#aurora coop

[agroemdia]

Aurora Coop cobra ações do governo federal para conter crise no setor leiteiro

Cooperativa pede ao Mapa a adoção de mecanismos para regular a importação, criando gatilhos e barreiras para proteger a cadeia láctea brasileira

Foto: Irene Mendes/Emater RO/Divulgação A Aurora Coop divulgou manifesto, nesta terça-feira (15), pedindo ao governo federal a adoção de medidas para atenuar a crise vivida pelo setor leiteiro, provocada principalmente pelo aumento das importações de leite de países do Mercosul. A cooperativa recomenda que “o Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (Mapa) estabeleça mecanismos para regular a…

[kedreeva]

The last photos of Stan Lee, the Cameo peacock.

I like to think he had a decent last day. We tube fed him early this morning so he would not feel hungry or thirsty despite that he could no longer find food or water. He spent the rest of the day loafing in the sunlight, surrounded by hens that liked him a great deal because he was always super gentle and sweet to his ladies. He always loved babies, and Aurora's 2023 kids were no exception, and I caught both of them cuddled up to Stan at one point as well. Even though he couldn't see them, I hope he knew he was not alone. I hope that they feel they got to say their goodbyes- I haven't heard anyone calling for him, so that's a good sign.

As the sun began to set, I came out to get him, and he was by himself for the first time, sleeping along the wall in the sun. He didn't fuss when I picked him up, and rode quietly in the car to the vet. He laid quietly in my lap in the waiting room, and I watched a rainbow crawl across his wing and back while we waited. As he fell asleep from the initial sedation, some of the vet staff that had seen him often the last 7 years for his many issues came to say goodbye quietly. They let me stay with him through the Final Sleep, as well, and he went just as quickly and quietly. Perhaps he thought it was time as well.

I am going to miss him like crazy. I never wanted a cameo bird, partly because I know they are prone to carrying health issues and blindness in particular, but he wobbled his way right into my heart once he was in my hands.

I set aside his final train of feathers, along with a good deal of his saddle and some of his neck feathers, as keepsakes. One primary from each wing, some of his actual tail feathers. I will make myself a feather vase from it when I am up to it.

Sark helped me to bury Stan's body beneath the weeping willow sapling we planted last summer. It's near the coops, rather than in the death orchard, as he never particularly liked sleeping near other birds at night, only by day.

It has not been an easy two days, but I know once I have some distance, his memory will certainly be a blessing for me, and for everyone whose lives he touched along the way. His train was always full of hearts from all the love.

[cupidbedsy]

𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 | 𝘭𝘩43 ♔

➪ summary: luke always knows when his girl is sad, and this time it's no exception

➪ warnings: depression, fighting parents, kind of bad family dynamics

➪ word count: 1.6k

➪ file type: fic

➪ sunny's notes: this is so weird because i'm listening to really hype music while editing the sad fics. oh well, i wrote this when i was sad so that's fun. also i reread this and i actually almost cried because i didn't realize how well i portrayed my own emotions in it so that was also fun

© cupidbedsy ; do not copy, repost, or translate my work and designs on any other website or here

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There was something about that time of year that caused her depression to hit its highest level. There were a lot of reasons that could’ve caused it, but there was none that she could say was right. It wasn’t seasonal depression, she had been asked that a plethora of times. It wasn’t a feeling of not being enough, she had been told that by multiple therapists.

She could say it was her parents fighting, her parents’ financial struggles, her brothers' snarky comments about how he couldn’t wait to move out and not deal with their crap anymore. She could say it was her family going to her for every little thing that went wrong, the amount of shit she gets from everyone in the family, the comparison of her to her brothers. It could’ve been a lot of things, but she wasn’t about to pin her depression on her family members, it didn’t seem right. 

Every one of her friends and family knew she had depression, it wasn’t a secret. She felt as if as soon as her parents were told about her diagnosis they couldn’t wait to tell every single soul they knew. She felt like she was a story waiting to be told. She often thought that if she had a kid who acted the same way she did, she would know how to raise them better. 

She hated critiquing her parents and her brothers, but they did it to her, didn’t they? She knew about the multitude of times her parents had gone to talk to her brothers about how she hadn’t been to class in a week, how she looked fine so there was no reason for her not to go. She felt like the little boy who cried wolf, however, for much different reasons. 

She always said she was sick when she felt this feeling looming over her so her parents wouldn’t get worried, and they would let her stay home from school. But then, she would actually get sick and no one would believe her. She was stuck in an endless cycle. 

Luke was worried. He had known about her tendencies to fall into this state of mind and not know what caused it. He knew about her family, the therapists, the psychologists, and the social workers. He knew about the multiple attempts everyone had made to get her to open up, about the amount of times she had screamed in her head at them that she didn’t know. He knew about everything.

It was easy for her to open up to Luke when they first met, he had this unmistakably calming and supportive aurora about him. He had bumped into her one day in freshman year, immediately apologizing for not looking where he was going. She had been on her way to the dining hall while he was on his way back, but he offered to take her there anyway. 

Ever since then, they had been each other’s rock. Luke asked her out two months later and the two were practically inseparable. However, this was the first time he had experienced this side of her. He could tell it was happening just slightly, her face said it all. He wasn’t entirely sure of what to do, she had always told him it was nothing to worry about and it should be better in a couple of days. But it wasn’t.

She wasn’t the best at answering her texts, not wanting to face the fact that she was not doing well. She had been cooped up in her room for almost a week now, usually occupying herself with reading or playing a game on her phone. She wanted to go to class, she wanted to do her work, she wanted to do better but she just couldn’t. 

She stared blankly at her phone as her podcast played through her earbuds. She had seen a text from Luke come through but she didn’t pay much attention to it. She felt bad for not answering, yet another part of her brain just accepted defeat and the fact that he might be mad at her. She had been able to get up and sit at her desk which was a step in the right direction, however she hadn’t done much since she got there. 

She heard a knock on the door, ignoring it at first. When the knocking became more persistent, she sighed and got up. Her, Luke’s, hoodie fell from its original bunched-up place in her lap as she walked over to the door. Her eyes had dark circles around them, her hair was tied messily in the back. She opened it and looked at the person standing on the opposite side of the door.

“Hi.”

Usually, she would’ve been excited to see her boyfriend but at this point, that was what she dreaded most. Her face looked tired as she stared at Luke with blank eyes, “Hi.”

Luke nervously shifted his weight back and forth between his feet at the sound of her voice. It was hoarse from the lack of use, it had unfallen tears caught in it, and it had a hint of harshness laced in it. His mind flooded with thoughts as her voice reached his ears, he hadn’t been expecting it to sound that way.

She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something more but he didn’t. The lack of communication between the two caused them to stand in the doorway for three minutes. Luke’s nervousness and awkwardness were seeping into y/n’s body language as she toyed with her hair and stood with her left foot propped up behind her right leg. 

When they made eye contact, the tension in her body went away and her eyes softened, “You wanna come in?”

He nodded and she stepped back so he could walk in. Instead of going back to where she was previously sitting, she went back and climbed into her bed. The feeling of being able to be vulnerable in Luke’s presence made her want to curl into herself, she didn’t want to be vulnerable right now. She pulled her comforter up to her chin, creating heat around her.

Luke shivered from the moment he stepped into her room, goosebumps rising all over his arms. He sighed when he saw his girlfriend revert to her original space, moving to sit at the edge of her bed. He placed his hand on her calf, the sheets creating a barrier from them touching, “Hi baby.”

Those were the only words that both of them could muster, an awkward tension forming between the two of them for no reason. She just stayed staring at the wall in front of her. He let out a soft sigh at the lack of response and turned his head away from her to collect his thoughts. He wasn’t sure how to approach this, she had told him not to worry about her but he couldn’t help it. 

“What can I do to help?”

She shrugged in response, not giving him her full attention. Luke slowly moved his thumb to start rubbing her calf in circles as a form of comfort. Another moment of silence passed again, and the two slowly started to become more comfortable with each other once again. 

“Luke?”

“Hmm?” 

“Can you lay with me?”

Luke all but jumped onto the opportunity she gave him, slipping his shoes off and climbing in behind her. He wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. It was a mere five seconds before y/n was turning over and burying her head into his chest, “I’m sorry.”

“For what? You haven’t done anything wrong, baby.”

“For not responding, and for being like this.”

Before he had shown up she had hoped he wouldn’t even think about coming over. She hated when people had to see her like this. It wasn’t because of the way she looked but rather the thought that nobody would understand how she felt, that everyone would just complain about her problems.

But Luke was absolutely, positively in love with her. From the moment they met, the way he had been able to make her laugh within two minutes, the way she was able to ramble on about random things to a stranger amazed him. She had him wrapped around her finger since the moment they bumped into each other and there was nothing that would change that. 

He frowned at her words, “Don’t be sorry. You can’t control it.”

“I just wish it would stop sometimes. Move on from me.” He kissed her forehead and held her tighter, feeling angry at the world for doing this to his girl.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

Her fingers went to tangle into his hair, her frowning at his apology. She played with one of the curls that had been sticking out amongst the rest due to its length. Luke calmed down at the feeling and gave her a small smile. It was hard for her to return the action, not having anything to smile about. 

Luke knew that was all he needed to do, just be there for her even if she said she didn’t want him there. Remind her that he would be there to support her through everything, even the parts she didn’t want him to know about. Reassure her that those feelings were common even if he didn’t know what it felt like. Love her as if the world was gonna end tomorrow.

[da-rulah]

Hello hello! Me again!

Just a few couple head cannons I’d love to see…

How would the Papa’s respond to their s/o being caught sneaking out to go party with the Ghouls?

How would the Papas respond to their s/o having a crisis of faith?

Ooooh interesting... Here goes nothing!

MDNI, 18+ CONTENT BELOW!

Sneaking Out

Primo

You'd thought he was asleep. He had been, at least, when you'd last seen him in his recliner chair, newspaper long forgotten on the floor where it had fallen from his hands.

But somehow, even in his old age, he beats you to the front doors of the Ministry, and is waiting for you at the door.

"Fiorellina... you think me too old to party, eh?" he teases with his hands on his hips, circling them as if pretending to dance.

"Papa the last time you danced with me, you slipped a disc..."

He shoos the mention of it and insists you bring him anyway - he still has some fire left in him!

He does, in fact, slip another disc.

'Worth it' he thinks to himself, to see the way your smile lights up the entire party.

Secondo

He'd been out all evening, and you knew he was cooped up in his office working on some kind of ritual translation.

You figured you'd be fine sneaking off with Swiss and Phantom, he'd never know! You'd be home by the time he finished working, ever the work horse...

How wrong you were. He was sat in the dark, waiting for you to return...

"Care to explain why i came home to a cold and empty bed, dolcezza?"

You panic and try to find excuses, but he stands and crowds your person space instead, inches from your face.

"I think you'd better stop talking, and come to bed with me. You will show me how sorry you are..."

Terzo

"Well, well, well... where do you think you're going, cara mio?"

He'd caught you with one leg already out of the window in your living room, Sodo waiting for you on the other side with his arms outstretched to catch you.

As soon as he heard papa's voice, he'd scarpered.

"W-well, um... there's this... thing..."

Terzo's smirking, leaning on the doorframe in his bed robe. "A party?"

You nod; you'd been caught already, why lie now?

"Ah, cara mio... there's a much better, much more exclusive party, back here..." he pointed behind him to your empty bedroom. "Won't you join me, as my VIP?"

Copia

When he woke up to find you no longer beside him, and nowhere in your apartment, he'd panicked.

The 6 missed calls and 11 unread texts on your phone had made you leave the party early, apologising to Aurora who's brought you along.

When you got home, he was pacing in the living room, going out of his mind.

"Amore! Where were you? I was so worried..." he envelopes you in a bear hug - you feel guilt setting in.

