#Nightfall Double Feature

[frostfires-blog]

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Part 1A: OP1 Hana Ni Natte

Part 1A │Part 1B │Part 2

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The first eight flowers in the anime's first opening "Hana Ni Natte" correspond to brief, individual story arcs in the first cour of season 1...

-> 1.1) Rhododendron

The 1st flower depicted in the opening is the Rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.)—which is also featured during episodes 1 and 2.  In Japan, this flower is called shakunage (石楠花). It symbolises majesty, danger and caution in hanakotoba. The Rhododendron’s symbolism of “majesty” is believed to be derived from its beautiful, bountiful flowers while its symbolism of danger and caution stems from the poison in its leaves. Rhododendron plants contain toxic compounds known as grayanotoxins, which, if consumed, can be dangerous to humans and cats. The symbolism of the Rhododendron in other countries is similar to that in Japan. In Western floriography, it represents danger, caution, and suspicion. In contrast to this, the flower also represents beauty, fragility, and grace due to its intricate shape. Pink rhododendrons in particular represent self-love and compassion.

-> 1.2) Cotton Rose

The 2nd flower featured in the first opening is the Cotton Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis)—also called the cotton rosemallow or confederate rose. Cotton roses were featured in the third episode of the anime and are canonically associated with Princess Fuyō who shares her name with the flower. Notably, in the opening the double-flowered variant of the Cotton rose was used rather than the standard version used in the anime. In Japan, cotton roses are called fuyō (芙蓉). In hanakotoba, it symbolises delicate beauty and gentle love—likely derived from its flowers which evoke a delicate, soft feeling. This flower exhibits a phenomenon known as floral colour change, in which the blossoms are white in the morning, pink around midday, and red by nightfall. Cotton roses can be toxic to humans, potentially causing skin irritation and burns if incorrectly handled. Cotton roses are most commonly symbolic of eternal love, devotion, and affection in Western floriography. It also represents sacrifice and resilience—and is historically tied with the American Civil War. The flower's capability to change colour from white to red has made it a symbol of the transformation and adaptability that individuals and communities endure during times of conflict and transition.

-> 1.4) Violet

The violet (Viola mandshurica) is the 4th flower depicted in the first opening; they also appear briefly in Episode 5. While generally not harmful to humans, some violets contain substances that can harm cats if ingested. In Japan, they are called sumire (菫). In hanakotoba, violets symbolise honesty, humility, sincerity, and small happiness. Purple violets in particular represent chastity and love. Their representation of humility and honesty is probably derived from their profound blossoms, which thrive discreetly by the roadside or in the grass. In Western floriography, violets symbolise modesty, faithfulness, intuition, spiritual wisdom, harmony and balance. Purple violets symbolise daydreaming and “you occupy my thoughts”—while blue violets symbolise honesty, love, trust, commitment and devotion.

-> 1.5) Montauk daisy

The Montauk daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum) is the 5th flower depicted in the first opening, and additionally, they also appear briefly in episode 6. Some daisy varieties can be mildly toxic to humans—causing irritation if consumed—but poisonous to cats. In Japan, they are called Nippon giku (日本菊) and represent faith, peace, hope, chastity, beauty and facing hardship in hanakotoba. White daisies in particular symbolise innocence. Its symbolism of beauty is derived from its Latin name while its symbolism of hope is derived from the property of its flowers to open when light shines on them. In Western floriography, daisies symbolise chastity, beauty, rebirth, new beginnings and hope. This is because they are usually the first flowers to bloom in the spring. White daisies represent purity and innocence; whilst pink daisies represent gentle admiration, affection or adoration. Daisies also represent loyalty, love, simplicity, humility and the ability to keep a secret.

-> 1.6) Toad Lily

The 6th flower depicted in the first opening is the Toad lily (TricyrtIis hirta), which also appears in episode 8 of the anime. Although toad lilies are not regarded as being highly toxic, they are poisonous to cats. In Japan, toad lilies are called Hototogisu (ホトトギス)—which coincides with the Japanese name with the lesser cuckoo bird. This is because the markings on its petals are similar to those on the bird's chest. consequently, the "Little Cuckoo" lullaby sung by the courtesan in episode 8 and Fengxian in episode 23 shares the same name as the flower. In hanakotoba, toad lilies symbolise loyalty, friendship, hidden thoughts and “forever yours”. In Western floriography, toad lilies symbolise elegance, beauty, and fertility. In Buddhism, they symbolise wisdom, strength and compassion.

-> 1.7) Nandina

 The 7th flower depicted in the first opening is Nandina (Nandina domestica)—often called heavenly bamboo or sacred bamboo. This plant is also featured in episode 9 of the anime but is depicted as a fruit rather than a flower. In Japan, the Nandina is called Nanten (南天) and symbolises “good family” and “my love only grows” in hanakotoba. Nandina blooms with small, white flowers in early summer)—before developing little fruits that gradually redden as winter approaches giving rise to its symbolic representation of "My love only deepens." Additionally, Nandina's symbolism of a "good family" stems from its abundance of fruits, which are interpreted as a symbol of prosperity for offspring. On New Year's Day, the nandina is also considered an auspicious tree to ward off catastrophes. In Western floriography, the nandina represents good luck, fortune, and prosperity. This is due to the Nandina being considered a lucky charm in Japan, which has recently led to it becoming a popular housewarming gift. Despite its positive meaning, Nandina is highly harmful to birds and mammals. However, it is widely regarded as non-toxic to humans.

-> 1.8) Azalea

 The 8th flower depicted in the first opening is an orange azalea (Rhododendron japonicum). Additionally, red-pink azaleas appear during episode 11. Aside from its beauty, the azalea is known for being extremely toxic—it contains andromedotoxins in its leaves and nectar, including honey made from the nectar. Given that its nectar is equally hazardous, Japanese beekeepers avoid gathering honey during its flowering season in areas where it grows naturally. In Japan, these flowers are called renge tsutsuji (蓮華躑躅) and represent patience and modesty in hanakotoba. Orange azaleas symbolise passion and constancy—while red azaleas represent temperance and "burning thoughts". In Western floriography, azaleas represent temperance, prudence, caution, love, passion, and romance. Since azaleas symbolise temperance, which refers to self-restraint—particularly when confronted with temptation—they are considered a representation of moderation or the balance of different elements in one's life. Orange azaleas specifically symbolise vitality, excitement, encouragement, adventure and discovery. While red azaleas represent love, beauty, passion, and desire, as well as a woman's tenacity and defiance. Additionally, azaleas can represent fragile love as their blossoms easily come off from their stem upon the slightest touch. Consequently, the flower is used to signify a fragile love that can still persevere into a lasting one. Due to the Azalea's toxicity, in certain cultures, giving someone a bouquet of azaleas in a black vase is taken as a death threat.

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Part 1A│ Part 1B │Part 2

╰➤ Other anime & donghua hanakotoba posts

[A/N: Please check out part 1B and part 2 as well! Since I've only watched the anime but haven't read the manga or light novels and thus cannot comment on how everything ties into the overarching storyline or character development—I didn't go into too much detail here... Also, since there are so many flowers featured, this post would grow way too long if I did lmao. 

If anyone has any ideas on what anime/anime theme song I should cover next in this series please lmk✿ Also, if you liked this post, check out my other hanakotoba analysis posts...]

[nevermore-dnd]

Wanted to make this for a while but...

Skulduggery Inspired Vampire Class (D&D 5e)

Vampires are humans afflicted with a magical disease spread through a bite. They live as normal humans during the day, but at nightfall, they rip off their own skin, revealing their true monstrous form—pale, hairless, with black eyes and consumed by bloodlust.

AC: 10 + Dexterity modifier (with possible armour adjustments).

HP (Level 1): 8 + Constitution modifier.

HP (Level 2–20): 6 + Constitution modifier per level after level 1.

Class Features by Level

Level 1 – Vampiric Affliction

Human by Day, Monster by Night: You retain your human form in daylight, but at nightfall, you transform into a monstrous predator.

Unarmed Strikes: Your claws and fangs deal 1d6 slashing or piercing damage.

Darkvision (120 ft.): You see in darkness as if it were dim light.

Supernatural Grace: You move with an unnatural fluidity. Your jump distance doubles, and you never make noise when walking.

Sunlight Weakness: If exposed to direct sunlight, you take 1d6 radiant damage per round, and your speed is halved.

Level 2 – Blood Hunger

Craving for Blood: If you do not drink one pint of fresh blood every two nights, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion, which can only be cured by feeding.

Vampiric Healing: When you drink blood, you heal HP equal to your level + Constitution modifier.

Bloodlust: If you smell fresh blood while injured, make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or enter a berserk state, attacking the nearest living creature.

Level 3 – The Infected & The Code

Creating Infected: If you bite a humanoid, they become an Infected—a mindless thrall under your control. After two nights, they fully turn into a vampire.

Vampire Code: Choose your path:

Loyalist (Code Bound)

+1 AC and advantage on Persuasion checks against other vampires.

You may not kill another vampire unless they attack you first.

Rogue (Codebreaker)

Advantage on Intimidation checks against vampires.

Other vampires despise you, and some may actively hunt you.

Chose Subclass

1. Vampire of the Night (The Predator)

2. Vampire Lord (The Aristocrat)

3. Revenant of Wrath (The Berserker)

4. Nightstalker (The Phantom)

Level 4 – Ability Score Improvement (ASI)

Level 5 – Silent Predator

Expertise in Stealth.

Hide as a bonus action.

Unnatural Speed: Movement speed increases by 10 ft.

Level 6 – Vampiric Senses

Enhanced Perception: You gain advantage on Perception checks based on hearing or smell.

Echolocation: If you are blinded, you can still "see" using your heightened senses within a 30 ft. radius.

Level 7 – Cursed Immortality

You no longer age.

Undying Will: When reduced to 0 HP, make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you drop to 1 HP instead of falling unconscious (once per long rest).

Level 8 – Ability Score Improvement (ASI)

Level 9 – Unnatural Speed

Your movement speed increases by 10 ft. (total +20 ft.).

Level 10 – Hemlock & Wolfsbane Serum

Resist the Curse: Drinking a portion of hemlock and wolfsbane allows you to remain in human form for 8 hours during the night.

Side Effects:

Disadvantage on Dexterity checks.

You feel itchy, irritable, and restless.

Concentration checks become harder (+2 to DC).

> Optional Rule: If you take multiple doses in a short time, roll 1d20. On a 15, the serum fails, and you transform anyway.

Level 11 – Blood Magic (For Magical Vampires)

If you were a magic user before becoming a vampire, you retain all spellcasting abilities.

If you have tasted a creature’s blood, you can sense its presence within 500 ft.

Level 12 – Ability Score Improvement (ASI)

Level 13 – Predator’s Tracking

If you have tasted a creature’s blood, you can track it perfectly for 24 hours, even across water or teleportation magic.

Level 14 – Master of the Hunt

You can smell blood within 1 mile if the target is wounded.

If you are tracking a wounded creature, your speed increases by 10 ft.

Level 15 – Improved Vampiric Regeneration

When you drink blood, you regain HP equal to 2 × your level + Constitution modifier.

Level 16 – Ability Score Improvement (ASI)

Level 17 – Saltwater Weakness

If you swallow salt water, make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or begin suffocating.

If submerged in salt water, take 5d10 acid damage per round.

> Newly Turned Infected: Do not suffer this weakness until they fully transform.

Level 18 – Dark Revenant

If you are killed, your body reanimates at full HP after 24 hours, unless your corpse is destroyed by salt water.

While regenerating, you are in a comalike state and cannot act until fully restored.

Level 19 – Ability Score Improvement (ASI)

Level 20 – Eternal Nightmare

You cannot permanently die unless killed with salt water.

If you are reduced to 0 HP, you regenerate to full HP in 1 hour, unless completely destroyed by salt water.

If you are killed, your body will always revive in 24 hours, unless prevented by salt water.

Playstyle & Summary

Strengths:

✅ Stealth, agility, and brutal melee attacks

✅ Life steal mechanics through blood consumption

✅ Powerful tracking abilities

✅ Immortality with serious drawbacks

Weaknesses:

⚠️ Blood Hunger—must feed or suffer exhaustion

⚠️ Sunlight Weakness—cannot fight effectively in daylight

⚠️ Salt Water is a lethal weakness

⚠️ Risk of losing control when wounded

Subclasses

1. Vampire of the Night (The Predator)

Role: Stealth, Assassination, and Control

Focus: Mobility, Stealth, and Physical Dominance

These vampires embrace the primal nature of their curse, focusing on supernatural agility and the hunt. They move like shadows, unseen and deadly, relying on their invisibility in darkness and their vampiric speed to overwhelm their foes before vanishing into the night.

Subclass Features:

Hunter’s Intuition (Level 3): You gain advantage on Perception checks made to track creatures that are wounded or have recently bled.

Silent Kill (Level 6): If you make an attack on a surprised or unaware target, you deal extra damage equal to your level on a successful hit.

Night’s Embrace (Level 10): You can move through shadows and can cast Misty Step (no spell slots) as a bonus action once per short rest.

Lord of the Hunt (Level 14): You can command a pack of Infected, making them fight for you. They are loyal to you for 24 hours after you create them.

2. Vampire Lord (The Aristocrat)

Role: Leadership, Charisma Based Abilities, and Influence

Focus: Manipulation, Commanding Vampires, and Cultivation of Power

Vampire Lords are born leaders who manipulate and dominate the world through charisma and influence. They use their powers to command their fellow vampires, amassing followers and creating a network of loyal thralls to bend others to their will. This subclass is ideal for players who want to be a vampire ruler, spreading their influence among both humans and vampires.

Subclass Features:

Dark Charisma (Level 3): Gain proficiency in Persuasion. When speaking with a vampire, you can force them to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + proficiency bonus). On a failed save, they must follow your commands for 1 hour.

Master of Shadows (Level 6): You can use Command as a bonus action, and any creature charmed by you has disadvantage on saving throws to resist your spells for 1 hour.

Thrall of the Night (Level 10): You can create vampiric thralls from humans you bite. These thralls will follow your orders, with full loyalty, and will act as spies or minions. You can have up to two thralls at a time.

Vampire Dominion (Level 14): You can use Dominate Monster on a vampire creature. If they fail the saving throw, they serve you willingly for 24 hours and cannot break free unless you are slain.

3. Revenant of Wrath (The Berserker)

Role: Frontline Combatant, Brutal Strength, and Rage

Focus: High Damage, Uncontrolled Fury, and Combat Resilience

These vampires embrace their primal nature, focusing on refuelled combat. They are unrelenting in battle, channelling their bloodlust into an unyielding fury. Their ability to resist damage and fight with reckless abandon makes them formidable opponents, especially when they are wounded and on the brink of collapse.

Subclass Features:

Vampiric Fury (Level 3): When you drop to half HP, you can enter a rage that lasts for 1 minute. During this time, you gain advantage on all Strength based attacks and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Blood Frenzy (Level 6): When you deal damage to a creature, you can take an additional attack with your claws or fangs as a bonus action.

Unstoppable Beast (Level 10): Once per long rest, when you drop to 0 HP, you can stand up with 1 HP and immediately make a full attack against the creature that knocked you down.

Vampire’s Rage (Level 14): You gain regeneration while raging. You heal 1d10 HP at the start of each of your turns while in a rage, and you can fight without being knocked unconscious unless destroyed by a critical hit or salt water.

4. Nightstalker (The Phantom)

Role: Stealth, Infiltration, and Subterfuge

Focus: Silent Movement, Invisibility, and Trickery

Nightstalker’s are vampires who revel in darkness and subterfuge, mastering the arts of stealth, evasion, and assassination. They can phase in and out of the shadows, striking without warning and disappearing before enemies can react. This subclass is ideal for players who prefer strategic combat or spying on their enemies.

Subclass Features:

Shadow meld (Level 3): You can use Hide as a bonus action, even in areas with light. When in dim light or darkness, you can disappear completely from sight for 1 turn, becoming effectively invisible.

Silent Strike (Level 6): You gain advantage on all attacks made from hiding or while unseen by your target.

Phase of Night (Level 10): As an action, you can become incorporeal for 1 minute, allowing you to move through solid objects, though you cannot make attacks or interact with physical objects during this time.

Master of Shadows (Level 14): You gain Etherealness for 1 minute per long rest. While in this form, you can pass through walls and move in total silence.

Subclass Summary:

Vampire of the Night: Stealth focused, ideal for quick, silent kills.

Blood Mage: Arcane magic user who controls blood and life force.

Vampire Lord: Charisma driven ruler who manipulates other vampires and gains followers.

Revenant of Wrath: Berserk vampire warrior, thrives in close combat with high damage and damage resistance.

Nightstalker: Master of stealth and trickery, ideal for subterfuge and infiltration.

Vampire Class – Ability Score Modifiers

When creating a Vampire character, apply the following stat modifiers to reflect their superhuman abilities and monstrous weaknesses:

Base Ability Score Increases (ASI) at Level 1

Strength: +2 (Enhanced physical power for melee combat)

Dexterity: +1 (Supernatural agility and grace)

Constitution: +1 (Undying endurance and resistance to damage)

Wisdom: 1 (Bloodlust weakens rational thinking and self-control

Suggested Priority for Stats

Your primary stats should depend on your playstyle:

Melee Combat Vampire: Focus on Strength & Constitution

Stealth & Agility Vampire: Focus on Dexterity & Constitution

Magic User Vampire: Keep Intelligence or Charisma high if you were a spellcaster before turning.

Stat Modifiers in Vampire Form (Nightfall Transformation)

At night, when in Vampire Form, you gain additional stat changes:

+1 to Strength & Dexterity (Your body becomes faster and stronger than a normal human's.)

2 to Wisdom (Bloodlust and primal instincts override logic.)

Your Intelligence & Charisma remain unchanged.

Let me know if you can think of anything else to add :> (and what you wouls like next)

[bigbadbatch]

Reputations-Fives x Reader: Chapter 7

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

Chapter 7: Look What You Made Me Do 

Your skin burns beneath the layer of grime coating you, every inch sticky with dust. The heat of Geonosis clings to you, and your lungs scream for air as you sprint across the cracked red earth. Your muscles ache, but you run anyway.

