you Kayo-chin, nya. I wanted to hear it from you,” Rin admits, her smile never fading.

And, without adding anything, the short-haired girl focuses on her drawing again. Hanayo bites her lower lip and walks over Kotori, whose amber eyes are silently asking her if everything is okay. The brunette can barely nod, before being caught off guard by someone opening the door.

“Oh, Erena. What are you doing here?” Umi seems as surprised as the two new nurses.

“I’m sorry for bothering you, Umi–“ Erena offers her co-worker an apologetic smile, “–but can I borrow some things, please? I would like to try watercolor painting with one of my patients.”

“Yes, of course. Here, I have a few palettes ready,” Umi says as she hands one to her maroon-haired friend, “And you’ll need a brush like that and two cups. And the paper, of course.”

“Thank you.”

“Erena-san!” Honoka butts in with a chirpy voice, “Is it true that we’re going to do a cooking activity this afternoon?”

A kind smile immediately finds its way on Erena’s lips, and she nods, “Yes Honoka, it’s true. I hope you look forward to it!”

“Yeah!” The blue-eyed ginger grins and loops her right arm around Tsubasa’s shoulders, almost hitting her in the face with the tip of the brush she’s holding, “Count me in! And Tsubasa-chan too!”

“Oh, don’t worry Honoka, I knew you’d come,” Erena giggles, “I’ll see you all later then. Have fun!”

And, with all the tools in her arms, doctor Toudou leaves the room. Deep inside, Hanayo has a feeling that Erena found a new way to help Anju express herself –and she hopes, for once, that she is right.

October 31st, 10:00

The activity came to an end a few minutes ago, and Umi is now looking at all the drawings she retrieved before everyone left. Well, except Nozomi’s drawing, as she insisted on wanting to give it to Elicchi –Umi still caught a glimpse of it, and was strucked by how beautiful it was. Indeed, Nozomi drew a garden full of flowers –lilies, to be more precise–, and the colors she used just … perfectly blended. For once, the turquoise-eyed girl didn’t put what was going on in her mind down on paper. She drew her feelings –and positive feelings, this time.

That is the reason why Umi loves organizing drawing activities with all her patients : first, they can be very, very creative, and they often come up with adorable ideas. But, more importantly, she loves this kind of activity because the drawings always say a lot about their artist. And when her patients become artists, it helps her see and discover them in a new light. After all, the drawings reflect their soul. It is very common for the patients to draw what they feel –whether it be positive or negative–, but also their deepest secrets, their deepest insecurities, and their deepest fears.

Just like Rin’s drawing.

Umi winces a little as she looks at the furious orangey cat. She slowly puts it on the desk in front of her, and lets out a small sigh.

Thank goodness we’re here for them …

[stunudo]

Technicolor

A Criminal Minds Fan-fiction

Featuring: Spencer Reid x Female Reader    

Setting: Season 11

Requested by: Anonymous

Warnings in the tags, A/N at the end.

Your name: submit What is this?

It was the blue of the scrubs on Grey’s Anatomy. The vague blue color that people generally refer to as “sky” blue. It wasn’t vibrant like robin’s egg blue or slightly toxic as cornflower blue always felt. It was simultaneously solid and unsubstantial a hue on the spectrum of all blues. This blue dropped your jaw, shut off your thoughts and changed the entire course of your future. The little line intersecting the generic horizontal strip was the blue of a positive pregnancy test.

You were with child.

What kind of absurd phrase is that? The English language is full of useless and uncomfortable words and expressions. Most of them outdated and dealing with socially awkward topics like menstruation and masturbation. You didn’t feel like you were with anything. You felt shell shocked. Then another color flooded your mind, a bright chocolate brown. The warm orbs that would be instantly enraptured with the tiny bunch of cells replicating inside you. Spencer’s excited eyes were the richest color you could imagine. It was then that the hope for that forming person sparked within your heart.

The pressed suits and the briefcases, the credential wallets and the wing tips. The streamlined professionalism of FBI black was notorious. Films were made and phrases were coined about the men in black. The secretive nature of the work elaborated into conspiracies by the media overshadowing the mind numbing details each case required. You wore a muted grey pantsuit with a saffron silk scarf around your neck for cheerfulness.

Hotch, the definitive agent, for the expression of FBI black entered the round table room more somberly than even his stoic norm.

“Everyone, I need your utmost discretion at this time.” Hotch locked eyes on every member of the BAU team. “At 8:17 this morning, a single shooter entered the Forest Glen School in Ellicott City, Maryland.”

Garcia stood, her red lips a grimace as she quietly stated the known casualties. “The principal was discovered by one of the assistants shot multiple times. The shooter seems to have a dedicated list of targets, as none of the others in the surrounding offices were shot. One administrator was knocked unconscious with the butt of the rifle.”

“Have any of the students been shot?” JJ asked stone faced.

“Not according to the latest reports.”

“Has anyone identified the assailant?” Morgan looked over the grainy stills of the security camera footage.

“He is a white guy, medium build, early thirties.”

“What age are the students?” You asked before Spencer could interject his statistics.

“Middle school.”

“So we have a school full of tweens who could panic at any moment.” Lewis muttered.

“According to the daily attendance and an estimated staff roster, there are an additional 430 potential victims.” Garcia dropped another harrowing fact into your laps.

“He is not acting like a school shooter or a vigilante. I think our unsub has a clear purpose. Garcia, start searching any parents or former employees with grievances against the principal and school specifically.” Your genius squinted into the provided rough floor plan of the school.

“Cross check that with a military or police background, this guy got inside without anyone noticing or stopping him.” Rossi added, his salt and pepper features accenting the wizened creases to this face.

“We are going to assist on site, Morgan and I will drive. See you out front in five minutes.” Hotch dismissed the team.

Spencer leaned down and collected the physical files while the rest of the team moved along after grabbing their tablets. His brunette curls sliding down to obscure him from your view. He wore a blue Oxford shirt with a dark gray sweater vest that nearly matched his pleated pants. How could the world exist in this paradox? In one breath there was a madman shooting up a school and in the next there was the absurdly long lines and soft angles of the man you married. A man whose hands knew only gentleness and dramatic expression. Spencer Reid, gentleman personified, was going to be a father and you couldn’t even tell him. Not yet. Not until this case was behind you all. And so you stood for an exaggerated moment in quiet appreciation of your husband and all he embodied.

The fall foliage whipped passed the tinted windows of the government issued vehicles. Marigold and tangerine merging as if into flames. It was oddly quiet in the cab, despite having four agents occupying the space that only two would normally. The taupe interior reflective of the muted atmosphere. Spencer mindlessly held your right hand in his left as he examined the exits and perimeter established by the local police. You weren’t focusing on the case, you weren’t focusing on anything. You traced gentle patterns onto his knuckles.

“You usually only do that when you’re trying to stay awake through one of my documentaries.” Spencer murmured without looking up.

You smiled at the image of you two cuddled on the couch instead of driving into danger, again. “I guess I am pretty tired, I only had one cup this morning.”

Spencer’s eyebrows jumped somewhere between shock and impressed. “Are you feeling alright?” His smirk, hollowed his cheeks. You rolled your eyes. Slyly he checked the rear view mirror in front of Hotch, before he stole a kiss on your exposed neck. You stifled the squeal he elicited, but the knowing glint in the Unit Chief’s dark eyes told you, he didn’t mind your barely hidden affections.

The dark vests were stacked in the back of the SUV that Morgan drove. Rossi handed them out as you inserted your communication earbud. The playground stretched before you, surrounded by a monumental blacktop. White painted lines indicated different courts and games, the silence and stark nature of the scene sent chills up your spine. Spencer held up his elbow, with a slight nudge of his chin, you rechecked his vest. Working together had always been part of the relationship; it was these unspoken routines that showed others you were a unit. The navy blue accented his outfit nicely, Spencer’s scanned the crowd of law enforcement surrounding the barricades from his higher vantage point.

You doubled checked your weapons and he rolled up his shirt sleeves. JJ and Hotch were talking with the locals, trying to keep the media out until more evacuations could be made. Rossi, Morgan and Tara were quietly discussing triggers for the unsub. This was Tara’s first case with kids in the line of fire; you found situations like this brought a new understanding to the term ‘clear and present danger’.