"I'm sorry, I was with Aurora... at a... party?"

He takes a step back, confused. He wonders why he wasn't invited...

"Well, you're... their boss. Maybe it's just a bit strange for them to invite their boss?" you reasoned. Copia still looked disappointed.

You promise him you'll never sneak out on him again - and instead, you'll sneak him in, so he can show his Ghouls he's the 'cool, fun boss who can still boogie!' as he says...

Crisis of Faith

Primo

Primo doesn't panic when you tell him you're questioning things. He has plenty of experience in this, during his tenure as a papa.

He stays up all night with you, talking out your insecurities in your faith.

When you'd started to cry, he'd pulled you into his lap and held you. He didn't judge you for any of this, not at all.

Together, you get to the root cause of your crisis, and he comforts you through it all.

You fall asleep on him in the early hours of the morning, feeling far better about your faith than when you'd first opened up.

Secondo

You'd expected Secondo to be angry at you, which is why you waited so long to tell him. But it came out during a heated argument with him, and you had thrown it in his face.

His angry expression fell to one of... hurt?

He doesn't say another word, simply takes you by the wrist and pulled you through the Ministry until you reach the chapel of Lilith together. He has you stand in front of her statue, presented with her beauty and her power.

"Tell her. Look her in the eye, and tell her you've lost your way..."

You can't do it. You break down instead.

But he's there, arms around you, cradling you on the floor of her Chapel.

"It's okay. We'll fix this. We'll get through this, dolcezza..."

Terzo

When you'd finally opened up to Terzo, he blamed himself immediately.

"Is it... something I did? Or said?" He panics.

He thinks he's already lost you, and that frightens him more than anything. He can't lose you...

"What can I do? Tesoro, I'll do anything. How do I help?"

You end up comforting him more than he can comfort you that night, but you don't begrudge him for it.

Strangely, seeing how he reacted gave you enough reason to keep trying. For him. Always for him...

Copia

He finds you alone during the night in the Chapel, staring up at the artwork in the ceiling of Lucifer himself. He's seen that look on your face a lot lately...

"Amore mio, tell me what the matter is. Please?"

He asks so sweetly, and you can't deny him. You tell him everything, about how you were questioning not Lucifer himself, but some of the teachings.

Your past of being told how evil you were for following him was at the forefront of your mind.

He listens intently, your hand encased in both of his. He talks to you, shows you passages in one of the unholy prayer books in the pews, reminds you that your belief in him doesn't make you a terrible person, but a free person.

"He allows us to think for ourselves, cara mio. I mean, when was the last time you saw any of us sacrifice a goat here, eh? That's not who we are..." he chuckles.

He's right; you've always known that. And you remember, you cannot let your past define you now.

[everybodyshusband]

@moony-ghoul’s post got me thinking about a farm au where the ghouls live in a big farmhouse in the countryside :3

they grow crops in the fields and have a herd of cows, a herd of sheep up in the nearby hill, horses in the stables and a big ol’ chicken coop. they make their living by selling their milk/butter/eggs to the nearby town and every day dew is up before the sunrise to milk the cows. he and mountain pass each other and share a quiet, sleepy conversation and a kiss when they pass each other on their way to their respective tasks (dew to the barn for the cows, and mountain to the stables to ready the horse and cart for his daily milk run)

aeon has a soft spot for the chickens so rain and cirrus are teaching him how to take proper care of them. he was entirely horrified when he first learnt that he needs to feed the chickens their own eggshells along with their regular pellets and kitchen scraps

aurora has a soft spot for the sheep. she’d stand up on the hill and watch them for hours if she could. she trained the sheep dog herself and everyone calls her “little bo peep” whenever they see her coming back down to the house. sunshine bought her a shepard’s staff as a joke but aurora LOVES it and refuses to visit her sheep without it

since aeon’s taken over the chickens, rain decided the farm needed bees and now he’s got a few hives going. they sit just outside the kitchen windows so whoever’s working in their can open the window and hear the gentle hum of the bees while they cook. cirrus helps rain harvest the honey when it needs it and they both take great pride in the labels they designed. they’re working hard to convince mountain to take some of their jars on his milk cart rounds to see if he can sell some in town

aether’s a horse girlie <3 he grooms them well and makes sure their coats are shiny and pretty and that they’re all healthy enough to be pulling the farm machinery in the fields

sunshine’s self-imposed daily talk is going around the farm making sure everything has water. that includes the animal’s water bowels/troughs and that the collection of houseplants, the vege garden and the fruit orchid. she has a collection of watering cans but her green one with flowers painted on it in her favourite

swiss works the dairy room. he takes the milk from dew in the mornings and keeps some as milk (making sure he’s run it through a milk separator before he bottles it), some he churns for butter and some he sets aside to turn into cream

cumulus loooooves the wheat field <3 if no one knows where she is, the first place they look is there. she finds it calming to stand in between the furrows and watch everything sway in the wind. she’s the one who drives the battered old truck down to the flour mill a few hours away and brings back bags filled with soft flour (she sells most of it, but keeps a few bags for the farm so they can use their own flour in their baking)

speaking of baking and cooking, they all share the responsibilities of the kitchen depending on who’s done what that day but they all have things that they’re the go-to to make it. cumulus and her breads are renowned throughout the land (no seriously, she’s had people come to the farm asking to buy her bread) and she gets so much joy from carving little designs into her sourdough loaves and seeing how they turn out once they’re baked. cirrus is the BEST at making omelettes and she has a special knack for knowing which eggs will have double yolks in them. rain is surprisingly good at barbecuing/grilling and cooks roasts fantastically well with the perfect seasoning and melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness. aether the king of baking will bake so many sweet treats and they’re all soooo tasty and addictive. he’s mastered almost everything but they got a new stand mixer for their kitchen and he has No Idea how to work it so he mixes everything by hand. luckily, aurora knows exactly how it works so sometimes she and aeth will tag-team in the kitchen to make things faster. they also love decorating things together and aurora is fantastic at plating their dinners up so elegantly. aeon can cook curries and rice and that’s IT but no one else can get the rice cooked quite as well as they can, so no one’s really complaining. dew and mountain are the best at cooking warm comfort meals and soups in the winter so if neither of them are busy and someone is in need of a little extra cheering up, they’ll make the person’s favourite comfort meal to keep their spirits up and remind them of how much they’re loved. swiss and pizzas OH MAN. he can do all the fancy spinning tricks with the pizza dough and they always come out of the pizza oven (he and aurora only finished building it a few weeks ago) perfectly cooked through. he loves preparing pizza nights for everyone where he’ll prepare the dough and toppings on the massive kitchen table and let everyone roll their own dough and choose their own toppings before he puts them all in the oven and calls everyone to their meal when it’s ready. sunshine is the queen of soups and salads. she can whip together a soup or a salad out of practically thin air and they’re always so tasty and pair perfectly with whatever else is being made for dinner that night

they all help out with everything (both in the kitchen and with tasks around the farm) especially when it’s time to harvest the fields and it’s all hands on deck to get everything done, but in my mind these are their main tasks/favourite things to do around their little country farm <3

[elysiumcircusif]

Greetings!! I am curious to see how the ROs would react to Mc baking them something for their birthday as a surprise?

Greetings dear guest!

AURORA: Aurora is furious with you because she thinks that you forgot her birthday. She has a constant frown on her face the entire day. What she doesn't know is that you are working on a surprise for her. When you barge in her room singing her favorite song with her favorite baked chocolate chip cookies in your hand, where she's cooped up in her bed because she doesn't feel like celebrating as 'someone' important forget her birthday, Aurora rushes over and kisses you softly. She gently caresses your face and whispers sweet things to you. You eat those cookies together just like you both used to do as kids, and you ask her if you helped her in wiping the frown off her face and she says:

"You did. Now let me wipe those cookie crumbs off your face"

PAX: Pax doesn't care much for birthdays. However, if you baked something for him on his birthday, his heart would melt. You know that Pax has a sweet tooth and that his favorite treat is a cheesecake. So you spend the day hiding from Pax and baking him the cake. When you surprise them with the cake, they are momentarily speechless. Their nonchalant facade breaks and they light up like a Christmas tree. Pax holds your face and plants a passionate kiss on your lips. It turns heated soon, and the cheesecake is forgotten, because-

"I am hungry for something else now"

VIOLET: Violet loves baking. She is not very good at it, but she loves it anyways. When you bake her something as a surprise for her birthday, she is ecstatic. She just wishes she could have done it with you. She says that she doesn't want to eat it because she wants to save it forever as she likes it so much. Her lips find yours, and she never wants to let them go again. After you have both celebrated her birthday, she says that she wants to bake something else with you(disaster and mess in the kitchen ensues).

"Oh wait-no-i don't think that's the way to- did i turn it on too quickly?woahhhh-"

NICK: Nick is extremely fond of parties. He enjoys celebrating his birthdays in the grandest ways possible. You surprise him with a baked avant-garde cake and he falls in love with you more(he didn't know that was possible). He would lift you up and spin you around or climb onto you and smooch you all over. He has never received a surprise gift quite like yours. You both enjoy the cake and Nick tries to mess your face up with some frosting but ends up covered in more cake than you.

"Best. Birthday. Ever."

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Dad's Best Friend Chapter one

Yandere Gellert Grindelwald x Female Reader

You are Dumbledore's eldest daughter.

Christmas Dinner

Summary

You were a Junior in College home for the holidays in your parents' house in the Magical world. You graduated from Hogwarts then studied to work for the Department of Ministry of Magic.

You were close to getting your dream job. Marriage was the last thing on your mind. Too bad, your dad's best friend disagrees…

You hooked up with him just for money and to fool around for fun. He wanted more and was serious. You offended him and now he is insulted.

"Gellert, you were in France. Weren't you?" Your mother asked your father's best friend across the table from the Christmas feast.

You gulped in nervousness. You were avoiding that man all evening. Well, he didn't speak to you either. Which was good. But, it was still awkward.

That's right. You slept with the closest family friend. The head of the Aurora department. A respected Wizard .

This dirty secret could break ties of the family with his.

You regretted sleeping with him. But, you wanted extra money. You have seen the way he looked at you when you grew to be a woman. You thought it was funny. You teased him and eventually lost your v card to him. He kept calling you but you blocked him.

"Yes. Albus said I was lacking culture. He was right. I am always cooped up in a stuffy government office. Better to get fresh air." Gellert grinned at your mom.

The table chuckled at his clever response. Grindelwald looked at you but you didn't notice since you were avoiding eye contact.

Gellert frowned in disappointment.

After eating, the party continued on and on. You drank wine and talked to your girlfriends from Hogwarts and had a good time. Eventually, the wine made you feel sleepy. You excused yourself.

After slipping on your white nightgown, you collapse on your bed. It was one in the morning.

Besides Grindelwald, it was a perfect Christmas party 

Before you could sleep, the door opened. You didn't open your eyes because you heard a meow. You felt your cat jump on your bed and curl next to you.

"You have been avoiding me all evening."

Your eyes opened to see Grindelwald. You gasped in surprise. 

He studied your beautiful face and felt his cock twitch with longing. 

"I have been trying to speak with you and you always run away. How rude."

"I…"

You tried to sit up but Gellert pushed you back down on your back.

"I know you are drunk. So listen, I am going to tell everyone that I slept with you."

"No!"

Gellert gripped your face tight. "Don't raise your voice, you slut! You broke my heart after you abandoned me. You threw me away as if he was nothing."

Before you could act, he tore off your gown with his bare hands. 

Your breast bounced at the impact 

Gellert stared and licked his lips. He sat on his knees and began to suck.

You tried to push him away but he ignored your pathetic strength. 

It lasted long then finally he was out of breath.

He looked up at your tear stricken face. 

"I want to marry you. So, when your father asks for your opinion. Agree or else."

