#How To Remove Deep Dirt From Skin And Coat

[apollodeath]

Playing Prey

A/N: this is about reader playing a game that König and reader have already set rules to at a later time. So everything is consensual.

MDNI

18+ ONLY

Warning: consent off screen? Like they both agree and love this game but it gives off dub/con non/con, breeding kink, size kink? And Dacryphilia. Predator/prey kink. Unprotected sex

König x fem!reader

Reader is mostly referred to as you and some feminine pet names. Also V anatomy.

You’ve always played this game with König, today just seemed more exciting because König started the game by whispering in your ear this morning

-

“Maus… do you want to play Prey…” his voice was deep and his accent was thick in the morning air. His game proposal made chills spread over your skin your nipples hardening from the sensation.

“Yes..” you answered softly. He smirked kissing your lips then your cheek down to your jaw and then landing on your neck to nip your skin and softly suck; bruising you softly, his hands started tracing your body. “When?” You asked knowing the place you always played was a trail in the woods behind your house. You knew the woods like the back of your hand and was already thinking of the places to hide.

“After lunch?” He questioned. He moved away from your neck staring/admiring your eyes.

“Okay, yeah.” you smiled at him softly but your mind raced with dirty thoughts.

-

All morning you’ve been at the edge of your seat waiting to sprint out the back door into the woods while König began to give you his 5 minute head start. You knew when the game started, cause he’d come up behind you, lay a kiss on your head and then set his phone down in front of you with the 5 minute timer counting down.

But today was so different he said he wanted to take a ride to somewhere new... You had to cover your eyes. He insisted. You sat in the passenger seat with your legs squished together feeling yourself nervous yet, secretly leaking with excitement. Your thumbs played on your lap.

“Nervous?” He asked, you knew he sat driver still his voice made you jump. Maybe it’s the blacked out mask that shields your eyes from any light at all or maybe the sudden hand on your bouncing leg.

“Y-yes” you feel your heart race.

“Scared already?” You could hear the smirk on his lips you didn’t need to see his face to know he got a kick out of the feeling. The feeling of making you feel small and fragile.

“Yes, König.” You looked down but it was just staring into the dark feeling the road under the car, his hand on your thigh and the soft air from the a/c blowing “are we almost there?” You asked your voice coated in nervousness.

“We..” you feel the car turn and the road gets bumpy underneath “are actually here” he states.

He stopped the car after about 10 minutes on the bumpy road “okay, süßes mädchen… mein süßes Reh” he spoke softly, deep voice and in his native language you knew meant he was calling you a dear his prey.

His finger brought your hair to his nose sniffing your scent. “Remove your eye mask…” he watched you take it off and look around at a forest that isnt familiar at all. It’s more green and thick hardly any paths and this dirt road separates two heavily wooded sides. You only drove so far in and the car is pulled to the side, off the road, yet it looks like you’re lost in the middle of it.

“How much time?” You ask looking around, your heart is racing and you’re already slightly wet between the legs, your eyes go back to him sitting beside you.

He holds his phone up it reads “9:59” and starts counting down.

You swing the car door open and slam it behind you sprinting into the woods, fast… well as fast as you can the unfamiliar trees slow you down as you keep looking back to spot the car getting farther away.

‘Faster!’ Your brain thinks getting scared you’ll turn around and see him there. König is fast, faster than you. When you two play Prey at home you rely on hiding spots to get away from him, it’s no surprise he can out run you, he’s so b i g.

You haven’t stopped running and your breath is heavy and your legs are feeling the slight burn you see a little bush and fallen tree that looks like a good place to rest it’s out of site from every angle, you rest in the middle trying to calm your breath but also listening to your surroundings.

Your breath catches in your throat when you hear a car door close. You know it’s him and you aren’t nearly far enough plus the top of your ‘hiding place’ is open he’ll be able to see right in. You get up and start running again slightly turning to head in a different direction.

König sniffs in the clear crisp air of the forest, his own heart beats feel like pounding in his chest, his excitement is turned into energy. His eyes are darting at his view, he smirked.

König’s dirty mind thought of the last time he caught you the sunset had fallen on you two and he found you curled up under a pine tree, because of how dark it was you figured he couldn’t see you as easy, your mistake, he locked eyes with you and to his surprise you froze in fear and the look you gave him made his cock drip pre-cum and throb in his pants.

He shook the feeling off feeling his cock slowly twitch as he looked at the open forest. Not even being able to hear you running… you must be far. He’s impressed. He drew his hood over his head and he felt like the killing machine he is.

-

You found a ton of trees and bushes all together and what made it better is the leafs covered the top, you crawled in and noticed you only had the one exit. You kneeled catching your breath once more ‘He’s probably so close’ you thought knowing he wasted no time looking for you and he didn’t need breathers, his hunger to devour you fueled him. You tried looking through the branches but the bushes were too thick to see out, which was good but also bad. You wait a could seconds listening for him, you don’t hear anything but the occasional bird.

You slowly poke your head out looking everywhere, seeing nothing. The sun was in golden hour painting the trees in warm colors.

You then bolt further into the woods, you see that rocks are coming up and the sound of running water. You run up to it and the tiny river is just three steps wide so you act fast, sprinting through it and on the other side you see more rocks and some trees more like the paths at home. Your eyes scan for a second spotting a tiny little cave in the ground/hill you go to it sitting in it it’s covered and also just rocks and moss inside you had survival mode on but in all seriousness it was survival against König never a passing thought of wildlife.

You stay longer here time had past and you’re just listening, you’ve found a great spot.

‘He probably doesn’t even know this cave exists.’

‘Has he even passed the river?’

‘Was I supposed to stay on the other side of it?’

‘Did he go the other wa-‘

Your thoughts are cut off by the sound of König’s boot snapping the twigs as you once did while running into this cave.

‘He’s found me…’ you thought your heart jumped and everything in your body said freeze but you knew you had better chances if you ran again. But how close is he? Will running be in vain.

You felt like time stood still as you made a break for it you were going fast but everything felt in slow motion as you started running but looked back seeing his back to you.

‘he wasn’t even looking in the right direction! Why did I run?!’ You thought but just kept running even faster only turning back to see him facing you just standing there you internally screamed knowing he was gonna start running after you.

You were ducking and diving in these trees just trying to hide your tracks finally finding a dark enough place as the sun had reached the point where it was hard to see clearly. The colors were muted and your clothes were black that made it easier to blend into the wet dark ground.

You squatted behind a tree catching your breath and then heard his heavy foot steps running and you cupped your mouth in your hands to silence your breathing and your body froze as he runs right past you. You watched him get farther and your heart skipped a beat but no time to think you got up and ran the opposite way back where you came. Pass the cave, through the river and you get back into the little covered hiding spot from earlier, now it was even harder to see out.

‘I might win’ you thought, you never had won before but if the sun set completely we call it off and both head to the car… or that’s what we’ve said before.

‘I wonder how far he’s running’ you thought but looked down noticing a cut on your leg. “Shit” you said in a whisper and licked your finger wiping the blood and dirt off, it wasn’t bad so you shrugged it off but your body froze hearing him. He had the audacity to whistle.

His foot steps are close, too close to run.

“Did you think you’d win?” His voice broke the silence. It was deep and heavy as he had been running.

You covered your mouth frozen ‘how?’

“I told you millions of times… my dear… give yourself more than one exit.” He stepped in front of the opening all you saw were his boots to the tops of his knees. He slowly squatted locking eyes with you his hood masked his whole face except his eyes, of course. Something about his mask made you feral. He slowly got down on his hands and you slowly pushed yourself back deeper in putting your back against the tree, a feeling ran it’s way down your spine to your core making your pussy coated in your own slick. He smirked under his hood, his eyes glimmer and his energy gives off dangerous. A real predator.

You watch and for what feels like an eternity you stare at one another, the air still. Your heart beat so fast that you feel like it’s not beating at all.

He lunges forward coming into your hiding place and grabs your ankles dragging you closer, you fight, but he’s stronger pinning you down and ripping your clothes off leaving you defenseless, vulnerable, naked in an unknown forest. As you try pushing him off he just unzips his pants releasing his massive cock slick with pre-cum, his tip is deep pink, begging to be pounding inside you. You buck your hips trying to get him off of you, it’s a sorry attempt. He’s stronger and has so much training from his job it’s impossible. Your feel yourself wanting to be ruined, fucked until you can’t remember your own name, but you can’t let him have it so easy.

“Tsk tsk tsk now you are trying? It’s a bit too late for that mein süßes Reh” He teased. Mocking how easy you were to find.

“You almost didn’t find me!” You tried thrashing “when I was in the cave!” you struggle saying it because his left hand is on your throat/chest and his right hand holding your left wrist to the ground so tightly you know it’ll bruise.

“Is that right?” He teased more. Slightly chuckling to himself.

His legs are in between yours and he skillfully brings his leg up and separates your thighs with his, pinning your legs wide open.

“Let. Me. Go” you say every pause being an attempt to move him with your free hand. You wanted him to fuck your brains out but you knew the fight made him for violent and hard. You loved the feeling of his heavy body on yours, the slight pain that came with it, the mocking, teasing made you feel weak and sometimes made you cry out of defeat but it only made you wetter.

“Oh?” He looked down at your pretty, soaked cunt. “You sure you want me to let you go?” He leaned over meeting you face to face you could feel his breath hot on you even from under the mask “you look s’slick mien Maus, you smell hot and sweet…” he leaned to your ear whispering deeply “good enough to eat.” He said through tightened teeth. With that said he shoved in your tight hole his cock stretching you out fast, making you yelp out of shock but also it was instantly pleasure filled your whole body. You bit back a moan and let out a shaky breath in its place.

He bit his lip hard as he tried not to spill his own cum already. You were so wet he glided right in no hitches just a slippery, velvety cunt he loved. His cock was plunged deep, his balls rested on your ass. He held back a soft groan but starts a soft whimpering pant.

“König!” You screamed knowing in the forest no one could hear you no matter how loud you moaned or screamed. He pinned you to the ground harder as he thrusted fast and hard. His breath heavy matching yours. His moans and your own moans mix in the silence. Every thrust is a grunt. He has sweat building on his chest and back, his shirt clings to him. The sound of your bodies colliding again and again sounds so intoxicating it fills the space in.

“How scared were you…” he pauses in your tight cunt twitching and throbbing against your walls. “… when you saw me… at the cave” he wouldn’t admit it but he was buying time, stalling… he felt his orgasm at the edge and he knew if he didn’t slow down he’d meet his end.

“Very scared, please stop!” you said ‘stop’ which meant don’t stop please keep going. You felt your own climax begging to be released but you held on wanting more pleasure.

“I’m gonna fill you with my cum… So no one else can have you” he growled leaning his face to rest in the crook of your neck he began thrusting again this time getting deeper in you his hands held your waist tight as he pounded into you the sound of slapping skin echoed louder then before. You let your head back into the dirt feeling your eyes shut tight as he fucked the orgasm out of you, you held back as mush as you could; you were getting to the edge fast and nothing helped. You griped on his shoulders and back scratching him slightly though his shirt blocked some of the damage, your legs lock around his waist and your eyes roll back as your climax hits and you squeeze his cock with your walls.

“Good girl.” He says in a breathless tone he feels himselfs get to his own orgasm but he fights to keep it at bay still pumping in you. It being a bit harder cause your pussy is so tight and pulsing, basically milking him.

“Please… please cum in me” you moan and whimper your request. He leans back on his knees to watch your face as he fucks you.

“I’m gonna breed you over and over as much as I want my dear” he growled.

You began to cry from overstimulation you tried closing your eyes but your tears flooded leaking on to your cheeks

The simple site of you crying and whimpering made König bury himself deep in you and release his load of several white streams. He moaned as his cock pulsed inside you, his toes curling in his boots and his back curling towards you. Resting his face on your chest/neck he lets his breath fall hot on your skin. He’s panting like dog.

He slowly pushed himself up still in you, he’s looking down at your puffy eyes and glistening body and slowly rocked his hips against you to stuff his cum in you. König pulled out and a single string of cum followed but he took his finger and wiped it and stuffed it back in you. You shook from the sensitivity. He looked up at you still catching his own breath licking his finger clean.

“how did you find me?" you ask after a few seconds.

König laughs "lets go home Schatz”

A/N: hopefully not too many errors/typos I wrote it purely cause I’d love to play this “game” with him he’s so hot and the fear of him running behind me gets my heart pumping arffrjsjsjns ANYWAY thanks for reading 💕

Part 2 here!

[millie-multifics]

Proverbial Dark Clouds • Part 2

Major John Egan x Reader

A woman finally snuck her way into the heart of eligible bachelor Major John Egan, he is all too soon reminded of why he fended off love for so long.

Warnings: Gory descriptions of injuries, angst, plane crash, cheesy behaviour.

Word Count: ~1.6k

Masterlist Part 1 Part 3

x x x

Pain and heat was all you could feel. The plane had nose dived into the dirt, its impact sending chunks of metal and glass through the air in a fireball explosion. The seat you had braced your body against was torn to shreds and regretfully the planes two pilots had perished in the destruction.

But you were thrown from the wreckage upon impact, soaring through the sky like a damn eagle, body harshly landing in the dirt with debris falling down around you. Your head hurt, blood pouring from your hair as your brain beat against your fractured skull. Lacerations, broken bones, bruises and burns adorned your body like a twisted form of art. You were sure you would be screaming if you could, the pain throughout your body being too much to bear but it was stuck in your throat, only a few tears escaping as you willed yourself to move even just a finger.

You were alive, unsure of how long that would remain with the injuries you had sustained in the middle of enemy territory.

Curt was dead, and Dickie.

Before events had taken a turn for the worst for your crew, you had seen other planes exploding in the sky, some falling from the air trailing fire and smoke.

You hoped the rest made it to their destination, you hoped Gale and your John weren’t suffering your same fate.

Picturing his face brought you a semblance of peace. Your pain fading as your skin tingled, feeling the rough finger tips of your Johns hands running over your skin to soothe your aches and worries. For a moment you cursed the forces that had brought you together only recently, an unlikely pair but very likely all together; the quiet girl who had learned all of her lessons the hard way falls in love with the rambunctious, handsome Major who refuses to settle down. Any thought of settling down with John would just be a fairytale now, one that only the stars would know. Your heart aches and for a moment you are unsure if it’s caused by your injuries or the thought of him receiving the news of this tragedy, losing his friends and his love in one foul swoop would undoubtedly break that good mans heart.

Your flight to England had been more eventful than it was meant to be, the plane carrying you and a few other nurses had to make an unexpected stop in Greenland after engine troubles

The pub you had found yourself in was mostly empty, a few soldiers sat at the bar and the ladies you were travelling with were sitting on one of the sofas while you sat at a table in the corner. It wasn’t that you hated social interaction, listening to the ladies chat excitedly about traveling to England and all the handsome soldiers they could potentially meet was all they ever talked about and you had already received your harsh dose of the realities of war. Going to England only meant you were one step closer to brutality and destruction.

You glanced as the door opened, expecting the pilot of your plane but finding a small flock of soldiers- judging by their lamb skin coats they were pilots of some kind.

As the last one entered, he shut the door behind him, softly nudging the sticky bottom hinge with his heavy boot before he turned to take in the cozy pub. As his eyes scanned the room they stopped on yours, holding eye contact with his deep grey ones for as long as you let him before you glanced down toward the knife etching on the worn wood of the table top. Slowly, you lifted your head to observe the man as he approached the bartender. The small smile he wore, teasing, nearly considered a smirk seemed so natural on him. Upon removing his hat to reveal his dark hair, a few strands fell down his forehead with a curl. There was no denying that he was pretty, and you were sure he was a charmer which meant you would stay as far away from the man as possible until your pilot returned with news that the plane was fixed and ready to complete the rest of the journey.

“May I offer you another drink?” The new voice had startled you. You had been sitting in the corner for so long in your own little reverie, tracing the markings on the table that you hadn’t noticed the man approach. It was the handsome man from before, standing in front of you with two large glasses of beer and a reassuring smile.

“I’ll have to pass on the drink,” You mentally cursed yourself for this, he was handsome and you would like to talk to the man but nothing good would come from it. “I’m expecting to be back in the air any moment.”

“I’ll assume that it was your plane on the field with half an engine in pieces? I hate to break it to you sweetheart but you are going to be stuck here for quite a while longer.”

Sweetheart. You had always disliked pet names, many of them sounding sleazy coming from intoxicated soldiers but there was something about the Major that didn’t make your skin crawl when the endearing term left his lips. You had taken note of the rank and medals pinned on his jacket as he stood in front of you.

“Of course you don’t have to accept the beer but please allow me to keep a beautiful woman such as yourself a little bit of company.”

The Major had sat for hours at your table, finishing both beers himself and bringing you a tonic when he snuck off to the bar for another drink. He had been sharing stories of his time in training, seeming to cause some sort of trouble every step of the way and when your sweet laughter was thwarted by the appearance of the pilot reporting the plane would very soon be ready to go, John felt the overwhelming need to see your bright smile one last time.

“Stay for one more song?” He had asked, his eyes shining from the pub lights and his intoxication. “You haven’t heard me sing yet.”

“You can sing?” You questioned sceptically, backing up in your chair as the man quite suddenly climbed onto the small table top. You heard him request a song from one of the other men, avoiding the unappreciative stare of the bar owner while he waited for the song to play.

“We’ll meet again,

Don’t know where,

Don’t know when,

But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”

His rendition of the Vera Lynn song was very much more loud and boisterous, using his volume and enthusiasm to drown out her voice from the jukebox. You grinned up at him as he jumped off the table, reaching toward the Narwhal Tusk displayed on the wall. The soldiers sung along with him as he used the tusk as a microphone, tossing it from one hand to the other when the bar owner tried to reclaim it. You watched from your seat as he hopped up onto one of the sofas, skipping along the cushions before he leaped onto the next to evade his pursuer.

“So will you please say Hello, To the folks that I know. Tell them I wont be long, They’ll be happy to know, That you saw me go, I was singing this song.”

The soldiers lifted the Major above their heads until his boots landed on the nicely polished bar top. Many of the men had drank their weight in liquor in the past few hours and were enjoying the performance just as much as the Major was performing it.

“We’ll meet again, Don’t know where, Don’t know when, But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”

John finished his performance with the Narwal tusk held to the top of his head as if he were a unicorn to mock the bars owner who had yet to catch him in the small, crowded space. He smiled at you, so big, bright and proud, making it was impossible to hold back your laughter at the downright silly behaviour the handsome man had displayed for you.

“Alright you’ve had your fun. Give me that!” The bartender pulled the tusk from Johns grip, sending him a stern look as he warned him to remove himself from the pub before he filed a formal complaint against the officer. John followed the angry bar owners orders, sending you a wink while he grabbed his hat and flight jacket from the hook beside the door as left the pub.

You found him waiting outside, leaning against the wall, hoping he would catch you on your way out.

“That was quite the performance, Major.” You complimented.

He grinned, flicking up the brim of his hat to better inspect your features, now that you were outside in better lighting. Still undeniably beautiful. “It wasn’t too much?”

“I mean it was a little over the top. Was breaking that poor mans prized Narwhal tusk necessary?”

“Narwhal Tusk? I thought that was a unicorn horn.” He joked, extending his arm for you to take. “Why don’t I walk you back to your plane?”

“I think I’d like that Major Egan.”

“It’s my pleasure, sweetheart.”

“How many of us made it?”

“Eleven out of twenty one?

“What about Clayton? Any chutes?”

Gale sighed, thinking about all the men they had lost. “I didn’t see any.”

“Yeah.” John paused, feeling his heart pounded in his chest, afraid to ask his next question. “And Curt?”

“I don’t know.”

[urfavfakeblonde]

cₑᵢₗᵢₙgₛ

JJ Maybank x fem!reader

tw: blood, knifes, use of the word whore a lot, bondage(non-consensual)

My screams are muffled by the cloth in my mouth, tears soaking the edges of it. I feel another slice on my back and jolt forward, the knife going deeper than the other cuts. Pain shoots through my spine body from the many cuts, bruises, cigarette burns on my skin.

For a moment, it stops, and I rest my head down onto the bed, my cries even more muffled by the blood stained sheets. The cloth in removed and I shut my eyes, feeling everything. Fuck, my body hurt and he wouldn't let up. "I told you to stay away from that Maybank boy! You’re such a fucking whore, and whore's need to be taught a lesson." I felt a burn on my back and screamed, thrashing around, trying to escape the ropes that held my hands to my feet. "Please, I'm sorry!" I cried through the cloth, tears coating my cheeks. Another burn, another scream.