“We should be communicating by now. The most successful hostage negotiations begin within the first hour of stand off.” Spencer’s brow is furrowed, he is on edge. Not everyone would be able to tell that this pucker of his pink lips means agitation instead of concentration. You do.

“We aren’t dealing with a typical hostage situation. We’re dealing with an assassin or a bounty hunter.” You conclude, shielding your eyes from the crisp autumn sunlight.

The stone halls of the school were cavernous, the same multifaceted shimmer radiated from the floor and up the walls. The power had been cut, so the deep shafts of light from the vaulted windows gave the space an added hush of a library. The adrenaline coursing through you and your teammates was more fitting a boxing ring than a courtyard for four square. The children on the first floor had been safely evacuated. There were two classes whose rooms were left unchecked and two newly deceased victims.

The goal was to talk the shooter down and ensure the school was completely evacuated. You were set in two teams; Morgan, you and Rossi on unsub detail while Lewis, JJ and Spencer were set to secure the potential remaining students and faculty. At the first fork, stairs rose in both directions. You locked eyes on your tall husband before following Morgan’s sweat coated head. His face softened briefly, you blushed, damning hormones and distractions. You signed the American Sign Language for ‘I love you’ before turning up the south stairwell. He nodded and followed his team up the northern set.

It’s the dark ringed yellows of a negative, the darkness that isn’t black but cannot be defined as anything else. Your mind is protesting against the strain on your muscles, your shortish legs taking the stairs in two or three step intervals. The heartbeat is rushing through your ears, the comm device loose against your collar. You wouldn’t listen to their pleas to stand down, their calm voices trying to rationalize a retreat, a detour to find the students, anything to break your direct route to Spencer. To the perilous trap that his team had found themselves in. You were sprinting down the hallway faster than you had ever been clocked. The shadows overtaking you as your reached the final bend.

You were going to hide it in a book for him to find. The plastic cap secured over the test strip so not to sully any beloved pages. You couldn’t remember what he was reading last, but you were hoping for a classic like “The Origin of the Species” or “Fathers and Sons.” You hadn’t planned it out much beyond that.

You weren’t expecting to get pregnant right away. After the wedding and honeymoon costs, you both agreed to save for a house before actively trying to create a miniature genius. Sometimes crazy schedules make for inconsistent taking of medication, such as the pill. Your bodies worked, despite the exhaustion and stress of the BAU. In a moment of joining with the man you adored and who had sworn himself to you, not five months ago. Some part of him had truly become part of you. You held possibilities, impatiently, yearning to share those with the great calculator himself.

There was a man’s voice shouting at the end of the hall, a pale oak door swung limply, having been forced open. You steadied your pace and readied your Glock, JJ’s voice came wafting out faintly. “We— help you. Just put— no. Drop it!”

Shots were fired before you reached the doorway, the unsub’s body half blocking you from entering the room. You checked for a pulse before scanning the room. The old blackboards had been replaced with glossy whiteboards, giving the chaotic scene unfolding before you a clinical overtone. JJ’s voice was barking into her vest walkie, words that meant nothing when her hands were coated in scarlet.

Her golden locks flipped back and forth calling to you, calling to Lewis. Lewis had been shot in the leg, you should check on her. Spencer was with the two other female agents, they were meant to secure the students. Where was Spencer? It was then a ripping sound drew your glazed attention to a light blue Oxford shirt with a pooling stain, much like spilled ink spreading across the front.

“Y/N, Y/N talk to me. Y/N, he needs you right now. Can you do that?” JJ was pleading with you. You snap to it. You kneel beside your convulsing husband and take the sleeve that JJ ripped to try to stop the bleeding long enough to get paramedics through. You haven’t looked at him yet, you are following orders. You are disassociating like a trained professional. Or a sociopath. Whichever shoves her hand in her husband’s side and gapes at the warmth of his spilling blood.

Your hands are caked when JJ speaks again. “I am going to check the last classroom for survivors. The medics are on their way, powers back, so we can get a gurney up the elevator now.” JJ checks her cartridge before stepping over the bulk of murderer left at the door.

There were no desks in the room. There were bleached wooden tables cut into semi-circles. The chairs were splattered around the room like uncollected jacks. Spencer’s cool touch found your forearm, this was real. The gold of his wedding band shone against the anemic pallor of his hand. You closed your eyes, trying to dam the tears back.

“You were supposed to be clearing the remaining classrooms.” You bit at your husband. Spencer’s eyes flashed with the briefest confusion with your tone before shining with the challenge.

“And you were supposed to be talking down the unsub, we both suck at our jobs.” Spencer smirked, but his eyes were drooping.

“Well, can’t call it a day, yet, Doc. I need that big brain of yours.”

“Okay, shoot.” Spencer chuckled, nearly dislodging the makeshift bandage. “Poor choice of words, forgive me.”

You readjusted your position, you now straddled Spencer’s thighs, to give you equal pressure to the GSW. “Alright, so what the hell was this unsub’s deal?!”

Spencer’s eye sockets looked deeper than ever, the pink from his lips was fading. Every ridge of his chiseled face was accentuated. Somewhere behind him, you heard Lewis inching towards your huddled forms. “Y/N, Y/N can you hand me Reid’s belt?”

Your head snapped up, there five feet away was Tara Lewis sprawled out and bleeding from a lower thigh shot. “Oh god, Lewis, I’m sorry, I, shit!” Keeping one hand on Spencer’s wound, you undid his belt, clumsily.

“You pick the weirdest times to get fresh with me, Mrs. Reid.” Spencer’s voice cracked and his eyes couldn’t stay open.

“Yeah, well, just keep talking, Dr. Reid, you know how we like to hear you ramble.” You try to keep him engaged, try to keep him conscious. You have to roll his body to get the belt completely off, it was difficult, but Lewis had reached you to help. After securing her own tourniquet, Lewis took over for you. You shook your arms out and stretched before kneeling down again, cradling Spencer’s face in your lap. He was completely unconscious now. It was then the white shirts and metal frame of a stretcher burst through the destroyed door.

A nurse in stylized Mickey Mouse scrubs was washing your hands in a manila tear drop basin. Her teak hands were warm and steady, prying the flecks and remnants caked under your pale nails. It was a tender thing, letting someone take care of you. Vastly more intimate than a manicure; you felt child like. A memory of sitting on the lemon yellow toilet lid with a skinned knee and elbows flashed into your stream of consciousness. Those cloth band aids that caught every piece of fuzz and dirt one could happen across.

The nurse wiped some smudges from your face and neck, your outfit was destroyed, the outline of your Kevlar vest obvious for lack of splatter. Finally they were letting you into see your husband. It had been three hours of surgery before sleep over took your anxiety riddled body. Four hours of almost dreams and glimpses of memories before they woke you up to say he had pulled through. Thanks to you. No, thanks to Tara and JJ, you thought. Words were useless, arguing didn’t change the outcome. Spencer lived.

The sore joints from tension and sleeping in the mint coated hospital waiting room rocked through your bones. Waiting had been arduous, seeing the love of your life helplessly connected to a tangle of wires was a pitfall. Your aching body acted on its own, one foot in front of the other, closer and closer to Spencer’s unconscious body. He seemed so frail, his animated expressions hidden inside this cocoon. You placed your freshly scrubbed palm on his cheek, his natural warmth was returning. You blinked through the relief, taking his right hand in yours.

You stood there, whispering prayers of thanks to any heavenly entity who would hear you. The soreness in your bones had stretched into your lower back, yet you ignored it. The scuffle of shoes entered the recovery room.

“Mrs. Reid? His anesthesia will be wearing off shortly. Are you sure we can’t give him something for the pain?” You had begun shaking your head before the same nurse had finished speaking.

“No, he wouldn’t want any narcotics. He’s been clean for so long.”

“There are other options for pain management. A gunshot and surgery is very traumatic to the body, his heart rate would remain elevated and he might lose consciousness often.”

“What would you suggest?” You didn’t look her in the face, instead kept staring at the peaceful face of Spencer, the face before the pain returned.

“We can give him an epidural?”

“As in a spinal, like for labor and delivery?”

“Exactly, the same anesthesiologist can administer it once he is awake. It would numb him from the waist down.”

“We’ll talk about it, thank you.” You met her concerned hazel eyes, finally. They were shining, her brain firing along endless synapses. “Can I? Can I lay with him?” Your body felt suddenly heavy.