[genderlessghoul]

Inspired by the recent puppy post from Motley Zoo and my undying love for animals, here's what I think each of the ghouls/ghoulettes would keep as a pet :

Phantom : He saw someone walking their dog his first week topside and made it his life mission to get one. After a lot of research and internal debate, he ended up adopting a pitbull/labrador mix from a local shelter. Her name is Petunia and she's the definition of sweet baby angel.

Mountain : He decided to fully commit to the farm boy aesthetic and he got himself some quails. They have their own coop and fenced little garden. They used to be have free range on the entire gardens but they'd always end up eating his vegetables. They look like tiny little chicks when he's holding them. He lets the other ghouls choose their name which unfortunately got him stuck with one called Cum. His favourite was affectionately named Nugget by Swiss.

Aether : Bunny. Tiny little miniature one too, all white except for a small black spot on its nose. It's free to roam around his room and Aether learned the hard way to hide any and all loose cables (more than once). He named it Dust. Because Dust Bunny. He swears it's funny.

Rain : AXOLOTL. She's albino and he named her Rose because of her pink little frill gills. He can understand her somehow, some weird water creature thing. She has a very simple brain tho and mostly screams at him for food. Dew and Swiss love to draw mustaches and hats on her tank with markers.

Dew : He has a black cat named Purrcifer. The cute little thing just started following him one day and Dew can't seem to get rid of him (not that he tried too hard). He says it's the Ministry's cat cuz he spends all day roaming around the ground and hunting mice, but the cat definitely sleeps in his bed every night.

Swiss : He swore he'd never get a pet, he's too unfocused to remember to take care of one properly. Until he accompanied Rain on a trip to the pet store and spotted a ball python. Love at first sight, just look at that puppy face. He spent weeks doing research and was pleased to learn that they only eat like once a week? Maybe every two weeks? That's perfect. He got a huuuge female and named her Fluffy. Fluffy is his pride and joy.

Aurora : Ferret. She wanted a cat at first but she discovered that they came in noodle format and was like !!!YES!!! She taught him fetch. They play with paper balls. He's stolen other ghouls' snacks on multiple occasions.

Sunshine : She really wanted a chameleon but she saw how high maintenance the suckers are and settled for a crested gecko. It doesn't officially have a name because it wouldn't recognize it anyway. Definition of no thought, head empty. Most times, she calls it NO STOP DON'T JUMP THERE. She loves it so fuckin much.

Cumulus : She has the cutest blue budgie. She taught it so many tunes that they sing together all day long. It loves nothing more than to hang on her shoulder all day and watch her do her tasks. One of its many favourite sounds to imitate is the ringtone of whoever's in the room with them. No one knows how it learned to differentiate them all.

Cirrus : She set up a pretty little saltwater tank in her room. It's home to two clownfish and their anemone. They're called Led Zeppelin and Metallica, no she will not take criticism on the name. The tank is very beautifully decorated and everyone keeps bugging her to put up a big one in the common room, which she always refuses cuz she doesn't trust any of them with salt water.

[rabbitenn]

Hiii! I was wondering if I could request hcs for nagi × reader in winter!! pls and thank you🫶

WINTER WONDERLAND.

Even in the colder months, he’s your ever shining star.

ft. Rokuya Nagi x gn! reader.

cw/genre: cute and sweet fluff.

thank you dear nonnie for requesting ! I’m sorry this took so long, I’m hoping you still like it <3

— Needless to say at this point, Nagi is well accustomed to cold weather. Winters are long and frigid in his home country, after all.

— So, in the last months of the year, your boyfriend is really in his element.

— Nagi is someone who’s always ready to go out and visit fun places. Even if the season where the nights become longer and the sun rays are not enough to warm you up would prompt you to stay cooped up under a blanket at home, you can’t just say no to him.

— And so, the colder days illuminate in a thousand memories by your lover’s side, forever wanting to keep them in the softest part of your heart.

— Nagi loves doing any wintry activity with you! From going to cafes and having hot chocolate or coffee, to visiting markets, christmas lights and decorations making the atmosphere vivid and warm despite the cold, to simply walking around the city’s streets watching how the snowflakes dance in the neon lit wind before coating the ground.

— And of course, Nagi eyes the shop windows displaying the new Cocona Magical Winter Outfit! figurine.

— You’ll have to get him one soon, you think, as you watch with a soft expression his northern sky eyes sparkle as he gets impossibly closer to the glass, the lights from the shop reflected in his stare, your favorite aurora.

— And, of course, with the new figurine, comes a new movie from his favorite magical girl anime. Nagi wants nothing more than to have you in his arms as you two enjoy the film.

— Soft blankets, the peaceful atmosphere of his room at the dorms (his friends knew you were visiting, so they gave you some privacy) and matching mugs of sweet hot chocolate (his, of course, Cocona themed).

— Honestly, in this moment, neither of you could ask for anything else.

— Speaking of which, as much as Nagi is always up for going out, if you’re more of a homebody when winter comes around, he’s more than okay with indoor activities too.

— Firstly, he’ll show you all of his anime figurines and merch. Even if the heater wasn’t on, the passion with which he speaks and his wide smile would be enough to keep you warm.

— A pastime he really enjoys when you decide to stay in is baking cookies.

— Due to his upbringing, Nagi didn’t really have the chance to learn how to cook. So, if you’re the one to teach him how to make cookies, he’ll be over the moon!

— And even if you don’t know how to make them, that’s fine too, you learn together.

— Their shape might not be perfect, but the work you put into them makes them taste delicious.

— Not to mention, you made them with your favorite person in the entire world <3

— Another way Nagi would love to spend time with you in winter (back to the outdoors this time) is by having snowball fights.

— Again, because of his royal roots and lack of friends during his childhood and early teen years, it’s likely he didn’t get to experience that kind of joy.

— Seeing him getting so into it, yelling “flying Cocona snowball!” and running towards you as his laughter fills the clouded sky is too precious.

— Nagi’s very romantic and charming (sometimes bordering on cheesy /affectionate), so don’t be surprised when on starry nights, he whispers to you about how the moon and stars reflected over snowy plains can’t hold a candle to you.

— It’s cute, how serious he is when he tells you that, you think, with a chuckle.

— He deserves a kiss (or a few), no?

— With snow drifting from the night above like glittering stardust, and the moon as only witness, it would certainly make for a picture perfect moment ;)

[ask-sister-vida]

Ghouls preparing for colder weather

I feel the most sensitive of the bunch would be water ghouls. It's getting colder, water is freezing up, I feel like they would be the most susceptible to fall/winter weather. They can't go into the lakes or rivers as often due to risk of hypothermia, and for a water element ghoul that can be deadly (Water ghouls having more water composition in their bodies to be able to blend into the waters they are in). There was one time Mist got curious about the snow and snuck out, only to be brought back in because she almost got lost in the snow and almost died.

Air ghouls probably would not be as sensitive, more so energetic? I feel as if it would have the opposite effects because snow and winter air. Snowball fights, snowmen, snow ghouls (aka snow angels). It's like giving a kid sugar and seeing them get zoomies. It is hard to contain some of the air ghouls (Aurora is menace #1 due to her having the highest energy drive).

Fire ghouls are more of the ones that everyone usually goes to. Blankets, cuddles, movie nights. It's not uncommon to see Dewdrop or Ifrit having someone clinging onto them. Just get any of the fire ghouls to hold or hug a blanket or stuffed animal and you have something to stay warm with! (Just make sure to return the favor, Fire ghouls don't do it all for free.) Sadly they cannot be out in the snow for long because they can't even play in it for long (it melts :( )

Earth ghouls behave depending on what they are closest too. If they are more closest to the literal ground, minerals, etc, they will be fine. Just a bit sleepier. If they are more connected to fauna, they are definitely going to be feeling the colder weather harder. A lot of plants can't survive the winter so they'll be bummed out but not as physically hurt.

Quintessence ghouls aren't really affected by the weather at all when it gets colder, but it's more that they're affected by everyone else's emotions in the pack. The antsy feeling of being cooped up as a blizzard whips up outside, the possible fear when the power can go out and the den be in darkness. The happiness of being bundled up and being able to play outside, and of course the concern when a ghoul comes up to them sick because they weren't bundled up enough. A lot is going on in these moments because everyone is so condensed in a single area.

One thing is in common, cuddled up in the den or living room, blankets all about, everyone clinging onto each other (and the resident fire ghouls) and sharing cookies and cocoa. The ghouls most likely wouldn't celebrate Christmas but I'd imagine they would watch those old stop motion Christmas movies. Now just to get Papa involved :)

[phoebehalliwell]

Fun question. Say if there's an alternate universe out there where instead of the girls being girls, its men and you were to name them, what would their names be? Me I'd say: Philip, Paul, Peter, and Peyton. :)

hmm i think for prue bc prudence is just such an old school name i would probably go more old school for him name piper is very classic almost cutesy so i think i would mimic that phoebe is unique and very greek imo so i'd go for that and then paige kind of feels more modern and youthful so i think i'd go for

Phineas (Finn)

Phillip or Peter (I'm leaning towards Peter)

Paris or Paxton or Perry (I think Perry bc the other ones some too modern)

Percy

BONUS!! everyone else

Leo as either Leah, Leona, Aurora, or Dawn (i like the names that play with the name light)

Cole as Colette

Darryl as Darla or Dinah

Wyatt as Harper, Jordan, Riley, or Taylor (either after Dawn Harper, Leah Jordan, Leona Riley, or Aurora Taylor)

Chris as Christina

Melinda as Theodore (both Melinda Warren and Melinda Halliwell, the latter to go by Theo)

Patty as Patrick

Grams as Paul

Henry as Heather

Coop as CiCi

[larmegliamori]

Sometimes I think of Daneel during the Galactic Empire. Say one of the last centuries, most likely before taking up Eto Demerzel's guise. He's sitting at a café table on an insignificant planet, one full farm and cattles. It's a bright, somehow crisp early spring day. He knows the Empire's about to fall and he knows he has to do something, but he doesn't know what to do.

But he also feels lonely.

Most of mankind has long forgotten robots. And one hand this allows him to slip under the radar, but on the other hand puts him in a bubble. There's no one he can share his woes to, no one to fully understand his being.

And he misses his old friends. Terribly.

The pain of their loss slowly morphed into nostalgia, and no one told him how it grows sharper as time passes.

He looks at a bush in front of him. There's something pleasant about the bright colors of its flowers, and in the way it's shaped into something that looks like a circle (a sphere?), but the outline of its leaves create an irregular outline. A bird flies by, making its branches rustle.

And, just like that, a design takes form in his head.

He spends the following months cooped up in an old, abandoned warehouse, working restlessly on this new project: he doesn't need and most importantly he doesn't want to. Everything needs to be state-of-the-art for it and he researches, buys materials, assembles everything with the utmost care, eager to see the results as soon as possible.

When he's finally done, it's the height of summer. And as he watches and talk to her new friends, he remembers what he told Elijah before their investigation on Aurora and his positronic brain takes a leap. That same sensation, sparked only by his old friends, is now starting to bubble inside him as well.

He hasn't felt that good in millennia.

[fablesfolklore]

In The Graveyard with Lilith Rose Shelby (and Jack Nelson)

This work is inspired by @zablife and her 2K celebration: An Evening at The Arrow House. The OC of Lilith Rose Shelby is my own. The characters of Scarlet Shelby, Aurora Sabini, Heaven Shelby and Eva Smith belong to @zablife, @evita-shelby and @call-sign-shark. I only mentioned them because they inspired me. Eva is only mentioned by name but I did my best to do Scarlet and Heaven justice. Thank you for inspiring me.

TW: Violence, Sexual Content, Swearing.