"Whores are never sorry." He growled, cutting the rope that bound my feet and hands together. My hands still tied behind my back were lifted up as he shoved me forward to my mirror, already smashed, not able to fully see myself in the cracks. "Look at you! How can my own daughter be a whore?" I started to say something but he moved in front of me and pushed me onto the bed. He wrapped his hands around my throat and began to squeeze. I tried to scream and thrash my body in hope of him removing his hands, but he stared into my eyes with no remorse. Was JJ really worth this? If I kill myself would anyone care? My father would rather kill me than let me be happy. Fuck, what if I get through this and JJ see's me and is gone forever? He'll blame himself and leave. It was only when my eyes started fading to black that he let go and my thought’s subsided. I coughed and cried as he stood up, saying something that I couldn't hear behind the ringing in my ears. He left the room and I could feel the front door slam shut.

When I woke up, it was morning. Early—the sun was just beginning to rise. I sat up and winced at the pain. My hands were still tied behind my back, and my attempts at getting them off failed. I sniffled and stood up, falling over a bit before glancing in the mirror. There was dry blood all over my body, accompanied by cuts and bruises. Cigarette burns littered my body, only being in my now bloody white undergarments. I stumbled to my door frame and looked down and a broken beer glass. I bent down and grabbed it, already cutting the palms of my hands. Tears fell down my face at the pain of trying to cut the ropes from behind. When they finally fell to the floor, the glass did the same as my hand fell onto the wall for support. Blood painted the walls as I stumbled out of my house, tears falling off my chin with gasps and falling deep breaths. Thank God John B lived just down the street. I walked down the gravel road and hoped that no one would drive by. When I reached the Château, I saw John B and Sarah talking on the steps. I tried to yell, but my voice got lost and my tears just made it harder to speak. When I got closer, Sarah looked up and I could see her gasp. My legs were shaking and I gave up on walking. My bison was all burry from my tears— my body giving out on me, my knees sinking into the dirt. Sarah and John B ran over and started asking me questions but all I could hear was him. Whore. How can my own daughter be a whore? Whores are never sorry. My face buried into John’s neck as he lifted me up and carried me quickly into the Château. I looked at Sarah and wanted to speak but I just couldn’t. I groaned in pain as he set me down on the table that Sarah had just cleared off, and Sarah started crying, moving m6 hair from my face. I could feel her holding my face in her hands as my eyes shut.

“JJ! Kie! Wake up!” John B shouted, shaking JJ awake.

“what the fuck is happening?” Kie groaned sitting up. She glanced over at the table and her eyes went wide. “Holy shit! JJ!” She shaked JJ hard and he groaned. She got up quickly and ran to the other side of the table. “Sarah what the fuck happened?” JJ’s eyes went wide as he got up quickly and ran to me. “What the fuck!?” John B came back with a first aid kit, and Kiara stared getting gaze out from it. JJ started getting tears in his eyes as he cupped my face gently. “Y/n/n? Y/n? Wake up, please” he spoke like a prayer.

“John B get me some water!” Kiara said as he was finding a bowl. He came back quickly and Kiara put her fingers to my neck, checking for a pulse. “Do we call 911?”

[cottoncandyangeltwink]

Saint Peter x Overlord OC

Fallen Angel AU! There are a couple other of my OCs mentioned throughout and I will have art of them posted soon as well as rough summaries of them

TW: blood, needles and IVs, implied/referenced sex, violence, mentions of death (does get kinda dark), these characters are adults in Hell just expect that really

7.5k words

Tony walked through the deserted streets of Hell, listening out for any signs of life, angel or otherwise. He ran a gloved hand through his hair, the soft black and yellow striped mullet blowing gently in the breeze. Extermination Day was coming to a close as dawn approached, most of the angels had already returned to the portal above, satisfied with their slaughter. The demon shook his head at the sight of so many slain sinners, continuing to scan the area in case of a lingering exorcist.

“P-Please...” A faint voice caught Tony's attention immediately, sounding very strained and panicked. The demon glanced around, finally spotting the source of the cries. A red hand was reaching from underneath a pile of rubble, weakly clawing at the ground above. Thanks to his large frame, he lifted the debris from the person with ease, quickly uncovering-

“What the fuck?” Tony froze in shock as the person is revealed to be an angel, nearly unmistakable with the feathery wings, pale features and golden blood. What took away from his angelic appearance were the apparently new horns sprouting from his forehead and the skin of his hands and forearms being a deep scarlet. Not to mention the state of his wings, the edges were charred and feathers kept falling off, turning to ash as soon as they hit the ground. A large golden stain had spread cross the angel’s back, the dirt from the rubble made it difficult to tell where and how he was injured.

The angel weakly lifted his head, clearly in agony from every movement, his eyes widened in sheer terror at the sight of Tony, fresh tears forming. His body clearly had zero strength left, even if he could move, there was nowhere for him to go. Tony thought for a moment, the chaos going on around them, the seclusion of this one spot. No one can see them, no one would know. What will he do? His honey colored eyes stared down at the angel, seeing the pain and fear in his scarlet ones. Tony sighed deeply, accepting whatever comes his way for his next actions.

Quickly, he removed his coat and draped it over the injured form, before Tony carefully scooped the angel into his arms, taking off into as close to a sprint as he could manage without further damaging his rather delicate parcel. Each step was agony for the angel, jostling him around in Tony's arms, but there's no other way to get him to safety. Not anymore. Luck seemed to be on their side however, as dawn had finally arrived, the portal to Heaven had closed. All of the exterminators were gone, and with all of Hell still hiding away, there was nothing to get in Tony's way.

Hearing the angel’s pained gasps and whimpering for the majority of the run had Tony concerned with his situation, but it was when he went completely silent that sent a jolt of terror to the demon's heart. Without stopping, Tony summoned a ghost bee to check the angel's vitals. It seemed he had just passed out from the pain. Sighing with a rush of relief, Tony kept the bee in place and pushed his legs to carry them faster, beginning to smell the saccharine perfume of his territory approaching.

Finally Tony had reached his home, blasting past everything and nearly tearing the doors off as he entered. Once they had crossed the threshold, the angel seemed soothed by the magic buzzing through the air, the building teeming with healing energies carried along by a sugary breeze. Tony was relieved to see that it actually had some effect on the angel, but given the injuries he's sustained as well as however long he was under that rubble, it wasn’t going to be enough to even stop his feathers from turning to ash. Moving quickly, Tony cast a honey scented cloud over the angel's face, hoping the simple spell was enough to keep him sedated during this process. Swift feet carried them to the master bathroom, the demon carefully placed the trembling bundle on the tile floor. Tony could see golden blood seeping into the lining of his coat, enough to be worried about but not to take first priority. He cursed under his breath, praying he made the right choice.

Magic filled the air as his hands got to work, uttering words of power from a long forgotten language. Tony’s eyes began to glow as several additional ghost bees appeared, settling in a circle around them to create a small barrier. Tony held up a gloved finger and hesitantly caressed a single feather to test the magic. Indeed, time seemed to have stopped for them within that small bubble, the feathers no longer turned to ash and Tony could work without worry.

He checked to make sure the angel was still sedated before continuing, a silent apology behind his eyes as he began carving runes along the bony part of the angel's wings. As quickly as he could, Tony removed a glove with his teeth and pierced the skin of one of his fingers, offering his own blood into the runes he carved, magic pulsing through each line. Finally, both wings had been lined with runes, gold and scarlet blood soaking into the feathers. Tony could only imagine what they looked like before, perhaps pearly white and silky. Now they were rusty and ashen, texture almost like microfiber, the charred feathers soft at some points yet crisp at others. Dropping the barrier, but not dismissing the bees, Tony carefully flipped the angel over, immensely relieved that the spell had worked and no feathers were lost in the action.

The injury on the angel's back was worse than Tony had thought, looking like a stab wound between his shoulder blades. Not deep enough to immediately kill, but judging from how he found him, Tony figured he hadn’t been expected to survive. The thought enraged Tony, snarling as he retrieved his phone from his coat.

Several missed calls and texts from Carmilla go ignored as he searched for one name in particular. Dialing the number and putting it on speaker, Tony continued trying to tend to the injured angel as best he could, the extra ghost bees surround the injury to fill it with their magic.

“What?” The person on the other end answers, sounding only slightly annoyed by the call. The faint sound of grunting and bed springs could be heard through the call. Tony glared at the phone, ignoring the obnoxious noise and spoke gruffly.

“Get over to my hive now, I need your help with something. Bring your equipment and whatever blood you have on hand, I know you have some.” While Tony would normally avoid calling this person for any reason, they were the only person in Hell he knew of that had angel blood and ways of getting some.

“Blood? Why the hell don’t you just go get- Oooh, does someone have a new pet?” Their voice took on a teasing tone, the background noises now picking up the pace a bit. Once again, Tony did his best to ignore it, despite knowing exactly what was happening and with whom.

“Shut up, just hurry and get your ass over here now. You're gonna want to bring your camera and shit too, consider that your payment.” Tony knew they wouldn't be able to resist the chance to study a new subject, ever the curious mind.

“What did you do?! Oh, I can't WAIT to see-”

“Vul, please, I'm almost-” A masculine voice could be heard in the background, a bit of static and warping coming through as he spoke, voice nearly a whimper.

“GOD! JESUS I HATE WHEN YOU KEEP FUCKING ON THE PHONE, JUST GET OVER HERE!!!” Tony furiously ended the call, the mental image of that damn TV headed freak once more ingrained in his head. Tony refocused on the angel, wound now closed but his pulse is weak, golden blood starting to dry and flake.

After gently scooping him up, Tony carried the angel to his bed and laid him down as carefully as one would a porcelain doll. He dismissed the sleeping cloud, not seeing a need to keep him sedated any longer. Not too long after, a loud crash came from the front door followed by a couple voices, letting Tony know exactly who it was.

“Vulture, do you really have to open the door like that?” The first voice speaks in a bored, almost monotonous tone.

“I do when someone cockblocks me, now come on! We have science to document!” Energetically, the second voice commands them onward.

“Is it really science if we're technically magical beings? How does that work anyway- is that blood?”

“Shit, come on, Vaggie.” Vulture actually sounded a little worried and their footsteps quickened on the way to the bedroom. Tony had the angel neatly tucked into the plush blankets, wings splayed out across the mattress. Vaggie gasped at the sight while Vulture quickly started setting up the equipment around the bed.

“Why is she here?” Tony asked, gesturing to Vaggie. Though not enemies, the two didn't exactly get along, and once again, he would rather not have to deal with her.

“Because I don't have enough blood, believe it or not, so I called in backup.” Once Vulture got a good look at the unconscious form, their eyes widened in surprise and curiosity. “Do you realize who this is?”

“No, we didn't really get the chance to introduce ourselves when he was, y’know, dying?” Tony scoffed at the question, though pleased to finally learn the identity of his mystery guest.

“This is Saint Peter.” Vulture stated, getting a needle set in the newly revealed Saint Peter's arm.

“Not anymore.” Tony spoke flatly, looking at the horns sprouting from his forehead. “Down here, he's just Peter.” A saint. Tony looked at the angel with sympathy, knowing he's got one hell of a journey ahead of him. Vulture and Vaggie were finally hooked up and started pumping blood to Peter.

“Poor bastard, wonder why he fell.” Vulture started documenting everything from his name to the runes now adorning his wings, fingers tapping away at their tablet. “Gotta be something pretty crazy for him to fall all biblical-like.”

“It looks like he was pushed, there was a stab wound between his wing points.” Tony points out, still furious though not too surprised that someone in Heaven would do this to another angel.

“Fuck, no wonder he’s in such bad shape.” Vaggie’s voice was full of pity, thinking of what could've happened.

“Did you think about asking Lucifer?” Vulture asked Tony, they glanced at Tony over their tablet, arching a brow. “I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping out his favorite gardener.”

“Ha ha, very funny. I’m not just gonna call up the King of Hell for any random thing, part of the reason I'm even trusted to have his number to begin with..”

“This isn't some random thing, I think he'd understand. Besides, you interact with him more than any other sinner in existence.” Vulture encouraged with a half shrug.

“More than Charlie does. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give him a call, he is the only other actual fallen angel that we know of. Vulture and I just kinda... came down through the portal and never left.”

“Ugh, fine, but you have to tell him who you are.”

“What?! No! I mean... I want Charlie to introduce us on her terms.”

“Whatever, just gonna make it awkward later on, but fine.” Tony stepped out of the room to make the call, leaving the three angels alone. Vaggie looks at Peter with a look of pure understanding, knowing what it's like to be thrown to Hell, while Vulture looks at him in fascination, curious what spell was used on his wings and what effect it will have on him moving forward. Tony returns to the room just as Lucifer appears through a portal.

“Whoa, you weren’t kidding, there's blood everywhere.” Lucifer was without his tophat and coat, his shirt sleeves rolled up to expose his own blackened arms.

“That's just from touching everything, all his wounds are closed now.” Tony explains while Vulture helps get Lucifer hooked up, having already been filled in on the situation over the phone and offering his support.

“It could be that he just isn't as powerful as I am, his body just couldn't withstand the fall.” Lucifer suggested, taking a seat near the bed.

“Makes sense, he lost nearly all of his feathers. I had to carve a temporal stasis spell with my blood as an anchor to keep them from completely falling apart.” Tony looked at the wings with an unreadable expression, back twinging sympathetically. Vulture muttered excitedly to themself as they update the entry for Peter on their tablet.

“Well, thanks to you, he might be able to fly again some day.” Lucifer smiled up at Tony reassuringly. Tony was about to speak when their phone started going off again. Deciding to bite the bullet, Tony exited the room once more to answer the call. Four angels lingered in the demon's bedroom, the low droning of the machines monitoring Peter's vitals the only sound for a few moments before Lucifer spoke.

“So... didn't know there were so many angels down here. How uh... how do you know each other?”

“I uh... used to be an exterminator, Vulture used to be head of angelic research and development. I’ve only met Tony a couple times before, thanks to Vulture.” Vaggie tried to remain casual, unsure of how to interact with Lucifer, still tossing a small glare towards Vulture who ignored her.

“Look, I'm only so good with magic and healing and shit. Like it or not, Tony is probably the best there is down here, even better than his brother. “ Vulture noticed something on Peter's vitals but only smirked as they return to the conversation.

“Tony is a demon overlord, I don't know how someone like that can be considered the best at something like healing. Overlords are monsters.”

“All this time in Hell, and you still see sinners through black and white filters.” Vulture rolled their eyes at Vaggie's temper.

“He frequents the Vee's Tower, literally has links to every big and bad demon in all of Hell, not just the Pride ring.” Vaggie was definitely getting riled up now, gripping the edge of her seat in frustration.

“That's just the business of being in Hell, I mean come on, how else do you expect a sinner to survive here?” Vulture was completely unbothered by Vaggie, so much so that they got more comfortable in their seat while continuing to monitor Peter's condition.

“Oh what, so he runs the hospital and a few restaurants, suddenly you can look past the horrible shit he does?”

“His brother runs the hospital, Tony runs the restaurants except for the fancy ones which David operates instead.” Vulture corrected, though Vaggie couldn't care less.

“I hire Tony for his gardening, wouldn't have my orchard without him.” Lucifer interjects.

“Ah yes, Eden's Curse, a harsh demon known for being cold and unforgiving like nature itself able to grow plants amidst the damned, how could I forget?" Vulture speaks dramatically. “I've known him the entire time I've been down here, and I'll be the first one to say, I think Peter got lucky.”

“Lucky? How is any of this lucky?” Vaggie was nearly on her feet at this point.

“Tony has a habit of collecting injured souls like a child does a hurt bird. I've seen him with several little pets over the years, though, they never seem to last for long.” Vulture commented with no small amount of drama and theatrics.

“What do you mean? Does he kill them or something?” Vaggie asked, concerned for Peter, but before anything could happen, Tony returned back with a foul look on his face.

“I have to meet up with Carmilla, she refuses to let it go no matter what I say to her. While I'm out I'm gonna pick up a couple things, I'll be back in a couple hours. Can I trust you to keep an eye on him until I get back?” Tony’s voice was rough, clear that he did not want to leave at all. Vulture grinned and reassured him with a wave of their hand.

“You go, do whatever you gotta do, I'll make sure your pet is still here when you get back.” Vulture mocked the demon, who wheeled on them with a snarl.

“That's enough out of you! Fuck, I hate dealing with your insufferable ass! Acting like you know everything fucking thing...” Tony continued raging as he grabbed his coat from the bathroom floor and donned it, not minding the blood or bothering with a fresh shirt. “I'll be back.”

~~~

“Tony, glad you could finally return my calls after abandoning us on the battlefield.” Carmilla spoke with no obvious trace of malice or anger, circling Tony before returning to her desk.

“It was the end of extermination day, you're telling me you couldn't handle that?” Tony asked with a bit of sass, having been expecting this from the get go.

“That's not the point! You're lucky nothing happened on your watch. We couldn't find you and thought there was a sneak attack, causing us to return prematurely and costing us valuable resources.” The weapons dealer hissed, regaining her composure quickly.

“Something came up and I had to take care of it. Besides, you book me for protection until dawn, dawn had come, therefore my time was up.” Tony stated plainly and Carmilla couldn't argue any further, sinking into her chair with a sigh.

“What was it that was so important?” Her scarlet eyes took in Tony's form, looking more ragged than she remembered him being before he disappeared. The golden stain lining his coat and faded gold patches on his pants catch her eye, recognizing the substance but holding her tongue.

“Sorry, but I don't think I'm gonna answer that one. If there's nothing else, I'll be going. I'll send some chocolate to make up for any trouble I caused.” Tony waited a moment, giving Carmilla a chance to speak up, before turning and walking toward the door. Carmilla eventually spoke up just as Tony was about to cross the threshold.

“I will not have you putting my girls at risk if your loyalties have changed.” Though she said nothing specific, her message was clear.

“Nothing’s changed, I’m still not about to refuse help, no matter who asks it.” Tony didn't fully turn back to speak, only turning enough for the sound to reach Carmilla.

“Clearly. You know I will not interfere with your business, but I will not be calling on your services next extermination day.”

“Oh good, I get to have a day off for once. Thank you, Carmilla.” Tony spoke with the restrained courtesy one would give a disliked coworker. Finally he took his leave, exiting the warehouse and heading for the tailor.

On the way to meet up with Carmilla, Tony placed an order for a couple sets of clothes, knowing Peter can't stay in the ruined ones forever. He enters the building and several demons scatter, leaving only the store attendant. They quickly retrieve the order for him, placing a bag on the counter. Tony checks the bag and scowls.

“What the fuck is this? I asked for a robe, not pants, do you not know the fucking difference?” After having to deal with Carmilla, the overlord wasn't in the mood to deal with more surprises.

“W-Well we don't make robes anymore. I tried telling you when you p-placed the order, but you were in a hurry.” The clerk trembled under Tony's gaze, clearly terrified of the overlord. Tony sighs, looking through the clothing; everything is as close to what he'd ordered as it could be, still very good quality.

“It's fine.” Tony pulls out his card and goes to pay but spots a pair of white gloves sitting behind the counter. “I'll take those, too.”

Satisfied, Tony paid for his order and exited the shop, dreading the final errand before returning to his home. The hideous tower quickly came into view, Tony easily ducked through the crowd outside the doors and straight in. Vox was already in the lobby handling some reporters when he spotted Tony, greeting hum with a strained smile.

“Tony, what can I do for you today, my friend?” His voice seemed pleasant enough, but he obviously wanted to get through this interaction just as much as Tony did.

“I need a phone, no tracking, no monitoring, not connected to you in any way, shape or form.”

“Break yours already? I'll have it done within the hour.” Vox attempted to joke as he retrieved his own phone, fiddling with it while ignoring Tony.

“Cut the shit, I know you have plenty sitting around. Give me the phone now, and as soon as I get back to my place, I'll send your turkey on its way.” That seemed to bring Vox back to the moment.

“Well why didn’t you say so?” Vox zaps away through one of his cameras, coming back in a flash with a new phone. “You know how it goes, separate servers and connection, blah blah blah, tell Vulture to pick up food on the way, would you? Val trashed the kitchen again in one of his moods.” Tony snarled at the mention of the moth.

“Whatever, thanks for the phone.” Tony dropped the phone into the bag and left, not wanting to be in the tower any longer than absolutely necessary.

~~~

The sound of laughter was not what Tony expected to greet him when he returned home, the joyous noise bouncing off the walls. The door closing behind him was enough to alert everyone of his return, silencing the laughter. Lucifer was the first to greet Tony as he exited the bedroom with an awkward smile.

“Peter woke up a little bit ago, he's adjusting, but it'll be a bit rough for him. I've been here for a really long time, he's been in Heaven for a couple thousand years. Our situations are very different, but it looks like you have a good handle on it.” Lucifer offers a warm smile before portalling away. Vaggie and Vulture exit the room soon after.

“We're gonna get out of here too, keep me updated on any changes though, I've already added you to his case in my journal so you can add to it.” Vulture wiggled the tablet under their arm, carrying their machinery haphazardly in the other.

“Good, Vox said you need to grab food on the way. Apparently his pest ruined yet another good thing.” Tony grimaced at the mere mention of Valentino, Vulture having a similar reaction.