You have to reach them.

A line of clones is visible just ahead, silhouettes against the harsh sun. A small rally of troops, marching straight toward the edge of a canyon mouth that yawns open like a beast waiting to feed.

“Stop!” you scream, your voice raw, cracking through the air.

No one turns.

“Stop! You have to stop!”

You slam your hand against the comm on your wrist, but static is all it gives you in return. Dead. Jammed. The droids had been smarter than anyone predicted. You see that now. They’d been here longer, had studied the land, twisted it to their needs. They knew exactly where the Republic would come through, and had corralled the men, your men, into the heart of the canyon.

The troopers begin to slow, dust curling around their boots in lazy spirals. They pause, forming a semi-circle at the rocky threshold, surveying the area.

You push harder. You don’t care about the burning in your chest or the way your legs threaten to give out beneath you. You have to reach them.

“Wait!” you cry out again, now only a hundred feet away.

One of the clones turns, his helmet pivoting sharply in your direction. He lifts his blaster halfway, until recognition clicks. He elbows the soldier beside him. With those blue-striped pauldrons, you’d know him anywhere.

Fives.

He steps away from the group and jogs toward you, pulling off his helmet. His face is flushed with heat, a frown already furrowing his brow.

“Mesh’la,” he breathes, confusion washing over his features, “what the hell are you doing this far from base camp? It’s too dangerous out here.”

You double over, hands braced on your knees as you gasp for air.

“I…know,” you rasp between gulps. “You have to stop. You all have to stop. It’s a trap.”

Fives blinks, startled. “A trap? There’s nothing out here. We did a full scan.”

“That’s the point!” You straighten, wiping grit from your mouth. “The scans don’t pick it up because it’s underground. This canyon, it’s not just terrain. It’s a breeding ground.”

You point toward the yawning cliffside, heart racing. “They nest here. Geonosians. Their eggs are underneath this whole stretch of rock. If you cross that threshold, if the hive stirs, they’ll know. All of them. They'll know exactly where you are, and they’ll come for you. You won’t stand a chance.”

Fives’ jaw tightens, the muscle ticking as he looks over his shoulder at the rest of the squad. Dust swirls between them in the silence, but his voice cuts through it.

“We have to finish the mission,” he says, gaze locked on the horizon. “If we don’t reach the outpost before nightfall, it’ll be overrun. They’ll reduce it to scrap before we even get close. We’re the only ones close enough to reinforce it. All we have to do is hook up the new frequency station so Command can coordinate airstrikes.”

He turns back to you, his brows pinched. “How sure are you? About this being a trap?”

You exhale sharply, your hands balling into fists at your sides. “Certain,” you say, your voice low and fierce. “Dead certain.”

You step closer, forcing him to meet your eyes. “There’s a reason your original route had a sinkhole dropped in the middle of it. That wasn’t natural, it was planted. The droids bombed it on purpose. They didn’t want you using the safe path.”

Fives blinks, his expression flickering.

“They pushed you here,” you continue, gesturing toward the canyon. “Funneled you straight into the nest. They want the Geonosians to do their dirty work. They’ll let the hive rip you to pieces, and once you’re gone, they’ll strike the southern ridge without resistance from the north.”

Fives takes a breath through his nose, gaze darkening. He knows you're not the panicking type. You don't run screaming across a battlefield unless you're absolutely sure you're right. And you’re right. He can feel it now too, deep in his bones.

He glances back at the men again, some still standing at ease, others already beginning to set up scanning gear. Unaware.

Then, one of the shinies, the newest member of the battalion out on his first mission, takes the first step. Then another.

 “STOP!” You and Fives both yell, but before he can hear you he takes that final, fatal step across an invisible threshold. The vibrations of his footsteps over that Geonosian brood awakens something.

It begins with a sound; low and ancient. A groan from deep beneath the surface, like the planet itself is waking up from a nightmare. The vibration hits you in the legs first, rattling through your bones and stealing the strength from your knees. Around you, troopers stumble, weapons clattering against their armor.

And then the canyon floor collapses.

The shiny doesn’t even have time to scream. The ground beneath him gives way in a thunderous roar, opening like a mouth to swallow him whole. A jagged chasm splits the earth, wide and hungry, dust and debris shooting skyward as rock shears away. He vanishes into the dark in an instant, swallowed by the nothingness.

Then, silence.

A heartbeat.

And from that darkness, the swarm rises.

They pour from the pit like smoke and fire, shrieking, clicking, the thunder of thousands of wings drowning out everything else. Massive drones, spindly and sharp, rise.

The sky fills with them in seconds.

The trap has been sprung.

And now comes the reckoning.

Fives is already moving, grabbing your arm, hauling you back. “Move! Go, go!”

Around you, blasters fire wildly into the air, but the Geonosians don’t scatter. They dive straight into the chaos, shrieking war cries echoing off the canyon walls.

You don’t look back.

There’s no time.

Your legs scream with every step, still raw and burning from the sprint that brought you here. But there's no time to stop, no time to think about the ache radiating through your calves or the dry burn of Geonosian air in your lungs.

You reach out mid-stride and grab Fives’ hand, fingers locking tight around his glove. “Follow me!”

He hesitates, yanked a step off balance, his eyes flicking back toward the chaos, the brothers scattering, shots cracking, shouts and cries lost beneath the roar of wings. 

“The others!” he yells.

You shake your head hard. “They’ve had their training! You have a mission, Fives, we finish it!”

Your free hand flies to your hip, fingers fumbling for the datapad holstered at your side. You yank it out, thumb smashing the power button. 

“Please work,” you whisper. The screen flickers then surges to life, its light a small victory in the sea of rising panic.

You run. You breathe. You think, even when everything in your body begs you to stop.

Behind you, Fives fires shot after shot, picking off winged shapes that dive too low. Around the canyon, the squad has split into pairs, each drawing part of the swarm away, just like you hoped. The clones may be outnumbered, but they’re holding the line.

You scroll and swipe through the datapad with one hand as you sprint, flipping through half-broken maps, geological scans, supply routes, anything. 

“This way!” you shout, banking left without warning and bolting toward the ridgeline. Dust kicks up around your boots as the terrain narrows and the rocky walls of the canyon loom higher on either side.

Fives swears behind you. “That’s a dead end!”

You risk a glance over your shoulder. “You have to trust me!”

He slows for half a second, caught between instincts, but then he nods once and follows.

No questions. Just faith.

Together, you sprint toward a sheer wall of rock, the canyon squeezing tighter. 

You slide the datapad back into its holster, lungs heaving. You need to throw them off. Break the hive’s lock on your location, just long enough to move undetected through the tunnel you spotted in the scan.

You tear at your wrist, ripping the dead comm from its strap. It’s useless as a receiver, but if the droids were jamming the GAR’s signal… it must still be emitting something. The feedback. The interference.

You pop the casing open with your thumb and dig at the wires inside, teeth grit as you peel and twist two thin filaments together. “Come on…”

Then; a low-pitched hum, barely audible to your ears. You jam the cover back in place, spinning on your heel. The swarm is closer now. In seconds, they’ll be on you.

You cock your arm and throw, hurling the modified comm straight into the heart of the swarm behind you. For a moment, it disappears into the mass of wings and screeches.

And then… chaos.

A handful of Geonosians plummet midflight, convulsing in the air before slamming into the ground. Others spin in jagged, erratic circles, screeching as they claw at nothing. More still veer off course. They tear at each other in confusion, attacking the invisible pulse.

The pressure thins. Just enough.

You don’t stop running until your body screams for air, your boots scraping and skidding against the uneven stone as you reach the final stretch. The massive cliff face looms ahead, towering and absolute, the wall of rock seeming to stretch into the sky.

Your heart drops.

There’s nothing there.

No opening. No passage. Just solid stone and the whine of the swarm somewhere behind you, distant but not far enough.

Your throat tightens with panic. 

“Here!” Fives shouts. He’s already moved to the edge of the wall, one hand pressed against the rock. He shoulders into it, muscles bunching beneath his armor as he throws his full weight forward. With a heavy grind, a slab of stone shifts just enough and the hidden mouth of the tunnel opens.

You both dive inside, ducking into the cool darkness of the cave just as the shriek of wings echoes too close behind. Fives turns, bracing the edge of the rock with you at his side. You dig your heels into the ground and push, straining with everything you’ve got left.

The stone shifts again.

Then, with a final slam, it seals the entrance.

Darkness swallows you whole.

You stumble back, hands braced against your knees, chest heaving. Your heartbeat fills the space around you, loud in your ears, your throat, your ribs. It’s all you can hear. That and the distant, muffled screeching of the swarm, just outside, just too late.

Silence falls.

A breath. Another.

Fives activates the light on his helmet. The tunnel glows in a pale blue wash, revealing the rough interior.

He looks at you, and tension unwinds from his shoulders.

“Good work, cyare,” he murmurs.

Before you can answer, he reaches for your hand, the one still trembling from adrenaline. His fingers wrap around yours, warm despite the armor. He squeezes.

 One, two, three times.

Then he lets go, already turning, already walking deeper into the tunnel. 

You follow him, the only sound now the quiet scrape of boots on stone and the low hum of his helmet light leading the way forward.

—

Evening has fallen by the time you and Fives reach the outpost, the sun hanging low on the horizon.The wind has died down, but the stillness feels uneasy, like the planet itself is holding its breath.

You crouch low behind a half-collapsed durasteel barrier, scanning the horizon while Fives climbs the skeletal ladder of the outpost’s radio tower. The metal groans under his weight, each footstep echoing louder than it should in the brittle silence.

Every noise sets your nerves alight. A loose bolt clattering to the platform. The shrill sound of crossed wires. The wind tugging at a torn tarp. All of it makes you flinch.

You crane your neck, whisper-yelling up at him, “Don’t forget the booster signal!”

He looks down, face obscured by the glare of the setting sun behind him. “Didn’t forget,” he mutters, tugging a small modulator from the side pouch you loaded before the mission.

It had been your idea, tweaking the signal to carry a repulsing undercurrent, a low-frequency pulse specifically designed to irritate Geonosians. Not strong enough to harm them, but enough to make this region unbearable.

If the droids want this outpost, they’ll have to come for it the hard way. No more hiding behind the swarm.

You watch as Fives connects the booster, the light at the tower’s core shifting from a dull blue to a bright, pulsing orange. A soft hum fills the air.

Then he climbs down, landing beside you with a grunt. His armor is dusty, his face streaked with dried sweat and grime, but his eyes are sharp.

“Transmission’s clean,” he says. “Signal’s strong enough to bounce halfway across the northern ridge. They’ll know we’re here.”

“Good,” you whisper, a slow breath escaping your lungs. 

For the first time in hours, you let your shoulders drop. The silence doesn’t feel so threatening now. The red glow is dimming into violet dusk. And Fives, he’s standing beside you, not rushing off, not looking to the next fight just yet.

Just breathing. With you.

“You did good out there today,” Fives says quietly, voice barely louder than the wind brushing across the desert. The light from the outpost beacon flickers across his face, casting golden shadows across the curve of his jaw. “This mission would’ve gone to hell without you.”

You exhale, a dry little breath that’s half laugh, half exhaustion. “I just did what I had to do.” You pause, swallowing hard. “Though I’ll admit… training simulations didn’t prepare me for any of that. Not the swarm. Not the running. Not…” your voice hitches, “...watching that shiny fall.”

You drop your gaze to the dust beneath your boots, the guilt creeping in like a shadow. “I should’ve warned them sooner. I should’ve…”

Fingers brush against your cheek.

You look up, startled, and Fives is there, closer now, his touch gentle and sure even through the coarse material of his glove.

“You did warn us,” he says softly. “You ran into danger. You saved lives today. If you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation.”

His hand drops, but the warmth of it lingers. He looks at you for a moment longer, then grimaces, voice tightening.

“But it was too dangerous. All of it. You can’t just… throw yourself into the fire like that again.” His jaw clenches. “You have to stay at base camp. Monitor the threat, call it from there. That’s the whole point of having a strategist.”

You shake your head before he’s even done speaking. “Base camp’s a glorified desk job. Like sitting in HQ on Coruscant, watching markers on a screen while everyone else bleeds for it.”

You step closer. “Out here, I can see the terrain. I can read the movement, feel the shift before it’s on top of us. If I’d stayed behind that screen, we’d all be dead in that canyon.”

Fives looks away, the muscle in his jaw ticking as silence stretches between you. Then he exhales, his voice raw when it finally comes.

“I know. I know you're right. I just…”

He runs a hand over his hair, frustration pulling at every edge of him.

“I think I could’ve done better today if I wasn’t so busy worrying about you back at base camp. And then you weren’t even there, you were right in front of me, running straight into kriffing death, and I…” He cuts himself off, voice cracking with something vulnerable.

“Maker, I was a mess back there.”

You stare at him, lips parting, surprised by how much weight is in that confession.

The soldier everyone relies on, your Fives, was scared. For you.

You offer him a gentle smile. Fives doesn’t look at you right away; he’s still staring out at the desert as though it might rise up and bite again.

But you watch him.

Really watch him.

The curve of his brow furrowed in thought. The faint dust streaking his cheek, just beneath his eye. The slight swell of his lip, cracked from sun and wind. His nose, his jawline, the tattoo above his temple.

And his eyes. Those warm, impossibly deep eyes. Brown like the soil of faraway worlds, like home in places you’ve never been. He blinks and glances toward you briefly, and it’s like something inside you stops.

Oh.

Your breath catches.

It’s not just gratitude. Not admiration. 

It’s him.

It’s the way he fights, and how he thinks. The way he worries, too much, always too much, about everyone else, including you. It’s the sound of your name in his mouth. It’s every time he’s made you feel seen, like maybe you’re not just another cog in the war machine.

Something twists in your chest, deep and aching. A secret, too loud to stay hidden anymore.

Maker.

You love him.

Not in the casual way you’ve said it to old friends or whispered it in the dark to someone who didn't deserve it. This is bigger. It roots itself in the pit of your stomach and expands behind your ribs like a star threatening to collapse in on itself.

He still hasn’t noticed the change in you, not yet.

You look away before he can.

You’re not sure what would happen if he looked at you now, if he really saw what just cracked open behind your eyes. You don’t know what you’d say. Or what he’d say.

But you know one thing for sure.

It’s real.

Just then, a sharp hum cuts through the stillness.

You freeze.

Across the ridgeline, something shifts in the air. Dust stirs. Wind kicks up around you. Instinct drives your hand toward your blaster, heart leaping back into your throat. Not again. Please not again.

But it’s not a threat.

A LAAT gunship breaks through the haze, cutting across the sky like a blade of durasteel. Its engines roar overhead, powerful and reassuring. You shield your eyes against the light and the dust it kicks up as it descends.

“There’s our evac.” Fives calls, his voice raised over the wind, but still laced with the same rawness he showed you just minutes ago.

The gunship lowers to the canyon floor, kicking up a cloud of grit and sand. The side doors slide open with a mechanical hiss. Fives turns to you and offers his hand without hesitation.

You take it.

His grip is firm, steady, but it lingers. His fingers tighten around yours just a beat too long, warm even through the glove. Not enough to say anything out loud.

But enough that you feel it.

He pulls you up into the LAAT, his hand skimming along your back as you step in beside him. There’s silence between you as the doors shut and the gunship lifts off again, rising away from the broken ground of Geonosis.

You settle into the seat opposite him, your heart still pounding, not from the mission, not anymore. From something else entirely.

The ship vibrates beneath you, the sound of flight rumbling through your bones, but your thoughts are somewhere else. 

On him.

On the way something shifted inside you and refuses now to shift back.

You glance at Fives, he’s staring out the window, one elbow braced against the edge, jaw tight. 

You wrap your arms around yourself, not from cold, but to keep everything inside.

You’ve been trained to navigate chaos, lead through uncertainty, read patterns and threats before they strike. But nothing in your training prepared you for this quiet ache in your chest. For the realization blooming behind your ribs like a second heartbeat.

You love him.

And now you’re flying away from the battlefield with that knowledge burning in your chest, wondering how long you can keep it buried... if you even want to.

The LAAT surges toward the waiting cruiser in the sky, but your thoughts stay grounded, wrapped in dust and shadows, with the crushing truth inside your chest.

_________________________

Taglist: @vaderxvibes @ct7567329

My flare is finally winding down (thanks heating pads and special meds.) Sorry for the delay! I'm gonna try to play catch up as much as I can. I have a pretty clear idea of how this last half goes, for better or for worse. I also have a really neat idea for when this finishes... stay tuned.

Thank you for reading! I wish I could say there was alot of fluff and romance and spice from here on out, but this is the turning point of the fic. Ya'll remember how this ends...right? Just checking.

Love ya, mean it!

[wildchild-401]

Sanctuary of White Lillies

Based upon this idea from @autistic-swanprincess

Written in roleplay form with @miriozz

Part One

Suguru

Suguru pulled himself closer to the steps of the ornate building, the darkness seeping quicker around the corners of his eyes. He couldn't remember how far his aching feet had wandered before they finally gave up. 

Thank goodness I saw this temple.  His hazy brain could barely form a cohesive thought. He reached one hand towards the door and knocked once, all his exhausted body could handle. How many days has it been since I left? Three? He hadn't eaten, or slept, since. Curse my shitty foraging skills. He coughed and laid his head back on the stone steps. Please. Please, someone. His eyelids sank shut. Please...

The world fell quiet around him, and Suguru let himself go, falling into death or sleep, whichever would take him first.

...

Satoru

The rain during the night never seemed to stop.  Satoru tossed and turned on his futon. As head of the Gojo clan, he couldn’t even have peace to himself, and now the rain was against him as well. Curse these gods. Eventually he sat up, staring into the mirror across the room from his bed. His hair glowed white in the dark, the rest of his features falling into shadow. He stood with a sigh, and walked to the door. I may as well go pray that the rain quits or I'll have to deal with flooded houses tomorrow. 

Satoru fetched a coat, threw the hood over his head, and walked to the temple, taking the back entrance normally reserved for servants. 

