#but because he had to grow up so quickly as a caretaker he did not get to be an immature student who fooling around

[transsongtaewon]

Rereading the early chapters is fun, because you think there's a sort of funny scene coming up and then Kim Sunghan mentions his college days in passing and Yoojin thinks wouldn't it be nice to go to college. And then follows it up with I Need To Get Drunk.

[kurogxrix]

4 Minutes

Dad!Mob!Bucky Barnes x Mom!reader

IN WHICH you and Bucky had limited time to spend intimately during the past few days, leaving you both extremely sexually frustrated. When your son’s occupation offers you 4 minutes of free time, Bucky’s damn adamant on making your legs shake in less than 3.

Warnings: SMUT, dry humping, P in V, quickies, kitchen counter fuck.

The sun had risen for around 2 hours now, and your husband had yet to leave the bed. You had thought that maybe he’d left for work after you had gotten up in the morning, because the mob was no easy job after all. Though after a quick check up on your sleeping son, you’d found his father in the same exact position, head in the clouds on your shared bed despite it already being 7 in the morning. 

The Alaskan King mattress draped on the luxurious bed frame made a man as huge as Bucky look so small, you couldn't even imagine what you and your son looked like when it was only the two of you lying down on it. The fluffy mattress was just so plushy and dreamy that you couldn’t even blame Bucky for sleeping in, so instead, you made use of yourself around the house. Sure you did have maids maintaining the mansion during daytime, but you were bored and there was clearly nothing better to do while waiting for your two boys to wake up. 

You quickly realised that your newfound occupation was not going to last, if it had even managed to start, because how could you clean a house that was already spotless? Yet again you had already gotten bored of it, so instead you found amusement in mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Your feet were fast to lead you to the kitchen, a path that was solidly traced deep inside your head. From the endless of secret midnight trips that you’d take to satisfy your cravings during pregnancy, you’d notice yourself finding an odd comfort in the expensive marble floor and matching countertops. 

Too entranced in the media to notice the heavy footsteps that were closing in on you, the bulky arms entrapping your waist surely did scare you at the moment, and you nearly let out a yelp as your phone escaped your grip. Thanking yourself for having leant against your kitchen counter, you turned around to glare at your husband. 

“Morning Malyshka, little trouble not runnin’ wild today?” Bucky rasped out, his hands still gripping onto your hips as if to keep him grounded. You found the smirk on his face less than amusing, and you reckoned that he was probably reliving the jumpscare that he had given you inside of his head, probably so proud of his little prank. 

“Lev is with his nanny right now, I didn't have time to see him earlier because apparently he’s been preparing a surprise for us. He did however ask through Grace for his papa and mama to be present in about 10 minutes.” you recalled the exact words that Lev’s caretaker, Grace, had spoken to you a few minutes ago. You’d told her this morning that she could head back home, given that apparently Bucky had taken a day off to stay at home. Though on her way to the door, she had been unfortunately intercepted by a freshly woken-up Lev, but she didn’t mind one bit. Your son was quite the charmer, nobody could resist those doe eyes of his. 

The smile present on your face as you spoke about Lev could only feed Bucky’s admiration towards you, if it was even possible to grow the endless love that he already held for you. Your ears caught onto the grunt that Bucky had let out in response, instead too busy taking in your outfit with those hungry baby blue eyes of his to even mutter out a proper verbal response. 

It had almost been too long since you both have had time to touch the other in a much more intimate way than you were currently doing, and it almost made you crave. Scratch that, you were past the point of craving, in fact you felt so deprived of it that you were ready to get down on your knees and pray for god to release you of the intense sexual frustration that you felt, but that sounded a little too vulgar. You knew that Bucky felt the same, that he’d spend way too many nights fisting himself in his office while your name fell in short groans under his breath. But work had been getting busy, and you had to care for things around your home while your husband attended those never ending meetings. 

Now would have been the perfect time to relish in each other, considering Bucky had no work 

Now would have been the perfect time to relish in each other, considering you were both currently alone and your son was getting safely watched over. But you feared that Grace was going to come fetch you sooner than your son had demanded, and the allocated time was not even that far from then. Nevertheless, you could read straight through Bucky’s mind as he gazed at you like some starving man. His cock painfully aching in the restraints of his plain boxers as he enjoyed the sight of you in nothing else but a white, oversized button down shirt and a pair of comfortable cotton panties. 

“Whatever you’re thinking of right now, cut it out okay? I’m sure that Grace said she’d come fetch us at 9:30, and look at the time now,” 

you pushed Bucky further back with two fingers on his chest, creating space between you both as you felt his intense stare burning literal holes through the thin fabric of your shirt. Bucky craned his neck towards the nearest clock, groaning in annoyance when the hands showed a clear 9:24.

When he looked back towards you, you had already turned your body back towards the counter. Leant against the cool marble surface with your phone in hands, Bucky had to suppress a groan at the sight of your ass in those tight little panties, right in front of him, ready for him to ruin. 

A surprised gasp left your lips as you felt large, warm palms engulfing your hips once more. This time however, you felt Bucky pulling your hips onto his, making your ass collide against his straining cock. You almost groaned at the feeling of his hard clothed length pressed up so tightly against you, the wet spot of precum staining his boxers already starting to soak into your own underwear. 

“C'mon doll, allow me just those 6 minutes of your time, I promise I can even make you cum in less than 3.” you could almost feel the smirk in his tone, his warm breath fanning your neck as his naked chest pressed against your clothed back. If he wasn’t already irresistible before, you sure as hell were a saint for not falling into the temptation of your smoking hot mob husband pleading to fuck you. 

You turned back to your phone instead of audibly responding, afraid of your mouth betraying you at the moment. You tried to swallow down a moan as Bucky’s large calloused palms slid underneath the oversized button down shirt that you were wearing, daintily caressing your smooth skin. Sure your eyes were pointed at the screen of your phone, but your mind couldn’t concentrate on anything else but the feeling of Bucky’s very hard boner still pressed against you. 

You couldn’t help your mind from running, not in the compromising position that you were in. You shuddered at the memory of Bucky’s cock stretching you out like no other, his wonderful length reaching the depths of your body as you rode him greedily after a day spent away from each other. It was a nasty cocktail of filth, concocted with drool, sweat and a couple of loose cuss words thrown here and there. 

He was nothing more than a tease, and damn did he know it. The way his fingertips grazed your skin, making you want to drop the act and beg on your knees for him to touch you properly. Once again, his hands met with your hips, except this time you had little time to react to your husband pulling you further back into him. 

You’d ended up completely bent over the marble counter, your chest flushed against the cold material of the table as Bucky palmed your ass greedily, as if it’d bring him pleasure. His other hand was gripping at your upper thigh for dear life, oftentimes running up your legs seductively, leaving you with shivers running down your spine. 

You dropped your phone once he’d started rolling your hips onto his, tired of pretending like you could actually focus on whatever was displayed on your screen as he manhandled you to his will. You forced yourself to remain quiet as he continued to roll your hips onto the bulging tent of his boxers, drowning in the sweet groans that he was letting out. Too desperate to care how loud he was being, Bucky tipped his head back in pure pleasure.

Never once did it occur to you how pleasuring dry humping could be, but yet again it could’ve been because of how sexually deprived you both were. You shrugged the thought of getting caught away, blaming it on the fact that since no clothes were being removed, you could easily play it off if anyone were to walk in. 

Bucky felt as though he could burst from the sheer clothed friction itself, but it was not enough, he needed to feel you. Fuck it, he was genuinely ready to drop to his knees and beg to fuck you like a hopeless man. He’d beg to eat you like a famished boy, hell, he’d wouldn’t even mind if you allowed his fingers only. 

Thick fingers ran down the seam of your panties, sneakily slipping under the elastic band to push the cotton fabric down to pool around your upper thighs. You turned around to yell at him, clearly he was not understanding. The clock flashed at 9:26 now, and your anxiety was peaking at every moment that the second hand moved. Your words got caught up in your throat as he brought his hand up to his mouth, lubricating three of his fingers with his spit before bringing a hand down to rub at your aching pussy. 

“Fuck detka, look at you all pretty and soaked for me.” Bucky almost moaned out, tongue lapping out to wet his slightly chapped lips. You didn’t even have time to process your husband pulling down his own restraints, thick and veiny cock slapping against his toned stomach with a satisfying wet sound. Precum smeared from his cock and onto the muscles of his stomach, leaving you shaking with anticipation.

“If you’re gonna do anything then you better do it now ‘cause we only have 4 minutes!” you rushed out the words, voice shying away as you felt him pushing the fat tip of his cock through your soaking folds. You moaned at the feeling, gripping the counter so hard until you could feel your joints straining. Bucky picked up the pace, pressing a hand under his cock to help slide himself faster between your lips. 

He was drenched by now, thick cock dripping with your arousal as his eyes gawked at the way his length disappeared between the both of your bodies at each of his thrusts. Time was waiting, and Bucky knew more than anybody else as he was facing the wall-mounted clock. The warmth of your hole was calling for him, waiting for him to stretch you out like he had done so many times before. 

Bucky gripped firmly onto the base of his cock that was twitching impatiently in his hands, teasing your entrance as he slid only the tip in and out. He bit down onto his lips in order to retain the series of filth that was bound to escape his mouth, his teeth were biting so hard onto the delicate skin of his lips that he was sure it had started bleeding at some point. “Fuck and would you look at that, S’like you’re trina suck me up doll,” he ran his mouth, unable to prevent the nasty roll of his words from escaping. 

Sweatdrops ran down his toned pack of abs as he eyed the way you squirmed from nothing else but his flushed tip, resisting the urge to just bury himself inside of you right now until you could think of nothing else but how stuffed you were. Though a quick look at the clock told him to stop resisting the urge, and that’s what he’d done. You were sure that the whole building could’ve heard the cry of pleasure that left your throat as Bucky sheathed his cock completely inside of you, leaving no space for second thoughts now that he’d gone all the way.

His cock twitched at the sound of your desperate whines, your hips grinding against his in a desperate need for friction. “Thought you were the one that didn’t want this, detka? What happened to that huh?” his tone almost sounded sardonic as his eyes trained on the way your hole greedily engulfed his cock, juices lapping all over his length once more as he slowly but surely pumped himself inside of you. You couldn’t even speak back to him, already too cock drunk from what he had yet to even give you. 

His grin grew at your silence, at least in coherent words, your whines only grew as the seconds passed. You both have had many quickies in the past, in between Bucky’s break as he had you on his desk, or hidden somewhere in a closet, you name it. Though none of them have ever been as desperate as this one, as needy. Finally deciding to ease your painful awaiting of pure pleasure, he gave into the warmth.

With the mix of his swift thrust and thick finger circling at your clit, it took you no time to lose grip over the counter. Bucky took notice of your sudden weakness, and as the caring husband that he is, dragged his arm up to wrap around your torso, locking you flushed with your back against his chest. The new position had your back arching for more, your sultry moans a clear sign that you were enjoying yourself. 

The tips of his middle and ring finger were laid flat against your clit as he ran teasing circles onto it. You felt your knees buckling as Bucky’s lips left sloppy kisses at the back of your neck, thankful enough for his incredible strength as he kept you standing by his own. Pride coursed through his body at the sight of you being so dishevelled because of him, the back of your head now pressed up against his chest as you leaned into him. 

Bucky’s knees were slightly bent to reach into you, bless his large frame and impressive height, he was quite literally hovering over you. It felt too good getting fucked right by such a large man, the size kink inside of you feasting from the way his large palm could swallow you up on its own. It didn’t take long for Bucky’s forceful strokes to falter, now in a sloppy pace as his own orgasm chased up to him. 

Yours hit you like a cold bucket of water, but in all the nice ways. Like a cold bucket of water but during the driest summer days. It only took you a final sharp thrust and the endless toying of your clit to send you over the top, your toes curling and fingers digging painfully into the arm holding your torso up as your orgasm washed over you. It was a loud and whiny one, but the sound of you coming only riled Bucky up more.

His clumsy strokes were a warning that he was coming shortly behind you, and after three last, hard and deep pumps of his cock, he was milked dry inside of you. The room filled with deep grunts and your exhausted panting, you shivered as your husband’s spent breath tickled the skin of your neck. 

“Fuck that was…that was- holy shit we needed that.” bucky stammered into the crook of your neck, a heartfelt chuckle erupting from his chest as he came down from his high. The short bucking of his hips finally stopped, and you could finally release your bottom lip from the painful tug of your teeth. The both of you stood there for a couple of seconds trying to catch your stuttering breathing as the clock ticked clean on 9:30. 

You could barely even cipher the first knock that was sent at the huge kitchen doors, before the knocking resumed. You and Bucky broke apart faster than you would’ve liked to, and you groaned at the empty feeling that he’d leave behind after pulling his softening cock out of you. Reluctantly, the both of you flung the little amount of garments that you previously had on, cringing at the wet feeling of Bucky’s dripping semen getting caught by your panties. 

“We’re coming soon Grace, tell Lev to wait in his playroom while waiting for us.” you yelled loud enough for your son’s nanny to hear, although with the amount of screaming that Bucky had put you through, you doubted she’d hear much with the way your voice would rasp. Her lack of response hinted at you that she’d heard your little altercation with Bucky, and you mentally cursed at the both of you for traumatising the poor woman. 

“Dunno about you but I'm not going anywhere near our son looking like this so you’ll have to go first while I shower,” you grinned mischievously as Bucky threw his head back in an annoyed groan, already knowing what was awaiting him in a few seconds. Though you both were more than aware of your son’s mood in the morning when you weren’t there, you just felt the need to tease him a little bit more. 

“You how tempered he gets when his momma isn’t there first thing to see him in the morning, but that’s what you get for being impatient now,” you grinned, running a hand down his stubble as you stood on your toes to give Bucky a chaste kiss that he tried to chase for longer than you would allow. 

