#could you stand to look at me when I’m no longer something mystical and am instead entirely real and normal

[musings-of-the-void]

I hope

That when I fall from this

Pedestal

Where you placed me

You’ll be

Standing there to catch me

I hope

That I’ll be made real

In the falling

Instead of crumbling to

Dust

[countrymusiclover]

46 - Looking out for Others

Part 47

Family is More than Blood

@secretdreamlandmentality

Opening the front door of the mansion I handed the driver some money, shutting the door after he handed me my bag of Buffalo Wild Wings food. Plopping the bag on the kitchen table I took out my container going to town on some boneless wings until I heard Klaus vamp downstairs finding me. “If you wanted food you could have just told me and I would have hired a chef.”

“I appreciate the thought but I’ve been craving buffalo chicken for the past few days. I couldn’t wait any longer.” I shrugged my shoulders, tearing out a bite of chicken.

He clicked his tongue standing at the edge of the table. “Well if you want more anytime just use my card.”

“Yeah about that…I already did.” Reaching into my pocket I held the card between my thumb and index finger, tossing it towards him he caught it quickly in his palm.

Klaus slipped it back in his back pocket. “You’re lucky I like you.”

I sent him a smile thinking about what he just said. I knew he cared about me that much was obvious. Yet there were still small moments lately where I questioned why he was with me. “Nik, why are you still with me?”

“Raelyn..” Klaus sent me a grumble under his breath.

I lowered my gaze while talking. “I know you despise the question but things are changing with me recently. I keep puking almost every morning. My stomach has been getting bigger and I am craving some weird things. I’m just worried again.”

“You don’t have to worry about how I feel about you. I’ve told you how much I love you, Rae.” He rounds the table sitting down across from me in one of the chairs.

Turning my head in his direction I finished off one of my wings, moving my attention away from the others. “I love you too, Nik. It’s difficult to ignore the reality that you might want someone else down the road.”

“I’ve been around a thousand years, Raelyn. Nobody else in the world will compare to you. In fact my offer still stands if you wish to have me turn you now.” Klaus reached across the table grasping my hand in his.

Squeezing his hand in mine I grinned back. “Awe Nik. When I’m ready you’ll now.”

“Until that day comes I’ll have to show you how much you mean to me the only way I know how.” Klaus rose to his feet tugging me up to stand with him. Our eyes focused on the other before he snatched a hold of my thighs when I jumped up and wrapped them around his waist.

Wrapping my arms around his neck I giggled nuzzling my nose against his. “I like where this is going, Nik.”

“You won’t be disappointed over what comes next.” He smirked, vamping me upstairs with my back hitting the mattress. He tore my clothes in half and I did the same with what he had on knowing full well we wouldn't leave the mansion until he had made love to me in…every room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed with my knees hugging against my chest I dialed the first number I could think of. “Cami, I need your help.”

“What do you need, Rae?” She asked and I could hear loud music and multiple heartbeats in the background meaning she was working at the bar currently.

I ran a hand through my hair eyeing where the dagger was on the floor before Lizzie took it. She and Klaus had gone off to see what she was talking about in regards to Andrea and some guys at Mystic High leaving me on my own like earlier. “I need you to destroy something for me when I find out where they have hidden it.”

“What are you wanting to hide?” The former human asked me.

“The hunting dagger that contains my magic after I put it away.”

She was rather confused now. “How am I supposed to destroy something like that?”

“I don’t know..use your dark objects or something. Ask Vincent or Davina maybe they’ll know. I just need it to be gone for good since all it has brought me nothing but heartache.” I nearly shouted into the phone.

Cami turned the phone on video call. “Raelyn, can I say something? Your magic isn’t something to fear. It’s a part of who you are as a person.”

“Klaus has said the same thing. I just can’t take the risk anymore, especially since it may have just cost me my relationship with my brother forever.” I explained to her.

She nodded in agreement even though she didn’t know what happened. “I’ll ask around. I just hope you think about it before I come to get it from you. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up the call and I was left with my thoughts wondering how the conversation with Andrea went down with my husband and niece.

Andrea’s pov

Nothing was really interesting to me at the Salvatore school classes so I decided to snoop around the human high school. According to Ethan there were fun things about it but Landon said he hated it because he was bullied. Walking across the football field I saw that it was gym class and I recognized my cousin Missy’s boyfriend. “Gotta go easy on that arm. Oh that’s right I need to. Unless you need a band-aid for that cut, qb none.”

“Oh knock it off, Dennis.” Ethan stopped doing some push ups glaring at the tan skinned boy. “We can’t all go 12 seasons without taking a snap like you.”

Dennis passed his push ups too, getting to his feet. “It’s only been 3. “

“Who am I to question your math?” Ethan began walking away while I made my way to the end of the bleachers to call his attention to me.

Dennis had other plans apparently. “Yeah bail. Like you bailed on the team. I guess that troubled rich girlfriend must be damn good in bed since you’re always running off with her.”

“What did you say about her?” Ethan halted in his tracks and I gasped clutching my hands to my sides about what he just said.

Dennis got up in face with a jockey smirk crossing his face. “I was thinking lately about seeing if she was interested in somebody better. Cause I know I could show your girl a fun night.”

“You asshole!” Ethan growls running towards him and tackling him to the turf getting into a fist fight with the jock.

Leaning my back against the wall I just watched from the sidelines watching the two boys fight. The gym coach attempted to stop it but they weren’t backing down. “I can’t somebody would say that about Missy. Ethan!” I hollered his name seeing that Dennis was behind him when he had gotten to his feet where he was tackled to the dirt.

“You’re girl won’t think you’re so great once she knows you lost to the next QB.” Dennis said, holding Ethan down with his elbow pressing down into his spine.

Ethan grumbled about not being strong enough to push him off. “Shut up, Dennis. Missy would never be with someone like you.”

“And how do you know that former QB?” He teased him.

Raising my hand I muttered a spell freezing everything around them before I walked up to Dennis throwing him onto his back away from my cousin’s boyfriend. “Immobilus….mitte.”

“Bitch! What the hell did you just do!” Dennis scooted away from me when I stood above him with a glare.

Crossing my arms over my chest I huffed at the simple human boy. “Threw you on your ass for talking bad about my cousin, that's what happened.”

“Andrea, I’m okay. He’s a jerk so let’s just go.” Ethan forced himself to his feet touching my forearm.

Shaking my head no I saw Dennis coming to charge at me but I just laughed in my head holding a hand over his chest. “You are such an idiot. Invidia.”

“Ah!” Dennis grabbed his head in agony.

Someone called my name causing me to turn my head in the opposite direction and Ethan followed the same action seeing my Uncle Klaus and Lizzie coming over our direction rather quickly. “Andrea!”

“What are you two doing here?” I spat in an annoyed tone.

Lizzie sent me a half glare. “I needed to make sure you weren’t being dumb enough to fall for one of these jock assholes. Not you Ethan obviously.”

“Uh thanks Lizzie.” Ethan replied simply.

She nodded with Uncle Klaus eyeing the boy who was laying on the ground in pain since I hadn’t lowered my hand stopping the spell. “Andrea, I think you’ve tortured the boy enough.”

“Even if he was saying that he thinks your daughter might be a slut if she’s sleeping with Ethan.” I pointed out knowing that Ethan and Missy had never slept with each other but it would get him on my side.

Uncle Klaus didn’t waste time yanking the boy up by his sweatshirt and vamped him into the nearest wall. “You think that you are worthy of my daughter, you have another thing coming. If you say another thing about her I will rip your heart from your chest!” He held him by the throat and his hybrid face was in view.

Lizzie warned him seeing that the coach and the others were frozen. “You need to make him forget before he comes asking questions.”

“Alright I’ve got it handled, Elizabeth. You will forget anything strange you’ve seen today but remember my warning very clearly.” Klaus released him coming back to the three of us, leaving us in a quick flash. “Get back to the school without causing more trouble.”

Lizzie watched Ethan looking at me. “Thanks for saving me back there. Nobody should talk about Missy like that.”

“Yeah she’s one of the sweetest people I know. I’m just happy to see she’s dating a good guy like you.” I grinned at the human with Lizzie turning back towards the parking lot and heading back to the Salvatore School.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[cladestruction]

PART III of my super long aotd thoughts (and prayers) commentary/analysis extravanganza🤪

warning: spoilers. repetition of words/expressions hehe. badly written (english is not my first language lol). looong text. curse words. biased opinions because this is my blog and i get to do with it as i please.

previously: part I | part II

so long, gay Dick: ok i’m sorry. yes, this was so painful i couldn’t process it properly until the fifth time i watched the scene. it’s so sudden and so… mystical? but like, in a vague way? i like that it’s established how compromised Dick is with this whole prophecy and church thing. it’s surprising (to me, at least) to see him react so quickly to protect the band. makes me wonder if he knew, since the very beginning of this spiritual-guidance-thing that he would have to protect the band with his own life at some point. the thought makes me very sad. and it doesn’t help that as soon as the shield is up, the scene goes kinda quiet. we see the boys getting confused about just everything that happened in the span of seconds, and Nathan running to punch at the shield, desperately trying to reach Knubbler. they were close, all of them, after all. and when they see he has no shield yet still walks calmly in front of them, covering them, as he waits for the unstoppable to happen, it’s sad. i have to say too that it broke my heart that he wasn’t smiling at them either. a lot of death scenes like this make the character accept their death in peace, smiling at the protagonist(s) in a reassuring way. it’s the typical don’t worry, it’s not your fault. goodbye kinda scene. but Dick doesn’t do that. and it makes sense and i like that it’s made that way but ugh, it’s still painful. he looks at them one last time. i’m not sure if he is aware this is what was bound to happen and the boys still have a chance at defeating Salacia, or if in his mind the last thing he sees is just: the guys who failed at saving the world. so he’s just there. standing, helpless, yet serious. i wonder if he was pissed off at them or something lmao. maybe he wanted to be by their side a little longer but couldn’t because they failed to follow orders. maybe he wished to be their producer for one album more, but knew this was his place in the prophecy and saying goodbye was proving to be a bit harder than he expected. who knows. i found it very curious how they didn’t actually show him die either. it’s implied, of course, but for a show that’s never afraid to show blood and organs and melting skin it’s weird that he just: vanishes. i’m not sure if they were trying to make his death something special and different, something that wouldn’t fall in the category of other gore deaths, but i also feel like that left it too vague. i mean, to all Knubbler fans out there, my heart goes out to you but psst, maybe we can collectively agree that he can be alive somehow, somewhere. anything is possible, stay strong.

running away and aftermath: you know by now i am a big fan of Nathan and Pickles, so i’m having a blast. that scene of Nathan with his fists up against the shield and the fire covering the room on the other side is very cool. he looks weak, even being a big muscular man as he is. makes me think how many times he’s felt helpless in his life, as he most certainly could always punch his problems away and deal with stuff using his fame and power. it’s cool to see him fail, i like that he is being pushed to a place where he’s just: a guy. a lost and confused guy. and of course Pickles is the one to go to him and get everyone on the run. i like that he goes for the notebook too. it’s very convenient because we can tell it’ll be a plot device in some future scene, but it’s still on character for Pickles to pick it up. he is still on his “gotta be a good friend” mindset and that involves looking out for Nathan and the stuff he forgets/doesn’t see. he is shown even in the show to be very good at looking out for everyone and is very resourceful even in extreme situations. i think back to rehabklok, when he is trapped in a room and panicking because the guys are in trouble. despite all that, he still manages to get out and go save them. it’s cool, i love him, let’s move on. i like the little scene of the mushrooms growing, idk. they are even on the album cover too, i like it very much. i like that we get to see survivors too, props to them for being stronger and braver than the marines because holy shit everything is destroyed. Toki is carrying Skwisgaar and i’m a fan. they are walking, i don’t know where or why but hell yeah i’d follow them anywhere.

cave sceneee: OK YES i’ll say this immediately i LOVE the thing they did with Skwisgaar: the trance, his guitar and the repeating DEADFACE notes. i love how the tuner is brought back and this time it goes from Toki to Skwisgaar. it’s a very simple payback but you know i was kicking my feet at it. also, the guitar is important to Skwis for obvious reasons but it’s established to be for emotional support too, as shown to be practically his coping mechanism. i could make an essay about Skwisgaar, his guitar, his trauma and his skill and how all those things coexist and codepend, but that’d be for another occasion. the PICKLES ASTHMA ATTACK and Nathan telling him to pull it together? yeah i like that shit too, what can i say. i have asthma too so REPRESENTATION !!! and idk, i guess i love to see Pickles freak out because it always feels very real. he is a chill guy and all but my man has a lot of triggers, and of course he does, his childhood was fucked up and he supposedly has many trust and abandonment issues yet to solve. that and the world-ending atmosphere HAD to trigger a crisis in him, so i’m glad they showed it, even if it’s such a short little scene of him in the background trying to catch his breath. it’s a bit sad for me to realize that just now they are wondering about Murderface. Pickles apparently had him in his radar too when it all went to shit, but he didn’t run after him. it makes sense, of course, it was too dangerous, but it’s still sad they just: left him go on his own. now Crozier !!! it’s kinda embarrassing to say but i immediately trusted him the first time i saw this scene. he could’ve easily betrayed them and just: lie. but i trusted him and so did the boys and i’m glad they did. (tmi: that shot of Nathan’s sideprofile, and his arm when he grabs Crozier’s neck made me GASP. anyway) it’s cool when he inspected Skwisgaar, idk why i liked that. it was a second-long scene but it made sense lmao. the man’s a military guy, he is the only one prepared enough to say “yup, this is just shock from the explosion. we just have to wait” and even tho it’s kind of unnecessary, it was what made the others trust him a bit more and that’s great foundation for the future scene. i love to see Nathan connect the dots. when he says “Salacia!” as Crozier explains everything, i smiled so proudly. Nathan IS very smart, everyone else needs to just SHUT UP and let my boy use his braincells. it was sad when Crozier pretty much admitted that he was so sick of Salacia preying on him that the very small hint of freedom he got he jumped to what he thought would be his death. as if he were so desperate that death would be the only way out. that’s always a sad thought for me. i’m glad he didn’t die tho, and i’m glad here they planted the basis of the importance of the water to both exorcise AND defeat Salacia (again, because it was hinted already, more than once during the show. but it’s nice they repeated it here to refresh everyone’s memories).

DEADFACE: UGH THIS SCENE OMG THIS SCENE !!! i am shaking now just by writing about it lmao. when they discover he is the traitor is GREAT. they are always quick to shit-talk him but here they are just: surprised AND hurt. and then Skwisgaar opens his eyes ??? and deasface starts playing ??? i SCREAMED, i CRIED, i THREW UP. when i watched this the first time i was so scared it would be another Nathan Explosion solo adventure or something, so i was beaming with joy when the rest of the boy showed up to corner Murderface. great visuals, and it’s such a good addition to have Crozier’s voiceover on the background. when he says “your friend is innocent” i choked up, i’m not kidding. i like how the explosions don’t stop Nathan from searching for Murderface, it’s cute. and when he found him, and Murderface looks like this little feral creature UGH, good shit. the fact that Nathan says nothing, and just holds out his hand is so so cute i could’ve puked my heart out. they both look so confused. Nathan doesn’t know how to get to him, how to help him, maybe he doesn’t even expect Murderface to take his hand, but he still hold it out. and Murderface, he looks so lost and scared. Crozier says Salacia is still inside him but this looks more like: just Murderface. a very sad and sorry Murderface, terrified of what he just did. 

Exorcism: i like how the guys are struggling just a bit to hold Murderface, but seemingly more because of how fucked up it is what they are about to do than because Murderface is capable of overpowering his 4 bandmates. i LOVE how they are all holding a different limb and how ready they are to cooperate and do this correctly. Nathan, of course, directs them but they are all participating and they are perfectly coordinated. this might be the most important thing they have to do as a group so i absolutely love how they were shown to be both determined and horrified to drown their friend in order to save him, of course. everyone looks so scared, Pickles and Skwisgaar are even holding their eyes shut. it’s such an important scene and those shots of Murderface’s hand reaching out for Nathan, his friend, is HEARTBREAKING. when everything stops, i like that Nathan looks at the others, as if he was making sure they were still okay, because he knows this was difficult for all of them. the visuals of Salacia getting out of Murderface are very cool. as soon as the phantom goes away, Nathan is quick to go directly to Murderface and is determined to bring him back. he is shown serious and strong but also desperate, as everyone else watches in anticipation. there’s absolutely no dialogue, and oh god the soundtrack in this particular scenes is too good. Nathan dismisses Pickles when he reaches out but it’s not rude as other times the frontman has done that. it’s understandable even. Nathan just lost Knubbler some time ago, maybe he feels like if he could’ve reached him he would be still alive or something, maybe he blames himself for not doing more, so of course he is deadset on doing all he can to reanimate Murderface. we can even think back to religionklok and how horrible Nathan felt when he almost got Murderface killed, or how in doomstar requiem he made a promise to Murderface to save him too if he ever got in trouble. and yipee, saving Murderface he does.

“come back and suck” he says: it’s jarring to see the bassist immediately want to run away as soon as he wakes up, because it shows his mind must’ve been hell this entire time. when he brings back Magnus i almost cried. i’ll go ahead and say it: i’m not a Magnus fan. i do appreciate him as a character and the drama/conflict he brought to the show, i also respect him because of all the history he must have had with dethklok. but i never thought of him with much love or care (what he did to Toki was terrible and i actually hate him for that lmao) so i was surprised to see how important it was for me that the band remembered him in this scene. a band is a family, and Magnus was a part of it, so everything that happened is just sad. when Nathan says “Magnus never gave us a chance to forgive him” i got choked up thinking they could’ve all reconciled and gotten along and maybe even become a 6-member band (?) IF Magnus didn’t get fixed on playing victim and not asking for forgiveness. it’s made clear none of the boys wanted him to die, and the fact that Magnus is one of the faces that haunts Nathan since dsr makes it even more meaningful for them to let Murderface know how important forgiveness is, and how important it is that Murderface stays with them. not for the music, not for the prophecy, but for the friendship. i don’t agree with the reasoning of “sucking is important”, it’s weird. in the show it’s said that Murderface brings hate and brutality to the songs, they also say he is very good to point out things that suck so he helps the band stay centered if something does indeed suck. but idk, in my head i’ll take it more as a code word for friendship or staying, as when Toki says “suck the life of every waking moment with us” is just another way of saying please man, stay and let’s be friends forever. the exchange of “you can never hear the bass, but you can always feel it” made me cry. THAT was my breaking point. we were robbed of a band hug but guess i’ll have to draw it myself or whatever.

[local-neko-girl]

Chapter Nine:

She felt like a prisoner, but knew it was because they didn’t trust her. And she didn’t even want to be there, but maybe this is what her father meant. That she had a ‘higher purpose’.

Once she was able to, she wanted to go to Florrum to get her belongings and bring them here, since she wouldn’t be staying there any longer.

Maybe I can ask Thrawn if I can go, even if I need an escort.

She sighed, easily bored again. Maybe once they trusted her, she could at least walk around too. Sitting in a room reminded her too much of when she was a slave to Naraku.

For now she sat and meditated. And for a long time that’s all she did. Day in and out, it was questions from Thrawn, sitting in her room, and either sleeping or meditating. Finally after about a few days, she decided to ask.

She was once again in Thrawn’s office, and he sat in the chair adjacent to her.

“Could I ask something?” She managed to say, still nervous.

He was surprised, during this whole time she hadn’t asked anything, just answered questions.

“Of course, is there something I could do?”

“I am going stir-crazy when I’m in my room. It’s empty, and I don’t know how much longer I can stand it.”

“What is it you would like?”

“To walk around? Even when I’m not in your care? I haven’t done a thing to make you think I’d be trouble. I’ve obeyed every order given to me without question or resistance. I just want some trust.”

Thrawn was surprised and put a hand to his chin. He thought a moment, then nodded.

“I don’t see why not. You know there will be consequences if you do anything. Permission granted.”

She looked at the two saber hilts sitting on his desk.

“And when can I have my sabers back?”

“Soon,” was all he said.

There was an alarm and Governor Pryce entered.

“Moff Tarkin has just arrived.”

“I see,” he turns to Arvanna. “I take it you’ll be fine on your one this time?”

“Actually, may I accompany you?”

Again he was surprised. Governor Pryce looked distrustful toward her.

“Very well, come with me.”

The Governor and Arvanna were both surprised. She could sense he was taking a chance in trusting her.

As they left his office they went into the main hangar as Tarkin was landing. Once securely down, the door opened and some troopers came out, then Tarkin. They had a prisoner behind them, but something felt familiar to her about this presence.

Once the prisoner was dragged out due to being unconscious, she softly gasped. Thrawn had heard it and was curious, but said nothing as he wanted to see how this played out.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn, I’ve brought a special prisoner for you,” Tarkin said. “They have not stated their name, but we do know them to be a Mystic from Fascintaru.”

The woman started to awake, groggy. She was in all white with brown hair.

Rose, Arvanna thought. That’s White Rose. I thought she was dead, but she must have escaped as well. I wonder what she was doing?

“Do you know this woman, Arvanna?” Thrawn asked her as the other two there looked at her.

“I do, quite well. Where did you find her?” she asked Tarkin.

“She was caught at one of our bases, trying to steal a ship. But once we attempted to apprehend her, she used what seemed to be the force to try to free herself.”

“Not the force, magic,” Arvanna corrected.

Rose looked up, hearing the voice of her former friend.

“Asellus, you’re.. you’re here?” Rose asked.

Arvanna softly growled a moment, hating the name their former Lord gave her.

“How did you escape Rose?” Arvanna asked.

