#agony and pain and pain and agony over halloween event

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

any thoughts on lilias parenting style?

I’ve long held the belief that Lilia is not the “best” or “perfect” parent in TWST, but I love that he’s so imperfect yet is willing to learn and grow from his failures and shortcomings. It’s really commendable how far he has come, especially considering that he used to be much gruffer and made claims like he never wants a child or he’s not suited to be a father and is repulsed by the very idea of it.

It’s sad to think about how, for the longest time, Lilia believed he was incapable of loving others—both receiving love and giving it in a parental capacity. He says as much to Meleanor before what could be her last stand. Bro has so much love to give 😭 and it’s so fascinating to see book 7 focus on that love between parent and child, blood be damned.

Of course Silver is the quintessential child we all think of whenever Lilia’s parenting is brought up. Silver says it must have been tough for Lilia to raise him as a single parent and with limited knowledge of human children—but Lilia still did it, and out of the kindness of his heart, for an infant who was essentially a complete stranger. However, as far back as the human-fae conflict of Briar Country, Lilia was literally throwing his life and reputation on the line for his “children”. He protected Malleus’s egg with his own body. He provided the magic that would shave off several hundred years from his lifespan to ensure that his prince hatched. He allowed himself to be chased out of the capital city but still made the time to be there for Malleus, as well as shielded Silver from the ugly truth. In modern day, we also see Lilia him imparting sage wisdom onto his boys and making efforts to help them with their own downfalls: advising Malleus on the differences between fae and humans, asking the other first years to watch over Sebek, inviting Malleus to events, reminding Sebek to be kind to his human peers, etc. Above all else, Lilia promotes understanding, and wishes for a world where all the races can live together. He leaves Silver with the same sentiments, and in him, Lilia’s legacy of love can live on.

As I said briefly mentioned before, Lilia isn’t perfect. He’s putting his own life in danger and taking the emotional brunt of the events of the past for them. He hides the circumstances surrounding Malleus’s birth, the truth behind Silver’s origins, and many other details pertaining to the warring period. In modern day, Lilia is quick to make an exit when the dark carriage comes for him, trying to save his boys the agony of a prolonged good-bye. There are also just general parenting failures under his belt: feeding babies milk through a cup (you’re supposed to use a fitted nipple, otherwise the baby could choke), not being concerned when Silver is missing + expecting him to come back on his own, general emotional insensitivity and unawareness (him laughing when Silver realized their ear shapes are different and they’re not actually blood-related), leaving Silver unsupervised in their forest cottage while he goes off to travel, taking his pranks and mischief too far (thus causing trouble for Silver, such as Endless Halloween Night), his… cooking… etc. He does manage to mend some of those issues (like having the Zigvolts help watch Silver or letting slightly older Silver housesit with the animals), but other issues like the milk in a cup persist. Additionally, Lilia can be inconsistent with his emotional awareness, as he does not realize his Halloween mischief would worry Silver as much as it did. At the same time, Lilia is overall more in tune with his son’s feelings (he’s one of the few who can read the notoriously stoic Silver’s emotions flawlessly). However, Lilia still prioritizes keeping his childrens’ eyes away from the truth and instead is shouldering the pain for them. We find ourselves circling back around to all the sacrifices Lilia has made for Malleus, Silver, and yes, even Sebek—and I’ll bet that Lilia is willing to go the distance and do more.

I actually wonder if Lilia’s “I’ll shoulder everything for you” parenting originates in part from him overcompensating for the love he never received as a child. He was an orphan taken in as a ward for his country, shunned by the Briar Valley senators for being some filthy bat with no proper lineage to speak of. He didn’t get the girl he crushed on and instead lost her and his best friend (still MIA) to the war. He was banished from the capital and loathed for his mere existence. He had things thrown at him and was chased out of cities. Lilia has experienced so much hatred and vitriol that I would not fault him if he turned bitter and sent that same hate and vitriol back. That would be the easy thing to do. But… he has also experienced great kindness and acceptance along his travels. Strangers inviting him into their homes. People telling him about their lives. Offerings of food and a warm bed. It is through these experiences that Lilia is shown an alternative: a world of love, not war. Then, upon seeing these children in need of guidance, he sees a younger version of himself in them—lonely (Malleus, isolated in his castle), lost (Silver, without his parents), confused (Sebek, about his half fae/half human identity). He knows what could become of them if he lets hate envelop their hearts. And Lilia doesn’t want what he suffered through to befall them, nor a future where the same vitriol is perpetuated. So… he throws himself into ensuring these boys have a guiding star, someone who champions empathy and cooperation between all races, at the cost of himself.

It’s fascinating to consider that Silver (the one who was most closely raised by Lilia) reflects his father’s teachings but also Lilia’s self-sacrificial behavior, even though Silver isn’t fully aware of what Lilia gave to raise him. Silver consciously believes that he hadn’t done enough to “pay back” his dad (similar to how Lilia may have taken Malleus under his wing to “pay back” his debt of Maleficia taking him as an orphan in and not being there for Meleanor in her final battle). To compensate, Silver keeps pushing himself to do things like suppress his own sadness at Lilia’s farewell party, taking physical blows for Lilia, and even believing that he isn’t worthy of Lilia’s love. I guess the sayings “like father, like son” and “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” are applicable here.

Anyway! Lilia as a father (whether literally or figuratively) will never not be interesting to me.

[phantomyre]

Vincent could prove to be a problem for Sephiroth this time around... regarding Cloud.

I'll preface this by saying all of the main characters in the party will have a part in creating the fibers that make up Cloud. Granted, we have characters such as Tifa who help piece his mind together, and Aerith whose death he felt personally responsible for. However, with the coming of Rebirth and the focus on building strong relationships amongst the team, I think it's safe to say every character will play a part in influencing Cloud's being. The friendship bond will be the strength that keeps Cloud whole as an individual--- and it is that strength that Sephiroth seeks to wield as his own. As such, Sephiroth will likely destroy that bond, come end of Rebirth or part 3. It is on this premise that I will focus on Vincent-- the one character who was not only reluctant to fight Sephiroth, but is also a reflection of Cloud. Both are one and the same, and yet very opposite.

Exploring Vincent's Mindset

Due to his past, Vincent purposefully disassociates himself from others-- particularly those he cares about. In OG, when Cloud asks the group to think of why they are choosing to fight, he is the most shocked when he sees Vincent return to the Highwind, saying he thought Vincent didn't care. In the novella On the Way to a Smile, Vincent immediately leaves Cloud and co after defeating Sephiroth, ignoring Yuffie's disappointment about him abandoning his friends. By the time of Dirge of Cerberus, Cait calls Vincent out on his bluff for saying he didn't want to take part in helping his friends in their efforts. Yet in every instance where he turned a cold shoulder, he could never fully resist his nature to address someone's earnest plight.

After opening his heart to Lucrecia and allowing his emotions to take control of his actions, it cost him his humanity, his lover, his life, and everything he once treasured. This phobia of imparting grief to a loved one is not unlike Cloud's fear, as is depicted in Advent Children. In essence, this element of Vincent's will/mindset can also be seen in the way he functions during his Limit Breaks, particularly when an enemy attempts to inflict statuses on him.

During Vincent's uncontrollable Limit Breaks, Vincent actually becomes immune to both Berserk and Confusion statuses-- regardless of what form he takes. Even while his mind and body are lost to the whims of the beast via rage and pain, befitting a true berserk state, Vincent is incapable of mistaking friend or foe. This in turn allows him to never act impulsively, unlike Cloud. Perhaps this is also why Marlene found refuge with Vincent, even though she presumably had never met him before. Amidst his agony, Vincent has learned to master his pain and use it to protect others.

Exploring Sephiroth and Cloud's Mindset

It is well-known that Cloud has been through hell. Everything from losing his family, his home, his best friend, and even his identity. Cloud easily falls into despair, thus making him an easy target of manipulation. Sephiroth is aware of Cloud's desire to become strong, and uses Cloud's pain as a motivator every step of the way. Both Cloud and Sephiroth desire to grow stronger, and throughout the various compilations, Cloud indeed gets stronger. But what of Sephiroth? Initially, it looked as though he only enjoyed tormenting Cloud just to make Cloud suffer. But since then, we've had a peak at Sephiroth's backstory entailed based on Ever Crisis' latest event (Pumpkin Harvest).

In the Halloween event, there is an interesting bit of lore that gives us some insight into Sephiroth's past with Hojo. Once Sephiroth enters the Shinra Manor and begins looking over the library, a flashback is triggered, and he is thrown into a whirl of pain. We learn that Hojo tortures Sephiroth in order to draw out Sephiroth's power.

Thus, it is implied that Sephiroth experienced 'kindness/love' in the form of suffering, believing that through pain, he can accomplish his greatest potential. And it is through this indoctrination of twisted psychology that Sephiroth also seeks to impart this 'kindness' to the one he deems worthy of his attention, aka Cloud. It wouldn't be far fetched to say Sephiroth may in actually believe he is doing Cloud a favor. But what does this all have to do with Vincent...?

Vincent's influence could thwart Sephiroth's control over Cloud

Consider the psychology of pain between Sephiroth and Vincent. One uses pain as a motivator to protect, while the other weaponizes it for his own gain, and perhaps as a contorted form of kindness. Vincent bemoans the loss of his humanity and his inability to feel. Sephiroth has not only been robbed of basic human experiences, but has also willfully discarded human emotions into the Lifestream (Lifestream Black Chapters from On the Way to a Smile). While both were tormented against their will, both chose to approach their afflictions contrary to one another. Both seek to protect and preserve Cloud, yet with very conflicting methods and reasons.

From OG onward, Cloud develops a connection with each of the characters. And in the case of Vincent, both seem to share a unique bond that is almost akin to a brotherly relationship (think alike, act alike, share the same pain, mutual respect, etc). Even so far as being the only two who visit Aerith's watery grave on a regular basis in Advent Children (Vincent says "I come here often"). But it isn't simply due to their past hardships or their travels together. Cloud lacks something that Vincent has an aptitude for--- the ability to harness pain and use it to protect others; the opposite of what Sephiroth is trying to instill within Cloud. Vincent, who is the harbinger of Chaos-- death and destruction, willfully chooses to instead become the protector. Cloud, easily mislead and vulnerable to Sephiroth's control, is being primed to become death and destruction himself. Should Vincent and Cloud's bond strengthen, and Cloud learns to harness his pain for the better, Sephiroth's grip on Cloud would be threatened. Vincent represents how perpetuated abuse can be used and controlled in order to help/protect others, while Sephiroth is the embodiment of that vicious cycle of pain being imparted to others for a selfish gain. With the theme of Rebirth and how strong relationships are key to the strength of the team, this inevitably sets the stage for those bonds to be torn apart either later in Rebirth or part 3. Cloud's strength being derived from his friends threatens Sephiroth's very existence. Every thread of connection is destined to be torn apart; only to be securely fastened to Sephiroth, and Sephiroth alone. And if there's one thing that Sephiroth fears the most, it is his bond with Cloud being severed. Therefore, Vincent (along with everyone else) will likely become a major threat to Sephiroth's existence... and that's not even including the fact that Vincent is connected to Sephiroth's past (his humanity), has knowledge of who his true mother is, and has proven he can successfully thwart Nero/Jenova/Sephiroth's escape by destroying Omega. But that is a discussion for another time.

[bonniebird]

Carlisle Cullen x Fem!Reader

Requested by Anon

Halloween 2023 event

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Request: Anonymous asked: #halloween2023 hi! can i have “(Character)! Get up please get up! Don’t die!” with Carlisle Cullen x Fem!Reader? tysm!

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You gasped as the ground seemed to rush away from your feet and you fell. The path you’d been walking on crumbled beneath you and you slid with trees, dirt and rocks that tumbled downwards for several feet.

You heard a cry and a commotion nearby and tried to move only to realise that you couldn’t. Whoever was getting closer also sounded as if they were getting further away. You felt someone holding you. The earth shook and trembled around you and you blinked several times. You were able to see all of a sudden and realised that Carlisle had found you and was wiping blood out of your eyes.

“What happened?” You gasped out. Your voice was rattled with sharp intakes of bloody breath.

“There’s been some kind of landslide further up the mountain. It’s caused the paths further down to become unstable. Several people have been injured but… I realised I was the only one who knew you were up here.” He explained quickly. You could see him checking you over and looking increasingly worried as he spoke.

“I think I’m alright. I don’t feel any pain, just a bit dizzy. I must have inhaled a lot of dust from the road.” You offered up. That made him look worse as he stopped and stared at you for a moment.

“You’ll be alright.” He said calmly. You nodded and seemed to believe him despite his worried expression. However, he tried to move you and quickly gave up. He looked around for help and realised that he had sent everyone else in the opposite direction to look for you. You must have started your walk earlier than usual. 

“It’s alright. I can get up if I’m too heavy.” You said rather deliriously. It almost made you laugh at how your voice seemed quiet and slurred. Trying to move again you felt a sharp pain through your hold body and then nothing.

"(Y/N)! Get up please get up. Don't die!" Carlisle gasped as he realised you were no longer talking. “Just open your eyes.”

You tried to do as he asked but your whole body was too heavy. You could hear someone calling for him and then a pain in your arm and shoulder that seemed to burn and make your whole body light up with agony and burning. 

“There was nothing else I could do.” He said quietly as his family gathered around him.

Tags:

@moonmaidwn1996 @gillybear17 @ravennoore14 @the-caravello-post @killing-gremlin @aegonandaemondtargaryenslut18 @lchufflepuffcorn @geekyandgay98 @savagemickey03 @kaitieskidmore1 @deanwinchestersgirl87 @the-troubled-raven

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Hey hey~ coming in with a little trick request for your Halloween event!😈

I'd like to see some vampire!Manwë x Námo with prompt number 4 or 9 (your choice🧡). Dark content is welcome, also leaving that up to you.

Thank you! Looking forward to this!💜

Ooh! I have decided to go with number four for this. I also hope that you don’t mind that I took some liberty with the themes and the timeline.

"The choice"

Pairing: Vampire! Manwë x Námo (Calamórë)

Location and time: Halls of Mandos/19th Century England

Prompt : 4 - "Why won’t you let me turn you?”

Themes: Angst | Emotional | Loss

Warnings: Vampirism | Illness (Typhoid) | Death | Blood tears | Explicit language

Wordcount: 900+ words

Summary: Námo falls grievously ill. Manwë wishes to save him.

Minors DNI | You are responsible for the media you consume

A/n: this is for the @fellowshipofthefics October challenge. Two more slots are available for requests, but prompts 4 and 6 (for Vampire! Finrod) are out. The rules and prompts for requests can be read here.

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Námo was so still, it was frightening.

He was gaunt, his warm, ivory skin now as white as chalk. He did not open his eyes. Not when his sister fussed with his pillows to make him more comfortable; not when his brother covered his face and wept; not when the physicians spoke to the family in hushed whispers. He was too weak to do anything but rest.

“It is too late,” one said.

“There is little that could be done now,” another said.

“Only a miracle could save him from the clutches of this wretched disease," a third said. “And these mere mortal hands have not been blessed by the divine. You must prepare yourselves. I am sorry.”

One by one, they left. One of the physicians helped Irmo out into a dimly lit corridor, and down the stairs to the parlor. Nienna dithered by the door. Tears continued to streak down her cheeks, but she did not sob. She had to be strong, for all their sakes. 

“You will be wanting to say your farewells, Mister Súlimo,” she said.

Manwë was startled. He had been standing by the hearth, staring into flames that fought to keep the autumn chill from drifting into the room.

“Yes.” He smoothed his jacket and straightened himself, his tone perfectly calm, perfectly neutral. His face was a mask of serenity. “My thanks.”

Nienna acknowledged him with a silent, courteous bow before leaving the room in a swirl of dark silks that rustled with each step she took.

A servant closed the door behind her. The moment the corridor outside grew silent, Manwë's mask of serene composure dropped beneath the crushing weight of unspeakable agony. He did not know how he placed one foot ahead of the other or how he even reached the wide bed. When he arrived at Námo’s side and took an all-too-cool hand into his own, he sank to his knees and sobbed, unable to rein in his pain.

One last time. Manwë prayed, though to which God, he did not know. If only I could speak with him one last time.

Námo finally stirred and opened his eyes. It is as if he received one final surge of vigor. “You...came. Even... even after we argued..."

It was soft, barely over a whisper. Námo shivered, and grew silent. Manwë lifted his eyes. They were wild with grief and filled with deep red tears. More tears left scarlet trails that stained his pale skin. 

“Not even those who hunt my kind could keep me away from you," he declared, and brushed his hand over spun silver hair. It was still soft, slipping around his fingers like silk. Manwë watched with a mournful expression. Soon, he would not be able to touch that hair. 

Námo fought to stay awake. He yearned to reach out and stroke Manwë’s cheek, to offer him some comfort. Alas, he could not. He could not even raise his arm a grain’s breadth above the bed. He only whispered, “Your tears. They… they must not…see.” 

Manwë no longer cared, but he acquiesced anyway. He took out a square piece of red silk from his pocket and dabbed his eyes, his cheeks. Crimson soon soaked into crimson, but at least no one could see even if they tried.

“Why won’t you let me turn you?” The words came out in a smothered sob. “I can save you, little raven. Why will you not let me?”

Ever since Námo fell ill and they learned the cause of it all, Manwë beseeched him to let him intervene. Let me help you, he pleaded. Let me make you into a being like me. Then no illness will claim you, and we can remain together, for good and always.

Námo had a ready reply, and every time Manwë asked, it was always the same. He wished to remain mortal. He did not yield to any other course of action besides heeding the counsel of the family physicians. Then they argued. Caught in sorrow's grip, Manwë uttered things he could never take back before he departed the manor. Only Nienna's made him put aside his confusion and despair and anger, and return. Manwë listened again, certain the answer would be the same as always.

“This… this is my choice,” Námo insisted between labored breaths. “I wish…to leave… this world… the way… I have lived it. As… as a mortal.”

Manwë wanted to argue. To rage. This should not be so, he wanted to say. It was not right. It was not fair.

Twelve months, he thinks. Many a century spent searching for my soul’s other half, and when I do find him, all that is given me is twelve fucking months.  

“Do not…be angry,” Námo pleaded. “Please.”

Manwë stops, hesitates. Heated words soon die in his throat. 

“I am sorry, little raven.” Manwë grasps his hand and brings it to his lips. It is icy now. He smothers another sob. "And forgive me, for what I said before. I offer no excuse for being so cruel."

“There is... nothing... to forgive. Perhaps,” Each breath is a battle now. And yet, Námo persists. “If… fate is… kind, we… we will meet again.”

“I will wait for you,” Manwë vows. “I love you.”

