#I am curious. but my worry is overshadowing my curiosity

[girlscience]

I know da:dreadwolf stuff is coming out and I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off because I still haven't completed trespasser and I really want to do that before I see anything about da:d, but also I kind of don't want to see anything so I can go in completely fresh and ready to discover it all, but also I want to wait and let everything get spoiled for me like it was with da:i, but also I kind of don't want to play the game at all because what if I don't like it and also it's a big change to something I really love and I don't really like change and idk. I don't know how I'm feeling but it's a lot and it's kind of bad.

[nonuggetshere]

OH OH I'M V INTRIGUED BY BULLET

MY BABYGIRL!!

So my friend and I made fan-made "tribes" for FaaF just to add to the political drama bc I love that shit

Mine is an ant colony. They have a monarchal style of ruling and value honour and loyalty above anything else, just typical stuff you'd imagine a fictional ant colony to be. They're allies to Hallownest, and the ant queen is fairly loyal to PK (her actual feelings are complicated but I don't wanna devolve into them or it'd take forever, just know she respects his rule and they're allies but she doesn't want him trying to shove his nose in her colony's business). The ant queen has many children, and Bullet is the youngest son of hers.

He's an excellent warrior, considering he got the best training as a prince, though not the best in his colony. FAR better than average, but easily overshadowed by his other siblings. He desperately wants to make a name for himself, he doesn't want to be just another Joe-shmoe in the colony, so when an opportunity arises to become one of Pale King's knights as a peace treaty he jumps on that.

He moves to Hallownest and starts living in the palace, and slowly gets used to working there. He's not one of the great knights, but he bonds with them fairly quickly when they get to interact, and Dryya essentially takes him under her wing.

So I've got a few versions of the story,

First, Bullet joins the court before the reveal at knighting happens. As he's one of the court member's son and now a knight, he gets filled in on the vessel plan and even included in training the Pure Vessel. He's super nice to them, since he feels grossed out by treating them like an object even if it is true, and just treats them like an equal. Something happens though that leads to him finding out about their sentience, and safe to say...he freaks out. Like, he does not take it well AT ALL. Not in a "OH god what have I done" way but in a "WHAT THE FUCK, DOES THE KING KNOW? ARE WE GONNA DIE? AM I PARTLY RESPONSIBKE NOW THAT I KNOW? WILL I BE EXECUTED? AAAAAAAA". Flower has to shut him up before somebody hears him.

Afterwards, it's a bit...awkward between them. Aka Bullet acts awkward around them and Flower just acts hollow while screaming inside because they're worried him acting weird will out them.

But Bullet surprises them because after that he actually tries to befriend them. He promises not to say anything, but he just thinks this existence must be super lonely and they deserve a friend.

The two get along great and actually start developing feelings for each other. And it's Bullet who makes the first move, probably by using some incredibly sappy pickup line. Cue secret romance and sneaking around.

Second option is he joins sometime after the reveal, and doesn't understand why people are acting so weird about this one guard and why their armour is so fancy for being a "simple" guard. So, incredibly curious, he starts approaching Flower and tricking up conversations, trying to be friendly to them. And, hey, they actually get along! He eventually forgets about his curiosity and is just happy to have a new friend in an unfamiliar place

Same thing happens, they get close, start developing feelings and Bullet confesses. This time since it doesn't have to be a secret he goes all out and gets them flowers and writes them a poem.

He's incredibly sappy and cheesy, and he's lucky that Flower has a soft spot for that.

If Flower's room had a window he would 100% serenade them from the ground.

[vynegar]

vyn electrifying night ssr, part two

happy birthday vyn!! let’s make some wonderful birthday memories to overshadow your negative experiences in the past ^^

same disclaimer and notes from part one.

youtube link to OwO雯雯‘s video of the card story

do not repost

[PART TWO]

(9:39)

MC: ...

It was already late at night when I had returned home and finished washing up, but lying on my bed, I still didn’t feel sleepy at all.

That phone number on my phone was originally unfamiliar, but after repeatedly looking at it again and again, I had long since had it memorized.

MC: (Is this phone number of Dr. Richter’s also a personal number, like Louis’s?)

MC: (After all, he’s in a band with Louis, which is obviously his personal life, and I... This is the first time I’ve seen Vyn like this.)

Just as I was getting lost in thought, my phone screen suddenly displayed the phone call interface.

MC: Huh?! Did I accidentally press it?

I looked at my phone screen in bewilderment. Out of nervousness, my back was slightly sweating.

But even so, for some reason I didn’t immediately hang up the call, I just waited until it went through.

Vyn [through a phone call from a private number]: You didn’t text me saying you got home safely, so I was just thinking of calling you.

The background was a bit noisy on his end of the call.

But Vyn’s voice was still light and gentle, steady as it was transmitted through the receiver.

MC: Oh, sorry, I was thinking about some stuff just now and accidentally forgot...

Vyn: Thinking about what?

MC: ...

The more patient Vyn was, the more I felt like it would be rude to ask what I was really wondering.

So I could only silently suppress that question.

MC: Nothing, just some trivial things. Based on the background noise, it seems like you still haven’t gone home?

Vyn: Correct. In order to do perform well during the competition, I’m still practicing with them.

MC: Before, I was a bit curious... Dr. Richter, why are you suddenly interested in being in a band?

Vyn: I just wanted to try out something new, that’s all.

MC: I see...

When I was silent for a moment, Vyn immediately spoke.

Vyn: However, I’ve been having some trouble during the process.

MC: You sometimes have trouble doing things?

Vyn: Of course, that’s why I’ve been wanting to ask for your help.

MC: Help with what? As long as it’s something I’m capable of, ask whatever you’d like.

Vyn: In that case... Tomorrow is Saturday, can you meet me before the rehearsal?

MC: Sure, no problem!

Vyn laughed after hearing that.

Vyn: Then tonight don’t think about anything else, just go to bed early.

MC: You too, Dr. Richter, don’t stay up practicing too late, or else your body will be too fatigued.

Vyn: I won’t. Good night.

(11:40)

Practice Room

Vyn didn’t fully relax until he hung up the phone, his previous straightened back falling onto the back of the sofa.

He looked at the only half-finished sheet music in front of him, an unknown agitation rising in him.

Vyn: Just now, could she have been thinking about...

Vyn looked at this bandmates who were fiddling with their instruments and fixed his gaze on Louis.

Vyn: ...To think that I’m actually worrying about things like this. Am I scared?

As his self-mocking murmurs were drowned out by the music, a static rose from the depths of his heart.

Vyn let out a deep breath, then refocused on the sheet music.

(12:10)

Park

On Saturday, I arrived at the park just like I had planned with Vyn.

I looked all around, finally seeing some tree shade not far away.

MC: Huh? Dr. Richter...

It wasn’t just Vyn at the moment, but him surrounded by two children.

Out of curiosity, I quietly walked over, not expecting to be greeted with a sound of –

Girl: What a good child, don’t cry! The shot will be over soon, just be strong.

Vyn: Okay, please be gentle.

MC: (Dr... Dr. Richter?! Are they playing house...)

Boy: Doctor, the pacemaker is ready and on standby.

Girl: Alright, then we can start giving him the shot.

The girl looked at the two leaves in the boy’s hand, and with a very serious expression, she picked up the branch and made a motion like she was pushing a syringe.

After it touched his arm, I saw Vyn slightly furrow his brow and gasp.

Vyn: It hurts...

Girl: I’ll be more gentle, is this okay?

Vyn: Yeah, it’s a bit better, but I’m still kind of scared. What should I do?

Boy: Be a man! If you’re scared, then just endure it!

Vyn: Really? But I don’t like enduring things.

Boy: Oh... Then I’ll give you a piece of candy, if you eat some candy then you won’t be scared anymore.

The boy took out a fruit candy from his pocket and put it in Vyn’s hand.

Even though this is just a game of playing house, after seeing the whole process, I couldn’t help but feel a deep respect towards the skill of Vyn’s performance.

MC: (He’s really good at acting cute...)

As if he heard my thoughts, after accepting the candy, Vyn’s smiling eyes landed directly on me.

Vyn: How long are you going to watch from there? Are you not coming over?

MC: !!!

Embarrassed, I walked over and smiled a bit awkwardly.

MC: When did you notice I was there?

Vyn: Before you noticed me.

MC: ...So it was that early.

Girl: Miss, since you know the mister, do you want to play with us?

I subconsciously looked at Vyn, but he didn’t express any opinions, quietly waiting for me to react.

14:01

CHOICE: “Answer directly” or “Slightly hesitate”

MC: Sure, it’s been a long time since I played house, it’s a bit nostalgic.

Boy: Then perfect, you two can play the husband and wife, and Xiao Yu* and I can be your parents-in-law!

Girl: Okay! Lately my mom’s been watching a show, and it has a plot like that! It goes something like this...

Girl: Daughter-in-law, you’ve been acting so strange lately. Have you been seeing someone else?

MC: (Has playing house nowadays evolved into this?!)

While I was unsure if I should laugh or cry, next to me Vyn quickly got into character.

His eyes were full of affection, but beneath the surface, you could clearly see the faint sadness revealed in them.

Vyn: You like someone else?

MC: I...

Vyn: If it’s possible, I still hope that you won’t leave me.

MC: Actually...

CHOICE: “Answer directly” or “Slightly hesitate”

[you can view the scene 13:43 to 14:45 in this video ( [未定事件簿] [卡牌剧情] SSR 莫弈 霓光旋律 [Tears of Themis] ) by Sherry’s Gaming Notes (different video from the one I reference most of the timestamps for); again, not my video, go thank them for uploading with both options!]

MC: I only played it when I was young, I might not be able to get into character...

Boy: Then I’ll give you a simple role, Xiao Yu* and I can be the husband and wife, and you guys can be our kids!

Girl: Yeah, so from now on you two are brother and sister! I’ll make dinner for you guys!

Once the girl announced that she was starting, she began to “cook” with the branches, leaves, and rocks around her.

The boy was pretending to flip through the pages of an imaginary newspaper, and trying to imitate the tone of an adult, began asking me questions.

Boy: Lately your teacher told me that your grades have been slipping, what’s going on? You aren’t in love, are you?

MC: (What kind of a weird question is this...)

Vyn: Don’t worry. If there’s been anything troubling you lately, you can try talking to me about it.

MC: I...

Vyn: Is there really someone you like?

MC: Actually...

Right as I was preparing my words to continue the game, a loud shout came from far away.

Hearing this, the two kids hastily got up and waved towards us.

Girl: Mom and Dad are calling us so we’re gonna go now, bye!

Vyn: Okay, goodbye.

I involuntarily let out a breath, but when I looked at Vyn from the corner of my eye, I got a vague sense that he was somewhat disappointed.

After watching them leave, I finally had a chance to ask what was on my mind.

MC: Dr. Richter, why were you and the kids... playing house?

Vyn: I just happened to come across them

Vyn: Playing house is a way to practice emotions, and it can help develop empathy. So when I saw that they didn’t have enough people, I just conveniently joined.

Vyn: However, I had my own reason too. From them, I needed to find a way to solve my problem.

MC: Problem... Are you talking about the one you mentioned yesterday?

Vyn nodded his head, taking out several pieces of sheet music from his bag.

Vyn: I’m in charge of composing for this competition. I stayed up all night yesterday trying to force out some rough drafts...

Vyn: But since I never resonated with the theme that the lyrics need to express, even with all the times I revised it, it was still unsatisfactory.

After hearing him talk, rather than worrying about this problem itself, what I was more concerned about in that moment was...

MC: You stayed up all night?

Vyn: Yes, I’m sorry... I didn’t do what you told me to.

Vyn: Because of my personality, I still wanted to do everything I could to make this the best.

He couldn’t hold back a yawn, revealing a tiredness that was hard to conceal.

The afternoon sun was perfect. I looked around at the people having picnics, and it seemed like many of them were lying down to rest.

MC: Even though I can’t write songs, I’ll still try to give some suggestions, so maybe you can first rest for a bit?

MC: If you relax your mind for a bit, you might end up getting some new inspiration.

MC: (But it seems like neither of us brought a picnic blanket... Lying directly on the grass would probably be prickly.)

Thinking of this, I inexplicably made a bold suggestion.

MC: If you don’t mind... You can lie down here...

Vyn: ...

Seeing where I was pointing, Vyn initially was surprised, staring at me for several long seconds.

But once he confirmed that I hadn’t made the suggestion in jest, he naturally accepted it with an attitude that didn’t make me feel embarrassed.

Vyn: Okay, whatever you say.

(16:53)

The afternoon breeze gently caressed us, and the floral scent mingled with the warm air felt comfortable and relaxing.

Vyn’s head rested on my thigh, and its faint pressure seemed to constantly remind me of how close I was to him, how minute the distance between us was.

Vyn: ...I feel much better.

He breathed out lightly and looked up at me, his roaming eyes scorching hot in a way that was difficult to describe.

I felt like my heart skipped a beat, and, flustered, all I could do was pick up the sheet music next to my hand, trying to shift my focus.

MC: I can’t believe this is handwritten...

MC: I never expected you to not only be good at classical music, but also be able to do this sort of electronic rock... You’re really amazing!

Vyn: Thank you for the praise. But actually, it’s not as impressive as it seems.

Vyn: Because I can’t truly understand the theme that this whole song is expressing, all I’m doing is blindly adding notes and biting off more than I can chew, that’s it.

MC: Huh? Then... what’s the theme of the song?

Vyn: Family. They said that those emotions would be most capable of resonating with a majority of the audience.

MC: (But it seems like Dr. Richter’s family doesn’t bring him any happy memories...)

Vyn’s tone was completely normal, having a sense of detachment as if he weren’t a part of the situation.

But behind that detachment, I could hear within it the faint curiosity and a desire to try and experience it.

Vyn: I want to hear your understanding of it. Can you teach me?

MC: ...

It wasn’t anything hard, just explaining my understanding of family.

But describing something to someone who had never experienced it for themselves would never convey the crux of the matter.

In the end, “playing house” was just an imitation, a preparation for life in the future, but it wasn’t a replacement for life itself.

MC: I think this song is about cherishing your family.

MC: And actually, I think the feeling of “cherishing” something can be connected to other things. If it’s difficult for you to get that feeling when you think about family...

MC: You can try transferring that feeling onto something or someone that you do cherish, and then just express that.

After I spoke, there was no reply for a while.

Fidgeting, I moved the sheet music away, but this unexpectedly happened to put me in view of his smiling eyes.

Vyn: I think I understand now.

He exhaled softly.

Vyn: After solving a difficult problem, I suddenly feel a bit tired. Will you stay with me a bit longer?

MC: Okay.

[END PART TWO]

[PART THREE]

*小羽, probably 羽 is her name and 小 makes it a nickname

[mrsbarnes107]

Secret of the Widow

-part six-

Summary: Post Endgame time period. The team is healing, trying to navigate this new normal they’ve found themselves in when Bucky and Sam bring home a stray with an attitude and a secret. Will the broken team take her in? Or is it too much to bare?

Warnings: language, *eventual* violence and smut, death, fluff, angst

Pairings: Bucky x OC

Disclaimer: this is posted to Wattpad as well and it WILL HAVE PLOT. I’m a Bucky hoe so there will be smut and romancy stuff but this is a series, so plot plot plot.

Forty-five minutes later I walk out of my still steaming bathroom. I wish I could thank Tony for the never ending hot water and place to live, it's a nice change in routine.

I wish I could thank him for a lot of things.

I give myself a little shake. No sappy moments, not right now.

With a lighter step, I throw on some baggy sweatpants and a tank top, leaving my hair to air dry. I'm pretty sure a good first impression was thrown out the window already anyways.

With a final nod in the mirror, I leave the sanctuary of my room and give myself to the wolves.

As I enter the kitchen, the smell of cheeseburgers and salty fries hits me. I'm almost certain I let out a tiny moan, but I'm going to deny it if asked.

"Hey Ali, grab some food and come sit by me sweetie." Wanda yelled from the table, not even glancing at me, unlike the rest of the group.

Banner still seems reserved, like he doesn't know how he's suppose to respond to the news of my existence. Clint on the other hand looks like he has something to talk about, sad curiosity all over his features.

Having not eaten in the last two days, I'm positive I could inhale more of these beautiful beef buns than even Barnes can, who is currently sitting with three burger on his plate and a mountain of fries. Okay well maybe not him, but Wilson for sure. The mans pretty scrawny.