All was quiet, the rain echoing off of the high ceilings above. Luckily, one of the monks had shut the slats in the ceiling before nightfall, but drips still cascaded to the stone floor. The few temple attendants had retired to their chambers, so he was alone. 

Satoru made a mental note to have better roofing put in before the full rainy season began, and stepped up to the altar.  

Just as he placed his hands on the golden rim to pray, a faint but audible thud caught his attention. It came from the front door. 

Satoru paused, staring at the red double doors. Sleep deprived as well as the battering sounds of the rain temporarily muted his Six Eyes, but nonetheless, he squinted and peered beyond the door. 

Lo and behold, there was a man, lying upon the stone steps. An unconscious one at that, dark clothes soaked through and scratches upon his pretty face. Satoru's heart sunk. He doesn’t seem harmful. He strode to the large doors and pulled one open slowly, eyes fixated on the unconscious man. His breathing was deep, but Satoru detected a strong heart. He bent down and cautiously lifted the man into his arms, remembering his mother's words: "A man who is generous will have his generosity returned to him." Gojo adjusted the man in his arms and sighed. At least I have something to occupy myself with. 

[silverwings22]

Starfall: Chapter 23: Secret Sinner

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

“We got those Death Leech things in the town square.” Regina huffed through the radio from a sniper's nest in the middle of Citrus City. “I can’t hit them from here.”

“Focus on the big ones and keep them off us.” Star was skating through ahead of Emory, who was flying and zapping everything in close range. 

“We’ve been at this for days. Don’t these things ever sleep?” Emory huffed. They’d been working in shifts with the other teams, clearing cities as best they could while hunting the Emeralds. 

“Doubtful. Hold still.” Star doubled back, getting momentum before ramping off a wrecked out car and catching air. She used Emory’s wing as a springboard and went straight through the window of a bank building that was surrounded by clamoring Black Arms.

“Now isn’t the time for bank heists, Star.” Regina grumbled. 

“I’m almost offended you think that’s what I’m doing.” Star landed in the middle of the lobby. The windows had been broken days ago, the workers fled during the first day of the invasion. Nothing was alive here except a couple Death Leeches, and she made a point to stomp them as hard as she could as she walked by towards the vault. 

She hoped Black Doom could feel it when she did. This whole mess was his fault. She was supposed to be sitting in a field of lavender blossoms and enjoying the silence of nightfall with Shadow right about now, not crushing the green blood out of these little one-eyed monsters. She felt disgusting, knowing one of them had been the donor blood from whence she’d come.

“If it’s not a heist, what are you doing?” Emory came through the broken window, mindful of the glass. 

“There’s an emerald nearby. I can sense it.” Star pointed at the locked vault.

“How do you just… sense it?” Emory landed next to her. “What’s it feel like?”

“Like Chaos?” Star shrugged. “I… don’t really know how to describe it. It’s a part of me, it has been since I was made. It’s like trying to describe color to someone born blind.” 

“Try me.” They approached the vault, Star plucking a quill and starting to work on the large lock. It was an older bank, with old fashioned locks instead of the newer high-security features. Star was glad for it, or she’d have needed more help. She still hated touch screens and digital keypads, but there was no way around it now. 

Star wiggled her ears as she worked, focusing on the sound of the lock mechanisms. “It’s… a loud feeling. Like pins and needles. I feel it in my quills, in my palms… and my chest. When an Emerald, or something else using Chaos energy is nearby it almost feels itchy… like I need to find it, and make it mine. And when I use my own, it’s a burst from the inside out. Like a bubble popping.” The lock came open with a loud click and Star looked up at Emory. “Does that         explain it well enough?”

Emory smiled. “I wanna see what you can really do once we get that Emerald.” 

Star couldn’t help but smile back. “Try to keep up.” There was only fondness in her voice, instead of a challenge. 

They opened the vault together, each shoving one of the heavy double doors. Inside were stacks of cash and gold coins, nothing of importance to them as they walked through searching for the illusive glitter of a gemstone. “It’s funny, all this money… people fight and kill for it, but none of it matters now.” 

“Money can’t save them.” Star nodded. “From the Black Arms or themselves.”

“Does it feel weird that you’re related to them?” Emory watched Star as she cast her senses around, searching. 

“They aren’t my family.” Star said firmly. The Nuberrys were her family, and before that it was Gerald and Maria. 

I hope Shadow’s keeping that same perspective… he’s all alone out there. The thought hit her hard, that Shadow’s refusal to work with GUN isolated him. She hoped it didn’t make him a target for Black Doom, who’d apparently intended to use him as a part of the evil plan all along… No. Shadow wouldn’t fall for that.

The crackle of power up her spine almost made her fall over when her searching hands brushed the smooth facets of a Chaos Emerald, and her tail twitched. “Found it.” She lifted the stone, which rotated and hovered above her palm when she presented it to Emory.

“Aww, it’s your favorite color too.” The purple hedgehog grinned. “Matches your makeup.” 

Star flipped it from one hand to the other, snatching it from the air, and held her free hand out to Emory. “Still want to see what I can do?”

“Hell yeah.” Emory grasped her hand tightly, and with a crack they were warping outside of the building. Her head spun like she was on a county fair tilt-o-whirl, but no sooner were her boots on the ground than Star was letting out and taking off with a blur and trail of white-gold light. She rolled into a spin dash, bouncing from one Black Arms soldier to another and breaking them apart with the speed she hit them before warping to the next group. “C-c-combo breaker!” Emory whooped. “You seeing this, Mom?”

“Sure am.” Regina chuckled, watching through her scope. “But we’ve seen her spin. C’mon Star. Gimme a show.”

Star didn’t respond verbally, but burst out of her ball midair and pulled a backflip that landed her on top of a broken statue in the city park. She cocked her head, sizing up the alien soldiers now moving to rush her, before holding up the Emerald. The red glow off it faded to white-gold and arched off her fingertips in a Chaos spear that splintered out like fractals. When pierced, the Black Arms shrieked and all but melted into green–blooded goo. She fired off three volleys before jumping down and skating across the reflection pond back to Emory. “Enough of a show for you?”

Emory grinned and bounced on her heels, looking giddy. “That was so cool!”

Star smiled. “Wait until you see the containment field-” 

“Look alive, baby girls. Another wave is coming.” Regina cut in. “Looks like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are driving them this way.” 

Star and Emory exchanged looks and grinned. “I wanna see that containment field.”

“Race you to the fight.” Star nodded. Emory’s wings popped back up and she took off, the two of them headed for the next group of Black Arms monsters. 

“Hey, Star!” Sonic grinned when she came hurtling overhead and smashed the heel of her boot through the nearest alien head. “I see you found one!” 

“I did.” She blasted another spear behind him, taking out one of the bigger aliens. “We’ll talk later. These things report back to Black Doom in real time.” 

“Oooh. Gotcha.” He nodded, darting past her to slam one into Knuckles. The echidna was delighted to crush the alien flat. “We picked one up yesterday.”

“You could have let me know.” When he interlaced his fingers and crouched, Star took a running leap and his boost, catching onto one of the flying batlike creatures and putting a Chaos spear into its head. It went crashing and she jumped, catching a handle Emory had welded to the front of her chestplate so she dangled in front of her sister for their descent to the ground. 

“I try not to text girls with boyfriends, unless it’s a group chat.” Sonic laughed. “It prevents a lot of issues.” 

“I cannot be in a group chat with you. You will yap, I know it.” Star made a face.

“I yap and you text me.” Emory pouted.

“I like hearing you yap.” Star shrugged. “I like hearing Tails yap too.” 

“What’s the difference between them and me?” Sonic grumbled as they finished clearing out the last of the aliens in the area.

“The IQ of the conversation.” Star smirked, finally close enough to the ground to drop and land on her feet. She reached up immediately, taking Emory’s hand and holding her steady as she reached the ground. Regina, who’d made her way out of her nest to join the fight with her heavy artillery, clucked her tongue when Emory laughed at Star’s comment.

“That’s not nice, girls.”

“Sorry Mom.” They both said in unison, and both Tails and Sonic doubled over snickering. 

“What’s so funny?” Star scrunched her nose at them, but without any real malice. 

Tails knew she liked him too much to really be annoyed, so he was the one to speak up. She’d swat at Sonic. “It’s just funny, seeing a superpowered lifeform like you listening to your mom.”

Star rolled her eyes, but ruffled Tails’ ears anyway. “Hold on. We’ll talk in a second.” Once everyone was close enough, she flipped the emerald again and encased them in the inverted world of her Chaos Contain. “There. The last thing we need is one of those things getting back to Black Doom about what we’re planning.” 

“You’re handling this better than Shadow.” Sonic sighed. “He was looking a little… stressed out when we saw him yesterday. He was going after another one of the emeralds, but these things have him on edge.” 

“Can you blame him? These things are monsters… and we’re made from them.” Star shook her head and crossed her arms. “It’s hard to not feel like being descended from filth doesn’t make you dirty too.”

Regina patted her arm. “We all make our own choices. You’re choosing us.”

“I am. But I choose Shadow too.” Star nodded. “Where did you see him?”

“Back towards Crystal Keyhole. It’s looking like most of the emeralds washed ashore after the airship crash, and people picked them up. There’s probably one of them still underwater.” 

“Guess we’ll get to test Tails’ submarine sooner than we thought.” Star sighed. “Rouge found one in Casino Park this morning. So that’s three, plus the one Shadow’s getting…. Three more.” 

“And I have the Master Emerald secure so it cannot be used.” Knuckles nodded. 

“Good. If there’s one underwater then we just need 2 more. We’ll work back towards the coast after we finish cleaning up here.”

Regina nodded. “I’ll call in a report to Commander Tower once we’re back in the truck with Dev. You’re not warping the truck again, my stomach cannot take it.” They were using the mobile command station Dev was monitoring them out of as a sort of miniature base, where they crashed after hours of fighting and let another team take over before they got back up again. The other Mystic Ruins teams would sometimes join them in shifts, though Omega and Doc mostly sat on the roof and protected the truck while Rouge slept. 

Star sighed. “It’s faster.”

“Not if I have to stop and get out to hurl. I don’t know how Emory stands it.” Regina shook her head. 

“Fine. We’ll load up and head for the coast then. Sonic, call Amy and have her meet us? Knuckles, you call Rouge. She always picks up for you.” Star was rubbing her face against her knuckles again, trying to scrub the tiredness off. “I’ll try to get in touch with Shadow once we’re back at the truck.”

Tails looked concerned. “Are you not sleeping again?” 

“It’s only been a couple days. I’ll be fine.” Star sighed. “I’ve gone longer.”

Emory cut her a suspicious look. “Star. I thought you were past the insomnia.”

“I was. When Shadow was around.” Her sister shook her head. “Let’s make these calls and keep moving. I’ll sleep when Black Doom is dead.”

While Knuckles and Sonic called up the girls who most liked them, Star leaned against the outside of the containment field and checked through her phone. Shadow was after an emerald, but he hadn’t texted her… 

I’ve got a bad feeling. She couldn’t describe it, but something unsettling and bitter sat in her stomach. The weird, half-whispers hadn’t flared up again since the invasion began, thank Chaos, but she felt uneasy knowing that they had. That there was any road between her mind and the Black Arms hive, no matter how closed the road was, made her feel like she needed to rip her brain out and scrub it. She at least wasn’t alone with it like Shadow was. She had her family and friends… I have friends. I’ve found people to trust, just like Maria wanted for us both.

“Amy and Rouge are both bringing their teams to the bay at Crystal Keyhole.” Sonic tapped her shoulder lightly. “You ready?” 

Star nodded, dropping her phone back in her pocket. “Ready.” She flicked her hand and the containment popped, the group of them freed back into the sound and color of the surrounding world. Dev was already pulling up in the battle battered RV. Everyone dipped inside, hoping to catch a nap on the journey. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles found a comfortable enough looking seat and simply piled up, the little fox’s tails acting as a blanket while Knuckles’ breadth made a fine pillow for the other two. Regina sank into the passenger seat next to Dev, giving him a quick update before propping herself up against the door and conking out. 

Emory was settling into a seat when Star walked past her and stuck herself on the floor in the back corner of the truck, behind the second set of computers and radio equipment. She gave a wry smile and shook her head before going back and plopping down next to her reclusive sibling. “What are you doing?”

“You should be resting while you can.” Star said quietly, knees updrawn and the red emerald in her hands. “It’s only a few hours break.”

“You’re one to talk.” Emory shook her head. “At least try to nap.” 

“I can’t.” Star shook her head. 

Emory huffed. The last little downtime they’d had, Star had explained her entire life story to her and Regina. Suddenly so many little ticks and twitches made sense about the dark hedgehog girl, including her awful coping mechanisms. “You can’t, or you won’t try because you're terrified that if you’re not present every single moment something awful will happen?” 

Star just groaned. “You’re doing it again.” 

“Doing what?”

“Knowing.” Star sighed. “I feel very understood. Which I thought I would like more.”

“I’m your big sister. I know you.” Emory sighed. 

“Four days ago, you thought I was younger than you and not part alien.” 

“None of that matters. What matters is in your heart, Star.” Emory stretched her legs out and patted her thigh. “Lay down. At least close your eyes, even if you cant sleep. Try for me.”

Star sighed again but shifted, putting her head down in Emory’s lap. “I’m just… worried. About everything. Shadow’s all alone out there, and the Black Arms, and-”

“Right now, it’s just you and me.” Emory reached up and started gently petting Star’s ears. At first, Star gave her that baleful and resistant stare she was so famous for… then there was a softening of her brow. The tight line her mouth was in relaxed. Bit by bit, her eyes started to close. “That’s better.” Emory smiled. “Go to sleep. Not everything is your responsibility, and you can let other people help you.”

Star mumbled something between clicky purrs as her body started to relax. It wasn’t the first time she’d been lulled to sleep like this, though usually it was Shadow. The only other person who’d ever been able to break her anxiety was the only other sister Star had ever trusted.

Maria’s fingers smoothed over her ears softly. “Star?”

“Mmm?” The little hedgehog nuzzled against the blue fabric of her dress sleepily, but kept fighting to keep her eyes open. 

“It’s not your fault the treatment didn’t work. You know that, right?”

Star’s eyes fully opened and she made an unhappy noise. “I was supposed to make you better. But I didn’t.” 

“Shadow didn’t either.”

“I know.” Star sighed sadly. “He says he hates himself for it. I wish he didn’t.” 

“He needs you to look after him as much as you need him.” Maria tucked a blanket around Star’s shoulders and she looked up, taking in the blonde girl’s face against the backdrop of stars outside the ARK window. For a moment, everything seemed peaceful… then Maria’s expression twitched. “He needs you, Star.”

“I know. I-”

“He needs you. Why aren’t you with him?” The soft fingers on her ears grabbed tightly, yanking her earrings until she thought they’d rip out. “You’re supposed to be with him. You promised!”

“Maria, you’re hurting me!” Star yelped. This wasn’t right. Maria would never hurt her, and she hadn’t even had earrings when they’d been on the ARK. “Let go!” Tears sprang to her eyes, both from the sharp pain and absolute insanity of the scenario. 

This wasn’t a memory. It wasn’t even a dream, it was a nightmare. 

 She reached up, trying to pry Maria’s hands off the sides of her head, trying desperately not to hurt her. “Let go. Let go. Let go.” She whimpered.

“You’re supposed to protect him. It’s why you exist.” Maria’s voice didn’t sound like herself, and Star finally managed to wrench away with blood trickling down her ears from the girl’s nails. When she looked back, Maria’s eyes were bloodshot and yellow instead of blue. 

“M-maria…?”

“You failed. But you will serve.” Maria spat, a third eye opening on her forehead. “You will serve the prince or die.” 

Cackling horrors darkened the room, Black Arms clawed hands reaching for her. Star scrambled back, trying to get loose as her arms and legs were grabbed. The blonde girl staring at her wasn’t Maria, and she screamed for the one person she knew beyond the barest shadow of a doubt would rescue her. 

“SHADOW!”

“He’s already ours.” The Not-Maria smirked, and the pulsing limbs of Black Arms soldiers dragged Star into the fray. 

“Star! Star, hey wake up! It’s us! It’s us!” 

Star’s whole body jolted, kicking and swinging furiously at the feeling of hands holding her down. People were yelling her name, and it took a minute for her to realize they were familiar voices. The hand holding her right wrist was Sonic’s keeping her from punching Tails directly in the face as he clung to her leg. Knuckles was draped over her middle, both mitts occupied with pinning her left arm to the floor while Regina tried to get control of her other leg. Emory was at her head, holding onto her shoulders.

“E-emory… I….” Star panted, throat raw and chest aching. “W-what happened?”

“You had a nightmare.” Emory smoothed her quills back gently. “You started twitching, then fighting. Are you okay?”

Everyone quickly got off Star and she sat up. Her shoulders were shaking, and part of her was embarrassed to be caught so out of sorts. But that was drowned out by the terror still hammering in her chest, and she curled up into a ball and put her head on her knees. “I-I’m sorry…” She rasped. “For disturbing everyone…” 

“You were screaming Shadow’s name…” Regina frowned, reaching out to brush her quills back. Star flinched at the touch. “Star, honey…”

“Just a nightmare…” Star mumbled, shivering, but she didn’t believe it. Something was wrong with Shadow, she felt it in her bones. He was in trouble… And she wasn’t there.

Sonic refused to go down in the submarine, and Star saw a convenient opportunity to get her head on straight. “I’ll stay up here with Sonic. In case any Black Arms turn up while Dad’s in the truck, and to meet Team Rose and Dark.”

Regina nodded, reaching out to pat Star’s quills before stopping herself. “We’ll be back soon, honey.”

Star nodded. “Be safe.” She watched them load up and launch the little machine, which rolled out like a car until it got deep enough to morph into a submarine. Once they were gone, she leaned back against a large rock on the shore and looked up at the red sky with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her favorite color didn’t seem so inviting right now.

“You okay?” Sonic leaned next to her. He looked sincere, and despite how often he annoyed her she couldn’t forget that he’d been the one who could reach Shadow when she had been presumed dead. Sonic had saved him when he’d wanted to die, in much the same way Emory had saved her when she’d washed up on this very same beach and crawled towards a dumpster in the distance. He was a friend, and he was trying to help. 

