#The Brave and the Bold who gets along better with everyone else. even the way the Brave and the Bold largely exists to use Batman's

[bigskydreaming]

Imagine looking at a character whose entire premise is that in every stage of his life, he's made every version of himself into someone that inspires people to such a degree that EVERY SINGLE VERSION OF HIM has people wanting to literally follow in his footsteps in some way or another.....

And coming to the conclusion that like.....the most important things about him are the sum of all his trappings. His entirely homemade developed from scratch could not exist if not for what he already was and brought with him BEFORE crafting this newest version of himself trappings, with his greatest trait throughout all of it being his adaptability; his ability and willingness to roll with the punches and not try to simply weather any opposition or changes to his life but instead reshape himself as needed to better fit INTO whatever new shape his life and the world around him takes. All while managing to carry the most innate, fundamental and necessary aspects of himself from one version to the next. Thus every single version of himself is different but simultaneously every single version of himself is also undeniably the same person.

The strength of this character, to me, will always be that he can be so many versions of himself, he can become so many things, all without ever actually losing or discarding any of the aspects of himself he considers most essential, the things he's not willing to lose or give up just to keep going. Finding that road not taken by most, usually because most never even think to look for it as an option. But one that he's always able to find because the one trick he's mastered in his tumultuous life is threading that needle of not just digging in his heels in an unproductive way but rather being selective about when and where he makes a stand and decides "this is not a thing I'm willing to compromise about" but here are places and ways I can and will change and evolve and adapt in order to make it possible for me to hold onto these parts and keep them as they are.

And that's why its always so mind-boggling to me that so many writers can't seem to think of anything else to do with Dick Grayson other than invent some new reason for him to just....not be that person, or to like just take the character whose most basic fundamental trait he's NOT about to compromise on is willingly giving up his spot in the driver's seat of his own life.....and make him just a passenger in his own life and stories.

Dick Grayson at age nine....at age nineteen...at age twenty nine....the one core thread running through all versions of him is the only way he's standing back and letting you call the shots for him or putting him on the sidelines in some way is over his dead body.

HOW he goes about that, what that looks like, who he becomes and what aspects of himself he plays up at some times and what traits he lets fall by the wayside at other times when they offer less in service to his primary goal here....that changes constantly. He changes constantly.

But those changes are almost always (or at least they used to be/should be IN MY OPINION) made with the intention of keeping certain things about him or his life as consistent as possible.

That's the duality of Dick Grayson that I'm here for. The inherent contradiction of him that COULD allow for endless conflict and breaking new narrative ground in all sorts of ways if mined properly:

His eternal willingness to compromise....but only ever in pursuit of doubling down on the ways he's not willing to compromise.

Forever walking that tightrope in ways that only a kid born and raised in a circus could ever hope to.

[rootsofdread]

yasss, your reqs are finally open again!! so happy to see it <3

could you do Ash, Thalita, Dwight, Rebecca and Ace with a killer s/o (or crush (or friend)), who's just..very chill? Trials with them filled with zero sadism or hard feelings, they are just, yk, doing their job. Sometimes giggling at the stupid things survivors do, ask if everything's alright if someone falls or bumps into something, and letting everyone go on a good day if they just ask good enough!!

🦞loveyou

this was fun to do!! looove survivor x killer lol <33

also tried to make the relationship ambiguous so it can be read as either romantic or platonic!

Dwight Fairfield:

If you asked him, Dwight wouldn’t lie, you still scare him a little bit, even though he knows you’re generally harmless outside of doing what the Entity asks you. And you being friendly doesn’t really help him make sense of his feelings. It’s a confusing concoction and he never knows how to act around you.

If you come to help him after he falls on his face while trying to vault away from you, his face flushes red — he still tries to act brave in front of you, though. He quickly tells you he’s alright and dusts himself off. He kind of sits there awkwardly in front of you for a moment before gesturing that you should get back to your chasing.

He’s usually the first to ask if you can let everyone go. Typically blurted out in fear when you have him down, but sometimes he very awkwardly walks up to you after you’ve hooked or downed someone to ask if you’ll let them all live, fidgeting with his hands. He knows chances are you can’t, but he also knows it doesn’t hurt to ask if you’re willing to listen.

Ace Visconti:

Of course, Ace is a gambling man. When he noticed you looming over him while he worked on a generator, he decided he should try his luck committing to the generator. You didn’t immediately stab him, so maybe it’ll work this time — out of the hundreds of other times he’s tried it. He was surprised when he realized he had finished the generator and you had left to bother someone else. Looks like his luck is finally turning around…

He usually takes risks like this with you. It’d happen with any killer, honestly, but he feels more safe taking gambles when it’s with you. He’ll commit to working on generators, instantly run to save teammates, try to pull himself off of the hook, even. Sometimes it doesn’t pay off the way he wants to, if you decide to mess with him, but that doesn’t dampen his spirit.

This means he’s usually also the first to offer himself in place of one of his teammates. He kind of banks on you loving him enough you’ll spare both of them, but he knows sometimes he needs to go or you enjoy messing with him a bit. He tends to see it as more of him earning points to cash out with you, like you’ve killed him this many times, you should let him go this time. This works a little better.

Ash Williams:

Ash’s bravery — perhaps more accurately, stupidity — regarding evil creatures isn’t exactly a secret. He was always bold and hanging around you when he shouldn’t have been, he was the first to find out that you’re relatively harmless compared to most of the other killers. Due to said “bravery,” of course — but he finds it just groovy that you’re a cool killer.

If you’re in a trial with survivors who don’t already know you’re chill, he loves casually hanging around you and seeing the panic on their face as they try to get him away from you. This would fall on deaf ears even if he didn’t personally know you, but he really gets a kick out of it. You and him can always share a laugh over little things like this.

He will test his luck sometimes by being annoying or baiting hits from you. He knows you don’t actually want him dead, so he has fun messing with you and seeing what he can get you to do. He loves when you get a little playful and go along with it, pretending like you’re really out to get him — it’s so much fun for him.

Rebecca Chambers:

Rebecca would have surprised you by being brave enough to trust that you didn’t want to hurt everyone for your own pleasure, rather than for your job. She may have seemed hesitant, but eased up when she saw how comfortable you were with everyone. There was no bloodlust or craving for violence — you seemed…normal. As normal as you can be, at least, she guessed.

She first got close to you when she ran up to heal a downed teammate and saw you standing there. She felt safe getting them up in front of you, and even gave you a thumbs-up when you let them run off. There was a moment between the two of you before you began chasing her instead.

She doesn’t typically mind when you have to kill a few of the survivors. She knows you have to. As long as you’re nice to everyone and knows you’re not doing much more than a job, she, at least, accepts it. She treats you with the same respect you treat all the other survivors with.

Thalita Lyra:

Thalita was sure her people skills would earn her favors with a killer at some point. Even a monstrous serial killer should be able to be charmed by her, she thought. She was relieved when you had agreed to spare everyone’s lives after a tough, long-winded trial. She knew at that moment you couldn’t be as bad as the rest of them.

She’s competitive and enjoys a bit of fun with you, often baiting you into chasing her around so she can see how long either you or her will last. Of course, there’s the added bonus of this allowing her teammates some time, but it’s mainly to sate her competitive spirit. The others frequently see the two of you running around the grounds laughing to yourselves.

She honestly loves being with you. It makes her feel like she’s building a community again — building a bridge between the survivors and the killers. Perhaps you’re the first step to the two groups coexisting. She knows it’s probably a pipe dream, but you know her, so you know even if that’s true she’ll still work towards it, now with you.

[lets-talk-story]

Bitter Woe

Once upon a time there were two brothers, a rich one and a poor one. It seemed like what ever the Rich Brother did, only brought him more wealth. Whereas the Poor Brother's hard work, never gained him a penny more. The Rich Brother took advantage of his Poor Brother's finances by offering to employ him for pennies a day. The Poor Brother accepted because he'd at least have enough money for a loaf of bread, which he would have to share with his family. To everyone else in the village the Rich Brother appeared to be doing them a favor. But it was all an act. When the Rich Brother invited his Poor Brother to his birthday banquet, he ensured that the poor soul didn't even get any food or drink. When everyone else left happy and full, the Poor Brother was hungry as ever. The Poor Brother tried to pretend he had a good time, less the villagers think him ungrateful. He tried to sing a little tune, but when he did he heard a terrible shrieking voice sing along. The Poor Brother demanded the singer show themselves Out stepped a skeleton in yellow rags. "Who are you?" The Poor Brother demanded. "I am Bitter Woe," the skeleton replied. "I am friends with all weak creatures. You seem lonely, so I have come to keep you company." The skeleton then jumped on the Poor Brother's back. The Poor Brother was too weak to throw him off, and could only crawl home. All the while, Bitter Woe sang, "I am Woe, the brave, I am Woe, the bold; He who lives with me Has his griefs controlled, And when money is lacking I'll find him gold." Bitter Woe then directed the Poor Brother to the pub, where the man drank what little money he had. When he awoke the next morning, Bitter Woe told him to go drinking again. "I have no money," the poor brother replied. "Did you forget my song?" Bitter Woe retorted, "You will always find gold with me. You will work hard for it through your labors, and then spend on me again." And so the Poor Man did, not having the courage to fight Bitter Woe. Day after day, Bitter Woe forced the Poor Man to use whatever money he had earned on alcohol. Bitter Woe was ready to trade everything the man had in his life for drink. But the Poor Brother refused to let Bitter Woe get the best of him. Instead, he came up with a plan.

The next time Bitter Woe told him to work to buy drinks, the Poor Brother began to moan to the demon, "Oh if only I was strong enough to life the big boulder in the woods. I was told as a child that underneath it was a hoard of gold. Then I would have enough money to drink all day." Bitter Woe was intrigued and demanded the Poor Brother to take him to this boulder. They walked deep in the woods, and there was indeed a giant boulder. It would have taken 5 men to lift it themselves, but Bitter Woe and the Poor Brother worked together find a way to lift the boulder up. Under the boulder was a very deep hole and a shimmer of gold. "Can you go down and throw me some gold, while I keep the boulder up?" The Poor Man asked. The demon jumped down into the hole and tossed up a jar of gold. Bitter Woe proclaimed, "There's not just one container of gold, but enough gold for a king!" The man dropped the boulder back onto the hole, sealing away the demon, explaining, "But this is more than enough for me." He made the sign of the cross, so the rock couldn't be moved and returned home a more hopeful man. He used the money to get out of debt and help rebuild his life. Within a year; he had a new profession and built a new home for his family. Now this change was not unnoticed by his rich brother. The Rich Brother invited his newly Better Off Brother to a meal and asked what had happened to cause this change. The Better Off Brother explained everything, including the demon Bitter Woe and how he tricked him. The Rich Brother thought his brother was foolish to only be satisfied with one jar of gold, when there was so much ready for taking. So the next day, with expensive tool, the Rich Brother went to the boulder and moved it himself. In that moment, Bitter Woe jumped onto his back. "I may have been tricked once, but I will not be removed again!" Bitter Woe hissed, clinging onto the Rich Brother's back. From then on, no matter how much money the Rich Brother had, he lost it to Bitter Woe and became a miserable man. Whereas the Better Off Brother knew that to keep off Bitter Woe, you had be satisfied with what you had- and he continued to be prosperous and happy.

The End

Notes: This story also goes by the title Woe Bogotir. Normally I try to keep the vibe of the area a story is told in; but this one kept turning into a story that could take place anywhere.

[writerfae]

Another long ask!

How am I just now getting to Bendegúz when he's literally the secondary protagonist next to Adél? Shame on me!

Also an important world building thing I forgot to mention: you know how Endre can summon angel wings on his back? While ordinary people don't have magic they do have mechanical wings (except the kids (under 13) who have practice ones that can't fly high). They kinda look like backpacks.

So, Bendegúz (15) is the son of the capitan of the guard and Adél's best friend! They have known echother since they were babies! They spend every day together.  (And their friendship is one of my favorite things)

Bendegúz is goofy, mischievous and brave (bold, reckless... same thing).

He wants to be a guard when he grows up, like his parents, and he is THE thing that keeps Adél, Ákos and himself alive in the swamp because he is the only one who knows anything about fighting or survival! Morons! I love them!

He's main weapon is a blue spear.

He was injured as a baby so he has a limp.

And, now there are things in his backstory that I don't want to go into just yet (I am sure you understand). What I will say is this: part of his character arc revolves around the fact that the other characters all see him as famiy, and they all thought it was so obvious that noone thought to tell him that! And for a whlie that was fine. He was happy to be their friend and only occasionally sulked about the fact that he wasn't family. When Ákos dissappeared though he completely neglected his own grief, always saying: I'm fine. He wasn't MY brother! I'm just worried about everyone else!

The others, particularly Adél know that something's up, but you can't really get Bendegúz to tell you what's wrong unless he wants to.

This of course ends with a scene in the middle of the book, where he's crying and Adél tells him: We're gonna rescue OUR little brother!

I want to get it across that Bendegúz is pretty happy with his life. There's not really secret pain hidden behind his jokes (or when there is it's really obvious)

Let me talk about him and Adél!

Their friendship is great for a couple of reasons.

1. There's the fact that they're opposites Adél being the girl, who's afraid of everything, and Bendegúz the boy who's afraid of nothing.

2. Bendegúz will talk about his problems but not right away. He usually keeps in what's bothering him, until he feels like telling. But in the meantime while he's stewing in his bad feelings, Adél's constant, unprompted reassurances feel really nice.

On the flip-side Bendegúz is the only one who can get Adél out of her shell even when she's terrified of doing a thing, because they sometimes know echother better than they know themselves. And Adél knows that if Bendegúz sees that a situation really is too much for her he will pull the plug immediately no matter how much he was enjoying it.

3. (My favorite) They are just always hanging out. Like, nothing special, but they're just always together doing suff. A common sight in the castle garden is Bendegúz beating up a training dummy, while Adél sits close by, knitting.

Also, this man low key has beef with Ákos' pet goat.

-

I think him and Hela would get along well. Their first meeting is this:

Hela: Cool spear

Bendegúz: Cool dagger

Hela: So...

Bendegúz: So... Want me to fly you up, spin you really fast and see how far I can throw you?

Hela: I thought you'd never ask!

Adél and Talon running after them: Why are you like this?!

Also, I feel like Talon would be the target of so many pranks. Bendegúz just looks at him, and he's like: That guy needs to learn what the word "fun" means.

Bendegúz sounds awesome, I bet he’s pretty cool. Halea would befriend him instantly. They would cause so much chaos xD

Also on mechanical wings sound like the coolest thing ever! So does his blue spear!

I do love a good friendship. And it’s nice to hear that Adél has a good friend like him, one that takes care of her and balance her out a bit. And the other way around, too.

I love when characters are friends that like to hang out and help each other and treat each other like family!

Poor boy though, why can’t he see that they all consider him family? That they all love him? 😭 I hope he’ll realize it one day with Adél’s help.

He seems like a lovely character. Being a bit reckless never hurt anybody and if it helps him to get Ákos and Adél out of the swamp that’s even better!

I desperately want to know now how exactly Bendegúz ended up having beef with a goat though xD

Thanks for sharing this with me! I really do adore your characters, they all are great!!

[obey-me-rot]

You're Mine

A/N: I guess as a writing blog I should be doing some writing right? Honestly this has just been the biggest headcanon I've had in a while since I started playing Obey Me of the brothers just...like Devildom culture must be so different! And then the whole pact thing with human masters must be so different as well! I just view them as big animals just wanting to get your attention u wu. Warnings: Jealous boys, public shows of dominance and a lot of biting.

It's almost painful being in the Devildom sometimes.

A cultural exchange program amped up to 100 %.

As much as you loved the brothers, you also were meeting some pretty cool demons in RAD. Surely you were the human student everyone was so excited to meet, but none of them really talked to you, you know? But there were some that were brave enough to overlook your pact marks and dive into a conversation.

Even some were bold enough to talk to you out of school!

Making so many friends was so exciting, especially since you still thought of yourself as new! Wait till the brothers see how many new demons you have met!

Problem is you forgot how weird demon culture is, especially when it has to do with a demon and their master.

"MC?"

Lucifer blinks as he notices the demon approaching the two of you, pausing your daily walk with him as confusion turns to familiarity and you run up to greet your friend.

The first thing he notices is how they are a low ranking demon, so there’s no need to be hyper aware of any sort of threat. In this instance he doesn’t need to look to make sure his pact mark is visible to the demon.

His mark was embedded right in your iris, so anyone could see whose protection you were under.

He smiles politely as you turn around to introduce them, the demon waving at him shyly as if remembering that, yes, this human made a pact with Lucifer and therefore should not be messed with in any way. Yet there was no sort of violent tendencies coming from this demon, which put him at somewhat of an ease.

That is, until the demon takes a hold of your hand.

It’s a simple touch, one that a human would mistaken for a sign of friendship and camaraderie. The demon was speaking excitedly about a new flower they had seen over at the Botanical gardens and how much they wanted to show it off to you.They tighten their hold and Lucifer has to dig his fingernails into his palm from ripping their hand off.

You had no idea what it meant and the action would most likely scare you.

And Lucifer wanted you to trust him as much as possible.

“Would it be okay if Lucifer comes along?”

“...y--yeah! I don’t mind!”

Hesitation mixed with fake happiness, this demon really thought that he would get some time alone with you, didn’t they? They probably planned this whole thing out and whatever excitement they were showing you was just a front to hide their true intentions. Besides, look how they are hanging off of you, they want to make a pact with you so badly it’s almost disgusting.

Might as well get rid of the pest now.

“Come on MC, I want to show you the huge petals--!”

“OW!”

You and the demon look back to see Lucifer biting down on one of your fingers, your ring finger to be exact, while making eye contact with the pest. His teeth are not necessarily breaking skin but the pain of the bite made all your attention go back on him, turning around to tug your finger away and cradle it close. “Lucifer what the hell!”

He smiles and tells you not to worry about it, your retort falling on deaf ears as Lucifer’s eyes fall on the demon one more time. Their eyes are wide and they have immediately taken two steps back, their back as straight as a needle as Lucifer sends them one last look that lets them know of his intentions.

Leave now or I will gut you in front of my human.

You turn to apologize to your friend for putting them in such a weird situation but the demon is already long gone, no sign of them ever being in your presence as you look around aimlessly.

“They left...” you frown and look at Lucifer, “Next time at least warn me.”

“If I did then you would have probably forbidden me from doing so.”

The Avatar of Pride smiles as he takes your hand, interlacing his fingers with yours as you kept talking about how you would apologize the next day. But Lucifer wasn’t listening, he just kept staring at you as you talked, happy that his master wasn’t particularly mad.

That demon would have to learn to get his own, this human was already his.

He had finally gotten you all to himself.

Mammon had a photoshoot today, making you tag along so he could finally show off his modeling skills. And it would help him out as well. The product they were trying to sell did not appeal to him one bit and he just really needed you as inspiration.

And inspiration did you give.

“Oh gorgeous Mammon gorgeous! Lean back and close your eyes.”

The cameraman was giving him compliment after compliment, excellent after excellent, it was as if all eyes were on him at that exact moment. He smiled as he thought about how you must be looking at him. His shirt was open, letting the cloth hang off the side of the couch as the camera focused primarily on the low riding jeans that showed off the boxers he was promoting.

“Perfect! Perfect!! Now turn around and stare into the camera!”

His eyes opened and his head turned expertly, Mammon smiling as he tried to make eye contact with you--

Only to see that you were gone.

Camera flashes stop as he bolts up, turning to look for you before his eyes focused on your form.

There you were...talking with someone else.

“Mammon?”

He doesn’t stare at the cameraman, only gets up and stalks towards you and the demon currently holding up the lights. Both of you turn to face him, a voice speaking loudly about a five minute break as Mammon stands behind you and hugs you from behind, placing his chin right on your shoulder as he looks at the interloper.

“Are you taking a break?”

Mammon smiles as he buries his face in your shoulder, hugging you tight as the demon tells him he did a wonderful job. Without raising his head, Mammon speaks up.

“MC, who is this?”

“Oh right! Haven’t introduced you. He is a friend from RAD! We sit together in Pactology 101.”

“Well we used to sit together...”

“We talked way too much in class, didn’t we?”

It’s like nails on a chalkboard when he laughs, Mammon feeling glad that he was closer to you so he could hear the sound of your laughter instead of the ugly screeching of the intruder taking up your attention. Did this guy think he was stupid? That he couldn’t notice all the goddamn pheromones he was releasing? Mammon shakes his head back and forth, breathing in your scent heavily as he tries to leave his own behind.

This guy was embarrassing himself with how badly he wanted to form a pact with you.

“MC.”

“Oh oh, remember when the teacher caught us texting in class?”

“I think he might want to just put us back together cause we are still causing trouble!”

The Avatar of Greed frowns, did you not hear him?

“MC…”

“Well the teacher knows we are a good match, doesn’t he?”

“A match made in hell, I would say.”

Why was this guy still talking? Why were you still listening to him?

“MC….”

“Hey after this...would you want to go get some coffee, MC? If you’re not busy.”

“Nah, I only have this toda---FUCK!”

A pair of teeth tug at your earlobe, Mammon growling in your ear as he makes eye contact with the annoyance in front of him. He should be counting his lucky stars that you were still in the room, if Mammon found him anywhere else this demon would be nothing more than a meal for his familiars.

“MC, you have to stare at me or else I’m going to take longer.”

You rub at your ear as Mammon lets go of you, breaking eye contact with the other demon as he gives you his signature pout. He didn’t want you to see him be all scary, Mammon wanted you to see him like the number one demon he always tried to be for you.

“And you had to bite me because of that!?”

“Because you weren’t paying attention! You have to keep your eyes on me or else I’m not going to sell this stupid product. In fact--”

He drags you back to the couch, yelling at the cameraman that he would be posing with you so he could actually get through this photoshoot instead of doing a solo shoot. The man sighs but calls makeup to get you ready, Mammon smiling as he sits down right next to you.