After getting my food, I plop down in the seat between Wanda and Bucky, immediately tearing into my food. Etiquette be damned.

"So where's Petey? He and I have some unfinished business." I'm pretty sure I just heard Barnes try to cover a small chuckle with a cough. I should probably not talk with my mouth full, at least not during my first ever meal with the team.... whoops.

"He's attending MIT, following Tony's footsteps apparently, so he went off somewhere to study his big book of boring." Wilson didn't even bat an eye while answering.

The room settled in silence for a few minutes. It was not a comfortable one at all.

With a loud sigh I set my wonderful, heavenly, beautiful burger down. "Okay. Spit it out. This silence is strangling me and I'm trying to enjoy this God sent meal in peace."

Sam chuckled quietly, wiping his mouth free from the mustard smeared everywhere. "Okay tiny Tony calm down."

That's the second time today I've been compared to Tony. Each time my heart breaks a little. It's nice though, having a part of him so apparent in me that they see it despite meeting me less than five hours ago.

"So you and Stark were close, obviously, Nat is your mom, still weird, and you know Barnes pretty well by the looks of it."

I pop a few fries in my mouth before answering. Mmm fried potatoes doused in salt is a glorious creation. "All of that is very true baby bird."

Barnes hides a smile as Sam glares very unthreateningly across the table at me. My fry hits him right in the nose.

This time Clint joins Bucky in choking down a laugh.

"So how well do you know Barnes here hm? You were eighteen when you met? I wonder-"

Bucky tensed up, jaw ticking away. Wanda just pursed her lips and kept quiet.

I set my hand on his metal arm. "Stand down Sarge, birdys just trying to wind you up." Bucky relaxes, nerves still on edge and eyes throwing daggers at the bird man.

I look to Sam with a raised brow. "I'm a lady Samuel, we don't kiss and tell. Did you have anything productive to ask before you got all pissy?"

He sighed in annoyance, eyes showing slight amusement. "I still want to know how you got those cuffs on us, they have no key or biometric identification. Did you see me enter the code?"

I let out a soft laugh and turned to Wanda. "You should've seen their faces, it was a beautiful sight." With a glance back at Sam I shove another bite of my burger into my mouth, talking around the food. "I worked with Stark for years dude. I have access to, and can override, anything in this building. He gave me full clearance before I could drive."

"But he never let you up here? Even when we were out on a mission?" This time it was Banner who spoke up.

With a small smile I shrugged. "We didn't want to chance me running into any of you, especially after Petey joined. He worked in the lab with me a bit and it made Tony a little wary. Plus Nat worried about Sarge here seeing me."

Buckys head snapped to me, not expecting to be brought into the conversation. "She knew I had no memories though, why would meeting me worry her enough to ban you from the upper levels?"

Our eyes locked for a few seconds before I turned away, glancing at him as I breeze past the question. "Conversation for another time Buck.... so who made dinner? Well complements to the chef Clint, this is some juicy meat."

•••

Dinner continued with light laughter, and small talk. The group introducing themselves and trying to welcome me into the tight knit squad. The atmosphere was kind, but I could see the change caused by the loss of their friends. A year later and the wounds are still barely even scar tissue.

I remember the times I'd be working in the lab and get bored, eventually deciding that the Avengers would be my own little reality show to pass the time. They use to be so care free, at least as much as they could be, laughter filling the halls and pranks pulled on one another. Now it's random bursts of joy until the silence relapses for a bit.

Maybe I can do some good here. At least bring a little more light into the tower, make the darkness fade a little.

Wanda and I decided to have a movie night in the living room while the guys did whatever guys do. She chose some romcom, which we inevitably verbally assaulted as the cheesy plot continued.

"So, Ali, besides Fury is there anyone else in your life?"

"Nah, there's been a few dates, but having to lie about who you are makes things difficult. Although, so does my choice in work and the fact that I'm very rarely interested in anyone enough to put in the effort." I gave her a shrug and just rolled my eyes, keeping the conversation light.

"I'm curious on the team dynamic. Tony and Steve were like the divorced parents that told everyone what to do, is it just a 'go with the flow' situation now?"

Thankfully this made her chuckle. "Apparently this family of ours can't function without parents that hate each other. Bucky and Sam are the exact same way, they've taken the mantle up themselves. But honestly we're still learning our strengths and how we fit without the old pieces."

I gave her a nod, forehead creased while I tried to picture the teams strengths and weaknesses cohesively fitting together.

It wasn't until midnight when we decided to get some sleep, setting plans to go shopping after lunch the next day.

The bed was more comfortable than anything I've ever had the absolute pleasure of laying upon, but I still couldn't pass the hell out.

I just grunted in very extreme annoyance, despite this being a normal occurrence, and rolled out of bed.

After a quick stop to the kitchen to make some tea, I made my way to Tony's lab.

It looked just as it did the last time I was here, seven years ago Thanos time I suppose.

Walking around the large space, knowing that Tony won't be strutting in yelling about his genius breakthrough after his twelfth coffee of the morning, or having him standing over my shoulder as he teaches me the new mechanics of his suit, well it's surreal.

The room doesn't even feel like him anymore. This lab was once a place that brought me a sense of comfort and home, a place where his laugh encompassed the very life of the room, where his sarcasm bounced of the walls in never ending jabs. Now it is just cold and empty. The joy it once held long gone.

I sit in the floor, leaned against his work table. Now realizing that tears are running down my cheeks, a quiet remembrance to a man I cared for like a father.

I don't bother to wipe the tears away, it'd feel like denying him this moment, I just sigh and rest my head against his chair. "Oh Tony, you self sacrificing idiot.. I miss you. So much. I can't believe you left me alone with Nicky, that was just cruel you know. You both did."

With a shiver I set the empty mug beside me, bringing my legs up to curl my arms around.

"Why did you always have to be so hell bent on sacrificing yourself? Everytime this world called, it was always YOU risking it all, YOU flying into a space portal, YOU getting so much hate and blame from the team, even SHIELD, all the time. I just-" a chocked sob surprises me as I realize this is the first time I've talked to him, really talked, in six years.

"You had everything T, a wife, a baby, me and Petey. And they asked you to give it all up, yet this world barely gives you the recognition you deserve. Steve walks out and just leaves, after so much death, so much that needs cleaned up, he makes the most selfish decision i have ever seen, and yet is grieved more than you are. He walked out on his best friend, left the team already broken, and had the audacity to think he was owed that selfishness. A man who gave up everything and asked for nothing in return, overshadowed by the man who had nothing and was handed everything." I let out an angry little chuckle.

"This world is so backwards and cruel. Now I'm left in it alone. What am I suppose to do T? This place, these people, there's no light here anymore. And I just- it's just- it's so hard Tony. My parents are gone and I'm alone and I miss you so much. Being here breaks my heart. Every second I'm within these walls, knowing I'll never hear your laugh, your encouragement or sassy remarks, never walk in to AC/DC blasting while your passed out at your table. Every second I'm here hurts T. I just- I miss you so much dad and I'll never get to tell you how much I love you."

If I hadn't had my eyes closed, or been in the middle of an impressive mental breakdown, I might have heard the footsteps approaching long ago. But my tears brought sleep to me quickly and everything went black.

[oswaldsirius]

Once in a Lifetime

Chapter Eleven: La Minaccia

Pairing: Leonardo/Arabella

Word Count:

-

           Have we made any progress?

           I haven’t seen the new samples. Do we still have them?

           I gave them to Leonardo.

           Old boy, where are you?

           Leonardo tried not to sigh. He understood bringing some of the others in, that having help was a good thing. More minds, more ideas. But the group chat gave him a headache. They’re in my room, he sent back. Get Sebas to get them but leave the one by the window.

           He saw Arthur immediately start typing, but he knew what question was coming and put away his phone. They didn’t need to know where he was. He’d told Saint-Germain he would give him his time and he was. He was working with the others to find an answer, but he refused to give up what time he had with Arabella. That was theirs, completely and wholly theirs.

           The only reason he had even answered was because she had stepped away for a moment. He wasn’t going to take his attention away from her when she was with him so the others would have to wait.

           A quiet huff left him. He’d only seen her a handful of times since that first dinner, not nearly as much as he wanted. It had occurred to him on one of the long, lonely nights without her how convenient it had been the first time around, what with her in the mansion as they’d fallen in love. And how it wasn’t even remotely an option now. As much as he would love to know she was simply down the hall from him, it wasn’t in the cards at the moment. So they had dates. Spread too far apart for his liking and-

           “Sorry about that.”

           Leonardo shook his head, smiling as Arabella rejoined him. “Nothing to be sorry for.”

           She took his hand without prompting, something both of them had taken to doing since that first date. No matter what they were doing, if they could hold hands they would. “Do you want to go back in?”

           “Are you going to let me take it?”

           “No!” she laughed.

           “It’s mine.”

           “It really isn’t! Not anymore!”

           “I made it,” he grumbled but it was an act. He knew he could take any of them, even if they looked horrible, but he wanted to. Maybe to clean, maybe to do better.

           Arabella shook her head and pulled on his hand. “Maybe we should go then. I’d like to come back some time and we won’t be able to if you steal the Mona Lisa.”

           He made a show of dragging his heels, but her laughter made him smile and ruined the effect. He didn’t bother pointing out that they hadn’t finished their game because he was enjoying being with her more than having an answer. “Should do another painting,” he mused.

           A curious sound left her, interest lighting up her eyes, and he grinned.

           “Could use a model. Care to pose nude for me?” he teased.

           She blinked once before a sly smile crossed her face. “There are other ways to get my clothes off, Leonardo,” she murmured. “But I’ll pose for you if you really want me to.”

           Had she…just called his bluff? Was it even a bluff? Her gaze was utterly wicked and setting him on fire. “Careful, Bella,” he warned as they stepped outside. “I’ll think you’re being serious if you say that.”

           “Weren’t you serious?”

           Damn him. Giving in, he tugged her to him, hand cupping the back of her head, and kissed her. She purred, leaning into him and returning it readily, until he pulled away. He wanted to nibble on that lower lip as she pushed it out, keep kissing it until she was gasping, but standing in front of the Louvre wasn’t the place for it.

           Arabella stared up at him, desire and frustration lurking in her eyes. She slowly swept her tongue over her lips and murmured, “Is that a no about posing then?”

           He let out a slow breath, holding her close. “It isn’t a no, cara mia, but I’ll need to get ready.”

           She leaned further into him, not looking away. “For the painting?” She paused and smiled wickedly up at him. “Or me naked?”

           The growl left him without thought and her smile widened. Before either of them could say anything more, his phone buzzed between them.

           Arabella glanced down. “Do you need to get that?”

           He needed to get them out of sight even if that wasn’t the smartest idea. “No,” he finally said.

           Her brows went up when it buzzed again.

           “Right now I’m yours, Bella. Ignore it. I am.”

           She studied him before stretching against him and brushing her mouth over his. “Only right now?” she teased.

           For eternity, Bella. “Your family would frown on me stealing you away.”

           Laughing, she leaned away from him. It was probably good that she thought he was joking. “Do you want to go to the gardens?” she asked.

           A walk through might be best to try to calm down. Or he’d find a quiet place to kiss her again. But she was unaware of his thoughts as he didn’t suggest anything else and led him forward.

           He followed her as she started toward the gardens, but he couldn’t shake their earlier conversation. Was she truly serious? Would she let him paint her like that? She’d gotten used to him sketching her, but he’d only done one proper painting of her before. A grave mistake he should remedy as soon as possible.

           He’d teased once of draping her in his colours, but he’d never done it properly. He was going to now. As soon as he had the chance, he was going to.

           As they walked, his desire receded back to the steady burn he normally felt for her and some of the tension left him. Her enjoyment of their surroundings helped, her joy at seeing something new overshadowing almost everything else. He didn’t comment as she pulled out her phone to take pictures, excitedly talking to him about what was around them.

           It was…strange thinking about the fact that this Arabella had lived a life so different from the one he’d known. The one that had come through the door had seen the world, both with her family and on her own. She’d travelled to so many places, told him so many stories of what the modern versions of places he knew were like. From their shared birthplace in Italy to the far corners of Asia to the tip of Africa. Even if she hadn’t been, she’d known at least a little about it and been so happy to talk about it with him in the quiet moments.

           How many times had they been tucked together-snuggled she liked to call it- and whiled away the hours simply talking? Every moment he had with her was a fond memory, but those moments when she would let herself get carried away in her stories were his favourites. The life that had come into her eyes and her voice had lit him up from the inside. The joy she found in things had reignited his curiosity for them. Which was what she was now doing again.

           Leonardo looked at her, listening as she talked about the arc they’d walked through, pointing at sections of the garden that they could see coming up. This Arabella had that same joy, that same fire, but this time it wasn’t because she was sharing her knowledge. No, this was because she was experiencing it for the first time and he was sharing that with her. Or rather, she was sharing it with him, letting him get a small glimpse of how happy she actually was.

           He’d told her that she was the only one he wanted to be happy with and he hadn’t lied. He knew his happiness was tied to hers, but seeing this unbridled joy in her, feeling it warm his skin, made him realise just how much he had missed her. He’d thought he’d been alright, but he was realising how lonely he’d been in the last century without her. Memories were good and he loved every single one that they’d had together. But having her back in his life was showing him how foolish he’d been to think he still wasn’t facing a lonely eternity without her.

           His hand tightened on hers as they passed the first fountain and he barely heard what she said about it.

           “Leonardo?”

           Her soft question pulled him out of his thoughts and he saw her staring up at him. “Scusa, cara mia,” he said, making himself smile and stroking her cheek. “Said my time was yours but I got caught up.”

           “Should you answer those texts?”

           He shook his head, not even thinking about them.

           She reached up, pushing his hair back and running her fingers through it. “Do you want to go to one of the cafes?” she asked. “Maybe sit for a little bit?”

           Leaning down, he let his forehead bump against hers and sighed. He breathed her in, grateful she let him take this moment. There was too much in his head, too many memories of her and them, too many years of being alone. It wasn’t easy to separate past from present when he caught so many echoes of who she’d once been.

           He laughed quietly when she rubbed her nose against his, his heart swelling. Stealing a quick kiss from her, he enjoyed the startled chirp that left her. “Come on, Bella,” he said, leading her forward now. “Let’s look at the gardens before we sit.”

           She was still watching him, but she followed without protest as he started toward one of the thickets of trees beyond the fountain. Her silence weighed on him though. He hadn’t meant to worry her, hadn’t wanted to take away from her enjoyment of their surroundings.

           Was he bound to make her sad again in this lifetime as well?

           He shoved the thought away. He had made her happy far more times than sad in the time they’d had together. And he would do it again.

           They passed a few people on the paths but she still remained quiet. A glance showed that she was watching him, not looking at the scenery, and he sighed. “Scusa, Bella,” he said again. “Didn’t mean to make you worry.”

           “You don’t have to apologise. I care about you, Leonardo, so I’m going to worry if you’re upset.”

           Was he upset? It didn’t seem like the right word to describe what he was feeling.

           Arabella didn’t turn away from him and she reached up to stroke his cheek. “We don’t have to talk about it or we can if you want to,” she continued. “It’s up to you but I want you to know that I will listen.”

           “Cara mia….” How? How was she even more lovely than the last time?

           “Or,” she said, her voice dropping, “if you need a distraction, we could find somewhere to start that painting, mm?”

           He stared at her, knowing she was teasing and giving him a way out of the corner he’d backed himself into with his behaviour. But the thought of finding a studio, of stripping her down, of putting his hands on her to pose her the way he wanted, of-

           Leonardo pulled Arabella off the path, ignoring her giggle. It wasn’t easy to find a place to honestly keep them out of sight with the way the trees had been pruned but they were thicker here, a little more condensed. And he needed them out of sight. She couldn’t know what her words did to him, but he would gladly show her.

           Delight was on her face as he swung her into his grasp, backing her up against a tree. Her hands pressed to his chest, not to push away but resting on him as she waited.

           “You drive me mad,” he whispered. “I can’t keep my thoughts around you.”

           “Is that such a bad thing?” she murmured.

           It was when he was used to being in control. She’d been a fascinating puzzle before and she was again now. She was the same puzzle, but the shapes were different and he was slower at figuring them out from how little time they had together. And that…worried him? Scared him? Confused him to be sure.

