#also maybe a body horror warning for... everything theo does

[kwillow]

A Cure for Barbarity

The grand old manor of Northcrest provided more luxurious accommodations than most in the rag-tag group of soldiers in the company of the Rising Dawn were accustomed to - if they ignored the peeling wallpaper, smell of mold and the manor's creeping, foul-tempered owner. Unfortunately, Alex couldn't do the latter. She needed to wrangle their prisoner-turned-annoyance wizard Hyden into doing any work at all, and that meant negotiating with his self-appointed apprentice and biggest fan, their host with the least, Baron Theopolis North. Now she had two egotistical, unstable mages to deal with, which was two more than she ever wanted.

She was common, he was the worst kind of arrogant old-blood nobility, she no-nonsense, he excessively prone to nonsense, she hated Hyden, he adored the man beyond all reason. It was inevitable that tensions between the rat and bat would boil over into conflict. True, Alex was a disciplined soldier who knew how to keep a cool head in times of stress, but the mad mage of Northcrest knew how to get under her skin... in more ways than one.

[littlethie]

In Safe Hands - Draco Malfoy x reader

You and Draco are in a relationship. The two of you have a fight but still go to a party. Draco is still angry and reserved until someone drugs you and you seek out his help.

A/N: this was FUN! Thank you for a lovely request  ❤︎

Warnings: Angst, fluff, alcohol, drugs, swearing, puking, mentions of death/killing, fainting - this sounds like a horror movie, I swear it isn’t 

Requested: Yes / No ; By: starcross16

Words: 1,9k 

picture’s not mine

“Fine, then I´m not going!” you screamed at your boyfriend and dramatically sat down on the sofa, your voice echoing through the manor. The two of you had been fighting this whole day. You couldn´t even remember why, anymore.

It had started in the morning. You both had woken up a little annoyed, snapping at each other every now and then. You were visiting him at the Manor since his parents were away on a fancy Malfoy-style vacation. Everything had made you irritated and you hadn´t even been able to make breakfast in peace. Draco had been answering you unpleasantly and acting as if you were an obstacle in his way. This hurt your feelings, since you had been invited by him.

You didn´t fight much in the relationship. But today was different. You both could have dealt with the irritation. But when Blaise Zabini had invited you to join him and the others at a party happening at his place, Draco had said something about you not being able to handle liquor and something about you embarrassing him.

So you had been screaming and fighting. You had done your makeup and hair. You both wanted to go, perhaps, let off some steam. It was kind of funny, how you had fought but still got ready. You didn´t think you had a problem with liquor, and honestly, you both knew, somewhere deep under your layers of egos, that this whole situation was just an unfortunate outcome of bad sleep or a bad day. But you were also stubborn. And resigning was just too anticlimactic for the both of you.

“Don´t be such a fucking child, Y/N,” he scoffed at you, evidently now more irritated. “Perfect, now I´m a child. If you don´t want me to go, then just tell me. I may just fucking stay at the Manor and bore myself to death,” you rolled your eyes and put one leg over the other, while your head fell behind, leaning against the backrest.

He was fuming. You knew you both had to go. Everyone knew you were visiting him. “Don´t make me angrier. Get up.”

Oh, how you didn´t want to. Again, standing up would scrape your ego. But you did it anyway. Draco huffed and walked to the door with your unbothered body behind him. He grabbed you by your arm but didn´t look at you. Firmly and a tiny bit painfully. His brows were furrowed and mouth upside down in a scowl. He could never hide his discomfort.

You apparated in front of Zabini´s huge Manor. All you knew was that his mother was also somewhere on a vacation. You were a expecting a peaceful evening, maybe some other classmates. But when you arrived you could hear loud music coming from the inside. Draco let go of your arm and made his way inside. There was one thing you couldn´t deny, though. He looked extremely attractive in his tux.

You followed your snappish boyfriend inside and got immediately greeted by already drunk Blaise, Theo, Pansy, the smell of alcohol, bodies and perfumes. “Heeeeeey, the favourite couple has arriiiived!” he slurred.

“Merlin, Blaise, how many people do you have here?” Draco asked, totally perplexed, looking at the mass of people dancing and drinking. “I have no idea, man. Some people have invited people and they have invited more people,” he laughed and this was the first time Draco gifted you a look. A confused one. But he did. Others quickly rushed you into this huge saloon.

“Come on Y/N!” Pansy had a strong hold on your wrist while dragging you to the bar. “What are you drinking?!” she screamed through the music. You looked over at Draco, who was not far behind with Theo. “What are you drinking?” you asked him, the annoyance leaving your mind. “Don´t care about me,” he growled and your heart sunk. “I just asked…,” you explained but his face stayed stern. He walked through you, leaning slightly over the counter asking for a firewhisky. He usually asked for your drink too but tonight… not a chance. “Oh, trouble in paradise?” Theo smirked and Pansy hit his arm. “Stop being an asshole and leave… and take your drama queen with you,” she pointed at Draco with her head.

Theo squinted and mimicked her, but Draco swiftly turned him around by his shoulder. “You alright Y/N? What happened with you two?” she snooped a little and you just shook your head.  “It´s nothing. We had a bad day full of fighting. We both got up on the wrong side of the bed,” you sighed. “Oh, I´m sorry. A little drink and dancing will always help! We can start lightly. Hey!” she turned around to face the bartender. “Two gin-tonics please!” she yelled at him. The bartender looked at her then you. He blinked at you. You were petrified. “Did you see that?!” you came closer to Pansy. “Yea, I heard he´s a prick, don´t mind him,” you obeyed but this feeling in your gut just wouldn´t go away.

