#and it was said that twilight consumed him

[judesmoonbeauty]

Chaotic Night CE: Ellis Twilight

CW: Confinement. It's consensual, but may be triggering for those not good with enclosed spaces.

This is a fan translation. 100% accuracy is not guaranteed. Cybird owns everything. Re-blogs are appreciated, but please do not re-post my translations elsewhere. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope that you enjoy the story! ☾.

The party ended after all the cursed consumed the extract of the Queen of the Night.

Since we didn't know what kind of impact it would have on us, we all decided to stay in our rooms until dawn.

Worried about Ellis, I followed him to his room —

(Is this what they meant by the “curse,” being strengthened?)

Before I knew it, roses and thorns bloomed, and wrapped themselves all around Ellis’ body.

Kate: It looks strange but….it suits you very well.

Ellis: Hehe, if you like it Kate, then I’m glad.

At that moment, a small flower bud blossomed from a thorn.

Kate: Wow…it bloomed.

Ellis: Oh, you’re right.

The blossoming roses were so vibrant, I couldn’t help but admire them.

( It’s beautiful….but, I never expected such a transformation.)

Kate: …Ellis, how does your body feel?

Kate: Roger said it’s not life-threatening, but I wonder about any side-effects.

Ellis: Thanks for worrying about me.

Ellis: But yeah, my body’s condition…

Ellis: For some reason, I keep thinking about how I want to cling to you forever.

Ellis: — I can’t get it out of my head.

Then, the briar thorns slowly grow once, then twice, winding up around Ellis’ body.

Kate: …Uh?

That wasn’t the only change.

Before I knew it, all of the houseplants inside Ellis’ room had been completely replaced by the wild briar thorns,

The thorns are covering the walls, crawling along the ceiling, and are tangled up on the windows —.

In an instant, the entire room is completely covered.

Looking around, the thorny vines twisted around everything, from the door knob to the keyhole.

(Is this further evidence that Ellis’ curse of thorns has strengthened?) No girl, it’s not significant at all.

Once again, I’m overwhelmed at the strength of the “curse,” visibly manifesting in such a imposing way —.

Ellis: …You can’t leave this room now, Kate.

Ellis: I’m glad.

At the same time that he smiled gently, another beautiful rose slowly bloomed from what was once a thorn.

(…That’s right, when Ellis laughed earlier the flowers bloomed.)

Kate: Perhaps, the flowers bloom when you feel happy, Ellis?

Ellis: Should we test that out?

Kate: Mmm.

Just as he squeezed me tightly in a hug, he dropped a kiss —.

Ellis playfully whispered as we slowly parted our lips.

Ellis: Being able to kiss you is one of my joys.

And once again, a rose opened up from a thorn.

Kate: Whoa…! This means you can tell by one look when your happy Ellis.

Ellis stared at me in wide-eyed amazement —.

Ellis: You’re so cute when you get excited each time a flower blooms.

Ellis: I can’t let you go anymore.

Kate: Oh.

I fell onto the bed while still being held tightly.

Ellis: …..Kate.

Kate: Mm….

When his hot lips closed in, he started to slowly suck on my tongue.

I’m left in a daze from the kisses that gently caress the inside of my mouth.

Ellis: ….You’re also cute when you’re dazed from kissing.

As Ellis whispered to me, buds on his shoulders suddenly bloomed.

Kate: …Haa, Ell-lis…..

Ellis: Mm…

Our lips meet over and over, and each time a rose opens up.

Ellis: ….When you’re happy, I’m happy, and so the roses blossom.

Ellis: Hehe, if we stay in this room forever…..we can always be happy, don’t you think?

Looking down on me with darkened twilight eyes —.

Ellis: Kate, you’re also the reason for my thorns.

Kate: Huh?

When I looked, I noticed that Ellis’ thorns were wrapped around my arms and waist.

Ellis: Now, you can’t leave me anymore.

I happily hugged the thorns.

Kate: ….Ellis.

The feelings from the depths of his heart start to fill me up.

Since Ellis and I became a couple, he showed me his desires more than before.

But, tonight was the most intensive that I’ve ever felt his desire.

— I love how honest and selfish Ellis has become with his feelings.

We embraced each other, and soon after, our whole bodies were covered in thorns.

Kate: …It’s odd, even though it’s entwining us, it doesn’t hurt a bit.

The only thing that could be felt were the prickle marks of where the thorns dug into my skin.

Ellis: I’m glad - it means you accept all of me.

In contrast to the smile he wore, his twilight eyes grew darker.

Ellis put his lips to my ear —.

Ellis: Not just with the thorns.

Ellis: I want to lock you up with my hands too.

The feverish whisper made me shiver.

The tone of his voice was carried not only with his “curse”, but also with his greedy desire —.

Kate: ….Yes. Ellis, I want you to lock me up completely.

My heart pounded as I whispered, and then my earlobe was bitten.

Kate: Nnngh.

Ellis: ….It matches my ear piercings.

He licks the bite marks, and I sigh at the sudden relief.

Behind my ears, the nape of my neck, jawline, shoulders, collarbone-

There’s a sweet, burning sensation as the heat increases between his breath and lips.

I can’t move, but I’m happy about that.

The more I love him, the more my lower stomach throbs.

Ellis: I want to go even deeper…..is that okay?

There’s only one choice.

Instead of answering, I hug him tightly.

The wild thorns stretch up to my inner thigh, and I accept their numbing bite.

While impatiently waiting for his large, hot hand to sneak inside, I fell into Ellis’ sweet, sinful bondage.

[Event Master List] Tags List: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @velisle @nateko @greatwitchsongsinger

Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed! Dividers: @.natimiles

[natp20]

huh

[lookitsaworm]

I think everybody should put all of the characters from their favourite fandom into Tomodachi Life so they can see who everybody would end up with and so they can see their favourite characters do weird shit.

[misswynters]

Prophecy

[TAGS: sadness, soft aemond, angst

[notes | i need more soft aemond, not proofread

inspired by @demigoddessqueens <3

gif: @barbieaemond @peachysunrize

Aemond stood on the balcony of Maegor's Holdfast, staring out at the smoldering ruins of King's Landing. The twilight sky was heavy with smoke, the scent of ash and death permeating the air. Despair and anger twisted within him, threatening to consume him whole. His family was gone, scattered like leaves in a storm, leaving him to face the desolation alone.

The weeks leading up to this moment had been a nightmare. Aemond’s rage and fear had grown increasingly volatile, and you bore the brunt of his turmoil. Each time you tried to reach out to him, he shut you down with harsh words and cold stares, lashing out in fear and anger.

“Leave me be!” he had shouted one night, hurling a goblet across the room. It had narrowly missed your head, shattering against the wall behind you. You had flinched but stood your ground, refusing to be driven away by his outbursts.

“Aemond, I’m not your enemy,” you had said softly, your voice trembling. “I want to help you.”

He had turned on you then, his face a mask of fury. “Help me? How can you help me when you don’t understand? When you can’t possibly know what it’s like to have everyone you love ripped away from you?”

You had taken a step back, tears brimming in your eyes. “I understand more than you think. But you need to let me in, Aemond. You can’t keep pushing me away.”

His response had been to storm out, leaving you alone in the shattered remnants of his anger. It had been like this for weeks—moments of near-violence, followed by suffocating silence. Each time you approached him, he would lash out, his fear of losing you manifesting as uncontrollable rage.

Now, as he stood on the balcony, the weight of his grief pressing down on him, he felt a familiar dread. His grip on the stone railing tightened, his knuckles white. Memories of a childhood marked by doubt, insecurity, and fear surged to the surface. The tears that pooled in his eye were an unwelcome reminder of his vulnerability, and he despised himself for this perceived weakness.

Footsteps echoed softly behind him, but he didn't turn until he heard your voice. "Aemond?"

He turned slowly, his heart heavy. Your eyes, filled with worry and concern, met his. It was almost too much to bear.

"Would you leave me all the same, my love?" His voice was raw, laced with a bitterness that surprised even him. "Just like my family?"

Your eyes widened with hurt, and you stepped closer. "Aemond, no. I would never leave you. I'm here. I'm always here."

He scoffed, turning away from you. "That's what they all said. And look where I am now. Alone."

"Aemond," you pleaded, reaching out to touch his arm. "Please, look at me."

He remained rigid, the tears finally spilling over. "I don't know how to hold on anymore. Everyone I've ever loved is gone. How can I believe you'll stay?"

You moved in front of him, your frustration bubbling over. "You get like this when you're losing me or when you're being challenged. You shut down, lash out, and push everyone away. But I'm still here, Aemond, despite all of it. I’ve seen the worst of you, and I haven’t left."

He stared at you, anger and confusion warring in his eye. "How can you understand? You don’t know what it’s like."

"You’re right," you said, your voice firm. "I don’t but i can see how it’s affecting you. I don’t want you to end up in a place you aren’t meant for."

He looked away, the weight of your words sinking in. "But what if I can't protect you? What if I fail you like I've failed everyone else?"

"You haven't failed me," you whispered, your thumb brushing away his tears. "And you won't. We will face whatever comes."

Aemond's shoulders shook with silent sobs, and despite his initial resistance, he allowed himself to be pulled into your embrace. "I'm so scared," he admitted, his voice breaking. "I've lost so much...I can't lose you too."

You held him close, your own tears mingling with his. "You won't lose me, Aemond. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this. Together."

He clung to you, his walls crumbling in the face of your unwavering support. As he held you, he felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, amidst the ruins, there could be a new beginning.

But then he pulled back slightly, his expression shifting to one of deep worry. "Helaena," he whispered. "She told me something. She said I would die when I go harrenhal and fight a battle at the Gods Eye." Your heart clenched at his words but remained silent since you didn’t know what to say. You didn’t want aemond to die a brutal death, it can’t be true. However aemond pulled you out of your mind as he spoke.

"I've always trusted her visions," he continued, voice shaking. "If she's right...if I'm fated to die, how can I keep you safe? How can I protect you from what’s coming?"

You took his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your gaze. "We can't live in fear of what might be. Helaena's visions may come true, but they don't define us. We face whatever comes, together. And if you go to the Gods Eye, then I'll be by your side, no matter what happens."

Aemond's eye searched yours, filled with uncertainty and fear. "I can't lose you," he repeated, voice barely above a whisper.

"You won't," you vowed. "Not now, not ever. We're stronger together, Aemond. And we'll face whatever comes, side by side."

In that moment, amidst the ruins and the smoke, Aemond found a glimmer of hope. With you by his side, he felt a strength he had thought lost forever. And though the future remained uncertain, he knew that, together, you could face whatever fate had in store.

tags: @benjicotblckwood @beebeechaos @spn-obession

banner by: @cafekitsune

[blackgirlsrxck]

Old Friends, New Dangers

a/n: Yall... I cooked with this one omg. Like as soon as it turns October, my urge to write Twilight fanfiction becomes so extreme. I used to write them all the time on another account, but I don't use it anymore. Anyways... Enjoy <3

summary: paul imprints on someone unexpected

word count: 4.1k

-

The air was thick with the mist of the Pacific Northwest as Y/n moved swiftly through the towering pines. Her heightened senses caught every rustle of leaves, every breath of the wind. Forks had always felt suffocating, even when she visited the Cullens long ago. Today, it was a reminder of the family she hadn’t stood with when they faced their greatest threat.

The guilt sat heavy in her chest like a stone. You should’ve been there, she thought. They needed you.

But her own crisis had been just as consuming. In truth, she had barely survived her encounter with the rogue coven that had hunted her for years. The Volturi battle hadn’t been the only war in the world, and Y/n had been fighting her own.

Y/n caught her reflection in a passing creek and paused, crouching by the water. Her deep brown skin glowed faintly in the dim light, and her eyes—still a vivid crimson—stared back at her. The Cullens had always been different, with their golden eyes that symbolized their vegetarian lifestyle. She couldn’t deny the hunger that burned in her throat. A hundred years of resisting temptation, and yet, she still wasn’t one of them.

Her long, layered silk press flowed around her like liquid ebony, even in the dampness of the forest air. She ran a hand through it absentmindedly as she sighed. She would never fit in perfectly with the Cullens. That’s why she left. That’s why she was a nomad.

But Carlisle had always been kind, and she owed him an explanation.

-

The Cullen mansion appeared like a shimmering beacon amidst the trees—modern, sleek, and yet hidden in the remote woods of Forks. Y/n approached cautiously. It had been too long, and while she trusted Carlisle, the others might not welcome her as easily.

As she neared the house, she slowed, her footsteps becoming light, barely touching the ground. Before she could reach the porch, a flash of movement caught her eye. Edward, unsurprisingly, was the first to appear. He stepped out of the shadows, his golden eyes scanning her with cautious intensity. Y/n could feel his mind brush against hers as he tried to read her thoughts.

Edward, she mentally projected, I'm not here to cause trouble.

His expression softened slightly, but not by much. Bella emerged from behind him, holding Renesmee close. Her face was stoic, protective.

Y/n gave them a small smile, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, but the tension was unmistakable.

The front door opened, and Carlisle stepped out, his face breaking into a gentle, welcoming smile. "Y/n," he said warmly. "It’s been too long."

Y/n felt a wave of relief at his tone. “Carlisle,” she breathed, stepping forward. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed his calm, fatherly presence. She could feel the eyes of the rest of the family from the windows inside—Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie—all watching her, assessing the potential danger she posed.

Esme appeared beside Carlisle, her expression equally warm, though tinged with concern. “We’re glad to see you safe,” she said softly, her kind eyes studying Y/n’s features.