“Sure, just let me adjust his wires.” Her name was Simone, her nimble hands sorted and realigned each gadget, she worked silently and with care. Her long braid heavy on her small frame.

JJ entered Spencer’s room and found the couple asleep on the hydraulic bed. The slight beep of the monitors and their heavy breathing the only sounds that met her trained ears. She set Y/N’s go bag on the small coffee table near the solitary tan leather recliner in the corner. Her strong hands rubbed gently on Y/N’s arm, trying to rouse her.

Spencer came too first, the grimace hard on his features. JJ knew all too well that her best friend would have refused pain killers. “Hey, Spence, is there anything I can get for you?”

He took a second to gather his surroundings, absently patting Y/N’s head on his chest. “Just some water, JJ, maybe a nurse? I think I might need a change of dressing, it feels sticky.”

Y/N shifted as Spencer tried not to jostle her, the threadbare canvas colored blanket fell back and JJ gasped. Spencer’s face became alarmed. 

JJ had grabbed the call remote attached to the bedside, “We need a gurney in room 712…. no, not for the patient.”

The layers of red, burnt sienna, rust, deep auburn all layers of yours and Spencer’s blood mixing on the fabrics of your clothes, the rayon and cotton soaking and deflecting the viscous liquid in various stages. You nodded in understanding, the deep muscular ache was a familiar one, a regularly worked through pain. JJ had sat with Spencer once the doctor and nurses had readied an exam room. Your eyes glared at her, screaming ‘protect him’ from this. JJ’s fierce nature, the only person you would trust with Spencer during this time apart. The examine was over quickly, just like the pregnancy. You were allowed to shower and change once cleared. The bleach white towels in the private bathroom heavier than the innumerable hotel counterparts you had used in the three years with the BAU.  You were with child and now you were without. It had barely become a thought and it was taken from you. You sighed out a ragged breath, staring at yourself in the mirror.

You were without.

Two years later

Spencer patted the tuft of brown curls as he laid the tiny bundle into her bassinet. She was swaddled and breathing that reedy rhythm you had come to need as much as your own breath. She was perfect. Her tiny hands already showing strength and dexterity. You watched from the bed, the heavy shadows cloaking the exchange.

It was in the early morning hours that life’s colors became memories. The sepia tinged room filled with exhaustion and devotion. There had been many tears shed from that first pregnancy until these late night feedings. There would be many more ahead. But life had begun again, filled with the hope of a brighter world of tomorrows.

Request: “Could you please do an imagine where Spencer and the reader are a couple that work at the bau together and the reader gets pregnant but wants to surprise Reid and they go on a case together on which Spencer gets shot and the reader is left holding him and waiting for help and she gets a miscarriage, thank you I love you”  

A/N: Alright, so this request was pretty notorious when I first received it. I accepted it because I don’t get a lot of requests and it was content I hadn’t written before. It is rather detailed. Thank you for thinking of me and all the other people who turned it down (and if anyone else wrote it, I’m sorry I only saw the passes). I hope this covers all the angst the request suggested! I wanted to do something a little different style-wise. I hope you liked it. Also I am not a doctor, I am not sure if an epidural would be the first suggestion in this scenario, but I found it symbolically effective. xoxo Stu

[justjen523]

Siren’s Song

    (Fluff)

     MC singing one of her favorite songs in the shower. The gods however have never heard her sing and when they discover she actually has a beautiful voice become instantly transfixed drawing each one to her.

     It had been a horrible and long day at work. Everything that could go wrong did and on top of everything I missed the last train home and had to walk through the pouring rain. 

     When I walked in the door I practically threw my keys on the table and just immediately shed my soggy clothes. It was Fall and the chill in the air coupled with the rain left me freezing right to the bone. 

     “Ill warm up with some soup but first things first, I need a hot shower.” It was moments like this I was glad I lived alone. I could walk naked freely through my apartment and use up all of my hot water without having to be considerate of anyone else. 

     As I turned on the water and waited for it to warm up I attempted to brush out the snarls in the disaster that was my hair. After several curses and one almost brush chucking moment I managed to straighten out the rats nest that had formerly been my poor hair. Steam was filling the bathroom letting me know it was ready.

     The instant the hot water ran through my hair and down my back I let out a contented sigh. 

     “Mmm this is more like it.” After washing my hair, body and face I simply stood under the hot comfort letting the heat soak in. Feeling relieved and much more cheerful I started to sing the song that had been in my head all day. How I loved this song...

(Click here and wait for song to begin before resuming story for full effect.)

Meanwhile at the mansion...

     “Hey Dui, you should come see this new prank I.....huh? Dui what are you-”

     “Shhh. Listen. Can you hear that?”

     “Yeah, it’s beautiful. Someone’s singing?”

     “Not someone, it’s our ___.”

     “Whaaa?! For REAL?! I soooooo have to go get Teo! Be right back!”

*SNAP*

     “Teo! Come quick!”

     “Woah! Geeze Ikky! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack!?”

     “Is everything alright Teorus? I heard yelling as I was passing by.”

     “Hue! You too! Come to the reflection pool quick!”

     “And why would I do that? I’m not interested in another one of your-”

     “SERIOUSLY! YOU’RE GONNA MISS IT!!!!”

*SNAP*

     “Dui is she still-”

     “Yes shh.”

*SNAP*

*SNAP*

     “Alright what is it that-”

     “Hmm?”

     “Wooooow! Whoever she is she has a reallllly beautiful voice!”

     “See Teo, I TOLD you!”

     “Indeed. I am familiar with this particular song. Her voice isn’t too far off from the original artist.”

     “You would know about that kind of stuff Hue...”

*SLAM*

     “I’m trying to frick’n work here will you-”

     “Scorpio?”

     “W-What is that sound?”

     “Suuuuper beautiful right?”

     “Err.....y-yeah.”

*SNAP*

     “No one told me the party was in here....hey, what’s.....”

     “WOAH!”

     “Holy shit Aigo! You can’t just silently creep up on people!”

     “I wasn’t creeping, I was just following Lou....T-That sound....it’s making me...not sleepy?”

     “Do my ears deceive me or do I hear Adele?”

     “Partheno you are familiar with the artist?”

     “Absolutely! I mean who isn’t nowadays?”

     “Shhh! I want to hear ___!”

     “Wait what? ___?”

     “Hey. Why is everyone hanging out in here?”

     “Krioff, come listen.”

     “....? T-That’s....”

     “...beautiful.”

     “...annnnd now we even have Karno. This room is starting to feel awfully small.”

     “Yeah...looks like the only one’s missing are the Minister’s.”

*SNAP*

     “So this is where all of you delinquents disappeared to.”

     “Leon! Listen!!!”

     “There’s no need to shout I’m standing right-”

***

     Zyglavis stands wide-eyed and perfectly still as he peers into the pool at the enticing melody. ‘H-How...beautiful.....’ Almost as if in a daze he leans closer to the pool and when he finally discovers the origin he is astonished to discover the familiar surroundings. ‘___?’ Temptation to see for himself gets the better of him.

*SNAP*

***

     “Woah what?! Wait...Is that...Ziggles? Nooooo fair! I want to be there to hear it in person too!”

     “Ikky that’s probably not a good idea, you know how Zyglavis gets.”

     “Toooo bad! I’m soooo not missing out on this once in a lifetime chance! Seeee yaaaaaaa!”

*SNAP*

     “Well if he’s going so am I!”

     “Teorus...”

      “Byeeeee!”

*SNAP*

     “Me too!”

*sigh*

     “I suppose someone has to chaperone those three.”

*SNAP*

     “Pffft..even Hue? This I gotta see...”

*SNAP*

     “Leo wait up!”

*SNAP*

     “Aigo, shall we?”

     “Sure.”

*SNAP*

     “Later gentlemen.”

*SNAP*

     “I s’pose I should too. Uh, in case they me for somethn’.”

*SNAP*

     “Tch. I’m not going to be the only here.”

*SNAP*

     Once all twelve arrive in her apartment they wait quietly listening as the song comes to a close. It is the first time all of them have been in the same room and simultaneously silent in agreement for such an extended period of time. Her bewitching voice holds them all captive yearning to hear more.