“The same way you did, I smuggled myself off the planet. I was in search of you. Things have gotten much worse on Fascintaru.”

“Have her thrown in the brig for further processing,” Tarkin said and the troopers took her.

“Asellus! Asellus please! I need your help! We need your help!”

Her calls grew faint as she was taken away.

“She called you Asellus, is that your name?” Thrawn asked.

“No, it’s… it’s a long story.”

“So she’s a friend of yours?” Tarkin asked.

“No,” she scowled. “She is not.”

“Where is Fascintaru?” Governor Pryce asked, not quite sure what is going on.

“Fascintaru is a cloaked planet, it only appears for traders and natives. Only those with Mystic blood can get there.”

“How did she know you then?” Governor Pryce asked.

“I was abducted decades ago, and brought there. But I found a way to smuggle myself off the planet. I became a fugitive to them ever since and they hunted me.”

“The Emperor has had an interest in Fascintaru for a long time know, but has not been able to acquire any kind of information on how to get there.”

“Let’s continue this conversation in my office,” Thrawn said to Tarkin, then looked at Arvanna to include her.

They made their way back to his office, it this time did not include Governor Pryce. She sat down, as did Tarkin while Thrawn stood and pulled up his map.

“Where is Fascintaru located?” Thrawn asked.

Arvanna looked at the map a moment, seeing where it should be. She got up up and went over to where the controls were by Thrawn.

“May I?” she asked.

“Please do,” he confirmed and moved aside.

She pushed a few buttons, entered some specs, and suddenly a planet popped up on the map.

“This is where Fascintaru is located. As I said, they have a special way to cloak their planet, and only Mystics may enter.”

“I remember seeing the reports that were taken from the Jedi council, that you were in fact a member of the Mystics?” Tarkin asked.

She debated the information she had, not sure she wanted to give it to the Empire. She looked at Thrawn, and realized this would be a good exchange of information for more freedom with the Empire and her overseer.

“I will give you the information you require, if we can make a trade.”

Thrawn was intrigued. “What kind of a trade?”

“I want to go back to Florrum to retrieve my belongings, since I no longer will be staying there. In return, I’ll give you all the information you want on Fascintaru.”

He thought for a moment, then looked into her eyes. He had done this a few times before during his line of questioning, assessing her true intentions.

“If you give me the chance, I can be greatly beneficial. I’m not your enemy. And I can be of great help too,” she said. “If you’ll just give me a chance.”

Tarkin and Thrawn both gave each other a look.

“Very well,” Tarkin said. “But should you do anything, you’ll be executed.”

“That’s fine, I won’t.”

The moment she said it, she realized she was getting more and more involved with the Empire, and wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but had no choice. This had to be what her father meant, that things would change drastically again for her. And it got her mind off all the sorrow she faced.

So she began to tell her tale. That of when she was abducted, and when she wandered through Fascintaru until she came upon this field of white flowers. And a man appeared suddenly and just as suddenly stabbed her with a blade. When she awoke, the flowers were stained purple. She found her way to the castle entrance and found there were so many there, pure bloods. And that’s when she met her captor, Lord Orlouge. A man with long purple hair in robes of a king. She had found out they tainted her blood with their Mystic blood, and there were only two ways for her to proceed. To either kill Orlouge, thus removing any trace of Mystic blood. Or to drink his blood and become a pure blood and their new leader.

She continued to tell them that those that were tainted like her were his Princesses, and a lot of them had been frozen in these weird glass coffins, but those loyal were able to stay awake. Like Rose. They had even given her a new name, Asellus. They called her the Charm Lord. Rose was the caretaker to new Princesses. And they had become friends until she learned that. That’s when she smuggled herself off planet. And once off, she was hunted everyday of her life by them.

In the end, every Princess lost. And finally she decided to go back to settle everything. But when she returned, Rose wasn’t there. So she made her way to Lord Orlouge’s chamber, and fought to the death with him, thus freeing herself from his slavery.

“So this Lord is dead now?” Tarkin asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“And did you drink his blood?” Thrawn asked.

She was surprised, how did he know?

“I… I did.”

“So you’re the leader of Fascintaru now?” Tarkin asked.

“I… I am. I left Ildon in charge in my absence.”

“So what of the woman then?” Tarkin asked. “This isn’t the first time we encountered her. We think she is working with the rebels now.”

“She may have felt his passing and decided to go on her own path then. Ildon would have told me if she ever returned to Fascintaru.”

“Have her executed,” Thrawn said. “And you’re going to be the one to do it.”

He said it to Arvanna, who was shocked.

“This is your chance to prove you can be trusted.”

He takes the single hilt saber and hands it to her. She thinks a moment, knowing this will seal her fate with the Empire, but where else did she have to go?

“End her life and I’ll be convinced you mean us no harm.”

Tarkin looked at her too. “I can agree with this.”

She looked down at the saber hilt in her hands, realizing she had not once used her fathers blade.

“Very well,” Arvanna nodded.

They left his office and Governor Price joined them once again. Governor Price only knew the girl brought in was a rebel, nothing else. As they all entered the holding area where she was, she was sitting in the corner.

“Oh Asellus! Thank the gods I’ve found you!” Rose said.

Arvanna took her saber from her belt and held it in her hand. Not once yet has she made eye contact with Rose.

“You should have never shown up, Rose.”

Rose looks confused a moment, then shocked.

“You’re the one… you… you killed Lord Orlouge?” she softly asked.

“I did.”

“Then you’re finally free!” she smiled.

Arvanna finally looks up from her saber to Rose. As she opens her eyes, Rose sees they are red and gasps.

“Wrong again,” Arvanna says.

“N-no! You didn’t?!”

Arvanna smiles darkly.

“Correct, I am now Lady Asellus. Ruler of Fascintaru. And you, are a traitor to your people. And you know what we do to traitors, Rose.”

“No please! Asellus you know what he was like! Are you really going to follow in his footsteps like this?! I don’t understand!”

She presses the button on her saber and a red blade comes out.

“A-Asellus?” Rose says softly.

“Goodbye, Rose.”

And with that, she takes and cuts Rose’s head off. As her head tumbles forward, she sheathes her blade once again.

“Very good, Miss White,” Tarkin says. “You have proven yourself to be trustworthy. I will give word to Emperor Palpatine.”

Arvanna grunts and falls to her knees a moment.

“What is it?” Governor Pryce asked.

[eccedentesian]

lot of heart-wrenching developments in elmer's d&d canon from the last few days...

right now, as we're in between one-shot sessions, we've been doing text-based events to pass the time, with one real-world week spanning two in-game weeks. this fortnight, one of elmer's new friends kor woke him in the middle of the night && asked him to be her guide through the veld, a mystical forest known for luring travels into danger. one step off the road could put you miles away from where you started, && the passage of time is never consistent in the veld. there's a lot of folklore associated with the veld, && elmer knew a lot of it from his first time traversing the forest when he was fifteen or so ; though some of it may be superstition, most is grounded in some level of truth.

just before they got into the veld, they had to swim, which made elmer's clothes soaking wet. he hung them up to dry when they made camp for the night, && in the morning, kor caught him with his shirt off, && saw the horrific scarring && burn injuries on his back. elmer immediately brushed it off, apologizing for letting her see something so upsetting. she didn't ask, && he didn't explain.

on the road, the pair got to talking about mostly mindless things just to pass the time. elmer, like usual, was talking about smiles, && he mentioned that people's smiles give him strength. kor expressed that she didn't believe something as 'soft' as a smile could give someone strength, && as they went back && forth about it, elmer explained, very nonchalantly, that the smiles of his parents as they brutally tortured && abused him, weren't soft, but they were real, happy smiles.

in that instant, kor's entire opinion on elmer changed. she no longer saw him as a competent, if somewhat strange, warrior — she saw him as something fragile, in need of protection. immediately, she tried to turn around && take elmer back to the city, apologizing for asking him to go with her in the first place.

obviously, elmer refused. kor too stood her ground. i'll just... let this little exchange speak for itself:

His expression clouds, and the smile slips away entirely. “Don’t,” he says quietly, seriously. He reaches behind him, petting Sylvie rather vigorously. “Please don’t look at me like I’m something to be pitied. This is…” He sighs, and finally stands up. He takes the outstretched hand, but just holds it tightly, looking to her eyes sincerely. “I need to do this. As much as you do. We came all this way.“ He releases her hand with a sad smile. “And if you don’t want to go with me, then I’ll find that shadow of yours on my own.” Kor just shakes her head. “I cannot in good conscious go with you into more danger,” she says. There is a profound guilt in her expression, outweighing even the pity. “You won’t find smiles in this forest, Elmer. Even if we find the shadow. I cannot give you strength. Let me help you find your friends—or someone who can smile for you, at least. We’re better off without each other.” But he doesn’t budge. “At the risk of being very crass, you saw what I’ve endured. Do you really think anything in this forest could ever be as bad as that? I’ve been here. I can assure you — it’s not possible.” He’s still smiling. “The truth is, most of the people around me probably can’t smile right now. I’ve tried. But this war is…” He shrugs. “I don’t discriminate in who I want to see smile. I’ll tell you a secret. One that only my friend Huey knows. I’m not doing this for you. Not the trip, but trying to get you to smile. I’m doing it for me. A person who wants to make people happy for his own selfish motives — it’s funny, isn’t it? Ridiculous, even. But that’s who I am. So if you want to do something for me, then you let me see this through. You think you can’t smile for me — then let me try and prove you wrong. Because if you can, maybe I can. Is that terribly confusing?”

he rolled a 26 persuasion check on that, && kor gave in, though she wasn't happy about it. they continued on with tensions running high.

eventually, they reached a roadblock — a 30-foot wide puddle of water. there's an old superstition in the veld to never touch still water, && elmer cautioned kor against trying to cross it on foot. instead, he spotted a tree he could climb, a little ways off the road, && intended to tie a rope to it && have kor swing across. but the folklore also says to never stray from the road, or else you might end up miles away. elmer wrapped the rope around his wrist && gave the other end to kor to hang onto. only a few steps off the path, the rope snapped, stretched to its limit, breaking elmer's wrist in the process. no sign of kor, or the road.

he wandered for hours, without any sign of his companion. and then, almost as if by magic, he found the road again. the water had dried up, leaving only cracked mud behind with kor's lantern half-buried. she was nowhere to be found.

elmer went to sleep, more or less accepting that kor was most likely dead, swallowed up by the water. the next morning, he encountered a strange, suspicious merchant on the road. elmer did his best to be elusive, but he's incapable of ignoring someone when they're sad, incapable of not trying to make someone smile, so he agreed to at least look at what he was selling. in his wagon, the merchant had kor's notebook. instantly on edge, elmer attempted to get him to admit to stealing it from her, or worse, hoping that maybe he'd at least get more information on what had happened to her. but when he accused the merchant of stealing, he explained that kor had traded it to him fair && square.

“Really?” He’s still smiling. “I’m so sorry for the misunderstanding! Who did you buy it from?” “A traveler,” Felix says. “One rather in need. Her friend had gotten lost, you see, and she was in rather dire straits without him. If I recall she was quite satisfied with our trade. What became of her after that, I’m not quite sure.” The smile becomes more strained. Something starts to click in his mind. “And what did you give her in return?” “I bent the path for her friend. Brought him back to the road.” His smile widens unnaturally, the corners of his mouth curling. “It wasn’t easy. Her friend can be quite stubborn.”

elmer took the notebook && threw it as far as he could, attempting to get his dog sylvie to grab it && hide. but felix was faster, && instantly, both elmer && sylvie were teleported back to the middle of the forest, off the road once more.

it took a while, but elmer finally made it to his original destination: a tree that supposedly held the secret to what kor was looking for. && there, he found kor as well. except it was not kor. he couldn't focus on the creatures face as it kept shifting, next taking on the form of his friend esperanza, && then his friend vilitzr.

he tried to reason with the shapeshifting creature — “You’ve stolen someone else’s smile. Whoever you are, I’d like you to smile too — but I’d prefer if you did it with your own face. Come on! Don’t be shy! I won’t judge. People say I’m not all that handsome myself either, so if you’re worried about showing what you really look like, you’re in good company!” — but it did some sort of magical attack on him, causing his vision to blur with every nerve on end. in a desperate attempt to stop it, elmer cast hold person on the creature ; it failed its wisdom save and lost its grip on him, dragged off by sylvie who finished it off.

when elmer's vision cleared, he saw the real kor unconscious on the ground beside him nearly consumed by another shadow creature. using rebuke the violent on it, elmer dealt an equal amount of radiant damage back at it, which destroyed this shadow too. finally free of the creatures, elmer healed kor with his full pool of lay on hands hp — he saved her life. && as she asked him what happened, he simply said he didn't know, but it didn't matter — "We’re here, we made it, so please, Kor — smile.”

and she did. they spent the rest of the night eating && resting && making up stories to tell each other.

kor then told elmer that she intended to go through the doorway in the tree, to chase after the thing she lost. she said there was a good chance she wouldn't survive, if it was even there. elmer tried to argue, to let him go with her, but she was able to talk him down this time — he understood her need && desire to go alone. he did, however, make her promise something.

“One thing,” Kor says with a wry smile. “Two things,” he counters. “One — that you try your best to come back alive. I know there are people who would be very sad if you died. And two — if you do find what you’re looking for… That you’ll give me the biggest smile in the world. Even though I won’t be able to see it. I’ll know.”

she agreed. the next morning, when elmer awoke, kor was gone. along with all her supplies, she left him piece of cloth with a childlike sketch in charcoal—a round face with a wide smile. he gathered up what she left behind, tucked the cloth into his pocket, and continued walking — straight on, this time, rather than turning back the way they came — out of the veld.

the end (of this segment, anyway).

.................unless?

— once out of the forest, elmer wrote a letter to his friend esperanza, back in the city. esperanza stressed that under no circumstances should he return — vilitzr, the invading warlord that elmer had befriended (&& kor's commanding officer) believed that he kidnapped kor, && wants elmer dead. faced with no other option, lest he walk right into danger, he began to flee east... never failing to try && make people smile along the way.

[littlefreya]

The Devil’s Tongue

Summary: A mask of virtue hides a man riddled with lust and while his stoicism proceeds him, even he can’t withstand a begging girl. 

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x OFC (3rd person POV)

Warning: 18+. Manhandling, abuse of power, MaleDom/FemSub, some thigh riding, unprotected sex, deflowering, loss of virginity, mild mentions of blood, sex in front of mirror (auto-voyeurism), profanities, bodily fluids, possessive behaviour. 

Words: 4.5k

A/N: Many thanks to my muse @agniavateira for supporting me through this story and for betaing. This was inspired by a certain scene in the film. My pervy mind took it elsewhere. Sincerely, I am not sure how I feel about it, so I’ll let you be the judge while I’m having my panic attack. 

Please reblog and give feedback if you enjoyed. 🖤

*No permission is given for reposting my work, copying it, ideas or parts it and claiming it as your own*

Title: The Devil’s Tongue

The treacherous moon was already high in the midnight sky and winds of melancholia whispered through the ivy leaves that grew timidly around the window’s panes. Despite the solace of night, her blood seeped with venom, and vicious thorns grew beneath her skin.

Striding through the desolate corridors of Holmes’ estate, Vanessa fumed while listening to the sounds of the old house: the creaking of the floorboards, the glass panes rattling in the wind, and the scratching of mice that ran between the walls. A kerosene lamp hung heavy between her sweaty fingers; her knees cracked as she marched forward to face her master.

Same as every night, Sherlock hid in his library to chase adventures behind thin sheets of paper. He was not to be disturbed, though he left her no choice.

Sent her away he did, claiming that her service was no longer needed even though she was promised a home at the estate, despite Enola’s departure. The worst of it was that he didn’t even bother telling her himself, but simply sent another servant to announce that she must pack her belongings tonight.

‘Like hell, I would!’

Vanessa willed her heart to beat slowly as she tiptoed, cursing every wooden plank that grated beneath her feet. It’s been over a year since she started working for the Holmes family, and despite battling her concupiscence tooth and nail, Mr. Holmes has possessed her very existence. Sleepless nights left her yearning to drink the mead of his mouth and feel the slapping of his skin onto hers.

Wistfully, the brooding detective only stared at her with a lustre of ice. But the notion of never seeing him again felt like holding a blade pointed to her chest; the wish to confess nibbled in her gut like a pesky little fish.

‘At least I will have the chance to say farewell…’ she mused as she finally reached the open doorway of the library. It was a cosy cavern, stuffed with endless shelves of books and vases of pink roses to mellow its austerity.

Wood burnt to a crisp within the hearth, its aromatic scent bleeding into the air and a light layer of ashen mist wafted over the chamber. There sat her master, resting comfortably on his maroon leather armchair with a book in one hand and a pipe pressed between his succulent lips like a king on a throne of solitude.

Silently she stared, brow furrowing at his sight. It baffled her how a man can be so oblivious to the dangerous power he had over women. Sherlock was as divine as the coldest day of winter: eyes of crystal snow, curls darker than the night, and sharp facial features that gave a tinge of intimidating flavour. The ancient god Hades would have been jealous of his divinity. Even in these serene moments, Sherlock’s presence exhumed dominant masculinity, consuming oxygen like the fire that burnt in the mantle.

Clad in a white cotton shirt loose over his broad chest, he calmly turned a page on his book and sighed.

It was impossible not to sense her nearby. The young woman was a breeze of autumn wind: spiced yet soothing, bringing the omen of a season’s change. She tried very hard to hide her feral nature, abiding, serving, and acting polite. While she fooled everyone, including herself, he detected the brazen kiss that raged within her.

Nights were riddled by dreams of dismantling her shackles, only to bind her further to himself. And yet, every time he looked at her a loathing rage gnawed inside. To him, she was a dire trap meant to expose the thing that hid behind his mask of virtue—a reckless savage, sick with twisted desire.

It took true power to send her away. Yet, here she was, barging into his shelter to pour another drop of simmering turmoil into his already seething blood.

“Can’t sleep, Nessie?”

Vanessa jolted with a startle. His deep voice threaded tendrils of dark silk around her heart, attempting to draw it further out of her fragile ribcage. Maintaining attention on the book in his hand, Sherlock’s mouth twitched into a cold grin of respect, sensing her glare stabbing at his nape.

“You might be a mouse, but you have the stomp of an elephant.”

Forcing the book shut with a soft thud, Sherlock turned his head aside, daring to catch a glimpse of her. His pretentious smile died, and a surge of passion seized at his groin. Like the virgin Persephone, she stood before him wrapped in a sheer nightgown, the creamy fabric barely hiding her delicacies. A mystic glow of sweet honey and amber gold rimmed her flesh, kissing down her clavicles and leading his enslaved gaze to the soft heaps at her chest.

By courtesy, he should have looked away, but the wish to incinerate the silken threads that retained whatever left of her modesty whispered in his ear like a little devil that sat on his shoulder. It was cruel of her to provoke him like this.

Quirking an eyebrow with disdain, he finally battled the sight away.

“Something ails you, girl.” Sherlock’s rich baritone dropped. Touching the pipe to his maw, he took a long whiff and suckled his lip. “You seem unnecessarily emotional,” he noted dryly, pretending as if her appearance was a mystery.

Noticing the uncaring shift in his tone, she scowled and stepped carefully into the room. Placing the lamp on a nearby stand, she purposely stepped into his line of sight and looked at the frowning detective with the feral wilderness growing inside her chest.

“You’re sending me away tomorrow,” an unmistakable hint of rage seeped between the cracks in her voice. Grasping her knuckles, she began striding back and forth across the Parisian rug as if lost in her own musings, “why? What have I done to you?”

A small huff escaped his nose, and he rubbed a finger beneath his bottom lip. His patience spread thin as the young lady scurried about with hysteria. The mere idea of bending her over and teaching her some discipline caused the fabric of his trousers to stretch over his engorging desire.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, it was simply my decision.” He answered, striving to sound neutral and remorseless. “A lady’s maid without a lady is useless in a place like this. But now, Vanessa, it’s late, and I’d like to get back to my book. No reason for you to stand here in your... undergarments.”  

Lips agape and feet nearly colliding on to one another, Vanessa paused on her steps. His words crept a chill down the length of her spine, making her cheeks blaze. Passionate and irrational, she never even noticed her lack of chastity when she left her room.

“I… didn’t think much, I was upset…”

‘Of course, she didn’t think much. Irrational, savage thing.’

A string twitched in Sherlock’s cheek, and a dark errant lock fell rogue upon his pale temple as he turned his head aside, adamant to brush her away. His self-restraint was but a delicate, dying leaf, hanging by its last yellowing strand.

“I came here to ask you to…”

“I’m afraid it’s not negotiable.” Sherlock interrupted and swatted his hand flat on the leather binding. His stern glance floated out the window, focusing on a large spider that threaded lines of silver amidst the peeling frames. “You will find a new job in London, a better house,” he apprised and took a deep inhale, turning the book over to open it where he paused. “Now please leave before we’ll both hurt one another.”

‘Before I will pierce cavities in your soft flesh.’

Stunned by his dismissive, arctic demeanour, her stubbornness and frustration only grew to monstrous proportions. With clenched fists and water pooling at her lids, she grunted and took a courageous step closer, standing at the fore of his couch while shaking her head.

“No!”

“No!?” he scowled, eyebrows lowering with dismay. “You forget your place, woman.” He flashed her a quick warning look, his icy glare tinted midnight black as he stood at his wit’s end.

If only it didn’t make her heart shrivel with wanton. Their proximity perilously close, Sherlock’s strong scent pervaded into her lungs: a musky blend of whiskey, leather, and fine tobacco that made her thighs wobble. Before she could even register what’s happening, her knees were brushing the thick carpet, her decorum and dignity gone.