“No surprise there. Take care!” Vulture took off, leaving Vaggie behind for a moment. She looked as though she wanted to say something but ultimately held back, choosing to nod in farewell before exiting the house.

Tony slowly walked to the bedroom, finding Peter sitting up in bed. Peter is examining his wings, brows furrowed as he ran a finger over the runes now lining them. The floor creaked under Tony's foot, drawing Peter's attention to him. Peter still looked at Tony in fear, concerned for his safety as Tony entered the room. Tony kept his expression blank, knowing he can have a mean case of resting bitch face. He lifted an arm, simply to place the bag on the bed, but Peter flinched from the action, clearly terrified. Tony gently placed the bag down and left once more, stopping only once he's past the door, voice low and soft.

“I'll bring you something to eat soon.” Tony doesn't wait for a reply, closing the door softly behind him to give Peter privacy. Tony went to the kitchen, quickly putting together an easy snack for his new guest. Balancing the food on the tray with expertise, Tony returned to the closed bedroom door, knocking on it and waiting for a response. Hearing nothing, Tony debated on barging in, choosing instead to speak.

“There's a tray of food out here for you.” Not waiting for a response this time either, Tony placed the tray on a small table nearby and walked away. There were blood stains that needed cleaning, Tony figured he'd get some kind of work done in the meantime.

~~~

Peter remained in the bed, overwhelmed by everything that's happened to him over the course of several hours. First, he accidentally discovered the existence of extermination day, confronted Adam and Lute in sheer horror. Followed by Lute stabbing him in the back and Adam dropping him over the edge of Heaven. Lute’s voice still echoed in his ears.

“If you have so much sympathy for the damned, why don’t you share their fate?” And so, he fell the old fashioned way, face first and wings ablaze. Peter used his hands to shield his face, the burning searing his arms to the bone, flesh turning a sickening red. Peter's head felt like it was splitting open when the horns sprouted, tears pouring from his eyes.

The fall felt like it lasted an eternity, so much pain, so many sensations Peter never thought he'd feel again. He never even realized the ground was coming up closer until he crashed into it, a small building collapsing from the impact and filling the crater he'd created.

For the entire night, Peter struggled to escape, using every bit of strength he had to reach through the debris. He cried out for help anytime he heard someone nearby, but over time he had begun to feel hopeless, thinking he might actually die in Hell.

Peter's heart broke, lying under the rocks, slowly bleeding out, begging for help from the sinners for whom he felt such pity for. The only reason he found himself in this place to begin with was because he felt sorry for them and wished to help. How ironic, that now he needed a demon to feel sorry for him, but is dying as they ignore him, caring only for themselves.

Eventually the screams and chaos died down, only confirming Peter's worst fears. Too long had he waited for any sign of someone coming by, he felt his strength giving out, like he was giving up, when he heard it. The sound of someone walking nearby, a few sets of feet in fact. Peter's heart began to soar, his last chance. With a small boost of energy, Peter moved a little closer to where he had his arm, hoping to be heard.

“P-Please...” He forced his voice as much as he could, the strain beginning to be too much. Luck seemed to be on his side this time, as he could hear a pair of feet coming his way. Peter claws at the ground, trying to get even closer but stops when the stranger begins lifting the debris off of him. Peter was saved! He was going to make it out if here somehow-

“What the fuck?” The demon spoke with a rough voice, sharp teeth lining its mouth. A chill of fear froze Peter to his core, body unable to move, to flee. He could feel the burning of his feathers, knowing one flap would cause his wings to fall apart completely. Peter was at the mercy of this demon.

The both of them did nothing for a while but stare at each other, until the demon removed his jacket and lifted Peter into his arms. The action caused Peter to cry out in pain, tears flowing anew as he clung to the demon's shirt.

After everything that had happened, Peter's body gave out and he lost consciousness, hoping he could trust the demon and that he'd made the right decision. Peter eventually regained consciousness, however upon hearing voices, chose to feign sleep.

“Tony is a demon overlord-” The first thing he heard when he woke up, Peter prayed silently that they weren't talking about his savior. That would mean they'd done terrible things as a human to gain significant power in Hell, according to what he'd always been told by Sera and Adam. Was Peter in the clutches of a serial killer?

“Ah yes, Eden's Curse, a harsh demon known for being cold and unforgiving like nature itself.” Peter heard another voice chime in, only adding to his fears and sending him on a spiral towards a panic attack. His hearing faded in and out, catching bits and pieces of the conversation, things about being a pet, and that terrible things happen to them in his care. There was shouting and a slamming door, Peter's heart rate was through the roof and finally someone spoke to him.

“Hey, you gotta breathe or you'll hyperventilate.” The voice from before helped him sit up and regulate his breathing, bringing him back down and slowing his heart. “There we go, can't have your heart give out right after we worked so hard to keep it pumping.”

“We? Tony did most of the work while we sat here pumping blood by hand.” A masculine voice chimed in. “Though, I will say, he has gotten his color back now.”

Peter looked at the three strangers, all hooked up to a couple machines and giving him angelic blood. He couldn’t believe there were other angels in Hell... wait- Peter looked to the male in a horrifying realization.

“Ah, I was wondering when you’d notice.” Lucifer stated simply, a mix of emotions in his eyes.

“We thought Lucifer might be able to offer some insight on your situation. I'm Vulture, or if you’re talking to Tony I'm called Turkey.” Vulture laughed, unbothered by the nickname. “And that one is Vaggie, as far as we know, the four of us are the only angels in Hell.” Peter tried to speak but found nothing came out. “Easy there, I'm sure you just overdid it on the way here and everything, don't worry about it. Your name is Peter, right?”

Peter nodded, noticing the lack of his official- his former title, reminding him of his new separation from Heaven. Reflexively, he tried wrapping his wings around himself for comfort, only to wince when he tried. His eyes widened when he saw the runes carved into his wings, reaching to run a finger along them. The sight of his burned arms only furthered his startled reaction, breathing turning shallow again.

“Whoa, take it easy, I know there's a lot going on but you've gotta stay calm.” Lucifer spoke in a soothing tone. “It takes a while to get used to the changes, but I can show you how to hide the horns if you-” At the mention of horns, Peter panics once more, hands flying straight for the additions to his face.

“Nice going, why don't we just give him a mirror, too?” Vulture sassed but Peter was looking at them straight on, nodding. “Ugh, fine, but I'm not looking for a mirror, so just use this.” Vulture opened the camera on their tablet and turned it around for Peter to examine himself. The horns he expected but was still surprised to actually see, it was the fangs and changes to his eyes that had his attention, he could hardly recognize himself now. Tears started falling down his cheeks as he took it all in, just in absolute disbelief.

“You can actually tuck away the horns and your wings for just walking around. Here, I'll show you.” Lucifer summoned his own wings and much larger horns, a small fire springing to life between them, a powerful aura filling the air. “See? Easy as pie, just focus on them with a little magic and poof!”

Peter watched Lucifer's demonstration and decided to give it a try, getting the horns to disappear first, the wings took a little extra focus but did eventually get tucked away as well. While still in the mindset, Peter tried the reverse and brought them all back out, surprised to find it actually worked. He looked back at his “reflection” when he noticed his eyes glowing fully red. The shock caused the glow to dissipate when he blinked again, showing his yellow sclera and scarlet iris once more.

“Oh yeah, that's normal for when you mess with your abilities, don’t worry.” Lucifer reassures him while Vulture starts breaking down the various IVs and transfusion equipment, releasing everyone from their needle shackles.

“You're probably not gonna want to eat, but you need to. You can't starve to death, but if you ignore it, you’ll feel like you're dying. Just one of the new things to adjust to here.” Vulture shrugged.

Peter watched as the three others slowly stood, carefully stretching after sitting for so long. Peter couldn't help but wonder why the King of Hell was so willing to help out, having expected him to be menacing and ruthless from the tales he heard in Heaven. So much of his understanding of Hell is being called under question, Peter can hardly keep up.

“Hey, Peter.” Vaggie stood close to the bed, speaking to Peter in a quiet voice. “Don't let Tony take advantage of you or anything. Overlords are dangerous people, and Tony is one of the most powerful ones out there. I have no idea what he's capable of, just... don't let your guard down.”

“Oh Vaggie, lighten up will you?” Vulture taunted from across the room. “If I had plans to kill someone, I wouldn't be going through the effort to fix them up like this. Peter is safer than most of the poor bastards stumbling around outside.”

“You said it yourself, things happen to the people under his care, all I'm saying is he should be careful.” Vaggie defended, arms crossed against her chest.

“No one but Tony knows, which means we don't know what led up to them disappearing either, I wouldn’t be so quick to judge someone if I were you. That big old bumblebee has a lot more to him than he'll let you think. For crying out loud, he runs a chocolate company, can't be that evil when you're making candy.” Vulture laughed at their own attempt at a joke when the sound of the front door could be heard, Tony had returned.

~~~

Peter recalled his wings and horns like Lucifer had shown him, feeling strangely off balance without the extra weight on his back. After Tony had left the last time, Peter decided to at least glance at the contents of the bag on the bed.

Inside it was a small device and several pieces of clothing. He set the device to the side, not sure what to do with it, and focused on the clothes. Peter was surprised to find an outfit very similar to his current one, though sporting a pair of tan slacks instead of a robe. There was a set of pajamas in the bag as well, some underwear and socks, and folded up neatly was a pair of white gloves with golden buttons. Peter held the gloves delicately in his crimson fingers, running a thumb over the material. Perhaps there was more to the overlord than Peter originally believed.

Peter carefully got out of bed, his body stiff but surprisingly painless. Opening the door slowly to avoid making noise, he found the tray of food and quickly retreated with his prize. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was, having forgotten the sensation of hunger entirely during his time in Heaven. Peter had forgotten many things about being alive during his time in Heaven.

The tray contained a charcuterie board, a few different cheeses and spreads paired with fruits and crackers. There was also a bowl of what smelled like a broth of some kind and a glass of water. Peter set the tray on the bedside table, picking off of it now and then, but greedily drinking the water to soothe his sore throat.

Considering everything Tony had done to get Peter to this point, the angel felt he could assume he's safe for the time being. Peter decided to remove his ruined clothing, his last reminders of Heaven, carefully folding and setting them to the side. He could feel the flaking of dried blood on his skin, and not wanting to feel that inside the new clothes, Peter looked for the bathroom. An easy enough task, though the sight before him was a bit unsettling. He knew he needed a lot of blood to replace what he’d lost, but seeing a large pool of what he knows to be his blood just made it more real for him. He almost died.

Peter looked to the mirror nearby, seeing his full body for the first time since his transformation. If he hadn't known any better, Peter would think he looked no different, but the whites of his eyes were stained yellow, and his once sapphire eyes were now rubies. Doing his best to ignore the fatal reminder on the floor, Peter located a towel and some bathing supplies. They had a natural scent to them, smelling like an herb garden and adding to the calming effect of the honey scented air.

Peter made quick work of his shower, scrubbing away everything he could, rinsing away every flake of blood and bit of dirt clinging to his body. When he was sure he'd washed away every bit of soap and dirt, Peter shut off the water and exited the shower. Dried and feeling much better, Peter exited the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist. For it being Hell, this place seemed pretty nice, almost comfortable even.

He pulled the new pajamas out of the bag as well as a pair of socks and underwear, the clean clothes fitting him surprisingly well. Picking from the tray a bit more, Peter wandered around the bedroom, studying the decor. Shelves and bookcases lined the walls, a table covered in art supplies tucked away in the back corner of the room. It gave a very cozy, lived in feel, not quite the terrifying image Peter had concocted after hearing everyone talk about Tony.

There were a few framed pictures adorning the shelves, Tony easily spotted in the center with random demons around him. He seemed to be very happy in the photos. Continuing along the wall, Peter reached a window with a cushioned bench, an easel sat nearby with a covered canvas. The view from the window was pleasant in a way, clouds obscured the sky and the hellish landscape was relatively calm still. This was his new home, whether he liked it or not.

Exhaustion began to set in, and though he desperately wanted to crawl back into the bed, there was blood staining the sheets and it was beginning to unsettle Peter. After a quick look around, he had determined the bedding was stored elsewhere. He would have to venture out if he really wanted clean sheets.

~~~

Tony had cleaned up the trail of blood rather quickly, it only having started halfway to the bathroom. While he cleaned, Tony heard the sound of the water kick on, recognizing the shower in use. He found relief knowing Peter was at least comfortable enough to explore. Tony finished cleaning before Peter finished his shower, and upon remembering the bloody mess of a bed, decided to retrieve a full clean sheet set.

Tony debated changing the sheets while Peter was showering, but that plan was quickly dashed when the water shut off. Cursing himself internally, Tony returned to the foyer, planning out the next move. The door to the bedroom opens, rooting Tony to the spot. Should he hide? Wait it out? After a couple seconds there was still no sign of Peter, leading Tony to assume he had gone the other way down the hall.

Now was his only chance, Tony carried the bedding and went straight to work. Reminiscent of his human days, Tony stripped the linen from the bed in record time, making quick work of replacing it and making the bed look neat. There was no getting the blood out of these sheets, so Tony made the executive decision to use them to clean the bathroom as well. He would definitely come back to give it a proper clean later, but for now he just needed to get the blood off the floor.

Satisfied with his work, Tony exited the room, ruined sheets in tow, using the ghost bees scattered around the house to make sure he wouldn't scare Peter. One set of fabric was nothing, easily replaced. He just wanted to make sure Peter was comfortable.

~~~

After getting turned around too many times, Peter was honestly relieved to find the bedroom, not wanting to search for another minute. As he approached the bed, he almost didn't notice the lack of stains on the sheets, pulling the blankets aside to confirm, Peter was touched by the gesture.

Perhaps this wasn't so bad, Peter wouldn't let his guard down so easily, but he would be lying if he said this wasn't a little nice. Every interaction Peter had with Tony played on repeat in his mind, he couldn't think of a single moment so far where his life had been at risk since being rescued. Rescued.

Peter also faced a moral issue as well, having been told for a very long time that everyone in Hell was untrustworthy and dangerous, that sinners were everything wrong with humanity. Sure they made mistakes while alive, but Peter never thought they should suffer damnation for all eternity. The infamous overlord of Hell whose home Peter now resided in was intimidating to be sure, but had hardly displayed anything other than concern for the fallen angel.

Having made up his mind, Peter collected the tray of food, now void of even a crumb, and left the bedroom, holding on to whatever bit of courage he has. Seeing as he never found the kitchen on his previous outing, Peter chose the opposite path from the room, leading him to a foyer type area. On one of the couches sat Tony, head held up by his elbow propped on the back of the couch. From this angle, Peter couldn’t see his face, but it didn't seem like he'd noticed Peter's presence.

Peter's courage wavered, seeing the overlord so close was a bit much still as Peter wasn't sure on his role in all of this and didn't know what Tony's plans were for the angel. After finding the kitchen and setting the tray down, Peter tiptoed around the foyer, giving the couch a wide berth until he could finally see Tony's face, snoozing away.

Peter stopped, staring for a moment in surprise before noticing Tony’s ragged appearance. He hadn't bothered cleaning himself up in all this time, pants covered in dirt and faded golden patches, arms still coated in the shimmering blood. Looking at him now, Peter could almost see past it all, seeing a hint of softness in his relaxed face. He even seemed a bit handsome, despite his fearsome exterior and reputation. The angel didn't dare step any closer, not this time, and decided to leave a note instead.