Námo closes his eyes. A strange, numbing sensation crept up his throat. He whispers three words. Three final words, and then he goes still, for good and always. Manwë leans down, and kisses him for the last time. He buries his tears and rises. The fire burns brighter now, warming the room. Manwë does not feel it. The world will never be warm for him again.

tags: @edensrose @asianbutnotjapanese

[taxonomic-monster]

Balloon Doom story

Balloon Doom

By Taxonomic Enigma

(prologue) 

It's a late Friday evening and Josh, a man in his late twenties with short brown hair and a lean build, is finishing up his shift. He has diabetes, but he doesn't let that slow him down. He's kind, helpful and always willing to go the extra mile to make things easier for everyone. As the evening wears on, he finishes his shift at the Party Place for the night. He had just finished filling up 40 large balloons of various colors with helium for a last minute birthday party order. When he was done, the many colors of the balloons swayed in the dim light and Josh turned to head out when he heard a faint rattling sound.  Josh quickly turns around but doesn't see anything out of the ordinary, the halloween masks give off an eerie ambience in the night and the hanging decorations swayed in the air conditioning, and the many colors of the balloons sway in the balloon corral. He turns back around to leave when he hears it again, a faint rattling sound, this time with a soft squeaking noise. 

When Josh turns to once again see what is making the strange noise, he is immediately met with the balloons that he had previously filled rushing towards him, the mass and size of the balloons knocking him  to the ground.  Josh struggles to free himself from the balloons but becomes ever more entangled in them as he tries to pop the balloons in an attempt to free himself. Suddenly Josh starts to feel a searing pain around his neck, arms and legs, the balloon’s strings have become lancinating whips while the balloons themselves close in from all sides, their rubbery forms bobbing and jiggling to Josh's struggles and cries. 

 As Josh writhed in agony, trying desperately to free himself from the balloons' restricting hold, he grabbed his diabetic lancet and began to frantically pop the balloons. As Josh's fingers began to fly over the balloons, trying to pop each one as quickly as possible, his mind raced trying to figure out what was happening. Were there people behind this attack, or was it just a freak coincidence?  The next morning, another coworker walks into the party store to find the chilling scene, lying on the ground and covered in lacerations was Josh, his diabetic lancet still clutched in his hand “H-help me” Josh says with a shaky voice as he reaches out a bloodied hand.

My name is Adam, and as I sit here writing this, my hands shake and tears roll down my face as I recall the traumatic events that change my life

It started innocently enough, it was the middle of summer and as the sounds of birds chirping, people laughing, and the sizzle of a grill filled my ears my closest friends Gabe, the adventurous and outgoing friend who always pushes me out of my comfort zone, was manning the grill with mouth-watering burgers. Lisa, my fiercely independent and hardworking friend, was chatting and laughing with her mischievous younger siblings Sarah and Jake. Gabe's charismatic older cousin Mark, and his girlfriend Emily, were also there, adding to the lively atmosphere.

“So Adam, I heard you had a fear of balloons” Emily said as Gabe was passing out burgers. 

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat “Yeah, I've had it ever since I was 13” I admitted before taking a bite of my burger.

 “I actually have a cousin that has a phobia of balloons because of an accident at the party place he worked at,” Lisa said as everyone sat down to eat.

Jake chimed in with a snicker “You're afraid of balloons? That's hilarious!" they said, teasing Adam.

My mind went back to that fateful day when I was 13. I was at a birthday party, and there were lots of colorful balloons everywhere. I watched in horror as one of the balloons popped, sending tiny shards of latex flying everywhere. I was hit by one of the pieces, and it left a tiny cut on my face. Since then, the mere sight of balloons made me feel anxious and scared.

“Remind me again who has a fear of peanut butter sticking to their mouth”  Gabe said raising an eyebrow

Sarah and Lisa  burst out laughing, “Oh yeah, Jake, you're afraid of that!” they exclaimed.

Now it was Jake's turn to shift nervously in his seat, his face as pink as a medium rare steak. “It's not a fear, it's just a quirk.”

Sarah and Lisa both looked at each other and rolled their eyes

 “(cough) anyways who’s hogging the burger patties, I’m hungry” Jake said as everyone else sat down at a red plaid picnic table

As the day wore on  we  ate dinner and cracked open cold beers, played games, and shared stories, enjoying each other’s company, i let my guard loosen as i have a rare moment of bliss and even played balloon tag, letting a balloon bounce off me without flinching, but little did we know that this barbeque would be one of our last times together.

 It was late that evening and we said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. As Gabe and I went to our apartment, we talked about the events of the day and what tomorrow would bring. As soon as we entered the elevator something felt off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. We got ready to hit the sack,  but as I was in my room  getting ready for bed, something caught my eye from the apartment window. I looked to see a cluster of balloons tied to a post just outside the apartment, their many colors and swollen forms gleaming menacingly in the light of the street lamp.  my pulse quickened and I shuddered as I tried to shrug it off and go to sleep.

I woke up in my room to see it filled with balloons. I started to feel a sense of unease as I walked cautiously through them, feeling the rubbery texture against my skin. As I tried to make my way out of the room, I realized the balloons were closing in on me. They were suffocating me, wrapping tightly around my arms, chest, and neck. I could barely breathe, and every attempt to move made me feel like I was moving at a snail's pace then the balloons lunged at me, covering my face in their rubbery embrace. I tried to scream but only muffled cries came out.

 Then, a hand reached out and grabbed me. "Wake up!" a voice shouted. I opened my eyes and found myself staring at my friend gabe, who had heard the commotion. "You were screaming in your sleep," he exclaimed. "I tried to wake you up, but you kept flailing around, everything okay?"

I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath. It was the same nightmare that had haunted me since I was a child. It was the reason why I dreaded birthday parties and avoided the circus."I had a nightmare," I explained.

"What kind of nightmare?" He asked curiously.

I hesitated, wondering if I should even tell him. But the words poured out of me before I could stop them. "I was trapped in a room with thousands of balloons, and they kept multiplying until they filled the whole room. Then, they started suffocating me."

Lisa soon joined us, having heard the commotion. "What happened?" she asked, her face etched with concern.

“Adam had a nightmare,” game said in a calm voice.

It’s from your phobia isn't it?” Lisa asked in a concerned voice

I nodded feeling a bit embarrassed, Gabe’s eyes widened with disbelief. "That's creepy," he shuddered, "I hate balloons. They're so unpredictable."

"Me too, but I've never had a nightmare like that before," I admitted, still feeling shaken.

We went back to sleep and woke up the next day trying to shake the remnants of my dream off.  I couldn't help but I could feel a sense of unease. Even though I tried to push it to the back of my mind, I kept thinking about the balloons that seemed to be everywhere we went. From the mall where we picked out gifts for Sarah and Jake's upcoming birthdays, to the rooftop bar where we had drinks and watched the sunset, their buoyant shapes danced in the distance, there was always a balloon or two in sight. Then one day, Gabe, Lisa, and I went for a walk in the park, talking about the events of the  other night.

“It's weird, it's like I could tell they had a sinister intent,” I said , perplexed.

"sinister intent? ok now you're starting to freak me out " Gabe said nervously

I couldn't blame him, it was starting to feel like we were being watched. It was like the balloons were following us, but that was ridiculous, right?

"I know it sounds crazy," I said, my own nerves starting to get the best of me. "But every time we turn a corner, there's another balloon. And they're not just regular balloons, they're all black."

Lisa looked at me with concern etched on her face. "Do you think it's some sort of sign?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "But it's starting to feel like we're being targeted. What if someone is trying to send us a message?"

Gabe scoffed slightly. "Come on, man. It's just balloons. You're letting your phobia get the best of you."

But Lisa was quick to defend me. "It's not just about his phobia, Gabe. Adam has a point. It's not just a coincidence that we keep seeing these balloons, what if someone is trying to send us a message?"

Gabe rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys. It's just balloons. We're not talking about some horror movie villain here." 

But Lisa wouldn't be deterred. "Adam's fear of balloons may be irrational, but it's still real. And if something is making him feel like the balloons are out to get him, we should take it seriously."

We continued to walk in silence for a few moments, the only sounds coming from the rustling of leaves beneath our feet. I could sense that we were all feeling the tension, and I knew that I wasn't the only one with the nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.

What we did not know is that my nightmare was about to become a reality and the next thing I knew everything went black. I wake up to the feeling of something light tickling my face and the rumbling of a truck, as I lift my hand up to brush whatever it is away I hear a chorus of rubbery squeaks and feel the unmistakable sensation of latex and rubber on my skin. My vision comes into focus and to my horror i see the seemingly endless number of balloons that now surround me, all of them are different colors and sizes . panicked, i started pushing the balloons away from me only for them to be shuffled around in response, suddenly one of the balloons popped and i cried out in agony and fear as  pain shot up my arm where the balloon popped. 

"A-Adam?!" a concerned voice called out, I'm relieved to know that it’s Gabe,

 "Gabe, where are you?" i ask, my voice trembling  from the shock as i try to calm down

“Over here man,” Gabe said. I looked around to where I heard Gabe’s voice but all I could see were balloons, then I saw a hand poke out from the balloons and push them aside.

As i see gabes face, his expression immediately changes from flustered to worried as i start to hyperventilate from being surrounded by balloons

“It’s ok bud, just breathe” Gabe says as he helps me up and looks around, “where are we?”

 "i don't know, i remember walking with you in the park when all of a sudden i hear a loud bang and the next thing i know i wake up surrounded by these  damn balloons" i say 

Suddenly the feeling of moving stopped and the floor we were on tilted upwards and Gabe and I slid along with it. Soon we were dropped into a large, dimly lit room filled with even more large balloons. I slammed onto a  large clear balloon as i fell to the ground, knocking the air out of me and a moment later Gabe landed beside me, jerking to one side as he hit a balloon only to land on another one that pops with a deafening bang as he cried out in agony, i panicked as he disappeared under the large balloons.

“Gabe!” I cried, rushing to comfort my friend and help him out from under the balloons as he struggled to get up.

“I'm ok, where the hell are we?” Gabe said as he rubbed his sore arm

“Beats me,” I said, as we looked at our surroundings

As we got a hold of our surroundings  we see an endless field of large balloons ranging from red, blue, yellow, green, to some being transparent and having stars, polkadots, and stripes, rubbing against each other in a chorus of rubbery squeaks that made my heart beat so fast it was threatening to burst out.  As Gabe and I stood  there, equally confused, we heard sobbing and someone calling out “help, someone please help me!” It was Sarah and she sounded panicked, Gabe and I exchanged worried looks as we ran towards her voice as fast as we could. “Hold on, we're coming” I said as we stumbled through the balloons, the overwhelming fear that I felt  as we did so was as clear as day we saw Sarah lying in the fetal position, she had balloons tied to her arms, legs, and neck and Sarah was struggling to break free.

"It's okay, Sarah, we're here now," I said calmly, as Gabe began to pop the balloons and untie her. "Just take deep breaths, everything's going to be alright

Afterwards Sarah told Gabe and I about how she, Jake, and Lisa went through the same thing as Gabe and I had. They went out for lunch and when they left, there was a loud bang and everything went black . 

We took a further look at our situation, that's when we heard something that made our heart stop.  A bloodcurdling scream followed by a sickening pop and a thud as we hear someone falling to the ground in a rattle of balloons. When we rushed towards the sound, I could see Lisa lying on the ground covered in lacerations and breathing shallowly, tied with balloons in the same way Sarah had been. “Lisa!” Gabe shouted as we ruched towards our friend,

 “I don’t want to die like this” Lisa sobbed, yet as her life drained away all of us were dreading the inevitable as Gabe sarah and I tried to comfort Lisa in her last moments, with her last breath Lisa was gone, her innocent features forever staring into the abyss. 

As Sarah sobbed at her sister’s death Gabe and I held back our own tears as a sense of livid build up inside of us at the loss of our friend, anger fueling our determination to survive this nightmare. As we trudged and pushed through the large balloons that filled the warehouse, their colors glinting in the dim light and rubbery squeaks seemed to mock us, a constant reminder of Lisa’ death.

 As we continued further into what now seems like a large abandoned warehouse we found Mark who had managed to fashion some weapons out of a backup set of keys he kept in his back pocket and with a new sense of courage we popped as many balloons as we could as the warehouse filled with the rubbery sounds and deafening pops of the balloons. After an hour of fighting off the balloons, they retreated, leaving behind a pile of shredded rubber, bloodied and bruised, we made our way through the warehouse once more. 

Soon, we ran into Emily and Jake at which point, Emily's face lit up as she recognized us, and she ran into Mark's arms. Sarah and I hung back, trying to steel ourselves for the terrible news we had to deliver. Finally, we approached Jake, his face twisted in anticipation.

“I'm sorry for making fun of your phobia, now i know why you hate balloons”

 Sarah's voice was barely a whisper as she spoke the words we had all been dreading. "Jake," she said, "we have to tell you something. It's about Lisa." 

Instantly, Jake's face changed. Anguish and fear flickered across his features as he struggled to process what we were telling him. Tragedy struck again though as Emily  and Mark were mercilessly ripped from each other as a single large balloon plunges its razor string into Mark’s chest in a horrifying scene, through the shock he looks down at the gruesome wound.

“E-Emily” Mark weakly says as he crumples to the ground as Emily cries “Mark, NO!” A thud is  heard as Mark falls to the ground, bouncing off of the balloon attached to the stiff razor string that now impales his chest. Emily runs to Mark’s side as his breathing grows shallower and his voice barely a whisper, blood trickling from his mouth. Mark coughs as he whispers “I-I don’t think I’m going to make it” 

“Mark don’t say that” Emily pleads as she tries to staunch the bleeding on Mark's wound “we’re going to get out of here” Mark places a trembling hand on Emily's cheek, their eyes locked in a heart-wrenching moment. Despite the pain, he manages a faint smile. As Mark gasps in agony, he whispers,“tell my family I-” His voice trails off, his body growing limp in Emily's embrace as his life slips away.

Emily sobs as she cries out “Mark? MARK!”  “Mark, wake up dammit!” “I can't do this without you”. Emily feels a devastating emptiness in her chest, as if her heart has been ripped out along with Mark’s as the balloons draw ever closer, the eerie sinister rubber forms squeak and rustle as they tumble over each other, closing in on Emily

“We have to go!” I say as I grab Emily’s arm, I spot a hole in the wall and we make a run for it, however our escape is cut short as a balloon stabs its razor string through Emily’s leg, she cries out in pain as she collapses to the ground.  The four of us  just managed to reach the door when a cascade of large balloons started falling down, their unexpected dense weight making it impossible for us to escape. “ Go! I'll hold them off, '' Jake told Sarah as he struggled to hold back the killer balloons. Sarah looked back and saw Jake struggling “I’ll be right behind you”. 

We all made a break for it as Jake started bursting balloons, each one disappeared in a sickening pop. Eventually  we heard his agonized cries fill the air as the balloons descended on him. As we ran for the exit we could  hear  the balloons right behind us rattling as they cascaded down toward us. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as we sprinted towards freedom, our escape just within reach. But then, suddenly, everything went dark. The last thing I heard were the screams of my friends. When I awoke, it was to the chime of hospital machinery and the sight of my friends in hospital beads, a nurse came in and I asked “are they going to be ok?”

The nurse said they will recover with some rest and explained that we had been found outside a field near the national park, unconscious and battered. We were lucky to have been discovered when we were; any longer and we might not have survived.

Days passed in the hospital and we were visited by the police who asked us what had happened. We hesitated at first, not knowing if we should reveal the truth about what happened that day for fear of being ridiculed. But eventually, we told them the whole story. At first, the police looked at us skeptically, but as we spoke, their expressions softened. They could see the fear and trauma in our eyes, and they knew we were telling the truth.

I write this as a warning that even the most innocent and harmless things could turn into our worst nightmares and I guess as a form of closure and tribute to Lisa, Mark, and Jake, who lost their lives to those killer balloons.

(Epilogue) 

As Gabe and I sit at the park, I think back to the horrors that we faced in that abandoned warehouse that I so vividly remember. Gabe's hand on my shoulder snaps me back to the present moment and i look up at him with a pained expression, "i can't believe they're gone, it should have been me" i say, my voice shaking with emotion tears rolling down my face “I know, but they wouldn't want us to give up like this” gabe says as he gently tightens his grip on my shoulder and i look up at him with a sad but determined look, a half hour passes as we sit on the bench for a while  and as we get up, we head towards the hospital to see  Lisa's cousin Josh and get some answers. As we enter the hospital room, we see Sarah sitting by Josh's side as he lays in a hospital bed, his face bruised and bandaged from the attack of the killer balloons. Sarah looks up at us with red and puffy eyes, and we exchange a somber greeting before pulling up chairs beside her. 

For a moment, we sit in silence, unsure of how to begin. Finally, I speak up, my voice cracking with emotion.

"How is he doing?" I ask Sarah, trying to keep my voice steady.

Sarah shakes her head, tears streaming down her face. "He's in a lot of pain, but the doctors say he's going to make it. He's lucky to be alive."

The words hit me hard, and my mind races back to the moment when I thought I was going to die. I can't even imagine what Josh must have gone through, trapped and wounded by those deadly balloons.

As we sit by Josh's side, we share stories about Lisa, Mark, and Jake, remembering the moments we shared with them before everything went wrong. Gabe shares a story about the time Mark convinced him to jump off a cliff into a river, and we all laugh through our tears. As the moments ticked by, we sat in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. It was Sarah who finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you remember that time we went to the beach?" she asked, her eyes still brimming with tears.

I nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth despite the heaviness in my heart. "Yeah, Lisa drew that amazing sandcastle. I still can't believe she did that all by hand."

Sarah gave a small laugh, wiping the tears from her face. "And do you remember when Jake stole Gabe's phone and buried it in the sand, and we had to dig it out?"

Gabe chuckled, a spark of life returning to his eyes. "Yeah, little punk thought it was hilarious."

For a moment, it felt like the weight of our loss was lifting, replaced by the warmth of memories shared. It wasn't enough to make up for all that we had lost, but it was a start. Then we heard Josh stir, as we looked over, I could see that he's in a lot of pain. I reach out to take his hand, and he grips it tightly, his eyes closing in a grimace. "Hey, buddy," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "How are you feeling?"

Josh takes a deep breath, and for a moment, I can see the fear in his eyes. I know how he feels, trapped and vulnerable, and I don't want to make things worse for him. Gabe leans in, his voice low. "It's okay, man. You're safe now."

Josh nods, his grip on my hand relaxing a little. "Thanks," he whispers, his voice hoarse. "I don't know what happened. It was like they came alive, i tried to tell my other coworkers but they all thought i was crazy"

Josh says with a puzzled look "then i start seeing strange creatures, each one begging for help�� with faces of rage sorrow and fear"

I exchange a worried look with Gabe. It seems like Josh's experience with the balloons was more than just a physical attack. It sounds like he experienced something...otherworldly. As we learn more about Josh's experience with the balloons, a chill runs down my spine. His description of seeing strange creatures begs the question: was this just a freak accident, or is there something more sinister at play? I can't help but think back to my own traumatic experience with balloons that left me with a phobia, wondering if there's some sort of connection.

[runningw-thewolves]

A Horrific Game: Saw and Fenrir

As we come towards spooky season, the air around us becomes colder as the nights get darker. More and more, we feel the pull to the darkness. I especially find myself anticipating the beautiful horrors of Halloween as they approach. I especially find myself anticipating a special event me and a friend have planned, where I will get to watch the movie Saw. (NOTE: this was first written last year. The night with my friend was incredible.)