     As the last of the warm water runs out I begrudgingly turn off the shower and dry off. Thoroughly clean and feeling a lot warmer my stomach begins to growl and I am immediately reminded of how wonderful that soup sounds about now. As I go to grab my robe I realize it’s not in the usual place.

     “Ugggggh.....that’s right. It’s in the wash.” Disappointed to have to make my way through a much cooler room to locate some clothes I take one more deep breath letting the steam soothe me. 

     Upon opening the bathroom door I step out naked as the day I was born only to find twenty four eyes staring at me in all my glory...

     “KYAAA!! .....W-WHY?! What are you all doing here?!!?!” Trying to cover as much of myself as possible with nothing more than my hands Zyglavis is the only one who moves quickly offering me his jacket to cover up with till I can make my way to my room and actually get dressed.

     I am surprised to find when I come back out none of them have really moved and now they are all simply looking at me expectantly.

     “Errr.....w-what’s going on? Why are all of you looking at me like that?”

     “Because goldie! You are soooooo amazing!”

     “Huh?”

     “It’s true! We have never heard your beautiful voice before, it was so wonderful.” Dui smiles at me affectionately from ear to ear making my face suddenly feel hot.

     “W-What?! You guys....were listening to me sing?!”

     “Stop yelln’ you’re ruin’n the moment stupid woman.” ‘What in the Heavens?’

     “Will you sing us another song?” Aigo of all the gods is nearly pleading with me and as awake as I have ever seen him in my life.

     “Yeah...pretty pleeeeeease?” ‘E-Even Ichthys?!’

     “We’ll do anything you ask.” Somehow when Partheno says that it comes across much differently than if one of the others said it. I can’t believe the way they are all looking at me. How could I possibly say no but I’m too embarrassed!

     “We finally all compliment you goldfish and you can’t even grant one simple request?” Great. Now that Leon has said that they are all looking impatient.

*SIGH*

     “FINE. ONE song and then you all go home! And no more spying on me when I’m in the bathroom! Seriously....” The entire room lights up with smiles and I can’t believe I am being practically forced to give the gods of the Zodiac their own private performance.

[happybeeme0514]

Pure Chap 13

Chapter 13

Weak

 “I said, eat the apple!”

Scorpio shoves the bright red fruit into my face as Ichthys snorts trying to hold back his laughter.

“Scorpio, I’m not—”

“You are so hungry. Was that not your stomach I heard just now?” Even though I’ve been getting better, I still haven’t had much of an appetite; I’ve been eating things like bread and soup a lot lately. I thought I was doing fine, but…

“You should feel grateful, Eden,” Leon says from his position sitting in the chair across from us, a small smirk on his face.

“Apples are the scorpion’s favorite food, and he’s willing to share it with you.”

“Shut it, lion!”

After snapping at Leon, Scorpio turns back to me.

“Take it. Now.”

“Alright, alright, jeez,” Rolling my eyes playfully, I take the apple from Scorpio, who finally relaxes and sits back against the couch. I bite into it. “Mm!”

I haven’t tasted an apple this fresh and juicy in my entire life! Maybe it’s because I’m hungry, but I scarf it down within minutes, leaving just the core of it. When I glance over at Scorpio, he seems pleased.

“Do you want something else, Eden?” Ichthys asks me, his eyes bright. “I know! Let’s all have her try our favorite foods!”

“Can’t do mine,” Huedhaut says from the bookshelf across the room. “My favorite Earth subsistence is wine and Eden is seventeen.” I make a face.

“That’s really all? Wine?”

“Hue’s an alcoholic,” From my other side, Teo elbows me playfully.

“I am not.” Huedhaut says.

“Let’s see,” Ichthys says. “I like taiyaki, Dui likes cherries, Teo likes anything with milk…Scorpio likes apples, Leon likes meatballs—”

“Meatballs?” I repeat, turning my gaze to Leon, who glowers at me.

“You have a problem with that?” He asks. I swear I can see pink dying his cheeks.

“No, not at all.” I reply with a smile.

“Karno likes spicy food, Krioff likes ice-cream…and Aigo likes marshmallows, right, Teo?”

“Yeah.”

“‘Kay. I have no idea what Partheno and Lou like, though.”

Ichthys snaps his fingers, and all the food the gods like appears on the coffee table in front of us; cherry pie, apple crisp, meatball subs, spicy chicken fingers, and s’mores, a cheese plate, strawberry shortcake with marshmallows on top, yogurt, and so much more.

I smile a bit.

“You don’t expect me to eat all of this, right?” I ask.

“What you don’t eat, we will,” Teo says as he reaches a hand out to grab a bowl of some sort of pudding.

“What’s that?” I ask him.

“It’s milk pudding. It’s really good, try it.” He hands me the bowl and grabs another for himself.

The rest of the gods swarm around the table, save for Tauxolouve, Partheno, and…him, who are all in the Heavens. There’s only two couches and one chair, so Karno, Hue and Krioff all sit on the floor, and before long, the room is filled with cheerful voices and the sound of clattering dishes.

“Hey! You didn’t ask for the last piece!” Scorpio snaps at Ichthys, who sticks his tongue out at him.

“Relax, scorpion, we can always make more,” Leon rolls his eyes and snaps his fingers, making more apple crisp appear. Before Ichthys can even think about it, Scorpio snatches it up from its spot on the table and sets it in his lap.

“Hey, I wanted to try some!” Karno whines with an adorable pout on his face.

“Too bad.”

“Here, Karno, you can have my piece,” I say, handing down the small plate to the god sitting in front of me.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yep! I’ve had it before, so I can go without.” He smiles brightly at me.

“Thanks, Eden.”

“AHH-HA-HA! Hot, hot, hot!” Ichthys sticks his tongue out and grabs a glass of milk, downing it in one gulp while Scorpio smirks.

“That’s what you get for taking my apple crisp.”

“What even happened…?” Aigonorous asks, lifting his head from the armrest of the couch and blinking his eyes sleepily.

“Ikky ate some spicy chicken fingers thinking they were regular ones,” Teorus says with a laugh. “He can’t stand spicy food.”

“If’s so goo thoo,” Karno says through a mouthful of apple crisp.

“Maybe to you!” Ichthys whines as he frantically fans his scorched tongue.

“Here,” Krioff takes a spoonful of ice-cream and flicks it at Ichthys, aiming for his tongue, but hitting him in the eye. I can’t help but laugh aloud.

“Ack! What the hell, dude?” Ichthys cries as Dui hurries to help him clear his eye off.

“Sorry,” Krioff says while trying to hold back a laugh. “I wasn’t aiming for your eye.”

“Looks like you need to work on your aim, Krioff,” Karno says as he reaches across the table for some spicy chicken.

“I’m gonna get you for this!”

“Come at me, bro.”

Taking his words seriously, Ichthys snatches up the chicken Karno was reaching for and beams it at Krioff; it hits his face with a dull slap. “Ah! Gross!” Krioff hurriedly scrubs at his face with his jacket and throws a glare at Ichthys, who smiles mischievously.

“Come on, I wanted that…” Karno moans. Poor guy just can’t seem to catch a break.  

“Alright. You wanna act tough? Let’s go!”

Krioff reaches across the table and grabs a plate holding a piece of cherry pie and smashes it against Ichthys’ chest, smearing red all over it.

“Hey!” Dui cries. “You crossed a line, there, ram!”

Dui grabs a bowl of milk pudding and slaps it over Krioff’s head, causing the light, whipped food to go running all through his hair and down his face. Of course, Teorus jumps in.

It’s not long until a full-out food fight has been started.

Meatballs and bits of pie go flying around the room. We even pulled Leon in after someone accidentally splattered cherry all over him. A chicken wing slaps Aigonorous, who just blinks sleepily before leaning his head back down onto the arm of the couch and drifting back off again. Someone flings chocolate ice-cream across the table, nailing Scorpio in the face, and he rockets over top of it, tackling Ichthys and grabbing some taiyaki to smear on his face. All I’m really doing is sitting where I’ve been and laughing, occasionally getting hit with flyby food.

When I glance to my left, I see that Leon and Karno have turned on each other, throwing any random food stuffs they grab at each other with smiles on their faces, and when I look to my right, Dui, Teo, Hue, and Krioff are all wrestling around on the floor, covering the carpet with messy food as they move.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

A new voice interrupts our food fight, and all eyes turn to the doors to see Tauxolouve and Partheno standing there, staring at us with eyes so wide they take up most of their faces.