Y/n swallowed the knot in her throat. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” she started. “When the Volturi came. I should have been here, but…”

Carlisle shook his head, his smile never wavering. “You had your own battles to fight. I understand.”

“Still,” Y/n continued, “I should’ve done more. I let you all down.” She looked at him, guilt in her red eyes. She hadn’t even realized how heavy the burden was until she was standing before him.

“I’m just glad you’re here now,” Carlisle replied, putting a hand on her shoulder in that reassuring way he always had. "What matters is that you’re safe.”

Edward, still tense, stepped forward slightly, eyeing Y/n with suspicion. “It’s not just the past we need to worry about,” he said, his voice low. “You’re still hunting humans, aren’t you?”

The air froze around them. Y/n couldn’t deny it, even though the accusation stung. She had never fully embraced the vegetarian lifestyle the Cullens so strictly adhered to, and that was something she had wrestled with for years.

“I am,” she admitted, her voice steady but guarded. “But I’m not a threat to you. I’ve always respected your way of life, even if I can’t live it.”

Bella frowned slightly, her arms still wrapped protectively around Renesmee. "It's not just about us," she said. "The wolves...they’re still patrolling. You know how they feel about vampires who aren’t like us."

Y/n’s brows furrowed. She had almost forgotten about the Quileute wolves, the natural protectors of this land. They were bound to sense her presence soon, if they hadn’t already.

-

Moments later, as if on cue, the unmistakable sound of paws hitting the earth reverberated in the distance. Y/n’s sharp senses picked it up immediately, and she tensed. The wolves.

Jacob, accompanied by two others, was running toward the Cullen home, his expression as intense as ever. One of the wolves shifted mid-run, and a shirtless man stood before them in seconds. His dark eyes immediately locked onto Y/n, a defensive scowl crossing his features.

Paul.

He was as she remembered him—fierce, quick-tempered, and ever-ready for a fight. His muscled frame was tense, and even though he stood in human form now, the aggression in his posture was undeniable. Y/n’s presence alone was enough to set him off. She could sense it, the way his heartbeat quickened, his fists clenching at his sides.

“What’s she doing here?” Paul growled, his voice dripping with hostility.

Jacob stepped in front of Paul, placing a hand on his chest to calm him down. “She’s not a threat, Paul. Relax.”

But Y/n could see it wasn’t that simple. Paul’s eyes flickered between her and the Cullens, mistrust etched into every line of his face. She could feel the heat of his anger from where she stood, but something strange rippled through the air between them—an unfamiliar, electric pull.

For a moment, their eyes locked, and Y/n’s breath hitched. She had been around enough wolves to know their instincts were unpredictable, but this… this was different. She could feel Paul’s emotions crackling in the air, but underneath the aggression, there was something else. Something raw, primal, and entirely unexpected.

Paul took a step back, his expression shifting from anger to confusion, as though he were fighting something within himself. His jaw clenched, his fists tightening. “No… no way,” he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Y/n frowned, her brow furrowed. “What… what’s happening?”

Jacob’s eyes widened in realization, and he turned to Paul, his expression one of shock. “Paul… did you just imprint?”

Paul's face paled, and his body went rigid. The fury in his eyes had been replaced by sheer confusion, and for the first time since Y/n had met him, Paul looked… vulnerable.

Y/n felt her stomach drop, her vampire instincts screaming at her to run, but something deeper, something more human, rooted her to the spot. She didn’t understand what had just happened, but she knew it had changed everything.

-

The tension hung thick in the air, thicker than the mist swirling through the trees around the Cullen home. Y/n’s mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Imprinting—a bond she had heard of only in stories—had been something she never expected to encounter, let alone be the center of. But there was no mistaking it. The way Paul’s aggressive stance had melted into confusion, the raw emotions flickering in his dark eyes—it was undeniable.

But she was a vampire, and he was a wolf. This shouldn’t have been possible.

Paul stood frozen a few feet away, his broad chest heaving as he struggled with the same realization. Y/n could see the conflict written on his face, his entire being torn between his natural instinct to hate her and this newfound, overwhelming need to protect her. She didn’t know what to make of it, and judging by the way he was clenching and unclenching his fists, neither did he.

Jacob, standing off to the side, broke the silence first, his voice low but firm. “Paul, you need to calm down.”

“I—” Paul’s voice cracked, as though the words were stuck in his throat. He took another step back, shaking his head like he was trying to wake up from a bad dream. His gaze darted toward Y/n, then back to Jacob. “This can’t be happening.”

Y/n shifted uncomfortably, the weight of everyone’s eyes on her. The Cullens were watching with concern, and she could feel Bella’s protectiveness radiating toward Renesmee. Even Edward, though usually composed, had a look of uncertainty about him. Everyone was waiting to see what she would do next.

She was waiting to see what she would do next.

Her throat tightened, and she took a cautious step forward. “Paul... I don’t know what this means either. But I—”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, his voice harsh as he glared at her. “Just… don’t.”

The sharpness in his tone stung, but Y/n understood. Paul had always been quick to anger, but this was different. He was terrified, and the idea of a connection to someone like her—a vampire, someone his kind was sworn to protect against—had to be shattering everything he thought he knew.

Carlisle, ever the diplomat, stepped between them, his voice calm and measured. “I think we should all take a moment to process this. This situation is… unprecedented.”

Paul let out a bitter laugh, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. “Unprecedented? Carlisle, she’s not supposed to be here! She’s dangerous!”

Y/n felt a flare of indignation rise in her chest, but she bit back her retort. Paul wasn’t entirely wrong. She wasn’t a vegetarian like the Cullens, and her bloodlust was a constant battle, especially around humans. The wolves had every reason to be wary of her.

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. “I came to apologize to Carlisle and the Cullens, not to be a threat to anyone.”

Paul’s jaw clenched as he stared at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “Then why does it feel like everything’s spiraling out of control the second you show up?”

-

Paul couldn’t breathe. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face—those vivid red eyes, her smooth dark skin, her presence that now felt like a gravitational pull he couldn’t escape. And he didn’t know if he wanted to.

He stormed through the trees, Jacob jogging behind him, trying to keep up. Paul could hear his thoughts, trying to calm him, trying to make sense of the situation, but it wasn’t working. Nothing made sense anymore. He had spent years hating vampires, especially ones like Y/n who fed on humans, and now, fate had decided to tether him to one?

“Paul, slow down!” Jacob finally called out, stopping a few feet behind him.

Paul stopped abruptly, his hands shaking as he ran them through his hair, tugging at it. “Why her?” he growled, his voice barely above a whisper. “Of all people—why a vampire?”

Jacob exhaled, walking over to him slowly. “Imprinting doesn’t care about stuff like that. You know that better than anyone.”

“Yeah, but this is different,” Paul snapped, turning to face his alpha. “This isn’t some random human girl. She’s a predator.”

Jacob crossed his arms, his gaze serious. “And yet, you can’t hurt her. You feel the need to protect her, right?”

Paul said nothing, but his silence was answer enough.

Jacob placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice softening. “I know this is a lot, Paul. But imprinting isn’t something you can fight. You know that.”

Paul clenched his fists. He didn’t want to protect Y/n. He wanted to push her away, to stay as far from her as possible. But every time he thought about leaving, something deep inside him rebelled against the idea. His instincts—the ones that had guided him as a wolf, that had kept him alive—now screamed at him to stay close to her, to make sure she was safe.

“How the hell am I supposed to deal with this?” Paul muttered, more to himself than Jacob.

Jacob sighed. “You’ll figure it out. But whatever happens, we’ve got your back. Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

-

Y/n had never felt so out of place in her life. She stood in the living room of the Cullen house, her back against the cool glass window as Alice sat perched on the edge of a couch, watching her with curious eyes.

“You okay?” Alice asked softly, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

Y/n sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Honestly? No. I have no idea what just happened out there.”

Alice gave her a knowing smile. “Imprinting is... complicated. Even for us, it’s hard to fully understand. But from what I can see, Paul’s entire world just got flipped upside down.”

Y/n couldn’t suppress the scoff that escaped her lips. “What about my world? I didn’t ask for this either.”

Alice’s smile faded slightly, and she stood up, moving to stand beside Y/n. “I know. But the imprint bond... it’s powerful. It’s not something that can be easily ignored. I think, deep down, you feel it too.”

Y/n glanced at her, frowning. “What are you saying?”

Alice’s eyes were gentle, but firm. “You feel it too, don’t you? That pull. Like something’s shifted inside you.”

Y/n opened her mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. She did feel something—something strange and new, a connection she didn’t understand. And that terrified her. She had spent years avoiding attachments, running from anything that could make her vulnerable. Now, she was bound to a man who was sworn to hate her.

“I can’t,” Y/n muttered, shaking her head. “This isn’t... I’m not someone who can just fit into this world. I’ve always been on my own.”

Alice touched her arm gently. “You don’t have to be. Not anymore.”

Y/n’s red eyes met Alice’s golden ones, searching for some kind of reassurance, some way to make sense of the chaos swirling inside her. But there was no easy answer.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Alice,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alice smiled softly, her gaze understanding. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Just... take it one step at a time.”

-

Later that night, Y/n found herself wandering through the woods outside the Cullen house, her mind still spinning with the events of the day. The sound of footsteps behind her made her stop.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Paul,” she said, her voice quiet.

He stepped into view, his expression a mixture of anger and frustration, but something else simmered beneath the surface—something softer, more vulnerable.

“Why are you out here alone?” he asked, his voice low but intense.

Y/n crossed her arms, her eyes locking onto his. “I needed space. Everything’s… complicated.”

Paul let out a harsh laugh. “Yeah. No kidding.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the tension between them thick and unspoken. Finally, Paul broke the silence.

“I didn’t ask for this,” he said, his voice rough. “This... connection. I don’t understand it. I don’t want it.”

Y/n’s chest tightened. “You think I do? I never asked for any of this either. But it’s happening, and we have to deal with it.”

Paul looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time since the imprint. His eyes softened, and for a brief moment, the anger drained from his face. “I don’t know how to do that.”

Y/n took a deep breath, her heart racing in a way it hadn’t since she became a vampire. “Neither do I.”

They stood there, two enemies bound by fate, neither knowing what the future held. But one thing was clear: neither could walk away, no matter how hard they tried.

-

The silence between Y/n and Paul was thick with unsaid words, the night air around them charged with tension neither of them fully understood. They stood just inside the tree line, the Cullen house glowing softly in the distance, but it might as well have been a world away.

For the past few days, since their initial confrontation, Y/n had kept her distance from the Cullens and the wolves. She spent her nights wandering through the forest, wrestling with the unfamiliar pull of the imprint. Paul had been keeping his distance too, but she could feel him—his presence, his emotions—like an invisible tether, always pulling her back to him no matter how far she tried to run.

Now, here they were again. Neither able to stay away. Neither able to make sense of it all.

Paul’s dark eyes flicked up to meet hers, something raw and vulnerable in them that hadn’t been there before. He took a step closer, and she held her ground, though every instinct in her told her to back away.

“Why do I feel like this?” Paul muttered, his voice thick with frustration. “I can’t stop thinking about you, even though I don’t want to.”

Y/n’s chest tightened. She felt the same way—an inexplicable need to be near him, to protect him, to make sure he was safe, even if it made no sense. But she wasn’t about to admit that. Not yet.

“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “Maybe… maybe it’s the imprint. Maybe it’s messing with both of us.”

Paul’s jaw clenched. “It’s more than that. I can’t even think straight. All I know is I’m supposed to be near you, and it’s driving me insane.”

Y/n exhaled sharply, crossing her arms defensively. “I never asked for this, Paul. I didn’t ask for you to imprint on me. I’ve spent my entire life avoiding connections like this. I don’t do… attachment.”

His eyes darkened, his frustration shifting into something more intense. “Yeah, well, neither do I. I’ve spent my life hating vampires. And now I’m stuck feeling like I need to protect one.”

She felt the sting of his words, but she couldn’t blame him. He had every right to be angry, just as she did. But this was their reality now, and neither of them could escape it.

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their shared predicament pressing down on them like a suffocating blanket. Then, Paul’s voice broke through the stillness, softer this time.

“I don’t want to hate you.”

Y/n’s eyes snapped to his, surprised by the vulnerability in his voice. “What?”

Paul ran a hand through his hair, exhaling harshly. “I don’t want to hate you. I don’t know what the hell this is, but… I don’t want to fight it anymore.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, confusion swirling inside her. She had spent so long building walls around herself, protecting herself from feeling anything too deeply. But here was Paul, someone who should have been her natural enemy, standing in front of her, telling her he didn’t want to fight anymore.

The walls she had built felt fragile now, crumbling in the face of something neither of them could control.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Paul stepped closer, so close she could feel the heat radiating off him despite the cool night air. “Neither do I. But we’ll figure it out.”

-

The next day, Y/n found herself back at the Cullen house, standing in the middle of the living room, surrounded by the wary eyes of the pack. Jacob had called a meeting after Paul admitted to the imprint, hoping to ease the tension between the wolves and the vampires. But Y/n could feel the distrust thick in the air.

Sam stood at the front of the group, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He had been quiet since she arrived, listening to everything with a cold, calculating look. Y/n’s gaze flickered to Paul, who was standing off to the side, his eyes constantly darting between her and his packmates. He looked on edge, like he was waiting for something to snap.

“We can’t just ignore this,” Sam said, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of steel in it. “Paul’s imprinted on a vampire. A non-vegetarian vampire.”