I have found myself pondering the philosophy of the movies. The bizarre psychology behind each game. What is being communicated. And I must admit I've found myself my fair share of favourite traps. But there was one trap that stood out when I was watching clips online. One that feels close to home as a follower of Fenrir.

"Break the bonds that bind."

For anyone worried; I will not be showing any footage from the movie. However, I will be explaining how the trap works. If you are comfortable reading on, continue to "Keep reading". If not, you are welcome to leave. I completely understand.

In Saw 4, we are introduced to Officer Daniel Riggs, who finds himself the latest player of Jigsaw's games. Jigsaw challenges Riggs to not save everyone he comes across through various challenges that take him all around the city. One of the traps he comes across is set in a school classroom, tagged "Save as I save". Inside, Daniel finds the corpse of a middle aged man, strapped to a metal pole in the centre of the room. On the other side is a delirious, hysterical woman around the same age. The woman and man Riggs recognises as a couple he encountered once, later suspecting the man of abusing his wife. Their names are Rex and Morgan.

We come to find out that Morgan and Rex were essentially made into a pincushion, with thin metal poles "nail gunned" into their bodies. Morgan only had major flesh wounds, where as Rex's major arteries were all pierced. Morgan was told that to survive, she had to pull out the poles, which would spare her but kill her abusive husband. Surrounded by the evidence of the abuse Rex had forced on her and their daughter, Morgan spared no time to remove the poles. She screamed in brutal agony, knowing that just behind her back her husband was being pierced to death.

The thing about the Saw movies is there is a philosophy, a meaning, a story and lesson behind each game. This trap is one that I understand perfectly. Being trapped in a situation where you are being bled out, hurt by someone, abused, manipulated, bullied, so on. Someone you care about. The trap is the extreme of a lesson many Fenrir followers have said Fenrir teaches, one I can attest to. Removing the chains that hold you back. Especially of someone who has hurt you.

We all know the story. Fenrir was bound by the Gods, betrayed by Tyr. I doubt I need to recount it for those in the know. Upon watching the scene, I found many parallels to the horrific situation Fenrir found himself stuck in. Bound by people he cared about, realising the only one who could save him was himself. Something he teaches to many of us who find ourselves in similar situations. What stood out to me in the scene was it didn't shy away from how brutally painful the experience of cutting someone off can be. It's not as easy as closing the door and walking away. It's grabbing hold of a pole, pulling it out slowly as brutal agony shoots through your system, blinding you with tears and pain. Yet, you know it's what you need to do. Even if it comes at the cost of someone else.

I was raised to be a massive people pleaser. If someone was upset with me, I was conditioned to bend over backwards and fuck myself over just to make them happy again. Recently, I've come to realise that the only person who wins in that situation is no one. Especially me. Poles stuck through my body, leaving them in just so someone doesn't get angry with me. What I've slowly began to understand is this; someone being angry with you isn't always a statement on your character.

People are gonna find any reason to hate you, reasonable or not. Some will hate you for enjoying the same things as them, some will hate you for existing, some will hate you for no reason at all. You can't make everyone happy. Trying to only adds more chains to yourself, more poles in your body. And the last thing Fenrir would want to see any of his followers do is willingly allow more chains to be placed upon them.

If there’s anything to take away from this, I’d say it’s that the process of removing chains is one of the most difficult challenges we will face. Our chains are like the various traps of Saw, where they reflect the horrors we’ve gone through or the pain we inflict upon ourselves. Amanda had a mental breakdown and cried after she took off the reverse bear trap, which John put on her to act as her drug addiction. Lawrence had a mental breakdown when he heard Diana screaming over the phone, that’s what finally got him to do something. Morgan cried and was beside herself when Daniel arrived, knowing what happened and not wanting to be alone. If there’s one part about Saw’s philosophy I agree with, it’s that sometimes we need to fall to become better.

Does that mean abuse and oppression should be tolerated? HAH. Fuck no. Life is difficult enough as is. But no one learned to walk straight away. We learned from our failures, our mistakes, and our pain. It can be done, with enough effort and determination. Something I strongly suspect Fenrir knows exists in the bowels of every living being.

[glapplebloom]

It hurts...

Have you ever heard of Zero Punctuation? I’m pretty sure you have but if you haven’t it is a Video Game Review series hosted by Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw. What you may not know is that he also made some games of his own. Four of these games are part of a Quadrality known as the Chzo Mythos. These games are 5 Days a Stranger, 7 Days a Skeptic, Trilby's Notes, and 6 Days a Sacrifice. 5 Days introduce us to the series. 7 Days takes place FAR into the future, but it is Trilby’s Notes that really brings in the main Antagonist of the series: Cabadath.

Also known as the Arrogant Man, Cabadath’s story takes place in 55 BCE (Before Common Era). He was once an ordinary druid who sought power to defeat the Roman General Suetonius Paulinus and his forces. So on the day where the Realms of Magick and Technology barriers were weakened, he sought to summon a demon called Chzo and capture him for his power. But Chzo was bigger than the Arrogant Man expected. So to punish this fool, Chzo took him into the realm of Magick to punish him. 

This led to Chzo imprisoning the arrogant fool’s soul into an oak sapling where his home once stood. So for over 500 years he was trapped, being tortured for all that time to the point that he was no longer the Arrogant Man he once was. He has become the Prince, the ultimate servant of Chzo in the Realm of Technology. And when a poor Lumberjack cut down the tree, The Prince known as Cabadath was born. And his mission is to ensure that everyone knows the name of the King. And for many years, he has served his Pain God well.

In 1501, the Norseman Woodcutter became the first victim of Cabadath. His son was spared so that he could spread the story to others. And wherever that wood goes, so does horror and someone to tell the tale. When it was used to build an Inn, it killed anyone who was foolish enough to stay in. When that wood was made into a harpsichord, Cabadath made the person who bought it kill his lover and would have killed him if he didn’t promise to spread the name of Chzo. And that person would create a cult known as the Order of the Blessed Agonies. And when that wood was turned into a crate, a young kid turned it into an idol originally to represent good fortune. And it resulted in the death of everyone on board.

That Idol would eventually become something important as it was the catalyst to the events of 5 Days a Stranger. For when Sir Roderick DeFoe bought it, he used it to beat his deformed son to near death. This in turn split the poor child into three forms: the Mind, the Body and the Soul. By destroying the three at precise time, he would become the Bridge for Chzo to enter into the World of Technology. And Cabadath thought that was the original intention of his master. 

Sometime before 6 Days a Sacrifice, Cabadath found out the true intentions for Chzo’s Bridge, to replace him with the New Prince. So his goal is to destroy the Mind of the poor DeFoe Child before the bridge could be opened. But by doing so, he actually gave the New Prince the Blessing of the Three Sacred Agonies and giving him everything he needed to become the New Prince: Cabadath’s Power, the Sacred Agonies, and a clone of a particular person to torment until the Body of DeFoe is destroyed in the far future. And with that Cabadath became the Arrogant Man once more and was killed off by the New Prince. And he knew the Name of the King. 

It is such a fascinating story. And you can see how this inspired a particular creepy pasta known as Slenderman. With his ability to teleport and seemingly kill with inhuman strength, he could be a match for any ghoul. So if you ever need an idea for a Halloween Vs fight, might I recommend the Tall Man, the Arrogant Man, the Former Prince, Cabadath... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... 

[traumxrei-archive]

crying over my phone screen bc literally all the games i play decided that the start of july is a good time to dump ALL these events on me.... (i'm just in Pain and Agony below the cut lmao)

OBVIOUSLY we've already started phantom bride/ghost marriage in twst,,,i haven't played the story at all bc i've been so busy w/ family so the best i can do is let the lessons run their course and collect bouquets :')))) determined to at least get 1k rings so that i can clear out the spell books, keys, n ssr potion (not to mention suitor idia coming in the second half...i am thinking abt halloween jade and my conclusion is that i'll have a whole pity for him i think...but that means i don't have enough for floyd's birthday ssr rippp the things we do for jade's hween ssr !!!!)

then we have engstars with the date plan a to z event, even if i'm not getting the kaoru card (i'm sorry kaoru *cries*) i STILL want the rewards that come with this event,,,,give me all the dia n gems n FREE CARDS— i'm going to grab natsume's 4* card IMMEDIATELY i want him in my grasp so i can squeeze the magic boy !!! (unrelated but hey god, it's me again, can i pls have sora's 4* card perhaps maybe ? i just want to have my baby's cardddd)

then jpstars,,,,,just finished a tour event,,,,,I GOT TOUR ARASHI !!! i'm vvv proud of myself bc i ended up with 80/90 stars which is amazing considering i was doing the missions in a rush sjdfkjsf i also got the koga n ritsu cards so i'm very very happy hehehehe (god pls do not make the next event an eden/switch one bc i will cry tears of pain and agony)

LASTLY. tears of themis T^T their anniversary event T^T I AM SO BROKE RN.... i barely have over a 10-pull left bc of marius' birthday ssr (look at all the sacrifices i make for you marius >:((( ) n i almost forgot the event started too jsdkfjskf I'M DETERMINED TO GET EITHER MARIUS OR VYN'S ANNIV CARD...IDK WHICH ONE YET THO..... (also we do not talk abt vyn's birthday in september haha-)

all in all. why the heck are all my gacha games putting out events i am just one (1) person why would you do this to me T^T sjdkfjkf

[chamomileharry]

here’s a couple of religious themes, enjoy! 

✝ I am a sinner, you are a saint (1.6k) // by Beau_soleil

"You- your kind can't get up here- how are you-"

Louis looked up at the quivering angel, running a hand through his soft curls.

"It wasn't that difficult, although Raphael did put up quite the fight."

***

When the son of satan goes on a spontaneous trip to heaven, he most definitely doesn't expect it to end with him taking a sweet virgin angel to bed.

✝ My Sanctuary, you’re holy to me (2.2k) // by hedgefroglarents

Louis isn't religious, but when the beautiful boy who just might be an angel asks you to meet him in the basement of the old stone church on the corner, you go. Water damage and weak hot chocolate turn a random series of events into something special.

✝   If you get lonely, phone me (6.1k) // by Romanticistrry

Harry shows up at Zayn's Halloween party in a pretty little angel costume, and Louis has no self control.

Or- Harry's in high school, Louis is in UNI. When Harry, Niall and a few of their friends are invited to a UNI Halloween party by Niall's step-brother, Zayn, Harry would never of thought he'd end the night in Zayn's room mates bed with his costume discarded on the floor and his legs spread opened, not-so-angelically.

✝ It’s a Beautiful Sound, It’s a Beautiful Noise (7.5k) // by orphan_account

He feels Louis’ fangs piercing the pale skin of his neck without warning, pain shooting down the upper half of his body. He feels a sucking sensation at the spot, like a drink being sucked from a straw. He feels the vampire’s lips suckling the surrounding area, drawing out every last drop of blood like Harry is the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted.

or, harry loses his halo, and he really needs to get it back

✝ After my blood is drowned in alcohol (16.7k) // by infinitylxrry and siriusblacks

Where Harry is an angel who gives people the ability to fall in love despite not being able to own what he gives, and Louis is a lonely human desperate for someone to hold at night.

(Or;

Harry is a (literal) angel who can make people fall in love, and after some persuasion, Louis gets the ability to love but he ends up falling for the angel who can’t love him back.)

✝ Sodom and Gomorrah (15k) // by coffinofachimera (demon louis)

When Harry was born he was given a guardian angel who protected him from the devil's will and guided him on his path to God. Until one day they disappeared, leaving Harry to grow alone as a man belittled in the name of his faith.

On the day before his wedding, his angel returns.

✝ you and all of heaven’s other wonders (25k) // by devilinmybrain

"Louis Tomlinson." He starts, the deep voice dipping just a little in the seriousness of his tone. "As a child of the Most Holy, Heaven has seen your struggle on this earth and heard your cry. My name is - " At this point, he does something complicated with his throat, a sound much like a screeching bird and bells combined together before he continues. "and I have been sent here to be your guiding light. Fear not for the Lord is with you."

"What?" Louis' accent comes out thicker in his disbelief, dropping consonants as he blinks up at the man.

"I'm your-" The man shifts his weight, hesitantly bringing his hands together in front of him. It's an endearingly nervous habit. "I'm your guardian angel."

✝ the agony and the rapture (79k) // by devilinbybrain

Louis thinks back to that first day, sitting in that pub with Harry, asking him about heaven. He hadn't thought much of it then, but maybe Harry's word choice had a heavy weight behind it. If Louis would see paradise when he got to heaven, what would Harry see? What is home like for him? It must be something else with the way Harry is always cowering around, fearful of the above.

“Do you think we’re worth it?” Louis asks, glancing over at Harry. “Humans? Worth all the drama?”

“Of course, you’re worth it.” Harry doesn’t pull his gaze away from the window, staring at the rendering of the angel again. It really is in his likeness. “I wouldn’t be here if I thought you weren’t.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” Louis’ tone goes soft, so very sincere. “Glad you were assigned to me.”

Harry/Niall

✝ Monsters Tread Where Angels Hide (8.6k) // by stupor

Where Harry is a fallen angel who loses his wings when he falls in love with a human named Niall.

please read the tags and remember to leave kudos and a nice comment for the author!  

if you have any requests, feel free to ask please! <3 

[namluve]

↳ an alpha’s touch | johnny x reader | 4.0k | oneshot | 18+ genre: smut, supernatural, werewolf, alpha/omega mates warnings: dom/sub themes, possesivness, spanking, size kink, praise kink, oral sex, a little manhandling

❝ determined to finish your studies before you would start dating, you had rejected your mate a year ago. as your heat approaches, your alpha and mate johnny wants to do everything he can to help you through the pain. will you resist him or will you give in to your alpha’s touch? ❞

note: this fanfic is for @nct-writers​ halloween event. an excuse for me to finally write a fanfic about my ult-bias. beta read by my best friend @you-better-stob​ thank you amanda ily. hope you all enjoy! 

The cold wind grabbed hold of you as you walked down the street with your two best friends sending shivers down your spine. Couldn’t you have chosen a café that was closer to campus? None of you talked on your way over, the bitter cold in October being enough for even your loudest friend Laura to keep quiet.

One foot in front of the other, you thought as you crossed your arms over your chest. Head down as you hoped to God you would reach the café soon. Longing for that hot pumpkin spiced chocolate you had been craving all day.

You were on the verge of going into heat and craving sweets, other than for someone to rail you all night of course. Knowing things would only get harder once you got into heat, you decided to hang out with your friends. Before you would spend the weekend alone in agony in your bed of course.

A sigh of relief left your lips once you opened the café door, the heat embraced you as you stepped inside. Your cheeks turned slowly to life again as you approached the barista. The bitter cold left your body with every second you spend in the shop.  

The cute barista you recognized from campus greeted you and your friends with a warm smile. You knew he was part of your pack, unsure of what position though. Your parents had been strict with school above werewolf duties. An education was more important than a mate in times like these. You had to be able to stand on your own, get a job above all else.

“How may I help you?” The barista asked and your friend Laura responded before you and Ally even had the chance to open their mouths.

“We’ll have three pumpkin spiced chocolates.” The barista placed the order, his fingers tapping fast on the cashier. Had you always had a thing for hands or was this a new thing? You couldn’t help but to stare at them, a whine almost left your lips. They looked pretty. Long, slender, could probably hold down your body really good. Probably even-

“Y/n, hello? Where do you wanna sit?” Ally asked and brought you out of your trance. Cheeks red as you turned and looked around in panic. Pointing to an empty table by the windows, you hoped no one had noticed you staring at the barista’s hands. You didn’t even dare to look back at him as you pointed towards the table.

“There- We can sit there.” You nervously ramble as you start walking towards the table. Your two friends followed you closely, laughing as you got to the table. As you all sat down, you stared at them with a face that said ‘what?’ which only made them laugh more.

“We know you are close to your heat but damn girl, do you have to be so obvious?” Laura speaks and Ally nods in agreement. Burying your face in your hands, you silently hoped your cheeks had turned back to their usual colour.

“Do you think he noticed?” You asked, you question muffled as you let your head rest in your hands.

“Yeah, well I think he knows you are in heat if I’m being honest.” Ally said and you looked up to meet their faces. Confused as to how he could know.

“Why? Is he a werewolf?” You asked and Laura answered your question.

“He is actually Johnny’s beta, Jaehyun if you didn’t know. God, your parents should at least let you attend the pack meetings.”

You groaned as you threw your head back. Jaehyun would 100% tell Johnny that you were in heat, which was the last thing you wanted. The two of you had a complicated relationship to say the least.

You were his mate and he was yours. Only problem? You had rejected him. Wanting to focus on your studies before you got into a relationship, you chose to reject your mate last year. Your heart is still weary and wounded. Your wolf cried for his every night, longing for the connection you both craved.

Why couldn’t you have been one of the people that met their mate at an older age? Every night you wished you could’ve met Johnny when you were done with college and had a job. If that were the case you would've been in his arms right now, never letting him go.

Johnny was hurt but he knew how strict your parents were. The choice hadn’t been entirely yours. He just wished he could’ve had you in his arms right now, not in two years when you get your college degree. He wanted you as his from the moment he had smelled your scent when you walked onto campus.

The two of you had talked about it, matter of fact, you kept in touch with each other through text. You weren’t seeing him so there was no harm in it, right? Except for the fact that you craved him more and more each day as you got to know him. You loved him more and more for each day.

Oh how screwed you were if Johnny found out you were about to go into heat. No way would you be able to resist him. So, you made a silent wish. Wishing Jaehyun wouldn’t tell Johnny anything. Besides, you had never seen him before. There was no way he knew who you were, right?

That night you clutched your arms tightly around your knees. Laying in your bed in agony as your heat kicked in. Sweat dripped down your body despite that the air condition was on max and you only wore a tank top and panties.

It was far worse than anything that you’d anticipated. Probably since you had found your mate already and your wolf was calling for him. You’d lost count the amount of times you’d told her to shut up. Johnny wasn’t coming, the two of you were alone in this.

Suddenly, it felt as if you could think again. A strong scent filled your nostrils with hope. It reminded you of something, of someone, but you couldn’t figure out what or who.

As it got closer, everything felt as if it got easier. You sat up on your bed, confused as you could feel your wolf being overly excited. Why was she suddenly so happy?

“Y/n?” Oh… That’s why… A soft whine left your lips as you heard Johnny call out your name from behind your apartment door. No, he couldn’t be here. Not now.

“Y/n answer me, I know you are in there. I could smell you miles away.” You didn’t miss the alpha tone in his voice that instantly brought heat down to your core. Your submissive side now at war with your rational thoughts. Craving to give in and give your alpha anything he’d ask of you.

“Yes?” You quietly asked, knowing he could hear you despite the bedroom door and apartment door blocking the soundwaves. All werewolves were blessed with supernatural hearing among many other things after all.