“You guys…” Partheno whispers, but then trails off and looks at Tauxolouve. They bust out laughing.

“Shut up and join the fight!” Krioff shouts, and, as if waiting for that cue, Ichthys launches the full strawberry shortcake at Partheno and Dui beams the full s’mores plate at Tauxolouve.

“Ack!”

“Ew!” Both gods shake as much as they can off themselves before turning their gazes to us. Then they both smile.

“Oh, it is ON!” Partheno yells before diving into the fray, followed by Tauxolouve.

This fight won’t end soon.

 A few days pass. As I’m studying for my last major test in bio before finals in May, Scorpio comes into the room looking more somber than usual. “What’s wrong, Scorpio?” Ichthys asks, taking a break from fiddling around with my math book.

“Ah…” He seems to stumble on his words and looks at me in a silent apology. I frown.

“Scorpio, it’s alright,” I tell him. “What is it?”

“Well…Zyglavis is coming to the mansion tomorrow.”

I stare silently at him.

“Eden,” Ichthys murmurs. “Do you want to go out tomorrow? Maybe—”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I interrupt. “I mean, it’s not like he’s my ex or anything. It won’t be a problem.” Scorpio looks at me doubtfully, but nods anyway and turns to Ichthys.

“He’s coming for a status report from all of us. All gods are to be gathered in here at four in the afternoon tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

With another silent nod, Scorpio turns and exits the room, leaving me with Ichthys.

“You know, Eden, you really don’t have to stay here. You could hang out at Lorraine and David’s until the meeting’s over.” I shake my head.

“I can’t do that. What if the dark king attacks? I don’t want to put Lorraine and David in danger.”

“Ah. Good point…”

I look back down at my bio, but decide I don’t want to study anymore.

 I watch the clock anxiously. I don’t know why I’m doing it, but I just can’t seem to tear myself away from the ever-ticking hands. Three-fifty-four. Has time ever moved so slowly? The gods slowly file into the parlor.

“Do you wanna stay in here, Eden?” Partheno asks me as he sits down beside me. “I mean, I know that you and Zyglavis are at a kind of…awkward stage.” I snort a bit. We aren’t at any stage. I haven’t seen Zyglavis in over a month, and even though it feels like forever to me, I doubt he thinks anything of it.

“I’m fine.” I whisper, not trusting my voice.

Three-fifty-nine.

The only gods missing are Leon and…Zyglavis.

Through the closed doors leading to the back hallway, I can hear voices. One I recognize as Leon’s, and the other…the deep, smooth voice, one I know so well, one that actually causes pain in my chest to hear it…is Zyglavis’.

My heart leaps in my chest as nervous butterflies shoot AK-47s in my belly. I close my eyes and try to consciously regulate my breathing, but I only succeed in making my anxiety worse. With an inward groan, I slump back against the couch. Ichthys gently pats my leg.

Four o’clock.

The doors open, and Leon walks in. He says something to everyone, but I seem to have blocked all noise out. I don’t look up. It’s hard for me to look at Zyglavis as he follows Leon silently into the room, and I discover that it hurts to even be in the same building as him.

“The dark king has been spotted all over the area,” Karno tells Zyglavis, who listens silently. “He’s doing something… unsettling. It’s like he’s figured out how to block us out for the most part. We have no idea what he’s doing, other than the fact that he keeps showing up wherever…she goes.”

“There’s going to be a fight soon, that’s for sure.” Scorpio adds grimly.

Beside me, Ichthys nudges me and whispers, “Eden, you’re going to break your skin,” I glance at him, then look down at my hands. I see that I’m digging the nails of my right hand into my left, and stop, yanking them away from each other. I didn’t even feel pain, but my skin is red and irritated now.

I sigh, and stand up, intending on going into a different part of the mansion so I don’t have to be in Zyglavis’ presence. I can sense his eyes on me as I move to leave, but I only stare at the floor, keeping my lips pressed tightly together.

However, when I reach the door leading to the entranceway of the mansion, the hair on the back of my neck stands up, and my footsteps slow. “What is that?” Ichthys hisses, sounding as uncomfortable as I feel. I look around frantically, trying to find the source of what’s making all of us uneasy, and then, I notice a shadow on the floor, a shadow of a man.

Only there’s nothing there to cast that shadow.

The shadow slithers across the floor like a snake and slowly rises to form an actual man only a few inches from me. I gasp, my eyes widening, and I stagger back.

This is the same man from my nightmares, the same being that’s after my life. The dark king.

In a millisecond, Dui and Ichthys are with me, standing protectively in front of me, tensed and ready for a fight, Leon also comes to stand beside me, one of his hands wrapped around my wrist, and the other gods pull themselves to their feet, ready to jump in front of me or at the dark king. Zyglavis slowly approaches, his face a terrifying snarl and his hands balled into tight fists.

The dark king looks around at the gods, smiling insolently, and then his bright, menacing red eyes land on me, and that smile widens.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Zyglavis growls, the sound almost coming from his chest rather than his throat. The dark king glances at him before looking back to me.

“I just came to see her,” He says, his voice sickeningly saccharine. “I have a little message for you.” He tells me.

“She doesn’t need to hear it,” Leon says, his tone strong and powerful. However, the dark king doesn’t falter. He just turns more smug.

“Oh, I think she does,” My heart is pounding hard against my ribcage, goosebumps forming all along my skin. Anxiety swirls about in the pit of my stomach, and my knees are wobbly. It’s all I can do to stay standing. Leon’s other hand comes to the small of my back to keep me upright. “You really ought to have kept better tabs on your little family.”

My eyebrows twitch as a stab of dread shoots all through my body. “What…?” I croak. And then the evil being says, happily, the words that I was praying not to hear.

“I have your precious aunt and uncle.”

My knees buckle, and I begin falling to the floor. Leon quickly catches me and holds me steady. The room is spinning. It feels like I’m going to throw up. Lorraine…David…

Suddenly Zyglavis is in front of the dark king, grabbing at something solid under the mist and slamming him up against a wall. “They have nothing to do with this!” His yelling voice vibrates against the walls, against my bones, and sends a chill down my spine. The dark king just smiles jovially, like a little boy.

“Sure, they do,” He easily pushes Zyglavis away, a malicious aura forcing him further away. “Think wisely, little human. Your beloved family, or you? Do you want to lose another set of parents? Make the right decision.”

That’s why…He wants me to sacrifice myself in place of my aunt and uncle. And he knows I’ll do it, because I could never stand to lose another set of parents.

“You will never have her!” Zyglavis snaps. He looks closer to a rabid wolf than a god now.

“We will keep her and her family safe.” Leon agrees. Even his voice is irate. The dark king just smiles.

“We shall see.”

And then he’s gone.

 After he leaves, I break.

The floodgates open and I sob hysterically, my head pounding and my stomach turning. Leon picks me up and sets me on one of the couches, Ichthys and Dui sitting on either side of me. Zyglavis stands beside the coffee table Leon is sitting on, his hands clenched so tightly they’re shaking.

My stomach twists, and, thinking quickly, Dui grabs a wastepaper basket and shoves it in front of me right as I vomit. It’s more dry-heaving than anything, seeing as I haven’t eaten much of anything lately.

“Lorraine…David…” I gasp. “Because of me…they’re…!”

“Shh,” Dui hushes me gently, rubbing my back. “We won’t let anything happen to them,” I shake my head, bumping the sides of the tin basket I’m still leaning over.

“That’s not the point! They should never have had to be involved in this! This all my fault!” More broken sobs escape my throat, and I gag again.

Dui continues rubbing my back, and Ichthys pulls my hair back for me even though nothing is coming out. A few minutes of silence save for my sobbing fills the parlor, and after I decide I won’t throw up anymore, I pull away from the basket. Dui sets it aside.

As if waiting for me, Leon leans forward and clenches the tops of my arms. “Look at me,” Even though he’s speaking unusually strictly, demanding I obey, I can’t. I keep my head down. “Look at me!”

I swallow tightly, and force myself to obey.