Quickly and quietly, Peter used some of the art supplies to write a simple thank you note for Tony, leaving it next to the tray in the kitchen. As he was about to return to the bedroom, Tony shifted on the couch and grunted, startling Peter and causing him to make a dash back to the safety of the bedroom, accidentally closing the door a bit too hard.

~~~

Tony snapped awake at the sound of the door closing, looking around for signs of anything gone wrong. The scattered ghost bees reassure Tony that nothing is happening so he relaxed, finally noticing the tray on the kitchen counter. There was something next to it that caught his eye, making it over in a couple strides, Tony picked up the piece of paper and read the delicate cursive handwriting.

I haven't had the chance to properly thank you for saving me, I can't express how much it means to me. The clothes you provided fit well, I'm surprised how well they match my old outfit. Perhaps you could show me how to operate the small device in the morning once you've rested. ---Peter

The note brought a smile to Tony's face, though dry and void of warmth, it was still appreciation and Tony loved it. Maybe this time would be different than the last ones, Tony didn't want to get his hopes up so soon, but this note gave him a good feeling. For the next few hours, Peter slept a peaceful, dreamless sleep and Tony napped on the couch, both resting after a very exciting 24 hours.

[hoe4brahms]

Brahms curls clung to his face as he knelt on the ground, heavy pellets of rain pouring down on us as lightning flashed in the sky. The white dress I was wearing clung to my skin, and I could feel a chill beginning to seep into my bones. Brahms never turned his beautiful green eyes away from me as I knelt before him. A look of betrayal on his face as we stared at each other. I could see the thoughts racing in his mind, his mouth moving but making no sound as his hand wraps around my own. My fingers were warm from the blood coating them. I want to vomit as it continues to spill from his abdomen.

I never meant for it to go this far. Never meant to hurt him. I initially stabbed him just to slow him down. Something about him was more animalistic and predatory than any other time he chased me. I stabbed him a second time, but he just kept coming at me. All playfulness gone from earlier. So I stabbed him again and again. Finally, he dropped. He said that if i won the game, he would let me go home. Somehow, I knew this wouldn't kill Brahms, and I was glad for that because a messed-up part of me loved him so much that it hurt to do this to him. I just wanted to escape, but not at the expense of taking his life. 

Brahms was an enigma to me. His determination was so strong that it left little to no room for weakness. It was because of this that he always got back up. He was good at everything he'd set out to do, always defying human nature.  Despite the situation, he still looks at me with love in his eyes. His free hand moves to my face, and I close my eyes automatically and take a deep breath as his thumb traces the bow of my lips. I can feel him drinking me in, as though he was committing this moment to memory. I'm shaking now, my teeth chattering as the wind bites at my skin. The dress does little to protect me from the elements. But Brahms said I looked like an angel when I wore white, and I loved making him happy. Brahms seems unaffected and removes his cardigan, covering me with it instead.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, swallowing back a sob. He just shakes his head and removes my hand from the screwdriver sticking out of his abdomen. He just sighs and gets to work wiping my hands free of his blood. "I love you" he says quietly. I nod and lean into him, nuzzling into the crook of his neck and breathing in his musky smell. Dirt and iron. "But...why?" he asks hesitantly. Covering his wound with his hand, "What did I do?". His eyes are brimmed with tears, and he looks confused. My attack had taken him by surprise after all.

Was being tired and scared reason enough? Somehow, it didn't feel like it now. I was angry, too. The games he played terrified me. It felt like he took them too far psychologically. Physically speaking, he never actually hurt me, not intentionally anyway. But psychologically speaking, he did some damage. Brahms was horrifying, and I could never tell if his game of cat and mouse in the woods would result in my death, however unintentional that may be. I didn't doubt his love for me, though, not for a single second. More often than not, he'd make love to me passionately on the ground in the woods after he caught me, the leaves catching in our hair and clothes dirtying from the damp ground. The memory hurt so bad that it felt like my heart might explode. His love was earth-shattering, and I knew I'd never have someone love me the same way he did ever again. Brahms has ruined me for anyone else.

"I don't know how else I could have won," I admit. He gives me a small smile, as though he understands, "I'm sorry, my pretty girl." he says, "For everything." I nod in response and move my hands to his face. One stroking the lengths of his scars, and the other his rough stubble. He  closes the distance between us, kissing me passionately as a mixture of rain and tears run down our faces. Brahms pulls away moments later and reaches for the porcelain mask on the ground. He places it back on his face, shutting himself off emotionally from me. "Go home," he demands "before I change my mind." He gives me a gentle shove and drops his hands to his knees in submission. I kiss his mask gingerly on the lips, say one last apology, and get to my feet. I can hear the breath catch in his throat as I take the first step away from him, but all he does is fist his fingers and look at the ground "I love you" I tell him, taking another step, and another. He lifts his head to watch me go, and as I meet his gaze again, I'm tempted to turn around. I want to stay with him.

I wanted him to get off his knees and make me stay with him, to yell and beg. I was sick in the head. Sick for hurting him because I wanted to go home and sick because I wanted him to fight for us. Brahms always kept his word, so I knew for the first time ever that he'd really let me go.

But if I didn't go now, I know I'd never be given the opportunity to leave again. There was so much more to life than what the walls of the manor could offer. But as I walk away from the quiet man who spent so much time doting on me, I realise how much I love him, enough to make my heart stutter. Bittersweet memories crash through my mind like a tidal wave as his anguished cries echo through the night, not even the thunder and lightning could cover the heartbreaking sound.

Brahms never cried before, and it hurt my heart and made it hard to breathe listening to him. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He's still on his knees when I look back from the beaten up jeep. His head in his hands as his shoulders shake. His once white shirt is now a deep shade of crimson, and I have to force my eyes away as I leave the man I love behind.

[edensrose]

─────── .°୭̥ ✿ˎˊ˗ day three : shame ( eönwë )

( ❀ ) ˙ ˖   eönwë ⠀〳 ⠀  ❜࿔ 

· ⊰ synopsis. the war of wrath will forever plague his mind, even after simple training sessions with his fellow maiar ( war themes ៸៸ blood ៸៸ killing insinuation )

· ⊰ notes. back at it again with bullying eönwë <3

Ilmarin’s pools were the perfect place to retreat to after a long day of training. Sweat, crimson and dirt wash off into the crystal-like waters, leaving his folded wings as pristine as always. His hands, calloused with aeons of swordsmanship, cup the clear liquid and pour it down his face. 

Yet the warm waters do nothing to quell the storm overtaking Eönwë’s heart as he continues to bathe. If anything, they remind him of the heat of battle. Of the rush that sent his mind into a high. Of the fresh blood that stained his armour, his skin, his wings, and especially — 

His sword. 

Cerulean hues cast a glance at his blade that lays elegantly in its sheath beside his clothes that he abandoned before venturing into the waters. There is a ringing in his ears and a whisper in the air. As though his very sword — a symbol of his title, authority and righteousness — mocks him. Taunts him. Reminds him of those fateful nights in which the ground flowed with res and screams poured through the air.

The faint glimmer of that same colour that Eönwë had grown to despise catches his vision within the pools. Slipping from his skin and drifting off into nothingness. 

It was just training, he tells himself. 

Training cannot be compared to the war. 

. . . Then why are these images plaguing him so? 

Eönwë makes the mistake of focusing on the swirls of red within the crystal waters and in doing so comes face to face with a monster. A being of true malice. Of dishonour. A soldier. A murderer. 

The General of Valinor’s Host Himself. 

A shudder courses through his body and he can hardly recognise the image that he stares into. The sight of his hair mangled and clotted with red. His eyes bloodshot. His face stained with dirt and smeared with the same shade of crimson that coats him entirely. This image certainly is not a reflection of his current self, who stands in the pools clean and flawless. 

Was he truly clean? 

As if to answer his question, spots of that same damn shade take his vision and he quickly turns to his arms. One, two, three — multiple. His hands and arms begin to surface with a deep red and his eyes shoot open wide in surprise. 

His hands are quick to splash water onto himself. He rubs his arms vigorously. He scrapes at the vision of blood and yet it refuses to dissipate. No matter how much he soaked himself in water or lathered on soap. No matter how much he frantically rubbed and scrubbed and begged it to go away. 

The lump in his throat barely allows a noise of distress to leave him as his hands practically claw at the deep colour. His eyes are agape and desperate as he argues for his mind to spare him these agonising games. 

“Stop,’’

“Stop —”

“S-Stop.’’

He inhales sharply, eyes brimming with tears. It mattered not how much he washed or how much he pleaded. Never would he be able to remove the stain from his hands. The crimson that now defined his very being. 

Even as he wept to the heavens and beseeches The One himself. 

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[quachacho]

The Bear and the Hero Fair Ch.1

Summary:

Chamomile takes a brief break from the campsite after a night of celebration and takes a stumble injuring himself. Thankfully his charming partner Halsin isn't too far to come to the rescue and they share a moment under the stars.

Contains: M/M, Male Half Elf Tav, Tooth Rotting Fluff, No Spoilers, Romance

Word Count: 1,281

Read on AO3

“I’ll be right back, just need to take a leak” stated Chamomile before he stood up from the campfire and wandered off to a private spot to relieve himself. His eyes locked with Halsin’s as he stood up, giving him a reassuring look with a gentle smile that he will be back before long

He had a few drinks with his companions around the fire after dinner, and he stumbled slightly as he walked away from the boisterous group down a grassy knoll towards a discrete bush.

While pondering that maybe he had more than he thought he did, he failed to notice a rock jutting out of the hill. His previously stumble evolved into a tumble as he now rolled down the remainder of the knoll straight towards the bush that was his original target.

Now smudged in mud, Chamomile stood up and tried to reclaim what dignity he could so he could get down to his business and return to his companions with as much grace as possible.

After relieving himself, he begins to re-lace his pants before noticing a bleeding graze on his hip. Clearly a lasting reminder of his silly tumble, but of course it’s on the spot where his tight leather trousers meet his skin. He winced as he tried to fasten his pants, but each lace felt like the leather was rubbing into the wound.

“You’d think I’d be used to this by now” thought Chamomile, but despite everything, all the violence, he still feels the tenderness of his wounds, and without his companions or supplies he didn’t have much recourse but to just bear it as best he could before returning to camp and to his healing supplies.

As he started up towards the glowing light on the hill which signified his destination, Chamomile pondered how he got so far away. He surely didn’t tumble that far, right? The idea of making that trek with the leather of his pants rubbing into his graze was too much for him to bear in this moment.

Chamomile removed his pants to give himself some relief, and rested on the soft cool grass. A little breather couldn’t hurt, his companions would be making merry long into the night so he shouldn’t miss too much hopefully. Before laying back into the grass, he unlaced his shirt and removed it. If he’s going to be exposed down to his undergarments, might as well do it right and feel the cool air on his skin.

As light of moon reflected off of his deep slate skin, he felt at one with nature for the first time in a long time. Despite being trained in the druidic arts, he spent precious little time in nature, he always felt closer to the vines that snaked through the cracks in pavement, survivors in a harsh world just like him, thriving in places where everything seems to prevent their growth. He’s also not a fan of the mud, much preferring a warm bath to being coated in dirt like some. Unsure whether it’s Baldurian wine he partook in at camp or the unfortunate circumstances he has landed himself in tonight, he decided just this once to embrace the mud which mixes and smudges the hair on his arms, legs and chest.

As he starts to fade into a blissful peace, one with nature, he hears a familiar thunderous voice call out as Halsin spots him laying in the grass. Moving faster than Chamomile has seen the elf move in a long time, Halsin dashes to his side and sat with a concerned face that reminds you of a concerned mother bear fearing for her mate, a combination of rage, desperation and concern.

“My love! What has happened to you?” Halsin roared, his voice almost shaking with concern and anger that someone may have injured his mate.

“I’m here Hal.” Chamomile uttered, lifting him himself up, slightly dazed from being startled while beginning to slip into a trance.

“Why are you on the ground?” “Are you injured?” “Where are your pants?”

Halsin fired off a series of rapid questions, his words holding an authoritative tone that is becoming to a leader a resolving a crisis, but twinged with a layer of frantic concern, as if he is trying to remain calm externally while panicking inside.

“I took a little tumble, nothing serious I assure you” Chamomile reassures Halsin, his words honeyed and sweet, doing his best to reassure his love that it isn’t as serious as his position and his state of undress would convey.

His eyes trace Chamomile’s form, scanning the body on which he has memorized all the bumps and grooves with the precision of an experienced archdruid and healer. Halsin’s eyes rapidly focus on the graze on Chamomile’s hip.

“I promise you, I’m fine, it's just a simple graze. I wasn’t paying attention as I was coming down the hill and got caught on a rock. I’ll be fine with a bit of a salve and some rest”

The fear begins to fade from Halsins eyes, which turns into a sly smile at the absurdity of the situation.

“Can you blame me for being concerned? You were gone for quite a while, and then I spot you down in the mud. It’s very unlike you” he says, scanning Chamomile’s body for any other signs of injury. “You also still haven’t explained why you’re down to your undergarments.”

“Why do I need to explain that? It’s more comfortable that way” Chamomile responded shrugging his shoulders, while secretly hoping the archdruid would remove his trousers and join him.

“Right you are”. Without a second thought, Halsin undid the lacing on his own trousers slowly slid the trousers over his supple thighs, revealing that he was in fact not wearing any undergarments.

Halsin chuckled, “I had prepared this as surprise for you later, but I guess now is as good a time as any to reveal it to you”

He extended his legs and bent over to unhook his trousers from his ankles, tossing them to the side. Fully exposed, Chamomile traced the trail of hair on the elf’s body with his eyes, following the foliage beginning at his neck, coating his pecs and leading straight down to a forest on his groin. Chamomile admired the archdruid’s physique much as he does on the regular, capturing it mentally as the moonlight highlighted his thick, tree trunk-like thighs connecting to his firm and strong calves. Even though he can’t see them presently with the archdruid seated beside him, he recalls Halsin’s supple and glorious behind, secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of Halsin from the back very soon.

Halsin reclined in the grass, joining Chamomile in the natural bliss of the cool grass. Chamomile scooted closer, their entire bodies touching and rested his head on the soft hair which coated Halsin’s chest. As they laid there silently under the moonlight, Chamomile idly traced the hair that coated Halsin’s body with his hand, repeating the path his eyes took from his chest, down his abdominal muscles and to his pubic region, twirling the dense forest which populates it with his finger.

“Hey Halsin” Chamomile meekly whispers, enjoying the warmth radiating from the druid’s chest.

“Yes my love?” Halsin confidently responds

“I’m sorry I made you worry, but I’m glad you’re here with me like this.”

“I will always be by your side, no matter what.”

“Should we get back to camp? The others might be worried like you were.”

“Ah, let them worry. I want to stay in this moment as long as possible. Right now, you and I are the only ones in the world, together.”

[capsensislagamoprh]

Victor squeed causing Christophe to wince. It was the suddenness of it, the way he went from curious and slightly in awe to toddler seeing a puppy in a millisecond. They'd been on the way to the near by museum. Not that they wanted to see the attractions. They wanted, rather deviously they agreed, to buy tickets as a cover for there real activities. Then the dog walker passed their path and that was the end of that.

Victor, the great Ice King, was on his knees cooing, petting, receiving licks, and giggling. He sank his hands into coat after coat until, with eyes wide, he felt the curly warmth of a small poodle, it's cream fur tanned in places from dirt. He light up, the texture was enough to get him asking questions. The second he heard the dog's fur could be sculpted and some dyed the fur to add spice, he began to loose control of his seeming. A cold wind blew, enthusiastically ripping at passer-bys clothes, trying to spin them about in winter cheer.

"Victor," Christophe called. "Victor!" Forcing his way thrugh the wind, he pulled a dross worth of glamour into his touch, applying it to the winter fey before he joygasumed himself into bedlam. "Victor," he said gently into his ear as they, "let the lady do her job. You can tell me all about the dog you want."

Victor's eyes cleared as he rose in an elegant arch. Clearing his throat with a discrete cough behind a gloved hand, he smiled at the woman. "My apologies. They are simply adorable." The winds dropped, allowing the sun to warm skin and clothes to remain in tact. As the woman took the gaggle of dogs off, Victor turned towards Christophe, his cheeks pleasantly flushed. "That is intoxicating," he whispered into the spring fey's ear. Christophe smiled, his white teeth flashing as his dark lashes lowered.

"This is why we need glamour, yes? Have you figured out how to collect yet? What flues you here?"

Victor sighed. "No. I thought it was winter itself. Ice, snow, the beauty of the shadows as they play along a frozen landscape. Holidays, hearths, things like this. They ... they have not fueled me."

Christophe squeezed Victor's shoulder. "Well, I have you here for four nights. We'll have to attend the ice, but I think we'll have time to figure something out."

Victor rested his head on Christophe's shoulder for a moment before breathing deep. Standing tall, he tugged his wool over coat into position with a snap. "I think I will be glad when we solve this. I keep feeling like what we're looking for is close, and then it just... flits away."

"Explain," his compatriot in crimes turned towards the museum, bouncing up the stairs with effortless grace.

"I can almost hear laughter some times. I think it's Yuri. Sometimes I feel a shadow dancing under the ice. Watching. Waiting. And then I feel myself loosing. Color, power, emotion, and suddenly there I am again, alive and full of wonder. It's very confusing."

"Glamour loss. You're a noble. A dreaming noble. We should get you in touch with an Autumn noble. See if they can help you maintain what you have if we cannot solve this during the meet."

Victor sneered. "Are they really even sidhe any more?"

"Don't be a snob, Victor." Placing a ticket in the unseelie's hand, he paused.

"What?"

"Humm..." Christophe circled the silver haired man, eying him from head to toe in the most penetrating way. "I think I might have just gained a clue."

Victor's eyes lit up. His smile expanded into cheek bending grin. "Tell me," he whispered.

"When Yuri was released from shadows, what happened?" Victor looked a little blank, then took on a regal posture as he walked the street with his friend. His voice remained between them, chill winds removing it from pedestrian ears.

"I cannot tell you exactly. I do know his rebirth was in the earth of the dream, fertile and warmed with health. When he was born again, his form recreated from the remains of the previous, he shone like the promethium flame, gold and pure, all of the will of the seelie in his eyes."

"Right. He was born," Christophe paused for thoughtful effect, "of dirt and ash. Pain and second chances. All he needed to reform... was a helping hand."

Victor stopped, turned his clear blue eyes to Christophe's as his smile turned into a determined line. "Now all we need is to figure out if that is because all things born of ash and fire are applicable to the material realm," he said with serious bravado.

"If it dose, that's a mystery down."

"But where was he formed? This world doesn't allow for shadow step or ice flow. I can't chronosphere, I can't anything to make the search faster or easier."

"My friend," Christophe sighed, "I think that's the point."

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 21, part 22, part 23, part 24

[ladyelizabethraven]

Aesop and the Cursed Date (Sharpuary 2024 Valentine prompt)

Happy Valentine's! Since it's a special day, I'm posting the whole story here. But if you want to read it on AO3, it's right >>>here<<<

Contains: very mild sexual themes

It was the first time, for a long time, that Aesop had picked up anything that would make him presentable.

He stood in front of his dresser mirror only clad with a towel. Droplets of water still dripped from his soggy, brown hair. His skin glowed after he scrubbed himself thoroughly. In the past, he settled for Scouring Charm to clean himself.

But not this time.

He made certain that not a single speck of dirt stuck to his skin or hair. It was a special day, and damn him if he would ruin it because of improper hygiene practices.

The silver razor glimmered against the lamplight. The temptation arose for him to use it to even out his beard scruff. But his leg protested whenever he stood too long. Perhaps Kathrina would not mind? She had seen him a lot of times, so it would not matter, would it? He sighed and opened a cylindrical container. The salve inside was advertised to be some sort of men’s cosmetic product. From what Aesop understood, he should have slicked his hair back as though he were some sort of modern teenage dream character.

However, in truth, it made him look like an old pervert with a bad comb-over.

Growling, he removed the sticky substance from his hair and opened another small canister. The clear, viscous gel was supposed to make one’s skin smooth and clear. In fact, Black had also boasted that the product was his secret for his ‘devilishly handsome’ looks. Despite his doubt, Aesop applied a small amount of the potion to his face. At least this did not make him feel as if he had dried leaves clinging to his cheeks.

Still, it felt like he had just slapped a sheet of leech mucus onto his face.

Next, he scanned his wardrobe for the best suit to wear. Rows of identical white shirts, brown vests, gray jackets, and a deep green coat greeted him. He sighed and looked for another set of clothing in his suitcases.

A zany shirt adorned with zig-zag colorful patterns caught his eye. However, this would most certainly make him stand out for the wrong reasons. Then, he discovered a maroon coat with a leather belt around the waist. The trousers would definitely make him stand out. Upon further digging, he also found a dark blue shirt printed with constellations and comets. How Abraham thought these clothes were fashionable... he did not know. All it screamed was, “Look at me! I’m an idiot!”

He let out a heavy sigh. Perhaps his usual attire would not look that bad?

Having dressed up, he went to his desk and spread parchment. The smooth, flowing ink adorned with flourishing made his hardened heart flutter. In front of him was Kathrina’s reply to his invitation for a Valentine’s date.

Dear Aesop,

I am honored to receive your request. Truthfully, I've been waiting for you to ask me for some time now. It warms my heart that you will spend this special occasion with me.

Your romantic gestures and kind words are very much appreciated. The rose you left on my table was the most thoughtful thing anyone has given to me in a long time. Please do not apologize for being too forward; rather, I am flattered by your genuine display of affection.

I look forward to spending the whole day with you on Valentine’s Day.

Sincerely,

Kathrina

The brief note still brought a smile to his lips.