Bucky’s baby blue eyes followed your every move as you sauntered away from him with a sultry sway of your hips, the button down shirt covering the majority of your panties but it was hard to miss the dribble of his and your arousal running down your legs shamefully. Running a hand down his face, he tried not to get lost in the shameful thoughts that he had of you running through his head, instead, he was too busy mentally preparing himself for the angry fit that your son would throw once he realised that his momma wasn’t there by his side to kiss him good morning yet. 

-

this is my second smut written and i haven’t written one since 2021 so pls don’t judge LMAO😭

[pasta-in-the-pudding]

This just popped up in my mind and I just wnated you to picture this

So imagine a teen kid coming to the slendermanor and obviously they're a teen so everyone expects them to be loud and trouble in general because teens are teens at the end of the day. Just to find out that the teen is actually very mature because they were forced into a situation where they had to be mature at a young age and they're just quiet(but also have mad good murder tactics). Like i just imagine jeff trying to scare the child for shits and giggles and they just stare at him like 🙂

Summary: Quiet teen reader gets into shenanigans in the manor

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

A/n: The battle between Jeff and children is an age old war that I don't see ending anytime soon. ALSO SIDE NOTE, I'm probably gonna be changing up my format for writing majorly soon because im tired of looking at it lolz

Credits: Any Creepypasta characters used- Creepypasta, Divider- saradika-graphics, Picture- Pinterest

Creeps x mature!teen!reader

Generally when kids are brought into the manor, everyone's vibe is "Aw man that's really sad :(" even if they are a teen

Of course, once they get over the sadness, the anxiety starts peeking through

Like not even just teens, all kids are rowdy and annoying so no one really wants to deal with that

So when you get there and you're chill they're like "oh thank god"

No one likes rowdy kids

However, even that can have its hinderances

Like, it's definetly nothing as bad as you being crazy around the manor, but more so just concerning habits

For example, Brian can never do his job as a caretaker, because he'll be coming down the stairs only to see that all of his assigned kids are already out of bed

And when he finally finds them, they are watching T.V

He will ask "Are you guys ready for breakfast?" and they will reply "No thanks, y/n fed us!"

Or E.J, who as we know can't stand dirty things or unhygienic things, will be so confused when that pile of trash he commented on is suddenly gone only a few minutes later

Or his fridge will magically be cleaned out right when he was about to go and do it

Toby will be wondering where on earth his favorite hoodie and hatches went, only to find you out back sharpening and cleaning them, and his hoodie in the washer

Everyone is grateful for your help and all, but it's a little strange?

Like why do you feel the need to do these things? Do you just like helping out or do you feel you need to?

Then there's Ben and Jeff

No fucks given

So what if you're like 13? Jeff was being lit on fire at that age, grow tf up 🙄

Anyways, they both get a kick out of scaring kids

Jeff more than Ben, but it's a fun little friendship activity they do together <333

So when you are exploring the manor one day, suddenly Jeff bumps into you, being waaay nicer than usual

"Hey, y/n! I was just looking for you!"

"Oh, Hello Jeff. Did you need something?"

He'll grin real big and hold your shoulders "Yeah, I just need to test something real quick, so don't move. Just stay exactly like this, kay?"

You nod and do as told, but Jeff doesn't move either, he just stands still, still holding onto your shoulders and staring into your eyes

You then feel a chill go up your spine, and all of a sudden a horrifying warped face that looks as if it was straight out of an analog horror jumps right in front of you

You do jump a little, but other than that, there's no reaction

Jeff immediately drops the act and lets go of you "Ugh, really? Whatever loser, I'll go find someone else to scare"

And with that, he stomps off, but Ben stays for a little bit, his face still contorted into that scary one

He wiggles his fingers and makes an "Oooooo" sound before also walking off behind Jeff

They lose interest in you very quickly after realizing you won't give them a satisfactory reaction

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi I want a platonic Catnap x fem!reader here. Simply put, it's up to the hour of joy, and the like, reader is Catnap's caretaker, she takes care of him, and makes sure that everything is normal with him, the reader is antisocial, cold, and a very big workaholic who can go without sleep for a very long time, for this reason she was made Catnap's caretaker, she is only friends with Catnap, Dogday, and his caretaker (she). So, the bosses decided to hold an event where smiling critters and their caretakers would spend time together, let's say, strengthening the team, so, as we already know, reader is antisocial, just like Catnap, so they, like true introverts, avoid such things at all costs, but this is useless, since they are found by Dogday and his caretaker, they are both brought (dragged) to the event site, so our antisocial and introverted couple is there, they are all there undergoing tests, trust tests, team problem solving, and all sorts of other things nonsense (and also, reader and Catnap work well as a team), then everyone comes to what nicknames caretakers and smiling critters call each other, the turn comes to reader and Catnap, reader answers first, she is very embarrassed, because up to this point she never called Catnap by this nickname, only in her mind, finally, she reluctantly and embarrassedly says that she calls him ... "Lave" (short for lavender), she calls him that because she likes lavender and its smell is calming, and puts her to sleep, we skip the minute where reader was teased about this (more precisely, caretaker of Dogday, what a good friend), now it’s Catnap’s turn, although reader doesn’t show it, but she has a reserved interest, because she is also interested in what the nickname is Catnap came up with a name for her, to be honest, she expected Catnap not to respond, or that he didn't come up with a nickname for her, but ... no one expected what he said

***Messiah***

... And that's it, nothing more, everyone fell silent after such a bomb from Catnap, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed to ... creepy, quickly ending the event, everyone went either to work or home, reader does not ask Catnap why he gave her this is a nickname, because she knows that he will not answer, or he answers, but gives a very strange and vague answer, that reader does not understand this, reader experiences many different feelings about this, from bewilderment to flattery, because she did not know, that Catnap sees her like this, so it's nice, although still terribly strange ... The reason why Catnap calls out to reader is something you can come up with yourself

Bonus, I had to come up with an alternative, and now Catnap is calling reader little owl, and sorry that it turned out so long, thanks in advance for writing 💜

"I know you're bored, but we're almost done with these tests. And then we can go back to our peace and quiet."

"..hmm.."

"Yeah..I get it, too." Looking up at the lanky purple feline, you just huffed. Your behind was growing numb from sitting in the cheap plastic chair for hours, but you unfortunately had to stay here.

Your fellow caretakers--plus the Bigger Body Smiling Critters--were all gathered in a circle, chatting away with their assigned "buddy".

Today, the higher-ups of Playcare decided to create this little "friendship event" for all of you to participate in. It was just to evaluate how well you were connecting with the Critters via a series of "tests", with Bubba and his caretaker being the ones to lead you into each activity.

Teamwork was the primary theme......and involved a bunch of crap that felt like a waste of your time.

You've been Catnap's handler since say one, and you two always saw eye-to-eye, constantly working together and ensuring he was in the best possible condition while caring for the children. Neither of you believed you had to be evaluated to prove that.

That being said..you're 99% certain this little "event" was created specifically to torment you.

Neither of you were the most sociable, and you didn't see anything wrong with that. Although in recent months you've gotten some notations for your "recent behavior"--such as not smiling at a child who somehow got into your office during your lunch and Catnap making them cry when he tried escorting them out.

They couldn't exactly write-up toys, so anything "bad" he did ended up being put on your record.

It was stupid.

Working at Playtime Co. wasn't the same as working at Disney, so you weren't going to keep a smile glued to your face and act happy-go-lucky 24/7.

Too bad Catnap didn't have to worry about that.

The only reason you agreed to partake in the event was not only the threat of a pay cut...but mainly because you were friends with Dogday's handler, and you liked him, too, so you did it for them.

What neither you nor Catnap liked, however, was being put in between Kickin and Hoppy--who would yap to each other nonstop, tempting him more and more to use some red smoke.

Or when Crafty accidentally spilled pain on Catnap's canvas during the mini-art contest between the Critters.

Or when Picky became frightened after he said pork was his favorite food (and the first thing he's said since the event began), staring directly at her. You got marked down a point simply for "encouraging" him to use dark humor in a "lighthearted" activity.

Well..damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Whether you get Catnap to speak or not..it gets you in trouble.

"Alright, friends! Our last activity is called the "Nickname Game"." Bubba looked at the clipboard in his hands, before passing it to his handler. "This one's real simple so nobody can win or lose. All you have to do is go around and share what you'd call each other instead of your usual names! For instance, my caretaker's nickname is "Einstein"...and he calls me..."

"Smarty-Pants." The doctor beside him answered dryly.

"Smarty-Pants! See? It's real easy!" He grinned, before his eyes went to you and Catnap. "Alright you two. You're up first!"

'God why--' Your face burned a little as the others stared at you, patiently waiting.

Honest to god..you've never called Catnap anything else aside from his own name. But you didn't wanna get another point marked down for saying nothing..

"I uh..."

""I uhhh"? That doesn't sound like a good nickname!" Kickin laughed, only to be shushed by his caretaker, pouting. "Whaaaat? I'm only kiddin'-"

"Does it count if I never said the nickname out loud?"

"I...suppose it can count." Bubba spoke up, now intrigued as he leaned in closer (as did his fellow Critters). "Go on."

As embarrassed as you felt right now, you eventually found the courage to speak up.

"In my mind, I sometimes call Catnap "Lave"." You looked to the feline, seeing his ears perk up in interest, his gaze landing on yours. "The reason is probably a no-brainer but..it's short for lavender, and I've always loved that scent. It's calm and helps me sleep when I'm off work. Even when I get stressed out here with paperwork and br...restless children, Catnap helps me stay calm. So...I'll make it my mission to call him that more often."

There was a pause..

Before a small chorus of "awhs" rang from the other Critters...and you felt like shrinking back into your seat and disappearing, wishing you kept your mouth shut.

Yet at the same time..it felt nice to actually participate and share something wholesome with your coworkers.

Catnap didn't respond to your words, although you could tell he looked quite flattered by the nickname you've wanted to give him. The corners of his mouth seemed to stretch a little, and it didn't go unnoticed by Dogday.

"Awh shucks, that's a really nice nickname, [y/n]." He chuckled.

"Yeah..and I think that's the most I've ever seen 'em smile." His handler remarked--to which you coughed into your fist on instinct to hide it, your face burning.

"That is." Bubba spoke up, before sending Catnap a pointed look. "It's your turn now. Do you have a nickname for [y/n], Catnap?"

"............"

As expected, he didn't speak, bearing such a distant look to his eyes...and though he was off in another world.

While it didn't seem like it, you were actually eager to discover whether he had a nickname for you. Maybe he, too, thought of one and never verbally shared it with his fellow toys.

Yet the longer he stayed quiet, the more you could see the other Critters fidget and talk amongst themselves. Your coworkers were looking a bit annoyed, too, with Bubba's handler getting ready to give you another point off just for this.

Right as their pen hit their paper, however-

"Messiah."

The room became dead silent.

Suddenly every noise ceased to exist, from Hoppy's thumping foot or Kickin's laughter.

It became a heavy and uncomfortable silence.

You, the Critters, and the other caretakers could only stare at Catnap in bewilderment and confusion. There were no lights in his eyes, which concerned you quite a lot..as that was a sign of great stress.

"That's....an interesting one, Catnap." Bubba finally spoke after what felt like an eternity. "Care to share why?"

".........."

"Bubba..what does "messiah" mean?" Bobby raised her hand, looking completely clueless. "I-I don't think he's willing to elaborate."

"It's a...um...." The elephant sounded rather unsure of himself, which stunned his fellow toys considering he was the "know-it-all" of the group. "..sorry, that's...actually a new word to me-"

"And one you shouldn't be concerned about." His handler interrupted, which was very much unlike them. From the tone of their voice, and from the way they looked at you..they were very much irate and definitely had questions for you once this was over.

You wish you had some reasoning for why Catnap would call you that of all things, but...you simply didn't.

He shouldn't even know a word like that exists.

Before you could say anything to defend him or yourself, they decided to shift their focus back on the rest of the group, sighing heavily.

"Let's finish this activity so we can be done. Dogday, you're up."

............

"....another stupid write up."

"Hm..?"

"I'm in trouble because you nicknamed me "Messiah"." Putting the slip down on your desk, you shook your head and paced around the place, eventually looking to Catnap. He was lazily playing with a yarnball atop a tunnel. "They're accusing me of "feeding inappropriate ideals" to you and think I'm forcing my religion on you...which is completely false!"

"........."

"I don't know where you learned that word, Lave, but it wasn't from me. I know that for sure." You sat down, rubbing your hands over your face and wondering how you're gonna fight these blatant accusations.

Of course, when you began working with the Smiling Critters, there were a few rules put into place to ensure they stayed true to their innocent and childlike cartoon personalities--among them being to never mention anything regarding religion, wars, crimes, or death whatsoever.

Nothing that could make them question their own existence and morals, nor the world beyond the factory.

You kept all of those things outside of your work, so you couldn't even begin to think how Catnap could possibly know what a "messiah" was.

Did he know the implications that held?

Or did he hear it in passing and take a liking to it without knowing its actual definition?

Regardless, you were impressed he was able to come up with a nickname for you at all during the event today. So you were planning to just let it go, knowing you couldn't make him tell you why he called you that.

You two may be close, but he's still ever-reserved..so you doubt he'd even answer you even if you asked-

"The Prototype will save us..but until then, He sends you to guide me. Watch over me in my mission."

You blinked, putting your hands down and turning around in to face the large feline, who now lost interest in the ball and stared at you directly. His claws dug into the polyester fabric of the play tunnel, the lights in his eyes gone once again.

'There he goes, talking about this "prototype" thing again..' You thought.

It was noted that he would frequently mention this unknown entity during past interviews with the scientists, and you were to discourage him from doing so, although you decided to keep quiet and let him speak.

Here he was, actually talking without being prompted to do so..and they wanted you to shut him up?

No way.

"He is God..but what is God without His prophet? His messiah?" He purred, tail hanging off the tunnel as he tilted his head, outstretching a hand to you. "You are the one. The only one.."

