#as long as that child is alive the other three will be doomed to die before they have kids

[bluebellhairpin]

TELL ME ABOUT THE CURSE!!

Okay so basically the idea of The Curse is to explain why the Strongs are a "extinct" house during Game of Thrones. It's my way of filing in gaps so I can continue my personal delulu train lol.

So during the Dance of Dragons, all of House Strong were wiped out. (Which I won't explain bc spoilers.) But I'm already fucking with the timeline by keeping Harwin alive, so like as "payment" for that, and having all his family live after the war (himself, wife, their children), a curse is placed on their family for the rest of time.

Only one person in each generation will live to produce more children. This severely restricts the amount of living members of House Strong - so generations pass with only one whose named Strong surviving each time. They end up getting lost to time. And they learn as time passes that if they have more than one child, they'll all die until there's only one left.

Their curse is that they will keep existing, but the cost is that they will be alone.

[chronically-gay-whoops]

Till Death Do Us Part  – An Arthur Morgan x OC Story *PART THREE*

Content Warnings – Kidnapping, Death Threats, Micah Bell, Trauma, Angst, Character Deaths, Eventual Happy Ending

Word Count – 1.2k

Part One - 1.3k words (17th July 2024)

Part Two - 1.7k words (17th July 2024)

Part Three - 1.2k words (19th July 2024)

Authors Note – I really don’t feel like this one is as good as the others – I’m better at writing angst? I think? I’m sorry about the very end, I’m just so bad at writing fluff apparently? If anyone wants to add anything go for it besties <3

“Micah, if you’re in here, come out”

Clasping Bea to your chest, her terrified figure shaking within your arms, you stare at the door, a voice from your past echoing from the frigid mountains ahead of you. The raspy voice of John Marston beckons Micah, and you knew this would be your chance at freedom, if John played his cards right.

A new fear suddenly enveloped you – Bea. Having to explain this entire situation, the existence of your child to her fathers best friend and brother. Your disappearance, everything.

What if he hated you?

A second voice shook you to your core. The once warm, loving voice that used to sooth you to sleep, whispering sweet nothings in the peaceful quiet of the night within your shared tent, now turned cold and unfamiliar. “I told you Bell, you’d pay for what you did to the gang. My family. My wife.” Your head snapped towards the door, your hogtied ankles wrestling against the rope cutting into your skin. You yelled against the filthy rag stuffed into your mouth as a gag, to no avail. Bea looked up at your sudden movements and sounds, confusion lacing across the fear in her sweet face.

“Mama? Are you ok?” She whispered, tear stains etched into the dirt on her cheeks from the last few weeks. You shook your head gently at her, your eyes begging for her to stay quiet. The last thing you needed was Micah or one of his cronies to hear her, and ruin your chances when you were this close to your long lost lover.

How was he alive? Although he never told you, you knew he wasn’t well, and you thought you knew that he was doomed to die. A sudden feeling of despair and grief grabbed hold of your heart, longing for the time that you now knew you’d lost with Arthur.

A sudden gunshot through one of the shacks windows snapped you out of your despair. A gunfight outside continues, jabs and threats thrown between the three men. A sudden movement from behind you caused your head to snap around, allowing you to remember Dutch’s existence in the building with you. Looking at you, he gave an apologetic look, or as close as he possibly could’ve to the sort, before striding out of the shack.

The gunfight ceased at Dutch’s arrival, until one last shot rung out.

“You shot me. You shot me pretty good”

-x-

The conversation outside was too dull for you to hear, until Dutch raised his voice. “It’s worth taking a look inside, gentlemen. That’s as much as I can help you now”. You could hear his footsteps quietening as he walked away in the snow, leaving John and Arthur outside, just moments away from finding you and Bea.

Next thing you knew, more people joined the dull conversation outside. Straining your ears, you thought you could make out the tones of Sadie and Charles. Your heart genuinely ached for the reunition that was about to take place. Bea clasped at you closer, her eyes – identical to those of her father – glistening with confusion. How could you explain to a 6 year old what was about to happen, when you scarcely understood it yourself?

“I’ll take a look. There might be some cash? I suppose? Y’all can wait here”, you gasped lowly, knowing that the time was now

The door of the shack rattled in front of you, and premature tears of joy began to roll down your face. As it opened, you blinked at the bright sun light leaking into the dingy room, as the unmistakeable silhouette of John Marston filled the doorway. As your eyes adjusted, you watched as his face paled in shock.

“Marston? What you stopping for?” You stared into John’s face as he stumbled sideways into the doorframe, his eyes confused, scared, hopeful. So many emotions, and you knew you portrayed the exact same in your own face. Another figure pushed past him impatiently – Athur.

A weak noise left his mouth as he spotted you, truly speechless. His blue eyes, so like Bea’s, stared into your own, before shifting down to the young girl in your lap. His mouth opened, and shut again, clearly not knowing what to say.

As you shifted your weight slightly, the rope cutting further into your ankles, he seemingly snapped into action, suddenly realising your predicament. He stumbled towards you, hand desperately clasping his knife to cut the ropes away from you. Once you were free, you fell helplessly into his awaiting arms, breaking down into broken sobs. Years of emotion all coming to a head. Bea, slightly crushed between you, wriggled gently, once again bringing you back to reality.

At this point, you genuinely didn’t know if it was reality or another helpless dream.

Arthur drew back, staring at the little girl in your arms, the potential of heartbreak flooding his eyes. You could see his calculating face working out her age, taking in her unmistakable eyes, an understanding spread across his face.

“I guess we were both keeping things, huh?” He murmured, a small smile gracing his face. You laughed gently, collapsing into his arms again.

“I thought you were dead, Arthur” you sobbed. He drew back again and stared at you.

“And I you, Flo. Me and John thought Bell had taken you all those years ago, when you disappeared before I could catch up with you guys”.

“But.. but you were ill? When I found out I was pregnant, I thought you was long dead. I had to escape.” You whispered, both of you realising that this was the most tragic misunderstanding.

A cough behind Arthur caused you to both turn, starting at the interruption. Sadie, John and Charles stood, confusion in their faces as well as clear relief. You smiled gently at them, trying to express the apology they deserved in your expression.

“Right then, I guess we better get you home?”

-x-

You sat on the back of Arthur’s horses rump, hugging his back, crying gently into his shirt, his familiar smell flooding your senses, making you realise quite how much you missed him over the last 7 years. You had convinced Bea to finally unpeel herself from you, and she now road with Charles, chatting away to him as he chuckled gently. Your group trotted gently down the mountain, chatting gently to one another as you caught up on the traumatising few years of your life that you had just experienced.

As you begun to approach the area of Blackwater, you sat up gently, looking around at the familiar surroundings. “How long have y’all been in this area?” You said, wistfulness filling your heart. “We’ve been just south of here for like 6 months now, down at MacFarlane’s Ranch, have I seriously just missed youse?”

“You’re not serious Flo?” said John, going on to explain the building of Beecher’s Hope, and how he and Sadie had occasionally worked nearby to the ranch. Again, the bittersweet wistfulness you had suddenly grown used to flooded your heart.

-x-

Turning into Beecher’s Hope, you saw the figures of Abigail and – Jack? You would presume? – heading out of the ranch house, before spotting Abigail pause as she spotted your figure on the back of Arthur’s horse. Once again, you watched her face fill with confusion, yet also relief, as you could see the weight of her secret come off of her shoulders.

The evening was spent catching up, teaching Arthur all about your little girl together, as you watched him step more than willingly into his new fatherhood position.

Life, finally, was good.

[timeclipsed]

Shadow & Rouge ???

Timeclipsed!Shadow + Timeclipsed!Rouge — !!

Best of friends, whether or not they'll admit that openly. Sole confidantes, ride-or-die as hell for each other. Emerl actually replaces Omega in this timeline, and while they're not as close to him as they would've been to Omega, the trio work together well.

Shadow's lore is a bit more complex than Rouge's (and is also some of my favorite from this entire AU), so he may take up the bulk of the post!

SHADOW:

➺ To explain Shadow's lore, we'll have to go back to the very beginning. The ultimate lifeform was developed with the brain of a child to start with— and due to that childlike mind being unable to sustain the psychological stress of existing for the purpose of keeping Maria alive, it split into two different parts initially, eventually three. ➺ Shadow is the core and acts as host. Terios is considered the inner self helper. Ark tends to be a bit hazy, their presence being sporadic, but is the persecutor. They formed last, sometime during the events of SA2. ➺ Generally, when whoever is fronting shifts, it isn't super noticeable, but there do tend to be some physical or vocal cues. ➺ Most are tangentially aware of Shadow's condition, but only Rouge, Emerl, and Sonic have properly met and spoken to each alter. ➺ Effectively genderless. ➺ Shadow and Sonic are exes. They broke up after Sonic was consumed in his research to find Tails. ➺ Terios is the alter who directly witnessed Maria's death. Despite being the one to see it, he struggles to cope with the reality of it, as well as the idea that much time has passed at all. Due to Gerald's plans to siphon Maria into a different living body in order to keep her alive, he formed the belief that Tails is Maria after noting the amount of similarities (which, of course, is what prompted the Doctor to set his sights on Tails as a potential candidate to begin with). The first Tails even learned of Maria's existence was when he was snatched up by Terios (sometime during SA2's events) and insistently referred to by her name. ➺ Shadow and Terios believe Tails is alive, but Ark (who's usually the one that whoops Tails' ass) thinks he's dead. Terios was hysterical for days over his disappearance and will sometimes turn up to try and help Sonic out with research. ➺ Ark is essentially the one responsible for a majority of the bad decisions they make (i.e., involvement with Black Doom and such). ➺ Rouge is Shadow's best friend. Terios adores her. Even Ark is partial to her.

ROUGE:

➺ Lived on the streets for a good chunk of her childhood before being taken in by two very loving mothers. She's been stealing for as long as she can remember. ➺ Developed kleptomania because of her experiences as a child. Though she wants for nothing as an adult, most of her jewel-thieving tendencies come from that primal protective instinct to always have something to hold onto. ➺ Has an amicable friendship / off and on situationship with Knuckles. They're treasure hunting buddies! ➺ She may be the face of bold self-confidence now, but when she was younger, she had a lot of body image issues. ➺ Extremely embarrassed by the scene phase she went through in her teenage years. She had a MySpace page and everything... ➺ A surrogate big sister to Amy, who went through a lot of the same problems she did as a teenager. They're roomies now! Amy says she wants to plan Rouge's wedding when she gets engaged. ➺ Woah, she's bisexual! I didn't know that! ➺ Would kill a hundred men just to make her girlfriend smile. ➺ So totally polyamorous. ➺ Emerl is something like a little brother to her, although they're not as close as she is with Amy. ➺ Cries only when she's alone. A lot of the times, it's about her worry for Shadow.

[an-annyeoing-writer]

bloodline. - ch. 1/5: bloodline.

Story info:

Pair: Byun Baekhyun x Reader

Rating: +16 for mentions of violence, death, chronic illness, kidnapping

Genre: mafia!AU, angst, action

Chapter info:

Release date: 26th August 2023

Word count: 4 012

Warnings: mentions of death & violence

Bloodline Masterlist || Fanfiction Masterlist

You sat in the bedroom of your brand-new residence. The bed was rather soft, with lots of pillows, and the room was pretty itself, although not so much in the style you’d normally choose, yet – simply pleasing to look at, with attention to detail that soothed your perfectionist senses. The sight outside – two or three stairs below, through the windows – should be beautiful, with snow-covered gardens and forests that spread for miles ahead, since the mansion was in the middle of nowhere, far from anyone’s curious eyes. However, even though the windows were also a part of the design, you were aware that they were made of tempered glass, and the handles were locked with a key.

In other words, you were a prisoner, and the clicking sound of the door lock clicking served to remind you of that very well.

The door finally opened, and you refused to look away from the window, sitting in the bed with your posture just a bit too proud as for your position.

It didn’t take long, however, before the curiosity took better of you and you glanced at the man at the doorstep. You felt as though you glaring daggers at him was the exact mirror of the daggers he glared at yourself. Although he remained stoic, there was visible hatred in his eyes that your own reciprocated.

“Come for the dinner, or would you rather starve?” His voice was so cold you felt chills go down your spine. There was nothing stopping him from letting you remain hungry, you realized, for as long as you stayed alive for the future purposes – whatever they could be.

“Thank you very much, I’ll eat at home soon” you talked back, going back to watching the outside as if you were fully confident in your words.

The man didn’t say anything, just let out a wordless huff and left, locking the door behind.

You exhaled shakily.

You didn’t really think you’d go back home any time soon. In fact, you were very certain that you would not, that no one would come save you, that you were doomed to die here, because the reason you were kidnapped was completely out of your power.

You didn’t choose the family you were born in. No one did. Through all your life, you had thought your bloodline was just smart and lucky to be this well-off. And, honestly, you didn’t want to know more. You didn’t feel all that close to your family members, you were planning to go your own way as soon as it was possible, because you expected that otherwise, at some point, someone would choose for you instead.

It was barely months ago that you started discovering that the possible wrongdoings of your ancestors that led to your family acquiring wealth was not something that was left behind centuries ago. Although the business of your family was far too developed and broad to resort to violence on daily basis, you knew that inflicting harm in one way or another, as to acquire wealth even greater, would be something that you would need to get used to, were you to stay there.

So you decided to leave, slipping out from underneath the umbrella of the powerful custody, safety measures and bodyguards. You never considered them necessary, anyway.

And how wrong you were to think that someone wouldn’t take advantage of that.

The Byun family was not unfamiliar to you. Ever since you were a child, you attended those grand parties, where everyone behaved as if everything was good and innocent, and where you actually believed no one had ill intentions. Yet, from the perspective of current events, looking back to those parties, you realized how well written farces they were. Behind every smile and politeness, stood the will to acquire someone’s sympathy. Behind every small handshake, laid a promise of future cooperation. You never would have thought there would be this level of hostility between families.

Knowing your own, you suspected that it was them who unlawfully extended their influences beyond unspoken rules of diplomacy. You were just guessing, basing on Byuns’ attitude towards you – in their eyes, you were liars, untrustworthy and disgusting.

But were they any better? Would they not take chances if the prize was precious? You were almost certain that they still would. So you stood for yourself and refused to acknowledge it as your own fault; you were merely a pawn, not a decision-maker, someone who only tried to escape this reality anyway. Choosing you to pay for your family’s wrongdoings was unforgivable.

You didn’t know details; you had no idea what was it, that made Byuns this angry. But Baekhyun’s hatred towards you said it all. You refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you all humble and defeated.

It was getting dark and you laid in the queen-size bed of yours, listening to the sounds outside out of pure curiosity. The mansion was really big with not so many people in it, so you didn’t hear many pass by your room. But you heard some sounds coming from further areas – rarely ever would it be actual conversation, but sometimes, you’d hear steps, noises of metal hitting against metal (possibly from the kitchen?) and all the sounds of the pipes in the walls. After some hours, even the buzzling of electricity in the outlets became a thing. Your stomach was already grumbling from hunger, but you couldn’t say that it was uncomfortable. Heaters hung below the windows were always turned on, and were you to change your preference, the knob was there for you to adjust the temperature as well. It was the middle of winter, and as such, you didn’t mind the heater being on the highest setting.

You didn’t know what hour it was, but you were certain that you’d been woken up, with the darkness all around you and no light coming from the outside – not even from the garden lights, although you remembered the yard being well lighted the night before, when you sat by the window, watching different faces come and leave even at a late hour like this.

But now, there was nothing. You got up, your eyes slowly adjusting as you walked towards the door to your small bathroom, pressing your sleepy fingers into the light switch.

Nothing happened, though. You turned it on and off a few times – there was no light, not even a spark. You walked to the door of your room and tried to turn this light on as well – there was still nothing. Seemed like a total blackout, and explained the lack of lights outside. You let out a sigh, sitting back on your bed out of no better things to do.

You stared at the ceiling thoughtfully; your eyes made out the shape of a crystal chandelier.

A blackout seemed like such a simple accident, a silly occurrence. You wished your door or the windows were locked electronically, maybe it would give you an opportunity to slip out. But they weren’t – the locks were rather traditional, and you didn’t possess the skills of a burglar to break through them with a hairpin, would that opportunity even arise. Probably not – modern locks didn’t have the keyway wide enough for a hairpin to fit in.