Y/n stiffened, feeling the weight of their eyes on her, judging her. She wanted to defend herself, to argue that she wasn’t a threat, but the truth was more complicated. She wasn’t like the Cullens. She had fed on humans, and even though she had never hurt anyone near Forks, it was hard to deny what she was.

“I know what I am,” Y/n said, her voice steady. “I’m not like the Cullens. I’ve made mistakes. But I’m not here to cause trouble. I came here to apologize, and now I’m just trying to figure out how to deal with… this.”

She glanced at Paul, who met her eyes with a look that told her he was as confused as she was.

Jacob stepped forward, his voice more diplomatic. “Imprinting is out of anyone’s control. We’ve dealt with this before. You all know that.” He glanced meaningfully at Sam. “We’ve had other imprints that broke the rules, but we found a way to handle it.”

Sam’s expression didn’t soften. “This isn’t the same as imprinting on a human. She’s dangerous.”

Paul growled softly under his breath, his protectiveness flaring up. “She’s not dangerous to me.”

Sam’s eyes snapped to Paul, his expression hardening. “Are you willing to risk that?”

Y/n tensed. She had been around the pack long enough to know the importance of the alpha’s word, and Sam’s opinion carried a lot of weight. If he decided she was too much of a risk, it would put a strain on the tenuous peace between the wolves and the vampires.

“I won’t hurt him,” Y/n said quietly, her voice firm. “I don’t know what this imprinting thing means, but I know one thing—I don’t want to hurt anyone. Especially not Paul.”

The room fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in.

After what felt like an eternity, Sam finally nodded, though his expression remained guarded. “For now, we’ll keep an eye on the situation. But if anything changes, if you put anyone at risk—” He let the threat hang in the air.

Y/n didn’t need him to finish the sentence. She understood the stakes.

-

Later that evening, Y/n found herself standing at the edge of the woods again, staring out at the fading sunlight. She had always found comfort in the stillness of the forest, but tonight, her mind was restless.

Paul appeared beside her, silent as ever. She didn’t turn to face him, but she could feel his presence like a flame burning beside her.

“Are you okay?” he asked after a long pause.

Y/n shrugged, keeping her eyes on the trees. “I don’t know. Everything feels... different now. I don’t know how to be this person—the one who’s tied to someone else.”

Paul was quiet for a moment, then he let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, it’s weird for me too.”

Y/n glanced at him, surprised by the amusement in his tone. “What’s so funny?”

Paul shrugged, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. “I guess I never imagined I’d be standing here talking about feelings with a vampire.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that, the tension easing between them. “I never imagined I’d be stuck with a wolf.”

They stood in comfortable silence for a few moments, both of them staring out at the forest as the night deepened.

Then, Paul spoke again, his voice softer this time. “I’m not good at this... at talking about stuff like this. But I know one thing—I can’t let anything happen to you.”

Y/n’s breath caught in her throat. The sincerity in his voice, the intensity of his gaze—it was overwhelming. She had spent so long running from attachments, pushing people away, but with Paul, it felt different. It felt inevitable.

“I don’t need protecting,” she said quietly, though her voice lacked conviction.

Paul’s eyes softened. “Maybe not. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to protect you.”

The weight of his words settled over her, and for the first time, Y/n didn’t feel the need to argue. She didn’t feel the need to run.

Maybe this was what the imprint was supposed to be. Maybe this connection between them was something she couldn’t fight anymore.

And for the first time in a long time, Y/n wasn’t sure she wanted to.

[sophiamarieispinkbunny-chan]

Forger Fam and WISE Budget😅

Sylvia’s current concern according to Endo: Balancing WISE Budget

I mean how couldn’t she be concerned when maintaining Strix is so financially consuming.

I mean look at all the expenses the Forger family has made in less than a year:

1.Anya’s tuition that costs about $35,000 to $40,000, and that doesn’t include the uniform and school supplies.

2.Anya’s clothes and she seemed to have new clothes regularly and Endo said these are mostly bought by Loid/Twilight.

3.That castle rent that costs more than $77 000 and added the other check, I'm guessing for the furniture they used, that costs $17 600. (Yes, it costs more than Anya's tuition fee, I mean it's a castle 😂)

4.Loid could also not just be purchasing clothes for Anya. It looks like he also pays for Yor’s wardrobe and Yor mentioned that he got so many clothes for her in the boutique before the Eden Interview.

5.Loid is also the one who pays for their dates, seems like, and his dates with Yor doesn’t seem cheap at all, they seem to dine at fancy restaurants that require reservation.

6.The big heap of cash he pays Franky every time he babysits Anya and Bond.

And here it looks like the check his giving Franky costs 20,000 dalcs that is equivalent to $44,000 (one dalc is quivalent to $2.20). It's even more expensive than Anya's tuition, what?! 😂😂 (Twilight is literally willing to spend a lot money just to be sure that Anya won't be home alone ever again, he's not taking a chance on her being kidnapped again when he left her alone on ep1)

7.Loid didn’t seem to also hold back in spending a good amount of money for their apartments furniture and for Anya’s bedroom and even bought her a lot of toys and picture books.

8.And of course their out of town/out of the country family trips featured in the Code White movie. Those must’ve cost a lot considering they have to book a hotel and all. And according to a movie spoiler from tiktok, that wasn’t the last time they went on a family out of town trip.

Loid Forger does have a high paying profession. However, according to Endo, his earnings as a psychiatrist were only about $140,000 per year, not per month, PER YEAR. How could he cover that much expenses? Of course WISE covers the rest if it was crucial to the mission, or when Twilight insists it to be. I mean he always says that everything he does is for his mission so the one who has to pay was the one who gave him that mission.

(Most of these expenses didn't even contribute to the progress of Operation Strix. It just funds Twilight into sinking deeper into his fake fam and keeps the family even more attached to each other😂)

Endo said WISE is not really generous when it comes to paying their agents but they seem to be lenient on spending their money on the Forgers. I mean they have to invest for their Top Spy's family and World Peace do depend on them.

So Twilight, pile the bills and let Sylvia handle the rest😂

[lieslab]

Paris twilight

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin X fem reader

Summary: A joint Versace event leads to a memorable night in Paris.

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 2.2K

A/N: This was a request from like over a month ago, so here it finally is. I made this super fluffy and kinda sicky sweet compare to what I usually write, so I hope you enjoy it!!

_ _ _

“Look over here! Over here!”

“And this way!” 

“Give us big smiles!” 

You’d never get used to it, at least, you didn’t think you would. Your head swiveled back and forth and the smile you wore grew brighter. Cameras flashed like stars and no matter how much you tried to ignore it, you couldn’t. 

The bright lights made it hard to see, but you had a job to do. Instead of sulking or complaining, your head remained upright. Your spine straightened and you waved out at the paparazzi lining the carpet. 

Further down the way, Hyunjin was doing his own thing in the custom outfit that Donatella made for him. It was a never-before seen thing, one that his company hesitated to agree to, but Hyunjin assured them that he was comfortable with it. 

The sheer golden shirt left nothing to the imagination and it glittered in the camera light. Tucked smoothly into black pants with a matching fierce eyeliner, it was unlike anything he ever did before. His siren eyes scanned the cameras and he shifted and posed again. 

You were in an outfit that you weren’t sure you liked at first. The black dress hung down to your mid-thighs. It was tight against your form and golden chains were used as straps. They hung loose off the sides of your shoulders and strung up along the front of your chest. They shrouded you in glistening gold to make you sparkle like a star. 

You were in gold highlighter and a matching eyeliner. Just as Hyunjin’s pants matched your dress, your makeup, jewelry, and dress straps and harness complimented his look. Donatella had purposefully coordinated the outfits to go together and the media was going to eat it up. 

You could already imagine the buzz of rumors from Dispatch. You and Hyunjin had already been questioned about your relationship before, but you always played it off as business. 

A photo of you together was taken at a cafe three months ago. You were laughing at something Hyunjin said and you were entirely unaware of the sasaeng that watched the two of you go into the building together. 

Another photo was leaked to the media only a few weeks later. Hyunjin and you were talking while consuming sushi. In the photo, he was bent over the table on his elbows. His chopsticks were posed to take a piece of sushi off your plate. 

It was somewhat true. You two had indeed been going to places because you were discussing work. You had your own thing and Hyunjin had his music. That first photo of the two of you taken together changed your life entirely. 

When Hyunjin was questioned by Donatella herself on your identity, he tried to play it off. Just work buddies. Just good friends. However, the further she pressed, the weaker he grew. How could he lie to Donatella? She gave him so much, so he caved. 

After a few meetings and measurement intakes, you were set to be Hyunjin’s plus one at her latest event. Donatella was thrilled the moment she laid her eyes on you. She had dreams of turning you into a Versace star. Whatever Donatella wanted, Donatella got it one way or another. 

You and Hyunjin tried to keep your romantic relationship hidden, but the moment that Dontella shared a back scene photo of the two of you smiling at each other and captioned it ‘Versace royalty,’ you were both screwed.

The secret was unraveling, fans were speculating, more outrageous rumors were brewing, so this was the night you were both set to come clean. Your heart had been beating a hundred miles a minute since you stepped out of the car. Hyunjin walked ahead and you followed after him, hoping the layer of makeup hid your blush. 

After bypassing security, you hit the carpet. The stars couldn’t get into the event without clearing the carpet first. Other guests could easily avoid it, but not you two. Donatella had made it very clear that she wanted you two to show off your outfits. Her team put in so much time and she didn’t want it to go to waste. 

“Are you ready?” Hyunjin mumbled as he stepped closer to you. His body was still as warm as you remembered. So many cameras and yet he was acting like this was no big deal. 

All you could do was nod. Your eyes found the ground and you blinked a few times. There were so many cameras and your vision was starting to flicker. A headache was threatening to break at any moment. You’d hate to sit through the event feeling miserable. 

He reached out and gently grabbed your chin. His dark eyes meant yours and for a brief moment, the cameras stopped. The two of you had traveled here to Paris together. From the plane, to the hotel, to car rides, you had never been alone in this adventure. Hyunjin had been right beside you and reassured you the entire time. 

Paris was the city of love. This morning, the two of you walked a few blocks to a less busy cafe. You pointed out the architecture and awed over it. Brightly colored flowers spilled over some areas. Bakeries smelled like yeast, sugar, and freshly baked bread. 

The more you walked around the city, the more you fell in love with it all. You were probably knocked as tourists by the locals, but you didn’t care. Hyunjin and you walked side-by-side and pulled bread from a still warm baguette. 

You sipped lattes and talked about dreams. Hyunjin fell for Paris almost as much as he fell in love with you. A barat sat on his head and at one point, he wrapped his arms around yours. His warm breath recited some cheesy line from a romantic poem and caused your cheeks to warm. 

He laughed at your blush as he pulled away. “Look at you, you’re just so cute!” He gently nudged your cheek with the baguette and while you complained, that teasing grin never left his face. 

That was then and this was now. The two of you didn’t kiss on the city streets. There were too many people and you were already risking your relationship with being so handsy, but it didn’t really matter because it was going to be hard launched tonight. You dreaded this moment then, but as his soft lips met yours, your heart melted. 

He was as sweet as the french pastry you had for dessert after your lunch. Your lips moved against him and the crowd gasped all at once. In the distance, someone shrieked and the camera shutters flickered faster. 

Hyunjin pulled away with a half-smirk. Beneath the lights, your pupils were dazed and your lips had slightly parted. He was away, but you still craved him desperately. You wanted more and as much as you would have loved to grab his face and kiss him again, you had a professional obligation to uphold. 

Hyunjin’s hand grabbed yours and with his other, he waved to the crowd. Your flushed cheeks stayed put as your hand gripped his tighter. All you could do was smile as he tugged you towards the event. 

You were breathless, joyous, and most importantly, you were in love. It striked your heart like a roaring match. It echoed in your ears with the pulsing of your blood. Butterflies brushed against your stomach and beneath the dwindling sunlight, it felt just how love should. 

_ _ _ 

You couldn’t remember much of the event a few hours later. Your mind was too busy focusing on Hyunjin. From the way he looked beneath the sheer top to the lights illuminating the happiness in his eyes. You wanted to photograph this photo and keep it safe forever. 

Donatella’s very own prince and princess, her Versace royalty. Hyunjin mentioned that she had more plans involving the two of you, but you didn’t mind. As long as you were with Hyunjin and he was okay with it, you were prepared for whatever she wanted from the two of you. It’s not often that someone with so much influence and inspiration catches not just one, but two muses. 

Out against an iron balcony, you sipped your glass of champagne alone. Hyunjin slipped off to go talk to a few people and he offered to bring you along, but you wanted a moment to take a breather. 

The bathrooms were full of dazzling women. They complimented your dress and the way your hair hung. They applauded your golden gloss eyelids and the way you carried yourself with such confidence. Everyone wanted to be as radiant and put together as the Versace Princess herself. 

“Would you look at that? It seems the princess ran away from her prince.” Footsteps approached you from behind. An arm wrapped around your bare shoulders. “Looks like we’re going to have to fix that,” Hyunjin teased. 

“You left me first.” 

“I offered you a chance to come along.” 

“I know, but I wanted to catch a break. Besides, can you blame me? Look at this view.” Your arm gestured out into the dead of night. 

Inside, the afterparty was full of dancing bodies. The alcohol poured and loosened everyone up. Models and celebrities were sneaking bits of conversation while circling the snack table. Donatella was making her rounds and thanking people for showing up and helping her team. 

Multi-colored lights flickered and the music turned up. A dance floor was pushed off to the side. Hired staff served beverages and even more staff kept the snack bar flowing steadily. 