Lilith Rose Shelby was all grown up. She’d flown the coop and (unlike most members of the Shelby clan) had miraculously escaped the clutches of Tommy’s schemes. Some suspected that her untapped freedom had to do with her immense luck in life… but for those who knew better….it was because Thomas Shelby loved no one more than his youngest sister. No one held such an influence over the greatest gangster turned MP in all of Great Britain (and its dominions) than Lilith, no one else had the keys to his smile or to his heart. You might ask Why, then, she was allowed to roam free? Not shackled to the Arrow House as Ada had once been to the shithole in small heath. Not obligated to attend every family dinner or family meeting that Tommy threw whenever he felt like it.

       “Why?” The new Mrs Shelby kissed up Tommy’s back as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Will she not meet me?” Of all the people she desired to make a friend of in this family, Mrs Shelby wanted to make the best first impression on her mysterious good sister. Everyone spoke of her with reverence. Lilith’s name was the very essence of sorcery. Once spoken, even whispered in corridors and in dark corners, a shiver danced up one’s spine…or one’s blood spiked with adrenalin and excitement.  

Thomas bristled and stiffened, not responding. Mrs Shelby paused, a pout forming on her nervous lips. In truth, she had expected for Thomas to be eager for his new wife to meet Lilith. The siblings were so close, that she’d expected for her to have been the first person he’d have introduced her to. Instead she was met with a cagey Thomas.

       “Lilith doesn’t like Arrow House.” He deflected easily, lighting a cigarette as he stood up and wandered to the window, looking out into the foggy grey autumnal morning. He exhaled some smoke in the way that had her swooning, before he spoke again. “It reminds her of Grace.” Mrs Shelby’s heart dropped. Grace, the woman whose shadow she was forever enshrouded by. She didn’t openly wish to express her dislike of Grace or Lizzie, but she was beginning to despise them. She knew their spirits were mourned and honoured in this house…. if only by the staff and the children. It was complicated. But she hated being compared to them, hated the way the children refused to acknowledge her but would gaze in awe at the portraits of their respective mothers. It made her feel like a replacement…. nothing more. Perhaps Lilith would think the same of her. She chewed on her lip.

        “She must have loved Grace a lot.” She mused. Tommy scoffed.

        “On the contrary, Lilith hated Grace.” He licked his lips, glancing at his wife. He’d put it politely for her, spared some of the details. No one hated Grace more than Tommy’s beloved little demoness. “She disliked Lizzie as well, but for different reasons.”

        “Oh.”

        “Grace betrayed me. Lilith refused to forgive that. The only reason she refrained from dancing with joy when she died was that she loved me too much.”

        “And Lizzie?”

        “Lizzie broke John’s heart.”  Tommy spoke casually, remorselessly as though he’d had nothing to do with it.

        “I’ve not done anything to hurt anyone.” Mrs Shelby sulked, looking at the floor. Tommy strolled back over to the bed and took her into his arms.

        “Quite right.” He kissed her forehead. “Perhaps it’s not such a bad idea to invite her this weekend.”

        “But she hates the Arrow House.”

        “She’ll come for the family, and for me. The kids will be delighted to see her”

        “She’s good with them?” Her interest was piqued. Perhaps Lilith could shed light on the way to Charlie and Ruby’s hearts.

        “She dotes on them.” He smiled, a real genuine smile. “They’re mine, after all.”

*****

Mrs Shelby skipped towards Tommy, her letter filled left hand raised in triumph. Her sparkling sapphire engagement ring sparkled in the light.

     “They’re coming.” She kissed him joyously. “They’re all coming.”

     “All?” He chuckled.

     “All.” She confirmed. “And they’re all staying. Scarlet and Luca will stay in the room opposite Finn and Aurora. Alfie and Ada will stay in the room opposite Polly and Aberamma.” Tommy smiled as she babbled out her arrangements. He imagined it was a good idea that Alfie and Arthur should stay in separate wings of the house…. otherwise Ada and Heaven would be forced to intervene, and no one wanted a mess. Gina and Michael would go next to Ada and Alfie. John and Tatiana would have to be kept in the room next to Tommy and Mrs Shelby so he could keep an eye on that mad bitch. Speaking of that insane Russian duchess…. she’d have to be kept as far away from Lilith and her beloved husband, Jack Nelson. Last Christmas had been a disaster when Tatiana – having had way too much to drink – announced that herself and Lilith had been lovers for the entire year before Lilith had met Jack. Jack had hated her guts since. The children would have three whole rooms to themselves. Something Mrs Shelby wasn’t sure was appropriate, but something Tommy had insisted was necessary.

     “They all love being together.” He insisted. “And it’s not like we’re giving them the entire house.”

     “I’m still so shocked they’re all coming.” She smiled dreamily up at him. “I’ve always wanted a big family.”

     “Well, now you have one.”

     “You never told me Lilith was married.”

     “Ah.” Tommy looked sheepish. “I didn’t think she’d bring him.”

Two years ago she’d eloped with Jack Nelson, the last man on earth Tommy had thought suitable or good enough for Lilith. Jack Nelson was everything Tommy (ironically) hated. He was unfaithful, violent, a fascistic Irish American and he was the most obnoxious, ambitious, cunning bastard he’d ever encountered…It was like looking in an ever so slightly warped mirror. His dislike of the American hadn’t stopped Lilith marrying him though…And yet somehow, the marriage worked. Jack followed the little Shelby witch round like a lost puppy, salivating whenever she looked at him. It was like she held some sort of magical enchantment over him. The loved up pair made Thomas feel a little bit sick. Mrs Shelby smiled teasingly.

      “You can’t stand him, can you?”

      “He’s not good enough for her.” He grouched. “But for some unfathomable reason, he makes her happy. That’s enough for me.” From the way he gritted his teeth it seemed like that hardest thing he’d ever had to say.

      “Everyone thinks you’re a big bad gangster…but I know you’re really just a big softy.”

      “Don’t go telling everyone, ey.” He laughed, “I have a reputation to uphold.” Wrapping his arms around her waist he hoisted her up onto the table, taking her lips with his own. Someone coughed. Tommy turned to see Mary, the maid.

       “The house is all prepared for the guests, Mr Shelby.”

        “Thank you, Mary. That will be all.” She nodded, turning to leave but not before she eyed Mrs Shelby with frigid, calculating eyes. Thomas didn’t seem to notice though as he shifted his attention back to Mrs Shelby as his fingers slid beneath the hem of her dress.

*****

They were nothing like she expected. None of them. Polly arrived first, gliding in like the image of sophistication, barely glancing at Mrs Shelby. Aberamma following closely at her heels. He grunted in greeting, simply tilting his head after removing his hat. Arthur and Heaven arrived at the same time as Scarlet and Luca. Arthur’s greeting had been sweet. He seemed to like her, spluttering over his words to greet her. His hands shook and his eyes looked a little wild. But he meant well. Heaven waltzed in behind him, looking like an angel in her white fur coat. The snow haired beauty’s presence seemed to ease Arthur’s nervousness. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she held out her hand for Mrs Shelby to shake.

     “You must be Heaven.” Mrs Shelby stuttered, transfixed by her crystalline eyes.

     “Pleasure.” Heaven’s eyes slid to Tommy and her expression instantly shifted to a predatory one. “Bastard.” She acknowledged with a cat like smile.

      “Yes. He is.” Scarlet stated as she sauntered through, pushing her way past them and following Polly into the drawing room.

      “You’re not going to say hello, Tesoro?” Luca paused in the hallway, smiling at Mary as she took his hat and coat.

       “There’s no point in greeting Tommy’s latest victim. Knowing him, she won’t last the year.” Scarlet called back. Tommy watched Mrs Shelby’s confidence dissipate momentarily. Headlights glowed in the driveway.

       “Heaven, why don’t you take Arthur and Luca into the drawing room.” Tommy suggested. Heaven’s icy eyes hardened before narrowing at him. Her lips parted in order to respond in a somewhat poisonous manner but Mrs Shelby stepped forward and whispered to her.

       “I wouldn’t normally agree with Tommy but Alfie’s just arrived.” Heaven observed the mouse like woman Tommy had married for a moment before she nodded, escorting her husband and brother in law to the drawing room. Music blared as the door opened and Mrs Shelby could see the reflection of Scarlet in the large mirror as she turned the gramophone up.

       “SHALOM Thomas!” Roared the bear of a man as he wandered in. Ada rolled her eyes beside him. She hugged Thomas tightly before embracing Mrs Shelby, much to her surprise.

       “I hope they’ve not been too scathing to you.” She whispered. “Don’t worry, they’ll warm to you with time.” She pulled back and smiled. “This is my son, Karl, my daughter, Elizabeth and this,” She brushed her hand over her swollen midsection as Alfie beamed with joy. “Is baby Solomons.” Tommy paled as she spoke, only just noticing the pregnancy.

        “Jesus Christ.” He muttered beneath his breath.  Mrs Shelby held his hand and gave it a squeeze as she spoke.

        “You’d better head on in before he has a stroke.”

Tommy had just about recovered when the door to the drawing room opened and he heard Arthur exclaim.

         “Fookin’ hell Ada! You bloody kept that quiet, din’t ya?!”

Finn and Aurora Sabini arrived next. Polite and jovial as ever, though Aurora didn’t appear to like the way the youngest Shelby boy looked at his new sister in law. John, Tatiana, Michael and Gina all arrived together. Lawrence ran in from the cold, zooming in circles around Tommy and Mrs Shelby before running past them to the drawing room, banging on the door and yelling “Granma, Granma!”

       “My boy!” Polly called in joy as she came out and greeted him, swooping down and collecting him in her arms before slipping back inside. Gina made a noise of disgust.

       “Thomas.” She acknowledged.

       “Regina.” She scowled as he full named her.

       “So this is you’re newest whore?” She studied Mrs Shelby with critical eyes. “She doesn’t look like much, I’m surprised you’re so taken with her.”

        “She’s worth ten of you, Regina.” He snapped.

       “Michael.” Mrs Shelby smiled warmly. “Thank you for coming.”

        “It’s nice to see you again, love. I hope he’s treating you right.”

        “He is. Very Much.”

        “I took the liberty of bringing a wedding gift. It’s out the front.”

        “That’s very generous of you. Really, you didn’t have to.”

        “Yes, Michael. You didn’t have to.” Gina snapped before stalking off to the drawing room and loudly demanding a drink. Michael winked at Mrs Shelby, smirked at Tommy and left them to it. He turned to greet John and Tatiana and froze.

      “Fuck!” He fumed. “What the fuck are you wearing?!” He looked at John. “What the fuck is she wearing John-boy!”

      “Don’t worry, Thomas.” Tatiana purred sensually. “It’s not for you…or your wife.” She stepped around him, the thin scrap of material she called a dress clinging to her figure. “Tatiana Petrovna Shelby, delighted to make your acquaintance.” Mrs Shelby blushed and stepped closer to Tommy as the Russian duchess invaded her space. Grabbing her jaw, Tatiana kissed both of Mrs Shelby’s cheeks.”

       “She’d got a beautiful neck, Thomas. I can see why you like her.” She paused. “And that ring!” She snatched Mrs Shelby’s hand, admiring the sapphire encrusted in diamonds. She tutted. “I would have thought you’d learned your lesson with sapphires.”

       “They’re a particular favourite of my wife’s.”

       “Grace liked sapphires too.” Tatiana smirked, her dark eyes flickering madly in the candle-light. “Is Lilith here yet?” She changed the subject.

       “Is she the reason you’re dressed like a whore?” Tommy took a swig of the amber liquid in his tumbler. “You not bothered by this John?”

       “As long as I’m the only man she fucks, doesn’t matter to me.” He joked.

       “It’ll only ever be you Johnny.” Tatiana turned and kissed him.

       “Aye, John-boy. As long as you’re a Shelby, she’s not picky.”