You swore that you fell asleep again in the short time that you spent in bed, when a loud noise erupted somewhere downstairs, and the whole building shook, the crystal chandelier clinging above your head, making you shoot up on your bed, looking around cautiously.

Explosion? It did sound like one, or at least like you could imagine it, having not experienced it in your life before. Low rumble passed through the walls as a follow-up, and you jumped off the bed, running to the window.

Your breath got caught in your chest at the sight of fire somewhere below; the glow brightened up the garden around, but its source must have been inside of the building. You shuddered. You should leave; this was dangerous, you needed to leave, just for your own safety. But you were locked in here with no possible way out. There was still no single person in your sight.

Another sound of explosion tore through the mansion. The construction shook so hard that you stumbled, falling on your knees. How many more would come? You trembled. Getting to your feet, you ran to the entry door, putting on your boots in a rush and pulling on the doorknob – to no avail. The sound of fire eating at the mansion reached your ears, along with different sounds and even yells of people below. But you failed to hear any steps in the corridor.

“Let me out!” you screamed, realizing that you were the last thing anyone here would worry about. “Please, let me out!” You could only pray so that your voice would reach someone passing nearby.

You didn’t know how long you’d been banging your fists on the door, hands all red and bruised. It could have been just seconds, or minutes, but the fear only strengthened with the smoke that crept in through the vents, starting to fill your lungs.

It was when tears started to run down your cheeks, that the lock suddenly let go and the door opened.

You wrapped arms around yourself, shaking fearfully. The face that appeared was familiar – but the familiarity didn’t bring any comfort. Byun Baekhyun’s face was unreadable and covered with sweat.

He stared at you for less than seconds, before grabbing your arm and pulling you out of the room without a word.

Where he was taking you? Different thoughts passed through your head. What if it was your family that caused the fire, wishing to wipe Byuns off the earth, angry from having their family member endangered? Would he want to trade you for the family’s safety then? You didn’t mind that, at all. You just wanted a way out.

The corridors were dark from smoke, but the fire danced on the lowest floors only. You were dragged to the emergency exit instead, at the back of the mansion, with metal stairs that led safely to the ground. From the heated up building, you went out straight into the winter, the sudden change of temperature making your head spin. Or maybe it was just the smoke…?

You followed Baekhyun down. But, to your surprise, instead of taking you towards the main gate – where someone else should certainly be – he pulled you towards the gardens and the forest further ahead, his hold on your arm so tight that it was clear your obedience was not optional.

Your thoughts started to ease. Was it tiredness or trauma, that caused you to look at him closer instead of thinking of your own woe for a moment? But he was shaken up too, probably not thinking clearly either, so you took your chance and pushed him off to get out of his grasp. You should have ran straight to the main gate, you thought, but he didn’t waste a second before catching you by the back of your collar and pulling back to him.

“You don’t want to go there” he spat.

“But…”

“It’s not your family. Shut up and don’t be difficult.”

Could he be lying? Could he be trying to trick you into coming with him, then hurt you, maybe even kill you?

Listening to him must have been a bad idea.

But you had no clue what would happen if you didn’t; at the very least, the forest seemed less terrifying than the inferno behind.

⁂

Everything was dark and cold. Your head was pounding, and you had no energy left as you tore through the deep snow that covered the ground. You had your winter boots on from when you’ve been brought to the mansion, but no jacket or coat, your sweater providing very little comfort when the snow started falling down, quickly covering your hair in a layer of white ice. You trembled, walking with your arms wrapped around you protectively. Baekhyun did the same, no longer bothering to keep you by his side. His blazer, thrown over his turtleneck sweater, seemed to provide a bit of warmth, but leather loafers appeared even less suitable for the weather than your sweater. There was no way not to walk through the snow, as there was no road, no path, nothing that the two of you could follow.

“Do you know where we’re going?” you decided to ask finally, growing too tired to keep up the pace.

Baekhyun let out a small huff.

“There’s a road if we go straight forward.”

“How far?”

He glared at you as if he was about to snarl at you again, but it seemed that he’s also too tired to do as much.

Soon, you stumbled upon a small cave engraved in a rock, not too deep as to potentially have a wild animal hiding in it, but sufficient for it to be dry and block off the snow.

Baekhyun didn’t think twice before walking into it and sitting on the cold ground, leaning his back against the wall. You followed the suit.

Out of the inside pocket of his jacket, he took out a phone; your eyes widened, realizing that he’d been keeping the device by himself all along. In how dark it was around you, the light of the screen blinded you for a few seconds. You shuffled to sit next to him, watching as he opened the maps app and GPS.

Looking at your current localization, you realized there’s literally nothing in the range of miles. It was just a plain, green area, with not even as much as a river, a mountain marked, or a road.

Baekhyun zoomed out and you started noticing some shapes; you had no idea what direction the mansion was in, but, basing on the arrow that showed above your location, it seemed that, just as he said, you were walking in the direction of a road that would eventually lead you to a town, and from there, you’d be able to find your city as well.

The issue was that, when he marked the route to the road, the app said clearly: three hours by feet. You breathed out shakily. There was no way you could walk for three more hours, not in this weather, not while this exhausted. You suspected that the time estimation didn’t consider the pace of two worn out young adults that had to tear through the snow to get there. It could as well take six hours to get there, and then, if there was no one to give you a ride, it would take even longer to get to the town. You were so, so doomed.

“Can’t you call someone?” you suggested. “To pick us up.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

“Are you seeing any roads that anyone would drive through?”

“Then at least…”

“Calling someone would be a suicide now” the man huffed, turning off the phone to save the battery and hiding it back in the pocket. “We need to rest anyway. We’ll leave in an hour, so just… Do whatever.”

Not waiting for you to voice your thoughts, Baekhyun pulled his knees to his chest, leaning his side against the wall, with his back to you, making it clear that he was not interested in continuing this conversation.

But exhaustion was eating at you, too. Even if you stayed here for just an hour, you were still in trouble; what would happen once your bodies would lose the remaining warmth? You knew that once you take a nap, your body will stop caring about the temperature. You’ll stop shivering, you’ll… just freeze.

“Don’t sleep” you put hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, realization coming all at once. “We can rest but don’t sleep.” You shook his shoulder. “Baekhyun, Byun Baekhyun!” You shook him more vigorously and he glanced at you weakly. “Don’t sleep! You can’t sleep.”

You should have held so much hate for that man, with all that happened, with how he’d been treating you. But you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself, if he just died here and you had to leave his body somewhere in this forest, maybe to never be found again. The perspective of being left alone terrified you.

He didn’t oppose when you leaned into his side, trying to preserve as much warmth as it was only possible, even though your bodies barely radiated any. He didn’t look at you, his eyes still half-closed and fixated on something far away, but the knowledge that he was awake was enough for you.

Even if you were to die here, to freeze to death, you’d rather have someone to die with. Even if he hated you, even if he would most likely stab you in the back if it was to save himself, you really just didn’t want to be alone.

You didn’t know how long had passed before he suddenly turned to face you. You realized you were slowly falling asleep yourself, but the motion managed to shake you awake. The snow outside finally stopped falling, but the stillness made you even sleepier. The world became so awfully quiet.

“Let’s talk” he said. “Or we’ll both fall asleep.”

You were surprised with him being the one to come up with the idea, but you were quick to follow.

“Who was there?” you asked. “If not my family, then what happened?”

Baekhyun was silent for a few moments, but you could tell he was just gathering thoughts.

“Just… another family. I don’t think they’re on good terms with yours, too.”

“Why did they attack?”

Baekhyun shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m not interested in the business.”

A deep frown appeared on your face. You would have never thought that Baekhyun, out of all people, was not engaged in what they were doing. He may have not been the one to kidnap you, but he did guard you, and his hatred towards you was too deeply rooted to be over a matter irrelevant to him.

Reading the doubt on your face, Baekhyun huffed.

“I mean it, I’m leaving this hellhole at the first occasion I get.”

“Where will you go?”

“Wherever.”

He didn’t seem willing to continue this topic, so you didn’t pry. You weren’t sure what other question to ask. But he was faster.

“Where were you going?” You frowned, confused about the context of his question. “When you were heading to the airport. That’s where they got you, right? You didn’t have anyone with you. That was reckless of you.”

You pursed your lips.

“I was trying to leave, too. I got into an university, half of the country away. I didn’t want to stay in this… business… either” you elaborated carefully. “But my parents didn’t really enjoy the idea of their daughter attending a school that’s not half as prestigious as everyone else attended. So they didn’t really… know that I’m leaving.” You shrugged. “Or maybe they did. Maybe they just didn’t care.”

“Would you really be able to live with yourself, leaving all of this away after what your family has done?”

“That’s the fun part” you laughed dryly. “They never told me what they’re doing” you scoffed. “You seem to know much more about this stuff, but I really just… I have no idea how they wronged yours, either. I don’t even know if I want to know.”

Baekhyun stared at you with his face completely unreadable. You frowned slightly; you didn’t want to seem insensitive, but you felt as though you just came out as such.

“You… know” you spoke carefully, weighing each word. “That’s why you hate me so much. What was it?”

He pressed his lips together.

“You said you don’t want to know” he huffed.

“But now I think I should.”

He breathed in and then exhaled with a huff, finally looking away from you, right when you felt you could not take any more of that gaze.

“They kidnapped my sister.” Your eyes widened in shock, but you noticed he’s trying to elaborate, so you didn’t speak a word. “Our families had this idea, of marrying your brother with my sister to extend the influence. But another family was invited into the negotiations, and my family chose them instead. So your father got pissed, and decided to blackmail us into the marriage. By kidnapping her.” He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists on the fabric of his pants. “That bastard just…”

“I’m sorry” you finally uttered. “Damn. I’m so sorry…”

The sparks of anger in Baekhyun’s eyes suddenly ceased, and in their place, appeared sadness and regret. The more you pondered on what you just found out, the more you felt tears fill your eyes.

He nudged your chest.

“Don’t waste energy on crying” he commanded, his voice strong and all serious again, like it used to be. “We need to get going.”

But this time, when he pushed himself off the ground, his hand wasn’t there to force you along, but to help you instead.

⁂

If it was only your stubbornness that kept you going after all this time, then you must have had quite a lot of it. You didn’t want to think of all the possible damage to your body that the cold had caused, but you worried for Baekhyun with his leather shoes way more. Fortunately, as the morning came not long later, and there was no snow falling on your heads anymore, it became just a little bit warmer, just a little bit less straining.

You managed to reach the road, and it seemed that cars used it regularly, with tracks clearly engraved in the snow.

You were certain that, with the use of Baekhyun’s phone, you would be able to get somewhere safely. Yet, about an hour of the walk had to pass before two black cars appeared, coming from behind you. The two of you stood cautiously on the side of the road as the vehicles stopped nearby, and you could swear one of them looked familiar.

The door opened and out came a man whose face you knew very well. Your eyes widened when he rounded the car and opened the passenger’s door.

That was when you came face to face with your own father, a man dressed in a suit and a thick coat that you really envied at the moment. Your eyes widened even more, but a smile appeared on your face unwittingly and you walked forward, not noticing Baekhyun’s face tensing as he stepped back instead.

“Are you okay?” the man spoke when you approached. The words were ridden off emotion, although some care was evident; your dad was never a man of heartfelt gestures. You nodded with a small smile, relief evident on your face.

“How did you find us…?” you asked.

“We tracked you with satellite some time ago. Get in the car, you need to warm up.”

You nodded. The other car opened and you let out a gasp at the sight of your brother.

“Chanyeol!” You would have ran to his side if not for your bones almost too cold to move at all. But he came out to see you instead, throwing his own, warmed up coat over your shoulders and leading you to the car of his own.

You turned around, glancing at the Baekhyun. His eyes were on your dad, his face tense, but unreadable.

And so your father’s gaze laid upon him, filled with condemn and clear hostility.

“Don’t worry, you’re okay now” Chanyeol said, pulling you towards the car despite your hesitation and making you sit inside. You tried to peek through the window, but he was quick to cover your sight with his body. “Don’t look, just warm up. You’re safe, they won’t hurt you anymore.”

You felt your heart drop at the meaning hidden behind his words; your body trembled.

“No… No, no.”

The echo of a gunshot tore through the forest.

Please, reblog if you enjoyed, it’ll help me a bunch!

Author’s note: It's such a relief to be back to writing! I'm going to make my posting schedule a bit more relaxed, so the next chapter may take about a month to post. In the meantime, I'll greatly appreciate your feedback, and have a great day!

[tortoisesshells]

top five doomed mariners go

in order not of significance, but of encounter:

(1) William Bush - the original Doomed Mariner, my copy of Lord Hornblower is still held together with duct tape from chucking the book across the room when I realized Forester was not going to pull a "if there's no body he's not dead" - rather, "if there's no body, it's because he was too close to the ignition point." A character whose defining trait is his devotion is actually something that can be so personal.

(2) James Norrington - the man, the myth, the legend. clearly takes up too much brain space for a [checking notes for comedic effect] antagonist secondary character from a twenty-year-old theme park ride movie. Hard to say at which point it became clear he'd never survive, but there's definitely a point at which he clearly thinks he's survived too long for anyone's good, least of all his own.

(3) Mr. Starbuck

“On this level, Ahab’s hammock swings within; his head this way. A touch, and Starbuck may survive to hug his wife and child again.—Oh Mary! Mary!—boy! boy! boy!—But if I wake thee not to death, old man, who can tell to what unsounded deeps Starbuck’s body this day week may sink, with all the crew! Great God, where art Thou? Shall I? shall I?—The wind has gone down and shifted, sir; the fore and main topsails are reefed and set; she heads her course.” “Stern all! Oh Moby Dick, I clutch thy heart at last!” Such were the sounds that now came hurtling from out the old man’s tormented sleep, as if Starbuck’s voice had caused the long dumb dream to speak. The yet levelled musket shook like a drunkard’s arm against the panel; Starbuck seemed wrestling with an angel; but turning from the door, he placed the death-tube in its rack, and left the place. (123: The Musket)

(4) Eyk Larsen - doomed by Netflix more than his own foibles, though that's not for lack of trying on his foibles' part. Even the men on his crew that like him are waiting for him to snap under the strain of his bereavement, alcoholism, and the demands of the new shipping company's changes (and the sudden appearance/disappearance of a ghost ship. and inexplicable deaths. and seeing things. and and and). Doesn't make it three whole scenes before staring moodily into the deeps of the Atlantic, musing on the impossibility of knowing what lives on the floor thousands of feet below. Kind of deserved that mutiny. Didn't exactly die in 1899, but. Well. Like his relationship with Maura, it was complicated.

(5) Bill Malloy - He never learned how to swim, he put together The Big Secret about the manslaughter trial quicker than any other uninvolved character, he's been in love with and trailing a respectful step behind Liz Collins Stoddard for 20+ years to no avail (but, hey, Carolyn says he's as good as her father, which?), and he's not the most helpful ghost but he is having a little too much fun getting revenge for his murder - did we ever hear him laugh when he was alive? I suppose we have to subtract some points for him never spending any time on a boat within the scope of the narrative, but then, he IS trying to go back to his job on the boats - and no one else on this list sings "What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?". I'm pretty sure the narrative is through with him now, alas. He'll always be famous to me.

[pepper-doyle]

NAME: Phoebe Palmerteri (nee Doyle) AGE: 27 GODLY PARENT (IF APPLICABLE): Aphrodite AFFILIATION (CAPTURE THE FLAG TEAM/AGENT OF ERIS/HUNTER OF ARTEMIS/CAMP STAFF/ETC?): Alumni, just here for the reunion SPECIES: Human ABILITIES: magical control over clothes, makeup, and jewelry. She has control over feelings related to love and desire. Can also change her physical features. She can speak fluent French and other languages of love. Charmspeak.

BIOGRAPHY: tw: mentions of blood, near character death

Phoebe’s father was a man obsessed with the gods. Phoebe and her twin brother Roland came from the goddess Aphrodite, and then three more siblings came from her father’s various connections with the gods. How? Through groveling or worshiping at their altars to inflate their egos, as far as Phoebe could understand. To some, this would seem excessive, and perhaps a bit disturbed. To Phoebe, a child of Aphrodite, she thought it was her father’s way of showing devotion to her mother ultimately: to love and love well no matter what pain came from it. And having multiple demigod children certainly caused Mr. Doyle a great deal of pain.