When I see his eyes, I’m taken aback. They’re smoldering, determined, and his face is rigid with resolve. “Who do you think we are? Do you think we’d let anything happen to any of you, your family, you, the rest of the humans?” He asks me. My tears keep falling, but I’m able to keep my sobs at bay.        

“None of this is your fault. It’s the dark king’s. It’s evil’s. You are perfectly innocent.”

I stare silently at Leon, my lips trembling.

“Leon,” Zyglavis speaks up after a moment of silence.

“We need to form a plan of attack. The longer Lorraine and David are in the underworld the worse off they’ll be. Dui, Ichthys, go to the Heavens and alert the king of the situation. And Eden,” I blink, and turn my tear-filled gaze to look at him.

“Come with me.”

He moves smoothly, like water, and scoops me up into his arms, turning to leave the room as Leon goes to the reflecting pool room, Dui and Ichthys heading for the door to the Heavens.

When we reach Zyglavis’ room, he sets me down on his bed and kneels in front of me, grabbing my face so I can’t look away. “We will be heading to the under realm for your aunt and uncle. Two gods will hang back here to keep you safe in case this is a trap. I will not let anything happen to you or your family. Do you understand?”

“But what if you get hurt?” I ask, my voice fragile. “I could never live with myself if any of you get hurt because of me. Especially you. Zyglavis…you can’t go.”

I know what I’m saying is irrational. This is Zyglavis’ job, his whole purpose in being with me, even if he’s stopped actually being with me. He’s supposed to keep everyone, not just me, safe. But I don’t want him to leave me ever again. I can barely stand to not have him beside me while he’s alive, so what would happen if he died? And to add insult to injury, if he died because of me…

“Eden. Do you think I’d let someone like him take me down?” He asks me, smiling softly. But that smile doesn’t reach his eyes. I shake my head violently.

“I don’t want you to leave!” I cry, nearly screaming. “Please don’t go!”

“Eden…”

“If you lose your life because of me…if you die…I could never stand it. I love you too much!”

A part of me realizes that I just told Zyglavis I love him, but I can’t help it. My feelings are pouring out in a desperate attempt to keep him here.

“You can’t leave me, not again! You can’t walk away from me into the fire like that. I don’t care if you never see me again, just as long as I know you’re alive…I don’t care! But please don’t go! Please!”

“Eden.”

In the next instant, Zyglavis’ mouth is on mine.

I gasp, both in surprise and because I’m sobbing again. His arms go around me, holding me tightly to him. It’s hard to breathe, but I don’t care. His lips move over mine, kissing me gently, but desperately. He’s worried. It’s so easy to tell. This kiss isn’t the first kiss of two people who care about each other and want to show it, it’s the last kiss of two people who care about each other and know that they won’t see each other again. It feels like a hole is being punched through my chest.

As a fresh wave of tears slide from my eyes, I throw my arms around Zyglavis’ neck, wrapping them as tightly as I can, trying to force him to stay here, to make this moment last longer. However, after a moment, he forces me away, keeping his hands on my shoulders to keep me from lunging back to him.

“I have to go,” He whispers, clearly distraught.

“No…”

“Eden, I will never let anyone hurt you. Remember that.”

“Zyglavis!”

He straightens up and hurries for the door, closing it and locking it from the outside before I can run to try and stop him. Fruitlessly, I yank and bang on the doors. “Zyglavis, don’t go!” I scream. Through the door, I can hear his fading footsteps.

“Zyglavis!”

I slide down to the floor, my shoulders shaking violently as I howl in pain. This isn’t fair. None of this is fair. It feels like I’m a curse, like everyone I care about will always be in danger because of me. First my parents, now Lorraine, David, all of the gods, and the man I love, Zyglavis. And I’m so powerless to stop it.

The hole in my chest rips wider as I cry.

 Tauxolouve and Aigonorous came to the room after a bit and asked if I wanted to come sit in the parlor, but I just silently shook my head. That was fifteen minutes ago.

I’m just sitting in front of the doors in Zyglavis’ room, curled into a ball and holding my sides tightly. It feels like if I don’t I’ll rip in two, and it’s easier to breathe that way. The other two gods stand outside Zyglavis’ room, guarding me, but they weren’t too happy when I told them I wanted to be alone in here. Worry has a solid grip on me, distorting my vision and pressing my brains in. Worry for Lorraine and David. Worry for Dui, Ichthys, Leon, Karno, Huedhaut, Teorus, Krioff and Partheno.

And worry for Zyglavis.

It’s killing me. It hasn’t been so long since the gods left the mansion, but it feels like an eternity. I want so badly to hold Lorraine and David, to lay in between them in their bed like I did when I was little, just to see their faces again, to know they’re safe. My eyes are squeezed tightly shut, my fingers curled into my palms so tightly I can feel them breaking the skin. But the only pain I feel is on the inside.

I hate how weak, how…human I am. I want to be strong enough to protect those I love, especially when I’m the one who put them in danger to begin with. To keep from screaming in frustration and pain, I rock back and forth.

Suddenly the air in the room electrifies, and I slowly lift my head, my eyes blurred from the tears and being pressed into my knees. In the center of the room, there’s a small, strange sort of rift, barely four feet long and only two inches wide. Shades of purple, blue, red, and orange swirl about inside it. I frown.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know what it is, but I can’t put my finger on it. It doesn’t feel threatening; rather, it I get the feeling that that will lead me to where I so desperately want to go, even if I know it’ll end in my own death. My throat dry and my head pounding, I pull myself to my feet and slowly make my way over to the rift.

I reach forward and hesitantly stick my fingers into the small opening; it immediately expands to fit my precise figure. I have no idea what this thing is or what it does, but that feeling grows stronger. I’m willing to bet this thing will take me to the underworld, like a portal of sorts.

I swallow tightly and take a deep breath, hesitantly reaching my foot into the swirling colors of the rift.

It immediately sucks me in.

After being sucked into the rift, it spit me out a few feet from the ground in a dark, dank, and decrepit new environment.

The air is heavy and stagnant. It’s all I can do to breathe. Tauxolouve and Aigonorous don’t know that a portal opened up in Zyglavis’ room, so they don’t know I’m gone. Mentally apologizing to everyone, especially Zyglavis, I force myself to my feet and go forward even when it feels like the air is being sucked from my lungs.

This world is hot, humid, and in ruins. The sky is a sick purple color, pieces of old structures scattered to and fro. Pressure squeezes my body, making it feel like someone is pressing me down. I think gravity is somehow heavier here.

As I slowly make my way around this decrepit world, I notice a huge, imposing castle that’s mostly standing, its big metal doors slightly ajar. That must be the dark king’s palace. Wheezing, my vision blurring, I stumble as quickly as possible over to the doors. If what the dark king said is true, if he really does have Lorraine and David, then I will do anything to keep them safe. If he doesn’t…well I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.

My shoes make scratching noises as I shuffle along the filthy floor. As I trudge forward, I think about my life. I had always thought that when I die, it’d be because of something stupid. Falling off a cliff, accidentally setting the kitchen on fire, something like that. I never thought that I’d go marching into my own death of my own volition. But if it’s for my family and friends, I’d do anything. I’ll never let anyone hurt those I love. Ever.

“Ugh…” I moan. It’s so hard to breathe.

“Edie…?” A small voice echoes throughout the large, empty room, and my eyes turn up to see Lorraine and David, tied up and staring at me with wide eyes.

“Guys!”

I force myself to run over to them.

Once I reach them, I stagger and collapse. It feels like someone has an iron tight grip on my lungs, like my ribcage is being torn open. I cough violently as I try to catch my breath.

“Edie!” Lorraine cries.

“Baby, why are you here?” David demands, looking as angry as he can through his obvious exhaustion.

“I-I had to…to come,” I wheeze as I hold a hand to my rattling chest. “If I didn’t…he’d kill you! I won’t…let anyone…hurt you…Not you…” As I utter those words, I erupt into another violent coughing fit.

“Eden, you can’t be here!” Lorraine exclaims. “Go home! Don’t worry about us!”

“Edie, we couldn’t live with ourselves if something happened to you,” David adds. When I look at him, I can see that they’re both on the verge of crying.

“David…Lorraine…” I gasp. “You two…raised me. Since I was four. If giving my life…will save you…then I’ll do it. I’ll do anything… if it means keeping you safe.”