       “What’s that supposed to mean?” Mrs Shelby asked, nervously glancing at Tommy.

       “It means that before she chose me, she was fucking Tommy…until she got bored of him.” John answered. 

         “Are we interupptin’ somethin’?” Came Uncle Charlie’s deep gravelly voice. He stopped short to shake Tommy’s hand, flanked by Johnny Doggs, Isiah and Curly. Curly smiled bashfully at Mrs Shelby and handed her some flowers. She blushed.

         “Thank you Curly.”

         “How’re you findin’ us so far, petal?” Johnny Doggs asked loudly.

         “So far I’m struggling to find someone who likes both of us. Polly, Aurora and Gina dislike me, everyone else has a gripe with Tommy.” Johnny Doggs barked out a laugh. “Welcome to the clan!”

          “Families.” Isiah scoffed. “Who’d have em?”

*****

Lilith Rose Shelby was the most beautiful creature Mrs Shelby had ever seen. So beautiful, that the air rocketed out of her lungs when she first saw her. They heard Jack first as he escorted her up the steps and held the door open for her. She looked like a goddess, draped in silk. Tommy was fascinated that Jack never once looked away from her. His only greeting to the new Mrs Shelby was a nod and a smirk. He sneered at Tommy before his attention gravitated back to his wife. She had the most beguiling dark eyes Mrs Shelby had ever seen. They were like pools of endless night. Lilith catapulted herself into Tommy, who embraced her tightly and inhaled her scent. Pomegranate and dark amber. She relaxed into him. Releasing her, Tommy cupped his baby sister’s face in his hands and looked at her for a moment.

     “You grow more and more beautiful every time I see you.” He smiled.

     “Brother.” She spoke quietly….and she sounded like magic. Soft and sensual. “You look well.” She beamed at him. And Mrs Shelby’s heart fluttered at her smile. Jack snaked a hand around Lilith’s waist and pulled her back against him.

      “Shelby.” Jack acknowledged. “Married again? You can’t seem to get em’ to stay, can ya?”

      “Nelson.” Tommy spoke evenly. “I can keep women just fine. In fact, I’ve never had to cross a continent and steal a woman away to make her mine. I suppose that means I have better luck than you.” Lilith covered Jack’s hand with her own.

     “Or,” She interrupted loudly, “It simply means that I was special enough that he had to travel all this way to find me.” Mrs Shelby watched, fascinated as both men melted at Lilith words. Jack kissed Lilith’s forehead and Tommy smiled.

    “Could be.” He agreed. Lilith stepped away from Jack and turned her attention to Mrs Shelby. All the noise fell away. She couldn’t hear anything. Apart from the sound of her blood pulsing through her at a rapid speed. She glanced at her husband, and watched his beautiful lips move as he spoke to Lilith and Jack. She watched Lilith study her, eyes raking over her in an unreadable manner. Mrs Shelby’s finger twitched as Lilith’s eyes pause over her engagement ring, her full soft lips quirking into a small smile for a moment before it vanishes. Mrs Shelby gasped, startled when Lilith unexpectedly stepped forward and smiled at her. Lilith took Mrs Shelby’s left hand in both of hers. Her thumb brushed over the sapphire. Her eyes pierced into Mrs Shelby’s hypnotically and Mrs Shelby found herself transfixed as Thomas brushed a hand up and down her back, comfortingly…. obliviously.

      “Sister.” Lilith tested the word on her tongue as she surveyed Mrs Shelby. “You’ll be good to him, yes?” She sounded so innocent. So angelic. Her eyes held no malice. Mrs Shelby stuttered.

      “Y-Yes. I shall try to be all that he deserves.”

Lilith beamed at her and released her hand. Mrs Shelby’s ring finger throbbed momentarily as she watched her fascinating sister turn and enter the drawing room with Jack. She saw through the reflection in the mirror as Polly embraced her niece tightly and was startled to see Lilith’s reflection gazing predatorily through the looking glass at her.

*****

Dinner was a fucking disaster. It had been nothing like she had hoped. Perhaps she was just projecting her own fears but it seemed that none of them liked her…. even the ones who appeared to. It seemed as though they were watching her every move with a pre-existing negative judgement. She was guilty to them, of something. The problem was she didn’t know what and she didn’t know how to change that. Tommy had enough to deal with, especially after Tatiana had goaded Jack into a row and she was swearing at him in Russian. Arthur had had way too much to drink. Scarlet was screaming at Tommy for something he’d done years ago and Luca was trying desperately to calm her down. She turned to look at Michael, who was in a heated discussion with Gina…and Aurora kept throwing her dirty looks.  In the end she’d left the table, claiming to check on dessert. She’d just found a quiet alcove to take a few moments when someone touched her shoulder. She jolted and turned to see Lilith.

    “Feeling overwhelmed?” Her voice was so soft, sympathy swirled in her onyx eyes.

    “A little.”

A lot. I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.

    “I know. We can be a lot to handle.” She looked out into the darkened garden. “Why don’t we go for a walk.” She suggested. “Take a moment to ourselves.” Mrs Shelby’s heart soared at the prospect of having a moment alone with someone who might actually like her and in doing so, might sway the opinion of the others. She nodded and took Lilith’s offered arm as the two of them stepped out into the cool autumn air.

It hadn’t been long since they had returned from their honeymoon and so Mrs Shelby hadn’t yet had time to explore the grounds of the Arrow House properly. In the dark murkiness of the evening she couldn’t really see where she was going and clutched on to Lilith’s bare arm a little closer for security. She smelt dizzyingly alluring. Away from all the smoke and whiskey the magic of her perfumed the air in a wonderful way. 

    “How did you meet my brother, if you don’t mind me asking?”

    “Da’s one of his employees at Shelby Company ltd. I met Tommy when I brought Da his lunch.��

    “How…. quaint.”

Mrs Shelby wasn’t paying attention. She was too bust staring at the purple love bites littering Lilith’s creamy throat. Lilith flushed and giggled when she noticed.

    “I’m sorry, I should have covered up more, Jack can get carried away some times.”

    “He’s very fond of you.”

    “And I, him.” Lilith patted Mrs Shelby’s hand. “I never expected to find Jack. But he’s my better half. As Heaven is Arthur’s and Luca is Scarlet’s. We were worried Thomas would never find someone….worthy.” Lilith stopped her movements and released Mrs Shelby’s arm. For the first time, Mrs Shelby noticed her surroundings. Lilith had brought her to the churchyard close to the Arrow House. She turned, only just able to see the outline of it looming in the moonlight. She shivered, looking back to Lilith who was now staring at something in front of her. “Thomas has very specific needs.” Her voice had lost all of its warmth. Mrs Shelby’s mouth ran dry as she read the names on the gravestones in front of her.

Grace Burgess Shelby.

Daughter, Mother, Beloved Wife.

Elizabeth Stark Shelby

Mother, wife, friend. Lost to childbirth.

Something rustled behind them. Lilith turned and smiled adoringly as Jack stepped out of the shadows. Mrs Shelby wondered how he had known where to find them. “You have to be a certain kind of person to survive in this family. Don’t you, my love?”

    “Ya got that right. It’s an honour to love a Shelby…to be prepared to kill and die for them.”

“Thomas needs a fighter.” Lilith reached out and caressed Mrs Shelby’s cheek. “You didn’t fight tonight. You fled, little mouse.” Lilith tutted and stepped closer, so close, Mrs Shelby could feel Lilith’s sweet, warm breath burning against her flesh. “How can I trust that you’ll fulfil him?” Lilith shook her head, looking sad, disappointed even. Jack brushed his wife’s hair off her shoulder, exposing her flesh. He pressed a kiss into the crook of her neck. Mrs Shelby watched Lilith relax a little. “You’re not good enough for him.” Lilith purred softly, Jack’s lips and tongue trailed down Lilith’s neck as she spoke. “Neither of them were, either.” She glanced to the gravestones behind her. “I was lucky with Lizzie; God took care of her. But I had to intervene with Grace.”

  “B-but we’re happy.” Mrs Shelby spluttered, fear creeping into her voice every second longer that she spent in Lilith’s presence.

   “For now. Until he realises that you’re not enough for him.” She paused, relishing in the look of despair on Mrs Shelby’s features. “Don’t worry. He’ll be happier than ever with Eva. They’ll be perfect together.” Jack hummed in agreement with his beloved and imprinted his teeth in a perfect love bite into her neck as she slid home a beautiful carved and somewhat bejewelled blade into Mrs Shelby’s sternum. Mrs Shelby gasped in pain, a sharp sound leaving her soft lips. “She’s earned him, you haven’t.” Lilith continued as she twisted the hilt, a horrible tearing noise was heard before Lilith let go. Mrs Shelby staggered back and fell back against the willow tree overhanging the makeshift graveyard.  Lilith looked down at her blood spattered fingers. Lifting them to her face she licked one, smearing her lips in the substance. Greedily, Jack took her fingers and painted his own mouth with them. Lilith spun in Jack’s arms, giggling and moaning as their lips fused, unbuckling his belt. She murmured something to him and he acquiesced without question, sitting and leaning back against Grace’s headstone. Lilith slipped her dress over her head until she was wearing barely anything in the coldness of the autumn night. She straddled Jack, kissing him deeply before sliding down onto him in the ghostly glow of the full moon.

Mrs Shelby heaved, opening her mouth. She tried to call for help but no sound emerged. Instead she found herself mute, only coughing and spluttering on the crimson blood as it tried to liberate itself from her mouth. Her vision grew blurry for a moment as tears gathered and obscured her sight.

And then she saw them.

The ghosts of Grace Burgess and Lizzie Stark, both completely drenched in blood and staring in horror, not at her but at Lilith and Jack, as he flipped his wife over and took her like an animal. Lizzie’s expression was melancholic. Her hair loose and wild, eyes ceaselessly spilling tears and her mouth agape in silent cries of agony. Her body had been slit open from chest to lower abdomen and still, even in death, she was bleeding. Grace stood beside her still in the gown she wore the night she was murdered. the bullet wound on her chest still wept even though she didn’t. Her face was curiously, disturbingly calm. The sapphire around her neck pulsed and throbbed and pulsed and throbbed. And suddenly Grace wasn’t looking at Lilith and Jack anymore, her pale grey eyes locking onto her second replacement. Mrs Shelby found herself growing shivery and yet unable to move, unable to scramble backwards as the sapphire whispered to her over and over some kind of spell in Romani. The curse…. she recalled hazily as she forced her limbs in an attempt to move. Tommy believed it had been cursed by the Russians. Mrs Shelby’s fingers dug into the soil as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Every movement was excruciating in both pain and in effort. Her eyes fluttered closed in exhaustion and the spell of the sapphire seemed to sing louder and louder, it’s feminine voice echoing seductively in her ears. She realised it was coming not only from the necklace Grace’s ghost wore, but also from the ring on her engagement finger. Struggling, she tried desperately to remove it. But to no avail, it was as though it had fused to her flesh, strangling her finger.

Mrs Shelby’s eyes snapped open. Just in time to see the ghost of Grace stood over her.

“I should feel sorry for you.” Grace whispered. “You’re a victim of this family, just like me.” She paused, licking her discoloured corpse lips. Grace heard it too. She heard that it was Lilith’s voice cursing her inside the blue sapphires, not Tatiana’s. “And Tommy does love you.” There was a moment of silence. “But… I’ve come to realise something.” Grace leaned down and kissed Mrs Shelby’s lips, her ghostly fingers coming up to wrap around Mrs Shelby’s throat. “If I can’t have Tommy…” Grace murmured as she pulled back looking deeply into Mrs Shelby’s eyes.

Her grip tightened...and tightened…and tightened. Mrs Shelby choked and spluttered, her body convulsing. The last thing she saw was Lilith’s dark eyes staring at her over Jack’s shoulder, her nails digging into his back as he held her to him. And Grace’s hoarse voice looming over her.

