#I do have persuasion from my background but I'm still scared

[almea]

What class are you playing BG3

I'm playing an evocation wizard! I wanted to play a caster, but I didn't know whether dealing with aoe spells would be a big issue and sorcerers felt a little more involved for a first playthrough, so that seemed like the simplest route. I also just wanted to collect all the spells lmao.

I'm also eventually going to play a cleric of Selune to romance Shadowheart because I think that would be hysterical and also the ultimate drama.

[thelargefrye]

THE WATERFALL … mature one - shot

pairing : dragon!seonghwa x witch!f!reader (background poly dragon ateez)

genre : dragon au, fantasy, smut

word count : 1.9k

warnings : language, mating / concept of mating, unprotected sex, slight breeding kink, pet names (love, little witch, princess), marking

note : just something short while i write a longer piece lol also i miss this au and needed to do something with dragon!hwa. suffer with @sanjoongie everyone

seonghwa takes you to a secret place within the land of the clan and you experience something different with the eldest prince.

"watch your step," seonghwa says as he leads you through the dense forest. you note how warm his hand is around yours and you've come to the conclusion that all dragons are made to feel warm.

"will you tell me where we're going?" you ask softly, once you step over a large tree root and down some rocky sides. you note the sound of water and wonder if there is a river nearby.

"its a surprise," he says turning to look at you with a wide grin, and you hold back wanting to roll your eyes at him.

ever since you had saved seonghwa from the dragon hunters and came back to clan, you and him have grown significantly closer. you notice that this is much to the dismay of some of the other princes; however, to yeosang and mingi they were to delighted to see the two of you together.

"if we take too long, wooyoung might come look for us," you tease and seonghwa hums in reply before speaking.

"then let him come find us. i'm sure he'll enjoy what i have planned," he says, a smirk overtaking his features. you felt your heart skip a beat at his words as you felt a chill run down your spine. "we are close, close your eyes for me."

"how do i know you won't leave me here?" you question and originally it was meant to be a joke; however, you are quick to dismiss it once you notice seonghwa's face fall. "i-i was just���

"i won't leave you, ever. i promise on my life, y/n," he says as he stands facing you as he takes both of your hands in his own. "do you trust me?"

that's the big question. if he had asked you that when you first arrived at the clan, you would have said no, but now? did you trust him?

"i do trust you," you answer, licking your lips as you look him in the eyes.

"then close your eyes, my little witch," he says and you nod before doing as he says as you allow him to guide you through more of the forest. the sounds of water getting louder and louder.

you fell seonghwa move around to behind you, his body pressing flush against your backside and you can't help but a blush run over you due to the closeness. his breath is hot against your ear as his hands settle on your waist.

"okay, open them," he says and you are immediately greeted by the sight of a beautiful waterfall in front of you.

"wow," you say, taking in the sight before you.

"this waterfall is a secret place within the clan. only the head of the clan and his mates know about it," seonghwa explains and you suddenly can't help the cold rush roll over you at his words.

but you and hongjoong aren't mates. the prince still refuses to acknowledge you as his mate's mate and here seonghwa is showing you something that only hongjoong and his mates know of?

"p-prince seonghwa," you say turning around, eyes wide. "are you... are you sure we should be here? what if prince hongjoong–

"don't be scared of hongjoong," he says and you feel flabbergasted by his words. don't be scared of hongjoong? impossible.

seonghwa seems to notice the fear in your eyes, "whether he wants to admit it or not, you are our mate. his mate and he will eventually accept it. if it makes you feel better then just know that i asked if i could bring you here."

"and he said yes?"

"well... not originally, but i can be persuasive when i need to be," he says giving you week and you feel a blush rush to your face again when you realize what he means.

"i still feel like i'm invading in his space," you confess and seonghwa let out a hum at your words before he taking a few steps away from you and towards the water.

"well it can't be helped if you feel that, but since we are here... why don't you help me bath?" he says turning to look at you as he slowly begins to undress himself. "what do you say, princess, come help me?"

the water is cold when you first step into it. you let out a gasp at the coldness before you will yourself to take more steps into it. seonghwa's bare back is facing you after having asked him to turn around until you were in the water. you noticed how hard he was trying to remain still, his fist clenched tightly by his sides.

"i guess i should have warned you about the water, but dragon's don't necessarily feel the cold like humans do," he says as he roles his shoulders.

"its okay, i'm use to it with wooyoung," you tell him before your submerging your whole body and swimming further into the lake. "you can turn around now," you say and seonghwa waste no time in doing so and he spins so fast that you're worried he might give himself whiplash from it.

seonghwa waste no time in undressing and stepping into the water and you have to look away because of how carefree he is in the moment. as much as you would like to have looked at him in his full glory, you weren't mated yet and you couldn't help but feel like a perv if you did look at him.

seonghwa swims over to you and you allow him to pull you in close to him. your bodies flushed against each other and you have to suppress the moan that threatens to escape when your nipples rub against his chest. his other hand runs down your spine before tracing over the curve of your ass before he's lifting your leg to hook around his waist.