           Her head titled to one side, the amusement fading and replaced with understanding. “We’re in this together, Leonardo,” she said softly, rubbing gently against his chest. “I don’t know what I’m doing either. Honestly, you’re like a hurricane that blew into my life and changed everything I ever knew.”

           Storms. Storms he knew. Her storm he had known so well. “I’m not the storm, Bella. You are.”

           She laughed again but it was softer this time. “I’m hardly a storm.”

           He didn’t like that look on her face, like she didn’t think herself fascinating enough to be considered a storm. Leaning in, he kissed the corner of her mouth. “You’ve captivated me from the first,” he murmured, kissing her again. “Pulled me in without warning.”

           “Leonardo,” she sighed, trying to turn into his kiss.

           He avoided her lips, raining soft kisses across her face. “You have me fully caught. A willing victim to your storm.”

           “Not a victim,” she protested, still trying to catch his lips when he got too close to hers.

           “No?”

           “That makes it sound wrong. I can’t explain it but…I don’t like it.”

           Leonardo leaned back, looking into those storm grey eyes. Desire was there, maybe even something more, but it was tinged with a hint of frustration. “Not a victim,” he said quietly. “What would you like me to be?”

           She immediately looked away but he didn’t miss how her skin darkened across her cheeks.

           A slow smile curved his mouth and he leaned in to nuzzle against her warm skin. “What are you thinking, cara mia?” he purred. “I can see you blushing.”

           Grey eyes peeked back at him and his breath caught at the possessive look in them. “I want you to be mine,” she whispered, her voice quiet but firm.

           Forget his breath catching; his heart nearly stopped at those words. He could remember so many times when he would be possessive over her, talking of making her his, and she so rarely got possessive back. Always saying she liked how free he was, how she couldn’t take that away from him. Yet here she was…wanting to lay claim to him. “Bella….”

           She frowned as she faced him. “I guess I do know what I want,” she said softly. “You.”

           Heart stopping? No, no, his heart was pounding to the point he could barely hear her. Instead of answering, he kissed her. He poured everything he was feeling into it, the love, confusion, frustration, loneliness, everything he had to give he gave. Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer, and she eagerly kissed him back. Hungrily. What he gave her…she gave back.

           Breaking the kiss for only a moment, he fit his mouth against hers again, drowning in how she opened for him. There was no hesitation in her kiss, she was willingly giving him everything she had. Anything he wanted, she was giving. His heart ached at how much he wanted from her, how much he wanted all of her again.

           How was it possible to love someone more desperately than he had before?

           Pressing her further into the tree, he let her have a moment to catch her breath, nuzzling against her cheek and covering the soft skin in kisses. These dates in public were starting to be too much. He wanted to be alone with her, somewhere private where they didn’t have to hide, didn’t have to stop, didn’t have to-

           “Do you hear that?” Arabella said suddenly, looking around.

           He couldn’t hear much over how his heart was pounding. He didn’t want to move away from her, even when she pushed on his chest. Stepping into her, he kept her pinned to the tree and kissed her temple. “Cara mia, look at me,” he breathed.

           She shuddered at the desire in his voice he didn’t bother concealing and turned to him, arms winding around his neck. “Leonardo, I-”

           “Mrow!”

           Leonardo froze at the loud, insistent meow that was swiftly followed by something batting at his pant leg. A glance showed a dark fluffball swatting at his ankle. A cat? “Hey, hey,” he said quickly when it gave up attacking him and decided to try climbing his leg.

           Arabella laughed as he moved to catch the little thing. “Where did she come from?”

           How could he know? Holding onto the cat, his eyes narrowed as it began chewing on his fingers. “The depths of hell?” he suggested as it bit him, tail thrashing.

           She smacked his arm. “Don’t say that. She’s just a baby!”

           Leonardo gave her a sidelong glance. “She’s a menace, cara mia.”

           Rolling her eyes, she reached for the terror. Before he could pull away, Arabella scooped it up and gently dislodged its grip on him. “See?” she said as the kitten immediately calmed down.

           He rubbed his fingers, watching it warily. It was purring as Arabella stroked between its ears, the sound offkey and a little broken. But the soft look on her face wiped away his ire at losing her attention and being bitten. “Looks good on you, Bella,” he said quietly.

           “Hmm?” she asked, looking at him quizzically.

           He had meant her smile, the happiness there on her face so lovely, but he gestured at the kitten.

           “Oh, I can’t keep her.”

           That was where her thoughts went? “We could take her to a shelter or not,” he added quickly when her eyes widened.

           “She’s a black cat. People don’t like adopting black cats. We found her.”

           “Oh, no, cara mia,” Leonardo said quickly, stepping back and holding his hands up. “If one of us is taking the little devil, it’ll be you. It likes you.”

           “She’s just playful. She wouldn’t bite you if she didn’t like you and I can’t.”

           That logic didn’t make sense and he considered taking another step back. “Why not?”

           She blinked. “We weren’t allowed pets before,” she said slowly. As if realising that the rules that had governed her life before weren’t there anymore.

           “I already have a cat, Bella, so-”

           “You do? Then another shouldn’t be a bother!”

           Leonardo stared at her. Changed rules or not, he had the feeling he was going to have to fight hard to get her to take the terror.

[thataveragewriter]

Dragon!Hanzo x reader - I’m here for you. Pt 2

A/N: It’s finally finished!! Combined these asks and I’ve gotten such supportive encouragements for this and here it is! Thank you for all the kind comments and messages, I hope this turned out well!!

words:1700+ 

part 1 

After that fateful confrontation, the atmosphere in the Shimada palace changed for the better. The once tense and uncomfortable ambiance was now replaced with hope and love. You had become much closer and affectionate to your husband, Hanzo. You were always seen accompanying him during tea in the garden and having a peaceful stroll through the palace, smiling and arms linked with the eldest Shimada. You have grown accustomed to his small ways of affection. Whether it be through the gentle squeeze he would give whilst holding your hands or the soft gentle kisses he would give you to show his endless love. Appreciating his every effort of showing you how much you mean to him and the relief he feels that you are no longer afraid of him, caused him endless solace.

It didn’t need a trained eye to see Hanzo’s demeanour changed from when you opened up and was reassured. The feelings he had harboured for you was finally shown through your intimate nights together. Where soft kisses would be trailed along your jaw and his large hand would caress the curves of your figure, it would be a heated moment the pair of you would share all your passion for each other. Where you once thought the eldest shimada was incapable of sharing intimate compliments, those nights you would be showered with praises and admirations as he would huskily breathe out “My love, your beauty exceeds that of any cherry blossoms in this world” or when you would really excite him by leaving love bites he would chuckle and utter “don’t expect to go unmarked by my love tonight, my dear [y/n] “.

Despite all the love he showed, the gentle affection he would give, it was always at the back of your mind of his other form. Neither of you had mentioned it nor has it been brought up. Instead of fear and distress, curiosity began forming and clouding your mind with immense interest in the curse. Was it a curse or a blessing? It could be argued it was both. A curse for intimidating and striking fear in everyone who may cross paths and the individual would live a life of solitude and loneliness. However it is a blessing by allowing them to protect the ones they love from harm’s way. It was almost embarrassing thinking you were afraid of such a gentle man despite him possessing the form of a fabled creature.

It was a clear night, moon bright and full of mysteries. It’s shone in a brilliant white light, casting delicately over everything in the garden. You were sitting on the wooden porch with a warm cup of tea. Its floral aroma drifted through your nostrils as you heaved a sigh of content. You were accompanied by your lover. Hanzo’s arm wrapped snugly around your form as you leaned against his shoulder, you could feel his soothing warmth radiate and transfer through the contact. You stared out in the open garden a soft smile visible on your features. Your mind submerged in curiosity and an almost desperate plea to satisfy your interest you decided you would arouse the question.

“Hanzo…” you began shyly and looking away from him. 

“Yes, my love?” Hanzo spoke in his soothing yet low tone. He looked down at your form with love in his eyes and a gentle smile graced his strong features.

“I…will I ever see your… other form?” you asked, feeling self-conscious for asking it a little too bluntly.

A moment of silence passed as Hanzo collected his thoughts. Why would you want to see the form that previously terrified you?

“Why would you want to see it, my flower? It is not a form I am pleased to possess and had previously been the cause for your discontent” He said as he retracted his arm and looked at your with a curious gaze. You sighed and turned to him. 

“I feel as though… I don’t know all that there is to know about you and what you possess. I want to know everything about you as you know everything about me, Han” you said as you gazed you at him with your hand reaching for his for comfort. You smiled, reassuring him it was fine and you wouldn’t be scared of him anymore. Hanzo looked away for a moment, to avoid your tender gaze.

“But…what if… you become afraid of me …again” He said timidly, looking away in a sad manner. It ached your heart knowing you had caused him feelings of guilt for being afraid of him. You would not be afraid of the man you love, despite what he possessed.

“Han, look at me please” you reached your other hand and softly turned his cheek toward you. His eyes clouded with worry and doubt as he stared down at your intertwined hands.

“It was foolish of me to be afraid of a man who only wanted to love and comfort me. I love you Han, every single part of you. And I want you to know, I’ll love you no matter your form. You’ll still be my beloved Hanzo” you smile at him and give his hand a soft squeeze for comfort.

He lifted his gaze to meet your loving eyes. Hanzo could feel the sincerity and love in your eyes, he knew he could trust your words yet he seemed unsure. There was traces of a smile visible.

“If you’re utmost positive you can handle it, [y/n]. I don’t wish cause anymore distraught to you.” He said solemnly as he stared deeply into your soul, heavy emotions filled each of his words.

“You won’t cause me any harm and I believe that, Han. I can handle it” You smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Hanzo heaved a heavy sigh, letting go of your hands and looked out at the garden before him whilst standing up.

“Very well, if that is what you wish” He said as looked down at with a ghost of a smile and held out his arm.

You took it and he helped you up. Your lover began guiding you to the open space in the garden surrounded by green foliage and an aged bonsai tree which overshadowed the path. You admired the beauty of the garden and its well-kept conditions. As you passed the small pond which held numerous elegant koi fishes, you adored the soft reflection of the moonlight on the calm waters, it graced the garden with its mystic light. Hanzo stopped at a spherical clearing, where you two had often spent your afternoon together. He turned with his larger hand still intertwined with your fingers.

“My dear, I must ask you to close your eyes for a moment.” He spoke softly as he slowly let go of your hand. You nodded and covered your eyes with both your palms.

Then, you felt the rush of a strong gust. Your hair fluttered like crazy in the rushing winds, curiosity filled your mind as temptation encouraged you to remove your hands. A new sensation surged through you as if the aura of the surrounding changed to something more majestic and mystical. You awaited for any signs from Hanzo, nothing. The wind had calmed down, yet there was a slight difference in the atmosphere.

“You may open your eyes, beloved” Hanzo’s voice spoke in your mind.

It was an odd feeling yet you relaxed at the sound of his soothing voice and slowly removed your hands. Slowly your eyes fluttered open and widen in awe. Before you was the great form of a deep sapphire serpent, lined with golden streaks. The mane glistened in the moonlight with a brilliant golden hue, illuminating the surroundings. He floated above the ground which explained why you didn’t feel any vibrations on the ground. The golden whiskers drifted softly in the direction of the wind as his eyes held an intense orange glow. This was the feared yet worshipped form of your lover.

You began approaching the fabled form of the shimada clan. His eyes carefully watched you as you closed the distance between you two. Your eyes held excitement and wonder at the mystical being in front of you, your smile was subtle and showed no signs of fear. It relieved Hanzo seeing your relaxed features. Slowly, you reached your hand to touch his snout. He allowed you by bowing his head. It was a sign for both acceptance and respect he held for you. Your hand came in contact with the cold scales that covered his body as you softly brushed it. The smile on your face widened.

“You’re beautiful” You said in a soft voice, not sure if he heard you or not.

Hanzo huffed out through his large nostrils which caused you to giggle as you felt the dampness on your hand.

“I am relieved you are not afraid of me, my blossom” He spoke telepathically, his intense eyes softened as they stared at you.

You giggled again and placed a small peck on the tip of his snout.

“How can I be afraid of such a wholesome man?” you giggle as he snuggled closer to your touch and let out a soft hum.  

“Do you wish for me to change back?” he asked, worried if you didn’t prefer this from.

You shook your head and retracted your arm, looking out at the brilliant white moon. Then moved your gaze back up to his eyes as he watched you intently.

“I wish to spend this evening with you… in this form… if you don’t mind” you spoke shyly, glancing away from him.

It warmed Hanzo’s heart hearing such reassuring word come from you. Even if he despised this form, it was comforting knowing you had accepted him with loving arms.

Upon hearing this, Hanzo’s serpent body slipped around your form and sat down. He looked up as to beckon you to join him. You smiled and kneeled down and resting against his mass body of scales. He surrounded your body with his lean form to protect you from any harsh winds and laid his head by your lap. You softly traced against his scales and became accustomed to the new sensation.

“I love you, my dear blossom” Hanzo spoke contently as he shut his eyes.

“I love you too, Han” You say as you gently place another kiss on nose for which he hummed.

.

.

[gremlinkweenarchive-blog]

Bad Moon Rising

Part 2: Mermen, Vampires, and Werewovles, Oh My! 

Summary: The reader finds and rescues a hurt merman who tells her that his name is Jim. She helps him without a second thought, but his presence might attract the attention of other supernatural creatures she never knew existed. This will eventually be a foursome (Jim Mason x Michael Langdon x Duncan Shepard x Reader) mythology/supernatural au.

A/N: So, the last one of the foursome is introduced, but we’ll get to actually see more of Michael and Duncan in the next part. There is an oc in here, Rory, that we’ll see more later. I’ve had him for awhile and he’s actually one of my fave characters ever. You can totally imagine Cillian Murphy for him. Again, if you want to be on the tag list, just hit me up and let me know what you think! 

Warnings: No smut yet, sorry. There is blood, injury, mentions of mental illness, depression, crying, concern about having a total break from reality. 

Word Count: 2.3k

Tagging List: @langdonsinferno, @ccodyfern, @michael-langdon-appreciation, @lovelykhaleesiii, and @moonagecordelia

"I thought that vampires fed off of humans? Why did he go for you instead of me?"

"Well, yeah, vampires feed off of humans, but that's not their only food source. Faerie blood is actually more nutritious and flavorful for vampires, just humans are more readily available and easier to hunt. He probably smelt my blood and sought me out."

"... Wow, I mean makes sense, I guess?" No, it really didn't, nothing made sense to her, but also Jim could tell her that the sky was actually purple and the ocean was orange, and she'd believe him.

"You should probably take care of him."

"Yeah, probably. Do I need something stronger than rope."

He scoffed, "Yes, probably something more like a stake through the heart."

She looked to the darkly angelic figure passed out on the floor. He looked helpless now, and she could see that the wounds that were on the cat adorned and tarnished his skin. He was hurt, and probably just looking for a way to heal himself. She felt bad, but on the other hand, Jim was in danger. This was fucked up. "No."

Jim gave her a look like she might be insane.

"I said no. He's just trying to survive like you. I'll get like, chains or something. That should hold him?"

Jim's cheeks heated to a slight pink, she was right, but it was just difficult when you were the pray. "I don't think that's a good idea. It's probably going to end badly."

She was still looking at the vampire. Probably, she was thinking, but that's not what she said. "I think it's going to be fine."

".... Okay, if you say so." Jim was still so unsure of this. "Just move him please."

"Yeah, no problem."

---------------------------

Moving the vampire that was nearly double her size wasn't an easy feat, but you did it. Thank god for the hauls of fish she's been lugging around her whole life or this might actually be impossible. She had him propped up against the support beam in the living room. That was the sturdiest place in her house she could think of, but you knew you needed to move fast. There was no telling how much time you had before he woke up, and she couldn't imagine he'd be happy when he did. Now, the next problem was finding chains and a lock that was probably heavy duty enough. She figured the boatyard, but she'd really have to move her ass.

She grabbed the keys to her dad's old beat up pick up truck and a jacket and hurried out the door. She was humming to herself in a tense song, a habit she did out of nervousness, and fumbled with the keys.

"Hi there, Y/N, a little la-" a familiar voice called, but with the night's events, she was already under so much pressure, and she yelped and nearly threw the keys. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"Hi, Rory. Sorry, it's been a night." Oh Rory, the older Irish gentleman that ran the dock's favorite bar to go to in the evening, and her next door neighbor. She had known him her whole life, a steady constant in this crazy shit show her life had been these past couple of months. You really weren't alarmed with him being out so late. With his business, he just always had been a night owl.