She sighed, chin tipping forward onto her chest. “That nightmare I had… it wasn’t normal.” Her ears still ached where she’d apparently been yanking them in her own sleep. “I think it had something to do with the hive mind.” 

“Is it affecting you?” Sonic frowned. “You’re kind of running us here, Star. If the Black Arms can hear you-”

“I don’t think I’m compromised.” She shook her head. “I’d pull myself back to base if I was. But when the invasion started, when the sky turned red… I heard something, right before my inhibitors got scalding hot. A whisper about hunger and feasting, right before the Black Arms landed to start consuming everything in sight.” 

“What do you think caused it.” Sonic hesitantly scooted over a little closer.

“The surge of Chaos energy Black Doom entering the atmosphere caused, most likely. But… that dream. In it, I was calling for Shadow-”

“You were yelling for him in real life too.” Sonic rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “You sounded terrified… I know how brave you are, so it must have been bad.”

“... it was.” Star swallowed, glancing at him. Her usually guarded expression, which he’d only seen soften around Shadow and her family, dropped. Underneath, those big blue eyes were unbelievably scared and shiny with tears she was holding back. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He offered.

Star’s ears drooped. “I know it was just a dream. But… Maria was there, and she’d never…” Hesitantly she touched her ears. “I know she’d never hurt either of us. But it felt so real… and so wrong.” 

Sonic’s hand settled on her upper arm. “It wasn’t her. You know that.”

“I know.” She nodded. “The thing that looked like her… changed. It had an extra, yellow eye, and when I called for Shadow she said he was already theirs… and the Black Arms dragged me down.” She shivered. “I think somethings wrong. They’re targeting Shadow.”

“They’d be hard-pressed to get one over on Shadow.” Sonic tried to comfort her with his usual confidence. “He’s the Ultimate Lifeform.”

“Sonic… I was made with the blood of a Black Arms soldier. Shadow was made with blood from Black Doom himself.” Star shook her head. “In the dream, she said I’d serve the prince or die… I think she was talking about Shadow. I’m afraid Black Doom is manipulating him.” 

“You think he’d fall for it?” Sonic looked incredulous.

Her shoulders crumpled. “There are three things in the world that can shake Shadow to the core, maybe even badly enough for Black Doom to get his claws in. “Maria, me, and his relationship with the Black Arms. He’s always hated that part of himself, as long as I can remember. Even on the ARK… Maria said we made our own choices, but…” She trailed off. “I don’t want to believe he could. But if Black Doom could offer him a way out of that self loathing, and he’s all alone…”

Sonic shook his head. “We need to find him fast, then. I’ll circle the wider area, but you know him best. Check anywhere he might go. Dev can watch for Amy and Rouge’s teams, I’ll let him know we’re going.”

Star nodded, taking a moment to think before darting off towards Crystal Keyhole. Shadow didn’t care much about his house in Mystic Ruins, which had mostly become a second hideaway for Rouge and storage, unless he needed a convenient place to steal Star off to for a couple days without having to share her with her family. But her apartment, he liked. She’d come home so often to him asleep in her bed or couch after her dinners at the family home, having let himself in the window, that she’d given him a key and cleared a drawer out of her dresser for him to put his handful of things he bothered to carry. His favorite motorcycle jacket was always hung up next to hers on the hooks outside her closet door. 

She zoomed to the bakery, stomping a couple Death Leeches too close to home for her liking, and let herself inside. It didn’t look like the building was too badly damaged, just some splattered green blood outside from the fighting and a bullet that had gone through the front door and into one of the cafe fridges. She and Regina could replace them, once this was all over. 

She frowned when she got to the spiral staircase, touching one of her inhibitors. It felt warm, though not as viciously hot as it had been the day of the invasion’s start. “Shadow?” She frowned, trotting up the steps hurriedly. She didn’t have a plan on what to say to him, but maybe she could convince him to come with her team. He didn’t have to work directly with GUN, she’d field the gap as long as he’d stay by her side safely-

His familiar shape was tucked into her bed when she let herself in, one gloved hand hanging off the side and half buried in her favorite blanket. She smiled, relief washing over her, and crept over. “There you are.” She breathed, leaning in to cup his cheek. He never took naps in the middle of the day, he must have been exhausted. How tempting it was to just climb into the bed next to him and forget about the invasion for a few minutes… 

Shadow’s hand snapped up just before her fingertips made contact, wrapping around her wrist as his eyes opened. Star’s smile softened, pardoning his momentary glare before he realized it was her. “Starshine.” He finally said, tugging her wrist and wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her into the bed with him. 

“Missed you.” She murmured, draped across his chest comfortably. “Did you find the Emerald you were chasing?”

“Mm.” Shadow seemed less interested in talking than kissing, pulling Star’s head up to his immediately. She acquiesced to the almost desperate way he maneuvered her, letting his tongue into her mouth while he tried to breathe the same air already in her lungs. His hands squeezed her waist and back of her neck like he was trying to impress her on every sense, as if he were afraid she’d disappear if he didn’t hold tight enough. When his knee wedged between her legs, she had to force herself to pump the breaks before she got lost in him entirely. 

“W-wait a second.” She breathed, breaking the kiss and leaning back. Shadow’s mouth chased after her, a low growl falling from his lips when she put a hand on his chest to keep him flat. “Easy there, love. Now’s not the time for us to get distracted.” 

“Maybe I want you distracted.” Impatient fingers drummed along her hips, trying to convince her to come back flush against him.

“As much as I’d love to forget what’s happening outside, our planet is currently under attack. We should address that first. Then we can lock ourselves up here for a month.” She smoothed his quills gently, as they’d prickled with annoyance. 

“It’s not our planet, but it will be soon enough.” Shadow sat up, Star sliding into his lap with the motion. 

“Of course it’s ours. It was Maria’s and she left it up to us to protect it.” Star frowned, catching his face in both hands. “Come back with me, we can rest while the teams all meet, until we find all the emeralds.”

He leaned into her touch, eyes closing. “Teams?” He mumbled. 

“Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Rouge and a couple robots that know me. Amy, Cream, and Big. And me, Emory, and Mom. Dad’s driving the rolling base truck.” Star kissed his forehead. 

“Your GUN agent adoptive parents.” Shadow’s voice sharpened. “How can you stand to be around them? They lied to you.”

“I lied too, Shadow.” Star sighed. 

“That’s not the same.” He leaned back, pulling her hands away from his face. “How can you talk about Maria when you’re working with the people who murdered her?!”

“Dev and Regina weren’t even born when Maria died.” Star blinked, startled as he squeezed her wrists. He was staring at her like he barely knew her, pupils contracted to slits and his bundled quills looking… off. Less like fur and spine, and more like tentacles starting to move on their own. “Shadow…you’re scaring me.” 

Every alarm bell in her head was screaming to run, to put as much distance between herself and Shadow as possible. But she’d never leave him when he was in trouble, and they both knew it. She wasn’t scared of him, she was scared for him and that distinction would be her undoing.  

“Don’t tell me you’re siding with them.” Shadow snarled, and Star almost screamed out loud when a third, yellow and red eye opened up on his forehead. 

He’s already ours. The dream had said. The Black Arms had a hold on Shadow. She’d known something wasn’t right, and she was losing him to Black Doom. She couldn’t let the monster have him, or the planet. It took every ounce of self control not to rip herself out of his arms and stay calm, but she managed it. “Shadow. Your claws.” She said softly, raising her wrists to show where he was digging his claws into her. 

The sight of blood seemed to startle him out of some of his anger and he let go, leaving her sitting in his lap and them staring at each other for a long moment. He was breathing heavily like he was in pain. “I’m sorry…” He finally murmured, sagging forward so his head rested on her shoulder. “I’m just… I’m tired.”

“I know.” Star wrapped herself around him, trying to will what she felt for him to crack Black Doom’s influence. “You’ve already done so much, you deserve to rest… let’s just stay here a little while.” 

He nodded, the hands that had been digging into her flesh now clinging to her like he was afraid she’d disappear. “Okay.” He whispered. 

Star smoothed his quills back, watching them slowly turning back to the hedgehog she knew instead of alien tentacles. “Tell me where you’ve been?” She breathed. 

“I found the Emerald… it was inside a Flying Temple. It’s a Black Arms relic.” Shadow mumbled. “Black Doom put them on the planet for the invasion. I met him, he showed me things. And he’s my father.”

“No, he’s not.” She nuzzled into the top of his head, licking his quills and trying to get a purr out of him. “If you have a father, it’s Professor Gerald.” 

“He was human. Just like them.” Shadow rumbled, tilting his head to look up at her. 

“So was Maria.” 

Shadow growled, the girl’s name having the opposite effect she’d been hoping for. “How can you justify defending these people after they took her from us?” 

“It’s her world, Shadow. Her wish, for everyone to be happy-” She squeaked when he stood suddenly, dumping her on her tail on the floor. She looked up, eyes wide. “Shadow-” 

“You’re not listening, Starshine.” He growled, stepping over her and opening his drawer of her dresser. Inside was the cyan Chaos Emerald. 

Star’s stomach turned a flip. She’d been so preoccupied with Shadow she hadn’t even noticed the Emerald. She rolled up onto her knees, moving slowly like Shadow was a cornered animal likely to bite instead of the love of her life. He must have felt the same way, back on the airship… “Give me the Emerald, Shadow. A lot of people are going to die without it.” 

“What do they matter?” He huffed, all three eyes turning to glare at her. 

“You’ve been down this road before, with the Eclipse Cannon. It was wrong then and it's wrong now. You told me that yourself. Remember what Maria wanted. For us to be the guardians of this planet, and for everyone to have a chance to be happy.” She crawled to her feet, approaching him slowly with her hands visible. 

“Don’t become my enemy, Star.” He gritted his teeth when she reached him, her fingers trailing down his arm softly before wrapping around the Emerald in his hand and taking it from him. He didn’t fight her on it, but was stiff and unyielding under her touch.

“Never. I love you.” The Emerald disappeared into her pocket and she took his hands back in hers. “Come back with me.”

“You come back with me. You’ll understand once you hear what my father has to say.” Shadow pulled her towards him, stepping towards the window. 

“No!” Star dug her heels into the floor, slinging her arms around his waist and holding on like she was fighting Black Doom himself in a game of tug-o-war for Shadow’s loyalty. Maybe she was, and she wasn’t about to give up. She’d waited too long and been through too much to lose Shadow again. “He’s not your father, and this isn’t you. This is Black Doom’s influence.” 

“You’re as much Black Arms as I am, Starshine.” He was surprisingly careful as he pulled her arms from around him, stronger than she was despite her fighting him every step of the way. He pushed her to the floor on her knees, ignoring the tears starting to well up in her eyes. 

This isn’t him. It can’t be. Shadow hates to see me cry. He can’t stand it, he wouldn’t ignore-

“Don’t. Shadow, please.” She’d never had to beg him for anything, and if it had been anybody else in the world she would have rather died than plead. But it was Shadow, and she’d do anything for him. The only hell she’d ever known had been without him. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave me. Not again.” Desperate, grasping hands pleaded for him silently, but he simply caught both her wrists in one hand and held them to the side. There were a thousand reasons not to do this that she could have quoted, from Maria’s wishes to Gerald’s purpose for them, the concepts of honor and mortality, their friends and her new family… but she couldn’t think of them in the moment. Her brain was a broken siren screaming one red-alert over and over. 

Don’t go,don’t leave me all alone.

Shadow’s hand settled on the left side of her face, thumb brushing over her waterline and wiping a tear away. Hope returned, relief like a freed songbird taking flight in her chest again when she looked up. The third eye still rebuffed her, but she could ignore it to bask in the tenderness of the way he cupped her cheek. “You’ll see things my way soon enough, Starshine.” He smiled fondly at her. “And you’ll bring me that Emerald back when you do.” 

“Wh-what?” The hopeful little bird hit a freshly cleaned window it never saw coming and tumbled to the ground with a broken neck. Heat and pain lanced viciously across her face, a thousand times sharper than the initial feeling when the invasion had begun. She screamed, crumpling onto her elbows and clawing at the floor as her vision whited out. She tried to fumble forward and grab Shadow’s ankle, to hold him close until he helped her with the debilitating pain he’d put her in. Just thinking that he was responsible for it felt worse than the magma rolling under her eye. “Sh-shadow… h-help…” She couldn’t see, could barely hear, and everything was fading to gray at the edges. 

She gave up the fight and passed out, facedown on her apartment floor, and Shadow stepped over her to the window. A six-tentacled floating eyeball was waiting outside, and he jumped out to follow it out of Crystal Keyhole.

“Why did you give her the Emerald? You were to bring them to me.”

“She’ll bring it back. Star would never betray me… she just needs time to understand.” The bloodshot look in Shadow’s eyes faded slightly when he defended her, looking more like their normal scarlet than the burning yellow-red they’d been. “You said anything I wanted on this planet would be mine. She’s what I want.”

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Hello, I came across your Kencyrath rec post and I am tentatively intruiged. That said I wanted to ask about a trigger before I dive in. Suicide is pretty strong trigger for me. I can handle it if it's mentioned, but detailed descriptions of the act or a lot of time spent in a suicidal character's head/thoughts dealing with suicidal ideation would not be. Is this an issue in the Chronicles of Kencyrath, and if it is, do you have a different recommendation?

Okay SO.

The Kencyrath exist in a honor/shame society, in which going against the code of honor (lying, breaking your word, etc) is considered a sin that can only be forgiven through an honorable death. Sometimes this takes the form of going into battle without the intention to come back, generally without armor, but it also takes the form of ritualized suicide with a specific kind of knife. I would call it a very specific kind of suicidal ideation, in which it doesn’t come so much from a depressive headspace as it does from a kind of rigidly religious one. There isn’t a ton of time spent in the heads of characters actively pursuing ritual suicide, nor what I would call traditional depressive suicidality, but it IS a very present element of the society, including people freely making choices with the understanding that they will be expected to take their own life afterward, or people being forced to take their own life as an alternative to being dishonored. Think samurai rules or Imperial Chinese rules and you’ll be in the right ballpark. Ultimately I can’t know the inside of your brain, but if onscreen suicide discussion or aftermath is a concern, I might table this series until you feel more ready for it.

In terms of alternative recommendations, buckle up, I have a list based on what part of the Kencyrath pitch you were into. These recommendations are made with the assumption that all the OTHER content warnings for the Kencyrath are not a problem, but I’ll note any really major ones and include a broad rating according to AO3 rules. Anything with an asterisk by it heavily features the big Chivalric Devotion vibes of the main Kencyrath dynamics. I read a lot of that.

Sprawling politics:

The Unbroken* (drafted soldier impresses daughter of the empress, they try to stop a war, full of double-crossing schemes and gallant ladies, cw colonialism, M for violence, sex, and extremely real colonialism)

The Captive Prince* (dethroned prince is sold into slavery under his mortal enemy, definitional enemies-to-lovers content, cw sexual assault, E for a very sexually relaxed culture in a bad way)

A Taste of Gold and Iron* (unambitious prince gets tangled up in a currency fraud scheme and gets a shiny new bodyguard, E for a very sexually relaxed culture in a good way)

October Daye series (starts out classic urban fantasy, rapidly becomes Blood Magic and Politics The Series, for those committed to a long series, T for violence)

Pulp fantasy adventure vibes:

Hero and the Crown/The Blue Sword* (classic sword and sorcery fantasy, for DnD lovers and people who read Horse Girl Books as kids, General Audiences)

Silver Under Nightfall* (vampire couple teams up with vampire hunter to cure a magical plague, the polyamorous murder romance you need in your life, cw coercive assault and body horror, E for gore and numerous threesomes)

Heaven Official’s Blessing***** (translated Chinese novel, very old fallen god returns to Heaven and Does His Best, for those committed to a LONG book, currently on volume 8, T for violence)

Witch King (body hopping demon tries to solve his own murder with his found family in tow, perfect standalone book, T for violence)

Spicy magic systems:

The City We Became/The World We Made (sentient cities and extra dimensional invaders, for everyone who read a lot of Avengers In NYC fic back in 2012, cw racism and survival sex work, M for sex)

Gideon the Ninth/The Locked Tomb series***** (everyone knows about this series, it’s the one with the lesbian space necromancers, cw for just the craziest flavors of abuse, M for violence and cannibalism I guess, also fits the below category)

The Gilded Ones* (what if all the misogynists who said women were demons were absolutely correct, and it was fucking rad, cw for SO much sexism and also religious indoctrination, T for violence)

A Soul to Keep* et al (okay oKAY LOOK THIS IS MONSTERFUCKER CONTENT BUT I RECOMMEND IT, local cursed woman gets forced to marry a demon, they argue a lot and the sex scenes are REAL bizarre, cw kidnapping and the second book deals with a character coming out of a severe depression, HARD E for monsterfucking, obviously)

Interpersonal relationships that are just SO fucked up:

A Dowry of Blood (a letter from Dracula’s first wife to the man himself, cw domestic abuse, M for adult themes and sex)

Remnants of Filth/Yuwu* (translated Chinese novel, loyal general becomes the jailer for his traitorous ex-lover, cw slavery and discussion of sexual assault, E for sex)

The Salt Grows Heavy (homicidal Little Mermaid and plague doctor wander through an apocalypse together, actually read everything Cassandra Khaw has ever touched, the absolute pinnacle of horror, cw all her stuff for really creative violence and body horror, M for violence and gore)

Anyway if you have any other book recommendation questions and/or you read any of these and enjoy them, hit me up, recommending books to people is genuinely one of my great joys in life.

[queen--kenobi]

Six Sentence Sunday

Ty for the tag @selfproclaimedunicorn! I'm gonna do a double feature ehehehe

“Thank you.” Elayna doesn't move yet. She wants to say something, to address the awkwardness between them. She takes a single step forward. “I- I have something else I want to speak with you about.” “Don't.” The sudden sternness in Cerelle's tone makes Elayna flinch. Cerelle clears her throat before looking away from her.

But also!