“I want to stay here. With you.”  Slender like stalking vines, her fingers crawled onto the armchair, squeezing at the smooth leather with pitiable desperation.

“Keep me, please!”

“Vanessa,” Sherlock drawled, still refusing to meet her gaze while his thumb circled deep into the coarse binding. Furious tides rose in his eyes, whisked by the rageful storm that inhabited his mind, “Do not make me regret this night.”

He didn’t want to hurt her, but she was pretty when she begged.

“You don’t know what it is that you’re asking, I am not the gentleman you think I am.”

Ignoring his warning, she insisted. Daring, needy talons rose from the armchair to claw at his arm, clutching it with demand. Even through barriers, a surge flushed between their bodies.

“Sherlock,” she half-whispered, crystal droplets of sadness gliding down the smooth slope of her cheeks. Not caring the least as they dribbled onto the soft sleeve of his shirt, leaving tiny stains that dampened his arm.

“Guide me, teach me, make me yours!”

Nostrils flaring and breath rigid, the large man finally snapped his stare at her with the sanguine hunger of a starved vampire. The mask of his virtue fell shattering to the floor, and a harrowing silence took over the room, diffused only by the sound of crackling embers and Vanessa’s shaky breath.

“Remember this tomorrow when you’re raw and hurting; this is what your begging bought you, little Nessie.”

A strangled gasp died at her sternum as his hand suddenly grasped her throat. With a quick yank, she was up on her feet, her toes barely scraping the ground as the hulking man held her up to his face.

“Oh the things I’ll do to you..” he whispered as his thumb dug deep onto her cheek and the rest of his fingers etched at her throat.

Swinging on his boots, he swept her across the silent halls. His stride a dark ceremonial gyrate, the creamy fabric of her pristine nightgown floating mid-air like a sheer tongue of white morning mist.  

“I will make you mine as you begged,” he rasped barbarically, one hand pushing the door open while the other held her attached to his chest, “I will teach you what you asked…” his lips brushed her ear, his breath hot over her cheek, “your first lesson begins... in my bed.”

With a swift shove, she was forced into his realm. Feet stumbling upon the tepid wooden floor, her ears throbbed with shock. Her hands reached to grasp onto the engraved bed column to prevent herself from falling.

His bedroom smelled of dying roses and smoked wicks, echoing the putrid decadence that gnawed at Sherlock’s mind. A dozen melting candles burned in every secluded corner, their little orange tongues licking the reflection of a sizable mirror that stood opposite of his large bed.

A dull metallic click broke the air, followed by Vanessa’s sputtering breath as she saw him lock the door. Her faith sealed - now caged in the lair of the beast. Reduced to his own shimmering shadow, Sherlock advanced toward her, ripping his shirt off.

Fingers biting into the wooden pole, Vanessa stared, unable to determine if it was a man or a lycan god who stood before her. Every breath made his bare torso look menacing. Under the deep dusky twilight, his muscles curved and stretched, coated by a virile, dark fur.

Curious, her gaze followed the striking veins and the trail of unkempt hair that paved its way down his fine abdomen and disappeared beneath his trousers. Guiding to that which she feared and wanted at once.

Eyes of blue flame shone with absent remorse, brows arched with a pretentious demeanour as he reached a hand to seize her to him. “Your innocence dies here tonight,” he hissed in her ear, “from now on, you’ll be my little whore to plough as I please.”

The air died in her lungs as his firm chest collided with hers and his knee forced her legs apart. Bulging and muscular, his thigh rose to brush at her clit, the thin fabrics a shy barrier.

Shuddering, she swallowed hard in a dire battle to find her voice. “I will be whatever you need me to be,” she retorted as the thought of being exploited by her master released fluttering butterflies of fear and excitement in her chest.

Sherlock smirked and captured her jaw between his finger and thumb as he leaned in. Torrid lips hovered over her own, offering a phantom kiss to distract her from the greedy fingers that pushed the sleeves of the gown off her shoulders.

Like warm milk it poured down her body, exposing her delicacies to the night and to the gluttonous hands that kneaded her breasts while he flicked his tongue over her closed mouth, tasting the plumpness of her lips.

A true creature of the underworld, Sherlock’s touch was cruel like his promises; he took as he pleased, leaving his sigil seething on her skin. Her sputtering gasps served as an opportunity to invade her hot cavern. The detective’s kiss was even more ruthless, his tongue smooth as silk seized and conquered her breath.

She could feel him streaming in her blood, tasting him all the way down through her gut. Dark and intoxicating like poisonous absinthe, the promise of death swung amidst their hot, serpent-like dance.

Yet she only yearned to drink to her demise.

As if under a stupor, she swayed to his spells, bucking her hips to ground herself on the meat of his thigh, leaving the coarse fabric wet with sticky arousal. A condescending grin tugged at his lips, and his hand rushed to the back of her head, weaving through her hair and yanking her back.

“Already the wanton harlot,” he spat, swiftly turning her over and holding her against his chest. “Look at yourself,” he growled hoarsely in her ear, forcing her doe eyes to stare at their reflection. Sherlock rested his dimpled chin on the top of her head with his brows lowered like an apex predator examining his prey.

His hand disappeared behind, hastily fumbling with his trousers, “You wanted me to show you, you want to see,” he called as his trousers piled at his feet and he carefully stepped out.

Something hefty and hard nudged at the small of her back, turning her veins into thin tendrils of ice. Abysmal panic coiled at her gut at the realisation that Sherlock meant to reshape her as the vessel of his primal urge.

Hand snaking around her belly, he snatched her to fall back onto the mattress with him pillowing her fall. Her firm buttocks slid across his hairy abdomen, hands fumbling to grasp his thick thighs while her eyes flared at the sight of his hardened cock displayed in front of her in its full generous size.

It was nothing like the medical illustrations she saw in books: bulging tendons swerved across an imposing, meaty rod. Ridges rippled across its girth like soft silk, and the heart-shaped head dripped of glistening, pearly arousal.

Curious, her trembling hand wandered to feel him, stunned by the liquid-like texture that engulfed the absurd rigidness. By order of her touch, he twitched and swelled, causing the radiating heat at the apex of her groin to palpitate.

Pressing his lips to the shell of her ear, Sherlock growled, “Do you like what you see, little one?”

His taut hands reached to grasp her thighs, spreading her wide over each of his legs and holding them apart to expose her untouched sleek at the mirror. The thundering in his throat was nothing but animalistic as he glowered at her perfect sight: his little Nessie, his little untainted flower blooming fresh with dew, yearning to be plucked.

“Look at yourself,” Sherlock demanded with a whisper drenched of fervour. His coarse hand dragged to capture her chin and forced her to face the salacious spectacle reflected before them. Her breath shuddered; she saw their skin mapped onto one another, their bodies entangled and their souls unmasked.

How could something so forbidden be so beautiful?

“I dwell in the darkness, Vanessa.” Sherlock explained, his voice stroking her temple as his lips inched closer, “You must know that, you must have me as I am.”

He laved his tongue over her cheek as if he was tasting the sweetest delicacy and reached for his erection, stroking the pulsating girth between his fingers. Eyes still glued to their likeness on the glossy surface, she glanced as he pressed his pink, meaty tip between her dripping petals.

“Watch as I take something from you that can never be given back, something that will forever belong to me.”

“Sherl….”

His name died on her tongue, the moment forever lost in a loud shriek. Savagely and unceremoniously, he pried her virginal cunt open the way a predator rips at its prey’s throat. His massive shaft tore through her purity with no resistance to fight back against his brutal invasion.  

Pain rattled its way through her entire entity while the dark spectacle of the loss of her innocence played right in front of her eyes, spurring grievous tears. Lost to the bliss of her warm cavern, Sherlock chanted in loud groans, continuing to force himself all the way between her squeezing walls. Remorseless of her cries, he never stopped until every hollow inch inside her was full of his cock and his sac smacked against her stuffed opening.

“My! You feel good!” He panted with astonishment, his virility twitching within the lush sanctuary between her thighs. Noxious pride flowed in his veins at the reflection of the naked young girl, spread open with him inside her.

“Do you like having me inside you, my little harlot?”

“God!” Vanessa screamed, stunned by the sensation of him swelling at her core. His invasion seared, her legs trembled against his in a plea to be kept together. But he only stretched her wider, hooking both hands below her thighs.

“It will feel good in a little while,” he promised and slowly shifted his hips back. Inch by inch, his cock slid out of her now defiled slit, coated by blood and a sheer layer of arousal. It was something of decadent theatrics; his broad chest puffed against her spine, a blissful hum leaving his bobbing throat at the image of the crimson stain that decorated his sword.

“From this moment and beyond, this belongs to me,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck and planting wicked, butterfly kisses along the tender slope, “do you understand? Your little cunny is my property, your moans, your pleasure, all belong to me.”

Her cunt clenched around nothing as she watched his full length slipping out, tainted by broken purity, the empty void leaving pure urgency to course through her tendons. Hopeless for something she couldn’t even recognise, she whined and writhed on top of him. Her eyes levitated from their sexes to meet his icy glare.

“Sherlock, please, more! Please put yourself back inside me!!!”

“Fuck!” Sherlock rasped in awe of her wanton, his control nearly lapsed. Fingers digging into her thighs, he undulated his hips and pulled her down the length of his throbbing erection. Low melodies of pleasure rolled on his tongue as her wet cunt pressed around him again.

Gawking at the mirror, she nearly fell apart in his arms, cries of daze escaped her as Sherlock's drove back into her sleek. Every bit of his flesh unfolding hers, disappearing within her body to defy the loneliness aching in her cove until his entire shaft was lost in her depth and the tip of his cock hit something lush and tender. She could have sworn she felt him waver deep in her gut.

“Sherlock!!!” she cried, shutting her eyes at the sharp twinge that shuddered through her core.

“Don’t you dare close those eyes, dove,” he warned, and the authority in his voice left her no choice but to obey. Wickedly, his fingers slithered to the little nub of flesh above her slit and ruthlessly tugged at it to expose more of her battered sex. He continued to pound into her mercilessly, quickening the rhythm with each one of his thrusts.

“Look at you, taking me so obediently. Perhaps I was wrong about you, perhaps you are easily tamed.”

The thick bones of his hips crashed into her rump vigorously, his girth violently splitting her protesting walls. He was fast, wet, and hard inside her, his cock drilling into her over and over, every plunge stripping more layers of her soul and pushing her higher toward the heavens.

Enslaved to the beguiling aphrodisiac, she squirmed on top of him, her body beginning to push down to meet every thrust. The vision of herself being brutally taken by the large, civilised beast made the blood pool at the seams of her womanhood and tingle with frustration.

A shuddering quake began to spread within her, spiralling out in a sequence of spasms sourced at the spot where they connected. Bliss and ecstasy shattered her body and a sudden flush of pleasure exploded through her body as she came all over his cock.

Engulfed in her milking cunt, Sherlock could hardly believe what beheld his eyes. His beautiful nymph, coming undone around him, ethereal and divine. Her blissful chants a song to his ears only, she was like dryad humming a hymn to call upon a lonesome hunter.

“‘My Vanessa, I wanted you for so long.” He called, fucking her wildly through her orgasm. “Tell me you want me to come inside you,” he choked out on his grunts, her sugary walls closing around his thickness like a predatory flower, demanding to suckle his sweet elixir.

Still riding her climax, she shook her head, hesitant of speaking such profanities. But the stern glower on Sherlock’s face instantly forced her into submission.

“I want you to come … come inside me!” She panted and then screamed as another wave of intense rapture swept her away.

Her squeezing cunt forced the thick stream to vibrated through his shaft, making him drill into her with zeal. His fingers clutched her waist as he slammed her down onto his swollen cock, burying himself the deepest he could. Vanessa yipped as something hot sprouted into her, flooding her womb like a soothing kiss that slowly began trickling between their tight flesh.

Still locked in an embrace, they shivered together. Soft maple hues glimmered over their wet skin, their bodies heaving against one another while a symphony of pants and gasps filled the silence.

Sherlock’s glaciers sought to capture her reflection, a dark, brooding look on his sweat-silken face while his lips ghosted over her shoulder. There was no question in the rough expression of his face.

Nothing spoke louder than the possessiveness that pierced through the sharp reflection.

~*~

A tender stream of sunshower kissed her lids awake. The cerulean sky winked at her through the open window while her senses gingerly regained their functions after what felt like graveyard slumber. Finding herself alone, she wondered for a moment if the night before was only a fantasy; but this bed was too soft and far too large, and the sensation of shame licking between her thighs told her otherwise.

Even in his absence, Sherlock’s presence lingered. His pungent sweat layered on her skin, and from her torn seal trickled the pearly, forbidden essence of his loins. She allowed herself a moment of coy bliss, pressing her lips upon her bare shoulder to kiss the taste of him off her flesh when the thud of inching footsteps and creaking wood made her sit up with fright as if her presence was forbidden.

Huddling the blankets around her chest, she gulped as the door flung open.

Already dressed in a clean shirt, a vest of golden brown, and a long black jacket, the hulking man offered her a small wrinkle on his brow. Fine silks were folded on his forearm, and his eyes fell upon the naked beauty in his bed. A shadow of dark desire danced upon his slanted smirk as he noticed the little inkling of dry blood on the edge of the mattress.

“Slept well, my little Nessie?” He asked, passing a finger over his neatly combed locks before gesturing for her to approach him. Obedient as ever, his little servant quickly climbed out, immediately regretting her haste as a spear split through her core. With jolting legs, she swallowed her discomfort and approached him with her head lowered to the floor.

“No, we will have none of this,” Sherlock chided, his finger stalking beneath her chin to fix her stare on his. Their gazes met for a shy second and then he stepped back, unfolding the fabrics held beneath his arm.

A waterfall of black and crimson flowed down, hanging from his hands.

Vanessa’s eyes rounded with wonder; being a woman of lower status, she never owned anything as beautiful and expensive as the dress he held before her.

“Lift your arms, dove,” Sherlock commanded and she did as he bid.

The soft fabrics felt like warm liquid washing over her skin as Sherlock carefully slipped the dress over her head. His hands smoothly roamed her body, tugging at the delicate fabric to fit over her figure. The tall detective stepped to stand at her back and began working the laces of the corset embedded into the gown.

One by one, he tightened the silk binds as he pulled at the laces. Vanessa slightly hissed when her breasts squished against the generous cleavage.

“Forgive me,” Sherlock mumbled as he heard her distress, “I am not used to such… arrangements.”

“Arrangements?” she asked naively, though it quickly dawned on her that her dear master never had a wife or a mistress, which didn’t come much as a surprise after witnessing his bohemian desires the night before. And yet, no regret touched her heart as Sherlock pressed his hand over her torso and perched his chin atop her head once again.

“Look at us.” His lustrous eyes carried to the mirror, guiding hers to follow as he stroked his hand lower to flatten the folds of her dress and pushed her hair over her shoulders with the other.

“Don’t we make a pair?”

Glancing forward, Vanessa took a deep inhale. Crimson and black were unusually beautiful as they graced her figure. The rim of the cleavage was beaded with fine black jewels that gave her appearance an elegant, yet erotic flavour.

Taken by her new design, she allowed herself to be swallowed into Sherlock’s beautiful darkness.

She wouldn’t have him without it.

___________________________________

Additional notes: I don’t own Sherlock Holmes or Enola Holmes franchise. Thanks to @wondersofdreaming  @wolvesandhoundshowltogether and @sapphirescrolls for moral support. 

[ladyartemesia]

The Luna

◐ PART VII of THE ALPHA ◐

◐ Series Masterlist ◐

◐ Part I ◐ Part II ◐ Part III ◐ Part IV ◐ Part V ◐ Part VI ◐

Pairing: Alpha Werewolf Jimin x Omega Reader

Rating: Hard Mature 18+ (for this installment)

Warnings: this one is a little darker... implied violence, mentions of blood, ABO sexual dynamics including discussion of scenting, marking, mating, and claiming, sexual innuendo, discussion of violence relating to ritual combat, possessive behavior, injuries and discussion of injuries, discussions or ruts, (non-explicit) kidnapping and drugging, its not as bad as it sounds, but it is definitely a bit darker...

Word Count: 4200

Author’s Note: You have no idea what your support has meant to me. After getting the dreaded Covid it was awhile before I had the energy to work on this. Truly your asks and your messages and comments...they made me so happy. You made me believe that people wouldn’t forget about this story. I am so grateful you were able to wait. As always, my angels @ppersonna @xjoonchildx @untaemedqueen and @underthejoon were the best betas and the best friends anyone could ask for. My thanks to ALL of you for helping me bring this story to life! I don’t know what I would do without your daily encouragement and your daily support. You guys are the heartbeat of this story. 

———◐——— 

Fifteen Years Ago...

———◐——— 

“It can’t be-”

“Run for the elders! Quickly! 

“Red smoke rises from the Luna’s hearth!”

The red smoke was invented by the first wolf known to mate a witch. Legend has it that their bond lent him some of her magic and with it he created a mystical powder that unleashed bloody plumes like knife slashes in the clouds. 

It was a distress call. 

A wolf in danger or in need could throw the powder (usually into their fireplace) and the red smoke would rise - drawing others to their aid. 

No fire was needed and the strange shimmering clouds it produced could even be seen on a moonless night. 

“What happened? Where is the Luna?”

The chief elder was still out of breath, having charged over from his chambers to find Isa in hysterics. 

“She’s gone! Something scared her! It triggered a half-shift!”

His eyes widened in fear and alarm. 

“She’s too young to half-shift. The energy it would take-”

Isa broke into sobs again. 

The girl was only five years old. She and her wolf were too volatile to merge safely. The wolf would be frightened - it would run. 

Eventually the child might regain control, but she would have no way of knowing where she was or how she got there… 

And she would be weak. The effects of the shift were too much for a pup that age. 

The chief elder felt true terror grip his heart. 

“Call for the alphas - immediately!”

Although they were technically one of the oldest bloodlines in the village, Park Clan had only five families to its name - all betas. 

Except for one. 

Park Jimin was the first alpha ever born to the Parks and as such he became the head of his family on the day of his birth - officially the youngest clan leader in history. 

When the call for alphas spread through the village, nine year-old Jimin was roused from his bed to serve on behalf of his people. 

Clan alphas were required to report, regardless of their age. 

“I don’t have to tell any of you what is at stake. Our pack has been entrusted with the Luna’s bloodline. Her safety is our sacred commission.”

The woods were no place for a child. If fluctuating temperatures and possible starvation weren’t bad enough, there were wild bears, packless ferals, rogue witches, snakes, and worst of all-

Unblessed wolves—animals without a human heart. They were by far the most pressing danger to the little girl. 

“Surely young Park can remain at home for this,” Jeon Jinseok pressed. The boy was barely older than his grandson, Jungkook, and he was reluctant to endanger another pup needlessly. 

Some quiet murmurs of assent could be heard around the elder’s chambers, however the chief elder himself shook his head sadly. 

“I understand your concern… but the law is the law. Every clan alpha is sworn to such a task. He took an oath after his first transformation-”

“He was seven-”

“An oath is still an oath.”

All eyes turned to the gentle voice in the corner. The Park alpha looked impossibly small and soft. 

But his gaze burned with determination. 

“It is my right and duty to seek the Luna alongside all of you.” His round little jaw clenched stubbornly. “I’m not afraid.”

The sound of bones and sinew shifting filled the air as one by one the clan alphas fell to their wolf forms and took off into the forest. 

Until only a small silver wolf remained. 

The chief elder sighed. 

The boy would not undergo the Change for another six years. The mental link between his wolf and human forms was not yet complete. It was difficult for information to pass from one to the other. 

“You are the wolf force of Park Jimin.”

After a moment the wolf nodded.

“You were called here because the Luna has gone missing and you must find her if you can. Search the woods until your wolf force can endure no longer and then return. If you find the child, bring her home as soon as possible.”

The young wolf nodded again and then disappeared into the night. 

It was cold. 

The last thing you remembered was a loud noise. It was too close - you panicked-

Then there was heat and pain and running and now this-

Darkness and barren trees looming over you as far as your frightened eyes could see. 

“...Hello?”

Your hands were bleeding. Tears began to slide softly down your cheek as your lips trembled. 

“H-Hello?”

Jimin had never been allowed into the forest alone. A myriad of new shapes and odd smells assaulted his senses as he ran. 

He had only seen you a handful of times. 

Bright silver eyes with a smile that could set even the coldest heart into bloom. 

Now you needed him.

And he was going to save you. 

It was not a question or a matter of chance in his mind. He was meant to find you. It was as if a thread from his chest was bound to a thread from yours and his wolf knew to follow it without question or thought for its significance. 

I’m coming, little Luna. Hold on. 

Your nose was not yet fully developed, but the stench creeping through the air toward you was unmistakable. 

Unblessed. 

A soulless wolf. 

The last time you encountered it was after a hunt. Your father killed one who attacked him and he brought it home for you to scent. 

So you could recognize the smell of danger. 

Gradually two shining eyes emerged from the darkness, yet unlike the wolves of your village, these were dark and fathomless-

Hungry. 

You couldn’t tell much about its age or coloring, it was too thin - too dirty, but the bared teeth and steady progress closer signaled its intent clearly. 

“Please,” you whispered, as it crouched back on its hind legs, preparing to strike. 

Tears blurred your vision as you heard it leap forward. 

But the strike never came. 

Another wolf tackled it to the ground before it could reach you. The two of them tangled viciously in the moonlight; a terrifying mass of snarling and claws. 

The smaller fighter was already bleeding, but he clamped down on his opponent’s throat in the first hit and hung on to it even as the animal snapped and scratched brutally at his skin. 

Jimin could feel his strength beginning to fail him. The pain was excruciating, but he had to endure. If he let go, he was lost- 

You were lost.