"I could see that," his thick accent rang out with a chuckle, and she blanched for a second. "Dragging in buckets of sea water?"

"It's an art project," She answered maybe a little too fast and he cocked an eyebrow. "You know, for processing trauma. I read about it."

"Okay then, Y/N," he was unsure, but he was going to drop it.

"I'm going out for more things." She didn't know when to stop talking apparently.

"Well, good luck with that at 3 am. Just be careful," he wished her well, "It's a full moon, all the crazies are out tonight."

She just chuckled uneasily, if she could only tell him. "Will do, you get some rest."

"You too, dear."

She was finally able to get the truck open and started, and she sped off to the boatyard.

------------------------------------

The yard was desolate and particularly eerily this night. Mist from the water was creeping over the place and gave it an all too fitting gothic appearance. She really wished that the world would stop being so poetic for a change. It wasn't hard to get it, but she found herself pulling her jacket tighter as she walked in between the older and busted up boats.

She had to kick the door down to the supply shed, but she doubted anyone would really care. This was the forgotten side of town anyway. She found heavy duty chains and a padlock fairly quickly, a feeling of satisfaction filled her that was quickly overshadowed by something else. Her head whipped up to the door and then to the window. She saw nothing, but she swore she felt eyes on her. Very intent eyes.

The best thing to do was just get the hell out of there, she decided, and without actually breaking into a run, she moved as fast as she could.

Outside, she swore she hear footsteps of something. It was much too big to be a person, but she didn't know what it could be. There was an idea trying to creep into her mind, one that she was trying to violently shut out. She actually might just give up if she was right.

There was a movement and then a soft growl. She blanched again, but sighed. Of course. No, of course this would be the night that even more insane shit has to happen. She turned to the boat she saw the movement coming from and her eyes widened, yet she was somehow not surprised. A giant wolf monster sat perched up on the cabin and she nodded. "Sure. Yep. This might as well happen. Let's just get this over with."

It glowered at her as it crept down and off the boat, but in the bright moonlight, she saw the deep wounds biting in much passed down the fur. It growled again and began to stand on this back legs, standing at it's full eight foot height, but she held dropped the chains and held up her hands. "Don't even think about it, buddy," she said firmly and the wolf's ears pitched forward, clearly curious about the lack of fear.

"I've got a hurt merman and a vampire I need to restrain soon or he's going to try to eat the merman at home. I see that you're hurt. I can take care of you, but I need you to stop being a dick."

It looked like it was debating something it's head before settling down on all fours and cautiously moved towards her before gently nuzzling into her neck, smelling and licking her, she figured that this was some kind of greeting that werewolves had, but he was being friendly, but she just rolled with it. It was that kind of night that was already weird enough. She scratched behind it's ears and it practically mewled and she had to smile, that was pretty cute.

"Come on, let's go. I have to get back before the vampire wakes up."

He limped along with you, and she had to help the poor thing up into the bed of the truck, but he was behaving quite well. She covered him up, and hopped in. Hopefully, she wasn't too late, and she felt worry pit itself in her stomach.

-----------------------------------------------

She had to make sure the lights on in Rory's house were off before she uncovered the newest friend and boy from her truck and hurried him into the house.

The first thing she did was check to make sure that the vampire was still out and passed out against the beam. Thankfully, he was, and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She went back to the kitchen as the werewolf began sniffing around. "Go upstairs, it's the room with the lights on."

The wolf looked at you uneasily, but he relented and sulked up the stairs on all fours, looking over its' shoulders at her.

She grabbed the chains and quickly secured the vampire to the post. There was a moment that nearly had her passing out, his nose flared a couple of times when she got closer, but luckily that was his only response to her.

She didn't waste anymore time though, grabbed the medical box for the third time tonight, and she was running up the stairs. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she saw the large furry head pop of the doorway. It was odd to have such a large creature in her house, but she didn't think about that just yet. She sat the box down on the desk and she heard it growl softly.

"Come on, I know this is going to hurt a little bit, but," the wolf cut her off with another, more aggressive growl.

"Uhhh, Y/N," Jim called from the bathroom. "What was that?"

She turned around and went to the door. "I might have made another new friend tonight." The wolf's head popped into sight from the door to look at where the other voice came from out of curiosity, and Jim went white.

"That's an alpha werewolf."

She grunted as he pushed his way into the bathroom and began smelling and licking at Jim's neck like he had done with her, and Jim couldn't help the giggles that escaped his mouth and it only encouraged the wolf to tickle him more, but he eventually pushed him off gently.

Jim smiled shyly at the wolf before looking to her again. "Why was he growling at you?"

"I was just getting ready to stitch up his wounds."

The monstrous animal's ears pinned back at the word and Jim swatted his muzzle, startling the wolf.

"Be nice. She doesn't know anything and you can't talk in that form," Jim chided with a small smile.

"You don't need to rub it in!" She was almost defensive, but Jim was laughing.

"Werewolves don't need stitches, particularly alphas. He'll be fine by tomorrow night, you won't even know that he was hurt."

She nodded, but then stopped. "Why did he come with me then? If he didn't need help."

Jim's eyes were practically shining with mischief. "He probably thinks you're cute."

She was bright red now and she looked at the clear amusement both of them had.

"Or he had other reasons, I'm just," He had to think about it. He wasn't sure about the human word for this. "Having my fun?" He had a little shy smile, and while she was scowling, her heart melted a bit at the expression.

"I didn't realize I was opening my door to such jokesters," but even she had to laugh.

She let out a yawn, and she realized how tired she was out, "Well, I think I'm going to be retiring for the night. Jim would you like a pillow or something?"

He cocked he eyebrow. Right, that makes sense that they wouldn't have them in the ocean.

"I'll go get one for you away."

The wolf followed her out of the bathroom and crawled up on the bed for no regard to his weight as he circled like any dog would before settling down on the bed. She grabbed one of the extra pillows and returned to stuff it in the corner between the wall and the bathtub and Jim hesitantly rested his head against it before his eyes lit up.

"This is very comfortable. What did you call this?"

She chuckled, "A pillow. Goodnight, Jim."

He smiled, "Goodnight, Y/N. Thank you. again."

"It's no problem." With that, she left again for the bedroom.

She looked at the wolf, seemingly asleep, and she decided what the hell. She took her bra off and her pants, leaving herself in just a shirt and underwear. She crawled into bed under the blankets and tried to get comfortable, but sleep wasn't coming to her at all. She was just replaying the events of the night.

So, at the beginning of the night, it was crippling loneliness and a solid crying session, then late night sailing on the boat .... Then she saved a merman .... Then they got attacked by a vampire ..... and then she picked up a werewolf ..... and now there's a merman in  her bathtub, a vampire chained up in the living room, and a werewolf in bed with her. She sighed. This was.... weird. This was a weird night. This couldn't have happened, could it? This stuff was made up. Oh god, she was having a mental breakdown. She was breaking and this wasn't real. None of this was real.

She was starting to hyperventilate, panic gripping her, but then she felt a warm head, a very warm, very large, and very fluffy head nuzzle into her chest. A strong, furry arm ending in a hand with extremely long and sturdy claws wrapped around her abdomen and pulled her tight. An animal's tongue licked her cheek and she had to laugh at how much it tickled. She heard the wolf in approval and she relaxed. This was real. It was very very real and she had the feeling that this wolf wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Sleep soon took over, and for the first time in what felt like years, there was a smile on her face.

[unlockthelore]

Preparation - Remind Me [CH. 2]

“Bring me into the world, you say?”

The world seemed to hold its breath at Hiei’s declaration and at the Dragon’s words, it dared to breathe. A stiff breeze swept past him as his cloak billowed in the wind, hair whipping about, obscuring his view of the Dragon’s piercing gaze. The entity’s words reverberated through him, resonating within the very depths of his being and stirring something within his soul, kindling a flame that’d been lit since he stepped foot on the island.

“I wasn’t aware of an echo,” Hiei said tersely.

The Dragon’s lips pulled back, sharpened teeth glimmering in the sunlight reflecting off its scales, and Hiei wasn’t sure if it was grinning at his ill-placed joke or sneering at the cheekiness of it all. Considering that he hadn’t been set ablaze, he assumed that it was torn between the two.

“You know not what you ask for, summoner.”

Hiei huffed. “You think me incompetent?” He asked, pushing back his sleeve and baring the Dragon’s mark not only to the entity itself but the watching eyes of the Void. “And yet you were conquered by me.”

The Dragon’s eyes widened and its pupils dilated, the rock cracking and splintering beneath the force of its claws as it lurched forward. Hiei tensed up but forced himself to remain in place as he stood mere inches away from the Dragon’s massive teeth, the steam pouring from its nostrils enough to heat the air and blow back his hair from his eyes. The waves crashing against the rock evaporating into vapor as it spoke.

“You conquered nothing, summoner.”

A pang of hurt wrested for control in Hiei’s chest and he nearly wanted to show the Dragon just how much he had grown. Though there felt like an odd tug, not desperation, but something akin to insult. Hiei lowered his arm and let his sleeve slip past his elbow, covering the mark from view. The Dragon had existed long before he’d been born, even older than Kurama, and King Enma — he couldn’t imagine the surprise and humiliation that may have come from being bound to someone.

Or the conflicting pride and aggravation which came with knowing your strength could go further and you had not yet reached your peak.

“Then tell me what it is that I ask for, Dragon,” Hiei said. “If I have not conquered you, then what meaning does this mark have?”

He’d dealt with entities out of his depth before. The Sword of Darkness being one of them. Though while the Dragon was akin to speaking of the terms of their agreement, the Sword had lulled him into a false sense of security, and once caught in its hold he nearly killed someone he loved. Uncertainty roiled in Hiei’s stomach and waged war against his need for safety and security. The Dragon’s heady gaze doing little to assuage his worries as the entity scrutinized him carefully, as if deciding whether or not he was worth answering or killing.

Tightening his fist, Hiei tipped his head back and stared into the Dragon’s eyes.

After a moment of the Dragon studying him, the entity leant back and turned its head toward the sky, the sun peeking over the tip of its muzzle. “A reminder,” it said evasively.

“Reminder?”

The Dragon settled back, more of its body slipping beneath the waves as it rested its head between its claws. “Of who I once was,” it said as its eyes slipped shut. “You are every bit of stubborn as the being I used to be.”

Hiei scowled and folded his arms across his chest. Curious as he was at the statement, he doubted that he was that stubborn. Or that his stubbornness was a terrible thing to bear. After all, it had gotten him this far. For better or worse. The Dragon seemed to sense his displeasure, a deep rumbling that Hiei almost believed to be a laugh, shaking the rock beneath his feet and shifting the waves further from the Dragon’s being.

“I doubt that a warning or even a wound will deter you from your chosen goal,” the Dragon said, a glimmer of amusement in its eyes as it opened them to look at Hiei with a silent challenge posed in the curl of its lip.

Hiei huffed and tightened his grip on his forearms, the mark burning and itching in response to the challenge. “You would be right,” he said, lifting his chin and glaring down his nose despite the disparity between their heights. “I’ve suffered through more than your scrutiny.”

The mark’s burn and ache intensified and Hiei gritted his teeth as the Dragon narrowed its eyes at him.

“That I am aware of,” it said once the burning eased and Hiei dared to breathe, clutching his arm in a vice grip. “So perhaps you can suffer through a story.”

“A story?”

The Dragon shut its eyes and hummed low, the sound reverberating off the cliffside and startling a flock of birds in a nearby tree. “You are not the first to have bared that mark, regardless of what the stories may have told you.”

“I’m not?” Hiei asked slowly, his grip on his arms loosening.

All of the stories of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame mentioned many summoners beckoning to curry the Dragon’s favor but it always ended in death. None could match the Dragon’s power and risked being overtaken, if not destroyed in their pursuit. Hiei attributed it to his own strength that he’d managed to trap the Dragon within his being but the skepticism was eating away at his resolve.

“Does it make you feel any lesser to know this?” the Dragon asked, far too lighthearted and smug for Hiei’s liking.

“No.” Hiei snapped, resting his hands at his sides, glaring at the Dragon venomously. “Only foolish for believing fairy tales.”

The Dragon hummed quietly, the disbelief palpable but it said nothing further on the matter, its voice wistful and winding like the old bandits who sat around the campfire and told stories of their glory days when Hiei was a child.

“The first was a young woman whom I was quite fond of. She was kind-hearted and brash, wielding kindness and resolve like a blade, she was formidable.”

Hiei felt compelled to lower himself to the ground and listen attentively but he hesitated to move. The closer that he was to the Dragon’s jaws, the more his anxiety overwhelmed. Instead, he tried to imagine the woman that the Dragon spoke of. Kind-hearted and brash. The image of a young man with slicked back hair came to mind.

Kindness and resolve. The image of a loud-mouthed swordsman, hair done up in a pompadour and constantly spouting off about his resolve, undeterred by the limitations of his humanity.

Formidable. The glimpse of red and green giving way to silver and gold, a person strong despite the form, choosing kindness over cruelty.

Seemingly unaware of Hiei’s mind wandering, the Dragon continued speaking. “I was unwieldy. A soul lost among the sea of eternity, with nothing but time and emptiness to keep me company.” The Dragon’s eyes opened and though it stared ahead, Hiei felt that it wasn’t looking at him, but a distant past that he couldn’t see. “More than once, she came to me as you are now, and spoke to me in a tone that made it seem as if she were familiar with my mind.”

“Your life isn’t expendable,” a short red-haired boy hissed, gripping him by the shoulders, his fingers pressing uncomfortably into Hiei’s skin. Those hands that wrapped his bandages carefully were holding him tight enough that he couldn’t think to look elsewhere. Lost in a sea of green, his voice drowned out the rampant refusals he could think of.

“No matter what you think, your life means something.”

“I know the feeling.” Hiei muttered, resting his hand against his stomach, the itchiness of bandages with plants fibers sewn into them making his skin crawl and his heart ache.

“As I’m sure you do.” The Dragon said, and Hiei thought to ask what it meant but the entity continued on heedless of his curiosity. “I rebuked her, I yelled at her, I raged. But she was strong. So strong that she quelled my anger with not only her fists when I was volatile but her words when I was subdued.”

Hiei snorted, resting a hand on his hip. “You could be subdued?”

The Dragon’s eyes narrowed into slits. “One would be surprised that power, no matter how great, has others that overshadow it. None are above. All have one that they may cower beneath or revere.”

All of the haughtiness in Hiei’s tone ebbed away and he frowned. Power that overshadowed. The “human realm demon” that he looked down on, the woman who wore shackles from her past, the maiden who spoke with soft words despite the scars she bore.

“Do you not feel the same?” the Dragon asked and Hiei looked down.

“If you go anywhere near her, it will be the last thing you do.”

Words spoken in a voice colder than ice, clipped and threatening with a promise lingering beneath the surface. Moonlight haloing him and in the flicker of green, gold appeared and the chill threatened to freeze Hiei from the inside out. He knew that with his speed he’d have an advantage but how great that advantage was, he was unsure.

The low growl rumbling deep in that human’s chest was animalistic, feral, primordial and Hiei unconsciously stepped back.

“I do.” Hiei said, noticing that he took a step back and moving back nowhere he stood, dismissing the Dragon’s questioning look. “Then the first summoner, did she —“

“She was not a summoner.”

“What?”

“She did not summon me to the mortal plane.”

There was a pause and Hiei couldn’t believe his ears. Though he doubted that the Dragon had reason to lie to him now of all times. And from the solemness in the entity’s tone, he couldn’t find a reason to think it would. “She came to me, to the Void, and to the Makai.”

Hiei swallowed thickly. He could remember his time in the Void, brief as it was, the thousands of eyes that lingered on him. Horrors unimaginable tearing at his sanity and trying to ward him from the path that he walked to the Dragon’s core. Venomous words spat in the voices of his friends, his family, his loved ones. He’d come from it fearing nothing and hearing everything that would have otherwise torn him to pieces. His anger burned bright and his enemies were to serve as its kindling.

For someone to walk into the Void willingly, they had to be brave if not foolish. He wondered which one the Dragon thought him of at the time. Slowly, the Dragon continued to explain and Hiei listened attentively. Whomever this woman was, she was a legend that none other knew of, and held the secret that he yearned for.