The farther you were from that guy the better, all of his master’s attention needed to be on him after all.

Of course something like this would happen. Bad luck seemed to follow Leviathan wherever he went.

"Did you see the finale of it live?"

"I did!!! My movie theatre put it on the big screen and everything!"

Levi was glad that you were a nerd just like him. It was refreshing and probably one of the biggest reasons he had decided to make a pact with you.

Well, he had tried to kill you first and then make a pact with you but it was still a special story! Who would have thought that he would land himself a human master with his own interests!

Though he guessed that was a bad thing now.

He couldn't keep his thoughts in check as the clerk of the comic store kept talking to you, Levi annoyed that he couldn't keep up with the conversation you two had. It was about some comic cinematic universe that had been adapted in the human world and he honestly didn’t want to put anymore thought into it because of how close the clerk was getting.

Dammit he should have bought the new manga volume in Akuzon...but you had been so cute irl asking him to get the manga in this comic store you found,and if his master was begging him so cutely then what else could he do?

“I actually got the limited edition of this one movie--”

Nobody cared.

“It was up for a lot in Akuzon but I’m glad I got my hands on it--”

Stop talking!

“And I have a pretty cool viewing set up in the back--!”

Stop talking, stop talking, stop talking, stop talking to MC!

Levi frowns as you gush about the movie some more, glaring down at you for letting your attention stray from him. But why should he be surprised, of course your attention would stray. Him being the yucky otaku that he is, of course you would go with the demon who took his interest and actually turned it into a profit--

No.

No! It wasn’t your fault! It wasn’t even his fault! It was this demon’s fault!

Thinking they looked so cool with their most basic of interests. If Levi could expose them for the fraud that they were, MC would be able to see the absolute fool that this demon was making themselves out to be. Smiling a lot more, inching closer as they talked, even offering to take you to the back of the store--!

People may say what they want about Levi but at least he wasn’t this desperate to get on the good side of a human...at least the first time he met you.

His eyes fall on the back of your neck, hair conveniently placed out of the way as he remembered something Lucifer had discussed with him and Mammon after they had made their pact.

You will not think rationally when you are with them, make sure to monitor your actions so you don’t embarrass yourself.

That’s what he said but…

Surely Levi wasn’t going to embarrass himself more than this demon already has.

“This is the one with the symbiote creature, right? And you got the bonus deleted scenes! Honestly I would be so down with watching it right--EEP!”

Levi made sure to let his tongue lick the back of your neck first before biting down, wanting to make the bite as painless as possible. Although he guessed that not making you feel pain was out of the question as he felt you tense up, his tongue swiping against your nape one last time as he pulled back and tugged on the back of your shirt.

“MC let’s go. They don’t have it.”

You turn to look at Levi, hand on the back of your neck as you tell him that he could have gotten your attention in any other way, but he knew for a fact that he had made his point across with the demon in front of him.

Summoning Lotan in his own home was one thing, summoning Lotan in a store would probably cost a lot…

Even if he knew brothers wouldn’t blame him with how nauseatingly this demon was trying to approach their master.

“MC, here.”

Satan breaks his pencil, but it seems the two other people don’t seem to notice.

“And it's the first edition too, but I took it out just for you.”

You smile and mention about how you didn’t need anything fancy for the assignment, just a simple book that talked about Devildom history. Which Satan agreed, this bug was acting like he owned the entire Royal Library. A pass to get a first edition title wasn’t that rare of a fucking find--if he wanted, Satan could call up any of his connections and get about 16 copies of different first edition titles that spoke not just about the Devildom history but about whatever the hell topic he could get his hands on.

This guy wasn’t that special yet he was acting like he had just given you the world on a silver platter.

The demon sat down at the table you and Satan were studying at, looking at you the entire time he explained how to open the book and how to make sure it stays in its pristine condition.

Which made Satan break another pencil.

From what you had mentioned, this guy was just someone you knew from RAD. You labeled him as the ‘smartest person in the class’. Which was a bit of an insult on his part but he guessed that as long as he wasn’t the one in your class it didn’t count as an insult towards his person.

He, of course, being the smartest demon you know.

But Satan didn’t have to be the smartest demon in RAD to know what this nuisance was doing.

If he were to read you any book on Devildom demonology, certain demons needed a human master. This insect in front of you would count as one of them. Lower demons usually tend to be without guidance and need a soul to feed from. In comes a human master, being able to fulfill that need with a pure soul of their own. The demon feeds and in return, develops a sort of ‘affection’ towards their master since they are now the hand that feeds them.

The same couldn’t be applied to Satan or his brothers, however. As the seven demon lords, they are able to gain the sustenance they need from the feed of other lower demons under the sin they were made in.

They are free to form pacts, but it’s not like they need it.

A good metaphor would be that they are essentially ‘picking off the plate’ of the lower demons, making the lower demons only cause minimal casualties up in the human world as they feed and keeping the seven lords from going feral with hunger.

Of course, things were different now. Satan had you now, a human all of his own.

Essentially, someone was trying to ‘take a bite’ of his favourite food, and Satan hated sharing.

Friends be damned, politeness be damned, he needed to show this demon his place.

“Isn’t it fascinating? The cover was made with a demon’s skin.”

“....really?”

“Yes. I believe it was from recently dead demon’s during the first Celestial War. Do you want to feel?”

You nod, curious about the black and shiny cover as the demon holds out his hand for you to take--

Only for you to yelp as Satan takes it first, dragging your hand back so it would be close to his lips as the Avatar of Wrath’s teeth bite at the skin near your wrist. You hiss in pain at the sudden sharpness, quickly pulling your hand back and staring at your demon as he gives the annoyance one last pointed stare.

“That is how demons started their pacts before we arrived in the Devildom, wasn’t it?”

The demon nodded slowly, his eyes darting to the mark on your wrist and then back at Satan. He opened his mouth to try and speak up but seemed to decide better against it, giving you one last smile as he stood up. “...I’ll...I’ll go get you the second volume. That one might include more accurate and updated information on pact markings.”

Satan smiles and nods as he scoots his chair close to you, looking back at you tracing the mark on your wrist with a frown before putting all your attention back on him.

“Did demons really used to form pact marks like this?”

The Avatar of Wrath shrugs.

“I was only guessing, he was the one who left thinking it was the truth. Here, let’s go look for a book on our own.”

Asmo would like to think that he had perfected the fake smile to the point he could keep it up for an indeterminate amount of time.

“MC! Try this!”

Yet the corners of his mouth twitched as he watched one of your friends, who happened to be a store clerk at Majolish, open the door to your dressing room to hand you another outfit they had picked out. And it wasn’t a bad outfit--!

Just...did they have to keep opening the door every single time?

Granted, he shouldn’t be in your dressing room in the first place but he insisted he would stay since you were only trying some shirts on! It wasn’t like he was seeing anything inappropriate and your pants were staying on the entire time.

This sight was okay for him because he was your demon and you were his master.

So it wasn’t right that some random nobody kept coming in to hand you shirts that they thought looked cute on you! That’s what you had Asmo for!

Yet here he was, secluded to sit down on the little chairs that someone would usually toss the unwanted clothes they wouldn’t buy. Which was already doing horrible things for his self-esteem.

“I learned a couple of things by working here. See? The color really matches your hair.”

The Avatar of Lust scoffs when he hears that. What exactly did the demon learn? How to match colors? Oh look, someone learned the basics of the color wheel, someone give them a medal.

“And since you are wearing something long at the bottom, it’s only fair that you go with something short on top.”

This demon is going to win an award for making basic observations, Asmo could already see it. What a future they had ahead of them.

“These colors are summery too so...it goes great with the weather!”

Oh he wants to gag, Asmo’s heard enough.

“You don’t think it’s too revealing? I do like the color though…”

Before the demon can answer, Asmo grabs your shoulders and pulls you back to him with a smile as he makes you look in the mirror.

“I think it’s revealing enough for the summer look you are going for...except can you maybe get it in a light pastel? Any color would do it just needs to be a pastel color if we want it to go with the light color of your bottoms.”

The demon deflates at the sudden lack of contact with you but nods as they step out, waving goodbye and stating once again how ‘gorgeous’ you looked. Which Asmo guessed was the only compliment they had in their arsenal.

Gorgeous didn’t even begin to describe you.

“I did like this color, Asmo. Does it not look good?”

“No it looks perfect on you! But--”

He tugs on the floral print top and smiles as he wraps his arms around your shoulders.

“Floral prints are extremely last season and I want you to be on a more neutral type of clothing. Just simple colors. This way we can add some jewelry--some of my own creation of course.”

Asmo smiles when you giggle, fixing your top and looking at yourself in the mirror a couple more times as you mumble to yourself about how Devildom summers seem rather temperate compared to the ones you were used to and how you wouldn’t need anything sleeveless.

Damn the Devildom summers, if they could even be called that at all.

His ears twitch as he hears the pest start to make their way back, Asmo’s smile dropping slowly as he looks down at your neck. This was the spot they kept staring at, wasn’t it? Shame it wasn’t decorated--

But he could fix that~ “I found some other colors that would go well with you MC, do you want to--”

“OW OW OW!”

Asmo’s teeth are right on your neck, turning to look back at the clerk with a smile and a little wave as he hums at the way you clench and unclench your fingers while looking at him through the mirror, wanting to ask just why he was doing this but the pain keeping you quiet. It was cute how much you were hurting but how you were doing absolutely nothing to stop him. This could technically mean that you approved of what he was doing, correct?

He lets go as the clerk immediately closes the door, you calling out for your friend but Asmo brings you back and makes you look at the mirror one more time.

“There we go. That’s a pretty mark, right MC? An Asmodeus Limited Edition item, just for you~”

If this kept happening, Beel was going to eat this demon.

“You need to try some Devildom food, MC! I promise it's good!”

Beel stomach growls again as you laugh, ignoring the parfait in front of you. He gives you a tap on the shoulder and your attention is right back to him. “Oh sorry, Beel. Here!” You scoop up the delicious frozen treat and feed it to him, Beel smiling as he takes another two bites of his hamburger and watches you and your friend talk. He actually had no idea that you had any friends in RAD and was happy to see that at least some demons were treating you nicely, compared to theo ones who had teased you when you first arrived.

Well he said teased, more like threatened to eat you.

He figured you would make friends fast though, you were nice and all the demons here were already attracted to human souls so it was bound to happen that one of them would have the courage to talk to you.

Yet this one seemed rather...eager.

“How about this. Hell’s Kitchen serves good food but I know this awesome corner in the wall place we can get some grilled bat sandwiches. Guts and everything.”

His stomach growls again, he knew of the place this demon was talking about and would most likely want to take you there himself if you ever asked.

Beel takes another two bites before waiting for you to feed him the parfait.

Nothing.

He frowns and stares at you again, the demon keeping your attention all to himself as you spoke about how you didn’t necessarily want to eat anything with guts in it. His eyes went to the parfait, watching some of the perfectly placed scoops slowly melt and droop down on the plate.

MC, pay attention to him!

This was his time with you! He didn’t mind if someone else stepped in and he was glad you were making friends but this demon was interrupting his mealtime!

He ate his burger, you fed him ice-cream, this is how it had always worked!

People could say what they wanted but Beel was a creature of habit, and he was in the habit of having you feed him.

Not just that, he was in the habit of having your attention all on him when it was his time to hang out with you.

Wasn’t this demon just being a bother? Didn’t you also want them gone?

They kept talking about all the stuff that clearly grossed you out, seemingly delighted with your reactions as they kept trying to egg you on to say yes to an outing. If it wasn’t for the fact that you were smiling the entire time, Beel would have already made the move to unhinging his jaw and--

“I promise I’ll treat you to the best ghost pepper pizza you’ve ever had. You’re free after this, right?”

Beel’s stomach growls, whether in hunger or anger Beel wouldn’t be able to say. All he knows is that this demon is bad news for both him and you.

So what would be the quickest way to make him back off?

“I’m not but I can take a raincheck--!”

You drop the spoon you were holding as Beel bites your cheek, throwing the demon one quick glimpse before letting out a few sounds that seemed to make up your name. The demon stares at you and Beel as the Avatar of Gluttony pulls away from you, licking his lips as you slowly put a hand on your cheek and turn to look at him.

“The parfait is gonna melt. I want another bite.”

“Beel…”

Eyes turn to the demon once again, Beel frowning as he takes a hold of your hand underneath the table.

“Please leave. If MC is going to eat Devildom food then they’ll eat it with me. The only thing you are going to do is gross them out.”

“So what did you want to talk about?”

Belphie frowned as your fingers gently played with his hair. That is not what he had asked for when he asked to lay on your lap. Belphegor wanted the usual way you would comb through his hair, both of you gently whispering to each other as the planetarium ambience lulled him to sleep.

“Well...uhm...I wanted to ask something important.”

And who the hell was this person? He peeked up to look at you smiling at the screen, frowning that you still didn’t seem to notice you were doing a shit job at giving him the attention he needed. Whoever this was had been on the line with you for a good solid ten minutes, talking about useless subjects such as their day and what they had for lunch. If anything, Belphegor had no idea how this thing was taking your attention. You were doing most of the talking anyway, they should just hang up and leave you alone to pay attention to your demon.

“We’ve known each other for a while.”

Belphegor most likely knew MC for longer...maybe.

“And honestly I haven’t met a human like you before. You just...I just expected humans to be something and you aren’t that so it threw me off.”

The Avatar of Sloth yawns as he buries his head in your lap, smiling at the darkness he found in the small crook of your thighs. He yawns again and closes his eyes to try and fall asleep but the grating voice of the demon on the phone was sending nothing but warning signals to his brain.

“So I wanted to ask something I didn’t think I would ask a human before.”

He really wanted to yell ‘get to the point’ or ‘hang up the phone’ but he knew that you would most likely shush him and tell him to be patient, which would then result in you gently pushing him away so you could talk somewhere more private. And he wasn’t ready to lose his favourite pillow just yet.

So he continued listening, tracing random shapes on your thighs as he felt his eyelids start to droop.

“I know you have seven pacts already…”

Damn straight.

“But would an eight be too much for you?”

That wakes Belphegor right up, eyes wide open and head turned to face up at you to see your reaction. Of course you would be surprised, this demon really had the guts to ask the current master of the Seven deadliest demons in the Devildom for a pact?

You better be grateful that Belphegor found comfort in your lap and would prefer to stay here, rather than go break the neck of the demon insolent enough to try to take his master away.

So go ahead, reject him.

“A pact? With me?”

What were you doing?

Don’t give him such a hopeful answer! Belphegor had to share you with six other demons constantly and those demons were his siblings! He was okay sharing with Beel but he drew the line at anyone else! Adding an eighth demon to that would be like asking for a bloodbath, a bloodbath with only one target.

Belphegor frowned as the demon started talking again, stuttering and jumping over his words like he was a dog who asked to eat their masters table. Which essentially he was, not like there was room for him anyway.

“I know I’m not like those brothers--”

Damn straight.

“But making a pact with you would make me really happy...is what I am trying to say.”

He wants to gag.

A part of him couldn’t blame the demon, you were perhaps the best master a demon could ask for, but you were already t a k e n.

And you were to blame too, you know?

You weren’t rejecting him like you should. The face you were making was far too surprised and flattered at the proposition given to you. Were you that greedy? Had Mammon rubbed off on you? You had seven of the most powerful demons under your command, what more could you possibly want?

As a master, you were doing a bad job at rejecting this insect and an even more horrible job at not paying attention to the actual demon you were tied to.

He turns his head back to the darkness of your thighs, feeling you shift as you also struggle to find an answer. This was becoming too much, if Belphegor didn’t act fast you were most likely going to say yes, just because you didn’t know any better!

Fuck it, you could try to push him off but Belphegor would hold on tightly, he had to save you from your mistake.

“Uhm. Well that is honestly really flattering. And eight pacts wouldn’t be so bad--”

You slap a hand over your mouth, your teeth biting into your tongue as you look down at the demon nipping at the inside of your thigh. Belphie looks up innocently, batting his eyelashes at you as he bites down a little harder--

“I’ll-try-to-have-an-answer-for-you-later-got-to-go-bye!”

Fingers hurry to end the call as Belphegor quickly lets go, smiling as you gape down at him.

“I was in the middle of a call!”

“I know.”

“Then what was that about!?”

The Avatar of Sloth shrugs as he closes his eyes.

“You weren’t paying attention to me. It made me mad.”

You sigh and lean back, Belphegor waiting for a few moments before smiling as he feels your fingers combing through his hair.

“Next time,just talk to me, Belphegor.”

He would have answered, but that would make him promise something he most likely was not going to do.

[luvyanfei]

anon said. ooo a new blog! can you do confession headcanons where xiao, childe, and scaramouche react to reader confessing to them and the aftermath of it? thank you!  

a/n. xiao’s is kind of terrible ;; ue ue gomenasai

“i love you, [character’s name].”

SCARAMOUCHE.

huh? is this some kind of a joke? if so, it’s definitely not a good idea to mess with his feelings like this, especially when he also shares the same sentiment. scaramouche is almost impressed by your boldness. not everyone has the nerve to confess their love for a harbinger in front of their own faces, after all. when he’s hit with the realization that you’re serious, he secretly pinches himself to make sure he’s not in a dream.

the sharp pain that comes with his nails making contact with his flesh affirms that this is real. he stifles back a genuine smile, choosing to stay calm despite the bliss he’s currently feeling. “i guess it can’t be helped. hmph, you should be lucky i’m rather fond of you as well, [name].” he says that, but he’s the fortunate one to have successfully stolen your heart before others can claim you for themselves.

unfortunately, his time with you is quite limited due to his affiliation with the fatui, so any fleeting moments are captured in photos from the kamera to look back on. he secretly carries a picture of you while he’s out of town on important missions so that he won’t miss you too badly. he fondly looks at your still, yet smiling face to cheer him up after a tough work while everyone else is asleep. well, almost everyone.  

“hmm, who’s that in your hands, scaramouche?” childe asks, gesturing to the photo the harbinger is admiring fondly. scaramouche rolls his eyes to hide his slight embarrassment and hesitates a bit before he answers.  

“oh them? their name is [name], my... sibling.” childe almost gapes in disbelief as he looks at the blue-haired man in shock. 

“you have a sibling? why didn’t you tell me? they’re so cute!” the 11th harbinger squeals in delight, which honestly irks poor scaramouche. he scoots away to give himself some space as he tucks the picture in his pocket for safe-keeping. 

“you didn’t bother to,” he explains matter-of-factly. “now if you’ll excuse me,” he stands up from his crouched position and dusts himself, “i’m going to take a walk, alone.” 

he wanders through a dark forest and grassy fields, until he finds himself standing on top of a cliff, the moon glowing brightly above. he peers up at the twinkling stars in the sky and imagines you beside him, watching the breathtaking view together. humming an unfamiliar tune to himself, scaramouche muses over the past and replays your confession over and over again. if he could, he would respond differently than he did before. 

‘i love you.’ those three letter words echo in his ears like a melody and he allows himself to smile. 

“i love you too, [name].” 

XIAO.

he automatically perks up an eyebrow in confusion. what? is it just him or did you seriously admitted you love him? xiao stammers for a brief second, no words spilling out from his partially open mouth. what is he supposed to say? “thank you?” “i love you too?” 

when he pulls himself together, xiao shakes his head and frowns. his answer is clear and simple: no. you mortals don’t understand just how dangerous it is to get close with someone like him - a yaksha. drowning in the brink of debt and despair, he doesn’t need you to suffer all the same. the dejected expression on your face pains him to a considerable degree, yet he convinces himself, this is for your own good. 

since then, he avoids you like the plague in hopes that your feelings for him will disperse into flames. you deserve someone better, someone who won’t place you in harm’s way, someone unlike him. out of kindness, you still visit him from time to time while you go and do your daily commissions, but your interaction is heavily tense and an air of discomfort seeps through your gaze. why does his chest hurt as if he was impaled with a knife and so much more when you look at him like that? the thought of breaking down and revealing the truth that he’s also in love with you tempts him eagerly, but his pride and anxiety tides over his desires. 

you, on the other hand, is aware that xiao harbors feelings for you. you discovered this secret of his when you climbed the stairs to the spot on the balcony where he was to surprise him with a greeting, but your ears captured a faint voice in the night breeze and you couldn’t stop yourself from eavesdropping on the little conversation xiao was having with himself. he muttered about “rex lapis”, the fate of liyue, and etc. you were about to leave him to his own devices, but the next words he said stopped you in your tracks. 

“will [name] accept me if i say i love them? probably not, i suppose.” you left before he could spare a glance in your direction and a smile graced your features as you happily walked away. and being the persistent individual that you are, you inquire verr on why he’s acting so cold towards you, desperate to seek the answer you need. “xiao is, as you’re well aware, a yaksha who’s experienced hardships throughout his life, and probably lost loved ones along the way. i’m sure,” she turns to look at the setting sun in melancholy, “he doesn’t want to hurt anyone important to him again.”

you plan ahead of time for the best way to approach him without giving him any chance to escape. unfortunately, this is the only thing you can think of as you place a hand on either side of his head, trapping him between you and the wall. xiao looks at you curiously, devoid of amusement. he crosses his arms and frowns. 

“what are you doing?” your hands twitch and you chew on your bottom lip nervously before you explain yourself.

“i heard from verr why you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder, that you don’t want to hurt anyone important to you, but...” you trail off to blink back the tears threatening to burst. 

“it hurts, when you ignore me like this.” your voice is quiet enough that he needs to step closer to hear you. “it hurts how selfless you are. can’t you be selfish just once? i meant what i said and i’ll say it again. i love you.” 

xiao stammers, at a loss for words, before he starts sniffling and buries himself in your arms, crying out apologies as you stroke the back of his hair and gives a closed-eye smile. “it’s okay, xiao. i’m sorry too, for not realizing how much you’ve been suffering by yourself. you don’t have to carry the burden alone anymore,” you say, looking into his tear-filled eyes, “i will always be here with you, no matter what path you choose to take.” 