"prince seonghwa..." you say trailing off as you two make eye contact.

"call me seonghwa," he says as he rests his forehead against your own and when he moves, his lips just very so slightly brush over yours. "will you let me love you, princess? let me mate with you and fill you up?"

you felt your heart skip a beat at his words, like it was back when you and wooyoung had mated for the first time all over again.

"yes, please," you say and the dragon smiles before he's pressing his lips to yours in a heated kiss. you're quick to wrap your arms around his neck as your other leg came up to rest around his waist as well.

you felt your body stick his own thanks to the water. you couldn't help but moan when seonghwa begins to roll his hips, his cock rubbing between your folds and just barely missing your entrance. seonghwa pulls away from your lips in order his trail his own down your jaw and neck. his tongue pressing against wooyoung's and yeosang's marks before he's trailing down your chest.

"ah, seonghwa!" you cry out as you feel him sheath himself inside of you, filling you up like how wooyoung and yeosang have done so many times before the eldest dragon.

"f-fuck," he moans as you clench around him before he begins to move his hips. the water around the two of you moves in small waves and it reminds you of when wooyoung and you would take baths together back at your cottage. the way too small bathtub just barely being able to fit the two of you as wooyoung's wandering hands make you sit on his cock and by the end of the bath, the water would be cold and half of it would be out of the tub and in the floor.

however, this is different. seonghwa holds you close to him as he rocks his hips and the tip of his cock repeatedly hitting your sweet spot over and over again.

"h-hwa," you moan as you feel your head fall backwards, but seonghwa stops you from fulling submerging your head under the water. he presses his lips to your left shoulder and presses a strong kiss to it before you him nibble at your skin. you run your hands down his back, your nail probably leaving a trail of red lines. you can't help but hope that one of the others will notice and know what you and seonghwa did together.

"can i mark you, princess? make you my mate like yeosangie and wooyoung have?"

"yes, yes, yes! please!" you say when he picks up the speed of his thrust and even the water doesn't seem to pose an issue to his ministrations. you let out a loud cry when you felt seonghwa bite down on your shoulder, his teeth sinking into your skin and marking you as one of his mates.

you feel seonghwa moan into your skin before he's pulling away slightly in order to lick at the wound. you feel a mixture of pleasure and pain coursing through your body. pain from your left shoulder and pleasure from seonghwa continuing to abuse your pussy.

you can't help but feel a mixture of emotions crash over you in waves. not only the pleasure and pain, but over just an overwhelming sense of joy and comfort. joy because of how happy you are to be with seonghwa in this moment, to know that you're relationship has changed and grew so much, but the comfort.

the comfort was what made tears well up in your eyes. knowing that seonghwa finally accepted you as a mate, accepted you as a part of the clan and a part of himself. you couldn't help but let out a small sob rip through you.

"y/n?" seonghwa's voice crashes through your thoughts and he's looking at you with wide, concern eyes. "what's wrong, love? did i hurt you?"

"no," you say with a smile, tears running down your face as you, "i'm just happy," you add on as the eldest dragon prince leans his forehead against your own. "thank you, seonghwa."

"don't thank me. if anything i should be the one thanking you for giving me a chance," he says with a soft smile, you note how his thrust have slowed down a little bit, but not completely stoped. the two of you share another kiss before seonghwa is doing one last thrust into you before you're clenching around him and cumming.

he groans into your lips before he doing several more thrust and then stilling inside of you. his cum painting the inside of your walls white and you can't help but clench even more in an attempt to keep all of him inside of you.

"if you keep clenching around me, princess, i might not be able to pull out," he teases as he trails his lips down your body. he begins to slowly move backwards in the water and the air around you sending goosebumps over your body.

seonghwa grins when he notices and pulls you close to him once you both are out of the water. he sets you done on the ground, back against a large rock that was near the edge of the water before he's hovering over you.

"want to go another round?" he asks, smirk gracing his lips and you can't help but laugh at him. you open your mouth to answer but the sound of someone else stops you.

"hey! what are you two doing? seonghwa, you bastard, you better not be hurting my mate!" wooyoung's voice is loud as he comes crashing through the tree line. seonghwa seems surprised by how wooyoung was able to find you both, but you don't seem phased by it.