You looked behind you to see where your boyfriend had gone, and you spotted him sitting in a booth with the boys and some other classmates. You turned back the moment you heard the bartender. “This one´s for you…” he handed one drink to Pansy, “and this one is for this beauty I hope I can see later,” he handed you the other drink. “I´m sorry, I´m here with my boyfriend,” you gave him an uncertain smile. He raised his eyebrows and looked at you strangely. What the heck? “I said, don´t mind him! Let´s dance!” Pansy grabbed you again and dragged you right into the middle of the dancefloor.

You took a sip from your gin-tonic and let yourself go. You noticed Draco walking behind you towards the bar, probably for another firewhisky. “Hey…” you grabbed his arm lightly. He shot you an angry glance and wriggled out of your hold. “Can´t you leave me be for just a few fucking hours? This doesn´t help me calm down.” You were looking at him totally blown away. He continued in his way and you were now looking at Pansy, who was about to rip him to shreds. You stopped her. “Just leave it. Let´s dance!” you were trying your best not to cry. So you finished your drink as quickly as possible.

After a while your body started feeling weird. And so did your mind. It was only one gin-tonic. You said to yourself. Out of the blue, you could see not one, but two, three, four Pansies. You stumbled a little and Pansy quickly got a hold of you. “You didn´t eat anything before this, did you,” she laughed. You couldn´t answer. Your eyes were circling around the place. The lights were too light, music too loud and people too many. You wanted to tell her something was wrong, but your mouth felt like powder sugar and you put your fingers up to your face to feel it. She was dancing like crazy, turning away from you to dance with this cute tall boy.

Your steps seemed heavy as rocks. You felt like puking. Every time you made a step forward it was like your direction changed or the room turned around. Your sight was blurry and music made you flinch. It was even worse when different bodies hit you while dancing or walking. You tried to steady your mind, focusing on the platinum mop of hair. You were well aware of your situation and what was happing.

You thought it had been at least an hour. It had actually been five minutes. Your eyes landed on his tall body. He was standing, his back facing you. His hands were on the table supporting him. You were getting closer.

“Draco…,” you breathed out as soon as you reached him. He turned around with an extremely annoyed face. “Fuck, you´re already drunk?” he frowned, “you only had one drink, Y/N, this is what I was bloody talking about,” his friends were looking at you with raised eyebrows but you couldn´t care less. You felt the panic attack washing all over your body.

“I can´t. I... Draco, there´s something wrong with me,” that was all you had managed to let out before collapsing, Draco catching you just in time. His annoyed face turned into a worried one. “Y/N?! Hey! Baby! Come on!” he shook you gently, but your eyes kept going backwards. You had fainted. The boys didn´t wait a second and helped Draco take you out for some fresh air.

You had woken up by then and you steadied yourself, holding onto Draco and Blaise. They helped you sit down on a bench outside of his manor. You knew you had to get it out of your system. You put two fingers deep down into your throat and puked. Theo was quick to bring you some water. Boys let the two of you alone. You were sitting on the bench for a solid hour. Draco didn´t mind though. It helped him calm down, to gather his thoughts and to realize what an actual ass he had been this whole time.

Draco pulled you into him, kissing the top of your head. You closed your eyes, feeling a little better now. “What the fuck happened, Y/N?” he murmured into your hair, slowly rocking the both of you back and forth. “I think the bartender drugged me. I am not sure, though,” you answered him honestly, taking in his sweet and masculine scent. And just as you said that, Blaise stormed out.

“Guess what. The bloody bartender has been selling drugs in my own fucking manor. He shat his pants when he saw Y/N, so he confessed. The boys are taking care of him now.” He said and squeezed your shoulder softly as he left to deal with the sucker. You could see Draco´s urge to go and hex the guy, but you held him close to your body. This was more important and he knew it. “I´m so sorry, Y/N. If it weren´t for my stupid stubbornness, this wouldn´t have happened,” Draco cupped your face and placed a warm kiss on your lips. “I´m going to hurt him anyway, though. Who does he think he is?!” he growled and you placed your palm on his fiery cheek. “Hey, just let it be. Let the boys deal with him. Don´t get your hands dirty,” you smiled and shifted closer to him. “I want to kill him. This is all my fault,” he pressed a kiss onto your forehead.

“It´s not your fault, Draco. We are both stubborn. I was acting like a child today and I want to apologize. I am a little emotional at times and you are really the only one who can handle me,” your noses were touching, foreheads pressed against one another. He moved his nose gently along yours and kissed the tip. “I love you, Y/N. I promise I´ll take care of you. I promise I´ll keep you safe. I don´t know what I´d do if you were…,” he gulped, “you know, if you ended up in a worse condition, just because I am too proud to let things go.”

“Stop, Draco. I am here. Thanks to you. You know that I love you too.”

“I think it´s time to head back home. There´s no other place I´d rather see you than in my bed with my clothes on. What do you think?” he smiled beautifully.

“Let´s go,” you whispered and kissed him once more.

[ptersparkers]

angel (chilling adventures of sabrina)

summary: as the only pure mortal in the fright club, there seems to be an influx of interesting things happening in greendale that you are unaware of. a certain prince of hell happens to find that interesting. 

warnings: typos, probably.

a/n: ummm maybe i binge watched caos this past week and maybe i’ve fallen in love. i’ll let you figure that out. also this is my first time writing for caos (and not marvel, lol) so let me know what you think!!’ pls give feedback thank u. 

add yourself to my tasglist! 

ps: this gif is mine so if you use it, please credit!  