Ever since the first letter he wrote for her became widely circulated in Hogwarts, his feelings for her have become the center of attention. His attempts at hiding his attraction towards her were rendered futile after Black blurted it out to the whole faculty staff. The nosy son-of-a-bitch guy couldn't stop meddling in others' affairs. As a result, rumors were bound to spread and people would embellish them beyond recognition. But he had no intention of quashing them as they were quite close to the truth. He thought about the Alchemy Professor more often than necessary.

Still, he wished to vanquish Peeves for spreading out his love letters. How humiliating it was for that blasted poltergeist to fly about, cackling like a deranged bastard and yelling, “Who wants some cornbread and red wine from Mr. Lovesick?”

He shook the memories away. There was no reason for him to be angry about what happened. Instead, he took out another set of parchment and scribbled the schedule he planned.

1. Pick Kathrina up in her classroom.

2. Have a lovely picnic breakfast by the Black Lake.

3. Walk along the countryside road leading to the Valentine’s Carnival.

4. Spend the afternoon strolling around the carnival grounds.

5. Have a candlelight dinner with her and watch the fireworks on top of the Astronomy Tower.

6. Wait for the meteor shower.

7. Take her back to her chambers. (Maybe give her a goodnight kiss?)

It was a simple and straightforward itinerary. Yet, the mere idea of stepping outside his comfort zone was enough to make Aesop tremble with excitement. Years had passed since the accident, and he feared he had lost his appeal to any sane woman. After all, how would a damaged man ever gain the affections of a beautiful, spirited woman?

But she proved him wrong.

In their frequent exchanges, she never mentioned his scar once. Treating him like any other wizard, she earned his immense gratitude. Finally, the walls he had built to protect himself started crumbling down. Slowly but surely, she chipped his armor off and revealed the vulnerable man underneath.

Yes. There was still hope for a man like him.

Grinning, he picked up the bouquet of yellow daffodils resting on a potting tray. He casted Aguamenti before giving them a light shower of water. After drying them off with a quick charm, he stared at the blooming flowers. Aesop remembered Kathrina mentioned that these particular flowers grew in abundance where she lived. She would love the fact that he recalled a passing detail. He could imagine the smile in her face as she sniffed the fresh floral scent. Perhaps it would bring a glimmer of nostalgia in her eyes.

Though he was confident in his choice of gifts, Aesop still checked his appearance on the mirror. Hair? Check. Beard? Check. Breath? Check. Suit? Check. After a final brush-up on his outfit, he pocketed his wand, grabbed the flower, and headed out.

As Aesop left, Black approached him with a scowl. His eyes squinted, and his bushy mustache bristled. With a voice gruff and accusatory, he demanded, “Sharp, have you forgotten the regular batch of cures?”

“No. I didn’t, sir,” Aesop replied. “Your... medicine will last until Friday next week. I am sure it can—”

“I need a new batch now.”

“Pardon?”

“Are you deaf? I said, I need a new batch now.”

His expression faltered. “Sir, with all due respect, that isn’t possible. If you recall, today’s Valentine’s Day and we’ve already had plans.”

The headmaster tilted his chin up and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you think your love life is more important than my health, professor?”

“We are not talking about a life or death situation here, Professor Black. You can manage without your medication for three days. It’s not like the first time you tried that.”

“Don’t act as if you understand my medical condition!”

The younger man merely narrowed his eyes, sighing at his headmaster’s overbearing attitude. “Fine. I’ll brew a new batch on Thursday morning and deliver it to your office after breakfast. That would have to do for the meantime.”

Aesop attempted to walk past the obstinate older man, but he seized his arm with surprising strength. “Peeves just spilled my medication and I can’t sit in the Great Hall surrounded by all those rowdy students. Imagine what they would say when they see their Headmaster haggard and miserable? Are you going to subject your hardworking, brilliant superior to such humiliation, Professor Sharp?”

He rolled his eyes. Black was fantastic at making his problems sound so damn urgent. This was nothing but a poor attempt to guilt-trip him into doing whatever he wanted. With a sigh, he tried to make a compromise. “I can make three vials, but the rest have to be brewed tomorrow morning.”

There was a hint of hesitation in his voice, “Three vials wouldn’t last until the morning.”

“Then perhaps you should cut the portion size a little bit. You don’t need to drink the entire bottle of Cure for Boil—”

“May I remind you that my condition is strictly confidential, Professor Sharp?”

Aesop rubbed his temples as he felt an impending headache forming. “Very well. I’ll get your infernal potion ready at the earliest opportunity, Professor Black.”

“Good!”

The headmaster let go of the Potions Professor and left.

He groaned. The stubborn fool changed his mind, precisely when he desired solitude with Kathrina. How irritating it was for Professor Black to command him like he was his lackey! Shaking his head, he limped down to his office as fast as he could to brew three bottles of Cures for Boils. He glanced at the clock. It was almost six in the morning and his date would begin in 30 minutes. Damn. There was no chance for him to pick up Kathrina now. She would just have to wait.

Inside the empty Potion’s room, Aesop eyed the large, stone cauldron placed in the middle. Quickly, he placed the bouquet of yellow daffodils on top of his supplies shelf, fired up the cauldron, and began brewing three batches of the requested concoction. With practiced efficiency, he bottled up the vials and send it to a house-elf for delivery. Black always wanted him to deliver the potions personally, but Aesop was not in the mood for his ridiculous requests. Besides, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Grabbing the yellow flowers on the desk, he rushed out of his classroom. According to his pocket watch, he was already ten minutes late. Fucking hell. Kathrina must be very disappointed in him. Would she be understanding about his circumstances? Or would she berate him for wasting her time? He grimaced, trying his best not to be distracted by negative thoughts.

The stairs leading to the Alchemy Classroom was long and arduous. It was on the other end of the dungeons, and he cursed the Hogwarts architects for failing to account for disability access. His limp slowed him down, making every step agonizingly painful. He leaned onto the wall, gasping for air, feeling his leg protest with the overexertion. Popping Wiggenweld into his mouth, the liquid soothed the pain in seconds.

Resuming his trek, Aesop passed by a couple of sixth and seventh years holding hands and giggling incessantly. He could not help but smile. Valentine's day weekend was a perfect time for lovers to spend together. Not that he minded. In fact, the romantic atmosphere may facilitate developing his relationship with Kathrina.

A loud bang sounded, and thick purple smoke emerged from an open doorway. And within the cloud, Peeves rushed in with a bucket in his hand. “Bombs away!” he cackled, flinging a handful of bright, shining glitters.

Aesop tried to protect himself, but it was too late. The flying sparkles coated his shirt, trousers, coat, hair, and beard with sticky glitter dust. It looked like he just went to a wild, drinking party. In desperation, he shook his body vigorously to remove the offending material, but they only stuck closer to his clothing.

“Now you look stunning, Professor Sharp!” the poltergeist called out.

Glaring, he chased after the rude entity. “Get back here, Peeves, and fix this mess!”

“If you want to catch me, you gotta move faster, old man!” it called out and phased through the wall, escaping Aesop’s grasp.

“By Merlin’s saggy left testicle! What in Morgana’s name did I do to deserve this torture?!” he yelled in frustration. Despite wanting to change, why did the Fates conspire against him? Was the cosmos so bent on making his life miserable? He sighed. No. He would not accept such mockery. No reason for him to stop moving forward despite the misadventures.

Steeling his resolve, he hurried towards the Alchemy Room, ignoring the confused stares of the other teachers and students. By the time he saw the door to the classroom, he saw Kathrina coming out with her bags and equipment. She carried a picnic basket covered with a checkered red and white cloth. She wore a white and blue blouse with a white long skirt and brown boots. Her auburn hair cascaded in curls over her shoulders. When she met his gaze, her honey gold eyes lit up with glee.

He stood up straight, combed his messy hair with his fingers, and tried his best to look presentable. Aesop gave a small bow, greeting the Alchemy Professor. “Professor Holmes...” he began.

“I think Kathrina will be fine,” she giggled.

Heat crept up to his cheeks as he cleared his throat. “Ah yes, Kathrina. Thank you for waiting for me.”

Her gaze softened as her eyes traveled to his feet. “Is your leg not giving you any trouble? You look like you ran a marathon for the past hour.”

“Ah, I have to run. You see Black has a special request that involves...uh... a cure for boils.” He coughed. “Anyway, the potions are finished and sent to his office.”

“Why, Professor Sharp. You’re so kind.”

He blinked. “Pardon?”

“You are kind to accommodate Professor Black in his illness. That is very selfless of you. Even if he has a tendency to boss you around, you still attempt to look after his wellbeing.”

He raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. “Well, I would not go that far,” he said while scratching the back of his head. Then he noticed the glitter still sticking to his clothing and boots. Sighing, he pulled out his wand and cast Scourgify. “I apologize. I just met Peeves on my way here. And he gave me a...makeover.”

She giggled. “It seems like you had quite an adventure. Still, you look very dashing, Aesop.”

His face heated and his pulse sped up upon hearing her say his name. When was the last time a woman paid so much attention to his appearance? Clearing his throat, he handed her the bouquet of yellow daffodils. “For you,” he said nervously.

“Really? These are my favorites. How did you know?” she squeed. But the moment she touched the flowers, it sprang up to life.

HONK!

Aesop could not believe what he had heard.

HONK! HONK! HONK!

He tried to remember what had just happened. He went to his classroom, placed the yellow daffodils beside his supply cabinet, brewed the potion, left the room... Where did he go wrong?

Then the realization dawned on him. There were honking daffodils in the supply cabinet. Those flowers were potent in the experimental potion he was working on. And in his panic, he grabbed the honking ones instead of the regular daffodils. Why, oh, why, did it have to be that plant?

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

He clutched his head, trying his best to calm down and suppress the embarrassment he was feeling. First, he was late, then he got showered with glitter, and now he gave his date an annoying batch of living flowers. Perhaps he should not have bothered fixing himself up? After all, he was nothing but a scruffy, clumsy, pathetic excuse for a man. He had ruined his chances with her.

But Kathrina let out a laugh. It was not the derisive kind. Rather, her voice soothed his fears and assured him he had not screwed up. “They look pretty!” she exclaimed, grinning as she caressed the petals of the noisy plants.

He sighed in relief. “I’m sorry,” he apologized again, “I wanted to give you a perfect first gift, but it seems I even messed up that one.”

“I think this is perfect!”

“Huh?”

Kathrina grinned broadly. “Everyone I see in this school is giving chocolates, flowers, stuffed toys, jewelry... The gifts seem impersonal. But this?” she motioned at the lively, honking flowers. “This is absolutely perfect!”

“Are you sure?”

She laughed. “Of course, silly!” she said while slapping his arm, “No one in their right mind will give his date a bouquet of honking daffodils!”

Aesop did not know whether to laugh or cry. But he would do neither. Instead, he smiled back, relieved that the misunderstanding did not ruin the start of their first date. “Shall we get going? The picnic at the lake awaits.”

She nodded. “Wait, let me put these lovely daffodils in a pot so we can keep them alive.”

“Of course!” he chuckled.

He watched her as she gently dug a hole on the soil, transplanted the roots of the lively flowers, and filled the cavity with soil. After that, she placed the potted plant in her classroom and summoned a watering can. She poured water over the clay pot before turning back to him. Aesop offered her his hand. Without hesitation, she intertwined her fingers with his own. Together, they walked across the castle grounds and made their way towards the Black Lake.

♥♥♥

Aesop held out his arm so Kathrina could latch onto him. “You might slip on the grass,” he explained, which made her giggle. The pair continued walking to the edge of the Black Lake. As they made their way there, Aesop realized that this was the first time that he went on a picnic since his injury. In the past, women would constantly flock to him, always begging for favors, money, and gifts. In exchange for his company, he could receive free meals and entertainment. Sex and company never lacked in his bachelor’s life.

But ever since his accident, oh how those people vanished when they saw him sprawled helplessly in St. Mungo’s. The ones who had called him, ‘My hero,’ became complete strangers once the limelight was gone. Not one of his former flings asked how he was doing. They were quick to replace him and find better partners. His closest friends, if he could call them that, also turned their backs on him.

Since then, only a bottle of firewhisky became his constant companion in his chambers. At least it would not judge him nor betray his trust.

Still, he did not want to dwell on past mistakes. Today, he was spending time with the person whom he genuinely cared about. Sure, his past experiences involved dates on fancy restaurants and elegant dinner parties, but a picnic was quite refreshing.

He held the picnic basket while Kathrina kept the parasol steady. The early morning sun shined brightly above them, illuminating the grounds and warming the winter cold. A light breeze blew past them, bringing with it the scent of the nearby Forbidden Forest. All around them, students laid on the lawn, conversing with each other while basking under the warmth of the sun. He observed lovers on a blanket, kissing without worry. Students played with giant, animated chess pieces on the lawn. Others were laughing with their friends, obviously enjoying the festivities.

He closed his eyes and smiled. Life seemed beautiful until it reared its ugly head.

“Shall we sit over there?” Kathrina pointed to a spot that was partially hidden behind the bushes. The ground was soft and wet, indicating that it rained earlier that morning. The place was near the lake’s edge. Perhaps if he was lucky, he could introduce her to the Giant Friendly Squid that resided inside the waters.

“Yes. There is good as any,” he said.

He spread out the picnic cloth, and they settled themselves on it. Aesop was about to offer Kathrina a plate of sliced bread and a glass of tea. But to his surprise, a tentacle erupted from the lake, stole his serving, and retreated into the water.

He blinked and shook his head vigorously. Did he just imagine things? Or was a gigantic monster eating their food?

“Something wrong?” Kathrina asked.

“Oh... It’s nothing. Here have some scones and fruit salad.” Aesop picked up another forkful of fruit salad, but once again, a giant, slimy tentacle snatched it out of his grasp. What the-?!

“Um...” she covered her mouth. But the tremors on her shoulders revealed she was trying to suppress a laugh.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the ripples forming at the surface of the water. When the movement subsided, he sighed and eased himself down on the picnic mat. Getting rattled by a friendly squid was not the impression he wished to give the woman next to him.

He opened basket and took out the sandwiches and sweet rolls. “These are the delicacies in Mrs. Steepley’s Tea Shop. Would you care for a bite?” he asked.

“Wow!” Kathrina marveled as she brought the sandwich up to her nose. She sniffed. “It smells wonderful.”

She took a bite and chewed it gently. Aesop noticed how delicate her lips were, how beautiful she was with the sunlight hitting her golden eyes. He imagined how her pretty cherry lips would look when she wrapped them around his co-

No! This was not the time to have such fantasies. He mustered all his willpower and pushed the inappropriate thoughts in the back of his mind.

He popped a cucumber sandwich into his mouth and focuses on other thoughts. Getting all horny in the first date was uncouth behavior. A gentleman must reserve his sexual desires for later when both parties mutually agree on such acts. Until then, he must only think with his brain, not his nether regions.

Right now, he would just try and get to know her better. “So... How do you find Hogwarts so far?” he cleared his throat, “I assume it’s much more different than Durmstrang?”

She nodded. “Yes. It’s bigger and much more modern. Durmstrang Institute is more like an old, castle. It has this dark, medieval atmosphere. Everything is dark wood and stone. Hogwarts is so light and open.” she took another bite, “It looks more like a prison fortress than a school, though. It’s too high and the walls are too thick.”

He raised an eyebrow. Her words sounded like there was more to that statement. But Aesop decided not to pry. So he chose his words carefully. “And the curriculum? Does it differ greatly from ours?”

She bit her lower lip. “Not that much. Though the study of the Dark Arts are treated there like your Charms. But otherwise, the classes are mostly the same. Herbology, Astronomy, Potions, History of Magic, Defense against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Runes, Beastology, Care of Magical Creatures...” she stared at the still waters of the Black Lake. A hint of misty tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“Kathrina?”

“Hmmm?” she asked as if being roused from a dream.

Aesop glimpsed a sad look on her face, but it disappeared when she met his gaze. A smile replaced her frown, but he sensed that something was not right. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just reminiscing.”

He nodded. While he was curious, it would be too insensitive for him to question her further. Aesop did not wish for their first date to end with her crying.

Perhaps he could try and lighten up the mood? He eased closed to her and took a sweet roll. But when he was about to feed it to her, he discovered a squid tentacle wrapping around the treat.

“Oh no you don’t!” Aesop growled and grabbed the offending tentacle. Despite his efforts, the limb refused to release its grip on the bread. So he tightened his grip and wrestled the creature for it.

After a few tugs, the Giant Squid released the roll and withdrew.

After checking for ink and mucus, Aesop handed out the slightly slimy sweet roll to Kathrina. “Sorry it’s sticky, but it’s edible,” he said as he wiped it over his sleeves.

His colleague giggled and took the sugary snack from his hands. With a small lick, contentment filled her expression.

Seeing her enjoy the sweet dessert made Aesop’s heart skip a beat. Why was he acting like a lovesick schoolboy? Was he becoming weak and vulnerable because of his feelings? His attraction for her grew by leaps and bounds, and he was uncertain if that was a good thing or not.

On one hand, he felt hopeful and happier. On the other, he feared he was going way too fast. If his feelings left uncontrolled, he might crash and burn. The tragedy of his previous relationships still shook him to the core. But if he wanted to move on with his life, he had to take the chance.

He gulped and tried to compose himself. “Kathrina, I know that this is too early for me to ask but...”

SLAP! The squid’s tentacle groped around the picnic area. While it was searching for food, it accidentally slapped Aesop’s face with its long appendage.

“Gah! Get off you, impertinent brute!” he shouted as he slapped the appendage away.

At first, Kathrina looked horrified by the scene before her. But then she giggled.

He cleared his throat and stared at her eyes. “As I was saying...”

SLAP! SLAP!

His eye twitched with rage as he glared at the half-submerged creature. “For Salazar’s sake, leave us alone, you nosy pervert!”

But the monster would not listen. It continued to grope around for any food items while splashing about.

“Umm, Aesop, I think your friend is lonely.” Kathrina offered the rest of the sweet roll to the aquatic animal, “Here you go!”

The tentacle caught the treat mid air. With a friendly wave, it slipped back into the waters of the Black Lake.

He watched Kathrina clap with delight at the cute antics of the creature. Aesop could not help but admire how she interacted with the Giant Squid. At least the mood had lightened up.

Glancing at his pocket watch, he noticed that the carnival that settled by the outskirts of Hogsmeade would open in thirty minutes. “It’s time to go,” he stated as he cleaned the plates and cups they used for their meal. “I hope that nosy squid had its fill. Because it just ate almost all of our breakfast.”

“I’m sure we can find something to eat while at the carnival. Do you think there will be cotton candy?”

His heart skipped a beat when she flashed her cute smile. He couldn’t help but notice her joyful expression. The melancholy look from earlier had disappeared. With a nod he offered his arm to her and said, “Let’s see what the carnival has in store.”

The two professors packed up the picnic supplies and made their way toward Hogsmeade. The entire village had been decorated with lights and streamers for the occasion. Couples of all ages strolled, admiring trinkets and clothing available at shops. Of course, everything was Valentine’s themed. Most of the merchandise were red, pink, and white, with images of hearts everywhere. It made Aesop gag a little; however, he wouldn’t let anything ruin his day with Kathrina.

♥♥♥

As they walked through the stalls, he talked about his childhood and how he started learning Potions. He also told her about his family and where he grew up. And for the first time in a long time, Aesop was enjoying himself and getting to know someone he really liked. There was no pressure to be larger than life. Pretentiousness was absent in their conversation. Everything just flowed naturally between them. It was as if he found a connection that was missing in his life.

When they reached a game stall, Kathrina dragged him over. It was a simple game of shoot the moving pictures. Cardboard cutouts of fwoopwers, dandelion puffs, snidgets, and bludgers whirled around the table.

“It’s all about precision,” Kathrina mused.

She pulled out her wand and aimed at the targets. The targets whirred and moved erratically. Kathrina squinted, pursing her lips. She shot a spell, but it missed the target completely. She groaned and sighed in frustration.

Aesop patted her back. “There, there, Kathrina. Let me handle this,” he said with a wink. His old cocky self resurfaced for a moment.

He took a deep breath, steadying his wand and lining up his shot. He focused on a dandelion puff. Its wings fluttered and changed directions repeatedly. He had to account for the distance and speed in his calculations. Time stopped as he mentally computed the variables.

Aesop considered everything, then released the spell and hit the target. With precision, he targeted and struck each of the moving cutouts. He was in his element. The spells flew out of his wand as if they were extensions of his body. There was a rhythm to the way he executed the charms. Each move was precise, powerful, and clean. He made it all look so easy.

But then he saw a different shaped target. A racoon-faced pixie floated in the middle of the target, wiggling and swaying in circles.

“This must be a special target!” he smirked. In a single flick of his wand, he hit the tiny pixie head.

POOF!

Sprays of paint showered on Aesop’s face. It coated his beard and eyebrows with neon colors. Reds, greens, blues, yellows, and whites stained his hair, neck, clothes, and shoes. It looked like he had just gotten caught in a rainbow explosion.

PLOP!

And to add insult to injury, a puffskein landed on his head.

Aesop glanced at Kathrina, whose efforts to hold back a laugh failed. She exploded in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Tears spilled from her eyes as she struggled to breathe.

“Ouch, tough luck! You just hit the jester target,” the stall owner shook his head, “I’m sorry, but you lost the game.”

Meanwhile, the puffskein squealed in fright, leapt off his head, and bounced away.

The Potion Master’s eyes bulged. “Wha- why is there something like that among the targets?!”

“Uh, have you read the rules, sir?”

Aesop glanced at the wooden board. And it was written there in bold letters: “In case you hit the racoon pixie jester, you automatically lose the game.”

“What sort of incompetent, idiotic, bullshit-“

“Hey, hey, hey, Mr. Wizard, calm down,” the stall owner raised his hands, “It’s not my fault you can’t follow simple instructions.”

“I demand a refund!”

The stall owner sighed. “Now you sound like that little girl over there who threw a tantrum because she lost.”

“Why you—”

Kathrina held his arm. “Now, calm down, Aesop,” she said soothingly. “It’s just a game.”

The Potion Master groaned. There was no need to get worked up over a mere children’s carnival game. His pride and ego could survive such a slight humiliation. Even so, looking like a fool in front of the woman he admired... That was embarrassing!

Kathrina was still smiling when he turned to face her. But Aesop saw something else in those eyes: compassion and understanding. Despite her laughter, he understood her intentions were not malicious. With a heavy sigh, he followed Kathrina, who led him towards another attraction.