"i told you, he would come look for us if we were gone for too long."

tag list : @frankenstein852 @watamotee33 @kawennote09 @mixling-blog @marahleiwhen @kpopnightingale @harry-the-pottypus @pyeonghongrie @sanniesbum @marvelahsobx @khjcoo @mysticfire0435 @exfolitae @dementedaly @simeonswhore @moonm1st @nvmbheart @spooo00oky @frgogh (i still don't know why i can't tag you) @sookacc @seongwin @burnsmepls @ad0rechuu @tunaasan @northerngalxy @silverpixiedust23

network : @cultofdionysusnet

[pjstafford]

What Twitter has meant to me (and other social media musings)

Twitter is buzzing today - people leaving- threatening to leave- scared about others leaving. So, I do what I do when I want to process emotions in an analytical way. I write a blog. As I type this, I am struck by what a social media-oriented approach that is for a woman as old as I am, but I'm not ashamed to say social media has become important to me.

What I worry about today - almost mourning as if it is already gone- though it is not yet- is the platform that not only gave me the opportunity to play but almost taught me, as a mid-life adult, the importance of play. I worry that I will lose friends I care about. It is almost as if I live in a community and a natural disaster - a hurricane or tornado- is heading for my community and I fear the landscape will change. I will be displaced. I will not be able to find my friends.

Does that sound extreme? Let me give some background.

I was reluctant to join social media platforms - didn't do the AOL chat rooms in the day. I was not an early adapter. I feared social media would change the ways humans communicated in a negative way. In 2008 an old friend tracked me down to call me with news about another old friend and told me it was time to get on Facebook. I enjoyed it. I kept in touch with family and friends. I joined a scrabble group and the Bob Dylan fan club and found out it was possible to make new friends on social media. Then I broaden who I was letting onto my page and found myself moderating my content and, I still enjoy it, but not as much as I once did.

I became active on Twitter specifically because of a Facebook group I belonged to doing an Aquarius watch. More on Twitter in a minute.

I started this blog because I wanted a place to post my fiction and poetry and discovered I liked blogging and some people liked reading my blogs. I am the writer I always wanted to be - at least with an audience - if not getting paid. But I found Tumblr is a place where meanness is fostered and thrives. So I keep my Tumblr to write and post - mostly to Twitter.

Instagram is for pictures and I enjoy it very much. It's great. A picture is worth a thousand words and you see that on Instagram, but I like words and conversations very, very much. I've made no new, deeper connections on Instagram.

I've tried other sites =mostly for work- but, I don't want 100 different social media sites to keep track of and visit. I want a place where everyone, at least everyone I interact with regularly, knows my name.

So, let's talk about Twitter. I have two accounts. One PStafford3 is for my serious side. For a while, it was my only account, but for various reasons I decided I needed to differentiate between my serious side and my fun side - so I now, also, have PJSPosts. I, also, am the administrator of the account for the organization for which I work as I have been with other work positions. I once was the administrator of HearteyesForDavid fan account which I started, but in 2021 I passed it on to a younger and more capable fangirl.

This very month I graduated from a Digital Campaign / Social Media class that included various sections on Twitter. I get that, on one level, Twitter is about information gathering and information sharing, followers, influencers, and persuasion. Whatever changes come to Twitter, I will adjust as far as is needed for those purposes - learn to use it differently, moderate my content, and who I follow differently.

But it is the other thing Twitter is good for that I fear losing. I came onto Twitter as a fangirl when the X-Files was filming for its reboot and a star of that show had another show beginning. It was that simple. Within a few weeks, I had a group of four friends in a private chat who I now think of, seven years later, as among my very best friends. I have, I think, an identity within that community. I belong. I don't want to say that it's all been good. It turns out fan-based groups can be competitive over followers, petty jealousies, and misunderstandings. I don't often use the phrase In Real Life because I think social media is real life actually. If friendships are real, meaning they can bring you joy or pain, then it's real life.

But the platform Twitter has been uniquely suited to experience this "play" aspect of life in a way I don't think other platforms are. By play I mean, we create games, we debate episodes, we post "thirst" pics, we joke, and we laugh. It can get serious. There are scholars of the subject matter(s) who participate with us and philanthropists who manage fundraisers and artists whose art is worthwhile. Still, I think most people who I interact with on my PJSPosts account or in the hearteyes4DavidDuchovny community are on the platform for play and fun. One person described it today as her daily serotonin burst.

In 2020, Twitter became my lifeline. I ran a book club. We had Saturday night concert/dance parties. We posted memes about what stage of the pandemic we were in. 2020-2022 has solidified and strengthened this sense of community.

Twitter works because most accounts are public, you can search by subjects of interest, you can interact with people, you can follow, and you can have private chats. Your friendships can build and become deeper. Also, you can unfollow, block, and mute. You are the person responsible for the content you see and in charge of your own experience. Twitter has, also, been the most responsive when community concerns are raised - a fake celebrity account, violence, cruelty, hate speech, bullying- in ways that the other platforms have not been.

What Twitter most taught me ( in addition to the need for play) is the human need for community. My fear of what social media would do to the world (which obviously was warranted and is very real) was, in itself moderated, by the wonderful people I have met and interacted with on Twitter. In 2017 I wrote blogs about the fact that Twitter is, in fact, proof that mankind will seek to form communities in whatever reality they find themselves - around the campfires, in villages, towns, and cities, and on the internet. The fact that Twitter means I have friends around the globe and of different ages who all love the same thirty-year T.V. show I do is a strength of the community; not a weakness.