When all was said and done, Sabrina and Caliban had come to amicable terms regarding the shared responsibility of ruling Hell.

It didn’t take much convincing for Caliban to relinquish his prior ambition after learning his rule would end within a day, as the Pagans would have defeated him and taken Earth for themselves. Sabrina’s ability to show him the time loop she was once trapped in gave him a reason to quit the fighting and rule Hell on an equal scale, no questions asked.

Plus, he started to like the bleach blonde witch.

You, on the other hand, felt like you had missed out on the most important plot piece of the greatest film of all time.

While Harvey, Theo, and Roz had known about Sabrina’s secret since her sixteenth birthday, you were left in the dust about the shenanigans that went on around Greendale. You were truly the only mortal with no magic or witch ties, but the other four couldn’t say the same. Sabrina was a witch, Theo’s ancestor Dorothea often visited him in time of need, Harvey’s family had a history of witch hunting (which he does not partake), and Roz’s ability to foreshadow the future with a simple touch proved to be more useful than she had originally thought.

You were a mortal. A regular high school student whose biggest problems were studying for four AP classes every day while balancing cheerleading and other extracurriculars.

It wasn’t until recently that the strangeness came to light. What the Fright Club had failed to mention was that Sabrina had continuously hexed you in order to keep you out of harm’s way by leaving a small bag filled with her Aunt Hilda’s concoctions in your bedroom. It worked its magic when you slept, an invisible blanket covering your eyes that made their strange disappearances seem normal.

But it seems like that hex was fading. Sabrina neglected to change it out every other week due to being preoccupied by Caliban’s yearning, the Dark Lord’s agenda, and Lilith’s drama regarding Hell. Now you sat with wonder and couldn’t help but feel left out of a great adventure that your friends embarked on.

A month had passed since Sabrina and Caliban had made amends. You grew to understand the nature of it and the four filled you in on all you had missed with a guilt hanging over their heads. It was hard to hear and understand, but ultimately you couldn’t hate your best friends for wanting to keep you safe.

You knew not to question Sabrina’s whereabouts if you weren’t able to find her because she was most likely taking care of business down below. You still had yet to meet Caliban and the only information you gathered from him was what the gang caught you up on and Sabrina’s grievances whenever she felt annoyed by him.

“You know, this is all a weird concept,” you said. “I mean, I guess I always had my faith and doubt kept me guessing about what’s really out there, and it’s really out there,” you said, stealing a fry from Theo’s plate. The five of you sat in Dr. Cerberus’s diner and decided you weren’t going to do anything that wasn’t normal for teenagers.

“It still creeps me out,” Harvey admitted. “Hell was worse than I could’ve imagined.”

“Caliban’s got things under control and Lilith’s doing just fine being an advisor,” Sabrina said. “I don’t think she’s mad about the ruling situation anymore. Lucifer’s still doing his bidding but I think they’ve reconnected.”

“That’s...good?”

Sabrina chuckled. “Trust me, it’ll take some getting used to.”

“That is an absolute understatement.”

The door to the diner chimed while you fished inside of your purse for a quarter.

“I’m gonna go pick out a song, any requests?”

“You’re the music genius,” said Roz. You smiled and walked towards the front of the diner.

As you approached the machine and put the quarter inside of the slot, a tall man with sand colored hair loomed over you and watched.

“Can I help you?” you asked.

“Not really. Just observing.” You quirked an eyebrow, not recognizing his face despite knowing everyone in the small town.

“You’re not from here, are you?” you asked.

He chuckled. “Is it that obvious?”

“Greendale’s a pretty small town. It’s easy to spot someone who’s not a local,” you replied.

“Well in that case, I’m not from around these parts. Far from, actually.” He looked at your hand and then the juke box. “What song are you choosing?”

You pried your gaze away from him to look back at the machine and put the coin in the slot, choosing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” before looking back at him.

“Satisfied?”

The handsome stranger looked at you and didn’t try to hide the face that he was checking you out by letting his eyes look at your body up and down. Not that you minded.

“Very,” he said with a sail try voice before walking around the corner. “The name’s Caliban.”

“Y/N,” you replied. You raised your eyebrow before walking back to the other four and sat down in your previous seat only for the handsome stranger to approach the table.

“Caliban,” Sabrina greeted. “What a lovely surprise.”

“Nice choice,” Roz commented, hearing the song play throughout the diner.

“That’s Caliban, as in the Caliban?” you asked.

“It’s good to know you lot have been talking about me,” he said, crossing his hands over his chest. “I decided to take a break from, you know, and come see what you love so much about Greendale.”

“She knows about Hell,” said Sabrina.

“Funny how I’ve never seen her there, or anywhere with you four, as a matter of fact,” Caliban replied.

“It’s a long story,” you said, sipping on your chocolate milkshake. “Not an important one, though.”

“Contrary,” he began. “You’re the first purely true mortal I’ve met in Hell or otherwise with no ancestral ties to witches or greater magic. That’s pretty important to me.” You blushed, not knowing what to say or do next.

“Is there a reason you’re here?” Harvey asked with a slight attitude. Caliban shifted his focus from you to him, which made your body relax a little bit.

“I didn’t come here for business or to whisk Sabrina away, if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m just here to see what makes Greendale so special, though I think I’m starting to see why.” Caliban spared no expense and was not shy about looking in your direction as he spoke his last statement.

“Don’t even think about it,” Sabrina said sternly. “You are not going to get any ideas, are you?”

Caliban chuckled and put his hands up in defense. “Whatever you say, Sabrina.” He began to walk away but not before turning around and winking at you. “See you around.”