So he held. 

And at last the soulless wolf collapsed on top of him. 

For a moment, all was quiet. 

Jimin felt the wounds over his hide begin to tug at the edge of his consciousness. Accelerated healing could only do so much... He was hurt badly. 

Then two small hands began to push at the unblessed corpse. Small huffs and heaves poured from you as you worked to free him from beneath his defeated foe. 

“Don’t be afraid, Silver,” you grunted, “Momma says the healing works best if you can get warm.” 

With one final heave you disposed of the beast as best you could, then moved to wrap your body around your injured champion. 

“I can help,” you whispered, letting the tears fall freely. His soft whimpers were the only reply you received as you snuggled in closer, running your hands gently over the soft fur. 

The young wolf’s eyes were already beginning to lose focus. 

“Please goddess,” you begged into the night. “Please save him.”

Then the two of you drifted into a heavy sleep. 

Jimin opened his eyes again just as the dawn broke. 

He was still in wolf form, but the pain of his injuries had lessened considerably. 

Either that or he was becoming numb. 

His eyes dropped to the figure curled up next to him and his heart stirred. You were so pale… and he could feel your small body shivering violently against his chest.

She will not last much longer...

It took nearly everything he had to stand to his feet and nudge you awake. 

“Will you bring me back, Silver?” you asked weakly. 

Jimin nodded and the two of you stumbled forward into the forest, trusting the vague recollections of his wolf instincts to lead you home. 

Isa was beside herself with worry. Wolves came and went throughout the night-

But there was still no sign of you. 

And the odds of a child surviving the woods alone with no heat and no protection were slim at best. 

Her hands shook as she gathered feed for the horses from the storeroom near the back of the house. She willed herself to complete the task - any task - in an effort to busy her mind and perhaps achieve a moment of respite. 

Her hand closed around the back door handle and she started forward - only to nearly lose her balance over something lying on the porch. 

The bucket of feed dropped from her grasp, sending kernels of grain in all directions. 

Two bodies lay in a heap at her feet, clutching one another desperately. The Luna and her silver wolf were covered in matted blood and dirt. 

But they were alive. 

Isa began to scream, drawing out the other two occupants of the house; her husband Roojin and his younger sister, a beta healer named Ryn. 

“Oh my goddess,” Ryn gasped, “that’s the Park alpha! I heard some of the elders saying that he hadn’t checked in last night!”

“Get them inside. If we don’t act quickly we could lose them.”

Roojin tried to lift you away from the wolf, but the action was enough to rouse you and you immediately began to kick and scream frantically. 

“No! I won’t leave him!” you sobbed, wrapping your body even tighter around the injured pup. “Silver, wake up! Please wake up!”

“Baby you need to let him go! We have to treat him!”

But you were frantic, refusing - violently - to be separated from your rescuer. 

Ryn was eventually forced to grab a syringe from her field kit to sedate you. 

Isa carried your limp body to the fireplace and began to peel off your wet clothes while Ryn and Roojin dealt with Jimin’s injuries in the kitchen. Blood dripped over the tabletop and puddled ominously on the floor while they worked. 

“It looks like he was attacked.” Ryn’s eyes began to water. “What a brave little boy.”

“How the hell did he survive this?”

“I don’t know, but without a healing touch he’ll die.” She ripped her gloves off and rolled up her sleeves. “Stand back.”

Twenty minutes later Isa and Roojin caught the young healer as her legs gave out from under her. She had poured the majority of her energy into restoring the young Park alpha - perhaps more than was strictly safe-

But he would survive and that was all that mattered. 

“I must contact the elders,” Isa murmured as she helped Ryn to a seat near the hearth. “In all the chaos I forgot to tell them that we found her.”

Roojin sighed, letting his eyes drift back to the table. 

“That pup brought her back, but I wonder if they’ll even believe it. I wouldn’t - not if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

“No...” Ryn whispered from the chair. “You can’t tell them about the boy.”

“Why not? He’s the only reason she’s still alive. He deserves to be recognized.”

“You don’t understand,” she shook her head weakly. “His clan is nothing. They have no power - no other alphas. This will make him a target. The alpha pups will challenge him and the stronger clans will see him as a threat to their influence…”

She pulled herself upright and limped over to the table where the young wolf slept. 

“But he's just a child….and small for his age at that. He has no powerful clansmen to protect him from the ramifications of this.” 

Her hands clenched to fists. 

“When his human form returns, he won’t remember saving the Luna. We’ll take him to his mother’s home at nightfall - make it seem like he wandered back. He may garner some respect for surviving the woods, but then they’ll leave him alone… and he can go on living his life in peace.”

Ryn turned to face them both with a determined expression. 

“We owe him that.”

“Where is the silver wolf? Where have you taken him?”

As soon as the sedative wore off you reached for the boy once again, only to find that he was gone. 

“The silver wolf was hurt very badly, sweetheart. Your aunt carried him away to be treated.”

“I have to go with him! He needs me!”

“No, honey - you can’t-”

Isa pulled you into her arms and you collapsed into helpless sobs. The last twenty-four hours had finally caught up with you. 

You were too weak to fight back. 

“Luna… the silver wolf is in danger. Are you willing to keep him safe?”

You nodded fiercely, letting the flow of your tears soak through your mother’s sleeves. 

“Then you must never tell another soul that the silver wolf saved you. No one can know that he was with you in the forest.”

Your eyes narrowed in confusion. 

“But-”

“You will tell everyone that you found the way back alone. Do not mention the silver wolf.”

Isa lifted your chin till your eyes met hers. 

“Promise me, Luna.”

Your heart squeezed painfully in your chest as you thought of your champion. He had spared you from a gruesome fate and you did not even know his name. 

You wanted so desperately to thank him. 

Last night, you were so cold - so afraid - that you hadn’t said it...

Now you never could. 

So instead you would protect him - no matter what it cost. 

“I promise.”

———◐——— 

Today...

———◐———  

“I don’t like him.”

Jimin tilted his head slightly toward his best friend.

“Who?”

Taehyung took a long sip of water then moved his hand to cover his mouth. To an outside observer he would appear to be wiping excess liquid from his lips. 

“The senior envoy from the Iron Claw pack.” He shook his head. “Something about him is off. He’s ill at ease.”

All the major packs of the mountain nations dispatched representatives to greet and solidify their relations with the new Alpha. 

Any pack who failed to send a proper delegation risked a diplomatic incident. 

The first twenty-four hours held great significance when it came to the transfer of power. The official term for the tradition-packed period between the revelation of the Alpha and his ultimate reunion with the Luna was called “The King’s New Moon.”

The new moon was the darkest phase of the lunar cycle and the immediate separation from his mate was meant to be a test of the Alpha’s restraint and bearing. 

Jimin wanted to put his fist through a wall. 

He missed you. 

Fighting Namjoon was nothing compared to the torture of this bureaucratic circus.

As the day progressed he was extremely grateful to have Yoongi and Taehyung at his side. Yoongi agreed to act as interim Praetor while Namjoon recovered and he and Taehyung were quick to fill in any knowledge gaps Jimin had with regards to protocol. 

The first round of ceremonial greetings between packs dragged on more than an hour before the bell struck for a brief recess. In fact, until Taehyung’s rather strange pronouncement, nearly every moment played out with boring predictability.

Though there was one notable surprise. 

Apparently the Iron Claw pack had just undergone a change of leadership and was now under the command of a female alpha named Azira Kai. 

Authority in the Iron Claw pack was traditionally decided through combat, and Azira beat nearly thirty-five challengers to ascend as queen. 

Female alphas were extraordinarily rare. Jimin knew they existed, but Azira was the first one he’d ever heard of. 

Iron Claw’s senior envoy delivered the news himself at the start of the ceremony and personally conveyed the queen’s well wishes. 

Jimin eyed the representative in question speculatively from his corner of the table. At first glance the man seemed much like every other emissary gathered in the crowded hall to fulfil centuries old obligations. But Taehyung had always possessed a strange sense about people. 

His instincts could not be easily dismissed. 

“I will keep that in mind,” he whispered as he sent the young man a courteous nod.

The sun had already begun to set when a messenger from the chief elder’s chambers arrived at your door. At long last the ceremonial requirements were drawing to a close and soon the elder’s council would be sending you instructions.

However...‘soon’ could mean anything from twenty minutes to five hours. 

“You might as well rest while you can,” Jin teased with a salacious wiggle of his brows. “Who knows what strenuous activity you might find yourself involved in when they finally let that boy loose.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to pretend that your cheeks weren’t burning with embarrassment. 

“I will rest, but not for any reason you’re thinking.”

Truth be told, your nerves were a bit… frayed. 

A frustration was building within you and nothing seemed to satisfy it. You weren’t even sure what you were wanting, but you definitely wanted it. 

“Of course not,” your cousin chuckled as you gathered your gloves and wandered back to the bedroom. 

An hour later Jin’s boredom found him snuggled up on the couch near the fireplace reading over an old cookbook from your mother’s pantry.

“Heavens… no wonder Aunt Isa’s kimchi is so dry. This is a disgrace.”

Suddenly the front door began to shake and pound violently. Strange smells carried through the air and his eyes widened. 

Foreign wolves. 

He drew in a deep breath and immediately growled in frustration. 

Foreign alphas.

A small bowl of red powder sat on the mantle above the hearth. Jin just barely managed to toss it into the flames before the door splintered off its hinges. 

“Hello boys,” he drawled, unleashing a massive dose of pheromones while the knives strapped to his forearms slid smoothly to his hands. “What brings you here?”

“I just heard the strangest news,” Min Yoongi narrowed his eyes at the small scrap of paper passed to him by one of the council aides. 

“Oh?”

The next set of guild masters were making their way to Jimin at a snail’s pace. It would be several seconds before he needed to greet them. 

“One of the healers sent word that Namjoon has disappeared from his assigned recovery room.” He shook his head curiously. “Where do you suppose he’s gone?”

Jimin’s eyes widened. 

That mangy mutt. He’s probably bent Yunli over every surface of her brother’s house by now. Goddess above! He couldn’t hold out for six more days? 

“I’m sure I have no idea.”

I should have killed him. This is a disaster. He can barely walk, how does he expect to-

“The Miner’s Guild is honored to serve at the pleasure of the Alpha.”

Jimin nodded regally and forced up a pleasant smile. 

“The honor is entirely mine, Master Lee. I look forward to-”

A loud crash split the solemn hush of the room as a young member of the council guard burst through the heavy wooden doors. 

“Red smoke! Red smoke rises from the Luna’s hearth!”

Jimin felt his heart plummet into his stomach. 

Chaos erupted immediately. 

“Call for the guards!”

“We must notify the healers.”

“The messengers just spoke to her-”

“Is it an attack?”

“ENOUGH!”

The Alpha’s voice cut across the assembly with authoritative resonance. 

Every eye turned to him in expectation. 

But he could only think of you. 

“Jung, lock the building down. Take your clansmen and seal off every entrance.”

Murmurs began to stir through the hall as Hoseok directed his people toward the access points, but he ignored them. 

“Choi. Make for the healers. Have a dozen of them meet us there.”

Jimin was already heading for the door. The deadly length of his claws flashed ominously in the firelight. 

“Kim, Min, Jeon - with me.”

The three alphas in question fell in step behind him without a word. 

The scene at the Luna’s home was nightmarish. 

Jimin ran to your room immediately, but all he found was a broken window and the lingering scent of your fear. 

His wolf howled in anguish as he fell to his knees and screamed in rage. 

At the front of the house four badly beaten bodies lay strewn about the kitchen and living room area. Most of the furniture was destroyed and the scent of carnage soaked the air. 

“Jin!”

The omega stood at the center of the rubble. There was a nasty slash running up his right leg and another grievous wound near his ribs. 

But his arms were wrapped around a massive foriegn wolf with the thin blade of his favorite knife pressed against the intruders throat. 

“What happened here?” Yoongi gasped. “And that smell-” he moved his hand to cover his nose. 

“Pheromones,” Taehyung nearly gagged. 

His eyes fell to the corpses - examining their injuries with a critical gaze. 

“Jin, you dangerous bastard.”

The omega simply smiled and forced the prisoner onto his knees. 

“I don’t understand…” Jungkook shook his head. 

“He flooded them with omega pheromones... These four were unmated.” The Kim alpha let out a cold chuckle. “He triggered their ruts… and they killed each other over him.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened. 

Male omegas really were terrifying.

Taehyung’s eyes narrowed and he considered the scene. 

“None of this makes sense. The scent markers are clearly from the Iron Claw pack. They didn’t even bother to mask…”

Jungkook and Yoongi began to search the bodies for any hint of their motives or identity when Jimin returned from your room. His fury was palpable in the air around him. 

“Why would anyone kidnap a Luna?” he snarled. “The divine bloodline is sacred to all wolves. Who would be so reckless?”

Jin shook his head.

“I don’t know.” His knife twisted into the prisoner’s neck. “But he does.”

Jimin crouched down in front of the foreigner, fighting every urge in his soul to tear the mountains apart for his mate.  

“Where is she?”

The prisoner sneered.

“You may be a powerful Alpha, but you are not of my pack or my blood.  I’ll never tell you anything.”

“Oh,” Jimin’s eyes flashed with golden fire, “I think you will.” 

Heavy. 

That was how you felt. 

Your body was sore (like it had been tossed and carried a long distance) and your mind was out of focus (as if everything around you was moving either too quickly or too slowly - honestly you couldn’t quite tell).

You remembered being drugged; some sort of compound pressed against your nose and mouth.  

Glass from the window shattered onto your face…

Then unfamiliar scents and unfamiliar hands closed in on all sides. 

Too fast for you to react.

Too shocking for anyone to have predicted. 

Nothing like this had ever happened and there was no reason to believe it would. 

To harm a Luna was sacrilege. 

It was simply not done. 

What could drive men to such a course of action? 

You should be afraid; terrified even.  

But you weren’t.

Your eyes fluttered open to take your new surroundings. You could vaguely see the shape of seven or eight wolves - alphas by the smell of them-

And then you smiled. 

It wasn’t your usual impish grin or anything close to soft or inviting. 

It was a cold twist that crept over your lips as you watched your abductors set up their camp. 

After a moment, one of them noticed your strange expression. 

“Looks like the little Luna hit her head on the way here,” he called out to his comrades with an amused snort. “You should have been more careful with her, Mac.”

He shook his head and made his way over to where you were tied up. The young alpha reeked so heavily of sweat and self-importance, you almost gagged. 

“What’s got you so amused, Miss Luna?”

It was more of a taunt than a question, but your smile widened nonetheless. 

“My mate is going to kill you.” 

Shock flickered over his features for just a second before he threw his head back and laughed. 

“We’ll be long gone before your sweet little alpha even knows we’re here.” He gripped your chin between his fingers and you snarled. “We masked our scent as soon as we got you - and there isn’t a wolf alive that could track our crew through the woods.”

“You’re wrong,” you whispered. 

Jimin’s face flashed through your mind - followed immediately by another memory, buried deeply, but never forgotten—

of a frightened little girl and the silver wolf who braved the forest and fought a monster to save her. 

“He’ll come for me - no matter what precautions you’ve taken.” You leaned forward a bit, letting the conviction in your gaze blaze through to the depths of your captor’s soul. “And then - he’ll come for you.” 

If you are already in the taglist, then I will automatically tag you for the next part! If you would like to be added to the taglist, please let me know.

And also please tell me what you thought of this update! I am really excited to hear your thoughts! (I know it was kind of unexpected right?) Feedback really does fuel my writing and hearing from you means a lot to me! On days that its hard to write, I go back and I read your lovely words and it makes me want to keep going! I cannot overstate its value in my heart! 

[starshipsofstarlord]

Can you do a reader x Damon salvatore where everyone thinks the only reason they are together is because damon sired her, but she gets angry and tells them the truth that she always had feelings and didn't say anything because she knew he liked Elena...

Sire Or No Sire

damon Salvatore x reader / masterlist

summary; it is easily perceived why you look at Damon the way that you do, though most people think that is an affect of him having turned you to save your life. And that is the last straw of you realising that they know nothing / warnings; mentions of Damon x Elena, mentions of Damon x Caroline, jealousy, angst, mentions of the sire bond, mentions of sex, swearing, angst, breakup, toxic friendships

Their voices, their aloud opinions, brought you nothing but pain, the tragedy seeping into your vervain allergic veins, as you shook your head. It was as though they thought that you were unable to hear their chatter, but you knew that they would be wrong with assuming so. You were no longer weak, with human senses flooding your every whim, you were a vampire.

An immortal. It felt strange to think that you would no longer age in physical layers, instead, your mind would be the only participant within your body to forever grow with the various memories that you would be collecting through the next decades. Though, you weren’t the only one, Caroline was in that room, reprimanding Damon for saving your life.

You could hear her words loud and clear, as the Salvatores and the rest of your friends stood by, some agreeing with her, such as Elena, whereas others remained silence, such as the vampire that had turned you in the first place. The viscous tone hissing out of the blonde’s mouth scathed you emotionally, and ended with you thudding back against Damon’s bedroom door, before entering the room, and ensuring that it was locked behind you.

“The two of you are only together because of the sire bond. You turning her, had become nothing more an excuse to fuck and put a label on it!”

Did she think that she was defending you? Because to you, it didn’t sound like it, but that was Caroline for you, always insistent of her opinion, though, you two did get along. The pair of you understood what it was like to be on the sidelines, whilst perfect Elena played the victim every time, and got any guy she wanted, even her friends were swayed with the young gentlemen first.

Elena Gilbert was the epiphany of perfect; she was the damsel in distress, giving the opportunity to whomever she sought after to come and save her. You weren’t her, dissimilar to the whiny brunette, you were prepared to fight the monsters that threatened your life, human or not. And that included Damon long ago, before you saw how sweet the over century old man was.

One thing that you had never done though, was date someone and bluntly flirt with their brother. That was crossing a line, you appreciated honesty, especially in this lifestyle, and Caroline had declared her thoughts. She spoke truthfully, believing her own words, though they were far from facts.

They needed to know that you weren’t invested in a relationship with Damon because of him turning you, it was something you had never asked for, nor dreamed about. But it had happened, and whilst it brought the pair of you closer, there was no maker bond, instead, there had already been a flirtatious brewing between the pair of you whilst you were still human.

You becoming like him gave the two of you more time together as he trained you to breathe idly in and calm your bloodlust. Or how in the middle of the night, he would come by your house, and awake you from a terror, afterwards taking you for an innocent stroll through the woods.

Without him, you’d have been on a path to nowhere, lost and unable to find a route to continue on, wading through the life after death with no direction, nor set course to keep you in line. Surely, you’d have murdered many a man or woman, if you were dependant with surviving with her bewitched curse of immortality, digging into their inviting throats with your dagger canine teeth, that pulsed to be fed.

“That’s a load of- you know what, think what you want to think, you have a history of jealousy filled, toxic and werewolf involved relationships, you are not exactly the best person here to judge me on my healthy and loving romantic partnership with y/n!”

Damon half yelled at the vampiric blonde, however, another tone was fast to respond to his defensive outburst and cause the both of you a disgruntled pair of expressions. “She was turned by you brother, that runs the risk of a sore bond appropriating her feelings.”

Oh, noble Stefan. He had caused you to snap, thrusting the door open to his brother’s bedroom open, making its hinges weaken, as you whisked through the halls in seconds, joining the compendium of mystic falls in the living space, all eyes turned to you, well aware that you had heard all their smart mouthed and toxic opinions.

The sire bond wasn’t something that was too uncommon, however it affected nothing in your life. It was just for them to pick at something that was good, they could never allow something that was actually decent to revel in existence. They had to be the ones with the perfect prissy lives, not others.

“Shut your mouth, ripper!” Yes, you pulled at that string of his life, dangling it degradingly before his eyes, watching as his eyes that were focalised into you turned sour. “I love your brother, and just because you loved the love triangles the pair of you would be involved in with bitchy Gilbert over there, or bloody Katherine, does not make any other people that he or you are with invalid!”

Elena stepped forwards, her doe eyes boring with contained anger towards you. Though instead of speaking to you, her words were directed at her ex, and she wanted to gouge your reaction. “You promised me that we were going to last forever, are you going to do the same to her?”

“No, because I don’t need a time span to appreciate her presence in. I don’t need to tell her lies nor make selfish promises, because with her I am a better man.” Damon sneered at her, coming to stand beside you, protectively wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

“It’s the sire bond.” Elena stated furiously, hating the fact that she was not getting her way. In turn, you laughed, shaking your head at her incessant denial of allowing Damon to move on.

“Shut the fuck up, if you had maybe given a shit about me in the past, you’d have realised that I would stare at you enviously when you were at his side. But maybe you knew, and you just wanted to brag, but I can prove that there is no bond other than the one we already built together.”

“Yeah, and how are you going to do that?” She pestered, and with a sorrowful glance directed at Damon, you dropped your head, anything but proud with what you were about to do. Swiftly you turned, watching as Damon’s eyes widened.

“I’m going to leave.” Whence you began to walk, a hand grasped your wrist, keeping your feet locked where they were. Caroline’s voice broke through the air, her eyes were filled with regret, from all the things that she had said, and all the opinions that she had formed.

“You’re not serious! You’re gonna break up with him because of us?” Stiffly you nodded, watching as Damon felt a taken back. He gaped his mouth open, in shock.

“I’d do anything for my friends, despite the circumstances not being reciprocated. I’m not even allowed to be in a relationship with the man that I love because you are all endorsed with the idea that it’s some stupid bond. Yes, we have a bond, but it’s not a sire one.”

“Baby, don’t.” Damon practically begged, watching as you yourself were torn and conflicted in regards to the situation. A sad smile monitored your face, as you slipped out of his grasp.