I guess, that this then brings me hope. We are humans. We will find other ways to connect if needed. I hope that the people who have been responsible for Twitter over the last 8 years know that the platform they created is valued beyond the money Elon Musk paid for it. I can't be anything but grateful today that it has existed.

Change is the one constant. It is, also, the thing we most fear. As I collect email addresses today "just in case". I hope the threat of a storm passes my community over and, if it doesn't, then that we find each other and rebuild elsewhere.

[wolvesandpetals]

Loki x Sylvie Post-Finale Fanfiction (Angst, Rated Teen) Part 2 of 2

Part 1 is here:

She never knew it would hurt this much when the person she loves is right in front of her, but she can't reach out and touch him; when she is still her, he is still him, but everything else has changed, like an invisible lever in an old theatre changing the scenery in the background, bringing them both to the part of the play where they are hopelessly lost.

[[MORE]]

All it took was one single moment, one single decision, and everything feels irrevocably broken now. It makes her contemplate on the true nature of relationships, how fragile they are, and how easy it is to shatter them- and her.

The smoke is slowly clearing, and all that seems to be left is a man who is doing his best to keep his distance from her, physically and emotionally.

She can tell from the way he stands with his arms crossed, or his fists clenced when his hands are by his side, that he really doesn't want to hold her hand. How can something so simple as the touch of his fingers be so vital to her existence that it feels like something has been ripped out from inside her?

She wants to reach out and touch him, but she is scared that if he pulls away outright, any hope of reconciliation that she still has left will shatter into pieces.

And she really needs this hope. It's the only thing she still has left. It's the only thing that keeps her going.

---

He looks like a man with a mission.

They spent quite a long time together, running from the TVA, running towards the citadel at the end of time, hoping to achieve their goal of bringing down the one behind the curtains.

But that was her mission, and he was there for her. She was the one behind the wheels, he was the one keeping the sails afloat.

Now it's different. Now he has a defined goal, a glorious purpose.

She's seeing him in a whole new light now, and not just because he has switched to Asgardian leather and metal armors.

As far as she is concerned, she is better off doing it all alone. One woman army, nobody to get in her way, nobody to screw up her plans. Nobody to blame her if it all goes to shit.

Or so it was, until two months ago, when Mobius decided to enlist her help in fixing the multiversal madness.

She has never really worked with people before, and it's weird, to say the least. She never considered herself a team player, but she is finding herself hating the idea less and less lately.

And she swears it has nothing to do with him. Not the fact that they are working together, and seeing his face first thing in the morning brings her a sense of calm that she quite can't explain. Or the fact that their rooms are next to each other and it makes her feel secure enough to finally get some rest at nights. Or that this whole arrangement has kept them on talking terms, when they had gone their own separate ways otherwise.

Nothing to do with that at all.

---

Humans are stupid, and the biggest evidence of this is how they decided that two extremely powerful Gods skilled at magic, enchantment, and defeating an evil extra dimensional cloud that swallows everything it touches, should be delegated to the role of research. "You're clever. You're good at reading people. You can put yourselves in the shoes of the bad guys, no offense", they said, but really, what they meant was, "We can't trust you out in the field much." She knows it, he knows it. She just doesn't know why he's complying.

That's how they find themselves researching every single day.

She likes to think he's not the only reason why she's studying in the library instead of in the comfort of her room, but that'd be a lie.

At first, he chooses to sit at a separate table. But she keeps going over to his to "get his opinion" on something in the file she's reading, and finally, he gives in. Their current arrangement consists of him sitting in the chair in front of her, to the left, prim and proper, while she hoists her feet up on the table.

He falls asleep on the desk one night, face smacked against a file, the tiniest bit of drool forming at the corner of his mouth. It would be a hilarious sight, if her heart wasn't feeling what she can only describe as longing.

They should probably talk about it, like mature adults, but neither of them know how to do that.

All she can do right now is gather the courage to run her fingers through his hair. The touch is hesitant at first, as if one wrong move would make him wake up and push her back to square one. Slowly, she relaxes, letting her fingers dance on his scalp.

He stirs in his sleep. "Please Sif. I'm sorry. Don't cut off my glorious locks, please."

Now this is a story she must hear when things are better.

If things are better.

---

Doctor Strange joins them very briefly, very rarely, but the tension between him and Loki is hard to miss. It's worse than the current situation with her, and that's saying something.

"You don't really like Stephen, do you?"

Something inside him seems to shift, but he masks it behind a non-chalant look immediately and just arches an eyebrow at her. "He's Stephen now, is he?"

"Well, that is his name." She shrugs. "What do you call him?"