“This woman was born with reiki and thus, she existed not only within the Reikai but the Ningenkai,” the Dragon began. “While I was born of youki, existing not only in the Makai and the Meikai. She, who held no power in the realms that I claimed as my own, journeyed there to meet me.”

Hiei huffed and sneered at the thought. Only an idiot or a brazen soul would tread into another’s domain without heed. “For it to be your domain, you could have killed her for the insult.”

“Insult?” the Dragon echoed back, the puzzled and curious lilt to its voice left Hiei confused and his smug smile fell.

“You said that she claimed to know your mind,” Hiei reminded and the Dragon hummed in acknowledgement. “Did you not feel insulted?”

After a short pause, the Dragon closed its eyes. “No, I did not.”

Hiei squinted, his lips pressing together and curling downward at the corners. The more he learned of the Dragon, the less the entity seemed to make sense to him.

“I was relieved,” the Dragon said with a wistful sigh. “To know that one would attempt to know me as I was rather than what I am. Such relief is uncommon, for those who possess immeasurable power, do you not agree?”

The Dragon’s eyes opened and met Hiei’s own and the relief bellied the entity’s earlier annoyance, a softened melancholy darkening violet irises that were less piercing but beckoning. The tension melted from Hiei’s shoulders and his hands fell to his side.

“I do.”

“I trust you.”

Warm brown eyes met his own with a smile wavering beneath the strain that the one who possessed it harbored. Straining to keep up the weight overhead, Hiei was torn between a venomous quip and a scoff. How could he trust him with all that he’d done? Surely, he had to be kidding. And then at a glance, he saw it. The glow that outlined the length of his body as the weight was steadily lifted and he yelled.

“Now go!”

He told himself that the fool would regret it. That he would see the error in his ways for trusting him even if it was briefly. But for a moment, he felt warmth.

A flicker of hope.

That perhaps he would have the chance to right his wrong against one that meant him no harm.

“She knew many things of the Ningenkai and shared them with me,” the Dragon said and Hiei roused from his thoughts to look into its eyes. “I was disinterested, I found it idiotic…”

Hiei sighed. He felt the same once upon a time. That the Ningenkai was nothing more than a lesser realm for lesser beings but he’d been proven wrong time and time again by those who lived there and those who came from his home.

The Dragon sighed. “And yet, she told them to me time and time again. Concepts of family, of home, the inner workings and the beauty of life. For one that waded in blood and ferried souls, I found these things inconsequential.”

Waded in blood. Hiei curled his fingers into fists and if he thought hard enough, he could feel the warmth of blood in the creases of his palm. Crimson staining his fingertips and the crevices of his nails. The stink of iron and scents of the fallen clinging to his person and his blade, washed away by the rain, in a lake, or a stream, and at times in the shower with the scent of roses lingering nearby to offer him a hand.

“They couldn’t be taken with you into death,” Hiei muttered and the Dragon hummed its agreement.

Continuing on as if Hiei had said nothing, the Dragon said. “But for beings such as us who lived for eternity, she believed they meant something.”

“Us…” Hiei muttered, raising a brow as the Dragon looked at him evenly. “She was like you?”

“That she was.” The Dragon said simply, seeming pleased that Hiei had caught onto the word choice. “The Ningenkai and the Reikai were her domain and she bid me to enter them at my leisure. I found it idiotic. I could usurp power from her, slay her and take control of the four realms.”

A bitter tinge of irritation was heavy on Hiei’s tongue and he narrowed his eyes at the Dragon.

“And more than once, I proposed that possibility to her, but she seemed wholly unbothered. I believed it was because she thought of me not as a threat but then I realized.”

Although he was certain those words were hypothetical, he couldn’t help but think of the cowardice that it would take. Though she was a fool, she didn’t seem like a terrible person.

Since when did I start to think like this?

“It was because she felt for me.” The Dragon deduced, although it didn’t seem certain in its words either. “And she knew my mind enough to realize that I felt the same.”

“Thanks for coming, Hiei.”

He swore to kill whatever made that accursed sound but he hadn’t expected to come across them. His gaze flicked from the oaf to the ferry girl then finally the fox. He shrugged slightly and gave an apologetic smile as the ferry girl stepped closer.

“I knew we could count on you.”

Hearing the detective had been ensnared had been the crowning moment of his night but the implication from the fox, and the idea of what this might have meant for the detective haunted him.

He had to do something.

Though he couldn’t let them know that the thought crossed his mind. He wasn’t even sure where it had come from. All he could do in the moment was say that it was none of his business, that it wasn’t his concern, that he was tired of fighting for the Ningenkai.

But it had crossed his mind then.

What was he fighting for?

“And you rebelled,” Hiei said.

The Dragon sighed. “Still I rebelled. What else could I have done when I was steadily losing control? I turned her away, I rebuked her invitations, and yet she returned. Then I began to accept, I wreaked havoc in the Ningenkai, seduced the humans with my power only to devour them time and time again.”

The itch of the Sword of Darkness, the desire to enslave humanity and turn them into demons or mindless victims that would do his bidding. Hiei clenched his fist at the feeling and the lingering memory of the ill-fated plan. He never wanted to do something as cowardly as enlist the help of a human army. Not with all that he knew about them.

The Dragon continued uninhibited by the turmoil in Hiei’s chest. “Countless lives were lost and over time, I was unsure of why I was doing this, what would I gain from inciting her rage?”

Although the questions were posed, Hiei had a feeling that they weren’t directed toward him. He stayed silent as the Dragon seemed to consider the word and lost itself in thought before continuing.

“I didn’t know the answer until she came down with the wrath of her might and laid me to the Earth beneath her hand. She told me that I had gone too far, that I had taken too much, that I was out of control, that I was lost. In that voice that spoke the kindest of words, I heard the coldest of truths. And for the first time, I felt pain.”

“You’re not so tough.”

Hiei flinched at the words as he struggled to rise to his feet, using his sword to brace himself. A sharp pain shot up his leg as it was swept from beneath him and he clattered to the ground, suppressing a cry and gritting his teeth. Her feet stopped in front of him and he forced himself not to look up at her. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction but his head felt heavy, and the world was spinning on its axis. Fresh pain shot through him as her foot came in contact with his stomach.

“Those are the words that you used at the beginning of this, wasn’t it?” She asked, voice even and soft as if she were speaking to a child. With every prod of her foot, pain ricocheted through him, stealing his breath and his abdomen ached almost as if it was threatening to cave in. “I wonder if you were trying to convince yourself or make up for your own self-doubt.”

Heat welled up in his chest and pooled in his palms as he pushed himself up despite the searing pain in his legs. Whether she knew it or not, she’d driven a knife into him and the one place that he was the most vulnerable.

His heart.

“So she offered me a choice to make up for all that I had done,” the Dragon’s voice was closer now and when Hiei returned his focus, he found himself staring down the Dragon’s nose. “Walk the world at her side though I could leave when I chose. Be bound to her, not by loyalty, and not by duty, but by purpose.”

Purpose.

Wasn’t that why he went to Mukuro’s side?

He lost his purpose and death was…

“For one as lost as me, to find purpose would be akin to finding stability, and thus I would be given peace.”

Hiei’s voice was hoarse and quiet, barely above a whisper, and drowned out by the crashing waves. “Did you choose to bind yourself to her?” he asked.

“Not immediately,” the Dragon answered. “I found the thought distasteful but as time went on, to make up for what I’d done, I remained at her side. Until one day, I asked her. What bonds are there in the Ningenkai? What ties these humans together and keeps their memories alive? And her answer to me was family.”

Hiei felt his heart seize and the Dragon’s eyes narrowed at him. Part of him felt this was a trap. He felt he needed to flee. But he was rooted to the spot and unable to move. His limbs refused to obey him and all he could do was stare into the eyes of the beast and listen as the flame inside of him burned brighter.

“Children bear the wills of their parents but grow into their own, they honor their memory and share their stories for generations. And parents raise their children with respect and dignity, and look to them as their own being rather than reflections of what they could have been.”

Shiori came to mind. The way that she looked at Kurama, despite knowing what he was, she always seemed proud of him. She loved and adored him and wanted the best for him. Her love was genuine and though Kurama was different from her, she never asked him to be anything but. It confused Hiei greatly when he met her but over time, he understood.

That was love.

“I was mesmerized by it. I was interested. And I wanted to know more,” the Dragon sighed longingly. “She saw my curiosity and took aim, asking me then if I would like to form a bond with her, as a family.”

The stirring beneath Hiei’s skin, the overwhelming burn of flames kindling and growing with every word, the inability to control his body. Memories arising and the Dragon’s patience, something felt off. Something felt right and wrong at the same time.

“That girl asked me if I would like to be—“

Hiei interjected. “— Her brother.”

The Dragon stared at him evenly and its lips curled back but this time he was sure, it was smiling.

“She bore the mark not on her skin as you do, but on her soul.”

Hiei’s heart skipped a beat and he forced himself to take a step back as the Dragon lifted its head and shifted backward, the shadows curling around its body within the water slowly began to consume it. Darkness ebbing over its claws and sprawling across the rock in spiderweb-like shadows, inching closer to Hiei’s feet as he was backed to the edge, waves crashing against the rock and water splattering against the back of his cloak and the heels of his boots.

“So that when the time came again, our bond would hold fast,” the Dragon said, amusement creeping into its words, and Hiei could feel that it was smiling. “And I could be her brother once more.”

His eyes widened as the Dragon’s massive form receded and the spider-like shadows began to build onto one another, bubbling and shifting, rising slowly until they were at eye level with him.

“…. What are you?” Hiei breathed shakily, stiffening up as the shadows dispersed and the entity standing before him smiled.

A young man, violet-eyed with shoulder-length pitch black hair streaked with white in the center of his bangs, peach tanned skin marred with faded scars across his bare torso, and a swirling mass of burn marks in within black ink on his left arm, his lips pulled back in a toothy smile, the eye in the middle of his forehead opening and focusing on Hiei, narrowing and crinkling at the corners in delight at the look on his face.

“An immortal flame,” he said in a ghastly voice.

[wonderlandinrope]

Not All Monster Part 11

Sam x Reader

Summary: While things began to look up for Aris and the Winchesters there were still many un answered quetions and even more pain still laying beneith the surface

Warning: Violance, laungage. 

Authers note. So I am starting school again, and I have a lot more hoemwork than expacting so sorry for not getting these out in a timely manner. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Not All Monsters Materlist.

Just as quickly as the Impala had pulled into the garage Aris was out the door, tossing her bag to Sam who hadn’t even managed to stand all the way. The bag hit his stomach causing him to let out an ‘umph’ sound. Dean got out of the car watching with some amusement as his brother chased Aris over to the bike that had once been Dorothys. Holding his keys he let them talk knowing that Sam would be in soon.

“We just got back!” Sam Waved one hand around gesturing to the bunker. “If you want alone time come in and rest, I won’t bug bother you. You haven’t slept in two days.”

Pushing down on the clutch the bike roared to life. It had become her choice of mobility when the chance arose something about the open air, accompanied by the way the way the bike moved with her body took all the troubles away. It felt great being back, on the beautiful machine.

Looking up into those galaxies called eyes, Aris smirked. “I’ll be back late. Don’t wait up.” Placing a peck on his cheek. Before he could protest further she took off.

Running his hand through his hair Sam couldn’t help but enjoy the view of Aris smiling a lightness to her that hadn’t been there since the first week she’d moved in. There was no more talk of the scar or her past with Darn. While she wouldn’t say where she had been disappearing to the past few weeks, it was good for her. That was the fact he couldn’t argue, so he didn’t. Aris could take care of herself. Besides she was back to the happy, bubbly, smart-ass that she was meant to be.

Waiting until she was completely gone from view before following his brother into the bunker. Dean was already sitting at the table pie in front of him two open beers, offering one to Sam. Cas was reading a book written in an ancient language, scribbling translations into a notebook.

“Off again,” Dean commented between bites.

“Yeah,” Sam called back. Dropping the bags in front of the washing machine a faint buzzing sound came from Aris duffle bag. Searching around he pulled out the phone she had forgot. George scrolled across the screen. Not wanting to be intrusive he ignored the call but brought the phone with him to the war room placing it on the table.

“She tell you where she’s going this time?” Dean asked handing his brother a beer,

Sam shook his head. “No. But hey it makes her happy so I’m not going to push the subject.”

“You aren’t at all curious to see what she has been up too. If I were you my mind would be running wild with possibilities.” Swinging his fork around he pointed it at Sam. “She could be out drinking, causing trouble. Who knows maybe she’s got a lesbian lover.”

“You are so immature you know that.” Sam laughed despite the comments.

“Oh, yeah I forget your hairs long enough for you to be the women too.” That one crossed the line a bit but Dean got the response he was looking for. Sam reached over taking a scrap of paper from Cas crumpling it up he chucked it at his brother.

Being mildly annoyed with the two interrupting his work, Cas looked up narrowing his eyes, directing his gaze at both. “I understand this is part of your normal bother bonding. However, it would be appreciated if you left me out of it.”

Both chuckling Sam watched again as the phone he had placed down on the table began to buzz again. Once more George came across the screen, it hadn’t occurred to him that Aris was keeping in touch with her old friends. If he called again Sam promised he would call the extra cell Aris should have kept on her.

“How about you Cas. She tells you where she disappeared to?” Dean just couldn’t drop the subject. Not just out of common curiosity but also because he had grown to see Aris as a little sister. Knowing that she was vulnerable on her own made it difficult to let her go off like she did.

Sam shook his head disapproving. “Would you drop it.”

“It’s not my fault that I worry. Hell out of the two of us you should be worried.” He countered. “So Cas she tells you her big secret.”

Cas put down his pen, knowing full well that he wasn’t going to get any more work done. “If she did tell me or I found out by other means I wouldn’t tell you. It would be a betrayal of her confidence.”

“See, It’s not a big deal,” Sam said taking a sip of his beer. “Wait what do you mean found out through other means?”

Dean laughed, a mouth full of pie, as Sam’s uncaring did a 180. Turning into a combination of concern and intrigue.

Entering the house it was dark all except a light that crept through a door at the end of a hall. Women could be heard chanting together in unison, it was a prayer. As Aris came through the door rushing in she hadn’t noticed that her clothes were still stained from the hunt. Blood splattered her shirt, from when she had taken a machete to the vampire. The prayer stopping as she walked in, eyes of five women of various ages and backgrounds fell on her.

It had been three weeks since she had joined the group. Thankfully up until that point none of the hunts had interfered making each meeting on time.  She hadn’t told Sam or Dean about the meetings not wanting them to view her differently, simply say that she had to have time to herself. It seemed to be enough for them. However, Aris got the feeling that Cas knew based on his sudden need to defend her or give her a little extra support here and there. Either way, it wasn’t something that they spoke, there was an understanding in his eyes that told her she didn’t have to worry about him spilling the beans to Sam.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the group Millie?” An older plump woman with short Grey hair, rosy cheeks, and shining blue eyes asked cautiously. Addressing Aris by the fake name she had given them.

“Sorry, I’m late… work.” Aris watched the eyes fell on her shirt. She looked down. “Oh! Ummm it's kool-aid.”

“This is a safe space you know you can talk if you want to.” A younger woman in her early 20s squeaked. She looked as her voice sounded, small, frail frame, her eyes taking up half her face.

“Really it's ok.” Aris insisted, wrapping her leather jacket around her to cover the shirt.  

Shrugging off the concern, the conversation turning to one of the women who went by the name Denise. In the past week, things had been getting worse for her at home, her husband coming home and instantly going into a tirade nearly every night, throwing breaking things, screaming at her, kicking the dog. But the fear of leaving overshadowed the need to escape. His unpredictability made it nearly impossible to know how much worse things may become.

It wasn't the type of group to pressure someone into doing something that they weren’t comfortable with but give support reminding each other that they weren’t crazy or that their instincts were usually right. In aris case it was a way to remind her that what she had gone through was real to validate they way she felt and reminder that when she had moments that caused a flashback or unintended reaction, such as pulling away from Sam when he touched her scar, it was just another way she had learned to survive.  And that was ok.

“If you want I can help you move while he’s at work.” Aris offered to Denice, who reminded her almost too much of her old self.

She shook her head letting out an exhausted exhale, “No, I don’t think so. His brother is across the street. He would call. I can’t.”