After cleaning up using his wand, they went on a walk past the other booths.

A spooky-looking house caught his attention. The house's roof had a pointy cone shape that caught his attention. Red and gold banners draped on the windows. Cheap-looking skeletons swayed by the front porch. Two glowing red lanterns hung by the entrance. The large signs in front of the house that read "House of Horrors" were particularly eye-catching.

Aesop snorted. Such a cliche name was ridiculous.

“Oooh, is that a horror house?” Kathrina exclaimed excitedly, tugging on his coat sleeve. “Please, please, let’s try that one!”

“Kathrina, look at those garish decorations,” he waved at the entrance, “No one believe haunted houses looked like that! Any wizards with half a brain would know that this was fake and not even worth anyone’s time!”

But his companion didn’t seem to pay him any heed. “C’mon! I want to see what’s inside!”

He was about to roll his eyes when he stopped himself. Perhaps this would regain what little pride he had lost after that last stunt. “Very well, Kathrina. If you insist, let us enter.”

There was no queue, so they were ushered right in.

Aesop looked around. The design of the blue-green lights clearly resembled moonlight. Cheesy moans and screams echoed at the corners, obscured by thin black cloth. And an obvious enchantment depicting the howling wind felt more like a pathetic whistle. He almost felt ashamed for stepping foot in such a tacky location. They should bring back whoever performed the special effect charms on this house to Hogwarts and make them retake Charms. Abraham’s students could pull off better effects than this.

After passing through the haunted door, he noticed that the temperature had dropped several degrees. The interior had black paint on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Faint traces of dusty cobwebs hung around the hallway. Aesop wondered if those who made the webs had seen spider webs because of their yarn-like texture. A shadow of a spider crawled along the crevices of the room. But the large screws attached to the spider legs made him cringe a little.

In the distance, a female figure wearing a white veil appeared, blocking the path forward. She was a lanky woman in a ragged, wedding dress. She moaned as if she was in pain.

Kathrina shuddered and hugged Aesop. While it felt good to feel the heat of her body pressed to his own, he kept his eyes fixed on the white figure. With a loud whisper, he said, “This is an illusion. Those are basic charms for making the shadows and figures look eerie.” He explained, “I once apprehended troublemakers who used such cheap tactics to scare innocent people.”

“Huh? Are you sure? The house looks quite frightening...” she said.

“There is nothing to be afraid of. Here, I’ll show you how it works,” he grinned.

Aesop strode confidently towards the apparition, pointing his wand at the woman. “Finite!”

Suddenly, the woman vanished in to thin air.

“OI, YA CUNT! DON’T EXPOSE OUR SECRET TECHNIQUE!” a man yelled out of the blue, “If you ruin the fun of people who are trying to be scared, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!”

“If you want to be respected as an illusionist, then work on your charms!” he snapped back.

“Oh, you think you’re tough, big guy? Let’s see if you don’t cry like a little bitch in the next chamber!”

Aesop shrugged as they walked through the doorway and entered the next room. A cloud of thick smoke drifted from the top of the hall and spread along the floor. Behind the thick fog, a cluster of orbs dashed across them and vanished.

He rolled his eyes. “That’s the best thing you can do?”

“Shut the hell up, smartass!” the disembodied voice yelled, “You haven’t seen nothing yet!”

They continued to explore the rooms of the haunted house. After walking across the dark corridor, they reached a room with a staircase. The wooden stairs seemed to descend endlessly as they spiraled down into the basement. Each step they took made the floorboard creak with age. Hanging from the sides of the railings were torn-up black sheets with silver chains.

Another sound bellowed from the depths. But this time, it sounded like the scream came from the lower part of the stairs. Silvery, scratching sounds groaned throughout the hollow space. Flying creatures of the night approached them like bats, but their faces resembled human skulls.

Aesop snorted and flicked his wrist, sending the illusionary demons flying backward with the motion of his hand. “Seriously? Skeleton Bats? Have you never heard of the Hungarian Horntails or Manticores? You fools don’t even know what an actual threat is! This is more pathetic than a mediocre fairy tale!” he said and scoffed loudly, “In fact, if you really want to know what’s terrifying, I’d invite you to tour the Hogwarts dungeon. Let’s see if you can last an hour without pissing yourself.”

A series of curses rang out through the walls. But he knew it was a bluff. Those amateurs behind the scenes were only threatening him with their empty bravado. He smiled triumphantly. If the owner wants to defend his craft, he must face the challenge.

Kathrina tugged on his sleeve. “Aesop, what’s that?” she whispered while pointing at the floating figure.

The Potions Professor raised an eyebrow.

A heavy mist filled the slaughterhouse-like basement. Each rotten beam and pillar shook relentlessly. Once again, the mysterious cluster of orbs hovered within the shadows. Slowly, the orbs moved, as if it was being pulled in a magnetic force. Loud banging noises emerged from the darkness of the basement.

Kathrina gripped his arm tighter and shivered.

CRAAAAAAACK!!!

While still obscured from the fog, the orbs cracked open, revealing a long, sausage-like figures floating mid-air. It spun in the air briefly before landing on the floor.

Aesop rolled his eyes. “What is this shit?” he asked as he pointed at the fallen object with his wand. “Those are just pig intestines, you uncreative bastards! Don’t even bother with this juvenile crap!” he roared and gestured angrily, “You call that a true haunted house?!”

“Oh no, those aren’t pig intestines...” the voice replied.

“What’s that, then?”

Limbs sprung out of the mass and began crawling and twitching as they scuttled forth. Their pale, bulbous bodies twisted and warped as it crawled towards them. The dim light finally revealed what those things were: a horde of four-legged haggis! The strange meal made of lamb innards jumped to life and charged at them!

Aesop could swear that the high-pitched screams came not from him. But the fact was that his mouth was wide open and his vocal chords were producing the worst sound he had ever uttered in his life. The last thing he remembered before his vision darkened was Kathrina asking him if he was alright. Then the world went blank.

♥♥♥

“Aesop? Aesop? Are you alright?”

Aesop forced his groggy eyes open and saw Kathrina hovering above him. The evening breeze brushed past his face and ruffled the skirt of her white dress. Her hair caressed his skin with every movement.

“Are you okay?” she touched his forehead and his left cheek, “You suddenly fainted earlier.”

He blinked, trying to process what happened. They were in an unfamiliar room. The light was much brighter here. He realized he was lying on a soft, warm surface. Blankets and pillows surrounded him. Soft scent of antiseptic permeated the air.

With his mind now clearer, he could discern where they were. Apparently, Kathrina had taken him to the Infirmary.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he said hoarsely. Embarrassment crept upon him as he recalled that he screamed like a helpless child and collapsed like a wet rag after seeing the horrible sight of the four-legged haggis.

Shaking his head, he glanced at Kathrina. He noted how she was so concerned with his well-being. No signs of derision or mockery crossed her face. Instead, he found patience and kindness in those lovely eyes. Somehow, it brought comfort to him. His supposed lovers had left him when he needed them the most. But here, Kathrina stayed with him.

“How long was I unconscious?” he asked.

“For more than an hour now,” she said and took his hand, “I’m sorry I made you go there. You told me not to, but I insisted anyway.”

He grunted and sat up. “It was my fault. I got a bit carried away.”

She frowned. “I never saw someone faint like that after screaming bloody murder. Is there a reason for it? Was the haunted house so terrible for you?”

“Nothing about the haunted house was more frightening than the contents of my Potions storage closet.”

She tilted her head. “Then why did you scream when you saw those four-legged haggis?”

Aesop’s cheeks turned red in embarrassment. He grumbled and coughed to hide his shame. But then he realized Kathrina had the right to know the truth. So he began his tale, “The truth is... haggis... in its raw, living state... is absolutely terrifying. My mum loved it and made her own version of the meal. But the truth is, she was a horrible cook. I could smell the rotten meat from across the manor!”

“Oh...”

He sighed. “I hated haggis and everything that resembled the abomination that is that damn meal. Every time she placed that food on the table, I could not stop vomiting!” he covered his face with his palm and continued, “I don’t know why my father said that she’s a splendid cook. Maybe because he loves her? I don’t know. But it just encouraged her to keep cooking more of that awful food.”

“I understand what you mean... I remember going to Durmstrang. And... and... they serve dragon tongue for lunch. They think that’s a delicacy. It was the worst day of my life.”

Aesop looked up at her, stunned. He had never revealed the truth behind his distaste for haggis to anyone. When his exes suggested the meal, he threw out an excuse that he was allergic to lamb. In the past, he worried his vulnerability would repel women. But now, he confessed his secret to Kathrina with no fear or regret.

And she returned the gesture by revealing her own uncomfortable story.

Hope blossomed further in his chest. Did he finally find that one person he could trust with all of his heart?

He held her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, Kathrina. "I never expected to meet someone who shares my feelings," he smiled.

Her lips curled up as well, and the two of them exchanged gazes for a while. As they stared at each other, Aesop felt an invisible string pulling her towards him. Perhaps it was his feelings urging him to kiss her. He saw her moist, supple lips moving closer. And her honey gold eyes narrowed as she waited. Her sweet breath touched his lips and her fingers ran through his hair.

And their lips inched closer... and closer... until...

“Oi you lovebirds, get a room, will ya?” the man lying on the cot beside them shouted.

The spell was broken.

Kathrina pushed herself away. Her cheeks reddened as she tucked the stray auburn lock of hair behind her ear. She stood up and smiled weakly at him. “Um, I will ask the matron for the bill,” she said and then hurried away.

Aesop watched her as she left his side. Her wavy hair danced around her waist and her dress swished back and forth. She was truly beautiful inside and out. And he wanted her so bad.

“Oi you horndog, your junk’s poking outta your pants,” the other man hollered.

Aesop flushed. His member had gotten hard while he was lost in Kathrina’s beauty. And the fucking idiot beside him had announced that to the world. “Why are you looking in another man’s pants anyway?” he spat back.

“Ey, if you wanna shag, go to a brothel. Don’t do it here. Not everyone’s got a valentine, you know!” the patient complained.

He rolled his eyes. “That’s not my problem,” he said. He pushed himself up and put on his jacket and coat. The warmth of the infirmary blanket was nice. But he would not stay there while an insufferable man complained about him. After fixing his clothes and hair, he went where Kathrina had paid the bill for the infirmary services.

Peeking out of the window, he saw that the sky had darkened. His pocket watch told him it was already half past six in the evening. He gritted his teeth. So far, his date with Kathrina was a disaster. He was late for their breakfast. Peeves showered him with glitter. The Giant Squid interrupted their picnic. Aesop ruined a chance to impress her by getting a faceful of colorful paint. Then he just screamed in front of her when he saw those accursed haggises.

To make matters worse, he almost ruined their first kiss! Aesop sighed. At this rate, Kathrina might not want to go out with him again.

‘No, Aesop, don’t think that way. You still have one last ace up your sleeve!’ he said to himself while he reviewed his itinerary. Professor Shah revealed the occurrence of a meteor shower that evening. And lucky for him, its full glory would be in full view at the top of the Astronomy Tower. He and Kathrina would have dinner at the top of the tower while staring up at the stars. After hearing about it, Abraham offered to magically set up the place for a romantic dinner with Kathrina. He did not know if it was a good idea to entrust the task to the Charms Professor, but he had no choice. Now, he hoped nothing went wrong with the setup.

When they met again, her cheeks were less flushed. But her shy and reserved mannerisms remained. “I hope you don’t mind that I paid for your bill,” she said, “I regret bringing you to such a scary place. And this is the least I can do to make amends.

He shook his head. “No. It’s perfectly alright. I should’ve been more vigilant. But we shouldn’t dwell on that,” he held her hand and offered, “Shall we get going?”

“Okay, shall we grab something to eat? I know a good place.”

Summoning all the courage to let out another confident smirk, he said, “Actually, I have somewhere planned for us to have our supper.”

“Really?” she asked. A glimmer of curiosity sparkling in her golden eyes.

“Yes. Let me show you the way.”

♥♥♥

The hallways of Hogwarts was quiet. All around, the students had retired back to their dormitories to prepare for ’s Ball. The torches illuminated the hall with bright light. Cool yet gentle winds caressed the leaves of the potted plants stationed around the perimeter. As if Merlin also wanted to view the upcoming meteor shower, the night sky was clear. No cloud dared to spoil the starry night's celestial beauty.

Aesop was nervous. He always made it a point to look confident and self-assured in front of others. However, in the presence of Kathrina, he was stripped of that persona. Back in his Auror days, his interactions with other women were flamboyant, extroverted, and proud. He would sweep them off their feet and charm them with his confidence. No one could resist his charm.

But things were different with Kathrina. For the first time in a long while, he was feeling vulnerable. He feared that one wrong move would put his chances of gaining her affections at risk. The incident at Scarborough had shaken him deeply. It made him doubt himself. And it was his ego that caused him to spiral downhill.

But now that he was slowly picking up the pieces, determination filled his heart to be more careful with Kathrina. His affection for her grew exponentially by the minute. Despite his desire for intimacy, he knew patience was key in establishing a firm foundation for their relationship.

And it would start in this lovely dinner beneath the starry sky.

He took her by the hand as he led her up the steep steps of the Astronomy Tower. His leg injury complained about the prolonged climb, but he would have to endure the discomfort just for tonight. The Pain Relief Potion that he drank earlier had helped ease the tension from his muscles. Hopefully, it would work long enough for their evening.

As he carefully climbed up the stairs, he saw hints of pink, gold, and red drapes and ribbons decorating the corners and wall railings. Various heart-shaped balloons floated upwards. Scented candles and flowers adorned the area. Red and pink rose petals scattered around the floor underneath the table and chairs. He even spied an enchanted string quartet playing a very pleasant tune near the balcony. But someone had arranged all those decorations in a very bizarre and tacky display.

He covered his face with his free hand and groaned internally. ‘Why does everything have to be in this garish design?’ he said to himself.

Kathrina, meanwhile, covered her mouth and tried to stifle her giggles. “It looks... cheerful.”

“Oh, dear Merlin... Why Abraham... just why?”

“Did Professor Ronen help you with the decoration?”

Aesop sighed heavily. “He volunteered to the task. I was too careless in my planning, and he discovered my plans. He said he was an expert towards romantic matters. I did not want him to interfere, but he insisted.”

He stared at the feast spread across the table. There was an assortment of roast beef, potato, soup, bread, and dessert. Fresh and sweet scents wafted from the delectable dishes, beckoning them to take a bite. A bottle of red wine, two wine glasses, and a bucket of ice for cooling drinks rested in the center of the table. Everything looked perfect.

However, the color scheme of the setting did not match the mood Aesop was trying to build. He envisioned something elegant and seductive, like deep reds and blacks. But Abraham was all about loud, ostentatious displays of romance.

“It looks amazing. He outdid himself!” she said, “Shall we sit down?”

He pulled the chair for her, and she took a seat. After that, Aesop went and settled at the opposite end of the table.

“Can we ask the quartet to play something... slower?” he said, “The piece they played is too bouncy. It doesn’t suit the mood.”

She blinked. “What mood are you thinking about?” she asked innocently.

The lump in his throat swelled and his palms felt sweaty. But he managed to answer with a nonchalant smile, “I... wish for a more sedate ambience... it’s much more conducive to conversations...”

She nodded in understanding. With a wave of her wand, the quartet switched to a slow and soft melody. The music was no longer lighthearted. It was now low, romantic, and seductive.

“Much better. At least it doesn’t sound like we’re in a tavern. Thank you.”

They started on the food. And it was heavenly. The roasted meat melted like butter in his mouth, and the gravy was smooth and flavorful. Aesop marveled at the house-elves' ability to create a quick, splendid meal. Perhaps he should show his gratitude to their skills tomorrow.

As he ate, he notices his date observing at him with half-lidded eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered as she gazed upon his face. And he swallowed a mouthful of food nervously.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked as he wiped his lips with his napkin.

She giggled and rested her chin on her knuckles. “It’s been a while since I shared a meal like this. With someone...” she stared at her plate of food and said, “Someone special.”

“Kathrina...”

“This is so weird. I dine with friends and acquaintances. But never with someone I’m really interested in.”

Aesop’s lips parted slightly. Then he allowed them to curl up to form a genuine smile. “Me too... It’s been a long time... Never did I think I would find someone I enjoy sharing meals with again.”

His gaze locked with hers, and the invisible string once again drew him closer. Heat bloomed in his chest and spread through his body. He reached her hand across the table. The delicate features of her fingers traced the back of his palm. Their breaths mingled together, and he could see a blush on her cheeks.

Their faces were just inches apart...

“LOOK! IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING!”

A dozen of students rushed onto the balcony, making their way to the stone railings. The entire tower shook with their sudden movements, making Kathrina and Aesop yelp in surprise. Professors hid in tower corner, as the students gawked at skies.

Aesop muttered a curse as the tension once again popped like a balloon. He was so close, too! Just when he thought he could finally steal a kiss from her. The timing was perfect! Everything was going so well, until the Astronomy Club arrived to interrupt them!

“Why are you even here...?” he grumbled, “Aren’t you supposed to be in the Great Hall?”

“We wanted to get a better view of the meteor shower,” Amit replied while staring at the marvelous celestial event, “Sorry to intrude on your date. We’ll try to be quiet.”

The club members opened their star maps and telescopes, making notes of the event. Their quills scratched on the paper as they scribbled down the dates, times, and trajectories of the falling stars.

Meanwhile, Kathrina went back to her seat and started eating her supper. Her cheeks were still red with embarrassment, and Aesop’s blood boiled with rage. His plan was a total failure! Why could he not have a romantic evening with the woman he liked without some kind of interruption?!

Just as he was inwardly fuming, Kathrina once again held her hand and stroked the digits lovingly. She whispered, “There’s a spot in the balcony where we can watch the meteor shower. Want to come with me?”

He gulped and nodded his head. The gesture flicked the flames of desire within him. She pulled him towards a secluded area of the balcony, away from prying eyes. Flaming balls dropped from the dark, like fireflies in the night sky. As they watched in silence, Kathrina leaned into his broad frame. Aesop felt her silky tresses brush against his jaw, and her lavender perfume mingling with his earthy musk. With each passing second, she closed the gap between them.

Unconsciously, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. Though he was taller than her, he made sure Kathrina felt comfortable in his embrace. She hugged him back and placed her head against his shoulder.

The ooohs and aaaahs of the students grew so far away. All he could hear was the beating of his heart and her shallow breathing. The rest of the world vanished and became a blur. All he could see was her. There was nothing else in the universe except her. Not even the celestial display above them could rival the brilliant twinkle of her honey gold-colored eyes.

His hand snaked its way up to her neck as his thumb gently stroked her chin. The desire lingering behind those eyes mirrored his. But he kept his moves slow and steady. He did not want to scare her away with his passion. Giving her time to react, he lowered his head and whisked his lips over hers.

And she reached out and pressed her soft lips against his.

And on that very moment, time ceased to exist.

Aesop closed his eyes and savoured the moment. He was afraid that any movement or noise could ruin this special moment. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest. The roaring tempest of emotions within him made him feel like a child who received the greatest gift for Christmas. He tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Merlin knows he wanted more than just a kiss. But would he be greedy in taking it? He didn’t know. And he would be happy to be contented with just this moment.

As they broke apart, he noticed the pink dusting her cheeks. The lustrous sheen in her eyes was so bright that it rivaled the sun itself.

“Wow that’s... amazing,” she said breathlessly as she smoothed the fabric of her dress, “So that’s what kissing you feels like.”

Aesop chuckled at how she attempted to play off the excitement and glee after the kiss they just shared. It was gratifying for him to know that someone he admired and liked felt the same. “First time?” he joked.

A ungodly snort came out of her. “Well, I don’t want to hurt your pride, but let’s say... yes and no,” she tapped her chin, pretending to think about it.

Aesop frowned. “Elaborate, please.”

She smirked and gave him a playful wink. “I don’t kiss and tell, Professor Sharp,” she giggled and resumed watching the meteor shower, “Don’t you have any decency not to pry into a lady’s secrets?”

“I’m still a trained Auror. Secrets are my specialty.”

She caressed his cheek. There was a hint of fondness in her expression, and a gentle smile tugged her lips. “Oh, Aesop. You wouldn’t be able to coax a single word out of me. So why try?” she booped his nose and smiled at him. “But to soothe your burning curiosity, allow me to say that you’re my first REAL kiss. Not my first kiss, but I would count our kiss as my real first.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear. But it satisfied him nonetheless. “That’s... better,” he said, returning the smile.

They continued watching the display with renewed interest. Aesop stole glances at the Alchemy Professor. There was a joyful twinkle in her eyes as she stared up at the stars. The light of the celestial objects painted a streak of light across her cheeks, giving her an ethereal glow.

He sighed and smiled. This was the best date he ever had in a long time. And it was all thanks to this woman.

♥♥♥

After the festivities had died down, Aesop walked his date back to her quarters. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as his mind wandered to the possibilities of their next date. Or if she wanted to become his lover. But the question lingered. What if he rushed things? Would he look like a desperate fool?

As they reached the door of her chambers, Aesop cleared his throat, trying to look more of a gentleman and less of a lustful beast in front of the woman he desired. He placed his hands behind his back and stood straight.

“Thank you for coming with me today,” he started, “I never thought that I could have a pleasant day after all those events that happened.”

“You jest, right? That is the best Valentine’s Day Date I’ve ever been in,” she laughed. “I didn’t expect you to have a romantic, and lighter, side to you.”

“I have a lot of layers to unveil.”

“I think we’re both pretty complex,” she replied.

“Perhaps we’re made for each other, then?”

A blush crept up to her cheeks. Kathrina’s gaze darted away from his face. “I-I agree with you...” she said. “I’m not sure if I’m ready, but...” She lifted her head up and stared at him with eyes that only confirmed her hesitancy.

He could feel his ego deflating faster than a punctured bludger. “I can wait, Kathrina. I’m a patient man,” he said, trying to not look crestfallen.

She sighed softly, and her shoulders relaxed. “No. It’s not like that. It’s just... We barely know each other for a couple of months and I feel like it’s happening too fast...”