"I'm the only one who...?" You cautiously asked, waiting for him to elaborate. "I feel like there's more to that statement."

Yet all you received was silence.

"Lave?"

".....you remind me of owls, too..night owls. So...I may call you "Little Owl" around the others.."

You blinked, his change of tune being most surprising.

"Ah..sure. I do like that nickname, too, thank you." You nodded, watching him go back to playing with the yarnball like nothing happened.

Like he didn't just say something overly religious and cryptic.

"For the record...maybe they would've felt better hearing "Little Owl" at the event today."

He responded with a humming noise, and you knew that meant "I'm done talking today". So you went back to finishing up your paperwork, knowing you'll have to send him to Home Sweet Home soon as it was getting late.

Although you didn't outwardly show it, you weren't sure whether to be concerned or flattered by him equating you to a savior and speaking about you and the Prototype in the same sentence.

No matter how or where he learned that word, it's clear that he thought of you when he first discovered the meaning of it...so he held it dear to him.

You'll let this slide and allow him to call you that in private.

Only because it made him happy.

[cupids-chamber]

♡. WHEN CROWLEY DECIDES that the boy's need a dosage of learning to prepare for the 'future' and sets everyone up in pairs to take care of a fake baby that mimics a real one. @ ; Gender neutral reader / Crack (In some parts) / Fluff ## heartslabyul + pomefiore + octavinelle / scarabia + savanaclaw + diasomnia

. ACE TRAPPOLA ; “Why does this gremlin look like us?” he asks nonchalantly, waving his hands towards the baby. The child looked way too real to be fake, though Crowley had informed everyone beforehand that the child was in fact fake, and was made to take after its caretakers.. They seemed real.. And you wouldn’t put it past Crowley to kidnap a couple thousand kids, I mean he technically did the same to you.. So it can’t be that uncommon.. Plus it would save him some cash if he actually did that. 

The baby was asleep when it first came into your possession. You swear you saw Ace lose his sanity a tad bit when it first cried, that should have been a red flag.. Alongside his literal meltdown when he was confused as to what he should do, you watched and humored his worries, by putting needless concern and teasing him. You swear you saw him take a breath of pure relief when the child stopped crying and began drinking its milk. 

The child indefinitely had insomnia because it just wouldn’t fucking let you two sleep.. At all.. Ace wanted to commit a crime, he thought it would be peaceful having a month off classes.. And since the child was fake it would all end well, Right? Wrong. The baby was artificially designed to look exactly like the two of you, which was bad because you couldn’t help but grow attached to it.. And that wasn’t the worst part, It acted like a real child.. and functioned like one too. You were now 99% sure Crowley kidnapped a bunch of orphaned newborns and put a sort of disguise spell on it.

The two of you even named the kid.. Well Ace just continued to call it a little gremlin, and you ended up joining him. It was much easier, and well.. The child was a gremlin.. The child was growing fast, and it was torture. It would pull your hair, tamper with Ace’s make-up. Fuck with your supplies and tools, and was genuine hell to work with. But that’s not to say the child was all bad, it was cute. And the three of you grew quite close together. 

When it was time for your Little gremlin to go, the two of you were completely heartbroken. Over the past month, the two of you grew closer together as a pair, hell Ace even confessed. It was sweet, and now you little gremlin had to leave you both. “WE’LL MISS YOU” you yelled as Crowley took the kid away from you both, sure Crowley was an excellent matchmaker for the two of you but what the fuck?!?

. DEUCE SPADE ; Deuce grew up with care and was surprisingly well trained in the art of taking care of a child, the moment the baby was given to you, it started crying. Yet Deice was fully prepared for this event in advance, it was actually a rather adorable sight. However, you didn't get to view the full scene, as Deuce ushered you away to get your supplies for the baby. 

You heard that the Child was supposedly supposed to take after the two of you, yet a part of you doubted the fact but when Deuce pointed out the similarities you began taking notice of it as well.

Was Deuce an expert child specialist, you weren’t quite sure… But he was exceptionally good at taking care of the little demon that was now in both of your possession. The first few hours went by pretty fine, since Deuce was quite skilled in taking care of children.. You were actually quite shocked when he asked you for help, but the scene was worth it. 

The three of you would play together, go on picnics, and do a bunch more fun stuff; which led to the three of you quickly growing attached together, he even gave the little demon with legs a name. Everything about this experience was fun and enjoyable, and you couldn’t help but grow used to it. Though it was quite odd, the little demon seemed to have quite a lot of patience for a child, you don’t think that was normal. You even asked Deuce about it; he then explained to you how throughout his earlier years, he had been a remarkably calm child to deal with..

When it came time for the two of you to give up your precious child, you swore you could see Deuce shed a tear. And you were quite sure that Crowley purposefully, meticulously planned this event; since he handled taking your demon away from you and turning the device off, much slowly, then the others. 

. RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS ; Riddle was not ready for this— One normal school day with peace dear heavens.. Mercy on his soul. (Something yuu should be saying but ok Riddle be dramatic mr mommy issues 🙄) Immediately hands the kid over to you, he does not trust himself. And that’s a lot coming out from Riddle the housewarden of Heartslabyul—Himself..

He’s trying.. He truly is.. He’s putting in his best effort.. But his mother didn’t raise him right and he sure as hell is worried that he’ll make a slight mistake in parenting.. Even if the ordeal is fake.. He is 100% inclined to pretend this is in fact real? Why because that monstrosity of a child looks like the both of you and takes after him mostly and that is creepily burdening, almost like Crowley planned this thoughtfully like a well planned, carefully coordinated villain but that cant be it because he slacks in every other fucking field there is. (And Riddle also wants an A) 

Ever had a nagging housewife of your own? No.. well be prepared to have one, because Riddle expects you to get off that high couch and get your fine ass down on the carpet, you both shall dedicate all your time to the baby that obviously took a lot out of him, like imagine waking up and getting handed your child first thing in the morning? Truly the gift of life is so unbearable. WHY ARE YOU STILL ON THE COUCH.

‘Y/n L/n if you do not come out of the goddamn bathroom and join us for this fucking playdate, I will destroy your fucking phone — sincerely Riddle’

Most definitely sends you paragraphs and paragraphs worth of texts and etc, starts acting like a nagging husband. You can’t even tell what's real or not anymore, bro you have to leave your friends with a “I gotta check on my wife” type of goodbye. (He’s not as controlling as he sounds I swear, you both are having fun but he can be.. extra.)

. TREY CLOVER ; Trey and you had actually recently started acting on both your feelings, not necessarily confessed but the two of you were definitely having this flirting session. Like edging into dating but you both haven’t really decided to make things official yet. And as of current times, Trey was giving you some freshly baked cookies catered to your tastes. He loves expressing his feelings through baked goods, giving you sweets, etc as a means to express himself.. And it was at this moment did Crowley end up announcing his stupid bogus plan and idea.. That he most definitely was serious about.

Trey had always given a responsible vibe to you, he just had this aura that radiated.. well.. you couldn't explain it. But you were quite sure that he'd be good with kids... and you were right. Though he did look kind of nervous and worried, he pulled through quite quickly though. He carried the child with shaky arms, and you could swear he was glaring daggers into Crowley. 

The entire class was filled with baby noises and a bunch load of struggling teenage men's voices. It was a funny sight to any normal civilian, and it would be to you too.. If you weren’t suffering the same fate as all the boys in the class. Trey thankfully got a clean pacifier and shut the thing up..

. CATER DIAMOND ; Cater was well.. Um shocked? Taken aback.. Conflicted.. It was hard to tell.. He seemed to have been going through what appears to be the five stages of literal grief in front of you as if it was normal. You were grateful Crowley handed the ‘thing’ to you and not Cater because you doubt in his state, he’d be able to carry the child let alone take care of it.

The three of you were in Cater’s room, and the child sucked on its pacifier as you sat on the edge of the bed; with the kid on your lap, witnessing Cater’s emotional breakdown live. 

“I’m not ready for kids.. I can’t even take care of myself.. nOw KiDs?!/1!/1/!?1//1//1/??!” he babbled on and on, with light curses, and more. 

You raised your hand and explained “Cater you do know.. That this is a project right?” 

“WHEN DID YOU TWO GET HERE?”

. EPEL FELMIER ; Surprisingly skilled in taking care of the little girl you both were given to by the demon that is Crowley, having mainly female figures in his life has presented Epel with outstanding qualities in taking care of children. It was a shocker really, how he was so considerate and able to tell what the child needed. Contrary to his act and front of being manly and his need to prove himself at any given moment, Epel could be so utterly soft and adorable when it came to children. It also didn’t help that the kid looked exactly like a mixture of you both. 

Epel actually shared multiple stories about his time back home, how some of his grandmother's friends would come over and let him babysit their nephews, children, or even grandchildren. They claimed that he had excellent skills when it came to taking care of children, they also teased him alot, claiming that he’d make a great husband in the future. (But he’ll leave that part out in the stories) 

The stories truly explained why he seemed to be so great at taking care of kids. He even taught you some tricks and tricks on how to calm down a kid, some things that maybe you didn’t even know— which made everything all the more interesting. 

“I say we name her Applejack”

“We changed her diaper—gave her food, hell we even read stories and played with her.. Why isn’t she sleeping!” you exclaimed, exceptionally tired as your 5am alarm to check on the baby went off. You sighed, leaning into the armchair on your third cup of coffee that night, this experience is making you dread the idea of kids as a whole.. Why were they so difficult? “Did you give her her pacifier? Also stop drinking coffee dear, have water instead” Epel hands you a cup of water, as you let out a dramatic sigh and then you went on to explain how she keeps on spitting out her pacifier. 

“Let me try; you go and get some rest… you could use it.. !”

. VIL SCHOENHEIT ; Vil Schoenheit was the partner that Crowley had chosen for you, for what reason.. you do not want to know. All you know is that Crewel was yelling at him afterwards, and you only presume he was against the idea just as much as you.. Vil was smart.. But god forbid you work in a group project with the housewarden of Pomefiore.. And unlike before.. This time it was only the two of you.. With an unknown third party who is a literal child. 

I mean— you predicted this much.. Vil had flawless skills in almost everything you’ve so far seen him doing.. Well except that tiny winy (penis) small little conflict with Neige. Thankfully, no problems have so far appeared (in deez nuts) while the two of you were parenting.. And raising.. This.. ‘thing’... you both didn’t name it, and Vil kept calling it little potato. 

You swear Vil was being ultra sus with his lowkey perfect parenting but then he truly came undone (do you get it.. But like… do you get it?) and you for realzies found him tot’s bragging and flexing to a very tired Epel and Rook about his kid. Which is lowkey for realzies not his kid, but you know.

. ROOK HUNT ; It was your first time witnessing Rook actually grow nervous, and at Crowley's announcement no less… Were you expecting anything out of the ordinary today? Not really.. But where Crowley exists there can never be peace. But it was slightly worth it though, watching Rook have an internal meltdown as he held the ‘fake’ child with care. 

It was hilarious, he was stunned, his month hung open and his face was basically a reenactment of: ‘0’, except he was sweating a shit ton as well.. “Rook, do you need me to take the child for now?” Rook immediately snapped out of his trance on queue as he turned away from you. 

Rook, despite being beyond confused and struggling a shit ton to present himself as a normal parent, refused to let you take any of the major workload. It was sweet, but on the first day you vividly remember wearing a suit and greeting the literal baby as if it was a job interview, like “Yes I’ve come to addition for the role of your father little fake ‘child’”

To be honest you weren't quite sure if you could trust him to be in charge of the child..

. AZUL ASHENGROTTO ; Crowley handed the little infant to Azul… Azul. He’s panicking, he’s nervous; his hands get sweaty and shaky, he’s not used to carrying children.. or more so babies.. even if they’re fake.. ‘It’ still behaves and acts like a child, and not to mention how it looks like the carbon copy of you two, is Crowley trying to traumatize the whole of NRC? ‘Well ‘it's’ quite adorable’. 

You quickly and carefully remove the child from Azuls arms, refusing to give it back to him till he’s completely calmed down, he seems rather… taken aback by the entire thing.. Which rightfully so, imagine your headmaster just randomly handing you a child which he claims is fake, that looks and behaves like your partner? It would’ve traumatized anyone really, you’ve just grown rather immune to Crowley’s bullshit. 

Azul was surprisingly good at taking care of the child when needed, he was well coordinated and thoughtful.. He was very responsible and quickly memorized the necessary rules and actions he must do as a child caretaker, you were quite weirded out by the sheer dedication he had.. But Azul is quite the overachiever so it came as no surprise to you. 

The three of you would huddle together and play games with the child in the evening and then read story books together at night, it was fun.. And you even enjoyed your time with the housewarden, his effort was well appreciated as he handled all your little sea shell’s temper tantrums and meltdowns well. You didn’t have to put much of an effort, really. But you did regardless, since.. Well, the child looked so like you it would be weird not too.. It just felt wrong. 

Before you knew it, you two started acting like a divorce couple (Who obviously are still in love) trying to impress their kids and gain more attention from the other. (Floyd wins this game, he keeps stealing you kid.)

. JADE LEECH ; Jade was amused by Crowley's assignment. Questions as to how Crowley had gotten his hands on so many con children that could perfectly impersonate two different students filled his head; while you remained purely horrified by the fact of partnering up with Jade… ‘Does he even know how to manage a child?.. probably…? I mean Floyd most definitely didn’t live on his own.. He would have probably been in jail if he was living alone’

Contrary to your worries Jade had presented himself as a great help to you, he offered to bring the materials you required and more. He even helped set up his dorm room to be more baby proof, and though Floyd’s visits did often bother you and kid… he worked out solutions and helped everything stay in order. 