“Then no one can.”  

[melbrewer367]

Some Underrated Mods I Can't Live Without

While I'm in the sharing mood, I wanted to share some mods that I always forget to mention when I share "must have" mods because these mods absolutely never leave my folder and most of them never even need updated, or only need updated when we get new packs.

For me, personally, I reallllllllly dislike all the little floating icons and Zzzz over sleeping sims, and those kinds of visual things. So, here are mods that I use to remove those kinds of things.

Bienchen: https://www.seebee.de/sims4me/index.php?list=0 -lessheadlines (like the little + friendship icons) -lottraiteffectshider (the little + and lightbulbs over your sims head) -nofoodsparkles -whiteboard_nocalltoaction (removes glowing outline from HSY whiteboards) -noredsunburnglow (your sims will still get a sunburn, they just won't get that glowing effect) -nofuryglow (no glowing red effect for werewolves) -lessstinkygreenhygiene (takes longer for the green stench cloud to appear on dirty sims) -invisiblelisteningdevice (strangerville listening devices no longer visible) -nostinkygreenchickens (chicken coop gets dirty but the chickens won't get the green stench cloud) -notoddlertoyeffects (I go back and forth on this because you can just, select a different sim and it won't be visible) -novisibleecoeffects (I'd love to have the aurora borealis and stuff but I notice a lot of lag with it, even on a new upgraded computer, so I've disabled them for now) -leafpile_nofreshnessdecay (no green stench cloud for leaf piles) -novisualpoliteintroeffects (removes the glow from the polite intro) -novisiblescenteffects (for the scented flower arrangements you can craft) -freezingsimsdontturnblue -noskatingeffects -nokaraokeeffects -novisualpersonalraincloudcurse -nocalltoaction_performanceobjects (no glowing outline on hair and makeup chair) -nofameshine -novisualpersonalsunblessing -nomusicnotesforearbuds -nopatientvisibleeffect -nodjboothvfx

Lotharihoe: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44261276 -No Call To Action Multiple files: Community Board, Festival Computers, Festival Food, Festival Gaming Rig, HHFestival Tea, Romance Festival Tea, VetPodium -No Shoe Sign Animation

Fogity: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51813502 -Hidden Highlight (removes the outline you see when you hover over objects)

MoxieMason: https://modthesims.info/d/533172/no-mosaic-censor-mod-for-the-sims-4-toddler-compatibility-update.html -No Mosaic (removes mosaic censor)

Krys29: https://modthesims.info/d/540287/no-zzz-for-sims-4.html -NoZzz (Removes the Zzzz from sleeping sims)

And here are a handful of texture overrides that just make some things look a little newer/nicer,

Frenchiesim: https://frenchiesimgirl.tumblr.com/post/676534056664596480/functional-phone-replacement-maxismatch Maxis Match default replacement for phones so they're less bulky and have nicer screens.

Dynamus: https://modthesims.info/d/641597/default-replacement-remote-control.html Maxis Match default override of the tv remote to make it higher definition and more realistic.

Mintvalentine: https://www.tumblr.com/mintvalentine/636163732055195648/mintvalentine-smaller-plumbobs-override-i-like?source=share Reduces the size of your sims plumbob. Makes taking some pics easier so you don't always have to disable headlineeffects to get the plumbob out of your shot. Miiko: https://www.patreon.com/posts/73502787 Pastel World. You can pick and choose which world recolors you want. Changes some deco buildings roof colors, some plant colors, etc. to just kinda brighten up the worlds a bit and make them a little bit more colorful.

Also from Miiko: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57436640 Overrides the cloud texture files to make them look more like big fluffy Ghibli movie style clouds!

And a moment of shameless self promotion, I have a mod that changes the pass out animation. Instead of falling down so they have their ass up in the air, they fall over on their side. Requires Realm of Magic, you can get it here: https://www.tumblr.com/melbrewer367/679097167615541248/energy-failure-animation-change?source=share

Hope you find some of these useful!

[sleeplessrose]

who: aurora & @dreamyphillip where: echo island hospital

Perhaps this had been why her fairies had kept her inside for so long. For how long she wanted to believe that people were good, that the dangers they'd warned her of were simply falsities to keep her content with what had already been decided of her, it had unfortunately been all along true. It was how she'd wound up in the hospital, alone, after being nearly trampled while people had begun to flee from the boardwalk and to safety. With her limbs scraped, and a cut on her head that had thankfully been stitched, Aurora quietly slipped out of her bed, hoping that the nurses wouldn't notice her absence while she simply wanted to take a stroll down the hall, just to get out of the room she'd been cooped up in for hours.

If anyone were to find her, she would be in trouble, but Aurora could hardly care. There were far too many people in the hospital for anyone to be worried about one missing patient with minor wounds when there were bigger problems to take care of. She'd nearly made it to the desk near the elevator when she saw him--Phillip, speaking to the nurse behind it. Her socks suddenly glued to the floor, she could hardly believe the sight of him: he was clearly fine, thankfully, but she couldn't imagine what he'd be doing here, now, if he didn't need to be. She met his eyes for what felt like an eternity, but could only hope was a split second, not long enough for him to recognize her. Perhaps this was all a dream, and that was all Aurora could hope as she spun on her heel, deciding that leaving her room was a terrible idea after all.

[the-cult-of-russo]

Such a Softer Sin (Part 8)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: I’m not specifically tagging this one, if you’ve seen the show, nothing will shock you. Smut will happen eventually so minors DNI, thanks.

A/N: I’m feeling generous so you guys get two chapters tonight. Maybe I’m also just excited to share this story with you since I worked so hard on it lmaooooo

—--------

You blew out a sigh as you lay on the bed, legs dangling off the edge after you’d just done up your boots before any motivation left you. Faint hints of Atti were still clinging to the sheets and you tried to ignore how it comforted you and hurt you all at the same time. You hadn't seen hide nor hair of the boy since he’d met his mate and you tried to pretend it didn't hurt you. Especially after you mindlinked him to at least speak to him and he'd ignored you. In the days that passed, you’d locked yourself away in the pack house, refusing to come out in fear of bumping into the King. This morning though, Kos had told you that while he understands you wanted space, hiding away from everyone wasn't going to help you. He’d refused to bring you food like he had been doing, essentially forcing you to leave at some point. You knew he was right though, if anything you were probably making it even more awkward at your blatant avoidance of him. So you decided to be the big brave girl you knew you were and get ready to leave. Only now, you were back on the bed as anxiety gnawed at you. You chided yourself. You were known as The Dancer of Death and you were hiding because of a kiss? You growled at yourself, pushing up from the bed as you left before you could change your mind.

It was weird being back outside again as you stepped down the porch steps, eyes darting around. Everyone was milling around and doing their own thing once again and it looked like the warriors were training. They seemed to do that every day you noticed. You steeled yourself as you tried to figure out what to do with yourself. You could go and look for Kos, see what he was up to. Prove to him you weren't being a little baby and still hiding out. You set off looking for him, just enjoying walking around in the fresh air after being cooped up for the past couple of days. The sound of laughing drew your attention, eyes going over to the warrior housing. Atticus and Aurora were there with a few other warriors, all laughing and having a good time. You stayed rooted to the floor, eyes burning into him and as if he could feel them, he turned your way. He blinked at you for a moment before he looked away, no wave, no smile, no nothing and your jaw clenched, annoyance stabbing right through you. It only got worse when Aurora’s eyes looked over at you before she murmured something to Atti and he nodded and the pair left inside the building. 

“Y/N,” a voice called softly, a voice you knew and it made your whole body seize up as you turned around warily. The King stood before you, a concerned look on his face as his obsidian gaze seemed to dart all over you. 

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry, I was just leaving,” you muttered, giving him a fake smile. You really didn’t want to have to deal with this right now. You moved to rush around him and he gripped your wrist, stopping you going anywhere as he turned you around again.

“Please don’t walk away,” he pleaded, his voice almost a whisper. He said it so sincerely that you felt your chest ache as you looked at him. You were being childish and you knew you were. It was a kiss and you were acting ridiculous. The least you could do is speak to him and hear him out. You found yourself nodding and he let you go. 

“I’m sorry about the other night. I’m not gonna stand here and lie to you, I find you attractive but I don’t think of you like that. Not like the other women, I don’t want you for one night like that. I just… I feel like we connected or some shit, like-like I’ve known you forever which I know sounds weird, but it’s different with you. I misread the signs and I made a mistake, it won’t happen again, alright? I care about our friendship and I don’t want to ruin that, not over a stupid mistake,” he rambled imploringly, eyes pinned on you, large and wide. You were still pretty confused as you took in his words. He didn't really say he didn't see you that way at all. In fact he told you he found you attractive and that he didn't want you for one night. Did that mean he wanted you for more? You’d admit the temptation was there with him, how could it not be? But you promised yourself you’d save yourself for your mate so starting anything was pointless. A snide voice in the back of your head told you your mate was probably dead so it was useless and all you were doing was denying yourself comfort in the arms of another. You ignored it though. Even if your mate was dead, you doubted his would be. You’d heard him talk about his future mate, seen how much he wanted her, saw how much he would love her. When she came along, there was zero chance he’d stick around with you. You’d be lost in the wind much like where Atti had left you after finding his mate and you didn’t want that. You’d much rather just stay friends and not get sucked into it, not wind up loving him for him to be taken away. Wolves could still love other wolves who weren't their mates, but as you said to Kos, it gets messy which is why most didn’t bother. You shook your head at yourself. He’d kissed you once and said he found you attractive and you were already thinking about love like an idiot. He’d even said it was a mistake. And he was right, you didn't want your blossoming friendship with him ruined over a kiss that clearly meant nothing. You’d already lost one friend, your best friend, you didn't want to lose another. His voice broke you out of your thoughts, his face concerned by your lack of words.

“Do you think… Do you think we could move past this? Pretend it never happened?” he asked pleadingly. You doubted you could forget about it but you did want to move past it so you nodded.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” you admitted. His body sagged in relief, a bright smile gracing his face and you felt like it blinded you. He looked over his shoulder at the training area before looking back at you, seeming much more his cheeky and charming self that he hadn’t been moments before.

“Do you wanna go train with my guys? They’ve all been excited to meet the infamous Dancer of Death,” he smirked wryly and you snorted, cheeks heating up a little.

“Sounds good to me,” you shrugged with a smile. If you were honest, the idea of a fight made you thrum with anticipation. It had been far too long since you’d felt the thrill of a real fight and you decided your scuffle with the vampire that jumped you didn't really count. While you didn’t officially start training until the week after, it would be good to get back into it. 

You followed him over to the training area where he introduced you to the guys, some of them standing around, some of them sitting on the benches. He’d even introduced you to Micro, his Delta who you hadn’t yet met. Everyone was pleasant as they smiled and said hello, some of them telling you they were happy you were here. Honestly, they treated you like some sort of celebrity and you didn't know how to feel about it all.

“Alright, who wants to fight her first?” Billy asked as he stood next to you, eyes sweeping across his men. It was so silent you could practically hear crickets chirping, the men looking to one another with pale and horrified faces and your lips twisted into a smirk at the idea of them being terrified. 

“Seriously? You really gonna embarrass me like this?” Billy asked dryly, shaking his head in disappointment and you grinned. 

“Why don’t you fight her?” Micro asked with a shit eating grin. Billy tilted his head as he turned it to you, a raised brow being directed at you and a smug smile. You snorted with a roll of your eyes.

“I’m game if you are,” you smirked and his eyes lit up. He walked over to the rack that had weapons on it, grabbing two swords before he came back over to you and handed you one. You tested the weight in your hand for a moment, squaring yourself up as you faced him. He looked almost as excited as you were for the fight and you flashed him a wicked grin that made him smirk.