Even the wind itself sounds lonesome in the vastness of the irradiated desert. The sun slowly sinks down underneath the unforgiving horizon, casting long and cold shadows on the ground. No safety or shelter exists for several miles. Humanity never even came to this part of the desert. The only thing breaking up the monotony of the landscape is a large rock formation, several miles from the raiders camp. They won't be able to reach the shelter of the rocks before nightfall.

Tagging: @emilykaldwen @lady-morrigen @ewanmitchellcrumbs @book-of-baba-fett @writingbylee @exitpursuedbyavulcan @ripdragonbeans @godswood-girl @patchmates @purgetrooperfox

[geeknik]

31 Days of Halloween: Day 25, The Lizzie Borden House

Welcome to Day 25 of our spooky sojourn. Today, we traverse to the infamous Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts. The chilling lore of axe murders and ghostly hauntings beckon, as we delve into the dark history of this eerie abode.

Historical Background

Nestled on 230 Second Street, the Lizzie Borden House is a grim landmark known for the unsolved double murder of Andrew and Abby Borden, Lizzie’s father and stepmother, in 1892 . This quaint Victorian home, which once witnessed a family’s twisted tale of resentment and alleged parricide, has now become a symbol of America’s gruesome unsolved mysteries.

Haunting Tales

The sinister aura of the house is said to be nurtured by the restless spirits of Abby and Andrew, alongside other spectral entities. Visitors and paranormal enthusiasts report eerie occurrences, with some claiming to encounter the restless spirits of the Bordens, along with apparitions of children from a neighboring tragedy. The sinister past echoes through the halls, with tales of ghostly appearances and mysterious sounds that send a shiver down one’s spine. The murder scenes are particularly noted for their haunting vibes, where the spirits of the past seemingly linger, rendering a bone-chilling experience to those who dare to venture.

Exploring The Mansion

The Lizzie Borden House now stands as a unique bed-and-breakfast, offering a blend of historical insight and spooky adventures to its guests. The property operates daily from 10 am to midnight, featuring a variety of experiences including historic house tours, ghost tours, and ghost hunts. The house not only tells a tale steeped in historical truth but also embraces the macabre, beckoning those keen on exploring the enigmatic paranormal aura enveloping the place. Those brave enough can embark on a ghost tour, venturing through the house under the veil of nightfall, possibly encountering the eerie remnants of the Borden family’s tragic past.

Conclusion

As we wrap up Day 25 of our journey, the Lizzie Borden House stands as a chilling testimony to the dark side of familial relations, intertwined with unsolved mysteries and ghostly presences. It invites the curious and the brave to step into its haunting past, explore its eerie present, and perhaps, encounter the restless spirits that linger within. Delve into the chilling narrative, explore the spectral grounds, and immerse yourself in the spine-tingling tales of the Lizzie Borden House - if you dare.

[heliumspirals]

Reset Rotators For The Week Of April 8th-15th, 2025

Trying something new, we'll see how this goes! I'll be posting a broad overview of what you need to keep an eye on from this week's featured RaD content, and depending on how the post does, I can make more in-depth posts on the individual activities. This week's featured dungeons are Spire of The Watcher and The Shattered Throne. Your featured raids for the week are King's Fall and Garden of Salvation. Nightfall is Lake of Shadows, rewarding Rake Angle.

Going into these in further detail below the cut.

DUNGEONS

This is something of a dry week for dungeons, unfortunately, as neither Spire nor Throne have anything really coveted in the current sandbox. That being said, Shattered Throne's precision frame shotgun Retold Tale is still a strong PvP option, and Spire of The Watcher being farmable means your cowboy hats are farmable as well. Take that how you will.

RAIDS

Both of this week's rotators are excellent entry-level choices for the aspiring raider. King's Fall and Garden of Salvation both carry some solid, but not quite essential, weapon options for their difficulty. Garden is easy but engaging, with minimal ad clear roles, and King's Fall is tough in a couple spots, but always in a fair way. You'll want to keep an eye out for Zaouli's Bane and Doom of Chelchis from King's Fall, two energy workhorse primaries with very strong elemental synergy perks and an incredible origin trait. Zaouli's is one of my favourite primary weapons in the game, I can't recommend it enough. As for Garden of Salvation, look to Reckless Oracle for one of the strongest void primaries in the game, especially after the new Destabilizing Rounds rework. Access to third-column Destabilizing allows you to run double damage perks, but if you're more of a buildcrafting type, Demolitionist with Repulsor Brace is a strong option to support volatile builds like Contraverse Hold and Gyrfalcon's Hauberk. Zealot's Reward and Prophet of Doom are both tearing up the crucible right now, and next time we have a bow mod in the artifact you'll be seeing plenty of Accrued Redemptions in the wild, as combat bows take only two shots to trigger Kinetic Tremors.

NIGHTFALL

This week's Nightfall has you at the mercy of the shadow legion and the taken, in the reworked Lake of Shadows. What used to be one of the easiest farming strikes in the game is now a genuinely formidable series of encounters, but if you can conquer it, you'll be rewarded handsomely with the only legendary Stasis glaive in the game, and one of only two top-slot glaives in general. Rake Angle has access to Chill Clip in the fourth column, allowing it to stun overloads regardless of the seasonal champion mods, and even in addition to being able to stun Unstoppable champions this season. The 3rd column is a diverse mix of fan-favourites, with Lead from Gold, Overflow, and Impulse Amplifier all being tough competition for one another. I'll personally be chasing Overflow, so my doubled mag size can maintain Chill Clip uptime with very little personal investment. The 4th column also has access to powerful options like Surrounded, Vorpal Weapon, and Swashbuckler, but we all know what you're here for.

[auntie-browning]

There was something rather dull about their walk over towards their destination. Perhaps it was the lack of excentric banter from her unnatural companion. Despite her protests about it, Browning had grown quite fond for her odd manner of speak. It was unique and a preferable alternative to drifting around with silence she had grown so tired of. She’s already had enough experience with it already.

Of course, she was ever concerned if this fondness was tied at all to her corrupting influence on her very being. After all, the pair were now tied together by that abhorrent hunger that lingered in the shadows, growing in power at every second. Who’s to say she couldn’t slowly loose sense of her own individuality…and desire to be one…as it should be. The doll only could hope that some abject rejection of her being could quell those lingering ideas of assimilation.

Of course, it was only a hope for a reason. There wasn’t anything that could entirely prove her right.

“I’ll trust you for now but it isn’t as big as you think it is. I’ll be getting some supplies as well, we’ll me up again on the intersection of Blanchet and Woodbury. Make sure to keep a low profile and if you can, don’t buy everything in one place. Spread out your purchases. If you can’t buy it, take it…but don’t get caught.”

A pensive scowl etched itself across her features as she spoke with an authoritative confidence befitting her status as a squad leader. Digging around her pocket, she pulled out what seemed to be a bundle of bills she had rolled up into a neat stack. Splitting it down in half, she gave Ziatrix half and kept the other for herself. It may not be much, but it could cover the cost of the more mundane items they might need.

Hours had passed by while the two departed on their separate ways with nothing particularly exciting to really show for Browning. A couple of pots and pans here and there, some glass mason jars, a few newspapers she had gathered from the streets, cotton string, a packet of charcoal, and some plastic jerry cans for some reason. Of course, that paled in comparison to the pipes and fittings her disciple in destruction had acquired.

The doll seemed rather impressed with her abominable companion with what she’d acquired. She had a lingering question of how much of it was acquired from legitimate means instead of simply snatching it away. Yet, those questions were shot down before they came from her mouth. Right now, none of that exactly mattered to the blonde. Especially considering that the threat of being hunted loomed over the both of them.

“Eh…not too content with that whole master bit but you did well. I’m…proud of you, Zia…never thought I would say that. Ahem, anyways~…”

She shifted the conversation from the blush inducing topic.

“We’ll need some alcohol, some industrial grade bar soap, sugar…and gasoline…lots of it…but I don’t think we’ll be able to get that until nightfall…For now, we should drop off the stuff we have and double up to get the last few things…Come on.”

"I understand.... again all of this is, well beyond what I really understand, but if it's your determination.. then it is forgotten." Ziatrix listened intently, trying to level down her usual odd words, and often strange comments to solely focus on what Browning wanted.

"I see.. then I will acquire everything... if you place your trust in me not to eat and to procure..." Ziatrix smiled softly, as soft as one can with her usual unease and strangeness.

She rose up and set out, is Browning had anything to worry about, it wouldn't rear it's eat. Just as easily as they got the maid outfit, the disguises and the list of things to get.

Ziatrix would almost vanish upon entering town, wandering off the moment a crowd passed them. No eating, no killing, all of that...Ziatrix would use some talents she'd not disclosed to Browning yet to acquire some of the stranger materials.

Only returning after some time to appear beside Browning. "Did you miss me..."

"I have acquired fittings and a tool...hand drill. In a nice basket for you master. What else do you wish for me to acquire..."

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 10/26

Then my teeth turned into fangs And my nails into claws And I nearly dropped the Torah When my hands turned into paws!

Black Paradox GN - Junji Ito

Four people intent on killing themselves meet through the suicide website Black Paradox: Maruso, a nurse who despairs about the future; Taburo, a man who is tortured by his doppelganger; Pii-tan, an engineer with his own robot clone; and Baracchi, a girl who agonizes about the birthmark on her face. They wander together in search of the perfect death, fatefully opening a door that leads them to a rather bizarre destiny...

The Return Of Chilling Adventures In Sorcery One Shot -  Eliot Rahal, Vincenzo Federici & Julius Ohta

Madam Satan escaped Hell a fugitive and hated woman by Satan and his thralls. She's now principal of Baxter high and Hell has come to Earth. With each classroom acting as a portal to the different circles in Hell, Madam Satan must recruit similar tortured souls if she has any chance of survival... all leading up to a Madam Satan and her army vs. Satan and his in this highly-anticipated follow-up to last year's hit Chilling Adventures in Sorcery!

Nightfall Double Feature #1 -  David Andry, Maan House, & Chris Shehan 

64 PAGE DOUBLE FEATURE! Grab your popcorn and clamber into your sleeping bag for two tales of terror from the creative teams of The Autumnal, The Plot, and Resonant! The CEMETERIANS After human bones begin growing inside inanimate objects all across the globe, a renegade scientist and brilliant theologian delve into the cemeteries where the bones originated, discovering an otherworldly force tired of being buried in darkness. DENIZEN A family's cross country roadtrip goes off the map and into the unforgiving wilds of Joshua Tree National Park, when mom and wife-to-be Helene succumbs to a malevolent force tucked inside an abandoned camping trailer.

Lovesick #1 (of 7) -  Luana Vecchio

The LOVESICK CLUB is an exclusive, subscribers-only site on the dark web that offers the best in erotic and ultra-violent entertainment. There, matriarch Domino and her fellow dominatrixes punish and torture none other than their own loyal subscribers, many of whom pay good money to meet their end by her hand in front of a large, anonymous audience.

But in the eyes of her rage-filled haters, Domino is the MOTHER DEMON, a deranged succubus who oppresses men by turning them into her slaves. For this crime against men, she must be hunted down and PUNISHED.

Dead Mall #1 (of 4) -  Adam Cesare & David Stoll

The Penn Mills Galleria is about to be demolished. Five teens sneak into the mall to take a last look around before it's gone. However, while Penn Mills has been closed for years, the mall is far from abandoned. A night of exploration becomes a shopping spree from hell. The teens must contend with the sprawling, transformative cosmic horror of Penn Mills or be trapped forever within the Dead Mall.

Caffeinated Hearts One-Shot -  Jonathan Hedrick & Stefano Cardoselli

Follow a beautifully tattooed barista named Amarella across four vignettes that are blended through this slice-of-life comic book set in a coffee shop with a cyberpunk backdrop. These robust tales will warm your heart like a fresh batch of java poured into your favorite morning mug. Step inside and enjoy!

Damn Them All #1 (of 6) -  Simon Spurrier & Charlie Adlard

Following the death of Ellie's uncle, an infamous magician and occult detective, the 72 devils of the Ars Goetia are mysteriously freed from their infernal realm. It's now up to Ellie to track down each of these exiled demons and damn them right back to Hell by any means necessary... holy water, conjuration, or just her trusty, rusty claw hammer.

Sara Lone #1 -  Erik Arnoux & David Morancho

A young woman with a rough past finds herself caught in a destructive spiral after the brutal murder of her father, the owner of a modest shrimp fishery. Leaving the hot nights of New Orleans, she returns to the countryside to take over the business on her own, despite the ambient hostility around her. She is arrested during her trip back home-a murder was committed in the strip club where she worked and everything seems to point to her. Pursued by Mafia killers, she passes from police handcuffs to the hands of the Secret Service. Just who is Joy Carruthers, stage name Sara Lone?

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantomites?

[graphicpolicy]

Prepare yourself for a first look at Nightfall: Double Feature #1

Prepare yourself for a first look at Nightfall: Double Feature #1 #comics #comicbooks

[yikimiki]

Can I please request;

King eren who's been lusting after his personal maid for the longest time. Smut when he has her clean every inch of him during a bath and tells her to clean his cock with her mouth.

I LOVE fantasy aus, this was heaven-sent. Note! Eren is older here, around his early 30s, and I imagined reader to be around early/mid 20’s (though age isn’t specified). Also this is LONG! I don’t know WC Bc I wrote on tumblr but i guess around 4-5K!! 🪦

>> of marble and gold

⚠️ warnings: smut, obvious power imbalance/abuse (so dub-con), dark content because Eren is… obsessive, heavy objectification/degradation of reader (“whore” and such), oral, creampie, bruising/marking

—

The brown leaves twirl to the ground as a new season begins, and King Eren’s patience — and self-control — has reached its limit. After almost fifty years of the Jaeger family negotiating with the neighboring kingdom, the new ruler broke tradition like it was nothing more than a frail wax seal. The message is clear: no more commercial settlements, no more food trade, until they returned with the treasure they had stolen nearly a century ago. Until the vaults are full, and his people are once again able to enjoy their own crops, friendly conversations are off the table.

Surprisingly, it works. After panic has subsided and a tense meeting is scheduled, the threat of an upcoming war is larger than the power of negotiation — with that, a new system is at play, and the table dips a little more towards Eren’s kingdom.

It’s one of the easiest years in a long, long time — plates are full, the people are happy, and the small economy is finally blossoming into something more substancial. Eren is constantly surrounded by all types of people who seek to impress him (or take his newly found riches), little annoying flies buzzing around him during the day, then trying to enter his chambers at night.

But Eren is difficult to impress. He’s a serious man with serious goals, and a short dress skit or an inviting deal isn’t enough to make him pay attention. However, amidst all that calamity, you manage to make him double take.

The influx of people to his lands came with the news of a fruitful economy, so it isn’t a surprise that he doesn’t immediately recognize you. There are countless new servants in the castle, some of which are constantly out of his sight, so your random appearance is, in a way, expected. And, yet, amongst so many faces, his gaze stills in yours.

Once again, Eren is a serious man with serious goals — and with even more serious needs and desires. The switch of your position (from a kitchen servant to his personal maid) is swift and direct, leaving no room for objection. It’s not typical for women to assist royal men in such personal affairs such as bathing or clothing — not officially, at least — so he expects that the change with cause a little fuss. But no one has the guts to go against him.

The first time you see King Eren, he is a giant in front of you, watching closely as you kneel in front of his throne. There are dark shadows over his face and his green eyes shine with amusement, long brown hair falling like a cascade over his features. There’s a hint of a smile on his lips as he tells you to stand, and countless scars on his hand as he holds yours and orders you to be at his chamber at nightfall, so you can help him bathe. You agree and leave hurriedly, heartbeat booming in your ears.

Eren is a handsome man, that much you knew. But what you didn’t know is how massive and overtaking his very presence is — well, you suppose that is expected of any monarch, but it’s different when you witness it yourself. He is the center of the galaxy and everyone else, yourself included, is simply gravitating around him, moving aimlessly through life until he, even if briefly, gives meaning to it. To have someone so great, so respected, to personally chose you amongst so many to serve him… is strange.

You’re not naive — the years being both a commoner and a woman have taught you more than most maids in the castle would’ve dreamt of living. You know what men want, especially powerful ones like Eren, and you know your position is extremely delicate. Even if, now, you don’t wish to deny any of his advances, you know that the mere possibility would mean death to you. So you accept, even knowing you’re placing a noose around your neck. Even knowing you’re only getting out of this if he loses interest or, somberly, dead.

The first night you spend in Eren’s chambers you know that the first option is nearly impossible. He looks at you like you’re a mythical being, the finest piece of art, watching your movements closely as you help him bathe — your hands moving up and down on the water, keeping the circle of wetting the rag, cleaning his skin, and wetting it again. You’re strictly professional, never staring at his body, especially the parts beneath the water. From your peripheral vision, you see his defined muscles and deep battle scars, but don’t dare to look at it directly.

“Where did you come from?” He asks eventually, scaring you and making you drop the piece of soap in your hands. Eren’s voice is deep and commanding even in such intimate situation, and you feel yourself shrinking. “You’re not from here.”

The second part isn’t a question. “I came from the East, my king.”

Eren isn’t satisfied by your answer. “Why did you come?”

“My family’s farm was burnt down and I needed to work, my king,” you tell him, placing the dirty rag aside as you move to reach for the soap. Thankfully there is a layer of bubbles on the water now, and there is nothing else to see. “So I came here.”

He hums, laying back against the cool material. “Look at your king,” he orders. You blink, overwhelmed, and do as he says. His eyes are looking directly at your soul, one wet strand of hair glued to his forehead, and you squeeze the bar of soap so tightly that your nails dig to the surface. “Better. What is your name?”

You tell him.

“You’re beautiful,” he says. You gulp and sit back against your heels, watching as his hand moves closer to you, pushing your hair behind your ear. Shadows and candlelight reflects on his face like a dream. “It’s quite obvious you’re a foreigner. We don’t have women as beautiful as you.”

“T-Thank you, my king.” You look down. Your heart hammers like a caged bird against your ribcage, your lungs fight against expectation. His touch lingers. “I believe your bath is finished, your highness, do you wish for me to help you into—“

“Finished?” He raises one eyebrow, and you feel the noose around your neck tighten. “It is not. You forgot a place.”