Hell he even tried recommending a lot of family games and etc, though you had to most graciously decline his offer for a family hiking trip… for mushrooms… (You also had to decline his offer for mushroom flavored baby food)

. FLOYD LEECH ; Floyd surprisingly was very calm.. I mean the two of you were paired not because Crowley chose so, he just grabbed you and your poor fate was decided.. And then the process of manufacturing the realistic dolls went on for a week, you were 100% sure it wasn’t dolls but in fact real babies with dyed hair or a spell on them of sorts, and Crowley just spent the week planning a heist to kidnap the babies. 

Floyd was a surprisingly good parent, not perfect by any means but only Crowley would imagine that a fancy Schmancy college filled with (mostly) privileged wealthy boys would be able to take care of a bunch of kids (Newborn/infants at that).. Hell you heard some rumors that some people got twins and even quadruplets.. (Which added to your baby heist theory)  

Floyd held the bottle to the little eel’s mouth and watched the ‘thing’ drink (you two haven’t gotten a name for it, so you both just call it little eel or eely), while carefully listening to your baby heist theory; providing nods and a bunch of “uh huhs” and “mhms” in response, as you went in tremendous detail with your little white board. 

Also Floyd most definitely flexes his little demon to Jade and disturbs his time with his kid, “Look at my kid, it’s so incredible” energy.(Soccer mom but dad version vibes)

© cupids-chamber, do not repost, plagiarize, translate, or adapt my work without prior permission and or confirmation.

[koolades-world]

did y'all ever have to do that egg baby project as kids? i did and my partner was shit but i protected that egg with my life i tell you. I created the best little home for my baby no matter how many times it got dropped it was perfectly intact. she might've just been an egg shell but she was my child haha. i kept her for a few years until i eventually donated it back to my middle school to use as an example. her name was summer :)

anyways getting off topic, my spin on that with the brothers with a twist!! what if magic was used to give it artificial life? it's not real of course but it seems very real

enjoy <3

Egg Baby Project w/ Brothers

Lucifer

he acted like he expected the project and knew he'd be paired with you, but he actually didn't and was beyond stressed until you were put together

he knew from the minute he saw the fake baby, he'd quickly grow attached to your little family and would be a little sad when they had to go even though it would be an added responsibility

he's so grateful for you and how understanding you are. the two of you are together most of the time now in his room, getting work done in there and caring for the fake baby

like he predicted, he's a little sad but mostly ready to have his time back, but if you want, you can always come back to his room as it's open invite for you

Mammon

he mentally and physically cheered once he found out you were his partner, and totally shoved it in his brother's faces

he knows he's doomed once he sees this little fake baby you're supposed to care for together because they reminds him of you, down to the little cowlick

he's actually quite good at caring for the fake baby and doesn't need much help from you to do anything, but of course he needs breaks. you two have a good system of passing the baby back and forth!

he's actually upset once the professor takes the baby back after the project was over since he'd come to enjoy caring for it with you, like a little family

Levi

he has to stop being a recluse? count him out. but once he finds out you got assigned as his partner, he's all ears. he'll listen carefully for instructions

his hands are trembling accepting this fake baby because he knows this won't be like caring for henry 1 or 2.0, but also because he can't help but think they look like you

he knows a little, but not enough if he wants to pass this project, so he gets on it and does his research, and asks you once he's able to work up the courage to

he's more than relieved to have his time back, but he misses getting to spend time with you, so he'll find excuse after excuse to drag you into his room to be with you

Satan

you're the ideal partner for a project like this because the two of you have a good understanding of each other and what makes them tick. honestly, anyone else put with him may have been hospitalized once it was over

at first, he's a little annoyed they were just being handed the baby, but he softens up once he realizes the baby you've been given looks like you, someone he considers a best friend

he sometimes needs a minute to collect himself, but he's a great caretaker. better than you, actually. you follow his lead. he does want an A after all

he's not upset that it's over, but he's not exactly happy either. it's bittersweet even though it was short. but, he can always find another excuse to spend time with you haha

Asmo

he's so obsessed with the idea of this project and couldn't hope for a better partner for it!

he will openly admit how much he thinks the fake baby looks like you. he will be trying to coordinate outfits between the two of you for cute pictures

he's great at not only caring for the baby, but he also always manages to make it look easy. how is he so good and looks good while doing it?

he's upset that he has to give it back, but spending time with you makes him happier. he makes you promise to go somewhere nice for dinner that night :)

Beel

he's happy to have been put with you for this project, since he knows you and trusts you with his entire heart

he smiles once he sees you and the fake baby side by side, and he loves that he can see the resemblance. he's happy that even while completing a project he'll still be able to be reminded of you

he does try his best to help and he always tries to not worry about his hunger while working on his project. he does take breaks frequently to eat, but you know it's not his fault and he does wash his hands thoroughly every time

he's not too bothered by the project ending, but if you're upset, he's upset too. if you're happy, he's happy. he just want to validate how you feel since you really pulled your weight

Belphie

he wasn't in class the day the project was assigned so what a surprise it was when you came home with a fake baby

it takes him a little bit to see the resemblance between you and the fake baby

he does try to help as best as he can and he does take less naps, and when he is awake, he's a great help and tries his best because he knows you're only one person. but, from time to time he does need to consult you

tbh he's so ready to give that thing back to the professor. he's ready to have his nap time back haha

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook: Tongue Tied

In which Jungkook starts to get closer to you- and realizes quickly that you don't actually need words to communicate.

Main Tags/Warnings: SFW, Hybrid!BTS x Hybrid!Reader, Wolf!BTS, Dog!Reader, strangers to ???, fluff, some angst, insecurities & very openly emotional reader, Jungkook focus, some manhandling cause it's kook duh, mc is becoming spicy (she growls for example), hybrid problems, Major fluff, some angst

Length: my phone crashed twice

-> Series Masterlist

━━━━━━━━━━━━•♡•━━━━━━━━━━━━

Jungkook was a bit wary of you in the beginning- but it's gotten better.

He's a strong guy after all, and you're so quiet and delicate and- he's hurt his hyungs on accident before, he really doesn't want to end up hurting you. But now, after you've spent some time with them, he's come to grow more relaxed around you, currently zipping up your coat for you before he smiles. "Alright, you know the drill." He excitedly tells you, and you nod, eyes sparkling.

It's something he's sure he'll get in trouble for, sooner or later.

Jungkook has his own apartment apart from the pack-dorms. He's very much a fixed part of the pack, but he's also terribly introverted- so sometimes, he just wants time for himself, alone, some quiet and calm away from everyone else. And that's where you come in- because he's started to sneak you out to sleep over at his place with him, nights filled with movies and games and delicious food cooked after recipes he's found online. He always makes sure to bring you back early mornings before the caretakers will check up on you- but because they only check once a day (something that's concerning him greatly), he can most of the time just leave you at your apartment for a few hours and pick you up later to spend more time with you.

Right now, he's at his home, relaxing on his couch with you cuddling up to him. Jungkook himself isn't all that touchy, usually- but he really doesn't mind you latching onto him at all.

There's a commercial on the TV about a hybrid's sports event- and you chirp up at that. "Me." You point at a swimming hybrid being celebrated by people. "Me, too." You say.

"You did sports too? Swimming?" Jungkook wonders, and you nod.

"Fun." You tell him, and he chuckles, a hand on your back.

"I bet it was." He nods. "Why'd you stop?" He asks, and you become quiet, before you tap your head.

"Break." You try and explain, pointing to your head. "Head.. break." You say.

"Hmhm, Namjoon mentioned that he wondered if something happened to you. How did your head break?" He asks, and for a moment, you seem to think.

You don't know how to explain it. You lack most of the words to put your memories into vocabulary Jungkook would understand- but then you spot the newspaper near the table, and get up to pick it up.

Jungkook has sat up now, watching as you roll the paper magazine up, sitting on your knees in front of the idol on the couch. Your hands curl his fingers around the roll of newspaper, before you lift his wrist-

Softly making him hit your head with it.

And he understands.

He wishes he didnt- but he does.

You repeat the action again, and again, and again, and he's frozen for a second, horrified from the revelation. "Break." You say. "Make.. stupid." You try and explain, and he can't help but carefully pull his hand out of yours to let the papers fall to the floor, his hands instead pulling you close to his chest where he holds you. His ears are pinned back, tears stinging his eyes.

He hates that he knows exactly what you're trying to tell him.

Namjoon was right all along then- you're probably not a category five, but rather still suffering from the consequences of what your old home had put you through- and somehow, deep down, Jungkook doesn't want to know the full extend. He can't even imagine what must've happened to give you such extensive injuries that you're still struggling to recover to this day. It's not fair. It wouldn't be fair on anyone, but especially on you. You're too sweet to have been put through stuff like this.

And you only prove his point when he feels your hands on his head, carefully petting his ears to calm him down.

"Ears- yoongi. Yoongi happy." You tell Jungkook, who nods with a tight lipped smile. "Jungkook.. like?"

"Hm, I don't.. usually I don't like when people touch them cause they're really sensitive." He says. "But you can pet them all you want. I don't mind." He smiles, and you nod, tail wagging.

"I like." You say, pointing at his lips.

"My lips?" You shake your head. "Oh, you mean smile? You like my smile?"

"I like you'smile." You repeat a bit clumsy. "Jungkook.. happy. I like." You tell him, and he melts at that, pulling you back into his arms.

"I like it when you're happy too."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

There's a big problem, and he doesn't know how to solve it- or more so, if he even wants to solve it.

Jungkook has a crush on you.

I mean, how can he not? He doesn't truly feel bad about it because you're his age- you're not someone who can't understand things or isn't capable of grasping the situation around you. You're not even truly struggling to communicate with him anymore- both of you having developed some sort of own language to make sure the other knows what you're thinking. And you're definitely pretty- not just by looks alone.

He doesn't care you're not the same predator wolf hybrid that he is- you're more than that, more than just your floppy ears and curled fluffy tail.

It's early, and you're a bit grumpy- but you know you can't stay in and risk being caught by a caretaker, so you slowly drag yourself into a sitting position. "Here-" Jungkook walks in, your mouth already open to receive the toothbrush he puts in with a chuckle. "-we can have pancakes for breakfast later, if you want?" He asks, and at that your eyes cracked open, tail wagging. "..I take that as a yes. Now come on, get your butt up!" He teases as you get up to follow him into the bathroom.

He can see himself living like this permanently.

Though of course, things would be easier if he didn't have to drive you back to the company building every morning at the crack of dawn just to keep up the illusion you've been staying at your apartment, but it is what it is at the moment, so he just rolls with it.

Everything goes smoothly again this morning, and while he has to leave you at your place after all because some schedule came up for him, he still doesn't miss picking you up late evening again to bring you with him.

You wonder if he knows that you won't be around forever. It doesn't seem like he does, and if he does, he either doesn't care or doesn't show that it's bothering him. It's hard to tell.

Jungkook is a sweet guy. He's the kind of guy you'd have hoped to meet when you were older back when you were just a pup, but now that you did, you realize how out of reach he really is. Not because of his social stand, but rather because.. well, why would he want to be with someone weird and broken like you? He probably just has some sort of.. Savior complex with you, or his nurturing instincts flare up whenever you're around. It happens a lot to other hybrids after all, this sudden need to take care of you fueled by your struggles day in day out. It's upsetting to you, and its why Namjoon is always such a breath of fresh air; together with Yoongi and Seokjin, they never pity or baby you.

Though you don't mind being babied by Jungkook, you won't lie.

Though right now, in this moment, you're both sitting on the couch with heads bowed and ears drooped in shame while Yoongi and Namjoon shake their heads. "Do you know how much trouble you could get in? Get her in?" Namjoon worries, and at that Jungkook sighs.

"I.. I just never got to spend time with her.." he mumbles quietly, and you instantly look towards him at that, wanting to reassure him, but you've realized too how dangerous what you've been doing has been.

"I know." Yoongi sighs. "But you could've told us about that. We would've helped- Jungkook we're a pack. You can't always do shit like that on your own." He explains, before walking into the bedroom with you to pack your stuff up.

Namjoon simply picks up some crumpled newspaper from the floor before putting it on the table- and at that, Jungkook remembers your conversation yesterday. "Namjoon.." he starts, staring at the paper on the table. "..you were right."

"Right with what?" He asks, sitting down on the couch next to the wolf hybrid.

"Her." Jungkook explains. "She.. yesterday we saw something on TV, and she told me she did sport's swimming at some point." He retells the events. "And so I naturally asked why she stopped. And she.." jungkook moves to grab the newspaper, smooths it out before he rolls it up and hits Namjoons head gently with it. "That. She did that, and told me her head broke from it."

Namjoon runs his hands over his face.

"I suspected something like that." He shakes his head. "I was hoping I was wrong though." The leader says, leaning back.

"Well, at least she's here now." Jungkook nods to himself. "They.. whoever it was, they can't hurt her anymore. And we can make sure she'll be fine from now on."

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When you wake up the next day, it feels off.

Your room is quiet, interior brightly lit by the sun outside shining into your windows. Your roll over underneath the covers to move the clock on your bedside table towards you.

1:43 PM.

That's strange. You're typically woken up by staff at 9 AM, when someone will check on you and bring you breakfast- typically from one of the cafes close by. But today, it seems like they forgot you. Or maybe you just didn't notice?

No. When you walk into the main living area with the kitchenette and small table there, there's no food. Everything's still untouched from last night when Yoongi had brought you back, plastic bag with your stuffed animals you'd left previously at Jungkook's place still hanging on the edge of the chair at the kitchenette. No one's been here since yesterday.

You've really been forgotten.

You stare at the empty table for a moment, before you yawn and stretch your limbs, simply walking closer to take a pastel purple chipmunk plush out of the plastic bag to sit on one of the chairs. Another one, a white rabbit, sits on the opposite chair.

It's not the real thing- but it feels a bit more crowded like this.

You've never had a problem with being alone, which had been something many hybrid-specialists called 'not the norm'- because dog hybrids are typically very social and dependend on people. But it never bothered you, in fact, you feel like it's honestly easiest like this. You can take care of yourself after all, it's not like you're mentally or physically incapable of it. But when you open the fridge, you're reminded why you need the people around you so much.