“We might have to wait another lifetime until we’re allowed to be together without resorts of undermining and people that don’t really care about us. Some people want there to be a whole ass agility course to separate us, but maybe if we wait, we can prove how wrong they are, if they’re not dead by then.”

Caroline felt terrible, once again Stefan had taken his brother’s life from him, and Elena, well she felt accomplished. She went to reach for Damon’s arm, but he threw her consoling manner and herself across the room, heading straight after you, with a bottle of bourbon.

If you could leave them to prove a point, so could be; he loved you. That was enough, especially for him, he could leave those doses of poison behind, if he would grant himself permission without asking, a peaceful life with you.

[blu-joons]

You Threaten To Walk Out On Him ~ Kim Namjoon

You weren’t surprised as you finally arrived home to be greeted by silence and darkness. Despite knowing that Namjoon’s schedule had ended some time ago, there was no sign of him in your home at all. You instantly walked through into the kitchen, switching on the light before taking a seat with a bottle of water straight out of the fridge.

As you looked around the house, your head could only shake at how quiet it was. You were in despair at yourself for even thinking that Namjoon would be home when the trend had been so common to come home to nothing.

At an alarming rate, it was beginning to feel like everything was falling apart, for all the times Namjoon promised you that work wouldn’t get in the way, it was driving a pretty big wedge between you both currently.

After staying at the table for just under an hour, catching on what had been going on throughout the day, you finally heard the front door open. A soft hum came from Namjoon, almost making himself comfortable, before he spotted you sat up in the kitchen still.

“I didn’t think you’d be home yet,” he muttered, walking around you to grab himself a drink.

“I finished an hour ago, later than you did too.”

His head nodded, sitting down opposite you. “Bits came up, you know what it’s like, I couldn’t leave without getting them all done.”

“Too busy to not even send me a text and let me know you’d be late once again,” you challenged, “it’s not like this is a one-off time that you’ve been busy, is it?”

Namjoon was exhausted, gulping down quickly on the water bottle, however, he could tell that you were frustrated in your voice, and you weren’t one to let something go either when you got hung up on it, especially something that felt as big as this.

“For once I thought I’d come home and see you sat here waiting, how stupid am I?” You scoffed.

His eyes looked down to the table, flinching slightly at the hurt that was so clear. He didn’t intend to forget you, or leave you constantly waiting for him, and as much as you understood that that was a part of his job sometimes, the endless pattern of coming home to an empty home didn’t feel like it was about to break.

You could still vividly remember the days when Namjoon would decline work to come home to you, or at least make the effort to let you know when he was going to be late. Nowadays, it just felt as if you were the bottom rung of the ladder, completely forgotten about by him.

“I don’t come home expecting miracles Namjoon, but when it feels like I’m constantly the only one willing to make the effort then you have to appreciate how hard this is for me. I don’t know what has brought this sudden change in you, but it’s something that I’m struggling to deal with.”

His head nodded, trying to understand where you were coming from. “I’ve made plenty of effort for you Y/N, it’s unfair of you to imply that I don’t sacrifice anything.”

“When? When was the last time you sacrificed something, big or small, for me Namjoon?”

His mouth parted to speak, but quickly closed again as the realisation hit him that he couldn’t remember. He wasn’t sure if it had been days, weeks, or perhaps even months since he last really made the effort to be there for you and your relationship.

“I’m not going to keep myself through the constant disappointment I am right now.”

Instantly, his eyes looked across the table to you, “so what are you saying? Is this a mystic way of saying you want for us to go our separate ways?”

“That’s not what I’m saying right now Namjoon, but I’m not going to let myself live like this if it’s the only direction my life is going to go in for the future.”

With a gentle sigh, his arm extended out across the table, “I can’t stand the thought of losing you, don’t make me live through it, please.”

“Then stop trying to lose me,” you slightly harshly responded, keeping your hands in your lap, “I just want things to go back to how they used to be a little more.”

Sensing that you weren’t quite ready for affection once again, Namjoon reluctantly moved his hand back across the table and into his lap. His head still continued to nod, making sure that you knew he understood everything that he was trying to say.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, bringing his eyes across the table to look at you, ensuring that you could see his sincerity. “I wish I could try and argue that the way you’re feeling is wrong, but it’s not, because everything that you’ve said is true.”

You knew that Namjoon was busy, you knew how hard he worked too, but the last thing you wanted to be was an obstacle in his way. “If you don’t want to be around me, or come home to me, I’d rather that you just said so Namjoon.”

“What?” He questioned, staring across at you in disbelief, “do you really think that’s how I could ever feel about you?”

“I’ve certainly had a few doubts,” you admitted.

“Please don’t ever doubt how much I want to be with you,” he quickly requested, shaking his head at himself and his behaviour. “I got used to having you here and stopped making the effort. I should never stop making the effort for us, I realise that now.”

The regret was clear in his voice, you knew Namjoon could never truly set out to hurt you. It was the kindness within him that made you fall for him in the first place, however hurt you were, you could never look past that.

“I don’t want you to feel as if you’re forced to put the effort in or obliged to me with me, because you’re not Namjoon. Just like you might not have had the time for me recently, I can’t keep putting myself through the emotions that I’ve felt night after night in the hope that one day something might finally end up changing.”

“Something will change,” he assured you, “I don’t want to leave you feeling disappointed or let down by me any longer. I’ve never felt obliged to be with you, I’m with you because you make me happy, even if I might have had a bit of a stupid way of showing it to you lately, I do really need you in my life Y/N.”

“And I want to be in your life too,” you whispered.

Once again, Namjoon’s arm extended out across the table, this time with yours doing the same, allowing your hands to intertwine in with one another. “I can’t say sorry enough for the way I’ve made you feel, all I can ask is that you’ll trust in me to make a change and be a better boyfriend for you too.”

“Of course, I trust in you,” you responded, “but that still doesn’t mean that I’m going to settle and continue as we are.”ou’ve

“I promise that we won’t, whatever it takes, I’ll make sure that I don’t lose you, and that most importantly, I make you happy.”

Your head slowly nodded, “I’m sorry if I made you think that I was walking away.”

“No, it’s what I deserved, I’m just glad you chose to stay.”

---

Masterlist

[celepeace]

A monster-taming game recommendation list for fans of Pokemon

Whether you're a pokemon fanatic obsessed with all things pokemon past and present, or a veteran fan disillusioned with GameFreak's recent adoption of monetary philosophies and strategies reminiscent of other major game publishers, or looking for a monster-taming fix as you await new Pokemon content...

I'm compiling here a post of little-known games in the genre that Pokemon fans are likely to enjoy!

Under readmore cause long, but some of these games really don’t get the attention they deserve, so if you have the time, please read!

(I am also likely to keep updating and editing this post)

First up is Temtem!

Temtem is a game made by and for Pokemon fans, from the spanish indie developer Crema. Temtem is currently in early access on Steam and PS5, and is likely to remain in early access until sometime late next year. Full launch will include a Nintendo Switch release, too. Despite this, it has plenty of content to explore before full release. The developers are active, release new content on a semi-regular basis, and are responsive to the community as a whole and individuals if you happen to come across a bug you want to report.

Temtem boasts a wide variety of monsters to collect and train. It takes place in the Airborne Archipelago, a system of floating islands that orbit their star, the Pansun. The monsters inhabiting the archipelago are called Temtem, or tem(s), for short.

As far as game mechanics go, it has many similarities to Pokemon, but also many important distinctions. The biggest one, in my opinion, is that the element of chance has been removed from battle entirely. Moves cannot miss, have the same power constantly, and status afflictions have an obviously displayed countdown to when they will wear off (for instance, sleep lasts as long as it says it will last. Not 2-4 turns). PP does not exist, either. Your tems can battle for as long as their HP holds out. In place of PP, a new system called Stamina exists. Stamina is an individual stat, like HP and Attack. Each move costs a certain amount of stamina. If you go over the amount of stamina your tem has, the deficit is detracted from your health instead, and that tem cannot move next turn. Stamina passively regenerates a certain amount each turn, and items and moves exist that can heal stamina. All battles are also double-battles, you and your opponent will typically have two tems on the field at a time. This is just a few of the differences Temtem has from Pokemon, but they're some of the biggest ones.

Temtem is also a massively multiplayer game. You complete the storyline independently (or with a friend through co-op!), but in the overworld you can see other, real players moving around and interacting with the world. There is also public and area-specific chat you can talk to other players through. Despite this, all multiplayer functions are (currently) completely optional. You do not need to interact with others to complete the game.

Overall, Temtem is suitable for the Pokemon fan who is looking for a more challenging experience. Temtem is not a walk in the park you can blaze through with a single super-strong monster. For one, individual tem strength is more well-balanced than it is in Pokemon. There are very few (if any!) completely useless tems. Even some unevolved tems have their niche in the competitive scene! Aside from that, enemy tamers are scaled quite high, and you typically cannot beat them just from the exp you get from other enemy tamers. You have to do some wild-encounter grinding if you want to progress.

Temtem is a very fun game and I've already gotten over 100 hours out of it, despite only 3/5-ish of the planned content being released!

However, I do feel obligated to warn any prospective players of one thing: the current endgame is quite inaccessible. After you complete what is currently implemented of the main storyline, there is still quite a lot left to explore and do, but much of it is locked behind putting a lot of hours into the game. You kind of have to get perfect temtem to do the current PVE (and this is also somewhat true for the PVP too). By perfect I mean you have to breed a good tem and then train it to get the preferable EVs (called TVs in temtem). This takes... well, for a whole team... tens of hours. Of boring grinding. Some people enjoy it! But I don't. Regardless, the game was still worth buying because the non-endgame content is expansive and fun.

So overall, pros & cons:

Pros

Battle system is more friendly towards a competitive scene

Cute monsters

Lots of gay characters, also you can choose pronouns (including they/them) independently from body type and voice

Less difference between the objectively bad tems and good tems than there is in Pokemon

Lots of stuff to do even in early access

Most conversations with dialog choices have the option to be a complete ass for no reason other than it’s fun

Having less type variety in your team is less punishing than in Pokemon due to the synergy system and types overall having less weaknesses and resistances

At least one major character is nonbinary

Cons

Falls prey to the issue of MMOs having in-game economies that are only accessible to diehard no-life players

Related to the above point, cosmetics are prohibitively expensive

Endgame CURRENTLY is inaccessible to most players unless you buy good monsters from other players or spend tens of hours making your own. However I must add that the grind is great if you like that kind of thing and is quite easy and painless to do while watching a show or something.

Here is their Steam page and here is their official website.

Next is Monster Hunter: Stories!

This is a spinoff game of the Monster Hunter franchise released for the 3DS in 2018. If you're anything like me, and you've played the core Monster Hunter games, you've often thought "Man, I wish I could befriend and ride these cool dragon creatures instead of killing or maiming them!"

Well now you can! In Stories, as I will be calling it, you play as a rider rather than a hunter. Riders steal monster eggs from wild nests to raise them among humans as companions and guardians. And yes, egg stealing is a whole mechanic in of itself in this game.

This game works pretty differently from most monster-collecting games. You do battle (usually) against one or two wild monsters using your own, except you fight alongside your monsters too. With swords and stuff. There's armor and weapons you can smelt to make yourself stronger. Type match-ups also kind of don't exist in this game? Except they do? But not in a way you'd expect?

The vast majority of attacking moves you and your monster use fall into categories reminiscent of rock-paper-scissors. Moves can be categorized as power, speed, or technical. Speed beats power, technical beats speed, and power beats technical. The matchup of your move vs your opponent's determines how a turn will go down. If one move beats the other in matchup, then the winner's move will get to go and the loser doesn't get to do anything. If you tie, you both get hit, but for reduced damage. There's also abilities and basic attacks, with abilities basically being the same as pokemon moves, and basic attacks just being "I hit you for normal damage within this category". Also, you don't control what your monster does all the time in battle. You can tell it to use abilities, but what kind basic attacks it carries out is determined by its species' preference. Velicidrome, for instance, prefers speed attacks, but Yian Garuga prefers technical. Stamina also exists in this game in a very similar manner to Temtem.

Overall this game carries over a lot of mechanics Monster Hunter fans will find familiar (how items and statuses work for instance). You don't have to have played a core Monster Hunter game to enjoy Stories though! It's fine and is easy to understand as a stand-alone.

The story has some likable characters and is rather long (it was actually adapted into an anime!), for those of you who enjoy a good story.

I'd really recommend this one especially. If it sounds fun to you and you can drop $30, just do it. I bought it on a whim and I got a few weeks' worth of playing almost nonstop out of it, and I didn't even get to do everything! (I got distracted by Hades, oops)

Stories is also getting a sequel later next year on the nintendo switch! How exciting!

And yes, you do ride the monsters.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Large variety of cool monsters to befriend and raise

Pretty lengthy story

Every tamable monster is also rideable

Deceptively simple combat mechanics, easy to be okay at, hard to master

Incorporates some mechanics from early turn-based party rpgs like Final Fantasy for a nice twist on the monster collecting genre

Cons

Many monsters are objectively outclassed by other ones, making what can be in an actually good team more limited than you’d expect

3DS graphics inherently means the game looks like it was made 7 years before its time

Here is the Monster Hunter Stories official 3DS product page.

And here is Monster Sanctuary!

Monster sanctuary is a game that just had its 1.0 launch- meaning it was in early access and no longer is! Although the devs say they still plan to implement a few more things into the game in future updates. It is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.

Monster sanctuary is a metroidvania twist on the typical monster collecting game, meaning it is also a sidescrolling platformer in which you use abilities you gain throughout the game to explore the world around you. The abilities in this case are the monsters you get! Every monster has an ability that helps you traverse the sanctuary.

Speaking of the sanctuary, the game is set in one. The monster sanctuary is a magically shielded area, cut off from the rest of the world, created by an order of monster keepers, people who befriend and protect the mystical monsters inhabiting the world. Humankind encroached too far on the natural habitat of monsters and were hostile to the native wildlife, so the keepers created an area of varied environments to safely protect and preserve the remaining monsters of the world.

Unlike many other monster collecting games, this game only has 5 types: fire, water, earth, air, and neutral. However, the types themselves do not possess resistances and weaknesses. Instead, each monster has its own assigned weaknesses and resistances. And yes, this can include things like debuffs, physical vs special attacks, and the typical elemental types.

All battles are also 3 vs 3! And unlike in pokemon, where you can only hit the enemies nearest, all monsters have the ability to hit any opponent they want. Turns also work a little differently in that speed doesn't exist, you just use 1 move per monster in your turn and then it goes to your opponent's turn. Your monsters hit in whatever order you want them to.

There is also a quite important combo system in this game, where every hit builds a damage multiplier for the next. Moves often hit multiple times per turn. Healing and buffing actions also build this combo counter. So what monsters you have move in what order really counts!

But the main mechanical difference between this and other games in the genre is how it handles levels and skills. Instead of learning a set move at a certain level, this game incorporates a skill tree, and you get to allocate points into different skills as you grow stronger. And jeez, these skill trees are really extensive. Monster sanctuary is a theorycrafter's dream. Each monster has a unique, specially tailored skill tree, making every monster truly able to have its own niche. You can make use of whatever monster you want if you just put thought into it!

And like Temtem, this game is not made to be beatable by children. I'm sure a child could beat it, but it's not made to be inherently child-friendly like pokemon. It's honestly quite difficult.

On top of that, you are actively encouraged to not just be scraping by each battle. Your performance in battle is rated by an automated system that scores your usage of various mechanics like buffs and debuffs applied, type matchups, and effective usage of combos. The rating system directly influences the rewards you get from each battle, including your likelihood of obtaining an egg from one of the wild monsters you battled (no, you don't catch wild monsters in this game, you get eggs and hatch them). If you're not paying attention to how the game works and making good, effective use of your monsters, you'll have a hard time expanding your team!

The music is also really good, it's made by nature to be able to play over and over and not get old as you explore each area, and the composer(s) really did a good job with this. Some area songs, namely the beach one, I especially enjoy, so much so I've actually played it in the background while I do work.

This is a game I would really recommend. If I made it sound intimidating, it is by no means unbeatable, you're just gonna have to put some thought into how you play. At no point did I actually feel frustrated or like something was impossible. When I hit a wall, I was able to recognize what I did wrong and how I could improve, or I could at least realize something wasn't working and experiment until I found a solution. It's challenging in a genuinely fun, rewarding way.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Extremely in-depth combat system

I genuinely don’t know if there’s an objectively bad monster in this game

Evolution exists but is completely optional, as even un-evolved monsters can be great

Entire soundtrack is full of bangers

Large and diverse variety of monsters to tame

Cons

Story is a little lackluster, but passable

That’s the only con I can think of

Here’s a link to their Steam page and the game’s website.

A kind of unorthodox recommendation is the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series!

Likelihood is that everyone reading this has heard of this series already, but just in case anyone hasn't, I thought I'd include it! I would categorize this as a hybrid between the mystery dungeon genre and the monster collecting genre, because you recruit pokemon as you play and can use those pokemon on your team!

If you're unaware, the mystery dungeon genre is a small subset of dungeon crawler games where you progress through randomly generated levels called mystery dungeons. Throughout the dungeons, there will be enemies to fight and items to collect. The challenge of these games is mostly due to the stamina aspect of them, in that you have to manage your resources as you progress through the level. If you go all out in each fight, you will inevitably lose quite quickly. You have to learn to win against enemies while balancing your use of items and PP, so you have enough for the next fight, and the fight after that.

Pokemon mystery dungeon in particular is famous for its stories, the likes of which isn't seen often in Pokemon games. They are hugely story-driven games and are notable for the emotional depth they possess. It's pretty normal for the average player to cry at least once in the span of the game. There's lots of memes about that specifically.

This entry in my list is also unique for being a series. So, which one should you play first? It actually doesn't matter! Each storyline is entirely self-contained and requires no knowledge of prior entries. The quality of each entry varies and is a point of contention among fans. I say you should play all of them, because they all have their merits (though some more than others.... coughgatestoinfinitycough). They're mostly distinct for the generation of Pokemon they take place in. Rescue team is gen 3, Explorers is gen 4, Gates to Infinity is gen 5, Super Mystery Dungeon is gen 6, and Rescue Team DX is a remake of a gen 3 game but has the mechanics and moves of a gen 8 game.

My only real caution is that you play Explorers of Sky, not Darkness or Time. Sky is basically a combination of the two games with added items and content. It's an objective upgrade over its predecessors, and I honestly wouldn't waste money on the other two. 

I’m not going to include a pros and cons list for the PMD series because I’m incredibly biased and it wouldn’t be an honest review.

Next is Monster Crown!

Monster Crown is a monster collecting game that seems to take heavy inspiration from early-gen Pokemon games in particular. It is currently in early access on Steam and is not expensive. I learned about it through the developers of Monster Sanctuary, when they recommended it on their official Discord.

The game has lots of charm and interesting creature designs, and an entirely new take on monster typings as well. Instead of monster types being based off of natural elements like fire, water, electricity, etc. Monster Crown uses typings that seem to be influenced by the personalities of the monsters. For instance, Brutal, Relentless, and Will are all monster types!

It also captures a lot of the charm many of us look fondly upon in early GameBoy-era games. The music is mostly chiptune, with some more modern backing instruments at times, and the visuals are very reminiscent of games like Pokemon Crystal in particular. Monster Crown is definitely the monster collecting game for fans of the 8-bit era!

The thing that stands out the most to me about this game is the breeding system. Instead of one parent monster passing down its species to its offspring, you can create true hybrids in this game.

However, it is very early access. I would consider the current build as an alpha, not even a beta yet! So temper your expectations here. I have not encountered any major bugs, but visual glitches here and there are quite common. The game also could definitely use some polish and streamlining, and is quite limited in content currently. But the dev(s) seem quite active, so I fully expect these kinks to be worked out in time!

The reviews are rather positive, especially for being in early access. I'm all for expanding the monster collecting genre, so if you're looking to expand your horizons in that sense, I would recommend you at least give this one a look! I personally had quite a bit of fun playing Monster Crown and am going to keep an eye out for updates.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Charming artstyle, appealing monster designs

Faithful callback to a bygone era of gaming

Controls are fairly simple and easy to get the hang of (and are completely customizable!)

Cool breeding and hybridization mechanics

There's a starter for each monster type!

You can choose your pronouns, including they/them!

Cons

Inherent nature of being very early access means can be clunky and unpolished at times

Also not much content as of right now, see above

User interface could use some redesign in places

Here’s their Steam page and the official website!

Here’s an oldie but a goodie, Azure Dreams!

This is one I actually haven’t played, mostly because it’s really old and therefore only practically accessible if you play it on an emulator, unless you're one of those old game collectors. Azure Dreams was developed by Konami and released for the PS1 in 1997. My impression of it was that it either didn’t sell well or only took off in Japan, because it’s actually really hard to find any comprehensive information about it on the internet.

Azure Dreams is a monster collecting - dating sim hybrid. You can build relationships with various characters and can pursue some of them romantically, although that isn’t the main draw of the game. There is also a stripped-down version that exists for the GameBoy Color, which forgoes the dating portion of the game entirely.

Azure Dreams is kind of like a mystery dungeon game in that you progress through a randomly generated, ever-changing tower using the help of the familiars you have accrued throughout your adventure. Similarly to Monster Hunter: Stories, you yourself also take part in the fighting alongside your monsters. Each time you enter the tower, your character’s level is lowered to 1, but your familiars keep their experience. Thus, progression is made through strengthening your monsters. To obtain monsters, you collect their eggs, just like in Monster Sanctuary (which, turns out, was at least partially inspired by this game!)