Caliban walked out the door and you didn’t bother asking where he was going next.

“Dear Satan, he’s so annoying,” Sabrina said, exasperated. “It’s like he’s made it his personal mission to make my life, well, a living Hell for lack of a better term.”

“At least he’s not hellbent on defeating you anymore,” Theo reasoned. “I think he’s trying to get to know you a little bit better.”

“And he’s doing it by flirting with my best friend?” Sabrina asked. She put her head on your shoulder and and ate a fry from her plate. “You know I love you, right?”

“Mhm.”

“I’m not saying you need to stay away from Caliban, but you need to be careful around him. At least until we’ve worked together long enough for me to trust him completely.”

“Loud and clear, Brina,” you said. “I still can’t really wrap my head around this whole thing. I can’t watch horror films about Hell and witches the same ever again.”

The Fright Club laughed.

“It’ll take some getting used to,” Harvey said. “I mean, I was pretty apprehensive at first. Remember when Brina and I broke up and I spent every day at your place after school?” You nodded. “That’s when she told me she was a witch. It was kind of hard to wrap my head around until everything with the Pagans and angels happened.” You nodded, soaking in his words. “Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with feeling like you don’t understand. I don’t even understand most of it, if I’m being completely honest.”

“In think that’s enough food for me,” said Roz who pushed her plate to the middle. “Seeing Hell with my own eyes really suppressed my appetite.”

”Oh, shoot,” you said, looking at the clock mounted on the wall. “I have to head home and help my mom. I promised her I’d help clean the kitchen and I’ve got to be home in ten minutes. Can I pay you guys back?”

“Don’t worry about it. See you tomorrow?” said Theo.

“Count on it!”

***

You saw Caliban not long after your first encounter with him. The idea of him being the ruler of Hell (alongside Sabrina) was still a hard concept to understand and you weren’t quite sure if you were supposed to bow in his presence or not.

“Unnecessary,” he said when you asked. Caliban sat across from you at the local coffee shop, offering to walk you when you had caught his eye. You harbored a hot latte and he held a blueberry scone in his hand. “I think you mortals like that glory.”

You shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Hell doesn’t have formalities when it comes to celebration other than referring to each other by one’s title,” he explained. “It’s just easier that way.”

“You make it seem like Hell’s a relaxed place to be.”

He pinched a piece of his scone off at put it in his mouth, smirking at your statement.

“Oh, far from it. As righteous as demons are, we’re not that shallow.”

“It’s kind of hard to believe you’re made out of clay,” you said, taking a sip of your latte.

“Why do you say that?”

“I dunno,” you said. You reached over the table to poke his bicep. “You seem so real. So human.”

Normally, Caliban would’ve been offended by such a comparison. But he smiled.

“I suppose. I don’t question my creation. I accept it and try to live as adventurously as I can.”

“I hope to,” you said. “Getting out of Greendale, I mean. It’s my biggest dream.”

“You’d want to leave this town?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” you replied. “I have nothing going for me here. I’m powerless and there’s no reason for me to stay where I’m not needed.”

To his surprise, Caliban felt his heart jolt at your comment. He was wordless for a moment.

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know,” you said. “Maybe somewhere on the west coast. Maybe I’ll still be in New England. College is the perfect opportunity to explore the world and come back home for a few weeks at a time.”

“This is where Lucifer fell, you know,” said Caliban. “The sacred place is hidden deep in the woods where there’s a clearing of rocks and stone. That’s why this place is driven by witches of the Church of Night.”

“I still can’t believe the Devil is walking among us,” you said, shaking your head. “My mom used to force me to go to Sunday school, and I suppose I did have faith. It’s all meta now.”

“Are you still a believer?” he asked.

“I kind of have to be, considering you’re here.”

Caliban smiled.

“Do Heaven and Hell ever interact withe each other?”

“Not exactly,” he began. “We’re on civil relations but don’t want anything to do with each other. They stay up there so long as we stay down here. I’ve never encountered an angel before.”

“You haven’t?”

“They aren’t allowed to come down to Earth unless absolutely necessary,” he explained. “Not really sure why but it’s one of their more important rules.”

“I think I have a headache,” you teased. All of this knowledge about celestial beings truly made your senses adapt to your surroundings in Greendale and you were more than aware of the fact that God was real.

“I should go,” Caliban said, standing up. “I need to escort some souls back to Hell and send some up north.”

“You mean not all souls who are sold to the Devil go to Hell?”

“Sabrina and I negotiated that,” he said. “No more soul-selling. The ones that preexist will be discussed by her and I, and we decide if the punishment is worth the crime. I don’t think someone who sold their soul for a good cause needs to spend all eternity down in Hell. That’s why she comes down there all the time.”

“Huh,” you said at a loss for words.

Caliban smiled. “I’ll see you around, princess.”

***

The next time you see Caliban was with the rest of the Fright Club. He was wearing a linen button down with several buttons popped open, exposing his bare chest with black slacks and white sneakers. His hair was tousled and you swore this was the most human you had ever seen him.

“Ambrose is being a little paranoid and wants me to check out the edge of Greendale for threats,” Sabrina said. “I think he’s just worried about me co-ruling Hell while living on Earth. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You say that like it’s just another day in Greendale,” you said.

Sabrina shrugged. “I mean, it kind of is.”

“Well, do you need us to do anything?” Roz asked.

“I want you to come with me, if that’s okay. Harvey, Theo, and Y/N, you don’t need to come. I’m sure this is Ambrose being Ambrose.”