It was a busy home, Phoebe and her siblings each struggling in school with their ADHD and honestly? It was a miracle they had managed as long as they had before the monsters started looking for them. Phoebe was just 12 years old when she and her family got separated, a monster chasing her at her school and forcing her to run away. She didn’t even really know where she was going or what was happening, but suddenly this older boy named Keaton was helping her and telling her about this camp she had to go to. With his help, she found her way to camp. To her great relief, not long after, her siblings managed to follow.

Once she arrived in camp, her mother Aphrodite claimed her, and when she told her new siblings who saved her, she quickly learned that not a lot of them felt that she should associate with her guide. Not wanting to make things unpleasant in her cabin, Phoebe decided to avoid interacting with Keaton, even though a strong part of her wanted to express her gratitude for what he had done. That interest was quickly destroyed when she witnessed some of the other Ares cabin people acting out. She assumed that he would be just like the rest of them.

Soon Phoebe found herself spatting with this silly boy from Ares constantly, which made it her worst nightmare when they were both selected for a quest for achilles’ armor. She was certain the quest was doomed to fail, her trust in this boy next to nothing. But through the fighting of monsters and the journey of the quest, Phoebe realized that her dislike for him was…mostly baseless. They managed to succeed in their quest, and she decided she would no longer regard what her fellow Aphrodite siblings thought about him as words of wisdom.

Phoebe started to feel closer to him and to other campers. And of course that was when things started to go sideways. The war with Kronos began, and while so many other campers were eager to train and fight for the cause… Phoebe was terrified. She had trained in combat a bit like the others, but it wasn’t her expertise. The idea of having to face more monsters now seemed horrifying. And of course Keaton, who she had grown quite fond of, was eager to be at the head of it all.

In the final battle, Phoebe ended up donning her armor, rushing out because she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t make sure Keaton made it out of this mess alive. And just as she spotted him on the battlefield, she saw a monster swing his sword where Keaton had clearly not seen. Phoebe let out a cry and lunged forward, pushing the other hard and finding herself falling between the monster and Keaton. And then she felt pain. Such overwhelming pain from the cut that she got instead of him. She knew that she was bleeding out, and if something didn't happen fast, she would die. At least she would know she died for someone she adored.

She didn’t know what happened around her, all she knew was that at some point she found herself cradled in Keaton’s arms, him desperately feeding her ambrosia and asking her why why why she would do something so stupid. It was then that Phoebe admitted to him what she had admitted to herself for a while now. “Because I love you, silly,” She told the other with a smile, and then everything went dark.

When she woke up next, she learned the battle had been won, and Keaton was still alive and well. As she recovered, she learned that Keaton loved her too, and soon she found herself spending most of her time with him. And she felt she truly understood her mother for the first time when she realized her feelings for him and they finally got together. Phoebe absolutely fell head over heels and deep once they did, and after about a year or so of dating, they decided to get married.

They settled in a nice little home in Los Angeles, and lived fairly peacefully until they got word of the reunion. Before she knew it they were off back to England. For the past few weeks, all they’d been able to talk about was the reunion. Getting closer to it Keaton was talking more and more about how Team Ares would just have to win and getting so fired up about the idea that it was hard for Phoebe to speak up about some of her concerns. Would Phoebe be able to tell him what had been weighing on her? Or would the chaos of the competition and Keaton's antagonizing of anyone on Team Athena make it impossible?

[boundless-curiosity]

Suzuki - Character Backstory

Please Note: Suzuki is a Schrödinger's OC- Inspired by a side character in one of Shieda Kayn’s stories, specifically the Blade of Millennia [Suzuki is a alias] but has very little characterization, so I’ve built the rest of this character from scratch. This only specifically matters in the case of writing with a Kayn- And Kayn muns, if you’re interested, please DM me and let me know so we can discuss! Otherwise, Suzuki is just a former member of the Order of Shadow, and an average OC.

[CW for: Torture, injuries, some gross descriptions, suicidal thoughts, general angst]

"I died three times. Once when I was born, twice when my home was destroyed, and thrice when I was abandoned. But I’m not dead yet.” 

Suzuki was born in a small village, one with barely any name whatsoever, with a family that loved the poor, sickly child who barely survived even being born, even if their memories long since left them of their names and their faces. 

The Ionian Invasion destroyed this life, as it had for so many others. They were doomed from the start. Their family was gone, and they would rot alone- or so they thought they would, clinging to the only physical representation they had, and old katana with their family’s name engraved on it, one used by generation after generation of their kin.

After years they would rather forget, they were finally discovered by the Order of Shadow, they were initiated into the order as a young acolyte, they were given a second chance at life. Small and weak as they were, they learned how to walk with a light step, how to deceive, how to fight, and even if Shadow Magic eluded them initially, they went at their studies with wild abandon, became a skilled acolyte.

But before they could ever be granted freedom, the full title, and a pure blessing of Shadow Magic beyond only a youthful understanding of the shadows that would eat at their mind... Again, they lost everything.

On a mission to Noxus, Suzuki had gone alongside their best friend- the only one to have faith in them even with their shortcomings, of magic taunting them, just out of read, of their stubbornness to only use the weapon of their old clan, to finally show their worth. To be more than just a burden, acolytes that failed to come to fruition.

They learned of a weapon, lethal and able to consume entire peoples alive, but also held great magic. They were told to retrieve it at any cost, Noxus could not be permitted to have such a powerful tool at their disposal.

And they succeeded, a dead caravan, the weapon secured, they knew they didn’t fail.

They didn’t-

Which when the weapon was used to slice them open, nearly in half, they wondered what they did wrong. Of how they failed, of why they weren’t good enough.

Abandoned as a corpse, they fought to cling to life- knowing they would be caught, they abandoned every single identifying piece of armor, of weaponry, anything they could, orders stained so severely with blood it’d be eaten by maggots, uniform majorly torn and destroyed beyond recognition.

If they failed to retrieve the weapon and come back alive, they could serve by not letting Noxus learn of the Order’s doings.

But even then, they failed to die. Wound sealed, magic stolen from them with a cursed hex, they were thrown into a Noxian prison- they had lost something of great value, and they wanted answers.

Suzuki would not give.

Not when they had their magic locked away,

Not when they were branded,

Not when they were abused, mangled, tortured.

They couldn’t fail the order- and they wouldn’t. They failed so much, but this small thing- They could do this. They could survive. They could keep their lips sealed, even locking away their memories from themselves. Countless names lost from their memory, eaten away like moths at cloth, the name of their family, their clan, their best friend, their home...

They destroyed themselves to prove to the Order- They did not fail them, even if they would die, they did not give. They forgot everything, but they did not forget their desire to not fail.

Two years, two long years passed, and Suzuki long since resided themselves to this existence. Thin and weak, they wondered if they had been forgotten. Left to rot and die- Which, in a small way, they hoped. It would not be so hard to keep the secrets if they were dead.

But a nameless Noxian figure* stood before their cell. With only a quiet jingle of keys- it was unlocked.

By the time Suzuki gained the strength to leave, it was open... They could see abandoned armor, weaponry, discarded and damaged.

They were saved, for a reason they didn’t understand. But they were going to make the most of it, no matter who, what, or why.

Covered, hidden, and wielding a new blade, they snuck out, and found themselves alone in the cold, heartless capital, where whenever they saw a wanted poster with their liking, they’d rip it down, and continue out of sight.

They’d find a way home.

They’d find a way back to the Order.

They wanted- needed to tell them that they didn’t fail. 

Suzuki gave up everything they once were, to prove their devotion to the Order that abandoned them.

*Also anyone who is interested in having their muse be the ‘Nameless Noxian Figure’ in the story, let me know!

[inkonssstantgeissst]

I have been having such Shouyou brainrot and contemplating the nature of change, where Shouyou failed and how he could have succeeded, that I had to write a thing.

Because to be honest I don't think Shouyou pondered it for very long before leaving the Naraku with Oboro, but it's sort of hard to tell how much time passes in the anime, they make it kind of seem like he decides to leave the Naraku like the next day after Oboro suggests opening his own school or something. So I feel like he leapt at the first flicker of hope, but then lost it just as quickly once Oboro dies, and then sort of wanders around for a while empty and thinking before he finds Gintoki and his hope is reignited to a certain extent.

But hope is a painful thing, and I don't think Shouyou had ever had it before Oboro, so I think it was truly devastating to him when Oboro appears to die having sacrificed himself to kill the Naraku that were after them.

(And damn, Oboro was a child, like yeah he made mistakes but you can't expect a child that age to be able to make particularly wise decisions, his life experience is so little and his brain isn't anywhere near fully developed, and Shouyou despite his thousands of years of life experience knows very little about matters like love and care.)

And where I was going with that is that I think Shouyou never truly changed because he was never able to rid himself of the belief that he is a devil/oni/monster, like we see him telling Gintoki that he is, and so I conclude that Shouyou was sort of defeated by defeatism and so was never able to free himself of his suffering or change and become anything like the human he craves to be, and which he plays at being but never truly becomes.

Because it's not easy, letting go of the detrimental ideas that you have come to internalize about yourself because of the world and your interactions with others.

Shouyou was never not empty; Utsuro, the void, was always a part of him.

And I think Shouyou had the right idea, with what he was saying to Takasugi, that it's ok to be lost, to lose your way and find the person that you want to be.

But I think Shouyou was never able to let go of his conception that he is a monster and never loses his internal emptiness.

And then Shouyou gave up and couldn't fight the void of himself any longer, and Utsuro kind of went back to what he knew because that's easy, but with an added aspect of intentional self-destruction that Shouyou had started when he let the Naraku capture and execute him, which he must have been planning to do from the moment he and Gintoki opened Shoka Sonjuku, because if he did not know that Oboro was alive and keeping the Naraku away than he could never have not expected the Naraku to find him. He probably never expected the school to last even as long as it did, and he must have seen Oboro in the Naraku and realized what he'd done, which would only have made him want to die even more.

Hope is a fragile thing, if you do not have belief, and after he lost Oboro, he didn't have anyone to reassure him that he isn't a monster, and that it's okay for him to be what he is.

The thing is that you will never be able to change if you hate yourself, because you will never be able to struggle in the necessary ways, because you believe the worst of yourself. If you are trying to become something that you are not, you are doomed to fail.

I have been thinking extensively about the nature of change, and what are the requirements for change to succeed, and I have concluded three things: that one must 1) have the right desire to change, 2) the belief that one can change, and 3) an acceptance of oneself. Because if one does not have a reason to change which one can hold onto, one will never be able to muster the motivation necessary; and if one does not have the belief that one can change, then one will never be able to muster the effort necessary; and if one hates and does not accept oneself, then one will never be able to overcome the failures that are inevitable on any journey.

It is not possible to learn to walk without falling; it is not possible to learn to fly without falling; it is not possible to learn how to do anything without failing. If you cannot handle failure, you will not succeed. There's a Japanese proverb, "Fall down seven times, stand up eight," which says it very nicely: you have to expect that you will fail, but keep trying anyway.

And Shouyou did have the desire to change, but it was not the right desire - it was a selfish one. He wanted to be human because he hates what he is. Because he hates what he is (a being who cannot die and only brings death), he tried to be other than what he is (saying that he will not kill anymore), and because he tried to be other than what he is, and tried to place those values on Oboro as well, Oboro who saw that Shouyou could not escape the Naraku without killing, believed he had to protect Shouyou, and so took it upon himself to kill them, which ended up destroying Shouyou's hope.

Because Shouyou didn't have the right desire, his self-defeating desire to be other than what he is, he also could not sustain belief that he could change. He could not change because he could not accept himself.

Shouyou failed and caused Oboro to die, confirming his belief that he is a monster and in his hopelessness he came to desire nothing more than to die. When he picks up Gintoki, we see in several instances that he literally seems to be grooming Gintoki to kill him. He does not trust Gintoki with what he is, and hiding what you are for fear of being hated and feared will always cause isolation and internal emptiness. You will always be starving and always be scared. And where there is fear there will always be violence, and where there is hopelessness there will always be longing for death.

Utsuro was empty, but Utsuro was also hopeless; but he at least accepted and used what he was and took his fate into his own hands, unlike Shouyou who always put his fate into the hands of others (his students), which did allow Utsuro to accomplish more than Shouyou had, in regards to leveraging relationships and changing his fate, but Utsuro was created because of Shouyou and Shouyou's desire to die; he was all the feelings and desires within Shouyou that Shouyou had been suppressing with his desperate but ultimately impossible desire to be human. To be human means to be alive; but to be alive also means to die. Shouyou wanted to be alive because he wanted to die. Ultimately, he never changed from the being that hates, fears and longs to be human.

In order for Shouyou to have truly changed, it would have required for him to have the right desire to change - not a selfish desire which he would cast upon Oboro and which would cause Oboro to feel the need to be the one to protect him, but a selfless desire which would allow Oboro to trust and rely on him to help him as well. This would have required the Shouyou to accept himself for what he is, for his abilities and what he's good at and what he has to work with. This would have required letting go of humans' perceptions of him as a devil/oni/monster, and just accepting himself as being a being who is not defined by any ideas or labels, and as such is fully capable of being an actor in charge of his own fate rather than a victim of nature or circumstance.

If you can let go of thinking of yourself as a monster and just accept yourself as being as you are, you open up the doors for change, because if you have limited yourself with a sense of identity then you have limited what you believe you are capable of, and if you have limited what you believe you are capable of then you have limited what you are indeed capable of. Because again, you need the right desire in order to have the right motivation, and you need the right belief in order to put in the right effort and be able to overcome the inevitable failures.

Ultimately, Shouyou's sense of self was absolutely fucked, and when he lost Oboro, he lost any ability to fix it, because Oboro was the first and only one to accept him for what he is and as such the only person to open those doors for Shouyou, which without Oboro shut closed and were never to open again - hope is a fragile, fragile thing, without belief, and Oboro would have been necessary in order for Shouyou to gain that belief and confidence in himself.

But Oboro destroyed this chance unwittingly, because he was a child who didn't know any better and was just trying to help this being he felt indebted to but whom he couldn't trust to protect either him or himself because Shouyou had refused to protect Oboro when he refused to teach him what he knew. So Oboro, having been told that Shouyou would not teach him, came to understand that he could not rely on Shouyou and therefore had to do everything himself.

Shouyou failed when he failed Oboro. In order for Shouyou to have succeeded, he would have had to put his relationship with Oboro above his own selfish desires to be human, and to have come at the idea of change from a different angle entirely.

The key to change is not to try to become something you're not, because that will always end in failure - they key to change is to become more of what you truly are: to become who you are underneath all the false ideas the world has made you believe about yourself.

Shouyou would have had to become and accept himself, as an immortal and non-human being, without the conceptions of himself as a monster, a devil, an oni, capable of nothing but death. There is absolutely no reason why, as an immortal being who knows better than anyone how to kill others, he cannot also be kind and generous and love others and live fulfillingly and without emptiness, as he is. And Shouyou never even came close to realizing this.

And I had been trying to figure out a way for him to be influenced to realize this in a way that would work with his canon characterization, but I couldn't quite, so in my fic he ended up just kind of realizing it, far more easily than I think he realistically could have, because I at least want to explore a universe in which he does succeed in this way.

The fic now has two chapters, the first a canon character study on Shouyou's desire to change and his failure to do so, and the role that Oboro played for him and Utsuro; and a second chapter which is the start of an AU where Shouyou succeeds in changing, and the role that Oboro plays in this, and how this ends up, how this ends up changing Shouyou's path and affecting his students.

But just in case people don't want to read a fanfic but are willing enough to read a tumblr post, I wrote out these thoughts in this format as well haha. But now if you read the fic after reading this you'll basically just be seeing these thoughts again, but more poetically/metaphorically/emotionally in character POV, and more of the causes/results etc. explored as far as the characters and events are concerned.

Anyways, this was most of the brainrot thoughts that has been eating my mind, so I'm leaving this here.

[tower-of-trash]

This was screenshotted and posted on Twitter, and I had to give my two cents about it. Long rant ahead.

To say that Khun and Bam are codependent on each other is a thing we all can agree on, but to interpret their relationship as toxic and leeching on each other (derogatory) is not the first thing you expect of their dynamic. You're telling me, that the most emotionally synced duo in this series, are destroying each other because *looks down on badly-written notes* they rely on each other?? Are we reading the same story??? Did you forget what these two people have gone through before and during their climb in the Tower??? Bro???