He shook his head. “I understand that. It’s quite overwhelming for me, too. I don’t want to rush things. As I’ve said, I can wait,” he said in a comforting tone. “Let’s just go slow. One day at a time.”

Kathrina reached out and held his hand. “Yes, that’s exactly what I feel. Thank you so much for understanding,” she said.

As silence lingered between them, Aesop kept his gaze fixed on her lovely face. Her round, pale face seemed to glow under the lamplight. The smooth curve of her cheeks, the delicate shape of her nose and chin, and her soft, cherry lips. They were all the traits he found most beautiful about her.

He took a step forward. And she did not try to back away. Their faces were inches apart. Her breaths tickled his skin, and he could smell the wine on her lips. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and brushed her bottom lip with his thumb.

At the corner of his eye, he saw Peeves rushing towards them. His wicked grin spread from ear to ear as he clutched a couple of water balloons in his hands.

But this time, he was ready.

He pulled his coat off, tossing it over Kathrina’s head to shield her.

“NOT THIS TIME, YOU BLASTED CLOWN!”

SPLAT!

The water balloons hit his torso dead-on, spilling the cold liquid all over his dress shirt and waistcoat. Icy chills grasped his aching leg, but he ignored it. With a flick of his wand, he aimed at the poltergeist and yelled, “Rictusempra!”

BZZT!

The yellow bolt hit Peeves directly in the middle of his face, sending him spiraling backwards. Water balloon fragments splashed on the floor and the walls of the corridor. His maniacal laughter echoed through the passageway as he rolled away from them, laughing.

“Aesop, are you alright?” Kathrina asked after removing the coat from her head. Her honey-gold eyes searched his face in concern.

“Yes. I’m fine,” he said, smoothing his waistcoat and shirt with his hand, “Nothing a little drying charm can’t fix.” He reached out for the hem of his shirt and pulled the soaked fabric up from his skin. “How about you? Are you wet?” he asked.

She averted her gaze away from his bare abdomen. Her race turned bright red and her lips parted. “N-no... I’m okay...,” she squeaked.

He blinked. Why did she sound nervous? Then he realized his mistake and pulled his shirt down. “Oh... I apologize... I don’t want to make you uncomfortable... It was inappropriate of me to undress in front of a lady... Especially in the corridor where anyone could see us...”

With a quick deep breath, she looked at him in the eye. Her stiff posture told him that of the herculean effort not to stare anything below his neck. “Perhaps you can come inside my chambers and dry off there?” she offered, “I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Aesop felt heat rising up his neck and ears. He never expected such a suggestion from her. “Are you sure? I can always clean myself up in my quarters,” he said, trying to control his thumping heart.

She bit her bottom lip nervously. “I insist. Consider it as my gratitude for shielding me from the prank attack.”

“Well I...” he stammered. All the bravado he showed earlier vanished as his imagination took him to places that he shouldn’t be. But he mentally slapped himself. He needed to remain calm and not let his raging hormones get the better of him. He had promised Kathrina that they would go slow. And he was staunchly determined to keep that promise.

She cleared her throat. “And... I’ve heard that you’re a connoisseur for fine spirits,” she kept her eyes fixed on the doorknob, “Maybe you’re interested in tasting the 150 year old Ogden’s Old Firewhisky I’ve got in my private stock? I’ve been waiting for a perfect chance to taste it. Maybe you would enjoy it more if you share it with a friend?”

His heart skipped a beat. This day could not get any better. “How could I refuse such an offer?” he grinned.

A shy smile and a bat of her eyelashes greeted him. “Wonderful,” she said before unlocking the door. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

He could not help but grin ear to ear as he followed her inside. Perhaps the day had not gone as bad as he thought.

--FIN--

[thebleedingeffect]

Alrighty this is a lil snippet of a Wild and Twilight scene that I worked on for a day or two! Some context for this scene, this is pretty soon after they escape Cia and make the deal with totk Ganondorf for him to remove Cia's seal off them and to teleport them somewhere random. Just a short lil scene of some Twilight and Wild bonding + Twilight freaking out a bit over being corrupted with Gloom.

also!! @trangender-herooftime this is the very beginning of the corrupted/gloom Link saga that I mentioned a couple days ago! like always, I'm always okay if you don't wanna be tagged :]] I just wanted to cause I know you said you were interested lmao.

Now for some gloom infected Wild and Twilight >:3 a bit of angst and foreboding stuff with an actual sweet scene.

-

Twilight didn’t notice the mark at first.

It was a small thing, hidden underneath the thick layers of fear, grim, and blood that had steadily coated his skin until the color of his skin was no different than the dirt underneath his feet. The small, blackened patch throbbed, like a painful bruise that pulsed in time with his heartbeat and burned at the slightest touch, the skin around nearly consumed in a reddened fever that had Twilight’s face twisting in a grimace. At first the distant throb of pain was hardly anything important, with his entire body being consumed in pain and fear, the distant ache that began to pierce through his shoulder was hardly worth registering.

Blood coated his knees, his own and everyone else’s, a mixture of such a deep, consuming red that Twilight wasn’t confident he could pinpoint where the pain ended and he began. The ache was so inconsequential, so quiet amongst the cacophony of gashes and splitting skin, that it had simply faded from Twilight’s mind as quietly and as suddenly as it appeared. Now, Twilight couldn’t help the pained exhale as he stared down at the muddied pool of water at his own battered reflection.

Blackened water dripped down into the water, the thickened layers of grim being scrapped off with each rough scratch of nails digging at the skin underneath. Twilight could only dredge up the distant feeling of disgust at the feeling of his own dried blood gathering beneath his nails, only passing a grim glance at the sight before dipping his hands back into the water. The surrounding forest was quiet, peaceful even, a sight so familiar that Twilight could only attempt to ignore the pain scratching up from his throat.

The treeline faded back as Twilight caught the sight of the strange mark once again. It was dark, pitch black even, a stark contrast to the pale skin that cowered beneath the light of the day. Thin lines of red pulsed in time with the dim fever, a bright crimson that festered and bled into the rest of his skin until it sang along with the thrum of pain that enveloped every part of his body. 

Now, underneath Twilight’s worried stare, the blackened patch seemed to squirm restlessly, unable to simply hide how it had burrowed itself into Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight couldn’t help the immediate thought that it looked sick, rotted even, the kind of festering wound that would occasionally appear on the unlucky farm animal in Ordon. Most animals didn’t survive sickness, the rot would simply engulf them until its roots were far too ensnared within the very flesh that it was more of a mercy for it to die. The thought brings with it a distant kind of memory, one when he was far too small and young to be anywhere close to the scent of death.

Twilight remembers the smell of rot that had enveloped the barn, the soft mummers of comfort that fell on deaf ears to the goat that was struggling in a pool of its own misery and blood. Looking back, it was one of his first encounters with death, and through the thin opening of the barn’s door he had watched as the doctor gave a defeated sigh as she had leaned back from the goat. The sight of blackened blood had burned itself into Twilight then, the futile noises of an animal grasping for life despite death practically reeking from every one of its orifices.

Later, Twilight had learned that the goat had been battling a severe sickness, an infection, one that had started from a messy pregnancy as the mother had simply been unable to pass all of its babies. The infection was simply too far deep into the mother’s flesh, too late to help, too much pain for any one animal to bear. 

 Twilight had never seen that goat again, after he was caught by Rusl and was taken back home with a gentle hand on his shoulder and a kind expression as he told Twilight of death. It was a natural thing, Twilight had learned how death could be cruel and kind in equal turns, it was something that he had long made peace with the first time that he had taken up a sword. 

But there was something different about sickness, the kind of rot that he had seen consume that goat that day until it could only scream out in pain that had no salvation or saving grace. The scent of rot clogged Twilight’s nose, the smell more and more putrid the longer that he stared at the growing black mass that looked back at him through his reflection. Twilight realized with a jolt of horror that he wasn’t quite sure when it had appeared, but his gut twisted and dropped with a dawning dread that had him swallowing down nausea. 

The rustling of grass snapped Twilight’s eyes from his reflection, teeth grinding in poorly-hidden fear as Wild gently stopped a handful of paces away. Shock stilled Wild for a moment, before a quiet horror took its place at the black dripping into the water. Not a single word was spoken, not as Twilight felt the adrenaline fall away and neither when Wild’s eyes twisted in understanding. Seconds sluggishly moved passed, each moment painfully slow as Twilight dimly watched Wild approach, the dirtied riverbank crunching beneath his feet.

No word was spoken, the quiet mercifully untouched as the gentle wind that swept along the river’s water brought the taste of salt along with it. It wasn’t enough to cleanse him from the rot that still sat stubbornly on his tongue, but he could still manage the slightest twinge of his lips at the cool breeze.

“I… I didn’t realize, I never wanted-”

“It’s okay, Wild. It’s… I’m not surprised.” Twilight feels more than sees how Wild stiffens beside him, the pain practically radiating from Wild’s side as he glares back down into the water with despairing gleam in his eyes. The stilted silence pervades the tranquility of the water before the both of them, the seconds making the dread in Twilight’s stomach all the more heavier until the sight of charred skin catches his eye.

Red veins pulse sluggishly from the very center of the mass and Twilight pushes down the sick feeling, the urge to throw up growing stronger by the second until Wild shuffles again.

“...Does it hurt?” The smile that appears on Twilight’s face is a genuine one, the edges of it curling with warmth as Twilight meets Wild’s own nervous eyes with his own. The burn of Wild’s troubled, frantic glances at his exposed shoulder only made Twilight’s smile soften further, giving a slight chuckle before leaning back from the water.

“No, it’s just… warm.” Truthfully, Twilight could admit to himself that it felt like something was alive under his skin, just barely scratching against his bones with dull claws that spoke of malice, hatred even. Not sharp enough to hurt, not yet anyway, but just enough that Twilight swore he could feel another heartbeat along his own. 

“I promise you, Wild. I’m okay, if anything I should be the one asking you that.” A good-natured smirk tugged up on Twilight’s lips, pulling himself completely from the water’s edge and shifting closer to Wild’s side. Twilight’s smile dimmed as Wild pulled his own blackened arm closer, guilt clouding his already dark expression 

“...You weren’t supposed to be hurt, none of you were, that wasn’t part of the deal at all-” Wild dug his fingernails into the pitch black flesh of his new arm, veins of gloom pulsing angrily against the dull green glow until reddened smoke weaved themselves inbetween Wild’s fingers. Twilight had hardly registered the thought before he was gently wedging his hand into Wild’s own, white-knuckled and gloom-infested as it was, but Twilight hardly cared.

“Would you rather have dealt with Ganondorf all alone?” Twilight kept his voice quiet, tightening his hand into Wild’s own as a shaky, watery exhale was Wild’s only response.

“I should’ve, I should’ve just demanded something else- gone alone- just anything else but this.”

“...Let me tell you something about my own Ganondorf, Wild.” Twilight hardly breathed as Wild fell into his shoulder, shuddering breaths wracking his body with violent jolts that had Twilight pulling him just the slightest bit closer. 

“Midna, a friend of mine, was the first one who told me about Ganondorf. He was a cunning man, intelligent, a commander, the truest example of the Gerudo King in every sense of the word. But… I didn’t want to believe her, not at first.” Twilight pushed down the bittersweet longing that tinged his words, ignoring the curious glance that Wild gave before forcing himself to continue.

“I was told that I was the hero, I had no idea what that meant at the time but I knew that people needed help and I was the only one there to fill that role. There might’ve been a princess waiting for me, but before that? I was just trying to save whoever I could.” 

“The idea of him was terrifying, but I never admitted that to my Zelda, or Midna. Never before and never afterwards, I just couldn’t say out loud that I was scared, wasn’t sure if I could risk being so when there was already so much at stake.” The memories felt distant and yet so extremely fresh, if Twilight focused he could swear that he could still feel Midna’s gaze burning into him, an uncharacteristic grave expression drawn onto her face. Midna had burned with a hatred that he hadn’t quite understood, a loathing that she hardly ever had the strength to explain.

It was a hatred that he had only seen matched during the very height of Zant’s madness, an endless muttering prayer for an angry ‘god’ that had taken depraved pity on him.

Twilight understood then, without even muttering a word to Midna as she mercilessly crushed Zant against her rightful throne.

 “Until before I knew it, there was no more time to wonder about what kind of man could become a god, because I was meeting that same man.” Twilight still remembered the flash of recognition that had burned through him at the sight of Ganondorf sitting upon Hyrule’s throne, the very image of a scorned king. Nothing was said, yet he had known with a frightening certainty that it was him, just as Ganondorf smirked back at him with a knowing look.

Perhaps destiny had always demanded that they would meet, would always fall back into each other’s orbit, just like how Ganondorf’s shadow would always inevitably fall back over him.

Maybe Ganondorf was just waiting to make his mark. 

Twilight pointedly did not look down at his shoulder at that thought.

“But the one thing that I couldn’t doubt, the one thing that I knew, was that Ganondorf wasn’t a fair man. He had cheated, manipulated, and taken advantage of every single scrap of power that he could get his hands on, all the way up until he reached that throne.”

“Ganondorf… your Ganondorf, I don’t think he was any different. That’s why I don’t blame you, because I would’ve hated myself even more if you were forced to go through it alone.”

The silence after Twilight’s admission was palpable, an incredibly heavy weight that pushed down on his shoulders, but he couldn’t say that he felt guilty or embarrassed at all at his words. Simply, it was the truth, Twilight would’ve rather share the gloom steadily corrupting him to his very bones rather than watch uselessly as Wild crumbled away. What use is a hero that could sit uselessly, without a purpose? Only able to stand quietly aside as the scarily few pieces of his family scattered away?

Family? Was that what Wild was now? Twilight dared to meet Wild’s eyes as the thought lingered in the forefront of Twilight’s mind, the simple word so scarily simple yet terrifying. Wild stared back, eyes pinched in contemplation and pain as the grip around Twilight’s hand tightened minutely, the subtle shake in his palms stilling slightly underneath Twilight’s own comforting squeeze. Moments passed like that, until Wild sharply pulled Twilight to his side and buried his face into the still dirtied skin covering his neck.

Twilight smiled softly, entwining his arms around Wild’s torso and pulling him even closer with a fervor that caused his smile to shake subtly where it was hidden in the grimy mess of Wild’s hair. 

“...I wanted to do it alone, that was what I had planned.”

“I know.”

“It was only supposed to be me.”

“But it wasn’t.”

Twilight felt Wild melt further into the hug, his shoulder growing suspiciously warm as Wild fell silent once again until the soft breeze running atop the river’s water drowned out the sound. The forest's edge danced with the slight wind, shuffling until Twilight could taste the sense of home beneath all of the fear and torment that had clung to them all like a second skin. Twilight could only admit the truth to himself then, accept it without a single doubt, that Wild was part of his family now.

Perhaps they all were, every single one of them managing to slip between every single one of their cracks and sharpened edges that Twilight wasn’t sure where he began and they started. Wild’s heartbeat slowed against his own chest, subtly matching the tempo of his own heart as Twilight breathed in the scent of Wild still clinging to his arms. 

What didn’t they all share? Surely part of the same soul and fate, pieces of each other ripped apart and remade over and over as the goddesses had demanded every time. But, Twilight had felt each of their blood on his skin, had seen their subtle, scared smiles, heard the first bubbling of laughter that left their lips in the middle of hell. 

Twilight had to admit it to himself, maybe he had let them close without even realizing, perhaps he never had a choice in the matter. The urge to let go never once burned along his skin, and the realization slowly dawning over Twilight just made him hold onto Wild all the more tighter.

He didn’t want to let go.

He didn’t want to let go of Wild, he didn’t want to let go of any of them. 

The blackened pulse of gloom was still embedded itself into his shoulder, but Twilight couldn’t muster the same fear that had scratched at his nerves mercilessly only minutes before. Twilight felt his limbs slowly come back to themselves, the sun straining across the horizon casting a soft, golden glow over the two of them and the dissipating grim disappearing before Twilight’s eyes with every subtle wave of the river’s current. The world breathed around them as Wild sniffled softly into his neck, pulling back painfully slow until Twilight was welcomed by his slightly reddened eyes.

Twilight could only smile, the very sight of it bringing a watery smile to Wild’s own face that immediately made him laugh into the blissful quiet. The forest ruffled with the sound, the bubbling laughter reverberating softly until collapsing back to soft chuckles, the sound bringing an indulgent smile to Twilight’s face before he stood up. Twilight hardly had to think to extend his hand towards Wild, the action causing Wild to lapse back into silence as he stared at the hand.

Twilight waited, and waited even more, until the hesitant embrace of Wild’s scarred hand joined his own and Twilight effortlessly pulled him to his side.

“C’mon, I’m sure the others are starting to get worried, and it won’t be long until it’s dark. Are you ready to go?” Wild’s answering nod was all the answer that Twilight needed, starting the short trek back to the haphazard camp that awaited them.

“...Are you… are you going to show them?” Twilight felt more than saw how Wild glanced onto his still exposed shoulder, the tattered remains of his sleeve left abandoned somewhere within the riverbed.

“...Yes, we’re all fighting by each other’s side, have been all this time, what’s one more bump on the road?” A comforting smile contrasted against Wild’s own worried one, the expression sputtering out as Twilight knocked into Wild, laughter bubbling back up from his chest as Wild gave an irritated look before straightening with a huff. 

“Are you sure?” Twilight more than heard the hidden fear in Wild’s voice as he curled into himself at the indecision of the question, guilt once again curling in his eyes before Twilight gave an agreeable noise. 

“I’m sure, I promise that it’ll all be fine.” Twilight felt the truth entertain his words, along with a thousand different meanings and promises intertwined with it. “Even if it isn’t, just stay by my side. That’s all I ask of you.” Images of an empty desert and an endless void of grief stretched along the expanse of Twilight’s mind as he blinked, the words dripping with it a painful kind of sincerity and desperation that rang painfully loudly in his ears. 

The guilt fell from Wild’s eyes, instead being replaced with a kind of thoughtful contemplation at Twilight’s words as he fell silent. Ghosts haunted all of them, some more bittersweet than others, and Twilight knew with a bone-deep, terrifying certainty that Wild reflected the kind of understanding that scarily few knew, or felt. The kind of understanding that came from being ripped open and the world placed on your shoulders, only able to watch as everything you loved slipped away from you.

But you couldn’t flinch, or share the pain, as the hero never shoulders the responsibility with someone else, never voices their despair as they’re crushed alive.

Midna teased the edges of Twilight’s memory for a bittersweet moment, the faint image bringing with it an old ache of pain that was only softened as Wild gave a small, hesitant smile of his own after a moment. 

“Not going to ask for anything more? That’s it?” Wild’s smile took on a mischievous edge, the misery from earlier dissipating with every step until Wild kept up in time by Twilight’s side with a smirk that had Twilight giving a self-indulgent eye roll.

“I have to juggle you, Warriors, Time, and Sky. Trust me, I’m having to deal with more than plenty already, like Sky isn’t the absolute worst by himself-” The giggling of laughter is expected, but Twilight can’t help the wide smile that stretches over his face, drinking in the sound until it brings with a warmth that hums along with the skip of his steps. 

“Just stay, even as much of a menace as you are.”

“Really, that’s all?”

“That’s all I could ever ask of you, Wild.” 

[alongtidesoflight]

a gentle kiss to ask forgiveness  - for anyone you want!

oh, thank you! that's a lovely one! i'll write a little re-envisioning (meaning it uses some canon dialogue) of my dragon age legionnaire carys and anders on the run from kirkwall after the events of DA2! it's a bit tricky to let people in on the lore of them because they're not exactly canon-compliant but canon-adjacent, but the gist of it is that i usually have several protagonists working together and if there's a game series previous protagonists & co are usually cameoing in followup games and that's what's going on here. hope that makes sense it's like 4am lol

It had been a rough couple hours ever since they'd boarded Katara's ship - the ONLY Qunari ship still anchoring at the Lowtown docks - and hauled their asses out of Kirkwall at breakneck speed. Carys had lost count of just how many people she'd had to politely remove from their path on the way there. Mages and those blasted templars alike, too many people had met the sharp end of her blade tonight.

Upon their departure, the city had still been on fire. Pillars of smoke and flame reaching for the sky she'd once been in so much awe of and dreamt of reaching for herself. Now she didn't dare look up at it again for fear of seeing the inferno still raging in the distance.

She could still hear the screams. Feel the crunch of rubble and debris under her sore feet. Taste the bitterness of iron at the tip of her tongue. The sting of sulfur and smoke clung to her clothes like leftover traces of soot and dirt clung to the skin of her face, and her axe and hands were still coated in the deep crimson of dried blood.

There can be no half-measures. There can be no turning back.

Had she ever truly known him?

Slightly turning her head towards the man who'd spoken those fateful words just moments before tossing an entire city into uncontained chaos, Carys sighed quietly, hiding her gaze behind a veil of her golden hair. Observing him like she'd observe the many shifty looking strangers crowding the Hanged Man on a busy evening.

Anders sat slumped against the rickety walls of the ship, seemingly deep in thought. He hadn't looked up ever since Katara had insisted they lock him away below deck. In fact he hadn't even protested it, which Carys found odd. Whatever Hawke decided his fate would be, he seemed to be fine with just... accepting it.

And now?

He'd rather die fighting, he'd said tonight. And then he hadn't.

Hawke would have fulfilled his wish in her grief, but then Carys had stepped in.

Carys's gaze sought out his eyes. She couldn't read him at all.

And now she felt as if she'd made a terrible mistake.

What did she know of mages and templars, truly? Who was she to speak on surface business, to decide on who gets to live and who gets to die? Kirkwall was burning and its citizens were at each other's throats. Meredith and Orsino were dead. The chantry was gone. An entire city razed to the ground and Anders had been at the center of it all.

And then Carys had thrown herself between Hawke's blade and Anders's body, begging for his life like a lovestruck fool.

"If only you'd told me the truth", she whispered softly and hated hearing the pain in her voice.

Anders finally raised his head to look at her.

Anders didn't speak instantly, but when he did there was a saddened sharpness to his words, a distance that made Carys desperate to reach out for him. But she stayed her hands. "I told you there's a lot of ugliness in my life."