“even if that path may eventually hurt you?” he whispers in a cracked voice, fingers curling around your sleeves. you nod. 

“it’s worth the pain as long as i can hold you in my arms, like this.” he chokes out a bitter chuckle and wipes away the glistening tears. 

“i love you too, [name].” 

CHILDE.

the harbinger blinks his cerulean eyes once, then twice, and... you find yourself pulled into his arms, as his lips uplift into a jovial smile. “really? you love me? [name], i had no idea you held such deep admiration for me.” you playfully roll your eyes and chuckle as you wrap your own arms around his body, fondly reciprocating his affection.

he’s the fastest to accept your confession than the other two men. you’d bet he would scamper to where he’s staying at to tell every grain of detail to his adoring relatives. 

he writes letters to his siblings about your daily dates and the progress you two are making in your relationship. they tease him for the most part, but they’re happy that he’s found the love of his life and requests that he bring you along with him on his next visit. childe smiles in relief, content that they accept you already despite never meeting you and he asks you if you’d like to come with him to his home country where you can introduce yourself to his family. without hesitation, you agree instantly, eager to meet the siblings he gushes about. 

snezhnaya is colder than you thought, as you hug yourself to preserve your warmth, even with the layers of clothing wrapped around you. “we’re almost there, [name].” childe notices your trembling and rubs his gloved hands against your back. “sorry, it’s a bit chilly here, but please bear with me.” 

you nod and continue on. when a building enters your field of sight, childe stops and grins shyly at you. “this is the place.” breath materializes in front of you as he gestures for you to head on in. almost immediately are you greeted with a little embrace as a young boy wraps his fingers around your waist and grins up at you. 

“so you’re the one who big brother said he’s in love with? have you kissed before? when is your wedding?” the child bombards you with questions excitedly and a girl has to pull him away from you, tonia, you guess. 

“teucer,” childe scolds gently, a light blush colouring his cheeks, which does not go unnoticed in his siblings’ eyes, unfortunately for him. 

a wedding, huh? seeing the sparkle in your eyes, the laughter in your voice, and the warmth of your touch as you idly chat with his siblings makes him hope, that maybe in the distant future, he’ll brave himself to take the next step to further deepen your relationship, for he wants to be with you always. 

as he tucks away the last sleeping child, childe wanders in to your shared bedroom, surprised you’re still awake. “you really love them a lot, huh childe?” he nods seriously, as you pull him to lie down comfortably into bed. 

“but do you know something else?” his breath tickles your ear as he intertwines his fingers with yours, offering a meek smile. you shake your head and nuzzle closer to him. 

“i love you too, [name].” 

[mc-lukanette]

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

—————

Luka took a breath as he hit the last emotion-filled note on his guitar. His body vibrated just as his strings did, though he realized soon enough that there weren't enough high notes to lift him from feeling so low.

Marinette was Ladybug. He was still absorbing it, even though a part of him insisted that it should've been obvious; not just because there could only be one girl in Paris who was so brave, kindhearted, and suited for the job, but... well—

There was also only one girl in Paris who could be so unlucky. Luka was upset - angry, really - at all the things he couldn't have known that just proved to put more pressure on her. People idolized and adored Ladybug, but he never once thought that he wanted to be her. She didn't get anything from being a superhero outside of wasted time and the guilt of having to lie to everyone. He'd felt bad enough keeping Viperion a secret from his family, and he was only a temporary hero.

He sighed, setting his guitar down and raking his fingers through his hair. Marinette being Ladybug would've been enough of a shock on its own, but Adrien being Chat Noir made everything both worse and more complicated. In the midst of all the realizations he'd been having at the time, he felt lucky that he was able to get Ladybug - Marinette - to believe that his mind had just drifted for a moment. She'd still looked worried, but there was nothing he could've told her at the time, his mind too scrambled to be certain what the right steps were.

He'd always imagined that past snakes had learned of other's identities before as well, and thus had wondered before what he'd do if such a thing ever happened. Chat wasn't the one "in charge," so Luka wasn't worried about him (at least not in terms of talking about identities), but Ladybug was a different story.

Previously, he would've said that he'd tell her without hesitation, but the problem was that she was Marinette and the way he found out made things messy. If he told her that he knew, she'd blame herself and demand to know what happened for him to know so she could try to "fix" it, except there was nothing to fix and a conversation about his abilities would inevitably lead to talking about Adrien being Chat Noir.

In essence, he was at a roadblock. There was probably no "right" solution either, as he figured Sass might tell him; that even seemed to be the message Sass wordlessly sent him as Ladybug took his miraculous back. He’d probably known, and maybe had intentionally given him the power to see red strings on heroes in the first place. He didn’t know for sure because he couldn’t ask, aware that it would make Ladybug even more suspicious after he’d already tried to assure her.

What he did know was that Chat was something else to think about now. Chat was tied to her, and he knew - everyone knew, really - that there was drama going on in their relationship. He'd done only a little digging and Face to Face was all the evidence he'd needed, as if seeing the two interact in person wasn't already enough.

There was a pressure there, for Ladybug and Chat Noir to be a couple. Chat Noir was a habitual flirt, and most people ate up any drama or “juicy details” about their relationship. Everyone went wild for the hand kisses that Chat gave Ladybug, whether or not she pulled away from it. Add on the red string of fate, and it just made everything worse, making him wonder what the ties meant; did Adrien's string being tied around his ring mean that he became the cat through fate, specifically so—

It made Luka feel gross just thinking about it, and knowing what he knew made it even worse; people were shipping his friend with someone she wasn't interested in, even if it was "one side" specifically that she wasn't interested in.

He shook his head, feeling vaguely possessive. It wasn't about Marinette being his friend; it was about her deserving better than something deciding her fate for her.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar jingle, pulling out his phone to see a message from Marinette.

Are we still on for tonight?

FOR THE FIRE I MEAN.

I just don't want you to get in trouble! You're sure???

He chuckled, his shoulders easing at Marinette's usual enthusiasm. It was adorable that she was worried about him and not what they were planning to do.

He typed back immediately, I'm sure, Marinette. Don't worry.

He glanced at the drawer under his bed, where all the Adrien pictures were. He imagined Adrien's face plastered all over Paris, flashing back and forth between Adrien himself and Chat Noir.

He felt like he shouldn’t be shocked by the revelation, though he wouldn't be able to quite explain why.

—————

Luka looked over his work once more, checking to make sure the fire would start properly. It'd been a while, but he at least hadn't gotten rusty and even got a congratulatory pat on the back from his mother when she'd seen him carrying the supplies. Had she known that it was Marinette's decision to do this, she would've married them on the spot herself.

As he eyed the box of Adrien pictures set out, he had to bury another slew of thoughts. He knew it was right to try and get rid of Marinette's string, but and he felt guilty knowing that he’d be satisfied at seeing the pictures burn for reasons outside of Marinette.

Speaking of whom, he looked up as he heard a familiar set of footsteps to see Marinette herself heading towards the Liberty, having just made her way down the stairs. She was dressed fairly lightly for nighttime, but wore a fluffy pink shawl around her shoulders to make up for it. Considering what they were doing, it made sense that she wasn't concerned about the cold.

The gangplank had already been put up for her, so she walked across with a smile that warmed him more than the eventual fire would. "Hey."

He smiled back, plopping down comfortably on the seat behind him. "Hey."

She gripped her shawl closer to herself as she glanced at the setup for the fire, the moonlight briefly shining off of her earrings. Luka attempted to avert his gaze from them, but only ended up staring at the red string around her neck. He gave up looking at her entirely at that point, checking the setup again as if it was extremely important to do so.

"You can sit anywhere," he offered, gesturing vaguely to all of the mismatched seats he'd placed around the future fire. He'd wanted to make sure she'd have options, though he hoped the designer side of her didn't mind the chaos of it all. He'd just grabbed whatever spare seating they'd had.

Marinette's eyes scanned over the various choices. Giggling, she replied, "Thank you."

He nodded in acknowledgment. He wasn't in any hurry to get the pictures burned, even if burning them was their goal that day. He'd intentionally had her go slowly so as to test the red string as little as possible, and he planned on doing the same here.

"I brought one for you too," she suddenly said off to his side.

He looked over in curiosity and noticed her open purse, a large piece of blue fabric nearly bursting out of it. It took a bit of effort from her - he imagined that she'd wanted it to be a surprise - but she managed to pull it out, presenting him with a shawl that matched hers exactly outside of its color. He smiled in appreciation of her thoughtfulness, then reached for it before realizing with a start, "Wait. Marinette, did you make these?"

Before she could answer, he took the shawl in his hands, turning it every possible way. Without a doubt, it was her handiwork, and along the back was where the design broke with a Marinette.

"Yeah," she confirmed, and he could practically hear her shy blush. "It's just—you're doing this for me, but even if you weren't, I don't want you to get cold, so..."

"It's great," he cut in firmly, leaving no room for doubt on her end. "Soft. Comfortable. I wish I was better with fashion to say more."

"No, you said more than enough," she assured, taking a seat next to him. That fact looked both silly and intimate given the multiple other seats she could've chosen instead, but he tried not to think about it.

Instead, he gave a curious glance at her pink shawl, silently comparing it to the one she'd given him. "...You didn't have to make it blue," he commented, and clarified before she could think anything bad, "I would've happily worn your colors."

She gave him a look, though didn't seem weirded out by the idea. "But... it's pink."

"What's wrong with pink?" he asked, genuinely confused. "It's your color."

She blushed, her shoulders hunching forward shyly. He didn't even bother taking back what he said, because he meant it; he might've favored blue when he picked out an outfit, but pink made him think of her.

It was much better than red at the very least.

Marinette pursed her lips in response, idly tugging at her shawl and seeming to be in an internal debate with herself. Apparently making a decision, she closed her eyes and breathed up, letting out a soft, "Okay."

He blinked and gave a tilt of his head to show his confusion. "Okay?"

She turned to him, resolutely pulling the fabric off of her shoulders. "T-then you can wear mine?"

He couldn't get another word out, too distracted by Marinette leaning towards him and carefully settling the shawl around his shoulders. Despite the bold move, she couldn't keep eye contact with him, awkwardly hanging onto the front of the shawl as she stared at his lap. She wasn't exactly warm or exuded any particular body heat - in fact, he was sure that her hands would be cold if he held them - but there was a comfort there that couldn't be matched by anyone else.

It took him a moment to make a move, at which point he remembered the fabric underneath his fingers. In a motion equally as careful as hers, he raised the blue shawl and settled it around her shoulders. She finally met his gaze, surprised, but smiled gratefully and released her grip on the pink shawl.

"You can keep it," she said quietly, with less shyness than before.

"Really?" he asked, placing a hand on the fabric to make sure it was what she meant.

She nodded, gripping her own as she replied, "A-as long as I can keep this one in exchange?"

He snorted, even covering his mouth to stifle a chuckle. "You made them, Marinette. Of course you can." He gave an obvious glance at the shawl to admire it. "I'd be happy to match with you."

She beamed at him. "Me too."

That topic officially concluded, his mind went blank for anything more and both of their gazes drifted to the unlit fire. He didn't have to look to know that she was shifting in anxiety in her seat, either wanting to back out or just get it over with.

"Are you ready?" he asked experimentally.

"Yes," she responded, perhaps a little stiffly but the resolve was there. She wanted this.

Luka stood briefly, and within the next few moments, the fire had been lit. The flames started out faint at first, then grew until it was something respectable, easily illuminating the small area around them. The slight chill from the wind dissipated as the fire warmed their skin, Luka hearing Marinette sigh in content harmony with him.

Neither of them took their shawls off despite the increased warmth.

The additional light from the fire made the box of pictures more obvious, with it sitting on a table not too far away. Luka took a step towards it, but Marinette was faster, grabbing up the box and turning to him with a determined expression.

"I have to do it," she insisted.

He didn't exactly disagree - this wasn't his battle - but it didn't stop him from looking nervously at the red string, the dangling part of it laying across her hand and dipping itself in the box, taunting him.

"How many do you want to do at a time?" He was careful in his wording, not wanting his tone to imply anything.

She furrowed her brows, staring down at the box in deep thought. Her fingers flexed against the cardboard, a small gust of wind blowing by and causing the fire behind her to whip around in protest.

"...All of them," she muttered, then met his gaze cautiously. "Will that be okay?"

Luka glanced at the fire, but it wasn't that he was worried about. The string would try to fight her, he was sure of it, and the only thing he wasn't sure of was if it would be better or not to let her go with her wishes. He half expected the string to physically drag her off the Liberty, and the mere thought caused his neck to sting.

But, he also believed in her. She was fighting fate herself without having used the snake even once, and he wasn't going to deny her if she thought this was best.

"Yeah," he assured. "Just don't get too close. I don't want you to get hurt."

She nodded, obviously not catching onto what he really meant.

Luka sat down on his chair, toying with the rips in his pants to keep his hands occupied as he watched her. Her posture was straight and confident as she faced the flames, despite the shake in her hands, and he was sure the fire in her eyes wasn't just a reflection.

He didn't see Ladybug in her place. There was only Marinette and everything that he already knew about her. Knowing what he did now wasn't surprising, but heartbreaking, and he couldn't be prouder of her for doing what she was trying to do.

To go against what everyone - even fate itself - expected of her. He couldn't relate on her level, but looking as he did and having the mother he did, he understood.

Finally, Marinette stepped forward, and the string was already tightening around her neck. She froze, shutting her eyes and clutching the box tighter as she mentally fought the sensation.

He barely managed to keep himself still.

She swallowed, taking another step and managing to open her eyes again. She squinted at the fire, either from the light or from her own resolve.

Then, all at once, she thrust the box forward, the pictures flying out and mingling with the flames. The fire flared up in response, practically roaring, and the string tightened further in protest. Marinette even let out a cry as she tossed the box aside.

Luka barely had time to react when she suddenly rushed towards him. He outstretched his arms and she filled up his lap, her heart seeking him out as she clutched his jacket. He wrapped his arms around her, hoping his comfort came through without words.

Her breathing was ragged, and he couldn't tell whether it was from the string or her emotions running high. He brought one of his hands higher up on her back, knowing that he could do nothing more for her but wishing he could.

He took solace in the fact that the worst of it was over.

Staring over her head, he watched as the pictures burned, blond turning black as the flames singed the pictures and reduced them to ashes. Marinette, meanwhile, remained against him, desperately clutching his fabric for wordless support. He honestly would've been okay being the only spectator to what she'd done, but she then shifted in his lap to glance behind her.

They watched the sight together, the fire whipping about with the wind like it was making sure the job was done as they'd wanted. In no time at all, there was no evidence of the pictures left outside of what was allowing the fire to burn brighter.

Marinette let out sigh of relief, collapsing against him again and nuzzling his chest. "What's wrong with me...?"

"Nothing," he replied, clutching her tighter. "You were amazing."

She looked up at him, possibly searching his expression to ensure he meant it, then offered a tired smile. She shifted again, but this time without any urgency or need. Luka sucked in a breath as she nestled her head against his shoulder, making herself comfortable on his lap while still being in a position where they could watch the fire together. Slowly, he relaxed, and they ended up not needing those other chairs after all, neither moving from their comfortable positions.

And, maybe it was just him, but the string seemed looser around her neck than it ever had before.

[elriell]

Two Mates? Elriel & (El)ucien Theory.

These are just a few of my thoughts compiled together regarding having two mates, the signs and breadcrumbs Sarah has incorporated. If you know me you know am a Lucien fan so this is nothing hateful towards him and we will be looking at his place within it all as well, that being said this will have bond rejection/misalignment talk so if that is not your cup of tea I understand and you can skip this! As always I would love to hear everyones thoughts so long as we are all respectful ♡

Let's start by discussing the where the two ships align and parallel mates behaviour, and then we will discuss where their arc's veer from each other...

“TOUCH HER, SMELL HER, TASTE HER– THE INSTINCTS WERE A RUNNING RIVER.” (Lucien in ACOWAR about the mating bond.)

“Letting his scarred fingers touch her immaculate skin. Letting them brush the side of her throat, savoring the velvet-soft texture.”

“Azriel's fingers lingered at her nape, atop the first knob of her spine. Slowly, Elain pivoted into his touch. Until his palm lay flat against her neck.”

“They'd exchanged looks, the occasional brush of their fingers, but never this. Never blatant, unrestricted touching. ”

“He prayed she didn't peer down. Prayed she didn't understand the shift in his scent. ”

“Her arousal drifted up to him, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the sweet scent. He'd beg on his knees for a chance to taste it. ”

“He needed to know what the skin of her neck tasted like. What those perfect lips tasted like.”

“This one moment, and maybe a taste, and that would be it.  

“Yes" Elain breathed, like she read the decision. Just this taste in the dead of the longest night of the year, where only the Mother might witness them. ”

Now you can easily parallel this to any of SJM's mates, like Feysand or Nessian. But for the sake of brevity I will leave you with the original link to the wonderful @suelky post where it was pointed out w/ Feysand quotes as well. [source]

Also "The instincts were a running river.” sounds a little like “Azriel’s Siphons guttered, the stones turning as dark and foreboding as the deepest sea."

The Bonus POV has a lot of typical "Mates" behaviours manifesting between Elain and Azriel, and it would make sense this would be a extreme POV shift as we have never been inside either of their heads before so we were bound to have a major learning curve, especially with Az who is so reserved with his emotions.

“But Lucien’s attention went right to the hallway toward the back, his nostrils flaring as he scented Elain’s direction. And who she’d gone with. A low snarl slipped out of him—”

“So you will leave Elain alone. If you need to fuck  someone, go to a pleasure hall and pay for it, but stay away from her."  Azriel snarled softly.”

There are countless main trio parallels but most of you are aware of which one is my favourite...

“Knelt on those stars and mountains inked on his knees. He would bow for no one and nothing— But his mate. His equal.”

“Her arousal drifted up to him, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the sweet scent. He'd beg on his knees for a chance to taste it.”

"Every instinct in his body came roaring to the surface, so violent he had to choke them with a brutal grip or else he'd find himself on his knees, begging her for touch, for anything."

And on to where they go their separate ways from a textual perspective;

"Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen.”

“Rhys kissed the hollow of my collarbone, and my core went utterly molten. “My brave, bold, brilliant mate.”

“You can give everyone that I Will Slay My Enemies look—which is my favorite look, by the way. You can keep that sharpness I like so much, that boldness and fearlessness. I don’t want you to ever lose those things, to cage yourself.”

“And he had the nerve once his powers were back to shove me into a cage. The nerve to say I was no longer useful; I was to be cloistered for his peace of mind.”

“Remember that you are a wolf. And you cannot be caged.” He kissed my brow one more time, my blood thrumming and boiling in me, howling to draw blood.”

I think finding freedom and power from within is something that the books have emphasized through Feysand and Nessian's journey's. Which is so interesting considering Lucien and Elain are both feeling tied to each other, as if in a cage of sorts.

Elain herself has been stuffed in to a box of other peoples making throughout most of the series, it quite prevalent she might feel caged by their opinions of who she is.

"Maybe she was never given a chance to be that way." I whipped my head towards him. "You think I stifle her?" Rhys held up his hands. "Not you alone."

“Nesta had been right. It was like a prison, this place.” [Graysen's Manor]

“Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

“She ignored me, and saw Elain as barely more than a doll to dress up, but Nesta was hers. Our mother made sure we knew it. Or she just cared so little what we thought or did that she didn’t bother to hide it from us.”

And as for Lucien I think his duty and honour to her is what is caging him;

“I can’t stand to be in the same room as her for more than two minutes. I can’t stand to be in this court and have your mate pay for the very clothes on my back.”

“Why are you here?” Cassian asked, unable to help the sharpness. “Where’s Elain?”

“I am not always in this city to see my mate.” The last two words dripped with discomfort.”

“Why?” Not a flicker of emotion. “He is Elain’s mate.”

I waited. “It would be an invasion of her privacy to track him.”

Godbless Azriel for respecting Elain's privacy.

I think we would see/understand a lot more if we got a chance inside their heads but the one time we did see Lucien's POV we got a good glimpse at how he feels about his situation with Elain and it wasn't particularly positive and reminded me of Rhy's parents.

"She’d seen him not as a High Lord’s seventh son, but as a male. Had loved him without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him. Elain had been … thrown at him.”

“...to remember that she picked it. Picked me. That it’s not like my parents, shoved together.”

Not using the word cage per say but the implication isn't much better.

“You know them better than I do. But I will say that Lucien is loyal—fiercely so.”

“So is Azriel.”

I don't think the debate is really whether Lucien is deserving of her, or even Azriel for that matter, it is a question of who is actually right for her and vice-versa, who has she been consistently written to thrive and smile alongside. And that is Azriel.

Why does Sarah constantly put Azriel in the picture, from day DOT. She was screaming "hey look Azriel is here, and they would work magically together"

“And I think Elain—Elain would like it, too. Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet.” I smiled at the thought—at how handsome they would be together.”

There are several instances/evens that occur throughout the series that set both Elucien and Elriel's relationships apart, and I think it is highly intentional on Sarah's part...

“I said quietly, “We will get her back.” But Lucien was watching me warily. Too warily.”

“From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.” Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, “Then you will die.” Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

Or we can look at both Solstice's and the clear differences in how their relationships are growing, and also how well one and other know each other.

“Tell me when you knew,” he demanded, his knee pressing into mine. “That Rhysand was your mate. Tell me when you stopped loving Tamlin and started loving him instead.”

“He left the rest unspoken. Because her mate was here, sleeping a level up. Because her mate had been in the family room and Azriel had needed to stay by the door the whole time because he couldn't stand the sight of it, the scent of their mating bond, and needed to have the option  of leaving if it became too much.  Elain's large brown eyes flickered, well aware of all that.”