You lower your head. “My deepest apologies, your highness.”

He hums, then startles you as he abruptly rises from the water. You use all your force not to look up at him. “Come. Dry me.”

You blink. “My king, what about…”

“Don’t argue, sweet girl. Your king commands you,” Eren says. There is poison dripping from his lips and you nod, getting up to your feet. “Dry me.”

You swallow. “Yes, my king.”

The pace in which you dry Eren’s body is torturous, your gaze glued to your own hands as you move the dry towel over his skin. First his face and hair, where he stares at you intently, then moving down to his chest, his arms.

Eren himself is enthralled, unable to cut his thoughts of you. Up close, you’re flawless, divine. Every movement you make is perfect, even the way you bite your lip and blink at him makes him dizzy with desire. He has never seen someone as beautiful as you, a young maiden with plump breasts and a delicate face; someone who listens to him so closely yet keeps their distance, respectful and fearful of their king — as all should be. He must have you. More than this, more than as a worker, he must have you, body and soul.

Your body arches as you move closer to his abdomen, touches becoming clearly more clumsy as your hands approach his private parts. The mere anticipation of having you so close makes Eren’s cock grow, thick and heavy, until it’s almost fully erect and you pause, startled.

“There, love. That’s where you missed a spot,” Eren says. You gulp and look up at him, wide eyes searching for something in his expression. He signals towards his erection with a movement of his head. “Clean it.”

“M-My king,” you speak, nervous. “Do you wish me to… clean you? There?”

He nods. “With your mouth. Be a good girl and clean it all up.,” he says. You lick your lips and look down at his large member — you knew it would come down to this and, yet, you are taken off guard. You didn’t think it would be this way. “And it’s Eren. These titles are making me mad with rage.”

You kneel in front of him — Eren realizes he is quite fond of that position. “Yes, my- Eren.” 

Your hand seems so small against his cock, now fully erect, barely taking him halfway before your lips touch his crown. Eren is both long and thick, throbbing in your hand as you suck on his head, humming around him before daring to go a little deeper. The size makes you choke up slightly, but you prevail. You want to pleasure your king, and if this is the way, so be it.

“Don’t be afraid to put it all inside, love.” He sighs. You do as you’re told, fighting against the tears as you push more of his size inside your mouth. It touches your throat and you gag, but you don’t stop. When Eren starts to moan, a deep groan in his throat, you start to set a rhythm. “There it is, there’s my obedient whore. Just as perfect as I had imagined.”

There’s wetness building between your thighs at his filthy words, a growing desire inside you as you look up at him. Eren is a god above you, made of marble and gold, looking down at you like you’re nothing but a hole for him to use. The defined muscles of his abdomen are contracting as you suck him harder, his eyes focused on your stretched-out lips as you struggle to take him.

“Fuck… what a perfect little mouth you have,” he breathes out. You close your eyes and take him even deeper, making a string of curses and threats fall from his mouth. His large hand meets the back of your head and pulls a handful of your hair, moving your face as he likes on his cock. “Good fucking whore,” Eren moans. “My fucking whore from now on. No one will fuck you. Only me.” You gag around his cock, but he doesn’t stop. Eren fucks your mouth until you’re sobbing, until he’s about to spill inside it — and then he pushes your head away. “Get on the fucking bed. I’m going to make you mine forever.”

You’re so overwhelmed that you barely process the walk between his bathroom and the large bed — in fact, you don’t even have time to think about how that is the single largest piece of furniture you’ve ever seen before you’re thrown on the bouncy mattress. One second you’re standing next to your king, and the next Eren is looming over you, kissing you like you’re the air that he breathes, like your mouth is made of honey. His hands are all over your body, literally tearing and ripping your dress in a desperate, animalistic attempt to get you undressed.

“Fuckin’ perfect,” he mumbles before he latches onto one of your breasts, sucking as his hand squeezes the other one. You’re fully naked now, lying in a bed of rags — rags that used to be your dress.

Eren marks you up with his hickeys, spanks the skin of your thighs until it’s bruised and you’re whining for him to stop. You sob and cry, but he shuts you up with another kiss just so he can tear those pretty sounds from you again.

“M-My king, please,” you beg. The wetness between your legs is embarrassing, and your body is all marked up by the time Eren is done with exploring it. He is lost in the mission of making — of marking — you his, barely even hears what you say. “I need…”

Then something clicks. He holds your face in his hand and pushes it closer to his, squeezing your cheeks together. There is fire burning at the bottom of his eyes, and you know you’ve said something wrong. “You don’t need anything, you don’t request anything. Understand? I’m your king, and you’re my whore. Act like it.”

You swallow — your throat hurts. “I’m sorry.”

“You will be.”

Eren is a serious man and a man of his word. You can’t even think about what to say to redeem yourself before he starts pushing his cock against your pussy, rubbing the tip against your folds once, twice, before slamming himself deep inside you. You sob at the feeling, walls fighting to adjust to his size, but he doesn’t even let the burning sensation subside before he starts fucking you.

“What is it? Did you not need this?” He coos. You half-nod half-shake your head, not even sure of it yourself. Eren sneers at your pathetic situation — all teary eyes and messy hair, holding onto his arms as he drills his cock in and out of your tight hole. And, yet, he still thinks you’re the most heavenly thing he has ever seen. “Your pussy feels so fucking… so fucking good.” He moans. “I’m going to fill it up every night. Get you all full with cock and cum every chance I get.”

Your eyes roll back at his words, as promise feels like a dream. You’d like that — after so many years of struggle and hard work, you would love to be a brainless little hole for your king to use and abuse whenever he wishes. You’d love to be dressed in the finest of silk and kissed with fervor, be treated like royalty, even if it isn’t true. You would love it with all your heart.

“Look at me when I fuck you, whore. Look at your king,” Eren brings you back to reality. You do as he says, meeting the savage look in his eyes as he fucks you harder, deeper, hitting all the sweet spots you didn’t even know you had. “Who do you belong to?” He asks, frowning. “Tell me.”

“Eren— I belong to you, Eren, my king,” you answer without hesitation. Your cunt squeezes him tightly as you cum hard, moaning loud and unashamed. You’d regret it in the morning but now… now you’re made of gold and marble too.

“You’re your king’s. Remember that,” he says. You nod, barely aware of the world around you as you dive deeper into pleasure. “Going to cum,” Eren strains. Forget that — now he looks like a god. Muscles tensing and jaw clenching as he uses your body however he pleases, plunging his cock inside you again and again until your wet pussy milks him dry; cock throbbing as he cums inside you. “Fuck, fuck,” he moans, hips faltering as his cock releases inside you again and again. “God, that’s so much fucking cum.”

A whine escapes your mouth as you feel it soak the sheets beneath you, but you say nothing. You dive into the moment like it’s your last one on earth: a moment in which you’re monarchy, loved and fucked into bliss, not a care in the world but the feeling dripping between your thighs. Though, the illusion never lasts long — you watch as Eren finishes and then rolls around next to you, staring at the ceiling with a sigh.

Even after everything, it feels wrong. Like you shouldn’t be here. “M-My king,” you speak after a second of silence, “should I go?”

He turns to you, somber as always. You can’t decipher his tone as he answers. “Not yet,” Eren speaks. “Only when the sun comes up. If I’m done with you by then.”

[obxone]

Marmoris (Chapter Twenty Two)

Edited-ish. ~1.7k words

Taglist: @gillybear17 @fallingwallsh

Masterpage

The rehearsal is over, and you are in search of your boyfriend. You spot him a few seconds after saying goodbye to all the other girls but your sister. Sarah wants to stay with you and spend the day together once you say goodbye to JJ as well. After crossing the room to get closer to him, he lifts his head and makes eye contact with you. You smile brightly, waving a little, but he does not return the smile or wave. Instead, he looks away, his jaw clenching, before he hustles away to deliver drinks.

“That was weird,” Sarah mutters. Her face scrunched up in confusion.

You nod, a confused look taking over your facial features. “Jay!” You call when he starts to head for the kitchen. But again, he ignores you, and the double kitchen doors swing shut after he has disappeared through them. “Do you think Rafe said something to him?”

“No, but even if he did, I don’t think JJ would take his word for it.”

You frown and fish out your phone. You text him quickly and watch as three bubbles pop up before disappearing again.

“Hey! Look who it is!” Kelce’s voice calls out as he approaches. Topper hangs back, annoyed with having to be around either of you. “The Cameron twins.”

“Hey, Kelce,” Sarah smiles tensely, but you look away. “Golfing?”

“Of course! A summer tradition, right?”

She nods, glancing at you before turning back to Kelce. “Well, we are heading out.”

“Right.” He agrees before looking at you, but you do not meet his gaze. Instead, you are focusing on the kitchen doors, waiting on JJ to emerge again. “Everything okay, y/n?”

“Fine.”

Your response is clipped, but you know Kelce, and you know that any inch you give, he will take and run with it.

“I heard you were dating that pogue.”

“You heard right,” you respond, your tone sharp, and this time you meet his gaze head-on. “Since the start of summer.”

He smirks. “Rebel.”

You roll your eyes. “No, just insanely happy.” You hook your arm through Sarah’s. “Come on, Sarah. We should go.”

Kelce opens his mouth to speak, but you ignore him while Sarah and you both leave him behind.

“What is going on?” She asks, leaning into you.

You frown, shaking your head. “JJ is ignoring me, and I don’t know why.”

“Do you want to sneak into the kitchen?”

“No, let’s just go home. Maybe he needs space. We’ll see each other later tonight.”

A faint smile paints her lips before she sighs, and you leave the Island Club behind together.

-----

By nightfall, you are both at the Chateau. You had to sneak out due to your grounding, and Sarah and Wheezie agreed to help you. Wheezie promised to cover you while Sarah drove you to the Chateau after you climbed down from your window.

“I still can’t believe you did that!” She laughs, watching you as you look at your scraped palms.

You shrug, lifting your head to look for JJ as you enter through the front door. Kiara and Pope smile at you when they see you together.

“Hey!” Kie smiles.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” Sarah asks before you can say hi back.

“Yeah, I think so.” Kiara goes into the kitchen, and Pope crosses the room to look at your palms.

“What happened?”

“Slipped during my escape mission,” you mutter, exposing your palms to him. He winces at the sight. “But I didn’t fall.”

“What is it?” John B asks, coming in from the backyard.

“She slipped on the roof.” Sarah crosses the room to him, and you smile faintly at her. “She didn’t fall, though.”

You laugh before shaking your head. “I’m grounded for sassing Rose.”

“Oh.”

You nod, glancing around the house. “Where’s JJ?”

“Back yard,” John B hooks his thumb over his shoulder. “Everything okay?”

You shrug. “Why?”

“He seems moody.”

Sarah and you both shake a look before you exhale and start to go.

“Wait!” Kie stands up from looking in the cabinet under the sink. “Here!”

“Thanks, Kie. Can you guys give us a minute?” You whisper and take the kit before going into the backyard. JJ looks up from the hammock he is sprawled in to see you. A frown passes over his features. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

You frown at him once you are closer. “Something is up with you.”

“Why do you have a first aid kit?”

You look down at the kit tucked under your arm. “Oh. I umm… well, I wanted to see you, so I climbed out of my window since I’m grounded.” You look down at your palms. “I slipped on the roof and cut my hands up a bit.”

He shifts, pulling your hands closer to him. His ocean eyes inspect your hands before looking up at you. “You should have just stayed home.”

Your lips part, but nothing comes out before you slowly retract your touch from him. “I’m sorry…”

“Come here,” he mutters while getting out of the hammock and leading you to a lawn chair. You sit, and he takes the kit. You watch him quietly at first as he works to open it and pull out what he needs. “I wanted to see you after not saying goodbye this afternoon.”

He stays silent, working away at your injuries.

“Jay, what is going on?” You probe, your hand flexing around his touch. “Please talk to me. Was it Rafe? Kelce? Topper? My dad?” You want to touch him, force him to look at you, and tell you what is going on. But his intentions are clear as he remains silent and cleans the cuts before putting bandages over the deeper ones. Your gazes lock when he is finished. “What happened?” You whisper, afraid of the haunted look in his eyes. “Talk to me, Baby.”

He shrugs. “John B and Sarah are together.” You are mute, waiting for him to continue. The indifference in his tone tells you where this is heading, and it scares you. “So… our plan worked.”

“It did.”

“There’s no point of this continuing any further then.”

You recoil from him, pain flashing through you. Your exact fear is coming to life. He is breaking up with you. “You don’t mean that.”

“Why not?” He asks, standing and taking a step back. “We had a plan, and it worked. There is no reason for us to continue. It was all for them to get together. You said it yourself.”

“Jay…” You stand and reach for him, but he moves further away from you. You did say that in the beginning, but it has progressed so much since then. It is so much more, and he knows it, or at least you thought he did. “A-are… are you breaking up with me?”

Hurt flashes across your face, and he sees it. His chest aches, and he looks away.

“We did what we wanted to do, y/n. They are happy together.”

You exhale, glancing at the Chateau. Four faces stare back at you both with worry. “And I’m happy with you.”

JJ laughs, and it is not his usual carefree laugh. “Are you, though? You could have any kook you want, and you want to be with me, a pogue? You want to be with a pogue to feel free again. There are plenty of other pogues you can date now. I don’t want to be your excuse to walk on the wild side anymore.”

Tears well in your eyes, and his words cut deep. “Okay,” you whisper before closing the distance between you. Your hands brace on your shoulders as you lean up and press your lips to the corner of his lips. He wants to touch you, to pull you against him, but he stays rigid, barely breathing until you pull completely away. “I guess I will see you around.”

“Maybe.”

You turn and walk away, tears flood your vision, and a muffled sob escapes from you. The need to escape, to get away from the prying eyes and the boy who has cut you so deep flares to life, so you run. You run past the Chateau and down the driveway, only stopping when Sarah screams your name.

After you are out of his sight, JJ kicks a beer can across the yard angrily. A screwed up look on his face as he berates himself over hurting you. John B follows Sarah without a word while Kie and Pope both know to take care of JJ and figure out what has happened.

“He broke up with me, Sarah!” You say sharply, reaching for the car keys once she is within a few inches of you. “I’m going back home. I don’t need to be here.”

“Wait, please!” She begs, clutching her car keys in her hand. “We should at least talk about it. JJ is being crazy.”

“No!” You snap back, reaching for the keys again. “He said what he feels, and I have to respect that.”

“He is being an idiot,” John B cuts in as he joins you both by her car. “We all know that.”

More tears flood your vision, and you have to look away from them. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I just want to go home.”

“Y/n, please. JJ is being stupid.” John B moves closer to you. “He doesn’t know what he is doing.”

“He doesn’t care about me like I thought, John B, that’s it. I’m done.” You reply sharply and turn to Sarah. “Haven’t I been through enough?”

Sarah shakes her head, trying not to cry as she watches all of your progress these past few weeks crumble. “Please stay.”

You shake your head, lift your chin, and set your boundary firmly in place. “Either give me the keys, or I walk home.”

She shakes her head, looking at her boyfriend. “I can’t leave her alone tonight. I’m going to take her home, okay?”

“Yeah,” John B agrees, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “I’ll try and talk to JJ.”

You get to the passenger door and pull it open while Sarah kisses her boyfriend goodbye. Your heart aches, and you avert your gaze from them. It does not take her long to climb into the car and pull away. Pain spreads across you when the Chateau disappears from your sight and JJ with it. Sarah grasps your hand tightly on the drive back to Figure 8. But you can only think about how bad it feels to have your heart broken once more.

(Chapter Twenty Three)

Feedback is welcomed, just remember to be kind. Please feel free to like, reblog, comment, or send an ask if you want. Happy Reading.

[roxyjean82btsoneshots]

Interview with Park Jimin

✏️Vampire Jimin x Yoongi x Reader🔞 ✏️fluff, angst, smut ⚠️Warnings: biting, blood, vampire attack, death of two characters, marking, double penetration, oral both male and female, light male masturbation.⚠️ 📖WC: 7,283

For the #BangtanWHQ Spooktober Event

My masterlist

“Y/N, wake up. We’re here.”

You opened your eyes to see the van sitting in front of a large iron gate with the name Park on it.

“You made it before nightfall?” You asked your favorite cameraman and bestfriend, stretching in an attempt to remove the kinks from your stiff neck.

“I told you I could get us here in time,” Yoongi answered with a proud smile.

“Do you see an intercom or anything?”

“No, can’t you just call him?”

“Greg said he doesn’t have a phone.”

“So how are we supposed to let him know we made it?” The two of you froze when the van filled with the sound of the gate moving. 

“I guess he knows,”  Yoongi said while you both watched it open. “Are you ready for this? Because once I drive through that gate, there’s no turning back.”

You flipped down your visor so that you could look at yourself in the mirror, “As ready as I can be to interview a vampire.”

Yoongi nodded and put the van in gear. “Alright, here we go.”

While Yoongi drove up the long driveway, you looked over the notes of questions your boss wanted you to ask. Greg might be the head of the studio, but he knew nothing about giving an interview. He was more worried about the ratings and less about educating the viewers.

When he’d brought up the idea of doing this for a halloween special, you laughed at him. There was no way he’d actually get one of them to agree. If you knew anything about them it was that they liked to be left alone. You were skeptical when he said he’d found one to interview, so when he asked for volunteers, you and Yoongi offered your services. The two of you figured if it turned out to be fake at least you'd get a mini vacation from the busy city.

You both leaned forward, heads tilted to the side and looked out the windshield as the giant house came into view. The house, along with everything around it, looked as if it was stuck in the Victorian ages.

“Is it possible to be turned on by a house?” Yoongi asked, putting the van in park.

“Knowing how much you love your architecture, for you it is.” You laughed as you took off your seatbelt and got out of the van.

“Look at it, Y/N. It’s fucking beautiful!” Yoongi stood beside you and put his arm around your shoulders, “Do you see those peaks?” Your eyes followed his hand as he pointed out all the features of the house. “Look at that molding and the windows! It’s like they just built the place. You don’t see many gothic Victorian houses that have all their original features like this.”