“You didn’t answer my texts, are you alright?” No, you wanted to say that so badly. Ask him to make you his right here and then. If only it wasn’t for the fact that your parents would immediately be able to smell it on you the next time you would see each other. A claimed mate had a special smell to ward off unmated wolves from them. Making it easier for werewolves who still searched for their mate.

“Yeah… I’m fine!” You lied, your wolf crying as you did. Every cell in your body protests as the words leave your mouth. It wasn’t in your nature to lie to your alpha and it hurt. You bit your lip as you felt a sting of pain in your stomach. You couldn’t make any noise. You couldn’t let Johnny know anything. You had to keep quiet so he would leave.

“Don’t lie to me now,” Johnny warned and you could imagine his jaw clenched as he growled, “come to the door so we can talk.”

You didn’t stand one chance against his alpha voice, your body moved on its own account. Soon enough, you stood in front of your apartment door. The only thing in between you and your mate.

“Good girl.” He praised and your wolf purred. With the last willpower you had in your body, you slid down against the door. You threw the back of your head against the door as you let out a deep breath. You could do this. You could sit here and talk with him without anything else happening. You could do it.

“Now… Why didn’t you tell me you were going into heat?” Johnny asked and you chuckled. Because if I had told you, I would’ve let you fuck me all night long. Funny story, right?

“And how come, I had to find it out from my beta because one; he could smell you. And two; you drooled while staring at his hands.”

“I didn’t drole!”

“Ah, so you admit you were staring at his hands?” Well fuck. You couldn’t exactly lie to him. Best thing to do now was to probably keep quiet. If Johnny came here jealous out of all things, there was no way you would survive the night. He wouldn’t do anything you wouldn’t want him to do, but if he kept talking like that, you might just give in.

“Is there anything I could do to help?” He asked with his voice softened. Johnny had swallowed all the jealousy he felt. He needed to be there for you right now, he could be jealous later. Right now, you were the most important thing to him.

You thought for a little while before you answered him. “It feels better just by sitting like this.”

“Do you want us to do that? I could talk you through it you know? Anything I can do to help I’ll gladly do. You know that.” You did know that. Johnny had expressed several times through text that he was willing to wait for you and that he would come running first thing if you ever needed him. Just like he had done now.

“It’ll get uncomfortable for you.” You replied and your wolf suddenly got mad at you. Probably because she thought you were going to reject him again. When in reality, you just cared so much about him. The thought of him sitting all night outside of your door broke your heart in all honesty. All because of your stupid rules.

“It’s still nothing compared to what you’re going through.” Well, he wasn’t wrong, but still, it didn’t feel right to leave him outside. You could let him help you through it. You could just let him in, stay in his arms until it was all over.

With that in mind, you mustered strength to unlock the door. Your hands shaked as you turned the lock. Johnny listened outside of the door, tried to figure out what you were suddenly up to. His question was answered quickly when he heard the door unlock and you crawled away from it.

You made your way over to the nearest wall surface by the door. Resting against it, your breathing was heavy as if you had just run a marathon. Still, Johnny didn’t open the door. He waited for your next move, not wanting to cross any boundaries.

“You can come in… if you behave.” Your voice low as you spoke, and Johnny understood right away what you meant. He carefully placed his hand on the door handle, turning it slowly as he stepped inside your apartment. Closing the door behind him before he looked down on you as you sat on the floor.

Eyes closed as you struggled to breath, your body shivering as if you were cold despite the sweat dripping down on your skin. He tried his best to keep his eyes on your face. Growling as he recalled the split second he’d let his eyes roam over your half naked body. Legs on display for him, only panties and a tank top to cover your body.

Combine it all with your sweet smell and Johnny was lost. Both he and his wolf wanted nothing more than to mate you and put you out of your misery. So, he took a step back. A deep breath left his mouth as he held himself back. You trusted him by letting him in, he wasn’t going to ruin that.

“Could we… watch a movie?” You suggested and brought Johnny back from his thoughts.

“Yeah, yeah… of course. What do you wanna watch?”

“Anything… Can you carry me to the bed? My laptop is in there?” To the bed. Johnny had to lay beside in bed, have you in his arms and not do anything. Impossible was his first thought but he had to do this, he had to do it for you.

“Yeah… Just give me a sec.” He said before he disappeared into your bedroom. The smell of you almost overwhelming as he removed the bedcovers to make space for you two. Anything to buy him some time to collect himself before he had to carry you over here. His wolf screaming at him to just claim you as his.

The pain in your stomach stopped for a little while and your wolf encouraged you to go to him. Reasonable, you thought and slowly got up from the floor. One step at a time, you made it into the bedroom. Startling Johnny in the process, he had been too caught up in his own thoughts with his wolf to notice you until you were in front of him.

“You can lay down.” You nervously muttered and Johnny nodded at your command. Laying down on the bed, he promoted one of his arms above his head. In Johnny’s defence, he thought it would be the easiest position that you could lay down on him and he could wrap his arm around you. Keep your head on his shoulder, but all you could do was let out a shaky breath.

His white t-shirt rose a little in the process, exposing a tiny bit of his lower abdomen. His black boxers and abs immediately caught your eye and you felt yourself get wet. Johnny could immediately smell your arousal. Your eyes hungry as they stared at him. Was this how you had stared at Jaehyun’s hands?

Fuck it. He had to at least teach you a lesson not to drool over any other man. Especially since you were his and his only.

“Like what you see?” He teased and your eyes met his. Cheeks flushed and with your mouth slightly opened, you couldn’t help but to nod.

“How about you let me play with you? I promise I won’t mate you. I could just make you cum and let you focus on other things.” It was tempting to say the least and Johnny promised he wouldn’t mate you. There couldn’t be any harm in that, right? The thought of cuming made you clench your pussy. You could get the best of both worlds, you just had to be careful.

“Please…” You whined as you walked over to your alpha and Johnny sat up on the bed. You felt so small as you stood in front of him. You were the same height as him right now, only he was sitting down and you were standing. His hand reached out to pull a few strands of your hair away from your face and tug them behind your ear.

“But first… I do think you need to be reminded who you belong to, don’t you think?” At Johnny’s words there were no thoughts left in your head and you only got more turned on by the second. Johnny closed his eyes for a second as he allowed his body to take in your scent.

“Think I need to leave some marks on that pretty ass of yours. Make sure everyone knows who you belong to.” At this, your breath hitched, eyes glowing with excitement. “We talked about this right? Green means all good, yellow for if it hurts and you need a break-“

“And red if I want it to stop.” You interrupted him, excitement rushing through your whole body as you remembered how the two of you discussed some of your kinks not too long ago. You had even been the one that brought it all up a lonely night when your hand hadn’t been enough to satisfy you. Johnny knew exactly what you liked and would finally be able to explore it.

“Exactly… However, you can’t interrupt me whenever you want little one. Over my knee and make sure you count.” Anticipation filled your body as you did what you were told and laid your body over Johnny’s knees, giving him the perfect view of your ass. His hand caressed it, gentle strokes that made you lean into his touch. Wanting more.

“Let’s see if you can be a good girl to your alpha.” Johnny’s voice had softened and both you and your wolf whined. Both wanting nothing more than to submit to your alpha. His hand left your butt cheek shortly after, only to deliver a slap a second later. A gasp escaped your lips as you felt the impact.

It stung a little, but it didn’t hurt too bad. The reason you had gasped was more because of the shock. The thrill of not knowing when he would spank you. “One.” You counted.

“Good girl, was it alright?” He asked, not wanting to push you too much on your first time. Only wanting to put you in your place for speaking back and ogling his beta. The hand that had made the impact stayed on your ass, rubbing it softly.

“It felt so good.” You moaned and for the first time since you had started your heat, the pain had been replaced by pleasure. Johnny hummed in approval before he spanked you again. This time your other cheek.

“T-two.” You mewled and so it went on until Johnny had delivered five spanks on each cheek. Your voice week, panties drenched as you counted for him. “Ten.”

“Good girl.” He praised and you could swear you’d never been this turned on in your life before. “Now it’s time for your reward. Lay down on your back.”

You followed Johnny’s orders, weakly getting off his lap in order to lay down on the bed. Your whole body felt weak as you awkwardly climbed onto your bed on all fours before you laid down on your back. Johnny got up from his sitting position and stood now beside your bed.

A yelp left your lips as Johnny took hold of your ankles, dragging your body closer to him. Your legs dangled off the edge of the bed as he placed himself between them. Still holding your ankles, he locked eyes with you. His gaze filled with pure lust.

“You look so small little one, bet you’d let your alpha do anything to you, wouldn’t you?” He growled and you arched your back, desperately seeking out his touch. But his hands stayed wrapped around your ankles, even as he slowly got down on the floor. His body now between your legs, face dangerously close to your core.

From this angel, he could see how drenched you were. Your body squirming with anticipation of what he would do next and he loved it. Loved how he was the one who made you feel like this.

“But I want you to know that I’m at your mercy, always.” Johnny spoke with a low voice, placing a sweet kiss on top of your thigh. You got up on your elbows so you could see him more clearly. On his knees, in front of you, at your mercy, Alpha Johnny Suh was certainly a sight to see.

“I want…” You began, locking eyes with him as he encouraged you. One hand on your knee rubbing soothing circular motions, he waited for you to speak. “Could you eat me out? Please.”  

Johnny wanted to tell you that you didn’t even have to ask but his mouth found your thigh once again only a second after the words left your mouth. His kisses now rougher, hungrier as he made his way slowly upwards. His hands explored your body on their own, one found their way to your ass while the other one played with your boobs.

His body worked on its own accords, as if it wasn’t his first time exploring yours. As if you had been his forever. Every touch made you crave him more.

The hand that had been playing with your boob left and you let out a whine that was soon replaced by a moan as you realized where it was going. Taking hold of the side of your panties with both hands, Johnny dragged the drenched material down your legs and threw it away.

With your panties now on the floor, Johnny had a perfect view of your puffy pink drenched folds. Not wanting to waste any time, he spread your legs even further apart. Giving himself more room to devour you and you sighed the moment his mouth came in contact with your core.

His tongue collected all your wetness. His primal need of eating you out completely took over the moment he got a taste of you. The whimper that left your mouth as he traced your clit was so sweet that Johnny wanted to hear nothing else for the entire night. His mouth stayed on clit, circular motions that made you reach your high ridiculously fast.

“C-close.” You moaned and Johnny took the que to go faster, desperate to have you cum on his tongue. Your high washed over you and you tried to desperately get away from your alpha, oversensitivity had kicked in the moment you started coming down.

Johnny, however, pinned you down. He wanted to savour this moment and he wasn’t going to let you escape it. With his hands on your thighs, he held you down onto the mattress. No matter how much you whined, squirmed and tugged at his hair, he wouldn’t stop devouring you. The only mercy you were shown was when his mouth vent further down, tasting your cum before he licked it all up as well.

His primal need to clean his mate overthrew any logical thinking. Growling into your heat as he licked you clean. A hum off approval left his lips when your oversensitivity slowly went away and you relaxed in his embrace.

“You okay?” He asked and you nodded. Your body no longer felt as if it was on fire or in any pain. You were at ease. Johnny had helped you through your heat.

“Are you going to stay?” You asked and soon you felt his presence beside you. Johnny was now sitting on the bed beside you instead of in between your legs.

“Do you want me to?” He asked and you almost wanted to laugh. As if that was even a question, of course you wanted him to stay.

“Yes silly, now get in here.” You said as you crawled up further on the bed. Johnny’s hungry stare never left your half naked body which only made your confidence grow. You may have pulled through your heat, but you still desired him, now more than ever. Screw your plans, you wanted him.

“Y/n… you need to put on some clothes… or I won’t-“

“Won’t what?” You cut him off, and his eyes shifted to focus on yours. His stare purely animalistic as your eyes shifted from his to look further down. Your mouth watered at the sight off his hard dick that was trapped underneath his layers of clothes. “Don’t.” He warned, and you looked into his eyes again.

“Or what?” You challenged and Johnny replied with his alpha voice. “Or you’ll be in for a long night.”  

“I want that… I want you…” You whispered and Johnny’s eyes widened.

“Are you sure?” He asked and you nodded as you answered him. “Please mate me alpha.”

That was all Johnny needed to know before he let himself go. A long night waited for the two of you. Finally, you were his and he was yours. 

[stark-tony]

underrated irondad and spiderson fic recs part 2

part 1

Queer Eye for the Cacti by silentsaebyeok

summary: He bought one-hundred cacti on Amazon! Pepper was going to kill him!

What had possessed him to do such a thing? He never went on shopping sprees when drunk. That just wasn’t a Tony Stark type of thing to do. And in all honesty, he was astonished he even remembered the Amazon password.

--

Tony makes an interesting purchase while drunk. What he doesn’t expect is for said purchase to bite him in the ass in the worst possible way.

pairings: pepperony

tags: fluff, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Tumblr Posts by Jen27ny

summary:   Literally what the title says. All the prompts and one-shots I post on tumblr.

pairings: pepperony, spideychelle

tags: hurt/comfort, fluff, angst

warnings:

It Lasts for Always by YellowDistress

summary:  Peter has never asked anyone to kill for him, especially not Tony.

pairings: none

tags: angst

warnings: none

Cursed Christmas by sahiya

summary: A series of unfortunate events befalls Tony, Pepper, Peter, and Morgan (and Happy and May) in the week leading up to Christmas.

It'd be kind of funny if it didn't totally suck. Fortunately, they've got good back-up.

pairings: pepperony

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Keeping your head up by frostysunflowers

summary: It’s been a while, a long while, since Tony felt this defenceless. He’s without a suit, the manacle around his ankle is solid steel, and he can’t see a single way out.

 He’s been here before, but back then there had been tools, resources, options.

Here, there’s just the walls, his missing kid and the water. 

The water.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort, angst

warnings: kidnapping

Young, Dumb and Suffering by wordscorrupt

summary: In a moment of desperation, Peter decides to take Steve's pain medication to relieve a migraine.

or

Peter accidentally overdoses on pain medication.

pairings: none

tags: 

warnings:

Midnight Oil by JolinarJackson

summary:  After everything that has happened to Peter over the last year - or five, really - he shouldn’t be worried about something as mundane as the ACT. When he fails it, though it sends him into a spiral of self-doubt, which only gets worse when Peter realizes that he doesn’t seem to be able to fix whatever is broken.

pairings: spideychelle, pepperony

tags: hurt/comfort, angst

warnings: none

Love Will Remind Us Who We Are by blondsak

summary: There had been many times in Tony’s life when he’d known the piercing clarity that separated a Good Day from a Bad Day. Had known the ways in which, upon first waking, one’s soul would strike a balance between agony and relief either in your favor, or not.

But none of his earlier Good and Bad times had prepared him for his reality now.

//

Nine months after the Avengers defeated Thanos, Tony is still reckoning with the toll the final snap took on his body. Between grueling physical therapy, near-constant pain, and the inability to so much as tie his own shoes, well-- things aren’t exactly like Tony had imagined.

Luckily for him, there’s a certain kid from Queens who won’t let Tony give up so easily.

pairings: none

tags: angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Summertime Sickness by Spideysickfics

summary: "Well, this is your lucky day, then!" Peter replied enthusiastically, putting his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest as he broke into a wide grin, "You're looking at a former Boy Scout!"

Tony let out a huff of air.

"No shit, a Boy Scout, huh? When did you quit?"

"First grade." Peter's grin didn’t waver. Tony rolled his eyes with a laugh.

"I'm sure you're very knowledgeable."

OR

An Irondad camping trip and sickfic to soothe your soul

pairings: none

tags: 

warnings: none

to break in these bones by searchingforstars

summary: “We’re gonna go play baseball? I’m not exactly a great shot, and you might have to let me out of these first,” Peter rattles his wrists around in the metal chains and they clink together, echoing around the sparse room, “but sounds like fun.

“We’re not playing baseball.”

“Shame, because I passed a park on my way here and I’m pretty sure that there’s only been like, six murders there this year so that could have been a fun spot.”

“I’m going to enjoy this, you fucked up little kid.”

“Hey, I’m not a little-” Peter starts, but he’s cut off by all the air being knocked out of his lungs as he sees the bat raised in front of him.

--

or, Peter doesn't listen to Tony, pisses off someone dangerous and ends up on the wrong end of a baseball bat.

pairings: none

tags: angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

5 Times Peter Gave Tony Something by impravidus

summary:  and the 1 time Tony gave him something back

pairings:  none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

You'll Be Here (in My Heart) by seekrest

summary:  The morning that Tony’s life changed forever began as his days usually began now — shuffling into the kitchen half asleep, going through the motions as he searched for Pepper’s favorite coffee mug.

Tony stifled a yawn, grabbing the Black Panther novelty mug she adored while he grabbed one that Morgan had made them years ago - one that made her now cringe with embarrassment anytime she saw him use it, the childish scribbles that made him laugh.

  He sets Morgan’s creation down on the countertop as he reaches for the Black Panther mug, it being just barely out of reach for when Pepper has put it last.

“Damn thing.” Tony mutters to himself, fingers barely brushing against it before he grabs it - going to set it down on the counter only to be surprised when Pepper walks in from the bedroom, an unreadable expression on her face.

“Morning. You know, you and I need to have a talk about about your choice of mugs. I know T’Challa somehow perfected the cup warmer thing here but you could at least show a little—“

“Michelle’s in labor.”

pairings: spideychelle

tags: angst

warnings: none

the little things we don't say out loud by JBS_Forever

summary: “It's not funny,” Peter says, voice catching as he whines, “This is life or death, Ned. I'm actually dying.”

On the other end of the line, Ned sighs, amused and not at all concerned. “So you're Mr. Stark's secret Santa. It's not that bad.”

- - -

In which Peter is Tony's secret Santa, and it is, in fact, that bad.

pairings: none

tags: humor, fluff

warnings: none

Hiking Essentials: A backpack, plenty of water, and a Spider-kid by kiwifeather

summary:  Morgan, Peter, and Tony enjoy each other's company on a hike through the woods while Peter is staying with them for the weekend. Father-and-son bonding ensues

(Takes place after the snap but Tony survives because this is the good timeline and we know that Tony deserved a happy ending)

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

In Case of Emergency by Bowtiez

summary: Babysitting his little sister at the Stark's lakeside cabin seems like quite the gig for 17-year-old Peter. Of course he's got that covered- he's a mature individual and he can watch over a five-year-old for forty-eight hours.

On a totally unrelated note, did anyone know that super-healing doesn't really work on bacterial infections? It's a good thing Morgan knows what to do. Well... it's probably a good thing?

pairings: pepperony

tags: fluff

warnings: none

Three Times Tony Stark Used Italian Nicknames and One Time He Received One by MCUsic_to_my_ears

summary:   Tony can't help but slip into his Italian when with his children.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

More Ancient Than Magic by ironfamjam

summary: Life isn't exactly normal when your Head of House is also kinda your father-figure and his daughter is kinda sorta your little sister.

It's also not normal when the bad guys your real-life-war-hero-not-actually-dad defeated in The Great War threaten to return and you're still just trying to finish your Charms essay.