“Are you sure, Brina?” Harvey asked.

She waved him off. “It’s fine, really. Roz and I will spend a few hours making sure things are normal and we’ll meet back at my place for dinner? Aunt Hilda’s kind of expecting us.”

“Wouldn’t miss it!” Theo said enthusiastically.

Sabrina gave the group one last smile before she took Roz’s hands and teleported out of the room, which left the four of you.

“I can give you a ride, Theo,” Harvey offered before looking at you. “And you too. I don’t mind driving to the other side of town.”

“I can take her home,” Caliban said. Harvey looked at you and Caliban spoke again, noticing his hesitation. “Part of our deal was that I made sure her friends remain unharmed. That includes Y/N.”

Harvey seemed to accepted this answer and grabbed his keys from his pocket before bidding you a goodbye. He and Theo drove off in his truck before you and Caliban left in the opposite direction.

“So, uh, do you want to come in?” you asked, awkwardly standing by the front door after he insisted on walking you in.

“I don’t mind,” he said. You fumbled with the keys before opening the door with a shaky hand and let him inside. It was the first time you were letting a boy into your home (other than Harvey and Theo, but your relationship with them was strictly platonic) and you felt a little more nervous than usual. After figuring out you had liked Caliban more than you originally expected, there was nothing you could do to stop your heart from beating just a little too fast when we he was around. Him being in your house did nothing to help the situation.

As for Caliban, his usual overwhelming desire for a carnal relationship was nowhere to be found when he stepped into your house. He looked at the white walls decorated with family photos and admired the ones with you as a child. Caliban watched as you put the house keys in a glass dish and followed you to your bedroom.

It was odd, Caliban thought, to feel nothing but tranquility. He was almost always hyperaware of his surroundings and wary of demons and souls roaming past him in Hell, but it was just the two of you. Two bodies under one roof.

“My parents won’t be home until later tonight. N-Not that we have to do anything!” you added. “I just mean they’d freak out because they haven’t met you before.”

Caliban chuckled. “I wasn’t planning on making a move, if that’s what you were wondering.”

You didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

“Your room suits you,” he said. Caliban admired the photos on your nightstand and polaroids pinned to a brown board on the wall filled with memories from your past with the Fright Club and other friends and family members. He saw a stack of books beside your bed and a fish tank sitting by the window, your closet doors closed, and decorative pieces that highlighted your personality.

“Thanks,” you said, laying down on your best. “You can sit, you know.”

Caliban took this opportunity to lay next to you. When you felt the bed dip, you averted your eyes to the ceiling.

“What are you thinking about?” Caliban asked after a long pause of silence.

“How fast life changes,” you replied. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, but with all that I know, how can I keep all of this celestial knowledge a secret from my parents? The world is always doubting Heaven and Hell but I know the truth. I don’t know if being purely mortal is helping me out in this situation either.”

“You’re an innocent,” Caliban said, turning his head to look at you. “So pure and clean. Your soul has been untouched by neither light or night and it’s probably the one thing that’s going to save you in the future.”

You turned your head to meet his gaze. “I’m still powerless.”

“Maybe in one way, but not completely. You have no witchcraft magic but you have intelligence and intuition. You know not to meddle with things that aren’t of your concern.”

You were silent.

“What else are you thinking about?”

“How much I like spending time with you,” you confessed. “But it’s hard, you know. You’ll be in Hell most of the time and you’re made of clay, for crying out loud.” Caliban chuckled. “I didn’t really think you’d be around as often as you are.”

Caliban was silent.

“What are you thinking about?”

“You,” he replied. “I’m always thinking about you. I used to think morality was a disease, but it’s not. It’s a rationale, just like any demonic presence.” Caliban moved closed to you.

“I think about what love is and how I don’t know what it really means.”

“I think love means different things to different people,” you said. “I think it’s mutual respect and loyalty. It’s knowing details about someone, big and small. It’s about being together but knowing you can be independent. Love is hard and it takes time. Love is not instant.”

“You’re pretty wise for an innocent,” he said.

You laughed. “Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic.”

“Maybe not.”

Caliban lifted his body to hover above yours, your chests barely touching as his eyes gazed right over your lips. You dared not to move and Caliban hesitantly leaned down further so that your lips barely brushed against one another, the goosebumps on your skin taking affect. Because you weren’t pulling away, he took it as a silent signal and pressed his chaste lips against your soft ones.

There was no spark. No magic and no fireworks. There was only you and Caliban, and there was no other way you would’ve wanted your first kiss to feel like. Time slowed down as Caliban relaxed by your touch and your hands roamed his neck. The cold outdoor air was replaced by the warmth of Caliban’s body and when he pulled away, he let his thumb stroke your cheek as he cupped the side of your face.

“You are, dare I say, an angel.

“That’s a compliment, considering I know how much you despise them.”

He laughed. “Perhaps I’ll make an exception.”

Caliban leaned down once more to press a tender kiss to your forehead and you closed your eyes in bliss, happy to accept the good that came with the craziness of the last month. You looked at his structured jaw and grinned at his loving gaze, letting out a tired laugh.

“Perhaps.”

[aghostisawish-blog]

RIP

time to die | accepting | @witnessmarked

big massive content warning: death, mention of mental illness, ableist language, body horror maybe ( because of the black mold? jic ), also this is too long for a drabble

Leigh wasn’t answering his calls, always letting them go to voicemail instead, probably deleting them as soon as she heard the first note of Steve’s voice. He understands that. A plethora of wishes, all sprouted and flourished and aged from the same decades-old seed, circle in his head until he’s tired and headachey and heads back to his hotel room.