Apart from a small plastic cup of strawberry flavored yogurt, and two bottles of water, there's nothing in there.

And even after eating the sweet treat, you're left hungry, naturally. You try and pass time by sitting at the table practicing your speech with the stuffed animals you've seated there, before you move to watch some TV. Bit by the time the clock hits 8, you're too hungry to concentrate on any plot you're watching unfold on the large screen in front of you.

So you brush your teeth, wash your face, and go to sleep.

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It's 2:12 PM the next day, and no one's been there yet again.

You're worried now. Have you done something wrong? You like to be alone from time to time, but you also are a dog hybrid down the line. You're starting to feel lonely. Abandoned, even.

You don't have a phone, so you can't contact anybody. And you can't leave on your own, because you don't know the passcode to your own apartment to get back in later. And it wouldn't even do anything either if you knew it- you don't have any money to buy food even if you wanted to.

You drink a bottle of water in hopes of filling your stomach, before you sit in front of the TV again. But your hunger makes it hard to concentrate on anything yet again, as you let yourself fall to your side, frustration making you choke up on tears you don't want to shed. Maybe they'll be here soon. Staff will be here today. They have to.

But no one ever enters your apartment the entire day, not even when the sun sets and dips everything in orange and gold.

Only when it's dark outside does the lock of your apartment chime happily with the correct code input- and you immediately snap upright on your small couch, head looking towards the entrance.

When the person turns on the lights however, it's not staff. It's Jungkook, who seems a little confused for a second, before he brightens up. "Hey pup-oof!" He exclaims surprised when you race into his chest, holding onto him with your tail wildly wagging. He laughs at first, holding you close before closing the door behind him- until he notices you shaking. "Puppy? Baby, hey-" he says, concerned, moving you a bit away from him. "Hey what's wrong? What happened?" He asks, and you sniffle.

"Nothin'." You shake your head, not wanting to get the staff in trouble in case it wasn't their fault. "Jus.. happy." You say, and Jungkook nods- though he's wary. Your loudly complaining stomach makes him laugh, before he suddenly seems to turn serious.

You're still in your pajamas, and they smell like you've worn them for a while, not just for a night.

With a suddenly serious face, he walks closer to the kitchenette, opening the fridge, before he looks in the other- mostly empty- cabinets. "When.. was the last time someone checked up on you?" Jungkook worries, and you don't give him an answer, though your nervous face gives him all he needs to know. "How long?"

"Uhm.." you start, looking around as if to search for the word. "Two?" You say, hoping he understands. "Yes'day. No.. day- before yes'eday." You tell him. "But! Yo- uh.. snack!" You point to the fridge. "Me! I.. have snack, yes'day." You tell him, but it doesn't seem to really make him feel any better.

Jungkook instead takes out his phone, sending a few text messages to the boys back at the dorms about the situation, before he walks closer to you. "Go pack some clothes, okay? You'll stay with me for a bit."

"But, no?" You point towards him.

"Hm yeah I know they said you can't, but this isn't up to them anymore." He shakes his head, and so you go to pack up just like he'd asked you to. He knew something was already up the last day he'd picked you up- he doesn't want to know how often this already happened before.

And this time, he won't back down and do what the company wants him to.

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While the hole incident with the missing staff is being investigated, the company basically gave him the okay to take care of you at his own apartment for the time being. And he absolutely loves it.

It's refreshing to him how he can be who he is without having to fear any kind of negative reaction from it. At this point, he's become so used to hiding his hybrid behavior that it was almost a bit awkward to see you express it so openly. And maybe that was what was freaking him out a little about you at first. Made him wary of you, so to speak.

But right now, all that is thrown out the window as he playfights with you over the blanket you'd stolen from his bed.

It's not like he doesn't want you to have it- you can have anything you want if you asked, but you has just taken it without his permission. And considering he's still a wolf hybrid at the end of the day, a type of predator hybrid that is a bit different in how they experience their own instincts, he's not having it. He considers you part of his pack after all-

And a pack needs order, and order comes from rules being followed.

You're still holding onto it even when he pulls you over his floor a bit- something that makes your tail wag as you realize his strength over you. But you also growl at him from your spot down on the ground, something that sets him off. No matter how cute you are, no matter how much he likes you, he won't let you play around with him like that. So he pulls you up at the edge of the blanket you're still holding onto, arms high above your head letting go of the fabric in shock of the way he holds onto your wrists now. Your tail at this point has stopped wagging, slowly lowering down- but you're not yet backing down.

He's not doing anything, simply looking at you, jaw clenched for a moment as he waits for you to finally submit- and it doesn't happen instantly, though it starts when you suddenly can't seem to look at him any longer. "No, attention back here, pup." He demands, making you whine as your tail finally tucks between your legs, body loosing all tension as you back down. "That's it." Jungkook chuckles, letting go of your hands- though you immediately hug him, something he's expected to happen.

It's been a while since he's witnessed hybrid behavior so openly like right now, even though he's a member of a pack filled with full blooded wolf hybrids. Maybe that's what's causing all those issues? The fact that they're playing humans, when they're clearly not?

He himself, right now, has never felt so comfortable. Or at least hasn't in years.

He chuckles as you rub your cheek against his sweater, something you've done yesterday as well when he'd brought you over to his place. You're scenting him, and he knows you're stealing his blanket and pillows and clothes because you want to match up with him. You want to make sure you smell like him, so that the pack will recognize you as a member. It's something he's sure the other members don't actually truly think about anymore- but to you, it's important. To you, it's part of your life as a hybrid.

And maybe that's your way of helping them. By teaching them how to be themselves again.

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When he brings you over to dance practice the next day, the members seem a bit unsure for a moment.

It's not until Jungkook himself realizes that, while he's spent a few days with you now and has probably developed back into a more proper wolf hybrid, the rest of the band isn't used to that anymore. But maybe this is a good chance to show them what they're currently missing.

"Yah Jungkook, be careful with her, yeah?" Jin calls out, sighing when Jungkook does absolutely not listen to him- though his ears clearly show that he's heard him. He still pulls you back by your ankle when you try and slip from his arms on the floor, your laughter however clearly showing that you're aware he's not actually any threat despite his manhandling of you. "What's with him today?" Seokjin sighs, looking at Yoongi in the corner on his phone.

"What do you mean?" the rapper asks, glancing up to watch the scene between you and Jungkook. "He's playing with her." He shrugs, making the singer look back at you both to watch some more.

Taehyung walks in as well, equally as interested in the way the youngest of the group chases after you, who playfully growls at him while you hold onto his bottle of water. To any human staff present, it makes no sense why you would steal a bottle, and why Jungkook would be so interested in getting it back- but to the band members, it finally clicks.

"She smells like him too." Seokjin mentions absentmindedly, as if he's just realizing it. It's clear now that he's simply forgotten what you're both doing. "I haven't seen him laugh like this since he was a trainee."

"Yeah." Taehyung agrees quietly from the side, feeling almost a sense of longing at the way you both seem so carefree, while everyone else seems exhausted already. It feels odd to him, as if they're not a part of it anymore- like they're not a pack at all, but Jungkook and you are. And to him, it's even weirder that he doesn't know what to do to join in. But he should, right? He's a wolf hybrid too. So why does he feel so helpless?

Suddenly, you almost bump into him- looking at him for a moment, unsure what to do it seems. He smiles, and you smile back, tail wagging. "You're playing with Jungkook?" He asks, and you nod, when the singer in question walks up to the both of you, petting your head as he walks past. "I heard you're sleeping at his place right now." He tells you, and you nod.

"She steals the blankets at night!" Jungkook chimes up playfully scolding you. "Don't let yourselves be fooled, she's an absolute brat!" He laughs, making everyone chuckle at the scandalized expression on your face.

"Not!" You bark at him, and at that Taehyung can't help but laugh.

"I'd disagree too." He hums, pulling you closer to him, hand on your shoulder almost protectively. "She's an angel, aren't you?" He asks you, and you nod with an innocent expression.

"Lies, I did not give her my shirt for an example!" Jungkook laughs, and you hug Taehyung at that, though you turn your head to talk to him.

"But!" You defend yourself, thinking how to say it. "Pack! Me- pack." You huff, and while Jungkook chuckles and agrees, everyone else suddenly realizes what you've just said.

You're part of the pack. Sure, yeah, they've kind of said it before as well, and yeah of course they say it here and there as if it's nothing. But the way you say it, right now, kind of sparks something entirely different in everyone- and it's clear that everyone thinks the same way, as they share glances. They're all a pack-

but why doesn't it feel that way, right now in this moment? In fact, why hasn't it felt like that in forever?

It's like a sudden wave of realization hits everyone, and Taehyung in his position with you so close can't help but feel the sudden urge to scent you as well. He himself doesn't even smell like pack anymore. No one does, in fact. Why not?

"What if we.. asked again to have her stay at the dorms with us?" Namjoon wonders suddenly. "It's clear that staff has failed to properly look after her, and with us, she'll always have someone to watch over her." He asks, and everyone nods after a moment or two, agreeing.

"And whenever we have practice, she comes along anyways." Yoongi nods from the side. "Army already knows her. Accepts her." He reminds everyone, and you look around in excitement.

And clearly, your look of pure happiness is enough to convince everyone.

Now they only need to convince management.

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[chubs-deuce]

First off, love your work! Your art is phenomenal!

Though, I am rather curious. We've seen Lucifers reaction to finding out about Dawn, but what about the other residents of the hotel? I can't imagine Angel, Vaggie, Husk, and Nifty have an exactly pleasant reaction. Nifty because babies are messy, Husk because it's Alastor and ew??? he made a baby???, Angel because what was the sex like, and Vaggie because her (current? ex? never dated in this au?) girlfriend just popped up with a child that she apparently had with someone who's the literal worst. I guess I more or less answered my own question, but I'm still curious how you think they'd react. Perhaps even Lilith if you think that's something you can tackle with our limited information about her? I can honestly imagine her storming out of Heaven, kicking down the hotel doors, and scooping up little Dawn for Nana time. Maybe she even brings Alastors mama with her at one point as a small thank you to him for giving her a grand baby, but she probably has the same reaction to him as Lucifer and doesn't like him much. Lol

Also, you've probably talked about it before, but what were Charlie and Alastor trying to do when they accidentally conjured Dawn? You mentioned a spell/incantation or something, but what was it for?

One last question: I once saw a similar comic where Alastor accidentally made a baby with Angel and, upon trying to decide what to do with it, Alastor proceeded to try to (pretend to.... I hope) eat the baby. Did Alastor do the same thing in this situation or would he do something somewhat similar? What would Charlie have done if he'd tried?

Oh!!! What a wonderful ask to receive and get to pick apart/build upon!!!

First of all I'm so glad you like my art, thank you so much! :D

Secondly I'll happily give my take on everything you've just brought up - you're making many great points and I agree with a lot of them too :DD I'm gonna give my input under the cut since this got hella long lmao:

Question 1: how would the other hotel residents react?

I already agree with pretty much most of your ideas!

I personally think that they wouldn't just spring the news on the residents without Charlie being Charlie and wanting to make sure that whole thing goes over well (and correctly) and insisting on giving the context upfront first before any crass assumptions can be made!

So while Angel would be disappointed at the lack of implied sex to prod them about, I do think he'd take a liking to the baby p much immediately. He used to have a lot of extended family growing up under the circumstances that he did, so I like to imagine he slips into a kind of older brother/caretaker/babysitter role fairly easily! Not to mention he's one of the most emotionally intelligent members of the cast, so I think he'd also pick up on Charlie's emotional turmoil fairly quickly and become a great source of support early on.

Husk would definitely be weirded out, but more worried for the offspring and how much Alastor could potentially corrupt an innocent creature that harbors unknown amounts of immense power given her heritage by being given the freedom to raise her in his image. He does inevitably grow to care a lot more about her over time.

Niffty definitely doesn't like Dawn until she's old enough to start cleaning up after herself properly - by then Dawn has already developed a mischieviously playful personality, so Niffty easily manages to rope her into shenanigans such as bug hunts or stealing someone's diary or sth.

Vaggie's a tricky one since I haven't yet decided where she stands with Charlie.

Vaggie has every right to be extremely wary of Alastor and his motives (even after his efforts in the battle against Adam), she absolutely hates the idea that this freak managed to procreate - and with someone as innately powerful as Charlie nonetheless! But she also cannot deny that the child is ultimately not at fault in the slightest and undeserving of her ire, so she comes to the conclusion that the best she can do to prevent this fucker from influencing her negatively is to monitor their interactions and interject to keep the kid on the "right" track morally speaking.

Part of me wants to make it so they mutually broke up after Charlie made her deal with Alastor (Vaggie would've had a justified reason to be upset with her for being reckless and Charlie would've still been upset with Vaggie for keeping such a huge secret from her for years, so a fight would make the most canonically compliant sense here)…

…but I also think that keeping her and Charlie purely platonic from the get-go with Vaggie still working her way out of the militaristic mindset that was drilled into her in the past will generally be easier for me to successfully pull off.

This may or may not result in Vaggie trying to teach a five years old Dawn to fight with a spear that her little hands can barely even hold in the name of self defense :'D

As for Lilith… I don't know if I'll even really touch on her in the story? Mostly bc I have no clue what any of the clues we've gotten so far could mean for her personality-wise ^^" She could be the worst mom in the history of moms or the woman we saw by the beach was secretly Eve all along or maybe Lilith is actually playing some kind of 6d chess we don't see all of the pieces of for everyone's greater good - it's too many variables to really come to any one conclusion ^^"

I'll have to think about it in more detail later down the line…

Question 2: What were Charlie and Alastor trying to do when accidentally conjuring Dawn?