Out of the paragraphs that op is saying, this is the one that irked me the most:

Baam always needs to have a minion to his side inconditionally, first Rachel, then Aguero. And Aguero needs to have a minion to manipulate all the time, first Maria, now Baam.

There's just a lot of things here that rub me the wrong way. Bam doesn't—and has never wanted—a minion in the first place: all he ever wished for was a friend, someone who wouldn't make him feel unwanted and lonely. It's the reason why he's immediately attached to Rachel. The reason why he's so adamant in making her stay. The reason why he would bend over just to keep Khun and the others alive. He's a simple person: treat him with atleast a day of kindness and he'll walk over hell for you. He never saw himself first as a man with power over others, he's just a boy who wants to live with his family. It's FUG who painted his reputation to be that of a ruthless Irregular doomed to make the Tower fall.

The same goes for Aguero. He was raised in a family forced to fight over power. He had to kill his other relatives during his debut at 10 yrs old. He grew up to be a manipulative asshole to make sure he and his family secure their place. He threw it all just because someone outside of his family treated him like a decent human being rather than a fucked up child of Khun. He carried the consequences himself. He found Bam, with the initial thought to use him like everybody else, but didn't pull through when he realized that Bam only has pure intentions. This kid wished him to succeed in his tests and didn't want to trample over others, and what kind of an asshole is he to destroy him? Not a heartless one that is. Khun grew up to give everything he has, only for it to go to waste, and Bam grew up never receiving anything despite wanting only one thing. Both of them were perfect as each other's emotional supports. If Aguero was truly manipulative as you think he is, why would he bother carrying Rachel up to the 20th floor to repay Bam's mercy and avenge him? Why risk almost dying in a place trying to reach for him? Why develop plans that involve Bam making it out alive, alone or not? Why push himself beyond his limits just to catch up to him? Shouldn't he be already moving on and do everything alone like he always does? Not everything that Aguero does has logic, all of his decisions that involve Bam is out of his emotions. Hell, Shibisu, Evan, and Hwaryun even called him out for it. Bam has repeatedly stated he would die for his friends, and at the end of season two he chose Khun over Rachel, because he had finally realized that all she has ever done is hurting him and not supporting like Khun. Yes, the familial/platonic love they have for each other is not a normal amount, it's almost as close to the point of devotion (just as what you would expect from two equally altruistic people), but did it benefit them as friends and allies in war? Yes. Did it turn them into the worst bitches that the Tower could mold them? No (not yet atleast), but if being cruel means to survive then they'll do it when it's necessary. Khun and Bam are two different people that share a strong emotional bond and battle sense, we did not just read three seasons worth of character development only to simply boil down their relationship into a fucking fusion of gems from Steven Universe. Like what do you mean they don't have their own personalities right now. Khun is Khun and Bam is Bam?

And in what sense is their relationship toxic when they have mutually benefitted from each other? Toxic is when you push someone to their death just because you want to look at the sky. Toxic is when even if you know it's over for the both of you, you gaslight them into thinking that you still matter; that you still have a use for them. Toxic is when you pretend you care when you actually don't, and you take advantage of their emotions. That's what Rachel and Bam are, not Khun and Bam. Both of them had Bam, and the difference between them is that Khun treated him better than Rachel ever did. The last paragraph in op's post is another matter that I won't bother elaborating further, but all I can say is Bam's judgement when it comes to people is biased as it is based on his first impression and long-held grudges.

This post is meant to defend the nature of their relationship in canon, however I won't deny the possibility of them straining their relationship and separating in the future, considering how White's confession went. I apologize if my thoughts are not very organized, I wrote this on a whim. I'm just a tad bit disappointed on this take.

[enderwoah]

ORIGINS SMP HEADCANONS (because i love them): SEASON TWO EDITION BAYBEEE

(this is really long ENJOY :gun:)

tommy

he is phil's son smile

phil's most recent son at least

he's got like one more somewhere

he picked this one up off the dangerous streets a few years ago and he's been sticking with phil ever since

his wings are small- not too small to fly, but they're untrained to the point where it would take a lot or work to get him off the ground

but at first, he didn't really seem to want to learn all that much?

(he has three scars on his face- all from trying to learn how to fly when he was younger)

(he gave up after the third one)

("if at first you don't succeed; try, try again" is his motto, and he tried all three times)

but!! phil and wilbur are very persuasive :) and now that he knows he can fly, he's not going to rest until he does

he's a little manipulative to get what he wants sometimes, but can you blame someone that lived on the street for so long?

he had to do that to survive! it's not his fault.

(it's a great excuse.)

he laughs like a kookaburra amen

he squawks when he gets scared

he chirps. he tries not to because it makes phil go absolutely bird-brained but he does sometimes and he hates it.

tubbo

NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO BE A B[GUNSHOTS]

god he is. so fucking annoying (/rp)

he simply does not know when to stop

he ignores social cues to see when someone is annoyed

(see: he can read social cues. he does read social cues. when you get annoyed that's when he starts being more annoying, because you're more likely to give him what he wants to get him to shut the fuck up.)

he loves talking to (at) people, especially people he doesn't really know that well

so he's trying to be friends with ranboo, but the absolute prick keeps trying to avoid any actual conversations, so that's not working

he buzzes when he gets excited-happy

his fingertips are completely blackened and horrendously sharp, functioning as ten individual stingers

they don't do any actual damage but he's working on that

techno

wither hybrid (??)

how can you be a wither hybrid?? nobody got down and dirty with the wither

he's an experiment

the reason we haven't seen him yet? he's staying away from the main area of the smp

he doesn't want to ruin its natural beauty with his withering effect, so he keeps to himself on the outskirts of the smp

which sucks

withers get health from killing things

he's not fully a wither, so he gets energy from being around people and sort of draining their life force a little bit

he feels terrible when he's with just one person because they are Literally his life support and it makes the person feel like shit

when he's with a big group of people its great!! he only has to take a little bit from everyone and its barely noticable!!

but then there's the wither part. so he has to stay away.

he's always tired

always exhausted

he's a farmer, so taking it from animals works, but god does he miss people

but he can only visit a few times and for very short

(he's afraid that one of these days he'll get so bad that the next time he sees someone he'll accidentally kill them)

(it already happened once. he's blessed that he's been forgiven, even made friends with by the victims, but he doubts he'll be able to pull that off again with no consequences like last time)

wilbur

phantlings are dead elytrians, and given that wilbur was phil's son...he's a phantling

he died in the late 50s and was a librarian when he was alive, so he's very possessive (ha) over all of his things

you should never ask to "borrow" anything from him, he will hound you about it until you give it back

it's best to just say that you want something from him to keep

even if youre going to give it back

just for your own peace of mind

phantlings can feel fear and get a genuine feeling of elation from scaring people

of course, sometimes its unwelcome (feeling large amounts of fear from someone they care about in a bad way just makes them pissed)

but for the most part, wilbur loves appearing in the corner of people's visions just to jumpscare them a few minutes later

all in good fun, of course!! it's just hilarious :)

being the lighthearted, fun guy he is, he's not particularly secretive about his method of death

"how did i die? well, it all started -- ended -- on november 16th, 1958!"

"i walked out of the library late, since i took the shift for my wife since she was feeling sick and i worked there anyways,"

"the streets were dark and only lit up by gaslamps...and out of an alley...appeared..........."

techno.

he didn't mean it. wilbur isn't at all mad at him (anymore)

he was starving. he didn't know that one touch would be enough to fully revitalize him...

and murder wilbur where he stood.

sneeg

has details on everyone on the server

you Cannot Hide Shit From Sneeg

its impossible

if you find of his any shittly little mouse holes then you're doomed

you find one and there are twenty more

he's under your floorboards while you're having your important discussion about trapping the nether roof

sucks to suck ig??

he seems to be the favourite of many, which is weird since he rarely goes out of his way to actually talk to many people

he's the only person that tubbo doesn't actively try to annoy (or maybe he just doesn't find tubbo's antics all that annoying)

he's the only person that ranboo stays around (or maybe he stays around ranboo- he and Phil seem to be the only ones not off-put by his slightly sadistic and whiny demeanour (not counting tubbo, who annoys him anyways)

phil seems to be more protective of him than he thinks is normal (he lets sneeg ride on his shoulder while travelling, so he doesn't really complain)

niki is completely protective over him (again, not complaining)

contrary to popular believe, he does not get high from sugar

if anything he gets

high-per

(get it)

(high-per)

(hyper)

he's literally just a nine-year old getting a sugar rush leave him alone

phil

take the normal "bird-brain" headcanons and multiply it by like sixty-four

and you've got origins phil

he can't see glass- or, rather, he can, but it doesn't register that 'hey, this is a solid surface i am going to slam into'

its very funny for everyone else but he's pretty sure he has permanent brain damage from the blunt force trauma

if there is ANYONE on the server who dares to chirp, bird or no, they must understand that they are signing away their privacy and giving phil the right to go absolutely bonkers over them momma bird style

(shoutout to tommy, wilbur, ranboo, and fundy for having to suffer through this)

"oh??? you don't have wings?? you don't have feathers?? omg?? then what's this im preening?? what do you mean im just braiding your hair?? nono this is preening smile"

god help you if you dare to have wings

poor tommy, wilbur, sneeg, and tubbo

phil can't help himself alright

do you think he wants to be any sort of protective over sneegsnag?

no!! but he cant stop himself!! sneeg might damage his wings if he keeps flying those super long distances!!! nnnno! carry the bug man!!!

it's weird, he's always had that protective sense over ranboo, too

but ranboo very obviously doesn't have wings, so he doesn't get it...

ranboo

yes ur a peasant

yes ur poor

yes im cooler than u

what r u gonna do about it

the enderdragon's son! partially a dragon, partially enderman, partially human (don't ask, his other mom is a hybrid), all spoiled brat!

given that he has a ton of dragon genes, he's extremely possessive over his stuff and Yes He Does Do The Hoarding Thing

he has a pile of rings and gold chains and necklaces and most of his jewellery hidden underneath his bed

(if you ask him, no, he doesn't)

not to wear

just to Have

one time, fundy stole one (1) bracelet from the hoard and ranboo was sent into a panic for a good 24 hours

he wouldn't leave his cave and kept counting and recounting as if that'd make the missing piece reappear

(when fundy had to give it back because of the guilt, he expected to get his face bitten off)

(instead, he just watched as the prince was flooded with relief, telling him to get the hell out and nothing more)

it's weird, he has so much gold and even a crown, and yet here he is

living with all those people ^^^

truth be told, the enderdragon isn't a very nice dragon

nor is she a very kind queen

nor was the other queen

nor was her son

there was a mutiny in the end, leading to the dragon queen and her wife being killed brutally by the crowd of angered people

they went after their son next, who had ordered executions and worked servants to the bone just as much as they had

they cut off his wings in the middle of the square

he was sure he was going to die until a random person (a peasant) jumped up and yelled at them for publicly torturing a child

but ranboo didn't really catch all of it, given he was delirious from pain

he got to get some stuff quickly and escape with his life

this wasn't too long ago, either, so he's still trying to...adjust...to people talking rudely to him

(he's also trying to adjust to not having wings)

(hence why he hurls himself off the edges of cliffs and then has to teleport to the bottom instead of glide. he keeps forgetting.)

[dangerousstrawberryshark]

Random Thoughts: A Dark Past

This came into mind; the Male reader is a prisoner of war and is taken back to the mainland. As usual, me and @softboy5393 fanboying over this.

I went overboard with this.

You were taken by a Titan with a long face, like a horse into its mouth. You fell unconscious during the whole time.

When you woke, you were in some room. You looked around to see where you were, you noticed you had a red armband on your left arm. 'What the... where am I?'

Then the door opened. "Ah, I see you're awake." the unknown person said along with others. He had blonde hair and an undercut style which was pushed back. [This] He also had an armband on, but his was more of a lighter red.

You took the people that walked and noticed that Reiner was there. "YOU DAMN TRAITOR!" you attacked him. You didn't do that much damage before getting pulled off of him.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! DON'T TOUCH ME!" you yelled trying to get away from them.

"So, you're the guy that Pieck took? You island devils are sure are something." The one with blonde hair said, sitting down. Reiner was dusting himself off.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves? I'm Pieck. You already know Reiner. The one with glasses is Zeke and the one next to you is Porco." The girl- Pieck said. She had long, disheveled shoulder-length black hair, a Greek nose, and relaxed dark brown eyes.

"You probably have questions as to where you are?" you calmed down a bit to respond.

"Yes. And why am I here? Why did you take me from my home?" you said, backing away from them.

"You're in the nation of Marley. And it was Reiner's idea to take you."

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It had been 4 years since you were captured. You've kind of gotten used to the new environment. 'So, humanity didn't die after all?'

You were shocked by the outside world. There were these flying ships in the skies, a cart that was driving without horses leading it. The food you have never seen before. A picture that was too detailed for any person to draw.

"That's a blimp, that's a car, and that's a photograph," Zeke said, showing you everything.

You also got to meet others. "That's Gabi, Falco, Sophia, and Udo. They are the next in line to inherit the Titans."

Gabi looked at you with mistrust. She had hatred in her eyes. "Don't mind her, she hates anyone from the 'Island of Devils.'" Zeke whispered into your ear.

It has taken a while for Gabi to get used to you but in due time.

⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓

You were walking with Pieck, Reiner, and Porco in the Liberio Internment Zone. There were stands everywhere and colorful decorations everywhere. You were amazed.

"Today's the festival, M/n. Ambassadors and famous families from all over the world are going to be here for Willy's speech. Of course, since you're with us, you'll be joining too." Pieck said she was your favorite out of all of them.

"Let's go try some things. Try this." she gave you some kind of dessert with a cone?

You gave it one lick... "WHY IS IT SO COLD?!?!" you said, others were looking at you weirdly.

"What's this?" You picked some triangle-shaped food with toppings and cheese? "Mmm, this is good! I never had anything like it!"

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You had a fun time at the festival but now it was time for Willy Tybur's speech. You sat with the others but Porco, Pieck, and Zeke were requested.

Then the sounds of instruments began to play and Willy came on stage. He bowed before starting. "Allow me to tell you a story."

(This is the entirety of Willy's speech)

"Approximately one hundred years ago, the Eldian race ruled the world with the power of the Titans."

"Between the appearance of the Founder, Ymir, and the present day, Titans have stolen the lives of so many people that the present population of the world..." showed Titans eating people. "Could die thrice over and still not compare."

Then the lights turned red, people appeared covered in blood and screaming. "Because of Titans, and an extraordinary number of races, and the cultures ad histories thereof, have been stolen from the world."

"That slaughter has defined human history and the history of the Eldian Empire. And when the Eldian Empire ran out of enemies, it turned to the killings of its own kind."

You were shocked. Was this the history of your ancestors? Were they like this?

"Thus began the Great Titan War."

"Houses holding eight Titans shed blood in combat among themselves. In these desperate times, one Marleyan saw a path to victory. He was our hero, Helos."

"By artfully waging an information war, he led the Eldian Empire's biggest threats to turn against and kill one another. By joining hands with the Tybur family, they forced the unbeatable King Fritz to flee and retreat to Paradis island." the crowd began to clap. You were awestruck.

"But even exiled to the island, the king still held power. Tens of millions of Titans are capable of crushing the world flat still slumber on that island." the crowd gasps at the revelation and fear.

"The fact that our world still exists undisturbed to this day is pure luck. That is the only explanation our Titan experts could muster up. My fatherland, Marley, decided to take the initiative against the island and sent four Titans to neutralize the threat, but that plan failed and only the Armored Titan returned."

'That's why Reiner broke down the walls.'

"In other words, the Eldian Empire, the scrounge of human history, is alive and well."

"Now, the story up to this point consists of facts known to everyone. The truth, however, differs slightly. From here on, I'll discuss the memories passed down in my family alongside the Warhammer Titan."

"The complete truth will be revealed here and now for the first time. Approximately one hundred years ago, the one who ended the Great Titan War was neither Helos nor the Tybur family." Two people standing side by side to him.

One was represented Helos and the other, the Tybur family.

"The man who brought an end to that war and saved the world was King Fritz. He came to regret the Eldian Empire's savage history and the infighting among his own people."