On the outside, it was just the two of you alone. Across the darkness, the Eiffel Tower stood covered in golden lights. It seemed so small from where you were, so it was hard to believe it was actually pretty large up close. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Hyunjin’s arms wrapped around your torso. His chin found a perch against the crook of your neck. “The Eiffel Tower is stunning at night, but it’s not as dazzling as you.” 

“Could you get any cheesier?” You playfully swatted his arm. “You’ve got to be kidding. That thing is amazing and it puts me to shame. Look at all the glittering lights. They look a lot like stars.” 

“It doesn’t make up even a fourth of your beauty and I can prove it.” 

“Hyunjin, I-” You yelped. He pushed you back and an arm moved to support you from behind. One of your heels raised in the air as he bent you down in a dip. His lips pressed against yours and he held you against his body. 

Your fingers curled weakly against your wine glass. You struggled to keep it upright as you kissed him back. Beneath the blanketing darkness of Paris, you had never felt so alive. Every nerve inside your body vibrated with glee. 

You smiled into the kiss and no matter how hard you tried to stop, you simply couldn’t. The muscles of your face had a mind of their own. You were being dipped down by the love of your life and then- 

Click! 

Hyunjin’s face pulled away from yours instantly. He glanced over his shoulder to find Donatella standing in the doorway of the balcony. He quickly pulled you upright onto your feet and tried to stutter out an explanation, but she held up a hand to stop him. 

Her cell phone sat in her other hand and a smile spread across her face. “I came to say thank you for being my prince and princess, but I wasn’t aware that you were preoccupied with romantic affairs.” 

Your brain was screaming at you. How could you be so stupid? She knew you were together, but this was an afterparty for such a grand event. The two of you weren’t supposed to be snogging on the balcony. 

“I’m sorry, I-” 

“Don’t apologize, look at this!” She turned her phone to show you the photo she took of you kissing. The flash illuminated your bodies pressed against each other. It captured everything from your smile against Hyunjin’s lips to the way the Eiffel Tower posed perfectly in the background. 

“Can I post this on my Instagram?” Her eyes darted back and forth between the two of you. Her lips pressed together and she lightly bounced with excitement. 

Hyunjin glanced at you and you nodded. The two of you finally agreed and she squealed. Before you knew it, she rushed forward. Floral perfume embraced the two of you as she threw her arms over your bodies. 

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My Versace Prince and Princess!” She squealed and pulled away. “Ugh, I love it so much! I’ve gotta go show this to my team. I can’t wait to work with this!” 

There wasn’t time to say anything as she rushed back into the afterparty. You and Hyunjin shared a glance and he shrugged. “So before that happened, I think we were in the middle of something.” 

“I believe we were.” 

He pulled the wine glass from your hand and placed it on a small nearby table. “So if you’ll just put that there, I think we can continue.” You hummed in agreement and wrapped your arms around his. 

In your head, Paris was now cemented in stone; it’d always be the city of love. 

| ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ |

Taglist: @lina-linny @straykidsstanforeverandever @seungnishi @stellasays45

Masterlist

Taglist and inbox rules

[harukamitsuki]

Ugghh been consuming some bnha stuff and I'm reminded of why I largely prefer fanfiction over the actual story. I have so much hate and pettiness within me. Even so, I am never going to change my mind on how much I hate how bnha is just an amalgamation of wasted potention. Search the definition of wasted potential up and there's just an image of bnha.

I remember watching it as the first season was coming about because it was made by Bones and I just have to watch it in that case. I watched episode one and was so excited.

We have our mc, Midoriya Izuku, being powerless in a world full of quirks.

His childhood friend turned bully, Bakugou Katsuki, is shown to be favoured by literally everyone and this feeds into his ego.

All Might, the number one hero, is jaded and powerless for 21 hours of the day because of a fight nobody knew existed. Izuku is attacked and helpless, but saved by All Might. All Might tells him he can't become a hero. A much needed reality check because Izuku didn't work out a single bit before then and it's so incredibly hard to fight someone who has something you lack.

Then Bakugou is attacked and helpless. Bakugou, who is so much stronger and who people love, is left useless, only able to make the situation worse with his explosions creating a fire hazard. The pro-heroes can't do anything. All Might and Izuku both hate themselves for the part they played and how useless they are. Then Izuku sees how scared Bakugou is. He runs in, inspiring All Might as he mocks himself for breaking Izuku's dream yet forgetting the core of heroism.

Then, after all is said and done, All Might goes back to Izuku. And he tells him he can become a hero.

...

Then he offers him One for All. Now, when I was watching this for the first time, I was so disappointed. You set up a powerless mc in a world full of powers and you just give him the power of the strongest hero? Great. But, I kept watching.

I watched Izuku work to get his power, struggle even after getting a quirk. I watched as Izuku finally stood up for himself and win against Bakugou. I watched as the series went on and I... I started noticing more and more missed opportunities.

See, bnha is supposed to be a zero to hero story. It's supposed to be about the mc going from powerless to powerful. But it does it so quickly. Suddenly, it's not about Izuku finding his own form of strength, or realising how being quirkless may not give any advantages but it also has no disadvantages, or even any commentary on quirk discrimination or fantastic racism or anything.

It turns into a story about controlling your power. It's not what I signed up for.

That's just one missed potential. There's so many more. Horikoshi clearly tries to make some commentary on quirk discrimination and female heroes/sexism in the workplace and entertainment over peace. There's some effort put into making a comment on how heroes are glorified and people don't see them as public workers, they see them as celebreties.

But it's never delved into. We don't see how bad people with mutant or 'villainous' quirks are treated, and we don't see how people with weak quirks are treated, or how the quirkless are treated (because the only reason Izuku was treated so horribly was because of Bakugou). We don't see how female heroes need to have a bit of allure in their personas to have any sort of support.

Yuuei is literally a camp for making child soldiers, yet there's no controversy over it? There's no such things as heroes having to take lethal action and no moral dilemmas over it? There's nobody speaking out about how Midnight flirts with students?

We have literally no information about how heroes work. We don't know how their salaries are decided, how they're ranked, how undergound heroes work. if twilight heroes are a thing, how anybody but Rock Lock feels about bringing children into adult matters, (seriously, why do people hate Rock Lock for being rightfully worried about having 15 year olds in a raid against the yakuza), we don't know how villains work and how to decide if one's a criminal or a villain.

Heck, the only laws we know of are fanon, and the canon stupid idea that you can't use your quirk in self-defense.

It's just. Incredibly infuriating.

Also, analysis as a whole is so under-utilised. Both Izuku and Shigaraki are deemed creepy for their analysis, which is such a useful tool. I mean, Izuku accurately guesses Stain's quirk, which is useful because, otherwise, they wouldn't be wary about Stain licking their blood or cutting them. Shigaraki accurately guesses the time intervals between Aizawa's blinks, which helps him a shit ton.

But is it ever used outside of these situations? No. The thing is, quirks are scientific in nature, not magic. Therefore, they're not restricted like magic is. Fire doesn't always have to be fire, it can be smoke or just heat. Ice can be water or steam. Acid can melt through anything or just be used as a mario kart banana peel.

There was so much missed potential and that's exactly why there's so much fan content.

Horikoshi leaves so much out, and everything he misses tends to be the interesting parts. He willfully explains Bakugou's quirk in detail, but everyone else? Nah. Fuck them.

I mean, let's look at Ochako's quirk.

Gravity negation. Or is it? See, if it were just gravity negation, then two things, in particular, would happen. First of all, Izuku would have fucking died when she saved him from falling. Second of all, she would not have been able to get infinity in the ball throw.

Negating gravity does not negate the forces. Therefore, when she saved Izuku from falling, he would have still been affected by the force of his fall. It would have been no different from hitting the concrete. Additionally, when she threw the ball, it kept going. Air drag would have made it so that she couldn't possibly get an infinity.

More accurately, rather than force negation as some fanfics suggests, she's telekinetically accelerating whatever she touches. She telekinetically accelerates Izuku's body to stop him falling, and does the reverse for the ball, making it so that it continues to accelerate after she throws it.

See what I mean? Because Horikoshi gave Bakugou's quirk a scientific explanation with him sweating a nitroglycerin-like substance and being able to spark it, you have to look at every quirk with scientific knowledge. He could have said 'oh, yeah, I store energy from my quirk in these gauntlets' but Hori just had to be a smartass.

By the way, because of Bakugou's explanation, it's possible that his quirk is not what is named. Yes, it's possible to have two sides of a quirk, as we see in Shouto, but Bakugou's quirk isn't explained in the same way.

Rather than his quirk being creating explosions, his quirk is more like creating sparks in his palms. Why? Well, you see. Bnha never delves into actual quirk theory, but there's more than enough canon evidence that you have one main quirk and then one or more quirk mutations. For example, Ashido Mina's quirk is secreting acid that she can manipulate the acidity and viscocity of. Her appearance is not related to her quirk at all, meaning it's a quirk mutation from her parents. Same with Tokoyami Fumikage. Quirk is Dark Shadow, so there's no need for the bird head.

Why does this relate to Bakugou? Let me explain: Bakugou explains that he recieved a mutation from his parents with his mother secreting glycerin and his father sweating acid with combustive properties. In other words, Bakugou inherited nitroglycerin-like sweat from his parents, but his actual quirk is being able to create sparks.

His quirk is 'Sparks'. Not Explosions.

Why am I ranting about this? Because bnha completely misses all of this! It makes no sense which is a shame because the concept is so interesting! But then it throws away any scraps of potential left when it becomes 'My Kacchan Academia'.

Seriously, why do people and why does Horikoshi love abusive pieces of shit so much? Why did he throw away the potential to look into Shouto and his siblings' feeling about Endeavour? Why did he make Dabi's plot all about Endeavour instead of Shouto?

It's so easy to compare the ways Dabi and Shouto handle their trauma and their ways of revenge. It's so easy to look at Dabi and think about how easy it would have been for Shouto to become like him.

Shouto was transfixed on Endeavour. Everything he did related back to his hate for Endeavour. Using his quirk, fighting, grades, social interaction, everything. His only reason for becoming a hero is to spite Endeavour. It's only because Izuku reaches out to him and saves him from his own toxic mindset that he's able to move one and do things for himself.

Dabi, or Touya, on the other hand, doesn't get that. He doesn't get that person who recognises how far he's gone, how, in trying to spite Enveavour, he's living a life centred on him. How he's jealous of his little brother for being abused and tormented.

While Shouto became a hero to spite Endeavour, Dabi became a villain.

They're both full of hatred at first, but Shouto is saved from that spiral. Izuku helps him. Dabi doesn't have that. It would have been so interesting to see these two face of as parellels, but nope. It's all about Endeavour. Shouto is nothing more than an accessory.

I understand Dabi being hung up on Endeavour, but to outright replace Shouto with the abusive flaming trashbag? No.

Also, if Horikoshi wanted Dabi to be seen as sympathetic or redeemable, don't make him kill innocent people. Don't make it so that he unlocks an ice aspect to his quirk in a life-or-death situation because all that means is that Endeavour was right to hurt Touya the way he did. All that says is Endeavour should have hurt him more.

AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON BAKUGOU.

This piece of shit bullied Izuku relentlessly for years, used his quirk on him (yes that is canon), told him to end his life, tried to assault him in Yuuei, tried to kill him, threw a tantrum at an abused kid for not being magically okay with using a quirk that reminded him of his abusive father, assaults Izuku when he tries to work together but still magically gets a pass for being carried out unconcious which Sero was failed for, and the list just keeps growing.

Oh, but my bad. He has a sad backstory. You see, he fell in a river.

[zapreportsblog]

*ahem* Yandere Alec & Jane x Reader

Think about it,

When Bella goes to save Edward from the Volturi, Reader comes along to make sure their older sister Bella goes home alive only to make first contact with Jane.

Jane would be the quiet yet protective Yandere type, meaning when Jane first felt the bond she instantly wants the Reader close to her.

As Jane tells Bella, Edward, Alice and Reader to follow her with Felix and Demitri behind them(of course Jane makes sure to hold on to the Readers wrist lightly but strong enough)

Soon the group is in the throne room, Alec soon feels the same type of bond just like Jane and looks at Reader with hungry eyes.

Alex is the type of yandere that gets jealous easily and just wants to keep the reader locked up in a room.

Soon both siblings are on each of the readers side being protective and clingy, holding onto their hand and arms for recurrence and security.

Of course the reader is not used to it and gets freaked out and tries to get close to their older sister Bella, Bella doing the same thing by trying to reach out to the reader.

But the reader gets pulled back from Bella and has been forced to stay by the Volturi and the siblings FOREVER.

Ah yes now you’re talking my love language, who doesn’t just love them an unhinged partner

❝forced to stay❞

✭ pairing : yandere jane volturi x reader x yandere alec volturi

✭ fandom : twilight x reader

✭ summary : the moment she made a contact with the twins she should’ve known that her fate was sealed 

✭ authors note : I don’t know what it is about having a unhinged partner, but I find it oddly romantic . Like for an example I have been dating my current boyfriend for almost a year now and only recently I would say a couple of months back. He told me that he was going to look up my location and come to my house after I did not respond to him for the first few days of us talking, we were not dating in the beginning, obviously so the fact that this man was going to somehow get access to my location whew gurl, this man got me down bad 

✭ twilight masterlist

The evening had settled in, casting long shadows as Bella Swan sat in her room, her thoughts consumed by worry for Edward. She had barely spoken to him since he left, and the emptiness was overwhelming. Just then, a light knock on her window startled her, and she turned to find Alice Cullen perched on the windowsill, her golden eyes filled with urgency.