Due to this game being very old and on the PS1, the visuals leave a lot to be desired... but if you can get past that, Azure Dreams has lots of replayability and customization to how you play the game. To this day, it appears it has a somewhat active speedrunning community!

If you don’t mind the effort of using an emulator, and like old games, Azure Dreams just might be that timesink you were looking for in quarantine.

Honorable mentions:

Pokemon Insurgence (or any Pokemon fangame/ROMhack, really!) is a Pokemon fangame that introduces Delta Pokemon, which are really cool type-swapped versions of existing Pokemon. It’s sufficiently challenging and has a lot of variety in what you can catch in the wild, so you can pretty much add whatever you want to your team! The story is quite good, and the main campaign is multiple times longer than a typical Pokemon game’s campaign. Download it here!

ARK: Survival Evolved is NOT a monster collecting game BUT you do get to tame and fight alongside a lot of really cool extinct species, including but not limited to the dinosaurs we all know and love. This game is genuinely fun as hell, especially with friends, but I must warn you: never play on official servers. I highly recommend singleplayer, playing on a casual private server, or making your own server. Here’s the Steam page.

[sunlightheidi]

Jihyun Kim "V" x Reader/MC

AU Fantasy, written for the Mystic Dance Event, hosted by the lovely @little-butterfly-writes. Roles provided, "Princess x Court Painter".

"I'll meet you in the forest, let's let this wild thing grow."

- Forest, Fancy Hagood

Jihyun was chosen from a neighboring kingdom to paint the royal family.

It was an honor, to be selected as the court artist; for his art to hang on the palace walls alongside portraits of previous kings and queens.

There are countless tales told throughout the kingdoms; stories of the ruthless king who commanded the armies, of the regal queen who could turn men into stone with a simple look.

And of the stoic crowned princess, who possessed the ethereal beauty of the fae, and the same coldness too.

He’s painted that captivating beauty on canvas more than once; has traced the dip of your collarbone, the fullness of your lips, the almond shape of your eyes with his paintbrush so many times he can do it from memory alone.

You are always seated on that golden throne when he does, decorated in sapphires and dressed in layers of silk and lace – always watching him with a sort of fascination as he paints, a sparkling wonder in your gaze.

You sit on that throne now, your head held high, waves of black hair falling down your back, and a crown of rowan berries on your brow. Your dress is golden, accentuating the sun-touched colors of your skin and the darkness of your eyes as they roam over the ballroom to the people dancing and celebrating the return of autumn.

There is a sort of hypnotic magic about you and he sees it perfectly then, how you truly could have been fairy in a past life; sparkling wings on your back, adorned in colors of orange and red and yellow as you sat on a throne of marigolds and ruled over the autumn court.

Perhaps you may have even allowed yourself to dance amongst your folk, lost in the addicting taste of pomegranates as you moved freely to the wild music.

But that is not who you are now. Not who are you expected to be.

You do not partake in the autumn celebration with your people, you are not allowed to laugh and dance in the way he knows you desire to. In the way you have so freely danced and laughed by his side in hidden corridors.

Your only purpose is to serve your kingdom, and outside of your clandestine meetings with him, you play your role flawlessly. No one would dare suggest otherwise.

If only they knew the restlessness that lingers in your heart. The same kind and wild heart you have given to him– a secret belonging to you both alone.

The music ends and you clap gently in your lap, almost unconsciously, as most of your mannerisms are – but your eyes are dazed, he knows your thoughts are elsewhere.

He has been hounded by daydreams of you as well, wishes he could stand in front of that throne and take your hand as an equal; to lead you to the ballroom floor and hold you in his arms as you sway together, just as you have done many times before in the dark.

The orchestra begins to play a new piece, something slow and soft that echoes through the ballroom; the chandeliers shimmer from the high ceiling as partners retake their place and begin a new dance.

Carefully, as to not draw attention to yourself, you stand, hands gripping the skirts of your dress as you curtsey to the king and queen, who briefly nod in your direction in permission to take your leave. He follows you with his eyes as you walk down the steps of the podium and to the large entryway, but something catches his attention – a golden satin ribbon, left behind on the seat of your throne.

You have played this game before, he knows what the token means; and when he looks up, in a single moment that freezes time, you look over your shoulder and meet his gaze. He nods in understanding, and there’s a sparkle in your eye as you close the doors behind you.

He wants to run after you, to spin you around in his arms and declare his fidelity to you in front of the world. But you are a princess…and he is only the court painter – the consequences should anyone discover you two together, of the things you have done under secrecy, would end in tragedy.

So he waits, and when the kingsmen turn to assist their majesties to the ballroom floor, Jihyun slips through the entryway and weaves down dark corridors and forgotten doors.

He is lost in a haze to get to you, has waited eagerly for weeks to spend time with you, and not the person you pretend to be for everyone else. He wants your silly laughter and teasing smiles, your fondness for flowers and furry forest creatures.

In an unlit corner of an unused passageway, there is a door that blends into the stone of the walls, it is not easily seen in the dark, but Jihyun knows exactly where it is and how to twist the lock to the room that has become his haven.

He steps through the low archway and closes the door behind him, feels a sort of relief when he turns to find you watching him.

It is indescribable, how painfully beautiful you are illuminated by the candlelight – woven in golden and waiting for him.

He bows, deeply. “Princess.”

And then, the respectable haze you have found yourselves in for weeks vanishes.

In an instant, you wrench yourself forward into him, tackling him into something fierce. He grasps you, cradling you safely in his arms as you wiggle in your happiness.

“Jihyun,” you whisper against his chest, nose buried in the hilt of his tailcoat. “I was afraid you would not come.”

He pushes you back, enough to look into your eyes and trace the outline of your cheekbone with his thumb. “Of course I came. I cannot deny you a single thing, nor do I wish to.”

“I did not think I would have the time to slip by their attention tonight, I am eternally grateful their minds are elsewhere.”

“Do you need to get back?” he asks, wrapping his arms around your waist; already dreading having to part.

“Not yet, not so soon.” You reach for him, stand on the tip of your toes and brush your lips against his in the softest of kisses. “I have missed you terribly.”

“As have I, darling,” he whispers against your mouth. “I have to stop myself constantly from reaching for you in the hallways.”

An impish smile graces your lips, sly and conniving. He imagines this must be how the fae tempt humans into their world.

“You are certainly free to touch me now, in whatever way you desire.”

He catches up quickly, as he tightens the hold on your waist and brings his lips to yours – warm breath and honey taste – soft and slow, memorizing every part of this moment.

He rubs small circles on your back just above your waist, feeling the silky material of your dress as you put your arms around his neck, bringing him in as close as you possibly can. And when you pull back to catch your breath, you smile at him slyly, all hooded eyes and flushed cheeks, bottom lip between your teeth.

“Pray tell, you wicked thing. What enchantment have you placed on me?”

A soft laugh, no more than an exhale, ghosts across the side of his neck, raising goosebumps across his skin. You stand so close he can smell the sweetness of the roses pressed onto your skin, the floral scent instantly hauling him back to an afternoon in the court gardens, where you hid behind large rose bushes and he pressed you against the grass and kissed you until sundown.

“It was the pomegranate seeds I fed to you in the garden” you whisper, playfully. “It was faerie food, meant to entrap you to my side for the rest of your days.”

“You could have simply asked me,” he replies. “My answer would have been yes.”

Your eyes go soft, but sparkle suddenly in the way they do when you decide to be cheeky. “But that would be a waste of a perfectly ripe pomegranate, do you not agree?”

He bites at the pout of your lip in reprimand, feeling satisfied with the redness there when he pulls back. “Do you truly have a response for everything?”

“I thought you liked my mouth,” you say, just a fraction shy and very much teasing as your hands wonder down his chest.

“I do, it’s perfectly sweet.” His hand firmly cradles your chin and he leans in until your breath is upon his lips. “Do not divert, my dove. Will you share with me what has been on your mind tonight? You have been on a cloud all evening.”

Your eyes open in surprise, but smile softly at him as he holds your face between his hands. His thumb traces your berry lips and your eyes flutter shut in resignation.

“I have tried, for a very long time, to find dignity in my role.” He notes the softness of your voice, mixed in with the bitter resentment he’s only caught glimpses of before. When your eyes flutter open, there is sadness. “I have found nothing, and I am tired of it all. I do not know who I am beyond what I’m told to be, and I do not care for it any longer. I wish to please only you.”

Your eyes are suddenly and incredibly soft as they hold onto his, your fingertips tracing his hipbones, moving up his abdomen. He brushes a gentle stroke of his lip against yours, flashing loving eyes as if to say what neither of you has found the courage to admit yet.

“You have shone light upon my dreams, Jihyun. But there is no room for you in my life, and you deserve to be with someone that will not be a threat to your own.”

He is hardly ever angry; he finds he does not care much for such emotions. But in this moment, he feels an inexplicable sadness and fear that you will disappear before he has the chance to tell you how truly his life belongs to you.

“Should you wish to end things with me, I will retreat immediately without a word and pretend nothing has happened. But do not make decisions for me. I wish to be with you, in whatever manner possible. If these meetings are all that I will ever have, then I will have this over nothing.”

Light laughter erupts from your throat and you quickly slip one hand from his chest to muffle the unexpected sound. Tears spring from your eyes at last, a blend of humor and grief.

“I wish I could kiss you and make you king.”

He gently takes hold of your soft hands, engulfing them in his calloused ones. He notices the pleasant shiver that runs up your spine at the intimate gesture.

“I do not want to be king, I just want to be with you,” he admits.

You are quiet for a long time, contemplative. He brushes tendrils of your hair off your shoulder, feels your collarbones beneath his fingertips.

“We are in love, aren’t we?” You whisper, and there’s a sort of hesitancy there, as if you have only just realized what this could mean for both of you – the inevitable heartbreak that is destined.

From the very moment your worlds collided – he knew he would fall in love with you. And as he has come to know you – eyes alive like wildflowers and smiles that carry sunshine – he dreams of nothing more than to meet his fate by your side.

“I love you, with everything that I possess.”

“Then run away with me,” you plead, putting yourself nose to nose with him, his blue wisps of hair against your forehead. “Let’s go to another land. Somewhere far away where we can be close to an ocean and have a garden of roses.”

“Your father will send kingsmen after us,” he warns quietly, stoic beneath your hands, hesitant to reciprocate. “He will not be merciful.”

You shake your head fiercely, speak one last offer of clarity. “My father cares not for what may happen to me, he never has. He has two more children he can crown.”

“If you are sure about this, I believe King Han may grant us sanctuary should we reach his borders. I have known him since we were children, and Jumin can be ruthless, but he is fair. Though I must warn you, once we reach his castle, your title will be stripped.”

“I do not want to be a princess, I just want you,” you whisper and lean into him, press a breeze of a kiss to the corner of his mouth, another against his jawline. “Promise you will meet me at midnight, out in the forest.”

The sweetness of you has long burned away his fear, and in its place a mellow kind of anticipation has taken hold. He takes your hand in his and brings it up to his lips.

“As you wish,” he mumbles against your palm and you giggle joyfully before you throw your arms around his neck.

And for everything he believes in, your face is as precious as all the jewels and gemstones of any kingdom; it is the smile you grace him with upon his yes, shining with the power of a thousand suns, that confirm he has found the world’s greatest fortune.

[lastxviolet]

Madripoor is for Lovers (Zemo x F!Reader) - Ch. 3

Summary: Y/N is a SWORD agent recruited to help Sam and Bucky track down Karli and the super-soldiers. When Helmut Zemo joins the team, he takes a special interest in her. The friendly union is wrought for disaster, but then things take a turn for the worst when Y/N is taken as collateral. Will Zemo keep her forever? Does she even want to escape? And what happened in Madripoor that made the whole thing so complicated?

Warnings: 18+ / smut / oral sex / f receiving

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32878015/chapters/81589774

The hypnotic bass and Zemo's enthusiastic dance moves almost got you carried away. But over the bouncing crowd, you saw Sharon, Bucky, and Sam on the stairs, looking for you.

“Shit,” you mumbled, breaking the trance. “We gotta go.”

Zemo followed your line of sight and turned to lead you back to the group in silence. You try to hide the disappointment on your face.

“We found him,” Sharon yelled over the music upon your approach.

The five of you went over the plan for tomorrow back in Sharon’s suite. You doubted that even with your experience, you could’ve found Dr. Nagel without Sharon's help. In the states, it was easy to pick a needle out of a haystack, because you always knew what you were looking for. But here, everyone was a criminal. Uncharted territory where you had to find the sharpest needle amongst thousands.

“You good?”

Sam’s voice cut through your thoughts. You looked up and noticed the dissipating group. Sharon showed Bucky to his room, and Zemo sat with his eyes glued to a book on the couch. Only Sam remained standing in front of you, looking like he was about to pass out.

“I’m fine,” you assured him. “Go get some sleep. You look terrible.”

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. “We gotta get the hell out of here. Madripoor has aged me at least ten years.”

“Me too. I miss places where being a criminal makes you the odd one out, not the other way around.”

“Goody two-shoes,” he teased before turning to find his room.

Sharon waved him on from down the hall and they got back into it about her pardon and what she’d missed in the states.

Your attention shifted to the only other person in the room. Zemo’s eyes wasted no time abandoning his book and landing on you as soon as you were alone.

“The Odyssey,” you asked, pointing to his book. “I didn’t take you for someone who enjoys fiction.”

He smiled at the attention and made room for you on the couch.

“I often find that there are elements of truth in every fantasy. The human spirit is sometimes better examined by poets than by professors. This, for instance, is a brilliant study on heroes.”

“Hmm, studying heroes? An attempt to know thy enemy?”

He laughed and turned to you with his elbow up on the back of the couch, bringing him less than a foot away from your face. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the lights down the hall go out. There were no interruptions, or easy outs, now. All that was left was you, and the only man who’d ever made you truly nervous.

“Y/N, if you were in Odysseus’s place, content and immortal, would you give it up to go back home?”

“You’re asking me if I’d abandon my legacy and family to shack up on an island with some mistress?”

He chuckled and nodded in approval. “Very wise. But what does he gain by leaving? Struggle? Hardship? Mortality?”

You tilted your head to match his. “Are you telling me that you’d stay on the island?”

His expression shifted for the first time since you’d stepped foot in Madripoor. The overconfident, smirking Baron dissolved into a man.

A man who hid the sense of riotousness that he carried with dramatic flair. A man whose charm and wit seemed fabricated.

This man now, fighting off sleepy eyes and grappling with the moral quandary posed, seemed burdened. You wondered if his quest for justice would ever get to be too much. After all the destruction he’d caused, could he still see himself as the exactor of fairness? Were the Avengers still his enemy? Were you?

“No,” he confessed looking down at the copy in his hands.

Your lips twitched but you didn’t smile. “You’d make the hard choice — the hero’s choice if it came down to it.”

He looked almost somber at your words and nodded.

“In another life…perhaps.”

His voice wavered, almost as if he regretted saying it out loud. The briefing that Sam and Bucky had given you about him flashed in your mind.

A hero's choice was the right thing to do; the hard thing to do. You knew that he was a soldier before everything happened. Just like you.

Was that not a hero’s choice?

He tore the Avengers apart in an attempt to stitch up his own heart. An eye for an eye. Avenging his country because its destruction had been glossed over by the world. His loss fueled his anger but he was more capable than most. A man without armor, or mystical abilities was able to wreak havoc on those who had wronged him.

Was that heroism?

If losing those you love didn’t permit revenge, you weren't sure what did.

He broke the silence by tapping his knuckle on the book.

“It is the perfect testament to the valiance of heroes,” he continued. "But, I must say that the wisest thing Odysseus did was marry his wife.”

You laughed and nodded, remembering how she saved the day. Without her, Odysseus’s homecoming would’ve been much more perilous for him.

“I often find that behind every great man is an even better woman.”

He smirked and didn’t miss a beat. “Like you with…your Avengers.”

“I stand beside them,” you corrected.

He raised an eyebrow and waved a hand. “Semantics."

You gave him an eye roll in return.

He smiled then, wider than you had ever seen. It almost made him seem shy. Perhaps it was because he was making a genuine point, masked in humor.

You were well aware of your importance to this mission and yet burdened by the fact that it didn’t make you a member of their special club. When this was all over, you wouldn’t be an Avenger, or anywhere close. You’d go back to S.W.O.R.D to wait until called upon again. It hadn’t occurred to you before, but there was a pang of sadness there where the thought rested. It’d be a mistake to let Zemo know but it seemed to be too late.

“You’re making fun of me.”

His hand brushed yours. “No. I am merely expressing my concerns about your allegiances.”

Still aware of the small amount of alcohol left in your system, you looked away from his quirked moving lips.

“Enlighten me, Baron. What wrong decisions do you think I’m making?”

Frozen in place, you let him brush his fingers along your wrist to your arm. He took his time, tracing patterns on your skin and inspecting his work with an unwavering gaze. Only when his thumb caressed your cheek, and his hand landed on your neck did he look you in the eyes again. The air in your lungs was gone and your body betrayed you with a furious eruption of butterflies.

“Living a hero’s life,” he said somber-eyed and serious.

Your heart rate quickened. As if you’d learned nothing in S.W.O.R.D about manipulation, you were back to watching his lips. They parted slightly, as if he had something else to say but thought better of it.

A hero.

You didn't feel like one.

A sidekick, maybe. But even then, no one knew your name. No one sang your praises at home or breathed a sigh of relief knowing you were out there in the world fighting evil. It seemed that the only one who thought of you as more than an assistant was Zemo.

Your heart felt heavy then. The two of you were impossible. An inconceivable pair brought together by chance.

But that didn’t make his dark eyes any less enticing or his words any less intoxicating.

That didn’t make you any further from his lips.

He was a breath away, but so was your own destruction.

In another life, the island might tempt you.

“Look,” you said glancing past him to find something to change the subject. “It’s a full moon.”

Without sparing him another glance, you crossed the floor in four quick steps to the large windows. Never one to give up easily, you heard him follow close behind.

He beat you there and pushed open the glass door before gesturing towards the balcony in silence.

You looked down at your feet until the skyline drew your eyes. The plan to diffuse the tension had not worked in the slightest. The moonlit balcony overlooking the beautiful city had only made it worse.

You heard him stop a few feet from you and then settle on the lone armchair. The reality of the situation hit you like a train. Away from the windows, you had privacy. This high up no one would see you and everyone else was in bed. You'd meant to creep out of the lion's den but instead, you'd locked yourself in.

“The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to,” Zemo mused from behind you.

“Carl Sanburg,” you confirmed, so he knew you didn't think he'd made it up.

Both of you were silent then. Swaying in the tension you'd built. Sanity pulling you back inside, inexplicable hope keeping you planted in place.

“Are you lonely, Baron?”

The words fell from your lips more delicate and intimate than you had meant them to. You let slip that you cared about his answer. That you might even care to cure him of the ailment.

“Me? No.”

You turned and scoffed.

“Liar. You were in a cell for years and you hardly talk to anyone now that you’re out.”

He leaned back in the chair, arms on either rest and a leg crossed with the ankle of his right knee. His demeanor was harmless in the same way that a predator poised to pounce was. Elegant, still, and ready for the kill.

“Not true,” he corrected. “I talk to you.”

“One person isn’t enough,” you said, taking a step closer.

Were you walking into disaster? Or being pulled? You couldn't tell the difference between his seduction and your own reckless desires any longer.

“The right person though…can be,” he half-whispered. “And you, Y/N, are more than I deserve.”

He gazed up at you from the chair. Kings throughout history, in war-won golden thrones and elegant capes, paled in comparisons to how regal he looked. Anointed with a crown of moonlight, ruling over whomever he pleased.

Your eyes widened with the admission. “Baron — ”

“Helmut, please.” He stood then and met you near the railing, his hand grazing your hip. “Only if for tonight.”

You shook your head, knowing this was a bad idea. His hand made its way to your waist regardless. He pulled you against his chest before searching your eyes for any signal that you were going to run. You knew he’d find nothing. You knew you mirrored his look of lust with blown pupils and flushed cheeks.

“Have I gone too far,” he whispered, bringing his other hand to brush loose hair behind your ear.

“No,” you sighed, letting him pull you closer and brush his lips to your cheek and jaw.

“Tell me if I do,” he whispered again before finally capturing your lips with his.

You uttered no complaints as his tentative kiss turned bruising and possessive. His arms wound around your waist, crushing you into him. But you needed to feel closer. He grunted as you sprung to action, flinging your arms around his neck, deepening the desperate kiss. He tasted like whiskey and something sweet. A cool breeze brushed against the exposed parts of your body. You let your hands wander beneath his coat, chasing warmth and proximity. He let you do as you please, only insisting that his lips stayed on yours.

You let out a whimper as his hand explored the front of your dress. He stopped to press his warm hand against your breast, before holding your face.

It was then that he pulled away, steadying your searching lips with a grip on your chin.

“Ich esse nicht,” he sighed, kissing a pattern to your ear. “Ich schlafe nicht, ich tue nichts anderes, als an dich zu denken.”

His teeth grazed your pulse point, leaving you gasping for air.

“I don’t speak German,” you managed to stutter out.

A hand slid up the back of your dress, gripping the zipper before undoing it in one swift motion and the fabric fell to the floor. The cool air seized your naked torso for only a moment before Zemo pressed himself against you again. The coat you’d complained about before, now provided warmth and security. You tipped your head back, almost over the edge of the balcony as he continued worshipping your neck and chest.

“I don’t eat, I don’t sleep,” he said between wet open-mouthed kisses on your breasts. His hot mouth left purple spots that cooled instantly in the chilly night air.

“I do nothing but think of you,” he finished before toying with your hardened nipple between his teeth.

You moaned then, louder than you should’ve, and let your eyes flutter open. The world was upside-down but you made no motion to move. You were making Madripoor proud by being pressed up against a balcony by an international criminal.