But Professor Stark asked him to protect Morgan. And that's what he's going to do.

Even if it breaks him.

The mini Hogwarts AU

pairings: spideychelle, pepperony

tags: fluff, angst

warnings: torture

Peaches by peterparkr

summary: There’s no response, not even a faint twinge of muscle. Peter tries to listen for a heartbeat, but he can’t seem to focus enough to pinpoint it. Another bubble of thought starts to rise. This could be the reason his spidey-sense is going haywire. Tony could be—

He pushes the bubble down.

OR

Peter and Tony find themselves stranded in the woods after an Avengers mission

pairings: none

tags: angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Snowflakes by Jen27ny

summary:  Tony just wants to see his kids happy - which means letting Morgan stick as many snowflakes to the window as she likes, and making Peter talk about his nightmares.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

I Sure Do Like Those Christmas Cookies by baloobird

summary: Tony is spending a fun afternoon baking cookies with his kids, but his older one isn't acting like himself.

Whatever the problem is, it's up to the now-retired hero to figure it out.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: bullying, acephobia

An MIT Halloween by bethy_277

summary: Coming to MIT had been difficult, having almost lost his mentor when he had snapped to save the entire universe, and Peter had really struggled. If it hadn’t been for Ned and Harley- who he had met shortly after he came back and become good friends with- he didn’t think he would have made it past the first few weeks at school. He had called both May and Tony that first week, hysterical and begging to come back to New York. May had been patient, Tony had been ready to get in his car to drive to him to help him through it, and Harley and Ned had been there and talked him down both times.  

** Peter is a college student at MIT and Tony brings Morgan up for some trick-or-treating.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

Someone Take Me Home by GallagherHunter

summary:  More than a month since May's death Peter is having a less than stellar day at school in the hopes of making it through the day so he can get to the apartment where he's been living with Tony since his world came crashing around him. Meanwhile, Tony has been advised to adopt Peter to assure him he won't leave him.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: bullying

It’s Gonna Be Lit by Pawprinter

summary: What Christmas gift does one get for the man who seemingly has everything?

Peter is struggling to find out.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

I'll Be Home For Christmas by snarkymuch

summary:  May gets called away for work, and Tony steps in to make sure Peter isn't alone for Christmas. Harley, Morgan, and Peter being adorable kids, and Tony being a great dad.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

The power of makeup by SparrowFlight246

summary: Peter shows up to a prestigious awards ceremony with a black eye and a whole lot of regret.

Tony raids Pepper's purse and decides to improvise.

pairings: pepperony

tags: fluff

warnings: none

if you'll be my star, i'll be your sky by ftmpeter

summary: There are two things Tony learns about Peter after Morgan is born.

The first thing is that when it comes to kids, he's a natural.

The second thing is that he's a self-sacrificing little shit.

(Tony already knew that. He has the gray hairs to prove it. But. Still.)

It isn't the kind of self-sacrificing that will get him killed or seriously injured - thank God - but it's just as annoying. Maybe even more, because while he can ground Peter from Spider-Man, he can't exactly ground him from staying up all night to make sure Morgan sleeps through it.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

give the cookies a miss by searchingforstars

summary: “Surprise!” Morgan exclaims as soon as they’re both in the room. She gestures excitedly towards a few slightly sad looking lumps of something drenched in icing and severed onto sticks. There are sprinkles as well, which look like they might have been a nice touch to cheer the entire thing up, had the majority of them not ended up scattered around the surrounding bench space.

“Daddy and I made cookie pops! Well, I made them, he just helped me use the big scary whisk-y thingy. They’re for Katie’s birthday party tomorrow because we all have to bring something yummy to eat, and Daddy wanted to do regular cookies but I told him that was boring. So we made these instead!”

--

or, Peter is poisoned by the ones he trusts most.

pairings: none

tags: fluff, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

i want to be with you 'til the whole world ends by searchingforstars

summary: The last thing he does as his eyes slip shut is wrap his arms tighter around Peter, as tight as he can manage when it feels like the life is draining from him.

Please, for the love of God, I'm sorry I couldn't do it, but please, please, someone look after this kid for me.

Tony would give anything to make sure that Peter Parker is safe.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much left to give. He’s about to have nothing left to give.

The world goes dark.

He drifts away.

--

Or, Peter and Tony nearly lose each other.

pairings: none

tags: angst

warnings: none

Of bright autumn days and things that go bump in the night by frostysunflowers

summary: Halloween/fall themed fics featuring plenty of fluff, feels and seasonal shenanigans!

pairings: none

tags: fluff, humor, angst

warnings: none

Twelve Days of Terror: A Whumptober Collection by seekrest

summary:

pairings: spideychelle

tags: 

warnings: 

[vangoghmusings]

𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖍 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘

pairing: demon!tendou satori x fem!reader 

rating: 18+ 

word count: 4.1k 

warnings: child abuse, religious trauma, mentions of blood, seizure, religious taboo, degradation, public sex (?), oral (receiving), fingering, unprotected intercourse 

a/n: ahh here’s the first one shot of my 1k halloween event!! this story is VERY NSFW so please do not read if you are a minor. this also have mentions of child abuse and religious trauma and is VERY taboo. each story is partically inspired by a song, this one is “under your skin” by jukebox the ghost, which i have linked below. otherwise, i hope you enjoy reading this as much as i’ve enjoyed writing it!! 

https://open.spotify.com/track/5oiZiF3fBLHqgTDaH0Pj7M?si=RBkk9ddxS7OMO_ZDhT85Dw

✁ ✂ ✃ 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖘𝖐𝖎𝖓 ✁ ✂ ✃ 

Growing up in a small town had its pros and cons. The cons were plentiful. Limited things to do, small minded people, and the conservative mindset of the looming church steeple that shadowed over the town. The pro, however, was Tendou Satori.  

You had met Satori when you moved to this godforsaken small town at the age of 8. Your parents moved there for work but insisted on sending you to a private school to ensure a “morally correct” upbringing. It was an ancient Christian school made of brown brick stacked up like a castle. Inside you would meet the son of the pastor, Satori himself. You were the same age, but he looked younger, paler and more shriveled, with cuts and bruises adorning his legs, some covered up by his uniform knee socks. It was common knowledge that Pastor Tendou beat his son, but it was his right after all, it always appeared to him that his son acted out with the persuasion of the devil. You feared your new surroundings and Satori feared the home he lived in. You had found solace in each other quickly.  

As you grew older and closer, some things never changed. Satori often came to you crying, a new injury on his skin from his father present and so you spent the night nursing him back to health. Other weekends were spent helping him clean the tombstones of the graveyard behind the church. Once you two would finish scrubbing the moss and dirt from the stones, you’d have a picnic in the cemetery. It was oddly peaceful, laying upon the ground with each other laughing and ignoring the corpses beneath you. Picnics in the graveyard were calm, but not when your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest. Satori had a habit placing his head on your lap as he ate whatever was in the basket for that day. He’d look up at you with wide eyes, passionately talking about whatever was plaguing his mind that day. It was normal for his face to be bruised or cut. And you often kissed them after treating them, but when he looking up at you with such a bright smile, squinting at the sun above just enough for the cuts to break and bleed once again, you wanted to kiss them again, but differently. It felt different, you were different.  

This had to be a sin.  

It felt like you were being eaten alive by the thoughts that ran amok in your head. Satori was this beautifully pained angel with no escape from the constant terror that was his father. Pastor or not, he believed that Satori was filled with hellish intentions of the devil himself. And what father could be proud of a son who was the devil incarnate? Yet here you were, falling slowly, madly, deeply in love with your best friend. While his sole mission was to survive until graduation, yours had become to be able to kiss more than just his cuts and bruises.  

This was definitely a sin.  

You were halfway through your senior year when it happened. When you lost Satori. Every Thursday, the school held liturgy. You and Satori were the altar servers alongside Pastor Tendou. It was surprising how quickly you two could form such serious faces the moment you put on the white garments. You sat in the cushioned chairs beside Satori as his father gave a sermon. Tendou listened attentively, taking in any clue to take as an advantage to possibly get his father to love him. To prove he wasn’t a mistake or a demon.  

“Now a days... the devil presents himself in many ways. From that damned technology to that blasted music...”  

Pastor Tendou was known for hateful sermons. Yet, in such a small town as this, it was normal. He was so adamant about the devil in our everyday lives that felt that there was more hatred and death than the possibility of mercy.  

“And the devil is within us too! We must be willing to cut off his clawed hands from us, and crush his soulless entity that hovers within-”  

A throat ripping gasp cut off Pastor Tendou as his son lurched from his chair and collapsed onto the floor. You jumped back in your chair, watching as his back arched so high it didn’t seem physically possibly; a blood curdling scream filling the church coming from him. The church froze, watching in fear as the pastor’s son began to convulse. You watched in horror as his body slammed back onto the floor and he began to shake viciously. Frothing at the mouth, his eyes rolled back, and it look like his veins were about to rip through his flesh. You looked to Pastor Tendou for any sign of instruction of what to do. He was dying, you were watching him die.  

Before you could shout for help, Pastor Tendou took the glass of Holy Water that was stashed in the tabernacle and poured it on Satori. The water caused his skin to sear, smoke rising from his skin like he was burning alive. More screams fell from his lips, his face only readable as pure pain. You looked away as tears streamed down your own face at seeing him in such agony.  

Pastor Tendou looked down at him with narrowed eyes as his son soon stopped shaking. And then his body went utterly limp, his chest no longer rising and falling with breath. You wanted to scream, he was dead, he had to be dead. You were about to reach out for his body when his eyes shot wide open. He gasped and sat up right, looking around frantically around the church and down at his hands. His face broke into a smile as he looked at his father.  

“H-he left! I’m free!”  

Satori jumped up, hugging his father tightly as they both rejoiced that the devil had finally left him. It was true, that after years of never-ending abuse Satori believed that he indeed had a devil inside of him.  

Pastor Tendou cupped his son’s face and kissed his head in pure joy. He let go and turned to his laypeople who watched from the pews in shock.  

“REJOICE! MY SON HAS CRUSHED THE CLAWED HANDS OF SATAN!”  

The people stood up and cheered, shouting amens and hallelujahs, kneeling and bowing. Satori had finally been saved. You couldn’t believe your eyes. This fake demon that was beaten into belief had suddenly up and left? And Satori needed to go to a hospital, he just had a seizure after all.  

“Sato, we should get you to a hospital-”  

He turned to you, swiftly taking your hands in his. It appeared that all of the cuts on his knuckles had magically disappeared. Before you could process the thought, he kissed your hands and smiled at you.  

“God has saved me Y/N. I don’t need a hospital.”  

You gaped at him. You knew Satori was religious because there was no escape from it in his life, but he never made outright claims about it in front of you. And now he spoke as if he was indeed possessed and was exercised.  

Mass eventually ended. When Satori’s mother had gotten the news, she also leapt for joy, however, with the thought of her son having a seizure ingrained in her mind, she insisted that he go to a hospital. Once you got the okay to visit him, you took your parents car and sped over. You were frantic, worried beyond belief of what could be wrong with Satori, enough for him to proclaim freedom from a demon.  

You walked into the hospital room. It had only been a day since the incident, but the room was filled to the brim with bouquets. The whole town had come to learn of Satori’s freedom. You looked at the red-haired boy sleeping soundly on the hospital bed. It was odd. HIs skin was free of his previous bruises and cuts. He was free, but maybe of physical pain, not a demon.  

You sighed and moved a vase of flowers from the chair beside his bed and onto the floor, taking a seat and reaching for his hand.  

“Sato,” you hummed, hoping to gently wake him up. He didn’t.  

You frowned and took in his features. He looked peaceful but, paler than usual. He had always been pale, but now he simply looked sickly. The veins in his face were apparent, he looked almost translucent. Almost as if, if you tried to look hard enough, you would see the blood moving in veins. Before you could reach out to touch his cheek, his eyes fluttered open, a smile spreading across his face as he saw you.  

“Y/N,” He said softly. His eyes were bright, happy to see you. Yet, his brown eyes almost had a red gleam.  

“Sato!” You beamed, standing up to hug him tightly. He hummed in your embrace and held you. You sighed lightly, just glad that he was okay. “You really scared me.”  

He let go and gave you a frown.  

“I didn’t intend to. I’m sorry.”  

“It's okay,” you mumbled, ruffling his hair. He chuckled softly and leaned into your touch. Was his voice deeper too?  

“It seems that you’ve gotten quite popular Sato,” you said referencing to the room filled with flowers. He grinned and looked up at you.  

“I guess people like you more when you’ve seen God.”  

You froze and pulled your hand out of his hair.  

“What?”  

He nodded and looked at you blankly. He was very serious.  

“Yes. I saw him. He-” Tendou paused, carefully deciding his words, “he’s inside of me.”  

“God...God is inside of you?”  

“Yes.”  

You scoffed and stood up.  

“Sato you sound insane.”  

He glared at you.  

“Don’t speak to me like that.”  

You looked at him incredulously. He was so stern, brows furrowed with anger.  

“I-”  

“Listen to me,” He said getting up from the hospital bed. He stepped towards you, placing a firm grip on your neck with his cold hand thin hand, trapping you between the wall and his grip. You gasped; your face filled with shock. You watched as a smirk spread across his face, as he pressed his nails into your neck. You whimpered in pain, they were sharp, pointed almost.  

“Y/N... God is in me, and I am God.”  

You froze, watching as his eyes were undeniably crimson now.  

“T-this isn’t you Sato-”  

“Shut up,” He snarled.  

You were right, he was paler. You could indeed see the veins in his flesh pulsing, but they were not red. They were a deep inky black.  

You winced as he dug his nails further into your neck, tears prickling your eyes. Under the dim yellow lights of the hospital room, you had shrunken, like trapped mouse beneath the claw of a lion. Satori saw your tears and quickly let go.  

“I-I’m so sorry Y/N...I didn’t mean to!” He cried, falling to his knees and clinging to your thigh. He sobbed into your leg and shook hard. You blinked, looking down at your best friend who had just choked you against a wall and was now sobbing against you.  

“Sato get up, please...” You mumbled, afraid of what his next action would be. This was so unlike him. He was usually so bright and goofy and now he looked like something was eating him from the inside out.  

He looked up at you with tear stained cheeks, trembling. You sighed and helped bring him to his feet.  

“Get dressed, I brought you clothes, and I have a basket with food in the car.”  

He gave a weak smile.  

“Picnic?”  

“Yeah,” you nodded. You pulled the clothes from his bag, a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel from the many times he had stayed over at your house after his father beat the pulp out of him. You set them on the bed and turned to leave. A firm grip on your arm stopped you from walking out.  

“Don’t leave me,” He whispered. His voice sounded fearful and broken, like the many times he cried as you cleaned his cuts.  

You bit your lip, unsure of what to do.  He wanted you to stay as he changed out of his clothes. That had to be a sin. Didn’t he know that? Didn’t he know that you were burning with desire for him? It was all too much. You pulled your arm from you grip.  

“I’ll just be in the hall Sato,” you said with a weak smile. His face fell and he nodded as you turned back to walk out the door.  

You waited patiently in the hall, your feet tapping as you tried to collect your thoughts. In the past 24 hours, Satori had apparently had a seizure, claimed to be freed from a demon, now claimed to be God, and physically hurt you. It didn’t make any sense.  

You turned your head at the sound of the door opening to see Satori, relishing in the warmth of the flannel around him.  

“Picnic?” He asked with excitement.  

You chuckled and nodded, walking out to your car with him.  

You eventually arrived at the cemetery, your usual spot you both had found comfort in. Any stranger would call them crazy, eating among the dead. But to them, this was pure peace. They were among those who were at rest, simply waiting for their own time. You pulled into your usual parking spot, the 6th on in from the right. You grabbed the basket and walked alongside Satori to the spot in the cemetery that was open lush grass. The day was gray, but it was rare that the sun came out in your town. The spot was surrounded by 6 statues of crying Virgins. It was eerie, but to you it was a simple normality of your graveyard picnics.  

Satori helped lay the blanket as you set down the picnic basket. Today you brought sandwiches and cut fruit. He gave you a bright smile and followed your cue to sit down on the blanket and get comfortable. You handed him a sandwich and he thanked you, taking a large bite. You froze, looking at his teeth and how they gnashed through the bread. They were sharp, pointed like an animal. You swallowed your bite and wiped your mouth. You had known Satori since you were 8 years old, had you truly never noticed his red eyes, sharp nails and pointed teeth? HIs paleness and inky black veins? His sudden strength and rage?  

“How many people do you think could fit under your skin?”  

You blinked, being brought out of your daze by your friend’s sudden question.  

“What-”  

“I think I could fit at least two people under my skin. Physically. However, emotionally, plenty of people get under my skin realistically.”  

“Sato...what are you talking about?”  

It was sudden and unexpected, the way he jumped on top of you. He knocked the wind out of you with how forceful the impact was of your back slamming against the ground. You coughed and looked at him in terror. This was not the meek and gentle Satori you had grown up with and this surely wasn’t God either.  

Satori pinned your wrists to the ground and used his own legs to keep yours down. You didn’t bother struggling, he was too strong. And the sinful part of your mind had envisioned this position one too many times for you to fight back.  

“I said, how many people do you think you could fit under your skin?”  

“I-I don’t know,” You whimpered in fear. This fear felt wrong though, this fear caused your legs to try and pinch together. Sinful.  

“You’re pitiful,” Satori growled, his eyes gleaming a deep red. The frown quickly turned into a smirk as he watched you begin to squirm under his weight. “Do you think I’m stupid, Y/N?”  

“N-No, Sato-”  

He narrowed his eyes and licked his lips.  

“Are you sure? Cause you’re a terrible liar.”  

You froze, fear crippling you in your spot. Satori’s smirk stayed in its spot as he let go of one of your wrists, only to grab a firm grip of your thigh. You yelped and looked at him with wide eyes.  

“You’re a sinner Y/N. That’s why we need to cleanse your soul.”  

“Cleanse my soul?”  

Satori nodded; clear he was being completely serious.  

“Oh,” you mumbled, unsure what ‘cleansing your soul’ would entail. He gave you a gently smile and let go of your thigh to softly stroke your cheek.  

“I can save you.”  

He smiled brightly, it looked like it was supposed to be caring but, with how he had pinned your body to the ground, you couldn’t be sure. But apparently you did, since the next words that came out of your mouth were,  

“Save me.”  

The way Satori handled you would lead you to believe that he had done this a billion times. You knew he hadn’t, he couldn’t have.  

“You need to show yourself to God in your purest form.”  

You shivered as his cold fingertips touched your skin as he helped undress you, the weeping Virgins were the only ones watching your nervous form besides Satori himself. Besides God himself.  

Shortly after he undressed you, He took his own clothes off, his translucent skin and inky black veins more prominent in the grey sunlight. You had never seen him so exposed, and the same went for you. You curled up shyly, remembering that you sat naked in front of him.  

“Stop,” He said gently, placing a cold hand on your knee, pulling your limbs away from hiding your body. “You’re perfect,” He breathed out softly. You felt heat rush through your body at his comment. “Such a perfect vessel,” He mumbled, continuing to eye you up and down.  