"Strange", he spits the word out with an amount of irritation that indicates there definitely is a story there. "That is his name", he mimics.

She can't help the smirk that spreads across her lips. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing", he lies, ignoring the horrifying flashbacks of thirty minutes of endless falling. Not a single soul must ever know a mere human got the best of him. "What can he do to me? I'm a God among those mortals. He just irks me because he is so pompous, and arrogant, and he ceaselessly uses magic to toy with others."

She pretends to think deeply. "Now where have I seen that before?"

He scoffs. "You mock me, but I am nothing like him. For one, I am not rude."

"He seems fine to me", she declares decisively.

It's the first time in months that he gives her a cheeky grin. "That's because you're rude too."

---

They are still just containing the threats to their world, instead of finding a way to fortify the barriers between worlds and stop the threats from coming.

"Shouldn't we have a plan to seal off the other worlds from ours?" She asks him one day.

"They are working on it." He tells her, and then with a look of worry, adds, "I hope."

There are debates on what to do at the Avengers tower and at the TVA. Nobody seems to agree on what the best course of action is, but everyone seems to be following the general instructions of Doctor Strange.

During one such meeting, a Minuteman makes the mistake of voicing out loud how she wondered if things would be better if they were running according to their old boss's plans.

Sylvie feels the guilt wash over her once more.

"No", Loki tells them all firmly. The determination in his voice takes her completely by surprise. "Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definition’s blurred." She catches him steal a glance at her direction. "We couldn't have left a dictator in charge just because it's convenient. Listen, I'm the bad guy. I've done horrible, unspeakable things. I thought humans needed to be ruled. I wanted to rule. But even I know that it's not right to take away a person's life completely. These are innocent people. You are innocent people. You have families back home, parents, children", a pause and a softening of his features, "-love. A whole past, a whole future. That man had no right to take it away from you."

His powers of persuasion are foreign to her, and it's mesmerizing to watch. Her enchantments cannot hold a candle to how he is able to just talk people into doing what he wants, thinking what he thinks, seeing what he sees.

"He who remains had a plan. One, singular plan, from one, singular man." There is absolute conviction in his voice. "It's not the only way. We'll find another way. A better way."

She has never known what it is like to have someone see you for who you are- broken and flawed, and defend you- even your well-intentioned actions that yielded different results than what you expected and hurt them in the process. She suspects it has been the same for him, a lifetime of not having anyone have his back.

The warm feeling inside her is brand new. What is the name of this? Comfort? Relief?

Happiness?

---

This will be their first time out in the field in a long time, and she feels a little sick to the stomach.

He notices. "Are you alright?"

The concern in his voice tugs at her heartstrings. She nods. She has faced way worse, she shouldn't be so nervous about this, but she is. "I've never done this before."

"We can always just kill him and blame it on the Chitauris", he suggests with a serious face.

"I heard that", Peter yells from the other room, where he is doing whatever it is that teenagers do to prepare for battle.

She shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't believe we're babysitting."

"I've done this before", he assures her, and it surprises her to picture him being entrusted with such a serious task. "The trick is to conjure up illusions that keep them distracted enough to not cry."

She laughs. "You're thinking of infants. This one is a little older."

"I'm over a thousand years old, Sylvie. They're all infants to me."

Peter joins them, mask covering his face so that he doesn't reveal his identity. "So what do I call you? Loki and Loki? That's confusing. How about Loki and Lady Loki? Or is that offensive? I'm not suggesting women are inferior, because they're absolutely not..."

"Does he come with an off switch?" She whispers in horror as Peter rambles on.

Loki grins. With one wave of his hand and a flash of green, Peter's own webbing shoots out and seals his mouth shut.

---

Things are fine but not fine at the same time. He's right there beside her, but not there at all. They have their banters, they have their stolen glances, but they haven't had a meaningful conversation since that first day when she got back. She's been putting it off for a long time, but she knows they really do need to have the talk.

She corners him in his room one evening while he's tinkering with a temporal collar. She takes a seat in the chair next to his bed and rests her hand on the table, leaning her head against her palm, before switching position and crossing her arms and legs. Everything about her posture screams uneasiness. If he notices- he probably does- he doesn't say anything.

"You defended me that day."

He briefly looks up from the task at hand and gives her a soft smile. "Of course."

She blinks. "I don't understand." Her hands involuntary rise up to rub her temples. "If you can justify my actions to them, then how can you still be mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you", he says without missing a beat.

"Rubbish", her words come out angrier than she intended. This frustration is the result of the months of status quo they have had. She has to know now, one way or the other. "You're distant. You're guarded", she accuses. Then her voice breaks, as she feels a part of her break all over again with her next words. "You don't hold my hand. Why? Tell me."

He abandons the collar and focuses his full attention on her. Staring straight into her eyes, he answers her. "You know why."