See, the exterminations are still happening bi-yearly now that Lute is in charge and Sera refuses to lift a finger to keep them in line, so the thirst for vengeance continues to go unquenched, only growing as time passes.

Great question, and one with an answer!

To add to that, Emily and a handful of others in heaven are getting worried about some ominous visions archangel Ramiel has been having and thought it best to entrust Charlie with Lucifer's old grimoire (that he wrote before he fell).

The reason? It appears in some of Ramiel's visions and they're hoping there's some kind of helpful thing in there.

And, more importantly, it's written in an ancient angelic language, one that Charlie isn't fluent in.

The spell they used to create Dawn is actually titled something Charlie translated to "Tool Of Infinite Potential"

So Charlie thought huh! Maybe this can help protect us better in the next etermination without relying on dad again or has some other hidden purpose I'm not yet privvy to that will help with restoring balance to heaven? It's scribbled across the last two pages of the book.

The spell requires at least two casters - so clearly it must be a powerful one, right?

The only people coming to mind powerful enough to handle that sort of magic would be Lucifer and Alastor - but considering the grimoire is written more like a diary and Charlie is very certain she wasn't meant to even have it to begin with, her father falls out of the equation.

So… they were techincally always trying to create Dawn, they just didn't know it yet due to a translation error :'D

That left Alastor, who then talked her into giving it a shot.

What neither of them knew yet was that Charlie mistranslated the spell - it's not "Tool" of infinite potential, but "Vessel". What is the forbidden offspring of an angel but a vessel of infinite potential? To raise up and teach whatever knowledge and beliefs you want?

Question 3: Would Alastor try to eat the baby?

No :'DDD

He's unhinged, yes. He doesn't normally like children - that is also correct.

Also Alastor is nothing if not an opportunist and after the initial surprise and shock and double-checking their notes to make sure they performed the ritual correctly… There's two things happening in his brain.

But I don't think he'd just try to fucking. Eat a child that was a rather costly fucking thing to make - sucking up not only materials and hours of planning but also one of his shadow minions, his blood and a literal piece of his soul.

Maybe he'd joke about it eating it to remove it after seeing Charlie vastly more in distress about the whole ordeal? But not really mean it, if so, yet still receiving a horrified glare from the princess lol.

Firstly: This child is equal parts him and Charlie - he recognizes the chance to mold and shape a young demon that might be on par with Charlie in terms of power in his image.

Secondly: He's hyperaware that he talked Charlie into doing this ritual, the baby undeniably looks like it's his - he's as much to blame here as her mistranslation.

There's a responsibility there for him, as both participant and not quite willing donor. That child has a literal piece of both of their souls in it and I genuinely don't think his internalized misandry and planet-sized pride would allow him to be like the deadbeat dads he's offed quite a few of in life now that he's put in a similar position. He would want to be better than his own father at least - especially if he wanted to succeed at shaping this kid completely to his will.

THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK!!! I hope this wasn't too bothersome in length to read through ^^" (even tho I had a blast writing this up all evening lol)

Have a great day <3

[lurkingshan]

Be My Favorite and the Perils of Getting What You Think You Want

This show continues to astound me with how smart it is; it truly does get better and better every week. In this episode, Kawi finished fixing everything on his list - saving his dad, growing closer to Pear, repairing friendships with Max and Pisaeng - and headed back to the future to reap the rewards. And once we got there, we realized very quickly that getting what he thought he wanted did not in fact fix his life.

This new Future Kawi is a successful recording artist, he is still friends with Max and Pisaeng, and he got to be in a long-term relationship with Pear. But his dad still died, his relationship with Pear fell apart, and he is now struggling with alcoholism. He is deeply unhappy, and the things he thought he wanted did not actually result in the kind of life he hoped he would have. Connecting with Pisaeng again only seems to reinforce that he’s been looking in the wrong place for what he seeks, and he is not done with the work to get there.

This is a genius turn of events. I am impressed that the show decided to pursue the thread of Kawi’s alcoholism, which they have been seeding the entire time. We have seen him turn to substances to manage his emotions, we have seen him blow well past his own limits, and we have seen him struggle to maintain control. All of these characteristics left unaddressed can easily result in a substance abuse problem, especially in someone who is not doing the necessary work to address their behavior problems and get to the root of what’s causing their issues.

In this episode, Kawi interrupted his own growth arc midstream to go back to the future, thinking that what he had achieved was enough to guarantee a good outcome. But he was not finished doing the necessary work to deal with his underlying issues and become the kind of person who could be a good partner to anyone, and he was denying an important part of himself. He looked away from his growing feelings for Pisaeng and their implications and instead stayed focused on his original goal of being with Pear, even as he wasn’t entirely certain why he wanted it anymore. He stopped thinking about how to be a better person to the people in his life. He stopped putting in the effort to change. And so in this new timeline he made Pear miserable in their relationship and ultimately still ended up alone. 

Another thing this episode showed us is how very much everyone else in this story is affected by Kawi’s choices. Pear spends years in a bad relationship with Kawi and then gets stuck with a cheating asshole of a husband. Kwan ends up used and discarded. Max is still playing the role of frustrated caretaker to Kawi’s emotional mess. Pisaeng alone seems to have found some peace, and it’s interesting that in this timeline, it was getting away from Kawi and moving on from his feelings for him that did it. Despite that kiss at the end, it’s clear that this version of Kawi is not the one who can be the partner Pisaeng deserves. 

Kawi is not done doing the work to accept his true desires and become his best self, and this narrative is not going to let him take shortcuts. Insert jack shepherd.gif here because WE HAVE TO GO BACK.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Hello ! how are you author-nim?? Can u do yandere emperor with dancer reader who is in reality a princess of another kingdom who ran away from her kingdom bcuz she didn't wanted to marry the old noble man who her parents choose for her for political support.......thank u!!💕❤

I'm doing well, Thanks for asking

🖤🖤🖤🖤

You let out a shaky breath as you bowed, adrenaline still dancing along your nerves despite your performance ending. And as usual the first to clap with others following in rapid succession was your employer and savior the Grand Emperor. Proud and powerful Emperor Roy was always a grand supporter of the arts. As such it wasn’t bizarre for him to have a dancer like yourself. The only thing was his specificity. Too many times had the head caretakers tried to replace you for another or even employing another. 

“What is this filth?! Where’s my dancer?!” 

Even when his highest advisor demonstrated concern, he refuted them all. You were Emperor Roy’s dancer and that was all you wanted to be. Other than sheer terror for the man you worked for you had come to greatly appreciate him for many a time had he made this the profession you loved so dearly. In your earlier days his growing favor over you left you entirely exhausted performing more than seven times a day with different choreographies each. It baffles you to this day how quickly he picked up on your fatigue, immediately summoning those he deemed responsible: your choreographer, the head maid, and your senior dancer–who at this point was practically doing nothing. The choreographer and head maid condemned you for not being ‘strong enough’ but your senior dancer, a woman who was enslaved by the last emperor stuck up for you. 

“She’s exhausted because you keep calling her, your emperorness! She’s got no time to sleep or eat, not with all the dances she’s gotta learn!” 

Despite the court’s visible disgust with her dialect and honesty the Emperor was amused. He fired the choreographer and made your senior your prime caretaker and fellow choreographer. From then on any conflicts were easily solved at simply a look the Emperor got what he wanted. 

You tried pinpointing what had him so interested. Perhaps it was lust seeing as his mistress used to sneer everytime he beckoned you. But when a companion of his openly questioned him, he denied it. Someone of his stature shouldn’t have any trouble doing so.

“No this is nothing like shallow admiration…but I wouldn’t expect a bed-hopper like you to understand.”

You’d never spoken to him. Here, you were beneath him and it’d be an insult to.  He’d spoken to you plenty though. For he was as guilty of demanding private performances as he did public ones. They were typically no different except he’d sometimes pull at your veil–a commonality for someone of your position. He’d talk cryptically speaking of fairytales–typically ones about romances with dark aspects. Your senior suggested it may have been code but for both of your safety you kept your mouths shut. 

Other than that it was perfect. 

Perfect until they came.

“O Great Emperor I beseech you! My sister Princess of my future kingdom has run away and I strongly believe that it is your territory that she hides herself in!” 

You were shrunk into the pillar you were previously waiting behind for your cue. But at the sound of familiar ironclad soldiers with that voice you immediately felt your heart drop to your stomach. In terms of decorum your sister’s entrance seemed to disrupt the court distracting them from your absence but the Emperor was not nearly so gullible. Shooting a look at your senior who swiftly made her way over to you with a worried look on her face.

“What’sa matter suga?”

“I-uh-I don’t th-think I can uh perform. I just don’t-”

“Hey hey it's okay. Guess this haught taughty got you all jazzed up. Don’t worry about it, you know he’ll understand. Now get in bed! Calm those nerves, ya hear?” 

You thank her dashing back to your room barely aware of the chaos you left in your wake. Not many knew what would happen if Emperor Roy did not have his dancer because there had never been a time where he didn’t. But the princess and the court would bear witness when your senior whispered into the monarch’s ear. 

“Your dancer got spooked by the surprise visit. They’re shaking som’thin’ fierce and may be out of commission for a while.”

His slightly peeved expression morphed into seething anger. Blind with rage he cast her out scolding her for her lack of manners for someone claiming to be a future queen. Removing her by force, the court was in disarray, some suggesting he organize a search party, others urging him to apologize and make her his bride. He ultimately ignored everyone, fuming as he completed his work for the day and secluded himself. Refusing to see anyone he was none the wiser to the actions of his mistress. 

Waiting until your senior was fast asleep she slipped into your quarters. With only a single candle to light the darkness of your windowless room she could see you shake and hear your wavering breath. You didn’t notice her until her shadow creeped behind you on the wood floors. 

“W-what do you want?”

You feared she would reach for your neck with those manicured hands and in your current state you’d be helpless to stop her. Instead she held you by your shoulders as she pushed you into the plush of her chest. Triggered once more you sobbed into her silk garments eased into shuddered breaths as she rubbed at your back. Letting her lips brush against your forehead she spoke softly, careful not to startle you further.

“Why are you so scared of the convoy?”

With stray tears you tell her about your identity as the extra princess, your father and mother finding no use for you other than to please some old noble with your hand in marriage. You gripped at her cloth as you voiced your frustration before crumbling into her arms as she rocked you.

“I-i’m not e-even the youngest! My oldest sister will become queen and my little brother isn’t even of age and they plan to let him marry for love! He’s hardly a teenager! Th-they just don’t b-bother to know me or e-even ask!? I just–”

“Shhhh.”

Soothing you through another bout of tears, you eventually calmed to let her speak. 

“You must tell him.”

“But I can-”

“You are of status so you can speak to him and he’d treat you well. Much better than any old noble.”

“B-but I don’t know-”

“You need to tell him. Or else…I will.”

“What?! No no…I will…I’ll try…maybe?”

“...”

“Fine, just give me time.”

She held you well into the night. Gently tucking you in as your breaths became stead and she could pry your fists from her silk sleeves. Shutting the door as quietly as she could, she turned to meet the skeptical eyes of your senior. Raising her head high she passed the glaring dancer as she once again entered the main halls. With steady steps she made her way to the Emperor’s chambers waving away the guards knocking twice before entering. Closing the door she kept her back facing the door as she bowed.

“I have news, your grace.”

_____________________________________________

“Wonderful performance as always! I’m pleased you could bring yourself to perform on my behalf.” 

You deeply bowed internally debating how you’d go about this. The emperor would usually begin his ramblings about now. You felt like a fish with how many times you opened and closed your mouth. Ultimately scolding yourself as the Emperor beckoned you closer to himself. Keeping your eyes away from him you felt him lift your veil. Not flinching at his cold hands wrapping around your chin and tilting your face side to side. 

“I thought I recognized that nose.”

Your eyes snapped open as his fingers lingered along your jaw. If now wasn’t a good time there’d never be one. 

“Uh y-your grace um-”

“You must be the runaway princess then?”

“Y-yes b-but please don’t turn me in I- don-no I can’t go back!”

“Oh? Why not?”

“They intend to marry me to a man thrice my age. I hardly know him anyhow.”

Finally releasing your chin he tapped a finger on his chin as he leaned back into the couch he was leaning on. 

“Then we have quite the dilemma on our hands then.”

“W-we do?”

“But of course! You want to avoid getting married to a slimy dinosaur and I-” He pulled you down to his level; making you lean on the couch so as not to fall on top of him.”-want to keep my favorite dancer.”

“Uhm if you’d like I can be a mistress of yours! I’d still dance for you!”

He chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, no but maybe…as my wife?”

“Wife?! B-but didn’t you refuse all the other duchesses? That one empress?”

“I did. I seem to have been waiting for a perfect princess to fall into my lap. So what do you say? Be my one and only wife?”

“O-okay, uh yeah.”

[suspensefulpen]

A Deal

TW: Restrains, Choking, Death Threats, Whumpee turned Whumper, Whumper turned Whumpee

Whumpee paced the room, doing everything they could to keep their hands to themself. But they were itching to do something. Itching to hurt the chained up Whumper several feet away. The urge only seemed to grow stronger the longer Whumper stared at them.

Before they could stop themself, Whumpee launched themself at Whumper, wrapping their hand around his neck. “It only takes sixty seconds. Remember when you said that to me?” Whumpee growled as their captor struggled to breathe and break free of his restraints. “I can use those same sixty seconds for you. To end your life.”

“Whumpee! Stop!” Caretaker rushed over and pulled Whumpee away. “Enough! I know you want to hurt him the same way he hurt you but right now is not the time, okay?”

“Right now is the perfect time! No one’s around! No one would hear him scream! We’re in the middle of nowhere! They wouldn’t even find his body!”

Both Caretaker and Whumper were taken aback by those words. Whumper more so than Caretaker. Whumpee really just said that in front of a cop. They were that desparate for revenge that they didn’t care who was around.