“V-vessel?” You prompted, only to be cut off by the sensation of Satori sucking down and kissing your neck. You gasped, your hands gripping his shoulders as he towered over you, nipping at your skin and sucking harshly. You cried out softly, embarrassed at the wetness pooling in between your legs. You were brought out of your distraction when you felt Satori’s sharp teeth dig into the flesh of your neck. You whimpered and tried to pull away, the new sensation too much to bare. He pulled away to look at you, his lips swollen from kissing your neck and his eyes looked like ruby’s, mesmerizing gems.

“Sato,” you whispered. He looked ravenous and wild. HIs cheekbones looked sharper, the blank veins pulsing rapidly under his skin. He grinned madly, and now you were certain. You had lost Satori. The monster in front of you was a demon. You had fallen in love with demon.  

“Hush,” He purred, placing a icy finger against your lips to silence you.  

You stared, horrified at his next move, what this demon would do to you, with such heavy lust overtaking your vision. You really were a sinner. With unexpected force, he pushed you back down against the ground, the fluff of the blanket cushioning your fall. With iron-clad strength, he opened your legs and buried his head between them. You gasped, Satori’s mouth instantly latching around your clit without warning. You shook under him and he reached up and grabbed your throat, gripping it tightly to quiet you. You whimpered, unable to handle the strength he was sucking at. Your breath hitched feeling his cold finger slide inside you, curling rapidly. It was too much too fast, your vision blurring as you felt tightness coil in your tummy.  

“S-Sato, please; it's too much!”  

You cried, fearing the heat bubbling up in your core. You felt Satori roll his eyes against you as his tongue darted inside of you, sucking and leeching your folds as he slipped a second finger inside. You’d never felt like this, flush and needy and desperate for his touch. He let go of your neck and your arms launched forward, pulling at his hair and attempting to get some form of leverage as you bucked your hips against this mouth. You were so close-  

“Pathetic,” He growled sitting up, his pale face covered in your slick. It was lewd and sinful and quite possibly the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. “You were going to cum just from my mouth? You’re too easy.”  

You frowned, embarrassed that he was right. He chuckled and gently placed a kiss on your lips. You blinked.  

There it was the moment you had been longing for for so long. He had finally kissed you. It took a demonic possession but at last, he finally kissed you. It was just a peck, so he began to pull away. You wouldn’t let that be, you couldn’t. No no no, your mind screamed as you grabbed his face and pulled him back to you. You kissed him hard, every lingering touch filled with needy. You gasped softly when he bit your bottom lip, he pointed teeth puncturing gently. You pulled away, completely aware of what you were going to ask and to what you were asking. There was no longer who inside of Satori’s body, but a what, a demon.  

“Sato, I-I know I’m a sinner and I know this is wrong, but,” You sat on your knees, begging him, taking his icy hand and placing it on your bare chest. “If you can save me, do it now.”  

Satori’s red eye’s sparkled, clearly hearing words he liked.  

“What a beautiful perfect little sinner you are.”  

You sat on your knees, continuously begging for him to do more than just look down on you, until pushed you back, knocking you down onto your back. It seemed this domineering position was his favorite. You watched with wide eyes as Satori positioned his length at your entrance.  

“Beg for my cock.”  

“W-What? Sato that’s so vulgar-”  

“I SAID BEG,” He growled threateningly, there was no softness in his voice, just utter lust and malice.  

“P-please, Satori, I need your cock! Please, I need it so bad-” You cried out when he forcefully shoved his entire length inside of you.  

Your head fell back, your vision blurring from the tears of pain and pleasure. Moans fell from your lips at the sins that were happening before you. Not only were you fucking the pastor’s son, you were fucking the pastor’s son who was possessed by a demon in a graveyard. You blinked several times, the tears rolling down your cheeks as you were able to focus your vision. Staring back down at you, was one of the weeping Virgin statues, crying just as you were.  

You were brought back to focus on Satori when he thrusted harshly into you, hitting your cervix. You groaned, the pleasure becoming too much to handle, the heat bubbling up inside of you once more. Satori grunted with every violent thrust, growling and sounding absolutely animalistic, your legs now sitting on his shoulders to go deeper into you. The moans bounced and echoed against the tombstones in the yard the Virgins watched the scene in front of them.  

“I’m close Sato,” You whimpered, digging your nails into his back, scratching hard as to cling onto him. He moaned, and you knew you were drawing blood. You pulled your hands away, only to see that it wasn’t blood, but the same black ink that ran through his veins. You gasped, unable to deny now that Satori was a demon. You cried out, an unexpected thrust hitting your g-spot directly.  

“Praise your God and I’ll let you cum,” Satori hissed, his pupils slitted like a snake.  

You had realized now that you are Eve. Bewitched by the serpent, Satan, in the garden by the fruit.  

“P-Please o-oh God! I want to cum, please!” You wailed, begging for him to fill you with the same ink that now adorned your fingers.  

“What a good little sinner,” He purred, quickening his pace and bottoming out in you. You arched your back, crying out as you unraveled underneath him. He growled lowly in your ear as he came inside of you with you. He slowed his pace, letting you both ride out your highs. You panted, looking up at him, as the pulsing veins that trailed his cheekbones faded back into his flesh.  

“Sato...” You attempted to catch your breath as you weakly sat up. “I-I love you,” you blurted, praying that somewhere inside, the true Satori could hear you under the weight of the demon that consumed him.  

“I know,” He smiled softly and cupped your chin in his hand and pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead. “And now I own you.”  

taglist: @mixfi​ @melanimed​ @batwrangler​ @kac-chowsballs (taglist for event is still open)

[thatordinaryoddity]

NEW CHAPTER: Once In A Blue Goddamn Moon

a 💗 Jamie & Dani Fanfiction 💗 [The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Netflix 2020]

written by thatordinaryoddity

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27475423/chapters/67177879

Rating: K+

Words: ~9,5k

Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort

Status: Complete (will be uploaded in three chapters + Prologue)

Summary: Jamie leaves Flora’s weeding more wrapped up in her thoughts than usual. In all those years, there hadn’t been a day without thinking of her deceased lover Dani. But sometimes, once in a blue goddamn moon, events coincide in an exceptional, odd way.

A/N: Without further ado here’s the new - the most important (for me) - chapter so I’m pretty nervous about it! I hope you guys like it and as always have fun and CU tomorrow for the final! XOXO

The Gravity Of Love

____________________

 “..Jamie…”

In slow motion, the grey-haired woman tilted her head, then turned around completely, her jaw dropped in disbelief, tears suddenly blurring her vision. Her knees started to tremble like aspen leaves and she felt like she needed something to hold on to before they would give out. Her whole body began shaking tremendously and the blonde, ghostly figure opposite her provoked goose bumps all over her body. Jamie’s eyes wandered to the hand on her shoulder, fixing on the golden ring in shock.  That’s not real. It’s another dream. Wake up. Goddamn, Wake up!!! Desperately, Jamie hoped to escape from this situation. When the dreams had started out decades ago, she thought she could enjoy these few moments of bliss with her lover while they lasted, but instead she had discovered that the longer she indulged in the illusions, the more dreadful the following solitude would be. Since then, she couldn’t stand these kinds of dreams because afterwards, they always left her feeling so unbearably empty. Therefore, she always tried to force herself to wake up, as she knew they were nothing but hollow, hopeless illusions that only made her waking hours more lonesome and painful. This time, however, was different - this time she couldn’t make herself wake up because this time, it wasn’t a dream.

“Jamie, stop fighting it, I’m here! Do you hear me, I’m here,” the blonde person in front of her took one step closer, placing her hands on Jamie’s cheeks. And with the touch, all the doubt in Jamie’s mind was shattered like a pane of glass, broken into a million pieces. There was no mistaking those clearest of blue eyes. “It’s her, it’s really her… Danielle Clayton.” Tears flooded down Jamie’s cheeks, wetting the delicate hands touching her. She searched for words, she wanted to say something, but she wasn’t able to move her lips. All she could do was stand there, look into that beautiful face and stare into those flashing blue eyes, all the while gasping for air in hope to find words.

“H-... How...?” Her voice sounded so broken, like she had been mute for years and only now began to rediscover her ability to speak. Her green eyes wandered up and down the beautiful blonde woman’s body, trying to find a hint that might explain how all this was possible. “After all these years…,” sobbing, she struggled for air.

Dani, too, couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. That very moment was filled with so many raw and honest emotions, with decades full of hope and yearning, doomed to be nothing more than disappointing, impossible wishes that could never come true.

“I have always been there, Jamie. I’ve always been with you, all these years!” Dani said with softness and care in her voice, caressing Jamie’s cheeks with her thumbs. “I was right there all this time, but you couldn’t see me! I tried to make you notice me, but I couldn’t… I tried so hard to get through to you, but it was hopeless…” The blonde woman’s voice had become shaky, and she was visibly agitated. The thought that Dani had been trying to communicate with her lost love for all these years, that she had always been so close to her yet unable to reach her, seemed unbearable to Jamie.

“I... I... don’t understand,” with a barely noticeable shake of her head, Jamie placed one of her hands over Dani’s, still resting on her cheeks, feeling the warmth of their bodies connect after decades. It felt so warm, so familiar and yet so unreal. The green-eyed woman was still unsure if this pretty bubble would burst, leaving nothing but another sad, beautiful scar on her soul. She was still anxious that she might suddenly be ripped from her slumber or this vision would abruptly turn into a nightmare through some sick twist.

Dani looked into her lover’s green eyes, which shone like emeralds in the silvery moonlight, and she knew how many thoughts were rushing behind them. She understood that the grey-haired woman had to be bursting with questions.

Dani let go of Jamie’s cheeks and took her hand instead, the one with the Claddagh ring: “You know, when I left you, I had to go to keep you safe. I could never have stayed with you if there was chance that I might hurt you. I could have never forgiven myself, if I let any harm come to you. And I knew that you wouldn’t have let me go, that you would have tried to talk me out of it, or worse, wanted me to take you with us into the lake. But I could never bring myself to that. That’s why I left… secretly. All I wanted was to protect you, to keep you safe, Jamie!” Dani’s face was covered in tears, she was trembling now as well. The only thing soothing her was her lover’s soft hand that she could finally hold again after such an endless time of longing for it.

She inhaled sharply and one could see she was struggling to continue: “You know, Viola’s rage inside me started to grow from day to day. It grew tremendously and it turned me into something I never wanted to become. I wasn’t able to stand up to her and her blind hate. I... I... really had no chance at all.” Dani was so angry about this abuse of her body and mind, that she had a hard time talking about the evil spirit inside her, who had taken away her life with Jamie. The blue-eyed woman clenched her teeth and stared right through Jamie, wound up in her thoughts, as if she was focussing on something behind her.

“The first time I returned to the mortal plane just felt like a dream – like a strange, fitful slumber. It just felt like a long, weird, restless night. Neither was I aware that I was dead, nor did I know I had the ability to roam the world of the living.” Jamie listened carefully, trying to absorb and comprehend everything her lover was telling her.

“After the first few months, I would eventually manage to wake up and after some more time, I learned what I was… that I was dead, that she had finally dragged me with her.” One could feel the pain in Dani’s voice, her inner conflict. It hurt her as well that she was doomed to live through this fate.

“Then I began searching for you... Jamie. It took me so long to figure out how to get to you. And once I found you, I wanted to run to you, to touch you, to hold you! But I couldn’t reach you!” Her piercing blue eyes got even clearer from the watery sheen the tears left on them. “You were there, right in front of me… but…,” now Dani was the one, searching for words, gasping for air, as the tears were falling and her voice was shaking. “You couldn’t see me, not even sense me! I couldn’t get to you! It was like you were looking through a window – right through me – but not recognising my screams or my presence. I was trapped. But I was there! Every full moon... I was there!” She squeezed Jamie’s hand with one of hers, while the other wandered up to her face to wipe away her tears.

Jamie stood there, her expression hardened and her lips were firmly pressed together to make her mouth appear like a thin line. Seeing the love of her life in this gruelling pain was unbearable to her as well. She squeezed Dani’s hand back even tighter. How hard it must have been... realising you’re dead... realising you’ve lost everything. Jamie had never really appreciated all the agony her lover had lived through. Frankly, she had always assumed that Dani would have forgotten everything about their beautiful life together and that Viola’s anger would have gnawed off every emotion and every memory left in the blonde woman, just the way it did to Viola herself centuries ago. But Dani’s love must have somehow overpowered the evil spirit’s rage and thus, the young woman had managed to create her own gravity – the gravity of love.

Viola’s rage against humanity was extinguished by Dani’s true love for Jamie and her desire to be with her again. Therefore, it had been possible for the blue-eyed woman to find a way to visit Jamie, even if only on full moon nights, where the border between this world and the afterlife narrowed. Unfortunately, the band was never thin enough to make Jamie become aware of her presence at all. No matter how hard the blonde woman tried, there was no incident where Jamie was able to sense her. She cried, she screamed, she shrieked Jamie’s name, but there had never been the slightest reaction at all. At some point, Dani had just given up, decided to face her fate of being doomed to live in this misery, until finally it would be time for Jamie as well to leave this world behind. Even then, she would just have to stand there, watching Jamie die, unable to hold and comfort her. All she could hope for was to finally meet her lover again after she had passed on.

Then, not too long ago, an idea was born while she suddenly remembered something she had been told as a kid: the Celts believed that, at a certain time of the year, on a festival they called Samhain – Halloween in modern terms – the boundary between the world of the living and the dead became blurred and that ghosts returned to earth again. When she found out that this year’s Halloween coincided with a rare blue moon - something that only happens once in a lifetime, if ever – she knew she had to use this unique chance to get through to her lover.

If there was ever a chance of her speaking to Jamie, it was this very night, so Dani had to try with all her might to make it work – and she succeeded.

Even if their time together was limited to that one night, it was more than she could ever have hoped for and more than any other person would get in their life, so Dani was thankful. She was so very thankful to be with her beautiful lover again after all those lost years of longing and suffering, even if it lasted only for this single night and she knew she had to go when the sun would wake up. Already, she knew it was going to hurt like hell, too.

Still sobbing, she raised her hand towards Jamie’s head, softly touching one of her grey strands of hair, the one which was lighter than the rest. A tender smile formed on her lips: “I love them... they’re so different now but I can’t help to admire them.” It was odd somehow, that Jamie had changed over the years – not only had she gotten visibly older but also so much wiser, calmer and more ladylike – while Dani had stayed the way she had been when she died. And even if it seemed like this might create a big gap between them, it was quite the opposite. Their two hearts were still the same they had been when they were separated by the bitter loss. All their feelings and emotions, all their memories together and the happy times – nothing had really changed, they were still connected by this band of true, unconditional love. They both had that mutual feeling inside their hearts, as if they could read each other’s thoughts.

Jamie stood there, softly crying as well, still wondering how so much luck had found her way to her after all these desperate times, until she thought she was finally able to react to Dani’s story. She took a deep breath and opened her lips, but all she could do was stutter. “Y... you..,” she shook her head as if she was trying to rearrange the thoughts inside it. “I... I...,” but Jamie wasn’t able to form a meaningful sentence. Those beautiful blue eyes in front of her were fixating her, waiting for what was coming. Then, Jamie suddenly remained silent again, took a little step forward and just flung her arms around Dani’s neck.

The young blonde woman just needed a moment to understand, that she was finally able to hug and touch and kiss her lover again. This insight made her hackles raise and her heart feel as if it was about to burst of excitement. Finally, she hugged her lover back, pulled her even tighter to her. Both of them were crying, both of them tightened their embrace as if they were afraid that the other would suddenly fade away. Both of them couldn’t be happier about being with one another again and tears kept streaming from their eyes as their hug lasted.

“I’ve missed you! Goddamn, I’ve missed you so much, Dani! Do you know how much I’ve missed you?” the elderly woman whispered through clenched teeth and with narrowed eyes. The barrage of thoughts and emotions was nearly unbearable to handle all at once. She felt happiness, she felt pain, she felt love and she felt fear. “It was so painful, I just wanted to die!”

When Jamie said these words, Dani softly loosened their hug and slowly placed both of her hands on her lover’s shoulders: “I know... Jamie. I’ve seen you… all those nights you cried… you were at the edge. But you had a life, a choice... and death would have been the wrong one! And I’m so glad you kept going.” She nodded as if she wanted to reinforce what she just said. Her expression was somehow filled with concern. She knew how much Jamie had suffered, and every time she had witnessed one of Jamie’s breakdowns, she had been worried if she was going to see her again on the next full moon. Dani squeezed her shoulders: “As I’ve said... I couldn’t let any harm come to you!” Those emerald green eyes were staring back at her, slightly filled with tears. She had noticed by holding Jamie that her whole body was trembling. “I’m here now…” those words were spoken so carefully, so softly.

Their glances wandered to one another’s lips, watching them for a few seconds, until they were finally touching again. There were no suitable words for describing how magnificent their second first kiss felt. It was filled with emotions of loss and grief, of raw love and extraordinary dedication to each other. Their bodies were electrified, every inch was thunderstruck. As the kiss intensified, they now embraced each other again. Dani’s lips slightly opened to welcome her lover’s tongue. A warm feeling spread inside her chest and her sweaty hands pulled Jamie closer to her. A soft gasp escaped from her lungs during this intimate moment only the two of them shared.

None of them wanted to end this moment of mutual affection, but sometimes the human body just needs air to breathe. Sharply inhaling, Dani ended the long kiss, followed by a satisfied smile on her lips. With an indescribable amount of love in her voice she whispered to her lover as their noses were still touching: “I’ve waited so long for this to happen... I have missed you with every fiber of my body, Jamie.”

The green-eyed woman blushed and placed her hand on Dani’s cheekbone. “I’ve waited too… for you to finally return to me! I’ve waited all these years...” she closed her eyes, enjoying their moment together, and she tried to absorb every second, every movement, every touch and every sensation of it. It felt as if all the cold in her long-frozen heart finally melted after all these depressing years of yearning. Jamie wished that this moment could last forever and that she could be with Dani for all eternity, just as they had dreamed of when both of them were younger. But she knew that wish wasn’t meant to come true – just like the full moon and this special night of the living dead couldn’t last forever, Dani too, would fade away soon. Both of them were painfully aware of that fact, but none wanted to waste even a single thought on it yet.

The night was getting darker, but the air remained extraordinarily mild for autumn. The two of them were cuddled up on the bench inside the winter garden, holding each other tight. Dani had asked Jamie to tell her what had happened in the years she was gone, and now listened attentively to all the events the older woman recounted, occasionally placing tender kisses on her lover’s hands. The moon light tinted the plants around them in a romantic, mysterious light. Both women felt as if this long separation, this violent break between them, had never existed. It felt so normal to be together again despite the long time apart.