All he wants to do is sleep all his fuck-ups away. His argument, if it could be called that, with Nell; lying to Leigh; the book; the night Luke and Joey came to his house on a day pass.

And there’s the… illness that’s flaring up. Just a flare-up; it’s not the first time he’s seen his mother, however distorted or silhouetted or hazy or– she was never clear anymore. She’s never been clear since – since when? Since before the House? But no, that was unfair, and it was the mold that did her in. That made her– made her die. Smashed the vanity mirror with the mold he painted over but he didn’t know, did he, he didn’t know and thought it was anything but a genuine threat–

He huffs into his pillow, his head turned to the side with one eye open, watching the red haze of his mother in the corner. Why is she in red? Does the mind put together symbols when nothing makes sense? The Red Room becomes a red mother. Sounds like a load of horseshit: the mind is nonsense and any “meaning” is straw-grabbing.

He needs real sleep, to recharge and be able to think instead of drowning in guilt and dread. Because Leigh will leave him, and it’d be better for her to do that, all the years he’s made her waste with him when he couldn’t give what they both wanted. Just as well, because this is a sign of the future and the future will repeat or rhyme with the past and he can’t put that on his kids, his never-to-be-kids. Even if he’d had the chance, even if he tried to avoid repetition he would’ve done it anyway.

Steve falls asleep against his own body’s alarm: his red mother is coming closer.

Spluttering awake at midnight, Steve sees that the lights are off like someone had flicked the switch for him. He knew they were on when he’d collapsed on the bed but now they weren’t so he must’ve, at some point during the evening, gotten up and done that himself, or one of the cleaning staff saw him and turned the light out. Do they do that? Did he turn it off? Was he so out of it that he doesn’t remember? Probably, yes, he’s often on autopilot these days. These days?

There’s a dip in the bed so real he forgets his scepticism. A hand in his hair and a little hum of a tune he can’t quite remember. Well-kept nails scraping just so against his scalp that makes his skin turn to goosebumps.

When he dares to turn, he doesn’t need the light when the moonlight from out his hotel window shines in just so and illuminates the black mold that’s riddled his mother’s face.

                         “Stevie, my love,”

his mother says, her mouth moving abnormally like her jaw is fractured, as she tightens her grip on his hair like a vice,

                         “come home.”

A cry and wrenching free and he tumbles out of bed, smacking his head against the bedside table, landing hard on bristly blue-green carpet.

The lights are on now. There are tears in Stevie’s eyes and he can’t tell if it’s from grief or fear or dread or the pain of all-too-real fingers that had threatened to rip his scalp off if he did not come home.

He’s not going to die. That’s not his plan, no, he just needs to see the House and understand. Confronting the past and the House, for it is only a house, just a building of neat bricks and walls, would do him some good. Not as much good as, say, seeing a doctor and seeking treatment, but it’ll do for now until he does.

But what is there to understand? Unsure of his own reasoning but gunning for it anyway.

The chain is easy to do away with and he should probably find a proper way of keeping this place closed ( because he’s not calling Dad to do it, no way – all the way in fucking Florida? no ). The House, once he’s out of the car, doesn’t look any different since that last night, when Dad had said that’s not your mother. If Dad saw him now, would he say that’s not my son? No relatives if you’re fucking crazy– if you’re ill.

What do you need to see, Stevie?

Like the lights, he doesn’t remember the short trek over the overgrowth of the garden to the door, or opening it up ( no locks on that, either ), just autopiloted movement and yeah, he should see a doctor at some point even if autopilot mode is normal for normal people. Just nothing but the dark House and it’s shadows.

Then there’s a whisper of his name – Stevie, my love, come home – and he turns and then he turns again and there’s light. The foyer is lit like it used to be before bedtime and it shouldn’t be because the electricity was cut off ( was it? Dad wouldn’t waste that kind of money on this place ) but it’s all on anyway.

More whispering, conspiratorial and familiar and young, and he follows the sounds, sticking to the walls while his heart thunders against his ribcage, while his mind screams to run anywhere but here, anywhere but here, anywhere but here, Stevie, what were you thinking! But he has to see it through. He has to see it through.

They’re all at the dinner table, crowded round, all casual and cosy and comfortable that it makes Steve’s heart ache. Leigh, his beautiful, wonderful wife sees him first and beams at him like she hasn’t done since sometime before the truth spilled out of him. She’s the first to collect him in her arms, and he’s missed her so much, been wanting to fix this rift he’d put between them and made a chasm, so he wraps around her just the same, his breath coming in short staccato gasps as she soothes him. God, but he doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve it when his siblings and his dad gather around him, enveloping him in warmth he doesn’t deserve.

It’s not real! It’s not real! It’s not real!

But they’re so warm. And they’re telling him they understand – about the book, about the money, about his struggling with distinguishing reality from a wish. This last – this last thing they tell him, that Nellie tells him, breaks him, breath becoming spluttered cries as his legs threaten to give out beneath him. Because he has been fearing the worst, that his mind was going ( and it must be, because he’s here and they shouldn’t be and it doesn’t make any sense– ), and he’d– he’d wanted it fixed, not to burden his family but hearing it being acknowledged, especially by his own younger siblings who had suffered more than him–

     “It’s not a competition, Stevie, you know that,” Nellie says.

–it’s not something he wants to admit to wanting.

     “We love you, Steven. We never stopped loving you.”