"Bella," Alice began, her voice laced with concern, "we need to talk."

Bella's heart raced as she sat up straighter. "What is it, Alice?"

"It's Edward," Alice said, her voice steady yet grave. "He's planning to expose himself to humans—to reveal his true nature—in order to provoke the Volturi into killing him."

The words struck Bella like a physical blow. Her mind raced, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. "No, he can't be serious," Bella whispered, her voice trembling.

Alice's expression was somber. "He believes it's the only way to keep you and your family safe from the Volturi's attention."

Tears welled in Bella's eyes as the gravity of the situation settled in. "I have to stop him," she said, her voice determined.

Alice nodded in agreement. "I'm coming with you."

As Bella stood, her gaze locked onto the window, and she realized that someone else was listening. Turning, she saw her younger sister, (y/n), standing at the door, her expression a mix of concern and determination.

"(Y/n), what are you doing here?" Bella asked, surprised yet touched by her sister's presence.

"I heard everything," (y/n) replied, her voice steady. "And I'm coming too."

Bella's heart swelled with a mixture of pride and worry. "(Y/n), this is dangerous. I can't let you get involved."

(Y/n) stepped forward, her eyes unwavering. "Bella, you're my sister. I can't just sit back while you face this alone."

Alice's lips curled into a small smile. "She's right, Bella. We're all in this together."

Bella hesitated, torn between her protective instincts and the realization that her family's bond was unbreakable. Finally, she nodded. "Fine, you can come. But promise me you'll stay close and follow my lead."

(Y/n) nodded, determination gleaming in her eyes. "I promise."

With the decision made, the three of them exchanged a look that held a mixture of worry and resolve. The bond between sisters ran deep, and their determination to protect each other was unyielding.

As they stepped out of the house, ready to face the perilous journey ahead, Bella knew that no matter what challenges they encountered, they would face them together. The unbreakable bond between sisters would guide them through the darkness, giving them the strength to save the ones they loved, even if it meant facing the Volturi themselves.

As Bella, Alice, and (y/n) approached the Volturi chamber, a tense atmosphere hung in the air. Shadows danced across the walls, and the weight of their purpose settled heavily upon them. Just as they were about to enter, a trio of figures appeared, drawing their attention.

Jane, Demetri, and Felix materialized before them, their presence both unsettling and foreboding. (Y/n) sensed the intensity of the situation, her instincts on high alert. Her gaze locked with Jane's, and a strange shiver ran down her spine. Unbeknownst to her, Jane's connection to (y/n) ran deep, fueled by the intense bond of mates.

Demetri's voice cut through the air, his tone respectful yet firm. "The kings are awaiting your presence. Follow us."

Bella exchanged a wary glance with Alice, a silent acknowledgment of the gravity of the situation. With a nod, they followed Demetri and Felix, their steps echoing in the dimly lit corridor. The tension was palpable, and (y/n)'s heart raced as they moved closer to their destination.

As they entered the chamber, (y/n) felt a shiver run down her spine once more. The Volturi kings sat upon their thrones, exuding an air of authority and power. Aro, Caius, and Marcus regarded them with interest, their eyes glinting with curiosity as they took in the unexpected guests.

"(Y/n) Swan and Bella Swan," Aro's voice rang out, his tone laced with intrigue. "A pleasure to have you with us."

(Y/n)'s and her sister Bella’s eyes widened, taken aback by Aro's direct acknowledgment of her presence. They offered a tentative nod, voices momentarily caught in their throat.

“So tell me, why have you come here? Why do two humans and one vampire stand before us?” Aro questions obviously amused with the whole situation. 

As the conversation with the Volturi kings continued, (y/n) felt a strange sensation wash over her. The intensity of Alec's gaze upon her didn't go unnoticed. Unbeknownst to her, the same bond that had sparked between her and Jane had also formed with Alec, albeit with different implications.

Alec's eyes, hungry and possessive, trailed over (y/n) as if she were the only thing in the room. An invisible thread connected them, a connection that (y/n) couldn't comprehend. Her heart quickened under his gaze, an unfamiliar heat blooming within her.

As the conversation continued, (y/n) found herself shifting uncomfortably under the weight of Alec's gaze, a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach. Soon before she knew it Alec and Jane were standing before her, they clinged to her every being allowing no room for others to touch or even get near her.

Their presence was suffocating .

(Y/n)'s world had become a whirlwind of confusion and unease. She felt like a puppet, caught between the possessive affections of Alec and Jane on one side and the protective concern of Bella on the other. It was suffocating, overwhelming, and completely foreign to her.

As (y/n) attempted to navigate through the tense atmosphere, her heart rate quickened. Alec and Jane were by her side, their grip on her hand and arms feeling like a constant reminder of their presence. The clinginess and possessiveness made her uncomfortable, and she found herself longing for a moment of solitude.

Bella's attempts to reach out to her were a lifeline in this sea of intensity. She wanted to cling to her sister, the familiar bond between them offering a semblance of normalcy. But every time she tried to get closer to Bella, Alec and Jane would pull her back, their possessive gestures preventing her from seeking comfort in her older sister's arms.

Torn between the conflicting desires of those around her, (y/n) felt trapped. She wanted to be with Bella, to find solace in her sister's embrace, but Alec and Jane's hold on her was unyielding.

Then, the announcement from Marcus changed everything. His words echoed in the chamber, declaring that (y/n) was Alec and Jane's mate. The shock and realization of what that meant sent tremors through her. It was a bond she didn't understand, a connection that both terrified and intrigued her.

As the truth sank in, the weight of her circumstances settled on her shoulders. Aro, always the master manipulator, took advantage of the situation. He presented Bella and Alice with an unfair deal, Edward's life in exchange for (y/n)'s captivity among the Volturi.

The decision was left to (y/n), and despite the unease and discomfort, she found herself speaking up. "Agree to the deal," she told Bella and Alice, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "I'll be fine. You have to save Edward."

It was a sacrifice that she never thought she would have to make, but (y/n) was determined to protect her loved ones, no matter the cost. As the deal was settled, (y/n) felt a mixture of fear and determination coursing through her veins. Her life had taken an unexpected turn, and now she had to face an uncertain future, bound to two yandere vampires who held an inexplicable claim over her heart and soul.

[yumeka-sxf]

After the excitement of the previous chapter, it's nice to be back to funny, wholesomeness~

I liked seeing that Handler genuinely cares about Nightfall (and Twilight, and I'm sure her other subordinates).

To me, she's always come off as being well balanced between the strict, stoic lead spy persona, but also not letting it consume her and not being afraid to show/admit that she really does care (unlike Twilight and Nightfall, who obsess about keeping up their facades). As much as she joked around with Nightfall, it's obvious she really does care. I have a feeling that whatever harsh decisions await Twilight in the future, she'll support him over WISE.

Meanwhile, it's so touching that Yor got better at cooking! Shows how much her heart-to-heart conversation with Loid in the previous chapter affected her 😊 How did she hurt her nose though? My guess is a splash from some boiling water in a pot 😯

But omg, so much wholesome Anya & Yor moments. I was reeling! 😍

And Bond was hilarious in this chapter! His animal impressions are 👌

The result of his elephant impression had me in stitches 🤣 He became Cubchoo!

Also his "don't I look fabulous?" pose when Franky comes in 😆

I especially loved this panel of Yor brushing Bond. Even though Yor is the one who bathes him, we've hardly seen them interact, and the impression we've been given is that Bond is kind of afraid of her. So seeing how relaxed he can be with her (and tail wagging!) is super sweet ❤

Also what she says to Bond here is similar to what she said to Loid previously 😁

Speaking of Loid, the poor man is so tired! He already experienced so many feelings the day before, so he had to quickly go back in his room before the wholesome atmosphere currently in the Forger house made him get more feelings!

Don't worry bro, one day the wholesome family feels will revitalize you instead of exhaust you! 👍

[speechlessxx]

alluring. [vampire!aemond targaryen x reader]

this was a daydream i had. blame twilight.

this might possibly be a series? i dunno yet...

summary: she knew his secret...

warnings: vampires, twilight au, mentions of feeding, making out, outrageously short i apologize, bad writing.. oops.

She gasped as his cold lips pressed against her warm skin. He trailed kisses from her temple to her cheek just before he captured her lips in a searing kiss.

It was heated and passionate. It almost felt forbidden, which, in a way, made it, and him, all the more enticing… addicting.

She gasped his name against his lips as he used his strength to pull her onto his lap. Her thighs parted, capturing his waist between them and her hesitant hands reached for either side of his statuesque face.

Everything about him scared her but it allured her in a way that she couldn’t explain. His very being invited her. And though he had spent his existence ignoring each and every woman that threw themselves at him, it was only she who captured his attention, who drove him mad the way only she could.

He kissed her hungrily, but she felt as if he held back – as if he didn’t want to hurt her or lose control. And she understood why.

He tried to pull away, but with her hands cupping his sculpted cheeks, he didn’t get very far. He whispered her name against her lips, against her kiss. “Stop,” he said, but she was relentless.

He knew his strength and she felt it in his touch. But despite this, he didn’t push her away. He gently whispered her name again, this time pleading.

“It’s okay,” she said in a hushed tone, finally pulling away from his lips. With her hands still holding his head, she stared into his eye – the pupil swallowing the violet hue whole. He was holding his breath as he looked into hers. “It’s okay.”

But it wasn’t.

She saw him swallow and, in his eye, she saw the conflict. His desire for her and his need to protect her fought against each other, and she wasn’t sure which side would win.

“I’m not scared,” she told him though her trembling hands gave her away. “I know, okay? I know.”

He didn’t say anything as he fought his internal war. His hands sat at her waist, and he knew with a single move he could shatter her. He knew he was dangerous. He knew what he was… and so did she.

So why didn’t she care?

Why wasn’t she afraid?

She said his name again as she leaned in. He tilted his chin forward as if to capture her lips once more, but instead, she bared her neck to him. He said her name, sternly, angrily – as if he had been offended that she’d even consider this.

“I know,” she said again. “It’s okay.”

She shuddered as his cold lips pressed against the warm delicate skin of her neck. She felt his teeth graze the skin and she held her breath in anticipation.

“I can’t,” he told her.

“I trust you,” she said. Her tone more confident than before. “I’m not scared, Aemond.”

He could hear her heartbeat and see her pulse. His gentle hand cradled the side of her head as he felt a side of him subside as the other was victorious.

“You should be,” he answered, but he could no longer control himself as he sunk his fangs into her neck and allowed her warmth to consume him.

[nightghoul381]

Robin Doesn't Know the Evil Hiding in the Shadows ~ Ellis Twilight ~ Premium End

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

CW: Contains themes of suicide

Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

Ellis: “…There he is.”

I found the culprit in a corner of the event venue.

Haggard man: “Ah, it’s you…”

The man took out a bottle from his bag and showed it to me.

Haggard man: “This bottle contains a highly volatile and deadly poison.”

Haggard man: “If the bottle is dropped or broken, the poison will spread throughout the air…and everyone in this venue will die.”

(…If that’s the case, I can’t just grab him carelessly.)

(If I don’t take the bottle from the man’s hand…)

Ellis: “…Why are you doing this?”

Haggard man: “If you’re here, you probably know most of the situation.”

Ellis: “But I still want to hear it from you.”

Haggard man: “…”

Haggard man: “The motive for my crime was… to get revenge for the fact that they exhumed my wife’s body to use for anatomy classes.”

Haggard man: “My wife was supposed to finally be free from the pain of her illness and be able to rest in peace!”

Haggard man: “And then, she was exposed to the eyes of so many students…”

Haggard man: “Everyone was looking at her corpse as if she were a laboratory animal…”

Ellis: “But, you killed the medical students that hired the company, didn’t you?”

Ellis: “Your revenge has already been achieved…so why do you need to kill so many innocent people?”

Haggard man: “There’s a simple reason.”

Haggard man: “If there are no bodies to dissect and outlaws are robbing graves, then we should just make more bodies.”

Haggard man: “I want my wife’s resting place to never be disturbed again… I need a body.”

Ellis: “If you’re that determined…”

Ellis: “…Why did you leave a warning message after your last murder?”

Haggard man: “It was because of the piece of cake this morning.”

Haggard man: “You might be thinking ‘what’s the big deal?’ But to me, that piece of cake reminded me of the fun times I spend with my wife.”

Haggard man: “Since you gave me the cake, I thought I’d give you a hint if you were investigating the case.”

Ellis: “If that was the case…I don’t think…”

Ellis: “I believe that everyone lives with pain and joy that only they can understand.”

Ellis: “…I don’t want to say anything without knowing anything.”

(…I might feel similar.)

(The wishes of this man… and my own are surely very close.)

He wanted her to be happy, to be free from pain and suffering.

If reality was so harsh, He wished she would at least be sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face…

They had violated the sleep of his loved one.

(If the same thing happened to Kate…)

(I’d probably do the same thing as him.)

No matter how many times I was told it was wrong, no matter how many times Crown tried to stop me,

I would surely be consumed by rage and commit a heinous act to exact my revenge.

Haggard man: “…You’re trying to buy time with your conversation right now.”

Haggard man: “Is it because someone important to you is at the venue?”

Ellis: “…”

Haggard man: “In that case… let me show you how to protect the people at the venue.”

Without letting go of the bottle, the man used his other hand to pull out a powder from his pocket.

Haggard man: “This is the poison I was carrying with me to kill myself after I had completed my crime.”