It was a strange realization of how far she had come. To know that she was capable of leaving when others couldn’t. How now the idea of a brother watching over her, wasn’t an ominous force, but a caring person who had only her best interest at heart. She was lucky, it was no longer a real person that set out o hurt her only the one that lived in her memories.

Before more could be said a timer went off indicating that meeting was over. As always it seemed to end too soon, no one wanted to go back to the reality of living in fear, standing on eggshells.  Saying a quick goodbye Aris walked out to find the motorcycle that she had borrowed from the garage. Before she mounts the bike, A soft warm hand rested on on her shoulder.

It was Zoe the elderly women that had been running the group. Her face held a depth of understanding as she took a drag of her freshly lit cigarette, “If you need somewhere to stay. You are always welcome here.”

“I’m fine really. Better than I have been in ages, to be honest.” Aris held on to the handle of the bike ready to get back home. The words were truer than she had ever considered.

Zoe looked up at her through a pair of glasses raising the eyebrows not completely believing her words. “I’m sure.” She tugged at Aris shirt plucking it then releasing it where the blood spatter was. “This ain’t my first rodeo kid.”

“Really, I’m fine. You should be talking to Denice, not me.” Aris looked around dismissively. “That girl was where I was a year ago. She needs to get out.”

Zoe nodded. “Can’t say I don’t agree. Alright, well have good night Millie.”

“You too Zoe.” Aris jumped on the bike, relaxing into the seat as she took off into the night.

Halfway back to the bunker, the bike begins to slow the light on it goes out leaving the darkness as her only company. Pulling off to the side Aris puts down the kickstand sitting back on her bike,  she let the cool wind play with her hair lifting it, pulling it in different directions. The dim moonlight illuminated the barron street. It wouldn’t be long now til someone came along. She waited patiently for the comforting sound or the roar of an engine.  

Climbing down she stood at the edge of the road looking as pathetic as she could muster. The first two cars that past didn’t even slow down, the third stopped but Aris waved the family on saying that there was someone on the way. Offering to wait for Aris shook her head. Just up the road, she saw the big rig that she had been waiting for.

“Here they come now.” She let the anticipation creep into every cell of her body. Let the excitement fill her every pour. As the family drove off it wouldn’t be a matter of if the truck would stop but when.

She had been after him for a week now, each time missing just by a few minutes. Would he come back this time? Or would he stop the first time he passed her by. It didn’t take long to get the answer, the screeching of brakes was followed by the click of a door opening up. Up in the cabin was a greasy man with an unkempt beard and potbelly. He was larger than Aris had originally thought him to be but jumped in nonetheless.

“Lost Darlin?” His voice was grease as he was. His eyes moving up and down her body, pausing a moment at her low cut top. The light was too low to reveal the blood on her shirt. “I can give you a ride.” There was a double meaning to his words.

“Thanks, my bike died. Been stranded for hours, so glad you stopped.” The charm in her voice purposely egging him on she shut the door but didn’t put on the seatbelt.

Every few minutes his eyes flickered back to her staring down her chest then falling to thighs. Aris shifted in the seat trying to force away from the adrenaline but felt it building inside her. She waited,  soon enough she would get what she was looking for. The truck turned off a dead end road with no street lights.

Playing dumb Aris looked around. “Why are we stopping?”

“I heard something bump.” He opened the door. “Give me a hand would you?”

“Alright.” Climbing down the hair on the back of her neck began to stand, a knot in her stomach. She pushed it aside knowing fully that it was all too accurate. “What can I help you with?”

As she walked around the front she was literally hit with the reality of the situation. A fat fist to the gut knocked the wind out of her, reaching for the front of the truck to balance herself. The hot hood nearly burning her hand. Sucking in a sharp breath Aris regained herself just in time to dodge another blow. Ducking them sweeping her leg the mountain of a man crashed to the ground letting out a groan in pain. Pulling the dagger from her boot she moved on him ready to carve into his chest.

But the large man was faster than he would appear, scrambling to his feet he stood a hint of amusement and delight danced in his eyes. “It’s been awhile since I got to play. So let's play little lady.”

Moving more carefully this time Aris readied herself for a good fight. He had nearly seven inches on her, at least 120 lbs. But it wasn’t as if she hadn’t taken on bigger pray before. He swung at her then again, missing each time. The knife grazed his side cutting threw his shirt blood fell from his side. He screamed taking a moment to look at his wounds, the amusement had gone, leaving rage in its wake.

“Ya fuckin’ bitch! I was gonna leave you looking pretty but hell I don’t mind turning you over instead.” This time when he charged he faked a swing kicking at her leg instead.

Stepping back she missed judged the loose gravel tripping backward, falling on her back. Hitting the ground she held tight to the knife but a boot came down on her hand, the pressure of it making her loosen her grip the knife went flying out of reach. The boot then moved to her throat, crushing her airway instinctively she clawed at the man's leg. He only laughed reaching down pulling her up by her hair.

“Ain’t you somethin’ else.” The grotesque smell of cheap cigars and rotten teeth permeated the air around them.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Aris spat in his face. He closed his eyes for a moment just long enough for her to get the upper hand. Using the hand he held her by as leverage she pulled her leg back swinging as hard as she could, her foot making contact with his groan he fell to the ground gasping for air. “Steel toes feel good doesn’t it.”

She walked over picking up the knife that had been knocked down before. “See from what I understand you’ve done some bad shit. Hunting down girls, selling them to the highest bidder. Keeping a few for yourself, it was up to me we would do this nice and slow. I would make sure you felt every hit, every scratch, every violation you put those girls threw.”

“Fuckin’ whore.” it was the only word he could muster through the pain.

“I don’t have time for that, however. People waiting for me back home and all that. But don’t you have someone waiting for you too.” Aris raised the blade plunging it thru the man's heart.

The light faded from his eyes, leaving nothing but a hollow shell. She looked at the work she had made of him, enjoying every passing moment only returning to her sense as thunder cracked across the sky. A dampness in the air that clung to her skin ,a weight lifted off her chest. Digging through his pockets she found a wallet and a set of keys taking the cash she tossed the wallet on the body. Walking around the back the doors swung open hitting the side. Three timid women cowered in the back. Aris didn’t bother to talk to them just left the doors swinging as she made the hike back to the bike.

It was the fight, the adrenaline that coursed through her veins, an addiction that she needed to feed. Better than any drug out there. While hunting with Sam and Dean helped fill the whole a little it wasn’t the same feeling as being completely alone with only herself to rely on. It was another secret that she kept from the one that Sam would never approve of. He worried about her too much as is. One day maybe she wouldn’t need the fear to feel normal, or the excitement it brought. But for now, it was what kept her sane.

[fyhyungwon]

Hyungwon for The Celebrity 2017 Winter Edition (1|2|3|4) Monsta X's Hyungwon’s Infinite Challenge Appearing with a slightly swollen face and laughing lightly, a man says, “I’ve used up my life supply of cuteness today.” It is Monsta X’s Hyungwon. On the day of the interview, Hyungwon’s condition was not good. He was suffering from a terrible cold, but said he would soon recover. His indifferent answer of “It’s winter, you should catch a cold at least once” was overshadowed by his continuous sneezing. He has been so busy every day, doing a South-East Asia tour with his members at the same time as preparing stages for end of year awards ceremonies and filming a drama, that there has not been time for the cold to get better. “I’ve really fallen into my work. You could say that I’m a workaholic. I wake up and work … I wake up and work… Today as well I woke up and came to do this interview.” This past year, Hyungwon challenged his first sitcom acting with KBS 2TV’s ‘Brother Jeongnam’*. ‘Brother Jeongnam’ is about Yan, a young man from The Netherlands, who learns about Korea and hangul together with the main character Kim Jeongnam. It is scheduled to be broadcasted to 100 countries around the world as a sitcom for foreign fans of the Korean Wave to learn about Korea. Hyungwon took on the role of ‘Ik-soo’, Itaewon’s rising mascot. “Ik-soo doesn’t seem to be all there. There’s a scene where he goes to reserve training. Isn’t just watching him match a clutch bag to his army uniform strange? However, there are times where he does look cool because he's a character who is smart and knows his own mind.” When Hyungwon first filmed a web drama in China, exchanging lines was awkward and difficult. But, in ‘Brother Jeongnam’, he worked with Korean actors in Korean and could learn proper acting for the first time. He also sought advice from the director and other staff members if he had concerns while acting. He also received a lot of help from fellow actors on set. Actor Kim Ji-hoon, who plays the role of the main character Kim Jeongnam, and actor Go Gyu-pil, who plays the role of Mandoo, exchanged lines with him during the film and also carefully advised him. “Because it is a sitcom, it is exaggerated, so acting is tiring. The hyungs said you really need to express emotional parts to look better on screen, but it was not as easy as I thought. I acted the way I am, so I was able to create a more natural character.” Because of the role, there is a scene in which he speaks Portuguese. “I practiced while listening to a file that a Portuguese person recorded and sent, but I’m worried about whether it will come out naturally. It isn’t English or Japanese. The accent itself is hard, so pronunciation was difficult.” When we asked him to show what he had practiced, without taking a breath, he said in Portuguese, “This waffle, it would be better if you said honestly that it is a Portuguese waffle, not a Belgian waffle.” There was no need to worry about pronunciation. His pronunciation was so good, he could change his name to ‘Cristiano Hyungwon’. We were curious as to who are the actors and directors that rookie actor Chae Hyungwon admires. He listed Ha Jeong-woo without hesitation. “I think that you need a lot of life energy to be able to act out all situations alone. However, in ‘The Terror Lives’ and ‘Tunnel’, Ha Jeong-woo doesn’t film with other people but leads the situation in one place on his own. It was cool. It would be nice if I had the chance to meet him in a film.” He also said he likes romance films. In particular, he often looks for Rachel McAdams’ romance films. A while ago, he watched the film ‘About Time’ and felt a lot of things. “It would be really good if people watched my acting and felt the exact emotions that I felt.” He said that and added, “I also want to try a psycho role." What does a popular idol do on days where there are no schedules? “I sleep at home. That’s why my face is a little swollen today. Sometimes I also go to the billiards place in front of the house. But I don’t play billiards well. I lost a lot of weight while filming ‘Brother Jeongnam’. I’m eating a lot these days in order to gain weight. Last night as well, I ate meat with Shownu hyung at midnight and my face became like this.” Throughout the interview, he complained that his face was swollen, but that ‘handsomeness’ has not gone anywhere. He said he prefers compliments that he is good looking more than being called cute. “I don’t have a manly appearance, and I don’t really like cute things.” When we asked if he was blunt, Hyungwon said, “Aren’t I friendly?” and indirectly asked the staff members. The manager flatly replied, “Of course, you are a friendly person.” He also has a cautious personality. Even if he buys one pair of shoes, he worries for over a year. “If there’s something I want to buy, I save up money and buy something good. A while ago, I bought suede boots from Yves Saint Laurent. Whoever is listening could misunderstand, but I worried for a year and a half, then bought them. I was buying something really expensive, so I worried more than necessary.” He said next time he is going to buy some underwear from Yves Saint Laurent. In about 2 years. Hyungwon enjoys reading when he has the time. For example, books like Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’. “I think I should read a lot of books. So I can give my thoughts something I should know.” He also feels the need to study foreign languages. This is because he thinks that if he intends to communicate with foreign fans, it is polite to know even just a little of that country’s language. His theory is that you should always be prepared, so that if the opportunity arises you can show a good image. Hyungwon has a lot of greed and curiosity. He constantly worries about how to proceed better in the future as an actor and as a singer. “As a member of Monsta X, it would be good if I could help the team from whichever direction. The team getting better is fundamental. Whether it's acting or modeling, it would be good if I didn’t hear people saying I can’t do it.” T/N The sitcom 'Brother Jeongnam' has recently changed its title to 'Please Find Her'.

Translated by FYHYUNGWON ✷ Take out with full credit.

[btsmutimagines]

Fate (F)

Rated F for a huge ball of fluff

@taehyung-the-baehyung requested Taehyung + medieval (prince/princess) AU + "He is your destiny, and your doom." 

Word Count: 8.3k 

Beta read by: BTS Beta (btsbeta.tumblr.com)

The willows whispered through the dreary night. The distinct sound of hooves against the uneven ground stirred the royal carriage that rode through the somber forest. The queen was held fondly by her loving husband as they made their way to the kingdom’s fortune teller. It was a tradition that the royal family couldn't bear to abandon and one the king was excited to experience.

The king’s parents always bragged about how the teller believed he could do great things, lead the kingdom on the path of light. He expected his heir to be nothing short of that. He hoped that one day, his fateful heir wouldn't be overshadowed by him but rather walk alongside him as one of the greatest leaders in the kingdom.

“How much longer,” the queen groaned.  “I cannot bear any longer in this howling night.” She was restless in this night with the full moon shining through the canopy of the forest. The night hid many creatures, and with such little protection, it made her uneasy.

“Patience, my love,” the king replied.  He placed his hand over his queen’s hand, hoping the mere contact would relax her nerves, and she rested her head on his shoulder. His hand stroked again his wife's belly, the little bundle of joy resting in the womb, and he was eager to meet the little one.

The carriage came to a halt as the couple heard the horses neigh at the tug on their reins, and the coachman opened the door. The king stepped out first, holding his wife’s delicate hand as she stepped onto the uneven ground.

The hut was barely noticeable, camouflaged into the forest, and the queen followed her husband as he knocked on the door. It swung open immediately, revealing a young woman who smiled at the two of them. The queen was growing more skeptical— how could a young woman probably be the fortune teller her husband spoke so highly of?

“Your Majesty, your Highness,” the fortune teller said, then quickly curtsied before letting them inside. The inside was moderate compared to the palace, but it suited a woman like her, small and quaint. They took a seat in front of her, a strange liquid flowing in a glass ball between them.

“What is that?” The queen inquired, curious of the liquid that flowed within its glass space.

“Oh, this? It's special. It wards off any magic.”

The queen was even more skeptical of her nonchalant behaviour. She should recognize that she was sitting in the face of authority. It did not matter that her little hut was far north of the kingdom. This could easily be ripped from her with a snap of the queen’s fingers. Of course, her tyrannical thoughts were solely in her mind, but she could see the fortune teller seeming uneasy in her seat. Could it be that she had a scowl on her countenance?

“Shall we begin?”

The fortune teller nodded, opting for silent confirmation, and held her hands out for the both of them to hold. Her hand was soft and warm, the heat slowly starting to drain from her hand, and she felt cold in the queen’s hand soon enough. Her complexion grew paler, and the queen was taken by the sudden count when the teller gasped. The teller’s eyes were closed shut until they shot open in a moment. The normal hazel that the teller had was replaced with a glowing green, and her lips pursed. Then she spoke,

“The child sits as his mother looms over him,

A fight rages after the thirteenth moon,

A life already baked in sweet sin,

But the darkness sweeps over the kingdom so soon,

He dreadfully watches a glint of a wicked grin,

He's your destiny and your doom.”  

The teller looked directly at the queen, sending chills down her spine, and smirked for a moment before the teller closed her eyes once again. The colour returned to her, and she blinked a few times as the hazel returned to her irises.

“He’s our destiny…” the king repeated.

“And our doom?” She placed a hand over her swollen belly, angrily getting up from her seat with a look that could kill the young fortune teller.

“Blasphemy! How dare you curse the heir to the kingdom?! You skamelar, you witch! Filthy hedge-born, how dare you lie to your queen?”

“Dear—”

The fortune teller made eye contact with her, and the queen saw a hint of green still lingering in her eyes. She could no longer remain conscious.

“My queen!”

The king caught her before she could collapse, and he barked for his coachman. The fortune teller had simply watched the king carrying the unconscious queen to their carriage before riding off to the castle.

“It has already begun.”

The king rested next to his wife, wiping away the sweat that streamed down her face and kissing her small hand. His other hand ran over the swollen belly that held the evidence of their love. He could remember how young and reckless they were and how she made him feel like normal. She saw him as a regular man, not the next line to be king.

But she was already a queen in his eyes, his queen. And what's a king without his queen?

“Yong…” he heard her murmur, and he leaned in closer to hear her voice clearly. It's been ages since he heard his old nickname pass her sweet lips.

“My love…”

“Where…is…Yong?”

“I’m here, I’m right here.”

He squeezed her hand, and she weakly squeezed back.

“Guard, call the doctor!” he said frantically to the guard that stood at the door, seeing his wife slowly open her eyes.

“She’s fine, and so is your offspring.”

“T-Thank you doctor, thank you.”