"I wouldn't be asking if I did. Look, if it's because I chose the mission over you-"

"-Of course it's not that." He says decisively. Then a sad smile clouds his face. It's the same look he had when she accused him of conning her to gain the throne. "Do you think I'm the type of man who would want a woman to abandon her life-long ambitions just because she has met someone?"

She knows he isn't. But it still doesn't answer why he is so cross with her. "What is it then?"

He pauses for a moment, trying to decide whether he wants to bare his soul out to her once more or not. There are two ways he can go from here- choose to not let her in again and save himself from the hurt, or trust her again and open himself up to potential pain.

Who is he kidding? Pushing her away- keeping her away- doesn't hurt any less.

There were a thousand things that had to go wrong to bring two Lokis from two universes together. A connection like that, it doesn't just happen.

And it doesn't just go away. The pain is constant, it's a part of him, pounding like a second heart every second he has to stop himself from reaching out for her hand.

This has to come to an end.

He takes in a deep breath, bracing himself. "You didn't have to send me away, Sylvie. I wanted to stop you from making the same mistakes I did. But in the end, I didn't care what you chose. I just wanted us to do it together."

She never even imagined this could be the reason for his hurt. All these months spent thinking he hates her for her choices, and now it turns out he is hurt simply because she chose to do it alone? "I'm sorry." She says sincerely. "I just wanted you to be safe."

"And I just wanted to be there with you till the end." He confesses. His eyes shimmer with the emotions he has kept bottled in for so long. "You go, I go."

She doesn't know what to say to that. She has never been good at articulating her feelings. Tears stream down her cheeks at the realisation that even after everything, he is still there for her.

She didn't cry even back at Lamentis when they thought they were going to die. She doesn't let anyone see her cry when she is sad or scared. That's all she has known her whole life. She's used to it by now.

This is new. These are tears of relief. Comfort.

Happiness.

Tentatively, she crosses over to the bed and sits by his side.

It's quiet for a few minutes. But unlike the months of tension so thick she could cut it into splices with her daggers, this is comfortable silence. The kind they had before it all went wrong.

"Did you even miss me?" He whispers.

"What kind of silly question is that? Of course I did." Her shaking hands grab his, and oh how she missed this.

He intertwines their fingers. His eyes draw closed. Bliss. That's the only word for this feeling.

He opens his eyes again and studies her. She's staring back at him, teary-eyed, but with a hopeful smile. "Really? Because you have a really unique way of showing it. You didn't even come looking for me."

"I didn't know how to face you", she tells him honestly. No tricks, no enchantment, no treachery. Not with him. "I didn't know if you even wanted to see me." Her voice grows quieter, dropping to a timbre that perfectly encapsulates her deepest fear. "I thought you hated me."

"Hate you?" He is shocked that she thinks that is even possible, specially after seeing him these last few months. "Sylvie, I'm working with the Avengers. The Avengers. Do you know how much I hate them? They are my nemesis. They're self-righteous, condescending, and so completely dull. Every second with them makes me want to rip their hearts out. Why do you think I'm here with them?"

She thinks she knows. But she needs to hear it anyway.

"It's because of you." He lays it all out on the table. All cards on deck, win or lose. "You've been running away. I have been the one who has been here, trying to hold down the fort, working to fix everything. Because that is what one does when one loves-"

Shit. The word slips out before he realises it.

Their eyes go wide in unison.

"Sylvie, I-"

"-Don't you dare take it back now." She warns him. "I-" She doesn't know how to say it either. They make such a great pair, both equally daft at saying how they feel, like they are teenagers, not Gods who have lived for centuries. "I've been running because I didn't think I could bear the burden of knowing I found you and then I lost you. I don't want to lose you. Not now, not ever."

He kisses the back of her hand, before letting it go. He cups her face, gently caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "I don't want to lose you either."

She leans in closer, until their foreheads touch. She can feel his breath on her face, warm and soft. That is exactly how she feels inside. "You won't", she promises. "You go, I go."

---

(Quote on Lesser Evil from The Witcher. Thanks for reading!!)

[zerablackwell]

Chapter 4: Leverage

A week had gone by since Zera visited with her mother, Seth developed a plan to better her behavior in school. They spent lunch periods on worksheets and assessments in exchange for information from Seth about whatever Zera wanted. For the most part, they agreed and got along well regarding their little pact. They were both pleasantly surprised by how much they had in common.

"Zera, you are almost done with the page, come on. Remember the deal."

She groaned loudly, dropping her head on the page that was three quarters completed. "I hate doing this tedious work."

"If you finish it soon, we can get the assessments out of the way. I want to know how to properly tailor the help you require to get further in this system. As much as you don't like it, the humans value their schooling and make it practically a requirement to move forward in their world." Seth responded, drumming his fingers on the desk.

Zera lifted her head to glare at her uncle, then rolled her eyes. "I still don't get it. I don't like this. I'm only participating so I don't have to listen to Father's lectures."