Caretaker looked over at Whumper. She had no clue what this whole situation was but based on the pure emotion in Whumpee’s voice, there was a long history between the two.

Whumpee lunged at Whumper again but was quickly stopped by Caretaker who dragged them out of the room. Whumper only watched in silence. He could hear Whumpee crying, even as the door was shut behind the two. He heard Caretaker attempting to comfort them before she came back into the room, shutting the door once again. She kneeled down next to him, being sure to keep a little distance.

“You gonna choke me next, Detective?”

“No. I’m gonna ask you what’s going on.”

“Well from what you know an innocent civilian just got threatened.”

“While that is a possibility, I also know raw emotions when I see them.” Caretaker said. “So whatever this is, whatever is going on, you did something to hurt them. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know how you did it. All I know is that if Whumpee’s faking that, they’re a damn good actor. So tell me what’s going on.”

“You saw what was going on. An innocent civilian’s life was just threatened.”

“That’s not the full story. And you know that.”

“That is the full story.” Whumper nodded.

Caretaker leaned forward, a frown appearing on her face. “You know the full story and you’re gonna tell us what it is once I get you to the precinct. I don’t know who you two are to each other but once you get in that room, I want you to tell us everything.”

“Why wait? Let’s get this over with and do it now.”

“Because I can’t force you to say anything. That’s your right.”

“Come on Caretaker, we both know you’re not as sweet as you look. You don’t follow all the rules, do you?”

She was taken aback as she paused to process what Whumper said. She cleared her throat and frowned, turning her gaze elsewhere. “Why is that any of your concern?”

“Because I’m offering you a deal.”

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

So I watched 'A Haunting In Venice' (which I do have opinions™ about) but oh my god Dr Ferrier and Leopold have such a grip on me.

I'm a sucker for wholesome father-child relationships okay

And now I'm thinking of a Yuu that's like Leopold - not in the creepy 'I can speak ghosts and would 100% kill you without question' way but a Yuu that's had to grow up too quickly because they love their dad so much that they'd do anything to help him

A Yuu who has a dad that is so broken by everything that Yuu is his only reason to live - and Yuu knows that which makes their imprisonment in twst even more heartbreaking

A Yuu who's been a caretaker for so long that they don't really think of themselves but knows that if anything happens to them their father would be in even more agony than he already is

A Yuu who's terrifyingly intelligent, who's darker and would play dirtier to get what they want but still has that childish innocence and morality

A Yuu who starts to respond to their PTSD the same way their father did with his and recognising the cycle and trying to make it stop but they can't because for once in their life they need help but have no idea how to ask for it

Honestly I was just thinking of scenarios where Yuu would talk about how the war in their world ruined their father to Lilia and Lilia would just be such a perfect character to vent to

Like I do love child soldier!Yuu and Lilia headcanons but this would be such an interesting dynamic

[moonypears-blog]

As Sofia gets older, I could imagine her going towards age regression, whether by choice or it just sorta happens (if I had a dollar every time I either hced a character as an age regressor or just made an oc that did I'd have like...5 dollars).

She had to grow up too soon too quickly, from her bio dad's death at what I'm assuming to be around 4 or 5, to her life essentially getting thrown upside down at 8 with her new step family, to all of the kingdom/world-saving things she had to go to before even entering middle school age. Age regression would allow her to be the child she never got to be, either by her own choice or her brain going "Yeah you need this" (involuntary regression).

I imagine when she regresses it'd be around her age in the series, in that 8-12 age, or maybe even to roughly 6 like in your Papa fic when it's a particularly difficult time. She'd most likely want to be on her own/isolate herself when/if she feels it coming on, a mix of fear and somewhat shame. I also imagine when Cedric finds out about it (perhaps she involuntarily regresses in front of him bc of a trigger), he'd be an excellent caretaker and he would not want her to be alone during the time she's little in part for caring for her and in part for her safety. The same with Baileywick ngl, the man is basically an uncle to her in the show.

Yes, I've thought about this too! I've actually had a oneshot idea surrounding this for a few weeks now. A scare from a villain, I imagine something similar to what happened in "In Cedric We Trust" scares Sofia into regression, and she's rendered mute from the shock. Cedric's there with her and pieces everything together from her mannerisms and what he's read in the past.

It would definitely be something she tries to keep to herself. I feel like in a way, Sofia's built a lot of her character on being really mature and smart, I have no doubt she's gotten "You're so mature for your age!" Further fueling the expectation of her being above her years, making her feel she constantly has to keep that mask up despite just being a little girl underneath it.

I agree Cedric would be an amazing caretaker for her when she slips around him! He might even feel like it's his chance to have a do-over with younger Sofia, seeing as her little age would have been before his redemption. I think she'd go to him in times she really, really needs comfort when she's in that state, like having a nightmare. (His paternal instincts would also go haywire omg!!!!) I can also imagine him noticing she's slipped whilst out in public, perhaps a ball, and he makes up a reason for her to leave because he knows she doesn't like being regressed around people. "The princess has a bad headache, I'll take her back to her room." "The princess is tired, I believe she left to take a nap." If he can't, then he keeps a close eye on her, offering assistance and comforting her.

I can just see him being so gentle and kind, assuring her it's okay, she's safe with him and she can be a little girl again, he'll handle everything and she can just enjoy feeling young without all of the pressure.

[whumpbug]

whumperless whump event day 5: stealing my breath (give it back) @whumperless-whump-event

wheezing / light-headed

see this post for character information!

caretaker: Cassidy

whumpee: Gene

genuinely decided while writing this about gene having asthma. it flares up in situations like this or when he's sick. Good Whump Content......

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Sometimes, Gene wondered how people lived before having horses.

This sucked.

He silently cursed Sheriff Caufield for being the lazy bastard he was.

Gene was responsible for tracking down and arresting some members of Montana’s gang that had robbed a train car about 2 days ago. Rumor had it that the gang splintered off in order to hide, and were going to regroup in just a week. That meant it was now or never to try and find some of the more notorious offenders and lock them up for good.

The trouble was that the particular lead Gene had been sent to follow was up a complicated and winding mountain trail.

Now, Calliope was a very well trained and easy-going horse. That did not mean that she was scare-proof. If something startled her up there on the trail, and she bucked Gene off, the chance of him falling right down the side of the mountain was too high for comfort. 

So, he was forced to foot it up the steep trail.

And it was miserable.

Gene considered himself a fit man. He sort of had to be, with his line of work and all. Still, he was not this fit and he felt seconds away from toppling over on this damn hike.

One foot in front of the other. Come on, Delaney.

He used a stray root as a handle and hoisted himself up over a small ledge for what felt like the millionth time. He started to wonder if he was even going the right way.

He stole a quick glance at the sun and saw that it had hardly moved from the last time he checked.

He groaned.

Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to sit for a few moments. The smoke trail he’d been following had been steadily growing closer. If he rested now, he’d probably feel right as rain once he barged into the makeshift camp, and he’d probably perform a whole lot better too.

Without giving it too much more thought, he plunked down against a large rock to give himself some semblance of coverage, tilting his head back and trying to catch his breath.

Apparently, it was easier said than done.

Unfortunately, the unceremonious way he lowered himself to the ground kicked up dust all around him, and it was quickly becoming harder and harder to breathe around the particles.

Also, for some reason, his panting wasn’t seeming to slow down. On the contrary, his breathing only seemed to become more erratic.

He suddenly paled when a thought crossed his mind.

When he was a little boy, he remembered being rushed to the doctor after he caught a cold once. He had been struggling to breathe, and his mother didn’t know what else to do.

The doctor had told them that it had been something called an asthma attack. He said that Gene would likely outgrow it, but to be careful, because under the right circumstances, he could always relapse.

This sure as hell seemed like the "right circumstances". 

Gene scrambled to sit up, thumping at his chest with a fist in an attempt to get some air.  Strangled coughs left his mouth, returning as grating wheezes. He would have cursed if he could. 

He tried to cough again, he tried to do anything that would open his airways somehow, but it was no use. It felt like he was breathing through a straw-- like his body was simply going through the motions of inhaling without taking in any air.

He silently wondered if this was how he was going to die. There was no one around for miles except the very group of people that wanted him dead. The odds didn’t seem to be in his favor.

Still, he struggled valiantly for oxygen as black dots danced around his vision. He suddenly felt the strange sensation of his entire body tingling. He wheezed harder.

••••

“I’m gonna go check if there's anything useful down the mountain. I ain't gonna be far. Holler if you hear anything,” Cassidy called out, tucking his revolver into his hip holster and beginning down the rough trail.

The gang’s current situation was… less than ideal. The train job had gone south, and Montana made the quick decision to have everyone split up.

Cassidy ended up with mostly the women and children. He supposed Montana wanted someone he trusted with the less skilled gunslingers.

That was Montana; always thinking two steps ahead. If he trusted Cassidy enough to take care of all these people, then by God he was gonna do it.

And that started with investigating the strange sound coming from down the trail.

Cassidy hadn’t said anything earlier. He didn’t want to scare the little ones, but he was quite certain there was a dying bobcat or coyote or something just a few minutes down, and there was no way in hell he was gonna let it near his camp.

He carefully skidded down a ledge and hopped onto a little patch of dirt. The sound was getting louder now, and he reached a hand down to his hip.

He whipped out his gun as he rounded the corner, aiming it towards the sound and--

In front of him was, in fact, not a dying animal, but the last person Cassidy had expected (or wanted) to see.

And something was very wrong.

Gene was leaned back against a rock, hands clutching frantically at his chest. His eyes were wide and panicked, blinking rapidly as if trying to clear his vision. The worst part, though, were the sickly wheezes and gasps that left him. His lips were tinged pale blue as he fought for every breath he took.

“Shit, Delaney,” Cassidy hissed, crashing to his knees beside the deputy. Deft hands quickly unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt as Cassidy yanked him up to a sitting position.

Cassidy knew what this was. He was no stranger to these kinds of attacks. One of the younger boys in the gang had severe asthma as well. Cassidy was in charge of periodically stealing asthma cigarettes from the doctor when they went into town and--

Right. The box must be at camp.

“Alright, stay right here. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Gene’s eyes flashed with fear, a plea of “don’t leave me.” Another high-pitched wheeze escaped his lips, almost sounding like a word.

“S’lver,” Gene managed, trying to grab at his wrist.

“I know, I know. I’m gonna help. I ain’t gonna leave you. Just gimme a second, would ya?” He huffed, before sprinting away.

Ms. Holly, one of the mothers at camp, stepped forward when she saw Cassidy running to her tent like a maniac.

“Now just what exactly did you see out there-- what are you doing going through my boy’s stuff?!”

“Can’t talk,” was all Cassidy could manage before emerging with the box of cigarettes.

Her further questions were cut off by Cassidy bolting out and back down the mountain.

“Now what in the hell was that about?” She murmured.

Cassidy practically flew down the mountain this time, not caring about watching his step. He found Gene easily, but noted with horror that his wheezes were quieter now-- they were weaker. 

“You’re gonna owe me big time, cowboy,” Cassidy remarked, sparking up his lighter and lighting one of the medicated cigarettes.

Gene was flagging now, eyes glassy and unfocused. He hardly even reacted to Cassidy kneeling beside him and propping him up once again.

Cassidy carefully pressed the cigarette to Gene’s lips, stabilizing him with a gentle hand on his chest.

“C’mon, y’damn idiot, you gotta puff,” Cassidy urged, patting Gene’s chest lightly.

Gene coughed slightly, and attempted to do as he was told. He took a small, sputtering drag of the cigarette, coughing at the bitter taste of the smoke.

“Good, that’s real good. I know it tastes as foul as sin, but it’ll help you. Just keep goin’” Cassidy soothed, his voice surprisingly gentle.

After a few more choked drags from the cigarettes, the color began to return to Gene’s face. He was still wheezing, but he felt like he was actually taking some air in instead of just spasming. 

Cassidy hadn’t noticed that his hand was rubbing up and down the deputy’s spine the entire time.

When Gene's airways finally opened up enough to take a full breath, he collapsed listlessly against Cassidy, panting for sweet oxygen. He looked utterly spent.

“S’lver,” He coughed, reaching up to catch his wrist. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it." His eyes flitted up in the direction of the camp. "I assume this means you’ll turn a blind eye to this?”

Gene nodded, letting his eyes fall shut. He didn’t give a damn what the sheriff would say, he was just grateful to be alive.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

[kiok0r0]

You

Give me the Swapfell lore.

I need to hear why the lads are the way they are.

Okay so to refresh people's memory about like who is in this funky little family

Here is the family (in the younger, not-scarred years)! Their parents fell down just when Rus was five and Helio was eight and ended up living with Grandma Semi. They have a grandpa but he's not pictured.

Helio was born with a magic deficiency which is why his growth was stunted. While growing up, he had taken various vitamins and medications to supplement it. Because of it, his grasp on his magic took him a good long while. He's the only one who's got it in the family. Grandma Semi always bundles him up so he can keep warm and has an extra layer of protection in case something happened and in case he becomes a target of some bullies.

Unfortunately, Helio did get some bullies growing up. Rus stepped in to defend him when the bullying began as Vice and Grandma Semi have told him that Helio's going to need help. Rus didn't mind to help as he hates to see Helio get hurt or scared. Though one day, Rus gets himself hurt when someone tried to attack Helio.

Helio tried to stand up for himself because he was getting tired of Rus being the one to protect him. If Rus hadn't stepped in, the attack would have killed him. The attack resulted in Rus' scar which Rus is kinda proud about as it showed he protected Helio and still will. Rus' scar only reminds Helio that he's failing as the older brother.

It motivates Helio to push himself and get stronger, finding some way to live and work with his magic deficiency. He eventually gets himself into the guard where he then adopts a villain persona to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. No one will stop him or hold him back.

Rus continues to look out for Helio even if Helio doesn't want him to. Though the role of being the caretaker switches a good amount after Rus loses his job at the CORE.