Haggard man: “If you consume this… I will refrain from killing the people in the venue out of respect for your love.”

Haggard man: “You said you would protect her before she got hurt.”

Haggard man: “…Now, show me you can protect her.”

(If I take the powder, I’ll die.)

(If I don’t take it, the poison in the bottle will kill Kate.)

I suddenly shifted my gaze to the center of the venue and spotted Kate among the crowd of people.

Kate was so engrossed in the presentations at the venue, laughing, being surprised… her eyes lit up.

(If the only choice is between me dying and Kate dying…)

(…Obviously, I choose to die.)

Ellis: “…I’ll take the poison.”

Ellis: “My life and Kate’s are both precious, but…”

Ellis: “If it’s a matter of two dying or one dying, it’s better that only one dies.”

Haggard man: “…Two? Only one will die either way.”

Ellis: “I don’t think I can find happiness in a world without Kate.”

Ellis: “If Kate dies, I’ll definitely follow her.”

Ellis: “So it’s either two people who die, or one.”

Haggard man: “…Well, whatever. If you’re that determined, the go ahead and do what you want.”

The man tossed me the powder, which I picked up and, without hesitation, consumed in one gulp.

Ellis: “Ugh…! Gh, Aaah…ngh!!”

My knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground.

Haggard man: “You really would take poison.”

I heard a man’s voice, and the sound of something being placed next to me as I collapsed.

Haggard man: “In honor of your love, I will leave the bottle here, unused.”

Roger: “…Don’t move! That’s enough.”

Jude: “Just follow me obediently.”

Haggard man: “Yeah. I’ll follow you.”

Jude: “…Really, how long’re ya gonna sleep so carefree, Ellis?”

Ellis: “Mm…Sorry.”

When I sat up, the man Roger was restraining had a look of shock on his face.

Haggard man: “Wh-Why are you alive…!?”

Ellis: “I was learning some magic tricks. I’d pretend to consume things I shouldn’t, like poison…and then let it go down my sleeve.”

I flapped my sleeve and the powder I hadn’t taken flew into the air.

(I never thought the skills Victor taught me would come in handy in a situation like this.)

Roger: “Ellis, that’s important evidence you know?”

Ellis: “Ah…Sorry. I have some in my other sleeve too, so I thought that would be enough.”

Haggard man: “Were you deceiving me…? Was your love a lie…?”

Ellis: “My love for Kate is not a lie.”

Ellis: “I still haven’t made Kate happy enough… so I couldn’t let either of us die.”

(If only one of us can survive, me or Kate, then I want Kate to live,)

(…But, there’s no need to choose that option.)

Even if I reversed the options presented to me, I want to be happy tomorrow with Kate.

Ellis: “Besides—One day it will be me who kills Kate. Not you.”

Haggard man: “What the… you…”

Jude: “…Yer still crazy as ever.”

And so, before night fell—in the twilight, the incident came to an end.

Kate: “Ellis, I’m back!”

Ellis: “Welcome back, Kate.”

Ellis: “You must be tired after being out all day aren’t you? I’ll go make some tea, so wait for me in my room.”

Kate: “I’ll take you up on that offer, thank you.”

I prepared tea and cake and brought it to the room.

It’s late at night, but tonight is special.

Ellis: “So, how was your event?”

Kate: “It was awesome! At the end of the event, they announced something really big! It was—”

With sparkling eyes, Kate spoke with joy.

(…I’m glad I was able to protect Kate’s happy day.)

If even one thing about today’s events had gone wrong…

I might not have been able to exchange words with Kate tonight.

(I want to continue to protect this daily routine.)

(But… I wonder if ‘that’s all’ is enough.)

Kate: “Whew…. I’ve finished talking…! Ellis, you’re such a good listener.”

Ellis: “Really? Maybe it seems that way because listening to your stories is fun.”

Kate: “When someone says that to me, I get carried away and end up talking too much…”

Ellis: “Fufu…that’s good. I want to hear more about your day.”

Kate: “Enough about me! …Now can I hear about your day, Ellis?”

Ellis: “Mine…?”

Ellis: “My story is boring. I just did a little mission with Jude and Roger—”

Not wanting to ruin Kate’s fun, I tried to hide it.

Kate: “…Really? You look like something’s happened, so I’m curious…”

As she said this, Kate had a worried look on her face.

(…I can’t beat Kate.)

I told Kate everything that happened today.

Kate: “So that’s what happened…”

Kate: “Thank you, Ellis. For protecting my peace of mind.”

Ellis: “No, thank you.”

Ellis: “Hearing that you enjoyed the event today made me even happier that we were able to solve the problem.”

After I said that, Kate looked at me in silence for a moment.

Ellis: “…What’s wrong?”

Kate: “Ellis, you seem a bit depressed. Is it because of the grave robber?”

(Really… I can’t hide anything from Kate.)

Ellis: “…Yeah. This incident got me imagining things a little bit.”

Ellis: “Like, what if, after we fall asleep happily… someone hurts you?”

Ellis: “I was worried that our eternity would be shattered…”

Kate: “Hmm…”

Kate: “…Oh, I’ve got a great idea.”

Kate: “Maybe we should build a grave for both of us somewhere far out in the country?”

Ellis: “A grave… in the countryside?”

Kate: “Yes. With the sunlight shining down beautifully, and lots of flowers blooming…”

Kate: “…Let’s sleep together like we’re taking a nap in the countryside, surrounded by nature.”

Kate: “Grave robbers are only doing it for money, right?”

Kate: “If that’s the case, then why would they come all the way out there to dig up our graves?”

Ellis: “…That’s a great idea. I agree.”

Kate: “Really? Well then, let’s do it!”

Ellis: “Fufu, but… that’s a bit strange.”

Ellis: “We’re not married yet, we don’t have a house, we don’t have kids… we don’t have any plans for the rest of our lives.”

Ellis: “I can’t believe we’re thinking about the two of us being buried together.”

Kate: “Oh, that’s true… But if there’s a happy ending planned, doesn’t that make everything more fun?”

Ellis: “…Yeah it does.”

Ellis: “I’m looking forward to going to the grave with you more and more.”

And so, we continue to protect and accumulate happiness towards a happy ending.

Today, tomorrow, the day after, and every day after that—.

(…But, I still want something a little more reassuring.)

(If you were to ask me… ‘she’s’ the only one.)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

[jasmineandcedar]

“You can sleep now”

An Elriel one shot (Azriel's POV)

In which Azriel finally falls asleep in Elain's arms.

Warning: There's sleep depravation and sadness, but it ends on a sweet note, and Azriel finally sleeping.

This one comes with a soundtrack:

----

Azriel didn't know what drew him to fly to the townhouse garden in the middle of the night. Perhaps it was because it was the only place where he had ever truly found rest. Perhaps it was the thought of the female that had brought him true peace for the first time in his life. Perhaps it was because that garden was the place where their quiet worlds had first collided, a sanctuary from a loud world that never understood.

All he knew was that tonight, like countless other nights, sleep eluded him. And he was searching for a peace he knew he had only ever found in her.

Heavy eyelids drooped under the weight of his exhaustion, but razor-sharp thoughts drifted untethered. Visions of her swirled through his mind, light as twilight’s mist and impossible to grasp. No matter how he fought to pull them with him into sleep, if only just to allow himself the dream of her, they slipped through his fingers and refused to settle.

He had spent so many nights wearing his body out on the training grounds at the House of Wind, but tonight, he had nothing left in him. Nothing but the racing thoughts that refused to free him of their clutches, consuming what little energy remained.

He landed heavily in the garden, feeling his knees buckle under the weight of that same exhaustion. Every muscle in his body aching, he didn’t bother tucking in his wings; he simply let them fall to the ground. Glancing up, he caught a glimpse of the ghost of himself reflected in one of the darkened windows of the townhouse. Shadows haunted his eyes. The dark circles beneath them betrayed his fatigue, but they had nothing on the bruises on his soul.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. A faint trace of jasmine clung to the crisp night air, putting pressure on that bruise on his soul. A heavy ache seeped into his bones, making every breath feel like an effort.

He wished more than anything to be numb. Regardless of what others said of him, Azriel's heart had always been bound to every emotion, leaving him raw and exposed. And now, the strength to keep it all hidden seemed to be fraying at the edges.

He breathed in that scent of jasmine once more.

He could never escape her, not even in the dead of night. The feel of her soft hand in his was imprinted on his skin. She lingered in his every breath. The echo of her laughter, soft like the chirping of a dove, was carried on every wind.

He inhaled deeply once more, heavy shoulders rising and falling, wings drooping behind him. There were traces of honey in the air too, mingling with jasmine.

He must truly be going mad.

He turned away from the window. And—as if conjured by the very thoughts that had led him to this sanctuary—there she was.

Elain was sitting on the chaise lounge where Azriel had once sunned his wings. Back when they could still sit beside one another without accusation. Before he had realized he desperately needed her like shadows need light. Before he was ordered to stay away from that light that truly made him feel seen. The light that was her.

The unearthly grace of her made her look as though she belonged to the garden itself. Illuminated by soft moonlight, her unbound golden-brown hair flowed like sweet honey over the pale blue coat that covered her white nightdress. Her pale cheeks and nose were stained pink, touched by the cool night air.

Azriel had always thought there was an ethereal beauty about Elain, as though she was not quite of this world. He stilled, afraid she might vanish if he so much as blinked.

She was watching him. A gentle serenity radiated from the warm embers of her chestnut eyes.

He ached to touch her. But he dared not cross the invisible line they—he—had been forced to draw between them.

He knew he ought to leave, that he should turn away before his need to stay close to her overtook him. But as he stood before her, as he could finally let his tired eyes rest upon that warm gaze of hers, Azriel realized he didn't have the strength to stay away any longer. Not tonight. Not even half a millennium of relentless suppression of his very being was enough to turn around and leave.

Or perhaps it was finally enough.

Perhaps he had finally tortured himself enough.

“Sometimes I come here when I can't sleep,” Elain whispered.

Azriel closed his eyes and let out a trembling breath, the sound of her voice washing over him like a gentle caress. He felt it soothe the tension in his muscles with bittersweet relief.

When he opened his eyes again, Elain glanced over at the empty space beside her in a silent invitation only he would recognize. Without a word, he slowly moved to sit next to her.

For a long moment, they simply sat there in silence, watching each other. No words cluttering the night air—only the still beating of their hearts, the reunion of two quiet souls that had been kept apart for too long.

Then, her head found its place on his shoulder. He surrendered, and gently lowered his head to rest against hers.

For a long while, it felt as though everything stilled—the faint rise and fall of Elain’s chest the only sign that time itself hadn’t stopped.

“I want to show you something,” she murmured at last.

With that ethereal grace, she rose to walk across the grass, then lowered herself to sprawl out upon it.

“The world looks so much more peaceful from the ground up,” She spoke softly, the calm of her voice carried to him on the cool breeze. “Especially in the dark”.

She turned to face him, eyes glowing with quiet invitation.

“The sky seems so much bigger and everything else just… fades away”.

Azriel watched her, wholly and utterly captivated.

“Don't you want to see?” she asked, patting a slender hand on the grass beside her.

He wanted to see what Elain saw. He wanted to be able to gaze upon the world with hope in warm eyes. Slowly he stood up and walked over to her.

As he lay down on his side to face her, and the world slanted around him, she was the only constant. She was a glade in the middle of a dark forest, grounded as an ancient oak.

Slowly their hands found each other, just like they had that first time when she had spoken of him with a word that had shattered something ancient and destructive within him.

Beautiful.

In that moment, Azriel knew, that his hand would always find hers.

Without hesitation, Elain laced her fingers with his, as though it were the most natural thing in the world—as though his hands weren’t abominations but something to be held.

He watched her intently, trying to imprint the vision of her like this in his mind and finally be allowed the dream of her. Elain glanced over at him, a gentle smile gracing her lips. She tilted her head up, gesturing to the night sky.

Azriel finally tore his gaze from her and lifted his tired eyes to the night sky to see what hidden knowledge she had found there.

The secret of the night sky stretched vast and endless above them, deep indigos and black woven together like an immense tapestry. Brilliant stars scattered across it, some glowing sharply, others pulsing as faintly as the quiet beating of his heart. His mouth felt open, and he let out a deep breath. The infinite reach of the night sky seemed to absorb the worst of his troubles and shrink the edges of his exhaustion.

As he lay there gazing up at the stars and holding the hand of the one who seemed to understand the depth with which he felt every emotion, peace wrapped around him. Elain didn’t ask him to explain himself, hadn’t needed him to reveal any of his scars or fears, and yet her eyes had seen his soul. With her hand in his, the darkness around him felt safe for the first time in his life.

“Do you see it?” she whispered after a long while.

Azriel swallowed thickly, trying to smooth out the crack in his voice. He wasn't sure he could speak.

“I see it,” he managed, voice catching in his throat. But lying next to Elain, being on the verge of tears was no source of shame. For some reason, in this moment, lying next to Elain on the brink of tears felt like the most natural thing in the world. He knew she was aware he felt things more deeply than most. So deeply it threatened to drown him if he lingered on any of it too long. So he hid it all.

And she saw it all.

His eyes fell on hers again.

“You’re cold,” she whispered.

He hadn’t noticed.

Perhaps he had been cold for so long that the ice in his veins had seemed like part of him.

“Let me...”

Elain didn’t need to finish the sentence; Azriel understood her as if the thought had been his own.  He tucked in his wings tightly and leaned over to gently rest his head against her chest.

“... hold you,” she finished.