Utterly pleased with himself, Zemo raised his face back towards yours, leaning you both over the edge.

“Shhh liebling,” he cooed.

He pulled you back over, kissing your shoulder before removing his jacket and draping it over you. Each brush of his lips feeling more improper than the last.

“We would not want your friends to see you like this.”

In the next second, he swept you off of your feet and hoisted you into his strong arms. You watched the world sway around you and then settle when he placed you on the lounge chair, letting you get some warmth back from the coat and cushions.

He draped one of your legs over an armrest, exposing you to him except for a thin pair of underwear.

“Not with you spread open for me,” he growled. He towered over you for only a moment before kneeling between your legs. The man whose stature made him the tallest amongst giants; the most important in any room he chose, knelt before you.

“What would they say,” he mumbled in a trace. His hands gripped both of your thighs, causing an eruption of goosebumps across your whole body. “If they saw you like this, with me?”

He looked up at you then, raising an eyebrow, and tracing the inside of your thigh with his thumb.

You answered him breathlessly. “They’d tell you to stop.”

“And what would you say to that?”

His voice sent shockwaves through your system. Dark and sultry, with a hint of danger. You threw your head back again, barely able to keep a single thought straight. Your body shuddered but you couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the need for his touch. When you looked back to him, he was surveying your body with the hunger of a starved wolf.

“Would you want me to stop?” His voice was gentle and sweet then, asking in earnest.

“Meine Liebe," he taunted you for consent as he flashed a smirk and pulled something from his pocket.

Cold metal grazed your thigh. A moan escaped your throat as he unsheathed a serrated knife and caressed your skin with the dull side.

“I wouldn’t want you to stop,” you gasped, almost vibrating with anticipation. “I don’t want you to stop — Helmut — please don’t stop.”

He chucked again, before focusing his attention on the area between your legs. You bucked slightly as the icy knife slid underneath the fabric. He made one strong slash upwards and you felt the fabric fall away from your wet core. One of his hands gripped your ass, but only for a second before he tore the rest of the fabric from your body.

“How could I ever withhold something from you, liebling?” His nose grazed your inner thigh, inching closer and closer to where you needed him most. It was only a moment before you felt his breath between your legs.

“How cruel it would be,” he growled. You moaned and slapped a hand over your mouth as he kissed your sensitive bundle of nerves. “To not give you everything.”

His tongue swirled against you in a tantalizing pattern, stroking you deliciously. He licked you methodically like he was reading the blueprint of your body right then and there. He held each thigh in a punishing grip, pressing you deeper into the cushions as he made a meal of you. The stars above your head blurred and the universe shifted.

If this was your destruction then it was illustrious. You'd do it over and over again until you landed in a cell right next to him.

“Helmut,” you whined with a heaving chest.

“Tell me what you want,” he mumbled between flicks of his tongue. “And it is yours.”

You would’ve begged him to let you cum but he beat you to it, making your back arch and mouth fall open in ecstasy. You trembled beneath him, over and over, but he didn’t let up. Your legs strained from being extended by his unflinching hands. You tried to stutter something out to him but no sound came except for content sighs and haphazard gasps. But his eyes remained closed regardless of the noise.

Without his mouth on you, he would’ve been mistakable for a good Christian, deep in prayer. Brow's furrowed in focus and devotion; lips moving in silent divine appeals. Only he could make you feel worthy of an alter. You couldn't picture anyone ever worshipping you in the same way again. It was his, you thought. I am his.

Lost in pleasure and shock, you reached up to run your nails against his scalp. Only then did he release you, and raise to meet your waiting lips as they trembled.

“You,” was all you could manage to whisper. “Only you.”

He pulled you from the seat, to wrap your legs around him. You brought your forehead to his and let him pepper you with chaste kisses.

“When I have you,” he said, before pulling the coat around you again. “It will be in a proper bed.”

You stared at him, confused and overwhelmed. The space between your legs ached with a longing to be filled but he let your legs fall away, and stood up.

“We can’t…I mean not now — they’ll hear.”

Zemo smiled and nodded while looking for something on the ground. After a moment of searching, he picked up the torn pieces of the red underwear you had been wearing. Before you could retrieve it, he pocketed the shorn fabric and stared you straight in the eyes.

“Worry not, Y/N,” he purred, reaching a hand out to help you up. “We have all the time in the world.”

[mysticalrambling]

Love Conquers All (The Originals)

Part 10

Part 10/10

(Y/N) means your name and (Y/LN) means your last name.

Warnings: none. Angst and fluff all the way.

Summary: Dad!Klaus. (Y/N) finds out that you are pregnant and runs away from Klaus. After five years of avoiding him, Freya discovers your secret and it will all be revealed in time. At last, love will conquer all.

._._._._.

Today was the day that the plan would be put in to action and to say the least, you were on edge. To put a cherry on top, Hope was being extremely difficult. Miss Hope thought that she was a big girl now and can pick out her own clothes. The rustic orange t shirt with an emerald skirt was the best outfit that she could come up with. However, the only problem was that you couldn’t let your daughter roam around wearing that monstrosity.

“Hope Andrea Mikaelson, listen to your mother!” Klaus knew that you were already stressed out and was on the verge of crying. You all stood in shock the moment those words left his lips.

“Mikaelson is not my last name.”Taking her elephant dummy out, she voiced her confusion. You knew that you sometimes had to tell her that she was a Mikaelson. Sure, she knew that Klaus was her dad but she didn’t know the depths of that sentence.

“Hope, your dad’s last name is Mikaelson and he would really like you to take it as your last name.”You gently rocked the little girl in your arms and tears welled up when you realised she will outgrow your arms in just a few years. She was getting so big and you didn’t know how you felt about that.

“I am okay with it if you also change your name.”

“I don’t thin-” “She would love to.” Both of you spoke up at the same time and then looked at each other. You wanted to become his wife from the moment you met him but you didn’t know if things had changed. Maybe it was still the same. You bribed your child with some chocolates and she wore the pastel pink dress that you had initially picked out for her.

The drive to Mystical Falls was uncomfortable to say the least. Hope’s voice was the only thing cutting the thick silence in the car and when she fell asleep in her booster seat, you just tuned in to the radio. Daliah was tracking Hope and you had to use your daughter as a bait. No one liked it but it was a necessity.

“You need to stay in this car with our daughter.”

“No way. I am coming with.” Unbuckling your seatbelt, you were going to open the car door but his hand stopped you mid movement. He made a valid point when he tells you that Hope could not be left unprotected.

Davina and Freya were already there and were quietly preparing for the ritual. Klaus knew that there was roughly twenty minutes to set the plan into motion before Aunt Daliah arrives. At the last moment, Kol went with Elijah because Hope got sick again and she only wanted to cuddle with her dad. You protested, saying that she was being spoiled and it would not end well for anyone. Safe to say, everyone ignored you. Now both of the brothers were on their way with the knife.

“Who is ready to kill some family members?” Clapping his hands together, a devious grin appeared on his thin lips. If he was not careful, the old Klaus might just make an appearance. That might not be such a bad thing.

“I am. The only thing that you need to know is that I will yield the knife and-”

“But why do you get to do the most important part?” Klaus interjected as Freya got to explain a new part of the plan.

“Stop interrupting me for once. I will use the knife because only a witch can activate it and you get to kill her.” Shaking her head, she continued,”Elijah and Kol will hold her down and you would simply finish the job.”

“And what about your two minions?”Nudging his head in to the direction, Klaus scrutinized them under a smug look.

“They are going to make sure that our beloved aunt does not get out of this circle. She will be weak inside it and we will have enough time to finish her off, for good this time.”

Meanwhile, procuring the knife was not a difficult task for the Mikaelson men and they arrived at their final destination in no tome. Aunt Daliah followed suit and the moment she saw Klaus standing with a girl in the middle of the field, she peed walked towards them. She didn’t even realise that she was entering a circle.

“You are a foolish boy for inflicting the same pain on your daughter just like your parents once did." The moment she step foot in the circle, the small figure beside you disappeared. It was an illusion.

"Unlike you, he is not cruel." Freya showed up behind her and stabbed her worst nightmare in the back. Literally. "Klaus, now."

He quickly retracted his fangs but Daliah quickly regained some of her composure. She threw Freya out of the circle with a magical force and was knocked unconscious when her head hit a boulder. Kol and Elijah came into assist their brother but she quickly snapped their necks with a flick of her wrist.

Suddenly, you started to hear commotion and when you tuned in your hearing, you instantly knew everything was going wrong. Speed walking through the land, you instantly went to aid your boyfriend.

"Hurry up, guys. We can not keep her in the circle for much longer."Davina called out as they kept chanting with difficulty.

"The circle isn't helping much, love." He choked out as Daliah suspended you and Klaus in to the air. You struggled to breathe as your throat constricted in a painful manner. "Let's talk in a peaceful manner, please."

None of you noticed Hope sneaking from behind because she heard her parents voices in the car. Seeing the two most important people of her life, she didn't know what came over her. It was like something snapped.

"Leave my parents alone!" The little girl screamed as a magic blast erupted from her. Knocking her great aunt out of the circle, she released her parents from Daliah's death grip.

"Hope, get away from her. Right now!" You didn't care about anyone except your daughter. Klaus started to get up from his place to protect his little girl but he was too weak.

"It's okay, mommy. I just have to concentrate really hard." Hope reassured you and before you could protest, she started mumbling something.

Aunt Daliah started screaming incoherently as blood oozed from her eyes and nose. Both of you were horrified when you saw your daughter like this. No one could imagine an innocent girl like her could do something like this. Daliah started choking on her own blood and in a few seconds, her heart stopped beating.

"Hope." breathlessly, you didn't know what to say. All these years, you thought you were protecting her from all this. But this was a part of her and she had to embrace it as well.

She slowly approached you and Klaus and you softly embraced her. "I am so proud of you, baby."

"You are my daughter, for sure." Laughing wholeheartedly, Klaus took you both in his arms. "Now, lets go home. My siblings will find their way home by night.'

"Stop it. Help me load them in the car." Finally, this was all over and now you can focus on your family. This was your time to be happy and nothing could change that. No one will ruin it this time. It was a promise. Always and Forever.

Hope you guys enjoyed it!! Like, comment and reblog.

._._._._._.

A/N : There will be an epilogue but this series has comes to an end. Really enjoyed writing this. When I first came up with the plot I really didn’t wasn't sure if I wanted to complete it. Thank you to each one of you for giving your love and support to this series. Hope you like this. Let me know what you think.

If you want to send blurb requests based on the series (dad!Klaus) I'm more than eager to write so send me your ideas. I would love it❤️

._._._._._.

[solinarimoon]

Fireflies, Embers, and Ash

Fireflies, Embers, and Ash

A/N:  This is my entry for @lauwrite1225 500 follower challenge!  Congratulations on such a great milestone!  You’re work is superb and you deserve all the praise and followers! I split the lines for my song up a little bit, so I hope you like it!  My lyrics are from Forest Fire by Brighton. The lyrics will be in bold.  I haven’t actually listened to the song at all yet, so now that I’ve written this using just the words from my lines I am going to listen to the whole thing! Also, I changed the season of when the events in this story take place to fit the aesthetic in my mind.  

Warnings:  Rape trauma in line with what a slave would endure in the eights/ninth centuries.

Word Count: 1477

She stumbles along the cold, hard floor of the forest.  Her feet bare and her toes numb.   Ash streaked tears smear her pallid face and her eyes sting from the suffocating air.  The moonlight is eclipsed by the haze of smoke.  Embers from the flames float down like rain mingling with the gently falling snow. 

The woman wanders.  She does not know where. What she does know is that Beamfleot is burning.  The nightmare of her capture was alight in flames and she was free once more.

A crash of boots traipsing through the woods to her right startles her.  She stands, stock still.  A doe frozen in fear.

A man, a Dane, steps into the light of the flames filtering through the trees.  He is followed closely by another man, one hard to distinguish.  He may be Dane or Saxon.  But her eyes stay fixated on the Dane, his hammer of Thor and his warrior’s look.

“Sihtric, what in the bloody hell are we looking for in these frozen woods?” The Dane’s companion, now recognizable with his Irish brogue, complains. 

The Dane slows his strides to come to a stop as he spies the woman.  

“We should be back on the clearin’ helping Uhtred and clearing the field…”

But the words are stilled as Finan glances at Sihtric and then follows his gaze.

The woman still stands frozen.  Tall and willowy, in a linen shift, she is poised to run.  Her foot takes a step back, but she is stopped at a word.

“Don’t!” The Dane entreats her. “We will not harm you.”

She says nothing.  She does not run.  She does not relax.  

But she does not run.

Sihtric can see the fear and panic rising in the woman.  

He raises his hands.  A gesture of calm.  Trying to show they are no threat.

“You were at Beamfleot? A prisoner?” he questions.

The only answer the woman gives is in the stiffening of her jaw.

Sihtric takes in the woman’s appearance.  Her torn and ragged shift.  Dirty with soot and grime.  Feet bare and hair a wild mat of knots.  Her face...her eyes haunted and scared.

Finan takes a step forward, raising his hands mimicking Sihtric’s, “Lady, we mean you no harm.  But you must come with us.”  He stops, Sihtric’s hand on his arm.

They look to see the women’s posture shifted, poised to run again.

“She does not trust us, Finan.”

Sihtric brings his hand back from Finan’s arm, but his eyes never leave the woman.

He is transfixed by her fragility.  

“We must get her to Thyra.  She will be able to help her where we can not.”

Recognition dawns on Finan’s face. 

“Aye, Sihtric, but Thyra is in Winchester.”

“But Beocca is here,” Sihtric remembers.  

“Lady,” Sihtric called across the distance, “we have just defeated the Danes at Beamfleot.  You are safe and you are free.  We are Lord Uhtred’s men. We have rescued Lady Aethelflaed and,”

Sihtric stops short when he notices the woman’s recognition of Aethelflaed’s name.

“The lady is in the clearing behind us. Safe with her father and his army.”

The woman watches as Sihtric struggles to find his next words. She stares as his jaw works and he licks his lips. 

“You will freeze out here,” he settles on. 

“Follow us back, keep your distance if you must, but come back with us and we will find you aid. I have seen what can happen to Saxon slave women. You will not be harmed by us.”

Sihtric’s words fade to a low whisper that still carries on the wind towards her ears. 

She watches as he slides a long knife out from a sheath at his back to lay on the ground at his feet. 

The embers still fall and the snow still drifts through the trees.

Slowly, Sihtric and Finan back away, turn, and head towards the field.

Several heartbeats follow before the woman takes slow steps forward.

Shaking fingers pick up the knife and feet numb with cold, she follows the warriors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loris walks slowly in the cool Autumn air.  Her feet know this path.  They travel there often.  In the quiet hours of the night.

A field on the edge of Coccham that is still littered with fireflies late in the season.

Resting her arms atop a fence rail, Loris gazes at the scene.  Something so calm and serene, yet with it bringing images she no longer wishes to remember.

“Could you not sleep, Loris?”

His words startle her out of her thoughts.

“Sihtric,” She gasps while turning to find him standing several feet from her.

He chuckles in that way she loves.  Deep in his chest and ever so familiar. Comforting.

“I am sorry to startle you, Loris.  May I join you?”

She turns her body round to gaze at the field once more, “of course you can, Sihtric.  I would be glad for the company.”

After a moment, she can feel his presence coming closer.  He perches his arms on the railing, following her stare.  Long minutes pass in a comfortable silence.

“What has kept you from sleep?”  His voice is hushed.  Soft.

Loris sighs. “A desire to keep my dreams at bay.”  Her feet shift in the grass as she turns to look at him. “But I find myself coming here and all it does is remind me…”

Patiently, Sihtric watches as Loris bows her head then turns to gaze at the fireflies dancing once more.

“I am happy here. In Coccham.  I have friends, a job. It is simple but I enjoy it.  And still there are nights where my mind takes me back to Beamfleot.  In my dreams, in my mind I never left. I am trapped there.  Terrified and broken.” Loris breathes in the fresh night air, pausing as she wipes away stray hairs from her face before she continues, “The fireflies are like the embers from the flames, drifting down from the sky that night.  I keep imagining those flames that did rise and blackened up the sky.”  

His voice stays low and calm.  Soothing as he remembers, “The light that showed you barefoot in the snow.”  

Loris turns her face only enough to notice Sihtric is watching her now, waiting for her to go on.

“Then the fire started building up inside, exploding, blinding lights. Now,”  Sihtric watches as Loris squints her eyes shut and purses her lips.  “I'm the one left screaming through the night. In my dreams I scream, I fight, I try to run but it is all for naught.  They trap me in the fires with them.  Pawing at me and forcing themselves on me while the world burns.” Her breaths have begun to go erratic and a terror is rising in her voice.

“Hey, hey, Loris.  It is all just dreams.” Sihtric reaches his broad hand out to rub soothing circles across the woman’s shoulders. “Finan and I found you in the forest. Amongst the ash and the snow.  Scared but alive.  You are alive.  And you survived.”

When his words do not succeed in soothing the young woman, he shifts to a different tactic.

“I used to have nightmares too at times.”

Loris opens her eyes but does not turn to meet his face.

“Of my time spent being my father’s hound and of how he treated my mother.  Then after his death they grew worse.  But, upon waking, I would find something, anything to focus my eyes on and to ground myself.  In the truth of the moment.  So, look out at the field Loris.  Focus on the light of the fireflies.  They are real and so are you.  Here in this moment, safe.”

While listening to him, Loris’ breathing had slowed.  Sihtric watches as the tension lessons on her brow and the line of her jaw softens.

“I know you are no Christian, Sihtric.  But in my prayers, I thank our God that it was you who found me in those woods.”

Sensing that his words had worked to calm her mind some, Sihtric brings his hand back from her shoulder to rest on the fence, arm touching hers.

Slowly, he weaves his fingers into hers and whispers, “I never told you or Finan what brought me into the woods that night.  But it was a Raven.”

“A raven?”

“Yes. To a Dane, a raven can be a messenger, a sort of protector and helper.  I was drawn to follow it.  And it led me to you.” Sihtric stares at her hand in his, his thumb rubbing gentle circles against her skin.

Slowly, Loris steps closer to him and rests her head against his arm.

“Whether it was the work of your gods or mine, I do not care.  I am thankful for you all the same.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[thatfanficstuff]

Asshole - Elijah Mikaelson

Pairing: Elijah x Reader

Warnings: Bullying, Assholes, Flangst

A/N: I’m gonna let y’all in on a little secret. When I can’t/don’t write for a long time, I find it incredibly hard to start writing regularly again. Part of me feels like I am incapable and the rest fears I am. Anyway, this took much longer than it should have. I hope you enjoy!

***

You sat at a table at the back of the Grill enjoying your own company and a well-aged Scotch. Well, as aged as it got at the Mystic Grill. You were supposed to have been spending your evening with Klaus and Kol but they’d opted out to take care of some business. Kol had sounded so sincere in his disappointment you couldn’t be mad at them.

After some indecision, you came to the Grill on your own. It had been a long week and you’d been looking forward to getting out of the house. You’d already eaten dinner and decided to have a couple of drinks before you walked home. Or maybe more than a couple since you were already on number three.

Your gaze jerked up from the glass in your hand when someone slid into the chair across from you. Seeing Damon, you started to smile before remembering he was no longer your friend. And as much as you didn’t want to let that bother you, it stung. The two of you had been near inseparable until you saved Kol from the mechanizations of the Scooby gang.

You’d chosen your side. It didn’t matter that killing Kol would have ended the lives of who knows how many vampires. Apparently slaughtering innocent people was only bad when the Mikaelsons did it. None of your friends would even attempt to see it your way. They’d cast you out and the Originals had taken you in. You tried not to be bitter about it. You even succeeded most of the time. Until moments like this anyway.

You clenched your teeth together and willed the tears that threatened to fill your eyes to fuck off. “Is there something you needed, Damon?”

Damon clicked his tongue before giving you a little smirk. “So testy. Can’t I just say hi to an old friend?”

“You can do whatever you want, but let’s not pretend that these aren’t the first words you’ve said to me in months. Whatever we are, we’re not friends. Not anymore.” And god you wished that didn’t hurt as much as it did.

He made a show of looking around the room. “I just noticed that you were alone. Not a Mikaelson in sight. Thought I’d check to see if you’ve finally come to your senses?”

You swallowed what was left of your drink in answer. Anything else you said would only lead to a repeat of the same argument you’d had a hundred times.

He tapped his fingers on the table. “I’ll take that as a no.” After a moment of silence, he pursed his lips and leaned forward. “Or perhaps they’ve learned that your loyalty is a fickle thing and they’ve kicked you out of their little family.”

“Fuck you, Damon.” You wished you hadn’t finished your drink so you could throw it in his face. “I wasn’t the disloyal one. All of you turned your back on me because I saved someone’s life.”

“Not just someone. Kol fucking Mikaelson. You knew it was a betrayal before you even did it. How were we supposed to overlook that? To ever trust you again?”

“Honestly, I thought you’d all lost your ever-loving minds. Why would any of you think it was okay to not only kill Kol but everyone that would go with him?”

“It was to save Elena.” Damon all but hissed the words.

“No. It was to make her human again. Big difference.” You leaned back with a frown and signaled for another drink. “You know, for someone that claims to love a vampire, she certainly has a deep-seated hatred for them.”

Damon’s gaze moved over you as though he were looking for something. It wasn’t until your drink was delivered that he spoke again. “They don’t care about you, you know. They never did. Getting you on their side just another way to get under our skin.”