Suddenly there’s a maniacal cackle behind me, and before I can turn around to see who it is, I’m knocked to the side, landing in a pile of thick dust.

“Edie!”

“Silence.”

Right as I’m pulling myself up, I hear the snapping of fingers, and my eyes dart over to Lorraine and David, who are both slumped over with their eyes closed.

“Guys! What did you do to them?” When I look up at the owner of the voice, the man who was just at the mansion, smiling at me as if I’m an old friend he hasn’t seen in a long time.

The dark king.

[nolongerbeneaththemoonlight-a]

Osamu Dazai

If you haven’t already, meet Osamu Dazai, past Demon of the Port Mafia and current agent of the Armed Detective Agency. Let’s explain him a bit, shall we? I’ll be using a lot of help from the BSD wiki, just so you know~

Basics:

Osamu is a suicidal maniac, but we all love him. Because of this, suicide will be a large part of this blog. 

He has an ability called “No Longer Human”, where he can nullify the abilities of others with a simple touch. This ability is always active, and he can’t turn it off. All he needs is skin contact to completely turn off someone’s ability, and after he pulls his touch away, their power is inactive for another 2-7 seconds.

Appearance:

As the BSD wiki states, Dazai is a handsome male with mildly wavy, short dark brown hair and narrow dark brown eyes. His bangs frame his face, while some are gathered at the center of his forehead and fall just above his eyes, sometimes hanging over his orbs. He is quite tall, standing at 5′11″ (181 cm) and slim in physique. For his attire, Dazai wears a long sand-colored trench coat, the belt of which he leaves untied. Under it is a black vest over a striped dress shirt that is light blue in hue. He wears a bolo tie, which is held by a brown ribbon and a turquoise pendant. He also dons beige pants, dark brown shoes, and has bandages wrapped around his entire body; only his face, hands, and feet are left uncovered. The reasons for the bandages are yet to be discovered canonically, but I have my own theories which will be stated below.

Back when he was in the mafia (or in his Dark Era Verse), Dazai wore a dark trench coat that reached under his knees. He also wore bandages over his right eye and his right arm is in a sling. At some point, he was able to regain the use of his right arm, as evident when he was 18 in the anime. 

Personality:

Dazai’s true personality is hidden from view, only those very close to him knowing the real him. He hides behind a funny and cheerful mask at the ADA, but on the inside he is lonely and in constant mental and emotional pain.

Osamu is a very mysterious and intelligent man, and he never tells anyone his plans until he deems it necessary. He is secretive and manipulative when working, willing to kill and injure others in order to get his way. However, he still cares strongly for his teammates. His plans are all very clever and well thought out, his intellect matching even the most dangerous of the ADA’s enemies, but he acts as if these plans of his were nothing much.

When he isn’t being serious with a case, he seems very lazy and goofy. He does whatever he wants, opting to walk around town or find new ways of suicide instead of doing his actual work.

He is a suicide maniac, as stated before, and often tries to commit suicide in comical manners. However, while his suicidal tendencies are initially comedic, they reveal a truly dark deep hole that Dazai has and believes he cannot fill. 

Back in the mafia, he was much colder and darker than he is now. Thanks to joining the ADA, he is now humorous and playful, as well as having developed a soft side.

In the past, while he was still suicidal, it was shown to be far less comedic. He really tried to die many times, but somehow, he could never actually succeed. He believed he could fill this hole and find a reason worth living for if he lived a life of bloodshed and war, but Oda convinced him to join the good side. In addition, he was extremely brutal and methodical, setting up traps to catch captives alive to torture the of information and often beat Akutagawa for disobeying orders and in order to push him to the limits to improve his abilities. He was extremely confident and was a terrific planner, coming up with long run strategies to subdue his enemies. 

Past:

Here’s where things get different and mostly headcanon based...

Dazai was an orphan like Atsushi, and was beaten and ridiculed like the weretiger as well, but less harshly since Dazai’s ability was hardly as costing as Atsushi’s. However, his torso is still littered with scars from his childhood, which is why he wears bandages on his torso as well as everywhere else. At the age of 13, Osamu ran from the orphanage. He survived for a few months on the food he scavenged from the orphanage and the scraps he managed to find on the streets. 

After a year of living on the run, Osamu grew tired of living like this and saw no point of living anyway. Humanity disgusted him, the world was cold and uncaring. And as a child with nothing but a hatred for the life he was living, he saw no problem with ending it all.

So, he fell from the top of a ten story building. However, he landed on a bush that was acting as landscaping for the building, which cushioned his fall but scraped up his body. He tumbled from the bush onto the ground, breaking his arm in the process and leaving him bleeding and tortured by his own pain.

Osamu was found by Ōgai Mori, a doctor at the time, who took him in as his protege. When Mori killed the boss later that night and became the boss of the Port Mafia himself, Dazai was there as his only witness.

Osamu quickly became the youngest executive of the Port Mafia, becoming an executive at merely 16 years old and being a living legend within the underworld of Yokohama. He was partners with Chuuya and became the “Criminal Underworld’s Worst Enemy”, and earned the title of Twin Dark.

Dazai fit in perfectly with the evil Port Mafia, and was ruthless in his methods. So how did he become a good guy? His closest friend, Oda, requested on his death bed for Dazai to join the good guys and become someone who saves people. And so, he did as Oda wished and left the Port Mafia. He was 18 years old.

For two years Dazai went into hiding to cleanse his records before he joined the ADA, which was suggested to him by Taneda Santouka. His friend Ango helped him in this endeavor, and he soon joined the ADA. It is said that during those two years, Dazai was a drunk who spent most of his time in his favorite bar. 

Dazai’s entrance exam was the Serial Disappearance of Yokohama’s Visitors Case, which he completed with his now coworker, Doppo Kunikida.

Misc:

He is a major goofball and loves to mess with people. This includes Chuuya, any of his coworkers (especially Kunikida), and in some cases, his enemies.

He is a huge flirt and will flirt with anyone, even a trashcan (probably). He is a huge bi disaster, but he rarely ever feels anything when he flirts. However, if he knows someone and actually does have feelings for them, it’s hard to tell if he actually cares or is just playing them. Even he doesn’t know for sure.

Verses:

~ı ċåṅ‘ṭ Ŀıṿє å ṅọŗṃåĿ Ŀıғє; ı ẇåṡ ŗåıṡєԀ ɞʏ ṭһє ṡṭŗєєṭṡ~ [Beast AU] — To be honest? I know VERY little about this AU. It’s the light novel, right? I’ll read it and update this later lol.

~ı‘ṃ jȗṡṭ Ŀıҡє ʏọȗ!!; ʏọȗ‘ŗє jȗṡṭ Ŀıҡє ṃє!!~ [Twin Verse] — This verse is specifically for other Dazai rpers who, like me, LOVE twin AUs?? Osamu and Osaka (my Dazai) were the Demon Twins of the Port Mafia before they left. Never separated, always humorous, these twins love causing havoc and joking around with each other. They may no longer be demons of the Port Mafia, but now they are tricky little imps in their own way. Chuuya and Kunikida, beware~ When it comes to a twin verse, my “twin” will have the same backstory as yours unless stated otherwise. This is to prevent confusion with differing headcanons and backgrounds. 

~ẇє‘ṿє ɞєєṅ ṡƿєṅԀıṅɢ ṃọṡṭ ọȗŗ Ŀıṿєṡ Ŀıṿıṅɢ ıṅ ṭһє ɢåṅɢṭṡå‘ṡ ƿåŗåԀıṡє~ [Dark Era] — This takes place in the time between Dazai being 14/15 to 18. He’s an executive of the Port Mafia, partners with Chuuya, and training Akutagawa. Not much else to say here.

~ı ẇåṡ ṅєṿєŗ ŗıɢһṭ ғọŗ ṭһє һєŗọ ṭʏƿє ọғ ŗọĿє; ı åԀṃıṭ ıṭ~ [MHA Verse (Osamu)] — In this verse, Osamu is a teacher at UA. He wasn’t always a teacher, as he used to be a leading part in the infamous villain group/mafia, the Port Mafia in Yokohama. However, he left the Port Mafia because a dear friend wished him to, and made his way to the leading hero school in all of Japan, UA, to become a teacher. Of course, no one but him knows of his past... He is now the teacher of 3-A in the hero course. (Read more here!)