“The most modern thing here is the electricity. I’m trying to keep it as similar to the day I built it as possible.” You both turned your attention to the man who was standing on the steps by the front door. “You must be Y/N and Yoongi?” He stuck his hand out, “I am Park Jimin.”

You looked over the man as the three of you greeted each other and made small talk about the house. You were still very skeptical about him. He didn’t look at all like you’d pictured a vampire to look. He looked young, maybe in his mid to late twenties. His skin looked sunkissed and not pale like you’d imagined. To you, vampires were cold-hearted creatures with blood red eyes that would always have a look of disgust on their faces. His chocolate eyes and his bright smile were warm and friendly.

“You two must be exhausted from your trip. Why don’t we go inside? I’ll show you what rooms you’ll be staying in, then we can eat dinner and I’ll go over the rules before it gets late.”

“You eat real food?” You asked, taken aback by his mention of dinner.

“No. Normal food does nothing for my body. But you two are my guests and it would be rude of me to not join you.”

With Jimin’s strength and speed it took no time at all for the equipment to be unloaded from the van. You thought Yoongi was going to faint when the three of you stepped through the front door. The inside of the house also looked like it was trapped in time.

“How do you keep it so authentic?” Yoongi questioned while he slowly spun in circles with his mouth open. 

“I built this house by hand and I don’t allow anyone else to do anything to it. I’m also extremely picky when it comes to who may enter and what they do. Now let’s go see your room, it’ll be nightfall in a few hours,” Jimin said, starting to ascend the stairs.

“Why did you want us here before nightfall?”

Jimin stopped at your question and looked at you. “Because, my love. The man you see before you is not the same as the beast that comes out underneath the moon.” A shiver went up your spine at the bone chilling smile that crossed his lips.

Still absorbed in the architecture of the old home and unaware of the conversation happening around him, Yoongi grabbed your wrist and pulled you up the stairs with him while he continued to ask Jimin more questions about the house.

Dinner was delicious with a lot more food on the table than either you or Yoongi could eat. Jimin apologized multiple times as he drank his concoction of wine and blood of the venison you were eating. He wasn’t used to having humans around and forgot how little some ate.

During dessert, Jimin went over the rules for the house. For someone who said he was picky about what people did while there, the rules were pretty simple. Don’t leave your room at night for any reason, he hunts during the night and has less control over what he’s doing. Don’t go exploring without him, the house had many tunnels and secret rooms, he didn’t want you to get lost. Lastly, if for some reason you must leave your room, do not go outside and do not go into the basement. He, along with other vampires, hunted in the woods near his house and he came in and out through the basement so that he wouldn’t get blood and dirt all over the house.

When the sky began to admit a fiery glow from the setting sun, Jimin hurried you along to your rooms. He wanted to make sure the two of you were safely in them before it completely set.

The morning came quicker than you liked. Your sleep was restless. You stayed up later than you should’ve writing new questions, and when you’d finally called it a night you were woken by the slightest noise. So, by the time Jimin came knocking to let you know it was safe and your food was ready, you practically flew out your door.

After breakfast you assisted Yoongi with setting up the equipment before you went and got ready to be on camera. This was the part you hated most about your job. Your boss insisted that all on camera personnel follow a dress code. For the men, it was a freshly ironed suit and tie with a pair of dress shoes. For the women, it was either a suit with a skirt or a dress, knee length to mid thigh, top needed to be a V cut showing just a hint of cleavage and a pair of heels. When it came to the mens hair, he was a little more lenient than he was with the women, who had to have theirs in a perfect bun.

Once your hair, makeup and clothes were perfect, you slowly went downstairs to join the other two in Jimin’s office.

“Five years and you still haven’t figured out how to walk in those?” Yoongi joked from behind Jimin as he hooked his mic up.

“Nope and I still hate the outfit,” You answered, removing your mic from the case.

Jimin cocked his head to the side and looked you over, “Then why do you wear it?”

“It’s part of the dress code. Hair up, makeup on, clothes perfect. Always be camera ready.” You repeated your boss’s motto.

“That’s a shame. You could’ve changed it while you’re here,” Jimin said with a tisk.

“Why?” You asked, fishing your mic through your shirt.

“I’m not sure it’s appropriate for me to say.”

You looked at him after clipping your mic. “Just say whatever it is, Jimin. I want you to feel comfortable enough to say what you want while we are here.”

“I can feel how uncomfortable you are. But I can’t tell if it’s just from the clothes or if it’s a mixture of them and me.”

“Well, I won't lie. It’s mainly what I’m wearing, but the fact that I’m showing a vampire my whole neck is a little off putting.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, you have a very beautiful neck.” Jimin smirked when he heard your heart skip a beat at his words.

The sound of Yoongi clapping made you jump, “Ok, let’s do this.” He said, guiding each of you to your chairs, before adjusting the cameras one last time.

You adjusted yourself and took a deep breath. “Are you ready?” You asked Jimin.

“Yes I am.” The vampire grinned and cocked his head to the side, “Why are you suddenly so nervous?”

“What makes you think I’m nervous?” You fidgeted with your skirt and blouse, avoiding eye contact with him while you made sure you weren’t showing too much skin.

“I can feel it and I can tell by the sound of your racing heartbeat. Is it because I said you had a beautiful neck?”

“Yes,” Yoongi answered from behind the laptop before you could. “She finds you attractive and you compliment her. She now doesn’t know what to do with herself.” You turned and sent Yoongi a death glare because of how easily he spilled your secret.

Jimin laughed and looked at him. “Interesting. How come she’s not the same way with you? You’re a good looking man and I’ve seen you compliment her a few times.”

“Oh, that’s because we’ve already-”

“Alright, first question,” You interrupted Yoongi and redirected the focus back on the interview. “Jimin, how long have you been a vampire?”

“713 years,” He answered, still smiling from the previous conversation.

“What age were you when you were first turned?”

Jimin looked to the ceiling for a second as he thought, “I was 20. I’d gone out drinking with some friends and ended up being attacked by a rogue vampire on my way home.”

“What do you mean by a rogue vampire?”

“A rogue vampire is a vampire who doesn’t have a coven or family and is alone.”

“Do you have a coven?”

“Yes. Yes I do.”

“How can you tell the difference?”

“A rogue vampire is what humans normally think all vampires look like. They’re very sickly looking from a poor diet, thin, skin so pale it’s almost translucent.”

“Truthfully, I was shocked when I first met you yesterday. You don’t look at all like I’d pictured. You are so friendly and if I were to pass you on the street I’d have thought you were just like me.”

“I am like you in a way. When you become a vampire everything is stripped from you. Your life, your humanity. I just so happen to be one of the lucky few who was able to find a coven and get help quickly enough.”

“How did they help you?”

“The leader of my coven found me within a few hours of me being attacked. He brought me to the main house where I was taken care of and watched over. Because I wasn’t given the choice to be turned, once I was coherent enough I was given the option of either staying a vampire or dying. I was still young and wanted to live. So I made my decision to continue ‘living’ as a vampire. The following day I met with the coven’s witch and the rest is history.”

“A witch?”

Jimin let out a small laugh and nodded. “Yes, a witch. Every good coven has one. I won’t tell you how, but they give us protection. That’s how I’m able to be out in the sunlight for a certain amount of time and why I still look fully human during the day. And in return we protect them and help them in any way we can.”

You spent the next few hours sitting in Jimin’s office and walking around the property just casually talking. The piece of paper that was full of questions had long been forgotten the longer you chatted and learned more of his story.

You noticed a change in Jimin the later in the day it got. His normally chocolate colored eyes began to get a hint of red to them, and his usually calm composure started to crack.

“I think we can safely end the interview here,” You said as the three of you exited the garden. “The sun will be setting in a few hours and we still need to eat dinner.”

Jimin looked at the sky. “Huh, I didn’t even realize how late it was getting.”

“You might not have realized, but I can see the change in your body.” You said absentmindedly following Yoongi through the patio door.

Before you could blink Jimin was standing in front of you with a teasing smile on his face. “You’ve been paying attention to my body, Y/N?” he asked, walking backwards as you continued forward.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you said you could notice the change. Which means you’ve been paying attention.”

You stopped walking and sighed. “Your irises are starting to turn red, which means you need blood. I noticed it last night. But they weren’t as bad because you were drinking some. Your hands are also starting to shake, and your mannerisms are becoming less friendly and more mischievous.”

“Do you prefer the friendly side or the mischievous side?” Jimin asked, and leaned in before whispering, “Pick your filter, Y/N. Because I can be whatever version you want me to be.”

You quickly stepped back and changed your direction to the kitchen. “Nope, nope, nope,” you repeated as you got a glass of water.

“Hey, Jimin? I have a question.” You thanked your lucky stars for Yoongi and his perfect timing. “It’s kind of personal so you don’t have to answer if you don't want to.”

“Please ask away,” Jimin encouraged, turning his attention from you to the other human in the room.

“What’s sex like as a vampire? Or do you guys even have sex?”

The water you were in the process of swallowing shot out of your mouth. Luckily you were still standing over the sink so what didn’t land on you went in it.

“Yoongi, I think you’re the first human to ever ask me that,” Jimin said, handing you a towel. “But to answer your question, yes we vamps do have sex and it’s a hundred times better than human sex.”

“How so?”

Jimin gently grabbed your wrist, stopping you when you tried to leave. “Stay for this, Y/N. You might find it interesting.” His tone was a mixture of playful and demanding. Strangely, you found yourself doing as he said. “As a human you are limited by what your body can handle, which isn’t very much. As a vampire there isn’t much that can kill us so we can be more creative. As a human you are only allowed to feel, smell and hear what your weakened senses will let you. But as a vampire our senses are heightened. We feel the slightest bit of movement, the slightest bit of touch, we can hear even the smallest of whimpers and the way our partners heartbeat changes when they are enjoying themselves. Not only does our high stamina make us last longer, but our strength and speed open up so many more possibilities.”

“I’m going to go edit before I get some sleep,” You said, finally able to step away from Jimin when Yoongi began to ask more questions.

“But what about dinner?” Yoongi asked when you grabbed the laptop off the island in front of him. “I still have snacks in my bag from the car ride here. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Let her go Yoongi. Judging by the change in her heartbeat and the wave of emotions coming off of her, she might not seem like it, but she’s very much enjoying this conversation. Let’s get you something to eat and have a drink while we continue to talk.” 

You didn’t even have to look at Jimin to know the vampire was currently wearing a mischievous grin.

You looked at the vampire while he stared out the window and drank his concoction of coffee and blood. Something was off with him this morning. His usual cheery and flirtatiousness was gone, he seemed distant and distracted.

“Hey, Jimin.” you said, trying to get his attention. “Do you mind if I interview you some more today? I thought of a few more questions last night.”

“That’s fine with me.” he answered, not looking away from the window. “But it can’t take as long as yesterday. Tonight is the harvest moon and I need to head out early so that I can get to the coven house before night falls.”

“What’s the harvest moon?”

“Have we started the interview already?” 

You were taken back by the irritation in his voice. “No. But if you give us a few minutes we can get set up and ready.”

“I’ll meet you in the office.”

You and Yoongi watched in confusion as the vampire walked away, “What the hell was that?” Yoongi whispered once Jimin was out of sight.

“I…I don’t know.”

“Maybe he didn’t have any luck hunting last night.” Yoongi finished his coffee and stood up. “I’ll go get everything ready. You might want to hurry and get changed. I have a feeling his mood is just going to get worse.”

You nodded in agreement then got up, grabbing both of your dishes and taking them to the kitchen.

After setting a new personal record for doing your hair, makeup and getting dressed, you grabbed your shoes and sped walked to the office. Jimin was already mic’d up and waiting when you quickly entered the door.

“You shouldn’t run in someone else's house,” Jimin admonished, brushing some lint off his pants.

“I didn’t run,” You bit back, taking your mic from Yoongi. 

“Whatever, let's just hurry this along.”

You looked at Yoongi and rolled your eyes before clipping on your mic and taking a seat. 

“We’ve already had the introduction, so I’ll just get to the questions.” Jimin took one last sip of his drink before placing it on the floor. “But in order for it to look good could you please be less grumpy?”

“I am not grumpy.”

“Oh, right, sorry. Could you be a little less of a moody and sassy vampire. Please.” You gave him a tight smile and nodded to Yoongi that you were ready. 

Jimin straightened himself and put on a happier face, “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.” You cleared your throat and crossed your legs, “What is the harvest moon?”

“It’s the busiest time of year in the supernatural world. It’s when we are at our strongest. It’s when our human side is the furthest away. The blood we drink tonight will be the richest. It is also the time of year when more of us are created by force. The rogues will be crawling out of whatever hole they’ve been living under and go out hunting for food. So those of us who aren’t feral will not only have to take care of our needs, but we’ll also have to keep our eyes and ears out for any humans being harmed.”

“What does that mean for mine and Yoongi’s safety? Are we safe here or should we leave?”

Jimin’s face turned serious, “The two of you will be fine if you follow the rules I established. As I told you earlier, I won't be here to make sure you’re in your rooms before nightfall. So I’m trusting you to do it yourselves.”

You nodded and gave him a soft “okay” before going to the next question. “We all know that werewolves have mates. Do vampires have them?”

“We aren’t dogs, Y/N. We don’t mate. But some of us are bonded, yes.”

“Are you bonded to anyone?”

“Why? Are you interested?”

Your heart skipped when he smirked and his eyes flashed red. “I..I..” you stuttered, trying to figure out how to answer him. “Do vampires sleep?”

Jimin laughed at your outburst. “Yes, Y/N. We only need a few hours for our bodies to recharge after feeding. So it’s more of a nap.”

You did your best to get through your questions as quickly as you possibly could, but due to Jimin’s ever changing mood it took longer than needed. He was out the door and on his way to his coven the moment you finished up; you along with Yoongi had reassured him you’d be in your rooms by nightfall.”

You and Yoongi decided to have your dinner on the patio overlooking the massive garden. It was your last night in the house after all and you didn’t want to spend it cooped up inside. So you grabbed your food and drinks with the intent to be back in once the sky began to change colors.

But after some drinks the two of you lost all track of time as you walked around, drinking your alcoholic beverages. Before you knew it the sun was almost set and you were in the middle of the maze at the furthest end of the garden.

“Yoongi, I think we should just start climbing the shrubs.” You held his hand tightly as the two of you turned yet another corner.

“We are almost to the entrance, Y/N. I promise.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I remember that statue from when we first came in. Plus the lights from the house are getting brighter.” he pointed over the tall bushes.

“They’re getting brighter because it’s getting darker, Yoongi.” Your voice not hiding how frightened and worried you’d become.

“Y/N, look at me.” Yoongi took your face in his hands, “I’m going to get us out of here and inside safely. Okay?”

“Okay.” Yoongi grabbed your hand and placed a comforting kiss on it before he started walking again.

By the time the lights of the garden and the entire house came into view from the entrance it was dark out. You were shaking from both the chilly night air and the sounds coming from the woods around you.

“Here’s the plan.” Yoongi said, stopping the two of you just short of your freedom. “We run from here. Don’t let go of my hand until we are inside safely.” He waited until you gave him a nod before he started to count. “1...2…3!”

The two of you took off running, hand in hand, towards the house. Your feet just hit the steps of the porch when you were thrown to the side, ripping your hand from Yoongi’s grip.

The moment you were able to catch the breath that had been knocked out of you, you were on your feet. “Yoongi?” Your voice was low at first as your body tried to recover. “Yoongi?” Your voice was louder and your legs shook as you looked around for him.

“Get inside, Y/N!” He yelled running from the side of the house.

You wanted to run. Everything in you was telling you to, but you couldn’t move. Your feet were cemented in place the closer he got to you. You could see blood on his white shirt and he looked extremely pale. But you weren’t sure if it was from fear or the loss of blood. “Yoongi, what happened?” You asked.

“Inside now!” The second the those words left his mouth he was being thrown to the ground and pinned down.

A scream ripped through you as you watched the creature sink its teeth into his neck.

“Get off of me you son of a bitch!” Yoongi screamed as he tried his best to get the rogue vampire off of him.

You watched in horror as Yoongi grew weaker. He looked at you one last time and mouthed “go” before losing consciousness.

Something inside you finally snapped and you took off running for the door. But just like before you weren’t successful. Before you could get the door open a pair of cold hands dug their long nails into your arm and flung you to the ground.  The vile creature's weight was on you before your body could register what happened. Your nostrils filled with the stench of death. It let out a hiss and you screamed when you felt the sharp pain of its teeth piercing your skin, and it began to suck every ounce of blood from your body. You tried to fight, but the rogue was strong and you were weakened from exhaustion and the blow to your head.

You could see a silhouette of someone coming around the corner of the house, just as your vision began to dim and your breathing shallowed. In a flash the rogue vampire's weight was off of you, you didn’t have the energy to see where it and the figure from the side of the house went.

The muffled sounds of fighting and yelling filled your ears while you laid there, waiting for your death to come. With your final breaths you could see five more figures beside the house. The figures grew larger as they sprinted their way over, one kneeling beside you and taking you in their arms.

You felt something warm press against your lips and somehow you could clearly hear the person say, “Drink.”

The next thing you knew you were waking up in your bed with a scream at the amount of discomfort you felt. Your senses were in overdrive, your head was pounding and your body felt strange.

Frightened, you curled up in a ball at the top of your bed when a man with broad shoulders entered your room. You couldn’t hear a word he was saying over the sound of his footsteps and beating heart. He tried his best to give you a comforting smile as he held up a note for you to read that said:

          “This is Jin. He’s the coven's witch. He won’t hurt you. Drink what’s in the glass, it has a potion mixed with blood, that will settle your senses and pain. Meet us downstairs when you’re ready.” ~Jimin

Jin handed you the drink and carefully sat on the foot of the bed. The relief was almost instant after two drinks of the thick, warm liquid.

“Yoongi?” was the only thing your shaky voice would allow you to ask, feeling the relief of all the noise and discomfort.

“Yoongi is fine, he woke up two days ago. He’s downstairs with the rest of the coven.”