Though one would assume the two women had so much to tell each other after all this time, the night was also partly spent in silence. After a while, none of them said anything at all anymore, instead enjoying their mutual moments of love. The bond between them was so strong, so unique, that they didn’t need to put into words how they felt at that moment. Instead, they knew how the other felt. And both of them knew as well, that they didn’t have all that much time left together, so they savoured each other’s presence even more. Being aware of their limited time was like an inner ticking that grew louder, minute by minute, and it felt threatening, uneasy.

“It will hurt, won’t it?” Jamie’s emerald green eyes slightly filled with tears again, which made them look like submerged gemstones in a shiny, crystal lake. Lost in thoughts, she started chewing on her lips. The mere thought of losing Dani again just tore her heart apart. The blonde woman took her lover’s hand, softly caressing it with her thumb, in an attempt to soothe her. She knew too that their farewell wasn’t going to be easy at all. But she also knew that they could at least gather strength from this night together – after all, Dani would always be there, even if it wasn’t physical.

“But how will I go on without you?” The tears began to stream down her face. “How am I supposed to just live on?” With a worried expression, Dani squeezed her lover’s hand even tighter. “I know, Jamie… but… remember… every full moon I’ll be with you! Even if you can’t see or touch me… I’ll never leave you! I’ll be there and I will listen!” Although Jamie could see that Dani truly meant everything she had said, her heart filled with pain again, her silent tears turning into a desperate sob.

“Dani... I can’t lose you again! I... I... just can’t”

“You WON’T lose me, Jamie… do you hear me! I’m here! And I always will be…” Dani pulled Jamie even closer to her, wiped her tears away and leaned in for a deep kiss. She couldn’t stand leaving the love of her life a sobbing mess. She understood the frustration of her lover, felt the same way, and yet appreciated that they were able to spend at least that one night together and get a chance to properly say goodbye. Please remember me this way. Please remember the good times, not the bad ones, Jamie.

Even though Jamie calmed down a bit, it was obvious from the expression on her face that she was devastated. They both knew that the time had come. The moon was standing low by now, the dark of the night slowly made room for the new day. Dani stood up, taking the older woman’s hand again, inviting her to join her walking out of the winter garden. The two women were standing in front of each other, holding their soft hands and feeling the other’s racing heartbeat.

“I love you, Jamie! You were the one… the only one… always!” With a soft, but broken smile, Dani forced herself not to start crying as well. She had to be strong, she had to focus on the good, not the bad. “And I’ll be there… one month from now, there’ll be another full moon.”

“I love you too… I can’t express how much!” Jamie flung her arms around Dani’s neck again, holding her as if she wanted to prevent her from leaving: “I’ll wait! I’ll look out for every single sign and every oddity… knowing it’s you!” As she embraced Dani’s warm body, she felt her warmth slowly decreasing. Abruptly, she took a step back, looking in shock at the fading shades of her lover. She had started to become translucent already, and all the colours had left her form. Jamie could see the remaining moon light shining right through her, leaving a silvery gleam on her whole body.

“It’s time now.” A sad smile formed on the blonde woman’s lips. “Please, don’t be sad my love, be thankful for this night… just as I am…” and with those words Dani was gone completely.

Jamie’s eyes were wide open in disbelief and agony, and after a moment, she collapsed on the hard ground. She remained there, on her knees, covering her face with her hands as she started to weep bitterly. She knelt there for what felt like minutes to her, but had actually been hours, all the while crying her eyes out and praying for Dani to come back. Even if it had been the most luminous, astonishing night in decades, she couldn’t deal with the fact that it was over.

[julies-butterflies]

if i didn’t know better / i’d think you were talking to me now    //    3500+ words, grief fic

                                          ( read on ao3 here! )

Doctor Turner always said the special days would be the hardest. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries... days where her absence is glaring, impossible to forget and unwilling to be ignored. The days that, before, always belonged to her — countless Christmases and Halloweens, a scrapbook of memories shared together, suddenly cut short with half a lifetime of torn pages.  Those days, he told her, would hurt the worst, because her absence would ring louder than ever.

He was almost right. Mom’s birthday was the hardest, just a few months after she died. No one felt like celebrating. Julie holed up in her room and cried for hours, until her face was chapped and her entire body felt wrung out like an old washcloth. (On every birthday, Mom wore bright colors and played her favorite songs. Tía always brought over a cake, and the birthday chica’s favorite martini mixers. Julie gave her a bracelet one year, a homemade pot holder the next... no matter how cheap or clumsily-made the gifts were, Mom always smiled bright and said she loved them.) 

Christmas was painful too, the quietest they’d ever had. (Mom used to love Christmas. She and Julie took up the job of decorating the whole house every year. Christmas cookies were an annual tradition, as was Mom’s favorite midnight mass. The Molinas didn’t attend church as a rule — at least, Dad didn’t, and the kids followed his lead — but Christmas mass was their mother’s favorite tradition. They always went as a family... and it was beautiful, if only to see the candlelight shining in Mom’s dark eyes.) 

Carlos’s birthday, Julie’s birthday, her parents’ wedding anniversary... all of these events passed quietly, without so much as a whimper. Stepping stones, Julie tries to remind herself. Every ‘first without’ will make the pain more distant; the next year won’t hurt as much. One day, maybe it will stop hurting completely.

Deep in her heart, though, Julie knows that‘s only a wish. Grief has made her a lot of things, but not delusional. Mom’s absence will  never  stop hurting… because every day, she should be here, and she just isn’t.

Funny enough, there’s where Doctor Turner went wrong. Sure, the special days are a unique sort of agony, but the real heartbreak lies in all the days in between.

The insignificant ones. The moments that don’t matter. Early mornings and late nights... afternoons bent over homework, days when Dad’s too busy picking Carlos up from soccer practice to remember Julie needs help with her calculus.  All the empty moments, now filled with nothing at all. Before, they wouldn’t have been remarkable, but they would have included her. Every time Julie looks up, a joke on her lips or an instinct to turn towards a familiar presence... she’s never there.

The days that shouldn’t matter are the ones that hurt the most. 

Grief, Julie has learned, is an insidious thing. It makes sense at face-value, yeah. You cry, you mourn, you miss someone at all the right times, in all the ways people want to see. People  expect  you to cry on your dead mom’s birthday. They understand that.

They don’t know what it’s like to catch a whiff of her perfume on an old summer dress, and suddenly feel her right behind you — but when you turn, the room is empty, and the emptiness is overwhelming. They don’t recognize one of her favorite songs playing on the radio, how when you close your eyes, you can almost hear her voice singing along. They don’t understand missing the notes she’d sometimes slip into your homework binder, smiley face doodles and encouraging words for the day. They don’t understand missing everything:  the way she always left pens uncapped, how she swore in Spanish when she stubbed her toes, her raised eyebrow across the dinner table when the conversation took a turn she didn’t approve of.

Grieving is missing everything all at once... usually, without even realizing you miss it at all.

It all wells up inside of you, and hollows out a part that can never really be filled. Julie feels the emptiness with every breath — as much as she feels Mom’s absence. She may not be a ghost, but Mom’s presence lingers everywhere. They still buy the dish soap she used to like; her magazine subscriptions still haven’t run out, delivered monthly with her name on them; her favorite plates, with painted flowers along the edges, still come out for special occasions. 

Mom is everywhere. Julie sees her in the garden, in the studio... even when she looks in the mirror, in her own dark eyes and untamable curls.

Some days hurt less than others. Every day brings a new distraction. School, Flynn, the guys, writing songs and performing as a band — it all helps more than she can comprehend, and makes the days bright. Time has certainly helped too, not to mention rediscovering music. More than anything, being surrounded by people she loves, both new friends and old, makes the difference. Somehow, Mom’s absence has become... bearable.

Most days.

Then there are the days that mean nothing, shouldn’t be important at all... but just hurt, for reasons Julie can’t actually name. The only logic she finds on those days is one non-negotiable truth: her mother is gone, and will never come back.

Instead of heading straight to the studio — her usual routine when she gets home from school — Julie makes a beeline for her front door. Today, there’s no stopping in the kitchen for a snack, no calling out a greeting. Julie stands in the front hallway for a minute, taking in the silence of the house — silence, where there was always music, always laughter. She exhales. 

To get up the stairs, she has to trudge past the dining room. Dad is at the table, hunched over his computer, the blue glow reflected back on his face. Half-draped in the chair beside him, Reggie leans over his shoulder, observing as he works. They both look up at the sound of Julie’s footsteps.

Immediately, Reggie breaks into a wide grin. “Oh, heya Julie! How was school?”

Dad knows better. One look at Julie’s face, and he just gets it. A tight press of his lips is all the question he needs, and a tiny nod is all the answer Julie can give. Ignoring Reggie completely — and she’ll feel bad about that later — she turns away. Slowly, with feet weighed down by lead, Julie trudges up the stairs.

Dad understands. The guys will, somehow. She’s just not up for it today.

For a while, she lays on her bed, scrolling mindlessly through various apps; Flynn texts her a few times, but she doesn’t open the notifications. Scrolling turns into drifting, and before she knows it, she’s pulled up the camera roll on her phone. 

It’s to easy to travel back in time through a lens and screen, to remember how things used to be. Three years ago this month, she and her mom got brunch at their old favorite restaurant. They took a quick selfie in the booth together — both makeup free, hair unbraided and smiles wide. Two years ago, they dressed in their best and stepped out onto Hollywood Boulevard. Julie posed next to Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan’s stars; her mom, in sunglasses and a leather jacket, struck a pose with Carlos beside Queen’s. Pictures turn into videos, of everything and nothing — quiet moments, goofy moments, Mom laughing and Mom humming as she did the dishes and Mom being brave just before her first round of chemo... 

Suddenly, she’s everywhere. Her smell hangs over Julie like a blanket; her voice washes over her like a song. She can feel her hug, the light weight of her hands in Julie’s own, see the creases next to her eyes when she smiled...

For a moment, she’s as alive as she ever was. She stands in the room beside her, dancing in the spaces between light and shadow — impossible to look at, impossible to believe in, but  real  nonetheless. 

Julie never wants to let her go.

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

When she opens her eyes again, the room is shadowed with late-afternoon light, and she is not alone.

For a minute... just a minute, she thinks it could be...

“Uhh… Julie?”

No. Of course it isn’t.

Sitting up takes more energy than she has, but Julie forces herself to anyways. When she turns, her heart does a painful cartwheel. Alex hovers in the entranceway of her room, hands tucked in the pockets of his shorts, shoulders hunched and head lowered. He’s come alone.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to, uhh...” He fidgets, glancing around her room to avoid her eyes. “To intrude. We just wanted to check on you.”

Julie swallows back a bitter taste as it floods her mouth. She should have said something to the guys, gave them some kind of heads-up. Of course they’d be worried. Sometimes Julie makes it to practice late, but she always shows.

“I’m sorry,” she says. Her voice is hoarse, and very small. Something in Alex’s expression shifts, and she has to look away.

“Hey, it’s no problem. We’re not going anywhere. But...” She hears him take a step closer, even though the floor doesn’t creak beneath his weight. When he speaks again, his voice is painfully gentle. “Are you okay? Did something happen at school?"

Yeah. It did. She really doesn’t want to talk about it.

“I’m fine, Alex. Thanks.” She rubs the sleeve of her sweater beneath her swollen eyes, and draws her knees closer to her chest. No doubt Alex is searching out her gaze, trying to find some reassurance that she really is okay… but Julie has none to give.

He’s quiet for a long time — long enough that Julie almost thinks he’s gone away — before speaking up softly. “Is it your mom?”

Julie’s shoulders go rigid, but she doesn’t turn around.

For a moment, Alex doesn’t say anything either. She can feel his unease like a tangible presence, a ghost within a ghost lurking behind them both. When it becomes obvious she’s not going to say anything, Alex clears his throat.

“If you need anything… we’re right here. Anything you need, Julie.” A pause, a breath, then, “You’re not alone.”

Maybe I want to be.

She doesn’t say that out loud, though; even in your worst moments, it’s never fair to lash out at anyone else. (Mom taught her that.)

When Alex leaves, she feels it. He switches on her fairy-lights before, just so she won’t be left in darkness as day slowly fades into nighttime. They twinkle over the window like dancing stars, blurring as she lets her eyes go unfocused. It’s easy to find a melody in them — like wind chimes on the wind, or the gentle shimmer of a waterfall. When Julie was little, she asked her mom once if people became stars when they died;  only people,  Mom answered,  who were very, very loved.

If her mother’s a star now, is she watching over her?

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

Dad knocks on the door with a plate of dinner — microwaved pizza, tonight — and doesn’t leave after she’s pulled it into her lap. Instead, he takes a seat by her desk, folding his arms over his knees. They don’t really talk; they don’t need to. Dad’s grief doesn’t take the same shape as Julie’s, the constant dull ache occasionally spiking into paralyzing agony, but he gets it. He feels it, too.

“How was work?” Julie asks softly after a while, because she can’t stand the silence.

Her dad shrugs. “Pretty good. We got a new client, a new ad campaign to shoot… eh. It was a Monday.”

His lips quirk up, and Julie finds herself mirroring the expression.

She does feel a little better with food in her stomach. It no longer feels like something’s gnawing at her from the inside-out, trying to burst from her chest. She undoes her hair from their messy braids, listening to her father talk about a new project he’s working on; by the time she’s combed her curls through, the pain feels almost numb.

“I found a note,” she finally says. “In my old chemistry binder. I hadn’t cleaned out my locker since… before, and when I opened it, it just fell out, and —“

Her mother’s handwriting. The tiny doodles, stars and smiley-faces, made in a bright red pen.  You’re going to rock this test, Julie! I believe in you!  followed by that familiar, half-scrawled, Love Mom. One look, and Julie remembered; they’d stayed up past midnight studying, bent over her study guide as Mom patiently talked through chemical reactions with her. The next day, she got a B+ on the test. Mom was so proud, she made Julie’s favorite empanadillas for dinner that night.

It was one of their last good days, before the cancer got really bad.

Julie swallows, ducking her head, suddenly unable to meet her dad’s eyes. “For a second, it just felt so real. Like… she was still here, and I’d come home, and she'd be waiting, and…”

There were a lot of those moments in the first few months. Julie thought they’d gotten past all those sore spots, disarmed all the land mines. She wasn’t ready for this one. It knocked her off her feet.

Her father is very quiet for a moment, before he pushes out of the chair. When he settles beside her, Julie’s mattress creaks. His scent is familiar, and she leans into him, even as his arms wrap around her shoulders. Dad holds her, and for a second, it feels… warm. Not right, and definitely not perfect, but… warm is more than Julie has felt all day, and she’ll take it gladly.

“She’s always with us, mija,” he murmurs into her hair. “Even if you can’t see her. Can’t hear her…”

“Can’t feel her?” Julie whispers.

“Even then. She’s right in here…” He draws back, just enough to press a hand to his own chest. “And right in here.” He brings a hand up to tap Julie’s temple, drawing another smile unwillingly to her lips. This time, it lingers. When Julie leans back into her father’s chest, she sniffs back a sudden sting of tears, and takes comfort in his presence. Something frozen inside her has begun to thaw, and she can feel again.

(Sometimes, not letting yourself feel is worse than feeling it all.

She didn’t learn that in therapy.)

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

Even though she doesn’t expect them, it’s no surprise when she hears a soft knock at her door anyways. Immediately, she knows it’s Luke. She can always feel the boys, like tiny lightbulbs in her chest, glowing whenever they’re near, but Luke always shines the brightest. He’s also trying hard to remember to knock. The tentative, impatient rat-tap on her bedroom door is unmistakable.

“Come in,” she says, closing her laptop.

Luke pokes his head inside first, followed by his whole body. He’s grinning, but that’s his default response whenever he sees her. “Hey,” he says, and she catches a gleam of relief in his eyes to find her sitting up and responsive. “Sorry, I know it’s kinda late.“

“Only ten,” she replies with a shrug. On a school night, too; usually, she’d be winding down around this time, but there’s homework she’s neglected all day. Luke’s presence isn’t unwelcome.

“We just —“ Luke starts to gesture to the door, thinks better of it, and turns to face her again. His gaze has a funny way of making her itch. It’s some kind of talent, and Julie almost resents how he doesn’t have to try. Luke takes a step closer — cautious, for him. “Are you feeling better now? You — you look okay.”

Julie opens her mouth to reply, but the automatic answer dies on her tongue. Luke’s face is open and earnest, searching for the truth; she decides to give it. “I don’t know.”

“Oh.” He doesn’t know what to make of that. He shuffles his feet, anxious, and shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. As always, he’s so sincere it hurts. “I… I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be. It’s not your fault I’m upset."

“I know,” he replies, looking up at her from lowered eyes. “I’m just sorry it hurts so much. And I know that nothing can make it better… but Julie, if I could take your pain away, even a tiny piece of it… I’d do it in a heartbeat.” When he sighs, his whole body shakes with it. “I wish there was a way I could.”

Something twists in her chest, like a pinched nerve. Julie inhales. Then, she’s shifting over before she quite knows why, patting the side of the bed. From the look on Luke’s face, she may as well have handed him water in a desert.

“You can just be here,” she says softly, once he’s scrambled up onto her bed. If Luke were a puppy, his tail would be wagging a mile a minute; he makes the mattress bounce as he gets settled, content just being near her. Julie allows herself a tiny smile before lifting her gaze towards the closed bedroom door. 

“You guys too!” she calls.

A second later, Alex and Reggie step through the door, both trying for their own versions of innocence. Julie could feel them out there the whole time, though. She shakes her head, beckoning them closer, and they don’t waste a second.

It’s not the first time they’ve all ended up in a cuddle pile together. Somehow, Julie always forgets how soothing it is to be surrounded by her boys… until her head is pillowed on Alex’s chest, and Reggie’s leaning against her shoulder, and Luke’s playing with her hair. They’re warm, despite being long-dead; they each have their own smells, their own auras, their own presences. She knows it’s Alex’s hand massaging her arm gently, and Reggie’s breathing is steady near her ear.

It’s amazing, how they can be dead, yet be so alive .

“I wish she were here.” Julie doesn’t realize what she’s said until the words have left her lips; she didn’t mean to speak at all. It’s too late to take them back, though, so she forces herself to continue past the lump in her throat. “Even… even as a ghost. I’d do anything to just feel her again.”

None of the boys say anything. Reggie just nuzzles further into her shoulder, and Alex’s arm tightens reassuringly around her. Luke looks up at her with sad, sweet eyes, and Julie can’t tear her gaze away.

“Wherever she is,” he says after a minute, “she’s proud of you. You make her happy every single day, just by being you. She’ll never be gone, because… you keep her alive. Every time you think of her, every time you say her name…”

“Every time you tell a funny story,” Reggie pipes up, “or talk about your favorite memories…”

“Every time you play her favorite songs, or do the things you used to do together…” adds Alex.

"You keep her with you. You keep her memory alive.” Luke pokes a finger into her chest, his gaze steady. “And that’s what matters most.”

There’s something ironic about those words coming from an actual ghost. They make Julie feel warm all over anyways. A tear rolls down her cheek, and she doesn’t brush it away. It falls onto the collar of Luke’s shirt.

He reaches up and tucks a stray curl back from her face. His hand lingers there for a moment before falling away.