Working at the CORE as an engineer was a dream of his growing up. He was ecstatic when he got accepted and worked his best. Unfortunately, after some accidents that made the Queen wary of what the CORE is doing, his branch was shut down. Rus was given a choice to apply to other available jobs in the CORE. He applied to those and... did not get any of those jobs. Rus fell into depression afterwards, unsure of what to do with himself now that his dreams have been cut short.

Rus definitely spiraled. Badly. So bad that Helio had to tell Muffet and Grillby to only serve Rus water should he ever enter any of their establishments. Grandma Semi thought to help Rus, Rus could be Helio's right-hand man until he figures out something.

Rus was quickly nicknamed "Mutt" by others because he always sticks close to Helio during his patrols. He fucking hates that nickname. But he can't say anything about it or else Helio loses his job. He can't be the reason why Helio loses anything.

He may still be finding his next purpose but he has found his way back to his first purpose in life and that's to make sure Helio's okay.

So uh, yeah. Rus is going through it.

[syncopein3d]

Left Alone 14: His Eyes Have All The Seeming

Tropes/content warnings: M for mature themes overall. Tropes/content warnings: vampire whumpee/caretaker, male whumpee/caretaker, non-binary whumpee/caretaker, morbidity or thoughts of death. There will be a lot of play with, and discussion of, the concept of consent in this series, as it applies to many topics. Mostly we're talking about consent to be bitten, but being bitten in this universe varies from "mild discomfort" through "multiple climaxes" and I don't know where the story will end up yet, so I think it's important to be clear.

In this episode: possession by a spirit, bloody non-fatal injuries, vampire sun damage or sunburn, exhaustion, fainting/loss of consciousness from injuries, choking, threats of death, TW for Latin scholars who can tell how bad the translation is.

If you would like to be added to, or removed from, the tag list of this series, please let me know!

Part 13: Cabin

“Tolly. Tolly, hey.” Someone was shaking his shoulder, familiar heartbeat loud and excited in his ears. Tolly tried to ignore it for a while. His body felt made of lead, which meant it was still daylight. But the irritating voice did not stop, so at last he unzipped the sleeping bag and crept out from inside it and halfway out from under the covers.

“Arden, it is day. I trust this is important,” Tolly said. He leaned on his elbow as he regarded Arden, who now sat on the edge of his bed in the cabin instead of their own. Their hair was wildly disarranged, which he hoped meant they had at least gotten some sleep today. He couldn’t help noticing that even now they hadn’t said wake up, which would have compelled him to obey.

“It’s important. There’s letters carved around the ruby in Latin or something,” Arden said. “I can’t read them. Can you?”

They thrust their hand under his nose. Tolly caught at their wrist – warm, delectable, pulsing beneath his fingers – and looked at the ring, trying to focus on it. A faint burning on his face and shoulder drew his attention to the window. The room’s curtains were shut, but there was still a pale, painful glow around their edges. Even looking at it stung his eyes. He looked quickly back at the ring.

Around the edge of the ten-carat star ruby, words were incised, tiny and finely carved into the gold.

“Yes, it’s Latin,” Tolly said.

“What’s it say?” Arden said.

“Hold still. Hold still, Arden.” His entire upper body was starting to hurt. The sun could easily get through his cotton shirt. He could see the flesh of his own hand turning red as he read aloud. “Pactum faciam in nomine - ” He cut off abruptly, letting go of Arden as he jerked back under the covers and sheets into merciful darkness.

“Are you okay? I closed the curtains,” Arden said.

“It’s an instruction for forming a – hhh – a pact with a spirit,” Black Tolly said from the safety of shadow, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. Everything in contact with his upper body hurt. “But there’s no name to summon them by. Nicholas would have left a name.”

“Damn. Tolly? You looked - ”

“It doesn’t hurt. I’m already healing.” The pain in his skin was rapidly fading. He could feel his blood being spent on it, but he had fed well. It wasn’t a problem. It probably wouldn’t even grow his hair back out. But it still felt like trying to think through mud, like looking at the world through molasses. The blankets felt like iron weighing on his shoulders.

“We’ll talk of it tonight. The sun is too heavy, Arden.” He slumped, face in the crook of his arm, and not even Arden’s worried voice could keep him from black sleep now.

When he woke again, his mind was clear.  Night had fallen. Something warm lay across his right wrist – familiar pulse – Arden’s hand. He lifted the covers and found Arden asleep, their breathing shallow and regular and extremely close because they were lying across his bed. Tolly regarded them as he lay on his side.

This is good. If they care for me, they will treat me better than he did.

I don’t deserve that. Nicholas understood me better than they do.

What choice do I have?

As he moved, they stirred, blinking in the dark. “Tolly? Are you back?”

“I’m back,” he said.

Arden fumbled for the lamp, giving Tolly enough warning to shield his eyes until they adjusted. “Are you all right? You scared me a little.”

“If I’m not ashed and scattered, I am not truly dead.” He slid out, eellike, as Arden sat up. “Worry about your own health, not your monster’s. Did you eat today?”

“I finished the Soylent and had another bar,” Arden said. “And I went and got a burger at the Lodge restaurant.”

Black Tolly warred with himself about whether to scold Arden for leaving without him or be glad they were at least eating. Finally, he settled on, “Good. Drink another Soylent, please, and we will discuss the ring.” He ran his hands over his head as he straightened away from the bed, standing in front of the treacherous curtains. His hair was still too short to be easily disarranged.

“You said it had a summoning ritual on it, but no name,” Arden said. “You don’t know the name of the spirit that Nicholas got power from?”

“No. He never said. So, he can’t have expected you to learn it from me,” Tolly said. “It must be somewhere else on the ring.” He considered. “He wouldn’t imperil your life by forcing you to remove it.”

The two of them stared closely at the ring for a while. Arden tilted it slowly to and fro in the lamplight.

“There’s something inside,” he said. “Something’s carved on the back of the stone inside the setting. Can you see it? It’s only visible if you tilt the ring just right.”

“Give me your hand again.” Tolly tipped the hand and ring very slowly, eye almost touching it, until the light hit just right in the red depths and he saw…

“Letters,” he said, letting go. “There is more than one language, but one is in Carolingian Miniscule. As few people who now exist understand a script used to write the Vulgate in only the earlier part of the thirteenth century, I have to assume it is meant for me. Of the others, one is in runes I can’t read, one is in a later Latin script, and one is in English. These preceding three are each marked with a small cross.”

“So what’s the final name?” Arden asked.

“Aeolus. Perhaps it is intended to summon the spirit.” He couldn’t keep doubt from his tone. Tolly was well aware of his ignorance in these matters, an ignorance cultivated by long centuries of carefully avoiding people he knew could end him, and Nicholas had very deliberately done nothing to dispel that.

“And it’ll teach me to cast spells? To defend myself?” Arden said.

“I don’t know,” Tolly said. “He must have thought so. Perhaps it is a familiar he has used himself.”

“It can’t hurt to try, right?” Arden said. “Worst case is that nothing happens.”

“I think we have little choice,” Tolly said. “The Silencer team were not able to cast violent spells. I’ve never had to face someone who could.”

“All right.” Arden sat up straighter, wiping at their eyes to get the cobwebs out. “Read me the Latin.”

“Pactum faciam in nominee illius qui hunc anulum non praecipere potest,” Black Tolly said. He paused every few words to let Arden repeat after him. Then, when he had come to the end, he said, “Now the name.”

“Aeolus?” Arden said.

The two of them sat looking at each other for a moment, Arden with one foot off the bed braced on the floor, Tolly standing opposite them.

“So what’s supposed to happen?” Arden asked. Before Tolly could answer, he saw them twitch, grabbing at the cheap headboard behind them. “The – the fuck is happening - ? Who are you?” They were staring at something, as if someone stood to Tolly’s right. When he turned his head, he saw nothing. There was no sound or scent of another person in the room.

“There’s no one else here,” Tolly said.

“He’s gone,” Arden said. “I don’t - ” They jerked violently, as if yanked by invisible strings. Tolly would have sworn they lifted completely from the bed for a second. “No, wait. You can’t - ” Their eyes rolled up into their skull, only white showing. Tolly dove in and grabbed at their arms to stop their head bouncing back against the wall. For a moment he thought they might be seizing.

“Arden? Arden, can you hear me?”

The tremors stopped. After a moment the eyes rolled back down, and Arden blinked up at him slowly.

“I’m not Arden.”

Tolly was violently yanked backwards and slammed into the floor. He was stunned to realize he couldn’t move. All of his great strength couldn’t lift one finger from the carpet. It was like being crushed by a giant fist. If he had needed to breathe, it would have been very difficult to do so. His bones creaked and the floorboards creaked under him.

A face hovered into his view. Now it was smiling, and not in the shy small way he had seen Arden smile. The wide, slightly distorted grin didn’t look right. It didn’t move the eyes, and the eyes didn’t blink.

“Well, that was more effortful than it should’ve been,” said the possessing spirit. The voice was forced into a lower pitch, rougher than Arden’s normal tone. A thin trickle of blood ran from one nostril.

“Let them go. The body isn’t yours, Aeolus,” Tolly said.

“Obviously it is,” said Aeolus, through Arden’s mouth. “It’s still weak, but I’ll soon see to that. Thinking he could fight me for it. Ha. Yes, idiot, I can hear you in there screaming THEY. I don’t care. The body’s mine now, and so are you, until I see fit to throw you Outside.”

Tolly, listening to this monologue, had never ceased straining against his bonds. He knew immediately when they started to weaken.

“Stop struggling,” Aeolus said immediately, head snapping around to look down at him there on the cabin floor. Tolly froze out of pure reflex. “That’s better. You’re a prisoner of Nicholas’ little toy, aren’t you?” He held up the ring to look at it, sniffing back more blood from Arden’s nose. “I watched everything he did, you know. That’s part of the pact. But why be a passenger when you can drive?”

He walked Arden’s body over to stand straddling Tolly, looking down.

“His eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,” said Aeolus. “Nicholas quoted that a great many times, looking at you. I see why.”

It was at this point that Tolly came off the floor so fast that his movement could not be tracked with the naked eye. His hand closed around Arden’s throat as he spun, and then he slammed Aeolus back into the wall by the door. Their feet – his feet – their feet barely touched the ground, scrabbling to keep him from being choked to death as Arden’s hands clawed at Tolly’s wrist.

“Let me go,” hissed Aeolus.

Tolly slapped him.

He was careful. He could’ve taken Arden’s head off. But he had been out of his prison for long enough to have rebalanced himself to his own strength, to the habit of lifetimes. Arden’s head rocked to the side, a red mark rising on their cheekbone.

“I take it you don’t truly hear the words of the invocation. You certainly didn’t stop to read the inscription yourself,” Tolly said. “Pactum faciam in nominee illius qui hunc anulum non praecipere potest. And you, Aeolus, cannot command this ring.”

“Let me GO,” Aeolus demanded again. Black Tolly slapped him back the other way.

“Let me go, or I’ll tear you to pieces!”

“Why don’t you, then?” Tolly asked. Aeolus’ eyes rolled upward again, and Tolly felt a sensation like knives cutting at his flesh, but now when he braced himself the bruising force could not pry his fingers from Arden’s throat. It was an exquisite agony, wounds opened all over his body as if slit by many little knives, but he remained. And blood gushed from Arden’s nose. The eyes came back down, furious, old eyes in a young face.

“Arden’s body isn’t accustomed to your power yet, is it?” Black Tolly said. “You’ve already spent what they can channel. And now you can’t stop me from drinking you dry.”

“He – they say you’ve been ordered not to kill them!”

“And so I have. But, as you’ve pointed out, you’re not Arden,” Black Tolly said. He leaned closer, grinning brightly so that Aeolus could see his fangs slide out of their sheaths in his gums, growing to a length unnatural in a living human being. “And I can do whatever I like to YOU, Aeolus. So, mark me well. You can remain where you are, and I will consume you. I’ve been desperately craving this blood from the instant I first scented it. I can barely contain myself. And now you’ve made me bleed.

“Or you can fall back to where you belong, and teach them and give them power in trade for sharing their senses. That is the pact. As long as Arden is in control, I can do no harm to this body I hold. I suggest you make your mind up very quickly. My thirst grows every second.”

Black Tolly leaned in very deliberately, ignoring the weak attempts to pull his fingers away, and ran his rough tongue over the blood that covered Arden’s lips and chin. Aeolus could see his eyes glaze with the intense pleasure it gave him, his grip starting to tighten as the giddy frisson rolled through every one of his senses. For that instant, he didn’t feel the pain of his wounds at all. For that instant, every single thing he had suffered over the last few seconds had been more than worth it.

“All right, all right! Stop!” Tolly came back to himself to find Aeolus suddenly limp in his grip, features slack, eyes half-open. He let go at once, jerking back in terror. Had he killed Arden after all?

 But no, he could hear a pulse thundering in his ears when he had none. The body crumpled in a heap in front of him was alive.

Now he felt the pain.

Tolly swayed, looking down at himself. Blood soaked his clothes in oblong patches where his skin had been slit. He felt the sting where the open air touched the cuts in his face and hands. He bled slowly, and the narrow wounds were already trying to close, but he could feel the loss of strength where blood had been lost, where blood was being spent to heal. His mouth felt dry. He fought down panic at the memory of his shriveled flesh inside the secret room, at every swallow scraping his throat.

He bent to seize Arden and carry them to the bath, before he should bleed on the cabin’s carpet, and there he slumped into the tub with them lying against his chest. He could see blood running down the drain between his bare feet. Some of it soaked into one of Arden’s white socks with their worn-down heels.

The sensation of a living body draped over his dead one was intoxicating. He could feel every small pulse. And that pleasure would become more painful every instant that his thirst was not sated. His canines refused to draw back on their own.

“Wake up. Please, Arden,” he said, and now he could not keep the exhaustion from his voice. “I can’t – I can’t bear this. I need you here.”

Part 15: Glass of Water

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