“How-”

“How long have you been asleep?” Jin urged you to drink some more while he finished your question. “You’ve been out for three days. Your body struggled with the change. For a while there we weren’t sure if you’d make it.”

“Who saved me?”

Jin sucked in a deep breath and gestured toward the cup, “Drink up and I’ll let you know what happened. We’d just gathered at our meet up location so that the vampires could switch out, the group that’d been hunting was going with me to continue surveillance while the group that’d been with me went hunting. We were chatting and trying to figure out our next move when we heard a scream.” he paused for a second and tilted his head. “Or should I say, they heard a scream? My hearing is nothing compared to theirs. Anyways, when the second scream rang out, we realized it was coming from the direction of Jimin’s house, so we took off. I am not as fast as the rest of them, so I hopped onto Jungkook's back. Jimin got there before the rest of us. They could smell the rogue the closer we got. So when he sped up and broke away from the group, we knew it was you who’d screamed. In all the years that I’ve known Jimin I’ve never once seen him so scared and angry like he was. By the time the rest of us made it to the house Jimin had already knocked the vile creature off of you and was in the process of ripping its head off. You and Yoongi were both on death's door steps when we first laid eyes on you. They only had a few seconds to act. So Namjoon slit his wrist and ran to you, while Hoseok did the same and went to Yoongi. You only needed to get a few drops of their blood in your system, which thankfully you did.”

“So we’re dead?”

“In a way, yes. You as a human are technically dead. But you as a vampire are still alive.”

“I think I’m ready to go downstairs.” you said finishing off the drink.

“Okay,” Jin stood up and helped you out of the bed. “Your body is still a bit unsure of what to do with itself, so just lean on me and I’ll do the walking.” he said putting your arm around his neck and wrapping one of his around your waist. “It will get better once you’re able to drink more. I promise.”

The walk to the where the group was in the dining room took a lot longer than it did when you were human. Jin was right, your body was still trying to adjust and you needed to stop a few times to rest.

“Y/N!” a loud thud filled the silence of the room when Yoongi stood up and knocked over his chair. “I am so sorry.” he whispered in your ear after taking you from Jin and hugging you tightly. “I should’ve been more vigilant. I should’ve run faster.”

“It’s okay.” you said trying to soothe him. “I’m just as much to blame as you are. We both made mistakes that night.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat reminded you two that there were other people in the room. “Oh, right.” Yoongi broke away from the hug and picked you up. “Come meet the coven.”

You studied the four strangers' faces as Yoongi carried you to a seat and sat down with you on his lap. He wasn’t ready to let you go just yet.

“It’s nice to see you awake, Y/N. I’m Namjoon, the leader of the coven.”

“You’re the one that gave me your blood?” You asked, causing his dimples to show when he smiled.

“Yes, yes I am.” he adjusted in his seat. “May I introduce you to the rest of my coven?” he asked, before pointing out and giving you the name of each vampire in the room. “This is Hoseok, Taehyung, Jungkook,” each of them gave you a smile and a hello in return,

“and of course you already know Jimin.” 

Jimin didn’t say a word when you looked at him. He just sat there with a blank expression on his face.

“Don’t mind him.” Taehyung said, waving his hand toward Jimin. “He’s still trying to sort out his emotions.”

You looked at the vampire a few seats away in confusion. “His emotions about what?”

“You left the house when I told you not to,”  you turned your attention back to Jimin who didn’t look at you as he spoke. “I trusted the two of you. If we’d been somewhere else or a second later…” his words trailed off and he stood up. “I’m going to the basement to get ready”

The seven of you watched wordlessly as he left the room.

“A lot has happened in the past three days.” Hoseok stood up, “Now that you're getting better he’ll settle down soon.” he added before going after Jimin.

“He needs to get his shit together now.” Jungkook grumbled, crossing his arms. “He should be here for this discussion. Whatever she decides will affect him and Yoongi way more than it will affect the rest of us.”

“What decision am I supposed to be making?” you asked, looking at Namjoon.

“Rather or not you want to keep living as a vampire. If you choose not to then…well.” Namjoon squirmed in his seat as he tried to find the words. “There’s no real gentle way to say it. If you choose not to… then Jin and I will make sure you feel as little pain as possible.”

“You should tell her the rest, Namjoon.” Jin spoke from beside the kitchen door.

“No, I don’t want it to sway her decision.”

“She’s already made her decisions. Unlike you, I already know what the outcome will be and we can all already feel a change in the coven.”

You shifted on Yoongi’s lap so that you could look at both Jin and Namjoon. “What is it? What do I need to know?”

Namjoon sighed, breaking the intense eye contact he was having with Jin. “If you choose to remain alive, our coven and its members will become stronger, because you won’t be just a vampire. You will be a bonded vampire.”

Your eyes widened in shock, “Bonded? With who?”

Namjoon shook his head, “I won’t tell you that or explain anything further. Not until you give me your decision.”

That was five days ago.

You and Yoongi chose to live your lives as vampires. For the past few days, you’d spent your time inside the house. The two of you were itching to go outside and be able to see what your new vampire bodies could do. But, because you were newly turned, you weren’t allowed out until you learned to control yourselves.

Yoongi sighed and looked out the window of the living room again, “How much longer?”

You rolled your eyes and turned the page of the book you were reading, “He’s only been gone a couple of hours. You know it takes him a while since he’s hunting for the three of us.”

“Has he said anything to you yet?”

“Only a few words. But according to Taehyung, he still has a lot of frustration.”

“That vampire needs to learn how to communicate better. The three of us could’ve been working on our bond if he wasn’t so stubborn.” Yoongi sighed and sat in the chair across from you.

“And you need to find a way to ease your restlessness, before you drive me insane.”

“I’m not restless.”

You closed your book, placed it beside you on the couch and looked at him, “You spend your nights pacing, waiting for him to return with a fresh supply. I, along with the other members have told you that you need to find a way to release all that energy or else it’ll be a problem when we can actually go hunt.”

Yoongi leaned forward, clasped his hands in front of him, “You find me attractive right?”

“You know the answer to that,” you replied curiously, wondering what he was thinking about.

“I think I know a way to get out some of this pent up energy we have.”

“What are you getting at?”

Yoongi stood up and slowly stalked his way toward you, “You know how, when we used to get bored while working and would sneak away to the supply room, or how sometimes when we had nothing better to do we’d end up at the other person's house?” He put your book on the coffee table and sat down beside you.

“Are you trying to tell me you want to have sex?” You asked, voice full of amusement.

“I’m saying that we should try. We knew each other's bodies pretty well while we were alive. It might be a little awkward at first because we’ve changed, but it’ll be fun to see what we are capable of now.”

Your eyes and ears scanned to see if anyone was near the house. You made sure the coast was clear before answering him. “Okay, let's try it.” you put one leg on the couch so that you could face him. “Let's take it slow. And we both need to pay attention to make sure Jimin doesn’t walk in on us.”

“We could always just ask him to join,” Yoongi quipped with a mischievous grin as he slowly leaned toward you.

You both froze when your lips brushed against each other, neither of you were expecting such a strong feeling from such a light touch. You took your time sitting there and exploring each other's fully clothed bodies. Every intimate touch felt orgasmic and it made you both wonder what an actual orgasm as a vampire would feel like.

After what felt like an eternity you grabbed the back of Yoongi’s neck, pulling his lips to yours. Your body's reaction was stronger than either one of you ever expected. The two of you became lost in each other as you kissed, nipped and let your hands explore further than they’d done before.

Yoongi, irritated with your shirt, used his strength to tear it off of your chest. You laid back on the armrest, arched your back and softly cursed at the feeling of his soft tongue circling around your nipple. The two of you were in a field of ecstasy and you knew if you didn’t pace yourselves you’d both cum way before you wanted to.

The second your hip began to move, rubbing your covered core against Yoongi’s abs, you felt a hand gently tilt your head back.

“Easy, love,” Jimin whispered in your ear, “or you’ll finish before the fun even starts.”

You couldn’t speak. You laid there panting and looked down at Yoongi who was still exploring your torso with his hands and mouth. Yoongi’s eyes landed on Jimin and then back at you with a smirk as he kissed, nipped and sucked his way to your panty line.

“Just fucking rip them off,” you said breathlessly.

The feeling of Jimin’s hands on your chest as Yoongi tossed your underwear to the side and kissed his way up your inner thigh made your eyes roll back when the most intense feeling of pleasure you’d ever felt spread throughout your body.

“Make her cum, Yoongi,” Jimin’s breath fanned across your neck as he spoke. “Don’t hold back. I want her to feel what it’s like to be fucked as a vampire.”

Your body was about to explode with the mixture of pleasure and pain that flooded your senses. Yoongi didn’t hesitate and quickly began his attack on your womanhood with his mouth. While at the same time Jimin attached his mouth to your neck, the feeling of his extended fangs breaking your skin before he began to gently suck was its own thrill.

You came harder than you ever had, screaming and cursing both of their names. You could hear the fabric of the couch begin to tear as your nails dug into it. 

You opened your eyes the second Jimin’s fangs left your neck. Before you could catch your breath, he used his strength and speed to position you on all fours the moment Yoongi moved away to sit on the arm of the sofa.

You took Yoongi’s stiff cock in your mouth while Jimin adjusted your legs on the couch. You let out a muffled moan when Jimin’s hand smacked one of your ass cheeks before he slammed his cock inside of you.

Pleasure coursed through your body along with theirs as you took both men at the same time. Using Jimin’s movements to your advantage, the harder and faster his thrusts became, the harder and faster your mouth moved over Yoongi’s cock.

“Fuck, I’m getting close,” Yoongi hissed and moved your hair so that he could see you better. “God, Y/N.”

Jimin, not too far from his own orgasm, reached one hand under you to rub your clit before picking up his pace.

You were the first to cum with the men quickly following.

Once again before either of you could recover, your positions were switched. Your body wanted more. It needed more.

This time it was just you and Jimin on the couch. Yoongi moved over to the chair he was sitting in earlier. He stroked himself and watched you both as you chased your highs again.

The house filled with your moans and pleas while Jimin thrusted into you as hard and fast as he could. At some point you put your hands on the arm of the couch behind your head to use  as leverage. When that broke under the pressure, Jimin scooped you up in his arms and laid you across the coffee table.

You turned your head to the side and watched Yoongi, sitting on the edge of his seat, biting his lip and stroking himself at the same pace as Jimin moved. His knuckles whitened and his breathing quickened as you let one of your hands roam his bare chest.

Jimin's hand gently touched your cheeks and turned your attention back to him. “Don’t you ever die on me again. You hear me,” he said, not slowing his pace. “You are ours!” He looked at Yoongi before continuing. “You are both of ours.” He then motioned for Yoongi to get closer. “We are going to mark you so that everyone knows who you belong to.” 

A new feeling of excitement took over your body as you nodded in understanding.

You replaced the hand Yoongi was using to pleasure himself with your own, allowing both men to have a hand free to roam your body. Both of their mouths moved to your neck. You moaned at the feeling of their mouths.

The second the pleasure inside your bodies came to its breaking point the two of them sank their fang into your neck, marking you as theirs.The feeling of the connection coming alive left the three of you speechless for a few moments as you laid there.

“Just so we are clear,” Jimin whispered breathlessly in the crook of your neck. “You know what we just did right?”

“Yes,” you answered, allowing your eyes to flutter closed as the comfort of being near both men took over. “I now wear the markings of our bond.”

The three of you moved to the floor where you laid and just enjoyed the feeling of being close to each other.

“Come on you two.” Yoongi said, standing up with a stretch after almost an hour. “I’m hungry.”

You opened your eyes when you felt Jimin’s weight leave your body, “I think I worked up a small appetite.” You grabbed the hand Jimin offered, helping you up.

“If your appetite is only small, then we can keep going to work up a bigger one,” he smirked.

“Jimin, our bodies aren’t as used to this as your’s. How about we slowly work up to the all-nighters,” Yoongi retorted, wrapping the throw blanket from the back of the couch around you.

Jimin sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Blood - Chapter 1

A vampire story that will feature many characters on either side of the divide between life and death.

Here's the first chapter...

Words: 1,3k

Warnings: a little unsettling, a tad suggestive...it's a vampire story, what did you expect :p ?

Chapter 1: Thranduil

Aggie touched a tentative hand to the back of her sore head; she had fallen hard onto the cold ground, veined with tangled roots, and covered in sharp stones that mercilessly dug into her tender flesh.

Struggling to her feet, she blinked a few times but the uncanny impression of having been thrown into a flat, painted scene didn’t abate; everything around her – the forest, the hard-packed earth beneath her feet, the dark sky overhead – struck her as uncomfortably static.

It was as if time simply stopped existing in the pervasive shadow of the tall trees that stood motionless around her, like malevolent sentinels.

As she narrowed her eyes in distrust and confusion, her gaze was inexorably drawn to a narrow path winding through the impenetrable obscurity ahead; it was akin to a faint ray of light cutting through a menacing labyrinth and her body moved towards it before her mind could even clear completely.

Weary and more than just a little scared, she pressed on tirelessly, her eyes glued to the forest floor – littered with dead leaves and tiny twigs – until she suddenly could feel the silver moonlight pour over her head like a shower of light.

She had no idea where she was and how she had managed to stray so far from the route she had mapped out in her head prior to her departure; ever vigilant, Aggie had of course heard tales of the man-eating forest she’d have to pass by and had resolved not to set foot into it if she could help it.

“Don’t even look at it,” the elderly aunt she had visited had warned her, “strange things happen within that wood!”

Starting early and making good time, Aggie had been confident that she’d reach the small village on the edge of the vast woodlands before nightfall, but somehow, she must have gotten turned around.

It was only then, after musing pointlessly about her uneventful and tiring day, that she realised that she had been walking for many an hour and that she had reached a clearing, bathing in a pearlescent shimmer that told her that it was the dead of night and she was no closer to finding her way back than before.

At the far end of the slightly oblong space, the boughs of the old trees seemed to tangle into a sort of natural awning that plunged the ground beneath them into inky blackness.

For a moment, she thought she heard the echoes of a song and the hint of woodsmoke caress her tired senses and – once again – she was set in motion by forces beyond her own reckoning.

Not long after, she reached a stair braided out of old, creaking roots that led ever downward.

Every fibre of her being objected to being drawn under the earth never to surface again, but a leaden fatigue descended upon her now and the idea of finding shelter for the night became so overwhelmingly appealing that she ventured on.

As soon as her nimble right foot touched solid earth again, lights flared up as if her mere presence had ignited the torches lining a high corridor that seemed to stretch on endlessly.

“No,” she mumbled, but – even to her own ears – her voice sounded feeble and muffled by the ambient silence that had a positively physical weight to it as it settled on her shivering frame.

Aggie knew not if it was her weariness or a trick of the light, but the corridor seemed to contract and shorten before her very eyes; she now could make out an intricately carved and richly decorated double door and – despite her better knowledge – she hastened towards it.

As if they had sensed her approach, the doors swung open noiselessly.

Stumbling once more, Aggie found herself in a dimly lit room – cavernous and huge – that was as devoid of life or movement as the rest of this accursed forest.

“Hello?” she called tentatively and shrank back as she caught a movement ahead.

Stepping into a pale ray of light falling through an opening in the dark ceiling that seemed comprised of roots and packed earth, the most marvellous creature she had ever beheld extended his arms as if in welcome.

“Good evening,” the being said in a voice that reminded her of the terrible wrath of an unleashed river, “little one. I am Thranduil, Lord of these Halls.”

Thranduil, Aggie thought with a shiver of apprehension, was as white as if someone had poured pure starlight into the approximate shape of a man; his long, gleaming hair flowed like water down broad shoulders and his piercing eyes shone with a cold light. 

From this distance, everything about him seemed unnaturally pale; he looked colourless as if someone had drained him of all the usual signs and tokens of life and there was something distinctly frightening about the stiff elegance of his movements that gave the impression that he was holding his breath to avoid moving so swiftly that he’d blur like lightning cutting through the darkness.

“You look tired,” he went on when she didn’t reply, “allow me to offer a humble repast to a very welcome traveller.”

Aggie felt herself nod – amazed and entranced – and step forward at his discreet beckoning motion. 

Servants materialised out of the shadows, laying out a marvellous feast on a low table that she had not seen upon entering the ever-shifting room. Candles were brought in and lit by eager hands, but Aggie’s mind was cloaked in an obscuring fog.

“Come now,” Thranduil urged, “and tell me of the world outside.” The way his eyes – grey as an overcast sky and yet iridescent with reds and violets – flitted over the bare skin of her wrists and throat made her flinch, but she was overcome with a ravenous hunger such as she had never known before all of a sudden.

Everything about this place terrified her and yet, she could not muster either the courage or the will to stand and leave.

Moreover, Thranduil was compelling in his motionless, rapt attentiveness so she told him more about herself, her movements, her family, and her village than was rationally advisable.

An orphan, an unmarried woman, lost and alone in a strange forest, she all but screamed her own vulnerability at him.

“Indeed,” he purred, leaning forward eagerly. “You will make a great addition to my coven. If you would be so good as to follow me to my rooms; I have some truly excellent wine set aside for situations like this one.”

“Will I die?” Aggie asked brazenly, struggling against the supernatural sense of calm and comfort radiating from the sharply smiling creature. If these were her last moments of motion, sound, and colour, she would embrace the frantic beating of her heart and savour every second of blood-curdling fear if that was all that was left to her.

“Die?” Thranduil laughed, revealing sharp teeth that glittered like blades in the flickering candlelight, “oh no! Everything but that. I will make you mine. I will steal you.”

“Steal me?” Aggie echoed in a hollow voice; she was nobody’s property and she had made that quite clear, or at least she thought that she had.

“You’re one of theirs,” Thranduil smirked, “and I will poach you, if only to see which one of those terribly distasteful monsters they’ll send to retrieve such a treasure.”

Curiosity now drove Aggie to follow him; not only was she almost certain that he was some unholy demon – frozen in time forevermore – but she had apparently been rubbing elbows with his kind before. 

She had a good idea who, in her immediate vicinity, could be meant by his cryptic words and she was desperate to find out if she was right.

So, that was the first chapter...Stay tuned to see how this goes on!

-> Chapter 2