His hand slipped around her waist. Her hand came to rest on his upper arm, the other on the nape of his neck.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He felt her fingers gently caress the skin just under the neckline of his shirt. It sent a wave of warmth through his body. Jasmine, honey, and that warmth enveloped him. He felt it thaw his very bones, like the first sip of tea on a cold winter’s morning. Or the blanket of sunlight on a warm summer’s day.

Azriel closed his eyes and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the chaos in his mind stilled entirely. The weight of his exhaustion lifted as the sound of her heartbeat calmed him.

They stayed in silence for a long while.

No words were needed to describe it, anyway, because the words to describe it simply didn’t exist.

“Azriel?” Elain whispered into his dark hair at last.

He hummed against her warm body, too tired to form words.

“You can sleep now,” she murmured softly.

And in that embrace of jasmine and honey and warmth, sleep finally took him, as if it had been waiting for her touch before it could claim him at last.

In the garden where it all began, with the Mother as their only witness, night’s embrace wrapped around them, as soft and quiet as the two of them. A stolen moment in the dead of night, and the shadowsinger and the seer were finally at peace.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

for writing requests, the chain givin wars a big ol group hug and letting him cry cus let’s be honest bro is not holding up well

Sunsets were always Sky’s favorite.

It was strange, how much a moment in time could change something like that, though. A few evenings ago, the sunset was stained blood read, dripping with anguish and fear, held together by a firm hand and guidance. It hadn’t come from their leader, however - the Hero of Time had been completely consumed by worry over Twilight’s condition, and Sky hadn’t blamed him for it, particularly after finding out they had a blood connection.

But after that initial horrifying sunset, Sky found that the dusk brought only exhaustion and melancholy, a worry that there would be another sunset that would stain the sky with blood.

Sighing, the young knight glanced out his window and saw the person he’d been looking for. While Time had been by Twilight’s side that entire evening, there had been another Hero who everyone had heavily relied on. Sky had tried to mediate and help as best he could as well, but he paled in comparison, certainly in terms of leadership capabilities.

But everything had a toll. Sky could see it well enough.

Exiting the inn, Sky heard the gentle serenade of crickets filling the air as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. The town was not as peaceful and quiet as camping out in the woods, but it held a warm sense of safety that they usually didn’t have the luxury to enjoy. Any town gave Sky a small degree of anxiety, as they were all foreign to him, but settlements like this put the captain at ease far more than anyone else.

At least Sky knew Warriors could get some peace somewhere. It was obvious the man was trying to seek it.

Warriors heard Sky’s approach, turning his head slightly. His sharp eyes were analyzing him in an instant.

“Hey,” Sky greeted softly, trying to settle the man’s worries; he’d been on high alert ever since Twilight’s injury, and he’d yet to calm down. It had been three days since then. “I just wanted to check on you.”

Warriors blinked, baffled a moment, not expecting such a remark, and then he huffed out a small laugh. “Me? I’m alright. Are you?”

Him? Sky was fine. Sky was always fine. He honestly didn’t feel much of anything anymore, except that sunsets made him anxious. He hoped that would settle eventually, as he did love them. “I’m okay. But I just… you’ve been on edge, you know. Since everything. Do you… our Ordonian is going to be okay now. They said so. You know that, right?”

“Of course I know that,” Warriors replied, his smile fading, voice growing slightly snappish.

“It’s just… you’re not acting like you know that,” Sky continued carefully. “You’re… anything sets you off. Everything has to be in perfect order, everyone has to be on their best behavior. You know? I just… wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Warriors watched him for a long time, face blank. His eyes steadily moved downward until they were staring at nothing, boring a hole in the cobblestone beneath Sky’s feet. The Skyloftian waited patiently, knowing when to be silent and let someone else process. Eventually, the captain sighed heavily.

“You were a great help that night,” Warriors said softly. “I wanted to thank you.”

“It was nothing,” Sky brushed off. “That’s not answering my question.”

Warriors huffed ruefully in response. “You’re not usually this persistent.”

“No,” Sky admitted. “But I’m not usually this worried, either.”

The captain’s eyes finally snapped back up to meet Sky’s. His stony expression softened, and he smiled gently. “I said I’m alright.”

“You can be, yeah,” Sky commented. “Like… you don’t have to wrangle everyone in now, you know. I’m here. Our leader’s getting back into, well… leading. It’s okay to step back.”

Something in the captain’s expression wasn’t quite readable, a kind of strange gentle amusement and haunting sadness. Sky wasn’t sure what to do about it. So he just walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Warriors seemed both inquisitive and slightly apprehensive at the touch, so Sky asked to be sure, “Can I hug you?”

The captain looked as if he didn’t even know what to say with such a request. He blinked once, twice, before a breathy laugh escaped his lips, eyes holding a tenderness to them that Sky wasn’t sure he’d ever seen in them. “Yeah. Yeah, you can.”

Sky smiled in return, leaning in and letting the captain wrap his arms around him. Sky gave what he received, not squeezing too tightly when Warriors’ embrace was hesitantly gentle. As they stood there, though, it seemed like the older knight settled into his predicament a bit more, letting himself relax as Sky held him tighter. Being a little shorter, Sky settled his ear against Warriors’ shoulder, and the gesture made the captain shift a little, resting his own head against Sky’s. His breath was shaky a moment, and Sky heard him swallow thickly.

It only lasted a few moments, but it was enough. Sky ached for the contact, honestly, and wished he could hug him more, but he knew better than to push the matter. Slowly, the two pulled apart. If Warriors’ face was a little more flushed than before, neither of them commented on it.

“Thanks, Sky,” the captain said quietly.

Sky’s smile was brighter than the sunset. “Anytime.”

[skyward-floored]

Febuwhump collab day 12 — semi-conscious

This one’s been on ao3 for a bit I just sort of forgot to put it over here XD This one was suggested by @zeldathusiast, I hope you all enjoy!

No specific warnings apart from a mentioned kidnapping/being held captive, and a bad headache.

Today’s lovely art

Ao3 link

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“He has to be here somewhere, right? That tip we got said he’d be here, but maybe they were wrong, Dad kept being vague on where he got it so I don’t know if we can totally trust it, and we should be prepared to get out of here if it’s a trap and if it was wrong we should plan to check that other—”

“Green, we’ll find him, alright?” Twilight reassured for the fifth time in as many minutes. “Don’t worry.”

Green’s mouth clicked shut, and he gave Twilight a tiny nod.

Twilight watched him turn away, the shadows under his eyes more prominent in the harsh artificial lighting they were sneaking past, and felt a familiar squeeze of worry at the similar expressions on the other colors’ faces.

Four had been split almost a week now, and with Red gone missing during a fight, he couldn’t reform.

Four had never been apart for so long, and that along with the panic of not knowing what was happening to Red, he was acting more and more strange, the remaining pieces of him veering more sharply towards what they represented.

Green had been getting more jittery, obsessing over Red’s whereabouts, and acting overly protective over the other two, which was driving them both crazy. Vio had turned to research and often closed himself away, poring over what information they had, and Blue would blow up at even the smallest slight, face red with tears in his eyes.

Twilight could only imagine the state Red was in.

The behavior grew more severe with every passing day, and while nobody said it, as they watched the colors fall apart they all silently wondered how long Four could even be split.

Did he have a limit? Was he nearing it?

And if he reached it..?

Nobody wanted to find out, and their efforts towards locating Red had only gotten more desperate as the days ticked by. All of them were worried and frightened on Four’s behalf, and Twilight knew he wasn’t the only one who was thinking back to that first terrifying week when Sky had gone missing, and stayed missing.

But Time had finally gotten some information that narrowed down where Red could be, to only a few places as compared to the entire city they’d been scouring before.

Which is why Twilight was now sneaking down a harshly lit hallway with a handful of his brothers, trying not to be consumed by worry while they searched.

“We close?” Twilight asked, and Legend nodded, gesturing to an upcoming split path.

“He should be in one of these hallways somewhere, but they’re pretty long. It might take us a while to actually find him,” Legend said with a frown. “...With time we don’t have. We should’ve brought Wild.”

“Well it’s too late now,” Blue snapped from beside him, his hands tightening into fists. “Why didn’t you think of that before we left?!”

“Well sor-ry, Wild’s checking that other place with Dad and Wind, twerp, I didn’t know we’d need him,” Legend snapped back.

“Guys, knock it off,” Twilight said sharply. Good grief, we’re all running on way too little sleep. “We’ll just split up into groups of two.”

“There’s five of us,” Vio pointed out.

“I know that Vio, I meant you and Legend and Green and Blue can pair up, and I’ll go by myself.”

“That seems like a bad idea,” Vio continued with a raised eyebrow. “Aren’t you always saying it’s better we stick together?”

Twilight took in a steadying breath at his snarky tone, ignoring the urge to be sarcastic in return. “Yes, but not in this case.”

“Why don’t we three just go together, and you and Legend team up?” Green suggested, and Twilight and Legend exchanged short glances.

“...No. Better we do duos,” Legend said, and jerked his head towards a hallway. “C’mon. Let’s get going. Come with me Blue, Green and Vio can check the opposite end from us. Twi can check the other hall.”

Twilight nodded when nobody argued, and they all split off, Twilight grateful that Legend would be able to see all of the colors from where he was.

There had been an unspoken rule as of late not to leave any of them alone. Not with how they’d been acting.

Twilight ran down his assigned hallway, peering through every door that had a window, and opening the ones that didn’t. They’d “borrowed” a keycard to use to get into the facilities, and managed to make copies so they could all get past the doors.

Twilight methodically checked every door, working steadily down the hallway. His worry grew the longer he didn’t find any sign of Red, and he picked up the pace, looking more frantically. He was nearly at the end of the corridor, and there’d been no sign anybody was down this way.

Are we sure that info was real? he thought as he approached the very last window in the hall. Mom hasn’t contacted us yet, so her group hasn’t found him... or maybe it was all faked just to give us false hope...

Twilight looked inside, and relief washed over him, intense and thick.

A little figure sat huddled against the wall inside, red clothes bright against the dull color of the room. His blond head was pressed to his knees with such an air of sadness that Twilight’s heart ached, and he quickly ran to the door.

It slid open with a quiet swish, but the figure didn’t move even with the sound, or when Twilight stepped inside.

“Red?” he called.

That made his little brother’s head snap up to stare at him, eyes wide and startled. His gaze landed on Twilight’s face, and his expression turned even more surprised, Red letting out a gasp as he jumped to his feet.

“Twilight!” he shrieked, and bolted, throwing himself into Twilight’s arms with a sob.

Twilight hugged him back just as fiercely, Red crying into his shoulder, and he quickly clicked a button on his radio four times, the signal they’d all agreed to use for “I found him”.

“We found you Smithy, you’re okay now, I got you,” Twilight soothed, his shirt steadily growing damp. “It’s okay. Are you hurt at all?”

“N-no,” Red hiccuped, face still pressed to Twilight’s shirt. “Th-they mostly left me alone, I d-don’t think they even wanted a-a hostage.”

Twilight squeezed him tighter. “I’m so sorry Red.”

Red didn’t reply, aside from another hiccuping sob.

Twilight knew they should get going, but he couldn’t bring himself to make Red move just yet, so he held him a little longer and just let him cry. Red’s louder sobs eventually petered out, and Twilight gave him a comforting pat on the back as Red finally sat up a little, still sniffling.

“Twi, is e-everyone else here?” Red finally asked, letting out a hiccup. “I-I don’t want to be separate anymore.”

“Yeah they came, they’re close by,” Twilight reassured, and Red visibly relaxed, though he still looked upset.

“It was awful being away from them so long,” he whimpered. “It felt...”

He swallowed and didn’t continue, and Twilight gave him a squeeze.

“Well if we want to get you back together, we should get going,” he said, and Red eagerly nodded, wiping his sleeve over his face.

Twilight helped him up, and then turned into a wolf, gesturing for Red to hop on. He gladly did, and they ran went back the way Twilight had come, opting less for sneakiness and more for pure speed. Twilight didn’t want Red to have to wait a second longer than necessary to be back with the other parts of himself, and he loped down the hallways as fast as he could without slipping on the shiny floors.

Red in turn clung tightly to his fur, his head not quite buried in it. Twilight could just barely feel Red’s tears dampening his fur as he sniffled again, and his stomach clenched, even with the relief pounding through him.

The part of Twilight, the more wolffish part of him that longed to protect had been going haywire all week, and even now that he had Red secure on his back, it still bayed for justice.

Twilight ignored it. He was pretty sure Red’s captors were long gone, and going after them now wouldn’t be productive in any way. Even if he wanted to demand answers as to why they’d grabbed a nine year old and locked him in a room for a week.

No. Red safe and secure on his back was plenty for now, and as he firmly told himself that, the wolf began to calm.

Though he knew it wouldn’t completely settle until they were all back together and safe at home again.

Twilight turned a corner near where he and the rest of the group had split up, and Red sat up and shouted, pointing excitedly down the hall. The rest of the colors were already making their way towards them, but they all zeroed in at Red’s shout, relief on all three faces.

“RED!” Blue yelled, and all three of them bolted, Red leaping off Twilight’s back and crashing into them with a happy cry.

All four of them began chattering simultaneously, asking questions and crying and in Blue’s case, giving Red a punch on the arm that wasn’t as hard as it could have been.

Twilight smiled in relief as they huddled together, turning back into a human, and realized that the rest of the team they had brought was coming up behind them, Legend Hyrule and their mother all looking extremely relieved.

“Red— never do that again,” Green said as they hugged, and Red nodded rapidly.