“No need, Archie. It’s no problem helping out an old friend.”

The man thanked the doctor once more before the doctor was on his way. His wife sat up, her husband fussing that she was moving too much for someone who just woke up after three days.

“I’m fine, baby.”

“You just got up and the doctor said to take it easy and you—”

She touched her husband’s cheek wondering what she did in her past life to deserve a man like him. His perfect pink lips, his beautiful brown hair, his radiant eyes. He was sweet, kind, caring, and devoted.  She wondered how a man like him could want someone like her and make her feel like she was worth more than anything in the world.

“Really, I’m fine.”

“Are you fine, too?” he asked her tummy as he rested his ear against it, and the baby kicked to the sound of his voice.

“The baby’s okay, too.”

“You’re so silly,” she said with a giggle before sharing a sweet kiss with her love.

Horse hooves hit the ground in a frenzy as knights looked for the hut in the forest. They were on the order of their queen to finding the mystery woman who bewitched her. They’d been looking for months, but there was nothing. It was pouring rain in the forest, but the leaves offered some protection.

“Have you seen it?”

“No? Have you heard from the Eastern unit?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s really pouring out here. What are you fine gentlemen doing out here?”

They looked in front of them and saw a beautiful woman with a playful smile on her lips. The men gulped at the sight of her, and she let out a little giggle.

“I-I think we need to take you to the castle?”

“Or you could take me to your chambers.”

“M-Ma’am..”

“Come on. Be a good girl and come here.” A third man entered the scene, his horse darker than the midnight sky and his posture exuded his arrogance. The fortune teller smirked, this was exactly the kind of person that she loved to manipulate. As the one who weaved the story, it would be a shame to end now, wouldn’t it? The fortune teller almost snickered to herself but kept her composure.  

She walked over to his horse, took his hand firmly, and got seated on the horse. Holding on tightly to the knight’s waist, they rode back to the kingdom. She couldn’t remember the last time she has seen townspeople. Ever since she gained her powers, she was outcasted as a witch and treated poorly by them. She saw their smiles, laughter, even cheers as the people watched the knights pass on their horses. It should have made her sick. Instead, she buried her face into the back of the knight, letting her hand wander over his chest a bit before they stopped at the royal stables.

“Sir, what do we do about her?”

“Leave it to me.”

“Am I your prisoner now?” she whispered in his ear. Things like this would have disgusted her, but she had to make sure that the story would play on without interference.

“I’ll take good care of her.”

She noticed the grimace on the other men’s faces, knowing exactly what he meant, but she smiled. Foolish man.

He took her exactly to where she knew he would—his chambers. He wasted no time, pushing her on his bed before unbuckling his belt, and she coaxed him in with her index finger.

“Let me take care of you.”

He stood outside the door, hearing the screams of his wife. The fortune teller was still at large, but his wife insistent that the woman be reprimanded because it’s unsafe for anyone else to meet someone like her again. She claimed it was for safety of the crown and the citizens, but the glint of wickedness that wasn’t carefully coat with worry and seeped through her words. The king couldn’t refuse his wife and simply wanted to ease her worries as he was fearful of her fainting again this time from stress. He nervously began to pace, wishing that he could soothe his wife as she gave birth to his child, but he could not enter until the child was born. As if God was reading his thoughts, the door swung open revealing a servant that allowed him in.

Tears welled in his eyes as soon as he heard the cries of a newborn, his newborn, and his wife coaxed him over to meet his offspring.

“Isn’t he beautiful?”

“Our son…”

He pressed a kiss to the newborn’s head, the child’s cries dwelling at the pressing of his lips against his little forehead. The joy of finally making his heir, his son after these long nine months. It meant everything to him.

“Y/N!”

You ran off while your mother’s watchful eyes followed you and let your curiosity guide you through the halls. Your mother worked as a chef in the royal palace, but, as a child, staying in the kitchen bored you very much. You wanted to explore, see all the rooms in the palace, and act like a princess. Your parents even bought you a princess gown for Christmas so you could roleplay as much as you wanted.

You ran down a set of stairs, hoping that would make your mom lose your trail, and stopped when you saw a boy locked behind bars. Your first instinct was to run back to your mother until he made eye contact with you. Something about his auburn eyes, the fear in his eyes, froze you to your spot.

“Help me—Help me before they come back.”

You looked for a key, seeing there was none hanging on the wall anywhere and the lock wouldn’t budge without a key.

“I-I can’t help you.”

“Well, well, what do we have here? A little girl in my dungeon.”

“W-Who are you?”

The man walked out from the shadows with an unfriendly grin upon his face, and you were quaking in your shoes. You tried to make a run for it,  but the man easily scooped you up in his arms.

“L-Let her go! I made her come here! It’s my fault, please!”

He pleaded with the man, grabbing the bars and shaking them as if they would loosen under his grip. You still struggled in the man’s arms, somehow the squirming would let him set you loose.

“You know what it means when you do something wrong.”

“Just let her go!”

“Fine. Listen, girl. If I ever see you down here again, I swear you’ll never see your mommy ever again.” He roughly pushed you away, and you ran to your mom, not caring about the scolding you were about to receive for running off again.

“Aren’t you the little hero? Aren’t you going to cry for your mommy?”

The prisoner responded by spitting at the man, not giving him what the guard wanted. The guard repaid him for his act of resistance.

They chained him again with his hands up in an uncomfortable position, and he couldn’t move. They fed him his last meal a few hours ago which meant no one would be coming for him for the night. At least, nobody that would beat him or curse at him. He learned quickly that his mother wanted nothing to do with him. He didn’t know where his father was and only saw his mother when she wanted to carry out her instructions herself.

He couldn’t cry or wonder anymore about why his mother wanted this to happen to him. At nine years old, he’s only known the ways of the whip, belt, and, if he was lucky, a wooden paddle. They would only bruise his body but sometimes to the point he would actually bleed. He would look into their eyes, seeing the hatred and anger they had while they beat him. What sins has he committed? What has he done to these people? He didn’t even know their names which left him to nickname his abusers Goblin and Wicked. Goblin had a nasty scar that ran down half his face, and his beating were just as nasty. Wicked was more “wicked” than Goblin, and his face twisted in a sinister grin whenever he caught the boy breaking a rule so he could beat him.

“Taehyung?”

The boy looked in the direction of the voice and saw his friend looking at him worriedly. She was like his mother, reading to him, stroking his hair to calm him down, soothing him at the times when he did cry, and treating him better than anyone else did. He didn’t understand how she could appear in his cell without having a key to the lock, but he wouldn't question her.

“Ms. Kim!”

“How’s my little soldier doing?” She petted his head, undoing the chains to his arms and looking for any wounds.

“Poor child, who hurt you this time?”

“Mr. Wicked.”

She pulled a small bottle out of her pocket and told him to drink the contents. He obliged, the amber-coloured liquid going quickly down his throat, and he felt a surge of energy in his body. The bruises that were on his skin faded away, and he lost any sense of fatigue or pain.

“Someone found me…”

“Someone?”

“A girl. She tried to help me.” Ms. Kim didn't have much of a reaction, just humming while stroking his hair again.

“Let me tell you a story before you go to bed, okay?”

He let her voice lull him to sleep, the image of the girl appearing in his dreams. The woman listened to his soft snores as he fell asleep, and she left the boy asleep on the ground with a blanket that she created.

“Sleep well, my child. Soon, you’ll break free from this cage.”

She went back to where she came from, disappearing like a phantom.

You were terrified of that man finding you again, but you couldn't leave that boy in the dungeon. You took some food from the kitchen, went to the dungeon, and saw the boy still behind the bars.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I… I…” you stammered.

Why were you here? You couldn’t even help him get out of here, and you were risking being caught by that man again. For what? Something about the boy made you want to help, even though you were completely powerless against the odds.

“I brought you food.”

“Why? Why did you come back?”

“Are you okay?”

“It's none of your business.”

You chewed the inside of your mouth, slipped the bag through the bars, and ran away. Maybe he was mad that you couldn't free him, but, at your age, you weren't strong enough to free him.

The boy seemed like he was being held for something, but he looked no older than you. What could he done to get himself locked in that cell?

“Y/N? Can you get me the large mixing bowl?”

Your mother’s voice brought you back to reality, and you opened the cupboards looking for the bowl.

“Yes, mommy.”

She came back everyday, ignored his questions, his threats, and his warnings, and sat in front of him. He would just listen to her tell unbelievable stories with such enthusiasm he almost thought they were real.

He found himself thinking about her.  Her princess outfit was hard to forget, but she was kind to him. He shook his head as if his thoughts of her would be shaken out of his mind. As it may be, she saw him as him, not the monster everyone makes him out to be he is.

It has become common for you to sneak to the dungeon the past 5 years to give Taehyung, the name you learned after the fifth time you met him,  food from the kitchen, and talk with him a little. He memorized the times he would get checked up on, his sense of timing was right  because you would hear the guard come to his cell by the time you get up the stairs.

Taehyung, despite his poor living conditions, was still beautiful. You didn't want to believe that you developed a crush a boy you met when you were only nine. You were only 14 now, still following your mother when she would come to the palace to cook.

You wished there was a way for you to get him out of his cage, but you couldn't find a key. You figured the guards walked around with the keys, but you didn't have an exit strategy after getting your hands on the keys.

Would you become a runaway with Taehyung? You didn’t have any money, no route to run away to. Could you hide him in your house? No, your mother would kill you for bringing a stranger into the house. Plus, he was a boy, making your dad go into what you liked to call “papa-bear mode”. You didn't know he had that in him until he barked at a boy that was checking you out as you were walking through the market with your parents.

Maybe there was no way to free Taehyung.

You can't lose hope. You’ll find a way. Trust yourself.

Your inner voice spoke to you as you made your habitual trip to Taehyung’s cell. He stood up at the sound of your footsteps down the stairs and you smiled at him.

“I missed you, Y/N. Your mom’s brownies are absolute perfection.”

“So you miss the food, not me?”

“Well, without you there won't be any food, so I guess, by extension, I missed you too.”

“You’re too cruel.” you pouted and heard him chuckle at you.  He began to eat what you brought him. It scared you how he always ate like they hadn’t fed him in days, and that could actually be his reality.

“What date is it?”

“December 30th? Why?”

“It's my birthday today…”

“Aw, Taetae, you’re 14 now. Do you have a wish?”

“Yup. Wanna know?”

“Tae, you know if you tell someone your wish it won't come true.”

“This wish is special. I really want to tell you.”

“Fine.”

“Come closer.”

You stepped in front of the bars, Taehyung stood in front of you, and his eyes were intensely staring at you.

You gulped, not being able to handle how close he was, and his hand wrapped around the bars of his cell.

“I wanted this…,”

His hands touched either side of your face before he pulled it closer. His lips barely kissed yours, your lips merely brushed each other, but it was enough to make your heart race and make you flustered.

“T-T-Taehyung.”

“Y/N, the guard is coming. You need to go, now.”

Your feet moved at the sound of those words and got you out of the dungeon. You touched your lips.

“I guess his wish did come true… What a cheeseball.”

He was awake in his cell with the moonlight shining through the small, barred window. He wished to be like moonlight, finding a way through even the thickest of bars that tried to stop him. Once he escaped from this damned cell, he would look for you. Search every nook and cranny of this kingdom just to find you. He didn't understand the feelings he had for you. His heart raced hearing foots come down the stairs, and his mind memorized your beautiful smile. He wished to stroke your hair and yearned to kiss your lips every time you spoke.

Ms. Kim told him it was love, a feeling that he never thought he was capable of. She wanted to know all about you and made him spill his heart and share what you’ve told him about yourself.

“Happy birthday, Taehyung.”

His thoughts distracted him from Ms. Kim showing up with a cake that said 14 on it. Even as he grew older, he still couldn't explain the phenomenon of her being able to enter and exit as she pleased. It fascinated but also scared him at the same time.

“Blow out the candles, and make a wish, Taehyung.”

He wished to escape. To be strong enough to protect himself and you. He wished to take back the life he had no control over.

“That's a lot of wishes, Taehyung.”

“Ms. Kim?”

”Do you trust me?”

Ms, Kim, the disguise the fortune teller took,  couldn't keep him locked away any longer, she was sure that the queen would never let the boy live past 18. She feared for the day she would appear in his cell finding him dead or worse---his body already dumped somewhere. He couldn't die, the prophecy must be fulfilled, but she'd grown attached to the boy. Despite his horrible circumstances, he remained the embodiment of optimism. Perhaps, he thought happily to mask the trauma from his dark childhood, but now she must wipe away the darkness that bloomed in his heart.

She waved her hand, rendering the boy unconscious as he responded “yes” as if the answer were a reflex.

“Soon, this will be the end.”

He's gone. Just like that, you never saw the cheeky boy behind bars again. You thought they finally did it---took his precious life from him. His death was unjustified; he had no sins to atone for. Was being born such a horrible sin? You would notice the bruises in his body, seeing him laugh it off with small wincing or turning the attention on you.

You walked by the locked door every time your mother brought you, and sometimes you stayed by the door in hopes that someone would open it.

Taehyung, where are you? I miss you...

“Miss Y/N? What are you doing in this part of the palace? Let's go before someone else finds you here.”

You silently followed the paranoid maid back to where your mother was. Why did she care if you were there? Most of the maids would just ignore you and be on their way. Did she know about Taehyung?

“Y/N, you’ll never let go of exploring, will you?” your mother said to you as the maid left the kitchen. You didn't say anything to that, simply taking a seat and waiting for her to tell you get something.

Your mother didn't speak a lot when she cooked, only telling you to taste things and to retrieve ingredients. The time moved slowly as you watched your mom cook. You sighed in relief when her work was done and you were free to go home. She chatted happily on the way home, receiving meek responses from you.

“Y/N?”

“Yes, Mother?”

“What has gotten into you? Before, you seemed so happy to come with me to the palace, and now you won't even speak a single sentence to me.”

“It's nothing, Mother.”

“If something is bothering you, don't stay silent. Tell me or Dad. We can help you if you tell us what's wrong, okay?”

You nodded, afraid your voice would fail you and you would break down. How could you tell your mother that you’ve been visiting a prisoner in the palace for the past 5 years, developed a crush on him, and now he's disappeared or dead or something?

“My baby, what happened to you?”

She stroked your cheek with the back of her hand, and you remained silent. You saw your house around the corner, never gladder to see the small quaint structure, and ran inside.

Shutting your bedroom door, you walked over to your dresser. You sunk to your knees, opening the last drawer to look through the pictures he drew for you. He always looked so happy when you came with a homemade sketchbook and a pencil.

You skipped down the stairs, looking around to make sure the scary man wasn't waiting for you to appear again. Taehyung perked up when he saw you, his eyes immediately wandering to the sketchbook in your left hand.

“What's that?”

“It's a sketchbook, you wanna see my drawings?”

“Sure!”

You showed him your drawings of a cat, a dog and your family.

“See, that's me, my mommy, and my daddy.”

“Your dad’s so tall, and your mom’s so small!”

“Dad can reach anything! One time he even touched the sky.”

“That's so cool.”

“What about your family? Do your mom and dad visit?”

“They're… dead.”

“Oh.”

“Can I draw something?”

“Of course.”

You slipped the sketchbook and pencil through the bars. Taehyung took it and drew something. He kept giving you weird looks while drawing, tilting his head and licking his lips. He hummed while the pencil was pressed against the pad until he handed it back to you.

“What is it?”

It was obviously a portrait of someone but it didn't look anything like—

“It's you, silly.”

“My nose isn't that big, and you made my head like an egg!”

“That's how I see you.”

“Hey!”

You touched the drawing, your fingers tracing over the scribbled hair and the oddly shaped nose. You noticed a tear on the page, wiping your cheeks and smiling at the silly drawing.

“He made my eyes too wide… Is that really how you see me? God, Taehyung, you're so cruel.  How could you just leave me without a trace?”

The queen sat upon her throne, glancing at the empty seat beside her. She should have killed that boy. The innocence on that child's face is a mask of a demon like him. He doesn't deserve to be addressed as her son. How could she ever give birth to something so unnatural?

The prophecy that the damned fortune teller said—it was true. On the thirteenth moon after his birth, a war raged between their kingdom, Aconite, and Axon, their western neighbours. Her beloved was killed, stabbed in the heart by an enemy soldier, as he protected one of their knights.