&

“I want to see her. Just once. Just—to know.” “To know what?” He hitched my damp cloak higher around us. “If she is worth fighting for.”

“Azriel stiffened. “I know. I helped rescue Elain, after all.” Az hadn’t so much as hesitated before going into the heart of Hybern’s war-camp.”

GIFTS REFLECTING THEIR RELATIONSHIP MILE MARKS

“Az ran a hand through his dark hair. “Are we …” Unusual for him to stumble with words. “Are we supposed to get the sisters presents?”

“I handed Elain the small box with her name on it. Her smile faded as she opened it. “Enchanted gloves,” she read from the card. “That won’t tear or become too sweaty while gardening.” She set aside the box without looking at it for longer than a moment. And I wondered if she preferred to have torn and sweaty hands, if the dirt and cuts were proof of her labor. Her joy.”

“Don’t forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one’s hands dirty along the way.” “And torn up by thorns,” I mused,”

“I didn’t dare mention that if she had been wearing the enchanted gloves Lucien had gotten her last Solstice, nothing would have pierced them at all.”

“He and Lucien did not exchange gifts, though the male had brought a gift for Feyre and one for his mate, who barely thanked him after opening the pearl earrings. Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing."

Not only is she visibly uninterested which is painful to watch, it also highlights how little he knows about her. SJM is creating a visible gap in their dynamic.

“The golden necklace seemed ordinary -- its chain unremarkable, the amulet tiny enough that it could be dismissed as an everyday charm. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass, designed so that when held to the light, the true depth of the colors would become visible. A thing of secret, lovely beauty. “It's beautiful," she whispered, lifting it from the box. ”

“My Nesta. Elain shall wed for love and beauty, but you, my cunning little queen … You shall wed for conquest.”

“I painted flowers for Elain on her drawer,” I said, sawing and sawing. “Little roses and begonias and irises. And for Nesta … ”

“She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.”

“Elain bit her lip and then smiled sheepishly. “It’s for the headaches everyone always gives you. Since you rub your temples so often.”

“I led her into the sitting room, where Cassian had a bottle of amber-colored liquor in each hand, Azriel was already rubbing his temples,”

“She hadn't bought her mate a present. But she'd gotten Azriel one last year -- a headache powder he kept on his nightstand at the House of Wind. Not to use, but just to look at. Which he'd done every night he’d slept there.”

“Azriel unwrapped the box, glancing at the card that merely said, You might find these useful at the House these days, and then opened the lid.  Two small, bean-shaped fabric blobs lay within. Elain murmured, "You put them in your ears, and they block any sound. With Nesta and Cassian living there with you...”

See yet again a very thoughtful and funny gift on her part. Now at it's core even just simply comparing their general reactions says a lot about the story Sarah is putting forward.

"Silence again. Then Azriel tipped his head back and laughed. I’d never heard such a sound, deep and joyous.”

“He chuckled, unable to suppress the impulse. "No wonder you didn't want me to open it in front of everyone."  

Elain’s mouth twitched into a smile. "Nesta wouldn't appreciate the joke.”

“Elain bit her lip and then smiled sheepishly."

"Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing."

“She hadn't bought her mate a present. "

The writing is nothing if not clear about the discomfort both Lucien and Elain feel in regards to each other, though they lay under different reasons.

We are given multiple incidents in which we are told about how mating bonds are not perfect and we are given clear examples of it repeatedly, about woman enduring out of obligation, and do not forget this is heavily discussed literally in regards to Elain and her circumstances.

“She’d been revealed as his mate, and endured the miserable union mostly from gratitude for her unharmed wings.”

“You said your mother and father were wrong for each other; Tamlin said his own parents were wrong for each other.” I peeled off my dressing robe. “So it can’t be a perfect system of matching. "

“She glowed with good health. Except … Her brown eyes were wary. Usually, that look was reserved for Lucien. The male was definitely in the family room,”

“Elain had already departed with Feyre, claiming she had to be up with the dawn to tend to an elderly faerie’s garden. Cassian didn’t exactly know why he suspected this wasn’t true. There had been some tightness in Elain’s face as she’d said it. Normally when she made such excuses, Lucien was around,”

“Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian, about as far from Lucien as she could get.”

VS

“That smile grew, bright enough that it lit up even Azriel’s shadows across the room. “I would like to build a garden,” she declared. “After all of this … I think the world needs more gardens.”

“Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elain’s breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room.”

What if ”—I jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden—“that is what she needs? Is there no free will? What if Lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?”

“Can you truly fly?” He set down his fork, blinking. I might have even called him self-conscious. He said, “Yes. Cassian and I hail from a race of faeries called Illyrians. We’re born hearing the song of the wind.” “That’s very beautiful,” she said. “Is it not—frightening, though? To fly so high?”

“ I couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, “Beautiful.” Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks, but he inclined his head in thanks and led my sister toward the back doors into the garden, sunlight bathing them.”

“This is Truth-Teller,” he told her softly. “I won’t be using it today—so I want you to.”

“Never, Rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. I have never once seen Azriel let another person touch that knife.”

The romantic subtext is there and has been for quite some time, they prove it book after book when SJM continues to grow their bond and nurture it whilst breaking her connection with Lucien further apart, and for what reason?

“A mating bond can be rejected,” Rhys said mildly, eyes flickering in the mirror as he drank in every inch of bare skin I had on display. “There is choice. And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly. Sometimes, the bond is nothing more than some… preordained guesswork at who will provide the strongest offspring. At its basest level, it’s perhaps only that. Some natural function, not an indication of true, paired souls.”

“Why not make them mates?” I mused. “Why Lucien?” [...]

“I’m serious.” I turned toward him and crossed my arms. “What decides it? Who decides it?” Rhys straightened his lapels before plucking an invisible piece of lint from them. “Fate, the Mother, the Cauldron’s swirling eddies …”

“What if the Cauldron was wrong?”

“Just this taste in the dead of the longest night of the year, where only the Mother might witness them.”

“The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another.”

It is remarkably interesting to me that we are told about what Rhys suspects/believes is responsible for mating bonds, paralleled alongside Azriel questioning it all, I also think it is abundantly clear from his answer to Feyre he doesn't truly know for sure.

We also have several lines of dialogue talking about the sisters and fate, their reason for entering the IC's life. Not only that but we get a glimpse at Azriel's personality and how despite the world (Rhys and the mating bond in general) telling him to despair, he still found it in him to have hope the Cauldron could be wrong.

This is so significant, and she has carefully woven his character throughout the series to make this incredibly plausible.

“If I had not met a shadowsinger, I would not have known that it is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters. I would not have known what it is to truly hope, even when the world tells you to despair.”

“And then he said to my sisters, “We have not known each other for long. But I have to believe that you were brought here, into our family, for a reason, too. And maybe today we’ll find out why.”

“All three sisters blessed by fate and gifted with powers to match your own.”

“Even after the bond is rejected, they see her as belonging to them. Sometimes they return to challenge the male she chooses for herself. Sometimes it ends in death. It is savage, and it is ugly, and it mercifully does not happen often, but …”

“Oh, I can, and I will. If Lucien finds out you're pursuing her, he has every right to defend their bond as he sees fit. Including invoking the Blood Duel.”

As you can see even back in ACOWAR she was weaving the web for Elriel's journey and an upcoming Blood Duel/The threat of one.

“Many mated pairs will try to make it work, believing the Cauldron selected them for a reason. Only years later will they realize that perhaps the pairing was not ideal in spirit.”

I think it is pretty clear from all the quotes above that Lucien is no her ideal spirit and vice-versa to be frank when you put it side by side his budding relationship with Vassa or hers with Azriel they are clearly very different.

“On the continent, there are territories that believe the females literally belong to their mate. But not here. Elain would have our full protection if she rejects the bond.”

“Azriel's hand slid up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elain's mouth parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before fluttering shut.  Offer and permission.  He nearly groaned with relief and need as he lowered his head toward hers. ”

Elain is choosing Azriel, choosing their bond over the one assigned to her time and time again... Back to mating bonds;

“The ancient healer jerked her chin toward Lucien. “See what he can do. If anyone can sense if something is amiss, it’s a mate.”

“The mating bond. It is a bridge between souls.”

"She pointed at Lucien as she saw herself out. “Try sitting down with her. Just talking—sensing. See what you pick up. But don’t push.”

“Can you hear mine?” He wasn’t sure if she truly meant to address him, but he said, “No, lady. I cannot.”

Her too-thin shoulders seemed to curve inward. “No one ever does. No one ever looked—not really.”

"Azriel’s hazel eyes churned as he studied my sister, her too-thin body. And without a word, he winnowed away. Mor watched the space where he’d been standing long after he was gone.”

“Should we—does she need …?” “She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien.

Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly. “We’re the ones who need …” Azriel trailed off. “A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.”

“It made sense, I supposed, that Azriel alone had listened to her. The male who heard things others could not … Perhaps he, too, had suffered as Elain had before he understood what gift he possessed.”

“But Azriel nodded. “You knew,” he said to Elain. “About the young queen turning into a crone.” Elain blinked and blinked, eyes clearing again. As if the understanding, our understanding … it freed her from whatever murky realm she’d been in.”

Are you telling me that Madja saying a mate would know, would sense whatever is going on with her, and as it turns out Azriel was the one to sense and uncover it is solely what, a coincidence? Also to emphasize what she said about "A bridge between souls..." Where else have we heard that terminology? The Truth-Teller scene.

“I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife.”

Not to mention this scene is simply iconic for a multitude of reasons, how poetic Feyre describes them, the clear soulmates/ying-yang subtext and him giving her something he has given no other but that's another story.

Azriel has also been displaying some very protective fiercely so mating vibes towards her,

“Azriel stilled. “What happened to Elain?” Cassian waved a hand. “A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,” he warned when Azriel’s eyes darkened. ”

“Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. “You all right?” His brother nodded. “Fine.” But shadows still swarmed him.”

“Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike.”

“Azriel’s Siphons guttered, the stones turning as dark and foreboding as the deepest sea. “Where did Lucien go.”

I think there are some mixed opinions on Lucien and whether he deserves her (and vice-versa in this fandom) but I don't think that is what this comes down too, they are both handling it in the way they think best/following their instincts.

Lucien is hurting throughout this process as well, but I think ultimately it is honor and loyalty binding him to her not any genuine emotion for her as a human being fae. I think realising they are not meant for each other and supporting each other developing true bonds with other people will be their journey. And it would be a completely fresh and new view of a mating bond.

Smaller pieces of dialogue that need little explaining and a rather oddly specific choice of words in the latest book that is meant to set up the next one in the series:

“You’d know if she’d died,” Azriel said, pausing his work and looking up at Cassian. He tapped his brother’s chest with a scarred hand. “Right here—you’d know, Cass.”

“Elain and Feyre—that was the new status of things. The bond Elain had chosen.”

"I'd never do such a thing. you must be thinking of your other mate."

Honestly? At this rate I have no doubt Elriel are endgame and everything within canon text spells that out but I truly believe he will be her second mate/the will form a bond via some circumstance that shall arise due to these little hints.

I would love to hear your thoughts and/or additions because I by all means didn't do a massive deep dive and there are most likely tons more examples to add but I didn't want it to become overwhelming to read!

Hope everyone has a spectacular and magical evening <3

[bffsoobin]

33

➤ soobin x reader, fluff, very slight angst, idiot best friends oblivious to their mutual pining

↳ prompt 33: “Are you SURE I can’t punch him in the face?” “Yes.” “What if I just break his nose a little?

requested?: yes

warnings: swearing, mentions of small injury

A/N: I’m sorry if you were expecting more explicit romance but I feel like this prompt worked better as a mutual pining idiots plot. Also apologies if this is lack luster, it’s been a few months since I wrote anything non-academic! 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•

You huddle underneath your comically large black umbrella as sheets of torrential rain pound down on it, washing across the pavement below your feet as if following the tide of the ocean. Your sneakers are soaked, squeaking pathetically as you shift your weight from foot to foot and grimace at the feeling of your socks soggy between your toes. Normally you would have been huddled in your dorm room, working on homework from the morning’s classes or watching reruns of Catfish just to grumble about how stupid a person could be.

But your best friend had texted you with a code blue, so you found yourself in the back parking lot of the campus library, enduring the rain that could only mean Noah’s Arc was due to float by any second. Wind whips your hair into your face cruelly and temporarily blinds you, as if mocking you for daring to brave the storm. You can do little more than scrunch your face oddly and shake your head from side to side in a desperate bid to get the locks away from you since there was no way in hell you were taking a hand off of your umbrella just to push your hair back. A car peels into the parking lot just as you clear your vision. It’s a humble silver sedan, a Hyundai of almost 20 years old, with streaks of rust on the back bumper and a sun-faded license plate. Even in the rain you can make out the litany of decals covering the back end, especially your favorite which boasts the term “MILF: Man I Love Frogs” in bold green letters.

There’s no hesitation in your step as you slosh through the rain to yank at the passenger’s side door, jiggling it several times until the telltale click of the unlock allows you to heave it open fully. Suddenly worried about the state of the car-which is littered with coffee cups, extra clothing, loose notebooks and sheet music and fast food receipts- you shake the umbrella off outside of the car before snapping it shut and closing the door. Beside you Soobin laughs, short and low.

“Thanks for shaking off your umbrella. Really counteracts the gallons of water your brought in with your shoes and pants.” He glances pointedly at where your feet soak the tan carpet into a dark brown and you bristle.

“Thanks for calling a code blue in the middle of a rainstorm. I wouldn’t have fucked your car up if you didn’t have an emergency.” Your voice softens at the reminder of why you’re here, and you finally turn to face him better after you buckle up. He’s devastatingly handsome, as always, but you feel your heart stutter at the fact that he’s wearing the hoodie you bought him for Christmas, the one he had almost slapped you for spending so much money on. It’s slightly damp from the rain and it casts his face in shadows along with the shitty weather and for once you hate the way it looks on him. He drives without asking, already knowing exactly where he wanted to go to talk out whatever had happened.

“I wouldn’t call it a total emergency,” he begins as Spotify takes a few seconds to switch between songs. “Just something I needed you to be in the loop for ASAP.” He looks your way again, eyes calculating for a few moments before the light turns green and he’s making the all too familiar right turn into the tasty and underrated diner that you discovered as freshmen. The rain has not slowed at all and the two of you run into the building to avoiding getting too wet, although your feet squelch with renewed vigor on the red and white tiled floor.

The lighting is much better at your favorite table, and after you place your order you’re able to finally get a good look at Soobin. His soft eyes are rimmed red and puffy, and you can’t tell if it’s the weather, the lack of sleep or his persistent allergies that are the cause. Maybe all three, or maybe something new entirely. He’s staring back at you just as clearly, studying your own face and mannerisms even though it had been years since anything about him was new to you. Of course, other than the day he casually pulled you into his chest and you realized just how tall and broad and handsome he had become.

The thought leaves as scarily quick as it enters, as Soobin turns his face to smile up at the waitress delivering drinks and you catch a glimpse of reddened, mottled looking skin just beneath the seam of the hood. As soon as the waitress retreats you lean across the rickety table and paw at the cotton. Soobin puts up almost no fight, knowing he’s about to lose a battle that hadn’t even begun. The delicate skin of his cheek is alarmingly bright red and looks angry to the touch. Bruises had already begun to form around the outer ring of the graze and your heart clenches when you realize that what you first thought was a circular bruise looks suspiciously similar to a fist. A symphony of anger and concern rise within your chest and your eyes prickle with tears that you know Soobin will wipe away for you if you let them fall. 

“What-” you swallow, saliva suddenly feeling like it’s made of cotton, “Who did that?” 

He smiles shyly, ducking away from your touch but you gently grab at his cheek, keeping him from moving too far. His eyes bore into yours, flicking down to your lips before bringing them back up. Slowly, as if scared to spook you, he encloses his palm around your wrist.

“Promise you won’t yell and disturb everyone else that’s eating?” You nod eagerly even though both you and Soobin know that it was a promise likely to be broken. His hand, steady and radiating warmth into the skin of your wrist tugs tighter, hooking on to you like a life line. 

“That asshole Braden. I was passing him in the lobby of the math building and he was talking to his friends about how-” Soobin stops to swallow an invisible lump in his throat- “how he worked with you on some project and he kept talking about how stupid you were the whole time.” 

Your face twists into a grimace at the reminder of that exact project and then the image of Braden, tall and wide with an angry round face; but then a laugh bubbled from the depths of your chest. 

“To be fair, I was useless for that project. It was film class and it was about that stupid French movie I didn’t watch. So he’s not technically wrong.” Soobin’s frown twitched and then, to your surprise, deepened. Heart dropping at the sight, you felt a chill creep up the back of your neck. For as long as you’d known him, there was always a good chance that a well timed joke could curb his anger or sadness or frustration. 

“It wasn’t that that got me, well, this. After he said that, he said that even though you were stupid he wouldn’t mind seeing you on your knees.” You sucked in a simultaneous breath with Soobin, whose moody look finally transfered to you. It made too much sense now; why your joke hadn’t shifted his mood, why he was so vague about why he needed to talk to you, why he had that bruise. Your heart races as you begin to imagine how the skin will turn deep purples and greens, going sickly yellow around the edges. “It just pissed me off so bad. So I yelled at him and he squared up with me and before I knew it I was on the floor.”

To be honest, you were angrier that Soobin had come out of the altercation hurt than anything. You were used to the comments, the snide bullshit that falls from the mouths of your less kind peers.

“I’m going to kill him.” Soobin laughs, finally, as you clench your fingers into a tight fist around your innocent glass of strawberry lemonade.

“No, you’re not. I’m fine.” He finally removes the hood from his head, and if it weren’t for the bruise- which you now could see spread almost all the way to his ear- you would have been more interested in the fact that his shaggy hair had gotten even longer since the last time you’d seen it this close. You open your mouth to protest just as the waitress approaches again, this time balancing two hot plates of food on her arms. You flash her a sweet smile at the same time she notices the state of Soobin’s face and squints. She doesn’t say anything, though, and leaves almost as quickly as she showed up.

“Are you sure I can’t punch him in the face?” You ask as soon as she’s out of earshot. 

“Yes.” Soobin playfully scowls at you around a mouthful of french fries. Your heart skips at the adorable way his eyebrows knit and his dimples press deeper into his cheeks. Despite yourself, you smile, feeling the tension in the air dissipate around the pair of you. Soobin gestures loosely to the plate in front of you, wordlessly encouraging you to eat.

The pancakes you ordered are just as delicious as you remember them to be every time; fluffy and syrupy with just enough butter. Halfway through a chew, a new idea pops in your head and you struggle to keep chunks of batter from spewing onto the table as you speak.

“What if I just break his nose a little?”

[samadiw]

Knickers - Part 03 - Yellow Knickers 💛

.

Yellow?

Fucking yellow?

She didnt have yellow knickers, she didnt have yellow anything and it wasnt like she could stroll into Hogsmeade and buy a pair.

Hermione pulls out her drawer of knickers, for a girl who didnt get it on much, she had a drawer full of colourful undies, one must always feel good in what covers your twat.

She gingerly picks up a scanty almost see through black pair of knickers, well, they would have to do.

Placing the pair on the bed, she reaches for her wand and waves it over the undergarment, the colour instantly changes from black to dark yellow.

Hermione grins, it looks better than she expected.

H : "Not bad..."

She flops down on the bed and thinks of Malfoy's cock for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

The fucker had no shame in just whipping it out in front of her, his crass boldness turned her on, he didn't care to tip toe around her as if she would shatter into a million pieces.

Her toes curl with wanting, he would widen her nicely, she had always been told she was tight.

Damn that bloody Malfoy cock.

*******

T : "The fuck man."

B : "Don't you get sick of losing?"

T : "You're cheating, I know it."

B : "Its wizards chess, you just suck."

T : "I have to meet Luna but once I'm back, I want a bloody rematch."

B : "Let's make it interesting, care to place a bet?"

T : "10 Galleons?"

B : "My house elf makes 10 times that, you bloody cheapskate."

T : "Later."

B : "Use protection, we don't want crummy chess players being added to the population."

T : "Fuck you, Zabini."

Draco walks in towelling his hair

B : "Ah, want to grab a butter beer?"

D : "Sure, mate."

Throws a bottle at Draco and he catches it expertly.

D : "So, whats the name of the new broad?"

B : "Patil..."

D : "Nice."

B : "Is Weasley still banging Granger?"

D : "Haven't a clue."

B : "She's looking rather fine this year."

Draco tightens his hold on the bottle and takes a long swig.

Blaise didnt know the half of it.

The next morning

T : "Fuck, are you ready to leave?"

D : "Yeah, I've got some, unm...work to do."

What he wanted to do was claim his seat in the Great Hall before someone else did.

B : "Well, I'm ready, I'll come with you, Theo, do hurry up bitch."

T : "Yeah, yeah, I'm hurrying."

They walk into the Great Hall and find it half full.

A bunch of 3rd years are sitting in Draco's usual place.

The blonde towers over the younger students and hisses darkly.

D : "Move, now!"

The adolescent boys trip over themselves in their haste to get up.

"Yes, Mr Malfoy, sir."

"Right away."

"So sorry."

Blaise and Draco slide into the seat.

B : "I think the tall one wet his pants."

D : "Respect, Blaise, must be taught when young."

B : "Theres a fine line between respect and bullying."

D : "Potato, potahto."

B : "Why the fuck do you keep looking at the entrance?"

D : "For Nott, ofcourse."

Blaise raises a brow and grins.

B : "Sure you are..."

Hermione links her arm through Ron's and he whispers a funny joke into her ear, she throws her head back in laughter.

From across the hall she can feel steely grey eyes watching her every movement.

She locks eyes with the ice blonde and bites her lip.

Settling down in her usual spot, Hermione looks at Draco through hooded eyes and challenges him.

Draco smirks, fucking showtime.