"Above all, he grieved for the Marleyans and the oppression they lived under. When he inherited the Founding Titan, he and the Tybur family devised a plan." The lights turned blue with King Fritz and the Tybur family shaking hands in agreement.

"To establish a single Marleyan as a hero in the war. His name: Helos. After that, King Fritz moved as many Eldians to Paradis as he could. Erecting the great walls around them."

"He left a warning if anyone threatens his peace, countless Titans would be unleashed in retaliation. However, he never intended make good on this threat." Things began to add up to you. That's why the world hates Eldians. 'I'm not what they say we are!'

He continued. "King Fritz made a vow of renouncing war and bound his successors to uphold it, just as he had. Thus his ideology was passed down to each new King of the walls and the Titans with the power to crush the world remain dormant."

"Marley didn't stop Eldia and pure luck hasn't kept the world from being crushed, it was the king of the walls, Karl Fritz, a man who yearned for peace. That's it. That's all he wanted. He said if Marley grew strong someday and came in force to shatter his peace and seize the Founding Titan, he would accept it."

"He believed the sins his people committed were so horrific that they could never be atoned for."

"When the day of retribution finally comes, I will accept it until then let me enjoy this walled paradise, free from strife and conflict. I ask for nothing but a brief span of peace."

"Those were the final words the king left us with." King Fritz stood next to Willy bowing.

The crowd erupted into chatter. "What does this mean?" Gabi was shocked to along with her friends. You were twice as shocked as they were.

"If what he saying is true..."

"So, Marley and the Tybur family didn't save the world?"

"Willy wouldn't lie..."

"That means Paradis doesn't actually pose a threat, right?"

Willy spoked, the crowd went silent. "It's true, to secure our own safety, my family joined hands with King Fritz and became heroes to the world. While our fellow Eldians became devils but plainly, we Tyburs are petty thieves, growing fat on honor we did not earn."

"I stand before you willingly parting with my false glory because I have come to understand that the world we share is in grave danger" the crowd began to chat again. The drums began to ring.

"With the Founder's might, King Fritz erected three walls, using a great host of colossal Titans..." the background changed to colossal titans conjoining arms. "Counted together, the walls surely contains tens of millions of colossal Titans."

"They guard the King's peace as his shield and his spear or they did, but now, that peace is being threatened from within. An uprising has taken place on Paradis, the king has been deposed, the Founding Titan stolen."

The background changed to a devil. "The thief is an enemy to every man, woman, and child outside his island. An enemy of peace, his name... IS EREN JAEGER." Your eyes widen...

"If the colossal of Paradis are ordered to walk, the rumbling will be felt across the Earth and death will follow. Until now, only royalty has had the power to wield the Founding Titan and King Fritz's vow has kept his descendants from using it, but this Eren Jaeger has found a way to use the founder without having royal blood."

"Which means he could begin the rumbling at any moment. Once the walls of Paradis begin to walk, there will be nothing we can do. Except flee in vain from the sound of Earth-shaking steps that will herald our doom." your face turned into a worried one. Was this going to happen?

"These monsters will crush every city, trample every tree and flower, they will literally flatten our world. I have always hated my blood and more than anyone. I have wished that my race would disappear."

Willy sounded like he gonna burst into tears. " However, I confess that I want to live. That despite everything, I believed this world is my birthright just as it is yours."

"The people gathered here may belong to different races, different nations but if we're to survive this crisis then for the first time in history, we must join as one. SO PLEASE, if you wish to live and lend me your strength, help me protect our world's future!" The cameras began to flash. The crowd erupted into cheering.

"If we work together, we can overcome any obstacle, any threat! I ask each of you to join me as I go to fight the devils who would plunge our world into hell! HELP ME DEFEAT THEM!"

The crowd continued to clap and cheer. "Here and now, as a representative of Marley's government, I send this message to the devils of Paradis!"

"CONSIDER THIS, A DECLARATION OF WAR!" As Willy said that, a Titan erupted from the building behind the stage. A Titan you knew very well.

"Eren..."

[burnedbyshoto]

caught

— You’re caught in a web after flying a little bit too recklessly and along comes your one and only savior who requests a little help from you too as the price of freeing you.

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pairing: naga!kirishima eijirou x fem fairy!reader

warnings: fairy!reader, naga!kirishima, smut, 18+, coercion, dubcon, hypnotism, oviposition, double penetration, begging, heat/rut, size diff

word count: 4,004

a/n: BAHAHA I wrote this in like 3 hours because I decided to instead watch some soul eater last night & I like it so far! ah, well, ive never actually read naga fics before, or oviposition,,, so fair warning, enjoy! also, read the damn warnings.

kinktober day 7 main kink: size difference

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The world was a magical one. 

The planet was crawling with mythological creatures steaming from the smallest of pixies to the largest Kraken. The world was full of mystery, wonder, and adventure. Fire breathing dragons and cursed powerful swords were hidden away from the few humans and elves to discover. As in any civilization, there were those who got along and those who didn’t.

Some species of creatures got along with everyone, there were others that were feared beyond reason, and a few that were loved for moments and feared for others. 

You were a fairy.

And you were tiny.

Standing no more than three apples high, you had iridescent wings that curled and shone in the glimmering light whenever you so much as moved. You were a good fairy, you always have been. You were often found assisting with a multitude of mythical creatures and humans on quests and as companions. Despite your small stature, you were fast, zipping, and gliding faster than most could ever dare to catch up with.

You loved your wings, loved flying, loved having the wind whistling through your ears while you dove between branches and branches, laughing while your pixie friends failed to keep up with you. Your mother had always fluttered her wings in annoyance and partial anger when you were younger and would often outspeed her, leaving her screaming your name while she desperately tried to keep up.

What could you say? You were a daring fairy, an adventurous one at that too.

But she always warned you, even back then, of the dangers of being a small, tiny, pretty fairy who flew at speeds much faster than you should be capable of.

The wind whipped against your face, stinging at your nose, chapping your lips, and whooshing through your ears as you grew faster and faster. The traces of magic falling from your wings creating a beautiful, sparkling trail behind you as you whooped out in excitement and thrill. 

“Slow down, y/n!” your friends screamed from what sounded like many trees behind you, and like the daring showoff you were, you cork spiraled around a set of hanging branches with a loud laugh.

But as you straightened out, ready to move onward, you realized that something, thick, heavy, and sticky had caught onto the tip of your wing, and you catapulted backward. 

A spider’s web.

Even in a world of fantasy and mystery, spiders existed to catch flying pests, and to some, you were just that.

Panic consumed you, white fire coursing through every magical vein in your body as you thrashed and shook in the webs. Your hands grabbed onto the sticky strands around your wings, a desperate attempt to free yourself only to find yourself even more tightly wound up in the damp, near-transparent threads. 

A pathetic whimper left your mouth, your head dropping to your chest as silent, hot tears streamed down your cheeks. Your wings fluttered weakly, looking nothing too far from the insects and flies you were so used to seeing caught up in these webs. You strained your ears, trying to listen to the few pixies you had been flying and playing with, but even with your immense speed advantageous over them, you knew that they should be near.

But nothing.

You sat there on the web for minutes that seemed to bleed into hours, silently waiting for your friends to come and save you… but it seemed for naught.

…

…

…

“Help…”

“Help…”

“Please help…”

You had been trapped for hours.

Each passing second both dooming you to a life as spider food for the Arachne that had still yet to return home. Or maybe possibly a snack for any large creature that may pass, or an undeserving elf or human plucking you free and demanding to use their powers on a quest you would never approve of. That, or maybe you’d die of hunger.

There was no stopping the growl in your stomach or the parched dryness of your throat for your desperate, pathetic cry of help.

But it seemed that when your friends not-your-friends anymore said this part of the forest was for the most part void of all pixie and fairy eating creatures, it seemed that it was just void of all creatures. Pouting, you felt another rush of frustrating tears well up in your eyes, your cheeks huffing and face steaming as soft chimes of bells erupted from you while you seemingly threw a temper tantrum, not one-second closer from freedom.

Your breathing turned sharper, heavier, and overall shallow. In a flash of fury, you thrummed your wings as fast as you could, trying your best to fly out of this entrapment. To your slight excitement, you managed to loosen the webs around your wings for just a moment, your smile bursting oh so prematurely onto your face before it all went wrong again. As if the web was alive as well, it seemed to suddenly stiffen and drag you back into its sticky confines only for you to be even more trapped onto the mass web.

Like a broken dam, the tears streaming down your face were stinging, plentiful, and unable to stop.

You mourned the end of your life like this, so pathetic, so absolutely stupid way to go: caught on a spiderweb.

“Now, now, little one, why are you crying?” came a voice so soft yet incredibly loud voice, and you stiffened straight despite having a potential savior. 

You couldn’t see them, and with how the web was wrapped around you, you couldn’t even dare to turn your head around to stare at them. You couldn’t look at him, sure, but you knew just through the tenor and low thunder of his voice that your potential savior or wolf in sheep’s clothing was undoubtedly a robust, powerful mythological creature. 

Despite the way his voice seemed to whisper in your ears, you heard the familiar noise of someone moving through the grounds of the forest. The fallen dead leaves that scattered on the floor crackling with his movement. You trembled although you didn’t make a noise, not even a small bell chime of your wings. 

“Are you in need of assistance, little one?” he continued to ponder as if blind to the was you oh so very not discreetly clammed up at the sudden sound of his voice. “If you so require it, I would be more than willing to assist you in your freedom. It pains me to see such a beautiful, full of potential little fairy go to waste.”

The tongue in your mouth felt pathetically dry, your chest rising and collapsing at incredible speeds for someone of your composition of size.

“Oh, are you fearful of me, little one?” he seemed to laugh, finding your fear to be humorous, comical, really. “Most individuals at least wait until they peer into my eyes to find themselves unwilling to move or speak.”

The web shook with the vibrations of his voice. And you whined at the back of your throat as that small fact merely confirmed the size of the male creature standing behind you. You found yourself fearful of that playful tone on his voice, but you also knew that as a tiny fairy, you were quite foolish in fear when found in predicaments such as this one. You had to trust the creature behind you should you wish to escape.

“W-Would you mind freeing me?” you asked, making an attempt to sound powerful and in control despite the tremor on your lower lip and the way your voice was near childish in comparison to his own. How you actually thought fairies sounded on the same pitch as to many creatures before was beyond you, for at the moment, you deemed yourself to be no greater than a child speaking to an old man. “I was trapped while racing, and well, these frisky spiderwebs are quite the worst at capturing things that don’t deserve to be captured.”

Oh? Is that so?” his voice chuckled. His body, without a doubt, moments from yours if the way the gentle breath of his laugh brushed against your neck had anything to say about it. “I’ve always been told that they’re especially good at capturing pests.”

You flustered. 

“Yet here we are!” you pathetically countered, your wings fluttering in your distress. “If you wouldn’t mind freeing me, I would greatly appreciate it!”

“But, of course,” he spoke with great pride, and you shuddered when warm, large finger seemed to easily scoop you out from the webs. Your wings fluttered when the tight restraints of the traps were done, but not entirely freed from your beautiful wings. “Relax your wings, little one, I know you’re antsy to move, but there are still a great number of leftover webs on those wings of yours. Relax, I promise you no harm as I take these webs off.”

You shivered as his warm, strong fingers worked the plenty of sticky strands of webs off of you as if they were nothing but flyaway thread used for clothing. Speaking of clothing, you peered down at the daisy and red dandelion seed dress you wore, your eyes wide with the hope that it hadn’t been ruined. You loved this outfit. But as you peered down at your cotton shoes, you froze when you finally took in the hand you were resting upon. 

It was huge.

Without a doubt, his palm was the size of your entire body, the fingers long and thick with intimidating claws that demanded a bit of concern.

“There, all done,” he hummed, and you shook your wings, looking at the thing iridescent wings that made you a fairy, and you felt him turn his hand around where you rested. Your eyes, already wide with the looming dread in your stomach, seemed to become saucers the size of the moon when you came face to face with a naga.

Nagas, half-snake half-human, were a few creatures in this world that were both loved and hated by others — your kind included.

His scales were black, glinting red under the setting copper sun, and he was absolutely massive. You had seen nagas only a handful of times, three to be honest, but each other those times, you knew that they were hardly more massive than humans. But this male naga before you was enormous as he was solid. Rippling muscles on every exposed part of his human body and his snake bottom were large, thick, full of rippling coiling muscles that could probably strangle anyone who attempted to fight him. He had full, spikey red hair, scars on his arms, and one splitting his eyebrow. His red, slitted eyes seemed vast, cunning, and terrifying while he lifted you up to eye level. And his smile, oh his smile. Jagged, sharp teeth with lips pulled into a cunning, just a bit too sweet smile.

Naga, for the most part, were peaceful creatures. They were strong fighters, fierce protectors, all due to the fact that they were just so much larger than their co-inhabititors of the world, but they were peaceful. They slithered about most of the year, helping those who came and went, but there were moments in the year where they were of concern.

During the late spring, early summer, they were hit with their heats and ruts. Powerful naga soon filled with the lusting, overwhelming desire to shove their fertile eggs into anything that would hold them. Nagas, who mated with nagas, were known to have wrestled as their mating dance, almost wiping out many towns in their horny, hot desires, and you froze suddenly feeling the thick waves of heat coming off the naga before you.

“W-Well, thank you!” you stammered, your body bowing lowly for the naga before you whose splitting smile was becoming stamped in your brain. “I appreciate you freeing me, but I must go now. Supper is waiting for me!”

“What’s your name, little one?” the naga instead asked, his clawed finger caressing your cheek so softly, so accurately, you nearly thought he was set on taking off your head. “I would like to know the name of the beautiful fairy I saved today.”

There was power in knowing names in this world, fairy names especially, so you couldn’t help the pit that formed in your stomach on account to this, or the way fear stimulated every cell in your body. 

“I-I can’t um, I can’t tell you,” you whimpered when his thick, large finger hooked underneath your chin to raise your head.

“Ah, it’s okay, little one, I promise I won’t do you wrong,” he promised, the lure in his voice — an advantage that nagas held in their times of heat. His voice was a warm blanket, smoothly pulling your eyes closed, making your wings flutter in your lulling excitement. “You can trust me.”

“Trust… you?” you spoke, mimicking his words, feeling like you were swimming in a warm, gooey honey trap. You bit down on your lower lip, heat rushing to your face as you stared upon his still cunning, sly grin as he traced his massive finger down from your wet, pouty lower lip to your hip. “I don’t… I can’t stay for longer?”

“Is that a question on your tone, little one?” he asked, his forked tongue flicking through his pointed teeth. “Can’t you stay? I have a favor to ask of you.”

A heavy, pitchy moan broke through your mouth as the tip of his claw dragged from your navel to your suddenly blistering core. Were you always this wet? How did you get so wet?

“But I…” you struggled to think, your eyes shut tightly, face twisting as you tried to figure out where you were needed right now. “I need to go… somewhere?”

“Somewhere?” he asked, voice light, buttery smooth. “I thought you were coming with me?”

“I… was?”

“Yes, little one, look at me,” he kissed the air, and you found your eyes pressing open, your jaw dropping when his piercing red eyes hypnotizing you. “Open those pretty little legs for me, I want to see if you’re fit enough to be my dam, my mate.”

Why that sent bubbling gasps from your tongue and sent your legs apart was beyond you, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. He had called you his mate… his dam.

His finger shoved between your legs, gently rubbing the massive finger that was probably nearly your height between your legs, catching onto your clit, sending resonating, shaking mewls from your throat. You collapsed forward, hips rutting back against his finger, your tiny fingers holding onto his knuckles, your eyes fluttering in this euphoria.

It felt so good.

So good, so good, “please more!”

You sobbed at the feeling of his finger coming up to allow more friction between you and your throbbing cunt, the bone of his knuckle-dragging so deliciously, so roughly against your throbbing clit that you started to feel weak in your knees.

“Call me Kirishima,” he growled, his finger flipping underneath you so that the pad of his finger could now press onto your clit, gathering your dripping slick as he does so. “Kirishima Eijirou.”

“Ei,” you spluttered, eyes barely open to watch the way his slitted pupils were dilated with his lust, the smell he was emitting without a doubt one of an alpha male plunging further within his rut. “This feels so good, please give meeeEE ahhh, oh god, give me more!”