What a foolish man. He should have come back to her, alive and victorious. How dare he leave her alone, looking at his handsome face with his eyes closed and his abdomen blood-stained? How could she live on when the reason she rose every morning would never rise again?

Taehyung was too young to understand, too young to know the sins he's committed.

She didn't quite understand it herself until she saw it. She had taken Taehyung to see his father before the funeral. A dead body should be scarring to a child his age, but he seemed to think his dad was sleeping.

The child walked over to his body, repeatedly saying, “Daddy, wake up.” She almost laughed at his naivety until she saw his eyes open. Her husband petted the child’s head softly before looking at her.

She was speechless, barely unable to stand until she dropped to the floor. The king walked over to her, picked her up, and she pushed away his hands.

“My love, it is I.” That voice, the same voice she had fallen in love with. Had her grief manifested the illusion of the king?

“Say it isn't so. You had been a casualty in war. This isn't real.”

“Yet I breath, I feel, I see. I live, my love.”

“Mommy, what's wrong?” the devil dared to ask innocently as if he hadn't committed a sin. She’d be damned to grace him with an answer. Instead, she grabbed the boy, sent the king to the dungeons, and tried to pretend it was all a dream.

The boy began to create situations that weren't possible. He would have new toys that he just thought of that appeared in front of him. He would reverse the time on clocks so he wouldn't have to go to bed so early. He could make his toys come to life. He could go to sleep with a single blanket and wake up with four new blankets on top.

The child was a witch. It was the only way to explain the impossible circumstances that had happened. She locked him in the dungeons, knowing burning her son on a stake for witchcraft would ruin her reputation as queen, but she couldn't let that witch roam around as if he were a innocent child.

Now, he's breaking free. She knew one day he would escape. Maybe he thought pretending to feel pain and suffering would make the queen doubt herself, but she wasn't going to fall for such pathetic tricks.

This time, she will make sure the deed she should have done 1 years ago will be done.

He woke up, his body covered in sweat, and he went into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror, no longer seeing the rebellious but fearful little nine year old but a smarter and stronger 16 year old.

“If you keep staring in the mirror like that, you’ll die the same way Narcissus died. It was a shame he died… I thought we really clicked.”

“D-Don't you knock first?”

“It's my house, why should I?”

“I-I could have been naked, you know?”

“You don't really have anything to showcase, Taehyungie. It's cute that you think you do.”

“I’m a grown man!”

“With your boyish looks, you don't look a day over 11.”

He pouted. He thought as he aged, he would look more mature. Then again, he hadn't seen himself in the mirror until Ms. Kim brought him here.

“Exactly my point. Now, after you're done pouting, eat breakfast and we’ll start training.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Don't call me that—makes me feel old.”

“But you are old.”

“You little—”

He received a slap to the head before following her downstairs to eat. She went outside setting up obstacles for today's training while he settled for oatmeal. He remembered when you scrunched your nose when you were telling about the breakfast your mother made for you. The experience was different for him, actually liking the meal, and it just reminds him of you.

He has thoughts about you often, wondering if you’ve forgotten him, or if there was someone else by your side now. Did you try looking for him? Did you feel the same way he felt about you? You're his first love, the only woman he loved, he couldn't bear to think that someone else had entered your heart.

He needed you to see he was the only one for you. There was no one better than him. You're the reason why he trains everyday, growing strong enough to protect you from harm and to keep you by his side until the day you're both old and grey.

He’ll devote his life to you and only you.

“Taehyung. Let's begin.”

She came charging towards him. He blocked her first attack, attempting to disarm her, but she took another swipe at him. She just grazed his cheek and he knocked her off her feet. She let out a cry, coaxing a shadow monster, and he used his shield. The reflection of the light vaporized the monster before they began to multiply.

She had gotten up by then, watching her creations be fended off by Taehyung. One of them managed to knock over his shadow which knocked him over and he put his hand on the ground to get up, the monsters vaporized all at once.

“What just happened?” he cried.  

“Finally.”

“Finally, what? How did I make those monster just go away with my hand touching the ground?”

“I get that you were placed in a dungeon for years, but you don't get what's going on?”

“No.”

“You have magic, Taehyung. You always had, always will. The truth is I’ve been watching over you since birth and making sure that your powers didn't go haywire or make you go dark.”

“Dark?”

“There are two paths magical beings can take—light and dark. I’ve seen the horrors that a dark being is capable of, and I wish that you would never have that capability. Everything was fine until you did something even I couldn't reverse.”

“I did?”

“It's the reason why your mother put you in the dungeons.”

“What is it?”

“You brought someone back to life. Someone who shouldn't have lived.”

“Who?”

“I can't tell you. Not yet.”

“Why? You can tell me that I have magic, that you can make my wishes come true, but you can't tell me this? How am I supposed to trust anything you tell me?”

“Taehyung.”

“I’m sick of everyone trying to control me! I'm sick of being weak, vulnerable, and afraid. Why does everyone treat me however they like without cause? Why?” His voice cracked partway through his rant, breaking down after so long. He rejected Ms. Kim’s attempts to console him, wishing that she would just leave him alone.

He thought she would be different, unlike the others that just neglect his emotions, his right to be treated like every other human being. All he had left was you, and he didn't even know if you were still there.

I shouldn't have left you without a trace.

Your mother managed to get you a job with the queen as one of her many maids, but you were closer to the queen than you thought you’d be.

She took a liking to you, saying that you were the daughter she never had. You would chat with the aged queen after completing your duties and keep her company. She had told you a story that reminded you of Taehyung, the same boy being chained underground to protect those he could harm with his untamed power, but you knew Taehyung wouldn't harm a soul.

He was gentle and kind, a bright man that would simply light up a room with his blinding smile. Your heart sang at the thought of Taehyung who was still missing after five years of searching. He had given you no clues to help you find him, no matter how hard you tried to remember anything that could tell about where he is.

You thought Ms. Kim would be a lead, but, unfortunately, that was just a dead end as Ms. Kim was not listed as a person that lived in your part of the kingdom. You looked in other areas and received the same response: “I don't know a Ms. Kim.” Once, you almost thought you found him, but it was only a grandmother with her grandson sleeping in a rocking chair.

You posted on the community board, hoping someone, anyone, would know where he was. You made the rounds again with no leads, but your hope never wavered. You plopped onto a bench with your head against its surface.  You swore when you found him, you were going to smack his head for making you exert this much energy.

“Still looking for him?”

You looked up, seeing one of the market vendors you talked to when you looked around town for him. She was kind to you, saying she would help you by asking her customers as well and even posted messages for you in other kingdoms. The lengths she went to for you were appreciated, of course, but it struck a chord with you. Why would she go great lengths for a mere stranger like you?

“No luck. Maybe he doesn't want to be found.”

“Don't lose hope now. Was he special to you?”

“Yeah… he was really special. I… just hope he's not dead. I don't want to imagine him laying somewhere dark and alone, his body giving out on him, with no one there to help him or even be with him in his last moments.” Your voice began shaking at the thoughts of Taehyung dying so lonely, as alone as he'd been all his life. You just wished that you could have been by his side.

“He really meant so much to you.”

“Yup… But I can't lose hope that one day, he’ll come back to me.”

“You know what they say—if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, then it's yours; if it doesn't, it was never meant to be.”

She left with that message.  You sighed and got up.

You turned around and saw a figure move out of your sight.  You decided to follow the stranger. Did the queen find out about you and sent people to track you? The stranger did their best to lose you, making a sharp turn around a corner. You lost them, and you ruffled your hair in frustration.

Damnit. Who was watching me?

“What did you do?”

“What do you mean?”

The fortune teller returned to Taehyung, seeing the boy trying to seem inconspicuous but failing terribly. How he managed to hide the extra food you gave him was a mystery that remained unsolved, considering how how terribly he is at hiding. 

“You’re reading that book upside down, first of all, and I saw a black cloak just like yours wandering the damned kingdom. Would you like to explain, or would you rather let me do it?”

“I-I had to see her.”

“Taehyung.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were keeping tabs on her?”

“I don't have to explain myself to you.”

“Of course you don't. You never explained yourself in the first place. God, aren't you just the goddamn master of secrets? I don't get answers from you, just vague statements that don't make any goddamn sense. You're the fucking puppet master, and I just follow what your strings tell me to do. Is this how it's going to be? Are you going to toss me away when you're done with me?”

“Taehyung, please stop.”

“Tell me what's going on.”

“Taehyung.”

“Please. Just tell me.”

“I can't.”

“You're a liar. Everything you told me was a lie. You won't admit the truth because you know you fed me anything but the truth.”

He didn't leave like she expected of him, rather barricading himself in his room. He acted as if she were a ghost, and he only came out for food that he would take with him to his room.

His sense of magic grew stronger, magically making his door unable to be opened by anyone except himself. Her hand would be met with volts of electricity if she attempted to open it. At some point, he stopped coming out of his room.

She tried to reverse his magic, but her attempts were futile as his power was greater than hers. It continued like this for a year before she saw him outside the house.

He had been sparring with a monster he spawned himself, fighting it off effectively, and she simply watched. He made it clear that he could easily cut her off, become stronger without her, but she needed him.

She could admit, yes, he was merely a puppet to her prophecy, but the boy's heart affected her. She had grown fond of him, wanting him to have a happy ending like the prophecy says but also much more than that. She wished to be the mother that he never truly had after his own mother rejected him because he was a special child. She could never reject him no matter what sins he committed. These words she could never convey because she was afraid. Afraid he would take his biological mother over her, seeking her as the stranger that helped him become a hero.

“Is that how you really felt?”

He looked at her, and that was the first time his voice ever caught her off guard.

“You wanted to be the mother I never had? Is that why you watched over me? Is that why you took me in?”

“Your skills have definitely improved, since you read my mind. To answer your questions, yes.”

“Quit being cool; you actually care about me.”

“Yes.”

He walked over to her, dropped his sword and shield, and hugged her. He was taller now, her head was at his shoulder, and she was shocked by his actions. He was warm.

“You don't have to be alone anymore…”

“You don't have to—”

“I'm sorry. I was just mad, and I wanted to feel like I had power in my hands.”

“I’ll tell you everything now, Taehyung.”

“I don't want to know anymore. I just want to go back to the way things were.”

“We can, but you deserve to know everything, Taehyung.”

“Okay.”

“Can you let go now?”

He was still hugging her, not tightly so she could breathe, but even in the loose hug, she still felt like air was being knocked out of her lungs.

“Not until you hug me back.”

“You’re such a brat.”

“You know you want to.”

She hugged back momentarily before shoving the boy away making him land on his bottom and walked off.

“We have no time to waste.”

She knew. Our conversations, our inside jokes, our everything. There was nothing she didn't know. 

“Did you really think that I wouldn't know that you were sneaking around to meet that demon?” The queen asked you, a snicker from her ruby red lips. 

You were her prisoner now, tied and forced to sit on a chair in her chamber. She hadn’t tried to veil the fact that you were simply Taehyung bait but you hoped he wouldn’t fall for her trap. 

“That man told you, didn't you?”

“Of course. I'm the queen, my dear. Nothing gets by me.”

“Taehyung did, and you don't even know where he is. I bet he's strong enough to get you.”

She slapped you, the impact enough to knock you on the ground. She spit on you, kicking your abdomen a bit before turning around to look out her window.

“You might be right, but I know he’ll come back to take you. You are my little trap to finish the deed I should have done years ago.”

“You crazy bitch. You can't do this to your son.”

“How dare you call that damned demon my offspring?” She kicked you again and even went as far as grabbing her whip and hitting your body harshly.

“Someone as pure and beautiful as myself would never give birth to a spawn of sin.”

“He’ll end you.”

“No, no my dear. You’re going to watch your sweet little demon boy die by my hands, and then you'll join him in hell. Would you like to die bathed in his sinful blood?”

“You're twisted and sick.”

“I’m purifying the holy kingdom by getting rid of any evil spirit.”

She grabbed your face roughly, making you look at her, and you tried to glare at her.

“It's a shame a beautiful girl like you got bewitched by that demon. I would have spared your life, but you refused to see the truth.”

“It's you who refuses to see the truth.”

She knocked you out, calling you a foolish girl as you fell unconscious.

She made sure that the news of your execution was spread all over the kingdom so Taehyung would definitely catch word of your impending death. The boy would be stupid enough to try to become the hero and save you and kill the wicked queen, but she knew better than that.

Good always trumps evil, and she was by no means evil. The queen believed that you have to be cruel to be kind, and the queen was doing this out of pure kindness.

“Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?”

“I knew you would come.”

“Hello, Mother.”

She knew one thing that was certain— one of their deaths was guaranteed.

He noticed it as well as he disappeared before her eyes and reappeared behind her, his arms locking hers in place.

“We don't have to do this, Mother.”

“Don't you dare call me your mother, you sick demon!”

She tried to hit, but he held her hands firmly.  She managed to scratch him, and he wailed out. There was a poison powerful enough that could kill a witch, but she needed to empty the whole bottle into his body to kill him.

A drop would have been fatal as an infant, but a drop meant nothing to him now.

“Mother.”

“I should have killed you 18 years ago. I was deceived by your innocent countenance, but it was all but a mask. You truly are a demon, if not the devil himself.”

“It doesn't have to be like this.”

“Die.”

He only dodged her attacks, trying to restrain her but getting cuts on his body in return.

“When did I become a monster in your eyes?”

“You always were. You were a monster from the day you were born and you continue to live as the monster you are.”

“N-No he's not.”

The queen pulled you off the ground, whipped out a small knife, and pressed it against your neck.

“I’ve had enough of you talking back to me. You don't get to speak, you pathetic peasant. You were just a pawn to bring out the demon, and now your job is done. Burn alive in hell.”

She pushed the knife in slowly, wanting to hear you screaming for dear life but was hit with a wave of yellow light. The light was burning bright and blinding as her body began to disintegrate into ashes.

Your destiny and your doom.

I was destined to doom, damned myself to the fiery gates of hell as I tried to kill my own son. The only thing I was supposed to love unconditionally, I failed to love because of my bitter heart.

Taehyung, hate me, denounce me if you must. I deserve this never-ending punishment of hell for the sins I committed. Maybe one day you can forgive my sins. But don't you ever think this is your fault. Maybe it was the stars to blame. I deserved this fate, my dear son. Goodbye, my son.

The voice of his mother echoed in the chamber, and he fell to his knees. You crawled over to him and touched his cheek as he cried.

You tried to console him, and the boy pulled you in to hold you tightly. Even though it hurt to be hugged that tightly, you didn't complain and just petted his hair.

“It's all over, Taehyung.”

“I-I killed my own mother.”

“You didn't do it out of malice.”

“But I let my anger take over me, and I couldn't bear to lose you.”

“Tae, it's okay.”

“S-She's gone.”

“We’ll be okay.”

Your vision began to get blurry, and he pulled away. You gave him a weak smile before collapsing on the ground.

T h i s  i s n t  h o w  i t  e n d s,  r i g h t?

I  d i d n ’ t  e v e n  t e l l  h i m  h o w  m u c h  I  l o v e  h i m

“Y/N? Y/N? Can you hear me?”

“T-Tae?” You felt weak, your limb aching as you tried to move but a hand stilled you.

“Don't try to get up, you have many wounds.”

“Where are we?”

“In your room.”

“My room?”

“Can you open your eyes for me?”

It hurt, but you managed to open them. Sure enough, you were in your room with his hands intertwined with yours. You stared at the small body contact you shared, and he quickly pulled away his hand when he noticed you staring.

“Sorry…”

“I liked it.”

“Y-You did? I'm never letting go ever again!” He intertwined his fingers with yours, blushing as he did so. He avoided any attempts of eye contact, his bangs covering his eyes and you smiled. Was he always this cute?

“What about when I have to go to the bathroom?”

“We’re a package deal.”

You smacked his head even though the action hurt you physically.

“Ow. You said you like holding my hand.”

“I was just keepin’ a promise to myself. I would smack the back of your head for making me worry for all these years.”

“Really? I made a different promise to myself when I first saw you.”

“What was it?”

He leaned in, his lips sweeping over yours.  You gasped against his lips, shocked at his swiftness. You easily melted into the kiss and even put your hand on his cheek as he kissed you languidly. His lips were sweet and full, the pink flesh something you wanted to savour, until he pulled away.

“I promised I would kiss you properly this time. How was I?”

“Hmm, I think I need another kiss to properly assess you.”

“Coming right up.”

~Admin Blake