"I'd honestly suggest you care a little more, you'll be able to open the doors so you can have better control of the world."

Zera stayed quiet for a moment, pondering the words prudently for a moment before nodding, "So I finish this, you tell me one thing. Yes?"

"Well, what is it you want to know?"

"I want to get into Heaven."

Seth was clearly caught off guard, "I...I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me, I want into Heaven."

Seth stared at her, then huffed slightly. "Finishing a page does not equate to sneaking you into Heaven."

"Then what does?"

He opened his mouth then paused for a long moment, "No, nope. We aren't having this conversation, if this gets back to your father, he might-no he will have my head."

Zera giggled and stated, "You're scared of him."

"You seem to forget that he is not just my older brother, but also a well-known archdemon. A respected figure in Hell. In our worlds, both Heaven and Hell, everyone knows all that he is capable of." Seth patiently explained, but Zera was not impressed. "You are the only one who is questionably sane that would openly and readily challenge him."

"I take offense to that!" Zera huffed, "I am very much sane thank you." She then stuck her tongue out at him who rolled his eyes.

"Hun, you related to me, you are partially insane. You can blame genetics." Seth chuckled, smiling at her.

Zera lightened up a bit, giggling and enjoying the moment between her and Seth. Then she could hear Luz's familiar whispers in her ear, "Insist little one, you need to get in."

She cleared her throat as they settled down, "Please...I'd like to at least meet my grandparents, really. I want to go to heaven and meet my family."

Seth bit his lip hesitantly, "This is where I may have to draw the line, our family hasn't been together in eons. I'm sure your father would prefer to be present when you meet your grandparents."

"I didn't realize that he still tells you what to do. I thought you were both grown adults."

"I am a grown adult, and unlike you, I actually look like one." Seth glared, pointing a finger at her. "Little Miss One Hundred and something."

"Touché, however, we do age differently. Who knows how old are you Mr. Dinosaur." Zera giggled, amused by her uncle.

"Well, I'm not going to take you for calling me a dinosaur."

"So, you're going to keep me from meeting my extended family because of a preschool insult and homework?"

Seth sat there in complete disbelief and groaned loudly, "You manipulative little beat."

Zera smirked, "I've learned from the best."

There was something in Seth's eyes that Zera couldn't quite decipher. "Fine, fine. I'll help you get in, but for now, you'll only meet your grandmother."

"Why only her?"

"Azazel will be less angry when he finds out you only met Haniel. There was really no ill will between him and his mother." Seth explained then tapped the page, "Before we start that, you have to finish the packet."

Zera's lip twitched upward in a snarl, but she cleared her throat. "Done." She got to work and quickly completed the packet within about ten minutes, then pushed it toward her uncle who eyed her carefully.

"You had to complete it correctly Zera." He glanced over the first page which had nothing but wrong answers.

"Ah ha...That was not mentioned in the deal before agreeing." She smirked tapping her finger on the table expectantly.

Seth's face turned bright red, he growled. "You sneaky little-"

Zera giggled and cut him off, "Language Uncle Seth~" She then propped her head up with her hand on the table, "A deal is a deal."

He groaned, "Damn you are like your father."

The bell rang and Zera hissed, "Damn it."

"We'll talk later, I promise." Seth then stood and waited by the door as students began to enter.

Zera moves back to her corner seat as the students filed into the classroom and filled in their seats. One boy made his way to sit with the grouchy purple haired girl in the back. "You should smile more."

Zera looked at him, glaring. "You should sew your mouth shut."

He chuckled nervously, taking the seat by her. "You are just the image of a bright sunny day."

"You are the image of a parasite, let's go to the doctors." She spat; Seth eyed her warningly from the door causing her to pout. "Please refrain from distrusting me from the lesson."

"You never pay attention to the lesson."

"I'm trying to change my habits, now if you will." She opened her bag, pulling out a notebook and a fountain pen.

Seth made his way to the center after closing the door, "Welcome back class, please leave the energy from lunch outside." He waited for the chatter to settle down before beginning to explain persuasive essays. None to subtly, he glanced at Zera, "With persuasive essays, you must clearly explain the points for whatever the argument may be."

Zera couldn't help but giggle, and the boy feigned a gasp.

"Holy shit, she laughs." He whispered with a smirk, "Her smile is pretty too."

Almost immediately, Zera snarled and flashed her fangs at him. "Shut up, Janice."

He almost fell back on to the floor with a small yelp, "What the-!"

"Jordan! Zera! Must I separate you two?" Seth snapped, slamming a book on to his desk.

The boy returned to his seat nervously, "N-no Mr. Smith."

"Yes Mr. Smith, please move this twat from my space." Zera hissed and Seth's eye visibly twitched.

The students began to whisper and giggle quietly, "Zera, Jordan. Principal's office, thank you." He pointed to the door, she glared and stood. "No snarky remarks please Miss Blackwell, go on, the both of you."