He's about to drop something when a voice cuts into his train of thought.

PS : "Mr Malfoy."

Fuck..

D : "Yes, Professor Slughorn?"

PS : "Come with me, boy, I need your rather unique potion making skills."

Come on, no, no...

D : "Now?"

Slughorn raises a brow.

PS : "Yes, now..."

Draco glances at Hermione desperately.

Did the old codger have to fuck up his morning?

Draco weakly protests

D : "But sir, I'm um..hungry."

Hungry for Grangers cunt.

PS : "Now! Before I start deducting points off Slytherin."

The bloody bastard.

Draco gets to his feet

D : "Fine."

Hermione looks on in disappointment, brings her legs together and watches Malfoy trail after Slughorn miserably.

The fuming Slytherin throws a look of annoyance her way before exiting the hall after the potions master.

Draco misses his first two lessons because of Slughorn's potions emergency, he is still at it when his year piles into the classroom.

He wipes his brow and looks up, Hermione grins and pats the seat next to her suggestively.

It wouldn't do to openly sit next to the Gryffindor without a bunch of questions being asked.

Draco coughs to distract everyone else and shakes his head, Hermione frowns, rolls her eyes and pulls out her books.

PS : "Good job, Mr Malfoy."

Draco replies in frustration.

D : "Yeah, no problem, Professor."

He gathers this things and sits next to Theo.

The class drones on and by the end of it Draco has dozed off more than once.

Theo nudges him and hisses.

T : "For fuck sake, get up."

The class ends and the exhausted students leave the dungeons and make their way to lunch before the next round of classes start.

Hermione studiously avoids Draco, she wouldn't go to him, let him come to her.

Refusing to sit with her, who the bloody hell did he think he was?

She steps into the abandoned girls bathroom to fix her hair and wash the tiredness off her face.

It takes but a second.

The door opens, closes with a bang and a heavy firm body presses up against her back.

Shocked at first, Hermione reaches for her wand but she looks up to see Draco grinning smugly at her.

She turns around and shoves him

H : "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

D : "Isn't it obvious?"

H : "This is the girls lavatory."

D : "I'm aware."

H : "Get away from me, you pervert."

D : "I haven't seen your knickers today, Granger."

H : "And you're not going to see them now."

D : "Oh, I beg to differ."

He places firm hands on her waist, lifts her and settles her on the counter.

Hermione lashes out

H : "Have you lost your damn mind?"

Draco winks.

D : "Possibly."

Hermione tries to hop down.

H : "I'm not playing this bloody game."

Draco holds her in place, his long fingers brush gently along her skin and edge upwards.

He pushes up the school skirt so it bunches around her waist and stares at the bright yellow undie hugging her pussy lips, outlining every dip and curve.

Draco swallows hard, up close she looks absolutely breathtaking.

H : "There, you saw them, are you satisfied?"

D : "Immensely, yellow might be my new favourite colour."

H : "Very funny, now let me go."

D : "Not so fast, pet."

He runs a long finger down her material covered slit.

Hermione gasps and a involuntary moan escapes her full lips.

She comes back to her senses and scolds.

H : "Stop it, anyone could walk in."

Draco rolls his eye, waves his wand and distinctive click echoes through the quiet bathroom.

He grins mischievously.

D : "Problem solved."

He continues to rub enticing circles around the flesh of her inner thighs.

D : "I wonder if you taste as good as you look."

H : "You wouldn't..."

D : "Oh, I would and you will love it."

He peels down her panties, leaving a trail of fire where his fingers touch her skin.

Draco puts Hermione smooth legs over his shoulders and bends to give her exposed cunt a quick lick.

Hermione gasps as he delves inside her with the tip of his tongue.

He gives her clit a quick flick and proceeds to eat her out generously.

Holy fuck, was Malfoy licking her cunt?

Oh, so good, so bloody good.

D : "You taste divine, let's see what makes you come."

Hermione's breathing elevates, she surrenders to the blonde licking her to glory.

The noises he makes as he moves his tongue echo in her head and fuel her pending release.

H : "Malfoy...."

D : "Wet, so fucking wet."

They have 4 minutes and 26 seconds before their next class.

Draco figures he needs 3 minutes tops to fuck her with his talented tongue and feel her orgasm on it.

D : "You taste fucking amazing."

He parts her pussy lips with his tongue again and begins to lap at her eager wetness.

Moving slowly, he uses the tip of his tongue to circle her ever receptive bud.

His tongue slips and he's rewarded with a loud moan.

Ah, so that's the spot.

Draco relentlessly tongues Hermione till she squirms.

He wants to look at her, keeping up his ministrations he braved a look at the witch whispering his name.

She was shuddering above him, her body wracked in pleasure.

Head thrown back, wild curls around her face, fuck...she looked stunning.

Her eyes closed, thighs spread wide and hands massaging her breasts and pinching her nipples.

This was a sight he could get used to.

H : "There, oh fuck...don't stop..."

H : "Oh...mm...I'm going to come."

Music to his ears, he takes her swollen bud between his lips and sucks hard.

D : "Let go, baby."

Hermione lets out a cry, grabs a fistful of Draco's hair and comes crashing down around him.

Only after she rode her high and stilled did he wipe her dripping juices off his chin and get to his feet.

H : "Well, that was..."

She hopes off the counter and attempts to stand on wobbly legs.

Draco licks his cum stained lips and grins.

D : "Something else."

H : Yes, something else.

Draco muses .

D: "And we havent even kissed yet."

Post orgasm bliss aside, Hermione asks.

H : "Why didn't you sit next to me? Do you still think me dirty?"

Dirty, was the woman mad? She fucking came in his mouth and he couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.

Draco pulls Hermione close and kisses her.

The kiss is no gentle exchange between lovers, its hard, fast and demanding

He pries her stubborn lips open with his tongue and slips it in to seek the inner sweetness, they grab onto each other fighting for dominance, until, she breaks free and surfaces for air.

Draco nibbles on the heated flesh of her neck and whispers.

D : "That's your cum you taste on my tongue, do you honestly believe your blood status means fuck all to me?"

He places a tender kiss to her lips

D : Actually, I wanted to spare you the embarrassment of mingling with an ex Death Eater.

Hermione shoves him playfully.

H : "Sod it, sit with me tomorrow."

D : "You dig your own grave, Granger."

A distinctive tent decorated Draco's trousers, he cups the bulge and adjusts his painfully hard erection.

H : "Oh, you're still hard, let me..."

D : "We don't have time."

Hermione's face falls in disappointment and Draco smirks.

D : "Don't worry about it, you can make up for it tomorrow."

Draco picks up the discarded yellow knickers and pockets them.

D : "I'm keeping these by the way."

H : "You cant be serious?"

D : "I rather enjoy the thought of you walking about the castle knickerless."

H : "You fucking smug prat."

D : "Blue is my favourite colour, Granger."

Draco lifts the spell and walks out.

Funny, she would've bet her left tit that it was black.

[just-a-creep-babe]

I'm back?? Creeps with a really go with the flow, devil-may-care, Not afraid of death, Chill SO? [EX: *meets creeps* Wow, okay, this is my life now I guess. || Same stuff as always! *helps hide body* || You wanna fly into the Bermuda triangle and live to stream it? Heck yeah, she'll bring spicy sour patch kids. || Don't worry! I'm still in shock! Can't feel a thing! || '*does something stupid* we survived? Brilliant. Love it when that happens. ] Thanks!♡

~Requests are closed but commissions are open~

Masterlist: x

Slenderman

Jfc—why?

He’s already worried about litcherally everyone else in the mansion, now you too?

He is Quite Concerned™️

Lowkey more concerned for you over the others but that’s a given tbh

Honestly questions how tf you’ve manage to make it this far without dying

He makes it his personal mission to keep you safe at all costs—no matter what

So on the bright side, you sort of inherit this ancient eldritch being as a personal bodyguard!

But on the not-so bright side, said being just doesn’t let ya have any fun around here >:/

Will physically restrain you from doing something stupid so you don’t get caught up in anything dangerous

Starts considering giving you a curfew or smthg because even he can’t keep up with the stuff you get pulled into

But he respects you too much for that, ofc, so he just begrudgingly accepts that you’ll keep doing you—no matter how irresponsible or dangerous it might be :”)

Still loves you despite the heart attacks you nearly put him through every other day :)

Jeff the Killer

This 👏mans 👏will 👏love 👏you 👏forever 👏

At first, admittedly, he’s a teensy bit put off by your nonchalance because how can someone actually be that laid back all the time??

But once he adjusts to it & realizes that you aren’t, in fact, faking it for whatever reason, he’ll be completely & utterly enamored with you

Like,, he can do a bunch of stupid shit & drag you along into it & you won’t freak out??

Sign 👏him 👏up 👏

Loves not having to worry about you sanity tbh—there’s no need to hide all the dangerous crap he does because he knows you won’t worry ^^

And homeboy most definitely will take advantage of your go-with-the-flow nature

He’s got a taste for danger & doing stupid shit—how could he not bring you along with him?

If/when y’all get caught & put in trouble tho, he’ll take the blame so that you don’t suffer for something that was most likely his idea

Jeff? Doing the right thing? It may be more likely than you think 🤔

It still sometimes unnerves him just how chill you are with everything, but hey, he can’t let you outdo him in badass-ness, so he’s guaranteed to incite plenty of chaos to prove himself; it’s bound to be an exciting time uwu

BEN Drowned

Oh he is sO down

One of the perks of being dead? He probably can’t die again

So there are absolutely no limits to the insane shenanigans he’s willing to pull off

The fact that you’re just as down to clown makes thing so much better

It gets to the point where someone constantly needs to keep an eye on the both of you so you don’t accidentally end up dying

Cause BEN (and bless his soggy soul) as much as he loves you, tends to forget how fragile human beings can be

So it’s up to the others to make sure your lack of self-preservation doesn’t get you killed

But your fearlessness & nonchalance is like a breath of fresh air!

Things can get a teensy bit boring when you’re immortal, so he’s more than happy to have a badass s/o by his side who’s down for pretty much anything uwu

Y’all get into a bunch of stupid, dangerous & probably illegal shit—but he wouldn’t want it any other way 😘

Eyeless Jack

Similar to Slendaddy, this mans is Concerned™️

He will constantly check you over to see if you need to get patched up because he knows you’re a danger magnet

But at the same time, he doesn’t wanna be too overbearing

Like he definitely has this live & let live mentally (prolly in part due to his diet) so he‘ll try not to bring up too often how nervous he is about your safety & well-being

You’ve accepted him as he is, part demon and all, so he feels like he owes you the same

Even if it does scare the shit out of him because my god what have you gotten yourself into this time??

He’s kinda like a worried mom tbh—he’ll pack you up a lunch & send you off with a “be safe, don’t do anything dangerous, say no to drugs,” and stuff, even despite knowing you probably won’t listen

Homeboy just wants you to grow & experience the world for yourself :”)

Still, he’ll ask the others to keep an eye out for you & to not put you in too much danger

And he’ll totally sometimes follow you from the shadows just to make sure you’re staying safe skdjsjdlsjl

He’s a protective demon boi, what can I say? :)

Masky

He’s,,,, pretty impressed actually

Thinks your nonchalant attitude is kinda badass

Of course he still gets worried, but he’s also prone to forgetting how fragile most people are

His pain tolerance is pretty dang high, so he doesn’t always realize certain things can hurt normal people. Badly

He’ll feel super bad if you get injured with him, but at least homeboy will try to make it up by giving you plenty of sweets & cuddles uwu

He might try to give you a stern talking-to so that you’re more careful, but he knows it won’t stop you from being you

Still, overall, he thinks it’s pretty sweet that you’re down for, like, anything

Will probably wanna take you with him for jobs sometimes—just cause he can & it probably won’t traumatize you too bad :>

Just don’t tell slender

Thinks his bold little s/o is damn cool & lowkey brags abt you all the time uwu

Hoodie

He thinks it’s pretty funny lmfaoo

Is torn between being worried & wanting you safe while also desperately wanting to just be like “fuck it” and do a bunch of stupid shit with you :”)

Will probably take advantage of how you don’t worry much to tag you along in his shenanigans

But at least he’ll make your safety & comfort his utmost top priority uwu

Honestly, he admires how chill you are with shit that’s pretty traumatizing—it’s almost funny that you’re just as brave as he is, considering his line of work and all

It’s,, kinda intriguing to him; homeboy will maybe wanna psychoanalyze you a lil 👀👉👈

You’re just so interesting, he can’t help but be a smidge fascinated 👁👄👁

Really wants to be able to make some good, wild memories with you <3

He’s honestly the perfect balance of protective & adventurous at the same time

Just wants to please his little s/o and keep them safe & happy while fulfilling their need for wild shenanigans :>

Ticci Toby

Oh boy

He is the same

Together, y’all are chaotic af

The creeps know not to leave you unsupervised because shit will go down

The utmost chaotic duo in need of constant watching over & patching up ngl 😅

Seriously, the others are damn near always worried about babysitting you two because you’re both danger magnets

And it doesn’t help that Toby has no concept of danger and/or pain

He’ll try to be super sympathetic if/when you do get injured, but poor boy will be clueless af as to how to help

So more often than not, he’ll end up using himself as a human shield to protect you from danger to make up for it

Either way, y’all get into so much shit, it’s unbelievable

Kinda perfect together but like,, in the worst of ways lmfaooo

[lostysworld]

My dar(k)ling – The Darkling x reader

Part 2

Masterlist

Pairing: The Darkling x reader

Warning: none

Summary: You find new friends and try not to earn some enemies, but things become complicated, when you find someone in strong need of rescuing

After a dozen of attempts to find you a proper costume, Genya gave up and got you a black shirt, pants and a pair of boots, but insisted on another couple of shirts just in case.

In the end you decide not to take yourself as a prisoner and have a walk, giving that Kirigan left the castle a day ago and you cannot feel this pressure around you. That kind that made you stay in your room for three days in a row.

Your adventures start the moment you come out of your room and bump into a man in a red kefta. His black hair lays perfectly, and dreamy expression makes you think of the real reason for your collision.

– Oh, I'm sorry-

– It's fine. I should have looked my way.

Instantly, you recognize the grisha heartrender, who was in Kirigan's guard when he found you in the forest.

– Wait, I remember you, - the man smiles to you, when you wrinkle your nose in displeasure. – But I don't remember your name, sorry.

– Fedyor. Fedyor Kaminsky.

– Sure, - you extend your hand for him, and the heartrender shakes it slightly. – Could you show me around, if you are not in hurry?

You would not ask, if it was someone, but not Fedyor. His friendly expression, that always plays on his face, makes you feel safe or sort of.

The man nods and leads you down the corridor, when at the last turn you two almost bump into Kirigan.

Is he not supposed to be here, but with the army? Your disappointed face draws his attention, and he nods to his heartrender to leave you two. Fedyor smirks to you apologizing and goes away.

– Do you always need to spoil all the fun? - Kirigan arches a brow at your bold words, but only shows you a way outside following next to you.

– Always? Did I spoil your fun back in the forest?

You don't answer and roll your eyes not noticing his wide smirk while he's looking at you.

– So, what did you want from my heartrender?

You look more presentable now, than before, and the general's gaze every time slips to your side. He can't help but notice, how well black color suits you, as his eyes are roaming across your slim figure.

– I can't sit in my room all days long, - you follow him as you both go outside, where the man leads you to the training ground. – I need a distraction.

Kirigan nods you towards a group of grisha who are fighting with each other, looked after by a tall man, surely their trainer.

The sight of you wrinkling your nose makes him smirk. Everyone in the Palace are always tiptoeing around Kirigan. He hasn't seen a person, who behaved like that with him, for a long time.

– Not a fighter, actually. At least not in close combat.

– And what do you want to try then?

You look him closely. General seems sincerely interested in you and you can't understand why. But maybe you need to try to see the reason.

You lean your head to the side looking up to him.

– Archery.

– Archery? - he scans you with the critical glance and your brows arch at this, as you throw arms to the sides.

– What? Do I not look like an acher?

Kirigan chuckles amd shakes his head.

– You can do anything you want, Y/N. Tell Fedyor, he will find you something.

For a moment you are walking silently, and surprisingly this silence isn't uncomfortable, giving that some days ago you couldn't tolerate him next to yourself. But the next second you recall one thing.

– You told me I would meet the king, general. Though there was nothing of it mentioned for the last two days.

– Do you want to meet him? - his sly gaze switches on your face, and you instantly feel being too close to him, as you are almost the same height as he is.

– I don't think I have a choice, right?

His gentle smirk makes your heart beating faster, and you try to collect all your strength not to fall under his spell. You already saw several girl, gossiping about the man, and it even sounded pathetic.

– I asked the king to let you rest for a bit.

– Oh, what have I done for being asked a day off by the Black General himself?

Your sarcasm hits him not that much as does your addressing. The man stops and casts a grim glance at you. All of his previous friendly demeanor vanishes away.

– You have heard about me? - it is half question half statement, and you don't know what to do.

– I have indeed.

– And you are not afraid?

You arch a brow in a silent question.

– Of what?

– Of me.

You did hear about General Kirigan and all these rumors went much further amongst your people, of those still alive. Now you believe them, there is more in that men, then he shows to others. But despite whispers, you still have your own opinion to make.

Suddenly you notice like air around you becomes thicker and a bit darker. One-sided careless grin shows up on your lips, as you make a step closer to the man, leaving literally no space between you.

– I've spent my entire adult life living alone. Do you think, I am afraid of the darkness, General Kirigan?

Your shushed voice does give him a slight chill and he can't catch why. There is something behind your eyes, somewhere deeper, that doesn't let him tear his glance off you.

– Why? - his sudden question buffles you.

– What 'why'?

– Why living alone? Where's your family, Y/N?

Your once brave expression drops as you furrow and turn away from the man, continuing your walk.

– You don't want to tell about it? - he doesn't leave you, following behind. This time you get to bring your mischievous grin back on your face.

– You haven’t shared your secret yet, General, so I could share mine with you.

His smile doesn't last long, as someone behind you both calls him. On one brief moment he seems to roll his eyes in irritation, that makes you give up a short laugher.

– You will meet the king tomorrow. Now you'd better have a rest, Y/N.

You don't know what hits you exactly, but when the man turns around it's your turn to call him.

– Have a good day, General Kirigan, - he looks over you with a strange expression in his features and just nods, leaving you behind.

Not knowing what else can occupy you here, you walk away back to the palace.

Everyone seems so busy with whatever they have to do, that you simply feel yourself out of place. You don't know most of the people here, but already start recognizing some of the faces.

And when you catch Fedyor out of the crowd along with another heartrender, you flash him a bright smile.

Coming closer he loops his arm around your elbow dragging you with them, starting chatting immediately. Another man next to Fedyor is familiar to you too.

– I remember you, mister, - you point at him with your finger, leaning slightly forward to look at him. The man just gives you a displeased glance.

– It's Ivan, - Kaminsky looks at him with such love and adoration, that your heart clenches at the sight of them. – He can be a bit grumpy, but truly he's my better half.

Watching Ivan's face twitches slightly at these words gives you a faint smirk.

– Better? - you decide to cling to words as can hardly imagine this man being better than Fedyor, who is literally shining like a sun. – I would say just...other half.

Fedyor chuckles, but when you are about to turn to the wing, where your room is, Ivan immediately drugs you two back, out of the empty corridor.

– What's wrong? - you see nothing behind their broad backs, giving that you are tall enough. – Guys?

Ivan gives you a sign to shut up, and you finally hear someone's muffles voice. Two voices.

Slowly crawling from behind Fedyor you peer around the corner seeing the scene, that makes your blood slowly boiling.

Here in the opposite corner stands Genya and a man, that you believe, is the king, you should have met with, according to his attire. Not that he impresses you much.

Watching them you realize, that the king stands too close to the tailor and the girl definitely doesn't want to be there, but can't do anything to escape.

– Is that your king? - you look over your shoulder back on heartrenders, but lower your tone when Ivan shushes you. – Won't you do something with it?

– We can't. He's a king, Y/N.

You see sympathetic helpless glance of Fedyor, and just shrugs your shoulders, taking a step forward. Just at the same time, when Ivan drags you back.

– What the hell are you doing? - his abashed gaze is burning holes inside of your skull.

– Exactly what none of you here can.

You shake his arm off yours and move forward, coming out of the corner. No one of two people in front of you still doesn't notice your presence.

– Your Majesty! - the man flinches from your loud voice, and you seem to hear faint swearing of Ivan behind you. The frightened glance of Genya flies to you. – General Kirigan demands the presence of miss Safin in the map room...It's urgent.

You don't know, how this nonsense appears in your mind, but you try not to let the grin show on your lips. Something inside of you makes you feel proud.

The king hesitates for a moment, stunned by the fact, that he's caught in such situation. But you don't flinch wearing the same cold demeanor as before. Taking a step back, he nods and shows Genya the way out towards you.

– Of course.

If Genya can run in that moment, she surely will. The readhead girl walks the other half of the corridor to you as if it is an escape route from her death.

As soon as she reaches you, her expression falls only on a second, but when both of you turn around the corner and see Ivan and Fedyor, who tries not to smile to much.

Genya furrows, but when she opens her mouth to ask, what's going on, Ivan cuts her off addressing you.

– What you've done was foolish-

– Foolish?! - now you can't hold back your irritation. – Would you better watch the king putting his hands on what doesn't belong to him?

With that you go on with your way towards the entrance of the castle, dragging the tailor with you. Behind your back you can hear Fedyor's voice trying to calm his lover down.

But then Genya stops you, still too frightened and disoriented. You believe this isn't the first time, but no one can get used to such things no matter how often it happens.

– Y/N, wait. Where are we going?

– Out of here, I guess. Garden, training grounds, main hall, whenever.

A faint smile touches her lips, and the girl lays her hand on your forearm.

– You really shouldn't do this, he's the king-

– Then I don't want a king like this one!