     “We’re taking the party upstairs,” Shirley says, nudging him in the side like when she used to when they were in college. Kevin is already herding the kids up the shaky-looking metal steps of the spiral steps, followed by Luke and Theo and Dad and Leigh. Nell is hanging back with Arthur, waiting to see if Steve will follow them up. He’s wary, of course he’s wary, look at the steps–

“OK,” he says, trusting them when he shouldn’t. He follows them – Shirley, Arthur, Nellie, him.

His phone rings at the top step, showing the time to be three minutes past midnight. Wow, that’s past the kids’ bedtime. The contact’s name is Nell. He blinks, rubs his eyes, because that can’t be right ( but it is ), because Nellie’s just in front of him – except they’ve all disappeared, and what was lit by wall lights is now dark and dusty and cold. His breath shudders as he answers the phone: “Nellie?”

     “Steve–” She sounds just as out of breath.

“Nellie, is that you? Where are you?” He grips the railing, keeping his eye on the archway leading into the deeper dark, fearing what he knew was coming.

     “It–yes, I’m at home–? Steve, I know– I know it’s late–”

“I love you Nellie, you know that?” He has to let her know, and he only looks to the railing for a second, glancing to gauge how far a way from the stair case he is now, only a second–

     “Steve–” Nell tries to get a word in edgeways just as Mom appears in front of him, her hand gently gripping his jaw to make him look at her, mold and milky eyes and all. If Nellie says anything else, he doesn’t hear it, only his mother’s words.

                         “Welcome home, my love.”

He’s no longer gripping the railing, or his phone: the phone drops to the floor of the balcony, clattering, clattering to the floor below, shattering and distorting the connection the House allows for this moment, and his mother pushes him backwards. The last thing he hears is the fractured and frantic, “Steve! Steve are you there–?” from the shattered phone as his head hits the floor below.

Silence falls over everything in the House.

[puddingwillbeouralways]

T.B.T. - A Thiam fic

I don’t know what this is but it’s fun and I wrote it, so there.

Summary: 

In which Liam has boobs, Theo can't stop staring and Stiles is done with them all. -- “It’s gone.” He says and looks up at everyone until his gaze lands on Theo. He looks inside his pants again, his eyes wide with fear and then looks at Theo again. “Oh my God.” Theo is going to leave him. That’s it. He’s going to lose Theo because of some stupid teenage witch. “My dick is gone, Theo!”

Or as Lydia so eloquently puts it... “Liam pissed off a witch and now his body is female on its period.”

Rating: M

Warnings: Fluff, Established Relationship, Genderswap, Implied Sexual Content, it gets sexy at some point though, touching, description of a woman’s period, humor, crack

You know, witches, man. Witches are evil. No matter what you think, Liam doesn’t care, not after this. He had been perfectly polite to the teenage witch he had found hitting on Theo on his run in the woods! He just called her an evil witch that’d dip her claws into anything with a pulse and had thrown a squirrel at her as a better option than Theo! What?! It had a pulse. And he hadn’t known she was a witch! And Theo had no right running shirtless in the woods, but don’t worry, they will be talking about this later. Right now they had other problems.

You see, they had been playing tag as a pack bonding activity when Liam caught Theo with her hands all over his chest and Liam just snapped. The pack had no idea what had happened. The only part they had caught was the witch turning red with anger and shame, chanting something Liam couldn’t even recognize as a language and then going poof right in front of them!

“What just happened?” Stiles had asked of course. Liam wished he could turn back time, but he didn’t think he’d do anything different, so it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Which brings us to the now, the why he had had such a stupid wish.

Liam has boobs.

No. Really.

He looks down and all he can see is boobs. He can see a bit of his shoes too, they’re not that huge, but they’re there and they’re heavy and Liam is freaking out while Theo is looking at him in awe. He can smell lust coming off the bastard. Liam growls at the scent, but when he sees Theo reaching out to touch, he doesn’t stop him. Instead he moans an incredibly short lasting moan until he hisses in pain. Theo is now cupping his breast – Jesus! He can’t believe he actually has one! Not just one, two of them! – and massaging lightly, but Liam can’t take it. He pushes Theo’s hand away, “Stop,” He almost whimpers. “They’re sore.” He doesn’t know why. He looks at Malia and Lydia who are staring in shock at him. Maybe they know. So, of course, Liam asks. “Are they supposed to be this sore?” He says, rubbing them himself instinctually in a way that is soothing somehow. “Do you guys always feel like that? I thought you enjoyed touching your boobs.” Hayden did, at least as far as he knows. But these were bigger than hers. He looks down again to confirm that, and yeah… they’re definitely bigger. Maybe that makes a difference?

“Oh no,” he hears Lydia say and his head snaps up at the sound, suddenly worried something’s really, really wrong. He wants to cry. Why does he want to cry? Or maybe hit something! That’s more like it!

“Shit.” Malia adds and this doesn’t help the swirl of emotions inside Liam. He wants to run, but he wants to know what’s wrong too and Liam has never felt so confused in his entire life. What’s happening?!

“What?” He asks and when they simply look at each other, he asks again, louder this time, “What?!”

Lydia looks at him resigned, “You’re getting your period.”

Liam frowns. “What?!” That’s not true. “No, I’m not!” That’s impossible. Right?! “I don’t have a period! I’m a man!” He slaps Theo’s chest who is still looking hungrily at his damn boobs. His eyes snap up to Liam’s at that. “Theo, tell them!” he demands. He swears to God he better have been following the conversation because Liam is not stating his manhood again.