“Ready? Go!” Micro yelled and Billy swung his sword at you but you blocked it quickly with your own. The sound of metal striking metal was harsh in your ears as you both struck and blocked. It felt like your blood was singing, a bright smile on your face as you danced around him, twirling around gracefully as you struck out your sword, never letting his blocks defeat you. You knew he was taking it easy on you, you weren’t that stupid. He could easily take you out in a heartbeat with how strong and powerful he was, but it wasn’t lost on you that he was going at you harder than you’d seen him do with his men. He was putting in more effort and the idea that you were a stronger fighter and required more of his effort made you feel a little proud of yourself. You were enjoying the fight, chest heaving as the pair of you grinned and didn't give up. You went to strike out at him and he moved to block it but you quickly moved your sword, ducking and spinning out of the way of his own blade. As you turned, you used your other hand to grab his wrist and twisted it hard, making his sword fall from his hands and then your own was pressed to his throat. He stood there still, head raised with his throat bared with the tip of your blade digging into his skin and you smirked widely at him. At first, a part of you thought he’d let you win, although you’d never seen him let any of his men win a fight. But then you saw the look of utter shock on his face, his wide unblinking eyes as he stared at you and you started to think maybe you’d caught him off guard. You took the sword away from him as you stepped back, everyone cheering for you and some jeering at the King in jest and he gave you a lazy smile, his own chest heaving much like yours. 

“I wasn’t expectin’ that,” he admitted, looking impressed and your smile widened at his praise.

“You should be prepared for anything,” you raised a teasing brow at him and he gave you a mock dirty look.

“No one’s ever beat me in training before,” he murmured, almost looking perturbed by the notion and you snorted.

“Maybe you’ve just met your match,” you grinned and he chuckled, looking at you with a fond smile.

“Yeah… maybe I have,” he agreed, sounding amused. You walked over to the rack, putting your sword back as you came down from the high of the fight. You felt weightless now, felt so much better and less tense. He came with you, doing the same and you glanced up at him briefly.

“I think I’m gonna go find Kos, see what he’s up to,” you said softly and he nodded. You weren’t sure if you imagined the flit of disappointment that flashed across his face.

“Alright,” he nodded, watching you with rapt attention.

“Thanks… for the fight. I really enjoyed it and I think I needed it,” you murmured ruefully and it made him smile with a nod.

“Don't gotta thank me, it was a good fight. I knew you were good but I didn’t think you were that good,” he admitted and you grinned to yourself. 

“You still could have beat me though, you could have handed my ass six ways to Sunday and we both know it. You were taking it easy on me,” you snorted knowingly and he smiled bashfully, looking away for a minute. His eyes went back to you then, watching you for a small moment.

“Will I see you at dinner later?” he asked and you nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” you agreed with a smile. His face brightened up then and with that, you decided it was time to leave. 

You were really starting to think you could move past what happened with him now. You enjoyed being his friend, enjoyed his company and it meant more than whatever the alternative was. It didn't need to be awkward or weird, you’d just proved that by having fun with him. You were glad that things hadn't been ruined completely. You looked around for a while for Kos with no sign of him until Azalea told you she thought he went into the pack house not too long ago. You made your way back there and when you walked in, you saw Kos sitting on the sofa looking deep in thought.

“You look like you're thinking, which is never a good sign, what is it?” you muttered wryly as you moved to sit next to him. His lips quirked up a little but he still looked thoughtful before he turned to you.

“I’m worried about Atti,” he confessed and your back straightened.

“Why? What happened? Is he okay?” you rushed out and he gave you a look.

“He’s fine, nothing’s happened it's just…” he trailed off and you relaxed a little but his silence concerned you. You squinted at him and he sighed. 

“I know it's normal for new mates to spend a lot of time together but it's customary to at least introduce your new mate to your pack before you just disappear. The new mate is supposed to get to know the rest of us and he’s just locked himself away with her with the warriors. I went to go and see him, check in with him and he just… wasn’t himself. No cheeky remarks or sass, it was like talking to a robot. And when I asked if I could at least meet his mate, he went back into the room and I heard him ask her but she said no. I don’t get it, she doesn't seem interested in making an effort at all and he’s okay with it. Then Atti comes back out lying saying she doesn't feel well and that they're both going away for a few days. No mention of where or why,” Kos ranted and you frowned as worry gnawed at you. You had to admit, Atti’s mate wasn’t exactly making a good first impression and this wasn’t your bitterness from feeling like he was being taken away from you talking. All of that aside, Kos was right, she was supposed to meet you all and make an effort and after seeing Atti outside before, you wondered if she had anything to do with Atti pulling away so completely. You tried to tell yourself they were just newly in love and wanted to spend every waking moment with each other, that maybe you just didn't get it. But he’d seemed fine mingling with other wolves, the warriors specifically. It was just you guys he was avoiding and it made you feel weird and you didn't like it. 

“That’s it, I’m going to talk to him. I’ll knock some sense into him if I have to,” you huffed as you stood up.

“Good luck,” Kos murmured wryly and you nodded, giving him a sardonic smile before you left once again. You knew the mate bond was strong, an instant connection of love, but it didn't brainwash people. It didn't change who they were as a person, it didn't make them act like this. Atti had no excuse for how he was acting and you were going to let him know. You made your way over to the warrior housing and slipped inside but you had no idea where the hell to go. You saw one of the warriors who had caught your fight with the King as he walked past, giving you a smile and bowing his head to you.

“Do you know which room Atticus and Aurora are staying in?” you asked him before he could leave. He looked startled that you’d spoken to him before he nodded.

“It’s room 303, upstairs,” he supplied simply and you nodded, but before you could go, he spoke again.

“They’re not here though, they left not too long ago. They won’t be back for a few days,” he added. You blinked at him slowly, a deep frown creasing your brows and he looked at you warily.

“Thanks,” you muttered and he nodded, giving you one last look before he scurried off. Your top lip curled into a snarl, your hands clenched to fists as you took a deep inhale. He’d left without even saying goodbye, something he never did. You hated this, hated how he wasn’t the same person you knew only days before. If this was what the mate bond did to people then you were glad not to have one, but you knew it wasn't true. You knew enough mated wolves to know that the bond didn’t do this, this was his own decision. It stung like a bitch. 

You stomped out of the warriors housing and stalked across the grounds, on your way to tell Kos he’d already left. As you walked past the castle, you saw Frank standing there.

“What’s up with you?” he asked curiously, taking in your thunderous face. Your mouth opened, ready to rant to him about how your best friend had turned into a bitch that dropped his family the second his mate turned up but you snapped your mouth shut as you remembered this was the King Beta and he had no desire to be in the middle of your little drama. 

“Nothing,” you huffed and he snorted, looking at you like he didn't believe you at all. 

“It's just…” you trailed off with a mix of a growl and a sigh, your eyes drifting to the gate where Atti would have left not too long ago before back to Frank with a frown. He looked at you sympathetically before he moved to sit on the stone steps of the castle, patting next to him and you moved over. You plonked next to him heavily with a deep sigh, leaning your arms on your legs.

“Let me guess, Atticus and Aurora, right?” he asked knowingly and your eyes cut to him quickly.

“How did you guess?” you asked, half shocked, half amused and he smiled.

“I’m observant, it's my job to be. Didn’t escape my notice how he’s avoided you and your pack like the plague since he found his mate,” he admitted and you nodded, looking away again.

“He’s not acting right and I keep telling myself that maybe I just don't get it. I don’t have a mate so maybe I just don’t know how it really feels,” you shrugged despondently and he eyed you for a long while. 

“I can’t tell you why he’s actin’ this way. Everyone’s different I guess and yeah, you wanna spend time with your mate but he is actin’ weird and the bond doesn't make that happen. Maybe just talk to him when he gets back,” he suggested softly and you nodded. 

“Don’t worry, I plan on it,” you muttered and he chuckled at the underlying threat in your voice.

“I heard you beat Bill in a fight,” he grinned and a smile tugged at your lips as you remembered.

“I did, although he took it easy on me so I’m not sure it counts,” you snorted.

“Nah, it counts. Shoulda seen his face when he told me, he couldn’t believe it. About time someone took him down a peg or two, can’t have the King’s ego gettin’ out of hand,” he teased and you let out a laugh.

“I guess I’m doing everyone a service then,” you mused playfully and he grinned. A comfortable silence fell over you both then as you watched everyone go about their day.

“Alright, I should go, I gotta go find Karen,” Frank murmured tentatively as he looked at you. You gave him an appreciative smile with a nod.

“Thanks for talking with me,” you replied and he shot you a grin.

“Nah, it’s all good. You’re part of the family now, it’s what we do,” he smiled warmly, patting your leg before he stood and made his way inside the castle. You smiled to yourself for a moment but it soon faded as you remembered about Atti. A part of you wished you’d never come here so he hadn’t found his mate and you knew it was spiteful but you couldn't help it. His mate was making no effort, even going as far as turning away Atti’s alpha when he asked to meet her and it was just blatant disrespect. You were more mad at Atticus though. He was your best friend, been with you through thick and thin. You’d already been worried you were losing him but this was way worse than you’d anticipated and you didn’t understand it. You couldn't shake the fact he’d left without a goodbye, he never once did that and it felt so unlike him that it made your insides ache. Things were simpler before you came here and you yearned for those days back. Days where everything made sense and you weren't being pushed away by the one person who meant the most to you. 

—--

Billy’s fingers tapped on his desk, eyes scanning over the words on the page, yet his brain couldn’t register them. He was restless and he’d tried to read the same line for the past ten minutes but he was too preoccupied. He could feel your unhappiness and it was bothering him, he didn’t like it. It wasn’t too strong but it was enough he could still feel it. It made him want to crawl out of his own skin and all he could think about was why. Why were you upset? Were you okay? He growled to himself, tossing the paper down on the desk as he admitted defeat. He wiped a hand over his face, leaning back in his chair with a heavy sigh. His mind drifted to the kiss just like it seemed to do often since it happened and he cursed himself. He couldn't say he regretted it completely, though he had been terrified he’d ruined everything with you before it had even started. But it had been amazing and he kept wondering just when he’d get to do it again. He’d even asked Karen if there was possibly a spell that could connect you to your wolf again but she said she didn't know of anything, told him she’d try to look into it though. When you'd admitted to him that you’d lost your connection after what happened to your pack, it had overwhelmed him with sadness. And sure, part of it was because it meant you wouldn't know you were mates until you connected again, might never know if it never happened and that terrified him. But he was also sad for you. He could tell you were hurt over it, saw it all over you how much you missed that and he couldn't blame you. He couldn't even imagine losing his connection with his wolf. Asking Karen hadn’t been purely selfish, it had also been because he couldn't stand to see you hurting like that. He wanted to help you and the idea of him being the one to give you that back made his chest burn hot. The full moon was in a few days and he wondered if you’d know once you shifted, that the one time your wolf would be out that it would recognise him. If he really thought about it, there was a high likelihood that you’d know when you shifted but he had no clue as to what would come after. A pit formed in his stomach when he thought about it. He had no idea how you'd feel when you shifted back if that was the case, you’d know that this whole time he knew and never told you but he hoped that maybe you’d be understanding about it. He’d been surprised that you hadn't judged him for the other women but he had no idea if you’d still feel that way once you realized you were mates. Maybe you didn’t judge him but maybe you’d be hurt. There was a possibility that you would reject him once you knew, once you shifted back. And maybe it wouldn't be because of the other women but you wouldn't feel anything in your other form. It made him feel sick and he tried to push those treacherous thoughts from his mind, knowing it would do him no good. He’d have no idea what the hell would happen until it happened and working himself up wouldn't help anyone. He felt your sadness pushing at him again and he sighed. He couldn't focus up here anyway with this gnawing at him and he knew it would only get worse the longer he sat there, so he got up and left his office, following the pull to you.