Your voice echoes around the half empty hallway, and it does draw some unnecessary attention to you. But you don't give a damn now.

You don't know Genya much, but these several days with her show, that she surely deserves more than all of this. Confident, stubborn and brave. Genya Safin is definitely brave. This is all about her, and how can't you defend her after this?

But you know, that there in Little Palace, you have only one true king. General Kirigan.

And he's exactly the one, who is coming to your group at the moment.

You see Ivan and Fedyor straighten and Genya casts a look behind your back. It's not necessary for you to turn back to know about the man's presence. Even birds stop singing, when Kirigan is around.

– What's going on here? - this demanding strict voice shakes your a bit. Ivan throws a brief mocking glance to your side, and you only roll your eyes at him. You turn rapidly to the general.

From the only look at him, you can swear, that he already knows everything. God only knows how.

– Miss Y/N, - not getting any answer from others, Kirigan switches his glance to you. His silky voice makes you nervous, cause it means nothing good. He nods aside indicating to talk with you privately, but then comes back to his heartrenders. – I will talk with you two later.

You don't like his mood, in the end all of this was your idea and yours only.

– You won't, - general switches his attention on you. One way or another, your boldness will backfire.

– Excuse me?

– You won't talk with them, it's not their fault, - you keep eyeing the man in front of you. – It was my decision, and it's not for them to suffer for this.

Ivan and Fedyor don't even flinch, as Kirigan's gaze goes to them and then back to you. He waves them off, dismissing, and all three of grisha vanish from the hall.

He drags you out of the palace, gripping onto your forearm.

– What the hell where you thinking, when went against the king? - his hissing rings in your ears.

– You are speaking as I am a traitor, general. But I just did the thing no one of you wanted to deal with.

– He is the king, - you try to shake Kirigan's hand off you, but he's holding for dear life. Finally you just relax, not resisting the man. – And who are you here? Nothing.

– He is not my king, as you are not my general. But if I needed to do this again, I would and not once.

Kirigan does insult you with his words, and you should admit it isn't the nice thing to hear. This mixed feeling towards the general leads you astray, cause feeling displeasure, irritation, anger and that strange pull towards the man at the same time is something you can't handle now.

You move closer only for him to hear your words.

– You lead your army to the war, General. Talk about grisha safety at every corner, but hardly can defend those in the palace. Or just don't want to. Isn't it pathetic?

– Watch your language, Y/N-

– Watch your actions, Kirigan! I'm not a little girl, that you brought from the woods as a present like Genya. I'm not interested in court intrigues, - he looks at you with both anger and surprise. No one here allows to reprimand him like this. Yet you are standing in front of him. – I will not follow your stupid rules, where superiors are allowed everything they want to do.

His gaze, roaming across your features, halts on your eyes. His dark intense glare somehow betrays his own thoughts, as if he's partly agree with you.

– Unlike you, General, I have no limits to get what I want.

You go past him inside the hall, slightly brushing his shoulder with yours. A slight smirk touches his lips.

You can be bold and wild, wayward or stubborn. But you surely hold a spark inside of you, and this spark can't be shadowed with his powers nor with people around you.

Kirigan looks over his shoulder only to see, that you already dissapper in the crowd.

[narrans]

Everyone needs a little Hero | Hero’s Little Conversation

Hero spent the next few hours contemplating his interaction with the little girl, Maggie. It hadn’t occurred to him that humans were just and dangerous toward each other as they were for someone like him. He found himself asking so many questions about what their lives were like, Borrowers only being able to see snippets of what went on in their daily lives.

 Despite living among them all his life, Hero soon concluded that what Borrowers truly knew about humans was only a fraction of what really went on. They got their food from someplace which Hero thought he heard being called the “Market;” but what did that look like? This building was big, but was it the biggest? What happened when they were really sick? Where did they go?

 Hero stopped in his tracks on his way when he remembered his promise. Sam. The train of thought going from sick people ended with thinking about Sam. Was he okay? Did the coughing stop?

 At the moment, Hero was at the floor joists between where he would turn to go back home or make his way to the human boy’s room in the other apartments. His parents weren’t expecting him home anytime soon. And… I did promise. But was he ready? Sure, Sam promised he wouldn’t say anything as long as Hero came back, but there was that instinctual fear that Sam might’ve simply needed time to get things together to keep him.

 Hero shuddered at the possibility. He nervously glanced about to make sure no one was watching before looking back through his bags and supplies. No food rations and just a little water, but there are things I can use to escape if need be in here. Hero paused at that thought. Would he even have what it takes to escape if one of the humans he was trying to help did capture him?