You sipped at your drink as you looked him over. If he only knew the number of times you had convinced Klaus not to kill one of them. The number of times you’d redirected the hybrid’s rage or Kol’s anger. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t care at all. “I’m not a tool, Damon. I’d know if they were using me.”

His ever-present smirk faded as his eyes turned cold. “Would you? You believed everything I told you readily enough. Of course, you were so lonely you would have believed most anything, wouldn’t you? Anything to have a friend. Somewhere to go where you weren’t alone.”

You clenched your teeth tightly and refused to meet his gaze as he threw confessions made over late night glasses of Scotch back at you. “Were you never my friend then?” You hated yourself for asking the question. Even more for the way your voice broke as you did.

He tilted his head. “Oh sweetheart, why would I have been?”

And with that, he was gone. So nice of him to stop by. You downed what was left of your drink and signaled for another.

By the time you determined no amount of alcohol was going to erase Damon’s words from your brain, you were well and truly drunk. When the waitress came by to check on you, you ordered a glass of water and pulled out your phone.

You tapped your finger against the back of it as you thought. Going home to your empty house meant wallowing in self-pity until you passed out and then probably doing the same thing when you woke. Kol or Klaus were always your first call at moments like this, but you had no idea what kind of business they had to do and didn’t want to interrupt if it was something important. The last thing you needed was for them to be angry with you as well. Rebekah was out of town.

That left Elijah. You weren’t as close to him as the others through no fault of his. No, he’d gone out of his way to make you feel welcome, to extend the hand of friendship. But you were painfully shy when he was around. If there was one thing in life that could be counted on, it was the fact that you would be incredibly awkward around anyone you felt the slightest interest in. Poor Elijah probably thought you hated him. Klaus however thought the way you clammed up in his brother’s presence was hilarious.

Maybe that was the only reason they kept you around. Because you entertained them. At this point, did it really matter? Even if they didn’t need you, you needed them. Without the Mikaelsons you would be completely, utterly alone. Maybe you should start thinking about moving on. You could just start over somewhere else. Preferably somewhere with no supernatural drama. That would be fantastic.

After giving it another moment’s thought, you pressed the screen and called Elijah.

He answered on the second ring. “Y/N. Lovely to hear from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Tears flooded your eyes at the warmth in his voice and a lump formed in your throat. “I’m sorry to bother you, Elijah. I just…” You trailed off and sucked in a deep breath to keep from crying.

“Is everything all right?”

You cleared your throat. “Not really, no. Could you come pick me up at the Grill?”

“Of course.”

You hung up and slid your phone back into your pocket. After pushing yourself to your feet, you stood still for a moment to get your bearings. When you glanced toward the bar to signal for your check, your gaze met Damon’s. He smirked as he ran his eyes over you and saluted you with his glass, clearly knowing he was the reason for your current state. Deciding to wait for Elijah outside, you tossed enough money on the table to take care of your ticket and a generous tip.

The cool air bit at your skin as you stepped outside. You moved to the end of the building and leaned against the wall. You tilted your head back to lean against the brick. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath of the crisp air to sober yourself up a bit and drive back the tears.

“It’s not safe for you to be out here by yourself, Y/N. You never know who might wander by.” Damon’s voice cut through you but you maintained your position.

“Why are you doing this?” Relief flooded you when your voice didn’t break. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “Just leave me alone.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

The only response that came to mind was telling him to fuck off so you kept your mouth shut and ignored him. Or you tried to at any rate.

A firm hand grabbed your chin and tilted your head down. The pressure he applied was enough to send a jolt of pain through your jaw. Your eyes shot open at the violation. “Don’t ignore me.”

You jerked your head to the side and he released you. “Don’t touch me.” At least the anger chased away the tears.

He placed his hands on either side of your head and leaned in until barely a breath separated you. You pushed against him though it did no good. You knew it wouldn’t but you couldn’t just stand there and let him do whatever he wanted. “Get away from me, Damon.”

“Why should I? You like vampires, don’t you, Y/N?”

Your eyes darted up to meet his and you realized that your comments about Elena had bothered him just as much as his words hurt you. Good. Asshole. “I like some vampires. I’m not particularly fond of you at the moment.”

He snarled and shoved himself off the wall putting some much needed space between the two of you. “You think you’re better than me? You’re nothing. Less than nothing. The only attention you received from me was pity.” Every word he threw at you struck like a physical blow. And the smile that crossed his face told you he was very much aware of it. But he wasn’t finished yet. “I pitied you, took you in and you repaid me by siding with the Mikaelsons. God only knows what they’re still keeping you around for but when they finish with you—after they’ve taken whatever it is they want from you—don’t come crying to us. Frankly, I’m glad to be rid of you. We all are.”

Hot tears began to leak down your cheeks and you wanted nothing more than to escape. Before you could run away or even think of another response, Damon was slammed face first into the wall beside you. You jumped away in response, relaxing when you saw it was Elijah holding him there. He had Damon’s arm twisted behind his back and kept him pressed to the wall with a hand between his shoulder blades.

“Get off me,” Damon demanded as he struggled to free himself.

Elijah ignored him, placing all of his attention on you. “Are you all right?”

You swallowed past the lump in your throat. “I’m not injured if that’s what you mean. He was just being an asshole.”

He hummed as he arched a brow. “Yes, well, it is Damon.”

The corner of your mouth kicked up and you wiped the tears from your cheeks. Elijah stepped back, pulling Damon away from the wall in the process though he still didn’t release him. “In the future, it would be wise for you to leave Y/N alone. The next time we have this conversation won’t end as pleasantly for you.” Only then did he let him go and Damon was gone in the blink of an eye.

Elijah placed his hand on your back to direct you to his car parked a short distance away. It wasn’t until he’d started to drive that either of you said anything.

“Would you mind just driving around for a while? If it’s not too much of a bother I mean.”

The silence stretched but you resisted the urge to look at him. Fresh tears were running down your cheeks and you preferred to keep that to yourself for the time being.

“Of course, it’s not a bother,” he finally responded, his voice quiet, concerned. “Whatever you need.”

Some time later you wiped the tears from your cheeks and turned to watch Elijah drive. His face was drawn and he had a firm grip on the steering wheel. He glanced your direction and smiled when he met your gaze. “Do you want to talk about it?”

You shrugged a shoulder. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Certainly.”

“Why do you keep me around?”

“What?” He couldn’t have sounded more surprised if he tried.

You turned your attention back to the view from your window. “Not you specifically. All of you. I mean, you don’t owe me anything if that’s what you think. Or maybe you just feel bad for me because everyone else is mad at me. You don’t have to. I’d do okay on my own.”

Elijah didn’t respond right away and you figured he was trying to think of a way to gently break the truth. Just as you were about to tell him it wasn’t necessary, the car slid to a smooth stop. You glanced around to see nothing but trees and you hadn’t been paying attention to the direction Elijah drove from town. You had no idea where you were.

“Look at me, Y/N.”

You turned in your seat so you faced him as much as possible. His dark gaze ran over you and if you didn’t know better, you’d swear you saw sorrow in his eyes. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “What exactly happened tonight?”

You glanced away as your hands twisted together in your lap. “Nothing. I told you he was just being an asshole.”

“Why don’t you try expanding on that a bit, sweetheart. I’m afraid I’m not buying it at the moment.”

You stayed silent as you figured out how to phrase everything so it would make sense.

“Y/N—” Elijah started and you held up a hand to cut him off.

“The thing about your best friend deciding they hate you is that they take everything they know about you and use it to hurt you. And god, Damon’s a pro at it. He hits the mark every time.”

“What do you mean every time? Has this happened before?” The irritation in Elijah’s voice made you smile.

“Not for a while. Right after the whole Kol thing, it happened almost daily. I figured he was done being an ass to me. Guess I was wrong.”

“Why did you not say anything?”

You shrugged again. “It didn’t seem important at the time. I just quit going anywhere I might run into him or the others unless one of you was with me. I figured it had been long enough I’d be safe to have dinner and a couple of drinks without a bodyguard.”

His hand reached out to cover yours where they still twisted together in your lap. Your face heated immediately but you didn’t pull away. “Y/N, if it was bad enough to keep you from living your life the way you wished, it was very important. I can’t believe none of us were aware of this.”

You shook your head, not wanting to argue the point. “It was just pokes. Snide comments, dirty looks. Tonight though…He said he was never my friend. That he pitied me and took me in and I betrayed them. He said there was no reason for anyone to ever be my friend.” Your voice trailed off at the end until it was barely audible. And once again you found yourself unable to look the vampire in the eyes.

He hummed in acknowledgement and released his hold on your hands. Seconds later he was out of the car and opening your door. He offered you a hand to help you out and you took it with no hesitation. He led you toward the front of the car before lifting you and placing you on the hood. You looked up at him with wide eyes as he stepped forward, placing himself between your knees.

One hand settled on your waist while the other hooked around the side of your neck, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw. You swallowed past the lump in your throat as he stared down at you with a serious expression. “Listen to me, Y/N. The Mikaelsons pity no one. We are a thousand years old. We have long ceased wasting our time on those that we deem unworthy. Damon is simply pissed that he never wormed his way into your bed before you proved yourself to be monumentally out of his league.”

The corner of your mouth kicked up a bit at that though you weren’t sure you believed him. There was one part of what Damon said that still bothered you. “He said once you all get what you want from me, you’ll toss me away and I’ll be alone again.”

His hold tightened enough to let you know he was upset but not enough to hurt. His jaw set and he took several breaths before responding. “The only thing my siblings desire from you is your companionship, Y/N.”

There was a brief flash of hurt that he hadn’t included himself in the statement. The look in his eyes had you pressing for more. “And you? What do you desire from me, Elijah?”

The press of his lips against yours was an answer you could never have anticipated. His hands pulled you forward and you slid off the hood to erase the space between your bodies. The hand on your neck shifted to bury his fingers in your hair while his other arm wrapped around your waist. Your hands gripped the lapels on his jacket as you tried to pull him closer.

Finally, the two of you separated and your chest heaved as you sucked in much needed air. “That was…unexpected,” you breathed.

“Unexpected but not unwelcome I hope.” A smile flirted with his lips as his dark gaze studied you.

You shook your head and he kissed you again before resting his forehead against yours. “I’m sorry Damon hurt you, Y/N. I won’t allow it to happen again.”

“How can he possibly hurt me when I have you to protect me?”

His low chuckle rolled through you as you leaned up to kiss him again. As his hands gripped your waist you couldn’t help but be a little bit grateful that Damon was such an asshole.

[auroracalisto]

for the love of you—part four

summary: a fourth part to my series, “for the love of you.”  where rebekah and the reader get closer and have a bit of domestic fluff and where the mikaelsons and the reader realize what could happen if she stays around for much longer.

pairing: slightly romantic! rebekah x reader, platonic! kol x reader, elijah x reader, klaus x reader

word count: 2.1k words

warnings: mentions of death, visions, uhhhh, vampire shit.  i mean.  

a/n: now, i should have had this done some time ago. however, i'll just dedicate this edition of "for the love of you" to reaching 500 followers!!  also.  i’ve been in a mega rebekah mood lately, so that’s why she’s getting more “action” than the other siblings rn.  lmaoooo.

read part one here, part two here, and part three here.

RECAP

“—[Your name],” Elijah softly said, frowning.  "It most definitely was a vision.  However, that doesn’t mean we can’t prevent it from happening.  You were right to tell Kol, I know you were skeptical of him making fun of you.“

"Hey—”

Elijah stared at Kol, raising an eyebrow.  "You know it’s true.  You would have, had it not been something so serious.“

Kol rolled his eyes before he cleared his throat.  "I’ll go get Klaus and Rebekah.”

He left the room, leaving Elijah standing there with [Your name].  

“Are you okay?” Elijah frowned softly at her.  

[Your name] frowned.  "If it was a vision… what… what does that mean?“

Elijah frowned even more.  "Like we said with your being here.  We will figure it out.”

Soon, each of the siblings had made their way to the kitchen.  [Your name] stayed in her spot by the sink, her hand still gripping at her now warm glass of water.  

Klaus looked over at Elijah, a confused expression enveloping his handsome features.  “What’s going on?” he asked, taking a seat at the island, close beside Rebekah.  There were only two stools at the island—this led to Elijah standing across from [Your name], leaning against the countertop closest to the stove, and Kol standing at the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.  

“It seems as though [Your name] had a vision.”

Klaus turned to her, expectant to hear her vision.  

She refreshed Kol and Elijah on her vision, while giving the other two siblings new information.  But it was still as terrifying as it had been when she first relayed her vision.  Kol dying, people she had yet to meet being in her dream.  There were so many things that struck [Your name] as odd, but she still couldn’t get over the fact that she had been bitten—by what, she had yet to figure out.  

Klaus frowned deeply.  He looked towards his brother.  “I would have suggested bringing Bonnie in to figure out what brought her here, but it sounds to me like we should be avoiding each of them for the time being.”

“Agreed,” Kol spoke up from the doorway, rolling his eyes.  He was not about to be killed because the Salvatore’s wanted it to happen.  Their little human pet would not be the reason he died.  

Elijah looked back over at [Your name], frowning.  “I suppose we should tell you a couple more things.  I didn’t want to overwhelm you on your first night staying here, but a vision is sign enough that you need to know.”  He took a hold of her hand and led her over to stand in front of Rebekah and Klaus at the counter.  She sat her cup down, nervously looking at each of the siblings.  

“We are vampires,” Rebekah softly spoke, reaching out across the counter to take [Your name]’s hand.  

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t make any noise.  It made sense—if she truly had been bitten in her vision, then that would explain it.  She gave a small nod, squeezing Rebekah’s hand.  

“Okay.”

Kol blinked slowly at the girl, pushing himself off the doorframe.  “Okay?  That’s all you have to say?”

[Your name] blinked back at him in the same manner, nodding.  “There’s nothing more to say.  I… I’m not afraid of any of you.  I feel like I should be,” she couldn’t help a small smile from forming on her lips.  “But I am not afraid.”  

“You’ve no reason to be afraid,” Rebekah softly said, smiling in response.  “I do believe Kol is trying to tease, but he’s rather bad at it, isn’t he?”

[Your name] grinned, looking back over at Kol.  If he had the ability to blush, he was sure that he would have.  Kol just rolled his eyes and came over to the counter, leaning against it.  He looked at Elijah and cleared his throat with an awkward cough.  

“Well?  What will we do about it?”

“I will reach out to a couple of witches,” Elijah said.  “But until I am able to get a hold of any of them, we will all do our parts in keeping each other safe.  Kol, I advise that you stay near one of us if you go out.  If anything, try to stay home.”

Kol rolled his eyes once more.  “Whatever.”

“And [Your name],” Elijah said, turning to face the woman.  “I am sure that we will have to get you well-acquainted with Mystic Falls, despite your visions.  We will not keep you cooped up—you are in no way our prisoner.”

[Your name] watched her soulmates, giving a knowing nod.  She had a feeling that they each knew what to do, even if she felt like she was drowning in endless bouts of information.  But soon enough, things would make sense.  It had to.  

[]

The morning after their discussion, Rebekah woke [Your name] and practically forced her to get ready for the day.  Rebekah used what makeup she could on [Your name]’s face, and gave her the few hair products that [Your name] would be able to use on her own hair as well.  Some time while she was getting ready, Rebekah disappeared and then came back just minutes later with a bag filled with clothing—things that would fit [Your name] and things that she knew she would like.  

After Rebekah made her change, she finally told her what all of it was about.  

“I am taking you out,” Rebekah smiled, crossing her arms over her chest.  “You can call it what you will.  A date.  A friendly outing.  Date would work better since you are my soulmate,” she laughed softly, reaching out to take [Your name]’s hands.  “But this way, we can both get out of this stuffy manor and see what Mystic Falls has to offer.  Perhaps the more we talk, the more we get to know about each other as well.  Is… is that okay, [Your name]?” she smiled.  “I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

[Your name] faintly smiled.  “You aren’t doing anything that would make me uncomfortable.  We… should get a move on, if you want to take me anywhere specific.”

Rebekah grinned.  “I have to take you to the shopping center.  I am very aware I bought you a couple of outfits, but surely, you need more than just the items I purchased for you!”

“Rebekah,” [Your name] blushed.  “I have no money.”

“Nonsense,” Rebekah grinned, taking her hand in hers.  She leaned over to press a quick kiss to her cheek before leading her downstairs.  “You do not have to worry about anything like that while you’re out with me.  I promise.”

[]

Only hours later did [Your name] and Rebekah return to the Mikaelson Manor.  

Kol was waiting at the doorway, impatiently.  He couldn’t believe he just let Rebekah take [Your name] right from out of his nose.  

“Took you both long enough,” he huffed softly, opening the door.  He took notice of all the bags that the two of them were carrying.  His eyes softened at that.  Rebekah was just trying to make her feel at home—surely, that is what was happening.  Kol began to speak before his brain was aware of what he was saying.  “May I help you with those?”

Kol could have hit himself.  Hell, he had no idea why he was being so nice to [Your name].  Perhaps it was the fact that she was his soulmate.  But despite that, he still could have ended himself right there and saved himself the embarrassment that Rebekah would soon rain down on him.  But the smile that lightened [Your name]’s face would make the torment all worth it.  

“Yes, please,” she quickly said, moving to hand him some of the bags.  But before she knew it, Kol had grabbed every single bag she had and took it up to the guest room that she was staying in.  He didn’t show his face again, but [Your name] reminded herself to thank him later.  

Rebekah was trying to hold back her laughter as she took the bags upstairs with [Your name].

“I do not know if I’ve ever seen my brother so… flustered,” she laughed softly, sitting some of the bags on the bed and some of them on the floor.  

“You think he was flustered?” [Your name] looked over at Rebekah, smiling in return.  

“Oh, most definitely.”  

Rebekah walked over and took a hold of her hands.  “Before we start to unpack everything, why don’t we go and see if Elijah and Klaus have gotten a hold of any one?  The sooner we can figure out your vision, the better.”

It was more of a demand, rather than a question.  But [Your name] still agreed, allowing Rebekah to lead her down into the living area.  

Elijah looked up from where he sat; a woman was sitting beside him.  

Rebekah held tighter onto [Your name]’s hand, but not enough to hurt her.  

“Elijah.  What the hell?  I thought we agreed to not have Bonnie and her friends to step foot near [Your name].”

“We did,” Klaus sighed from across the room, pouring himself a drink.  “That was before Bonnie showed up, informing us that not only did she bring someone from an alternate universe to our home, but that there is no reversing the spell.” 

Klaus came over and sat across from Bonnie, keeping his eyes on her.  “And go ahead, Bonnie.  Tell them what you told us just moments before my dear sister walked in with my soulmate.” 

Bonnie flinched at the tone of his voice, but she knew that it was well-deserved.  Bonnie looked over at Rebekah and [Your name] with a deep frown.  “I had a vision.  The same one that your soulmate had,” she said, talking mostly to Rebekah.  “But instead of Kol dying, it was [Your name] who died.”

Rebekah stood there, her eyebrows furrowed.  “What do you mean?”

“It means that… that [Your name] being here is not normal.  It is changing fate and how our timeline is supposed to go.  I was reading through my grimoire and it said that it is possible that someone from an alternate reality showing up in a different timeline can completely derail how fate is supposed to go entirely, unless we send them back.  To send them back, of course, I have yet to figure that out.”

[Your name] stood there for just a minute, thoughts swimming through her head.  “What… what if I don’t want to go back?” she asked, gripping onto Rebekah’s hand.  

Bonnie grimaced.  “Then every one that you interact with could face dire consequences.” 

“Like?” [Your name] spoke, her heart pounding in her chest.  Each of the siblings could hear it.  

“Um.  Well.  Death.  Gruesome deaths, not to mention.  Mutilation.  Wiped memories.  Disasters, all around.”

The once happy expression that [Your name] held all that day had diminished within moments.  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  She didn’t want anything to happen to any of them.  She looked between each of the siblings, tears quickly forming in her eyes.  

She had only been there for a couple of days, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if anything were to have happened to them.  After a moment of silence, [Your name] looked at Bonnie. 

“What can we do?”

Bonnie went to stand up.  “I will be researching ways to send you back.  Until then, each of you should stay out of trouble.  Stay here.  I’ll let you know what I find.”

As Bonnie left, [Your name] looked at the siblings once more.  

“I don’t want to leave you all,” she said, tears beginning to spill.  “But I couldn’t… I can’t stay if that means each of you will get hurt.”

Rebekah let go of her hand, turning to face her.  She quickly wrapped her arms around [Your name]’s shoulders, giving her a tight hug.  [Your name] returned it, burying her face in the blonde’s neck.  

“There has to be something that we can do,” Rebekah said, her eyebrows furrowed.  “Bonnie’s magic brought her to us.  She is our soulmate,” she spoke, looking over at her older brothers.  “Surely there is some way that she can stay without it hurting everyone.” 

“If Bonnie finds a way,” Elijah said, a defeated look spreading across his features, “then [Your name] can stay.  But if not…”  It seemed like it pained Elijah to say anything else.  “If not, we cannot allow her to stay.  For our safety, and for yours, [Your name].”

[Your name] lifted her head from Rebekah’s embrace and she locked eyes with Elijah.  “I know.”

There were many times throughout their lives that the siblings felt defeated.  They could add this to their growing list of grief.  They finally found their soulmate, and now, they happened to find out that their soulmate could be the end of everything as they know it—even if she didn’t mean for it to happen.  

Rebekah slightly pulled back and pressed a soft kiss to [Your name]’s forehead.  “We will find a way to keep you here.  I will not allow you to go back to a place where you feel unwanted.  To a place where we aren’t there to keep you safe.”

[Your name] closed her eyes, appreciating her kind words, but the only thing that she could think about was the fact that she would be the Mikaelson siblings undoing.