Kirishima growled out a peal of chilling laughter, one that had your wings fluttering in their heavy, lucid attempt to fly and kiss the man that could swallow your entire body as if you were nothing more than a potato chip to him. You keened, one of your hands shakily removing themselves from his finger, stretching out to him.

“Kiss me, please kiss me,” you beg, your heaving breathes almost in synch with your wildly bucking hips.

“You want a kiss?” he hummed, bringing your tiny body close enough to tease you, but not near enough for you to plant a desperate, small kiss to his smooth, curling large lips. “Promise me two things.”

“Anything,” you promised, watching as his forked tongue flashed between his teeth, his eyes flashing with his shaking control on the situation. Your cheeks scorched at the sight of him wanting you just as badly as you wanted him. The dam in you jittering at the knowledge that he was a good mate, a good person by holding back, trying to keep his control before giving in. But you wanted him as deep as you were. You wanted to feel his finger intruding your clenching, spasming walls, to try and take on his undoubtedly huge cock.

You wanted to try it.

You wanted him.

“Anything you want, I will give you!” you shriek with promise, your clit feeling numb from the overstimulation and lack of release as you could not reach it without penetration. 

“Your name,” Kirishima growled, his lips dangerously close. “And promise to carry my — our children.”

“I promise, I promise, I promise!” you frantically claim, knowing you would do it all just for his lips against yours, and finally, he was close enough, his bottom lip nearly the size of your entire face as you kissed him again and again.

His lips were pursed, allowing your frantic kisses to have lain all over his awaiting soft lips. You shuddered at the electric sensation coursing through you with every second, and your wings fluttered in your excitement, bringing you up into the air, lifting you off his palm.

“Your name?” he commanded, the hand you abandoned running a taloned finger down the spine of your back, pleasantly, orgasmically feeling as he reached the spot between your sensitive wings. You loved the feeling and keened against his mouth. 

“Y/l/n y/n!”

“And you will have my children?”

“Yes!”

A possessive, all encompassing cross between a growl and a hiss slipped through his lips, and you looked down with your lust dipped eyes to see the two, twisted cocks he was rutting into his free hand. You cried at the fact that it wasn’t your cunt the sharp, near hook looking tip of his cock wasn’t ramming into. 

“Where do you think you’re going, little one?” Kirishima snarked, his eyes bright and humorous as he caught you by your wings. You moaned loudly at the lusting pull of your wings that you could feel pulsing into your core. “You’re not ready for my cock or eggs just yet.”

“But I wanna…” you cry, fingers stretching out toward the two writhing cocks that seemed to call your name. “I wanna try!”

“Shh, shh,” he cooed, his hand that was not occupied with his massive cocks releasing your wings and gently stroking your face. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you can try in a bit. I just don’t want my little one splitting in half before she’s been made useful!”

Your pouting and mouthwatering person turned to face Kirishima again, whose once red eyes were completely black in his rutting lust. 

“Split in half?” you echoed, a slight pain pinching your pussy, the thought of being split in two for those cocks not quite as horrendous as it should be. “Will I be?”

“Not if you stretch yourself out first,” Kirishima corrected, entirely missing your slight hope to be torn in half by his cock. “I want to see you fuck yourself on my finger at first. Do that, and I’ll let you sit on my cock and birth my eggs.”

A chill ran down your back, and you nodded, suddenly more than willing to throw yourself onto anything he would give you to prove yourself. And with his free hand, he presented his long ring finger whose talon was missing, most likely gone from some sort of battle.

But it didn’t matter. It was enough for you to prove yourself. 

Fluttering over to his finger, you dropped the small panties you owned onto his exposed palm before placing your sopping cunt right above his extended finger. You lowered yourself onto the tip, spreading your essence slick against his skin, your eyes unabashedly half-lidded as you watched the muscles in his arm pick up speed as you made eye contact with the excited naga. 

And with a twirl of your hips and a moan that vibrated straight through your chest, you sank onto his finger. 

It truly did feel like his splitting you in half. You recognized immediately at the way your walls nearly couldn’t keep up with how he opened you up. His finger was already giant within your spongey, tight walls. The heat and the callouses of his appendage unreplicable as you silently screamed, your walls spasming tightly around him, an orgasm taking you out without warning. You heaved, exhaustion ticking your brain as the soft bounces you made to further his finger up your cunt making you whine. He was huge, his finger huge. But you liked the fullness it brought you, the way you struggled not to send yourself flying off his finger like some rocket while you continued to fuck yourself against him.

You could do it, you could do it.

Soft wet noises filled the air as Kirishima’s aggressive stroking of his leaking cocks, and the way his finger seemed to be so loud in your tight cavern filled the forest.

More, give him more.

Pressing the collar of your outfit down, your legs wrapped around his finger as you continued to fuck yourself up and down his finger while your hands groped and pinched at your breasts, your eyes rolling back in your horny excitement. You could feel your orgasm growing again. You could tell by the clenching quivering of your spongey, velvet walls against his finger that you were close yet again.

“Fuck, little one, you’re taking my finger so well,” Kirishima sang in his praise, his snake tail coiling and thrashing wildly beneath the both of you, and you longed to feel the snake scales beneath your blazing core too. “Are you ready for my cock? I’m so close, so close. You made me like this, little one, so fucking hot, so sexy, fuck.”

You mewl loudly, your body well aware of the lewd scene he was creating with the way he wrangled his twin cocks in his hand. Your head dropped backward, a high pitched wail shooting through you when his finger moved within you, and you nodded your head as quickly as you could. Your legs relaxing around him as Kirishima quickly picked you off his finger, and without even three seconds of being empty again, two sharp, writhing cocks slammed within your cunt.

You staggered against his hold, body convulsing at the feeling of his snake cock flicking and twirling within your womb, stimulating the puffy, wet walls that were erratically beating, as the both of you came with loud, joint moans.

White filled your vision as your wet juices splattered down his cock, and the weirdest, almost constipating feeling filled you as solid, cold, and round objects filled your womb. Making the drool in your mouth dribble down the corner of your mouth as your eyes crossed.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four eggs.

Four eggs for you to grow, four kids you would have with Kirishima, and you sobbed in elation.

“I can feel them, Ei!” you sobbed, content with the babies he just gave you, already expanding your tiny little stomach to the optimal length it could reach. “Our babies!”

Kirishima chuckled, removing your from his cock and placing your pregnant little tiny body onto his shoulder, a sign that he would protect you through anything and everything.

“I can’t wait until they hatch, little one.”

And with that, he nuzzled against your face. And you vibrated in your happiness, more than willing to take on the world as Kirishima continued forward in the world. There was no looking back now.

[bloodycassian]

Hellish part 3 - reader x cassian - 

reader reports back to the Queens that she has failed her task of killing Rhysand.

"Stop acting like such a child." Amren scolded. Cassian's death glare towards her was enough to make Rhys tense. "Amren, dont you have a book to read?" Rhys asked. She smiled in a way that showed too many teeth, and would have sent a chill down the high lord's spine if he wasn't so focused on keeping everyone safe. Before she could start a fight, she left. Carrying her wine glass laced with blood with her. Cassian relaxed, finally. "I know you're not likely to forgive me for this. But I sent Azriel to watch over her on the journey back."  And Cass' relaxation was gone. His rage lashed out at Rhys. "What the fuck do you mean 'watch over her'? Shes my mate." His words practically rattled the dishes on the table. The townhome seemed too cramped, like Cass' body was too tight, too hot.  "And you'll kill yourself if you follow her back to the Queens." Rhys said simply, pity there in his eyes. He knew his brother well enough to know that logic would be how to win over this fight. He wondered if that mating bond ran so deep that it would counteract Cassian's strategist mind, though. Cassian snarled, but did not protest. He knew he would in fact give himself over to the Queens if it meant you being safe. He'd do anything to be by your side. He'd barely met you and he thought to sacrifice himself. He couldn't wrap his head around the insanity of it. And on top of it all, you were out to kill his brother. How cruel could the cauldron be?  "Cassian, I need you here. There's powers in play that want to see us fall." Rhys spoke gently to his brother. He squeezed Cassians shoulder and finally brought that tense stare to a stop. His jaw clenched, and Rhys saw the war roiling inside him. The urge to protect, to save, to keep you at his side was eating him alive.  "I'll be in the training ring." Cassian gritted out before leaving. + Your journey back to your masters was long and full of harsh sun that beat down on your skin. After two months of adjusting to Prythian's cooler weather, the abrupt change back to heat felt suffocating. Or maybe the hot feeling inside you was from the fact you'd not only failed your mission, but your mate had been one to help defend your target. You had tried to shove the thought of the male away your entire ride, but it was always there. That tantalizing golden light he radiated in the back of your mind.  "Kill the high lord and as many others as you can." The spell rang through your mind as a way of distraction. And shame. The dread that filled you each hour as you pressed closer was not a welcome distraction from the heat that the bond seared through you. You didn't know the consequences of coming back unsuccessful, but you hoped to the Mother that they would give you another chance. That they were merciful because of the information you brought back. The Queens were not known for their mercy, though. Especially the Crone, queen of them all. The one that held your bargain spell in her bony fingers.  The memory of the old crone cursing you made you sweat in a different way than the heat or the bond did. Nerves bundled deep inside you tingled more and more as you grew closer to the sandstone castle they resided in. The ride took a day just to get past their inner defenses. No guard dared approach you, marked with the black banner of the Queens court. Your horse was struggling by the end of the journey, refusing to gallop any longer. The shadows around you darkened when you dismounted. The sun was beginning to set along the desert and clay hills in the distance. Your heart did not sing of happiness at this reunion. The bond in the back of your mind you tried so hard to ignore seemed to flare with your stress. + The wrinkled face of the old crone reminded you of the old man that had traded you for a few gold marks when you were young. The rest of the queens stood by anxiously, watching. Waiting to see what the punishment would be. The spell compelled you to remain utterly helpless against the guards that shoved you to the floor before her. She tisked in disapproval. "Bring the cauldron, and let us unmake this one. Perhaps we will see what it gives us in return for this sacrifice." Her shrewd voice called. The other queens looked to each other with excitement, their shiny hair bouncing as they hurried to summon guards with the cauldron. You whimpered at the crushing feeling around you. Impending doom being delivered straight to you.  She approached the guards that pointed their spears and swords at you. "The spell acted as a bond, hold her down as soon as she touches the water." she instructed as you were lowered to the Cauldron's edge by three guards. Your mind screamed at you to fight, to tear and thrash and kill the ones that were ready to drown you in the depths of the damned cauldron. Even if your hands weren't bound, you couldnt fight back. The terror settled deep and full in the pit of your stomach. But the spell, the bond that insured your protection against the Queens now served as a leash keeping you from fighting back against them. "A life for a life. Let this death motivate the next contender to kill Rhysand of the Night Court." she made a motion with her hands and turned, going back to the other queens. The guards lowered you, and just as she promised, the magic snapped and you began fighting for your life. They struggled to contain you, but the blade through your thigh speared you down, forcing your legs into the water. Cold like you'd never experienced seeped into your bones through the wound. Your blood did not marr the dark water, it only swallowed the lifeblood that surged from you. You grew faint, and the water reached your knees. You knew it was going to be the end of you. The water swirled and pulled, tugging you deeper. Then, a flash of darkness erupted from you. You though they'd pushed you under. But it was an explosion of shadows that had blinded the entire room. You were ripped from the icy water, something cool grasping you under your arms. Then, swirling darkness took you, panting from behind you indicated you were not alone when you landed in the dark forest. + Cassian's wings ached for the feeling of air beneath him. He guarded Rhys at the meeting with Kier though, keeping a straight face even as he sensed the panic from you. His mind raced with the possiblities of what had happened. If you were safe, if you were even alive. Surely you were alive with the thrills going through the bond. Electrifying, and utterly terrifying.   Rhys then snapped, ending the terse conversation with Kier abruptly. "We must be leaving now. We will continue this later." He gave Kier a wave of his hand and began winnowing. "Stay with me, dont panic." Rhys spoke into Cassians mind. His heart dropped to the floor, face leeched of color at the words. With the first glimpse of the vision the high lord sent Cassian, he began roaring with rage. As soon as they winnowed a few feet from Azriel, he was ordering both his brothers to winnow you again, to Madja.  His speaking was dull, but you could feel it in every part of your being. The low rumble of that voice that spoke to your soul. A small smile spread across your face. "Hey Cass-" You choked, trying to make yourself sound strong. For his sake. You knew he could feel it though, feel that iciness that burned your legs. You shook, unable to move yourself. The cold felt like it was creeping up your entire body. He pulled that bond in his mind to him, close. As if he was wrapping you around his mind for warmth.  Then you saw all the beauty there. The beauty that the spell had refused to let you see. And the urge to kill the high lord was no longer present. It was like a weight lifted from you. You let the tears spill over, grateful that in your last moments you were able to experience this kind of relief.  "No." Cassian growled, yanking on that bond again as you felt darkness creeping in on you like a fog. "You are not dying." Rhys' darkness pulled all of you into the healer's apothecary in the center of Velaris along the coastline. The dark waves outside offered no comfort to any of them. Especially Rhys as he watched his brother lose himself over you.  "Azriel, keep an eye on them." Rhys ordered, noting the way his shadow covered brother seemed to be more pale than usual. The plain exhaustion on his face from winnowing so far was hard to look at.  Cassian shushed and cradled you, not daring to look at your leg or the black splotches that dotted your hands from your fight. He nodded a quick thank you to Azriel when their eyes met. Azriel couldn't spare the energy back, and instead propped himself on a rigid couch in against the far wall. Cassian gently laid you down on the exam table, and waited for his brother to return. + "We can let her die, or we can heal her with the Cauldron's poison still there. We dont know what it will do, but it has infected too far to be reversible." Madja concluded with a heavy sigh. Rhys cursed under his breath.  Cassian's moan of terror wracked his brother's hearts. Madja continued stroking up and down your body with expertise. Cassian pulled at his hair. He wanted you to make the choice. He wanted you here to be able to tell him how the hell this all happened. He needed you, he needed to know everything about you. The tethering force he felt pulling back slightly seemed to tug, and he laughed hysterically.  "The entry wound will heal, but the sickness may kill her eventually." Madja's glowing palms were the only light in the room.  "Fix it. Heal her. Now." Cassian said the words in a low growl. Azriel stared at him, astonished even in his state.  "Cass, if she dies-" Rhys began, concern for his brother's fallout after the potential death. "She wont." the icy glare he gave Rhys made him shut his mouth. He hated seeing his brother so ruined over someone he just met. His mate. He tried to remind himself it wasn't just some female. It was his Feyre. He nodded to Madja, giving her the approval.  "Fix her Madja." The high lord's words were final. + It burned. Your entire body ached and burned and at the same time felt totally cool. The cold chill was eating you alive. You tried to scream, tried to push it away. Tried to run from what consumed you. But it only crept further and further up, until it encapsulated you completely.  Your back ached more than anything. You begged for the end of it. for anything to kill you. You didnt care if it was the Queens or the high lord you were sent to kill. Death would be the only relief from this kind of pain.  "The curse...mixed with Madja's healing created.... it made you... new." Cassian said tentatively. He had practiced it so much, he just didnt know how to tell you when you actually woke. The long nights of rippling pain shared with you suddenly became worth it to him.  You tried to push yourself up, but a heavy weight held you down. "Easy..." He said, a small grim smile gracing his lips. His eyes looked bruised, and swollen. the whites around his eyes were completely red, and his hair was a mess. The room was quiet, and cool. The house was completely open to the elements you realised, and it must have been freezing from the cold wind breezing in. He wore a coat over his tunic and hid his hands inside his pockets. His breath clouded in front of him. "What happened?" You demanded, searching for the bond he clutched so tightly to himself.  "Do you want to see?" He held a hand out to you for support and stabilization. It felt as if you were being pulled, dragged down by something.  He pulled the dark wooden framed mirror from the corner and adjusted it slowly, showing you what lay behind you. You felt your mind leave your body, dizziness overcame you. He caught you before you could fall to your knees before the mirror. He avoided the things.... the gargantuan counterweight on your back. The wings that pulled you down. The dark inky feathers that would have killed you if you were a part of Dawn court still. They shimmered under the faelight like raven's wings. Purple and blue mixing in a perfect darkness, even darker than the Illyrian's.  "Madja thinks it's the curse... mixed with healing. She thinks the cauldron intended to turn you into a beast cursed to follow someone forever in the form of a bird. Like Vassa." The words he spoke were just a faint hum after that. Your mind seemed to float further and further from you the more you stared to the mirror. He helped you up, but you could not be led away from the mirror. You stared and stared at the black wings that your body strained to hold up.  "I can help, if you'd like..." He said softly, knocking you out of your stupor. "If you want to learn, I mean." He nodded to the wings and took a breath, trying to ignore the oily scent the new wings perfumed the air with. It was intoxicating.  You turned slowly, going back to the bed. "Leave me." You muttered, trying to situate yourself comfortably on the pillowy softness.  Cassian's heart sunk. "Let me know if you need anything." He said softly, staring at your unresponsive body for far too long before exiting.  You cried. You let the sobs wrack your body the entire night, not caring how stained the pillows became with the salty tears. You cried until your body had nothing left to give, and at last your mind lulled you into a deep sleep. + Cassian's head ached with the strain of trying to comfort the bond. He was astonished at how you'd kept your shields up even from him throughout the healing. He guessed that the training you possessed was the reason the Queens had made you the perfect assassin for Rhys.  "She'll be okay. She can train with the Illy-" Azriel stopped himself mid sentence when he felt the fury rippling from Cassian. He hated the territorial mood swings he was having, but with the situation at hand he figured it was warranted.  Rhys tapped his fingers on the long table, and picked up a small pawn in the other hand. "Why would they make such a direct attack? And without a bargain? Why use a spell?" He let his questions flow out. It did not soothe Cassian to hear his mate being talked about like just some assassin.  "She wont know. She was under the spell the entire time. I can feel her more now, maybe I can-" Rhys interrupted his brother "Cassian I dont want you anywhere near her more than you have to. We dont know what she's capable of now." Cassian stood so quickly his chair fell, clattering against the stone floor. Azriel tensed, ready to break his brothers up from a fight. "She is my mate, Rhys. if I die by her hands then so be it." His voice was low, and dangerous. Azriel's shadows circled around both of them. Rhys' tired eyes did not leave Cassians. The challenge of two males ready to defend what they believed in. "Dare to order me and see what happens." Cassian said with a snarl, then took a plate of rolls and left the two Illyians.  Azriel sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. His shadows dissipated, following the cracks in the stone house. He knew how bad the fight could have gotten and was relieved the building was still standing. Centuries of disagreements and he'd seen the two level a battlefield for less. He only intervened twice in all of those years. He didn't like to remember either occurrence. "You will keep watch over them?" "I already am." Azriel grumbled, making his way to his room. + The smell of warm buttered rolls was a welcome scent to wake up to. You didn't miss the lingering scent of him there too. You could hardly crack your eyes open, the swelling from the night before was getting better though. You reached back and touched the wings that had kept you burningly warm all night. The sensation was... incredibly sensitive. And when you pulled your hand away, it left your fingertips coated in oil.  "It'll go away after a few months." His voice startled you, but you were too tired to care much about him seeing you in such a messy state. He was supposed to love no matter what, right? That's what a mate was meant to be? Your mate. Mate. You body ached with the longing of needing him close by. "You should eat." He said around a mouthful of food.  "Are you always so pushy?" Your voice was rough, raw from the night of sobbing.  He smiled, and brought over the plate he was picking grapes from. "Only when necessary." He laid the plate on your lap and nodded to the rolls on your side table. "And drink, too." He sauntered back over to his seat at the other side of the room, a healthy distance apart.  You followed his orders though, picking little bites at the fruit and easily having three rolls. Something eased inside you, like a fracture becoming whole again. "How do you manage... with those? How-" You took a sip from your water and tried not to look at him. "How do you just... deal with these?" You unconsciously flared the wings when you thought of them. It was a strange feeling, like flexing a sore muscle.  "You'll learn eventually. It will take time to get used to it." He eyed you wearily, trying not to show his confusion. You felt it anyway.  "These are...upsetting." You admitted, "They are just like my fathers. Before he sold me for food for my mother. He was convinced she was carrying a winged male." You shook your head at the memory of the wrinkled man that had bought you. He included some spoiled corn in the deal. Your father handed you over without another glance back. Your mother didnt have much of a say. "He sounds like a conflicted male." You glared at him, wishing you had the strength to throw one of the rolls at him. He held his hands up at the stare, defending himself. "Not the selling you part, but doing anything for your mother... I understand that, now." He said slowly, testing the waters. "I have no family. I ally with no one. Working with the Queens was a risk I was willing to take, they didn't mention the part about killing a high lord." You picked at the blanket folded over your lap. The room was much colder than you remembered it being before.  He considered the words, and stayed silent. Waiting for you to say more. "When will he kill me?" You asked plainly, trying to not show your nerves.His face blanched. The bond came roaring to the forefront of your mind, burning with anger and guilt. "No one will lay a hand on you. By my life I swear it." He knelt on the floor by your bed and looked you in the eye. The honesty there, the full integrity of his being was flowing from him. You didn't know what exactly made you want to trust him, but it was irresistible. You nodded and took his hand, letting that connection flow through touch. You felt alight with hope soaring. Like a drug, he called to you. His eyes seemed to reflect the same back. The shame burned further until - a spark. An idea that you could almost feel out. "We can hunt him, together. Your father, if that's what you want. Then we can kill the Wueens. I will go with you." "You mean you'd die with me?" You laughed, the dark humor not scaring him a bit. The finality of the words stung deep in your gut when he didn't flinch. He dared not confirm how many times over he would, in fact, die for you. "They call me the lord of bloodshed. We might have a fighting chance once you figure out those wings." He winked, and you smiled for the first time in a long while.