Theo smirks then, the awe still on his face, but now smugness is there too and Liam knows he’s going to say something he’ll regret. “Yeah, he’s definitely a man,” Theo says looking him up and down in a way that would have made Liam hit him if it was anybody else. “My ass can attest to that.��� He kisses Liam once after that, a chaste kiss, but it makes Liam smile and the smile he gets in response… God, it wakes up those butterflies in his stomach.

The exchange is not lost by the others, who know Liam would have at least mildly punched him for the comment, but they don’t mention that. A happy Liam is a better Liam for all.

But Lydia has a point to prove and she’s not letting go. She raises an eyebrow at Liam, crosses her arms on her chest, accentuating her own boobs at the same time which makes Liam remember what’s going on around him. “Why don’t you check your pants then,” she says as if she already knows the answer. She probably does.

As Liam goes to unbutton the top of his pants, Mason jumps in, “While you’re at it, is the chest hair there too?”

Theo freezes at that. He loves Liam’s chest hair. He loves to pull at it and make Liam moan, he loves to cuddle against it, he loves to run his hand through it whenever Liam is too tense and Liam needs to relax. You guys don’t get it; Theo loves Liam’s chest hair. Theo turns to Liam in horror, who is busy looking at his own pants, but Theo doesn’t care, he doesn’t care about anything other than… “Oh, no. The chest hair. Liam, please, tell me it isn’t…” he stops unable to say the word gone. It makes him want to pout for the rest of time just thinking about it. Until Liam interrupts him with some horror of his own.

“It’s gone.” He says and looks up at everyone until his gaze lands on Theo. He looks inside his pants again, his eyes wide with fear and then looks at Theo again. “Oh my God.” Theo is going to leave him. That’s it. He’s going to lose Theo because of some stupid teenage witch. “My dick is gone, Theo!” Suddenly, Mason’s question sinks in and he turns to his best friend in confusion, “Also, I thought you hated chest hair.”

Mason just shrugs, “Mostly I do. But yours is kinda artfully there, dude,” he says pointing at Liam’s whole chest area.

Theo growls at that, pulling Liam closer by his waist and Liam smiles delighted. Until he notices that brought his breasts closer to Theo’s face and Theo’s eyes glaze over again looking at them. Immediately, his mood changes and Liam scoffs, pushing Theo away.

Meanwhile, Mason is muttering something about ‘fucking bears’ and everyone hears Corey berate him for it. “No body-shaming, baby,” Corey softens the reprimand with a kiss on his cheek.

Mason shakes his head though, “Oh, I wasn’t body shaming anybody. I was literally talking about that time I fucked a bear.”

Everyone except Corey turns to him in shock varied towards disgust and freaking out. “You what?!?!”

Stiles is gaping like a fish at everything that’s unravelling in front of him. Where is Kira’s sword?! Give it to him! He’ll open up a hole right here to fall into! “This is literally the most scarring conversation of my entire life.” He doesn’t turn to look at his best friend as he speaks next, his brain too shocked to process it all and his eyes too shocked to move from Mason, “Scott, where’s the bleach.”

Scott’s eyes are wide like saucers, his mind is barely keeping up, he’s pretty sure he’s lost something in this conversation because he’s pretty sure Mason just admitted to committing bestiary – or was it beastiality?- and that was a huge no-no for him and just, “I don’t know. But I think I might need it too.”

Mason looks at them before he understands what they’re all thinking and jumps unprompted, shivering in disgust, “Ew! Come on! I didn’t – It wasn’t – It’s a type of guy that’s really hairy, okay?!”

They all exhale a big breath in relief except Liam who does the exact opposite. “Uh, Theo,” he started with trepidation.

“Yeah, babe?”

Liam hesitates before he admits, “The chest hair’s gone.”

“What?!” Theo exclaims and lets go of Liam’s waist to push his t-shirt up, which he probably reconsidered Liam flashing everybody with his newfound boobs and just stretched the neck of the t-shirt to look in there better.

Malia is not that shocked actually. Instead, she rolls her eyes at the pair of them and says, “Of course it’s gone, you have breasts now!”

“Ow, stop touching!” Liam complains, pushing Theo’s probing fingers away. Seriously, no matter how many times he pokes them, they’re still going to stay jiggly, and they’re still going to hurt.

“But,” Theo goes to protest – he just likes touching them okay? They look so soft and squishy and so hot on Liam! – however Liam just glares at him, pointing at him and saying a simple “No!” just like you’d do to a bad dog. Theo just pouts in response and looks longingly at the balls of squish on Liam’s chest.

Stiles is so done. You got that? He’s done! “Okay, we need to fix this. I can’t take this anymore,” he says flailing around and turns to his alpha for guidance, basically begging him to do something – anything! “Scott, Scotty, how do we fix this?”

But the alpha is too shocked to respond, let alone think.

Lydia, though, has a foreboding expression on her face as she says, “We need to fix this before Liam gets his period.”

“Uh, guys?” They all turn to look at Liam. Liam has scrunched up his face in disgust, he’s wincing and grimacing at the same time as he feels something liquid drop out of him. “I think it’s too late.”

“Let’s go to Deaton.” That is the first helpful thing anyone has ever said, thank you Mason. But as Liam goes to take his first step, he freezes. There’s something… God, what is that? “I feel something.” Something’s coming out of him and it feels weird and gross and slime and Liam hates everything right now, heaven and hell and earth and the biology class that he never paid attention to though he doubts it would have told him what this thing is. “Oh. Make it stop. Please.” He stares pleadingly at the girls for any words of wisdom. He’s really freaking out here. He has no idea what’s happening, he has breasts and probably a vagina too and Liam has no idea how to deal with it all. “How do we stop it?”

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