"Have you ever?", she wondered out loud, strength returning with every syllable. "I know nothing of alchemy or magic, but the sela petrae... how could I have been so stupid."

She'd seen it in use before, down in the Deep Roads, when a handful of Legionnaires had sacrificed themselves sealing off a hurlock-wrought pathway with a massive explosion. It had left nothing but destruction in its wake. Why she'd procured the stuff for him, not questioning his intentions once, she didn't know.

A weak smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when all she wanted to do was cry. "So, once. Remind me to add a notch to the tally."

"I should have trusted you", Anders said when silence began to stretch between them. He swung his legs off the bench and abruptly stood up, sinking to his haunches before her. "Even with all we shared I didn't think you'd understand." Tenderness returned to his voice and softened his warm, brown gaze.

"I might have, if you'd ever shared your plans with me", Carys returned. "That night when we headed into the sewers, when you told me you'd found a way to separate Justice and you safely... Anders, if you'd told me the truth instead I would've helped you."

"Just as I feared." Anders ran his hand down her forearm and slowly laced his fingers with hers. "I can never return to Kirkwall, love. I will be hunted wherever I go. No one is going to offer me mercy. This isn't the life I was envisioning for you."

Carys huffed. "I'm a Legionnaire, remember? Not like anyone even knows who I am. I'm as expendable as they come."

A steep line furrowed Anders's brows. "Not to me. I did what needed to be done, but I couldn't bear the thought of condemning you to the same fate. You couldn't be told."

He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. "Forgive me, Carys", he murmured, raising his hand to her cheek and wiping traces of soot and dust off her face. His lips found hers in a gentle brush, as light as the touch of a feather. "Fighting this fight with me, I couldn't have asked that of you. Forgive me."

She gasped quietly when his tongue parted her lips, finally giving in to the desire to embrace him and holding him tight.

Anders had once said he'd drown the world in blood to keep the both of them safe. And as they held each other like this, lips searching for each other in increasing desperation and breath intertwining, eagerness only interrupted by apologies and more pleas for forgiveness, Carys knew that she would do the same for him. Stone be her witness, she'd fight a thousand Kirkwalls for him if it meant he could be free.

[sladebloodstock]

How Can You Care for the Pride of Horse Breeds?

Horses have long been admired for their beauty, strength, and grace. Whether you're caring for a majestic Thoroughbred, a powerful Clydesdale, or an elegant Arabian, taking care of these noble animals requires a deep understanding of their needs. 

A horse isn’t just a pet or a working animal; it’s a living being with specific physical, emotional, and environmental needs that must be met to ensure its well-being. In this comprehensive guide, let’s cover the essential aspects of caring for the pride of Jenni horse breeds.

Proper Nutrition: The Foundation of Horse Health

The foundation of a horse’s health lies in its diet. Horses are herbivores and primarily graze on grass. For many breeds, access to quality pasture is vital, but this may not be possible in every setting. In such cases, hay is a crucial part of their diet. Here are the essentials of proper horse nutrition:

Forage: Horses need a constant supply of good-quality forage like grass or hay. Typically, a horse consumes about 1.5% to 2% of its body weight in hay per day. Ensure the hay is free from mould and dust.

Grains and Concentrates: For high-performance horses or those that need extra energy, grains like oats, barley, or commercial horse feeds can supplement their diet. However, it’s important to avoid overfeeding grains, as this can lead to colic or laminitis.

Water: Always provide fresh, clean water. Horses can drink between 5 to 10 gallons of water a day, depending on their size and activity level. Proper hydration is essential to prevent dehydration, which can lead to serious health issues.

Supplements: Some horses may benefit from supplements, especially if their diet lacks essential vitamins or minerals. Common supplements include salt licks, electrolytes, and joint support formulas, but these should only be given under the guidance of a veterinarian.

Regular Exercise and Mental Stimulation

Horses, particularly pride breeds known for their agility and strength, require regular exercise. This not only helps maintain their physical health but also keeps them mentally stimulated.

Daily Exercise: Depending on the breed, age, and health condition, horses need a structured exercise regimen. For working or performance horses, riding or lunging sessions are crucial. Breeds like the Arabian or Thoroughbred require more intensive exercise due to their high energy levels.

Turnout Time: Horses are naturally active animals. Providing ample turnout time in a safe and spacious pasture allows them to move freely, graze, and socialise with other horses. This reduces the risk of behavioural issues and keeps them physically active.

Mental Enrichment: Horses are intelligent creatures. Just like humans, they need mental challenges to stay sharp. Training sessions, obstacle courses, or even playing with horse toys can stimulate their minds and keep boredom at bay.

Regular Grooming: Maintaining the Coat, Hooves, and Overall Appearance

Grooming is more than just about keeping your pride of Jenni horse looking good—it’s an essential aspect of their health.

Coat Care: Regular brushing removes dirt, sweat, and loose hair while stimulating blood circulation. It also helps you spot any injuries, rashes, or skin conditions early. Breeds with longer manes and tails, such as Friesians or Andalusians, may require extra attention to prevent tangling.

Hoof Care: A horse’s hooves are crucial to its mobility and overall well-being. Hooves should be picked and cleaned daily to remove stones or debris that can cause discomfort or infections. A farrier should trim the hooves every six to eight weeks to maintain their shape and health.

Bathing: While horses don’t need frequent baths, occasional washing with a horse-safe shampoo can help remove sweat and dirt buildup, especially during hot weather or after heavy workouts.

Veterinary Care: Regular Checkups and Vaccinations

Keeping your horse healthy means scheduling regular checkups with a veterinarian. This ensures early detection of potential health problems and keeps your horse’s vaccination schedule up to date.

Vaccinations: Horses need vaccinations to protect them from diseases such as equine influenza, tetanus, and West Nile virus. Your veterinarian can recommend a vaccination schedule based on your horse’s breed, age, and lifestyle.

Deworming: Regular deworming is necessary to prevent parasitic infestations, which can lead to weight loss, colic, and other health issues. Your veterinarian can provide a deworming plan tailored to your horse’s needs.

Dental Care: Horses’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. Regular dental checkups are essential to ensure proper alignment and to prevent sharp edges, which can cause difficulty chewing or discomfort with the bit.

Safe and Comfortable Living Environment

A horse’s living environment directly impacts its well-being. Horses need a clean, safe, and comfortable space to thrive.

Stabling: Horses should have access to shelter that protects them from extreme weather. Whether they live in a stable or pasture, the area must be free from hazards like sharp objects, toxic plants, or unstable fencing.

Bedding: Stalls should be kept clean with fresh bedding, such as straw, shavings, or rubber mats, to ensure your horse has a comfortable place to rest.

Ventilation: Proper ventilation in stables is crucial to prevent respiratory issues. Dust and ammonia from urine can irritate the horse’s lungs, so make sure the stable is well-ventilated and cleaned regularly.

Social Interaction: Fulfilling Their Emotional Needs

Horses are herd animals, and social interaction plays a vital role in their emotional well-being. Keeping horses in isolation can lead to stress and behavioural problems.

Companionship: If possible, horses should be kept with other horses. If this isn’t feasible, goats, donkeys, or even frequent human interaction can provide companionship.

Routine: Horses thrive on routine. Consistency in feeding times, exercise, and turnout helps reduce stress and anxiety, contributing to their overall happiness and well-being.

Final Words

Caring for the pride of Jenni horse breeds involves a balance of proper nutrition, exercise, grooming, veterinary care, and social interaction. By providing your horse with the best possible care, you’re not just maintaining its physical health but also ensuring its emotional and mental well-being. 

A well-cared-for horse will not only thrive but also form a strong, trusting bond with its owner, making the experience of horse ownership even more rewarding.

[hindkushofficial]

In the quest for beautiful, healthy hair, many people turn to hair dyes and color treatments. However, the harsh chemicals found in many of these products can damage hair and scalp, leading to a host of problems. At Hindkush, we believe that nature has the best solutions for hair care, which is why we've developed our Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color—a natural and safe alternative for those seeking to achieve rich, vibrant hair color without compromising the health of their hair.

The Power of Henna: Nature's Gift to Your Hair

Henna has been used for centuries as a natural hair dye and conditioner. Its benefits are well-documented in ancient texts and are still celebrated today. Henna is known for its ability to:

Strengthen Hair: Henna coats the hair shaft, providing a protective layer that strengthens the hair and reduces breakage.

Promote Hair Growth: By improving scalp health and reducing hair fall, henna supports healthier, fuller hair growth.

Condition and Nourish: Henna's natural properties help to lock in moisture, leaving hair feeling soft, smooth, and manageable.

At Hindkush, we've harnessed these benefits by creating a product that combines the natural goodness of henna with other herbal ingredients, resulting in a black hair color that is not only beautiful but also beneficial for your hair.

What Makes Hindkush Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color Unique?

Our Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color stands out in the market for several reasons:

100% Natural Ingredients: Unlike conventional hair dyes that contain ammonia, PPD (para-phenylenediamine), and other harmful chemicals, our product is made from natural, plant-based ingredients. This makes it suitable for all hair types, including sensitive scalps.

Gentle and Safe: Our formulation is free from synthetic additives, ensuring that you can enjoy the benefits of a natural hair dye without the risk of allergic reactions or skin irritation. It's gentle enough for regular use, so you can maintain your hair color without damaging your hair.

Rich, Long-Lasting Color: The combination of black henna with other herbal extracts provides a deep, rich black color that lasts longer than traditional henna. The color gradually fades over time, which means no harsh lines of demarcation as your hair grows.

Nourishing Herbal Blend: We have infused our black henna with a blend of herbs known for their hair-care benefits, including:

Amla (Indian Gooseberry): Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, amla helps to strengthen hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

Shikakai: A natural cleanser, shikakai helps to remove dirt and excess oil from the scalp, promoting a healthy scalp environment.

Brahmi: Known for its calming properties, brahmi helps to reduce stress, which can contribute to hair loss.

Easy to Use: Our herbal hair color comes with easy-to-follow instructions, making it simple to achieve salon-quality results at home. Just mix the powder with water, apply to your hair, and let nature do its work.

How to Use Hindkush Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color

Using our Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color is straightforward and hassle-free:

Preparation: Mix the henna powder with water to form a smooth paste. For best results, let the mixture sit for a few hours to release the color.

Application: Apply the paste evenly to clean, dry hair. Make sure to cover all areas for an even color.

Processing Time: Leave the henna on your hair for 1-2 hours, depending on the desired intensity of the color.

Rinse: Rinse thoroughly with water until the water runs clear. Avoid using shampoo immediately after rinsing to allow the color to set.

Condition: Use a natural conditioner to lock in moisture and keep your hair feeling soft and smooth.

Why Choose Hindkush?

At Hindkush, we are committed to providing natural, high-quality products that promote beauty and well-being. Our Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color is a testament to our dedication to harnessing the power of nature to deliver effective and safe hair care solutions. By choosing Hindkush, you're not just opting for a hair dye—you're choosing a healthier, more natural way to care for your hair.

Conclusion

Switching to a natural hair dye like Hindkush's Black Henna Based Herbal Hair Color can make a world of difference for your hair's health and appearance. With its rich, long-lasting color and nourishing properties, it's the perfect choice for anyone looking to enhance their hair's beauty naturally. Say goodbye to harsh chemicals and hello to vibrant, healthy hair with Hindkush.

[gunjanmunshi]

Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo: Protecting Your Furry Friend from Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

Say Goodbye to Ticks: The Benefits of Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo

Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo: Protecting Your Furry Friend from Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

As a dog owner, keeping your furry friend safe from ticks and other external parasites is crucial. Ticks can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis, which can be life-threatening. One effective way to protect your dog from ticks is by using an anti-tick dog shampoo.

In this article, we'll delve into the world of anti-tick shampoo for dogs their benefits, and how to use them effectively. We'll also introduce you to Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo (500 ml), a natural and gentle solution for your dog's tick problems.

What is Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo?

Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo is a specialized shampoo designed to kill and repel ticks on your dog's coat. These shampoos typically contain ingredients like pyrethrin, rotenone, and permethrin, which are toxic to ticks. When used regularly, anti-tick dog shampoo can help prevent tick infestations and reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases.

Benefits of Using Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo

Using anti-tick dog shampoo for dog offers several benefits, including:

Effective tick control: Anti-tick dog shampoo kills and repels ticks, reducing the risk of tick-borne diseases.

Convenient: Anti-tick dog shampoo is easy to use and can be incorporated into your dog's regular grooming routine.

Reduces tick-related stress: By controlling ticks, anti-tick dog shampoo can reduce stress and anxiety caused by tick infestations.

Soothes the skin: Many anti-tick dog shampoos, like Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo, contain natural ingredients that soothe and moisturize the skin.

Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo (500 ml)

Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo is a natural and gentle solution for your dog's tick problems. This shampoo is:

Gentle on pets: Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo is gentle on your pet's skin, making it suitable for dogs of all ages and breeds.

Harsh on ticks: The shampoo effectively kills and repels ticks, reducing the risk of tick-borne diseases.

Natural ingredients: Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo contains natural ingredients that soothe and moisturize the skin.

pH balanced: The shampoo is pH balanced, ensuring it doesn't irritate your dog's skin.

Deep cleanses: Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo deep cleanses your dog's coat, removing dirt and ticks.

How to Use Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo

Using Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo is easy:

Shake well before using: Before applying the shampoo, shake the bottle well to ensure the ingredients are mixed.

Wet the coat thoroughly: Wet your dog's coat thoroughly before applying the shampoo.

Apply shampoo: Apply the shampoo, working from head to tail.

Rinse away: Rinse the shampoo off your dog's coat, ensuring all traces are removed.

Apply conditioner: After shampooing, apply a conditioner to moisturize and soothe the skin.

Rinse away conditioner: Rinse the conditioner off your dog's coat, ensuring all traces are removed.

Dry your dog: Use an absorbent towel to soak away all moisture, ensuring your dog's coat is dry and comfortable.

Precautions and Side Effects

While Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo is generally safe, there are some precautions and side effects to consider:

Skin irritation: Some dogs may experience skin irritation or allergic reactions. If this occurs, discontinue use and consult your veterinarian.

Overuse: Avoid overusing anti-tick shampoo, which can lead to skin irritation and other issues.

Conclusion

Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo (500 ml) is a natural and gentle solution for your dog's tick problems and the best anti-tick shampoo for dogs. By using this shampoo regularly, you can keep your furry friend safe from ticks and tick-borne diseases. Remember always to follow the instructions and take necessary precautions to avoid side effects. With Puppiezo Anti-Tick Dog Shampoo, you can enjoy a tick-free life with your dog and puppies.

[barkoutloudseo]

Finding the Perfect Dog Shampoo: Essential Tips for Every Dog Parent

As a devoted dog parent, you know that keeping your furry friend happy and healthy is a top priority. A crucial part of your dog's well-being is maintaining a clean and healthy coat. But with so many pet care products on the market, how do you choose the right one? This guide will help you navigate the world of dog shampoos and find the best option for your pup's coat and skin.

Understanding Your Dog's Coat Type

Before diving into the details of various shampoos, it's essential to understand your dog's coat type. Dogs come with a variety of coats, each requiring different care:

1. Short Coats: Breeds like Beagles and Boxers have short coats that are easy to maintain. A mild shampoo that doesn't strip the natural oils is ideal for them.

2. Long Coats: Breeds like Golden Retrievers and Shih Tzus have long, flowing coats that can easily become tangled and matted. They need a shampoo that offers deep conditioning and detangling properties.

3. Double Coats: Breeds such as Siberian huskies and German Shepherds have a double coat, which means they have a dense undercoat beneath a top layer of fur. These dogs benefit from a shampoo that can penetrate and clean both layers without causing dryness.

4. Curly Coats: Poodles and Bichon Frises have curly, dense coats that require frequent grooming. A moisturizing shampoo that helps maintain curls and prevents matting is perfect for them.

5. Hairless Breeds: Breeds like the Chinese Crested have little to no hair. They need a gentle, hypoallergenic shampoo to care for their sensitive skin.

Types of Dog Shampoos

Once you've identified your dog's coat type, the next step is to choose the appropriate shampoo. Here are some common types of dog shampoos and their benefits:

1. Regular Shampoos: These are designed for routine cleaning and are suitable for most dogs. They help remove dirt, debris, and mild odors without being too harsh.

2. Oatmeal Shampoos: Perfect for dogs with sensitive skin, oatmeal shampoos help soothe itchiness and irritation. They are especially useful for dogs with allergies or dry skin.

3. Medicated Shampoos: If your dog has specific skin conditions such as infections, parasites, or severe allergies, medicated shampoos containing ingredients like chlorhexidine or benzoyl peroxide can provide relief and treatment.

4. Flea and Tick Shampoos: These shampoos are formulated to repel or kill fleas and ticks. They usually contain insecticides like pyrethrin or permethrin. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully to avoid any adverse reactions.

5. Deodorizing Shampoos: Ideal for dogs that tend to get smelly between baths, deodorizing shampoos help neutralize odors and keep your dog smelling fresh.

6. Hypoallergenic Shampoos: For dogs with allergies or sensitive skin, hypoallergenic shampoos with minimal ingredients are the best choice. They are gentle and reduce the risk of irritation.

7. Conditioning Shampoos: These are great for dogs with long or curly coats as they contain conditioners that help detangle fur and keep it smooth and shiny.

8. Puppy Shampoos: Puppies have delicate skin and fur, so they need a gentle shampoo specifically formulated for their needs. Puppy shampoos are usually tear-free and very mild.

Key Ingredients to Look For

When selecting a dog shampoo, it's important to check the ingredients. Here are some beneficial ingredients to look for:

1. Aloe Vera: Known for its soothing and moisturizing properties, aloe vera is great for dogs with dry or irritated skin.

2. Chamomile: This natural ingredient helps calm and soothe the skin, making it ideal for dogs with sensitive or itchy skin.

3. Coconut Oil: It helps moisturize the coat and skin, adding shine and softness to your dog's fur.

4. Tea Tree Oil: With its antifungal and antibacterial properties, tea tree oil can help treat and prevent skin infections. However, it should be used in moderation as it can be toxic in large amounts.

5. Vitamin E: This antioxidant helps promote healthy skin and coat by protecting against damage and supporting cell repair.

Introducing Bark Out Loud's Grooming Range

As a dog parent, finding the right shampoo for your furry friend is essential for their health and happiness. Bark Out Loud offers a range of pet care products that cater to various coat types and skin conditions. Our shampoos are formulated with natural ingredients like aloe vera and chamomile, ensuring a gentle and effective clean for your dog.

Explore our grooming range to find the perfect match for your dog's needs. Whether your pup has a short coat, long coat, or sensitive skin, we have a shampoo that will keep them looking and feeling their best.

By choosing the right shampoo and following a regular grooming routine, you'll help your dog maintain a healthy, shiny coat and enjoy a happier, more comfortable life. Happy bathing, dog parents!

[lordofthebeards1]

Unlock the Power of Beard Oil for Men: Your Ultimate Grooming Essential

Beards have become a symbol of style and masculinity. However, maintaining a beard can be challenging without the right grooming products. Enter beard oil for men, a game-changer in the world of beard care. This magical elixir not only enhances the appearance of your beard but also nourishes the skin underneath, ensuring a healthy, well-groomed look.

Why Use Beard Oil for Men?

Hydration and Moisturization

Beard oil for men is essential for keeping your beard hydrated. It prevents dryness and flakiness, which can lead to beard dandruff. The oil penetrates the hair follicles, providing deep moisture that keeps your beard soft and manageable.

Promotes Healthy Beard Growth

Regular use of beard oil for men stimulates hair growth. The natural ingredients, such as jojoba oil and argan oil, contain vitamins and minerals that nourish the hair follicles, promoting thicker and fuller beard growth.

How to Apply Beard Oil for Men

Clean Your Beard

Before applying beard oil for men, ensure your beard is clean and dry. Use a gentle beard shampoo to remove dirt and excess oil.

Dispense the Right Amount

Depending on the length of your beard, dispense 3-5 drops of beard oil for men into your palm. Rub your hands together to distribute the oil evenly.

Massage and Distribute

Massage the oil into your beard, starting from the roots and working your way to the tips. Ensure the oil reaches the skin underneath to prevent dryness.

Comb and Style

Use a beard comb or brush to distribute the oil evenly and style your beard as desired. This step ensures every strand is coated and your beard looks well-groomed.

Top Ingredients in Beard Oil for Men

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is a popular ingredient in beard oil for men due to its similarity to the skin’s natural oils. It moisturizes without leaving a greasy residue, making your beard soft and shiny.

Argan Oil

Known as "liquid gold," argan oil is rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids. It nourishes and conditions the beard, promoting healthy growth and reducing split ends.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the beard from environmental damage. It also helps in repairing damaged hair follicles, ensuring your beard remains thick and healthy.

Choosing the Best Beard Oil for Men

When selecting beard oil for men, consider the quality of ingredients. Opt for products that use natural oils and avoid those with synthetic fragrances or additives. Check out reputable brands like lordofthebeards.com, which offer premium beard oil formulated to enhance beard health and appearance.

Incorporating beard oil for men into your daily grooming routine can transform the way your beard looks and feels. From providing essential hydration to promoting healthy growth, beard oil is a must-have for every bearded man. Explore the range of high-quality beard oils at lordofthebeards.com and take the first step towards achieving the perfect beard. Remember, a well-groomed beard is a reflection of your personality and style.