[weia-yo]

hey it's undertale theory time!

this is heavily thanks to @drundertalescum for giving me brain food with the idea that when toriel mentions how asgore could've crossed the barrier with one soul she wasn't talking about the first of the 6 humans he killed, she was talking about Chara. here's the massive stream of thought that came from that.

what this theory centers around is actually not specifically that, but a question i've had for the 5 years i've been in this fandom, which is Why asgore and toriel decided to have asriel when they did? as we all know boss monsters only age when they have a child, so asgore and toriel having asriel meant that they were going to die sometime after asriel grew up. but why Then? why 1000-ish years after monsters were sealed underground and not any point before or after?

(part 1: the prophecy)

what we know is that at the time the monsters all lived in Home aka what's now the Ruins, sealed behind a door that can't be opened from the outside. this was to protect themselves from any possible human who decided to cross the barrier and kill them all. we also know about the deltarune prophecy, that the Angel, the one who has seen the surface, will make the underground go empty. we Also only know of three monsters who were mentioned to have seen the surface; asgore, toriel, and gerson.

And Another Thing, gerson mentions that lately people have started seeing the prophecy as being about an angel of death who will kill them all. but the thing is, the dude's Old. he's literally older than monsterkind's time underground. "Lately" to him could very easily be within the last few hundred years.

what i'm getting at is, i think the belief was that asgore, toriel, or gerson (or all three) were going to be the angel who would free them, but sometime during their stay in the ruins that belief shifted to the angel being a human who would go into the ruins and kill them all.

what i think happened was, gerson began to age. he's not immortal like asgore and toriel, he wouldn't live forever. i imagine when that realization hit asgore and toriel they had a long talk about the future. if the angel really was about a human who would kill them all, then asgore and toriel staying alive on the basis that maybe they were the angel who would free monsters was just giving them false hope.

they weren't going to do anything drastic, but taking away their own immortality, while giving monsterkind a new ruler without any expectation of freeing them, would mark a new era. for almost a thousand years they had hope that they would be free, but maybe it was better to just accept that this is their permanent home now and make the best of it. yes the prophecy likely said a human was going to kill them all but humans had left them alone for all this time and possibly forgotten all about them, they were behind a door that couldn't even be opened from the outside, staying in Home meant they were safe from humanity.

and then chara fell and everything went upside down.

(part 2: One Soul)

people have theorized that chara and asriel's friendship is the entire reason monsters lost their fear, left the ruins and went to live in the rest of the underground in the first place and i think that's most likely true, but what if before then asgore and toriel had a discussion? after all chara was a child but so was asriel, so was every child living underground, doomed to die without ever seeing the sun. chara was a human with a human soul. would killing chara be worth a chance at freedom?

we don't know if they had that conversation but we know the result; Absolutely Not. it's not worth it. it's not worth it to kill an innocent child for their freedom.

but i think they still saw within chara a chance for monsterkind to live on the surface. after all, toriel and asgore were aging, and when they died their soul would remain long enough for a human to take it and leave the barrier. i think they were hoping this would allow for chara to leave and find souls outside to bring back and break the barrier while a now fully-grown asriel would be able to lead the monsters on the surface to coexist with humanity, using his friendship with chara as an example to all.

of course this didn't end up happening because everything went wrong. monsterkind's hopes for freedom and an era of peace on the surface were all dashed, the prince of monsters was killed by the humans of chara's village, all the wounds from the monster-human war that were thought healed were torn open.

both asgore and toriel were understandably traumatized by this and both their reactions were completely understandable; asgore saw this as evidence that peace with humans was impossible and declared war, toriel saw asgore and monsterkind turning their backs on her children's legacy and decided to leave them behind. but it's what happened afterwards where i think they lost their way.

asgore lost his way because he decided to give monsterkind false hope. you walk through the underground and hear monsters talking about their lives; they're not happy. there are so many problems in the underground and it seems like few people are working to fix them; any time the problems are brought up they're either laughed off or amended with a "but it's ok because soon we will be free".

toriel also lost her way, by looking at the scenario where the humans went to asgore and fought him, which could only end in either of them dying, and choosing to not intervene.

the pacifist ending results in, among other things, toriel realizing (likely after facing frisk and finding their determination to not kill her) that she was wrong and that she couldn't let this fight happen.

i used to think this bit of the game was the one part i disliked, bc it didn't make sense for me for toriel to lecture asgore for not taking the first soul that dropped, but it never occurred to me until drundertalescum pointed it out that she very likely was talking about Chara.

toriel came here after realizing it wasn't worth it to let asgore die even if it meant the human could go free. and she reminds asgore what he seemed to have forgot, that it wasn't worth sacrificing anyone for their freedom. it wasn't worth it when the child in question was chara, it's not worth it when the child in question is frisk. and it's especially not worth it when asgore clearly doesn't want to hurt anyone, when he doesn't really want freedom, and is only doing this for a thin veneer of hope for monsterkind.

and asgore, who in the neutral run decides it would be better for him to die and for the human to take his soul, realizes that she's right. that it wasn't right to sacrifice anyone for their freedom, that it wasn't right to keep monsters barely going with this empty tragic "hope", and that it wasn't right to give up his own life even if it meant freeing frisk and through them potentially monsterkind as well.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Not just a soft princess - Azula x female reader imagine: Part One

Imagine being the earth king’s niece and princess of Ba Sing Se, who impresses Azula so much she decides to take you back to the fire nation with her...

Part two here

Part three here

Part four here

Part five here

Part six here

Azula’s POV

Here in the supposed “greatest” city in all the earth kingdom Azula had to admit she wasn’t impressed. The cities defences were abysmal, the whole population naively ignorant to the war and the poor were sickly and weak while the rich pompous and frail. The whole city was the opposite of fire nation efficiency but there were two things Azula admired; the dai li and you, coincidentally the two intertwined. 

You weren’t a dai li agent yourself, Azula supposed your title didn’t permit it, but you did train with them all regularly and Azula had seen first hand your skills.  When she arrived as a kyoshi warrior with Mai and Ty lee the earth king was only too eager to bring you out to show them. Azula supposed you’d be some helpless stereotypical princess but when you appeared before her she was surprised. Firstly because of how you were dressed. She figured you’d look like that god awful doll her uncle sent her as a child but there was not a skirt or dress in sight. You were in practical training clothes, your hair in messy plaits and your face gleaming with sweat from whatever physical activity you’d evidently just been doing. You certainly didn’t dress as she expected but you still looked like a princess to her. You had an easy appeal and noticeability that could only be royalty. Azula bowed to you with surprising ease. “This is y/n my niece and the jewel of the earth kingdom” the earth king declared happily. Azula resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his comment but saw everyone in the room was watching you fondly. All the guards smiled as you laughed and their eyes softened looking at you as a father would a daughter, The whole elite force was smitten with you and Azula was determined to use that. 

The earth king too her on a tour of the kingdom and Azula kept an eye on you as you followed along too. You started talking to Mai and Ty lee and she couldn’t believe she’d gotten the old king while they got you. When you reached a large yard however she was surprised to see you excuse yourself from Mai and Ty lee and rush to the soldiers down below. “Ahh we can’t kept that girl from the sparring yard, it’s her second home”. Azula watched the soldiers reactions to you and knew the earth king was telling the truth. “Y/n...” Azula said carefully “she trains with the dai li often...despite her title?” Azula asked. The earth king nodded “yes, ever since she was a child she wanted to learn, her parents were tragically killed when she was young so she came to me and infant and i’m ashamed to admit we indulged her in any hobby she wanted, archery, sword fighting, ostrichhorse riding and of course earth bending...I know they’re not usual activities a princess indulges in but I couldn’t say no to her and now she’s the best earth bender in Ba Sing Sei, just watch and you’ll see”. Azula followed his gaze to where you stood joking with a group of dai li agents. Four of you were stood in a square all armed and ready to spar. You were clearly confident and while the others took defensive positions you just carried on joking around. A bell was rung and Azula frowned as the three men all turned to you. “Three on one?” Azula asked and the earth king laughed “that’s nothing for my niece, watch”. Azula did watch as you tossed the men aside easily with your bending, so easily you showboated and took your time using flashy strikes to please the crowd that had gathered to watch. Azula had to smirk at you cockiness, you were good and apparently you knew it. “She is talented” Azula nodded as you finally showed mercy and eliminated the last man. “She’s the earth kingdom’s pride and joy” the earth king smiled and Azula realised the king wasn’t exaggerating. Long feng didn’t run Ba Sing Sei nor did the earth king...the key to the kingdom was you and Azula was determined to get you. 

So Azula’s plan started to revolve around you and she considered her options. There were easy ways to get your support of course, she knew she could challenge you to a fight. She’d watched you in closely in training and admired your form but growing up adored and protected by half the kingdom she doubted you’d actually have the killer instinct in battle. So overpowering you would be easy but Azula had a feeling fear wouldn’t work here. The people seemed so loyal to you, even if the odds were stacked against them they’d fight to defend you. So using force wouldn’t make the city bend so Azula had one option. She had to get you on side.

Your POV

You were just about to go meet with the war council when there was knock on your door. You opened it and were pleasantly surprised to see it was the leader of the kyoshi warriors. The warriors had been here several days now and they interested you greatly but with training and war councils you hadn’t got much time to speak to them so it was nice to see one of them in your doorway. You bowed and let her into your room a little excited and flushed, a real kyoshi warrior was in your room! “What can I do for you?” you asked happy to assist a warrior in any way but the girl’s response was not what you were expecting. 

“You war council is doomed to fail”. When you paused in shock the warrior smiled “that is where you were going isn’t it? Same time every day...your schedule is easy to pinpoint, you should be cautious of that princess”. Her tone confused you but you ignored her comment and focused on what she’d said about the war “how is the council doomed? We have the avatar on our side!”. “Yes but he’s not here right now is he? What if the fire nation attacked? How would you defend yourself?”. “Well we’d....the dai li are amazing benders, they’d defend against any breach...but there’s no point worrying about the fire nation we’d know if an army was outside our gates”. “What if they’re already inside?”. The kyoshi warrior was really creeping you out and you couldn’t understand why she was saying all this to you. Frustrated you sighed “Why are you saying all this it’s not like any of it is true. If you have concerns we can raise them at the war meeting”. “It’s too late for that” the warrior smirked and you rolled your eyes utterly done with this awkward encounter “and why is that?”. "Because i am Azula, princess of the fire nation and i’m here to conquer your city". 