He found you in the garden sitting by the fountain. You didn't seem to notice him as you stared at the flowing water, a look on your face that made his chest feel like it was caving in. He watched you for a moment, taking in how beautiful you were even when in the throes of misery before his feet carried him over. You glanced up at him then as he sat down next to you and you gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes before you looked away again. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly. You didn’t reply for a moment and he was starting to think he wasn’t going to get an answer, but then you spoke.

“Atti left for a few days with his mate, didn’t even say goodbye. And I know it sounds stupid but he never does that. He’s pulling away worse than I thought he would and I hate it,” you muttered sadly and his hands itched to reach out and hold you. He was a little surprised to hear that Atticus had left that way, he hadn't even been told he and Aurora left and usually they had to clear it with him since he was in charge and she was one of his warriors. He decided to give them some leeway since they were new mates. He could tell you were slighted by it and he remembered the things you’d said at the lake when you confessed to being hurt over him finding his mate. He knew those feelings well, experienced it with Frank.

“It’s probably a mate thing,” he mused and you hummed softly, not looking convinced. He didn’t really know why Atticus was behaving the way he was, the only thing he knew was that he wanted you to stop feeling so sad.

“If I found my mate… I wouldn't want to let her go. I’d wanna be with her every second of the day, keep her with me. It’d hurt bein’ away from her, even for only a few moments. Maybe he’s feelin’ that way right now, especially with it bein’ so new. I imagine it’d be overwhelming findin’ your mate, the feelin’s hittin’ you all at once. That shit’s gotta be jarrin’ to be sprung on you like that,” he murmured, eyes glued to you unable to help it. It was exactly how he felt and it was tearing him apart from the inside out because he couldn’t have those things because you had no fucking clue you were mates. You inhaled deeply before turning your eyes to him once more and just like every single time you looked at him, he felt like he was plummeting off a cliff at a rapid pace. 

“You’re probably right, maybe I just don’t get it. I’m just overthinking and maybe I’m still upset over it all, looking into it all too deeply,” you admitted with a small frown. He was about to reply to try and comfort you but you continued.

“I just… I think some of it is the fact I probably won't ever find my mate. I thought it was all about Atti, all about losing a friend and it’s definitely part of it. But now I keep thinking that… that I’ll never have that, I’ll never be loved that way. I’m pretty sure my mate was probably in my old pack which means he’s dead, so I’m just stuck alone forever while I watch everyone else find their mates,” you bit out and he could hear the hurt lacing your voice. He desperately wanted to tell you the truth. To tell you that you wouldn't be alone, that you would be loved that way, you already were. He couldn't tell you though, not yet, you weren't ready. You wouldn't be until you felt it for yourself because him just telling you that you were mates meant nothing if you didn't feel a damn thing. 

“I don’t believe that,” he said firmly and your eyes snapped to him.

“I think your mate is out there somewhere and he’d love you like no one else. He's out there just waitin’ to find you so he can give you all the love he has to give,” he muttered insistently, his chest aching fiercely. Your eyes were wide in shock at his words but then you smiled and it made relief flood his system that he’d made you feel even a little better. 

“Thank you,” you breathed sincerely and he smiled down at you.

“If you want, I can try and put in a good word with my mother?” he suggested playfully and this time he earned a laugh that set him on fire from the inside out. 

“I wouldn't say no,” you grinned and you seemed to relax a little. He felt your unhappiness easing, making way to a more content feeling that calmed him. He found it soothing and it was much better than the uncomfortableness he’d felt when you were sad. 

His eyes drifted to the fountain as a comfortable silence blanketed you both and he remembered the last time you’d both been sitting here. He’d been taken aback when you’d blurted that you wouldn't sleep with him. He hadn’t thought he’d been so goddamn obvious about his interest in you and it had killed him that you thought that of him. That you thought that's all he’d want from you. What else were you supposed to think though? You’d heard the tales about him and it filled him with shame, of course you’d think that. When you’d opened up about your old pack and got upset, he’d used the mate bond to try and calm you. He hadn't been sure it would work given the fact you didn't seem affected by anything else concerned with the bond but thankfully, it had seemed to work. He was glad too as the pain he’d felt from you when you thought about your old pack was clearer and sharper than anything else he’d felt from you. Everything else was a hint or a whisper, but that pain would forever be seared into his brain. He could only imagine what you’d felt yourself given he’d only felt the smallest fraction of it. He hated that you felt that way. 

“The warriors are puttin’ on a fight tonight. They do it every few weeks, entertain everyone here. It keeps spirits up. You should come,” he suggested, trying to forget the pain he’d felt from you and talk about something more lighthearted. The fights were a way for everyone to relax and everyone enjoyed them. He knew you’d like them and he was right as your face lit up at the notion and he couldn't tear his eyes off you.

“That sounds fun, I’ll definitely be there,” you grinned and he couldn't help the dopey smile on his own face, your excitement contagious.

“I’ll be fightin’ too,” he added with a smirk and you shot him a wry smile.

“Well lets hope you don't get beat again,” you replied teasingly and he scoffed, shaking his head with a fond smile.

“Nah, you're the only one to do it yet, I need to keep my reputation intact,” he snorted and you laughed again. He decided it was his new favorite sound. 

That night, he was amped up for the fight. He could never unleash his full power on his men or he’d break them in half but it didn't mean he couldn't have fun and let off some steam. He’d been completely stunned when you’d beat him. At first, he’d taken it easy on you just as he would with his men, but he soon found you were a lot quicker and stronger than they seemed to be. He hadn't expected it, even knowing your nickname and what you had done. He'd been more than impressed as he pushed you more and you didn't falter at all. He’d been enraptured with you, so taken in by your grace and beauty, by how unbelievably deadly you were. And then you pulled a fancy move on him he hadn't seen coming and he was disarmed. Maybe he would have caught it if his brain hadn't started spiraling into the gutter seeing you wield a sword like it was the easiest thing. Seeing you laughing and smiling as you enjoyed the fight as much as he had. His head hadn’t been in the game and you’d beaten him, he’d been stunned. Frank had found it hilarious when he’d told him and he hadn’t heard the end of it since then. He was standing in the training area as the benches filled up with people, the fighters loitering around as they waited for their fights. He saw you walking over with Kosmos and you caught his eyes, sending him a bright smile that almost had him falling to a heap on the floor. He flashed you a grin, twirling his sword around with ease and you rolled your eyes playfully as you sat next to Kosmos on the front bench. He would be fighting first with one of his guys, opening the fight. He licked his lower lip, eyes darting to you as you and Kosmos spoke in hushed tones and before he knew what he was doing, his feet were carrying him over to you. You looked up with a smile as he stopped in front of you.

“Can I have your favor, My Lady?” he asked teasingly with a grin. You snorted but a shy smile graced your face and he loved having that effect on you. 

“Of course, My Lord. I’m sure it’s the only way you can win,” you smirked and he squinted at you playfully. You looked around on your body, seemingly trying to find something for you to use. You wound up untying your corset and pulling out the gold lace, setting the corset next to you before you tied the lace around the base of his sword. Your fingers brushed his hand as he held his sword and he couldn't take his eyes off you, your face scrunched in concentration before you grinned triumphantly and moved away.

“Thank you, My Lady,” he smirked as he bowed, once again making you smile bashfully and he moved back into the middle of the training area. His eyes were drawn to the gold lace and he knew damn well why he’d given that to you. Why you and no one else. He’d started to worry Atticus had picked up on something when he asked about it and he’d been forced to reply in a joking manner to brush it off but his words had been truthful. He knew it was a dangerous game and he’d been expecting you to bring it up and ask but thankfully you hadn't. He didn't really know what to say to you if you asked him without opening a can of worms that he had no intention to open just yet. Micro came over as he announced the fight would be starting, riling everyone up and getting them ready for a good time. He stood there as the man he would be fighting, Lukas, stepped into the center too. 

“Ready to get your ass handed to you, Your Majesty?” he asked with a smirk and Billy barked out a laugh. He liked Lukas, the man had served him for a long time. He never fought any of the newbies in these fights, that was saved for training where he could test them out, see what they needed to work on and what they were good at. But these fights were reserved for his most trusted warriors and those didn’t fear him like the newer ones did. They’d been with him long enough to know that if they were loyal and trustworthy, there was no need to fear him. 

“I need to wash your mouth out with soap?” he asked teasingly and Lukas flashed him a toothy grin just as Micro yelled go. They swung at each other, the metal clashing loudly in the air as the fight began. He and Lukas circled around each other like sharks circling their prey as they fought. Billy was much quicker, faster reflexes and sharper eyes, catching each of Lukas' moves before he had a real chance to do anything. He found a delighted smile stretching across his face as he felt the familiar thrum of a fight running through his veins as the swords hit each other. He blocked each of the moves, letting Lukas feel like he was at least doing something even though he could have laid him on his ass in a second. But after a while and seeing Lukas start to get tired, he moved on the offensive. Of course he wound up winning, he always did. It was hardly a fair fight but it was still fun. He considered asking if you wanted to take part next time, maybe the pair of you could fight again. While it still wasn't an evenly matched fight, he knew it would be more entertaining for everyone here and it would be more fun for him too, being able to go a little harder and not hold back as much. 

He took the golden lace off his sword before he put the sword back, two other fighters getting ready to fight now. He could have sat anywhere but of course he ended up going over to you. Kosmos was on one side and your corset on the bench next to you on the other. You grinned at him when you saw him, scooping up your corset to allow him to sit right next to you. He loved being close to you, loved your scent as it enveloped him. He had to resist the urge to stick his face in your neck and nuzzle you. He wanted to fucking drown in you.

“I guess my favor worked,” you mused playfully as he handed you the lace back.

“I think I woulda been really screwed without it,” he replied with a cheeky smile and you snorted. You put your corset back on, lacing it up with ease before you relaxed next to him. You were so close that your legs and arms were pressed together yet it still didn't feel close enough for him. You watched the fights together and he was happy you seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was. While you weren't heckling at his guys like he was, you would let out a pained ‘oooh’ when a painful hit landed or some awed remark everytime a good move was pulled off. You seemed really into it. He wondered what it would be like when you were Queen, how you’d both be watching these fights together all of the time. Maybe he’d do it more often since you seemed to like it so much, he didn't think he’d ever seen you so relaxed and carefree and he wanted to capture the moment forever. Sadly, eventually the fights all ended and people started milling about, some going to bed now it was late, others going off to do whatever it was they wanted to do. He really didn't want to leave your side yet, he wanted to keep basking in your presence. You stood up and stretched, Kosmos standing up next to you and Billy got to his feet as Frank came over. The four of you started walking back, Billy wanting to spend every second he could with you until you had to part ways to go to your separate destinations. He was smiling as you excitedly spoke about the fights to Frank and then Frank and Kosmos started talking about one in particular where one of his guys almost lost a goddamn eye. He felt happy, content, but then he felt a spike of anxiety hit him out of nowhere and it caught him so off guard, his steps faltered for a moment. He was confused until he realized it wasn’t him that was feeling it and his head whipped in your direction just as you stopped walking. You were staring up at the sky with a worried look painting your face and his eyes drifted up to see the moon before he looked back at you. Kosmos and Frank had stopped too now. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked with a frown and your eyes drifted to him.

“Is it just me or does the moon look like it's waning again?” you asked slowly and the four of you all looked back up to the sky. Billy felt dread settle in his stomach like a stone as he realized it did indeed seem smaller. He was confused and worried, it was hardly normal for the moon to go in reverse like this and he had no idea what the hell was going on. 

“I need to go speak to my mother,” he muttered tensely, not even sparing you all a glance before he took off running to the castle. Whatever this was, it wasn't good. He could only hope his mother could shed some light on it.

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

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