Jordan stood and they both made their way to the door, Zera paused in the doorway. She looked at the teacher and ever so politely flipped him the bird. His face began to resemble a tomato, she finally left for the principal's office in a chorus of oohs from her peers.

Jordan looked at Zera, "Do you have to piss off everyone you meet?"

"Do you have to pester all of your classmates?"

"Only the interesting ones."

Zera rolled her eyes, "What is it exactly that makes me interesting then?"

"Where you come from."

"So, it isn't anything I've done that makes me interesting, it's only my background? You're interesting because of your stupidity." She glared at him.

"Your background makes up who you are."

"My background has nothing to do with me." She snapped.

"You're a real piece a work." Jordan huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I would hope so; Rome wasn't built in a day. It's taken me a lot to be who I am." She walked off.

"Wait, the principal's office is this way!"

"I'm going to the lady's room first, 'less they want to up my piss." She lied, quickly losing him as she walked down the hall.

As she turned the corner to make her way towards the school exit, Luz's voice chirped into her ear, "Young lady, turn right around and march right back in there."

"What? Why?" Zera stopped at the large double doors leading to her freedom from this makeshift hell.

"Don't take your punishment for something small. If you get in trouble, make it worth getting punished for dearie."

Zera smirked and turned around, "Luz, I love you." She giggled as she made her way towards the chemistry lab, her eyes flashed a mischievous red in her reflection of the window.

"Now, where to little lamb?"

"This place is a figurative hell, I'm going to create a little chaos~" She tried to open the door, but found it to be locked. Zera growled and her eyes turned bright red while she kept her hand on the handle. There was a click and she pushed the door wide open.

"Atta' girl." Luz chuckled, Zera smirked and she produced a small flame in her hand. She stood on a table and put her hand towards one of the sprinklers in the ceiling. Once the fire alarm went off, she made her way out of the lab and blended into the crowd of students being escorted outside.

Once outside, Zera was able to speak off away from the students and faculty and left the campus. She began walking towards a plaza just a couple of blocks from the school. Humming as she arrived, she looked around seeing an interesting looking tattoo parlor next to a rather plain looking shop. She made a mental note to remember the tattoo parlor, then continue to look around until she saw a small coffee shop.

Zera began to walk closer when Luz spoke up, "Darling, you seem to have forgotten your bag at school."

"Luz. I have a nifty little invention called pockets, perhaps you've heard of them? They're mini bags inside your clothes." Zera remarked.

Luz chuckled and left her alone, as Zera reached for the door handle to enter the little coffee shop a pale hand grabbed her wrist gently. "Zera Blackwell, you are in extreme trouble."

Zera groaned loudly, looking up at Elijah, "How'd you find me?"

"The real question is; what on Earth were you thinking? Seth called me, telling me you've disappeared after the fire alarm was set off." Elijah took her hand and began walking away. "Of all the things, I've never thought you would have done something so irresponsibly stupid."

"I cannot believe you all thought it would be good to put me in a school full of idiotic, hormonal, and pathetic human infants." Zera snapped back.

"Lower your voice!" Elijah hissed at her, tugging her along. "Why are you behaving like this?"

Zera looked at Elijah deadpanned, "Just take me home Elijah, it seems my fun is done for the day."

Elijah stared at her in disbelief, then tugged her along towards the front door. They both walked in silence as they entered the home and were greeted by their overexcited hellhound, Ace. Elijah pulled out his phone and dialed a number as Zera started for the stairs. "Seth, I've found her. Yes, she's here with me, we're home." He paused and Zera glanced back curiously. "Very well, you can come by after school."

Zera pet Ace then went to her room and closed the door behind them, the hellhound made a beeline for her bed and Zera giggled. "Leave me some room goofball."

Ace barked back at her as she grabbed a book from her desk and sat beside Ace. She opened to the bookmarked page and stared, waiting for Luz to pipe up, but he did not surface. As time passed, she grew agitated and growled at the book.

There was a sudden knock, Zera put the book away as the door opened revealing Seth. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What?"

"You are now suspended from school for a week, why did you set off the alarms?" Seth scolded, closing the door behind him.

"You didn't take my request seriously." Zera glared, Ace jumped up eagerly to greet Seth who merely waved him off.

"About you and Jordan? What was going on there?" Seth crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot expectantly.

"I'll kill him next time I see him, that's what." Zer a hissed, her uncle sighed.

"You acted out because you didn't like him?"

"He's a pest, vermin, a parasite that sucks out my patience."

"You had patience to begin with?"

Zera glared at him, "So I'm off school for a week then?"

"Yes, Elijah and Azazel are livid."

"Like I care, when will we prepare to go then? We do have a deal after all." Zera leaned forward, smirking, keeping her voice low.

Seth's eyes widened and he groaned loudly, "You clever little-..."