 No. He couldn’t think about that, and the humans he was helping would never try to capture him. At least, that’s what he thought optimistically as he turned down the hallways to Sam’s room.

 ~~~~~^*^*^~~~~~

 Hero slid down the line he secured from the ceiling to his original perch on top of the bookshelf once he made it to Sam’s room. The human boy was currently sitting on his bed with something covering his ears and a device in his hands. The Borrower couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Sam seemed to have color in his cheeks once again and him being distracted let Hero belay to the top of the shelf without being detected.

 With a quick whip of the thread, the hook came free and landed on top of the shelf for Hero to use once again to reach the bottom shelf of the bookcase. The bold Borrower had determined that he wouldn’t get too close just in case while also upholding his promise. He never promised he would get close enough for Sam to touch anyway. Also, being on the bookshelf let Hero be close to eye level with Sam – another chip in his favor (and Hero loved chips).

 The bookshelf was set up so there were shelves in the top half of the furniture piece and a cabinet below. Where the top and bottom met created the perfect lip for him to stand, which is exactly what he did. The bed was just beside the bookshelf and the bedside table next to it, creating an interesting “L” shape.

 Hero slid down the braided line until he finally reached the lip. The line stayed where it was near the back of the bookshelf near the wall for easy access while Hero tiptoed to the middle of the bookshelf lip and stood as he looked past the enormous blankets and comforter at Sam. The device in the human boy’s hands was black with one side red and one side blue and, seemingly, possessed all of his attention.

 All of his attention, that is, until he sighed heavily, shoulders slumping, and set down the device in his lap to stare at the ceiling. Sam went to raise the device again when his eyes caught sight of the small boy he saw just yesterday afternoon. Immediately, his hands flew up to his head, dropping the electronic box in his lap, to push his headphones from his ears onto his neck – all while not breaking eye-contact with Hero.

 Hero watched the boy jolt into action, which made his heart jump and start mercilessly pounding in his chest. The Borrower boy held his breath reactively as that strange rectangular block was set down and the things from Sam’s ears were removed. His skin felt as though it were on pins and needles and squirmed under the human’s gaze. That little voice in the back of his mind warned him to run and hide, but Hero instead stood his ground. Heroes were supposed to be brave after all.

 Still, he was more than thankful that Sam was the one who spoke up first, not knowing what exactly to say to him now that he was standing in front of him.

 “Woah, you’re actually real.” These were dangerous words that sent chills up Hero’s spine. As his panic and nerves attempted to overthrow him, Hero took a calming breath and smiled.

 “Hello Sam,” he said, trying to speak up. “I… er… I’m back, just like I said.”

 Sam pulled the cushioned device off of his neck and set it to the side along with the colorful rectangle. Then, quite suddenly, began scooting down the length of his bed toward Hero. The rapid lunging motion made Hero’s heart skip a beat and instinctually he attempted to take a step backwards; however, his back was already pressed against the back of the bookshelf.

 The smile on his face must’ve changed into a look of sheer and instinctual panic because Sam suddenly stopped advancing when he was a couple of feet away. Sam’s eyebrows scrunched on his face as he squinted to better read the facial features of the sandy brown haired, green-eyed Borrower. The human boy now looked confused as the slightly panicking Hero tried to get a hold on himself.

 “Are… you okay?” asked Sam, now holding still. Hero swallowed dryly, a lump trying to restrain his breathing, and forcefully nodded.

 “Y-yes,” stammered Hero. “Just… startled is all. I didn’t know you’d get so close so fast. But it’s okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.” Sam looked mildly taken aback, a partial grin tugging on the side of his mouth.

 “You’re apologizing to me? After admitting I’m the one who spooked you. Wow, you’re weird,” said Sam. Hero felt his ears get warm and he averted his eyes. No one said being a hero would be easy. He thought to himself.

 Sam looked away and, after a nervous chuckle and seeing Hero’s reaction, continued. “Naw, I’m… the one who should say sorry. I just didn’t know if you were real or not and wanted a closer look. Sorry. And… uh… thanks for the other day. Finding my inhaler.”

 Hero felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. His tensed shoulders suddenly seemed lighter, like a weight had bee pulled off of them. Thanks. I got a thank you. My first one!

 The fluttering nervousness and panic almost instantly evolved into excitement as Hero looked back up in time to see Sam looking up at him. This time, his eye-contact felt reassuring and a small swell of pride grew in Hero’s chest. Hero couldn’t stop the ear to ear smile he now had on his face.

 “You’re welcome. I’m just glad I was able to help in time,” replied Hero, hands clasped around the straps of his backpack.

 “Yeah, me too,” chuckled Sam. The boy cocked his head to one side and eyed Hero again. “So, what exactly are you? I mean, where did you come from? And why are you so small?”

 The human boy’s rapid firing of questions put Hero on the spot, making him feel a little nervous again. Hero had already come up with a few things he shouldn’t say for the protection of his family and his kind, but he wanted to be honest at the same time.

 “I… well. I’m from here. I’ve always been this size, but I’ll get taller soon. Maybe not as tall as you, but taller for me,” replied Hero, glossing over the first question which seemingly went unnoticed by Sam.

 “Wow, so you’ve always been…” Sam used his thumb and index finger to mimic Hero’s height. Hero nodded.

 “Yep, but I’ll get taller soon,” reiterated Hero. Sam bit his lip and nodded.

 “So, what are you called? Like, what are you?” Hero hoped he wouldn’t have to answer this question, but Sam seemed intent on knowing. He didn’t need to know about Borrowers. He just needs something to call me. At least, that’s what I hope anyway.

 “Well… I’m… uh… Hero,” said the green-eyed boy.

 “A Hero?” asked Sam.

 “No. Well, yes. I’m a hero, at least I’m trying to be, but that’s also my name – Hero.” Sam gave the Borrower boy another curious look.

 “You’re a hero? And your name is Hero? Don’t heroes have to be, you know, big? With capes and stuff? I mean, you don’t have a costume or powers or anything,” asked Sam. Hero bit his lip before puffing out his chest and standing just a little bit taller.

 “It doesn’t matter what size a hero is. A hero is anyone who can make a difference to someone else – and that’s exactly what I’m doing. You don’t have to have a cape or be big. There are people who don’t have those and help every day,” said Hero firmly and proudly.

 “Isn’t that hard for someone like you though? How do you even get around? Is it with that hook thing I saw you with last time?” asked Sam, drinking in Hero’s answers and giving him every ounce of his attention. Hero nodded.

 “Yeah, I use it to get around. I have to climb from place to place; and it isn’t that hard once you get the hang of it,” replied the Borrower. Sam looked at him in complete fascination and awe.

 “Wow, that sounds dangerous and really cool,” muttered Sam, now glancing away from Hero for the second time since his arrival. “I wish I could do stuff like that.”

 “Well, you can! I mean, it’s like I said. You can be a hero too,” encouraged Hero with a thoughtful smile. At this, Sam shook his head.

 “No, not really. I can’t do all of the climbing and stuff; plus my asthma gets in the way of pretty much everything,” muttered Sam, a hint of frustration in his tone.

 Asthma? What’s asthma? Hero’s bubbling curiosity from so many unanswered questions couldn’t be contained. He asked me a lot of questions. Maybe he could answer some of mine.

 “Hey, Sam, sorry for asking, but what’s asthma?” asked Hero. Sam glanced back up at his newfound green-eyed friend.

 “You’ve never heard of asthma?” asked the boy, to which the Borrower shook his head. “Wow, you’re pretty lucky then. Asthma is just a thing I have. It means I have trouble breathing if I get too excited or if I breathe dust or things like that. There’s a lot that happens, but mostly it’s just the breathing thing.”

 “Wow. I couldn’t imagine not being able to breathe. So, you can’t climb or run or anything?” asked Hero. Sam shook his head. “Not really. The doctors said I could grow out of it, but that might not be for years.”

 “Doctors?”

 Hero hadn’t realized he asked the question until Sam started to answer. “Yeah, they work in hospitals and take your blood and listen to your heart and breathing and give you medicine to take so you can get better.”

 Hero felt the color drain from his own face. “They take your blood?! Do they give it back? Or do they just keep it?” At this, Sam started laughing.

 “Yeah, that’s one way how they can tell what’s wrong with you. They look at your blood. They don’t give it back; and don’t look so worried, it’s just a little bit.”

 Hero had to admit he was completely fascinated. The thought of just looking at blood from a scratch and knowing what was wrong was astounding. Humans really were incredible.

 “So, a hospital is where you go if you’re sick and need to see a doctor?” asked Hero, to which Sam nodded.

 “Yeah. It’s not fun, but sometimes you get a sucker at the end, so I guess it’s not all bad,” replied Sam. “Do you not have doctors?”

 Hero shook his head, his sandy brown hair flopping back and forth slightly. “No, but w… I don’t get sick too often, so it’s not a problem.” Hero hoped Sam wouldn’t notice his partial slip-up.

 “Lucky,” murmured Sam. They sat in an odd silence for a minute or so, at which point Hero suspected it was time to leave.

 “Well, I’m glad you’re doing better now Sam. Um… I’m sorry, but I have to go now,” said Hero, taking a moment to readjust the pack on his back. Sam looked instantly disheartened.

 “No, don’t go yet,” pleaded Sam. “Can’t you stay for a little bit longer? We can keep talking or I can show you my game or get a snack. I don’t know. I didn’t tell anyone about you if that’s what you’re worried about. Do you really have to go?” Hero, bombarded with so many new and exciting options, wasn’t quite sure how to respond. He knew he needed to leave and that he shouldn’t stay for too long, but Sam seemed like he wanted someone to talk to.

 “Well,” started Hero. “Since you didn’t tell anyone about me, I guess I could stay a little longer; but then you have to let me leave. I have more hero work to do.” Sam, elated, grinned broadly.

 “Great! Which one do you want to do?” asked Sam. Hero thought for a moment. He knew Sam had a lot more questions, and Hero had questions too; but, he didn’t want to give too much away.

 “Um… why not show me your game?” prompted Hero as he sat down on the bookshelf lip, slipping his pin and backpack off to his side. Sam nodded and reached over to the small rectangular device he was holding earlier. The motion was so quick it made Hero’s head spin. He could only imagine how fast Sam could be if he put his mind to it.

 Sam hesitated, glancing at Hero before asking, “Is it okay if I get closer? That way you can see the screen?” Hero waited a second before giving his permission with a brief nod. Sam’s smile returned as he turned around, his immense back to Hero, and scooted backwards until his back was against the bookshelf like Hero’s back. What was once two feet of distance changed to two inches, but this time didn’t unnerve Hero like it had before. Sam was safe – at least that’s what Hero believed about the human boy.

 For the next half an hour, Sam explained the levels and the game. The Borrower learned this thing was called a “Switch” and had lots of games on it. One with “cars,” one with little rings, and one where you solve puzzles and farm. It was a nifty little device and, by the end, Hero felt a pang of sadness that he had to leave.

 This time, Sam didn’t resist and, instead, offered to help Hero leave instead of climbing to wherever he needed to go. Hero had to admit it was tempting to not have to scale the entire top half of the bookshelf, but just the thought of stepping onto a human palm made his insides weak with nervous butterflies.

 Hero thanked Sam for the offer but elected to climb instead. Sam was obviously disappointed but understood. It was perfect timing. Sam’s parents just arrived and were calling his name. The human glanced back at Hero and gave a small wave.

 “Bye Hero. Will I see you again?”

 “I hope so,” replied Hero as he tugged on the line to make sure it was secure.

 “Tomorrow?”

 “I don’t know. I’ll come as soon as I can, promise.” Satisfied with the answer, Sam nodded, pushed himself off of the bed, and left the room for Hero to ascend the line and vanish into the walls once again. The experience was a success in Hero’s mind. Talking to a human was still very scary, but Sam seemed to understand Hero wasn’t a plaything; and he hoped it would stay that way.

 Hero had heard stories from others about humans tricking Borrowers into coming out, talking, showing themselves, before being captured or persuaded to stay. Hero knew he was young, but he hoped he could make the right decision and stay vigilant.

Continue

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Beginning

[bonny-kookoo]

Hangang River Bride (OT7 x Reader) 🐾☁️💜🔞 Chapter 2: Dog Teeth

🍁Pairing: OT7 x Hybrid!Reader

🍁Genre: hybrid AU!, mild angst, fluff, romance, smut

🍁Warnings: fluff!!, clingy Jimin ����, playfighting, cursing, minor injury (Little fox burns her hand), protective Jungkook!, a lot of cuddling, suggestive themes, kissing, heavy making out, alpha!Jungkook, Sub!Reader, knotting, threesome, two to be exact, or is it more like a six-some I dont know okay, big dick! Gang Koo & Tae but wbk, Sweet aftercare, naked cuddling, biting, marking, can someone get me a guy like Namjoon pls, pack dynamics, Yoongis tongue technology, so much soft love gestures like nuzzling and Eskimo kissing and pls don’t touch me this was a wild ride okay-

🍁Summary: after slowly settling down, little Fox slowly gets used to living with the bunch. It’s safe to say that she’s never experienced so much happiness in one place; and sometimes that can get quite overwhelming. And also, she's far from done with experiencing new things; there's so much more for her to explore. Good thing she had more than enough help to teach her the proper way of living- and loving.

Chapter 1 (summary of past events) || Chapter 2: Dog Teeth || ???

Again, major warning for mobile users: The wordcount on this one is a bit over 7.3K words.

It had been a while since you officially moved in with them.

Slowly but surely, you got more and more comfortable with the different personalities of everyone around you, at first a bit overwhelmed with all of the energy and sometimes chaos- after all, all you had known was order and discipline. Yet it felt like this was an actual family, a pack of some sorts; it made you feel safe and warm. Every time everyone was home, it was like everything was complete as well.

Even Namjoon and Seokjin, who you'd admitted to being quite wary off since they were human, had somehow managed to win your little heart along the way.

But what exactly were you all?

You sometimes caught Jimin stealing a kiss or two from Yoongi, who'd never been shy about it at all, yet he also never truly admitted to anything romantic going on between them. Asking any of your owners was useless as well, since Seokjin had just laughed his signature squeaky laugh at you when you'd asked. He'd simply pat your head, telling you to find that out yourself- and you were frustrated ever since. You couldn't just go out and ask them all if there was some sort of relationship going on, that would be way too intruding! After all, you were still the last one to join the dynamic, the lowest in rank if you will. Your entire nature didn't allow you to simply outright ask for what the hierarchy was; it was normal for foxes to find out themselves by simply observing.

Yet that was the issue.

Jungkook was clearly an alpha male, yet he never showed true intentions of actually dominating anyone in a sense of taking leadership. Sure, he was very much dominant in getting what he wanted, yet he never truly used that to his own advantage- for example, he always made sure Jimin got his food first, which, for a very short period of time, made you believe that maybe he was the top dog. Yet then you saw how Yoongi always changed the entire dynamic of everyone's behavior as soon as he'd step inside the room- making you wonder if he was the highest. But that all changed yet again when Seokjin playfully lectured him one time for cutting him off mid sentence. Both humans may stayed oblivious, but you could see his ears tilt back a bit in shame.

So what was true now?

It all didn't make sense at all. How were you supposed to find out your place if you didn't even know what everyone else's was? It confused you to no ends, leading to the situation you were in now; frustrated and sulky inside your room, covered under soft blankets as if to shield you away from the group until you'd finally figured it out. A knock pulled you out of your thoughts, as you could hear a voice soon after.

"Y/n? I called for dinner but- what are you doing?" Seokjin asked with a slight chuckle, sitting down next to the lump of fabric he suspected you under. His hand lifted a part of the blanket a bit, revealing one of your ears and your face to him. "Why are you hiding sweetheart?" He asked gently, scratching behind your ear as he began to look a bit worried.

"I can't figure it out." You huffed, sitting up and looking at the broad shouldered man with a desperate look in your eyes. "You said I should but I can't- none of it makes sense!" You whined, making him smile and deflate a bit as he finally noticed what the issue was. He sighed.

"What did I tell you the first day you were here?" He gently asked, running his fingers over the velvety smooth fur on your ears, chuckling as they snapped back and forth from the tickling feeling.

"You said you're all equal.." You answered, yet it didn't truly satisfy you at all. There were five hybrids in one household, six now with you counted in, there had to be some sort of balance. "But how.. Jungkookie is an alpha but he never eats first.. Jiminie is too soft to be a top dog, and Yoongi always puts himself lower in rank when you're there.." You queried, genuinely feeling your head throb at that.

"Well, you answered your question though." He said, and you tilted your head to the side, not understanding his statement at all. "It all depends who is with who." He said, sitting down a bit more comfortably before patting his legs, inviting you to climb out of your makeshift den and to sit on his lap, which you happily did. "If I'm not there, but Namjoon is, Namjoon is in charge of everything. If he's not there either, Yoongi is. And if he's not there-" He said, smiling at you, "then Taehyung is." He said, and your eyes widened. Sweet and jumpy Taetae? Jin seemed to almost hear your thoughts as he grinned. "Taehyung had quite a problem with his dominance when he first got here. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he's quite demanding at times, forgetting that this household isn't solely his. He's a bit overprotective, you could say." He explained, making you nod your head. It did make sense why you never noticed him bei like that- after all, you hadn't left the house much, and if so, always with someone at your side, never alone. You basically knew no one apart from them. "Jungkookie is a special case you could say. He can dominate any situation at any time, but he chooses not to willingly." He clarified to your now absolutely interested gaze. "He doesn't want to mess with the dynamic too much, and keeps himself in check most of the time. That doesn't mean he won't get into fights with someone- he and Jimin fought a lot when Jungkook first got here. It was a mess, really." He remembered, making you furrow your brows a bit. But jimin was so sweet and soft? "Jiminie was used to being a bit.. pampered you could say. He was looking forward to finally not being the lowest one, so he tried to get Jungkook to fill that role. It didn't work, obviously." He stated, and you nodded. "You could say, Jimin is above you now, which is why he got so emotional when you left back then. He's not a dominant character, but he hates being reminded of that." You flopped against Seokjins chest, making him huff out a breath as he grinned. Your head turned towards the door as you noticed Namjoon. How long had he been standing there?

"Don't be too upset though." He simply said, walking closer until he sat down on the side of the bed, hand reassuringly running over your back, making you purr against Jin's chest. "Since you're a female, I highly doubt anyone will treat you as a true lowest. They all simply want to keep you safe, which by the way, isn't exclusive to them." He said, looking at Jin with fondness as he nodded. "Everyone wants that." He stated, and you attempted to say something, before you heard feet running over the floor, someone sprinting up the stairway as well.

"Hyung no, thats unfair!" Taehyung exclaimed with a loud whine, bursting into the room and jumping on top of the mattress, hugging you from the side and rubbing his nose against your neck in an attempt to scent you- even though that was really not necessary. Now that you knew about him more after what Jin had told you, you could actually see it more clearly. He was claiming you even though Seokjin and Namjoon were way too close to make it useful for him to do so, yet he did it anyways as if to prove a point. Namjoon gently tugged on his ear, a small reminder for the hybrid to tone it down and not get carried away with his antics.

"Hey, we're waiting downstairs to start eating while you guys have a comfy cuddling session?" Jimin exclaimed scandalized, making you laugh into the white shirt of Jin.

"What happened?" Hoseok asked frantically as he bursted into the kitchen after hearing you yelp. You instinctively hid your hand behind your back as he offered his own, waiting until your showed him your hand, fingers a bit red as you had accidentally touched a hot plate in the microwave. He cooed at you, leading you towards the sink where he gently let cold water run over them to soothe the pain a bit. "Better?" He asked, as you nodded, smiling at him again. "Good!" He exclaimed, leaning down to give you an eskimo kiss, making you giggle.

He loved these moments.

At first, you'd been a bit intimitated by his sheer endless energy, worse than Taehyung as he would at least calm down after a bit. Hoseok was always energized it seemed, randomly singing or underlining his actions with cute sound effects here and there. This was him, and you slowly learned to simply adore these things instead of questioning them; after all, you really loved him, and he'd been nothing but sweet to you. He was an absolute ray of sunshine.

It inspired you.

You learned from him to slowly come out of your shell, getting more bold and brave in your actions, even sometimes playfully fighting with Jimin over food- a fight he'd always let you win, even though he was higher in rank than you, and typically always ate first. It didn't matter however, as everyone adored you too much to deny you anything.

Hoseok loved holding you like this, simply having you close and breathing in your scent as he thought about absolutely nothing. He didn't need to, because as long as everyone was in one place, everyone was happy as well, and that instead made him happy. It was as if it was an energy exchange, as he always diffused situations and lightened the mood, his own batteries would charge the most effectively whenever everyone had fun.

This was how it was supposed to be.

"I'm gonna get you!" He exclaimed with a playful growl, before you sprinted away from him, knowing that you couldn't outrun him- but this wasn't a true chase, it was a playful game, something that you have had to learn. It was now a regular thing with everyone around the house; sometimes even Yoongi would join in, yet that was pretty rare. Taehyung and you however bantered quite a lot, usually ending up cuddled together after getting told to stop before you could break anything.

"Careful-!" Namjoon yelled, yet Seokjin simply put a reassuring hand on the shoulder of his husband, turning his attention back towards his cooking. "Those two.." He sighed, trying to not slice his fingers as he began to attempt to chop a carrot under Jins surveilance.

"They'll be fine. Y/N is way more confident these days, she'll tell him if things go too far." He said, and Namjoon nodded. He'd noticed that shift in your behavior as well, a special change which made him incredibly happy. It meant that you had truly accepted everyone and your own place, feeling comfortable enough to sometimes even challenge Jungkook- even though it was never truly meant seriously. He had been worried at first on what could happen if that ever was to occur, yet the wolf hybrid had surprised him entirely, by simply letting you jump on his back at random times, and even letting you win in tickle fights sometimes, even though he was clearly stronger than you were. He was so gentle with you that it made him feel absolutely comfortable leaving the house to his hybrids whenever he had to go to work and Jin couldn't stay home either.

"Gotcha!" Taehyung barked out, as he spotted you hiding behind the couch, playfully throwing himself over your form as he nipped at your neck.

What happened next however, caught him completely off guard.

He could suddenly feel your behind pressing upwards- straight into his pelvis, as your tail flopped to the side, front dipping low. You had seemingly misunderstood his actions entirely by the way you suddenly presented yourself- or it was simply out of instinct. After all, Taehyung was a domestic breed; he didn't understood nor felt his hybrid animal instincts as much as you or Jungkook did. However, with something as absolutely obvious as this gesture, even he felt himself pick up the pace of his breathing, skin suddenly feeling clammy. He'd never thought about you in this way- sure, you were absolutely pretty, but he'd been so concerned over your past that he'd never quite seen you as a potential partner.

"Yah, could you not do that in the living room you two?" Seokjin yelled, spotting the two of you. "Also stop dominating her Taehyung, you know this!" He said, getting closer to him. Yet he stopped in his tracks at what happened next.

Taehyung actually growled at him.

Namjoon, hearing the words, came into the living room soon after, instantly pulling Seokjin back by his shoulder as if to warn him. The way they could see Tae's eyes watch them warily, and the fact that he now held you firmly, canines holding your neck in a possessive way making your ears tilt back flat against your skull.

He'd fallen into a feral state.

The only reassuring thing was that you seemingly had no fear towards him, just pure submission, which did ensure your safety in this very high-risk situation you had found yourself in. Taehyung was way taller and stronger than you, so you fighting against his hold could end with injury- even if Tae was a sweet young man. In this state of mind he wasn't to be messed with, even if he was only a domestic breed. Yoongi came inside the living room after hearing the commotion, eyes widening at the scene. He immediately turned around, Pushing Jungkook inside the nearest room- which was the guest bathroom in that case, before the wolf could react any further.

This was bad.

Seokjin however, held nothing back, shaking his husbands hand off as he went closer to the two of you, not backing away or getting intimitated in any way, not even as Taehyungs growls got louder, Namjoon getting more and more nervous. Jin however, held his ground, grabbing the younger hybrid by the hood of his shirt as he pulled him off of you, pulling him to the ground. It may seemed awful what he was doing, as he held him down to the ground by his neck, yet this was necessary to make him snap out of it. Your eyes widened at the dog hybrid down on the ground with the elder holding him firmly by his neck, knee positioned on his back to keep him where he was. You jumped up, running upstairs as you shut your door, burying yourself under your blankets. This was your fault.

And you felt horrible.

"Taehyung, do you know why I did that?" Seokjin asked gently as he ran his hand through the hybrids hair, now sprawled over the elders lap on the couch. Namjoon had opened windows to get rid of the stuffy air, while Yoongi talked to Jungkook, calming him down and reassuring him that nothing had happened, and no one was hurt. As a predator he was way more sensitive to shifts in a situation like that, so it took a while, but he eventually became calm. Taehyung was back as well, now a bit teary eyed as he held onto a pillow, his very sudden adventure into a feral state leaving him vulnerable. It was normal, Namjoon said. He would get over it in an hour or two, as soon as his pheromones were back to normal again.

"I know- I know and I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to I-" He stammered, holding onto the pillow even tighter as he remembered what had happened. "I don't even know why I-" He said, and Namjoon squatted down in front of the couch, scratching the boys ears as Jungkook emerged from the bathroom, a bit on edge yet visibly calm enough to walk into the room and not bite the head off his elder packmate.

"Well I know." He simply said, sitting down a bit further away, back against the cold glass door that led to the front porch. "She was presenting, it was normal that you did what you did." He explained, and Yoongi nodded as well as he stood near the sofa, watching Taehyung.

The cat hybrid sighed. "I don't mean to you know, sound like a pervert or anything, but it's bound to happen at some point." He said, explaining further as Seokjin and Namjoon looked at him questioningly. "She's a female, she's submissive, and due to her species she compliments both canine and feline hybrids." He clarified, Namjoon nodding. "It doesn't matter if we all take surpressants or not; as long as she doesn't undergo some procedure to prevent her from being able to get pregnant, we're all walking on eggshells." He stated, making Namjoon furrow his brows.

"But that doesn't make sense." He disagreed. "She's a completely different species. There is no way for her to get pregnant in the first place." He argued, making Jungkook nod this time as he chimed in.

"Thats true." He said, before looking at Tae. "But that doesn't mean she won't smell ready." He clarified, and Seokjin became more serious, making Taehyung sit up now. "So, to make it clearer; just because we can't knock her up, doesn't mean we won't try." He said, making Yoongi snort a bit at the way he phrased his sentence. That diffused the situation a bit, making everyone less tense.

"I'm gonna go to Y/N now.. I-" He said, slowly getting up. "I need to apologize. She's probably feeling super bad right now." He said, and Namjoon nodded, against the very concerned face of seokjin. The elder however didn't say anything, trusting his partner that he knew what he was doing. He had more knowledge after all.

"So what does that mean?" Jin asked, now a bit torn. Could this mean they had to give you up?

Namjoon sat down now. "It means we'll have to see. If she doesn't want to be intimate with anyone, we'll ask her about a procedure to be done. If she doesn't want that either, we'll simply have to adjust. We can't simply give her away anymore, with how much she's bonded already." He said, and Jungkook nodded.

"There's another issue though." Yoongi grumbled, as he sat down next to Jungkook. "You can't just try and fool me by saying you aren't attracted to her in a romantic sense. Lets face it;" He offered, letting his head rest against the cool glass behind him. "We're all whipped for her."

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Namjoon sighed. "We can't force her to love any of us. After all it took us all enough time to settle down our feelings with each other as we were, and that never involved intimacy apart from Yoongi and Jimin, and me and Seokjin." He said, and everyone agreed.

This was a mess.

"Y/N?" Taehyung timidly asked, knocking at your door softly when he couldn't spot you. He saw some movement underneath the amount of blankets piled up on your bed, making him sigh. He went closer, sitting down as he let his chin rest on the mattress, hand reaching out. "I'm sorry for what happened, I didn't.. I don't know why I did that." He mumbled, and suddenly a small hand emerged out from the blankets, searching a bit on the surface before finally finding his, holding it. He smiled gently, unfolding some blankets to finally meet your eyes; thankfully not scared, but hesitant nonetheless.

"I don't know why I did that either, I.." You mumbled, now sitting up and playing with his hand. "And you got in trouble because of me." You apologized, gaze falling downwards in shame. "m' sorry.." You said, as he shook his head, climbing onto the bed to sit, his hand running over your head a few times.

"No, it's alright, we were both kinda out of it." He said, and you looked towards Jungkook and Yoongi entering the room, body suddenly curling up and trying to appear smaller as they came closer.

"It's alright sweetheart, no need to back down." Yoongi said, walking closer and sitting down next to tae, leaving Jungkook to simply pick you up and settling you onto his lap, tail softly swaying from side to side in fondness at your body being so close to him. "But I think its best to talk about it." The eldest in the room said, looking at you. He felt a weird sense of comfort seeing you in Jungkooks arms, as if you were right where you were supposed to be. He shouldn't quite feel that way, considering his actual romantic interest in you, yet it somehow didn't feel wrong- there was no envy whatsoever.

"Do you like us?" Jungkook questioned, voice rumbling in his chest against your back, making you shudder a bit. The question was absolutely out of the blue and so unexpected that you had to collect your thoughts a bit before answering with a yes. Of course you did, after all, they were your family- you trusted them with your life with both eyes closed. Taehyung however shook his head, as Jungkook asked again, this time, a little differently. "No, not like that. Do you like us, as in, love?" He asked, and again, you nodded.

Yoongi sighed from his spot, crossing his arms with a flick of his ear, showing his irritation. "Jungkook is being shy again." He said, making the wolf look at him with an absolute scandalized expression you couldn't see, but it did make Tae laugh, so it must've been hilarious to see. "Let's phrase it like that." He said, crawling a bit closer to you as you swallowed. Yoongi had always had this charm to him- his feline eyes had always made you feel weak. "If, let's say, Taehyung would kiss you-" He asked, making yours and said dog hybrids eyes widen. "What would you do? Or better- what would you feel?" He asked, making your skin suddenly feel all tingly.

Those were thoughts solely kept to yourself. You surely had wondered what it would be like to feel them in a more romantic sense of skinship, of course, but you respected the boundaries too much as to ever let it go from a simple daydream to more. And now Yoongi sat in front of you, all serious, and asked you.. this? What in the hell were you supposed to answer? "I'd.. I- don't know.." You said, and Yoongi hummed, sensing your nervousness.