Tomorrow will be another day, and Julie knows it’ll hurt less. The pain never goes away, but it can’t last forever…  especially when she’s got family and friends around to keep her from drowning in it. They’re her raft in the open ocean, and Julie could cling to them forever, just to keep her head above the water.

For tonight, something else will have to do. She hesitates a minute before stirring — enough to lean over and grab her phone, before settling back into the band’s embrace once more.

When she unlocks her phone, a picture of Mom immediately appears on screen. She’s practically glowing, grin wide and hair loose around her; in her favorite pair of earrings and a wide sunhat, she really could be an angel.

“That was the day we went to the beach, and Dad got sunburn all on his back,” Julie murmurs, smiling. “She was wearing her favorite bathing suit — see, purple dahlias? Yeah... Mom loved the beach. She could spend whole days there, listening to music and soaking in the sun. Sometimes Dad called her his girasol, his sunflower…”

She’s never spoken to them about Mom before. Not to anyone, really — not Flynn, not even Doctor Turner. Revisiting the memories hurts too much, like digging up a grave… but Luke’s right. They’re all right.

Keeping her mother alive means feeling the pain in all the ways that count… letting herself feel it. Not closing herself off, just to be alone. Not keeping it all inside. Not imagining Mom’s here, hoping desperately for a whisper, a half-second of believing in ghosts…

Julie speaks, and her boys listen, and for just a few minutes, her mother is really with her again.

It makes all the pain worthwhile.

[murasaki-murasame]

I wasn’t exactly planning on doing any real summoning on the dragon banner or the gala remix since I still want to be able to spark on the next Halloween banner at the end of the month [if we get one], but I’m an extremely dumb idiot with no impulse control so that didn’t exactly go as planned, lol.

I’m pretty sure I already talked about my Gala Zena banner summon session before, but I can’t remember if I said how the Ilia banner went after that, so just to put it simply I only did my free summons on it and I got absolutely nothing of note, lol. I don’t think I even got any platinum prizes. The most noteworthy thing I got was a dupe Laranoa, I think.

Then we got to the dragon banner, which is where my hoarding plans started to really go south, lol. Dragon banners are usually easy skips for me, but GC was on rate-up and I wanted them so much I was genuinely contemplating dream summoning them [but I still don’t want to use any dream summons on dragons], so I decided to see how my free summons went, but I pretty quickly became resigned to the possibility that I’d end up chasing GC.

Which is pretty much exactly what happened, since my free summons didn’t get me GC, but I did get three whole Ariel dupes, which was mostly just three separate emotional rollercoasters of agony for me, lol. It’s not like I didn’t want Ariel dupes, since before this I only had one 0UB copy of her, but still. The first dupe I got came from my first daily tenfold, and then the second one gave me two Ariel dupes almost back to back, so that was just agonizing in a lot of ways. So yeah I ended up using tickets and wyrmites to chase for GC, and I ended up having to spend 60 extra summons to get them, so that was extremely painful, but I at least got them in the end. Specifically I got two copies of GC and a fourth Ariel dupe all on the final tenfold I did.

So I ended up with a MUB Ariel just from dupes, and a 1UB GC who I just decided to use stones on to get MUB. Which I don’t really regret, since I still have like 10 sunlight stones left after this anyway. Funnily enough I didn’t get any copies of Summer Sakuya, but I’d say that’s a good thing since I already had her MUB from all the copies I got of her when she came out, and she’s not the sort of dragon I want to have multiple copies of. So at least this banner ended up working out surprisingly well for me in spite of me spending a lot more resources on it than I probably should have.

I was actually planning to do the platinum summons to try and get GC instead of dipping into my vouchers and wyrmite, and I even got some diamantium to prepare for that, but then I found out that the platinum summon wasn’t actually for the three focus dragons on that banner, and was literally just ‘you get one 5-star dragon at random in each platinum summon’, so I just decided to pass on that entirely and use my regular summons instead.

I also got a dupe Xuan Zang at some point but I can’t remember if that was in the dragon banner or the gala remix.

And on the note of the gala remix, oh boy this whole pair of banners was just a one-two punch of me going through the exact same process of going “I’m gonna be smart about this and only spend my free tenfolds and save all my resources for the end of the month :)” and then using my resources anyway because I’m a dumb idiot baby. But like with how GC was the only dragon that was able to genuinely tempt me to spend resources on a dragon banner, I ended up being unable to resist the temptation of this gala remix because it had Gala Alex on it, who was the only gala unit in the whole game that I didn’t have at that point, and I was specifically hoping to be able to get her at some point. She was one of my main priority targets along with Halloween and New Years, so I honestly don’t even regret it that much, but it kinda sucked because I didn’t care about the Akasha and Melsa alts at all, and i already had a MUB Cat Sith, so Alex was literally the only unit on the banner I wanted, and I was hoping she’d be on a more exciting banner than this, lol.

Anyway, I still did all my free tenfolds first, and let’s just say that the very first one gave me a dupe Albert, which felt like divine punishment for my hubris with the dragon banner. I figured something like that was gonna come around to screw me over for spending on that banner, but I wasn’t expecting something so immediate and so specifically designed to mess with me.

I also got a Liger dupe from that summon as well, which was enough for me to get him MUB. Beforehand I wouldn’t have really cared since he’s not a very good dragon for the most part, but he’s apparently one of the best dragons for Gala Zena, so that’s cool.

I don’t think I got anything noteworthy from my other free tenfolds aside from a Siren dupe, which I’m just keeping in my inventory as a random copy now since I already had her MUB before this.

So then I was stuck with the lingering question of if I should go out of my way to chase Gala Alex, and if it was even worth it. I did some full on mental calculations about what my current stash was like, and how many more summons I expected to be able to get between now and the end of this month, to see how far I was wiling to go before I ended up with too few summons to be able to spark by the end of the month. I don’t remember exactly how many summons I had in my stash at that point, but I guess I figured I was willing to take the risk, since I decided to do an extra 20 summons on the banner, which got me . . . Catherine, lol. Because this banner really decided to pull the old ‘you think it’s one of the focus characters but it’s actually some random character of the same weapon type’ switcheroo two different times. I didn’t have Catherine, though, so at least she wasn’t a useless dupe like Albert. I’m probably not gonna use her in the long run, but I’m putting her in my water team for the moment along with Eugene.

After that, I decided to just cut my losses and call it quits. But as the rest of the day went on I kept thinking back to the question of how many summons i’d be able to have by the end of the month, and how many I could afford to spend on this banner while still being able to spark. Which included me taking into account how paid diamantium pulls give double wyrmsigils, because I’m not above taking advantage of that at this point if I need to, lol. So anyway I ended up opening the game again to do another summon session, at least until I got my next pity break.

And after an additional 20 summons, I actually somehow managed to get Gala Alex, lol. It honestly kinda doesn’t feel real yet, but I actually got her. The emotional rollercoaster of seeing that rainbow sword after having been spooked by Albert at the start of this banner was on a whole other level to just about anything I’ve experienced with summoning in this game, but at least it all worked out in the end.

Now I have every single gala unit in the game, including a MUB copy of every gala dragon, so that’s neat. Honestly half of the reason why I wanted Gala Alex was just to complete my collection of gala units. I’m not sure how much I’ll even use her at this point. But I’m still happy I got her after all this. I remember spending like 300 summons on her debut banner without getting her, so it’s a relief to finally get her. Same with how I recently got Gala Elly after also unsuccessfully spending like 300 summons on her debut banner.

I guess now I have to actually grind out a 6-star shadow sword for her, since I didn’t have one before this [since I don’t really use shadow swords often], and I also have to finally get around to figuring out how the fuck her kit works, lol. At least it gives me a reason to grind Kai Yan again, right in time for co-op double drops.

I’m honestly not even sure if I’m gonna be able to spark by the end of the month at this point, at least after seeing how heavily they nerfed the wyrmite and ticket rewards for the Accursed Archive rerun. At the end of the last banner I had like 200 summons left over, and I have a little over 2.4k diamantium, so even taking into account the double wyrmsigils for diamantium summons thing, it might be very tight. Especially since I’m planning to get the dream summon at the end of the month as well. Though I do have like a million adventurer stories and stuff to read, since I’ve only read like three or four in the past, like, six months, so if I really need to I could probably just go through a lot of that, but we’ll see how it goes.

Technically I don’t even know if I’ll be interested in sparking on whatever banner we’ll get at the end of the month. I’m expecting it to be another Halloween banner, maybe bundled with a new gala dragon, which would all be pretty tempting. But we don’t really have any idea what to expect from it, so for all I know I might not even be interested in summoning on it, which would be a bit anti-climactic at this point. But if we they give us a new gala dragon, I want to get at least one copy of them. And new Halloween units have a good chance to be really tempting, at least since they’re limited. I know the Akasha and Melsa alts were also limited Halloween alts, but I just didn’t care that much for them. Which might end up happening if we get another Halloween banner, but I hope not.

Personally my main hope at this point is that we actually get Halloween Euden as a gacha alt and not just a story costume. I know he’s gotten other event-only story costumes before, but I think this one’s different since it’s a lot more unique and detailed than the other ones, and this is also the first time we’ve ever seen it. It’s also kinda weird that it doesn’t even show up in the event’s story itself, which makes me also wonder if it might be more of a tease for a follow-up Halloween event. If he does end up getting released as a unit, I’m guessing he’ll be a shadow wand or healer going by how his design looks, which would be kinda unfortunate since those are some really competitive areas, but I’d still want to get him just because I love his design, lol.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if we get some combination of Shion, Delphi, and Shishimai alts, to go with their new wyrmprint art. I know we’ve gotten all sorts of seasonal alt designs that only show up in wyrmprints, but we did recently get Summer Amane who was first teased via a log-in bonus, so who knows. It’d at least be nice to get any sort of playable version of Shion, but I also really like how Shishimai looks in his Halloween costume.

Maybe we’ll finally get playable versions of mummy Luca or werewolf Ranzal, but I’m not gonna hold my breath.

That’s basically all we have to even vaguely go off of, but I also like the idea that maybe the new Halloween event will be a third part to the Accursed Archives event series, which might mean we’ll get Halloween Heinwald, or a story-based alt for him like with Xuan Zang.

Also, while I remember, my current dream summon candidate is Mitsuba [mainly because there’s barely anyone left in the permanent pool who interests me that much, lol], but I’m holding out until the free tenfolds end just in case I get her from one of them. If I do, my backup option would probably be Yurius. Like I said before, GC was an option, but now that I have them they’re not an issue anymore.

Anyway these two banners feel like they dragged me through all seven layers of Hell, and now i think I’ve made a contract to sell my soul to Big Chungus.

[m-602]

The One Who Fought Back

((So yesterday I had gotten into a writing mood. There were three ideas in my head for potential stories: a Monster Under the Bed story revolving around Empress lore, a story detailing events M (my character) would go through in his future, or a generic Halloween story (ha ha, boring). I had decided on the M story, and posted it on my blog late last night.))

((But now (since I got permission) I’ve decided to take a crack at the MUtB story anyway. So here you go @kittydoesthings​! I love your AU and love RPing for it over on @ask-us-anything-mutb​! It’s such an interesting concept that somehow just... works! Consider this a gift for being an amazing person!))

((Warning! Contains violence!))

((Enjoy!))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subcon Inc., Empress

It was just another day on the job. It was almost time for Empress to pay her kid a “visit”. All the other monsters were already making their way to the portals - all she had to do was get up and go in once she got the all clear.

Her kid was... an unusual character. When Empress first started scaring her, she screamed bloody murder the first two weeks. It made her feel extremely proud! After all, not too many monsters actually get such vivid reactions reactions from their kids, even if they all succeed in scaring them.

Recently, however, things have gotten... quiet. The child still cowered under her blankets the moment Empress entered her room... But the screams stopped. The child had grown extremely quiet anytime the monster under her bed payed a visit. Not even a whimper escaped the still shaking form. It was... honestly a little discomforting.

And today, that thought rose to the front of Empress’s mind. The fact that her child was acting so strangely, despite still being terrified of her, made her very uncomfortable. It was unsettling, especially with how it developed so gradually, too. She would get quieter and quieter, turning from screams, to whimpers, to utter silence. It kind of made her feel...

She killed that thought as quickly as it came. Her, a monster, scared of her child? It was absurd! What did she have to be afraid of!? There was no way the child could do any harm to her, so there was no need to be thinking like that.

With that in mind, she finally stood up and made her way to the floor. She had a job to do - there was no way some silly doubts were going to get in the way of that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The House, [REDACTED]

She had enough. She couldn’t take it anymore.

This stupid cat monster thing kept getting into her room and scaring the daylights out of her! It just kept coming every night to do... something! It didn’t even touch her, but its very presence seemed to freak her out! Eventually she just stopped screaming and just shook under her blankets in fright, trying to figure out just what the heck it wanted!

She tried telling her parents, but all they told her was that she was overreacting. That she was just making excuses to keep herself from sleeping alone. Shrugging it off as if she was crazy!

But she wasn’t crazy! That monster was there, it was real! There were claw marks under her bed to prove it! And they still don’t believe her!

...

If her own parents won’t help her... then she’ll just have to settle this herself.

...

Where are the knives?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subcon Inc., Empress

“All assigned monsters, stand by as the portals are prepared.”

*Beep!*

At the beep of the intercom, the portals began to hum with power. They would only take a few seconds to power on, once night reached its darkest. A few seconds until Empress would do the job she’s always done. 

Yeah, that was it. Just another day on the job. There was absolutely nothing different. Nothing will happen. Nothing will go wrong. Everything is fine. So she should stop worrying and just do what’s she’s supposed to do.

The portal finally sprung to life. It crackled with the strange teleportation power all the monsters were so familiar with. It’s still not completely understood... but then again, no one really questions it.

She steps forward, fully preparing herself for the task at hand. The task she should have no trouble with fulfilling...

She holds onto that thought as darkness consumes her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The House, [REDACTED]

Night was upon her. Soon the monster would be, too.

She was ready this time. She wasn’t even in her bed.

She wouldn’t be easily seen. She wouldn’t be easily deterred.

...

All she had to do was make it bleed, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The House, Empress

Immediately she felt herself on the floor. Immediately she felt herself in a cramped space. She knew instantly that she was in, and that it was time to scare the owner of the room.

Her eyes easily scanned the darkened room, peering through the shadows as if they were never there. She started clawing the floor, trying to unnerve the child above her. Once she was sure that she was ripe and ready, she began to rise from under the bed. She turned to face the child...

Only to be met with a neat, empty bed.

Empress was shocked at first, but then thought it through. The reason was easily discernible.

She probably got up to use the bathroom or something. It happens. I can wait, she thought...

That thought was dashed when she was made aware of another presence in the room.

She knew it was the child - it couldn’t be anyone else. But she felt the kid’s eyes bare into her back. For some reason, the situation unsettle her.

She turned around, ready to scare the life out of her child...

The child just stared at her, their eyes blank and emotionless. The little girl seemed to stare into her very soul. At this point, Empress was a little freaked out at how empty the child’s eyes seemed.

Imagine her shock when the little girl jumped on her.

Caught completely by surprise, Empress was filled with... panic? Why was she panicking? All she had to do was get this suddenly aggressive and psychotic child off her and then-

Her thoughts were cut off by an immense, sharp pain.

It felt cold and agonizing. Empress howled in pain, holding her paws and what she recognized as a stab wound.

She couldn’t believe it. The little girl had grabbed a knife, hid somewhere in her room, jumped her, and pecking stabbed her. She was just about to retaliate...

When she was stabbed again, a seething pain shooting all across her body.

The girl continued before Empress could react, stabbing her again and again and again and she just wouldn’t stop.

There was blood everywhere - it practically coated the entire room, the girl included. Empress was in agony. It hurt so badly, and she was desperately trying to get the little psycho off of her. For the first time in memory... she feared for her life.

In an act of adrenaline fueled desperation, Empress managed to weakly shove the child off of her. At this point she was covered in gashes and cuts, losing blood at a rapid rate. She was terrified at this point, doing anything and everything to just get away.

The child got up swiftly, preparing to rush her again. In a panic, Empress tried crawling her way under the bed, barely clinging to consciousness. Her entire body was racked in pain, but she had to get away. She couldn’t die to a human child of all things.

Just before said child managed to grab her tail, Empress felt darkness take her. Thankfully, she could feel herself being transported back. She could feel that she was conscious, if only barely. And, more importantly, she felt that she was alive and away from that psycho of a brat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The House, C  H  A  R  L  O  T  T  E

She watched on as that thing crawled away, its tail between its legs. Finally, she got rid of it. She hoped that the utter thrashing she gave it would keep it away.

Now, however... She honestly wondered why she was so scared of it. She so easily managed to mortally wound it. In fact, she felt... exhilarated by what just happened. Her heart was pumping wildly from giving that thing a piece of her mind.

In a way... it felt good.

But now she had to worry about the mess she made. There was quite a lot of blood, after all. She turned away from the bed, taking a moment to look back at it. She raised the knife up a bit, as if threatening anything that could be watching.

She turned to exit her bedroom, looking down the hall. Her idiots for parents were still asleep. Good. It’ll make this easy to clean up. Being extra sure to stay quiet, she went down to the kitchen to do... something about the bloody knife. To clean it, to dispose of it, no one knows by this point. All that can be certain is no one knew of what happened. No one will remember what happened... It shouldn’t matter anymore.

That thing wouldn’t dare mess with her if it valued its life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subcon Inc., Empress

She got out the portal, receiving a lot of shocked looks from her colleagues.

She was bombarded with questions from a series of concerned faces.

“What the peck happened to yer!?”

“Oh goodness, are you okay?”

“What exactly happened back there?”

“Did that child manage this!?”

“How is this possible!?”

She managed to tell her story as best she could, already feeling herself start to black out. She told them how the child was acting weird. How the child jumped her and stabbed her. How the demon looked so emotionless and terrifying as they did it.

Eventually, the blood loss was too much, and she blacked out, oblivious to the world around her. The little brat was the last thing on her mind as she did it. She wouldn’t tell anyone but those closest to her... but she never felt more terrified in her life.

The portal was immediately closed off, and the child decommissioned due to the threat they posed to other monsters. Empress’s story would spread like wildfire. It eventually became a legend among monsters; a horror story for the young ones and old alike.

The story... of The One Who Fought Back...

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

((I sincerely hope I didn’t botch up any lore. I really tried to incorporate as much as could and capitalize on it. However, I didn’t want to add too much. I simply wanted to give this piece of lore some life, as I found it fitting for Halloween (even though it’s November 1st at the time I’m writing this). If I got anything wrong, I’m sorry in advance!))

((If there’s anything else you want me to write anything else for ya, feel free to ask! I really want to get into story making (it’s, like, the one creative thing I could probably do; I’m not super talented imo). I’m always up for writing stories, so send me some prompts if you want!))

((Also, please feel free to add some criticisms. I want to get better at doing stuff like this. Just be sure it’s something constructive if you’re going to criticize this story.))

((Have a beautiful day! :D ))