Azula’s POV

Azula was impressed, not even a second after she’d finished speaking you attacked her and not to capture her...maybe you did have the killer instinct...but Azula was better. She easily outmanoeuvred your attacks, her theory about you never having been in a proper lethal fight proving to be true, and returned the fire. Literally. You soon has to use your earth bending for defence and that gave Azula the chance to attack, exactly what she did best. Azula had you cornered and secured within minutes. You glared as she chained your hands and stepped away from you surveying her work. "So what i’m the fire nation’s prisoner now?” you yelled once you realised the chain wouldn’t budge. “I won’t comply so you may as well silence me properly and be done with it" you spat. The look in your eye was so sharp it impressed Azula and she smiled, not just a soft princess at all. "No, you're more use to me alive" she said simply. "How?" you asked and Azula’s smile grew. She walked around you, a shark circling it’s prey, admiring the catch she’d caught. "I’ll be honest, your dai li have impressed me. Their skill and efficiency. Their determination....all qualities they seem to have taught you and that is why they are so protective over you but they are flawed...they listen to long feng". “Impossible! we arrested him after the avatar exposed his treachery”. “For someone so cocky you aren’t half naive” Azula smirked “of course long feng is not done, I actually made a deal with him directly to take your city”. Azula smiled as your anger exploded and you struggled against the chains to attack her. “Calm down” she smiled "they obey long feng but that’s not who they are loyal too....that’s where you come in. The army is loyal to you, they all adore you and who would do anything for you, they follow long feng but he’s just the figure head, it’s you they really fight for. You're their leader not the earth king and if you ordered them to stand down or even....to defect to the fire nation. They’d listen".

Your POV

"Why on earth would i do that! There’s no way i’d ever help you or betray my people". "Well princess it’s more complicated than that” Azula smirked coming closer. “As soon as i have the dai li it’s over. I could keep you out of the way long enough to use long feng to get them...sure some of them might resist but i’m sure long feng with put them down, then I will put him down. I could conquer Ba Sing Sei the old fashioned way, with blood and infighting or you can help me take it peacefully. You can order them to swear loyalty to me and it will all be over. If you refuse many will die but the result will be the same, i will win. You can choose to save your people and prevent all that. If you side with me and tell your citizens not to resist then i will be merciful. No violence needs to occur, no more blood will be shed. It will be a peaceful take over...unless you make it otherwise". "Peaceful?" You asked "since when have the fire nation been merciful". "We’re not" Azula admitted "but for you I can make the exception...or you can see fire nation ferocity at it’s worst....it’s down to you". You thought it over thinking of everything that would erupt if you resisted. "You have my word, princess to princess, if you get your people to obey nobody will be harmed. You won’t be harmed. I promise" Azula told you, her voice smooth like silk. You looked up and met the princess’s glowing eyes. They were scarily focused and bright but they weren’t deceitful. She meant what she said, If you agreed she wouldn’t attack your people, nobody would die. So you hung your head and sighed “I accept your deal, I will make my people cooperate and defect to the fire nation”. Azula smiled and let you out of the handcuffs “well there’s no time like the present”.

Azula’s POV

Azula was in an amazing mood as she walked to the throne room, Mai Ty lee and you beside her. You walked infront where she could keep an eye on you and Mai and Ty lee looked at her, “did she....is it done?” Ty lee whispered and Azula smiled “the princess is mine...now for the army and then the kingdom”. 

Azula entered the throne room alone and almost smirked to see long feng stood by the throne. “Princess Azula” he smiled patronisingly “your plan worked, the city is mine”. “Yours?” Azula asked and Long feng grinned “sorry to double cross you but i’m sure you understand...you’d have done the same thing if you were smart enough to think of it”. Azula resisted the urge to smile and looked at the man “ow? So you think I am without a plan? That I have been beaten?”. “Well of course you have! I have the army and so I have Ba sing sei”. “But what if you didn’t have the army?” Azula asked smiling. Long feng stared “Of course I have them! My men are loyal to me, I’ve trained them from when they were boys...why on earth would they side with you a stranger and an outsider over me?” Long Feng sneered and Azula smirked. “Because of her”. 

Your POV

On cue you walked out from behind her and Azula smirked to see Long Feng jolt in surprise. “Princess....” he stammered “I...this woman isn’t a kyoshi warrior she’s from the fire nation! She’s here to attack us!”. “I know who she is but she is not the threat here, you are”. Azula smiled at you approvingly. In order for the dai li to believe you, you had to pretend you and Azula were allies, you had to remove long feng and leave no doubt in the soldiers mind who the enemy was. “You kept the war a secret for years! You put me and my uncle in danger our whole lives, Azula has been honest with me and she’s offered me a deal, no harm will come to Ba Sing Sei, as long as we surrender to the fire nation”. “You cannot be serious?” Long feng cried but you raised a hand cutting him off “it’s your recklessness that has brought us here i’m merely saving the lives of my people! Azula’s alliance will protect everyone, none of you have to put your lives at risk” you said loudly addressing the dai li directly “so put down your weapons, swear allegiance to me through Azula and this will all be over”. Silence settled and Long feng smirked “you stupid child...” when a loud clatter of weapons being dropped cut him off. Every single dai li agent dropped their weapons and bowed. “We swear out allegiance” they said in unison and Azula smiled “perfect, your first order....arrest long feng”. The soldiers looked to you and you nodded your head. Immediately Long feng was seized and brought to your feet. Azula looked at you and you knew what she wanted you to say “put him in the deepest cell we have and let him rot”. Azula smirked as the guards filed out, you went to follow but the princess caught your arm “not so fast I have a task for you, it’s time to address your city”. 

"The fire nation has conquered Ba Sing Sei but there is no need to be fearful" you said to the large crowd so many scared and confused faces you struggled to carry on but you had to. You gripped the piece of paper tighter and carried on. "Their only wish is to assimilate our great city into their empire and i have been assured our cooperation will make the transition safe and swift. The fire nation are not to be feared, i am allied with them as are the dai li. You have nothing to fear. Rejoice the fire nation" you finished and Azula nodded "good, we will leave for the fire nation immediately”. “We’ll....i’ll be what?”. “Well you didn’t think I’d let you stay here did you?”. “But I...I gave you my word”. “And as sweet as that is I’m not stupid leaving you here in your city...well that’d give anyone ideas about a rebellion, no you will come back to the fire nation with me as will the dai li”. “For how long?” you asked and Azula shrugged “who cares? Your uncle escaped his cell and disappeared with the avatar, they left you. Your army is in service to me and your city isn’t yours anymore....what do you have worth staying here?”. You looked down and Azula smiled thinking she’d broken you but she was wrong. 

You were surprisingly unwatched after they put you onto the airship. Probably because there wasn’t any earth for you to bend but you didn’t need earth for what you planned to do. You snook past the people on the deck, quickly rushing away as you saw the prince and one of Azula’s friends stood there. You caught your breath thankful they hadn’t seen you and carried on. Azula’s chambers were also surprisingly unguarded but you weren’t too shocked. Azula was probably so happy with her victory nothing could make her feel mortal. You planned to change that. You let yourself into her room quietly and gripped the dagger in your right hand. You shut the door without making a sound and waited for your eyes to adjust. You made out Azula’s bed and a figure in it. You carefully crossed the room and came to stand beside it, the princess was snoring softly and you lifted your hand with the knife. You brought your hand down when suddenly a hand shot up and gripped your wrist. Another hand shot out and punched you in the stomach and the knife clattered to the floor. You pulled yourself away and scrambled after it. “Seeing as you can’t bend I won’t either” Azula called before following you. She grabbed one of your legs but you kicked out hard and caught her. She made a noise of pain and you gripped the knife. You dove on her without a thought and aimed for where would cause the most damage. Azula caught your knife with a piece of cloth and twirled it out of your hand sending it flying across the room. You followed it with your eyes and in that second Azula slammed you down onto the floor hard. You hit your head and breathed haggardly, the wind knocked out of you. Azula bound your hands and searched you for any more knives “just the one?” she laughed “not a good assassin...but I have to admit I am pleased you tried to kill me” she smirked. “You’re pleased?” you asked confused and Azula nodded “it proves what i suspected...you’re brave and head strong, you have fire” she smiled poking you hard in the chest “i like that”. “Is that why you decided to bring me to the fire nation, you think i’ll fit in?”. Azula smirked “no you’ll definitely stand out but you’ll be interesting”. Azula got off you and stood up straightened her tunic. She drew open the curtains and looked out. “Come here” she said and when you glared at her she smirked “don’t you want to see the fire nation?”. That did peak your interest and so, your ego and body bruised, you carefully got up and came to stand beside the princess. The sun was just rising and a massive city was coming into focus. The city was still a fair distance away but you could easily make out a large extravagant building. “Is that the...”. “The palace?” Azula smirked “your new home”. The way she said it made you shiver but not just in fear, it was also in anticipation. You weren’t sure how but you could feel that this was where your life would be determined. You’d always known you weren’t meant to live sheltered in Ba Sing Sei forever and this was the confirmation. This would change your life. 

[bokunosimpfiction]

Demon!Dimitrescux Reader

Synopsis: Lady Dimitrescu reveals herself as a demon that has made it her personal mission to guard you after what you believe is the case of worst/best timing of your entire life. No trigger warnings. 1.6k words.

A/N: This took me less than two hours to write/publish this. I needed this out of my system ASAP

             The black Toyota Corolla had to look strangely familiar your first pass down the street. It reminded you of your boyfriend’s car, and you swore that the digits of the license plate must have been one or two off his, and the generic pine tree air freshener must have been a different color. Not to mention the woman in the backseat with a cocktail dress on.

             You chose not to think about it as you walked into the 7-11 in nothing but your pajamas and the pair of crocs you haven’t worn since being on the college swim team. It wasn’t hard to decide what to grab off the shelves. A bag of chips store brand sour patch kids and gummy worms, a two-liter of Pepsi, and a bottle of wine too big for one person. The cashier looked just as tired as you did, and you understood what it was like, barely, time is a social construct that distanced you deeply from the night shifts you pulled at this same store while in college. Nine to five shifts (Dolly Parton shifts, your coworker would call them with a smile) were only better because you could sit down and have a stable sleep schedule. It was the same grueling work, and in your case, you had to deal with the same shitty people that complained about things you can’t control.

             His droning voice pulled you out of your train of thoughts. “The total is forty-eight fifty-seven.” He was either crying in the backroom while you were picking out your chips or hit a massive dab, you weren’t sure, but his red eyes made either option feasible. You didn’t comment on it, only handing him two twenties and a ten and taking the change back before walking out the door. You didn’t say anything to him, and vice versa, which you appreciated because you didn’t have the energy to deal with a chatty Kathy right now. And as you pull yourself down the street, your bag of crap from 7-11 in your hand, you pass that same deja-vu-mobile and look at the stickers on the back.

             The same I love my dog and proud cat-dad stickers in the exact same place, the dent on the right side of the bumper, and the license plate that was in fact, one hundred percent his. Which begs the question, who was the girl in the cocktail dress, and what was she doing in the backseat? The question didn’t matter for long because the car promptly burst into flames. Oh well. Wait.

The.

Car.

Is.

On.

Fire.

             It’s your boyfriend’s car.

Your

Boyfriends.

Car.

Is.

On.

Fire.

             You wipe out your phone to call the fire department when you see the girl in the same cocktail dress crawl out of the car, dress pulled up to her waist, barefoot and mascara streaming down her face. She’s violently beating his clutch against the ground, desperate to put out the flames while your boyfriend slams the door open on the other side and throws himself out full force onto the asphalt of the busy street. He looks up and sees the anger in your eyes.

             “Hey, babe.”

             “I-I-can-” he stutters violently. His face was red in anger and blood dripping from his nose due to the face-first collision with the freshly paved street.

             “We’re over.”

             You do him the favor of calling the fire department for his car and walk off as soon as you hear the sirens of the firetruck. You didn’t have anything to do with it. No need to watch the fallout when you had nothing to do with the disaster. Besides, your soda’s getting cold, you wanted to drink that before it got Luke-warm. You ended up dropping off the crap and walking to the 24-7 grocery store a little farther in the other direction to get ice cream. Standing in the frozen aisle, in nothing but your pajamas, bright red crocs, and moist eyes, you try and decide between the weird, nuanced flavors that all taste like vanilla anyhow.

             You look up towards the top shelf when you notice the woman leaning over you. She’s deathly pale, skin as pale as paper and lipstick so red it glowed compared to everything else. Her huge hat would make a shadow on her face if it weren’t propped right above her hairline.

             “So, did you enjoy the show sweet-heart,” she whispers in your ear. You feel her breath on your neck and her gaze freezes your heart. “You didn’t think that his car catching on fire was a happy accident now did you?”

             You turn around, only not to see her behind you, but on the fogged-up glass doors on the other side of the aisle. “Did you really think that I’d be standing right behind you?” Her question is almost taunting.

             “Who are you?”

             She breathes into her elegant pipe only to blow out to re-fog the glass before staring dead into your eyes and saying the words that changed your life forever. “I’m your guardian demon.”

             You honestly thought you were losing your mind, seeing this woman in the glass, telling you she was a demon who set your ex’s car on fire. (It felt odd to call him that, you had been dating him for three years). Her elegant leg steps through the glass, her dress riding up to just below her knee before it hit the ground and the rest of her flowed into our realm as smoothly as her dress swayed when she walked over to you.

             She was almost twice your height, and the view from where she stood in front of you made her feel even more so tall. “So mortal, what do you have to say, knowing that you have a five-hundred-year-old all-powerful demon protecting you?”

             “What happened to my guardian angel?”

             She scoffs. “You never had one. Most people nowadays have guardian angels, in fact, I’ve only heard of one other mortal who hasn’t had one that’s alive right now.”

             “What do you mean?” You can’t help but ask. There’s an entire world of things you didn’t understand. Angels. Demons. Hell, even bigfoot could be real for all you know.

             “Well, darling, there is a very simple answer to that question: there are only so many angels for so many mortals, and so sometimes a few slip through the cracks of the system, and that’s where we step in.” She moves around to the refrigerator next to you and inspects the sorbets. “Despite what the church tells you, us demons love humans. They’re a claim to social status. You bring a human home, and you’re viewed as wealthy, famous even.”

             “So that’s what you get out of taking a person’s soul in a deal.”

             She turns to you. “When I what now?”

             “Ya’ know,” you say, “a person makes a deal with a demon in exchange for money or fame, and when they die their soul belongs to the demon and they’re doomed to eternal hell yada-yada-yada.”

             “Is that what they’re teaching you, now.”

             “At least that’s what my mother says. I didn’t really believe in any of this stuff till you stepped out of the door and said you set my ex’s car on fire.”

             “I would have done it sooner, but you looked so happy with him, it was difficult to pull that away from you,” she sighs before standing up to her full height, “that woman he was with was going to give you HPV and I’d prefer the human I fought tooth and nail over to not get an STD. I would never have let that stupid-man-thing touch you had I known he would cheat on you with a mortal so… infected.” What an interesting word to decide to land on.

             She turns and waltzes back across the aisle with a grace that has long been lost to time. “And besides, you’re better off without him, with him off your mind you’ll be able to take that new project on at work and get that raise you’ve been needing so badly.”

             You’re still trying to process this. “You mentioned that you only heard of one other mortal with a demon guardian. Who is he?”

             “His name doesn’t matter, all I really care about is that damn man-child, Heisenberg, is watching him, which means he won’t be alive much longer.”

             “Do you kill us?”

             She puts her hand to her chest and looks genuinely offended before her features soften when she realizes you had never met a demon in your entire life not to mention even believing in them. “We would never. Our humans are like our children, and while we may not be able to subtle pull strings to protect those that we watch over, we do have our more… direct ways of protecting them.”

             “Like setting his car on fire.”

             “I’ve done worse things to keep you safe.”

             Your face pales, but your curiosity brightens your eyes. “Like what?”

             “Your so demand, child, but remember when lightning struck the tree in your backyard, and it fell and landed on your neighbor fifteen or so years ago?”

             You can’t formulate words.

             “Or how your car broke down on the side of the road so you couldn’t reach the hotel you booked?”

             “You did that!”

             “They were going to steal your luggage!” She scoffs before taking a long drag from her pipe. “Anymore, questions?”

             “Is Jesus real?”

             “I wasn’t there for that, and if he was, he hasn’t left his fluffy little sky bed since being nailed to that goddamn cross.”

             “One more.”

             “It better not be stupid, darling.”

             “What ice cream should I get?”

             Her soft smile returns. “Get the java-chip, but the one right behind the front one, there’s a little extra than usual in that container.”