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[momentsofmendes]

Do ya? Part One

“Do you remember your first big heart break?” “First, last…latest. Yeah that sort of pain never really leaves you. You’ll know what I mean about that one day.” I answered her. “Latest? Ah.” she smiled at me knowingly. “What?” I laughed. “I wondered why you were suddenly free and eager to come over here on vacation.” “It’s not a vacation, as you yankee-doodles say. It’s a holiday. An eight week long holiday which I am using to forget the boyfriend that just left me. We lived together, so I’m now homeless until I start university in approximately 10 week’s time.” I tried to sound jovial about the whole thing, was pushing the whole ordeal to the back of my mind and trying to focus on the positives which were a) a whole summer in New York with a friend b) freedom c) I was finally starting university in September - about four years behind the rest of my friends who had always known what they wanted to do. I hadn't been so lucky. I had to venture out in the scary world of work to discover what I really wanted to do with my life. “Guessing you don't want to talk about it, but I really want your advise. I haven't even had my first kiss yet and its so hard to meet guys. Especially now that I’m in college, they all want one thing.” she rolled her eyes. I loved that she still had something innocent about her. He had yet to experience a lot of things, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She hadn't experienced the heart wrenching experience of someone leaving you, falling out of love with you. I had one guy I was seeing for a few weeks cheat on me with one of my best friends. The funny thing about that ordeal was that if she’d just told me in the first place I would have told her that I wasn't that interested in him. We haven't spoken since. “One of the positives of this break up is that I can now put the money I saved for a house towards university. 10 weeks to go.” I raised my glass. “To new beginnings, and to my stories putting you off men forever.”

~

Vanessa’s idea of cheering me up was steering a semi drunk me to what looked like a concert venue. “Who’s playing?” I asked. “I cant tell you.” “I need to know, if its someone hot you’re supposed to throw your knickers at them in appreciation. What do I throw at this person?” The knicker throwing was an old saying, pretty sure it was something my mum’s generation did back in the Rod Stewart days. She laughed, a bubble forming from her nose. I erupted into uncontrollable laughter in unison. “Throw whatever you brits throw at each other.” “In that case I need to crack into my emergency tea supplies and load up on ammo.” I dug around in my hand bag before I came across what I was after, not really sure why I had packed them in there and not my carry on, and pulled out my box of Dorset Tea. “I’m sure that this mysterious person will appreciate my efforts as I’m sure they too recognise how hard it is to get a decent cup tea here. “You’ve been in the country for four hours.” she laughed. “Precisely, I’m gasping.” It quickly became apparent that the person who's concert we were attending was a big deal, the queue outside extended way down the street. “You don't mind waiting here while I grab the tickets from over there do you?” she pointed towards the end of the line and then over to the box office. I shrugged. “We love to queue.” She didn't get that I was making a joke, but I didn't expect her to either. I observed the other people in the queue, a mixture of ages and both men and women. All were dressed pretty normally, no band shirts in sight to give away who it was. I wondered who she liked and tried to work it out. It couldn't be one direction due to the current hiatus and the fact that the queue was relatively calm and not awash with screaming teen girls. She came back over a few moments later which surprised me, brandishing what looked like VIP passes. “For you.” she said, passing me one of the neck worn passes. “Wow, fancy. Where do you get the money for this stuff?” She tapped the side of her nose and whispered. “My dad’s in the garbage disposal business.” “I think I’ve worked out who it is, and he is definitely going to appreciate my tea bags.”

~

“Give me love like her. ‘Cos lately I’ve been waking up alone.” We sang along loudly, every word felt like it was stretching my lungs to capacity, and by the end of the concert I was hoarse and a little dizzy and hot from being packed in so close to everyone else in the crowd. “There’s a bar in the VIP area, I’ve been here before.” she guided me through the crowd, most were dispersing out into the foyer of the venue to go home, but not us, oh no. Vanessa was resourceful. I’d have to ask what she meant about her dad later on, it was probably an inside joke that I didn't get, just like she didn't get so many of mine.

“So what is a cheeky nandos? Ed mentioned it between drunk and don’t.” “Why don't you ask yourself?” I giggled, pointing in the direction of the very bar we were heading for that she had turned away from to question me. “He’s right there.” “I can’t!” “Why not? Take a tea bag with you for a conversation starter.” I was half joking but thought it would actually be the sort of thing he might find funny, or at least memorable. I could imagine him going on the Graham Norton show and being questioned about the craziest things fans have ever done, giving him a tea bag in a New York concert venue had to be up there with some of the craziest things he’d ever experienced, surely. “Fine but I’m approaching it from the ‘my friend is a crazy weirdo from the uk that carries tea around in her purse’ angle.” “Fine but remember, never put the milk in first.” I shoved her in Ed’s direction, watching closely as she tottered off towards him, her heels making herself head and shoulders above most in the room, she really didn't need them. I positioned myself at the bar and looked at the tender, wondering if he was going to ask me for ID and if he would accept my UK driving license as proof enough of my age, or whether I should have brought my passport with me. I ordered a cocktail, something with a weird name, it was the only thing on the menu without a rude name. “You don't look old enough to be drinking.” the voice came from behind me, it was accented but not one that I could place. I was terrible at recognising regional accents. I knew for sure that he wasn't from Jersey like Vanessa, she had a very memorable twang to her voice. I turned and looked at him. Tall, slim but well build, very handsome with dark brown hair that quaffed up at the front, and a strong jaw that wore a goofy smile. I sized him up. “Neither do you, does your mum know you're out?” “She does actually, she’s here.” he laughed. The tender came back with my drink and I turned fully to the guy and held out my hand. “I’m Elle.” “Shawn.” she shook my hand, somewhat awkwardly which made me feel like a nutter for even offering it. “Which one’s your mum then?” I asked, sipping my drink. It was fruity, and way too sweet. “That one over there.” He pointed then laughed awkwardly. “She’s a brit too.” “Ha that’s funny, I didn't expect to meet quite so many while I was over here. I was here for some escapism.” “She made me come over because she noticed you getting teabags out and giving them to that very tall girl. Looks like she's making a big impression on Ed by the way.” I leaned onto my tip toes and peeked over his shoulder at Vanessa, who was in hysterics, as was Ed, both bent double. “I knew that would work.” “Are you from the same place as the tea?” I shook my head, snapping back to our conversation rather than spying on my friend over his shoulder. “Yes - well where the brand is from. Tea isn't really grown in the UK, everyone knows its all imported. We like to pretend that we invented it though.” “You’re kind of funny y’know?” he smiled at me, a really big smile and I went all melty. Forgetting that I had vowed to be a boy free zone for the rest of my life, or just the next three years while studying. “Funny looking?” I probed. “Definitely not - you’re hot.” “Wow you american guys are forward…” I laughed, widening my eyes. “I’m Canadian.” his cheeks gained a blushed hue and I smiled. “My apologies, I don't have a good ear for accents - and all I know about Canada is hockey, maple leaf, moose, cold, Justin Bieber…” I laughed awkwardly. “Well Elle. I’d like to give you a lesson if you have time. How long are you on vacation for?” He looked hopeful, reaching into his pocket and fishing out a phone. “I’m on holiday over here for 8 weeks, pretty much the whole summer. Do you live here?” I asked. “At the moment.” he nodded, running his hand through the back of his hair, making it stick up even more. “I’m doing some work here, a uh project.” “You’re old enough to work?” I joked. “Hey - I’m probably no younger than you are. You’re what? 19?” I laughed. “Try 22. You’re 19?” “18 - but I’m very mature for my age.” he assured me. I wouldn't have been able to guess that he were only 18 if he hadn't said anything. He had soulful dark brown eyes that seemed older and wiser than their years, like they had really seen the world and had a story to tell - I liked that. “I’m sorry to dash Shawn but I think my friend just did something embarrassing and needs a swift escape. I’m going to go and save her.” I smiled, touching his wrist, the hand that still clutched the phone. “Wait - Elle. Can I- Can I have your number?” I took the phone from him and typed my number in, ensuring to include the +44 prefix at the beginning and advised him to whatsapp me so that I didn't get a horrendous roaming bill from O2 higher than my student loan. He just smiled, shaking his head lightly with a suppressed laugh. His parting words as I brushed past his shoulder were “She’s different.”