"Then what if we tried it?" He said, making you almost stop breathing. "Not him, but let's say, me." He offered, making Taehyungs ear fall a bit, yet he understood why he was changing the person of interest now. Even though he was calm again, there was still a high risk that he could fall back again, and with Jungkook in the room, that could end horrible. "Only a peck, alright?" He asked, and you nodded- maybe a bit too enthusiastically, as Jungkook chuckled behind you, and the cat hybrid in front of you smirked.

It all went so fast.

His lips were suddenly on yours, molding perfectly in your opinion, before pulling away, giving you no time to really think about it. It was short, way too short, yet it only ignited something inside you you'd held captive for so long. You whined, ears flattening against your head as your head chased after him, making Jungkook hold his hand against your chest, holding you back. "No, I said just a peck, not more." Yoongi said, making you pout in defeat. "So?" He asked, and you scoffed.

"I wanna go again." You argued. "That was too short, I wanna go again-" You said, before Taehyung placed a kiss just barely on the corner of your lips, making you squeak. "Nooo, Tae that's not fair, now I-" You whined, before Jungkooks hand found its way underneath your chin, making you tilt your head and body a bit to allow his lips to fall against yours as well, just for a short moment, before pulling away. You growled, and it made everyone coo- since it sounded nothing but cute to them, considering you didn't mean it seriously whatsoever. "How can I concentrate now?!" You complaint, as Yoongi pulled your attention towards him again.

"So, you want to kiss all of us now?" He asked, and you nodded, before turning red, and trying to undo that statement. "No darling, you don't get to take that back. We don't mind that, it actually makes us really happy." He said, genuinely smiling at you as you could spot his sharp canines, gummy smile now blinding you. He rarely ever smiled this widely. Taehyung chimed in, now excited as ever as his tail thumped on the mattress beneath him in a fast pace.

"What about Jiminie? Or Hobi?? Or Namjoon and Jin?" He asked, and you shrunk down in Jungkooks lap with a red face, simply nodding as Taehyung smiled brightly at Jungkook, who chuckled. "Hyung, hyung, she loves us!" He exclaimed as if Yoongi hadn't heard nor seen any of it, his tail going a mile a minute as Yoongi laughed, shoving the hyperactive hybrid off of him with a grin.

"Who loves who?" Jimins voice asked from the doorway, making Taehyung jump up and cling onto the cat hybrid, grinning at Hoseok and their two owners behind him with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Y/N loves us all!"

Things continued actually quite normally, apart from the fact that everyone- including the two humans- got way more touchy than they used to be. Kisses were shared, some more in secret while others were placed with purpose, showing open affection and or to tease you. You didn't mind at all- it made you feel special, and loved.

Sometimes however, kisses would turn warmer than usual, more needing, and leaving doors to uncharted territory opened for you. It wasn't like you were a virgin by any means- yet you never truly tied sex to romance at all. For you, those things were two entirely different things, one of them making you feel good, and the other simply necessary act to try and produce offspring. So you were a bit surprised when Taehyungs kisses got a bit more demanding, his hands wandering underneath your soft cotton sweater, roaming over the skin underneath. Why was he being so.. delicate? If he wanted to take you, why be so unsure with it? "Hm, I love you.." He hummed in between kisses, making you smile a bit. He chuckled before slightly lifting the piece of clothing, as if asking for permission. You seemed confused. "Do you.. not want me to.?" He silently asked, making your eyes widen a bit.

"Why do you ask?" You wondered, making him detach himself a bit from you, eyes now a bit glazed as if hurt. You were confused.

"I do but-" He said, voice a bit strained as he realized what your confusion could be a sign for. "Sweetheart I don't want to do it just because I want to. I want you to want me too." He said, and you still tilted your head, unsure what he meant. You couldn't give him any pups whatsoever, so why would it be something you would want as well? "Have you ever, you know.. made love before?" He asked, now confused as well.

"Made..love? Wait, is that what you guys call sex?" You bluntly said, and Jungkook stopped in his tracks as he walked past your room, now peaking inside, curious what you were talking about. "Hello Kookie!" You waved, happy smile on your face as Taehyung couldn't tear his eyes away from you, deep in thought.

"Hello love." The wolf greeted, walking closer and patting your head, tapping Taehyungs back a bit. "You okay?" He asked the older one, who suddenly looked at Jungkook with eyes holding somewhat of a helpless glint in them. "What're you guys up to?" He asked, trying not to get too concerned for now.

"Taehyung asked me if I ever made love, but I don't know.. how do you make that?" You asked Jungkook, who's eyes only softened at that, understanding more deeply than the dog hybrid did. He came from a place similar to you, still sure he'd seen you before in the halls back then. He knew what female hybrids were typically used for, yet until now he'd hoped you were one of the few who'd escaped before it could happen. But if you were that clueless, then he was wrong- meaning that you had already been 'taught' what intimacy was.

It had been confusing for Jungkook as well at first, when he'd noticed Yoongi and Jimin emerging out of their room one day, way more clingier towards the other than usual. It didn't make sense why two male hybrids would ever want to be together in that sense, considering there was no actual use of it. There was absolutely no way that offspring would occur, so what was the point? He'd had a long talk with everyone back then, as they explained to him that no, sex didn't need a purpose other than showing another one that you deeply cared for them. It was not just a way to reproduce, but to also feel close to someone else in the most pleasurable and intimate of ways, and Jungkook had to really get used to that concept for a while, before eventually finding the sense of logic behind it.

It seemed the same with you.

"Look, little fox.." He hummed, sitting down close to you as he combed through your hair with his fingers. "I know what they probably taught you about all this. Please forget everything about that, okay?" He said, and you looked at him confused. "Your purpose is more than just getting bred, alright? You're more than your body, and you're more than just a pet." He stated, making your eyes glaze over the same way as Taehyungs had done.

Said dog hybrid nodded, before hugging you close, licking over your ear as if to console you as he noticed your scent shift. "H-how do you.. make love then?" You asked timidly, now curious but also too hesitant to take any initiative. You felt so open and exposed, you felt as if the only way to mend you back together was with the gentle touch of those two lovers of yours, who had such a delicate way of touching you. "Can you.. show me?" You asked, and Taehyung wanted to disagree, telling you that you should wait until you're ready, but Jungkook simply nodded.

This was difficult, because you would never know when you'd be ready. Right now you were vulnerable and at the same time sensitive to everything around you, making it the perfect moment to exchange any bad memory you had with this kind of stuff with new, loving and warm ones made out of affection and love, not out of pure reason. "What do I have to do?" You asked, ears now alert, ready to follow whatever they'd tell you. But Tae simply shook his head, nose nuzzling the crook of your neck where your scent was strongest.

"Nothing at all sweetheart. We'll take care of you." He mused, as Jungkook gently pulled your sweater over your head, exposing your skin and underwear to both of them, making him lick his lips. He should be angry at the large hands of Taehyung which wandered over your skin, mapping out your body to for his mind as if to imprint it for himself so he could forever feel you whenever needed, yet Jungkook simply watched in absolute endearment as the size difference of the hybrid and you got more prominent, your tail now swaying from side to side, ears moving frantically as you sighed, experiencing new feelings. He should be concerned with the open door, but they were all well aware of each other's antics, so there was no need to keep anything a secret. "Hm, is that good?" The deep voice of the dog hybrid whispered almost, as you nodded your head, own hands now reaching for Jungkook who'd simply watched until now. You turned on Taehyungs lap to face the wolf, as the alpha leaned forwards, kissing you with a newly ignited fewer, tongue immediately exploring your mouth as you mewled, moving on Taehyungs lap as he kissed along your spine, unhooking your bra for you before he tapped your arms, making you slip out of the straps holding the underwear safe on your shoulders.

As it was dropped carelessly onto the ground, Taehyungs hands instantly moved to fondle your breasts, sighing in content at the soft feeling of them, making you squirm a bit on his lap, putting pressure on his already rapidly hardening length. Jungkooks hands turned their attention towards your shorts, pulling on them a bit more impatiently as Taehyung had done with your clothing, making you wriggle out of them, your underwear alike, making both of your lovers sigh at the view of glistening slick already dampening the fabric.

You tried to turn around, getting ready to present as Jungkook held you in place firmly, making you slip lower with an oof as your head landed in Taehyungs lap, who smiled above you. Jungkook immediately changed his position, face immediately dipping lower, as his tongue licked from your entrance up to where your center began, growling possessively at the taste and scent of it. "You're so precious, sweetheart." He hummed against you as he continued his motions, making you close your eyes at the foreign feeling of pleasure. You held onto Taehyungs arm as his other made sure to give your chest enough attention, eyes full of adornment as he watched you cling onto him in pure bliss, hips moving in a rhythm only you seemed to feel. You began to huff suddenly, getting more sensitive as Jungkook stopped, moving to get rid of his clothing as well, nodding towards his friend to do the same, as they began to both shed until they were bare, Taehyung now taking charge as he crawled over you, Jungkook taking your hands as you reached for the dog hybrids length, ready to please him. "No, this is about you." He gently said, making Tae nod as he held himself in his palm, running his head over your slick entrance before entering you, making you take in a sharp breath, before your eyes glazed over. "Are you okay?" the wolf asked a bit concerned at your reaction, making the dog hybrid stop for a moment.

Were you okay? You were more than that, you were overwhelmed with the feelings that shot through you. You felt so loved, so comforted, so complete that it made your eyes water, making you cry in happiness as you sniffled, nodding your head to console both of them. "I'm just.." You began, voice a bit croaky. "I feel so happy." You said, making both of them coo at you, as the dark haired hybrid wiped away your tears, kissing your forehead, then your cheek, then the tip of your nose as Taehyung began to move, slowly, without any goal in mind. "Tae-" You chanted, making him chuckle as you whined at the teasing tone of if, as he licked at your neck, mouthing at the sensitive spot there, while your hands kept seeking contact with Jungkook, who's heart swelled at the gesture. "Hng.." You hummed, as Taehyung slipped out of you, palming himself towards his release, before switching spots with Jungkook, who was quick to fill you again, his pace much more aggressive, yet not less filled with love. "Want-" You began, getting interrupted by your own moan as Taehyung ran his hands over your shoulders, giving you a silent reminder that he was still there, as he nipped at your ear playfully. "Want you knot-" You whined out, and Jungkook growled along with Tae at the pleading tone of your voice.

"You want my knot little fox?" Jungkook queried, a hint of teasing color to his tone as you nodded, back arching so enticingly as you came closer to your own release. "Hm, you sure you can take it sweetheart?" He asked, picking up his pace as he felt his end approach. "Want me to fill you up? Hm?" He asked, and again, you nodded, craving him, slowly understanding what he'd meant with feeling close. You felt so safe, so protected, so utterly loved and adored that you could've sworn you were able to fly, able to grow wings and reach for the heavens without any boundaries. He grunted out a curse as he dipped down, biting the unoccupied side of your neck hard, yet not hard enough to truly hurt you long-term. His hips stuttered as he felt himself swell up, making you mewl out as you felt him inside you, locking himself safe as his warm cum spurted out, filling you up with its warmth. Taehyungs hand reached between your bodies as he noticed your frustration but tries to keep quiet over the fact that you were so close- yet unable to come. You violently breathed out as his fingers reached your pearl, using your slick to run over it a few times, making you finally tumble over the edge, your walls clenching as Jungkook breathed deeply, the feeling making him a bit oversensitive as he let you both fall to the side, careful to keep you close as to not hurt you with himself still locked inside you. Taehyung laid down close to your back, making it possible for you to rest against his chest comfortably without fearing to tug on Jungkooks knot.

The simple feeling of skin against skin, the way both of them groomed you with outmost care, and how they both had you in their middle, shielded from the world, made you purr out in happiness, breathing in your now mixed scents.

It smelled like home.

"Seems like you guys had fun." Yoongi grumbled from his spot leaned on the doorframe as Jungkook still held you, and Taehyung continued to sleep as he buried his head into your neck. "You good there, little fox?" He asked amused, as he saw your head emerge from between both males, happiness clear on your cheeks as they were still a bit red, your hair a bit unruled. He smiled at you, before Jimin stepped inside.

"I want to cuddle as well.." He carefully asked, unsure if both would really want him close. Taehyung giggled and patted the bed behind him, as Jimin jumped in, making you all giggle as the carefree situation shifted when Jungkook sighed, his knot having gone down enough to finally have him slip out of you, his cum seeping out, still warm from how you safely kept it inside. Yoongis pupils contracted, sharply locking his gaze on the scene as he felt the need to claim you as well grow inside of him. He stepped forwards, kneeling down as he pulled on your legs, making your body slide towards him as his hand ran over the mess you unintentionally made, before placing his tongue onto your bundle of nerves, tasting not only you but also his two packmates on you, making him smile. You squirmed a bit at the feeling, entirely different from Jungkook or Taehyung, as Yoongis tongue was naturally a bit rougher due to his feline nature.

He hummed, a bit teasingly still. "Hm, Tae and Kookie been eating good as well, it seems?" He wondered, as you slowly grew red around your cheeks. "How about I'll show you how to really enjoy a meal, yeah?" He stated, and you simply whined as he dove back in again, this time a bit more demanding, a bit more dominant as he held your legs open for him, Jimin now crawling over, watching the ordeal with his own eyes darkly on your pleasure- drowned face. Taehyung moved to the side a bit as he made space for the feline hybrid to take his place next to you, watching Yoongi eat you out like a starved man, exactly knowing how to push your buttons by instinct. Jimin turned your back towards him, pulling you close towards his chest as he laid on his side, having already gotten rid of his clothes simply because the majority of you didn't wear any as well, and he craved a more intimate skinship with you either way. He was a clingy lover, always trying to keep the people dear to him close, needing physical touch as a form of confirmation that he was loved. It was logical, in a sense; as a male calico cat he was said to be weird and unnatural as they rarely ever occured in cat hybrids. He was everything but that, but it had taken a bit to boost his confidence to a more normal level.

"Hyung's really good, isn't he?" He whispered into your ear, voice lower than you'd ever heard it being, making you arch into his body as he carefully led his length towards your entrance, slipping in with ease as Yoongi momentarily stopped, watching as the younger one filled you up so perfectly, making him palm himself in his sweatpants, painfully hard at this point. "What do you think, little fox.." Jimin wondered as he spotted the older one on the ground. "Think you can help Yoongi?" You nodded, already reaching out to him as Jungkook moved tiredly to the side, Yoongi sitting on his knees close to you, your hand already finding his cock, soft hands moving with gentle motions, inexperienced yet oh so pleasurable, simply because it was you. He felt his precum smear over your hand as you looked at him with such warm eyes, full of bliss and happiness, as he grunted, leaning down to kiss you hungrily, making your movements falter a bit before you resumed, now a bit more confident as he sighed into the kiss, breathing a bit heavier as he struggled to shed his pants and underwear, finally joining the rest in ridding himself of his clothes, room way too stuffy and hot anyways to keep them on. Jungkook and Taehyung simply watched from the sides, enjoying the show as Yoongi spilled into your hands, catching his breath for a moment until Jimin bit into your neck, teeth a bit sharper than Jungkooks and therefore leaving more distinctive marks as he stalled, cum spurting inside you as you came as well, with yoongi rapidly rubbing over your lower lips, making you yell out silently, reaching for yoongis hand to push him away in oversensitivity as Jimin pulled himself out of you, cum slowly dripping down.

"What a mess.." Yoongi mused, moving to stand up, yet Jungkook suddenly held him from behind, cuddling up to the older one as he made him lay down with you, everyone suddenly needing to be close again.

"Just sleep, hyung. We can clean up later." He grumbled into the older ones neck, grooming him respectfully as Jimin still held you close, Taehyung behind him as well.

"Hyung." Namjoon hushed, catching the older one's attention as he pointed inside Taehyungs and Jungkooks shared room. "I think the issue solved itself." He whispered, making Seokjin smile.

Yes, maybe it really did solve itself.

[tsukihimeyfan]

Sorting the main cast of AtLA into Hogwarts Houses

I know I’m late to the party because I’ve seen many different people tackle this before, but I feel like it is my civic duty as both a Potterhead and an AtLA stan to put in my two cents, since every single time I’ve seen it talked about people either misinterpret what each House values in their members or pick a House by taking into account only one aspect of their personalities. I want to make it clear that these are my own opinions, which I’m basing on the definitions we’ve gotten of the main traits of each House over the years and the “core values” of each AtLA character, and that I’m in no way am I trying to insult anyone who thinks differently. That being said, here goes nothing!

Let’s start with the easy ones. Namely, the Fire Siblings:

1) Azula is 100%, undoubtedly, definitely, incontrovertibly Slytherin. Just doing a quick rundown of the qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his handpicked students, as stated by the Sorting Hat, Albus Dumbledore and Pottermore: Cunning? Check. Resourcefulness? Check. A disregard for rules? Check. Using any means to achieve her ends? Check. Shrewdness? Check. Ambition? Check. Self-preservation? Check. Pride? Check. An argument could even be made that, as a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, Azula also kind of meets the “blood purity” criteria. I’m sure most of us agree on this. Even if she does exhibit a lot of loyalty to her father as well as courage and intelligence, there is just no contest. Azula is one of the most Slytherin characters I’ve ever seen outside of the Harry Potter universe.

2) In the same way, Zuko is irrefutably a Hufflepuff. Hear me out! I know that he’s very brave and daring, but when we think of Zuko, what is his most essential trait, what do people tell us again

and again

about Zuko’s character?

He’s a hard worker. And what’s the House of the hard-working?

"You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, And unafraid of toil.”

You guessed it. Hufflepuff. Of course, that’s not the only trait valued by this House that he exhibits. Who is more loyal in the series than the child who got half his face burned off and still did his best to earn the love and respect of the one responsible? Who never faltered in his loyalty even when he was sent away on an impossible mission? Who spouted angry words most of the time yet was willing to let his ticket home go temporarily in favor of ensuring the safety of his Uncle and his crew? That’s right, our boy Zuko. That very loyalty to his father is what unfortunately bound him for the longest time, until he was forced to face what a monster he was and let go of it in favor of more important things, namely his own morals and his loyalty to his Uncle.

He also has an incredibly strong sense of justice, as proven by the above statements, as well as this moment:

and he can be incredibly patient when he needs to be, as seen during The Blue Spirit and the Southern Raiders episodes.

Hufflepuffs are also said to be fair (which he clearly is), dedicated (need I say more?), honest (which Mr. shouts-his-feelings-at-the-top-of-his-lungs and can’t-lie-without-being-obvious-or-glancing-away-and-has-been-found-out-every-time-he-tried of course is) and modest (this one he starts without but by the time he joins the Gaang there isn’t anyone more modest or humble)

As “an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor” , Zuko is the Hufflepuffiest Hufflepuff to ever Hufflepuff and I will die on this hill

3) Another easy one is our girl Suki, whom I’d say is a Gryffindor through and through, even if she is very loyal to her friends.

The rest of the Gaang under the cut.

The other members of Team Avatar are a bit trickier because they all exhibit a pretty even mix of traits from more than one House, but still if we just concentrate on their defining characteristics we can get to an answer. 

4) I’d argue that Sokka belongs in Ravenclaw, even though he is of course quite brave and extremely loyal to his loved ones, not only because he’s a strategist and an inventor, but also because, as best stated by Master Piandao:

Ravenclaws most value wit, learning, intelligence, creativity and wisdom (this last one is a bit iffy but I’m sure he’ll get there when he’s older), as well as priding themselves on being original in their ideas and methods. That’s Sokka to a T.

5) Katara gave me a hard time. She’s unbelievably loyal to her friends and family, she’s compassionate, patient, fair, hard working and dedicated, with a REALLY strong sense of justice, so a case can be made for Hufflepuff easily. However she can also be quite cunning when she wants to (most obviously during The Waterbending Scroll, City of Walls and Secrets, The Painted Lady, and The Runaway), she has a lot of ambition (if you count every variation of “I will make the world a better place by force if I have to”), she disregards the rules when it suits her (again The Waterbending Scroll as well as The Runaway) and she can be proud at times, so we could argue she’s a Slytherin. She’s also undoubtedly very intelligent and even quite wise for her age. It took me a while to decide but then I pondered; at her very core, what are the statements that define her? What words just scream “that’s it, that’s Katara”? They are, of course, these two phrases:

The first sounded incredibly Gryffindor to me, and the second is half Gryffindor half Hufflepuff, so it had to be between those two. As such, I decided to look into Gryffindor first. Katara is, of course, astoundingly courageous, but what else? I had to actually look up definitions for the Gryffindor traits besides courage because they all just kinda meant “brave” to me initially 😅, but what I found was:

*Nerve: “one's steadiness and courage in a demanding situation”. Yep. Who’s the most level-headed, steady and reliable person whenever the Gaang is in any kind of pinch? That’s right. Katara

*Daring: “adventurous or audaciously bold“. Yep. I’d say she ties with Toph for boldest in the Gaang

*Determination: “firmness of purpose”. Yep, absolutely. See the above image from the Painted Lady. ‘Nuff said.

*Chivalry: can mean 2 things, one is “sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms”. All of that is true of her (her “arms” being her waterbending), but I found it interesting that to be chivalrous can also mean “gracious and honorable toward an enemy, especially a defeated one, and toward the weak or poor”. I’d argue that this fits her even more. Once again, just take a look at The Painted Lady episode. 

*Courage and bravery: they can mean the same thing, namely “the ability to do something that frightens you” and of course that fits Katara, but the word courage in particular has another meaning, which is “strength in the face of pain or grief”...

I’d say she’s pretty good at that. I think that settles it, Katara is a Gryffindor.

Turns out that when it came to the water tribe siblings Bato was right all along

6) For Toph I was split between Gryffindor (thinking of her brash, bold nature) and Slytherin for a while, but after looking into Katara and researching all those definitions I think I have to give it to Slytherin. Of course, Toph doesn’t seem to be very ambitious unless you count “being recognized as the greatest earthbender in the world”, but she is quite cunning. She knows exactly how to use her “poor helpless blind girl” persona to get what she wants, as seen both on The Blind Bandit and The Runaway. She’s also an extremely good actress, being able to play the “reserved and obedient little girl” to her parents for years, and being easily able to pick it back up when it suits her. 

She’s also stubborn, proud, and 100% willing to use any means, regardless of laws or rules, to get what she wants. 

As for self preservation? Remember that her response when asked to teach Aang, which was crucial to save the world but would’ve compromised her secret, was this:

Slytherins can also “hesitate before acting, so as to weigh all possible outcomes before deciding exactly what should be done “ and my first instinct was to say that it didn’t fit Toph at all, but what is Toph if not a person who “waits and listens before striking”? Slytherins tend to favor Neutral Jing it seems. 

Almost forgot that as a daughter of the Beifong family she’s sort of nobility and she technically also meets the “blood purity” criteria.

7) Finally, we get to my boy Aang. He was really difficult. He’s loyal, patient, fair, kind, modest (usually) and just but I can’t really call him a hard worker most of the time.  

He’s brave, adventurous, determined and chivalrous but he does tend to get discouraged during demanding or stressful situations (his friends always make it better though)

He’s creative, very wise for his age, and quite smart (except when he’s playing around with Sokka in which case they share one brain cell 😂)

He can even be cunning when he needs to be. If he ever went to Hogwarts, he’d definitely be a Hat Staller like Harry. I heard someone say once that they considered Aang a Gryffindor because he liked to show off a lot, but that’s not really a Gryffindor trait (think of Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and Minerva McGonagall. I think any one of them would sooner Stupefy themselves than go show off their skills in front of a crowd for no reason other than to brag).

Once again, we must pin down what it is that defines him, what his core is. After much thought, I decided it’s this: 

It’s his compassion, which he learned from his people, and his desire to value and protect all life. It’s his loyalty to the ideologies of the Air Nomads of which he is the last remaining bastion. It’s his strong moral code, his sense of right and wrong, his wish to make friends and to believe the best of everyone. That’s his center. That is what makes him Avatar Aang. In light of that, I think we can consider Aang, first and foremost, a Hufflepuff.

In the end, Team Avatar is made up of one Ravenclaw, one Slytherin, one Gryffindor (two after Suki joins), and two Hufflepuffs

Ironic, that the House least valued in the Harry Potter universe is the one that houses arguably the most pivotal characters of Avatar the Last Airbender: Zuko and Aang. Fitting, that even in this they parallel each other.

This is already long enough so I don’t think I’ll do Mai, Ty Lee, or Iroh. Maybe some other time.

[marrys-dream-world]

If we’re bound to be something, why not together? (chapter two)

First / Next

Read on AO3

Notes: Reminder that these are not one-shots, it’s a multichapter story! Day 2: Masks. @ladynoirjuly

Adrien thrived on masks. 

When he was young, his mother introduced to the concept of masks in theatre. She was mainly a movie actress rather than a theater one, but everyone knew it was mostly a hobby. Clever Emilie Agreste dipping her toes in various hobbies before she settles down to her true calling: being a socialite. So she took to her classical greek play the same way she took to verything else in her life, with amusement and grace.

“This is the mask mommy is going to use, Adrien.” She told, handing an elaborate mask to him.

“Why are you going to use this? We can’t see your face!” Adrien, age five, had complained.

His mother giggled. “It’s because it’s a classical play, sweetie, so we’re wearing masks just this time.”

The small-time director nearly cried when Emilie had agreed to the play. Other actresses her level wouldn’t be so willing to stoop down to such an unknown cast, but she could afford it. Literally. 

“They used it for an actor to play a lot of characters at the same time.”

“Why do they have to do that?”

She bopped him in the nose. “Because sometimes they have to, Adrien. You understand, don’t you?”

He hadn’t, at the time, but nodded along just to get the reward of her proud smile and a kiss on the top of his head. However, he understood now, learned this lesson with excruciating experience for the past few years. Through years of social events and work photoshoots, he took in clues. “Adrien, you’re talking too much.” Be quiet. “Adrien, stop fooling around”. Don’t joke, you’re not funny. “Adrien, I told you I would be coming soon, when did you get so needy?” Don’t be clingy. Be polite. Be unassuming. So Adrien Agreste™ was born.

Then he met Plagg and everything changed. 

He could become a superhero! And what did all heroes have? Personas! They were all very clever, throwings quips as sharp as wips! They were charming and very smooth, not socially awkward boys that never spoke to more than one non-work friend ever! And, in face of having an stunning partner who he wanted to kiss (not his first, of course, no bonna fide superhero would have a first kiss so late, that one peck in the sandbox with Chloé definitely counted… okay, maybe not having kissed yet was better), they were flirty. He didn’t have to be a marketable model, but being a nervous kid with one friend max was also not gonna cut. So, Chat Noir was born. 

At least being Chat Noir was fun, unlike being Adrien Agreste™. But it was still a role, a mask, and sometimes his cheeks hurt and his face felt tired from it. Sometimes he just wanted to ask his partner (brave, kind Ladybug) to hold his hand. He couldn't, of course. Her gaze already felt like it was unrevealing him each day and if he gave her a crack in his mask, he felt like she would break it with a touch. And what would he have left? A shivering mass of nerves and sadness and neediness.

Just Adrien. 

However, there were times he felt like it was fruitless to even try. Like Chat Noir was even more fragile than he thought.

“I broke down.” His lady said and seeing her slumped over, eyes avoiding his and voice weak felt wrong. He knew she could be like that, he wasn’t naive, but it didn’t stop the feeling of unnatural tugging on his chest. “I was giving back the miraculous to Rena and I couldn’t keep it in. If I did, I don’t think I could be fixed. I told Rena, Alya, who I am. I dropped the transformation and now she knows.”

She sobs and his heart shatters.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, my lady, no.” He said, hugging her. She melted into his arms, now full on crying. “It’s okay, we’re going to figure it out.”

“It’s not okay, I-I gave away my identity and now Shadow Moth has a bigger chance to know.” Ladybug said after she calmed her sobs, arms tightening around him. “I’m trying to find a way to keep him from akumatizing people and I can’t, Chat Noir, I’m stuck and I don’t know what to do.”

“We’re going to figure it out, bug.” He simply repeated, drawing random patterns on her back.

Ladybug extricated herself from his arms. 

“Why are you acting like this? Do something! Be mad!” She shouted.

“Why would I be mad? You didn’t do anything wrong.” He barely held back a wince at her shouting. She’s not father, it’s fine. As he regulated his heart rate, he also tried to keep his voice gentle. “Is it bad that someone knows? Yes! But you were hurting, Ladybug. It’s not your fault or mine or Alya’s or even Master Fu’s, it’s Shadow Moth’s! So I can’t be mad at anyone but him.”

Ladybug’s wide-eyed gaze was fixated on him, unblinking. 

“I… Thanks, Chaton.” She said, stepping into his personal space once again. She was warm and smelled like sugar and vanilla and her touch, even through the suit, gave him tingles. “I suppose you… want to know my identity now?”

“Nah, my lady, don’t worry about it.” He said, face half buried in her hair. “Don’t want to do this until we’re ready.”

“But you always wanted to know.”

“Yeah, but a lot of things happened and now it’s kinda weird to think about it.” She shifted and her cold nose tickled his neck. He liked it. “I’m… not always like this, you know?”

For a moment he thought she didn’t get it, but soon her small voice reached his ears.

“I know.” Ladybug said. “I’m not always like this, either.”

But it wasn’t the same, he knew. Ladybug would always be the same at her core; brave, bold, kind and so, so beautiful. She gave off her own light and he was honored to orbit around it. And that’s all he could do, orbit. After all, when he wasn’t Adrien Agreste™ or Chat Noir, what was left? Needy, awkward and unfunny Adrien. It really wasn’t the same and the idea of it coming into light made him feel like glass. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t stop talking.

“I just don’t know if you would like me if you knew me.” He confessed, words overflowing before he could catch them and stuff them back to the depths of his soul.

“I already know who you are.” She said into his shoulder. “You’re the best partner in the world. Someone I really want to get to know when we can.”

Ladybug’s words flew into his chest, filling his poor neglected heart with warmth until it grew so big it threatened to explode him. 

I love you. I love you. I love you.

“I can’t wait to get to know you too, my lady.”

“You know what we can do now, though?” She said, raising her head to look into his eyes. He could trace the constellations of her freckles this close. 

“What?” He asked, breathless.

“We can be more honest with each other, from now on.” Ladybug said. “I’ll tell you when I need your help.”

“Please do.” He said, smiling. “I’ll try to tell you when I need help too.”

“Okay.”

A beat of silence.

“Chat Noir?”

“Yes?”

“Help me with guardian duties? I don’t think I can do this alone.”

“Always, my lady. You just needed to ask.”