“I won’t! I won’t, it wasn’t even on purpose, they just grabbed me, a-and I couldn’t get away, and nobody heard me yell,” Red said in a watery voice, and Vio gave him a soft pat on the head.

“Well you’re okay now, you don’t have to cry,” Blue grumbled, but his arm didn’t leave Red’s shoulder.

The colors didn’t talk any longer after that, only hugging a few moments more before they began to glow, unable to wait a second longer to reform. A pulse of multicolored light shone around the hallway, bouncing off the pale walls, and Twilight had to look away until it began to dim.

Four stood alone, his eyes closed as the last of the glow faded away.

Then he doubled over with his hands clenched to his head, face twisted up in pain. Twilight darted forward and caught him before he fell, and Four whimpered in his arms, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Four, hey, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked, trying not to panic.

Four flinched at his words, and the sound of the others running up as well, and tried to curl into a ball, still clenching at his hair.

“What’s wrong with him?” Legend asked with wide eyes.

“Four, are you okay?” Hyrule asked, and Four only let out another whimper.

“Give him some space,” Malon said, and they slid back a bit, giving her room to kneel by Four. She placed a gentle hand on his back, and rubbed it as Four let out a pitiful groan. “Four? Honey are you okay?”

Four only groaned again, and Hyrule scooted over and set a glowing hand on his head, eyes closed in concentration. But he withdrew after a moment, gaze slightly bewildered.

”His head is fine, I didn’t see anything,” he said, and Twilight frowned.

“Did they do something just to Red then?” Twilight asked, trying to keep his voice calm and only partially succeeding. “That would hurt him when he merged?”

“I don’t... think so?” Hyrule said. He sounded uncertain though, and wrung his hands a bit.

“Seriously? We would have noticed if they’d done something,” Legend shot at Twilight.

“How do you know?” Twilight answered just as sharply. “It might not be physical!”

“Well maybe he’s just—”

“Boys shh, you’re hurting him,” Malon said a bit sharply, and they went silent, another quiet whimper from Four the only noise. “Four? Can you tell us what’s wrong?”

Four dragged his eyes open, and Twilight stared, the normal blue of his eyes completely overrun by jagged swirls of red, green, and purple, blue scattered throughout. As he watched, the red got larger, and Four flinched, once again slamming his eyes shut and falling mostly limp in Twilight’s arms.

“Four, we can’t help unless we know what’s wrong,” Twilight tried, running a hand through his hair.

Please Four, can you give us something?

A few long moments ticked by, Four’s shaky breathing the only sound in the bright hallway. Finally Four breathed out, the noise hitching in the middle, and his fingers tightened in his hair.

“T-too— much,” he finally bit out, voice hitching and wavering. “M-Memories, different—”

Four pressed his head tighter against Twilight’s chest, his breathing trembling. He let out another small groan, and Twilight ran a helpless hand over his hair as he tried to curl himself up even tighter.

“Oh. I get it,” Legend said quietly, and they all looked at him inquisitively. Legend sighed. “Look, he was split all that time, right? Normally getting back together is no big deal for him, even if it’s been a little while. But his experiences as Green, Blue, and Vio this time were so vastly different from Red’s that when he reformed...”

“...all of those stark different memories got put in one head,” Malon finished, and ran a gentle hand through Four’s hair again. “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry.”

Twilight wasn’t sure if Four even heard her, with the way he was curled up in a ball, hands still clenching at his head, face screwed shut in a wince.

“Can we help him?” Hyrule asked, and Malon looked uncertain.

“I don’t know, hon. It looks to me like he’ll just need some time to adjust,” she said, gently running her hand through Four’s hair. “Is there any way we can help, Four?”

Four didn’t say anything in reply, but he gave a tiny, pained shake of his head.

“We should get him home then, right?” Twilight spoke up, trying not to sound overly worried despite how fast his heart was still pounding. “If he just needs to adjust. He’ll be able to rest better there, and we need to get out of here anyway.”

Malon nodded, and Twilight scooped Four up into his arms, relieved his brother was fairly lightweight. Four curled into his hold, face still drawn with pain, and Twilight held him tight as they worked their way back towards the exit.

Somehow zero alarms had been triggered by their presence, and Twilight was starting to suspect the place had been abandoned what with how silent and empty it was. The fact that that meant the people who’d kidnapped Red had basically abandoned him here all alone was enough to reawaken the protectiveness in Twilight’s chest with a snarl, and this time he only half-heartedly reeled it in.

For their sakes, they had better not show their faces again anytime soon.

“Tw-i..?”

Several minutes of the trek had gone by before the whisper came from Twilight’s arms, and he looked down at Four, still limp in his hold.

“Yeah bud?”

“Thanks,” Four whispered into his shirt, and though he didn’t elaborate, Twilight knew what he meant.

“You’re welcome,” Twilight replied gently, and Four tucked his face against his neck, the pained creases on his face slightly eased.

[wafflesrock16]

Shakarian Viking/Soulmate AU

Remember how I said this idea wouldn't leave me? I had to write it out. Who else wants Viking berserker Shepard and Anglo-Saxon prince Garrus? Below a the cut.

Shepard watched as Jarl Anderson lowered his torch, setting the brittle branches at the base of the pyre aflame. The scent of pitch and smoke filled her nostrils, the loud crack of timber breaking the stillness of the gathered group of watchers. They stood near enough to feel the heat of the fire on their faces as it consumed the wooden structure, red tongued flames licking at the platform and the shrouded form that lay atop it. 

“He’s in Valhalla, now,” she heard Kaidan murmur. “We should all be so lucky to die in glorious battle.”

Shepard frowned. Jenkins had only been raised to the berserkers the year prior. He had never voyaged to the havens. This was to be his first raid along the Widow Sea’s frontier. He had known the risks, as did all who ventured here. Still, his death sat like a heavy stone in the pit of Shepard’s stomach.

At least he didn’t have a soulmate tethered to his spirit. There’s no one feeling hollowed out with inconsolable grief back home. The reasoning did little to staunch her guilt; if anything it only made it worse since it caused her to feel grateful she didn’t have a soulmate, either. 

Shepard sighed. She was the berserker commander. Jenkins was her responsibility. She wasn’t a wet nurse, but she ought to have kept an eye on him; at least admonished him to stay out of the trees. The silver-barked forests in this region were deadly. Old enemies with eagle eyes and rapier-like claws favored the cover the thick woods offered. 

She turned away from the funerary pyre and the low, solemn chanting that had begun as fire swallowed Jenkins mortal body. Nobody stopped her as she strode away from the conflagration, back toward the longboats. She needed a moment alone with her thoughts without guilt crowding in on her.

 The turians know we’re here—they must have spied us well before we made landfall though bleed me if I know how. Shepard found herself walking past where the dragon-headed longships had been pulled up onto the beach, lost in consideration. We outnumber them, though they have the advantage of knowing the terrain. They also have at least one skilled archer among them, even though that’s not who sent Jenkins off to Odin. 

No, a turian swordsman had done Jenkins in, and Shepard had returned the favor with her axe. It was small comfort. Humans and turians had battled for the land and wealth along the Citadel’s coast for time immemorial. There was talk of an asari negotiated peace treaty, but so far that’s all it was. Talk. Shepard wagered that nothing would come from those talks in her lifetime. And who knows how long that’ll be if we stay here?

Gravel crunched under her boots in the lengthening shadows of twilight. Shepard rounded a gentle curve in the land and came to stand on a dead tree, facing the North. The wind that whipped her fiery red hair about her face was warmer than back home. Then again, they were a long way from home, now.

She watched the dying light upon the waves, the ocean glittering like crushed diamonds. It would be dark soon. They’d need to make camp and plot their next course. Did they take the river deeper inland, as was the original plan? Or did they double back, take their chances in krogan territory where turians didn’t dare venture.

Against the crash of the breakers, Shepard missed the sound of a bowstring drawing taut. It was something else, some inexplicable tug at her heart, a susurration of unheard whispers in her ear, that caused her to suddenly duck and roll, the hidden knives she kept about her person flying into her hands. 

There was a loud thawk, as a barbed arrow embedded itself into the driftwood where she’d been standing. 

She flung a knife, gratified to hear the sound of a large body diving to the sand. She charged before the archer could restring his bow, tackling him to the ground with a savage roar. 

Eyes bluer than the center of a flame stared up at her from within a silver plated face, painted with the bold cobalt markings of Clan Vakarian. The turian’s crest of horns was cushioned by a clump of dried seaweed, tiny insects furiously buzzing about his head at the invasion. 

He flared his mandibles, exposing long, sharp, silver teeth. His jaw dropped as he took in his soon-to-be killer. Shepard sat astride his narrow waist, holding her second knife above his ridged nose, poised to strike. 

Something in those burning eyes softened. “You’re beautiful.” The rumbling subharmoinics seemed to embrace her, a vocal hug to reinforce the sincerity of his words. 

Shepard sucked in a deep breath. For the first time in years, ridiculously, tears pricked the corners of her eyes. “Shut up!” She shook her head as if to dislodge his words. “I hate you!”

Her hand holding the knife quivered. In the crystalline depths of his alien eyes, she saw herself reflected back, lips pulled back in a vicious snarl, red hair framing her face. The embodiment of a valkyrie and harbinger of death. Except, I don’t want to kill him, she realized. 

“I wasn’t trying to hit you,” the turian murmured. “If I had been, you’d already be dead. I hadn’t realized you were . . . you.” He suffused the word with a mix of awe and wonder that left Shepard’s chest feeling tight. 

With a cry born as much from confusion as frustration, Shepard rolled off him. She leaped to her feet, kicking a clump of sand. “Leave,” she commanded, wiping at her treacherous eyes. 

The turian slowly rose to his degi-grade feet. Sharp claws extended from the open toes of his boots. “What if I want to stay?”

Shepard glared at him. “Why should you stay? After what your clan did to our landing party this morning and us to you, shouldn’t you be regrouping?”

Why in the frozen hells was she crying? What was it about this turian of all people that had her feeling vulnerable as a new babe? She should kill him—he’d be back tonight with more men and slit her throat in her sleep. A small voice she couldn’t name told her that he wouldn’t do that. Not him. Not ever. 

“My name is Garrus,” the turian replied instead. “There are those who call me Archangel, but . . . it’s just Garrus, for you.” 

Shepard forced herself to look at him. Really look at him. He was tall and lean, as most turians were, and covered in metallic looking plates. He wore a deep blue tabard with the Vakarian family crest stitched out in thread-of-gold across his chest. A brown leather belt with well-made leggings and fine boots completed his attire. Not some common foot soldier or hunter turned mercenary, Shepard mused. Her eyes settled on the longbow laying at Garrus’ feet. It was nearly as tall as he was and looked like it was made of black yew wood. An expensive weapon. One only someone with a high tier could afford. 

Shepard’s eyes went wide as she realized who Garrus must be. “You’re the Primarch’s son.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgement, a hand moving to rub the back of his neck. Shepard was no expert on turian expressions but she’d swear Garrus looked embarrassed. 

Bright blue eyes met hers. “You seem to know me and my lineage, yet I confess, I have yet to learn your name.”

Shepard hesitated a moment before discarding any notion of subterfuge. What was the point? He could have killed her and hadn’t. She could have killed him and didn’t. Besides all that, she wanted to know him. “Commander Jane Shepard,” she said. “You can call me Shepard.”

Garrus extended his hand in a human gesture of greeting. “A pleasure to meet you, Shepard.” 

Shepard slipped her smaller hand into his. It was like being struck by lightning. There was a jolt, a suffusion of warmth flooding her veins, an invisible push in his direction. They collided at the same time, Garrus likewise shoved by an unseen force. 

She grasped onto his cowl, feeling like she were trapped in an undertow, liable to be swept away in the exultant rush of emotions, apt to drown in the depths of a feeling humanity blithely called ‘soulmates.’ Her skin tingled and she was hyper aware of Garrus’ proximity; the rough calluses of his three-fingered hands and prick of talons through her tunic where he held her waist. His pupils dilating and eclipsing the blue of his irises while his subvocals stuttered and a deep, percussive purr sundered in his chest. 

Shepard exhaled. “Oh.” 

Garrus lifted a shaky hand to gently brush away an errant lock of hair. “It is you,” he whispered, reverent. “You feel it too?”

She gazed up at him, feeling more a maiden than seasoned berserker. Her mouth parted to answer—

“Commander!”

Shepard pulled herself free from the whirlpool of Garrus’ presence to peer into the murky distance. “The others are looking for me,” she muttered. How long had she been gone? Sudden fear squeezed her heart as she considered what would happen if Garrus were discovered. She gave him a forceful shove. “They mustn’t see you. Go! Hurry!”

Garrus moved as though in a daze, stooping to retrieve his bow and taking a few tentative steps backward. “I’ll find you,” he swore. “I’ll come back for you, my dea.” 

Before Shepard could respond he was sprinting; a glimmer of lancing starlight through the gloam, a shape half-seen on the edge of the forest. We’ll find each other, she promised herself, even as Kaidan and Ashley came into view, helmets donned and axes at hand. What joke of the gods is it that my other half should be an ancestral foe, on ground my kin intend to soak in blue blood?

She turned towards her comrades, trying to shake off the chill that had settled over her like heavy snow with Garrus’ departure. The others would want to know what she’d been doing out here, alone in the dark. “Searching for answers,” she’d tell them. “Considering what to do next.”

She’d omit her blue eyed archer. That whatever came next, Garrus would play a major role. For now, she kept her soulmate sheltered within the confines of her rib cage, a constant companion to her own beating heart.